Togetherness.

The Jefferson Family
10895 Coral Shores Dr
Jacksonville, FL 32256-2114


November 27, 2011


Dear Family and Friends,


     As you all know, the holidays are in full swing and we are planning our annual get-together! Before I give any more details on the party, I just wanted to fill you all in on what has been going on around here.  I am still hard at work in my bakery.  Things have really started to take off this year, and I'm selling more and more every day... But I can't complain.  Matt is always busy with his traveling for work and his newly discovered hobby of golf, which he also does on his business trips.  Both of us are well and plan on taking a much needed vacation in the near future to somewhere tropical.  Jessie is involved in more than I can even keep track of and is always doing homework, practicing something, planning, hanging out with her friends, or texting... All the typical things for a girl her age.  She has also started helping out at the bakery when she has free time. It's great!  And just like every other high school girl, boys and getting out of the house are always on her mind.  Nate is loving sixth grade and is becoming very interested in science.  Who ever knew that we would have a scientist in our family?  He has also just recently started playing basketball, and it's so much fun to watch him.  He is quite the little athlete.  And I could never forget about our little ball of fire, Elise.  As always, she's a diva, but she also has started to find an interest in helping me out at the bakery.  She's fabulous help.  We have also enrolled her in dance classes, which she loves.  The kids are always keeping us on our toes... But, hey, we need it!
     Although we are always on the move, I love finding the time to share our recent happenings and invite you to our home for a rendezvous!  Just like every year, it will be the weekend before the kids get out for Winter Break, and this year, it falls on December 17th.  We will have all kinds of yummy food and drinks to get us all into the Holiday Cheer we have all come to love.  We hope to see all of you there and look forward to hearing from you whether or not you will be able to make it.  It would be greatly appreciated if you would let us know if you will be there so we can plan the food accordingly.  We can't wait!


Cheers,
Matt, Aubrey, Jessie, Nate, and Elise




**It took a lot of thinking about where I would place this piece in my Multi Genre Project, and also the perspective I would be taking.  I chose to do this piece from an extended family member who is inviting the girl who will eventually come to terms with the fact that family gatherings are like hell on earth.  I found that this piece would fit well at the beginning of my project because I want it to gradually continue to uncover the dirty secrets behind these shindigs.  I also want this girl to realize that families share way too much information about one another than they really should, so that's why I wrote this letter in the same way people send out their mass holiday greetings.**

A Unique View

Ruby Pauli
"Baraka" in her mind and eyes.

FilmReview: You told me that you have recently watched the film "Baraka" What was your first impression of it?
Ruby: Well, to be completely honest, I thought it was a little out there and I didn't really know what to think of it.  I was told that it was a series of pictures and music that kind of show what a multi-genre project is like. As we got further into the movie, though, I started to comprehend it more. 
FilmReview: As you watched it did you have feelings that were unfamiliar to you?
Ruby: There were parts of the movie that made me feel really confused because of the order they were shown, but it started to make more sense as it progressed. It was also kind of hard to grasp the fact that everyone sees it in a different perspective.  Another thing that I didn't really expect were the strong feelings I got of disappointment in mankind and also the inhumane treatment of animals.  It made me feel extremely sick.
FilmReview: Those are common responses I have heard from other people.  What made you appreciate the world you live in?
Ruby: So many people in the world live in such drastically different environments than the one I live in and are happy with the place they are, and that is so amazing to me.  These are the people who are living in grass huts and have to walk for miles just to get water, but they seem to be content.  I think they are that way because they have never known anything other than their way of life.  It is interesting that people who live in developed countries take their possessions and lives for granted, but people who have virtually nothing can be perfectly content.
FilmReview: That's very true.  What was the worst part of the movie in your mind?
Ruby: The most atrocious part of the movie was when the man was on guiding a full cart by donkeys. It was bad enough that the donkeys were pulling as much weight as they were, but on top of that they were emaciated and the one on the left looked as though it had a broken back leg.  The man just kept making them go and it was very hard for me to watch. The vivid image still sticks in my mind and plays over and over again.  Another part that I found very disturbing was the chicks that were being hucked down a tube like they were stuffed animals getting dropped by the claw machines. Then getting their beaks burned so they wouldn't peck when they were lined up in rows upon rows to mass produce eggs.
FilmReview: The movie was basically broken into three different sections. Do you think the director put these images into an understandable order?
Ruby:  I wish they would have started out with the ancient ruins first instead of showing the primitive societies, but the images that were within the sections fit really well in my opinion. It was pretty easy to follow once I got past the fact that I could interpret it the way I wanted to.
FilmReview: Yes, it was different to see a film that allows you to interpert things the way you want to.  What else about this movie changed the way you think?
Ruby: Even though I have never really experienced or seen cultures that worship and live the way many of the ones "Baraka" showed, it kind of helped me gain more perspective on what it is all about.  Living in a technologically advanced culture unlike the people this film shows who follow tradition that their ancestors have passed down for many generations is extremely enlightening.
FilmReview: Looking at their culture.. Do you think there is a reason they have kept their traditions rather than becoming more advanced?

"... The people this film shows who follow tradition

that their ancestors have passed down for

many generations."              

Ruby: I think they have stuck to the way they know because the world can be such a cruel place and once people start getting greedy, it spreads like wildfire.  Another reason they probably stick to tradition is because of their way of life being so tribal and thier environment having no technological influence. 
FilmReview: You seem to have a lot of deep thoughts and emotions about this film. What message would you tell people it sends to its viewers?
Ruby: From my experiences, I viewed the movie as things poeple don't think about in as much detail as they could.  Life is a beautiful thing, and the world is a beautiful place.  We need to take care of each other and the planet we live on because there is only one unique copy of everyone and everthing, and only one planet to share between us all.  I want people to also realize that this movie can send so many different messages and whatever they get out of it is also completely correct, so interperet it how you want to and gain some insight on worldly issues. 
FilmReview: Thank you for your time and opinions on the movie! It was great to sit down and talk with you.
Ruby: It was my pleasure! Thank you for having me.