Week 6 Due 7/23, Train Go Sorry and Video Summaries

"I am a hearing student assigned the book Train Go Sorry in my Introduction to Humanities Class. Other readings assigned in this class include several essays from the book My California. In both books and film, we examined the cultures of California that form a microcosm of the U.S.; and the U.S. forms a microcosm of the world. In this essay, I will incorporate 4 required questions."

1. What does Train Go Sorry mean (who in the book is this referring to; there is a specific person, include his name and his outcome. Remember that good college writing assumes no one has read the information and you must present it or 'teach' it by giving us details.)?

In American Sign Language, the term "Train Go Sorry" means "Missing the boat." What this means, is that there are many connections that are missed between the deaf and the hearing, and a failure to recognize that deaf people are members of a unique culture. The person in the story that the term "Train Go Sorry is referring to is a young man named James Taylor. A young deaf man who came from a poverty stricken neighborhood and family, Taylor had found himself at Lexington School for the Deaf where he was truent a lot in his first year. He was invited to live in the dorm at Lexington in his second and continuing years to encourage better attendance and slowly began to excel until finally passing all of his tests and earning his way into Camden County college. There were several references in the story of how James Taylor had "Missed the boat," or the connection with the hearing society-including his brother Joseph. In Chapter 7, James becomes frustrated as he is sent back and fourth between the hospital and the audiologist when being tested for his hearing devices, because of his struggle to communicate his needs with his hearing counterparts. Upon leaving the audiologists office, he encounters a man on the street who asks him if he'd like to buy a token for a dollar. It was raining; water was dripping off the mans lips and he could not read them, so he shook his head and walked on. Another man approached him on the subway steps of the train station, and asks James about the train. He says, "Uptown number one?" James stares hard at this mans lips with his eyes; trying to understand them, but found himself staring at the man with his lips moving; trying to form the words. The man thinks James is mocking him, and walks away disgusted. In chapter 12 titled "Train Go Sorry,"James makes two unsuccessful attempts to visit his brother, Joseph, in prison. Unable to make a call to the prison, he goes there and gets through the visiting process just to learn that his brother was in court. On his third trip though, he is able to visit Joseph. He recognizes that prison has made his brother an ugly person. He realizes the distance that is between them and their lives. He knows that he'll never go back to visit Joseph again. James believes that if he were not deaf and hadn't gone to Lexington, he may have been with his brother on that fateful day that he and a group of boys pulled a gun on a women in an apartment building. He believes he might have been in prison too if it had not been for being deaf. When James gets ready to end his visit, Joseph says to him, "You stay here and I'll go home." James replies "No." Joseph tells him, "It is better at home than in jail." At that moment, James feels it is Joseph that has "Missed the boat" this time.

2. What pair of 'shoes' do you think the main person in the book is walking in and what did she learn? In other words, who or what culture does she want to belong to and why?

The main person in the story, Leah Hager Cohen is walking in a deaf persons shoes. She is walking in the shoes of her grandfather Sam, who was deaf, and also attended Lexington School for the dead; she was walking in James and Sofia's shoes. Leah's father, Oscar, is the was the principal and later the superintendent of Lexington School for the deaf where Leah grew up and attended school. Leah, and hearing person, felt left out and an outcast from her deaf peers during activities at school. She wished that she had been deaf like the other students. She felt at the time that the privilege of being able to hear was nothing compared to the closeness and the bonds that the other deaf children at the school shared because of what they had in common. The fact that she spoke the "Teachers language," she felt set her apart the most from the other students. She wanted so much to belong to the this bonded culture, that she put pebbles in her ears in protest, and she longed to take speech classes. It wasn't until later that Cohen thoroughly realized that her status as a hearing person would forever restrict her from belonging to the deaf community.

3. What is one image you won't ever forget? Draw us a picture in words to explain this. What chapter is it in?

One image in this story that I will not forget, can be found in chapter6, when Sofia (A young deaf girl from Russia who attended Lexington,) wakes up to her period the day before her scheduled Bat Mitzvah. Her mother, who didn't agree with her Bat Mitzvah is the first place was quick to tell her that she could not proceed with her ceremony during her period because it was considered to be impure. Sofia had been denied to practice her religion of choice in Russia and had worked hard here in America to prepare for this ceremony. She was already older than most that choose to have this ceremony, she went against her parents beliefs, and learned the language of Hebrew. She wasn't about to forget about her ceremony and consulted with her Rabbi, who informed her that it was okay to be on her period for her Bar Mitzvah. Sofia had decided that to many connections have been missed for her. It was time for her to start recovering the pieces that she had lost; it was time to filling in the holes (Pg. 91.) It turns out that her mother was more embarrassed of others hearing her deaf daughter speech during the ceremony, than the actual ceremony itself. Sofia worked hard to overcome her adversities, fill the empty holes in her heart, and to prevail and this is why I was drawn to the image of Sofia and her Bat Mitzvah in the story.

4. What are 5 facts about ASL or Deaf culture you think everyone should know after your reading of this book?

I learned that although their were early attempt to teach sign language to students, most hearing people considered sigh language to be primitive.

Another important fact that I learned was that even though deaf people can accomplish anything a hearing person can, most deaf people feel they belong to their own specific culture.

There were many references in the book that stressed that mainstreaming the deaf into the hearing society was more harmful to the overall health and feelings of self-worth of the deaf than beneficial.

Many of the bi-cultural kids that came to Lexington from other countries came with no language system at all, signed, spoken, or written because many of them had been schooled with mentally retarded children and had never seen another blind person at all.

One of the most important things I learned from reading this story, is that a hearing person like Oscar or Leah Cohen can not only learn to communicate with the deaf by learning their language, but also by opening up their minds and hearts to them, and respecting their unique culture.

Finally, what are your final thoughts regarding this entire assignment:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book "Train Go Sorry," and watching the selected videos. The book offers an intimate look into the lives of amazing deaf individuals such as Sofia and James. You go through their struggles and triumphs with them. You learn to appreciate them and their culture through the eyes of loving and accepting hearing individuals such as Oscar and Leah Cohen. This story gave me a new perspective into to culture of the deaf. I've never met a deaf person before, therefore, I have never really thought about the stigma and the culture that surrounds these unique individuals. Though I have never met a deaf person, I have always been fascinated with sigh language. I had already planned to take American Sign Language to fulfill my foreign language requirement at the JC, but now I'm more inspired than before to take the class.

Videos:

Big River Montage-Deaf West Theatre Clip:

In this clip are men and women that look like they are from all different statures and ethnic backgrounds. Through their movements and their acting, they are expressing that they can't wait for the light to shine, because they are tired of living in the darkness; tired of being suppressed and closed of from the rest of society.

Marlee Matlin: Dancing with the Stars:

Marlee Matlin is a beautiful, positive, upbeat women that happens to be deaf. She Is an American actress and Academy award winner who has been deaf since she was eighteen months old. I could not watch the video because the link was removed, and I didn't see her dance on her season of Dancing with the Stars, but I have seen her acting in other movies and television show, and she is amazing. The level of speech, and mastery of sign language is amazing.




Indiana Visual Arts Day:

The video shows the Indiana Visual Arts Day to be a special celebration of the arts at the Indiana school for the deaf. The event included bilingual and bi-cultural themed events for the children. The event included VSAI and ISV teacher artists that offered clay arts, dance, theatre, percussion, and ASL story art lessons. Deaf children from several different schools attended this wonderful event, and they were treated with a special concert from the nationally known deaf band Rathskellar.

Waiting for the World to Change:

In the beginning of the video, there were some shocking quotes by people considered to be of high standard. The first quote was by Aristotle, who said, "Those born deaf are incapable of learning." Another quote by St. Augustine read "Deaf children are a sign of sin." On a more positive note though, a quote in the video by Jessie Jackson expressed that "The problem is not that the students don't hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen." One thing I really liked about the video, is that it offers information recognizing deaf citizens in society who have become highly successful. Among some of those people listed are: William Hoy-Major League baseball player; Nellie Willhite-first deaf pilot; and Marlee Matlin-Academy Award winner. I learned from this video and from the book 'Train Go Sorry,' that ASL was first recognized in 1960. I also learned that the National Theatre of the Deaf was established in 1967. It is sad that it took so many years for society to realize that the deaf are a highly capable and intelligent people. It is mind boggling to read that hearing people like Congressman Elihu Washburn once thought that "Higher education of the deaf is useless." Many deaf people suffered, and were isolated from society; from their hopes and dreams, because of the ignorance of some hearing people.

Week 5, Due Thursday 7/16

"Ode to Cal Trans" by Hector Tobar

Hector Tobar is a Los Angeles-born writer and journalist, and he is currently a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Although he was born and educated in California, his parents were immigrants that came to California from Guatemala. Tobar attended the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of California Irvine where he received a masters degree of fine arts in creative writing. Tobar won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 for his work as a part of the team covering L.A. riots for the Los Angeles Times.

Hollywood is the place where Tobar lived as a child, and is the setting for his story, "Ode to Cal Trans."

In his story, "Ode to Cal Trans," Tobar tells us how much the freeways in the Hollywood area have changed because of all of the work by Cal Trans. He speaks of his memories of seeing the casualty signs on the freeways that Cal Trans would display when a worker had fallen while on duty.


These are photos of the Hollywood and the Santa Ana freeways; two of the freeways that Tobar talks about in his story.

http://www.hectortobar.com/

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

http://www.calstatela.edu/library/ocob/author.htm

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

"Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home"
by Thomas Steinbeck

Thomas Steinbeck was born in Manhattan, New York in 1944. He began his career as a photographer in Vietnam in the 1960's. Steinbeck is not only a writer, but he is also a public speaker. In addition his novel, "Down to a soundless sea and the many screenplays that he has written, Steinbeck also gives lectures on American literature, creative writing, and communication arts. He serves as an honorary board member at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood, and is a board member of the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California and the Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University.

This is a Photo of the coastline in Big Sur, California. Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California coast. There is a population of about 1000 people. A coastal terrain of stunning beauty,Big Sur, is the location where Steinbeck lived, and was reluctant to share with his readers in the beginning of his story "Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home," in the book "My California."

This is a photo of Garcia Rodriguez de Montalvo, who Steinbeck referred to as the man to first create the myth of a paradise of wealth and fortune called California in a Spanish novel that he wrote.







This photo illustrates a dance that is being performed by the Rumsen tribal peole of Carmel; a people that Steinbeck briefly talks about in his story, "Montalvo, Myths and Dreams of Home."

Steinbeck also talks about the myth that there are humanoids that live in the mountain ranges of the Big Sur area. The two types of humanoids that he mentions: are Sasquatches, and the Dark Watchers. There are links below that give an insight into the myths of these humanoids and everything else talked about above.

http://www.thomassteinbeck.com/

http://www.californiaauthors.com/2006/08/10/essay_steinbeck/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garci_Rodr%C3%ADguez_de_Montalvo

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

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

http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/

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

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

http://www.weirdca.com/location.php?location=179

"The Last Little Beach Town" by Edward Humes
Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize journalist that was born in Philadelphia, attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, and now lives in Southern California. He is an accomplish journalist and author of 7 non-fiction books. He received his Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the military. He also received a PEN center USA award for his book about the children of juvenile court.

This is a picture of the City Hall building in Seal Beach where Humes first stopped to obtain an information booklet about the history of Seal Beach; the quiet gem of a town that Humes discovered, and came to live in.

Seal Beach is the main focus of Edward Humes' story "The Last Little Beach Town." Seal Beach is a city located in Orange County, California, and has a population of about 24,200.










http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Humes
http://www.ci.seal-beach.ca.us/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_Beach,_California

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/seal.html

"Surfacing" by Matt Warshaw
Matt Warshaw is the author of the story "Surfacing," one of the stories that I read last week in the book "My California." Warshaw was born in Los Angeles, California, and began surfing at the age of 8 years old. He grew up to become an accomplished surfer and author, and currently lives in San Francisco. Some of the books he has written include: The Encyclopedia of Surfing, Mavericks: The Story of Big-Wave Surfing, Above the Roar: 50 Surfer Interviews, and Surf-Riders: In Search of the Perfect Wave.

This is an Ariel photo of Half Moon Bay, the Northern California area where Maverick's point is located. Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County. It has a population of about 11,800, and is located about 25 miles South of San Francisco.

This is a photo of Jay Moriarity. Moriarity

is the main character that Matt Warshaw writes about in his story "Surfacing." Moriarity was a professional surfer from Santa Cruz, California.

This is a picture of Evan Slater. He is referenced in the story "Surfacing," by Matt Warshaw.

http://www.niceness.org/surf/interviews/warshaw.html

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/mavericks-surfing-contest.html

http://www.truveo.com/tag/Jay%20Moriarity#%20tag%3A%22Jay%20Moriarity%22%20

http://www.arrowsurfshop.com/team/moriarty.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhE498ef2Us&feature=related

http://www.grindtv.com/athlete/Evan_Slater/2480/bio/
http://wwww.youtube.com/watch?v=pKb72wcvF1w&NR=1

Comments on 10 students work

1. Aloma: In Aloma's summary of "The Big Valley," by Mark Arax, she describes how farming is becoming a thin of the past, because it is expensive and doesn't produce a big return of cash unless you are a big manufacturer. I too like Aloma chose not to plant a garden this year, because it is cheaper for me to buy my produce from the market than it is to plant and tend it.

2. Victoria: In her summary of "Cotton Candy Mirrors," by Devorah Major, she talks about Majors experiences with Play land, and how just going there was worth the trip across town. If she was lucky, she might catch a free carnival ride, or have a whole whopping $.35 to spend for the day. There really is an innocence to this story. Kids expect so much more these days when it comes to entertainment, and everything is so much more expensive. Can you imagine getting through a day at the Sonoma County fair with only forking out $.35 per person?

3. Hilary: Hilary tells us about the false pretenses that surround Beverly Hills in her summary of "Transients in Paradise." She said that "Beverly Hills is a place thought to bring about desires." In reality though, anyone who has desires can equally pursue them no matter where they live.

4. Mark: The story, "Showing of the Owens" made Mark think of the times fishing with his grandfather, and how this story has inspired him to go fishing again. I agree that Sonoma County and Northern California are the homes of some of the best fishing places. I grew up fishing with my grandfather as well from a young age, and now I fish all over Northern California with my husband.

5. Lemlem: Lemlem summarized Kathi Kamen Goldmark's story about an experience that she and her band mates had when a motorcycle gang piled into a bar that they were performing at. The only song they could sing to keep the brutes entertained was, "Why don't we get drunk and screw." I went into a biker bar once with friends, and needless to say, we didn't stay long. It was a bit to crazy in there for us.

6. Katherine: In Katherine's summary of "The Distant Cataract About Which We Do Not Speak," by Mary Mackey, she tells us of Mackey's joy of watching ducks and other animals on the American River. I've never been to the American River, but I've been to a lot of other rivers and lakes in Northern California, and one of my favorite things about each trip is discovering the wildlife.

7. Jason: Jason says, in his summary of the reading "Berkley," by Chabon, that "Berkley might not be the prettiest or the warmest, but it has the most interesting character about it and it has the most to say." I've never been to Berkley, but Jason's summary makes me want to learn what is so special about it that place.

8. Nicholas: I like the paragraph that Nick picked from the story "Ode to Cal trans," by Hector Tobar. We people for the most part do spend a lot of our time in our cars or riding on some form of transportation. I'm glad for the technology advances such as hands-free blue tooth and CD players, that make it possible for us to pass time by safely talking to our family and friends, and to listen to music that we enjo

9. Andrea: I like the paragraph that Andrea chose to highlight from "Montalvo, Myths and Dreams," by Thomas Steinbeck, that California is constantly re-inventing itself. It is true that every time you turn around it seems, that there is a new "It style". Fashions and customs are always changing...

10. Daniel: Dan's favorite paragraph from Matt Warshaw's "Surfacing," was the one about how Warshaw appreciates the fact that there is not a Starbucks or a Gap store on every street corner of Seal Beach. It's true that Starbucks chains are practically everywhere. Daniel works at Starbucks. I love those Chi tea lattes Daniel. Thanks!

Week 4 Due 7/9 Group # 2

Ode to Cal trans
by Hector Tobar

In this story 'Ode to Cal trans' by Hector Tobar, he tells us about the experiences and exposures he has had throughout his years with Southern California freeways such as the Hollywood freeway and the Santa Ana. He shares his memories of these passageways from the impressionable age of 8 years old through adulthood. He spoke of being a lonely child that filled much of his time studying maps of the Southern California highways. He recalls the apartment that he lived in as a child that was 2 blocks away from the 8 lane Hollywood freeway, and his science project at Grant elementary where he realized for the first time the amount of pollution that is created by the freeway. Tobar describes how these freeways have transformed throughout the years. He recounts his memories of the narrow two lane passage that the Santa Ana freeway once was before in was widened by Cal trans workers. He compares the efficiency of our freeways in California to those in other countries such as Iraq. He appreciates the fact that our freeways are more orderly and are governed by a set of rules, logic, and etiquette enforced by the law. Tobar shares the respect, awareness, and appreciation he has developed for these freeways from his years of experience with them and from the tragedies that he has witnessed. He recalls gruesome accidents that he has witnessed, and the memorial signs that used to sit along the freeway marking the location where Cal trans workers had been killed. Knowing all too closely the tragedy that these busy passages can bring, he chooses not to take the freeway to the hospital when his wife is in labor.

My favorite paragraph in the story is from page 56. Tobar says "The freeway was a canyon of sound, something between wind and rushing water, as if the lanes were rapids filled with canoes that occasionally blasted a horn or screeched brakes."

This reading makes me think of the Eastbound off-ramp from highway 12 in Santa Rosa to the Northbound 101 freeway entrance. You follow the wide loop of the overpass that sits above highway 101. When you are right in the middle of that overpass loop, you can see a mass of cars travelling in several different directions. Whenever I take that exit, I love it when I reach the middle point of that overpass. It feels like I'm floating on a roller coaster; high up in the air above the freeway. It's a very powerful and free feeling.

One thing that I didn't know before reading this story is how disorderly the freeways can be in other countries. Tobar shares a story about driving around what looks like a freeway along the edge of Montevideo, Uruguay. He said "You have to dodge street vendors sprinting across your field of vision, and horse-drawn carts merging from the on ramp to the number-three lane."

Montalvo, Myths, and Dreams of Home
by Thomas Steinbeck

This story is written by a man, Thomas Steinbeck, who loves and appreciates the California area in which he lives. He first starts this story with reluctance to share "His treasures" of California with others, but towards the end, he shares with the readers his memories of the lush and beautiful Big Sur where he had lived and grown to love. Steinbeck gives his readers a bit of history of the myths that surround California; how they came about, and how they attracted the interest of people from of the other states. He spoke of how the Spanish literary market was dying off because the reading material was boring to it's readers, and over censored by the churches. Then he told us how a man named Garcia Rodriguez de Montalvo came along with his Spanish versions of romance novels such as 'Las Serges De Esplandian.' Montalvo's writing didn't die off because his work was the filled with the vision of this paradise on earth named California that was filled with wealth and resources. Many people, including Thomas Jefferson, who sponsored Lewis and Clark in their expeditions, were intrigued with this vision that Montalvo had created, and believed in them. Steinbeck recounted the myths that surrounded his own paradise in California, the Big Sur. These myths included the belief that the Big Sur was the home to such creatures as Sasquatches and the Dark watchers. His grandmother believed that the Dark watchers existed, and went to great lengths to prove that they did exist. Thomas Steinbeck concludes his story by saying, "I for one believe every word. But that's what happens when you're in love."

My favorite paragraph in this story can be found on page 65. "In a lifetime of travel I have become acquainted with hundreds of people who dreamed of coming to California. Most of them couldn't have cared less about the other forty-nine states, for it was the intricate stratification and emotional significance of the California myth to which they clung like wide-eyed orphans."

This reading makes me think of the times I spent in the Northern California mountains exploring the magnificent and lush terrain with my father. He has always been a fan of venturing up far into the mountains to make his own camping areas away from other people. My sister and I were little girls when my dad took us way up into the Marvel Mountains, which are situated in the furthest Northern end of California; spilling into the Oregon Wilderness. During this age, we really bought into the whole myth of "Big Foot." Knowing this, my dad played along with our belief in the myth, and had a little fun with it by scaring us at night just before we went to sleep in our tent. He'd say things like "Don't leave your tent at night because Bigfoot might get you," or "Don't wander away from camp or the trails because Bigfoot might get you." I don't believe in the myth of Bigfoot anymore; I haven't for a long time. I know now that his tricky little plan was a stunt to keep us in line when we were kids so to speak.

One thing that I didn't know before reading this story is that the first myths of California were born in the early 1500's. It's hard to imagine that back in the early 1500's, people were inspired by the myths and thoughts of a paradise filled with opportunity and wealth. I believe that many people today think that California is a land of wealth and opportunity, but to know that people were first inspired by visions that were painted of California by the Spanish romance novel writer, Montalvo, well that is amazing.

The Last Little Beach Town
by Edward Humes

Edward Humes tells a story of how he came to find the last little unspoiled beach town, Seal Beach, and how he fell in love with this gem of Southern California. Humes came to California based on a mythical dream of a paradise. Upon reaching his destination though, his dream was quickly turned to reality with the sight of the think layer of smog that lined the sky, and the strings of fast food chains, gas stations, and cheap hotels that lined the highways. He reaches Crystal Cove and feels relieved that he found a place that he could be happy living, but he talks about how this paradise is quickly becoming modernized with it's strip mall, golf course, and mansions. During his drive, he had passed by Seal Beach without even noticing it because his view from the highway didn't offer anything remarkable enough to pull him in or make him want to stop. It wasn't until years later that he finally discovered Seal Beach and was drawn into it's quiet small town charm. He wanders into the towns city hall, and meets a trusting clerk named Joanne, that offers a book of information about the town. In his research of Seal Beach's history, he discovers that the town was once the talk of the coast; the place to go; the must stop destination from travel goers in the early 1900's, but the development and growth died and has been frozen since the 1960's. In the end of this story, the reality is that the town is broke and desperately need revenue. In attempt to accomplish this, the city hall approves development of homes, and tries to approve parking meters for the town as well, but towns people fought the proposal. The town people are afraid of their little gem of a town diminishing to modern development like Crystal Cove.

My favorite sentence of the story is on page 72. "I watched my plane enter a layer of air the color of an old teabag and I just wanted to cash in my ticket and go home."

This reading made me think about a trip to Los Angeles that I took back in 1995. The first thing I noticed when I neared and reached my destination, was the haze of smog that completely covered the sky. There were no crisp blue skies like here in Northern California. The sky was like this the entire time I was in Los Angeles. I felt like I was breathing thick, dirty air. I don't know if it was just my conscience, or if it was all in my head, but my lungs actually felt dirty. The scene in the area that I visited was very industrious: many buildings, a lot of roads, freeways, and traffic. It was so nice to return home to the "Clean air," blue skies, and beautiful landscape of Sonoma County after a week in Los Angeles.

One thing that I didn't know before reading this story, is that Seal Beach was the location of Cecil B. DeMille first filming of the Ten Commandments.

Surfacing by Matt Warshaw

This is a story about a Young man, Jay Moriarty, who makes his way to Maverick's point seeking the thrill of riding the "Huge and perfect" waves that were in the storms forecast that day. Moriarty catches a ride on a fishing boat, 'The Lizzie-Lynn," to the place in the water from where he wanted to begin his thrill ride. To his excitement, the waves were enormous, but he noted to himself that there was too much wind. Before exiting the Lizzy-Lynn, he watched a fellow surfer, Evan Slater, get swept sideways by the wind and disappear into the waves. Maverick's Point is a hidden beach in Half Moon Bay, that was once a shared secret among a small group of surfers. It had been making recent headlines though, for having the biggest waves apart from Hawaii. Once Moriarty was in the water and in position, a huge wave began to swell, and he was standing up on his board. A strong gust of wind carried him high into the air, and he crash down into the water. He was pushed by the force of the wave into an underwater loop, and to the oceans floor. He had to fight his way up to the surface, and wait out the second wave that was about to crash over him. He discovered that his board was broke in half. He boarded the Lizzy-Lynn to catch a break and wax up his reserve board. He was soon out in the surf again; where he successfully surfed 9 more waves.

My Favorite sentence of the reading was a quote that Warshaw used written by Buzzy Trent in 1965. You can find this quote on pages 85-86. "You hear that crack and thunder, you feel the wet spray...you just power through, hoping you won't get the ax. And then if you do make it, you get a wonderful feeling inside."

The reading made me think of how my sister and I used to risk being swept away by the oceans waves for the thrill of them crashing over our bodies. My dad and mom used to take us to the coast often, west of Sonoma county. Some of our favorite beaches that we'd visit regularly were: School House beach and Glass beach. My sister and I would follow the wave out as far as we could as it reascended from the beach, and we'd sit down and wait for the wave to come crashing back over our bodies. We didn't realize how dangerous this practice was, until one time the wave started to pull me out into the ocean with it. I wasn't strong enough to fight it, I was screaming for help, but before I knew it, my dad was in the water pulling me to the shore. You would think that the whole experience would have deterred me from doing that again, but it didn't.

One thing that I didn't know before reading this story, is that Half Moon Bay is in Northern California. I have never been there, and I didn't realize that it is only a 25 mile drive from San Fransisco.

Similarities & Differences

All three of the authors talk about places that they have a reguard for; places that hold a special place in their memories and hearts. Tobar shares his early fascination for the Southern California freeways that he grew up around as a child. He shares how he has learned and grown from the many experiences that he has had travelling these highways. Steinbeck speaks of the little place in California that he treasures the most, Big Sur, and the myths that surround his treasured place on earth. Humes talks about a quiet little town called Seal Beach; a place that he discovers and grows to cherish, years after coming to California. Finally Warshaw, who gives his readers a glimpse into the thrill and passion a young man named Jay Moriarty has for riding waves at a then unknown and hidden beach named Maverick Point. The three authors also describe in their stories the changes that each area has been through over the years. They describe how the areas have progressed, become more modernized, and have in some ways have abandoned their roots over the years. The authors share the history of these places and the myths that surround them. One of the differences that I noticed was that the first three stories were centered in areas of Southern California, whereas, the last story by Warshaw was about a place in Northern California.

My Comments on the Work of 10 Classmates

1. Andrea: In her summary of 'Love in the Time of Cholera,' Andrea said "That all of the dialogue that went on between Florentino and Fermina in their letters was the basis of the love story." I watched the movie version of this story. In this version, the acting makes you feel that Florentino's love was much stronger for Fermina than her love was for him. It focuses mostly on his love for her and less on her love for him. It is known in the movie that they exchanged many letters, but the actual content of those letters was not known. It would have been interesting to have read the words that Fermina wrote to Florentino; to see if her love for him was stronger than portrayed in the movie.

2. Terrie: When comparing Freire with Florentino, Terrie acknowledges how the dedication that each has towards their passions in life can transcend across borders. The stories of these two men; their obstacles and triumphs, have reached many different people in many different places.

3. David: At the end of his summary of 'Love in the Time of Cholera,' David asks "Which is better, to have loved and lost, or rather, to have never loved at all?" In my opinion, it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Every moment that you spend making memories and having experiences with people that you care about are never wasted moments. You can learn a lot about yourself and about life from the interactions that you have with others.

4. Vanessa: In Vanessa's analysis of how the story 'Love in the Time of Cholera' is a story that transcends borders, she believes that there is a very thin line between love and obsession for someone to wait and obsess over one person for so long. She thinks people who obsess over another as Florentino did over Fermina, may be seen as crazy. Though most people who have experienced heartbreak can move forward with their lives, there are others out there who can't and do become obsessed. Vanessa wrote, "But isn't love an obsession anyways?" I don't think so.

5. Brian: I like that Brian mentions the part of the story where Fermina's grown daughter criticizes her for being an old women who has fallen in love. This is such a small clip of the movie but important, because it shows that love does not discriminate. Short, tall, skinny, fat, young, or old; no matter what our physical appearances may be, we are all capable of finding love. Love is not bound by age or physical appearance.

6. Mark: Nice summary Mark. Mark's summary is brief yet without leaving out any important information. I like how Mark points out that upon his rejection from Fermina and her choice to marry Dr. Urbino, Florentino didn't just lay down and die. He was driven to become a successful man in society like Dr. Urbino. Also, when comparing Freire's ideas to Florentino's, Mark had a different response than most of the other students. Instead of comparing the compassion and determination that both men had for their causes, he noted how they both saw importance in communication between people and cultures, like the young illiterate couple that Florentino wrote love letters for in the movie; so that he could help them communicate with each other.

7. Aloma: Aloma said in her summary that "Florentino's love for Fermina could be compared to Florentino's being plagued by the disease of Cholera." Aloma mentions that Florentino's love sickness causes him to suffer, and affects him emotionally and physically throughout the story. I noticed that there were several images of the suffering caused by cholera throughout the movie as if the disease was set as a backdrop for the type of suffering that Florentino endured because of his love for Fermina. Very interesting. Good observation Aloma.

8. Mary Lou: Mary Lou believes that the ideas in the movie 'Love in the Time of Cholera' in comparison to Freire, shows how both have influenced the field of arts and history. She said " This movie has shown how a love story that takes place in a Caribbean port in the late 1800's can be appreciated an understood throughout the world." I think it is great that we can read a story such as Florentino's or Freire's; stories that have taken place previously in time, and still appreciate them today for what they offer us in the present time.

9. Hilary: I thought that it was good that Hilary mentioned the sound of the "Death bells" that Florentino heard one day while lying in the arms of a young woman. This scene is depicted in the beginning and at the end of the movie. It shows Florentino's dedication to his promise to wait for Fermina's husband to die so that he could reclaim his love once again. It's almost as if Florentino knows it is the Doctor that died when the "Death bells" sound-a sort of intuition.

10. Marissa: I agree with Marissa, that though 'Love in the Time of Cholera' is an intriguing story, it is not very practical. To save your love and wait for the man or woman of your dreams for over 50 is borderline crazy. At least though, the character of Florentino didn't completely shut down or kill himself. He did take steps to become more successful in his career, and he did pursue many opportunities and experiences in his life while waiting for his beloved Fermina, even if it was with over 600 women.