christina's english blog

 My most unforgettable meal was when I had birria tacos for the first time. The first time I heard about them was when I saw Mukbangers eating them on TikTok, and I thought it looked so good. One day, I gave in and decided to order them through DoorDash. I got them, and I was so excited. The first bite tasted like heaven. The meat was so flavorful, and they were so cheesy. Now I love birria tacos, and whenever a restaurant offers them, it's my first choice. Today, in class, we took a test on "The Life You Save May Be Your Own."

 A time I realized I needed to look out for myself in a silly, harmless situation was when my math teacher decided to give out a surprise pop quiz in class. Everyone around me was panicking, but I remained calm. I tried to remind myself that stressing would not help, so I just did the questions I knew first. Choosing to stay level-headed made the whole quiz easier. It reminded me that sometimes it's better not to stress yourself out and just protect your peace. Today, in class, we finished up our writable assignment. 

 A time I had an encounter with a homeless person was when I was riding the MARTA train. He was wearing some sort of hospital gown and bracelet, like he had just gotten out recently.  Then he asked my mom if she had any snacks. Luckily, we were on our way to the airport, and she had some snacks with her and gave them to him. Then he just began to eat it. He did say excuse me to some other people, but they ignored him. Usually, homeless people ask for money, but he just wanted something to eat. It made me feel sad. I hate seeing homeless people, and I wish that I could help them more, instead of giving them a couple of extra dollars. 

 I am thankful for the people in my life who support me and care for me. I am grateful to have food and a roof over my head. I am grateful to have a bed to lie in at night. I appreciate having new opportunities to learn, improve, and become stronger in school, both in school and in my own personal life. Most of all, I'm thankful for God's presence and guidance because it helps me stay grounded and hopeful.

A time I learned something new about someone that completely changed how I viewed them was when I thought a person in my life was acting distant because they were upset with me, but later I found out they were going through a hard time and didn't know how to talk about it. The new information made me see their behavior in a totally different way and made me feel more understanding instead of hurt. Just like how the ending of the story forces us to reinterpret Emily's actions and realize she was struggling with loneliness and control. Sometimes one new piece of information can shift your entire perspective.

 One of the craziest new stories I've ever heard was about a woman who pretended to be a high school student for almost an entire year before getting caught. She attended classes, joined a club, and fooled everyone. It stood out to me because it shows how crazy and unpredictable people can be sometimes. Many were shocked and confused about why she did it. It also goes to show that people will go to extreme lengths to feel accepted or escape their reality. Today in class, we finished the Rose for Emily story and did a characterization chart on a character of choice.

 A place that holds deep memories for me is my childhood house in Woodstock, Georgia. I was born in Georgia, and I lived here until I was 8. Due to my Grandmother's health issues, we had to move to Texas. When I was a little girl, my mom always made everything so special for me. She was an event planner, so she always threw these extravagant parties at our house, and I also had the best birthday parties. She would also repaint and redecorate my room for each birthday. I have the best memories at that house. I now live in Georgia again, and I still keep in contact with one of my close childhood friends who lives in the same neighborhood I lived in as a little girl. Whenever I go to visit her and I pass by my childhood home, it's always a bittersweet feeling. The house was repainted, and a different family lives there now. Sometimes I wanna just knock on their door and go inside and walk around, but deep down I know it will be completely different. The house being repainted repre...

 A time I saw or heard a vocabulary word from lesson two outside of the classroom was when I listened to the song Metamorphosis by Playboi Carti. I first learned the word "metamorphosis" when I was in elementary school, and I learned about how different animals morphed, like how caterpillars turn into butterflies and how tadpoles turn into frogs. When I listened to the song, Playboi Carti was rapping about how he "morphed" his swag. I was able to connect his message with the meaning I learned about metamorphosis in the past. Today in class, we worked on vocabulary lesson two and our rockiples project.

 Thinking about the Rockiple, something my parents forbade me from doing when I was growing up was staying up too late. When I was in elementary school, I had a specific bedtime to ensure I was well rested for school. I think they did this to make sure that I was not tired and so I could be ready and prepared for the day. Today in class, we started our Rockiple group assignment.

 The parent or guardian in my life who was the strictest was probably my dad. But my parents aren't really that strict. I think its because I'm a pretty good kid. I don't go out and party, smoke or drink, or have bad grades so there isn't anything really to be strict about. I would say he's more strict on the way I dress but he really isn't that strict. My parents have entrusted me with a lot of freedom

 A time when learning a new word or understanding a specific term helped me better analyze a text, express an idea, or make my writing stronger was when I learned the word "zeitgeist." Before, I had to awkwardly describe how a text reflected "everything people were thinking and doing" during an era. Now, I can describe the spirit or mood of a particular period of history. This word was specifically helpful in my history classes. This one word is really helpful because it lets me concisely connect a text's themes to its historical and cultural context, which makes my essays much stronger and more academically rigorous.