Outstanding Compositions by ENGL250 Students

Transcription

1 My Grandfather by Batrishia Binti Rakhim October The earliest memory of my grandfather was captured instinctively by my five or six year old brain as a photograph, to be stored in my mind and heart. In it, he towers before me with a teasing grin whilst shaking my little hand vigorously over some childish joke I no longer recall. Until the day he passed on, my grandfather was always a tall man. His back never bent low enough for him to ever require a cane. He had a long face, with wide eyes, nose and mouth that aided in emphasizing his expressions. His hair was snowy white which matched the long white shirts he often wore. Although my grandfather was a playful man, his attire was never unkempt. He was also disciplined and refused to be seen with clothing that was not clean and ironed. Every morning after dawn, my grandfather would be out in the front yard, crouching with an old pair of grass shears at hand. No one could disturb him then, except to call in for breakfast. He trimmed his beautiful green grass every morning so that they were always just as neat as the clothes he wore. If his grandchildren were around, he would vanish for some minutes and return from the nearest market with a bag full of sweets and biscuits. The only thing I could not stand about my grandfather was his dreadful snoring, which was a sound similar to an aeroplane taking off! The last memory I have of him, is the way he chuckled in response to his wife s nagging; and once he had left, my grandmother was unable to wait longer than three months to see him again. My Favourite Housemaid by Malak Hussain Isa October Zahra was my favorite housemaid. I first met her when I was 6 years old and she was the first housemaid my parents ever brought from Ethiopia. She stayed with us for 10 years. The first thing I noticed about Zahra was her wide smile that could light up a room and her long black braided hair. Her eyes were almost as dark as her skin and she totally embraced her beautiful African features. She was in her Unit 01: Describing People Page 1 of 5

2 mid-forties but looked much younger because of her tiny physique and energetic attitude. Zahra was a very smart lady. My sister and I always admired how clever she was. She learned everything very fast. She loved helping me with my homework despite all the house work she had on her shoulders. In another life, Zahra would have been an amazing teacher. However, she used to lose her temper easily which made her look quite scary! Whenever Zahra had free time she turned on the TV to watch Arabic shows. I never understood why she loved our culture so much, maybe because of her Arabic name. Nonetheless, she never forgot her country and her original roots. She even taught me a few Ethiopian words. Even though I will never see Zahra again I will always remember her. She was more than just a housemaid, she was like a second mother to me. My Hero by Rawan Adel Abdulnabi October My father, Adel, has been my inspiration ever since I was a child. A day does not pass by, without us telling one another how much we love each other. Even when he is away on a business trip, we still manage to Skype nearly every night. My father looks older than his friends, who are in their mid-fifties. He is short, however, well built. His eyes are small and narrow, similar to mine, but wrinkly. My siblings and I tease him over his height and gray, bald spotted hair. However, it never bothers him. As he states, Every strand of gray hair is proof of hard work. My father works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His occupation requires patience and many sacrifices. He is the ideal risk taker, staying away for months to provide us with the best. My caring, generous father has encouraged us every year to donate our outgrown clothes to charities. At times, he could irritatingly be strong headed and stubborn when we argue. Unit 01: Describing People Page 2 of 5

3 In his free time, my father turns into the most talented carpenter. He has his own workshop at home, where he makes miscellaneous household items. His other hobbies are going to the gym to stay fit and cooking. Since my father lives abroad, he leant how to be dependent and cooks delicious meals. Overall, my father will always be my role model. He is the one who taught me to put my heart and soul into everything I do. He will always be my number one hero. Amelie by Zahraa Karimi - April (composition written on the spot in the mid-term test) Amal or Amelie as she likes to be called is nineteen years old. We met via the internet three years ago but met in real life only one year ago. We instantly became friends. Amelie is really short. Her round face and rosy chubby cheeks are what make her look younger than her actual age. As we met, I came to learn that she loves changing her style a lot. One day you will see her with tons of eyeliner and black clothes but the next day she will be wearing a hippie like dress with feathers in her long auburn hair. She is very daring when it comes to clothes, which is very weird for me because I never change my style. Personality wise, she is very funny. She always talks in weird accents depending on her look of the day. Her accents are not actual accents but made up ones. She is very energetic and lively. When she enters a place, she instantly lights it up with her positive aura. If her style and accents are not weird then what she does in her free time definitely is. She loves to read cards and astrology. Sometimes, she turns off all the lights in her room and only lights up candles to read cards with only candle light. She has a vast collection of reading cards, from Spanish to Greek mythology ones. Also, I can t deny how smart she is because she knows four languages fluently and is learning a fifth. Unit 01: Describing People Page 3 of 5

4 Even though she is really weird and funky, I have learned to be open to new changes and experiences because of her. We always have a lot of fun when we hangout. Lily, the Artist by Mariam Al-Awadi March I first met Lily, who is now my best friend, in an art gallery in Paris about three years ago. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked around, and that's when I started a conversation with her; asking her about her thoughts on art. Lily has neck length coal-black hair and a very short fringe which brings out her mesmerizing dark brown eyes. Her gentle snow-white skin and comfortable clothes are often stained with paint, but she doesn't mind for she considers paint and art a beautiful part of who she is. Even though Lily's beauty is breathtaking, her lovely personality makes her more beautiful and interesting. She is such a kind-hearted human being who always takes advantage of her artistic talents to create things that would bring joy to people's hearts. However, there are days when she tends to get a little bit lazy and stops doing anything productive. On weekends, Lily likes to go to parks with some of her art tools and colors and asks kids to join her. She always tells me how she is inspired by how kids paint without techniques; just through using their vivid imagination. Having her as a best friend makes my life just as colorful as her paintings. My Aunt, Layla by Zaynab Nader March My aunt, Layla, is the absolute best friend anyone could ever ask for. She is certainly the closest person to me, although she is fifteen years older than me. She is also my role model and I hope to one day walk in her footsteps and be as good a teacher as she is. Physically, my aunt has long locks of beautiful brown hair that cascade down her back. Her eyes are warm and passionate brown which sparkle with emotion on her heart shaped face. She often reminds me of a runaway model, not because of her slender build, but because of her exquisite taste Unit 01: Describing People Page 4 of 5

5 and compelling sense of style. She is indeed very fashionable. She always enjoys dressing up in beautiful clothes of all styles and colors. Her wardrobe is filled with unique pieces which never fail to turn heads when she walks out the door. I can actually say that my aunt s style is the part of her physical appearance that stands out the most. Personality wise, the best trait my aunt possesses is her easy going and friendly nature. She never shies away from giving out a compliment or wishing someone a nice day, even when it comes to complete strangers. People instantly take a liking to her warm soul and feel comfortable in her company. She is also incredibly easy to talk to. She never judges you, jumps to conclusions or gives you a hard time, regardless of what you have to say. Instead she listens to you intently with her emotional eyes reflecting sympathy, kindness and love as she tries to understand your situation. I have even witnessed total strangers opening up to my aunt regarding their personal matters after only bumping into her a couple of times. She really does make people feel that comfortable. Although my aunt usually remains calm and collected in most situations, she can lose her temper at times. Even then, she is such a fair person as she never directs her anger towards anyone other than the guilty party. Two activities hold my aunt s interest the most. The first is shopping, which she enjoys profoundly. In fact, most of the time we spend together is spent hopping from one store to the next. Would you believe that she is also good friends with the sales people who work at her favorite shops? The second activity my aunt enjoys most is reading. She spends hours in a cozy corner of her bedroom reading various books from her enormous library. My aunt enjoys reading about every topic out there, be it science, literature, business, religion etc. In fact, this is part of what makes her conversation so stimulating, especially in the classroom. She always has so much interesting information to share and can actually engage anyone in about any topic of conversation they prefer. I sincerely do believe that I have got the best aunt in the universe. Actually, she is not only my aunt, but my entire family and the absolute best of my friends. I am endlessly proud of her and prefer spending time with her over doing anything else in the world. Unit 01: Describing People Page 5 of 5