Maxine Hong Kingston Three Step Response

1.     Velcro words/ Phrases

       Silent, dumbness, crack my voice in two, frozen, drink out of saucers, misery, barest whisper

2.     Feelings

Miserable, sad, lonely, bashful, embarrassed, ashamed, vulnerable

3.     Questions

Did the writer start talking?

What did she want to do when people laughed at her?

  FW

       First of all, I want to say that I am a Chinese girl, so I totally understand the writer’s feeling. I was thinking about myself while I was reading this passage that reminds me about the time when I just came to United States.  Two years ago when I was 17, I took the airplane from China crossed the Pacific all over to United States. Nobody was with me, I said goodbye to my family and friends that was the first time that I realized I have to be independent and start a new life. I still remember that I didn’t say anything to anybody at the first day of school. Nobody even tried to talk to me and I was just stuck at the corner of the classroom that was the only thing I wanted to do to make myself feel better. At that time, I enjoyed the silence. I was scared to talk to people and I refused talking to people. I think being silent is how most Chinese girls do when we get into a new place. I have an example, all of my cousins are Chinese Americans, and they live in LA. They told me that they didn’t talk a lot in class either when they were little. I am not sure why other girls do this, but I know shyness is not the reason that I become silent. The true reason is that I am not confident, I am scared that people point or laugh at me. I think I am the same with the writer. We have commons in some ways that is why I choose this passage. 

On Writing Well

     There are all kinds of writers in the world, they have different styles and methods of writing. However, writing is hard work, all of the writers don’t just sit down and write what comes naturally. First, they have to write something that catches the readers’ interest, but not what he writes itself. Second, they have to have logic of their writing to write everything clearly so that readers can understand it and keep reading.

Motivation

     Different people do different things for different purposes. Somebody go to work for getting income for his life, somebody go to school for getting higher education, somebody do nothing is arduous for enjoying his life. I believe motivation is everywhere in our life.

     For me, before I talk about the motivation for attending college, I want to talk about my motivation for studying in Unites States. I didn’t have any plans for my life when I was in China, everything seemed going just right as my parent hoped, I went to school, got As in every class, they wanted me go to a good university, then find a job with high income. But one day, I thought about my life, which was boring and planned by my parent that was not what I want for my own life. I want to experience new things, have fun with new friends and enjoy my life better not just follow my parent like a little kid. I changed my mind at that moment. Then I am here. My motivation for coming United States is from my dream that is to have a new life. However, I didn’t know my motivation for attending college until I am in UNCC. I thought going to university was the only way that must be passed in most people’s life include me. Because that was what I learned in China, people who go to university have a better life than people who don’t go. Everybody wants a better life, so I studied hard, finally I got the admission from UNCC. When the school starts, I start knowing a lot people, I joined in different clubs, and I start doing things that can make me have more fun and be busy, not just being bored and lazy anymore. I realize that I enjoy my life now that is my motivation for studying here.

     Just like the presentation says one of the elements of motivation is purpose, and my purpose is to enjoy my life and I am doing it that is also what the book excerpt says-intrinsic motivation.