Week 12

Part A

I chose The last little beach town by Edward Humes. I have spent most of my life split living in Northern California and Southern California. During the years I spent in Southern California I lived in a small beach town outside of San Diego with that same small town quaint feeling described by Humes. I can relate to that untouched feeling of Seal Beach. Seal beach boasts the second largest wooden pier in Ca with Oceanside having the largest. Seal beach is also the training grounds for the US Olympic Water polo team. Located on the US Military Joint Forces Training Base at the USA Water Polo National Aquatic Center. Seal beach has also had it's share of fame in many movies, it was the "red Sea" that was parted by Moses in Cecil B. DeMille's version of the 10 commandments. There are not to many of these quaint small beach communities left. After reading this story I decided to make it a stop on my next trip to Southern California.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_Beach,_California

http://www.ci.seal-beach.ca.us/

Part B

When I think of California the place that speaks to my heart and mirrors my soul is San Francisco. I spent my childhood years growing up in very small towns and I can remember my First trip to San Francisco. The movement and daily hustle and bustle of the city was so exciting to me. Every year my Mother would take me to see the Nutcracker at the San Francisco Ballet or to the Opera house. If you have ever been lucky enough to spend time here during the Christmas season, it is amazing. As a little girl I would wear a fabulous dress and stare at the beautiful Christmas trees that lined the halls of the Opera house and I would get lost for a moment in a make believe world. My Mother has always been active in the gay/lesbian communities so I also spent a great deal of time as a child and a teenager in the Castro. I think I have been to more gay pride parades than any other type of parade in my life. My most fond memories were Easter Bonnet parties in the Castro. As a young girl I was ultra feminine and girly and loved everything that was. I loved this holiday more than Halloween as I never liked the scary costumes as a child and the costumes for this party on Easter were glorious. They had to be hand made and they were amazing, feathers, flowers and lots of glitter. Everything a little girl like me loved.

But It was not until the later years of my life that San Francisco became such a part of who I am. I was far beyond my years at a very early age and was emancipated and living on my own by the age of 15. My godmother was the Vice President for I. Magnin & Company in Union Square. At this time I was 17 and had graduated cosmetology school and wanted to move to the City. I was working as a make-up artist in Santa Rosa but was longing to be working in the city. So I called her and asked her if I could talk to her about a job and she told me she would not help me get the job, but would submit an application for an interview. I had never even been inside this store, as you had to be some one of great wealth to afford the beautiful things this store contained. She set up the interview and told me it was on me to sell myself, she would however help me prepare for the interview. She took me shopping and by days end, I was clad in a pair of shoes I was afraid to walk in as they cost around $1,000.00, a dress from a designer I couldn't even pronounce and a Prada handbag she took out of her closet as she said it made me look important and powerful. I was ready for my interview which she called a " dunk in the shark tank" I had no idea what that meant at the time. I did after. I was out of my element completely. All the time I had spent in my make believe world in the City was nothing compared to the women who actually lived it. I did get the job however and can say that at 17 I began to live the life of a 30 year old socialite. After work I would be sipping Martini's at the Fairmont or in some ritzy jazz club. Or having dinner in restaurants and I couldn't pronounce anything on the menu. After a period of time I was well versed in the ways of the very rich and pampered. Although, I did it on a small country girls budget. My monthly paycheck was used to buy an outfit, and if I was lucky enough a pair of shoes to go with it. I would spend my lunch hour walking through Tiffany & Co. gazing at the sparkling bobbles that someday my prince charming would adorn me with. Or, if I was feeling playful I would spend an hour or maybe two in FAO Schwarz playing with the life size Barbies and all the designer clothes or even the gigantic lego floor playing with Lego's. I would spend my nights in the city in amazing clubs dancing the night away or sharing fondue next to a fire with good friends in a quaint Swiss restaurant. I loved long walks at night down the city streets. I was never afraid of even the worst neighborhoods. I loved the culture and would venture in to other areas of the city to experience it. I would sit in coffee shops for hours and just watch the people in the streets. I have worked in the city every year since I was 17. There is nothing that makes me feel more alive than the air that hits me as I cross over the Golden Gate Bridge. I feel at home. Today, I wouldn't waste my money on such frivolous things as 1,000 shoes but I can go to Union square to Louis Vuitton where I. Magnin once stood and window shop. I can still go and look at all the pretty glamourus things I love and feel just like I did as a young girl. San Francisco was Disneyland to me. The glamour, excitement and culture. I have been to many cities in California and nothing ever makes my heart beat the way it does here.

Week 9

1. Ode to Caltrans By Hector Tobar

Tobar reflects milestones in his life in comparison to the work being done at those times on the freeways and the significance it played on his life at the time. AS a child he recollects memories as a young child riding in his Father's VW bug. And as a man entering adulthood and driving his mothers car. Everything throughout his life runs parallel with something tied to the Freeway. He even reflects to his mother's pregnancy and how it may have impacted him in utero that his mother did not have "wheels" and thus passed the "transportation anxiety" to Tobar. He compares the lives lost by drivers on the freeway to those lost by Caltrans works building and repairing the roads traveled. He shares beautiful visions of the California Highways "carpet if black velvet" as well painful truths as he says "I was, then, just becoming aware of the cycles of life and death, and how the flow of traffic sometimes guides us against our will onto the cloverleaf exchanges between our earthly selves and the great highways of the beyond."

Page 58- "Would they even let a woman in labor on? Would she need exact change?."


His story makes me reflect when I was a child. We rode without seat belts. Often in the back of my Father's truck in the hot summer sun. I can remember those summer rides in the back of his truck. I would rest my head on the side of the truck with my hair flowing in the wind staring at the rapidly moving road. The heat of the metal truck bed heating my legs and the smell of Summer in the air. Today , as I am driving I do not think of the things this story reminded me of. I am watching my speed, being cautious constantly watching the road for hazardous situations. After reading this I think I will take some time to ride in the passenger side, so I can watch and enjoy the things I am missing.

I did not realize that the signs with the Caltrans helmets represented a worker who had lost their life.

2.Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home by Thomas Steinbeck

Steinbeck begins his story sharing his thoughts on being selfish and not wanting to share his hidden treasures as he describes as "a selfish reluctance to share my chewing gum with the rest of the class." He explains how California holds such treasures to people and the myth of the Paradise in California. That to the natives of California they are just that myths, and the real treasures of California are those that are hidden and can only truly be cherished in primitive form.

Page 68 "Now, there's a whopping fine California myth for you, and I, for one, believe every word. But that's what happens when your in Love."

This story made me feel lucky that I have been a California Native and have seen many of these beautiful treasures in the primitive state he discusses. I have seen high mountain tops on horse back, camped in Redwood Forests, and visited beaches where I was the only on there at the time. I was also interested that he shares the same view on California and it's untouched natural state as his Father who spent much of his time traveling to these prestine spots.

I learned more about his Grandmother Olive. I have done a few reports on the Steinbeck family and this was a story I had never heard before.




3.The Last Little Beach Town by Edward Humes

Humes gives us insight on Seal Beach and why it is different than it's surrounding beach communities. He discusses his journey to California and the Trip that ultimately lead him to arrive in Seal Beach as he describes as "the first and easiest-to-miss pearl on a string of larger, more prominent beach cities stretching southward into Orange County." He touches on it's untouched state and how it has not been corrupted by large companies and it is still small enough that people walk to their destinations it has been undeveloped by our well known "modern conveniences."

Page 74 "Except for sunny Summer weekends, the beach is so wide it is possible to be lonely here, to feel small, to not hear the Nokia song chiming in someones pocket."

Reading this makes me reflect to my favorite beach spot outside of Mendocino. While all the tourists flock to Mendocino and flood the streets with vehicles I will go 9 miles south to a pristine hideaway that on the right day the sand is white and the water glistens like an emerald, the wind is always flat as it is a hidden cove. I could spend all day on the beach and never be bothered by another person all day.

I learned about the historical points of Seal Beach and the other SOCAl beach towns.

4. Surfacing by Matt Warshaw

A story about a surfer, Sixteen year old Jay from Santa Cruz and his experiences in surfing the local beaches and The highlight of Jay's surfing a day California would see the ;largest swells it had ever seen. Warshaw gives a history of Santa Cruz surfing and Half Moon Bay.

Page 85
"You experience a thrill and a fear at the same time"


I spent a few years living in Pacifica and Half Moon bay. I was always curious to the surfing culture and what would cause people to live for this experience. I myself am terrified of the Ocean waters, yet I have never lived far from the Ocean, and spend a great deal of time on the beaches. But I have always been mystified as to why surfers are willing to risk their lives for a few minutes of time riding a wave. This story made me see the passion that surfers feel for the waves. They live it, and breathe it and willing to give their life for it.

I learned about the local history of Half Moon Bay. And how the bootleggers smuggled boats filled with liquor.

contrast- I felt all Authors except Tobar wrote about their "hidden treasures and hideaways in California" Tobar wrote about his experiences with the freeways but didn't share a secret mystical place as the others had shared.

Week 7 American Indian

The discovery of gold in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada began one of the darkest times of sexual assault and mass murder against the native people of California.
In one year 100,000 prospectors descended upon the natives of California with catastrophic results.With the state filled with these newcomers officials were overpowered by the flood of immigrants into the state and all measures of authority were lost and chaos ensued. Killings and mass violence against Indians who resisted Minors developed into mass murder. Vigilante groups such as the Humbolt Home Guard, Eel River Minutemen and the Placer Blades terrorized Indians. Within the first 2 years 100,000 Indians were killed by individual minors resulting in a population loss of 2/3 the population. There is nothing in American Indian history that can be compared to a loss this large of an entire population that when it was almost over left approximately 70,000 surviving Indians and almost total annihilation. By the turn of the century the remaining Native American in California were forced to leave their ancestral lands. Some lived on New California reservations.

Before the Gold Rush the Yahi tribe numbered approximately 400. After a massacre in 1865, only 30 Yahi survived. The remaining Yahi escaped and went into hiding for the next 40 years until cattlemen killed all but Ishi, the last survivor of the Yahi tribe.

Ishi was found by local towns people and taken into custody for his own protection. This last known Indian "wild man" brought curiosity to the civilized white people. So they moved him to the University of California, Berkeley's Anthropology Museum. He lived in an old Law school building where he lived out the remainder of his life. Except for a summer in 1915 he resided with anthropologist Thomas Talbot Waterman and his family until he passed from Tuberculosis in 1916.

Ishi taught as much of his culture to the new people as he could as his remaining people were dying not only from the white man but the progression and spread of disease brought to the land as well. If not Indians would naturally die out or become part of the civilized "white Culture" The Indian language, technology and art would all be lost.

Today Native Americans are fighting to get back cultural artifacts and human remains. Over the years they have been stolen or owned by museums. In 1916 when Ishi died his brain was sold to the Smithsonian In Washington. In 1997 California Indians demanded to have Ishi's remains turned over so they could give him a proper burial in his ancestral lands. The Smithsonian denied for 3 years they were in possession of his brain but after a long battle the released his brain in August 2000.

I chose Ishi because his story of survival captivated my heart. I could never imagine having all my people and family killed and being the only one to survive. And after surviving this horror not having anyone I could relate to or understand me. What fascinated me even more he chose to give back to the people he caused him such great pain and loss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishi

http://history.library.ucsf.edu/ishi.html

http://www.jedriffefilms.com/jedriffe-oldsite/flvplayer/ishi.html

1. Wes chose the National Civil War Museum because : "It was perhaps one of the most important historical events in American history."

2. Roxanne chose: The National Museum of Dance because because she "longed to become a dancer of some sort."

3. Robert picked:The Metropolitan Museum of Art he was drawn to the museum because "they have some very impressive pieces from the Renaissance era, which is an era that has always captured my imagination and definitely includes some of the most widely renowned art, and is my personal favorite."

4. Michelle chose Monticello because she went there as a child.

5.Mary picked Smithsonian Museum of American History and was interested in the FOOD exhibit because I am in the culinary program at the j.c

6.Lori picked Guggenheim Museum because she had previously made a trip to NY and ran out of time and was not able to visit.

7. Karen chose the The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum because this was not something we can ignore.

8. Jacob chose choose the Museum of Contemporary Photography because "photography has interested me for many, many years."

9. Eric chose The Nationla Civil War Museum because he believes that "of the many wars America has been involved in, the Civil War was one of the most culturally influential."

10. Brooke picked The Academy of Natural Sciences because she has a degree in Natural Sciences "so I thought this was right up my alley."

Week 5 MoMa

I picked the Museum of Modern Art MoMA. Located in New York. The collection is Modern and Contemporary Art. The collection contains many different forms of Art, from paintings, drawings, poetry, Media, performance art, film and photography. My mother is an artist and our home was always filled with contemporary art and it is something I have always enjoyed. I would love to take a trip with her to the museum as she is great at teaching me the artists point of view. This is not always easy for me to see from my own eye.

1. MoMA was developed by Abby Rockefeller (John Rockefeller's wife) and 2 of her business partners Lillie Bliss and Mary Sullivan. The became known as "the ladies"

2.It is said MoMA houses the the best Modern Western masterpieces in the World. It holds approximately 150,000 pieces of art, and 22,000 films.

3.Opened November 7, 1929 a few days after the Wall Street crash. It was remodeled from 2002-2004 and an additional 630,00 square feet were added to the museum. Previous to the remodel MoMA had on average 1.5 million visitors per year before the remodel and now has an average of 2.5 million yearly visitors.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces at MoMA- (all shown above)

De Chirico's Love Song

Van Gogh The Olive Trees

Matisse The Dance

I viewed the following sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Modern_Art

http://www.moma.org/explore/collection/index

http://www.youtube.com/user/momavideos?blend=3&ob=4

1. Wes picked the Exploratorium as it has as exhibits in Biology and Kinetics.

2. Veronika chose Legion of Honor Museum because it was the first museum she visited here.

3. Robert chose The de Young Museum because he has fond memories here.

4.Rachelle picked the exploratorium because of the hands on learning.

5. Nichole picked San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as she has always been interested in going.

6. Garin picked Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet Museum because he enjoys history.

7. Angie picked MOLAA (Museum of Latin American Art) because she has an interest in Latin art.

8. Amanda chose Hearst Castle as the architecture & designs caught her eye.

9. Brooke chose Museum of Latin American Art as she has visited before and enjoyed her visit.

10. Eric chose the Us Hornet Museum as he was impressed by the history.

Week 4 Getty Villa

I chose the Getty Villa located in Pacific Palisades, 1 mile outside of Malibu. It is a museum dedicated to art and cultures of Ancient Greece and Rome.

I was drawn to this Museum because of the beautiful Gardens.

I gathered most of my information off the following sites:

http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/videoDetails?cat=4&segid=3729http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahqwbe_0_k0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahqwbe_0_k0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getty_Villa

What I have learned about this museum:

Oil tycoon J. Paul Getty had originally opened a smaller gallery next to his home but he quickly ran out of room. He decided to open a second museum which was finished and opened in 1974. His home and first museum are still located on the property. He based the design off of a recreation of the Villa of Papyri at Herculaneum ( a villa said to be owned by Julius Caesar’s father-in-law.) In 1997 the villa was closed for renovations. It was reopened in 2006.

The most interesting thing I learned about this museum is that there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the Villa as it is claimed that many items within the collection are looted items. The former curator Marion True was on trial in Italy for her role in what the Italians claim were stolen items. In 2006 four items were returned to Greece and they agreed to return 40 items back to Italy.

It was also surprising how colorful the Villa is. We often think of Ancient Greece and Rome as being colorless, whitewashed in a sense. But in fact it was vibrant. Statues were not always colorless, they were often painted. They used bright vibrant colors not only on the statues, but tiles, paintings and other art. This use of color is shown in the design at the Villa.

One piece you will find on display at the Villa is the statue of Victorious Youth. (a picture above)A statue of a naked male in his youth standing on his right leg. He is crowned with an Olive wreath as this was the prize for a victory in the Olympic Games. This is one of the very few rare Greek bronze statues that is life sized that has survived.

What I have learned from my classmates last week:

1. Angie says he had an important impact on the world of literacy.

2. Katie says his childhood shaped his future beliefs tremendously.

3. Elizabeth says :His work encouraged equal opportunity education and denounced the "authoritarian" educator as nothing more than a tool for control and dehumanization.

4. Jacob found most fascinating about Paulo Freire was his successful experiment known as the “Bare feet can also learn to read” campaign.

5. Jeff says he was an incredible man to have devoted that majority of his life to teaching others.

6. Justin says: Freire maintains the need for societies to ratify this situation through educational reform and individual desire to be “more fully human.”

7. Lori believes what was his important work was his concern with conscientization.

8. Mary says : Paulo Freire was one of the most influential educational philosophers of the 20th century.

9. Nichole says: She enjoyed researching his works and gained a great deal of useful knowledge after reading about Freire's life.

10. Wendy says: His teachings are still very popular globally.

week 3

Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator who contributed a philosophy of education that today is known worldwide. During the early 1960s he developed a radical educational policy in Brazil and was involved in planning a national strategy for literacy. He worked with the poor, and people in his community. He believed teachers should "Read the World." Meaning they should not only be familiar with the written word, they should be equally familiar with the world. Most importantly the world and environment in which the teachers students were living in. He believed only then could a teacher understand the reality in which the student was living. Teachers needed to interact with the people in the community as the central theme of his theory was based off Dialog. He believed that dialog was the moment of transformation between the teacher and the student. Teachers were to collect lists of spoken words commonly used within the community. They would then develop "cultural circles" and these lists of words were the topics of discussion when the groups would gather. He believed this is how the students and teachers learned best together and through this method of learning they would be most successful. In 1962 several experiments tested this theory of learning. At this time 300 farm workers were taught how to read and write in only 45 days. Due to the success the government began to fund many of the "cultural circles" to improve literacy among it's people. Later he was exiled from his own country accused of being a traitor. Having to leave his country he began to travel the world helping to implement literacy programs. He has made a considerable impact in making the less fortunate have access to the basic rights of education. He empowered people through literacy.

1. Brooke believes the US & Islam share common principals of justice, progress, tolerance and equality of all human biengs.

2. Ben was ddisgusted by Oprah's speech as a motivational tool for graduates.

3. Zach believes everyone knows MLK's I have a dream speech.

4. Robert believed Obama conveys a message of hope and humanity.

5. Justin felt Oprah's speech was heartfelt.

6. Amanda would never get tierd of MLK's speech.

7. Christy believes Oprah is a wonderful influence because she has a wonderful heart.

8. Wendy found Oprah's speech to be uplifiting.

9. Jeff has never been a big fan of Oprah.

10. Rachelle felt Oprah spent the majority of the speech discussing herself.

Week 1

1. Jennifer





2. I am taking this class as part of my general education reqirements to transfer to Sonoma State. I was interested in the class and it looks like it is going to be exciting.





3. I live 8.6 miles from campus.





4. Santa Rosa: I think of family, good foods and restaraunts, beautiful parks, and rain.

California: Ocean, Sunshine, Redwoods, Culture and traffic.

West Coast: Sunshine, Overpriced Real Estate.

US- The only place I would want to live. Many places I would like to see.

The world- So many places I would want to see and experience, many people I would want to meet and cultures I would want to experience.

5. Yes, I have created a blog in the past.

6. I am a PC user.

7. I can text on my phone.