the taco bell

  At Troy High School language is very diverse, whether it's the type of language someone is speaking, the tone of their voice, or how they end up conveying the message. For instance, I wouldn't walk up to my teacher on a Monday morning and say, "Yo bro, how was your weekend." If I did, it would create a weird and awkward atmosphere. I wouldn't also make daily comments like "chick chick boi" towards authoritative figures, but with my friends its completely fine. It's like the students are being watched, since they switch up their language depending on who they're around. With teachers, counselors, and other important figures language becomes more careful and respectful. On the other hand, places like the cafeteria and bathroom end up revealing a different side of people than most would expect. Those are the places where slang and inside jokes tend to slip out the most, even some "potty language." Although, there are many sides to how la...

 Oh my god, how do you spell your last name,” people would ask me whenever they saw or heard it (it was mostly my teachers or substitutes). It wasn’t my first name that they couldn’t say but the fascination of how many letters are in my last name. For the record, my last name is “Kalyanasundaram,” which is 15 letters. I guess I’m not too surprised cause I have lived with it my whole life, but I think it makes sense for other people to be shocked, especially with all the short names like Jacks and Nicks in the United States. I remember a specific moment in 5th grade. It was around February and our teacher wanted to get us all valentine gifts. So, my teacher made all of us check the spelling of our last names. As he spotlighted everyone’s names on the smart board one by one one last name caught everyone’s eyes for it barely fitting on the board (yep it was my last name). At that time I felt stupid and weird for not fitting in with the rest of my class, but the more I lived with it an...

Every evening, as the sun starts to drop, members of the arivax tribe gather inside a large room lined with reflective glass. Before entering the sacred floor, they prepare their offerings. Skin colored cloth are wrapped tightly around fragile joints. Hair is slicked back into tight knots, as if the flyaways could disrupt the flow. Footwear depends on the spirits they are summoning that day. One wrong choice could throw off the entire ceremony. At the front of the room, the timekeeper evenly places hydration totems while the rest of the tribe lowers themselves to the ground in a quiet circle. They then lengthen their limbs and reach for their toes as they hold each position just long enough for them to feel the gentle burn of preparation. Soon, the tribe starts rearranging their limbs in precise angles and repeat gestures over and over again till it’s engrained into the mind. Often, the timekeeper will approach an individual and whisper sacred corrections.  When the official ceremo...