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      This was, as I knew it would be a very heartbreaking and hard read for me. Children being subjected to such horrific situations are the worst things imaginable on this earth to me. I liked that the book was written almost in a journal like style. It gives you insight into Lakshmi’s thoughts and feelings, as well as her hopes, fears, and dreams. Even though the subject matter is brutal to read, it is beautifully written. I liked the closeness of her and her mother’s relationship. It is infuriating to see her and her mother work so hard while the step father is always out losing their money, but yet they are the ones to suffer and be denied any dignity or rights. Her time at the brothel was another brutal part to read. I was sitting reading this and just thinking right now in all parts of the world this is really taking place and I had to fight back tears (because I was at work)  and it is so gut wrenching because I feel so helpless and overwhelmed at the thought of this going on. It was endearing to see the friendships that were formed at the brothel. It must give these children and women some bit of humanity in such a cruel environment. It was easy to feel connections to the characters. Pushpa and her family are the ones I think I felt the most connected with. It is hard to think about children being raised in this environment. Harish, the son, is such a kind hearted boy and you can see how much he cares about his mother and sister. When Mumtaz makes an offer to Pushpa for her baby girl, I cringed and wanted to shout out “No!” and I was so relieved when she was not willing to do that. Her reaction and they way it was described was so painful to read, but as a mother, I know that is only the sound a mother can make in when such a horrific thought is presented to her in regards to her children. Lakshmi had such small things to keep her going, but they meant the world to her. She loved the American words she learned and the pencil Harish gave her. She also has the items she brings from home, that keep her going.  I love how on page 60, she speaks about what she is physically bringing with her as well as what she mentally and emotionally brings with her; “Inside my head I carry: my baby goat, my baby brother, my ama’s face, our family’s future. My bundle is light, my burden is heavy.”  

            Overall, this is a story of survival. Nobody, especially children should have to resort to such tactics because they should not ever be in such situations. It really speaks to the human spirit that people can endure such things. It is a bittersweet spark of hope because it is good to know people can find small comforts and moments, even if very brief, of peace, but the bitter part is that human beings are even in a situation where that is all they have.

Nepal

               Nepal is set between China and India, with China to the north of it and India to the south.  It has a population of about 23 million people. The capital city is Kathmandu. It is made up of many different ethnic groups. These groups consist of Hindus, Newars, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs, Rais, Limbus, and Sherpas. The national language is Nepali, although the different ethnic groups have their own different language. The Government is a Parliamentary Democracy. This seems to me to be like the British government, although it seems that the King in Nepal may wield more power.  Their Prime Minister is Sher Bahadur Deuba and the King is His Majesty Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. The major industries for Nepal include tourism, hanidcrafts, agriculture, and water resources. The two major religions you will find in Nepal are Hinduism and Buddhism, although you will also find other religions such as Islam and Christianity. Hinduism took over Buddhism in 200 AD when the Licchavis invaded from North India. The two religions coincide peacefully with each other.

                From my researching, it does not appear that the women in Nepal are treated fairly. There is a 58% illiteracy rate in Nepal, with 72% of that being women. I read that this is the only country where men outlive women in age expectancy. I would definitely be interested in looking further into it as that is quite telling of how women are treated if that is a fact. Girls are looked as being less worthy than boys and they get thrown into the work force at an early age. The median age of marriage is 16yrs old and the median age for first child is 20 years old. These ages are even younger in rural areas where girls are even less educated. Trafficking is a huge problem. I read that more than 10,000 are trafficked every year. I do not know how true this statement is, but even just one is horrific number.

                I read that Nepal is slowly working on improving their education system. For the longest time they followed a system that imitated the Indian system which was incorporated during their British occupation. This was the 16 year, three tier system. Nepal has now taken on a system that is similar to the United States of America with a 12 year school system where kids start at age 5 and graduate around age 18. Unfortunately, a lot of children in rural areas do not get access to education and still suffer from it. Nepal is a very poor nation. I read that it is the poorest country in Asia. Nepal people in rural areas are extremely poor due to their lack of access to resources.

                It was heartbreaking reading about how difficult life in Nepal is, especially for women and children. It is also tragic, that the people of Nepal live in such horrific conditions when they are surrounded by so much natural beauty that they are unable to enjoy.  

Cultural Artifacts

     I chose these books as cultural artifacts for my life because reading and being read to were a big part of my childhood. I have many fond memories of family members reading to me. It had a huge impact on shaping the person I am today. It is probably one of the reasons I decided to make Reading my major. When my nephews were younger, I read to them.  I made sure to spend lots of time with my children reading. Now that they are a little older, we still find books to read together. We take turns reading chapters or we still enjoy a picture book or two.

                In our family, whenever we get together in normal, everyday life, there is always tea, coffee, or hot chocolate involved.  We pour some coffee and sit around the table and just talk and spend time together. As soon as we know someone is coming over, we brew some coffee or boil some water for tea in preparation. We usually know how the person likes their coffee or tea and we may pour it into the mugs (also aware of what their favorite mug is) and prepare it with the amount of cream and sugar they prefer. There have been some tears and lots of laughter shared over a hot cup of coffee and tea.

      These seashells represent my time at the beach. Growing up in Florida we would always go spend Sunday at the beach. It was like our Sunday ritual. We would get up very early and drive about two hours to Bonita Beach. We had closer beaches, but we liked that one best. I did not mind, because even the car ride became a special part of the day. We would bring a cooler full of food, such as sandwiches, fruits, snacks, and juice. Our weekends there created many memories that have shaped the person I am today.

  My parents are from Brazil, so I grew up with these Brazilian chocolate bonbon treats. They are called Brigadeiros. They are made with condensed milk, cocoa powder, and butter. They are a treat that is usually made for celebrations, especially birthday parties. Every picture from my childhood birthday parties, you will see a plate of these in the background. I now make them for my children's birthday parties.

  Our Christmas celebrations were a little different than most of my friends growing up. We would celebrate on Christmas Eve. We would make lots of food and have family and friends over to spend time playing games, watching Christmas movies, and just hanging out. We then would open presents at midnight.  Christmas day we would make either a turkey or ham for a big lunch and just spend the day enjoying time together. This is another tradition I now practice with my children.