For my thesis I selected the topic Mercy vs. Revenge and I decided to side Mercy. I choose Mercy because during a class we had a discussion on the topic and I sided that Revenge was better than Mercy but in the end of the class I ended up with Mercy. So in the few paragraphs below I will state that even people in the world side with mercy from the period of Shakespeare and to our current life and also the outcome of revenge and my opinion of how to prevent it or at least reduce it.

In The Tempest, Shakespeare gave the readers an impression that Prospero was mean and lusted for vengeance for what his brother did to him. Though during the end of the book in Act 5 Scene 1, his plot came to the time of decision whether to forgive his brother or have his revenge on him and he choose mercy and forgiveness. On line 27- 40 he gives his reasons, that his in the battle between Fury and Reason that he choose reason because it’s nobler than anger. Anger is an emotion and your emotions are stronger than your wisdom but at the same time also clumsy because your not use your judgment for your actions.  He also quotes that “the rarer actions is in virtue than in vengeance” portraying to the readers that mercy is a high-quality of life and just that people use revenge more. Also stating that vengeance is the unwanted and bad quality.

Shakespeare siding with mercy was years and years ago. So you might think that people back then only thought mercy is better because they didn’t know better. That there intelligence weren’t as developed as now. But your wrong the same message is presented in the same way presently. Spiderman 3, Peter Parker searches for his uncle’s killer who escaped from prison. Knowing that he was struck with great anger and revenge. One night a overwhelming poison took over him and he went out to kill the killer. After killing him he went to visit his aunt. He told his aunt that when his uncle killer has died and he asked his aunty isn’t she happy and she said no. Why? Because quoting from his aunty “Revenge is like a poison that can turn us into something ugly”. So after awhile his uncle’s killer revives and Spiderman meets him although he can kill him he doesn’t he gives him forgiveness and mercy. Why? Because he realized that he doesn’t have the power and right to take away someone’s life. Taking revenge would eat into him and his uncle wouldn’t want that. If you take revenge what does that make you? It makes you exactly like the killer. A killer.

People also say that if we keep giving Mercy the killers wouldn’t ever learn and keep on continuing their criminal acts but imagine if the entire world decided to take vengeance. Here is an example: North Korea launches a nuclear bomb on USA, USA and the rest of the countries are furious so they launch their own bomb, then Russia joins and bombs UK, UK is angry they bomb Russia and Japan wants to join in for the times that America has crushed them in war and bombs multiply countries to show their power. With all the anger, revenge and need for power after they finish there would be no more gravel to live on. But I’m not saying that a killer should just be set free. He should get punishments to teach him a lesson. This all started years ago before Shakespeare’s time and the only way to stop it is to look at what are the reason that the criminals are causing this crime? Money, food, and education is the answer giving them these essentials they wouldn’t need to steal and before they think of committing a crime they would know that it is wrong and there are other ways to fulfill your needs all it takes is time and effort which has to be started from young.

In conclusion of my thesis I think that Shakespeare was right for giving Antonio mercy because killing him would not help you in anyway. You will be haunted with the memory of killing your own brother or even taking any human life. Spiderman 3’s subtext was showing the audience that even people now are still siding with revenge and not mercy. During the show when Spiderman killed his uncle killer he was so dark and evil and that was what the director wanted the audience to see so they did but when he gave mercy to his uncle’s killer the audience knew that it was the Spiderman they knew. Lastly I hope that people start helping those in need so that they do not grow up and envy wealthy people and start making bad decisions in life. Maybe I a few years girls can walk at night knowing that they’re safe from rapes, or men walking into the gas station toilets can enjoy their time there in peace knowing that there aren’t guys behind him holding him at knife point wanting his wallet and keys. Were all humans and we aren’t perfect.

Firstly, being an Effective Communicator and Self-Directed Learner played a big part in this project. If your poem wasn’t understandable then people would lose interest in your poem. No one likes reading things they don’t understand. The interesting point of poetry was making it understandable but adding that twist or mysterious vibe which made it unknown and hanging around the moment. I demonstrated the skills of effective collaboration and how did I go that if this was a solo assignment? Well I collaborated with the words and pictures which stood by each other to give meaning and symbolism. Any one could write poems but I think a good poet is one that is friends with the words. The words are allies with the pictures and eventually your collaboration together will makes a great army.

The ESLR’s I feel I used was Self-Directed Learner and Effective Communicator. The Self-Directed Learner point I used was ”I Accept responsibility for my own learning.” This to me means that it is up to me to produce the quality or what I want for the project. The teacher thought us how to write poems, the basics, structure, order, types of poems, and word choice but the content of the poem depends on ourselves. No matter what a poem would always tell a story and that would be your murderous story. It’s was up to me to decide what the content of the poem would be the quality of the information and the message which it portrayed. It’s like music, you can get the best lyricist but if your vocalist and band mates aren’t connected to the song mostly likely the song is going to suck. The Effective Communicator point I used was ”Incorporate/Utilize technology as a tool for communication.” This to means that I used a method of technology to communicate to the reader.

Effective Communicator, I connected the poems and pictures together some by using a literal translation and some using my idea of what the poem actually means and translating it to an image. In my opinion I think I “effectively utilize technology as a tool for communication.” I love technology, how it works and what causing the devices to generate that mind gasping experience. Plus, I’m not talented with art and my creativity is not in art at all. I spend the whole night searching for pictures which I thought would have matched my poem criteria. I read poems over and over while looking at the picture trying to see if the picture would have symbolized what I wanted. After finding the picture I would modify it trying to make it look different. Self-Directed Leaner, when I was writing the poems I had some trouble on words and what my next line would be so I used a dictionary and tried to researcher for something that would give me inspiration related to my topic like a picture, object, or symbol. I think I ”Identify their needs and apply appropriate learning strategies”.

. I was a Self-Directed Learner by identifying what I needed and applying appropriate strategies to complete my tasks. I wanted to make the book different. I didn’t want to print, cut, draw, and glue. I wanted it to be my own. So I had an idea that I wanted some of the poems to be seen through the pictures and on some of the poems I wanted the picture to be on a different colour than the background. After completing the book I thought about the cover and I felt the book was a book wrote by the dead or made for it. During the final stages of the book I had realized I have no life or that the life I have now isn’t mine. It’s ruled by someone else and I’m just living as their slave. I found a picture coincidently that blew my mind for the theme and cover. I think if I didn’t identify my needs and apply appropriate learning strategies than I would have probably given up on the book or the book would have just been another cliché project.

Self-Directed Learner, what if I tried taking creative risks in developing untried ideas on my book? Instead of printing the pictures on plastic paper and poems on normal white paper. I would try something different and print the poems on plastic paper and pictures on normal white paper. That would have had a different effect on the book. The poems may not be able to be read because of the colours from the pictures and people would read the poems and look at the image keeping the poem in mind so that they can understand the image. I prefer my way where as people look at the image and ponder of what the poet is trying to convey through the image. Also the curious people will look at the image and then read the poem after that flip back to glance at the image again. Even after putting the book down they would remember the image that was connected to the poem trying to understand its purpose. Even though the poem was the last thing they saw they still will remember the image.

In summary I feel that they project was really good because the images play a big part to me in poetry. It’s another way of twisting around the world to convey a message. I think next year there should be more connection from poetry and images. The two ESLR’s Self-Directed Learner and Effective Communicator were my two goals to be presented in this project and I think that they shined through pretty well. Furthermore, I think one of the reasons why I like poetry is because of music. Music, lyrics, poetry are all connected through different forms and adding modern technology adds imagery to the whole package.

What’s “Hot and Sexy”?

So for the assignment we where supposed to look at objects, life and anything through different views which are my view, gender, race, and class. So I was thinking about what was discussed in class about the sub-text of media and the example that always came up was a hot, skinny, perfect shaped body girl and everyone would always say that it puts girls down because the girl in the advertisement makes them think that they would have too look like that to attract guys.

In my point of view guys are attracted to girls being “sexy” and “hot” but this also started when girls started marketing guys that they have to have “hot body” and “killer abs”. Advertisements like swimsuits don’t you think that advertising your product with a “hot girl and a guy with killer abs” sell your product more? Probably yes, because girls and guys are naturally attracted to each other and adding extra zest to that attraction would increase the hunger too attract the opposite sex. It is easier to market a product with something people want but don’t get me wrong guys and girls do look at the heart and other characters but I think it is harder to advertise those qualities or make an equal appeal to the viewers.

Race plays a big part this advertising of who has the best model, body and etc. Different cultures and countries have different opinion on what they think is “hot or sexy”. I mean an Indian model could appeal to and Indian person but not to a Japanese person. Also in Asia bleached white skin could be the “sexy thing” but in America nicely golden brown tanned skin is the “sexy thing”.

Class also plays a role in judgment of beauty and attractiveness. A higher class person will obviously make their selves beautiful and “hot” to attract other or keep up with their position in society but to a low-low class beggar the person may look ugly like using too much make up, too skinny, or is just plain ugly. Also, someone in the upper may think this middle class person is ugly but she may the most beautiful person other classes have seen. In most countries it’s the upper class that normally sets the standard what a “hot” guy and girl should look like or have.

Then again a “hot and sexy” girl could mean she is sweet, loving, caring, cute, funny, adventurous, out going and her heart most of all. It’s generally your opinion of who is “sexy and hot” to you but just don’t let other people or things influence your decision.

Fine apparition! My quint Ariel,
Hark in thine ear.

This blue-eyed hag was hither brought with child
And here was left by th’ sailors.

Two sentences i do understand:

You taught me language, and my profit
Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language!

Meaning:

You taught me language, and all I can do with it is curse.
Damn you for teaching me your language!

Oh ho, oh ho! Would ‘t had been done!
Thou didst prevent me. I had peopled else
This isle with Calibans.

Meaning:

Oh ho, oh ho! I wish I had! You stopped me. If you hadn’t,
I would have filled this island with a race of Calibans.

Two questions about the plot of the book:

What is Miranda’s role in our world for the future?

What does Prospero’s magic symbolize in our world?

Sony estimated that they spent around £250,000 on the HD Tv’s alone. They thought that their loyal customers should be thanked.

Original article here.

Dylan Thomas was a born rebel with a poets mind. He was born in Whales in 1914. he was a neurotic, sickly child who shied away from school and preferred reading on his own, he read a lot of poetry from famous poets. He was inspired by D. H. Lawrence’s descriptions of the vivid natural world. He loved the language and excelled in his English and reading but neglected other subjects and dropped out of school at 16. His first book was “Eighteen Poems” when he was twenty. His writing has a lot of lyrics and powerful emotions changed into it; he is more on the romantic tradition. Thomas was the typical Romantic poet of the American generation. He was flamboyantly theatrical, a heavy drinker, engaged in roaring disputes in public, and read his work aloud with tremendous depth of feeling. He became a legendary figure, both for his work and the boisterousness of his life. He died from alcoholism at the age of 39 after a particularly long drinking in New York City in 1953.

My Hero Bares His Nerves

By Dylan Thomas

My hero bares his nerves along my wrist

That rules from wrist to shoulder,

Unpacks the head that, like a sleepy ghost,

Leans on my mortal ruler,

The proud spine spurning turn and twist.

And these poor nerves so wired to the skull

Ache on the lovelorn paper

I hug to love with my unruly scrawl

That utters all love hunger

And tells the page the empty ill.

My hero bares my side and sees his heart

Tread, like a naked Venus,

The beach of flesh, and wind her bloodred plait;

Stripping my loin of promise,

He promises a secret heat.

He holds the wire from the box of nerves

Praising the mortal error

Of birth and death, the two sad knaves of thieves,

And the hunger’s emperor;

He pulls the chain, the cistern moves.

I hope in the poem above he was describing about the nerves in his body. I thought that the way he was describing his nerves were very imaginative and colour. I liked the way he told the journey of how his nerves travel around his body. I really like his choice of words. What I didn’t like was that it was kind of confusing in some parts I’m not sure if that’s the poem or it’s just me that is unable to understand the full potential of the poem.

I just can’t think of any questions to questions this poem. It’s like a poem like this was built to have no questions attached to it. You’re supposed to read it and be amazed by it and not ponder about it. Its simplicity is not to be questioned.

Figurative language

Dylan Thomas says: 

And these poor nerves so wired to the skull

Ache on the lovelorn paper

I hug to love with my unruly scrawl

That utters all love hunger

And tells the page the empty ill.

In this whole stanza the author was giving the paper actions and life, 

a personification.

Click here to read more about Dylan Thomas and his poems.

This teen life project thing really doesn’t make much sense to me but i guess i have to write about it anyway since its counted as homework. Anyways, what I am about to say a lot of people will disagree with me but its ok. i think school isn’t mainly about education. There is a bigger part too school and its about the friends you have. The friends you meet now you will probably remember most of them when your older. The friends you have around you influence you the most. I dunno about you but my friends influence me the most and help me. Meeting the people i meet now is more important to me than my education now. In the future education is needed but friends are needed more especially when you need help. You cant buy friendship but you can buy education(e.g. going to school). When your in trouble your parents and true friends will always be there for you. I’m not telling everyone to drop out of school and concentrate on your social life. This is what i feel school is meant to do. I may seem extremely stupid write like this but this is how i feel and if u don’t like it….

For the project I used symbols and images like Anne Frank and her family, Miep, 9/11 bombing, holocaust, World War II, racism, yellow tulips with blood, and world suffering. The images time and were divided between black and white and colour. The black and white images represented images of World War II and the colour images represented the images of the time now. The music used was a song, sang by Sarah Brightman called Ave Maria. It is a slow and peaceful song.

The image like Anne Frank show the audience the good in her and the type of person she is. Her family’s guidance and influence and she is also the whole reason for the commercial. Miep is a symbol of courage and hope that she risked her life to help those in hiding for the years. She also gave them hope that they had someone who was still good during the war. The 9/11 bombing showed that there is still destruction and chaos in the world today but people should also look at the good that happened that day not only the bad. Holocaust represented the people that suffered because of the people that didn’t like their religion. World War II showed the destruction and cruelty of the people but also showed the good that happen like soldiers helping people. Racism to me showed similarity to the anti-religion at the time of the war. Why should people suffer because they believe in their religion at the same goes for people’s race? Yellow tulips with dripping blood showed the blood shed caused in
Holland but showing Anne in the same picture was a symbol of goodness and hope that would come out. World suffering was also another way of showing people that what was happening years ago is still happening now. The music gave a clam and sorrowful vibe. Towards the end of the song the sorrowful vibe was slowly changing to a hopeful and heavenly.

Each symbol has a different meaning and different powers, but if I had to choose one image I would choose the racism image because I think that racism has been around for a long time and no one is stopping it. I also feel that it might be the next biggest thing since the holocaust if no one stops it, Genocide. If I used a rock song I feel that commercial would have a whole different effect and people but yet again no effect because I feel it doesn’t flow together properly.

Making this film really help me understand more about World War II and also made me realize that the holocaust is happening now but starting from racism and genocide. It also helped me realize the good in people when the times are worst. Everybody thinks that 9/11 was a bad day but we should also think of the people that helped to find every person that day. They helped make those people’s day a hopeful day. If I had to grade myself on this project I would give myself an 85% out of 100%. I just feel that the commercial would have not been good enough for her. I feel that not only her but other survivors deserve more than a video made by a few 8 graders.

KnowledgeWe used the Nazi symbol to represent the World War II and the background of living life of Anne Frank. We also used the symbol of Jew because Anne Frank was Jew and the killing Jew and the holocaust was one of the important incidents of World War II and it is also related to the whole Anne Frank’s diary. We used the symbol of train because the train can represent many different varieties of meanings. The train can be categorized in the sound and the image. We can use the sound of train moving because trains were the main transportation during the World War II. We can also observe for the images of trains to represent the main transportation during those days. We used the image of yellow tulip with blood and the yellow tulip represents Holland and the blood represents that the
Holland has destroyed and the country is with full of blood. Our group also used an image of skulls because many people had died. And also an image of an almost dead young kid because during the World War II, many kid especially who are related to or are Jews had died because of typhus, food conflicts and etc. We used powerful songs instead of soft songs, which can describe the sadness of this event because we believe that the powerful songs can show the anger, panic, fear, horror, death and wars. We also made a Nazi symbol with blood on so it describes that the Nazis were terrible and were crazy about killing people especially people who are Jews.

Comprehension

In our short film, all the pictures, symbols, and sounds are related. The whole idea of this short film is Anne Frank but we are getting more into it and we are looking and researching stuff about World War II, holocaust, Jew, and the Nazi. The sound will be related to the images and symbols. For example, if we put a picture of Hitler in the movie, we will use the marching sound, so it makes more sense and it can help the audience understand better and more precisely. Besides marching sound, you can also use bombing sound, shooting sound, and Hitler’s speeches because those sounds are related to Hitler and they can describe him very well and they also show what kind of person Hitler is. We also used a picture of a child who is starving to death because in Anne Frank’s days, there were many children who were starving to death.

Application

For the sound, we used powerful music to represent the anger, fear and darkness, so it might make the audience scary and it will make the short film stronger and more sensational. Also the music can help the images for representing the anger, fear and the darkness. The symbols can teach audience what my group is trying to tell them or what we want to teach them. For example, if we show the Jew symbol to the audience, they will know that the short film would be related to the Jew. For pictures, they will be more specific than symbols and they will describe the symbol and what happened during the Anne Frank’s days. And the sound or music will be the back-up for the symbols and pictures.

Analysis

I think the most powerful symbol is the Jew symbol because this is what separated the Jews and Christians and this is what caused the war. For music, we are using the powerful music, so I think all the songs are as powerful as others. For images, the most powerful one will be the picture of Anne Frank because she is related to the Jew, the Nazi and all other symbols and pictures. She is a Jew and she was in the holocaust which was run by the Nazi. She helped us to understand more about the World War II and holocaust and she made us to get excited about the World War II and made us to get more into this historical event.

Synthesis

We made a short film that spreads Anne’s hopeful message of peace. We made a short film about important events or pictures that can describe the days during the World War II and Anne Frank’s days. We defeated or accomplished this aspect of Blooms Taxonomy by creating a short film.

Evaluation

Overall, we think that we did an excellent or a great job even though we only very little time to complete this gigantic project. We used the best of the best images, sounds, and symbols to describe the Anne Frank’s days and the events that were happening in her days. I think using powerful songs instead of soft songs is very creative because no one would think of using powerful songs in this sad event. And the yellow tulip with blood on it is also creative because it can represent the death of Holland but it can also describe
Holland by yellow tulip and blood/death with the blood on tulip. I also think that it’s creative by making a Nazi symbol with the blood on it so it represents how Nazis were. If we can give a grade ourselves, we would give A- ourselves because we put a lot of efforts in, tried our best and the short film we made is excellent.

ESLR’s

We chose Effective Communicator, Involved Citizens, and Academic Achiever because we thought we hit most of the points.

Effective communicator means to listen respectfully and ask questions to facilitate understanding and achieve insight, collaborate with others in appropriate learning situations to achieve group goals. In our own words, we listen to each other respectfully, ask questions, and disagreed respectfully to some of the ideas we didn’t like. We all worked quiet ok to complete this assignment together as a group. Examples that we were an effective communicator, is when we all had to choose something to do. One is to do the movie, another one is to do the ESLR’s and the last one is to do the Bloom’s Taxonomy. One wanted to do the same things as the other. Instead of shouting at each other, we listen to what we all have to say and compromise.

We were also an involved citizens. Involved citizen’s means to demonstrate responsibility in active decision-making, interact respectfully with people of diverse cultures, and demonstrate awareness and respect for the rights of others. In our own words, we all are from different culture and religion. Not only are we from different cultures, Anne is a Jew, and that’s different from all of us. We had to interact with her from her books, and we all did it respectfully. When someone from our group has something to say, we listen and discuss, not just don’t care, because all our team members have the rights to speak out their opinion and ideas. Examples that we were an involved citizens is when we were discussing about the whole project, what we wanted to do, what symbols we wanted, because believe it or not, some religion have different meanings for different symbols. Like the Nazis symbol, their symbols may symbolize war, death, but for the Hindu and Buddhist it means piece. So we had to choose what would be appropriate for everyone.

Academic Achiever means to demonstrate the ability to work both independently and collaboratively, Access information from a variety of sources, and Demonstrate technological literacy and the use of technology as a tool for the efficient and creative completion of a project. In our own words, we worked together as a group and by ourselves. We work collaboratively during class times, and when we arrange time after school to do work together, and we work independently at home. We use a variety of sources, such as books, and internet. Our project is a movie, so we’re using technology as a tool for the efficient and creative completion for our project.

Anne Frank Commercial

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Where did the Aztecs originally live? What prompted them to relocate?Where did they end up and why?

Atzlan, somewhere in North West Mexico. Aztecs left homeland in search of new home. They came to the Valley of Mexico named Anahuac, led by their chieftain Tenoch. Tenoch had a vision, Huitzilopochtli told him to lead his people to a swampy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. He was told to look for an eagle perched on a cactus, growing from a rock or cave surrounded by water.

The Aztecs ended up in the middle of a lake and built their new capital Tenochtitlan. What were the pros and cons of settling in the middle of a lake?

Tenochtitlán was located on a marshy island with limited resources, they built a few thatch and mud huts, and some small temples. The Aztecs would have to work constantly to maintain a city on swampy land. There was also continuing tensions between the Aztecs and the neighboring peoples on the mainland who despised them. Despite these obstacles, the Aztecs worked hard to improve the quality of their lives. They adopted an agricultural system of farming called the Chinampas. and in a short period of time, the land was transformed into a fertile and highly productive island.

Which gods were worshiped? The pyramids were built for what purpose?

Who are the different members of Aztec society? What are their roles?

The Aztec society was divided into 3 classes- slaves, commoners, and nobility.

Slaves:

The children of poor parents could be sold, usually for only a certain time period. Slaves could buy back their freedom.

The slaves that escaped and reached the royal palace without being caught were given their freedom instantly.

Commoners:

The most numerous social group was known as the macehualtin; these people were engaged in agriculture and the common trades. Although they worked the land in family units and were allowed to kept their produce, the land itself was collectively owned by the inhabitants of the neighborhood or calpulli.

Commoners were given lifetime ownership of an area of land. The lowest group of commoners were not allowed to own property. They were tenant farmers, they just got to use the land and never be owners.

The lower social orders were made up by peasants, who like the European serfs, were attached to the lands owned by the nobility and were obliged to cultivate them in exchange for part of the harvest.

Nobility:

The nobilities were the people who were nobles by birth, priests, and those who earned their rank.

The very highest social sphere was occupied by a minority of families known as the pipiltin. These people were members of the hereditary nobility and occupied the top positions in the government, the army and the priesthood. The nobles chose a supreme leader known as the tlatoani from within their own group; in Nahuatl this name means he that speaks. This leader was greatly revered and ruled until his death.

In Aztec society, warriors, priests, and the nobility were considered to be among the most respected in the Aztecan social hierarchy Because of the Aztecs’ emphasis on warfare, the warrior class was highly valued, and often warriors would volunteer for the most important Aztec sacrificial rituals.

The long distance traders also enjoyed considerable privileges and often served the government as ambassadors and spies. The most outstanding artisans, physicians and truly wise teachers were also highly respected.

The Aztecs have a spoken language. What was it called? Did they use any other forms of communication?

The Aztec spoke a language called Nahuatl (pronounced NAH waht l). It belongs to a large group of Indian languages which also include the languages spoken by the Comanche, Pima, Shoshone and other tribes of western North America. The Aztec used pictographs to communicate through writing. Some of the pictures symbolized ideas and other represented the sounds of the syllables.

How did the Aztecs grow food and what was their main crop? Did they trade and with whom? Did they have a currency (money)?

Corn was the most important crop. Farmers also grew avocados, beans, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and many other crops. The lowlands provided such tropical products as cotton, papayas, rubber, and cacao beans, from which chocolate is made.

The Aztecs produced a variety of goods, some for the ruler and his noblemen, and some that were sold in markets. Gold ornaments, brightly colored woven cloth and salt harvested from the lake bed were luxury items that were traded with distant peoples to the south. The Aztec had no system of money as we know it. They usually traded goods and services for other goods and services. But the Aztec used cacao beans and other widely acceptable goods somewhat as we use money.

Discuss the Impact of Spanish Contact 1519 from both the Aztec point of view and the Spanish point of view.

According to the Aztec chronicles recorded by Sahagún, the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II, thinking Cortés to be the returning god Quetzalcoatl, welcomed him with great pomp. Sahagún reports that Moctezuma welcomed Cortés to Tenochtitlan on the Great Causeway into the “Venice of the West”, probably the largest city on earth.

A fragment of the greetings of Moctezuma say: “My lord, you have become fatigued, you have become tired: to the land you have arrived. You have come to your city: México, here you have come to sit on your place, on your throne. Oh, it has been reserved to you for a small time, it was conserved by those who have gone, your substitutes…This is what has been told by our rulers, those of whom governed this city, ruled this city. That you would come to ask for your throne, your place, that you would come here. Come to the land, come and rest: take possession of your royal houses, give food to your body.”

Hoping that a sizeable gift would make the Spaniards go away, he presented Cortez with gold and jewels. Unfortunately for Moctezuma, his gift had the reverse effect. Not only did the gift fail to achieve its intended purpose, but it served to incite the Spaniards’ greed. Cortez seized Moctezuma as a hostage, hoping for a twofold effect: to gain wealth from a large ransom, and to forestall an Aztec attack.

Discuss La Malinche or Dona Marina. Debate her positive/negative impact on Mexico past and present. What does the term Mestizo refer to? What influences remain today from Aztec culture of the past?

La Malinche.” Slave, interpreter, secretary, mistress, mother of the first “Mexican.” her very name still stirs up controversy.Many Mexicans continue to revile the woman called Doña Marina by the Spaniards and La Malinche by the Aztecs, labeling her a traitor and harlot for her role as the alter-ego of Cortes as he conquered Mexico. As for the charge of “harlotry,” it is equally flawed. She was totally loyal to Cortes, a one-man woman, who loved her master. Cortes reciprocated her feelings. Time after time he was offered other women but always refused them. Bernal Diaz frequently commented on the nobility of her character and her concern for her fellow “Mexicans.”

In more recent times, the term “Malinchista” has been used by some to describe those who dislike Mexicans. But Doña Marina deserves better. A fearless, loyal and determined woman, she was a heroine who helped save Mexico from its brutal, blood-thirsty rulers–and in doing so she played a major role in fashioning what is today one of the most dynamic societies in all of Latin America.

In truth, many who call themselves Aztecs today have Spanish blood in them, much like the mestizo (mixed-blood) majority of Mexico’s population. But that hasn’t stopped a significant minority from clinging to their indigenous roots, Aztec or otherwise.
Nahuatl is spoken by Mexican Indians (many of whom call their language “Mexicano”), mostly in mountainous areas in the states surrounding Mexico City. Moreover, Nahuatl survives among the entire Mexican population, comprising a significant part of the Mexican Spanish dialect, some of which has even come into American English (e.g. the word Coyote, who comes from the Nahuatl word ‘Coyotl’).

Mexico City was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, making it one of the oldest living cities of America. Many of its districts and natural landmarks retain their original Nahuatl names. Many other cities and towns in Central Mexico were also originally Mexica towns, also often retaining their original Nahuatl names, or combining them with Spanish.

Mexican cuisine continues to be based on and flavored by agricultural products contributed by the Mexicas/Aztecs and Mesoamerica, most of which retain some form of their original Nahuatl names. The cuisine has also become a popular part of the cuisine of the United States and other countries around the world, typically altered to suit various national tastes.

The modern Mexican flag bears the emblem of the Mexica’s migration legend.

Mexico’s premier religious icon, the Virgin of Guadalupe has certain similarities to the Mexica earth mother goddess Tonantzin.

For the 1986 FIFA World Cup Adidas designed the official match ball showing in its “triades” aztecs architect and mural designs and called “Azteca Mexico”

Then there are other where they love, hurt, love and the process carry’s on but eventually always gets more love. Why? Because they have taken the chance to keep on improving on each other, they believe that their love is stronger then their hurt, they most of all forgive each other, and believe in each other. They don’t give up because they know that love is a roller coaster and you’ve got to keep on riding it, like Ronan Keating’s song “Love is a Rollercoaster”. There would be ups and downs in the relationship but the important thing is that we don’t make a big deal about it. Talk about it. You know you love the person because when you’re together you can feel a feeling in your heart telling you he/she is the one, you feel so comfortable with he/she, and you can look into the future and see yourself with he/she. You know you love the person because he/she is different from anyone you been with, he/she treats you different and you treat him/her different and you would trade every second of the day to be with that person but never trade every second that you were with the person. I always remember this phrase “I look for that one girl that sticks out from the crowd.” You change the girl to guy.

We have to understand that love isn’t perfect either. All those talk about love is perfect is all bull@%$&. Love isn’t perfect because they lovers aren’t too. We all make mistakes in our lives so don’t you think we will make mistakes in our love life too. People make a big assumption when they love the person and they have a fight that he/she isn’t the one for them or everything they promised was a lie. Sometimes it might be sometimes it may not be but the best thing to do is talk about it and make your decision after. After talking through and working things out you’ll see that it wasn’t a big thing at all. You should be able to talk to the person you love easily even just slightly easier then anyone is an achievement.

All this may sound easy to some of you to other it may sound hard. If it is hard don’t get angry at yourself or your partner. It depends on the person that’s all it is. Some personalities are harder some are easier. Trust me though it is really hard. Adults that are married still don’t get it. I don’t get it either. All I’m writing now is things that are just coming from my head. I don’t understand what I’m writing. I know that no one understands love either. That’s one word which cannot be described or understood but I know it is meant to be felt.

I guess it all comes too how you feel for the person and how you feel about yourself. You can give him/her everything you have the good and the bad. To me it’s worth it to keep on trying if I love the person even if I hurt unless it a really major thing where I or the person cheats on me/her countless time. Sure I’ll hurt but it’s worth it to give my heart to the person. I rather love then never love at all. Isn’t love, life in itself? I just don’t understand…and I’m sick of it too..