Thursday, July 15, 2010
As charming as a used car Salesman
Back in April of 2010, I was in the middle of a project for my documentary
class. Having traveled to the Fells Point District of Baltimore, Maryland,
I was awaiting the arrival for a group whom I had scheduled to meet for an
interview in the Historical Society located there. After getting permission
from the manager, I decided to use my time to shoot some B-Roll of the
Society's gift shop. As I moved my camera around, a taller, raven-haired
woman with binoculars walked into the store consulting the proprietor, a
short and stocky woman. The tall woman was an obvious tourist, going on and
on about how she was impressed with Baltimore while the proprietor nodded.
I fairly ignored the women until a part of their conversation caught my
attention. "What are the best schools near here?" the tourist woman asked.
I held in my laughter long enough to hear the answer. The proprietor
recommended Dunbar, the nearest high school in relation to the area. By
that point I couldn't supress the laugh any longer and pretended to sneeze.
What was so damn funny? This woman wanted to move her family to Fells
Point, an area being primarily renovated for Yuppies and hipsters with a few stalwarts in between. Secondly, Dunbar High school is a
predominantly black, predominantly "section 8", predominanltly tourist-free
part of upper Fells Point which may not be attractive to a very white, very
middle class tourist. But then, I still just had to laugh, because
bamboozling the stupid is where Baltimore's charm really lies.
class. Having traveled to the Fells Point District of Baltimore, Maryland,
I was awaiting the arrival for a group whom I had scheduled to meet for an
interview in the Historical Society located there. After getting permission
from the manager, I decided to use my time to shoot some B-Roll of the
Society's gift shop. As I moved my camera around, a taller, raven-haired
woman with binoculars walked into the store consulting the proprietor, a
short and stocky woman. The tall woman was an obvious tourist, going on and
on about how she was impressed with Baltimore while the proprietor nodded.
I fairly ignored the women until a part of their conversation caught my
attention. "What are the best schools near here?" the tourist woman asked.
I held in my laughter long enough to hear the answer. The proprietor
recommended Dunbar, the nearest high school in relation to the area. By
that point I couldn't supress the laugh any longer and pretended to sneeze.
What was so damn funny? This woman wanted to move her family to Fells
Point, an area being primarily renovated for Yuppies and hipsters with a few stalwarts in between. Secondly, Dunbar High school is a
predominantly black, predominantly "section 8", predominanltly tourist-free
part of upper Fells Point which may not be attractive to a very white, very
middle class tourist. But then, I still just had to laugh, because
bamboozling the stupid is where Baltimore's charm really lies.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Bubble Boy sees the World
There's all kinds of ignorance, but there's something special about hte
kind that comes from someone who's traveled around the world yet never at
any time steps outside his perspective. I met a kid like that in my social
service class Community College. He bragged about being a Witness to the
Tianemen Square Massacre as a child in 1989, but when we had to work in
soup kitchens for an assignment, we discovered his weakness. Despite his
travels, the boy had never set foot inside a basic soup kitchen, serving or
mingling with the misfortunate ( or "unhoused" as the teacher called them
@_@.)As time went on, we also learned that he was unaware of any domestic
incidents, such as the first WTC bombing, the waco massacare or the
oklahoma city bombing ( the latter having its anniversary at the time). I'm
not sure if that ever taught him any humility, but it taught me something about experience.
I am reminded of him again in my new College as I encounter other young
travelers with more international miles but not as much sense regarding the
country of their birth. Every time I express with amazement at the new
experiences that I have in other states, the kid next to me ( who's used to
the area) looks at me like I'm sheltered. In reality if they experienced
the culture I'm used to they would react the same way. the point these kids
miss is that there is so much diversity in this nation that one can have a
different cultural experience by visiting a part of the US that's several
miles from their own.
Its not an excuse to avaiod traveling abroad, but why is it the only option
for having a new cultural experience?
kind that comes from someone who's traveled around the world yet never at
any time steps outside his perspective. I met a kid like that in my social
service class Community College. He bragged about being a Witness to the
Tianemen Square Massacre as a child in 1989, but when we had to work in
soup kitchens for an assignment, we discovered his weakness. Despite his
travels, the boy had never set foot inside a basic soup kitchen, serving or
mingling with the misfortunate ( or "unhoused" as the teacher called them
@_@.)As time went on, we also learned that he was unaware of any domestic
incidents, such as the first WTC bombing, the waco massacare or the
oklahoma city bombing ( the latter having its anniversary at the time). I'm
not sure if that ever taught him any humility, but it taught me something about experience.
I am reminded of him again in my new College as I encounter other young
travelers with more international miles but not as much sense regarding the
country of their birth. Every time I express with amazement at the new
experiences that I have in other states, the kid next to me ( who's used to
the area) looks at me like I'm sheltered. In reality if they experienced
the culture I'm used to they would react the same way. the point these kids
miss is that there is so much diversity in this nation that one can have a
different cultural experience by visiting a part of the US that's several
miles from their own.
Its not an excuse to avaiod traveling abroad, but why is it the only option
for having a new cultural experience?
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Good Doctor, Smart Doctor/ Bad Doctor, Stupid Doctor
As the child of Doctors and the victim of People who never should have gone to Med school I think I have a right to say all this:
What is a doctor? What is the perfect doctor? A doctor goes out of his/her way to treat people who have no means to get to them. A doctor has the power of a Md but the heart of a Nurse. A real doctor risks life and limb to help people who would never get the chance to survive a headache let alone H1N1. A good doctor never goes off duty. A doctor knows when things are bullshit and should have the balls to point them out.
If you sit around in a cozy office flashing your white coat, passing out prescriptions like fourtune cookies and flashing the "Dr." in people's faces like you're the sheriff of Dodge City, the only thing you achieved is making your shallow mother happy. Congrats "Dr. Loser."
What is a doctor? What is the perfect doctor? A doctor goes out of his/her way to treat people who have no means to get to them. A doctor has the power of a Md but the heart of a Nurse. A real doctor risks life and limb to help people who would never get the chance to survive a headache let alone H1N1. A good doctor never goes off duty. A doctor knows when things are bullshit and should have the balls to point them out.
If you sit around in a cozy office flashing your white coat, passing out prescriptions like fourtune cookies and flashing the "Dr." in people's faces like you're the sheriff of Dodge City, the only thing you achieved is making your shallow mother happy. Congrats "Dr. Loser."
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