Pearson ALC English 11 Students: A Rant

Friday, April 18, 2008

A Rant

Put your rants here for the Writing 12 class to read (and for our class, too, of course). Have all work posted by Tuesday at 6:00.

NEW: Please pay attention to your word count! Maximum is 350 or so (but shorter is better).

Read examples at The Pearson Buzz.

13 comments:

Brad said...: The Driver on the Right

The traffic is heavy on my morning commute, the cars are travelling the usual 60 to 70 kilometers an hour in the 50 zone and, when I check my mirror there he is—the impatient guy getting up close and personal with my bumper.

The light turns red a block ahead and most of the cars begin slowing down. I do, too. Somehow, this enrages the guy behind me. He darts into the right lane and passes me, accelerating towards the light.

Just before he runs into the waiting cars, he slams on his brakes. I come up behind him and wait. The light turns green and we all start out again and I watch this guy do the same thing several times before arriving at the next light.

People complain about the high gas prices and worry about global warming these days. How can we explain the behaviour of city drivers? Driving like this guy doesn’t only bother the rest of us. It also puts more carbon into the atmosphere.

Traffic engineers say that driving smoothly, at the speed limit, and coming to gentle stops would make traffic flow faster than it does now. In other words, guys like this make traffic move slower! No wonder people like him drive me crazy.

But people are irrational. He probably complains about his gas mileage and the cost of gasoline, too. Thankfully, people who do this are in the minority; unhappily, however, on today’s commute, I witnessed four different cars making right lane passes in 20 minutes. One of them was a huge truck being used as a commuting vehicle. But that’s another story!

—273 words; first draft on Friday, April 18; April 18, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Aileen said...: Lack of Respect for Cashier

When I worked at Tim Hortons as cashier, one guy with strapping stature and short butch haircut often came to buy coffee. When this guy ordered, he always bended very low and close to my ear, and said one by one:” one.large.coffee; double.sugar.double.cream.” His behavior made me feel I was deaf and foolish.

I was puzzled by this guy’s strange attitude to me. Perhaps he thought I was a new comer and couldn’t understand him clearly, so he spoke slowly. Sometime this guy bought coffee at the other counter and also treated the native blond girl with the same way. His special action attracted me to pay more attention to him. I found he chatted normally with his friends when they drank coffee. Therefore, I knew the guy just insulted us and did not respect for cashiers.

One time, one guy ordered coffee with cream. I made coffee according to his flavor and passed to him. He refused to accept and said:”are you sure it is cream but not milk in coffee?” I replied:”sure, sir, you can try it.” But he still didn’t believe me and pointed to the cream container and shouted:”I think it is milk.” The customers after his line were very impatient and angry at the guy’s defiance because they also waited for a little long time. Meeting each customer’s requirement was my duty, so I made another fresh coffee with his new appointed flavor, and then he grumbled something and left.

Maybe those guys think cashiers should serve them very well because they pay. However, in my culture education, if one person doesn’t respect others, then others will also not respect him. Therefore, if one person insults others, at the same time, he is insulted by himself. Thankfully, people like those guys are in the minority; most people are very polite and nice.

—307words; first draft; April 20, 2008 at 10:34 PM
lisa said...: Inconceivable Medicine System
I have spine TB, and I had a biopsy on May16, 2006, so the BC Disease Control gave me medicine about sixteen months. Then, the leader of the Disease Control stopped my medicine. I asked him why he stopped the medicine because the CT showed that I was not healed. Also, he suggested that I do not need the surgery since I was getting better. IN addition, he did not tell my family doctor and the specialist that he stooped my medicine. I did not agree with him, but he asked me to follow check every three weeks.
Last week, I had a lower fever and felt not good, so I made an appointment and went to see the Disease Control doctor. I asked the doctor, “can you give me medicine?”She said,“I can not because you have stopped the medicine, and this is the rule that you have to get another biopsy to improve you have TB,” I could not understood why she said that. The Disease Control get patients from family doctors, and the specialist give evidence to them to help them decide what kind of medicine they should give the patients.
When I stayed there and asked the doctor many questions, she showed me that the leader who stopped my medicine wrote something on the computer.
I was angry because he said that I refused to have the surgery, and I did not follow to see him. I knew he was lying and wanted to shirk responsibility. What could I say and do at that time? I was shocked. Finally, I asked the doctor what I should do follow. She told me that I should made an appointment with the leader, and then made appointments with family doctor and the specialist.
It is terrible. I still can not understand why the Disease Control does not have right to improve if the patients are healed but have the right to stop the medicine. Right now I really do not know what will happen to me.; April 21, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Renee said...: Always Waiting

I can’t avoid to see my family doctor since I am preganant. However, each appointment makes me crazy, because you have to wait for the doctor at least one to two hours and there is only few minutes’ talking with her.

After several times’ appointment, I gradually figure out that she gets used to make three appointments at one time. That’s why she is always extremely busy.

One time, I spent one hour taking bus to arrive her office. Then, an hour and thirty minutes later, it will be my turn. Suddenly, she got an emergent call from hospital and rushed out.

“Oh, my God.” I sighned deeply.

“When will she come back?” Another woman asked her assitant in hurry.

“Please, calm down, but I don’t know the exact time that she will come back? Last time, she returned in two hours. “ Her assistant murmured.

I understand the doctor’s time is precious, but how about ours? Who could think about our feelings? You have your schedule, so have we.

Eventually, it took me more two hours waiting her back. How ‘lucky’ I was!

I have to accept the current sitiation, for my English medical terms are not enough and I hardly to communicate with an English-speaker doctor clearly and fluently. All I can do is waiting and waiting. (first draft; 219 words); April 21, 2008 at 9:11 PM
grace said...: Noisy people in Public Library,
particularly teenagers

Nowdays, most time I remain at the public library for waiting my son.
But the atmosphere in the library is not good enough to study.
When I go to the public library in the morning, there are many toddlers. They are crying,calling something, and running.

And in the afternoon, many adolescent boys and girls come at the library. They are talking, laughing, and back-and-forth. I am just wondering why they are coming in the library. They'd better go to mall or somewhere for talking.

Normally, there are about ten librarians, but nobody claimed them to stop talking.

Last Thursday, behind me, some teenager students were talking very loudly. I tried to endure and to expect to stop making noise but they did not. Thus, I told them gently, "Could you be quiet? Your uproar is bothering others."

Then, they told me very aggressively, "Do you know us?
This is not your business.
Mind your own business!"
At that time, I regreted and I realized that those librarians could not control them.
And I was very perturbed which means they could be attact me.; April 21, 2008 at 9:26 PM
teresa said...: Walking a Dog

Every time I take a walk at this park, I look down at the ground carefully, because there’s poo occasionally. People like to walk their dog here. There’s a trail. At the end of the trail, it’s a beautiful grass.

One day, I walked there, a young guy with black gym strip walking a small dog in front of me, and then I saw him stop to wait his dog pooing near the bush. I slowed down my pace, wanted to see if he picked it up or not.

Unfortunately, he walked away as if there’s nothing happened.

At that moment, I was angry. I think the dog’s owner has the responsibility to clean it. Here is a public area; anybody who uses it also has the responsibility to keep it clean. So that anyone who comes here can enjoy the walking, and needn’t look down to worry about the dog’s poo.

I am angry about that guy’s behavior, but also I feel sad about myself, too. Because I don’t have the courage to tell him to clean it, just standing behind him and seeing him go away with his lovely dog.

--195 words; April 22, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Brad said...: A rant Kenny Kwangho LEE 39820

I like wine, but wine in the liquor store are too expensive for me. One of the ways to have a wine not expensively is ordering wine to the winery shop in a unit of 30 bottles. This is the story of my troubles happen during living in Canada that I could be pay twice because I didn’t keep receipt.

Usually when I order 30 bottles of wine I have to pay half of the charge as deposit and chose a grape juice within various kind of grape. Then they add yeast on the juice to start fermentation. When fermentations are finished, average one and half month later, I visit the winery shop, tasting the wine, bottling wine by myself and bring it home after payment of remaining money. I ordered 30 bottles of wine once in every three month to the shop regularly because the owner is very kind to me, humorous and generous old man.

One day I received a letter from the owner of the winery shop to look after two receipts of certain date which was more then one year ago. If you couldn’t find the receipt, it means you didn’t pay to me so pay the amount to him.
Of cause I couldn’t find the receipt because I didn’t keep any receipt at home as a habit in Korea. I visit to the shop and explained to the owner that I didn’t keep receipt at all. but He told me that there is no record receive my payment in his document and insist to pay continuously.

I don’t know the habitual of Canada and I don’t want to quarrel with the money for a long time. Eventually I pay that amount to him to have comfortable mind and keeping all the receipt for a long time thereafter. Until now I don’t know he can claim it legally to me or not. Anyway I understand that the habit to keeping receipt is required in Canada and it is necessary to change the goods which has defect later on. Also I use credit card for payment as much as possible because bank’s monthly statement show the trade with whom and how much with date.; April 22, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Mavis said...: Losing My Airfare On Oasis Airline

Hong Kong Oasis Airline dried up after started the business only 16 months. Unfortunately, I have booked two-way tickets from Vancouver to Hong Kong for my son and myself. I lost my airfare on Oasis Airline.

Oasis provides cheap tickets for passengers. The competition makes the others airlines like Canada Airline, Cathay Pacific Airline reduce their airfare. It results Oasis losing its price advantage, and going to close.

After Oasis Airline dried up, the airfare of Cathay Pacific rose immediately. I have to say: competition is cruel in the market.

I heard the bad news on April 9th, but the Oasis Airline staff were still accepting tickets booking on the same day. There was not any clue that customer could aware the Oasis was going to be closed. It’s unfair to the customer.

Where is the fair?

----146 words; April 22, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Unknown said...: More Avoidable, Secondhand Smoke

There were two men smoking at the mall’s entrance in the underground parking, while another woman was lighting her cigarette, joining them. The smoke of their cigarettes filled the poorly ventilated space, and I was the one who had to walk through it to reach the door.

This is one of the scenes that I often encounter before this April, not only at the entrances of malls but also outside restaurants. It was pretty unpleasant to me. The smoke tends to linger around my nose and my mind for a long time. For it brings back the memory of how my father passed away.

My father passed away due to the lung cancer. Before he was diagnosed, he lived healthily till his 70’s. He walked the fields, climbed the mountains, he drove fast like he was racing on the road. He was our giant, to his children and grandchildren. But he couldn’t beat the lung cancer. After struggling in a series of fight-hard treatment, he left us in the shock. Only eight months after his first complaint of chest congestion.

My father was an on-and-off smoker for decades. He had tried to quit, but unsuccessful, he passed away mostly because of the smoking. Smoking kills and secondhand smoke does, too. This is why I can’t even stand somebody smoking nearby. Thanks to the BC’S “Tobacco Control Act”, the harmful effects and unhappy experiences will be more avoidable from now on.; April 22, 2008 at 4:33 PM
Shadow Shu--Beatirce said...: God Bless the American

Tons of students died in Tian An Men Protest, it was the truth I recently happened to find on website. The unbelievable thing is all the student leaders were transferred to America safely at the night this tragedy happened. They got the information that Chinese government was about to take the actions and left their friends who deeply trusted them and even willing to sacrifice their life in behind. They were sent to TianJin and shipped out of China.

A young Chinese girl in America, walking among the parade procession students group to welcome the torch of 2008 Beijing Olympic games, suddenly took out a Tibetan Flag and shouted “Free Tibet!” Several strong Americans protected around her were lately discovered that they are the agents of C.I.A.

Every year, millions of American dollars is offered to The Dalai Government in the name of bringing the “Human Right” to Tibet.

Like how Americans supported The Taliban and offered them the weapons to fight with the Russians. In each accident happened in China or any other places in the world, we can see the familiar, friendly American faces.

Do they really bother so much about what happened in other country more than the American’s own welfare? I really do not know the answer even it seems so. Who gives them the right to disturb other countries so much? The American government makes me angry.

When people don’t like a government, they hate everybody from that country. Like Chinese taxi drivers marked “No French and dogs” on their cabs and boycott everything made in France,this is the picture I don't want to see. “911” is the improper way to express the anger towards the American government, but only the American people suffered. God bless the American!; April 22, 2008 at 4:46 PM
Jeongsook said...: Bus skipping
I live in UniverCity near SFU on Burnaby Mountain. UniverCity is meant to be a city where the federal government wants to make an example city of the green politics. So transportation is easily provided by translink; moreover, City Community provides a year pass for a very cheap price about half less than normal. There are many people at the bus stop every morning. Even though we don’t know each other, we recognize who are the same bus passengers because we always take the same bus at the same time every day. One winter morning, my son and I were waiting 145 bus. Usually the buses ran on the timetable, but that day the bus didn’t come the scheduled time. Even though we were worried about late school, we expected next bus after ten minutes. Twenty minutes passed! Still the bus didn’t come yet, so our faces changed anxious and angry. After another twenty minutes, at last 145 bus came to us. We were totally late about one hour because many people had to transfer another transportations to go work. During the forty minutes waiting, I had thought too many things with big wrath; consequently, I felt miserable feeling all the day. I hope the buses operate on time especially rush hour. (214 words); April 22, 2008 at 5:20 PM
Ken J said...: My Email was Hacked

I have an email address on Yahoo. I opened it up few days ago and some friends I lost contact for years answered back my email, but I did not send them email recently.

I did have a good antivirus software in my laptop and it update the newest data for the best protection. It happened when the software asked me to shut down and
Reboot my computer but I didn’t and still kept it running. Fortunately, I am an expert of computer. I did not put my important personal information on my hard disk.
I did not panic. I always put it in a flash drive. I plug it in when I need to use it.

The bank are fully computerized and fully automatic to deal with every transaction by your computer. It is very convenient and efficient. We can bank online. We can pay bill, transfer money between saving account and chequing account. It is good to know that the money you can transfer is limited by your authorization, but
The bill you pay maybe to someone else account. It is very important to reconciliation your statement once in a while. If you got 5 credit cards, use one card for one month then use another. We are living in a high tech modern age. We have to learn how to protect ourselves from being stolen.

Is it safe to use online service and Email? Yes. If you can protect you important data, you have an antivirus and internet security software. They are too many computer in the world. Your computer will be lucky to win a jack pot to be hacked by the real hacker. Leaving your important personal data on a flash drive and unplug it when you don’t use it. You will sleep well without the worry of being hacked.; April 23, 2008 at 12:19 PM
yuwin said...: Uncomfortable Feeling

Every time I went to dancing school, I had two different kinds feeling in my mind. . One of the feeling was exciting , but on the other side, I was worry about a classmate who was a leader of the class. She always liked to give some suggestion for other classmates. I thought she was an enthusiastic person, but she usually used a strong tone of speaking to the classmates. It affected me to have a bad mood in the class.

One day, she said to me, “ you have a wrong action on your hands. Why do you change the action youself.” I answered, “ I do not change any action. I still dance as the same as before, and the teacher does not say any words when I was dancing.” She was very angry with me because I did not change anything.

One day I got an emergency call from my friend, so I made a phone call to the leader of class before the class beginning. She yelled to me, “ why do you call me so late ? you have to call me early on next time. “ I wondered to hear her angry voice.

One time, she asked to one classmate, “ you do not pay the tuition this month.” “ I have paid it already.” the classmate answered. She said aloud, “ no, I determine you do not pay the tuition, so you have to pay on next time.” The classmate was cried at washroom because she can not improve she had paid the tuition already. .”

Many students react to the teacher, but nothing was reformed about the leader of the class. I learned the dance just for fun, but my mood was always affected by the leader of the class. Finally, I gave up the class. I think someday I will learn with the teacher on private class again if I have enough time.
(325 words); May 2, 2008 at 6:43 AM

Pearson ALC English 11 Students

Friday, April 18, 2008

A Rant

13 comments:

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