How do you describe a person? How do I describe myself? When I am asked to describe myself, a couple of words come to mind. The best words to describe me are athletic, compassionate, and optimistic. Although there are more words I can think of to describe myself, I feel that these are the words that quickly come to mind.
I describe myself as an athletic person because ever since I was a little child I always had a passion for basketball. I remember in school during recess how I would race to the cart where all the basketballs were and I would choose the best one. Even if I played by myself I was happy because I was playing the sport that I loved most. Do you remember when we were little children and people would ask us what we wanted to be? Well I remember that before deciding to become a nurse, I wanted to become a professional basketball player, but then I realized that I didn't want to be a professional basketball player and that I wantd to become a sports doctor. So I told people that I wanted to be a sports doctor because back in the day when I idolized Kobe Bryant who is known for his athletic abilities and with the assist of his teammates has led them to a three-peat, I always thought maybe if I am a sports doctor I will be able to meet famous athletes like him.
My compassion towards helping other people is another characteristic of mine that has helped me in wanting to pursue a career in the medical field. When it comes to family and friends I always put them first because I care about their well-being. My compassion towards helping people is a characteristic of mine that I have always admired about myself. One thing I remember is how I always offer to help before having the person ask for help. For example I'm always there when a friend needs someone to listen to what they have to say and be there for them. Another example would be how a couple of years ago when my grandmother was still alive and I shared the same room with her. Because she was diabetic there would be nights when I would wake up, not because I wanted to but because I saw that she wasn't feeling good, so I would check her blood sugar and if it was high I'd give her medication, and if it was low I would give her some orange juice to bring it to a normal level. My compassion for taking care and helping out my family and friends is just one of the many reasons why I want to become a nurse.
Along with being athletic and compassionate I am also optimistic. Whenever something doesn't feel right to me I always look on the positive side of things and try to make the situation better. An example would be whenver I see that my friend is down, I always start to make jokes to get her to laugh. I tell her not to worry about it and to look on the positive side of things. I always use my optimism to make me feel better whenver I feel that something is bringing me down. I don't like hearing about the bad things that go on in the world. I always want to have a positive outlook on life. Nicholas M. Butler once said "Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress." What I got out of this quote is that when you are optimistic you will always have the courage to achieve your goal because there is nothing stopping you from doing so. For example, if you have a pessimistic view on life you won't be able to achieve your goal or show progress because you will always have a negative view on life, thinking that you can't accomplish anything.
Aside from these three words I chose to describe myself, there are many other words I can think of. I felt that these three words help me stand out among others. What sets us apart from one another is our uniqueness and the affect that we have on each other. Although there are others that may share the same characteristics as me, I differ because I am who I am, and aside from my family and friends these characteristics that I posses have helped shape me into the person I am today.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
On Being a Cripple
In the story “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs she tells us about her struggle on being crippled. At first she couldn’t accept it, but as time progressed she learned to deal and accept it. The idea that got to me is when she said “When I was twenty-eight I started to trip and drop things. What at first seemed my natural clumsiness soon became too pronounced to shrug off.” I felt that I could relate to this because I too like the author have natural clumsiness. One day I was messing around with my friends and I can’t exactly remember what happened, but all I remember is that my knee popped out of place and I fell to the ground and I couldn’t get up. I also felt a lot of pain. After being on crutches for two weeks I recovered, but to this day I still feel pain in my knee and I know that it will never feel the same again.
“On Being a Cripple” got to me because I started to think about the things she was saying. For example, when she said “I will never run again, except in dreams, and one day I may have to write that I will never walk again.” What she said scared me because of the fact that I have a bad knee, it got me thinking what if as the years progress I won’t be able to walk normally or without the help of a cane. In the event that this ever happens I will learn to accept it because it is no one’s fault but my own. I just have to think of the fact that everything happens for a reason.
Although Nancy Mairs was sick it didn’t stop her from doing what she did. She never complained or said “I hate my life.” At the end of the essay it describes how she is talking to a friend who also has MS and she asked Nancy “Do you ever say to yourself, `Why me, Lord?` and her response was “No, Michael, I don’t,” I told him “because whenever I try, the only response I can think of is `Why not?” Nancy is a brave person and I have to admire her for never regretting what has happened to her. She just lived with it and learned to accept it, and I think that is the right attitude to have.
“On Being a Cripple” got to me because I started to think about the things she was saying. For example, when she said “I will never run again, except in dreams, and one day I may have to write that I will never walk again.” What she said scared me because of the fact that I have a bad knee, it got me thinking what if as the years progress I won’t be able to walk normally or without the help of a cane. In the event that this ever happens I will learn to accept it because it is no one’s fault but my own. I just have to think of the fact that everything happens for a reason.
Although Nancy Mairs was sick it didn’t stop her from doing what she did. She never complained or said “I hate my life.” At the end of the essay it describes how she is talking to a friend who also has MS and she asked Nancy “Do you ever say to yourself, `Why me, Lord?` and her response was “No, Michael, I don’t,” I told him “because whenever I try, the only response I can think of is `Why not?” Nancy is a brave person and I have to admire her for never regretting what has happened to her. She just lived with it and learned to accept it, and I think that is the right attitude to have.
My Different Languages
When I was growing up, English was not my primary language. It came as my secondary language. I remember my mom telling me that all I spoke was Tagalog which is one of the many dialects of the Filipino language. So before entering kindergarten I had to attend preschool. In pre-school I learned how to speak English. As I got older I didn’t really speak much of Tagalog, but I still understood it when my relatives would speak it. Even though Tagalog was my primary language growing up, I now consider English to be my primary because I speak more of it than I do Tagalog.
The English language has been a part of me for as long as I can remember.
Many people including myself speak different kinds of English. For example, during school hours I would speak proper English, and with my friends, or when it came to talking on AIM I would speak improper English. For example instead of spelling words correctly I would say “Wut’s happenin?” or “wut’s crackin?” This is what we would call “slang.” This goes the same for Tagalog. When I speak to my elders I say “opo” meaning yes but in the formal sense. When I say “opo” it’s a sign of respect for my elders, but when I talk to my cousins I say “oh-oh which is an informal yes.” For me speaking English varies with where I am. If I go to a store with my mom and my sister, and we see a Filipino salesperson who speaks both English and Tagalog, we usually approach him or her in English and then my mom asks are you Filipino? or in Tagalog it would be Filipino ka ba? Then she talks to him or her in Tagalog.
In today’s culture most Filipinos I see don’t really know how to speak Tagalog because they were never taught it or they didn’t want to learn it. I think to myself “Wow that kind of sucks because it’s the language that your parents were brought up with and I think it would make them proud to hear you speaking it.” As for me, I’m glad that I learned to speak both Tagalog and English. The way I see it is that if I see someone who is of the same nationality as I am, and they are having trouble speaking English I could help them out by just telling them to speak Tagalog because I understand. In some situations it’s better to be bilingual than to just speak one language. For example, it’s better if you know both Tagalog and English because then you help out those people you only speak Tagalog and translate for them in English.
Learning to speak English has helped me in more ways than one because it is the official language in this country. I think that English is an interesting language to learn because there are many rules that you have to apply to it in order to speak it properly. For example if you want to speak in past tense you have to add an –ed ending. Or another example would be if you want to talk about time that is in progress you would say “is working” using the present progressive tense. Learning to speak both English and Tagalog in the formal and informal way has helped me because I know the difference of how I speak to adults and my friends.
The English language has been a part of me for as long as I can remember.
Many people including myself speak different kinds of English. For example, during school hours I would speak proper English, and with my friends, or when it came to talking on AIM I would speak improper English. For example instead of spelling words correctly I would say “Wut’s happenin?” or “wut’s crackin?” This is what we would call “slang.” This goes the same for Tagalog. When I speak to my elders I say “opo” meaning yes but in the formal sense. When I say “opo” it’s a sign of respect for my elders, but when I talk to my cousins I say “oh-oh which is an informal yes.” For me speaking English varies with where I am. If I go to a store with my mom and my sister, and we see a Filipino salesperson who speaks both English and Tagalog, we usually approach him or her in English and then my mom asks are you Filipino? or in Tagalog it would be Filipino ka ba? Then she talks to him or her in Tagalog.
In today’s culture most Filipinos I see don’t really know how to speak Tagalog because they were never taught it or they didn’t want to learn it. I think to myself “Wow that kind of sucks because it’s the language that your parents were brought up with and I think it would make them proud to hear you speaking it.” As for me, I’m glad that I learned to speak both Tagalog and English. The way I see it is that if I see someone who is of the same nationality as I am, and they are having trouble speaking English I could help them out by just telling them to speak Tagalog because I understand. In some situations it’s better to be bilingual than to just speak one language. For example, it’s better if you know both Tagalog and English because then you help out those people you only speak Tagalog and translate for them in English.
Learning to speak English has helped me in more ways than one because it is the official language in this country. I think that English is an interesting language to learn because there are many rules that you have to apply to it in order to speak it properly. For example if you want to speak in past tense you have to add an –ed ending. Or another example would be if you want to talk about time that is in progress you would say “is working” using the present progressive tense. Learning to speak both English and Tagalog in the formal and informal way has helped me because I know the difference of how I speak to adults and my friends.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Adversaries
In the book "The Mee Street Chronicles" by Frankie Lennon there is a story "Adversaries" which present many growing up themes, but two of the most important ones are facing death and religion. At the beginning of the story Frankie doesn't quite understand why grandmama is lying in a box. She asks "Why is Grandmama sleeping in the box, Mama?" In response to her question Mama said "She's not sleeping, honey. Grandmama has gone away." Frankie shared a deep relationship with her grandmama so it was difficult for her to understand, she kept thinking of ways to try and bring her back. Because she was really hurt by the death of grandmama she pushed all the memories away and began to tink of magic spells. She said "If I could make the right one, I would swoosh my magic wand, make Grandmama come back right now and Auntie disappear." Shortly after she remembered Evelyne telling her that she overheard her mother saying that grandmama has passed away and that you couldn't come back. This is when Frankie realized that magic spells won't work and that her grandmama is gone for good.
Another growing up theme apparent in this story is religion. Auntie didn't believe in games she said it was a "sinful idleness and a waste of time." She told Frankie "Lemme see what's in yo hand." When she saw that Frankie had been playing with marbles she was angry. On the contrary Frankie said that her dad let her play with marbles and Auntie said that she wasn't her daddy and that was the wrong answer. Auntie said "the Lord don't like a sassy-mouth child."
Personally, I don't think that there is anything wrong with playing games, it is part of the process that a child goes through as she grows up. When you are a child all you do is play and I didn't think it was fair of Auntie to not allow Frankie to play with marbles or with the other children.
Another growing up theme apparent in this story is religion. Auntie didn't believe in games she said it was a "sinful idleness and a waste of time." She told Frankie "Lemme see what's in yo hand." When she saw that Frankie had been playing with marbles she was angry. On the contrary Frankie said that her dad let her play with marbles and Auntie said that she wasn't her daddy and that was the wrong answer. Auntie said "the Lord don't like a sassy-mouth child."
Personally, I don't think that there is anything wrong with playing games, it is part of the process that a child goes through as she grows up. When you are a child all you do is play and I didn't think it was fair of Auntie to not allow Frankie to play with marbles or with the other children.
Friday, March 14, 2008
"No Escape" from The Mee Street Chronicles by Frankie Lennon
In "No Escape" the narrator was frightened and paranoid of the fact that she couldn't find an escape from the monsters and the witch. In the beginning she felt trapped but she always remembered that she was guided by her fairy godmother. She says "You can't stay here, Frankie. You must keep going. Be brave, she tells me." She was imaginative in describing all the obstacles she saw while in a state of fear. At the end of the story she felt safe because she saw her parents again.
Two character traits she demonstrates are imagination and courage. For example, when she hears a noise, panic shoots through her screaming "SOMETHING IS COMING! GET OUT! SAVE YOURSELF! Although she is feeling really scared at this point in time, her godfairy mother is there and tells her the only way to save yourself is to push the scaredness away; that way she can make herself remember how Mama undoes the latch. In this situation she uses both imagination and courage. She pushes the scaredness away and she imagines and pictures how her Mama would unlatch the hook to the door to let her go outside into the Saturday morning sunshine. She also demonstrates courage through the fact of how she got out of the witch's forest. She keeps in mind what her fairy godmother says "Be brave." "Be like Gretel."
I have been in a situation that is not so similar to hers, but I remember when I was around 5 or 6 years old and it was late at night and my sister and I would be laying in the dark ready to go to sleep, but we could never fall asleep. So a motorcycle would pass by and my aunt and my mom would taunt us saying "Oh Big Man is here and he's coming to get you." Apparently "Big Man" was some guy back in the Philippines who their mother used to taunt them with whenever they wouldn't sleep. So basically my mom and my aunt would use "Big Man" as a object of taunt to get us to fall asleep. I remember that because of the fact that my sister and I were so scared after that we would fall asleep like nothing. To this day I tend to look back on that fact, and now it just makes me laugh how they would scare us just because we wouldn't go to sleep right away.
Two character traits she demonstrates are imagination and courage. For example, when she hears a noise, panic shoots through her screaming "SOMETHING IS COMING! GET OUT! SAVE YOURSELF! Although she is feeling really scared at this point in time, her godfairy mother is there and tells her the only way to save yourself is to push the scaredness away; that way she can make herself remember how Mama undoes the latch. In this situation she uses both imagination and courage. She pushes the scaredness away and she imagines and pictures how her Mama would unlatch the hook to the door to let her go outside into the Saturday morning sunshine. She also demonstrates courage through the fact of how she got out of the witch's forest. She keeps in mind what her fairy godmother says "Be brave." "Be like Gretel."
I have been in a situation that is not so similar to hers, but I remember when I was around 5 or 6 years old and it was late at night and my sister and I would be laying in the dark ready to go to sleep, but we could never fall asleep. So a motorcycle would pass by and my aunt and my mom would taunt us saying "Oh Big Man is here and he's coming to get you." Apparently "Big Man" was some guy back in the Philippines who their mother used to taunt them with whenever they wouldn't sleep. So basically my mom and my aunt would use "Big Man" as a object of taunt to get us to fall asleep. I remember that because of the fact that my sister and I were so scared after that we would fall asleep like nothing. To this day I tend to look back on that fact, and now it just makes me laugh how they would scare us just because we wouldn't go to sleep right away.
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Pleasurable and Painful Things about Friends
For as long as I can remember, I was always the one caught in the middle of the drama that goes on within my friendships. I never understood why, and to this day I still don’t. There are so many things that go unanswered, and I always wonder why these kinds of things happen to me. Maybe it’s because I chose the wrong group of friends. Sometimes I think to myself “What did I do to put myself in this situation?” Then it comes to my mind that everything happens for a reason, and sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan. In life, I realize that not everyone you meet will be your friends and for those that are your friends, the friendship will sometimes go untested.
I have experienced a lot with my friends, and for one thing not all the experiences were pleasurable. I remember during my freshman year in high school, how I became friends with Melissa and Liz, and the friends that I have known for many years didn’t really talk to me. It’s as if I did something wrong because I made new friends, but I realized that they’re doing it out of jealousy. I think one of the painful aspects that occur in friendship is the jealousy that goes on between girls. Something I realize is that when you become friends with other girls, jealousy arises amongst the other group because they feel that you have drifted away from them. I think it is in a girl’s nature to feel jealous and this is when all the other painful aspects of friendship arise. For example, through the occurrence of jealousy, gossip and betrayal arises lies. I don’t expect the best or the worst out of my friends. I just expect them to be who they are without pretending to be something they are not.
Aside from the painful aspects of friendship there are also pleasurable ones. For me, my friends are the third most important people on my list. Friends are here for the laughter and the tears. What brings us together is not the fact that we share many things in common, but the pleasure we share through the good times that we have experienced together. Tehyi Hsieh says “Life is partly what we make it and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose.” This is true because although friends come and go, the pleasure comes in meeting new friends. The people we meet in college will be our friends forever. Friends are here to encourage each other to be the best that we can be, and to lead each other to the good life. We want what’s best for each other and this is how you know who your real friends are.
Through my friendships I have experienced many things and I also learned a lot. I learned that you can’t trust just anyone. You have to get to know the person, and that in friendships there will always be a painful experience, but you just have to deal with it. If you made a mistake with the friends that you choose, all you have to do is move on and find a group of friends that are of positive influence and character. Through our friends is how we learn; we learn through interacting with one another. It is as simple as you learn from your mistake and call it a lesson learned.
I have experienced a lot with my friends, and for one thing not all the experiences were pleasurable. I remember during my freshman year in high school, how I became friends with Melissa and Liz, and the friends that I have known for many years didn’t really talk to me. It’s as if I did something wrong because I made new friends, but I realized that they’re doing it out of jealousy. I think one of the painful aspects that occur in friendship is the jealousy that goes on between girls. Something I realize is that when you become friends with other girls, jealousy arises amongst the other group because they feel that you have drifted away from them. I think it is in a girl’s nature to feel jealous and this is when all the other painful aspects of friendship arise. For example, through the occurrence of jealousy, gossip and betrayal arises lies. I don’t expect the best or the worst out of my friends. I just expect them to be who they are without pretending to be something they are not.
Aside from the painful aspects of friendship there are also pleasurable ones. For me, my friends are the third most important people on my list. Friends are here for the laughter and the tears. What brings us together is not the fact that we share many things in common, but the pleasure we share through the good times that we have experienced together. Tehyi Hsieh says “Life is partly what we make it and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose.” This is true because although friends come and go, the pleasure comes in meeting new friends. The people we meet in college will be our friends forever. Friends are here to encourage each other to be the best that we can be, and to lead each other to the good life. We want what’s best for each other and this is how you know who your real friends are.
Through my friendships I have experienced many things and I also learned a lot. I learned that you can’t trust just anyone. You have to get to know the person, and that in friendships there will always be a painful experience, but you just have to deal with it. If you made a mistake with the friends that you choose, all you have to do is move on and find a group of friends that are of positive influence and character. Through our friends is how we learn; we learn through interacting with one another. It is as simple as you learn from your mistake and call it a lesson learned.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Learning to Read
I was interested in this excerpt "Learning to Read" by Malcolm X because there were many things about the African history that I didn't know before. I thought it was wrong of the teacher to make his joke "Negroes' feet are so big that when they walk, they leave a big hole in the ground." I also thought it wasn't fair how the history of the African Americans could be put in only one paragraph while people could go on and on about White Americans. Personally I think that African Americans have made a huge impact on society. For example, Rosa Parks sitting in the "white" section of the bus or Jackie Robinson being the first African American baseball player. This shows that African Americans aren't scared to stand up for what they believe in. They are strong individuals who show pride in being who they are. Malcolm X's excerpt of "Learning How to Read" amazed me because of the way he learned. I don't think I would be able to do what he did. I think that this story will make people think about how lucky they are that they learned how to read in the right manner without going through any hardships.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Today I Feel...
Do you ever feel like you can’t finish what you start? Today is the beginning of a new week, and I feel more motivated than when I first started school. I feel that I am one step closer to reaching my goal. I have a long way to go, and sometimes I feel like giving up, but I prevent myself from doing so by giving myself advice, for example, “Don’t give up,” or “If at first you don’t succeed try again.”
I find myself counting down the days to spring break, and I realized that we don’t really have that much time. I feel like the days are going by so fast. Each day is just passing by without any control. At some point during the day I feel that life is so complicated, but what would life be without challenges? Some of the challenges I feel today are making sure that I stay on top of things, and maintain my decent grades. Although sometimes it may seem impossible, I just say to myself that this is what determines my future, and how the rest of my life is going to be.
Throughout the day I have different feelings. When I first wake up, I feel happy because it is a new day and I always start fresh. I know that each day will be a better day, and sometimes there will be days where I say to myself “Today is not my day.”
My friends are another part of how I feel today. Whenever I’m with my friends I feel like there’s no better feeling. I’m surrounded by people that I have known since high school or those that I met over the summer. My friends make me feel as if there’s no tomorrow, like I want to spend the whole day with them, but I can’t because I have more important things that I should be spending my time with.
When I sit in class, I feel interested in the subject matter because there are so many things about life that I still don’t know, and am in the process of learning. When class is over I feel relieved and happy because I know that I have made it through the day, and that tomorrow will bring a better day.
Along with the many feelings that I experience throughout the day, I find myself filled with energy, as if I have a permanent smile on my face. Maybe it is the weather, because for the past few days we have been drowned in rain and gloomy weather. Today the sun is out and it’s a bright sun shining day filled with blue skies.
I find myself counting down the days to spring break, and I realized that we don’t really have that much time. I feel like the days are going by so fast. Each day is just passing by without any control. At some point during the day I feel that life is so complicated, but what would life be without challenges? Some of the challenges I feel today are making sure that I stay on top of things, and maintain my decent grades. Although sometimes it may seem impossible, I just say to myself that this is what determines my future, and how the rest of my life is going to be.
Throughout the day I have different feelings. When I first wake up, I feel happy because it is a new day and I always start fresh. I know that each day will be a better day, and sometimes there will be days where I say to myself “Today is not my day.”
My friends are another part of how I feel today. Whenever I’m with my friends I feel like there’s no better feeling. I’m surrounded by people that I have known since high school or those that I met over the summer. My friends make me feel as if there’s no tomorrow, like I want to spend the whole day with them, but I can’t because I have more important things that I should be spending my time with.
When I sit in class, I feel interested in the subject matter because there are so many things about life that I still don’t know, and am in the process of learning. When class is over I feel relieved and happy because I know that I have made it through the day, and that tomorrow will bring a better day.
Along with the many feelings that I experience throughout the day, I find myself filled with energy, as if I have a permanent smile on my face. Maybe it is the weather, because for the past few days we have been drowned in rain and gloomy weather. Today the sun is out and it’s a bright sun shining day filled with blue skies.
My Disappointments During the Holidays
As many college students were, I had been very excited for my winter break. I was looking forward to four weeks of stress-free days to be spent at home with family and friends. However, this holiday season, I came to experience that things don’t necessarily turn out as expected.
I was disappointed by two things: For one, something about Christmas was different this year. It seemed to have come sooner than anticipated, and I didn’t feel entirely ready for it. I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic about the childhood excitement during the holidays. As kids, we used to be so caught up in little traditions such as leaving cookies for Santa and our anxiousness to wake up on Christmas morning, run to the tree, and rip open our presents. I guess as we grow up, we tend to see things from a different perspective, and not only are we caught up in receiving presents, but we begin to feel a necessity to also give presents to show people how much we appreciate them and wish them joy and happiness. But, I just found myself reminiscing about past Christmases and that special feeling I seemed to have missed out on.
Another disappointment was how certain setbacks disrupted my holiday plans. I was supposed to spend Christmas with other relatives in San Diego. However, my dad found out that he had work the day after Christmas, and so, we just ended up staying home. I remember one Christmas that we spent in Las Vegas. That Christmas was probably my favorite one because the whole family was there. Hearing everyone laughing, making jokes, singing karaoke, and just the simple fact of having your whole family gathered together at the table. This is what I would consider Christmas because it’s a time when you all come together and celebrate a year’s end and the beginning of a new one. I can also recall how all the grown-ups were downstairs talking amongst themselves, and the teenagers and the little children would be upstairs running around, playing tag, hide and go seek, billiards, ping pong, and cards. However this Christmas, I was disappointed in not being able to spend time with my cousins. Since my cousins live hours away we barely get the chance to see each other. That is why we look forward to the holidays, because for us, the holidays is a time when we as a whole family gather together and reminisce on the challenging yet enjoyable moments of the past year. As the new year approaches we also look forward to creating new memories that we can look back at as this year will soon be over before we know it.
Aside from these disappointments, the holidays didn’t turn out so bad. Although the whole family was not able to get together, most of us enjoyed each other’s company and made the most out of it. From watching the Lakers vs. Phoenix game on Christmas day, to the USC vs. Michigan game on New Year’s Day brought excitement to us seeing how badly Michigan lost to USC. Having four weeks of leisure time and spending it with family and a couple of friends was better than nothing. The simple fact of having people who care about you and those who have raised you in your presence during the holidays- there’s no better feeling in the world.
I was disappointed by two things: For one, something about Christmas was different this year. It seemed to have come sooner than anticipated, and I didn’t feel entirely ready for it. I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic about the childhood excitement during the holidays. As kids, we used to be so caught up in little traditions such as leaving cookies for Santa and our anxiousness to wake up on Christmas morning, run to the tree, and rip open our presents. I guess as we grow up, we tend to see things from a different perspective, and not only are we caught up in receiving presents, but we begin to feel a necessity to also give presents to show people how much we appreciate them and wish them joy and happiness. But, I just found myself reminiscing about past Christmases and that special feeling I seemed to have missed out on.
Another disappointment was how certain setbacks disrupted my holiday plans. I was supposed to spend Christmas with other relatives in San Diego. However, my dad found out that he had work the day after Christmas, and so, we just ended up staying home. I remember one Christmas that we spent in Las Vegas. That Christmas was probably my favorite one because the whole family was there. Hearing everyone laughing, making jokes, singing karaoke, and just the simple fact of having your whole family gathered together at the table. This is what I would consider Christmas because it’s a time when you all come together and celebrate a year’s end and the beginning of a new one. I can also recall how all the grown-ups were downstairs talking amongst themselves, and the teenagers and the little children would be upstairs running around, playing tag, hide and go seek, billiards, ping pong, and cards. However this Christmas, I was disappointed in not being able to spend time with my cousins. Since my cousins live hours away we barely get the chance to see each other. That is why we look forward to the holidays, because for us, the holidays is a time when we as a whole family gather together and reminisce on the challenging yet enjoyable moments of the past year. As the new year approaches we also look forward to creating new memories that we can look back at as this year will soon be over before we know it.
Aside from these disappointments, the holidays didn’t turn out so bad. Although the whole family was not able to get together, most of us enjoyed each other’s company and made the most out of it. From watching the Lakers vs. Phoenix game on Christmas day, to the USC vs. Michigan game on New Year’s Day brought excitement to us seeing how badly Michigan lost to USC. Having four weeks of leisure time and spending it with family and a couple of friends was better than nothing. The simple fact of having people who care about you and those who have raised you in your presence during the holidays- there’s no better feeling in the world.
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