I remember my son John’s first trophy for first place. It was very difficult to get! When my son was in third grade, his teacher recommended him to the chess team, and I agreed. Since that time, I went with my son to chess tournaments every Saturday, even in windy, rainy, or snowy weather. The …
Category: Volume 18
Family Trip to Bago Yoma Forest
When I was young, my family lived in a village in Myanmar, near the North Bago Yoma Forest. My dad was a businessman and had a big machine that made boards from logs. The wood could be used for tables, floors, roofs, and so many things. My dad stayed for a long time in the …
I Like to Swim in the Sea
“In the sea, life is most tasty,” says a song by Systema Solar. This is a Colombian group of musicians. I learned to swim in a river near my father’s town. When I was eight years old, my parents took my brother and me to meet the sea. When I saw the sea, I asked …
My First Diving Experience
It was October 2011, and after more than a year of living on the Galapagos Islands—a very special place to know—I felt curious to explore the underwater world. A friend who has a scuba diving school was encouraging me to take the course for an Open Water certification that was going to take place soon. …
Sunflower Sanctuary
I feel sadness and disappointment, there is only emptiness inside me so I am going to the field, my sunflower field. Not far away from my sanctuary, I smell the early sunflower seeds, And hear the melodic singing of birds. There are jays’ soft chirping and ouzels’ sonorous singing, I am nearby. I walk up …
The Cicadas’ Sound
When I was a child, in China, I walked to school with my classmates. On the way to school, the boys used to catch cicadas. They found them in the trees and in the bamboo forest in the summer. To catch the cicadas, the boys used to put glue on the ends of bamboo sticks, …
My Favorite Pet
My favorite pets are dogs. I remember when I was in Trinidad, my dad bought a pet dog by the name of Bobby. Bobby was of medium size, with long black curly hair, brown eyes, small ears that stood straight up, and a long tail that curled upward. I believe he was a mutt. His …
Hidden Pain
My beloved dog, Rex, died a few weeks ago in Jamaica. I go about my daily routine as if nothing happened because I don’t want to deal with the fact that he is gone, and I wasn’t there with him. The memories of us having fun together are unbearable. When I think of Rex for …
Habibi
Devastation. Despair. Distress. A deadly disease dragged my heart into an abyss of perpetual darkness. February of 2002 was when I received the most beautiful gift ever. The gift of a lovable, most compassionate, and playful Russian Blue. His name was Habibi, which translates to “My Love” in Arabic. He lived love. He was love. …
I Am a Frog
When I was 10 years old, my family went to live in a neighborhood called Vilanova, in Avaré, a small city located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It was a very hard time for my parents because of financial problems. However, for me and my brothers, Bill and Kina, it was an unforgettably …
I Really Like Writing
I wrote about summer vacation in the sixth grade./ My teacher told me to be a writer./ I “put it in a file and locked it away.”
What I Learned in Free English Class
One and a half years ago, I arrived at LaGuardia airport in order to start my new job in New York. Although I had studied English in my home country, Japan, I was really disappointed when I realized how difficult it is to communicate with New Yorkers in English. They spoke much faster than I …
Changing Attitudes
Taking my kids outside is their joy, especially when they’re at the park running, sliding, climbing. Or in a swing. That makes me feel great—to always see my children happy and healthy. One day, after my son arrived from Pre-K, he whined, “Mommy, Mommy!” “Yes, Mommy?” I said. He continued to whine, “Slide, slide!” I …
My Friend from Bangladesh
My friend from Bangladesh is a nuclear technologist who works for the same company I work for as a medical assistant. I met him many years ago, and since then, we have established a good work partnership, as well as a friendship, which has granted us the freedom to talk about many topics, like sports, …
Special
I believe all the mothers in this world are special because they change their whole life for their kids. They are in all the growth process and are in our childhood memories. Today I want to write about my favorite memory of my childhood. When I was four years old, my family and I went …