Blog assignment # 7

This assigment took me a lot of time to write since I had never wrote a personal memoir before. It was hard to be abble to reflect what things I saw and the feelings that each one of them brought at that particular moment. I struggled finding the correct and most appropiate words to describe the many places I visit on my trip to my country, but overall I think I was able to give a decent description of my journey. I decided to  write about this story because I feel is something I would love to repeat in the future The memories are still on my mind like if it was yesterday and I was able to have a very unique experience back home. There are two parts from the personal memoir that  like the most  but I decided to go for this one because it provides with the best description out the entire paper:
         
            On my way home, while I absorbed the beauty of Cochabamba, I was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging as we entered the north side of the city.  The sun glistened on my skin and blinded me from appreciating the clear sky ahead. However, as we drove forward, I took a deep breath, and felt a stream of purity coming into my lungs, my smile instantly lengthened, and I thought “It is really great to be back; too bad it is only temporary”. After dropping off my luggage at my house, we went to my father’s country house, what we call “La finca” where he had prepared a party with friends and family.  The party was fun and there was plenty of food but, I felt so tired that I ended up going to bed early.

Blog assignment # 5 : Reading " Prozac Nation" by Elizabeth Wurtzel

I read  " Prozac Nation" from Elizabeth Wurtzel because I really like the particular style of writing of this author. At first was a little doubtful on weather I would like it or not. I went out on a limb, and decided to do the actual reading. I decided to start reading that same night.A quote that grabbed my attention was " I have spent so much time trying to convince people that I really am depressed,  that I can't cope -- but now that is finally true I don't want to admit it. I'm petrified by what is happening to me, so frightened of what the bottom of the well will look like once I sink down there, so frightned that this in fact, this is it".  Elizabeth Wurtzel expresses the ups and downs, ins and outs, and everything in between of depression in such ways that you just can’t put the reading down. As I was reading i was able to compare some family members that claimed they had depression and the different states that they go thhrough. Elizabeth Wurtzel grew up in a family with a mother and a father like any normal kid, but when she was a kid, her parents split up. Her mother was left to be a single-mother, not receiving any money from a deadbeat dad. Her parents had always fought, about money, Elizabeth and everything you can think of. This is one of the major reasons Elizabeth fell into a depression. Elizabeth’s self-esteem was seriously harmed after her father telling her, her mother wanted to have an abortion, but he had to hold her back not too. After I finished the reading, I was able to have a better understanding of how a depressed person feels and how much the need of attention can affect them.

Blog assigment # 4 - Describing a photograph.

     I chose Sebastião Salgado's Image of Mine Workers because I think it is shocking seeing so many people working on such conditions! The quality of the picture neither the size lets you have a better understanding of what is really going on in the picture but, it reminds of a movie I once watched with my nephew called “Antz”.  One can see thousands of workers working on the mine and I was wondering how did they hire so many people and even more incredible is how this people accepted to work in there? It looks crazy. There is no equipment whatsoever; everything must have being done manually. I don’t know if I should call them stairs or ladders but that’s what they used to go from one mountain to the other. The workers are wearing dirty clothes and almost bumping into each other in such a huge place. The picture overall gives you a sense of sadness because these people seem to be exploited. The author does a great job portraying how difficult it was to work in the mines of Brazil.

Blog assigment # 3 - Writing about My vignette

This first assignment took me roughly an hour to write. I chose the story because I didn’t what to write and I saw Magaly sitting next to me while we were having dinner. I started asking question and taking notes on a blank sheet of paper. And I thought her story was very interesting. Even though, I knew I couldn’t write her story on 3 pages, I decided to go for it. This was the part that really caught my attention:

                There was not anybody to take care of them, what at some point was unthinkable became a reality. Her father was always working from 6 am to 12pm for an American company 6 days a week and because of the depression he was experiencing since the death of his wife, he was barely at home. she had to come back and forward from school or work and help her siblings with their homework, feed them and take of them when they were sick. In addition, she had to deal with her older brother who instead of helping her would come home and give her extra work.

                As she was telling me story it was hard for me to choose which details I should keep. But in this particular part I could feel her anger towards her brother and the story got even more interesting.  She described him as a cold hearted person who never cared about anybody else than himself. On the other hand, she  was proud of herself for being able to raise two kids at her young age.

                At the end, I noticed that I had summarize her story so much that I knew it was not a powerful vignette  and I could have done a better job but time was up!. This was my first time writing something other than academic essays but I hope I get better at it.

Assignment Blog # 2

I chose “The Things They Carried” by Demetria Martinez because I thought it was the same piece I had read for other class which had the same tittle.  The story I read before talks about Tim O’Brien and his fellow soldiers from the alpha company in Vietnam. The story talks about the things they carried and how it helps them to stay in touch with the real world. However, as I started reading this piece by Demetria Martinez, I noticed that the concept is completely different but I was still very attracted to it.

This piece has a very strong message. It portrays more the individual stories of people crossing the border and the things that are left behind and delivers a more general awareness about this issue without involving U.S. politics on immigration. I really like the part where she says   "...abandoned by their smuggler, abandoned by a gluttonous nation that craves cheap labor but detests the laborer.". She writes in such a powerful way and the images are so real that she really makes the reader feel the emotion she is conveying. As Martinez details what some items are found in the desert it is hard not to imagine what some of these people go through for an opportunity to live in the country we are so fortunate to be living in.

Blog Post # 1 - Herbert M.

My name is Herbert Markowski velasco. I'm currently studying Criminal justice and this is my last semester at LaGuardia Community college. I was born and raised in Bolivia and I came to New York three years ago. The reason why I'm taking ENG274 is to improve my skills as a writer since soon I will be going to a four year college (John Jay college of Criminal Justice). Writing is not something I really enjoy doing since all the classes I took mainly gave me assignments on topics that I did not like or interested me at all. I’m currently employed by Target stores as a Logistics team leader and I barely have time to write more than what it is necessary..  I'm looking forward to learn as much as I can in this class in order to become a better writer and succeed in a four year college