美国芝加哥大学的Essay范文
美国研究生留学Essay写作范文

美国研究生留学Essay写作范文很多准备申请美国研究生留学的同学们,都在为书写Essay而犯愁。
要知道美国研究生留学Essay的写作非常重要,招生官可通过文书材料来综合考察申请者的素质。
和小编一起来看看美国研究生留学Essay写作范文。
美国研究生留学Essay范文:In terms of my personal challenge,my experience as an international volunteer greatly impressed and improved me. My decision to volunteer in African countries originated in my hope to help those who were in need of help and improve myself. Bearing this in my mind, I turned to International Association of Students in Economics and Management (AIESEC) and applied the position of volunteer in Kenya,Tanzania and Mauritius,because, to my mind, African countries were in extreme need of help than other countries.美国留学研究生Essay写作范文:Several interviews witnessed my successful recruitment. However, my parents got extremely angry with what I did and did not agree with me at all, because they held great worries for my safety due to the bad living conditions, prevalent illness,and erratic political circumstance and so on. Considering this point, I chose the relatively safer country, Mauritius. However,once I denied Kenya and Tanzania, the person in charge of this activity informed me that the number of volunteers in Mauritius was full because of his carelessness. Therefore, I again found some opportunity at the end of approval day. Fortunately, the chief person being responsible for volunteer activity in Tanzania promised to give me another chance. Meanwhile, I actively kept in touch with the person in Mauritius and sought counsels topersuade my parents. Being the only daughter in our family, my parents held a total negative attitude towards my action, but I knew I should not give up. If I did so, my previous effort was in vain. Therefore, I turned to the previous volunteers and asked one of them to help me to persuade my father by emphasizing the safety measures that AIESEC took to guarantee my safety.Upon knowing the truth, my father finally was convinced by me and helped me to persuade my mother and grandparents. At this moment, the person in Mauritius told me that he had added my place and I decided to volunteer in Mauritius at last to comfort them,though my parents had agreed with my volunteer activity in Tanzania.This experience made me a good volunteer. Meanwhile, I realized the significance of interaction and persistence in life.。
芝加哥大学

芝加哥大学申请芝加哥大学University of Chicago的Essay范文College: University of ChicagoI wanted to draw in the rain. It was not really rain, just a lot of people in raincoats trying to make each other believe that they were hiding from the sky for a reason. Well, maybe it was a bit wet, but no one seemed to notice that there were many more people on the streets than there would have been had it really been raining. Real rain would drown out the city with noise, wash pigeons into drains, sweep cats straight into the river, tip over garbage cans and float the trash away, and leave red marks wherever raindrops hit bare skin. This barely had distinguishable drops; there seemed a strange continuity to this rain, as if it were an extraordinarily dense mist, or a very airy river that was flowing out of the sky and oozing onto the ground rather than, as real rain would have done, attacking the ground like a machine gun.It wasn’t even dark. When I came out of the school building I had to blink my eyes, to let them adju st, in exactly the same way that I had almost every day since school had begun. I had my umbrella open, of course. Everybody had their umbrellas open. Everybody was wearing a raincoat, too. Everybody was hunched forward, shoulders tensed. None of them cast a shadow, but that was their own fault. Of course, I had no shadow either. Was I afraid of embarrassment?Yet this light, from a sun ineffectively hidden by translucent clouds, was interesting in a way. When figures are equally lit from all directions, they become weird creatures, gray and colorless without becoming less lively. It was the ******** of rain that made them less lively. I thought about how I could draw objects without shadowing, how to describe contours on a uniformly gray mass.Looking up, I was distracted by the view down the street. If drawing objects without details seemed hard, how much harder would infinite details be? As I liked down the street, and the facades of building formed unreproduceable angles toward the horizon, and the windows were placed in patterns so complex that it would take days to sort them out, and every iron railing on the steps was a work of art, I felt like crying.I was quiet. Around me the city was unhurried but loud, except at moments when it grew silent and rushed past me. I felt the urge to paint the whole scene with one explosive stroke of a brush. It was clear before me, a true vision calling me out to be expressed, by the sudden release of boundless energy his vision could be communicated to the world. I d idn’t move. The energy was there, perhaps, but only if it were controlled and manipulated could this vision, if it were such, be expressed. That was the root of real power. The people I know who are powerful intellects all have this ability: to sustain their energy over extended periods, directing it to their purpose.Only at rare moments do I feel intellectually powerful enough to sustain an artistic vision over the time that it takes to actually execute a drawing. Only then the execution itself requires a further insight can I remain in the state of excitement that the original idea provokes. As I improve in skill I find that this further insight happens more and more often, for I am more able to approach each line, each brush stroke, with renewed spontaneity.In writing, this spontaneity is easier to achieve, for it is more obviously necessary. Because any piece of writing is broken up into paragraphs and sentences, and by the progression of an action or an idea, it is impossible to conceptualize the entirety of a piece before it is physically written. At the very least, word and syntax choices must be made as they arise. At best, a work grows in the writing to be better than its conception. And because each word presents a new challenge, I often feel the excitement which prompts me to begin drawing only after I begin writing. As I write I build momentum and confidence, until I reach a peak of concentration. All barriers to achievement seem to melt before me, and words and ideas come forth.It is at these moments that I feel intellectually and artistically powerful: subtle and sophisticated, exercising immense control over a boundless force.。
大学英文作文模板范文

大学英文作文模板范文英文:When it comes to writing a university essay, there are a few things that I always keep in mind. Firstly, I make sure to carefully read and analyze the prompt or question that I am given. This helps me to understand exactly whatis being asked of me and ensures that I stay on topic throughout my essay.Another important aspect of writing a university essay is doing thorough research. I always make sure to use credible sources and to take detailed notes as I go along. This helps me to organize my thoughts and to make sure that I am accurately representing the information that I have found.When it comes to actually writing the essay, I like to start with an outline. This helps me to structure my ideas and to make sure that I am including all of the necessaryinformation. From there, I begin to write the body of the essay, making sure to use examples and evidence to support my arguments.Finally, I always make sure to proofread and edit my essay before submitting it. This helps me to catch any errors or mistakes that I may have made and ensures that my essay is clear and concise.中文:谈到写大学论文,我总是记住几点。
美国大学文书题目整理及写作指导申请季巨献Word版

Why Essay在大学申请文书中一个常见的supplement就是所谓的why essay,大致上问学生“你为什么想来我们这所学校?”“我们这里哪里吸引你?”等等。
在这种问题面前就很容易区分学生是否真的对这所学校有passion 或fit。
要回答好这类问题申请者必须表现出对学校的了解,学校文化/氛围的认可,和对自己未来展望的认知。
你要让学校觉得,冥冥之中居然遇到了你,真是缘分呐 !第一步:了解学校通过各种渠道去了解这个学校的特色,找出这个学校吸引你目光的地方,不论大小。
1) 大学官网2) US News3) Princeton review4) 校友5) 学校的巡展活动6) Collegeconfidential第二步: 了解自己一般情况下当申请者写到whyessay 的时候应该已经到了申请中期,也就是说已经通过头脑风暴或自我反思已经在一定程度上了解了自己。
如果没有的话,花几分钟时间过一下自己的过往活动,起码得知自己性格和学术上的长处和短处在哪里。
第三步: 将学校吸引眼球的点缩减成特质并联系自己当申请者挖掘出那么一,两个吸引点后,要学会透过表面看事情本质。
因为学校的特色和申请者不可能有直接关系,但是这个特色代表的意义可能和申请者自己的追求不谋而合,就会形成一个fit。
e.g.威斯康辛麦迪逊分校(University of Wisconsin–Madison)的工程学院标出他们已经连续6年每年都出产超过100个专利。
申请者当然不能说这100个专利和自己有什么关系,大部分的申请者不可能有自己的专利,而且就算有也和威斯康辛的100个专利无关。
但是透过威斯康辛骄傲地标出自己100个专利出产可以总结出什么这个学校特别专注实验和实践。
相信那实验和实践这两个特色是很容易和学生自己产生共鸣的吧。
同时,当申请者已经把本质挖掘到这个地步,一般情况下写出来的答案也不会特别空泛。
所以,在很久前就知道自己的兴趣所在,有目的地开展课外活动,写Essay的时候就倍感轻松呢 !第四步;融合和证明证明不能只靠说的。
20XX美国留学ESSAY范文解读.doc

2019美国留学ESSAY范文解读【美国大学申请ESSAY给申请者留下的想象空间非常宽泛,但是由于中国学生在小学时期延续的写作习惯,越是宽泛的题材越是不好把握,和小编一起来看看2019美国留学ESSAY范文解读。
美国大学ESSAY范文:ABoy’sFirstsTheboyissuchacommonboy.Heissocommonthatonly acquaintedfriends cannoticehimamongtheheisso common thathedoesnot changehis girlfriend onetimeper month,justasplayboys do;andheis socommon thathisdailylifeisnomore special than thoselistentorockn’roll,betfor soccer games and seldom clean their rooms.However,theboyissomewhatspecial.Heusuallythinksthat,hisexperienceandpersonal achievements,along withown happinessand grievances,areenoughforhimtobeunique,though hedoesnothaveaasgood-looking asBradPittorKeanu Reeves,orwhoever.First AwardItwassucha surprising giftfora12-year-old boytoknowthat hehad wonthefirstprizeinthenational mathematics competition. The boyclutched the certification andlaughedlikeasun-flower bloomingina springmorning. Hespentthreemonths preparingforthat competitionandhadlost5kgweight buthewasveryhappy,ashappyyoucould imagine. Enjoyingthe paceof enterprising,hebegantobelieve“Nopainnogain”thatafternoon.First SetbackHuddling upinthequilt crying,theboywas introspecting Truehis haughtinessachievingthesecondprizeintheNational PhysicsCompetition,hedeservedtherankoflast5%infinal examination of7thgrade. Wipingupthetears,hesethimselfapromiseofbeing humble andsober.boy keptthe promise and became ayoung manofgreat maturity.First cooking“Quite atough work.”Theboysaidto himself,smearing soaponablister causedby theburningButasmallblisternevercouldstophimfromdoinghis “cookingresearch”. Theboystoodinofthegas-stove again,holding apancaketurner inhislefthand,hewastryingtofindoutcorrect timeof addingsalt andthe appropriate amountofother flavorings. Aftersomany failures,hefeltitwasnotasimple taskof cooking out palatable meals,nut achallenge of surpassing himself.theboy finally finished working one anda half hours later,heputa sweet smile onhisdirty face. Theboy wrote inhis diary,“keep working and you’ll win.”First LoveAttheageof16,theboyfellinlovewithasmartgirl.Eatingice-cream withtheintheice-cream baratthestreet,walkingon theboulevard handinhand,cyclingherhomekissing goodbye,heregarded loveastheholythinginhislife.Thus,theboy demonstrates afrom heart;hecares everyone nearby and wants themtobe beatific with their families. Aspeople say,angelic soul.First JobThe extremely hot summer holidayof16,theboywasexcited when hegotajobatthelocaltrain stationasaticket-taker. First working day,theboygotupsoearlythatwhenhearrivedatthestation,the previousticket-taker wasstillonhisin astonishment oftheboy’s Truethe ticket-taker didnotknowthat,theboywasjustsoastoget onthejobtoshow thathehad grown up.Soon a commonstudentwillhebe.Acommon onethatwill beassiduous inclassand passionate inthebasketball court;thatwillmake everyeffort torunforthe Chairman ofthe Student Unionbutmaystillface failure;that isnomore special thanthosewhospendhalfadayinlibraries andgotodinnerwhendo researchesinlabs.But somehowhewillbea uniquecollege student,hewill have hisown wayof fulfilling his dreams.And asyou may know,theboyisme.以上就是一篇标准的美国ESSAY范文,看懂这篇美国大学申请ESSAY的文章写作套路了吗?一、标题:也许,这个标题不算非常特别,但是它引人注目,一个男孩的第一次,可能我们想到更多的是一些“第一次”,联想到我们自己的“第一次”,兴趣自然就产生了!二、结构:结合了“第一次”的标题核心,下面分别以男孩生活、学习及工作中的各个第一次进行阐述,涉及的面比较全,包括感情,给人的感觉非常丰富且完整。
一例优秀美国大学essay范文供鉴阅

一例优秀美国大学essay范文供鉴阅美国大学essay直接关系着我们的美国本科留学,所以准备美国大学申请essay的同学,都十分的关注写作方面,天道留学小编下面为大家分享一篇十分优秀的美国大学essay范文,供大家参考学习,希望对大家美国大学essay写作有所帮助。
美国大学申请ESSAY的写作一直是申请者们关注的热点问题。
美国大学的申请ESSAY提供给申请者留下的思考空间非常广阔,基本上不会有什么限制,美国大学ESSAY给了我们一个环境,那么怎么去“种”这朵“花”,那是你自己的事情了。
然而,很多学生依然拘泥于修饰,这可能跟小学以来养成写作习惯于赞美的缘故,华而不实的居多,那么如何准备美国大学申请ESSAY?不妨先进行角色转换,假如自己是一个美国人,很好,美国人习惯对人进行赞美,但解决问题或者进行叙事论述,他们确实喜欢的是直接,喜欢论据,例证!下面,让我们一起来欣赏一篇非常有创意的美国大学ESSAY,OK,LET’S GO!希望对准备美国大学申请essay的同学有所帮助。
美国大学essay范文:A Boy’s FirstsThe boy is such a common boy. He is so common that only acquaintedfriends can notice him among the crowd; he is so common that he does not changehis girlfriend one time per month, just as those playboys do; and he is socommon that his daily life is no more special than those who listen to rock n’roll, bet for soccer games and seldom clean their rooms.However, the boy is somewhat special.He usually thinks that, his experience and personal achievements,along with his own happiness and grievances, are enough for him to be unique,though he does not have a face as good-looking as Brad Pitt or Keanu Reeves, orwhoever.First AwardIt was such a surprising gift for a 12-year-old boy to know that hehad won thefirst prize in the national mathematics competition. The boyclutched the certification and laughed like a sun-flower blooming in a springmorning. He had spent three months preparing for that competition and hadlost5kgweight but he was very happy, as happy as you could imagine. Enjoyingthe pace of enterprising, he began to believe “No pain no gain” that afternoon.First SetbackHuddling up in the quilt crying, the boy was introspecting himself.For his haughtiness after achieving the second prize in the National PhysicsCompetition, he deserved the rank of last 5% in the final examination of7thgrade. Wiping up the tears,he set himself a promise of being humble andsober. The boy kept the promise and became a young man of great maturity.First cooking“Quite a tough work.” The boy said to himself, smearing soap on a blister caused by theburning oil. But a small blister never could stop him from doing his “cookingresearch”. The boy stood in front of the gas-stove again, holding apancaketurner in his left hand, he was trying to find out the correct time of addingsalt and the appropriate amount of other flavorings. After so many failures, hefelt that it was not a simple task of cooking out palatable meals, nut achallenge of surpassing himself. When the boy finally finished working one anda half hours later, he put a sweet smile on his dirty face. The boy wrote inhis diary, “keep working and you’ll win.”First LoveAt the age of 16, the boy fell in love with a smart girl. Eatingice-cream with the girl in the ice-cream bar at the street, walking on theboulevard hand in hand, cycling her home and kissing goodbye, he regarded loveas the holy thing in his life. Thus, the boy demonstrates a love from heart; hecares everyone nearby and wants them to be beatific with their families. Aspeoplesay, an angelic soul.First JobThe extremely hot summer holiday of 16, the boy was excited when hegot a job at the local train station as a ticket-taker. First working day, theboy got up so early that when he arrived at the station, the previousticket-taker was still on his work, in astonishment of the boy’s appearance.But the ticket-taker did not know that, the boy was just so eager as to get onthe job to show that he had grown up.Soon a common college student will he be. A common one that will beassiduous in class and passionate in the basketball court; that will make everyeffort to run for the Chairman of the Student Union but may still face failure;that is no more special than those who spend half a day in libraries and forgetto go to dinner when do researches in labs. But somehow he will be a uniquecollege student, because he will have his own way of fulfilling his dreams.And as you may know, the boy is me.一口气看完了吗?那么我们来品一品它:一、标题:也许,这个标题不算非常特别,但是它引人注目,一个男孩的第一次,可能我们想到更多的是一些“第一次”,联想到我们自己的“第一次”,兴趣自然就产生了!二、结构:结合了“第一次”的标题核心,下面分别以男孩生活、学习及工作中的各个第一次进行阐述,涉及的面比较全,包括感情,给人的感觉非常丰富且完整。
申请美国本科Essay的写作指导 范文分析

申请美国本科Essay的写作指导范文分析如今,美国本科申请的竞争愈演愈烈,对于众多美国名校申请者而言,在高中成绩、SAT、TOEFL等方面都能取得高分的情况下,究竟如何才能获得学校的青睐,从而争取到有限的录取名额?专家分析,在美国绝大多数学校都不面试国际学生的情况下,毫无疑问,申请Essay是学生展示自己的最好机会。
然而,众多学生在文书写作中却存在诸多问题,如:没有选择很好的Essay写作素材;回答学校的Essay题目偏题;语言、语法的表达错误等。
这些因素不仅使得学生没有很好地通过Essay这个环节向学校展现自我,而且会给自己的申请带来不利影响。
因此,专家建议学生在申请Essay写作过程中一定要找相关方面的留学专家进行把关,这样才能最大限度地向学校展现自己,发挥Essay在申请过程中的重要作用,,从而申请到最理想的学校。
下面,留学专家将通过具体的文书写作实例来向学生讲解申请Essay的写作技巧。
[我要留言咨询]• 芝加哥大学(University of Michigan)Essay I 题目:Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Approximately 250 words)• 学生原文:“Hi! I’m Shanlin ” “How’s that pronounced? Wait, don’t you have an English name?“ (the idea is to highlight som e conflict over whether it’s easier for you to give up and adopt an English name that’s not yours. We use the girl here as a device, so it’s okay to portray her as a little more ignorant and surprised by your Chinese name.)This happened the first time I traveled outside China and introduced myself to a girl at our dorm. Her confusion left me quite puzzled too, and I wondered if picking an English name would indeed help me fit in. I flipped through dictionaries and name databases, looking for the perfect name to identify myself with. Hours later, frustrated and still indecisive, I closed the book and gave up. I don’t need an English name.My Chinese name given by my grandfather represents the well wishes and love of my family. “Shan” means slow-paced, because my grandfather wants me to take the time to appreciate all that life has to offer; “Lin” means having a kind heart as pure as jade. I’m proud of my name, and I do my best to live up to it.To my family, their only child is leaving for her journey into young adulthood; she must study hard in school and make them proud of her accomplishments. To my friends, the silly girl they grew up with is going all the way across the world for college; she must send back amazing photos of her new adventures. To my country, I am the daughter who, despite being thousands of miles away, will always carry the greatest memories of growing up in China.And to me, Shanlin Hu, this is my exploration. I’ll always be Chinese, but as my geography expands, so wil l what I identify as my new community. I can’t wait to be a part of the Ann Arbor campus where I’ll make meet new people, learn about their cultures, celebrate new traditions, and teach everybody how to pronounce my Chinese name!• 修改后的文章:Living in Shanghai, I have a strong feeling towards the sea. What word might occur to people when they imagine the sea? Huge, endless, blue, shiny… however, when I come up to the shore in Shanghai, the word “dirty” strikes to my mind. What I sawwas far from an ocean paradise. Garbage barges slowly cut through the debris, while thick pools of oil lap against the shore.In recent years, our city has campaigned to reduce air and waste pollution. Iparticipated in the Johnson&Johnson’s Beach Clean-Up Day Project. I, together with other volunteers, worked two hours a day to collect the rubbish along the sea in the summer of 2012. After we finished the work,the scenes recurred in my mind: little boy kicked the beverage cans into the sea, drunken man threw away the bottle in his hand and visitors dropped their rubbish while they walked along the shore. We can send a volunteer team out every day, but it won’t solve the problem if our own people are the ones polluting the sea!Then I took the initiative to encourage clean and green living among my classmates and neighbors. Since I have hundredsof fans on my Weibo, I think it may be a great deal if my fans spread the ideas to their friends so that I started to post the information about environmental protection on my micro-blog. Fortunately, more and more people in our community had noticed the information on Weiboand more people had joined the campaign to pass the spirit of promoting a cleaner Shanghai.This is the community I belong to: calling for more people to protect the environment of Shanghai. I knowthere are still a lot of challenges on our way, but I will stick to that for the cityI love.• 留学专家点评:初稿是通过写自己名字体现自己属于的家庭,并为自己的名字而感到自豪。
美国留学Essay怎样写才能脱颖而出.doc

美国留学Essay怎样写才能脱颖而出美国的教学质量高,经济发达,学习氛围好,现如今,选择去美国念书的人是越来越多了。
那么美国留学Essay怎样写才能脱颖而出呢,今天我总结了以下的内容,希望给你带去帮助。
美国留学ESSAY主要内容都包括哪些,这是最基本的一、头脑风暴我们都知道写文章的时候,开头其实是最难的!所以一定要对自己的研究经历、个性、品质、优缺点等等进行很好的思考,从而产生一个好的思路来开始你的Essay。
二、第一稿准备在考虑好自己想要写的内容之后,可以先根据自己的想法列一个提纲来决定各个部分的内容和例子。
开始准备写第一稿的时候,要顺着自己的思路来写,不要想着一次性写好而不敢动手。
可以在成稿之后再多修改几次。
>>>更多三、结构扩充一篇Essay通常是分为三大板块:介绍+主体+结尾;主体部分可以多写几个段落来介绍自己的研究背景和经历。
四、要详细文章要围绕问题集中陈述,选取一个合适的角度来展示和自身品质的相关性。
要确保我们写的所有内容都是围绕观点论证的。
五、要新角度根据自己的真实想法,尽可能的寻找新的角度来表达自己的观点。
比如你对一个学校的喜爱,可以从他的知名校友对你的影响入手。
六、要诚实不要想着去“讨好”录取委员会的老师们,也不要尝试去写一些你认为的他们想听到的答案。
按照自己的想法,如实回答Essay的问题即可。
七、多听反馈可以将你的Essay内容给你的家人、朋友或者老师们来看,问问他们的意见。
从这个Essay中是否可以了解到你的真正的想法和观点,并做适当的修改。
八、校对更正并成稿仔细阅读你的Essay,认真审核拼写失误、打字以及语法错误。
最好可以找别人来校对一下,会更容易发现其中的问题。
一篇精彩的留学ESSAY怎么写,接下来我就来讲讲写作要点1.仔细阅读说明很多人可能认为仔细阅读说明是多余的,但事实并非如此。
如果美国留学申请者不能按照要求来写文书,那么招生官很有可能就认为将来申请者被录取后也不能够守纪律。
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性,平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益,请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间:9:00-18:30)。
美国芝加哥大学的Essay范文导读:本文美国芝加哥大学的Essay范文,仅供参考,如果能帮助到您,欢迎点评和分享。
留学美国的同学,申请好大学,申请文书需要写Essay,本文是一篇芝加哥大学的Essay范文,给大家做一个示范,大家有个榜样,多加练习。
当然还要根据不同学校的要求进行写作。
申请芝加哥大学的同学则需要深入学习这片范文,并做到举一反三:Inspired by Susannah Nadler, a graduate of The Spence School, New York, NYStorytelling is an integral part of the formation of our identities. The stories that our parents and our communities tell us about themselves and the world form our first map of the universe. At some point, we begin to tell our own stories to ourselves and to others. Tell us a story you tell. Your story does not have to be either true or a story you would think to tell anyone but yourself; but the story must be your own, and its telling should have significance to you. Your story should also be significant to a listener who might tell a story about you.France is a European fusion of culture, claiming diversely mastered specialties in its many regions and provinces. Crpes,dentelle Bretonne, languedoc, and fromages-mania are all constituent to this cultural synthesis, until you come down to Marseille. Of all things to be celebrated for, what is their specialty? Les histories Marseillaises, or tall tales. As it is told, the people of Marseille are notorious for their especially keen powers of exaggeration-sort of like me. I contest, minor embellishment must find its way in several stories I tell for audience appeal (as long as such embellishment remains consistent!). Whenever I tell this particular one though, I start off by saying the story I shall tell you in itself is too colorfully absurd to require any ornamentation. This is exactly how it happened:Five years ago, when I was about twelve or thirteen, still on the steps of teenagehood in Saudi Arabia, the whole family decided to go shopping at the gaudiest of places to buy anything in Riyadh! This little center had a good hardware store, and an adjacent clothes shop where you can buy anything for about a tenth of the price! Calvin Klein becomes Calvin Clein, GAP BAP, Lacoste Locaste, and several such pirated variations. My parents decided to go to the hardware shop, and told me that I could stay at the clothes shop alone. What freedom! A statement of my maturity, myindependence! I went in and casually browsed through the items. Such nonchalance I felt, such joviality. Simultaneously, good thoughts gyrated the edges of my brain: I had great friends, a great school life, good grades, great family...I had the teenage dream...until I turned around. Intah ya walah screamed someone behind me. I turned to find that the proprietor of this voice was an overbearing man wearing the traditional Saudi thobe and ghutra, but with some black skinned coating with golden embroidery over his corpulent being, screaming muffled commands at me through his deviously twisted and untamed beard. To his sides were two policemen, awaiting their command to action. Now, mind you, I am Lebanese, and I do speak Arabic-but Saudi Arabic is so much more different than any Arabic I had heard! I could not discern one word the man was saying, until he got to the last sentence: Yalla 3al gims-You're coming with us to the gims. Gims was the mispronounced GMC truck, thought to be a one-word acronym. Instantly, I knew who this man was. A matawah-a religious official with unchecked authority out to impose his interpretation of Islam on the world, with a stick. I had heard horrible tales of boys being whipped in these preferred matawah gims vehicles, and other such abuses. Ishuddered in fear and trepidation. I had held my arm so close to my body in panic that the six shirts that I had casually draped over my arm became an attached, sweaty, crumpled mass appendage of my lower side. What law had I infringed upon to deserve this punishment? So I asked, trembling, and making an enormous effort to be understood. His stick rose and hit my shorts. My shorts?! That was my infraction?! I could not wear shorts?! My mind was in a panicked, confused conundrum: Was I to consent, or scream helplessly hoping my parents would hear from the adjoining hardware store? In an anxious spontaneity, I chose option three: I signaled with my hand for the matawah to wait, as I needed to finish my shopping! What a stupid resort, but it was the only thing I could think of. As the nonchalance that once possessed me and the trepidation that currently consumed me battled over the control of the state of my body, I mustered the courage to continue shopping. As I moved toward the trousers, my pursuers followed. As I had feigned to lose interest in this section and moved toward the belts, they swiftly entailed. The insides of my body were being shaken vigorously. Where were my mother and father?Finally, as if a prayer answered, the pursuing mob lostinterest momentarily. Apparently, an older Saudi teenager was talking to his girlfriend on his cell phone, a way more significant violation than mine! This was the chance. I scurried like a madman towards the exit desperately. I entered the hardware store, my temples bursting with the hypnotic beating pulse of my heart. Where were my parents?! I rummaged the store frantically, running around aimlessly until I found my mother. I quickly informed my mother of the situation, frenetically attempting to communicate with her between my gasps for breath. My father had left the store to buy ice cream for my sisters she told me, and he had the car. This is where my friends start crying hysterically, although I think what happens is quite sad. Apparently more than a hardware store, my mother took me to the planting section. There she found a large, empty terra cotta pot. Sit in here and hide, until I come back with your father she said. This is material for the movies, I tell you! So I did just this, attempting to recapture my calm. My eyes peered cautiously over the rim of the pot awaiting the signal. In came my mother through the sliding doors of the hardware store. He's here, he's here! He's parked right outside here! He's started the car, he's waiting for you, c'mon! I lifted my right leg out ofthe pot, then my left, and dashed towards the exit. Simultaneously, the mattawah came in with the policemen. But before he could say or do anything, my mother had already opened the back door of the car, and we trailed off...Who would have thought that I could have made an adventure out of wearing shorts? Mind you, this is not a statement against Saudi Arabia or its peoples. I have lived here for eight years and have learned to love it. But for a little closure, it goes without saying: Only in Saudi Arabia.。