Monday, January 25, 2016

Blog #18: Food Memoir and Fishbowl Discussion


4 comments:

  1. You did really well both asking questions and giving or adding to interpretations. Your comments were in depth and clearly well thought out. Your question about Their Eyes Were Watching God was very thought-provoking. It is true that we focus more on the events that occur in the novel and not the foreshadowing and occurences leading up to them. It was interesting to hear perspectives on what lead up to Janie's decisions. Great job keeping the natural flow of the discussion and relevantly inserting yourself into the conversation. Also I really loved the Kheer!

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  2. Please get an actual Twitter because your tweets are always fire. The strength it took your grandmother to give up some of her control over the kitchen for you and then opening up further to teach your mom your favorite dish shows how much you meant to her. I love that this memoir showed your grandmother growing as well as a Bildungs Romon for you (even though you were only 5) because you were now allowed to control important parts of the meal. I also liked how Kheer not only means something to your heritage because it's a dessert, but has huge significance to you and who you are because of the experiences this dish provided.
    I loved your question about what signaled Janie's transitions before she changed identity and how that causes her internal turmoil. I think some of her internal emotions immediately after the changes aren't always explicitly defined, they're usually shown implicitly through her actions. I also thought your comment about being unhappy and deciding to change for the sake of your happiness regardless of social norms transcends past the fishbowl conversation. I think it's a universal truth everyone should follow.

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  3. Riddhi, I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and the Kheer you brought in for us to try. on your poster - very well designed, by the way - I especially liked your tweet, including the #badgirl; reading that, I can't help but imagine the MIA song "Bad Girls Do It Well" playing in the background as a young girl sneaks into the kitchen for the tempting opportunity to "sweeten [her] mouth." Your presence in the fishbowl discussion was equally impressive - I actually began the discussion taking notes on another speaker, but you were making so many thorough points that I started tracking you more than I was him. You first caught my attention when you discussed the value of the transitions in Janie's life; I had never necessarily thought about the points in her life in that context before, and doing so really allowed me to see many unique elements of her growth that I had not noticed. As readers, we often overvalue the obvious - in this case, Janie's three distinct relationships. You very clearly highlighted the importance of looking at the transitions between these relationships - times when Janie was alone - and used that new contextual lens to analyse Janie in a whole new light. From the Kheer to the Fishbowl, you performed amazingly well in these projects.

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  4. The video as a whole was amazing! From the background music, images, and indian traditions all pieced together I think you showed your childhood in India clearly. I loved the way you played in the known indian tradition of sweets being used to celebrate major life moments. You used the description of your first college acceptance letter to the real moment you wanted us to see. I loved the way you told us all about your grandmother and how she hesitates to let anyone help her in the kitchen. As the 5 year old self progressed and then how your grandmother also progressed beside you was a pivotal moment for me watching your video. Its truly amazing to see how close of a relationship you have even with the distance between the two of you. The background music really tied it all together because it was connected to your indian culture and the backdrop as your story progressed over time. Overall an amazing job!!

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