Nathan's English Blog

Today we did a common assessment on Antojos. Honestly I think I did pretty good, most of the questions were worded where the oddly specific ones were correct. A lot of the time the correct answers stood out and the times that they didn't they were either repeats (with different wording) of a question or common sense. Test taking is kinda my forte as long as I stay awake for the whole test, otherwise expect me to get a fat 0.

Today we finished on our Antojos work and presented what we had. I finished my second picture and was ready to present it. I thought our group would be able to get through and not have to present at all, but alas our luck ran short right at the last minute. Either way I believe I did a pretty good job on my drawings and so I was semi-proud to present it.

Today we continued on the Antojos work. Honestly not much else inparticular was done in class besides that. I started working on another scene from the story though it wasn't very true to siurce material. It was more like an amalgamation of certain items from the scene to put it all into one simple picture. Looks good so far though.

Today we started reading and interpreting the short story Antojos in class. We were assigned roles and had an assignment on the story based on our role. I got the illustrator role so I started drawing a scene from before the story began. I think it turned out pretty good in my humble opinion.

p

Pushing through things is never easy. I have and had an extreme anxiety when it comes to death and religion, mainly about the afterlife. Originally I was a sheltered christian boy but when I was introduced to other religions namely Islam, and Atheism I started to question my faith. That fear became something the limited my sleep, and filled my mind and heart with pure unease. However I pushed through, I strengthened my faith, and I perservered. That doesn't mean I don't think back and feel those same feelings, but I push them back and keep moving on with life. Something interesting I heard is that the sun never stops for anyone, which I think sums up how it feels to live. No matter how hard things get, life goes on.

I planned to go to a good college. It is most likely not going to work out, at leadt how I planned it would. Part laziness, part pure apathy towards my studies, and part wanting to have fun just put me too far off course to achieve what I originally wanted. Though things aren't over yet, While I might not be able to go straight fo a university like GA Tech, I can always fmtransfer in from another college. All I really want is to not have to pay too much for college, especially now that student loan forgiveness doesn't exist anymore.

Sometimes the world feels too big to me. How am I supposed to experience the world when the world is so vast and far reaching. To think about going around the world almost seems impossible because of all the places I could go (and how much it'd cost to get there). It makes me anxios sometimes what I'll be able to complete with the short life of mine, but I'll make it work. In the end, even if the world is "too big" all I'll have to do is try that much harder to conquer if (not like a dictator though).

I wish I had asked "how can I help?" more when I was younger. I was a rather bratty child and never really liked doing chores (still don't but who else will help mom). Whenever my sister and mom did chores I did the least I could to try and be lazy. I wish I had been more helpful so my sister and mom weren't as stressed back then. Even something simple probably would've helped take something off their shoulders. What I can't do about the past however I can rectify now in the present.

When I was really young, I had a playmate/neighbor named Eva. I remember we were very close because we both loved animals and watching Wild Kratz on tv. She was really nice to me and I remember going to her room (VERY VERY PINK is all I really remember about it) and playing with her and her animal toys. Her and my favorite animal back then were cheetahs because of how fast they were. Weirdly enough, I dont remember anything else about her or her family for that matter. Not her face, not where exactly she lived (all I knew was it was in the same apartment complex as mine), not even if we went to school together, but thats fine with me. I wonder if she remembers me though?

The beginning of covid was crazy for me in eighth grade. First we got a day off of school, which spiraled into 3 days, then a week, then 2 weeks, until we started meeting on zoom. We started doing work online and then they announced the lockdowns and the quarantine. That's when I knew that the start of highschool was gonna be a crazy experience for me. Getting through middleschool was a breeze but missing all the celebrations we had planned and missing being able to hang out with friends was a real bummer. Looking back, I feel like after the first week of staying home, I knew then that something was going on.

Last year I asked a girl out to a school dance with me a little before my birthday, she said yes but because she had a play I was gonna watch her play and then we would go to the dance. I payed for the tickets for both events and got to her school but didn't know where to go, so I texted her. She didn't answer, so I then called her, she once again didn't answer. I tried walking to find an entrance but I couldn't find one as I never got any directions, by then I had given up and texted her I was just gonna go home instead, which she replied to almost instantly. At least my aunt came to celebrate my birthday with me.

I'm certain that everything will be ok in life. There will always be downs but for every down there is an up, for every loss a win, and every bit of sadness is met with a bit of joy. Nobody is truly a loser unless they resign themselves to it, as long as you believe in it with certainty, your life will lead you to where you need to go. Of course it won't be easy, but what would the point be if it was? Take life one step at a time, don't rush but don't dawdle, take things in stride and eventually you'll find yourself where you need to be.

Thank you for everything you've done for me, For the food you feed me, for the clothes on my back, for the roof over my head, and the warmth of my bed. Thank you for the love you show me, the memories we made together, the lessons you've taught me, and the life you ultimately gave me. Thank you for all the opportunities you've opened for me and for the patience you've had in raising me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the sacrifices you've made for me. Love you always.

When I was 5 or 6 my entire family was having a tough time financially because of certain things that came up (honestly don't know specifics). I'd been used to getting lots of toys but that christmas all I got was a lego bionicle set and some socks. Being the type of kid I was I never said anything to anyone but I asked my mom later on why I got such "bad" gifts. All my mom could do was scold me and tell me to be thankful to my family for giving my anything at all. I still feel bad for thinking about the gift like that, especially since those socks we super comfortable. Sometimes kids are just that, kids, they really don't know any better.

I didn't know my older sister was actually my step-sister until my dad started arguing with my mom when I was 13. This next part is going to sound really stupid but my older sister is white while the rest of my family is black which for some reason never fazed me as a kid. I genuinely thought she had the same condition as michael jackson and believed that she used to be black but just became white. I never asked her because I didn't want to hurt her feelings and went on about my life. Learning that never changed how I felt about my sister though, she was like a caregiver to me and my siblings because she was always taking care of us while our parents were busy even in highschool. I love my sister to the moon and back like all my other family and her not having both the same parents as me changes absolutely nothing.

Before I get into this I will say that this will probably be the most embarrassing thing I'll ever write on here. So when I was in 5th grade I, at the time, had a longtime crush on a girl since 1st grade. I always admired her kindness and beauty and even rejected girls because I wanted to be with her (god writing this makes my soul cringe). Long story short I told a girl when she asked me and that girl then told her even though I told her to keep it a secret. She rejected me which led to me not going to student council meetings (we were both on the student council then) but eventually I realized that not having to face her was not worth missing out on field trips to the retirement homes (old people make me happy) so I resolved myself and went back to school. 

I'm sorry that I didn't live up to your expectations. I know how much you cared for me and that you only wanted the best for me. I'm sorry I wasn't able to become the amazing person you knew I could've been had I taken things more seriously. I'm sorry I have become a burden to you, something that weighs you down when I promised to lift us all up. I'm sorry that I'm not the hardworking, intelligent, and curious kid you once knew.

I used to know how recite this certain prayer in my mother language (Amharic) as a kid. Whenever I sat to eat I'd recite the quick prayer and dig in. Before bed I'd recite the prayer and go to sleep soundly. I honestly don't know anything about it anymore besides the fact that I knew it once. Now I pray in english but I wish I remembered that prayer.

I don't exactly remember my old babysitter. She used to take care of me and my little brother up until my little sister's birth and all I really remember is how I used to play with her.  She would make me mac and cheese and every time, like without fail, before she left I would ask her for a peppermint and she had one which she gave me. The sad thing is however, my family lost touch with her after we moved and I almost completely forgot about her. I only remembered when my mom found out about her death in a newspaper she saw while out shopping.

When I lived in Africa, the whole process/tradition of buying live goats and chickens and killing and butchering them yourself for fresh meat was very new to me. As such I befriended a chicken named chicken little who we kept for a while and my dad decided not to kill to make me happy. However when a goat came to our house I was excited but theater that day I heard it cry and saw it being killed right in front of me. After whining for a bit, in a fit of revenge, I put sand and dirt all over my dad's new truck and oh boy when I heard him scream my name did I know I was in for the whuping of a lifetime. Sadly chicken little passed away during our year's stay but my sinlings and I held a funeral for her and remember her to this day; May she rest in peace.

I have waaaaaaay to many games, games that I want to play, and games that I have but never really played. I learned last year that I buy impulsively because of my fear of missing out. If I see a good deal on a video game i'm interested in, I take the opportunity to buy it in a heartbeat. As such, not only do I not have a penny to spare in my bank account, but I also have a giant backlog of games that I need to start playing and complete along with more games coming out that I want to play. Me being a completionist does not help this fact, especially since it took my a whole week of trying to beat a single Mario level ( I've never been more frustrated).

I can't deny that I'm wasting my time on video games. My dad especially always told me that if I spent more time studying I'd be more successful in everything. It sometimes frustrates me that I don't take things seriously enough and opt for the route with the least effort needed. At the same time I can't deny that its a part of me for better or worse. At least now I'm not as bad as I was when I started highschool.

25 of July, 2012 was the date where I saw my little sister for the first time. She was so tiny I wondered how she was even alive. Me, my little brother, and our older sister were all there after my mom gave birth and it was so amazing to have another younger sibling. As she grew up she was really clingy to each of us although she butted heads with our brother a lot. I'm really thankful for all of my siblings and the bond we share, and I'll never forget when my little sister joined our family (mostly because that was the day I officially was booted out of the "little baby" title and had to fend for myself).

Something I've always hated is when really good standalone shows and movies get a trashy cash grab sequel. There was one anime I watched named "Fooly Cooly" which was about dealing with puberty (Its still one of my favorites even though its only 6 episodes). Since.I myself was going through puberty it was relatable and fun to watch. When I finshed the original I found out there were sequels, but when I watched them they were nothing like the original, none of the funny animation, deep characters, or hidden meanings, it felt like a souless nostalgia grab. It honestly made me really upset and now to this day I get obsessive over making sure that sequels of shows and movies are good before getting into them. Extra: I also hate poorly done adaptations, thankfully the One Piece live action on netflix was done really good.

During the christmas season one year I went to a party at a family member's house. I dressed up nice with a red and white sweater and dark green khakis, I thought I looked really good. The next week when I had school I wore ghe same outfit to school. Safe to say I looked rather out of place with my well dressed self and everyone else in pajamas and hoodies. Any confidence in the way I dressed was shattered that day.

Yesterday we gave presentations on our countries. I'm excited and hope I get to present mine because I belive I did a pretty good job on it. I might not have done the slides correctly but whatever I did do I think will be pretty good if I do say so myself.

Today in class we worked on our latin american country presentations. I was assigned the dominican republic and I worked on the general history and food slides today. Aparently Dominicans have a drink thats a mix of condensed milk and orange juice. My mom always told me not to drink orange juice and milk right after each other at breakfast so mixing them together doesn't sound very fun for your tummy. It probably tastes like an orange dreamsicle though.