Bad Influence

When Cofer had to choose between and Catholic retreat and a vacation in Puerto Rico to visit the family, she chose Puerto Rico. She was recently place on house arrest because her and her close friend had a chance to sleep at a guy’s house. They both had to lie to their parents because they know they were not allowed to see a guy. Their parents found out and drove to the guy’s house. Soon as she got off the plane she was soaked with sweat. Her family thought she had asthma so she used that to her advantage. She wasn’t really happy at first because the family watched drama shows and there was a rooster that didn’t know what time to crow. The house still did not have a telephone. They still rely on letters and telegrams. One day they went to the beach to go crab hunting and for papa to work his magic. The girl was around her age. They started to talk and hang out more. When her mama arrived she felt that she wasn’t sure if Cofer was going to hate her for sending her down here. But she actually had a good time. She was bonding with her family.

            There was a strong culture in the story. They drink con leches a lot and special herb drinks to heal problems and sickness. I started to understand the title, Bad Influence. Cofer’s friend back home was a bad influence and were discussing with her new friend about her guy and if he was a bad influence. When her mother came she asked about her friend. Her mother said she was happy at the retreat and was transferring to a new school in the fall. Cofer just laughed and thought of the plans they would make once she got back. She knows her mother was saying that so she would become a good girl again.  This story consists of a young girl that is a teen that is trying to find her identity and fitting in at school while incorporating both heritages, Puerto Rican and America.

            Yesterday, I have learned a new word. Nisei, which means the first generation to be born in America. My siblings and I am Nisei. We are one fourth Japanese. My mother was born in Japan and lived there until she was five years old. She then moved to America and lived here ever since. My grandma lives in Maryland now. She still uses some our culture in her home. I don’t think she has gone back to Japan to visit. I would like to go to Japan one day to visit and maybe live there for a bit.

The Curcuit

Wow. The story The Circuit has touched my heart. I felt bad for them. Getting up before the crack of dawn to move to another place to find work. They were like nomads, moving place to place to find work. The children did not go to school until a season is over like strawberry or cotton season. When the family moved to the Sullivan house for work, they stayed in a run down old garage. There were holes everywhere and worms in the ground. The women slept on the mattress while the men slept outside under the tree. The next morning Jimenez went to school. He enrolled in sixth grade. Mr. Lema is his sixth grade teacher. He was very nice and understanding. When Jimenez struggled with some words he was glad to help. They spent most of their lunch hours teaching Jimenez words and how to play an instrument. What really got me the most was he couldn’t wait to go home to tell his parents the news. Instead of coming home to a cozy home he came home to a home with packed boxes. I then felt really bad.

I’m sure the immigrants in the 50’s had to travel a lot and go to labor camps to find jobs. Life sure was tough for them back in the day but now in this time era many immigrants sneaked in through the border and apply for citizenship. Many have made it successfully but many failed and got thrown back to their country. I want to tell you a story about a person in my family, whom I will call, “Chica” for an identity reason. She is from El Salvador. Chica left her home because there was no work and no way to make money. Before she left home, she cleaned houses, babysat, cooked and worked on a farm. There was a war going on. they made children into child soldiers. She was worried because she has children of her own. Chica left home she walked to a town and caught a bus heading north. At one point she paid a guy five thousand dollars to get her across the border of some country. When she made it to America, she first went to Nevada. On her way to Nevada she walked mostly and hitched a ride. She told me that a person robbed her in Arizona. Then she went to Reno, Nevada and worked in a restaurant there. she eventually made it to Virginia and has been there since. Imagine she had to leave her home, her children so she can find work. Every month she sends money down to her family to take care of them. she married someone in my family and has a child together. She was 27 when she left for America. She has three children back home. She has been here for eight years.

Rules of the Game

When I read the story “The Rules of the Game,” I was feeling bad for the girl because back then Chinese children had to listen to their parents a lot and follow their culture. But her mother taught her how to win at arguments, respect and eventually chess games.

The girl jogs her memories about her neighborhood and all the places she visited with her friends. Her mother named her after the street they lived on which was Waverly Place Jong, but her family calls her Meimei. The mother thought low of the gifts the children received. She thought that if the people didn’t want it then she doesn’t want it. Meimei wanted to learn how to play chess games so she started going to the Chinatown library and engrossing herself in the books. She was only eight years old when she first started playing. She went to a park full of old men playing chess and decided she wanted to play. She lost but the old man gave her tips on how to win. As time went on she started winning games. But her mother kept standing over her and watching her so Meimei got fed up and talked back. She was saying that her mother was embarrassing her but her mother misinterpreted Meimei and thought she meant embarrassing to be her daughter. Meimei ran away and when she came back her mother gave her cold looks. At the end when she lay on the bed thinking of chess and the game against her mother she was plotting her next move.

What does the title mean? I think it means on the rules of chess but another meaning could be on the rules of life. I think that’s what it meant when Meimei’s mother taught her the art of invisible strength. Her mother was teaching her the things of life and how to survive. Nowadays the people are different. Different cultures like the Chinese aren’t the same as before. They are a little open about things and did not expected a lot out of their children. Sure, there are some but that’s just the parents being overly protective and wanting the best for their children. At the end when she plotted her next move she was thinking it was a game between her and her mother. Meimei wanted to outsmart her mother. What happens next is a good question because we don’t know if she will continue the love for chess or gives up.

A Gift of Laughter

In the story, “The Gift of Laughter” the man’s son, Robbie made a drawing for him but the father told him to wait because he was talking to the mother about something important. The son wanted to express his feelings to his dad since his birthday was on Saturday. Soon as Robbie slammed the door the father had a flashback to the day he was a kid. the father misunderstood the grandmother and got her a football. Soon as he found out he misunderstood, he felt shame and went to his room. After a while his mom came and took him to living room. He sees a big glass bowl with food in it and in the middle the football he got for his grandma. She was sweet enough to accept the gift and say “From a child is beautiful, anything.” Soon as the father came back to the present he began to realize that he doesn’t want Robbie to hate him in the future. So he tries to make amends and go to store to buy a frame for the drawing.

I think it was good of the father to make amends. I think it is better to have a relationship while your children are young or the child will have an emotional disconnection from the parent. When I read the story I felt that sometimes parents will do that but at the end of the day will try to make it up. But if you ignore the child long enough he/she will feel like the parent doesn’t love him/her. I felt the tone in the beginning of the story was like annoyed and mad tone and then throughout the story feeling remorse because of the way he treated his son. On page 32 and 33 Sherman capitalizes “Leaves Home” and “Left Home.” I think when he capitalizes it he meant that whenever he (the past Sherman) or his son Robbie tried to run away but was not successful because he will miss home or the parents tries to talk to them. I think the author Sherman picked the title “A Gift of Laughter” because they both shared something in common and felt the same emotions. I supposed they laugh about it on the way to the store. When I was younger I always tried to “Leave Home” but it never works because I don’t have the guts and plus where would I go? I have left one time but I came back after I cooled down. My dad doesn’t always try to talk to me.