AkhilRamlakan

SonyBrockman
UniversityWriting1101
9/3/14
LiteracyinMyLife

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ReadinghasalwaysbeenapartofmylifeaslongasIcanremember.Growingup
inasmalltownonthecoastofSouthAfricahasitsbenefits,aseveryoneourfamilyhad
everknownlivedwithindrivingdistance.Atthetime,mybrotherandIwereboththeonly
childreninamassivefamily.Wegainedalotofunwarrantedattentionfrommanydifferent
peoplewhoeachinfluencedusintheirownway.Mygreatgrandfatherhadapassionfor
writing,althoughhehadanevengreaterpassionforwatchingtelevision.Nobodyhada
greaterimpactonmyliteracythanmygreatgrandfather,servingasafatherfiguretomy
father,allofhisvalueswerepasseddownthroughthegenerations.Swimming,reading,
andwritingwereallnecessaryforsurvival,asthrowingusintothepoolwasacommon
occurrenceevenattheageof3.Inorderofimportance,nothingtrumpedbooks,asafamily
understandingtheimportanceofknowledgeknewitwaspower,andthroughtheworldsof
HarryPotterandtheMagicTreehouseIfoundmyself.Ourpassionforreadingstretches
backto1976,wheremyfather,ayoungIndianboydealingwiththesegregationofa
countryfoundsolaceinbooks.Insteadofplayingrugby,cricket,orsocceroutside,under
theguidanceofmygreatgrandfather,hoursuponhoursadaywerespentatthepublic
library.Everydayhewouldreadbooks,andashegrewup,herealizedtheirimportance.
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AkhilRamlakan
SonyBrockman
UniversityWriting1101
9/3/14
Hewasobsessedwithhowharditwastogaininformationbackthen,andhoweasyitisto
learnanythingnow.AfterenteringtheITfieldlaterinhislifeandfindinginajob,hewas
obsessedwithhoweasyitwastogaininformationinthismodernage.Ascomparedtothe
limitedresourcesofasocietystrugglingthroughtheapartheidwewereinagoldenage.I
wastoldthatwewereextremelyluckywiththiswealthofknowledgesurroundingusand
howwedontappreciateit.Alltheseinstitutions,schools,universities,libraries,and
especiallytheworldwidewebwererifewithinformationthatcouldbeaccessedatwill.I
didntnecessarilycarebackthen,butunderstandingthatyouhavetheabilitytoaccessthat
waspassivelyempoweringtous.Everyfewweeksofmychildhoodwerespentatapublic
library,againstmywillatfirst,butsoonturningtoenjoymentandanticipation.Everyonein
myfamilywouldtakehomeabook,andmebeingthecompetitivepersonIam,hadto
matchthelengthofallthebookseveryoneelsewasreading.Mybrother,attheageof9,
wouldtakehome600pagefantasyepics,andmydadwouldbecontentwithanything
SciFi.Icouldntbeoneuppedbythem,soItook45bookshomeeverytrip,usuallyending
inmereadingone,butitwasanaccomplishmentifIcouldsitthroughallofthem.
Competitionempoweredmetoread,andthroughpickingupmanydifferentbooksatthe
librarybyjudgingtheircovers,IwasabletofindafewbooksIholdclosetomyheart.
ThroughmyfatherswillIwasabletorealizehowmuchliteracycantakemeinthisworld,
andthroughconstantreadingIfoundmypassion.

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AkhilRamlakan
SonyBrockman
UniversityWriting1101
9/3/14
2
SoonaftermyarrivalintheUnitedStatesatagefour,andasmydadbecame
infatuatedwithinformationandthetechnologysurroundingus,Itoobecameextremely
dependantontechnology.AswetookourstepsdownfromMiamiInternationalairport,we
weretired,confused,andhungry,albeitamazed.TosoothemyfiveyearoldbrotherandI
(atfour)mymomdecidedtogototheelectronicsshopandbuythefirstthingthatcouldget
ustoshutup.Fromthenon,apinkGameBoyAdvancewithPokemonRedformybrother,
andapurpleGameBoywithPokemonBlueforme.Thatwasthefirststepinmylifelong
technologicaljourneyandoneofmyfondestexperiences.Itookthatthingeverywhere,on
carrides,goingoutside,toschool,toeat,everywhereIwalkedmyGameboystayedbymy
side.Thisbecamemysegwayintoconsoles,computers,laptops,cellphones,youname
it,Ihadthecheaprefurbishedequaltoit.Whenmyfatherstressedthatwearesoluckyto
behere,hetookituponhimselftobeonthebleedingedgeofthiscomputerrevolution.
EverynewPDA,cellphone,iPodorwhatever,weknewaboutit,andifeverthedayitcame
tobuyonewewouldbuythepreviousversionofitused.Throughoutmychildhoodmydad
triedtoteachusexactlyhowtousethesemachineswhichwasmetwithblissfulignorance.I
thoughtbyplayingRunescapeandhavingabetterknowledgeofMicrosoftwordthanmy
2ndgradeteacherIknewexactlyhowtousecomputers.ItwasntuntillaterinmylifethatI
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AkhilRamlakan
SonyBrockman
UniversityWriting1101
9/3/14
realizedIwasdeadwrong,andhowifIlistenedtothewordsofmydadthatIcouldbeso
muchfartheraheadthanIamnow.
ItwasthroughmyhighschoolcomputerscienceteacherMrs.RoszkothatIwas
finallyabletounderstandwhatIcoulddotofurthermygrasponcomputersandhowIcould
affecttheworld.ThroughtwoyearsofcomputersciencecoursesIlearnedhowtocodeand
beproficient.Butbeingproficientwithcomputersdidntentailprogramusage,itwashow
youcouldthink.IveneverwrappedmyheadaroundthingsthewayIdidwhencoding
throughmundaneassignments,makingpromptsforafakeairport,orcalculatingthecostof
rentalcarsoverandoveragain.Itsquiteamazinghowmanytimesyoucanbewrongby
writingaprogram,asworkingandworkingefficientlyaretwodifferentbeastsentirely.It
wasntuntillaterwhenIstartedmakingagameofTicTacToethatIrealizedtheerrorofmy
ways,andthateverythingIcouldbedoingcouldbedoneefficiently,effectively,andmuch
faster.Switchesclickedoninmybrain,andallowingmyselftobechallengedafterlazing
aroundthroughmuchoflifeinstilledanewconfidencewithinmyskills.Beingcomputer
literatemeansIcancreatesomethingthatcouldpossiblychangethewaywethinkofthis
world,andIplanonusingmyunderstandingtodojustthat.
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Ihadneverbeenanavidwatcherofmovies,Ididn'tponderoverwhatmovietosee
atthetheaterbasedonwhosaidwhataboutitorthecontroversybehindeverything.Isaw
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AkhilRamlakan
SonyBrockman
UniversityWriting1101
9/3/14
moviesthatIliked,andIwashappywithmychoices.MovieslikeRushHourorKungFu
PandastuckwithmeasIwatchedforthebrightvisuals,cheerfulcharacters,andallaround
funnyplots.ItwasntuntilImetmyfriendDannythatIstartedtoactivelysearchfornot
entertainingmovies,ratherallthemoviesthatwereacclaimed,accoladed,putona
pedestalbeforeeverymovieevermadethatseemedinferior.Hewasanelitist,heneeded
tohavethehighestscoreinanygame,berankedhigherthaneveryoneelse,understand
everythingonahigherlevelthananyoneelse.Unfortunatelyhecouldntdividehiseffortsso
unnecessarythingslikeschoolsufferedbeforeit.Noonehadquiteanaffectonmy
culturalliteracyratherthanhim,forbetterorforworse.Heintroducedmetothegamethat
wouldengulfmylifeforthenextfewyears,gavemelistsofmoviesthatwouldchangemy
viewontheworld,butalsoservedtomakememorecynicalofaperson.Irememberhe
gavemealistofahundredplusmoviesthathedeemedtobeextremelygood,andthey
were,andthroughthatlistIsat.Ifoundmyfavoritemoviesinthetwistingstorylineandgritty
violenceofTheDeparted,ortheconfusingyetextremelyinterestingbackwardsmovie
Memento.SittingthrougheverysingleTarantinomoviemadeaswellasScorseseallowed
metoseethatdirectorshadstylizedapproachestotopics,andaswellasanarrowscope
onwhattopicstheylikedtoshowcase.Watchingmoviesbecamelessandlessofan
enjoymentandmoreofachoretoseewhatIcouldgetoutofthem.Iwouldcompareand
contrastscenesinmyheadtoseewhetherornottheyweregoodornot,rarelycanIjust
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AkhilRamlakan
SonyBrockman
UniversityWriting1101
9/3/14
watchamovieandenjoyit.Onthebrightside,IfeellikeIhaveadvancedmyculturalliteracy
bygoingthroughallthesemovies,butIcanneverlookataworkforpureenjoyment.