Literacy Memoir Rough DraftWhy am I struggling to express myself? You know, let us start with the fact that eventhough I was born here in Miami, I was raised in Colombia, obviously then Spanish is my firstlanguage. Well, how did you learn English? Well, in Colombia, one took English classes inschool. So that is why I have a preparation before entering an American classroom andunderstand some things exposed in class. And you were how old when you first came toAmerica? I was 18 and I have been living here for 11 months. Well, given that you can speak,read and write in both English and Spanish…Well, even though I speak both languages fluently Ihave a feeling that words fail me in both languages, sometimes I cannot find the word to expressmyself
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Well, I think that is what being bilingualrepresents, this impossible dream of fulfillment. You cannot express your ideas completely whenyou are fluent in both languages. The missing words and their translation are not enough toexpress what I want to say or write in and outside the classrooms. Also, languages define yourpersonality. Moreover, sometimes I have the sense that I am a different person in Spanish than Iam in English, that my Colombian ‘Sebastian’ is not the same as my American self. TheSebastian that was raised under Hispanic culture is more happy, expressive, engaged, extrovertand more likes to talk. However, my American self is very different, this version of me is thecomplete opposite to my Colombian version. My American self is less talkative, introvert,reserved, shyer, quiet, less expressive and serious. In addition to this, I have change my interestsand hobbies because nobody here seems to share the same, so I have to participate in newactivities I really do not enjoy. Trying to fit into a new society and a new culture causes you tolose yourself, lose your identity, you lose who you are. It's a difficult feeling to explain, but it'sakin to noticing that you're missing something inside. The anguish begins to take hold of you andyou notice a hole in the stomach that tells you that something is not right. Many people cannottolerate loneliness, or they do want to, but sooner or later they begin to feel …show more content…
There is something that we lack and we mayknow what it is, but what is normal is that we do not really know what it is that causes us thevoid that saddens us. So, to start filling the void that is hurting us so much, that is driving usaway from the people we want, we must look at things from another perspective. Because it isoften our way of seeing things that causes that existential emptiness that we cannot avoid.In short, value yourself, value what you have around you and above all live life. The mostimportant thing is that you feel that every day has been worth it. To do this, take each day as anew opportunity to test yourself, to know your limits to take risks that will certainly make youfeel that it has been worth running them. Life is an experience, make the most of it whenever youcanBeing bilingual isn’t always a good thing, and you should try to stick to the language youare trying to speak. I still struggle with English, but I every day I try to push myself a little bitmore and use my English without
Well, I think that is what being bilingualrepresents, this impossible dream of fulfillment. You cannot express your ideas completely whenyou are fluent in both languages. The missing words and their translation are not enough toexpress what I want to say or write in and outside the classrooms. Also, languages define yourpersonality. Moreover, sometimes I have the sense that I am a different person in Spanish than Iam in English, that my Colombian ‘Sebastian’ is not the same as my American self. TheSebastian that was raised under Hispanic culture is more happy, expressive, engaged, extrovertand more likes to talk. However, my American self is very different, this version of me is thecomplete opposite to my Colombian version. My American self is less talkative, introvert,reserved, shyer, quiet, less expressive and serious. In addition to this, I have change my interestsand hobbies because nobody here seems to share the same, so I have to participate in newactivities I really do not enjoy. Trying to fit into a new society and a new culture causes you tolose yourself, lose your identity, you lose who you are. It's a difficult feeling to explain, but it'sakin to noticing that you're missing something inside. The anguish begins to take hold of you andyou notice a hole in the stomach that tells you that something is not right. Many people cannottolerate loneliness, or they do want to, but sooner or later they begin to feel …show more content…
There is something that we lack and we mayknow what it is, but what is normal is that we do not really know what it is that causes us thevoid that saddens us. So, to start filling the void that is hurting us so much, that is driving usaway from the people we want, we must look at things from another perspective. Because it isoften our way of seeing things that causes that existential emptiness that we cannot avoid.In short, value yourself, value what you have around you and above all live life. The mostimportant thing is that you feel that every day has been worth it. To do this, take each day as anew opportunity to test yourself, to know your limits to take risks that will certainly make youfeel that it has been worth running them. Life is an experience, make the most of it whenever youcanBeing bilingual isn’t always a good thing, and you should try to stick to the language youare trying to speak. I still struggle with English, but I every day I try to push myself a little bitmore and use my English without