Jojo's Adventures

  When thinking about what I wanted to share, I came up largely blank. I am not a very interesting person, but I have experienced some interesting things. Today I am going to tell you about some of the times I have encountered a ghost. Probably the first time I had a ghost experience was actually through my little sister. When she was just a few weeks old, we were all sitting downstairs watching TV (key word: all). Suddenly, we heard a loud noise and Elena started crying. We went upstairs, scared, to find her in the middle of the room on the floor. At first, my dad was angry because he thought one of us was playing a trick. However, he realized that no one had moved from the TV room. Our next thought was that there was an intruder, however the alarm had been turned on and was not set off. Creepy, right? The next instance was also at my dad’s house. One night, I was sitting at my desk facing the wall. From behind me, I  heard my sister asking me to get her some juice. But when ...

  I really enjoyed my visit to archives and special collections. My favorite piece was the ancient Mesopotamian receipt, because it was so old and from so long ago, yet still largely intact. It is a fragment of a world that no longer exists. It is so weird to think about how much times have changed, and how much times will change. Though likely not in our lifetimes, a paper receipt will also be a relic, costing a pretty penny to get your hands on one. I am interested in learning more about the preservation of literature, in a literal sense. Fun fact: my preschool did this weird thing where they would predict the future careers of the students, and mine was an art preservationist. Though my preschool was definitely wrong, I do think the way that chemicals and temperature and humidity affect the preservation of art is fascinating. I wish I knew more about how/if different levels of environment need to be used for works from different times. For example, does a papyrus scroll need to ...

  An image in this story that is talked about for quite a while is that of the sun/heat. Though moderately inaccurate, according to current understanding, I believe that the usage of the sun will serve as an illuminating force, leading towards realization. The image of the heat of the sun being reflected and starting a fire could relate to Hayy’s realization of his ineptitudes during the day time. Maybe this will be furthered to bad things happening during the day, when the sun is present. Also, the sun is lacking in its normal sense on this special island, where the climate is medium. Maybe the sun will play a role in the story as a force that casts light on the issues at hand. Another image that caught my attention was that of the box that the baby was in in the alternative story. Taken with great care by nature, a box with a baby inside created by humans arrived on an island with none. Could this be indicative of the idea that human’s downfall will always be nature? As we see th...

  I honestly love civil discourse and discussion, so anything discussion/ debate relating is so engaging. Particularly with Home Fire, because I really enjoyed that text. I think life gets so boring if everyone agrees on everything. Conflicting viewpoints further society, and without it we would just be a bowl of non-moving water. I think I should’ve made a club where we just talk about different topics in a casual manner. So to answer the question at hand, the Home Fire discussions/ debates furthered my understanding the most, and kept me engaged. In high school, we did similar activities but we had to stop if we got too heated so as to not hurt anyone's feelings. It is also fascinating to hear other people’s understanding of a passage when yours was completely different. Neither is wrong or right, but there are so many perspectives for any work of literature, that discussing them is almost crucial to understanding it at all. In terms of enjoyment, I really love that we get to go ...

  I think an interesting idea that Michelle brought up was the project on cast-away tales throughout time. One of my favorite books, The Count of Monte Cristo, is kind of a castaway tale in that the main character is cast out of society for a little bit. Maybe I could connect the two works that way, though they are probably pretty dissimilar. I have not looked into Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, other than its date of publication (1182ish). The Count of Monte Cristo was published in the 1840s, so there is a major time difference there. There is also most likely a space difference. I have always loved stories, so I think looking at different stories throughout space and time will keep me engaged and interested. I think this type of project would benefit from Neatline, however I am not sure I am adept enough to do a good job. I can always gather information and then attempt multiple forms. If I do not do a Neatline exhibition, I will definitely write a paper. I could just do dots where the books w...

  I am not sure a direct parallel to Tiresias exists in Home Fire. While, as we discussed in class, Karamat’s wife could be a potential similar character, she does not possess the same authority that Tiresias does. However, they both engage in civil discourse with the head-strong characters (Karamat and Creon). Tiresias changes Creon’s mind, while Karamat’s wife simply makes Karamat think a little more deeply. The main reason why I think a parallel does not exist is because Tiresias carried so much palpable authority that the audience members would have known about. Seers were respected and listened to, and the Athenias would have understood this. That same sense does not really exist in Home Fire. While yes, a successful marriage contains an equal amount of power, Tiresias carries all the power. He speaks for the gods, while Karamat’s wife merely shares her opinion. Another thought I had is that, while Tiresias speaks for the gods, maybe his presence in Home Fire is the basic idea...

  A primary theme in Antigone and Home Fire is justice. Whether justice is being acted upon is debatable in both stories. In Home Fire, we see justice in the form of Parvaiz. Parvaiz, after joining ISIS, regrets his decision and attempts to escape by turning himself in. Parvaiz, the wrong-doer, pays the ultimate price, death. The wrong-doer in Antigone, Creon, does not. Instead, he has everything taken from him. His wife and son kill themselves, causing him to realize his mistakes. We do not see this parallel in Home Fire, because Parvaiz never got the chance to share his thoughts after his death, obviously. An important difference in Home Fire and Antigone is the reason for their respective mistakes. In Home Fire, Parvaiz was convinced he would be happier in ISIS. He was, to a certain extent, brainwashed. Creon, however, made his choices out of his own egotistical brain. He was not brainwashed, and even when someone told him what he was doing was wrong, it took two deaths to reali...

  Something that has always interested me is how goods and services and literature moves across the world without the aid of electronics. The way that the papyrus was found with ancient works in a different country across a sea is fascinating. How did it get there? Who thought it was important enough to bring? Maybe it was just brought as some seafarer’s companion while traveling.  Another thing I think about a lot is how did translating originally occur? Did people just learn multiple languages as a child and those people served as translators? Or were there ancient methods of communicating what was what. For example, was Antigone translated originally during the time it was performed? Or did it take many more years to find someone who spoke ancient Greek and the desired language. The other fascinating piece about translation is the line that switched from Ismene to Anitgone. Why was this done? Was it by accident, a mere error in transcription, or was it purposeful due to Ise...

I was very interested to hear about the sheer size of the Sanctuary of Dionysus. 15,000 is a lot, especially in a time when the worldwide population was way less than it is now. I am not a sports person, so I am not sure if 15,000 is small compared to some stadiums, but it seems like a crazy amount of people who gathered to see a play. Additionally, the idea that people watched other people watch the play is fascinating. Today, plays are often performed in darkness, shining the light/ attention on the stage. You can not really look around and see the reactions of those around you. I think it would be interesting to see how people react to a play no one has seen before (whereas now, you can look up any play you are about to see online to read a synopsis). As for Antigone, there is a large amount of shock factor. That combined with a collective reaction must be so cool to watch. I also think it is neat how a rich person was appointed to pay for the production. They must have been so rich...

  In Home Fire , we see an interesting dynamic between Isma and Aneeka. Isma practically raised Aneeka, yet they still have a relationship of sisters (unlike Isma and Parvaiz). Though I never raised one of my siblings on my own, I relate to the conflict they face in the novel. Though I love my sisters, there are times when I feel that we do not get along. In a parallel (kind of) sense, when Isma reports Parvaiz to the police, Aneeka becomes enraged. She feels as if her other half has been taken away. And in a sense, it has. I also am a little confused about this segment of the story. Did Isma report him to be closer to Aneeka? Was it a jealousy thing? Or did she report him purely because she thought it was the right thing to do. This I do not have an answer to, however I digress. Isma and Aneeka tell each other most things, and this is where I differ. The closest sister in age to me is autistic, so we have a gap of understanding each other there. But she always comes in to brag abo...

  I actually really enjoyed using Neatline. It was a fun little tool. I mapped out every major place I’ve been, though in a very simplistic way. I really enjoyed changing the colors of the dots to create a cool map. I’m not sure I will ever use it for a research excursion, because I do not think I can go to the level of detail that I would like. I considered using it to trace how Raqqa became the capital of ISIS, however I decided against it. I prefer to do more analytical research, rather than a collection of facts. In other words, I like to add my own opinion! (Whereas a map would be more factual). It has, however, expanded my knowledge of the world around me. Being able to look at maps allows me to learn about the places around me, especially during a time when travel is not necessarily possible. I have always loved geography, and I kept a picture above my desk of a world map so I could familiarize myself with the countries and capitals. Since moving here, I have yet to do the s...

  The usage of media in Home Fire is purposeful and direct. Though some of the individual pieces are a bit ambiguous, the presence as a whole introduces the idea that media is falsified and dramatic. Basically, do not believe everything you see, because it could be false. We also see the media portraying things incorrectly, for example Parvaiz’s name. They spell it incorrectly, dehumanizing him. The string of Twitter hashtags show how quickly things move across media sources, and how demoralizing they can be. What I am very interested in is why Aneeka’s section, of all sections? She seems to be the most grounded, so why the slew of influencing Tweets? I think it might be to add to the escalation of craziness that has been mentioned in the series of sections. Random tweets and excerpts seem a bit maniacal, which is indicative of her mental state. I would be in immense distress too if one of my siblings was executed. To look at one of the items specifically, the Tweet on page vi seem...

  I think that if I were to write a book like Shamsie did I would have to include sections with different perspectives. When telling a story with so many people involved, the stories intertwine in a way where the whole does not equal a sum of its parts. Each story exists separately, yet at the same time they can’t stand alone. That is why the different sections are included, probably to be able to tell the story as a whole. While an omniscient third person narrator who covers all might have been sufficient, it would not have been complete. As for the order, that is something I cannot decide on. I do not really even have any idea. To me, an untrained 18 year old, they seem almost random. Even the segments within the characters’ sections seem random. The only idea I had was that the order influenced the importance of the stories, although this seems very wrong as I think Parvaiz’s story seems the most influential and it is not the first. Maybe it is in increasing levels of crazy (fro...

  I am not worried about the research aspect of this project. I am very familiar with research. From genetic diseases to dolphins, there is probably a chance I’ve done a deep dive on Google. In fact, the thing I am most proud of in my entire life is a research project I did while interning at ESCAPE Bio, in San Francisco. I had to synthesize information on a rare disease called Infantile Neuro-Axonal Dystrophy (abbreviated INAD). INAD is such a sad disease, because children with it often progress normally only to regress after a certain undetermined amount of time. This was the most challenging thing I had ever done. I had to teach myself concepts that I had never heard of before in order to decide what was important and what was not. This is where PubMed became my best friend. I spent hours everyday looking at the same disease over and over, which got a little monotonous after a while. However, the end result is my finest accomplishment. If anyone wants to check it out, I’ll leave...

  I am fairly confident I have my research topic. Ever since I was little, I have always been fascinated (oddly enough) with terrorists and what makes them do what they do. It is a large concept that is also important to central intelligence. And preserving our country and its safety. How the brain works is still largely unexplored (as the brain is the only thing that studies itself), so there is no one right answer to the question of ‘what makes terrorists do what they do’. But I digress. Upon reading that the father, known in the Middle East as Abu Parvaiz, was attempting to be a jihadist, I became fascinated with the psychology that makes someone decide their life is worth less than an idea.  I hope to answer this question to the best of my ability, using the library databases and possibly PubMed (my favorite site). I did have a few other ideas in case anyone is coming up blank. Primarily, why is Raqqa the capital of ISIS? How did it become so? I am not a huge history perso...