Holiday in Italy: Pass 4

This is the 4^th and final Story Pass for “Holiday in Italy”. I hope you have enjoyed the journey through Italy, experiencing all of its fabulous cultural distinctions!

This pass combines interactivity with the previous 3 passes which consist of a story in text, image, video and audio.

What has changed since pass 3? I am glad you asked! I have added off-page hyperlinks to internet sites that have background information/ history, more picture, and 360 degree panoramas -you’ll love these!! There are also some fun roll-over pop-ups with questions for you as well as visual comparisons of what we saw vs. what we had expected, and possibly even a bus crash. Check it out and enjoy!

Arrivederci! Buon Viaggio!

Michelle

Link to Story Pass 4: http://www.firstcoastkoiclub.com/MichelleHeadPass4.zip

Once the zip file is downloaded, right click on the zip file

From the pop up menu, click on “Extract ALL…”

Another window will pop up, click the “Extract” button

Once all files are extracted, open your new file, then open: Michell Head Pass 4

Open the PPT presentation: Holiday_In_Italy pass4

Click: view slide show.

Start interacting.

Enjoy!!!!

Assignment 6: Story Outline

“Secret Sauce: Johnny’s Quest”

Secret Sauce is played from the first-person perspective of Johnny Margherita, our hero, a third generation Italian-American who has lived his entire life in New York City. All other characters are non-player characters (NPC). This educational action/adventure game is designed to provide beginning Italian students, or anyone interested in learning basic Italian, an opportunity to practice Italian vocabulary.

This is Johnny’s first time out of the country and he is looking forward to a leisurely summer in the small Tuscan town of Monte Penne, Italy; meeting family he has only seen in pictures. Being his first time meeting any family outside of his parents, he wants to make a good first impression. Looking in the mirror to check his appearance, Johnny straightens his button-down shirt over his strong physique then brushes a single dark curl from the center of his brow. “Perfect”, he says to the hazel green eyes gazing back at him.

Arriving on the day of the annual Margherita family reunion at the family villa, Johnny finds tragedy & despair. Nonna’s (grandma) Secret Pasta Sauce Recipe has disappeared. Blame and feuding (and even some throwing of dishes) ensues. Nonna asks Johnny to hunt down the recipe. “Why me?” Johnny asks, “I barely speak Italian. There must be someone better for this important quest.” As Nonna tearfully pleads, Uncle Luigi explains to Johnny that he is the ideal person for this quest because no one knows him, yet he is family. Johnny is the only one who can be objective while everyone is pointing fingers at each other. Reluctantly, Johnny accepts the mission to find the missing recipe in order to once again restore balance to the family.

With the aid of his Cousin Daniela to translate and guide him around Monte Penne and a good luck talisman from Uncle Luigi, Johnny leaves his safe haven behind to find the missing recipe. Monte Penne has eleven levels (marketplace, olive orchard, vineyard, futbol stadium, opera house, etc.). Johnny is free to explore extensively within each level (buy a gelato, watch a street performer, or just gaze upon Monte Penne, etc…). He must use basic Italian vocabulary and strategic thinking to complete tasks and solve puzzles which increase in difficulty with each level. Each time he does this correctly, he is rewarded with a clue leading him one step closer to the missing recipe.

Soon, the word gets out that the Margherita family’s biggest rival, the Boboli family, wants the recipe for themselves to market with their world famous pizza crusts. The race is on; Johnny must discover the whereabouts of the recipe before the Boboli’s do. While investigating, he finds people who are willing to talk and some who are not. Johnny must beware; some who talk are actually allies of the Boboli’s trying to mislead him or set traps that must be avoided.

The final clue leads Johnny and Daniela into a dank underground labyrinth where they not only face treacherous terrain and traps but the Boboli family has somehow made it into the maze as well. They must negotiate their way to the center to reach the recipe and get out of the labyrinth before the Boboli’s do. To win the game they must return the recipe to Nonna who is waiting at the villa without being caught by the Boboli’s or one of their allies. Upon arrival the family is reunited and Nonna prepares spaghetti with her secret sauce while Johnny and Daniela recount the tale of how they rescued the recipe and outsmarted the Boboli’s.

Description of Pass 3 Story

For Story Pass 3 I will bring in a CD/ DVD on Monday. The file is too large to upload.

You will open up the PowerPoint. Use the journal tabs to navigate through the story (need not be linearly). Although this is more of an interactivity, I have added it early. The videos will self start but to play some of the sounds you will have to click on the speaker icon. All supporting files will be on the disc and linked automatically through the PowerPoint.

I have changed from a Word format to a PowerPoint. I created a journal like background using Photoshop. The font is meant to appear as it is handwritten giving it more of a personal journal feel. I have eliminated a few pictures and added 4 videos (on the title page, and days 1, 3, 4, and 6), along with some audio sounds (mostly traditional Italian songs on days 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8) to help create a cultural atmosphere. In terms of text, I have added a title page to introduce the story to the reader and give direction as well as adding a few captions to pictures on day 7. Other than that, the story had remained primarily the same.

First Person Flickr!

Summer Vacation ‘97

 

After looking through six photo albums this is the picture that resonates most with me; probably because of the internal conflict I feel when I look at it. I took this photo of my grandparents when I was a teenager, shortly after arguing with them. I remember thinking my grandparents would be around forever so spending time with them was not on the top of my priority list. There would always be more time later. I wanted to spend time with people my own age. I grew up and before I knew it they were gone. To anyone else this is just an ordinary picture of a couple on the water. For me it is a happy memento of the yearly vacations with my grandparents as well as a sad reminder that life really is short and we need to take advantage of the time we are given with the ones we love.

Pass 2: Journal Italy

Pass 2: Italy Journal

*All digital images are taken by the author or from Microsoft Office Clip Art.

BIG

Brunerian Film Analysis of the movie “Big”

The film Big is about Josh, a 12 year old boy, who makes a wish to be “big” while using the fortune telling carnival machine “Zoltar Speaks”. Overnight, Josh’s prepubescent body is transformed into an adult (played by Tom Hanks). Never anticipating that his wish could come true, Josh finds himself trying to revert back to his younger form, he is quickly propelled into the unfamiliar world of being an adult which includes getting a job and experiencing first love.

The use of Bruner’s narrative feature of canonicity and breach as a framing mechanism sets the stage for Big’s storyline. Canonicity refers to a narrative being accepted as general, generic or inconsequential; if not for a breach the canonicity might not even be worth mentioning. We can all relate to canonical narrative as it is something we have experienced. This narrative feature needs this canonical detail as the background to set the stage for the breach. The breach is recognizable and occurs when the story line suddenly changes and takes a turn in a direction that goes against our canonicity and results in a new perspective which had never been though or dreamed of previously.

The canonicity in Big is established in the beginning of the film. Two boys walking home from playing baseball in an average suburban town. Josh and his parents decide to go to a traveling fair that is in town for the week. While at the fair, Josh runs into a cute girl that he has a crush on and they get in line to ride the roller coaster. They reach the front of the line, but the operator will not let Josh ride the roller coaster. He is too short! While banned from the ride, the girl gets on the ride with another boy, a taller boy. Josh walks away from the situation humiliated and frustrated, when he comes across “Zoltar”. Aiming for Zoltar’s mouth, Josh drops in a coin and makes his wish…to be “big”. Even though unplugged, when the coin entered Zoltar’s mouth, the machine lit up printed out a ticket stating: “Your wish has been granted.” After reading the ticket he goes home, positive that his wish was not truly granted.

The next morning josh wakes up. Here, the director, Penny Marshall, makes good use of focalization as the canonical story is breached. The camera focalizes on Josh’s feet dangling off the edge of the bed; the audience follows his feet, which are no longer kid sized, into the bathroom. While standing in front of the mirror, the camera pans up to his face for a close-up, at the very moment he realizes that his wish has come true; Josh is in fact “big”! He now looks about 30 years old but not a day has passed in his life. Upon realizing he was “big”, Josh is scared and the first thing he tries to do is find a way to revert back to his 12 year old body and immediately rides his bike to the sight of the traveling fair but it has already moved on! This very effective use of breach turns Josh’s world upside down and takes the audience by surprise as they project themselves into his situation, simultaneously propelling the narrative away from the norm.

This breach enhanced the film’s narrative. At some point while growing up, all of us “wished’ we were “big”! Now, thanks to this effective use of breach from the canonical storyline that everyone could relate to, we were able to experience, through Josh, a unique and intriguing perspective of some consequences that might have occurred if our “wish” to be big had been granted.

Story – Pass 1

Travel Journal- Italy

Day 1- Rome (Roma)

 

Stepping out of the airport and into the metropolis that is Rome, the “Eternal City” I am hit with an overwhelming olfactory sensation of diesel fuel, cigarette smoke, sweet warm honey covered brioche and freshly baked breads… Ahhhh Rome. It is amazing how a familiar scent can trigger vivid memories and elicit emotional responses. After a sixteen hour plane ride cramped into coach class with 350 strangers, no shower, barely edible food and one very fussy baby I am ready for a warm shower, a nap, and a vat of caffeine. However, my nose has other plans. With this familiar city scent tingling my senses, I feel rejuvenated and a yearning to dive right into the adventure of exploring the city that lies ahead. I want to see all that is new and all that has changed in the 12 years since I lived in Italy.

 

Finding our hotel, the “Welcome Residence” hotel turned out to be a tiny debacle. Thane and I had a map of the area but still managed to pass by the hotel three times before I remembered that instead of the metal street signs on poles like we are accustom to back home in Florida, often the older buildings of Rome have the street name carved into a stone plaque high on the corner of the building, if there is any sign at all. There isn’t always a consistency when it comes to street demarcation. We could go for blocks before finding any form of signage signifying where we were. Once we discovered we were on the right street, it was a simple task of finding the hotel… or so we thought. Nothing even resembling a hotel, stood out to us. In place of a flashing neon sign or a giant billboard proclaiming “Welcome Residence, enter here” there is a beautifully carved, modest set of tall thin wooden doors welcoming us to our temporary abode. We did not even realize that it was a hotel until we passed through the doors and into the grand foyer. Personally, I find the unobtrusive, understated signage more aesthetically pleasing, but it sure makes for a difficult time trying to locate places being unfamiliar with the area.

 

Finally, we dropped our backpacks in the hotel’s luggage room, and Thane and I headed off on our Roman Holiday! We of course hit all of the usual tourist attractions: the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. We forwent the public transportation and decided to walk giving us the luxury of stopping in shops and gelaterias along the way. Yum! Mango gelato, nutella gelato, rice gelato, lemon sorbetto, all so heavenly! We tried so many flavors we had belly aches before we reached our first destination, the Coliseum.

 

Thane, of course, loved the Coliseum. What man wouldn’t? What is not to love about a gigantic ancient sports arena? Of course, there was no Christian slaughtering scheduled for today so we settled for the headphone tour. I find it curious that two of the most well known icons of Rome are the Coliseum, a place where so many Christians were slaughtered, and, Vatican City (technically its own city, but resides in the heart of Rome), the home of the Pope, head of the Catholic Church, one of the largest Christian denominations. I think if I were the Pope back when this turn of events occurred, I would have demolished the Coliseum and built something on top of it. I wonder why it was allowed to stand and dominate the landscape.

 

On the way to the Forum, we passed a huge arch, the “Arch of Titus”, which is completely surrounded by gates so no one may touch or pass through the arch. As a tourist, a blocked off landmark is frustrating. It is difficult to get the true effect of the work. An arch is meant to be walked under in order to appreciate its true vastness and stature, and to get the full effect of what the designer originally intended it to achieve. But ancient buildings and landmarks are often in need of repair or restoration so with a sigh of understanding we take our pictures and move on to the Roman Forum.

 

The Roman Forum is vast and so full of history, but sadly little remains of the once great city center but ruble and ruin. As we were walking through the Forum we happened to overhear two of the most interesting tidbits from a nearby tour guide. She was talking about the green dots on the ground. We looked down to notice we were stepping on a few of these dots. The tour guide said they were copper coins that melted onto the stones in the 1400’s while Nero watched Rome burn. She also pointed out a plant that was growing nearby, the acanthus plant. It turns out that the leaves of this plant are the same leaves carved into the capitals of Corinthian columns that adorn so many buildings world wide.

 

Note to self: must remember to stop at a grocery store (negozio di alimentari) to pick up drinks and snacks before visiting the sights. The vendors around the sights price gouge. $3.50 for one can of Coke and about the same for a small bottle of no name water from a man with a cart outside the Coliseum. Ouch! I don’t think Disney even charges that much!

 

*The cost of one liter of a no name spring water in the grocery store is about a quarter, and for one liter of San Pellegrino it is about a dollar.

 

 

Day 2- Vatican City (Città del Vaticano)

 

It’s our first morning in Italy. I can tell it is going to be a beautiful May day. The sun is so bright it is peaking through the wooden shutters. I can hear the occasional car zip past, beeping its horn (something the Italians are not timid to use) echoing down the almost deserted side street our room faces. Mostly, I hear the occasional chattering and heel clicking of pedestrians walking down the street below. I can’t resist, I hop out of bed like a kid on Christmas morning and toss open the shutters and throw open the window (something you can no longer do in a hotel back home), to bask in the bright morning light. Ahhhh, the temperature is a mild 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit with little to no humidity. Hello Italy!! I’m back!

 

Staring out from my window high atop the city street, I detect a silly grin stretching across my face as a giddy feeling spreading from head to toe. I just can’t help it! I watch the locals pass by on their way to whatever destination lay ahead. They don muted, darker colors; nothing bright, nothing ostentatious, and never white shoes. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice my very comfortable bright white New Balance tennis shoes; no wonder they say it is so easy to spot an American tourist.

 

I decide on a nice long soak in the luxurious Jacuzzi tub before hitting the streets of Rome. However, I was quickly reminded, by the short supply of hot water that the Italian people, in general, do not enjoy the long hot showers or soaks in the tub that many Americans do. I was once told, years ago, by Davide, the concierge of the pension where I lived, that Italians do not understand why the Americans were so fond of long hot showers or spending so much time in a tub stewing in their own filth. I remember thinking, how ironic since the ancient Romans so loved their communal baths where they went to soak in not only their own filth, but everyone else’s as well.

 

While soaking I ponder on the subject of Italian bathrooms. They have always given me a chuckle. There is such a variation in tub, shower, and toilet designs. But there is one constant, the bathroom is always tiny. A Jacuzzi tub is quite the coup for a hotel in Italy. For most places I have traveled in Italy, tubs are a luxury rarely seen. Actually, this may be the first tub I have seen in Italy, come to think about it. The showers in Italy, however, come in all different shapes and sizes and can range anywhere from a tiny enclosed stall (which are the closest to what we have in the US), to nothing more than a shower head sticking out of the wall directly above the toilet. That one baffled me for a while until I realized the entire room was tiled and the floor slanted slightly to a drain in the middle of the floor. I had a friend in Florence whose tub was a small knee deep basin with a drain that was barely large enough for a small person to squat down into, but not actually sit. The shower head was extendable so aiming it into the basin while showering was important in order to avoid having to wipe down the entire bathroom.

 

Ok, so after a quick breakfast of brioche and café, we are off to Vatican City to see Il Papa (the Pope). The Vatican is immense. You could spend days surveying and studying the centuries of treasures (Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek, etc.), not including the areas that are closed off to the public. In planning our trip Thane and I knew we would have to cherry pick the pieces most important to us to see and then squeeze in what ever else we could in a day. So like many other tourists we made a point to see the Sistine Chapel and Rafael’s Room. Having been an Art History major as an undergrad, I almost cried when I noticed some of the other masterpieces we were zipping past on our way to the Sistine Chapel and Rafael’s Room. I wanted to see them all, but we had a schedule to keep and a train to Southern Italy to catch.

Day 3- The Island of Capri (Isola di Capri)

Today we arrive in Capri from Naples (Napoli) on a hydrofoil. I did get motion sick but it’s still very cool. I was glad when we were back on solid ground, the Island of Capri. It is every bit as stunning as the photos I have seen; stone walls covered in bright fuchsia bougainvillea, lemon trees, palm trees, mountain side villas, and the gorgeous deep blue sea as far as the eye could see.

 

Getting around the island is such an adventure, even with a local doing the driving. Our driver, Paulo, zipped up the hills, through the narrow, winding roads and slammed on the brakes any time canine, feline or pedestrian leisurely strolled into the street, tossing us and the other 2-3 wide-eyed tourists crammed into our tiny van (about half the size of the minivans we see everyday here in the US) around. Paulo and I joked that driving on the island is like a video game where all kinds of obstacles popped up when you least expect them. When we arrived to our destination safely he turned to me and said “GAME OVER, YOU WIN!”

 

Thane and I couldn’t wait to run across the soft sandy beaches a dive into the Mediterranean Sea. So, as soon as we arrive at the “Hotel Webber”, we drop our bags in our room, pull on our swimsuits, and race down the winding staircases to the rocky beach. Huh? Yep, these be rocky beaches, Matey. Grey-white pebbles, rocks and even some boulders with plants growing on top. The rocks pave the way into the water and are really rough on the feet making it difficult to walk. The sharp drop (about 6 inches for every foot you stepped out) didn’t help either. This would have been a good time to have a pair of Aquasox to protect our feet. Ok, so the beach is rocky and the water is sub zero temperature but it is still absolutely gorgeous!

 

We spot a couple of kids jumping off a huge boulder into the water and figure we should give it a try. Climbing the boulder proves to be more challenging than expected. There are no stairs or ladders; it’s like scaling a small mountain. In place of stairs there is a thick chain bolted to the side of the boulder which we use for leverage to pull ourselves up by placing our feet in the crevices of the boulders surface. Again, foot protection would be helpful here. Maybe we will rent a boat tomorrow.

 

 

Day 4- Capri

 

Ahhh, it’s another glorious bright sunny day. Now, this is La Dolce Vita (the sweet life)! We chartered a private boat to circle once around the island and make one stop at the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto is a cave that is partially submerged allowing the sunlight to refract through the submerged cave opening to light the water from underneath. The color is the most amazing shade of glowing blue! The opening to the cave was so small that we had to get into a small row boat and lay down in order to go through the mouth of the cave. Our rowboat captain had to pull on a thick chain to get the boat through the mouth. Once inside the grotto we floated around in the cool darkness listening to the rowboat captain croon ‘O’ solo Mio’ while admiring the glowing blue water. I could stay all day.

 

We spent the rest of the day shopping in the city center. There is a gorgeous high end area with names like Versace, Armani, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana, and then there is a separate area for everyone else. The later is much more touristy and less expensive, but had gorgeous merchandise all the same. I loved the hand painted ceramic tiles, terracotta pottery, and red coral jewelry. And we could not leave without buying Limoncello for everyone we know.

This ain’t no Olive Garden

I think Thane is shocked at how different food in Italy is from the Italian food he has grown up with (Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, and Chef Boyardee). I think it really hit him today when I ordered a salad and got a bowl of nothing but white iceberg lettuce with olive oil drizzled on top. I had a feeling this might be the case and gave him a heads up before we left the states so he wouldn’t be caught off guard. But that isn’t really something I could prepare him for just by telling him it would be different.

 

I remember my first real Italian food experience. I thought ordering a pizza would be safe. I could not have been more wrong. I ordered my usual pepperoni and mushroom pizza. I was sure Pizza Hut was pretty authentic. HA, HA! What I expected; a thick crust, pepperoni (meat) and mushroom (canned), is not what I received. The crust was a light flour dough, so paper thin that it tore when I tried to pull it apart. The mushrooms were fresh not canned and the pepperoni was not meat but small hot peppers. It did not take me long to figure things out. Of course, previously living in Italy has spoiled me, I have not eaten Olive garden or Pizza Hut since.

 

 

Day 5 – Traveling Day

 

Today is a traveling day. We must leave our island paradise and travel from Capri to Sorrento via Hydrofoil, then to Pompeii by bus, and finally to Venice via overnight train. We made sure we reserved a sleeper car.

 

Our concierge called ahead to Venice to help us book our next hotel room. We were absolutely elated when he told us that they had an upgraded room with a view, we’d be able to see Piazza San Marco from our window for only $40 more. We of course jumped on that.

 

The night train will arrive in Venice at 5:30 am. After much debate Thane and I agreed sleeping on the train would be beneficial since neither of us wanted to use up another day of our trip just sitting on the train, regardless of how pretty the scenery is zipping by at a gazillion km an hour. The train is also cheaper than a hotel; there is just no shower.

 

The sleeper car is actually clean and not too bad. There were fresh sheets sewn together on two sides like a pouch you could sip into and a new pillow waiting for us. They even through in toilet seat covers, a moist towelette, and paper slippers for walking around in the train car.

 

Day 6– Venice (Venezia)

 

5:30 am, for two night people this is about as much torture as we can handle. This is one time I would not have minded the train being late so I could have slept a little more. We need to find some of that strong, rich Italian coffee, quickly. We head out toward the water taxis and water buses but none are running yet. They must be night people too.

 

Well, we have a long walk ahead of us but maybe we can find a nice little café to have a coffee and brioche until our hotel will take us in. Maybe we should head in the direction of Piazza San Marco to watch the sunrise on the water.

 

No luck finding a caffeine hook up. Not even the street vendors are stirring.

 

As we continue to walk I couldn’t help but notice the calm stillness of the early morning. The pitch darkness, exaggerated by the tall buildings situated closely together, block out any light cast by the moon or the stars. It’s peaceful and… raining. It is at just that moment that I realized how very few awnings there are to stand under on the streets of Venice. We found an open door way leading to a staircase and ducked into it as the deluge began. The sunrise will have to wait for another day.

 

We finally arrive at the hotel, change out of our wet clothes, and get ready to head out to see the Piazza San Marco, when we remember that we have a view from one of our windows. Tearing open the drapes we crane our necks to see how close we really are. Where is it? We check and recheck all we can see is the tippy-top of bell tower of Piazza San Marco. There must be a mistake. Nope, there’s no mistake. It turns out this is the upgrade room. The rooms below have a view of only the walls and windows of the neighboring building, if they have windows at all. Wow, it is amazing what some people consider a room with a view.

 

Venice is definitely a unique city. Not only is it built on water but there are no cars, just boats: water taxis, water buses, a FedEx delivery boat, and of course gondolas. And the boats don’t just drop people at a dock. Many homes, businesses; even churches have doors or stairs that go right down to the water. I think that would be so cool to pull right up to my front door in a boat and just hop right out. I wonder what they would do in a flood.

 

Day 7 – Florence (Firenze)

 

This is the perfect end to a great vacation. Florence was my home away from home 12 years ago while I studied Art History, Italian language and culture. I spent the day visiting some of my favorite restaurants, stores, and hangouts. I also showed Thane where I lived and where I went to school; telling him many stories along the way.

 

Day 8 – Rome and Home

 

Return to Rome to fly home with new pictures, new experiences, and new memories.

Proposal

The following is my proposed strategy for composing a series of transmedia stories.

This story will be an account of my recent trip to Italy. The genre is a non-fiction narrative, written in the style of a personal journal recounting my experience while immersed in Italian culture.

I have chosen this type of story because I find experiencing new cultures fascinating, whether it is first hand or through another’s eyes. Now it’s my turn to share the experiences I’ve had with others who enjoy the same. My intended audience is anyone who enjoys traveling or just experiencing new cultures.

My primarily purpose is to entertain the reader while providing my own insight on traveling in Italy. I intend to show some of the differences in cultures that can catch travelers off guard, often leading to culture shock.

First person focalization will be employed, as it will be told from my perspective. I will be the focalizer and the narrator. Employing human mental temporality, this story will be arranged chronologically in the order I experienced it, and may include references to memories and/or prediction. I do not foresee any changes in focalization or temporal arrangement after each pass.

I anticipate carrying the same story throughout all four passes, changing the media with each pass. Pass 1 will be all text. With the addition of various media in the subsequent passes, text will be reduced. In pass 2, I will add photo images. In pass 3, I will add video. In pass 4, I will create an interactive element. I’m unsure, however, what the interactive element will be. Perhaps linking readers to the sights, hotels, and other information mentioned to allow further investigation of elements they find interesting.

This story is not meant to be persuasive or to influence the reader’s opinion one way or another; therefore, I do not foresee a major change in rhetoric. I expect the photos and video to paint a vivid picture helping the reader to visualize any rhetoric include in pass 1. Through the addition of visual and interactive media to the storyline, memory hooks, making the story potentially more memorable, will be created.

I anticipate a challenge in writing this story. I have been writing technically for so long I fear I may have lost the knack to write creatively. Hopefully, with some practice it will come back. However, my greatest challenge for this project will be my lack of technical know-how. I have grandiose ideas of how I would like this project to appear, but I lack the technical knowledge, skills and abilities to ensure my vision comes to fruition, as well as the funds to purchase some of the pricey software packages on the market. I intend to research free or inexpensive software packages (30-day trials or student versions) with detailed instructions to resolve this issue.

Introduction

 

 

 

General Introduction
Hello all, my name is Michelle. I live in Jacksonville, FL and work part time at Williams-Sonoma as a gift wrapper. I will be interning in Orlando, FL this summer, so I will spend quite a bit of time traveling between the two cities. This August I will complete both the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Instructional Technology: Instructional Systems track, as well as the Professional Certificate in Instructional Technology: Instructional Design for Simulations. My undergrad degree is a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and Criticism of Art from Florida State University. I have also taken several post-baccalaureate courses in Psychology.

I have a number of interests outside of the academic arena. Among them are great food, friends and of course my 2 puppy dogs Libby & Colby. I love to travel also. I studied Art History (and Italian men 🙂 ) in Florence, Italy and lived just outside Paris, France for a short time. Experiencing new cultures fascinates me.

As a matter of fact, I recently returned from a week in Italy. One of the places we visited was the Island of Capri. It’s stunning! And getting around the Island was such an adventure, even with a local doing the driving. Our driver, Paulo, zipped up the hills, through the narrow, winding roads and slammed on the brakes any time canine, feline or pedestrian leisurely strolled into the street, tossing about the 5-6 wide-eyed tourists crammed into our tiny van (about half the size of the minivans we see everyday here in the US). Paulo and I joked that driving on the island was like a video game where all kinds of obstacles popped up when you did not expect them. Each time we arrived to our destination safely he would say “GAME OVER, YOU WIN!”

 

 

Interest in Narrative or Storytelling
I must confess I had never been an avid reader. I still wouldn’t call myself “avid” but I have had a renewed interest in reading in the last few years. Currently I am reading “Marley and Me” by John Grogan, recommended by my neighbor and listening to Christopher Paolini’s “Eldest” on disc while driving. I am always on the look out for something new and would love recommendations, if anyone has any.

Ahh, but movies and TV on the other hand, I have always been a fan! …you might even say junkie. When I have free time between assignments I retreat into my DVR, which currently only has 6 hours and 35 minutes available (out of 100 hours) b/c I have so many movies and shows recorded sitting ready to watch. I am currently hooked on shows like Lost, Hero’s, and Ugly Betty just to name a few.

Interest in Media
I love video games but rarely find time to play. As a kid all of my allowance went to video games (Centipede, Asteroids, Galaga, Tempest), and I could spend hours in front of the Atari (Jungle Hunt was my favorite). In college (undergrad) I was hooked on Tetris. After college my co-workers and I frequently visited Dave & Busters on our lunch break to shoot it out or race down the ski slopes. Most recently, I performed the PITT maneuver (fans of the show COPS will know the PITT) on a simulator at IST (Institute for Simulation and Training) that is designed to train police officers how to perform various driving maneuvers on the job.

As for my level of comfort with computers, I’m very comfortable when I have time to explore and figure things out, but under pressure I am not as good. I am addicted to the Internet. I am always using it to find information on anything and everything. It drives me mad to not have access to the Internet at my fingertips!