the last buckley fair

today is the day of our last buckley fair as buckley students. This is kind of crazy for someone like me who has gone to the buckley fair every year since fourth grade! I was thinking the other day, oh the buckley fair is just the buckley fair... the same every year... but really, its kind of sad that this is our last one. I'll miss the comfort of seeing the gravitron, the ferris wheel, the silent auction, and all of my classmates and their families. And now, we only have one more week of classes. Time really does move by fast, and graduation is really tomorrow!

enjoying some new music

It's always fun when bands come out with new music. Lately, a lot of my favorite bands have been coming out with incredible records. Radiohead recently came out with "The King of Limbs", The Strokes came out with "Angles", and now, Fleet Foxes with "Helplessness Blues". I've always enjoyed Fleet Foxes' music - their calm sound is so relaxing and so beautiful. This sound was continued and expanded in their newest album which came out just a couple days ago. I mean... I am really enjoying this album. They not only continued their normal harmonizations, but they also created a bit of diversity within songs, adding some that are more up beat, and some with really interesting and different instrumental sounds.

a couple of my favorites so far include:

Helplessness Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb84dSmBc8s&feature=related

The Shrine / An Argument
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_XXismYUZs

Battery Kinzie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gA1K-fvHNU

Overall, good music! easy listening that is easy to enjoy.

Concerts I would go back in time for

I was listening to some old music the other day, and I suddenly thought of how cool it would be to live in the 70's and have the ability to witness some of the most influential bands in music history play live. Also, there are many artists that have died recently that I really wish I could see live. Some concerts I really would have liked to witness include:

• Bob Marley and the Wailers - especially the album "Legend"
• Pink Floyd performing the album "Animals"
• Led Zeppelin (Obviously)
• Nirvana 
• The Beatles (also obvious)
• Queen
• Michael Jackson 

This is a very short list, there are many more that I would see that I can't think of at this moment. 

Another album review - Angles by the Strokes (and how each song is a different character)

On March 22, 2011, The Strokes released their fourth album entitled "Angles". Since downloading my pre-order of the album, I think I have listened to it a good 5 times or more. What I particularly love about this album is the fact that each song is so completely different from the next, which is a different, fresh idea for the Strokes. The album starts off with "Machu Piccu", a song that kicks off with an almost reggae-like guitar sound. Then, two songs later comes "Two Kinds of Happiness" which seriously sounds like it is from the band Duran Duran. After another couple songs comes "Taken for a Fool", a song that is so Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque. The album ends with with "Life is Simple in the Moonlight", a song that seems to be very loyal to the Strokes' past. To me, this eclectic mix of songs is really quite interesting. It is something we have not seen from the band in any previous albums, and I am definitely enjoying this change! After thinking about it, the title of the album really has a say in the album itself. Each song does truly have a different 'angle' to it, and you could tell this was a complete band collaboration rather than being written singlehandedly by Julian Casablancas or one of the other members of the Strokes. To me, the variety of songs seem to have different personalities, and thus can be compared to the characters in Pride and Prejudice. For example, the more up beat and eclectic songs can relate to Elizabeth, the different and independent woman in the story. The safer, less original songs that are very true to the Strokes' past can relate to Jane and the rest of the family, since they had been the most obeying towards societal standards. I think this connection will be really easily seen by many Strokes listeners because it is very obvious that the band is taking a chance with some extremely different songs than they have ever put out, as well as some many safe, true-to-the Strokes songs. Thus, the eclecticness of the album "Angles" can easily be compared to the eclectic characters of Pride and Prejudice. Ultimately, this album has much more experimental, different songs than songs loyal to their past.

Here are many of the songs that show off the new angle that the Strokes took with 'Angles':

• Machu Piccu - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY6FWIgziHo
• Two Kinds of Happiness - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e7L_rGPszA
• Taken for a Fool - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVql7K5pOMM
• Call me Back - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn39kXc5cSE
• Games - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqGs1B3D1N0

For people who are not familiar with the Strokes, here are some of their most popular older songs:

• Last Nite - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1vvUec71v8
• Reptilia - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8-tXG8KrWs
• You only live Once - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT68FS3YbQ4

There is a huge similarity between the above three songs. All coming from different albums, they still have the same sound of guitar, similar vocals, etc. This is why the eclecticness of Angles is such a big deal!!!

Eataly - an Italian Marketplace in New York City

This weekend, my mom and I were in New York City. During our free time, we decided to venture off into different stores as well as many of the vast food hubs that are technically called markets (since we are major foodies, we had to check them out). We spent a lot of time in Chelsea Market, which consists of many tiny restaurants and stores, but the marketplace that  stood out the most to my mom and I is called Eataly. Created by Mario Batali and two other renowned chefs, Eataly is the equivalent to a market and many restaurants that you would see along the coast of Italy. Eataly carries all types of Italian goods, from cheese and meats to individually wrapped nougat candies. On top of all of the goods you could buy, Eataly also has an array of mini-restaurants within the market. Some of the restaurants include 'La Piazza', 'La Pasta', 'Il Pesce', 'Gelateria', and so many more. What really intrigues me about this market is the vast amount of choices offered to a customer. I spent about 30 minutes walking around the place in awe of how incredibly large the marketplace is, while carefully looking at each item available for purchase. Eataly really made me think about the fact that we have nothing like this in Los Angeles. The amount of choices available in the incredible Italian food hub was pretty incredible. I truly recommend Eataly to any foodie who will be visiting New York City in the future, it is an Italian food lover's dream!

Radiohead's new album, "King of Limbs" as a progression of sound

On February 18, 2011, Radiohead released their newest album entitled 'The King of Limbs'. After much interest and years of following Radiohead's musical journey, I downloaded the new album the second I found out it was avaliable. Of course, in this album, Radiohead remains very loyal to their usual sounds with electronic beats mixed with Thom Yorke's soothing voice, but the progression of the songs in this particular album is much more interesting and unusual than Radiohead's previous albums. The most interesting aspect of this album is the progression from chaotic, off beat music to serene ballads. The first song of the album, entitled 'Bloom', introduces the album with extremely deranged beats offset from one another. This chaotic sound dissipates through each song, and the chaos turns to calmness. The couple songs of the album, 'Give up the Ghost' and 'Separator', finish the album in a completely different tone and sound than the first couple songs. In this way, Radiohead expresses an extreme progression from pandemonium to order throughout their latest album. This type of progression can be compared to the progression from disorder to order in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. When Marlow first encounters the people and sights of the Congo, he sees chaos and disorder, which could be compared to the sounds of 'Bloom'. Throughout his journey to the center of darkness, Marlow becomes a little more comfortable in the area, and sees things as less chaotic. This part of his journey can be compared to the middle of 'The King of Limbs' as a transitional point from chaos to a little more comfort. Finally, at the end of Marlow's journey, he discovers Kurtz and witnesses his death which ultimately ended the disorder of the jungle. Just like Kurtz's death, the songs entitled 'Give up the Ghost' and 'Separator' are the end to a chaotic progression, and the beginning of calmness. Thus, the progression of Radiohead's most recent album is very similar to the journey Marlow takes on the Congo River.

Here are some of the songs -
More chaotic sounds (All in the beginning of the album)

• Bloom
• Feral
• Morning Mr Magpie

Calmer songs (Last three songs of the album):

• Codex
• Give up the Ghost
• Separator

How Conrad's Heart of Darkness Relates to Traveling in Today's Generation

Experiencing different cultures, eating different foods, and exploring the streets of a completely different society are all key aspects of traveling. Immersing oneself within a different culture than one's own is something that must be experienced in life. Moreover, All traveling can truly relate to the trip into darkness that Marlow undergoes in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Although the ways in which we travel today are very different than the way Marlow traveled up the Congo in Heart of Darkness, we still immerse ourselves within the cultures of others, which affects us in ways that may be similar to the way Marlow was affected by the society surrounding the Congo River. When traveling either far or near, we tend to take a step back and observe the society and culture. Yes, we do eat their food, walk their streets, and a lot of us want to act like the locals while we travel, but we still take a step back and observe the ways the native people without actually interfering. Also, like Marlow, we become affected by our surroundings and temporarily tend to adapt some of the native people's views and ideals. We do this because we want to look like we belong, although such adaption to a society is very unconscious. For example, most of my family lives in New York. Whenever I visit New York to see my relatives, I unconsciously adapt a slight New York accent. I am never aware of myself in the moment that I say "yeah","coffee", or "dog" like a New Yorker, but it is after I say such things when I realize I said it differently. Thus, when traveling, we tend to adapt the ways of the native people as well as take an observational stance within the society we are visiting, therefore we are affected by traveling very similarily to the way Marlow was affected by the Congo River in Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Conformity essay

(I decided to change my essay topic to the role of conformity in society and the pressures we conform to every day)

Conformity can be defined as behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards. However, the definition of conformity is somewhat open ended and unexplained, as conformity can also mean being similar to others as well as complying with certain standards, rules, or laws within society. In addition, the role conformity takes in a classroom and within a family is somewhat undefined, as some people feel a greater need to conform to what society 'needs' than others. For example, in Kafka's Metamorphasis, after Gregor Samsa had suddenly transformed into a giant bug, his family members were faced with different situations in which they had no choice but to conform to societal standards, including finding jobs and facing the pressures to support the family. Moreover, conformity causes routines, which could affect people in a positive way, however conformity also can cause pressure, affecting people in a harsher, negative way. Most importantly, however, is that conformity is everlasting; even when people believe they are independent of others and thinking with a creative, new prospective, they are in actuality not unconventional and are grouping themselves with all other individual thinkers. Thus, whether it be at school, home, or another institution, people are always unconsciously conforming to societal pressures.

Conformity

My conformity essay will revolve around the changes of conformity in society from the 40's to current times. I hope to explore what people conformed to in that time, for example Gregor and his family living in the city, conforming to the societal needs, as Gregor worked and the rest of his family did not. In contrast, conformity in the current time period seems to be much different, as people feel pressure to be independent, however in actuality everyone is conforming to independence rather than exploring new independent thoughts. I will interview my grandmother who grew up in Los Angeles and got married at a very young age, and hopefully I will find some insight as to what pressures she felt as a 17 year old in Los Angeles.

Conformity is something that cannot be avoided in society. Even if one feels they are being free and independent, they are actually conforming to some type of societal rule or need. For example, if all rebels wear a certain style of clothing, are they in actuality rebels? Being free and individualistic is a trait that everyone at this day in age seeks for, however what is in actuality free if we are always conforming to something?

Graphic Novel questions

1014, #1

In the first graphic novel, the illustrations seemed to be a little underwhelming. The illustrations in the first graphic novel did not convey a very illustrative, interesting take on the novel, however the second graphic novel took a more creative path to illustrating the novel. Moreover, the second graphic novel is more interesting to read and there is a sense of motion as if it is like a moving picture or a movie. Finally, the second graphic novel is much more successful and interesting than the first. 

1014, #4

I think that both Kafka and Kuper are very sympathetic towards Gregor. Kafka is of course sympathetic towards Gregor because the whole story is written describing Gregor's thoughts. Kuper is also very sympathetic towards Gregor through the way he has illustrated him. Gregor seems to have the exact face as he had had as a human, therefore Kuper shows seeming respect towards Gregor. 

Long overdue blog for leaderless discussion

The leaderless discussion was a really great experience especially when wanting to understand the creativity and different thought processes of other classmates. The group dynamic seemed to work very well since the discussion did not end until time was up. I really enjoyed the leaderless discussion especially for the purpose of hearing what my other classmates thought about a topic, and if we thought similarly or differently. Therefore, a good group dynamic seemed easy to be easy to achieve and it was interesting to develop our ideas through the comments of others.

intro

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness exhibits Marlow’s journey to the center of the immoral darkness to rescue the notorious Kurtz from his death. However, the deeper Marlow travels into the heart of Africa, the more he becomes fascinated by Kurtz, shedding light to Kurtz as a symbol of the jungle and as a god-like figure to his ‘disciples’.  Moreover, as Marlow travels thicker into the chaotic jungle, the more he hears about Kurtz as a person, as a superior, and as a controller, thus revealing what seems like the harsh, intense reality. However, in actuality, there is an ”absurd gap between what we profess to be and what we are” (Karl, 125), and such applies perfectly to the appearance of Kurtz versus the reality of Kurtz. As Marlow arouses about his fascination of Kurtz, he never discovers who Kurtz really is, thus solely understanding what he ‘seems’ or even claims to be. Therefore, the way Kurtz is introduced to Marlow not only creates obsession and compulsion by Marlow and his other followers, but also an invisible yet true gap between who Kurtz really is and who Kurtz wants to be, constantly building up a large, authoritative ‘mask’ who powerfully controls the dark area of the Congo; however, revealed by his ultimate death, Kurtz is truly a weak, inadequate, and corrupted human being. 

Question 1 from Worksheet: Interpret one symbol first at the surface, literal level and then as if it were a symbol in a dream vocabulary with a deeper, secondary meaning.

Symbol: Kurtz

On the surface, Kurtz is a person described as powerful, controlling, and even god-like by the Russian traveler. His personality seems to be one consiting of strength and fearlessness. His "on the surface" persona is what Marlow sees and thinks is true throughout the whole novela, until all of the 'literal' descriptions of Kurtz reveal what he actually symbolizes, being a weak, dying man who does not live up to his name. Moreover, Kurtz is nothing special or out of the ordinary once Marlow encounters him. Restricted to the jungle and the savage lifestyle, Kurtz in essense had been controlled by his surroundings and was unconsciously pushed into become this man of false power and wisdom. The jungle had no ability to fight back or stand up to Kurtz, allowing him to truly reign over the jungle. In addition, Kurtz probably died because of his horrible wrong-doings exhibited by the genocides that occured all for the purpose of getting ahold of ivory (being a pretty useless item to every day life), which ultimately justifies that Kurtz is the literal and metaphorical heart of darkness. The dark acts that he committed in the center of the darkest, most savage place on earth at the time period exhibits the fact that Kurtz has a heart of darkness, however he left his 'darkness' behind when he eventually died after leaving the center of Africa. Therefore, what every savage, traveller and pilgram seemed to have 'dreamed' about Kurtz was completely false, as his faux strength turned out to be his downfall leading to his ultimate death.

Heart of Darkness Essay Ideas

Conrad's utilization of symbols throughout "Heart of Darkness" applies a cinematic feel to the story itself. The overpowering descriptions of the slightest and smallest details prove the importance of each element of Marlow's journey. The constant journey down the river sets the scene for many other elements throughout Marlow's adventure. The river itself symbolizes Marlow getting closer and closer to the true Heart of Darkness, as well as the flow towards the end of Kurtz's life. Moreover, Kurtz as a person becomes a major symbol throughout Marlow's travels. As Marlow hears the many different opinions and views towards Kurtz through his journey, he recognizes that many people idolize the "hollow man". Although Kurtz has wrongly earned his vast collection of ivory, the people along the Congo (including Marlow himself) seemingly worship Kurtz completely until his downfall.

The symbols I hope to explore in my essay include the River Congo and the image of Kurtz. 

Heart of Darkness - the psychological journey

As the reader travels with Marlow through the Heart of Darkness up the Congo river, the reader is able to actually experience the adventure that Marlow is experiencing. Marlow's descriptions become choppier throughout his journey, referring to his psychological state of mind which is constantly changing. As he travels up the river and is exposed to different people and different settings, Marlow's language and feelings become more unconscious and less meaningful in a way, as he travels into the darkness that he is never exposed to while in London. The trip Marlow takes transforms him and exposes him to a great deal of mystery and wonder, which ultimately causes Marlow to be unconsciously anxious to keep going and going deeper into the heart of darkness. Therefore, his journey is most definitely a physical journey, but it is most importantly a psychological journey into the unconscious.

#6, page 430 - Heart of Darkness

The painting of "a woman draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch" may be a symbol of mystery that Kurtz has decided to put in this particular place. Maybe Kurtz is warning the people who pass this painting that ahead there is only darkness. At this point, Marlow is in a very confused but anxious state of mind, and has been stunned by the things he has seen throughout his travels. Therefore, Marlow may agree with the message, being that ahead there is only darkness and fear, but because of his curiousity about Kurtz, he will continue his voyage ahead.

#2, 429

Conrad's connections between London and the ancient Roman times illustrates the expansion of the Romans into mysterious and possibly dangerous places that had been so different than their motherland. The connection to ancient Rome illustrates a foreshadow effect to what we will probably see in the latter portions of Heart of Darkness, where the characters will explore the Congo, a place so drastically different physically and mentally from London. Therefore, Conrad's mentioning of ancient Rome is a simple foreshadowing device which allows the reader to understand the extreme differences between London and the Congo, and how the characters will perceive the different places they will explore.