Getahun’s English Blog

A time I felt completely lost is when I went trick or treating on Halloween as a kid with my neighbors. I was probably about 6 or 7 years old, and this was my first time going trick or treating. I went with two of my siblings and two of my neighbors, all of which were older than me. We stopped by a few houses in our street and neighborhood, and as time went on we ventured further and further away from home. We began making turns and crossing roads we were unfamiliar with, to reach houses that seemed more like they might have more candy. After about an hour and a half, we realized we were completely lost. This is when things took a bad turn, as it started raining, which made the cold weather even worse. At this point, we tried to trace our steps back home, but it was of no use. Also, none of us had cell phones to call with as we were all relatively young. Thankfully, eventually the neighbors dad found us on the road, and drove us back home, after frantically driving around to find us.

A feeling that took me by surprise was when school first got canceled in March 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. I knew about the virus at the time, but I didn't realize how serious it had gotten, until I got the notice that school was canceled for two weeks. This caught me by surprise as I was excited and relieved that school had been canceled for this time period. Although, it continued to catch me by surprise, I was the time out from school increased, as the virus spread more. Eventually, we were out of school for a month, then two months, then the rest of the semester, and the entire next year. 

 Today, we read an article and completed an assignment about colorism in India and the repercussions of it. We read about one woman's experience with colorism in India, and how she faced prejudice because of her dark skin, and advised by others to use skin-lightening creams. We also read about how media and society often only portray lighter-skinned individuals in films, commercials, TV, etc., and that this can cause self-esteem issues within the youth. I liked learning that steps have been made to reduce the rampant colorism in India, such as large corporations like Unilever removing colorist terminology from it's products. Today, I'm feeling glad to live in a very diverse city in a very diverse school, with a lot of representation.

 Today, we were introduced into a new project, where we were randomly assigned new group members. We were introduced to a story called "A Devoted Son" by Anita Desai, and we read a short background about her life. My group chose the theme of isolation vs. community. I learned that Desai's life and family was caught in the crosshairs of the timeframe of Indian modernization after it gained independence. I found it interesting how she described hiding her profession from her children. I'm feeling ready to get adjusted into my new group and work on the project. 

 Today, we completed a NewsELA assignment in class about ways to sustain shoes and solutions to the problem of the ever-growing amount shoes going into landfills. I learned that simple tasks such as donating shoes or just putting in a little more effort to keep your shoes clean, has a major impact on the environment when everyone participates. I liked the problem and solution text structure of the article because it organizes the information effectively and makes it easier to understand. I'm currently feeling excited to go to an Atlanta Hawks game later today.

 A place I've never wanted to leave was Orlando, Florida. I went there for a trip after my sophomore year of high school, and it was an amazing experience. I went with my family and some of my extended family, and we stayed in a hotel for about two weeks, a time that felt too short. We visited Universal Studios, which had tons of exhilarating rides and many attractions to visit. We visited SeaWorld as well, but not DisneyWorld because two theme parks seemed unnecessary. Near the end of the two weeks, we had to start packing and getting ready to leave. This is when reality began to settle back in, and I realized that I'm on a trip, and that this is temporary, but I didn't want to leave. That trip is something that has stuck with me as a place I have never wanted to leave.

 Today, we reviewed a new project we will be working on which is a character collage based on the point of view of a specific type of character we were assigned. For example, I was assigned the character of a young man experience and views in and of America. We also read a poem by Langston Hughes called "Let America Be America Again," which is the basis for this project. The poem gave me insight into how to minorities in the country experienced freedom differently, and I liked how it used different perspectives. Today, I'm feeling excited for the election turnout, as election day is tomorrow. Although, I don't have a major leaning towards one candidate.

 Today, we presented our Culture poem projects in class. I presented last and discussed my Ethiopian heritage, and how despite living in America, my home here, gives me a sense of what it's like over there. I also talked about the need for understanding your culture and heritage to develop personal identity and fulfillment. I learned about my classmates' culture and how they felt about them. An important takeaway is that we are very diverse and come from many different backgrounds,  I'm feeling relieved to be able to have presented my poem today.

 Absent this day.