Journal Blog #3: Introductions.

The hardest thing to do for almost any task is...   to start. Especially when it comes to writing, the first words are the hardest to produce. Maybe this is due to procrastination and other pressures, but often has to do with the pressure of the first sentence. As we discussed in class, the first sentence is the first step of the essay, and it has to be a good one. If the introduction is misleading, it can affect your credibility in the mind of the reader.

We are also trying to remember our lessons about description. The introduction is often when our descriptive tools need to be sharpest. Good description is gripping. It is moving. It can inspire a reader to keep calm and carry on.

In this edition, please post your best attempt at an introduction about Thai food. Those of us who know Thai food understand that the senses are on high alert when seeing and smelling and savouring all that there is to offer. Let's see some of those experiences coming though.

Remember that the thesis statement is:While Thailand has so much to offer any visitor, the one thing no one should miss is the diversity and delight of Thai street food. Don't forget to include your ID# in your post. Aj. M

Journal Blog #2: Description.

We can see that writing has a power that few other mediums do. Television and other visual mediums are powerful to be sure. But they often tell us what to think. In other words, they give us an experience and we receive it. Writing is different. Writing provides us with letters and words and sentences, and we have to take those words and construct them in our mind. That construction--if good--can produce an experience, an emotion, or sensual feeling. Bad writing, on the other hand, can be over descriptive and act like a TV, giving us everything and not allowing us to participate in the making of meaning.

In my view, the essay that we will review by Wong in class is highly effective description. For this journal blog, I would like you to reflect on the learnings we gained from the Adair chapters (summarized in the first blog entry), and apply them to the style and techniques of Wong in his travel essay. I am also open to other observations or experiences you have with the text.

Highlight some examples of description in the Wong essay that give you a vivid experience.

The purpose of this blog is reflect on our learning and see how it is put into practice. This is all in preparation for our own assignment of a descriptive essay.

Remember to include your ID# in your post. Aj. M