Tree Art

   
     On November 24, 2012, Alissa Walker wrote the article, "L.A. arboretum turns wind-toppled trees into artistic windfall", in the Los Angeles Times. Last year, from November 30 until December 2, the Santa Ana winds tore through the Los Angeles County area. It resulted in roofs being pulled off of homes, snapped power lines, and 350,000 residents living in a blackout for a week. However, the greatest effect was on the trees of the Los Angeles County, which were torn from their roots or snapped in half. The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden found 235 trees destroyed, and over 1,000 damaged. The value and species of wood gave scientists the opportunity to be able to study them in the three weeks that those areas where the trees had fallen were closed, as well as artists. Artists began asking the scientists if they could borrow the wood that was left behind. Over 130 artists, furniture designers, and wood turners collected the wood remains, turned them into either artworks, bowls, tables, sculptures, games, or jewelry, and then gave them to the arboretum, so that they could put it on display. "Forces of Nature", ironically happening on November 30-December 2, is an exhibition that features certain works from over seventy five artists. The artists have agreed to give some of the proceeds to the arboretum, and some have pledged all of their proceeds into buying new trees.

A Memory That Has Affected Me

     Throughout my lifetime, I have traveled to many different countries, and created a numerous amount of memories. However, the area that I have seem to have the most memories is located at The Americana in Glendale, California. This "hangout" spot is located less then ten minutes away from my home, and Talar and I seem to find ourselves there almost everyday. One time, Mariam, Ani, Talar, and I had to complete a history project, which required a powerpoint presentation. We decided that the ideal and most convenient location was Americana. The four of us were sitting on the balcony of Barnes and Nobles, diligently working on this project, when suddenly a man in his mid-eighties walked up to his. He said, "Hello ladies. You know, not many people have been able to do this, but you girls seem smart enough so here you go." He then laid down three strips of paper in front of us, and walked away. The strips, which we figured out were parts of a puzzle, were to be put a certain way so that a man was sitting on a horse, but the horse was also sitting on the man. Although we were scared of a stranger talking to us at first, we attempted to do this puzzle, but could not figure it out. About ten minutes later, the man walked back to us and showed us the secret. Realizing that the man had a heavy Middle Eastern accent, I said 'hello' in Arabic. He answered back in Arabic, but said he was from Iran, and spoke Farsi. He proceeded by telling us how he learned his trick, which was that he used to work in the Magic Castle in Beverly Hills as a bartender, and after the shows were over, the magicians would teach the story of how he and his wife met. The immense love he had for her was evident, and all four of us felt the pain he felt when informed us she had passed away. We kept all the materials he used to show us the tricks, and later took a picture with him. After leaving Barnes and Nobles, and after only completing the title page of our history project, we decided to watch a movie. On our way there, we realized we did not know the man's name. We started yelling to the balcony, and when the man tried telling us, and we did not understand, he wrote his name on a napkin, and flew it to us. Issa created one of the most captivating experiences I have ever had at Americana. He taught us to be humble, and that the title of 'stranger' can diminish with a unique sense of hello.

Divers Find Gold Ore Off Pacific Coast

     On November 7, 2012 the article, "Amurskaya, Sunken Russian Ship, Carrying Gold Ore, Found Off Pacific Coast" was published in The Huffington Post by an unknown author. On October 28, 2012, the freighter Amurskaya sailed into the Sea of Okhotsk. However, the weather conditions that day made it impossible for any ships to set sail. The owner of this ship ignored the weather warnings, and instructed the ship to continue to sail that day, with 700 tons of gold ore on board. When the weather conditions became worse, a distress call was made from the ship. However it was too late, because the Amurskaya sank about 230 feet below the Sea of Okhotsk, a part of the Pacific Ocean. Eleven of its crew members are still missing, and a criminal charge has been issued for the ship's owner, who is being charged of improper cargo procedures, and instructing the ship to sail despite the weather conditions. Although divers found the gold ore on November 7, there is still no news of how much gold the ore contained.

The Three Virtues

     The three virtues I attempted to master this week were temperance, industry, and tranquility.

Temperance: The virtue of temperance consists of the idea of self-discipline, pertaining to food and drinks. I chose this virtue because I have already been familiar with it for the past month, and it would not be difficult to continue temperance. Naturally, mastering temperance was a success, because even though the meals I ate throughout the three days were mouth-watering, I was able to stop myself the minute my stomach indicated I was full. However, the base of this strength for the past three days came from the fact that I did not go trick-or-treating, which meant there was no Halloween candy for me to indulge in, and give up my temperance for, in sight. The drinking aspect was much easier because the only drink I consume is water, and sometimes tea.

Industry: The virtue of industry means that in order to be efficient and productive, it is necessary to cut out all things useless, such as television, computers, and cell phones. I chose industry because I have the tendency to choose watching television, texting, and surfing the Internet, rather than completing certain tasks that are important. During the course of these three days, I completely failed. Instead of doing my homework when I came home on Thursday night, I watched Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, and completed the homework Friday morning in the car. On Saturday mornings, I take a college class at a community college. However, this class bores me to death, and I always end up texting Mariam and talking about a variety of topics, rather than taking notes and paying attention to the professor. Continuing the tradition, Mariam and I texted throughout the three hour class, and I did not take any notes. Lastly, returning home from my college class, I had set my mind to completing the heap of chemistry homework assigned to us over the weekend. However, P.S. I Love You was premiering on ABC Family, and I could not pass up the opportunity to watch one of my favorite romantic movies. During these past three days, I came to the conclusion that I tend to watch an excessive amount of television, and mastering the virtue of industry will probably be my main focus once I begin attending college.

Tranquility: The virtue of tranquility is the idea of being peaceful, especially when certain events occur that causes one to become angry. The reason I chose to attempt mastering tranquility is because I came up with the conclusion that I have back problems because of the amount of stress I am dealing with, along with the fact that I let every problem affect me. During these three days, I somewhat succeeded with becoming tranquil. There were many moments when I wanted to scream, but instead I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and kept my mouth shut. The only moment that altered my tranquility was Saturday afternoon, when I checked my current grades online. For one of my classes, it said I had a missing assignment, which made my grade drop seventeen percent. However, I was missing that assignment because I had gone to the hospital that day, which made it an excused absence. I raged and became angry at this event, and still currently am. Although tranquility is an important aspect towards health, there are some matters where being calm is impossible.