The following pieces were inspired by Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street
My Name
"Ella time for dinner!" "Ella do you want to play?" Ella means many things. In english it means "beutiful fairy woman," spanish it means "she," in Hebrew it means "goddess," in German it means "foreign." I'm so happy that my name is Ella. My parents were going to name me Elsa, and I am so happy that they ended up naming me Ella instead. If my name was Elsa, I would probably not have the same outcome. I am so happy that my name is Ella. To this day I still think about what would've happened if my name was Elsa. My sister and I decided to trick my cousin... We tried to fool my cousin that my real name was Louella. Maren and I had this all planned out, so as planned, my cousin asked my mom if my real name was Louella. My mom said yes. My cousin couldn't beleive it! To this day, I love my name and am glad it's the name that I have.
This is Estelle’s
“Martina fix your kalat!” that’s what my mom would tell me every time I made a mess. You may be wondering, “Martina”? Where’d that come from? Well I have two first names “Estelle” and “Martine”. This gives others the wide range of nickname choices to call me. I am known as Tukie, Telly, Stellie, Stel, Stale, Bred, Balloolie, Stels, Tellay, Marchepish, Chepish, Kabilang Bahay (neighbor), Etsy, Ate, Lola, Mamsir, and Beauty. I don’t even know where half of them came from. Anytime I hear someone call one of these names I know that it’s showtime. These names are each their own little description of me whether my friend made it or my family member.
My name means “star” in French. Everyone tells me that I fit this definition almost as much as the star fits the moon. I’d agree with that, but I think there’s more to me than just a star. People tell me that I sometimes outshine others, or that I “stand out” even though I think it’s just my height. I am told that I shine academically. People say, “You have such a bright personality.” which I can agree with. If I could change the definition of my name, I think it would be entertaining and creative. There are times where my favorite song will start playing in public and suddenly, I’ll start singing and dancing and my friends can prove that. There are also times where I’ll talk about the most random things to break the silence. Who knew you could get the whole gang laughing by just talking about dumb things you’ve done in the past? Most people find it odd, but I like asking people about themselves, it’s weird but I really like listening to others. I always like keeping my hands busy whether it be playing video games, doing sports, drawing and painting, or experimenting in the kitchen. I love drawing and I’ve always loved building things ever since I was a child, whether it be made of paper or cardboard. It’s fun to make your imagination come alive. I’m excited to find more nicknames and more traits that bring out the definition of my name, but for now I’ll stick to these.
Here is Shane’s Original Piece
“Shane!” Every time I hear my name being yelled, I think about food because it is usually my mom saying, “Shane, it’s time for dinner.” I love food, but my name doesn’t have anything to do with food. Shane means “God is gracious” or “a gift from God.” Shane comes from Irish origin. It is a form of John or Sean.
Characteristics related to Shane are, “balanced, peacemaker, intelligent, cooperative, insightful, adaptable, artistic, loving and kind, and diplomatic.” I agree with the meaning of the name Shane because all babies are a gift from god. As for the characteristics associated with the name Shane, I fit the bill for some of them but not all. I think I'm intelligent, artistic, and insightful. My parents would say that I'm not cooperative or adaptable because I have strong opinions about EVERYTHING! If I were to define my name in my own way the meaning would be smart, musical, friendly, and strong-willed. My passion is music. I love playing guitar, piano, sax and drums. When I am not playing music, I listen to music. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends and playing video games with them. Oh and one last trait to add to the list is foodie because I love to eat!
Anna’s Work
“Get over here banana!” My friends said whenever we see each other! Every time they say Banana, it fills me with joy because I feel loved by them. Also, I believe that whenever someone calls you by a nickname they are in a good mood and they aren’t mad at you, but when someone calls you by your full name, they possibly aren’t happy with you.
My name means full of grace, Favor. I don’t know if agree with this definition because I am not graceful, I am goofy and crazy. Full of grace means smooth and a pleasing way of moving, or a polite and thoughtful way of behaving. I agree with the part of being polite because I try my best to be polite to adults, peers and family because they will appreciate it. If I could make my own definition for my name, I know exactly what it would be, Anna would mean loveable, goofy and chatty. I would love to be known for my kindness and being loveable to others, for example whenever I see someone alone or sad, I feel it is my duty to go make them feel loved. When I say goofy, I mean goofy! If you ask my friends and family, they will say I do the weirdest and silliest things ever. I love being goofy because I know that it may put a needed smile on someone's face. Lastly, my name should mean chatty because I talk all the time. If you come and sit down with me, I will start a whole conversation of the teeniest topic. I love being chatty because you never know who you will meet from starting a conversation. Whenever you call me Anna, Macushala, Banana or anna banana, please just remember it means, loveable, goofy and chatty.