Field Trip to Air and Space Museum

Tomorrow, Stratford ESL will take a field trip to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall.  We will meet at 10 a.m. outside of the Smithsonian Metro station and walk down the mall to the museum.

For homework this weekend you can write a blog post about your experience at the museum.  I'll take some photos that you can use.  While the museum itself is free, if you'd like to see one of the IMAX 3-D movies the tickets are $9.

See you tomorrow at 10 a.m.!  

Free Books in Stratford Falls Church Library

     Students can get old edition books for free now in Falls Church Stratford University. As the new edition books are available, there is not enough space for those old edition books.  All types of books from different faculties are available in the Falls Church Stratford library such as Health, Literature, Computer Science, Dictionary and Math. For example, Oxford Dictionary and Saladin sixth edition Anatomy and Physiology was available.

     Nick Patel MBA student at Stratford said," It is very helpful for my data, assignment, PPT file and I can achieve the the advance knowledge in the field of accounting." According to the students they are happy to study and take free books with them as their choice.

    Student can read those free books online too. Incontrast, new edition books are not available online. Students can  study by downloading and creating the email in online Book Shelf. As students could learn online in mobile phone too which makes them easier, faster as well as comfortable. Pruthvi Gukunti IT student at Stratford said," It's easy to find the data, project work and presentation. It is really helpful."

     Students can directly go to the library and take the books with out showing any ID and do not have to fill up any form. According to Jade Woodridge the Stratford University Falls Church librarian," These books are free, we  do not have space for collection. Take as many as you like."

Middle Adulthood and Late Adulthood

     The time periods of middle adulthood and late adulthood are not exactly proved, but are generally categorized as 40 to 65 years and over 65 years respectively. People have different thoughts about both stages of life. Some may like middle adulthood, whereas some may prefer late adulthood. There are advantages and disadvantages in both stages of life. Middle adulthood is preferable because one has met their goals,  has the power of decision making and responsibilities to assist the new generation.

     Middle adulthood is the period when most people have achieved their goals and have a settled life. After finishing their studies, in the period of middle adulthood they have selected their major job for better retirement. They have their own families where they've got responsibilities as well as the decision making power. They could decide which type of lifestyle they want. They have to work on being a role model for their next generation. In this period, they have to work on saving money thinking for their retirement,which is a sort of challenge for them, maintaining balance between present and future.

     In the period of late adulthood people are retired and are free from lots of responsibilities, but they have to deal with some physical problems. In this period of time they can fulfill their incomplete dreams. They can feel satisfied with the outcomes that they have achieved and be happy living an active lifestyle. This is the free time for them to take rest, travel and do the things they want to.  In contrast, they feel disappointed about their deterioration in their physical appearance like weakness, decrease memory power, increases the rates of disease and drops the intellectual capacity. Some of them become the victims of loneliness and some stay in the old age houses. They are mentally prepared for the term death. There will be some unhappiness being separated from their family.

     I would like to be in middle adulthood because I will have my own settled life with my family. I can be independent with decision making power. I will also like to be as a role model for my future generation where I can guide them for their better life. I would like to teach them my culture, traditions, language, customs and values to keep them alive generation to generation. 

      In conclusion, middle adulthood and late adult hood both have lots of advantages and disadvantages. However, middle adulthood is preferable for its mental, physical and intellectual health. Whereas, in late adult hood peoples abilities are diminishing slowly more into a dependent stage. 

     

Meditation on Mondays reduces Stress

Every Monday Azra Khan from student support services at Stratford University leads a meditation class in the Jefferson room on the fifth floor from 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm. Students from every faculty as well as teachers participate in the meditation session. Now there are around ten students as well as faculty members in this session.

The definition of meditation is a practice of focusing on thoughts in a calm and quiet environment. According to Azra Khan,"To focus on a moment and your breath and not worry about the future or past, enjoy the moment. This moment is going to be the past. Peace in yourself is meditation."

Many people believe that meditation helps to reduce stress, anxiety, tensions and increases happiness, love, harmony and positive relationships. Parth, a student worker at Stratford who has participated in the meditations, said," At the time of meditation I feel relaxed, energized, refreshed and it also helps me to improve my concentration power."

According to www.healthandyoga.com. whatever you do with awareness is meditation. "Watching your breath is meditation. Listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind is the effective meditation." Margaret, an ESL teacher and participant in the meditation, said,"Meditation is a quiet time that clears and relaxes my brain focusing on breathing. The process of breathing in and out trains my brain to put everything out and relax."

Azra Khan said "Being a part of meditation and mindfulness project provides a great opportunity for me to connect with students personally and to be able to teach students soft skills."

2015 Earthquake Effects still Noticeable in Nepal

People in Nepal are still suffering from the earthquake which happened last year. In 2015, 25 April there was a massive earthquake which killed more then 8,000 and injured 20,000 more.

     According to www.mercycorps,org more then 500,500 houses were destroyed due to that huge earthquake and 270,900 houses were damaged. According to Newsweek.com the Nepalese government provided 15,000 Nepali rupees($140) to each family and then later an additional amount of 10,000 Nepali rupees($94) per family. 

     Approximately 300,000 Nepali rupees (2796.21$) is needed to build a simple house so the money provided is not enough to re-build a house.  Half of the victims are still living under tents. There had been some financial aid from national and international organizations, but it hasn't been enough to cover the disaster.

     The victims from this earthquake are facing the problem of load shedding, which is when the power is turned off intermittently. The hydro powers as well as electric lines were destroyed due to the earthquake resulting in disruption of power supply. According to www.newsweek.com victims from the earthquake are using lights from their motorbikes to cook food at night in Kathmandu valley.

     After such huge destruction people need many basic things to live like food, water, clothing and shelter. According to pbs.org after the earthquake people needed clean water, blankets and towels, tarps and hygienic materials. 

     Since 2015 there have been other smaller earthquakes as well. According to www.financialexpress.com there have been 428 aftershocks greater than 4 on the Richter scale in and around Nepal since the big one last year. 

     Mahima, a Nepalese citizen living in Washington DC, said, "I am here, however my mind is thinking about my country and scared due to earthquakes which are going on frequently most of the days."

Smithsonian Folk-life Festival

     Last week, we went to Smithsonian Folk-life Festival as our field trip. We are studying American culture and conversation, so we go on a field trip, like the zoo, museums, and Botanic garden, to learn about the U.S. every week. This field trip was about Basque and Sounds of California, so we could enjoy a lot of traditional Basque culture and various music of California. Many people came to see the festival and share the special culture. It was a good opportunity to learn about Smithsonian Folk-life Festival, traditional cultures, and immigration from other countries.

     Smithsonian Institute holds the Folk-life Festival every year on the National Mall. It is conducted by the people from different countries to share their tradition and culture. People can get involved and learn about their food, dance, songs and hand crafts. These things help us understand different cultures which is very important to tie people together. For this reason, Smithsonian Institute has tried to introduce cultural variety and encouraged people to learn about different things and new places since 1967.

     This year, the topic of Smithsonian Folk-life Festival is "Basque: Innovation by culture and Sounds of California." Basque country is a small place between Spain and France, and it has a unique tradition and culture. Because there were many special booths which showed their lives, music, dance, costumes, food and art, we could see, experience and learn about the Basque. In addition, many musicians sang and played instruments in the booth related to Sound of California. California is the most famous melting pot in the U.S., so cultural diversity has affected people's lives and music as well. It is a good chance to think about how music reflects and connects different people together. Also, this festival reminded us of that immigration is a very important part of the U.S. culture and history

     These events, which are held to celebrate different cultures and countries, are one of the reasons why people come to the U.S. Every year, people from all over the world immigrate here for education, technology, and freedom. The education in the U.S. system is more practical. As the technology is very developed, people can utilize their skills and talents to achieve their goals. Each and everyone has their own individual right, so they can feel free to do anything.

   

What is about America that attracts immigration?

     Nowadays, many people from different counties first choice or dream country for immigration is America. I am also a immigrant to complete my bachelor's degree. So, in my opinion, education, technology and freedom are the main factors for immigration.  

     First, education is one of the most important factors that attracts many foreign students. In the US, quality teaching with strong practical skills helps students to be perfect in both theoretical and practical knowledge. In this competitive world education plays a vital role in building a foundation for your bright future. For instance, I came to America to upgrade my skills and knowledge. This will be accepted all over the world.  Moreover, I can learn English which is an international language from native English speakers.

     Secondly, the US is well known all over the world due to its powerful technology. America is one of the best places to utilize your talent and skills to achieve your goals using advance technology. For example, America was able to set foot on the moon. Increasing development of technology has made peoples lives more comfortable, easier and faster.

     Finally, the US stands for liberty, peace and individual rights.  Each and everyone has equal human rights to live how they want in most circumstances. One can speak in front of the White house anything he likes because of the freedom of speech. There isn't any discrimination and laws are equal for everyone from any culture, country, religion and custom. So, America is the best choice for the young generation to build up their future however they like.

     In conclusion, the United States of America is one of the best choices for people who want quality education,  advanced technology and the freedom to express yourself.