SHE AND ME

Essay #4 draft 1

“Never make up your mind about what you want to be without first knowing what you can be”. My town in the Dominican Republic calls Los minas where I lived with my mum dad, and brothers. After my parents divorced I was upset but I understood at age of ten- years- old that the divorce was the better decision for both. In that moment my brothers and me were separated because that, and we throughout a lot of hard time without our parents next to us. My family had misery after my father leaves us, but I had always the hope to have a better life. I’m simple but I think if I can enhance something of my life I will. Since I was little I thought that the decisions that you make now will be the specific material to create your future. You are you own design of your future. And I will tell you how I was like a perfectionist girl and what Ten-Years-Old-me react to see those changes.

“Hi! How are you? Do you have a car, a good boyfriend; tell me I want to know what happens with my life now. (She)

Hi. I’m fine. Oh! Yeah, I’m OK I mean I love my life and I’m ok with it. You know like, I don’t. Perhaps I won’t to tell you what you expect but, well, (Me)

“Yes, I mean you OK? You nineteen now so, I guess you are doing what you want to do right?”(She)

“Yeah but,”(Me)

“Do you have a boyfriend or you married. You have babies? (She)

“I have boyfriend”(me) without babies…(Me)

“And? (She)

“Um um..”(Me)

“Do you are in college? Where are you now? What you doing?”(She)
“Yes I am, you know I have a job and…”(Me)

“Where is mammy you live with our brother Alexis, where are you living…” (She)

I tried to explain to her that my life changed since I came to this country. And that I support myself since I live alone. That the family here treats you in a different way I trough family did, and that I don’t have the perfect man, but I’m ok with my life and with him. I like it and I try to do my best to have what she wants for her future. Like have a beautiful family, a good job, a perfect career that be in agreement with me and a brilliant relationship with God. That I didn’t plan to be like this, but is it what it is. And that I have been working to make her happy. Yes, I finished High School but I’m not in college now but also I told her that I will be there soon. That I’m poor and that I know that she won’t find anything interesting about me. And That I’m working hard to be confident with my life and that I still with the same dreams, and I want to make those real. That I don’t want to be desolation for her but if I’m is my found. That I’m not with my family but I’m not alone, I still with our God and he is the only one in my side. I think she didn’t understand me but I tried my best. I know how she feel, I’m not who she expected me to be but I am who I am. And this is how she responded me.

“So you telling me that you have a miserable life?”(She)

“If that’s the way you want to look at it”(Me)

I mean I love what I’m doing now, if you don’t like it is not my problem.”(Me)

“And? I thought this would be better” (She)

“Yes, but is not always what you think or what you want. You knew that people make sin and that those sins have consequences. Right”? (Me)

“Yes but…”(She)

“But, what? I mean you make sin and this is your future.(Me)

I know that you trough would be easier and better, but it is not.”(Me)

“OK, I understand and I respect that if you are happy and fine I am. Anyway I can’t change nothing it is too late” (She)

Thanks God she understands this and she will be right, well, is what that I think. Life is hard but you get the opportunity to make this better. She would like to change some problems in her life but she can’t, it is impossible. Perhaps in the actually she still confuse about her own life, but I have the hope that in the future she will understand and then she will change.

I LOVE THEM

Essay #3 draft #2

Who are the people who influence your life? How did those people help you in your life? How do you feel about them? Thank God I have good people around me. Those people care about me and want the best for me. Those people are, my best friend Johanny, my brother, Alexis, and my mother’s cousin Carmen. Those are the people that most influence my life and teach me to be who I am.

My best friend, Johanny, influenced my life since I was in my country. She has been my friend since I was in 10th grade in an Adventist college a private Christian school. She was catholic but she believes in my same God and fellow some of God’s mandate. I considerate her to be a Christian girl that wants to do whatever God wants her to do. She is so smart and she love study. Thanks God she was in my same level and I was able to spend a half of the day with her. Moreover she moved to my neighborhood, close to my house. I was so happy since she is a good and interesting person. She influenced my life because I learned how to study hard because this is important and why I should love it. I think I wouldn’t learn those with another person. She helped me a lot with math because I didn’t like math because I wasn’t good enough like her. She helped me to become strong and not to be afraid of nothing. Because of her I was interested of learn English because she like this language and math. . I learn a lot of things from her that’s why I considerate her my best friend and the first one who influence my life.

I didn’t realize how much my brother influenced my life. But I know he does. He is the only member of the family who influences my life. Alexis is my second brother and is three years older than me. He has been an example in my study. He is smart and he knows that the only thing that can make our lives easier and better is education. Ever since he was in my country he has been a good student. His favorite class is math, different from mine but he tried hard to pass old his classes like I do. I consider my brother a strong person because he had difficulties, but thanks God, like me, he learned how to make problems easier for your life. He came here with my mother and me. He was the first one who was separated from us but he accepted and tries to live with us. He never stopped his studies; he had been studying and working at the same time. He enjoyed the CLIP program and he was the one that convinced me that this is the best program to enhance my English. He finished this program and now is in college. Sometimes I tell him that I want to go college and he answered that is better to stay one year in the CLIP and then go there. He is sure of what he wants for his future and he is working to make this better. He influences my life. That’s why he is the only person in the family that I have a good conversation with.

My mother’s cousin’s name is Carmen and she is an example in my life. She is a excellent woman and has a beautiful family. She helped my mother when my father did leave her when we were little. My mother needed Carmen’s help because she didn’t have the enough money to support us. Carmen understood that we didn’t have food and clothes; accordingly, she supplied our necessities. After all she had been helped my mum with our education. I wanted to attend a Christian college and mum didn’t have the money to pay for it, but she gave my, mother money every month so I could attend to it. Though those experiences with her, I leaned that we have to help others so God will help us. She influenced my life so I understand I have to work hard so I can help my family’s economy and others that need food and love.

I realize that those people who influence my life are the same people who want the best for me and my family. Moreover, they help me to enhance my life, giving me what I need and when I need it. Thank God for those people that are still in touch with me. I know how they are and they know I am. They are part of my life and I love them so much.

THIS IS THE BEST

Essay #2 draft #2

Do you feel like me when you love a song but you don’t realize what that song means to your life? That happened to me but I realized with time that the songs I listen to mean something and have an important place in my life. Like my favorite song “ven te necesito”( Come I Need You) which is Christian by Jesus Romeo and like Lily Goodman. This song reminds me some friends from Jamaica’s Church who tried hard to help me and most important to showed me that God should be the most important person in my life. Because of this song, I learned a lot of things that help me in my life and what is God purpose for me.

“Ven te necesito”( Come I Need You) stays in my mind every time I listened to it. This song has lyrics that help me to understand that my life doesn’t have meaning if God isn’t in it. This song reinforce my believe in God and believe that he is my only love in my life. When I came to U.S my second time I was so happy and I thought I didn’t need God help even though I was in trouble. I was with my friends and boyfriends because I trhoth that was the more important in life but I was wrong. I like when she describe that situation, “you arrived from morning a day when the life began to smile to me and everything went very well” God take care and look for his sons, and that happened to me and I forget about God. But later I understood that my life was empty without God. I felt alone and without hope. In that time I started to listen this song since that time I know that nothing is impossible if I’m with him. My favorite song not just helps me in my religion life too helps me in my relationships with my family and friends.

Before I came here I thought that families and friends are together and help each other. But I realize that this country is so different from what I thought and thank God my favorite song helps me to accept it. I had been thinking that friend were there for us without care the situation. Before I finish High school I lose my friends because they were thinking that the school wasn’t important and that affect our relationships. I felt bad about that but I understood that we can’t be together. Now I know that my best friend is God that always is there for me. This song shows me that God is the only one who can make me happy. Family and friend leave you but God always goes to be with you and this song tries to explain it.

Even I though friends and family weren’t necessary in my life I continued to believe in man. I thought a boyfriend can make me happy and that was my mistake because they can’t. “I gave the back of my heart, and I was convinced that nothing matters in the life if you’re not these next to me.” When I was with a boy I forget about God and we were support to do in a Christian relationship. But this son explains exactly what I did and what I felt. Instead of listened music that talks about love and relationships, I listened to these songs that I like and teach me with its lyrics. I have knowledge that nobody can give me what I need just God can give me happiness what is the main idea of the song.

Thanks to this song I realize that life is more beautiful than we thought it was. Vent te necesito helps me in my believed in God, my relationships but too to believe that songs can changed your standing in the life and how to see the life in different way. Now I know that I don’t need to listen another kind of music because Christian songs have all kind of rime and lyrics that I like to listen.

CENSORSHIP

Essay #1 draft #2

Some people don’t know what censorship is but everybody is have some opinion about it. Censorship is the act when the authority doesn’t want a specific material or information to be public. States, religions, educational, systems, families work together to implemented arts and music censorship because its racial attitudes and violets words. There are censorships that the law applies in the country: moral, military, political, religious and corporate censorship.Here are some examples of censorship and how people think about it.

Reggaeton started in panama where Panamanians of Jamaica descent played “Spanish Reggae” in 1977. After reggaeton was banned in panama, reggaetonist came to U.S and Puerto Rican to play these songs. The Puerto Rican fell in love with the reggaeton and started their own versions in the beginning of the 1990s. Someone said “If the police saw you with a reggaeton CD they would take it away. It wasn’t allowed in stores either.” This mean that the government wanted stop this genre.Until in the end of the 1990s the reggaeton was banded on the radio of Puerto Rico ,Dominican Republic and Cuba where the reggaeton was and is considerate a popular lyrics. The authorities and the government were against of this genre as a result of its content. They banned the reggaeton which was hard for reggaetonist, who justified their songs because they explained their experience in life and young teenager and what they can do. Some reggaeton artist like was Master Joa and other wanted their music on the radio so they “cleaned up” the genre. The ban on regaeton was lifted and radios and regular stores started to play some kin of this genre. I think the decision was correct because now reggaetonist know that they can’t make whatever garbage of regaeton they want since this not goes to be published. I believe that an artist should be censor if they not fallow the rule.

Israel too practices censorship. The authorities of Israel banned the Beatles 43 years ago because they though that this kind of music is dangerous for Israelites young people. The ex-Beatle Paul McCartney defied death treats by religious militants.The cleric said that Paul MacCartney was “the enemy of every muslim” because he doen’t respect their religion andf israel believe that he is as British Anti-Semitistm. That’s why the autorities don’t want him to go there. I believe that everybody has the right to express what they want but in Israel they are muslim, they practice their religions and for then every israelist should falow that religion.

On November 22, 2006 Macdonal was criticized because she had the crucifixion scene in a concert and that scene was censorship. The Church of England, the Russian Church, the German government, the Catholic Church and the Evangelical league were against this scene that is inmoral to our God. Religions leaders believe that this scene is a insult because they imitate Chrish’s salvific actions. I know that she just wanted to show Jesus suffers but I think she is not the better person or scene to do that job.

As we know everybody wants to express their feelings. But we know too that the government of a country has the power to take out something that had been published if this is not good for the people. Artists sometimes disagree when the authorities banned their product because they know that this is so important for then. I think everybody has the right to express what they think as long as they do this with respect to the public that go to see this.

SIXTY PERSONAL QUESTIONS

Would you rather be rich and have no free time or struggle with money but have loads of free time? I would rather be have loads to do whatever I want to do

If you were a boss, would your rather be liked or feared? I would be liked because I believe that you have to treat people how you want people to treat you

Do you prefer to dress nicely or comfortably? I prefer to dress comfortably even if isn’t fashion

Would you ever get a tattoo? Do you have one? Not, if I'm crazy

Who is the most influential person in your life? Jesus

Do you prefer the excitement of a new relationship or the comfort of a long relationship?
I prefer the comfort of a long relationship because there is love

Your walking down the street with your love, where are you going? To the church

What is your pet peeve? When someone lie to me

What do you get excited about? I get exited about sports and competitions

What's the last thing you laughed really hard over? See two gays trying to be woman

Could you live without your cell phone for one week? One month? Yes I did that for 2 months.

What woke you up this morning? My piss

Do you myspace or facebook? No, I don’t like waste my time

If you could take one friend on vacation with you, who would it be? I would take my best friend

Are you scared of spiders, cockroaches, or snakes? Yes I hate them.

Could you go a month without cursing? Is depends, in the city I can’t but if I’m in the camp maybe

Do cursing make you uncomfortable or are you indifferent? No, I’m indifferent

Do you prefer a wild nigs on the town or a quiet evening at home? I prefer a wild night if I 'm with my friends.

If you could move somewhere else, would you? I would like move to a nice place without train and buses where the food, school are cheap and the discrimination is expensive.

How many true friends do you have? One, and is 3 hrs from here.

What is something you really want right now? Take a vacation with a lot of money in my country.

Are you a forgiving person? Yes, always when they want me to forget it.

Have you ever thought you were going to marry someone? Yes after 25 but I want to make sure to do this with the right person.

Last person to make you smile? I don't know.

Do you miss anyone? My best friend.

Are you sarcastic? Yes I’m when people make me do it.

Is it more important to be honest or kind? Honest

Are you a bad or a good influence? Good

Is there anyone you want to visit you? Yes, my Spanish teacher.

What time did you wake up this morning? 8.30

What is something your friends make fun of you for? Of my mistakes

One word describe yourself. Strong
Is there anyone you wish could “see you now?” My father

What is your dream job? Pilot

Do you listen to music? How often? Yes, how many times I can

What is your favorite movie? The pianistYou is your favorite celebrity? Myself

What is your favorite song? Ven te necesito

Are you easily offended? Sometimes when I’m serious

What is your favorite book? The Bible

Does the idea of going to college intimidate you? Nop

Do you like change? Yes that’s why I like Obama

Are you a control freak? Nop

What is the scariest experience you’ve ever had? I’m not remember right now

What is the happiest moment you’ve had in the last year? When I graduated from high school

Do you consider yourself a hard worker, or are you lazy? I consider myself a hard worker

What is your favorite leisure time activity? Read

Do you like reading? Why or why not? Yes I love it because I learn different issues

When you read, what makes it interesting for you? When they have a conversation or the author describe the scene

What makes you feel like a successful student? When I practice some that I had been studying

What are your plans for next year? Continue college and have my own apartment

Where do you see yourself in five years? May be alone in my apartment with a car and a good job

What is your greatest challenge in English? Use an academy language

What is advice you would give to a friend who wanted to move to NYC? Try to practice English

What is one piece of advice you would give to a friend who wanted to study English at LaGuardia? Don’t listen what people say just focus on your studies

What is one piece of advice you have learned in the past year that you will/would share with your children? That if they want to be successful they should study hard and never give up

My Top Five

Ven Te Necesito (I need you come) by Jesus Adrian Romero and Lilly Goodman- vuelbe a casa-christian-2003

Sin dolor (without pain) by Lilly Goodman -albun sobrevivire-2006

Killing me softly by the fugees version- hiphop 1996

Like You’ll Never See Me Again by Alicia keys- as i am-R&B -2007

If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia keys- the diarie of alice key-R&B-2003