My Dinner Experiences

One time that I can remember being at a dinner that was different than my own culture, was when I was having dinner at my best friend's house. My friend is persian and we were having dinner with her grandparents. My friend does not speak Farsi, but her mom and grandparents do. Her grandparents and her mom would speak to each other in Farsi and my friend and I would not know what they were saying, so we felt out of the conversation. They would be able to tell, so they would begin to speak half English half Farsi. I actually really liked going over to her grandparent's house and seeing a different culture than what I am used to, and to have new experiences and learn new things every time. I continue to go to her grandparent's house and greet me with a big hello.

My Name

For this week’s blog post I am going to be talking about my name. Why are names such a big deal? I remember when my little sister was born there was a vote on what my parents should name her. You didn’t get to choose your name, so why should your name define who you are or impact what you can do? My name is Bren. It is not very common and I do not hear it often. My mom and dad argue on how I got named Bren. My dad says it was named after his friend who he promised he would name one of his daughters after her, but my mom said she met a flight attendant with the name Bren, and loved it. I used to be really embarrassed about my name because it was not like a name that you hear everyday, like maddy or lily. I would be so embarrassed when I would say my name and people would say, “Brett? Brianna?” I would be so embarrassed that I would take it to the point when I was younger of when I was at Starbucks lying and saying my name was Samantha. I was embarrassed of my name and that no one else was like me, but now I embrace it. I think that Gogol feels the same way as me, he is embarrassed because his name is unique and not like everyone else, but being different is good.  

My Background

For this week's blog post I am going to talk a little bit about my background. I was born in the United States and so was my parents, but even though I am not a first-generation American, I feel more at home when I am in Italy. On my mom's side of the family I am Italian and Cherokee Indian. I always grew up eating pasta and traditional Italian dishes. When my grandpa describes Italy or I hear the language I fall in love with it and feel more at home. My mom always tells me that I look Italian and that I am the same height as my great-grandma, 4'11", who was full Italian. Last summer I visited Italy, and I felt at home. The people who lived there were speaking Italian to me and were so nice. Even though, I am Irish on my dad's side, I almost feel more Italian than anything else. I cherish my background and always look back and discover more about where I came from. Ciao!

Taking A Risk

In Notes From Underground, by Dostoevsky, he is constantly sharing with us how he is not in favor with the thought of enlightened self-interest. He doesn't like how everyone assumes that people should and would want to act in their own self-interest. Aren't there people that like taking risks? I agree with the Underground Man and how if you act in your own self-interest all the time you might miss out on all the adventures and risks you could be taking that might end for the better. 

For example, last Christmas my family and I took a vacation to the Bahamas. It was amazing, and I was so lucky to go on a trip like that with my whole family. We were on a boat one day about to jump into the water to go snorkeling and diving for conch shells. There was only one pair of reef shoes that would fit both my sister and I, so I gave them to my little sister. Even though, I knew that I would dive down deeper and need them more. I saw the perfect conch shell and knew that I wanted to bring it to the surface of the ocean to show my family just like my older sisters were doing. I dove down deeper and deeper, running out of breath as I went. Even though I probably should have not, I pushed myself and swam deeper to grab the shell. I was running out of breath and knew that I could't swim up to the top in time, so I pushed off the bottom of the ocean. Right when I did it I knew it was a bad idea because I felt a sharp pain in my foot, I had stepped on a poisonous sea urchin. It really hurt and I had 60 spines in my foot. I was rushed to the hospital and had to get each one taken out of my foot, but I was happy because I pushed myself and achieved my goal. Even though stepping on a sea urchin really hurt, swimming in the ocean, and grabbing the shell was worth it. Sometimes you have to take risks, and maybe it will come out in your favor. 

Procrastination

I always complain to my mom about how much homework I have,how much stuff I have to finish that I haven't even started, and how stressed out I am.  I always try and turn in something two days before it's due or I try and start my homework early, but I can't. There is something holding me back, and that is called distraction. I always start my homework, but then get distracted by a funny youtube video or a Facebook post that I just have to read. Even though I know that I could be more punctual and in return have less stress in my life, I always want to wait until the last second. Weird isn't it?

Why Change Your Last Name?

This week our blog prompt is to talk about how important it is for women to hold onto their last names. Traditionally, you see people getting married and they take their husband's last name. In my opinion, it doesn't matter whether the woman takes their husband's last name or not. For me, it is her choice, and she has the right to choose. Sometimes I feel that when a woman changes her last name it shows that the men hold a certain power over them. They took away their old identity, and now they have a new one. When women keep their last names it shows me that they are very strong and powerful and it shows me that they are independent. Personally, I think that everyone should be free to choose whether or not they change their last name or not. They should be free to choose their own path.

FEMINISM

Everyday I go about my life living as this is the only option I have and I can not change what society views as normal. I remember thinking when I was little that boys got trains and cars for presents and I got baby dolls and princess wands. I believe that men and women should have equal rights and no one should be above anyone. Although I completely agree with feminists views, I usually find myself not advocating for women's rights, which is really disappointing and sad because I want to stand up for what I believe in. For example, my sister, who lives in New York is a huge advocate for equality and recently she has been protesting for Michael Brown and Eric Garner. I hear about what is going on and I always want to get on a plane and join them, but I feel like something is holding me back. One day I wish to be like her and stand up for equal rights and not just sit back and watch it all happen. I want to be apart of the change, so one day I will be able to tell my grandchildren about it.

In this picture, there is an amazing quote. This author truly knows what is going on in our world and how even though people may think we are equal, we are not. Men and women should be treated the same, and people have to fight if they want to see change.