I think the way that Lubna reimagined the semiotic mode of what’s in her bag, was very creative and interactive. I appreciate that she took the time to embed the application into her WordPress website and have the tool accessible to the class (rather than linking it elsewhere). She used H5P, which is a platform I am not very familiar with, to create an interactive image. The image, which looks like the contents of her bag, is in grayscale with a dark outline around the objects. As the reader hovers over the contents of the bag, little purple plus signs pop up, bringing the viewer to a new interaction. As the viewer hovers over each of the objects, an audio clip curated by her is played. 

Similarly, I dove into the element of audio. We had both taken audio clips of the objects in our bag being used. She mimicked the sound of sneezing to demonstrate that the object in her bag is tissues, almost in a similar way that I shook a pill bottle. We both asked our audience to listen closely and to guess what the object or meaning might be based on the sound. 

Each of the videos uses a unique sound, which might include her speaking, a child speaking, or perhaps environmental sound. When I hover over the keys, I hear her say “how much do you love me, tell me again” with a response from a young boy that says “like every mini second it adds by infinity and beyond.” The capture of this very intimate moment is revealing of her personal identity and space, much like a bag would be. 

Her commentary below the interactive piece reveals that she seldomly approaches academic spaces in her native language, oftentimes defaulting to English. This piece stood out to me because of her integration of cultural and personal elements. She says “I cut a short audio clip from an interesting YouTube video of a Pakistani man living in New York who ‘unboxes’ this quintessential Pakistani flavor and unexpectedly finds fifty Pakistani rupees inside. This would be worth about 19 cents in American currency, but his joy at the discovery is priceless.” She opted for this video rather than selecting the Blue Ribbon cheesy commercial jingle, and I would agree that the humanistic element of the genuinely happy man adds a special kind of warmth. Her interpretation of intertextuality here is particularly crafty and thoughtful. 

I think this was such a creative and multi-layered piece. Even though it’s so accessible and easy to maneuver, there is considerable thought towards what sounds are chosen and the interpretation of the audience. I also really appreciate how vulnerable this medium can be, with the sharing of intimate conversations; however, it was an effective way of engaging the audience and asking them to think critically about the why and what.