1. Thura 1
Matt Thura
Ms. O’ Connor
English 11 AP
12 October 2015
Think Outside the Cup
Wake up, eat, sleep, and repeat. Daily life may feel dull and simple, even repetitive at
times. Days and weeks and months go by in the blink of an eye, and before I know it, it is time to
bring out a fresh Christmas tree or celebrate the passing of a new year. It is easy to let time slip
through the reach of our fingers, but hard to enjoy the subtle details of life. I normally get too
caught up in the autonomy of my actions, or try to fit in and accept the popular opinion.
However, I have taken note throughout my life’s journey that no matter how simple things may
seem on the surface, there is always a deeper level to dive into. Whether it is what things are
composed of, or how parts fit together like pieces in a puzzle, the minute details that function
together are what make life joyful. These little things never slip out of my mind now, even if I
am rushing to cram things into my backpack as I get ready for school, or relaxing to a hearty
meal at the end of the day. In fact, a certain commonly overlooked meal holds a special
significance in my life because it grips on to a dear place in my heart and stomach. The minute
components of a cup-a-noodle snack form a prodigious wind symphony that never fails to
remind me of how microscopic details can unite into an extensive harmony of life.
I remember from a peculiar childhood habit that the ingredients of a cup-a-noodle snack
are unappetizing when detached from the rest. Curiosity and hunger always tend to get the best
of me, and when a day turns desperate in middle school, I end up eating a raw cup-a-noodle
package to satisfy my devoid stomach. As I snack on this concoction by Nissin, the salty
flavoring powder is sharp and tingling to my taste buds, reminiscent of a vitriolic sound made by
a solo piccolo screaming its high notes. The powder soaks up any existing moisture in my

2. Thura 2
parched mouth, drawing unwanted attention from my critical mind. I quickly find out that the
compact block of noodles is also barely audible without water, proving that the trumpets and
stars of the show cannot shine without a strong base supporting them. As I taste the rest of the
cup, I realize the crunchy bits of carrots and peas are pointless by themselves. These ringing hits
of the drums and xylophones need the whole picture to have any sense of direction for where to
go. I cannot ignore the savory pieces of meat as well, which provide a stale taste in my mouth
without the rest of the ensemble. These alto and tenor saxophones can intrigue its various
audiences, but go bad without the freshness of other counter melodies like the carrots. As I hold
the empty foam cup after I finish, I note that without the ingredients themselves, an image of a
dusty and abandoned rehearsal hall comes to mind. Finally, I hold my lonely fork that longs for
more ingredients to mingle and dance with, but in reality, is now as useless as a baton conducting
a vacant band. The individual components of my cup-a-noodle form an empty hole in my heart,
one that can only be patched by the harmonies of a composed cup-a-noodle performance.
I later discover that when these little parts combine into a large group, they have
magnificent powers. These incredible powers save me numerous times throughout high school,
but the first time they save me at the Feste Del Mar band competition is most memorable to me.
The day blurs by as I get caught up in all the distractions of winning first place and sweeping the
competition. Before I know it, the sun runs away and the moon starts its ascent into the cloudless
sky. It is time for the anticipated awards ceremony in the stadium bleachers, but as I stroll over, a
chilly breeze surprises me and overtakes my freezing spirit. I feel a cold creeping up on me. I
wonder if a hot snack can warm me up, and I head over to the snack bar across the stadium. I
quickly have my coveted cup-a-noodles in mind, but the seemingly quick walk seems like a
marathon to my declining vitality. However, I know I must persevere through this plight to feel
better. I struggle through the crowded stadium, but the journey is worth it, since I finally reach
the snack bar.

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A single object can change an entire day’s course of action, and this seemingly simple
wooden shack contained the item to do just that. The snack bar is like heaven reaching down
onto Earth to save me from freezing inside. I accept its invitation and shakily exchange it with
the crumpled dollar from my pocket. While grasping the foam cup with my shivering hands, I
quickly pour boiling water into the cup, and begin to feel the soothing warmth. While the lid is
closed to cook all the ingredients inside, the various instruments are warming up and tuning for
the show to begin. I could feel excitement building within me, melting away the chilly interior I
contained not so long ago. I could not contain my excitement any longer, and hurry back to my
seat for both the awards and cup-a-noodle shows to begin.
As I sit down onto the ice cold bleachers, the warmth of the cup-a-noodle radiates within
me, and I know this performance will be different from the past. I slowly peel back the cover and
instantly get surprised. The aroma of the first note sends chills down my spine before I even
begin eating. My fork masterfully conducts its way through the various components and leads
the path for the instruments to shine. The perfectly al dente noodles give a bold first statement by
the trumpets, backed up by the soup base of tubas and baritones. Afterwards, the exotic spices hit
me, as the upper register flutes and clarinets blend nicely with the noodles and brass. It is hard to
forget about the bits of carrots, peas, and meat, which give the band precise tempo and back up
the bright melody. I have never heard a feat quite like this. The harmony of the entire cup is
perfectly in tune, and as the band roars the final fermata, a realization pops into my head. This
glorious cup-a-noodle achievement would have never happened without the coordination and
cooperation of ingredients. Individual parts of the symphony may be inadequate by themselves,
but the combined parts create an undeniably harmonious resonance.
The concordance of cup-a-noodle pieces resemble how the little things in life can be
enjoyed together to have a big effect. Both the cup-a-noodle parts and members of a band are
lacking and inferior by themselves. Conversely, the combined results of cup-a-noodle ingredients

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and players are awe-inspiring and remarkable. They have opened my eyes to a whole new world.
The details are definitely not limited to be about the composition of cup-a-noodles, or a wind
symphony playing. All that matters is that we look for the things that inspire us to break away
from the conventional ways of living and find the interactions that positively affect us. The
cooperation between seemingly unimportant things is what makes life wonderful.