Naima's English Blog

The Guyanese food I find to be really disgusting is Black Pudding. I've never had it before, but it's a sausage that's made using pig's blood and fat with oatmeal that's encased in cleaned intestines, and that sounds absolutely disgusting. I only know of my mom and grandma enjoying it, but I'm sure more people in my family enjoy it because it's a common thing to eat in Guyana. Certain foods are delicious to some people while disgusting to others because they grew up eating it and seeing their family eating it, while other people are not even used to the concept of eating things like that. So it's really just a thing of cultural and environmental differences. Summary: In class, we finished presenting our cultural food projects. Reflection: I learned that Salvadoran food is very similar, and I think that's really interesting. I wonder if it's like that in all Latin countries.

The cultural food that taught me something was Sopa de Fideo. I learned that it's a dish mothers give to their children when they're sick. The presentations helped me better understand the importance of food in shaping cultural identity, preserving traditions, and bringing people together because it's something that has brought comfort and community for many generations of families, while keeping traditions alive. Summary: In class, we started presenting our cultural food projects Reflection: Seeing all the presentations where people talk proudly about their cultures made me become more interested in other cultures.

 One of my favorite memories involving food was when I went to eat ramen with my two friends. It stayed with me because it was the first time I hung out with them just by ourselves, and it really allowed me to appreciate them even more. It helped me connect with them even more as well. Summary: In class, we continued working on our cultural food project. Reflection: I learned that in Guyana have a type of wedding cake called Black cake, that's made out fruit soaked in rum.

One dish from my culture that I would share with someone is Egg Balls. Egg Balls are probably my favorite Guyanese food ever; it's a very popular street food. I'd want someone to know that I feel it connects me to Guyana, as I've never had the opportunity to fully engage in the culture.  Summary: In class, we started working on our cultural food project. Reflection: I learned things about my culture that I never knew before.

My family and I don't have any food-related customs. We rarely even eat together, especially as a WHOLE family, so we just do our own thing when we eat. Summary: In class, we completed a Writable assignment on the significance of food and its relation to culture. Reflection: I learned that many people use food to cement their culture, and that sometimes it's the only thing that they can rely on to help them connect to their culture and heritage.

One type of food I had a negative perception of because of a stereotype was Indian food. It was about all Indian food, not a specific dish. I originally believed that Indian food was unsanitary and would make you sick based on the type of media I would see of Indian on the street making food. They would use their bare hands to touch raw ingredients and mix things; they would never have their feet covered and would be too close to the food, and there would always be rats extremely close or even touching the food. So I assumed all Indian food was made in these conditions. My perspective changed once my dad brought home Indian food one day for Eid (Muslim holiday), and my parents have seen videos of Indian street food, so I was confused about why they got Indian food. I asked my dad about it, and he said he's been going to that Indian restaurant for a while and went inside, even read reviews, and never saw anything unsanitary going on. He was never sick after eating either, so he knew...

One dish I will pick to represent Guyanese culture is Curry chicken & Roti. Curry & Roti is a turmeric-based stew made with various meats and potatoes, accompanied by a pan-baked flatbread similar to a tortilla. Curry & Roti is typically consumed with your hands. It's significant because it blends our Afro-heritage along with our indian heritage because Guyana is composed of both Afro-Caribbean culture and east indians.  Summary: In class, we watched the backgrounds of cultural dishes. Reflection: I learned that you should appreciate culture in many ways that aren't just showing that you enjoy the taste of the cultural foods.

I didn't really experience any emotions while writing my story, I just felt neutral. The part that affected me the most was the last few sentences of the second paragraph. The reason is because I said some advice that I tend to not follow a lot of the time. I said something about not letting what someone said affect me because there's nothing I could've done to stop them from saying it, which is true, but I tend to forget to do that . So when writing those sentences, I thought about how actually doing that would save me a lot of energy and I should try and do it more. Summary: We rewrote our continuation of the poem "Incident" by Countee Cullen Reflection: I learned how to express myself in a non violent way.

A conversation that changed me was my mom telling me that not everyone is meant to be my friend. She told me that I don't have to try and be friends or consider people I talk to every now and then my friends just because I talk to them. It's okay to have acquaintances that you talk to every now and then, or that you just talk to to pass the time. She said if I feel like I have to force the conversation then it's not meant to be a friendship, and that's okay. She also made me realize that just because I've known someone for a long time doesn't mean they should be my friend either, it's okay to let someone go if you don't feel a mutual give-and-take going on. This conversation had a lasting impact on me because for the longest time I believed it was rude to refer to people you talk to frequently as acquaintances, even if you didn't feel that "friendly" vibe with them. But now, I don't feel that obligation to give people I don't consid...