Since the community I live in right now has nothing but food and a bowling alley I am going to write about my hometown Trikala, Greece. There, like most places in Greece, you had a town square or a plateia where everybody would go to hang out. No cars would pass and there were stores all around. Another thing I remember about this place is the statues. When we would go out at night with our parents they would sit and drink with their friends and me and my brother would run off and play by the statues with our friends. Those really were the times I wish I could go back to. I remember having to struggle climbing the statue so I could sit on it with everyone else. Now that I think about it, it is amazing how so many kids could just stroll off and play by themselves at night. The adults were around of course but they weren’t watching us. In a sense, I guess you could say it was a moment of freedom for us.

Greeks are social creatures so to them it’s like heaven to have a place where all they do is socialize, eat, and shop. Every place you go to in Greece, you will find a plateia. And when you have nothing to do you will find yourself taking a stroll down the plateia with your friends and family. You will never find yourself stuck at home with nothing to do because you always have the choice of going out and that’s what I love about Greece and Europe in general.

The plateias in Greece are really important. It is a meeting place for the young and old. You meet new people and encounter old friends just by walking around. In Greece the nightlife is really like being out in the day with the exception of the sun. The plateia transforms into a piece of artwork because it becomes something valuable and priceless in our lives. It really  plays a huge role in the community and the Greek culture.

This is a picture of a fast food place in the plateia at Trikala. It’s called Goody’s and you could say it is the equivalent to Mcdonald’s but really it is a thousand times better. I lived so close to the plateia that I could see it from my balcony. If this picture is old enough you might even spot me in it heheheh 🙂 .

I live my life inside a box.

There is the supermarket where I pick up my junk food every weekend, the doctor’s office that I visit when I’m feeling brave (or desperate) enough, the library where I pick up my books on request, and the mall that I hang out at when I’m not feeling drastically broke.  Rarely do I get out of my box to explore all the wonderful attractions that New York City has to offer.  I don’t even get out of my borough to explore Manhattan a little.  When I do get out, however, I feel like a tourist in my own city.  I get pushed around by the crowds, crane my neck in awe to stare at all the towering buildings, and get so lost that I end up asking tourists for help.  Nevertheless, every trip to Manhattan is a blessing because I get to experience my city more and I get to see what makes it one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Being in Macaulay has especially helped me experience my city because before this semester, I don’t think I ever went outside of Queens for recreational purposes so many times.  Even coming to Queens College has helped me experience Manhattan because during my two or so months here, I have learned that the campus offers a spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline.  As far as I can remember, I never even saw the Manhattan skyline in real life until I came to Queens College.  It struck me so much that I took a photo of my experience for my photojournal.  Since then, every time I walk through campus, I glance across to the skyline.

The Manhattan skyline is an important part of New York City.  Although it may not seem like it, it is truly an artistic masterpiece not to be messed with.  I know this because this summer, I read an article in the amNew York that someone was suing to stop the creation of a building that would change the look of the skyline.  The complaint of the person suing was that the proposed building was so big that it would block out the Empire State Building from the skyline.  I was surprised to read that this was not the first time that someone had sued to stop the construction of a building for the reason that it would mess up the Manhattan skyline.  When you have something that looks as beautiful as this skyline does, however, I can understand why you would want to preserve it.

I think that one reason that people are so adamant about keeping the Manhattan skyline the same is that it is an iconic image that represents New York City.  The skyline features some of the biggest and most recognizable buildings in the world.  When people who are not from New York think about this city, the skyline is the image that they associate with it.  The skyline is the image that they come to New York to witness and the image that they take with them when they leave for home.  This image shows the adventure and excitement that can be found in New York City and how alive our city is.  It is the image people remember New York by.

Every time I look across campus to the skyline, I feel proud of  my city.  “This is where I come from”, I think to myself.  The skyline shows me how beautiful and unique my city is.  It’s not for nothing that New York is such a tourist hot spot, after all.  I also feel an anticipation for adventure that nothing else can make me feel.  Staring at the skyline makes me feel that I hold the world in the palm of my hands, with the strength to shape it to fit any mold I’d like.  It makes me feel like I can take on the world and leave my mark behind for people to remember me by.  Every time I look at the skyline, I suddenly feel like I can’t wait to grow up and become a part of the city.

I feel as tall as those structures that I stare at themselves.

I’ve noticed that I give the same amount of appreciation if not more, to a dance performance than I do an actual work of art (as in painting, drawing, etc.).  A dance has more life, more passion and a more personal touch to it, especially when I can relate to it.  This is the case when it comes to Bolivian folkloric dances.

My sense of community comes from my roots.  I’m half Bolivian and here in New York there is a big community of Bolivians.  To us, our heritage is a work of art; our traditional dances and costumes are celebrated often here.  The entire community supports the many dance groups that practice and perform at parades and presentations because it gives them something to be proud of.  Many see theses dances as memories of their country and memories of their youth.  Our culture is unique, and so demonstrating it is something we love to do.

The process to be able to share these dances is a long one.  It takes a couple of months to learn the steps and moves, it takes even longer to learn the style.  Creativity is a major role that requires all the dancers to give their input for new steps or choreography.  Countless hours and practices are spent perfecting a choreography.  We practice just as hard as any ballet or contemporary dancer.  In fact, on any given day (when the weather is still warm of course) you can see people practicing on the platform leading into Flushing Meadows Corona park from the 7 train.  Several dance groups spend their evenings teaching, learning, and creating steps that they use in parades or in private performances.  The beauty of traditional Bolivian dancing meets modernization by the younger generations, together creating incredible choreographies that show off their skills and creativity.

What completes the masterpiece are handmade costumes brought directly from Bolivia.  These large, complex and heavily decorated outfits take weeks to make and are difficult to ship here simply because of the cost and size.  For example the green dress (see below) is for a dance called Tinkus, which has its roots in northern Potosi, a city in Bolivia, stems from a tradition where neighboring peoples would fight as an offering to the Mother Earth in exchange for a good year.  The costume has evolved into a brightly colored dress for women, with long piece of fabric hanging from the shoulder down to almost the knees, several multicolored belts that hang down, a head piece that goes around your hair, and a brightly feathered hat with ribbons hanging down the back (okay I’m really bad at describing clothing so just see the picture). But seeing a costume design come out of the box and putting it on really makes all of it worth it.  Like this green outfit, was designed by myself and two others; the dress is a standard pattern, but the embroidery on it was drawn out.  When we first got to see the actual dress it was the day of a performance over at LaGuardia Community College for a big presentation for the 6th of August celebration. The dresses were amazing, the color was vibrant and eye catching, and when we performed it felt like we could be seen clearly from the farthest corner of the auditorium.  To someone who just sees one of us walking down the street wearing this green outfit (which happens on days when there is a parade going on) they just give us this weird look (which we are used to already).  We don’t expect everyone to appreciate it, but you know what? You either like it, or you don’t.  Point is, it’s our art, it’s our heritage, and we couldn’t care less if you think we’re strange.

Art is a form of communication that has been passed down from our ancestors from the beginning of time. It is a way that has linked generations and also something that joins various societies today. I feel like art isn’t that endorsed or given much importance to in my Pakistani community. However, I do encounter art in my culture sometimes on T.V, in a magazine, in a newspaper, etc.

One thing that I feel is different for each community is their definition of art. One community may think of art as something created for the purpose of viewing, as an artwork, such as a painting and one community may think of art as something like their daily routine. It all depends on the communities’ culture, values, and traditions. I think my religion, Islam, has had a big effect on how my countries’ people behave. I also think it has affected the way we go about with our daily routine. Therefore, I think the symbol of a crescent and star is something that is considered an art form in my community.

Now I know you might be thinking that a crescent and a star is not an actual painting or “artwork” but the fact that it has always been a symbol of our religion, I think it has a great impact on our remembrance of Islam. This symbol is present on T.V shows, the newspaper, Pakistani stores, and even on our own flag. A simple moon and star may not seem important or valuable to some people, but to Pakistani people it means a lot. It helps remind us of our values and goals in life. It gives meaning to who we are and why we are here. It gives us memories of the Partition between Pakistan and India in the mid 1900’s. Along with all of this, it also helps us understand what our ancestors, and brothers and sisters went through to get us our own independent nation.

Along with political issues, the symbol of the crescent and star also reminds us of our religion. The use of the crescent and star for Islam is controversial because the symbol itself was not associated with it until much later. However, because it has been used for the Pakistani community, we compare it with Islam and its teachings. Religion is stressed in my community and especially back home. There is typically supposed to a “prayer calling” before each of the five daily prayers. In Pakistan, you actually hear this prayer calling throughout the streets and blocks throughout the city. In my particular city, Lahore, you can hear it everywhere. This is just another example of how our religion ties in with our country. Furthermore, the symbol of the crescent and star is found in mosques, stores, and on a lot of different buildings too.

The symbol of the moon and crescent may not be considered art to many people but it is regarded highly in my community. This symbol has sentimental value for people across Pakistan. It gives us hope and something to look forward to when we look back at the history of the country and how we overcame obstacles. The crescent and star represents something that is above us and around us all the time.

To symbolize a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities is hard to do. Personally, I find it difficult because there is so much to take in and put into one thing. Unless, I find something that is a multitude of pieces, but I have yet to find anything of that sort. Instead, I will deny having one community. Rather….

Je suis un vagabond.. Wǒ shì liúlàng hàn. Na neun bang lang ja da. Ich bin ein Wanderer. Watashi-wa inja-desu. I am a wanderer.

If possible, I would have liked this to be translated to the thousands of living languages around the world. As for now, I am satisfied with these pieces. From that phrase I will explain what I mean.

I am a Wanderer. I am a person. A being. A thing. I am part of a whole, yet I am myself. Everywhere has become my home. It is through food that I have learned about… everything. From Dan Dan noodles to Soondooboo to Pinakbit to Sperkuloos to Schnitzel to Dolmades to Stinky tofu (don’t let the name fool you xD it’s rather delicious) to many others. I surf through the internet, ride the trains, move with buses, traverse the streets, and soar the skies in search of new food and new places to eat food.

Through eating different types of food, I learn more about the other culture and become immersed in it. Sometimes I hear conversations about the history of food or, rather, a person’s take on it. Here’s an example: A rather stubborn classmate of mine believed that sushi was food for the poor people because he believed that rice was abundant and fish was cheap. Then my friend argued that, because the geography of Japan (the majority of it) isn’t made for farming he concluded that the poor people wouldn’t be able to afford to eat so much rice. Who do you believe? Well, you do the research. I can’t spoon-feed you, can I?

In addition, the preparation of the food is essential. There are different ways of making dukkbokki, foie gras, tiramisu – basically, every dish. This is because each person has their own take on what the dish contains and how it’s cooked. Each person takes pride in what they make when cooking. I know I do. And by trying out different restaurants and bakeries, I can see the plates and what they put on it and try to see if I can do something similar to it. Take, for example, cupcakes from Chikalicious that use egg whites for all their frosting. By using egg whites with flavoring, they are able to achieve a frosting that is very light, fluffy, and not overpowering in flavor. For their red velvet, the frosting did not go well because the flavor of the cake itself overpowered it. Magnolia Bakery, for their red velvet cupcakes, use a whipped vanilla frosting. This is an interesting use of vanilla frosting, but it works well with the red velvet, although it is a bit sweet. On the other hand, Cafe M, for their red velvet cupcakes had a buttercream-type cream cheese frosting that actually tasted like cream cheese and did not have a butter-like texture (some bakeries put too much butter in the mixture, thus, leaving the eater with a mouth filled with butter frosting). The texture of the frosting complimented the moist, yet crumbly texture of the cake. I could go on about red velvet cupcakes and then move on to chocolate, german, strawberry, and the rest. (As you can see, all my money goes to trying out foods D:) Food is pride.

Not only do I eat at restaurants, I also enjoy homemade foods. Whenever my landlord made dolmades, rice pudding, soups, and other such good food he would give a small portion to my family to have and enjoy. I dearly regret not helping him cook and enjoy making food with him before he passed away. On another note, my mom and aunt are nurses and they receive homemade food as gifts. My aunt had a Polish patient whose grandmother made sausages from scratch. Those were one of the best sausages I have had in my life and I didn’t have to worry what was used to make them. There are so many memories stored in food. There is so much knowledge when it comes to making food that I feel that it’s a lost art. The food of the past holds so much information of people’s cultures. It can show us what they used to make it, how they made them, when they made those food, and much more. Food isn’t only for consuming. Food is thought.

Food is also versatile. The myriad of flavors that are created and have been made is incredible. I am in awe of how chefs can combine different flavors and harmonize everything. The cacophony of flavors that work together to achieve a distinct flavor. I remember watching on TV years ago about a chef in Europe who was using science to combine different flavors together like “Chicken Liver Parfait, Oak Moss and Truffle Toast.” Food is science.

Essentially, I travel, eat, learn, and immerse myself in food and culture. So if I had to choose an “artwork,” it would have to be food, the culture(s) associated with it, and it’s history. Because, for me, artwork is something you take pride in creating. Each dish is a new creation, a new story. No two are ever alike, just like everything else. Nothing ever stays the same, just like the world. So would anyone like to join me in this quest?

http://www.yourdiscovery.com/science/kitchen_chemistry/fat_duck/index.shtml

http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/previous_issues/articles/2007_11_02/caredit_a0700157

Mineola on three, 1 2 3, MINEOLA!

Who are we? Mustangs, Who are we, Mustangs, Mustangs on three, 1 2 3, MUSTANGS!

Simple Chants and yet they capture the spirit of my community.

What community is this? Well it’s the town I lived in all my life, it’s the home i’ve always known, it’s Mineola, and we are the Mustangs.

When someone not from Mineola drives down Jericho Turnpike they probably wonder why the heck there’s a giant Mustang in front of a random building on a random street corner? That’s a perfectly normal question for someone not from Mineola to ask. In fact some people that live in Mineola wonder the same thing. But for many people who have lived here all their lives and have been active within the community, they know exactly what this statue means.

This statue captures the very essence of “Mustang Pride”. Whether you are a member of an athletic team in Mineola, or just someone who lives in the town you feel this sense of pride when you see this statue. To every person it may mean different things, and bring back different memories of our town.

To me, every time I see this statue I think of how proud I am to be able to call myself a former Mineola Mustang. The graduating class of Mineola High School 2010 truly was a family to me. Teachers agreed that our class was special, we all just got along and we truly resembled what a community was. We were all proud of the school we went to, and we were proud to be Mustangs. Whether it was shown in our athletics, where during the school year we had one of our most successful years in athletics, or in our music department where our Mustangs were State Champions, we supported eachother and were proud to represent our community.

A family is always there to support one another, and that’s exactly what our community was and did. When tragedy struck, and one of our very own Mineola Mustangs suddenly passed away overnight from natural causes our whole community came together and our Mustang Pride truly showed when everyone in the community gathered to support his family in a time of need and when on a school night 95% of our community showed up to our high school for a memorial ceremony that was arranged by the students we were all truly proud to call ourselves the Mustangs.

Even though I no longer am a Mustang, I still, as do many members of my community, support my Mustangs. I try to attend as many events as I can to support the new Mustangs in hope that they too will be successful in representing our community. It makes me so happy when I see my former team mates achieve their own goals. I guess I’ll always be a Mustang at heart and have that Mustang pride in me.

Although I’ll always be a Mustang at heart, I am now a Knight and look forward to being successful at Queens College and forming a new family =). Let’s go Knights!

Shopping for labels, shopping for love.

Manolo and Louis, it’s all I’m thinking of!

Call me a pathetic label whore, materialistic brat, or spoiled princess, but for me, fashion, shopping, and style is a form of art.

Although we might all say that it is really snotty to look at someone for the first time and judge them on what they are wearing and their appearance, but we all do it. In fact, that’s always the first thing we see when we meet someone. Before their mouths open and we actually hear what they have to see and really understand their personality, our first judgments are based on what we see first. For example, if we see a woman walking down the street with a four thousand dollar Chanel handbag with Jimmy Choo heels on, our first thought might be somewhere along the lines of “rich bitch.” If we see a teenager walking down the street with chains, baggy jeans, piercings, and tattoos, we sometimes shun them away.

As much as we try not to be shallow, it’s unfortunately human nature sometimes. And though we do not like to admit it, many of us think and react in this manner. Because of this, I always want to look my best even on my “bummy days,” and fashion does just that for me. I can wake up one morning and put together an outfit that I or someone else might refer to as, fine artwork.

In my opinion, the way you dress and the clothing items that you decide to wear are all a part of your character and personality. Our bodies are all canvases waiting to be painted on with clothes, accessories, and shoes.

Designers can also be referred to as artists because they are the ones who create these clothing items–from handbags to jewelry, shoes, headbands, sweaters, dresses, you name it. All of these articles of clothing were planned for perfection and they are, undoubtedly, a form of art.

Every day our outfits define who we are and show off a bit of who we are to people who don’t know us at all. For me, the coolest new designer handbag or pair of shoes is art. The hard work that the designers put into each piece in their collection, creating a masterpiece from a single sketch, is amazing to me and that is art.

I honestly can’t believe I did not think of it to begin with. When going through different culturally significant art forms, a synagogue just did not cross my mind.  Sometimes, the things you know the best, that are so ordinary to you, can in actuality be something extremely significant.

And boy do I know synagogues, or as I call it, “shul”.  Every holiday my family attends, and my father goes every single day of the week. It is a place where Jews congregate to pray. They date back all the way to around 70 CE when the 2^nd Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the Romans sent the Jews to Diaspora.  Jews everywhere began to set up synagogues to pray in.

It is not just the fact that Synagogues are a center for Jewish prayer, for thousands of years they have been a center for Jewish life. There are old synagogue still standing all over the world, each one containing its own rich history. Additionally, they have artistic accents and architectural designs; depending on what time period they were made.

I was thinking about why synagogues are so artistically significant. Then I realized, any country I have ever visited, I have gone to the old and new synagogues in that place. There is something beautiful about being able to connect to Jews from hundreds of years ago through a building and to bear witness to the thriving culture of that time.

This summer my friend Jacqueline and I went to Italy.  It was my first time so I was basically a slave to my maps and Frommer’s guidebook. Yet in every city, we made it our prerogative to visit the Synagogue there. The one in Rome was especially noteworthy. It was huge and towering. Inside there was a museum created, with artifacts from Jewish life in Rome throughout the years. It was crazy to see what other Jews had used to observe and how rich the Jewish life had been there before WWII. What was even crazier was the actual Synagogue, which had been redone in the early 1900s, was still there as well; people still prayed there. The guide told us stories about how during the war the Nazis did not bomb it because it was considered one of the beautiful pieces of architecture in the city of Rome.

Not only are Synagogues significant to the Jewish community all over the world for their architectural beauty and their artistry (many old synagogues have beautiful mosaics with symbols of astrology, as well beautiful decorative walls and windows), but also they sadly symbolize, in many places, a community that once was. A community that at a point was thriving and now has been completely decimated.

This past year, I took a gap year and studied in Israel.  At the beginning of the year, you have the option to go on a week trip to Poland and learn about the holocaust that took place there. I went on this trip in late October, as did many other people in my school. It was probably one of the most significant experiences in my life thus far. On the trip, not only did we visit concentration camps that the Nazis set up to annihilate the Jews of Europe, but we also visited many synagogues that were still standing from before the war. Seeing all these synagogues was bitter sweet. They were so beautiful and rich with history culture and art, but it also made me realize what no longer existed in all these cities in Poland, and really most of Eastern Europe. There was such a rich life, it thrived and encapsulated joy and exuberance. Now, the remnants are these beautiful, dainty artifacts. There was one synagogue we visited that was no longer recognizable. The government turned it into a library. As we entered the area with all the bookshelves, we were told to look at the wall that the shelves were thrust against. There, hidden, were beautiful paintings that were once where the Torah, the scroll with the Old Testament in it, was placed. Now, all that remains is a wall with paint and multiple bullet holes, for Nazis would take Jews there to murder them.

Writing this blog has brought back memories from my Poland trip and has really reminded me of the significance of synagogues to the Jewish community all over the world. Sometimes, the things you know best, the places that are most ordinary to you, can in actuality, be extremely extraordinary and significant.