Make-up assignments

[Anonymous]

I love the Huntington Library. I am always drawn to the Japanese gardens at most botanical gardens I've ever been to. I was actually proposed to at the Japanese Gardens in Brooklyn Park. I love how quiet and peaceful they usually are. I get put in a trance like state while walking around them. Glad you got to experience it!

[Anonymous]

I visited the Huntington Gardens and was able to see both the Chinese and Japanese gardens. Both were unique and able to showcase the traditions associated with each culture. I particularly enjoyed the architecture that blended with the natural beauty of the plants and water and how the harmony between the man made structures was juxtaposed with the natural wonder.
The scenery transported me out of california and made me feel as if I was in another place. I very much enjoyed the Bonsai tree collection and how there were so many varieties. Being right next to the rock garden made me think about how easy it would be to construct a rock garden and bring it to a school site to create a place for thought and tranquility.
Overall the library and gardens are able to transport californians to a different place and have an experience that is different than a typical backyard in Los Angeles. That ability is a way to cross cultures and cross the vast Pacific to bridge our communities and demonstrate how there are different ways to have gardens.

[Anonymous]

On May 31st, I attended "The Chinese American Oral History Project" at California State University Los Angeles. This exhibition/reception was presented by the Asian and Asian American Studies Program at CSULA and featured the life stories of 4 different individuals of whom at least part of their story, if not more, takes place in Los Angeles. They also had artifacts on display of these individuals lives. The honored guests (all four were present for the reception) were Frank Yan, Margaret Lew, Pauline Tso, and John Chen.
Frank Yan's mother left China in 1955 when Frank was 1 year old. Frank graduated from CSULA in 1976 and joined the LAPD where he worked in the narcotics division for over ten years. His exhibit talked about his upbringing and childhood in Chinatown here in LA and the antics/troublemaking he would partake in with his friends. Frank is still an active member of the Chinatown community.
Margaret Lew grew up in San Francisco, but moved to Los Angeles after she was married. Her exhibit spoke of what it was like to be a part of and transition between the San Francisco Chinatown and then later, Los Angeles. Margaret worked as a civil servant in LA's City Hall for almost thirty years. She was an avid writer and now volunteers with the Public Library.
Pauline Tso left Nanjing with her family when she was a small girl, during the beginning of WWII. After a perilous journey, her family landed in Los Angeles. Pauline's exhibit focused on love, family, and survival as she spoke about her trials and tribulations on the path to America and once in America. Pauline's husband graduated from CSULA. She has a deep passion for the arts.
John Chen was born in Georgia in 1949 and grew up in the south during Jim Crow segregation. John's exhibit focused on education, as John is a medical doctor, lawyer, and has a PhD in philosophy. He served as a federal district court judge in downtown Los Angeles from 1987 to 1988. He then went back to medical practice with the LA County Mental Health Department. After all of this, he went back to school, to CSULA for his masters (and he is currently working on a second PhD in history).

I had a great time at the reception being able to take a peak into the lives of some pretty amazing members of our LA community.

[Anonymous]

I did not know the Chinese American Museum existed until I ran a google search. My wife and I took our engagement photographs at the Olvera Street Plaza and some of them are right in front of the museum.

The museum is confined to a very small space. The museum is organized into three levels. The first level features a timeline of the origins of the Chinese in the United States and more specifically in the Los Angeles area. The second level displays prominent Chinese communities in southern California, more specifically Monterey Park. They even had a suit donated by Judy Chu, who I believe was the first Chinese American in the US Congress. The third floor is all about Asian American activism during the civil rights movement and thereafter.

I really enjoyed this museum. The layout made it very fruitful. We spent a good amount of time on the first floor building a historical context of Chinese people in the United States. This gave us a good foundation to better understand the rest of the museum.

It was startling to learn that the Chinese were pushed out of their homes to expand union station. I did not know. I also did not realize how much legislation has been presented to burden the Chinese community in the United States. Now I understand how the label of “model minority” can be so misleading and hurtful to some. The stories that I was most drawn to are the stories of Chinese immigration and Chinese criminalization. Parallels can be drawn between other communities with this information. I will base my unit on the immigration stories of Chinese Americans.

[Anonymous]

Last winter I visited the Huntington Library in order to see Gardens, Art, and Commerce in Chinese Woodblock Prints, a major international loan exhibition exploring the art, craft, and cultural significance of Chinese woodblock prints made during their golden age, from the late 16th through the 19th century. The centerpiece of the exhibition was The Huntington Libraries own rare edition of the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shi zhu zhai shu hua pu), the earliest Chinese book printed with the technique of polychrome xylography known as douban, invented and perfected by Hu Zhengyan 胡正言 (1584-1674). One gallery was devoted to a single print from the manual, Persimmon and Tangerines. This multi-block color print, with its beautifully delicate range of colors, required a separate block for each color. Each of the prints 19 blocks were carefully created by a master carver and then individually inked when used in printing. A crude version of this process could be reproduced in the classroom to teach students the history of printing and give them an appreciation for the artistry of the craft. They could compare it to the later works of the European Guttenberg printing press and modern reprographics.

[Anonymous]

For my second and last makeup assignment, I visited the museum inside the Korean Cultural Center located in Ktown. There were artifacts, pottery, and even musical instruments from the Three Kingdoms Period as well as the later Joseon Dynasty. Visiting the museum was a good refresher from the lecture we had on early Korean history. I mentioned this in a previous post, but even as a Korean-American, I didn't realize that Korea was independent from China and Japan during these periods. For some reason, I always thought that Korea was under the power of either China or Japan, from the beginning of its history. At the museum I realized how important pottery was to the Korean identity, even before The Three Kingdoms period: Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo. There was a variety of ceramics on display from this period: cups with stems (early wine glasses?), bowls on stands, jars with a long neck (how did they clean these?), cups with lids, and vases. I noticed that a lot of ceramics were on stands. There were designs of plants, warriors, flowers, boats, temples, and intricate geometric designs that looked like the decal was made separately, then perhaps stuck onto the ceramic before putting it in the fire. I also learned that the high temperature ovens used to bake pottery was also used in Korea's iron production. These ceramics were brown and grey, while the later Joseon period produced blue and white porcelain jars and other types of ceramics with lots of plant and flower designs. Really cool day looking at pottery. It brought me back to my high school ceramics class.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Dayton, Ohio and this summer I have traveled back to visit my family. While there, I took a trip to the Dayton International Peace Museum. The museum is small and located inside an old Victorian style home that belong to businessman in the late 1800s. The museum is dedicated to nonviolent peacemakers with the different rooms in the house focused on different people and different topics. The room that made me think of our class was a room that discussed the consequences of war and talked about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The room was filled with images, many very graphic, of what the people of these cities experienced and endured. Most of the images were images I had not previously seen. While this museum did not solely focus East Asia culture, I thought that this museum would be a nice resource for educators, especially those in our class. We often discuss the historical events that took place and emphasize how horrible war is, but what I liked about his museum was that after very much showing you how horrific war and violent confrontation can be, it also then showed ways we can attain peace through nonviolent ways. I think having these discussions with students is important and it was really nice to see them on display. In Dayton, they could also connect these ideas with peace with the Dayton Peace Accords that took place at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1995 which ended the Bosnia War and one of the Yugoslav Wars.

[Anonymous]

The Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art (LACMA) has Chinese art exhibits on the 2nd floor of the Hammer building. The art at this exhibit ranges from 10,000 BC-21st century. It is almost overwhelming to be in spaces that have large time spans and give insight to different asthetics of Chinese art. The oldest pieces of art that are seen in the museum are very practical pieces, they are food cauldrons, wine staorage jars, laddles, and wine cups that are decorated with intriquite details and iconography. As centuries progress, the pieces of art at LACMA differ in terms of material and style, but what remains the same is the practicality of the pieces. one thing that I realize is that furnishings, sculputres, jewelry, paintings, tools, and equipment are all considered art and are all practical items. While the tools and the furnishings are undoubtedly practical, I find that the sculpures and paintings are also practical art pieces that help to story tell and conserve the culture of these peoples. It has never dawned on me that the arts are important to document these cultures. Professor Yamashita's lectures comes to mind as he beautifully recounted poems as an art form that was critical to conserve for the Chinese. It makes me value these ancient reliques even more and make me view them in a different light.

[Anonymous]

Back in April of this year, I had the opportunity to attend a showing of the Shen Yun performance. The show was truely amazing. Shen Yun combines traditional dances, music, and songs with modern technology projections to tell many Chinese folk tales. Throughout the show, it is evident how the Chinese viewed themselves as the "Celestial Empire" as the stories performed in Shen Yun were about mystical folk who had the ability to fly, had mystical creatures, and had super human qualities. One of my favorite parts of the show were viewing the Classical Chinese Dance which is a combination of Chinese martial arts. The dancers used so many flips, turns, sprints, and aerial tumbling techniques that were often used to emulate battle scenes of the ancient Chinese. It was incredible to see these dancers glide along the stage as they told war stories.

An important part of the show was the MC's whom would introduce each new act and give context about the history of each performance. One thing mentioned in the show is that the Shen Yun show is only performed in the states and is not allowed to perform in China due to it's communist state. The MC's of the event even stated that many Chinese nationals even fly out the the United States to view the show! It was very shocking for me to hear this, that a nation does not acknowledge all part's of it's cultural history. The show emphasizes that practice of Falun Dafa, which has principles in truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Falun Dafa is seen as a spiritual culture which threatens the athiest policy of the Chinese Communist Party.

Overall, this performance was a beautiful way to be immersed in ancient Chinese culture. The show was eye opening and provoked me to think more deeply about current politics in China and other parts of the world that play a role in either promoting or hindering the celebration of the ancient history of it's people.

[Anonymous]

This temple was very impressive. I have heard about it but I never took the time to visit. I am a little glad that I had to miss a class, or else I would have never had the opportunity to visit.

The biggest takeaway from me was that this temple was not just a temple. This place felt like a museum, a school, a cultural center, and a restaurant. I was intimidated when I first arrived. I have never seen such a pristine and well kept facility. Everything was perfect. I didn't even want to breathe for fear of making too much noise.

Although there was many signs reminding people that this was indeed a sacred place, it felt very welcoming to someone like me who does not practice the faith. Many people were there to take pictures, which tells me that many people who are not of that faith felt comfortable as well. When I arrived I found out that this temple has one of the best vegetarian buffets in the area. Although I am not vegetarian, I wish I would have known so I could have visited during the time that it was open.

[Anonymous]

Make-up Assignment for missing 3/6/17

The Huntington Gardens is one of the most serene and beautiful places I have ever had the pleasure of visiting and knowing that it is only 10 minutes away from my house is amazing. I love walking up the paths to both the Chinese garden as well as the Japanese Garden. The trees and plants native to both countries really make you feel as though you are there.
In the Chinese Garden, the “Garden of Flowing Fragrance” is just breathtaking. The pond and the Chinese architecture make you want to visit all the beautiful locations in China. The pagoda style of architecture is so different than what we have in America and it is so interesting. The pond was very green, but it was still fun to visit.
The Japanese Garden has a huge Zen Garden with a large rake that allows you to meditate and relax in this serene environment. Although you have to walk up a pretty big hill to get to the garden, it is well worth the walk. The greenery, bridges, and Koi were amazing! I honesty think this is one of the most beautiful places in the world and we are lucky to have it so close.
edited by kvillegas on 6/22/2017

[Anonymous]

I recently visited the Japanese garden at the Huntington Gardens. This past winter, I visited Japan and had the opportunity to walk through the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The garden at the Huntington reminded me greatly of the garden I had seen in Japan. The architecture is stunning and there are opportunities to read about the style. Inside the Shinjuku garden is a tea room that reminded me of the little cafe inside the Japanese garden. I also loved the replica of the tradional Japanese home/room, as we stayed in several traditional Japanese rooms on our trip. One of my favorite parts of the garden are the bonsais. There are many diffferent species and this part of the garden has inspired me to do more research about bonsais so that I can incorporate them into my AP Biology class. They would be a nice centerpiece for when we discuss genetics vs environmental factors.

[Anonymous]

I attended an exhibition at the Bowers museum in Santa Ana titled Ancient Arts of China: A 5000 Year Legacy. The objective of the exhibition is to illustrates the country’s art and culture through its 5000-year span to the world. As soon as you walk into the exhibition visitors can find a timeline that divides China’s history into the Neolithic Period, the Zhou Dynasty, the Western Han Period, the Northern and Southern Periods, the Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty and Modern China.
I was really amazed at the art that was exhibited; the detail and intricacy of the pottery, the jade, tapestries, and on the clothing, was remarkable. There was a section about calligraphy and a scholars’ desk was recreated to show the type of brushes, and items that could be found in the room reserved just for the scholars. It would be interesting to have taken my students to this exhibition and have them compared their study spaces to that of a Chinese scholar.
Even though this exhibition was small, it included various pieces representative of several of the dynasties that we look at in class. I really enjoyed my visit to the museum.

[Anonymous]

Today I attended the Japanes American National Museum. It's located in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles

I didn't want to go alone so I took my cousins, so bonus points for taking kids on an educational trip during the summer! I've long wanted to visit this museum but never had a good excuse. Finally my missing a session of this course provided me with the catalyst I needed to see something truly Amazing. The museum itself is small, when compared to say the Getty, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in charisma and style. The exhibitions on the Japanese Internment/Relocation were riveting showing actual footage from the 1980s Redress hearings. So many actuall primary sources and visuals and timelines were on display dramatic flair that engage the learner throughout. Students can see how Japanese American's were ripped from their homies, stripped of their rights as Americans and forced for several years into a life they had not bargained for. The museums usage of multimedia and stylistc represenation of classic realia spurned in me, the educator, a desire for even further knowledge of the well-documented subject. My purest delight was seeing my cousins genuinely empathetic to the suffering of a culture that was not their own. I highly recommend visiting.

As an added bonus I took them for their first taste of authentic Japanese Ramen.

[Anonymous]

I went to the Fowler Museum at UCLA for the Arts for Spiritual Intervention Workshop. The workshop was to explore the importance of animal symbolism in Japanese art. We had to interpret the meanings of selected images and engage in artmaking activities that focus on animals in art. Their study of emas extends to an exploration of a Japanese form of poetry known as a lune, which are used to express feelings of thanks or good wishes. We had to study and interpret the symbolism of animals in Japanese art through writing and artmaking, create our own ema-like wish, and engage in creative writing about their wishes and dreams. I painted a picture of peace and hope.

Some background information that I got from our guide was that In Japan, people who are seeking divine assistance to overcome some difficulty in their lives may place a votive offering known as an ema in a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine. The illustration on the ema reflects the petitioner’s problem. Petitioners may paint their own illustration, but as far back as the Edo Period (1600–1868) ema were also painted in studios and made available for sale to clients. The petitioner typically added an inscription, often including a personal name and date. Ema are also sometimes presented simply as an expression of thanks to the deities.
Today one can purchase an ema and decorate it with drawings and writings expressing wishes for good health, marriage, children, success in business, passing entrance exams, wealth, and so on. The ema is then left hanging at a designated spot at the shrine. Similar offerings are placed on private household shrines called kamidama set up to honor local protective gods.

[Author]

Posts