Travelogue pg142 #1

I think that Hameed writes little about what he observes and a great deal instead about the islands because he wants to get across the point that you don't always end up appreciating the things in life that you may expect to appreciate. In the passage, it can be assumed that Hameed is anticipating getting to use his telescope at one of the most respected astrological sites in the world. Though he was focused on this, he actually ended up appreciating a lot more than that on his way to the site. Hameed observed the people of the area, their customs, he enjoyed other astronomer's company, and opinions. All of these things he appreciated, not just seeing the site. I think that in presenting his information this way, he is telling the reader to be open to similar accidental appreciations.

Travelogue:Morgan

I believe that Hameed tells little about what he observes in the sky because that is not what he wants to get across in his writings. I believe that Hameed whats the reader to understand the meaning of this trip and not what he observes. Being in such a historical and honorable place for astronomers out weighs what he is able to view in the telescope. Hameed talks about how he loves to sit and talk to the other astronomers about their research, and he loves to hear their different points if view. I disagree with Malcolm when he said that Hameed doesn't think that his observations are important, I believe that that just was not what Hameed wanted his audience to take away from this essay.

The Travelogue

I think that Hameed includes so much history about the Canary Islands in order to give his readers a better feeling of the general atmosphere of the island and the type of people who live there. For example, the fact that the Spanish conquest of the island took 94 years says a lot about the character of its citizens. Hameed also gives many details about the landscape and scenery on the island. I think that the observations that Hameed used as a basis for this article were the ones about the island and its culture rather than his observations of the stars.

travelogue

I think he didnt describe the star gazing so much because it wasnt needed. Everyone at one point in time of their life looked up in the sky at night and saw the stars. He used the history of the island because not everyone gets to star gaze like he did. By talking about the history its almost like talking about how its been preserved from the corruptions of the world such as light pollution. Which in result kept the air clean, and made the sky perfect for star gazing at night. Since the night was so clear he basically told us it would have been perfect to see, which everyone should get to enjoy sometime in their life.
Malcolm

The Travelogue of an Astronomer

I think that Hameed is an astronomer that is just taking a nice vacation. He spends so the time to include the history of the islands so that we would have an idea of where he was, what he was looking at, and how amazing they were. He describes the Canary Islands with great detail because that is what he actually came their to do. I think he describes only a little of what he sees through the telescope because he did not take as much time to study and observe the object, as he did the Canary Islands.

The Travelogue of an Astronomer-Tim Fisher

Hameed vividly describes the island of La Palma because in my opinion, that probably was a huge reason for him to be going on this trip. I realize that he's also deeply interested in astronomy and learning about the great depths of the universe, but I'm sure this fantastically beautiful island was also maybe a small reason for him to be going. With him also going into great details about the history of the islands, it makes me wonder if his second love, next to astronomy, is history. For me, that would be the only explanation as to why so much of this essay was devoted to the island's and its inhabitants history.

Jeremiah; Hameed in the Canary Islands

In Hameed's The Travelogue of an Astronomer, Hameed is very descriptive when it comes to his surroundings, which includes a lot of history of the islands. I think Hameed writes about the history of the islands in order to give the readers a better understanding of La Palma and Tenerife (the Canary Islands). Hameed's descriptions and history lessons make the reader feel like they are right there touring the islands with him. Although I'm not sure why the reader needs to know how Horatio Nelson lost his arm (although I have to admit, it did spice up the article), Hameed gives the reader a good sense of the environment of the islands through his physical descriptions and historical accounts. Hameed really describes his surroundings to the reader pretty well.

The Travelogue of an Astronomer

I believe that Hameed includes so much history about the island, because he is leading up to his story. This to me showed me a new way to observe. Hameed gives such vivid detail which gives you a picture of what this island really looks like. By Hameed giving so much history it also gives a better understanding of where he really is. Verses just telling the audience that he went to La Palma to observe the galaxy with hisn telescope. The history makes the island seem more interesting, and almost scary.

The Travelogue of an Astronomer

In this writing the author includes more detail about the island itself rather than what he is really doing. This is great because I felt like I was on the island with the author. He describes the island with such great detail for example he writes about the endless twist and turns in the road. This made the story much more interesting because if he would have only talked about looking at the stars and galaxies then only other astronomers would have liked to read it, but with the great descriptions I felt like I was there with him. So I think he wrote more about the islands to make the readers feel like they were there with him in this experience.

The Travelogue of Hameed

In The Travelogue of an Astronomer, I think Hameed does a wonderful job of explaining his surroundings on the island. I think that in this case, it was more important for him to explain the island's atmosphere rather than what he was actually doing, looking at the stars. Because of his vivid descriptions of the island, the reader actually feels like they are there along side of Hameed living in the moment as well. I think that Hameed does a great job of describing in detail how the island looks. I think he includes so much history about the island because by doing so it makes the reader appreciate the lifestyle of the island. I dont think it was necessary for him to describe the actual star gazing so much, because by describing the island's atmosphere the reader already had a feeling of what it would be like to be there star gazing.

The Travelogue

I think Hameed talks so much about the Canary Islands to help the reader understand the location and how it was actually formed. He says that it is located off of the Atlantic Ocean and formed from a volcano which collapsed and formed a caldrea. He gives you history like how many people live on the island and when it was form to help you understand the island more. He talks little about what he sees through the telescope because there is so much to see. He mentions how long it takes the light of the sun to reach us and how stars are dying out but we are just learning about them.

Alman Hameed's journey

In reading this story, i have to say i got excited because i enjoy astronomy. Hameed started off giving you a visual of the beauty of the land he was in. The thing i noticed most about this story was that over the two days that Hameed traveled to The Canary Islands, he noticed how big our own world is. Some examples that led me to belive this come from the people he met. How each of them came from a different part of the world to study something as vast and infinite as the universe. Now, some can say that in the end we are wasting our time studying the universe, but Hameed shows you that in his journey he realized how vast and amazing our own planet is. I believe he documented mostly about the islands and the journey to those islands to show readers the journey he took to get to a small place in our gigantic world.

The Travelogue of an Astronomer

Hameed vividly describes how the island was formed, the dimensions of the island, its dominance in the Atlantic Ocean, and even its idealistic surroundings that are perfect for star gazing. He describes the island in such detail to amaze the readers who are mainly attracted to the island because of its history and its vastness. However, he does not give much detail about what he observes through the telescope because there is so much to see, space reaches on for infintity; whereas, the island of La Palma is only about 706 km squared in area. Hameed says that it only took him two to make his trip to the Canary Islands, but the light photons that hit his telescope started their journey 17 million years ago. His description of the island and the time it took to reach the island were simply given to shock the readers when they found out the vastness of space and the fact that it goes on for eternity.

Travelogue

When Hameed describes the island and the history of the island, it seemed to really focus on the timeline of the island. It tells how old it is, when the caldera was formed, and basically it was to amaze the reader with its impressive age. Then when he finally talks about the galaxies so far away and so much older than the creation of earth even. He sets it up so the reader is completely and utterly astonished by the idea of space and time. In comparison to outerspace, the island seems utterly insignificant.

Response for Friday: Hameed article

1. In this account Hameed writes little about what he observes through the telescope and a great deal about the Canary Islands. Why does he include so much history about the islands?

--Elizabeth

Carnary Islands

I believe the reason he concludes so much about island's history is because its easy to paint a picture in your mind of what they really look like and what they have evolved from. In the first paragraph alone, you can vividly picture a volcano and how it shaped the island to what it is today. I think he includes us more into the story by telling us what the island has seen over the years. You can picture blood shed and tears as well, from all the unfortnate wars and battles the island went through as well.The history gives you a better understanding of the island and makes you apprieciate it more, in my opinion.

In a photo story, such as Adams uses, you just can't get a realistic feel for what life is like for the people in the photos. In Adams photos of life in a Japanese internment camp, all you see are smiling people laughing and playing cards. Embrey paints a comletely different picture in her written account about life in Manzanar. Embrey goes into detail to let the reader know that life in these camps was no picnic, it was miserable. Many of the children in this camp had never known any other country besides america, yet they were being treated as though the were Japanese soldiers. While in my opinion life in Embrey's story is much more accurate than the life shown in Adams' pictures, I still belive their are some things in Adams' photos that you can learn about Manzanar that you can't from Embrey's essay. One of those things being happiness. Their is none to be found in Embrey's essay, but it is everywhere in Adams' photos. I believe that this place wasn't always gloomy, because that generally is not a person's nature. People try to make the best of situations regardless how bleak the outlook may be and in the case of Adams' photos, I believe the people were genuinely happy when their pictures were taken.

Photographs of Japanese-Americans at Manzanar

Embrey's story differs from Adams' pictures because she captures the reality of the internment camps; whereas, Adams' pictures only show smiling people and people playing cards. Adams neglects to share the real experience of the camps which is what Embrey does. Embrey gives a real life account of how dry and dusty the place was and how it was surrounded by barbed wire. Through Embrey's words, you realize how poorly they were treated and how they were cut off from civilization simply because of their race. If they were to leave the camp and walk out the gate they would have been shot. Adams' pictures don't show that aspect of the camp.
Adams' pictures show how the Japanese-Americans passed their time. His pictures show how they made the best of a horrible situation and instead of sitting around arguing about American democracy they played cards, grew crops, and learned how to make dresses. Adams shows the appearance of the outside of the internment camps; whereas, Embrey takes the reader in to the inside of the camps and tells us what really happened inside of the walls and barbed wire.

Photgraphs of Japanese-Americans at Manzanar

Embrey gives a personal account of how the people felt secluded at Manzanar. She sheds light on the subject of how they were "fenced" in from the rest of America as a "safety precaution" during the war and six months after. She also described how there was two opinions of those in Manzanar; those who beleive America is a just and democratic nation that will soon rectify their mistake of the relocation camps, or those who beleive that America clearly fucked up and there is no use in hopes for the near future. In comparison to Adam's photos do not portray the real emotions or feelings of those "interned" at Manzanar. They are protrayed a smitten and completley adapted to the American lifestyle and culture charecterized by their clothing and hairstyles. They are captured in peculiar settings in classes, outside, on the farm giving the feeling that they are quite smitten and giving the impression that the relocation camp is ok. Embrey's story was much more informational that was the truth of the harsh Mananar relocation camp, and exactly what was going on inside the fences of enclosure.

Manzanar

From the Embrey account you actually have a personal experience of how life at a relocation camp. Only looking at Adams pictures, it looks like the relocation camp did not look as bad as it really was. The pictures portray that the camp had a good environment to live in and the people who lived in those camps had a really good relationships with each other. When reading the Embrey account you learn that the camps were a little different than assumed by looking a the pictures. Something that can be learned from the pictures that can not be learned from the Embrey account is the way the camps looked. Embery does not give a description of the relocation camp.

Manzanar

One thing that you can learn from Embrey's essay that you cannot learns from Adams' photographs is a firsthand personal account of one family's experience in the internment camp. However, the photos give more details and provide a visual aid to help you understand the conditions of the camp.

Manzanar

Embrey and Adams bring out very different aspects to the Manzanar internment Camps. Like Brittany said, Embrey makes the place come alive with her vivid description of the camp. She is able to capture the emotions of the camp through her words. Because she experienced the camp fist hand she has a more personal effect on the reader. She is able to successfully portray the emotions of the imprisoned Asian Americans through her writings. This method iffers from Adams in that Embrey has a first hand account of the situation.

Adams pictures differ from the Embrey's writting in that you have a picture to tell you the exact emotion of the camp. The pictures capture exactly what the camps were like. It is not up to the reader to make up their own emotions regarding the camp like it is in the story. Adams pictures capture the exact moment. It is a sort of raw image of the world in the interment camps.

Manzanar- Brittany

What I learned from Embrey about Manzanar that I did not learn from Adams's photographs was the reality of Manzanar. It was this place that trapped people in, with no way out, except to join the Army. Embrey describes the barb-wired fence, and seeing Mt. Williamsons peak crested in gray clouds. Her stay there seemed to be forever. Embrey made her life in Manzanar seem rough and unhappy.
In contrast, what I saw from Adams's photographs that I did not find in Embreys account was that the pictures were beautiful. Through his pictures the people living there look happy. Adams does not show a photograph of the barb-wired fence, and he does show a photo of Mt. Williamsons as a very beautiful mountain. Adams's shows a side that to myself seemed to be wonderful, for example: his photo's show mountains, dressmaking classes, a church, a happy electrician, a happy little girl, and a proud farmer, and for his last picture it is women playing a game while they smile and laugh.
I feel that the stories "Photographs of Japanese-Americans at Manazanar" and "Some Lines for a Younger Brother..." relate to the story "A Small Place" by Kincaid. This is because Adams is like the tourist in Embreys town. He takes pictures that doesnt show the "true" side of the natives land. So for Embrey her story is more real, because it is her life, she lives day in and day out. Whereas, Adams takes great pictures of Manzanar, with leaving out the actual tradegy, and then he goes home.

-Brittany

Manzanar Matt P

In reading and viewing both of these selections, i can agree with almost everyone that has written so far. The written portion gives you a view from someone who was in Manzanar when all the tragedy happened. Ansel Adams was on the other side of the fence, he was a free man who could do what he wanted. Embrey's wrote about her own life story in those internment camps. Ansel gave a postivie outlook on this story but i have to state that it is alot easier to show good sides of people when your not around all the time.

My biggest problem with this section of reading comes from the fact that yes Ansel is a world renowned photographer, but thats all he is, a photographer. Embrey did not write this, to tell us a fictional story, or to entertain us, she wrote it to explain what she went through with these internment camps. You can view Ansel as a positive photographer yes, but i believe that the more powerful of the two is Embrey because she was there. She had to live the life that Ansel was able to just walk up and photograph. Adam's did portray alot of the more positive things that you can get out of his pictures. Although at the end of the day Adams's could go home to a nice comfortable house, while Embrey was forced to live in an interment camp. Which side do you propose has a better view on the situation.

Kate-Manzanar

I learned from Embrey's story that Manzanar was a rough place to live. Most people could not afford much because their businesses were getting shut down because they were Janpanese and were taken in to Manzanar and held in by barriers. People became afraid of the guards and had to try and find ways to escape. Adam's pictures show everyone with smiles on their faces like they were happy to be there. He shows them playing cards and enjoying themselves. Embrey talks about the hardships of life in Manzanar while Adam's shows that people enjoy themselves and having classes and going to church.

Jeremiah Knox, Manzanar: Pictures v.s Words

In my personal, unprofessional opinion, Embry's written account of Manzanar is a much better description of Manzanar than Adam's photographs. Embry's written account of how life inside and outside of Manzanar reveals much more than what Adam's photographs could ever reveal. Embry's description of her brother's life really give the reader a sense of how he suffered inside and outside of Manzanar. Embry's words give the reader an accurate account of the personal feelings of herself, her brother, and her family and other people around her. Although Adam's photographs are more descriptive in other ways, they are very deceptive about life in Manzanar and they just don't have the ability to convey the same message that Embry's words provide.
Adam's photographs are not without purpose. Adam's photographs provide a much more accurate visual description of Manzanar than what Embry's written account provides. His photos give the viewer a very accurate view of how Manzanar and its surroundings actually looked. Embry's description lacks power when it comes to describing her surroundings. Adam's photographs deliver a much more detailed description of Manzanar than what Embry's written account could ever provide. So, visually speaking, Adam's photographs provide a much better description of Manzanar than Embry's written account.

#1 Different Views of a Tragedy

Both Embrey and Adam's attempt to give the reader a sence of what it was like to live at Manzanar. The messages they are trying to convey, however, are very different. Embrey focuses on the hardships that are associated with Manzanar. She tells how her little brother was forced to stay there for years. She reinforces the hopelessness experienced when she tells her brother he should study and he responds, "What's the use of studying American history when we're behind barbed wires?" Overall, Embrey's picture of the camp is very dark and sad. Adam's photographs, however, tell a totally different story. Instead of focusing on the bad associated with the camp, Adam's showes how even through hardships the people oppressed were able to servive. He shows pictures of people working as well as playing cards and being, from the looks of it, relatively successful. Both of these accounts are true, but both give very different information. Without reading both, an accurate view of the camp could not be formulated.

manzanar Malcolm

Adams only depicts the people as being happy. In every picture everyone has a smile on there face, meaning it couldve been planned. In Embrey's story, it helps the reader get a better picture of the situation. It tells people how they feel when the cameras arent flashing in there face. The pictures help us though get an image of what it actually looked like. Other than the story we can only make a mental image. Both the story and the pictures help everyone see the whole ordeal in both lights. When times were somewhat good, and when times got frustrating. They both help in letting us know what really happened

Nick W. Japanese Americans

Embry talks briefly about the life in Manzanar while Adam's pictures show more of what it was like there. Adam's pictures show that there was a dress making class, feilds to work in, and games to play while the Japanese Americans were there. On the other hand Adam's depicts life at the camp easy and stress free. That is not how Embry told her story, she talks about the barbed wire that fenced them in, but in Adam's pictures there was no barbed wire to be seen. Embry also talks about a school that the nuns strted, and the most comparable thing to a school that Adam's potographed was the church. Overall Adam's portrays the camp as a happy place, with his pictures of smiling people, and a free place. Embry talks about the camp as a closely watched horrible place where no one should ever have to stay.

Embrey vs. Adams

After reading what Embrey wrote, and looking at the pictures that Adams took, I couldn't believe the dramatic differences and contrast between the two. Embrey's writing made me feel very sad about what was going on for her and her family, the way she felt about the situation and the things she had to deal with seemed terrible. Adams photos however were almost completly the opposite. The photo's Adams took, showed people looking happy and like they were having a good time. It seems that Embrey's writing captured the hardships, where as Adam's photos captured the time when people seemed to have forgotten about their troubles and were trying to have a good time.

-Gabby Henskens

A Small Place

One place that Kincaid contrasts what a touist sees and what a local sees is in the hotels. Kincaid describes how the tourist rushes to the hotel to take bath and bruth thier teeth and use the restoom. What the tourist is unaware of is where the water goes after they flush. He talks about the sewage problem that the island has. This problem is masked by the islands beauty and the tourist preoccupation with their own relaxation while the are vacationing.

Kincaid goes on to say that it is a lack of appreciation for the beauty that they see around them. Kincaid thinks that the tourist are ignorant to the day to day lives of the inhabitants of the island simple because they do not live there and will only be visiting for a short while. She accuses them of being bad people because the go to other countries to seek happiness off of their misfortune.

Differences

Embrey's verison of life is quite different than Adam's in my opinion. Embreys quite a depressing and sad and terrible story really. You really feel sorry for that entire family and you when I imagine their faces, the last thing expect to see are smiles. Adams pictures are way more upbeat and everyone seems to be happy with whatever thing they are doing. I think these examples are polar opposite of each other and I wonder what the majority of people were feeling back then

Manzanar

Both Embrey and Adams provide a unique and interesting way of describing the internment camp. Embrey writes an interesting story, and Adams takes photographs. Embreys use of words describing Manzanar help the reader to better understand the quality of life there, and why they were there and for how long, and other fine details about the camp. Adams' photographs, however, reflect a more positive viewpoint of the camp, such as classes, the church, and people smiling and appearing to be fairly happy during their stay at the camp.

Response for Monday: Adams's photo essay and Embrey's reflection

1. Embrey uses words to describe Manzanar while Adams uses pictures. What do you learn from Embrey about Manzanar that you could not learn from Adams's photographs? Likewise, what does Adams show you that you don't find in the Embrey account?

PS: Everyone has been doing an excellent job so far of writing thoughtful, well-developed posts and comments. Let's keep this quality up!

--Elizabeth

Here's a link to background information about Japanese American internment camps during WWII.

A Small Place

A few places where Kincaid contracts what tourist see and what the locals see are airport customs, bad roads, the way taxi drivers drive, the beach and the clean fresh waters, and food. Another thing that tourist do not see that the locals have probably once thought about, is where the waste goes when the toilet is flushed, or what happens to the water that was used to take a bath. An obvious factor is that the locals are use to the bad roads, the food, and the beauty beach and water; to a tourist all those things are brand new. The main reason why these difference occur is that the locals of Antigua envy tourist from the United States and Europe because the locals of Antigua are too poor to get away and take a vacation from their everyday lives. (Writing:Kincaid, 128-132)

A Small Place Question #2

In Kincaid's "A Small Place," a strong emphasis is put on the difference between what a tourist sees and what a local at a tourist attraction see. One example Kincaid gives is how each person sees the ocean on the island. The tourist looks out of his window and sees a beautiful blue sea. Perhaps the most beautiful sight he has ever seen. What he does not know is that whenever he flushes his toilet, his waste is dumped into the see. Only a local would know that, however, and because of that fact a local will not see the sea as beautiful, but instead polluted. The difference being the knowledge that comes with living in the area. Another instance where perceptions clash is in how the tourist is perceived. To the tourist, the tourist is not ugly. The tourist is beautiful, as he is in his normal everyday life. The locals, however, do not see the tourist as he is in everyday life. They see him as he is on vacation. They are not used to his customs, his mannerisms. He is strange. They laugh at him and make jokes, meanwhile all the tourists sees are a bunch of natives smiling at him. It's best that the tourist not know the truth, however. That would ruin his vacation.

Lucas Smith

What a tourist sees VS. What a local sees

In Kincaid, "A Small Place" the author talks about how tourists do not want it to rain, because it will ruin their vacation. This is mostly true in real life, because when you go on vacation you expect for everything to be perfect, the sun to shine, not for it to rain. The thing is though is that tourists, even myself, do not understand that maybe the natives who live there need that water supply to survive. So, as explained, Antigua is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, so the natives watch carefully for every drop of fresh water is used. Which tourist do not think of it in that manner.
When a tourist comes to Antigua they move through customs easily. Their bags are not checked, unlike the natives who if returning to Antigua, they have cardboard boxes for their family with cheap clothes and food get searched.
What causes these differences is the fact that everyone wants to get away. Everyone is a native from somewhere and they all want to get away from banality, boredom, desperation and depression, but some natives can not get away from this. So therefore, when a native see's a tourist they envy them for turning their banality, boredom, desperation and depression into their own pleasure, because they can not do the same. They can not escape from reality like others do.

I found this article to be very interesting. I am someone who loves to travel. I have been to many places such as: The Bahamas, Tijuana Mexico,California, and this year Puetro Rico and New York. I have never minded being a tourist and it never really dawned on me how different the tourist and native's values, beliefs, and views are. Most natives are friendly, even in the poorest of places(Tijuana) The people in New York could be rude at times ,but for the most part were relatively nice. I think these different views are caused by growing up in completely different backgrounds and environments. I think hes able to convince the readers because most of us have been somewhere where we're not used to the place and he says things that is normal for anyone to think like I hope it doesn't rain, while the natives know that because of droughts they actually really do need it to

small place-nick weissenberger

The author talks about how the natives and tourist see differnent events in different ways. One of these diffrences is the amount of rain that Antigua receives, and the natives use of water. The long droughts that Antigua has benifits the tourist because he or she would like to enjoy their vacation time without it being interrupted by rain. On the other hand the natives of Antigua see the rain as a blessing to there land and allows them to use more water then normal. The landscape is another difference in the eyes of the natives and tourist. The tourist sees the land as different and beautiful, where as the natives to Antigua see the land for no more than their home. They do not appreciate the views as much as the tourist does. I believe this is mostly due to the natives living there and seeing these sights and living through the droughts that they do not appreciate these things the same way the tourist does.

"A Small Place"

The author gives many different contrasts between the views of the tourist and that of the natives of Antigua. One of these is their views of the rain. The tourist is pleased with the fact that rain is very rare because he does not want it to ruin his vacation, while the native is very conscience of the drought and is concerned with the amount of water used. The tourist is also forgiving of and even enjoying the disrepaired state of the roads, but the native realizes how badly they are in need of repair. Throughout this excerpt the tourist is only concerned with his own wants and desires and takes no notice of the local people living in such a sad state. The tourist also thinks nothing of the water that he uses freely and wastefully, while the native carefully watches every drop and is aware that there is no proper disposal system. The tourist is only concerned with getting his meal, and unlike the locals is unaware of the origin of the food. Natives see the tourist as an ugly person and dislike him. He sees himself as a nice and attractive person. The locals see their homeland as heaps of death and ruin while the tourist is inspired and enlivened by the sight of it. Finally, the natives are envious of the tourist's ability to find pleasure in their own common lives.

These differences are caused by varying backgrounds and being raised in vastly different environments. The locals are aware of the truth in every situation taking place in their homeland while the tourist has been taught to care only for himself and his own feelings.

In the story, A Small Place, Jamaica Kincaid paints quite a vivid, and as Gabby said, accurate picture of what life is like in Antigua. Having traveled all over the country in my life, I too was a little upset to read what Kincaid says is the take on tourists by locals in major tourist hotbeds. Having been a tourist so many times in my life, I must say I was little disappointed in myself because I realize that I was probably one of the tourists, like the one in the story, who was criticized and mocked behind closed doors. But the further I read, the more I really began to understand what these people must go through, and why they act this way toward us.
Picturing myself as an Antiguan native, I see myself day in and day facing many hardships on that god forsaken, drought stricken little rock in the middle of the Caribbean. To have to work so hard for what I had on this poor desert like isle, and then to have people who were much better off than I pause to stare at me as I go about my daily life…it makes me sick. I just consider myself fortunate that I never have had to face the hardships that these people have.

Jeremiah, "A Small Place"

There are a few instances that the author points out that show major differences in how a tourist views Antigua and how the locals view Antigua. There is the instance where the tourist easily gets through customs with ease, while the locals have a harder time getting through customs because they have to bring needed provisions from another country. There is the instance where the tourist admires the beauty of the beach and the ocean, while the locals laugh at the tourist for swimming in the same ocean where the entire town dumps their waste. Throughout this excerpt from Kincaid's A Small Place, there are many instances that show the differences in perception of the locals and the tourists, but why do these differences exist?
In order to answer this question, one has to understand how the author feels about tourists. The author seems to describe a tourist as a person trying to escape from their boring, desperate, and lonely lives. The author is trying to convey the message that tourists are so bent on escaping from their lives, that they do not take time to look around at their surroundings. That is where the difference in perception lies. The tourist is so naive, that they do not even see the suffering and hardships that the locals see. The tourist only sees paradise, whereas the locals see the poverty and hardships that plague their home.

Gabby A Small Place

While reading this essay I was almost in disbelief, because as sad as it sounds, this essay is quite accurate. I think the thing that had the most impact of me was when I started reading about the rain. It's so true that whenever someone goes on vacation to some place like Antigua, (tropical and hot) if it rains people are always so upset about it. I know I for one have been upset before if it rains on my vacation, I'm sure I have even said the rain was ruining my vacation. When the author was talking about how a tourist might be upset about the rain because it was ruining vacation plans, the locals however are more than likely ecstatic because they have been needing rain for a long time. I had never thought of it like that before. I think a lot of times, people take things for granted, and when we go on vacations to places like Antigua, we are there to enjoy ourselves, but probably more than likely don't stop to think that people live there on a day to day basis, and have issues and problems just like we do at our home. All in all I think this story is a very good eye opening story, I know it made me think differently about the whole vacation experience.

-Gabby Henskens

Malcolm small place

At the very beginning of the story Kincaid, begins to talk about all the new images he sees. He talks about how the sun is always shining and dry, which we dont get in America, (or Europe). The way he describes the taxi driver gives us the readers a real view of how he experienced the driver driving and how if you lived somewhere like New York you'd already have a picture of how they worked. Then how he goes on and on about the other tourists and the colors of the ocean really creates a picture in the mind that you cant really appreciate unless you see it yourself.

Matt, I loved your blog, but I dont understand why you didnt use any of the visual images he gave like the colors of the ocean or the native he talked about on the beach. Everyone else talked about the airport, and getting off seeing the new land. You see new land off every airport, instead I think you guys couldve focused, on the people, how they looked, how they acted. Or also talk about the fact that the experience he couldnt get in the country. Thats just my opinion, so what do I know.

Analyze and connect: A small place

In reading this section from the book A Small Place, i have noticed one major factor that even I would not notice. When the person arrived at the airport and looks out the window to see the plants and vegetation that indicates that their is quite a bit of rain fall. The author describes how they loathe rain, mainly because back home they deal with it frequently. This is ironic to me because the people who live in Antigua strive off the rain that falls, while the tourists complain about the fact that their is not enough sun for them when they arrive. As a tourist you pay money so that you can enjoy a beautiful area to yourself, while the inhabitants might need that rain to surivive.

Another section that shows both point of views on Antigua comes when the author is at dinner. Since our customs usually do not involve eating with your hands very often, it is unlikely that someone from our culture would eat certain foods like that. When the author tried to eat with their hands, they stated they felt like a fool. This goes to show that in certain circumstances no matter how hard you try, you will always look like a newcomer. I do agree that when on a vacation you stand out like a sore thumb without even really trying. The differences that occur in both the tourists and the people trying to surive come down to envy. The tourists take for granted the luxuries they have, and the people who work in the resorts envy the freedom these people have on a day to day basis.

Matt Petrella
Eng 111

A Small Place

One of the first major distinctions seen through the eyes of a tourist as opposed to a native occurs at the airport. A tourist wonders why something like an airport is named after the prime minister without knowing what the rest of the place looks like and whether or not the airport is the best, most attractive and productive, part of Antigua. Besides questioning the name of the airport, a tourist sees the greens of the island and the vegetation being produced by it and assumes that the location receives mass quantities of rain fall, when in actuality a native knows that they experience droughts constantly.
In addition to the outlook of the location, the natives that inhabit it our also judged by their appearance. A tourist, more specifically, a white tourist, passes through customs with ease no questions asked; whereas, an African American native is searched and publicly humiliated by an unnecessay invasion of privacy.

nick weissenberger

Hello, my name is nick weissenberger. I live in Swanton,OH which is close to Toledo. My major is biology, I picked this major because I would like to become a marine biologist. When I am not in class i enjoy basketball, fishing, and exploring new ideas. I have an older brother who is currently serving in the army, and a younger sister who is still in highschool. So far I have enjoyed living here on campus. I like all of the fun events that have given me a chance to meet the people I have, and make many new and interesting friends.

Kincaid:A Small Place

Kincaid starts off talking about the airport and how when a tourist looks down in an airplane they see all green landscape and think everything is wonderful about the country of Antigua for example the hot weather while a native from the country see a drought and has to watch the amount of water they use. The tourist go out and enjoy a day on to the beach but have no idea that there is no sewage system. Many of the differences bewteen the tourist and natives come from the natives not see much of the world because they don't make a lot of money. Many tourist don't go off the resort path and see the country's low poverty level. The tourist look at the good while the natives view all the bad.

Tim Fisher

My name is Tim Fisher and I hail from the thriving metropolis of Gibsonburg, OH; population 2200. Gibsonburg is a small rural community approximatly 20 minutes east of Bowling Green.At Gibsonburg High School I was active in Cross Country, Wrestling, and Track. I was also a member of the Golden Bear Marching Band, The Gibsonburg Concert Band, and the Gibsonburg Jazz Band. I am very interested in sports management, my major here at BGSU, and one day I would like to be an athletic director at a division 1 college.

A Small Place

The airport is the first and one of the most distinct places where Kincaid describes what a tourist sees and what the local sees. The process of the tourists is much easier and is viewed in a positive light, but the locals go through a more lengthy and difficult process and only see that side of the airport, so they don't view it in such a positive way.
Another thing that stood out to me was the sewage system, or rather the beautiful Caribbean Sea. On one side the sewage system appears to be completely normal, probably just because tourists dont have to think about where waste goes after it is flushed. The other side is the locals knowing where the tourists' waste is going, ruining the beautiful sea.
What the tourists dont know can't hurt them, but if they did they wouldn't think the sea is as great as its cracked up to be. Basically the beautiful scenery and food is just a facade that only the locals can really see past.

Response to Kincaid's "A Small Place"

Respond to the following prompt (reprinted from p. 128 of your textbook) in a 1-2 paragraph posting to this blog. Read other classmates' responses and make a comment on at least one of them.

2. Examine places where Kincaid contrasts what a tourist sees and what the local sees. What causes the differences?

--Elizabeth

hello- my name is kelly reid. i enjoy being outdoors, playing frisbee, eating sleeping, traveling, and hiking. i have 3 dogs at home and 2 siblings both who are older then me so all in all i am the youngest. My sister currently resides in vermont and my brother in colorado. And my parents and i just live in our hometown of granville ohio.

Lucas Smith

Hey, I'm Lucas Smith. I'm a freshman, 18, from New London. If you've ever heard of that before I'm impressed. Anyway, my major is Music Education with an emphasis on voice. I also play trumpet and french horn.

Brittany Goings

Hello,
I am Brittany Goings. I am staying in Harshman- Dunbar. I am majoring in Architecture, so therefore, my plan is to go to BG for 4 years, and then to transfer to UCLA or OSU to recieve my masters. That way i can open up my own bussiness. I am very creative and plan on really changing the structure of buildings. My favorite thing to design is houses. I also am thinking about taking a minor in art. I love to draw people, and if i work hard enough the resemblence somtimes can be amazing!
I am from Indian Lake, Ohio. It is about an hour and a half south of BG. In high school I was a cheerleader and on the Bowling team. I live with my mom, step-dad, and little sister who is 11 years old, my step-brother goes to The University of Dayton and he is a junior. I also visit my dad and little sister who is 8 years old, and that is another hour away from Indain Lake. I was a waitress also. I worked everyday, durring the mornings. And in my spare time I would hang out with my 2 best friends, my boyfriend Eddie- who I have been dating for 3 years and Katlynn- who i have been friends with for about 4 years.
I am loving it at BG! I have met some really awesome people, and I have done some really exciting things so far! And thats it!

Hello everyone.

My names Matt Petrella, and im from Boardman, Oh. I live about three and a half hours away from here, so needless to say im far from home. I stay in the Kreishcer Darrow dorm. I am working on getting my psychology major, and hoping to achieve both my masters and a PhD. I plan on becoming a Teenage abnormal clinical psychologist. This is classified as someone who is on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I hope one day I can make a difference in the lives of many adolescence.

I have a sister who goes to Ohio University, and is a journalism major, so im pretty sure im not going to be able to slack off in english. My mother and father work for small buisnesses. I am the youngest by eighteen months. Some of my hobbies are Guitar, writing, anything random, and anything that seems like a good time. I am up for anything, and rarely turn down anything that seems interesting. I was on the Boardman High school Speech team for three years, and honestly can say i have no problem speaking in front of people.

I could probably keep rambling but i will stop here untill next time. I look forward to meeting eveyrone

I Little Bit About Myself

My name is Andrea Johnson. I'm From Detroit, Michigan. My Major is Pre-engineering, and i plan to continue to Chemical or Biomedical engineering. A few interesting facts about myself are i cheer for a total of ten years, both for All-star teams, and my school's cheer team, i have lived in two countries, Untied States and Germany, four states, and have been to 8 schools. I am the only chlid of my mother, but i have two step-brothers and a half-sister. I also am a huge college football fan. As a final note, english is not my best subject, but if anyone needs help in science or math i would be gald to help.

Gabby Henskens

Hey there everyone,
My name is Gabby Henskens and I am from Loveland, Ohio. Loveland is about 25 minutes north of Cincinnati, so I'm about three hours away from home. I am majoring in Vocal Music Education, and hope to one day be able to teach choir class at a high school level. I have been involved in theatre, singing, and dancing since I was about 9 years old. I decided to major in music education rather than go into theatre, because I want to be able to teach and show people, how much music means to me, in hopes that maybe they will realize how wonderful it is.
I am the oldest of three kids in my family, I have a brother who is 17 years old, and a sister who is 14. I'm really close with both of my parents, so being all by myself is definately a new experience. Although, I have to say I dont think I have ever been this excited about anything before in my entire life. I am definately loving the college life : )
This summer I worked a summer job at Starbucks, and got to travel to the British Virgin Islands with my best friend Natalie, and went to Holland and Paris with my Dad. My family is from Holland so it was really neat going there and meeting members of my family, that I had never met before.
I can't wait to get to know all of you better.
-Gabby Henskens

Malcolm

Hello, my name is Malcolm Jones and I'm 18. I'm from Akron, Ohio about 2 hours and 20 minutes away from Bowling Green. I went to St. Vincent- St. Mary and came here along with 3 of my fellow classmates. (Yes, LeBron James went to St. VM and yes, he comes to visit and freshman go crazy and no, I really don't care to surround myself around people who make millions of dollars for putting a ball in an iron circle 10 feet in the air.)My major is Broadcast Journalism and I'm hoping to double that with Music Education. I'm in the marching band and I play trombone, this will be my 8th year playing trombone I love making people happy with music. Some interesting facts to know about me is that I was born in West Palm Beach, FL and lived there for 5 years until I moved to Akron where I lived until now. Another interesting thing, although its not a good thing my 18th birthday happened to be the same day as the Virginia Tech Shooting (April 16th).

Hello everyone

Hello everyone, my name is Morgan Mingo, but I am know by my friends as simply Mingo. I am from Akron, Ohio where I live my my mother and two younger brothers. I am a freshman here at Bowling Green and am in the Nursing field. In High School I was very active in our DECA program where I went on to a national competition in my junior year. I am very excited about this upcoming year and hope to get to know you all a little bit better. Until next time!!!!!

Introduction

My name is Katie Defibaugh and I am from Bellefontaine, OH which is about an hour and a half south of Bowling Green. I am living in Harshman-Dunbar, and I am a member of the Honors Program. In high school I was very active in music, band, pep band, choir, show choir, and musicals, just to name a few. I have an older brother and a younger sister. I love shopping, photography, scrapbooking, and as I mentioned, music. My friends back home are the best and they mean the world to me!

Intro

Hello, I am Wendy Schweizer and I am from Celina, Ohio. For those of you who do not know where that is, it is approximately two hours south of Bowling Green and in the middle of cornfields. In highschool I played trombone in jazz band, marching band, and symphonic band. I like to read, ride bike, and have a good time with everything I'm doing.My major is secondary education, and I hope to become a German teacher. My experiences here so far have not been very exciting, but I am looking forward to the next few weeks to see how things work out.See you later,Wendy

Introduction

Hi everyone, my name is Stephanie Latkovic. I am from Mentor, Ohio which is about 2 and a half hours from here. My favorite genre of music is country and my favorite band is Rascal Flatts. However, I am also a fan of rock music and some rap. I come from a family of seven and have four older siblings, one of which is my twin sister. I played basketball and fastpitch in high school and in my junior season of basketball we went to the state finals. I am outgoing and I love shopping and my family traditions of spending every Sunday and Wednesday at my grandparents' house eating lunch and dinner with my entire family.

My name is Kathleen Wiles. Most people call me Kate or Katie. I am from Willard,Ohio. Willard is around 1 hour and 30 mins. away. In high school I was a cheerleader for football and basketball and I was a baseball statistician. I like to watch sports but not play them. I am a big Ohio State fan. In college I am majoring in Education as an Intervention Specialist. I like listening to music. My favorite type of music is country but I listen to other types, too. I like watching movies with friends mostly chick flicks and I love to cook. I'm on facebook quite often so feel free to add me.

Info on me

Hey everyone, my name is Jeremiah Knox. I'm from Springfield, Ohio which is about two hours south of here. For now, I'm a French major and hope to become an interpreter for the FBI, CIA, or the United Nations. I'm mostly interested in metal music, but I'm getting more interested in punk rock and Irish punk rock. I'll be perfectly honest, English is not my area of expertice, so if I ask a question that seems really basic, then it is not a joke, I honestly don't know. If anyone just wants to talk, study, or whatever, just let me know.

Introduction: Elizabeth Fleitz

Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I'm your instructor this semester. I'm a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Rhetoric and Writing program, studying to be an English professor. I've gotten degrees in secondary education and in literature. I've taught 111 and 112 for the last four years, and this year I'm teaching 207 (Intermediate Writing) along with this class. I enjoy teaching, I find it's an adventure every day, so I hope you like being in my class.

If I had free time again, I like to read for fun (fiction--chick lit, nonfiction--politics and social sciences), check Facebook (it is now an official addiction), cook, sit out on my balcony, and hang out with friends.

I'm looking forward to hearing about each of you, so write a post that introduces yourself to me and the class.

See you Wednesday,
Elizabeth

About me

Hey everyone, I'm Mike Celusta. I'm from Waterville Ohio. Its about 20 minutes away from BG. I went to Anthony Wayne High School. I am a Sports Communications major. I really like Sports, obviously cause i'm majoring in it, politics, and hanging out with my friends. I played basketball in High School and was Vice President of Student Government. My favorite band is Coldplay. My favorite TV shows are The Daily Show and Colbert Report.

Welcome to Our Blog!

Hello 111 students and welcome to our class blog! This is where you'll be sharing your views and opinions on what we're talking about in class this semester. To use this blog most effectively, I expect you to:

1) post a response by the beginning of class time on the day it is due

2) return to this blog regularly to read other students' responses, to get perspective on alternative or similar views

Have fun this semester!

--Elizabeth