1.21.2010
Being Independent
One of my co-workers was telling me that he is very excited to turn 21. He said he will now be able to drink legally among other exciting things that he could do. He is also planning to move out from his mother and father’s basement and find a place that he could settle. He is also in the process of buying a used car but still looking for a cheap auto insurance. It must be a total change to be out the shadow of his parents. From trying to do what his parents wanted him to do, to being able to do whatever he wants to do. It is the joy of being 21 and the feeling of independence. I hope everything works out, and he will not end up coming back to his parent’s basement.
Buying Cigars
I am not comfortable around people that smoke. The smoke makes me really sick that sometimes I couldn’t breathe. None in my family smoke. My Dad used to when we were younger. I don’t even remember or see him ever smoke, but that is what my mother used to tell us. None of my brothers smoke either. The only people that smoked when I was growing up were my uncles and my grandfather. A couple of my uncles had asthma and that didn’t stop them from smoking. It also bothers my mother when they are smoking while carrying their baby. That was why I was hesitant when my father told me that he will buy Black and Mild cigars as a gift when we all go home later in March. I told him that as long as they will use it responsibly then I don’t see any problem with the gift.
School and Stuff
School has already started and though I feel like I am up to the challenge; I am still worried. I worry about not doing good with it. I have awesome and I mean business teachers. I understand. We are there to learn, so we have to keep up with the bargain. With my Pol Sci class alone, it is the 4 essays that I need to do during the semester is what I am worried about. This might be the time that I will see an english tutor to check my work at the Student Success Center. I never tried their service before and I heard a lot of good things about it. I am so bad with grammar that I can't see it in my own work, but I can pin point it when I am reading other people's work. I really don't want my grades to go down because of it. Thirty percent is taken off from the total grade with grammatical errors in a single essay.
Next week, I already have a lot of quizzes dues and posts among other things. So there goes my social life. I am just glad and it is indeed a blessing that I am off for the entire week next week because the very first essays is due on the 1st of February. This will hopefully give me the time to brain storm and give my full attention to it. Well, Jenny and I planned to take the kids to play at the Fun world, so we may do that but the rest of the week will be spend for this. I also need to write all the essays ahead of time especially on the deadlines whem I am in the Philippines. It will be very very hard. I may have to read all the chapters while I am in the plane so that we land I can take the quizzes. As I was listening to him last night, I thought of myself, how can I possibly enjoy my vacation but I will try to and I will.
Ryan was also nice to upgrade the computer here in Papa's bedroom when I asked him to. This is so fast now and I don't have to worry about being disconnected unlike the old computer. It is very quiet here too, and I can think. I may have to leave the house and go to the library tonight since I have a chapter to read, and when I see a bed in here, I felt like crashing instead of reading, and I really do not have the time to put it off, or I will never to catch up. But of course, writing pay u too is my top priority. :)
Next week, I already have a lot of quizzes dues and posts among other things. So there goes my social life. I am just glad and it is indeed a blessing that I am off for the entire week next week because the very first essays is due on the 1st of February. This will hopefully give me the time to brain storm and give my full attention to it. Well, Jenny and I planned to take the kids to play at the Fun world, so we may do that but the rest of the week will be spend for this. I also need to write all the essays ahead of time especially on the deadlines whem I am in the Philippines. It will be very very hard. I may have to read all the chapters while I am in the plane so that we land I can take the quizzes. As I was listening to him last night, I thought of myself, how can I possibly enjoy my vacation but I will try to and I will.
Ryan was also nice to upgrade the computer here in Papa's bedroom when I asked him to. This is so fast now and I don't have to worry about being disconnected unlike the old computer. It is very quiet here too, and I can think. I may have to leave the house and go to the library tonight since I have a chapter to read, and when I see a bed in here, I felt like crashing instead of reading, and I really do not have the time to put it off, or I will never to catch up. But of course, writing pay u too is my top priority. :)
Gifts
I have been counting the months since the time Ryan and I purchased the plane tickets. We charged it on our credit card because it was the most convenient way to do, and when we got the bill, we turned around and pay everything in full. So now I could enjoy our vacation without worrying about paying it back. We have already sent two “balikbayan boxes” with some goodies in it but most of them were Frankie clothes and diapers. Papa and I managed to get some little something for my immediate family but not for the rest of the relatives. You know how it is over there. If you give one to one person then you may have to give to the rest of them. My eldest brother already has a razor as a gift while the rest of the girls including my mother will get cute watches. With my second brother, Ryan is going to give him something from his collection of games. He wants to give it away because he wants to buy a ps3 to add to his Nintendo DS and Xbox that he already has, so I am glad he is giving some of it away to give some room in the little space we have.
1.19.2010
Cancer
I got an email from a close friend back home telling me that one of our classmates in college passed away. I was in shocked of the news because she was so young. Apparently, she died of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women here in the United States and in other parts of the world. My gynecologist had been telling me to take vitamin E and be mindful with the changes of my body. Most Asians get them at some point of their lives. He knows because he’s wife is a Filipina and some of his in-laws has and had breast cancer. It is very scary, and I hope time will come that they will be able to find cure so nobody had to suffer. Another cancer that is very rampant is the Mesothelioma cancer. Just like any other cancer, it is very fatal. A lot of people doesn't know anything about it and learning about this kind of cancer will go a long way.
Testing My Patience
I had been telling Ryan that I am not ready to get a pet yet. I didn't want to deal with the cleaning up and the responsibility of caring for one. I know how much Ryan and Frankie would love to have a dog like Gilbert, but I assume I will have to take care of it that was why I said no, but everything changed when I saw the pictures of the guinea pigs in our break room . The daughter of our co-worker posted them, and she was giving them away for free. They were very cute, and I will give them that, but I didn't know how much of a work they are.
I asked my co-worker about the guinea pigs, and how much of a work they are. She answered me that they are so nice to have because they require very less time. She said, her daughter cleans the cage once a week. So I thought, why not? When I got home, I told Ryan about the "babies". Ryan's initial answer was no. I didn't want to argue with him because I thought, it could be a blessing in disguise. I tried to ask him again and if he will say no again, then it was not meant to be. I was surprised when Ryan said yes this time and told me we need to get everything before I can take them home. I was a little excited. They looked to cute in the picture that I couldn't wait to meet them.
I set up a pick-up with my co-worker's daughter. They were inside a shoe box then she handed them to me, and they were both so cute. The big guinea pig was beating up the little one while we were driving on the way home. Frankie was so excited when he saw them. Ryan set everything up the day before, so everything was ready when we got home. Ryan dumped the entire bag of bedding on the cage floor. We didn't know that those cost so much, and we were supposed to be using them little by little. That was the reason why I was so impressed of how less the cleaning was when I first took them home because it didn't smell and there were no poop. Then the reality set in.
The beddings was all over the floor and after a week it started to smell. I cleaned it up and didn't want to use the same bedding because of how messy it was. I bought another kind of bedding but that did not help either because after a day it smelled really bad. Not just smell but stinky smell. I tried doing tricks but none of them worked. So, I went back to buying the beddings that we used the first time which is $14.99 per bag that lasts only a week.
They have only been here with us for less than a month, and I felt like giving them up. I know it is really bad, but they are so much work ( and I can hear my mother-in-law, Karen and Marilynn telling me I told you so). Please do not get me wrong. I love them but when I first got them I didn't have school and now that school just started I felt the pressure. I need to clean them up that takes so much of my time, make lunches for Dada every night among other things. I can't believe she only cleans her cage once a week. I bet it is worst than nasty in there. Ryan told me that he didn't want to have them in the first place but said yes because I begged him. He is really so good with the babies also Frankie. In fact, he didn't want us to give it up, and he said he will take care of them. The lady where I got them from promised that she will take care of them when we go home to the Philippines because Ryan couldn't do it, but I am not even sure if she will follow through.
So the question is should I keep them for Frankie? I don't know if I can deal with it any longer. I will try but if I give them up, where am I going to give them? Papa said to Petsmart but I am sure I will miss them when they are gone. I don't know. I will just hang in there I guess. Every time I clean their cage I kept asking myself if this is just testing my patience on cleaning the poop and the pee because I will be doing the same to little kids once I finish school. They are very good to Frankie. Just look at them below.
I asked my co-worker about the guinea pigs, and how much of a work they are. She answered me that they are so nice to have because they require very less time. She said, her daughter cleans the cage once a week. So I thought, why not? When I got home, I told Ryan about the "babies". Ryan's initial answer was no. I didn't want to argue with him because I thought, it could be a blessing in disguise. I tried to ask him again and if he will say no again, then it was not meant to be. I was surprised when Ryan said yes this time and told me we need to get everything before I can take them home. I was a little excited. They looked to cute in the picture that I couldn't wait to meet them.
I set up a pick-up with my co-worker's daughter. They were inside a shoe box then she handed them to me, and they were both so cute. The big guinea pig was beating up the little one while we were driving on the way home. Frankie was so excited when he saw them. Ryan set everything up the day before, so everything was ready when we got home. Ryan dumped the entire bag of bedding on the cage floor. We didn't know that those cost so much, and we were supposed to be using them little by little. That was the reason why I was so impressed of how less the cleaning was when I first took them home because it didn't smell and there were no poop. Then the reality set in.
The beddings was all over the floor and after a week it started to smell. I cleaned it up and didn't want to use the same bedding because of how messy it was. I bought another kind of bedding but that did not help either because after a day it smelled really bad. Not just smell but stinky smell. I tried doing tricks but none of them worked. So, I went back to buying the beddings that we used the first time which is $14.99 per bag that lasts only a week.
They have only been here with us for less than a month, and I felt like giving them up. I know it is really bad, but they are so much work ( and I can hear my mother-in-law, Karen and Marilynn telling me I told you so). Please do not get me wrong. I love them but when I first got them I didn't have school and now that school just started I felt the pressure. I need to clean them up that takes so much of my time, make lunches for Dada every night among other things. I can't believe she only cleans her cage once a week. I bet it is worst than nasty in there. Ryan told me that he didn't want to have them in the first place but said yes because I begged him. He is really so good with the babies also Frankie. In fact, he didn't want us to give it up, and he said he will take care of them. The lady where I got them from promised that she will take care of them when we go home to the Philippines because Ryan couldn't do it, but I am not even sure if she will follow through.
So the question is should I keep them for Frankie? I don't know if I can deal with it any longer. I will try but if I give them up, where am I going to give them? Papa said to Petsmart but I am sure I will miss them when they are gone. I don't know. I will just hang in there I guess. Every time I clean their cage I kept asking myself if this is just testing my patience on cleaning the poop and the pee because I will be doing the same to little kids once I finish school. They are very good to Frankie. Just look at them below.
Acne Scars
Grace is the only lucky one who didn’t have to go through having acne on her face. My two elder brothers and me and my one younger sister had to suffer from having acne while growing up. It was so embarrassing to have all the scars that acne brought. My eldest brother had it worst and my younger sis also had it bad. Mine is also bad but not as much because you won’t see it clearly from a distance. I don’t like hiding it with make-up either. I want to try using an acne scar removal and see if I can get rid of these acne scars completely. If I could, then I would love to share it to my siblings who are also suffering from acne scars.
1.17.2010
In Need of Change
Our living room windows really need some serious help. The color is ridiculously ugly that the previous owner used to match with the color of the wall. From the time Frankie started walking, he has been pulling them down. I am just glad that Papa fixed it and it doesn’t look that bad anymore. Ryan is planning to get rid of that wall completely, so I don’t know what it would be after, or if he will ever change the windows too. I hope he will do it soon, so our living room can look nice again. Those faux wood blinds would really match on the wood trimming that we have there. I can’t wait when we take care of it finally after we come back from the trip.
Frankie's Halloween and Christmas
Blame it to my schedule, I didn't get to post pictures of Frankie during Halloween and Christmas. Well, here they are finally. I know not all of my readers are from facebook, so I felt like I owe it to Frankie's readers to update. Besides, I like browsing to the old posts I did about Frankie. Kinda like a diary but online. On Frankie's first Halloween he was a puppy. On his second halloween he was Dart Vader and last year he was Bob the Builder. Thankfully, I didn't have to spend anything because Jenny gave that outfit. It was Kyle's from the year before and it fit Frankie perfectly.
We didn't go to a lot of places. Ryan and I took him at CC that morning, and we had so much fun that we were all so exhausted. The three of us took a nap and when we got up, it was already 6:00 p.m. It was indeed a very nice and long nap. I dressed Frankie up, and the three of us went trick or treating. Dada stayed home because he needed to do something in the computer while Papa came with us.
We didn't go to a lot of places. Ryan and I took him at CC that morning, and we had so much fun that we were all so exhausted. The three of us took a nap and when we got up, it was already 6:00 p.m. It was indeed a very nice and long nap. I dressed Frankie up, and the three of us went trick or treating. Dada stayed home because he needed to do something in the computer while Papa came with us.
Our neighbor's little dog that Frankie adores every time they pass by.
Christmas, on the other hand, was the same. Only we were able to take him to see Santa and have a picture with him. This is also the first year that Frankie has the concept of Christmas, Santa and Papa Jesus. He was so fascinated when we took him to the mall to see Santa.
Christmas, on the other hand, was the same. Only we were able to take him to see Santa and have a picture with him. This is also the first year that Frankie has the concept of Christmas, Santa and Papa Jesus. He was so fascinated when we took him to the mall to see Santa.
Mama and Frankie at the mall.
All in all, he had a wonderful Halloween and Christmas. It should be exciting this year especially when he starts school. I can't wait!
Plastic Door Knobs
Can you imagine a house with door knobs? How can you possibly open the doors without one? Since the time that Frankie started walking, we have baby proofed the house. We placed plastic knobs all over the house especially on the bathroom doors. He used to go in there and play with the water. He also waited till we were in the kitchen and nobody was watching him before he did his exploring all over the house. I have a cleaver little guy here with me. Well he is two, so what can I expect? Plastic knobs are also useful not only around the house but also on machines and equipments.
New Stroller
I told Ryan that I need a new stroller for Frankie for our upcoming trip to the Philippines. I know he will be able to walk but not long distances especially when we get to South Korea. Papa told me that it is huge, and I don’t want to carry Frankie. I don’t want Papa to carry him either that is why we need a stroller. What we have here is so bulky and heavy. Ryan said we could get one when we get to the Philippines, but it defeats the purpose of buying one. We need it at the airport. I like something that is one hand folding especially when we go in and out of the plane. Frankie also has the tendency to wander around when something is new to him that is why he needs to be tangled in a stroller. I heard and read good reviews about baby jogger city strollers. I may have to check it out since we need to start buying things for this big vacation.
1.08.2010
Looking Back...
I got home a little early today. I needed to cut two hours because I was two hours over. They don't want to pay me overtime. It was Dada who kept me up last night. It always worries me when I don't see him home yet especially this time of the year when the weather is really bad. When he is home, we always talk about how his work and mine. So that explains why I was a little tired today. After the quick nap, I didn't got up right away. I was listening to Papa and Frankie singing the karaoke outside. I noticed how Frankie had mastered quiet a few songs and most of all I noticed how much he adores his tatay. They are our treasures.
The year 2009 had brought us a lot of wonderful blessings and opportunities. Ryan and I had been very productive this year. The year 2009 brought us :
Babies
We welcomed two of Frankie's cousins from both sides. Baby Gadi and Baby Aidan.
Careers
I am so thankfully to have made up my mind and decided go back to school after a few years of not being in school, but this time with a purpose. I will finish what I started. I know I still have a long way to go, but I will get there. Dada and I went back to school and thankfully, even if we are extremely busy; we did good with both our grades.
Jobs
After working several part-time jobs over the summer, I finally got my break and got a full time job. I like what I do, and I do enjoy meeting new people. Most of all, I like the slow pace because I can take care of school without the added stress from work. Dada, on the other hand, got several calls/offers last October when he looked for another job.
Of Moving
My mother-in-law had finally settled in Monee with my father-in-law. She seems to be adjusting with her new life out in the country very well. Papa and mama had adjusted being away from each other too and also the rest of the family.
Of Health
I was so thankful that Frankie was only sick once in 2009. He had a stomach flu one time that lasted several days and (knock on wood) it never happened again. I was also thankful last year because we took care of Papa's hypertension and health. He got his blood test and got his physical exam too. So, now he is on medication that seems to be working very well for him.
On the other hand, Resty had an operation last year but with prayers the operation was successful. Ging-ging also had health issues at the middle of the year, but it went away before the year ended.
Of Age
Dada and I both turned 31. We are happy with what we have accomplished together as husband and wife and looking forward for more years together.
This 2010 I would love to:
Spend more time with my extended family that is if I am not busy.
Save so I could buy a netbook that I could take to work and school to get my things done then Frankie and Papa could use the old one that I have which is too big to carry around.
Study...study...study... With the grades I have so far (considering the previous subjects I took in that school), I am on the Cum Laude list. I thought it would be ambitious, but you'll never know. If I study I could maintain my grades and graduate as a Cum Laude. That would be awesome. I know... I am getting ahead of myself but with that in mind, who knows I might be able to do it.
Lastly, to take things easy. If things doesn't happen the way I wanted it to be, then I need to learn to accept how things are, and let it go. I have to work on this because I easily gets frustrated when things are not right or not done right. One of my co-worker said that I am a perfectionist and very hard to myself sometimes. I explained to her that I don't see it that way. I want other people to be responsible especially when it comes to work.
I hope the year 2010 will bring us blessings and our heart's prayers and wishes will finally be answered. Happy New Year everyone!
The year 2009 had brought us a lot of wonderful blessings and opportunities. Ryan and I had been very productive this year. The year 2009 brought us :
Babies
We welcomed two of Frankie's cousins from both sides. Baby Gadi and Baby Aidan.
Careers
I am so thankfully to have made up my mind and decided go back to school after a few years of not being in school, but this time with a purpose. I will finish what I started. I know I still have a long way to go, but I will get there. Dada and I went back to school and thankfully, even if we are extremely busy; we did good with both our grades.
Jobs
After working several part-time jobs over the summer, I finally got my break and got a full time job. I like what I do, and I do enjoy meeting new people. Most of all, I like the slow pace because I can take care of school without the added stress from work. Dada, on the other hand, got several calls/offers last October when he looked for another job.
Of Moving
My mother-in-law had finally settled in Monee with my father-in-law. She seems to be adjusting with her new life out in the country very well. Papa and mama had adjusted being away from each other too and also the rest of the family.
Of Health
I was so thankful that Frankie was only sick once in 2009. He had a stomach flu one time that lasted several days and (knock on wood) it never happened again. I was also thankful last year because we took care of Papa's hypertension and health. He got his blood test and got his physical exam too. So, now he is on medication that seems to be working very well for him.
On the other hand, Resty had an operation last year but with prayers the operation was successful. Ging-ging also had health issues at the middle of the year, but it went away before the year ended.
Of Age
Dada and I both turned 31. We are happy with what we have accomplished together as husband and wife and looking forward for more years together.
This 2010 I would love to:
Spend more time with my extended family that is if I am not busy.
Save so I could buy a netbook that I could take to work and school to get my things done then Frankie and Papa could use the old one that I have which is too big to carry around.
Study...study...study... With the grades I have so far (considering the previous subjects I took in that school), I am on the Cum Laude list. I thought it would be ambitious, but you'll never know. If I study I could maintain my grades and graduate as a Cum Laude. That would be awesome. I know... I am getting ahead of myself but with that in mind, who knows I might be able to do it.
Lastly, to take things easy. If things doesn't happen the way I wanted it to be, then I need to learn to accept how things are, and let it go. I have to work on this because I easily gets frustrated when things are not right or not done right. One of my co-worker said that I am a perfectionist and very hard to myself sometimes. I explained to her that I don't see it that way. I want other people to be responsible especially when it comes to work.
I hope the year 2010 will bring us blessings and our heart's prayers and wishes will finally be answered. Happy New Year everyone!
1.05.2010
Frankie's Christmas
It was so hard putting up the Christmas decorations this year. When nobody is watching Frankie, he would be up the window trying to take them off. We had the Christmas tree up in the living room, but he just loved pulling the plug and plugging it back in. I couldn't concentrate at work because I was too afraid that he will get electricuted. We have the switch off on that one plug he likes to play though but still I got worried. We even have those safety plugs but even that did not wok because he knew how to take them off. So to keep me from worrying all the time, I transferred the big tree in his room. It fit in there alright, but it was taking most of his space. I wanted it there because I could monitor Frankie, and I will be there with him when he is in his room.
This is the first Christmas that Frankie actually had a little concept about everything. He knew about Christmas and some Christmas songs. He already knew about mama Meye (Mary) and Papa Pesus (Jesus) and most of all he knew who santa was. He had one stocking that he hanged on his doorknob in his room and every night santa always stops by and leave him something everyday until Christmas eve. So everytime he gets up in the morning, before going anywhere else or greet his tatay good morning, he checked it first. You should have seen the look on his face every time he got something from santa. He was being a good boy, so he was rewarded by santa.
Santa this year was a little generous to Frankie. As he figured, he is his only boy, hence he should get more presents. I, on the other hand, just went with the flow. I know that whatever Frankie gets he will be happy with it. Papa helped santa wrapped all the presents. I was so thankfully for that because it was quiet a few. On Christmas eve, I woke Frankie up and told him that santa had left quiet a few presents for him. He didn't want to get up, but I picked him up anyway because I was so excited for him. I couldn't wait to see him open his presents and see the reaction on his face.
My video camera was acting up, so I was not able to record him right away. When he opened the clock, he was so contended and didn't want to open the other ones. I have to remind him over and over again that those were his too. Excuse the video because it was dark and shaky because Frankie kept moving.
I can't believe how much our little Frankie had grown, and we are all looking forward spending the rest of our lives with him.
This is the first Christmas that Frankie actually had a little concept about everything. He knew about Christmas and some Christmas songs. He already knew about mama Meye (Mary) and Papa Pesus (Jesus) and most of all he knew who santa was. He had one stocking that he hanged on his doorknob in his room and every night santa always stops by and leave him something everyday until Christmas eve. So everytime he gets up in the morning, before going anywhere else or greet his tatay good morning, he checked it first. You should have seen the look on his face every time he got something from santa. He was being a good boy, so he was rewarded by santa.
Santa this year was a little generous to Frankie. As he figured, he is his only boy, hence he should get more presents. I, on the other hand, just went with the flow. I know that whatever Frankie gets he will be happy with it. Papa helped santa wrapped all the presents. I was so thankfully for that because it was quiet a few. On Christmas eve, I woke Frankie up and told him that santa had left quiet a few presents for him. He didn't want to get up, but I picked him up anyway because I was so excited for him. I couldn't wait to see him open his presents and see the reaction on his face.
My video camera was acting up, so I was not able to record him right away. When he opened the clock, he was so contended and didn't want to open the other ones. I have to remind him over and over again that those were his too. Excuse the video because it was dark and shaky because Frankie kept moving.
I can't believe how much our little Frankie had grown, and we are all looking forward spending the rest of our lives with him.
1.02.2010
For The Love of My Family - My Very First Essay
The semester has ended about two weeks ago, and I still hasn't updated anything. I missed writing here though especially about Frankie. I am trying to enjoy the little time I have left before school starts again in less than two weeks. It will be a busy semester for sure but with good time management ( I hope) I will manage.
Anyways, I am updating to share my experiences with my English 101 class. I thought it was very interesting. It might be a piece of cake for someone, but it surely wasn't for me. You see, I am not a writer or a native English speaker. Well I could write, but I am not like those who could clearly point out the grammatical errors in a written essay. I don't even know the rules, and the proper use of punctuations. I know, you might think it is as simple as exclamation point, comma and period, but I was surprised when even a comma has its own place in a sentence, or it would make the sentence a comma splice if not placed correctly. A single comma could also transform a simple sentence into compound and complex sentences. It was varieties of sentences that our English teachers expected from us which I did not have any clue. I don't remember my English teacher discussing about this when I was in high school and college. I am also certain that I wasn't absent when she discussed it because I rarely skip class (one or twice every school year). Those who took deeper English classes might have gone through them in college, but I didn't.
When I walked in my English 101 class, I politely informed my teacher not expect too much from me because I am not a native speaker. Of course, I know that I would still keep up with the rest of the students even if I was not a native English speaker. She smiled at me and said I will be fine. Unfortunately, I wasn't fine. The second meeting we had, she already assigned our first writting assignment which was the narrative essay. While sitting in class listening to her, I already thought of a beautiful topic. Because I thougth I had it under control, I didn't panic. When I turned my first essay in, she didn't even grade yet. Yes it was that horrible. There was no structure, no variety of sentences, some sentences were grammartically incorrect, there was no use of transitional words or phrases and in short it was really bad. I even asked our teacher if thesis and essays are the same because it confused me there for a bit. She made it clear that thesis or thesis statements are found in the essay. Ouch! All these time I thought thesis are essays while the essays are only found during exams. See, what I am talking about? I have put my English teachers to shame.
Anyways, I am updating to share my experiences with my English 101 class. I thought it was very interesting. It might be a piece of cake for someone, but it surely wasn't for me. You see, I am not a writer or a native English speaker. Well I could write, but I am not like those who could clearly point out the grammatical errors in a written essay. I don't even know the rules, and the proper use of punctuations. I know, you might think it is as simple as exclamation point, comma and period, but I was surprised when even a comma has its own place in a sentence, or it would make the sentence a comma splice if not placed correctly. A single comma could also transform a simple sentence into compound and complex sentences. It was varieties of sentences that our English teachers expected from us which I did not have any clue. I don't remember my English teacher discussing about this when I was in high school and college. I am also certain that I wasn't absent when she discussed it because I rarely skip class (one or twice every school year). Those who took deeper English classes might have gone through them in college, but I didn't.
When I walked in my English 101 class, I politely informed my teacher not expect too much from me because I am not a native speaker. Of course, I know that I would still keep up with the rest of the students even if I was not a native English speaker. She smiled at me and said I will be fine. Unfortunately, I wasn't fine. The second meeting we had, she already assigned our first writting assignment which was the narrative essay. While sitting in class listening to her, I already thought of a beautiful topic. Because I thougth I had it under control, I didn't panic. When I turned my first essay in, she didn't even grade yet. Yes it was that horrible. There was no structure, no variety of sentences, some sentences were grammartically incorrect, there was no use of transitional words or phrases and in short it was really bad. I even asked our teacher if thesis and essays are the same because it confused me there for a bit. She made it clear that thesis or thesis statements are found in the essay. Ouch! All these time I thought thesis are essays while the essays are only found during exams. See, what I am talking about? I have put my English teachers to shame.
I got A's all the time every time we have quizzes because I could point out my errors but for some strange reasons I couldn't in my own writings. It doesn't even matter how many times I have read it. It felt perfect to me, but when I get it back it was full of red marks.
You See, before I was admitted to my English 101 class, I took the compass test to determine my readiness and which English class I should be placed. I was hoping that I will skip Eng 98 and Eng 99 and take Eng 101 instead. I would save $600.00 by doing so, but I also knew that if I was not ready based from the essay that I wrote (under time pressure of course) then the lower level English would help me a lot. I was amazed with the result. I did really well and was placed in English 101. I walked in that class not knowing anything that most people would have, so in short, the teacher expected that I already knew the basics about writing.
On my second draft, I saw an improvement but it was not the grade that I wanted to have. She only gave me 58 points ( what a shame!) out of 100. She explained what was wrong with my essay, and she gave me another chance to improve it in a week. I didn't know what to do. I have asked people for help me before, but I don't like to depend on anybody. So, I researched and researched. I bought a book online for the guides in writing essays on top of the English book I already had. I submitted my essay and when I got it back, I had the biggest smile on my face. She gave me a 94 with a few corrections and made my final grade 95. She also noted the big improvements in my writings. My researched helped, and I think I got it now. Here is my first narrative essay. Sorry, I am sure there are some mistakes, but I am proud of my work. The paragraphs are supposed to be indented but blogger won't let me.
You See, before I was admitted to my English 101 class, I took the compass test to determine my readiness and which English class I should be placed. I was hoping that I will skip Eng 98 and Eng 99 and take Eng 101 instead. I would save $600.00 by doing so, but I also knew that if I was not ready based from the essay that I wrote (under time pressure of course) then the lower level English would help me a lot. I was amazed with the result. I did really well and was placed in English 101. I walked in that class not knowing anything that most people would have, so in short, the teacher expected that I already knew the basics about writing.
On my second draft, I saw an improvement but it was not the grade that I wanted to have. She only gave me 58 points ( what a shame!) out of 100. She explained what was wrong with my essay, and she gave me another chance to improve it in a week. I didn't know what to do. I have asked people for help me before, but I don't like to depend on anybody. So, I researched and researched. I bought a book online for the guides in writing essays on top of the English book I already had. I submitted my essay and when I got it back, I had the biggest smile on my face. She gave me a 94 with a few corrections and made my final grade 95. She also noted the big improvements in my writings. My researched helped, and I think I got it now. Here is my first narrative essay. Sorry, I am sure there are some mistakes, but I am proud of my work. The paragraphs are supposed to be indented but blogger won't let me.
Merydith N.
Ms. S.
English 101
September 22, 2009
It was June of 2005 when my husband and I found out that I was pregnant. We were very excited but scared at the same time. Being scared is a feeling that is normal to first time parents. A few months later, I was put to bed rest to avoid losing the baby. I had to stop working to relieve undue stress that could harm my pregnancy. The sudden decision to stop working affected my household financially. Since I could not leave the house, it also impaired me socially. Worst of all, it put my sister’s education in jeopardy.
My husband and I had been helping each other since we moved out from my father-in-law’s and got our own house. While I took care of the utilities and bills, he paid for the mortgage. It had been like that for three years until I got pregnant. I was so worried if his income would be enough to supplement all the expenses we had. Because we had to pay the mortgage, car loans, electricity, water and gas, the first couple of months were very challenging. Besides that, we needed to prepare for the baby’s arrival also. We were on a tight budget; however, we found a way to cut back on things that were unnecessary around the house.
Firstly, instead of using the long distance service on our home phone, we replaced it with local calls. The switch helped us saved almost $40.00 a month. Since our relatives lived nearby anyway, it wasn’t necessary to keep the long distance line. Secondly, instead of buying calling cards to call my family each month, I suggested the time and day that we all could meet and use Yahoo messenger to chat. The service was free and I could see them on the computer at the same time. Thirdly, I encouraged my husband to disconnect our cell phones and use pre-paid phones. Since I was home bound, I didn’t need a cell phone. I could use the prepaid phone to call my husband when I was out and also use it for emergencies; and finally, we disconnected our Netflix subscription. Unfortunately, after all the cut backs we did, we soon found out it wasn’t enough, so my husband decided to look for a second job. I was unhappy about it, but what other choice did we have?
I felt sorry for my husband having to work all those long hours at his first job and then do a second job afterwards. We seldom saw each other. By the time he would leave for work in the morning, I was still asleep and the same went for the night. Despite that, he occasionally did another job on the weekends. While it made me sad and lonely at times, I knew he was doing it for us. My husband’s main priority was to keep the house and he did a good job in doing so.
Another challenge I had was staying home. I had been working since I graduated college, I think that was why staying home was such a change for me. I tried to do most of the household chores, but I could only do so much because of the doctor’s restrictions. I remember sitting all the time watching TV. I must have watched all my husband’s DVD collection. It was so boring at home that I started cross-stitching and sometimes reading magazines about parenting. Unfortunately, I was starting to become anti-social; furthermore, I didn’t want to go on family gatherings because I was afraid that people would talk about how I looked. Additionally, I was hesitant to go out because I felt like I was the ugliest person in the crowd. I even felt like I was losing my English speaking skills because I didn’t speak it enough with anyone except my husband. Because of this, I was beginning to believe that there was something wrong with me mentally.
Thankfully, after reading magazines about pregnancy, I started to realize that it was just the hormones kicking in that made me emotionally unstable at times. I started to control my emotions, and I learned how to share it with my husband and mother. I learned to appreciate the changes that I had and even to appreciate my growing belly.
On the other hand, when I stopped working, my sister Grace’s education was greatly affected. Because I made sure that our bills were paid here first, I started sending money late for her school and allowance. As a result, she was getting behind with her exams and project submissions. There were times when her classmates were already enjoying their break while she was still in school trying to take her exams and finishing her requirements.
You see, my husband and I sent my sister Resty to college to finish her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. When she graduated college, my other sister also graduated high school. My parents didn’t ask for my help, but I knew my youngest sister Grace needed my help to go to school. My mother had once told me, “Your father and I would not know what to do if you haven’t been helping your sister out in school.”
That was why when it was Grace’s time to go to school, I knew I had to help out. It wouldn’t have been so hard if I had kept my job, but it was not my choice to stay home. Because I didn’t know how to get the money to send Grace to start and complete her bachelor’s degree in nursing, I was so worried while staying home. I didn’t want to ask my husband for any help because he was paying all the bills and asking him to help out for my youngest sister would have been too much.
My prayers were answered when I came across a fellow blogger promoting an advertiser’s website on her blog. This was a little after I gave birth to my son. I read in one of her posts that she was doing paid blogging where she made at least five dollars every post and as much as twenty dollars per entry. Reading this made me very excited. I thought that if I could save all the money that I made from doing paid posts and send it to my sister, it would help her greatly. After a few months of waiting, I started doing paid blogging. I felt so happy because I finally found something that I could do while staying home and helping my sister out at the same time.
I have realized that there is nothing greater than sacrificing for my family. I am so proud of my sisters for what they have accomplished; furthermore, I am more proud of us for continuing to help them even during tough times. My staying home might have affected all of us socially, emotionally and financially, but it made the fruit of the labor sweeter. I sacrificed so much and in the same way, my husband sacrificed a lot for our family. Because in the end, my family is all I have.
After all the hard work, only a few of us passed. Twelve to be exact and to make the long story short, I got an A in this class. Up next, my description essay.
I have realized that there is nothing greater than sacrificing for my family. I am so proud of my sisters for what they have accomplished; furthermore, I am more proud of us for continuing to help them even during tough times. My staying home might have affected all of us socially, emotionally and financially, but it made the fruit of the labor sweeter. I sacrificed so much and in the same way, my husband sacrificed a lot for our family. Because in the end, my family is all I have.
After all the hard work, only a few of us passed. Twelve to be exact and to make the long story short, I got an A in this class. Up next, my description essay.
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