Fish Out of Water

This past Sunday I attended Abundant Life Church in Mountain View. My parents are Baptist and so I was brought up in a Christian household. My family attended a Korean church. The ministry was pre-dominantly Korean at my church growing up. Abundant Life is a predominantly Black church and it was my first experience in a church not full of Korean people.

I have to admit I felt a little uncomfortable from the moment I parked my car. I couldn’t help but feel that eyes were all over me wondering if I was lost. As I exited my car and walked toward the sanctuary, an elderly woman smiled warmly at me as if to acknowledge my presence. Her smile made me feel more comfortable and welcome. She gave me a head nod as I entered the front door.

As I entered, an usher handed me a church bulletin and asked nicely if it was my first time attending. Not wanting to add any extra attention on myself, I lied to him and said it wasn’t my first time. I couldn’t help but feel guilty for lying at church.

Once I entered the actual sanctuary I was amazed to see hundreds of people gathered inside. Though most people were Black, I saw a rather diverse group of people. This diversity made me feel a lot more comfortable. People all around me were shaking each other’s hands and saying hello. I’m sure I looked a little lost in this huge sanctuary because an usher offered to help me find a seat. I found a seat near the back end, on the right side of the pulpit.

This church is absolutely huge. It looks comparable to the COSTCO is sits adjacent to. The people sitting around me offered a hand shake and introduced themselves to me as I did likewise. I felt comfortable right away because everyone seemed to be so friendly. I thought I would not fit in but it turned out I fit in just perfectly.

Worship started with singing and an energized choir stole the show. I have never heard such a soulful choir bringing so much energy to church. I was amazed, just as I was last week when I saw B.B. King perform in Oakland. Pastor Paul Shephard began his sermon with a question, “What is it that drives you to succeed?” I was unprepared for such a question when my focus was on the Bible.

The main point of the sermon was to emphasize the importance of keeping greed at bay and using God as a means of motivation. Pastor Paul gave a very eloquent sermon and with his mixture of humor and wit, I paid close attention.

A funny thing happened when I was at Abundant Life. I forgot all about race, gender, and age. I felt united with all the people around me. I felt accepted right off the bat. This, “fish out of the water” experience really opened my eyes.

Ad Redirect

SYNOPSIS

The original ad shows two tortilla chips being cooked fondue-style in a can of Tostitos cheese dip. I found this ad in, "Living" magazine. This ad was originally targeted toward female home makers. The copy reads, "Made With Real Cheese. Made For Good Times." This ad aims to convince mothers to buy the dip because it is made of real cheese and will provide good times for the family. The can of cheese itself is shown acting as a fondue pot. This ad is cutesy and is definitely aimed at mothers.

REDIRECT

The new ad for the Tostitos cheese dip will target men ages 31-44. The ad will show grown men watching football in a friend's living room. The men are wearing jerseys of their team. All the men will be shown incensed at an awful call by the game's referee. The television screen will show a referee with both hands up signaling a score that the men disagree with. Though these men are shown angry and frustrated they will each still have a tortilla chip with the Tostitos cheese dip in their hands. The copy will read, "One Call Even the Refs Can't Mess Up." This ad aims to speak to the adult male demographic. This ad will be shown in sports magazines like ESPN and Sports Illustrated that are geared toward adult males.

Japanese Internment Memorial Vignette

Ruth Asawa's Japanese Internment Memorial really opened my eyes. There are several vignettes on the sculpture that really stuck-out compared to the rest.

The central theme I got from this piece was that of occupation and improvisation. I say improvisation because this memorial showed me that Japanese-Americans, though interned and isolated, still elected to live their lives to the fullest. They were left with no choice but to make the best of their situation.

The Memorial works as a before and after, as in regards to the internment of Japanese-Americans. The vignette I chose to write about is on the side that shows life in an internment camp. The vignette displays a baseball game being played by the interned. This image struck me because I found it surprising that sports were being played in the camps. I had always envisioned the internment camps as a milder form of prison, where all liberties were denied. However according to Asawa's sculpture, life was still enjoyed, to a certain extent, by the interned.

The Baseball vignette symbolizes the Japanese Americans' attempt to keep on living and enjoy their lives as much as possible. It represents their spirit to not let the internment keep them from enjoying their existence. Now I'm not saying that they were having a great time during the camp, but I am saying that they tried to make the best of a horrible situation.

Another part of the sculpture that struck me was the paper airplane that soared above the barbed wire. It was quite an image to see that this simple paper plane was indeed more free than the people in the camps. It really got me to think and to appreciate my freedom.

It is encouraging and depressing to see how injustice can influence an entire people.