"For me writing is exploration; and most of the time, im suprised where it takes me."
There is defintatly something special and powerful about the beautiful, yet mystical, art of writting. Writing has been around since the very begging of time. Without writing we wouldnt know where we came from, we wouldnt have a government, but most of all we wouldnt know who or what we are.
I cant even begin to imagine, what life would be like right now, if writing didnt exist. Like Miguel de Cervantes once said, "the pen is the tongue of the mind." If we wouldnt have developed a way of turning all of our "crazy thoughts" into a form that could follow human kind throughout its existance, we wouldnt have the history we have today, to guide us into the future.
At the beggining of this year, when i found out i was going to be taking a writing class with Doctor Sirias, i really didnt know what to expect. I knew it was most probably going to be nothing like his litarature class last year, where i spent more time sleeping then reading. When i walked into that litarature class last year, i walked in, having no interest what so ever in writing or anything to do with a pen. But, after around a writer like Doctor Sirias for so long, you begin to ask yourself "what is it that made this guy dedicate his life to writing?" And thats when i first started really apreciating the art of writing, and started to realize what writing is really capable of. Like William Zinser said, "writing is thinking on paper."
As we get closer and closer to the end of the year, i honestly feel that after every essay my classmates and i write, gets better and better. And im positive im not the only student that walked into Doctor Sirias class giving a you know what about writing, and is going to walk out as a little writing dragon.
viernes, 28 de marzo de 2008
2007 Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Tournament.
"all right, everybody pair up, Charbel, you go with Gordo. Alejandro, with Carlos. Furacao, you're going with me, five minutes, ready go! It was a regular jui-jitsu class at eight pm, like every other day of the week at hectors' Academy, on Calle 50. there was only ten minutes of class left and we were ready to do the last spar of the day. That specific night, i remember perfectly that i was paired up with some guy in his mid twenties they called gordo. not that he was fat, or anything, he was actually rather small. But anyway they called him gordo.
As soon as Hector said "go!" i noticed there was something peculiar they gordo iniciated the fight. I remember he had rapidly taken me to the ground with an overly agressive double legged take down. Now, that there was anything wrong with that, but he was taking the friendly spar to another level. He acted as if there was a first class ticket to Hawaii waiting for the winner. Regardless as soon as i hit the mat, i knew this match was personal, and there was no way i was going to let this guy tap me out. So i got on the same level he was on.
The next day, around noon, i recieved a phone call from Hector. I remember thinking to myself, what could Hector possibly want. I figured he was just calling for me to teach some kids class he was not going to be able to make it to. Instead, he told me to come to jiu-jitsu class a couple minutes early to discuss something. He ended the conversation by saying, "by the way nice arm bar yesterday you got gordo good." That same day i get to jui=jistu class early and i see there are a couple of other students in Hectors office. I walked in, and Hector said,"for those who havent been told yet, the Pan-American tournament is going to be held in California in October, and i think with a couple of months training you guys might have a shot." I remember feeling goose bumps rush from my head all the way to my fingers. I was thrilled.
The Pan-American tournament is one of the best known jui-jitsu tournaments in the united states. i couldnt wait to go and dominate. When i heard i was going to be fighting a seventeen year old kid in the same wieght category as me, i flipped. I was convinced i was going to win. i had been training with adults for the last couple of years and i had won first place in the Florida state Disney tournament, in 2004. And, yes, it was a Disney tournament. I whooped mickeys butt. No just kidding about that but, anyway, i was under estamating my oponnent.
Its two days before the fight. Ive been in California four days already because the adults that came with me had their fights before mine, and after their fights we would go shopping and sight seeing, and most of all we ate, we ate alot. from Ihop to P.F Changs chinese bistro, we ate everything. the next thing i knew im wieghing myself two days before the fight and i was over the weight limit by two pounds. I didnt know what to do. if youre over the limit by just one pound, you cant fight. I found myself in a serious delimma. If my mom found out i flew all the way to California to get disqualified, i was going to have my own little fighting tournament when i got home. So i did what i had to do: i didnt eat anything for two days i would only have salad and, water just a tiny bit of water. Not only that, but i was would be running all morning and all night with a sweater on, and lets not forget the steam room. I practically lived in that steam room.
The day of my fight finally came, and from the moment i woke up was a salad and a sip of water literally, when they called my name for the weigh in i was nervous, but i made it.
I had gotten the weight problem fixed, but now i had another one i was so busy concentrating on my weight i had forgotten about my physical condition. I found myself dehydrated, hungry, and soar from all the running, and there was only a matter of seconds before my fight. I chugged a gatorade and went for it. My competetor was some indonesian kid or something, he didnt look intimidating at all. I was ready for my fight. We stared eachother down like two cowboys before a gun draw from the moment we walked on the mat. As soon as the refery blew that whistle we went at it. I almost had him in an arm bar, but he got out. In Jui-jitsu tournaments you can either win by tap out, or points, and you have only ten minutes. To make a long and sad story short, i lost. The indonesian kid beat me by points. He didnt tap me out, but never the less he still beat me. Like master maogi once said, "never underestimate your opponent."
As soon as Hector said "go!" i noticed there was something peculiar they gordo iniciated the fight. I remember he had rapidly taken me to the ground with an overly agressive double legged take down. Now, that there was anything wrong with that, but he was taking the friendly spar to another level. He acted as if there was a first class ticket to Hawaii waiting for the winner. Regardless as soon as i hit the mat, i knew this match was personal, and there was no way i was going to let this guy tap me out. So i got on the same level he was on.
The next day, around noon, i recieved a phone call from Hector. I remember thinking to myself, what could Hector possibly want. I figured he was just calling for me to teach some kids class he was not going to be able to make it to. Instead, he told me to come to jiu-jitsu class a couple minutes early to discuss something. He ended the conversation by saying, "by the way nice arm bar yesterday you got gordo good." That same day i get to jui=jistu class early and i see there are a couple of other students in Hectors office. I walked in, and Hector said,"for those who havent been told yet, the Pan-American tournament is going to be held in California in October, and i think with a couple of months training you guys might have a shot." I remember feeling goose bumps rush from my head all the way to my fingers. I was thrilled.
The Pan-American tournament is one of the best known jui-jitsu tournaments in the united states. i couldnt wait to go and dominate. When i heard i was going to be fighting a seventeen year old kid in the same wieght category as me, i flipped. I was convinced i was going to win. i had been training with adults for the last couple of years and i had won first place in the Florida state Disney tournament, in 2004. And, yes, it was a Disney tournament. I whooped mickeys butt. No just kidding about that but, anyway, i was under estamating my oponnent.
Its two days before the fight. Ive been in California four days already because the adults that came with me had their fights before mine, and after their fights we would go shopping and sight seeing, and most of all we ate, we ate alot. from Ihop to P.F Changs chinese bistro, we ate everything. the next thing i knew im wieghing myself two days before the fight and i was over the weight limit by two pounds. I didnt know what to do. if youre over the limit by just one pound, you cant fight. I found myself in a serious delimma. If my mom found out i flew all the way to California to get disqualified, i was going to have my own little fighting tournament when i got home. So i did what i had to do: i didnt eat anything for two days i would only have salad and, water just a tiny bit of water. Not only that, but i was would be running all morning and all night with a sweater on, and lets not forget the steam room. I practically lived in that steam room.
The day of my fight finally came, and from the moment i woke up was a salad and a sip of water literally, when they called my name for the weigh in i was nervous, but i made it.
I had gotten the weight problem fixed, but now i had another one i was so busy concentrating on my weight i had forgotten about my physical condition. I found myself dehydrated, hungry, and soar from all the running, and there was only a matter of seconds before my fight. I chugged a gatorade and went for it. My competetor was some indonesian kid or something, he didnt look intimidating at all. I was ready for my fight. We stared eachother down like two cowboys before a gun draw from the moment we walked on the mat. As soon as the refery blew that whistle we went at it. I almost had him in an arm bar, but he got out. In Jui-jitsu tournaments you can either win by tap out, or points, and you have only ten minutes. To make a long and sad story short, i lost. The indonesian kid beat me by points. He didnt tap me out, but never the less he still beat me. Like master maogi once said, "never underestimate your opponent."
martes, 11 de marzo de 2008
A little bit of Culture
A couple of years ago anyone could ask me what I believed in, what religion did I practice, what music I listen too, what I do for fun, what holidays do I celebrate, do I go to church, do I spend enough time with my family? And I would always have a concrete answer based on how I was raised or better yet based on my culture.
Cultures differntiate all around the world; I think your culture pretty much depends on what ethnic background your parents are from and how they where raised. But I also think there are many factors that will change your culture throughout your life. For one, the environment you live in and the people around you I think greatly influence your view on life and the way you live it. You will aslo begin to notice that as the years go by and you get older some of your customs will slowly begin to change.
I was born into a family of two parents with very different cultures. My dad was born in Lebanon and my mom in Cuba and raised in Spain. So while growing up I got a little bit of both cultures. Not only did I grow up learning about there cultures but at age 15 I moved to Panama where I learned how to talk crap behind peoples backs and I also learned how to "jugar vivo" and put myself before everyone else. (haha just kidding!!)
Cultures differntiate all around the world; I think your culture pretty much depends on what ethnic background your parents are from and how they where raised. But I also think there are many factors that will change your culture throughout your life. For one, the environment you live in and the people around you I think greatly influence your view on life and the way you live it. You will aslo begin to notice that as the years go by and you get older some of your customs will slowly begin to change.
I was born into a family of two parents with very different cultures. My dad was born in Lebanon and my mom in Cuba and raised in Spain. So while growing up I got a little bit of both cultures. Not only did I grow up learning about there cultures but at age 15 I moved to Panama where I learned how to talk crap behind peoples backs and I also learned how to "jugar vivo" and put myself before everyone else. (haha just kidding!!)
miércoles, 20 de febrero de 2008
The Mood of a Warrior
Writing an essay on a book or story I have read, this is definitely a tough topic to write about, considering the fact I've never bee too much of a reader.
Not that I don't like reading, I just never really find that book that catches my interest enough to finish it. Although, when I was younger, I did read a couple of "Goosebumps" books, and every now and then, in school, we would read some stories together, but that doesn't really count. During my junior year I started reading Harry Potter, but I kind of gave up on him and his friends half way through the book.
Then one day I picked up a book called "Hot Zone." It was about the origin of the Ebola virus and how once you where infected you start to bleed through literally every opening in your body. But once again, for some odd unexplainable reason, I closed the book. And never opened it again.
But then, I met a very interesting character, someone that stood out a bit. There was something about this person that would always leave me pondering. Once I began to really know him, I realized we agreed on some of the same aspects of life. We had a tendency to wonder why some things were the way they where. Some might call this meaningless teenage metaphysics, others might not, regardless, one day he told me there was this book that I had to read. It was a book by an author named Carlos Castaneda who spends months of his life living, "learning" and recording the ways of a shaman/sorcerer. Supposedly Castaneda started talking to this shaman, because he wanted to research the hallucingogen pryote, and it turns out he had a lot more to learn.
This book definitely caught my interest from the beginning, because it is supposedly a true story, and this shaman supposedly has special powers, and as you go on in the book you learn as well as Castaneda was supposedly learning. The shaman talks about things like controlling your dreams, how there are plaves on earth that have more energy than others and then he starts making cars dissapear and stuff, and that's when things started going from interesting to complete and udder nonsence. This book, I did finish and when I finished it, I wasn't to satisifed. But anyway it was the first book that really caught my attention, and sent me on a path, "The Journey to Ixtlan, The Mood of a Warrior."
Not that I don't like reading, I just never really find that book that catches my interest enough to finish it. Although, when I was younger, I did read a couple of "Goosebumps" books, and every now and then, in school, we would read some stories together, but that doesn't really count. During my junior year I started reading Harry Potter, but I kind of gave up on him and his friends half way through the book.
Then one day I picked up a book called "Hot Zone." It was about the origin of the Ebola virus and how once you where infected you start to bleed through literally every opening in your body. But once again, for some odd unexplainable reason, I closed the book. And never opened it again.
But then, I met a very interesting character, someone that stood out a bit. There was something about this person that would always leave me pondering. Once I began to really know him, I realized we agreed on some of the same aspects of life. We had a tendency to wonder why some things were the way they where. Some might call this meaningless teenage metaphysics, others might not, regardless, one day he told me there was this book that I had to read. It was a book by an author named Carlos Castaneda who spends months of his life living, "learning" and recording the ways of a shaman/sorcerer. Supposedly Castaneda started talking to this shaman, because he wanted to research the hallucingogen pryote, and it turns out he had a lot more to learn.
This book definitely caught my interest from the beginning, because it is supposedly a true story, and this shaman supposedly has special powers, and as you go on in the book you learn as well as Castaneda was supposedly learning. The shaman talks about things like controlling your dreams, how there are plaves on earth that have more energy than others and then he starts making cars dissapear and stuff, and that's when things started going from interesting to complete and udder nonsence. This book, I did finish and when I finished it, I wasn't to satisifed. But anyway it was the first book that really caught my attention, and sent me on a path, "The Journey to Ixtlan, The Mood of a Warrior."
My Momma..
"Men are what their mothers made them." Ralph Waldo Emerson
If there is one person on this planet that I owe everything too, it most definitely will have to be my momma. From the moment she brought me into this god forsaken world she’s been going out of her way to do everything she can for me, and I will forever be in debt to her.
My mothers name is Anita and she was born in Cuba, when she was 2yrs old she moved to Spain where she grew up with her mother and step dad. After growing up in Spain she moved to the states where she met my daddy-O at age 16, by age 17 she was already working with him. After we were born (me and my two siblings) my momma stopped working and became an ordinary housewife, leaving all the work to the big guy.
Once my momma and “fasha” got divorced my mommy put her boots on and started working. She had picked up some skills from my daddy from all the years they had worked together in the jewelry business during her early life. And with those few skills she picked up, she hustled her way up to the way my siblings and I live today, all by her self.
My mommy has always given me everything I need, even though most of the time I don’t deserve shit, actually I don’t think I deserve anything, because I’m just a lazy 17 yr old who doesn’t even do that good in school and only likes to party, and barley even shows his appreciation, but regardless she still busts her ass in everyway possible for me, and like I said at the beginning of this little essay I will forever be in debt to my momma!
If there is one person on this planet that I owe everything too, it most definitely will have to be my momma. From the moment she brought me into this god forsaken world she’s been going out of her way to do everything she can for me, and I will forever be in debt to her.
My mothers name is Anita and she was born in Cuba, when she was 2yrs old she moved to Spain where she grew up with her mother and step dad. After growing up in Spain she moved to the states where she met my daddy-O at age 16, by age 17 she was already working with him. After we were born (me and my two siblings) my momma stopped working and became an ordinary housewife, leaving all the work to the big guy.
Once my momma and “fasha” got divorced my mommy put her boots on and started working. She had picked up some skills from my daddy from all the years they had worked together in the jewelry business during her early life. And with those few skills she picked up, she hustled her way up to the way my siblings and I live today, all by her self.
My mommy has always given me everything I need, even though most of the time I don’t deserve shit, actually I don’t think I deserve anything, because I’m just a lazy 17 yr old who doesn’t even do that good in school and only likes to party, and barley even shows his appreciation, but regardless she still busts her ass in everyway possible for me, and like I said at the beginning of this little essay I will forever be in debt to my momma!
sábado, 27 de octubre de 2007
A Personal Experience
“The lawyer is comiong tommorow to talk to you guys, just answer whatever he asks honestly.”
Thats probably the toughest thing anyone has ever asked of me. I moved to Panama about three years ago. Moving to Panama wasn’t as easy as you may think it was. My parents split up when I was just a little boy; I was like seven or eight. After the divorce my siblings and I lived with our mother and we never saw much of my dad—he was always at work, literally. My mother spent every second she could with us, at least while she was in Miami, because every other week she’d travel to Panama for business reasons. And in order to spend more time with us, she decided she wanted to take us to Panama.
But to move to Panama we had to go to court. Dad didn’t want us to go, and obviously my mother did. One thing led to another and next thing I know lawyers were getting involved and everything was turning into a big mess. After a couple months of court dealing we (my siblings and me) had to basically choose between Miami and my dad, who I didn’t see much off, or my mother, who I was accustomed to and felt more comfortable with, and Panama. As you can see, we obviously chose my mother, and we moved to Panama. This was a tough decision for me to make, I was only 15 and I didn’t know what life with my dad would be like if I stayed so I chose what was most familiar to me and left. I still talk to him just about everyday, and we visit every now and then, but not choosing my dad will always be one of the decisions I will always look back upon and wonder.
Thats probably the toughest thing anyone has ever asked of me. I moved to Panama about three years ago. Moving to Panama wasn’t as easy as you may think it was. My parents split up when I was just a little boy; I was like seven or eight. After the divorce my siblings and I lived with our mother and we never saw much of my dad—he was always at work, literally. My mother spent every second she could with us, at least while she was in Miami, because every other week she’d travel to Panama for business reasons. And in order to spend more time with us, she decided she wanted to take us to Panama.
But to move to Panama we had to go to court. Dad didn’t want us to go, and obviously my mother did. One thing led to another and next thing I know lawyers were getting involved and everything was turning into a big mess. After a couple months of court dealing we (my siblings and me) had to basically choose between Miami and my dad, who I didn’t see much off, or my mother, who I was accustomed to and felt more comfortable with, and Panama. As you can see, we obviously chose my mother, and we moved to Panama. This was a tough decision for me to make, I was only 15 and I didn’t know what life with my dad would be like if I stayed so I chose what was most familiar to me and left. I still talk to him just about everyday, and we visit every now and then, but not choosing my dad will always be one of the decisions I will always look back upon and wonder.
viernes, 5 de octubre de 2007
You all may be wondering what this 17 year old kid named Charbel, from Panama is doing posting random essays on this website. Well the truth is, I have no idea what I'm doing either. Basically this was an assignment giving to me by my well respected english teacher, Dr. Sirias.
On my First post I just want to briefly tell you a little more about me and the things that interest me, to see if youwant to keep up to date with my essays. I guess I'm pretty much just like any other typical 17 year old. I like to party and have fun, but at the same time I like learning about, pretty much everything in the world. I also enjoy topics like religion, the human being, the human brain and what it can do, and most of all our little imaginations. I'm also very much into martial arts, I've been training jiu-jitsu for about five years now, and I could listen to just about any kind of music. Umm, in school I'm an Ok student I guess, but it's not becaus I can't do it, its just because I'm simply not interested or I simply just won't study. And I guess you can also call me Lazy.
When I was just a little toddler my parents split up, and by the time I was 15 my mom wanted to move to Panama for business reasons, and now here I'm three years later living with my mother and siblings writing essays and posting them on this Blog.
I hope you find some sort of use to them,
On my First post I just want to briefly tell you a little more about me and the things that interest me, to see if youwant to keep up to date with my essays. I guess I'm pretty much just like any other typical 17 year old. I like to party and have fun, but at the same time I like learning about, pretty much everything in the world. I also enjoy topics like religion, the human being, the human brain and what it can do, and most of all our little imaginations. I'm also very much into martial arts, I've been training jiu-jitsu for about five years now, and I could listen to just about any kind of music. Umm, in school I'm an Ok student I guess, but it's not becaus I can't do it, its just because I'm simply not interested or I simply just won't study. And I guess you can also call me Lazy.
When I was just a little toddler my parents split up, and by the time I was 15 my mom wanted to move to Panama for business reasons, and now here I'm three years later living with my mother and siblings writing essays and posting them on this Blog.
I hope you find some sort of use to them,
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