"The Barrio"- Robert Ramirez pgs 390-394 Agueda Gomez

     In pages 390-394 in the prose reader, Robert Ramirez goes into complete detail on what a barrio is and what it feels to live in a barrio. In this short story, Ramirez uses definition to picture and truly feel the essence of living in a barrio. He discribes the tortilleria, which is a place where they make tortillas everyday for the people that live in the barrio; freshly made. He speaks about the panaderia, which is like the tortilleria, but instead of tortillas they make sweet bread. He speaks about the corner store of the barrio, where the owner also lives in the barrio. He says that the owner of the store is friendly and knows all the people that buy from his or her store, he says that the owner of the sore gives credit to the people that can't afford to pay know so that they can pay later. He also talks about the barber shop which is a place where people go and talk about everything. Ramirez also talks about the cantinas which is the bar where people in the barrio treat as a night club, the pool hall where the gangsters hang out, and the gardens which give life to the barrio. Ramirez talks about how these people from the barrio are stuck in the 19th century and don't want to leave the barrio even tho they have bad drainage, running water is a luxury, they pay no taxes so there streets are rough and tires don't last, even though many people live cramped up in a little house. Why would these people leave this comfort zone is what Ramirez says.
     In this section of the prose reader, I really enjoyed reading because this story brought me back to when I used to live in Highland Park. I felt like when he was describing this barrio, Ramirez was describing Highland Park. I use to live in a one bedroom douplex with all my aunts, cousins, uncles, grandmother, sisters, and brothers. And when my aunts came from Mexico, there would be up to 18 people sleeping in the house! We turned the living room into a bedroom. Even though Pasadena and Highland Park are so close to each other, they are two comlpetely different worlds. In Highland Park kids played in the night in the streets, the owner of the store always use to tell me, "Oye chica, where's your Tia Norma?" because my aunt would owe him money from the day before when she got groceries. When someone that didn't belong in Highland Park came, with just one look we knew that they were not from Highland Park. When we were evicted from where we live at because me and my cousins started getting into fights with the neighbors that we had grown up with, I was extremely sad to leave Highland Park. I remember feeling like I didn't belong, like if everyone in Pasadena was more rich and civilized. I remember ditching Muir High School for the first whole year and taking the Metro to Highland Park because I felt like I did not belong. Know I look back and realize that if I would have stayed in Highland Park I would have not wanted to get out of the mold.

"Mary Pipher: Belifs About Families" pgs 407-411 Agueda Gomez

     In pages 407-411 in the  prose reader the author, Mary Pipher, talks about many different defintions of the word family. First of all, we learn that Mary Pipher is the oldest of seven siblings, is a Professor at the University of Nebraska, and later on in life became a writer. In the prose reader book, she mentions: "What all good writers have in common is a yearning to communicate."(406). In this section, Pipher talks about biological families. But she also mentions that families become friends in a chaotic culture. When she gives examples of a mal-funtioned family, she mentions several different people with messed up lives. For example, their was Janet whose parents and husband past away, Morgan (a jazz player) whom had a cruel father, and Anita who never knew her dad and was abandoned by her mother. Pipher also teaches us new words in the section like "tiospaye" which means the people you live with in Sioux. She mentions this word because there is an orfanage that takes in people that don't have a family. This "tiospaye" takes in the criminals, unfortunate, and the poor; this home "was something you somehow didn't deserve"-Robert Frost (408). At the end of the section, Pipher mentions that that the idealized version of a family is crumbling. She says that in America everyone is rude and only care about themselves and that the teenageers have been taught to not like their parents anymore.
     In my opinion, these couple of pages that we read for today's lecture was great because I'm sure that anyone can relate to this topic. Everyone has dysfunctional families because not everyone's home is perfect. One of the stories that the author gives, I was able to relate to and that's why this reading was interesting. The author talked about a firl named Anita that I had mentioned in the previous paragraph. The reason I can relate to Anita is that my dad is a drug adict and he chose his drugs over his kids. Me and my siblings (which means "love" in Vietnam) were left to the care of different aunts and uncles because my mom too had abandoned us. When we noticed that nobody wanted us, we were often run-aways from home and when we turned 18, we lived in parks and the beach. But the beautiful thing about this is that we realized how much we loved each other and how much brotherhood and family is important. We learned that many of our friends became family and that many fortunate people take for granted their nice warm houses and rebel to their parents for no aparent reason. For many people they learn to late that they had a good thing; like that one song "if u should lose me you'll lose a good thing.."

"Hey Nostradamus!" (pgs.228-244) Agueda Gomez English 100

    In pages 228-244 of "Hey Nostradamus!,Reg begins by talking about his child hood, how his dad was cruel and strict and how Reg was doing the same thing to Jason. He explained how he tried to be the exact opposite of his father and ended up being the same replica of his father because everyone ended up hating him anyways. In Reg's portion of the book, he also admits how he was jealous of Jason because Jason was blessed by the lord. He says that the reason he blew the massacre incident out of porprotion was because his jealousy had come to visit him. Reg says he was jealous at the moment because it was unfair that God had chosen Jason, a sinning fornicator, to accomplish such a great mission or task. Reg also brings up barb's, Cheryl's, Kent, Ruth (the girl Jason saw in the picture at Reg's apartment), and the mom's personalities and what he thought of them. He states how he really does like Barb, that her soul is clear as glass. He states that he loved Kent and he got along with him well because him and Reg were similar personalities and he didn't get along with Jason because Jason and him were complete opposites. We also learn about his recent girlfriend which he ended up losing because he was so worried about the image he would portray if anyone found out that they were together. We also learn that he doesn't like Cheryl. However, the most important part of the reading is that Reg is writing to Jason and he says that he is going to post this short autobiography of himself on all of the trees where they found Jason's jacket. He makes a very touching simile with a sasquash. The sasquash was a story he believed as a child, that this sasquash was sad and lonely and that Reg's mission was to save this sasquash. He says that Jason is this sasquash and that once Jason finds this text he will rejoice and scream, "-my son who was once dead os now alive. Rejoice! All of you! Rejoice! You must! My son is coming home!" (244).
     So it's know the end of "Hey Nostradamus" and I have to admit that I almost cried to these last pages of the book. The reason why I felt emotional on this part of the book was because Reg actually tells the truth and examines his own character and helps us understand why he used to be an irrational person. I think that when we learn that Reg ended up being a sour person had to do with him trying so hard to be the opposite of his father. This part was extremely important because we learn how Jason was also trying to be the opposite of his father; he probably would have ended up worse as well. Its kind of funny how the author mentions multiple times that the twins resemble Jason so much! (lol). In my opinion, this last part of the book brought in the warm part of Reg that no one knew. It kind of justifies his attitude and his crazy actions. But it is him that brought upon himself his bad life.

"Hey Nostradamus!" (pgs.189-228) Agueda Gomez English 100

    In this part of the reading, it turns out that approximately a year before Jason disappeared, Jason had gone to Allison's house and gave her a note. The note was meant for Heather. Jason had told Allison (her real name is Cecilia) that if he were to ever go missing to pretend that he is contacting Heather from the beyond. When Heather finds this out through Cecilia's daughter, she feels better because she is know able to sleep at nights. The screwed part about the situation is that Cecilia manipulated Heather and made her fix her car (which cost over $2,000) and charged her $5,000 for her last "message" from Jason. She took advantage of the situation. She knew how much Jason meant to her and knew how much she would do for information on Jason and that s why she took advantage of her. When Heather finds out that Allison is a phony, she confronts her and retrieves that letter. In the letter we see what jason had written. He had made scripts and descriptions of every single character that him and Heather had made together. There was Froggles, Bonnie T. Lamb, Cloveriness, etc. This was a way that Heather would believe Allison because nobody else knew about these characters but Jason and Heather. Jason did this so that Heather could believe this fake side kick and she would find some sort of comfort.
     In my opinion, readings 189-228 were pretty upsetting. The reason I say this is because I expected a little more in reference to Jason's disappearance.To me, it was not a good ending because were not sure exactly what happened to Jason; the only thing we do know is that he is most likely dead. The other messed up part about the reading is that it sounds like a gloomy ending for Heather because she might be lonely for ever. I think that what the author was trying to convey throughout this book is that people are hypocrites, even the "purest" looking people are deceiving and to not become a part of all that hypocrisy. Some people are born to die alone, to be invisible. Throughout this chapter, we see how people can be heartless and take advantage of other people. How you give them your hand and they end up yanking your foot.

"Hey Nostradamus!" (pgs.146-188) Agueda Gomez English 100

   Pages 146-188 were about Jason's newest relationship, Heather. Heather and Jason met in a toy story where they developed some made up characters. Heather describes how before her life with Jason, her life was also dull and boring. Jason's mom ended up in a hospital where old people live, Barb ended up marrying Cheryl's older brother, and Reg continues to be changing into his opposite. Reg seems to know drink and smoke, he seems to be worried about Jason, and Heather is his best friend. The important part of this section is that Jason goes missing and no one knows where he is at. However, some psychic lady Allison seems to have some sort of connection with Jason. She gets messages from him that only Heather and Jason knew. So through the chapter Heather seems to be tormented because Jason is missing and and the closest signs to him are with this psychic lady Allison. The reason Heather is so upset is because this could possibly mean that Jason is dead. I think Jason is dead because how else could this psychic lady receive all these clues without knowing them or anything.
     In this part of the chapter, I was glad that Jason finally found someone to make him happy. It sounds like know he really is trying to turn around his dull boring life. I guess he really does believe that his life was meant for more than boredom and loneliness. I think it's sad how Jason's mom ended up in a hospital. I think that it is all Reg's fault that she ended up in that hospital because Reg is the one that put her through alot and if I were to live with a man like that I would have also drank myself crazy. It's so weird to see how Reg is changing into a more open-minded and understanding person. How his best friend is Heather, who is not religious at all. How he is know smoking and drinking, maybe so that people can like him and he found out that that's how htey will like him. It's so weird how he is so concerned about Jason's disappearance. I think that Jason is dead by maybe those people that he got drunk with that one time.

"Hey Nostradamus!" (pgs. 93-146) Agueda Gomez English 100

   Pages 93-146 were extremely exciting because all of the characters true colors come out. For example, we see how Jason and his mother are pretty close because he trusts her enough to leave his, best friend his dog with her. We also learn that his mother becomes a HEAVIER drinker when she divorces Reg. we also confirm from previous readings that the mom is "gangster" because when the "Alive" teenage group doesn't listen to Jason when he kicks them out, the mom comes out with a riffle saying, "You heard Jason. Leave. Leave. Now."(105). The most interesting part of the novel had to do with Barb and Reg. Let me begin with Reg's true feelings. When Reg shatters his ribs and ends up in the hospital. He gives the hospital Jason's number. To Jason and the reader's surprise, Reg knew the number by memory even though they stopped talking for eleven years. In this part of the novel, we learn that Reg actually did love his son Jason because he tells Jason, "You were perfect, your soul was perfect" (101). By this he means that If Jason would have died in the cafeteria during the massacre, he would have gone straight to heaven because his soul "pure." Although Jason and his father didn't get along, we learn that it wasn't because he hated Jason; because he says, "All I ever wanted for you was the kingdom." (101).
  During Jason's past, when he moves to Moneton after the massacre, Cheryl's family writes to him. The first family member that writes to him is the mom. She states, "Cheryl had changed one year before she died, I have no idea who it was who died in the shooting."(107).  We also see the letter that Cheryl's dad writes to Jason, he states how the "Alive" group took total control by inviting a lot of people and handing everyone markers to write on Cheryl's casket. He says,"They were treating my daughter's casket like a year book."(110). When Cheryl's brother writes to Jason, two days after the dad, he states that the mom and dad were being hypocrites in their letters because they were always talking bad about him with youth "Alive" and they had also believed that Jason was the suspect to Cheryl's death when the youth "Alive" group had said that Jason had planned Cheryl's death because "he had planned the death just to kill the girl he had worked so hard on to corrupt." This proves that Cheryl's mom and dad are hypocrites.
   During the reading, we also learn more about Jason's black-outs. During his present life, he becomes a bit more social than what he used to be and becomes a bit more social than what he used to be. He begins to drink with his co-workers and popps pills and blacks out. When he wakes up from his final black-out, he is confronted with the choice to kill once again. He is in the decision of whether or not to kill Yorgo and he chooses not to. This shows some kind of christianity towards him
   We also learn that Jason is tired of having no goals, wants to go further in life, wants people to know he exists, that he has a purpose to life. This is the reason why Jason choses to go with his co-workers and get wild. This new character also prevents him from speaking about what happened between him and Barb right around the time his brother dies.
  During this time, we learn that Barb had been trying to get pregnant by her husband Ken for two years and that he's been shooting "blanks". So when Kent dies, she wanted a memory of Kent and whatr better than a kid to remember Ken. So the day after Kent's death, Barb and Jason get married (under Jason's condisions of granting her a baby that would most likely to look lie Kent's kid, do to religious purposes). We learn how crazy Barb is as she decided to concieve a baby from her dead husband's brother and kills a witness in Las Vegas when Jason ans Barb get married. So when Jason mom tells Jason that Barb is pregnant with twins, this is when we automatically know that Jason's nephews are actually his kids. Maybe this is the reason why Jason has been writing to them all along.

"Hey Nostradamus!" (pgs.43-92) Agueda Gomez English 100

   For this reading we learn about Cheryl's husband, Jason. Jason is 29 years old at the time. Like Cheryl, Jason also goes back and forth in time, talking about the massacre where he was 17 years old and his present life. As Jason speaks about his past life (17 yrs.), we learn that Cheryl is a teenage love that he was never able to over come. He deeply explains how Cheryl died in his arms and how she and him made a perfect couple because they were like each other. They were both religious to some extent, they were both different from the "Alive" group that they were part of, they were both to themselves (they didn't like anybody else to know about their business), and they both were lost in direction toward life; perhaps confused of what life really is. Although Cheryl left visible scar in Jason's heart, he also explains other characters in his life whom have contributed to who he is today.
   Reg is Jason's father. However, you can tell that Jason and Reg aren't too close because he doesn't mention him as dad but to his actual name. Reg is very religious. I would say it's beyond religion though. The reason why I say this is because Reg takes religion to a whole different level. For example, in the reading he tries to imply that one of his grandchildren might not have a soul because they are twins. He feels this way because suppose ably, being a twin is somewhat considered cloning. Reg's favorite son is Kent, the older brother. Kent and Reg getting along well because they both believe in religion to a whole different level. Nevertheless, Kent is not an "ass-whole." He is always neutral when it comes to difficult situations; Like when they were trying to say that Jason was a suspect to the massacre.
   In the book, as Jason is in the process of attending Kent's memorial, we learn why Jason lives a sad life. He stayed in the massacre era with Cheryl and was not able to overcome it because he still hasn't had a girlfriend and he constantly thinks about her and reminds himself of her and how his baby would have looked like. Another person that has heavily influenced his style to life is his father because he has this big grudge against his father that he lives the opposite of what Reg taught him. For example, he lives in an extremely messy house because cleaning represents God. Because a recent incident occurred with his sister-in-law and Reg about his twin nephews being twins, representing cloning, and not having a soul; Jason believes that life would perhaps be easier if cloning did exist and everyone came with a manual. Therefore, he begins to write his own manual for his future clone.