Post #3

      Waking up in the hospital without a sense of that thing in the back of your mouth might seem a bit odd. That THING was my cousins uvula. On the other hand he was a bit lucky for the removal on some parts.
       My cousin got this removed because he had terrible breathing and sleeping problems. The breathing caused him to not pronounce words correctly and take on extra breaths through the nose. Sleeping on the other hand as you may imagine was very difficult for him, he would snore loudly and sometimes he wouldn't be able to sleep at all. To get him to sleep at times he had to gargle salt water to ease the swelling of the uvula. I remember one of the nights that we had a family party at my aunts house we were all playing I was about 7 and my cousin was 6, well anyways the common side effect of dehydration, was the swelling of the uvula. Since we were playing so care-free and with no breaks, my cousin went into panic mode and felt as if he couldn't breath, we all knew he didn't have asthma and since we knew or the adults knew at that time about his uvula, they called for an ambulance to come pick him up and take him to the emergency room. I even wanted to go for the thrill. So we arrived at the ER and my cousins was given an inhaler and it help out a little bit but still had trouble breathing they checked out his throat and his uvula was larger than normal.
      As soon as they saw this they put him to sleep and did their work and removed it. I remember when he woke up and was really confused about what was going on and we told him and he was still confused but it was all ok. From that day for about 4 days he had to eat everything smoothied and cold. Ice cream was his big deal he loved it. Now that that happens he still snores but not as much as I remember.

My Area of Expertise (p#2)

        Last year in second semester, I took ceramics class just to get my credit for art. During the time that I first started, eh, it was not very great but I soon began to develop skills but these skills were not just skills that it’s a slow and learning process it was more of a “bettering my skills” type thing; as if I have been great in ceramics all my life. Mr. Bone, asked me-about my third week of being in class-if I have already done ceramics before, my response in a very sarcastic mood “noo?” With a smile on his face, “well that is hard to believe, it is as if you have this inner talent never found before and now it is shining in the light.” Smiling back with confidence, “well we will see where this inner talent goes.”

        About the sixth week or so, I was pretty damn good, now on the wheel that is a no no for me, not very good with that. Making things from scratch is a plus. The first real project done on my own was hard but ends well. Making a slab (thing to make the clay flat) was not easy, having to adjust the right amount of clay in one area so it would not split, and then finding the right base to make the bottom part of my piece. Finally after two days of drying a bit I add coils made of clay of course and I mix the coil to the base by carefully and attentively using my index finger and thumb to blend them together and I put another on that coil, and another on that coil; so on and so forth. I never realized after so many coils and focus on the small inches of clay I focused on, my so call piece is now creating into a giant pot. Mr. Bone peeks his eyes occasionally and shows me a couple more techniques to smoothen out ridges and fill in holes. My pot was going outward, at some point I noticed I needed to go in. putting coils in slowly step-by-step to where it evenly distributed. Now back out for the final round of the pot. By the time I was done, it took me probably three weeks just to finish the pot. It weighs about 7lbs and is 1ft tall. The pot was assigned to be a tribal pot and since my aunt was into the tribal ways, I decided to give it to her and put her name on it or so her nickname “Taru.” Before I had given it to her though there was, an art show and judges go around and decide on which art looks the best. Now I just put my pot in there for the hell of it, I was not expecting a prize, but low and behold, I got first place for best 3-D art. Very shocked and surprise. Mr. Bone did not tell me anything but I bet he was thinking that is where your inner talent is going.

        Ceramics to me is like my second home, I feel comfortable there and I have no one judging me, just positive attitudes and a good vibe that makes me vigorously want to start working on projects. I will admit I complain about going to that class because sometimes I am tired but it is like the moment I step through the doors I wake up and want to do something. I am now in ceramics two and I don’t do work for a ceramics two regular class, Mr. Bone and I have told a secret to each other about start making my projects for AP 3D art for next year. I have decided to make my collage based on family; I have to make 12 pieces just based on anything to resemble family, in my own perspective.

        Everyone has there own inner talent or love to some specific thing and as much as we may explain, why we love it so much, it is still not understandable or being able to comprehend. My love to ceramics-as many other things I do love-is just one of those things that makes me, me. It is something I take upon seriously and to heart; just as anyone else would for something they loved.

MY Creation for my aunt^^^>>

Stranger In a Strange Land (p#1)

   Me being a stranger in a strange land is a bit impossible since I am a Hispanic living in the U.S. Which I clash between both my American and Hispanic side. On one exception, that when I go over to friend's houses who aren't Hispanic is a completely different world in a home compared to mine. The things that are done between parents and child and the attitudes or the way to act towards each other.

   I've always been taught that allowance does not exist in a family environment. If there are more than one person in the house and we are called a "family," why does money have to involve in it or be given to just because someone did chores? My mom tells me "we are all living under this house, so we all help each other."
When I get money, it is just because I've earned it, by being good, having good grades, doing my priorities that weren't establish to me by them, I should just know. Not meaning to put any other families-that contrast mine- down, but when you move out cleaning and doing the chores that you do at home aren't going to be for money anymore, they are going to be for ones own benefit. I think being paid to do something that benefits yourself in the end doesn't earn yourself much gratitude.
 
   In my house and family we are very sweet and loving to each other, not saying other houses aren't, but the contrast between the two are extremely different. When I see my parents, the first thing I say is "bendicion mami, bendicion papi." (it's a way of greeting them in a respectful manor, not really a way of translating it into english). I even say it when I go to bed or if I am saying good-bye as well. I say it to every family member with the exception of my cousins, but I have to say it to grandparents and aunts and uncles. An addition to saying this we have to give a kiss on the cheek. It really doesn't embarrass me if I do it in front of friends, when I see my friends say hi to their parents all they say is hey mom or hey dad and a hug, I don't feel that love between them, of course they may have those connections when they do other things but I typically don't see it. I think a bit of embarrassment by being in front of people while greeting your parents, kind of shows that disconnection as well.


Again, I mean to say this in my perspective, no disrespect to others.