"The Loss of the Creature"

     Perry uses the Grand Canyon as an example for his
argument. That imagery and performed ideas get in the way of out experience of a place for ourselves. Performed ideas referred to pictures, stories, thoughts about a place someone has presented for you.  Those ideas contribute to an made up experience. The Grand Canyon is a tourist eye opener and a lot of people are attracted to the historical land. Usually one would get a brochure to get an idea about the place.  Even when visiting, one would follow the trail the park ranger would guide them.  Its as if your setting your self up.  Your not getting the real feel of the place, someone is setting you up to only let you see the park there way or limiting your site. Instead, visit with open eyes and with a intention to have a good time because you experience the place on your own. Perry suggest to get off the trail.  Every place has an amazing part about it waiting to be seen, found and used.

     When I traveled to Miami Florida I was excited and I never been there before so I looked on the Internet to see where the hot spots where. I found some spots I was looking forward to see, so I called my cousin, who stayed Florida. She had told me not to pay attention to the Internet and what they advertise because those places I suggest we go are worse less and horrible. It even had alligators roaming around. If I allowed the performed ideas about Florida take over then I’m sure I would have gotten ate by an alligator. For now on, I would rather vist a place and let the place guide me to a wonderful time.

Track 3 - Home Institutionalized

       A home is a place where we are able to do whatever, whenever, however, we desire. As we age some of are daily task becomes harder.  In other words, majority of the elderly are faced with giving up some or all of there independence. Many families are changed with an decision to send there parent into assisted living or a nursing home. However, there are rules for who qualifies for assisted living (which is more independent living) or a nursing home (which it less independent living). Besides, Its determined by a persons health for what type of home will be suitable. For example, a diseases like Alzheimer’s makes an elderly person confused which more medical attention is needed.  In that case, one wouldn’t be capable of assisted living because the need of a full time care like a nursing home would help with the problem. Just like in the article, “Assisted Living vs. Nursing Homes” Doreen Sparks was faced with a dilemma, when she was told that her mother’s “medical needs exceeds the level of care we can provide as an assisted living community.”   Sparks was let down by the faculty to take care of her mother. Her mother was stripped of her independence, and most importantly it shows that assisted living does not want to deal with anyone with a serious illness of any kind.  That explains why there aren’t a lot of nursing or care personals present in assisted living.  In result, the care is poor and there’s frustration of family members.
        Its clearly known that one who moves into a faculty where people other then family are caring for them is hard to understand.  The feeling of being alone, and the thought of being neglected by family members are high.  Yes, visits often appear, but during the holidays and birthdays; even that isn’t enough. For instance, the article “Quality of life in Assisted Living Facilities” is a research where residences are interviewed.  It explains the problem going on with residents.  Beside, the independence that goes missing when being admitted to a facility, but social relationship is cut short.  Even though, half of the residents that where interviewed had some sort of daily visits or daily phone conversations, many residents aren’t satisfied with the effort of family members commutation.  Certainly, its hard on residents who where never alone in life, who always had someone there to talk to, and share feelings with.  They felt as they got old and couldn’t do much, is when everyone stop caring. Explains why the bond between employees and residents are close and tight because they are the only people available when they need them. On the other hand, It does heal some of the pain but nothing can replace family.  In the same way, personal belongings are important because it makes one feel comfortable.  Residents cover boring colorless rooms with pictures and items that jogs a happy- young memory of there past.  Besides, if the homes they move into happen to be luxury, personal belongings will still take over because another persons home is not necessary what an other person would call home.  Above all, home is where safety is found, and bringing personal belongings from a past home into a new home brings that safety along.
          Are daily routines we do at home, can be something we take for granted, but when those normal routines you use to do for yourself is taken over by someone else contributes to the loss of a sense of self.  “Personal Routine” by David Greenberger explains how personal routines are not personal anymore in a nursing home. The behaviors of an resident in a nursing home changes when they receive care for mostly all of there routines.  For example, my mother works for a nursing home as a certified nurse assist, and one of her task is to give the resident a bath.  Not all residents can complete the task but the ones that need it tend to feel confused.  She explains to me that, In there minds they feel as there being controlled. Some would act out by refusing or biting her, its because they don’t understand the reason why someone is doing this for them.  Its frustrating when you are not able to do the simple task in life.  Usually, everyone has a routine that is essential to create a sense of structure in there day. For instance, working out four times a week relieves stress for me. When I’m stressed out, I feel as if I’m not in control of my life. Therefore, working out essential for me and its something I need to do alone.  On the contrary, to restore residents routines in assisted living and nursing homes isn’t a easy wish to grant.  When being admitted to an institutional setting, your entering into a place where people are there to help you.  Its there job to help, but for the most part assisted living is way better on giving residents the ability to be independent.  In a nursing home the environment is like the same as a hospital because your limited to a lot of things, and usually having an illness.  Even though, they are actives set up for residents to enjoy, they are segregated to there own rooms and not given the option to do things they want.  Nursing homes can give residents back a part of sense to self by letting them complete there personal routine. Everything else sad to say needs to be controlled by someone else because the residents need help.  Furthermore, nursing staffing can be short which is hard to stratify’s a residents needs.  Being a nurse is hard work and it takes dedication.  Hard work isn’t so much awarded to the ones who deserve it.  Truly, the reason why nurses turn to hospital then nursing homes is because hospitals pay more.
      Class and Culture reflect people’s homes.  How we are raised is how we are supposed to act.  Some cultures wouldn’t accept there parents or grandparents to live in any type of home institutionalizing under the care of someone other than family.  Specially because they feel, if there parents raised them, why cant I take care of them when they need me? In particular, The number of elderly Asian, African American, and Mexican are low in assisted homes and nursing home because in there cultural background the task of taking care of there parents is important. Moving into a initialized home cost money.  Usually the child of the resident pay for the stay but if the child cant afford it the resident is forced to leave.
     In conclusion, the meaning of home, is a place you call your own, a place you can be yourself and enjoy yourself even an apartment can be considered a home.  Its a place that’s always going to be there, to let you unwind, and to relax.  An institutionalized home isn’t anyone ones home until some one occupies the spot.  Even though it wouldn’t give you the sense of independence but it will be there for you when you cant be in your old home.  

House Hunting

Todd Hido’s photographs represents the many homes in the suburbs at night.The homes where family turn on the television to end there nights with relaxation. Hido's photograph tend to focuses on the windows with blue light, which represented the light projected from the television. His photographs make me feel sad because the pictures represent families that lack communications and the feeling of someone being ignored. Even tough, televisions can be used in homes to bring families together to converse, it breaks the sense of bond. In other words, people who tend to be lonely find the television a sense of comfort as they lay down and relax. Light represents the sign that someone’s home but also shows no emotions between family in the house. Usually homes in his photographs have no people in them. Therefore, making a statement different from Owens photography of Suburbs. For example, Hido’s shows the suburbs at night with the absence of people. His depiction of a home is usually the outside of a home with a light shining from the window. It represents the motionless effort between family as day turns into night.As a result, during the night each family member spends their nights alone. In Owens photos, family are a whole and the settings are typically during the day time where family interacts with each other. In particular, Pictures like a father inside his home playing with his many kids. At the same time, showing the happy delightful feel of a family and showing the bond between a close family. For this reason, suburbs at night and the suburbs during day tell different stories about suburbia and each carry a different statement about a home varies.

Todd Hido- "House Hunting"                                         

       












                                                    Bill  Owen-"Suburbia"

Slowly Calling the Burbs Home

          In Patricia Lahrmers essay, “Slowly, Calling The Burbs Home” she explains the importance about carrying the American dream in a suburb setting. Living that dream is what attracts people to the suburbs. In fact, an American dream can be purchasing your own home, allowing a family to become independent, and secure. It gives the since of control in ones life where time, energy, and love is put into a home. On the other hand, when one is forced to move out or destruction of a home takes place, the feeling is like the destruction of your family’s memories. For the most part, it cannot be replaced. Lahrmers essay reflected my time when I moved out my old rough neighborhood and into the suburbs. In spite of, the excitement of having my own room, or the absence of gunshots at night, I honestly didn’t want to move from a place I always knew as home. In the same way, as Lahrmer didn’t identify her self to the suburbs, I could relate to the feeling of being an out sitter and the friendly vibe I wasn’t use to. Finally, after a couple of years passed by and I had gotten older is when I realized living in the suburbs wasn’t so bad after all. As a result, I learned to accept the change and understood the dream my parents worked hard for, is finally an reality.
        Lahrmers conclusion about the suburbs compared to Gates conclusion is quite the same for the most part. Both authors could agree that suburbs breed families for generations, houses and streets are usually beautiful, also to truly understand the suburbs one most live there. However, Lahrmer illustrated the move from the city, to the suburbs wasn’t delightful. It was a place where nothing went on, in fact they made things happened. As she started living in her new home, she started to open her eyes and shape her perception about the suburbs. In her conclusion she elaborated the slow change from a city girl to a women, loving her new home, as she lives a dream in a suburban setting. In Gates essay, the story he tells doesn’t portray the typical happy settings of the suburbs. He introduces the disturbing and crazy life’s in homes. Generally, people are given the opportunity to become private in the homes but for the most part, neighbors tend to have a interesting lifestyle. Gates concluded, that even though suburbs are comfortable, and concerned home but at the same time it can be ridiculous.
        Bill Owens is a photographer who captures the image of people inside of homes in the suburbs. For instance, if Lahrmer was to comment on Owens photographs Lahrmer would have related to the pictures. While it may be true, Owens would have disagreed with Lahrmers essay. For instance, the statement made in Lahrmers essay about nothing goes on in the suburbs, can be changed by Owens photo. His photo’s brilliantly shows the many different events that can happened and show the culture that is living.

One of Owens photo that I found appealing is the photo of a child and his mother.  It shows a mother sitting on the counter in the bathroom as she watches her child go to the bathroom.  The boy appears to being potty trained.  Laughter suggest that the young boy has mastered the ability of successfully going to the bathroom with no help. A mother in a suburban household, carries the role to care, and participate in her child’s life.  The photo I selected as an example of many suburban homes. Most important, It’s a place to raise children where the bond between mother and child becomes strong.  Furthermore, It represents the hundreds of stay at home mothers, and also represents the mothers who are typically the backbones of there homes.  The idea of home is portrayed in this photo, in particular, the joy of raising a child at the same time, carry’s out memories within the family.  In fact, the idea of rising a family coreopsis with the living in a home in the suburbs.

Criteria for a Healthy Landscape Blog 4

One of my all time favorite places to visit is the Snoopy Ice Arena. Even though, I may not be the best ice skater but I always manage to have fun. What makes Snoopy Ice Arena so special according to Paul Groth "Criteria for a Healthy Landscape" is it connects its participants to there important social groups. Either kids on there school field trips or friends at a birthday party, Snoopy's brings family and friends close. Everybody enjoys themselves and one another as laughter and smiles fill the ice rink. The Ice Arena also connects it participants to outsiders by letting groups run fundraisers and rise money at the Ice Arena. By making it welcome for anyone in the community to come and help out one in other. "A healthy landscape connects people (even outsiders) to its participants or thrival." Every one in the building is doing there jobs, which the participants coming enjoy there night. Employees in the cafe, serving, cooking, and cleaning makes eating a breeze. Employees at the front desk greeting and finding the correct skates for you, and the employees who are actually on the ice making sure that everyone is safe. Snoopy Ice Arena makes the experience worth the money. Paul Groth criteria number two " A healthy landscape connects its participants to their important social group", qualify s to Steuever's essay "K'mart has a Loveable Disorder" because Kmart has many merchandises and low prices which attract any type of people to its store. It provides a little piece for anybody's needs from children to the elderly. Explains why people would still shop at Kmart. Showing there imperfect ways lets us know they cant be duplicated.

24 hrs at the Golden Apple Blog 2

At the Golden Apple, many types of people not only come to eat but they come and contribute a little bit about themselves to the diner. Listening to this broadcast I've learned how people shape public places. People have needs which motivates them to choose the appropriate places to go. For example, the Golden Apple is open 24 hours and many of the customers who come in to the diner have occupations, where they're up all night long. Like cops, truck drivers, etc they would need a place to eat that is open 24 hours and the Golden Apple attracts them. Cultural background and different generations are other examples of how people shape a public place. It plays a part in attracting similar or different people into one place. It contributes how people can learn, relate, share, and take ideas from different people. Public places take part in many interactions between two different individuals outside their close circle. At the Golden Apple the waiters contribute to the feel of the place. They listen to the stories, support there customers by playing there music, and occupy there customers who are alone. In fact, people shape public places but also brings a community together.

Comparing Chili's a restaurant in my community to the Golden Apple there is a difference in what is offered. Chili's tables are designed to only let the people at the table to communicate among each other. The only area where conversations can be held with others outside your intimate circle and the employees is the bar. Between the customer and the waiter there's minimal conversation. You would talk to the waiters if you wanted something not to talk about some issue's. Chili's does gather people from the community into there restaurants, but less communion with others around shapes Chili's as a gathering for only people in closed groups.

K'mart has a Loveable Disorder Blog 3

Everything that was mention about Kmart in this article is exactly how i felt and how I remember the store. Kmart is filled with a lot of random merchandise and has been around for years. Kmart will never change, from the smell of food in the air from the concession stand to the long lines at the check out register. You simply get use to it. The corporation investment in institution which later on goes broke is the reason why they are bankrupt, but it still finds the way of pulling customers in. I haven't came across a closed down Kmart, just a pretty empty parking lot. The present Kmart is fashioned by past societies which affected more permanent changes. Which relates to the failure of corporation investments and affect how the store carry's themselves. As seen in the employees enthusiasm towards the cleanliness in the store. It quality's as a cultural landscape. It has been around for very long from generation to generation. We seen the store at its best and at its worst. As you look in the store, there's a feeling of trying to hang in there from the destruction of local competition. Its a story Kmart presents, a similarity story other business try to over come. At Kmart its "random nature" is what separates themselves from other business, and what keeps its door open.

A ordinary cultural landscape that I have visited is Food Maxx. I have never been to a place that has changed its name so many times. I have been shopping there since I was a child. It has transformed in many ways, and I must say every year the quality of food and serves gets better. Food Maxx attracts a lot of customers for its low prices so you can imagine the extremely long lines, but nothing compares to how many children are in the store. Running over a child will be one of your fears at Food Maxx. The Diversity of the people is what shapes the store and qualify s it as a cultural landscape. Asian to Mexican cuisine fill the aisle's like a one stop shop. Everyone and anyone are welcome to enjoy. The diversity of a store brings individuals together in the community.