I grew up in WenZhou, a city in west central China about 12 hours away from Shanghai by riverboat. Although a medium-size town, WenZhou feels like a little village. It was the place where I learned how to read and write in Chinese. People used to call WenZhou “Poetry Land,” because most of the people there were highly educated and they loved poems. You could often hear women singing poetry at laundry time, children reciting poetry in the morning, and old people poetizing in their back yards.
I remember when I was five years old, there was a child poetry competition in the town. At that age I really did not like to read or write at all. My best interest at that period of time was to collect different kinds of dolls. However, my mom really wanted me to participate in that year’s competition. She hoped that I could bring more honors to our family. In the past my grandpa had won a prize at a senior competition and my father had won a prize, too. Our family’s reputation wasn’t bad in the whole town and my family hoped that I wouldn’t embarrass them.
One night after dinner my mom came to my bedroom and she had something to say.
“Yan, my sweetie, you know mama loves you so much, right?” She said as she stroked my long hair. “Yeah, but mama, you haven’t bought me a new doll in a long time!” I replied with my sweet voice.
The Essay on Effect of social media on Family time
As human beings we need to socialise and communicate with others. Of all the relations that we have in life, the most precious and strong are the ones with our families. Many a times during adversities when the closest of friends may leave us, our families – parents, siblings, spouses, children etc. are those who stand by us, giving all the support that we need. With the passing of time and ...
“Honey, you have twenty dolls already, you cannot just spend all your time with these dolls. You are a big girl now; mama wants you to learn more poetry, so you can win a prize. Don’t let mama down.” My mom sounded serious.
I wasn’t happy: “No, I don’t like poetry and I neither want to read nor write it. Why should I go to the competition?”
My mom became angry: “Yan, how could you talk to mama like that? You have to be present in this year’s competition, because you are from the Cheng Family; Cheng’s children are always the best at poetry.”
I really didn’t understand all the sentences my mom was saying, but I know she was very mad. Whenever she was mad at me she would take all my dolls away to punish me. I became afraid that this might happen now.
“Okay, mom, I will go to the competition, but please don’t take my dolls away.” I said in a sobbing voice.
“You see, that’s my good girl! I know my baby understands what mama is saying. Here is the deal, if you win first prize at this year’s competition, mama will buy you the French doll we saw the last time at the shop,” my mom said.
“Really?” I dried my eyes: “That is the huge doll that I have always dreamed of!” I was kind of excited, and I certainly could have another doll!
The competition was two months away, and I started to learn poetry in earnest because of the French doll. Every morning I would get up as early as my grandpa, and he would teach me how to read and write simple poems in the back yard. I still remember the little stone table and the little wooden chair in the back yard, where I learned hundreds of poems. After dinnertime, my mom would always come to my room and help me to review the new poems I had learned from the past few days. I had to recite at least twenty poems and write ten of them in order to win a prize. I think I really put a lot of effort into it, and it was the first time in my life that I seriously tried to learn how to read and write.
The competition came on a Saturday night; I was really nervous and shy. I didn’t like presenting myself in front of the whole town people; I was afraid of to embarrass myself in front of them. My mom and my grandpa were inspiring me: “Go, Yan! You are the best, we trust you. You are our shining child.”
The Term Paper on The Effects Of Competition In Sports On Children Ages Nine Through Twelve
Over the years, the growth and changes in children’s sports have reflected the popularity of professional sports in our society. Sports games and sports news are available to the public twenty-four hours a day on television and the Internet even the radio. Due in part to this, schools and other organizations have changed American athletics from more of a fun playtime to intense competition. ...
I felt calmer when I got into the competition. All the children were working hard for themselves and for their parents. I recited twenty-five poems and wrote eleven of them. I had the feeling that the girl next to me was doing better than I , because she never stopped moving her pen during the writing contest.
The result came out the next morning. I didn’t go to check it out because it was too early and I was a little scared of the result. My grandpa was the first one who saw my prize. He told the family at breakfast time, when only received a second place. I was depressed, because I couldn’t have the French doll; I got the second but not the first place.
However, my parents and grand parents weren’t sad. They said that I had done my best and they were proud of me. When I got back to my room, the French doll was lying in my bed already. I was so happy. All of them came in, saying: “Congratulations! Yan, we love you!”
