Author Archives: Edwin

Pleasures of the Outside

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Finding the alternate route to school that would maximize the walking experience sounds easy to find. What is the focus of the walk? history? beauty? it all depends on the person’s personality and taste. I believe walking and admiring nature would help maximize the walking experience to school. Diane Ackerman wrote an article called “Are We Living in Sensory Overload or Sensory Poverty?”, here she gives her perspective on technology and how it affects our experience with nature. “Age, Grace, and the art of walking outside” (author not listed) stated the importance of experiencing nature. The author mentions in his article that taking a walk improves your mood and increase your ability to do better on tests. Other than focusing on time, we need to pay attention to our surroundings. I believe nature plays a large role in creating a great experience when choosing an alternate route to school. Technology has blinded us from viewing something so beautiful such as nature, a detour would provide the individual with some relaxation time and hopefully in the long run improvements academically.  

In the morning, I have one goal; arrive to class on time. I believe my goal is similar to every students in any school. I recommend taking an extra 10 minutes to finding a place where you can make a detour to enjoy some time alone to admire the scenery around you. Connecting with nature is very difficult especially in an urban area such as Brooklyn. Taking an extra 10 minutes in the morning to enjoy a simple walk could benefit the individual with peace and relaxation. Columbus Park and the Korean War Veterans plaza are the few places around City Tech where I can enjoy some aspect of nature. When arriving from the number 5 train from the Brooklyn Borough Hall station, you are able to see the Supreme Court building. Then you would have to walking straight through Columbus Park and enjoy the scenery. During this time of year I am able to see the trees change color from the bright green to an orange and yellow color. The colors of autumn. I am also able to see the animals such as birds and squirrels. Seeing how the animals move around peacefully in the little nature that they call home is very engaging. I believe this route integrates the aspect of nature with your morning walks to create a peaceful and delightful walk to school.

Diane Ackerman wrote an article called, “Are We Living in Sensory Overload or Sensory Poverty?” In this article, the author express her point of views towards technology and how it is affecting our perspective of nature. Ackerman is not opposed to technology, she is just concerned with the effects that technology has towards our viewers of nature. She states “… we’re spending less time alone with our thoughts, and even less relating to other animals and nature.” She believe a possible solution would be spending a few moments a day paying close attention to nature. I believe the morning detour to school would provide the element of nature that the individual should experience. Other than using technology to separate us from nature, we should use technology to maximize our experience with nature. We use our smartphones to connect with our friends and family, we could do the same by connecting ourselves with nature.

In the article  “Age, Grace, and the art of walking outside” (author not listed) from the Telegraph-Journal, mentions a study which was published in the Journal of Affective Disorder. The study states “[walking through nature] improves our mood and make us capable of better performance on a memory test.”  A simple walk through a park, having a moment to ourselves to reflects on our academic skills for school could improve our memory. Other than improving memory, a simple walk could help the person suffering from depression. The article also mentions how living in the urban areas is especially hard to experience nature. “There is a considerable negative effect on you as vehicle exhaust, horn blowing and the roar of traffic introduce air and sound pollution” Living in an urban environment has its sacrifice. During the morning walk to school I recommend listening to your favorite artist or any genre that relaxes you. This would improve your walking experience and lets you have that moment alone and get that relaxation you are thriving for.

Both articles, “Age, Grace, and the art of walking outside” by unknown, and “We Living in Sensory Overload or Sensory Poverty?” by Diane Ackerman stress the importance of experiencing nature. Technology has taken away our ability to think and experience something so peaceful such as nature. Taking some time to go in a little walk to experience nature would only be beneficial. Not only are you improving your physical health by walking a couple of extra blocks to school but you also improving your mental health. Taking a simple walk through the park, experiencing nature would decrease depression and also improve your ability to do better on a memory test.

Tactile

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Tactile (Adjective) – Relating to, or being the sense of touch.

Mentioned by the teacher during a discussion in class.

-One of your five senses, Tactile is the sense of touch.

 

Draft

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Finding alternate routes to college that maximizes the walking experience sounds easy to find. What’s the focus of the walk, history, beauty, it all depends on the person taste. I believe walking and having nature in mind would maximize the walking experience to school. Diane Ackerman wrote an article called “Languishing in sensory poverty; Meanwhile.” In this article the author gives her perspective on technology and it’s affecting over nature. “Age, Grace, and the art of walking outside” author not listed, also state the importance of experiencing nature. The author mentions in his article that talking a walk would improve your mood and increase your ability to memorize things.Other than focusing on the time, we need to pay attention to the area around us. I believe nature should play a large role in creating an alternate route to college, the detour would prove the individual with relaxation and in the long run improve academically.  

In the morning, I have one goal; arrive to class on time. I believe this goal similar to every student in any school. I recommend taking an extra 10 minutes to finding a place where you can take a detour to enjoy some time alone to admire the scenery around you. Connecting with nature is very difficult especially in an urban area such as Brooklyn. Taking an extra 10 minutes in the morning to enjoy a simple walk could benefited the individual with peace and relaxation. Columbus Park and the Korean War Veterans plaza are the few places around City Tech where I can enjoy some aspect of nature. When arriving from the number 5 train from the Brooklyn borough hall station, you are able to see the supreme court building. Then you would have to walking straight through Columbus Park and enjoy the scenery. During this time of year I am able to see the trees change color from the bright green to a orange and yellow leafy color. The color of autumn. I believe this route integrates the aspect of nature with your morning walks to create a peaceful and delighted walk to school.

Diane Ackerman wrote an article called, “Languishing in sensory poverty; Meanwhile.”. in this article, the author express her point of views towards technology and how is affecting our perspective of nature. Ackerman is not opposed to technology, she is just concern with the effects that technology has towards our viewers of nature. The author states “… we’re spending less time alone with our thoughts, and even less relating to other animes and nature”  She believe a possible solution would be spending a few moments a day paying close attention to nature. I believe the morning detour to school would provide an element of nature that the individual should experience.

In the article  “Age, Grace, and the art of walking outside” author not listed, from the Telegraph-Journal, mentions a study which was published in the Journal of Affective Disorder. The study states  “ … improves our mood and make us capable of better performance on a memory test.”  A simple walk through a park, having a moment to yourself to reflects on our academic skills for school could improve your memory. Other than improved memory, a simple walk could help the person with depression. The article also mentions how living in the urban areas is expressly hard to experience nature. “There is a considerable negative effect on you as vehicle exhaust, horn blowing and the roar of traffic introduce air and sound pollution” Living in an urban environment has its sacrifice. During the morning walk to school i recommend listening to your favorite artist or relaxing gender. This would improve your walking experience and lets you have that moment alone and get that relaxation.

Both articles, “Age, Grace, and the art of walking outside” by unknown, and “Languishing in sensory poverty; Meanwhile” by Diane Ackerman stress the importance of experiencing nature. Taking some time to go in a little walk  to experience nature would only be beneficial. Not only are you improving your physical health by walking a couple of extra blocks but you also improving your mental health. Talking a simple walk through a park, experiencing nature would decrease depression and also improve your ability to memorize things easier.

Project #4 part 2

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Getting off the number 5 train,  you would need to walk up Cadman Plz W. While walking up Cadman Plz you are going to see many trees and also have a chance to a monument dedicated to the Korean War veterans. Compared to the strait forward walk, this new detour will take about 7 minutes compared to the 5 min walk from the F train. I usually take the F train in the morning but for the detour I would have to take a different train in the morning. The amount if time in the trains would be the same, without counting the train delays. 

During the walk, you are able to see the tress having different color leaves, cars passing by, and kids headed to school. In my morning walk to school I like to listen to music and enjoy  a nice hot cup of coffee. I like listening to my music pretty loud because many cars pass by and they make a lot of noise. Listening to loud music zones me out of the city and I am able to enjoy the little nature that near our school.

Project #4 Part 1

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Using the Google’s Maps app, I was able to find a route where I can enjoy a nice walk, passing a small park. When I take the detour it will involve me taking a different train to school. The train would leave me at the Borough Hall station, then I would walk up Cadman Plaza W. Here I would have a good view of the Korean War Veteran Park. Normally I would take the fastest route to the school which would be the 7 train to the F train (about 45 min). If I take the alternate rout to enjoy the peaceful walk through the park, I would have to give my self an additional 15 minutes of traveling time infer to enjoy the walk to school.

Summary

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Reading the article “What if You Could Choose Between the Fastest Rout and the Most  Beautiful?” by Lex Berko, she first talk about the mapping tool and how it takes us from point A to point B. Berko contines in to detail explaining how the rout is a “garbage-stream.” She states “… how could a mapping service know how to take science value of a rout into account…” Berko is expelling how the maps we use today gives us the fastest rout from point A to point B but the rout does not take scenery to consideration. She continues in the following paragraphs talking about the calibration of  Yahoo Labs and the  University of Torino  and the research they created, the research paper that released stated that mapping apps could with time provide a route that is more  “beautiful or quit”. They concluded that if a large enough group participate in the experiment they see a general agreement between the locations. The author completes his article by giving the reader some advice in taking a detour and how is could help the day become more enjoyable.

Manhattan

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Edwin Contreras

Prof. Rosen

English 1101

 

   The Brooklyn Heights Promenade is a place where people come to relax and enjoy the view of Manhattan. Observing Manhattan then looking at the area around me, I could see the big difference in height. Manhattan is the place for opportunities, they say if you can make it in New York then you could make it anywhere in the world. Having the chance to explore the area around City Tech, I believe the Brooklyn Heights Promenade has one of the greatest view in New York City. Everyone has their own perspective of the city we all love. Colson Whitehead wrote an article called “City limits” in which he explains that you have the ability to view the manhatten in your own individual way.

       Being able to live in New york City is a privilege, it’s the city that never sleeps, the city where your dreams come true, a place that I call home. Being able to see the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is great because it’s not to far away from my school. The Brooklyn Heights Promenade is a long walk way, right over the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. People come onto the promenade for a light jog, to take pictures, and to sit down on a benches to enjoy the view of the Manhattan skyline. Standing in the Promenaded other then seeing the Manhattan Skyline, you also able to see the Brooklyn bridge and also the Statue of Liberty. Depending on the weather conditions, if it gets so foggy or misty then only the Manhattan is visible with the top of the skyscrapers covered by the mist or fog.  

       The Brooklyn Heights Promenade has a spectacular view of Manhattan. Juxtaposing Manhattan to Brooklyn, Brooklyn seems like a small neighborhood compared to the tall skyscrapers that Manhattan contains. Being able to see them both from a view, I can see how Manhatten stands tall and proud while Brooklyn just stands still, without no motion of growth. In the article “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead, he states “The New York City you live in is not my New York City…”, the author states that not everyone sees the same New York. Everyone has their own perspective of New York City.

       Being able to look at something in a group, I notice that not everyone thinks alike. My friend Citlalli came with me once to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and I told her about the project I was doing and asked for her help. I told her to to tell me what she sees when she looks at the Manhattan skyline. She said she saw “sadness” and a place where she “lost an opportunity to do something in life”. This was nothing compared to what I saw when I looked at Manhattan. I saw the opportunity to become someone in life and also a place where my dreams can come true. Citlalli told me that she saw sadness because one of her family members has cancer and she goes with her to Manhattan for her treatments, she also stated that her dream were crushed because she was not accepted to a college which is located in Manhattan. I on the other hand see a place for better life because my parents migrated from our homeland and came to New York for better opportunities.

     The manhattan skyline is always changing with time. In the late eighteenth century the manhattan skyline didn’t contain any buildings taller than ten stories high. The Brooklyn Heights Promenade contain pictures of the Manhattan skyline made out of stone, here you can see how manhattan has changing over time. The most recent change to the Manhattan skyline was the incident in 2001, when the twin towers were knocked down, in its place the Freedom tower now stands. When I see the Manhattan I see the Freedom Tower while someone who much older than me imagines the Twin Towers standing tall and proud. This reminded me of a quote in “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead which states “You are a real new Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now.” Someone older than me would imagine the Twin Towers standing rather than the Freedom tower. Since I was not old enough to see the Twin Towers it’s difficult for me to imagine them in the Freedom towers place.

     When I see the Manhattan skyline, I see a place where anything is possible in life. In “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead argues “ … You have your own personal skyline“, not everyone sees the same Manhattan, we all think differently and have our own personal viewpoints. Citlali and I have two different viewpoints of the same city and someone else could have a different viewpoint from both of us.

References:

 

  • Whitehead, Colson. “City Limits.” The Colossus of New York: A City in Thirteen Parts. New York: Random House, 2004. 1-12. Shared Google Doc.

 

 

Manhattan -Draft

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Draft

Brooklyn is one of the oldest cities in New york, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is a place where people come to relax and enjoy the view of Manhattan. Looking at Manhattan and then looking at the area around me , I could see the big difference in stature. Manhattan is a place for opportunity, they say if u can make it in new york then you could make it anywhere in the world. Having the chance to explore the area around City Tech, I believe the Brooklyn Heights Promenade has one of the greatest view in New York City. Everyone has their own perspective of the city we all love. Colson Whitehead wrote an article called “City limits” in which he explains that you have the ability to view the manhatten in your own individual way.

       Being able to live in New york City is a privilege, it’s the city that never sleeps, the city where your dreams come true, a place that I call home. Being able to see the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is great because the location is not to far away from my school. The Brooklyn Heights Promenade is a long walk way, right over the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. People come onto the promenade for a light jog, take pictures, and to sit down onto a benches to enjoy the view of the Manhattan skyline.

       The Brooklyn Heights Promenade has a spectacular view of manhattan. Juxtaposing Manhattan to Brooklyn, Brooklyn seems like a small neighborhood compared to the tall skyscrapers that Manhattan contains. Being able to see them both from a view, i can see how Manhatten stands tall and proud while Brooklyn just stands still, without no motion of growth. In the article “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead it states “The New York City you live in is not my New York City…” The author states that not everyone as the same image of manhattan. Everyone has their own perspective of New York City.

       Being able to look at something in a group, I notice that not everyone thinks alike. My friend Citlalli came with me once to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and I told her about the project I was doing and asked for her help. I told her to to tell me what you see when you look at the Manhattan skyline. She said she saw sadness and also her dreams crushed. This was nothing compared to what I saw when I looked at Manhattan. I saw an opportunity to become someone if life and also a place where dreams come true. Citlalli told me that she saw sadness because one of her family members had cancer and she goes with her to Manhattan for her treatments, she also stated that her dream were crushed because she was not accepted to a college which is located in Manhattan.

     The manhattan skyline is always changing with time. In the late eighteenth century the manhattan skyline didn’t contain any building taller than 10 stories high. The brooklyn heights promenade contain pictures of the manhattan skyline made out of stone, where you can see how manhattan has changing over time. The most recent change in the manhattan skyline was the incident in 2001 when the twin towers were knocked down, in its place the Freedom tower stands. When I see the manhattan skyline i see the Freedom Tower while someone who much older than me imagines the twin towers standing tall and proud. This reminded me of a quote in “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead that states “You are a real new Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now.” Someone older than me could imagine the twin towers standing rather than the Freedom tower. Since i was not old enough to see the twin towers then it’s difficult for me to imagine them.

     When  see the Manhattan skyline, I see a place where anything is possible in life. In “City Limits” by Colson Whitehead states “ … You have your own personal skyline“ Not everyone sees the same Manhattan Skyline, we all think differently and have our own personal viewpoints. Citlali and i have two different viewpoints of the same city and someone else could have a different viewpoint from us.

Candid

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Candid (Adjective)-Relating to or being photography of subject acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/candid

Taking a photo and the person is not posing for the photo or simply not ready, this is called a candid photo.

Example: As you can see in the picture bellow, one man is ready for the picture while the other two men in the back  are not ready for the picture.