1. Who is your classmate, what is the component category, what is the name of the choice?
Genevieve Hubley wrote about group 2 for project 4a, Hector Tobar, Thomas Steinbeck, Edward Humes, and Matt Warshaw.
2. What is something this classmate said about the choice that relates to any of the assignments in projects 2-3?
The talk about the many roads and freeways in "Ode to Caltrans" shows one way how all the different regions in California are interrelated.
3. What is something different this classmate said about their choice that you did not realize before when you completed projects 2-3?
I didn't know that Caltrans used to put up a sign for every worked killed on the job, but stopped because there were too many signs and didn't want the public to see.
4. How would you relate this to Freire's ideas regarding dialogue? For example, you went in thinking one idea, your classmate had a different idea. What new idea emerged from this process?
Genevieve made a good point about how varied California is, and how no matter what if people prefer warm or cold, city or country, there is a place for them. I think that "My California" is particularly interesting because it illustrates this so well.
5. How has project 2-3 helped you with the readings of the textbook?
The study of different regions and the economy, politics, and environment of different parts of California give a background framework for our understanding of the short stories about our state.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
5b Reflections
1. Who is your classmate, what is the component category, what is the name of the choice?
Marjorie Crowder wrote about group 1 for project 4a, authors Mark Arax, Aimee Liu, T. Jefferson Parker, and Mary Mackey.
2. What is something this classmate said about the choice that relates to any of the assignments in projects 2-3?
"The Big Valley" relates to our study of Inland Areas, because it talks about the agricultural region where fig trees are grown, and in our studies we covered many different types of environments, such as farmlands.
3. What is something different this classmate said about their choice that you did not realize before when you completed projects 2-3?
In her comments about "Transients in Paradise" Marjorie made a good point about how the poor and homeless are often overlooked in more affluent places.
4. How would you relate this to Freire's ideas regarding dialogue? For example, you went in thinking one idea, your classmate had a different idea. What new idea emerged from this process?
The comments about transients made me think about how in our studies of different regions and cities, we only focus on culture or noteworthy people, not day-to-day life or the poor.
5. How has project 2-3 helped you with the readings of the textbook?
The study of different regions and the economy, politics, and environment of different parts of California give a background framework for our understanding of the short stories about our state.
Marjorie Crowder wrote about group 1 for project 4a, authors Mark Arax, Aimee Liu, T. Jefferson Parker, and Mary Mackey.
2. What is something this classmate said about the choice that relates to any of the assignments in projects 2-3?
"The Big Valley" relates to our study of Inland Areas, because it talks about the agricultural region where fig trees are grown, and in our studies we covered many different types of environments, such as farmlands.
3. What is something different this classmate said about their choice that you did not realize before when you completed projects 2-3?
In her comments about "Transients in Paradise" Marjorie made a good point about how the poor and homeless are often overlooked in more affluent places.
4. How would you relate this to Freire's ideas regarding dialogue? For example, you went in thinking one idea, your classmate had a different idea. What new idea emerged from this process?
The comments about transients made me think about how in our studies of different regions and cities, we only focus on culture or noteworthy people, not day-to-day life or the poor.
5. How has project 2-3 helped you with the readings of the textbook?
The study of different regions and the economy, politics, and environment of different parts of California give a background framework for our understanding of the short stories about our state.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
5a Group #3
1. The Un-California
Daniel Weintraub
2. In this story, Weintraub describes Sacramento, California's quirky capitol city. He mentions some of the unique parts of the city, like certain unusual governmental officials who sit around in the plaza all day. He claims that the informal atmosphere and unpretentious attitude is the best part of the city, and is very unlike the rest of the state.
3. "The air of informality is at the heart of Sacramento's charm, although the city's leaders don't seem to recognize it. The mayor and local business honchos are forever pining for "major league status," whatever that means, hoping to be recognized far and wide as some sort of world-class city. They sense, correctly, that to the rest of California, Sacramento is the afterthought capital, the place you stop on the way to something else." (176)
4. This story made me think about how I soon will be living in Davis, which is close by to Sacramento, and how I'm looking forward to living in such a unique area.
5. Before I read this story, I didn't know anything about John Burton, the leader of the California senate. I was surprised that such an important person sits around in the plaza, chatting and muttering profanities.
1. Rocks in the Shape of Billy Martin
Deanne Stillman
2. In this piece, Stillman describes her pilgrimages to her beloved Mojave desert, a place she loves to be despite living in Los Angeles. She loves the nature of the place - the cacti, the Joshua trees - and the amazing sand and rock formations.
3. "Week after week I would flee Hollywood, the Xerox machine of America's dreams, and head for the Mojave, where they all started . . . In the Mojave, I came to understand that Los Angeles was, like my feelings for it, fleeting, a momentary metropolis, and I came to appreciate it as the punch line to a desert joke." (180)
4. This story made me wonder about how someone can feel so attached to the desert. I've never been to a true desert, but I always imagine that they're empty and dry - this was an interesting look at why someone can love the desert so much.
5. From this story I learned about some of the plant life of the desert, that I'd never heard about before. The Joshua trees and saguaro sound particularly amazing, and I'd like to see them someday.
1. How Many Angels
David Kipen
2. In this story, Los Angeles native Kipen describes his search to find the exact geographic center of Los Angeles County. Mapping out the point on a map, he takes his pickup truck and dog with him on his quest, finding the point in the middle of the wilderness in a canyon, and is impressed by the beautiful nature that surrounds the place.
3. "For here is the wonderful dirty secret of centerpoint-hunting: The geometric center of anything is never what or where you think it is. To be at all representative, the center of California ought to be, if not a beach, then at least a suburban backyard, or maybe an Indian casino; rather, it's a verdant, oak-dotted hillside from which the only visible sign of human visitation is the road you drove in on." (189)
4. This story made me think about how special it seems when you find nature surrounded by cities and industrial areas, like all the wildlife living in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Kipen's surprise at the canyon he finds, though he's lived in the county his whole life, illustrates how surprising this is.
5. Before reading this story, I didn't know there were any places like the canyon describes around Los Angeles - I thought the whole area was very well developed and completely industrialized. That places like this still exist there was a pleasant surprise.
1. Centered
Veronique de Turenne
2. In this piece, de Turenne describes her road trip with a friend to the exact geographic center of California. Despite her trepidation about traveling, she is amazed by the beautiful wilderness that they find.
3. "It's not that I don't like traveling. I do. But I like it best when it's over. I like it when the dog survived and the cats are all accounted for, when the quaint hotel wasn't awful and the collision that you're sure will make you wish you had accepted the obscenely expensive rental car insurance doesn't happen. Then I'm fine. Ecstatic, really. Hooray - what a great trip!" (194)
4. This story - particularly my chosen quote - sums up my own attitude towards traveling. This reminds me of my road trip when I made it from Seattle, Washington all the to my home in Sebastopol in under a day, and how glad I was to be home, despite how much I enjoyed the trip.
5. From this story I learned that there's a place that claims to be "the exact geographic center of California." I didn't even know it was possible to figure out that sort of thing in such an oddly-shaped state like California.
Daniel Weintraub
2. In this story, Weintraub describes Sacramento, California's quirky capitol city. He mentions some of the unique parts of the city, like certain unusual governmental officials who sit around in the plaza all day. He claims that the informal atmosphere and unpretentious attitude is the best part of the city, and is very unlike the rest of the state.
3. "The air of informality is at the heart of Sacramento's charm, although the city's leaders don't seem to recognize it. The mayor and local business honchos are forever pining for "major league status," whatever that means, hoping to be recognized far and wide as some sort of world-class city. They sense, correctly, that to the rest of California, Sacramento is the afterthought capital, the place you stop on the way to something else." (176)
4. This story made me think about how I soon will be living in Davis, which is close by to Sacramento, and how I'm looking forward to living in such a unique area.
5. Before I read this story, I didn't know anything about John Burton, the leader of the California senate. I was surprised that such an important person sits around in the plaza, chatting and muttering profanities.
1. Rocks in the Shape of Billy Martin
Deanne Stillman
2. In this piece, Stillman describes her pilgrimages to her beloved Mojave desert, a place she loves to be despite living in Los Angeles. She loves the nature of the place - the cacti, the Joshua trees - and the amazing sand and rock formations.
3. "Week after week I would flee Hollywood, the Xerox machine of America's dreams, and head for the Mojave, where they all started . . . In the Mojave, I came to understand that Los Angeles was, like my feelings for it, fleeting, a momentary metropolis, and I came to appreciate it as the punch line to a desert joke." (180)
4. This story made me wonder about how someone can feel so attached to the desert. I've never been to a true desert, but I always imagine that they're empty and dry - this was an interesting look at why someone can love the desert so much.
5. From this story I learned about some of the plant life of the desert, that I'd never heard about before. The Joshua trees and saguaro sound particularly amazing, and I'd like to see them someday.
1. How Many Angels
David Kipen
2. In this story, Los Angeles native Kipen describes his search to find the exact geographic center of Los Angeles County. Mapping out the point on a map, he takes his pickup truck and dog with him on his quest, finding the point in the middle of the wilderness in a canyon, and is impressed by the beautiful nature that surrounds the place.
3. "For here is the wonderful dirty secret of centerpoint-hunting: The geometric center of anything is never what or where you think it is. To be at all representative, the center of California ought to be, if not a beach, then at least a suburban backyard, or maybe an Indian casino; rather, it's a verdant, oak-dotted hillside from which the only visible sign of human visitation is the road you drove in on." (189)
4. This story made me think about how special it seems when you find nature surrounded by cities and industrial areas, like all the wildlife living in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Kipen's surprise at the canyon he finds, though he's lived in the county his whole life, illustrates how surprising this is.
5. Before reading this story, I didn't know there were any places like the canyon describes around Los Angeles - I thought the whole area was very well developed and completely industrialized. That places like this still exist there was a pleasant surprise.
1. Centered
Veronique de Turenne
2. In this piece, de Turenne describes her road trip with a friend to the exact geographic center of California. Despite her trepidation about traveling, she is amazed by the beautiful wilderness that they find.
3. "It's not that I don't like traveling. I do. But I like it best when it's over. I like it when the dog survived and the cats are all accounted for, when the quaint hotel wasn't awful and the collision that you're sure will make you wish you had accepted the obscenely expensive rental car insurance doesn't happen. Then I'm fine. Ecstatic, really. Hooray - what a great trip!" (194)
4. This story - particularly my chosen quote - sums up my own attitude towards traveling. This reminds me of my road trip when I made it from Seattle, Washington all the to my home in Sebastopol in under a day, and how glad I was to be home, despite how much I enjoyed the trip.
5. From this story I learned that there's a place that claims to be "the exact geographic center of California." I didn't even know it was possible to figure out that sort of thing in such an oddly-shaped state like California.
Friday, July 18, 2008
4c Reflection
1. Denya Beaudry also chose Fresno for part 3c, Inland Areas.
2. Denya also focused on the size, population, and agricultural history of the area.
3. Denya and I had different first impressions of Fresno - I said it wasn't known for much, while Denya said it was a place known for a fun, party atmosphere.
4. Denya said Fresno is much more exciting that Porterville, the area she was comparing it with. I said it wasn't known for much, as compared with Sacramento, the state capitol. Obviously, our impressions of Fresno are very different due to what the area is being compared with.
2. Denya also focused on the size, population, and agricultural history of the area.
3. Denya and I had different first impressions of Fresno - I said it wasn't known for much, while Denya said it was a place known for a fun, party atmosphere.
4. Denya said Fresno is much more exciting that Porterville, the area she was comparing it with. I said it wasn't known for much, as compared with Sacramento, the state capitol. Obviously, our impressions of Fresno are very different due to what the area is being compared with.
4b Reflection
1. Jena Barcojo also chose San Francisco for part 3a, World Cities.
2. Jena agreed with me that San Francisco is known for it's diverse culture and strong LGBT community.
3. Jena says that the first stereotype of Los Angeles is the smog, which isn't the first thing I think of - though I've never been to LA and don't know much about it, personally.
4. Jena pointed out that such a large city with a dense and varied population results in a variety of humanities-related arts, which I hadn't thought of. This is a good point, and shows how the study of humanities can help understand a place's culture.
2. Jena agreed with me that San Francisco is known for it's diverse culture and strong LGBT community.
3. Jena says that the first stereotype of Los Angeles is the smog, which isn't the first thing I think of - though I've never been to LA and don't know much about it, personally.
4. Jena pointed out that such a large city with a dense and varied population results in a variety of humanities-related arts, which I hadn't thought of. This is a good point, and shows how the study of humanities can help understand a place's culture.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
4a Group #3
1. Bienvenidos a Newport Beach
Firoozeh Dumas
2. This piece is Dumas's description of her family's move to Newport Beach, California. At the age of eleven, this is her eighth move, and she finds many of the quirks and conveniences of the orderly planned community where she lives to be exciting and fun. Despite this, there is an undercurrent of not fitting in, as Dumas's family is the only Iranian household amongst the community of white homeowners and Mexican gardeners, and her family finds some of the customs and culture of the area to be downright bizarre. Problems notwithstanding, Newport Beach becomes her family's permanent home.
3. "All the streets in our planned community had Spanish names starting with "Vista" meaning "view of" in Spanish. This was really wishful thinking since the homes mainly had views of the other houses that looked just like them. There was Vista Suerte, which means View of Luck. I guess you were lucky to have that view instead of a clunker on the neighbor's lawn. There was Vista del Oro, view of gold. I think that referred to real estate prices. My favorite was Vista Roma, view of Rome. That street overlooked the elementary school parking lot. I don't know how you say "elementary school parking lot" in Spanish, but I'm sure Roma sounds nicer." (93)
4. Reading this story made me think of the other book by Dumas that I have read, "Funny in Farsi." Knowing the backstory of her and her family made this story particularly interesting. As always, I enjoyed Dumas's understated sense of humor and her amusing insights about her life.
5. I learned a lot about Newport Beach from this story, as I didn't know anything about the area before reading this. I think this piece told a lot of unique details about Newport Beach, such as the funny and pretentious naming conventions of the streets in the planned community.
1. Cotton Candy Mirrors
devorah major
2. This story is major's description of her childhood trips to a summertime fair in San Francisco, Playland at the Beach, and her favorite part of the fair, the Fun House. The Fun House was a great place for children, with enormous slides and trick mirrors that fascinated major as a child. She tells how children would come from all around San Francisco to spend their days at the fair for a small amount of money, and learned valuable lessons about life, that were more of an education than many they learned later on in school.
3. "But it was the summer learning, the lessons on when to jump and when to stay still, when to show courage even when you didn't have it, when to use a surprise attack to throw off your opponent - it was those classes that helped us in ways we didn't expect, so that we could surmount the trials that faced us in, and out, of the official educational institutions of our childhood." (102-103)
4. This story reminded me of my own experiences at fairs as a child, particularly the Santa Rosa fair that I used to attend every year. It made me notice how there is no longer any fair of the type that major describes - a place where children can go mainly unattended to learn and explore on their own.
5. From this story I learned about the summer fair, "Playland at the Beach," since I did not know that fairs of this type even existed. The prices, entertainment, and experiences are very different from any type of fair I have been to.
1. Berkeley
Michael Chabon
2. "Berkeley" is Chabon's detailed and amusing description of the life and population is his beloved hometown. Chabon lists the many strange and unpleasant aspects of life in Berkeley, from the introverted (if intelligent) population to the bizarre arrangement of the city's streets. Despite Chabon's annoyance with Berkeley's quirks and problems, this short story serves to explain his love for his very unique home town.
3. "When Berkeley does not feel like some kind of vast exercise in collective dystopia - . . . then paradoxically it often feels like a place filled with people incapable of feeling or acting in concert with each other. It is a city of potterers and amateur divines, of people so intent on cultivating their own gardens, researching their own theories, following their own bliss, marching to their own drummers and dancing to the tinkling of their own finger-cymbals that they take no notice of one another at all, or would certainly prefer not to, if it could somehow be arranged." (107-108)
4. This story made me think of my own trips to Berkeley, and how very good Chabon is at capturing the feel of the city. I particular, I remember one journey there with my family, when we got lost and couldn't find our way out of the city. Chabon's amused frustration with Berkeley is something I can relate to.
5. I learned a lot about Berkeley from this piece. I thought it was interesting that the city has municipal ordinances in place to prevent new businesses from taking over the old industrial buildings. This sort of thing helps explain why Berkeley has such a unique atmosphere for a city.
1. California Honky-Tonk
Kathi Kamen Goldmark
2. In "California Honky-Tonk," Kamen Goldmark tells about how her band, El Rancho Motel, got their start and describes their very first disastrous gig at a biker bar. She and the band had no idea what they were doing, except that they were excited and wanted to play their music. Despite being picked up and subsequently dropped on stage by an enormous biker who was an overly-enthusiastic fan, Goldmark believes that the experience taught her a lot about performing for an audience that she used in her 30-year career as a folksinger.
3. "The only real injury I sustained was a black-and-blue thigh, not from being dropped on my butt by a four hundred-pound biker, but from hitting myself, over and over again in the same spot, with a rhinestone-studded tambourine. It was a little embarrassing at the time, and I never told anyone about my bruised leg - or my bruised ego. But bruises heal, and sometimes even turn into good stories." (120)
4. This story reminded me of my own experiences with public speaking. It seems like everything possible went wrong for Goldmark, and that's always what it feels like is going to happen when you have to perform for a crowd.
5. I think this story captured the feel of a small band's experiences very well, which is not something I knew anything about before this reading. Goldmark's descriptions of the quirky people, places, and music bring this story to life.
Firoozeh Dumas
2. This piece is Dumas's description of her family's move to Newport Beach, California. At the age of eleven, this is her eighth move, and she finds many of the quirks and conveniences of the orderly planned community where she lives to be exciting and fun. Despite this, there is an undercurrent of not fitting in, as Dumas's family is the only Iranian household amongst the community of white homeowners and Mexican gardeners, and her family finds some of the customs and culture of the area to be downright bizarre. Problems notwithstanding, Newport Beach becomes her family's permanent home.
3. "All the streets in our planned community had Spanish names starting with "Vista" meaning "view of" in Spanish. This was really wishful thinking since the homes mainly had views of the other houses that looked just like them. There was Vista Suerte, which means View of Luck. I guess you were lucky to have that view instead of a clunker on the neighbor's lawn. There was Vista del Oro, view of gold. I think that referred to real estate prices. My favorite was Vista Roma, view of Rome. That street overlooked the elementary school parking lot. I don't know how you say "elementary school parking lot" in Spanish, but I'm sure Roma sounds nicer." (93)
4. Reading this story made me think of the other book by Dumas that I have read, "Funny in Farsi." Knowing the backstory of her and her family made this story particularly interesting. As always, I enjoyed Dumas's understated sense of humor and her amusing insights about her life.
5. I learned a lot about Newport Beach from this story, as I didn't know anything about the area before reading this. I think this piece told a lot of unique details about Newport Beach, such as the funny and pretentious naming conventions of the streets in the planned community.
1. Cotton Candy Mirrors
devorah major
2. This story is major's description of her childhood trips to a summertime fair in San Francisco, Playland at the Beach, and her favorite part of the fair, the Fun House. The Fun House was a great place for children, with enormous slides and trick mirrors that fascinated major as a child. She tells how children would come from all around San Francisco to spend their days at the fair for a small amount of money, and learned valuable lessons about life, that were more of an education than many they learned later on in school.
3. "But it was the summer learning, the lessons on when to jump and when to stay still, when to show courage even when you didn't have it, when to use a surprise attack to throw off your opponent - it was those classes that helped us in ways we didn't expect, so that we could surmount the trials that faced us in, and out, of the official educational institutions of our childhood." (102-103)
4. This story reminded me of my own experiences at fairs as a child, particularly the Santa Rosa fair that I used to attend every year. It made me notice how there is no longer any fair of the type that major describes - a place where children can go mainly unattended to learn and explore on their own.
5. From this story I learned about the summer fair, "Playland at the Beach," since I did not know that fairs of this type even existed. The prices, entertainment, and experiences are very different from any type of fair I have been to.
1. Berkeley
Michael Chabon
2. "Berkeley" is Chabon's detailed and amusing description of the life and population is his beloved hometown. Chabon lists the many strange and unpleasant aspects of life in Berkeley, from the introverted (if intelligent) population to the bizarre arrangement of the city's streets. Despite Chabon's annoyance with Berkeley's quirks and problems, this short story serves to explain his love for his very unique home town.
3. "When Berkeley does not feel like some kind of vast exercise in collective dystopia - . . . then paradoxically it often feels like a place filled with people incapable of feeling or acting in concert with each other. It is a city of potterers and amateur divines, of people so intent on cultivating their own gardens, researching their own theories, following their own bliss, marching to their own drummers and dancing to the tinkling of their own finger-cymbals that they take no notice of one another at all, or would certainly prefer not to, if it could somehow be arranged." (107-108)
4. This story made me think of my own trips to Berkeley, and how very good Chabon is at capturing the feel of the city. I particular, I remember one journey there with my family, when we got lost and couldn't find our way out of the city. Chabon's amused frustration with Berkeley is something I can relate to.
5. I learned a lot about Berkeley from this piece. I thought it was interesting that the city has municipal ordinances in place to prevent new businesses from taking over the old industrial buildings. This sort of thing helps explain why Berkeley has such a unique atmosphere for a city.
1. California Honky-Tonk
Kathi Kamen Goldmark
2. In "California Honky-Tonk," Kamen Goldmark tells about how her band, El Rancho Motel, got their start and describes their very first disastrous gig at a biker bar. She and the band had no idea what they were doing, except that they were excited and wanted to play their music. Despite being picked up and subsequently dropped on stage by an enormous biker who was an overly-enthusiastic fan, Goldmark believes that the experience taught her a lot about performing for an audience that she used in her 30-year career as a folksinger.
3. "The only real injury I sustained was a black-and-blue thigh, not from being dropped on my butt by a four hundred-pound biker, but from hitting myself, over and over again in the same spot, with a rhinestone-studded tambourine. It was a little embarrassing at the time, and I never told anyone about my bruised leg - or my bruised ego. But bruises heal, and sometimes even turn into good stories." (120)
4. This story reminded me of my own experiences with public speaking. It seems like everything possible went wrong for Goldmark, and that's always what it feels like is going to happen when you have to perform for a crowd.
5. I think this story captured the feel of a small band's experiences very well, which is not something I knew anything about before this reading. Goldmark's descriptions of the quirky people, places, and music bring this story to life.
Friday, July 4, 2008
3c Inland Areas
For the final section of this project, I decided to learn about the regions of Sacramento and Fresno.
-Contains an explanation regarding how this component (any aspect of it; eg content of videos, content of websites) connects to your study of humanities.
Studying and comparing two regions connects to the study of the humanities because understanding a location leads to a better understanding of that place's culture, literature, music and other elements that we study in the humanities. The unique cultural makeup of a region is influenced by its particular history, geography, climate and population.
-What are some assumptions/stereotypes you think people have of each location:
I think people tend to assume that neither Fresno nor Sacramento are particularly interesting cities, and stereotype them as being mostly dull and involved with politics. Neither are popular tourist spots, despite the wealth of things to do in each region.
-List 3 things that make each location similar:
-Both Fresno and Sacramento are large inland cities in California
-Both have approximately the same population (Sacramento with 475, 743, Fresno with 486, 116)
-Both are the cultural, economic and political centers for their region
-List 3 things that make each location so different:
-Sacramento is California's capitol and most associated with the state's political system
-Fresno is well known for its agricultural past and is still at the center of a mainly agricultural region
-Though inland, Sacramento is connected to the San Francisco Bay by several rivers, while Fresno is strictly landlocked
-Questioning: What else would you like to know about these places?
It seems like Sacramento and Fresno are very similar regions, in terms of politics, economics, and population, and neither are the largest or most central cities in the state. I'd like to learn more about the history that lead to Sacramento becoming the capitol of California.
-Using your classmates work from last week, tell us one thing you learned from 1 student. Is this one thing some common experience you share or some experience that is completely different than what you experienced? Is this one thing related to our class theoretical foundation and if so, how? Is that one thing related to historical or cultural context of this country or a different one?
In last week's blog, Jena Barcojo talked about the Museum of Fine Arts in San Francisco. As she said, you can learn a lot about a culture from its museums, and the Fine Arts seems especially good at trying to educate the public about art and culture, important aspects of our study of the humanities.
Sources:
http://www.cityofsacramento.org/
http://www.fresno.gov/default.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno%2C_California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento%2C_California
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