Here I go again......

So the following essay was written last week on Wednesday 24 August 2011. Originally written in a notebook, I had to transfer it to my computer. Some minor editing was done to the paper however I wanted to keep it as nearly as possible to its original form. I hope you enjoy it:

I currently find myself sitting in English class. This is a course that I typically despise. Since starting a blog and writing poetry, my view became more endearing to this subject. So far, I am utterly disappointed and disgusted by this class. My civilian, hipster, Marxist teacher (not to slight any people of those traits, it is mere description) is droning on about an article directed toward anthropology. So far, not one person in my class has provided a successful insight about the article. My teacher is the supreme analyzer in this arena. I find myself again being forced to read things that I don’t enjoy or pull out any significant meaning which I can respect. Deep reading and ambiguous inference (aka. Bullshit) seem to be the focus of this class currently. This is an English COMPOSITION course. The problem is that the powers at hand forced us to buy some 5 or 6 books about Cuba. It is not pure literature either. So far, and looking ahead on the syllabus, I am in a Cuban history class. Thanks but no thanks; I’d rather be kicked in the groin repeatedly by Michael Ballack. It’s not that I despise Cuba or don’t believe it is important to know aspects of her history.

(10 minute pause for in class writing)

I am disgruntled that my “English Composition” class is the bastard child or a provincial history course and a parochial literature course. Better yet, this course is required and is the only English class offered unless you are a major in that discipline. Given that I am an Arabic and German major, please let me choose between a regional history or literature class which actually has an application for me. One of those courses would be a much better use of my brain and talent. I could probably learn more about Cuba’s history and culture by watching an episode of “No Reservations.” Why must I read longwinded or ambiguous texts which all state the same damn thing? The sad thing is, this is only the fourth lesson of this class and I am already this heated! Will it get better? I damn well hope so.

An important factor in producing good work and motivation yourself to do it involves having a genuine interest in the topic at hand. I have no motivation in this class and will therefore devote more time to other subjects. I mean, instead of listening to the droning of my teacher, I am writing a beautiful and critical analysis of the course which he teaches. Any student would put forth the bare minimum in a class they don’t enjoy. Well, it’s true of any student except some of the intellectually insane who do anything and everything for that valedictorian title or Rhodes scholarship. A teacher should respect my admittance of this truth. A teacher should not only teach, but motivate and inspire his or her students too.

I don’t mean for this writing to be a tirade. I am merely discussing the values I hold in my intellectual development. Here is a positive example for your reading enjoyment. Last year, I had to take a philosophy course. At first I was annoyed by the fact that this was another required course. The early classes were annoying and it seemed as though there was never a right answer. Due to this, I held my tongue and made myself the quiet listener. Things changed after the first few weeks of class. My teacher was a very animated man. I attribute this to the fact that he is a Tanker (he works in the Armor Branch in the Army). Outside of animation, he used media, usually humorous media, to kick-start many classes. This was satisfying and made a good springboard into class discussion. My favorite thing, about his used of media, was that he played clips from Monty Python productions. I consider myself a diehard Python. His tactics in class get even better. He led class discussions, not lectures, that incorporated witty examples, drawings, and a puppy (stick figure puppy to be exact, it’s an inside joke). The class moved on from fundamental philosophical theories to the morality of war. This was not only interesting but my teacher “loves War and blowing shit up and driving over stuff with tanks” (Don’t take that too literally, He is simply showing pride in his profession, He is not a loony). This teacher motivated and inspired me to a great degree. I was engaged in class and took time out of class to further pursue discussions with him.

                Why can’t the teachers in other courses of mine do their job as well as he does? Back to the original intent of this writing, my English class is not an English class, nor is my teacher an effective one. I will stop this here so that I do not further rant and potentially find myself in trouble. Until next time dear readers, enjoy yourself.

I am a complete failure at this blogging game.

So after an entire Summer without any posting I have returned to you dear readers. My summer was jampacked with travels, troubles, and fun. I will get to all the information about the summer in a different post. The purpose of this post is to display an in-class essay I did in my English class the other day. Its focus is on that of traveling. The essay was written after reading "Why We Travel" by Pico Iyer. I hope that you enjoy the essay. I was very happy with the product I churned out. Please note, it has not been edited. It is pure stream-of-consciousness.

The Freedom of Traveling:

Thoughts on "Why We Travel" by Pico Iyer

Traveling is a passion of many people around the world. Pico Iyer takes note of this and attempts to explain why people do indeed enjoy traveling. The theme which most stood out to me was that of freedom. When traveling to a foreign country you give yourself the ability to start on a blank slate. Forget about the culture you come from and take in everything you can from the culture you are now a part of. Any place you go, no matter how similar you may think it is to your home country, will have stark differences. The freedom you gain by traveling to different worlds is exhilarating. Your mind is open and your senses are nearly overwhelmed. Sights, sounds, and tastes in this new “world” will leave you wondering why you don’t have it in your country. It is important though not to ponder on such thoughts too much. This will lead to you making comparisons and decreases your openness to the new culture. Clearing your mind of all preconceptions allows you to truly learn the new culture and at least partially assimilate yourself to the native population. Showing respect and interest in another’s culture is very exciting for the people of said country. They will teach you, guide you, befriend you, and also look to you for inspiration and knowledge. Such experiences will make your traveling not only more exciting and interesting, but it will be more fulfilling to your mind. These pure cultural experiences broaden your perspective. Throughout my own travels I have learned very much that would not otherwise be experienced should you only go to the museums and fabricated tourist attractions. Show the people that you are interested in them and they will show interest in you. The act of two people of different cultures working together is a truly satisfying experience for both parties. Although my travel list is not long, I found astonishing beauty and contrast while in Germany and Morocco. Both nations are completely different from the United States and have so much to offer to visitors. Freedom is a joy which all should take part in; freedom from typical food, from the same sadistic political news, from sights and smells all too common. The list could be continued endlessly as the more you put in to your traveling pursuits, the more it will return to you in the form of knowledge and uniqueness. Through travel you have the freedom to become another person. Like stated earlier you begin with a blank slate as you enter a new culture. Immediately upon arriving start filling your slate with the immediate sights and sounds. Remember these and treasure these. Find a way to communicate with locals. Seek out where the most authentic food is. Seek out the places that the façade of globalization fails to cover. By writing on a new slate, you learn much about yourself as you react to all new stimuli. You attempt to perceive things differently and change how you act on certain things. The freedom gifted through traveling is the path toward understanding yourself. It is important to realize that the joys and awe of traveling may not always persist. It is not necessary you adopt all practices of a new culture should some be in conflict with your moral understandings of the world. But these experiences, though not as pleasant, are beneficial nonetheless. They still broaden your mind more and can teach great lessons of who you are. Given this, any and all experiences traveling abroad are positive. There is always something you can learn from this interactions outside of you home nation. I find that since my travels I do indeed perceive things differently. I provide knowledge to others about different cultures in order to prevent foul misconceptions from persisting. I have had many questions asked of me and my experiences in Morocco. The pure fact that it is an Islamic nation leads to many absurd preconceptions being thrown my way. In general, I have never met a more loving and hospitable group of people. This experience truly opened my mind as this was my first time in the non-Western world. I must say it motivates me to travel only in the non-Western world. The more a person can travel, the more a person can gain an understanding of what it is to be human. You think without regards to race, religion, and nationality. Traveling gives you the freedom to remove these constraints from the typical way our minds function. We rarely talk of humans and humanity but of a series of “they’s” and “we’s.” As simple as this may sound it is a morally, ethically, and logically satisfying experience. Freedom is a powerful word. It is even more powerful when achieved. The power of traveling is that of the power of freedom. Open yourself to unthinkable joys and experiences which will serve you throughout your life and the pursuit of finding who you are.