Segment One Blog Project: District of Clolumbia

http://axechucker.tumblr.com/post/128245250709

A._ENVIRONMENT
District of Clolumbia is a place of serenity located in the troposphere where Clolian life and human life rarely intersect. Clolumbia is in the depths of sky, isolated to protect and preserve the remaining life sustainable parts of the stratosphere. Living in Clolumbia grants one to see the sun and moon at full capacity always. The sun’s rays are ever so important to Clolian life, for it supply’s our fellow siblings with energy and guidance. As our mother, Sun, can be of great nature, but she can be of massive destruction as well. Her flares of anger or excitement can be detrimental to our communities.  In our day to day life, climate is very challenging because we are exposed to such extreme conditions. In rare conditions, we often resort to our homes in the clouds that are created to protect us. If the rays from the sun are too dangerous for the day our world stops and everyone must obey the suns request for shelter and move to the lower level of our cloud homes. After human life began to erode our communities as well, District of Columbia became a risky place to live for the young so they live in the bottom of the clouds closer to the peaks of the mountains that sneak through until wisdom and bronzed age. In the lower level is where the most vegetation is and where most of our wild life is. The little vegetation we do get to enjoy comes from the canopy tops of the rainforest and shrubs of the mountains, so we only see the horizons and it animals that live near us. Our indigenous flora is called the clout chaser. The clout chaser only grows during or busy season (rainy season). Since it is so rare and special when the clout chasers appear it is said that one can gain a lot of power and influence, however, it is a special treat the birds like so it does not last long. It is typical to see all types of birds and things that fly and occasionally we’ll see a huge bird with large wings, writings, and humans on them. The terrain of our environment is very complex due to the intersections of highlands, mountains, and clouds we live in. It can be very dangerous for one who does not know the area where the peaks of the land hit. Weather in our case isn’t much of a concern since we play a part in it, so all types of precipitation such as rain sleet and snow only happens below us. District of Columbia controls the clouds and types of clouds made because it is what we live in. Since  all types of precipitation is under us the only things we worry about is foreign objects that enter the stratosphere every blue moon such as solar flares and falling stars.  

B. Cultural Knowledge
Norms- As a fellow sibling in the District of Clolumbia it is a shared ideal that we express our angers and emotions at least once a week. We believe that there is long life after releasing toxic emotions. But it is also against the rules for someone to express their feelings when it is not during our set time and place. As much as we emphasize expressiveness we allow our newly born babies to cry for increments of time without comfort, so they can be taught to sooth and calm themselves, for it is important to know how to handle your emotions as you get older. It is a norm that we must sun bathe on peace day because that is when mother sun is at rest. Lastly it is a rule that no one is to go past the peaks of the highland for they risk being seen as a threat and killed by humans.
Values- The sun is what we value the most for it is a source of life and guidance to our days. We believe it what created us and shaped us because we know that our melanin rich skin is the only skin that can survive the sun’s rays. We also value the size of our clouds since it is our homes, jobs, and protection. It is in the clouds where we discover ourselves and our positions in the communities. To live and know District of Clolumbia it is to value peace and rejuvenation. We value peace and rejuvenation because it is the one thing that connects us a whole spiritually even though we look different compared to one another. In looking different comes the value of individualism. Individualism is honored and respected because we look different, it makes us more pleasing towards our mother and increase our individual clout.
Worldview- We believe that anything to exist beyond the District of Clolumbia is of our dreams. Since we never get to physically touch any of these sightings below the troposphere, everything we witnessed doesn’t exist simply because we have not touched it. It is common that we share everything about ourselves to one another. We believe it makes us united knowing we all share similar challenges and cherishing moments, so it is appalling when we hear tales of people not knowing everything about one another. Death in our communities is looked as a celebration and a transition of energies from the physical to the spiritual levels of our society that go beyond our boundaries of life. We also strongly believe our cloud communities are sacred. It is said that we were specifically chosen to live in the sky, because we are active, involved, fluent, and beautiful. It is we that control the skies environment, for we are granted to shape the clouds and mood of the sky from beautiful rise of the sunsets to horrifying yells of the hurricanes.
Symbols- 

Community 

http://www.birddogdistributing.com/blog/make-awesome-color-changing-led-lighting-clouds/

Religion

http://jonvilma.com/sunset.html#gal_post_360_sunset-13.jpg

Family

https://www.belovedgiftshop.com/products/le401-kadir-nelson-family-tree

Military

https://www.facebook.com/118615671483466/photos/a.122269064451460.20661.118615671483466/902274743117551/?type=1&theate

Classification of Reality-  In our culture we value wisdom that creates our hierarchy. Wisdom often comes with age, so therefore those with the most insight is dressed in the finest gold and can create the most powerful storms. In times of community meetings and important events is when the gold is highlighted, and are called the peacekeepers. Everyone is called a sibling even though we value the individual. We as a culture identify male and female but only for reproduction advancements. 

C. Structure/Social Organization
Our culture is made up of community, religion, family, and the military. The community is made up of all siblings that live in different part of their cloud homes. Each individual community resembles a committee that report specific problems and concerns to the other committees in the area. Unity in the communities means everything for it also reflects the size of the clouds that create homes and jobs. Without religion, our culture would not exist, because the one that created us is whom we report to collectively. It is in the sun (man God) we have faith in for a new day and fresh start. We have other demi-gods but they are only the guidance and reporters of what our God is trying to tell us. To operate as a district family is the backbone of our peace. In our times of expression, it is to our sex partners or to a fellow sibling that is a direct child from your mother. Without family, you cannot get recommended to be a demi-god because there is no physical witness to support you. Lastly to protect and serve our district is the military. The military is only a recent effect of the changes to our communities being destroyed by the outsiders. They are granted permission to make massive storms to warn the outsiders of their damage to our homes. In our society to be able to live in our climate one must be of skin made of bronze and hair of wool. It is vital to refrain from damage to the body and head. We as a demographic do not age physically. Age is only identified until the skin had fully blossomed into bronze, which is around the age of 10. Male and female are only identified and recognized for sexual reproduction purposes but are not a focus. Our rituals consist of weekly expressions of letting go of feelings that erode our inner peace. On peace days is when we rejuvenate in the sun to prepare of the upcoming days of work. We replenish our bodies by creating our own water in the clouds at our homes and get food from the flying birds that are in the area. We catch our meals by striking the animal with lighting which also cooks it. The life cycle of our siblings consists of the bronzing of skin till the age of 10 and as you get older wisdom and insight are learned. Most who have lots of gold and deep bronze skin are often ones who have been a while. After death, their gold is restored and passed down to the close family. 

D. Areas of Cultural Interest
As a physically involved culture we have very few words that we identify with, but when we do they are often in a non-complex way. Our greetings consist of a hug and exchange of mutual peace. When we have our expressive days is really when our voices are said to sound like roars in the sky. We as a culture do love to come alive in the night because it said that at night is when the brightest things shine. Therefore, we have names for everything lit in the night sky, and often name our siblings with the most wisdom after these stars because they are light in our lives. Our most complex realm of words comes from our environment of different clouds such as:
- Cumulus clouds = Sulu cloud 
- Cumulonimbus clouds= Submino cloud
- Cirrus cloud= Surr clouds 
The clouds are a sign of our life that represent the very existence of the district of Clolumbia and its Clolians.

Section III Essay

    Today in District of Clolumbia, our culture is very rich and very much thriving and a live. To maintain a cultured society everything is taught from birth from cooking to knowing every word to exist in the Cloutlian language. Our children acquire language by being kept by demi- gods and the elderly to truly learn the language in its purest and truest form. Often many children don’t have the opportunity to learn different languages because they are not exposed to it, and the only citizens to acquire different languages are the ones that are in the next life or too elderly to teach. In early childhood as a child is in the expression stage, we usually hear sounds of hymns that a mother sung to a child or sounds that mimic weather. Once the child is past the expression/memory stage they enter in the vocalization stage by the age of 5, where they can use full sentences and express their opinions for society.

As a result, our children speak the new Cloutlian language that has less fighting words than it once did, because District of Clolumbia use to be military based. Over 100 years ago the District of Clolumbia use to be one that wasn’t at peace with the sun. Often many would take defense in arms with the demi-gods to protect the people. Since the war ended and we have come to peace with the sun and outside world the new language is known as a peaceful one; Not do to the words spoken anymore but the way we communicate with each other. Every conversation or sort of communication is always done with love and purpose. If the words being said by a fellow citizen is not with purpose he or she shall be shamed. In the same instance how the war transformed the language, other cultural factors play a part as well. Recently younger citizens that help create the clouds have become more artistic with their labor. It’s created a culture of expression through drawing, dancing, poetry, and music.

 With the shift in the culture, the new language has become easier to express how we feel. Words that were once not to mention in our vocabulary have been dusted off. Anything positive was once not used for centuries, but today those words such as peace, love, and happiness are the core to the culture, language, and lifestyle. We express our language by traditional communication and through touch.  The art of the touching language is said to simplify what we cannot understand. Things such as love that can be said but are often shown through the number of citizens you encounter shows you actually carry the character of love. As for status we are all the same and the only thing that divides us is demi-gods and age. It is normal to see the wise elderly covered in traditional tattoos on their back because it was once a common practice to mark yourself with special encounters you’ve had with clouds and nature. Along with tattoos as a norm for the elderly, close proxemics is a norm as well. Being a culture of peace and harmony often close proxemics is a norm. When greeting others, we often give hugs and touch foreheads to transfer positive energy. This gesture sets the tone for the dialogue we have with one another.

 However, you may not see this on expression days for it is a day to decompress any negativity and bad aura. As a respectable society it is necessary for everyone to make eye contact to show that you are engaged. Only elders when you first greet them you must not make eye contact at first glance or it is said that you are challenging their knowledge and disrupting their peace of status. Greetings can be a complex thing because you never want to offend anyone, so when it comes to greeting parents and elders that are family members you often bow. The type of bow is like a curtsey but just a bend of the need and bow of the head to show respect. If the person you are greeting is your mate a simple hug or kiss on the hand will suffice. On days we aren’t busy, myself and others love to engage in a friendly competition of a cloud ball fight or taking the clouds and making shapes in the sky. This is also a reflection of the few intersectionality’s we have between one another because the sport or art is not restricted or condemned from gender of status. Demi gods associate with the regular citizens and men, women, and children all come from the same background so there is no extreme difference because we are all unified. Our language reflects our culture through action and the lifestyle we live. We live a very minimal lifestyle that focuses on the importance of prioritizing peace. In addition, because we control and create the clouds it reflects the weather for the down under. When we are not a peace neither is the sky. We value the sun because it is an important element to our peace, and controls when we are active and should enjoy each other’s presence.

 The clotlian language also reflects how we sue metaphors. You will often hear the phrase “the sun waits for no one”, as it represents how we must not waste time on foolish things but how are lives are a constant cycle of events that flow with the suns aura. Other phrases you would hear often too are “the sky is the strong hold not the limit”, “prioritize peace”, “dark energy, we don’t touch”, and “colorful auras are neon guts”. All of these phrases expose the values the District of Clolumbia and how we are a community that is not just talk but about action. Our actions of putting peace first and uplifting one another are a direct reflection of the culture we have started here in the sky limits. They reflect our values in a way that creates the image of serenity and what a nation could look like if everyone was cohesive and valued.

As a student who comes form a cultured background that is foreign, you would think that I would be conditioned to except different aspects of dissimilar walks of life. However, this project has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that could be a reality of what people live today. Throughout the process of this project we had the opportunity to understand the value of the relationship between language and culture, and how it shapes communities, people, and environments. In this project one could learn that it enlightens the deeper meaning of what we define as culture. The in-depth research and dialogue about culture and language challenges what we know and provokes the norms and traditions of the westernized society we live in today. Many factors play into language and culture and have distinctive roles such as roles of gender and how one’s culture views or values is. From believing in only male and female to believing that we are all different types of species derived from male and female. Such things as gender and its role play in a society could reflect the language, dialect, and vocabulary.