Exploration 1:
1. The beam of light falling across my laptop and the length of my couch
2. An abandon chip that has fallen crestfallen onto the rug below me
3. The lip of the lamp to my left is ripped
4. Random rubber bands on the floor
5. Scuff marks on the legs coffee table
6. Part of a drumstick is worn off
7. In a package of nuts on the coffee table, the salt has gathered in the leftmost top corner of the bag
8. My room mate has a scar on top of his foot
9. He also just got a haircut, which I complimented on after noticing haha
10. Smudges on our window
61 Responses
Explore 2:
Something I noticed over the weekend was the amount of noise in the apartment. I realized you can constantly hear the water running in the apartments in the area. Also, the wind will at times make a whistle as it blows through the window and vibrates the screen.
Would love to hear those sounds, is it possible to record or are the levels really low. That wind sound is a great one because it symbolizes so much.
Explore 3:
Some objects I found that cast light in an interesting manner:
Aluminum bottle
Empty Kolsch bottle
Sunglasses
Guinness Glass
Exploration 4 & 5:
Still currently working on this, but started to collect random fliers from events around campus. I'll scan them or take a photo of them all and put it up here when it's complete!
If I can get my hands on some recording equipment I can give it a try
Exploration 6:
My dad recently visited and brought me a bag filled with some food and this was hidden at the bottom:
It really made me laugh because it reminded me a lot of when I was little for two reasons. First my dad used to always bring me home these happy meal toys and now its become somewhat of a joke that I get one every birthday and christmas. Secondly Batman and the Batman 90's animated TV show were my favorite things growing up. I used to have this Batman action figure that I would take anywhere and everywhere I would go. He was basically my Woody. Moreover, I used to love the show because whenever the cartoon came on my mom would just get home for work and watch the show with me. I guess in so many ways Batman and happy moments became embedded within each other.
One year my grandma bought me a batman costume for Halloween, and even after Halloween I would dawn the cape and run around my house pretending I was Batman. That or Indiana Jones. It's kinda strange how our imagination seems to disappear in some ways as we get older.
Exploration 7:
When I first looked at this Exploration the first colors that came to my mind were blue and green. Those are my two favorite colors and often the ones I opt to if I have to choose a color.
However, I thought about colors I have liked in the past and the colors I like to wear now. Perhaps it is just this exercise, but I realized there was a bit of a commonality with my color choice and things going on in my life, which was made clear when my was telling me about a picture I drew when I was little.
This picture pretty much utilized only the colors black and red. Looking back on that time my family was going through a rough patch and my parents would soon divorce. I guess as a kid I was articulating myself through color. Later on in about middle school my favorite color was blue. As such during this time my personality and events in my life had slowed down and was tranquil and cool.
However as I entered High School I began wearing a lot of blacks and grays, and darker clothing. Not so much emo style, the clothes I'd wear are similar to what I wear now but the colors would just be darker. At this time there was a loss in my family. Again I noticed I started wearing brighter and then more earth tones as I entered college. I feel this may reflect how my personality has developed now. I seem to be more grounded in my life, and am able to enjoy life despite the problems that still confront me.
Perhaps, this is all just me overthinking as I often due, but it was interesting to think about this
Exploration 8:
I really hope I can go back to my old house and get some picture to show you all this, but I will never forget some areas of pavement in the neighborhood I grew up in.
There was this one slab of concrete where two huge pieces of concrete had broken off into similar shapes. they looked almost as if someone had placed their forearms in it. Then in front of that were paint stains that looked like tracks of a deer. Its been so long since I've seen it that I'm not sure if they were painted or haphazard, but as a child my imagination would run rampant especially since it was aided by my sister. (most likely it was painted)
Anyways, I'll never forget this because I remember being little playing with my big sister in the streets. She dragged me over to look at it and told me that this was proof Santa was real and that this was a spot when the cement was still wet that one of Santa's reindeer took off to fly Santa around the world.
It was one of those brief silly moments that I will never forget.
Exploration 9:
Things found exploring my roomates side of the room:
Blood drive papers
highlighter
pen
penny
coaster
Disney Button
Exploration 10:
My Medic Bag (Front):
-The Red Cross
-Very faint writing that says 1960 just on the inside of the flap
-The Metal Latch
-The Chico sticker
-The artistic design in the corner
-The design has an Anarchy A
-A Sun
-Four Stars in a curved row
-A Crescent Shape
-It looks like the design was made with white out
-The burn mark just above the bottom loops
-Various small rips
The Medic Bag (Back):
-Two leather bands that make the belt loop
-A small hole under one of the loops
-The thread marks of the top piece attached to the body of the bag
-A few ink markings
-The inner thread is a bit darker in color
Exploration 12:
A simple trip from my room to the Hannon Library.
1. Grabbed my bag and stuffed it with binders and books.
2. Quickly grabbed a pop tart as I hadn't eaten yet.
3. Grabbed my bamboo board and ran out the door.
4. Was greeted by the heat and was taken aback.
5. Set out to skate towards the library.
6. First turn found a puddle of water, that I was unprepared for and got my board as well as my socks wet.
7. Just as I started to make a little progress I was greeted by a friend. Stopped and talked for a little bit.
8. Took off on my board again. Before doing so I noticed how there is a clear mark of where I put my front foot.
9. Noticed a large junk of pavement missing as I approached swerving in time before hitting it.
10. Looked up at the sun and noticed what a beautiful day it was.
11. A friend stopped me again talking about going surfing tomorrow.
12. Ran into another friend, who gave me a book I lent him.
13. We end up talking about our Service Org and events we need to plan.
14. A bunch of other people stop and talk with us.
15. Our conversation turns to midterms and how fast senior year is going.
16. We start talking about going to the loft.
17. I take off once more and we all agree to try and meet at the loft later that week!
18. I realize that this trip to the library is taking a lot longer then I thought, but I'm enjoying the sun and good friends.
19. I start feeling really sweaty and decide to head to the coffee shop first to get a drink.
20. On the way to my detour I once again run into some friends. This time she is accompanied by her parents.
21. We begin joking around, teasing her mom especially.
22. Our group starts people watching as many people walk by wearing their Greek letters or sun dresses.
23. Topic turns to the weather. We all agree that it was really hot in comparative to the past months
24. Someone mentions downtown hit 113 the day before.
25. As we talk about the heat I notice I am becoming increasingly more aware of it and how thirsty I really am.
26. I feel a slight breeze and look up at the trees.
27. I take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this campus really is.
28. I bid farewell giving her and her parents a hug and skate off once more.
29. I take out my iPhone and scroll through my music
30. Finally decide on a song. Minus the Bear - Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse
31. Start really enjoying the music as I skate around the McCarthy area carving about
32. Finally reach a downhill slope
33. While going down the slope I weave in and out of people making sure not to hit anyone
34. See a bunch of people and give waves or nods
35. Reach the end of the hill and cruise to the coffee shop
36. Hop off my board and jet inside
37. I am welcomed by a rush of cold air and feel better.
38. Get in line. Apparently everyone had the same idea as me.
39. Look over the menu, and realize I want something cold and cheap.
40. Notice that "cheap'" is not something this place knows
41. Decide that I want an ice cold ice tea
42. Contemplate getting a snack but decide against it.
43. Finally get to the counter and order my ice tea.
44. Pay and step to the side to wait for my drink
45. Pull out the newspaper I had in my bag
46. Look over the titles and read an article about Green Day's broadway musical debut
47. Get my ice cold ice tea. It taste amazing since I'm so thirsty by this point.
48. Step into Hilton and once again greeted by a nice cold.
49. Begin the search for a free computer.
50. Hopped on the computer to post all of this to this site as well as my other explorations from the week!
Here are some of the signs I saw while biking to CVS:
Bike Lane along Sepulveda
Exploration 14:
On Saturday at about noon I decided to enjoy the weather so I went out on the bluff and posted up to take a much needed nap, since I hadn't even gotten home from a retreat until 8:30am
This is what I heard:
At first there was just a slight breeze cutting through the palm trees above me.
Next I heard the ruffle of my towel as I laid it out.
I could hear a few girls talking in their dorm. I believe it was to my left and two flights up.
As I begin to become more relaxed I heard the sound of the city below the bluff.
I could hear the drones of engines.
A small honk here and there.
Finally I heard a feint siren.
As my eyes grew heavy I could make out the pitter pater of footsteps somewhere nearby. They seemed to be a good distance away.
At around 12:20ish a few skaters went by that woke me up a bit.
As I begin to try to go back to sleep I heard some screaming near by.
I realized it was coming from a room close by, and they were having a party.
I then heard some screams and whistles further away and realized Greek Week football was going on.
At 12:45 a bunch of fraternity guys bursted out of a building shouting and singing their songs.
The noise from the games grew louder and louder.
At 1pm I got up and decided to check it out...
Exploration 15:
Consumption for Friday:
12pm: First meal. Had a piece of toast
9pm: Had a plate of pasta and a glass of Pinot Noir.
3am: Rice Krispee Treat
3:10am: Ate a granola
*Drank water throughout entire time
Exploration 16:
Gave this survey to my roommates and a few other friends for a total of 7 people:
Question 1: Crunchy or Smooth Peanut Butter?
4 for crunchy
3 for smooth
Question 2: iPhone or Blackberry?
5 for iPhone
2 for Blackberry
Question 3: Do you perfer to go out and party or stay in with friends?
5 for stay in with friends
2 for go out and party (with friends they both added)
Question 4: Pepsi or Coke (asked cause of the recent switch on campus)
7 for Coke
0 for Pepsi
Question 5: Would you perfer to be in Greek Life or in a Service Group
3 for Service Group
4 for Greek Life
Exploration 17:
When I read this exercise I was eating some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups... So I made some scupltures:
I decided to document my bathroom sink. Here it is in all its glory:
Exploration 19:
This weekend I was in Tijuana, Mexico on a service project. Here I got most of my things to make pigment.
The first was simple of just some dirt that I mixed with a bit of water to get the dark brown of mud.
We then mixed cement, sand, and rocks to get the grey pigment of cement.
Exploration 20:
While in Mexico I had plenty of time to think and reflect about things. Here are just a few of the many placid thoughts that crossed my weary mind.
"I really wished I remembered all that Spanish I took in High School"
"I can't wait to take a shower" (the whole weekend we had no showers)
"Crap, I have so much homework left to do."
"Oh hey I can use this for my exploration activity."
"It's interesting how some of the poorest places seem to contain the happiest people. Everyone here seems to be so happy and have a strong community. Just like in India..."
"I can't wait to lay down on my bed, and actually get some sleep."
"Why exactly did I sign up for this, this weekend?"
On the way back to LA after playing with orphans:
"I love how little kids choose you, kinda like puppies."
Exploration 21:
Here is one of my favorite streets. It is the street where I would get picked up by the bus in Bonn, Germany. I love this street cause everyday I got on that bus I was headed to some new adventure.
Exploration 22:
While I was in Mexico I took a moment to take a step back and look at my group immersing themselves in the community. It was truly amazing to see that our group was able to be accepted into the community and treated as family. Very few of us actually even spoke Spanish yet, the pictures below show that bonds were fortified despite the language barrier. I noticed that we all were able to communicate through body language. By the end of the day we played futbol with each other, and were teaching each other handshakes.
Exploration 23:
The mystery of the Chupacabra :
In many Latin America countries there is a mysterious beast along the lines of the infamous Loch Ness monstor or the Yeti. It is known as the "El Chupacabra" which literally means "goat-sucker". It is a somewhat ledgendary beat that gets its name because it will often invade farmers livestock and kill the goats, sucking them dry, hence where it gets its name.
http://www.subversiveelement.com/chupacabra.html
This site depicts many pictures of many "caught" Chupacabra, but for the most part the beast is believed to be that of fiction, or rather it is still at large.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra
According to this site there have been many sitings, often identified in road kill. Interestingly the beast has now emerged in many of the Southern US states.
However, the ideal of this beast is rather up to skepticism. For one awareness of this creature only came about in the 90's. Also there is a great debate on what exactly this beast looks like. In an era of photoshop it is often hard to believe what a
picture really is. The days of "a picture tells a thousand words" is now apart of clutter when images can be in fact questioned due to technology.
I personally don't really believe in this beast, but often it is fun to imagine these supernatural mysterious creatures roaming our planet, going unnoticed for hundreds of years. With that being said there is some precedence that must be given to the notion of this creatures existence. After all when the tsunami hit Sri Lanka new creatures of the sea were discovered as their corpses washed onto shore. We may just not know this world as well as we thought. We have come along way from thinking the world was the center of the universe and that our planet was flat; perhaps there is still much more to learn.
(I realized I missed this one) Exploration 11:
So I compared two of my lenses from my film camera and my dslr
Analog lens
DSLR lens
Exploration 24:
Nature VS Imitated Nature
Exploration 25:
I noticed the swirls water makes when being flushed or running down the sink.
I also noticed bubbles created in the froth
Finally the stillness and water settles
I noticed the swirls water makes when being flushed or running down the sink.
I also noticed bubbles created in the froth
Finally the stillness and water settles
Exploration 26:
Toothbrush and toothpaste
sink
shower - soap, towel
wallet
chapstick
cellphone
clothes
sunglasses
medic bag
refigerator- food and drink
Exploration 27:
Walking around campus I realized the beauty of the bluff. That in itself is truly a piece of art. One can see on a good day the Hollywood hills sign as well as sail boats in the distance
Exploration 28:
Left pocket:
Right pocket:
Exploration 29:
Here is my little mystery object paper:
pin
incense burner stand
dryer sheet
Beaded coaster
rubber backing of coaster
Exploration 30:
Indian candle holder
Medic Bag I bought in East Berlin
Shoes that have traveled all over Europe and India
Glass from Vegas
Exploration 31:
Pots and Pans
Glass
Gong
Skateboard wheels
Exploration 32:
Tote Bag- it could be a bottomless bag that will produce whatever I need at a given time
Trash Bag- Could step in and be teleported to anywhere I want
Exploration 33:
Magazines:
Exploration 34:
Some aged fruit
some dying plants
bamboo decks
Exploration 35:
This is an overview of where I live in Rancho Cucamonga...
In my imaginary world the roads would change themselves leading you exactly where you want to go. Pressing the crosswalk buttons would teleport you to a different crosswalk of your choice. The mountains would move closer to me when I wanted to go skiing or snowboarding. Moreover there would be some sort of craft that would take me directly to LMU instantly
Exploration 36:
A little video I made on toys left behind...
Exploration 37:
As I sit in my living room I see various ways of tracking the passage of time
The first is my TV: as programs change it is easy to tell that hours have passed. Moreover by checking the guide I can tell when programs are scheduled
The second is my window: I can see the sun set and move towards the ocean everyday.
Lastly our oregano plant: As the day closes the plant losses its perkiness
Exploration 38:
Bottles!!!
Exploration 39:
After work I decided to make a bagel sandwich for lunch. I took an everything bagel toasted it and melted some swiss and cheddar cheese on it. While that was melting I fried some ham and salami. I put this all together and had quite a delicious meal
Exploration 40:
Normally I embark on my explorations by myself on Monday afternoon. This time to alter the experience of my explorations I went during the weekend while on a date or with some friends. It was more interesting to conduct the exercises because I wasn't going out with a purpose, but rather finding the explorations as they appeared throughout the day.
wow... really... haha... nice
Exploration 41:
Every car has a face:
Electrical Socket:
Iron:
Some scissors:
Exploration 42:
Leavey 5 309 aka The Tea House:
Jon: The guys at that apartment always seem to be making some tea. There is a kettle on the stove at all times.
Laurel: The place is kind of messy but fairly clean for guys. Its really decorated for guys as well with a bunch of photos and stuff from some of the guys travels
Britta: The apartment feels very homey
Hector: They could do the dishes more, but otherwise it's a really fun place to hang out.
Exploration 43:
Exploration 44:
I went to the library not really knowing what to look for so I concluded to research the first thing that came to my mind which happened to be coffee tables. So I went to the computers and researched 'coffee table'. This was the first book to come up:http://www.steidlville.com/books/649-Jason-Rhoades-Black-Pussy-Cocktail-Coffee-Table-Book.html
Needless to say this wasn't what I was expecting but was nonetheless interesting to follow to its end.
So i decided to check it out since I was curious how this related. What I ended up finding out was that this was a book that came out in installments by an artist based on a cabaret theme. The over arcing theme of these books was too "Rhoades' ongoing project of creating a cross-cultural compendium of euphemisms for female genitalia."
Needless to say this wasn't what I was expecting but was nonetheless interesting to follow to its end.
Exploration 45:
Heartbeats per 15 secs: 16
Thus:
1 minute: 64 beats
1 hour: 3,840 beats
1 day: 92,160 beats
1 week: 645,120 beats
Exploration 46:
Table Mat
Rug:
Centerpiece:
Exploration 47:
Wine stain:
Grease Stain:
Weird stain on wood:
Exploration 48:
Tabasco Bottle:
Exploration 49:
Words I find interesting:
detritus, Agrestic, Ecdysiast, Kakistocracy, Porphyrophobia, Sciolism
Exploration 50:
Smells around El Porto:
Salt
Sunscreen
Carbon
Hot dogs
Melting cheese
seaweed
Exploration 51:
burp
breath
sneeze
eat
laugh
hear
jump
hug
play
read
run
sleep
smell
smile
talk
taste
think
wipe
type
see
wonder
work
write
yawn
Exploration 52:
Grabbed water from the Playa, the recycled water here on campus, and lastly filtered water from my Britta
Left the jar on my kitchen counter for weeks.
Nothing ever happened save some sediment falling to the bottom
Exploration 53:
What was this written with?
In respective order: Black pen, yellow highlighter, sweat potatoe in ketchup, pencil, knife dipped in grease, red sharpie, pink highlighter, and a blue pen
Exploration 54:
Things with roots to a tree:
skateboard
apple pie
lemon
lime
banannas
leaf
Exploration 55:
I downloaded two apps for my iPhone:
One was the inception app which plays augmented sound to induce a dream like state.
The other was an app that played themed music throughout your day.
It was an interesing music walking along as if I were in a Mario sidescrolling game
Exploration 56:
For every decision I made I followed the tried and true decision making of the quarter toss.
For every possible situation whether it was making a right or a left, or choosing to pass through drollinger parking lot or go around I would use the quarter to decide my fate
Exploration 57:
Thoughts:
Where would I be had I taken the scholarship and gone to CAL?
Would I have had any involvement in film at all?
Would I have filmed two documentaries in two different countries?
What major or career path would I have taken?
What if I had decided to make a film for my senior year?
What if I had applied to more schools?
Should I move to Europe after graduation?
Exploration 58:
As I was driving out to the desert on a tech scout I made a list of things to find:
horse, all the letters in the ABC license plate game, KFC, Christmas tree, animal shape in clouds, subway, lotus, 12 fastfood chains, dogs, cats
Exploration 59:
I wandered around my apt cleaning up. This is what I found:
zip lock bag
tie box?
wired reorder card
Pen
bottle cap
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