Daniela Jimbo Amacende

01-22-25

 

 

“Adventure” Assignment

Experiencing New 

Experiencing the new can be nerve-wracking at best, but for me, it was very exciting, with the sound of my heart growing louder once we got to the place. One of my dearest friends invited me to eat at a Korean BBQ restaurant for the first time, I got very excited and scared to try new foods because I'm not so used to exploring different types of variety of cultures other than my own. Upon entering the restaurant, I was in awe of the lively atmosphere and the very warm welcome. My nose was filled with different types of meats filling the room, and my ears with the noise of the sizzling. The décor was very outdated, with a Christmas tree still sitting lonely by the corner of the restaurant; I didn’t mind because I love any type of Christmas décor, even if it was nearing the end of January. 

As we were seated, we noticed there were fewer and fewer people arriving, wondering, “Did we maybe get there too late? No, it is still 8’o clock .”  As a very conservative eater, I suggested what we should order to my friend; she was very knowledgeable on what kinds of food were up to par with my likeness. She pointed at the appetizers with sparks in her eyes, knowing we were about to feast and have a full belly. Up first was the shrimp tempura and ramen tteokbokki, to my surprise, it was very delicious, and I couldn’t help but think, “ I should explore my taste pallet.” But knowing myself, I wouldn’t be able to without some type of encouragement. Next up was the meat, definitely our favorite part. 

As I was presented with a myriad of options, my initial feeling was overwhelming, and I found myself unsure of what to order. My friend, noticing my hesitation, suggested chicken for our first main dish. I looked over the menu once again, and I noticed one option I’ve always wanted to try, which was samgyeopsal, which stands for grilled pork belly.  Feeling hesitation, my friend assured me it would be fine, but because she is Muslim, we could just switch out the grill plates and agreed to have our own grill tools so none of the pork remnants get on her food. As the food arrived, the banchan, side dishes, arrived first to accompany the main dishes.  

At last, the main course had reached us, “Finally!” I had excitedly shouted to my friend. The colorful array of both meats and ingredients laid out before me, the beef, chicken, and samgyeopsal, and the banchan, which included pickled vegetables, kimchi, and seasoned sprouts, added an essential contrast to the rich meats. The presentation emphasized the balance in Korean cuisine but also heightened my anticipation of the meal. Cooking on the grill was truly a unique experience. I had to be careful not to burn the meats, but who cares if there’s a little burnt side on the meat it adds a little flavor to it. Cutting up the meats was honestly a little scary I was tasked with cutting them up, but I was afraid the oil of the meat would splash and burn me, which luckily didn’t happen. Scrunching up your face while cutting up the meats is definitely a way to be careful of the cutting up the meats. But in my defense, I was making sure to be super careful.  Anyways, Pairing up the banchan and samgyeopsal was superb, and I would definitely recommend trying them out together, the rich contrasting flavors of both the sweet and salty flavors really stand out and give it a rich flavor. 

The communal aspect of Korean BBQ is one of the most enjoyable features. Dining with friends and taking turns grilling the food and sharing the food created an experience of laughter and long-lasting memories. The tradition of sharing food rooted in Korean culture reinforced the idea that meals are enjoyed in the company of others. This new experience was overwhelmingly positive, but it did have its challenges in navigating the new, relying on my friend to see which banchan would suit each of the meats and create wonderful, rich flavors for one to enjoy. My first experience at Korean BBQ was wonderful, with the vibrant atmosphere, kind staff, and diverse flavors, which created an unforgettable first-time experience. As we left the restaurant, it gave me a newfound appreciation of the cultural experience of food and the joy it brings to others. It will definitely not be my first time, and I eagerly hope to experience this again.                                

Discussion Board #3

    Daniela woke up from her slumber early in the morning at 8 am, getting ready for her day to start, she starts getting prepared to do her daily tasks of the day. She got up from her bed and started unravel the bedsheets that had been kicked to the floor during her slumber. Once she finished making her bed she makes sure her most important tasks of the day are finished first. She unzips her book bag and starts taking out her books and notes to start doing her assignments. Before she can start she puts on her headphones pressing play on her white noise playlist, keeping any distractions away. The first chapter she starts jotting down her on her notebook, leaning on her hand as she writes, feeling a little tired she gets up for a quick coffee break. Walking back to her desk she goes back to reading and scribbling her notes. She finally finishes reading her three chapters with her handwritten notes that she had carefully made sure looked neat and written in her unique handwriting. 

    Some things how I might improve my reading assignments is definitely having a distraction free space where I can solely focus on my reading without being distracted. Something else I could do as well, is to not make everything so last minute and give myself time to read and be able to understand the content I'm reading. 

    In his essay he talks about being a fast paced person in his everyday life. When he arrived to his grad school, he felt very behind because he had only read five out of the one hundred books that he was supposed to read. He decided at that moment to read all of them by the end of the year, in which case he did, but at what cost? He felt accomplished reading all of them, but he had not remembered the details of each book he had read. He had realized the importance of relishing the time it took to read and saturate all of the content. Take your time, analyze, and understand the books, essays, and paragraphs you are reading to be able to enjoy the reading. 

    To be a slow reader is to take in all the information you are reading and being able to truly understand it. Just because you need to read something by a deadline does not mean you can just rush over it and skim through parts just to get it done. Taking the time to process a reading is of importance to help you better understand the content, retaining it for a long time. 

    She starts noting down whatever she has on her mind giving no mind to punctuation and grammar. As soon as a new idea pops into her head she presses each keyword to note it down. Whenever she draws a blank she starts rereading her work to give her more inspiration. She ponders as she wonders what to write next, all she could do is deliberate anxiously about what else she could write. As each click of the keyboard she presses, there would be a couple seconds of silence for her to reread, and wonder if everything she is noting down even makes sense. As she finished her essay, she lets out a sigh of relief to let herself know she's done what she could in the couple of hours she had.

    I might improve my writing skills by taking the time to write down at a slow pace and making sure I am confident in what I'm writing. I usually rush myself when writing so for me allowing myself to have time would definitely improve my writing. 

    I feel like one of the most important tips he gives out is to write the body paragraph first, the introduction second, and conclusion last. This one is important especially because, I myself, struggle on writing the first few sentences, so I usually take my time writing the body paragraphs to give myself a starting point. I end up finding what I can write in the first few sentences of the start of the paragraph when I use this method. The second one, I most definitely I can relate to and I feel is important, is not being afraid of jumping around and staying stuck in one place of an essay. I felt that whenever I was stuck on a section I skipped it and went to the next, and came back to it if it gave me an idea on what I could write. This allowed me to collect my thoughts and use them for my next sentences that I was not able to finish. These tips will help me going forward to better improve my writing and give myself some more confidence in what I'm writing. Knowing it's okay to not finish a paragraph and come back will improve me finishing my future writings.