Reflective Letter

29 September 2008

 

Dear Marlen,

Since the beginning of this semester, I have been trying to absorb as much information as possible about the writing process and implement new techniques in my projects. I have experienced some success with this strategy and I think that it is due to the encouragement of expression that results from our class format. I enjoy the setting, as well as the group discussion, and feel genuinely challenged to make better writing decisions.

I feel like my essays and blog entries have reflected some of the obstacles that I need to overcome during this course. In the past, I have felt compelled to write and finalize a draft without reading it aloud or making major provisions to it. After my first essay was returned to me, I looked at some of the mistakes and realized that I simply did not try hard enough to have let so many simple errors slip into a “final” copy.

Since the first writing assignment, I have followed the advice that was given during class. I consulted with peers of mine to have my writing proof read, I have used the “Writers Reference” when uncertainty arose about punctuation usage and formatting and I have searched the internet looking up different ways to avoid using repetitive words and phrases. I find that these have been the major issues plaguing my drafted projects and through awareness, support and a willingness to accept feedback, I can improve the flow and quality of the messages I deliver.

Sincerely,

Dan Burkhardt

Sheesha

The lights are low. Smoke hangs in the air, unfurling with invisible drafts; morphing into shapes that only an imagination freed of constraints can make sense of. Curling from the ends of my lips. I exhale, foolishly diminishing lung capacity with every breath. Lacking the ability to fully dissolve every oxygenated intake, bloodflow becomes less fruitful and the mind relaxes. Diving in to some primal stage of conservation, meaningless movement becomes less possible and I sit back. Reflection, appreciation, perspective. Music looms louder, a trancelike state ensues.

SMELL TEST #1

OIly!

 

soft,  leisurley and silky aroma wrapping up my nose it warmth as it should my hands

                                         the fresh fruit forever preserved in the aromatic formula!

              the sense bombards the air, evaporating

taking over 

dominating an array of fragrance, competing for recognition

                                                  not overpowering, but honest and simple

Blog assignment #5 – Smell

In this blog entry, I would like to describe why the sense of smell is one that I hold dear. I would like to describe to the reader the reasons life would not be as fulfilling if I weren’t able interpret the world around me through scent. The audience for kind of writing would be anyone who had in interest in finding out more about the sense of smell and what different people interpret when they smell things.

Scent. The most memorable interaction with the outside world a body can have. All things have a scent, and no two things completely identical. It is said that every single person has a unique smell about them. This is the reason why we kiss and why a person my smell the clothes of their lover while that person is absent. The unexpected whiff of a familiar perfume, the sudden and fleeting smells that travel on a breeze or the very recognizable smell of a particular cooking food can trigger such a strong emotional response, that a person could be overwhelmed with great nostalgia, intense comfort or insurmountable sadness. 

From the dawn of time, the early humans that hunted and foraged land that they inhabited, using the sense of smell to detect oncoming storms, potential meals and to find the way to a camp fire in the distance. People were able to detect wether or not a particular meat had been cooked long enough, so they would not fall victim to unseen illness. This was a matter of survival, and because that sense was preserved through their descendants, modern humans are able to use our knowledge to analyze and interpret these neural signals, in a way that can enrich our lives. 

We attach great meaning to the things we smell. For me, the sense of smell is confirmation that I have finally made it home. That after all this time, I am finally back with the people I belong. The precursor to a great vacation is usually the smell of a campfire or the salty breeze on a bay bridge while I am crossing. Wether I want it to or not, it can remind me of bad times and I quickly find it harder and harder to breathe from the intense anxiety crashing down on me. With out the sense of smell, a piece of the puzzle would be missing. The measuring stick allowing us to say with absolute certainty that an experience was truly memorable would be gone, and the true joy of life would no loner contain the simple pleasure it once had.

I accomplished my goals by describing my honest view on the sense of smell. I touched on the reason why smell might have evolved and passed on to future generations, to provide a frame of reference for the different role smell plays in modern life. I included some descriptions that I believe most people can relate to about the intense emotional responses that everyone has when confronted with a familiar smell.

This is the best friggin thing I’ve seen all day

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voUP7U3Qyyo]

Haha

Taste Test #2

The shape of a Cheez-it is recognizable instantly as you feel it’s rigidity crumble. The flavor on the outside, a cheddar cheesy kind of taste, seems very unnatural for the chip and almost forced. less than a few seconds later it fades away and you are left with a simple cracker, in my opinion, the way it should have been in the first place.

Taste Test #1

sweet and pulpy in flavor, the slippery texture of the peach fruit excites my senses and overwhelms me with a feeling of goodness not commonly found from any other source. the citrusy sweetness of the flavor makes the salivation reaction kick in ten fold, prompting my senses for more.

Blog Assignment 4 – Taste

My writing goals for this assignment are to describe why the taste of Peach is something that I really enjoy and look forward to, and to possibly relate my strong feelings of this flavor to the way that another person might feel about a particular flavor that they enjoy. Another goal of mine is to experiment with a style of writing that I don’t think I have made a conscious effort to use before. For this writing I am going to try a blend of two styles, a descriptive and analogical style, rather then the narrative or strictly descriptive style that I typically pursue. I think that a person who might read this would be someone trying to get a feel for how another person might view the sense of taste, the taste of peach, but also my classmates and teacher as well. 

Peach

The Peach has a flavor that reminds me of the summer. It reminds me of hot days during which I might be spending a great deal of time in the sun. Peach, is like a friend that finally comes around after a long time spent away. Tasting it’s sweet flavor, rich in pulp is like having an the most tantalizingly enlightening conversation with that friend. It similarly feels as though it has allowed me to sit back, relax and gain perspective on all of the inferior experiences that I may have had lately. 

The peach thrives in warm conditions, as do I. It is grown and harvested under a brutal sun that pummels it with nutrients and energy (1). I feel as though its sweet nectar temporarily stores some of the positive energy that one may feel while laying out in a hammock in the middle of July. Just seeing one can bring back those feelings and cause an overwhelming sense of goodness. 

While the history of the peach has been distorted and edited at times throughout is existence (2), one would agree that it is a welcome part of the summer and spring seasons. And that if you also enjoy the flavor like I do, then you run right out to the store and buy a few as soon as you realize they are back in town. I would say that even in the winter, if I find a Peach on the shelves of the grocery store, or if I am tempted to buy some flavored iced tea, I consciously pass on this opportunity because its is not quite time for that friend to revisit yet, and hold off makes that time so much sweeter.

I achieved my goals by depicting how the taste of peach reminds me of relaxing and easy going times. I incorporated some analogies that I believe anyone could relate to and make some references to professional sources which back up the ideas that I have borrowed. I will be bringing in some peaches for my part of the in class discussion and I think that if someone reads this blog before they taste what I have brought in, that they might feel the same way. 

 

(1)Malcolm, Patrick. “History Of Peach Trees, Prunus Persica”  Ezine Articles. 2006. 7 Oct. 2006 <http://ezinearticles.com/?History-Of-Peach-Trees,-Prunus-Persica&id=330903&gt;.

(2) Filippone, Peggy Trowbridge. “Peach History”  About.com. 2006. <http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/peachhistory.htm&gt;.

Vision workshop 3

Interviewer: So upon your first glance at this painting, what was your initial thought?

Responder: well, I had a sense of confusion because of all that is going on inside. The tall man headed figure on the far right looks like a woman because of the high heels. there are two buildings on the side of the painting that are focused in a n unnatural vertical fashion. I would say confusion.

Interviewer: what was the first thing that you looked at?

Responder: I would say the human figure on the right

Interviewer: so then where was the second point?

Responder: the arms pointing toward the left

Interviewer: overall, what is the message that you got from the painting?

Responder: that the world is a very confusing place at times.

Interviewer: why?

Responder: well, all of the objects seemed to be contradicitng one anohter. there wer modern vehicles parke outside a roman colluseun looing building, poeple pointing all over the place and a mans head on womans bodies and just general chaos.

Interviewer: would you say that you liked the painting over all?

Responder: I would say that it made me think an that i was able to interpret some sort of meaning out of it despite my confusion so yes , i did like it. would i but it? probably not.

Vision workshop 2

The painting in question looks like a man that has a slab of meat hanging from his neck and there are a lot of roman/italian references through out the image. there are modern appearing vehicles, horse and buggy, along a road which seems to pass in front of a great roman pillar, with a whole lot of them parked outside of it. I think that this  spectacle of horse and buggy outside of an ancient looking building sort of building kind of looks ridiculous but makes me draw a comparison between my own time of living and the time of the romans. it seem that to me the drawing may be trying to point out in more then one way the parallels between modern society and that f an ancient time. if I use this analysis to apply to American society then i think of the fact that the united states is sometimes compared to Rome.