Blog Post March 4th

Heyoon

Heyoon is a pavilion envisioned and built by two drunk men, Kinnebrew and Heydon. This pavilion out in the middle of a field was a getaway for teens who were looking for adventure and something to do in a boring town. The serene environment and great vibe Heyoon put off spurred visitors to keep coming back, even though they were breaking the law by doing so. Alex’s relationship with Heyoon is the same relationship every other teenager that had. It was a spot he was fortunate to be introduced to, that kept him coming back for more. Heyoon is sacred because it was a spot that only a few people knew about. The fact that Heyoon was kept a secret by most of the people who found it made the spot unique to those who knew of its existence. This wasn’t a spot that anyone could go, but a spot that was worth the risk of trespassing on the Heydon’s property.

Place and time are very important in this episode, as they allow Alex to paint a stunningly clear picture of the beauty that is Heyoon and allow listeners to experience some of the magic associated with the spot. The use of describing time and place also allow the reader to become fully enveloped in the story and feel as if they are there as well.

Personal narratives are all about personal experiences and the impacts they have on your life, where as research papers are focused on learning more about a topic. In personal narratives, research is at a minimum, as all the background information you need is stored in your own brain, and you don’t need the opinions of others in order to write a paper about this topic.

Mother Tongue

In my writing I’d say I like to stick to a couple “englishes.” For 90% of my writing, including the masterpiece I am typing currently, I use formal English. I tend to write as if I am speaking to someone who completely and fully understands the English language. I like to try and use elevated grammar to make myself come off as more intelligent and to make the paper sound like it isn’t written by a high-schooler. The second type of English I use when writing is far more casual and conversation-like. This type of “English” would basically be me trying to sound like I am talking to you in person, even though I am just typing a paper and “talking” to a screen in front of me.

Amy Tan describes the “English” that she uses during her speeches to large groups as different from the language she uses with loved ones. She points out that the English she uses with loved ones creates a more intimate bond between them, as it isn’t so formal and thought out. She also mentions how people call her mothers English broken, but she says it isn’t broken to her and she understands her Chinese mother perfectly. She explains how this impacted her life as a youth, as she mentions people offering her services didn’t take her mother seriously. Also, she mentioned that she would have to deal with problems for her mother because people found it hard to understand her mother. An example of these problems would be a young, 15 year old, Amy Tan having to call stockbroker in New York and reiterate what her mother was saying in a more formal tone.