Wow I wrote this a long time ago and have forgotten to publish it
Being adopted--it sucks. Plain and Simple. The odds are against you and you, for the most part, would rather not associate with where you come from. Why? Because it will, most certainly, bring up memories and certain emotions that you just don't want to deal with. How do I know this? Well, I was adopted in California and I really could care less for a lot of the places that relate to my past. Well, recently I spent some time on Google and found quite a bit about California and the places that relate to my past that I like and that I am interested in, such as:
Long Beach--It's the beach! Well, I really am not a beach person--not too big on the whole swimming thing either, but it's a pretty cool beach (so Google tells me). There's a place called Shoreline Village which has all these quaint little shops and places to eat. In one store, everything is purple! And one of the restaurants is a lighthouse--cool, huh?
Well, Long Beach doesn't represent the happy place of my past. In fact, it's just an emotional place to me--I mean, I once refused to go to my adopted uncle's wedding just because it was there and I remembered that as being a place I had once been on a visit to see my bio mother and that held some very strong emotion to me I also knew that she lived somewhere around there and wasn't up for that so I threw a huge tantrum, at the age of fourteenish, and refused to go.
Fresno, California--Okay, it's really hard to say anything good about this place! It's on America's Most Wanted way too often and totally represents a lot of turmoil for me. This is the HQ of my adoption agency, the place my bio father was first incarcerated, and, oh my, it's just so ghetto!
Fresno does represent some good stuff to me, though. It is where I was sealed in the temple with my family for eternity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXgBmyKfyo0. Therefore, this very ghetto city will always hold some attachment for me. Also, I can't hide my pride--Fresno Grizzlies all the way!!!
Here's a vid on Fresno http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL-Z-KHzgf4&feature=related (WARNING: don't watch if you can't stand a couple swear words, rapping, and gang pride--other than that, Welcome to Fresno!--the 559, Cen Cal, Grizzly Land!)
I remember Fresno and the Central area as being a place where cop car sirens there are just as common as seeing a Mormon in Utah. Here's some footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opCox5wuECM&feature=related of cops in the line of fire.
I think the best thing that Fresno has to offer is Blackbeards which is a family theme park with tons of activities, rides, etc. Well, it's not too much of a theme park but it's like the only wholesome family entertainment in the area. I only ever went when the foster agency gave every family tickets every year to show up for some type of foster family reunion night or whatever.
Madera, California--Little Mexico or Mad Town. Both are accurate. There are a lot of Mexicans! (a good thing, really!). The best place for Mexican food is Sal's--great taco's!
Don't let this ( http://tinyurl.com/7odz8f9 ) video fool you! It's a great and horrible place at the same time! The best thing I remember about Madera were the fairs they had every summer. I also loved working in the LDS church's vineyard every year--I don't know why, but I did!
Currently, Madera has a Madera South High and a Madera High. I lived there when both schools were just one school. Both schools, I consider to be ghetto. After my fam had moved away we went back and my parents dropped my older sister at the high school to visit her friends. They later said that it was like dropping their child off at a detention center.
The kids in Madera=crazy. Evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgnFal9oDi8 (WARNING: swearing (a lot), rap music in the background, and some very annoying wannabe gangster white girls)
Now, Madera is very ghetto--a lot of people representing their side of the street, colors, etc. Rivalries are present. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwxVgzMB1sA&feature=related (WARNING: a lot of swearing and hate speech and threatening images put in the photos). Here's just an example of the Surenos/Norte stuff going on.
Here's a Surenos music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKFPd0JZhjo&feature=related (WARNING: gang stuff but language is WAY cleaner than the other videos)
It's all so childish to me. I'll never understand. Especially with Madera--I mean, what there is there to represent, to have pride in? Perhaps it all never grew on me but that's just how I see things.
So I've decided that I am most likely not the only one with a problem with where I am from. Well, my pride comes from the fact that I can find positive wherever. There is no shame being where I'm from. Madera--that's the place where I grew up. My hometown! That's where I got baptized and learned the gospel.
Where are most kids in America (who are adopted from foreign countries) adopted from? The top ten are as follows: China, Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea, Guatemala, Ukraine, Vietnam, Haiti, India, Kazakhstan
What good is there about China? Except for the fact that I love the Chinese education system in comparison to the American old-fashion way there are tons of stuff to like about China. There is the Great Wall, gorgeous rice terraces, majestic mountains, inspiring architecture, awesome foodie discoveries, and the fact that just about everything you own and wear was made there.
What good is there to Ethiopia? Honestly, I had to google this. What I learned was that the culture there is distinct and so unlike what you would find in America. There are women who distort their bodies in quite bizarre ways--one woman had a huge plate attached to her lip like it was a gage. I think that is a tribal custom, though--perhaps the mersi tribe? It is a place of great cultural individuality that really doesn't compare to most other places that haven been more perceptible to being westernized. There are holy cities and ancient ruins to see. Have you ever heard the phrase "Who do you think you are? The Queen of Shiba?" Well, the Queen of Shiba's birthplace is in Axum, Ethiopia--and so is the Arc of the Covenant (the original 10 commandments). Fun things to do in Ethiopia: trek through the mountains, mountain bike, visit tribal villages, see the falls, etc.
What good is there to Russia? Let's get past the communist and anti-Soviet past. Russia is lovely! I am not Catholic, but I would love to go and see the great cathedrals that they have there. The architecture and exterior coloring is so lovely! There are even palaces of the ancient rulers and Kremlins (fortified central complexes in historical cities) to explore! If I were to ever go to Russia I would most certainly do the above but I would also make sure to pick up a few goodys--like traditional Russian toys and a Russian doll or two. There are tons of things to do in Russia too--like rafting, snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing, and, of course, trying out the local fresh street food. Also, you might want to get your picture with a statue of the hammer and sickle--the communist symbol, because, if you were adopted from there, then just know that the fall of the Soviet Union was great for the world and not so great for kids as it, statistically, increased the need for more orphanages.
What good is there to South Korea? As a foodie, my first stop would be, of course, the local street food for good and simple dishes that would cost an arm and a leg in America. However, South Korea is a place that has taken full advantage of the western world as it tries to distance itself culturally from its old communistic ways that were enforced by the magistrates of their Northern neighbors. It is a place that is an adrenaline rush as people are always constantly on the move. South Koreans are people who know how to work hard, be independent, and know how to have fun. Yeongwol County is a place where you can go when they have their hamburger festival. Maybe you can stop by a Buddhist temple for a visit--like the Haedong Yonggunsa Temple. Or, perhaps, go and visit an overly crowded beach and, maybe, go and see a soccer game--the international sport that most, except maybe me, understand and love. One thing that I would most certainly do, though, is to go and see their amusement parks--Everland (one of the best parks in Asia and an equivalent to Disney Land), Paramount, Seoul Land, Lotte World (world's largest indoor theme park), Dalki, and it's upcoming Robot Land (world's first robot theme park). No matter what, though, South Korea is a cool place!
What good is there to Guatemala? Okay, every Hispanic has heard all of the jokes. Guatemala is bad/mala land, right? Nope! It is a place with great features and a lot of rich history and culture. There are Mayan ruins to see, celebrations to attend, and native culture to explore. Also, don't forget about the beautiful beaches, waterfalls, and scenery that there are to see.
Being adopted--it sucks. Plain and Simple. The odds are against you and you, for the most part, would rather not associate with where you come from. Why? Because it will, most certainly, bring up memories and certain emotions that you just don't want to deal with. How do I know this? Well, I was adopted in California and I really could care less for a lot of the places that relate to my past. Well, recently I spent some time on Google and found quite a bit about California and the places that relate to my past that I like and that I am interested in, such as:
Long Beach--It's the beach! Well, I really am not a beach person--not too big on the whole swimming thing either, but it's a pretty cool beach (so Google tells me). There's a place called Shoreline Village which has all these quaint little shops and places to eat. In one store, everything is purple! And one of the restaurants is a lighthouse--cool, huh?
Well, Long Beach doesn't represent the happy place of my past. In fact, it's just an emotional place to me--I mean, I once refused to go to my adopted uncle's wedding just because it was there and I remembered that as being a place I had once been on a visit to see my bio mother and that held some very strong emotion to me I also knew that she lived somewhere around there and wasn't up for that so I threw a huge tantrum, at the age of fourteenish, and refused to go.
Fresno, California--Okay, it's really hard to say anything good about this place! It's on America's Most Wanted way too often and totally represents a lot of turmoil for me. This is the HQ of my adoption agency, the place my bio father was first incarcerated, and, oh my, it's just so ghetto!
Fresno does represent some good stuff to me, though. It is where I was sealed in the temple with my family for eternity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXgBmyKfyo0. Therefore, this very ghetto city will always hold some attachment for me. Also, I can't hide my pride--Fresno Grizzlies all the way!!!
Here's a vid on Fresno http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL-Z-KHzgf4&feature=related (WARNING: don't watch if you can't stand a couple swear words, rapping, and gang pride--other than that, Welcome to Fresno!--the 559, Cen Cal, Grizzly Land!)
I remember Fresno and the Central area as being a place where cop car sirens there are just as common as seeing a Mormon in Utah. Here's some footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opCox5wuECM&feature=related of cops in the line of fire.
I think the best thing that Fresno has to offer is Blackbeards which is a family theme park with tons of activities, rides, etc. Well, it's not too much of a theme park but it's like the only wholesome family entertainment in the area. I only ever went when the foster agency gave every family tickets every year to show up for some type of foster family reunion night or whatever.
Madera, California--Little Mexico or Mad Town. Both are accurate. There are a lot of Mexicans! (a good thing, really!). The best place for Mexican food is Sal's--great taco's!
Don't let this ( http://tinyurl.com/7odz8f9 ) video fool you! It's a great and horrible place at the same time! The best thing I remember about Madera were the fairs they had every summer. I also loved working in the LDS church's vineyard every year--I don't know why, but I did!
Currently, Madera has a Madera South High and a Madera High. I lived there when both schools were just one school. Both schools, I consider to be ghetto. After my fam had moved away we went back and my parents dropped my older sister at the high school to visit her friends. They later said that it was like dropping their child off at a detention center.
The kids in Madera=crazy. Evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgnFal9oDi8 (WARNING: swearing (a lot), rap music in the background, and some very annoying wannabe gangster white girls)
Now, Madera is very ghetto--a lot of people representing their side of the street, colors, etc. Rivalries are present. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwxVgzMB1sA&feature=related (WARNING: a lot of swearing and hate speech and threatening images put in the photos). Here's just an example of the Surenos/Norte stuff going on.
Here's a Surenos music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKFPd0JZhjo&feature=related (WARNING: gang stuff but language is WAY cleaner than the other videos)
It's all so childish to me. I'll never understand. Especially with Madera--I mean, what there is there to represent, to have pride in? Perhaps it all never grew on me but that's just how I see things.
So I've decided that I am most likely not the only one with a problem with where I am from. Well, my pride comes from the fact that I can find positive wherever. There is no shame being where I'm from. Madera--that's the place where I grew up. My hometown! That's where I got baptized and learned the gospel.
Where are most kids in America (who are adopted from foreign countries) adopted from? The top ten are as follows: China, Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea, Guatemala, Ukraine, Vietnam, Haiti, India, Kazakhstan
What good is there about China? Except for the fact that I love the Chinese education system in comparison to the American old-fashion way there are tons of stuff to like about China. There is the Great Wall, gorgeous rice terraces, majestic mountains, inspiring architecture, awesome foodie discoveries, and the fact that just about everything you own and wear was made there.
What good is there to Ethiopia? Honestly, I had to google this. What I learned was that the culture there is distinct and so unlike what you would find in America. There are women who distort their bodies in quite bizarre ways--one woman had a huge plate attached to her lip like it was a gage. I think that is a tribal custom, though--perhaps the mersi tribe? It is a place of great cultural individuality that really doesn't compare to most other places that haven been more perceptible to being westernized. There are holy cities and ancient ruins to see. Have you ever heard the phrase "Who do you think you are? The Queen of Shiba?" Well, the Queen of Shiba's birthplace is in Axum, Ethiopia--and so is the Arc of the Covenant (the original 10 commandments). Fun things to do in Ethiopia: trek through the mountains, mountain bike, visit tribal villages, see the falls, etc.
What good is there to Russia? Let's get past the communist and anti-Soviet past. Russia is lovely! I am not Catholic, but I would love to go and see the great cathedrals that they have there. The architecture and exterior coloring is so lovely! There are even palaces of the ancient rulers and Kremlins (fortified central complexes in historical cities) to explore! If I were to ever go to Russia I would most certainly do the above but I would also make sure to pick up a few goodys--like traditional Russian toys and a Russian doll or two. There are tons of things to do in Russia too--like rafting, snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing, and, of course, trying out the local fresh street food. Also, you might want to get your picture with a statue of the hammer and sickle--the communist symbol, because, if you were adopted from there, then just know that the fall of the Soviet Union was great for the world and not so great for kids as it, statistically, increased the need for more orphanages.
What good is there to South Korea? As a foodie, my first stop would be, of course, the local street food for good and simple dishes that would cost an arm and a leg in America. However, South Korea is a place that has taken full advantage of the western world as it tries to distance itself culturally from its old communistic ways that were enforced by the magistrates of their Northern neighbors. It is a place that is an adrenaline rush as people are always constantly on the move. South Koreans are people who know how to work hard, be independent, and know how to have fun. Yeongwol County is a place where you can go when they have their hamburger festival. Maybe you can stop by a Buddhist temple for a visit--like the Haedong Yonggunsa Temple. Or, perhaps, go and visit an overly crowded beach and, maybe, go and see a soccer game--the international sport that most, except maybe me, understand and love. One thing that I would most certainly do, though, is to go and see their amusement parks--Everland (one of the best parks in Asia and an equivalent to Disney Land), Paramount, Seoul Land, Lotte World (world's largest indoor theme park), Dalki, and it's upcoming Robot Land (world's first robot theme park). No matter what, though, South Korea is a cool place!
What good is there to Guatemala? Okay, every Hispanic has heard all of the jokes. Guatemala is bad/mala land, right? Nope! It is a place with great features and a lot of rich history and culture. There are Mayan ruins to see, celebrations to attend, and native culture to explore. Also, don't forget about the beautiful beaches, waterfalls, and scenery that there are to see.
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