Blog Week 3-1-2010

Miller's Classes Clark High School

Blog Week 3-1-2010

3/1/2010

So, with the start of our memory unit I have a two part question for 20 points. The first part (10 points) of the question deals with an episodic memory that you can present to the rest of the class through this blog. The second part (10 points) will be awarded for proper explanation of how you processed this episodic memory at the time and explain why it has become so resiliant to degradation. Of course, using psychological terminology!

59 Comments

Shelby Grauberger

3/2/2010 12:59:41 pm

An episodic memory I have is from when the 9-11 attacks happened. I was in third grade, and my dad woke me up extrememly early (or so I thought then, as I was in elementary school when waking up early was like 7:30). He came in my room with my brother and told me that something terrible had happened. Of course I didn't understand what the World Trade Center was at the time, and I of course had no knowledge of the significance of a plane crashing into it. When I went into my parents room and looked at the tv, there was a building on fire with people jumping out. He told me that I need to remember this day because it'll be remembered in history. Then at school, we all stood outside for a minute of silence, but of course nobody except the older kids knew why. We just assumed it was important, and then we proceeded to class.
I can only imagine that episodic memory is still so clear to me now because I was so confused about what had happened. While I can hardly retrieve the other memories I have stored from my third grade year, this one stands out because my father told me that the whole world was forever changed because of it. Because I focused on figuring out why it mattered for so long, it was stored in my long term memory where it is easily recalled with both icons of the scene and words that were said to me at the time. Now that I'm older with more knowledge about the situation, I've been able to use constructive processing in order to update my stored memories. Because I now know exactly why that event changed our world, my memory makes more sense as I have gone back to modify it since my initial third grade experience. It doesn't fade away because of my continuous rehersal of the information since then. Even now, I remember that day when someone brings up the terrorist attacks.

George Huang. Period 6

3/2/2010 02:23:52 pm

Hmm. An Episodic memory I have is back when I was still in Kindergarten, my parents took me to KFC next to the city park. It was the weekend, and I'm pretty sure it was sometime around noon, we walked into this HECKA BUSY KFC and we were going to get something to eat for a special occasion. (Eating KFC is a VERY rare thing in China, since it costs a LOT!) So I went into the bathroom with my dad and did my business lol. Then I remember walking out because I saw someone flying a kite and a remote controlled car. So I left by myself, attracted to the wireless car and the kite like moths to light. Not 5 minutes later, my parents came out, started SCREAMING and YELLING, right when they saw me, all hell came. They INSTANTLY took me home and beat. the.$%it . out of me. This was definitely saved in my long term memory for a couple reasons. First being that I missed a KFC lunch because of that. Second, because I got the beating of a freaking lifetime, and third, it was the first time that my mom wasn't on my side about this whole thing. I haven't and probably will never forget this event because of the emotional emphasis it had on me. I've kept rehearsing this memory back when I was a child because of the significance it made to me losing that one KFC meal and getting beat senseless.

Sara Lacroix p.7

3/3/2010 11:44:37 am

An episodic memory that I have is when I found out that my older sister was pregnant. It was the summer between my 7th and 8th grade year. She had just gotten back from spending about two months in Oregon with our family friend. We were still living in our old house in Spring Valley. I was sitting in the living room in our big green rocker chair reading a book, when my older sister came into the room and sat across from me in the cream chair that was in front of the grandfather clock. She looked at me and told me that I was going to be very dissappointed in her. I looked up and asked jokenly if she was pregnant. The dead silience told me yes. This is encoded to my long term memory because it was a definite change to our entire life style. Our roles and responsibilties changed dramatically after that.

Ji-Hye Lee p.3

3/5/2010 10:19:48 am

An episodic memory that I have is when I got in a motorcycle accident in 3rd grade in Korea. My family and our family friend went to go eat at a buffet closeby our apartment. Then, me including my brother, and our friends decided to go to our house early to play games. Our parents let us go, warning us to be careful when crossing the road. So then, we were at a crosswalk. Waiting for the pedestrian signal to turn green. (in Korea it's green.) As the signal turned green, I was knocked unconscious. A motorcycle came onto the sidewalk and hit me right on. From what I heard, I flew about 10 feet. After being unconscious for about 10 minutes (according to my brother), I saw a crowd of people around me and felt an excruciating pain: I had dislocated a collar bone. Luckily the hospital was right there so a very nice man took me up to the hospital. I remember my shocked mother's face so clearly. She was crying asking me "are you okay?"s one after another. I never want to see that expression on her face ever again.
I believed that this episodic memory is now recorded in my long term memory because it was a huge accident in my childhood. Seeing my mother's freaked out face and having a horribly uncomfortable cast on for more than a month, and unable to shower due to broken collar bone, were all horrible events that I never want to experience again. It has made me extra careful before crossing the road. This event has affected me to be extra cautious when crossing the road. It has conditioned me to looking side to side before I cross the road.

Arahis Torres

3/6/2010 06:08:33 am

Am episodic memoy that I have is from when I first came to America. I was five and it was the first time I had ever been on a plane. I remember my uncle dropping my mother and I at an airport, I had never seem a plane in my life before. My mother was crying and I didn't know why, all I knew was that my dad wasn't there with us which was very strange since he was always with me. I remember my mother was wearing a bkack and white stripped shirt, black pants and she had a white bag with an anchor design sewn on the middle. A whike after the plane had taken off my mom handed me a bag of peanuts (which I had never in my life had before) seenin as it was only 90 miles from Cuba to Florida, the plane ride wasn't a very long one. None the less as the plane was landing I would assume that the mixture of a strange food and a bumppy landing got the best of me. I couldn't stop vomitting for nearly the whole day.
To this day I correlate plane rides and peanuts with extreme nausea and discomfort. Take off and landing terrify me and cause my stomach to churn, and I will not eat any kind if nuts. This event has forever been etched into my long-term memory because of the emotional charge and discomfort that ut caused me.

Emerly Luong Period 5

3/6/2010 07:13:32 am

An episodic memory I've had was when I was in kindergarten and I fell on my head against the concrete back when I still lived in Ohio. It was recess time and my school had these red wagons for us to play with. A friend of mine pulled one around while i sat inside. I decided to be adventurous and stood up on the wagon, but unfortunately, I lost my balance and fell off the moving wagon onto the concrete. I was told that i blacked out afterward, but only for a short period of time. That would make sense because the next thing i knew, i woke up and saw these paramedics strapping me down to a stretcher and i was rushed to the hospital. To a little kid who isn't aware of the situation, it's scary.

This episodic memory is probably easy to recall from my long term memory because it terrified me. I believe that that fear and anxiousness left a big impact on my childhood as well as my memories.

Luke Tanaka

3/7/2010 12:48:40 am

One of the most clear episodic memories I have is the September 11th attacks. I remember being woken up early, or earlier than I was used to because I was in elementary school. Before being woken up, the phone had rang, from a family friend in Texas who was already up. She had screamed to turn on the tv and watch the news. So we did. My whole family sat there and watched the replays of the first plane hitting the tower. And shortly after, the second plane struck the second tower. I remember the way my parents acted, my mom crying and my dad silent. School was different that day, many kids missing, and everyone talking about what had happened, but not fully comprehending. It was a do-nothing day, and I remember teachers talking and looking disturbed.

This episodic memory is very easy to recall, due to the fact that it was a massive attack on the US. In addition, everyone I knew that day acted very strangely and I was confused as to what had happened, not fully realizing the gravity of the situation. And because it is such a major and widely discussed event, constructive processing has allowed me to remember this event more, in addition to rehersing it every it is brought to my attention.

Elena P.6

3/7/2010 02:16:09 am

An episodic memory i had was from when i was about 4 or 5. my mother had these bright red stilletos. i always watched her get ready. i would sit on the bed and i would anxiously wait until she was all done with her make up so i can watch her put on those bright red shoes...moving on...my mother was downstairs and we had guests over so i decided to wear those bright red stilletos and go downstairs. my mother saw me waiting to come down and she was in a panic stage. everyone stood up, it seemed like they were waiting for me to collapse. well i took the first step down the stairs and i rolled all the way down and the loud crying began.

i think this episodic memory is easy for me to remember because it was my first time ever trying on my mothers bright red stilletos and falling down the stairs because of them. its clear to me since it was my favorite pair of shoes and they caused me to fall and cry.

Samantha Bodan P.5

3/7/2010 02:55:17 am

An emisodic memory I have is when my mom and my step-dad (at the time) were getting married. It was October Friday the 13th 2000. The previous night before we had the rehearsal dinner and the stuff you do the day before the weeding. While at the "ceremony" I remember my mom's wedding planner guy talking to me asking me if I was excited and things like that. My respone to him was no. I was actually every upset about the situation. I was never and still am not to fond of my "step-dad". During the practice thing, I had to try on my dress shoes and found that mine were to big for me and Alyssa's fit me(we were the flower girls by the way). So I demanded that I wore her shoes. But my parents told me no, so that just made me more upset at the fact. So anyways, the "ceremony" went of than we all went to dinner. At the Mac. Grill. After dinner my soon to be step-father and mom gave me and my cousin alyssa gifts. They were mathching heart-shaped lockets. I didn't like the gift at all. The next moring [day of the wedding] really early like 7ish. My mom was no where to be found, I was very angry at this fact, my aunt was at my house waiting for me to get dressed to leave the the wedding place. We went to the wedding location and every female there started hugging and kissing me. After all the hello's were established they started trying to get me ready. I was calm while they did my hair, but after getting my hair done I was so upset. They made me look like a damn poodle. I had curls every where. I looked ugly, I couldn't believe what they just have done to my hair. I was outraged at this point. After getting my hair done my cousin Alyssa arrived and came in the little room everyone was in. She wasn't wearing the shoes we were suppose to wear! I couldn't believe it, so i asked if i could just wear her shoes because mine were way to big! But they left them at the hotel that my cousin was staying at. So I started throwing a hissy-fit. My babysitter that was attending the wedding took me outside and sat me in a car until I calmed down. After I was calm I went back into the wedding hall and refused to wear my shoes. So when the wedding started I walked down the aisle shoe-less and with a sour-puss face on. And for the "after-party" thing I was still very unhappy about the whole situation.
THE END!

Sammi

3/7/2010 02:56:41 am

I ment WEDDING! oops, typing a little to fast there. My bad.

Monique Rohani period 5

3/7/2010 03:30:07 am

Turning age ten was one of those cool years in your life because you were the big two digit number..and for some reason the only episodic memory that still is present in my mind today was sticking a burrito wrapped in foil into the microwave. My mom was in her room, and i was the only one in the kitchen, so i took it out from the fridge and sticked it in the microwave with the foil around it, because i didnt know any better. As i am standing there i see that there are sparks flying and fire started to fill up the microwave, so i ran to my mom screaming, and i will never forget the look on her face. She hit me on my butt several times, and almost seeing half my house catch on fire was the scariest thing.
This is obviously still in my long term memory because it wasn't an everyday thing that i saw flames in my own kitchen. The expression on my moms face will still come clear when i see foil, so i believe that such an episodic memory will forever be a long term memory.

Cayla Riley P.5

3/7/2010 03:53:58 am

Wow, I've been sitting here for about 30 minutes thinking of a memory I have that is really clear, but I guess i have none. Especially not from when I was younger. All I can remember are pictures from my past that I look at frequently, or stories I am reminded of frequently. I read other peoples stories and all their memories are so clear they can even remember details like what they were wearing. I can't seem to remember details of any memory I have, just the basic concept of what happened and pretty much the emotion I was feeling at that time. Yeah.. I don't really remember anything from my childhood so I'm just going to go off of a memory that hurt my feelings.. here we go.
I remember when my mom finally got custody of me again and she got her first townhome. I remember her and I laying on the empty floor together laughing. I remember painting the wall in the living room together with sponges and I think it was like a purpleish redish color? And then I really enjoyed making this mirror to decorate the wall with her. We bought a bunch of colorful tiles and smashed them up and then glued the smashed pieces around the edges of the mirror.. Then I remember my mom getting a boyfriend or fiance or whatever you call "it" or him. (He was repulsive by the way.) Anywho, I remember us having to move out of the place I was so happy to be with just my mom. He threw away the mirror and painted over our wall. I'll never forget that. I can feel the emotion I felt back when I was 5 as I recall the memory. That was the moment I realized my mom's priorities weren't the same as normal mothers. Since then it's never been the same.
I remember this memory so clearly because of the strong emotion I felt at the time. It was a earth shattering moment for me, and now that I look back on it, it was a major turning point in my life. I realized I needed to take care of myself and not rely on others. I think of this memory often so it is constantly rehearsed in my mind to keep it refreshed and stored into the long term memory. Many things make me think of it. Now that I am older I add more details to the memory about why certain things affected me the way they did, why certain people did certain things, etc. I know that this memory will unfortunately stay in my mind forever.

Vivian So Period 7

3/7/2010 03:54:57 am

An episodic memory I have was when I found out I was moving from my old house to my current house. I was staying with my grandparents in San Francisco at the time while my parents stayed in Las Vegas. I remember watching my older cousins play video games when my grandma called me into the kitchen to speak to my parents on the phone. When they told me that they found a new house for us to live in, I started screaming and jumping up and down. I probably remember this so clearly because I was so happy about finally being able to move out of our old, cramped house. Obviously, moving away from my childhood home was a big deal to me so that may have caused it to become a long term memory.

Daniel Won

3/7/2010 04:04:00 am

An episodic memory I had previously in my life was when I first got into a fight over the game 4 square. At that time I was in the fifth grade, and my friends and I basically controlled the game of 4 square. Whenever we played we would always helped each other out to beat other opponents from the game. I remember specifically that one day a random boy tried to beat me and my friends in the game, but of course he lost. Then all of a sudden he said racist slurs and cuss words at me and my friends. The first thing that happened was that my friend, Wason, shoved him and threw him to the floor. All of a sudden the kid picked himself up and threw a punch at my friends face. Eventually, I got dragged in and I threw my very first punch at the kids face and gave me him a bloody nose. Later on, more people got dragged in and me and my friends, eight of us, were against 10 other people. I remember there was a lot of scratching in the fight instead of pushing and punching, and I also remember that one of my friend, Kevin, tried to bite one of the other kids arm. Eventually, the principal and teachers came over trying to stop the fight. At the end, both of the sides blamed each other for starting the fight and we later all had to say sorry to each other and promise to never do it again.
I think the main reason why I remember this moment so clearly was because that was the first time I threw a punch at someone and made that person bleed. Always having seen fighting on TV and movies, I never knew that I would one day also get into a fight. I can also recall the exact setting and people involved in the fight, and even where the ball was during the fight. This memory is stored in my long term memory, and I can retrieve it anytime. Even now whenever I see specific icons like the 4 square image or a group of different ethnicity kids, preferably Caucasian and Asian, fighting I can remember the “4 square” fight I was involved in.

Daniel Won P.5

3/7/2010 04:04:34 am

Stephen Won P.5

3/7/2010 04:29:00 am

An episodic memory I had was at 9/11. I remember I was getting ready to go to my Tae Kwon Do class when my dad said I didnt have to go. Because I was tired I was very happy that I didnt have to go, but then my dad told me to watch tv with him and he turned to the news. I thought we were watching a movie the entire time until I came to school the next day.
This was easy to remember because it was such a historic moment in history and because it is so significant that it changes how we do every little thing today.

Martin Ramos P.6

3/7/2010 05:12:04 am

Hhmmmmm an episodic memory? Iono if this qualifies but I have always had this dream when I was a little kid that I was in this room, telling from the dream it was my room. It was a rectangular room. There was a window on the farthest side form which light, a peach colored light, came through. It illuminated the entire room and painted the rooms walls with that glowing peach color. I would be standing on a blue latter looking at the window and then I’d turn around to look behind me and I guess I would loose my grip and I’d fall off the latter (the latter was only like 3 feet tall) and I would stare at the carpet getting closer but my face would never reach it and I would get that awful stomach feeling, like when you’re on a rollercoaster, but to the 100th power.

Now every time when I’m really high up like on a building, or especially when I’m on a latter I can vividly remember that dream. And the feeling is amplified to where my legs start to quiver. Haha.

I think that the semantic aspect to this memory is my fear of heights, probably from seeing something or possibly someone experience a bad accident involving heights. And it manifested itself in this dream, which later became an episodic memory. I don’t know, I feel as if through this dream’s memory I can analyze my fear, like I can use it to dissect or hypothesize exactly where it came from or possibly generate a general cause for the dream’s occurrence and thus the origin of my fear of heights.

Response to Elena’s Post:
Haha maybe that’s where your fascination for stilettos comes from, your inability to walk properly in them haha JK!! :)

Irene De La Rosa P.6

3/7/2010 05:53:01 am

An episodic memory I have had in my life was of the year we went down to Mexico to celebrate my Quinceañera, and that same day we arrived to our hometown not even an hour had passed since we arrived and we received a knock at the door from my aunt telling us that my uncle back in Vegas had passed away. Literally, to this day when that memory comes to my mind I can’t still hear my aunt’s voice ringing in my ears. We were all in shock not even twenty-four hours ago we had called my grandmother back home in Vegas from the border in New Mexico, and she had said that everything was fine. She told us that she had been waiting for our call all day, and was worried about us she wanted to know that we had made it safe at least to New Mexico. However, once we had arrived to our hometown everything had changed, my uncle was now died we just couldn’t believe it. It was a really a hard experience for my family and I because we were so happy to take this trip and so excited to celebrate my Quinceañera. Once we were there it was like a slap in the face because all that happiness had vanished completely. I remember it was already late at night when we arrived and waking up the next morning and telling my mother I had the weirdest dream last night I dreamed that my uncle had passed way, and unfortunately it was not a dream it was all real and it just became an emotional rollercoaster from there, you want to act in denial for what had happened. I believe I remember this memory so much because it changed that special event that I had dreamed of ever since I was a little girl and had waited so long for, which was my Quinceañera. I had always dreamed about it as a happy experience however, this death did not make that day an enjoyable experience no matter how hard I tried not to think about it the death of my uncle remained in my head, and it still does till this day. This memory has remained in my long term memory, where I can retrieve it anytime that I see something that reminds me of my uncle or of my Quinceañera. The feelings I felt that day come back to haunt me each and every time I have that flashback memory and I’m sure it is the same for the rest of my family.

Peiwei Zhang P.7

3/7/2010 06:17:28 am

I think I was 5 years old at the time. It was after I woke up in the morning and was going to brush my teeth. Because the previous toothpaste we had ran out, there was a new toothpaste of a different flavor by the sink. I squeezed the toothpaste onto my toothbrush, tasted it a little bit and decided that it was absolutely gross. So, instead of using that disgusting toothpaste to brush my teeth, I decided to just not use it and therefore, started brushing my teeth with no toothpaste. However, my mom walked by and saw that there were no bubbles or anything of the sort in my mouth, and of course, found out that I wasn't using toothpaste. Then she slapped me across the face because of it.
I think the reason I can remember this incident so well is because it was probably the first time my mom hit me on the face (if it wasn't, I don't remember the others). It's something I have mentioned to my mom later on in my life without her denying it. Another reason for me remembering it so well is probably that the incident seemed so immature and silly, so it's something I can always seem to laugh at when I think back to it.

Kristen Chavez Per. 5

3/7/2010 06:57:57 am

I remember it was Thanksgiving one year when I was little; I want to say I was 8 or 9 and me and my older cousin were outside riding our bikes waiting for our food to be cooked. So we were riding around outside, and we finally decided to be "cool" and ride without our helmets so I remember taking mine off and throwing it into my yard and resuming to ride my bike. While we were riding around I was going towards the end of my street and I was going to turn back around, but there was water in the gutter, and while trying to turn back around, I guesss my bike slipped and the next thing I remember is going face first into the road. I remember my face being in the worst pain ever. I also remember this old lady being outside of a house i landed in front of and running out to me with a towel because my face was bleeding. Then my family came over and I was crying, and my face was bleeding, and I was saying how my nose hurt really badly. The next thing I remember was going to the hospital because my dad was afraid that my nose was broken. When we did get to the hospital the doctors were laughing at me because my nose was so swollen (of course that made me cry even more) and then the last thing I remember was the doctor asking if I wore my helmet during the accident, and I was afraid I'd get in trouble so I lied and said yes. My nose wasn't broken.

I believe this memory stuck to my long-term memory because it was such a traumatic incident in my life. I had never experienced the pain that had happened to me that day, and since it was on such a significant day like Thanksgiving, it meant even more. Ever since that day, I haven't really rode my bike around because I am afraid, and I believe that I am one in a million who has "forgotten how to ride a bike"; so that also adds in to why it has stuck to me because now I won't ride a bike because of that incident.

Emily Deng Per.7

3/7/2010 08:32:16 am

An episodic memory I have had occurred when I was in the 3rd grade. I had 5 neighborhood friends over. We were playing some game with our Yu-Gi-Oh cards and fun quickly turned ugly. Unfair and random rules were being made and I grew furious(mostly because these new rules made me lose). I tossed my cards onto the floor, and stormed out of the room to retrieve my tennis racket. When I returned, I assaulted one of my friends with it and chased her out of my house. She had a huge racket-shaped mark on her back and told her mother so I was not allowed into her house for a while.

This memory is stamped into my memory because I felt so many emotions. First, I felt outraged, but then I felt terribly guilty. I was also afraid that I would be put into prison. Now, looking back at it, I cannot believe how violent I was as a kid. I also miss this friend dearly because she moved to the Philippines a year later.

Paula Fernandez p.7

3/7/2010 10:26:26 am

an episodic memory i can easily recall is when i found out about my step sister. it was christmas eve and we were having a family party. we were at my grandma's house and all my family from vegas were there, even relatives from california came. i was playing with my cousins when i heard yelling in the kitchen. My mom and dad had gotten in a very heated arguement leading to my mom leaving the party in tears. i got mad at my dad and punched him in the stomach(not like that did anything) and started crying. my aunt came up to me to calm me down.everyone was trying to act as normal as possible and going about singing karaeoke and eating. my dad ran after my mom and my aunt decided sat me down in an antique asian arm chair over by the entrance and explained that my mom was mad at my dad for bringing up the whole situation at a family party. and that's how i found out i had a step sister in the philippines.

i believe this memory is so vivid because a lot of emotion was put in play. it was already event being a christmas party, but made even bigger when i found out i had a step sister. At age 7, being this angry & hurt on a day in which you are supposed to feel the complete oppisite - the event really sticks to you.

Vianey Abad P.05

3/7/2010 10:28:11 am

An episodic memory I have is from when I was 4 years old. It was September 26,1997. My parents were celebrating their 5th year of marriage and me and my sister being Baptized. It was a big party a lot of family members were there, people dancing I specially remember me and my daddy dancing this song called La morena>> (that's my dad'd and I song),I remember a lot of people taking pictures of me and my sister, I was having so much fun, by the next day my parents, sister and I were having breakfast, my sister was playing with the chair (Kind of like a horse ride), she felt down my parents grab her and she was cover with blood all over the face. My dad immediately called the ambulance, and my mom was crying and holding my sister. I wasn't sure what was happening but I felt terrified. I heard the sirence from the ambulance and a lot of people were outside my house. They took my sister and I stay with the Godparents for almost three weeks. This was the first time that I was separated from my parents and I felt scared because I wasn't sure if my parents were coming back. Weeks later they came back, my sister was cover with bandages and some of her teeth were gone.When I got older my parents told me that the reason why they weren't coming for me was because my sister was in a coma, fortunately my sister recover. This event was so exiting, emotional and disconfort that it has attached forever into my long-term memory.

Patsy Varpula, p 7

3/7/2010 10:39:12 am

An episodic memory I've had was when my uncle died when I was barely in the fourth grade. August 31st, 2001. My mom told me that my grandma died while I was in her room reading a Junie B Jones book. It was really upsetting. It was the second day of fourth grade. It was really the first time a death in the family affected me so. When my uncle died, I was too young to actually grasp the concept of he's not coming back. However, years later, I understood. It's in my long term memory because of how upsetting it was and because it was the first death I can recall, and it's also still in my memory because my mom constantly reminds me she died on the 31st of August every year...

Barada Moncravie P.5

3/7/2010 10:58:44 am

An episodic memory that I remember from when I was young was the 9-11 attacks. I was living in Japan when this happened. I was waking up for my first day back to school of 3rd grade, the reason I was starting so late was because I had taken a trip to the Philippines, and had just come back. I was sleeping in the living room in our apartment (we lived on the 7th floor), on a mattress, and my parents told me to go back to sleep. Before laying my head back down to go to sleep, I remember seeing a glimpse of the Twin Towers with smoke coming out of them, and I didn't think anything of it at the time. That is all I remember from that day. The next day, my dad and I walked to school, to notice that no one was there, we talked to a girl that was passing by and told us school was canceled(remember I was on a US Navy base), I want to say for a week.

Now that I think about this, I am not exactly sure how this is so clear in my memory. I don't think it was the actual event that helped this memory stay so clear in my mind, but the repercussions of it that affect the clarity of the memory. Such as school being canceled for a week, and once school started back up all we were talking about in school was the terrorist attack. I remember one questions being "Why would the terrorists attack on 9/11?"

Doris Chan, Period 7

3/7/2010 10:59:29 am

Hmmm. I guess I have to say that my episodic memory is going to be different from all the others since it doesn't really have a sad undertone to it. It's just very, very amusing (to me). Ok, let's start.

I think this memory occurred back when I was three because I was still living in San Fransico at that time. I remember being in our apartment with my mom cooking (she was chopping something) and I was on the ground with my brother playing with some toys. (I don't exactly remember what we were doing.) I remember I was wearing flip-flops (our floor was covered in tiles) and my brother wasn't. I was looking at the ground playing with something when I noticed there was a cockroach. I yelled to my mom that there was this bug on the ground and she told me not to do anything (as in, don't step on the poor cockroach) and she'll take care of it. She was putting down the knife when I decided I wasn't going to listen to her and stepped on the cockroach. Then my brother who sitting next to me saw what I did, followed my example (he was maybe one?) and step on the cockroach too. The thing is, he wasn't wearing any flip-flops and also, the cockroach got stuck to the bottom of his foot. Of course, being the annoying brat that I was I screamed to my mom, "Ewwww! There's a cockroach stuck to the bottom of little brother's feet" (All conveyed in Chinese). I then got a light scolding and...that was that.

I actually don't really know why I remember this incident for such a long time. Nothing dramatic or tragic happen to me but it was just so funny. Maybe this memory was stored in my long term memory becuase it was one of those happy memories from our childhood and the spacing effect probably kept the memory from deterioating because I retrieve it from my brain and have a good laught at my brother. -sigh- Good times. Good times.

ronald salinsa p. 6

3/7/2010 11:42:24 am

an episodic memory i have was when i was visiting my grandparents and they took us aorund town. I was about seven and it was a busy streey. then i heard screaming and in the middle of the road was a bus. a big bus. behind it was the body of a man, quite the contortionist, dead. The reason i remember is beacause that is the only time i´ve ever witnessed a death or the body of a dead.

Ivana Suh Per 7

3/7/2010 11:47:59 am

In response to Vianey:
AWESOME THAT'S MY BIRTHDAY.

Response to prompt:
Most of the clearer episodic memories that I have probably have to do with moving away. Being a military kid, people move around all the time and obviously saying goodbye to friends isn't an easy thing. The main one that I can clearly remember took place not when my friends moved away, but when I did. It was in the summer time (JAPAN) and I had just gotten back from vacationing in Korea with my family and I had one week to pack up my belongings and head to our newest destination Las Vegas, NV. And I remember on that day when we were finally moving, it was about six o clock in the morning, and we walked down the stairs with our bags, and when we reached the bottom floor, no one was there. From there, I grabbed my belongings and put it into the white mini bus that was going to take us to Narita airport. My brother had his IPOD on, my dad was sitting in the front, and my mom next to me. I remember leaving the base knowing that we probably weren't going to return. For the most part, all the emotions that I felt that day, I can still recall today.

I think I remember this memory so clearly because it was the one time that I was moving. THroughout the three years I lived there, I threw a lot of surprise going away parties and went to say goodbye on the days that my friends were moving away. Normally, when you move on an AirForce Base, all of your friends and family friends come send you off on the day that you leave. Like how I did, so many times before. But i guess the reason that i remember the day that i left so much is due to the fact that no one was there. By that point, all of my friends had moved that summer before me, and the ones that were left were off vacationing somewhere else, so i think because no one could be there to send me off, that's why i remember the memory so clearly.

Kaisa Esguerra (P.6)

3/7/2010 11:59:14 am

The day I found out that my lolo died, my grandpa on my mother's side, is one of my episodic memories. It was October 1, 2008 at 2:18 PM when I found out. I had called my sister while I was walking home after school to ask her why she had left so many voicemails on my phone. I was walking across the parking lot when she said "Lolo died." The first thing I said after that was "Are you kidding?...Wait...really?" I'm not even sure why I found it so hard to believe at the time and even to this day his death hasn't seemed to have sunk in. After my sister and I ended the call, I walked home in a sort of trance with a slight burning in my eyes. I remember thinking that it was all a lie and I remember feeling guilty for not crying my eyes out. Once I reached home, I opened the door and the sight of my dad's and my older brother's solemn face greeted me. They said the same thing that my sister said "Lolo died." Afterwards, I remember hugging my mom and still feeling completely out of it. I just couldn't believe it and even after seeing the pictures from his funeral in the Philippines, I still couldn't believe it. Every detail of that afternoon has been burned into my memory.

This memory has been resiliant to degradation because it is the first family death of someone who I have actually known and remembered. Other family deaths didn't seem to have as much as an impact because I didn't remember them. In regards to my reaction, I guess you could say that I am still in the first stage of mourning, which is denial. Since that day, I have been suppressing the whole ordeal, but there are still times when it suddenly pops into my mind. I can recall this memory without any problem because of my emotional attachment to my lolo as well as the impact his death had on my family.

Lara Deluna, Period 5

3/7/2010 12:04:45 pm

I just realized how many of you have the last name Won.

Okay well I'd rather share something lighthearted with alll of you instead of something deeply depressing, so my story will be about how I learned that "conversate" is not a word.

I was on the phone with Tyler Bryce, and being the sarcastic but stil intelligent person he is, from time to time he would make me feel dumb. Not saying that he would ridicule me or anything, but to put it bluntly, he made me feel stupid for certain things I'd say. (I promise I'm not trying to vent to you guys I'm just recalling a memory here!) So anyway, that is probably one of my biggest pet peeves; when people think I'm less intelligent than I am, or prejudge me in any way when it comes to how I do in school and so on. During this particular phone conversation I said the word "conversate" and Tyler continued to tell me how that is not a word and blah blah blah. Apparently "converse" is the correct word. Now something so little made me irritated, and especially because I really had no clue. Now every time I hear someone say the word conversate I remember that it is not the correct word, and that the right term is "converse." All because this person sarcastically gave me a vocabulary lesson about a year ago.

This is has been placed into my long term memory because mainly because I can connect it with that feeling of being talked to like I was stupid; which I hate more than anything. Also, I'm reminded daily because a lot of people use this imaginary word "conversate."

I think the same situation has happened another time with me when it comes to the spelling of "definitely." Which is spelled like I just said, NOT definAtely. ;)

In response to Kristen, I can see why it would be stuck with you so vividly. One, it was a holiday, and it seems like you were having fun with your cousin which is something to remember in the first place. Two, pain is something that makes something memorable... especially since you had to go to the hospital and everything. That's not really something that happens typically to a little girl.

Alicia Powers Period 5

3/7/2010 12:06:48 pm

An episodic memory that I had was my very first high school football game. It was insanely hot in the stands and my voice was almost completely gone from screaming so much. Also, I had 2011 on my face. I remember that I was in the crowd and I saw older kids taking picture of the scoreboard with their phone, and I was so amazed. People were talking about how crazy it was that Clark was in the lead. Then I remember that when the game was in the 4th quarter, the crowd started counting down with 30 seconds left of the clock. When the time was up and the game was over, everyone in the crowd rushed to the field. And I rushed down to the fields too, but the school cops were so happy to actually have something to do that they started to block people from being able to go field. I saw Coach Z crying. My mom picked me up and I was yelling how we won all the way home.

I was not able to forget this memory because it went from working memory, and i kept rehearsing it and rehearsing it as I told it to other people. It was a crazy exciting and happy time too, so it had an emotional connection. Since it was my FIRST football game it also helps not stand out and not be forgotten in my long term memory because it was encoded correctly since I came home and slept which allowed the consolidation of the memory.

Iris Gonzalez P.7

3/7/2010 12:12:05 pm

An episodic memory in my life was the day that I broke my hand while climbing a tree when I was seven years old. I can clearly remember that it was a Sunday, after church. There were little kids playing in my back yard, back when I was in El Salvador. And I was showing off by climbing a guava tree to get the plump fruits at the top of the tree. I stepped on a branch and all of a sudden it broke and I fell down. Those short seconds aren’t clear in my mind, but I can remember afterwards, when my aunt and my uncle reached me first and picked me up. My aunt said, “My poor baby” while she held my distorted hand. And my uncle immediately took me to his car so we could go to the hospital. On our way, my uncle kept on calling me stupid for stepping on the branch that broke, and I remember thinking that I was going to make him pay for what he was saying to me. When we got to the hospital, it was crowded and noisy. I had to sit in a plastic chair outside in the hall and wait for hours until I was called for the X-rays. As I was waiting for my turn, I heard the other patient’s stories. One being where one of the patients was there to get a necklace out of their intestinal track, because he had swallowed it to keep it away from his sister. Which I found extremely sensible at that time. Then my turn came and I was laid on a bed, and the doctors started working on me, and the last thing I remember before the anesthesia kicked in was that those doctors were going to kill me (I had an irrational fear of doctors because I thought they had killed my grandpa a few months before).

This flashbulb memory was integrated into my long term memory through the stressed-enhanced remembrance, as all the adults around me looked scared and anxious and it made me stressed ( I really thought I was going to die!!!!). This type of emotional turmoil helped me store this memory in my long term memory. Retrieving and recounting this episode also helped it stay in my memory more effectively than any type of effortful processing.

Alicia Powers Period 5

3/7/2010 12:13:39 pm

Response to Lara:

Dang, I don't exactly use conversate(it shows up as spelled wrong on this page since its not a word) on a daily basis, but I really did think it was a word. And when you use it, it's like one of those words that makes you sound all intelligent, but i guess since it's not really a word, using it will kinda have a reverse effect. Also, I always spell definitely wrong. Thank God for spell check. :)

Willem Arjana P. 6

3/7/2010 12:19:33 pm

An episodic memory that I have was on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. My family woke up at 7am, like we always did. We went down stairs to have breakfast and watch The Today Show. However, when we turned on the TV to The Today Show, we saw the World Trade Centers on fire. Then, we were told, by both Katie Couric and Matt Lauer, that the both towers were hit by airplanes and that this wasn't an accident, it was a terrorist attack. Then we saw footage of the Pentagon with a big part of it collapsed and that it was also caused by a hijacked airplane. Then there was braking news that a plane had crashed in Pennsylvania and that the plane was hijacked but the people on board stopped the hijacking and crashed the plane in a field. Then we were brought to footage of the South WTC collapsing. We were all horrified with that seeing that there were probably almost 1000 people in the building, especially the firefighters and people stuck above floor 85. Then watching the cloud of smoke(ash) plowing through the streets of Manhattan. I remember all of us saying we hoped that at least some people had survived. Then President Bush has a quick press and left. Then the North WTC fell. Then there were reports from around Manhattan from Today Show crews about an estimated death tole of around 2500 people. Then we had to go to school, 3rd grade.

I think that I remember this episodic memory is because when I went to school, and throughout the day, it was a very cloudy day that felt very gloomy. Then, for some strange reason, I was thinking that the clouds weren't clouds but it was the smoke from the collapsed WTC's. Plus it was really tragic, and has always been talked about every 9/11. However, I find it very disappointing that announcements haven't talked about 9/11 since my 8th grade year. So, with the help of the news and the tragicness of this event was so big this memory will always stay in my Long-Term storage along with everyone else who say it.

Tony Ortega

3/7/2010 12:36:31 pm

The most clear episodic memory was the exact thing i discussed in class. My first kiss with Alyssa Valdez. It was in sixth grade, alyssa was about 5'2 blonde, green eyes, and a tan color. she was half mexican and half white. For some reason the first thing we talked about that day was how neither of us had a real first kiss. During lunch we were still talking about it, my fried mark was sitting to the right of me, her friend Jennifer was besides alyssa, and alyssa was directly infornt of me. During our break after lunch we sat outside together facing each on the new blue benches our school had just put in, and we were still talking about the same thing. After school that day i walked across the quad because her class was in the hall across from mine, i met her with my friend mark between both doors of her side of the hall. we walked to the end of the school almost directly infront of the doors and i layed a juicy kiss on her. after that we walked down the stairs that led to the street where she met her mom and gave me a hug before she left in her black cadilac SUV.

The reason i think i remember this so well is because it was kind of a big moment for me. I still keep in touch with her so its not like i just completely forgot about her.

Joshua Rivera Period 6

3/7/2010 12:46:06 pm

Throughout the scant memories of a child i have retained, I can retreive one better than most others. I was getting ready for school on May 5th, whatever year i was in third grade was. My mom had came into my room and told me to be careful at school today, In case my father had decided to show up. I didn't question why he would, but I knew I had never understood my father, as he separated from my mother at a very early age. Naturally, i took this as just my mother being cautious for me, and gave it no real thought throughout the morning. At 7:50 A.M., My brother and I walked outside, waiting for my mother. Thats when a silver truck pulled up by our house, and I saw my father roll down his window. He had a beer in hand, along with a woman I had never seen, and He said "Son, come here. Come into the truck." My brother and I stood dumbstruck, and a moment later, my mom came rushing out and told us to go inside. We rushed in, and listened through the front door my mother yelling at my father. About ten minutes later, my mom came inside, in tears, and told us to go out to her car. We went outside to find my father gone, and proceeded to her car. By this time we were already late to school, but my mother could tell we had something wrong with us, though we couldn't quite comprehend all that had just happened. My mom decided to take My brother and I to the Mirage, as a detour and to drop of her boyfriend. The car ride was mostly silent, and once we arrived at school around 9 A.M., she told us to still be on the lookout for my father. At my school, my teacher (Ms. Osaf, how was basically my best friend in 3rd grade) asked me why I was late, to which i broke down in tears and told her the story. The last part I can remember about that day was some african kid in the class making fun of me, saying (this is an exact quote) "tubby has daddy issues". On an unrelated note, that kid was held back in 5th grade, so he can go to hell haha.

I suppose I remember this event because it was just one of the many traumatizing events I had to experience with my father. On the list include a police stand-off in Cali, a police stand-off at McDonalds, and watching him threaten my mother's life (all at a young age). I guess this day was more easy to remember because it occurred on Cinco de Mayo, and in a year where most of the above happened.

This was a rather sad story i suppose. I bet Mr. Miller will love it :P

Nicole Hudock

3/7/2010 12:46:08 pm

Nicole Hudock- Period 7

One of the most episodic memories I had was my 5th birthday. At the time I was living in North Carolina and my parents always threw huge parties for our family by the lake. I recall sitting on the living room steps anticipating the time to open my presents. The whole fireplace and surrounding floor was covered in gifts with atrractive, flourescent wrapping paper. It seemed as if time took years to pass until my mother finally gave me her approval. I began opening the gifts; one by one I ripped the paper off like a savage. My brother, Nick, came up to me and handed me a little brown bag. I looked at it confused and asked Nick what it was. He explained it was my birthday gift and I looked at the bag disapointed because the wrapping itself did not compare to my other gifts. I opened it and looked inside and it was two snake stuffed animals. They were previously his and I always begged to have them in the past. I looked at him and crumpled up the bag and threw the bag at him i yelled, "Ew I don't want these, they are yours.. I hate you!" He ran away crying and the whole room of family and friends looked at me in shock and I continued opening my gifts.
I did not think about how terrible my actions were until years later. I felt so bad talking about that story even though it is pretty hilarious to my brother now. I can not believe I did that to him. The thought was so sweet and him being only 8 at the time why did I expect a complete child to be capable of buying me anything what so ever. I don't know what I was thinking at the time and that was not something I'd ever do.

This is an episodic memory because, I acted so out of my character and my family can't believe I was so outraged about that. It was a dramatic event between me and my brother seeing as we never argue.

Haley Anderson period 7

3/7/2010 01:32:23 pm

So if you are reading this and you know me, you know that I am so unbelievably clumsy! I am constantly 24-7 hurting myself i chose the episodic memory that caused me the most pain! Because my sister and I are so close in age, we have always played together and stuff, I was two and one day we decided to have a little tea party with our little pink tea set. So we set up all of our dolls in the extra chairs and dressed up to get ready the last thing we needed was something to put in the cups, so my sister went to ask my dad. Ignoring her she just took whatever she could find, which unfortunately ended up being pennies! My sister swirled them around her cup and pretended to sip... harmless right!? Me, being juvenile retard that I still am today, took my pretend sipping a little too far and ended up SWALLOWING THEM! I started chocking and all that I can really remember was having no idea what was happening... my sister rushed and got my dad, i remember hearing her scream to him over and over "she's not breathing!" Everything was a blur, my dad grabbed me in his arms and repeatedly pushing at my stomach and managed to get me to cough up one of the pennies. Everything after that was a huge mess of distorted reality... the next thing I knew I was waking up in a hospital bed! They ended up having to stick a camera with a clamp at the end down my air way to get out the other penny. I remember this because I COULD HAVE DIED! and it is told at probably every other family gathering, but everything ended up working out fine and all the ice cream made the situation all the better...

In response to Alicia
I remember that day too probably because i was there! We felt as if our class was the reason the losing streak was over!

Richard Lee period 5

3/7/2010 01:34:13 pm

Well, I guess everyone's posting childhood memories of some sort. An episodic memory that I have lodged in my head was when I first got internet and a computer. I spent the whole 3rd grade summer up to about 4th grade playing counter-strike non-stop. I would stock up on water bottles and just live off water. Well at least until dinner time, which I stuffed my face as fast as I could and rush up the stairs to continue playing counter-strike. My mom finally caught up on this bad habit and banned me from using the internet for about 6 months or some extremely long period of time. Ever since then I have never skipped any meals of the day because of gaming.

Due to this "banish" of gaming in my child-hood, I no longer skip meals in result of gaming. Such result can be classified as positive reinforcement, only because it effected me in the long term. Speaking of long term, this event is located in my long term memory in relation to effecting me later on in life.

p.s: you find out a lot of stuff about people through this blogging thing o__o

Sera Choi- Period 7

3/7/2010 01:49:20 pm

I tend to remember the saddest moments of my past better than the happiest, which is.. sad, but here it goes:

It was about 11:00 pm when my aunt, uncle, parents, my sister, and I were gathered at my parent's workplace. I don't recall why I, at age 6, was there at so late a night but the whole event is very clear in my mind today. My uncle got a call from the work phone from my youngest uncle and his brother about who had a baby boy just three months ago. I remember my uncle holding up the phone and suddenly having the most traumatic expression on his face. At that moment, everyone gathered around the phone and dead silence filled the small office. A couple seconds later, my uncle exploded into tears and started crying out loud over the phone. I had never seen my uncle cry or even show that he is sad because he was seriously the most optimistic person I had ever met. Everyone knew it was about my cousin, Bradley, the three month old infant, a new treasured member of our family. He had been sick with a very high fever for the longest time. The news was that he had died. The day that he died was his older brother's fifth birthday. I remember everyone else in the room crying, my sister and myself included. The tears flowed for the longest time, and as we all drove home, the car was entirely silent, as well. I remember my dad telling me as soon as we got home "Sera, I think Bradley's going to heaven before all of us." This episodic event has remained in the clearest of my childhood memories because it was the first death in my family since i was alive. I can literally play the whole scene of my uncle crying and the expressions of everyone's faces in my head at this moment.

At that moment, i processed the event as something I will never forget--an occurrence that i never thought would happen to my newest cousin. Because Bradley was so loved and talked about ever since he was born, he had been very important to the family. I know i loved him to death, as well. This memory is still clear in my mind because of what my dad had told me. I remember thinking about what he said and what he was trying to mean by that. At a young age, i figured it out but doubted that it could happened to my own cousin. I stored my dad's saying and what i thought of it from my short term memory into my long term memory and never forgot the whole event in connection with my dad's quote. The event is frequently mentioned in family gatherings, and i include myself in the conversations. By doing that, the memory is used for retrieval from storage and i use it into a conversation. Even for this blog comment, i'm retrieving my memory. I'm pretty sure Bradley's story will remain in my long-term memory for as long as i live.

Austin Lee Ballow

3/7/2010 01:52:19 pm

An episodic memory i have was when i was in third grade i woke up at like 3:00am to my neighbor's house being on fire. I remember the night like it was yesterday. I even remember my dream that night. The dream was that i ripped my dog, Rocky's arm off but thats not important so back to the fire. I was just trying to get my beauty sleep and then out of no where all these sirens wake me up. I was super scared because i didnt know what was going on. So i run outside and i see my family just standing in the yard, my uncle jeff was smoking a cig too cant forget that. Then as im walking over to them i look to my right and their house is just cover with smoke. The firemen put the fire out and that was the end of it so i went back to bed.
The reason i remember this episodic memory so well is because of the fact that i really havent seen something like that before at the time. Another reason is because i think i was so freaked out and scared that the fire from thier house was gonna jump on to our house and catch our house on fire.

Sincerly,
Austin Lee Ballow
Pd. 5

(R.I.P Pounder)

Kyle Cartoneros period 6

3/7/2010 01:52:41 pm

An episodic memory that i've had was when i was about 5 or 6. I was supposed to go to a doctor's appointment and i knew i was going to be bored. So my dad told me to bring a shoe box and put some toys in it to keep me busy. Of those toys was the gameboy pocket that i got for my birthday. Before we left, my mom came home from work. I got so excited to say hi, that i dropped my box. At first i didn't realize it, but i had dropped my gameboy! After i relized that, i check on the box. The screen of my gameboy was broken.

I believe that this memory is so clear to me because i felt emotionally attached to the gameboy. It was my first expensive electronic device that was popular for kids at the time. Now, when ever i have anything electronic with me, i always make sure not to drop it or mishandle it because i know it may break.

Travis Pullen P.6

3/7/2010 02:16:11 pm

An episodic memory that I can remember from my childhood was when I had gotten my head stuck in a fence as Disneyland. I know that Disneyland is supposed to be the happiest place on earth, but not on that day for me.
This is an episodic memory to me because my parents always make fun of me for it. This is one of my most memorable because I have heard this story of my failure (epic), more times then one would want. This is why it is so vivid to me still to this day. Another reason why it is so memorable is because Disneyland, I think, had to call the fire department just to get me out of the fence. After that I cant remeber anything else from that day other then my parents were extremely embarrassed. In fact, I am still emabrrassed about it up to this day.

Natasha James P.5

3/7/2010 02:20:13 pm

An episodic memory i have occurs about 3 years after my parents got separated and im either 11 or 12. As some may know I play tennis and my father is my coach, and during this time I was being home schooled. In the afternoons my father would come pick my sister and I up from my mom's house and take us to tennis practice. We were both forced to play at the time and my sister really hated going to practice. So one day when my dad came to get us my sister kind of lagged behind and she said that she didn't want to go, and they argued back and forth for awhile and my dad told her that she never had to see him again and she smirked at him. He then said he would never forget this day and my father and I got in the car and left the house. Then while we were driving to practice my dad called his mother and told her that he didn't have children and we were no longer his kids. When he said this I started crying and put my headphones on and turned on the song "Perfect" by Simple Plan. I felt my heart shatter and after that all i remember is that I stopped playing tennis and talking to my dad for 2 years.

I believe this memory has been kept safe from degredation because of the hurt and strength I took from this experience. I learned that people no matter who they are will let you down and disappoint you. When you let people into your heart it leaves you vulnerable and that is a weakness. Since then I have rarely ever really let anyone in and the people I have, have hurt me and just made my fear real. This memory has been a constant reminder of how people will hurt me everytime I start to let someone in. That's why my mind keeps it alive and intact to keep my heart safe and in check.

Natasha James P.5

3/7/2010 02:46:41 pm

I dont know if we are supposed to respond to anyones blog but here goes just in case.
In response to Joshua Rivera:
I can relate to his issues with my dad because I too have had a lot of incidents that involved my father. Not very many of them are very happy either. They are my most vivid memories also my saddest.

Leilani Period 5

3/7/2010 02:51:22 pm

An episodoic memory of mine is when my dad cut himself with a power saw. Me and my mom were out shopping for groceries at Walmart. When we came home, my dad was trying to stem the flow of blood. It seemed that the acident had just happened. My mom drove him to the nearest clinic. While I was waiting, I was really scared for my dad.

I remember this very well because we all get the minor injures like bruises and paper cuts, but this was the first time that someone I knew had a cut so big that they needed to go to a clinic and get stiches for it. Also that was the most I ever worried in my life (if that meakes sense). It happened when we weren't there. So things might have been worse if me and my mom didn't come when we did. I thought he was gonna get an infection or something nasty and die.

Alvin Kang (Per. 7)

3/7/2010 09:39:07 pm

Episodic memory... Thinking back, the most episodic memory I have is of the split second instance when the car was accelerating towards me.

The story begins with my mom and I driving through 3rd Street heading to work--I simply took the day off from school to accompany my mother at work--in the Tuesday morning. At the time, I was a third grader in California. I was seated in the rear right seat with my seat belt on, of course. And as we cruised through 3rd Street heading towards La Brea, we discussed what to eat for lunch.

Shortly after, we were approaching a yellow light of Highland Avenue; the yellow light turned red immediately. Despite seeing this, my mother did not decelerate--she passed a red light that remained red for at least 4 seconds as we approached it. And as we drove on to the other end of the intersection, the infamous horn of death honked continuously louder; immediately, I turned my head towards the noise and I stared into the sedan that was charging towards me from the right. And perhaps 1-2 seconds later, I was struck by the sedan.

I do not clearly remember the aftermath of the accident after I've been struck due to the loss of consciousness. This flashbulb memory is simply unforgettable not purely because of the emotional content, but actually because of the significance and thrill of that moment itself. At the time when the sedan was coming towards me, my senses were heightened because I simply knew that there was going to be an accident (i.e. my mother clearly passed the red light). Also, the horn from the sedan was recognizable (from watching TV shows and movies with scenes immediately preceding a car accident) which was triggered for only a split second--truly an echoic memory.

No matter what I do or where I end up in the future, this will remain in my long-term memory 'til my death. The "horn of death" will never, ever be forgotten.

Alvin Kang (Per. 7)

3/7/2010 09:42:28 pm

Anita Kuo; period 7

3/8/2010 07:24:08 am

This probably isn't the most interesting story, but currently it's the only memory I can really remember. It was the summer of second grade and I was sent to my aunt's house since my mom had to work. As I was putting my artistic abilities to the test and in the middle of coloring, a huge blob of red marker bled through the paper and stained her brown carpet (I guess i was pressing down too hard). Frightened that she'd hate me forever and being the smarty pants that I was, I quickly grabbed a brown marker and colored over the ginormous stain. Apparently it did not work quite as well as I thought because she spotted the stain immediately. To my surprise, she wasn't mad at all. Instead, she began laughing. Maybe at my genius idea? I don't really know. Although the stain is barely noticeable now, every time I walk past that specific area in her hall, I am reminded of that day. I think this memory stuck because it was the first time I felt actual fear of ruining someone's property and how the situation didn't turn out like I had expected.

Kaydee Kelsay Period 6

3/8/2010 11:28:39 am

My most vivid episodic memory occured when I was ten years old. It was a Sunday and I was at church (because that's what people do on Sundays). That summer I was going to go on a Mexico mission trip so my youth group was fundraising. It was a particularly hot day and I was not aware of the importance of hydration. Before the second service had started I was outside helping with the fundraiser. Then during worship I was staring at the person in front of me and noticed that their leg was disfigured (I'm not saying thats a bad thing, it just freaked me out) then I began to get dizzy. Then the next thing I remembered was being dragged down the hallway then laying in an office. I was later told that I fainted. For the rest of the service I downed about eight bottles of water.

This memory is so ingrained in my long term memory because it was very traumatic. Also because I want to make sure that it will never happen again so I always remind myself to 1.) always drink water and 2.) never stare at things that creep me out too long. To this day I am not really sure what it was that made me faint and I don't really feel like finding out either.

Gabriele Ocampo P.7

3/8/2010 11:31:44 am

I remember going swimming on the roof of my Le Gran Condo in the Philippines back when I was six years old. Me, my brother, our caretaker, and one of my classmates where the only ones on the 21st floor at the time. I swam a little too close behind my brother, causing him to kick me right in the mouth as he swam away. What happened next went by really quickly. After being kicked, I started choking for some odd reason. After a while, I had noticed my two front teeth missing, meaning that I had to be choking on my teeth that my brother just kicked in. While I came to that realization, our caretaker dived into the pool to drag me out (for I started panicking and drowning after getting kicked). The next thing I realize, I'm in the bathroom, coughing up blood, and eventually, both teeth.

This event was embedded in my long-term memory due to the variety of emotions I felt while it was going on. The entire experience was painful, coupled with confusion to what was going on, fear of both drowning and having my sharp teeth cut up my insides, and panic while I was drowning and as I saw all the blood go down the sink as I went into the coughing fit in the bathroom. I couldn't just force myself to forget after that, either. For the next 6 months or so, not only did I have my two front teeth missing, but I had that classmate who wouldn't stop telling everyone the story of what happened.

Response to Travis:
That reminds me of another pool-related story. Don't worry, nothing happens. I just remember being extremely afraid of swimming in this one pool at this one hotel. It was one of those wave pools that was connected to a regular pool, and they were separated by this gate they decided to build right into the pool. I was always afraid of being pushed really hard by a wave and having myself thrown to that gate and getting my head stuck underwater. Couple the embarrassment of getting your head stuck in a gate with the fear of drowning because you can't surface for air with your head stuck underwater and you'll get what I imagined in my head at the time.

Ryan Fong P.7

3/8/2010 01:25:53 pm

An episodic memory... hmm... I suppose it was when I was five years old and was playing on the rocking sofa looking thing. I remembered that I was watching Power Rangers on my Saturday Morning Cartoon MUST WATCH LIST! and you know, boys must be boys. I remember that I was jumping around acting like the Red Ranger because we all know the Red Ranger is the best and no other colors matter at the time unless you're a girl.. you would choose pink. Anyways So apparently I was just hopping around and my knee slipped into the 'crack' of the rocking sofa and I cut my knee. I remembered a few seconds of sharp pain but then no pain at all afterwards. I also recall struggling to free myself and when i did i looked down at my knee. Even till now, this repulsive image bothers me. All i saw was a little bit of flesh and the bleach white part of my bone. I cried like the 5th piggy but to my mother instead. I cried because i was freaked out instead of pain, I suppose I was in so much shock I couldn't feel it. So after I showed my mom, she said it was nothing and just put some red asian medical liquid on it and put on a bandage. After that I start limping for awhile. Like all injuries, it healed but left a scar.

I remembered this perfectly clear because:
1. POWER RANGERS ARE THE BEST ESP SEASON 1!!!!!
2. the hideous looking knee of mine..bloody white mess... x.x
3. scar is still there so it reminds me of the event often
4. i still use that asian medical stuff
5. that very sofa still exists in the living room
...i wonder if i can still find that missing piece of flesh... LOL
6. i am a power ranger! :D

Leah Tsui p.5

3/9/2010 11:35:59 am

An episodic memory that I will always remember happened on March 14, 2008. It was a Friday after school, and I had already changed into my workout clothes. I was sitting at my kitchen table, eating a piece of chocolate (cookies & creme), [yes I know, before I went running]. I had heard the phone ring while I was changing, and when I had headed downstairs, I saw my mom go into her room. I just figured that it was one of her friends calling from Hong Kong, so I knew that the phone would be out of use for a while.

I was reading the comics when my mom came out of her room and put the phone down. She said, "Leah I need to tell you something. Nathaniel committed suicide yesterday." I immediately cried out, and tears started to pour down my face. I still had that piece of unfinished cookies & creme in my hand, and I just threw that away. My mom went on to say that she had just gotten off the phone with Miss Terry, who had called to let her know. Nathaniel was in my grade, but he went to Faith Lutheran, and it had been a year or so since I had last seen him.

All I could think of was why he would even think of such a thing, and I didn't want to be in my house any longer. My house started to feel like it was closing in on me, so I grabbed my iPod, tied my shoes, and was out the door so quick. I ran as fast as I could to the Lagoon (a 'beach' in my community) and probably made the mile there in one of my fastest times. I could barely see where I was going, since I had so many tears running down my face. I was listening to Death Cab for Cutie, which, at the time, was very very comforting. Once I arrived, I took off my shoes and socks, and laid down on the sand, listening to Death Cab. I was probably there for a really really long time, until I headed back so that my mom wouldn't get worried.

I think that this memory became such a huge part of my long-term memory because this was the first time I had somebody close to me die. I had known of family friends who had died, but I had never met them, or interacted with them that much. But Nathaniel was in my elementary school class since 1st grade. I never expected a kid my age, (that I knew) to be one to commit suicide. My emotions were very strong at this point, feelings of madness, disappointment, and most of all... fear.

That was one of the first times that I took to running as a way to get away from the world (or at least from my parents, it was okay to get out of my house with this excuse). Depending on the level of the stress/upset, translates to how much I would run. I've often started many runs with tears in my eyes, and not being able to see, but it wouldn't matter, since the paths were always familiar.

Now whenever I go running, lay on that beach, think back to elementary school, eat cookies & creme, listen to Death Cab, I am reminded of Nathaniel. Looking back on it, I'm so glad that I found out on a Friday, because had it been any other day with school afterwards, I would not have been able to attend or even pay attention. I was a wreck.

Sorry it's so depressing, it's just one of the most emotional memories that I have.

johanna lozoya p6

3/10/2010 03:43:02 pm

So idk if this is still valid but someone posted yesterday so hopefully it counts.
Anyways, my most episodic memory would probably have to be the day I met Carl or the day i got into a fight with my dad. There's enough depressing ones so i'll talk about the Carl one. I was in 7th grade and it was like the second week of December (it was the day that movie Hoodwinked came out). I was in choir and our choir was going to make a CD with kids singing some popular songs. Our teacher had his own recording studio in his garage. I was singing 'Holiday' by Green Day with Haydee. I got to his house around noon where i found other choir kids around. So, there was this new kid that just joined choir that was there and i didn't think much at first but i thought he was cute. After we sang our song, Haydee, Janelle, and i were sitting in his living room talking. A lot of people had left and the new kid was there. We just finished a conversation (Haydee, Janelle and i) and there was this awkward silence. I was sitting cross legged and noticed i had a hole in the crotch of my pants. "I have a hole in my crotch" was what i said. The new kid gave me a weird look while everyone else was laughing. The first thing he said was "Are you a virgin?" "YES!" i yelled back. Then he asked me if i was a lesbian. I said no. Now that i look back at it, it was a great way to find out if i was available (xD). After that we talked a little more about random things i cant remember. So Haydee, Janelle, and i were sitting on the sofa while Carl (the new kid) was sitting on the 'love' couch. So after a while Carl said "im lonely, someone come sit with me." Out of all the people (3 people) he told me to come sit with him. I said "why" but didn't put up much of a fight. The first thing i said was "i like your pink shoes." i didn't know what to say i was never good at talking to guys. We kept talking as a group only this time i keep saying stupid things and rambled on and on. I noticed his arm around me and i could feel my armpits turning into faucets. Next thing i remember, Carl gets up to look through our teacher's refrigerator and Haydee sits next to me. Carl comes back and sits on top of the both of us. His face was closer to mine than hers. I remember saying "Haydee has a nice view" His zipper was closer to her face than mine. I went on to say "At least his fly isn't down." When i said that he unzipped his zipper. We blushed and laughed. After that Carl started to tickle me and i got off the couch and i somehow ended up on the floor with him on top of me. btw, Carl at this time had super long hair and it was like a curtain hiding our faces together. I remember saying "oh god your heavy" he would hold himself up a little and took the weight off. Everything was like a blur. My heart was pounding and i remember him whispering into my ear "just play along." 'Play along to what?' i thought to myself. i had no idea what to do. We heard a teachers voice come in saying "what's going on here?" He jumps off of me and ninjas his way into the kitchen. The teacher didn't see him on top of me and i just said i fell over. After that Carl would talk to me a lot more in choir. haha.
i think i remember this so well is because Carl is the love of my life. i've had the biggest crush (it was more than a crush. i was obsessed with Carl. ask Haydee) since that day. We went through a time where we hardly spoke to each other and i still liked him more than anyone could imagine. i tried getting a boyfriend so i didnt seem so pathetic but i would still think about Carl more than him. haha. Carl and i have been going out since Dec. 25th 2007 :DD Yea it took a while from our first encounter but we're going out now. :] yay.

response to josh and natasha:
I totally understand you guys. I never felt comfortable around my dad and now i only see him one a week and i try to let him touch me. i feel like he's a stranger and doesn't know who i am. i feel like he thinks i'm still 7 years old and watch powerpuff girls. as much as i hate to say it, when my parents got divorced i wished my dad was either gay or dead.

Thea Benjamin per. 5

3/11/2010 11:07:47 am

This is actually really hard. My memories are a bit of a jumble and none of them are really detailed enough to be episodic. There are a few good high school ones but I cant really recall them at the moment. :)
But one thing I still remember pretty well happened such a long time ago (to me at least).
We were still living in South Carolina so I was probably in 4th or 5th grade. My dad was driving up to see me and I was running around like mad trying to clean my room up before he came. I don’t even remember how it got messy but it was a lot of books and toys EVERYWHERE. So I hear him arrive and I'm panicking trying to get everywhere cleaned because he's really a stickler for that and I wanted to have a fun visit and maybe go to the park. Anyways It's summer and humid as always so by the time I get downstairs I'm really hot. He jokes about how I've been working so hard I'm sweating, which i of course deny. This lady who I kind of recognized is there with my dad. Then everything gets serious and he tells me the two of them had gotten married (at least a month previous) and he wanted to talk to me to make sure I was okay with that. At the time I was ecstatic I had just got both a step mother and sister. I loved it!! She was a very kind hearted lady and she could really cook! I was so excited about my new family members and afterwards I got out of my chores and we drove to the base for some ice-cream. :)
I think why I'm able to recall this so well is this was first encoded in my memory at first from the relief I felt at not having to get in trouble for my room (I was a easily appeased as a kid). It really didn’t sink in until later the importance of what was going on. But what really cemented it was when I later became mad that he hadn't taken me to the wedding. When I was younger I really liked the idea of being in a wedding and he didn't bother to tell me beforehand or invite me or anything which was so uncool. But it worked out, I got to be in my aunt’s wedding. Yay flower girl!

SeHoon Park

3/12/2010 03:44:08 am

I actually had a difficult time thinking of an episodic memory. I've never been too traumatized. For some reason, I really have no recollection of the nine eleven incident either. What I do have, is a distorted memory of the 9-11 incident. Whenever people tell me about the 9-11 incident, I think about my sixth grade class. My sixth grade teacher was talking about his episodic memory on 9-11. He told the class that he was in class and was one of the few teachers who had a t.v. in the school. He heard from a friend that it had happened, and played it during the class. He told us how he would never forget that day. I don't have a memory of it of my own. My sense of time in memory has been all distorted. Logically speaking 9-11 would've happened about a year after I arrived in the U.S.A. I remember watching a rerun with my mother in my apartment, but can't tell if it was the real 9-11 or a memorial service. The closest thing I have to this episodic memory is that of my teacher. I don't know if imparting episodic memory matters, but that is the memory I correlate with the 9-11 incident.

I believe I remember this the most,because 9-11 was an impactful date. Since I didn't have a formal memory of it on my own, my brain began to form a memory of what I picked up to be "9-11." It was like a form of imprinting. My brain knew it was important, but that room for it was empty. So when my teacher began to talk about his experiences, my brain began to imprint what I heard and felt to that event. So whenever I talk about 9-11, I begin to think about the sixth grade math class.

Nicole Arevalo P.6

3/14/2010 06:07:17 am

An episodic memory of mine which I would never forget took place at the Monte Carlo. I was about 6 and this was my first time going to a grand hotel. Monte Carlo used to be the most expensive and luxurious hotel back then. Also being one of the newest built. And my rich spoiled cousins came by and invited us to spend the Fourth of July with them at their room. This was my first time being at a hotel and celebrating my first Fourth of July in Las Vegas. I saw this humongous pool absolutely packed with fat tourists and what nots in their purple and pink donuts. I remember asking my dad to buy me one but he denied me because it was expensive. Then my dad entrusted me to my older cousin who was about four years older than me. Of course I looked up to her and I thought she was so cool. As we walked into this crushing experience I was kind of terrified. Me being smaller than I am now, the donuts covering my exact existence and not recalling if I could touch the bottom of the pool I decided to follow my older cousin into the monster truck crushing pit of death. FIRST wrong decision. I was so infatuated back then and tried to copy whatever she did. I remember her telling me to dive under the pool to swim past the donut people to get through. SECOND wrong decision. At first I was like “Hey, this is quite fun, its like follow the leader and tag.” (Except I had the disadvantage) Then it happened…. I got stuck. The flow of the pool and the fast pace of the donuts above me did not allow any empty opening for me to breathe. I remember punching this fat lady’s butt to move but I suppose she didn’t even feel me. I was thinking about how much longer I could hold my breathe, if my cousin would come to find me or keep going or if I was going to survive. But no one came. The fat lady somehow felt me and I was able to come to the surface. I was saved. I think… but after reaching the surface I suppose I had a semi drowning experience. I can’t absolutely recall what happened afterwards but I know that my cousin didn’t care what happened to me.

I think ever since this semantic memory I was never close to my cousin, never walked into a cram packed room of people, ever got a donut or swam underneath fat tourists and their floating device.

Just recently I stepped into the Monte Carlo pool again. It was absolutely empty and the water was up to the bottom of my shoulders. Meaning, they re patched the pool so it became smaller or I was very very tiny. But I remember feeling scared and not sure if I should go in. But my little sister jumped into the pool so I had a gut feeling that I should follow her and make sure nothing happens. I guess it was an instinct after my semi drowning experience. Remembering that my cousin didn’t come to save me or felt any sympathy I didn’t want anything to happen to my sister like that. Then I realized that the pool was soooo tiny.

jae cho period 7

3/17/2010 02:52:24 pm

Well, once when I was a young lad, I was swept away by a fair fat man named Miller.

This memory is forever reappearing in my thoughts because it was the most traumatic happening of my life.

You suck miller~~~~ o.O

kathryn p 3-4

1/25/2011 08:01:06 am

Hey Mr. Miller. The online test is not up on my.hrw.com like you said it would. Just wanted to let you know :)

Blog Week 3-1-2010

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