Josep’s English Blog

 A food from my culture that I genuinely dislike has to be chicken feet. Most of my family eats it but me and my step dad we dislike the dish. So whenever my mom makes this we generally go out and eat something else just the two of us and sometimes we take my little sister.  Reflection: Most people might like it for the taste others might dislike it for the facts that it’s part of the chicken that has touched the ground and other things. Summary: Every single time they make chicken feet me and my step that get to bond a bit more and catch up with work projects.

 I think that the presentation that made me ask a lot of questions or wanted me to ask a lot of questions was Jack’s presentation his was pretty detailed and I like the way he presented it. I wanted to ask him about I mean not about everything but more maybe about the foods that I still haven’t tried because either I’m scared to find out how they’re gonna taste and I might like them and I wanted to ask him what part of the country he was like I know he’s from like the south but like is it normal for Southerners to call their grandma‘s Mima‘s? but I didn’t ask a question because I was scared that I was gonna be rude. Reflection: I should had ask him the question but we were short on time so I didn’t asked him. Summary: jack is the goat

 Moment that I treasure a lot and that had my favorite dish Was when my grandparent’s and parents decided to make a huge paella it was so nice because ever since then most of my family hasn’t been together on gatherings like that and whenever it does happen, there’s always a problem or an argument that makes the gathering lose purpose that is to connect back with the family. Reflection: memories that include food and family are beautiful because they are like pictures in your head stuck in time and they might come at a certain time or situation and might change the way you see things or it might make you reflect. Summary: I love and treasure this moment with all my heart.

A dish that I will share with someone from my culture will be pollo con tajadas. This dish  is important to me and to my culture because it’s not only popular but it also shows how we prepare it and how good something with so few things can become so good and it will also share a taste of my culture to them. It will also give them the chance to open their minds towards new foods and cultures. Reflection: shearing your culture is important to push others into trying new things and learning new cultures. Summary: I would like for people to learn about my culture and for them to share their cultures with me.

 I think that something that I would change from school has to be technology because I’m not saying that phones are not bad they are and I would like to keep the rule that no phones allowed, but I would like to change it more like no phones allowed during classrooms like teachers have the right to take your phone without noticing like if they see you with your phone and a student tries to argue obviously they can have it back at the end of the class, but they will learn that for a whole class. They have their phone or if it keeps repeating over and over and over again, then the form will be taken for the whole day, but that teacher, but what I mean, we change school technology I mean, like change the system like change Chromebook for at least a more better equipment for students. Reflection: The system should change, not the people. Summary: schools should improve their technology for students.

 I remember me and my older brother we were having an argument with who’s car was better whether mine, which was a sports sedan or his that was a fully equipped sport car and we had a disagreement and we even show facts at the same time and I remember how it got to a point that we made a competition on whether who’s car was better. Like what car was more efficient, what car could carry more groceries and practically take them home without having to arrange them neatly or like stack them. I won on some parts and lost on others. In the end my dad joined and his suv made us look stupid. It was less efficient than our cars but in space, cargo limits, horsepower, and other things he had the upper hand. Reflection: If you and you siblings have an argument don’t let your father know about it. We learned the hard way. Summary: Arguments might be a way to connect to people because you are trying to make others understand your point of view or agreeing with their point of view.

  I think a time where the words left an impact was when me, my dad, my older brother, and my step-brother were on a drive towards Florida. I remember that mid way there one of us brought a topic not too sensible but it escalated towards one. I remember that things got so heated that for a whole hour the ride felt in complete silence. I remember that we stopped at a gas station and while I was at the gas pump my dad pulled me aside and told me why was I such an arrogant and selfish person, I asked him why was he saying that and he replied to me that while I was giving my opinion my two brothers were embarrassed for what I was saying. Now I realize that he was right. I was 12 at the time that this happened.

  Turning my chaotic thoughts into a structured poem was both the most challenging and enjoyable part of this assignment. I loved uncovering   creative word combinations   to describe simple feelings, but I struggled to trim down my ideas into short, impactful lines without losing their original meaning. This experience completely changed my perspective because I used to view poetry as a rigid, intimidating art form. Now, I see it as a   flexible and accessible tool   for raw self-expression rather than a strict puzzle that has to rhyme perfectly. Summary:The response details the experience of writing a poem, highlighting the joy of wordplay alongside the challenge of editing ideas into concise lines. It explains how the assignment shifted the writer's view of poetry from an intimidating, rigid structure to an  accessible tool for self-expression . Reflection: This exercise shows that the true value of poetry lies in its  flexibility and capacity for e...

 The time where I had to step out of my comfort zone was when this teacher was actually disrespecting my space. I remember that she used to make me sing even though I stated multiple times that my voice was gone and I couldn’t sing, but she still pushed me to my limits until I broke. I remember that in the most calm but still mad way possible I told her that she was a B1TCH and that I even after showing her proof that my voice wasn’t in condition to sing she still pushed me to my limits. I got ISS and my dad solve the rest of the issues, I remember that I got pulled out of the class. Reflection: Now I know my limits and I know when to take action and when to let my parents take over the problems. Summary: DON’T PUSH PEOPLES LIMITS

Reading it aloud at the gathering was nerve-wracking, but seeing my friend’s eyes well up (and hearing a few chuckles at the inside jokes) made all the wrestling with words completely worth it. It taught me that poetry isn't about using the biggest or most sophisticated words; it’s just about capturing a genuine human emotion and holding it still for a moment. Summary:  The story tracks the creation of a  free-verse farewell poem  written for a relocating friend. It shows the shift from a forced rhyming structure to an honest, memory-driven piece. The final reading successfully connected with the audience by prioritizing  genuine emotion over perfection . Reflection:  This process proves that  authenticity matters more than rigid rules  in creative writing. Letting go of a strict poetic structure allowed for a much deeper, more relatable human connection. Ultimately, the piece succeeded because it focused on making someone feel  truly seen and val...

  WIth my ex-partner I visited regularly and one time they made this egg with nopal is like a cactus but not cactus and at first I saw how she felt a little embarrassed about it because when i invited her to my dad's place to meet my family we all went out to eat to this place in downtown nashville and that same night we had a movie night on the back yard. I remember her stopping her mother's hand from giving me the dish so I asked her what was wrong and she said nothing, when her mother served me some of the food I didn't asked her what was is i just scoop some with a tortilla and chewed it, at first the texture was new and so was the taste but i slowly started to liked it. ( honestly that night i felt a little embarrassed for asking for seconds) I also realize that the night we went out with my family I might had overwhelmed her with all the things that difference our families like how my family rather go out to restaurants for reunions and her had more like a dinner at t...

  For a long time, my perception of Chinese food was shaped by a common stereotype I heard online and in casual conversations: the belief that Chinese people eat "almost everything," including extreme or unappetizing ingredients. This belief came from sensationalized media, viral videos focusing on unusual delicacies, and offhand comments that framed authentic cultural dishes as bizarre. My perspective shifted entirely when I ate an authentic meal with a friend whose family was from China and learned about the traditional culinary philosophy. Instead of strange ingredients, I was introduced to fresh vegetables, steamed dishes, and meals designed around balance, showing me that traditional Chinese eating habits are actually far healthier and more thoughtful than the processed diets common in many Western cultures. Reflection:  This experience taught me how easily sensationalized media can distort reality and lead to unfair cultural assumptions. I realized that what I had once ...

For my culture dish I choose  paella , which is this huge rice dish from Valencia, Spain.  It’s basically made with saffron rice and traditionally cooked outside over an open fire in a massive flat pan called a paellera. It’s a perfect symbol for us because it’s historic and also represents how our culture is all about family and sharing. Summary: Paella actually started out as just a cheap, basic lunch for farmers who threw in whatever they had like short-grain rice, chicken, rabbit, and veggies. Everything cooks together in one pan until the rice turns bright yellow from the saffron. Reflection: I chose  paella  because it’s honestly way more than just a random meal, it’s like a whole Sunday event for families kinda like a cook-out here in America. Everyone just hangs out and catches up for hours while it cooks, and then you usually eat it right out of the pan together. It just makes me feel really connected to my roots.

 Well the emotions that I felt the most were sadness, confusion, disappointment, and resignation. The part of the story where I bring this emotions the most is on the second paragraph. Because my character didn’t fight and instead tried to fix it with a discussion rather than violence. As mentioned before the second paragraph is where I mostly develop the feelings and emotions, and this affected me because in some part this is what happened to me but it wasn’t too serious. Reflection: even though the story is made up, you still put your feelings, your actual emotions into it. Summary: sometimes you can make up a story based on what you experience in the past or something someone close to you has experienced before.

 I used to believe that when you slept you somehow time-traveled. Since every time you close your eyes somehow it feels like you just closed your eyes for a second. This happened more often when I was 8. Somehow I just closed my eyes and when I opened them it was already morning and I felt like I hadn’t rested at all. Reflection: N/A Summary: Now I know that your whole body shuts down when you sleep except for you brain.

 This was last year where me, my dad, and my older brother were on a road trip. I remember how on the way to our destination we came across so many challenges, we were driving from TN to CA and through that whole across the country road trip our car broke down twice and then we had forgotten so many things at home. That was the first time where my I also got the chance to drive on the interstate, and it was nice until we hit several storms. We had to take multiple detours and one of those detours had this amazing views of the country side. This trip teach me that even though things never go out the way you expect, there will always have great moments alongside the problems. Reflection: No matter how bad things can get you must enjoy the moments and remember how difficult but worth it was to get there.

 I think a conversation that changed my mind was with God. For some people it might not make sense others might understand me. I once asked God why things happened? Why did I had to lose people? Why did bad things happened to me? What I got for an answer was a more clear view of things, he put both bad and good people in my life to help me be a better person. To learn from both the good and the evil, and with that knowledge serve the purpose he gave me and to become a better person on earth. Reflection: N/A Summary: Some times we don’t realize but things always happen with a purpose that God has given us.