5/20/09 Readings

Well, now I have a perfect actual situation that can be categorized under the "fine print rule" besides warranties. Yes, everyone can exist here but I think this little area needs an eight meter wall. Yes, you can build there... but you need a permit that there is no way your going to get. You can move out of the city for more property... but then your not a resident anymore. How many more stipulations can you put on something and still believe you are doing the original idea? I also enjoyed the classifications of walls, I never thought of there being different classifications for walls.

Question: Can you by any chance explain the awkward tension between the groups when in the "public" area/ markets and what is going through your mind at that point and time?

5/18/09 Readings

I found the large impact and controversy over architecture as not only interesting, but I never really realized or thought about how that could be such a large issue. I mean after reading it, yeah of course Craig your and idiot, but I never really thought of it until that article. I like how much they had to do and how to be "respectful" to the times, cultures and past. Yet, the article itself was a bit boring to me, it did make me think about the hardships of that task.

As for the other one, it was kind of hard to read and get into what was being said. I did however find the chronology of events interesting and was amazed at the large events happening just from October to January. Besides that, I don't really have much more to say about this reading.

Week 7 Readings.

I really enjoyed reading Suad Amiry's work. I liked how she could make such an awful situation seem comical and allow us to see how the people actually made the best out of it. I thought the dog getting a Jerusalem passport quicker than her then how she used it to her advantage as hysterical. I also thought the young boy wanting the gas mask for a toy pretty funny.

As for the other reading I don't have so much to say. Pretty much a broken record, I hope there can be peace in Israel, but the connection she made with all the different "names" was interesting.

Final Project

I am going to interview different people of different faiths and make a video documentary. Now, I am going to ask them a lot of questions but the main theme I am going for is on the misconceptions of certain religions,why these have occurred and how if there is an answer, can these religions coexist in one city. Then how this misinterpretations can lead directly to the conflict in Jerusalem.

1 What are the core beliefs in your religion?
2 Do your personal beliefs agree completely with those of your religion?
3 Do you personally take your book of Scripture literally?
4 Throughout history or political means, do you feel your religion has been exploited or misinterpreted? If so, how?
5 How would you like to change people’s perception of your religion?
6 How much do you know about: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism?
7 What do you think are the main differences between these three religions?
8 How much do you know about the history of the Abrahamic religions in Jerusalem?
9 How much do you know about the conflict in Jerusalem?
10 What do you believe are the reasons for the conflict?
11 What are your religion’s ties with Jerusalem?
12 Do you believe that all three faiths of Abraham can live in harmony?
13 If it were to remain ruled by one religion, which one should it be and why?

Tamari Readings

Well it felt good to finally not be reading about wars and dipping into the common man and a little bit of phychology. I found the article on Caanan and his Jerusalem circle interesting but not a very new idea to me. Wondering how or if biblical texts have influenced later generations. Then also linking these to the similarities of other cultures and looking to see how they have changed. It was cool to see the stories but nothing too surprising to see the similarities. It was nice to finally have a coined term "Nativist ethography" to refer to the act of needing to belong and remember one's heritage.
I did enjoy the article on the musician Wasif. It was good to read about first hand experiences and different perspectives rather than constant religious practices and wars. Another interesting point is how similar the life of a musician then to a musician today is. Basically, just the common themes between civilizations and how much different a place is from a different perspective.

Channels of Rage Paragraph

I found the video interesting in the aspect that it showed that there are younger people speaking out and a person can actually see first hand what the youth were saying and to see the support at the concerts. I also thought it was interesting that Tamer was the first to actually use Arabic in his songs. I would have on the other hand enjoyed more footage on what the public was saying about the two rappers along with a bit more conversation between the two like at the end. I was getting tired of listening to the same songs and lyrics over and over again. It was a good thing to see, it finally mixed up the "old" history and made Israel's struggle and little bit more relevant.

Channels of Rage Reviews and Music Scene

http://www.fipresci.org/festivals/archive/2003/jerusalem_2003/jerusalem_2003_keder.htm

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117925365.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

This is called the Sunset to Sunset and it is a dance festival by Moksha Project. It is basically a rave in Israel and it looks like it would be a blast. Anyone want to go haha...
http://lovingtelaviv.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/moksha-project-israel-september-sunset-to-sunset-outdoor-dance-festival/