So, i'm really sorry for having fallen behind in posting. I was going to post last night but when i got back my computer's internet wasn't working. But enough excuses, i'll just make up for it.

First things first, Jen i felt like your group did a really good job with your presentation on a gesture life. It really opened my eyes to aspects of the novel that i didn't notice at first. It was extremely insightful. But now as i'm reading my country versus me, they are definitely not the same kind of book. I do like how from the very beginning the book is interesting and real. Its a refreshing change from the creative fiction of a gesture life. The story is the kind that you only have really seen on tv or in movies, but it really happens. It really is a sad tale, of misconceptions and deceit. But I won't talk more about it until after the groups present because I don't want to spoil the book for people seeing as not all of us have read as far into the book as others.

And Laurie, I do agree with what you have to say about all this "political stuff" because it really is pertenant to us all. We are not only the student body of Berkeley but we are the embodiment of the school itself--we are the personality, essense, and voice. So its only natural we have a say in the goings-on here and it should be seriously listened to and taken into consideration. I honestly had no idea of what was going on at all if it wasn't for my friend Lisa or the very active and passionate filipino community. I really was totally ignorant of this all before and didn't really want to change that. But now that i know some stuff, i know i can't just stand by and watch things happen. I'm not saying i'm going to become super active but i will lend support. It really is better than doing nothing at all.

So does anyone know what they're writing about for their second paper? I was thinking about writing about america is in the heart because its the one that i've enjoyed the most so far and we didn't get to write about it for the first paper becuase we barely got finished with the book by the time the drafts were due. I think i'll have a somewhat hard time remembering some details but i think i took good enough notes in my book and from class to put together a better paper than my first one. i was thinking about writing about Carlo as a nomad as a means to provide i home for not only himself but the filipino community. or, possibly, that life really does move on because it has to where i would focus mostly on the 3 brothers in america (amado,macario, and carlo). i don't know, i think i'm having the reverse problem as i did with namesake because i'm thinking about a lot of topics and themes for my paper and can't seem to pick one. But i still have the fear that i'll choose to write about something that won't make it between the 6-8 page limit because of such a restrictive thesis. I'm planning on starting it really soon, either today or tomorrow. I also hope that we talk about the exam coming up more because i know that it'll include character quote identification for sure but what else? That's the hard part of having eams on reading on multiple novels because there is just sooo much content. i'm a little worried but i figured that as long as i read the books, i should be okay. Its just that is is soooo much to remember at a drop of the hat, especially in a test situation and i sometimes have a hard time with memory recall.


Well, I'm ready to talk about not-so-serious stuff now--mainly the guest speakers from Hyphen magazine. It was a pretty good use of our classtime to talk to them, it wasn't only out of the normal routine but it also was really interesting. if you think about it, there is only one truly asian american magazine left out there because majority of the periodicals are based on ethnicity, which is very specific to one race of man. an asian american magazine combines the issues, lifestyles, etc. of a collection of races. We all might be different races, but we are also all asian. When they asked "who identifies themselves as asian american", i didn't raise my hand because i've always identified myself as filipino american. But it is true that even though we all don't look alike and share the culture and history, we aren't that much different. If majority of the American population and government refers to us all as asian american, we should remember that if we get grouped together, we all should stick together as well. When an ignorant white man sees any asian american, he doesn't refer to them according to their race but "asian". They don't even always include the american, even though we are american and asian at the same time. Stereotypes for asians are pretty much put under the same umbrella, no matter how different they are from what you really are. Such as calling an asian a "chink" (hopefully no gets offended, i'm only using this an example) to anyone of southeast asian decent fail to realize that we have normal, of not bigger eyes. That statement about asians also fails to recognize those of indian and middle-eastern decent as asian, enen though they are. I know it is impossible to prevent generalizations, nevertheless false stereotypes. It is just so annoying sometimes.

-Precious