Entry #11: Final Blog Reflection

To the future ENG 101 bloggers,

 

Welcome to the world of blogging. At first, as a student, you might thing:

•  Why am I blogging?
• What will I write about?
• Man, am I going to have to drop this class?
• This is lame.

However, the experience of having your own blog is actually great. It was an eye opener for me, as a student and as one who would like to continue her learning in language arts. I had learned a lot because of blogging. I got to learn what my own voice is like, how my tone is when typing out the next topics. Also, the genre of my blog was shocking to me. Its more related to my heritage and brought out more of myself though blogs. 

Blog let me see myself. It allows you to experiment with different type of writing styles that might fit you. And the freedom to choice your own topics was fun. To be honest at times I hated coming up with my own topics but once I found the topic I would talk about in the blog, I gave it my all. I was more passionate about my writing during my blogging. In a saying, Blogging allowed me to spread my wings.

When we, the students, were told that we have to write a blog every week, I actually got scared and nervous. I didn't like the idea of blogging. Blogging seemed like I wouldn't learn a lot, I thought it was just bored people who would like to get attention and just start writing about random stuff, but it actually was fun. 

When you start writing your own blog, make it something that you would know well and like talking about. Find new articles, videos, or pictures that is related to the topic, like cooking, DIY' s that could be helpful for other, cars, exercise, or even your heritage, and just roll with it. As long as the main topic has a lot of other little topics that could tie into it, you will be fine.

Blogging isn't something I will continue, but it was a valuable assignment that I learned from. I hope that during your ENG 101 class, you, as a student, will learn from blogging and understand where I am coming from.

Thank You

Entry #10: New age is hilarious.

Back in the day, Native Americans families hardly took any photos of themselves because they had low income, and didn't have the type of technology at hand like we do today. However they did manage to show the memories of their lives.

But thanks to technology Native Americans can now show their true colors and styles of how we are. Share precious photos oh their lives to others. 

There are now able to capture the heritage instead of telling stories. How the beauty of how Native Americans see life. 

There are also the goofy sides of Native American. That can be left to families and their fond memories in the future.

Seeing the evolution of photo for native Americans is eye opening. There wasn't many that were taking but now, The culture is screaming threw the captured photos. Not only was it from serious photos to the goofiness of my family. Photos are photos and glad that I as a Native American can shared this with you all. 

Entry #9: Greasy Face

As any women would know, greasy face is not appealing and shows bad hygiene. It is something that is natural or caused because the person would eat to much greasy food. It can be maintained with rice papers to blot the oily part of the face, or instead just use a tissue paper, can use powdered makeup as well. 

However, for Native American women its much harder. After washing their face, a few minutes later their face is cover with greasy. In the light, their face looks so shiny. For example, if I were to place my face on the window shield after I washed my face five minutes before, You could see the imprint of my skin. It is gross and displeasing to see.

Its true.Native American woman have fry bread faces.

Entry #8: Muffin-tops? Its called fry bread-flops.

Fry Bread. It's a crunch of  deliciousness that will melt into your taste buds. It will leave you wanting more. Here are some tips how to enjoy the bread of the land:

 1.Generally, the proper way to consume this crisp bread is to first pour honey on top. There is  no particular way to pour the honey, zigzags, hearts, horizontal lines, vertical lines, or even in the center, as food consumers we do not judge.
2.Then after the sweetness of syrup is poured, sprinkle powdered sugar on the top as well. Best way to get an evenly coat of powdered sugar is to use a swifter.
3.Last is form. Anyone can just break a piece off and toss the bead into your face hole. However, to enjoy the soft, crisp of the bread, it needs to be rolled or folded, then eaten. The powdered sugar and honey need to be combined together for a more sweet sauce. Once rolled the consumer can get a layer of goodness and even coat of the bread and syrup.

In the household of my own, once fry bread is present, it will be devoured in two minutes.

HOWEVER! because of the frying of the bread it is loaded with calories and carbs. On top of the the syrup is another three days worth of meals. Its a huge calorie intake. One bread will give me, the term that will describe it, Fry Bread Flops.

Its very common or the typical Native American to have 10 Fry Bread-Flops after eating fry bread. 

As a caution we need to take this seriously. Children are suffering from Fry Bread-Flops and its up to you to help them stop this addiction. To help cut down of fry bread making please call: 623-894-8623 for more information. Thank you. 

Entry #7: Love vs. Clan

As a young Native American woman its normal to find someone to be in love with or even want to marry. However it is very complicated to do so, there is age to consider, along with your type of interest, but most important it is clan. The work clan scares me to the point that when I here it brought up in a conversation, I want to switch topics. Clan by definition is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent.

But if asked by an Native American it means relation to you, relatives. Its very serious when the relationship is taken to the next level, to the point of marriage and reproducing.

The way to know what your clan is, is to ask your mother. It could get a little bit confusing but here is the simplest way. Every Native American has four clan names, wither they are half or a quarter Native American.  The first name is your mothers clan, because you were born from them. Second name is your fathers clan, because you came from them. Third name is your grandmothers clan. And fourth name would be your grandfathers clan name. It always starts with your mothers clan first out of respect and love. For example. in English, my clan name would be: Red Bottom, Coyote Clan, Salt Clan, and the last name. I don't know my grandmothers clan name on my fathers side.

So the number one rule of dating a Native American, if your Native American, is to make sure to know each others clan and to not be related by the first two names in your clan. If the other native has the same clan names of your parents clan, then there is not a chance your could date or marry them. It is Taboo to marry another native if they have the same clan name,

 If one were to break the rule and continue the relationship, they would be dishonoring both families. It would be compared to incest and the elders would look down on them. Another reason is that if they were to bear a child together, they is a chance of medical problems to the child and the child's physical state.

Coming from a first person experience, it is very hard on the heart to not be with someone you love because of that one name relation. However, its how we live and was raised to live by that rule. There are few who would break the rule and continue to love each other. But the rest of us will continue to live with that awkwardness of knowing we dated out cousin, by clan, and never again be loved by them.

Entry #6: Food Deserts still drying out the villages

Now a days during my English class, we continue to talk about the farming, how people grow their crops, how they treat their animals, whats the problem now in the farming community, and lastly how we as a nation can fix it. However, what caught my attention the most was the term "Food Deserts". Food deserts are  urban cities that have grocery stores but low on fresh product and mostly have caned vegetables. Its was something I have never heard of or knew existed. Once known to me it makes think that how could this be? all of the United States should be up to date already. It was naive to think that.

As thinking about the Food Deserts, It occurred to me that Native Americans also have food deserts where they live on the reservation and with in the cities too.

There are places like Farmington, that still have convenience stores, and a swap meet that are more closer to their home than an actual store like Walmart and Albersons. The stores have very less produce and more cans and junk food. Not only is it inconvenient and not an actual store, it has a lot of junk food making it unhealthy eating for younger and elder Native Americans. 

Its something that the Navajo Nation President needs to make up its a conversation starter. Especially, if we as Native American believe to treat the elders with the most respect. 

Continuing on to the food deserts, It is a problem that need to be fixed. It would have been easier if the people can grow their own produce, however do to most of the people who live along side the river, they are not capable to do so. The river is in very bad shape, its toxin and have junk in there. The river water had been absorbed into the land next to it and continued to neighboring homes, because of that there is no way to properly grow a garden unless it would be in pots. Plus it gets very hot to the point it would be hard to maintain. There goes most of the produce that could have ben grown to eat. 

It makes me sad to think that there is no way to help the markets and the people to get proper nutrition. Thankfully there have been added stored like Walmart that was built closer for now most people.

Entry #5: Fresh

Watching a documentary like Fresh, which is about farmers talking and sharing their thoughts about industrialized farming, how it not only hurts the animals and Earth, but it puts an impact on daily consumption of food, widens my knowledge and has me thinking about more than just how cheap produce products are but how hard these farmers work to provided of all of United States.

It wasn't after the movie that I had felt something. It was during the entire movie that  made me feel this tighting in my chest and frustrated as to why would big companies do such a thing to animals? And to the consumer? Why would consumer demand such cheap produce?  I was shocked to find that farmers don't get the amount paid for their products. I continued to absorbed the information that was given by all the educated farmers.

The movie Fresh was educating consumers and beginner farmers of the lasted industrialized farming that the big company produce for them. Letting them know that here is a problem and it needs to be fixed or soon there wouldn't be any farmers left to help produce naturally produce products and change the way we should consume the food we eat.

The documentary though out was very interesting, There are scenes that I still remember and made a huge impact on me.

One was when One of the farmers named Joel Salatin, was educating the viewers that in order to keep the animal in good condition and the land, It all had to start from the grass. Grass plays a main key in farming according to Salatin. Salatin Also continues to explain that animals are made to be in the wild and have plenty of space to run and feed. However, because of the industrialized farming they keep the animals in very close approximation and feeding animals like pigs, chickens, and cows, grains when they are supposed to be feeding on grass and vegetables, because they are herbivorous.
One quote he keep saying was " we have to get the chicken-ness out of the chickens and the pig-ness out of the pigs." Salatin says that because it was said that the company' would feed the pigs and chickens dead remains of  chickens and pigs. So to naturally feed them grass and leftover vegetation then the chicken would be chicken-less and pigs would be pig-less.

After hearing such clams, I felt not only upset and ready to scream at the farmer who had done such a thing. "Why? Why in the world would you do such a thing? I felt sadness, frustration and discus. It's similar to if they would've fed their own children dead remains of human waste. When the animal consume the remains its in their system and in her muscle, then consumer would soon eat them. That exactly what is happening. It not only bad for the consumers body but bad for the animals them selves. They are not meant to eat meat at all their body aren't build that way. 

Other scenes I remember is when they introduced Will Allen. He was an ex basketball player that left the south to pursuit his basketball career. He then married a lady that owned a tiny 3 acre land and decided to farm there. He of course had little space to do it so he created a green house that grew upwards, using as much space as possible. 

Will Allen has the passion to grown produce products as naturally as possible by using produce waste as vegetation for the plants and food. He gives lectures to  travelers and allows them to walk around his garden to better educate them on how to grow plants and that everyone should eat clean. Allen is a very inspirational person, Its great that his is teaching others on how to help better them selves and the land.

This documentary, like others, opened up my ears, eyes and thoughts on how to take on industrial farming, food and how they are produces. It helped me learn new things that I would have never though about. Taking a different look on produce and feeling more grateful that there are people willing to grown such food with care. I work in a grocery store, Fry's, in the produce departments, so I handle all the fruits and vegetables. The next day at work after watching this movie, I looked at the produce differently and appreciated it more. I how now watched the type of produce I had purchased. Like going to food markets, and eating less processed food. It did change my life a little at a time. 

Entry #4: Wall-E

Pixar movie have powerful means throughout the movie and Wall-E is a great example of that. This short clip from the movie Wall-E gave me a very different reaction then the characters had during the short clip. The characters were humans from Earth that were sitting on hover chairs transporting them from one destination to another. The humans were overweight and seemed like they didn't know their surroundings. They only knew what was on the screen in front of them and that products like drinks would be given to them automatically. while riding their hover chairs they had a joy of being connected with their friends, the technology gave them the pampering they want along with, portable food and drinks, change of clothes color and the relaxing scenery. This place was called the Human Dystopia.

However, as the short clip was playing, I noticed that my same reaction was like Wall-Es. I was in disbelief that the human society let themselves be over ruled but technology and that they have gotten over weight. I believe that exercise is everything and that people should have independence. This clip mad me feel like I was watching a horror film. I felt ashamed and embarrassed, even though its fiction, the feeling of watching it was to real that I would like to change my ways with technology and go for a run.

This clip does resonates with me because there are times when I watch television or use my phone that I don't  realize my surrounding and fall into the deeps of YouTube. So, I could be sitting on the couch in my living room then once I put my phone down I would end up laying on my bed. Just like the woman character in Wall-E, when he disconnected her monitor while she was siting in her chair in the train to transport her somewhere different,  she looked around her surrounding and didn't realize what was going on.

In continuation to that, this movie should also resonate with everyone else that use technology on a daily basis. I am not expert when it comes to technology, however I grew up with four older brothers so I know what happens to them when they are using some sort of technology they become zombies. Once they get into their video games, for instance, they sit there yelling at the television screen in their own little world. They wont answer to you at all and what seems like being controlled by technology, Because once again it controls the way they react, will they get angry?sad? happy? scream with excitement? Can't tell until the video game continues to play. Or , again, don't realize their surrounding.

But the most irritating one for me is that the humans rely on technology to much for everything. We rely on it with knowledge, Of course the internet was a great success on giving us new information everyday, however we also need to have self knowledge of the world. We have to fill information in out heads not our fingers. Get out and explore. But we are human we love to sit around on our phones, tv, and video games just like the human characters in Wall-E.

This movie was very educational and will give me a different look on technology and with looking after my health, because they gave me quite a scare.

Entry #3: I should go to the hospital now....

Technology. It creates new inventions from robots to airplanes or glasses to putting a chip in someone's body to help monitor their blood and heart. This chip was invented but Swiss researchers that had an idea to help spread new inventions throughout  healthcare. They created a tiny chip that will be placed under the patient's skin to analyze blood from the body and send test results instantaneous. New and improved technology is continuously being brought up or invented in the health care and this is another successful idea that will help the people around the world.

"It will allow direct and continuous monitoring based on a patient's individual tolerance, and not on age and weight charts or weekly blood tests,"  Giovanni de Micheli, the Swiss team leader. Another scientist, Sandro Carrara, said that the implanted chip could also detect a molecule that is tied in with a heart attack. It can detect it two to three hours before the attack could happen, Having enough time to get a ambulance there to monitor the patient.

Incredible is the only word that I could describe this new piece of technology. However its still on going experiments but hopefully it will be fully complete in the next four years.

To me this is a great idea that should be given to everyone. Its very convenient especially for those who live in the middle of nowhere and can't really be known if they had a heart attack or not. In New Mexico there are a huge amount of land, and because of that everyone lives so far from each other. The cities are at least a two hour drive from where most Native Americans live.

There is a place in New Mexico called Burnham. Its pronounced as Burn- ums. There is where a man lived in the middle of nowhere without and electricity or plumbing. All he had was his house and his farm. So, the ideas of health care was unreachable for him, unless someone took the time to drive all the way to see him but there is that "What if.." factor that if he were to have a medical problem or even a heart attack, how would he get the help that he needs if he is too far and don't have the transportation to get his to the hospital. That's what most elderly Native Americans are suffering from to this day.

This new implant could help the elderly with getting diagnose quickly and getting the medical help needed faster before something more serious happens to them in the middle of nowhere.

Entry #2 : Cousins

Family is always there.  Even when they haven't seen each other for many years, they act like they  just seen one another only 5 minutes ago. Reminding us that we act like the children we were 10 years ago.

The main family members that make you feel like minutes have passed when it's has been hours are our cousins. Cousins are the family members that are children of our parents siblings. However, cousins are of close relation to were most people call them their sister/brother. Especially for the Native American.

As an Native American, cousins will be our best friend. If we hang out with anybody it will be our cousins. Because of that, they are always there even when that aren't physically. Other than just getting together with our cousins to talk and watch movies, there are meaningful activities in the Navajo Tradition that we share with them. When a child becomes a young woman called Kinaalda,
 their cousins join her in a ceremony that includes running further that the young woman, baking a cake and making traditional clothing or blanket. Because of theres significant events cousins will remain close until the very end.

Shiyaazh zeedii, meaning cousin in Navajo. This is to shine light on the Navajo Traditions to blog viewers.  

Entry #1 : My jugdment

I believe that blogs are for people who just want some type of meaning for life. Bloggers want to scream their opinions to the world and attract attention to themselves. However, bloggers are the latest trend in our society. Many bloggers become famous writers and publish their own book. Its a great investment, only if the person is interesting.

There are intresting blogs that have caught my eye, like Dirt in Your Skirt. What I like about this blog is thats its mostly for women who want to get fit. There are questions that are answered for them to help increase their motivation of fitness. I like to workout and stay active with running and marathons. So seeing others with the same liking of me, its exciting to read.

Another favorite blog that I have came across is 101 Cookbook. Cooking is one of my hobbies that I been doing since elementary school. So, of course it will be one of my liked blogs. This blog does not only give simple recipes but the layout is very clean and easy to follow.

One blog that i found dis intresting are the historcial and scienfitc blogs.

Introduction to me

Hello, my name is Kalynn [kay-lynn] Yazzie. I am eighteen years old. I have a lot of family that I love. I have no idea what I'm going to study for as a degree in college. However I am hoping to figure out that in the future, meet some new people on the way, and know more about my self through the college experience.

Here is some things to know about me, when you look at me in timid, but as u get to know me I'm very loud, funny, and I like to smile a lot. What I get called alot from my mother is goofy. Im a goofy person. I like to make people laugh or do something silly once in a while.

  What makes my unique is ..... that I'm Native American and I have not dyed my natural hair yet? There not really anything unique about me. I graduated hight school. Working and Going to school. Taking care of my family and thats it. 

My hobbies are to exercise, mostly running, laying on my bed, sleeping and, like most girls, shopping even though I don't do it much. My most treasured hobby is playing the violin. I have played the violin for 9 years.

Lastly, my goal is to graduate from ASU. I don't really know in what, but all I know is that I would love to travel around the world.