tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145117592063944458.post5546848551461961511..comments2023-11-02T03:40:09.064-07:00Comments on Human Perspective on Development and Environment: The Importance of LandCIEE - Thailandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00702040572805817922noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145117592063944458.post-58760543173783956122011-04-25T22:05:20.919-07:002011-04-25T22:05:20.919-07:00This unit also made me really reflect on the place...This unit also made me really reflect on the places I grew up, and whether or not the actual "land" mattered, or if we had commodified it to such an extent that it no longer had ecological value. Instead of land I've grown up seeing a yard. Instead of agriculture, I've grown up seeing my parents mulch, pull weeds, and plant bushes. It's aesthetically pleasing instead of necessary to sustain myself.<br />However, in trying to think of land rights, I instead compare their experiences to the lighthouse my family rents from the Coast Guard in Canada every 5 years. During the past few years, the transition in government has also met a transition in who we rent our summer house from. Although it's been in our family for over forty years, our retaining a place full of memories and connections depends on what new government offices want to do with the land. Should it be made into an uninhabited national historic site? A tourist location for the nearby mainland? I know that I would fight for this place, the place I grew up and the land I feel the strongest connection to. In this way, I relate to their struggle, to retain something that feels inherently their right.Austynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12015627717954256408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145117592063944458.post-45500439924245357642011-04-17T06:52:10.300-07:002011-04-17T06:52:10.300-07:00Hey, Maddisen,
I'm so happy the reflection qu...Hey, Maddisen,<br /><br />I'm so happy the reflection question inspired you to make connections you were struggling with.<br /><br />Like you, I grew up on a little less than an acre of land. Though it isn't much, my family is deeply connected to it. At age 57, my dad <i>still</i> prioritizes mowing the lawn regularly and planting flowers every year. For us, the yard is a symbol of pride.<br /><br />Aside from my land at home, I did a lot of growing up on the farm I worked at for more than 8 years. I don't think I'll ever forget how the tall, dewy grass felt against my legs as I walked the fields as the sun rose every morning. Sometimes, I close my eyes and imagine the deep breaths I've taken overlooking the lakes and forest that surround the farmhouse.<br /><br />Like you, these connections to land are not just nostalgic. Instead, they are deep, spiritual connections. I had never considered "land" before this trip, but I'm so glad to understand it on a more personal level.<br /><br />Great post!<br />DanDannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7145117592063944458.post-63555900593573914192011-04-09T03:21:03.837-07:002011-04-09T03:21:03.837-07:00When we return from our unit trips it is interesti...When we return from our unit trips it is interesting to try to connect and relate our experiences to our lives back home. Sometimes we find similarities and sometimes we find that our lives are drastically different than the way of life in these villages. It is very true that land has much less value and meaning to me that it does to the people in Toong Lui Lai. <br /><br />During this past unit reflection, one reoccurring concept was development and changing the way of life in communities. Pawh Somkiat, a village leader we met, told us that before development came, people were very happy with their lives. They had an abundance of natural resources and lived off the land. Electricity only came to the village a few years back. This is their way of life. In my life back home, I would be unable to live off the land. I have become conditioned to needing my conveniences of electricity or big supermarkets. I don't know if I could live that lifestyle. <br /><br />It is easy to feel like we are very disconnected to these people because their way of lives are different from ours in America. What makes me feel better about that is simply recognizing that I was raised in America, in a western world and context. I can not change my culture but merely acknowledge the differences that exist and where they come from.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10911590105149636204noreply@blogger.com