Blog entry #8 - Class #8

For my short essay I’ve been thinking about writing about when I dislocated my left wrist. I was about 10 or 11 years old and when I playing around with my siblings and neighbors (mostly BOYS) I felt and dislocated my wrist. If I decide to write about this, I will be writing it in basically one straight scene describing the moment when I was playing, following the moment I felt, our way to the hospital – which was a terrible experience – our time at the hospital and when I finally got home. Throughout the whole time I was terrified and in huge pain. I will be describing in detail the whole process and the emotional effect that it had on me. I never dislocated or broke any other bone again; perhaps I was traumatize and knew the pain that I had gone through so I never played crazy again.

Another option for me is writing about the process of getting my driver’s license and learning how to drive is also an option for me since it was a very emotional experience. Writing about this will have to be in deferent sets of scenes since it occurred throughout an extended period of time as oppose to writing about when I dislocated my wrist. Picking a topic for these pieces has been somewhat difficult for me because I feel like I have to dig into my memories to be able to find something my audience can relate to or understand.  

 

Blog entry #7 - Class #7

              I’m sitting in my room is spring time, the time when you start looking forward to what the summer might bring. There is just always something special about the summer that makes me feel like there is something amazing coming up; new adventures, new memories. I’m getting ready to pack; I’m going on a trip to Peru! I believe I’m going to have the time of my life. Everything is set, I purchased the tickets in January, I talked things over with my boss and she allowed me to take the time off. I just have to plan my packing and wait until the day comes but something happens as I’m planning on what to pack for this amazing trip; something unexpected that I had not realized. 

I was missing one very important thing off my checklist, the money. I was broke. I was about a month away from the trip and I had nothing. I don’t understand how I missed such important factor. Since I bought the tickets in January I thought that I was going to have plenty of time to save so I kinda of miscalculated how much time did I needed to save a decent amount of money to take to Peru – a place thousands of miles away from home – where I was going to be basically alone with no family. I was going with my boyfriend and his family in addition to that I was going to stay and meet his family over there. 

So there I was, I recall having a nervous breakdown in my bedroom as I was trying to plan my packing; I was in my room going through my closet, pretty excited about packing for this amazing trip I was going to take. Although I was nervous because I was going to meet the rest of my boyfriend’s family I was excited about going to a different country with him, making new memories and enjoying the whole experience. There were things I needed to buy to take to the trip and I had not saved any money. I started to worry and tried to add up the paychecks I was going to receive before the trip to see if it was going to be enough. After I added everything I realized it wasn't going to be enough and I couldn't ask anybody to lend me money. I couldn't expect my boyfriend to pay for everything or his family, how embarrassing! So I started to freak out and getting very overwhelmed because I felt like I didn't have a solution to my problem.  What was I supposed to do?

            As I looked around my room I realized I was stuck in a big mess, literally and financially. While picking out what I was going to take to the trip I had turned my room into a big mess and having the stress on me about not having money together with visually seeing the mess I was in, it stressed me out even more.  I was so overwhelmed at that moment that I began to cry. I cried like a baby and my mom was confused she didn't understand what was wrong with me. This was supposed to be a fun trip. All these thoughts started to cross my mind: I’m going to a different country, I have no money, I’m going alone, I’m going to meet my boyfriend’s family, I’m going with all of them like an adult, I’m not a little girl, no one is going to pay for me. So, suddenly I was in this big black cloud in my head where I couldn't find the light. Maybe I was seeing things worse than what they really were but there I was stuck in a black cloud crying for help and I felt like no one could help me. I think today that maybe I was over reacting but at that moment I was very stressed and couldn't really see that there was a solution and that everything was going to be okay. It is in those stressful moments that we tend to lose sight of the future and understand that things are going to be just fine. 

            I can’t recall for how long I was crying for but it felt like it  was for hours until I slowly calmed down. A while after I realized my birthday was coming up right before the trip! So I thought to just ask for cash! That’s all I needed that birthday, in my mind this was the solution for my problem. So I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait until my birthday arrives. To my surprised once it did I didn't received enough money, at least I didn't think it was enough. So I was upset again. But this time there was no other choice. I couldn't cancel the ticket because that was going to be a lot of money as well. They usually charge you a cancellation fee and it made no sense to pay that money when I had no money. So I decided to just go on the trip since there wasn't another choice, with only the about three hundred dollars I had and that was it. I eventually completed my packing and the day arrived, off we were to the airport until we landed in Lima, Peru.

            We get off the plain late at night and we had to sleep in the airport that night. Our second plane to a different city in Peru, where we were actually going to stay, wasn’t going to come until about 6:00 am the next day. There were no chairs in the area where we were allowed to wait so we all sat on top of our bags or laid on the floor. I have my financial stress in the back of my head and on top of that I’m laying on hard floor, where I’m going to spend the night. Morning came and we boarded the plane, finally! I’m sitting on something soft inside the plane. We arrived, we rest for that day and then after I’m introduced to some of the family members I see everyone is so nice and welcoming.  The next couple of days before we really go anywhere to visit, the family planed out how the trip was going to be like. They established that we wouldn’t be staying in any hotels because wherever we were going to visit there were family members around where we stayed. When I heard that this was what we were going to be doing I felt like there was a load off my back because I wasn’t going to be spending money on hotels. So my financial issue was clearing up.  

            The days kept going on and things were just so nice. Money wasn’t a problem anymore because what I had was enough to buy food when needed or entrance tickets when we visited different places. As the days went by I was just enjoying everything. I was calm; I was happy and excited about all the beautiful places I was seeing. When I was in the mist of my problem I was overwhelmed and I couldn’t really picture myself having a good time, I thought that this trip was going to be the worst ever because I was just so stressed. Seeing me enjoying the trip was incredible. I was thrilled with the experience. My biggest concern was that I wasn’t going to have enough money but I did, everything just ran smoothly, it could’ve not been more perfect. The family welcomed me in a very special way so that was great as well.

            I remembered going to all these new places and taking pictures in almost every corner. I took over one thousand pictures during those two weeks, that’s more that 70 pictures a day. This was an unforgettable experience for me at this beautiful country. I would definitely do it again and I’ll be able to have way less stress because I know what to expect exactly because I have already been there. Suddenly as my trip went by, I felt like a kid in Christmas day because I was just so happy.

Blog entry #6 - Class #6

I will be writing my essay about a trip I took to Peru over a summer a few years ago. There are two main things I want to make sure I include on my essay. First, the fact that I realized that I didn't have enough money to take this trip and I was stressing so much about this; also, the fact that it was the first time I was going so far away without any member of my family. I was going with my boyfriend and his family and it was also the first time I was meeting the entire portion of the family living in Peru. I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know if they were going to like me or not I was extremely nervous. Everything in the end turned out okay, actually better than what I thought; it was one of the best trips I've ever taken.

I had bought the tickets at the beginning of the year so being that that was all paid for I thought I had plenty of time to save money before the actual trip in the summer. I also thought that I had all I needed to take but a month before the trip I realized I had no money. I had not saved and the trip was around the corner. I was going thousands miles away from home to a place totally new with no family. I needed money, I should've saved. So I remember being in my room completely overwhelmed and stressed out. I started to cry because I was just so stressed out. This was supposed to be an exciting trip. I was going to Peru! This was supposed to be fun. But there I was, crying like a baby completely overwhelmed. My birthday was coming up, right before the trip so all I asked for was cash! I was broke It was like even the smallest things made got me stressed out. I also remember being in my room about a week before the trip I was trying to put together what I was going to take over there. I started noticing I didn't know what I was going to take with me, how the weather there was going to be like, what shoes was I going to wear. I was overwhelmed about everything. Between the thought of what if they don’t like me and not knowing how to present myself I was freaking out. I was so worried.

So, fast-forward a little I eventually got some cash, which I thought wasn't going to be enough but then it was, gathered some outfits and went all the way to Peru with only that. When I arrived a few days after I realized that I felt like the load was off my back I could finally relax and enjoy my vacation.

This was an unforgettable experience for me once I arrived to this beautiful country, the family was very nice and it turned out I had enough money and I had a blast. I would do it again and I’ll be able to have way less stress because I know what to expect exactly because I have already been there. I was so happy during this trip once I knew everything was going to be okay that suddenly, I was a kid in Christmas day. 

Blog entry #5 - Class #5

Revising Plan

Yesterday’s class was really helpful. It’s always nice to have someone read your work, receive feedback, and talk about how u can better your work. Being able to read other students' work was able to open my mind and come up with things I want to change. I will definitely be adding more detailed scenes to my story. There are certain scenes that are recorded in my head of how days went by, details that I remember like what was I wearing at those moments. Details that are needed to add creativity and “drama” to my essay. I will be expanding on the idea that it is an irony the fact that I’m an English major and when I first came to this country I didn't want anything to do with it.


I will also think about what kind of segmentation I want to use to better deliver my message and allow my reader to connect easily with the story. I am thinking that possibly chronologically will be what I’m going to concentrate on, and I will also work on trying to have my reader get the point of my story at the end of the story. Or have then sort of have a feeling of how the end is going to be like as they read but not tell them until the end so that it hooks them on the entire story.

In my intro I will be adding the scene when I arrived to this country, the airport, the happiness I felt knowing that I was going to see my mom – I’ll explain what’s that about. I will be particularly adding the scene where I was in 8th grade and I was asked by a teacher what my name was. How old was I? and very simple questions of that nature, these were questions that I remembered knowing what they were asking me and knowing the answers to those questions in English in my head but I faked that I didn't know because I didn't want to speak English.


I will be expanding on the reflection and connection with my reader like, expanding in the fact that going through this made me stronger. I’ll give more detail on how I realized this. I will be reflecting on how come I became an English major. I will be sharing about the fact that I met my boyfriend, how important that has been for me and basically the good outcome of coming to this country even though at the beginning I was struggling. Who I am today is thanks to what I went through, because it was tough then I learned to not limit myself but to accept challenge and know that if I overcame adjusting to a total new world I can do anything. I eventually learned the language and I am working on mastering my skills in it. I will overall add more details, reflection and connection.

Blog Entry #4 - Class #4

I was born in Venezuela and came to this country on a December 24th, we had a white Christmas that year and I remember everything looked beautiful. I was 9-years-old and I didn't quite understood the fact that we were coming to live here. I was in the middle of 5th grade and after Christmas pasted and all the fun was over, I was enrolled in school. It wasn't really until I started school here that I fully understood what coming to this country to live was all about. I was in a new school, a new country, with no friends. I was terrified; there was no going back. I didn't understand the fact that I wasn't going to go back to my country, my school, and my friends. I was here with my family and that made me feel a little better but things just got worst when I was faced with the fact that I had to learn a new language, a new culture, I was forced to have a new life; I had no other choice.

I remember being in school, my teacher spoke Spanish to all the class since I was enrolled in the bilingual program. That was very nice actually, it helped me feel better about being in a different world; at least my teacher and my class mates spoke my language but I still had to learn the English language. Things were so frustrating that even the smallest things made me feel terrible. I remember being in my math class with my Spanish speaking teacher and during that time she was teaching us how to divide. Is all numbers right? How hard could it be? Well, at that moment I realized that it was actually different. What I mean by that is that in the United States they divide backwards; when you are solving a division problem manually you have to draw a line, plug in the numbers and then you subtract and eventually solve the division problem. Well, in Venezuela they draw the line backwards, there is no subtraction written and eventually you get the answer.

So, picture me, I am sitting in class and this impacted me so much that I can see myself setting in that classroom like it was yesterday. My teacher says to me not to worry and to just solve the division problem the way they do it in my country and that with time I’ll get the hang of how it is done here. So, I am sitting there, starring at the numbers because guess what? I was in the middle of the school year and I didn't know how to do it the way they do it in my country either. I felt horrible, stock and I didn't know how to tell my teacher in front of everybody that I didn't know how to solve a division problem. So I wasn't only struggling with English, but with Math as well. Eventually I got the hang of solving that way they do it here, it was actually easier, I guess. Besides this craziness I was faced with having to learn inches, feet and miles instead of centimeters, meters, and kilometers; what a crazy country! I thought. It was like even the smallest things were different and I had to learn everything. It took me a long time to get the hang of things, and I always felt behind. You would think kids learn faster or pick things up pretty quickly but it wasn't the case with me. I was very shy and intimidated by all these changes so I was moving forward very slowly. I stayed in the bilingual program for a long time, from the middle of 5th grade all the way up to senior year in high school; that’s more than average I would think. I stayed for that long because I refused to put into practice what I was learning in English, I was in the bilingual program after all so I thought I could just stayed there forever. My teachers and class mates spoke Spanish so I thought I could get away with it. After so long I learned regardless, I understood a lot of what people would speak around me but I was so afraid of speaking. I refused to speak or make an effort because I was so intimidated by the, what if I don’t pronounce something correctly or what if I say the wrong thing. I never felt completely comfortable to let myself go all the way and just practice to get better at it. Every time I would start to get comfortable my family would move so every certain amount of time I had to go to a new school, be afraid all over again and have to get adjusted to a whole new environment.

So that you can keep track with how many times I moved, I’ll break it down for you. First, I came to this country when I had been in the same school in Venezuela since I was in kinder garden. My lifetime friends were there. Then we came to this country and I was in one school from mid-year of 5th grade until mid-year of 7th grade. Then, we moved so I changed schools and attended there from mid-year 7th grade until I graduated 8th grade. Then I was off to high school, I had to change schools anyway. So I was there for three and a half years then I had to move again. So after all my high school memories with friends I had finally made I had to start all new again. In the month of January, I continued my senior year and graduated in a brand new school. I didn't attended prom because I didn't really know anybody that I could go with me; I was introduced by a couple of people but they weren't my friends really so I decided not to go. I didn't appeared in the year book because I came too late in the school year and I appeared on my prior high school’s  year book but I was unable to buy it.

So, going back a little I want to mention that by about sophomore year in high school I was willing to speak English only when I had to, like to some teachers, personnel in the cafeteria or if anybody needed help translating. But I still didn't feel all that comfortable. All my friends spoke Spanish and I spoke Spanish at home so there was no big need to put into practice what I had learned. When senior year started they transfer me to regular classes, meaning I was no longer in the bilingual program; all the classes were taught in English, the teachers didn't speak Spanish. So my class mates weren't the same anymore. A couple of the kids from the bilingual program were transferred to regular class as well so I at least knew some people.

So since I was transferred to a new school in January even worst during my senior year, I didn't get a chance to make new memories. I made two friends there whom I can’t really remember how we started talking since I was a senior and they were a junior and a freshman. They were so nice to me though and they introduce me to a couple of more people but they were all in lower grades than me and we weren't friends. One special person was introduced to me back then though, and that is my current boyfriend, yes that’s how we met. We weren't really close then, and even though we were both seniors and we started to like each other a little it wasn’t enough to go to prom together…

So after all the craziness of moving from one place to another and being in new environments, I eventually felt like there was a reason for me to have moved all the way here and even to transfer schools in the middle of my senior year.

I am very glad I met my boyfriend, it probably would've never happened if I would've not changed schools. We have been together in many adventures and we continue to make new memories. We have great plans for our future including getting married and forming a family. I don’t know if it was so bad to have had to come to this country after all. I’m in love, I’m now an English major-Writing Option. I’m in a happy stage of my life. I now understand that what you go through only makes you stronger even if you are frustrate it. I understand that God has a perfect plan for my life even when I think things don’t make sense.

 Who would've thought that I was going to become an English Major after not even wanting to speak the language? I love the fact that I am able to speak two languages and help those who are still in the process of learning the language.