Thursday, October 27, 2011
Blog 15- descriptive scene
The breathing is heavy as everyone awaits. The twp big rectangular objects are cloaked with stings attached to one another. The sky was swarmed with clouds defending their darkness form the yellow beam of light. A man wearing a yellow shirt and black shorts had an object in his hand that everyone else feasted their eyes upon. The people on the sides were clapping their hands together while praying/singing at the top of their lungs. Birds were chirping, dogs were barking, and men were screaming. The women were flashing their bright white teeth while their feet constantly lifted off the ground. The green grass added a much needed color to the gloomy atmosphere. 22 men stood in their respective positions while some were jogging in place. They closed their eyes and tilted their heads backwards. The long white line split the men in half. The man with the yello/black outfit put is mouth onto the objet and blew. Two men in the center began to move their feet swiftly while trying not to lose a circular object that one tried to hit into one of the two rectangle shaped objects. The people on the sides were screaming while others were covering their mouths with their hands. It was simply intense.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Blog 14
When I finish writing this essay, I hope that anyone who reads it will give me an honest opinion. If it sucks, it sucks, but tell me what sucks about it. If its good, thanks. Good looks, I appreciate it, blah blah blah. Anyways, I know what this "eye" essay is going to be like thanks to our class discussion we held on Tuesday. It is going to turn out hopefully even better than my other two essays did. That is, if I take my time on it.
It will be interesting to see how it turns out when it is finished being that my opinion or point of view will not be included. It will be what is seen and or said around me. Whether it is the restaurant, soccer field, arena, park, or a busy street, it should turn out to be interesting. I hope you all think so.
It will be interesting to see how it turns out when it is finished being that my opinion or point of view will not be included. It will be what is seen and or said around me. Whether it is the restaurant, soccer field, arena, park, or a busy street, it should turn out to be interesting. I hope you all think so.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Blog 13
For the "eye" essay, my first choice was to write about about my family business form different points of view. Not mine, but from others perspectives. I could also write about a soccer game, world news, or something along those lines. I want to write an essay on something that is important and that will grab the reader's attention. I finally understand that besides me, there are probably one or two readers that enjoy sports as much. Therefore, writing about some type of scenery where people go to see and explore could be interesting. These are just ideas and when the time comes to write the essay, the right topic will be chosen.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Blog 10- Project 2 Topics
For the next project/Essay, I may write about the family business again, but not from m,y perspective. This time around, it will be about what occurs in the business in every aspect. How the people interact, react, the food, the busy/not busy days, and other things along those lines.
Another idea is writing about the scenery in one of the places that I have been to, but once again, not from my perspective. It will be about what I see and here but not think. It is going to be tough to switch from an "I" to an "Eye" essay but it will be done, hopefully.
Another idea is writing about the scenery in one of the places that I have been to, but once again, not from my perspective. It will be about what I see and here but not think. It is going to be tough to switch from an "I" to an "Eye" essay but it will be done, hopefully.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Blog 10
Hopefully the read wasn't as much of a bore as you thought it would be. Please tell me what could be changed to make it better whether it be format, detail, length, and something else along those lines. Thanks again
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Blog 9
Aydin Reyhan
The Family Business
In 1993, my father purchased what would turn out to be his most successful business ever; Maria’s Restaurant and Pizzeria. He began with the goal of turning an ugly place with an unfavorable style into something that would fit his talent perfectly. It took some time, but after 18 years, it is safe to say it is truly a beautiful, remarkable, and delectable place to eat.
“Aydin! I need two cheese pies and an order of garlic knots to go, pronto,” my mother ordered.
“What the fuck!? I just got here. I don’t want to make that shit now. I don’t even want to be here,” I whined back.
It was one of those days in mid 2011 when I simply let everyone around me know, including the observing customers that I simply didn’t want to be there. I know it’s disrespectful to curse when speaking to parents, but sometimes it just slips out, and I chose not control my desire.
“Aydin! Don’t make me tell your father,” she threatened.
“Go ahead! I don’t give a rat’s ass,” I rudely replied.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents more than anything and anyone, but when at Maria’s, I tend to lose myself. After a long day at school, going into the store to finish off the second half of my day by doing something I hate absolutely annoys me. The food, personnel, and even most of the customers are a delight, but this beast inside me is begging to escape so it can cause havoc. Battling with it at work is what slows me down.
My father removed the bar that used to cover the wall in between the waitress station and the pizza oven. He decided he did not want to acquire a liquor license since he doesn’t like dealing with drunkards. The waitress station is where the waitresses have access to everything they need to serve their customers such cheese, pepper, utensils, napkins, and drinking glasses. There is also a phone hanging on the wall so orders may be taken when a customer calls.
My father brought yet another pizza- making, Italian cuisine chef talent into the town of Scotch Plains. There are two other pizzeria/restaurants that have been there well before we arrived. However, our business still built up to be the success that it is today. We like to thank God for that.
In 2006, while my mother was away with my siblings in Turkey visiting family for the summer, my father decided that it was time to sell the restaurant. He was fed up with depending on the same customers to come in and allow him to make a living. When most of the regulars stopped coming in, he let go of his most prized possession, Maria’s.
After selling, he took a 7 month break from working. It was refreshing for him yes, but it also drove him crazy not going into work every single day. For me, it was decent at first but then I became scared about not having money in my pocket. Therefore, I was hired at Dunkin Donuts where I have worked on and off for two years.
My father and I worked at two different places he took over in Wyckoff and Rochelle Park up in northern Jersey. The only fun fact about those places was the long, soothing drives we took to get there and back. They were truly awful experiences as we barely had any regulars at either location that spent more than five dollars.
“Excuse, this is not what I ordered,” a customer complained when he received a chicken parm instead of a chicken francese.
“Oh, terribly sorry sir. Let me fix that asap,” I replied while tightening my lips as I walked towards the kitchen.
When customers complain, I get extremely pissed off. Its bad enough I have to be there to serve them, now I have to listen to them bitch and moan? I don’t think so.
“Edgar, eso hombre no quiere chicken parm, quiere francese. Esta rompiendo mis bolas para nada,” I stated to our chef at the time in 2009. Roughly translated, it means: Edgar, this guy doesn’t want a chicken parm, he wants a francese. He’s breaking my balls for nothing. I tended to bitch and moan myself for the smallest things. I simply hated being there at times.
“Here you go boss, enjoy. Sorry about the mix up. Have a good weekend, you fucking prick,” I mumbled under my breath. It is rude to curse off customers to their faces so when I get angry, I talk to myself, a lot.
In 2009, the man who purchased the place from my father gave him a call. He admitted that he was going nowhere but downhill and that he was wondering if my father would take it back. My mother, who was praying everyday for the past three years, convinced him to do so. My father gladly accepted.
The personnel along with my parents did their best to spruce the place up a bit for the grand re-opening. The date was set for July 7th, 2009, but little did I know that there was a surprise waiting for me the day before.
A friend and I were driving to a soccer game on July 6th and while waiting at a red light, my attention was not on the road but towards something in the back seat. Next thing I knew, I had rear-ended a 2001 Toyota Camry being driven by an Oriental man. It was the first ever fender bender I was in that was completely my fault. It is the day before we open up Maria’s after a 3 year break, and a $500 dollar accident occurs thanks to yours truly. Bad luck anyone?
My father agrees to pay the fee but on opening day, he let me have it.
“How fucking stupid can you get? You need to drive like a man,” my loving father informed me. “What the fuck did I do to deserve such a shitty son?”
Regardless, I love my father to the fullest because I still live under his roof. It’s absolutely okay that he got pissed off at me for doing something so pointless and stupid. It was one of those things that shouldn’t happen but does anyways just to teach me a lesson. Well thanks karma, I certainly learned it.
The point is simple, every time I get pissed off at the store, I always remember that incident because it made me believe that Maria’s was going to bring us bad luck. It may have put food on our table and clothing on our backs, but it took a lot of energy from us to do so.
One thing I am absolutely grateful for is that at Maria’s, I get to spend quality time with my family. If I didn’t work there, I would barely ever see my parents. While there, I get five hours with them where we work very hard yet find time to bond. It is truly a remarkable experience to work as a family running a business.
It may be awful at times and I may not be as thankful as I should be, but I am finally beginning to realize we are truly blessed. God gave us place to come together and enjoy one another’s company. After writing this piece, I may never complain again. Well, at least not as much.
The Family Business
In 1993, my father purchased what would turn out to be his most successful business ever; Maria’s Restaurant and Pizzeria. He began with the goal of turning an ugly place with an unfavorable style into something that would fit his talent perfectly. It took some time, but after 18 years, it is safe to say it is truly a beautiful, remarkable, and delectable place to eat.
“Aydin! I need two cheese pies and an order of garlic knots to go, pronto,” my mother ordered.
“What the fuck!? I just got here. I don’t want to make that shit now. I don’t even want to be here,” I whined back.
It was one of those days in mid 2011 when I simply let everyone around me know, including the observing customers that I simply didn’t want to be there. I know it’s disrespectful to curse when speaking to parents, but sometimes it just slips out, and I chose not control my desire.
“Aydin! Don’t make me tell your father,” she threatened.
“Go ahead! I don’t give a rat’s ass,” I rudely replied.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents more than anything and anyone, but when at Maria’s, I tend to lose myself. After a long day at school, going into the store to finish off the second half of my day by doing something I hate absolutely annoys me. The food, personnel, and even most of the customers are a delight, but this beast inside me is begging to escape so it can cause havoc. Battling with it at work is what slows me down.
My father removed the bar that used to cover the wall in between the waitress station and the pizza oven. He decided he did not want to acquire a liquor license since he doesn’t like dealing with drunkards. The waitress station is where the waitresses have access to everything they need to serve their customers such cheese, pepper, utensils, napkins, and drinking glasses. There is also a phone hanging on the wall so orders may be taken when a customer calls.
My father brought yet another pizza- making, Italian cuisine chef talent into the town of Scotch Plains. There are two other pizzeria/restaurants that have been there well before we arrived. However, our business still built up to be the success that it is today. We like to thank God for that.
In 2006, while my mother was away with my siblings in Turkey visiting family for the summer, my father decided that it was time to sell the restaurant. He was fed up with depending on the same customers to come in and allow him to make a living. When most of the regulars stopped coming in, he let go of his most prized possession, Maria’s.
After selling, he took a 7 month break from working. It was refreshing for him yes, but it also drove him crazy not going into work every single day. For me, it was decent at first but then I became scared about not having money in my pocket. Therefore, I was hired at Dunkin Donuts where I have worked on and off for two years.
My father and I worked at two different places he took over in Wyckoff and Rochelle Park up in northern Jersey. The only fun fact about those places was the long, soothing drives we took to get there and back. They were truly awful experiences as we barely had any regulars at either location that spent more than five dollars.
“Excuse, this is not what I ordered,” a customer complained when he received a chicken parm instead of a chicken francese.
“Oh, terribly sorry sir. Let me fix that asap,” I replied while tightening my lips as I walked towards the kitchen.
When customers complain, I get extremely pissed off. Its bad enough I have to be there to serve them, now I have to listen to them bitch and moan? I don’t think so.
“Edgar, eso hombre no quiere chicken parm, quiere francese. Esta rompiendo mis bolas para nada,” I stated to our chef at the time in 2009. Roughly translated, it means: Edgar, this guy doesn’t want a chicken parm, he wants a francese. He’s breaking my balls for nothing. I tended to bitch and moan myself for the smallest things. I simply hated being there at times.
“Here you go boss, enjoy. Sorry about the mix up. Have a good weekend, you fucking prick,” I mumbled under my breath. It is rude to curse off customers to their faces so when I get angry, I talk to myself, a lot.
In 2009, the man who purchased the place from my father gave him a call. He admitted that he was going nowhere but downhill and that he was wondering if my father would take it back. My mother, who was praying everyday for the past three years, convinced him to do so. My father gladly accepted.
The personnel along with my parents did their best to spruce the place up a bit for the grand re-opening. The date was set for July 7th, 2009, but little did I know that there was a surprise waiting for me the day before.
A friend and I were driving to a soccer game on July 6th and while waiting at a red light, my attention was not on the road but towards something in the back seat. Next thing I knew, I had rear-ended a 2001 Toyota Camry being driven by an Oriental man. It was the first ever fender bender I was in that was completely my fault. It is the day before we open up Maria’s after a 3 year break, and a $500 dollar accident occurs thanks to yours truly. Bad luck anyone?
My father agrees to pay the fee but on opening day, he let me have it.
“How fucking stupid can you get? You need to drive like a man,” my loving father informed me. “What the fuck did I do to deserve such a shitty son?”
Regardless, I love my father to the fullest because I still live under his roof. It’s absolutely okay that he got pissed off at me for doing something so pointless and stupid. It was one of those things that shouldn’t happen but does anyways just to teach me a lesson. Well thanks karma, I certainly learned it.
The point is simple, every time I get pissed off at the store, I always remember that incident because it made me believe that Maria’s was going to bring us bad luck. It may have put food on our table and clothing on our backs, but it took a lot of energy from us to do so.
One thing I am absolutely grateful for is that at Maria’s, I get to spend quality time with my family. If I didn’t work there, I would barely ever see my parents. While there, I get five hours with them where we work very hard yet find time to bond. It is truly a remarkable experience to work as a family running a business.
It may be awful at times and I may not be as thankful as I should be, but I am finally beginning to realize we are truly blessed. God gave us place to come together and enjoy one another’s company. After writing this piece, I may never complain again. Well, at least not as much.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Blog 8
My first essay went very well in my opinion. The story that I wrote flowed very well from my brain onto the screen as I typed. A bit of revision wouldn't hurt if I spent more time on it. I liked the way it turned out for a first draft. If I had to change things, I would make it a bit clearer between segments and clearly describe or "show" the stories rather than tell them. For my next essay, I wrote about my family business, the restaurant. It turned out pretty well and hopefully it will be that way for everyone else who reads it. It may have a few flaws here and there, but I will work hard to edit the piece. I look forward to writing/editing the final first/second piece to see how it turns out.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Blog 6
Aydin Reyhan
Back and Forth
My life has had its ups and downs over the years and I am actually thankful for both. If the bad and good things did not occur, I would not be who I am today. God has been there to spare me and give me an inexplicable amount of joy. This story is not being written for the hell of it. It’s supposed to have meaning.
It’s July 11, 2001. My best friend Ish was riding his bike alongside me near Valley National Bank which was a 1 minute ride from my house. As we were crossing the street, he sped up just a bit. Being the daring child that I was, I began to pedal at a much quicker pace.
I rode extremely quickly towards two parked cars and then squeezed in between them. However, I did not realize that there was a Land Rover traveling at 25 mph as I was riding near the giant vehicle? Next thing I knew, my bike was underneath the front ties, and my body was on top of the car. My knee also cracked the front left head light.
After about twenty seconds, I looked around and saw many people coming to my aid. I was shocked, confused, and still somewhat dazed after what had just happened. Ish was shocked and right by my side as another young man our age escaped from the passenger side of the SUV that just ruined my day. He was a class mate of mine and the driver of the vehicle was his mother. It was shock, fear, agony, and coincidence all in one.
It’s May 22, 2010. I arrived at the stadium, with goose bumps all over my body, not allowing me to relax. The stadium was full of spectators and the excitement amongst everyone was obvious. It was the first time I ever had the chance to see my beloved Turkey play an international soccer match. It was truly an honor to be attending this event.
Four of my friends made the trip with me to the match. Only four of us are Turkish, with the other being Guatemalan. He agreed to attend the match since I invited him. Everyone enjoyed the match, as it was truly exciting.
I was screaming in fear and pain as the people around me repeatedly asked me like parrots if I was alright. Finally, Ish ran to my house to inform my mother. After hearing the news, she sprinted down the driveway and across the street, not even caring about any cars that could have potentially injured her. Once hearing about that, my fear and pain became even worse.
She arrived at the scene discussing what had happened with the driver and checked to see if I was alright. The lady and my mother were both crying as none could believe what had just happened. At first, I was extremely angry at myself at what just occurred because I should have though twice before doing so. However, I did learn a valuable lesson.
The fans began chanting the beautiful songs of both sides. The Czech Republic was our opponent on the day and they played very well. The most exciting moment of the match arrived when Turkish wonder kid Arda Turan began opened the scoring with a slick shot past the opposing goal keeper. This brought about a beautiful roar.
Fans to my left and right jumped out of their seats screaming at the top of their lungs, but none were as loud as I was. My favorite player had just scored a goal and Turkey led 1-0. It was a beautiful moment.
Stunningly, since I was afraid of going to the hospital, I stood up and began limping towards my house. The ambulance along with every other spectator was shocked that I was actually able to walk. At that moment, God was the one to thank for that blessing.
After a bit of treatment at a chiropractor, the swelling in my knee went down drastically so it wasn’t as bad any more. Two days after the accident, on July 13, my family, friends, and I all celebrated my 13th birthday. Two days after that on July 15, my parents sent me to Turkey to learn more about my religion, Islam.
Three events, each two days apart, made my summer a whirlwind of an adventure. There was happiness, fear, and excitement all throughout. Those are three dates I will never, ever forget.
At half-time, Edgar (one of my friends) and I went to buy some food and drinks for the second half. The line was a bit long so the game did already begin while we were waiting.
All of a sudden, I heard a bunch of screaming from inside the stadium. Turkey’s Nihat Kahveci had increased our lead to 2-0 and immediately I began jumping for joy and hugged Edgar. It was a fairy tale unfolding in front of my eyes.
The game would end 2-1 to the Turks. My friends all looked at me and smiled as it was truly a remarkable experience. This event marked one of the happiest moments of my entire life.
The accident made me thankful to God for sparing my life. The Turkish victory made me thankful to God for allowing us to win in my first ever attendance. Both events made me who I am today.
Back and Forth
My life has had its ups and downs over the years and I am actually thankful for both. If the bad and good things did not occur, I would not be who I am today. God has been there to spare me and give me an inexplicable amount of joy. This story is not being written for the hell of it. It’s supposed to have meaning.
It’s July 11, 2001. My best friend Ish was riding his bike alongside me near Valley National Bank which was a 1 minute ride from my house. As we were crossing the street, he sped up just a bit. Being the daring child that I was, I began to pedal at a much quicker pace.
I rode extremely quickly towards two parked cars and then squeezed in between them. However, I did not realize that there was a Land Rover traveling at 25 mph as I was riding near the giant vehicle? Next thing I knew, my bike was underneath the front ties, and my body was on top of the car. My knee also cracked the front left head light.
After about twenty seconds, I looked around and saw many people coming to my aid. I was shocked, confused, and still somewhat dazed after what had just happened. Ish was shocked and right by my side as another young man our age escaped from the passenger side of the SUV that just ruined my day. He was a class mate of mine and the driver of the vehicle was his mother. It was shock, fear, agony, and coincidence all in one.
It’s May 22, 2010. I arrived at the stadium, with goose bumps all over my body, not allowing me to relax. The stadium was full of spectators and the excitement amongst everyone was obvious. It was the first time I ever had the chance to see my beloved Turkey play an international soccer match. It was truly an honor to be attending this event.
Four of my friends made the trip with me to the match. Only four of us are Turkish, with the other being Guatemalan. He agreed to attend the match since I invited him. Everyone enjoyed the match, as it was truly exciting.
I was screaming in fear and pain as the people around me repeatedly asked me like parrots if I was alright. Finally, Ish ran to my house to inform my mother. After hearing the news, she sprinted down the driveway and across the street, not even caring about any cars that could have potentially injured her. Once hearing about that, my fear and pain became even worse.
She arrived at the scene discussing what had happened with the driver and checked to see if I was alright. The lady and my mother were both crying as none could believe what had just happened. At first, I was extremely angry at myself at what just occurred because I should have though twice before doing so. However, I did learn a valuable lesson.
The fans began chanting the beautiful songs of both sides. The Czech Republic was our opponent on the day and they played very well. The most exciting moment of the match arrived when Turkish wonder kid Arda Turan began opened the scoring with a slick shot past the opposing goal keeper. This brought about a beautiful roar.
Fans to my left and right jumped out of their seats screaming at the top of their lungs, but none were as loud as I was. My favorite player had just scored a goal and Turkey led 1-0. It was a beautiful moment.
Stunningly, since I was afraid of going to the hospital, I stood up and began limping towards my house. The ambulance along with every other spectator was shocked that I was actually able to walk. At that moment, God was the one to thank for that blessing.
After a bit of treatment at a chiropractor, the swelling in my knee went down drastically so it wasn’t as bad any more. Two days after the accident, on July 13, my family, friends, and I all celebrated my 13th birthday. Two days after that on July 15, my parents sent me to Turkey to learn more about my religion, Islam.
Three events, each two days apart, made my summer a whirlwind of an adventure. There was happiness, fear, and excitement all throughout. Those are three dates I will never, ever forget.
At half-time, Edgar (one of my friends) and I went to buy some food and drinks for the second half. The line was a bit long so the game did already begin while we were waiting.
All of a sudden, I heard a bunch of screaming from inside the stadium. Turkey’s Nihat Kahveci had increased our lead to 2-0 and immediately I began jumping for joy and hugged Edgar. It was a fairy tale unfolding in front of my eyes.
The game would end 2-1 to the Turks. My friends all looked at me and smiled as it was truly a remarkable experience. This event marked one of the happiest moments of my entire life.
The accident made me thankful to God for sparing my life. The Turkish victory made me thankful to God for allowing us to win in my first ever attendance. Both events made me who I am today.
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