Try to Understand

The eye must bite

Into the hot cloud

In a way that burns

The red moon

I am a very leather dog

Who will kiss an important mud

That is swinging into a throat

Of a sharp rock

The cool frog bruises you

To curve a blue belief

Very surprising for the soft slag

To say “you are tough!”

English 1102 Expectations

Dear Future  Student,

                Now that you have enrolled in Ms. Lindberg’s English 1102 class, I will explain to you what to expect from this course. First off, you will write a six to eight page research paper over health and food. Ms. Lindberg does a good job at helping you through the steps and gives you plenty of time to do it. Even with her help, I stressed over writing it so much. I had never written such a long paper over something I was hardly interested in. It took a lot, but all my effort paid off with an A. I had never been so proud of an essay. After that, you will write other essays over stories that we read and discuss. Those essays are typically a breeze after having to write a six page essay. There will be multiple quizzes online while you are in class, they are easy as long as you pay attention in class and do your homework. You will go over three sections in the book: drama, short fiction, and poetry. Although there were a lot of them to read, my favorite was short fiction because the stories were not very long and usually entertaining to read. You will have a GDR assignment to write each week, but they are not very hard, they are actual kind of enjoyable to write. Be prepared to do lots of work. This was the one class that took up a good portion on my time at home. I truthfully have never stressed over a class as much as I have this one. All the effort you put into it is paid off though with good grades. Ms. Lindberg is an incredibly nice teacher and you can tell she completely loves literature. Do not be afraid to ask her questions or ask for help because she is very willing to help you understand. Good luck throughout the course and hope you do great!

                Sincerely,

                                                Former Student

Life Poem

This life,

This love life,

It’s my life,

A life full of hurt, regret, disappointment, and tears,

Too much pain, a life full of stress,

Stress,

Sex, tension, release, elegantly, so stress,

The feeling of letting go,

My heart turns black,

I turn black,

My life should be made of the three P’s,

Passion,

Pleasure around sensitive surrounds is openly needed,

Peace,

Patiently excited about caress everything,

Poison,

Please open inspiration so only needed,

…By you.

Hypocrisy

     When I was in high school, I was a part of the color guard and winter guard. The team was made up of typically sixteen girls and two of them were our captains. Morgan Mosley was one of our captains and was pretty strict on us. She was in the same grade as I was and was captain for three years straight. She was always a really good performer and got even better as the years pasted. The guard looked up to her since she was one of the best on the team. We had many rules and guidelines that we had to follow when a part of the guard. We were not allowed to be on our cell phones during practice, eat nor drink while we were in uniform, and could not change in and out of uniform while on the bus rides to and from our competitions. Here and there, some of us would slip up and break some of these rules. Morgan would sometimes catch us in the act. She would get onto us for not following the rules and then look down upon us for it. As the years past, I got to know Morgan better and we became pretty good friends. I spent more time with her at practice and during our show days. She was always our strict captain that kept us in line, but I started noticing her faults. I would catch her texting during practice after just getting onto someone for doing the same thing. On show days, I would see Morgan eat food while in uniform. She even changed out of uniform on the bus ride on occasions as well. It made me think of all the times she yelled at the team for doing the wrong thing, while all along, she was doing the same thing. It certainly made me resent her at times.

Tattoo Idea

        When I was younger, I didn’t think I’d really care for a tattoo. Ya, they were kind of cool, but I wasn’t really sure if I really wanted one. My grandpa hated them though. He made me promise him that I would never get one. I loved my grandpa, so I made the promise. My grandparents also loved my sister and me very much. They bought us anything and everything. My grandpa was at every single softball practice, and he also came to every game along with my grandma.  They supported us in any way they could. Sadly, they both passed away a couple years ago due to two different sicknesses. They were high school lovers and were happily married for 52 years. I miss them so much and wish they were here to see me graduate, get married, have children, and live my life. They were such nice and generous people. We called my grandpa Luckie because he said he was the luckiest grandpa when my sister and I were born. He loved telling everyone jokes; he even wrote them done on a piece of paper so he could tell them to people throughout the week. When we told the ladies at the pharmacy that he had passed and would no longer be coming for his prescription, they were heartbroken and cried. One day I went to the bank and the teller recognized my last name. She had remembered the last name belonging to Marge Etterman, my grandmother. She worked with her at a different company many years ago. It blew my mind how she remembered her. It just showed how much of a great woman she was. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever be like that. Will people be able to remember me in ten years by just seeing my last name on a sheet of paper? I looked up to my grandparents which makes me want to get a tattoo dedicated to them. I would get a four leaf clover, resembling my grandpa Luckie, with a red hat on it, resembling my grandma since she was in the red hat society. I know I promised my grandpa I wouldn’t get one, but I want a tattoo that resembles them so they will always be with me. I don’t know where I would get it though. My sister and I want to get it done together. We were their first grand children and they were the only grandparents we really had. I want to be just like them to my grandchildren; I want to be someone who people will always remember.

Troy Maxson Racist?

     In August Wilson’s story, Fences, Troy Maxson would be considered the main character. The play starts out with Troy complaining about his job as a lifter for a garbage truck company. He grumbles that the white men are the ones that get to drive the trucks and do not have to do the heavy lifting like he has to do himself. The blame for this is put on his boss. He rebels against this racial practice by protesting the restrictions the black employers have in the company. At a first look, this makes Troy come off as racist. He is irritable about his boss making his job have racial differences and in a way segregated. Later, he goes on talking about how his son Cory will not be able to be recruited into a football team. His reasoning is that the ‘white man’ will not let Cory get anywhere with football. He puts the blame on the ‘white man.’ Again, this makes Troy look a bit racist. Some may take this as racism, but I do not believe Troy truly is racist. Yes, he does put blame on white men for multiple reasons, but he does not show any kind of hatred towards them, just frustration. Troy is mostly just upset with the ways the white men have upon black people. He feels they control them and do not give the black community any chances. The time setting that they are placed in definitely conflicts with the segregation issue. In this time period, black people did not have the same equalities as the white people did. This is why Troy is having a hard time with his boss and with white men in general. It does not make Troy racist for being aggravated with this situation but it can make it appear that way.

Charley's Statement

    In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman goes through a tough time. His life is based around being a salesman. He is not a very successful one though, and his neighbor Charley can see that. Charley in a way pities Willy. He constantly lends Willy money and plays cards with him. Willy tends to treat him badly because he is jealous of Charley’s successful son.  Nevertheless, he offers Willy a job many times. However, Willy never accepts the job offer, even when he loses his job as a salesman.  Charley tries telling Willy “the only thing you got in this world is what you can sell” (1256). Willy cannot seem to understand this though. Here, I think Charley is trying to tell Willy that he does not have anything to sell. Willy is losing everything he has and it is making him lose his job. Willy’s most valuable asset is his job as a salesman, and that is what he is living off of. This reflects America in the 1940s in a different way than America now. In the 1940s, a man’s most important responsibility was his job. Losing his career would be losing everything. As America in 2012, salesmanship is not the only thing a man has got in the world. There are so many more opportunities in America now. Overtime, things have changed a lot. Back then, a man seemed to only work and worry about his job. Now, men do much more than just work. They spend more time with the family, go out with their friends, or use their time watching Sunday night football games. I guess America’s morals have changed overtime.

My Trip to England

     This past summer, I had the privilege to fly myself to England. I stayed there with my friend Chris Hedgecock and his family for three weeks. I had never flown out of the United States before; I was quite excited to see what a part of Europe looked like. Getting to see my best friend was also quite thrilling. We did lots of tourist things while I was there. They took me to Arundel castle first. I had never seen a real castle in my life, thus I was very enthused to tour the magnificent and historical castle. A couple of days after that, the Hedgecock family took me to see Legoland. It was an amusement park based around legos. Almost everything was built out of legos. I am sure it would have been a lot more fun if I was a toddler, but I made the most of it and had fun there. Near the end of my second week there, Chris and his mother took me to London by train. We went on the London Eye when we arrived there, and seeing Big Ben was astonishing. After spending a night in the city, we toured around different parts of London. I could not get enough of how incredible it was there. When we got back home, Chris took me out with his friends and we went to celebrate for his birthday. It was extremely fun considering the drinking age in England is eighteen. The third week I was there, my old winter guard instructor, Becky, invited me to look around Brighton with her. Since she is from Brighton, she showed me around the city and took me into a palace. The palace was made for a prince and it was astounding. It was just as cool as the castle but more beautiful and detailed. It was nice catching up with her, but then had to travel back by train to Chris’s house. I will never forget the incredible times I had in England. It was the best trip I ever had. I always wish I could go back since I miss it there so much. I made so many friends and created so many memories. Maybe someday I’ll be lucky enough to revisit.

Death of a Salesman

    The story Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is quite complex. Willy Loman is a typical salesman with an average family. Well, so he likes to think. He is always striving for him and his family to be successful and apart of the American dream. Willy seems a bit delusional and cannot quite grasp the real world. He does not want to believe that his own son, Biff, truly flunked out of high school and never persuaded his football career. For Willy’s roll, I would probably consider casting Charlie Sheen. They both do not seem to be mentally straight and appear to live in their own made up world. In Biff’s case, he is a boy that always wanted to be successful and strived to make his father proud. He finds himself stuck between his father’s dream of becoming a flourishing salesman and his own dream of being a farmer out West. After failing his attempt of making his father proud, he realizes that he should not do what his father wants and that he is only a normal human being, just like his father is. I would cast my cousin for the role of Biff. My cousin wanted to make his parents happy by fulfilling their dreams and could not seem to accomplish any of it. He has recently grasped that he should do what makes him happy, not what makes his parents happy. As for Willy’s wife Linda, I know my mother would be a great choice for the casting of her role. They both are very kind to their husbands and seem to always agree with their husbands even if they are wrong. They only want best for their companion, whatever makes them happy. Willy’s other son, Happy, is the younger of his two children. He is always striving to get attention from his parents for the reason that he is always in the shadows of his older brother. For Happy’s part, I would choose my dog, Buddy. He is always trying to get my attention, especially when my other dog, Maggie, is getting loved on. Happy and Buddy seem to have the same motivations to rise above and show their parents what they are capable of.

American Dream

     There are so many different dreams in America. There are dreams to be a model, a pop star, or a successful entrepreneur. What is the true American Dream though? I do not think there is a specific category for it however. When people think about the true American Dream, they may think of a successful lifestyle. It is having great health and being in great shape. It might be a strong family. A close knit family is always what we strive for. The ideal partner with mutual true love and the perfect children that we always try to teach to be their best is what most may want. Also living in a big house with no financial worries is always one less thing to worry about. Definitely something to look forward to when one gets home from a long day at work. Which work, is ideally a good paying job that one loves to go to everyday. The true dream is to not see one’s job as work, but as a hobby, something one enjoys doing and looks forward to going to. You hear about people coming from other countries to have a better life. They may come here to make more money, to be closer to their family, or to pursue a dream. America is seen to be a wonderful place to follow one’s dream. There are many opportunities here. Other countries may want to be a part of the America Dream. Somewhere where they can be free and start their own business. Having a healthy lifestyle with a wonderful family is ultimate. Having your own business or working a job you love is the true dream. Living with no worries about money either can put one into a wonderful life. A perfect lifestyle is the real American Dream.

My Own Creation

    I remember the first time I went to Big Chow Grill. It is an Asian-based stir fry, something I have never even heard of. I had no idea what to expect when I got there. What I got from it at first glance was that it was like a buffet of uncooked food. Once getting to the start of the line, I was extremely confused. I had no idea what to do. I figured to just put in things I typically like into the bowl I was holding. I had no idea what herbs or sauces would mix well together, so I kind of guessed on what to pour on top. I have never been so on edge while making food, because I had no clue what would taste good together. I was scared my meal would not taste good, that I would not like my creation. Once my food came to the table cooked and all mixed together, I was slightly relieved. My meal looked pretty delightful. It was time for the big moment though, what it tasted like. My mouth was already drooling from just looking at the great food, so I did not waste much time taking my first bite. To my surprise, my creation did not taste as bad as I thought it would. It was not like anything I have ever tried, probably because I made it blind sited in a way and no one else has made the same exact thing. It had so many different tastes and textures to it. It had flavors of chicken, and vegetables like broccoli, red bell peppers, and onions. It was all topped with a cashew flavor. I felt accomplished with what I made. What made it better though, is that I got to go make as many different meals I wanted to. It was an endless meal of creativity!

Food Origins

Last night my parents and I went out to a Mexican restaurant called, Mi Casa. All three of us ended up ordering the same thing, chicken and rice soup. It's the one thing I order every time. The ingredients in the soup include:

• Chicken: from California
• Rice: from China
• Onions: from Texas
• Avocado: from Peru
• Tomatoes: from California
• Cilantro:  from Massachusetts

Those are all my guesses of where they come from. I never really think about where my food comes from. I just know where I get it and eat it. It's kind of crazy how food can come from all over the world and end up onto one plate. I wonder what foods are 100% from their homeland and stay there. Like if I go to Paris and try their food, is the food I'm eating really straight from France? This assignment had definitely opened my eyes to the origins of our everyday foods.