Does This Picture Look Like A Thousand Words?

(Christians protect Muslims during prayer in the midst of the uprisings in Cairo, Egypt, in 2011.)

 What I see in the picture are people praying and holding their heads low. There are banners and buildings in the background. It looks like there are more males than females.  There are two men holding hands. One of the men is smiling and the other seems to be guiding him while looking off into the distance. These two men, along with those on the ground, seem united for a reason. One of them has some sort of flyer or paper in his hand; I can’t make out the words/message. The facial hair on the men seems to be mustaches and beards. The year or time of the picture seems to be modern or present because of the clothing and the items all around the picture. The people on the ground, kneeling, seem to be facing something. They are all facing the same direction, thus I assume something important is before them. They seem to be united to do something. All the men present in this picture are in jackets, coats, sweaters, and anything to keep warm. The banners seem to sway as (maybe) wind blows it. There are many colors, but especially dark ones, in this picture. There are strange lights in the background as well. They look like balls of fire, almost flame like, but closer to red balls of light. They look like the main attraction if it weren’t for the fact that most of the men have their heads bowed. There can be a stage where the balls of light are at, around the middle of the three balls of light to the far right. The main attraction can be placed there for all to see. Everything is beautiful and unique in the picture, almost as if time has frozen for everyone to see the contents of this picture. You can see many things in this picture.

What seems to be happening is some kind of prayer type of thing. It could also be a type of reunion between all these people. As I see the few faces, they are almost protective of each other. There is an expression of happiness on one of them, so I assume they are happy about something to come.  But there is also worry in some of them as well. They are in some kind of danger and they are expecting it.  The weather seems cold and some of the men are trying to keep warm. The banners sway and seem to almost fall on top of these people. On the sides, there appears to be some other signs or boxes with different colors (other than white ones like the banners near the people on the ground).  At this point, anything can really happen in the picture.  There could be buildings falling on top of these humans. There can be bombings and shootings, killing thousands! The prayer can end in a disaster that no one expected. The praying can end up with all these people marching off to protest against something, maybe, to do with religious beliefs. These people could also all be homeless and go out to find homes for themselves. This can be a funeral for someone famous or important to these people. Most people would assume they are unhappy, but what if they are not? These people can be happier than you right now. You can assume what you want in this picture. They look like they can be doing anything we want, so anything can happen. Or nothing can happen; it is just some normal prayer with many people joining in.

Although the picture freezes time, there are things that are GOING to happen in the picture. These things, or rather events, are inevitable because of the situation this photo has captured. There is an uprising going on in this picture. It was taken during the uprising in Cairo, Egypt in 2011. There are Christians and Muslims involved, they are praying with each other. Christians are protecting the Muslims, who are doing most of the praying while on their knees.  It is like a war zone here and they are in danger of anything the Egyptian protesters are capable of. The Christians protect the Muslims as they pray and make sure no harm is done to them. What is going to happen is that there is going to be many protesters trying to have their grievances heard. Their prayers might be interrupted, but this won’t stop them and the unity between both religions keeps them strong. Many people will die, even though this picture does not show it. Many innocent people will die while the Egyptians protest in Cairo. These people will continue to pray as the Christians watch over them.  All of these things are going to happen in the picture.

This picture truly makes me wonder what it was like to be there. Although, the photo itself presents no danger, it gives off a feeling of worry and patience. Worry because of what is happening and patience because it looks like these people are waiting for something or someone. The arrangement of the people also presents a type of peacefulness. I believe this is because of their praying and low heads. There is happiness in the face of a man as well, so it erases some of the worry I feel when I see the picture. The picture asks me a question. It asks if I can guess what is happening. It begs me to analyze the picture and determine the answer. I have no other choice, but to do so. This picture catches my eye, as it is one of the most powerful photographs ever taken! You can feel the unity between all the people in this picture. They are all different and are there for a purpose. The picture makes you wonder if they survived. It makes me wonder about what if I was there, would I have survived? These questions give you a description of the picture and your own opinion.

You Want Setting?.....YOU Got It!

WELCOME TO SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA!!!!




South Korea, being a country in Asia that is very modern, is beautiful and has a very grandiose capitol city. Seoul City, South Korea is a beautiful mega-city with buildings that remind you of New York City, only better. You can't avoid the wireless connection, you certainly cannot avoid the appealing signs that show off the fashion of GD and their K POP bands, and let's not forget the smart homes being controlled by cell phones.

When you first see it, the lights seem to blind you and you realize the city is LARGE. Many of the tourists' attractions can be only seen at night. It truly is a city that never sleeps. So many people take to the streets. There are even street performers that WILL capture your attention. They will probably dance THEIR latest dances (K POP dances).  This is where our story takes place.
WELCOME TO SEOUL CITY, SOUTH KOREA!

"Hurry up and get into the cab!" my sister pushed into the cab. I was distracted by GD's billboard sign. It was huge and I never knew people depended on his type of fashion. "He's very awesome!" Naomi had managed to say. She is my height, but sometimes it looks like she is taller or I am, so it confuses people. She has rounder face and is 2 years younger with curly hair. I am 20 years old and we are in South Korea for a months' vacation. It would have been for the rest of the summer because I saved up a lot of money, but my baby sister decided to tag along. Mom and dad said a month, they got what they wanted, and now so does my money.

"Will you stop daydreaming and give that man the address?! I swear..." she grumbled on as I gave the cab driver the address. Sighing in relief that I had found my wallet, where I put the address, since I usually lose my wallet...and cellphone, but that's not the point! "Hey, we should visit Hongdae area. There are street performers there and you'll enjoy the dancing," I told my sister, taking off my thin sweater. It's hot here in Seoul. That would make sense since I looked up what kind of weather Seoul has in the summer...It gets PRETTY hot.

"OK, let's go now! Or after we eat!" she cheered excitedly. She is younger and she acts like it. I sigh and nod. Eating is important, which is why I picked an American restaurant. Naomi will refuse to eat with chopsticks. "Burger King!" Naomi ran out as I paid and thanked the driver. "Gamsa," I said to the driver, to Naomi, "It's the Itaewon area." "Have fun," I heard a strong accent from the young, Korean driver. How sweet. I bowed and waved as he drove away. This place is also full of life on the streets.

"I ordered while you were flirting with our cab driver!" I gave her my death glare. "What? I didn't say anything." We ate for a good 45 minutes, talking excitedly. Every now and again she would ask...."What if BEAST was out on the streets and we weren't able to recognize them. And 4MINUTE or SHINee. I know you won't care. I would!" I would answer, "I would love to meet them. But think rationally, that seems impossible. I don't think they want to die by being trampled by fan girls. Plus, we're American tourists and very uninteresting. They won't care, they have fans everywhere. In their eyes, we are like all those fans." "But, we aren't..." she tried to say more, but I shushed her.

We walked over to the Hongdae area after we ate. "But I just ate! At least carry me," Naomi complained and pulled my arm like she used to do when we were kids. "Hey, you'll lose the gained weight," I said. I don't mind walks or jogging or running and she knew all this plus I wasn't going to let her win. We walk and spot all types of clubs and all types of street performers. as Naomi points everything out I let my guard down.....

A young man in his mid-20's with a blue sweater, a black shirt, and baggy jeans seems to walk very slowly pass me, but like I said....I have my guard down now. He is obviously Korean and from here, yet he seems like a stranger in his own country. His face is easily recognizable. He has large brown eyes, a nice somewhat chubby face, and definitely Asian. The thing that stood out the most was his blue watch. (I love blue!)

This is him! Ignore the aegyo. He is EVIL.

He takes my wallet and runs! I kept the wallet in my hand like an idiot and now I can't even fight for it back. As my sister's face screams of confusion, I run after the stranger. He is able to blend with the crowd with all the colors coming off of everyone's clothes. He evades carts and avoids all the performers that entertain the tourists. But I do as well! He isn't a fast runner so I believe I will catch up to him...Until a dancer kicks my ankle and I stop!

OW!! "Aish!" The dancer yells, turns to me as I mentally rub my head in question and stare back. All I did was react to the thief who just stole my wallet. I lost him! He looks mad and my sister is by my side. "What happened?" she asked as I look for the thief. "Some random dude just stole my wallet! Most of our money was in the wallet! And don't say look on the bright side!" I yelled at her even though nothing is really her fault. 

"OK! I wasn't going to say that! Let's look around the dancers. We'll meet up in an hour!" she ran as I checked the opposite side. She said this screaming and now I realize how loud the music is. This area is packed with people admiring the amazing performers.

Yeah, I took pictures of this guy dancing until he spotted me. I'm such a tourist! An hour has passed, I didn't find him and apparently neither did Naomi. All I see is a huge frown and eyes that look exhausted. "Well, now I did lose the calories from the meal. I hate running!" I grinned at the simplicity of the fact that she didn't need to run all the way, assuming she did (and she did, it's her nature). "Stop it! You'll never guess what?!" That's weird she never gets mad at me for a few seconds...Well, it doesn't look like my wallet..."Must you run...like ...fast, Naomi!"

HyunA

Now I see HyunA from 4MINUTE! She wears all black with an brunette type of hair with bangs. Her eyes show off the cuteness that everyone, even Naomi, seems to adore about her. I don't even like her, but Naomi loves this idol even though she prefers Dongwoon from BEAST. "You're HyunA," she nods and smiles hugely at me, "But that's impossible!" I frowned and I know she barely understood me. She kept shaking her head and said "No." "Don't bother her. I found her and bumped into her. They were out with BEAST, checking out restaurants and performances," Naomi gave HyunA a side hug while I frowned. "Come on, I have an idea. This is Alexa, my big sis. Oh and ask her where 4MINUTE is." "Where's 4MINUTE?" I asked sarcastically and made Naomi slap my arm. "Seriously!"

I looked at HyunA as she shied away, she didn't seem to like my glaring. I sighed as Naomi took out her small boombox. "Eodissneunji neun sabun ibnikka? Geunyeoneun michin fanigirl ibnida," I asked where 4MINUTE was and that Naomi is a crazy fan girl. She laughed and said with her high pitched voice, "They are... coming." Naomi pulled me away and turned on the music. She motioned me to dance with her. The song is Breath by BEAST. We started and she sang along with the song. I rap Junhyung's parts (and dance his dance), but not loud enough for HyunA or the crowd that's forming...can hear. Uh oh, this means we are getting attention. "Don't leave me, finish the rap. The song is almost done!" Naomi yelled as HyunA kept two thumbs up and turned to run. When we were kids Naomi would force me to learn group dances so she could get better. I like it, but not in public! I don't even have a mask to cover my face!

HyunA, So Hyun, Ji Yoon, Ga Yoon, Ji Hyun (in that order)

Du Jun, Junhyung, Yoseop, Hyunseung, Dongwoon, Gi Kwang (in that order)

Now BEAST and 4MINUTE is  here! I am not looking up until we finish the dance. I am so scared, I don't dance as well as Naomi! But we continued up to T-ARA's BO Peep BO Peep. She forced me to dance once more when I tried to slide away. More and more people are surrounding us, as we do this exaggerated cutesy dance. When we finish they cheer and the two "disguised" idols come closer. My sister grabs my hat and holds it out as people actually put money inside the hat. The bands wave at me and one gets the closest. Yoseop.

"We heard about your problem. We usually hang around here to look at the performers. I am Yoseop and you are?" He stands in front of me, full head of blondish hair and sunglasses like the rest of them. I respond by saying, "I'm Naomi's big sister, Alexa." He introduces all the members of both bands. His baby face makes me smile and I give him a small bow. This is still impossibly happening. "I know it must be strange to see us, but we like helping American fan girls. Even though it's never happened before. It's been our dream, sort of." I raised an eyebrow, but Naomi came back with the hat full of money. "The people of South Korea can be very generous, we are a thriving economy. Plus, your performance was...awesome. We can help by performing with you!"

I counted the money and smiled, but it wasn't enough for our room in the hotel. Plus I don't have my card, it's in my wallet...I sighed and thanked them, but Naomi and I were just going to have to sleep outside. We'd also have to find something to eat. Our luggage isn't much, but its a lot...It's obvious no one wants that. "Uli gwanlija michin jishaji anhseubnida." Du Jun interrupted Yoseop as he was telling me to calm down. They begin to discuss as Naomi pulls me to the side. "This is so cool! They will help us find a place to sleep and something to eat! They realize we aren't crazy fan girls!" "Naomi, we are fan girls nonetheless. They are not stupid, they will leave us once they get back to their schedules. We have to find the thief!" I exclaimed. She nodded, understanding. What to do?

"OK, hyung agrees. We will help you out and since your thief is long gone, we will help you raise money. It will be easy, you are Americans!" Yoseop raises his hands. Well! "Why do you say that?" I asked. "Because...you are funny and entertaining. Koreans pay good money for that type of stuff! Plus if you have BEAST and 4MINUTE, they won't resist." He nodded....This is a bad idea. "But fan girls will chase after you!" "Not while we perform, plus that's why our body guards are here. There is not that many fan girls anyway. They will be looking at you!"..."But.." Naomi covers my mouth and says, "No buts! Let's go!"
Here we go again!

We are going to dance with 4Minute as Ji Yoon pats my back. Her short hair is amazing and I see my reflection on her sunglasses. "It'll be OK! We'll help. Let's do HUH, Naomi says you know it, especially HyunA's rap. Go!" I nod and try. WE GET TO DO A GREAT PERFORMANCE! The applause is nice. We move on to T-ARA's APPLE IS A and I do Hwayoung's dance. I say aloud, "He's just my style, super apple. Wanna be your angel apple." Then, a part of MUZIK by 4MINUTE and Lovey Dovey Dovey by T-ARA. They are all dances that take tons of practice. 

Suddenly, BEAST moves in and 4MINUTE steps to the side. We perform BREATH, Beautiful Night, and FICTION. All of Naomi and my favorites. They are all by BEAST and they congratulate us on a job well done. As people keep placing money in my hat and Junhyung's- a short,not too short, blonde with pretty chubby cheeks and full lips-hat, he place his hand on my shoulder and points. 

"You see?" he laughs and nods. I smile back. "You were...not bad," grinning sheepishly, he says this with a strong accent and slowly. "Look, I know I'm a bad dancer. No need to rub it in," I knew he understood, especially since he grinned even more. We laugh and I know we are both exhausted. It IS late and there isn't enough money for us. It looks like we are sleeping out on the streets. I f my parents were here, they would yell at me for being so irresponsible. I hold in the tears as I feel Junhyung's eyes on me. I close my eyes and open them again, No time for crying and pitying myself.

I look to one side, Ji Yoon, So Hyun, and Ji Hyun give me a thumbs up. I grin and spot a blue watch. In a place where the impossible has just happened..."That's the guy who stole my wallet," I point and Junhyung calls his guards. He signals me to lead him, so we can confront him. He's serious now, all traces of his recent teases are gone. The guards follow me with Junhyung next to me. I see the thief flash the wallet, he's about to pay at a kimchi cart when Junhyung talks to him.....He's seriously running again? He runs off.

SERIOUS!!!!

As he runs, Junhyung runs as well and his body guards trail behind. No one seems to notice the small commotion. No carts are thrown like in the movies, just people being pushed.The body guards trap the thief by cornering him into the same Burger King that Naomi and I ate at just a few hours ago. Wow, time sure does fly by. They grab him and Junhyung lands a punch to his stomach. His security guards are thick and tall. They hold Junhyung off and he calms down...Until he starts yelling. I only understand part of what Junhyung yells at the guy. He asks him how he could do this to some tourists. He also says we probably don't even have that much money. "Well, we're not that poor!" I put my hands at my hips and he just begins snickering. Dongwoon appears and smiles down at me, "We got....wallet back! He is idiot for... not leaving when there was chance. Yay!"


"Yeah! Now you can find a place to stay! And food!" Ji Yoon cheered and hugged me. Junhyung passed me the wallet and I smiled. "Wallet," he says and I repeat the word. Small amount of communication that means thanks. We don't speak the same language, but there is understanding there.

"Well, Miss Everything Is Impossible, what do we say?" Naomi winked at me. We bowed and gave them the peace sign saying, "Gomawo!" (It means thank you) They call it aegyo, an act of cuteness, we call it being grateful. My sister smiled as BEAST hugged her for acting so cute in her thank you. "That was so cute...You..said..thank you together!" Dongwoon exclaimed as Ji Yoon pinched my blushing cheeks. All the BEAST members laugh at my cheeks that always betray my embarrassment  Next thing, I know the cops escort the thief away...That's weird. 

Well, at least they helped us. This place is beautiful and so lively. The streets are filled with lights and there is the bridge that I still want to see. Strange people seem to be found everywhere. It's going to be a great vacation! I think as they walk away and the several fans scream their names. "Wait, we still need a ride to the hotel!" I run after them.

"At this rate, you might as well have our phone numbers or at least mine!" Yoseop offered and turned to the groups, "What do you say?" "Yay!" cheered HyunA. "I like them!" said Ji Yoon. "OK. A ride is OK," Junhyung winked at us. Hyunseung and Gi Kwang grinned. Du Jun smiled and nodded, "But don't give our numbers away!" I took a picture of Naomi with Dongwoon and HyunA..A memory she will love forever. Then I took a picture of HyunA and Dongwoon, it looks like this:  Oh, might as well. These pictures should last!

 

 
And the great city SEOUL:

Hurricane Sandy's Work

Day 1-Monday Night

You would think that my mom would be asleep by now. She was complaining 5 minutes ago about how  tired she was. It's 8:13 PM now and I'm using her phone to listen to music. Uh oh....Why are the lights..? Oh, never mind. the lights are on again. It's Monday night and the supposedly ferocious Hurricane Sandy is coming. We didn't really prepare. We just have some food, batteries, and flashlights. The electricity is trying to fight back the hurricane. Our doors and windows are shut tight. And I'm washing the dishes....

video to what im listening to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WzHhtkF8JM&feature=g-vrec

"Aaah!" a short and exaggerated scream escaped my sisters' lips. I'm pretty sure it was Sarah, Clara, and Teresa. "Oh, shut up. The lights just went out," complained my 13 year old sister, Naomi...Thank God I just finished washing the dishes. Its pitch black and I reach out for some soft paper towels. I can't even see my black boots.

Heh, sarcasm in my head....It hasn't even been 2 minutes and the dark is making me sarcastic. "Alexa! Pass me my phone...The lights went out!" my mom called out. "I noticed!" I yelled back.

another picture of a band I was listening to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxPLJXSrPek&feature=fvst

I can hardly hear the winds. I ran upstairs and gave it to her. I laid down next to her while she checked the news. She got up and went downstairs suddenly. I can feel the bed moving!

After a long discussion with my brother about why Nicaragua isn't the answer to every question, my siblings went to sleep (power's still off).

My siblings just played a game with my father, where he asks random questions. Since both my parents are from Nicaragua, he made many questions related to that country. Since my 4 year old brother doesn't know much about the answers to many of the questions, his answer is "Nicaragua" with his Spanglish baby accent.

"Well, don't you just love family bonding, Alexa?" my mom asked me. I look at her and frown, the dim light helps me see her face. It's 10:00 PM and I'm tired. "Let's go to sleep, Naomi." She gets up and follows me up the steps.
......
"I'm not tired!" Naomi yells. Too bad....

Day 2-Tuesday Morning
9:00 AM
"Ugh....I'm so cold...." I'm so cold and I feel sick.
......
"Mom says you got to eat." Someone is speaking, but I continue dreaming.
Follow me.....Suddenly I see Naomi waving.....Then I remember Ms. Argow's assignment...The one I did on my journey to South Korea. My head hurts! "Wake up, you anorexic idiot! You can't skip breakfast!"

"What!"
"Sheesh! Go eat before I get yelled at because of you," yelled Sarah.
"Shut up!" I am cranky because they forced me to wake up."OK, don't hurt me. The lights are still off...by the way....Are you OK? You look so pale," comments Sarah. She is 11 years old and about 4 feet, 8 inches. She bares a small resemblance to me, only her lips are fuller and she has bigger overbite than mine. Her hair is almost blonde and we tease her because of how it contrasts to the rest of us. "Step aside, blondie," I push her and walk down the steps. I can smell bacon and eggs.
.......After breakfast......
I went back to sleep after a quick warm, but not warm enough, shower. Alex Supertramp must have suffered during the winter in his travels. He was a good guy, just lost in a way he never would understand. He was lost because he would think too much....Man, its cold....I should have never taken a shower. 
........During dinner.......
I am so tired and cold...My hair dried a long time ago since it is short... "Alexa! Come and eat!" She yelled...My mother is a heavy woman, about 5 feet 3 inches, and pale, her voice is very loud. "No! I'm not hungry...I feel sick!"
After a yelling contest between my mother and I, my sister commented on how skinny I was. She said that's why I'm skiinny, a lie of course because I am not.
I end up eating and I have some warmth because my mother made eggs with rice on the stove. It's so cold! I run upstairs despite my mother's pleads and questions on how I was feeling/why I wouldn't stay downstairs.
.......Tonight I sleep........
.....or not yet.....
"Tell us a story...Naomi!" ordered my 11 year old sister. "What time is it?" my mouth is dry and I still have my headache. "It's late, so shush while I tell them a story..So...There once was a Sarah that was haunted by a ghost. Everyone died because Sarah was haunted," Naomi said this to bother my sister, Sarah, who wanted a story. "Don't forget they turned cannibalistic," I helped my sister, falling asleep...to..."Yeah, they all ended up eating each other and died. THE END...To sleep." In my head, I see the 6 boys from BEAST.


Day 3-Wednesday Morning

I feel better. I'm so glad I had a good whole day to rest yesterday. There's trees on my neighbors' backyards that fell. We only have branches that fell apparently.

After breakfast, we began to get hungry at around 12, with only a few sandwiches left for the 10 of us....
 Alex, if you were here you would have fed me.

"I'm home!" Nathaniel, my older brother smiled holding bags out to my mother. He was able to go to his school, Rutgers, and charge his electronics. The students at Rutgers were better than us and my mom thought they were too far away from home. There wasn't any need to worry on her part for them. He brought what he thought we needed. Apples...Peanut butter and jelly....bread.
......
"He came home and said 'Mother, I'm home and I brought food.'" I told my dad when he came home from work and we were able to eat a little more. My stomach growled and begged for food. We were planning what to do for food the next day. There was enough beans and rice, but we needed cereal and boxed treats. My dad told us about the trees and broken homes around where he worked. And now....

"The lights! They're on!" my dad yelled, surprising me and my siblings.

.......
But now it is 5 minutes since the excitement. Lights are off....And they are on again...I am going to use this opportunity to charge my laptop.

The lights stayed this time, but I know there are people struggling. At least we know we can survive a hurricane. We also learned to preserve more boxed foods and fruits. Next time, I won't shower in that cold water when I'm sick! I was so naive!