When I was in Egypt, the month of Ramadan (the month when Muslims fast every year) was one of the most beautiful months of the year for me. Our day used to start at eleven in the morning. I know it seems late to get up then, but you’ll find out why later. After we …
Tag: CUNY
To Be a Fish Out of Water
I was back in the Dominican Republic after a few months of living in the United States, and one of my friends from high school invited me to hang out with some mutual friends from school. I wasn’t expecting it and didn’t want to go because I felt anxious about seeing if our friendship had …
The Mind Is a Book of Vivid Memories
When I was six years old, my entire family gathered in my grandparents’ country house in the eastern part of my country, the Dominican Republic. This was a big wooden house, brown in color, with a beautiful view from sunrise to sunset. I could see the birds fly and listen to the sound of the …
My Trip to Isla La Tortuga
In April 2016, I took a trip to Isla La Tortuga, in Venezuela, with a friend, María. The trip was long because the tide was high. By the end of the five-hour sail, my skin was red from a sunburn. However, the spectacular landscape of the island was worth it. The sea had clear azure …
Thieves, However Foolish
One day, a group of thieves planned to steal from a big house. They agreed that if the fence around the house was too high, they would demolish it, and if it was low, they would sneak in from above. The thieves went to the house, but they didn’t find a fence around it in …
Village of Stone
Once upon a time, there was a village in an African country where wicked and inhospitable people lived. In this village, all foreigners were mistreated and chased away. However, in this village lived one family that was generous, benevolent, and always warm with the foreigners. One day, a mysterious stranger passed through this village. He …
When I’m a Surrealist Artist
Surrealist art shows your feelings. The images may be real or unreal, but most of the time, they are something imagined that reveals your inner feelings. These paintings look like dreams. This is what Frida Kahlo’s painting What the Water Gave Me (1938) is like. If I were the artist making this type of painting, …
Nature Is Not Kind
From the moment of birth To everything’s eventual death Nature is not kind We are flung into this world Knock-kneed and gargling our own snot Fumbling to find our place Nature is not kind As we limp behind the pack Trudging through the thick sludge Through rain or shine Ardent for our survival Nature is …
Advice to Immigrants
I immigrated to the United States in December 2000. Even today, I remember how homesick I felt when I left my family and close friends behind to start a new life. The United States is a land of opportunities, yes. I had always heard that. But there are many challenges, like learning a new language, …
Hiking in a New Country
Sunday is my favorite day of the week because it is my rest day. My family and I are used to having an active rest. On Sundays we hike. Our Sunday morning begins with a Russian lesson for my youngest son. He studies Russian every Sunday with a tutor because we don’t want him to forget his native language. While my son is studying, I prepare everything for the hike: I take out our hiking shoes, pour tea into each thermos, and prepare snacks. My son’s Russian lesson takes from 10 to 11 a.m., then we have family breakfast and hit the road.
A Missing Piece
Never ever had I thought of making my own breakfast.
Never ever had I thought of cooking my own dinner.
Never ever had I thought of washing my own dishes.
Never ever had I thought of taking care of myself when I am ill.
Hot Chocolate and Empanadas
When I was a child, my mother and I lived alone. She worked in a pharmacy, but the money was never enough because my father did not send us any money. We used what she earned to pay the rent, but there was not much left over.
A Gift: A Diary
When I was 11 years old, I started a new life at a new school, and it was great, but I was scared because everything had changed. I still remember how I met my best friend. Nobody talked to me in the classroom because I was a new student, and everyone had a group. However, …
Unexpected Moment
Due to the pandemic, most of the libraries had been closed since March 2020. The closest library would be open from July 1, 2021, which was the most exciting news we heard that summer. One sunny morning, my son and I happily went to this library, laughing all the way. But it was 9:45 a.m., too early; it would open at 10 a.m.
Goodbye to This Year
* I moved to the United States with my two daughters three years ago. I came from Ecuador. The day I left my country, I remember feeling nostalgic and sad because my parents and my youngest brother kept waiting until my daughters and I went to the counter for the check-in and then entered the …