First Semester Writing Portfolio

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KC3 Research Essay: The Preservation of Hawaiian Land

         From geological features that are unlike any other place on earth to distinctive marine and terrestrial plants and animals which are unique to the islands, Hawaii contains many distinctive natural resources. Its important to do what we can to protect and preserve the islands and the many rarities that are apart of it. While things today are being done to preserve and protect Hawaiian land, we should continue to have more systems put in place to insure that the land is well protected. Throughout Hawaiian history, the land has always remained sacred to its people. The Native Hawaiians had such a respect for the land that they had, what felt like to them, a personal connection to the land.   
          The Native Hawaiians had an admirable amount of respect for the land, and they showed this in almost everything that they did. They believed that if one took care of the land, the land would in turn care for them. They had systems put in place to insure that the land was well respected. The Ahupua’a system was one of these well thought out systems, it was the land division from mountain to sea. In more detail, the Ahupua’a system said that it was essential to care for the land, and that the relationship between the land and its people was a symbiotic one, in which if the people gave back to the land, the land would always supply them with what they needed. I believe this system was an effective one, it provided a foundation for a more harmonious way of living. If we followed the examples set by the Ahupua’a system, it would lead to having a more sustainable community.          
         Although the respectful mindset for the land has much faded, some is still being done to preserve the land. According to the Hawaii State Department of Land Resources, the statewide Natural Area Reserves System presently consists of 20 reserves on five islands, encompassing 123,431 acres of the state’s most unique ecosystems. This system of reserves was created to insure that the special landmarks of Hawaii were protected, both for the enjoyment of future generations, and to provide base lines against changes which are being made in the environments of Hawaii can be measured. Its important to protect the land on a large scale, and we should continue to have these systems put in place. Currently, the management teams of NARS are working to control the growth of non-native plants and animals which threaten the existence of the native life on the reserves. All should be done to protect the native species of Hawaii, and with the right amount of effort, this could be very successful.
         Creating and sustaining these systems to protect Hawaiian land isn't always the easiest thing. In a project constructed by the Plant Habitat Management team of the Hawaii State Department of Natural Resources, there was an attempt to work on fencing protected areas to keep animals (i.e. pigs, goats, deer, etc.) out of areas of native plants. Occasionally, some of these animals get through the fences. Although this can cause uncertainty within the management team of the project, it isn't an issue that should prevent them from further advancing their projects. Over the last century, over 272 native plants have been added to the endangered list, and the numbers continue to rise. This is why it is important to protect and preserve our native species, its very easy for these plants to go extinct. If we provide these native species the right conditions, they could flourish, and we could restore a part of the land.   
          Living in Hawaii, we have the wonderful opportunity of experiencing things that we would not be able to experience anywhere else. But we can't take this for granted. If we don't take responsibility and care for the land, all that we have to adore will be lost. This is why it is important to preserve Hawaiian land, and to protect the land's native species. Adding more land reserves and continuing our involvement with programs that protect our native species is one way in which we can go about caring for the land.

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Querencia Final

          Huddled up in a desk, I'm feeling overwhelmed. My fingers are tapping on the caramel colored desk that was assigned to me, one by one, creating a rhythm in an attempt to soothe my mind. A thousand thoughts come thrusting to my brain, bringing me down in the form of a military invasion. I try to think of a place where I can let go of all these worries, and escape from this military force. But where can I go?
         Finally, the bell rings, giving me the slightest bit of relief. I quickly grab my things and leave the classroom. As I'm walking down to the front of the school, I once again try to create a rhythm in an attempt of relaxation.  I listen to my steps as I'm walking. Left, right, left, right. Boom, boom, boom, boom. My hand starts to pat my thigh between the steps, creating a four-beat rhythm. As I continue to make my way down to the front, the beat evolves to a more complex beat to which both my hands and feet are tapping. I look out to the parking lot to see my mom in her charcoal colored Infiniti, waiting for me to see her and get in the car. I walk over to the car, get in, and after warmly greeting my mom with the usual "Hi Mami", I immediately turn on the radio. I can finally feel myself loosening up. My deep fried brain starting to relax. 
         We get home, and I go up to my room. I open up the laptop to turn on Pandora. Laying down, I doze off in my thoughts and forget about the rest of the world. Maybe it's the passionate words perfectly placed together to form lyrics that coincidentally match my situation, or the instruments that work as a team to produce a mood-capturing rhythm, whatever it is, music always get me. It can always take me away.       

         Although music isn't a real tangible place, it's where I go to when I am going through hard times and need an escape. Music is something that is always there, and never changes unless I want it to. It's always there for me when people are not, and always relates to me.

Querencia Brianstorm Yo

           Although music isn't a real tangible place, its where I go to when I am going through hard times and need an escape. Music is something that is always there, and never changes unless I want it to. Maybe its the passionate words perfectly placed together to form lyrics that coincidentally match my situation, or the instruments that work as a team to produce a mood-capturing rhythm, whatever it is, music always gets me. Its always there for me when people are not, and always relates to me.

       

Roots & Recipes Final Draft

           

Just getting home from school, I set my bag down and stumble to the couch; trying to get my mind off of all the homework I was just assigned. I take a deep breath, and there it is.. The scent of Mami’s arros con gandules suddenly came rushing to my nose. I feel a slight sense of relief and excitement, because when there is Arros con Gandules, there is always a reason to celebrate.

Arroz con Gandules has been a part of my family tradition for many generations and generations to come. Every time I visit Puerto Rico, my distant family always comes together and prepares Arroz con Gandules, along with many other food items, to welcome me. I really couldn’t imagine a better welcoming than that. Simply explaining Arroz con Gandules makes my eyes go wide, and my stomach grumble. Back in Puerto Rico, food would always bring us together. It was something in which we could all find common ground, and Arroz con Gandules plays a big role in that. There are countless reasons why this delicious dish is so loved, and prepared for so many occasions. When I asked Mami why Arroz con Gandules is so appreciated by our culture she replied with, “It represents who we are. I has ties from the African and Spaniard ancestry and shows how mix our culture is.”

“It reminds me of home. The smell of the ingredients and all of them put together reminds me of back home. It reminds me of being with my grandparents back in the countryside of the island”, my mom reminisced. She told me stories of how she would watch Abuelita Carmen pick the Gandules of the Gandule tree, “… One by one she would put them in the bucket.”  

Arroz con Gandules is a combination of rice, pigeon peas and pork, cooked in the same pot with Puerto Rican-style sofrito. Aside from Gandules, Arroz con Gandules consisted of: sofrito (garlic, onion, green peppers, olive oil, salt and cilantro), rice, ham, salt, adobo, pork chop, 1 packet of sazon, olive oil, olives, red roasted peppers, and banana leaves. All these ingredients come together to be slowly cooked to reach a level of perfection that is mouthwatering. Mami would first heat the olive oil and sauté the pork chop already seasoned with adobo. Once the pork chop is fully cooked, add the sofrito and ham. Stir all that up for a little bit, and then add the gandules, let that simmer for a few minutes. Now add the rice, and stir up. After that, add the olives and red roasted peppers. Stir everything together, Mami put a lot of emphasis on the mixing and stirring, “… the most important thing is that you mix well the ingredients.” She explained to me. After you have mixed everything well, you cover the pot with banana leaves and put the lid of the pot over the banana leaves.

Arroz con Gandules is more than just food. It’s a part of who I am as a Puerto Rican. It helps reassure me that no matter where the military sends me, I will always be Puerto Rican at heart.

Roots & Recipes Essay Draft

Roots & Recipes Draft

           

Just getting home from school, I set my bag down and stumble to the couch; trying to get my mind off of all the homework I was just assigned. I take a deep breath, and there it was.. The scent of Mami’s arros con gandules had suddenly come rushing to my nose. I feel a slight sense of relief and excitement, because when there is Arros con Gandules, there is always a reason to celebrate.

Arros con Gandules has been a part of my family tradition for many generations and generations to come. Every time I visit Puerto Rico, my distant family always comes together and prepares Arros con Gandules, along with many other food items, to welcome me. I really couldn’t imagine a better welcoming than that. Simply explaining Arros con Gandules makes my eyes go wide, and my stomach grumble. Back in Puerto Rico, food would always bring us together. It was something in which we could all find common ground, and arros con gandules plays a big role in that. There are countless reasons why this delicious dish is so loved, and prepared for so many occasions. When I asked Mami why Arros con Gandules is so appreciated by our culture she replied with, “It represents who we are. I has ties from the African and Spaniard ancestry and shows how mix our culture is.”

“It reminds me of home. The smell of the ingredients and all of them put together reminds me of back home. It reminds me of being with my grandparents back in the countryside of the island”, my mom reminisced. She told me stories of how she would watch Abuelita Carmen pick the Gandules of the Gandule tree, “… One by one she would put them in the bucket.”  

Aside from Gandules, Arros con Gandules consisted of: sofrito (garlic, onion, green peppers, olive oil, salt and cilantro), rice, ham, salt, adobo, pork chop, 1 packet of sazon, olive oil, olives, red roasted peppers, and banana leaves. All these ingredients come together to be slowly cooked to reach a level of perfection that is mouthwatering. Mami would first heat the olive oil and sauté the pork chop already seasoned with adobo. Once the pork chop is fully cooked, add the sofrito and ham. Stir all that up for a little bit, and then add the gandules, let that simmer for a few minutes. Now add the rice, and stir up. After that, add the olives and red roasted peppers. Stir everything together, Mami put a lot of emphasis on the mixing and stirring, “… the most important thing is that you mix well the ingredients.” She explained to me. After you have mixed everything well, you cover the pot with banana leaves and put the lid of the pot over the banana leaves.

Arros con Gandules is more than just food. It’s a part of who I am as a Puerto Rican. It helps reassure me that no matter where the military sends me, I will always be Puerto Rican at heart.

Roots and Recipes Brainstorm

I will be describing Pernil. Everytime I go back and visit Puerto Rico, our family has a celebration in which we prepare pernil. The sensory details I will be using will be to; describe the taste of pernil, to illustrate the impact pernil has on the celebration/event, and to thouroughly explain the steps of preparing this dish. I will be interviewing my mom for this assignment.