When I turned 16 the first thing I wanted to do was to find a job. Luckily TJ MAXX let me be part of their team and I started working. I wanted a job to make money so I could buy things I wanted and so I did not have to give any explanations to my parents on what I have spent my money on. Little did I know that when I started at TJ MAXX it was more than just a job it was a learning experience. I had to make sure my work schedule did not get me behind on any of my school work, my parents gave me a bill I had to pay and I learned the value of saving money. Working at TJ MAXX has been a bitter sweet experience.
I was so excited to start working and especially at one of my favorite stores. I was so excited I decided that I was going to work four times a week, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I thought to myself “the more I work the more money I will make.” I worked that schedule for about a month; I was exhausted after that month. I was falling behind in school because I had very little time to study. My parents started noticing that I was falling behind and told me that if I was going to continue to work I had to cut back on my hours so my job would not interfere with my school. That is what I did and this is when I started to get the concept of time management. I learned no matter what I do, I always have to make sure school comes first.
Once I started getting paid all of my hard work started to pay off. I was getting money and I loved it! As soon as I got my paycheck I would go spend it on something usually I did not need. For example new clothes, getting my nails done all the time, buying CD or simply going out with my friends. I got paid every Friday and it seemed by Monday or Tuesday I would little or no money left. To me it did not matter because I knew that on Friday I would get another check and everything was going to be fine. My dad started to realize that I was not spending my money wisely and told me “know that you have a job I think it is time for you to start paying your cell phone bill” I was shocked! I was shocked but I also understood that if I wanted something I had to work for it. At first I thought it was going to be easy, in my mind I was thinking it is only fifty dollars a month. The fist bill came and I did not have enough money, I continued to spend my money on unnecessary things, so my dad took away my phone and said until you learn how to pay your bills you will get your phone back. That Friday I immediately gave my dad fifty dollars so I can have my phone back. I learned that if I saved fifteen dollars a week at the end of the month I would have enough money to pay my bill.
It was summer and I was so excited!! Usually summer was a time to relax and not do anything. This summer was different I had to work. Working in the summer meant that I would have a lot of more hours. At first I did not want to work all summer but I had to because I had to save up to buy a car. That summer I worked a lot, sometimes I think too much. Since I was saving money I had to distinguish my needs for my wants. That was very difficult because everything I wanted was a need for me. When I saw that if I did not save I would not have a car and I would be miserable because I would have to take the bus everywhere and I did not like riding the bus. I started to save like crazy and hardly spent any money. When summer was over I had enough to buy me my very first truck. I was so happy I finally realized in order to get something I had to work had for it and eventually my hard work would pay off.
Working at TJ MAXX was more than just a job it was a learning experience. I learned time management I learned that once you start making money you have bills and I also learned the value of money and if you save your money the end reward it great. TJ MAXX was my first job and probably the only job where I have learned valuable life lessons.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Preconceived Thoughts
In the beginning of the story Just Walk on by: Black Men and Public Space I found myself identifying with the white woman who is the author’s first victim. When he said she was his victim I did not want to read the story because I was horrified because I thought that he was a rapist or a killer. I saw myself relating to her because I know how it feels to walk alone and all of the sudden a man appears behind you. After reading the story the full story I realized that the woman is not the victim, the author is the victim because he is the one who everyone is afraid of just because of his appearance. He is not a rapist or a killer all he is, is a man of color. I realized that everyone has preconceived thoughts about people.
Spanglish
As a Latina in the United States I tend to speak in many different dialects of English. I use different dialects depending if I am talking to my family, or to people at work. I use different dialects because with each group I am in a different setting and I have different conversations with them.
When I am at home I tend to speak English with Spanish mixed in it. When I have a conversation with my dad I tend to start talking to him in English and then end up saying half of my conversation in Spanish. I do this because when I want to use words that my dad does not understand in English I have to say them in Spanish my dad does not know very much English so half of my conversation ends up in Spanish. When I am talking to my family in English I have to watch the words I use with them in English. For example, One day I did something wrong so my grandma was yelling at me so the first thing I wanted to do was to try to explain my self so I interrupted her and said “but” and she went crazy she that I was talking about a butt. She told me that I could not speak to her that way. She yelled and told me that she was my grandma and not my friends and that I can not use that type of language with her. I had to explain to her that but has many meanings.
When I am at work my English seems to change and I want to use the best English I can. I do this because this at in order to get a point across I have to use correct English because if I do not my ideas seem to come together and do not make sense. I also seem to speak my best English at work because I need to sound educated. I can not speak the same way I do with my friends as I do at work. For example when I work I have to call people and remind them about an information session they signed up for. When I call them I can not say “can I talk to Joe” I would have to say “may I please speak to Joe” I could not say “um you are signed up for an information session ok its on Saturday” I would say “this is just a friendly reminder that you signed up for an information session this Saturday at 10:00.” When I am at work I have to use my correct English.
All in all as a latinga in the United States I speak different dialects with my family and at work. They are different because I am in a different setting and I am having a different conversation with them.
When I am at home I tend to speak English with Spanish mixed in it. When I have a conversation with my dad I tend to start talking to him in English and then end up saying half of my conversation in Spanish. I do this because when I want to use words that my dad does not understand in English I have to say them in Spanish my dad does not know very much English so half of my conversation ends up in Spanish. When I am talking to my family in English I have to watch the words I use with them in English. For example, One day I did something wrong so my grandma was yelling at me so the first thing I wanted to do was to try to explain my self so I interrupted her and said “but” and she went crazy she that I was talking about a butt. She told me that I could not speak to her that way. She yelled and told me that she was my grandma and not my friends and that I can not use that type of language with her. I had to explain to her that but has many meanings.
When I am at work my English seems to change and I want to use the best English I can. I do this because this at in order to get a point across I have to use correct English because if I do not my ideas seem to come together and do not make sense. I also seem to speak my best English at work because I need to sound educated. I can not speak the same way I do with my friends as I do at work. For example when I work I have to call people and remind them about an information session they signed up for. When I call them I can not say “can I talk to Joe” I would have to say “may I please speak to Joe” I could not say “um you are signed up for an information session ok its on Saturday” I would say “this is just a friendly reminder that you signed up for an information session this Saturday at 10:00.” When I am at work I have to use my correct English.
All in all as a latinga in the United States I speak different dialects with my family and at work. They are different because I am in a different setting and I am having a different conversation with them.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
My Childhood
While I was growing up my family did not have a lot of luxuries. I never knew that until I was older because in my family there was always fun things to do that seemed to take over the luxuries. I remember not being able to go to the local swimming pool, not having "new" clothes and not being able to go to restaurants very often. Even though I did not have those luxuries there was always something else we would do something similar to replace those activities.
When summer came I remember lot of kids talked about going to the local swimming pool and talking about their swim classes. I never took swim classes while I was young. If I was lucky I would go to the local swimming pool once per summer because my family could not afford for their five children to go very often. Not being able to go to the swimming pool was not a big deal because on hot days my mom would always take out the hose and told us we could get wet. To me this was so much fun because I was able to play with my sibling but before I knew it a lot of my neighbors would join us. This made memories I will never forget.
Being the youngest meant I got a lot of hand me downs from my sisters. When they got new clothes I would get “new” clothes also. New clothes for me were the hand me downs for my sisters. These days were very fun because we would have fashion shows to show off my new clothes. This was more fun than actually going to the store and buying new clothes.
When I was younger the only time we would go out to eat at a restaurant was only on a very special occasions. Since there were very limited special occasion my mom always made an effort to cook us a restaurant style breakfast every Saturday. When I woke up on Saturdays my mom would always have pancakes, eggs, bacon, and so much food. I loved this because even though there was no special occasion we would eat as if there were one.
Although my family did not have all the luxuries as I wished we did have we have memories that will last a life time. That is what I remember most of my childhood. I would no change that for all the riches in the world.
When summer came I remember lot of kids talked about going to the local swimming pool and talking about their swim classes. I never took swim classes while I was young. If I was lucky I would go to the local swimming pool once per summer because my family could not afford for their five children to go very often. Not being able to go to the swimming pool was not a big deal because on hot days my mom would always take out the hose and told us we could get wet. To me this was so much fun because I was able to play with my sibling but before I knew it a lot of my neighbors would join us. This made memories I will never forget.
Being the youngest meant I got a lot of hand me downs from my sisters. When they got new clothes I would get “new” clothes also. New clothes for me were the hand me downs for my sisters. These days were very fun because we would have fashion shows to show off my new clothes. This was more fun than actually going to the store and buying new clothes.
When I was younger the only time we would go out to eat at a restaurant was only on a very special occasions. Since there were very limited special occasion my mom always made an effort to cook us a restaurant style breakfast every Saturday. When I woke up on Saturdays my mom would always have pancakes, eggs, bacon, and so much food. I loved this because even though there was no special occasion we would eat as if there were one.
Although my family did not have all the luxuries as I wished we did have we have memories that will last a life time. That is what I remember most of my childhood. I would no change that for all the riches in the world.
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