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
• up steep stones stairs flanked with the frangipani tree.
ReplyDelete•The restoration of Vat Phou that we witnessed belied notions of ancient ruins lost in eternal mist.
• At sunset, a golden light bathed with river and trees and stones.
• Sweet smoke drifted through the temple.
• A herd of buffalo wandered languidly down the sandy beach to drink at the river.
Paweeya A.
ID : 6280055
• Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with
ReplyDeletefrangipani trees
• the rutted stone path leading to the stairs
• their hands flowed the tales of Hindu mythology, the millenniums-old narratives of gods in love and war
• China’s polluted, crowded and clogged megacities
• with palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming
between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs
• French travelers were ubiquitous
• sleepy street
• In the mountains looming to our west, hidden by jungle, lay Vat Phou.
• Along the range of hills, we could make out one peak that stood above
the others
• The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the
islands
ID: 6280006
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete- Deep in the fold of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani tree
ReplyDelete-living in China’s polluted, crowed and clogged megacities
-we witnessed belied notions of ancient ruins lost in eternal mist
- a sleepy street
- a golden light bathed the river
- a seven headed naga statue draped with yellow garlands
-sweet smoke drifted through the temple
ID: 6181397
-Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees.
ReplyDelete-Down here, along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs.
-Through their hands flowed the tales of Hindu mythology.
-with palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs.
-At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
-Sweet smoke drifted through the temple.
-I could see the many frangipani flowers below, bursts of white on the brown landscape.
-A herd of water buffalo wandered languidly down the sandy beach to drink at
the river.
-The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands.
-The river flowed onward, passing around their boat and continuing for hundreds of miles to the ocean far away.
ID: 6181095
- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees.
ReplyDelete- Down here, along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs.
- Now that transmission of stories and beliefs and ideas was continuing here, like the flow
of the Mekong.
- Mekong, with palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs.
- Aria had picked up a white frangipani flower, and now she placed it on a wooden table, atop dried candle wax.
- She showed us a crocodile-shaped.
- Watching the sunset from the old French railroad bridge next to our hotel.
ID: 6280241
- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
ReplyDelete- the rutted stone path
- Through their hands flowed the tales of Hindu mythology
- At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
- a seven headed naga statue draped with yellow garlands.
- Sweet smoke drifted through the temple.
- The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands
ID : 6280106
-Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
ReplyDelete-faced the mountain ridge, our backs to the water
-like the flow of the Mekong
-ancient ruins lost in eternal mists
-escapees from the rush of development in China
-a harbinger for a new wave of tourists
-At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones
-hidden by jungle
-wider natural surroundings that cast a spell on us
-A herd of water buffalo wandered languidly down the sandy beach
-We biked along dirt paths to villages
-narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands
ID: 6280105
- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steeps stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
ReplyDelete- But other part of the temple had begun revealing themselves to us.
- like the flow of the Mekong, in the shadow of one of the most beautiful of those temple
- China's polluted, crowded and clogged megacities, the beach, river and hills of tropical Southeast Asia provided a much-needed escape hatch
- palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs.
- wake up in bed gazing across the waters to the sunrise. At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
- we walked between rows of trees and up the stone steps to the inner sanctum.
- I could see frangipani flowers below, bursts of white on the brown landscape.
- "sabaidee," or hello
- The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands
- we saw a group of monks in saffron robes sitting in a skiff
- Cambodian flag, with an image of the main temple in Angkor Wat.
- The river flowed onward, passing around their boat and continuing for hundreds of miles to the ocean far away.
Thawanrat Kuasakul
ID: 6280138
-Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
ReplyDelete-But other parts of the temple had begun revealing themselves to us
-Along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs
-The high point of an axis stretching from a range of mountains down to the Mekong
-Living in China's polluted, crowded and clogged megacities
-With palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs
-At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones
-Along the main walkway, we passed a seven-headed naga statue draped with yellow garlands
-A herd of water buffalo wandered languidly down the sandy beach to drink at the river
-The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm tress swaying among the islands
ID:6280065
-Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
ReplyDelete-the rutted stone path leading to the stairs.
-It was still the land of Mekong, with palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs
-The entire wall and door facing the river was made of glass
-We could wake up in bed gazing across the waters to the sunrise
-A golden light bathed the river and trees and stones
-seven-faded hag a statue draped with yellow garland
-many frangipani flowers be Iona burst of white on the brown landscape
-The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands
ID 6280619
- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees.
ReplyDelete- Along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs.
- Built more than 1,000 years ago at the high point of an axis stretching from a
range of mountains down to the Mekong.
- living in China’s polluted, crowded and clogged megacities.
- with palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs.
- As we set foot that morning on the eastern end of the pathway leading up to the inner sanctum.
- The entire wall and door facing the river was made of glass.
- At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
- In the mountains looming to our west, hidden by jungle.
- we passed a seven-headed naga statue draped with yellow garlands.
- bursts of white on the brown landscape.
- A herd of water buffalo wandered languidly down the sandy beach to drink at
the river.
- a French-run colonial-style lodge.
- The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands.
ID : 6280290
- Deep in the folds of the hill
ReplyDelete- up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
- along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs
- crowded and clogged megacities
- crowded and clogged megacities
- The River Resort consisted of two-story luxury buildings along the west bank of the Mekong, with a large room on each floor.
- The entire wall and door facing the river was made of glass.
- a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones
- a seven- headed naga statue draped with yellow garlands
- bursts of white on the brown landscape
- The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands
ID: 6280299
- Deep in the folds of the hill.up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees.
ReplyDelete-A construction crane lifted a block onto the wall of one of the outer chambers.
-it was still the land of the Mekong, with palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fisherman casting nets over the side of skiffs.
-At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
-I could see the many frangipani flowers below, buts of white on the brown landscape.
-Watching the sunset from the old French railroad bridge next to our hotel.
ID:6280618
-Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep tsone stairs flanked with frangipani trees.
ReplyDelete-Along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs.
-A few carvers chipped away at other blocks with small tools.
-Palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs.
-Luxury buildings along the west bank of the Mekong
-There were two riverside swimming pools on the grounds.
-A golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
-Many frangipani flowers below, bursts of white on the brown landscape.
-The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm trees swaying among the islands.
-The head or back of dolphin poked above the water for a few seconds.
ID:6280281
- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees.
ReplyDelete-it was still the land of the Mekong, with palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fisherman casting nets over the side of skiffs.
Id: 6280660
-Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees.
ReplyDelete-Along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs
-The high point of an axis stretching from a range of mountains down to the Mekong
-Living in China's polluted, crowded and clogged megacities
-With palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs
-At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
-Along the main walkway, we passed a seven-headed naga statue draped with yellow garlands
-A herd of water buffalo wandered languidly down the sandy beach to drink at the river
-The narrow waterways, wooden skiffs and palm tress swaying among the islands.
ID:6280640
Wong, his wife and his daughter, Aria are an American family who lived in China for his job for over 8 years now. They are attached and in love with the southeast Asia countries so they decided to spend some family vacation along Makong River, Laos. Wong described the setting of Vat Phou describing. He described it just like the painting with beautiful sunset. Through out their journey, they met so many new people from around the world and shared their perspective of traveling.
ReplyDelete-Deep in the folds of the hill...
-We faced the mountain ridge... Makong river.
-Along the rutted stone path leading... outer chamber.
-Through their hands flowed the tales oh Hindu mythology...Across Cambodia and Laos.
-Vat Phou is one of the most sacred temples of vanished Khmer kingdoms.
-designated a World Heritage site by United Nations agency.
id: 6280053
Thank you for actually writing something and not just making a list. You're right that the description of this journey into Laos has given us many vivid experiences, like the folds of the hill, and the history coming "through their hands... like the flow of the Mekong."
Delete- Deep in the fold of the hill
ReplyDelete- Steep stone stairs
- Notorious Beijing pollution
- At sunset, a golden light bathed the river and trees and stones
- Burst of white on the brown landscape
- Buffalo wandered languidly
- Sandy beach
- Trundling tractors
ID:6280155
Here are some examples of description in the Wong essay that give a vivid experience:
ReplyDelete- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
- Along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs
- China’s polluted, crowded and clogged megacities
- With palm trees lining the riverbanks, freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and
fishermen casting nets over the side of skiffs
- Golden light bathed the river and trees and stones
On last week's classes, we have started to learn how to write a descriptive essay. One very important part of this type of essay is to be able to let the reader imagine the whole scene while reading the essay; the essay "Along the Mekong River.." did a very good job on this part. Wong wrote this essay in a way that the reader can experience every single step along his travel. He used many beautiful descriptive phrases-- some of them are mentioned above-- to describe what he saw through his eyes, enabling the reader to imagine the same scene only by reading his words. Every good descriptive essay should be able to do the same thing.
ID: 6280169
Good comment. We can see how the writer is giving us experiences, so we can feel, smell, and see so much of what he gives us. Thank you for this.
Delete- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees
ReplyDelete- along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs
- living in China’s polluted, crowded
and clogged megacities, the beaches, rivers and hills of tropical Southeast Asia
- freshwater dolphins swimming between islets and fishermen casting
nets over the side of skiffs.
- on a sleepy street
- The entire wall and door
facing the river was made of glass.
- At sunset, a
golden light bathed the river and trees and stones.
- bell rang
- A herd of water buffalo wandered languidly down
ID: 6181257
For future reference everyone, cutting and pasting phrases is not what I consider a good post.
ReplyDelete- Deep in the folds of the hill, up steep stone stairs flanked with frangipani trees, stood the inner sanctum of the ancient Khmer temple of Vat Phou.
ReplyDelete- Down here, along the rutted stone path leading to the stairs, we watched as a construction crane lifted a block onto the wall of one of the outer chambers.
- Through their hands flowed the tales of Hindu mythology, the millenniums-old narratives of gods in love.
- Now that transmission of stories and beliefs and ideas was continuing here, like the flow of the Mekong, in the shadow of one of the most beautiful of those temples.
- Around the sanctum were lintels carved with ornate scenes from Hindu mythology.
- It was the wider natural surroundings that cast a spell on us.
- We took a ferry across the river, followed by a bus to a river port to the south, where we hopped on a wooden boat crammed with backpackers for a ride to what is known as the Four Thousand Islands area
ID: 6280302
The journal blog is now closed. Thank you for your participation. Aj. M
ReplyDelete