New Experiences

-Uno e Bino (San Lorenzo, Rome/ Five stars)
Dish- Parmesan Soufflé

- Casiano's (San Jose del Cabo/4.9 stars)
Dish- The Spontaneous Cuisine

- Casa Leopoldo (Barcelona)
Dish- Tomato and garlic bread

- La Yola (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic)
Dish- spicy tuna tartare with guacamole relish

- Zozo's Ristorante (U.S Virgin Islands/ 4.8 stars)
Dish: mahimahi with a pistachio crust/ arugula salad)

It all began in San Lorenzo, Rome one of the most breath taking cities in the world. I was captivated by its beautiful resorts, buildings and arts. I knew it couldn’t get any better than this. The people were so warm and friendly towards me, almost like they were my own family. I visited the Uno e Bino and I had the Parmesan Soufflé. It was so light, yet so delicious. I knew I had to get a second serving because it was that well done. I met with the chef to compliment him on the food and I could tell that he was a very stand up guy. The waiters and the chef told me to come again and believe me I will be going there again!
On the second day of my food adventure, I visited Casiano's in San Jose Del Cabo. When I got there it was late in the afternoon and the sun was setting. The view astounded me and in that moment I wished I could live there forever. As I entered the restaurant the waiter pointed me to a table on the outside deck. There were palm trees everywhere and in my opinion, that made Casiano's more welcoming and cozy. When the waiter gave me my menu, I ordered right away because I was starving and I needed food! I ordered the spontaneous Cuisine, which consisted of seafood. There were different types of fish and shrimps and on the side there were fruits. The meal was delightful and when I finished my tummy was extremely full. The food was perfect, I had no complains at all. Bravo, Casiano's!
Next, my friends tagged along on my mini get away to Barcelona. Oh my, I had heard so many intriguing stories about this lovely city. As we awaited our arrival, I sipped on champagne, which was not very good, but the chocolate tasted like heaven. It was only the best of course, Godiva! Finally, after fifteen hours of traveling, we made it. The first thought on all of our minds were food. So my comrades and I hit town in search of a superb restaurant! The restaurant we discovered was Casa Leopoldo. It appeared like one of those houses in the fairytales, spacious and extravagant. It was exactly what we desired. As the waiter approached, he gave us a basket of tomato and garlic bread. It was absolutely amazing! We repeatedly ordered baskets of the delicious garlic bread, that when it was time to have dinner, we were already stuffed. So we decided to take it back to our hotel because there was no way my friends were going to throw it away.
Our fourth hot spot was Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Beaches, beaches, beaches, that was the most important thing that was on my mind, well with the exception of food. The drinks were refreshing and tasty. After having a little fun in the sun (playing volleyball), my friends and I were exhausted so we went to grab a bite at La Yola. I should probably tell you that La Yola is my best friend’s grandmother's place and the food is flavorful! I ordered my favorite dish of all, the spicy tuna tartar with guacamole relish. I guarantee that you will love this dish because the tuna is appetizing! Then, when we were finished stuffing our faces, my friends went swimming and I went to my hotel room and took a long nap.
On the last day of my food expedition, I dragged my friends along to the Virgin Islands. You haven't seen a magnificent place until you have seen the U.S Virgin Islands. The beaches are alluring and the water is just so calm and relaxing. I take it all in because I know I wouldn't be back here for a long while. I visited the Zozo's ristorante because I heard it was the best restaurant in town. When I entered through the front door, I knew that I had to try something different. My sister had told me that the mahimahi was great, so I thought I would have that. Let me tell you that the mahimahi was everything my sister described and even some more. The pistachio crust was the perfect topping of all. The arugula salad made it all the better because it was fresh and tastey.
So it is day six and my food adventure has come to an end. It was a wonderful journey that i will never forget. I hope that you will all visit these places atleast once in your lifetime because it is definitely worth it. Goodbye!

Red Lobster

Let me start off by saying that red lobster is my favorite restaurant. There service is great, (at least I think so) and there food is exquisite. Red lobster is mostly a seafood restaurant, but they do have other dishes for chicken or beef lovers. Personally, I am a seafood lover and every time I go to any red lobsters I come out very satisfied. Some of their dishes are garlic cream shrimp, wood grilled pecan- crusted shrimp, and you can even create your own feast. How fantastic is that? My favorite dish at red lobster is their salmon. It's so succulent and delicious. Believe me you will want to savor every single bite. Another thing I love about red lobster is their bread. Oh- my- goodness, their bread is delicate and cheesy. You might just end up eating the entire basket. That is how enjoyable they are. In my opinion, I would rate this restaurant a 5/5.

Foodnetwork

have you ever seen the food network channel? Well, if you haven't, you must check it out. It is very intriguying, believe me! There are so many dishes you can learn how to cook or even simple dishes you can make better. There are many celebrity chefs that makes cooking a heck of alot easier. It is one of my favorite channels because i learn something new everytime i turn the t.v on. Another alternative is the food network website. There are tons of easy recipes taht will make life much easier. This website is benefical to everyone, especially people who do not know how to cook. ( like me) lol. So go check it out!

Rima Fakih

First, it was stated that Rima Fakih shouldn't have been crowned Miss U.S.A because she is Muslim. Can you believe how outrageous that is? No one should be judged based on their religious beliefs. It's not fair to those people, but then again we are talking about America here? Then, in most recent news there were photos of Rima Fakih taking part in a pole dancing contest. In my opinion, it was three years ago and people should stop making this so controversial. I despise the fact that the media would do anything to get a good story or hinder a person's success. Everyone makes mistakes, it's only human nature and therefore, they should back off. Not that I think they will but I would hope that they would do the right thing. In time this story will die away and for the time being, Rima Fakih should hold her head up high and defend herself against the public slur.

my civilization

So in english class, we are doing a project based on the book " Lord of the Flies" and it's actually a pretty cool project. It's about creating your own civilzation and amendments. In my civilzation people can drive and fly with balloons. Isn't that out of this world amazing? lol. yes well, i also have a pond and a united nations in my land. However, i have'nt created a theme as yet and that is the important part. I hope its comes out good because i worked hard on it. well, goodbye bloggers.

stabbing

So i arrived at school today and found out that two kids were stabbed. Apparently, the jamician kid stabbed the latino kid. It scares the crap out of me because it can happen to anyone at anytime. That is why i cannot wait to graduate from Van Buren. It is way too much drama and problems in this school and i have had about enough of all this. You can gurantee that you will be safe at school and i don't like that... AT ALL! Just two more years to go and i am out of here. Bye bye Bloggers!

A Muslim condemns those who have Hijacked the Faith of Islam

Dear Editor,
Naseem Mahdi made many excellent points and remarks in the interview for foxx news. I happen to agree with most of them. Mr. Mahdi explained that people of the muslim religion should not be promoting hatred and danger in America or anywhere else. He explains that muslims should be loyal to the country they live in, which many are not." The Prophet Mohammed has said love of homeland is part of faith. So how could i think otherwise. If i live in the United States this is my religious duty. This is painful to me-- that people are living in the most beautiful country in the world, getting all of its benefits and then they are saying they are not loyal to this country? Thats not only against religion, its against common courtesy." He touched upon a good point here because most terrorists whom live among us, reap benefits of living in the U.S, yet they want to destroy our country? How is that even right?
I agree that if someone's loyalties lie somewhere else, that's where they need to be. They shouldnt be able to live in our country and work against us. That is just evil and wrong on every level. Muslim terrorists makes it worst for innocent muslim citizens because they are often being critized and judged becaue of their religion. i wish that this would all end but i know it's not that simple. I hope that atleast they will be able to find these terrorists before it's too late.

Sincerely,
Venetia Persaud

Unemployment- A long hot summer

Dear editor,
Schools are going to be out soon and we are in desperate need of summer jobs. After reading your article, i agree with your views on summer jobs for teens. I can empathsize because i need a summer job as well and it is very difficult to find one. Congree needs to do something about this because teenagers need the money and they also need something to do over the summer. It will keep teens off the streets. I was actually suprised that summer jobs started declinging before the recession. I thought it might have been after.
On the other hand, many teenagers live in poor rundown neighborhoods and communties and they need the money. I was glad that you actually mentioned that in your article because most people would have never thought that teenagers have responsibilities and duties to uphold. i would really appreciate if congress would create more summer jobs and help the employment rate rise. It would be such a relief to find a job this summer like most teenagers would want too. So thank you for your moral support. Us teenagers really appreciate it!

Yours truly,
Venetia Persaud

A taste of terror to come

Dear Editor,
First and foremost, i agree with your arguement because their was a car bomb just this past saturday in Times Square and now President Obama wants to hold terror trials downtown. Isn't that a tad bit too absurd? He would basically be giving terrorists a free pass to attack in downtown Manhattan. People will be terrified to leave their houses to go to work and school. What scares me the most is that their are terrorists out there, planning their next attack on New York. You never know what can and will happen tommorow.
on the other hand, you couldn't be more right about New York being a top target for terrorits. They despise us and that's beasically it. They don't care if innocent victims get hurt or die. For years, New York has been the center of many attacks, like 911, which happens to be a major one. However, i am not suprise that terrorists would want to attack us because we did do alot of wrong in the past. Many Americans Feel as if we have never done any wrong, but their niaive because we have done alot. its just sad that us victims have to pay for our country's mistakes and that means that we will probably suffer in the long run.

Yours truly,
Venetia Persaud

Tribeca isn't the only game in town- a little film festival sprouts in the heart of Manhattan

Dear Editor,
After reading your editorial about the Sprout Film Festival and how it benefits people with disabilities, i couldn't have explained it any better. This film festival is a little different than the Tribecca Film Festival, but nevertheless it is substantial. I believe that this event will break the barriers of stereotypes because many people are treated differently when found out that they have a disease. Its just plain wrong! " According to the Census Bureau, six million Americans have developmental disabilities." That is why they are the subjects of the films at the Sprout Film Festival.
We all know that people with disabilities or even diseases do not receive the same treatment as other citizens, and to actually have someone doing something about it makes me very grateful. In my opinion, people should be able to see pass the disabilities a person have and focus on there character and who they are. I think that pitying someone because their suffering from a disease makes them feel very low about themselves and they shouldn't be feeling that way. They deserve a fair chance at everything like anyone else because i feel that it motivates them to keep fighting their battles that they have to deal with on a daily basis. I cannot empathize with a disabled person, but i can definitely say that they inspire me, not because their fighting for their lives, but because their fighting to belong, to fit in like everyone else. They didn't stop living and if that's not a motivation and i don't know what is. That is why it is necessary to go to this film festival because it shows your support for people with developmental disabilities. It will prove a lot that you came out to celebrate their success. One step at a time we will be able to break all barriers of stereotypes. But it's the little things we do that makes a huge difference. I enjoyed your article very much and i thank-you for supporting disabled people!

Yours truly,
Venetia Persaud