Olympics: Sania Mirza

     My name is Sania Mirza.  I live in Hyderabad, India.  My home is the fourth most populated city in India.  I love where I live!  I was born November 15, 1986.  There are four people in my family: me, my mom, my dad, and my sister.  My mom, Nishi, is an IT worker, the most popular job in India.  My dad, Raj, is a pilot.  He is gone often, so my mom raised me and my sister Eka.  Eka is two years younger than me.  My whole family is really close.  Eka and I do everything together; she is like my best friend.  My family members are the ones that encourage me to stay an athlete and be in the Olympics.  I wouldn't be where I was today if it weren't for them.
     My religion, Hinduism, plays a big part in my life.  My belief in God has helped me prepare for the Olympics.  I believe that my past lives has cleaned all of my sins.  That is why I am so fortunate to be participating in this wonderful event.  I thank God for the great lives he has given me.
     When I was 8 years old and Eka was 6, we started to play tennis together for fun. Eka was never very good at it, but I had found my unknown talent. I loved playing tennis and I was very good at it. My parents encouraged me to join the tennis team at the school I went to. I had practiced tennis everynight when school was over. Eka would help me. It was a great bonding time for us. During high school, I was looked at for my skills. That is where I met my coach who started to train me.
     I had to go to the capital of India, New Delhi, to train for the Olympics.  It was tough to leave my family, but worth it.  I had a great coach, and she prepared me well.  This is the first time I am participating in the Olympics, so I am a little nervous.  I am ready to conquere the challenges that face me in these games.

goanimate

     I really like using goanimate.  I had never seen a program like this, and I liked how it was animated.  I would rather do small projects for each act than take a test.  I feel like I remember the story more by doing a project than taking a test.  Projects are more memorable.  I hope we keep doing projects like this.

Olympics

     I think the Olympics is exciting and fun to watch.  I have watched the Olympics ever since I can remember.  It is something to look forward to, everyone having fun and doing what they love.  I enjoy watching athletes win medals and do a good job because I know there is a lot of training and practice put in for years before they can participate.  I think all of that training would be worth it, not only to win a medal, but participate and show everyone your skills.  The Olympics is special because it is a time when people from all over the world are together, even if they are competing against each other.  It is the only time when people set aside their differences like religion, language, skin color, and ethnicity.  I find it interesting how people from all over the world can set that aside for the Olympics, but the moment it is over, their differences "come back" and cause conflict.  When watching the Olympics, it is fun to see what people from other countries look like.  It would be such an honor to be in the Olympics.  If I could be in the Olympics, I would want to be a part of the soccer team.  I love to play soccer and it would be very cool to play in the Olympics.  Even if I had to train for years everyday, I would still do it.  To me, it wouldn't matter what event I was in, or if I won, I would be so happy to take part in the Olympics.  It would be a wonderful privilege. 

Xiaochun

     Xiaochun had to make a big decision.  He had to decide if he wanted to play the violin at a big competition with a good teacher or move back home with his dad.  Even though his dad wanted him to stay with his teacher and play the violin, Xiaochun decided to go with his dad.  I think I would have made the same decision.  Family seems more important.  Also, since he was such a good violinist, he most likely could have practiced his talent somewhere else.  The only bad part about his decision is he won't be able to have that well known teacher again and play in that big competition.  The good part of his decision is continuing his relationship with his dad and living with him in their home.  I think that Xiaochun made the right decision. 

Weekly Blog: Newton's Laws of Motion

     Newton's three laws of motion are very relevant to my life.  The first law states that an object in motion stays in motion until another force is applied to it.  The second law says force=mass*acceleration.  The last law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  From walking and running to sitting in a chair, I see all of these laws applied in my everyday life.  When I play soccer and kick a soccer ball into the goal, the first law is applied because the net is another force applied to the ball to make it stop.  You experience the third law when you jump.  You push yourself off the floor; the opposite force is when gravity pulls you back down.
     In Romeo and Juliet, Newton's Laws are also applied.  It happens when people are fighting, sitting, and even walking.  Their swords keep moving until it hits someone or something.  When they are sitting, they put a force on the chair, and the chair pushes a normal force up.  Forces happen everywhere, even in Social Studies.  It doesn't matter where you are from or what culture you are.  Forces are a regular thing.  They happen to everyone and everything.