Ugh...
Okay, don't feel like talking about the theme anymore, but I really have nothing else to talk bout so...
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE THEME!!!YAY!!!
Be selfless or selfish?
Some think that the true selflessness shines when it was chosen in a life-and-death situation. And some argue that selflessness can be demonstrated at any situation.
Well, and there are some, like me, who would believe that in a life-and-death situation, choosing to save yourself first isn't really selfish.
I have always believed that human beings are animals. The only difference between human and animals is our ability to reason and our lust for improvement and being superior than others.
Just like any other animals, out first instinct when being placed in mortal danger is to save ourselves.
And, at those moments, the ones that can think for the others are, in my opinon, rare and admirable.
To be honest, in dangerous situations, I admit, I would save myself first.
And so, if it is natural and our first instinct, why would such actions be considered as 'selfish'?
Again, it's all just things that people made up to make human seem better and greater than everything else.
I really don't know what to say now...
...I really look forward to winter break!
**If this post offends anyone, I apologize.
18 December, 2007
17 December, 2007
Wicked Lovely post 5A
Oh yeah, I finished my book!!
This is the last set of posts I will ever do for this book...yay!!
Vocabuary:
Cavort: (v.)
1. When people cavort, they leap about in a noisy and excited way.
2. Cavort is sometimes used by journalists to suggest that people were behaving in a playfully sexual way.
Nonchalant: (adj.)
1. If you describe someone as nonchalant, you mean that they appear not to worry or care about things and that they seem very calm.
Figurative Language:
1. "guards...like a moving fence...": Simile, it used like to compare guards with a moving fence.
2. "thud": Onomatopoeia, described the sound of the person falling to the ground.
3. "The wind swept through the trees like a raging fire...": Similie, comparing the wind to the raging fire.
Quote:
"'Your're right, Mother. It will never work with both of us still breathing.'"
This quote shows that Keenen realixed the contridiction of positions of himself and his mother, Beira. And in the book, this sentence led to all the action scene afterwards.
Theme:
When it's time for you to choose between selfish and selfless, make the rigth decision, be selfless.
This is the last set of posts I will ever do for this book...yay!!
Vocabuary:
Cavort: (v.)
1. When people cavort, they leap about in a noisy and excited way.
2. Cavort is sometimes used by journalists to suggest that people were behaving in a playfully sexual way.
Nonchalant: (adj.)
1. If you describe someone as nonchalant, you mean that they appear not to worry or care about things and that they seem very calm.
Figurative Language:
1. "guards...like a moving fence...": Simile, it used like to compare guards with a moving fence.
2. "thud": Onomatopoeia, described the sound of the person falling to the ground.
3. "The wind swept through the trees like a raging fire...": Similie, comparing the wind to the raging fire.
Quote:
"'Your're right, Mother. It will never work with both of us still breathing.'"
This quote shows that Keenen realixed the contridiction of positions of himself and his mother, Beira. And in the book, this sentence led to all the action scene afterwards.
Theme:
When it's time for you to choose between selfish and selfless, make the rigth decision, be selfless.
10 December, 2007
Wicked Lovely post 4B
Already.
Almost at the end of my book...everything is getting tense...
Okay, weird enough, this book associated with ethical decisions as well, along with the things that we are doing in Language Art.
In the book, Keenen asked--or forced, shall I say--Aislinn to make a choice between the death of all feys and human beings or her own happiness.
Well, usually, one does not have such obligation nor such power to make a choice like the one Aislinn hade to make in the book. BUT, as quoted from one of my friends: "Pink or blue. Skirt or jeans. Sleep or awake. B or D (On APWH multiple choice quiz). Life is filled with decisions one has to make."
Everyday, we make choices, whether big or small. They are all the things that we can never take back, never re-do. Every moment is filled with success and regret of every choice we have ever made.
Talking behind people's back and they find out. Spend every cent on you for a cookie in lunch and realize you have no money for bus. Decided to choose A on your test and got it right.
Mistakes, big or small, and successes, grand or worthless, are all happening around us. Every instant, a miracle could happen. Every moment, a disaster can occur. Live life to the fullest, and leave no regret.
...How did I get here...?
Okay, I made a decision: I am done with this for now.
Almost at the end of my book...everything is getting tense...
Okay, weird enough, this book associated with ethical decisions as well, along with the things that we are doing in Language Art.
In the book, Keenen asked--or forced, shall I say--Aislinn to make a choice between the death of all feys and human beings or her own happiness.
Well, usually, one does not have such obligation nor such power to make a choice like the one Aislinn hade to make in the book. BUT, as quoted from one of my friends: "Pink or blue. Skirt or jeans. Sleep or awake. B or D (On APWH multiple choice quiz). Life is filled with decisions one has to make."
Everyday, we make choices, whether big or small. They are all the things that we can never take back, never re-do. Every moment is filled with success and regret of every choice we have ever made.
Talking behind people's back and they find out. Spend every cent on you for a cookie in lunch and realize you have no money for bus. Decided to choose A on your test and got it right.
Mistakes, big or small, and successes, grand or worthless, are all happening around us. Every instant, a miracle could happen. Every moment, a disaster can occur. Live life to the fullest, and leave no regret.
...How did I get here...?
Okay, I made a decision: I am done with this for now.
08 December, 2007
Wicked Lovely post 4A
Vocabulary:
Permeate: (v.)
1. If an idea, feeling, or attitude permeates a system or permeates society, it affects every part of it or is present throughout it.
2. If something permeates a place, it spreads throughout it.
Acrid: (adj.)
1. An acrid smell or taste is strong and sharp, and usually unpleasant.
Figurative Language:
1. “He was glowing like a bright light radiating”: Simile, the use of ‘like’ compared ‘he’ to the bright light.
2. “…digging small half circles—like slivers of the sun…”: Simile, the use of ‘like’ compared the half circles to slivers of the sun.
3. “She froze, like quarry before the Hunt…”: Simile, the use of ‘like’ compared ‘she’ to quarry.
Quote:
“Maybe he is right. She could use whatever help she could get. The idea of looking for faeries went against every rule she’d ever learned, but she was going to do it, to try it. It was better than waiting. I need to try something. Do something.”
This quote shows that Aislinn is going to do something to protect herself, and perhaps putting investigation toward the stalking faeries into action.
Theme:
The theme would be: doing something is better than doing nothing.
Permeate: (v.)
1. If an idea, feeling, or attitude permeates a system or permeates society, it affects every part of it or is present throughout it.
2. If something permeates a place, it spreads throughout it.
Acrid: (adj.)
1. An acrid smell or taste is strong and sharp, and usually unpleasant.
Figurative Language:
1. “He was glowing like a bright light radiating”: Simile, the use of ‘like’ compared ‘he’ to the bright light.
2. “…digging small half circles—like slivers of the sun…”: Simile, the use of ‘like’ compared the half circles to slivers of the sun.
3. “She froze, like quarry before the Hunt…”: Simile, the use of ‘like’ compared ‘she’ to quarry.
Quote:
“Maybe he is right. She could use whatever help she could get. The idea of looking for faeries went against every rule she’d ever learned, but she was going to do it, to try it. It was better than waiting. I need to try something. Do something.”
This quote shows that Aislinn is going to do something to protect herself, and perhaps putting investigation toward the stalking faeries into action.
Theme:
The theme would be: doing something is better than doing nothing.
02 December, 2007
Wicked Lovely post 3B
Dear Melissa Marr,
As I was reading this book I couldn’t help but notice how well thought out and sophisticated the world of Aislinn is. It occurred to me that I would never be able to come up with such an exciting world on my own. How did you do it? How did you come up with this imaginary world? Was there anything that inspired you? The sophistication of the faery world was clearly evident through your detailed analyses of interactions between the characters of the faery world. I also thought your description of the environment of said characters was very detailed, and I thought that the artificial world was in its own way, realistic. Though one would never see fairies in real life, the other aspects of this world felt very real. The practicality of the characters. The mortality of the heroine. Even the sarcasm and wit of the everyday person made the story draw me in and entrap me in your artificial world.
Regards,
Gloria Fann
As I was reading this book I couldn’t help but notice how well thought out and sophisticated the world of Aislinn is. It occurred to me that I would never be able to come up with such an exciting world on my own. How did you do it? How did you come up with this imaginary world? Was there anything that inspired you? The sophistication of the faery world was clearly evident through your detailed analyses of interactions between the characters of the faery world. I also thought your description of the environment of said characters was very detailed, and I thought that the artificial world was in its own way, realistic. Though one would never see fairies in real life, the other aspects of this world felt very real. The practicality of the characters. The mortality of the heroine. Even the sarcasm and wit of the everyday person made the story draw me in and entrap me in your artificial world.
Regards,
Gloria Fann
01 December, 2007
Wicked Lovely post 3A
Vocabulary:
Lascivious: (v.)
1. If you describe someone as lascivious, you disprove of them because they show a very strong interest in sexual activity.
Supine: (adj.)
1. If you are supine, you are lying flat on your back. (FORMAL)
Figurative Language:
1. “After the air kissing…”: Personification, since the air can’t kiss.
2. “The trees were reaching toward the gray sky…”: Personification, since the tree can’t reach.
3. “The wind gently wiped away her tears…”: Personification, since the tree can’t really ‘wipe’ away people’s tears…
Quote:
"Aislinn felt tears in her eyes. The arm around her was bruisingly tight. The hand over her mouth squeezed again, and she could taste fresh blood in her mouth. She tried to think, remember what she knew about self-defense.”
This quote indicated the current situation; Aislinn was stalked by a group of teenagers in the town. And then the Dead Girl showed up, and the action of protecting Aislinn was very significant since it shows how much Dead Girl’s boss—the Summer King—cares about Aislinn.
Theme:
The theme would be: one can be obsessed with one thing, trying to get it or achieve it, and subconsciously ignore the dangers and risks one might face.
Lascivious: (v.)
1. If you describe someone as lascivious, you disprove of them because they show a very strong interest in sexual activity.
Supine: (adj.)
1. If you are supine, you are lying flat on your back. (FORMAL)
Figurative Language:
1. “After the air kissing…”: Personification, since the air can’t kiss.
2. “The trees were reaching toward the gray sky…”: Personification, since the tree can’t reach.
3. “The wind gently wiped away her tears…”: Personification, since the tree can’t really ‘wipe’ away people’s tears…
Quote:
"Aislinn felt tears in her eyes. The arm around her was bruisingly tight. The hand over her mouth squeezed again, and she could taste fresh blood in her mouth. She tried to think, remember what she knew about self-defense.”
This quote indicated the current situation; Aislinn was stalked by a group of teenagers in the town. And then the Dead Girl showed up, and the action of protecting Aislinn was very significant since it shows how much Dead Girl’s boss—the Summer King—cares about Aislinn.
Theme:
The theme would be: one can be obsessed with one thing, trying to get it or achieve it, and subconsciously ignore the dangers and risks one might face.
25 November, 2007
Wicked Lovely post 2B
In the portion that I've read from the book, many themes and ideas were pointed out.
The relationship between mother and son, the difficulty of being different, even the attraction between two genders were all, whether slightly or constantly, mentioned thus far.
A family. The image that people usually get from this word is happy, harmony, caring, etc. However, there were many cases, in real life, that family relationships turned out not that beautiful.
When kids are young and innocent, they don't really--let's put it this way--have a mind. They are, however, capable of seperating what they like and dislike. Even that, they still don't really have their opinion on things, so when their parents tell them to do something, they would listen and follow the command.
As the children are growing up, they make more contact with the outside world and ideas, eventually, begin to have their own beliefs and opinions. Parents aren't very use to that, and they would use the same way that they treat their children before to treat them now. SOme of the parents can get accostom to the situation and the change very well and soon while some can't. So when the children start to 'strive' for their rights and beliefs, some parents just simply couldn't stand it. However, no matter how things get, there is always some kind of connections and bonds between the parents and the children, and this type of connection is strong enough, although can get weak sometimes, to face everything.
But besides that, as in Wicked Lovely, there are family relationships that are just...abnormal.
Keenen, the Summer King, has a very arrogant mother, the Winter Queen, with a lust for power. She basically treat Keenen as a tool, using him to find maids and even seek to find the 'perfect bride' for him, as a way to control him of course. And, in my opinion, this is absolutely cruel and unbelievable.
::sigh::
...Life is weird.
The relationship between mother and son, the difficulty of being different, even the attraction between two genders were all, whether slightly or constantly, mentioned thus far.
A family. The image that people usually get from this word is happy, harmony, caring, etc. However, there were many cases, in real life, that family relationships turned out not that beautiful.
When kids are young and innocent, they don't really--let's put it this way--have a mind. They are, however, capable of seperating what they like and dislike. Even that, they still don't really have their opinion on things, so when their parents tell them to do something, they would listen and follow the command.
As the children are growing up, they make more contact with the outside world and ideas, eventually, begin to have their own beliefs and opinions. Parents aren't very use to that, and they would use the same way that they treat their children before to treat them now. SOme of the parents can get accostom to the situation and the change very well and soon while some can't. So when the children start to 'strive' for their rights and beliefs, some parents just simply couldn't stand it. However, no matter how things get, there is always some kind of connections and bonds between the parents and the children, and this type of connection is strong enough, although can get weak sometimes, to face everything.
But besides that, as in Wicked Lovely, there are family relationships that are just...abnormal.
Keenen, the Summer King, has a very arrogant mother, the Winter Queen, with a lust for power. She basically treat Keenen as a tool, using him to find maids and even seek to find the 'perfect bride' for him, as a way to control him of course. And, in my opinion, this is absolutely cruel and unbelievable.
::sigh::
...Life is weird.
23 November, 2007
Wicked Lovely post 2A
This is not fun...
Vocabulary:
feign:(v.)
1. If someone feigns a particular feeling, attitude, or physical condition, they try to make other people think that they have it or are experiencing it, although this is not true. (FORMAL)
Mundane: (adj.)
1. Something that is mundane is very ordinary and not at all interesting or unusual.
Figurative Language:
1. "tsk": Onomatopoeia because tsk is a word that describes a sound.
2."nature abhors a vaccum": personification because nature doesn't 'abhor', the author used personification to give nature human qualities.
3. "blah": Onomatopoeia because blah is describing how it sounds.
Quote:
"'One day I'll have the full strength of the King of Summer, just like father did. Your reign will end. No more growing cold. Nomore unchecked power.' He lowered his voice, hoping to hide the trembling. 'Then we'll see who's truly stronger.'"
This quote shows the conflict between Keenen and his mother, the Winter Queen. And let the readers understand the underlying situation.
Theme:
I think the theme of these few chapters is that everyone has their own stroies.
Vocabulary:
feign:(v.)
1. If someone feigns a particular feeling, attitude, or physical condition, they try to make other people think that they have it or are experiencing it, although this is not true. (FORMAL)
Mundane: (adj.)
1. Something that is mundane is very ordinary and not at all interesting or unusual.
Figurative Language:
1. "tsk": Onomatopoeia because tsk is a word that describes a sound.
2."nature abhors a vaccum": personification because nature doesn't 'abhor', the author used personification to give nature human qualities.
3. "blah": Onomatopoeia because blah is describing how it sounds.
Quote:
"'One day I'll have the full strength of the King of Summer, just like father did. Your reign will end. No more growing cold. Nomore unchecked power.' He lowered his voice, hoping to hide the trembling. 'Then we'll see who's truly stronger.'"
This quote shows the conflict between Keenen and his mother, the Winter Queen. And let the readers understand the underlying situation.
Theme:
I think the theme of these few chapters is that everyone has their own stroies.
19 November, 2007
Wicked Lovely poat 1B
Being different is hard.
In everyone's life, I believe, there were at least a time when you just felt awkward because you were different. In Wicked Lovely, Aislinn can see faeries, which others can't except her family. And it is believed that if the faeries know that they can see them, horrible things would happen.
Think about the times when you see a major flaw somewhere in a group project, but you couldn't bring yourself to say it because you are afraid to be blamed.
That is what I called human nature. Afraid to be blamed, can do everything to avoid punishments, some, like Joe in All My Sons, would be even willing to let his best friend take blame for him.
Being different, unique, special, or however you want to phrase it, is difficult.
When one is treated in a different manner than most, one usually gets attention whether if one is willing or not. Especially those who are introverted, life can be surprisingly challenging to get through.
Imagine this, when others are pointing at you, talking about you, regardless if it is good or bad, wouldn't you feel weird?
Furthermore, I would start questioning myself and wonder what I have done to lead myself in to the role of the topic of people's discussions. So, next time, before you open your mouth and give a comment, think again, try to reduce the harm to the least possible.
In everyone's life, I believe, there were at least a time when you just felt awkward because you were different. In Wicked Lovely, Aislinn can see faeries, which others can't except her family. And it is believed that if the faeries know that they can see them, horrible things would happen.
Think about the times when you see a major flaw somewhere in a group project, but you couldn't bring yourself to say it because you are afraid to be blamed.
That is what I called human nature. Afraid to be blamed, can do everything to avoid punishments, some, like Joe in All My Sons, would be even willing to let his best friend take blame for him.
Being different, unique, special, or however you want to phrase it, is difficult.
When one is treated in a different manner than most, one usually gets attention whether if one is willing or not. Especially those who are introverted, life can be surprisingly challenging to get through.
Imagine this, when others are pointing at you, talking about you, regardless if it is good or bad, wouldn't you feel weird?
Furthermore, I would start questioning myself and wonder what I have done to lead myself in to the role of the topic of people's discussions. So, next time, before you open your mouth and give a comment, think again, try to reduce the harm to the least possible.
17 November, 2007
Wicked Lovery Post 1A
Vocabulary:
Slither: (v.)
1. If you slither somewhere, you slide along in an uneven way.
2. If an animal such as a snake slithers, it moves along in a curving way.
Fey: (adj.)
1. If you describe someone as fey, you mean that they behave in a shy, childish, or unpredictable way, you are often suggesting that this is unnatural or insincere. (LITERARY)
Figurative Language:
1. "Tap": Onomatopoeia, because the word represent the sound that the author was describing.
2. "...his hair shimmered like stands of copper that would slice her skin..." : Simile, because the author used like to compare his hair and stands of copper.
3. "...shadows that danced under icy trees..." : personification, because shadows are lifeless and the author used ‘danced’ to give it human characteristics.
Quote:
"She wanted to speak, to tell the faeries to leave so she didn't have to, but she couldn't. Ever. If she did, they'd know her secret: they'd know she could see them" (6).
This is a very significant quote because it basically explained what the story is about: a girl who can see faeries while everyone else can't, and it is dangerous for the faeries to know that one can see them.
Theme:
I think that the them of this book so far is that it is often easier to tell people what is bothering you rather than keeping everything to yourself. The theme is applied when Seth was trying to let Aislinn to tell what's worrying her so she can feel better.
Slither: (v.)
1. If you slither somewhere, you slide along in an uneven way.
2. If an animal such as a snake slithers, it moves along in a curving way.
Fey: (adj.)
1. If you describe someone as fey, you mean that they behave in a shy, childish, or unpredictable way, you are often suggesting that this is unnatural or insincere. (LITERARY)
Figurative Language:
1. "Tap": Onomatopoeia, because the word represent the sound that the author was describing.
2. "...his hair shimmered like stands of copper that would slice her skin..." : Simile, because the author used like to compare his hair and stands of copper.
3. "...shadows that danced under icy trees..." : personification, because shadows are lifeless and the author used ‘danced’ to give it human characteristics.
Quote:
"She wanted to speak, to tell the faeries to leave so she didn't have to, but she couldn't. Ever. If she did, they'd know her secret: they'd know she could see them" (6).
This is a very significant quote because it basically explained what the story is about: a girl who can see faeries while everyone else can't, and it is dangerous for the faeries to know that one can see them.
Theme:
I think that the them of this book so far is that it is often easier to tell people what is bothering you rather than keeping everything to yourself. The theme is applied when Seth was trying to let Aislinn to tell what's worrying her so she can feel better.
14 November, 2007
Yohoho...!!
Oh yeah, I found a book!!!
Welcome to the beautiful world of Wicked Lovely!!
It's fantasy....Not the type I'd usually read...
And of course, the first few pages did not make any sense...
There is a reason why I like realistic fiction or nonfiction!!
They actually make sense!!
But, but, but...
The author has a very unique and neat writing style!!
And faeries are awesome!!
Sorry, I do possess a very weird obsession toward mythical creatures.
...Happy reading time!!!
Welcome to the beautiful world of Wicked Lovely!!
It's fantasy....Not the type I'd usually read...
And of course, the first few pages did not make any sense...
There is a reason why I like realistic fiction or nonfiction!!
They actually make sense!!
But, but, but...
The author has a very unique and neat writing style!!
And faeries are awesome!!
Sorry, I do possess a very weird obsession toward mythical creatures.
...Happy reading time!!!
11 November, 2007
...again?
I was very very very to the infinite power happy about finishing my first quarter blog postings and hoped that I would never have to do that ever again...
Unfortunately, life often does not go my way.
Oh yeah, huh-uh, as a part of second quarter outside reading project...dun-dun-dun, here comes the wonderful blog postings!!
I really loathe this....
::sigh::
Life is amazing...right?
Unfortunately, life often does not go my way.
Oh yeah, huh-uh, as a part of second quarter outside reading project...dun-dun-dun, here comes the wonderful blog postings!!
I really loathe this....
::sigh::
Life is amazing...right?
24 October, 2007
The Sea Inside Response
1. What is your general reaction to the film? What do you think of Ramon's plea for assisted suicide, the court's response to his case, and his eventual actions? What do you think of his friends who were willing to help him? THINK.
I think that the film was very interesting. It may seem like the film is introducing the idea of Ramon, but it used painful scenes to talk back to such belief. However, I do believe that life is a right, not a obligation. There are many times when life can be extremely painful, and you are willing to give up everything to escape such sufference. I think that the reason why Ramon's friends would help him willingly is because of their love and friendship. They saw his pain, and don't want him to suffer anymore. They really don't want to witness the dissappearnce of Ramon, but because of love and friendship, they would like to suffer from the pain of losing a friend rather than seeing him suffering. I think, because of different beliefs in life, the court's decision may represent the opposing side. It is true that no one has the right to kill anyone else, and that you should not commit suicide, not because of the deal with afterlife, but because of not to hurt the people you love.
2. How does The Sea Inside compare and contrast to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly? What similarities and differences to you notice? Which one was more powerful, in your opinion? Why?
The Sea Inside was a lot more depressive than The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Ramon completely give up and felt hopeless regarding his life. I think that The Sea Inside was more powerful due to the visual. The scene when Ramon drank the poisonous water is still vivid in my mind. The director used some disturbing scene to coat the idea of ending one's life with bitterness. It was painful to watch. In the other hand, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was quite difficult to imagine, Bauby didn't gave a detailed description about himself, so it is hard to picture him as a person and develop a sense of emotion toward him.
3. Refer to your notes that you took during our viewing of the film about technique, camera angles, and camera movements. What scenes did you notice, in particular, where the film technique underscored meaning and added to the message being sent by the director?
The scene when Ramon was describing the experience of drowning in the background and the camera gave a long-lasting close-up shot to the drowning, 18-years old Ramon's face and the air coming out of his mouth. It really showed the lost of life, especially when things are shown in slow motion as Ramon described it as a "slow, but sweet way to die"... As air bubbles slowly escape from his lungs and mouth, his life was slowly deceding as well... and because of the slow motion and created a peaceful feeling, it made the shot of Ramon being pulled out from the water even more interuptive than it actually is.
20 October, 2007
Glass Castle post 9
Now...Dun,dun,dun!!! Please welcome....The very interesting neighborhood of Phoenix!!
Okay, the deal is that...
The neighborhood was filled with Gypsies and perverts. There was a little conflict between Jeannette's mother and the Gypsies (This is funny):
Since the Gypsies always steel properties of the Walls, and one day, Jeannette's mother actually witnessed a Gypsy bouncing on Brian's pogo stick, and she was furious. She yelled at the Gypsies and tell them to go away. However, the Gypsy wasn't very happy with that, and you know the deal with the mystical power that Gypsies possess, the next day, the Walls found dead chicken with its throat cut open by their front door. Then, Jeannette's mother was even more mad, she decided to "fight magic with magic". She held up a bone that she took out of their ham like a crucifix at an exorcism, and called down curses to the entire Gypsy clan and their house, saying that it will collapse and the earth will open up and swallow them forever. And the next day, the Walls found their pogo stick in the front yard.
Conflict with perverts (This is hilarious):
Apparently, Jeannette was kind of attacked by a pervert on the way back home. He offered to play with Jeannette and, of course, she yelled no and kicked him. But, that's not it, she went home and explained everything with Brian and they went on a ... PERVERT HUNT!!! ::sigh:: Kids...they can change everything into games, or, into the product of their overactive imaginations... So they searched for blocks, but didn't find him. When their father came home, and Jeannette described the attack to her father, he swore that he will -BEEP- that -BEEP-...(bad language, parents supervision advised...) And he actually went out with the two kids to do their pervert hunting...
Well, I'm probably not going to post anymore...so...people, take care, have fun, and enjoy your book...
Okay, the deal is that...
The neighborhood was filled with Gypsies and perverts. There was a little conflict between Jeannette's mother and the Gypsies (This is funny):
Since the Gypsies always steel properties of the Walls, and one day, Jeannette's mother actually witnessed a Gypsy bouncing on Brian's pogo stick, and she was furious. She yelled at the Gypsies and tell them to go away. However, the Gypsy wasn't very happy with that, and you know the deal with the mystical power that Gypsies possess, the next day, the Walls found dead chicken with its throat cut open by their front door. Then, Jeannette's mother was even more mad, she decided to "fight magic with magic". She held up a bone that she took out of their ham like a crucifix at an exorcism, and called down curses to the entire Gypsy clan and their house, saying that it will collapse and the earth will open up and swallow them forever. And the next day, the Walls found their pogo stick in the front yard.
Conflict with perverts (This is hilarious):
Apparently, Jeannette was kind of attacked by a pervert on the way back home. He offered to play with Jeannette and, of course, she yelled no and kicked him. But, that's not it, she went home and explained everything with Brian and they went on a ... PERVERT HUNT!!! ::sigh:: Kids...they can change everything into games, or, into the product of their overactive imaginations... So they searched for blocks, but didn't find him. When their father came home, and Jeannette described the attack to her father, he swore that he will -BEEP- that -BEEP-...(bad language, parents supervision advised...) And he actually went out with the two kids to do their pervert hunting...
Well, I'm probably not going to post anymore...so...people, take care, have fun, and enjoy your book...
16 October, 2007
Glass Castle post 8
I'm so tired...
Apparently the Walls have entered a very difficult situation: Jeannette's father lost his job and her mother does not have a job at all. The Walls have no income and their food supply disappeared as the head of the household lost his job. The Walls kids were starving and Jeannette started to steal food at school and whenever she has a chance to. Her father was constantly away from home because of things such as "working on the investment" or "trying to make a living", etc. He still have the dream of the glass castle, and constantly looking for gold and wishing to become a millionaire. Jeannette's father even got into a fight with her mother because of the situation with income. He believe that Jeannette's mother should go and get a job not only because she has a teaching licence but also because that he is dealing with something more important than finding a job. They were fighting not only verbally and physically, and the kids decided to go outside because they cannot stand it any longer. And they saw their mother hanging on the edge of the window on the second floor, shaking in a insane manner. Their father was trying to hold on to her and grab her in but wasn't successful. At the end, Jeannette's mother was rescued and day went on.
One day, her father came home with a loaf of bread, a stick of margarine, and some other foods. The Walls finished everything but the margarine that night. The next day, Lori, Jeannette's sister, and Jeannette ate the stick of margarine with sugar because of hunger. Their mother found out and was mad at them for eating the margarine, but decided to teach because they need food for the household. After teaching for a short while, Jeannette's mother received the news of the death of her mother and the inheritance of things. Then the Walls realized that they have a house in Phoenix now, and decided to move there. It was a tremendous house with 12 rooms, and Jeannette's mother changed two of the rooms on the first floor into a studio and a gallery for her works of art. Jeannette's father got a job with steady income and bought the kids bicycles, which they have never dreamt of in the past, not even once.
Apparently the Walls have entered a very difficult situation: Jeannette's father lost his job and her mother does not have a job at all. The Walls have no income and their food supply disappeared as the head of the household lost his job. The Walls kids were starving and Jeannette started to steal food at school and whenever she has a chance to. Her father was constantly away from home because of things such as "working on the investment" or "trying to make a living", etc. He still have the dream of the glass castle, and constantly looking for gold and wishing to become a millionaire. Jeannette's father even got into a fight with her mother because of the situation with income. He believe that Jeannette's mother should go and get a job not only because she has a teaching licence but also because that he is dealing with something more important than finding a job. They were fighting not only verbally and physically, and the kids decided to go outside because they cannot stand it any longer. And they saw their mother hanging on the edge of the window on the second floor, shaking in a insane manner. Their father was trying to hold on to her and grab her in but wasn't successful. At the end, Jeannette's mother was rescued and day went on.
One day, her father came home with a loaf of bread, a stick of margarine, and some other foods. The Walls finished everything but the margarine that night. The next day, Lori, Jeannette's sister, and Jeannette ate the stick of margarine with sugar because of hunger. Their mother found out and was mad at them for eating the margarine, but decided to teach because they need food for the household. After teaching for a short while, Jeannette's mother received the news of the death of her mother and the inheritance of things. Then the Walls realized that they have a house in Phoenix now, and decided to move there. It was a tremendous house with 12 rooms, and Jeannette's mother changed two of the rooms on the first floor into a studio and a gallery for her works of art. Jeannette's father got a job with steady income and bought the kids bicycles, which they have never dreamt of in the past, not even once.
14 October, 2007
Glass Castle post 7
Alright...
Now, after leaving Las Vegas, the Walls came to a small mining town named Battle Mountain.
Jeannette's father got a job as an electrician in a mining company, and the Walls moved into a wooden building that had once been a railroad depot. And since the Walls doesn't have money for new furniture, they collect huge wooden spools and turn them into tables and the children have to sleep in a huge cardboard box. When their father were not home, Brian, Jeannette's brother, and Jeannette would go and explored the desert. After a few days, their parents decided to enroll them in a neighboring elementary school. Apparently, Jeannette's teacher didn't like students moving ahead of the class, and she disliked Jeannette because she wrote in binary numbers for all answers of her math assignment. The Walls kids started to have interaction with other kids in the neighborhood. Brian and Jeannette especially loved to find random things and did a lab trying to make them explode. One day, however, the stuff they picked up did not explode, then they decided, they were going to test whether of it was flammable the next day. Still, nothing happened, so they mixed up a batch of nuclear fuel and tossed a lightened match on it. A cone of flame shot up and knocked the Walls kids over. When they realized that one of the walls was on fire, and they ran out the house. Jeannette's father saw them and the burning house, instead of being furious, he was unusually calm.
=======================================
I think, in many ways, this part of the book reflect upon many things. Although this is an auto biography, bur perhaps because of her unorthodox experience, it actually connects to many problem in society today. For instance, poverty and education. Because of poverty, some school may not be able to provide the best education, hire the best teachers, and use the best textbooks. However, education is pretty much the factor that determines people's future these days. Many unfortunate people and their descendants have to stay in continuous poverty because they don;t have enough money to afford a house in the district with good education, and they don't have enough money to pay for college, which also mean that they won't have jobs with a high wage.
The reality is this brutal, if you are born in a family that suffers from poverty, you only have a mere chance to escape from such unfortune. Should we stop being optimistic and stop believing such idea as "everyone has a chance to success"? Or, should we still place everything upon such small chance and encourage people to never give up?
Now, after leaving Las Vegas, the Walls came to a small mining town named Battle Mountain.
Jeannette's father got a job as an electrician in a mining company, and the Walls moved into a wooden building that had once been a railroad depot. And since the Walls doesn't have money for new furniture, they collect huge wooden spools and turn them into tables and the children have to sleep in a huge cardboard box. When their father were not home, Brian, Jeannette's brother, and Jeannette would go and explored the desert. After a few days, their parents decided to enroll them in a neighboring elementary school. Apparently, Jeannette's teacher didn't like students moving ahead of the class, and she disliked Jeannette because she wrote in binary numbers for all answers of her math assignment. The Walls kids started to have interaction with other kids in the neighborhood. Brian and Jeannette especially loved to find random things and did a lab trying to make them explode. One day, however, the stuff they picked up did not explode, then they decided, they were going to test whether of it was flammable the next day. Still, nothing happened, so they mixed up a batch of nuclear fuel and tossed a lightened match on it. A cone of flame shot up and knocked the Walls kids over. When they realized that one of the walls was on fire, and they ran out the house. Jeannette's father saw them and the burning house, instead of being furious, he was unusually calm.
=======================================
I think, in many ways, this part of the book reflect upon many things. Although this is an auto biography, bur perhaps because of her unorthodox experience, it actually connects to many problem in society today. For instance, poverty and education. Because of poverty, some school may not be able to provide the best education, hire the best teachers, and use the best textbooks. However, education is pretty much the factor that determines people's future these days. Many unfortunate people and their descendants have to stay in continuous poverty because they don;t have enough money to afford a house in the district with good education, and they don't have enough money to pay for college, which also mean that they won't have jobs with a high wage.
The reality is this brutal, if you are born in a family that suffers from poverty, you only have a mere chance to escape from such unfortune. Should we stop being optimistic and stop believing such idea as "everyone has a chance to success"? Or, should we still place everything upon such small chance and encourage people to never give up?
09 October, 2007
Glass Castle post 6
Last post in life. I wish.
So far, I think Jeannette's father has a lot of problems, for instance, bullying.
"Dad stopped the car, then jammed down the accelerator and popped the clutch. We shot forward toward Mom, who screamed and jumped out of the way. Dad turned around and went for her again."(43)
That is, quite an abnormal thing for any normal person to do. Thus, as I concluded earlier, Jeannette's father is absolutely insane, to a certain extent. The following passage from the book described his uncontrolled act in a much more descriptive way.
"It was a moonless night, so we couldn't see Mom except when she ran into the beam of the headlights. She kept looking over her shoulder, her eyes wide like a hunted animal. We kids cried and begged Dad to stop, but he ignored us...The car bounced on holes and rocks, brush scratching against its side and dust coming through the open windows. Finally, Dad cornered Mom against some rocks. I was afraid he might smush her with the car, but instead he got out and dragged her back, legs flailing, and threw her into the car."(43)
What can drive people into a state where they cannot even think anymore? What kind of emotion can let people lost all of their calmness, become savage that only reacts on their instinct? Perhaps love, and its very opposite, yet always comes together, hate. It's because you love it so much, you cannot bear anything painful from it. Because you had to take something you cannot bear, you hate it. You feel pain, the type of pain you just simply can't find anyway to ease, you lost control, you cry, you scream, you let word run out of your mouth without thinking, you become violent, you need some way to express your sorrow and anger, you can't bear it anymore, and a sudden darkness seized your civilized side, you've lost it, and...you did something that you will regret everyday in your life, something unforgivable and unforgettable. Boom, it hit you, it woke you up completely. Like waking up from a dream, you look around and wonder what has happened to this place. And a much deeper, painful realization seizes you. You've done it, nothing can be taken back. You struggle with yourself, don't want to believe the truth.
Yeah, it's struggle and it will reshape you.
And, everyday is a new start, eh?
So far, I think Jeannette's father has a lot of problems, for instance, bullying.
"Dad stopped the car, then jammed down the accelerator and popped the clutch. We shot forward toward Mom, who screamed and jumped out of the way. Dad turned around and went for her again."(43)
That is, quite an abnormal thing for any normal person to do. Thus, as I concluded earlier, Jeannette's father is absolutely insane, to a certain extent. The following passage from the book described his uncontrolled act in a much more descriptive way.
"It was a moonless night, so we couldn't see Mom except when she ran into the beam of the headlights. She kept looking over her shoulder, her eyes wide like a hunted animal. We kids cried and begged Dad to stop, but he ignored us...The car bounced on holes and rocks, brush scratching against its side and dust coming through the open windows. Finally, Dad cornered Mom against some rocks. I was afraid he might smush her with the car, but instead he got out and dragged her back, legs flailing, and threw her into the car."(43)
What can drive people into a state where they cannot even think anymore? What kind of emotion can let people lost all of their calmness, become savage that only reacts on their instinct? Perhaps love, and its very opposite, yet always comes together, hate. It's because you love it so much, you cannot bear anything painful from it. Because you had to take something you cannot bear, you hate it. You feel pain, the type of pain you just simply can't find anyway to ease, you lost control, you cry, you scream, you let word run out of your mouth without thinking, you become violent, you need some way to express your sorrow and anger, you can't bear it anymore, and a sudden darkness seized your civilized side, you've lost it, and...you did something that you will regret everyday in your life, something unforgivable and unforgettable. Boom, it hit you, it woke you up completely. Like waking up from a dream, you look around and wonder what has happened to this place. And a much deeper, painful realization seizes you. You've done it, nothing can be taken back. You struggle with yourself, don't want to believe the truth.
Yeah, it's struggle and it will reshape you.
And, everyday is a new start, eh?
08 October, 2007
Glass Castle post 5
Here we go, the first post of week three.
People said I worte too much... Do I write too much on my blog? Just doing a survey here.
I'm starting it now, but I should warn you before you start, I have no idea how it is going to end... ::evil laughter::
"We laughed about all the kinds who believed in the Santa myth and got nothing for Christmas but a bunch of cheap plastic toys. 'Years from now, when all the junks that got is broken and long forgotten,' Dad said, 'you'll still have your stars.'"(41)
Jeannette’s parents refused to let their kid believe in myths. Rather than let them enjoy their childhood blindly and drown themselves in the wonderful world of imagination, they told Jeannette that there is not such person as the Santa Clause, and for Christmas, they gave each of their children a star instead of toys. The stars are resemblance of, in my opinion, dreams and goals. Basically, those material wealth and myths will eventually, in a point of your life, be deceived by you and fade away, however, your dreams, if you are fond of them, they will always be in your heart and be a motivation for everything.
Things that have shape or form are not eternal, in some point of time, it has to fade away. It's kind of like the idea of Buddhism. In Buddhism, because everything will eventually disappear, and if one want to reach the stage of eternity, the only way is to follow the four noble truths... Okay, I'm going to stop now... World history is getting on to me...
Anyway, in my opinion, her parents are quite thoughtful. All of those who had once believed in Santa Clause, when we first realized that the existance of Santa is completely made up, didn't we all felt disappoint to a certain degree? Following the same theory, if someone tells you that your belief is not true and that person has legitimate resources to back himself/herself up, you will feel the same disappointment, a hurtful feeling that some part of you literally was crashed and left behind. Jeannette's parents were not intended to let their children to go throughsuch pain, whether extremely hurtful or not. Thus they tell them the truth first. To avoid further costs.
On the other hand, stars, or dreams, are things that you just simply cannot destroy. Yes, in the future, you may realize that they are not as simple as they looks, they may even sound absolutly impossible, but it doesn't matter. There's a difference between a dream and a belief. Dreams can be crashed, but still remains and heal itself through time. On the other hand, a belief, when it is destroyed, it's gone. You will always have such a hope that this dream may come true, and what I mean is that people can tell you that your dream is unreal, but they have no proof whatsoever that it will never be true. In the absence of proof, people can easily regain self-confidence, and keep their dreams handy.
People said I worte too much... Do I write too much on my blog? Just doing a survey here.
I'm starting it now, but I should warn you before you start, I have no idea how it is going to end... ::evil laughter::
"We laughed about all the kinds who believed in the Santa myth and got nothing for Christmas but a bunch of cheap plastic toys. 'Years from now, when all the junks that got is broken and long forgotten,' Dad said, 'you'll still have your stars.'"(41)
Jeannette’s parents refused to let their kid believe in myths. Rather than let them enjoy their childhood blindly and drown themselves in the wonderful world of imagination, they told Jeannette that there is not such person as the Santa Clause, and for Christmas, they gave each of their children a star instead of toys. The stars are resemblance of, in my opinion, dreams and goals. Basically, those material wealth and myths will eventually, in a point of your life, be deceived by you and fade away, however, your dreams, if you are fond of them, they will always be in your heart and be a motivation for everything.
Things that have shape or form are not eternal, in some point of time, it has to fade away. It's kind of like the idea of Buddhism. In Buddhism, because everything will eventually disappear, and if one want to reach the stage of eternity, the only way is to follow the four noble truths... Okay, I'm going to stop now... World history is getting on to me...
Anyway, in my opinion, her parents are quite thoughtful. All of those who had once believed in Santa Clause, when we first realized that the existance of Santa is completely made up, didn't we all felt disappoint to a certain degree? Following the same theory, if someone tells you that your belief is not true and that person has legitimate resources to back himself/herself up, you will feel the same disappointment, a hurtful feeling that some part of you literally was crashed and left behind. Jeannette's parents were not intended to let their children to go throughsuch pain, whether extremely hurtful or not. Thus they tell them the truth first. To avoid further costs.
On the other hand, stars, or dreams, are things that you just simply cannot destroy. Yes, in the future, you may realize that they are not as simple as they looks, they may even sound absolutly impossible, but it doesn't matter. There's a difference between a dream and a belief. Dreams can be crashed, but still remains and heal itself through time. On the other hand, a belief, when it is destroyed, it's gone. You will always have such a hope that this dream may come true, and what I mean is that people can tell you that your dream is unreal, but they have no proof whatsoever that it will never be true. In the absence of proof, people can easily regain self-confidence, and keep their dreams handy.
02 October, 2007
Glass Castle post 4
I am too tired to summerize everything descriptively, hence I am going to babble on with my minimal thoughts and reaction to The Glass Castle.
WARNING: this post may not be very understandable or worth reading, effect on mental health varies. (I'm trying to be coherent! Ms. Tholen, I am trying!!!)
So Jeannette's family was in the desert, and her srtistic mother saw this Joshua tree. The Joshua tree "stood in a crease of land where the desert ended and the mountain began, forming a wind tunnel. From the time the Joshua tree was a tiny sapling, it had been so beaten down by the whipping wind that, rather than trying to grow skyward, it had grown in the direction that the wind pushed it."(35) and wanted to paint it down.
"I wanted to dig it [Joshua tree] up and replant it near our house. I told Mon that I would protect it from the wind and the water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. 'You'd be destroying what makes it special,' she said. 'It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty.'"(38)
People's struggles shape them into who they are. Struggles change the way people think, the way they reacts, the way they view life, etc. In which, forms the characteristics of the 'identity' of a individual. Everyone is sepecial in a certain way, unique in all aspects. When such uniqueness, or the struggle, is taken away, then everyone would be the same, all people will lost their 'beauty', in a way.
"I thought the Joshua tree was ugly. It looked scraggly and freakish, permanently stuck in its twisted, tortured position, and it made me think of how some adults tell you not to make weird faces because your features could freeze."(35)
Not until when thay realize and understand the way their struggles shaped them, people won't appreciate the memory of obstacles and difficulties they have went through in the past. That's humanity, right? Unless undestand the advantage of something can bring to them, they wouldn't be grateful of it.
WARNING: this post may not be very understandable or worth reading, effect on mental health varies. (I'm trying to be coherent! Ms. Tholen, I am trying!!!)
So Jeannette's family was in the desert, and her srtistic mother saw this Joshua tree. The Joshua tree "stood in a crease of land where the desert ended and the mountain began, forming a wind tunnel. From the time the Joshua tree was a tiny sapling, it had been so beaten down by the whipping wind that, rather than trying to grow skyward, it had grown in the direction that the wind pushed it."(35) and wanted to paint it down.
"I wanted to dig it [Joshua tree] up and replant it near our house. I told Mon that I would protect it from the wind and the water it every day so that it could grow nice and tall and straight. Mom frowned at me. 'You'd be destroying what makes it special,' she said. 'It's the Joshua tree's struggle that gives it its beauty.'"(38)
People's struggles shape them into who they are. Struggles change the way people think, the way they reacts, the way they view life, etc. In which, forms the characteristics of the 'identity' of a individual. Everyone is sepecial in a certain way, unique in all aspects. When such uniqueness, or the struggle, is taken away, then everyone would be the same, all people will lost their 'beauty', in a way.
"I thought the Joshua tree was ugly. It looked scraggly and freakish, permanently stuck in its twisted, tortured position, and it made me think of how some adults tell you not to make weird faces because your features could freeze."(35)
Not until when thay realize and understand the way their struggles shaped them, people won't appreciate the memory of obstacles and difficulties they have went through in the past. That's humanity, right? Unless undestand the advantage of something can bring to them, they wouldn't be grateful of it.
Glass Castle post 3
Anyway, what happened in the chapter (or chapters? I can't keep track of the number of chapter(s) I read anymore... It's too complicated for my simple brain structure) was Jeannette's family lived in Las Vegas for about a month, and one day her father walked out of the casino wiht money in his pocket, thus he bought many things for Jeannette and her brother. However, a few days later, her father came home saying that the dealers figured out that he has a system and had put the word out on him. Hence, they have to leave the city of Las Vagas, and due to her mother's wish, Jeannette's familt went to San Francisco and lived in a hotel. One day, while her parents were out looking for investment money for the Prospector, Jeanette found a half-full box of matches. If you remember how Jeannette is with fire, you will understand how weird the situation is even before I start. She lit the matches in the bathroom, threw it into the toilet and watched the fire die out. Then she wasn't satisfied with the way the fire disappear, so she decided that she will throw the liten match into the toilet and flush it. And a few days later, the hotel was burning down, and although Jeannette and her family escaped successfully, she was scarred mentally. She thought the fire was the revenge by all the spirit of the fires she had played to her. After the fire, her father decided that cities can kill his children, and they headed for the Mojave Desert.
I found it quite interesting to see the way Jeannette's mind works. The mystery of why she was obssessed with fire even after it had injured her was still left unsolved... My guess is that the fire is just a representation of power, Jeanette feared the power, envied the power, and was fascinated by such power. Due to that the fire had hurt her before, she became fearful, yet got excited when she can overpower the fire and watched it die out. Thus, I came to a conclusion--Jeannette is so weird.
I found it quite interesting to see the way Jeannette's mind works. The mystery of why she was obssessed with fire even after it had injured her was still left unsolved... My guess is that the fire is just a representation of power, Jeanette feared the power, envied the power, and was fascinated by such power. Due to that the fire had hurt her before, she became fearful, yet got excited when she can overpower the fire and watched it die out. Thus, I came to a conclusion--Jeannette is so weird.
25 September, 2007
Glass Castle post 2
As the story continues, Jeannette's life became more and more, well, unorthodox. Her family was trying to escape from the FBI, they move around constantly, looking for small towns, etc. However, I also learned that her father always had this dream of building a glass castle. 'All we had to do was find gold, Dad said, and we were on the verge of that [glass castle]. Once he finished the Prospector and we struck it rich, he'd start work on our glass castle.'(25) Jeannette's family was searching gold in the endless desert, just hoping for the best chance thus they can eventually build a glass castle.
The glass castle, in my opinion, resembles unreachable, untouchable dreams that people have in their heart. Those dreams are like motivations that keep people moving through their repetitive, boring life. Although to most people, those dreams ARE impossible to reach, and they know that, yet still blindly believe in the dream and 'try' to accomplish it. That, I think, is the beauty of dreams. No matter how discouraged, dispirited you are, you can always remind yourself: oh, I still have this dream (goal), and drown in your own imagination of success, become numb to the reality. Dreams are one type of drug that's legal; they provide a way to escape from reality.
The glass castle, in my opinion, resembles unreachable, untouchable dreams that people have in their heart. Those dreams are like motivations that keep people moving through their repetitive, boring life. Although to most people, those dreams ARE impossible to reach, and they know that, yet still blindly believe in the dream and 'try' to accomplish it. That, I think, is the beauty of dreams. No matter how discouraged, dispirited you are, you can always remind yourself: oh, I still have this dream (goal), and drown in your own imagination of success, become numb to the reality. Dreams are one type of drug that's legal; they provide a way to escape from reality.
Glass Castle post 1
The Glass Castle is a book about an everyday girl who lives an unordinary life. The way she lived was, by today's standards, unorthodox. The first memory she has is from when she was three and accidentally lit herself on fire while making hot dogs. Once she leaves the hospital, Rex Walls style (basically her father picks her up and they leave without paying the bills), she is back to making hot dogs and her father has her wave her hand over a flame so as not to be afraid of fire. However, eventually she becomes obsessed with fire and melts her favorite toy.
People often found themselves can't open entirely to, accept and live with the reality with a satisfied manner. They can found themselves telling lies, covering up things for not to embarrass themselves. For instance, Jeannette, the author, hides and pretends that she had not seen her mother when witnessing her picking things out of the dumpster. However, Jeannette’s mother became less easily caught by surfaces of things. '"Just tell the truth," mom said. "That's simple enough."'(5) was Jeannette’s mother’s answer when her daughter asked her what she should say if her friends ask her about her parents. When people start, let’s put it this way, ‘having a life’, they put attention to things that are in their control, for example, friends, fame, career, etc. and fear to lose any of them. Yet, what they don’t realize is that as they are trying to hold firmly onto material wealth, they are probably losing things that are very important to them which they might think, at that time, worth absolutely nothing. The quote from Jeannette’s mother let me rethink about many things. Didn’t we all grow up this way: giving off the very sincere, truthful and simple answer to any question? Since when we started to put the way others view us into top priority? When we acted, or at least looked like careless about things, were there doubts in out mind that we just decided to ignore? After all the struggling, what was gained? What was lost?
People often found themselves can't open entirely to, accept and live with the reality with a satisfied manner. They can found themselves telling lies, covering up things for not to embarrass themselves. For instance, Jeannette, the author, hides and pretends that she had not seen her mother when witnessing her picking things out of the dumpster. However, Jeannette’s mother became less easily caught by surfaces of things. '"Just tell the truth," mom said. "That's simple enough."'(5) was Jeannette’s mother’s answer when her daughter asked her what she should say if her friends ask her about her parents. When people start, let’s put it this way, ‘having a life’, they put attention to things that are in their control, for example, friends, fame, career, etc. and fear to lose any of them. Yet, what they don’t realize is that as they are trying to hold firmly onto material wealth, they are probably losing things that are very important to them which they might think, at that time, worth absolutely nothing. The quote from Jeannette’s mother let me rethink about many things. Didn’t we all grow up this way: giving off the very sincere, truthful and simple answer to any question? Since when we started to put the way others view us into top priority? When we acted, or at least looked like careless about things, were there doubts in out mind that we just decided to ignore? After all the struggling, what was gained? What was lost?
14 September, 2007
This I Believe: The 50-Percent Theory of Life
National Public Radio: This I Believe
By Steve Porter
I believe in the 50-percent theory. Half the time things are better than normal; the other half, they are worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future.
Let's benchmark the parameters: Yes, I will die. I've dealt with the deaths of both parents, a best friend, a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent, before my eyes, or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff, and it belongs at the bottom of the scale.
Then there are those high points: romance and marriage to the right person; having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son's baseball team, paddling around the creek in the boat while he's swimming with the dogs, discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails, his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.
But there is a vast meadow of life in the middle, where the bad and the good flip-flop acrobatically. This is what convinces me to believe in the 50-percent theory.
One spring I planted corn too early in a bottomland so flood-prone that neighbors laughed. I felt chagrined at the wasted effort. Summer turned brutal -- the worst heat wave and drought in my lifetime. The air-conditioner died, the well went dry, the marriage ended, the job lost, the money gone. I was living lyrics from a country tune -- music I loathed. Only a surging Kansas City Royals team, bound for their first World Series, buoyed my spirits.
Looking back on that horrible summer, I soon understood that all succeeding good things merely offset the bad. Worse than normal wouldn't last long. I am owed and savor the halcyon times. They reinvigorate me for the next nasty surprise and offer assurance that I can thrive. The 50 percent theory even helps me see hope beyond my Royals' recent slump, a field of struggling rookies sown so that some year soon we can reap an October harvest.
Oh, yeah, the corn crop? For that one blistering summer, the ground moisture was just right, planting early allowed pollination before heat withered the tops, and the lack of rain spared the standing corn from floods. That winter my crib overflowed with corn -- fat, healthy three-to-a-stalk ears filled with kernels from heel to tip -- while my neighbors' fields yielded only brown, empty husks.
Although plantings past may have fallen below the 50-percent expectation, and they probably will again in the future, I am still sustained by the crop that flourishes during the drought.
===============================================
Just want to share this essay to people, I found it quite inspiring.
The 50-Percent Theory of Life
By Steve Porter
I believe in the 50-percent theory. Half the time things are better than normal; the other half, they are worse. I believe life is a pendulum swing. It takes time and experience to understand what normal is, and that gives me the perspective to deal with the surprises of the future.
Let's benchmark the parameters: Yes, I will die. I've dealt with the deaths of both parents, a best friend, a beloved boss and cherished pets. Some of these deaths have been violent, before my eyes, or slow and agonizing. Bad stuff, and it belongs at the bottom of the scale.
Then there are those high points: romance and marriage to the right person; having a child and doing those Dad things like coaching my son's baseball team, paddling around the creek in the boat while he's swimming with the dogs, discovering his compassion so deep it manifests even in his kindness to snails, his imagination so vivid he builds a spaceship from a scattered pile of Legos.
But there is a vast meadow of life in the middle, where the bad and the good flip-flop acrobatically. This is what convinces me to believe in the 50-percent theory.
One spring I planted corn too early in a bottomland so flood-prone that neighbors laughed. I felt chagrined at the wasted effort. Summer turned brutal -- the worst heat wave and drought in my lifetime. The air-conditioner died, the well went dry, the marriage ended, the job lost, the money gone. I was living lyrics from a country tune -- music I loathed. Only a surging Kansas City Royals team, bound for their first World Series, buoyed my spirits.
Looking back on that horrible summer, I soon understood that all succeeding good things merely offset the bad. Worse than normal wouldn't last long. I am owed and savor the halcyon times. They reinvigorate me for the next nasty surprise and offer assurance that I can thrive. The 50 percent theory even helps me see hope beyond my Royals' recent slump, a field of struggling rookies sown so that some year soon we can reap an October harvest.
Oh, yeah, the corn crop? For that one blistering summer, the ground moisture was just right, planting early allowed pollination before heat withered the tops, and the lack of rain spared the standing corn from floods. That winter my crib overflowed with corn -- fat, healthy three-to-a-stalk ears filled with kernels from heel to tip -- while my neighbors' fields yielded only brown, empty husks.
Although plantings past may have fallen below the 50-percent expectation, and they probably will again in the future, I am still sustained by the crop that flourishes during the drought.
===============================================
Just want to share this essay to people, I found it quite inspiring.
This I Believe: Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness
National Public Radio: This I Believe
By Andrew Sullivan
I believe in life. I believe in treasuring it as a mystery that will never be fully understood, as a sanctity that should never be destroyed, as an invitation to experience now what can only be remembered tomorrow. I believe in its indivisibility, in the intimate connection between the newest bud of spring and the flicker in the eye of a patient near death, between the athlete in his prime and the quadriplegic vet, between the fetus in the womb and the mother who bears another life in her own body.
I believe in liberty. I believe that within every soul lies the capacity to reach for its own good, that within every physical body there endures an unalienable right to be free from coercion. I believe in a system of government that places that liberty at the center of its concerns, that enforces the law solely to protect that freedom, that sides with the individual against the claims of family and tribe and church and nation, that sees innocence before guilt and dignity before stigma. I believe in the right to own property, to maintain it against the benign suffocation of a government that would tax more and more of it away. I believe in freedom of speech and of contract, the right to offend and blaspheme, as well as the right to convert and bear witness. I believe that these freedoms are connected -- the freedom of the fundamentalist and the atheist, the female and the male, the black and the Asian, the gay and the straight.
I believe in the pursuit of happiness. Not its attainment, nor its final definition, but its pursuit. I believe in the journey, not the arrival; in conversation, not monologues; in multiple questions rather than any single answer. I believe in the struggle to remake ourselves and challenge each other in the spirit of eternal forgiveness, in the awareness that none of us knows for sure what happiness truly is, but each of us knows the imperative to keep searching. I believe in the possibility of surprising joy, of serenity through pain, of homecoming through exile.
And I believe in a country that enshrines each of these three things, a country that promises nothing but the promise of being more fully human, and never guarantees its success. In that constant failure to arrive -- implied at the very beginning -- lies the possibility of a permanently fresh start, an old newness, a way of revitalizing ourselves and our civilization in ways few foresaw and one day many will forget. But the point is now. And the place is America.
===============================================
In Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness, Andrew Sullivan clearly states this in both the tile and in between the lines of his brilliant essay: "I believe in life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness." In which, is the foundation of the United States of America. The most remarkable part of Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness is, in my opinion, how the ending goes perfectly back to peoples' first impression of the tile, the USA. When I was reading through this essay, I can picture this man, who is loyal to his country, telling me how he believes in the USA. The belief he held to the US is much stronger than just simply trust, it's far beyond relying on the country, much deeper than 'I believe you'; it's a belief that is not just believing in the past, present, but also the future. And even if a inperfect situation has been reached, Andrew Sullivan stated: "In that constant failure to arrive -- implied at the very beginning -- lies the possibility of a permanently fresh start, an old newness, a way of revitalizing ourselves and our civilization in ways few foresaw and one day many will forget. " And I, also, believe in life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, as well as the country and the people they represent.
Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness
By Andrew Sullivan
I believe in life. I believe in treasuring it as a mystery that will never be fully understood, as a sanctity that should never be destroyed, as an invitation to experience now what can only be remembered tomorrow. I believe in its indivisibility, in the intimate connection between the newest bud of spring and the flicker in the eye of a patient near death, between the athlete in his prime and the quadriplegic vet, between the fetus in the womb and the mother who bears another life in her own body.
I believe in liberty. I believe that within every soul lies the capacity to reach for its own good, that within every physical body there endures an unalienable right to be free from coercion. I believe in a system of government that places that liberty at the center of its concerns, that enforces the law solely to protect that freedom, that sides with the individual against the claims of family and tribe and church and nation, that sees innocence before guilt and dignity before stigma. I believe in the right to own property, to maintain it against the benign suffocation of a government that would tax more and more of it away. I believe in freedom of speech and of contract, the right to offend and blaspheme, as well as the right to convert and bear witness. I believe that these freedoms are connected -- the freedom of the fundamentalist and the atheist, the female and the male, the black and the Asian, the gay and the straight.
I believe in the pursuit of happiness. Not its attainment, nor its final definition, but its pursuit. I believe in the journey, not the arrival; in conversation, not monologues; in multiple questions rather than any single answer. I believe in the struggle to remake ourselves and challenge each other in the spirit of eternal forgiveness, in the awareness that none of us knows for sure what happiness truly is, but each of us knows the imperative to keep searching. I believe in the possibility of surprising joy, of serenity through pain, of homecoming through exile.
And I believe in a country that enshrines each of these three things, a country that promises nothing but the promise of being more fully human, and never guarantees its success. In that constant failure to arrive -- implied at the very beginning -- lies the possibility of a permanently fresh start, an old newness, a way of revitalizing ourselves and our civilization in ways few foresaw and one day many will forget. But the point is now. And the place is America.
===============================================
In Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness, Andrew Sullivan clearly states this in both the tile and in between the lines of his brilliant essay: "I believe in life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness." In which, is the foundation of the United States of America. The most remarkable part of Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness is, in my opinion, how the ending goes perfectly back to peoples' first impression of the tile, the USA. When I was reading through this essay, I can picture this man, who is loyal to his country, telling me how he believes in the USA. The belief he held to the US is much stronger than just simply trust, it's far beyond relying on the country, much deeper than 'I believe you'; it's a belief that is not just believing in the past, present, but also the future. And even if a inperfect situation has been reached, Andrew Sullivan stated: "In that constant failure to arrive -- implied at the very beginning -- lies the possibility of a permanently fresh start, an old newness, a way of revitalizing ourselves and our civilization in ways few foresaw and one day many will forget. " And I, also, believe in life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, as well as the country and the people they represent.
12 September, 2007
Greetings!
Welcome to my brand-new, shiny blog!
This is a blog regarding literacy.
(Mainly on English 10--Ms. Tholen, you rock!! ^o^)
I will put on some new posts once I start reading the Glass Castle.
Take care, and...
Enjoy life.
This is a blog regarding literacy.
(Mainly on English 10--Ms. Tholen, you rock!! ^o^)
I will put on some new posts once I start reading the Glass Castle.
Take care, and...
Enjoy life.
