During Spring Break, I will be away on vacation in the Caribbean. I will take many pictures for my blog and share them when I get back to Michigan! Have a good break, everyone!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
A Note About Spring Break
During Spring Break, I will be away on vacation in the Caribbean. I will take many pictures for my blog and share them when I get back to Michigan! Have a good break, everyone!
My (First) Journey Through the Novel Vive la Paris by Esme Raji Codell
Vive la Paris by Esme Raji Codell is a children's book that deals with the deep themes of bullying and the Holocaust. It is also the book I chose to experiment with when we embarked on a journey of cutting and marking up books today in class.
Thylias suggested that we could begin by crossing out things we didn't want read, and highlighting things we wanted read, or wanted to emphasize in the text. So, I started by highlighting lines and words that I liked. This was slightly difficult, as I had never read the book before (so I didn't really know what to look for), but that made the project even more interesting - I was judging the text on an individual word and sentence level, not as a whole, which is an unusual way to view a book.
The first words I highlighted were the first two words of the book: "Excuse me." I really liked that the book started this way; it seemed like a catchy, captivating introduction and made me want to read more. I also highlighted other words on the first page that I thought seemed interesting and important, such as "piano lessons." I did not find any words on the first page that I wanted to cross out or obscure.
Thylias suggested that we could begin by crossing out things we didn't want read, and highlighting things we wanted read, or wanted to emphasize in the text. So, I started by highlighting lines and words that I liked. This was slightly difficult, as I had never read the book before (so I didn't really know what to look for), but that made the project even more interesting - I was judging the text on an individual word and sentence level, not as a whole, which is an unusual way to view a book.
The first words I highlighted were the first two words of the book: "Excuse me." I really liked that the book started this way; it seemed like a catchy, captivating introduction and made me want to read more. I also highlighted other words on the first page that I thought seemed interesting and important, such as "piano lessons." I did not find any words on the first page that I wanted to cross out or obscure.
The first page of Vive la Paris
By page three, I had decided to start crossing words out as well as highlighting them.
Page 3 of Vive la Paris
When I arrived at page four, I noticed that the words I had struck through on the previous page appeared as different crossed-out words on the next page. It was as though I had accidentally obscured words on page four.
Page 4 and 5 of Vive la Paris
Sometimes I would cross out words that would appear on the next page as just blue lines (since the Sharpie I was using was blue). This happened when there were no words on the next page where I had struck through on the previous page, like these pages below.
The two photos above are of pages 7 and 8 of Vive la Paris
It was very interesting to examine which words had been purposefully crossed out and which words were accidentally obscured. Sometimes I would think about striking through a word (or group of words) on one page, then go to the next page and cross out some words. Once I turned back to the previous page, I found that the words I had considered crossing out had been obscured by the strike-throughs on the next page. Here is an example of this below. On page 120, I crossed out "some words in squiggly letters" (near the top of the page), which inadvertently crossed out "You're lucky to be alive" on page 119. I had previously considered crossing out "You're lucky to be alive," but had decided against it. Interestingly, crossing out other words on the next page also crossed out these words.
Pages 119 and 120 of Vive la Paris
I found this process of working through the book and crossing out certain words fascinating and enlightening. I will continue to work with this book during and between future classes - perhaps even tearing out a page and leaving it outside at the mercy of the elements, and seeing how that changes the experience of the book as a whole. For now, the book will remain in the library cabinet while I go on vacation for Spring Break.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Letter sent!
(I know I'm not five years old, but this picture was too cute not to include on my blog!)
I just sent an email to my mom's family member who is very knowledgable about our family history. Hopefully she will be able and willing to support me during this project and impart knowledge about my family to me that I wouldn't otherwise be able to find out. I will eagerly await her response!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Shapes in the clouds...
When I was a child, my friends and I would often lie in the grass and watch the clouds to see if we could find shapes in them. In the film A Beautiful Mind, there is a scene in which John Nash is on a date with his future wife and he shows her that he can find any shape in the stars. This scene reminds me of my cloud-watching days.
It has occurred to me that clouds are also a form of book, since they can move and form shapes, and these shapes can tell stories. However, to tell stories, someone else (like one of us children, for instance) must project these stories onto the cloud shape. So are the clouds really telling a story, or are we? It's an interesting concept to think about: is the book really telling the story, or is the author telling the story?
Cloud shapes can be interpreted in many ways. In the picture below, for example, I see a polar bear. I asked my roommate what she sees, though, and she said she sees a dog. I think the fact that cloud shapes can have multiple interpretations also qualifies them as a form of book.
It has occurred to me that clouds are also a form of book, since they can move and form shapes, and these shapes can tell stories. However, to tell stories, someone else (like one of us children, for instance) must project these stories onto the cloud shape. So are the clouds really telling a story, or are we? It's an interesting concept to think about: is the book really telling the story, or is the author telling the story?
Cloud shapes can be interpreted in many ways. In the picture below, for example, I see a polar bear. I asked my roommate what she sees, though, and she said she sees a dog. I think the fact that cloud shapes can have multiple interpretations also qualifies them as a form of book.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The Importance of Cultural Background
Our discussion in class on Tuesday reminded me of another
reason that doing a “family tree” project is important. We were talking about
cultural background and its importance in our lives. Pauline mentioned that
people with more “diluted” cultural backgrounds often have trouble identifying
with one culture or another. I think that this conundrum must be especially
difficult for people who are – or even just appear to be – of more than one
ethnicity.
Although I am of only one ethnicity, my background is actually
fairly diverse and diluted. My father is half Swedish and half Italian, making
me one-fourth Italian and one-fourth Swedish, while my mother’s background is a
disparate mixture of nationalities, including Scottish, English, Russian, and
German. Although my background is all western European, each country where I am
“from” has a completely different culture and distinct traditions. Thus, I have
never thought of myself as very connected to my cultural backgrounds, but
rather as “American” – more than anything else, anyway. For instance, my family
has never really had a particular kind of food – like Italian, for example –
that they make because that food is a part of their cultural background. We eat
all kinds of cuisine – Asian, American, Italian, Indian, French, Mexican – and
we don’t really eat any one kind more than another.
As a child, and even sometimes as an adult, I felt jealous
of friends because their cultural background was clearer and a bigger part of
their lives. I think having a distinct cultural background as an important part
of your life can be nice because often there are large communities of cultures,
and people can connect to each other based on their shared cultural background.
For example, there are certain neighborhoods in many cities where there is a
dominant cultural background, such as the Irish south end of Boston. Similarly,
many people at Michigan are Jewish and make friends by going to Hillel and
joining the Jewish community here. Sometimes I wish that I had a certain community
that I could join and feel connected to the people in it based on shared
cultural background.
I think that learning more about my family and my ancestors
will make me feel closer to my own cultural background and the various
nationalities that comprise it.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Plans for my project!
After telling my mom about my new project, I asked her if
she had any suggestions for where I should start. I am most interested in
tracing my mom’s side of the family because it is her great-aunt (ish – I’m not
sure about the exact relation) after whom I am named (my middle name, not my
first). My mom advised me to contact her cousin, who is very interested in
genealogy and who has actually already done some work trying to piece together
our family tree. Since this cousin does have a Facebook, I feel that it will be
fairly simple to get in touch with her and to learn about my mom’s side of the
family from her. However, I am planning to wait a few days – maybe even a week
– to contact her because that side of the family is experiencing an emergency
right now, and I want to give everyone time to process and face this family
situation.
As for the final form and presentation of my project, at
this point I am thinking that I would really like to create a family tree using
posterboard or something, and actually draw out a tree. In addition, since I
know that we are all descendents of the stars and planets (stardust), I would
probably attach stars and other space objects (planets, comets, the sun) to the
tree, perhaps with pipe cleaners. (I am imagining a colorful, artsy project in
my head that might not truly happen as I am envisioning it, since I have very
little visual artistic talent.)
I guess I’m imagining something kind of like this, with
stars attached to the top.
I’m really excited about my project and I can’t wait to get
started!
Saturday, February 9, 2013
New Project: The Genealogy Project
Since I've found that my food journal was getting pretty boring, I've decided to take my English 420 project in a new direction. I found inspiration for my new project during our last class, when we discovered that we had been calling one of our classmates by the wrong name for weeks! He explained that his Facebook name was not actually his real name, and told us his real name. This revelation sparked a conversation about names - whether we really "look" like our names, why, and how our feelings towards our own names have changed over the years. Juliana, for instance, shared that as a child, she hated her full name, and always went by Julie, but now that she's older, she doesn't hate her full name anymore, and now goes by Juliana. Thylias mentioned that "names" would make a good project.
I have been interested in names for some time, and had actually thought about doing a genealogy project before Thylias said that. I think family trees are so interesting and can reveal so much about a person and their background; I would love to know more about mine. Furthermore, on the topic of "names," I am named after a great-great aunt (or some similar relation), and I don't know anything about her! I would love to know more about who she was and her life because, even though she had died before I was even born, I feel a strange connection to her, since I bear her name.
Another reason that I think a genealogy project is important and relevant to my life is that where a person comes from is very important, and has a huge impact on who they are and who they become. I feel that it is a shame that I know so little about my ancestors and my family tree. However, as Thylias mentioned in class, we all come from stardust, so our ancestors can be traced back to even non-earthly beings. I think it's important to make this realization and this distinction because feeling as though you are descended from stardust makes you remember that you are a part of the entire universe - a part of something much, much bigger than yourself. Knowing this makes life more meaningful and complete.
That is why this genealogy project is so important to me, and so pertinent to my life.
I have been interested in names for some time, and had actually thought about doing a genealogy project before Thylias said that. I think family trees are so interesting and can reveal so much about a person and their background; I would love to know more about mine. Furthermore, on the topic of "names," I am named after a great-great aunt (or some similar relation), and I don't know anything about her! I would love to know more about who she was and her life because, even though she had died before I was even born, I feel a strange connection to her, since I bear her name.
Another reason that I think a genealogy project is important and relevant to my life is that where a person comes from is very important, and has a huge impact on who they are and who they become. I feel that it is a shame that I know so little about my ancestors and my family tree. However, as Thylias mentioned in class, we all come from stardust, so our ancestors can be traced back to even non-earthly beings. I think it's important to make this realization and this distinction because feeling as though you are descended from stardust makes you remember that you are a part of the entire universe - a part of something much, much bigger than yourself. Knowing this makes life more meaningful and complete.
That is why this genealogy project is so important to me, and so pertinent to my life.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Space...
Tonight I had a very interesting conversation with my housemate, who is an astronomy student, about space and the unanswerable (or unanswered, as of right now) questions of space and astrophysics.
Things that are known:
1. The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
2. There was a beginning to the universe.
3. The Sun will die.
Questions I have that cannot (yet) be answered or proven:
1. Why is the universe expanding? I thought the universe was everything. What could it be expanding into, if it is already everything? Why at an accelerating rate? Will it ever stop expanding? Will it ever implode?
2. If the universe had a beginning, that seems to imply that it will have an end. Will the universe end? What will happen? Will there be new universes? Are there other universes?
3. The Sun is slated to "die" in millions of years. By that time, will humans still exist? If they do, will they have devised ways to artificially manufacture the effects of the Sun? What will the world be like then?
An interesting conversation:
Me: Talking about this kind of stuff makes me feel so small and insignificant. It kind of depresses me.
Jessica: I feel just the opposite! It's the daily things, the routines - walking to work, doing my laundry - that make me feel insignificant. Thinking about things like space and the universe make me feel like it all means something, like I'm a part of something bigger. The fact that there's something bigger out there and that I'm a part of it gives it all meaning, I think.
Me: Yeah, but when you die, the universe will just go on, like it went on for billions of years before humans, and like space will go on for billions of years after them. I mean, humans are a tiny part of time - only like six thousand years, right? And I'm only twenty years old so... I'm such a tiny part of that. And I feel like, after I'm gone, that part will be even smaller.
Jessica: But when you die, your body, or the elements of your body will decompose and become part of the Earth. And someday the Earth will implode, or something will happen, and all its tiny particles will be released into space, and then they'll become part of something else in the universe - join with other particles, even become new planets, maybe even new forms of life. So we started from stardust and also return to stardust. It's very hopeful, if you think about it.
Me: Hmm. I guess you're right.
Things that are known:
1. The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
2. There was a beginning to the universe.
3. The Sun will die.
Questions I have that cannot (yet) be answered or proven:
1. Why is the universe expanding? I thought the universe was everything. What could it be expanding into, if it is already everything? Why at an accelerating rate? Will it ever stop expanding? Will it ever implode?
2. If the universe had a beginning, that seems to imply that it will have an end. Will the universe end? What will happen? Will there be new universes? Are there other universes?
3. The Sun is slated to "die" in millions of years. By that time, will humans still exist? If they do, will they have devised ways to artificially manufacture the effects of the Sun? What will the world be like then?
An interesting conversation:
Me: Talking about this kind of stuff makes me feel so small and insignificant. It kind of depresses me.
Jessica: I feel just the opposite! It's the daily things, the routines - walking to work, doing my laundry - that make me feel insignificant. Thinking about things like space and the universe make me feel like it all means something, like I'm a part of something bigger. The fact that there's something bigger out there and that I'm a part of it gives it all meaning, I think.
Me: Yeah, but when you die, the universe will just go on, like it went on for billions of years before humans, and like space will go on for billions of years after them. I mean, humans are a tiny part of time - only like six thousand years, right? And I'm only twenty years old so... I'm such a tiny part of that. And I feel like, after I'm gone, that part will be even smaller.
Jessica: But when you die, your body, or the elements of your body will decompose and become part of the Earth. And someday the Earth will implode, or something will happen, and all its tiny particles will be released into space, and then they'll become part of something else in the universe - join with other particles, even become new planets, maybe even new forms of life. So we started from stardust and also return to stardust. It's very hopeful, if you think about it.
Me: Hmm. I guess you're right.
Food Journal: Day Six
Morning
- yogurt
Afternoon
- cheese tortellini
- apple
Evening
- chicken sandwich
- sweet potato fries (yummmm)
- yogurt
Afternoon
- cheese tortellini
- apple
Evening
- chicken sandwich
- sweet potato fries (yummmm)
Monday, February 4, 2013
Food Journal: Day Five
Morning
- yogurt
Afternoon
- peanut butter & jelly
- granola bar
Evening
- apple
- pear
- easy mac
Finally, some fruit! I tried to have a healthier meal at night, and I think I succeeded!
I also (temporarily) lost my wallet today, which was stressful. Fortunately, someone very nice picked it up off the sidewalk and gave it to the people working in the store I had just walked out of. It felt great to know that there are still people in the world who will return a lost wallet still full of bills and credit cards. Thanks, kind stranger!
- yogurt
Afternoon
- peanut butter & jelly
- granola bar
Evening
- apple
- pear
- easy mac
Finally, some fruit! I tried to have a healthier meal at night, and I think I succeeded!
I also (temporarily) lost my wallet today, which was stressful. Fortunately, someone very nice picked it up off the sidewalk and gave it to the people working in the store I had just walked out of. It felt great to know that there are still people in the world who will return a lost wallet still full of bills and credit cards. Thanks, kind stranger!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Food Journal: Day Four
An excellent day for a totally unhealthy, but totally delicious, Superbowl feast!
Yep, pizza, chips, dip, and more pizza. Gotta love Superbowl Sunday! (I'll try to eat better tomorrow, I promise!)
Yep, pizza, chips, dip, and more pizza. Gotta love Superbowl Sunday! (I'll try to eat better tomorrow, I promise!)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Food Journal: Day Three
Morning
- orange
Afternoon
- avocado
- cheese quesadilla
Evening
- piece of pizza
- chips
- cupcake
As you can see, I had a very unhealthy evening meal. This was because I was volunteering and they gave us free food. I should probably eat better tomorrow in order to "balance it out!" I really like that my food journal forces me to not only read my diet and eating habits, but also to think critically about them more.
- orange
Afternoon
- avocado
- cheese quesadilla
Evening
- piece of pizza
- chips
- cupcake
As you can see, I had a very unhealthy evening meal. This was because I was volunteering and they gave us free food. I should probably eat better tomorrow in order to "balance it out!" I really like that my food journal forces me to not only read my diet and eating habits, but also to think critically about them more.
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