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For all the assignments of New Horizons Writing Academy |
  This is for all the assignments of New Horizons Writing Academy. |
| Tushar looked at his sister in awe. “My goodness, Shimul, you look stunning today!” Anything special, sis? “Nah, nothing much. Just felt like composing myself a bit.” “You can definitely open the lock of a man’s heart with that long braid today. Just make sure you choose the right person.” “Bro, if I fell in love, you’d certainly know, so don’t worry.” “Car, or rickshaw today, Shimul?” “Um…I’d better take the rickshaw. Don’t like the car all the time.” “As you wish, princess. Tata “Tata, my dear, see you in the evening.” Shimul waved at her twin as she stepped out of the door. The scorching rays of the summer sun always made her a bit dizzy. Bangladesh was warm for almost 90% of the year, and the summer season could be really hot, especially during a heat wave. Still, Shimul did not enjoy staying at home all throughout the day. Whenever she felt a bit blue, she always remembered her mother’s words: “Both my children are equal to me. So, I want them to learn the same things, that too, together. Tushar should learn to cook, and Shimul should focus on her career too.” Shimul was enjoying the view around, despite the unbearable heat. Fruit vendors could be seen everywhere, trying to attract customers towards their juicy products. Certain fruits like mangoes, jackfruits, blackberries, litchis, or melons etc. were only available during summer. Thousands of mouth- watering delicacies could be prepared with the summer fruits. “Those mangoes look so yummy. I must get some to make a fruit salad on my way home today.” Shimul said to herself. Just then, her rickshaw stopped in front of an exquisitely designed white gate. The pleasant fragrance of Jasmine filled the atmosphere. “There you go, keep them all.” The rickshaw puller accepted the four pieces of five taka coins with a happy grin. 
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| What if Shimul was the only child? Ans: She would be pampered a lot, and she might have become a spoiled brat from a very early age. What if Shimul was challenged mentally? ans: Life would be very different than what it is now. What if Tushar became a bossy brother? Shimul wouldn't like that at all. What if Shimul was addicted to drugs? She would have to hide many things from her family. Shimul doesn't get many chances to travel alone. What if she did? She'd really enjoy it.
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| Think about your favorite story from our Lesson One Discussion last week. Let's go back and look at it in the light of what we just learned about point of view and voice. For your initial observation this week, in 200 to 300 words, answer all of the questions below. What point of view was the story written from? ♥ What type of “voice” did the narrator have? ♥ Why do you think it worked well for this story? ♥ How can you apply this to your own story? Answered in the forum.
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An Ideal Writing Space Kazi Falguni Es***a Writing is one such passion which helps me to express myself in either English or my mother tongue, Bengali. I’m not so expressive verbally, so whenever I need an audience to listen to me I prefer paper over people. My ideal writing space is a large writing table, preferably with separate shelves for keeping the required resources handy. I like to use various colors of inks because I like to doodle while writing. So, a pen stand containing a good number of pens and pencils is a must. On the other hand, a laptop or desktop computer should be somewhere nearby; in case something needs to be typed. A clock, watch or even a cell phone should be around to give me a time-check. Moreover, a music system or an i-pad will keep me recharged if I get tired of writing. I already have a good table attached to the corner of my mother’s bedroom. It has a spacious rack with three separate chambers. The center chamber contains my books and the courtesy copies of the magazine I work for. The topmost chamber is reserved for religious books, and the lowest chamber contains some music and movie DVD’s. I try to add to my collection of books every month. It is important for any writer to have a proper writing space. Yes, of course, ideas can pop up anytime, anywhere. A little diary or notepad can be carried to jot down sudden ideas before they get lost from the writer’s brain. It is important to concentrate and keep writing as much as the pen wants to flow. It is better to edit after finishing the first draft of any written work. That is the way I usually handle my works.  Check out
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Thanks to Bikerider   for this:Here are examples of how to recognize and/or eliminate 'filtering words.' You might, for example, write: Sarah felt a sinking feeling as she realized she’d forgotten her purse back at the cafe across the street. She saw cars filing past, their bumpers end-to-end. She heard the impatient honk of horns and wondered how she could quickly cross the busy road before someone took off with her bag. But the traffic seemed impenetrable, and she decided to run to the intersection at the end of the block. Sarah’s stomach sank. Her purse—she’d forgotten it back at the cafe across the street. Cars filed past, their bumpers end-to-end. Horns honked impatiently. Could she make it across the road before someone took off with her bag? She ran past the impenetrable stream of traffic, toward the intersection at the end of the block. Check out
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| "Hey sis, going somewhere?" Tushar looked at his twin in awe. Shimul looked gorgeous in a long, thick braid which ran down to her waist. She was dressed in a simple, yet elegant way. "You know what? That hairstyle is enough to steal someone's heart on Valentine's day." Tushar commented. "Just make sure you come back home within 8 pm." Shimul frowed at her beloved brother. Ever since their mother passed away, after being crushed under a school-bus, Tushar had changed a lot. That jolly, happy-go-lucky youth was lost behind a load of responsibilities. As a result, he had become pretty short tempered, or bossy, according to his sibling. Check out
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| What if Ayesha became a fluent English speaker instead of a basic learner? Ans: She would have a lot of Bengali handsomes waiting to be her friend. What if Tushar was an elder brother instead of Shimul's twin? He would be a very bossy and protective brother. What if Shimul just had one parent? She'd become the guardian of her family, in a motherly way. What if Shimul and Tushar became very lazy students? They'd fail frequently Check out
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 Risk Empathy Raise the Stakes Ask about actions Ask about situations Ask about continuity Ask about readers Check out
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| For your writing assignment this week, select one of the vignettes you wrote last week. This will be the story that you will develop throughout the course for your final writing assignment, so make sure you like and are comfortable with the vignette you select. You may use the same vignette you used for your Exercise this week if you want, or you may explore a different one. Thinking about what we learned this week about point of view and narrative voice, choose the point of view you think you want to write your final assignment story in. Now rewrite that vignette - in your chosen point of view - into a 300 to 400 word scene. It should end up being a pivotal scene for your story that you will use later on, as you complete your final writing assignment. Remember: You may write this story/vignette in any genre you want. You are not limited to the "Here & Now." Be creative and imaginative as you work with your everyday experience and build it into a story that captures and holds your reader to entranced The End. Hey there, I'm Ayesha. I'm completely alien to this new country called Bangladesh. You know, the first problem I always face here, is language. None of the people here knows Turkish, and I'm originally from Istanbul, Turkey. I'm just 17, a confused teen who's even more confused here now. Come on, I do not know anything extraordinary about Bangladesh. Here, the taxi cabs are rather expensive. They use this bicycle type, hooded up thing, mostly driven by human vehicle called the rickshaw as a common mode of transport. Yes, these are quite cheap. And of course, comfortable too. I love the way the breeze sweeps past my long hair as I travel in a rickshaw. Some rickshaws are motor operated too. Unfortunately, the drivers who pull these are snobbish, and demand more fare than usual at times. I always have to keep some change in my purse as "rickshaw money". Bangla, is not as difficult as English. Allah! Those words! I always make a disgusted face whenever I come across a new English word. No English! Turkish please! I normally cannot keep my hair confined in a Hijab as some of the muslims here does. I like putting on a simple pair of jeans or trousers and a top, unlike the usual clothes for the females here. Sometimes, men from a certain class leer at me and my attires. Hey come on, dress is a reflection of my personality, so why should I dress up in a way which does not reflect the real me? Check out
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| Select one of the the slice of life vignettes that you wrote for orientation last week and rewrite it in each of the following tenses: first person, third person limited, and third person omniscient. Keep all of your point of view vignettes and your answers to the questions below in one static item. After you've written them all sit back and take a look at them. In a few sentences each answer all of the following questions. ♥ What are the differences in the pieces? ♥ How did they change when the point of view changed? ♥ Did the narrative voice change when the point of view changed? ♥ Which one do you like best? Why? Answer: First person: Everyday, I spend quite sometime to make lesson plans for Ayesenur, my Turkish student whom I teach English. I have to make a nice little blend of fun and knowledge to make the lessons interesting to her. By Allah's grace, Ayesenur, or Ayesha, as I call her, is a very hard working teenager whose excitement and interest makes my work a lot easier for me. She used to be downhearted before, but she's a fast learner, and can catch up before falling back. Third Person Limited Ayesenur was a Turkish who learnt English from a Bangladeshi. She was not so good in English before, and used to be scared of the language. But despite being a little weak, she used to learn with interest, and her young instructor also tried to make the lessons nice mixtures of fun and knowledge. She could catch her lessons easily before falling back. Third person Omniscient She used to teach me English. I was scared of the language before, but she helped me overcome my fear. I know I'm not that good in English, but I do try, and she used to help me with all my problems. The first piece seems more direct and readers can easily relate to it, as the experience is common, and the information is easier to comprehend. The second piece is like a narrative paragraph, which is a little monotonous. The third paragraph is from the student's point of view. Which is completely opposite of the first passage. I prefer the second passage most, as it talks about the events in general, without pointing to a particular character Check out
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 Everyday, I spend quite sometime to make lesson plans for Ayesenur, my Turkish student whom I teach English. I have to make a nice little blend of fun and knowledge to make the lessons interesting to her. By Allah's grace, Ayesenur, or Ayesha, as I call her, is a very hard working teenager whose excitement and interest makes my work a lot easier for me. She used to be downhearted before, but she's a fast learner, and can catch up before falling back. My colleagues really can make me laugh. Sometimes, they make funny faces or use their own invented funny words and I almost drop from my chair laughing. One's a stout, food-loving man with whom I love to share my lunch, as he never throws food away. My boss is a friendly one. Despite being a Hindu, he allows all of us to pray, which is very important for us Muslims. He also keeps on teaching me new words at times. We have a huge collection of books in our library, and it's like a treasure chest for me.  Check out
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Courtsey:~A.J. Lyle~  Tone & Mood What is tone? "Tone is a particular way of expressing feelings or attitudes that will influence how the reader feels about the characters, events, and outcomes. Speakers show tone more easily than writers because they can use voice tone, gesture, and facial expressions. A writer must use words alone." - Susan Geye, Mini Lessons For Revision Tone is the attitude with which the author represents the work, the characters, and the situation. Out in the real world, tone is easy. The tone of your voice indicates your mood, and in so doing, shows those who hear you speak what kind of mood you are in. Do you recall your parents ever saying, "Don't you dare use that tone with me, young lady/man!"? You may have been saying the correct words or phrase, but not using the appropriate tone. I remember plenty of times when I apologized to my mom with a sarcastic tone. Due to the ability to say something with a tone that contradicts the words, the writer must be careful to use the correct tone for the narrative, so that the reader does not become confused. Different types of writing contain different tones, depending on what attitude the author wishes to express. The tone in a comedy will probably be informal. Using light and humorous phrases and wording, the writer indicates to the reader that the subject is not to be taken seriously. In an emotional piece, the writer is more likely to use a soft, emotional tone. The tone shows the reader some of the following attitudes: Acerbic: Biting, harsh, bitter Apathetic: Emotionless, indifferent, uncaring Aggressive: Forceful, angry Humorous: Funny, amusing, light Informal: Casual, simple, playful Formal: Proper, serious, rigid Cheerful: Upbeat, positive Romantic: Loving, passionate, sweet For a more complete listing of specific words to describe tone, try this link: Words for Tone When deciding which tone would be effective in a certain type of writing, one element to consider is genre. For example, an historical romance is likely to have a more formal tone than a contemporary romance, while both will use an undercurrent of positive attitude such as humor. However, in a horror, we are more likely to find a more aggressive tone to play up the suspense and fear. Other elements to consider: sentence structure and use of vocabulary. Sentence structure is a great method for setting tone. Long, flowing sentences are generally used to promote a calm tone, while short sentences create a more aggressive tone such as suspense and anticipation. Contractions are a good indicator of tone. While implementing a formal tone, the author could contradict him/herself by using contractions such as 'don't, won't, didn't' and so on. The opposite is also true. Using words such as 'cannot, will not' indicate a more formal tone and are rarely used in casual speech. What is mood? The mood of a story is the feeling or atmosphere achieved by the writer and felt by the reader. In other words, it is the feeling that the reader takes away with them after reading. For example, let's say you just finished reading a suspense story about a woman and her daughter fleeing from men who wish to sell the girl on the black market. If the writer has done his/her job effectively, you would be able to say, 'Wow, that was suspenseful!' While tone should also create suspense, the mood is the overall effect of the piece. The mood of a short story is established through detailed descriptions of the settings, people, and atmosphere of a story.1 In a horror story, the mood should be dark, lending a feeling of foreboding to the reader. This is achieved by the author through setting an intense scene with effective descriptions, dialogue and tone. Consider this: the character is sneaking along the wall, trying not to be noticed by the bad guy. Now, read the following two paragraphs and see which one is more effective in setting an appropriate mood. Sara's fingers trailed along the rough surface of the brick wall. She pressed her body against it, willing herself to blend into the dark shadows. All she had to do was figure out where she was, and maybe she would have a chance of escape. Her heart thundered in her ears, creating a tempo by which her movement progressed. Suddenly, she was pulled back. Stifling a scream with her hands, she looked back to find her over-sized sweater had become hooked on the edge of a brick. She took a deep breath. I can do this. I just have to be really quiet so he doesn't hear me. What mood was set with this paragraph? Did you feel suspense? Fear? Anticipation? If the author did his/her job effectively, you should have felt some of these sensations. The one that you found most prominent is the mood. Notice how the author used internal thoughts, the description of the wall, as well as the character's reactions to create a mood. As a reviewer, you must decide if you think the mood established was effective. Now, try out this one: Sara's fingers trailed along the smooth surface of the painted wall. She pressed her body against it, willing herself to blend into the pink surface. All she had to do was figure out where she was, and maybe she would have a chance of escape. Her heart thundered in her ears, creating a tempo by which her movement progressed. Suddenly, she was pulled back. Stifling a scream with her hands, she looked back to find her over-sized sweater had become hooked on the wall. She took a deep breath. I wonder if this is pale pink or pastel pink? What mood was set with this paragraph? Did the use of description, internal dialogue, and character reaction create an effective mood, or did some of these elements contradict the mood that the author was trying to establish? The reason that mood is important in fiction is so that the author doesn't end up pulling the reader out of the story by contradicting the mood. In the second example, the use of a smooth, pink wall contradicts the effectiveness of her sweater becoming hooked. After all, how could a smooth wall hook a piece of fabric? Hoping that the reader thinks of a misplaced nail is unrealistic. Also, consider the use of her internal thoughts. Do they add to the mood, or take away from it? Are tone and mood the same thing? While tone and mood work hand-in-hand to create an effective response in the reader and both inspire emotion, they are not the same thing. Keep in mind that tone is the attitude with which the author presents the story, and mood is the feeling of the story as a whole. Tense & Point of View What is tense? Tense is what establishes the time in which an event takes place. There are three main verb tenses, they are: Past: Something that already happened. Implements words with an -ed ending such as placed, walked, happened, stumbled, talked, etc. (was, were) Present: Something that is happening. This includes words such as runs, swims, smiles, walks, talks. (is, am, are) Future: Something that will happen. This tense is implemented by using will/shall with the simple form of the word. For example, will walk, will see, shall run, etc. (will, shall) Now, all told, there are twelve different main verb tenses used in English writing. However, for the purpose of this course, it is not necessary to know and understand each one. I will provide extra reading material at the end of this section so that you can learn the details of each one if you wish to, but it will not be necessary to know them all for this course. In a review, the most important thing to comment on is if you notice the writer mixing verb tenses within the work. For a quick example: Sara walks over to the sink, placed her cup on the counter and sighs. In instances such as this, the reader will become confused as to what is happening because the tenses are mixed up. First, she 'walks' which is present tense, then she 'placed' her cup, indicating past tense, and then she 'sighs' which is present tense again. To remain consistent, a writer should have all verbs in the same main tense. There are also other forms that can be included with each of the above tenses to be more specific including simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive. If you wish to explore these other forms, here is a link which makes the concepts easier to understand by using tables. http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/tenses.html What is Point of View? The perspective from which a speaker or writer recounts a narrative or presents information.2 Basically, point of view is the viewpoint from which the reader experiences the story. Whether the point of view comes from a narrator or a character depends upon which point of view is chosen. First-Person: The story is narrated by one character from their point of view using 'I'. This point of view is limited to what the character him/herself can hear, see, smell, know, and discover. Most suspense, mystery, or crime stories use first-person point of view quite effectively because the reader is placed in the position of the character telling the story. It is an up-close and personal look at the characters life, emotions, actions, and reactions. By placing the reader within the mind of the character, emotions such as fear, anxiety, and anticipation are heightened. However, when reading first-person point of view, the reader is limited to what that character knows and sees. That means that expressions by other characters may be missed, clues about the plot line may be missed, and other characters thoughts are not available to the reader at any time. Second-Person: The story is directed at the reader by using the word 'you' rather than he, she, or I. This is most effective in how-to and teaching articles. Used in stories, it tends to 'tell' the reader what is happening, and in a way, forces that reader to think the way the narrator chooses. Third-Person: The story is told from the perspective of an outsider looking in, and uses he, she, their forms to indicate the characters. There are a few types of third-person including limited, subjective multiple, and omniscient. Third-Person Limited: This form is from the main character's point of view, and is restricted to past tense. Forms such as 'he said', 'she thought', are used to express the main character's thoughts, as well as what is said and done by that character and the characters around him/her. The reader will never be subjected to other character's thoughts, and will be limited to what the main character sees and hears. Third-person limited is one of the easiest forms to read in fiction, and is most accepted by readers. Third-Person Subjective Multiple Viewpoint: The viewpoint comes from more than one character, but is limited to being in one at a time. Scene or chapter breaks are needed in order to switch from one to the other. Many novels use this to show different points of view from the main character set. The past tense is most often used in this point of view. It is the same as third-person limited, with the only exception being that several characters are used rather than one. This viewpoint is effective when using an involved plot line that not all characters may be privy to, but the reader is. Third-Person Omniscient: This point of view allows for a bird's eye view of the story and the characters. The narrator is an all-seeing, all-knowing, but invisible force that relates the story and setting in an overall way, allowing the reader to know and see all. This is very effective when developing an in-depth plot line, but is very hard to write effectively without giving the reader too much information and taking away from the emotional connection to the characters. Whew! I know that may seem like a lot to take in, but take your time. Make use of the extra links, or google the subjects for yourself if you like. I am always available for questions, and I will do my best to help you in anyway I can. Again, I don't expect for you to know all of this, or even include it all in each review. However, giving you a basic understanding of some of these things will aid you when you notice there is something 'off' in a piece of writing. Check out
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Q: Write about three everyday events that struck you this week and why? Give at least one way it can be turned into a basic story idea or part of your story scenes: Answer: Event 1: I was in a well known fast food resturant of my country, where a group of teens (all males) caught my eye. They were having normal everyday conversation, just hanging out together.  The main reason why I noticed them is, first of all, they were talking in English. This was something I used to do with my school friends when I was doing my A-levels. Before that, I was a very shy girl, and also an outcast of the class. So, the two years of A levels actually helped me to travel through the brighter paths of life.  Story Idea: It can be turned into a story about seven friends and their personal life. With a conflict of man vs man, I can show and tell how a boy/girl, about 15 years of age, has a misunderstanding with one of his best friends. I can show how a misunderstanding can be solved with the help of real friends, and how relationships can be mended even after being broken apart.Event 2: I was in my favorite shopping center, where a group of foreigners, perhaps either British or American, looked noticeable. Why: They seemed like looking for mementos to take back home. Little tokens of love, which can express how much they care for their loved ones. Story Idea: I can talk about someone from another country, who comes to visit Bangladesh, and his/her experiences and problems of being in a different country, difficult language, and different types of people. Event 3: On my way to office, I have to cross a white dog who has become our area's pet now. All the residents here take care of the animal in many ways, and he guards us all. Why: I always like keeping wild pets, because animals are someone who would always understand the meaning of unconditional love in their own way. Story Idea: Something about a man/girl and his/her pet dog, to show the bond between humans and their pets. Check out
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** Image ID #1871524 Unavailable ** All the members of Shimul's family were extremely brilliant students. Their relatives were green-eyed about that, none in the family tree could beat them when it came to studies and creativity. Whenever Shimul's parents tried to discuss anything regarding their studies, their cousins would argue: "Shimul and Tushar get smaller syllabuses than us, it's nothing to be proud about." Shimul seldom got anything other than star marks in his progress report. "Education is something which can never be snatched away, it's my own asset." She declared whenever called a bookworm or something similar to that. During study breaks, both the siblings would spend hours either reading classic English Literature, or with a chess board spread in front of them, immersed in a challenge. Shimul spent a good amount of time with her favorite pet, Serofina. The kitten, whom she called her little girl, seeked refuge in her arms whenever the feline beauty got tired of watching her mother cook in the kitchen, or whenever it got bored of playing hide and seek with Tushar.  Check out:
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 I had created a character, Shimul Kabir, back in grade 8, as part of a school assignment. I will give the description, the interview etc. But my story assignment won't be a starting scene. I have just retrieved a chapter of that story written back in 1998. I'll give an edited version of that chapter, I don't have the rest of the story, and would love to re- start this story. Someone please tell me how.1. Name: Afsana Kabir Shimul 2. Age: 22 years 3. Family: Father: Abdul Gaffar Kabir , Mother: Naila Ahmed Kabir, Maid: Kusum, Cat: Serofina , Twin: Naushad Kabir Tushar 4. Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh. 5. Education: Done with her A levels with good grades. Studying in a well known university with a major in Accounting, and Minor in English Literature. 6. Favorite color: Any pastel shade. 7. Favorite food: Fried Chicken, and rice cakes, and semolina pudding. 8: Fashion choice: Is not very choosy about clothes, loves to wear her hair in different styles though, and always prefers decent clothes. 9: Favorite season: All six seasons. 10. Favorite pass time: Writing, painting, sometimes playing the keyboard, and of course, spending time with her twin. They are best friends too. 11: Achievements: National Television award winner, and won many other prizes for her creative works. 12: Brother loves playing chess, and so does she. 13: Most attractive: Eyes and smile 14: Odd habit: Toys with her hair all the time. 15: Favorite ride: Rickshaw Q: Any habits you'd like to change? I am pretty lazy, wish I could get up earlier. Q: Your Strong side? Um...my creativity maybe. Q: What is "beauty" to you? Something that comes from within. External appearance counts, but is not as important as the mind. Q: Achievement is? The encouragement and enthusiasm to trudge forward. If you don't try, nothing will come to you. Q: A woman is all about? A balance of boldness, softness and care. Q: What do you like to do most? Help the less fortunate ones. Q: Your most favorite TV show? Masterchef, we love to cook you see. Q: Fashion is? One way to present yourself to the world, without being a whole mask of makeup. Q: Income....? Too much of it might make you evil, earn in moderation. Q: Animals...? Deserve to be loved. Check out:
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| My favorite character happens to be Jo March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Unlike her other three sisters, she's a good balance between boldness and softness. Despite being caring for her loved ones, she also likes to gather knowledge. Her trying to be proper, yet failing to do so makes her stand out in my eyes. I'm not a very picky person myself, neither am I a perfectionist. Jo's description would be almost perfect for me. Jo's a balance between a tomboy and a woman, who gets scolded for her actions at times, but still continues to be the way she is. She could sell her one piece of beauty, her hair, for her father. How many daughters can actually do that even nowadays? I like the way she could earn her own living through writing, something which always made her happy. The writer took a bold step in illustrating female financial independence through this. Unlike her other sisters, she took a bold step of befriending her lonely neighbor. Which later turned out to be a lasting friendship. But to be honest, I didn't like the way she turned him down when he proposed to her. I love the way she used to inspire and care for her feeble sister Beth all throughout the novel. Later in the novel, her attitudes became more mature and responsible. Unlike her other sisters, she had no desire for riches, rather, she found happiness in simple things. Which, I think, later on helped her to find another not so rich man, but someone who actually loved her, and someone worth waiting for. I loved the way she was illustrated as the complete, content woman who achieved her goal of setting up a school, and had her own family. I also read the sequels of this novel online, which portrays her having various characteristics. Check out:
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The poem, the road not taken http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15717, has a rhyming scheme of a, b, a b, a, it has five lines per stanza, it does have a good flow, with about 9 syllables per line. Well, I know I can be wrong here. It has a sad tone, maybe here the poet regrets something he has not done. It has a good rhythm. I've also read "Dreams" by Langston Huges which has 2 stazas with 4 lines per stanza. This one's something I can relate to, as it illustrates my feelings. it has eight syllables per line. It has an inspirational tone. http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16075. My poem for this lesson: Wish I had a twin A girl who would help me to win Any battle that comes my way With a smile she would just make my day. Wish I had a sister Someone who would be a similar fighter A friend who would always be there for me Through thick and thin, whatever it might be. Wish I had a friend Someone who would pull be back from a dead end Without thinking of her own benefits That would give my life it's own beats. See my talented rising star scorpialex |
| The salesgirl smelled of roses. She had curly, reddish-black hair, and those soft, doe like eyes had a very pleasant look. The package where she put my groceries felt a bit rough and itchy, so she changed it immidiately. She gave me a really sweet candy which melted right after I put it in my mouth. She toyed with her hair from time to time and gave me a heart-melting smile as I left the counter. Check out:
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Being physically challenged, I always used to think that my life was worthless. I was born as a premature baby at the 5th month of my mom's pregnancy, through an emergency delivery, cause she had tripped over a coconut and was badly hurt. Obviously, my dad had to sign a bond to choose between wife and daughter. He chose my mom of course, but at the last moment, an intern doctor ventured to give me a life saving medicine. The medicine(injection) had to go into the body either through a hand, or through a foot. Now the part through which this injection entered, would become falty for the rest of the baby's life. The injection was shot through my left ankle, and since then, my left foot has become about two inches shorter than the right. I've got twisted veins instead of straight ones, and used to walk on my right foot and left fingers, cause it was not easy to put the left flat on the ground. Since 2003, I had started using a walking stick. Used to wear orthropaedic shoes, but they are so heavy I don't use them any more. My blood does not circulate properly through my foot, circulation comes to a sudden halt very often and I always have to fight with a constant severe pain. This has become a part of life and I've learnt to endure it. Well, it has become a challenge rather, and I love to face the challenge. For my mom's relatives, I was always a burden, they used to blame my dad for saying yes when the doctors told him about the physical challenge I was going to face, and asked him if they wanted me or not. My mom had to go through a lot for me. Not only my parents, I wouldn't be where I am now without my siblings around. Especially my elder sisters, they are my best friends. My brother never expresses his love and concern for me verbally, but his actions prove it. My mom's relatives teased her for giving me an English Medium education instead of Bengali Medium. I got enrolled in a music school and an art school the day I got admitted to my educational institution. So studies and extra curriculars always walked hand in hand, and both are equally important to me. My mom's relatives used to hurt me in any way they could. If they found me eating an apple, they'd go:"A lame girl does not deserve this expensive fruit, go eat a banana instead." When I got my ears pierced, they told my mom: "What is the use of making her look pretty? you have 3 other daughters, who can walk, make them pretty." Bit by bit, these taunts lowered my confidence level to such an extent, I didn't even want to try anything new. When my grades declined during my A levels, (I got 120 out of 600 in Accounting, which is an U or a failing grade), because I couldn't study much due to this footache thing, they went: "Well well, so your lame girl didn't even pass huh?" My mom had to be insulted because of me where ever she went. I couldn't take this any longer and attempted suicide in 2007. My sister-in- law caught me slashing my wrists, and stopped me right away. I was told to disconnect myself from the world, and re-discover myself. So, I turned my cellphone off, disconnected the net, turned away from the tv, and buried myself in studies and creativity. Within 6 months, I began enjoying life the way I am. Took the accounting exam again and scored a 480 on 600. Life is full of challenges, and now I enjoy every moment of life. Creativity can be a serious addiction too. And most importantly, I'm always encouraged to be creative. I'm a member of the university theatre, and I love my friends there. I love to study, and am willing to try new things. I love to draw and sing. I love playing my keyboard. Success is not mandatory, but I want to try. If I fail, no problem, try again. Life is definitely not a bed of roses, but I've learnt to make it so. Check out:
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Making Cents of Sense Smell Sight Touch Taste Sound The sweet aroma of freshly baked pudding increased my hunger. Roses filled the air with freshness. I felt sick as I passed the stinky dustbin. She looked gorgeous in her new, laced dress. The dew drops looked like pearls on the leaf. The grotesque statue ruined the beauty of that building. My niece giggles as I rub her soft, cottony nose with mine. That soft feather felt like velvet under my finger. The straw hat felt rough and itchy. The soft, sweet chocolate melted on my tongue. The red chilis felt like needles on my tongue. The tough piece of meat felt like rubber as I chewed it. I looked up from my work when my phone chimed. She inserted her fingers in her ears as her mother gave her tongue lashings. I like the soft tone of ice-cream bells. Check out:
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