Blogs > Essays

I believe that the frequent blog post should be more heavily involved in college writing classes than long term papers. I say this for multiple reasons. Personally, I don't consider myself that strong of a writer. When it comes to essays, I just follow the rules that have been drilled into me all throughout high-school. I can find evidence, create a thesis, introduce my quotes, and then analyze them.

boooring

I have followed this same routine countless times, and yet, when it comes to creative writing, I don't know where to begin. I feel as though this class, with its constant blog posts, has given me more of an opportunity to express my feelings in my writing. Because I don't have to worry about following a set of rules set by some societal essay standard, I can actually begin to form my own style of writing.

I like knowing that what I am writing is open to the public. I can share bits and pieces of my life and I feel that when I am writing on my blog, there is actually a purpose behind it. I also like how much more expressive I can be in my blog writing. I can chose the topics I want to talk about, and in doing so, I often consider things I would normally not, and come to conclusions that I would normally not reach. In this way, my blog writing actually benefits me. Of course I still use the skills and techniques I learned while writing long, formal essays, but I can actually enjoy seeing my words come to life while writing about topics of interest, rather than analyzing quotes to some piece that does not resonate with me in the slightest. I think that while teachers should not get rid of the essay, they should definitely begin to weigh the blog post more heavily into their curriculums. 

How I Miss City Food

The amount of Victors sandwiches I’ve had since I’ve been here at college…

I’m not saying they’re bad (they’re actually really good), but it’s just so repetitive at this point. I miss sushi more than anything. I think about spicy tuna rolls almost every day, and tempt myself with this picture I took at my favorite restaurant back home.

tuna of gari :)

I used to eat so healthy at home and my parents really warned me about falling into a trap where you just eat garbage. Well, it happened… I’m always so lazy and resort to easy, microwavable foods.

probably eaten about 12 of these since being here

I look forward to going home and enjoying a nice home-cooked Thanksgiving feast at my grandparents house. Could not sound any better!!

A Reflection on the Best

Some of the best blogs I saw were not only well thought out and executed, but also aesthetically pleasing. Using different colored fonts, as Bre did, made the blog look more appealing to dive into. Furthermore, the frequent use of images really acted as a way to convey the point. Sometimes I could not really understand what the writer was trying to get across, but after seeing the photograph he/she had in mind, I was able to understand immediately. I really liked how Kelly, as well as others, copied in a YouTube video into their blog. It added a whole new dimension – one which I had yet to consider. Looking at Celik’s blog, I really admire the photos he adds in, because they usually directly relate to his own life, and the captions he puts under them are hysterical. I could relate to many aspects of his humor. I think that the blog posts that I found the strongest were the ones that I could identify with the most. That is to say, although these posts might not entirely mimic my own life, I was able to relate to enough aspects of them to have it make me consider moments in my own life. That, after all, I believe is the most powerful possible reaction to one’s writing – to invoke emotion in his/her audience.

Character: fiction based on reality

I see a man sitting down waiting for a bus. He is middle aged, I'd say around 55. He's wearing a flannel button down tucked into a pair air of faded jeans and brown boots. Looks like a real farmer. He's kind of just waiting around and not really moving. He's tucked in between two doctor-looking people with their white coats. He really stands out. He looks pretty old-fashioned to be blunt. As he sees the bus approach, he is the last to stand up and get on. 

This man is named Robert Greene. He's a farmer from up in Maine. He's 60 years old and is getting fed up with his life of farming every day. On top of his getting bored of his routine, his wife has unfortunately just passed away. He can no longer bare living in his old farm, as it reminds him of his wife and his old job that he is so fed up with. Shortly after the funeral, he decides to pack up a suitcase of essentials and travels to NYC in search for a new life. He just wants to find happiness again, as he had early on in his marriage.

Childhood

I decided to write this post on the first thing that came to mind - my childhood. I grew up in a very European styled family. My dad, born in England, but having grown up in Paris, made sure that I retained at least some of his European mannerisms. For starters, from the time I could walk, I was enlisted on a soccer team

el capitano

and from the time I could piece thoughts together, my dad made sure I was a die-hard Arsenal fan, as his father was. Apart from soccer being a big part of my childhood, my dad always wanted me to learn some of the culture that he was raised with. He would always speak to me in French, make me watch the news in foreign languages, and last, but most certainly not least, he drilled me on my table manors. The amount of times I must have heard him say, "bring your plate closer to you", or "no elbows on the table", or "don't speak while chewing". 

Reflecting back on all this, I can really appreciate my dad's good intentions through it all. Although it might have been annoying at the time to hear him always point out my little flaws, or insist that we speak in French, I can see why he did it now, and I am thankful for that.

The Winning Blog: Reluctant Habits

After scrolling through the 15 blogs, the one that really caught my eye the most was the one titled Reluctant Habits. This blog is a little different from the others, in that many of the posts are uploaded via audio file through The Bat Segundo Show & Follow Your Ears. These posts also have a written aspect to them, introducing the author, and providing a transcript of the interview. Because the primary source of information on this blog is mp3 links that take up practically no space on the screen, this blog is able to maintain a very modern-esque, minimal blog layout. 

blog layout

modern architecture layout

This sleek look allows me to focus in on the important aspects of the writing without getting too overwhelmed with all of the text. 

Furthermore, the stories this blog reports on, and the style in which they do it, is very appealing to me. Reluctant Habit talk about huge issues, such as our military's nuclear-weapon policy, as well as handgun laws, and use very enticing pictures to drag you in from the start. Personally, I feel as though I learn better with the presence of photos, so I definitely appreciate the stunning images the writers pick as the title pages for their articles.

Apart from all the superior visual aesthetics of this blog, I really like the interplay between voice memos and writing. The interviews are conducted very professionally, and the background information provided in the writing aspects filled me in on everything I needed to know before listening to the interviews. 

Another very impressive feature this blog is in the process of creating is the Modern Library, which essentially is a 1000+ word book review of the top 121 novels of the 20th century, starting from 121 and making its way to numero uno. This is all being done by one man, Edward Champion. Quite the champion indeed. Although extremely ambitious, I feel as though Champion's plan is a very worthwhile one. After reading all these novels, there is no way that Champion does not begin to pick up patterns of great writing and begin to incorporate them into his own writing. The fact that Reluctant Habits has writers such as Edward Champion, who are always thirsting for new knowledge, shows how high its standards are. Every post I read on the blog was uniquely stylistic, yet equally well-thought out and executed. This blog was really something special to me, and I will be sure to check back on it now and again.

How College at UMich has Changed Me...

Being at college is automatically going to have several affects on you as a student, and a human in general. Being at the University of Michigan just exaggerates those affects. Having barely any time to do anything but sleep, eat, work, and party has taught me how to manage my time more affectively. I never thought that I would be able to manage all these different aspects to such an extent, but somehow I am still hanging in here.
    Being in a fraternity here in Michigan has taught me a whole new level of brotherhood. I can now easily say that the kids in my pledge class are some of my closest friends, after just months of knowing them. I love meeting kids from all over, and it really reminds me how different my childhood growing up in NYC was. It's great to get a different perspective on everything and this experience has definitely given me many different outlooks of life. I've always been relatively good at getting to know people, but meeting so many genuinely nice people here has just made that so much easier for me and I'm so happy to be at such a big university where I can meet new people every week who will have an impact on my life.

Open Topic - best possible superpower combos

As this is an open topic and we can chose what we would like to write about, I've decided to discuss the best possible interplay of 2 different superpowers. I realize I'm probably too old to be doing this but to be honest I've always loved superhero movies, and have often considered, if given the choice, which 2 powers I would pick.
     Most people automatically pick flight, but after much thought, I would go with teleportation rather than flight. With teleportation, one could get all the benefits of flight, and much more. Let me explain. If you wanted to get the experience of flying, you could simply teleport way up into the sky and then let yourself free fall down, without having to fear a possible technical failure. Furthermore, with teleportation, you could get yourself past checkpoints and into tight spaces without being seen by anyone.

     For my second superpower, I would chose invisibility.

 I often think about how interesting it would be to act as a fly in a room and watch over everything, unseen by anyone. Being invisible would allow me to do this, as well as so many other things. I would never feel in any real danger, knowing that at any second I could just disappear and/or teleport away. Having these two together would provide for many interesting activities, such as sneaking into literally any place, unnoticed and being able to escape in a sec.

Growers Growing on Growing

One particular example of a film growing on me that comes to mind is the old western classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The first time I watched this movie, I hated it. My mom really wanted me and my brother to watch it and we watched it all together as a family. I found myself bored within the first 3 minutes. I had to sit through all of it, and I probably complained all the way through it, being the 13 year old that I was. However, recently, I watched this movie at my friend's house on Netflix. I barely remembered any of it when I saw it the second time five years later, but I really enjoyed watching it the second time. It was no longer so much boring as it was relaxing. I found it refreshing to see how different movies used to be back in the day.
I think that what changed between the two viewings was, for starters, my age. Watching this very slow, dragged-out movie as an 18 year old was definitely a very different, more endurable experience than when I was only 13. Also, the fact that I actively chose to watch this movie the second time, rather than it being forced on me, was a huge factor in why I liked it so much more the second time. Finally, watching this movie with friends in a more laid back environment definitely gave the whole experience a much different vibe - one that I embraced more.

sick scene

Although this experience of having something grow on me happens to me frequently, it usually happens with music more. This particular movie was one of the few that I gave another shot, after disliking it so much the first time. Perhaps it is a sign to be more forgiving of first impressions of movies in the future...

End of the story

I really liked the ending of the story - especially the last page.  Leading up to the very end, the story was very action-packed. I think that Adichie did a great job ending on a high note. Although there is a lot of conflict throughout the story, the end ties everything together and hints at what is to come. I really liked how it ends for Kambili in a hopeful manner, because I feel as though she has been oppressed her whole life and deserves a bright future. Thinking back on how tortured her life was and how she even had boiling water poured on her feet by her own father, I was so happy for her. The possibility of a new life in America away from all the hardship and suffering they have faced in Enugu is a very comforting thought for me. I think the last line pretty much sums everything up. “The new rains will come down soon.”

Adichie often uses natural metaphors to hint at larger meanings. And in this case, she is hinting at the new life that Kambili and Mama and Jaja will have.