My Point of View Prichelle Cruz
Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 1 A Mysterious Place..................................................................................................Page 2 A Quality Personality…………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 3 Annual Report………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 4 Exphrasis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 5 Where I’m From…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 6 Visually Speaking………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 7 Picture this……………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 8 Who Am I?.................................................................................................................Page 9 Metamorphis………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 10 Memorable Event…………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 11 Sensory Experiences……………………………………………………………………………………………..Page12 Deck of 52…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 13 Advice to the Young……………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 14 The Door………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 15 Examined Life……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 16 Personal Symbol……………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 17 Flashback………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 18 Perfect Present……………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 19 Unfinished Sentences….............................................................................................Page 20 How to………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 21 Medium Suitcase………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 22 Metaphorical Definitions……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 23 Cheer Yourself Up………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 24 Synetics……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 25 Color Your World…………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 26 Always Say Never………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 27 Day In The Life………………………………………………………………………………………………...….Page 28 Extended Metaphors………………………………………………………………………………………..…Page 29 Telling Tales………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 30 Likes/Dislikes……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 31 Rewarding Experiences……………………………………………………………………………………….Page 32 My List of Lists…………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 33 Valuable Lessons…………….......................................................................................Page 34 Are You Hungry?.....................................................................................................Page 35 Remembering the Child………………………………………………………………………………………Page 36 Remembrance of Things Present………………………………………………………………………..Page 37 What’s in A Name……………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 38 Symbolic Recipe………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 39 Look Who I Look Up To……………………………………………………………………………………….Page 40 Ultimate All-Purpose Excuse……………………………………………………………………………….Page 41
Words That Belong to Me…………………………………………………………………………………..Page 42 In Other Words…………………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 43 Personal Alphabet……………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 44 Map of Life………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 45 Room Sweet Room………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 46 Future, Fantasy, and Fact…………………………………………………………………………………….Page 47 Personal Metaphors…………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 48 As Time Goes Bye-Bye………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 49 Lessons Learned Too Late…………………………………………………………………………………....Page 50 Epilogue……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 51
#1 Introduction The title of my writing portfolio is “My Point of View”. I chose this title because it really defines who I am and my ups and downs throughout my life. This writing portfolio project helps readers understand who you are as a person and helps you understand who you really are. The different writing prompts gives you the opportunity to explore your imagination. I consider myself being a friendly outgoing person who loves adventures. My life is pretty hectic and sometimes I can’t keep up. I’ve been through a lot of obstacles throughout my life and I’m still trying to live through it all even up to now. I still try to keep up with everything that goes on in my life. For example, school is one obstacle for me. I struggle to keep my grades up to what my parents are happy with. I constantly stress out even when I know I can avoid that. School is very important to me even though some of my grades seem that I don’t. However, I don’t let my challenges stop me from enjoying life. I absolutely love going on adventures with my friends. If it’s hiking to Sigua Falls or going up to Bordallo’s mansion to just look at the stars, whatever it is I’m always up for it. I also just like to be lazy and hangout at a friend’s house and watch movies or just sit and talk about random things. My friends are one of the main group of people who help me move forward in life. They help me keep my mind off the negative things that are going on and help me focus on what really matters. Now I have a pretty large family. My dad’s side is the more outspoken loud type of family. My mom however is pretty subtle. If you go to one of my dad’s family barbeques you would know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ll witness my uncles teasing each other or my cousins pulling pranks on one another. Sometimes you’ll even hear my grandparents talking about when they were children. If you go to my mom’s side you’ll notice how they sit and talk about their childhood too. My great- grandparents would always tell stories about their life during WWII. I cherish my family so much and I’m so grateful to be able to have such loving and caring people in my life. That’s all I can tell you about who I am and about my everyday life. It may not seem like much but trust me if you live a day in my shoes, you would know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve told you about some of my struggles and some of my enjoyments. The only way you can know exactly who I am and my life is by trying to see everything from my point of view.
#2 A Mysterious Place
In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, there was a small island that not many people knew about. There was no sunlight there but somehow vegetation survived. Big palm trees stood along the beach. It was dark all the time. Ghosts walked the island like as if they were actual people. Some ghosts were friendly and some ghosts? Not so much. The sand didn’t feel like normal sand. It was amazingly soft. When you touch it, it changes color. So every step you take would be a different color. The jungle scared me because you hear screams all the time but if you went in to see where it’s coming from, you’ll never find it. There’s a waterfall not so deep in the jungle that has black water. I never had the guts to touch the water because I didn’t know what would come out, or what would pull me in. The island had bones lying around. They looked like animal bones. When you walk deeper into the jungle, there will be this stoned building. Inside the building, there was pictures of people who looked like they lived there before. It didn’t make any sense to me. Animal bones were all around the island but who or what would be the reason for that? No people live here anymore so what could it be? The island had a certain smell to it. It didn’t smell tropical. It smelled like cinnamon. The smell was pleasant actually. The beach seemed like the only safe place. The moon and the stars lit up the beach. The night sky was beautiful however. There wasn’t just a moon and a couple of stars like how it usually looks. The moon was huge, like the ones you see in movies. There were billions of stars that were so clear to see. Shooting stars shot flew across the sky constantly. You were able to see other planets too. When the light from the moon hit the ocean, the ocean will start to glow. When this happens, you can see everything in the water. It was crystal clear and a beautiful sight. If you walk along the beach you’ll come across a big black hole. I don’t know how deep it is and I wasn’t about to find out. Each year the hole gets bigger and probably deeper. On some of the palm trees, you will see banana peels hanging off the leaves. I have never seen animals while I was on this island so who or what would be able to eat those bananas? Everything about this island made me feel weird. The black waterfall, the smell of cinnamon, the stoned building, the screams from the jungle, the ghosts, the big black hole, everything didn’t make sense. The vibe this mysterious island gave was just creepy.
#3 A Quality Personality
Friendship is always there when you need her. She’s valuable and everyone has her. She’s there during your lowest and highest points in life. Sometimes she gets lost but eventually comes back. Friendship eats ice cream with you when you’re feeling sad. She makes you laugh until you’re red in the face. She loves hanging out during weekends and talking all day. She teases you all the time, and she may get annoying but people still love her anyway. Her presence is precious and she’s not hard to find. She stands up for the people she loves and is real all the time. She gets overprotective but that’s only because she wants what is best for you. Friendship is precious and friendship is strong.
#4 Annual Report
A year ago, I was a different person than who I am now. A year ago I was happier than I am now. I had so much fun with my friends. School wasn’t a big problem for me. I was doing well in all my classes. My relationship with some of my family members were better and I was closer to them. A year ago I was comfortable in my own skin. I had no worries. I liked going to school. I was very organized and I never had to stress badly over anything. A year ago I was different. Now, I’m not that happy anymore. I did get closer to new people. I lost a very good friend and up to now I still don’t know how to handle it. I slack off in school when I know I can do better. I overthink about a lot of things all the time. I get sad out of nowhere and sometimes it’ll last throughout the day. I block people out when it comes to my feelings. Now, I’m different then I was a year ago. A year from now I hope to be happier. I want to be able to know how to handle the loss of my friend. I want to think positive more often and I want to be able to trust people instead of shutting them out. A year from now I want to do well in school and not put so much stress on me. Between last year and now, I feel that things became worse. I don’t notice any progress. However, starting now, I’m going to work hard on trying to make progress with all the struggles I’m going through. Hopefully a year from now, I’ll be the person I want to be.
#5 Ekphrasis
This picture inspires me because it shows that even though you’re surrounded by darkness, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. This picture inspires me personally because I’ve felt that all the struggles and obstacles I was going through would never get better. I felt that I hit rock bottom and I was never going to escape it. I lost hope for a moment. However, I just kept telling myself that everything will be okay and I need to move forward. I had my family and my friends to help me get through the obstacles. This pictures represents my journey through my struggles and the light at the end of my tunnel that I’m about to reach.
“At the End of the Tunnel” By: Christina Schulz http://christinatheartist.com/artwork/
#6
Where I’m From
I am from toy cars, from Downy Clothes Softener and Bounce Dryer Sheets. I am from the tin roof of the back kitchen. I am from the red dirt, the sand and salt water. I am from kissing my elders and light brown eyes and fair skin, from the Biagini and Alvarez clan. I am from the athletic and outspoken. From climbing like a monkey and funny like a clown. I am from CCD classes at Mangilao church. I'm from Guam, the land of the Chamorro’s, Spam and Kadu. From the life of my grandfather that was lost in Vietnam, the struggles of my mom being a single parent, the 92 year old woman that I call my great-grandmother. I am from pictures and medals that are along the living room wall that show the sacrifice and the close bond of a family.
#7 Visually Speaking
#8
Picture This
“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh Vincent Van Gogh was born in Groot Zundert, Holland on March 30, 1853. He was raised in a religious environment. Van Gogh lacked self-confidence and was extremely emotional. His nervous temperament made it hard for people to be around him. His finest works were produced in less than three years. The artwork can be taken into two different contexts. I see it as being a beautiful clear night with the stars and the moon watching over a small town. It bring light to the night and gives off a peaceful atmosphere. I’m also able to see it as being a very cold, dark, mysterious night where people should stay inside. The lifeless tree shows signs of evil and despair that could be looming on the small town below.
#9 Who Am I?
1.
I’m a sister.
2.
I’m a daughter.
3.
I’m a fashion lover.
4.
I’m an internet user.
5.
I’m a beach lover.
I’m a sister who always protected my older sister from bullies. I’m a daughter who is grateful to have a mother who sacrificed a lot to provide for me and my sister. I’m a fashion lover because I enjoy expressing myself through my clothing and accessories. I’m an internet user because I always want to know what is going on around the world. I’m a beach lover because I grew up around the beach and I enjoy spending time there with my family and friends.
#10 Metamorphosis
I used to be
But now I am
Pink princess dresses Candy cellphones Grandpa’s ranch Talkative and expressive Soccer fields Teacher’s pet
T-shirt and jean shorts Smart Phone Out with friends Reserved and Stubborn Always in the house Teacher’s thorn in her side
It went from pink princess dresses, candy cell phones, and Barbie To t-shirts, jean shorts and on making tons of phone calls. I used to be playing at my Grandpa’s ranch in the red dirt, nut now I am out with my friends and dealing with boys who flirt. I was talkative and expressive without any cares, now I’m reserved and stubborn just to get people out of my hair. Soccer fields was a weekend thing, but now I’m always in the house looking to for something to eat. Believe it or not I was once a teacher’s pet, but with the change of the tides I am not my teacher’s thorn in her side.
#11 Memorable Event
A memorable event that I attended and participated in was the 4th Annual Night of the Arts Talent Showcase for my drama class. It was held at the UOG Fine Arts Theatre and everyone from Ms. Borja-Quichocho’s drama class was present. My parents, teachers, and classmates all came to watch and support everyone in the show. The talent show displayed different types of talents and acts that students themselves created and performed. It was nice seeing everyone work together as a team. The outcome of the show was incredible and it will be something I will never forget. At first, I didn’t think I would be able to stand in front of so many people and act in a play. I was feeling nervous at first but once I set foot on the stage the nerves disappeared and I really enjoyed myself. If I had the opportunity to be a part of another Talen Showcase I would definitely do it again.
#12 Sensory Experiences My family had one of their usual beach barbeques. We set up small canopies and my uncle brings his barbeque pit. The first thing I see is the bright blue water blended with the white sand. The sound of the hotdogs grilling makes me even hungrier while the island music playing from our radio puts me in a relaxing mood. I grab a handful of cold grapes and a bottle of water to satisfy my hunger for a while. I decided to go for a swim. The strong smell of sunblock covered my body. I ran towards the ocean with my feet sinking into the warm sand with every step I took. The cold water drenched my body but I loved it. The salt water smell never bothered me like how it would bother others. After swimming for a while I headed back up to the canopy to sit with my family. That’s where I would spend the rest of the time during our beach barbeque.
#13 Deck of 52 52 things to do before you die: 1. Have tea with the Queen of England 2. Become a bee keeper for a day 3. Dress up like a panda and dance in the middle of a busy mall 4. Direct a play 5. Go skydiving! 6. Walk in a Victoria Secret Fashion Show 7. Become a substitute teacher 8. Ride a bull for 5 seconds 9. Be in two places at once 10. Help solve a police investigation 11. Get a tattoo 12. Get married in a Las Vegas chapel 13. Dance with Justin Timberlake 14. Shave your head 15. Have dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower 16. Milk a cow 17. Ride an elephant 18. Ride in a hot air balloon 19. Wrestle and alligator 20. Race down the Great Wall of China 21. Shake hands with the President of the United States 22. Find Waldo 23. Chase a moose 24. Go crab fishing 25. Go ice fishing 26. Live in a treehouse 27. Rescue a cat in a tree
28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.
Ride an ostrich Swim in a fountain Have a pet monkey Interrupt a championship basketball game Play with penguins in Antarctica Be a Disney Princess Dye your hair rainbow colors Go bungee jumping Don’t dye your hair rainbow colors Win the lottery Swim with the dolphins Go scuba diving down the Mariana’s Trench Learn how to take a compliment Swim in a stranger’s pool Grow a beard Throw a house party Plant a tree Spend a night in a haunted house Grow a garden Run a marathon Zip line through a rainforest Start a banjo playing band Become a banjo legend Jump off a waterfall Learn to play the banjo
#14 Advice to the Young You’re probably thinking that you’re ready to be a “grown up”. You want more freedom, or to do whatever you want without anyone telling you no. You’re tired of hearing the phrase “you’re not old enough” or “wait until you grow up”. You don’t want to wait. You want to be a “grown up” already. I was like you. I couldn’t wait to grow up and I didn’t want to be a kid anymore. However, now that I’m older, I’ve realized that my younger years were one of the best in my life so far. Here’s some advice for you. First off, just enjoy your childhood. Enjoy being able to have free time. When you get older that “free time” is limited. When you get older, you gain more responsibilities. Enjoy being able to take naps at school. Enjoy being able to walk around not worrying what people think of you. You’re young and nobody will judge you because of that. Your childhood is the most precious part of your life. When you get a little older, don’t try so hard to fit in. You’ll come across situations where you may feel that you have to change who you are to be accepted or to be liked by others. Just be yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not just to impress other people. It’s not worth it. You won’t be truly happy trying to be someone you’re not. You’ll find people who will accept you for who you are. Now sometimes you may find yourself in very tough situations that you won’t know how to handle. There’s people out there who may tempt you to do things that you’re not comfortable with or may influence you to do things. If you don’t feel that it’s right to do it, just say no. Don’t give into temptation. Don’t worry about not feeling “cool” just because you didn’t give in. If you do something you’re not comfortable with, you will feel a lot of guilt and overthink about the situation and that’s not fun. Just say no or walk away. You’ll feel much better. Everyone makes mistakes in their life and it’s completely normal. When you make the mistake just learn from it. You have to make mistakes to learn from it. Don’t try so hard to be perfect, you’re expected to make mistakes down the road. There are consequences but you’ll overcome it. Mistakes happen and all you need to do is move forward and learn from it. Now I know you probably think your parents are always trying to get mad at you or they just don’t trust you at all or you feel they treat you like a baby. I ALWAYS felt like this, but when I got older I realized that everything they told me was to protect me. When they want to walk you into school they do it because that’s the last time they may ever get to do it. Your parents are just cherishing your childhood like how you should. If they talk to you about relationships, listen to them and please take their advice. They’re usually right about everything when it comes to growing up. Now you’re probably still thinking that you still want to be a “grown up” and you don’t want to be young anymore, or maybe after reading this, you think about it more and realize that your childhood is precious. Either way, just enjoy your childhood and cherish every moment of it. Be grateful for what you have now. Your parents, your free time, your friends, your naps during school, anything, cherish every moment of it because once you start growing up, everything changes. Then you look back at your childhood and wish you can relive it all over again. I know I do.
#15 The Door When I walk out that door I don’t want to go back inside. I don’t want to have to worry about big projects and tests. I don’t want it to be raining cats and dogs. I don’t want the hallways to be crowded like how it usually is. When I walk out that door I don’t want to see a burning tire rolling up and down the hallway. I don’t want to see an alien waiting outside for me just to eat my brains. I don’t want zombies chasing me to my next class. When I walk out that door, I don’t want to hear the aide tell me to take off my hoodie because I’m not going to. When I walk out that door, I don’t want to see Mr. Reyes in a banana costume. I don’t want to be shoved in the hallway because that irritates me. When I walk out that door I don’t want to have to worry about anything else. When I walk out that door I want the principle to announce that classes are canceled for the rest of the day and all students are able to leave school. I want it to be snowing. I want balloons and streamers everywhere like a big party. I want small little pigs running around with the aides chasing after them. I want a nice flying car waiting outside for me to take me and my friends anywhere we want. I want one of those television people waiting for me outside telling me I won a million dollars. When I walk out that door I want to see him waiting outside the door smiling like how he always used to. I want to see him with his arms out open like how he would do when he wanted a hug. I want to see Raph when I walk out that door.
#16 The Examined Life Good Traits: I’m a funny person that enjoys making people laugh I’m compassionate I’m caring I’m very understanding I can be trusted I’m always there to help anyone I give great advice to my friends who need it Faults: -
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Sometimes judgmental It’s hard for me to trust people Disappointed my parents I can be very stubborn I have a short temper I’ve taken advantage of people who were good to me I’ve slacked off in school
#17 Personal Symbol We all have something that may represent us or something that we cherish greatly. It may be a picture or a toy. It could be anything. It doesn’t matter what it is exactly, it’s the story behind it or the meaning of it that does. Something that I cherish or would choose to be as my personal symbol would be the picture of my Grandpa. It’s a picture of him in his bunker during the Vietnam War. His big smile showed how positive he was during a time of chaos. He looked like he’s been working hard out there but he still manages to smile through it all. His big brown eyes were just like my mom’s. My mother never personally met my Grandfather because he lost his life just a couple of months after she was born. He passed away on his birthday while fighting in Vietnam serving our country. When we came across this picture my mom cherished it very much. One of my grandpa’s friends gave us the picture of them together. They happened to be really close friends while they were out in Vietnam. He would tell us how humble and how happy of person my grandpa was. Knowing all of this about my grandpa made me feel a little happy inside. I’m so grateful to have the same blood as him. My grandpa’s name is Mark Frederick Biagini. He was Italian-Chamorro. He was the last man from Guam to lose his life in Vietnam. He is someone who is very special to me and I can’t wait to meet him. This picture and some other things that belong to him is all we have left. Every time I look over at his picture, I smile because he’s smiling right back at me. Even though I never met him, I love him.
#18 Flashback If I had to choose a time I can re-live it would be when I was a kid. My childhood was one of the best times in my life. I always remember going to the beach and having barbeques with my family. Our family was a pretty good size and all my cousins were close in age so we all got along great. Playing school and house was a common thing with us. We always went to my grandma’s house in Santa Rita. My grandpa had a chicken coop in the back of the house and we always used to mess with them. We would go on “adventures” in the back and pretend that the shack was our little clubhouse. All our toy bikes were kept and my grandma’s so we used to all get together and race down the hill. When we wanted snacks all of us would look for coins in my grandpa’s room and use whatever we had at the store which was just up the street. The storeowner knew all of us because we always went there and she would give us a free piece of gum. We always bought hot Cheetos and king car. We would then go down to the baseball field across my grandma’s house and hangout on the bleachers. Or we would walk to the community center and hangout there. Sometimes we would even play hide and seek around the area and I was always the last person to be found. Whenever we were at Santa Rita, it was always an adventure. We always found something to do. If it was playing baseball, racing down the hill on our bikes or walking up to the store to get snack, we always enjoyed it. Just being with my cousins and having the chance to be close to them up to now is a blessing. This made my childhood so much fun. These memories are ones that I would love to relive again.
#19 The Perfect Present Each of us is receiving a gift from you, and we have to tell you what we think or know what it is. The gift isn’t something that can be perceived with the five senses. I can’t see it. I can’t touch it. I can’t hear it or taste it. It’s not a physical object. It’s a gift from within myself. Well Mrs. Griffin, this gift I hope is self-confidence. Why? Let me explain. I feel that I need this gift because I do have confidence and insecurity problems. I sometimes let what other’s think about me affect my life. I worry what people say about me which makes me hesitate to do certain things to be a better person or to move forward positively in life. Self-confidence would be perfect because with it I can use it to block out the negativity I feel is being thrown at me and use it to become someone better. I can use this quality to help me become a young lady who isn’t ashamed or insecure of becoming who I want and achieving something I always wanted to achieve. I would love to receive the gift of self-confidence. Self-confidence is very important in life because where would you be if you had no confidence in who you are? If you have no confidence in yourself how are you going to have confidence in what you want to do? Or what you want achieve in life? Self-confidence is the foundation of all personal success. When you believe in yourself you can achieve anything in your life. When you increase in self-confidence, you increase in success and vice versa. Who doesn’t want to be successful in life? I know I surely want to. Being successful after school is very important to me. I want to be able to support myself and later my family. Self-confidence will help me achieve that. Self-confidence would be the perfect gift because it makes you love yourself for who you are. It doesn’t let what other people say about you affect you, and to me that’s is a very great quality. Without self-confidence and letting what others say about you bother you, affects your future and your life. If you’re too scared about what others think of you how are you going to achieve what you want in life? Being insecure is totally normal but having some self-confidence overcomes that. Without it, you’re allowing a barrier between what who you really are and who you want other people to like or accept. I have problems with these situations so some self-confidence would be a perfect gift. Having self-confidence will change and affect my life in so many different ways. Just by having a little selfconfidence is fine too because you can increase it step by step throughout life. Just by believing in yourself and always having a positive outlook on what you do, you can go far in life and accomplish the goals you want no matter what anyone says. This is why I feel that self-confidence is the perfect gift.
#20 Unfinished Sentences I usually worry about my grandfather’s health. I usually worry about what people think or say about me. I worry about being able to pass my classes with an acceptable grade. I worry about getting accepted into the college that I’ve been dreaming to attend after high school. I worry about becoming a successful independent woman after college. I worry about the well-being of my parents when they get older. I feel angry when I witness kids or young adults disrespect their elders. I feel angry when people take advantage of others and me. I feel angry when I meet two faced people. I feel angry when I’m betrayed by someone I never thought would do that to me. I feel angry when people are ungrateful for what they have. I feel angry when people bully others or do anything they can to put them down just so the bullies can feel better about themselves. I feel angry when people fish for compliments or crave attention. I’m moody when I have a headache. I’m moody when my monthly gift is arriving. I’m moody when I’m annoyed by something or someone. I’m moody when I’m hungry. I’m moody when I didn’t get enough sleep and I’m tired. I’m moody when people don’t take things seriously in serious situations. I’m happiest when I make my parents proud. I’m happiest when I’m hanging out with my friends and it’s nothing but good vibes. I’m happiest when my family is altogether. I’m happiest when I get good grades that I worked hard for. I’m happiest when I leave my house and my phone is fully charged. I’m happiest when I find the perfect outfit to wear. I’m confident when I get good grades that motivate me to continue working harder. I’m confident when I earn my own money. I’m confident when I feel independent. I’m confident when people say positive things about me to make me feel better as a person. I’m confident when I like my outfit that I wear out somewhere. I feel frustrated when I can’t find anything to wear. I feel frustrated when I’m being rushed to get ready or to do something. I feel frustrated when my sister takes my things without asking and not putting it back where she finds it. I feel frustrated when people don’t clean up after themselves. I feel frustrated when I give advice to someone who asked but then doesn’t use any of it. I feel frustrated when I waste my time. I feel depressed when I think about the car accident. I feel depressed when I remember seeing my friends in the hospital. I feel depressed when I think about the part of my past that I hated. I feel depressed when I overthink about things. I feel depressed when I think about my insecurities. I feel depressed when I feel alone with nobody to talk to. I feel comfortable when I’m with my group of friends. I feel comfortable when I’m around my family. I feel comfortable when I’m surrounded by outgoing friendly people. I feel comfortable when I’m not singled or put on the spot in front of people. I feel comfortable when I’m in a crowd and not alone. I feel comfortable when I’m not presenting something alone. I feel nervous when I have to talk in front of a large group of people I don’t know. I feel nervous when my mom gets mad at me. I feel nervous when I get bad grades. I feel nervous when I’m put on the spot. I feel nervous when I’m put under pressure. I feel nervous when I overthink certain situations. I feel sentimental when I visit my elementary school. I feel sentimental when I watch my baby brother play in the same playground I played in when I was his age. I feel sentimental when I think of my childhood memories with my family. I feel sentimental when my family talks about me and my cousins when we were younger and the crazy things we did.
#21 How to Break a Heart
Most of us have experienced heartbreak in our life. It’s that tight feeling you get in your stomach, or the feeling of your heart dropping to your feet. You get depressed and you feel like this feeling is never going away. You feel as if you’re never going to get over this one particular person. You start to questions who you are as a person. You start to get insecure about yourself. The list goes on and on. I know that when I was at this one point in my life, I felt like I hit rock bottom. I had so much anger in me. I didn’t care who I hurt because I was hurt. You got your heartbroken, you felt defenseless. Now you want to feel in control of someone like how that one person was in control of you. Here’s some ways to break someone’s heart. First you want to get to know the person. You will be really nice to them and make them feel like they can let their guard down with you. You start to show some interest in them and make them feel like you’re interested in them like how they are with you. You continue to enjoy each other’s company. You talk for hours, hangout, and just be with each other. You start to show more interest and things between you two get serious. Things go well for a while and then you start to lose interest. The memories of your heartbreak kick in and all you want to do now is be in control. You don’t want to feel like the naïve one who is only setting themselves up to get hurt. You start to distance yourself from that one person but still acknowledge them. You pull away from hanging out and talking for hours. Long text messages turn into one word replies. They crave for your attention and start to become clingy. You avoid that one person and do your own thing as if you were single. You show them you’re losing interest but you don’t tell them just yet. Now once, they realize that you don’t have the same feelings for them like you did before, they’ll question you. When they do, just be straight up and to the point. Sometimes they’ll fight for your attention or sometimes they’ll just leave. Either way, they feel the same feeling you were, depressed, hurt, confused, and insecure. You broke their heart just like how he broke yours.
#22 One Medium Suitcase I have one medium suitcase. I’m leaving home forever and I need to start packing. I need to pack memories, and material things. First I’ll pack a couple of pictures of my family and friends. I’ll bring letters they’ve written me or birthday cards. If I ever get home-sick, and I know I would, I can read one those cards or stare at one of the pictures. Next I’ll pack a smart cellphone. If I’m ever in a bad situation where I need advice or just need someone to talk to, I can call my family or friends. With this type of phone I can be able to video chat with them. Of course I need clothes, I’ll pack some sweatpants, hoodies, and some other casual pieces of clothing. I’ll take some slippers and comfortable shoes as well. Of course when you’re traveling you need some money. I’ll bring all the money I saved up from past Christmases and birthdays. That should be enough to get me started and on my feet. Next, I’ll bring some snacks or noodle bowls with me in case I ever get hungry during my travel. I’ll pack some earphones to listen to music. I’ll bring a map to be able to know where to go. I’ll throw in some medicine and health supplies in case of an emergency. There’s no more room in my suitcase, but I feel that I packed everything I need and everything I cherish. I’m never coming back home and all I have are the things I packed in that medium-sized suitcase. I know these supplies will help me through my travel and when I reach my destination.
#23 Metaphorical Definition 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Anger is like a raging flame. Love is a battlefield. Beauty is a big sunflower. Bravery is a strong lion. Fear is a big wave. Sadness is an opponent. Annoyance is a nosy fly. Thrill is a rollercoaster ride. Pain is kick to the gut. Chaos is a broken mirror.
#24 Cheer Yourself Up! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Eating at Pochon Late night car rides with my friends Watching a funny movie Smile at everyone that looks at me Watch funny vines Listen to upbeat music Run through a corn field Play hide and seek in the dark Have a movie night at my house with a group of friends Stargaze Go puddle hunting Getting Icees at 3 in the morning Eating Little Caesars bread sticks Riding on a jet ski Going scuba diving Play soccer in an open field
#25 Synetics 1. What is wiser? The pencil or the pen? The pencil is much wiser than the pen. The pen is made out of plastic or metal. It is not flexible. A pencil is made of wood, it can be bent to a certain point. When a pencil is used to write or draw it has a great feature called the eraser! It can eras e mistakes like they were never there. The pencil is the wiser of the pen. 2. Which is smarter? The clock or the calendar? The clock is smarter than the calendar. The clock counts the seconds, the minutes and hours in a day. Without the clock the calendar would not exist! The clock tells the calendar when the day ends and when the new day begins. It tells the calendar when seven days have passed to a week, when thirty days have passed to make a month and when 365 days have passed to make a year. The clock is smarter than the calendar! 3. Which is like a contest? A cloud or a sunset? A cloud is like a contest. They compete every day to be bigger, to have the best shape than other clouds. They compete on wh o is the fluffiest, who is higher in sky. A sunset doesn’t compete with anyone. A sunset is all alone, does the same thing day after day in every part of the world. A cloud is like a contest. 4. Which is like a promise? Mathematics or Science? Mathematics is like a promise. Mathematics will always give you the correct and true results when the problem or task is complete. If not correctly then the math problem will not give the promise of the true answer in the end. So mathematics will always have the same true answer like a promise gives you. You can always rely on the same result with mathematics just like promise. Science can have different results and answers and does not always turn out to be what was expected. Mathematics is like a promise. 5. Which has more charm? A signature or an autograph? An autograph has more charm than a signature. A signature is used for official documents. It’s a serious way of signing you r name, it pretty much needs to look the same very time. Signatures are mostly used to sign contracts, applications and other formal documents. An autograph is fun way to write you name. It is mainly used by celebrities, popular athletes and other famous people. It is unique to the person. They can do so many things with the autograph to make it unique. An autograph has more charm than a signature. 6. Which is more useful? A friend or an enemy? A friend is definitely more useful than an enemy. A friend is someone that you can rely on to help you when you are need. A friend is someone who you can use to get helpful truthful information. A friend is someone you can count on to steer you in right direction and tell you when you are going down the wrong path. An enemy will never be anything like a friend. An enemy is always going to think the worst of you, make you feel like you are not worth anything and do whatever they can to hurt you. A friend is more useful than an enemy. 7. Which cost more? A home or house? A home cost more than a house. A home is a place that you invest you time, your money and your love with your family. It is a place where you families make memories, where they go through pain and happiness. They grow old in homes and bring new life to families. If a home was to be lost, it would take more money than a house to rebuild. A house is just four walls with a roof. It is where people go to sleep, eat, and just live. A home cost more than a house. 8. Which is happier? Music or art? I don’t think one is happier than the other. I think that both music and art can be used to describe a person’s happiness. They both can be an outlet to show others how the artist truly feels. Both music and art can be used together to showcase the artist’s hap piness and let others see their vision and message. So I don’t think the one is happier than the other. 9. Which is more fearful? New or old? New is more fearful than old. Old is something that has already been seen, heard, experienced and used. New is unknown. It means that there is change in things, people, routines and environments. When something is new it’s a like starting over to learn something that you may never have done before. New is more fearful than old. 10. Which is easier to close? A road or a map? A road is easier to close than a map. A map is bigger. There are more road and ways to get to place. A road is a single way to get to a place it is easier to navigate and follow. It can be closed or blocked easier because it’s smaller. A map has so many things on it that can distract you like signs, buildings, mountains and lakes. All you have to do with a road is follow it and it will lead you to where you need to go and close it if you don’t want to use it anymore. A road is easier to close than a map.
#26
Color Your World There was a world called Color World. Color World has the basic colors such as red, blue, orange, green, black, etc. In Color World live Color Fairies. Each group of fairies had a specific color and lived in their own village. Each color fairies got along except for two. The red and black fairies. They’ve always been rivals since anyone could remember. Nobody knows exactly why but they do know that the two colors never made contact with one another. One day a blue fairy and an orange fairy were in the sunflower field hanging out. A red fairy comes and joins them. They fly around for a while and take naps on the petals. Eventually a black fairy flies over and the red fairy immediately becomes angry. She yells at the black fairy to go away but he refuses to. They argue about which color is better and the blue and orange fairy become sick of it. “WHY CAN’T YOU GUYS JUST GET ALONG!!” yelled the blue fairy. “We live in the same world we should all get along.” The red and black fairy ignore the comment and continue to argue. The orange fairy flies towards the rainbow forest and looks for a rainbow feather a bowl and crystal water from the magical waterfall. Fairies only use these items if they’re planning to create a new color. The orange fairy gathers up all the supplies and quickly flies back to the sunflower field. She arrives and still finds the red and black fairy arguing while the blue fairy is sitting on a flower watching. The orange fairy sits next to the blue fairy and tells him her plan. “We should trick the two fairies into giving us some of their fairy dust so we can mix it and make a new color. Maybe that’ll show them that they’re both beautiful colors who can make more beautiful colors.” The blue fairy agreed with the orange fairy. So while the red and black fairy continued to argue, the orange and blue fairies went up to the red and black fairy’s wings and carefully took enough of their dust to mix it to make a new color. The orange fairy quickly mixed everything together and a new color formed. It was a darker red color. After she was done, she yelled, “You guys look at this!” The black and red fairy stopped arguing and turned over to the orange fairy. “We mixed your fairy dust and this color was born! It’s so pretty!” The red and black fairy saw the color and fell in love with it. The two fairies apologized to each other and realized that they were both very pretty colors and nobody was better than anyone. They were all pretty in their own way and they can make even more pretty colors. They decided to name the new color maroon. Each fairy brought the color back to their village and told the story. The red fairies and the black fairies finally got along and Color World was finally at peace.
#27
Always Say Never We all have things we NEVER want to do again. For me I haven’t really done a lot of things for me to say that I never want to do it again. However, I do have some things I never want to experience again. I never want to read the Tragedy of Macbeth again. It was so long and it was hard for me to understand. I didn’t like the storyline and I wouldn’t care to visit that story again. I would never want to read anymore old literature or old English stories. I can never understand what is going on or what the characters are saying because of how they speak in old English. Some places I never want to go to again would be the hospital. I hate being at the hospital because it gives off this very sad, depressing vibe. It’s cold and as you walk through the hallways all you see are sick patients and I do not want to see that. Hospitals bring back memories that I would rather not want to be reminded of again. I never want to eat at this one restaurant because it doesn’t look clean and the food doesn’t look very appetizing either. I always dreaded going there because every time I would eat just a little of their food, I would always feel sick after. There are quite a few people I wish to never see or hear from again. I would prefer to separate myself from the drama and fighting. All these people brought was bad vibes and I choose not to be surrounded by that. There was always drama with them and it was so exhausting to deal with, especially because it was so ridiculous. It was always fighting and arguing about the smallest things. I’ve been distant with those people for a while now and I’m happier than I was being associated with them. Another person I hope to never see again is that one mean teacher who made one of my high school year’s miserable for me. She always found something to criticize me about and always reminded me that I didn’t belong in her school. She would always make rude comments to me and enjoyed it. If there is one person I hope to never see again it would be her. Some things I would never do is PROCRASTINATE. I always tell myself that I’ll stop doing this but, I always find myself doing it. When I procrastinate I just make myself more stressed than I need to be. I get lazy and end up waiting until the last minute to finish up everything. Another thing I never want to do would be to sing in front of a crowd. I cannot sing well and I was so embarrassed when I had to sing in front of a class. These are some of the things, people, places, I never want to, see, do, or go to again.
#28 A Day in the Life of Prichelle “Chella, it’s time to get up. Stretch your body. You have to get ready for school.” Prichelle opened her eyes to see her mom softly pushing her to get up. “C’mon it’s already 6:00 in the morning, wake up” said her mom. Prichelle waited for her mom to leave the room and decided to sleep for ten more minutes because that’s how long her mom took washing up in the bathroom. After ten minutes passed, Prichelle slowly sat up from her bed and stared around the room for a little. She got her uniform and set it on her mom’s bed for her to iron. Prichelle then made her way to her bathroom in her bedroom and took a shower. She usually spends about thirty minutes in the shower because she’s too busy singing to her morning playlist. After she’s done showering and brushing her teeth, she does her hair and then puts on a little bit of makeup. This usually takes her about twenty minutes depending on what she does to her hair. If she feels like looking like a girl she curls it. If not, she just parts her hair to the side and brushes it out. It’s very rare for her to curl her hair for school because she’s a pretty lazy girl. Prichelle decides to just part her hair to the side and brush it out. After getting all that done she starts to change into her uniform and gather her things for the classes she has that day. “We need to leave in ten minutes if you want to go to the store” her mom yelled. “Okay” replied Prichelle. She started to out on her favorite sheep printed socks and grabbed her school bag and cardigan and met her mom in the kitchen. On her way out of the house she puts on her navy blue vans that she always wears and gets into the car with her mom. It doesn’t take Prichelle long to get to school because she lives pretty close to it. Her mom pulls into Uncle Cho’s store and hands her money. Prichelle gets down and gets the same snacks she always gets which was strawberry Pocky, Hello Panda, and a bottle of water. She would sometimes get a pig in a blanket but they were out that morning. She paid for her food and headed back to the car. On their short drive to school her mom would usually remind her to turn in all her assignments and to finish all the work that will be given in class. “Make sure you check if you have any extra credit opportunities you can do to raise your grade” said her mom. “Okay” replied Prichelle. They pull into the drop off area of the school and Prichelle gets down. “Have a good day, I love you” said her mom. “I love you too” Prichelle replied. She closed the door and headed to her class.
#29 Extended Metaphors If I was to be a type of clothing I listed that I would be a t-shirt. A t-shirt is a pretty plain and simple piece of clothing. It’s comfortable and can work well with anything. You can pretty much do anything in a t-shirt whether it’s going on a hike or just hanging out. I consider the characteristic of it being plain and simple to be similar to myself. I’m not the type of person to be very flashy or over the top. I have a simple and laid back personality. I’m also comfortable doing anything! Whether it’s going on an adventure or just hanging out with friends. I chose a shooting star as a natural phenomenon. Shooting stars are pretty hard to come by once in a while. Most of the times you don’t see them or you have to stare up at the sky for a while looking hard trying to find them. They don’t come out often and they’re not like normal stars. They’re quick and disappear fast. These characteristics of a shooting star are similar to how I am. I don’t really go out as much and I’m not really seen a lot outside of school. I’m pretty hard to find outside of school and sometimes in school. I’m not like others, I’m different. It’s rare to see me at the movies or shopping or parties and if you do then that’s not common. Friday is my day of the week. Why? Friday’s give people excitement and relief. Everyone is always looking forward to Friday because it’s their last day of work and stress for the week. Friday’s give people something to look forward to. I always look forward to making people happy or excited for something. I’m the type who always tries to take some kind of stress off a person just so they can feel a sense of relief about something. If I was a type of building it would be a theatre. The theatre is a dramatic place to entertain people. It gives people something to watch to take things off their mind. They go there for entertainment and being able to enjoy themselves. I enjoy entertaining people if it’s to make them happy or to help them take the negative thoughts out of their head for that time being. I enjoy making people laugh because I get the feeling of accomplishing making someone feel happy for a while. A Volkswagen Van was the car I would choose to be. The van gives off a mellow, laid back vibe to people. I know it did to me. I’m in love with that van. When people ride in it they just feel relaxed and comfortable. I’m similar to this van because I give off the same mellow laid back vibe the van does. It’s easy for people to feel comfortable around me in a short time and I consider myself to be a relaxed laid back person. I don’t care to be too fancy or over the top like I mentioned before. The van is nothing like that which is why I think that van is similar to myself through its characteristics.
#30 Telling Tales Growing up I have been told about a man that has been a hero not only to my mom but I can say my hero as well. I am talking about my grandfather Mark Frederick Biagini. He was the only child and son of my great-grandmother Simplicia Salas Biagini and my mom was his only child. My grandfather Mark was the last of Guam’s sons to be killed in the Vietnam War. He was killed on June 13, 1972 a day before his 21st birthday. My mom was only four months old when my grandfather was killed. She would tell me about the questions she thought of while growing up. She would question whether or not her grandfather’s death was worth it? Was her father’s death really necessary? She would tell me that at times she was so sure that it wasn’t worth her father’s death and the life she had to endure without him being there. For him not being there for her first steps, her graduation from college, walking her down the aisle on her wedding day and being there to witness the birth of me and my sister. Then she began to realize that she truly believe my grandfather would have a very different opinion about the matter. These are the things that she said she knew about her father. He was very handsome, loved fast cars, he was intelligent, a loyal friend and always thought of family. My mom says that if there was any gift that her father gave her it was the gift of persistence, loyalty and love for family. My mom would tell me and my sister that from as far back as she can remember she has attended every Memorial Day and Veterans Day Ceremony in honor of her father. It was something that has been a tradition for her and my great-grandmother. She would lay a wreath on his grave or at the memorial wall while they would call the names of the fallen soldiers. When her grandmother passed away she would continue to attend the ceremonies by herself. When my sister and I were born, we attended and continue to attend every memorial ceremony honoring the heroes of Guam alongside my mom and dad. I know that even to this day when my mom hears the names of the soldiers being read out, the bells ring after every name and the twenty one gun salute, she gets emotional and proud at the same time that her father and my grandfather is a true HERO! The tradition and love for a man that my mom, my sister and I never knew will live on and we will continue to honor his ultimate sacrifice. I will continue to share the amazing man with my children so that my grandfather’s legacy and memory will continue to live on.
#31 Likes & Dislikes
Likes: - Being with my friends - Seeing my mom happy - Pochon - Making others laugh - Friendly People - Sushi - Family gatherings - Daisies - Pullover jackets - Going to the beach - Traveling Dislikes: - School - Homework - People who talk about themselves too much - Presentations - Cats - Lizards - Insects - Group projects - Two-faced friends - Essays - Blue pens - Paper cuts
#32 Rewarding Experiences 1. Watching my mother get married. - This is one of the most important events I’ve witnessed. I was so happy that my mom found a man that I know will make her happy and treat her how she deserves to be treated. 2. My brother being born - I never had a brother and having the chance to be blessed with one was a big reward for me. 3. My mother receiving her Master’s Degree - I know that my mom has been through struggles in her life while being a single mother for a long time. Seeing her get her Master’s was a great reward for me because I know all the hard work she did definitely paid off. 4. Watching my sister graduate from high school - It was a reward seeing my sister receive her High School diploma because I know she worked really hard and has been through a lot during her high school years just to get the diploma 5. Watching the Disneyland light show with my family - This experience was so beautiful. You had to be there to really understand what I’m talking about. Just seeing the fireworks and lights everywhere was amazing and it was rewarding because I witnessed it with my family. 6. Surfing in Hawaii with my Dad - Being able to surf in Hawaii with my dad was so much fun and the experience was amazing. 7. Getting my Driver’s License - I’m sure this is a very rewarding experience as being a teenager. Getting your driver’s license gives you a feeling of independence and freedom. 8. Getting a car - This was very rewarding for me because even though it wasn’t the nicest car, it was still a car. 9. Surviving most of my High School years. - High School was fun but also came with a lot of struggles. It’s a rewarding experience knowing that I’m almost done! 10. Playing in the National Soccer team - Being selected to play in the National Soccer team when I was younger was a great experience. I met new people and saw different things while going off-island to play.
#33 My Own Lists of Lists People who have influenced me: - My mother - Rachel Mcadams - Mother Teresa - Angelina Jolie - Gandhi - Steve Jobs - Aubrey Hepburn Places that make me happy: - The beach - My family ranch - Oka Point lookout - The roof of my house - My grandma’s house - Disneyland Places I would like to go: - Italy - The Great Wall of China - Underwater caves in Mexico - England - Milan during Fashion Week - Bora Bora Things in People which I like: - Friendliness - Loyalty - Their thoughtfulness - They’re funny - Some are accepting - Their company Things in People I dislike: - Can be judgmental - Greed - Ignorance - High- maintenance - Self-centered Things that worry me: - Not being successful - Disappointing my parents - Not passing my classes - Earthquakes - Group projects
#34 Valuable Lessons 1. Don’t change who you are to please someone else. - You shouldn’t change who you are to get the attention of someone else. If they doesn’t notice you, don’t take drastic measures to get them to. 2. Listen to your parents when they give you advice about relationships. - I thought that they didn’t understand anything about my relationship, but eventually everything they warned me about happened. 3. Learning to write. - Without knowing how to write I obviously would not be able to learn the things I know now. 4. Taking school seriously - It’s my senior year and this lesson was one I really wished I followed earlier. The more you slack off the harder it’s going to be to catch up and be able to do good when it matters the most. 5. Appreciating the things I have. - I’ve learned to appreciate what I have now. I learned that there are people out in the world who have less than what I do. 6. Don’t procrastinate!!! - I’ve learned that when you procrastinate you add more stress to your life. 7. Choose your friends wisely. - I learned that some friends aren’t really your true friends, they may act like it but they may also be secretly trying to bring you down. 8. Not trusting certain people with certain things. - I learned that sometimes people turn their back on you and make you regret trusting them. 9. Its okay to make mistakes. - I learned that everyone makes mistakes. I learned that you shouldn’t keep beating yourself up because of one mistake. The only thing you can do is move on and learn from it. 10. To always appreciate your parents - I’ve learned that your parents will not always be here for you. My parents have done so much for me and I don’t know what I would do without them.
#35 Are You Hungry? My all-time favorite meal would have to be the seafood spaghetti from Capriciosa. The cooks at Capriciosa obviously cooks and prepares the meal for us. We usually eat there on special occasions or sometimes if my family and I are really craving for it. This meal includes a big bowl of spaghetti with muscles and calamari mixed with it. It has a special seafood marinara sauce that is delicious! The meal comes with shredded parmesan cheese and about five or six pieces of garlic toast. I always drink sweetened iced tea when I eat this dish. The taste of the spaghetti will always have me coming back for more. My favorite part about the meal is when I dip my garlic bread in the spaghetti sauce. It doesn’t taste like your average spaghetti which is why I really enjoy eating it. Mixing the cheese with spaghetti is mouthwatering as well. I always take my time when I eat this meal because if I eat it too fast I’ll get really full to where I can’t eat anymore. The flavor of the meal altogether is amazing and no matter how many times I eat it, the taste will always get me. I can eat this meal often and I won’t get tired of it. We all have that one favorite meal we probably will never get tired of. We can never say no when the opportunity to eat it comes up. You’ll always get random cravings for it and your craving will never be satisfied until you eat it. The Seafood Spaghetti at Capriciosa is my favorite meal that I may never get tired of. Now that I’m talking about it in detail, I’m starting to crave it!
#36 Remembering the Child When I was a toddler, I was always told that I was very energetic. I loved to run around and climb on things. My mom even gave me a nick name because of how much I loved to climb. I was also quite naughty. I wouldn’t listen to my parents sometimes. It was always a hard time for them to get me to come inside, because I was always outside playing. My grandma told me that I would always watch her bake when she was babysitting me. I helped her as well. I watched her bake cupcakes, cakes, and sometimes banana bread. My grandpa’s favorite memory of myself as a toddler was when I would go to our family ranch with him and help him with watering the plants or gathering trash to burn. He and my grandma would watch me slide down small grass hills in a cardboard box and sometimes they would bring out our sprinkler and let me run through it. My dad helped me learn how to ride a bike without the training wheels. He said it was a bittersweet feeling because it shows that I’m growing up day by day. Every time I fell he was always there to pick me up. He told me I never cried when I fell, I always got back on and tried again until I got it right. My mom put me in a soccer team when I was four. I was always the only girl grouped up with a bunch of boys. My mom remembers when she would get me and my sister ready for our games and pack our drinks and snacks. She considered herself a soccer mom. She remembers the long hot days at the soccer fields especially during our jamborees. She then had me try out baseball and it was the same routine. School programs were something my parents always looked forward to. They said I was always in the front when it came to performing because I was always able to pick up the dance quickly. My family and I went to Rota for a family reunion. I was still pretty young when that event happened. I met new people who I was related to. They had games and really a lot of food. It was on a beach and I remember walking on the sand. Later that day they started to play music that my cousins and I listened to and I went up to dance. Everyone started to leave the dance floor and it was only me and this other girl left. We decided to have a dance off but up to now we didn’t know who was best. These are some memories that my family members has shared with me. They told me their favorites and their most memorable memories of me as a child.
#37 Remembrance of Things Present Twenty years or so from now, I would want to be able to remember the type of person I was now, the things I enjoyed doing, what I spent my time doing and so on. I want to be able to look back and remember how guarded I was with my feelings. I want to remember how I always had a hard time trusting people with my feelings or just trusting people in general. I will remember how I didn’t care to be in a relationship like my other friends because I didn’t want to go through another heartbreak. Another thing I want to remember is what I loved to do. I want to remember the times I went out with my friends to parties or to the movies. I want to remember the after school strolls and just being able to see each other every day. I want to remember how I kept my group of friends very small to avoid drama. I want to be able to remember the times we would go on K-mart runs to get pizza and icees. Now those are just some of the things I want to remember twenty years from now. Now here are some things I may say goodbye to. I may say goodbye to my beautiful Island that is my home because I’ll have to go out to the states and experience new things. I may say goodbye to some friends and some relatives. I’ll say goodbye to that stage where all I want to do is be on my own and do my own thing with nobody telling me what to do. I might finally let my guard down with someone and give it a chance. I hope that in twenty years I can be able to do things I dreamed to or plan to do. I hope that I can vacation in Italy or France. I dream to meet one of my favorite celebrities. I hope that I can be able to have fun and try new things without being hesitant. I hope that I can have my own family and be happy. I want to have a good paying job to be able to support myself and my family if I have one. I hope that in twenty years I can tell myself that I’ve done what I wanted and if not, I can still continue to accomplish it.
#38 What’s In A Name? Everyone always asks me about my name. How did my parents come up with it, or why did they name me that. I asked my mom how she came up with my name and she always answered saying, “Your dad and me wanted to name you something unique and different. So we came up with your name.” Prichelle. Well I guess if you knew my mom’s name and my dad’s name you would kind of have an idea of how I got it. My mom’s name is Michelle and my dad’s name is Patrick. I get the P from my dad’s name and well the rest from my mom’s! At first when I was growing up I didn’t care for my name. I didn’t understand why out of all names my parent’s chose this one. It just didn’t sound right to me. I hated the first day of school because teacher’s always pronounced my name wrong and others would laugh. I always used to get teased and people would constantly ask me the same questions about it and I just got tired of answering them with the same answer. I remember when I would tell people to call me something other than my real name. I really liked the name Claire when I was in elementary and going into middle school. I told my friends not to call me Prichelle anymore and to start acknowledging me as Claire. My friends didn’t really like it because they liked my name but I didn’t care. So for a while people started calling me Claire until my mom found out. She talked to me and told me that my name was special and it had a meaning behind it. After that talk I finally started to accept my name and liking it. My name is different, like me. Not a lot of people have heard it before which makes it uncommon. I guess you can say it’s original. Well to me I think it is. My middle name however I still up to now don’t care for. I hate it when people say it. My mom and I have the same middle name and she only calls me by it if I’m in trouble, which is often. If you’re wondering what my middle name is, it’s Louise. My family loves my name and I guess that’s all that matters. I asked my parents if they had any other names that they planned on naming be and they did. Some of the names were Peatra, Patricia, and a bunch of others. I can honestly say Prichelle was the best one out of them. Up to now I still get teased about my name but I’ve learned to ignore. I’ve come across people who said things different about my name. Some would tell me how it’s a beautiful name or how it’s different in a good way. Now when it comes to my full name, I always get questions about it. Prichelle Louise Cruz is what I’m known by. However, Cruz isn’t my real last name. My real last name is Biagini. Sounds weird right? Well that name comes from my mother’s side which is Italian. Biagini is an Italian last name. My mom’s biological father’s last name is that but my mom ended up taking her stepfather’s last name Cruz. I always planned on changing my last name to my real one because when people ask about that, I have to explain the interesting story behind it.
#39 Symbolic Recipe In order to create myself you must follow each and every step. Be sure that your measurements are correct and precise. Don’t add too much or too little, if you do that I will not be created at all. Don’t add too much anger because that would end badly. You can add a dash of sporty, that’s your choice. Follow these steps correctly and I will come to life! Ingredients: 1 cup of Friendliness 1 cup of Humor ¼ cup of Compassion 2 table spoons of Patience ¼ cup of Sarcasm 1/3 cup of Sensitivity 1/3 cup of Anger 1 cup of Laughter 1 cup of Shyness ¼ of Outspokenness 1 cup of Intelligence 1 cup of Independence
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Steps Add all ingredients into a jar Shake for 10 minutes Watch me come to life!
#40 Look Who I Look Up To Someone who is inspirational is someone who influences others to change for the better or to realize the change that has been made. There are a lot of inspirational people that I look up to. However, if I was to narrow it down to three people, it would be Anne Frank, Jane Addams, and Mother Theresa. These three women are very inspirational to me because of the accomplishments they have made that changed the world in any way. Anne Frank is a very iconic person. Her and her family were Jewish and she grew up in the time of the Holocaust. Anne and her family had to go into hiding. They stayed in the attic in her father’s business office. Anne Frank kept a diary throughout her years in hiding. She listed down everything she experienced, from what she saw, heard, how they managed to survive and stay in hiding that long. Anne was a very brave teenage girl. She was strong and had so much hope. She inspires me to become a strong and brave human being just like how she was. She taught me that no matter how hard obstacles in your life get never lose hope and stay strong. The fact that she was just a teenager makes me admirer her even more. Jane Addams was a social reformer and peace activist, led the American settlement house movement, founding its most famous settlement, Chicago’s Hull House in 1889. She founded Chicago's Hull House, where she lived and worked until her death in 1935. Jane spoke widely about the importance of voting for women. She inspires me greatly because she changed the rights for women and made it more equal for them back then and it changed the future for our generation. If it wasn’t for her us women would probably wouldn’t be able to vote or make our own decisions and so on. Her and her group of other women went out of their way to help other woman and to give them some sort of independence. To me that is very inspiring. Last but certainly not least is Mother Theresa. Mother Theresa was a Roman Catholic nun, who dedicated her life to serving the poor and the less fortunate around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India where she founded the Missionaries of Charity which was a religious congregation devoted to helping those in great need. Mother Theresa has become a symbol of charitable and selfless work. Mother Theresa has opened a dying home where people can go and die with dignity. She spent most of her time with the dying people. Mother Theresa is a very iconic and inspirational person that I look up to dearly. She shows great values and that it never hurts to be there and help those who are less fortunate than you. No matter where they come from or who they are it never hurts to help. These three human beings are inspirational in their own ways and the experiences they have gone through. If it wasn’t for any of these women who knows where we would be right now. If Jane Addams never started the Woman’s Suffrage movement or didn’t believe in world peace, none of us women now would be able to have a say in anything, and we wouldn’t be independent. If Anne Frank never stayed hopeful to herself or stayed strong through her rough times, us youths would never understand that us too can make a difference like she did if we were put in a situation like that. If Mother Theresa never cared for the poor or less fortunate how would we know what true love and care was? Inspirational people are people who influence you to do better and to become a better person.
#41 Ultimate All-Purpose Excuse Mrs. Griffin, I know I’m tardy for class and I know this isn’t the first but you have to believe me when I tell you the reason for it. So this morning I woke up a little later than usual and so of course I was rushing. I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth then changed. I ran to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat and of course there’s nothing. My mom already left for work and so did my dad. My sister however wasn’t in her room where she should be. She was the only person left that can take me to school since the bus already left. I would ride my bike but the tire was flat and I couldn’t find my dad’s air pump. So anyway, I looked in my sister’s bathroom to see if she was in there but she wasn’t! Our house isn’t that big Mrs. Griffin so of course it would be easy to find her just by yelling out her name. So that’s exactly what I did. Still nothing. I looked outside her window to see if her Teal Tuscon (which smelled like my grandma’s Sunday best dresses) was in the driveway but it wasn’t. I was starting to get worried. I rushed back inside my house and called my mom but she didn’t answer. I called my dad and no answer as well. I tried calling my sister’s cell phone but the same thing happened. Things were getting weird. I looked around the house again and I still couldn’t find her. So, what did I do? I called my grandma to see if she knew where everyone was and why they weren’t answering their phones. It’s weird because all she told me was, “there’s a note on the table from your mom if you didn’t see it.” She asked me why I wasn’t in school and I told her the reason, she chuckled. Why did she chuckle I asked myself. Then the line went dead. I went to the kitchen and saw the note on the table under a pile of bills that my dad left. I read the note and it said “You’re running late and I bet you’re looking for your sister. She slept at her friend’s house last night. Your father and I have a meeting so we won’t be able to answer our phones. There’s something for you in the backyard. Sorry we can’t be there to see your reaction. Now hurry up and get to school!! You’re already late. Love Mom. P.S Happy 18th Birthday”. She knew me so well Mrs. Griffin. Everything was starting to make sense. I finished getting all my things together quickly and walked outside to the driveway. What did I come across? A brand new car! I knew it was for me because it had a big red bow on the top and the tag had my name on it. It said “Happy Birthday Prichelle! Love Mom and Dad”. I was so happy. I stared at it thinking it wasn’t real and maybe I was still dreaming but I wasn’t. The keys were tied on the tag. I took them, opened the car and just admired it for a little. Black leather seats and my own sounds already installed for me! I was so happy. My phone rang and it was my mom. I told her thank you probably a billion times and she laughed and told me that I need to get to school because I’m late obviously. So I hung up, started the car and came here. So I’m late for class because none of my family members told me about the car which left me freaking out and wasting time looking for them.
#42 Words that Belong to Me 1. Guarded - Being cautious or nervous about something that may happen, or is not openly jumping into something. - This word belongs to me because I’ve become a guarded person. I hesitate to jump into something whether it’s a relationship with someone or fixing a relationship. I avoid getting hurt before and I don’t give people the chance to do that to me. 2. Curious - Eager to know or learn something. - I can be a very curious person. If it’s knowing what’s going on with one of my friends good or bad I don’t mind knowing about it. 3. Mellow - Someone or something that is calm, smooth and free from harshness. - Mellow is one of my favorite words! I’m a pretty laid back type of girl and I don’t have any problem just hanging out and being surrounded by good vibes. 4. Friendly - Someone showing the characteristics of a friend such as being kind, caring, and affectionate. - My friends are very important to me. I don’t need a big group of friends but I can be friendly with a good amount of people. I prefer to keep my group of friends small but I’m always up to meet a couple of new people. 5. Procrastinate - To put something off to do at a later time. - Procrastination is something that I do all the time. Every time I tell myself I won’t do it, I end up doing it. It’s a quality I need to change really soon. 6. Humor - Quality of being funny. - I enjoy making people laugh. I feel really good about it especially if the person was having a bad day. I’m considered the humorous one in my family. This word for sure belongs to me! 7. Family - Specific group of people that may be made up of partners, children, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. - My family is extremely important to me. I don’t know what I would do without them. I’m so grateful to be blessed with such a loving, supportive, caring family. 8. Comfortable - Someone that makes a person feel secure, happy or relaxed. - I’m a person that’s easy to be comfortable around. I enjoy seeing others being themselves around me and being able to feel comfortable and not uncomfortable and awkward. 9. Outspoken - Someone who doesn't hold back what they say, or who has lots to say about a particular subject. - People have told me that I’m an outspoken person. I agree because, I’m not one to sit back and not say something about a subject that I don’t or do agree with. I’m open to express my opinions when I feel that I need to or when necessary. 10. Adventurous - Someone who is willing to take chances. - I can be a very mellow calm person but I can also be very adventurous. I like the feeling of taking risks and having that adrenaline rush running through my body. I’m always up for adventures. 10. Thoughtful - Someone who is pondering or someone that shows care or sympathy for others. - I always catch myself thinking about people I care about. I’m always there to help them through whatever they’re going through.
#43 In Other Words 1. “Sister is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.” –Margaret Mead 2. “Family is the most important thing in the world.” –Princess Diana 3. “You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like nobody’s listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” –William W. Purkey 4. “However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship.” –Albert Einstein 5. “If you don’t like something change it, if you can’t change it change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou 6. “It doesn’t matter the person’s past, it’s who they are now and who they plan on becoming in the future.” – Unknown 7. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” –Franklin D. Roosevelt 8. “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” –Euripides 9. “There is more to life than increasing its speed” –Mahatma Gandhi 10. “The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.” –Stephen King
#44 Personal Alphabet
A: Accepting I don’t judge people based on their mistakes. I’m open to getting to know them and accepting them as who they are. B: Bright I consider myself to be a very bright person because I always have ideas about anything. C: Clever I’m clever because I know how to do things that you wouldn’t think to do at first. D: Debatable Debating is something I’m good at. I can argue about a situation pretty well. E: Exciting I’m an adventurous person who’s always up to do something exciting. F: Funny! I enjoy making people laugh and it’s not a challenge for me to do. G: Gullible! Sometimes I’m easy to lie to about things. I don’t usually question anyone about anything. H: Helpful! I’m helpful because if I see a person in need who is struggling with something, I’m always there to give them a hand. I: Imaginative! My imagination is huge. I can come up with creative thoughts and sometimes use them in real life. J: Joking! I love joking around with people. It makes people laugh and it brings good vibes. K: Kind! Whenever someone is shy or doesn’t feel comfortable, I’m always there to help. L: Logical! Sometimes I remind others about logical things. M: Mellow! I have a mellow type of attitude. I don’t care to show off or anything like that. N: Nervous! I always get nervous. When it comes to presenting in front of people I don’t know, my nerves get the best of me. O: Outgoing! Once you get to know the real me I can be very friendly and comfortable to be around. P: Positive! I don’t like negative vibes or people at all. I surround myself with positivity and that makes life a little better. Q: Quiet! I can be very quiet some days, it usually happens if I have a lot on my mind. R: Reasonable! I like being fair so if there’s ever a situation where I need to be reasonable, I will be. S: Shy! If I first meet someone I can be really shy and quiet but it doesn’t take me that long to be myself. T: Talkative! Talking is probably one of my best qualities. I can talk and hold a conversation for a while. U: Uncertain! I’m a very indecisive person when it comes to a lot of things. V: Vulnerable! I wouldn’t say this is my best quality. I can sometimes get naïve when it comes to certain situations. W: Whimsical! I consider myself a fun cheerful girl who enjoys having fun. X: Xenophobic! Sometimes I get a little scared when it comes to hearing news about the negative attacks that are being talked about in other countries. Y: Youthful! I’m a teenage girl who’s still young at heart. Z: Zippy!
I’m always lively when it comes to situations when you need to be.
#45 Map of Life
2014 GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL!!
2013 My dad got married
2012 Trip to California, & Las Vegas
2008 My little brother was born
2007 My mom got married
2000 I started going to school 1996 I was born!
#46 Room Sweet Room My room is one of the things that represents me. The soccer trophies hanging on my shelf show how much I enjoyed the sport. I have pictures of my family and friends hanging on one part of my wall. I have this because those memories are what I cherish the most. The small old stuffed animal lays on my bed because I’ve had it since I was born. My closet full of clothes and shoes show that I’m a very fashionable person. The old blanket that is folded on my bed is something my grandma made and one that I’ve had since I was a toddler. I have this one picture of my grandpa who lost his life during the Vietnam War. The picture reminds me of how humble, friendly, and loving he was to everyone around him. I don’t have a lot of items in my room, but the ones I do have all have a special meaning, or a story behind it.
#47 Futures, Fantasy, and Fact I’m twenty-eight years old and ten years ago I was a senior in high school. Things have been going great for me. Everything I wished for came true and I’m so happy. I was able to graduate with my Master’s Degree and was able to start my own business that is very successful. I’m supporting my mother now like how I always wanted. I met an amazing man who had all the qualities I was looking for. I was able to have my dream wedding and have my dream house. I’m starting my own family now and everything has been going as I planned. I’m twenty-eight years old and ten years ago I was a senior in high school. I was able to go to college and graduate with my bachelor’s degree. I have a decent paying job and I’m trying to start my own business. I’m single with no kids. I sometimes need help with my finances and my mom is there to help me with that. I was never married and I don’t think I will be anytime soon. I still live with my parents but I help them out with bills and other things around the house. If I was able to have all my wishes come true or to have miracles happen to me, I would be living my dream life! I would be doing something I love, have money, a family, my dream house and everything. I would be able to support my mom and not have her worry about a thing. That’s what it is, a “dream” life. Let’s get to the realistic side now. If I was to continue on with life as who I am now with no wishes, magic, or miracles I wouldn’t be living my dream life. I would probably have an average job that doesn’t pay as much as I would like. I would still be living with my parents and the list goes on. However, the realistic life doesn’t have to be miserable. You can work on living your dream life. All you have to do is continue to work hard and fight for what you want. Don’t stop chasing after your dreams, work hard and stay strong. Sooner or later you’ll feel like your life is great, and maybe it will be great without all the materialistic things.
#48 Personal Metaphors 1. Animal: Giraffe 2. Car: Volkswagen Van 3. Article of Clothing: T-shirt 4. Day of the Week: Friday 5. Food: Spaghetti 6. Color: Maroon 7. Movie: Lilo & Stitch 8. Fragrance: Sweet Pea 9. Type of Building: Theatre 10. Plant: Daisy 11. Musical Instrument: Drums 12. Geometric Shape: Triangle 13. Piece of Furniture: Bed 14. Song: Bastille 15. Season of the Year: Summer 16. Television Character: none 17. Cartoon or Comic Character: none 18. Appliance or Machinery: Airplane 19. Natural Phenomenon: Shooting Stars 20. Word: Imagination
#49 As Time Goes Bye-Bye There are a lot of things I hope to do by the time I’m thirty-five. First I want to graduate from college with both my bachelor and master’s degree. I want to visit Italy and other places in Europe. I would love to vacation in Bora Bora. By the time I’m thirty-five, I would like to try riding in a hot air balloon. I want to have a good-paying job and hopefully it’s something I love doing. I hope that I have my own business like I always wanted. By the time I’m thirty-five I would like to be married to a great man. I would hope that I have my own place and is able to support myself. Throughout this time I hope that I will be able to cope better with the loss of my good friend. I hope that I can overcome being sad all the time and allowing the pain to hurt me. I want to be able to accept that he’s gone and that he’s not coming back. By the time I’m thirty-five I hope that all me and my close friends now, are just as close or ever closer then. I want to experience new things with them. I want to go on an off-island trip with them and make more memories that we can talk about by the time we’re thirty-five. I would probably say goodbye to this beautiful island for a while but I will eventually come back. I will say goodbye to old friends that drifted away from me. I will say goodbye to relatives who may have passed. I will say goodbye to friends who were never friends. I will say goodbye to the negative vibes. I hope that throughout the years I can be able to help my parents with their financial situations. I want to make them proud of me. By the time I’m thirty-five I want my mom to rest and just have her time and not worry about anything.
#50 Lessons I Learned Too Late Every one of us has learned a lesson when it was already too late. All we’re left with is the “what if” feeling. We then start overthinking about what the outcome would be like if we changed our decision on the situation or our actions. We start to feel guilty or dumbfounded. What if we said something or did something different? What if we were more careful with whatever situation we were in? It’s too late to change the outcome but it’s not too late to prevent it from happening again and feeling that “what if” feeling again. We just learned our lesson when it was too late. Here are some lessons I learned too late. One important lesson I learned when it was too late was to tell the people you love and care about how much you love and care about them. Or to cherish every moment you spend with them because at any point in time they could be gone. You may have been hanging out with them, and the next day, they could be gone. They’re not here anymore and you’re left with the feeling of regret. I lost someone who meant so much to me and when I found out he passed I didn’t get to truly tell him how much I loved him and cared about him when he was able to talk back to me. I was able to tell him everything but that was when he was on hospital bed. He wasn’t awake but he could hear me. I also regret not being able to make more memories with him like I could’ve. Another lesson I learned when it was too late was to listen to my parents when it came to being careful with relationships. I let my guard down for someone and I felt that it was the right thing to do even though my parents were telling me otherwise. I didn’t listen and everything that my parents warned me about happened. Everything they said would happen, did. They warned me about getting my heart broken but I didn’t listen and that was exactly what happened to me. I learned to listen and trust my parents when it comes to advice about these things because they’ve been through it before and experienced it. I learned that the only reason they get on my case about everything is because they don’t want me to feel the hurt and pain they felt. They did this to protect me. Trusting people was something I was able to do, but after this one situation I learned that I can’t trust everyone and I need to be really careful with who I trust. Some people may give you the feeling that they can be trusted. They will make you think that they’re your real friend when really they’re not. Sometimes these types of people don’t care about your feelings and they end up only caring about themselves. If that means bringing you down and using your secrets that you trusted them with then they will do just that. They will do anything to make themselves feel better even if it means to betray a “friend”.
Epilogue If a stranger found this portfolio and decided to read from pages one to thirty-nine, he would be able to know enough about the writer. The pieces show different sides of the author in specific detail. If the reader understands the author’s writing pieces then for sure he will have a good idea on what type of person filled the pages. The author would be looked at as someone who’s been through struggles in their life. They’ve been through family problems, friends, school, anything. The person loss a great friend and is still trying to figure out ways to cope with it and accept it. She’s being looked at as someone who covers her pain with her energetic, adventurous personality. Maybe it keeps her mind off the negative things in her life. The author may be looked at as someone who doesn’t show they’re hurting because they don’t want others to see them as someone weak. The author seems to be hopeful. For example, when she explained why the picture of the light at the end of the tunnel was inspirational to her. It shows that she has been through struggles in her life just like everyone else and she believes that everything can and will get better. The problem is, she doesn’t know when. She may be looked at as someone who is imaginative. In the “Mysterious Place” writing, her sensory details were very well put together. It was creative and it opened up your imagination. She made it seem like it actually was a real place. She brought fiction to life with that piece. Her “Visual Speaking” piece showed outsiders a little part of her. The different pictures and sayings put together shows her to be a person with a bubbly and creative personality. She also seems to be very family oriented. In the “As Time Goes Bye-Bye” she really expressed her care and love she has for her parents and her mother especially. She mentioned several time how she wanted to make sure her mother didn’t have to worry about anything in the future. The author’s writing pieces says a lot about her. She’s been through hard times but still looks for the happy ending. She’s had several struggles thrown at her but yet she still manages to stay positive and strong. She’s quick to help people who are hurting even when she’s hurting too. Her love for her family and friends is amazing and she shows that those are the people who really matter. She separated herself away from negativity even if it comes around once in a while. She’s adventurous and exciting. She can be stubborn but still has a good heart. From reading pages 1-39 you can know enough about this author. It’s just up to the outsider to see if he can keep up with her.