"An Ordinary Place" by D.J. Waldie2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph; be specific in your summary. Remember that your classmates will rely on you for this information. 2 percent
In his story, Waldie, talks about the small town where he grew up in, Lakewood in Los Angeles County. His parents moved there after World War II. This was the typical suburban area. The people living in these neighborhoods had to settle for just enough and never being excessively wealthy, which was what made Lakewood unique in Waldie's eyes. Waldie explains that it was humbling growing up and living in Lakewood. There were photographs taken of Lakewood that didn't represent them in the best ways. Even though the author loves where he grew, many outsiders misjudge Lakewood. Waldie continues to live in the same home that his parents bought in Lakewood in 1946.
3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph (include entire quote; use quote marks and page number)? 1 percent
"I don't live in a tear-down neighborhood, but one that makes some effort to build itself up." (p.149)
"Except you can't see the intersection of character and place from an altitude of five hundred feetm and Garnett never came back to experience everyday life on the ground." (p. 151)
4. What did the reading make you think of? (be specific eg "There is a bridge in SF that spans 4 miles from SF to Oakland and in the middle of the bridge it crosses an island called Treasure Island. This story makes me think of that specific little island where I can see the entire city and bay area. That city was also in the news recently where .... ) .75 percent
I liked the fact that Waldie loved growing up where he did. The story reminded me of my dad. My father and his family were poor growing, but he loves the life he grew up in. He grew in Veracruz, Mexico out on a ranch. My dad and his siblings recall the memories of growing up in Veracruz with fondness. They didn't grow up with luxuries, but growing up were they lived was very humbling and shaped their characters. This story made me think of my dad because they both love were they grew up and take pride in their homes, even though the circumstances were very different.
5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know (again, be specific using concrete examples)? 1 percent
With some of the other stories, I didn't know a certain town or city existed and it's nice to learn about the places these authors grew up in. Although the authors and I live in different cities and regions of California, we all share the same love of pride for California.
"Almost Home" by Gerald Haslam
2. The story is about where Haslam grew up, in Oildale located in Central Valley. His family first began living there when his great-great grandparents migrated f
rom Mexico in the 1850's. Oildale used to be pretty green, meaning more trees and animals. Haslam used to go play in an area he called "Tarzan's House." This town soon became and developed more as an oil refinery, and destroyed most of the little nature Oildale had. Haslam, no longer lives in Oildale, but visits with his wife, to recall the memories they had growing up. It's not quite as he remembers as a child.
rom Mexico in the 1850's. Oildale used to be pretty green, meaning more trees and animals. Haslam used to go play in an area he called "Tarzan's House." This town soon became and developed more as an oil refinery, and destroyed most of the little nature Oildale had. Haslam, no longer lives in Oildale, but visits with his wife, to recall the memories they had growing up. It's not quite as he remembers as a child. 3. "On those vistits too, we especially love to sit on a pal's porch, watch doves drinking in the gutter and view orange-and-blue sunsets spectacular as the northern lights. We know that air pollution creates those colors, but in Oildale everything is bittersweet." (p.156)
4. Once again it made me think of my dad. There was a part where Haslam tries to tell his kids about where he grew up. My dad always likes telling me and my little brother about his childhood and when we go back to the actual location, he tells us every detail he recalls. The orange/blue sunsets reminds me of what we were recently seeing here in Sonoma County and even Marin County, during the wild fires.
5. I didn't know that the Native Americans living in the Central Valley region where the Yokuts. I also didn't know that in that same region there were pronghorns, grizzlies, and elk.
"My Little Saigon" by Anh Do
2.The author, Do, tells about the city of Little Saigon in Orange County. This city
emerged in the 1970's when a Vietnamese refugee opened the first business there. Her father started the first Vietnamese language paper in the United States in Little Saigon. The story is about Little Saigon and how much its like being in Vietnam for most people. Her family helped out other Vietnamese families, who had just arrived from Vietnam. Little Saigon, now has thousands of Vietnamese owned busineess. Their tradition and culture is still very present.
emerged in the 1970's when a Vietnamese refugee opened the first business there. Her father started the first Vietnamese language paper in the United States in Little Saigon. The story is about Little Saigon and how much its like being in Vietnam for most people. Her family helped out other Vietnamese families, who had just arrived from Vietnam. Little Saigon, now has thousands of Vietnamese owned busineess. Their tradition and culture is still very present.3. "And it's possible to exist here like we existed in Vietnam, without speaking a word of English." (p. 162)
"Tradition survives. But it's a delicate balance." (p. 162)
4. In a way in made me think of my culture. Our parents, and the people before that struggle to maintain their identities and cultures alive. From my point a view, Do's father started a newspaper, to make the Vietnamese people feel more comfortable in the United States, without losing their own culture. Many of the people who come from other countries try to maintain true to their heritage and roots and to pass down that pride an culture to their children and future generations.
5. I had no idea that the first Vietnamese language newspaper in the entire United States was started in California. I didn't know that the newspaper is still running in Little Saigon.
"The Nicest Person in San Francisco" by Derek M. Powazek
2. This story is about Powazek as a high school kid visiting San Francisco for the first time. He can with his dad because he ahd a business meeting and Powazek to see UC Berkeley. Well, Powazek's dad gives him the car keys to visit UC Berkeley and told him not to visit San Francisco. Powazek did visit UC Berkeley, but he also visited San Francisco. He got into a mess while visiting San Francisco, but his dad never realized it because he got to the hotel room right before his dad did.
3. "There's this moment when you pop out of the Treasure Island Tunnel and the city just explodes into view. The bridge towers jet up and bang! You can see the whole place all at once: the skyscrapers in the financial district, Coit Tower, all of it." (p. 167)
4. It made me think of me driving in San Francisco. I know the city pretty well, but when you are driving it's a whole different story. I absolutely love San Francisco, but I hate driving there. I can only imagine how Powazek might of felt driving in a city like San Francisco and not knowing anything about it. It also made me think the first time I actually went on Treasure Island, not just driven through it. I really like being there. The quote above is a perfect explanation.
5. Although it was an amazing story, and I enjoyed it a whole lot. I really didn't learn anything, except what Derek Powazek experienced.
No comments:
Post a Comment