I have recently created a Twitter account (@ShannonBolen ) and am experiencing first hand the power to Twitter. What initially put Twitter under a positive light for me was hearing about Amanda Palmer. I encourage everyone to watch the TedTalk she gave "The Art of Asking" because it is quite amazing. What makes this so phenomenal is the fact that Amanda Palmer works as a musician. Many people, including myself, are trying to make money by performing music. Her story illustrates the hardships of becoming successful in the music world but also shows the potential of people in and out of the "celebrity" world. I love the Amanda Palmer story because it shows how resourceful Twitter is. Many companies on Twitter post about events or many stars and celebrities work their own Twitter. Jenna Fischer retweeted a tweet from an army family thanking her for The Office. Maestro Lorin Maazel posts interesting thoughts he has about music and conducting. Carnegie Hall posts about music teacher workshops. These are things at all interest me, especially the last one. I simply would not have known about or bothered to look up these things because I did not know they existed. An important phase that happens on Facebook as well, orchestras are advertising free streamings of concerts and such. As a teacher, I can use this for my music classes to help show students what an orchestra and a concert hall might sound like, especially if I end up teaching in an area where music is scarce. I can also encourage my students to follow myself and other musicians if they have Twitters and post helpful links, videos, and pictures to help them. Being born to an Asian mother, I have many privileges, one being access to rice. A simple grain. Growing up, I learned about myths of rice. They say you gain a pimple for every grain of rice you leave in your bowl. That’s just the beginning. Sticking chopsticks straight in a rice bowl is bad luck (and rude!). So much depends on such a small bowl full of these little gifts of grub. Moving to college, I had to leave many things behind, including rice. I have no idea how to make rice without a rice cooker and I had no intentions of doing anything otherwise. At home, we typically buy rice imported from Asia. This seemed like a small detail to me when I went to the store to buy rice one day. I saw Asian rice and noticed the price was ridiculously more expensive than a rice I had never had before: Extra long grain rice. Being deprived of rice for almost an entire semester, I foolishly bought it. Before long, someone cooked the rice. I excitedly broke my chopsticks apart. The day had come. I lustfully looked upon the steaming, towering pyramid of tiny grains and simply couldn’t wait to place a mound in my longing embouchement. I dove my chopsticks just below the peak of the rice (the same point of delicious magnitude as cut watermelon) and felt my appetite choke. The moment I pierced the pyramid, the rice came tumbling down like tiny pieces of Legos falling out of a toy tub. Only two grains of rice remained on my chopsticks! My pals seemed unbothered by it and ate happily. I grudgingly followed suit. Chewing the dry rice in the front of my mouth, I could not help but think about my teeth chewing tiny little pebbles. Crushed by the disappointment in this rice like the way it crushed my teeth, I advise consumers to beware of the higher price paid by the deceivingly low price of long grain rice. |
About BlogThis blog was originally made for a summer class in 2013, focusing on media, film, and sound. Archives
July 2017
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