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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.
Different Communities
For my critical thinking piece I chose my community discussion board 2 Blaxicans and Other Reinvented Americans. To analysis something means the, “examination of something in detail in order to understand it better or draw conclusions from it.” So while examining the reading I was asked to read I tried to understand what the author was trying to get across to his readers. A quote in the reading, "Culture is fluid. Culture is smoke. You breathe it. You eat it." (pg. 123) When analyzing this quote I drew some conclusions from it. I mentioned that, “This relates to his argument about assimilation because immigrants enter America and they adapt to the cultures that take place in America.” In my post I try to understand why the author wrote what he did. So now when I read a story or someone’s writing I try to think to myself why is this being written. It is easier to talk about what you are reading if you understand it.
The Clock Strikes One Hour
Tick tock, tick tock the time starts ticking down. Timed writes although very stressful can really bring out the best writing skills you have. Forcing me not to procrastinate and complete the assignment in a timely matter. Watching movies and being able to have a timed write about it I saw as a new and unique way of doing English. Never have I done a timed write on a movie. It makes a stressful situation a bit more fun. I think what made this piece strong and meaningful to me is that I could express exactly how I felt about the movie. I chose intermission two timed write as my writers choice piece. The movie “Off the Map” by director Campbell Scott was the movie I watched for the write. The timed write prompt was the following: Considering your own perceptions of non-conformity, how does the film and the group discussion that ensued challenge these perceptions? Sentences in my timed write show clearly how I expressed myself throughout this timed write. I mention that, “Arlene gets medications from William to help Charlie with his depression. I think this "crosses the line" because it is illegal.” After watching the movie I felt strongly that this was not an okay think to do. This timed write allowed me to be myself while completing the assignment correctly.
Drinking Coffee is My Community
I chose to choose my community blog posting for the piece that illustrates my awareness of audience and voice. I wrote about how Starbucks is a community to many different people around the world. I was writing to an audience who is interested in the community of Starbucks. Many people can relate to going to Starbucks, “It is a place where total strangers can sit down and talk over a cup of coffee and not feel totally awkward” like I mentioned in my piece. When considering who was going to read this I chose to make the writing a bit more fun. Since this is a blog I kept the piece a little less serious. While reading this I think I made Starbucks sound like a positive community. This could challenge my audience to go sit in a Starbucks or go try a cup of their coffee. I think doing this blog made me realize that there is more to a community then just those that you live next too. Communities are all around us in all different shapes and sizes. Doing blog writings made me realize that writing can be fun if you put a twist into it.
Reflecting Back
As many of you know my name is Danica. I am one of four children. I have a twin sister who is identical to me. I live with my mom and dad. Growing up I strived to graduate and go to college. No one in my family has done this before. They either dropped out or got their GED. So when my sister and I graduated it became a reality to me. I was going to college and going to live out my dream. My goal is to go into nursing. Apply for nursing school and get in. I want to end my college career as a Washington husky. My grades are good currently but I do not see myself spending all that money going to UW when I could save my money until after my prerequisites are completed. While thinking of my future I know there are a lot of classes I need to take before this dream can come true. English just happens to be one of the classes on the list. Never being very strong in my English classes in high school I was very nervous about taking them in college. When I heard that English 101 had a lot of writing I got very scared. Writing is not a very strong point of mine. I can make up a story that I think is good but, when it comes to editing and revising that is what I struggle with. I could go over a paper a thousand times and still miss errors. So while going over the class syllabus I was happy to see that there were various things we would be doing in the class that would make it interesting. Movie talks, timed writes, blogs, and discussion boards. I liked the fact that this class was very unique. Not have I ever been in a class that used blogs to display class work.
The major themes of the quarter identity, community, and tradition really have opened my eyes to many new details I never really thought of. While looking at this theme we had a group activity assignment that allowed other students and I to discuss how we felt about identities. Jessica Ford mentioned, “Many women in our society today want to stand out. They are starting to care way too much about what other people think of them. Wouldn’t it be awesome to live in a world where you were not judge on how you looked or the language you spoke. Having your own sort of character is what creates your identity.” This was one of many opinions that were flying around in this discussion. It was neat to see what other students saw identity as. The community theme made me change my view on what a community really is. While reading and analyzing the story, “Blaxicans” and Other Reinvented Americans” by Richard Rodriguez he mentioned something that really changed my way of thinking. He said, “On his interview show, Bill Moyers once asked me how I thought of myself. As an American? Or Hispanic? I answered that I am Chinese, and that is because I live in a Chinese city and because I want to be Chinese.” The author is trying to say that just because he is not Chinese that is his community. He adapted to that way of life and would have it no other way. The last theme tradition let me see all the traditions people celebrate. It made me think of my own celebrations. I thought this theme was enjoyable to look at. It is something everyone can relate too so it made it easier to do assignments on.
Now to get you prepared for what you are going to be seeing in my portfolio. For my critical thinking piece I chose my discussion board 2 Blaxicans and other reinvented Americans. Communities came into play in this board and it made for a great discussion. My second piece is my revision piece in which I chose discussion board 2 coming attractions The F Word. Coming at the beginning of the class I struggled with this piece. Although getting to talk about my name was fun and interesting at the same time. My third piece showing audience and voice was my community blog assignment. Talking about Starbucks this piece will make you crave your favorite drink. And last but not least my favorite piece which is my intermission two timed write. Racing the clock sure made me think under pressure. It worked to my advantage because I did a great job on this piece. This class really stretched my brain but, it was well worth it and made me grow in my writing skills. I hope you enjoy my pieces and getting to know a little about my personality and who I am while reading them.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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