ComMunicatE

Today's meeting was super quick. We were both in a hurry and didn't really have the time to meet. On top of that Jessie didn't have her phone. I kept texting her to try to meet slightly earlier but couldn't get ahold of her. Then I received a text back, from her boyfriend on her phone. Crazy. Turns out he had appendicitis and his phone ran out of battery. Jessie had given him hers so that he could still get in contact with everyone. Jessie and I ended up meeting up and you could just tell she was so worn out from the weeks events. Jackie had gone into the hospital Monday. He is coming home today and Jessie talked about taking care of him. She made it sound like she was looking forward to it, like it was an honor to take care of her sick boyfriend. Interesting cultural note. I told her that if she ever needed me she could email or text me and I would do my best. It's so hard to live in a foreign country, with foreign healthcare, and only public transportation or the rare friend with a car. I'm sorry it has to be so hard for her. I know that I would be just as exhausted and frustrated. On a happy note though, Jessie got a 108 on her last math exam. I know she's going to ace her English test, it has just gotten so much easier to speak with her. Today she was eating with a friend, Simon. Simon and Jessie continued to speak in Chinese until I put my foot down and told them only English. Funny to be the outsider in my country. It's not all about me, that's really what I learned today.

Welcome to the class, Billy Collins

So today's post is a bit of a review of my six poems I've chosen. In choosing these poems, I simply flipped through the book and let chance allow me to arrive upon a poem that struck my fancy. Not going to lie, I liked how short most of them appeared to be. I believe you should be able to get your point across in as few words as possible in order to be effective... which I'm not doing right now, so here we go:

History, page 6.

I like all of the underlying allusions and personification to events and of history. I also appreciate the bully of sir history at the idea that (gasp) someone might actually forget a major battle or English queen. Yes, history does weigh on us but we also tend to forget it and its impact on our lives.

The Dead, page 33.

The idea that the dead are looking down on us is somewhat comforting and scary, as portrayed here with their glass bottom boats they watch us through as they row through eternity. The analogy that life is like just one day and that in "a warm afternoon" we might close our eyes and join them is powerful. Or perhaps it means that we should not ponder them, but rather let them watch over us and only revere them when their memories pass through out minds?

Vade Mecum, page 36.

Vade mecum means handbook in Latin, or "go with me." I like that someone would know they are simply about to be just another page in someones book of life and that they would like to have the respect of a level table and sharp scissors for such an event. These four lines are just a perfect representation of how it feels when someone is leaving your life. You want it to be clean and easy, yet the pain is understood because of the event.

Budapest, page 69.

I picked this one simply because of the title and the fact that I will travel to Budapest this next summer. The humor of his arm being a strange animal with a mundane and monotonous mind of its own was comical and relatable, especially in the mind of a college student. It's pleasant and resolved that it will continue to participate in the same tasks, yet the imagination is what keeps you sane, or rather insane because is sanity truly so desirable?

Sonnet, page 146

Don't you just love irony? It's all encompassing, especially in a cheeky piece such as this. The references to other styles of poetry, history, and the epic love of Laura and Petrarch create yet another humorous poem that can be interpreted for face value or underscored as a finger pointing back to "norms."

Reading an Anthology of Chinese Poems of the Sung Dynasty, I Pause to Admire the Length and Clarity of Their Titles, page 136.

Wow, talk about knowing your audience. I really liked how he was able to point out that the titles of Chinese poetry may be long, but they act as a direct connection their poetry instead of a "confusingly inscribed welcome mat to puzzle over." Why must titles of poetry be so vague? I'm just as guilty of this when I write, but I appreciate the dual simplicity through longer language Collins references. It truly does create "a beaded curtain" to enter through and "sit down in a corner; cross my legs like his, and listen."

Can't wait to hear about all of ya'lls!

Hey, another Lecture!

Extra Credit: Is Rasta a Religion

            At first glance, Rastafarianism isn’t anywhere near a religion. While traditional Christian conservatives call for moderate dress, the absence of substances, and an end time prophesy, Rastafarianism is a radical opposite with dreadlocks, wisdom ganja, and an earthly heaven or hell. However, Rastafarianism is a religion by Ninian Smart’s seven dimensions and deserves more than a global head nod.

             As a previously ignorant removed bystander of Rastafarianism, I must preface this with saying that the easiest way for me to wrap my head around the ideas and theologies of the religion require me to compare the religion to Christianity. This is not to say that Rastafarianism is not as equally important, but more rather that they have parallel and incongruent themes.

            First, Rastafarianism places significance on Ethiopia for a multitude of reasons that include the independence of the nation from colonial power to divine appointment as stated in the Bible. For example, Exodus 3:1 states that an angel of the Lord appears to Moses on Mount Sinai and tells him to take his people out of Egypt. Upon doing so, references throughout the rest of the book have a greater African connotation than our traditional views of Mount Sinai being located in the Middle East. Exodus 4:18 references to going to see brothers in Egypt and in Exodus 18: 1-12 the Israelites rejoice from deliverance from the Egyptians. Could these references mean that the Israelites were meant to travel to Ethiopia rather than the Middle East? Ethiopia is referenced in the scholastically deemed Wisdom Literature in Isaiah 43:3 when it states, “I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.” There is an obvious importance of Ethiopia and Rastafarians connect this to their Jah, or Haile Selassie as the living God.

            Next, Rastafarians see God as black man and justifiably so with Song of Solomon 1: 5-6:

“ I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not gaze at me because I am dark, because the sun has gazed on me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept!”

The text is interpreted on many levels as a love-song between God and his people; therefore, God would be black and have suffered slavery. Jah is said to be the cosmic supremacy although in modern times Ghanaian Rastafarians and Diaspora Rastafarians dispute it. The solution to this dispute may be they mysterious nature of Jah or it may be the result of “sins” even though that term does not seem to exist in the religion.

            Finally, Reggae represents Rastafarianism as an intense and popularly invasive form of worship. Non-believers are exposed through the melodies of Bob Marley or the poet Benjamin Zephania. The Dub Poetry and genre serve the same purpose as Chris Tomlin lyrics or the preaching’s of Billy Graham. They are a connection and symbol of the faith and tolerant nature of pop culture of the religion. The use of ganja may appear to be questionable, but to the followers it serves as a way to the wisdom of Jah and a experiential dimension of the practice.

            There are many aspects of Rastafarianism not covered here, but the main idea that this religion deserves its place in the world has definitely been established. The 700,000 to 1 million followers internationally are not the hippies, irresponsible hooligans they are stereotyped to be. Their religion teaches love, peace, and discipline. They strive for the recognition of the black family and equal rights among all people, hardly the whimsical and careless image. While I still do not understand all of the teachings of, I have definitely began to understand the teachings much better than I ever thought I could. I admire their ability to saturate the world with their music, even if somewhat unconsciously through Reggae.  If we do not recognize these people, we are doing a disservice to their beliefs and rich history that affects us all. 

Uprising in the Middle East Forum

The Uprising in the Middle East lecture with Dr. Dorraj, Carter, and Dodson focused on more than the current events. Rather, it took an all encompassing approach to the topic with a look at the context of the events, the U.S. foreign policy, and the challenges to democracy in the region.

            First, the context of the events can be broken into three categories: historical, enabling factors, and the human element. Historically, these events are the first time the population of the area has had the opportunity to revolt with their own voice. The previous colonial powers of the dominant European forces and the resulting hand-picking of inadequate leaders. Following such detrimental events was the coup d’état with the Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, and Libya. These revolts were democratic but ended in a suppressive autocratic state of normalcy and have continued since then. The enabling factors of the events include the significant youth bulge and social media. For example, Egypt has a young population that doesn’t have a memory of the previous revolts and their results. They also have access to social media that illustrates the civil rights of democratic nations. These two combined create a powerful yet leaderless force. The high unemployment rate and tech savvy youth were empowered by the absence of fear. Because these countries require the Internet to provide basic services and keep their economies running, they can’t hinder the free-flow of ideas and rising up. For once, these nations have no fear and that leads to a sort of dignity revolution. They were ready for the opportunity to change the disparity in wealth and oppression. They broke down the psychological walls. Will they be able to power forward toward democracy?

            The U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East has been arguably self-serving. It focused on issues such as:

·      Peace and stability

·      Access to oil

·      Support or tolerance of Israel

·      Containing Iranian influences after 1979

·      Support on the War on Terror after 9/11

The shift from the self-serving to seemingly globally concerned came with George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq and the declaration that America was no longer pleased with the so-called “moderates.” The issue becomes that if we don’t support these new nations we are hypocritical and are doomed to return to a selfish policy. If we do support these uprisings, we are throwing out national interest out the window, a rock and a hard place analogy. Who’s in charge and can we get involved yet? Is this a revolution or the birthplace of civil war? These are questions that will be answered in the next years.

With the unrest we must ask what democracy means to these countries. If we simply put “freedom” then that means we these countries rid themselves of authoritarian powers, self-serving leaders, unfair elections, and corruption. This could be the fourth wave of democracy, yet the failure or semi-failure of the third wave that started in Portugal? Democracy is possible but it will require accountability, participation, and a little bit of luck.

Overall, I found the forum extremely informative and interesting. I feel as though I better understand how social media is not only a tool but a weapon and must be handled with care. In the future, hopefully we can see a freedom for the people like never before. 

Transport(ation)

After missing last week because of pre-Spring Break craziness, Jessie and I met up for another Monday lunch.

Jessie went with her classmates and teacher to Houston for SB11. They stayed at a hotel in downtown within five minutes of the Galleria. I know the exchange rate is different over here, but it still surprises me how much she likes to shop.

She explained that they booked their hotel off of priceline.com. While I know my parents have done this before, Jessie's initiative on life still astounds me. She found her hotel super cheap and had a great time getting to site see and shop. Her teacher left them after two days, taking some students back with her. Jessie and Jackie, her boyfriend, stayed behind and found their way back with the Greyhound Bus system.

I must admit, Greyhound is not my preferred mode of transportation, it rather scares me. One too many CSI and murder mystery's for me to really trust the system. I've ridden trains, planes, and buses in Europe, but their friendly and clean ways aren't nearly as intimidating. Funny how one's own shadow can be the scariest.

Jessie was surprised to find the vast amount of "wasteland" between here and Houston. She explained how she lives in east China, meaning she's in the definition of urban. I got to detail how our history has valued the spreadout nature of city planning and how we just have a completely different mindset. Jessie had no problem leaving Houston at 6pm on a Greyhound. Most people would find that annoying, thus we all have our own individual car and complain when we have traffic.

While some of us may carpool, it's not like we are the most proactive when it comes to public transportation, as they are in China. It was neat to hear Jessie compliment our enviroment but also disheartening to realize just how wasteful we really are. Jessie and Jackie want to get their drivers license and want to own cars so they aren't so dependent on a bus system. I hope they pass their tests, but I know that now I feel the need to take a turn on our own public transportation.

This is What Dreams are Made Of

I am pleased to say I found an edition published just four days before my birthday. While searching through the June 15, 1935 edition of the The New Yorker, I couldn't help but feel the optimism and irony literally jumping off the page.

While the articles themselves were intriguing, it was the ads that made such a profound impact on me. They all played up the stereotypes about the prodcut they were involving. Maybe I've taken one too many media analysis classes but the themes were ridiculous.

First, the brunt nature of the wording of the ads ranged from offensive to flowery.
     "Sea-smocks--the new marvel of the sea. They excel in feminine grace, yet they glory in freedom of moevment..."-Peck and Peck, Fifth Avenue
     "It's lazy time. Lots of outdoors. Lots of smoking, when you're hot enought without it..." - Spud Cigarrettes
     "For those who are not slim."- Abercrombie and Fitch (real surprise there)

It's no wonder in my mind now why modernist writers did what they did: write like they meant every word or hide their meanings in layers and layers of text. They time period was littered with parenting from every angle. I believe we've mastered the art of subtly now, but the amount of finger pointing going on here would make a your grandmother blush.

Another intersting fact was the number of alcohol ads. Yes, prohibition had just ended two years previously but my goodness. You would have thought these people could drink a fish dry!

The cliche and whit of the inserts made me smile. There is a parallel to the writings of the 30s and my own style. The lead of each post pulled the reader in, as it should, but not for its factual information but more for its intriguing nature. It would be more than fun to meet these writers and get inside of their head. They spoke with both eloquence and brashness. In today's standards, they broke the rules and made them up.

The comic pictures that are famous in the New Yorker haven't changed much since the 30s. Some are still applicable even today. One such comic depicts an university graduate as he crosses the stage to recieve his long awaited diploma. Upon reaching the headmaster he is told:

     "This might be an appropriate day, Peterson, to speak to your father about the mortgage on the Chemistry Building."

Funny how the "good ole boy system" still thrives and flourishes.

When reading over the social section of the what to see and where to be seen ads I came across an ad for the Rainbow Room in the Rockafellar Building. I've walked past that building so many times while staying in New York and I've never been up to see the view from the highly publicized Rainbow Room. It felt like a call from the past to see the ad. Next time I'm in New York, I must go. It's like I'm destined to be there.

The title of this post is a reference to the optimism surrounding every aspect of the magazine. No, it was not all politically correct by our standards but there definately was a yearning to be something more than what they were.

Well I'm Never going Up in(to) Michigan

This story took me by surprise, plain and simple. I realize one must have a professional academic mindset when attending college but this was just a little too difficult to swallow.

It was less descriptive than our last rape selection, but it was human, tangible. It was almost as if you could reach through the pages and fight back for Liz. Yet, in the end, her own enemy was herself.

First, it was rape. There is no question in my 21st century mind that she did not want it (sex in this case) nor did she understand what was going on. She was innocent. Even if she was flirty, never, never, never, is it acceptable to violate another's person under any circumstances.

Next, she was a head case, but aren't we all? She lived in the confines of her mental processes and when those thoughts manifested into action she was unprepared to handle the situation. I feel like this is a problem in our society even today. This story reads just like the plot line of "He's Just NOT That Into You. " If a guy doesn't talk to you unless he's drunk, he doesn't like you. Plain and simple. But that's a tangent.

She lived in her head. Unfortunately, I do that. I sympathize with her. She had this grand ideas of love, happiness, and bliss and they were torn apart quicker than you can say whiskey. This reads like my biography. No, I have not experienced rape, but I have experienced the confidence of the opposite sex that only alcohol can bring. It's disgusting.

I believe a change needs to be made in our gender roles. She immediately felt the need to comfort him in her shellshocked state. It's parallel to the idea that women belong in the house and in a nurturing position. That's just plain morbid.

Finally, I still think that Jim would avoid her. He would find it awkward because he doesn't know her and there relationship even in a platonic state hasn't been established. He won't want to deal with her attachment, even if it's solely based on disgust. Yes, he'll try again when he's drunk, but only because he still wants to use her. Drunk talk is sober thoughts right? So he did think about her, even if it was for his own selfish reasons.