Many of you have visited your doctor's office before and can vividly explain how visiting a doctor works. You understand the role of a physician and you trust your physician to give you the best medical advice and treatment options for whatever illness you may have. Doctors are important. They are the listeners, the caretakers, the healers, and the advisors. For many, a doctor is a doctor, but there are two distinct medical degrees that a physician may have. Either the allopathic degree (MD) or the osteopathic degree (DO) and it worthy of noting the difference between the two.
While the MD (allopathic) degree remains the post common degree a physician will obtain, the DO (osteopathic) is growing in popularity and awareness. You have likely visited a DO physician in your life and never even noticed that he or she was a DO. So why does it matter that one knows and undertands the difference? Because for many people, a lack of knowledge about their physician or a deviation from what is common can make them feel skeptical about who their physician is. In this blog post, not only will I attempt to educate you on the field of osteopathic medicine, but I will provide my thoughts and opinions on this unique and exciting medical profession.
Osteopathic Medicine is its unique medical profession which trains physicians to provide holistic, patient-centered healthcare, to be skilled in osteopathic manipulative medicine, and to emphasize preventative medicine in their medical practices. There are many myths of this profession such as "DOs are dentists", "DOs aren't real doctors," "DOs are very similar to chiropractors", "DOs couldn't get into MD schools." Osteopathic physicians are not dentists or chiropractors, they are real doctors with the same practicing rights as allopathic physicians. Some osteopathic physicians do chose osteopathic medicine because they couldn't get into an allopathic medical school but the admissions process for osteopathic medical school is not "easier." The GPA and MCAT standards are lower but applicants must convey their knowledge about the osteopathic profession through details and examples of their clinical and non clinical work associated with osteopathic medicine and its ideas and principles.
You can probably look up osteopathic medicine on google and find tons and tons of information regarding what osteopathic medicine is but I wanted to give you my opinions and perspective on this field. From my viewpoint, there are three things that define osteopathic medicine and osteopathic philosophy.
1. Holistic, patient-centered care: Osteopathic physician are specially trained to be compassionate, empathic physicians who provide holistic, patient-centered care which is the forefront of osteopathic philosophy.
2. Osteopathic manipulative medicine: a unique hands-on approach to medical treatment. OMM (short for osteopathic manipulative medicine) is a form of alternative medicine where the physician uses his/her hands and various manipulation techniques to restore the body's balance.
3. Preventative medicine: Osteopathic physicians are not the doctors who easily give out pills. They are are always exploring new and alternative treatment options for their patients. They are also likely to advise their patients on maintaining their well-being, a combination of mental, emotional, and physical health in order to prevent diseases from occurring; they implement the biopsychosocial model for healthcare.
So now that you know a little bit more about osteopathic medicine, let me share with you my perspective, opinions, and experiences with this field so far.
Osteopathic medicine isn't really all that different from allopathic medicine at all. In fact, I've heard somewhere that "Osteopathic Medicine isn't something different, it's just something more." Osteopathic physicians are trained to do more than allopathic physicians are, and in medicine more training is never bad. From my personal experiences with osteopathic medicine, I have found the patient-physician interactions to be one of the strongest qualities in osteopathic physicians.
I have shadowed both allopathic and osteopathic physicians before and I have seen the differences from a first hand perspective. The main differences comes in the approach to medicine. Osteopathic physicians are more likely to want to know about the patient's medical history, psychological history, social history (spouse, kids, employment) and are more likely to implement this knowledge into treatment options. That is not to say allopathic physicians don't do this either, some do, but osteopathic physicians are trained to approach medicine in this manner.
The approach, as I described above, is part of what is called the biopsychosocial model for medicine. Under this model, physicians try to incorporate three main factors when making a diagnosis or prescribing a treatment option: The biological factor (what is physically wrong with the patient?), psychological factor (What the patient thinks is wrong with him or her, what are their coping strategies?), and the social factor (How is this patients' illness affecting others around them?, how will the potential treatment options change this?). Some patients are simply at the doctors office to get a hold of an addictive drug, and under this model, it is very easy to identify these types of patients.
I have also seen osteopathic manipulative medicine being performed on patients by an osteopathic physician first hand. It is a very intimate approach to medicine, it allows for the physician to use his or her hands to touch, to feel, to manipulative the body. It builds trust and it shows compassion. The patients on whom this physician performed OMM on had only positive things to say. One patient cited a stark improvement in her joint mobility and a drastic reduction in her back pain after repeated OMM treatments. Although there is little evidence or research on how OMM works, it does, and it is a highly effective way to not only treat certain disorders but also to strengthen the physician-patient relationship.
So why are trust, compassion, empathy even important in a patient-physician relationship? What is even the significance of being trained to effectively display these qualities during patient visits? Let me give you an example of patient encounters of when I shadowed an allopathic medicine versus when I shadowed an osteopathic physician.
Patient Encounter 1 (Allopathic Physician): The patient visiting the allopathic internal medicine physician was taking viagra for erectile dysfunction. During the visit, the physician asked this patient if he needed any refills on his medication (in addition to other questions more directly related to his reason of visit). The patient hesitated and then said no. The physician did not further question about his medicine usage, he did not ask the patient about any other complications or how he is feeling, he did not ask about his wife, his kids, his work, or anything of that nature. He did the bare minimum in order to provide the patient with a treatment.
Patient Encounter 2 (Osteopathic Physician): A woman is visiting an osteopathic physical medicine and rehabilitation physician for her chronic back pain. The physician asks a couple questions regarding her physical, emotional, social well being and proceeds to use his hands to probe her lower back with his thumbs to check for abnormal alignments. He then asks her whether she is able to sleep at night. She said no and then proceeds to explain the other daily activities she is unable to do because of her back pain. The physician comes up with a treatment plan for her: a painkiller and a sleep aid along with spinal injections if she is interested.
The osteopathic physician's empathy, compassion, and the patients' trusting of the osteopathic physician allowed her to get more out her visit than the patient did with the allopathic physician. This is not to say that the allopathic physician is a bad physician but there was just something a little extra, something more in the patient encounter with an osteopathic physician.
Although many people don't know about osteopathic medicine, the field is growing. There are currently 19 osteopathic medical schools in the nation and more are coming. More and more students are enrolling in osteopathic medical schools. In addition, osteopathic principles such as holistic, patient-centered care are now being taught at allopathic medical schools.
I am very excited to become an osteopathic physician and to undergo the training that I need to in order to become one. I am looking forward to implementing osteopathic principles and potentially OMM into my practice as physician. I want to create strong relationships with my patients and I want to provide compassionate, empathetic care and under the osteopathic model, I will be able to successfully do so.
Note: The information in this blog post is my original thoughts, opinions, and knowledge on osteopathic medicine. I did not use any sources or readings directly for the content of this blog post. However, my thoughts, opinions, and knowledge are a result of the extensive research and clinical work I have done on my own regarding osteopathic medicine.
If you want to learn more about osteopathic medicine, I suggest you visit these websites:
http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-dos/what-is-a-do/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.aacom.org/about/osteomed/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/treatment/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.do-online.org/TheDO/
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Movie Review: Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
Before I actually get into the substance of this blog post, I just want to remind the readers of my blog that this blog has no specific theme. I will write about whatever I feel I have opinions on and things that are relevant to my life so keep up with this blog if you are interested in knowing my thoughts on a variety of topics!
Yesterday I went to go watch the new Hindi film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone as the main actors. I went with a huge group of my extended family, including the grandparents. I was a little nervous at first watching this film with family members because of the more explicit nature of Bollywood films nowadays but I sat with my cousins so it wasn't as awkward as it could have been.
First of all, there was a lot of hype about this movie going in. I read some people's tweets and noticed that they had enjoyed the film quite a bit. Additionally, the movie review by well known Bollywood film reviewer Taran Adarsh was 4/5 stars which raised my expectations for this film. I have to say, I was in general disappointed with the film for reasons I will state in this blog post. Don't worry, I won't spill the entire film to you in this post if you haven't seen it yet!
The Pros:
This film isn't entirely garbage. In fact, there are a lot of great things about this film that make it fresh. First and foremost, the characters the director develops and portrays in the film are great. Ranbir Kapoor's fun, free-spirited character complements very well with Deepika Padukone's more reserved or "nerdy" character, a role she doesn't usually take on. The way the director portrays Ranbir Kapoor's character (Bunny) breaking Deepika Padukone's characters' (Naina) shell and thus falling in love with her really drew me in. The dialogue between Bunny and Naina in some pivotal scenes are a huge plus for this film. Those interactions were very real and very moving. In addition, the relationship of friendship is so effectively explored in the film. there were many moments that reminded of me of some of the crazy, stupid stuff I would do with my own friends making this aspect of the film very relatable.
Another strong pro for this film is the music. I have heard a majority of the songs before watching the film and was already in love with the tracks "Ghagra", "Dilli Waali Girlfriend", "Balam Pichkari", and "Badtameez Dil". After watching the film I gained an appreciation for the other songs, "Kabira", "Shubhan Allah", and "Ilahi." Pritam has done an extraordinary job with the music. All the songs were so fitting with the film it really added the extra entertainment factor the film needed.
Finally, I found the overall message of the film to be great. The director is trying to get across a couple of simple life lessons 1. Live life in the moment 2. Life is an adventure 3. Never forget about those who love you. I know these sound so cliche but trust me, if you watch this film you will understand that the film portrays these messages very effectively.
The Cons:
While there aren't that many cons in the film, the one con really affects my entire view of this film. This con is the fact that the story and the plot is incredibly predictable and so typical of a Bollywood film. I predicted the entire plot of the film in the first 20 minutes. There is no drama, no suspense, no plot twist, nothing. The film is thus, incredibly stretched out and can easily lose the audiences' attention There are hundreds of films out there just like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani with different characters and actors and actresses but with very very similar plots. They're all typical Bollywood love stories.
Would I still recommend watching this film? Sure, but do not expect any surprises. It is worth watching this film if you like love stories, if you like Hindi music, and if you like the actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is just one of the many lackluster films in Bollywood nowadays. There just doesn't seem to be anything exciting and new, it's all the same. I still anticipate the breakthrough Bollywood film that explores new issues, brings about interesting storylines, and features unsurpassed acting performances. But until then, us Bollywood film lovers must settle for films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani that simply give us something to do on Weekend nights.
I give this film a 2.5/5 stars.
Yesterday I went to go watch the new Hindi film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone as the main actors. I went with a huge group of my extended family, including the grandparents. I was a little nervous at first watching this film with family members because of the more explicit nature of Bollywood films nowadays but I sat with my cousins so it wasn't as awkward as it could have been.
First of all, there was a lot of hype about this movie going in. I read some people's tweets and noticed that they had enjoyed the film quite a bit. Additionally, the movie review by well known Bollywood film reviewer Taran Adarsh was 4/5 stars which raised my expectations for this film. I have to say, I was in general disappointed with the film for reasons I will state in this blog post. Don't worry, I won't spill the entire film to you in this post if you haven't seen it yet!
The Pros:
This film isn't entirely garbage. In fact, there are a lot of great things about this film that make it fresh. First and foremost, the characters the director develops and portrays in the film are great. Ranbir Kapoor's fun, free-spirited character complements very well with Deepika Padukone's more reserved or "nerdy" character, a role she doesn't usually take on. The way the director portrays Ranbir Kapoor's character (Bunny) breaking Deepika Padukone's characters' (Naina) shell and thus falling in love with her really drew me in. The dialogue between Bunny and Naina in some pivotal scenes are a huge plus for this film. Those interactions were very real and very moving. In addition, the relationship of friendship is so effectively explored in the film. there were many moments that reminded of me of some of the crazy, stupid stuff I would do with my own friends making this aspect of the film very relatable.
Another strong pro for this film is the music. I have heard a majority of the songs before watching the film and was already in love with the tracks "Ghagra", "Dilli Waali Girlfriend", "Balam Pichkari", and "Badtameez Dil". After watching the film I gained an appreciation for the other songs, "Kabira", "Shubhan Allah", and "Ilahi." Pritam has done an extraordinary job with the music. All the songs were so fitting with the film it really added the extra entertainment factor the film needed.
Finally, I found the overall message of the film to be great. The director is trying to get across a couple of simple life lessons 1. Live life in the moment 2. Life is an adventure 3. Never forget about those who love you. I know these sound so cliche but trust me, if you watch this film you will understand that the film portrays these messages very effectively.
The Cons:
While there aren't that many cons in the film, the one con really affects my entire view of this film. This con is the fact that the story and the plot is incredibly predictable and so typical of a Bollywood film. I predicted the entire plot of the film in the first 20 minutes. There is no drama, no suspense, no plot twist, nothing. The film is thus, incredibly stretched out and can easily lose the audiences' attention There are hundreds of films out there just like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani with different characters and actors and actresses but with very very similar plots. They're all typical Bollywood love stories.
Would I still recommend watching this film? Sure, but do not expect any surprises. It is worth watching this film if you like love stories, if you like Hindi music, and if you like the actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is just one of the many lackluster films in Bollywood nowadays. There just doesn't seem to be anything exciting and new, it's all the same. I still anticipate the breakthrough Bollywood film that explores new issues, brings about interesting storylines, and features unsurpassed acting performances. But until then, us Bollywood film lovers must settle for films like Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani that simply give us something to do on Weekend nights.
I give this film a 2.5/5 stars.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Indian Weddings
In the past 6-7 years of my life, I've attended about 4 Indian wedding ceremonies. I attended more when I was younger but don't really remember those very well. Additionally, the more recent Indian wedding ceremonies I have attended have really shed light on how important and meaningful some of the Indian wedding rituals and ceremonies are. These weddings are really a huge deal for both the families of the bride and groom and the greater community in which they are a part of.
First off, let me get this straight. Indian weddings are not one day long. They are typically 4 days in length. The first day is usually the mehndi were the women of the families of both the bride and groom get together to put on henna tattoos in intricate designs in celebration of the upcoming wedding. In Gujarati weddings, the second day is typically the "Garba" where the families of both the bride and groom get together and dance in circles to garba and raas music performed by live musicians. The third day involves various rituals where turmeric is applied to the feet and face of both the bride and groom by the women of each family. This event is called "pithi" and is typically done at the homes of the bride and groom respectively. Later on in the day is the "grah shanti" which is an important puja or a ceremony in which rituals are performed to protect the family from evil and obstacles during the wedding and also to invite those who have passed away in the family to come to the wedding.
I attended my cousins wedding this past weekend and I also attended my cousins wedding in London last year. Both of these weddings have opened my eyes to how Indian and particularly Hindu weddings are so family orientated. Indian weddings are about 30% for the bride and groom and 70% for their families. Not only are Indian weddings the union between a bride and groom but it is the union of their families. In addition, almost every relation to the bride and groom is explored and involved. In some rituals, the brother has to do something, or the dad's sister or the mom's brother or it could literally be anyone! There are some really interesting Indian wedding traditions that I would like to share.
During the Grah Shanti of each Gujarati wedding, there is something called a "mosaru" where the members from the bride or groom's mom's side enters the building from outside in which the Grah Shanti is taking place, bringing along with them gifts for each immediate family member of the bride or groom's dad's side. For the past two weddings, since I am related to my cousins from their dad's side, I got gifts myself! Usually it is simply cash money or sometimes it is Indian ethnic clothing. I just think its so interesting how weddings are also are way for family members to be reminded of how the wedding of the bride or groom's parents was a union of their families.
There was one particular ritual at the actual wedding ceremony of my cousin this past weekend that I have never seen before but found particularly intriguing. This ritual required a male member of the family of the bride who has married into the family. For this ceremony, the bride's cousin's husband was the participant. He was required to stand next to the groom as the priest tied holy string around the pair 9 times. The significance of this was to welcome the groom into the bride's family by someone who has already married into the family. It is a gesture saying "I have married into this family and I am welcoming you into the family as well."
Many times people get bored of watching Hindu rituals being performed as it often involves the priest chanting in sanskrit and no one really understanding him. But the interesting thing about Hindu weddings are that literally every ritual has a meaning and a significance that further makes the bride and groom officially a married couple.
Those are my thoughts on Indian weddings. This past weekend was just one of the many many more weddings to come in my family. I am excited to be a part of many more and to be reunited with family members who I haven't seen in such long times.
Stay tuned for my next blog post coming up soon!
First off, let me get this straight. Indian weddings are not one day long. They are typically 4 days in length. The first day is usually the mehndi were the women of the families of both the bride and groom get together to put on henna tattoos in intricate designs in celebration of the upcoming wedding. In Gujarati weddings, the second day is typically the "Garba" where the families of both the bride and groom get together and dance in circles to garba and raas music performed by live musicians. The third day involves various rituals where turmeric is applied to the feet and face of both the bride and groom by the women of each family. This event is called "pithi" and is typically done at the homes of the bride and groom respectively. Later on in the day is the "grah shanti" which is an important puja or a ceremony in which rituals are performed to protect the family from evil and obstacles during the wedding and also to invite those who have passed away in the family to come to the wedding.
I attended my cousins wedding this past weekend and I also attended my cousins wedding in London last year. Both of these weddings have opened my eyes to how Indian and particularly Hindu weddings are so family orientated. Indian weddings are about 30% for the bride and groom and 70% for their families. Not only are Indian weddings the union between a bride and groom but it is the union of their families. In addition, almost every relation to the bride and groom is explored and involved. In some rituals, the brother has to do something, or the dad's sister or the mom's brother or it could literally be anyone! There are some really interesting Indian wedding traditions that I would like to share.
During the Grah Shanti of each Gujarati wedding, there is something called a "mosaru" where the members from the bride or groom's mom's side enters the building from outside in which the Grah Shanti is taking place, bringing along with them gifts for each immediate family member of the bride or groom's dad's side. For the past two weddings, since I am related to my cousins from their dad's side, I got gifts myself! Usually it is simply cash money or sometimes it is Indian ethnic clothing. I just think its so interesting how weddings are also are way for family members to be reminded of how the wedding of the bride or groom's parents was a union of their families.
There was one particular ritual at the actual wedding ceremony of my cousin this past weekend that I have never seen before but found particularly intriguing. This ritual required a male member of the family of the bride who has married into the family. For this ceremony, the bride's cousin's husband was the participant. He was required to stand next to the groom as the priest tied holy string around the pair 9 times. The significance of this was to welcome the groom into the bride's family by someone who has already married into the family. It is a gesture saying "I have married into this family and I am welcoming you into the family as well."
Many times people get bored of watching Hindu rituals being performed as it often involves the priest chanting in sanskrit and no one really understanding him. But the interesting thing about Hindu weddings are that literally every ritual has a meaning and a significance that further makes the bride and groom officially a married couple.
Those are my thoughts on Indian weddings. This past weekend was just one of the many many more weddings to come in my family. I am excited to be a part of many more and to be reunited with family members who I haven't seen in such long times.
Stay tuned for my next blog post coming up soon!
Back to Blogging!
So I started this blog 2 years ago as a requirement for my English 325 class and I still have those posts so you are more than welcome to go back and read those if you wish! I decided to start blogging because I think this is an ideal time for me. A lot of change is happening in my life; I just graduated college, I'm about to enter medical school, and a lot of family events are occurring. I think blogging will be a great way for me to express my ideas and thoughts and share it with my friends and family! I'm not a fantastic writer like my friends Nikil and Radhika but I'm gonna try my best to be as frank as possible in my writing. I hope you enjoy and if you have comments and feedback, please post them!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Essay 3 Draft: Wallet in the Back Pocket
Wallet
in the Back Pocket
BAM!
The force of my wallet against my butt just hit me as I sat down. I wonder why
we even have such useless pockets in our jeans to put our wallets in. The
problem is we can’t really do much about it. Every pair of jeans nowadays comes
equipped with a back pocket, and everyone is using it for one reason and one
reason only, as a placeholder for our wallets. But why in the world would we
want to sit our wallets, which contain some of our most valued items like cash
money, credit cards, and coupons? What if your wallet falls out your pockets?
It was just because you were careless. And what if someone cleverly sneaks up
from behind and reaches into your back pocket and grabs your wallet? You
probably should’ve been more aware of your surroundings. You can blame
everything else for the reasons why you have so many problems with your wallet
but in reality, the problem is one of the most useless fashion inventions in
the world: the back pocket.
One
of the biggest problems with putting the wallet in the back pocket is that IT
HURTS! In fact, doctors are seeing more and more patients, primarily men, with
back pain associated with the wallet in the back pocket. They’ve even coined
this disorder as wallet-neuropathy (BBC News). If the wallet in your back pocket
is so painful, then why do you continue putting it there? Clearly, whoever
thought it was a clever idea to make back pockets in jeans didn’t think putting
your wallet there would hurt.
Aside
from the literal pain in the ass putting your wallet in the back pocket can
cause, it could also fall out easily or get stolen. I know I always tend to put
my wallet in my jacket before I leave the fishbowl at 2:30 AM to go home, only
because all those DPS crime alerts of robberies makes me worried that my wallet
is too easily accessible. It’s way too easy to spot your wallet when it is
sticking out of your butt.
So
after all of this questioning and curiosity, I have come up with a new
definition for the back pocket: A useless wallet holding capsule on our butt
that is serving the purpose for allowing foxy individuals to sneakily (and
creepily) come closer to your rear end so they can snatch your prized wallet
away, an issue so common we have a special name for it and its called pick
pocketing.
Unfortunately,
this wallet in your back pocket problem that we’ve been talking is more than
just a safety issue. As you sit down with your wallet in the back pocket, you
will naturally sit so that it is still comfortable to place your right butt
cheek on the seat, which will naturally cause your wallet to be pushed up and
out of your wallet. You don’t really notice because you don’t expect anything
to actually hurt your butt when you sit down. Next thing you know? You get up
and leave your wallet lying there on the seat. You walk away and don’t notice
that you have lost your wallet.
There
must’ve been some sort of creative reason for why whoever thought to create back
pocket in jeans for the purpose of putting your wallet there was a good idea, but
I really can’t think of any. What I can think of though are solutions to this seemingly
small but actually big problem. How about lets continue using the back pocket
as a fashion statement (perhaps providing a reason for why we should be looking
at other people’s butts) but not actually use it put our wallets. Instead,
let’s put our wallets in our front pockets, our jacket pockets, or give them to
your girlfriend or wife to hold on. Other options include using money clips,
reducing your wallet size by getting rid of credit cards and unnecessary
pictures, or just putting your wallet in your purse or backpack.
Interestingly,
putting your wallet in your back pocket is only one of the many stupid reasons
for using the back pocket. I’ve seen women use their back pocket to put their
cell phones and money in (isn’t that what purses are for?). So instead of
sitting on your wallet, which is bad enough in itself, you sit on an even more
prized possession: the cell phone. Won’t the screen crack or won’t it bend in
half? Women must think this is some sort of fashion statement because it is by
far the most absurd thing to sit on your cell phone! It’s like asking for your
cell phone to become damaged.
At
the end of the day though, this whole wallet and the back pocket thing is
something society won’t really question and want to change. As long as the
apparel companies continue to make a back pocket, we will continue to use it
only for on reason and that is to store our wallets.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Love
Love is complicated. It's hard to find love and it's even harder to love someone for so long. Kipnis takes on love and its potential delirious consequences. In my opinion, I agree with a lot of what Kipnis has to say. Once in love, you are kind of obligated to maintain psychological maturity, and mutuality. But I think she is looking at a very specific, narrow, and stereotyped love. A lot of relationships are very successful and the benefits outweigh the consequences. So in that case is love still overrated?
Kipnis also fails to look at love in the sense of loving your friends and family. Love is feeling not only in marriage but in life. Love for us is really important because we need to feel that sense of belonging, that someone out there cares of us, loves us. Therefore, love is essential for our happiness which is what everyone wants anyways. Yearning for love is just part of human nature. I don't think anyone could just be like "Oh screw love." Yeah it's complicated and could have some straining consequences but in the end of the day, we all need it and society demands it; so we just gotta follow the rules and fulfill our needs.
Kipnis also fails to look at love in the sense of loving your friends and family. Love is feeling not only in marriage but in life. Love for us is really important because we need to feel that sense of belonging, that someone out there cares of us, loves us. Therefore, love is essential for our happiness which is what everyone wants anyways. Yearning for love is just part of human nature. I don't think anyone could just be like "Oh screw love." Yeah it's complicated and could have some straining consequences but in the end of the day, we all need it and society demands it; so we just gotta follow the rules and fulfill our needs.
Monday, March 5, 2012
English 325 Essay 2
The two authors I chose for my imitation pieces are Dave Barry and Alice Steinbach. These two authors have very different styles so I thought it was be nice to try them both out.
For the Dave Barry imitation, I'm am doing writing about potholes and how they cause so much damage to the tires of vehicles, in turn causing people to spend so much money on tire replacements. The imitation is based on his piece "Road Warrior," where he makes fun of people with road rage. Barry uses a lot of sarcasm to draw humor to serious topics. He also uses a lot of analogies, metaphors, and exaggerations to add to his humorous tone. With regards to punctuation, he likes to capitalize his sentences to add emphasis and to highlight his emotions.
My Alice Steinbach imitation of "The Mrs. Dennison School of Writing" is about my experience with Mr. Kim, my Tae Kwon Do instructor who got me to the black belt level. In her piece, Steinbach has a very nostalgic tone where she is very descriptive of her experiences with her writing teacher Mrs. Dennison. She uses a lot of dialogue and dashes for emphasis. She uses mainly the past tense and she also likes to use similes to serve the purpose of description.
While analyzing the voices, tones, and styles of these authors, I found it extremely helpful to read the pieces over and over again to really ingrain the style into my head before I began writing. I tried not to go back to the piece too much when I was actually writing because I did not want my pieces to sound like a copied version. I also found it helpful to write parts of the pieces by these authors to get a feel how they think when they write. Other than that, I tried to keep the main points of the authors' voice and style in mind when writing.
For the Dave Barry imitation, I'm am doing writing about potholes and how they cause so much damage to the tires of vehicles, in turn causing people to spend so much money on tire replacements. The imitation is based on his piece "Road Warrior," where he makes fun of people with road rage. Barry uses a lot of sarcasm to draw humor to serious topics. He also uses a lot of analogies, metaphors, and exaggerations to add to his humorous tone. With regards to punctuation, he likes to capitalize his sentences to add emphasis and to highlight his emotions.
My Alice Steinbach imitation of "The Mrs. Dennison School of Writing" is about my experience with Mr. Kim, my Tae Kwon Do instructor who got me to the black belt level. In her piece, Steinbach has a very nostalgic tone where she is very descriptive of her experiences with her writing teacher Mrs. Dennison. She uses a lot of dialogue and dashes for emphasis. She uses mainly the past tense and she also likes to use similes to serve the purpose of description.
While analyzing the voices, tones, and styles of these authors, I found it extremely helpful to read the pieces over and over again to really ingrain the style into my head before I began writing. I tried not to go back to the piece too much when I was actually writing because I did not want my pieces to sound like a copied version. I also found it helpful to write parts of the pieces by these authors to get a feel how they think when they write. Other than that, I tried to keep the main points of the authors' voice and style in mind when writing.
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