Reflection

1. Some of the pieces I have done in Creative Writing was Food for Thought, wrote a book, flea market photos, paint chips, writing in the journal, and commenting on classmates posts, etc. Food for Thought was an assignment where we write a piece that is inspired by food. For that piece I wrote about my family because every time I think of food it's the moments with the family around the dinner table talking, laughing, and sharing old stories or planning for upcoming events. I also wrote about afternoon Sunday prayers because that's my favorite part about Sunday, I get to pray for others, connect with God, and also having dinner with my church is always the best way to spend the last bit of the weekend with. We also have a unit where we write books. My book was about my little baby brother on how he never goes to sleep early and always try to find anything he can do to avoid sleeping. I really enjoy making my own book it's always us to be very creative, but at the same time a great learning experience on how it's like being an author and making our own book.
2. One of the pieces I've read this quarter is the window poem by Lily. I really like this poem because it talks about childhood memories and how it can be the most memorable thing everyone cherish as we grow older and experience obstacles in our life. I love how she compare and contrast the point of view from the inside and outside of the window. Outside is laughter, joy, and happiness though inside the house it's filled with hardships and reality. Something I read out of class is called The Naturals, it's about 5 kids we are natural at detecting lies, profiling, and good with statistics. It was a book I can relate to because I wanted to be a psychologist or a profiler, but after reading this book I'm afraid to be a profiler because you can never know what will happen in any given moment.
3. When I was setting up my blog I was excited. I always wanted a blog, but never really know what would be the theme of it so I gave up on making my own blog, but I'm glad to experience having my own blog through Creative Writing. The struggle in making a blog was the theme because I want the pieces of my writing and images that was included with my writing to match the theme of the blog, but it was so hard to keep up with the theme so I kind of gave up. The name of the blog is my full name on documents cindy nhi phan. I decided to go with that because the blog would become something where I share my stories and my thoughts. I know some of my classmates read it through the comments they write on some of my posts though I don't have anyone specific that I want to read my blog for me the less the better. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue using the blog in the future, but I would definitely go back to this blog and read some of the posts.
4. Some things in my journal includes: writing assignments, rough drafts, magazine cut-outs, paint chips, drawing, my thoughts, and my childhood stories. I think I would want my mom to read it because then she would be able to know my more and see how much I have grown from the elementary and middle school girl I use to be. I think I would continue to journal, but it's more creative than just writing on a piece of paper. I decided to make make videos has a way of journaling. I'm not really good at being specific when I'm writing so if I look back on it I wouldn't recall a full memory of my experience that I would journal. So making videos allow me to look back on my memories by watching videos I have made and rather than telling stories to my children, niece, or nephew in the future I can show them videos which is much easier.
5. I'm thankful that I was born normal. Normal meaning I am able to see with my eyes, I'm able to smell with my nose, I'm able to write with my hands, and I'm able to walk on my own two feet. I'm thankful for the family I have even though they're annoying and a bother sometimes. I am thankful for coming home and see that my family is happy and healthy. People I am thankful for? Well there's God, my grandparents, my parents, my siblings, my cousins, my friend Marissa, Michelle whom I look up to as a kid, my elementary school teachers, I can never thank them enough for making me who I am today. Now random things... I am thankful for Iphones, Netflix, hot chocolate, music, blankets, beds, clothes, makeup, perfume, mother's amazing foods, road-trips, travelling, going to school, spring, summer, fall, winter, books, soft rugs, nail polish, lakes, roller-coasters, movie theaters, amazing art, microwave, oceans, flowers, dogs, and cats.
6. You want to scream at the top of your lungs. You want to be heard, but that's not possible. You have to be silent. The less you speak the more you won't get hurt. Although you feel like you're alone. No one is there for you. No one, but yourself. You tried to be passive because he might like you more. You tried to be more kind, softer, and quiet. You even tried acting like someone you are not. Is it worth it? Probably not, but did you stop? No. You want to tell anybody, anybody that would listen, but you don't want to deny the fact that you still love the man that once broke your heart. So you promise yourself that you don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody you once loved. 
7. I think I would make scrapbooks in the future filled with memories and so I can give them to my friends and family. I get to be relax while writing and crafting for my scrapbooks. Other writings like essays are stressful because it's about a boring topic and we have to make it perfect with so many resources. I remember English 3, it was the most hardest class I have ever taken in my life.
8. Some of us our senior in this class and I wish with this part of our journey that is almost coming to an end I hope their next journey in life would be full of happiness and great adventures. I hope the keep on continuing to write because writing allows us to be more stress free, so I recommend that they should write as much as they can.

Food for Thought

At family gatherings there was always so much food to the point where by the end of the night everyone would be able to bring a whole meal home. Though some people would think we waste food or just cook too much, but having 20+ family member wasting food or having less food is not an option. My uncles and aunts love to cook especially when it comes authentic Vietnamese cuisine. I grew up eating authentic vietnamese cuisine and just several years ago when my uncle and aunts move to Missouri from Vietnam they would cook weird food and I would ask my mother what is this and she would say it's authentic vietnamese food, so I guess I didn't try all authentic vietnamese food. When I think of food I would instantly remember of my favorite time which would be afternoon prayers. My church have afternoon prayers almost every Sunday and it consist of going to the members of our church homes and pray for their love ones that have passed away. After prayer the family that we pray for would invite the church to stay and have dinner. I enjoy it because I get to pray for others, connect with God, and also with the company of my family, relatives, and the members of the church having dinner together under one roof brings me joy and happiness. 

Children's Story Draft

Jaden, a mischievous little boy loves to do anything but sleep. 

"Jadeeeeen it's time for bed!" 

He saw his car toys on the floor, so he decided to be a car racer. 

"Vroom! Vroom!

"Jadeeeeen it's time for bed!"

He saw his cape, so he decided to be a superhero

"I'll save you!"

"Jadeeeeen it's time for bed!"

He quietly sneak out to the kitchen to eat some cookies

"Yummy! YumYum!

"Jadeeeeen it's time for bed!"

He grab his ninja costume on the chair and he decided to be a ninja.

"Hiyah! Hiyah!"

"Jadeeeeen it's time for bed!"

He ran to his room and decided to make animal shadows with his hands

"Woof! Woof!"

"Jadeeeeen it's time for bed!"

He decided to be a shepherd

"One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, fourrrrr sheeeep, fiveeeee...."

"Jadeeeeen it's time for bed!"

"Sweet dreams Jaden"


For my book I'm going to draw. 

About the Author

Originally from Stockton, California, Cindy Phan now lives in Missouri with her parents and five siblings. She is also author-illustrator of some bilingual children's books Le Poisson, Le Chien, etc.

Books for Kids

Title of Book: Quirky, Jerky, Extra Perky

Author of Book: Brian P. Cleary

Author Bio: he is the author of the best-selling Words Are CATegorical. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cover: It's orange with three different style of fonts and it has five cats around the cover.

# of pages: 30

List of characters: Mary and Glen

Setting(s): The beach, London, Greenland, forest,etc.

Summary: The book help kids understand what adjectives are. It is written in a style where the kids can be entertain. With the rhymes it contains in the book kids would not be bored of reading this book.

This book have animals as characters, use rhyme, teach a lesson, have creatures, use humor, have illustrations, use color, and lots of words per page.

Favorite sentence: "A wilted rose, a chartreuse vase, a cherry, kind, and florid face."

Age appropriate: 6 or 7 because there is more advanced words.

I would have liked this book as a kid because it's entertaining because of the rhymes it contains and I was able to learn about adjectives as the same time. 

Comments

I had the same experience as you when I was younger. I would pretend to be a superhero and go through obstacles around the playground, but when I got to the monkey bars I wasn't thinking and just climb up the ladder and started to go on the monkey bars. Then I realize I wan't that strong and before I knew it I was on the ground crying and I had to go to the E.R.

My favorite toy was also my little pet shops. I remember I would collect as much as possible.

I loved Junie B. Jones books as well. I remember when my class have library time I would always try to fast walk ahead of all my friends to make sure that I get the Junie B. Jones books that I wanted or else I would have to stick with rereading the ones I have already read.

Child's Play

21. When I was a child I was sweet, kind, and loud. As I've gotten older things definitely changed I wasn't able to see my grandparents as much as I want, but I did see my parents more in which to me was weird. Then my family move not to a different place or city, but to a different state. I didn't like where I was I didn't like the fact that we have to move to Missouri out of the 50 states. I couldn't adjust to this new lifestyle, it was different. Then four months later my grandpa pass away and I wasn't there for him. I didn't say my final goodbye and I hated that. The nest several years I was quiet. I wasn't quiet on purpose, it just came to me natural. I felt what was the point in talking when there was nothing to be talked about. The quiet I am the better because no one would ask me any questions related to me. 

25. When I was growing up my first language was Vietnamese. My grandparent raise me most of the time and they would speak in Vietnamese so I grew up speaking the language. I started learning English when I actually started school. I started speaking more English, but there is this rule in my family in which you're not allowed to speak any other languages beside Vietnamese in the house. Also we don't eat out at all when I was a child. I remember eating Vietnamese cuisine and that's all I ate. Also I really loved weddings growing up. The Vietnamese tradition when it comes to engagements is that the guy and his whole entire family has to go to the girl's house to ask her whole entire family for marriage and they would drink tea and have lunch together after the ceremony. For weddings it's really simple though we get married by the church and afterwards there is no receptions or anything. The after party would start around 8 and through the night. We also have Vietnamese New Years' and it's often in February. During Vietnamese New Years' we often would go toVietnam and visit relatives, but if we were not able to do that then we would go to our family and friends' house and greet them happy new years and hand out red envelopes. 

27. I have only "run-away-from-home" once. I remember my friend was over playing tetherball with my sisters and I at our house, but there was this new inventions that was really popular during that time in which was called wheeles, it was the type of shoes that has wheels at the bottom. My friend had forgotten her wheeles at home and she wanted to go and get it though she was afraid of going alone. She said her house was really close from here and that I should come with her. I agreed and we both jumped over the fence on the side of my house and walked to her house to get her wheeles. 

33. When I was a child I had everything planned out. I was going to graduate from this elementary school then go to this middle school and high school. I even knew what college I wanted to go at the age of 7 and knew what I wanted to be, which was a top surgeon. After having a career I would then be able to date and get married. I wanted a huge family when I was little at least 5 kids and one dog. I also knew what type of house I wanted and what kind of theme I had for the house. I also planned that my family and I would travel to somewhere every year.