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Cell phones chart passage of time

Cell phones chart passage of time

A watched pot never boils, and as I’ve learned this week, an obsessively tracked package never appears.

I’ve been waiting impatiently for the arrival of an iPhone 5. In fact, the cell phone has been in my thoughts so frequently that it has caused me to reflect on my history of cell-phone ownership.

I received my first cell phone as a Christmas present when I was 14 years old. It was a red Nokia with a black-and-white screen. I used it primarily for arranging rides home from school and trips to the mall with friends.

My second cell phone, a flip phone, arrived three years later. The phone had a light that flashed different colors when it rang or received a text message or a voice mail. That was a great feature.

Then it was a blue flip phone, which I used through my first couple of years at Boston College, followed by a purple-and-white slider phone bought during my junior year. It was during that time I discovered downloadable ring tones and installed The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” to sound off each call with accompanying vibrations. At the time, I thought that was pretty clever. I still do.

During my study abroad semester in France, I regressed to a phone not too different from my first. I also mastered T9 texting, as French mobile plans charge significantly less for text exchanges than phone calls.

When I entered journalism and started obsessively checking my e-mail, I decided to upgrade to a smart phone, a BlackBerry, which I loved dearly. I remember fondly hours spent stuck on some Los Angeles freeway, peering down at the BlackBerry in search of a flashing red light and a distraction.

The BlackBerry died just days before I finished graduate school. In an attempt to keep up with the times and remain on my parents’ T-Mobile family plan, I switched to a Samsung Galaxy Android phone, which I still have today and pray will hold out until the iPhone arrives.

The concept of charting the passage of time is present in “The Stone Diaries” by Carol Shields. The novel is a fictional autobiography of Daisy Goodwill Flett, following her life from birth to death. Flett struggles to find her place in the world as a child, a wife, a mother and an elderly woman. Just as she achieves firm footing, her life changes once again.

Flett’s lifetime spanned the 20th century, but the novel focused on trips, jobs and relationships in telling Flett’s story.

After reading Shields’ book, I’ve been more conscious of the ways in which I track the passage of time. There are obvious eras (childhood, high school, college, graduate school and work), but I find tangible items tend to inspire the greatest amount of nostalgia.

One cell phone or the other has traveled through the past 11 years with me, usually from the vantage point of a pocket or purse, and their progression provides a unique perspective on my development.

That, and they’re good to have if you need to make a call.

December 10, 2012 0 comments Read More
Getting a handle on the 20-somethings

Getting a handle on the 20-somethings

What is it about 20-somethings?

Journalists and bloggers love to write about that elusive age group, grasping at what they do, where (and if) they work, what they eat and, most recently, how they vote.

In some articles, 20-somethings are narcissistic, social media addicts. In others, they are altruistic, community-oriented citizens.

The contradictions abound. One thing is certain: No member of the “royal” media knows quite how to capture the demographic.

Now, I, a card-carrying member of the 20-somethings, have read many of these so-called reports. I’ve nodded my head in empathy at the plight of a Brooklynite (they always seem to live in Brooklyn) who just can’t make rent and shops at Whole Foods on a meager salary.

But more often than not, I’ve disagreed with the coverage of my generation. In this column, I hope to debunk some of the media-perpetuated stereotypes of 20-somethings.

- They are apathetic.

More young people showed up at the polls on Nov. 6 than in 2008, making up 19 percent of total voters, reported the Huffington Post. The 18-to-29 age group makes up 21 percent of eligible voters, so by any standard, that’s a high turnout. All those “Rock the Vote” campaigns on MTV must have paid off.

- They “boomerang” right back into their parents’ basements to freeload after college graduation.

According to a Pew study released in April, 29 percent of people age 25 through 34 reported moving back in with their parents at some point following graduation. Admittedly, that number is high. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed, however, said they participated in chores, 75 percent reported contributions to household expenses, and 35 percent pay rent.

- They’re too reliant on technology.

In graduate school, I read a paper by Marc Prensky, which was published in 2001, that established the difference between “digital immigrants” and “digital natives.” Prensky argued the education system at that time was ill-equipped to serve a new generation of students because their routines and thought processes were shaped by technology. Prensky’s digital natives are today’s 20-somethings. Yes, they may seem obsessed with their cell phone or tablet, but according to Prensky, that’s just how they function.

- They spend too much time, energy and money on food.

This one’s totally true. Twenty-somethings follow food trucks on Twitter, blog pictures of their latest culinary endeavors and search Yelp for restaurant reviews. In its profile on the young “foodie” movement, New York magazine credits social media and camera phones with popularizing what it calls a “grass roots revolution in fine dining.” And I admit, I fulfill this stereotype. I once uttered the phrase “My favorite truffle mac and cheese. …”

With that I ask you, those 30 and older, to step away from the judgment seat and remember that not too long ago, you, too, were a misunderstood 20-something.

Image by Best Clip Art Blog

November 14, 2012 0 comments Read More
Refugees build new lives in Erie

Refugees build new lives in Erie


Devi Subedi spoke of his uncertainties before resettling to Erie. Nanda Chuwan marveled at his son’s quick grasp of the English language. Fadhail Ibraheem recounted her son’s embarrassment when asked if his family used toilets in Iraq. Suvad Aljukic shared his aspirations to establish a Bosnian cultural center in his new hometown.

Each refugee experiences his or her new home differently. Some adapt quickly, while others will remain on welfare assistance for several years. Some refugees come to Erie with advanced degrees, only to have those degrees invalidated. Others struggle with health problems, disabilities and the weight of decades spent in refugee camps.

It is a distinction I was reminded of repeatedly during the months I worked on the Arriving Home multimedia project: There is no one refugee experience.

Instead, there are personal stories. Common themes arose in my interviews, such as the newcomer’s struggle to adapt or the flush of success in the face of great odds, but each story was shaped by the person who shared it, by past and present circumstances.

The resettlement agencies and nonprofit support organizations that work with incoming refugees welcome that diversity. In addition to the International Institute of Erie, Catholic Charities and the Multicultural Community Resource Center, there are numerous religious and volunteer organizations that work with refugees.

Refugees’ experiences in Erie are affected by the people who shepherd them through the resettlement process, teach them English or find them jobs. Support is a common thread among thousands of people migrating from drastically different situations.

“When (my caseworker) met us at the airport with her smiling face, I felt, ‘Oh, there’s someone who can take care of us,’” said Ibraheem, who came to Erie from Iraq in 2007. “And then we started our journey in Erie.”

Many of the refugees with whom I spoke are devoted to reciprocating that support, whether by working with the resettlement agencies or fostering their native culture in their new home.

Subedi, a Bhutanese refugee, works a second job at a Rite Aid pharmacy, at East 28th and Parade streets, to provide interpretation services for Bhutanese patrons.

Aljukic, originally from Bosnia, employs more than 40 of his fellow Bosnian refugees at his construction company.

While each refugee’s journey is unique, the destination to self-sufficiency appears to be universal. Refugees are now moving up the ranks at their jobs, buying homes and establishing nonprofits and businesses. Their marks, both economically and culturally, are coloring the Erie experience.

As the refugee population continues to grow, the culture of Erie will expand with it, shaped by the individual experiences of its latest newcomers.

This reflection on “Arriving Home: The refugee experience in Erie” appeared in the Sept. 6 Inside Erie newsletter.

September 7, 2012 0 comments Read More
These 5 books are worth looking into

These 5 books are worth looking into

My Bookshelf

I recently encountered two articles titled “30 Books Everyone Should Read Before Turning 30″ on Twitter.

My competitive nature kicked in, and I devoured the lists. The result was disappointing. In my nearly 25 years, I have read only 15 of the 55 books (some were repeated) on these lists.

I mean, really, what percentage of 30-year-olds has read Thomas Merton’s “The Wisdom of the Desert”? Don’t answer that.

In theory, I disagree with the premise of these lists. Literature choices are personal. They reflect one’s priorities, interests and lifestyle.

Some readers enjoy plot-driven, action-packed novels. They keep writers like Dan Brown and John Grisham churning out thrillers. Others see books as escapes into new and fascinating worlds, hence the wizard and vampire kicks of late.

I view fiction as a window into the human experience. Strong characters, intense emotion and relationship-driven narratives pique my interest. With that in mind, I give you five books that I don’t think you necessarily should read but that I heartily recommend.

1. “The Sun Also Rises,” Ernest Hemingway

Hands down, Hemingway is my favorite writer. He served as the inspiration for my name — I’m the namesake of the ill-fated Catherine Barkley in “A Farewell to Arms.” “The Sun Also Rises” offers a portrayal of the Lost Generation, a glimpse of the roaring 1920s in Europe and one of the best lines in American literature: “Isn’t it pretty to think so?”

2. “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” Joan Didion

“Slouching Towards Bethlehem” is a compilation of Didion’s essays written during the 1960s and set mainly in California. Her prose is soft, feminine and inviting. I fell in love with Didion upon first read and think you may, too.

3. “Suite Française,” Irène Némirovsky

Némirovsky takes readers into Nazi-occupied France, describing love, grief and human kindness during a time of great trial. Reading this novel, you could never imagine that the beautiful writing is in fact a rough draft. Némirovsky, a Jewish writer living in Paris, was deported during the war and died at Auschwitz before finishing the book. The incomplete novel was published posthumously.

4. “Ordinary People,” Judith Guest

You may remember this book’s movie adaptation, which was Robert Redford’s directorial debut. The novel, an exploration into a family coping with tragedy, is equal to, if not better than, the movie. It’s also a tear-jerker, so keep tissues close at hand.

5. “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald

No list of great books is complete without this American literature classic. If you haven’t read Fitzgerald’s look at love, jealousy and bootleggers in 1920s America, you should soon (preferably before the new movie adaptation comes out in December).

June 27, 2012 0 comments Read More
Instagram campaign offers sights of Erie

Instagram campaign offers sights of Erie

#Filtered

What’s old is new again.

That seems to be the logic behind the popularity of the smart-phone app Instagram, which combines cell-phone photography and vintage filters: It’s nostalgia at the touch of a screen.

Instagram is a quick, accessible way to take high-quality photos with mobile photo technology. Users can snap a photo, apply a variety of hued filters and create a piece of art.

Like photography, Instagram cements a single moment, but it goes one step forward. Instagram is a social network. Filtered and unfiltered photos are featured in a feed. They can also be distributed via Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Instagram is a free app available on iPhone and Android smart phones. In less than two years, it has acquired more than 50 million users, according to CNet. Facebook bought Instagram in early April for a whopping $1 billion price tag.

Instagram provides a unique social-media experience because it allows users to see the world through their friends’ eyes — or cell-phone cameras. Users can “like” and comment on others’ photos.

My Instagram feed is often an aggregation of food, sunset and cityscape photos. Occasionally, photos of people or pets make an appearance.

By scrolling through my feed, I can gauge what is valued by my friends. I am also privy to some beautiful photos.

With that in mind, GoErie launched its #ErieGram Instagram campaign a month ago. We asked you to take photos of your community with Instagram, apply the filters of your choice and tag the photos with #ErieGram.

Since the launch of the campaign, we’ve received more than 300 photos. More than 160 of them are featured in the Your Photos section on GoErie.com.

The subjects in the photos have been as different as their photographers. #ErieGram photos feature Presque Isle landscapes, Waldameer thrill rides, downtown Erie streets and even you, the people of Erie. Submitted photos have been taken everywhere from the beaches to the shops on Upper Peach Street.

It has been a privilege to see your photos come in, process them and share them with a greater audience. Every day, I am encouraged by your enthusiasm for your community. I am also awed by your photographic prowess.

To participate, tag photos with #ErieGram in Instagram, post them on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/goerie or tweet them at @GoErie.

Each week, we’ll be adding more photos to the #ErieGram album.

We hope you will grant us the opportunity to see Erie through your eyes. By submitting photos to the #ErieGram campaign, you can freeze moments for nostalgia’s sake and share them — and your love of Erie — with others.

June 23, 2012 0 comments Read More