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"
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.
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!
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.
Yesterday and today we dove into how great and exciting and innovative and vibrant East and Southeast Asia is during the post-classical age. Basically everything Europe is, uh, not.
Yesterday, we focused on trade in the region, especially coming out of southeast Asia. Big takeaways?
Southeast Asia traded extensively with other people via the Indian Ocean. Because of this, they were exposed to Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. They also heavily traded with China, which explains the sinification we talked about today (Friday).
ALSO, always associate Indian Ocean trade with bulk goods. Large quantities of whatever they are trading. Basically the Costco of the post-classical age.
Today, we talked about sinification - or the spreading of Chinese culture to other Asian countries. How did people react? Well, you should have noticed, Korea is totally down. Japan takes a few things and rejects the rest...and Vietnam. Well Vietnam uses this ladies to show how not down they are...
This weekend, hopefully you will dive into your WHAP reading (due Wednesday!!) and learn more about post-classical Asia!
Other things that are due???? 1. East Asia project sign up is Tuesday, so make sure you know what kind of project you plan on doing.
2. WHAP reading due Wed.
3. CCE chart due Thurs!
Get on it.
Have a good three day weekend - write some Haikus about our Presidents for Presidents' Day! Don't rub it in too much...we have to work on Monday :( !
Which is why you had a quiz today. Hope you were able to show off all that knowledge on post-Classical Europe!
Tomorrow, we branch into Post-Classical Asia and the Americas. When we add in the Islamic world (which we learned about last semester) and Europe, that about covers it all!
Couple of reminders:
words for nerds is due Thursday!
We've assigned some new reading! Chapter 14 and pgs. 310-314, pgs. 320-324 are due next Wednesday, 2/22
NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, but don't rub it in too much, we still have to work.
Since I don't have a lot to add, I bring you Garafola's ranking of breakfast foods, a top-10 list.
Coming in at #1 is, of course, bacon. In all its forms, from turkey to traditional, this is a must have. I don't have any recommendations on where to get it, cause it's good everywhere.
Sconesssssssssssssssss. Here is the thing with scones. It's hard to find good ones. I used to like Starbuck's scones, but a new recipe came about a few years ago and I have to say it's a downgrade. If you know a good place to get scones, holla. My mom makes excellent scones, so whenever I have a bad hankering, I call Mama Bailey. Also, these scones from World Market are just add water and they are not.bad.at.all.
Muffins. Obviously, I am all about sweet breakfasts. Good muffins? Dunkin Donuts! I'm not a big donut person, but their muffins are A+. I like muffins because basically they are breakfast cupcakes without frosting and frosting is the worst part of cupcakes. Also, Sprouts has good muffins.
Bagels! Ok, so let's talk bagels. Einstein's IS NOT THE BEST. It is decent when it's the only thing between you and work and you need a bagel. But for weekend bagels? So many better places. My favs? I like Benny's Bagels (these are franchises, so the one in McKinney is the best) and Cindy's (coit and campbell, the best bagels in DFW).
Biscuits and Gravy. So carbs are clearly are clearly my jam. (haha, breakfast pun). Where can I find the best biscuits in DFW, you ask? The answer is clear: Barbec's by White Rock Lake. They only take cash, but all their breakfast is legit. Nothing however is better than their HUGE biscuits. It's far, but it's so worth it. ALSO, I like to take a run around White Rock Lake and then reward myself with delicious biscuits. It's the perfect start to a weekend.
Hash. Hash is veggies, potatoes, and a meat, often topped with an egg. Pre-baby, I liked these cause runny eggs are delish. However, until May I'm not allowed to eat them. Plan #1 once I'm not preggo anymore? Grabbing some breakfast hash from Coffee House Cafe at Frankford and Preston. My favorite here is the "Chicken-Apple Sausage Hash". Check it, you won't be disappointed.
Waffles. I don't know they best place to get these, honestly. My brother owns a chicken and waffles food truck and claims to be #1, but I've never tried it, so I can neither refute nor support this claim. I do like the waffles at my favorite Downtown McKinney breakfast spot, Spoons. They serve it with cinnamon butter, which is A+.
Breakfast Tacos. Obvi. We're in Texas, so all about those breakfast tacos. I really like the breakfast tacos from this little place up by where we live, called Daddy's Tacos. They are cheap, delicious, and conveniently located just north on Independence.
French Toast. Sometimes this is too sweet for me, but when the craving hits, then yum! Again, check out Spoons for original and Coffee House Cafe for some delish challah french toast.
Oatmeal. Ok for the longest time (ie my whole life until age 28) I HATED oatmeal. I thought it was super gross and had a weird consistency. Then. My life changed. I tried the Peach Blackberry Oatmeal at Snug on the Square. It's not as watery as most oatmeal and is sooooooo good. So if you are looking for a relatively healthy eating out breakfast, check it. Also, they have wonderful coffee here, which is important.
Whelp, that's it for today! Hope you had/have a lovely Valentine's Day! Also, Taco Tuesday. Maybe take your date to Daddy's Tacos tonight? See you there!
Humanitarians, Today we studied for our Post-Classical Europe quiz tomorrow. Some of the questions you had were a little disheartening, but then when we talked it out, it seems like you know what's up, so just study study and you should be bueno. What to know?? 1. Medieval Europe, the political, the social, the economic, the major events, and ALL the cultural events/things 2. Byzantines, what up! 3. My personal favorite, Kievan Rus.... Basically.... Can you complete this SPICE chart? Can you answer the questions on your study guide using the vocabulary words on the study guide??
Medieval Western Europe
Byzantine Empire
Kievan Rus
Social
Political
Innovation
Culture
Economic
Still have questions???
TUTORIALS TODAY (MONDAY) AFTER SCHOOL AT 4:15-5:00 AND BEFORE SCHOOL TOMORROW 8:15-8:45 in room 2035-26 (big humanities room).
Tomorrow is the big day! All multiple choice quiz, but 45 questions, so a lot going on.
Other reminders.....WORDS FOR NERDS IS DUE THURSDAY! Don't forget!
Need a humanities experience? Check out the following...
Check out Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed at the Perot. Normally, the Perot is a no-no for Humanities experiences, BUUUUUUT THIS IS SO RELEVANT (and looks pretty awesome), so you can totally go.
The Undermain Theater is putting on Galileoa play about everyone's favorite house-arrest, heliocentric believing scientist.
In honor of the Grammy's from last night and also that February is Black History Month, this week I bring you some groundbreaking black musicians to be aware of!
Today's musician is....Gladys Bentley (no relation to the author of our WHAP book)
Blues singer Gladys Bentley came to prominence in the 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance. Like many great performers of the era, she flocked to the New York City neighborhood, which was quickly becoming a hub for numerous great black artists.
Bentley was a pioneering LGBT icon, often performing in a white tuxedo and top hat at Harry Hansberry's Clam House, a popular gay speakeasy, according to The Root. In 1931, she married a white woman in a civil ceremony, a groundbreaking move, cementing her place in LGBT history.
Happy Medieval Faire day, all my serfs, knights, and vassals! Today and yesterday we have been marveling at the jousting, fried apple turnovers, strange Medieval dancing, inspiring ballads, and borderline creepy oaths of fealty.
Check out G$ with her chalice, aka Pimp Cup
A couple of things I've noticed from this experience:
You guys know WAY too much about us, as evidenced by the Oaths of Fealty and Coat of Arms.
Medieval dancing needs to make a comeback.
Watching people fall while jousting may be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I think my total fall count was three for the day yesterday.
Also, Abhinav will live in legend for his slide into someone else's head of the enemy (aka grapefruit) while sword fighting.
Everyone needs to bust out their own personal Medieval chalice at lunch for the rest of the year.
We've had so much fun the last two days; you guys have done a fantastic job! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Here's my third period dancing, with David in the middle.
Just thinking ahead, this weekend is a great opportunity to get a Humanities Experience out of the way WHILE taking your Valentine on a date. Two birds, one stone? (Don't tell your Valentine you're doing it for extra credit). Or take the squad out to some of these events going on this weekend:
Dallas Summer Musicals is showing American in Paris, based off of the Gene Kelley film from the 50s. Momma Virdin and I went to see it, and we LOVED it, if you're into theater and extensive dance numbers.
Today we said hello to some old friends, the Byzantines, and some newer friends, with the people of the Kievan Rus.
The original squad.
This was taken in Kraft's class after you dominated your Concept Check.
A couple of terms to associate with the Byzantines:
mosaics and icons Caesaropapism: the head of state is also the head of church Constantinople: capital city Justinian and Theodora: our ruler extraordinaires; Justinian rules the empire through caesaropapism and an extensive bureaucracy Hagia Sophia: one of the most famous and impactful works of architecture, this building was first a church in the Byzantine empire that is later turned into a mosque once the Islamic Empire comes to power.
As far as our Kievan Rus peeps, just remember that they are a precursor to our Russia. Centered around the city of Kiev, one of their most famous leaders was the Prince Vladimir I. More on Russia to come!
Tomorrow is the Medieval Faire...GET AMPED. Don't forget to bring EVERYTHING tomorrow (with the exception of your write up, which can be turned in on Friday if you would like). One quick mention, but please include a photo of your individual component on your writeup if it's too large to fit on paper, like siege weaponry or a castle for example. Can't wait to see what you guys have come up with! Lady Virdin is ready to dominate.
Hey Humanitarians, today we ventured into the depths of Hell by exploring Dante's Inferno, part of the larger work of his Divine Comedy. If I was to give you a list of World Literature's most influential works, this would be at the top of the list.
If it's good enough for Don Draper, it's good enough for all of us.
If anyone needs any Valentine ideas...
The Inferno, along a couple of other influencers, has forever shaped the way we visualize hell, punishment, and even the figure of Satan. The Bible is pretty vague when describing those three subjects, so Dante's imagination and interpretation became the basis for much of how we visualize hell in the years after and even in the modern sense. A couple of things to take away from our study of The Divine Comedy:
Dante makes the point in the Inferno that sinners in hell CHOSE to put themselves in hell; they are not portrayed as repentant or regretful. In fact, they don't see anything wrong with their behavior and instead are often angry with God for throwing them in hell in the first place.
Dante's version of Satan is a big, ugly brute, one who is so stupid that he's stuck in an icy lake. Quite a contrast from the suave, debonair Devil figure we often see in movies!
One of the most important terms to remember from this work is the word contrapasso, or basically that the crime fits the punishment. How one chose to behave in life directly corresponds with the way they are punished in hell. For example, the wrathful are condemned to eternally tear each other apart, "limb from limb", over and over again.
In other news, unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've heard that the Patriots, aka Tom Brady, won the Super Bowl AGAIN. Is anyone surprised? The Super Bowl had lots of cool commercials this year, but my favorite part was Lady Gaga. Her performance provided us with so many wonderful moments; check out a couple of them here.
For my book of the week, I wanted to revisit one of the older works of literature that I loved in high school. Specifically, ever since I went to the Holocaust Museum over winter break in Washington D.C., it's been on my heart to reread Night by Elie Wiesel.
This book is so powerful, heartbreaking, inspiring, upsetting all in one. Elie Wiesel is a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps of Auschuwitz and Buchenwald, and this book details much of his experiences in those camps with his father. It's an INCREDIBLY hard read, but one that I hope you read in your lifetime.
