Plan of Action

            When it comes to the projects and blogs we have completed within this class, there is nothing I did where I did not learn something new. Each project completed within this class was able to tie together all of the discussions and research done outside of class. From the very beginning when we took on the current event research project the class began to tie together with what we were reading and helped show how things are happening around the world. Accomplishing this project opened my eyes to a lot of tragedies going on around the world. The project also showed how secluded we are from a lot of the issues going on all around us. After the completion of the first project, the second project helped to add to the class in terms of tying everything together plus the fact that we were able to hit closer to home with many of our topics. Personally, taking about the topic of same sex relationships proved to be tough. In turn though it pushed me to break out of my normal comfort zone and experience a topic that will need to be talked about within a classroom setting. Getting out of my comfort zone made it so I was able to discover an entire genre of literature that I did not know existed. The fact that this topic was a little uncomfortable made the presentation that much more special and beneficial as it made me exit my normal topics of discussion. The fact that this topic was tough is not because I am against same sex relationships, but because I have never talked about them in a presentation. Looking at same sex literature and being able to find ways for possible use within the classroom brought up interesting ways to add this literature into a classroom setting. It will be interesting to see how same sex literature is added into the classroom setting along with how long it is before we see same sex literature used on a more regular basis. Last but certainly not least, the graffiti wall was probably my favorite project. The graffiti wall allowed each of us to take a different look at art work everywhere around the world and each gain our own understandings. Each piece I chose linked all of our class discussions and books read within the class. I was able to find four different pieces of graffiti that spoke to me and in turn explain how I was able to relate my interpretation as it pertains to the piece.

            The issues we discussed within class were both eye opening and tough to talk about. With that said, the benefits are exponential. The toughest things we talked about within class would be sex slavery and child soldiers. The discussions about sex slaves within the class seemed to bring a silence over the class and many of us seemed shy about speaking up about this topic. Personally, I felt that talking about this topic was beneficial and very eye opening. While this is not something that I talk about on a regular basis, the fact that as small groups and a complete class we were able to talk about this subject showed that even the toughest topics can be discussed with the proper background knowledge. The best part about the large group discussions was that it made tough topics like this something we dealt with as a class and was not put on us as individuals. Another benefit is that even though I may not have spoken up very often, I was able to listen and take in all of the quality information the class had to offer. Equally as challenging a subject was the discussions about child soldiers. This was a topic hit on a few times as my current world problem presentation included child soldiers and also when we discussed A Long Way Gone. This topic was hard as both seeing and reading about what children go through is something hard to handle. Once again talking within the large groups helped as this topic could be rather difficult to understand and cope with by ourselves. While not every topic was as difficult to deal with, to first research by ourselves before coming back to groups proved worthwhile. Each topic provided me with more information about parts of the world I knew little to none about causing a greater understanding of things that go on around us.  

            As it pertains to my involvement within the class and how I have been influenced by this course, the changes I have seen are immeasurable. Most days within class I was learning something completely new and attempting to decide where I stood on several different topics throughout the quarter. Each day I was challenged mentally to not only push myself to discover what is going on in the world around us, but to also acknowledge that some of the worst things imaginable happen in our own state. This class has made me realize just how small a part of the world we are and how little our problems are in the large scope of the entire world. When I think of myself as a citizen of the world, I began realizing just how little I know about this world. This class really opened my eyes and has made me rethink the role I play within the world. I now know I need to play a larger role in the world and attempt to keep myself informed on the events taking place. My hope is that from now on I can make myself a better citizen of the world. Realizing how small a role I have currently been fulfilling, I am hoping that I can keep myself better informed and up to date on the happenings around me.

            Throughout this quarter I have been thinking of what I could use for my plan of action. It is tough to think about what my plans are going forward as currently my largest priority is attempting to finish school and figure out where my life is headed. What I would like to do my plan of action is to watch more news in attempt to stay up to date on events happening around us, along with around the world. Another part of my plan I gained from others in the classroom as many people spoke about an attempt to travel and to see the world instead of only hearing about it on the news. The watching the news more often will be the easy part of my plan. I want to accomplish this so that when I happen to be watching television or looking for something to do, I can take the time to see what is going on around me along with learning more about the world. Taking a small amount of time to look at current events and listen to the discussions surrounding events is something minute that can make a drastic change in the knowledge I bring to the table concerning the world. The second part of my plan is something that will take more time and dedication. Traveling is something I have always thought about but never had the time or money to make happen. I feel like it is better that I have not really traveled outside of the United States much to this point because knowing what I do now I would want to know more about a place before I embarked on a trip. Adding this into my plan of action is something that I think will help force me in the long run to get out of my regular life and go see what the world has to offer. I do not necessarily want to only travel to popular places, but rather places where I can learn more about what has happened around the world along with learning about how cultures and people live compared to the conditions we have. My best reasoning for this part of my plan is to see things in person. I am a firm believer in seeing things in person to capture all of the beauty and realness that places have to offer. It is hard to convey to someone the sense of feeling you get in person, so I want to acknowledge that things are different around the world and experience them for myself.      

            I would like to take some time to say thank you Dr. Agriss for teaching this class and pushing us each day on subjects that often are not covered. It was very enjoyable to engage in both small and large group class discussions. I enjoyed how each project tied the class together and in the end I was able to see the large picture once all of the projects had been completed. Once again, thanks for everything and I can not wait to take classes from you in the future. 

Graffiti Wall Pictures

A Long Way Gone

                When it came to reading “A Long Way Gone,” I felt like there is not much worse kids could go through. What Ishmael and his brother had to go through is beyond belief. Along with that point, when reading about these children becoming a part of an army and being forced to murder and steal from other is something that does not have the same effect when reading as it must have in person. Just knowing that children are brainwashed and forced into murdering people is hard to believe and is something that maybe I wish I could believe never happened. To take someone as innocent as most children are and put them into a killed or be killed situation is something that no child deserves to go through.

                Following Ishmael throughout the story, I thought originally the worst thing that happened was being forced into killing and being held captive. But truth be told, the recovery process and talking about what happened has to be the toughest part. Attempting to cope with the terrible things that Ishmael did has to be a challenge. While he was drugged and kept in a state where he couldn’t think clearly, he still had to deal with the realization of the terrible things he did. One thing that would be very interesting is to know the training of the people who helped children like Ishmael deal with their issues. I find myself thinking about how hard it has to be to help children who have gone through so much and have to realize what they have done.

                Another interesting point is that after he escapes the army and has dealt with his issues, his uncle is killed and then Ishmael leaves for America. This made me curious of what all someone has to go through to be able to seek refuge in America? I found myself having more questions than answers when it came to everything that Ishmael went though and why he could not come to the United States earlier? I also found myself constantly wondering how many children have experienced the same thing. We all watch movies and read books and articles about how these things happen, but unless these things are seen in person or shown in the mass media, it is hard to fully understand. The fact that it is so hard for individuals to recover from probably makes these circumstances tough to show the general public and is also why it flies under all of our radars going without acknowledgement by the general population.

                All in all it is hard to grasp everything that Ishmael and his brother went through along with every other child soldier throughout time. This topic of children soldiers and what they go through once again has brought up a topic that I have let go by the wayside. It is hard to realize that this occurs all over the world and yet there is minimal coverage here in the United States. This is a topic I need to keep up on and see the lasting effects left all over the world. 

Sierra Leone

When beginning the research on Sierra Leone I went in not knowing what to expect. Other than having heard of the name I was unsure of anything else involved with the country. What I discovered was that Sierra Leone is a very diverse country and has a lot of history intertwined throughout.  Just the fact that there is anything from Savannah's to Rain forests located in the same country helped me to understand how so much has happened within one country.

I discovered that Sierra Leone is split into four administrative regions each of which has their own government known as the district council. This was interesting because I have never seen a country divided like this and having separate sections located within. The diversity continues within this country as there are sixteen different ethnic groups all located in the same country. The two major ethnic groups located within Sierra Leone are the Temne and the Mende. The Temne are mainly located in the Northern region of Sierra Leone, while the Mende are located mainly in the south-east. This brought me to another interesting point involving the language.

While the language spoken in schools is English, the official language of Sierra Leon is the Krio language. I had never heard of this language before and it was interesting how there is a different official language and language spoken within schools. Usually what we see is the official language is spoken within schools as well. The official language is almost forced upon new residents and not unfair when you stop and think about it. After looking at some of the basic information on Sierra Leone, I dove into the civil war and everything that goes along with it.

The first thing I learned is that the war lasted eleven grueling years and left over 50,000 people dead. The main asset within the war was soil rich with diamonds and the money that would follow. Once hearing about the diamond conflict, it sparked some prior knowledge to the whole blood diamond phase I had heard about. I was a little unsure if it was Sierra Leone specifically, but still the fact that this sparked some remembering of a time that hurt Africa and specifically Sierra Leone. By learning about the events that took place involving the civil war, it sparked a lot of questions as well. I specifically remember watching the movie Blood Diamond, and I wondered how close to being factual it actually is. We are able to see child soldiers being used and shown how they are recruited or rather stolen and brainwashed to fight. I am really curious about how much money was made off of these so called “blood diamonds,” and are there still some in circulation to this day? While it said that the war lasted eleven years and has come to a stop, I was still curious on the lasting effects of the war on Sierra Leone. I know there are still at the very least visual reminders such as monuments and such located in America from our past wars, and it made me curious on if there are similarities in Sierra Leone as well?

Having known so little going into this research, I felt rather naive when it comes to world events. It is amazing how something like this eleven year war can take place and I grew up not learning much about it. I definitely need to expand my horizons and research some events that have taken place around the world.      

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party

               When reading Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, I could not help but think of the Holocaust at the same time. While there were differences between the two events, in my mind I was constantly linking the events in my mind. One thing I found different was how within this book and throughout the Chinese revolution the upper class were affected much like the family of Ling. It is weird to see the upper class such as doctors taken away from their families. When I think of revolutions I tend to fall toward thinking how the lower classes are affected and suffer while the upper class can avoid most conflict.

                It was very interesting to read through the part of the political officer moving in next to the Chang’s. Having to speak softly about political issues and be careful about what Comrade Li overhears would be a huge burden. Once the Comrade moved in and people started disappearing, I could not imagine the feeling of seeing other families disappear and be living near those families. I tried to relate this to something in the United States, and could not think of anything where family members were taken away, especially among the upper class. Once Lings parents were taken away, I linked this to as if my own parents were taken away and I wondered how life would even keep on going.

                Throughout this story I kept thinking about how hard it would be to lose everything and keep on going with life. When I find out about things such as the Chinese revolution, I am saddened because while I have known heartache and sadness, I know nothing compared to the pain that all of the Chinese went through with this revolution. Another shocking fact is that as a class we will get to meet and listen to someone who experienced and lived through such a terrible time. I find myself very excited to listen and learn about the revolution first hand. While there is positives to doing personal research and reading texts such as Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, to meet and talk to someone who lived first hand can not be overlooked.

                Although I am very excited to get a chance to listen and talk about this in class, there is also a part of me that is sad because this has to be a hard subject to speak on.  One thing I am very curious about is the Red Guard and how wide their reach was throughout China? Along the same lines I am curious about when the family members were taken was it forceful, during the day or night, and if family members attempted to intervene when family members began to disappear?

                In the beginning I knew nothing about China and while I feel like I have gained a basic knowledge of the Chinese revolution, there is still so much more I can learn. When reading through this book, I came to realize just how sheltered I have been. While I know there is a lot that goes on in the United States, I need to open up to more things that have happened outside of the U.S. and become more culturally and worldly informed as to better understand where people are coming from. Reading through this book gave me a look into another culture and allowed for a chance to expand my horizons.       

China Facts

          When looking up China the first thing that interested me was how populace of a country China was. I was shocked to find that there are 1.351 billion people as reported in 2012. I also discovered that the population density of China is 134 people per sq km which is around four times greater than that of the United States. It is hard to imagine that many people all living in one place at the same time. I get the feeling sometimes that the United States is crowded so I can not imagine what it must be like in China. Another issue with so many people is where they all live. China was forced into creating a move west plan because so many people lived in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River valleys, and the Northeast Plain. Dealing with such a large population has to be hard on the government and causing constant issues within the country.

            The next thing I took a look at was religion, and what I found was pretty astonishing. The website I found stated that there are estimated at well over 100 million religious worshipers. Most of the worshipers follow Buddhism yet there are other religions such as Taoism, Islam, Confucianism and Christianity. For being such a large country, I expected there to be a lot of different religions and be several followers for each as the population is so vast, and yet most of the information was on Buddhism. When it comes to religion Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are referred to as the “three teachings.” By being named under these teachings, it refers back to 6^th century Chinese scholars of the time and the teachings they began with.

            After taking a look at the population and religions of China, I stumbled upon a site that had interesting facts about China. I am not sure how credible the source is or how accurate the facts are, but what I found was very interesting. The very first fact stated that over 100 million people live on less than one American dollar. If that fact is true, that is a crazy amount of people living in poverty and I wonder how so many people can survive. Another fact I found is that China executes four times as many convicts as the rest of the world combined. Now this is a touchy subject, but should the United States do more of this? While I understand this is a tough topic for anyone to talk about, how does China get away with this? While looking at facts I happened to stumble upon social media and the control that China has over its people. What I found is that since 2009 Facebook, Twitter, and The New York Times have been banned for the Chinese people to view. The facts continued on to get more interesting as I found one that talked about 35 million people still living in caves in China. I found this interesting because maybe this is part of the people living on under a dollar a day, but also could be totally misleading and nowhere near true.

            While the website I got these interesting facts from may have not been true or totally factual, I used these facts because I find it interesting how secretive China is and I could not find much information pertaining to these interesting facts. I will see if others found interesting facts similar to this and I can confirm that some of these facts are true or have some truth behind them.         

United States Immigration

            One of the first things I found when looking at the United States immigration policy, is that there is a limit of 675,000 permanent immigrants. I found this rather interesting as never before had I ever recognized there was a limit. This also brought up the question of if there can only be that many permanent immigrants then how many are here illegally? I also found it interesting that the United States is looking to have immigrants come to our country that have skills valuable to the United States, or helps to unify families. This brought up more questions as I wondered how the United States makes the decision on skilled labor and being a valuable part of this country. I am sure there is a long process to decipher all of the evidence, but it has to be hard with such a limited number of permanent residents.

            When reading about unifying families, I found it to be very interesting and nice to find that family members can be brought to the United States and given a chance to be whole once again. While I have known that the U.S. has been a place of refuge, learning that we actively allow families to become unified is both heartwarming and good to know as this has never been brought to my attention before today. One possible downfall to all of this though, is the section about sponsors and or the section on meeting requirements. It seemed to be decently confusing as I scanned through the information to dial down what specifically has to be done and how to go about that. The information I found dealt specifically with numbers and who is allowed to immigrate, so the how to eluded my search and left me wondering.

            Another thing I stumbled upon was the Diversity Visa Program. It stated that each year since 1990 55,000 visas are randomly given to nationals from countries that have sent less than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the last 5 years. The information stated that this was originally created to allow immigration from Ireland and in the beginning 40% of the visas were given to Irish immigrants. The plus side to this program is that it is an avenue for certain immigrants that is the only way they secure a green card and are able to get to the United States. Another interesting fact was that immigrants must have a high school education to be accepted into this program. I found this program to be very interesting and wanting to learn more. When it came to the requirement of a high school education though, the restrictions started to get pretty strict and possibly limiting as the restrictions became more than I expected to gain acceptance to this country. Having to have worked or gained experience of two years on a profession seems rather limiting and must be tough for individuals to meet. What I ended up wondering, was that if 50,000 people are allowed to immigrate a year from this, how many get rejected each year? I also wondered that if you are rejected, can you reapply until you get into the United States? I find it interesting that there is a lottery that takes place and I had never heard of it before. What I think would be interesting is to look at all of the immigrants and see how the transitions workout once the immigrants have been here for a couple years.     

Crossing the Wire

                After reading Crossing the Wire, I gained a new understanding of what people go through when attempting to get into the United States. It was very interesting reading and understanding why people would attempt to get into the United States. Never before had I really thought about the possibility of people needing to help their families and the hardships faced when attempting to gain that help from within the Unites States borders.

                Never before had I thought about the struggles and hardships that are faced when attempting to enter the United States. Once meeting Victor within our story I was shocked to hear everything that he dealt with. Having to deal with the elements such as extreme heat and the cold would be enough to stop most people, but Victor had larger goals and it was good to see the other side of a hotly debated topic. Throughout this story I sided with Victor and his cause because while this may be a controversial topic, enduring all of these hardships for your family is something that had to be done, especially in Victor’s case.

                While Victor is attempting to get into the United States for a good cause, I could not help but wonder if many immigrants even if illegal attempting to get into the United States are in a similar situation to Victor. I constantly thought about and felt bad for all of the immigrants that can not get into America and in turn cannot help out their families. By reading Crossing the Wire, I feel like I finally started looking at the other side of this controversial topic. Reading this story took me back to the days when I worked in an orchard in my local town and there were workers who all they could do is go orchard to orchard in attempt to feed their families. Reading this book gave me a totally different feeling when looking back at what I experienced at a younger age. When looking back I could not help but think how naïve I was about immigration and how not all people are only thinking of themselves when entering the United States.

                Another issue within this book that I found interesting was that once Victor was in the United States he did not immediately make money and find a way to help his family. This made me think about how it is not guaranteed when entering the United States that money awaits. I believe that many people believe that upon entering the United States money and happiness waits, but the truth is that being an illegal immigrant puts people in a very tough situation that may not get easier as time goes on. Overall Crossing the Wire made me think about all of the issues surrounding immigration and how so many families are going through hardships in attempt to make a living.

                While I read through this book I could not stop thinking about how young Victor was and how far he was willing to go for his family. This story was very inspirational and spoke to how hard work can give hope to everyone no matter the hardships that are thrown in front of someone. Crossing the Wire simultaneously shed light on a topic I had not fully looked into while also showing the struggle to help out one’s own family.  Throughout this book I found myself inspired along with informed on a subject that needs to be dealt with.   

Sold

                To begin with, reading this book has been one of the hardest yet informational things I have had to read throughout my schooling. Reading about slavery and specifically the sex trade is something that will never be easy, and yet I agree with this book being required for us to read as we need to know what is going on in the world around us. The book Sold by Patricia McCormick gave me a better understanding of the sex trade along with what goes on in the world around us.

                One of the first things I found interesting within the book is how Lakshmi takes on raising her goat. There is a lot of emphasis put on the goat and I found it interesting that while the family is struggling to eat they are able to still raise a goat. Within my group on Monday we spoke about how this must have been Lakshmis’ prized possession much like how we have cars or trinkets of our own. As I began to think about her goat as her prized possession, I wondered how much money could have been received for the goat. I later made the comparison that if Lakshmi was only paid around eleven dollars for that the goat could not have brought in very much money.

                Lakshmi being sold for a little fewer than eleven dollars brought me to my second struggle within this book. How can a person sell another person? While it is hard to connect all of the pieces and understand everything that goes into a family selling their child, just reading through this book sent shivers down my spine. I would like to think it takes a lot to shock me now, but so much that we have talked about with human trafficking and reading the pages within Sold have done just that. Once Lakshmi had been sold into prostitution, I could not imagine how her world came crashing down once she realized what had happened. To think you are going to make money and help your family would give someone such hope and determination, but in this case to become a sex slave has to seem like the world is coming to an end.

                One thing I found very cool and interesting is how the author, Patricia McCormick, went to Nepal and India in search of evidence. The fact that Patricia was able to interview women of the Calcutta red-light district was both good when realizing she knew what she was talking about throughout the book, but also gut wrenching at the same time. I could not imagine the pain that interviewing women formerly trapped in the sex slave trade would feel like. When writing a book like this on such a tough subject, the interviews had to of helped with facts used within the story and getting the background knowledge necessary to put an entire book together like this.

                Reading material like this is something I fee will never become easy, yet the knowledge that has come from reading material of this magnitude will never hinder me. While it may be hard to talk about or even keep flipping the pages, learning about the sex slave trade has really opened my eyes. Reading Sold along with the discussions on the sex slave trade have enlightened me on the magnitude of this problem and how it hits so close to home when I had no idea before. 

Nepal

Nepal

                When looking at Nepal, I decided to start by looking at images before entering the culture. By looking at images I once again discovered how beautiful Nepal is. While not as advanced as Malaysia, all of the colors and scenery within Nepal. All of the images seemed to portray a laid back and religious based society. While the images gave an understanding, searching through the facts about Nepal gave a much better understanding.

                The first thing I discovered is that there are one hundred and twenty three languages spoken in Nepal. Nepal’s linguistic heritage evolved from Indo-Aryan to Tibeto-Burman then to indigenous. The main language spoken to date is Nepali at around 45%. After language, I took a look at the religious aspects of Nepal due to many of the pictures I saw. What I discovered, was that 80.6% of the people practice Hinduism and Buddhism is practiced at around 11%. There are also many people who practice a blend between the two religions, but that number was uncertain. The information I discovered also pointed to philosophy being deeply rooted within Nepal. Nepal is known for tantric traditions as well, specifically animal sacrifice.

                From multiple sources I found there are five animals that are acceptable to sacrifice. These animals are always male and then are determined to be acceptable for sacrifice. The five animals are water buffalo, goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks. I found it curious that the animals acceptable for sacrifice had to be male. I could not find the answer to this, but there must be traditions going back as far as anyone knows to prove for the reasoning behind this.

                The next place I looked was festivals and celebrations.  It is said that celebrations last from a single day to multiple days depending on the event. There is a festival called Dashain which is the longest and most important festival in Nepal. Dashain is held for fifteen days and the most important days are the first, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth. It was interesting looking at this festival because in America our celebrations usually go for a single day. The emphasis of this festival is to bring family together while also reconnecting with the community. I found it rather cool that there is a celebration which not only brings families together but is able to focus on the community simultaneously. I am a large advocate for family and community which made this celebration fun to look and discover the meaning behind this festival.

                The last thing I took a look at was ethnic groups. All of the major ethnic groups in Nepal I had never even heard of. The Chhettri were the largest at 15.5% followed by the Brahman-Hill at 12.5%. While these were the largest two groups, as I discovered the rest I still had no idea who any of these Ethnic groups were. I found this so interesting because it showed how much I did not know about the world. While I consider myself fairly knowledgeable and open when it comes to the world, not knowing any major ethnic group living in Nepal was quite shocking. Nepal was rather interesting to delve into and attempt to find background information on. While I know there is a lot more to know about Nepal, I feel like this was a great start. 

Museum Piece Writings

          My father’s 1937 Chevy Sedan has been a part of my family for forty five years. Growing up restoring cars and attending car shows has placed me into Hot Rodding culture. Being a part of Hot Rodding, specifically with this car, links me to what is referred to as a class of cars called Street Rods. Spending countless hours in a shop with my dad, I have worked on a variety of cars and have been introduced to the vast array of differences that attract people to Hot Rodding. Born generations after the birth of Hot Rodding, I am able to combine the past and present linking me to Hot Rodders of any generation. Having a car passed from generation to generation has planted the love of cars firmly in my life along with helping define who I am.  

            Fitness, specifically bodybuilding links me to the 21^st century movement of pushing the human body to the limit in hope of losing fat and gaining muscle. Looking to the past I find inspiration in the form of Arnold Schwarzenegger, pictured above. Arnold epitomizes the sport of bodybuilding and reigned atop the sport for years. Partaking in the enjoyment of classic bodybuilding puts me in a limited group of enthusiasts while shaping how I train in the gym today. In my teen years I was very unhealthy and out of shape, leading me to today where I mix old school bodybuilding with modern day knowledge. Looking back at pictures of myself I find the motivation that pushes me to continue my bodybuilding journey each day. While never planning on competing, taking the classic approach of using iron to shape the human body is something I strive for. Fitness links the past to the present for me and while I may never compete, bodybuilding has provided a chance to become a part of a movement that will forever shape my life. 

            Friends are something that everyone has, yet cannot be taken for granted. My group of friends helps to create my identity while I help to create theirs. This picture shows just that, good friends are hard to come by and when you find ones like mine you do everything you can to keep them. My friends are a true identity of who I am. They have been with me through every change in my life and they are what have helped shape me throughout the years. My friends and I have created a culture where we all thrive and can be ourselves. The friends I choose to surround myself with are an extension of me and who I see myself being. Each of my friends has assets that I admire along with being a group who I will always be there for.

  

            Beach volleyball is something that has defined me since high school. Being from Central Washington, beach volleyball is a rather small sporting community and yet the competition is fierce. Taking the time to perfect the art of volleyball has given me the opportunity to not only play the sport, but gain knowledge and respect for the sport simultaneously. Playing against a range of players from beginners to professionals, the sport of beach volleyball has shaped my life while creating friendships wherever I travel. Being a part of beach volleyball has provided for life skills such as discipline, hard work, and strategy which shows how important beach volleyball has been in my life. Participating in a sport not widely known in this area has allowed me to become an ambassador for the sport and attempt to grow the sport shaping how I view the sport of beach volleyball. Choosing a sport unknown to most has allowed for the selection of a sport which bests suits myself along with what I stand for. Beach volleyball has helped define who I am on a sporting standpoint along with influencing my cultural identity each step of the way.   

            Music is something that has shaped my life for as long as I can remember. From going to car shows to attending concerts, ZZ Top has linked the past to everything that I enjoy today. ZZ Top sings about Hot Rods and has been a major influence since the first car show I attended. By creating a rock n roll scene, I was able to instantly relate too many of their songs while enjoying other hobbies simultaneously. ZZ Top has linked my passion for cars into my music and vice versa as cars helped fuel my passion towards this band. By listening to what is considered classic rock, I am able to help bridge the gap between the past and present in multiple endeavors as I do my best to keep old school Hot Rodding alive. Listening to ZZ Top puts me in a much older crowd and yet I feel right at home. Culturally this band has helped define me because while I may be young, I have a lot in common with the older generations who were able to grow up alongside ZZ Top.

            Johnny Cash has been a large influence in my life because of the passion I can hear in his songs. By listening to his music and reading the book presented here, I can have a peek inot the life of my most influential musician growing up. While Johnny Cash may have slower songs and be telling a story throughout his songs, that is what hooked me. Johnny Cash has helped to culturally define me because of his art of telling stories. I have a passion for listening to stories and hearing what other have been through; Johnny Cash is able to do both within his songs and in this book. I have yet to meet many people who enjoy Johnny Cash the same as I do, but I have gotten to know many of my family stories because of listening and always wanting to know more. My grandparents have always listened to Johnny Cash and I became hooked as soon as I heard his voice. I am hooked on a voice that sounds like it has been through the bad and the good. Having experienced so much within his life, Johnny Cash has helped me sift through my own family and discover what my family has been through as well.    

Kampung Boy

                When I began reading Kampung Boy, I really was unsure what to expect. What I got upon completion, was a children’s book that can speak to any age. The comedy would appeal to a younger group, while the aspects of culture and the town of Kampong disappearing would appeal more to adults. By following Mat throughout Kampung Boy, we are introduced to life in Malaysia and how it changed.

                Throughout the story, I found the drawings to often portray more of a humorous tone then the words that accompanied the drawings. I like that the drawings portrayed humor because that would make this book an easier read for children. While this book does speak to adult topics, I believe that this book is perfect for children as well. I enjoyed that we were able to look at another culture through the eyes of a child and children within schools today could compare and contrast their lives to what we are shown by Mat.

                Something that was rather intriguing was that the book seemed to jump around as if it was written by a child because of how it jumped from place to place. We would be reading about Mat and his schooling and the next page we are shown he has another brother. It was interesting to keep up with the storyline as it jumped around, because I would have to think back and link together the family and everything that has taken place. I also became curious at this point how younger students would do when reading this book. I was worried about students being able to link everything together throughout the entire story.

                One of my favorite things throughout Kampung Boy, was being able to see all of the traditions and differences with my own coming of age. This is also where I became curious about what age this book this book is normally taught at. When the circumcision section within the book came up, I stopped to think about how to explain that to children. I am guessing there is a particular way to go about explaining this situation to students, but I was caught off guard when it came up within the story. Other than the circumcision aspect though, this story is a great coming of age story and would be a great read for students.

                Overall this story is relatable for most people as we have all dealt with coming of age stories and handled our difficulties along the way. As I neared the end of the story, I began thinking about my own coming of age and preparing to leave for college. It is weird to think back and remember the anxiety and sadness of leaving everything in attempt to discover something new. I believe each of us handles these situations different and yet similar in many ways as we all will come of age and reflect back on what has happened. Like Mat, I came from a rather small town that many people have never heard of. I felt similarity between both of our experiences and it reminded me how nervous I was to take on a similar adventure. This is a great read and a book I would attempt to use within the curriculum within my own classroom.    

Malaysia

When I started searching for information about Malaysia, I quickly learned I had no idea what goes on in Malaysia. As I began searching, I learned that in the 1880’s rubber trees were introduced from Brazil. This would lead to workers being imported from India helping to create a valuable export in the form of rubber. The workers brought in from India worked the rubber plantations and maximized profits. Before rubber became such a valuable export, the independent state of Malaysia came into existence on September 16, 1963.

Everything that I discovered about Malaysia showed that there has been constant government corruption and different groups with strongholds within Malaysia. From the British to the Chinese and Indians, there had been so many people occupying the territory that it is no wonder that it took so long for a government to form. I found it interesting that Dr. Mohamad Mahathir was able to form Malaysia into what is referred to as “Asian Tiger.” I found this rather interesting and had to do a lot of searching to discover what all the “Asian Tiger” entailed. What I discovered, was that Malaysia was connected with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. All of these places are connected because of their economies. They gained the name due to using an export driven model of economic development used by Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Malaysia is referred to as a “cub” due to the fact that they are a rising Tiger. From the little I have ever heard about Malaysia, I would have never guessed that their economy is so powerful.

Overall I am amazed at how little I have ever heard about Malaysia and when looking up information, how little I still know. Being unsure how often Malaysia comes up, I found myself constantly wondering why I heard nothing. When looking up facts on Malaysia, I discovered that like the U.S.A, Malaysia is a melting pot. Everything I was able to find pointed directly to how great of a place Malaysia is, with all of the diversity and multiculturalism. The diversity referenced within the facts I found talked to how skyscrapers look over wooden houses along with their best hotels located just off of ancient reefs. As I learned about Malaysia I began to understand that this place may not be as secluded and off the map as I had thought before.

Learning about Malaysia has changed my thinking of what other countries have to offer. While there are a lot of countries that Americans visit, I have never had anyone I know visit Malaysia. The more I discovered about this country the more I wondered how I had never looked into this before. Malaysia has beautiful city lights along with oceans as clear as any I have ever seen. After discovering facts, the pictures were nowhere near what I expected. I half way thought that Malaysia would be run down and what we refer to as a “3^rd” world country. I could not stop looking at pictures after I saw the beauty that is Malaysia. If pictures are able to show this much beauty, I wonder what taking in all of these sights would be like in person? Malaysia has to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen.