SPRIIINNNNGGGG BREEEAAKKKKK!

I think that should about cover it!! 

We hope you have a great break and get a chance to make all your dreams come true. 

Are we actually in Asia?

Fabulous job on your projects, everyone! Here are images of some of the great things y'all turned in today! Overall, we were very impressed with your creativity. Seriously, museums should be asking for your work!

Anyone else just love the Buddha in front of a Christian stained glass window?

The cutest Asian synagogue anyone's ever seen

Why were the Mongols in such good shape?

They were always going up and down the steppes!! Ha ha ha ha!

Mongols are the bomb, yo!

How cool are the Mongols? Infinity-cool, right? 

This pretty much covers it, eh? 

What's that? You want some dating advice from Genghis Khan? I got you.

God, I hope this conversation actually happened at some point. 

But seriously though...

We'll spend some more time with our Mongol brethren over the next few days, but a few things to consider:

1. We mentioned this in class, but keep mind that a lot of what we know of the Mongols came from the people they conquered. I bet that colors their opinion, don't you agree? 
2. As I mentioned in a few of my classes, I love the historical idea that there is a "proper" way to fight and win a war. You see this happen again and again. The Mongols were never handicapped by this. Their religious beliefs didn't prohibit certain methods or anything. So, they won most battles because they were willing to do things that other societies just willing to do. 
3. Their goals differed radically from many of the other civilizations we've looked at. The aggregation of political, religious, or social power was not anything they were super interested in. You heard in the video today how Genghis Khan defined happiness - basically it is victory in battle. VERY different then some other folks we've met. 

Asia Projects!!

Tomorrow your projects are due! Remember:

• Hard copies of everything MUST be turned in tomorrow. No emails or digital copies. 
• Please include a picture of your visual art projects. 
• Drop your project off in the designated spot in your classroom. 
• Good luck!

Soundtrack of the Week

We're halfway to Spring Break!! Pretty exciting, huh? You can almost taste the freedom. 

After you've spent a few days relaxing and recharging the batteries over the break, it is time to get your groove on. Spring Break should always have a little time to shake your booty. Well, have I got a song for you. This was literally released today. When this is all over the place in a few days, you can tell your friends you heard it here first. 

If this song doesn't take over the radio very, very soon, then popular music in America is truly obsolete. I also predict that this will be one of Ms. Virdin's favorite songs of the year. 

This is "Slide" by Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean & Migos. Get funky!

Melancholy Japanese Aristocrats is the newest line at Hot Topic!

The modern version of those melancholy Japanese aristocrats from the John Green video. 

Heian got it goin' on!

This is Roloefs if you get between him and his fried chicken. 

How did you enjoy our brief exploration of the Heian period in Japanese history? Pretty cool, huh? I loved John Green's point that it is pretty fascinating to learn history through the prism of literature and artistic expression. It is very different than digging through more traditional sources. Take a look at this amazing stuff...

I can totally read this. 

Looks like Open House at the local preschool!

I feel like they should be more alarmed by that red guy across the water. 

That is one seriously large cat. 

I have nothing witty to add here. I just think that monster IS SO COOL. 

 That is just a small sampling of some of the amazing images created in this time period. As we mentioned in class, keep in mind this overarching idea of the transitory nature of existence. It permeates the art of east Asia - especially Japan. I think you'll find a similar tone in the medieval paintings of Western Europe. We'll look at that soon as we head to the Renaissance. 

Soundtrack of the Week:

How's your Spring Break playlist coming together? I hope you're giving it the thought and attention it deserves. THESE KINDS OF THINGS ARE IMPORTANT!

What did you think of Jens? I'm a big fan of that song. I really like the juxtaposition of a somewhat lighthearted melody with lyrics that have a melancholy vibe to them. Embrace the tension!

Today, we're going to take things up a notch on the groove meter. "Hot Thoughts" is the latest single from the band, Spoon. This is a bit of a departure from their previous work, but it sounds like classic Spoon to me. My favorite moment is when the entire instrumentation kicks in and things get funky. They've got a full album coming out very soon, and I am excited for it. This band always does great work. Enjoy "Hot Thoughts"

Inca(se) you missed it... Aztec this out!

I love some phat Aztec beats!

American Outliers!

Today, of course, we spent some time hanging out with the Aztecs and Incas in the Americas. All of these civilizations from this part of the world that we're talking about this year, we refer to as pre-Columbian Americans. It should be obviously where the name for this designation comes from, but why the designation? As our sophomores know, civilization in the Americas changes pretty dramatically once Europeans start showing up. This also helps us understand why our modern impression of these civilizations can be so negative. Societies like the Aztecs are often characterized as brutal, violent, and "uncivilized." These descriptions, however, come from accounts from the earliest Europeans who reached the Americas. Let's just say that these European explorers were not the most open-minded of visitors. But look how far we've come!

This is from the Mexico section of Epcot at Disneyworld. Authentic!

Incas FTW!

Mandatory llama memes!!!

I want to be a part of this entire situation

The Incas are the bomb; plain and simple. Terrace farming, quipus, and keen fashion sense like you see above? Are you kidding me? I'm all about this life. 

The original episode of MTV's Cribs. 

Notice the extensive road system. Again... BALLERS. 

Soundtrack of the Week

Welcome back to our sometimes occurring feature here on the blog. 

As I am sure you are WELL aware of, next week is Spring Break!!

So, I thought we'd focus on some new music you can check out next week while you've got some time on your hands. There is a ton of new music coming out all over the place right now. You need to make it a priority to give it a listen. Please do this because I'm getting concerned that The Chainsmokers are a conspiracy to ruin everything good and true in this world. 

Now, I know we all want to get a little crazy over Spring Break, but I think it's important to chill a bit first and recharge the batteries. So, with that idea in mind, we'll start with a more mellow vibe. 

Jen Lekman is a Swedish musician who writes a really nice style of guitar based indie-pop. His songs are really narrative in structure as well, and I'm a sucker for a story-song. Couple all that with a solid baritone voice, and you've got a winner. I am really digging his song "Evening Prayer" right now. This single is off his latest album, Life Will See You Now. It has a sweet darkness to it, but it is really about friendship and closing those sometimes awkward gaps in relationships. Plus, any song that involves someone giving a 3D copy of a tumor to a waitress is golden. 

Here is "Evening Prayer" by Lens Jekman.

 

China is so awesome!

Totally forgot to blog yesterday. My b. Happy Thursday! One more day before the weekend! I've got some exciting plans to grade and grade.

Today in class we assessed your knowledge over your Cross-Cultural Exchanges charts (if you were absent, please touch base with your teacher) and then celebrated China's Post-Classical achievements in the form of song. Here's the link we had you look at today in case you were interested in looking up additional information: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/song/

There are a couple of things to take away from all of this:

• Changes in commercialization and the use of paper money helped facilitate trade in the Post-Classical Age.  Those of y'all who read the "Commercialization" article will have noticed that Marco Polo himself was shocked at the amount of boat traffic on the Yangzi River.  Everyone wanted to trade...all the money!!!
  
• Textiles like silk were considered luxury goods because of the labor intensive process used to manufacture it.  Your average, everyday peasant wouldn't wear silk clothing. 
• Changes in technology also help to facilitate trade during the time period - ships and compasses enabled China to be a large presence in the Indian Ocean, rivaling the influence of the Arabs. 
• The increased cultivation of rice led to a population increase and created a new food staple for other Asian peoples.
• The AP exam likes for y'all to know a handful of commodities exported, examples of new technology, and the effects of trade (population growth, cultural diffusion, financial tools, etc.)

Remember to pace yourselves with the Americas reading and your projects due a week from today!

Enough about school stuff...here are some memes to help you relax on your evening of no homework!

Don't do it, dog! 

We ain't got time!

Awkward every time.

How dare you besmirch China this way!

And finally, in celebration of the Oscars this weekend, I'll leave you with my favorite movie of the year, which unfortunately wasn't nominated for anything (except for Production Design) - Hail, Caesar! by the Coen brothers. It's not your conventional comedy, but if you like dry humor, it's recommended!

Until tomorrow!

- Siddiqui

City of Stars (or at least tea)

Happy Tuesday! Ordinarily Tuesdays suck, but this is the Tuesday of a four-day week.  So by mid-day tomorrow we'll already be halfway through the week!

Just to recap what we did today:

• Project sign-up 
• SAQ #3 (see your teacher if you were absent and need to make this up)
• Hangzhou activity 

Here are some things to take away from what you did about Hangzhou (I'm all about the bullet points today):

• Hangzhou was very cosmopolitan - there was a variety of foods to taste, luxury wares to purchase, and various sources of entertainment, all due to China's interactions with others
• There are many parallels to modern cities today - consumerism & entertainment - people purchasing things from speciality shops in cash, grabbing a bite to eat (how about some sticky rice and fried gizzard?) during their shopping excursions (how about some belts, silk, or boots?), and getting to enjoy a cultural festival (opera, puppet shows, juggling, fire shows, etc.)
• The presence of inns and the detailed descriptions on customs indicates that travelers from afar came to China and needed accommodations (or to be laughed at for not following cultural norms)
• The city also played host to a number of religions - the first mosque was constructed in the 7th century (not too long after Islam developed) and a series of Buddhist temples and pagodas were present
• Evidently people drank a lot

Don't forget - you're oh so ginormous WHAP reading is due tomorrow! And then your CCE chart is due Thursday! So many things!! 

And because it's the title of the blog post - 

This month's S.U.P.E.R. (Siddiqui's Unbelievable and Prepossessing Eating Recommendation) is somewhere I brunched at this past Sunday - Saint Ann's in Dallas. Can we say NOMS? The food is great and the ambiance is pretty cool.  Plus, it's attached to a samurai museum so you could take care of a Humanities Experience afterwards. 

This crab cake benedict became my best friend...until I ate it.

Until tomorrow!

- Siddiqui