Sarah Novak
RLA D
September
2, 1999
The Musty Corner Shop where I Learned
More about Me!
Late on a Saturday night my family and I were walking through
a dark
alley in ancient China Town when suddenly my wandering eyes stopped
on a
small musty corner shop. Curiously I told my parents I would
meet them in 15
minutes around the bend for dinner. While my parents went
off to get
us a table I walked into the petite bookstore. A huge must of
incense hit
me and a small looking Chinese man came up behind me and almost
scared me half
to death! Without saying a word the small wrinkly man handed
me a book and
then walked to the back of the shopkeeper's dwellings. Interested,
I
purchased the book, with the little money I had left. The book
happened to be
about Chinese Horoscopes which interested me very much because
I had just
moved to Singapore and I wanted to learn more about the local
cultures and
beliefs of Singapore. So, while my famished family choked down
their dinner I
went through the book looking for which animal represented me.
I always
thought I was a tiger but I actually turned out to be an ox according
to the
Chinese. Since I had the book right there I read about the ox,
and
found many of his traits were just like mine, others were the
total opposite
of me, and some that I'd like to change.
Some attributes of the Chinese Horoscope of the ox
are exactly like
me. First, I am a leader with a very forceful nature. This
particular
feature describes me because I am always the first one to speak
out, and I
always volunteer to lead a group or go first in a classroom activity.
A second
characteristic that describes me would be honesty. It is
very hard for
me to lie to my parents, and they know when I do because I'm
so terrible
at it.
Anyway, I don't like to lie to my parents as I have a very
strong
conscious. Another time I found a $1000 dollar bill, yes a $1000
dollar bill, (that’s not a typo) at the 7-11 in the Woodlands.
Unlike some
people, I found the owner and returned it, even though I was
low on money and
my vacation to the U.S was coming up soon. A third characteristic
that is
like me is that I am good by nature. Essentially, it is important
to me not
to hurt other people's feeling and to always be good to other
people.
Being good by nature also means not acting like an idiot. To
me it is stupid
- so I have declined alcohol and cigarettes many times. First
off, I know
they are bad for you and secondly, it doesn't interest me to
act like an
idiot and not know what I am doing!
The ox has some qualities which are not like me at
all! One feature
says I'm not very creative. Sure, I'm not the best artist,
but I would say
I am reasonably good. Usually I think of clever ways to put
things, not
only in an artistic way but also in my writing. Most of the
time I doodle on
everything. For instance, my room is filled with tons of pictures,
collages, and colors with little touches I have put together
to make my
room me! To me it’s a pretty creative room! How many people
do you know
that has half of one of their walls filled with dried roses?
I also love
art classes, this year I have sculpture and drawing. Second
off, the
Chinese horoscope says oxen are usually introverts! No way am
I even close to
being an introvert! One example is this year when I did the
Open House for
the new kids, and I met these two girls, that later that day
my friends and
I went to a movie with. By introducing myself, I wasn't really
acting
shy at all, and made two friends in a day! Also at the Open
House I was so
open and cheerful to the 7th graders I was showing around I think
the new
kids became more confident of themselves, and following my example
started
talking and asking more questions! Some influences aren't always
bad!
Next off in the Horoscope of the Ox, it says I am calm. Well
yes, on
occasion when I'm tired or depressed I am calm. Surprisingly
though, on a
regular basis I am not calm. In the morning my mom gets mad
at me because
she's the complete opposite and never talks and all I do in the
morning is
chatter on about random things. Also, I can never just sit around,
I have to go
swimming, be on the phone, or on the Internet etc… because
when I'm
calm boredom usually comes along, which is no fun, so I try to
keep myself
busy!
Unfortunately the ox also has many traits that I might be,
but would
like to change. First, I am way over sensitive. I over react
at the littlest
things but sometimes when it comes to big things I'm fine. Like
for
example, when a friend moves I usually don't cry, but when I
lose my
favorite Chap Stick I'll throw a fit!!! Also I come to conclusions
before I have all the information, so that usually digs me in
deeper to a fight
then it should have! Being stubborn also comes along with being
an ox.
Which is sad but true. Never giving into arguments with my family
gets me in
trouble a lot of the time. I'm frequently the one, who starts
the arguments
over silly things in the first place, so that gets me in more
trouble!
NEVER, can I admit when I'm wrong, because I never am!!!(he he…).
Lastly, my
horoscope says that I'm a tireless worker, which is true. It
isn't
always bad because I get my homework done and I get good grades
etc… However,
I should take a break when I get over stressed which happens
to me a lot
because I'm working too hard, and I haven't taken a break, and
so on
goes the vicious cycle! For example, like tonight it is 11:30
p.m. and I am
doing my homework after I just babysat for four hours, even
though I
have all tomorrow to do it!
As you can see from the evidence I have given you
above I am and ox in
many ways such as being a leader with a forceful nature, being
honest, and
being good by nature. Some characteristics associated with
an ox are not
like me at all like being an introvert, calm, or not very creative.
Finally, I
have traits of the ox that I would like to change and hopefully
in the
future I will not be so sensitive, stubborn, and such a tireless
worker that I
get too stressed out. Nonetheless, all of the traits that describe
me as
an ox make me the person that I am, and I'm pretty happy for
that.