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I found Colim Toibin addressing us very interesting, I never really met and saw an author that I read a book from. I also found it interesting the way he was inspired on writing the book “Brooklyn” and his inspiration for the book and what he was thinking while he was writing it and the fact that he used many stories that he had heard and saw while he was a child to write his book. I also found it very interesting how he tried to compare our lives to the book by explaining the similarities when moving away from home and living by yourself. I found it very interesting how he was talking about his differences in America then Ireland, and really showed the differences between the two different cultures and lifestyles, such as his example of watching a baseball game and having no idea what was going on.

Col Tobin’s visit to Baruch college was an intersting experience as well as a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with a renowned author.This was my first experience in actually personally seeing an author. There were many interesting points he made in his speech. In his speech he mainly discussed his background of his life, his inspirations for the book “Brooklyn” which was our text for freshman seminar as well as some of his motivations toward this book and analogies that relate to thus book as a whole. The main points addressed about his background were basic, he was born in a small town in Ireland, experienced many travels before he became an author, his many of these trips inspired many of his works nonetheless.The points addressed about his inspirations toward this novel were mainly focused on his Irish background as well as some people he met. He stated that a woman he met claims that this book is about her mother. His main motivations in writing this novel was mainly concentrated again on his Irish heritage as well as his research on cultural norms of Irish Americans in the 1950’s. The analogies he made for the book mainly focused on examples of social and cultural norms of Irish Americans nonetheless. Overall most of Tobin’s subjects addressed in hsi speech clearly related to the novel Brooklyn in some way.

Overall I found Tobin’s speech interesting since he gave additional interesting information related to our Freshman seminar text. I learned that many of his inspirations were based on experience while some were based on research. I learned about his strong attachment to his Irish heritage as well. There were also some parts of the speech that were more uninteresting such as many of the analogies he made toward to book as well as his sections that had little relation to the novel as well. I also had some trouble understanding certain parts due to his accent. But overall I can say that Colm Tobin’s speech was a very informative one.  learned many different ideas and inspirations about his life and the novel. I appreciate the opportunity I had to get up close and personal with a well known author.

*Clears throat* Ahem. Right, I’m not exactly sure how to start… but whatever. Maybe I should start with something about myself… yes, that should work. Hmm. Let’s see here… ah!

All right, long story short, I’m someone who’s still trying to discover my talents. I’ve tried a lot of things. Long distance running, basketball, tennis, cooking, video games, arguing, debating, writing, taekwondo, kendo, acting, beat boxing, singing, public speaking…oh, the list goes on and on. But see, there’s something I gained from trying all these different sports and such. That is, skills are something you develop while talent is something that makes gaining skill easier.

Oh wait, you probably knew that. Probably. Ok, let me try something else. By myself, I’m a pretty quiet guy. I might make a witty comment or two sometimes, but yeah, I’m a pretty generally pretty quiet. However, I’m glad I get chances like this to express myself a bit. Heh.

I was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, so I chose a picture of Saint Basil’s Cathedral located in downtown area of the city (1). My school was located near that area and I used to spend a lot of time with friends shopping, dining, and just hanging out near Red Square. Four years ago I moved to Miami, Florida (2). It’s an amazing city where people don’t do much, but tan all day and go out at night. So that is exactly the reason I decided to move to New York (3). I always loved visiting New York, but living here is a complete different experience. I enjoy travelling and take advantage of every opportunity I get. One of my favorite cities to visit is Paris (4). The architecture and just overall beauty of the city is truly amazing. I don’t think anyone can ever get bored of Paris because there are so many different things to do. I really hope to get a chance do a semester abroad in Paris, learn the language, and just enjoy life in France. I also like art, especially the impressionist paintings and contemporary art. I like Edouard Manet’s paintings, as well as many others (5). I enjoy visitng different galleries and museums, such as MoMA and Gagosian Gallery in New York or Garage Gallery in Moscow (6)… I’m thinking of majoring in finance or economics, that’s the reason I decided to come to Baruch College (7). And lastly, my favorite time of the year is fall, especially in the city (8).

 fresh1

Daniel’s 10 song Mixpod Playlist

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

These songs… they’re not particularly special, but they give you a little look into what I find interesting, I guess. Now for a little introduction. Online, most call me Gamehero91 or DanielDGamehero… But who do I think I am?

I… (Ok, I’ll try it THIS way…)

Ok, my full name’s Udochukwu Daniel Nkemakolam. Just italicized the Daniel juuust because it’s what people usually call me here. Just to make it easy on you if we actually do meet in real life (not that there’s much chance of that happening… unless you go to Baruch and happen to arrange a meeting). I was born in Staten Island, NY. Both of my parents are Nigerian, and after 8th Grade, my parents took me and my two brothers, Chinedum and Obioma, to Nigeria to continue schooling as well as learn our culture. In early August of 2012, I arrived back in the US for college. As of now, I’m the only one of us 3 in the US.All right, moving on!

Now, my interests… well, I’m someone who likes trying new things, but I guess I’m interested in Japanese culture, anime/manga, gaming and meeting new people as well as seeing the world.  I have other interests as well… I’ll just sort them out, so they’re easier to read.

First, sports. I like playing tennis, I guess. I played it a lot while I was in school, and I consider myself ok as a player. I’ve done some long distamce runs too. Now, music… when it comes to music, I like a mix… I’m not really sure where I belong. Check out my playlist, and you’ll see what I mean. And as for hobbies? There are several, I suppose. Sometimes I train myself in various hacking skills, other times I just surf the web. My main hobby is… video games. Started out in the days of the N64, and diversified to whatever I could find or afford. I’ve been everywhere from PC games to MMORPGs.

Now for food. When it comes to food, as in life, I’m not afraid to try new things I might like. As for my regular diet, I don’t really have one. I eat pizza, ramen (and I mean REAL ramen, not the instant kind), burgers, ugh, the list goes on and on. I’m also a dab hand at cooking myself. My mom taught me how to make traditional Nigerian dishes as well as regular American food, and I’d like to learn how to cook new dishes. It’s just so hard to find the time sometimes though…

I’m Christian, but not the kind that shoves his faith down your throat. I mean, I do my best to follow Christian standards. I’m pretty tolerant.

Almost done… hmm, what to say here… still single. I’m open. I especially love female anime fans. They get real into it, while the guys are usually just so casual, to keep from looking like fanboys.  Heh, that’s it. Hope you enjoyed it.

Link to slide show: http://www.flickr.com/photos/87671354@N06/8034494987/in/photostream

This is a short slide show of eight pictures about what represents and shapes who I am.The first picture is of the symbol of Aquarius. Not only being my astrological sign, it also plays a deep role in who I am. Aquarians are usually described as free spirited and open minded, dedicated and a unique individual. I love to try new things because experience is the best teacher; being closed to ideas only closes you to what the world has to offer. I’m also a bit of a rebel, I hate  hiding in a crowd. It’s always better for me to walk to your own beat and making sure people see you for you. The second slide is of my silhouette dancing. I’d like to think of myself as an artist: modelling is one form of art I enjoy. You can represent a message in your way. The third slide is of my different cultures. I’m a  mixed child with family members of many nationalities, but I chose the three that describe my more immediate family. I’m proud of each one, loving how it fits me into more than one culture group and enjoy what each has to offer. The third slide shows part one of very important people who helped make me who I am: my brothers. I have three older brothers who watch over me like hawks. It might be annoying, but they are also the only ones I have and they take up a lot of my love. Right after are my friends on the next slide. They supported me, helped me grow and showed me the many faces of life: the bad, the good, and everything else. After that one is the picture of my Dance Group’s very first flyer. I’m very compassionate about dancing, to the point of wanting to take it more than just a hobby and make it into a successful career. I’m not one to sit aside and my groups involvement in shows and competitions proves that. Right now, it serves as a motivation for me to not just do good in dancing, but anything I do, because success is reached with hard work and motive. The seventh slide is a drawing I did myself back in my Sophomore year in high school. Drawing was a form of relief  for me. I love it about as much as I love dancing. I live to improve, looking back at my past work to see how far I’ve gotten. I’m dedicated to it and to me shows how dedicated I can be towards anything once I put all my heart behind it. It’s also a show of my creativity, because I can do little doodles like this or make great pictures with a simple idea. The last slide is of the city that hold my heart: New York City. Born and raised, this city has made me into the girl I am. The beautiful people, the wonderful sights, the great mentors to the great examples. It’s a huge cultural mixing pot that makes the perfect home for a mixed up person like me.

Aaaand that’s about it. 😉

1. Mil Horas-La Sonora Dinamita (Ecuadorian Cumbia)

2. Soy Inconditional- Prince Royce (Bachata)

3. Te Juro Que Te Amo- Alacranes Musical

4. Seize the day-Avenged Sevenfold (Rock)

5. Oro Solido – Maria Se Fue (Meregue)

I chose songs above pictures or a video because music plays a special role in my life. No matter where I go or where I may stand I must always have music with me. Music calm me down and keep me focus on everything I might do. I am Hispanic and this means that us Hispanics have a wide range of music we can possible hear in our life time. I am Ecuadorian and as such I try to demonstrate my culture with pride. One of the music I chosen among the five is Ecuadorian cumbia. I was introduced to Ecuadorian cumbia since a very young age, as well as Balladas but I not so fond of that genre so much.  Ecuadorian cumbia are quiet simple to dance to and the songs tend to always hold a meaning which make them valuable in my culture; it is also one of the type of music that are played at parties. Another type of music is batchata, I simply love hearing batchata and dancing bachata. It is the first type of music I actually learned how to dance to. Another type of music that is a part of me is Mexican music. The reason why it plays a role in my life is because most of the closest friends I have are Mexican and since I am very close to them they have introduced me to their culture just like I have introduced my culture to them.  Another I have chosen is Rock. Although at first I wasn’t so fond of it, I grew to like this type of music especially since it was introduced to me by someone close and special to me. Meregue define or make up who I am because I tend to dance this a lot in parties especially family parties. I love dancing Meregue but isn’t as fond of just listening to this type of music. These are all the type of music that make up who I am. They are many more that make up who I am but these are the top 5. As for the songs, those are five of my favorites, one for each genre. Although there are many other songs I could have chosen for this assignment, I feel these are the best to demonstrated what type of person I am and to demonstrate how large of a influence Hispanic music have on me and my life.

songs playlist.

1. RHCP – Californication
2. Maroon 5 – She will be loved
3. Okean Elzu – Я їду додому (ukrainian band singing about coming home from a long time stay away from it)
4. Skriabin – місця щасливих людей (ukrainian singer singing about the places where he felt happy)
5. RHCP – Road trippin’

1.I might sound cheesy putting Californication on my songs list but it is the song that every single friend of mine associates with me because I’ve been listening to it almost all the time since I turned twelve. I feel like the lyrics have the hidden meaning and it totally depicts my prospective on the modern society. It talks about people being hypnotised by the Hollywood standards, fake feelings, plastic surgeries, modern technology and a lack of originality since everyone wants to be plastic-barbie-movie-stars. Anything is done only when it’s found to be fashionable even if it’s not what one likes and no one does what they like when it’s found to be not “cool” by the surrounding. That’s what the songwriter hates about our world nowadays and so do I.

2. The second song is quite well-known too but it is special for me even though you can hear it playing on the radio in every second cafe. The lyrics depict the situation that i had and currently experience with one of the people who takes the major room in my heart and probably describes our behaviour towards each other from the moment we met to the present day except one line, I guess.

3. I’v never been a home sick person because I’m used to travelling a lot. I never liked Ukrainian music. I never thought I would ever miss my country with all its traditions, mentality and local colour before moving to the USA. Everything changed since then so now my playlist is stuffed with all of the most authentic ukrainian bands and this song is one of their creations. It describes my feelings every time I’m struggling through a 13 hour flight back home to a different continent. “I’m going home, I’m going to my home where eyes are so familiar and always belong to me…”, which is a metaphor meaning that someone is always waiting there for me.

4.The lyrics of this particular piece name all of the places where the singer felt the strongest heart beating being near his loved ones, family and friends and by the weird coincidence I visited all of those places and did the same things as he did as well as felt the same feelings.

5. “Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies. Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies. It’s time to leave this town. It’s time to steal away.Let’s go get lost anywhere in the U.S.A.”. This is what i always wanted to do – all of a sudden without booking any hotels or making any plans go on the trip by car across the country with somebody whom I can really enjoy the time with. I always wanted to runaway from everything that’s surrounding me and just go get lost…

For my first blog, I decided to pick eight images that I think describes who I am as a person.  The first picture that I have selected is a picture of a smiley face that says “Don’t worry, be happy”.  I decided to select this picture because I am not much of a worrier. I have always maintained a very calm approach to life, so when things go wrong, I don’t panic.  I always know that everything will work out eventually, and there is never a need to worry.  For my second picture, I chose a picture of the part of the constitution that says “We the People”.  The reason I chose this picture was that I am a firm people in individual rights and in the idea that people should all have the same individual freedoms.  I also believe that people have the right to believe what they want without the judgment of others, and I believe that this picture depicts this idea perfectly.  For my third picture, I chose a picture of the American flag because I am an incredibly patriotic person.  I personally believe that while America might not be perfect, I still think that America is the best country on earth.  I without a doubt would like to live nowhere else besides the United States of America.  For my fourth picture, I decide to go with a picture of a Torah with the Star of David in the background.  I chose this picture because Judaism has played a significant role in my life, from childhood now to young adulthood.  My religion has been one of the most consistent aspects of my life, and it has most certainly shaped who I am as a person today.  For my fifth picture, I chose the logo from the camp which I consider to be my second home.  I started going to that camp when I was twelve years old, and I have been going there for six summers now, and this upcoming summer will be my seventh.  At this camp, I have made some of the best friends of my life, and have had summers that I will never forget.  My sixth picture is a logo from a Jewish teen organization for which I was on the New York Area Region’s regional board.  The organization is called NFTY, which stands for “North American Federation of Temple Youth”.  The experience I had serving on this regional board was incredible, and has definitely given me an incredible work ethic that I did not have before.  My seventh picture is a picture that says “Family First”.  I chose this picture because I believe in strong family values.  I believe that one’s core should begin with a strong and supportive family.  For my final picture, I selected a picture of Ferris Bueller from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” that has one of my favorite quotes written on it.  The quote is, “Life moves by pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.”  I love this quote because I love to appreciate the little things, and I think that this quote really exemplifies that idea.