Faust Writing

On a rainy night at the racquet club, I had dinner with Jason. There were only a few days left before I head off to college. The full blow of that thought hadn’t hit my mind yet; I tried to keep it away. I hung on desperately to the glorious days of summer, trying to meet with as many of my friends as possible to keep that feeling of security alive. 

We had a fancy meal of steak and mashed potatoes. The pitter-patter of rain was barely audible outside as we talked under the candlelight, friend to friend, student to student, brother to brother. We talked under the eaves of the restaurant when we were finished, about everything: the social scene, the future we had planned for ourselves, and any remaining high school drama that still remained unspoken of at the time. We made promises to each other about the goals we wanted and hoped to keep them. The night passed in an almost magical scene - the rain, the emotions, and the final goodbye.

Fast forward a few months:

I found myself sitting in the corner of a restaurant by myself. I am two months into college. The time was 10:34 PM. I was alone as all my friends were out at an event. Already, a few buckets of sweat and tireless hours studying for exams, a few parties, events, and a broken relationship had gone by. My order soon came. Steak and potatoes. 

My mind was triggered back to that rainy night that seemed like years ago. That same feeling of nostalgia came rushing back and I wondered where the time had gone. All the promises we promised each other led me to wonder if they were being kept. Two months seemed so long with the twists and turns of college life, almost as if I were reaching into a past, trying to hold onto some moment that grounded me, and yet coming back empty-handed, or at least, with the sand falling through between my fingers:

Undoubtedly what is thus palpitating in the depths of my being must be the image, the visual memory which, being linked to that taste, is trying to follow it into my conscious mind. But its struggles are too far off, too confused and chaotic; scarcely can I perceive the neutral glow into which the elusive whirling medley of stirred-up colours is fused, and I cannot distinguish its form, cannot invite it, as the one possible interpreter, to translate for me the evidence of its contemporary, its inseparable paramour, the taste, cannot ask it to inform me what special circumstance is in question, from what period in my past life.

Pie Post - Forgotten Feelings Pie

This pie is composed of everything sweets. From its cotton candy insides to its frosted exterior with M&Ms, it is everything one would expect from first dates, or trips to the movie theater. 

The pie consists of:

• 4 small bags of Valentine’s Day M&Ms
• a bag of popcorn
• hunks of cotton candy
• a few servings of ice cream sundaes
• a cup of coffee
• and dough to mix it all together

When the pie is out of the oven, it is steaming and looks ready to burst. The sides of the pie are blackened and the skin looks like its about to crumble. Decorate the top with large hearings of frosting and draw, using red frosting, a heart across the top in half. 

This pie is used to symbolize a love that has been broken. The insides are made from the foods one and his or her significant other has shared before in the past. Happier times have now become moments of regret and anger. The pie itself bulges at the sides not only because the ingredients are so unorthodox, but because they symbolize all the feelings of repression of emotions one may undergo at the end of a relationship. 

By eating the pie, symbolically, one is swallowing those fears and pains; he or she is moving forward and looking ahead. 

First Draft for Food Blog Revisions

For my first Food Blog draft, I talked about Fugu and the controversy the dish has caused in Japan over whether farm-raised Fugu without poison should be allowed or not.

My peer reviewer suggested that I add more descriptions that match the narrative I tell through the blog post. In addition, he suggested that I add more about the effects of Fugu-poisoning and more specific details about preparing Fugu.

Overall, my post needs more descriptions and information from my sources to further flesh it out.




For my second Food Blog draft, I talked about Anisakiasis, an infection that can result from eating raw fish.

My peer reviewer said that the information I incorporated in my post is very interesting and overall, quite alluring. However, he pointed out that the piece lacks a central argument. The piece is more informative than argumentative. My peer reviewer also pointed out that the ordering in my blog could be better: I could talk about how I love eating raw food first, then gradually transition to the narrative, and then the argument. I agree.

Overall, this piece has the information, but needs a cohesive argument to bring the pieces together.

Photo Essay - Trains and Truth

The battle between technological advances and nature is an ongoing debate in the modern world. Progress in transportation is no different. In some countries, large-scale highways, monster bridges, and high-speed railroad lines span natural scenes, filling them with motion, innovation, wires, and machine power. With our eyes glued to the newest breakthroughs in engineering, we sometimes forget the beauty that is omnipresent in natural, untarnished places, our minds instead filled with the idea of progression, power, and potency. One way of viewing this can be expressed by watching the world from trackside. Nature's beauty will never cease, even when viewed through the world of horsepower, grimy locomotives, and heavy railroads.

Photo 1: https://www.flickr.com/photos/milwaukeerailfan/28818836722/in/dateposted/

#flowerpower

Photo 2: https://www.flickr.com/photos/milwaukeerailfan/29475046886/in/dateposted/

#beastintheshadows

Photo 3: https://www.flickr.com/photos/milwaukeerailfan/28827631705/in/dateposted/

#size

Photo Essay Process Information:

 The photos were taken with a progression of technology followed up with resistance from nature in mind. Photo one shows plainly a locomotive cutting through a blooming forest. Photo two shows a train as well as buildings hidden among the wonderful fall colors. Photo three shows even more man-made units - the train, the cars, the wires and poles - and even still, nature's beauty permeates through the scene. Colors are used to help aid thesis and information processing. 

Edited Voiceoever

The fish has been gutted, the meat has been breaded, and the kitchen has come alive! Join us, as we witness Mr. Chu as he prepares his signature dish. With over twenty years of experience running his own restaurant which he took over after his father, Chu is always busy and meticulous with his work. From seeing how quickly he prepares the fish, we can already see every minute of his lifetime poured into such a delicate process as cooking, making sure that every red pepper, every spice, and every tasty ingredient is factored into the final product in their correct amounts, all in the blink of an eye!

He works diligently, without pausing to even take a drink of water. He is used to the heat; it has been his home for most of his life, even as he was a little boy scrubbing pots for his father. Today, he is a Master Chef with three beautiful daughters, each to whom he is preparing this glorious banquet for this day. 

Watch as he steps out of the kitchen now to prepare the next half of the meal. The chicken pen he is walking towards was made by his father over forty years ago and still stands to house chickens today. He grabs one to kill for the meal, for his greatest dish of the banquet, “Chu’s General Chicken”, must use fresh meat for the full flavor to be savored. Chu’s restaurant garnered our attention first because of his commitment to sustainability, that is, raising his own livestock for his dishes. 

It does not take him long to prepare the rest of the meal. By now, the chicken has been prepared and so have all the other ingredients. He puts the buns in the cooker and waits while he puts the rest of his creations on the stove to heat. Squid, steamed buns, rice, and vegetables will soon be ready. At this time, most of the heavy work is over and he can proceed to another task. Although it seems like a long and heavy task has been completed, the day has only begun for Chef Chu...

Source: Eat Drink Man Woman

Voiceover of Opening Scene from Eat Drink Man Woman

The fish has been gutted; the meat has been breaded; and the kitchen has come alive! Join us, as we witness Mr. Chu as he prepares his signature dish. With over twenty years of experience running his own restaurant which he took over after his father, Chu is always busy and meticulous with his work. From seeing how quickly he prepares the fish, we can already see every minute of his lifetime poured into such a delicate process as cooking, making sure that every red pepper, every spice, and every tasty ingredient is factored into the final product in their correct amounts, all in the blink of an eye!

He works diligently, without pausing to even take a drink of water. He is used to the heat; it has been his home for most of his life, even as he was a little boy scrubbing pots for his father. Today, he is a Master Chef with three beautiful daughters, each to whom he is preparing this glorious banquet for this day. 

Watch as he steps out of the kitchen now to prepare the next half of the meal. The chicken pen he is walking towards was made by his father over forty years ago and still stands to house chickens today. He grabs one to kill for the meal, for his greatest dish of the banquet, “Chu’s General Chicken”, must use fresh meat for the full flavor to be savored. Chu’s restaurant garnered our attention first because of his commitment to sustainability, that is, raising his own livestock for his dishes. 

It does not take him long to prepare the rest of the meal. By now, the chicken has been prepared and so have all the other ingredients. He puts the buns in the cooker and waits while he puts the rest of his creations on the stove to heat. At this time, most of the heavy work is over and he can proceed to another task. Thus ends the busiest moment of a day in the life of Chef Chu. 

Source: Eat Drink Man Woman

Reflection on Proposal Review

My Food Blog proposal was on: Raw Dishes. 

My reviewer, Thalia, said that it was “important that you are also including a counterargument - focusing on people who love and hate raw food really strengthens your argument.” In reflection, bringing up the argument on both sides was an idea that occurred to me only on a whim. Yet, for someone to have taken notice of it reminded me that counterarguments are indeed important. It provides room for both sides of an opinion and gives an argument more dimension. 

Thalia said that I should mention why “ethos and pathos are important appeals to address in your blog post?” She raises a very good point. Ethos and pathos are important to address because they are primary methods to connect an author with a reader, making a passage come alive more. When one can invest himself or herself into an argument, he or she will be able to understand and believe it more. 

Thalia also asked what tones I would develop in my writing. I will take a modest tone, one that is open to both sides of an argument while still remaining true to one clear point. I believe this is the best way to take a blog post so that all readers will not be offended, and many viewpoints can be well analyzed instead of just one. Although some say that it is better to focus an argument, I believe showing all sides to an argument can offer more room for liberal thought and inspiration for other ideas.