Friday, January 24, 2020

Essay --

The life of a Greek is typically average. You go to school, get a job, find the person you want to marry... you know how it goes. All of this changes when you are describing one specific type of Greek, a â€Å"Karpathian†, who comes from a tiny little island in Greece called Karpathos. To most non-Greeks, Karpathos is barely a tourist attraction, as there are much bigger and more interesting islands found within the country. But to us Karpathians, few other places compare to its magnificence. What is troubling, however, is the complicated process of dating and marriage. This society of people take everything you thought you knew about relationships to a whole new level. Everyone who’s anyone in the Karpathian community knows that nothing compares to a summer in Karpathos. The beaches alone could easily persuade you never to leave. During the course of the summer, there are multiple weddings scattered across the island. Surprisingly, these weddings are the epitome of what it means to be Karpathian. What does it take to reach this climax of a Karpathian’s life, marriage, one might ask. Well I can assure you that this process is anything but simple. To start off, the young are groomed from birth to become the highest quality spouse. Boys are expected to be an excellent student and go to Karpathos every summer. The island is their place to shine, so being seen in ordinary clothes could potentially be a big mistake. It is recommended that you pack the best brands money can buy: Burberry, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, etc. Furthermore, if the brand is not clearly visible, you might as well not wear the article of clothing at all. The girls of the island have standards that are just as important. Ten pounds of makeup is a given, i... ... could quite possibly be â€Å"What does love have to do with being able to show off all of your cool things during the summer?†. The concepts that go along with this strange charade have not changed all that much throughout the years, but the methods certainly have. With social media now and integral part of everyday-lives, maintaing your appearance has now turned into a year-long affair. Since the summer is not the only time your potential spouses will be seeing you, (even if it’s via social media) you must post the right things and carefully stage photo-ops. Instagram, Twitter, and other social media applications have become virtual extensions of summer socializing in Karpathos. Above all, reputation is key, guard it no matter what. You do not want to risk the island knowing you are actually a superficial person that is only interested in possessions, now you do?

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Tred Paper

The story of the prodigal son started with the younger son that asked his father to give him his portion of the family’s inheritance then the son got what he wanted and went off on a long journey to a distant land and began wasting his fortune. When the son ran out of money, he took a job feeding pigs. He was so poor that he was willing to eat the food for the pigs. One day, the son realized all his faults and he finally came into his senses. He remembered his father and decided to return home to ask for forgiveness and mercy. His father welcomed his son with open arms. Due to the father’s happiness, he ordered his servants to prepare a celebration. Meanwhile, the older son was not happy when he came home, working the fields, only to find out that there was a party for the return of his younger brother. The father tried to prevent the older brother for being jealous and the father said â€Å"You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. So, from what I think, the younger son was selfish and immature for asking his part of the family’s inheritance even if that the father was not dead. Second, when the younger son took the job of feeding the pigs and even eating the pig’s food, it shows that he had sunk as low as he could possibly go. The son represents a person living in rebellion to God. I think that before we come into our sense, we should first experience failures. Third, the father is the image of the Heavenly Father. God is a symbol of love and is patient. He helps us when we return to him with humble hearts. He is not interested from what we have done in the past but forgives us. Lastly, the older son represents an image of the Pharisees. By being self-righteousness, they forgot to be a happy when a sinner returns to God. I think that the bitterness and resentment are what kept the older son to forgive his younger brother.