TRIPTEASE

[https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=206736726177763063782.0004deeeb217af271cc7ahttps://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=206736726177763063782.0004deeeb217af271cc7a]

 My passion, my interest and my dream is to travel. I love traveling. Reading and watching travel news and programs brightens me up. I am always eager to go on trips, vacationing and sightseeing.  It’s thrilling, and refreshing!! Oh! To the spirit of adventure!!  It’s an unbelievably beautiful planet earth, and life is short, so I need to make the most of my time and step out of my house to see places.  I believe traveling is an education in itself. Once out of the safe cocoon of our home and surroundings, we learn, learn and learn. By meeting new people, coming across different cultures and customs, we realize that there is a world beyond us. This is what intrigues me. A quote by Mark Twain that I like, and had once read in the Lonely Planet (http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1742200796), so I wrote it down in my personal copy of quotes and favorite lines. It goes like this: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn´t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”  This is exactly what I believe in, to seize every opportunity that I get to travel. It’s a curious, inquisitive mind that will love to travel.

I have traveled quite a lot, in my opinion, and each experience has been very unique to me. There are so many more places that I need to go to. There are a variety of things that I enjoy while traveling. Every place, new or old, has a story to tell. Every stone speaks of its past. Some are historically rich places, while others are purely meant for enjoying the scenic beauty; some places bring out the spiritual being in us, while some sleepy old towns, just allow us to rest and cut us off from the regular humdrum of life. I must not forget to add the variety of foods that we can enjoy in different parts of the world. Each place provides for a new gastronomical experience. A change of weather, people, customs, food, landscape, and almost everything refreshes the mind and feels like a superb getaway.

My favorite trips have been with my extended family. There have been a couple of trips with my sisters and their families. We have been to places like Goa, Karnataka, and Punjab together. All of these places are in India. Goa is famous for its beaches, temples and churches. Located on the western coast of India, it attracts a lot of tourists from all around the world. It has a history dating down to ages, with various dynasties that ruled Goa, and later the Portuguese. It is a city vibrant with people from different cultures settled there. So along with enjoying on the beaches and eating food cooked by its indigenous people we visited the churches there. Topping the list, among my favorite places visited was the tomb of St Francis Xavier. The body of the saint is said to be lying in its tomb and has not got decomposed for centuries now. This is something that truly got me so intrigued. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Xavier). I even bought a postcard from there for good luck. One of the most fascinating things in Goa were the churches that we saw, with beautiful stained glass designs and pictures. Goa is also one of the important ports of India. Needless to say, with family, traveling gets all the more fun. Bonds get strengthened, and that is what it was for me.

Another positively memorable trip that I made with my family, including parents was to Amritsar, a city in Punjab, North West India. Both my parents are from Amritsar, their birthplace, and they left the city and moved to another state, Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad, years ago. They were going to see the place after forty odd years. I remember going there as a child and after that their families sold off all their properties, and moved out to Mumbai and other places, so we no more went there, and life went on. It was only when my sister thought of taking us to our parent’s birthplace, to mark her silver wedding anniversary that we got excited at the idea. Amritsar is a city distinctly known for its large hearted, happy caring and hospitable people. Its rich food, and an agrarian lifestyle, is unique to its people. It is a very urban city, which has suffered the onslaught of several invaders that came to India to plunder, loot, and ultimately make India their home. The people of Amritsar can be characterized as brave, gallant and courageous, having fought many wars, and played an important part in the freedom struggle. My mother visited her school and the Principal of the school extended a warm welcome to us. It was an extremely emotional moment for all of us, when the Principal dug out the new admission’s register in which my mother’s and her sisters’ names were written in ink by her father. It brought tears in her eyes, going back so many years, so many memories, of childhood, home, friends, and teachers came flooding into her mind, that she could not contain her tears. She even went ahead and accepted the offer of the Principal to address the students’ who had assembled after the lunch break. I had never seen my mother address a gathering, but to see her so happy and speak so confidently, made me feel so proud of her. She had a Muslim friend; whose name she saw in the register, who she said, did not come back after the 1947 bloody riots, when India and Pakistan became two separate states. Visiting the Wagah border, the gate where the Indian army is on one side and the Pakistan army on the other, was another sentimental moment for both my parents. Both had families on both the sides, had lost their friends, property, and all the emotions attached were suddenly cut off. Other than that it was such a pleasure to see them reminisce about the years gone by. My father showed us where he first saw my mother, and where he met her dad to ask for her hand in marriage. They met people whom they knew, went to localities where they lived, lots had changed, of course. They even went to their favorite eating haunts, and enjoyed the meals of their choice. A rare and unforgettable trip, full with emotion, fun and sightseeing!!

Well, there have been lots of lovely trips, and it does not take long to recover details from the store of my memories. It’s wonderful to see hospitality at its best, when we go places. For me traveling is a spiritual experience.  And above all, any place is made by its people, and all the history that is attached to it. So here’s to more globetrotting!!

The finale

Assignment
For the Unit 5 final writing assignment, you will compose a direct paragraph, one that has

• a title;
• a clear topic sentence;
• a fully developed body, which includes necessary and sufficient details and examples;
• necessary and appropriate transitions;
• a logical conclusion; and
• a minimum of fifteen (15) sentences.

Before you submit your paper for peer review, plan to proofread for

• subject-verb agreement errors,
• pronoun-antecedent agreement errors,
• shifts in verb tense,
• faulty parallel structure, and
• comma, capitalization, number, word choice, and spelling errors.

You should imagine your peers in this course as your readers/audience. Because of the diverse population of students enrolled in this course, you need to be keenly aware of the need to provide details and examples that are clear and precise. Keeping in mind a living audience, rather than one you imagine, will help you convey more reliably the value of your perspective in the topic upon which you choose to write.

WEEK 5 Module 1 Writing activity

Module 1 Writing Activity
Pick one of the four topics listed in the Week 5 writing assignment and choose the topic that most appeals to you for your final, peer reviewed paragraph. Once you’ve made your choice, start with the first step of the writing process, inventing, and try a few of the methods to develop your ideas.  If you find that the topic does not seem to be working, try developing another topic. Once you’ve developed some good ideas for your paragraph, move to the second step, organizing, and construct an outline that you can use for drafting your paragraph.
Choose one of the following four topics to write your final paragraph about:
Topic #1
Discuss at least four (4) short term and/or long term effects that finishing Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade will have upon you personally, academically, and/or professionally.
Topic #2
Identify and describe a favorite activity or interest and provide at least four reasons why this activity or interest holds your attention and/or is enjoyable to you.
Topic #3
Identify and describe at least three (3) ways a person, male and/or female, is recognized as an adult in your culture.
Topic #4
Identify and describe a traditional ethnic food from your culture. Provide at least four reasons why this food has remained an essential, primary food in your culture. While you may include the recipe, this topic asks you to discuss the importance of the food in your culture.
 MY CHOICE
Topic #2
Identify and describe a favorite activity or interest and provide at least four reasons why this activity or interest holds your attention and/or is enjoyable to you.
 GUIDELINES (taken from the week 5 readings of Crafting an effective writer:tools of the trade)

For most writing projects, you will utilize five distinctly different steps, and they should be considered in this order:

1.      Inventing

2.      Organizing

3.      Drafting

4.      Revising

5.      Editing

·         When you start any writing project, you should plan to spend a significant amount of time exploring your thoughts on the topic and generating (inventing) ideas.

·         The next step in the writing process is organizing your ideas into a structure that fits the assignment you have been given. There are many ways to organize your ideas, and you will have to find the method that works best for you. However, most students agree that starting with some type of an outline is the way to go.

·         After you have explored your topic and organized your ideas, you are ready to write a draft of your paragraph. Many writers begin and end their writing process in this one step, and their grades and success suffer as a result. Drafting is an important step, but it need not take the long hours and become the stressful activity that some writers fear. With the preparation of Exploring and Organizing (Steps 1 and 2) writing becomes much less stressful and less time consuming. Once you learn about the benefits of Revising and Editing (Steps 4 and 5), you will be even more comfortable during the drafting step.

·         For drafting, the most important thing is to get down to business. Seize the moment. Take your outline and write. Don’t stop to correct every sentence. Don’t stop to change direction. Don’t fix spelling. Just write with the outline as a guide.

·         Once you’ve written a full draft and let it sit for a day or two, you are ready to revise. The word revision means to change a text and review, but the root of the word is vision, which means to see. Therefore, in this step you will attempt to see your paper from a different or new perspective. Most writers find that there are two types of revision: Macro and Micro.

You can remember these with the acronym QUEST:

• Question whether you have enough information and if it matches the assignment.
• Understand what is working and what isn’t. Keep what works and cut what doesn’t.
• Explain it to someone else to see if you’ve missed anything and if it is clear. Many writers find collaboration and sharing helpful during in this step. Getting a different perspective, while it can be scary, is irreplaceable during this stage. You will find that having someone else read your draft, or reading it to someone, will provide you with valuable insights.
• Shift and move information if necessary.
• Title & Topic Sentence are evident, clear, and match what you’ve written in the paragraph.

Micro-revision:
Micro means small, so with micro-revision, you are looking at your paragraph on a smaller scale considering your sentences and how they fit together. Some people call this local revision. During the micro-revision step, you will need to look at your sentences and check them for clarity, variety, and effectiveness:

• Clarity: Do the sentences clearly communicate to the reader? Are there any sentences that need additional information or restructuring to be clear?
• Variety: Are the four sentence types used in the paragraph?
• Effectiveness: Do the sentences in the paragraph work together to create a clear and cohesive message to the reader? If not, have you included necessary and appropriate transitional words and phrases?

If your paragraph lacks transitions, use the transitions in the chart below to help you create a smooth, logical flow of ideas in your paragraph. You will also find that you need to link all the details and sentences together carefully when you are composing a paragraph. Transitions not only provide a smooth shift from one idea to the next, but they will also create logical relationships within your topic.

Addition	Emphasis	Sequence	Example	Comparison
furthermore in addition moreover lastly as a matter of fact	in fact surprisingly in any case indeed certainly	first, second, third, etc. Next Then Finally at this point	for example in this case such as notably in particular	on the other hand similarly however in contrast whereas

Note that each of these words or phrases will help you to generate more information and supporting details. In addition, using these words will make your paragraph easier to read.

·         The final step in the writing process is editing. Some writers call this step proofreading because this is where you are considering the smaller details of your final draft. You check and correct your punctuation, spelling, and formatting. This is the final step because doing this earlier will be a waste of your time because you will find that your sentences and content will change, sometimes radically, when you are revising.

·         Now that the paper is set in terms of content, organization, and sentence style, you can concentrate on rereading again with a close eye on grammar, punctuation, spelling, spacing, formatting, etc.

·         Almost all student writers use the five step writing process, but some do not complete each step in this order. Many back track along the way, repeat certain ones (especially steps 1, 3, and 4), or reverse step 2 and 3, so consider this a guide rather than a set pattern you must follow. Like any piece of writing, you may need to revise the five steps of the writing process in order to make them work for you.

Now that the paper is set in terms of content, organization, and sentence style, you can concentrate on rereading again with a close eye on grammar, punctuation, spelling, spacing, formatting, etc.

WEEK 5

Since you will be writing a paragraph at the end of this unit, your outline should have at least the following points:

• Topic
• Topic sentence
• Supporting Points
• Specific example
  • Explanation
• Specific example
  • Explanation
  Specific Example
  • Explanation
  Specific Example
  • Explanation
• Concluding Sentence

Week 4 > Module 3: Writing Assignment

Assignment

Drawing from your observation notes and sentences from Journal Writing Assignments 1 and 2 describe a natural object or scene in nature. Use at least one each of the clauses and phrases you studied in the unit. Also, be sure that you include one each of the four sentence types in your description. Using your knowledge from Unit 3, use action verbs and active voice, keep your verbs in the same tense, and maintain correct subject-verb agreement. Your description should consist of 9-12 sentences.

We were holidaying on the pristine hills of Nainital. The guide, who was keen on taking us to a trek, the next morning, eagerly described about the breathtaking views and scenery we would come across. Rather than lazing, and waking up late, all four of us voted in favor of the trek. Whenever my daughter has to wake up early she starts going bananas. For someone who is a night bird, any early morning assignment seems like a herculean task. The team with whom we had to go, was super excited. We met at dinner, and all the discussions were centered around the next mornings trek. Nainital, after all has some of the best trekking routes of the Himalayas. Rather than accepting any other sport offered there, we thought hiking would be the best. So that we wake up fresh and bright, we turned in early. The walk up, which was to be at the Naina peak, was considered as challenging, and we seemed to be all set. I remembered those days, when I was little and dreamt of climbing mountains.I was going to realize that dream!! Cheers to that I thought !!
Driving in the hills can make one feel queasy, but that feeling of excitement reigned supreme. The mesmerizing beauty of the lush green hills, pine trees, and the woody aroma of the flaura from all around us, built up a divine feeling in me that this is where I was supposed to be, and this is what I was meant to do.The experts in trekking , who had done it all earlier, several times, were more like guides. Because of them there was a relaxed and comfortable feeling among us.
We reached the foothills. I looked at my family., wonder what each one's thoughts were. I took a deep breath, ready to embark upon this  magnificent journey on foot. With a prayer in my mind and confidence in my heart, I set one foot ahead of the other.

WEEK 4 2nd Writing Activity

Module 2 Writing Activity
In your journal, continue your sentence practice with noun and verb phrases. Write at least one of each of the noun phrases discussed in the unit (prepositional phrase, absolute phrase, and appositive phrase) and at least two of each of the verb phrases (infinitive phrase and participial phrase). You will, therefore, write at least seven sentences for this journal activity. As in the first assignment, underline the phrase in each sentence and consider its function in both as a modifier and an aspect of your writing style.

Prepositional Phrases
1. He cried, "Off with his head!" in a booming voice.
2. Beneath the tree, lay the tired old man.
3. His cycle stood against the tall tree as he plucked mangoes for his granny.
Absolute Phrases.
1. She called the guests over to the table, with the appetizing food invitingly spread on it.
2. The horses galloped along, heels clicking in a musically synchronized manner.
Appositive Phrases
1. His guitar, an expensive Gibson, shone in the lights, while he played on.
2. His hair, Elvis Presley style, looked amazingly good on him.
Infinitive and Participial Phrases
1. To swim in the river, after learning in a small pool, was quite a task.
2. To play the drums, after a gap of two years, felt like a homecoming.
3. Running for the marathon, seemed refreshing.
4. Exhausted after such a long walk on foot in the sun, she felt she will collapse.

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Week 4

Module 1 Writing Activity
In your writing journal, begin to practice building sentences with adjective and adverbial clauses. As in Unit 3, you may find it helpful to be observing a scene in nature while you compose sentences. Using the lists associated with each of these types of clauses, write at least three (3) sentences including adjective clauses and three (3) sentences including adverbial clauses. Underline the adjective and adverbial clauses. Consider their function in both as a modifier and an aspect of your writing style.

We were holidaying on the pristine hills of Nainital. The guide, who was keen on taking us to a trek, the next morning, eagerly described about the breathtaking views and scenery we would come across. Rather than lazing, and waking up late, all four of us voted in favor of the trek. Whenever my daughter has to wake up early she starts going bananas. For someone who is a night bird, any early morning assignment seems like a herculean task. The team with whom we had to go, was super excited. We met at dinner, and all the discussions were centered around the next mornings trek. Nainital, after all has some of the best trekking routes of the Himalayas. Rather than accepting any other sport offered there, we thought hiking would be the best. So that we wake up fresh and bright, we turned in early. The walk up, which was to be at the Naina peak, was considered as challenging, and we seemed to be all set. I remembered those days, when I was little and dreamt of climbing mountains.I was going to realize that dream!! Cheers to that, I thought.

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Simply hilarious!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-CJjGPWF3w

Resources

I am posting all the resources that I am coming across by and by, all related with English Grammar, or how to maintain journal's.

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/sv_agr.htm

http://www.livejournal.com/ 

http://www.grammarly.com/lite/FAQ/ 

http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php

http://www.writingcommons.org/process/develop-effective-writing-habits

http://wps.ablongman.com/long_fowler_lbh_10/

http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Making-a-difference-one-word-at-a-time/412880748819275
https://share.coursera.org/wiki/index.php/Crafting_an_Effective_Writer:_Tools_of_the_Trade
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=106608&pageno=4
 https://class.coursera.org/basicwriting-001/wiki/view?page=Next
http://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-checker/
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/multidiscipline-projects-with-web-tools.html#.UcArH9imWzshttp://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/multidiscipline-projects-with-web-tools.html#.UcArH9imWzs

Module 2 Writing Activity

Module 2 Writing Activity
In your journal, continue your observation list of the scene you observed for Unit 3, Journal Assignment 1 by noting several vivid action verbs. Revise some of your sentences using action verbs and/or write 2-3 new sentences with action verbs. Try not to use any of the forms of “to be” (is, are, was, etc.).  Underline the action verbs in your sentences. Again, you will want to keep all of these sentences at hand as you do the peer reviewed writing at the end of the unit.

Shawn, Jane, and their pretty little daughter, Emilia were rushing towards their train. Their coach seemed to be far from where they were.They rushed past several shops and eateries. The hawker selling candies tried to allure Emilia. She could not resist asking her mom to buy her some. But to no avail. A divine aroma of coffee emanated from the cafeteria, they just passed. It was so alluring! Ah! But they had to rush. They were in a hurry. The hustle and bustle at the railway station was palpating. It was like a sea of people. Some waiting for their loved ones to arrive, some accompanying their darlings to see them off. Sweethearts holding hands, hating to say their bye's. Minnie was there too. She was there waiting for her father. She would be meeting him after a long gap of twelve years! The crowd around her, some briskly walking to catch a train, some loitering around, some hastily advancing towards "help" counters wanting to confirm their tickets. But her mind was steady, mindless of all happening around her. She pondered and reminisced over all those years she had spent at home, with her family..Minnie wondered how her pa would look like now. Older, of course, but any less in vitality and zing, she doubted. She was happy to be getting together and spending some time with him.

WEEK 3 ASSESSMENT

Drawing from your observation notes and sentences from Journal Writing Assignments 1 and 2, write a description of the scene you have observed. Use action verbs and active voice in your sentences. Also, keep your verbs in the same tense and maintain correct subject-verb agreement. Your description should consist of 8 or more sentences. 

Shawn was carrying little Emilia in his arms. Jane ran along beside him.  Emilia had a teddy tucked tightly close to her chest. They had reached the station late, and were now rushing towards their coach. A hawker selling sugar candies, allured the girl with one. She urged her parents to buy it for her. But, they had no time to listen to her. A strong aroma of coffee emanated from the cafetaria, begging them to sit and enjoy the beverage. The trio sadly had no time for this luxury. They jumped in with their luggage, and the train chugged along. The hustle and bustle at the railway station was palpating. The railway station was like a sea of people. Some waiting for their loved ones to arrive, some accompanying their darlings to see them off. Sweethearts were holding hands, hating to say their bye's. Minnie was there too. She was there waiting for her father to arrive. She would be meeting him after a long gap of twelve years! The crowd around her, some briskly walking to catch a train, some loitering around, some hastily advancing towards "help" counters wanting to confirm their tickets. But her mind was steady, mindless of all happening around her. She pondered and reminisced over all those years she had spent at home, with her family..Minnie wondered how her pa would look like now. Older, of course, but any less in vitality and zing, she doubted. She was happy to be getting together and spending some time with him.

Week 3 Writing activity

Module 1 Writing Activity
Observe a scene, preferably in a crowded, busy, or public place. List the activities that you see occurring and the actors (those doing the activity). Write 5-6 sentences that use your observation list and underline the subjects of your sentences. Write a few sentences experimenting with using different types of pronouns from the tables in Unit 3. You will want to keep all of these sentences at hand as you do the writing activities for this unit.

Shawn, Jane, and their pretty little daughter, Emilia were rushing towards their train. Their coach was a few more steps away. They rushed past several shops and eateries. The hawker selling candies tried hard to allure Emilia, who could not resist asking her mom to buy her some. But to no avail. A yummy aroma of coffee emanated from the cafeteria, they just passed. Ah! But they had to rush. They were in a hurry. The hustle and bustle at the railway station was palpating. There were people there waiting for  thei r loved ones to arrive. Minnie was there too. She was there waiting for her father. She would be meeting him after a gap of twelve years. (...to be continued..)

Week 2 Assignment

Assignment

Choose two of the sentences listed below to expand by adding logical additional parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases). Be sure that you have read the "Parts of Speech at Work" that is immediately after "Interjections." Each sentence should contain a minimum of 12 unique words to earn full points; additional words beyond twelve may repeat previous words and will not count against the writer.

• The children play.
  
• The woman walks.
  
• The sharks swim.
  
• The flowers bloom.
  
• The wind blows.
• The computer hums.

The children play 

The lively, bright children, played happily in the hot summer sun, climbing on top of tall mango trees, in the park, across the street, plucking and eating ripe, juicy mangoes.

2. The beautiful woman
The beautiful woman, in her pretty red dress walks by the sea, hand in hand with her friend, laughing and talking animatedly, tossing her lustrous, long hair back carelessly, as a cool breeze blows.

Sentences using my list of nouns, adjective, verbs, and adverbs.

1. The beautiful lady in her shimmering short red dress, stood stylishly in front of her husband. ready to go for dinner out that night.
2. The happy young children sat sipping their soft drinks in large glasses, watching the horror show on television very keenly.
3. He asked whether those six Indian women, experts in cooking, could knead large quantities of dough easily for the whole community every morning.

Sentences

In your journal, continue your list of nouns and adjectives by adding in five to ten verbs and adverbs. Then, write a couple of sentences using your list of nouns, adjective, verbs, and adverbs.

NOUNS

1. The phone is ringing.
2. The books you asked for are lying on the table.
3. My class has forty five students.
4. The children went on a picnic today.
5. Her husband does not like to go to the movies.
6. The community arranged for distributing sweets on Independence Day.
7. The building was old and dilapidated.
8. That was her bed she told her friend.
9. I sat working on my laptop till late in the night.
10. My dining table is made of wood.      

ADJECTIVES

1. This window needs polishing.
2. Her red dress looked stunning!!
3. These three cups are all that is left from the set of twelve.
4. The congregation had a few Indian women.
5. He drank water from a large glass.
6. This thick book is one that I enjoyed reading.
7. This mango grove has very tall trees.
8. He is the first born child.

VERBS

1. They were eating as a family after a long time.
2. Her son watched the television while she did the cooking.
3. She went dancing that night.
4. She was playing with her friends.
5. He was singing.
6. He does speak in English when told to.
7. The birds are chirping.
8. The monkey is climbing a tree.
9. They could move the table on their own.
10. She would have to go shopping, she told her mom.
11. He cooks well.
12. They told me to sit down and relax.

ADVERBS

1. He went upstairs.
2. They happily clapped their hands and sang for their teacher's farewell.
3. My mother always says her prayers before sleeping.
4. They do come over sometimes to visit us.
5. She told me to come down quickly.
6. I told her to go out and play.
7. This book is very interesting.
8. He did his job as keenly as he could.
9. He looked at his son seriously.

PARTS OF SPEECH
In your journal, write down a list of at least five to ten nouns and five to ten adjectives as you observe a scene at home, work, or in your community.

NOUNS

1. Phone
2. Books
3. Class
4. Children
5. Husband
6. Community
7. Building
8. Bed
9. Laptop
10. Wood

ADJECTIVES

1. This window
2.  Red dress
3. Three cups
4. Indian woman
5. Large glass
6. This book is thick
7. The tree is tall  

VERBS

1. Eating
2. Watching
3. dance
4. plays
5. was, does
6. is
7. could
8. would
9. cook
10. sit 

ADVERBS 

1. Upstairs
2. happily
3. always
4. sometimes
5. quickly
6. outside
7. sometimes
8. very
9. keenly
10. Seriously