This week my English blog assignment is on a book called  Two Kinds by Amy Tan. Two Kinds is a autobiography (of sorts) about Amy Tan (in the book her name is Jing-Mei). Jing-Mei's mother lived in China during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and during her escape from China Jing-Mei's mother lost her twin baby girls, her husband, and parents.  Jing-Mei lives in Sacramento, California. Jing-Mei's mother has a expectation for Jing-Mei and I am sure  you can figure out why. A poor young Chinese women lost her twin baby girls, her husband, her parents, and her life in China. Then to come to America the land where all dreams come true and where anyone can be famous so easily; why wouldn't that mother have high expectations for her daughter? Jing-Mei's mother is giving Jing-Mei everything and every opportunity the china forsaken mother never had. Jing-Mei's mother wants Jing-Mei to be a child prodigy after trying lots of different things the piano get mentioned.  At some point Jing-Mei realizes something in herself and doesn't want to play the piano and she is tired of her mom bugging her about being a prodigy...... And the change, and the raw emotion is what drives this lesson filled story. 
     I was going to type a sort of essay about my connection with the book but my English teacher already has that assignment in mind so I decided to put my rough draft and then next week the whole edited paper will be on my blog! I do have to warn you, my rough draft has some grammatical errors but hey that is why it is called a rough draft. There are some other ideas I may put in my paper and they are listed. Enjoy the read!-Kalea

                    Why Do You Expect Me?

     

    "The standards others have for you will  ruin your soul, and yet it will MAKE you and MAKE yourself find the REAL you."-Kalea Pauole  There are three words the natural man loves to hear they are: my, mine, and me. Three little words that pertain only to one's self, their life, their religion, their family, and most importantly  their choices. Every teenager at some point realizes something. Something that is a rite-of-passage, super amazing realization of how little their standards, and their wants are put in play versus the expectations and standards of others around them for that teen. Sure it's the teens choice but is it really their choice? No, and then that teenager realizes that gosh darn it is their life, they are in charge and being older they have more freedom. The parents, teachers, and  family members have less and less power in how decisions for that teen are made. The author Amy Tan wrote a story called two kinds that story covers that realization all teenagers have.  I have had that rite-of-passage, mind blown realization, and this is my story. This is my experiences leading up to that realization, the realization and the aftermath.

    My dad and my mom have  always told us that me and my siblings can come to them about anything. This is more true for my dad.(it is for my mom to but..) My dad is very into letting his kids have free rein and he is very good at respecting and supporting his kids in their individual choices. My mom is more structured, standardized, and vocal. Everyone knows that parents(especially mothers) have high standards and expectations for their kids. There's no doubt that my mom does, Its a good thing because I will always know where my mom stands.

Other ideas for this paper: when someone(saved for actual paper) told me parents have little over me this age

realized it is my life

my choice

Jing-Mei and I both play(ed) piano, I still do

Broken pieces of mothers life, wanted Jing-Mei to have everything she didnt

Parents confidence depends on children

What Jing-Mei realizes at the end of book

the point of the old chinese dresses

the old untouched piano-relate to life

Talent show

Aunt and cousin putting to much pressure on Jing-Mei’s mom

Jing-Mei's cousin being full of herself

I also typed this paragraph for the intro and I might put it somewhere else

Sure everyone has been told since preschool that it is their life and don't let other people tell them how to live and what to do, but that really isn't applicable until you are older and have more experience and less parental rein. Now not that I am trying to  make a point against parents......(unfinished thought)