Sunday, June 12, 2011

End of Year Reflection


End of Year Reflection
6/12/2011
Kyle C.

1) End-of-year reflection:
Imagine you can transport yourself through time but your time machine
is on the fritz. You keep jumping from time and place after only one hour.
Describe what you see, hear, smell and feel in each time hop. First, you
arrive in pre-historical Kenya, then skip to ancient Sumeria, followed by
ancient Egypt and India, ending with your last jump to present-day at an
archaeological dig.

Today my professor handed out a paper saying to discover about foods. As he assigned the work, I figured out that I had to learn about international cuisine and the history behind. So, I had to use my professor’s time machine in-order to go back to the past. Though going on time machine took a lot of risk and it was fatal, I had to do the job. I inserted pre historic times, the time machine soon generated, and I blacked out.

“Where is this place,” I shouted out loud. After the incidence, I found myself surrounded by giraffes and still holding the unfinished lunch tortilla with ham. The land was very dry, it was all plain, and I knew I had landed in a place where no one could survive. There I was standing on the sign saying “Ramogi hills 5 miles ahead.” The sign also introduced Ramogi (the father of Luo tribe) settled here after long journey from Uganda to Kenya with his people. Now I knew heading to Ramogi Hills was the best thing to do until now; I followed my decision. Along the way I warbled my favorite song all I have to do is dream by Everly Brothers. Here I was, pulling myself through the Victoria River to go to the other side. “Wait a minute, what are those people doing pouring the fresh water on their selves?” I remarked. As I approached towards them they were holding man made basket. The two fellows turned around, and soon felt shock of their life. While I was trying to greet them, they somehow discussed about my clothing and the height compared to them. I somehow figured out that their height was around 2/3 of mine. They guided me to their hut, and handed me their traditional bread much like my tortilla held in my hand called Chapati bread. We compared our bread and try to find differences; I knew that I felt closer now; Nice people went back to get some water for the visitor, meanwhile I tried to keep the bread for later. I a sudden, the nice people became bad people; they saw me abduct the favorite food of their tribe leader. With a sorrow, I ran towards the surface where I blacked out from. I really appreciated being the fast one. I didn’t know what to do so I had typed something in, now I had to suffer the consequences again.

I landed on my back in the Fertile Crescent full of industrious farmers working all day long. It was also weird and special that I was on the edge of the delta between Tigris and Euphrates River. Some farmers appealed to me saying if you wanted to join the agriculture club, soon I had to remember that I needed to encourage myself to study about food so I agreed. They took me into the tiny resting corner; somehow took me, it seemed like if I was a Sumerian Slave. Oh no, I was the Sumerian Slave; I knew I would be sold and had to be in the last social class system and had to work all day long. I was taken to the place where some colorful guy agreed to punish me with his rule. The citizens there shouted “All for Hammurabi,” Hammurabi came down the stairs, eventually to me. He opened the back, and took me out; gave me some of the famous Sumerian-Babylon festival food barley, Summer Squash, and some combination of foods. He responded that it is not proper to torture someone or foreign invader on their festival day, he accounted for how Sumerian lives went. When the speech of how writing system impacted Sumerians in a good way I carried some of the crops to the lonely time machine. Sumerians chose the right place, worked hard, expanded their empire, created writing system, had a civilization, and maintained trading relationships, what could you expect from them.

Extremely hot, I was standing on the boat pointed by the luminous light; cause there was only river I knew in Egypt and it had to be that one, I assumed I was on the Nile. I landed and head towards the market square full of beef, the woman there told me that because Egyptians thought pigs carried leprosy there was not pork. I purchased the beef and some dates. Since I knew that Egyptians liked to put dates in their grave for them to eat in the next world, and which were preserved in the dry climate for three thousand years, I knew it was special. There wasn’t anything special here except the fact that I got to participate in the Egyptian Monument Festival. During the Egyptian Monument Festival I had an opportunity to learn about how to mummify… Here was a tip… and this was my journey to Egypt, short but efficient, I got my resources; I had head on to the time machine of mine.

1. Get four jars to hold the liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach. Keep the heart inside the body and discard the other internal body organs.

2. Poke a rod with a hook on it through the nasal cavity to pull out the brain. Stuff the head with tree resin and sawdust.

3. Soak the body in natron for 40 days. Then put the body on an inclining couch so the liquids and natron fall to the bottom into a pan. Discard.

4. Rub the body with olibanum oil to make the skin supple.

5. Pack the body to make it more lifelike (with spices or sawdust).

6. Use wax to seal any incisions.

7. Tear fine linen into strips 16 yards long and 2-8 inches wide.

8. Wrap the smaller extremities (toes and fingers) first.

9. Next, wrap the limbs, and finally, the torso.

10. Sing appropriate chants over each body part.

11. Secure linen with tree resin.

12.Tuck in an amulet after every few layers.

Very humid, probably monsoon season here I predicted as I was walking by the subcontinent and 1/3 the land size of U.S, called India. Walking down the road was only thing to do, enjoying the incredible India, where on the left I saw Indians stuffing Curry with their hands and on the right rich merchants spending their time looking the sea in their garden balcony. How special is that I remarked, I passed by smelling the scent, watching Hindus clean themselves with the holy water. I was there in-front of Taj Mahal where many gave flowers, told the story of love, I knew I had to be back here one day with my love and my joy. Perhaps this was the end, except the part I had to take another food or a spectacular ingredient called pulses.

Now I knew what to make out of all the food.

I set the time back to my place, the archaeological dig in Catalhoyuk, present day Turkey. Our topic this month was to relate the archaeology with the food that we researched. My professor slowly called one student by one to announce their food and explain the importance. Soon he called me, I was there in-front of class mates, I was there cover with pressure, but I had to say the relation between Chapati Bread- Crops- Beef- and Pulses. This gave me a thought that this could make a kebab, and we all knew that kebab had a lot of thing to do with the Turkish history, perhaps with Catalhoyuk…


Monday, June 6, 2011

Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal
6/4/2011
Kyle C.

The magnificent monument Taj Mahal symbolizes the heart of India and the eternal love relationship between Shah Jahan or Prince Khurram and Mumtaz Mahal also mentioned as Arjumand Banu Begum. As I searched Taj Mahal to find background information, I found a quote from An English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold saying "Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones." The story that follows next will prove why the statement is true.

There was a lovely prince name Shah Jahan or Prince Khurram, the son of Jehangir, and the fourth Mughal emperor of India (Known as the grandson of Akbar the Great). One day when he was hanging around and strolling down the Meena Bazzar, Prince Khurram caught a glimpse of a wonderful girl. As soon as he saw her, he simply felt in love. The girl who he caught a glimpse was a Muslim Persian princess Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum). Prince Khurram returned home, asking his father, and declaring that he wanted to marry her. Though he had other wives, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite.

In year 1628, Prince Khurram entrusted Mumtaz Mahal with the royal seal. In addition to the seal, he gave her the title of Mumtaz Mahal, the “Jewel of the Palace.” Prince Khurram and Mumtaz Mahal maintained an eternal relationship. However, an unfortunate event approached. When Mumtaz Mahal had given birth to their 14th child, she had passed away due to complications. Prince Khurram was in misery and he promised her that he would never remarry anymore. Also he constructed the “richest mausoleum over her grave.”

Constructing Taj Mahal took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument. Prince Khurram died in 1666, and his body was place next to his wife. Taj Mahal is known among in the “Seven Wonders of the World.”

This story has mesmerized many people with the bewitching beauty says many Sir Edwin Arnold.



One practice from the Buddhist Eightfold Path and the Information


Choose one practice from the Buddhist Eightfold Path and describe how you could incorporate it in your life
6/4/2011
Kyle C.
Right Action:

Right Actions: To act kindly and compassionately, respect the belongings of others according to me and Buddhism. I chose to select the “right action” out of the noble eightfold path since I knew that I will need to make right actions and be capable of it in the future and in 8th grade. It is in the Ethical Conduct category with 2 other factors called right speech and right livelihood. I thought that ethical conduct meant the importance of high moral standard for each one of us. In addition there are two kinds of right action and one of them is “The Mundane Right Action” while other is “The Ultra Mundane Right Action.” Explaining bit briefly, Mundane Right Action refers to refraining from killing, stealing, etc. while Ultra Mundane Right Actions stand for the actions of one and keeping the mind holy. So back on track, right action is the second ethical principle, and the practice of right action involves the body as natural means of expression. Right action gives us an idea of to abstain from taking what are not ones, which includes robbery and fraud (even dishonesty). This not only affects just me but can help and give clear information to others. We can learn that right thinking and right actions can change one and be capable of his/her actions. But if we all want to learn more about the right actions, we have to study and analyze in the precepts.

And there is a quote that accounts for the true meaning of right action:

"One tries to abandon wrong action & to enter into right action: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to abandon wrong action & to enter & remain in right action: this is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities - right view, right effort, & right mindfulness - run & circle around right action."

Majjhima Nikaya 117



Mapping Project


Mapping Project: Ancient India Poster and Clay Model
6/4/2011
Kyle C.

1) Include picture of poster and 3D map


When I worked with Jan, we were the first (male students) to finish this master piece.The one on the top is the 3D clay model of India while the poster symbolizes the climate and elevation map. After we were finished, we had to reflect about it.

Questions:

a) How do physical features, climate and elevation relate to each other?

Physical features, climate, elevation all relate to each other. Due to the changes in elevation, climates will affect and depend upon it. If the land is dry and surface is low (Forests or grasslands), the climate alter. Relating to climate and physical features, climate sort of shapes the land, meaning it determines which areas are hotter than others.

b) What conclusions can you draw?
(Think about natural resources, climate/weather, and human settlement.)

I believe that physical features, climate, and elevation all affect the human settlement; due to this, human settlement became easier or harder. As like us choosing the right house today, settlers relied on the three factors. If the areas maintained lush vegetation, the surface was flat, humans would've prefer to stay in the same place for a long time. Some people may had depended on the elevation of certain area if they had to construct homes, and for climate/weather, they had to find the right place to plant and start the livestock system. To add on, they would've settled around the gulf (near the sea) in-order for many reasons such as food, climate, etc. In conclusion, elevation, climate, and physical geography influenced human settlements.