If you could give any gift in the world, what would you give and to whom?

If I could give any gift in the world to anybody that I wanted, I would buy my mom a new house. She is living in an apartment in Iowa right now and it is pretty nice and my brother and sister and her each have their own rooms. However, she did not go to college and does not have the best paying job, and cant afford anything but the essentials for her, my brother, and sister. As a kid, I remember her always dreaming of owning her own home and being able to paint and decorate the way she wanted and not being restricted by a landlord. She wanted to be able to grow old in one place and to be able to pass the house onto her children. It has always been a dream of hers and I love her very much and if I was able to give anyone any gift, I would give her the house she has always wanted.

What would you do if you saw little bugs in your salad?

Well, it depends on where the salad came from. If I was at a friend’s house having dinner, I would be polite and just not eat the salad, but may mention it later in private. However, if I was at a restaurant when this happened, I would first bring the salad back and would ask for a refund. I would then like to speak with the manager of the store about the problem because it would be a health code violation and the restaurant may be operating and preparing food under unsafe conditions. I would expect the manager to be very apologetic about the situation and what happened. If the manager did not react appropriately and probably even if he did, I would contact the health department and let them know about what happened since I work in a restaurant and know the importance of food safety and poor conditions affecting customer’s health.

What would you do if you were invited to two parties on the same day?

If I was invited to a party, then the person is obviously my friend and I would not want to have to choose between one person’s party or the other. They invited me to their party for a reason because they wanted me to be there, so I would want to appear at both the parties. So, if the parties were at the same time, I would go to one for half the time and the other for the rest of the time. If they were at different times, then there would be no issue about which to go to and I would appear at both.

If you received any sum of money as a gift, what would you do with it?

If I received any sum of money as a gift, depending on the amount, if it was a large sum I would put some into savings. With the rest, I would use it to buy new clothes. I know it sounds a bit frivolous and a waste, but for me its not. I use every bit of my income to pay bills and whatever is left over, I put into savings because things happen that are unexpected and then I have some assurance that I will not be stuck. Anyhow, because of how I spend and save my money, I do not have money to buy new clothes. The clothes I have are in good condition and are taken care of, but I have hardly any winter clothes. So, whatever money I got as a gift, I would use it to improve my winter wardrobe.

If you could do whatever you wanted to right now, what would you do?

If I could do anything I wanted right now, I would go home. I am house sitting for my old neighbors and they requested that I spend the night at their house because their two dogs are old and do better when someone is around. Their house is rather large and being all alone in a big house like this scares me. I also miss being in my own bed and miss being at my house. I miss my roommates and getting to hang out with them and just talk to them during the day. Being here is a plus though, because my aunt and uncle and cousins live down the street and I get to see them more than I would if I was staying at my house. It is also convenient because this house is only 10 minutes away from my work as opposed to my house being 34 minutes away on a good day.

What do you think about the amount of violence on T.V.?

I think that the amount of violence on television is affecting our youth and even adults in a terrible way. Kids take in everything and absorb what they see. Some are just aggressive in nature and allowing them to watch violent television programs and movies is only adding to these aggressive tendencies. Many of the kids that are trouble-makers or who are in gangs today are this way because of the result of being allowed to watch violent shows. Some of the kids who are allowed to watch violent television programs grow up to be violent adults.

What would happen if there were no cars, buses, trains, boats, or planes? How would this change your life?

My car is the main asset that I have. Without it, or any other mode of transportation, getting around and getting to class and work would be so much more difficult. I feel like I would be a lot healthier however, because my only other option would be to ride a bike, scooter, or skateboard. I would also be a lot more tired. My work is 34 minutes away without traffic via car. If I were to ride a bike, it would take a significant amount of time longer to get around, like several hours opposed to half an hour. I am very grateful to have a car that runs and to have some other mechanical mode of transportation if my car were to break down.

What would happen if there were no more television?

I do not watch television nearly as much as I used to when I was in high school. I just do not have the time to now that I have homework and work all the time. Now that I do not watch television very much, I feel like I am more efficient and have more time to do the things that are required of me. If there were no more television, many people would be bored which would require them to find something better to do with their time. If television no longer existed, I think that there would be a higher success rate and that many people would be able to manage their time better because they would not be worried about missing their shows and would be able to get more things done. It would also be better for our youth of today. If the television did not exist, that would eliminate the majority of the gamin systems out on the market that are consuming the youth of America’s time.

What is the best birthday present you ever received?

The best birthday present I ever received was two things. On my 18th birthday, I got a new 8gb I-touch which I was really happy about because my old I-pod had been broken about a month prior. I liked this gift so much because I enjoy music quite a bit and the I-touch is really cool. It is Wi-Fi enabled and allows me to check my email wherever there is Wi-Fi without having to get out my laptop. It also has a google maps feature which is really handy for when I am driving. It also has the ability to do many other things and is really convenient. The next year, on my 19th birthday, I got a new stereo for my car. My old stereo was just fine, but the new one has an I-pod holder which allows me to play all the music that I have on my I-pod rather than just having to listen to the radio play the same songs over and over again.

What would happen if children ruled the world?

If children ruled the world, the natural response would be that kids would get to do whatever they want and would eat candy and ice cream all the time and stay up all night and go out and play whenever they wanted. They would not go to school and would just have fun all the time. Thinking about this sort of thing realistically however, children ruling the world would not end up very well. Children are exceptionally smart, but I feel that they would not be able to handle adult things such as business, work, and everything else that an adult has to do. Children do not have to capacity to accomplish things as adults do. Also, no one would be there to guide the children and help them to make the right decisions. Children need the guidance of an adult figure and I feel that a child or children would not be able to rule the world sufficiently.

What would happen if you could fly whenever you wanted?

If I could fly whenever I wanted, I would travel all over the place. I have family that lives all over the United States and I certainly miss them. I would probably be with my mom and siblings the most though. They moved to Iowa when I finished high school and I have only visited them once since then the summer of 2008.due to not having time to go there. But, if I could fly whenever I wanted, then I would be able to see my mom and brother and sister more. I would also visit my family in California a lot because I have family out there that I just recently met and really like them already, but would like to get to know them more. In addition to the benefit of being able to see my family all the time, I would be able to travel to really cool places. I have always wanted to go to Spain, Paris, the Caribbean Islands, and many other places.

What do you think makes a good friend?

I think that a good friend is composed of many qualities. For one, a good friend should be a person that is supportive and adds something to your life, rather than taking away from it or causing stress in your life. Another quality of a good friend should be someone who is loyal and will not go behind your back and will stick up for you when others will not. A good friend should also be a person that can be honest with you and be able to talk to you about anything truthfully, as well as you feeling comfortable enough with them that you can speak to them openly and honestly and know that they will not tell anyone else what you are telling them. Another quality that makes a good friend is someone who is trustworthy. It is important to be able to place trust in someone you are close to. A good friend should also be someone that you can rely on if you ever need anything, and vice-versa. A good friend should be someone that you can laugh and joke with and someone that you can cheer you up. A good friend should be someone that is all-around nice, and someone that really cares about your well-being.

What would you do if you did very poorly on a test?

If I did very poorly on a test, there would not really be anything to do about my actual grade that I received on the test. However, I would probably go back over the test and see where I went wrong so that I was aware of it. The grade would also let me know that I had not sufficiently studied for the test, since I obviously had not known the material very well. Knowing that, I would allot more time in the future in order to study for tests. I would also talk to my peers in the class and see how they did on the exam. If there were other people that did poorly as well, I would see if they wanted to form a study group and I would propose that all of us study together and combine our ideas and help each other to stay focused and study for future tests together. I think that that would be all that I could really do, other than really try to apply myself.

If you were five years older you would...

If I was five years older, I would be 24 years old. I would definitely have graduated college and would hopefully be at least settled into a steady job having to do something with my major and making good money. I would most likely be married, but would not have been married for long. If I was five years older, there would be similarities as well as differences in my mind-set as opposed to my mind-set now. Now, I am focused on school and working to make money to pay my bills and pretty much worry about only myself. If I were five years older, I would definitely still be focused on work and making money to pay bills, but also be focused on moving up in my profession. If I was five years older and married, I would not be able to only think about myself, but would also have to concern myself with the thoughts of my significant other. If I was five years older, I would also have put a down payment on a house, rather than paying rent each month. I also feel that if I was five years older, I would be much more grown as a person than I am now. I look forward to graduating school and accomplishing these things, but am also very content where I am at right now and would not want to speed up time so that I was five years older right now.

What is your most indispensable possession and why?

My most indispensible possession would have to be my car. My car is very valuable to me, and not because it is rare or a classic, or anything like that. My car is valuable to me for the sole reason that it provides me with transportation to and from work and school. If I did not have my car, it would be harder to get around and could not do things freely as I wished. I would not be able to control my schedule, but instead would have to rely on bus schedules and trying to get rides from people. If I did not have my car, it would be much harder to get to work in order to make money. I see my car as a tremendous advantage and asset in my life. With it, I can accomplish things and get things done much easier than without it. I also enjoy being able to just go out when I want and being able to visit with friends. I enjoy the freedom that comes with owning a car very much.

What is your favorite holiday?

My favorite holiday would have to be Halloween. Most people do not consider Halloween one of their favorite holidays or do not like it at all because of what it represents, but I love it. I love the feeling that I get with this holiday and also love the season that comes with it. I really like fall when the weather becomes breezy and cool, but not freezing. I like the holiday itself because it brings so many memories back to me. I used to love dressing up and getting to be something that I was not and loved going door to door with my mom and sister. I also liked it because it was the holiday where I could get the most candy!! Also, where I used to live, there was also a festival that we went to every year before Halloween with my Nana Michon. It was called the Tarantula Festival because the area we lived in was known for tarantulas. We got to dress up and show off our costumes early and there were always costume contests and fun things to do there. I enjoy Halloween now, despite how old I am, because I like seeing kids come up to the door with their costumes and excited and just enjoying themselves because it reminds me of how excited I was during that time.

What is your favorite room and why?

Hmm, my favorite room? I would have to say that my favorite room would be my bedroom. I live with four other people and they can be quite loud and rambunctious at times. I mean, it's not their fault that they are trying to have fun but there are times when I need peace and quiet to do homework and study and such and that is exactly what my bedroom provides me. It is also very study friendly. I have a very organized desk and everything that I need in order to work successfully. My bedroom is also my favorite room because it is a very calm place that I can go to when I am stressed out and need some down-time and some time to myself. There is not much to my room, basically a desk, my bed, and my dresser. However, I personally feel much better in a place that is free from clutter and not too crowded. My bedroom is also my favorite room because it has a balcony out back with a beautiful view overlooking the water and I enjoy sitting out there as another way to relax when things get stressful. I especially like sitting out when the sun is setting, it makes for a great view. My bedroom all in all suits me very well and that is why it is my favorite room.

What is something that makes you really angry?

Something that makes me really angry is when people do things that they know are hurtful to other people and just totally disregard any feelings that may be brought forth from what they are doing. They become cruel and vicious in their attempt to specifically cause hurt to someone else. I do not think that people do this simply because they enjoy hurting others, but because maybe they are conscious of themselves and make people not focus on them by hurting others, or a number of other reasons. I saw this topic and had to write on it because something like this recently happened to my own sister. My sister is in the marching band at her high school in Iowa and was talking to another girl who was in the marching band about how she was really excited about playing in the first game. The girl made a rude remark to her and walked away. The next day my sister’s flute went missing and her and the teacher and a few other students searched up and down in the band room for her missing instrument, but found nothing. It was coming really close to the game and my sister was not going to be able to perform in the game that she had been so excited about. Luckily, the school had a spare flute that they loaned to her for that performance. When my sister showed up at the game, the same girl looked at her and asked why she was there if she didn’t have an instrument to play with. My sister explained what had happened and the girl gave another rude comment. The very next school day, the flute showed up in the band room that had been searched up and down. It was confirmed that the girl had taken it. This type of thing bothers me extremely, especially when it is my own sister that it is happening to. I spoke with my sister when she thought she was not going to be able to perform and she was so upset and said she was tired of cruel jokes. It hurt me to know that someone could be so uncaring that they would make someone else feel bad or upset, and that they would try to take away something from someone.

What is your favorite day of the week?

My favorite day of the week would have to be Sunday. I say this because Sunday is the only day that I do not work. I work at Chick-fil-A and if you do not know, they are closed on Sundays for religious purposes and so that everyone who works there may have a day of rest. I really like being at work and serving customers in a way that is pleasing and making money; however, I work forty hours a week and after that I need a break. Sunday is a day that I can relax and go out with friends and be free to do whatever I want without having to worry about a time crunch. I also like Sunday because it is mainly the only day that I get to spend with my family. I usually go over there and we chat and have dinner and just relax in each other’s company. Sunday is also the day that I run all my errands. I have the opportunity to go shopping, go to the bank, pay my bills if necessary, and go to the post office. I also use that day to clean the house I live in because it is my least busy day of the week and the day that I have the most time. Sunday is a very enjoyable day for me because regardless if I am doing chores, running errands, or visiting with family and friends, it is a day that I can devote to doing things for myself and things that need to be done.

If you could have any job you wanted, what would you ideally like to do?

I know that my major is marketing and all, but if I could have one job that I really wanted, I would probably be an artist. I love creating and drawing and painting and sculpting. I love every single aspect of art and the feeling that I get when I am sitting down and making something. When I am making something and being creative, I feel so loose and free. It is also acts as a calming mechanism for me when I am stressed out or have had a long day. I was originally going to be an art major but I felt that it was something that was more of a hobby, well something that I really enjoy doing. I chose marketing as my major because there are so many job opportunities in the field where I can be creative and use my ideas and felt that art was something that I just do. To me, my future profession is all about doing that something that I will love and to avoid the mundane, same situation every day kind of job. I want something that will keep my interest and will provide me with things to do that are interesting and will not leave me staring at the clock waiting for quitting time. It may seem silly, but I want a job that I am passionate about and love waking up in the morning to go to.