Draft Paper 1

     The five of us were sitting in front of the television watching a movie. The man on the screen was clumsily walking around an making a fool of himself and talking about how he loved some girl. I was only 10 years old, amazed at the romantic way this man was confessing his love. My little sister sat on the floor playing with barbies while my mom got up to wash some dishes. My grandmother and my brother were also there, enjoying the movie quietly; but suddenly, the screen froze. My grandma sat up and my brother kept asking, “What’s wrong, what’s wrong?”

     My grandmother had a stroke that night. She had recently undergone open heart surgery which influenced the onset of the stroke. That night is almost a blur to me. All I remember is sitting there wondering what would happen next, but to this day, that screen remains frozen in my head. I have never finished the movie, but I did learn something important that night. 

     My mom told me, “Your grandmother has always been very strong, she’ll get through this.” The doctors had told us otherwise; my grandmother was supposed to have died that night but she is still with us today. She was never supposed to be able to walk, but she learned how to within a matter of weeks from the date of the stroke. 

     I believe that if you can find the strength in yourself to move on from an obstacle, you can succeed, no matter what the obstacle may be.

Generation Tech Savvy

     Look around, have you met anyone without a cell phone or internet these days? This generation has seen the evolution of the computer and perhaps even the evolution of human thumbs! From texting on cell phones to websites where you can calculate your WPM, everyone has the latest devices and are always in the know. 

     And “savvy” means exactly that - to know or understand. What better way to define my generation? We all have these computers and iPhones that give us information in an instant. Therefore, we are not simply savvy with new technology, we are savvy because of technology.

word count: 100

Welcome to Maryland!

  Leaning against the truck of our van, suitcases out and serving as chairs for my brother and my dad, we sat in the parking lot of The Duchess eating sandwiches and drinking milkshakes. This small sandwich shop has been in Ellicott City, Maryland for about 36 years and is known for it’s ice cream and milkshakes. It is very special to me because it was my welcome into Maryland when I moved here at the age of 10. The Duchess has a history behind it, originally being run by Mike and Maggie Kovas, who cater to all kinds of people ranging from firefighters from across the street to soccer moms and their kids. Everyone knows about The Duchess where I live; it ties us together as a community.

   

     Sadly, in 2005 Mike had passed away and The Duchess was due to close. It had been the coolest place for us middle-schoolers to hang out and the only place our parents would let us go alone. Because of the news, all the kids in my neighborhood were distraught. We couldn’t let The Duchess shutdown, so we started a petition that was passed around during school lunch. I don’t know if our petition was effective, but we were all extremely happy to find out that The Duchess would still be around. Mrs. Kovas was going to renovate the store and keep it open. Today, The Duchess is still standing and I hope it continues to live on for generations to come.

word count: 250

Blog 5 Draft

     The Duchess has been around longer then I have lived in Ellicott City, Maryland and was the first place I visited when I moved here. All they serve there is ice cream, milkshakes and sandwiches. The Duchess represents a unique piece of American culture in a simple way that reminds us of how simple things can sometimes be the best. The Duchess recently experienced a great loss when the owner died, but reopened with a new floor and other small renovations. When our neighborhood heard of The Duchess possibly going out of business, all of the children around my age were saddened to hear this. We wanted to make sure the store stayed there so on hot summer days we would still have a place to go and get a real milkshake. The Duchess is important to the people who live near it. There isn’t a place I have been to quite like it which makes it so special. 

A New Plant Has Emerged in America

     At the age of 10, I started to notice these cool new stands at the beach with signs reading, "Henna Tattoos." I was shocked that mehndi, the Pakistani-cultural term for henna I knew, was now emerging as a part of American culture. Nowadays, henna is being used by different people in different ways as an artistic design to add to an individual's personality or style.

     Originally popular in the Middle East, Northern Africa and Asia, Henna has been used for centuries in various religious and ethnic groups. It can adorn a bride on her wedding day, serve as dye for hair, or provide a reason to gather with friends and have fun. However, in America, henna is still relatively new and not widely used. It is starting to become part of the American culture in it’s own ways.

     While henna hasn’t been assigned to any specific sub-culture in America, it has been noted to attract the more bold personalities of the younger generation. Many are saying that the characteristics of henna are the factors that attract mainly two groups of people: the rebel "wanna-be” crowd or the artistic types. 

     Because henna is semi-permanent and only lasts a few weeks, people who desire tattoos but do not wish to commit to something so permanent have begun using henna. Young adults and teens are using henna tattoos to rebel in a less extreme way - a "henna tramp stamp" which could read "sexy" located on the lower back, or a "henna classy tattoo" which could be a vine of leaves wrapped the ankle. Parents of these younger adults might not like the idea, but won’t be able to say anything because it isn’t permanent.

     The artsy types like henna for its versatility. They often notice the cultural roots of henna application and either adorn themselves with traditional patterns or create intricate designs of their own to experiment with. The fact that they can apply new tattoos over and over again attracts their creative personality. As a result, henna is slowly finding it’s way into American culture.

word count: 347

A New Plant has Emerged in America

Hands of my relatives and I on our religious holiday
known as Eid (end of Ramadan)

         At the age of 10, I started to notice these cool new stands at the beach with signs reading, "Henna Tattoos." I was shocked that mehndi, the Pakistani-cultural term for henna I knew, was now emerging as a part of American culture. Nowadays, henna is being used by different people in different ways as an artistic design to add to an individual's personality or style.

    

    Henna has been used for centuries in various religious and ethnic groups. It was originally popular in the Middle East, Northern Africa and Asia and has had a multitude of uses. It can adorn a bride on her wedding day, serve as dye for your hair, or provide a reason to gather with friends and have fun. However, in America, henna is still relatively new and not widely used.

     

    The younger generation has begun to experiment with henna, but it hasn't become part of a specific style yet. For example, we associate skinny jeans most often with punks or skaters, but henna is still in the midst of locating its stereotypical identity in the U.S.

      

    Many are saying that the characteristics of henna are the factors that attract mainly two groups of people: the rebel “wanna-be” crowd or the artistic types. Because henna is semi-permanent and only lasts a few weeks, people who desire tattoos but do not wish to commit to something so permanent, have begun using henna. The artsy types use it as an expression of their art on their bodies.

  Young adults and teens are using henna tattoos to rebel in a less extreme way such as: a "henna tramp stamp" which could read "sexy" located on the lower back, or a "henna classy tattoo" which could be a vine of leaves located around the ankle. Young couples could write their names on each other without risking a permanent obligation of an engraved name. Parents might not like the idea, but won’t be able to say anything because it isn’t permanent.

     

     Henna is finding it’s way in American culture, being used as a sort of less-"hardcore" tattoo.

word count: 349

A White Mouse, the City, and Hunting

Monday 7/17/2000: Read 30 pages from "Stuart Little" by 6pm

Tuesday 6/4/2001: Read pages 20-24 in the "New Yorker" magazine and summarize the article. We will sit together from 7-8:30pm when I get home.

Friday 8/2/2002: Watch the documentary on Native Americans and write about some things they made by hand. Call me at 1pm at my desk number.

     My summers were magical. I got to live in a different world everyday. After second grade, I lived with a little white mouse who had been adopted into the family. After third grade, I lived in New York City as a reporter. After fourth grade, I traveled back in time to craft bow and arrows out of stone and animal sinew. 

Every morning I woke up to find a list from my dad, stating chores and my daily assignment of the day. I would complain to my brother about it, but secretly, I loved my work. I felt like my opinion mattered when I was asked to read or watch something and then analyze it. I got to decode the images I saw and the words I read. More importantly, I was exposed to it all: murder, death, love, romance, missing people, culture, religion, tradition. Learning had become so interesting. 

Nowadays, when I go to read an article or watch something that catches my eye, I thank my dad and all of those elementary summer school assignments that I miss so much.

word count: 250