Blog Assignment #4: Is There Such A Thing As A Free Gift?

Read "The Gift", then tell me if there is such a thing as a free gift.

Your blog posts can be very dynamic: you can talk about the essay, you can talk about your own life, you can talk about rituals.

Remember that additional participation on the blog will earn you course participation points.

Life is a...

"Time is a gift." Is it? For this I would like to turn to one of my favorite songs, the name of the song is, "Life is a Song" and it's by Patrick Park. In this song he sings about how we take life forgranted and we don't live it to its fullest. So from his point of view, isn't time a gift? It's said differently, but doesn't life consist of time? So are we just taking life (time) forgranted? "Time is money" is another phrase often said, and if, "time is money," then that just goes to prove that maybe your taking the gift of time forgranted... So the views of "Time is a gift" and "Time is money" are very different in my mind. In the case of "Time is a gift" you realize the stated is true, and live life to its fullest. On the other side you have, "Time is money," which by the way seems to be a road more often traveled. In this case you have the ones who take life forgranted, as their motto states, "time is money" they don't live to live their life to its fullest, they live to live. I hope the view of "time is a gift" lets people take life less seriously, lets them... live their life to its fullest, on the other hand, the change could be bad if we don't take life seriously enough... In the end a balance is required, a little bit to live, and a little bit to live full.

What Is Time Anyways?

I believe that "time as a gift" has deeper meaning then "time is money."  We all are surrounded by deadlines that stress everyone out and those who can seem to chill out are always (well maybe not always) the ones who make it further.   "Time as a gift" seems to be more welcoming and satisfying rather than "time is money" who gives me a negative connotation towards our capitalistic society that everyone seems to be so caught up in.  Comparing these two quotes can open up new ways we look at stressful events.  For instance, when we are done with class we all want to take a few minutes to shut our eyes and relax but most of us are already pissed off and we say, "I only get 15 minutes to sleep before I have to get up again."  Next time, think of it a different way.  Be more positive and think that you get 15 minutes to sleep instead of using the negative word only.  But then again, when I think of time, I feel it limits what we as people can do if we just had the freaking time.  Once we start a project or get our minds set into what we are producing we have to stop because our times are up and we move onto another aspect of our lives.  In contrast, time also allows structure within our society.  We couldn't even have institutions for learning because we all would never  congregate at the same time.  "Time as a gift" may also have more meaning to others because of the way we spend our time.  Some may sleep, some may do homework, some may have a beer.  In the end, "time as a gift" perceives in my mind, a little less driving and more towards relaxing.

Time and Time Again

I have always thought that time is one of the best ways to heal any situation. Time is golden in my opinion. I look at time as if it were very precious to me, I always think, "Okay, how can I manage my day?" The first thing that I try to work around is time, I always find myself trying to separate my events by time; how many hours I play video games, how long I read you know normal things. I always look at the time because it gives me an estimate on how long I'm spending time somewhere. Take for instance my eating schedule; since my Anthropology class is at 6, I must eat before hand around 4-5.

I do not think time is golden; there are days where I do not care how much time I'm spending on something; those are usually lazy Sundays. Often do I see people not managing their time wisely, that is one thing that I am thankful that I have, being able to manage my time wisely. Because time and time again I find myself either looking at my watch or looking at my phone to see what time it is and how much time I have to get there.

Like I said, time is the best way to heal ANY situation. It lets things cool down and simmer, it doesn't hurt at all to give something time and patience.

Time as a gift VS as money

I feel that saying that time is a "gift" implies that you should not take time for granted.  For all I know, I could steep out tomorrow morning and get struck by an oncoming bus.  Because of this, I would want to spend my time to the fullest and enjoy this "gift".  However, the saying "time is money" causes me to think entirely different.  As opposed to the message to note take your time for granted, it makes me think that you need to spend your time trying to better your self or get ahead of the competition.  Look at it this way, if one person feels that time is a gift, they will enjoy all the time that they have, and live life to the fullest.  However, a person who thinks "time is money" will frown upon this behavior and rather spend his time working to better himself.  

I tend to fall somewhere in the middle of these two ideologies and take them both into account when planing my time.  I feel that this can also be applied to certain cultures, and even subdivisions within a culture.  For example, the generational gap within the American society.  The Baby boom generation felt that "time is money" while generation x or even my generation seem to lean more towards treating it as a gift.

penny for a thought

"Time is a gift" when the second hand ticks slowly, the minute hand seems to take an eternity, and you cherish every bit of it, letting the details carefully filter through your eyes. Having the attitude that "time is a gift" is a positive way to approach everyday life because you're actually thankful for each second or minuet that fills up your day, no matter how monotonous it may feel. You can never go back to a certain moment in time, so it's better to just make the best out of every moment and be excited that you are able to live through it. The attitude that "time is money", however, is a greedy way to look at time. if you're constantly worried about what you can do to benefit yourself then you'll never have time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. money is temporary but experiences and memories are irreplaceable. However, if you are constantly trying to view "time as a gift" you might end up really disappointed at times because sometimes time really sucks and there are moments that you wish would have never happened.

The clock is ticking...

To say time is a gift infers that it has been given by someone. Gifts tend to be worth something or valuable in some way. Thus to say time is a gift tends to mean that the owner of time needs to use it wisely and take care of it while it is theirs. I also believe that we give thanks to the giver and use it for what it is to be used for. We can be wise with our time and be productive to use it for self betterment as well as the common good. On the other hand, you can also be unwise by wasting it away by laziness and not seek out the full potential of times uses.

It is different than “time is money” because the quote means nothing other than time will both gain money as well as lose money. Some people use it frivolously while others store it up never using it. It does not matter much how the user of the time does with it, because it will only do one of two things: be gained or lost. It seems to me “time as money” is a more worldly, almost pessimistic view of time. It is as if the owner has no escape, no in or out. Every decision has a consequence and it is one big loop of gain and loss. It also involves no personality and does not give any inference of what the purpose of time is.

Looking at money from these two different view points can change our lives. If we see time as precious, we will be more apt to think about what we are doing with it. We will see it as a responsibility to use it correctly and help others, as opposed to throwing it away. If we look at time as money, it only causes one to strive to make the most of the time for self gain or give up on time for the sake of apathy.

Time Is Not Always Money

"Time is Money!" This is certainly a mantra that everyone in America has heard, and most Americans do try to live by. Is this a truth about our society, or a false ideal? It has been said that in our capitalist society, the more time we spend working (and the more work we cram into time) the more money and prosperity we will have.

As a cultural comparison, many European countries do not live by this rule. Time away from work is encouraged by way of vacations and even long mid-day breaks. This keeps stress levels down, and encourages families to strengthen their bonds, which makes for a generally more pleasant society.

Americans tend to think that this comes at a price. If Americans took more vacations and spent more time with their families that would mean less money (and by the American standard, less happiness) wouldn't it?

Maybe not. By analyzing the current state of the American economy, does it show that Americans are working less? No. Americans are of course working harder and longer hours every day, but making no more money for it. In fact people are losing their jobs and their homes.

The American way of "Time is Money" is a fallacy.

Quality vs. Quantity

"Time as a gift" can be interpreted in a lot of different ways.  It could refer to the fact that life is considered a gift and we only have a small amount of time to live our lives.  Or the fact that we only have so much time to spend with our loved ones.  It's important to use the time we do have to it's fullest extent and make it as meaningful as we can, because it's impossible to tell when our, or a loved one's time will be up.  

"Time is money" refers mostly, I think, to American's need for schedules and outlines.  I would imagine that this phrase became accepted during the time when America became obsessed with business and material wants.  The more time spent working, the more money made, the more objects we are able to buy.

"Time as a gift" is about quality, while "time is money" is about quantity.

If all people accepted the idea that "time is a gift" and slowed down to enjoy life, I think people, or at least Americans, would find themselves to be more genuinely happy.  Instead, however, we are too concerned with where we need to be at what time to get how much done, etc.  We allow the aspect of time to become a negative thing while we should be embracing the precious time we still have.  

I have a friend from Mexico and when I asked her what she thought about these views of time, here was her response:

"I come from Mexico and I think there are more differences than similarities on approach to time.  I like how in America almost all the time people and events are always punctual.  People here respect the time when something has to start and when something has to end.  In Mexico, it's amazing if someone is punctual or if an event starts on time.  I feel we are not as organized as America.  I like that in America everyone considers time important, but maybe a little too much.  I feel sometimes people do not take the time to really concentrate on what is important because they are always thinking on what they have to do next and at what time they have to do it."

I thought it was very interesting how she admires the fact that Americans have such structured schedules, but at the same time realizes that maybe we do take it too far.  I think I prefer the idea of having a very loose schedule, like in Mexico such as she described.  I'll agree that having a set time and place for events makes it easier to get things done, but why are we so determined to get so much done?  And for what?  But this is how it is.  And I think that, yes, it is important to have some structure in order to get these things done, but maybe we should look for an alternative way to go about spending our time.  Or at least loosen up a bit and enjoy our lives.

Corporate America

As I read this question two different aspects come to mind. I take the "Time is a gift" from a religion aspect and "Time as Money" from a business aspect (aka Corporate America). "Time is a gift" is how we should approach life at all times. Considering time on this world is uncertain we should cherish what time we are given. However in society working is a must to provide for oneself. You can't enjoy life to its fullest extent when you're working all the time. Instead we take vacations visiting big cities or travel to enjoy the beauty of another country. "Time is a gift" is only considered when one is critically injured or in recovery from an illness.

Time is on our side...

"Time is a gift" is a positive outlook on life, by saying we are given the time to find joy in life through work, leisure and passions. Not all are given this time obviously. Some people don't live long enough to truly live life, while others are suppressed from living it. The fact that time is not changing is a gift as well. For instance although season vary, they are still somewhat constant and do follow a pattern. These patterns lay the groundwork for our ways of calculating time from woodhenge, to calenders, to hours and minutes. Although there are flaws in our ways of observing these patterns, they themselves are perfect. "Time is money" is a completely different concept than "time is a gift." It refers to the mentality that in the time we choose to delay we could be efficiently working. That is a more positive way of looking at the saying, while realistically it has unfortunately evolved as the slogan for 'workaholics' and the greedy. With the "time is money" mentality we see and hear everywhere, many have undeniably began to accept it, and thus our culture has become drowned in greed. The "time is money" ideal has almost evolved into "money is life." We have started to think that we need money to live and more money to be happy. The former is true but the latter is not always. 

be here now

The difference between "time is a gift" and "time is money" is determined by how we live our lives and whether we appreciate the simple state of being or we are paranoid by the fact that life is not absolute. The saying "time is money" can be seen as a translation of our capitalist society and obsession with wealth. Time is currency and people are aware of how and where they spend their time. In this mindset, people are concerned with the future and how to make sure their time is not wasted (just as people are fiscally concerned about whether or not their money is well spent).

The concept of time being a gift holds a different meaning. When one looks at time as a gift, he/she is generally more likely to appreciate their existence and think of every breath as a gift. If time is a gift, then it makes sense to live in the present and appreciate our time on earth. Those that look at time as a gift have a blissful understanding that we have been granted the possibility of life and that we should not be concerned with the fact that time is limited.

Culture and Time

The phrase, "Time is a gift," seems much less harsh than "Time is money." Although they both apply to our society, "time is a gift," can be appreciated more. We do not have forever on Earth, our time is short and we can not be sure of just how short. "Time as money" just shows how our society is so focused on material things and our main focus is to make money so we can be happy. As mentioned before, it really does reflect our culture's greed because our economy is capitalist. Other cultures with different economies do not have the same opinions towards time. With the time is a gift mentality, one feels less obliged to spend their life worrying about wether or not they will be able to buy a second big screen TV and make more time for their loved ones. A negative to the time is a gift phrase could be that people do not worry enough about making their money.

I have a friend who is Chinese and, when I asked her about time compared to how many Americans view it, she said that, though her family does run a business and understands that if time is wasted, so is money, they also make it a big deal to have planned family time. Time is very important to them, as is family. Her words were, "my family does not waste time, whether it is for making money or making sure our family is close and happy." I think that this is a way in which both phrases can be applied to a lifestyle. Because they both deal with not wasting limited time, only for different reasons.

Life is very short and there is no time....

The phrase "time is money" is an extension of our capitalist viewpoint. Time is seen as an opportunity that must be exploited. This is best exemplified through the economic concept of "opportunity cost", meaning the loss of potential gains from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. In capitalist society we are very concerned with making the "most of our time" rather then just appreciating the pleasure of being alive. In contrast thinking of "time as a gift" is to think of time as something to be valued in itself, not what can be done with it. To quote Lennon (as in John not Validmer) "life is very short and there is no TIME for fussing and fighting my friends".

Exploiting time (time is money) ultimately forces us to exploit each other. Thinking of time is a gift is to think of life as a treasure something to be respected, to exploit someone else's time for your own ends is to steal their life.



The Aymara of Boliva and Chlie have a unique view of time. Their concept of past and future is a reversal of our own. The Aymara word for the past is "nayra" which means "front", "sight" They use the word "qhipa" for the future which means " back" or "behind". The gestures used to talk about the past have the Aymara pointing forward and behind when speaking of the future. The past is seen as something known (seen with their eyes) where as the future is unknown (we can't see behind our heads). Speakers of the Ayrama language who also speak spanish reverse their perception of time to the view that we are used to.

A View on Time

What would it mean to say “time is a gift”? How different is “time as a gift” from “time as money”? How might such a view change our lives? Can you think of any negative aspects to this view of time?

My perspective on "time as money," is a life built around greed. I know people where their business is built around this model and I have also worked for companys like this as well. Pretty much time as money is our business world and one that I am personally not happy with but I know that I have to deal with it. A lot of people who follow down this path, as I have seen it, don't care much about their fellow man/ woman but only the bottom line. Can you make me money? Reminds me of that movie Office Space. "So what exactly do you do here?"

A life constructed around "time as a gift," will bring more respect that a person has for the world around them and the people they interact with. Much like many of my peers, I am a poor college student drowning in debt yet I am very cocky in the aspect that I am happier then most of the suites walking the streets down town and driving their porche's. While a person living the life of "time as money," needs to flash their wheels or a wad of green to impress someone outside the work place I can use my greatest weapons. .personality and respect.

time is ticking...

1) To say that "time is a gift" is to say that we aren't promised every moment that we get, and when we get another, we need to appreciate it. I think it also means that we should take advantage of every moment we get, because of the fact that it's not guaranteed.
"Time is money" is actually really different from "time is a gift". In my opinion, "time is money" translates to "you're wasting my time". "Time is a gift" is more like saying, "appreciate your time". I suppose they could be seen as similar, but one is more negative.
I think if one gets too caught up in the "time is money" aspect, one is not appreciating the time that they get with individuals, or the time that they get to live their life.

Blog Assignment #2--"Time is Money" or "Time is a Gift"

Of course Stonehenge:



The Mayan calendar:




Here's an artist's depiction of woodhenge:






Please answer one, or more than one of the questions below:

1)What would it mean to say “time is a gift”? How different is “time as a gift” from “time as money”? How might such a view change our lives? Can you think of any negative aspects to this view of time?



2a)Talk to a student with a cultural background different from your own. Ask that person what they have noticed about Americans’ view approach to time. How is it different (or similar) to the approach with which they are familiar?

OR

2b) If you are from another cultural background than most of the students around you, briefly describe any differences or similarities you notice between your own notion and approach to time and those that are dominant here.

To learn or not to learn...

As literate people, I think we should all be aware of languages dying out. There is much valuable information found in cultures with few people left to tell the story. Language helps form cultural identity. At least, I think so. When I hear the language of Spanish, I immediately think of Mexicans or other cultures that speak the language. Because culture is intimately tied with language, much can be lost when it dies out. Books and stories from history are lost, and with it comes the loss of memories of great people and great events. We will never know much of what has happened in the past because of languages dying out. We should be concerned with gaining as much valuable information that we can before the information disappears entirely.

Endangered Languages: Are Duty to Remeber

Just like the Bengal tiger, giant panda, and African Elephant, man has destroyed several languages in the same manner and only left remnants of what once existed. Men who claimed to be civilized failed to appreciate what it takes to develop a language. Every noise, every tone, every letter, every symbol, took centuries if not millennia to establish. Languages our gateways into the worlds of other men. We learn of what they valued, of their bonds, and about how they interacted with each other. Every bit of language has history and intricacy woven into it. Man must preserve the language of his fellow brother, if he cannot save it. The slow decay of these languages exemplify how destructive foreign trespassing can be. Yes, many civilization have gained much from imperialism but at the expense of culture. These dying languages along with the few that remember them are all that remain of cultures and societies now forgotten. With each language that dies, we lose of piece of what makes man unique: our ability to create, to learn, to teach, to pass on. It shows our failure as a whole to appreciate the work of one another and our failure to appreciate what our ancestors have done for us. All we can do now is pay our last respects, record what little remains, and never forget.

Music for the Masses

I have a friend on my floor (16th floor of the University Center) who came all the way from Pakistan to come here. I had a very in depth discussion with her about the cultural differences between here and her home land.

I do not need to explain to you some of the differences, obviously the gender bias is an issue but also there is one thing that many people overlook.... that is music.

My friend showed some of the music that is popular in Pakistan; it was like nothing I've ever heard before. What amazed me was how the singer sounded; I thought he was a 15 year old when really he was around 30. She liked R&B a lot so I asked her to show me some Pakistani R&B..... it was quite an experience. This is not to say that I did not like it; I thought it was very different and very tasteful. She knew about people like Usher and R. Kelly and such but said that she did not like them as much as she did her home land R&B.

What I'm trying to get at is there is such a cultural difference in music, you can come here and listen to Death Metal and then you can go to Pakistan and Death Metal will just be getting to them. It can be vice versa as well, in Pakistan there is a new genre of music called "Electro Emo" which is basically Emotional rock mixed with techno beats; it was intriguing. Music is pretty amazing and unique if you ask me,

endangered tounges

Language is the building block of who we are. Through language people are able to discover themselves and the world around them. If language disappears people's identity disappears as well. Even though language can be considered a cultural block when you are traveling to different countries and don't speak the language, I think it is more of a cultural bridge because it show's more about that society suck as what they value and what they believe in. There is an Eskimo tribe in Alaska that has something like 30 different words for snow and if you compare that to English which only has one word for snow it puts in perspective how different these cultures are from each other. without different languages cultures just seem to blend into each other and people start to loose their identity because they loose words and or phrases that were unique to their culture. It's eerie to think of a language disappearing forever because then a whole culture is basically disappearing.

Loosing Language

I would like to start by saying, yes, we should care about the vanishing languages in the world. Language is part of us, no matter who you are your language is important. It not only helps you communicate thoughts and ideas, but it also seperates you from others it makes us unique. More importantly though, what is lost when we loose a language? Well, lets think about this step by step. First off we loose the ability to communicate our thoughts and ideas, along with this we may loose the words for things only knowen to a certain language. If language is lost, then part of your culture is also lost.

Missing History

First of all, I just want to say that I had no idea how many languages there actually are.  I found it incredibly interesting that places such as Australia and Oklahoma have so many different languages just inside their own borders.  

I think the idea of an entire language dying out is incredibly sad.  To think that an entire group of people, their rules, ideas, way of life, even something as simple as their jokes or poems, will be completely forgotten is troubling.  With every language that becomes extinct, our world is losing an entire piece of its history.  

It's possible that the culture found among these languages may not seem very interesting or too important to any one outside of the culture, but the idea of having it completely erased from the world is almost hard to cope with.  I find it really strange to think that an entire culture can disappear with the death of one individual.  Or more so, it's strange to think that one individual could be the only one to possess the knowledge and history of an entire language.

It's important for our world to acknowledge and embrace the cultures it carries.  I think it's important for history to be remembered and for people and their ways of life to be remembered.

The Language Crisis

The concept of language is one of the last truly distinctive aspects of culture that ties modern day people from the world to their respective heritages. I acknowledge that their is definitely more to many cultures, both ancient and present, than we have currently found, but these ideas should be considered undiscovered. Languages, however, have continued to exist throughout time as available material for research. It is our society's latent sense of urgency toward the subject that seems to have left many cultural tongues in the dust of the past.
On the other hand, we cannot place the blame solely on the responsibility of linguistic anthropologists and cultural scientists. It seems that the inherent context of cultural evolution in a world driven by globalization is conformity. As referenced in the article, "Languages Die, but Not Their Last Words", major languages such as English, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese are encroaching upon surrounding cultures. Along with this comes the idea of how cultures are turning into melting pots. Often times, early generations seem to be more multilingual, but as generations proceed, there is an apparent loss of language. It seems inevitable that as time goes on in a globalized world, we will not be able to hold on to the strands of heritage such as language that we came from.
We should care about language because it is an important part of the world and its history. Language could be considered the most affluent aspect of cultural identity. By this time in the history of the world, I feel that we have the capabilities and resources to preserve dying languages. If not by teaching, then by recording them. Every time we lose a language, we lose a voice and a perspective of the world.

Language Makes The World Go Round

Language plays a major role in one's identity.  I feel that the world should care about languages dying out because if a culture loses their language it may also lose a culture's traditional values and their literature that helps us learn about cultural identity.  If the human species aren't willing to save their languages then the world might suffer from an important loss that could one day be very helpful to many nations.  We, as people, observe different languages to become more knowledgeable about others.  Language is also one of the four main subgroups in anthropology (linguistic anthropology) so the importance is apparent in systematic studying.  Language is very important when you want to communicate with others and without communication we are limiting the social structure of the human species.  I believe that if we are to execute the worlds many languages then we are executing other cultures.  When a language is lost then we lose cultural diversity, heritage, and further knowledge.  Language represents who we are as individuals and losing one or a thousand is like distinction of mankind and society.  We learn through enculturation and if people were to eliminate ones language then the future children may not have any knowledge of linguistics, which in turn will determine the worlds diminutive chances at evolving into a bigger and better place for everyone.  People become frightened or feel isolated when they are involved with others who speak a different language when present.  As americans, we think that anyone who speaks a different language should know English because it is normal and we shouldn't have to change because that's what most of us know.  If you just put yourself into someone else's shoes and realize that we we go to other countries, they also do not want to change their language to be able to communicate with us.  They feel that if we are to walk into their territory or society then we should be able to communicate with the language of their land.  Diminishing languages is a disrespect to cultural identity and the pride that evokes us all.  Language gives us a sense of social well being along with comfort and security that we all need each day in our own lives.

A cultural necessity

Language could arguably be the most important facet of culture or even human existence. With globalization and the modern era,  cultures are connecting on a mass scale. Globalization can be great, like  the availabilities or more jobs and resources. However in my opinion it often does more harm than good. It changes cultures rapidly, by transforming ideals, traditions, pastimes and much more. Languages are becoming extinct because of globalization and modernization. With their extinction, the values, stories and information of those cultures can become extinct as well. Many people believe modern science knows best and is the most advance. While that may be true in a sense of gathering information effectively, what we may find out in thirty years might have been discovered thousands of years ago and accepted by a culture but simply lost by that language becoming extinct. I hope that more of the scientific world begins accepting the idea of local knowledge. It could benefit us greatly to accept what scientific facts have been found by indigenous cultures true and used for hundreds or thousands of years than to start from scratch. Language for indigenous cultures can be extremely telling of their identity as well. For instance in the video it talks about a Siberian culture having extremely specific words concerning reign-deer that would take 5 words to express in english. This would tell us the importance of having knowledge of reign-deer in their culture is. Languages like English, French and Spanish on the other hand don't really tell you anything about the culture. It's the subgroups of languages or the slang that would tell you more. 

I could get this video to upload it so here is the link. 

Dr. Harrison Interview

If you don't want to watch the entire video that I posted which hopefully works, skip to the 13;00 mark. It talks about how some "folk" science or science discovered by an indigenous people can be more advanced than modern science.

It's Important

Languages are more then a means of communication. Languages contain a wealth of information and a unique way of interpreting and looking a the world. When a language is lost we loose a piece of human history. Much of that cultures customs, ideas, history, perspective and values can be lost.

This is tragic because the culture, their knowledge (which could prove itself valuable to the rest of the world) and the ability to use that language to help understand similar languages have all been lost. In a sense the trials and tribulations of that culture have been in vain, as if they never walked the earth. I think its extremely important that these languages be kept alive for the sake of culture, history and better understanding the story of homo sapiens. The diversity of the human race is one of our best qualities and globalization makes those differences harder and harder to maintain.

Here is an interesting interview with renowned linguist Noam Chomsky discussing his theories on linguistics, mainly humans innate ability to piece together language.

For the Archaeology Buffs--If You're interested

Multimedia from NYTimes.com:
The Mysterious Faces of Cave Kiva
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/09/18/travel/escapes/19Pict/index.html
Seven mask paintings that may have been religious symbols are hidden within caves near El Paso.
--------------------------------------------------------------
View more multimedia from The New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/multimedia, or search content since Jan. 1, 2000 at http://www.nytimes.com/multimediasearch.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Ciao, Italy!

I stand at the gate and watch nervously. There it is; the flashing light that says its finally time to board the plane and head overseas. My hands shake a bit as I reach for my small bag that will be sustaining me for the hours upon hours of flying overseas. As I leave the airport and head to down the aisle to the plane, I turn to wave to my family. All four of them wave furiously as I shout in my happiest town, “Ciao! A presto!” Where am I going, you ask? Italy of course!
Although their country is similar to ours in several ways, I would have to be prepared for the culture shock I would receive when I arrived there. Possessions that would be absolutely necessary for my survival would be numerous. First on the list would definitely be my books. Novels to keep me in contact with some kind of culture while I was enduring the plane ride, my Bible to keep me grounded, and of course my various educational material for the trip at hand would all make the list. I would also need many pictures of my friends and family to remind me of the support I have from back home. As a tourist of the beautiful cities, my camera and video camera would be necessary as well.
As far as possessions to sustain me once I was in the country, clothes for every season would have to be on the list. I must admit that I am ignorant of the seasons and temperatures over there, but I would imagine it would be some what similar to ours. I would probably be splitting my time between the beautiful cities of Rome and Italy, so I would need clothes for both traveling on ground and on water. And then there are the toiletry necessities such as toothpaste and a toothbrush, contact solution, and others, but I won’t bore you with those details. Besides my cell phone for communication and my good tennis shoes for walking, I believe anything else I would need to sustain me would be found in the country itself.
Once in the city of Venice and Rome, I would need to obtain some kind of transportation. Each city is completely unique in that sense. In Venice, I would need to obtain some sort of gondola or boat to travel along the water to get from place to place. In Rome, I would get my hands on one of those sporty little two seater cars I have seen around. Each would be an adventure to learn how to maneuver!
I do believe that things I desire would be translatable over there. I am enrolled in an Italian class currently, and I am learning much about their greetings and culture. Much of what they like and dislike appear to be similar to the United States. Like I mentioned earlier, the extent of my knowledge of the country does not exceed that of what I have seen in movies and read about in my Italian book, but the pictures alone spark my desire to see the country for my own. One thing that would take a bit getting used to would be the formal and informal use of the words. Hopefully I would be literate enough to know when I was using the correct verb-age to speak to the governmental figures over there! Once I got a hand on the language, I would be able to completely enjoy immersing myself in the culture and becoming just like an Italian citizen for six whole months.

Blog Assignment #2: Following the Fate of the Dinosaur

and the dodo.....


According to the NY Times article “Languages Die, But Not Their Last Words”, there are about 7,000 languages spoken in the world today. Of these languages, nearly half will likely be extinct in the next 100 years. [Read this article before your answer these questions.]

In your blog response, I want you discuss one or more of the following questions:

Should we care about languages dying out? Why? Is language important to cultural identity? What is lost when we lose a language?

Please think of an original title for each of your posts. I will count comments on other people’s posts as your post for the week when your posts respond to something that the original poster stated in her/his blog response.

I’d really like this blog to help us to create a class discourse. Any extra activity on the blog can help to supplement your overall course participation grade. I encourage you to read other people's posts.

Also, I’ve started adding labels to people’s posts. I'll probably hand that duty over to you soon. Feel free to change labels if you don't like them. Some people have already added labels to their posts. I encourage you to do so since, I think, the labels will help to create ties between blogs.

Also, I’m not really an expert in adding multimedia to blogs, but if you’d like to add a video, song, story, a relevant story from the NY Times (for example), or something else that you think is relevant to the material that we’re covering in class and you know how to do so, then feel free to post it on the blog.

I repeat: any extra activity on the blog that shows that you are engaging with the course materials can supplement your course participation grade.

Also, remember that there’s going to be a quiz next week, so don’t be surprised.

The Mummers

I can not possibly choose one culture to emerge myself in, being interested in so many,  My only out of country experience was the summer that I spent in Italy.  I came to love the Italian culture while I was there.  The architecture, music, art, and the history.  I was a unique experience and special experience for me, but the one experience that I had over there that really stands out as a high point in the trip was when I got the chance to meet a traveling group of minstrels called Mummers who had been traveling over Europe.  I have always been intrigued by the mummers since my freshman year of high school when I had to do a report on a specific ritual.  My father suggested that I do my report on the "Mummers Play"; a huge mummers performance and celebration that traditionally takes place once a year in the winter.  The play centers around the theme of death and rebirth so it happens as the old year ends and the new year begins.

The mummers that I meet were telling through song and dance the story of "The Saint and the Dragon".  After that performance, I spoke to the performers and had the privilege to share a lunch with them.  We spoke about what it is like to be a traveling european mummer in modern society.  It turns out that t is very different than any american mummers.  The mummers play in America is somewhat of a seasonal novelty.  However, for these people, it is a life style.  The travel together in order to share stories to the world.

So when I look back on that experience, I guess I would say that if i needed to choose a culture to totally immerse myself in, I would choose to be a mummer.  Why?  Because I would travel europe with a close group of people, who are very much like a family to each other, and spread some really old fascinating stories, plus I would get to learn more about old england as well as some "pagan" myths, as the church calls them.  It would be a chance to get some hands on research of these people that I first started researching my freshman year in highschool.

killing the buddha

It's very hard for me to pick just one culture above others because my life goal is to travel to as many places as I can and submerge myself into different cultures, however, I think I will travel throughout India. I will bring a camera, my journal, hiking gear, and an open, unbiased mind. I will have to leave behind my Western perspectives and prepare to enter a place of spiritual existence where I hope to expand my spiritual consciousness.

I will definitely visit the popular cities in India (Calcutta, Bombay, New Delhi, etc.) but I'll probably spend the majority of my six month stay hiking through the most spiritually noted depths of India. I'd like to see the Himalayas and the Ganges river because I have always felt a strong awareness and connection to nature. I do not associate myself with any organized religion, but my beliefs resemble many of the doctrines of Buddhism and Hinduism, thus I will visit several temples during my journey.

While I am in India, I will sustain an open mind and take in as much knowledge as I can. I will also sustain the lessons I have learned from a favorite book of mine, "The Book of Secrets" by Deepak Chopra. I will have my journal with me so that I can record my six month long physical and spiritual journey.

I do not anticipate any sort of conflict with the things that I like, except for the fact that I have never been a huge fan of Indian food. Obviously this is something that I will have to live with and I'm sure that after six months it will be an acquired taste. I'm not sure if I would go so far as to say that I won't bring my iPod along with me, but I will try not to be so attached to my own music and indulge myself in traditional and contemporary Indian music. In fact, the sitar is one of my favorite instruments and it would be an honor to learn how to play. I don't expect to be very good at it, considering it's notably one of the most difficult instruments in the world, but I would love to have that experience because discovering music and trying new instruments has always been a passion of mine.

My purpose for traveling to India is to seek truth, tranquility, and ultimately a greater understanding of my own spirituality.

"If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him."

I would like to immerse myself in the Japanese culture. I have had small glimpses of their culture in the past but I would like to learn more about it. If I go to Japan I would definitely take my camera because I never go anywhere without it. I would also take my computer and a notebook for recording and writing down my experiences and thoughts. I would also take a lot of money and exchange it to local currency so that I could shop my butt off and go to restaurants and experience the local food. Other than that I would take the normal stuff people take on trips like clothes and toiletries.

I think that while I am in Japan exploring and experiencing the culture will sustain me. Going to tea houses, restaurants, stores, museums, shrines, etc. I would also still have my usual things to keep me busy like music on my computer, photography and editing my photos, reading manga which is Japanese comic books, watching anime which is Japanese cartoons, and e-mailing and chatting online with my friends and family. These things are also comforting to me so if I get homesick it will hopefully help me though it. I think that chatting with my family and friends will help me not get so frustrated about the language barrier and reading manga and watching anime will help me understand the Japanese language better.

I think that everything I like can be understood by this culture since the Japanese are fairly close to Americans culture wise. There may not understand my taste in food because that is one area in which our two cultures differ but other than that, that's all I can think of.

Prague

I've never been out of the United States before so if I where going to go immerse myself in a different culture i would go strait to Europe, more specifically, Prague. One of my best friends is from Prague and everything she tells me about it makes it seem really interesting. It has a great economy, tons of theater's and dance clubs, pluse it looks absolutely beautiful.

I would probably end up over packing because I wouldn't know exactly what I was going to do over there and I usually always overpack for trips. First I would obviously pack clothes for different sorts of occasions like a club, a fancy theater, or for just walking around the city. I would want to take my friend, Josefina, who used to live there, with me that way I would be with someone who already knew the city and the culture so I could use her as my cultural bridge. I usually take my digital camera with me everywhere so I would definitely take it to Prague with me. I would want to take one of my 35mm's with me too because I have more fun shooting with my 35mm it's just that it's easier to use a digital, but since I would be in Prague for atleast six months I would have lots of time to go out, explore, and take pictures. My ipod would be a must have as well as my journal and my laptop so I could stay in touch with my friends and family while I was gone. New places and people are really intimidating to me so I would have to bring this book, "The Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath" with me because I always read that when I'm feeling alone or discontent with anything. As far as any psychological capacities go I would bring a fearless attitude and an open mind which would help me imbrace the culture easier.

I think most of the items I would bring with me would be easily translatable in Prague. My style and the music I listin to will probably be different but ipods, cameras, and laptops are universal technology so I'm pretty sure people would understand if I walked around the city with my camera glued to my face. I think everything I bring, to a certain extent, is going to have some sort of cultural difference. For example, even though my camera and laptop are universal things my camera brand, which is pretty well known where I live, might not be a normal brands to use in Prague.

I think if I got to go anywhere in the world, I would try to visit a culture that is most unlike the one we all live in, one that doesn't rely on things like: computers, cars, cell phones, one almost completely untouched by technology.  As far as things I would bring, well, I'd want to bring as little as possible with me, not only to live the way the people of that culture would live it, but also to not disrupt the culture, to someone who doesn't know what a cell phone is, it could be seen as something evil.  So, what would I bring?  Although I might have expressed a strong dislike of the idea, I would bring a cell phone with me, for no other reason than to contact someone in case of an emergency.  In this thought I would also like to add on that I would bring medicine that might help in the case of an emergency.  Other then that the only thing I really need is clothing, used to keep me warm, as if you already didn't know that.

As far as what will sustain me while I'm there, I would rely on living as the people of the culture do and do what they do for there food, shelter, water, and other necessities of life.

Finally, I do think some of the things I like will be understandable, but I also think that more won't translate, things such as clothing, in a culture that is less advanced they might see clothing as not only a tool to keep their bodies warm but also to blend in with their surroundings during activities such as hunting, needless to say a bright red shirt would not work as effectively at this as it would in our use for clothing.

Having both of my parents in the Air Force, I was fortunate enough to have travelled quite a bit already. I lived in Germany and Korea, both for two years, so I have visited France, Belgium, China, and other nearby countries of those places. If I could go somewhere for at least six months, I would go to Egypt. I have never been there, but as a child, I was always really fascinated by their ancient culture.
The culture would be completely new to me because I have never been to Africa. However, I do think that I would be used to being immersed in cultures that I am not familiar with. This would help me stay openminded, because, as others have stated, that is very important. I would take books important to Egyptian culture and history so I could learn by reading and through experience of just being around the people there. As someone mentioned in another post, I think buying food and clothing there would help me get the full experience and be more respectful.
I would also bring my laptop and WiFi to stay connected to family and the rest of the world, and also to update loved ones on my experiences. I would keep a journal to record feelings and new encounters so that I could go back later and remember. I would also take with me a camera (both still and video for different occasions), to share and remember my time in Egypt.
I am not sure how translatable the things I enjoy would be to the Egyptian culture. The films I like may not be relatable, because they may not understand American culture. Just as I may not fully understand their stories and entertainment. When I lived in Korea, my sister and I purchased folk stories and children's books, translated to English. One of the stories was about a tiger snooping around a small town in search of some food. The tiger creeped up to a window and listened as a mother bribed her child to go to bed by giving him a persimmon. The tiger assumed the persimmon was a stronger beast and the child went to bed so that the persimmon would not get him. The tiger became paranoid and ran away so that the persimmon would not get him. I assumed that this story made as much sense to me as "The Little Mermaid" might to a Korean child.
To really know how my likes would translate, I would have to learn more of their present culture. After having read "Shakespeare in the Bush," I can see how, though I may think my likes are universal, they may not be.

If I could travel to a new and unfamiliar area it would probably be Pakistan. This is a very complicated area to travel to but my father is from Pakistan so thats basically why I would love to go. I think I would definitely have to bring some knowledge of Islam since 97% of Pakistanis are muslim. I would probably bring books such as the Koran and books about the history of Pakistan and India so as i would experience the cultural shock I could have some guide to inform me on the basic history of the country and the culture. Someone in an earlier blog also mentioned having an openmind which anyone will need when going out of their comfort zone. I completely agree with that person because if you can't embrace the differences of one's culture you seem to be ignorant and you really actually miss out on learning a new way of life and tradition.

Spain

If I were to immerse myself in a culture I would most likely choose Spain. Before I'd go, I would study Spanish for a few months. I would bring a dictionary along anyways though to be on the safe side. I feel like if you are going to go to a country you should try to learn the language if possible. Although the majority of the population knows English, you never know, the most interesting person might be a 70 year old man who speaks only Spanish and Catalan. I would of course bring my flamenco guitar, as well as the basic necessities. I would not take any form of entertainment such as my computer or ipod. I want to go there with the bare minimum, so that I focus completely on my time there. 

 I absolutely love flamenco and think it surpasses all other music in terms of emotion, energy, beauty, and intensity. You have never really heard flamenco until you have seen it with amazing dancers and beautiful singers. Just watching it on Youtube won't do it justice. I have seen only a few flamenco shows, all of which were mindblowing. My first experience, I saw the greatest guitarist on the face of the planet, Paco De Lucia. It was truly amazing to see a flawless player just shred his heart out with wonderful dancers, percussionists, singers and other guitarists at his side. However the second show I saw I enjoyed much more. Two of my guitar teachers played in the show alongside others. It was in a small black room with only thirty people at most, but the show was phenomenal. What I loved about this show was that the dancers were central figures not Paco or a single guitarist. It was also amazing to be so close to the raw energy of the dancing. And although you cannot understand a word anyone says, you can't help but feel it. At one point in the show I looked around the room and noticed how immersed the crowd was. Some women and even men were crying as others just sat there with a look of amazement. So now you know how I feel about flamenco.

I most likely would get some sort of job there, whatever I could find to sustain myself. I would try to live frugally and not eat out every other night or buy lots of souvenirs. I'd like to find out which towns had a large flamenco influence and go and live there. Id probably live in a few different places, although finding several different jobs would be tough Im sure. My dream would be to go to many juerga jam sessions and play from dusk until dawn. Apparently it is common for people to hang out at a restaurant and once the food is eaten and they've had a few drinks, to bust out the guitars and set up a stage. Then whoever can play plays, and whoever can dance dances. No concerts, or tickets, or lineups. That is real flamenco. 

Pretty much all that I like is enjoyed there as well. Other than flamenco, I love good food. Who doesn't? Making Electronic music is also a passion of mine, and Ibiza(a beautiful Island in the Mediterranean) is a Mecca for good clubs, beach parties and dancing. Although that would not be the focus of my trip a few days spent in Ibiza would be lots of fun. I cannot really think of one thing I enjoy that no Spaniard would know of. 

Iraq

I would like to goto Iraq to see my tax dollars at work. I would imagine I will need to get some vaccines before I leave.

I would prefer not to bring anything with me that will relieve any culture shock I may experience. I want a pure unadulterated look at what it is like to live in Iraq in 2008. The only luxury would be currency since I won't be staying long enough to seek employment.

Although all 140,000 US troops can speak english most Iraqi's speak arabic or Kurdish. Two languages I don't know. Without a translator they won't be able understand anything I have to say, let alone things I like. Many of my main interests involve the state of the world today, many of these concepts will be readily understood by many. I am interested to try and understand their view points on the problems in the world.

India

I have always thought that India seemed like such a beautiful and colorful place, rich with culture.  On my leave of six months to this country, I would bring enough money to get me through the first few months and very little clothing, as I would really like to acquire most of what I need, such as clothing, food, etc. while I'm there.  I want to live the way the people of India live.  And because I know absolutely nothing about the culture as of now, I would really want to read up and study books about the people, language, food, animals, ceremonies, etc. to get a basic understanding of this way of life.  I would need somewhere to stay, but I wouldn't want to stay in a hotel.  I would probably just wing it and hope I met someone kind enough to share their home.  Or I could bring a tent and just live that way until I found a more stable living situation.  So in that case, I would also bring a very warm blanket and a pillow or two.  I should probably bring some sunblock, too.  And bug spray.  Just in case.  Also, I would need a map.  

To sustain myself while here, I would bring my camera and tons of film.  I would want to document every moment spent in this beautiful country.  I would also bring paints and canvas because I have a feeling I would be very easily inspired while in India.  If it's allowed, I would also bring my mother on this adventure with me because I know that she would enjoy learning about and studying this culture just as much as I would.  I would bring a journal and stamps to record my experiences and to write to friends and family.  I would bring many, many books and I would bring my guitar and music with me, as well.  

I do think that my likes would be translatable in this country because the majority of what I like has to do with different forms of art and art has a very universal allure and importance.

Discourse!

Whatever universe a professor believes in must at any rate be a universe that lends itself to lengthy discourse. A universe definable in two sentences is something for which the professorial intellect has no use. No faith in anything of that cheap kind!

--William James from "Pragmatism: A New Name for
Some Old Ways of Thinking Thinking"(1907)




I’d really like this blog to help us to create a class discourse. Any extra activity on the blog can help to supplement your overall course participation grade. I encourage you to read other people's posts and to comment on them.

Also, I’ve started adding labels to people’s posts. I'll probably hand that duty over to you soon. Feel free to change labels if you don't like them. I encourage you to add labels since, I think, the they will help to create ties between blogs.

Also, I’m not really an expert in adding multimedia to blogs, but if you’d like to add a video, song, story, a relevant story from the NY Times (for example), or something else that you think is relevant to the material that we’re covering in class and you know how to do so, then feel free to post it on the blog.

I repeat: any extra activity on the blog that shows that you are engaging with the course materials can supplement your course participation grade.

Island In The Sun

I am going to visit my family in Barbados.  I've never had the experience to meet any of them in person.  The climate in Barbados regulates an average of 80 degrees year round and the food is remotely different then that of the U.S.  Usually when I travel there are a few things I like to bring with me.  A camera, journal, laptop, and tons of music.  Considering it's Barbados, I would first assume that I  don't know anything about their culture.  I would research everything that there is to know about the Island.  As an outsider, I definitely don't want to offend the natives.  My father is from Barbados so I received most of his genetics which will keep my skin from burning and blistering.  Maybe a small bottle of sun-screen just in case.  To make my experience the best it can be, I would tell myself that I would try everything at least once.  Whether it's an outdoor adventure or trying food that didn't appeal to me, I wouldn't turn it down.  Everyone speaks English, but there are a couple twists about the language.  I know there aren't any books for how they combine words on the Island so it may just have to be an experience that I have to deal with.  I would learn about the different religions and government along with every aspect of the geography.  Since I would be very busy, the end of the trip is where I gather all my pictures, notes, and memories and compile them into some sort of book or mini-film.  

Exploring the New World

I am traveling the Caribbean to Haiti and the Dominican Republic where Columbus first arrived with his Spanish soldiers and explorers from Spain sent by Queen Isabella. My reason for visiting Haiti, which what was originally the island of Hispaniola is to witness the remaining native culture that has been most likely influenced and changed by the mixing of African, Indian, Mestizos, and Indigenous peoples.

Seeing the origin of the Spanish Conquest would be as important of a historical site as the battle ground of the American Revolution. Because I have heard word of atrocities in the region of the Caribbean, I feel I would like to see these farm workers face to face and exchange with them about their working conditions, standard of living, and civil rights. It would be very humbling to be amongst people who have survived massacre, disease, slavery, and indentured servitude under the Spanish conquistadors. This experience should bring me a perspective on how a people’s race relates to its class as well as how culture differs based on these factors in these countries.

I will need to take Spanish language courses because, although there was an enormous African Diaspora, Spanish is the predominant language because of the region’s Spanish occupation. I will be prepared to speak at least conversational Spanish, so that I do not offend anyone by requiring them to accommodate for an English speaker or have them struggle to interpret by body language and me theirs.

I may need to have a check up at the doctor for any diseases or infections I may have the capacity to spread to the people of that country and, reversely, be vaccinated for any diseases native to the Caribbean. Even before having the check-up, I plan to research potential diseases, food borne illnesses, or other health concerns including any social unrest that could conflict with my safe return to the United States.

Because I am not deeply attached to my American Culture, I feel I will be willing, as I am here in the United States, to keep an open mind at all times by willfully immersing myself with the people and their habits and practices. I will actively participate in and/or curiously observe celebrations, rituals (safely), meals, etc.

I will take a notebook in which to journal and a video camera (electricity provided) or recorder (with extra batteries) as my guide as I travel and interact with the people I meet and cultural activities I attend.

I am not concerned about my preferences or opinions being translatable. If I meet the class of people I would like to meet, those being the working/lower class civilians, I will let them be my guide and listen more than speak. By keeping my opinions, cultural stereotypes, tastes, etc. to myself, I will learn more and impose as little as possible.

Es steht lhnen frei zu gehen

Perhaps you can guess where I'd like to go just from the title of my post. Its a German phrase meaning "You're free to go." If I were free to be immersed in another culture, I would go directly to Europe. German films and their scene for industrial music would be fascinating to take in. I would research bands like Megaherz, Eisbrecher and I'll see how big KMFDM (kein mitleid fur die massen or no mercy for the masses) is outside of the states. I would take a jaunt to Sweden for their metal bands and down to Italy for their cult famed Dope Stars Inc but I wouldn't leave until I visit Scandinavia. Not only am I Scandinavian but my all time favorite black/space metal musicians Lex Icon and Psy Coma of The Kovenant reside in Oslo.

Living in areas such as Germany and Norway will allow me to pick up on the native tongue. I recall from childhood my grandfather speaking to me Norwegian and I quite often listen to German music, loving it but often not knowing what the hell the singer is conveying. Unless of course its Rammstein's "Du Hast."

One item I would carry with me at all times would be an english to (insert country's language here) dictionaries to further aid me in understanding the many languages surrounding me. I would also have brought enough funds to enjoy the many fine cuisines offered by each country in Europe. A map would reside in my tourist's back pack in order for me to get around. I would travel down Europe's roads that endlessly curve around cities and mountain sides so I could take in the landscapes as well as visit their historic castles and chateau's.

If only I was free to go. . .
Wenn doch nur ich frei zu gehen. . .

cultural experience

I'm going to leave and stay in London for at least six months. There was a past issue of the fashion maganize, Nylon, that was all about England. I've been fascinated since.
I would want to pack pretty lightly. If I'm going to be gone for at least six months and studying a new culture, I would hope that I would acquire much of what I needed while I was there. Plus, going out and having to find where to get clothes or other items that I may need would be opportunities to observe the culture. Bringing very little from home would just add to the experience.
Despite not wanting to bring much of anything from home, I'd still bring a few things to keep my spirits up the entire six months. I'd bring something to write in, so I could document my experiences while living in this new culture. I'd also bring the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It's one of my favorites, and whenever I'm in a situation that seems endless, it's a good book to read. I also drink tea to relax, but I'm pretty sure that I could get that there.
I believe that most of the things that I like will be understandable in this new culture. I can't really think of anything right now that wouldn't be understandable. I'm sure there would be things that seemed odd or not accepted. If I ended up in a situation where something I liked wasn't accepted or understandable, well, it's all in the experience of learning a new culture.

Go Dutch!

You are about to leave for another culture (you may specify the one you are going to or would like to go to) for a stay of at least 6 months.

I would go to Pennsylvania and immerse myself in Amish culture.

What do you think that you’ll need to take and why?

I would not need to bring much with me. The Amish live a very simple lifestyle and I would not want to bring in anything that would offend them. I would however bring along english/german and english/dutch dictionaries so that I can communicate with them on a more personal level.

What do you think will sustain you while you are there – here you may think of favorite books or other items as well as certain psychological capacities.

A psychological capability that I would need to remember to maintain is patience for a culture that doesn't use modern conveniences or luxuries.

Do you think that the things that you like will be translatable or understandable in this new culture?

Most of my interests would not be understandable. I am a filmmaker, and the Amish don't watch films. They also would not appreciate my affinity for modern music. My dependence on the internet is completely out of the question. Although our cultures are very different, I still think that we would have some things in common. Family ties are important to the Amish, along with working hard as a community and sharing the benefits, all of which are qualities that I admire.

Taino Indians...Here I come.

You are about to leave for another culture (you may specify the one you are going to or would like to go to) for a stay of at least 6 months.

If I was going to visit another culture for 6 months, I would travel to Puerto Rico and adapt to the Taíno Indians culture. Before I arrive, I would go to Barnes and Nobles or the library and education myself in this culture. I would purchase a book called “Taino Indian Myth and Practice: The Arrival of the Stranger King.” This would definitely give me a good insight on other items that I could bring. I would also invest in a Taíno -English dictionary. I feel that I would gain respect by learning and embracing their native language, as well as, communicating to them in it.

What do you think that you’ll need to take and why?

While I’m living in this culture, I do not plan on taking anything with me. Like an Anthropologist, I wouldn’t want to endanger or take away from the cultures identity. I plan on embracing their culture by wearing what they wear, eating what they eat and engaging in their activities.

What do you think will sustain you while you are there – here you may think of favorite books or other items as well as certain psychological capacities.

The only thing I need on a psychological aspect is cigarettes. All other items I can do without.

Do you think that the things that you like will be translatable or understandable in this new culture?

I think that my cigarettes would be understandable. Considering, smoking was already a ritual of theirs. However, the name and packaging of Marlboro Lights might confuse them.

Off to New Lands

If I had to go off to a far away land, I think the most important thing to bring with me would be an open mind. I know that wherever I go things will be different due to culture and customs. It will be important to reserve any judgments I make until I have a better understanding of the culture. Besides the usual travel gear, I couldn't see myself taking anything sentimental except my iPod and two books. I would bring my iPod, because that item alone will keep me from getting homesick. When I listen to my music it takes me to the place I was when I first heard the song. It is a great feeling and exactly what I would need for the trip. I would bring copies of Fear and Loathing and On the Road; these books came into my life at pivotal points, and have a lot of sentimental value. The only way I could see my stuff not being translatable would be if I lived in non modern environment. Music is universal , and the books I brought have already been translated to several languages, so I don't think any issues would arise.