The ethnic group that I belong to is the Portuguese ethnicity. The majority of the Portuguese community belongs to the catholic religion, and hence, I and many others have been brought up with specific beliefs and teachings. This means that I belong to a very traditional catholic church. Growing up my favourite thing about being Portuguese were the festivals that we attended. We would attend church for the specific holiday that was being celebrated that day and then proceed to go to the festival. Being Portuguese taught me how to appreciate my religion with as much respect as possible. These festivals and family gatherings help reinforce values such as family, and friendship. The most important value that is reinforced is our moral values that are provided by our religion, Catholicism. We may not have specific teachings, but overall, being a Portuguese catholic girl, I have learned to respect how important family bonds are, and how important religion is to me. Family and Religion have helped me reinforce values and appreciate all that comes with it. 

If I have to go back and think about how I interact with others every day shows me how important relationships are in this world that we live in. Whether it's family, friends, or random people in general, each person has a special part in how I learn and grow as a person. These interactions have helped shape me into who I am and add experiences to my life.

Within my family, I find a sense of belonging, love, and support that forms the foundation of my well-being. We share memories, uphold traditions, and navigate life's challenges together, creating a bond that is strengthened within the family. My family guides me through life and looking back, I constantly use them as my guidepost. My dad and my sister mean everything to me and they help keep me grounded. 

My friendships bring diversity and joy into my life, offering different perspectives and shared laughter. These relationships are defined by the mutual support, meaningful conversations, and shared experiences that help make our connection so much stronger. My friends and I have experiences that we can’t really find somewhere else, I never feel embarrassed in front of them whether we’re in a public setting or in private. They have helped change my perspective for the better and I continue to learn new things through them and the experiences we get ourselves into. 

Then we have the people in my life that I don't have much of an interaction with. These people are my lecturers and the occasional random person that I may or may not speak to when our paths randomly cross. My lecturers add knowledge to my life, which helps shape me academically. The random people that I cross paths with, help me socially. Each of these individuals helps me in ways that I don't always understand, but at the end of the day, they have somehow helped me grow, in what they have said or even in how they have acted. 

In these interactions, we exchange not only tangible resources like help or advice but also intangible assets like knowledge, empathy, and emotional support. Each interaction adds value to my life and strengthens the bonds within my life, shaping me into a more empathetic, happy, and fulfilled person. I feel that these interactions are very important in our day to day lives as they shape us in many different ways, and will continue to shape us as we work through life. 

As I navigate these interactions and experineces, I am reminded of how we connect as a whole in humanity and the power of meaningful connections in shaping our collective experiences and growth. I cherish these relationships and strive to nurture them, recognizing the invaluable role they play in shaping my identity and enriching my journey through life. I have learnt to appreciate these experiences, both the good and the bad as I know this is going to eventually help turn me into someone who I want to be one day. 

My day usually starts off sluggishly as I struggle to leave my cozy bed, often hitting snooze on multiple alarms before finally getting up. Once I'm out of bed, I hurriedly pick an outfit from my closet and rush through my morning routine, feeling the pressure of having stayed in bed scrolling through TikTok for way too long. On my way to campus, which is quite far, I often call my dad to chat and pass the time. We usually talk about my plans for the day, though I often confess to feeling unmotivated about them and he usually encourages me to have a better outlook on the situations that are presenting me, such as long classes. 

When I reach campus, I become more aware of my surroundings, noticing the smell of flowers making my nose feel stuffy, and suddenly, I struggle to breathe as my nose becomes completely blocked, this is one of the struggles that I do not want to experience during the day. I also become very aware of the heat that I’m feeling from the sun on my skin. Despite this, I try my best to focus in class, although it can be tough sometimes, I constantly find myself getting distracted about the thoughts that I have on what I’m going to be doing when I get home. After classes, I walk back home with a friend, enjoying their company until we reach our parting point. 

When I reach home, I usually opt for a quick and easy meal cooked in the air fryer, which I enjoy while watching TV. Eventually, I gather the energy to tackle my daily tasks as efficiently and quickly as I can. Once I'm done, I take a long, relaxing shower, savoring the rosy scent of my body wash. Before bedtime, I like to read a daily devotional and say a prayer, which helps me feel centered and calm. Finally, I settle into bed, often picking a random movie to watch on my laptop until I drift off to sleep.

We all have our own opinions on everything that goes on around us, and sometimes, the things that we witness, read, or hear about, alter our perception of things. This can make us view people differently, and create stereotypes based on what we've seen or heard. I think that this is what Miner and Wainana try to showcase in their writings, we cannot simply base our opinions on things that we've only just heard or seen, we need to delve in deeper and understand the backstory. 

Ngozi stated in TedTalks that having one perspective on things can be very dangerous. This made me think about my perception of people and other things in the world based on what I've seen or heard. I came to the conclusion that although I view things a certain way, my perception of things may not always be fair as I have not heard the backstory of what I'm witnessing or hearing. This makes my judgment unfair. We all have reasons as to why we do certain things, whether it be cultural, religious, or simply just because we want to, the point is, is that there is always a reason, and when viewing things, we need to take that reason into consideration. 

It is important for us to change our perspective every once in a while and try and see out of someone else's point of view. This will not only change our opinions on certain matters, but it will also help us become more respectful towards each other and each other's perceptions.