My Foundations

  Mommy

 Mommy was a woman of grace and admiration. She had smooth caramel skin, well-framed shoulder length, natural curls, almond shaped eyes, and plump, juicy lips. She has a smile that could light up a room. She is not too tall, but squattier than most. She had the kindest heart, but her presence always demanded the utmost respect. Her daily actions demonstrated her strong demeanor. The way she would mix up cakes in the cake bowl, showed how strong and consistent she was, to the way she diligently arranged plates of food, which displayed her passion and grace. This is a person of admiration for many reasons; she gave me life, taught me the way, and never gave up on me. All in all, she loved me for me.

The Gee.

            The Gee is a powerful, dynamic stature of a man. I like to define him as tall, dark, and handsome. Standing at 6’3 with flawless skin the color of mocha, he has a gorgeous cinematic smile that takes your breath away. His eyes are the color of milk chocolate, his lips are thick and perfect for soft kisses, and his big masculine hands are perfect for warm hugs. His physique is one that could resemble the body of an athlete. His has well defined set of abs that compliments his muscle-toned arms. He is a very good listener and has effective communication skills. He knows how to put a smile on your face, even if you’re not in the laughing mood. He is not a great dancer, but his awkward movements are a hilarious attempt. The Gee is significant mainly because of his sense of understanding and compassion.

Kenlley

            Kenlley is the most precious gift anyone can get. She has the face of an innocent child. She may be petite, but her personality is bigger than the room she’s standing in. her youthful glow, smooth golden tone adds to her adorable smile, wide brown eyes is in proportion with her pouty lips. Her scar on her forehead adds character. Her curly pigtails have natural shades of red and brown. She is plays with her dolls so carefully in the corner in the room, but when other children are around, she can be as rough as the boys. She awakes you each morning with a kiss on the cheek and a muffled sentence resembling “Good Morning!” She is great at helping with chores and other daily task and doesn’t settle for “no” as answer. She is one of the most important people in my life because she gives me purpose for each and every day.

Crazy Otto's.

If you were to find yourself sitting by the railroad tracks then you would be close to a Crazy Otto’s Diner. Crazy Otto’s Diner is home to “The World’s Biggest Omelette” as proven in the world record book. This diner is my first choice for a hearty, home-style touch to a great meal. Each visit, you can expect to have a pleasant diner experience provided by the staff, the great food, and environment.

The host is great in acknowledging your understanding of the menus. They guide you through the menu and recommend wonderful house specials if you’re a first timer at the diner.  The waiters are courteous, and display a high level of energy to maintain sync with the diners fast pace. They are prompt to fix and go the extra distance for your food.

The food is always prepared with a home-style recipe for comfort food. Despite the time of day, you can always be sure that your food isn’t prepared until you order it. The food items on the menu are all pleasant and filling, especially the Denver omelette, which is piled with tons of cheddar cheese, sautéed blend consisting of red onions , mushrooms , and red and green bell peppers with chunks of slow cooked honey ham. Aside the omelette, there’s two slices of toast, and humongous hash brown that takes an army to finish and your choice of ham and sausage served next to a chilled ice cold orange juice. The Meal in turn goes on to compliment the diners Motto, “if you leave here hungry, It’s your own Fault.”

The environment of the diner make you feel at home. With a wall collage of possible every state license plate, there a little touch of home for each person. The fast, authentic and delicious food to offer I recommend this diner to everyone who like a little sample of home cooked meals when there are away. So, if you’re ever in town, the place to go grab a bite is Crazy Otto’s.

Phew.

My truth was number 2. I once met Michael Jordan. He's really tall. Now that I’m back at school all my time is devoted to completing all my classes. I strive to be on the dean list this semester so I’m giving it my all. With 19 units on my hands, I don’t really have time to slack off with my studies or homework. When I transfer over to Oxnard College, I didn’t think that I would like the school at all but at least the teachers I currently have are reasonable and give assignments that pertain to the work. Not just busy work. So far I made it halfway through this semester and I’m trying to hold on for the end is near. I can’t wait for this semester to end; mainly because I will only have a few units left before I can graduate. When it is all over at least I can finally be able to say that I did it. The rewards for my completion of college will be the benefits of not working any more minimum wage jobs. I will potentially have a stable career in the medical field as I try to fulfill my requirements of my radiology certification. It’s hard to keep on my path to success but the motivating forces may be viewed as: my determination, my consistency, and the benefits. I’d say that my determination plays a factor because I am the only person that is responsible for my own actions plus, I want to live happily and not have to stress out about living paycheck to paycheck. I want to be able to support myself and be able to go out and travel. But in order to do that, I would like to have at least an established career before I feel that I am financially able to do that. My consistency plays a factor because the longer it takes me to accomplish my degree, the longer it’s going to take before I can maintain a stable career. The end rewards will be when I can retire when I’m 45 and enjoy all of the fruits of my labor.

Five lies, One truth.

1. My favorite color is red.
2. I once met Michael Jordan. He's really tall.
3. I love kitty cats.
4.I'm a die heart Raider fan.
5. I have desires to go bungee jumping.
6. I enjoy scary movies.

"Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" by Lauryn Hill

"Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You"

You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.
You'd be like heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived.
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.

Pardon the way that I stare.
There's nothing else to compare.
The sight of you leaves me weak.
There are no words left to speak.
But if you feel like I feel.
Please let me know that it's real.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.

I need you baby, and if it's quite all right,
I need you baby to warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.
Trust in me when I say: OK
Oh pretty baby, don't let me down
I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby....

You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.
You'd be like heaven to touch.
I wanna hold you so much.
At long last love has arrived.
And I thank God I'm alive.
You're just too good to be true.
Can't take my eyes off of you.

I need you baby, and if it's quite all right,
I need you baby to warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.
Trust in me when I say: It's OK
Oh pretty baby, don't let me down
I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby....

I need you baby, and if it's quite all right,
I need you baby to warm a lonely night.
I love you baby.
Trust in me when I say: OK
Oh pretty baby, don't let me down
I pray.
Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay.
And let me love you, oh baby let me love you, oh baby....

College Life

Over a variety of years, my perception of day to day life has changed significantly, some for the good and others for the bad. However, my overall perception of school has drastically changed. It wasn't a change that happened overnight, but gradually as time went on. At first, I was excited to attend college being the first one in my family to go then as time went on; it became more of a burden then a roadway to success. With the ongoing debate over tuition hikes and threats for cutting classes, (some needed for my major) it is a great deal of stress to better my future. In attempts to ease some of the financial burden, I have even begun to apply for scholarships.  With the tuition hikes it’s going to be impractical to afford a community college and with the class cuts it’s going to be even harder to get out of a community college before the two year expected graduation date. This has affected me and others around me tremendously. Because of these proposed new budget cuts, it's acquiring more time to obtain a two year degree and/or transfer. Because of these new proposed tuition hikes it’s becoming nearly unattainable for the "American Dream". Despite that fact that we have not came to agree upon decision, I will continue upon my path to success even if it has a few unnecessary pit stops.

Oct 11, 2011 11:38 AM

The “Six” Pack

 

Family is a great thing to have. They give you comfort when you need it; A shoulder to cry on, and even a slap on the wrist to  make that you stay on track. I love my family. They are the backbone of our previous generations, and keep us close. Our elders are treated with a great of respect. When they organize family events, it’s mandatory for all my grandmothers’ children to attend all 11 of them. It’s plenty of people when you add uncles, aunts, cousins, grand and great grandmothers, nieces and nephews. Since we can’t see everyone as much as we like we have yearly family reunions that grows bigger and bigger each year. Last year I think count came close to 100, but everyone can be identified by every one.

 Our branch of the family tree represents my mother; all of her six children have a trait or quality that reflects her. My oldest brother, 43, has her charming wit. My oldest sister, 42, has her strategic motions. My other sister, 40, has her kind heart and loving touch. My youngest brother, 39, has her soulfulness. My youngest sister, 31 has her determination. As for me, 21, it has been said that I have her attitude. (I don’t see it.)

Holidays are always the best. My favorite family holiday is thanksgiving. After the food, our family thanksgiving tradition is an ongoing event that rarely has the opportunity to be missed. Even though we all are so diverse, I just love my family and know that they have my best interest for me even if I can’t see it at all times. My mother always said that we couldn’t pick and choose our family so we had to love them all, despite who they were. Even today, we still may fuss and disagree, but they are my family and I wouldn’t want to trade them for the world.

Up Close With David Gallardo: Interview

Interview

At first glance, David Gallardo seems to be a typical student at Oxnard College. Despite the fact that he has to pay for parking, and the want for an adequate supply of water fountains David really enjoys the location of the school, his friends and classmates at Oxnard College. However, his aspirations differ from those currently attending the college. His family values tend to play a major role in David’s decision to attend college.  “I was raised to go to school to become independent.” Born as the middle child in a medium-sized family, David has strong morals and values derived from his Christian faith beliefs. He tends to give off the impression that he may seem a bit irrational, but that soon changes when he begins an intellectual conversation and displays a significant amount of knowledge (which he seems to be very fond of). His motivation for college is a combination of both obtaining an AS degree and pursuing a long term career in fire technology. David’s daily agenda usually consists of a balance of work, school, video games and sleeping. He manages to balance the responsibilities by dedicating specific time for each task. I asked David did he have a mentor or role model. He simply stated “No mentors or role models. No one has the motivation I have to ensure success.” He is rather unconscious to the thought of him being viewed as a role model. The three words that would best describe David would be loyal, truthful, and determined. As he has displayed, he is a very honest person and his determination for success is unstoppable. As for the future, (next five years or so) David plans to have graduated from firefighter academy and pursuing a career in fire engineer. Even though his journey through college is just starting out, David has expressed excitement in the coincidence that he and his best friend unintentionally enrolled in the same English class. David’s motto for success is “work is fundamental, but not if you don’t come to school to do it.” I completely can agree with his statement by adding if you don’t put in the time, you won’t get the maximum results.

The End of the Road

The End of the Road

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP is the only thing I hear in the morning as I wake to a completely empty and quiet house which is very unusual for a school day. Shutting off the alarm at 6:30 the morning, it was time for me to prepare myself for another dull and boring day at school. Fighting the feeling to get out of my warm bed, I got up to begin my morning ritual. I searched the house and I was completely all alone. After brushing my teeth, washing my face, combing my hair and laying the clothes out neatly on the bed I got dressed and locked up the house to walk to the bus stop. Since I was a little early that morning I decided to stop and get some Starbucks. I ordered a caramel frappucino with extra cream and gave the barista my dollars and exited the coffee shop to return to the bus stop. As the buss arrived, I pulled out my pass and boarded after my fellow patrons. On the slightly long bus ride I pulled the cord to signal the driver to stop at the next destination. When the bus jerked up to the curb I promptly got off and proceeded to walked over to the back gate and entered the school. As I made my way past the soccer field, I received a phone call. I dug deep into my backpack fumbled around and retrieved the mobile device. Glancing over at the caller ID it was my sister calling me. “Why is she calling so early?” I thought to myself as I answered the phone.

“Hello?” I Answered

“Good morning”

“Good morning”

“Are you busy at the moment? I need to talk to you.”

“Eh, kinda I just made it to school but I have a few moments what’s wrong?”

Silence.

“Are you still there?” I responded.

“Yes I am” she faintly said.

The bell for first period chimed and all the students were shuffling in the hallway to make it to their class before the tardy bell rang.

I told her that I would have to call her back because school just started but she insisted that I didn’t get off the phone until she stated her reason for calling. The butterflies were flying around in my stomach as I anticipated her message.

“You can’t go to school today I need you to come to the hospital now!” she blared into the phone.

“What happened? Is everything okay?”

“Don’t hesitate. Just get here.” With that the phone line disconnected.

I stood outside for a few seconds, trying to process all the information. Watching the few latecomers run to class at a track star speed as the tardy bell chimed. I started to make my way over to the gate I had previously entered and the security had just place the padlock and chains around the gate snapping it tightly. He stopped me and told me to go to class and that I was already late. Such as if I didn’t know. I turned around and hurried over to the front gate, which is always open after the late bell. My calves were burning from rushing to get to the front gate as another security guard snapped and secured the lock on the front gate. She stated that if I wanted to leave campus that I have to go through the main office and be released to a parent or contact on my emergency list. I panicked, so many thoughts flashed through my head as I tried to brainstorm about all of the possible reasons of such urgency. Tears began to flood my eyes as I tried to figure out the worst case scenario. I ran to the gate that led to the student parking lot and seen that It was too locked. My only option was the front office which held about a dozen of late students trying to obtain a pass to class. As I entered the side door and seen that all the office personnel was distracted by students and chattering among their fellow colleagues. I snagged a pen off the counter wrote a quick note: SORRY IT’S AN EMERGENCY. I placed the pen and paper along side the receptionist and slowly walked to the door. When my hand grabbed the door, I heard the lady scream “She’s Ditching!” I ran as fast as I could out of the school into the parking lot and hurdled over the gate and down the street to the bus stop. Security took off after me and stopped pursuing me once I jumped over the gate and made it to the main street. Thankfully, the bus was still loading passengers when I arrived. I brushed past a few passengers to board the bus and claim a seat. My heart was beating so loud that I didn’t even hear the bus driver ask for my pass. I flashed it and remained seated to catch my breath. The bus pulled off the curb and we got caught at a red light by the school grounds I just fled from. The security guards were still in the parking lot trying to reenact the pursuit. Other guards laughed at the trained guard who failed to retrieve his prize- the student. I ducked down in the window of the bus to remain concealed. Minutes after I arrive at the hospital and entered the lobby, I see my sister and my other siblings sitting in the waiting room. I ran over and told them what just happened back at the school. They all remained quiet. There was nothing but the laughter of the children in the corner playing with toys obviously not knowing what’s going on as well. I was directed to take a seat and did so. My oldest brother started talking first. Tears streamed down my face as I felt my ears betray me.

“Its mom, she’s not looking too good. She has been diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and the cancer has spreaded to her liver, kidneys and lungs. ”

“Can I see her?”

“Yes, but she needs rest.”

As I was directed down the hall, my heart felt like it could burst. It seemed so unreal. The same lady that had given me life had an expiration date on hers. I entered the room and seen all the tubes and IV cords entangled around her. I grabbed her hands and felt the same warmth I shared. I began talking to her as if she was awake and aware. I kissed her head and he eyes flickered open. She responded to my prior statements. I told her I loved her and she replied with the same.

 She faintly said “You can never let anybody change who you are, I don’t want my condition to break you, and I want you to continue to live your life and be successful, and never forget what memories we have shared.”  

 “Yes Ma’am”. I responded.

 I exited the room with soggy eyes and returned to the waiting room lobby with my other siblings. My brother held me tight and told me to be strong. I just wept silently. After a few hours the charge nurse tried to get me to leave I refused she asked if I was hungry and I said no she instructed if I needed anything to let her know. I asked her for a blanket since the room was cold. At about three in the morning I awoke in the lobby not in the patient room where I had fallen asleep. I got up headed to the bathroom and splashed cool water on my face. As I was going down the hall to the patient room I see my family walking towards me. I observed a slow and eerie walk with unforgettable facial expressions. I was stopped in mid stride and told that my mother had passed on. I smiled as I thought back to the conversation I just had with my mother a few hours ago. I snapped out of my trance and I noticed a herd of faces with similar expressions. No one spoke but they all were wondering the same thing. I told them all I was okay and satisfied that she doesn’t have to suffer anymore. We all shared a group hug and exited the hospital. It’s traumatic when god calls his angels home. I lost my best friend and mother but grateful that she can finally be in peace. I wouldn’t change this experience for nothing because it showed me how strong of a person I really am. Although I tend to miss her dearly, to this day, she still lives on in my heart.

 

Texting

Ringtone goes off, you search around for it then fumble your hand into your pocket and pull out a cell phone then, you begin to pound on the letters and touchscreens to reply to the message that was just sent. Texting is a more common mean of communication method now than it was a few years ago. Texting is an effective way to rely a simple message.  It’s convenient for when you’re in a quiet setting and do not want to distract others around you and just as good for when you’re in a loud location and can’t hear to talk on the phone. Texting is all around us in class, at home, and even at work. I can especially say that when I’m on my lunch break the first thing I do is break out the phone and begin to respond to the messages I couldn’t respond to earlier. Just thinking back at how technology keeps advancing a few years ago we had just got pagers, and upgraded to cordless phones and now we can text and video chat. The only opposition I have to texting would be the fact that even though it’s against the law that people still find it okay to text and drive. I think you should either pull off the road or wait until you reach your destination. It has been said that a driver that texts is more dangerous than a drunk driver, so we should all be text-friendly.  Texting can be effective for nonverbal communication if used in the right matter.

The Reality of the Show

The Reality of the Show

Lying down bored on the couch? Eh, that was me too. With a remote clenched at the end of my finger tips, waiting for the next show to appear on the TV screen. I tend to like watching the reality shows of The National Geographic channel or the Discovery Channel. The shows like “Man vs. Wild”, “Mystery Diagnosis”, and “I (almost) got away with it” are entertaining as well as informative. I like watching “Man vs. Wild” because it teaches you how to survive in different environments and locations. I have always been interested in traveling the world to see something new and I feel like that show teaches survival for the worst case scenario. Each episode is filmed in a new location and faces different situations and methods to use for the same techniques. I say watching that show I probably can name at least 4 different ways to make fire, and have successfully accomplished 2 of the 4. (Still working on the other 2). “Mystery Diagnosis”, is a health reality show trying to find a cure or treatment for an odd medical condition.  “I (almost) got away with it” is just purely amusing watching how the criminals think they got away with the crime but it’s just a matter of time before they get caught. When any of the aforementioned shows are not airing I have a tendency to catch myself engaging in the other reality shows like “Bad Girls Club”, “Basketball Wives”, “First 48”, and “Real Housewives of Atlanta” mainly for the drama of the shows.

I try to break myself of the reality show trend but there aren’t too many shows that are stimulating and beneficial to my mindset. Resulting in me watching the reality shows. I feel as if some of the time the shows feel scripted and rehearsed. Some of the time the reality of the shows can harm our culture by attracting the attention of minors who then misinterpret the true moral of the story. It was a controversy with MTV and “16 and pregnant” show how since it started, the rate of teen pregnancy has tripled in efforts to audition for the show. I would say that the reality show craze could be considered as a guilty pleasure based on the ratings alone. It wouldn’t be something to avoid in the long run because it’s nice to sit back and laugh, giggle, cry or entertain yourself once in a while with a great TV show.  

Fast Food Impact

                                                        Fast Food Impact

            Looking out the window to my left I’d see the local fast food restaurants as we drove by and begged my mother to stop. Often, we never stopped but on some special occasions such as a student of the month award. We called them “snack prize”. It was just the best feeling the world knowing that I was going to indulge in a custom made double cheeseburger with grilled onions, a side of animal fries and a vanilla shake from In-N-Out. Fast food wasn’t really apart of a family ritual since there was always hearty home cooked meals . My mother, being the great cook that she was, felt like there was no point of buying the same meal that she could prepare in her own home. Fast food was treated as a luxury expense so it wasn’t permitted unless earned. The meals we had at home were often time consuming so our definition of fast food was probably just pizza ordered over the phone and it was still convient because we didn’t have to travel to go get it and we still ate at home together as a family . Whenever I spend the night at a relative’s house I was more subjective to fast food. Eating out wasn’t considered a luxury as it was in my household but more of an “I don’t have time to cook kind of thing” with my Aunt. I didn’t oppose to the fast food there because she wasn’t the best cook. She was the one that typically burned water.

            There were plenty of days in my high school life that consisted of overeating. For breakfast I usually had a whole dozen of glazed donuts, for lunch an entire pizza with the buffalo wings, and dinner was along the lines of a hearty meal consisting of fried chicken with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, and some cornbread. I was known as the “greedy” friend since I never was the one to share food. Getting older and becoming less active, I decide to start controlling my eating habits. I started off with portion control then worked my way over to healthy foods. So now I tend to eat out every once in a while but with the fast food menus there’s not too much of a nutritional value. So it usually results in a side salad, and a small drink. I feel that fast food is apart of the American culture now because everyone is on the go and all wanting their food “hot N ready”. I personally try to not develop dependency for fast food because all the chemicals and preservative put into it are more harmful for you than the actual food itself. I seen a documentary called Super Size Me and it relatively changed my whole perception of the whole fast food industry.

Past, Present And Future As an innocent child, I wasn’t really presented with the ideal “childhood” life. There were many of days that were filled with hope, wishes and prayers. I often prayed just to be able to live a normal life and other prayers for sanity and happiness. There was a tremendous amount of struggle that required sacrifices. In the beginning, birthdays were a special occasion, but as I got older each one started to feel like just a regular day. Cakes and gifts quickly became apologies and IOU’s. Laughs and giggles turned to tears and guilt. Food was scarce. It was just enough to stop the sound of the rumbling tummies. Sorrow and remorse were left behind the day my grandmother died. Mother couldn’t get out of the bed and the pillowcases were still soggy from the damp tears. Months after, depression grew upon her and deteriorated her health. Unable to move due to the medical issues, roles were quickly reversed. The one who cared and provided for me was the same one that was bedridden with illness. Most first graders get to enjoy the benefits of playing hopscotch, tetherball and jump rope. I had the luxury of cooking, and cleaning and sponge baths. I had so many adult responsibilities by the time second grade came; I could independently walk to get groceries, fill-out money orders for rent and accurately mail in payments for utilities. Prayers became a reality once we were presented with an opportunity to move out of Colonia.           I was excited and to leave the area that robbed me of a childhood. A bit skeptical because it was my home, it was the only place I knew but I was non hesitant to leave it behind. I was hopeful for new beginning. I relocated to a new city, new place and new life. Mother was gaining her health back and my life had a better purpose. I felt like I had wasted time, precious time for my childhood that I’ll never be able to get back. Many of years later, I was living my life as a normal child excelling in school, and making many new friends finally able to smile about life. There were family trips, games and even presents under the tree for Christmas. Holidays were filled with family fun and love. Even though we didn’t have a white picket fence I still had a reason to smile. We moved around a lot and that caused me to attend a total of eight different schools just between third and eighth grade. By the time high school came we were stable enough to stop moving around from location to location. We had been living in the same place for a few years now so every thing was comfortable and there wasn’t a need of mine that wasn’t tended to. My GPA never dropped below a 3.0 given all my prior situations. So by the start of high school I already had it predetermined that I was going to attend Cal State Dominguez. I was going to be the first generation to go to college, let alone finish high school. I had a lot of pressure. Things were getting rough but it wasn’t until Mother passed that I lost my confidence and motivation. I was sixteen and all alone. I was a year away from graduation and I was dreading the decision of returning to Oxnard to finish high school or just finishing my year at my school, with all my friends. I stayed out on my own and got my first job and was able to rent a room from a relative close by. That plan quickly went down the drain after I graduated high school with a solid 4.0.  I had enrolled into my freshman year of college not knowing of what I wanted to do with myself or where I wanted to go or who I wanted to be. So I dropped out. Now, just finally picking up the pieces, I realize that wasn’t in my best interest.          So as I plan for my future, I don’t know what it holds for me. However, there are goals and standards I set for myself that I would like to complete. Now that I’m older I can accept my childhood for all it did was prepare me for real life at an early age. Although its taking me a while to get my degree there is still ambition left motivating me to succeed. I am thankful for each circumstance that came with a lot of lessons learned in the past, which in turn prepared me for my present, which will determine who I become in the future.