My assignment blog addressed a variety of themes and ideas
throughout this semester. However, all posts somehow related to either food,
emotions, or film. Thus, they all encapsulated the purpose of this class.
Writing these smaller blog posts allowed me to get into the mind set of
thinking about how an item as simple as a meal can encapsulate an array of
emotions and messages. Additionally, it allowed me to improve my writing and to
be more aware of my writing techniques. The creativity necessary for some of
these smaller blog posts prepared me to expand my creative limits when writing
the more polished graded assignments. I chose these specific blog posts because
I felt that I struggled with them the most when initially writing them and
because I felt like they had a lot of errors both grammatically and content
wise. At least three of the posts I chose had been previously commented on as
needing revision which allowed me to be aware of what my major errors and a
writer are. I chose to keep my posts in the chronological order of when I
initially posted them as I hope it will showcase the change in my writing
style.
Food, Feelings and Film
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Revised Food for Thought
I followed the
mouthwatering aroma of caramelizing onions down the stairs to the kitchen where
they lay sizzling in a pot of hot oil. My mother stands peeling potatoes over
the sink and remains full of energy despite the hunger we all feel aching in
our stomach. She stirs the pot of onions as I grumble to myself in a hunger
born frustration.
It’s the 4th
day of Ramadan, a Muslim holiday where we fast from sunrise to sunset, and the
phrase “the first week is the hardest” is familiar to me. My griping and
complaining about being hungry would last at least 20 minutes as my mother
began to prepare for dinner.
“Sarah come
help fold samosas”, my mother would yell up to me. I’d roll out of bed and
lumber downstairs to see my brother and sister sitting at the kitchen table,
already a few samosas in. They would begin by creating a pocket out of the
pastry sheets and spooning in the beef and onion mixture my mother had made
earlier that day. They would then fold over the pocket multiple times until
they reached the end of the pastry sheet. Then they would wet their fingers
with a flour and water mixture and spread it on the last edge of the samosa to
seal it. We all sat around the table folding dozens of samosas for my mother to
later fry and give to friends and family. My sister and I giggled as my mother
chastised my brother for his sloppy folding skills. Laughter echoed
through the house as we made the samosas and slowly forgot about the hunger we
felt from not having eaten all day. The only interruptions were to wash off the
goopy mess the flour and water concoction left on our fingers.
After
what seemed like hours, sunset finally arrived. As the last trickles of
sunlight melt into the horizon, my house becomes alive and bustling. My mother
and father put the finishing touches on the traditional dishes. My father
finishes frying the samosas we’d spent hours laboring over. My mother adds
spices to her famous lentil soup. The scents of the food combine and complement
each other as my siblings and I set the table and put out the drinks and
sauces. I gaze longingly at the array of food laid out on the table
as the minutes slowly trickle by.
We gather
around the table and say a prayer before we all simultaneously break our fast
by eating a date and drinking water. The sweetness of the date helps to balance
your blood sugar after a day of fasting and drinking water is meant to help rehydrate
you after going a day without water. We laugh and smile as we eat our long
awaited dinner. Crispy flakes of the samosa wrapper fall to my plate as I take
my first bite of the savory dish. I spoon the lentil and meat soup that my
mother spent hours making and its sour and savory flavors bring back memories
of my childhood. As I spend dinner laughing and talking with my family I am
filled with gratitude. The month of Ramadan has multiple purposes but one of
the ones I reflect on most in this moment is that I am able to eat after a day
of fasting. I also think of all the families that go days with little to
nothing to eat. Other kids my age that don’t have a home or a bed to sleep on
but don’t complain about their hunger. Ramadan allows me to empathize and
realize how blessed my life is. The hunger pain I feel during a day of fasting
isn’t even an ounce compared to the lives of the less fortunate. As I
continue spoon the lentil soup into my mouth, I think of how all the spices and
ingredients that are swirling in my bowl have played such an influential role
in my view of family. Just like the different ingredients combine to make an
amazing soup, each member of my family had an important role to play in the
creation of this dinner to make it a success. These dishes created
unintentional family time that celebrated one of the deepest meanings of
Ramadan; to appreciate loved ones. I am lucky enough to finish my day
surrounded by family and food in a loving and warm home.
http://foodfeelingsandfilm.blogspot.com/2016/09/food-for-thought-sarah-laher-i-followed.html
Revised Fancy Restaurant vs. Experience
All my life, any important holiday,
event, or birthday was commemorated with a fantastic meal. My mother would cook
up a storm in the kitchen, hours before the meal was served. Any attempt to
help her would result in getting shoo-ed out of the kitchen or given a menial
task that had no real importance to the dish overall. Eating a home-made meal
was an important way for my mom to remind me of her arab culture to me as I
grew up in America.
After reading Norma Buama Joseph's article
I've realized that sharing a good meal with people you love can be one of the
most memorable experiences you can partake in. I truly believe that food is the
language of memory as seen by how it commemorates major religious traditions. In
my family, if a night of Ramadan goes by without a full 5 course meal being
made its practically a crime. Eating samosas reminds me of laughing with my
siblings as we struggled to perfectly fold them. Khoubs, a sweet Yemeni bread,
reminds me of pre-sunrise breakfasts before a full day of fasting. I have loved
coming from a family where culturally and religiously food has highlighted so
many holidays. It's allowed each holiday to be more memorable because of how a
dish can be so captivating of many senses. Sharing a moment of really
spectacular food with people you love and care about really imprints that
moment in your memory even though at times it can come at a high price.
http://foodfeelingsandfilm.blogspot.com/2016/09/fancy-restaurant-vs-experience_13.html
http://foodfeelingsandfilm.blogspot.com/2016/09/fancy-restaurant-vs-experience_13.html
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