JOURNAL V --- Having vacation on the Beach or in the Mountains

People are always looking forward to their vacation period. There are many options where to choose. I think that the two most common places people choose for taking a vacation are the beaches and the mountains. Both places offer a variety of fun activities. The beach offers activities that the mountain cannot offer and vice versa. The mountain and the beach are totally different. I like going to the beaches for having vacation better than going to the mountains because of the climate, types of activities and phenomenon.

I’m going to discuss mountains first. The three aspects I’m going to discuss are climate, types of activities and phenomenon. Climate is always important in order to enjoy vacations. If a person dislikes cold weather, he or she might have a hard time in the mountains. The cold climate in the mountains is the first barrier to enjoying them, but the climate and the temperature of these zones also determine the types of activities they offer. Snow boarding, mountain climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and skiing are some activities people can enjoy when going to the mountains. We can see some phenomenon in the mountains like hail and volcano erruption.

I’m going to discuss the beach second. The three aspects I’m going to discuss are climate, types of activities and phenomenon. Warm climate is one of the most important features that the beach has. Sun and fun are two words that describe the beach. The temperature in those places is always hot. The sea and the warm climate determine the activities that are available at the beach. People can swim, play volleyball, play soccer, and ride water bikes. In most coastal sites, there are discos and restaurants where people can dance or party throughout the night. We can see the phenomenon on the beaches like waves, sunrise and sunset.

It doesn’t matter what place a person decides to choose. Both of mountains and beaches give fun 100% guaranteed. People often choose one of these two options to spend their vacations depending on what the person likes. I like the beach better than the mountains, because I like beach’s scenery and its climate.

JOURNAL IV --- Types of Computer Users

People are now able to communicate with others from all over the world, not even having to meet them face to face.  With these two entities  working together, computers have become a necessity for home users as well as businesses today.  It has affected various aspects of our daily life and has advanced society towards the future.  Although all computers are basically the same, hardware and software wise, people are known for using the computer for different purposes.  Some use their computers for communication and others for a source of entertainment.  There are various types of computer users.   

The game freaks are the people who spend their time playing games online.  These are the people who stay up to till dawn shooting and dodging bullets from other people on the Internet.  There are many games which incorporate the online play such as Counterstrike and Starcraft, just to name a few, that gamers all over the world are so addicted to.  The first thing they do when they get on the computer is check for people playing online or start new games to play.  Most of these gamers even have all the accessories for the whole online experience such as headphones with a microphone to hear other players and a special joystick that can be used instead of the regular keyboard.  Some even show their pride for their favorite games by wearing t-shirts and other types of clothing, as well as putting up many posters in their room.  They use the computer as an extension to the Playstation 2 and X Box, which can also be connected to the Internet and played online.  Many of these gamers use their computers to scavenge the Internet for any new tips or strategy guides which will help them in their favorite games.  Their main purpose of using the computer is to play various games and learn everything they can about each game.  These individuals are addicted to playing games online, and can be seen staring in front of their computers until the sun comes up. 

The shoppers are the people who are constantly surfing the Internet for the newest clothes or other types accessories.  These people are the ones who are often face to their computers for searching the new things such as clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, and so on.  They browse many websites such as Gap.com, Jcrew.com, Banana Republic.com, looking for the newest styles and colors of their favorite clothes.  They stay up late at night just looking for the newest clothes or coolest gadgets out in the market right now.  They want to be able to brag about their clothes which no one else has or how cheap they bought it for.  Instead of going to the malls and looking for all these accessories, they just sit in their chair for hours and visit various websites on the Internet.  If they do not have money at the time to purchase the item, they will bookmark their favorite sites and plan to buy them at a later time.  They use the Internet to research new clothes and accessories instead of academic purposes.  These people are addicted to buying stuff online and spend most of their time on the computer deals with looking for the best deals or where else it can be purchased.  These users are probably the most expensive because of all the money that is involved with the shopping trend.

The chatters are the people who spend most of their time in chat rooms.  These are the people who spend endless hours talking to people from all over the world in a chat rooms.  They spend hours typing away, meeting new people, and making new friends in this online community.  They usually use Facebook, MSN, YM, and another chat programs which enable communication with people who on their buddy list.  They can be seen typing away in various chat rooms meeting new people almost every night of the week.  These are the people who you can see on the buddy list for almost half of the day even when they are at work or at home.

Each type of user is similar in a way that they spend many hours in front of their computer screen, staring and typing away through the night.  Computers have made life much simpler for people as well as bringing together people from various regions on the planet.

JOURNAL III --- Types of Roomates

Having a roommate can be an unpleasant experience. Everybody is conditioned differently and has their own way of running a household. Having to learn everyone's disposition can be a challenge within itself because one can be different than one is used to. For me I have found it quite difficult to live with other people because they tend to not want to pick up after themselves, they have no regard for your feelings, and they could care less about your personal belongings. I have categorized the roommates that I have lived with into three categories: the dirty, the disrespectful, and the hazardous.

The first type of person I encountered was by far the dirtiest I had ever lived with. She would not take out any trash; if it were not for me it would have been piled up all over the floor. Because she would never do the dishes, I had to do them. One day I had came home from work and noticed this awful, foul smell. To my surprise, I found out that it was her dog. He had been playing around a dead cow for quite some time. I thought she would have given him a bath, but to my consternation she let him sleep with her that night. I could not handle that, so the next morning I got up and scrubbed him really good.

The second type of person I have lived with was very disrespectful. She would come in around 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. This would have been fine if it wasn't for the fact that I had to get up early to go to work. Also, she had given her boyfriend a key to the house, so he and his friends would come over regardless if anyone was home or not. One day I was looking for something of mine, so I asked Kay where it was at. She told me that someone was over and walked out with it. Not only did they leave with my item they had ate some of my food.
            The third type of roommate I had was very hazardous. This certain person smoked like a freight train. The only problem with him smoking was he fell asleep while doing it. There were countless times I woke him up with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. When I went to the room to inspect things out I found nine burn holes in my flooring. As a result of him smoking, I also have several burn holes in my mattress. He is definitely the worst roommate I have ever had. I am glad that he does not live with me anymore. 

Having a roommate can be very challenging because some people are inconsiderate of other people's feelings and property. It is very important to find someone who has the same type of personality you do, so one can get along a lot better. I must say I have learned a lot living with these people. I am tying to more benevolent towards others. Through my experiences I have found that I am better off living by myself, at least for now.

JOURNAL II --- Backpacking or Staying in Hotels

Traveling is one of the favorite hobbies almost all people have. There are several ways for traveling around the world, and they all include some good things and some bad things. Backpacking and staying in hotels are two of the most common ways of traveling, that’s why they are used by most people. The major differences that could be discussed between these two ways of traveling are the costs, the safety of the staying, and the availability of plans.

Backpacking has been used by teenagers for a long time, and it has become really famous among young people who don’t have a lot of money for traveling. By backpacking people could save a lot of money and travel with less money than what they would need for paying a hotel. As the travelers will need to sleep in a hotel, there will always be the issue of insecurity, as any kind of people could enter and sleep in a hotel. Hotels are not always available as there are a lot of people who use them, so change of plans will always be a possibility in this way of traveling. People who rely on backpacking for their trips should always have a backup plan.

Hotels are one of the most comfortable ways of traveling, but only if you have enough money. This way of traveling is mostly used by families and people who are wealthy enough to pay for good hotels. By staying at a hotel people will spend more money than they would spend in a hostel; of course a hotel will provide a high level of security to the traveler. To stay at most hotels, you need reservations, and once you have them you can rely on a place to sleep every night. In this way of traveling no backup plan is needed.

The two possibilities discussed above are really good; everything depends on the economic possibilities of every person. Personally I recommend staying at hotels even if they do not have an excellent quality because the services you get in exchange for your money could be the difference between having a good trip or a perfect mess.

JOURNAL I --- A Responsible Aunt

            I have an aunt named Ria Go. She is my mother’s sister and a career woman. She is my beloved aunt, because she always cares to me, loves me, and helps me whenever I need some helps. That’s why I love her so much. For me, she is like my second mother. She is such a responsible person. She is responsible in taking care her business, family, and ministry in church.

Firstly, She is responsible in taking care her business. My aunt works in Fiesta Prima Food. she is always ordered by her Fiesta Prima Food owner to supervise the workers at Fiesta’s stands in mall, supermarket inside or outside Surabaya City, even though in the other’s country. The other thing, she is always sent by her director to join many meetings between many other Fiesta’s owners. In some conditions, she also works until 9 p.m. to finish her workings in the office which I know that she should go home at 5 p.m.

Secondly, she is responsible in taking care her family. She is the only one child who still do not get married. So, she lives with her mother (my grandmother). She earns money for her mother also for her medicine and for all of her mother’s daily needs. She always tries to give the best for her family.

Lastly, she is responsible in taking care her ministry in church. she always tries to do the best. She always wants to give the best for her boss. However, not only to her boss, she also wants to do the best for everyone she knows, especially God. Beside her busy carrier, she always be able to do many servicing, especially in church like being a prayer to many sick peoples in hospital and people who have some difficult problems. These are the reason why I say that she is such a reliable and hardworking person.

In conclusion, she is kind of responsible person especially in taking care her business, family, and ministry in church.