New Friends

I make new friends all the time. I think it’s something we must do to grow as individuals. But this semester I made three new friends in my English 101 class and I think they will be around for awhile. The teacher on the first day of class placed us three in a group together to do group work and from that day on we have hung out in and out of class. I sometimes call us the little United Nations because we have a Latina, a half Chinese, half African American, and two Guyanese which I am one of them. With the crazy jokes to the constant feeling of being alerter before a prank is pulled I feel these three kept me in the class and also kept me coming back.

We have Sherry the shy one. But I honestly don’t think she is shy she is just hiding the craziness better than the rest of us. Then there is Karina who is the jokester of the group who keeps us laughing. And there is Takeria who we tend to make fun of but she is always a good sport about it. She is the oldest and at times I feel like me and her can actually have a real conversation about life and all its depths. For now these friends are keeping me happy and I know we will stay in contact even after we leave Queensborough. Making the college experience more worth it than before.

Water

What calms you down? I have notices when I am stressed or I feel like just relaxing I go to the beach. When I was younger I spent a lot of time at Crossbay a parking out in Queens overlooking the water. From this view point I could see all the way to Coney Island and even parts of Manhattan. Right near the parking lot is a gazebo where we would sit down for hours and talk. We can hear and see the water as the cool breeze rushes over our faces. The smells of the area is not often pleasant depending on the day. But the sun glistening over the water is all that’s need to clam me down.

There aren’t any boats in this bay so we were never bothered with the loud sounds of boat horns. All we heard is the wind and the cars from the high way behind. Many people dump their trash and others make religious sacrifices leaving the beach dirty and the water unclean. Sometimes people would be fishing on the bridge that we cross before turning into the parking lot. But the water will always be calming for me. Today the parking lot is police monitored with fences unlike years ago when I use to be a frequent visitor. I think their presents has taken away from whole experience and feeling for the place.

Pushy People

I believe I wrote about this topic in previous post but I think I need to reiterate it again for those people who didn’t understand the first time. I am sure everyone of you has come across a pushy person before who cannot take no for an answer. I mean at times I can be like that too but I think there is a fine line. I won’t go too much into details or give this person’s identity away but I will say get a life. Always repeating yourself, making yourself look more and more like an asshole everytime. I promised that I wasn’t going to bring up personal problems on here when I first started but I guess this is the perfect place to vent.

Art

Art as always been a part of my life. I remember even I was in elementary school I would come home and spend hours at my desk drawing something or looking at pictures. I remember when I was in art class I would take my time and draw more carefully than the other students. Not to say the other students didn’t care but I also noticed that the teachers praised me more for my projects than they did the other students. Then I got to high school. The high school was an art high school where everyone was creative in his or hers own way. I had to work twice as hard when I did a project. I felt everyone was competing with each other but it kept me on my toes. I did learn a lot those three years in high school and I wish I could continue and have career dealing with art but it’s a field I believe is more competitive than any other. But if I were ever to pursue any kind of art field I think I would like to become a painter or a sculptor. But maybe that’s another life time.

Party Planning

Over the years I started make decision on what I believe to be beautiful and what I believe to be distaste full and many people began to agree with my choices. I also believe myself to be organized when it comes to most cases. I think these two factors is what inspired me to want to become a party planner. So far I haven’t taken any major strives to become a planner but I have happen planned a few events. I drew up a few sketches and advised a few people here and there that I think if I was to ever go into the field full time I would do just fine. And let’s face it in today’s society if we feel we are not going to succeed we don’t pursue that dream.

I think my dream is to own a party planning company where we plan large events such as corporate events, weddings, conferences, and other large get-togethers. I figured when I finish college I would decide whether I want to go into the marketing field or planning field, two things I enjoy doing equally.

Love

I figured I’ll write about love, something I don’t know a lot about but what little I know I’ll share. Over the years I have learned that there are different kinds of love. I know I have love for my friends and family. I don’t know how I can prove it but I know if something were to happen to them I will be there in a heartbeat. When it comes to the intimate love that a husband a wife shares or a boyfriend and a girlfriend shares I can honestly say I have never experienced it. I believe love such as that is true and deep. I also believe for one to come to a feeling such as that there are many different levels he or she must go through. All I know is with all the relationships I have had in the past, never have I been in love. I may like someone or trait about them but never has my heart actually skipped a beat from someone. Or what if love hits me smack dab in the face and I don’t know it now because I have never experienced it.

Facebook

I feel like now a day’s everyone has facebook. I remember when I first signed up for facebook, none of my current friends had it, or at least not that I knew of. I didn’t even hear about facebook until my freshmen year of college. Back then you couldn’t access it through you phones, or play Farmville, or even pay games like poker and Uno. I remember people telling to get it but I honestly didn’t want to because I thought it was similar to myspace and many of the other social networking sites. I did turn out to be right with each site changing a little here and a little there.

Today I feel like my friends live on facebook. I tried it but all I ended up doing was look at people’s pictures. I look at people I knew in the past and I compare myself to them and it is a very depressing feeling sometimes. I am happy for them but I do wish sometimes that my plans I made five years ago didn’t really work out the way I wanted them to and now I am a little behind. But like many things, facebook has come a long way and I know a lot of businesses are incorporating it into their business. I just hope we can keep up.

Music

I have been meaning to write a blog post about music for awhile now but have not gotten around to it but here I go. I love music and everything it offers. I feel music demonstrates emotion and so does dance. All my life I have been around music like most of us. Either someone is playing it or someone is listening to it. I love to hear a beat and all of a sudden I feel my foot moving and my body swaying. I try to imagine what the next beat would be so I can keep up. In today’s society songs are written for pretty much everything. As it was in the past, music was a form of storytelling and a way to express ones idea. I feel that is still the same case today. In the West Indian community songs are often written about things people value the most such as rum, love, sex, revenge. For example a song was written called “bring the rum” which popular not just for the words but because of the rhythm that entices the people to get up and move. Music doesn’t only mean dancing, for some people music means sadness. I have often seen when a couple breaks up one will listen to break up songs in the hope of finding answers. At times I feel this can drown a person in more sorrows than anything else.

Naomi

Naomi and I are family and like some family members we have the same mind. She is my third cousin on my mom side of the family but if anyone asks I just say she is my cousin. We pretty much grew up together even in Guyana then we both migrated over here to the states. We became close and actually started hanging out on a regular base once we became teens and now we pretty much have the same circle of friends. Naomi I would say is a quick thinker. If you are ever playing a game where thinking is required, which is most games, she is the person to have on your team. Many times we are thinking the same things or would say the same things. As we now get older I notice she has a gambling personality. When it comes time to play poker, or cards, or make a bet, she is always down. She also has a hard time finding a good guy. I have told her time and time again her choices in men is horrible. But she is still young, she can make mistakes and still bounce back.

Lazy

I have often been told that “LAZY” is my middle name. The funny thing is I don’t totally disagree. I know when I am home I don’t do anything. I can spend the entire day lying in bed and just do nothing. And I am not going to lie I have done that before. As long as I have my laptop or tv along with my phone at my disposal I can survive for days in my room. You see my room is in the middle of my house and it has no windows so I can’t tell if its day or night outside unless I look at my phone. There are many times I wouldn’t even look at my phone because I either want to be left alone or I don’t want to be a part of the outside world. But once I leave my house I feel like energy just flows. I know when I am at work I am running here, there and everywhere and I am fine. I think when I am at work I feel like I must always prove myself but when I am home I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to. I hope this does change because I know it wouldn’t be beneficial later on when I get my own place.

Nerd

So I’ll be the first to admit I am a nerd. I have nerd tendencies but don’t tell anyone that. I am not your typical nerd you see on television like Steve Erchle or Skrech from Save By the Bell but I am a nerd regardless. I am not smart like those guys nor do my pants hem past my ankle but I am a nerd. For one I am a nerd because I like anything related to scifi. Whether it has to do with aliens or monsters I get excited. I also love cartoons with superheroes and anything action, I even pretend I am the superhero sometimes. Of course is in the privacy of my own house. I already of the glasses so all I probably need is the laugh and the snort that follows.

Glory Singerz

I guess you can say music has always played a part in my life. It didn’t become so much of a big thing until I entered my teenage years and I joined a group call the Glory Singerz. We were a bunch of young teens all around the say age looking for something to do. We all attended Sprit and Truth Christian Church and an idea came to John the leader of this group to begin a singing group. We would meet during the week practice a song that the majority agreed on and sung it on Sunday morning to the congregation. We knew we had a lot of work ahead before were actually became good but we practiced. I was considered the clown and the outspoken one of the group always trying to entertain everyone. We did have fun hanging out and bonding and it’s not an experience I would trade for any other. Over the years many member have gone and went, me being one of them. We even when as far as creating a demo that we sent out to other record labels. At that time I personally believe we weren’t ready but we did it anyway. Today the group took a break but I am sure one day we will all come back together. The group was officially started Christmas morning and every Christmas the members always return back to Sprit and Truth were we remember the past and some of us even sing together again just to relive the pass.

Science

I have never been big on science or math but as of lately I notice I am taking an interest in science. It’s not like I am going to go start studying it or anything but just maybe keep an eye out. I might keep an eye out for the next best thing and maybe try to understand certain things better. I know the fields of science and math are closely related but I couldn’t understand math for the life of me growing up. I think this was the reason I kind of pushed science to the side. I think the things that fascinate me the most these days is the fact that with the help of science the possibilities to advance life and create a place where we as humans are technologically unchallenged is amazing. We can cure diseases, create technology that can build or travel to places us beings thought impossible. I know it takes a lot of smart people to do thing such as these and trust me, I am not one of them. My brain I believe is more for selling the product and how I can mass-market it to the world. I don’t know, maybe I have been watching too much sicfi lately.

Teenager's

As of the past few months I noticed my family had a good number of teenagers. Some more mature than others but all strong in his or hers own way. I also notice their perceptiveness now more than ever. If I say something to one of them I feel like they all have an opinion regarding the situation. When I was growing up we as children were taught to speak when spoken too and always respect your elders. I also feel many of my cousins know too much for their age. Things regarding sex, life, love, and other topics of debate are always on the tip of their tongue, some of these things I didn’t learn until I was in my late teens. I know in my early and mid teenage years my elders felt that we knew too much and I think the cycle repeats itself. I can see the positive and negative said to a situation such as this. The positive is that we are become more and more advanced as a people but on the negative side our children maybe growing up too quickly. So where do you stand? What do you prefer?

Drinking

I’m in my early 20’s and at this time and age alcohol plays a role in my life. I notice that at many functions or gatherings among family and friend’s alcohol is always present. I remember in my health class my teacher saying two drinks for men and one drink for women each day is healthy. Well I am not at a point in my life where I believe I need to drink everyday but I do drink once in a while. Weekends are times when most friends and family get together and of course alcohol is present. It’s not that we require the alcohol to have a good time but it helps. But I do know the affects alcohol can have on an individual. Often when we go to the club we see males more than females who can’t handle their liquor and get out of hand. Many times fight breaks out or people begin to act out of their usual characteristics. At one point of my life I was in that same place. It’s kind of funny because I turned 21 I was always drinking at the club or bar, of course illegally. Then after I turned 21 the feeling for drinking vastly declined. I believe I drink less now than I do years ago. I guess the taboo of being told what to do always influence youths to do the opposite. But I think our civilization has a long way to go before we can eliminate alcohol altogether.

Prayer

I don’t pray as much as I should but I believe prayer is a positive thing that more people need to take part in. I usually pray in times of need which I believe is selfish and I think one of my goals for the future is to make prayer a higher priority. I know many of us usually pray in time of desperate need such as before a test or before an uncontrollable event. I know there are many religions out there with many different gods but I pray to god. I know there is something out there that is responsible for everything and I usually ask for guidance, knowledge, among health and strength. I also believe it’s a little bit of give and take, if you asking good for all of these things you have to give a little of praises, worship, and acknowledgement. I know after I finish praying that I do feel better. I am not sure if it’s because I put my faith in something greater or if it’s just a soothing remedy. All I know is it’s a good feeling and it is one of the things I recommend to many people.

Future

I believe in today’s society that the future is the only thing that plays a viable role. Everything that we do is for the future. There are those one or two spontaneous moments when we do something pleasing for ourselves or something relaxing that benefits us for that moment but other than that it usually is for the future. I have been told over and over again to create a plan, make goals that will benefit me. Don’t get me wrong I am happy I to make these goals because it adds to my success in many different ways. For example my plans or goals which ever you wish to call is to receive my associate degree at Queensborough then off to a four year college for my bachelors degree in marketing and advertisement. And based on today’s job market I would probably go back to school to receive my masters as well. I would really love to attend an Ivy League school but I guess I haven’t taught that far ahead. But these are just my academic plans; I also have a time line for starting a family, for buy my first car, for getting my first apartment, among many other things. All I know is that along the way my plans may change and I may get derailed but I plan to continue to strive for something.

Education

I come from a culture where one with an education is greatly valued and his or hers opinion are hardly questioned. But yet again not many people acquire an education for numerous different reasons. As I get older I can make assessments of certain situations that occurred in the past or that I have heard of. With that said I know of many Guyanese people who forfeited the right to continue with an education because many times they feel an education is unattainable. I have heard the saying “my head is too hard” over and over again, meaning it is hard to understand what is being taught. There are some who do have an education but the percentage of drop outs among middle schoolers and high schoolers are much greater than they are in the United States.

Many times young boys will prefer learning a trade such as fishing, farming, among other manual labor but I do believe if one can learn a trade and know the ins and out of that trade, he or she can have an education. Also the lack of education many times lead to teens starting families of their own where as the norms in the united states in considered in the mid 20s or 30s.

I can’t totally blame the entire country for lack of will power and perseverance because of the neglect to pursue an education but also look at their financial situations. Many families are living in poverty to lower middle class life styles. Also a education cost money which many of these people don’t have. Today I am thank full I am able to receive an education and look forward to someday use this education to make a difference for my country, Guyana.

Summer

The summer is coming and I don’t think I am ready for it. To me the summer means hot and sticky weather along with longer days and nothing to do but work. Yes, there are better parties and everyone is always outside hanging out but the weather is just too much for me. Although I was born in the summer and I migrated from a country where it is summer year round I think I have gotten accustom to the change in climate as well as preferring spring and fall. I love fashion and clothing so I always prefer cooler weather because I can wear hoodies, jackets, and much other apparel designed for the cold air. Also when it is hot I can’t sleep, I have always prefer the room to be cool along with a blanket I am ready for hibernation. I also prefer the other seasons over summer because these seasons I believe bring about beauty and life. For example I believe spring is associated with life because things grow and animals return from a long winter along with new life, or at least that’s what I saw in Disney movies. But at the end of the day I always prefer a nice spring day where I can just walk around and not be bothered with the sun being too hot or having to rehydrate myself. But thank God summer is only a few months.

Welcome

Welcome is supposed to be one of the first things someone does but as you may notice from the date I am doing it in the middle. I guess I am a little backwards so excuse me. Well to begin I have and I will continue to write on here even after this English class is over. I don’t consider myself to have great knowledge but just pleased to express my thoughts and share with the world my beliefs and biases. For some, sharing of opinions is a dangerous thing and I am great full and honored to be able to communicate in this way. At times I know my thoughts and beliefs may sound strange but as society head further into the future we must learn to become more accepting. So without anything else to add, my blog.

Work

Growing up all I ever wanted was to be older, now that I am; I wish I was a child again. It’s funny actually how the universe sometimes works. Work is probably one of the reasons I wish I was a child again. I didn’t have as much responsibilities nor did I have to pay for everything myself. I know we are a culture that must work in order to achieve something of greater meaning or value. I’ve heard the saying “live to work and work to live”, well I am without a doubt a work to live kind of guy. I would probably be sitting around somewhere doing nothing if I didn’t have to go to school to get an education to find a great paying job. I feel like the entire purpose of living is to work. Either we are working to attain a certain level or we are working at a satisfied current level. Regardless of the situation you are working. Well on the positive note work gives us something to do. It also allows us to have a feeling of self gratification after all is said and done. I think I have a ill feeling toward work because I feel my job is crappy. It’s not something I want to be doing for the rest of my life but it’s a means of cash.

Ms. Childers

I know your probably reading this blog right now and wondering why the hell did one of you students write about you. But over the years I’ve had many teachers, professors; mentors and I can honestly say you are one of the best. From providing stimulating class discussions to being able to communicate with all your students effectively I believe you are doing a great job. The thing that struck me the most I believe is when I received my first paper back. Attached was a letter pin pointing corrections as well as stating my strengths and weaknesses. I can see that you put thought and time in each letter. I can’t really imagine you doing that for my entire class, not to mention your other classes.

I have a feeling you will do just fine at Queensborough and I can see you being the head of the English department or maybe even the President of the school someday. I think the energy that you give helps the students and also demonstrates inspiration; I just wish more teachers had what you had. Well, continue the great work and see you around campus.

Church

I don’t remember a time when church wasn’t a part of my life. Ever since I lived in Guyana I have attended church with my aunt and uncle and after I relocated over to the states I attended with my mother. My church is a Pentecostal Christian Church but I can honestly and truthfully say I don’t believe in some of the teachings I’ve been taught over the years. Since I grew up in church I have been around the same set of people a majority of the time. The same youths I went to Sunday school with I go out and hang out with nowadays; the same youths that were picking their noses and saying girls have the codices are now getting married. At times I think about church and I have came to the conclusion that although my beliefs, I have gotten comfortable with the situation and I don’t think I will leave and go to another church. I know it’s the wrong reason to go to a church but at times I don’t welcome change because I am afraid of the outcome being worst or the same.

There was a time I use to spend weeks at church. I was involved in the choir, youth choir, Sunday school teaching, among other things. There wasn’t an area I didn’t have an opinion about and tried to make some changes. I have realized that I may have some acute form of OCD because I like things to be a certain way. I have been told I am business minded and like things to be organized and I try to cater to people individual needs. And these were some of the things my church lacked and I looked at the opportunity to make changes and I hung around. Over the years some of the problems have been resolved but not all. I should go church on a regular bases but I believe I need to go and commune with god rather than with the church.

Family

My immediate family consists of my mother, stepfather, little brother and myself. Unlike the families you see on television we are not a traditional bunch. Maybe it’s a cultural thing or maybe it’s just the way my family is but we don’t do a lot of the things I want us to do. For example we never sit down to eat together or we never have family meetings. If my brother or I had a problem I would probably turn to a friend for advice rather then turn to my parents. Don’t get me wrong I feel like my parents are doing their job which is providing shelter and food as well as reprimanding us if we do something we weren’t suppose to, in the long run teaching us right from wrong. When it comes to money and clothing all I had to do when I was younger was just ask but I am not sure if that compensates for the closeness that was missing. I have read that children with families that sit down to eat tend to pay more attention in school and bring better grades home.

I can’t really blame my parents because they are both immigrants to this country and American customs compared to Guyanese customs are a little different. For example people would usually eat whenever they felt hungry rather wait for the rest of the family to ready. Also I believe my culture as a whole view emotions as a weakness. I have noticed that Guyanese people would hid or go through a problem on their own before asking for help or sharing with others. I know I will adapt many of the new American traditions taught to be by the media and books but I hope the years don’t cause me and my descendants to forget culture and customs. I guess it’s going to have to be a little give and take.

Weekends

Like everyone else I look forward to my weekends. A time to relax, socialize and a time to party like the true rock star that resides within. I am a true believer in working hard and playing extra hard so when the weekends come around I am a willing and ready participant in all that life has to offer. After a long week of work and school I just can’t wait for Friday to come around knowing that I will be able to let loose until Sunday night rolls around and reality steps in and you realize that the week starts all over again. I remember my freshmen year of college, while living on campus the weekend began on Thursday with most of the students either not reporting to Friday classes or attended with hangovers. You readers probable think I am a crazy partier but I just like to hang out and be around friends and family. Sometimes alcohol is involved and sometimes we are just high off of life but most of the time it’s involved. I do love to spend a Saturday night at a club just dancing and socializing. Or a lazy Sunday, hanging out at the park or beach recovering from Saturday night. Aaah the weekends, I wish the entire week just consisted of just weekends. Damn wouldn’t that be fun.

Justina

As I said in a previous post, I would be writing entries about some of friends. Well today I think I am going to write about Justina. I knew her for about ten years, ten years of driving me crazy. From vacations, to clubs, to advice, to everything else under the sun we have done. No, we did not have sex, it’s not one of those kinds of relationships but I’ve been there through all her crappy relationships and will always be there. I remember the time she destroyed her ex’s house, he had it coming. I also remember the time we played tennis for the first time together and we ended up cursing each other out more than we played. I think the thing that keeps us friends is the fact that she is sincere and can have a heart of gold sometimes. I believe since we have been friends we have only fought once and that was due to one of her ex boyfriends. As far as her future goes I know she will be successful. I do wish her all the best and I know if I ever need anyone to turn to she will always be there and I will do the same for her.

Work

Work, a place at times I can’t stand and a place where I feel like the days are made longer. In this life we must all work. Work for self satisfaction, work to support ourselves, and work to belong. Whatever the reason, we must all do it and some of us may even enjoy it. Because I am a student without a degree, I must settle for a mediocre job with little to no benefits. I know some of you may be saying times are hard with us being in a recession and all but at times this place can really bring me down. Don’t get me wrong, I know a job is what I make of it. When I walk out at the end of my shift I know I have accomplished something for the day. At times I just wish that I was doing something that mentally stimulated me as well as provide a decent compensation for the amount of work done. I guess this is the reason I decided to return to school.

Friends

Over the years I realized I tend to lean on my friends more so than any other group of people in my life. Many times you hear people going to a family member or a mentor for advice but for me, my friends were always there to listen to my bitching and moaning. To begin I am not an open person, I don’t tell people a lot of things because at the end of the day I am afraid of being judged or burdening others with my problems. But when I do share and ask for advice I can honestly say my friends are always there. I personally believe that we all need some kind of counseling or some form of therapy and I think mine is talking to my friends. By just stating the problem and getting it off my chest sometimes feels good. At the end of the day it may not solve the problem but it just lightens the weight a little. Well to my friends, thank you.

Down to the Wire

The semester is now coming to an end and I see everyone buckling down trying to get that final paper in or cram for their finals. I’m no different spending more time in the library focusing more now than I did a month ago. I have always been told college is all about time management and I have come to live by those words. At times I feel overwhelmed with school, work, social life, and family. But I have also realized these are the things that sustain me and keep me going. I remember a time not too long ago when I wasn’t doing any of these things and I felt loss. I became a college dropout, no job; I couldn’t have a social life because fun equals money in most cases, and my family were on my case in every sense to do something with my future. In a way I am happy now for the finals, papers, and the extra cramming I must undergo to get somewhere.

Richmond Hill/ Potsdam

After I was asked to compare two different areas I figured I would compare two places I've lived and two places that I've experience. Richmond Hill Queens and Potsdam New York, and for those of you who don't know where that is, its in north country New York almost at the boarder of Canada. Although I've spent most of my time in Richmond Hill and I am more familiar with the area I did learn a little about Potsdam and the different aspects it offered compared to Richmond Hill.

Richmond Hill which is a very diverse community in my eyes offers many different things culturally and also offers diversity something one may not see in other communities. Considered an urban center by many most but to me it’s pretty residential and quite. But to learn more about Richmond Hill read my previous post.

Potsdam on the other hand is totally different. It’s a small town with population no greater than 15,000 and a majority of that are college students from the two campuses in the town. Racially this area consist mostly of whites with a 30% of minorities. I personally believe the only reason the minorities are even there is because the schools. I spent about a year there and I grew to love the area and the quite life. I had to get accustom to living among trees rather buildings, the sounds of the river rather than the J train passing by. At the end of the day its one of those chapters in my life which I will forever remember and hold close to me.

Exploit

We watched a show in English class which depicted the process and procedures the police takes in solving a investigation. The show, the first 48 showed how a group of detectives solved a murder and how they went about finding the murderer. After being sent on a wild goose chase from one accused to another they finally found a lady who admitted to the crime. I noticed that some of the people who were accused had their faces blurred out but the final person that admitted to the crime face was left unblurred for the world to see. Now this person had no choice in whether or not her face should be displayed for the world to see. Do you think she was exploited?

I personally think she was. No matter if she admitted to the crime I believe it may put her life in danger as well as influence others in their opinion of her. What if someone saw the show in prison and decided to avenge the person she killed. Also what if the show was aired before she was tried in front of a judge. The show many influence the jury which would lead to a mistrial. I also don’t think it’s fair because I don’t believe the world needs to know.

Rat Torture

I've heard of many people being afraid of rats until it reaches a point where they may be diagnosed with that fear. We've also seen in movies where a swarm of rodents are let loose on an individual and he/she must escape. Well rat torture is no different. Rats are released on a person and are encouraged to eat the person alive. Apparently this was a traditional Chinese punishment where the person was locked in a cell and felt to be eaten.

This form of torture was written by Roman Catholic writers where they describe a person being placed in a dark cell below high-water mark. Rats from the river bed would come rushing in as the tide flowed in. In many cases prisoners would have their flesh torn and eaten from their arm or legs and at times both.

Diederik Sonoy an ally of Willaim the Silent was said to have used a similar method where a bowl of rats is placed upside down on a prisoner then held down and heated with coal. Because of the heat the rats were said to have eaten their way down into the person’s bowels to escape the heat.

Although many of these forms of torture are curl and inhumane they are creative.