Just pasting some of my old blog posts.Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Redwoods and Mouse Alert
Redwoods and Mouse Alert by Zachary Chock
Redwoods
Ideas-
There are good details, but not that many specific details-
needs to get to the point, as the paragraph is just a
collection of events, but not a story.
Organization-
Hardly any organization, just events and quick
looks into a vacation, without plot or chronological
order, with no sense of when it is happening.
Ideas-
There are good details, but not that many specific details-
needs to get to the point, as the paragraph is just a
collection of events, but not a story.
Organization-
Hardly any organization, just events and quick
looks into a vacation, without plot or chronological
order, with no sense of when it is happening.
Voice-
Good, shows personality and emotion,
but needs more specific detail into writing
of the timeline and too many general details.
Word Choice-
Not so good, not very specific, some could
have been sunny can be blinding, warm would
be humid and hot.
Mouse Alert
Ideas-
The story is good- has the main events, a
timeline, and organized plot with good ways of telling a
story in a humorous and serious way.
Organization-
The events are in order, describing what happened
before or after another event, when it happened, a
nd where, who was affected, and why it happened.
Voice-
Great! I can see if the person is afraid, or brave to
stand up to mice, and who has what emotions. The
speaker has given a clear picture of the family and
their reactions and feeling to them.
Word choice-
Good. Did not use too many general
words, and some unique words to explain what
went on in the cabin during the trip.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
qurencia draft
Querencia draft
It is now 2:30 pm, and the school day is over. The sun is at its brightest and hottest point in the afternoon, and the skies are whitish-blue and dark blue on the horizon. There are the sounds everywhere of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors bustling through the classes and sidewalks to race for the buses. Like most of the students who just finished school, I also want to go home and relax. I’m very tired, hungry, and anxious to get home.
As soon as I get off the bus, I feel like I got my second wind. I am awake and no longer tired. I walk home as the sky gets darker blue with the sun moving halfway across the sky. Walking downhill past the old church always brings back memories of my happy childhood where I spent a lot of time playing and having fun on the playground by the church.
When I get home, I head out to my backyard – my Querencia. I put the backpack down on the grass, the weight of it finally removed from my aching shoulders. I stand in the middle of the yard for a moment, looking up at the sky before I move again. I sit on the grass and watch the horizon. I can relax for a while and put all of my troubles and worries aside for now, until I start working on my homework.
I come to my Querencia at least twice a day. When I am at my Querencia, I feel myself calming down, relaxing, and forgetting about all the pressures or bad events during the day that may have brought me down. I am able to be alone with myself, as if I am inside my own personal world by myself. I bring out my camera to take an image of the sun setting, with all its shades of vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, along with a backdrop of dark blue being slowly consumed by a black sky. As the sky turns dark, I feel the wind brushing against my face and making whistling sounds as it blows by.
When I am in my Querencia, I walk on the grass, with its spine-like points and edges being crushed underneath my shoes as I pace back and forth, admiring every sunset or sunrise that I can see or observe. I can also reflect on the day while I am in my backyard, “replaying” the good and enjoying events that happened, while sifting out the bad memories. This is one of the few things I do to empty the stress from my life, get rid of any anger or regrets that I may have had during the day, and to feel refreshed all over again. In fact, once this happens, I am at peace with myself and can now start on my homework in the yard, my Querencia.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
My Querencia
My Querencia is my backyard, and it is special to me, because it offers a view of a cloudless sky (not in picture) and gives me a place to relax, to calm down and just stare at the sunset and the mountain range specked with houses and lights, as a nice view to have and enjoy. I can forget about all the bad or angering things that happened during the day, and the stress when I stand in the backyard.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Essay Draft 1
It is Saturday morning and my sister and I follow my dad as he goes shopping at Don Quixote and the farmers market for ingredients he will be using to make meals for the upcoming week. Usually, we come home at about 6:30-7:00 pm during the weekdays. After fighting the traffic and the hot sun, we are often too tired and hungry to cook. My dad helps us all out by cooking most of the meals for the week during the weekend so that all he has to do is microwave our dinner while we shower and do our homework.
Today, he has decided that he will be showing me how to make his famous-amos Roast Beef so that one day, he can sit down and watch TV while I cook dinner for him! His first lesson was to make sure that my kitchen was clean and organized, so he had me wash all the dishes and then gather all the necessary ingredients and utensils. Then he had me prepare the Roast Beef and write down the steps one step at a time. First, I had to slice and dice the celery and onions. I now know why they say onions make you cry, because my eyes were stinging as if there were a hundred needles poking my eyeballs. I was crying like a little baby and my dad was watching me and laughing at the same time. Then I seasoned the meat with Hawaiian salt and pepper and a generous sprinkle of pre-mixed Italian spices that smelled so good - it had many herbs in it, including oregano, basil and thyme. I then placed it on top of the diced celery and onions, added water, covered it with aluminum foil and placed my creation into the preheated oven that was so hot that I felt like the hairs on my arms were being singed!
I decided to pass some time by watching a movie on Netflix while waiting for my creation to be done. About 15 minutes later, there was this great aroma that filled my kitchen and living room. It smelled so good that I started to get hungry. I could smell the sweet smell of onions, celery, and some of the Italian herbs such as oregano and thyme. I could hardly wait to see my finished creation on the plates of my family, who were also very anxious to see if my creation was going to be as good as Dad's.
Ding! I heard the alarm going off, telling me that it was time to take the roast out and let it cool so that I could start slicing it up. As I opened the oven and took off the aluminum foil, the amazing aroma of roasted onions, celery and beef blasted into my face in a cloud of steam! As the roast started cooling off, I started making the gravy, melting one stick of sweet butter and mixing flour into it to make the roux. The pot sizzled as I added and whipped the juices and drippings from the roast into the roux to make a nice, creamy, and golden gravy. All of a sudden, everyone in my family, including my dog started gathering in the dining room because the aroma had now filled the entire house and was making everyone hungry.
It was now time to present my project to my family. Dad always said, "Presentation is Everything". I carefully scooped some brown rice, golden summer crisp corn nibblets and using a pair of tongs, carefully arranged slices of my roast beef on a plate. I then drizzled the very smooth and golden brown gravy over the sliced beef and rice. Finally, I used a napkin to wipe away any drippings on the plate so that it wouldn't look messy. Once I had prepared all 8 plates and laid them carefully on the table, we said our prayer of thanks and dug in or "grind" as some call it.
So where did this wonderful recipe come from? My dad bought a lunchwagon when he was younger and the former owner taught him all of the recipes in three days, watched him for two more days and then let him take it from there. The roast beef dish was a favorite dish of Dad's because it was very easy and quick to make, not to mention, very tasty. He is very experimental and will play with recipes until it tastes right. He changed the Roast Beef recipe a little before introducing it to us - he added vegetables and other minor ingredients and made it healthier by putting less salt, or adding a salt substitute. Eventually my family and I are going to pass this and the rest of his recipes onto the next generation when the time comes.
My Dad loves to cook because he feels that it brings the family together at dinner time where we can all bond and talk about our day. He also feels that his meals are a very nice combination of ingredients that come together to make a great meal and feels the same way with our family - that each of us brings something special to the table and together, all of our special things is what makes our family so special.
Today, he has decided that he will be showing me how to make his famous-amos Roast Beef so that one day, he can sit down and watch TV while I cook dinner for him! His first lesson was to make sure that my kitchen was clean and organized, so he had me wash all the dishes and then gather all the necessary ingredients and utensils. Then he had me prepare the Roast Beef and write down the steps one step at a time. First, I had to slice and dice the celery and onions. I now know why they say onions make you cry, because my eyes were stinging as if there were a hundred needles poking my eyeballs. I was crying like a little baby and my dad was watching me and laughing at the same time. Then I seasoned the meat with Hawaiian salt and pepper and a generous sprinkle of pre-mixed Italian spices that smelled so good - it had many herbs in it, including oregano, basil and thyme. I then placed it on top of the diced celery and onions, added water, covered it with aluminum foil and placed my creation into the preheated oven that was so hot that I felt like the hairs on my arms were being singed!
I decided to pass some time by watching a movie on Netflix while waiting for my creation to be done. About 15 minutes later, there was this great aroma that filled my kitchen and living room. It smelled so good that I started to get hungry. I could smell the sweet smell of onions, celery, and some of the Italian herbs such as oregano and thyme. I could hardly wait to see my finished creation on the plates of my family, who were also very anxious to see if my creation was going to be as good as Dad's.
Ding! I heard the alarm going off, telling me that it was time to take the roast out and let it cool so that I could start slicing it up. As I opened the oven and took off the aluminum foil, the amazing aroma of roasted onions, celery and beef blasted into my face in a cloud of steam! As the roast started cooling off, I started making the gravy, melting one stick of sweet butter and mixing flour into it to make the roux. The pot sizzled as I added and whipped the juices and drippings from the roast into the roux to make a nice, creamy, and golden gravy. All of a sudden, everyone in my family, including my dog started gathering in the dining room because the aroma had now filled the entire house and was making everyone hungry.
It was now time to present my project to my family. Dad always said, "Presentation is Everything". I carefully scooped some brown rice, golden summer crisp corn nibblets and using a pair of tongs, carefully arranged slices of my roast beef on a plate. I then drizzled the very smooth and golden brown gravy over the sliced beef and rice. Finally, I used a napkin to wipe away any drippings on the plate so that it wouldn't look messy. Once I had prepared all 8 plates and laid them carefully on the table, we said our prayer of thanks and dug in or "grind" as some call it.
So where did this wonderful recipe come from? My dad bought a lunchwagon when he was younger and the former owner taught him all of the recipes in three days, watched him for two more days and then let him take it from there. The roast beef dish was a favorite dish of Dad's because it was very easy and quick to make, not to mention, very tasty. He is very experimental and will play with recipes until it tastes right. He changed the Roast Beef recipe a little before introducing it to us - he added vegetables and other minor ingredients and made it healthier by putting less salt, or adding a salt substitute. Eventually my family and I are going to pass this and the rest of his recipes onto the next generation when the time comes.
My Dad loves to cook because he feels that it brings the family together at dinner time where we can all bond and talk about our day. He also feels that his meals are a very nice combination of ingredients that come together to make a great meal and feels the same way with our family - that each of us brings something special to the table and together, all of our special things is what makes our family so special.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Reuploaded blog review
I have put the comments here, as it did not work on the blog site that day, so I got the email back saying that I needed to put it on the blog.
So far I have commented on a blog,
1st blog comment - blog "Once upon a time" - I decided to choose this blog because it related to me in a way that, the student was afraid of what the parent will expect, and what will the parent think, or expect.
Z117 said...
August 9, 2010 3:39 PM
I have chosen the blog INSPIRED ASPIRATIONS and I chose the blog because it described the way someone looked at their experience in menemac and my comment is that "It was a great blog, telling someone how the person dealt with the struggles and times the program has put you on."
I have the same troubles sometimes, such as parent expectations, and what will be thought of me and my work.
August 9, 2010 3:39 PM
Interview and appointment questions
Interview Appointment Date – 08/28/10
Person being Interviewed – My Dad
Questions:
Q - When do you make your Roast Beef? Do you only make it for special occasions?
A - I usually make it on weekends – usually on Saturday afternoons after going shopping for the Cross-Rib Roast from Don Quixote, and the Farmers Market for the vegetables and ingredients needed for the roast. I view very one of our family dinners as a special occasion to bring our family together and celebrate being able to eat and enjoy dinner together.
Q – Who taught you this recipe?
A – I used to own a lunch wagon. The previous owners that I bought the lunch wagon from taught me how to make this recipe because it was quick and very easy to make. My customers were construction workers who loved to eat to eat meats with lots of gravy an rice. They only had 30 minutes to eat, so I had to make dishes that were easy to make and easy to dish out. If I had any leftovers, I would just warm it up the next day and it tasted even better.
Q - Did you ever have any formal cooking education or training?
A – No. My grandma and mom, who were both Chinese, were both very good cooks who didn’t even write down recipes. If you asked them how much salt, sugar, shoyu, etc. was used in their recipes, you would usually get the response, “You know…just a pinch of salt”. Everything was measured with your eyeball and then you tasted and adjusted it. After a while, you pretty much knew how much to put without even measuring. I love eating, so I always watched them cook in the kitchen. When I finally left home for college, I was on my own and I had no choice, but to cook for myself. So, using experimentations and what I had seen and heard, I improvised and my meals became pretty good tasting. When I bought my lunch wagon, the former owners gave me about three days of training, and then watched me for two days, and then I was on my own.
Q – So, is this the original Roast Beef recipe, or did you change anything?
A – I made it even simpler. The original recipe had Hawaiian Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Salt. I have high blood pressure, so I try to watch the amount of salt I use in my recipes, so I substituted the Italian Spices (which were just a mixture of herbs) for the Garlic Salt. Also, the original recipe called for margarine to be used to make the gravy. However, I felt that the gravy would have a better flavor if I used butter instead.
Q – Does this recipe have anything to do with your ethnic background?
A – Well, in a way, I think it does. I am Chinese and the Chinese love to cook. Being Pake, we are very frugal, so when we cook, we look for whatever leftovers are in the icebox and then we throw it in. A good example is when I looked in the icebox and we didn’t have any celery, but tons of carrots – so I substituted carrots for the celery and the dish still turned out tasting great. I also think that as a Chinese, I try to put meaning into every dish (i.e. like Gau, the color, sesame seeds, stickiness of the mochi – everything represents something in the family). The Roast Beef as well as all of the dishes that I make, represent the love put into the dish. As I make the dish, I think of my family; how they will have a wonderful and filling meal; and how it will bring everyone together at dinner time. Like the spices, meat, Hawaiian salt and pepper mixing together to make a great meal, I also think of how each one of us brings something to the family and make it a great and special family.
No comments:
Post a Comment