the title of this blog

Pretty much no doubt in my mind that this is a definitive recording of one of the single most important songs in American musical history. 

Home Sweet Home

annd it feeels really good.

The whole having 2 days of class a week thing is pretty cool, but at the same time, it makes those 2 days pretty touugh. But it means that I get to be home on Thursday, which is basically amazing. I know there are a lot of people that kind of wonder why I go home so often and why I'm not living up my weekends at school, but honestly, 4 or 5 days a week is enough in my mind. I love my life at school, but still am very much in love with my life at home. I've been given the unique opportunity to have the best of both worlds, and I'm making the most of it.

Anyways, I'm really enjoying being in an English class, namely because it obliges me to read fiction. Sure, I find a lot of the nonfiction I read for other classes to be interesting, but to me, nothing can replace the aesthetic value I get from hearing a good story. This week I read The Marrow of Tradition by Charles Chesnutt. In a nutshell without giving anything away, it was called by Chesnutt "literature of necessity," thus revealing the author's intentions for the novel. Though it didn't quite have the effect Chesnutt may have wanted, it is still a very compelling account of the struggle in Southern society at a time when Blacks were trying to gain social standing and White Aristocracy was doing its damnedest to suppress these gains. 

An interesting side effect that the reading of this book has had on me is a deepened appreciation for my high school education-- namely the books that I read (or were supposed to have read). Almost instantly I could pick up on intertextuality cues between this novel and others that I had read on similar topics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Sula, Invisible Man, Cry, the Beloved Country and who knows what else. My high school education has provided the context for which all my learning at the university level is to be done, and for that I am extremely grateful. 

Some closing thoughts of this week's learning:

People are complicated, situations are complicated, and issues are rarely black and white. Yeah, these are things that are known, and have been known, but it seems like I (and most likely others) have an undying tendency to oversimplify situations regardless. I come to this conclusion from what I've learned in each of my 3 classes. 

- In reading The Marrow of Tradition, I couldn't help but wonder how I would act if I were in the shoes of some of the characters of the novel. This led me to what I thought to be a very interesting question: If you were born into White Aristocracy in the South around 1900, would you think you would have racist tendencies? Do you think you could be culpable of perpetuating the hate that we now look down upon with a deep scorn and sense of shame? Its pretty easy for any of us to instinctively say "No! Of course not!" but you have to remember how deeply rooted these racist institutions were in Southern culture. If you born with a Black servant in your home that played into the servile role of a Mammy or Uncle Tom, would your natural tendency be to not think of these people as servile? As much as I despise certain dark chapters of history books, I cannot say I do so without some sense of sympathy. Ironically, the situation was NOT simply a black and white matter.

- In polisci, we've been discussing general ideas of political theory. As fundamental as these theories are, their application still leaves me in awe of how complex political issues really are. I will admit, when I voted this past November, a significant portion of it was in ignorance of several issues. I can be quick to complain about the rising cost of my education, but I myself voted for Prop 1A, the high speed train running through California's metropolitan areas. I did this not because I have a strong sense of advocation for "green" traveling, but rather, because I thought it'd be pretty cool to get to the Bay Area reaalllyy fast. Not exactly my proudest moment (Not to diss anyone that legitimately was for Prop 1A, because I STILL am not sure where I stand on it). My ignorance is definitely something I need to work on, because I'd like to earn the right to complain about rising tuition costs.

- In Music in Society, I'm learning a lot about how music in used in all sorts of ways-- as a tool of socialization (whether it be at a club, through the singing of happy birthday), a reflection and perpetuation of self (what you identify with, how you get yourself in certain moods) and other fun stuff like that. For a force that is so central in so many people's lives, music sure is complicated, and everything we've been examining from why its played to why a certain type of music is preferred by a person and while this studying is pretty interesting, its also pretty intense, and COMPLICATED. 

Anyways, I'm off to bed!

Dear Journal: New Quarter, New Blog, Same James

<-- Doug and his journal

(I wanted to take a picture of me and my macbook cuz I figure its sort of the 2009 equivalent to a journal, but the only camera I have is ON my macbook sooo...)

So for some reason I felt inclined to blog. Maybe its because I feel like I'm away from home and there are new happenings in my life that might actually be noteworthy.  Maybe its the fact that I have 5 days without school every week. Or maybe, just maybe, its some subconscious desire to reconnect with my childhood idol, Douglas Yancey Funnie. Anyways, aesthetically my blog is a little lacking, but whatever, hopefully my words can be somewhat aesthetically pleasing to whoever bothers to read this.

So, the new quarters well underway, and I'm finally taking some classes that will HOPEFULLY be somewhat relevant in guiding me toward potential career choice. I'm taking 17 units this quarter, but somehow managed to fit all my classes into Tuesday and Thursday, giving me 3 days in the workweek to chill, do homework, and just give myself some "me time." I'm taking 3 (or kinda 4) classes: English 4W (Critical Reading and Writing), Polisci 40 (Intro to American Politics), Honors 51 (Music in Society), and to top it off, Symphonic Band. The classes are most definitely more stimulating than my classes last quarter, and I feel like I'm finally reaching a point at which a DESIRE to learn is at the root of my learning. Yeah, pretty nerdy riiight? Hah, its all good. My schedule is sick, my classes are engaging, so it looks like Winter '09 is gonna be a good quarter to start off the new year. I might not get the grades I did last quarter, but I'm hoping that what I take from it will be worth something more, ya dig?

Anyways other random things of note in my Life:

• I miss home, my family, and Noelle like craaazy.

• I've gained 5 pounds since I've gotten back to UCLA... I'm HOPING its muscle.

• Daphne Loves Derby is playing at my school tmrw, and I'm planning on going

• I'm really bummed that the nerf basketball hoop I got for my dorm broke. bummer.

• I went to Chinatown this past Saturday with Wang, Minh and Lui, and it was pretty much an adventure.

- The bus rides were insane... It took forever and we ALMOST got lost but the MEN pulled us through.

- We ate at this Restaurant called Foo Chow which happens to be the place where RUSH HOUR was filmed. I KNOW RIGHT? I was excited too.

- Then we bought some stuff that I will not disclose at this time...

The food was amazing. THE END.