Greetings.
In Language Arts class this year, we each created a Tree Book. Because I was a remote student at the beggining of this project, my post will be a bit different from most peoples’. To start, I chose a tree in my backyard to write a few lines of poetry about (I ended up writing more like fifteen lines- oops. But that’s beside the point). Every student’s lines of poetry was put into a shared Google Doc. A little while later the in-person students (which didn’t include me yet, sadly) inked the lines of poetry haphazardly (randomly) onto cardboard (with brairs and akua ink) that would eventually be the front and back of our books. I got to watch all this happen, and the week I came in, I got to choose from covers someone else had inked. After that, I came back to in-person school. I put wildlife like flowers and leaves onto a gelli pad (looks a bit like it sounds) that I had rolled aforementioned akua ink onto with a brair. I put a piece of paper onto the gelli pad and rolled over it all with the brair, to create some (quite pretty, if I do say so myself) prints that would be used to decorate my book. Then we started to put the book together. First, I chose my cover, and glued it in the form of the book. After cutting the covers, we started creating collages with the nature prints we’d previously made with aka ink. Some people (including my very talented friend Mary Elisabeth- https://27maryelisabetht.edublogs.org) cut shapes out of the same material we made the covers with and glued them into their books. Once we were all satisfied with our collages, we were given three envelopes. We collaged however much we wanted on them, too, then tucked pieces of writings we’d done earlier into them. Finally, our books were finished!
Helping us through this was the talented artist Mrs. Gignoux! She’s an amazing artist and person, so check out her website! https://gignouxart.com
I personally really liked creating my tree book. I enjoyed seeing the ways my classmates expressed their creativity, and I loved experimenting with collages!
Below are two pieces of writing: First, about wishes I have for the future (some are pretty frivolous and on a whim, I’ll admit) and second, a piece of writing about my guardians/role models. (A quick note: I’d highly recommend checking out my two good friends Mary Elisabeth and Illaria’s writings about their wishes for the future- I’ll admit they both put a bit more effort into that particular piece than I did! Mary Elisabeth’s blog is linked above, but I’ll link it again. https://27maryelisabetht.edublogs.org, https://27illarial.edublogs.org.)
I think it’d be really cool to become a writer. I very much enjoy writing, and I also love reading, and I like to think I have at least a slim chance of a career (or even hobby) where I’m a talented writer. I also want to get better at art. Maybe I’ll make animatics or fan art, or maybe just my own art, but I think it would be pretty cool to be a good artist like some webtoon or comic makers that I love. That leads into my next goal: to make some sort of webtoon, anime, or something similar. I’m a pretty big fan of both of those, and I hope to someday make something a lot of people will like to watch or read. I want to be a cosplayer. I think it’d be really cool to look like and recreate things from TV shows or books I love. I love music, so a goal of mine would be to make some beautiful music. I’m not very good at singing, but maybe I still have a shot!
I also wish to explore philosophy further in my life, maybe as a hobby, or even career, as I’m very interested in it. A big wish of mine is for the next season of HunterxHunter (an anime I really like) to come out on Netflix. I’d also like some merchandise from animes I like (this wish may come true soon, as my birthday is next month).
Now I’ll start to list my more serious wishes that I’d like to put before the others. In my lifetime, I want to become an inspiration to someone. Maybe that means being a famous singer, being a genius scientist or doctor, being a wonderful writer, or more. I want someone to want to be like me, or to admire me, but not in a conceited way (I hope).
Another thing I’ve always wanted was to be happy. I may become a writer, scientist, stay-at-home mother, or thousands of other options, but whatever I do, I want to be happy. I believe a life without those special little moments when your heart feels like it might burst is a meaningless life.
One thing I wish to keep (or gain) as I grow is my loved ones. I want to make more beautiful memories with those I cherish, whether it’s going to a party with close friends when I’m older, giggling over texts later today, having a family movie night, or sharing a smoothie and board game with my grandmother and brother, I want more memories with those I love, and I want to keep all my loved ones safe, healthy, and happy.
I have many wishes for the world, and some of these would be related to humans treating the Earth, animals, and each other better. Humans are ruining the Earth. We’re polluting the environment, which will eventually destroy the Earth and all the animals on it, who are also treated awfully. We kill animals for sport, not just for food, and we’re horrible to them. But we’re also awful to each other. Not only do we have many corrupt people who don’t care for anyone but themselves, we also kill each other (in wars) over things like oil, treat other humans badly because of appearance, and more. The first couple wishes are for the Earth, animals, and humans to be treated better.
My next wish is for humans to become more kind to everything around them, including themselves. I hope we’ll get to the point where murders and robberies are at a all-time low, and we have more people to help those in need. We’ll be more aware of our behaviours, and not always put ourselves over all others.
My mother (or Mama) was born in India (more specifically, Kolkata). She wasn’t very wealthy growing up and was the youngest of three girls. She lived in Kolkata and New Delhi back and forth due to her father’s job. Her mother is the youngest of eleven children, so I have quite a big extended family on that side. My mother got into Stanford (which currently has around a 3% acceptance rate) on a scholarship, and moved here to go to college. Afterwards she lived in New York for a while before coming to North Carolina when my brother and I were one. Before that she also lived in the UK for a considerable period of time.
Mama is kind, strict, witty, and overall brilliant. She’s been there my whole life, guiding me and teaching me right and wrong. My mother has taught me what (albeit a bit tough) love is. We’ve stayed up late watching TV together, sampled the best chocolates and cakes, eaten Indian food until we were stuffed, and talked about our lives together. She does so much for me, literally and emotionally. She may be a strict woman with a quick temper, but my mother is extremely loving and just wants the absolute best for her children.
My paternal grandmother is the next person who changed my life.
My grandmother was born in California, and is a stubborn woman who does what she knows is right. When she was working in an office she not only helped to organize women being able to wear pants, not dresses, but also single handedly got some women in her office the pay they deserved.
My grandmother lives with us (my mother, brother, dog and me) and does so much for my brother and me. She drives us wherever we need to go (my mother works during the day), makes dinner, takes care of us, and so much more. My grandmother also has a bit of a temper, but she’s caring, smart, and extremely capable for her age. Gaga likes puns, board games and card games (our favorite one to play with my brother is Spy Alley) and she likes to tell us that we need to get a good night of sleep (which we’re not so good about). Before the pandemic, whenever my mother traveled (which was pretty frequently), my grandmother would take my brother and me to Red Robin (a restaurant my mother hates but we loved), and we would eat almost the same foods every time, and talk, and laugh together. She’s been a second parent to me since before I can remember, and I owe both my mother and my grandmother so much.
Although we often fight, my brother has changed my life for the better. He’s the person I talk with late into the night, horse around with outside, and he’s been my playmate for my entire life. Arav and I may not always get along, but I’ve made it my job to try to take care of him sometimes, and I know I can rely on him to be there when I need him. Thank you for being my playmate and wrestling partner when I needed one.
I couldn’t have become the person I am without my friends. Ages spent doubled over, laughing my head off during the pandemic while texting my friends, going places together, eating ice cream, laughing, play-arguing, listening to my secrets, comforting me when I needed it, and countless other good things. I cannot thank my friends enough for being there when an adult wasn’t, and for loving me unconditionally as if we were related.
(Sorry for the longer-than-usual post and complete overload of pictures.)
Bye.
Photo by me
