I’ve had many memories with all types of people. Most have been my friends, which I absoulutely love! What I really wanted to think back on, were my Middle School memories. There’s so much things and so much fun, that I’m trying to bring it all together in a post. It all started when we moved to Middle School in 5th grade. It was the first time that CDS had moved 5th grade to the Middle School, so it was all a new concept. We were very lucky because, common, being in Middle School is way better than being in Elementary. Also, we got new 5th grade classes, in the new building. It was a hard transition because we were used to being in one class all day and having all the subjects taught by the same teacher. It was different in Middle School. We had a schedule, and we needed to move from class to class when we heard the bell. Fortunately, we had our teachers Ms. Saucy, Ms. Rumford, Mr. P., Ms. Porter, and Ms. Montero to help us. These teachers were great and they taught us well enough to be able to survive Middle School. We were really lucky to have Ms. Rumford again this year teaching us Lit. and English! But 5th grade was not all about schedules and classes; we also had other fun things like field trips. Our big field trip that year was to Tirimbina. This trip didn’t consist of all the 5th grade, we only went by Advisories. Since my advisory with Ms. Montero was very small, it was split and I got to go with Mr. P’s. We were really nervous because it was the first Field Trip were we would be spending the night. After the bus ride, we crossed a hanging bridge suspended over a river and got to the other side which was a tropical rainforest. We spend most of the day hiking, and then had some free time. I remember the fun we had gathering in someone’s room playing cards. Then, at night we saw bats. Not just flying around, but we actually got to touch them and feed them. It was great! Then the next day we went to a small creek to get insects but it ended up being a water fight. It was very fun because we used our rubber boots to fill with water and splash the others. That was a very fun trip. At the end of the year, we had a trip to Parque de Diversiones and a water fight, like it has been a tradition here in Middle School.
After that adventurous year of experiencing new Middle School things, came 6th grade. This year, we had the MEP exams, and we had to take classes every day after school with a tutor so that we could pass them. These exams were to let you study here in Costa Rica. Not everyone took them, but most did. We had a great year with all our classes including Ms. Wilson’s science class and Mr. Strance’s math and social studies classes. Unfortunately, these two wonderful teachers left the Middle School community. We also had a trip this year, and we went to Hacienda Chapernal in Guanacaste. The good thing about this trip was that the entire 6th grade went, and this was something new to us. It was a long bus ride, and when we were about to reach the place, the bus got stuck. We all had to get off the bus, and wait. Some helped push the bus, and other just walked around the place. It turned out that what stopped the bus was an old armadillo shell, and Ms. Wilson saved it. She later gave it to Mr. Wilson the science teacher, and it’s still in the science class cabinet! Then, we got to the place and settled in our rooms. These weren’t very, fancy let’s say. They were little houses spread across a big piece of land. On that trip, we horse back rode, went to the beach, walked around the Hacienda at night hearing legends, and even had a dance party! On the last night, we played some music and danced all night long. Even the teachers danced. I clearly remember Dr. Nolan and Mr. Strance stealing the dance floor! It was very fun. 6th grade was a year that made friendships stronger and taught new things. At the end of the year we also had the Parque de Diversiones trip. This annual trip was always so fun! Just running around with friends under the summer sun, getting into the wildest rides. The best ones were always the water rides, because everyone would end up soaking wet. Talking about soaking wet, we also had the water fight, which will indeed leave you soaking wet!
Then we had 7th grade, also known as Geography Fair year. That was something we did all year, and it took all our efforts. This was with the help of Mrs. Porter, our wonderful social studies teacher. The social studies class, or Eastern Hemisphere was extremely fun! We would take notes and learn, but at the same time had time to socialize and talk with our friends. We would tell jokes, and even bug a Korean student telling him he was Mexican. I don’t know how this joke started, but it was very funny, even for him. For the Geo. Fair we spent from writing reports, to making posters and looking for things to put on our country booths. We also met a new teacher to the Middle School community, Mr. Jobe, who taught us everything he knew. He was a wonderful science and math teacher. We also had another great teacher, Mrs. Barquero. Who with all her teaching experience taught us and gave us a great year. We had a field trip to Arenal. We got great views of the Arenal volcano, hiked, and spent some relaxing time at the fantastic hotel. There was also a race between Mr. Jobe and one of the eighth grade students Brandon Fargo. Mr. Jobe was beaten just by a matter of seconds! he best part of the trip was when we went into the caves. A tour took us inside these age old magnificent caves, and we even got to swim inside them! Everything was great that year, except that about 15 students left. We had never had that big of a number leave! But, they will always remain on our hearts. We also had a Parque de Diversiones field trip, and a water fight.
Finally, 8th grade. In my opinion, this was the best year. We were the Middle School leaders, and it felt great. We got special 8th grade shirts with our names printed on them and got to wear them Wednesdays and Fridays. We also had a great year learning. New teachers came like Mr. Domont and Ms. O’Bannon. We also got to know Mr. Katz, with his funny and outgoing personality. Some of those teachers had been out teachers before, like Ms. Rumford and Ms. Barquero. We were very happy to have them again! And the best part, the 8th grade field trip to Manuel Antonio. This was a rewards trip, so we didn’t need to do any work for the trips, like in the past years. We did canopy at Turubari Park, rafting at Rio Savegre, and went to the beautiful beach. The bad thing was we spend a long time in the bus. But, fortunately, we brought music with us and partied in the bus. We put techno in the loudspeakers and everyone, including Mr. Jobe and Mr. Katz, danced. That was a fun bus ride! We also had a fashion show, modeling our shirts we made from the novel we were reading. We spent time at the pool and at the beach, and had a wonderful time. I will never forget this trip, or any of the others. And we finally have our 8th grade graduation, something we’ve been looking up to all year. Now that I’m here, I can’t believe four years just passed ahead of us. These years were full of fun and surprises, and full of wonderful friends I will never forget. I want to thank everyone who helped me succeed in my Middle School years. Including teachers, parents, friends, and everyone else who helped me. Thank you all.
“I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom…And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” The world we live in is a wonderful world. That’s also what Louis Armstrong says in his song “What a wonderful world” (The lyrics I put on the first line). You may be wondering why I’m telling you this, because you may already know how wonderful it is. But, do you know? Nowadays, we focus everything on what we want to be done, what our responsibilities are, what we want to get out of things, and we are just worried all the time. Adults are worried about their jobs, and money. Teenagers are worried about tests and getting good grades. Toddlers are worried about… well, maybe they are not really worried about anything, but they are affected by the “worried” people around them. What I am trying to say is that we set goals, and don’t think about anything else but accomplishing it. Setting goals is good, and this way people can do something productive with their lives, but people take it too serious. What I mean by taking it too serious is that they worry so much about reaching the goal, that they think it and breathe it all day! It is good setting goals and knowing where you want to go with your life, but it doesn’t mean you have to base all your life in them. Back to the subject, people think about these things and don’t enjoy life the way they should. They don’t go to the outside world, and discover what is out there for us. I always KNEW the world was beautiful, but it wasn’t until I thought about all the amazing landscapes we are surrounded with, that I realized the world is wonderful. Everyday I wake up, go to school, and then come back to my house. This doesn’t seem like anything great, but it is. That is how I used to see it, but now it’s different. This is how I see it: A ray of sun peeking through my curtain wakes me up. I hear birds chirping, and as I look out my window I see the sun coming out from behind a beautiful green mountain. When I am done getting ready, I go outside to get into the car. On my way to the car, I see a white and pink butterfly flying by, and as I look far away I see the beautiful mountain sitting there. I get to school, and I see happy kids playing on the field. I look at the street and see people walking by, and a horse galloping its way down the street. Later, I hear the final bell ring. I get my bag and walk towards the gate. I see my mom smiling and waving, and then we get in the car. In my ride home, I see from trees with colorful flowers to a beautiful sun hiding behind a few puffy clouds. That sounds quite different right? I always saw my days as I first described them, but then I opened my eyes to a whole world that had been hiding in front of me. As I said before, people are so worried about getting things done that they don’t see what truly matters. They want to finish things, so they rush through their day instead of enjoying the beauty of it. Human’s lives revolve around a clock. This can be good for when you need to get to a meeting on time, but not to depend your life on. There are so many sites that are incredible to watch. From a normal day going to school, to visiting the Alps of Europe! Many, including me, enjoy traveling. We go to places and visit ruins, historic places, and landscapes. We take tours and take photographs of us with the landscape behind. This can prove that we know how amazing the world is. But do we really know? You may think, “Well, of course I know. I just saw the (let’s say) Nile River and I know it is wonderful.” You may know it, but sometimes we have to look outside the box. See more than our eyes can see. Look farther than our vision can take us. This way, we can truly appreciate the wonders of the world. I’m not saying the Seven Wonders, (Common, they only award seven?!?)I mean ALL the wonders there are! The world we live in is a wonderful world, and if you haven’t experienced the beauty of it, open your eyes and see what is around you. Live the dream!
Friend, friendship, friendly, friendliness, friendlier, and much more. There are so many words that are derived from “friend.” I think that is because it is such a nice and meaningful word, that it just had to be in the dictionary with all its different words.
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
“Friendship is one mind in two bodies.
“Best friends are like diamonds, precious and rare”
“If your friends jumped off a bridge would you jump too? No, I would be at the bottom to catch them”
“Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don’t say.”
“A true friend is someone who knows there’s something wrong even when you have the biggest smile on your face.”
“The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit with all day, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you’ve ever had.”
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
“A good friend remembers what we were and sees what we can be.”
“A friend is someone who reaches out for your hand…and touches your heart.”
“A best friend is a sister that destiny forgot to give you.”
“Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life.”
Those are some friendship quotes that I believe to be very true. Friendship is the last piece on the puzzle of life. Think about it. It is. Friends play an important role in our lives, or at least in mine. Friendship is a way to share experiences with someone else, both good and bad. When there is a bad experience, you get through it and move on, making it stronger. There are times when the only people you want to see are your friends, and other times when you don’t even want to see them. On times were you don’t want to see them, or you feel like being alone, what will a friend do? Well, they may just take it personal and think you don’t like them. On the other hand, a good friend will understand your situation and let you know that they are there for you if you need anything. When you don’t understand your homework, what will a friend do? They may try to explain it, and then if you don’t get it they’ll tell you to ask the teacher. That’s not what all friends will do, though. A good friend will stay up late until you understand every bit of it and can do it on your own. When you need advice on anything, from what to tell your mom to what to do with a love relationship, who will give that advice to you? A good friend, a real friend.
These are the type of people that should be in your life. They are the diamonds in life. Actually, not even diamonds, precious rare gems. They are hard to find, but impossible to live without! Friends are people you can count on, and that you know will always be there for you. The best part is that these true friends will always listen to you. You can tell them anything and trust them, and they’ll listen. They’ve got your back, and they have a million ways to make you happy. Other than be there for you, they are the people that make you have fun. Friends make life enjoyable and joyful. They joke around with you, laugh at your jokes and make you look on the bright side of things.
Sometimes, when there is a conflict, friends stop talking to each other. It has happened to me, and maybe it is because I am mad at them and for the moment I won’t talk to them. I just realized how big of a mistake that is! Any small conflict should not stop the friendship from growing like fruits in an orchard. Many times, the conflicts make the relationship stronger. Other times, they just ruin it and it is not worth it. One time I invited two friends to my house, but didn’t tell another one. When she asked me what I was doing that night, I told her I couldn’t do anything. This made me feel bad not only because I had lied to her, but because I had left her out. I don’t know why I didn’t invite her, I guess I wanted to spend time with the other two. Later she found out, and of course didn’t know why I didn’t invite her. She thought I just lied to her because I didn’t want her there. We didn’t talk for some time, until one day she came up to me and asked me about that day. I told her the truth, and I think she understood. She told me that instead of lying I could have said the truth, and she was right. I guess I didn’t want to tell her about the plans. I think this broke the boundary that had been keeping us from taking. This is good because I really needed her in my life.
This is what friendship means to me, and it may not mean the same to you. I got the meaning from the wonderful friends I have. Without saying a word, they told me what friendship is about. Maybe these things are not true for every friendship, but they are true for what I have experienced. All I can say is I am lucky I have found such good friends that made my life better. These people walked into my life, and they just won’t leave! Haha, I’m kidding. They walked into my life and stayed in my heart. I know that no matter what happens, and no matter where we are in the world, we are always going to be best friends forever. Or like some people call it- BFF. “It’s not just the initials that matter, it’s the promise behind it,” as my amazing friend said it. She is absolutely right. I won’t just sign at the bottom of a letter: BFF, Andrea. I only write it when it is true, and I want to write it in all of my friends’ papers! I want to be best friends forever with them. That is because they made such an impact on my life, (a good one) that I know I will never be able to forget them, even if I want to. Just to make it clear, I would not want to forget them! “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”
P.D Thank you to those people that walked into my life and left their footprints. I will always remember you!!
♪ I love music, but there is one thing I love the most. I love how it always has a meaning. I am talking about how songs have lyrics that actually mean something. Of course not all songs have lyrics that have a true meaning. Sometimes, they just don’t make sense at all! What I am trying to say is that there are songs that really get to me. They can be talking (or singing I should say!) about problems society is facing today, friendship, love, or sometimes just random things such as a beautiful day. Any way or the other, they are what makes me like songs. I have to admit that sometimes I just like songs because of the beat, but most of the time is because I take time to listen to the lyrics. A scene I can relate to is lying on my bed hearing, listening to the lyrics. On times like these, I get to know the songs better and sometimes even learn them (which is also good because later I can sing them!). They also get going thoughts on my mind. As I listen to the lyrics, I start spacing off into certain thoughts, but I still listen closely to the lyrics. It is as if I am living a moment again, and while doing that someone is actually playing the song in that scene. I can’t explain that feeling! All I know is I like it, and somehow it has made me appreciate things more. It also makes me appreciate the song more. Right now, I am trying to think of songs that have lyrics that got to me. Most of these songs have to do with problems that society is facing. One really good example is “Crazy” by Simple Plan:
Tell me what’s wrong with society When everywhere I look, I see Young girls dying to be on TV They won’t stop till they’ve reached their dreams
Diet pills, surgery Photoshopped pictures in magazines Telling them how they should be It doesn’t make sense to me
Is everybody going crazy? Is anybody gonna save me? Can anybody tell me what’s going on? Tell me what’s going on? If you open your eyes You’ll see that something is wrong
I guess things are not how they used to be There’s no more normal families Parents act like enemies Making kids feel like it’s World War III
No one cares, no one’s there I guess we’re all just too damn busy And money’s our first priority It doesn’t make sense to me
Is everybody going crazy? Is anybody gonna save me? Can anybody tell me what’s going on? Tell me what’s going on? If you open your eyes You’ll see that something is wrong
Is everybody going crazy? Is everybody going crazy?
Tell me what’s wrong with society When everywhere I look I see Rich guys driving big SUVs While kids are starving in the streets
No one cares No one likes to share I guess life’s unfair
Is everybody going crazy? Is anybody gonna save me? Can anybody tell me what’s going on? Tell me what’s going on? If you open your eyes You’ll see that something, something is wrong
Is everybody going crazy? Can anybody tell me what’s going on? Tell me what’s going on? If you open your eyes You’ll see that something is wrong
This for example, has a meaning. The first time I heard this song, I realized that the world, or society, is facing a lot of problems. Like with kids in the streets, diet pills, families fighting and much more. This kind of music is the one that really is beautiful. Talking about beautiful, there are also songs that make me touch the sky. That sounded a bit cheesy, but there are songs that I hear and you just want to say, “Awhh.. .” The lyrics can be so beautiful, so poetic. It is like reading a beautiful poem, but with a beat. It makes me think, “Wow, how can someone write something so beatiful and make it ryhme and go with the music?” I think the category for these songs is: Love Songs. I love these songs. The truth is, they make me want to be in love! The best part about these songs is that they make you think about that special someone that gets your heart beating. I think it is also because a lot of times the composers/artists write the songs to someone, or about a time they were in love. I think they write them from experience, and thats what makes the love songs sound so true. I imagine someone writing all those beautfiul lyrics thinking about a person they like or love. Another reason why I like love songs is because there are times when I don’t feel like listening to rock, pop or any type of “loud” music, and that’s what I hear. These songs relax me. Also, when I’m sad I am in the mood for these types of songs, and they make me think of how nice things can be if you look at them on the bright side. It also makes me know that there is love out there, and that it can be found. I can’t explain this feeling either. These songs just make me feel better! Songs always help. Music always helps. Even if its a sad song, a love song, or a happy moving song, they always have a meaning. What would like be without music???
Or should it be War vs. Peace? These two words are like black and white, up and down, sweet and sour, big and small, good and bad, happy and sad… But even though they are very different, they are always related. Humanity has become so used to war that whenever you think of peace, sometimes the word war is in there too. Peace: the state of not being in war or fighting. Peace: tranquility or serenity opposing war. ~Those two words describe today’s societies. Unfortunately the word WaR is more common than peace, at least in most places. Why do we want peace? Because we don’t want war. Don’t get me wrong, peace is not completely related to war. It also means harmony and happiness. Peace can mean freedom, or silence (stillness). People look for peace not only for their society, but for themselves. Now let’s talk about war. I don’t like to talk about war, but if I don’t then who will? People know there is a war going on, but they just keep it to themselves, or just say that they don’t like. They say, “Oh no, there’s another war. Whatever, it’s not like we can do anything about it.” I don’t like war, and I don’t think anyone does. Some people say they do, or they say they want to participate in a war, but I think it is just for the sake of it. “It would be so cool to shoot people!” “Imagine being in a battle field with a shotgun. That would be fun.” “The soldiers are so lucky, they get to put bombs in places” Soldiers are not lucky. They are there for various reasons, and it can be that they are very patriotic and they want to be honored. Every day in the news there is at least something about a war. It can be either a large number of people got killed, or that a bomb exploded near a town. There are so many things that they say about war, that if you think about it, it is going on everywhere. There are terrorist attacks, criminals killing other people, gangs fighting in the streets, and much more. These things are not “a war” (like World War I or II), but then what are they? That is the question. I don’t know why, but I can relate them to war. So many things can be related to war, that it makes it hard to believe. What does our world need right now? Peace! Many people are peaceful, but that means they are in peace with themselves. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are not going to get in a fight. Fighting, violence, war… More than 60% of the population of the world today see violence as an option to solve their problems. There are better ways to solve things, like Gandhi did. Gandhi accomplished what he wanted by peace, not violence. He was unique. But, some people are and can be like him. That is what we need. Someone like Gandhi that can help us. Well, actually we should be able to do it on our own. If we want peace, we have to find a way to do it by ourselves. Of course, if we work together bringing peace will be much easier.
Musicals… I absolutely love musicals. Many people say that it is boring having a movie or a play where instead of the actors talking, they sing. I love this! Instead of just saying something, they sing it. What I like is that when there’s a song, other people from the set or stage start dancing too. It becomes like a big colorful dance with people singing. Watching this makes my day happier! I guess what I like about them is that they are not realistic. People can sing and dance, but in everyday life you don’t see 20 people doing a coordinated dance in the street. That is why many people do not like them- because they say, “This is so not true.” “Like that would actually happen.” “Yeah, right, people don’t dance like that in reality.” So what? Does everything you see have to show what you usually do? Actually, the fact that it doesn’t happen in real life is what makes it fun. It must be hard to participate in a musical, because everything has to be coordinated, especially dances. I’m guessing the actors have to work very hard. But, the final product comes out great! Musicals are actually a big part of cultures. There are some good ones that become so famous that the songs are heard over and over again years after it was presented. Two examples I can think of are GREASE and HAIRSPRAY. The songs, especially from GREASE are known by a lot of people. There are others that are just an interpretation of another movie, and they become big- like for example THE LION KING on Broadway. What I am trying to say here is that just because musicals are not realistic, it doesn’t mean they are dumb or boring. They have their own charm, and they make you forget about a lot of problems that society is facing today. It is also good to watch movies about realistic stuff, or issues and problems humans have, but it is good to “have fun” once in a while. When people watch a musical (either a movie or a play) 9 out of 10 enjoy it and have fun, as I like to call it. Seeing how the actors interpret the songs and the music makes me want to dance! When I see people singing and moving to the music, it makes me forget about all my problems. It also makes me think about the inner me. I think everyone has an inner someone that dances and sings when they are happy. Nowadays, people are so worried about everything that they forget how to be happy and… dance! Music is like the light out of everyone’s darkness. With music, anyone can get through their problems. I think music also makes you appreciate things more. Like in a song, the lyrics are so significant that they make me wonder. They make me think. And that is part of why I like music so much. It always has a meaning! I just found out why I like musicals so much, because the music in them makes them so… musical!
I was always told how anyone can make a difference, and it starts by one person. In school they told us that, my parents told me that, and pretty much everyone used to tell us how we could make a difference. It didn’t affect me. I believed them, and I knew it, but I never gave it much thought. Until now. I realized what everyone had been telling me. It is incredible how one person can make a difference, as we have seen it in history. There are countless people that helped or changed something, and they made a difference. It can be any kind of difference. I have come up with some examples: (of course there are more)
Joan of Arc
Mother Theresa
Rosa Parks
Anne Frank
Mahatma Gandhi
Irena Sendler
Martin Luther King Jr.
Miguel Hidalgo
Harriet Tubman
Tupac
Albert Einstein
Alfred Nobel
Bob Marley
Frederick Douglass
Benjamin Franklin
These are some, but there are much more people that made a difference, but I couldn’t come up with all of them! I guess what I’m trying to say is that anyone can make a difference. It can start by something small, like proposing something, or just sharing with others what you believe is right. This way, people change their opinions, and that is how it all starts. There are just so many people that I admire, I can’t even believe it! One of the people I admire the most is my great-uncle Luis Peréz Goméz. He was Mexican, and he went to the air force in Canada. This was during World War II, and he volunteered to go to the war to help win against Germany. Unfortunately, his airplane was bombed, and he died during the war. What makes him a hero was that he went to the war to help others, and he wasn’t even European, or Canadian. The important thing was that he did it to help others, and even though he couldn’t finish the task, he volunteered. He is one of my heroes. The best part is, we are relatives! This is an example, of those great people we have had in history, and even nowadays. There was a girl that came to talk to our school, and she published her own book, that had stories of 36 different people that helped the Holocaust victims. She believed their stories should be published and she put them all together in a book. This made a great impact on me, because I never thought a 13 year old girl could be able to publish something like that! That was what really inspired this post. Anyone can make a difference. You can. I can. So why don’t we try to make the world different?
Something that really interests me is photography. It is amazing how you can capture something in an image, and be able to see it years after that. Not only see it years after that, but be able to capture something right there, and keep it. To be able to see it over and over again the times you wish. I guess that’s what I like best. To tell you the truth, I don’t know much about photography. I am no photographer, not even close. At least I do know the different contrasting colors, and better shooting angles, but that is it. I really like taking landscape pictures. My favorite is the ocean, with its beautiful color and its vast area. I just love taking pictures of the ocean, from anywhere I can take them from. That includes taking pictures from beaches (I also take pictures of the actual beach), and just any other angle where the ocean might look good at. I also enjoy taking pictures of flowers and trees with their surroundings, especially if they are colorful! I also like taking pictures of people. When I go on a trip, I take pictures of the people in their everyday lives. For example a woman selling apples, or a little kid playing with a ball. People are very interesting to photograph, and I enjoy looking at professionals shooting other people. People I like to photograph are my friends. It is not really photographing, because I also come out in the picture. Most of the times, those pictures are just for fun. They are what I like to call friend pictures. There is not that much “photography” in it, but they are nice to look back at. You can capture a moment, and keep it forever alive.
Going back to the subject I started a while ago, my passion. As you may already know, my passion is dancing. It is not just like, “What do I like to do? Hmm.. Dancing I guess.” No! It is a hobby, but it means much more than that. I also like to call it Freedom of Expression, because your body expresses the way you feel about something. Of course in dancing it is not all free, because there are choreographys that are taught to you, and you need to do them just the way they are. So, you may say, “Well, dancing is not free then.” It is, because there may be 100 dancers doing the exact same choreography, but each person expresses themselves differently, within the choreography. That is also why each dancer is unique. It can be the exact same dance, but every person put a little bit of themselves in it. Let’s say someone is angry, so they stomp hard and do the movements very hard, but it still looks good (It is not like they just stomp and make an angry face!). Or it can be just the dancer’s style, how each person dances. Something amazing about this is what I just said, about a bunch of dancers doing the same thing, but at the same time something totally different. So, going back to dance being my passion, it is more than just a hobby. Many people see it as just something i enjoy to do, like my mom. I wonder why doesn’t she understand the love I have for this, but I found an answer. When I’m dancing, I feel as if nothing can stop me. It is a way of letting everything out, and relaxing. People say dancing is not relaxing, what really is relaxing is yoga. I agree with them, because when you are dancing you are also worried about doing the right steps, at the right time, and sometimes it is so fast you can’t even think. It sounds like I’m contradicting myself, but I’m not because added to this “worry” comes the relaxing part. I really don’t know how to explain it, it is a feeling that satisfies you because you know you tried hard enough, and something that relaxes you at the same time. Once you dance, you can feel this. I also like dancing, because I love looking at choreographys being presented, and how everyone does steps at the same time. With ballet, it is the same thing just that it looks prettier because the dancers look like swans!!! With the posture, and the way of dancing that’s what it looks like. To tell you the truth, that is what motivates me, because I want to look like them and I want to try harder. I also like looking at any type of choreography, because I get a sudden urge to dance! It also happens with movies. I can think of one right now: Step Up. It is about students in an Arts School that practice dancing. I would tell you more about it, but its not really what I want to do now. But, you should definitely see it! My career as a dancer started seven years ago. When I was seven, I danced tap and jazz. I danced for two years, but then left it because I had to move to Costa Rica. Two years later, already living here in Costa Rica, I decided to start again. It wasn’t really starting again, but it was getting back to it. I decided to go to jazz, because tap didn’t really interest me as much anymore. Let me tell you, it was hard. Those two years had made me less flexible, and made me forget a lot of things. One thing I did keep was the technique, but it wasn’t good. Haha. Then, after dancing a year jazz, I decided to join ballet. I became pretty good at it! The good thing is that both jazz and ballet are very alike. Also, ballet is a really good help for jazz, since ballet is the “root.” It also helps your posture, and helps you spin and jump better (for jazz). Now, I’ve been dancing for three years and this is my fourth one. It has all been going good, except one thing. That thing is that my ankle, and my knees, have been bothering me. It all started when I sprained my ankle in a dance presentation. you probably think this happened while dancing in the stage, but it didn’t! It happened getting to the stage! We were dancing in the Melico Salazar Theater in San Jose. The dressing rooms were underneath the stage, so to get to the stage you had to go up a set of stairs. What happened was that I was in the dressing room about to go, when a girl told me my choreography was about to start. So I went running, and I slipped in the stairs. It was so painful!!! The worst part was that I had to stand up, run up the stairs, and get ready to dance. At least I was already warmed up, so it faded away. After that, I went home and put some ice. As I said before, it didn’t hurt that much because I was warmed up. The next day, I couldn’t step on it! Ouch! After going to some therapy, my ankle was fine and I could dance. Then, a year later, it started bothering me again. Right there, the soccer season at school started, and I joined it. This was not a very good idea because my ankle couldn’t do both soccer and dancing! Also, my knee was having some trouble. It got to a point when I couldn’t run to get the soccer ball! So, I decided dancing was more important than soccer, so I left the team. I put ice on both knees, and ankle, and did some exercises. That helped me a lot, but I still feel some pain in my knees sometimes… I still love dancing!!!
Freedom of speech… Wow! We have talked about this a lot of times, with Mr. Katz, our teacher, but I never had the chance to really talk/write about it!! Freedom of speech is actually the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. I am very happy it is there because I think it is very important for the following reasons. Well, first of all, we should be able to say what we feel or think about certain things. Not only certain things, but everything. Not only talk about the things we support, but also express ourselves. You can express yourself in so many ways, from making a drawing, to writing a poem, and much more. Freedom of speech is important because you can say what you believe is right, let’s say in a speech. This brought me back to a picture I saw. The picture was Martin Luther King Jr. saying the speech “I Have a Dream.” Here, he was able to say what he believed. He believed that African Americans should not be separated from the rest that are white. He did not believe in segregation and discrimination, and in this speech he was able to say it. That is freedom of speech. Another thing, changing a little bit the subject, now that I am talking about him, he did not give up. He said: “No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Freedom of speech is important because it is also being able to express your beliefs, not matter how. Many people can manifest in the streets if they wish, because it is just a way of them showing their beliefs. While I am writing this, I see that I am saying what I think right now. Edublogs.org gives me the opportunity to express how I, and thousands of other people think and express it by writing. The idea of people listening to our young voices, how we think, makes me excited and happy. In a way, we are like small Martin Luther King Jr’s! Hahaha! Maybe we have not made a big movement towards something we support, but it has to start somehow right? Maybe one day we’ll make it big, appear on televisions, and change people’s opinion about things. But, for now, we can do that on edublogs, in our community, or with our friends. Even a small thing makes a change… And let me tell you, I like change!
