Brian Doyle Reading

          I listened to a Brian Doyle reading that took place at BYU in 2005. The essays and other writing pieces that Brian Doyle read were very interesting, fun, and inspiring. One of the essays that I enjoyed was where he talked about playing basketball with his three very young children. He first gave some background about his love and obsession with basketball, as well as how he had injured his knee and could no longer play the sport. But he relates this story about when he was playing on a toy basketball hoop with his children and realized that they were all he ever wanted or needed, that they were what made him absolutely happy.
          Through listening to Brian Doyle read some of his work, I realized that you can write about anything and everything. Some of his pieces seemed like absolute nonsense at first, but then the connections became clear and it became art. Some of them seemed like they were just written for fun and weren't meant to be meaningful at all, but then they changed and became representations of what life is about for each of us.
         Another of the essays that I liked most was the one about September 11th. Brian Doyle told the stories of many people in this essay: a teacher, a worker who'd just had a baby, a man who saved a co-worker, and a firefighter who ran into the building even though he knew there was no chance of leaving if he continued. It was a beautiful essay that captured both the ordinary and extraordinary traits of humankind at the same time. Each of us is normal and ordinary, but that doesn't mean that we are not also extraordinary and capable of great things. There is power that comes from living a good life to the best of our ability. Doyle's essay shows this, and makes the listener/reader want to live life to its fullest because we need to carry on what the people in his essay did and how they lived. To honor their passing we need to be the best we can be, even if that means just living a normal life while caring about others.

"Modernization"

          While in Brazil, Salgado visited a tribe of indigenous people in Roraima, Brazil. These people lived near an army base that had been constructed near an airstrip, so they had been coming into closer contact with the outside world than ever before. Rather than being nomadic and moving from place to place, the Yanomami built a communal hut and settled down. Instead of making hammocks from forest materials, they trade with the soldiers to get synthetic hammocks. Salgado writes that, "these Indians are becoming beggars on their own land" (Salgado 255).
          While having access to some of the things that come from industrialization, such as better hammocks, is a good thing, being in contact with the outside world has dramatically changed these peoples' way of life. They are no longer nomadic, so they cannot live off the land as they used to and are now dependent on trading with the soldiers. I think that it is tragic that these people have lost a large part of their culture and way of life. Their lives are definitely easier and safer now, but they have lost out on many other important things that life has to offer. Our culture helps us to connect with each other and to find a lot of joy in life.

From page 255

Work Cited

Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. 1st ed. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. Print.

Starving

         In the aftermath of the genocide and war in Rwanda, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from their homes, and ended up in refugee camps in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). Many of these refugees waited in large groups near the train tracks to wait for food to arrive on trains. A train came--but did not deliver much food per person. Nobody was sure of how where or how many refugees there were, so each family was given only one pound of corn and peas. This resulted in mass starvation among the refugees (Salgado 213).
        The image I chose from this week's pages depicts two men, a woman, and a small child who are all starving. These people are almost literally skin and bones, especially the child. It is scary to see what happened to these people. They were completely dependent on outside aid for food, and were let down. This meant not only discouragement, but many deaths as well. Looking at the pamphlet's description of the photo, is says it was taken on March 31st of 1997. This means that the starving child is just about the same age as me at the time. This really makes me think about what these people went through, how it really did happen, and could have potentially been me, if I had been born into a different family. These starving people are just like you and me.

(From page 213)

Work Cited

Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. 1st ed. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. Print.

Salgado Post #4: The Product of Hate

          Salgado was once visiting Tanzania and Rwanda during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. He witnessed many of the tragedies and horrors that occurred during this event. One of the things he saw was the dumping of the bodies of murdered Tutsis and moderate Hutus into the Akagera River. He writes, "In just 30 minutes, I saw 20 corpses swept over the waterfalls" (Salgado 172).
          It is so horrifying to think of what people are capable of doing when they are persuaded into thinking that a group of people is inferior. The perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide were not only Hutu extremist militia, but also the government and even many average citizens. People were hunting down their own neighbors just because of the race printed on their ID card.
          Although many may believe that such a thing can only happen in faraway countries, we need to be on the lookout to keep similar atrocities from happening within our communities. The genocide did not just suddenly happen--it was the product of years of segregation and racism. It is the responsibility of each of us to make sure these things do not happen around us. If we can stop the small acts of hate, then the huge acts can never happen.

From Migrations page 172

Work Cited

Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. 1st ed. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. Print.

Salgado Post #3: Plastic Windows

          Refugees fleeing the Balkans found themselves forced to stay in a camp called Turanj, a town that had been torn apart in a battle between the Croats and the Serbs several years earlier. Some refugees were able to pay off the guards to let them continue on their journey to get out of the country. The rest had to do the best they could with what was left of the town, using plastic sheets as windows in an attempt to keep out the winter cold (Salgado 119).
          As if this wasn't enough, the town had many landmines left over from the earlier conflict, and several refugees were killed by these deadly devices. Most of the victims were children (Salgado 119). This whole situation just seems unimaginable to me. These people had to leave their homes, and then they have to live in the shells of war-torn houses and try to survive the winter. Before looking at Salgado's book, I never realized that there have been and still are so many people who have faced hardships like this. It is very sad but eye-opening to realize such things have happened.

From http://www.lannan.org/art/artist/sebastiao-salgado/

Work Cited

          Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. 1st ed. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. Print.

Waste Land Review

          The film Waste Land depicted many acts of service and care that are amazing to see. Often times there are people who are very poor and work in a dangerous and gross dump who are offering help to friends or family who need it. They could very well use a lot of help themselves, and yet they are trying to be of service to those around them.
          The artist, Vik, first went to Brazil believing that he'd just shoot some pictures, maybe meet a few locals, and then go home and resume his normal life again. What ended up happening was quite different. Vik got the opportunity to work very closely with a lot of the pickers from the landfill, he learned their stories and showed kindness to all of them. 131
          Vik got to know these people very well, and saw how they all kept going on strongly through life despite many terrible hardships. It seemed like all of the pickers he worked with had turned down opportunities to work in the drug trade or similar jobs where they could have made more money. They all wanted to be honest and hard-working people who earned their money, even if it was not very much.
          These people were all going through hard times, and then Vik showed up and gave them an opportunity to do work that was outside the landfill and that allowed them to really accomplish something where they could see the results. Vik's encouragement and kindness helped all of the pickers to see that they are important, that they are cared about and that they can be beautiful. He changed their whole outlook on who they were and what they could do. 
          Watching this movie has shown me that working with and serving people really can change lives. It is too easy to dismiss a service experience as just doing work or another thing to check off on a class requirements list. Giving true service and caring about those you serve can help to make a huge impact on their lives as well as your own.

Manufactured Landscapes Response

          I recently viewed the film Manufactured Landscapes on Hulu. I was surprised at first how the film included some of the communication between the camera man and I assume the artist/director about where to point the camera, and what the lighting  was like, etc. This is something that we rarely encounter when we watch a professionally made film. I felt that it actually added to the film's meaning though, because it is showing us how things are, unfiltered and unbiased. At one point the makers of the film are trying to get access to shoot at a certain industrial spot. The company representative tried to say that it is not a beautiful place to shoot, but one of the filmmakers explained that through the camera lens, through certain eyes it can be beautiful.
          One of the parts of the film that stuck with me was about the people who lived in the cities that were going to be flooded when the very large dam was completed. These people not only had to leave their homes behind, but they were being paid to destroy them as well, brick by brick. In this scene you get a sense of how we as a human race are willing to sacrifice in the name of progress. Is the sacrifice worth it? Where do we draw the line? It is probably impossible to tell, and depends very much on one's personal opinion. China is developing very fast, but what are the consequences? They are using large-scale coal mining operations to fuel this industrialization, which causes large amounts of pollution. People are working in unbelievably large factories, standing in place putting irons together for many hours.
           Since I was watching the film on Hulu, there would be occasional ads that would interrupt the movie. It was so strange to see all of the work and various sacrifice that goes into making products, and then see American consumers using the product and being very carefree. Industrialization is not a polished or pretty thing. But what it accomplishes can be beautiful, as well as ugly if you so wish to see it. Something we need to keep in mind as the world continues to develop and industrialize: Is it worth it?

Blog Post #3: Crushed Hopes

           During the Vietnam War and during various other political difficulties some Vietnamese people have tried to find refuge in other countries by escaping on boats. Because of their method of leaving the country the are referred to as "boat people". These people sail out to sea, and when they get to neighboring countries they are sometimes received, but sometimes not. (Salgado 62)
          In Indonesia the refugees from Vietnam were told to sail to the island of Galang, where their boats were destroyed and they were imprisoned (Salgado 62). These people escaped one bad situation and tragically landed right in another, this time with even less hope of escape. To me the boats represented these peoples' hopes and means of creating a better life for themselves. Salgado's picture shows the destroyed boats sitting on the shore, never to be used again.
          Without their boats nor their freedom, these boat people of Vietnam are stuck; they cannot control any outward aspect of their lives, and that is true tragedy.

(Page 62)

Work Cited

          Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. 1st ed. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. Print.

Blog Post #2: Salgado Reading

          Sebastião Salgado made it his mission to make sure the world knows about the great hardships that millions of people go through as refugees. He hopes to be able to spread awareness so that more can be done for these people than what he is able to do by himself. 49
          The picture I chose depicts migrants riding a train to Northern Mexico by sitting in between the cars. Salgado explains that this spot is a good hiding place on a train, but has many dangers. One can fall off, or get hit by debris thrown up by the train (Salgado). 99
          These people go through tremendous risk to try and get into the United States. They leave their homes in search of a better life. I cannot imagine doing such a thing. I am unsure about whether it is best to let more immigrants into the U.S. right now, but I definitely admire the courage and perseverance.

From Migrations page 25

Work Cited

          Salgado, Sebastião. Migrations. 1st ed. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. Print.

God Grew Tired of Us Review

      The film God Grew Tired of Us showed me a perspective of refugees that I have never truly thought much of before. To see what conditions the boys were living in while they were in the refugee camps and to see their transitioning into American life was something new to me. We are so used to our way of life that we sometimes can forget how fortunate we are to live in a place where we have shelter and lots of food available to us.
      The guys who the documentary followed all went through so much hardship, and it was cool to see how they were still able to keep going, and build a better life for themselves. I thought it was amazing how dedicated they were to sending money back to their family and friends when they could have used that money to go to school or live in nicer apartments. They consistently made the best of hard situations, and were able to keep hope through some depressing times. They showed how no matter what we may go through in our own lives, we can still turn out okay, and even help others out at the same time.
      The film was persuasive in many ways. When most people think about a refugee camp, they think impersonally about a large group of people living somewhere to escape a war. But this film showed us that each of the people in a refugee camp is an individual, with hopes and dreams much like ours. Following the individuals in the film showed how these people are really just the same as us. We can all relate to some of the loneliness and sorrow that these people have felt, and that makes us really see what they are going through and why something more needs to be done to make things better.