Table of Contents Dear Reader Letter Introduction to Mexico City Memories - Through A Child's Eyes Mexico City Memories - Through A Child's Eyes Introduction to My Mother, My Friend My Mother, My Friend Introduction to Journal 3 - A Secret Childhood Place Journal 3 - A Secret Childhood Place Introduction to Meditation for a Healthier You Meditation for a Healthier You

Dear Reader Letter

Dear Reader,

Many years have passed since I graduated from high school, and I have to admit the thought of returning to school after so many years was pretty intimidating. But with the support and encouragement of my family, and a lot of obsessing on my part, I am currently enrolled as a full-time student. The Fall Quarter is drawing to an end, and these past ten weeks have gone quickly. English 97 has been both challenging and exciting. It was challenging because over the course of the Quarter, we were given many assignments. Therefore, I had to learn to manage my time to meet the various deadlines. And exciting because I can see the progress I have made in my writing during this time. Moreover, it has allowed me the opportunity to learn new things and brush up on old skills; long forgotten.

I can remember when I was in the fifth grade, I really enjoyed writing. I had a wonderful teacher, Mr. Pringle, and his teacher’s aid, Claudia, was also really terrific. I loved writing stories, both fiction and non-fiction. Both of my teachers motivated me to be a better writer, and I even won a class writer’s contest, twice! The prize was San Francisco Giant’s tickets, and my parents and I went to both games. Also, back at that time, I had dreams of being an airline stewardess. Don’t ask me why? I guess it seemed like a prestigious job when I was ten years old. I remember Claudia writing in my autograph journal, “Dear Andrea, you truly have a gift for writing, but if you want to be a stewardess, I’m sure you’ll make a good one! Much happiness to you all through your life, Claudia.” Well, I never did become a stewardess. But certainly through English 97, a renewed interest in writing has been sparked.

As I reflect back to what I have learned this past Quarter, I have to say there are many things I have learned. First, coming into English 97, I had trouble with sentence structure. Even writing and joining main clauses was a problem for me. The sentences would be full of comma splices or run-ons. I learned how to correctly use coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs, and relative pronouns, which are basic skills I had long forgotten. And when it came to using quotations to incorporate dialogue, forget it; I would put the quotations and commas in all the wrong places.

I have to say what I have enjoyed most is being able to give my writing a voice. I was able to accomplish this in my writing by creating emotion and other sensory detail. This is also what the instructor would refer to us as showing not telling. It took time and thought, but I think I captivated this effect well in my first major writing assignment, titled "My Mother, My Friend."

I hope you enjoy the reading the following writing pieces I have included in my e-Portfolio. These pieces, I believe, reflect the writing challenges I faced coming into English 97, yet also shows the significant progress I have made along the way. What I have learned in English 97 has afforded me the basis for what is yet to come in my writing. And as I see it - my writing can and will only get better.

Sincerely,

Andrea

Introduction to Mexico City Memories - Through A Child's Eyes

For my first choice, I had to pick a major writing assignment that best represented my writing abilities. I chose "Mexico City Memories – Through A Child’s Eyes", a descriptive narrative, which was also my second major writing assignment. It was written during the seventh and eighth week of the Fall Quarter. It is a descriptive narrative about a trip I took to Mexico City to visit family when I was ten years old. I believe it represents one of my strongest written pieces because I had to use several writing effects. The story had to have a beginning, middle, and end. I incorporated dialogue, which I wrote in Spanish because the original coversation was spoken in Spanish. I included footnotes with the English translations. I had to use transitions, sensory detail to show-not-tell, and also create a dominant impression. I believe I captured some of these effects when I wrote, “My Tia Isabel, my fathers’s sister, must have heard the car’s engine because she was already half way out of the front door when we pulled up the dirt path to the house. I will never forget the look on my Tia Isabel’s face as she hurried out of the house to embrace my father as he stepped out of the car. She tenderly cupped his face with her palms as tears streamed down her cheeks.”

Mexico City Memories - Through A Child's Eyes

Many years have passed, but my childhood memories of Mexico City are still clearly imprinted in my mind, and the beautiful people and places I visited will always remain a part of me. In August of 1977, my parents, four sisters, and I took a trip to Mexico City to visit my father’s family. I was ten years old, and it was the first time my sisters and I would be traveling to Mexico City. We were very excited because it was also the first time we had ever flown on a plane. My father hadn’t seen his brother or sister in over twenty years, so this trip to México meant a lot to him too. On an early Saturday morning in August, with our many suitcases in tow, my family and I headed for the San Francisco International Airport. Seven and a half hours later, we arrived at the Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juarez, which is the main airport in México.

We then took a cab through Mexico City, along Av. Iztapalapa, where my father’s family still resides. During the drive through town, my father sat quietly staring aimlessly out the window of the car as I wondered, “What could he be thinking about and feeling at this moment?” My father had left México as a young man, leaving behind his older sister and youngest brother, and now they were all grown up with families of their own. His family was waiting anxiously at their home for our arrival. My Tia Isabel, my father’s sister, must have heard the car’s engine because she was already half way out the front door when we pulled up the dirt path to the house. I will never forget the look on my Tia Isabel’s face as she hurried out of the house to embrace my father as he stepped out of the car. She tenderly cupped his face with her palms as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“¡Le amo hermano y le he echado de menos tanto!” [1] my Tia Isabel said.

When my father saw his brother Méliton, he hugged him tight and said, “¿Cómo ha sido usted, mi carnalito? ¡Mucho tiempo ha pasado, pero usted parece bien!” [2]

As they stood there smiling together, his brother Méliton replied, “Sí, estoy bien mi carnal. ¡Realmente estoy excitado para ver usted y su familia! Está bien usted está aquí.”[3]

At that same moment my many cousins, whom my sisters and I had never met before, came running out of the house to greet us. We were suddenly surrounded by a lot of unfamiliar and nervously smiling faces. I thought we had a lot of cousins back in California, but we were outnumbered in México. My Tia Isabel had eight children and some of her older children already had children of their own, so it was a fairly large crowd. After we gathered our emotions from our first introduction, we all went into the house to settle in and relax. Later that evening, while my sisters and I mingled with our newly acquainted cousins, my mother, father, and his family sat together reminiscing about their past times in México. My parents also talked with my aunt and uncle about the different places they wanted to take us to visit during our stay in México.

The very next morning, my father decided that we would go to El Centro Histórico, which is the historical center of Mexico City. At El Centro Histórico, we saw many colonial-era buildings, including the magnificent historical cathedral called La Catedral de México. The harmonious Spaniard style exterior of La Catedral with its many steeples sits in the center of town offset by its urban landscape.

The following day, my father took us to an amusement park called Parque de Chapultepec. My sisters, cousins, and I walked around the park and rode on some of the rides. While there at the park, we took advantage of all the many goodies that were offered for sale. My sisters, cousins, and I feasted on slices of cucumber called “pepino” and mango which were sprinkled with chile and lemon juice served on a skewer. My favorite was the corn on the cob, which was also served on a stick, spread with mayonnaise and sprinkled with a grated dry cheese and chile. We also ate caramelo and marzipan candies, and sipped on fruity ice drinks called “razpados.” Some of us ended up with stomachaches because we ate too much, but otherwise we had a lot of fun.

We spent the next day at a town called Xochimilco, where we shopped at the town square buying many gifts for our friends and family back home. We had dinner as we sat on these bright, colored canoe-like boats called “chalupas,” which floated along a man-made canal. A musician played Spanish melodies on his guitar as he rode along with us on the boat.

Our plan for the next day was to visit an old town called Puebla, so that we could see the Toltec ruins. We traveled to Puebla by car. However, in order to reach the Toltec ruins we had to walk on foot for what seemed like miles. But it was worth it, for when we reached the top of the mountain, we encountered an ancient Toltec village. It looks today much as it did 1,000 years ago. It was abandoned 300 years before Cortes. In this village, there was a religious temple with many stone steps that you had to climb in order to reach it. I remember climbing all of those stone steps, one by one, and then entering into this amazingly ancient place overlooking the vast valley below. After a wonderful day of sightseeing, we arrived back to my family’s home exhausted and hungry. As we settled in for dinner, we were all struck by the news on radio that Elvis Presley had died. As a child, his death must have left an impression on me because I still remember the date. It was August 16, 1977, and I remember his death was big news in México. It was printed all over the Spanish newspaper and everyone there was talking about it.

As the last day of our trip came to a close, I was both saddened to be leaving a family that I might never see again, but also excited to be going back home to a familiar place. I can never thank my father enough for allowing us the opportunity to visit such a beautiful place, and although a lot of years have passed and I have not been back to visit Mexico City, I will always cherish the memories that I spent there as a child with my family.

[1] “I love you brother and I have missed you so much!”
[2] “How have you been, my brother? A lot of time has passed, but you look good!”
“Carnal, or “carnalito” is a term of endearment used as another form for “brother.”
[3] “Yes, I am well my brother. I am really excited to see you and your family! It is good you are here.”

Introduction to My Mother, My Friend

For the second piece, I chose a descriptive paragraph, which I wrote during the third and fourth week of the Fall Quarter. This piece is titled “My Mother, My Friend”. This was my first major writing assignment and I really enjoyed writing this piece. First, I learned that a descriptive paragraph is not a story, but rather a description about a person, place, or thing. I learned how to create a strong topic sentence, and how that sentence should tie into the conclusion. Through this writing assignment, I also learned how to show-not-tell. By using sensory detail, I was able to capture my mother’s personality. For example, I wrote: “One of her best outfits was a striped knit Capri pantsuit, leather boots up to her knees, and her hair worn teased up high. I thought she looked so sexy.”

My Mother, My Friend

My mother Anita is my heart. She is a beautiful, strong-willed Latina woman. My mother has big dark brown eyes, beautiful thick black hair, and milky white skin. She has a wonderful personality and loves to laugh and tell jokes to anyone who will listen. In the mid 1970’s, she received her license for cosmetology, and I remember her always sporting the latest hair fashions and clothing. She would wear long hair extensions, tease her hair, or wear different wigs to suit her style. One of her best outfits was a striped knit Capri pantsuit, leather boots up to her knees, and her hair worn teased up high. I thought she looked so sexy. My mother is not only beautiful and funny, but she is also a fantastic cook. She would be in the kitchen with my little sister playing at her feet, and we could smell aromas of chiles and frijoles simmering on the stove, the smells drifting out of the windows as we played outside. My mother is outgoing and enjoys going to amusement parks with one or more of her six children and many grandchildren, and she will get on the roller coaster rides if someone is daring enough to go on with her. She also loves to listen to music like easy rock, oldies, funk and some hip-hop. Sometimes when we are with her, she dances around and acts silly to the music just to make us laugh. I think my mother’s best attributes are her terrific sense of humor and compassion. Her spirit is uplifting, and I really enjoy her company.

Introduction to Journal 3 - A Secret Childhood Place

For the third piece, I had to choose a journal or blog. I picked Journal 3, “A Secret Childhood Place”, which I wrote the second week of the Fall Quarter. With this assignment, I had to create an awareness of voice, and I believe I did this through sensory detail. Although it was one of the first journals I had written for this class, I chose it because I felt it had better sensory details over the other journals I had written. The sensory details in this piece took me back in time, when I was a child; I could envision myself running around my grandmother's house, exploring all that there was to see. The following is an example of sight and sound sensory detail included in this piece: “There were bird cages with yellow and white canaries, parakeets, and cockatiels. Along the patio, bird cages hung in every open window. She had big overstuffed chairs on the patio to sit while taking in the warmth of the sun. In the morning, we would awaken to the chirping of the many beautiful birds." And with the following, I believe the senses of sight, smell, and touch could be invoked. "My grandmother also had a wonderful garden in back of the house, which included fruit trees of peaches, mangoes, and avocados. She had a lot of plants and roses of many colors, red, pink, yellow and white. I loved to spend time in her garden, smelling the flowers and playing under the shade of the trees.”

Journal 3 - A Secret Childhood Place

When I was around eight years old, I went to Sonora, Mexico with my mother and sisters to visit my grandmother. My grandmother had a beautiful Spanish style house with a large patio that encircled its perimeter. The house was painted yellow with clay shingles on the roof. There were bird cages with yellow and white canaries, parakeets, and cockatiels. Along the patio, bird cages hung in every open window. She had big overstuffed chairs on the patio to sit while taking in the warmth of the sun. In the morning, we would awaken to the chirping of the many beautiful birds. My grandmother also had a wonderful garden in back of the house, which included fruit trees of peaches, mangoes, and avocados. She had a lot of plants and roses of many colors, red, pink, yellow and white. I loved to spend time in her garden, smelling the flowers and playing under the shade of the trees.

My grandmother would send us to the store near her home to buy fresh tortillas, which the wife of the store owner would prepare as you watched through an open window. The store sat on the corner, I remember it being small, yet overfilled with can foods, lot’s of candies, fresh vegetables, and other household items. My grandmother was a wonderful cook, and there was always something simmering on her stove. She would prepare enchiladas, chile verde, fresh beans, and Spanish rice for us to eat. She also liked to make fresh milk shakes of papaya and mangoes. Some days it was too hot for the milk shakes, but she would always insist that you have one. Everything she prepared was delicious.

My grandmother became ill and had to move back to Arizona, where she had previously lived, to seek medical attention for an illness. Although I only got to visit her house in Mexico twice before she passed away, I will always remember the childhood memories at my grandmother’s beautiful house in Sonora, Mexico.

Introduction to Meditation for a Healthier You

As my final pick, and Writer’s Choice, I chose my major writing assignment #3, “Meditation for a Healthier You”. This assignment was written the ninth and tenth week of class, it was our last major writing assignment for the Quarter. The major writing assignment was a process essay, which either explains how or why something works the way it does. Along with this assignment, I learned how to write an interesting lead-in to pull the reader in. I also learned how to write a thesis for the piece. Overall, I feel I did well on this assignment and I especially liked my lead-in. “Meditation can lead to a more balanced life, a sharper mind, greater patience, mindfulness, improved physical health, and energy. We can learn to see beyond life’s illusions, thus changing our attitudes about life, people, and ourselves. We become more compassionate and understanding.” Who wouldn't want a more balanced life, a sharper mind, greater patience...", right? I definitely do, and this sentence would give me the inclination to continue reading on.

Meditation for a Healthier You

Meditation can lead to a more balanced life, a sharper mind, greater patience, mindfulness, improved physical health, and energy. We can learn to see beyond life’s illusions, thus changing our attitudes about life, people, and ourselves. We become more compassionate and understanding.

Meditation enhances health at three levels: physically, we begin to relax; mentally, our busied thoughts become quiet and focused; and spiritually, we get reenergized and are able to deal more lovingly and effectively with the people and events around us. By following a few simple steps, anyone can learn to meditate; even beginners may experience the calming effects of a few moments of purposeful silence.

If you would like to meditate, start by getting into a comfortable position. It’s probably best to sit in a chair to keep your spine straight, your feet flat on the floor, and your eyes closed. Find a comfortable position for your hands; place them either in your lap or at your sides. Slowly take a few deep breaths and begin to relax. Inhale the air deep into your lungs, hold it for a moment, then slowly exhale. With your mind, search your body for any obvious tension or tight muscles. You can try to relieve the tension by deep breathing, imagining that the area is relaxed, or by gently massaging any tightness with your fingertips. When you have finished becoming comfortable and relaxed, then you are ready to move on.

Next, focus your mind on a single, peaceful, calming thought. Instead of thinking about what went on at work or what has to be done with the remainder of your day, try focusing on a thought such as “God is love” or “I am at peace.” You can use any spiritual prayer or thought which is meaningful to you. These thoughts are also called “affirmations.” The first way to allow this affirmation to work is to try to clear your mind of everything else.

Once you begin to feel the meaning of the affirmation, you should attempt to hold this feeling in silent attention. You will begin to feel a sense of peace and serenity. Every time your mind starts to wander, it is helpful to first begin thinking of the words of the affirmation and then try to concentrate on the feeling behind them. Gently bring your focus back to the words of the affirmation. Don’t let yourself become discouraged when you find yourself thinking more about distractions than you are focusing upon the affirmation. It will take time to teach yourself to focus on one thought. Spend anywhere from three to fifteen minutes trying to hold the affirmation silently. Longer mediation periods can take place when you have built up some experience.

At the end of your meditation, send out prayers, good thoughts, or peaceful energy to others. If you have been focusing on love, then try to send a sense of that love to someone you are concerned about. Simply with a thought, you can also send out the energy of peace to others like family and friends.

In simplest terms, meditation is the practice of quieting our physical bodies and our minds, and focusing our attention inward instead of upon the world around us. As you begin to practice meditation daily, it will become easier. You might also notice that the sense of peace inside you during meditation will begin to carry over into the different parts of your day. Most important, we can learn through meditation that all the answers to all our questions about life are within us. All we have to do is ask and listen.