They say this beautiful and flowery country is supposed to make you feel better, but I felt little comfort being there. I laid in the bed and listened, bewildered, to the constant pages being made on the hospital’s public address system. It’s not that I couldn’t hear them clearly because of my condition, but I simply didn’t understand the language. The signs in the hallway were all foreign to me, and the people did not look familiar. My fear began to grow, and I felt sicker and sicker as the minutes went by.
Opening up to things in our world is incredibly imperative for self-growth and to the growth of our society. Before entering high school, I was a very reserved person. I was not willing to venture out and see what the world truly had to offer. Open-mindedness is truly a groundbreaking trait for someone to develop, and this was one trait that I still did not possess as high school approached. Yet, as I started my first year of high school, things began to change. I was always a very musical person, so I decided to branch out, off Staten Island, out of my comfort zone, and attend school in Brooklyn to become part of Xaverian’s wonderful music program. I started playing the trombone in the fourth grade, and then
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quickly learned to play baritone horn. Inspired by my craft, I continued to improve and later earned the top spot in Xaverian's Jazz Band. It was this, that changed my world. In my sophomore year, the program announced to us we had the opportunity to travel to Japan and perform there. However, I felt a little anxious when the trip was announced. My apprehensiveness was taking over again. However, I finally developed the courage to go. Little did I know, this trip would change the course of my life forever. The day was March 31, 2015. I woke up that morning with a pit in my stomach knowing I had to be on a plane to Japan by 10 am. I hugged my family, and boarded the plane. Upon arriving to this unique country, my host family was extremely welcoming and I felt surprisingly comfortable. On our second night there, we performed a concert. The concert was fantastic and our audience of Japanese natives was in awe. However, on my way back to my host family's house, I began to feel very strange. I developed body aches and strange tingling feelings all over. I knew something was wrong. I approached my host mother, Sachiyo and told her I didn't feel well in my best Japanese. She took my temperature and it came out to a whopping 105 degrees! Immediately, I was rushed to the local hospital. I was having serious trouble breathing and my vision became extremely blurry. To be perfectly honest, I didn't think I was going to make it back home to America. When I arrived at the hospital, I was immediately hooked up to and IV and a doctor approached me short after.
He began to speak Japanese and I simply did not understand him and he didn’t understand me. There was an extreme language barrier. It was very difficult to communicate, so subsequently I felt that I would not get the medical attention I needed. This ordeal continued for several hours. I could barely muster the strength to pull up an online translator to help me tell the doctor what I was feeling. I felt frantic, as hospital workers rushed around to try and understand my English and address my needs. At this point, I was seriously regretting taking this trip. After a long six hours, I was finally able to relay get the necessary
treatment. This was probably one of the most traumatizing, yet eye-opening experiences of my life. Japan helped me to open up to the world and take chances. It helped me to be more open to all people, regardless of culture or differences. I have come out of my comfort zone a great deal, and learned that even though there are barriers that can separate humans, we can learn to work together. My ability to play music well has taken me physically to new places, but also to a new places as a person. Visiting Japan has also helped me to become more self-driven, and fueled me with the ability to get things done. Even to this day, the events that transpired in Japan have bettered me as man, a person, and a student.
...ulture is changing, Hmong are not all the same, importance of family, privacy issues, mental health issues, and small talk is important (Barrett et al., 1998, 181-182) . Overall, Barrett and others concluded that in order to improve interaction between patient and doctor all they have to do is follow these easy steps. First, is to be kind and have a positive attitude towards the patient and interpreter. Second, learn about each other’s cultures prior to meeting, to better understand each other. Third, better explain diagnosis and treatment options to patients. Fourth, improve translation providers need to get better interpreters who could concisely explain the consultation. Fifth, involve the family to make more thorough decisions. Sixth, respect patient’s decisions and there are still other alternatives to improve interaction (Barrett et al., 1998, 182-183).
Vollmann’s story concentrates on the private experiences of individuals in a hospital. The commonality of the setting allows the reader to make necessary assumptions about the locale, timing and purpose of these hospital visits, also permitting the author flexibility in selecting events to comprise the plot. The universality of the hospital experience (lingering in the waiting room, a doctor’s examination, and a nurse’s questioning, for example) encourages the reader to relate to these private events in a shared, public manner. In this way, Vollmann relies upon one’s knowledge of hospital procedure to make greater comments about other institutions and society in general.
The first time I picked up an instrument was at the age of 7 when I was in third grade. You can call it fate, luck, or my destiny but I was one of the three students that was able to join my elementary orchestra. Of course like any kid, I was afraid if had the ability to do such a thing. I mean it’s not every day you’re recruiting into the arts. I kept asking myself “can I do this? Will I fit in this group?” in other words can I be part of the classical music culture? It wasn’t till my first school concert where I had my first solo of “My Heart Will Go On” the love theme from Titanic that I was able to express the countless hours put into a 15 second solo. After that experience I never questioned if I belonged to the culture. Instead I focused on the next story I would tell on stage with the music score in
I walked around unsteadily all day like a lost baby, far away from its pack. Surrounded by unfamiliar territory and uncomfortable weather, I tried to search for any signs of similarities with my previous country. I roamed around from place to place and moved along with the day, wanting to just get away and go back home. This was my first day in the United States of America.
As I walked down the corridor I noticed a man lying in a hospital bed with only a television, two dressers, and a single window looking out at nothing cluttering his room. Depression overwhelmed me as I stared at the man laying on his bed, wearing a hospital gown stained by failed attempts to feed himself and watching a television that was not on. The fragments of an existence of a life once active and full of conviction and youth, now laid immovable in a state of unconsciousness. He was unaffected by my presence and remained in his stupor, despondently watching the blank screen. The solitude I felt by merely observing the occupants of the home forced me to recognize the mentality of our culture, out with the old and in with the new.
Let’s flash back in time to before our college days. Back to then we had lunch trays filled with rubbery chicken nuggets, stale pizza, and bags of chocolate milk. A backpack stacked with Lisa Frank note books, flexi rulers, and color changing pencils. The times where we thought we wouldn’t make it out alive, but we did. Through all the trials and tribulations school helped build who I am today and shaped my future. From basic functions all the way to life-long lessons that helped shape my character.
Growing up, I always tried to be one of the boys. I wanted to play any sport possible. I wasn’t scared to play tackle football in the backyard with the neighbor boys, I ran around right alongside them. My parents never really helped me pursue any sports, and being just a kid and not able to drive, I couldn’t sign myself up for anything. I began running cross country in seventh grade. It was really my first chance to get myself involved in something. I had never even heard of cross country before, until a book I read involved the main character being involved in the sport. When I began running, I never imagined that I’d still be running my senior year. Not only did I think I’d still be running, I never even considered the idea of running varsity. I believe that my six years of running has proven, at the very least, my commitment to things
“What are your plans after high school?.”, This is a question that everyone is asked multiple times throughout the course of their lives. Sometimes it is just something that they themselves ponder in their own thoughts. What someone does after high school should be something that is not only interesting to that person, but will ultimately lead them into a career that they will loved and enjoy. A great career that is definitely worth considering is that of a paramedic. The job description of a paramedic is very broad and can have many affects on a person's life. But not only is this job greatly fulfilling to someone’s personal life, it is also very fulfilling to someone else’s life as well. It is a fast paced, adrenaline fueled job that requires more than the faint of heart. It requires a person who not only enjoys the thrill of the rush and a hard adrenaline pump, but is also content with
I did not fully understand what success meant until I was old enough to see it through my parents. Both of my parents came from Mexico and risked their lives to start a better life for my siblings and I. They went through all kinds of struggles and obstacles that they had to overcome due to living in the United States. Instead of thinking so negatively about the struggles they thought positively because they knew that all the hard work would help my siblings and me at the end, and it did. They have three about to be four children that have graduated from high school, and now or going to be attending college. I define success as a person who puts hard work and dedication in their goals in order to achieve them. Therefore, my success in life
As a child, the idea of higher education was simply a figment of my imagination. People I crossed paths with didn’t anticipate academic success for me because of my upbringing. I come from a split family home in Compton, California. Despite the adverse connotation this city holds, I learned to overcome adversity and treat obstacles as stepping stones, leading me to a greater purpose. I remember that even at a young age my potential was overlooked and expectations were set quite low. I allowed the negative opinions of others define me. I was told once by a teacher in secondary school that I would amount to nothing, which resonated with me. In my youth, I found encouragement through interaction with different professionals I personally identified with. I endeavor to be the inspiration these professionals were for me, to other children. The negative feelings people had about my abilities continues to drive my advancement of my education and academic success.
Well what can I say I made it… made it to Senior year, and soon my 4 years in high school will be over. With no doubt this school year has been hectic, in trying to find what kind of person I'm going to become in this world. Whether the decisions and future I set out for myself will make my parents proud or disappointed. In my opinion this year has been a life changing experience and it made me realize many things as I get ready for college. From August all the way to May academically I have grown and challenged myself more than I ever could and I’m proud. I’m proud that I didn’t give up when there looked to be no hope left, proud that I kept to my word in maintaining good grades, and proud to have an opportunity to prove to myself that I can
My junior year of high school I found my passion for robotics and engineering. In order to really explore my passion I had to join the robotics club on top of being in the class but what was holding me back all along was knowing that I would be the only girl in the class. My first day in the class I would receive comments from the boys such as "why are you here?" and "girls don't know how to build". But as an independent and strong girl in the class I would not listen to there comments. Instead, it became my duty to create the best robot for my first assignment. As the year progressed, I realized that there are not enough girls in the STEAM department. It became my mission to make a little change my inspiring and encouraging my peers to get
One of my most memorable experiences in Asia was my trip to the doctor. I knew that my slight fever and scratchy throat could be contributed to lack of sleep. With a twelve-hour time difference, I had the worst jet lag that was possible. Yet, the Secretariat felt that I should go to the doctor, so off I went. Once we arrived I took one look at the building and decided that I felt much better. The office was a hole in the wall that practiced family medicine and surgery. It was in stark contrast to the gigantic, pristine medical facilities I was used to. There was a very long line to see the doctor so I took a seat next to a hacking baby and an anxious young mother. What happened next was the most distressing part of my adventure. Once my chaperone announced that I was part of the school program, the doctor took me right away. As I followed the nurse back I passed by people who had been sitting there for much longer. There was a man with b...
Time flies so fast. Looking back, my high school is just like a movie, a lot of things happened. High School is four years of growing up and probably a time in your life where you go through the most changes. In high school you are able to discover yourself and find out who you are as a person. Each year is special and unique in their own way. My journey through high school was a tough one, especially because I decided to not only focus on academic work but also to invest quality time in extra curriculum activities. I wanted more than just academic excellence; I wanted to be a leader, I wanted to add value to every aspect of my life, I wanted a rounded education and not just mere schooling. My success story is what I will like to share with you; how I really made it and how this defines my personality. My journey in High School was scary, exciting, and successful.
There is one moment that stands above all others in every child’s grade school career, and that is their graduation ceremony. The event that every freshman looks forward to from the moment that they step into high school. Don’t get me wrong, people have the most memorable times while in high school, I know have, but it will be a roller coaster experience for all. Nevertheless, it is just something about the anticipation that every teen has to finally be on their own and not having to follow their parents’ rules and orders every day. We are all eager to gain freedom from all of the arguments, chores, and restrictions, although, we will eventually miss the little things that are done for us. As I finished the last graduation rehearsals,