Little Saigon & Zelzah: A Tale From Long Ago

I read a poem called Little Saigon written by David St. John. I will try my best to explain, I don't understand poems well all the vocabulary they use. A mother sent her two kids on a boat to America. She told the character in the story who was 14 years old to take care of her little sister name Mai Chi. They didn't get to shower for 10 days, and they didn't have much food.

I know a family who won't let her kids eat more when they are still hungry. She only feeds them a little. It really touches me hard, it's sad. I felt bad for these kids, I always gave them my food- and I would make them food and give them a lot. Kids are innocent, they should be able to get fed everyday, and showers. Finally, a fishermen carried them on his ship and gave them blankets, showers, etc.

Ngoc Be and Mai Chi were waiting for their mother to come to California, until one day the Aunt Kahnh told them that their mother died in a storm. I can't imagine going through life with both my parents being gone. I would have to take care of my two little sisters, and I would have to stand strong in front of them. I can't imagine. I know a few friends who go through that in life.

Again, like I've said I tried my best to explain the poem. I don't understand it fully in details- but I got the basic idea. The other story I've read is called Zelzah: A Tale From Long Ago written by Norma Fox Mazer. There were five sisters in the story- The oldest to the youngest is Ruth, Zelzah, Shulamith, Anna, and then Sara is the youngest. Zelzah is the quiet one, and she always wonder about the names her mother gave her and her sister. For example- Anna means "grace" but she was clumsy with one leg shorter than the other. For Shylamith, her name mean "peacefulness" but she wasn't peaceful. The meaning of their names didn't seem to match for who they really were.

The five sisters slept together in a large double bed. I have my own bed, and I wouldn't want my sisters to sleep with me. My sisters always sleep with me in my bed, they have their own beds. But when, I come home from college- they miss me so much and I only let them sleep in my bed with me because I love them. But, really I like to sleep in my own bed alone. It's more comfortable. I can't imagine having to sleep with someone everyday, (and that's exactly why I am not getting married. Haha)!

Anyways, this story isn't supposed to be funny- I went off the subject. Back to Shulamith, who always tell each sister where they should sleep. I wouldn't like a sister telling me where to sleep. She is the middle child, and I think that is interesting to see that the middle child has that type of personality, to demand her sisters what to do. And, it's not like they sleep together because they love each other. They have to, because the parents can't afford to buy more beds, or a bigger house for more room.

That is sad, the family lives in a one big room which is their house. The bed was in a corner of the room. The house only contained that bed, a high dish cupboard, two wooden wardrobes, a scrubbed wooden table and chairs, several metal trunks with rounded tops and leather straps, a stove, and their parent's bed. They came from a poor family.

Ruth would clean anything without being told! Shulamith and Zelzah did a bit of everything. Sarah was allowed to play all day long. Zelzah was 9 years old, and he worked on the farm of a elderly Polish couple. Zelzah always walked 3 miles and did a lot of work without complaining. He was well fed. Her parents began to talk about her future. They wanted Zelzah to get married. Shulamith seemed jealous, she got mad at Zelzah and said "why did momma have you before me? I want to have my own bed to sleep with a man."

Later that summer their Aunt Hannah came to America- just like in the last story (poem) Little Saigon- where the two girls were sent to America.

Aunt Hannah had 4 sons. One was already married to an American girl. One was still young. Two sons, Jake and Ephraim needed wives. Zelzah is now fifteen and would make a good wife for Jake. He marries his own cousin? Back then people married their own cousins. I can't imagine marring my own cousin. Zelzah was focused on getting an education for herself, then she became a teacher for the third graders. There is soo much details to the story. But, that's the whole point. I don't want to exagerrate! There is too much more information I could add. You just have to read the story for yourself, it's so long! =D Thanks!

On the Rainy River & The Setting Sun and the Rolling World

I read this story called On the Rainy River written by Tim O'Brien. It was about Tim the narrator, he had a story that he never told to his brother or sister, or not to his wife. He didn't tell anyone, he got a draft notice- saying that he must go to the Vietnam war. He didn't want to go to war. He was scared. He just graduated from Macalester College, and he was 21 years old.

He spent the summer of 1968 working at a meatpacking plant in his home of Worthington, Minnesota. He worked as an assembly line- he had to remove blood clots from the necks of dead pigs. Another word for that is declotter. I couldn't be able to do that, that is just disgusting. I can't imagine myself putting my hand in that mess. And, even he goes home and shower- and still can smell the pig on himself. Eww...

Anyways, before he decides to escape to Canada, so he doesn't have to go to war- a man saved his life. When he got out of the car and walked up to the front of the porch of the building- the man opned the door for him. He took him in. His name was Elroy Berdahl, and he was 81 years old. They spent six days together at the Tip Top Lodge. They ate their meals, took long hikes, and played Scrabble, etc all days/nights. Then he decided to go to war, even if he was scared. He is so brave to leave his family, friends, brother and sister for the war. It's so sad, I don't like to think about war. He was a survivor of the war, but he went back home- and it wasn't a happy ending. But, he was a coward- but he did go to war.

I also read The Setting Sun and the Rolling World written by Charles Mungoshi. Nhamo wanted to leave home to start a new life. He knew it was time to move on with his life. His father didn't want him to leave. It's the same experiences I've had based on leaving home when I enrolled for MSSD and when I went to college. I've explained that before. It's hard, but every parent will have to face that with every child they have. Even, when I have children- it will be hard to let them go. I know it will be, and I know I won't want to- but I have to. His father wanted to make sure that Nhamo is sure that he knows what he is doing if he goes on his own. Old Musoni didn't look at his son when he left. That really hit me hard. I didn't know why he didn't look at his son, was he too sad- or?? He just had to face with the fact that his son was leaving...

It does connect with On the Rainy River written by Tim O'Brien, because the son had to leave to go to war. It is the same concept with Nhamo, he had to leave his home to start his life.

Connecting Beautiful & Cruel And Trip in a Summer Dress

I read Beautiful & Cruel written by Sandra Cisneros. The narrator Sandra, thinks she is an ugly girl. She has negative attitudes towards herself. I didn't know who Nenny was, but I assume she is a friend of Sandra. Sandra thinks Nenny is a beautiful girl with preety eyes. Nenny said she won't wait for a husband to come and get her. She wants to do everything on her own.

I think some people who are preety, and rather do everything on their own- are egos. They think they are better than everyone. They don't need anyone else to come in their life to tell them what to do. This story is short, but I think the lesson of the story was that some people who are beautiful aren't worth our time. But, in my opinion, I've met many beautiful people and they aren't stuck-ups. I am friends with many of them, and they are cool people. I never judge people based on their looks. And every individual can be preety in every way. Noone is ugly.

I also read Trip in a Summer Dress written by Annette Sanford. It is opposite of Beautiful & Cruel. Annette went to Eureka to get married to Bill Richards in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Her mother had Annette at 15 years old. And, Annette had her first kid Matthew at 15 years old, but Annette wasn't married. Bill thinks Matthew is Annette mother's son. But Annette called Matthew her brother because her parents took care of him for her. Her mother probably thought she wasn't mature enough to take care of her own kid.

Everyone probably is thinking- she is too young to have a kid. It is true, but people can and have survived through it. I do believe a 15 years old can be a responsible mother, anyone can do it- if they really care. For example, my mother was pregnant at 15 and had me when she was 16 years old. She was still in high school. But, my grandmother took care of me when my mother went to school. But, my mother always called me her daughter- and she took care of me when she came home from school. Then when I was 3 years old, after my mother graduated high school- she moved out of her house and took me. She raised me the right way, even if she was a young mother. She can do it, I believe Annette could do it too. But, her parents did not teach Annette that she could be the mother and do it! I think that is wrong for her to think of her son as her brother. The only thing Annette did was name him Matthew. Annette left Matthew when he was 6 years old, and she was going to miss his birthdays. Matthew was crying and he was sad to see his "sister" leave.

Annette met a woman on the bus and she told her that she had a son at home. I would be that woman who said "why didn't you bring him?" I think Annette should just move on with life and start accepting that she has a son. She should of brought him to the wedding. I think that is sad that she left him at home. That is not what a mother should do with their own kid, it doesn't matter if you're 15. You made the decision to have a kid. I am just thankful that my mother, even if she was 15, she kept me and called me her daughter. I couldn't imagine being called her sister. I honestly wouldn't mind having a kid right now, even if im in college. I love kids- I can and will live my life with kids all the way.

English Language is Biased?

I read this article called Bias & Language (Part 2) written by Lowe and Graham. Some people think our English language is biased. For example, some people assume some of the words we say, we mean men. For example, a doctor- people assume the doctor is a man. Some people don’t even notice that English is biased. Biased build in for men is called “andocentric.” Why do people think that English has been built by men? I think it’s because they had more power back then. For example, they could vote before women could. In a traditional family, men are the head of a household in a family.

Some of us are underrepresented in English, such as people with disabilities or people with illness. There are more varieties of ways people are identified by the language we use. For example, I am a deaf person myself. But, the hearing world thinks it’s ok to use the terminology “hearing-impaired.” But, most people in the Deaf culture think it’s more polite to say just Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

I also read an article called Power & Language- Part 3. Everyone gets that feeling where they can picture things in their mind, but can’t convey what they are picturing in words. It is hard sometimes. I do believe language can affect our thinking, because we can analyze languages by the grammar structure and vocabulary that we use. Every language has their own grammar structure. And, in English there are many different words we can use for one word. For example, if you want to say someone is sad- you can also say someone is gloomy. It will still have the same picture in your mind, but has different words- but has the same meaning.

Linguists believe that language and thought are “interdependent.” That means that the language and thoughts of words are separated. They can function alone. We always say what we are thinking, and we have to think to understand and use language. If you explain something to someone else, you often can understand what you are explaining and understand it better.
People who are involved in debates or involved in advertising things use repetitions, alliterations, and onomatopoeia in their speeches so their speeches are more persuasive. Alliteration means you start a lot of words with the same letters. For example, Sally saw something sitting still. Onomatopoeia is when you use two words that are similar in a sentence.

What is euphemism? It is used by media, politicians and other people in power to manipulate the way they present information. I encourage you to read this article for more information. It has a lot of interesting information about how language has been influenced on how we think.

Dawn by Tim Wynne-Jones

I read Dawn written by Tim Wynne-Jones. A thirteen years old boy name Barnsey rode on a bus to visit his grandma for Christmas. He was worried that he would sit by a weird person on the bus. What I didn't understand was why Barnsey's mother ripped a $20 and gave half to the bus driver then the other half to Barnsey.

Barnsey sat next to a girl that had nine earrings, nose rings, and had a Mohawk. But, they became good friends even if they liked different kind of music. Barnsey is 13 years old, and Dawn is 20 years old. They talked to each other on the bus, and became friends. It makes me think of a quote "Don't judge people by the cover." That reminds me of a plane ride to Washington, D.C. A girl who sat next to me started talking to me, I said I can't hear- I gestured- do you want to write. She said sure, and we started writing back and forth the whole flight, and became friends. We even gave each other our e-mail addresses. It was weird.

I was surprised that a 20 years old girl didn't mind becoming good friends with a 13 year old boy. I was counting how many years apart one of my good friends is from me. As I was counting, it is the exact same years between Barnsey and Dawn. They are 7 years apart. One of my good friend, who is a CODA, is 7 years older than me. The ages 13 and 20 look like a lot of years apart, but compared to 18 and 25- it doesn't seem that many years apart. But, interesting... Yes, Renee my good friend- has influenced my life. I liked the fact that I had a good friend older than me, I tend to hang out with older people, but that's me. She has influenced my life, because I know she is a person who I can go visit if I want to get away from home. And, she has 4 children- I love kids. Her house is like my 2nd home.

I didn't really understand the point of the ending of the story. But, I think the lesson that the author was trying to tell us is to not judge people by the cover. It doesn't matter what people look like. They could still be a cool person in the inside. We need to stop going out and judging people by their looks.