Last Seen Blogs
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LAST LIFE UPDATE!!!!
My dog Milo being the favorite child of the family :)
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FINAL BLOG POST
What do you think? More specifically, what do you think we can do to make the world better? This is a simple call to action that can cover any issue that's close to you and/or interesting to you. You may interpret this prompt however you like.
Thinking smaller scale wise, I believe being an active listener is key to making the world a better place. In today’s society, everyone has an opinion. Everyone has something to say. However, has anyone listened? Has anyone taken the time to truly listen to other people’s stories or experiences, especially before making an automatic judgement? The world already has so many issues with so many different voices speaking at once. Some of the voices that are speaking are privileged and entitled. Yet, have we listened to the voices of individuals in marginalized communities? Be a listener first. Absorb a person’s story first. Marinate in their experience. Then, respectfully voice your opinion or just be a quiet listener and learn from their experience.
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Blog Post 23
Weekly Life Update!!!
This past weekend was the Vietnamese culture show, Xuân. The show consisted of dances, a skit, and really good food 🤭. Here are some photos of me and my friends at the event:
This past weekend I also got to see the northern lights on campus!
After a busy weekend, I decided I deserved a pick-me-up. I've never ordered a drink at the coffee shop near campus called Anchorhead. I asked Kyla for recommendations and she recommended the Hey Bae Latte. The Hey Bae Latte is an ube latte. I would rate it a 7/10. Personally, I like my coffee a little sweeter, so next time I order I will definitely up the sweetness 🤓.
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Blog Post 22
Nation State and the Line
Both Nation State and the Line portrays futuristic architecture and technology. For example, the Nation State presents a project where Palestinians live in a single skyscraper. The short film shows Palestinians living in peace and isolated from the rest of the world. Furthermore, it portrays futuristic technology, such as ready-made food in undistinguishable tins. On the other hand, the Line illustrates an innovative city in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert. The goal of the Line is to be solely dependent on renewable energy. It is also designed to be super accessible, such as there would be no need for cars to travel long distances to access resources.
Based on these videos and information I have gathered in class, both projects—Nation State and the Line—seem dystopian. The portrayal of both ideas on video seems inhuman. Particularly, in the Nation State video, the Palestinian skyscraper was all-white and pristine with no art or color. Furthermore, the individuals in the video wore the same clothing. Overall, the Nation State idea seemed lonely and isolating. For the Line, the architectural idea seems impossible. To have this architecture 110 miles long and mainly based on renewable energy—in the middle of a desert—sounds unthinkable. Moreover, having a whole city in the middle of desert portrays a dystopian society. For instance, the desert would represent abandoned society, while the Line represents the futuristic society that survived. Lastly, the different levels that the Line would have sounds hierarchical. Specifically, would the wealthy live in the highest level of the Line, while the less wealthy/poor would live on the lower floors? Who gets to decide who lives where? In conclusion, both the Nation State and the Line presents dystopian societies—the Nation State and the Line represents a society isolated from the rest of the world.
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Blog Post 21 (Continuous post from Blog 19)
Gaza-Israel Conflict
Based on the short documentary we watched in class, I based my research on understanding the history of how the Israel government came to be with foreign help, such as the United States and Britain. I first found a website called Palestine Remix. This website gave detailed descriptions of Al Nakba, similar to the documentary. I was surprised to learn that the displacement of Palestinians began way before 1948. In this same website, I also found a live map that depicted how Jews began to move into Palestine. It showed how the Jewish population slowly began to grow, and how the Arab population slowly disappeared. Lastly, I based the rest of my research on why the United States has always supported Israel. I learned that the U.S. has sent billions of dollars of aid and military weapons to Israel. I have also learned that one of the main reasons for continuous support to Israel is for strategic interests in the Middle East. For example, having good relations with Israel has indirectly helped the U.S. have access to regional oil supply, which the U.S. is heavily dependent on. In conclusion, my quick research has helped me learn more about Palestinian displacement and the relationship between the U.S. and Israel.
"Al Nakba." Palestine Remix, Al Jazeera Media Network, remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/al-nakba.html#/17. Accessed 14 May 2024.
"Maps of Vanishing Palestine." Palestine Remix, Al Jazeera Media Network, remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/maps_main.html. Accessed 14 May 2024.
Narea, Nicole. "How the US became Israel's closest ally." Vox, 13 Oct. 2023, www.vox.com/world-politics/23916266/us-israel-support-ally-gaza-war-aid. Accessed 14 May 2024.
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Blog Post 20
Another Mini Life Update!
This week was my last week attending a volunteer shift at St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. I've been attending volunteer shifts at this organizations since September 2023. It is definitely a bittersweet feeling knowing that this week was my last shift. It was very eye-opening experience in learning about the different communities that SVDP serves in the Seattle area.
Here are some pictures of the organization:
After our last shift, my friends and I celebrated the end of our internship with boba from TP Tea in the International District! It was my first time in this boba shop, and I'd rate the boba an 8/10. I highly recommend their Strawberry Milk Tea with boba and their Mango Tea with boba.
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Blog Post 18 (Week 6)
Life Update!
This past week, I attended a Mariners' game for the first time in a long time. Last time I watched a game was back in freshman year of college. Albeit, I mostly attended because a Kpop group was throwing the first pitch 🤭
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Blog Post 17 (Week 6)
In what way would you like to be seen?
As the eldest daughter of two (I have a younger brother), a lot of my accomplishments are slightly overshadowed by my younger brother. This could be due to me being the typical cookie-cutter goodie two shoes eldest daughter. I got good grades. I competed competitively for swim all the way until I graduated high school. I am getting a degree that is typical for a Filipina woman. I always followed my parents advise with little complaint. I am accomplishing what is expected of me. However, for some reason, my accomplishments are always being compared to my younger brother (my younger brother is a very accomplished young man—he has qualified for junior nationals for swimming at the young age of 15 on top of being an honors student). I’d just like to be seen as my own person. I would like for my personal accomplishments, even if its small, to not be compared to others. I know that my parents do not compare us as a malicious action. They love both me and my brother equally. It’s just the stereotypical Filipino-family to compare their kids to others. I hope in the future, my accomplishments (whether that be academically or career-wise or cooking a new recipe) will be recognized by my parents, even if these accomplishments are typical for the eldest daughter. In short, I’d like for my parents to celebrate the little accomplishments with me.
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Blog Post 16 (Week 6)
Express something profound, sublime, and beautiful.
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Finland with my family. It was the first time I’ve traveled to a country where it was all snow. (I grew up in Southern California. I’ve never had snow days. Instead, California had fire days.) It was beautiful. I have never seen snow so pure. The snow was so soft, like a fluffy white blanket. My family and I were partially cut off from the Internet. Thus, that trip was really spent in nature for our accommodations was in the middle of nowhere. The place where we stayed was so quiet. I honestly had trouble sleeping the first couple of nights because of how quiet the forest was. In addition, my family and I had the chance of seeing the aurora borealis/northern lights. The northern lights had different shades of green as it danced in the cloudless sky. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime. Overall, this trip taught me to unplug and experience nature around me, whether that be traveling or at home. Being surrounded by constant technology can definitely obscure the beautiful nature around you.
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Blog Post 15 (Week 6)
Call to Action
Every person has the right to voice their opinions. No one should be punished for exercising their right to freedom of speech. However, the past couple of weeks students’ freedom of speech has been challenged by college administrations. Some of the protests that have occurred have been peaceful; however, other protests have brought violence. I believe that student demonstrations are necessary because they highlight issues that needs to be heard. For example, the student demonstrations that have been occurring due to the Israel-Hamas conflict has spotlighted the decisions that the US government has made. Without these demonstrations, the general public would not have been interested in the ongoings of the war in Israel. Nevertheless, I do not believe in responding to violence during these protests. If a protest has been peaceful, then the need for police presence is unnecessary. Police presence heightens tensions that are already high. In short, student demonstrations are necessary for they are platforms for us students to voice our concerns and to practice our rights.
With social media, there are a lot of sources for current news, whether that be via Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Social media is a great way to keep everyone generally informed of what’s going on in the world. However, users, such as myself, must keep in mind what sources are credible and what sources are not credible. We must be aware that inaccurate information can be shared and can negatively influence our viewpoints on certain topics. Therefore, one must be aware of where the sources of their news originate from, and one must do their own research before jumping the bandwagon.
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Blog Post 14 (Week 4, 5)
HAVE FUN!
Luckily this quarter my class load has lightened a little bit for the spring season. With slightly easier classes, I have more time to spend it with friends 💜
The pictures above include events from--a visit to the kpop store, birthday parties, a visit to the famous UW cherry blossoms, and Lu'au this past weekend 😆
Also, some song recommendations for the month:
"Stupid in Love" by Max & Huh Yunjin
"I wonder..." by JHope & Jungkook
"Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter
"We can't be friends" by Ariana Grande
"To you" by Seventeen
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Blog Post 13 (Week 4, 5)
Brothers of the Gun Personal Response
In Chapter 2 titled “Religious Exile,” Marwan was sent to a religious school outside of Aleppo. There Marwan received routine religious education. In other words, every day the school followed the same routine—"ablutions, followed by the dawn prayer. Breakfast…after breakfast the Slogans,” and so on. Marwan repeated this routine for four years. On one of the days he recited the Slogans with his fellow classmates, he looked around and thought “[he] was alone in loathing the Slogans, but as the weeks passed, [he] realized that other students, and even instructors, hated them as much as [he] did.”
This chapter is personal to my own life because I also attended a religious school. Growing up, I attended a very conservative Baptist school. Every day was also a routine. We prayed before class, before meals, and after class. We attended chapel and recited Bible verses every Wednesday. Teachers advertised to attend the school church every Sunday. They even made rules that student council members must be a part of the church in order to run for a position. I attended a Baptist school when my family was Catholic. I felt like an outsider reciting verses that were taught a little differently from my home church. Growing up in this school, I felt alone because most of my classmates came from Baptist families that flaunted that they attended Baptist churches. However, as I have kept in contact with some friends (I left that school before high school), I learned that I was not the only one who felt like an outsider. I learned from my friends that they felt that our school was forcing us to believe certain beliefs and to condemn other religious beliefs. I have learned that they too did not agree with the teachings of our old school. In relation to Brothers of the Gun, I understand Marwan’s feelings of being alone in a super religious school and having ideas forcibly being cemented into our brains.
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Blog Post 12 (Week 4, 5)
Academic Research: Brothers of the Gun
Chiovaro, Megan, et al. “Online Social Cohesion Reflects Real-World Group Action in Syria during the Arab Spring.” PLoS ONE, vol. 16, no. 7, July 2021, pp. 1–33. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.proxy.seattleu.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0254087.
Haran, VP. “Syria: Internal Situation.” Roots of the Syrian Crisis, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, 2016, pp. 2–4. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep09413.4. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Hussain, Nazir. “The Syrian Crisis and Regional Order in the Middle East.” Pakistan Horizon, vol. 66, no. 4, 2013, pp. 39–51. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24711514. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Khan, Khurshid, and Fouzia Amin. “Understanding Complex Nature of the Syrian Crises.” Journal of Contemporary Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, Winter 2020, pp. 73–88. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=162067507&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
I based my research on the politics leading up to the Syrian Arab Spring. The Syrian Arab Spring was my topic of choice because in Marwan Hisham’s memoir Brothers of the Gun he repeatedly mentions uprising and President Bashar al-Assad. Based on the articles I have read, I learned that the Arab Spring was a series of uprisings that occurred in the Middle East and North Africa region. I initially thought that the Arab Spring only occurred in Syria. However, upon research, I learned that it has occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and other countries. Additionally, in my researched, I looked up President Bashar al-Assad, as his name was mentioned a few times in the memoir. President Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad in June 2000. President Bashar al-Assad promised reform in Syria. However, his promises were broken as he kept the same tight control as his predecessor. Therefore, peaceful protests started to arise in Syria. In response, President Bashar responded with violent crackdowns. This then led to opposition groups responding in violence as well, which also led to extremists groups becoming involved. Aside from the internal unrest occurring in Syria, I also learned about the external powers, such as the U.S., Russia, Iran, Turkey, and many more countries, becoming involved in the Syrian crisis. These countries supported various groups and the Assad government. Having these external factors mixed into the internal factors of the Syrian conflict relates to the concept Franz Fanon’s House. For example, with the colonists, in this case France, having Syria achieve independence, Syria was left with political instability. Clearly, this political instability is seen with the many years under the Assad government. Furthermore, with more guests (external powers—U.S., Russia, Iran, etc) arriving at the “house” (Syria), more unrest and violence occurs, leaving Syria at a crisis. Lastly, I did research on how social media helped create cohesive ideas on the Syrian protests. I researched a little bit on social media because I noticed how Marwan Hisham kept himself updated on current military fronts and protests. For instance, social media (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube) has helped inform individuals of when a demonstration take place, what time a demonstration will take place, and how those in power responded to the demonstration.
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Blog Post 11 (Week 4, 5)
Learn About a New World -> SYRIA
"Aleppo, Syria (What's It Like To Be A Tourist In 2023?)." Youtube, uploaded by Matt and Julia, 7 July 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=scXE8luwnsQ. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Ayash, Mohammad. "Top 20 Most Popular Syrian Foods." Chef's Pencil, 27 May 2021, www.chefspencil.com/top-20-most-popular-syrian-foods/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Macaulay, Elizabeth. "The Great Mosque of Damascus." Smarthistory, 15 May 2019, smarthistory.org/mosque-damascus/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
"Spending 13 Days Alone in Syria (During the War)." Youtube, uploaded by Drew Binsky, 25 Jan. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVI2LOIOAKc. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
"Traveling to Syria in 2023... (Intense!)." Youtube, uploaded by Matt and Julia, 3 June 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKNOirOX1hE. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
The country I chose for research is Syria. Based on the readings from Brothers of the Gun and the topics we have discussed in class, I was intrigued on what Syria looks like today. Today, Syria is rebuilding their cities. I watched travel vloggers, Matt and Julia and Drew Binsky, as they traveled to various parts of Syria. Both parties visited Damascus. Damascus is a bustling city, full of markets called souks. The souks contained items from food, spices, clothes, and ornate knickknacks. As the vloggers traveled throughout Syria, I noticed the welcoming nature of Syrians. Syrians welcomed the travelers and made them feel at home. For example, many of the people Drew Binsky interacted with offered him free food from tea to cookies. As the travel vloggers walked around the city, Syrians would wave hello and shake hands with them. Moreover, many of the Syrians that were interviewed by the vloggers were smiling and happy. They were proud of their country. While watching these vlogs, I also noticed the food. The food looked delicious. Thus, I did my own research. I found a website that listed Top 20 foods in Syria. The one food item I noticed that kept on appearing in the vlogs was manakish. It is a round flat bread with cheese, meat, zaatar (a spice blend), and tomato sauce. Another item, or more like place, that appeared in both vlogs was the Great Mosque of Damascus or Umayyad Mosque. The Umayyad Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the world. Furthermore, aside from holding a significant place in Islamic history, the mosque is an architectural marvel for it holds domes, courtyards, and a vast prayer hall. In short, this quick research on Syria was an eye-opening experience because it has changed my perspective of the country. Particularly, Syria is a country in the process of rebuilding their cities. Yes, there is a lot of destruction from the war and from the recent 2023 earthquake. However, the city is full of culture and generous people—people who are trying to rebuild their lives and move on from the past.
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Blog Post 9
News Sources
To be honest, I do not check the news often because it is always grim. However, I do try my best to keep up to date when I remember to check the news. Most of the time, I check the news through the Apple News email. The Apple News email gives me a condensed version of what is relevant in today’s world. Furthermore, Apple News lists sources from different news outlets. If I want more information on a current news topic, I usually lean towards outlets such as the New York Times, ABC news, NBC news, and recently Al Jazeera. I lean towards New York Times, ABC news, and NBC news because they give me more of a liberal perspective. I do acknowledge that receiving information from perspectives that align with my beliefs are bias. I also use Al Jazeera because it has been recommended by my previous professors. I have learned that Al Jazeera shares news that are more unbiased and more factual.
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