Hunting in Brazil

Every summer I would travel to Brazil to visit my family. You see I was born in Sao Paolo, and when I was about five years old my parents moved me and my sister to New Jersey. When I go to Brazil there’s a number of things to do, but one of my favorite things is when my uncle takes me to his cabin and we go hunting. 

We usually wait for a new moon, but when we finally luck out we end up leaving his apartment at 6 a.m. It takes about an hour and a half to arrive at my uncle’s territory, and a good 40 minutes to climb the mountain to reach his cabin which is situated at the top of the mountain. It would be about noon when we would make something to eat after doing some chores like milking the cows and cleaning up the place a little bit before we left.

Now there’s quite a bit of stuff that you have to bring when you go hunting. First, we have to bring a bag of corn seeds, which weighs about 60 pounds. There’s the obvious machete for clearing a path, a .22 rifle which is used for hunting, and a .45 hand gun for protection which my uncle carries on him. Then there are decent size water bottles and a med kit. Finally, we have to carry an apparatus which is put on a tree for us to sit on.

It’s usually early afternoon when we would take off for “the spot.” To reach the place where we post up we have to hike across and down the mountain, which is a brutal journey. There is no clear path, so my uncle has to chop away at the forest to clear a path. On top of that the mountain that we have to travel down is at a very steep angle so we have to the utmost attention with every step we take.

When we get there we have to climb the tree, which is just a massive obstacle, but with some effort it’s surmountable. As we assembled the apparatus on which we would spend the next 6 hours on an aggravating feeling takes over every time as I know the next few hours will try my patience. Usually the type of pork that we hunt comes to eat at our spot around 2 a.m. The way to tell that the pork is under you, is you have to listen for a specific type of crunching in order to know for sure that it is eating the bate. When you are confident that the pork is there, your movements have to be extremely swift, you have to turn your body in a way that the .22 rifle is pointing to the bated area, then you have to look into the scope and as soon as you see the pork in your sights you have to take the shot without hesitation. The reason for the fast pace is because this type of pork that I hunt has extremely sensitive hearing, I can’t tell you how many times I lost the prey. Also it is important that you shoot the prey in the head so that the bullet doesn't contaminate the edible meat.

After one of us kills the pork, my uncle carries it a little ways away from our “spot” and then he cleans it with his Swiss army knife. The stench is unbearable so I end up breathing through my mouth. After it’s done we put the meat into a bag and carry it all the way back to his cabin. The reason you can’t clean the animal where you reside is because of the smell, which attracts other predators like cougars. We then either begin the barbecue at his cabin or we travel down the dirt road to someone else’s cabin where other residents gather and begin to party. It’s an experience that I enjoy and look forward to every summer.

Arts Cultural Response: Wiz Khalifa concert

I have only been to once concert before I attended the Wiz Khalifa concert, which was a Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw concert in Met life stadium. For those of you that don’t know Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw are two very illustrious country artists, so attending a Hip Hop concert was a whole new experience for me. And needless to say this experience was amazing!

The concert started at 7:30 and ended at midnight on Friday October 12 in the Bryce Jordan Center. The BJC is a colossal place, so even though there were a couple thousand people their it didn’t seem like that much because of the size of the BJC. Since Wiz Khalifa is notorious for smoking lots of weed, the majority of the people at the concert were stoned out of their mind.

The opening act was performed by Juicy J for about 40 minutes. I had never heard of Juicy J before, but I had really high expectations for him. Truth be told I did not enjoy Juicy J as I found that his music was too hardcore rap with no real catchy melody. I did feel a little sorry for him though because at one point the majority of the crowd started to boo him.

Chevy Woods came out for the second act and I was much more familiar with his music. He was very enthusiastic and he got the crowd very energetic, but we all just wanted to see Wiz come out so people started to get very antsy. Chevy did perform one of his songs with Juicy J, so that was pretty interesting to see.

The final act was obviously Wiz Khalifa. As soon as he walked on stage you could see basically everyone start lighting up their hidden “J’s.” As the room started to fill up with the marijuana smoke; Wiz Khalifa in a rocker/hip hop star outfit began to jump and start off the real part of the night. He ended up singing a lot of songs from his new album, and although it felt very exclusive to be hearing songs that weren't available to the general public, it would have been a lot better if he had played his more well-known songs, as no one knew the lyrics. I find that the “fun” aspect of concerts is to be able to sing along with the artist, and when you don’t know the lyrics, the situation can get pretty awkward. But the great guy that Wiz is, he performed his most famous songs, and when “Black and Yellow” came on the entire place erupted. There were mini fireworks being set off, as well as correlating black and yellow lights being flashed all over the crowd.

Being that I had only been to one concert I was constantly comparing both concerts. In retrospect probably not the most accurate comparisons I could have made since the two genres are so different thus one could only expect the performances of each artist to be so different. But I found that especially during the tailgate/pregame to these concerts the country concert relied more on drinking while the Hip Hop concert revolved around drugs.

I really enjoyed going to the concert with my friends and listening to some great music. It was an experience that I will never forget. I would definitely go back and see another Wiz concert, and I actually heard that he will be performing with Mac Miller in the spring, who is another favorite artist of mine. 

Self Evaluation

1)

I enjoyed my first semester at Penn State as I have learned and been able to experience so many new things. The English 15S course has changed my perspective on the arts community, specifically on what constitutes something as art. The course opened and narrowed my eyes to things here at Penn State, where if not for the class I probably wouldn’t have gone out and experienced. For example, we went out to experience the art of the arboretum and a local student based play, and though I didn’t enjoy some of these activities I was able to see the creativity that went into developing each piece of art.

I have always been a great patron of the arts so over the course of this semester my appreciation has only been enhanced. I consider the art world to be a part of my present and future, probably not as a profession, but certainly as a source of entertainment. It is something that I will pursue for my personal delight, especially arts revolving around music and canvases.    

My writing style has improved in all aspects after this course. The reason for the radical improvement was all due to my Professor Sheila Squillante’s efforts. I’ve learned how to apply myself in different rhetoric situations, like analyzing advertisements, writing a memoir, and even entering the blogging world. By going through helpful readings, and by having Professor Squillante share some of her professional work, has really cemented the techniques that we learned. For example she has taught and shown me that concise sentences do a lot more for when trying to make a statement, than long sentences with redundant, out of place adjectives. One of the most critical and useful advices I obtained was during the memoir unit. I learned how to format my story to maximize persuasiveness and fluency, specifically by ending in scene. This causes a cliffhanger which was so eloquently demonstrated when Professor Squillante showed this technique from one of her works.

Throughout this semester I have learned that I work a lot better in a group setting. This class has brought about many opportunities for group projects. The blog that our group had to create for the final project was both fun and helpful as it demonstrated how to properly manage your time in college.

Though I was very reluctant to the idea of having a blog, mainly due to preconceived stereotypes about bloggers, it actually allowed me to voice my own opinion. It was something completely new to me, as though I’m in college it still has the school type atmosphere where things are monitored so you have to be careful about what you write. The blog was useful in a way that it took away some of the boundaries and restrictions that high school had placed into my mind. This first semester has given me the base for forming my own opinion which I find is one of the objectives and advantages that comes with college.

2)

1)         http://bryancarse74.blogspot.com/2012/10/old-school-movie-review.html?showComment=1355111044995#c7237834948068991328

2)         http://tarasaverageblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/7-peanut-butter-disaster.html?showComment=1355111467142#c6968219453040389130

3)         http://rebeccacommisso.blogspot.com/2012/10/artscultural-response-zac-brown-band.html?showComment=1355111927650#c5502389032404994729

4)         http://derosag5050.blogspot.com/2012/12/artscultural-event-barstool-blackout.html?showComment=1355112258629#c7790706479625735318

5)         http://derosag5050.blogspot.com/2012/10/animal-house.html?showComment=1355112816027#c7279587299530447532

6)         http://carascornerthearts.blogspot.com/2012/11/extra-blog-post-2-my-photography.html

7)         http://ideasoninspiration.blogspot.com/2012/12/shark-teeth.html?showComment=1355162373536#c4048633044775235914

8)         http://theartsynittanylion.blogspot.com/2012/11/artscultural-response-bruce-springsteen.html?showComment=1355162799480#c3088695730571762708

9)         http://artandrhetoric.blogspot.com/2012/09/extra-post-comic-book-coffee-table.html?showComment=1355164439511#c8775182708116779516

10)       http://derosag5050.blogspot.com/2012/12/harry-potter.html?showComment=1355165007605#c719931231575487345

11)       http://tarasaverageblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/5-movie-review-graduate.html?showComment=1355165397004#c669099349570057694

12)       http://bittyjade.blogspot.com/2012/10/were-going-streaking-will-farrell-one.html?showComment=1355165803932#c8979713548520898186

13)       http://joewater.blogspot.com/2012/12/random-post-christmas-decorations.html?showComment=1355166190887#c4774219654803241369

14)       http://tarasaverageblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/arts-cultural-response-rock-vote-concert.html?showComment=1355166652438#c1631643269923729646

3) Done.

In the Red and Brown Water Review

In the Red and Brown Water is a play revolved around a young woman, Oya, and the events of her life. It is set in what I could only determine as an extremely underprivileged town, probably a project of some kind. Oya is described as having a gift for running, where if she plays her cards right, could take her out of poverty. Oya is approached by a recruiter known as “the Man from State,” to run for his college, but Oya reluctantly declines his offer in order to look after her ailing mother, Moja, but promises to keep on training for next year. Mama Moja soon dies causing Oya to go into a downfall both physically and emotionally. Her place on the track team is taken, she soon finds herself taking numerous lovers, specifically, the outgoing Shango, and the shy Ogun. Oya is torn over both lovers and ends up dating both of them at the same time. Given that neither man wants to share her, Oya ends up pushing both of them away, which leads to her epic downfall. The most crucial part of the story was without a doubt Oya declining “the Man from State’s” offer in order to care for her mother. This action set the wheels in motion for Oya’s demise; despite it being a noble cause for turning down the offer, this was Oya’s chance to break away from the poverty stricken life she has always known. Oya’s entire livelihood was at stake, where as if she had chosen to accept the recruiters offer she would have most likely thrived, achieving a great amount of success. I believe this play was meant to teach and spread the fact that most often than not, life does not offer second chances, which is why one needs to take advantage of every opportunity he or she has before they are gone. Surprisingly I was most impressed with the actor who played Ogun, mostly because of his portrayal of this nervously reluctant man. Also he was able to comprehensively demonstrate the transition that Ogun goes through, from a wary edgy boy to a poised and confident man. I was particularly shocked and a little traumatized by the ending of the play. I didn’t have that many critiques of the play but the ending scene was definitely one of them. I felt like Oya cutting her ear off wasn’t the best way in getting across the fact that she had completely lost her mind. Living so close to Manhattan, I have been blessed with the opportunity to have gone seen numerous Broadway plays, therefore my expectations when seeing a live play are always set to the highest standards. Obviously I had to lower my standards quite a bit since I was going to see a college play, but never the less this performance did fall short of my expectations.

Movie Review: 'The Social Network'

Who wants to be a millionaire? How about a billionaire? I would say it’s fair to assume everyone does. Well, in an age where everyone is looking for that get rich quick scheme, Mark Zuckerberg is idealized by his feat. Released in theaters on October 1, 2010, “The Social Network,” is the story of the creation of Facebook and all the drama that came along with it. Directed by David Fincher, who also directed Fight Club and Seven; The Social Network is without a doubt a portrayal of Fincher’s excellence. It is as instinctively perspective as it is rousing, also Fincher adds some dark humor to illustrate the dilemma the founders of Facebook had to go through as well as to demonstrate Zuckerberg’s uncanny and eccentric personality. It isn’t common when you see an actor depict a real life person so accurately, that’s why it is truly mind blowing when you see Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in this movie. Justin Timberlake also makes an appearance by portraying flamboyant Napster founder and mentor to Zuckerburg, Sean Parker.

As a current college student I hear of some students who are trying to start the next big thing so I found it quite interesting when watching The Social Network at the fact that the movie portrays college life so accurately. The reason this movie was so intriguing to me was because of how easily I was able to relate and put myself, as well as numerous college students, into Zuckerberg’s inner circle. The arousing effect that this movie has, and had on me is that it evokes a creator inside you, and causes you to have more of an optimistic outlook on the world, as this movie makes it seem like you can create the next Facebook.

The first time you see Mark in the movie he is wearing his classic hoodie with flip flops while obstinately talking to his girlfriend, Erica, in a bar. As a viewer I could feel Erica’s exhaustion as she tries to have a conversation with Mark as he calls her delusional, giving her sardonic looks on top of having multiple topics of discussion with her. The two quickly become foes as Erica is brusquely honest with Mark about the way he is alongside women, which causes him to start this website that compares the “hotness” of Harvard women, which became a template for Facebook. The movie quickly takes a dark turn when Mark launches Facebook, as he has to deal with various legal disputes with the Winklevoss twins claiming their share in Facebook’s profits due to their “part” in creating Facebook, and with the co-founder, and his best friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield). The movie shifts from Harvard’s college campus to Palo Alto, California as Mark is under the incantation of boastful mentor Sean Parker, and establishes his headquarters.

To some this film can be a tad tedious at times, as it is filled with legal proceedings. Though these proceedings are filled with witty rebukes, the repetition of these scenes can get tiresome. In a movie filled with betrayal, wit, and success, this is the perfect film for upcoming and college students. After the first time I saw The Social Network I was filled with such an optimistic entrepreneurial feeling, that I wanted to go out and find the next big thing, and if you see this movie too you’ll feel as great as I did.   

Arboretum

To be completely honest I didn’t know what I was expecting when I found out that we were going to have class at the arboretum. I remember coming to State for my orientation, and having the biggest desire to visit the, what I knew then as “the awesome looking garden.” I have always been interested in botany, specifically carnivorous plants; I’ve found just the idea of them to be so mind boggling.  

It was really interesting to find out what was hidden back there, for example there was a pumpkin relative vegetable that was growing on the ceiling of this arched structure above a white bench, which was in a way pretty romantic. Also there was a remarkable floor sculpted map of “Happy Valley.” This was an extremely detailed and accurate depiction of the Valley. The garden had such a variety of flowers and plants; this was especially evident in a path where for a good 50 yards is just covered in different types of flowers. One plant that especially stood out to me was this minute jalapeno pepper shrub. I found their bright red and yellow color to be so appealing, and also I had never given much thought to how peppers grow, so this was an eye opening experience. At the end of the flower path there’s an enormous stone marble sun dial, with large marble stones in front of the sun dial aligned in three rows. Near the center of the arboretum there’s a cabin, and in this large cabin there’s sort of an open area that opens up to a beautiful view of Happy Valley. This made me think about how people probably have wedding services here, as there are white ceremonial like tents that open up. Towards the far side of the arboretum a good sized portion of land has been planted with bamboo. I don’t know how this subject was brought up along the walk, but a group of us were told that the ancient Chinese civilizations perfected a torture method which was actually attempted by Discovery Channel’s Myth Busters. This torture method consisted of lying someone down on a patch of soil which had been planted with bamboo. Then slowly but surely the sharp bamboo edges would sprout out from the ground and penetrate the person’s body.

On a happier note, this field trip brought back some nostalgia for me. Some years ago while in Brazil I went to visit my cousins in Rio de Janeiro, and while I was there they made the effort to take me to all the touristy spots, as I am from Sao Paulo, therefore it was my first time there. During the visit they took me to the national botanical gardens of Brazil. This place is miles long filled with a ridiculous amount of plant life variation. Also there was a lot of animal life, especially monkeys, which just so happened to be the nicest wild animals I’ve ever encountered.

All in all, I thought going to the arboretum for class was a great change of pace, as it can get very repetitive and dull having a lectured class every day, which thankfully doesn’t happen in an English class as small as ours. If there is a day where there is nothing to do I could fathom taking my family to the arboretum, but it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice to take my friends or family, just because there are a lot of better places to go in state college.

Palmer Museum: Learning the Past So We Can Understand the Future

The piece I have chosen is a wood block print called Fugaku sanju-rokkei, by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai in 1830. This work of art is one of many in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji, the most notable would be The Great Wave off Kanagawa which most people are familiar with. The intriguing thing about Japanese wood block prints is that they are extremely under appreciated by the general public, who are not art aficionados. Especially in terms of the effect that they have had in the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movement. The notable artists of the former movement whom have been influenced by wood blocks are Monet, Degas, Renouir, Van Gogh, and many more. The point I am trying to make with this is that once you know the past, you can understand the future.

The Japanese aesthetic used in these prints is called the Ukiyo-e, “floating world,” which accentuates fleeting moments of Japanese culture. The qualities of wood block prints are represented by the acronym C-FID. C; stands for cropped: the designs in the prints have cropped edges. F; stands for flat: the prints do not demonstrate any depth; instead they use steep angels to give the impression of profundity. I; stands for intimate moments: the images depicted in the prints are usually of small groups interacting in private. And D; stands for decorative patterns: in this particular print Hokusai used the technique of Aizurie where the surface of the print is primarily shades of blue ink.

This piece portrays a Japanese valley, and in the distance Hokusai portrays Mt. Fuji. Like I said before Hokusai uses the technique of Aizurie where he shades the valleys and the bottom of the mountain blue, but he uses different shades of blue for the valley which is more of a teal, whereas the bottom of the mountain is a navy blue. Hokusai uses white on the mountain to represent the snow thereby giving the image of the mountain a sense of extreme height. The sky is in a light gray color showing a cloudy day, giving off a peaceful tone.

This work of art was created in 1830, about the same time as Japan opened up trade to foreign nations for the first time in its history. I feel like this piece tries to make people remember the traditional aspect of their culture, where there was less outside influence, and corruption. By depicting the countryside Hokusai demonstrates the simplicity of how the country was before it opened up to the outside world. Thus I believe he is making a political stand against his countries new policies, by trying to ignite a nostalgic feeling within his fellow countrymen.

When looking at this piece the colors and scenery give a soothing and calming effect. It makes me question who am I as an individual and the society in which we live in. It offers a transcendentalist ideal that we as a society should stop stressing on the trivial things in life and learn to appreciate the love and good in the world.

            Katsushika Hokusai along with Suzuki Harunobu were the founding fathers of wood block printing. Therefore there is no debate in whether or not he is credible. Also Hokusai created the most famous wood block print called The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Even if someone has never heard about the technique of wood block printing there is a great possibility that they have seen the piece.

            My Mother is a history teacher; therefore I have been showered with trips to museums my entire life. Even though this may be construed as me being shallow, there isn’t significant money to be made and advancement opportunities in the field of history. If there were I would major in it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I haven’t come across anything that fits my financial goals so I will just be a history aficionado. This was my first time visiting Palmer, and if they have an interesting collection I would definitely go again.