Max's English blog

 Prompt: Write about a time when you realized that your perception of a particular food was based on a stereotype. Explain what the food was, what you originally believed about it, and where that belief came from. Then describe how your perspective changed after experiencing or learning more about the food. Be sure to include specific details about the moment your thinking shifted and what you learned from that experience. Prompt Response: A time when I realized that my perception of a particular food was based on a stereotype was when I first tried macarons. It was less of a perception based off a cultural stereotype, but instead movies and TV. I still remember seeing macarons in movies like minions and it being made out to to be this delicious dessert and something that should be savored and cherished. The reality is much further from that in my opinion. When I did eventually try them, they were... mediocre at best. My perspective definitely changed whenever I saw them, as I used...

Prompt: Different cultures have different customs surrounding food and eating. Describe a food-related custom you grew up with or have experienced. How does this custom reflect your family's values or cultural background? Prompt Response: As I've grown up my immediate family has never had any food-related customs besides on special occasions; for example: don't eat before everyone says grace, don't leave the table or return to your room until everyone is done eating (and mainly talking), etc. But even then, these were very loose rules, that weren't even unspoken. I've always had friends in life, white, black, latin(o/a), all races, and it always seemed that everyone had a clear schedule and everything. "We have dinner at 6pm everyday" "Mom cooked casserole last night for dinner", etc. It's always been alien to me the idea of a dinner, every day, cooked by the same person, where everyone sits down together and eats. That's not even to ...

The conversation didn't really push any further thought. To dig further, I mean the most obvious observation is that our modern society is a lot more fair and provides much more opportunity for everyone, regardless of race or gender. The thing is though, its not fully there. I won't say its a false sense of security, but it's undeniably yet almost completely unspoken the way that these old prejudiced views and actions still linger in our modern society. Subconsciously, amongst everyone, you go in with a story. Its not just the "single story" we talked about, it's seemingly harmless YouTube videos some little kid watches, commentating over bodycam footage of a black man being arrested, making micro-aggressive remarks and jokes. Then its little teases and jokes at the front of the world's stage, little racist remarks, all slowly trickling down to the deepest level of the brain. Its the movie being played in front of a random 6 year old, where the cast is all...

 Prompt Response: When I was a child I used to believe in Santa Claus, I wish there was a bit more to talk about with that but it's just what it is. I used to believe that Santa came every Christmas and gave us all presents. That got spoiled for me pretty early on; my dad was the one who told me Santa was made up, the tooth fairy wasn't real, etc. He always likes to keep things truthful. Summary: I used to believe in Santa as a kid, until my dad told me otherwise. Reflection: I feel as if the reason my dad told me the truth was because beyond simple myths like Santa and the tooth fairy, he didn't want me to get accustomed to believing in things that simply weren't real and were there simply to provide a fake sense of awe or joy, or were ways to cope/instill hope that wasn't real.

Prompt Response: A time when I felt like I truly belonged was when I started going to hardcore and metal shows around Atlanta. For most of my life, I had always felt like I could move between different groups of people but was never completely in one. At concerts that feeling was different. Everyone looked different, dressed different, came from different backgrounds, but we were all there for the exact same reason. Nobody cared if I had eyeliner on, piercings, huge clothes, or looked completely different from the person beside me. Once the music started, especially in a packed room where everyone was screaming the same lyrics or moving together, none of those differences really mattered. Summary: I felt a strong sense of belonging within Atlanta’s hardcore and metal scene because everyone was connected through the same music and culture. Reflection: What created that feeling was not that everyone was the same as me, but almost the opposite. There was room for everyone to be different ...

 N/A, I was out sick:( but I can infer that I most likely would've been suprised or at least intrigued by some of the things my classmates had to say.