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Wednesday, June 3, 2009
DAN-i-kah Revised
My name is Danica it is pronounced DAN-i-kah. It is of Slavic and Latin origin. The meaning is "morning star”. Often people spell my name with a “K” so it looks like this Danika. It drives me crazy probably because it happens often. I was named Danica after the actress, Danica McKellar in the television show “The Wonder Years.” I know very few people with my name. My name became more popular after racecar driver Danica Patrick became a well known face. Often my name is mispronounced. I was even called Dancer and Dancia once. After reading “The F Word” by Firoozeh Dumas I came to realize that I am not alone when it comes to having a name that can be hard to pronounce. As Firoozeh mentioned, “Usually, if I’m waiting to be called by someone who doesn’t know me, I will respond to just about any name starting with an F.” (63) I also did this in high school. When I had substitute teachers they would always stop when it came to my name on the attendance sheet. They would look at the sheet of paper with a struggling look on their face. Since I knew who I was after on the roll sheet, I would often just shout out my name so it would save a few laughs when the teacher would mispronounce it. Dumas says, Despite a few exceptions, I have found that Americans are now far more willing to learn new names, just as they’re far more willing to try new ethnic foods.” (63) Having an unusual name myself I have come to see that more and more people take time to learn my name. I think a big part of this is because more and more unique names are being presented daily. I like my name a lot because it is not a very common name. I like to be unique and not have the same name as everyone else. I do not get very many nicknames with my name. Some people call me D or Dan but usually I just go by my original name. “Exotic analogies aside, having a foreign name in this land of Joes and Marys is a pain in the spice cabinet”(61) says, Dumas. I think what Dumas is trying to say is that when you are one out of a hundred stereotypical names it is hard not to get noticed because of your name.
Chai Tea Latte Please!
Starbucks is a community that shares one thing in common the love for coffee and other enjoyable drinks. It is a place for people to relax and talk with friends about how hectic their week may have been. The employees who greet you as you walk in the door brighten your day. They give a sigh of relief to customers who have had a long day at work or just a long day with the kids. The smell of coffee warms the air no matter which one you walk into. What holds this group together is the love for coffee. It is a place where total strangers can sit down and talk over a cup of coffee and not feel totally awkward. This is a community where people may go with friends, or a business matter, or to meet an old friend they may have not seen in a while. I would say the interest this community shares is the interest in trying new drinks that come out. The need would be to the need for coffee. For some people like myself I could not imagine my life without Starbucks. Making coffee at home is just not the same for me. I think this community values the fact that we are so fortunate to be able to have a place to give us coffee. The fact that other places around the world do not have this privilege.I fit into this group of people because I am just another customer who enjoys a great cup of coffee. I like to grab Starbucks before heading off to work. A little caffeine in the morning to wake me up and start my day. Or getting an ice cold drink on a sunny day to cool me down. This community is one I want to be apart of because it is a comfortable environment. A place to calm down and relax. The people in this community are always so friendly and nice. I hope this community is around for more years to come.
Crossing the line
The movie "Off the Map" is a very interesting movie and has some interesting scenes. This movie shows how all communities are different in the way they act and believe in things. In the movie "Off the Map" there are many parts of the film that go "over the line" and challene my own perceptions as well as my community I live in.
The first scene I believe "crosses the line" is when Charlie stands naked in front of Bo in their kitchen. For me this is not something that I would be okay with. As a parent he should not be okay with this either. In the discussion board some mentioned "oh well its the country it doesn't matter way out there". I do not when and where it is this should never be okay. Stories come on the news about fathers sexually harassing their daughters in communties all around the world. Why would out in the country be any different. These days it does matter and children at that age should not be exposed to their fathers or mothers private parts.
William the IRS agent who is welcomed with open arms "crossed the line" when he overstayed his welcome. He did become ill for a few days and had to stay in bed but, he should have left when he was all better. Instead he stayed and ended up living with the family. I do not think this is okay. Taking in complete strangers into your house is not teaching your children anything. In my community this would not be sending children good messages. William also falls in love with Arlene and confesses his love to her openly. I believe that he should have kept this secret to himself and should have went home. Arlene has her own husband and daughter and William needed to realize this. His affection towards her was not okay and the way he stared at her and awed over her beauty. In the twenty first century men cannot do that to women. It is almost like having an affair but without actually cheating. I think that he did not do the right thing by telling Arlene how he felt. And I do not think it was okay for Arlene to welcome William in her home after William told her this.
Bo also did a few things in the movie that "crosses the line". Getting a credit card to buy her dad a boat for his birthday. This is not okay for a child to get a credit card. In my community you cannot even get anything without being over 18 years of age. So why would Bo be able to have access to a credit card in the time period that this movie was taken place in. Also her mother should have never allowed her daughter to get a credit card. No functioning parent in there right mind would let their daughter get a credit card at that age. So they can get in debt and never have enough money to pay it back. Bo shoots the coyote that her mother longs for in the movie also. She notices that her mother has this great desire for this animal. Her mother finds the coyote lying dead and she knows it was Bo who killed it. I feel like Bo felt left out and was not getting enough attention. So she crosses the line and shoots the coyote to get more attention. I think that this was crossing the line because she knows they do not shoot any animals that they do not eat.
Arlene gets medications from William to help Charlie with his depression. I think this "crosses the line" because it is illegal. If Charlie needed to get medication he should have went to the doctors and got his own prescribed to him. In my community and many like mine you can get arrested if you are caught with another person's prescription drugs. I do not think that because they live in the country they should be exempt from this law.
As you can see many scenes in the movie "cross the line" and go outside the norm. Many scenes go against my community and what it believes in. All communities are different and have their own perceptions. For some communities they could see the above as normal and not see anything wrong with it. I guess it all depends on who you are and where you come from.
The first scene I believe "crosses the line" is when Charlie stands naked in front of Bo in their kitchen. For me this is not something that I would be okay with. As a parent he should not be okay with this either. In the discussion board some mentioned "oh well its the country it doesn't matter way out there". I do not when and where it is this should never be okay. Stories come on the news about fathers sexually harassing their daughters in communties all around the world. Why would out in the country be any different. These days it does matter and children at that age should not be exposed to their fathers or mothers private parts.
William the IRS agent who is welcomed with open arms "crossed the line" when he overstayed his welcome. He did become ill for a few days and had to stay in bed but, he should have left when he was all better. Instead he stayed and ended up living with the family. I do not think this is okay. Taking in complete strangers into your house is not teaching your children anything. In my community this would not be sending children good messages. William also falls in love with Arlene and confesses his love to her openly. I believe that he should have kept this secret to himself and should have went home. Arlene has her own husband and daughter and William needed to realize this. His affection towards her was not okay and the way he stared at her and awed over her beauty. In the twenty first century men cannot do that to women. It is almost like having an affair but without actually cheating. I think that he did not do the right thing by telling Arlene how he felt. And I do not think it was okay for Arlene to welcome William in her home after William told her this.
Bo also did a few things in the movie that "crosses the line". Getting a credit card to buy her dad a boat for his birthday. This is not okay for a child to get a credit card. In my community you cannot even get anything without being over 18 years of age. So why would Bo be able to have access to a credit card in the time period that this movie was taken place in. Also her mother should have never allowed her daughter to get a credit card. No functioning parent in there right mind would let their daughter get a credit card at that age. So they can get in debt and never have enough money to pay it back. Bo shoots the coyote that her mother longs for in the movie also. She notices that her mother has this great desire for this animal. Her mother finds the coyote lying dead and she knows it was Bo who killed it. I feel like Bo felt left out and was not getting enough attention. So she crosses the line and shoots the coyote to get more attention. I think that this was crossing the line because she knows they do not shoot any animals that they do not eat.
Arlene gets medications from William to help Charlie with his depression. I think this "crosses the line" because it is illegal. If Charlie needed to get medication he should have went to the doctors and got his own prescribed to him. In my community and many like mine you can get arrested if you are caught with another person's prescription drugs. I do not think that because they live in the country they should be exempt from this law.
As you can see many scenes in the movie "cross the line" and go outside the norm. Many scenes go against my community and what it believes in. All communities are different and have their own perceptions. For some communities they could see the above as normal and not see anything wrong with it. I guess it all depends on who you are and where you come from.
Blaxicans
In the reading "Blaxicans" and Other Reinvented Americans" Rodriguez says, "Culture is fluid. Culture is smoke. You breathe it. You eat it." (pg. 123) This relates to his argument about assimilation because immigrants enter America and they adapt to the cultures that take place in America. They may not try to be like Americans but it just happens. People grow a custom to the things that are around them. Not only do immigrants that have came to America adapted. But like Rodriguez stated, "I have lived in a Chinese city for so long that my eye has take on that palette, has come to prefer lime greens and rose reds and all the inventions of this Chinese Mediterranean."
I think that Rodriguez would agree with the assumptions that communities provide stability. Mentioned in the book, "There was a moment in the service when newcomers to the congregation were introduced. Newcomers brought letters of introduction from sister evangelical churches in Latin America. The minister read out the various letters and pronounced the names and places of origin to the community. The congregation applauded." This moment shows a time of barriers being crossed. There are communities where each individual can feel stable and important. No matter where you may have came from communities are there to support you like this congregation did to their newcomers.
I think that Rodriguez would agree with the assumptions that communities provide stability. Mentioned in the book, "There was a moment in the service when newcomers to the congregation were introduced. Newcomers brought letters of introduction from sister evangelical churches in Latin America. The minister read out the various letters and pronounced the names and places of origin to the community. The congregation applauded." This moment shows a time of barriers being crossed. There are communities where each individual can feel stable and important. No matter where you may have came from communities are there to support you like this congregation did to their newcomers.
DAN-i-kah Original
My name is Danica it is pronounced DAN-i-kah. It is of Slavic and Latin origin. The meaning is "morning star”. Often people spell my name with a “K” so it looks like this Danika. It drives me crazy probably because it happens often. I was named Danica after the actress, Danica McKellar in the television show The Wonder Years. I know very few people with my name. My name became more popular after racecar driver Danica Patrick became a well known face. Often my name is mispronounced. I was even called Dancer and Dancia once. As Firoozeh mentioned, “Usually, if I’m waiting to be called by someone who doesn’t know me, I will respond to just about any name starting with an F.” I also did this in high school. When I had substitute teachers they would always stop when it came to my name on the attendance sheet. They would look at the sheet of paper with a struggling look on their face. Since I knew who I was after on the roll sheet, I would often just shout out my name so it would save a few laughs when the teacher would mispronounce it. I like my name a lot because it is not a very common name. I like to be unique and not have the same name as everyone else. I do not get very many nicknames with my name. Some people call me D or Dan but usually I just go by my original name.
Name Identities
For my revisions and reseeing piece I chose discussion board 2 “The F-Word” What’s in a name? The original assignment asked to answer the following questions: “Read the essay "The F Word" by Firoozeh Dumas and enjoy the story of how names can define and re-define us. To begin our class and get to know each other, share your own (short) story of what your name means to you. You could explain how you got your name or a funny experience you've had with your name (does it always get mispronounced or misspelled?) or what you think about your name. Do you like your name? Some people change their names or use nicknames or middle names as replacements. How does your name give you a sense of your identity? Be sure to refer to the reading, making a few connections with Dumas in your post.” Although I did decent on this assignment I thought I could have made edited it and made it a lot more interesting. This was one of my first discussion boards I had to do for my English class. I did not know what to expect and was very nervous while writing it. As the class is coming to an end it is interesting to read something I did such a long time ago. As for my strengths in this post I think that I did do a great job explaining my own story about my name. A small piece from my post, “My name is Danica it is pronounced DAN-i-kah. It is of Slavic and Latin origin. The meaning is "morning star”. Often people spell my name with a “K” so it looks like this Danika.” This sentence is an example of what my name means. It was easier for me to write about my name because it makes me who I am. My weaknesses in this post had more to do with making the connections with the story I read and how I can relate to Dumas. As I read my original post I noticed that I only use one quote from the reading. After revising this piece I added more quotes that supported the answers to the questions being asked. I also added page numbers at the end of each quote in order to site my source and where it was found. Editing this piece makes it more enjoyable to read.
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