Resubmitted Hybrid Essay

Ani Ouzounian

English 114B

Sean Pessin

Hybrid Essay: The Armenian Culture

            Informing others on the Armenian culture was a highlight for me this semester in English class.  I was able to do this by the creation of a blog.  The blog was made in order to inform others about a specific topic interesting to the writer.  The topic I chose was one that was very important to me simply because it was what identified me.  My blog was basically about the Armenian culture and what goes into each celebration or event in order to make it so significant.  My goal was to discuss music, dance, food, traditions, and people.  Since this was a cultural blog, it was important for me to provide enough information without being too prideful.           My inspiration for choosing this specific topic was a quote by William Saroyan.  Throughout my life I have heard this quote about a hundred times and it really meant something to me each time I read or heard it.  I knew that I could have written a story based off of this quote, a story with pictures, videos, and more.  This blog was what created that story.

The Armenian and The Armenian by William Saroyan

  "I should like to see any power of the world

destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people,

whose wars have all been fought and lost,

whose structures have crumbled,

literature is unread,

music is unheard,

and prayers are no more answered.

Go ahead, destroy Armenia.

 

See if you can do it.

Send them into the desert without bread or water.

Burn their homes and churches.

Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again.

For when two of them meet anywhere in the world,

see if they will not create a New Armenia."

            To start off, I found articles that were great resources about the many different traditions of the Armenian culture.  Each article provided enough information about constructing a cultural Armenian wedding or celebration.  Other than articles, I found videos that might have been interesting for others to watch.  It was just easier to show others how Armenians dance rather than describe it.  I also continuously added photos of the setting in which a wedding may take place and remarkable instruments  like the duduk.  I really enjoyed talking about Shabash and shalaxo because in my opinion, these are two important aspects of a cultural Armenian event.  The shalaxo is one of the most famous dance performed by Armenians and the Shabash is a big piece of Armenian tradition.  I concentrated on dance and heritage more because I knew that's what made my topic so unique.

             A large group of Armenians are dancing to shalaxo music at a traditional sweet 16.  In Armenian dance, arms are always raised high and there is a lot of fast footwork.  This picture has Armenian written all over it. One look is all it takes for the viewer to understand  that it's some type of celebration.  Since my goal was to demonstrate Armenian dance and music along with Armenian people, this photo was worth showing.

             Since I knew my culture wasn't very well known,  I set up a poll to comprehend what my viewers knew about my topic. The question I asked was "Do you know much about the aspects that make up an Armenian cultural celebration?". After the poll was complete, I made a new discovery.  Without the poll, I thought that most of my followers knew something about the Armenian culture or heard about the topic, but I was completely wrong.  While examining my poll, I made a discovery that over half of my blog followers didn't have an idea on what my topic was about.  This gave me a sense of relief because I understood that this blog and my topic choice would be a great resource for those who didn't know anything about The Armenian culture and the traditions that make up its celebrations. 

            Most of my posts had to do with the significance and uniqueness of the topic except for three of them.  These three posts were against my topic and how my topic isn't important.  I thought that these posts might start an argument because of the rude articles I found supporting it.  The articles were criticizing many aspects of the topic and it could have produced an argument with any of my audience.  The first one criticized Armenian music and described it as crappy.  The second article aimed towards the Armenian genocide and how it should just be left alone because it is part of history.  Food was the discussion of the last article I summarized.  The theme of the article was that Armenian food was stolen from the Azerbaijanis.  This wasn't my goal originally but I had planned to post these articles in order to show others how much criticism my topic receives and yet it is still able to be incomparable.  Although there could have been many disagreements, they weren't addressed. 

            There was a lot more that I wanted to further explore on my topic.  I wanted discuss more about food and music.  Although I had the chance, I focused more on the traditions, styles of dance, and history.  There are over a hundred types of Armenian food that I could have touched up on but did otherwise.  There are many famous Armenian singers who had sold out concerts at the staples center and have sold thousands of albums.  These artists are worthy of talking about and there is a lot of information I could have provided about famous Armenian singers.  If I had done so, it could have interested others to listen to Armenian music and even try some Armenian food.

             Although I didn't talk much about the variety of Armenian food, I knew that it was necessary to share about it at least once.  It was my goal in the beginning but there was so much that I could talk about that I didn't have the chance to discuss my ethnic food.  Starting from the kabobs to the wrapped grape leaves, Armenian food is flavorful and divine.  It distinctive taste manages to stay in your mouth  for a while. 

 

            When I first chose my topic, I thought I knew all there was about the Armenian culture.  As I continued to research, there was so much that I learned along the way.  I enjoyed sharing my culture with others and allowing them to be versatile with their choice of food, dance, music, etc.  I know that the Armenian culture isn't so widespread in the United States and so I wanted to share the extraordinary conditions that make up successful and traditional Armenian events, whether it's a wedding or a funeral.

 

Work Cited

"The Armenian Culture." Web log post. Blogger.com. Ed. Ani L. Ouzounian. N.p., n.d.

            Web. 29 Apr. 2013. <http://aniouzounian94.blogspot.com/>.

 

 

 

 

Metacognative Analysis

            My first experience encountering with hybrid essays was this semester in English class.  To be completely honest, this was the first time I even heard about hybrid essays.  After reading a couple hybrid essays, I had a small idea on what made a hybrid essay so different and unique.  It can be a combination of many different pieces of writing or media.  There can be poems, photos, videos added to the essay to make it a hybrid essay.  To clearly create an understanding and get the point through, other sources are used such as the photos and poems.  Instead of the essay describing the photo, the photo is used to describe the essay.  This is able to bring a sense of wisdom for the reader as they read the piece.  There can be a collection of photos or videos with only a couple words as long as the essay has enough information to get its story across. I like how hybrid essays can vary in length and be as long as you desire.  A hybrid essay can also somehow be described as an educational slideshow.

            When I began to write my own hybrid essay, I had trouble starting it.  Although I knew what to write about, it was difficult trying to grab the readers attention.  Since I had to write about my experience with Project Media, I wanted to add every detail and every emotion throughout the process.  I made sure to include what I learned, why this was important, and what I liked about it the most.  The main theme of my essay was how is electronic writing different from other types of writing and how it is beneficial.  I took all the prompt questions and transformed the answer to each question into separate paragraphs.  I did this in order to make sure I explained everything in detail and touched up on every aspect of the question.  In my hybrid essay, I had a combination of the actual essay and a famous Armenian quote.  I wrote how my inspiration for the decision of my topic came from this quote.  I did this so the readers would know why I chose this topic and how I got my ideas or arguments.  I like how Cheyenne Nimes added a poem towards the end of her essay because it gave a clear explanation on what her entire essay was about and that is why I chose to do the same thing. 

            My overall experience with writing a hybrid essay was not too good.  I actually didn't like writing it as much as I enjoyed writing the flash fiction story.  The flash fiction story allowed me to be more creative.  To be completely honest, I prefer not adding anything to my essays, whether they are photos, videos, poems, or quotes.  Just the writing will be enough to provide all the information the reader needs.  Although photos can be entertaining for the reader, what's more important is the writer's choice of style and comfort.  I also felt like we didn't completely understand what a hybrid essay was as a class. If it wasn't for an assignment, I don't think I would ever write another one again. 

Hybrid Essay

            Making a blog this semester in college was a first for me.  It really taught me to go through a certain process in order to successfully create a piece of writing electronically.  I learned that it is much more comprehendible when there are photos, videos, or other sources involved.  The blog was made in order to inform others about a specific topic interesting to the writer.  The blog contained photos, articles, and videos to prove its point by other sources.  The posts of the blog tie in with each other so they can create a unique type of story for the viewers. This allows them to understand the topic easier.  Since this was a cultural blog, it was important for me to provide enough information without being too prideful. 

            Throughout the middle of my blog process, I set up a poll to know what my viewers knew about my topic.  After the poll was complete, I made a new discovery.  Without the poll, I thought that most of my viewers knew something about my topic or heard about the topic, but I was completely wrong.  While examining my poll, I made a discovery that over half of my blog followers didn't have an idea on what my topic was about.  This gave me a sense of relief because I understood that this blog would be a great resource for those who didn't know anything about my topic.  I began to post more often now that I knew who my audience really was. 

            Most of my posts had to do with the significance and uniqueness of the topic except for three of them.  These three posts were against my topic and how my topic isn't important.  I thought that these posts might start an argument because of the rude articles I found supporting it.  The articles were criticizing many aspects of the topic and it could have produced an argument with any of my audience.  This wasn't my goal originally but I had planned to post these articles in order to show others how much criticism my topic receives.  I'm glad that none of my posts caused any conflicts between my followers and I.  Although there could have been many disagreements, they weren't addressed.

            What is so significant about my topic is that it informs my followers what my culture is about and what goes into each traditional event.  The most important part of this process and the blog is that I have to love my topic and I have to think that my topic is significant before I am able to share it with others.  Just like I said earlier, the poll I made was very encouraging for me because it helped me figure out who wasn't educated on my topic.  Many photos and videos were uploaded along with my posts to make the blog more enjoyable and entertaining.  Another reason why my topic was so significant was that as I researched before I posted, I was able to learn more myself.  I thought I knew everything there was about my topic, but I didn't realize that I was only sharing what I knew and that there was so much more. 

            There was a lot more that I wanted to further explore on my topic.  I wanted discuss more about food and music.  Although I had the chance, I focused more on the traditions, styles of dance, and history.  There are over a hundred types of Armenian food that I could have touched up on but did otherwise.  There are many famous Armenian singers who had sold out concerts at the staples center and have sold thousands of albums.  These artists are worthy of talking about and there is a lot of information I could have provided about famous Armenian singers.  If I had done so, it could have interested others to listen to Armenian music and try some Armenian food.

            I was able to learn a lot from this experience with Project Media.  It was interesting using HTML to post different links.  Writing electronically can be beneficial because everyone around the world can see your work.  If you aren't reaching a certain audience, electronic writing can speak to everyone who chooses to see and read your work.  You can use media to add to your pieces of writing.  Photos and videos are able to tell a story without any words included.  What I loved about Project Media was that we were able to upload photos and videos along with our writing in order to paint a better understanding for the viewers.  It is much better when there is a picture or article explaining the writing included.  Even if your topic has nothing to do with you, people can tell what kind of person you are just by your posts.  They can even tell how passionate you are about your topic and how it has affect in your life.

            My inspiration for choosing this specific topic was a quote by William Saroyan.  Throughout my life I have heard this quote about a hundred times and it really meant something to me each time I read or heard it.  I knew that I could have written a story based off of this quote, a story with pictures, videos, and more.  This blog was what created that story.

The Armenian and The Armenian by William Saroyan

  "I should like to see any power of the world

destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people,

whose wars have all been fought and lost,

whose structures have crumbled,

literature is unread,

music is unheard,

and prayers are no more answered.

Go ahead, destroy Armenia.

 

See if you can do it.

Send them into the desert without bread or water.

Burn their homes and churches.

Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again.

For when two of them meet anywhere in the world,

see if they will not create a New Armenia."

Work Cited

Nimes, Cheyenne. "DIAGRAM :: Cheyenne Nimes." DIAGRAM :: Cheyenne Nimes.

            N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. <http://thediagram.com/10_1/nimes.html>.

  

Conclusion!!!

When I first chose my topic, I was so excited to create a blog only based on the Armenian culture.  I knew that once I started, it would be hard to stop.  I wanted to cover almost all the aspects of a cultural Armenian event, whether it is a celebration or a commemoration.  I really enjoyed introducing others my viewers to the duduk or the shalaxo dance.  The poll I set up was very helpful because it showed me how many of my viewers knew or didn't know anything about my topic.  Based off the results, I was able to know what to post and how much to post.  I'm sad to say that I have covered almost all of the aspects of an Armenian cultural event.  Although I haven't gotten all the way to the core, I have provided enough information for my viewers to know and understand what goes into an Armenian celebration/funeral.  Maybe sometime in the future I will start posting more photos or videos to continue the enjoyment of my viewers.

Duduk

Instruments are a big part of music because they create the melody and sound.  There are guitars, pianos, violins, trumpets, and much more.  One instrument that a lot of people don't know about is the duduk.  It kind of looks like the flute but doesn't sound anything like it.  It's made out of wood and it has this very unique tone.  There might not be such thing as a racial instrument but, if there was this definitely would be it.  Armenians have played the duduk for centuries and it has been a big part of Armenian cultural music.  You can hear it played in the background of almost every Armenian song.  When it is played on its own, it rarely has a happy melody.  The duduk brings a sad tone to the music and that is what it's really meant for.  The duduk is played at funerals or other sad occasions like the commemorations for the Armenian genocide.  After the genocide, the Armenians portray themselves as the sad race and they can give out their message through the sounds of the duduk.

Although it looks like it's a simple instrument to play, it's actually not.  It's a very difficult instrument to learn because one small mistake is even heard.  One of Armenia's most famous duduk players is Jivan Gasparyan.  He is known for his amazing music and there hasn't been anyone who can play the duduk like him.  He puts all his emotions and worries into his music as he plays. 

 



Saturday Afternoon Poetry

The reading I went to was located at the Pasadena Santa Catalina Library.  It was from three in the afternoon till five in the afternoon on Saturday April 6th.  I actually enjoyed the reading because it was poetry.  There was more than one reader and the host was calling off the names from the long list of readers.  A lot of people got up and read their own piece of poetry and it was nice to hear everyone's story through their poetry.  They began yelling, crying, laughing as they read and that was their true emotions.  Some of the readers were so enthusiastic that they began acting out their poetry.  Although there were only about ten people, it was worth going.

Shabash at a Wedding

As we all know that shabash is a big part of a traditional Armenian celebration including birthdays, weddings, engagements, and christenings.   Shabash is when the guests attending the celebration just start throwing money all over the dance floor.  The money is mainly thrown at the person who through the party or if it's a wedding then it's thrown on the bride and groom.   The money is meant to be bring good luck and financial success. 

The video shown here is a traditional Armenian wedding where money is continuously being thrown around.   The people who are dancing are unknown, but they may be important because the money is being thrown on them.  The dance that they are doing has very difficult and complex moves which may also be the reason why people are continuously throwing money around.  Shabash can also be considered as congratulating someone or telling them that they are doing a good job at the dance they're performing.   Although the shabash is thrown on the men and woman dancing, the bride and groom will most probably receive the money.

To be completely honest, I kind of wish I was there.  This is one of the weddings where I have seen the most money being tossed around.   Usually it is only a couple hundred dollars maximum, but I'm sure the money in this video could have added up to a thousand dollars.  The men dancing in the video are so enthusiastic that they make me want to get up and dance.