My Sweet Home

(later draft)

The brilliant rays of the sun shine straight onto the enormous urban structure, which stands on the corner of Second Street and Arlington Avenue. The reflections from the intense beams glare off the bright window and sting my eyes like millions of needle-sharp daggers. Using my rather large and clumsy hand to block the sunshine, I can now make out the two bold-faced words engraved on the right-side of the entrance. The two engraved words clearly read - Arlington Towers. This towering edifice located at One Hundred North Arlington Avenue, is my home sweet home.

Arlington Towers is one of the many prestigious condominiums located in Reno, Nevada. It is a twenty-three story modernized building, which is located next to the Truckee River - the only river that runs through Athe biggest little city in the world.@ Across the street from this gigantic modern structure is an old Catholic church named after St. Thomas Aquinas. With its old Victorian architecture style, the church beautifies the community. Occasionally, the church bell rings and the sound of the bell disturbs the peaceful neighborhood to remind the rest of the world of its existence. Every Sunday, this beloved holy place is filled with hundreds of people who come to worship and pray to God. The crowd and its cheerful praying and singing disturbs the neighborhood=s peace at the same time brings liveliness to this quiet community.

Between the bank of the river and the condominium lies a green paradise, which people refer to as Wingfield Park. The park has taken a whole new look in recent reconstruction after it was completely destroyed by the indomitable force of the Nineteen-Ninety-Seven flood. This green heavenly pasture is now neatly trimmed and decorated with ever-green pine trees. Every time I lay my eyes upon it, it gives me a special feeling - the feeling of happiness and freshness in a promised land.

Since the addition of the new ice-skating rink and the remodeled outdoor theater, the park has become more attractive than ever before. The gleaming ice water adds elegant shine to the park while the newly painted red poles of the stage make the park stand out a mile away. During the winter, the ice-skating rink in the park attracts hundreds of people and tourists. Occasionally, I=ll step into the ice-skating rink and show off my skills. Of course, the skills I refer to are not so great. While gliding on the thin ice, I can be described as a vicious tornado with uncontrollable velocity, which destroys everything in its path. Meanwhile, I also breath in the cold and crisp air, listening to the sounds of laughter, and enjoying the company of nature. During the summer, the outdoors Shakespearean Theater in the park provides non-stop entertainment week by week. Once in a while, I=ll stop by the theater and enjoy the outdoor weather as well as the plays and the orchestras. The rhythm and the tone of the music capture my undivided attention, then I=ll try to create a harmonious symphony by blending the tone of the music and the tone of nature together. These hardly procurable pleasures unlocks my ever-trapping freedom and relieves my deep stressing mind.

Occasionally, I like to take a stroll in the morning along the long winding trail next to the Truckee River. While strolling along the river, the sweet tones of the birds make me feel like a hiker who is traveling through an unknown grassland far from civilization. The morning breeze brushing against my skin makes me feel refreshed as well as energetic. Sometimes I=ll stop and look at the drifting water and listen to the sound of the babbling creek while moving along the river. The drifting water appears to be an army of invincible knights charging through a wide battle field forcing everything to go toward its way. When I listen closely, the stream seems to be playing some sort of battle tone signaling its brave warriors to charge forward. Of course, only nature and the creek itself comprehends such amazing tones.

After an adventurous voyage in nature, it is time to step into a different world. It is time to enter the inside of the towering edifice. Once I step into the condominium, I feel as if I have entered a different realm, a different dimension. Everything looks different in comparison to the outdoors. I feel as if I am surrounded by modern technology. There are three Ahigh-tech@ elevators with mirror walls in the lobby. The elevators look as if they are three ferocious mechanical beasts who are guarding a secret fortress with their lives at stake. The lobby itself also has mirrors for walls and looks like the lobby of a fancy five-star hotel. Once I enter the elevator, I can simply press a button indicating my destination and the elevator will take me there in a flash. Sometimes, I can not resist the temptation of taking a quick glimpse at the mirrors and flex my arms to show the masculine side of me.

Residents occupy the condominium from the fourth floor up to the twenty-third floor. On the fourth floor there is a laundry room. Occasionally, I will hear the roaming sound of the laundry machine and spot an old person sitting beside it, waiting with great patience. I wonder sometimes about the day when I will become that old person. I wonder what my life will be like by then. The fourth floor is the so-called Arecreational area.@ There is a pool house and a weight room. Often times when I am overwhelmed by endless boredom, I=ll open up the dark and gloomy pool house and start shooting pool. While other times, I=ll step into the weight room to strengthen my physical ability as well as my physical fitness.

The interior design of the pool house is what I call Astylish.@ I mean stylish in a sarcastic way. I wonder who decorated the pool house. He or she must be one of those so-called Aabstract-stylists@ because there is nothing in the room. People have to use their imagination to picture the decorator=s artistic potential. The tiny pool house is as dark as space itself, with an old, beat up pool table in the center. Every time I stay in the room, I feel as if I was trapped in a solitary jail cell with immeasurable confinements. In contrast, the weight room is full of sunshine and brightness. It is also much bigger. In the weight room, everything seems to be out of place. Jump ropes are dangling off bench bars. Dumbbells are all over the floor in a distorted order. Weight plates are arranged in an irregular pattern on the floor with the dark, clumsy-looking dumbbells. The entire place looks like a jungle. In the midst of such disorder and chaos, there is a boom-box always is in its place and in its right position. It is a small and rectangular-shaped black object. Do not let the size of this object fool you. The sound coming out of this thing is deafening. I always turn on the tone while working out. The more the thunderous sounds shake my ear drums, the stronger I get, and the harder I work out.

Just moving up one floor, I can reach my final destination - my condo. I live on the fifth floor in unit I of the condominium. It is often referred to as apartment 5-I. The condo is rather small in comparison to other units, but it is large enough to fit three of us - my parents and I. This place is where I eat, where I sleep, where I watch television, and where I do my homework. However, I do not allocate much of my hectic schedule at this Abird cage.@ Instead, I spend most of my precious spare time at the park, the pool house, the weight room, and the trail along the river. Often times, my parents speak to me in a hilarious way as if I were a house guest. My mom always jokes, AJason, thanks for staying at our house. Please come back again. Farewell!@ I only can force a smile as a reply and dash into the hall way - vanish as if I were superman.

Looking out the window from my bedroom, the view of distant mountains and urban townhouses look like a vivid background painting. The edges of the mountains and the horizon of the sky seem to be merging as one. The remote townhouses are sitting very still on the hills. Clouds seem to be only a few yards from touching these modern wood blocks. Hawks are soaring freely in the limitless navy sky without any restrains. On the remote free way, cars are traveling in and out of this gamblers= heaven. This system of transportation reminds me of the dynamic motion of chemical particles at an equilibrium stage, in which the inflow and the outflow of the particles are naturally balanced.

Sometimes it is a luxury just to sit on my soft, comfy couch and appreciate the beauty of the view through my bedroom. I feel relaxed and at ease while looking at this exquisite artwork done by nature. At the same instance, I feel as if I am an art critic who is taking pleasure from, as well as criticizing, the artistic designs and patterns of this anonymous masterpiece. Unfortunately, this view only lasts till dusk. The view becomes more attractive as the sun gradually descends behind those distant mountains, but soon it too vanishes with the diminishing sunlight. When darkness devours the outdoor world, dullness also takes over my room. Once again, I am trapped in a ho-hum world, and the only escape is through a modern technology called television.

I am the type of person who enjoys sunshine and outdoor activities. I always have a voracious appetite for solar energy. I feel very lucky and fortunate to live in a quiet and peaceful community with great natural surroundings. I feel free of sins and guilt every time I look upon the holy church. I derive joy from the ice-skating rink in the winter. I enjoy the performing orchestras during the summertime. The invigorating morning breeze and the ravishing tone of birds refreshes my tiredness mind. Jogging along the river and listening to the symphony of nature renews my lust for life. I can=t imagine a better place to live. This place is the center of my life. This place is where I spend most of my time rather than school. This is my home sweet home - the inseparable domain of my life.