Cold Sweats

Today, we took a test. A short, slightly challenging test. From first glance, I thought it would be simple but like they always say...NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. I noticed a word that we have gone over multiple times and yet, I can never memorize its meaning. The question asked me to choose the sentence that demonstrated the word in the text. I was clueless so my only option was to guess and keep moving. A light blanket of sweat formed on my forehead even though the room was FREEZING. I had reached another question that was very hard to answer and time was ticking. Before the test was provided, I told myself not to overthink and go with the answer that sees fit. That does not mean that I selected any kind of answer, it just mean that I didn't stress as much as usual. I'm guessing because of that, I was able to retain a steady pace from question to question until I reached the writing portion. The writing portion was surprisingly easy; however, I am not good at putting my thoughts on paper. I had much to say about the topic and didn't think for another second letting my hand write the words as my thoughts came to mind. Before I knew it, I had completed two paragraphs in a reasonable amount of time. I think I did pretty good on the test. If my grade says otherwise, I certainly will be devastated. 

Englishes

In class today, we read an essay titled "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan. She talked about how her mom speaks her own style of English and how people often mistreat her because of it. Amy goes into depth about the difficulties her mom faced and that sometimes she even has to step in to translate when people don't understand. Her mom is Chinese so English is her second language which is why it's hard for her to use it properly. However, this does not signify that her mom lacks intelligence, for instance, she read books that are probably difficult for most people to comprehend. She also follows up with her stockbroker and listens to the news. I know that it has to be frustrating to speak in a way that is natural for you and have people take you as a joke or think that you're mentally ill. I feel that people shouldn't be so simple-minded and realize that English is spoken in many ways. Let us not forget that it is pieces of various languages put together so there is no "boundary." I pronounce words differently or say them too fast where they may sound like rubbish but am I retarded? Not at all. I take Spanish and I don't speak it as beautifully as I should so I would probably sound stupid to someone who was born speaking it. I am interested in all languages and wish to fluently speak a lot of them. To conclude, class was great and not as cold as yesterday. I really enjoyed the discussion.

Commas

Today, my teacher viewed the class' first blog posts. He went down the list clicking and reading each of our posts while we observed also. He stated whether they were exceptional or if they needed to be revised. After we analyzed each and every one of our posts, we all noticed that some of us desperately needed assistance with using commas. We discussed the correct way to use them and how NOT to use them. You would think that the use of commas is common sense, but I realized that there are people that have trouble using them. Overall, the class went by pretty quickly. Although it was freezing, I still managed to stay attentive during the lesson. 

Stereotyped

Today in class we discussed an essay titled "Just Met a Girl Named Maria" by Judith Ortiz Cofer. She talked about how people often categorize her based on her appearance and choice of clothing rather than her as a person. I feel that stereotyping is not only a world problem but a habit. Most people find stereotypes hilarious without thinking whether it is offensive or not. I, myself, stereotype people such as assuming that the nail technician that does my nails is Chinese when she probably isn't. I also assume that her name is Ling or Ming based on stereotypical posts or sayings that I have read and heard. You may have seen television shows and social media use stereotypes as comedy. I know people may assume things about me and probably think that I'm just like every other African American. But, I don't drink Kool-aid nor do I always eat fried chicken. I'm not loud or ignorant, either. We all get offended by certain stereotypes yet we continuously stereotype others.