My visit to the Blanton Museum

Note: I choose an artwork and wrote down my interpretations. Then, I compared my interpretations to the poem's one. 

Title of Artwork: Oil Field Girls

The phenomenal artwork, Oil Field Girls, have a deep background behind it. Jerry Bywaters’ artwork was one of the artworks that captured my interest. When I first saw the painting, I tried to dig deeper and analyze every aspect of it. First, I noticed the two women, with glamorous looks, standing on a roadside. I asked myself, “For whom are they waiting for?”

            Looking at how the two women dressed, I interpreted that they were prostitutes. The two stylish women were dressed as they were waiting for men to pick them up; they wore high heels, bracelets, and had their make-up on. I wonder why were they standing in a place that had oil fields. I believe that the Bywaters used the oil fields to symbolize money. Basically, prostitutes usually receive their money by getting with men from different places; they move from one place to another.

         

           Observing the poem that was related to the artwork, I realized that the Del Marie Rogers had a similar interpretation.  She believes that the two women were prostitutes. In her poem, Rogers says, “Impossible, now, to live your life in a single place to call it home.” I think she meant the two women were moving around different places, acting as prostitutes, and received their money.  I believe that her poem has an excellent explanation of what the painting portrays, but it still didn’t expand my understanding of it.

An essay from my writing class

Many people believe that to move up the ladder of achievement and success, they must forget the past. At times, people should forget there past if it would not discourage them to from reaching their goals. However, I believe that people should remember their old memories as a chance to encourage them to reach and smash their goals.

            Some people have their own view in which you must forget the past and continue your life. For me, I don’t entirely agree but I think it’s partially true in some cases. For example, if someone passed away, or if you dropped a class, you might want to forget it as if it never happened and continue on with your life. However, I lean more towards the opposite view.

            From my personal experience, I used the second strategy; I saw old memories as a chance to reinforce my encouragement and inspire me to become what I dreamt of. For instance, back when I was 15 years old, I realized how difficult it was to stay overweight. I had chest tightness’s, breathing difficulties, and at times, I had to wake up at midnight to take Ventaline, a medicine that helped me breathe easily.

            So, I decided to become another person. I worked hard and went through several ups and downs. Some people discouraged me; I ignored them and didn’t feel bad. My family was supporting me and that was all I needed. For this reason, I managed to see results. When I reach a goal, I set another one and try to accomplish it. Furthermore, I kept seeing my old memories as a chance to assist me in reaching my goals. I believe that your past is a big part of your life. When I look through old photos of myself, I feel glad because I am satisfied with my changes.  Today, I am still setting some goals and I’ll hopefully accomplish them in the near future.

Image from: http://ksmlifecoaching.com/success-decision/

My High School career (2010-2014)

Me and my friend (Graduation)
May 2014

            From the beginning of middle school, I became a student who went to school to have fun; in other words, I didn’t take learning seriously. However, I always wanted to get a scholarship sponsored by the government because it was a great opportunity, but I never realized how much effort I should put in to nail that chance.

            I had my two brothers and two sisters with me at the same school. At the end of every quarter, we received our reports and mine was too bad. I never had 90% or above in any subject. All of my other family members got a 90% GPA and above. Even my 7 year-old brother had straight A’s. Furthermore, at the end of every year, our school had an awards ceremony to those who put effort in their work. Unfortunately, my name was never listed. My parents took it seriously and they attended the ceremony for my big brother and two sisters. At the end of grade nine, I had a difficult life; I was overweight and I had low grades. My friends to say, “You can never slim down and get good grades.” They weren’t so serious, but I felt discouraged.

            One day, my father and I sat together in a serious atmosphere and started to talk about my future. It was the summer before tenth grade. He used to continuously tell me, “ If you want to study abroad, you should work hard for it. I’ll never pay for you to study outside.” During his serious talk, he told me that I should be take life more seriously and work hard. Also, he mentioned something about my weight and told me that I looked bad, straight to my face.

            Going through terrible experiences throughout the following year, I managed to get fit and receive the high-honor award. My parents were so proud of me. In fact, I was ranked as the 3^rd best student in grade ten. After two years, I graduated as the 4^th best student with a 90% GPA. Also, my life was totally changed and it was much healthier. The breathing difficulties and chest tightness’s were all gone. Today, I am truly satisfied with what I accomplished and hopefully I’ll achieve more in the future.

Decent Burgers in Austin: Hopdoddy

 4.3/5 About a month ago, I heard of this incredibly good place that had the best burgers in town. It was Hopdoddy. My cousin and I decided to give it a shot. This restaurant is known for its long “waiting lines” and liveliness. However, we went during the weekdays and I didn’t experience what I had heard from other people.

 Yesterday, we passed by and saw people waiting outside. They literally reached the street.  It was crazy. So, we parked and waited outside. It took so long because when you enter the restaurant, you’ll still have to wait in a long line because the counter is at the very end. The waiters provided some drinks to those who were waiting in line, including us, but I still felt that it took so long. After 45 minutes, we finally reached the counter. I ordered The Goodnight Burger with truffle fries on the side. Also, Hopdoddy has a different machine for their drinks with various options. It was so organized. Sauces, napkins, and all you need were available. The best thing about this restaurant is that it provides healthy selections; for instance, you could replace your original bun with the gluten-free or whole wheat bread.

 The food was served and it was ridiculously good. My first bite took me to heaven and the truffle fries were delicious. I am not talking about those refrozen or pre-cooked burgers. I mean a true, freshly-ground beef, as I expected. It was juicy and delivered just the way I wanted it to. Usually when I go to restaurants similar to Hopdoddy, I prefer a medium-well burger. Similarly, the truffle fries was delicious; the Parmesan cheese added some great taste to it.

  The atmosphere was phenomenal; it was crowded and lively. However, because we sat outside, it was so quiet and peaceful. For a moment, I thought that I was sitting in a 5 star restaurant. We had the best service and everything was perfect. I felt like every table had its own waiter/waitress. If we wanted something, they were just there for us; additionally, they were so caring and kind.

 Is it worth waiting for and hour? No. I really recommend it, but waiting for an hour in line is too long, especially if you’re really hungry. However, if it’s ok with you to stay, then wait. I think that they have the best burgers in Austin. You should try it yourself!

link for the picture above: 
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2012/12/is_hopdoddy_just_a_one-off_bur.php

An Interview with my Cousin

It is my first semester here in the United States, and I will hopefully start college on January 2015. I applied to two universities in Texas: UT San Antonio and UT Arlington. Last week, I interviewed my cousin, Ahmad, about his experience in the United States.  He is a graduate student from The University of Texas at San Antonio and is on his way to receive his Master’s Degree from UT Austin.  I choose this topic because it could provide me with some information about the college life in Texas.

When asked how was his life back in San Antonio, Ahmad said, “San Antonio was just like my home; my friends and some family members are still studying there. It’s a beautiful, quiet place. I think people here are much friendlier than San Antonio.”

From what I understood from my cousin, San Antonio is different from Austin. Austin is full of life; younger generation and atmosphere is phenomenal. San Antonio has a quiet atmosphere when you compare it to Austin.

Ahmad moved to Austin because the university is ranked as one of the top universities in his major, which is Civil Engineer. It has a great reputation.

I asked him what he liked most about Austin. Ahmed told me that he had liked South Congress because it had great restaurants, nice weather, and it was located near Lake Travis. “The nightlife on Sixth Street is amazing. Austin has a diverse population and is close to San Marcos, where the outlet is located,” he added.

Ahmad’s life changed since he came to the United States six years ago. He met lots of people from different cultures. “I became independent, more social, and my English definitely improved,” he added.

Furthermore, I asked my cousin whether he would prefer living in the U.S. or Kuwait. He told me that he couldn’t really decide. “You know, Kuwait is my home and where my family is. But Austin is also a nice place,” he said.

Ahmad believes that it would be better if he worked here for a couple of years and then return back to his hometown. He thinks that job opportunities are better in Austin.  He told me that in Kuwait, you would have to wait for a long time to get a job. “I would like to have this special experience. I am not planning to work here all my life, but for several years. You know, get some experience and then go back to Kuwait,” he added.

At the final stage of the interview, Ahmad told me that so far, he’s happy with his life here in Austin. “Great professors. I met lots of people and they are so amazing,” he added. My cousin had loved the festivals that were held in Austin. He finalized the last question by saying, “The community is great, and I hope to stay here for a long time.”