The Road - Connection

"He withdrew his hand and sat looking at the Coca Cola. [...] He put his thumbnail under the aluminum clip on the top of the can and opened it. He leaned his nose to the slight fizz coming from the can and then handed it to the boy. [...] The boy took the can [...] and drank. 'It's really good,' [the boy said], 'I won't ever get to drink another one," (McCarthy 23).

Everyone comes across a realization at least once in their life and taking things in life for granted is one of the most common. Clearly, it is a lot easier to appreciate the more momentous events, objects, and people. But the smaller scale items that are involved with everyday lives are the things that people truly need to be aware of.  When objects or people are already present, many tend to overlook how important they can truly be. However, when those things suddenly taken away, people are awaken by the thought that things have much more value than they realized. This awareness occurred to me on my trip to Vietnam. There were things I was prepared for. Smaller living spaces, shared rooms, modes of transportation and more. But I did not consider that even the simpler situations that happen everyday were going to be difficult as well. Sleeping was the factor I was most shocked about. Obviously being raised in Canada I familiar to sleeping in a safe clean room and having to adapt to the room which was crawling with geckos and ants was a bit unsettling. Watching the geckos crawl along the walls as I fall asleep, and then waking up with several itchy ant bites was not something I was expecting. Moreover, I always thought about sleeping peacefully in my own bed but at least I was sleeping on a queen-sized mattress. Finally, when I traveled back to Canada, I was more than appreciative to be able to sleep without any unwanted company.

This quote gives me an understanding of what the characters are feeling and a theme from the book as well. The boy in "The Road" is struggling through a post-apocalyptic world with his father and is far from living a "normal" childhood. A can of soda can quite be the norm for a child, but for the boy it is an bizarre drink. The characters in the road do not have anything left, and even the simplest things are considered a treasure to them. The book shows that even though it is unlikely for things to mend, anything that carries the slightest bit of greatness can be a motivator for hope.

Roller Coaster of Life

       It was raining cats and dogs outside. I was bundled in my blanket and I felt as snug as a bug in the rug. However, I knew that I had a long day ahead of me and I would be as busy as a bee at work. I checked the clock and realized that I had slept in. My time was cut short but it was better late than never. As quick as lightening, I got myself ready. No time for breakfast, I thought. I grabbed an apple and an umbrella and headed out the door. The apple was not filling but it was better than nothing. On the bright side, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. As I was on my way to work, I noticed a poster of an upcoming concert. I decided to pull out my phone to take a picture of it. Just my luck. I had lost my cell phone. At this point, I was so miserable that I never took my eyes off the ground. I ended up running into a handsome devil who looked like the man of my dreams. We apologized and made some small talk. "I lost my phone number. Could I borrow yours?" I joked. When life gives you lemons - make lemonade. Eventually, I received his number which turned my frown upside down. The bottom line is life will never have a dull moment if you can tough it out.

Not So Mundane

           The constant feeling of not knowing or understanding something can be extremely discouraging. What if I could overcome that feeling if I were to have superhuman intelligence? I would know everything - from useless facts about celebrities to the answers of the hardest physics equations in the world. Many may think being a geek, or a nerd is unexciting and too mundane. However, being a big “braniac” and having more than enough knowledge would be out of the ordinary, and fascinating. Basically, I would be a walking encyclopedia. I would know the reason for the sky being blue; I would know if there was the existence of a parallel universe, and I would know which came first: the chicken or the egg. Spending my time studying or researching for tests and projects would be preposterous. I would effortlessly ace every challenging quiz, test, and exam without even trying. Moreover, I, most likely would not have to be in school if I was that clever. Without school, I would have an abundance of spare time on my hands and I could do whatever I please with that time. Maybe I could discover a cure for cancer or create a novel about the meaning of life. I would have a record winning streak in the game of “Trivial Pursuit.” With my competitiveness and passion, I could go on “Jeopardy” and answer every question that is asked without any hesitation. Everyone’s minds would be blown. Something even more thrilling would be being a part of the FBI. In the show “Criminal Minds,” I would be equivalent to the profiler, Spencer Reid. As a profiler, it would be extremely easy for me to figure out who the criminal was and the team and I would be able to solve a case exceptionally faster than reality.  I would have the potential in becoming a world superhero by “making the world a better place.” With all things considered, having unlimited intelligence would clearly be the ultimate superhuman power.

Write For Your Life

Niki Vuong
744 Armstrong Drive
Penticton, B.C.
V2A 8L4

February 2, 2012

Captain Draude

Commander
HMS Princess Margaret

O Captain, My Captain, The One and Only:

       I understand that you, a very courageous captain, are about to go through the most traumatic choice-making situation you will ever experience. However, I can take the weight off of your lovely shoulders and this will become one of the easiest decisions you will ever have to compromise. Many of your crew members may tell you that they are worthy of life and that they will become very influential, but does that sound realistic? No. My aspiration is much greater than the others'. I am on my way to becoming a cat lady. I am already halfway there, but many others haven't even taken the first step towards their goal. They can talk the talk, but they can they walk the walk? Do they even have the reputation they require? I certainly do, seeing as though I own a delightful domestic tabby cat named Toby. As well, I am very popular for my obsession and tremendous love of cats. Needless to say, I'm also known for being awesome but it's not about that. You see, the love I have for cats will be extremely useful in the near future because we all know that there will be a cat-pocalypse. How will it be useful, you, the best captain in this universe, might ask? Well, only a cat lady will have the knowledge of a cat's thoughts and will know how to control the outrageous, dangerous and destructive behaviour the cats will display. Therefore, I will be the only person who can save the world (that means you) from the takeover of cats. If you want me to save the world, you must save me first. Saving me also means great benefits for you. After I have protected the world from the apocalypse, I will let the world know that I wouldn't have been able to become the world's saviour, if you weren't mine in the beginning. Soon after that, you will have all the glorious fame and fortune you have ever wanted. After all, I know that you are the most kind-hearted, generous, and instinctive captain, out there. So please, do the world a favour, and save me, a future cat lady, someone who will do the world justice.

Do you even have to consider saving the others?

Sincerely,

Niki Vuong

About Me

          Even though she is not the most popular kid in school and has absolutely no talent, she definitely does not live and average life. In the morning, she acts as if she is a just a regular citizen blending in with the rest of the crowd. However, by night she creeps around the city as quiet as the wind, in search of villains with the aspiration to take over the world. While the dead hour of night comes around, Niki reminisces in her rocking chair pondering about her night life. With the ears of a bat, she suddenly hears a crash coming from the other side of the city. She quickly leaps out of her rocking chair and dashes out the door like a cat. Niki navigates her way in between each building like a snake and arrives at the scene of a crime in a split second. "You're not asking for a death wish, are you?" she asks. The enemy stood there frozen with fear. But Niki doesn't hesitate and gracefully attacks her victim and defeats him. Another one down, she thought proudly.  The break of dawn arrives and it seems like she was under the spotlight of the sun. She smiles as she goes to bed, even though she knows she will just be another ordinary person when she wakes up.