Place Description Essays

My Favorite Place by Joleen Chin Read other essays by Joleen Chin Every time when I felt upset or sick, I liked to go to a special place where I could relax myself and feel better. It is the club; I have joined the club for 3 years. My sisters recommended this place to me; they told me that I could find many fun there. It's near my house and our hospital, so I walked there in 10 minutes. I usually stayed there for 2 or 3 hours and went home. I loved the club; I felt comfortable there! The club only allowed women to be members; I didn't worry about my privacy. The club was the biggest women's club in my country. It's located in a basement where there was a lot of space to do the different activities. You could see a beautiful warm water pool in the middle area at first. You could find many big rooms behind the pool; there were a massage pool, a spa shower, a hot room, a cold room, an exercise room, an MTV center, a massage center, and two restaurants. When I finished my work everyday, I felt so tired. Everyone knew working in the hospital had many stresses. I needed to find a way to help myself; it's the best choice for me. I often took a shower first and swam for 20 minutes to relax my strained muscles. When I finished the exercise, I stayed at the spa massage pool. The strong water waves could massage my whole body. I usually took the oil massage once a month; it's very fun when someone has good skills. Finally, I liked to watch a video and take a nap. Although it costs a lot of money to be a club member, I loved this club and enjoyed speding time there. I liked to stay there for a whole day. I hope I can join the club again after I come back to my country. Back to Table of Contents

The Hospital by Joleen Chin

Read other essays by Joleen Chin I worked in a hospital for many years. The hospital is called the Taiwan Adventist Hospital; it is a big combined hospital which is located in the capital city of Taipei and provides every kind of services to residents 24 hours a day. Taiwan Adventist Hospital is run by an American church. There are two purposes why they built this hospital in our country; one is to help

peoples health; the other thing is to do missionary work. In addition, it has been voted as one of the most popular hospitals in the Hospital Management magazine the past 2 years; those people especially admire its clean lines and the lack of strange disinfectant smells like other hospitals. Everyone fears a strong alcohol or Lysol smell in the hospital. This is a good hospital for everyone who has the need to go here. I love this hospital! The hospital is near my house; I usually take the bus for 10 minutes to go the hospital every morning. This is the main reason why I chose to work here at first. The traffic is very terrible in Taipei, so I dont want to waste too much time on the road! For all residents, this hospital is located in the center of the city. People can easily take the rapid transit system to our hospital. They dont worry about traffic delaying their time. The second reason why I chose this hospital is the same as the reason other people like our hospital. It doesnt look like a hospital; maybe you can say it is like a hotel. The chief of our hospital wants patients staying here to feel like they are living in their homes. Outdoors they designed a beautiful garden and exercise park; everyone can go to there to relax themselves. Our hospital is made up of 3 buildings. The main building is a 10story building; its bright yellow color makes it especially eyecatching. The first and second floors are clinics. In the basement is the restaurant; you can eat a very delicious vegetarian diet in our hospital. The 3rd to 9th floors are various medical wards. The top floor has many offices for all administrators. In addition, the hospital has 22 departments, 360 ward beds, 756 staff members, and about 30 volunteers. They are assigned to every department. If you have any questions, they can help you as soon as possible. All the workers are very kind to help patients and families, including doctors, nurses, and administrators. They do their best in their jobs every day. They take care of patients health and teach them important things about their problems. Sometime they use the Bible and hymns to relieve patients pain. We let them know they are not lonely. The co-workers will keep to help them until they recover. This is the best hospital that I have ever been a part of. There are so many advantages in this hospital; they treat patients' diseases and take care of their mental problems. Here we are like a big family; all the members are like brothers and sisters; they always help each other. Im very glad I work in this good environment. After I finish studying in U.S., I hope I can come back to our hospital and devote my knowledge to all of the patients. Back to Table of Contents

A Time for Me to Relax by Patricia Dominguez Read other essays by Patricia Dominguez My favorite place to go when I want to relax is the floor; I lie out in the floor. I only need a carpet and soft music. I close my eyes, breathe deep inside and I imagine a lot of places, things, colors, etc. The music helps me in each case. It depends on how I am. I love this moment. My mind is going to open, and I feel very good. Back to Table of Contents

Green Water Lake by Guo Ying Gao Read other essays by Guo Ying Gao In my life I have traveled to many beautiful places. Most of them in my mind are a blur, but one place I have never forgotten. It is my hometown's Green Water Lake. I am from Hubei in China, which is situated in the middle of the country. My hometown Chibi City has one beautiful lake. It is called Green Water Lake. Actually, Green Water Lake is Green Water River; this river crosses two provinces. Some company made a dam on the river, so the dam top's river seems like a lake. The water is very clean and smooth, and there are hundreds of islands in the lake. There are some islands that have thousands of birds; there are some islands with a lot of bamboo, pines, and with many kinds of plants I don't know the name of. The flowers are white, red, pink and purple everywhere. There are beautiful smells and beautiful sights. I lived in my hometown from the time I was ten years old to the time I was eighteen years old. In that eight years, every summer I swam in the Green Water Lake. I love this lake very much. I liked to swim in the lake. I liked to dive in the water and watch the fish. I liked to float on my back in the water, watch beautiful white clouds, and think about which animals they resembled. I liked swimming in the rain, and I floated on the water listening to the rain. It was like beautiful music. Sometimes I swam to an island to pick up some wildflowers. Green Water Lake brought me a wonderful time. When my husband went to my hometown first time, It was wintertime. One sunny day, I brought him to Green Water Lake; the water was beautiful, but the trees didn't have leaves and the flowers weren't blooming. He still thought this tense a charming place. Last September he took four Americans to my hometown, and they took a boat out on the lake; everybody said, "It is a charming lake!" Right now every year there are thousands of tourists who travel to Green Water Lake. I am very happy that people like the lake, but I worry that people will pollute the lake because Green Water Lake in my heart is very important. I hope Green Water Lake will be beautiful forever and ever! Back to Table of Contents

Beijing by Guo Ying Gao Read other essays by Guo Ying Gao If you know China, you must know the Chinese capital city of Beijing, but what is China like? What is Beijing like? Maybe you dont know. China is too big for me to tell you about in this

essay, but let me tell you about Beijing. Beijing has many famous places, such as Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall. Beijing is a beautiful city. It has many ancient buildings, and a lot of modern buildings. Beijing is the biggest city in the world. It has 16,808 square kilometers. Beijing is situated in the northwestern part of north China. To the west, the northwest, and the south, the city is surrounded by mountain ranges. The Great Wall is on the mountain ranges. To the northeast the ocean lies by the city. A long, long time ago the king thought this was a good place to build the capital city, so they built the capital city there. In the years that followed, the many kings still thought this was a good place for them, so this city is an ancient city; from there you can know about ancient China. First, I am going to tell you the ancient building Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is in the center of Beijing. It was built 800 years ago. It is very beautiful; it has the golden roof and red walls. It is about three stories tall, but has just two floors, five big arched doors on the first floor, the middle one is biggest. There are many sculptures near Tiananmen Square. In front of Tiananmen Square is Tiananmen Plaza. This is the biggest plaza in the world. There can be up to 400,000 people celebrating there. Tiananmen Square is a majestic building. Behind Tiananmen Square is the Forbidden City, but its not very near; you need to walk about ten minutes. After walking for a while, you will see a river surrounding a very long wall. Inside the wall is the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City? Maybe you feel strange about the name; maybe you will ask me, Can I go to the Forbidden City? Of course you can, but fifty years ago, you couldnt. This is a place where the king and his family live, and it is also a place for his government works place. The Forbidden City was built 800 years ago. It occupies 720,000 square meters. It has 9,999 beautiful rooms that make up this city-withina-city, so its named the Forbidden City. The reason why Forbidden City has only 9,999 rooms, and not 10,000 is because in China, 9 is a lucky number. It means long; the king wanted a long life and to have power for a long time. The Forbidden Citys main colors are red and gold; it has red walls, and the gold roof. In China, the color gold means rich and red means luck. The Forbidden City has a lot of sculptures of dragons and phoenixes. The dragon is like the king, and the phoenix is like the queen. The Forbidden City has many, many precious antiques; they are very beautiful. The Forbidden City is very beautiful and majestic. Every day, there are 100,000 people who travel here. They are take a lot of pictures there to create a wonderful lifetime memory. Finally, I will tell you about the Great Wall. The Great Wall is really majestic ancient structure. It was built 2000 years ago. The Great Wall is on the mountain ranges. It crosses five provinces, and about 6500 kilometers long. It is the only man-made structure you see it from the moon. We are very proud about it. The ancient people used it for war. One famous person said: If you can go to the Great Wall, you will be a success. It means that 2000 years ago, ancient people were able to build the Great Wall, so why cant you make some great things? Therefore, many, many people travel to the Great Wall. Even if they cant be successful, they can admire the majestic Great Wall.

Now, I think you know some things about Beijing, but I havent told about all the beautiful places in Beijing yet. I want to keep something in case you have time to travel the Beijing; you will be surprised. I love Beijing very much. I hope you will like it, too. Back to Table of Contents

Provo by Guo Ying Gao Read other essays by Guo Ying Gao I have been in Provo for almost eleven months. I have seen winter, spring, summer, and fall. Provo's winter is so beautiful. The mountains are covered with a lot of snow. They look like many beautiful brides wearing wedding dresses, and veils. In spring, Provo doesn't have many trees; when the snow melts the mountains are bald as strong bald men. Summer in Provo is very hot in the daytime. Last summer when I was walking under the sky, it was like walking in an oven; the sun was like a fire that burned my skin. In spring and summer the weather was always clear. I never used my umbrella. Provo was like a huge clothes dryer; it is very dry in spring and summer. In the fall the weather in Provo is very strange. One late September morning when I woke up, the mountaintops was covered with snow. Provo is a lovely and strange place. I love it very much. Back to Table of Contents

A Place that Holds a Memory by Hideaki Higashi

Read other essays by Hideaki Higashi People have memories that are sparked by many situations. Places often make people remember experiencse from the past. Many places hold memories for me: the sea, school, and foreign countries. One particular place that reminds me of my childhood is Sengami Park in Tsukuba, Japan. Sengami Park is located in front of the house where I grew up, so I could see the park from my room. I could see many things: a cute child with parents, a stray dog, and junior high school students who were playing soccer. Almost every day I spent time there, and I liked the park. Therefore, I hated rainy days. I could play in different ways on rainy day than I did on sunny days, but I hated getting wet. Therefore, I liked sunny days. I could play many things. The park has soccer goals, a grove of trees, and a lot of playground equipment such as swings.

I played many things in Sengami Park. My friends gathered and played soccer, hide-and-seek, or tag. I didnt like to play tag, because I couldnt run fast. However, I liked to play hide-andseek because it requires wisdom and bold ideas. I would hide almost everywhere: in a tree (this was my favorite position), in the meadow, or behind the rocks. However, my most favorite game was making a fort. My friend and I made forts many times, in a tree or in the tall grass of the meadow. If the fort was completed, everyone gathered in there and ate candy. The candy was bought in the shop near the park or brought from one of our own houses. The candy was so sweet, because our bodies felt tired from the work required to make the fort. Another favorite game was making a pit. It was very fun for me. We made pits in many places, such as in the sandbox or in the soccer court, but the most fun and dangerous place we made a pit was under the slide. It was such a nice place because someone who used the slide would absolutely be caught by our trap. The next morning, before we went to elementary school, we would gather at that place to check our trap. If there was some evidence that someone had been caught, we had great joy. As you know, I am a rogue. That is one of my good memories of childhoods tricks. This is just one example of mine of a place that holds a memory for me. The memories and favorite places differ for each person. I recommend one thing to you: if you dont hate to be photographed, you had better take a picture of yourself in your favorite place. It will help remind you of your memories. I hope you have good memories in many places. Back to Table of Contents

The Japan Tour by Hoon Jin Jung Read other essays by Hoon Jin Jung I went to Japan during the summer holiday in 1999. I had been dreaming of traveling to Japan for a long time. Korea and Japan are very close in location, but our cultures are very different. We think we know a lot about Japan, but actually we don't know a lot. Korean and Japanese people resemble each other, so when I traveled to Australia and the USA, foreigners always asked me, "Are you Japanese?" There is some things that are similar between us, but we do look different. I wanted to know Japan for myself. That was the reason I had been dreaming of traveling to Japan. At last I got to Simonoseki Harbor in Japan by ship in the morning. I was excited. The morning of Simonoseki was calm. I felt like I was coming to a calm country. I traveled from Simoseki to Osaka by train. I made an appointment to meet some Japanese friends at Osaka station. Osaka station was large, so I was nervous. When I asked for directions, the people always showed me the way with a smile. It gave me a good impression, so, fortunately, I could meet my friends easily. They showed me around Osaka. They treated me to Japanese foods such as sushi, yaki, and denbura. The Japanese cuisine was very good. We had a good time.

I finally got to Tokyo, which was the main place I wanted to visit. Although the city was crowded, I felt comfortable. The daytime was usually quiet. The Japanese people always spoke quietly in order not to bother other people, and I couldn't hear the sound of cell phones in the train. However, the night was very splendid; for example, in Shinjuku or Roppongi I felt that the city was alive and attractive. When the sun set in the west, Tokyo changed to an amusement center. There were many ads here and there, but when the sun rose in the east, I couldn't find them. They were nowhere to be found. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney has the Opera House. However, what is Tokyo famous for? It was a pity that there was no characteristic feature about Tokyo. Tokyo has a long history and various cultures. I think Tokyo needs to improve its appeal to tourists. Nowadays, tourism is a big industry. If Tokyo had a characteristic feature, I'm sure Tokyo would be a tourist attraction. For a long time, Korea and Japan have been exchanging culture, business, sports, and other things. Once, however, we were colonized by Japan, so we had antipathy about Japan. Nowadays the world is becoming like one country, though. I hope the two countries will continue to work in close cooperation in the future. Through my tour of 7 nights, and 8 days, I couldn't find a lot of external things that were different between the Koreans and the Japanese. However, I could find spiritual things that were different. My main impression was that Japan looked like part of the mechanical movement. However, I also learned about the thoughtful consideration Japanese people have for others and their practical spirit. I learned about Japanese kindness, so when someone asks about something, I always try to answer with a smile, but it's still difficult for me. Someday, I hope I will behave naturally with a smile like the kind people I met in Japan. Back to Table of Contents

Mt. Sogumkang by Yong Won Kim

Read other essays by Yong Won Kim When I was a university student, I went with my friend to Mt. Sogumkang, which was located in KangWon-Do. This was the first free and non-scheduled travel in my life. I used to participate in church activities which had a tight schedule, but I had never gone on a nonscheduled travel before. As a result, I felt happier than other times. The first time when we began to go on a trip, we did not know even where we wanted to go. We finally decided to look at a map and found Sogumkang on the map. When my friend and I planned to go there, we thought of Sogumkang as a river, because it has the word 'Kang' in its name. In Korean, 'Kang' means a river. However, Sogumkang was a beautiful mountain.

(Mt. GumKang is known as the most beautiful mountain in Korea. Because Mt. Sogumkang looks like Mt. GumKang, people called it small GumKang. In Korea, 'So' means small, so "Sogumkang" means "small Mt. GumKang".) We went by train for 8 hours and had a good time in the train. Even though it made loud noise like rubbing of steel, the sound seemed like a song. There were other students in the train, and they were singing and playing the guitar during the whole trip. Their song was also very loud and noisy. However, everything seemed beautiful, because we were starting our trip. After some time, we arrived at Sogumkang, and rented a small room for a day. Then we cooked kimchee-soup and enjoyed it. It tasted hot and sour from the kimchee. It is my favorite food. Because we had also a long trip and we were hungry, it was delicious for us. We arranged our luggage and started to climb up the mountain. At that time, it was raining and cold, but we decided to keep climbing it despite the wetness. Even though it was hard to climb the mountain because of the rain, I think that we made a good decision. It was so beautiful! We saw marvelous rocks that looked like the face of a man and a huge table. There were also a breathtaking valley and a big waterfall. There was a lot of water in the mountain. We could feel cool water. I thought that I had not seen more beautiful things than these sights in my life. Mt. Sogumkang is beautiful, but I think I felt better because it was relaxing and comfortable without any busy schedule. I want to go to Mt. Sogumkang again. Back to Table of Contents

My Parents' Farm by Adrian Mandrile Read other essays by Adrian Mandrile I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When I was a child, my father bought a farm. Since then, this place has been my favorite. Every summer my friends and I went to the farm. We enjoyed our time there. I feel very happy when I go, because it is my preferred place. When I went to the farm the first time, I was four years old. My first perception was the aroma of the natural flowers. I could feel the soft breeze coming from the horizon. It provoked an exiting emotion that I can feel still. The farm has a big house. It was built in the middle of last century. It is built in a British style. It was built with stone, bricks, and wood. The foundation has stone, the walls have bricks, and the roof was built with wood. It has six rooms and a big kitchen. In the living room there is a beautiful fireplace. I enjoy this in the winter time. It is big and built of stone. It has in the front a grate of gilt color. The furniture is made of oak. All the pieces of furniture have a good finish. The table, chairs, coffee table, and the piano are the same style. Moreover, the house has many windows that illuminate inside. I like its style.

Around the house there are trees. They are big and very old. They look very green in the summertime. They give beautiful shade. When I walk under the trees, I see a green pasture with many cows on it, and beyond these cows I see the horizon. I feel a great sensation of freedom. My favorite time on the farm is the night. When there is a moon, I enjoy looking at the stars. I spent a lot of time after dinner talking with my parents. We would sit outside of the house under the beautiful sky and tell old stories. I like evenings on the farm. All these sensations that I feel give me an impression of happiness. For this reason my parents' farm is my favorite place. Back to Table of Contents

My Favorite Lake by Erika Matsuyama

Read other essays by Erika Matsuyama My hometown, Kumamoto, has a beautiful, big lake called Ezu. That is one of my favorite places. Ezu Lake is made of two parts called "Upper Ezu" and "Lower Ezu." They look like the American continent. I think Upper Ezu is more beautiful than Lower Ezu. There are many trees and grasses that grow around the lake and many springs in the lake. Of course, a few rivers flow into the lake, but many springs also make this lake. Lots of fish and birds live there. I don't know what kinds of fish live there, but I know some birds. Three kinds of white herons, night herons, wild ducks, kingfishers, and more kinds of birds live there. Kingfishers are beautiful blue birds. They look like emeralds. They fly like a flash when they catch a fish. Many birds float and swim. Some flock, and others are alone. Sometimes, herons or seagulls fly by. Those birds often fly alone, and calmly with the wind. They look relaxed. Small birds fly with a group. They fly a little faster, as if they were hurrying. Those sights are so peaceful. Ezu Lake is a treasury of wild birds. Ezu Lake has very clear water, so fireflies can grow. We can see them in early May. Ezu Lake is near the downtown of Kumamoto-city, so most people don't realize that fireflies are there. As a result, we can see them very calmly in Ezu Lake. At night, many fireflies glimmer between the trees or over the water. They look like an illusion. Sometimes only two or three glimmer. They like a brief vision. When I see them, I feel that I am in a dream. From spring to summer, many plants grow there, and birds do also. Skylarks, white-eyes, and thrushes sing joyfully. Seagulls, herons, and ducks screech huskily. Locusts also grow in summer. Their chirping is very noisy, but when we hear their chirping, we know summer is coming. The most famous of them make sounds like "Mearn min min min min......" I like

sitting on a bench near the shore or under the trees, and listening to the birds' singing, the locusts' chirping, and children's funny voices. They enjoy swimming or fishing. When I am near the spring, I can hear the sound of water. It murmurs, like flowing water. Those sounds are so peaceful and make me relax. Sometimes, I drink water from the springs. Many people say Kumamoto's water is delicious. Kumamoto has a layer of pumice stones, and it filters and makes good water to drink. The water doesn't have a chemical taste, and it is very natural. It is sweet and fresh. I like the water of Kumamoto so much. Ezu Lake has very cool water. In summer, it is very good for swimming. I have been swimming in the lake. It was so cool, but the feeling was good. I enjoyed swimming. However, the water of springs is warm in winter, because the spring water is the same temperature each season. In spring, the lake is full of the flowers' sweet smell, and in summer, the lake has the smell of grasses. After the rain, the lake has the earth's smell. Those smells are so fresh, and I like them. However, Ezu Lake has some stagnant places. Those places have a bad smell like spoiled fish, but other places are good. I love Ezu Lake. It is near my home, and I can go there anytime I wish. It is very near the downtown. However, it has been preserved as a beautiful natural place. Ezu Lake is a peaceful and vigorous place. It has clean water and beautiful green trees and grasses, and many living creatures. I hope this part of nature will be kept untouched forever. Back to Table of Contents

My Favorite Place by Erika Matsuyama Read other essays by Erika Matsuyama One of my favorite places to relax is my room. When I am in my room, I feel most relaxed. In the room, I read books and letters, think something, and take a nap. My apartment has three rooms. My room is a shared room, but just three people live in my apartment, so I use one room only for me. My room has two beds, one shelf, and one chest. It is simple, but very comfortable. In my room, I love to read letters from my family. When I get a letter from them, I go to my room and read it. Sometimes, their letters are very fun, and I laugh alone in my room. Sometimes, I answer their questions to myself. It is a most relaxing and happy time for me. I also love to read books. I have some books both Japanese and English. When I have free time, I read from my books. I read some fairy tales in English. Sometimes it is too difficult for me, but I enjoy reading.

I like thinking about things. When I am reading a book, I often go into my own world. However, it is my problem that I often go into my own world when I am studying. I think about books, my own problems, and so on. I like take a nap, but usually I don't have enough time, so I have a nap rarely. Sometimes, I lie down on my bed and just think. I also read books on my bed. It makes me so relaxed. I like to do all of those things in my room. Those things make me so relaxed. My room isn't very large, but I love it there. Back to Table of Contents

My Favorite Place by Yumi Ogawa Read other essays by Yumi Ogawa My favorite place is the aquarium. There are a lot of fish there, and it is also very dark. I really love silent places, because I can feel peace. There is a blue color all over. It makes me peaceful. I don't know why. Usually, we can't swim with big fish, but in the aquarium we can meet with big fish. Our borderline is just large glass. It is a mysterious place. Most fishes move very slowly. I feel that they are dancing for us. I wonder how they can see us through the large glass. My birthday is July 20th. It is a holiday in Japan. We celebrate about the ocean on this day. We call the day "UMI-NO-Hi." They started the holiday in 1996 to show their gratitude to the ocean and their hope for the posterity of the island nation, Japan. I love my birthday! I used to go to the ocean every year on my birthday. I can't do it in Utah. It's sad. I miss my beach of my city. When I see the ocean, I can feel peace. This feeling is the same with an aquarium. I think my favorite place is somewhere that has a lot of water, so I can feel peace in the bathroom too. It is true! What do you think about these things? Back to Table of Contents

La Caleta by Francisco Rebollo

Read other essays by Francisco Rebollo

Near my house exists a beautiful and unique beach called La Caleta. It's a balcony to the Bay of Cadiz. Daily, large boats visit its waters and say hello to the green trees that surround it. When the wind blows strongly, you can see the fish trying to reach its bank; nevertheless, they can't do it, because the waters reclaim them like a treasure. I feel good there because I can relax. It's my favorite place. When I was a child, I used to go there every afternoon after school. I liked to lay on a big stone, to see the sunset and hear the quiet waves' sound near me. Then I could imagine all the marine creatures singing from the deep sea. Sometimes, the sun seemed angry, boldly turning red and yellow. Perhaps it didn't want to leave that amazing place. When the darkness covered the sky, I walked on the bank and looked at the moon reflected on the water. On one occasion I tried to touch it, but I just got my hand full of salt water. I saw the clouds reflected in my hand, and when I breathed, I felt the pure air in my lungs. A sweet flavor filled my whole body. The sky over this beach is also different from others. A white and bright light crosses it like a ray. The fishermen love this light, but the fish can't rest quietly, because it disturbs their dreams. What's this light in the middle of the night? It's the lighthouse light. Wherever you stand, you may see it. It's the beach's guardian. Therefore, when I'm far from this place, I'm sad, because I miss it. I miss its clear waters, I miss its white sand, I miss its blue sky, and I miss its wonderful lighthouse. Someday I'll be there again, and I'll be able to feel the same things I felt when I was a child. Back to Table of Contents

My Favorite Place by Silvia Rodriguez Read other essays by Silvia Rodriguez My favorite place to relax is my bedroom. I like this place, because it is where I feel comfortable, and it is a warm place to stay. It has many things I like; for example, it has a big bed with a many pillows around, and it has two windows where I can see the garden in the back yard. There I have my own television and VCR. I have pictures of Jesus Christ and of my family on the wall to remember them every day. My bedroom has enough light. There I can stay for hours because there I feel secure, happy, and free. My bedroom represents me, because there the decorations show what things I like. I decorated it with flowers, plants, chairs, pictures, toys, and other stuff. The bedroom I have here in the United States looks like my bedroom in my country Honduras. My favorite place is a place where I can feel comfortable and happy. Because my bedroom has all these characteristics, I can call it my favorite place to relax. Back to Table of Contents

Rebeiko Town by Zeika Rodriguez Read other essays by Zeika Rodriguez Rebeico Town is a special town to remember because my mother lived her childhood there. She grew up and enjoyed all her childhood in that place. Rebeico town is located in Sonora, Mexico. Rebeico is smaller than a city. There are approximately 500 people living there. Its weather is extremely hot in the summer, but all the other seasons are cold. This town has many streams to go to fishing in, and to go walking along too. Those streams are filled with sweet water. Their water is a clear blue color. The water is a little cold. Those streams are not deep. You can walk above the water, and watch the many little fishes swimming. You can feel the softness of the water and its cool temperature through on your skin. Also, this town has a popular dam. Its name is Novillo Dam. This is a beautiful dam. It is deep, its water is cold, and it is filled with sweet water. Its water is a clear green. This place has a lot of fish, so it is a good place to go fishing. This has a lot of trees around it. There you can go camping, barbecue foods, and enjoy nature. Novillo dam is a special place to share a moment with friends and with the family, too. There you can hear the loud noise of different wild animals like coyotes and wolves, and you can also see the deer running freely in the forest. Rebeico Town has traditional tortillas. Those kinds of tortillas are bigger than normal tortillas. They are very delicious. They are made from flour, and they are round, thin, clear tortillas. The people make those tortillas with their own hands outside their homes. They make the tortillas in old stoves. You can get those tortillas in Hermosillo. They are traditional tortillas of the region. Rebeico is a peaceful place. There you can enjoy nature, and smell its air among the trees. This smells like trees, flowers, and earth. When the sunset begins, you enjoy it. It is very beautiful; the sunset glows with different colors such as yellow, brown, and red that are mixed in the sky. After that, you can watch in the deep dark night a lot of stars in the sky. There the stars are shining strong and brightly, and they give light to Rebeico town. This town is smaller than other towns, but you can enjoy it and enjoy nature with friends or family, too. I like this town because I enjoy nature and enjoy the different landscape in this place. I miss this a lot and I hope to go there soon. Back to Table of Contents

My Favorite Place by Zeika Rodriguez Read other essays by Zeika Rodriguez

My favorite place is the forest, because there I can hear the different sounds of the animals are living there. I enjoy that when I am alone, because I love to draw trees, but also I like to be with someone and talk. I like to live through nature. I love nature. There you can think about the world, life, family, and the future. I love to be there for a long time because I can rest softly, and I have a good time there. There are trees, animals, and different plants. I can smell the air, I can feel the temperature of the weather. I can look up through the sky, and I see its own colors like blue and white and how the clouds are moving slowly and expanding. I enjoyed those times because I love this place a lot. I would like to be there. Wherever there is a forest, it is good for me. I just like to be in the forest. Back to Table of Contents

The Beautiful Beach by Mora Siregar

Read other essays by Mora Siregar I used to spend my holidays on the beach. There is a beautiful beach in my hometown. The name is Nongsa Beach. It takes approximately one hour from the main city by car to reach it. I used to go there with my family and sometimes with my friends also. Usually we made a plan one or two days before we went there. We prepared everything we would need over there. We always brought foods such as rice, chicken, snacks, and drinks like Coke or juice. We also brought some equipment to prepare the foods. I would never forget my fishing rod, because there is a good area for fishing. It would be fun on the way to the beach. We would like to look at some villages and the view. I would stop for a while to take some pictures of a beautiful view. We liked to see the traditional houses, green farms, and a river connecting to the sea. A village close to the beach sold fresh seafood. I used to buy some fresh seafood there (for example, shrimp, crab, and shellfish) and then cook them at the beach. I remember one time in particular that I went to the beach with my friends. First, I looked for good place when I arrived at the beach, because it would be very crowded on weekends or holidays. I selected a cool place under the trees, and extended a mat on the white sand. The wind that blew through the trees softly made the weather cool and pleasant. Peace came into my heart when I looked at the very beautiful long white sand. People played games on the beach; for instance they played volleyball. Some of them swam in the shallow sea. There were some kids tried to make something by the sand, on the other hand tried to break it. Everybody looked happy at that time.

I enjoyed the atmosphere and played a guitar while my friends prepared our lunch. They set up a campfire to cook the seafood that we bought at the village. The good smell of the roasted seafood filled the air, which made me feel hungry. While they were preparing the lunch, I went to a small shop to order some delicious coconuts. I selected some good coconuts and asked a man to climb the coconut tree and throw them down. Eating time had arrived! Everybody enjoyed the food and talked to one another. We shared our problems and thought things over together. My friend Adri always told some jokes. We laughed loudly. I lost my problems for a while, because I was happy at that time. The young coconut milk was very sweet and made me feel refreshed when I drank it. Not only was the milk very good, but the coconut meat was also soft and delicious. It was very nice. I liked it. Later, we sailed across the sea to a small island in front of the beach by sloop. It cost Rp.10.000 for one way. (It is approximately $1.50.) I used to go there to fish, because the island was good for fishing. I used to catch a lot of fish over there. I sat on a big stone and threw my fishing line into the sea. I enjoyed the feeling when a fish ate my fish bait. It was so fun! The fish pulled it and brought it into the sea, and I pulled my fishing rod slowly. It made me feel I had won a game when I got the fish. Meanwhile, fisherman sold their freshly-caught seafood to the people on that island. In fact, many people came over there only to buy seafood, such as fish, cuttlefish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, and many other strange kinds of seafood. It wasn't only cheaper than we bought it at the fish store, but it also was still fresh and sweet. The day was going to be dark soon. I prepared myself to go home. I got a little bit tired, but I felt happy. I went home, bringing my fish and my happiness. I would like to go there again when I come back to my country. It is the best place to spend my time on vacation. Back to Table of Contents

My Favorite Place by Naruo Toda Read other essays by Naruo Toda The "Dojo" is a room for a practicing martial arts. This room is a Japanese traditional building. The Dojo's appearance is similar to a shed. This is not big room. It's almost entirely made of wood. The Dojo especially doesn't change when different seasons come. There are a lot of swords inside that building. It looks like a ninja house. There are also some hanging scrolls in the Dojo. These are very beautiful and feel great. Usually some hanging scroll was written by a master of martial arts. The Dojo smells like tatami very well. It's like the smell of a tree or grass. Inside, the Dojo is very quiet all the time, because we can't say anything when we are in the Dojo. We practice not making any sounds, so the Dojo is always quiet. This is one part of our training.

Sacred Shinto is very deeply related to the Dojo. Shinto is the natural indigenous religion of Japan. Shinto gods, or kami, are worshipped at shrines (jinja). All natural objects and phenomena used to be considered as having kami. Our Dojo has a kami dana or "God's shelf". We pray toward that shelf before practicing martial arts. This ceremony is very important among Bushi. The dojo is always clean, and there are many ki inside there. Ki is like a force that no one can see, but some people can feel that force. The Dojo has many meanings inside the room, but it's difficult for me to explain about that. If I can learn English more, I'll explain about that. I can relax when I am in the Dojo. Maybe I feel that this room is very quiet and sacred. Back to Table of Contents

My Apartment by Martha Torres Read other essays by Martha Torres I live in Provo, Utah in a small apartment. It is in the basement of a house. The apartment has three rooms: there are a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. I like to live here because I live alone, and I feel peace. When I come in, the first thing I can see is the bedroom. In this room there is a night table next to the bed, a TV, a radio, and a closet. Also, the room has a wall of wood and a window. When I open the blinds, I can see outside to the garden. On the bed I have a big bear, and I like to touch it because it feels soft. I feel very comfortable in the bedroom. When I'm in the bedroom, there are some relaxing things I like to do. For example, I like to listen to classical and romantic music. I feel relaxed and at peace when I listen to classical music. Sometimes I like to watch TV when there is a good program. When I watch TV, this helps me because I can learn more English. Next to the bedroom there is the kitchen. In the kitchen I have everything I need when I'm going to cook. When I cook, this smell fills my whole apartment, such as lasagna, bread, or chocolate chip cookies. There is also a dining room. In the dining room there is a table and two chairs. I feel free when I'm in the kitchen, because I can take something to eat or something to drink. Also, I like to make my own meal. I feel happy when my meal tastes very good. The apartment is pretty, and I like to see everything clean. I clean every weekend, and I feel happy when the apartment is clean. I enjoy my time in this apartment.