<p>*First draft is included. Any critiques/criticism is welcomed! I will take all opinions into consideration. Thank you for your time!</p>
<p>Prompt 1: Describe the world you come from for example, your family, community or school and tell us how has your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.*</p>
<p>If you go into any grocery store and look underneath the large variety of brand soups you will see a sight that has brought much reassurance to college students and families looking for satisfying ten cent soups: Nissin Cup of Noodles.</p>
<pre><code>My family, being frequent buyers of sopa instantaneas (instant soups), is no exception. For as long as I remember, our shopping cart has always included: beans, rice, milk, cheese, and of course, cup of noodles. However, it isnt until recently, with college and plans of moving away, that Ive been able to properly analyze the significance this high-in sodium soup has played in my upbringing.
Like all other families, mine is far from perfect. We all have our share of problems that we bring to the table each night. However, we all seem to come together at one place: the dinner table. Our family makes a habit of eating together whether it being lunch, dinner, mid-day snacks, or after dinner snack, etc. weve always eaten as a cohesive unit. And in my house, the most popular dish is cup of noodles.
My mother is a very creative woman and her creativity has definitely rubbed off onto the rest of us. We have developed skills over time that can turn a simple ten cent soup into what looks like a gourmet dish. Me and my mothers relationship has improved over time while stirring ingredients into the top ramen pot. Weve developed a why not attitude toward our noodle cuisine. Over the years Ive created my fair share of dishes: lemon-garlic noodles, chicken soup ala instant noodles, chicken ranch noodles, etc. It may sound disgusting to an outsider but to us it represents hours spent in a kitchen pouring our creativity into the noodle pot in an attempt to create the next gourmet dish. Memories have originated around the cup. Laughing at my father for messing up the simple instructions, disbelief in my sisters attempts at sweetened noodles and much more are due in fact to that cup.
The circular shape of the cup is a valid representation of my family, a circle that cannot be broken. Our memories, for example, not only revolve around the kitchen/cooking process. The traditions that weve developed over time are just as memorable as the kitchen mishaps. If it rains, for example, I know that there will be a hot bowl of soup waiting for me when I get home. If we have a new movie on DVD you know what were going to be eating around the television screen. These are traditions that have been initiated in my family and continue strong to this day.
However, the appearance of the cup isnt always a good sign. My mothers hard work and dedication to her clinic means she might not be fully up to cook a regular meal for us. If our family is going through economic hardships, buying meat can get pricey and therefore we look towards alternatives. There are times when I wish the cup wasnt there; times when I wish the household I live in is different. Times when parental arguments result in negligence of the children at which point they are forced to cook for themselves. However, for every action there has to be an opposite and equal reaction. I cant merely dread on the negative times. Every positive event erases a negative event from my mind.
Which leads to the true significance the cup has played in my life: developing an optimistic viewpoint towards life. Our family has taken a simple, ten cent soup and created priceless memories. My creativity has been able to morph a soup into an entrée that even Gordon Ramsey would be jealous of. And it is through a simple switch in perspective. I dont see a cup of noodles; I see the potential for a great dish and a great time with my family. And this perspective will be extremely useful in life. Its the difference between trash and treasure, sulking about the rain to dancing in it, etc. This perspective towards life breeds confidence in me. Confidence that I can use to excel in whatever situation life presents me. And using this confidence I will be able to tackle any career I choose to pursue or aspiration I aspire to complete.
The Nissin slogan Much more than a Soup cannot be any truer. The soup to my family and I represents an array of good memories that have led me to develop creative skills and a positive perspective towards the future that will allow me to overcome any obstacle and achieve any dream I can conceive. It is much more than a soup; its my past and, above all, my future.
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