This past week, we explored the interesting and exotic culture of the country of India. Ryan took us on a journey through the streets of Mumbai (previously Bombay) as we were captivated by the enormous poverty and abuses of the forgotten childhoods that are so common in India - through the film, Slumdog Millionaire. As a result, we've become a bit more acquainted with the traditions, clothing, cuisine, religion, social and gender roles of the people. Decide on a focus (any of the sub topics) from the week-long presentation and explore this to a larger degree (through research or from your experience).
Likewise, explain the value of the presentation as it relates to your learning experience this past week. Do offer in addition, any advice for improvement in presenting the culture of India.
Shout out to Ryan! Great job! You gave a fantastic presentation and had some awesome food and games despite the injuries you got from them! Really, i hope you get better on that!
ReplyDeleteAlright, now to the real blogging. When I heard we were doing Slumdog Millionaire as a movie in the midst of all these presentations, my heart just stopped. People kept telling me how great the movie was and how I should see it. I just never had the time nor the means to actually get to that. With Ryan's presentation, I got to see the much-anticipated movie. And let me just say, it was worth the wait.
I actually discovered a lot about India in Ryan's presentation. I had always known that the country was poor and overpopulated but I had never known that 82 million people were below the poverty line! The movie conveyed the horrible living conditions of the people. I shuddered to even think about what I would do in such a situation but they were all so content with the lives they led. I never knew that amount of trash just thrown in the streets or the poor sewage (as shown in the gruesome scene that we thankfully skipped). I also saw the measures that some people would go to in order to make a living, like in Maman's case.
The food was terrific. I loved the tea! I had never known that it was the most drank beverage in all of India. I figured it was probably just water, which in retrospect was a silly misconception. I also loved the crackers! They were so tasty. I never expected the traditional spice of Indian food to appear in them so when the heat showed itself I was shocked. It was a perfect example of all the spices used. I'm still unsure about the cottage cheese ball thing. It tasted so strange. I'm personally not a fan of cottage cheese though so that may contribute. But it was definitely innovative and a cool food to try out.
One thing that I loved learning about was the traditional role of women. I had never known of the tradition where women kill themselves after their husbands death. I think that its a very noble concept but highly unrealistic. I can imagine not remarrying but killing oneself is a little ridiculous. I'm proud of the women who are breaking that traditional mold and realizing men aren't necessary and, while it is great to respect them, they are not akin to a god.
Like I said, the presentation was great. The movie was a valid representation of the food, social roles, wardrobe, and religion of the Indian people as well as their living conditions. Not only could I greatly enjoy the movie, I could also enjoy learning about a brand new culture. Once again, Ryan, fabulous job!
I think something should be said right off the back about Ryan's presentation, and that is WOW! I got a sense of how organized and thorough Ryan was when he did his first film genre presentation: Romance, but this project was even better! Which I didn't even think was possible. Ryan went above and beyond the expectations. I always love his handouts because they are so organized and informative. They are nice and neat so I can find the information I am looking for easily. I also loved the interactive activity of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." I think that was a brilliant way to tie in the movie, culture, and brain stimulation of the class. It was also very fun. Once again, the food! It was so interesting. I loved the tea (and the cups of course, so interesting!) I love that throughout all of these projects we are able to experience different foods. I think it helps us learn about the culture at an entirely new and different level.
ReplyDeleteThe subject I have chosen to talk about is the slums in general, which I think could fit under every sub topic in a different way. We learned from Ryan's presentation about the traditional "sari" and white pants and button shirt of the people in India. What I found interesting was that a majority of the clothing worn in Slumdog Millionaire was western clothing. In the ending scenes we see Latika in modern jeans and blouses. She did however tie in a scarf wrap for her head, which differs from something we would wear here in America. I think a lot of that has to do with how poor the slums are. I think they can't afford obviously very nice clothing, so they wear whatever they can get their hands on. I was shocked to see the amount of garbage in the slums. I knew that India wasn't the most "clean" country, but until I saw this movie I could never fully picture it. The kids were literally walking on the trash like it was a normal occurrence, which I'm sure for them it is. Salim and Jamal were sleeping in a make-shift tent amiss the piles and piles of rubbage in the streets. We even see Latika roaming around the mountains of trash before the supposed "nice man" came and gave them a Coke. We can really see the poverty in this scene too and how little the people actually receive, because Salim and Jamal literally inhale the soda. We can see it on their faces how satisfying that drink tastes. It has to be one of the coldest and sweetest tasting things they had ever had. The slums were also very close together, which made it very claustrophobic. We see through one of the scenes where the camera is following the action that Salim and Jamal are running from the cops. These kids are running around dangerous buildings that look like they are about to collapse like it's an everyday life. That's what I found so shocking was that this was EVERYDAY life. I think it is a really eye-opening experience. I would love to visit India.
I'm sure Dr. Pam has views and a lot more knowledge on the woman roles in this part of the world, but I also found the limited involvement of women in India to be shocking. I never knew they were so restricted.
Once again, thanks Ryan! India was a great country, and the movie is simply phenomenal. I forgot how much I love it! It's a favorite in my book. Any improvement in my mind can only be seen in maybe adding a few more comments about the cinema aspects like things from our yellow packet. I think that would only enhance the watching of the film more. Maybe about the camera angles, lighting, things of that nature.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteYes Ryan! Please heal quickly!
I love that you were able to see the movie now also, Alex. I'm one of those people you mentioned being all about preaching the hype of this movie. Now you see why.
I agree that I thought the most drank beverage would be water also, Alex. I just figured with a shocking 82 million under the poverty line it would have to be something simple. I, like you, feel the same about the poverty devastation. It's so shocking. I also find it so gruesome what Maman was doing to these kids. I mean taking their eyes out! That is just ridiculous, but like Ryan explained it was the fact that they were so desperate for money. I think you would agree with me, we would all agree, that that is just devastating and repulsive.
I love that you brought up the point about the women committing suicide after the death of their husband. That is something so bizarre to me, but in their culture I can see how that would show a great deal of respect and devotion. "they are not akin to a god," that was perfect. I think that really describes how women are becoming more self improved and increasing their own self esteem and such.
Ryan, saying your presentation was excellent would certainly be an understatement! It was evident how much time and thought you put into this project, and even though we had a few unexpected schedule changes due to the snow delay you adapted to them with your perfect time management skills and everything turned out wonderfully! You truly went above and beyond the call of duty and even received some injuries ( :( ) in providing us with Indian cuisine and a creative, fun activity (with delicious prizes)! You deserve all the praise we can possibly give you for your hard work.
ReplyDeleteSome of the things I learned this week include the story of the Taj Mahal. Of course I had heard about this famous building before, but I had no idea of the love story behind it! I now know enough about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal to possibly lead a tour myself, hahah. In learning about the building and its architecture, I also learned more about the Islamic religion which I honestly did not know was that prevalent in India! I always associated India with Hinduism, which we also had the opportunity to learn about. I think it's great that they don't eat beef, and they have some great philosophies like the concept of karma. Though you were very thorough in your discussion on the religions of India, I wish you would have brought up the concept of chakra which I find to be very interesting! But you covered a lot of ground with the time that was allotted to you.
As a fine artist, I think it's fascinating that theatre was actually outlawed in India for a period of time! I really enjoyed the YouTube clip of an Indian stage production where they were whacking each other with tree branches. It was really humorous to us, but I'm sure there's a deeper significance to it! The fashion of India was also something new to me! I found the Shalwar Kameez to be very cute and fashionable. I would want to wear one someday! The Bindi and nose pin were also interesting. There are so many customs in India that are very different from our Western ones, especially regarding women.
Finally, I have to talk about something that was very prevalent in both the movie and your presentaion. The overpopulation and poverty that plagues India was both shocking and sad for me. I nearly cried when I saw the pitiful condition the Earth is in regarding waste disposal in the country. Who would have figured it was so bad? It was truly eye-opening to see people living in such poor conditions with no one to help them, just like the woman in the YouTube video.
Ryan, you did a great job educating and entertaining us this week! You stepped outside of your comfort zone and went the extra mile to deliver a great presentation. Thanks so much for teaching me about this fascinating culture!
Sam, Alex, and Sophie,
ReplyDeleteMy injuries are healing! Alex, you were so right about the chlorine helping! (Dr. Pam: In case you have no idea about what we are talking about, I cut my hand TWICE on the can of rasgulla and also burned my finger on the tea. But I am fine now) :))
Thank you all for such kind thoughts on my presentation! It is such a relief and satisfaction to me to know how much you enjoyed it!! I didn't DREAD working on it like some other projects. The Romance presentation and this one have been enjoyable to put together! I'm so happy the trivia game was a hit. I didn't know if it would be or not, but I realize now, with such a wonderful audience how could it not be?
It's ironic, I really was at a loss when the project was suggested, but once I watched Slumdog Millionaire myself, I knew the culture of India was something I wanted to explore in depth.
Thanks again everyone, and I hope I get to present to you all another time!
Ryan
ReplyDeleteMy gosh - you must be a disaster waiting to happen!!!! You cut your hand TWICE???? You burned your finger?????? So sorry Ryan!
Your presentation went quite well. Between your cultural presentation on India and Alexandra's presentation on Africa and Sam's presentation on Japan, I feel like I have been half way around the world again. It's been magnificient! Now, buckle up - we are enroute to France with Nick as the pilot!
Sam,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you with what you said about how much time Ryan put into this being very evident. I cannot imagine how hard he worked on this project, it clearly shows! I love that you brought up the topic of the Taj Mahal. I never knew it was built out of a love story. I'm a sucker for romance as everyone knows, so that really hit me hard. I loved the beauty in the story. I also thought it was very interesting how she was older than him. Commonly we see the man being older than the woman, but not in this story. I would love to visit that Taj Mahal now that I know more about it. I think it would be great to see how the love story transitioned into an actual architectural structure.
I also love that you commented on the interesting, yet quite bizarre, YouTube video of the stage production that Ryan showed us. Yes, I thought it was extremely hilarious that they were swinging at each other with tree branches. I think though, like you mentioned, that it probably has great signifigance to the people of India whether it be their culture or religion or customs.
Once again, great job Ryan! Nice blog Sam!
Alex,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you about your views on the movie! It is both terrifying and sad how far these kids will go just for money. The eye-burning scene traumatized me and I can't even imagine being in that situation! Also, the custom of women killing themselves after their husband's death is just ridiculous. I too am glad that Indian women are starting to see that they don't need a man to survive! I feel like even some American women haven't even realized this yet. Either way, it's always interesting to learn about gender roles of other societies!
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI agree that Ryan's activity was great! It was so creative that I'm jealous I didn't come up with it first! Hahah, kidding! The other thing in your blog that stood out to me is the everyday life that children in India face. Things like Coke, shelter, and proper garbage disposal are so commonplace to us that it's hard to imagine a life without them. Yet to children in the slums like Jamal and Salim, they are practically foreign. It really was eye-opening to see conditions like that. Thanks to Ryan for this opportunity!
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! I agree with you on all of it! Ryan's presentation was so organized and well put together. It was timed perfectly and just made sense. The information that we covered in class just reflected upon the movie itself. I love that you brought in how we all knew India wasn't the cleanest but it is actually much worse than we thought. I think we all picture the poverty but that huge number just blows our imaginations. I couldn't have come up with those horrible conditions in my head. Your blog also made me think about how privileged we are. We get the chance to enjoy ourselves daily yet they run around decaying buildings and dirty streets every single day without realizing how awful they have it.
Sam,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I wish we could have covered the idea of chakra and also karma and dharma. They are so key but we didn't even hear about them. Granted, Ryan did have to cram a lot into the time that he did have to kudos to him for that. And chakra, karma, and dharma didn't really show up in the movie which suprised me.
I also agree with the thought that we found some of the customs silly and ridiculous but they hold them in such high regards. It really shows how even though we are all from the same world, we have such different lives. I think in that way, this has been an eye opening experience for me!
Great blog!
Ryan you did a really fantastic job! First I loved your film, and second your presentation was really well done. Kudos to you! I thought that "Slumdog Millionaire" was an excellent film to view on the culture of India. As we followed Jamal through his memories and difficult life experiences, we saw all angles of life in the Indian country. I would like to focus on this, since Ryan's choice of film really demonstrated this well.
ReplyDeleteIndia is obviously a very diverse country in its different lifestyles. In the beginning of the film we are immediately shown the slums. Its a sickening sight, the filth that some people have to live in. The slums were strangely colorful, which I found interesting. This is a weird thing to mention, but that fact really stood out to me. There was such a vivid color to the horrible conditions of the poverty stricken Indian people in the film. In the mob scene where the mother is killed the woman washing the clothes wear bright clothing. Strangely enough, they seem somewhat content with the way they are living. The next lifestyle was the drug and crime lords, along with their men. These people lived slightly better lives, as we saw with Salim, who could afford the hotel room and then began to move up in life. By the end of the film he was surrounded by women and wearing gold chains. His death is evident of the money in crime, as he bathed in cash as he was shot. Finally, Latika allows us to see the richest of the Indians. The man she was living with had an enormous home with a gate and everything. Just like in Alex's presentation of Africa, there is a dramatic change between the poor of the country and the rich.
I would also like to talk about the customs of greeting visitors. I found this to be really out there, mostly because I am unaccustomed to such a grand way of saying hello to visitors. I thought it was really cool though, that they view their visitors almost like the gods and respect them so much. Maybe us Americans can learn a little bit from them, we need a bit of a lesson in respect.
Ryan, your film was a great choice, I really can't tell you that enough. I thought you did a really good job and I learned quite a lot from your presentation. Good Job!!!
Sophie- I was also shocked by the garbage!! There was so much of it... I felt so bad! Isn't it strange to sit here writing our blogs are realize that there are people out there lying in their own garbage? Depressing. The poor children, as you mentioned, were running around in those buildings. It was so heartbreaking to see the lives they live, and even worse so to see that it really didn't bother them. They were happy to run through old dilapidated buildings, they found it fun, enjoyed it. It really killed me to see how they had to live.
Sam- I LOVED LOVED LOVED the part about the Taj Mahal, I was also jealous that you talked about it before me. I thought that the love story was so sweet, but I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. I was also shocked to find out about the banning of the theatre, I don't know what I would do without it!