14 HOUR FLIGHT? DAS NUTHIN!
The day I was leaving. January 6th. Has got to be one of the most stressful days of my life. My mind was thinking about 20 different things at once, replaying my responsibilities once in Australia, replaying my travel agenda, replaying the surreal last days in the States. I was certainly in denial until I had to hug my mom goodbye. And I was sure it was all real once I was in line for security checking and my mom was taking pictures of me. Thanks Mom.
Walking through security was a fun game. And I was hoping I’d set off the metal detectors, but it never happened. I’m sure the security guy didn’t understand my disappointment after going through the detector and not hearing a negative response.
My flight was delayed at LAX for over an hour because the pilot took too sharp of a turn and popped a tire. But it gave me time to get to know the guy sitting next seat over. He name was Peter and he was originally from Belgium. I told him I liked their beer. He was on his way to get his Masters in Neuroscience, but he couldn’t solve my rubix cube. HA. I’m smarter.
I didn’t talk with Peter too much. I fell asleep early on the flight, woke up slightly only once or twice and finally completely woke up when there was only two hours left in the flight. I REALLY CAN SLEEP ANYWHERE! Sitting up, laying down. I’m easy.
Cairns, Queensland (pronounced CANS) was where I spent Orientation. The trips to the rainforest and Great Barrier Reef were exciting. I hung out with Kangaroo. I cuddled with a Koala. I snorkeled amongst jellyfish! I was face to face with one the size of my fist. Granted I have a small fist, but still. It was an experience. I even followed around a shark looking fish until I was too far from the boat.
Unfortunately I did miss out on scuba-diving. It wasn’t until after the lesson and I was strapped in and ready to go did I realize that it was a bad idea to have heavy weight on my clavicle. I didn’t want to risk it. So I got out at the last minute. So close!
You won’t any pictures of the day at sea because I didn’t want to risk my camera getting wet on the first days. But don’t you worry. I have the greatest memory and I can recall the setting if you’d like me to...
That pretty much sums up the PG version of my first days in Australia. I’ll be sure to keep these posting short and sweet. I think I’ll just post randomly. I don’t want to cover everything. That would be impossible, right? I’ll just tell shorts, exceptionally stories. If there are any questions, please ask!
Soon I'll be going to TRIVIA NIGHT. Don't wish me luck. I'll do just fine. I've been training my whole life for opportunities like this!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
A month from today I'll be on my way to AUSTRALIA?!?!?! WTF!?!!
Dear Tim,
You aren’t Monica, but you’ll never be. Sorry to break your heart. Going into this class I was skeptical of what I would gain, but you didn’t disappoint. There was so much covered in this class that it doesn’t seem fair to reflect upon it because I couldn’t possibly address everything, especially the lectures I missed because I was broke. Ha.
Alright, truth time. I was disappointed that there wasn’t more discussion from other students. It wasn’t like this stuff was boring?! That it couldn’t apply to anyone, but I felt like the class was disappointing. And embarrassing for the very reasons why I dread answering the question: What’s your major? Because it isn’t taken seriously. Not that I was the perfect student. You can recall me laughing at the optional reading/viewing assignments. I guess there really wasn’t anything you could do about that, but it would have been cool if you could have guilt tripped people.
There was so much covered that there was a lot to absorb from each class. Asking the class for their thoughts was too general. I know thats an easy place to start which is especially appropriate for us COMM majors, but I understand.
Pretty much, the material was challenging enough, but the lack of class participation ruined it. Y es mas, I didn’t want to speak up half the time because I was hoping someone else would chime in with something really good to say which sometimes happened.
This class confirmed my place in the world. That understanding our popular culture and media matters. That my fascination with films, television and media will pay off because its become a part of my passion. It will help when I have the power to change the world for good. To be an honest voice for the exploited, oppressed and marginalized who deserve better from the mediums keeping them down. I’m still figuring out what I want to do with it, but it seems like its coming into focus.
Thanks for Bell Hooks, for bringing in your friend who talked about V for Vendetta and memory, for showing Avatar and for making us write this un-bs’able manifest on theology and popular culture. The feminist within me is proud.
Since this is a reflection I decided to share my rant. There you go.
- M. Rivera
You aren’t Monica, but you’ll never be. Sorry to break your heart. Going into this class I was skeptical of what I would gain, but you didn’t disappoint. There was so much covered in this class that it doesn’t seem fair to reflect upon it because I couldn’t possibly address everything, especially the lectures I missed because I was broke. Ha.
Alright, truth time. I was disappointed that there wasn’t more discussion from other students. It wasn’t like this stuff was boring?! That it couldn’t apply to anyone, but I felt like the class was disappointing. And embarrassing for the very reasons why I dread answering the question: What’s your major? Because it isn’t taken seriously. Not that I was the perfect student. You can recall me laughing at the optional reading/viewing assignments. I guess there really wasn’t anything you could do about that, but it would have been cool if you could have guilt tripped people.
There was so much covered that there was a lot to absorb from each class. Asking the class for their thoughts was too general. I know thats an easy place to start which is especially appropriate for us COMM majors, but I understand.
Pretty much, the material was challenging enough, but the lack of class participation ruined it. Y es mas, I didn’t want to speak up half the time because I was hoping someone else would chime in with something really good to say which sometimes happened.
This class confirmed my place in the world. That understanding our popular culture and media matters. That my fascination with films, television and media will pay off because its become a part of my passion. It will help when I have the power to change the world for good. To be an honest voice for the exploited, oppressed and marginalized who deserve better from the mediums keeping them down. I’m still figuring out what I want to do with it, but it seems like its coming into focus.
Thanks for Bell Hooks, for bringing in your friend who talked about V for Vendetta and memory, for showing Avatar and for making us write this un-bs’able manifest on theology and popular culture. The feminist within me is proud.
Since this is a reflection I decided to share my rant. There you go.
- M. Rivera
Saturday, December 6, 2008
True Love Will Find You In the End - Beck*
The summer before my senior year of high school my sister and I were pretty much jobless, bored and watched a lot of films thanks to Netfilx. And one of them happened to be City of God. I remembered how powerful of a film it was and I’m thankful for the opportunity to get to watch it again and understand it more.
Since I have a creepy good memory the parallelism of the chickens and the kids was obvious the second time around. I instantly got the summary of the films from the chickens.
First off the way the story is told is very personal. The honest and conversational narration brought in the audience really close into the lives of the hoods and runts living in the city of God. I greatly appreciated the way the plot progressed because of the subplots. The explanation of each subplot kept the film moving along at a constant speed for the entire film.
Looking back on it, both the main protagonist and antagonist were the darkest skinned characters in the film. That says a lot for breaking the stereotypical rules of a protagonist-- the darker character. Yet his best friend and former light skinned partner who tried to escape the violent lifestyle, Benny, died a hero. Was the light skinned martyr or just a martyr?
As for relating the film to Liberation Theology. It makes perfect sense that the delivery of the plot was so personable, violent and heartbreaking to make the case to care about what has been going on in Brazil. The ending lines of from the narrator are meant to sting. They are meant to leave the audience with the knowledge and power to act upon the feelings taken from the entire film. Saying: now that you know this was true, that this happens and has happened-- What are you going to do about it? It sure made for a better commercial for donating for what would only be less than a dollar a day.
*The song currently playing on Pandora from the Jose Gonzalez station.
Since I have a creepy good memory the parallelism of the chickens and the kids was obvious the second time around. I instantly got the summary of the films from the chickens.
First off the way the story is told is very personal. The honest and conversational narration brought in the audience really close into the lives of the hoods and runts living in the city of God. I greatly appreciated the way the plot progressed because of the subplots. The explanation of each subplot kept the film moving along at a constant speed for the entire film.
Looking back on it, both the main protagonist and antagonist were the darkest skinned characters in the film. That says a lot for breaking the stereotypical rules of a protagonist-- the darker character. Yet his best friend and former light skinned partner who tried to escape the violent lifestyle, Benny, died a hero. Was the light skinned martyr or just a martyr?
As for relating the film to Liberation Theology. It makes perfect sense that the delivery of the plot was so personable, violent and heartbreaking to make the case to care about what has been going on in Brazil. The ending lines of from the narrator are meant to sting. They are meant to leave the audience with the knowledge and power to act upon the feelings taken from the entire film. Saying: now that you know this was true, that this happens and has happened-- What are you going to do about it? It sure made for a better commercial for donating for what would only be less than a dollar a day.
*The song currently playing on Pandora from the Jose Gonzalez station.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THEATER PEOPLE!
In the ‘Grammar of Thanksgiving’ the author made the argument of how we as Christians should approach the American Thanksgiving Holiday by deciphering how it works-- finding the grammar of it all.
The author begins by explaining the origins of Thanksgiving which I highly disagree with. He/She claims that most Americans don’t understand the truth about Thanksgiving. That Americans are under the assumptions that the Native Americans living amongst them were the fortunate ones for combining their food with the Indians. Where does this come from? I’ve always learned in school that the Native Americans saved the pilgrims from potential starvation. I thought that the true Thanksgiving origin was what we were all taught.
For me, explaining the assumed origins taught to most American about Thanksgiving was too wrong to continue along with his quest. Yet, of course I kept reading.
Thanksgiving verses Repentance.
When asked at the dinner table on Thanksgiving day the default first response is God, family or friends. And afterwards comes the long line of possessions that make our lives ‘happier’. But if we replaced thankfulness with repentance, there wouldn’t be in as cheerful moods to stuff our faces. Its true! As Americans we count our ‘blessings’, but if we were to response as Christians, the answer would be in reconciliation.
We have taken the true concept of thankfulness and shaped it into something it was never meant to be. Our American pride and commercialism has had too much of a hold on the context of our to celebrate Holidays.
From all this, I more strongly believe that my parents had the right idea in never allowing us to have a tree, because the symbolism of gifts takes away from the true ‘grammar’ of Christmas.
The author begins by explaining the origins of Thanksgiving which I highly disagree with. He/She claims that most Americans don’t understand the truth about Thanksgiving. That Americans are under the assumptions that the Native Americans living amongst them were the fortunate ones for combining their food with the Indians. Where does this come from? I’ve always learned in school that the Native Americans saved the pilgrims from potential starvation. I thought that the true Thanksgiving origin was what we were all taught.
For me, explaining the assumed origins taught to most American about Thanksgiving was too wrong to continue along with his quest. Yet, of course I kept reading.
Thanksgiving verses Repentance.
When asked at the dinner table on Thanksgiving day the default first response is God, family or friends. And afterwards comes the long line of possessions that make our lives ‘happier’. But if we replaced thankfulness with repentance, there wouldn’t be in as cheerful moods to stuff our faces. Its true! As Americans we count our ‘blessings’, but if we were to response as Christians, the answer would be in reconciliation.
We have taken the true concept of thankfulness and shaped it into something it was never meant to be. Our American pride and commercialism has had too much of a hold on the context of our to celebrate Holidays.
From all this, I more strongly believe that my parents had the right idea in never allowing us to have a tree, because the symbolism of gifts takes away from the true ‘grammar’ of Christmas.
Just woke up from about 8 hours of sleep!
Once's Falling Slowly Music Notes.
The song is very much similar to the classic singer songwriter songs by David Crosby, Steven Stills, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Neil Young. Which can be framed to the 1970s genre.
Among other things those guys (CSNY) are known for their intricate vocal harmonies.
The song’s genre could be labeled under soundtrack, indie or pop.
The combination of the acoustic guitar and piano brings out complementary tones which are also emotionally effective.
Most classic guitar based songs start with C.
The chords of the song are C, F, G and Aminor-- similar to the famous and classic Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.
The beginning of the song is scale-like. On the piano it goes: C, D, E, D.
C, D, F, E.
C, D, E, C-D.
E, F, G, F.
E, F, A, G.
E, F, G, F-E.
The chorus is just as simple: C, D, B, C.
C, D, B, C.
C, D, B, C-F.
The harmony is one and a half steps down from the melody.
It gets closer by moving one steps away, then two and a half after each chorus.
The surprise high note of the chorus is of the F chord.
The style of the song is a stripped down, singer songwriter acoustic. Which is almost stereotypical singer songwriter.
Takamine— standard acoustic electric model guitar. I assume was the model used in the film and song.
INTRO
[C] [F] [C] [F]
E --------0------- --------1---0--- --------0------- ----------------|
B 1---3-------3--- 1---3----------- 1---3-------3--- 1---1---1---1---|
G --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0-|
D ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------|
A 3--------------- ---------------- 3--------------- ----------------|
F ---------------- 0--------------- ---------------- 0---------------|
VERSE (play 2x)
[C] [F] [C] [F]
E --------0------- --------1---0--- --------0------- ----------------|
B 1---3-------3--- 1---3----------- 1---3-------3--- 1---1---1---1---|
G --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0-|
D ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------|
A 3--------------- ---------------- 3--------------- ----------------|
F ---------------- 0--------------- ---------------- 0---------------|
BRIDGE
[Am] [G] [F] [G] [Am] [G] [F] [G]
E ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------|
B ----1---0-----0- ----1---0-----0- ----1---0-----0- ----1---0-----0-|
G 2---------0----- 2---------0----- 2---------0----- 2---------0-----|
D --2---2-----0--- --3---3-----0--- --2---2-----0--- --3---3-----0---|
A 0--------------- ---------------- 0--------------- ----------------|
F --------2------- 0-------2------- --------2------- 0-------2-------|
CHORUS (strummed, 4x)
[C] [Fadd9] [Am] [Fadd9] [F]
E 3--------------- 3--------------- 0--------------- 3-------1-------|
B 1--------------- 1--------------- 1--------------- 1-------1-------|
G 0--------------- 2--------------- 2--------------- 2-------2-------|
D 2--------------- 3--------------- 2--------------- 3-------3-------|
A 3--------------- 0--------------- 0--------------- 0-------0-------|
F X--------------- 0--------------- X--------------- 0-------0-------|
The song is very much similar to the classic singer songwriter songs by David Crosby, Steven Stills, Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Neil Young. Which can be framed to the 1970s genre.
Among other things those guys (CSNY) are known for their intricate vocal harmonies.
The song’s genre could be labeled under soundtrack, indie or pop.
The combination of the acoustic guitar and piano brings out complementary tones which are also emotionally effective.
Most classic guitar based songs start with C.
The chords of the song are C, F, G and Aminor-- similar to the famous and classic Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.
The beginning of the song is scale-like. On the piano it goes: C, D, E, D.
C, D, F, E.
C, D, E, C-D.
E, F, G, F.
E, F, A, G.
E, F, G, F-E.
The chorus is just as simple: C, D, B, C.
C, D, B, C.
C, D, B, C-F.
The harmony is one and a half steps down from the melody.
It gets closer by moving one steps away, then two and a half after each chorus.
The surprise high note of the chorus is of the F chord.
The style of the song is a stripped down, singer songwriter acoustic. Which is almost stereotypical singer songwriter.
Takamine— standard acoustic electric model guitar. I assume was the model used in the film and song.
INTRO
[C] [F] [C] [F]
E --------0------- --------1---0--- --------0------- ----------------|
B 1---3-------3--- 1---3----------- 1---3-------3--- 1---1---1---1---|
G --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0-|
D ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------|
A 3--------------- ---------------- 3--------------- ----------------|
F ---------------- 0--------------- ---------------- 0---------------|
VERSE (play 2x)
[C] [F] [C] [F]
E --------0------- --------1---0--- --------0------- ----------------|
B 1---3-------3--- 1---3----------- 1---3-------3--- 1---1---1---1---|
G --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0- --0---0---0---0-|
D ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------|
A 3--------------- ---------------- 3--------------- ----------------|
F ---------------- 0--------------- ---------------- 0---------------|
BRIDGE
[Am] [G] [F] [G] [Am] [G] [F] [G]
E ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------|
B ----1---0-----0- ----1---0-----0- ----1---0-----0- ----1---0-----0-|
G 2---------0----- 2---------0----- 2---------0----- 2---------0-----|
D --2---2-----0--- --3---3-----0--- --2---2-----0--- --3---3-----0---|
A 0--------------- ---------------- 0--------------- ----------------|
F --------2------- 0-------2------- --------2------- 0-------2-------|
CHORUS (strummed, 4x)
[C] [Fadd9] [Am] [Fadd9] [F]
E 3--------------- 3--------------- 0--------------- 3-------1-------|
B 1--------------- 1--------------- 1--------------- 1-------1-------|
G 0--------------- 2--------------- 2--------------- 2-------2-------|
D 2--------------- 3--------------- 2--------------- 3-------3-------|
A 3--------------- 0--------------- 0--------------- 0-------0-------|
F X--------------- 0--------------- X--------------- 0-------0-------|
Friday, November 21, 2008
Spring Awakening-- so good!
My visual review and representation of Entertainment Theology by Barry Taylor focused on the chapter within part 2. I choose to highlight the best discussions which were solely from the middle of the book. In the film Waterworld, the lost of land is the lost of certainty and the water is used to represent uncertainly and a lost community due to the unlimited possibilities of life. It leads into the next point of how globalization has allowed all forms of religion and spirituality to be share amongst everyone. Postmodern Taoism, Rational mysticism, postmodern Gothic and celebrating celebrity-- particularly Kabblah are all optional postmodern followings. Lastly, I chose to visually reflect what I considered to be the best chapter of the book: ‘Shopping for God’. It made great critic of how American are finding the right spiritual fit by shopping for it.
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