At age 5, leaning in to take a bite of the peculiar pile of random chunks my mom placed in front of me, my tongue was immediately hit with the zestiness of the lemon and spicy sauce that coats the potatoes,...

“When will we ever use this?,” students in history class groan, as the teacher announces another test full of past events, seemingly unrelated to their current lives. The study of societies, past...

I had eagerly started sewing again after refilling the bobbin with burgundy thread. I am suddenly interrupted, however, by the needle piercing through my ill-placed finger rather than the fabric.   After...

To me, a painting is not just a painting; when I gaze upon its expressive brush strokes, harmonious hues and intricate scenery, it evokes an emotional response.  The art tells me messages resonating...

Opening Instagram, dozens of strong, chiseled individuals flex through the screen, representing the desires of many adolescents who have those images on the forefront of their minds. In high school...

Place a tabla, saxophone, mridangam, piano, guitar, recorder and violin in a room full of musicians and you’ll end up with a septet - a seemingly arbitrary seven-instrument ensemble. Take out the...

I sit on the couch, wrapped in a throw blanket, my eyes glued to the TV screen. My stomach is in knots as the main character inches towards a large door, moments away from discovering the murderer.  I...

I get up, frightened by my alarm. The noise blaring in my ears, I force myself to get out of bed and get ready, dreading what the day has to offer.  When did you sleep last night? 3 a.m. I had so...

Pigtails. A newspaper made into a fan. A mango-covered smiling face.  The overwhelmingly bright sun illuminated the table full with a wide arrangement of food. The chatter of my parents, cousins,...

Placing my tired feet right on the marked blue masking tape on the Granville Arts Center stage in Garland on a sunny Saturday, I fold my hands, with a smile on my face so big that it probably extended...

“Why are there so many potholes on this road?” “Why did they start building a new rail line?” “When is this traffic light going to be fixed?” These day-to-day issues are noticed by...

“Nyah, that’s English!” my mother exclaims as I ask for the third time for a translation of what the singer said.  “Oh,” I say, grinning as she laughs. This scene is a constant anytime...