Books I'm Reading:
A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius
This week: 342
Last week: 457
Semester: 1877
Sentences:
1. "And if dead people aged, wouldn't it be a comfort? To think of Ethan growing up in heaven - fourteen years old now instead of twelve - eased the grief a little. Oh, it was their immunity to time that made the dead so heartbreaking."
2. "It seemed she had webbed his mind with her stories, wound him in slender steely threads from her life - her Shirley Temple childhood, unsavory girlhood, Norman flinging the screen out the window, Alexander mewing like a newborn kitten, Muriel wheeling on Doberman pinschers and scattering her salmon-pink business cards and galloping down the beach, all spiky limbs and flying hair, hauling a little red wagon full of lunches."
3. "Of all the things I am not very good at, living in the real world is perhaps the most outstanding."
(All from "The Accidental Tourist")
As much as I dislike mushy romance novels (which doesn't exactly identify this book but comes somewhat close), these quotes called out to me.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Title Goes Here
I've been reading The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, in which Macon Leary, a travel guide writer, meets Muriel Pritchett, a dog trainer. Love ensues and ultimately succeeds, because this is a romance novel and people will cry for blood if love doesn't triumph.
In the novel, Macon and Muriel are almost opposites, just like Macon and his ex-wife Sarah. Macon is neat, fastidious (bonus points for vocab word), stolid, and does everything according to system, while Muriel is something of a "wild child." Sarah is actually more opposing in personality to Macon, with her messiness, tendency to distrust systems, and active personality.
What I don't get is this: why are opposites attracted to each other? Is it the tendency to be fascinated with the personality type you don't have? Is it some genetic thing, or instilled into us by society?
Actually, some opposites don't attract. There are probably some couples with the same interests and personalities. Still, this "opposites attract" thing is very interesting.
In the novel, Macon and Muriel are almost opposites, just like Macon and his ex-wife Sarah. Macon is neat, fastidious (bonus points for vocab word), stolid, and does everything according to system, while Muriel is something of a "wild child." Sarah is actually more opposing in personality to Macon, with her messiness, tendency to distrust systems, and active personality.
What I don't get is this: why are opposites attracted to each other? Is it the tendency to be fascinated with the personality type you don't have? Is it some genetic thing, or instilled into us by society?
Actually, some opposites don't attract. There are probably some couples with the same interests and personalities. Still, this "opposites attract" thing is very interesting.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Bingo of the Close Reading Variety
1. "His clam, but intense attention to detail leaves readers intimidated yet expectant for the forth coming of his next step."
Rule 4 - Don't refer to the reader(s). Btw, "clam" is spelled "claim." Derp.
2. "The sound and vulgarity shows Holden's ruthless and loud personality."
Rule 6 - Avoid the word "show."
3. "Baker uses a lot of language that magnifies the importance of the coldness felt, "spreading into a needly area of shine where it fell against their brushed-steel side-panels, and adding long glossy highlights to each of the black rubber handrails", this creates imagery for the reader of what the daily worker sees."
Rule 8 - Punctuation goes inside the quotation marks.
4. "His negative connotation is straightforward and precise."
Rule 3 - You never explained why the connotation is precise, and only ever implied straightforwardness in a very discreet way.
This is my favorite close reading:
Rule 4 - Don't refer to the reader(s). Btw, "clam" is spelled "claim." Derp.
2. "The sound and vulgarity shows Holden's ruthless and loud personality."
Rule 6 - Avoid the word "show."
3. "Baker uses a lot of language that magnifies the importance of the coldness felt, "spreading into a needly area of shine where it fell against their brushed-steel side-panels, and adding long glossy highlights to each of the black rubber handrails", this creates imagery for the reader of what the daily worker sees."
Rule 8 - Punctuation goes inside the quotation marks.
4. "His negative connotation is straightforward and precise."
Rule 3 - You never explained why the connotation is precise, and only ever implied straightforwardness in a very discreet way.
This is my favorite close reading:
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Practice Diction Analysis
In this excerpt from J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the narrator’s conversational, slightly harsh diction emphasizes the youthful, rambling, aloof style with which he speaks and thinks. The narrator rejects talking about his childhood, labeling it as “all that David Copperfield kind of crap.” He furthermore isn’t going to “tell you [his] whole goddam autobiography or anything.” Rather, the narrator centers his attentions on his brother, a rich writer whom he admires, in addition to “this madman stuff that happened to [him] around last Christmas.” From the narrator’s colloquialisms and lack of consideration for conventionality when first telling someone about himself, one can derive that the narrator is a brash youth given to roughness of speech.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Style Mapping
The diction in Neil Gaiman's Stardust is rather nondescript in terms of elevation. The diction here tends to be connotative, using the same words quoted above to establish a mood of foreignness and foreboding. The sound here is more harsh than mellifluous, with phrases such as "dark slate roofs and high chimneys" and "grey and tall and stocky" which serve to evoke a feeling of strangeness which one feels when placed into an unfamiliar situation.
The diction in Alain de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life is incredibly formal, as evidenced in the following sentence: "Had we been placed on earth by a malign creator for the exclusive purpose of suffering, we would have good reason to congratulate ourselves on our enthusiastic response to the task." While the previous passage was more connotative than denotative, the tone of this passage is denotative, which goes along with its genre, self-help. The sound here is sophisticated, so one might call it musical.
Finally, the diction in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is denotative, the sound noncommital, and the elevation more formal than informal. The author uses fancy adjectives to describe his surroundings, while denotative-ness can be derived from the informative tone with which he explains what he is doing. The sound, going along with the fancy adjectives used to describe, is more harmonious than discordant.
The diction in Alain de Botton's How Proust Can Change Your Life is incredibly formal, as evidenced in the following sentence: "Had we been placed on earth by a malign creator for the exclusive purpose of suffering, we would have good reason to congratulate ourselves on our enthusiastic response to the task." While the previous passage was more connotative than denotative, the tone of this passage is denotative, which goes along with its genre, self-help. The sound here is sophisticated, so one might call it musical.
Finally, the diction in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is denotative, the sound noncommital, and the elevation more formal than informal. The author uses fancy adjectives to describe his surroundings, while denotative-ness can be derived from the informative tone with which he explains what he is doing. The sound, going along with the fancy adjectives used to describe, is more harmonious than discordant.
Aging and Death
I've been reading The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, about Macon Leary, a travel guidebook writer who hates to travel. Macon has a wife, Sarah, who is his polar opposite; while Macon is uptight and fastidious, Sarah is messy and carefree. Their son, Ethan, was killed in a fast-food restaurant shooting. The book tells the tale of how Macon, after divorcing Sarah, finds new love in Muriel Pritchett, a dog trainer several years his junior. In particular, I found this passage at the very end captivating:
"And if dead people aged, wouldn't it be a comfort? To think of Ethan growing up in heaven - fourteen years old now instead of twelve - eased the grief a little. Oh, it was their immunity to time that made the dead so heartbreaking. (Look at the husband who dies young, the wife aging on without him; how sad to imagine the husband coming back to find her so changed.) Macon gazed out the cab window, considering the notion in his mind. He felt a kind of inner rush, a racing forward. The real adventure, he thought, is the flow of time; it's as much adventure as anyone could wish. And if he pictured Ethan still part of that flow - in some other place, however unreachable - he believed he might be able to bear it after all."
This passage was worthy of being mentioned in that it made me think of the people I've known that have passed away. (Fortunately, they number only a few.) I thought of my grandmother with whom I lived for four years, a grandfather and an uncle I hardly knew, and a great-grandmother, of whom I've never seen the face. Like the passage says, it seems that these people I knew stopped aging the moment they died. Their faces, some half-formed and others clear as day, remain frozen in time in my memory.
Then, I thought to myself, how would things be different if I knew that they continued aging somewhere, albeit somewhere unreachable, foreign? If stillborn infants could live on, cry, laugh, go through childhood, and rule the world? It would be somewhat comforting to the bereaved, I imagine.
"And if dead people aged, wouldn't it be a comfort? To think of Ethan growing up in heaven - fourteen years old now instead of twelve - eased the grief a little. Oh, it was their immunity to time that made the dead so heartbreaking. (Look at the husband who dies young, the wife aging on without him; how sad to imagine the husband coming back to find her so changed.) Macon gazed out the cab window, considering the notion in his mind. He felt a kind of inner rush, a racing forward. The real adventure, he thought, is the flow of time; it's as much adventure as anyone could wish. And if he pictured Ethan still part of that flow - in some other place, however unreachable - he believed he might be able to bear it after all."
This passage was worthy of being mentioned in that it made me think of the people I've known that have passed away. (Fortunately, they number only a few.) I thought of my grandmother with whom I lived for four years, a grandfather and an uncle I hardly knew, and a great-grandmother, of whom I've never seen the face. Like the passage says, it seems that these people I knew stopped aging the moment they died. Their faces, some half-formed and others clear as day, remain frozen in time in my memory.
Then, I thought to myself, how would things be different if I knew that they continued aging somewhere, albeit somewhere unreachable, foreign? If stillborn infants could live on, cry, laugh, go through childhood, and rule the world? It would be somewhat comforting to the bereaved, I imagine.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Currently
Books I'm Reading:
None. I've finished all my books.
I am, however, planning on reading:
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
This week: 457
Last week: 138
Semester: 1535
Sentences(passages) of the week: (All from "Battle Hymn")
1. "Of course, I also wanted Sophia to benefit from the best aspects of American society. I did not want her to end up like one of those weird Asian automatons who feel so much pressure from their parents that they kill themselves after coming in second on the national civil service exam. I wanted her to be well rounded and to have hobbies and activities. Not just any activity, like "crafts" which can lead nowhere - or even worse, playing the drums, which leads to drugs - but rather a hobby that was meaningful and highly difficult with the potential for depth and virtuosity. And that's where the piano came in."
2. "One jarring thing that many Chinese people do is openly compare their children. I never thought this was so bad when I was growing up, because I always came off well in the comparison. My Dragon Lady grandmother - the rich one, on my father's side - egregiously favored me over all my sisters. 'Look how flat that one's nose is,' she would cackle at family gatherings, pointing at one of my siblings. 'Not like Amy, who has a fine, high-bridged nose. Amy looks like a Chua. That one takes after her mother's side of the family. and looks like a monkey.'"
3. "The Chinese parenting approach is weakest when it comes to failure; it just doesn't tolerate that possibility."
First of all, everyone knows that learning the drums leads to drug use. There have been 5 cases of people I knew who started learning drums, only to be tempted by drugs. Drums and drugs: the two are interchangeable. Of course, I exaggerate greatly. However, that is sort of the mindset that Asian parents have. If you do something that your parents disapprove of, it will automatically lead to the worst possible result without fail. Sometimes, I really hate that mindset.
2nd quote. Again, something I dislike from the Asian parenting method. While Amy Chua explains why parents do it in her novel (to express confidence in the child on the losing end that they, too, can be like the child on the winning end), it's still incredibly tedious to hear parents say, "Oh, look at so-and-so, he/she can do such-and-such. How are you so worthless as to not be able to do such-and-such?"
3rd quote. Failure includes yelling, constant nagging, and threats, so yeah, I'd say failure is intolerable.
None. I've finished all my books.
I am, however, planning on reading:
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
This week: 457
Last week: 138
Semester: 1535
Sentences(passages) of the week: (All from "Battle Hymn")
1. "Of course, I also wanted Sophia to benefit from the best aspects of American society. I did not want her to end up like one of those weird Asian automatons who feel so much pressure from their parents that they kill themselves after coming in second on the national civil service exam. I wanted her to be well rounded and to have hobbies and activities. Not just any activity, like "crafts" which can lead nowhere - or even worse, playing the drums, which leads to drugs - but rather a hobby that was meaningful and highly difficult with the potential for depth and virtuosity. And that's where the piano came in."
2. "One jarring thing that many Chinese people do is openly compare their children. I never thought this was so bad when I was growing up, because I always came off well in the comparison. My Dragon Lady grandmother - the rich one, on my father's side - egregiously favored me over all my sisters. 'Look how flat that one's nose is,' she would cackle at family gatherings, pointing at one of my siblings. 'Not like Amy, who has a fine, high-bridged nose. Amy looks like a Chua. That one takes after her mother's side of the family. and looks like a monkey.'"
3. "The Chinese parenting approach is weakest when it comes to failure; it just doesn't tolerate that possibility."
First of all, everyone knows that learning the drums leads to drug use. There have been 5 cases of people I knew who started learning drums, only to be tempted by drugs. Drums and drugs: the two are interchangeable. Of course, I exaggerate greatly. However, that is sort of the mindset that Asian parents have. If you do something that your parents disapprove of, it will automatically lead to the worst possible result without fail. Sometimes, I really hate that mindset.
2nd quote. Again, something I dislike from the Asian parenting method. While Amy Chua explains why parents do it in her novel (to express confidence in the child on the losing end that they, too, can be like the child on the winning end), it's still incredibly tedious to hear parents say, "Oh, look at so-and-so, he/she can do such-and-such. How are you so worthless as to not be able to do such-and-such?"
3rd quote. Failure includes yelling, constant nagging, and threats, so yeah, I'd say failure is intolerable.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Mymomisafob.com And Mydadisafob.com
Adding on to my experiences reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, I'd like to share a pair of websites that you may or may not find funny.
http://www.mymomisafob.com
http://www.mydadisafob.com
(The links don't work, so you'll have to ctrl+c.)
These websites share stories from all over about the English trouble, technological difficulties, awkward situations, and just plain adorableness of Asian FOB's. The acronym stands for "Fresh Off Boat," the term for immigrants (mostly Asian ones). You may or may not find these anecdotes funny due to lack of Asian parents. (I suggest you borrow mine.)
Here are some particularly good ones:
A Lesson To Learn
Scene: School parking lot after class ends. My mom points out a Chinese couple making out near the bathrooms.
Mom: Aiiiiiiiiiii-YAAAAAAAAAA! Can’t they do that behind bushes or suuumting? If you eveeeeeeeeeeer get boyfriend, don’t let me see do something like that!
Me: Don’t worry. I wouldn’t dare to.
Mom: Good. Because if you do, I take picture and send it to grandma. And then when grandma get heart-attack, you pay hospital bills.
Online Predators via Youtube?
So my mom is a VERY protective mother. This is what happened after she watched a 60 minutes special on Online Predators. I’m watching a Video Blog on Youtube…
Mom: Who is that guy?
Me: I don’t know
Mom: Why is he talking to you??
Me: It’s a video…
Mom (at the computer): GO AWAY, MY DAUGHTER DON’T WANT TO MEET UP AND TALK TO YOU
Dear Literate Dog,
My dad and dog have a hate-hate relationship; he’s the only person she barks at. My dad has been trying to get her to stay downstairs during the day to minimize accidents. I came home to this sign. I asked him why he wrote a sign and he just said it works…
Text Message Abbreviations
Daddy: Had a long snap?
Me: Yeah. Sup?
Daddy: What sup
Me: It’s an abbrev for what’s up?
Daddy: Nup
Daddy: For nothing is up
http://www.mymomisafob.com
http://www.mydadisafob.com
(The links don't work, so you'll have to ctrl+c.)
These websites share stories from all over about the English trouble, technological difficulties, awkward situations, and just plain adorableness of Asian FOB's. The acronym stands for "Fresh Off Boat," the term for immigrants (mostly Asian ones). You may or may not find these anecdotes funny due to lack of Asian parents. (I suggest you borrow mine.)
Here are some particularly good ones:
A Lesson To Learn
Scene: School parking lot after class ends. My mom points out a Chinese couple making out near the bathrooms.
Mom: Aiiiiiiiiiii-YAAAAAAAAAA! Can’t they do that behind bushes or suuumting? If you eveeeeeeeeeeer get boyfriend, don’t let me see do something like that!
Me: Don’t worry. I wouldn’t dare to.
Mom: Good. Because if you do, I take picture and send it to grandma. And then when grandma get heart-attack, you pay hospital bills.
Online Predators via Youtube?
So my mom is a VERY protective mother. This is what happened after she watched a 60 minutes special on Online Predators. I’m watching a Video Blog on Youtube…
Mom: Who is that guy?
Me: I don’t know
Mom: Why is he talking to you??
Me: It’s a video…
Mom (at the computer): GO AWAY, MY DAUGHTER DON’T WANT TO MEET UP AND TALK TO YOU
Dear Literate Dog,
My dad and dog have a hate-hate relationship; he’s the only person she barks at. My dad has been trying to get her to stay downstairs during the day to minimize accidents. I came home to this sign. I asked him why he wrote a sign and he just said it works…
Text Message Abbreviations
Daddy: Had a long snap?
Me: Yeah. Sup?
Daddy: What sup
Me: It’s an abbrev for what’s up?
Daddy: Nup
Daddy: For nothing is up
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Asian Parents
In honor of the book I'm reading (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, I shall talk about my Asian parents. Chances are, they're probably going to read this without informing me of their intent to do so (as is the Asian-American way), but I've grown used to that. They keep tabs on my Facebook, how should this be any different? Haha.
First, a bit about the book. The epithet reads:
"This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs.
This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones.
But instead, it's about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a thirteen-year-old."
This pretty much describes the book. I like how Amy Chua phrased "a fleeting taste of glory;" it sounds poetic (perhaps unintentionally) to me.
Within the Chua household, the two children, Sophia and Louisa (Lulu), were not allowed to do several things:
- attend a sleepover
- have a playdate
- be in a school play
- complain about not being in a school play
- watch TV or play computer games
- choose their own extracurricular activities
- get any grade less than an A
- not be the #1 student in every subject except gym and drama
- play any instrument besides the piano or violin
- not play the piano or violin
What does this sound like? Well, to some, it may sound like hell. Derive a child of the pleasures of childhood in the form of Teletubbies and Looney Tunes? Heaven forbid. Although, to be fair, I'm actually serious about Looney Tunes. That's some good stuff right there.
But I digress. The concept behind this seemingly Spartan method of raising children is this: Chinese parents, or any nationality of parent that uses this parenting methodology, such as Koreans, Japanese, Ghanians, etc., believe that their children inherently have the capability of doing anything they want; they just have to be pushed hard enough. Childrens' minds are immature; they are incapable of making wise decisions and therefore must have an experienced mind decide everything for the well-being of their futures. Not only can that experienced mind decide everything for their child(ren), it can also resort to any means to make that future happen. "Any means" may include the burning of stuffed animals, the labeling of children as garbage, the denial of food, and the lack of pity.
Child abuse? No, try cultural differences. Compare this methodology to the Western parenting style: Every child is special in their own way, even if they are absolutely talentless. Surely said talentless child must be compassionate, creative, loyal? If such a child exists, there's no need to force the impossible on him (*coughHarvardcough*). Why not stick to the wholly simple, like making bead necklaces and or being content with failing grades?
You see the contrast. There's only one thing I can say about it: It's not pretty. Allow me to share a few examples of Asian-American parenting.
A friend said that when she was young and still learning piano, her mother forced her to practice over 3 hours a day or risk having her stuffed animals thrown away.
Another mother would yell and even throw things at the sight of a B+. A-'s would illicit scowls and bad tempers.
Extra credit is NOT an option, it's a requirement- according to parent #3.
Another mother is forcing a friend of mine to apply to 10 colleges, all prestigious. (Harvard and Princeton were definitely on the list.)
Finally - and this may not relate to me personally, but it's funny - I read online somewhere that a Chinese immigrant parent named her son Harvard in hopes that he would get in. (Did he get in? The world shall never know.)
Now personally, my parents are not nearly this strict. True, I have no cell phone, am not allowed to date until I get married (icwudt), or do anything overtly fun, but at least I didn't have to practice my violin 3 hours a day. Now that. That would've been horrible.
I really like how Amy Chua depicts herself in the novel. I finally get to see it from a parents' perspective: the frustration, the desperate hope that her offspring will make something of themselves, and the amount of time devoted to furthering her children's "careers." But is this all worth it, I wonder. The risk of resentful grown-up children that don't visit during Christmas is too great for my liking; I will not raise my kids the Asian way. (But then again, Amy Chua says that research indicates that most children are grateful to their parents. Wrap your heads around that, anons.)
Contrarily, though, some friends and I, perhaps jokingly (and perhaps not) have determined that our children shall start learning three languages, two instruments, one sport, and advanced academic courses with outside tutoring by the time they're 8. Perhaps all this has been inbred into us by strict parents. Only time will tell if we all bring forth precocious child prodigies.
First, a bit about the book. The epithet reads:
"This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs.
This was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones.
But instead, it's about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how I was humbled by a thirteen-year-old."
This pretty much describes the book. I like how Amy Chua phrased "a fleeting taste of glory;" it sounds poetic (perhaps unintentionally) to me.
Within the Chua household, the two children, Sophia and Louisa (Lulu), were not allowed to do several things:
- attend a sleepover
- have a playdate
- be in a school play
- complain about not being in a school play
- watch TV or play computer games
- choose their own extracurricular activities
- get any grade less than an A
- not be the #1 student in every subject except gym and drama
- play any instrument besides the piano or violin
- not play the piano or violin
What does this sound like? Well, to some, it may sound like hell. Derive a child of the pleasures of childhood in the form of Teletubbies and Looney Tunes? Heaven forbid. Although, to be fair, I'm actually serious about Looney Tunes. That's some good stuff right there.
But I digress. The concept behind this seemingly Spartan method of raising children is this: Chinese parents, or any nationality of parent that uses this parenting methodology, such as Koreans, Japanese, Ghanians, etc., believe that their children inherently have the capability of doing anything they want; they just have to be pushed hard enough. Childrens' minds are immature; they are incapable of making wise decisions and therefore must have an experienced mind decide everything for the well-being of their futures. Not only can that experienced mind decide everything for their child(ren), it can also resort to any means to make that future happen. "Any means" may include the burning of stuffed animals, the labeling of children as garbage, the denial of food, and the lack of pity.
Child abuse? No, try cultural differences. Compare this methodology to the Western parenting style: Every child is special in their own way, even if they are absolutely talentless. Surely said talentless child must be compassionate, creative, loyal? If such a child exists, there's no need to force the impossible on him (*coughHarvardcough*). Why not stick to the wholly simple, like making bead necklaces and or being content with failing grades?
You see the contrast. There's only one thing I can say about it: It's not pretty. Allow me to share a few examples of Asian-American parenting.
A friend said that when she was young and still learning piano, her mother forced her to practice over 3 hours a day or risk having her stuffed animals thrown away.
Another mother would yell and even throw things at the sight of a B+. A-'s would illicit scowls and bad tempers.
Extra credit is NOT an option, it's a requirement- according to parent #3.
Another mother is forcing a friend of mine to apply to 10 colleges, all prestigious. (Harvard and Princeton were definitely on the list.)
Finally - and this may not relate to me personally, but it's funny - I read online somewhere that a Chinese immigrant parent named her son Harvard in hopes that he would get in. (Did he get in? The world shall never know.)
Now personally, my parents are not nearly this strict. True, I have no cell phone, am not allowed to date until I get married (icwudt), or do anything overtly fun, but at least I didn't have to practice my violin 3 hours a day. Now that. That would've been horrible.
I really like how Amy Chua depicts herself in the novel. I finally get to see it from a parents' perspective: the frustration, the desperate hope that her offspring will make something of themselves, and the amount of time devoted to furthering her children's "careers." But is this all worth it, I wonder. The risk of resentful grown-up children that don't visit during Christmas is too great for my liking; I will not raise my kids the Asian way. (But then again, Amy Chua says that research indicates that most children are grateful to their parents. Wrap your heads around that, anons.)
Contrarily, though, some friends and I, perhaps jokingly (and perhaps not) have determined that our children shall start learning three languages, two instruments, one sport, and advanced academic courses with outside tutoring by the time they're 8. Perhaps all this has been inbred into us by strict parents. Only time will tell if we all bring forth precocious child prodigies.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Currently (Week the Third)
Books I'm reading:
American Shaolin by Matthew Polly
This week: 138 pages
Last week: 534 pages
This semester: 1078 pages
Sentences of the week:
1. "For some reason, the Chinese are not very fond of eggs. 'Stupid egg,' 'bad egg,' and worst of all, 'turtle's egg' are common insults." -American Shaolin
2. "Life is a one-shot deal." -Same book
3. "What struck me the most was not the devotion of the monks, which was evident, but rather an overwhelming feeling of alienation. Standing in that room, I felt as alone as I'd ever felt, a stranger in a strange land. Suddenly, I realized how desperately far away from home I was. It took my breath away, and I had to fight an instinct to flee the room." -Same book
I've definitely heard of stupid egg and bad egg as insults as stated in the first quote, but never have I heard of turtle's egg. And believe me, I have heard all of these insults while I attended first grade in China: someone who didn't do well on a test would be labeled a stupid egg while we would label unsavory characters in cartoons bad eggs. I can definitely relate to this quote.
As for the second quote, life is definitely a one-shot deal. That's why I don't get the people who contemplate suicide or murder. Why would someone extinguish his own or someone else's life when that life is all each person has? This world lives in the moment, but does not pause to consider the gravity of its decisions.
Third quote: I definitely felt this way for a while after I immigrated to America. All my friends and family members were back in China, and although there were Chinese people in my grade school back then, I couldn't relate to them because they were more Americanized than me. Eventually, I grew to accomodate American life, but I've never forgotten that feeling of loneliness.
American Shaolin by Matthew Polly
This week: 138 pages
Last week: 534 pages
This semester: 1078 pages
Sentences of the week:
1. "For some reason, the Chinese are not very fond of eggs. 'Stupid egg,' 'bad egg,' and worst of all, 'turtle's egg' are common insults." -American Shaolin
2. "Life is a one-shot deal." -Same book
3. "What struck me the most was not the devotion of the monks, which was evident, but rather an overwhelming feeling of alienation. Standing in that room, I felt as alone as I'd ever felt, a stranger in a strange land. Suddenly, I realized how desperately far away from home I was. It took my breath away, and I had to fight an instinct to flee the room." -Same book
I've definitely heard of stupid egg and bad egg as insults as stated in the first quote, but never have I heard of turtle's egg. And believe me, I have heard all of these insults while I attended first grade in China: someone who didn't do well on a test would be labeled a stupid egg while we would label unsavory characters in cartoons bad eggs. I can definitely relate to this quote.
As for the second quote, life is definitely a one-shot deal. That's why I don't get the people who contemplate suicide or murder. Why would someone extinguish his own or someone else's life when that life is all each person has? This world lives in the moment, but does not pause to consider the gravity of its decisions.
Third quote: I definitely felt this way for a while after I immigrated to America. All my friends and family members were back in China, and although there were Chinese people in my grade school back then, I couldn't relate to them because they were more Americanized than me. Eventually, I grew to accomodate American life, but I've never forgotten that feeling of loneliness.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Great Claims
1. In the scene created by Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house in winter, its bleached colors, flowing movement, calm setting and elegant connection to nature illustrates an awestruck, majestic euphoria. - Feist-Fan
2. The educationally stimulating childrens' game Questionaut incorporates pleasantly jubilant music with whimsically quaint animation to create an inventively playful adventure. -Norwegian Wood
3. In this electrifying poster for the film 300, splashes of blood, open-mouthed screams of rage and anguish, and determined, hostile facial expressions, deliver impressive feelings of wrath, exhilaration, and bloodshed that are sure to be felt in the heat of battle. -InsideOut
4. The use of hierarchical depth, vibrant colors, varied expressions, and complete use of space in this movie poster for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory augments the contrasts between the dignified, concealing Willy and the ancillary, exuberant attendees while presenting the whimsical story in a unique way. -charliebucket
5. In this shocking yet comically amusing video we observe an unusually grotesque reaction to some news that set a strange wild boy into a mystifying tangent of caterwauling violently. -The Ozone Lair
It's very tough for me to pick a favorite, but if I had to, I'd say The Ozone Lair's claim was the best. That video was full of lawlz.
Link: http://alexozone.blogspot.com/
2. The educationally stimulating childrens' game Questionaut incorporates pleasantly jubilant music with whimsically quaint animation to create an inventively playful adventure. -Norwegian Wood
3. In this electrifying poster for the film 300, splashes of blood, open-mouthed screams of rage and anguish, and determined, hostile facial expressions, deliver impressive feelings of wrath, exhilaration, and bloodshed that are sure to be felt in the heat of battle. -InsideOut
4. The use of hierarchical depth, vibrant colors, varied expressions, and complete use of space in this movie poster for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory augments the contrasts between the dignified, concealing Willy and the ancillary, exuberant attendees while presenting the whimsical story in a unique way. -charliebucket
5. In this shocking yet comically amusing video we observe an unusually grotesque reaction to some news that set a strange wild boy into a mystifying tangent of caterwauling violently. -The Ozone Lair
It's very tough for me to pick a favorite, but if I had to, I'd say The Ozone Lair's claim was the best. That video was full of lawlz.
Link: http://alexozone.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Claim Assignment: Switchfoot - Your Love Is A Song
Elements / Adjectives:
Lyrics - pensive, expectant, tenacious
Instruments - mellow, temperate
Emotion - uplifting, extolling, tender
Speed - deliberate
Vocals - husky, powerful, dreamy, breathless
Inferences:
Euphoric
Laudatory
Solemn
Ardent
Earnest
Claim:
In the song "Your Love Is A Song" by the band Switchfoot, the pensive, tenacious air of the lyrics, along with the mellow drum and guitar accompaniment and the powerful, husky, and dreamlike quality of the singer's vocals combine to evoke an overwhelming sense of breathlessness and euphoria surrounding the song's subject, a love so solemn and earnest it becomes the singer's reason for living.
Friday, September 16, 2011
The World of Kungfu
As I've said in my last post, I'm reading this book called American Shaolin by Matthew Polly. The reason I picked it up was because of the cover:
The Shaolin monk on the book cover is holding a bag of food from Burger King. I was extremely hungry at the time, having skipped lunch to work on some homework that I should not have procrastinated on. This book caught my eye, and this was my thought process:
zOMG BURGER KING. zOMG.
IS THAT BURGER KING?!
I haven't had fast food in soooo long. FFFUUU.
That. Person. Is. Chinese. I'm sooo reading this book.
So maybe I picked up this book for the wrong reasons. Instead of having 'high intellectual goals of accumulating wisdom' in mind, I hoped there would either be descriptions of food or complaints about how different everything in China was. (Both were in the book to varying degrees.) Because let's face it: books about cultural differences are always entertaining to the point of ridicule.
But anyways. American Shaolin is a nonfiction book about a weakling and Princeton dropout who travels to China to learn kungfu from the original masters and to maybe even achieve religious enlightenment from the monks' form of Buddhism. He does become somewhat beast at kungfu, but he doesn't really achieve true spiritual enlightenment.
There's just one thing wrong with this scenario: he dropped out of Princeton. Blasphemy! Pure blasphemy. I believe that dropping out of any prestigious college, ESPECIALLY Ivy League, is grounds for eternal shame and damnation in the fiery brimstone pools of Hell. (Or so say my parents.)
Anyhoo, I really liked this book. I could somewhat relate to it because I'm Chinese and most of the characters in the book are Chinese, but also because... no, that's about it. I'll never go on a self-discovering journey into the depths of a foreign country where everyone stares at me like I'm an alien, nor will I ever, EVER become physically ept. (The extent of my exercise is from videogames and walking to class. Derp.)
I do like the interactions between the Shaolin monks and Matthew (or Bao Mosi, as the monks call him), however. For instance, the monks consider Matthew to be a sexual libertine after he states that he's had 3 girlfriends. The Chinese culture states that one does not start openly dating until one is around 25, so the idea of an under-25 Matthew with 3 serious relationships and numerous (presumed) sexual conquests under his belt is unthinkable.
This highlights one of the many cultural differences, others of which include kinds of food eaten, amount of physical affection, and politeness. As many of you may know, Asians eat a larger variety of foods than whites. Physical affection is also increased, since people are comfortable in their sexualities and the idea of homosexuality in Asia is a myth. As for politeness, let me give a real-life example:
My family was dining with some relatives in a high-end seafood restaurant on our last visit to China. The bill came.
Dad: I'll pay the bill.
Uncle: Nonono, I insist I pay it. Keep your money.
D: We can't possibly make you pay all of this bill. It's too expensive. I'LL pay it.
U: *growing exasperated* You're our guests here. We can't allow you to lose your precious money on trivialities. Buy some icecream for your kids and let us pay the bill.
D: *loudly* No, I'LL pay the bill. End of story.
Etc etc etc...
The argument can go on for up to ten minutes before my dad grudgingly concedes to let my uncle pay. No joke.
Contrast this with an scenario between my family and some American friends:
*the bill comes*
Dad: I'll foot the bill.
American: Okay. Thank you, *insert my dad's name here*!
Dad: ...
The differences are astonishing.
Having no good way to conclude, I'm just going to lamely say: READ THIS BOOK.
The Shaolin monk on the book cover is holding a bag of food from Burger King. I was extremely hungry at the time, having skipped lunch to work on some homework that I should not have procrastinated on. This book caught my eye, and this was my thought process:
zOMG BURGER KING. zOMG.
IS THAT BURGER KING?!
I haven't had fast food in soooo long. FFFUUU.
That. Person. Is. Chinese. I'm sooo reading this book.
So maybe I picked up this book for the wrong reasons. Instead of having 'high intellectual goals of accumulating wisdom' in mind, I hoped there would either be descriptions of food or complaints about how different everything in China was. (Both were in the book to varying degrees.) Because let's face it: books about cultural differences are always entertaining to the point of ridicule.
But anyways. American Shaolin is a nonfiction book about a weakling and Princeton dropout who travels to China to learn kungfu from the original masters and to maybe even achieve religious enlightenment from the monks' form of Buddhism. He does become somewhat beast at kungfu, but he doesn't really achieve true spiritual enlightenment.
There's just one thing wrong with this scenario: he dropped out of Princeton. Blasphemy! Pure blasphemy. I believe that dropping out of any prestigious college, ESPECIALLY Ivy League, is grounds for eternal shame and damnation in the fiery brimstone pools of Hell. (Or so say my parents.)
Anyhoo, I really liked this book. I could somewhat relate to it because I'm Chinese and most of the characters in the book are Chinese, but also because... no, that's about it. I'll never go on a self-discovering journey into the depths of a foreign country where everyone stares at me like I'm an alien, nor will I ever, EVER become physically ept. (The extent of my exercise is from videogames and walking to class. Derp.)
I do like the interactions between the Shaolin monks and Matthew (or Bao Mosi, as the monks call him), however. For instance, the monks consider Matthew to be a sexual libertine after he states that he's had 3 girlfriends. The Chinese culture states that one does not start openly dating until one is around 25, so the idea of an under-25 Matthew with 3 serious relationships and numerous (presumed) sexual conquests under his belt is unthinkable.
This highlights one of the many cultural differences, others of which include kinds of food eaten, amount of physical affection, and politeness. As many of you may know, Asians eat a larger variety of foods than whites. Physical affection is also increased, since people are comfortable in their sexualities and the idea of homosexuality in Asia is a myth. As for politeness, let me give a real-life example:
My family was dining with some relatives in a high-end seafood restaurant on our last visit to China. The bill came.
Dad: I'll pay the bill.
Uncle: Nonono, I insist I pay it. Keep your money.
D: We can't possibly make you pay all of this bill. It's too expensive. I'LL pay it.
U: *growing exasperated* You're our guests here. We can't allow you to lose your precious money on trivialities. Buy some icecream for your kids and let us pay the bill.
D: *loudly* No, I'LL pay the bill. End of story.
Etc etc etc...
The argument can go on for up to ten minutes before my dad grudgingly concedes to let my uncle pay. No joke.
Contrast this with an scenario between my family and some American friends:
*the bill comes*
Dad: I'll foot the bill.
American: Okay. Thank you, *insert my dad's name here*!
Dad: ...
The differences are astonishing.
Having no good way to conclude, I'm just going to lamely say: READ THIS BOOK.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
What Ching Chong Actually Means (Regarding Racism)
Fact: I'm Chinese. I speak the language, look the part, and act the part.
I came to the US when I was six. In fourth grade, I was riding the bus when these two obnoxious girls behind me made a remark obviously directed at me: 'ching chong.'
I decided to be the better person and ignore them; eventually they tired of saying the phrase over and over and became silent. I was tempted, back then, to hurl back their way one of several choice of insults about their obesity or overly large noses, some of the many stereotypes Asians have about Americans. I decided not to, however, because I knew the true meaning of 'ching chong.'
Now, think of the worst possible insult you could make about yourself. Something so heinously awful that it would make Hitler or Bill O'Reilly burst into tears. Yup, that's right. That's what 'ching chong' means.
Trollface: U mad, bro?
Trolololol, I keed I keed. 'Ching chong' means absolutely nothing at all - it's not even a Chinese word/phrase. Failsauce. Now comes the question, "What does this have to do with the book I'm reading?" Well, I was getting to that.
I'm currently reading a book called "American Shaolin" by Matthew Polly. The book is about an American who, obsessed with kungfu, travels to China to learn kungfu from the original masters: the Shaolin monks. Side note: to see how awesome the Shaolin style of kungfu is in relation to modern day life, watch Shaolin Soccer - with subtitles, of course.
Soccer and mortal peril sometimes don't mix. In this case, they do.
Anyways. What this book has to do with my blog post is this: in the book, there's a moderate to extreme amount of white stereotyping. The Chinese people in the book consider Americans to be either obese, arrogant, condescending, big-nosed, or giants in matters of height. Obviously, this doesn't apply to all whites.
If the Chinese stereotyping of whites leaves a sour taste in your mouth, consider the other side of the story. There's this overwhelming assumption in the US, I've found, that Asians have tiny slanted eyes, a preference for dog, small reproductive organs, a lack of hygiene, and/or a tendency to be loud.
Obviously, none of this is universally true. For instance, while most Asians have said physical features; like with any race, there are exceptions. But meh, I'm just stating the obvious. Let's talk about dogs.
Personally, I've never eaten any animal you could consider a pet in my life, and neither have my parents. (We HAVE, however, eaten chicken feet, jellyfish, beef small intestine, and pork tongue. Don't judge.) Recently, Chinese citizens have been protesting the presence of dogs at the dinner table (only in some regions of China and more dominantly in Korea) due to more and more of the Chinese nouveau riche owning pets. This is good. Definitely good.
A succulent dish of jellyfish.
There are other stereotypes which I won't bother dispelling because they'd be too awkward and because I'm tired. If you're smart, you'll look them up and be rewarded with knowledge. (And a virtual cookie.)
I came to the US when I was six. In fourth grade, I was riding the bus when these two obnoxious girls behind me made a remark obviously directed at me: 'ching chong.'
I decided to be the better person and ignore them; eventually they tired of saying the phrase over and over and became silent. I was tempted, back then, to hurl back their way one of several choice of insults about their obesity or overly large noses, some of the many stereotypes Asians have about Americans. I decided not to, however, because I knew the true meaning of 'ching chong.'
Now, think of the worst possible insult you could make about yourself. Something so heinously awful that it would make Hitler or Bill O'Reilly burst into tears. Yup, that's right. That's what 'ching chong' means.
Trolololol, I keed I keed. 'Ching chong' means absolutely nothing at all - it's not even a Chinese word/phrase. Failsauce. Now comes the question, "What does this have to do with the book I'm reading?" Well, I was getting to that.
I'm currently reading a book called "American Shaolin" by Matthew Polly. The book is about an American who, obsessed with kungfu, travels to China to learn kungfu from the original masters: the Shaolin monks. Side note: to see how awesome the Shaolin style of kungfu is in relation to modern day life, watch Shaolin Soccer - with subtitles, of course.
Anyways. What this book has to do with my blog post is this: in the book, there's a moderate to extreme amount of white stereotyping. The Chinese people in the book consider Americans to be either obese, arrogant, condescending, big-nosed, or giants in matters of height. Obviously, this doesn't apply to all whites.
If the Chinese stereotyping of whites leaves a sour taste in your mouth, consider the other side of the story. There's this overwhelming assumption in the US, I've found, that Asians have tiny slanted eyes, a preference for dog, small reproductive organs, a lack of hygiene, and/or a tendency to be loud.
Obviously, none of this is universally true. For instance, while most Asians have said physical features; like with any race, there are exceptions. But meh, I'm just stating the obvious. Let's talk about dogs.
Personally, I've never eaten any animal you could consider a pet in my life, and neither have my parents. (We HAVE, however, eaten chicken feet, jellyfish, beef small intestine, and pork tongue. Don't judge.) Recently, Chinese citizens have been protesting the presence of dogs at the dinner table (only in some regions of China and more dominantly in Korea) due to more and more of the Chinese nouveau riche owning pets. This is good. Definitely good.
There are other stereotypes which I won't bother dispelling because they'd be too awkward and because I'm tired. If you're smart, you'll look them up and be rewarded with knowledge. (And a virtual cookie.)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Touring Blogs
InsideOut
Hidden In A Journal
Apples To Apples
Charlie Bucket
ETYAFTER
The Blanket Fort
Fire Side Reading
Norwegian Wood
The Lost Message Of Words
Hidden In A Journal
Apples To Apples
Charlie Bucket
ETYAFTER
The Blanket Fort
Fire Side Reading
Norwegian Wood
The Lost Message Of Words
Friday, September 2, 2011
Teh Update
Books I'm reading:
None - I finished all my current books this week.
This week: 534 pages
Last week: 406 pages
This semester: 940 pages
Sentences of the week:
1. "Faggy color names (alphabetized)
bisque
cerise
chartreuse
conch
cornflower
corn silk
fern
goldenrod
honeydew
leather
lichen
lox
mica
moccasin
opal
plum
saddle brown
shiraz
snow
thistle
yolk"
JPod, Douglas Coupland
2. "Don't let some guy named Vinnie take you on any long drives out into the desert." 21, Ben Mezrich
3. "A whale is someone who can lose a million dollars at cards - and not give a damn." 21, Ben Mezrich
How dare he label snow a 'faggy' color. I can understand goldenrod, but snow? It's just a more non-mainstream way to say white. I mean, who wants boring old white when you can have snow? That's the first sentence anyway.
The last two sentences make me want to try my hand at playing blackjack. Can't you hear the undertone of excitement and glamor in those sentences? Lawl.
None - I finished all my current books this week.
This week: 534 pages
Last week: 406 pages
This semester: 940 pages
Sentences of the week:
1. "Faggy color names (alphabetized)
bisque
cerise
chartreuse
conch
cornflower
corn silk
fern
goldenrod
honeydew
leather
lichen
lox
mica
moccasin
opal
plum
saddle brown
shiraz
snow
thistle
yolk"
JPod, Douglas Coupland
2. "Don't let some guy named Vinnie take you on any long drives out into the desert." 21, Ben Mezrich
3. "A whale is someone who can lose a million dollars at cards - and not give a damn." 21, Ben Mezrich
How dare he label snow a 'faggy' color. I can understand goldenrod, but snow? It's just a more non-mainstream way to say white. I mean, who wants boring old white when you can have snow? That's the first sentence anyway.
The last two sentences make me want to try my hand at playing blackjack. Can't you hear the undertone of excitement and glamor in those sentences? Lawl.
Blackjack: Twenty-One (the number's typed out because I'm hipster)
It seems like all the books I read are good books. For once, I want to read a bad one (*coughTwilightcough*) and ridicule it. Unfortunately, I've already read the Twilight series, and this class entails reading previously unread books. Boooo. D:
Take this book, for instance. The plot is basically six MIT students who decide to use their pwnful math skills to earn millions at blackjack. The myth is true: Geeks WILL rule the world. Apparently, blackjack is the only gambling game that doesn't rely completely on luck. I'm no blackjack expert, but I believe that once a card is dealt, it's not used again for a particular blackjack round. Therefore, if you have a good memory and a counting system, you can bet big money at the right times and earn a crapload of returns.
The system that Kevin, the main character, and his friends use includes three types of players. The Spotters stay at a table and bet conservatively until their counting system indicates that good cards are ahead. Then, they covertly signal the Gorillas, who buy into the game and bet as much as possible, following the cues of the Spotter. The jobs of the Spotter and the Gorillas are somewhat combined in the Big Player, who does all the jobs. Thus, the Big Players are the most important.
However, there are complications with this beating of the system. Card-counters, as these six people are called, are reviled by casinos. If you get caught, casinos can throw you out and forbid you from ever coming in again. Although card-counting isn't illegal, casinos want to make money from idiots, not lose money to people who've beat the system. Moreover, you must report your gambling winnings to the IRS, and if your winnings are too great, the IRS will audit you. Dat cash. O.o
The six card-counters, or the Reptiles as they call themselves, experience all of these difficulties and eventually split up into two teams. Before they do so, however, they resort to using wigs, hair dye, makeup, and facial alterations to continue to earn money. Two of the card-counters even get beat up by security guards.
Apparently, this story was also made into a movie, but I've yet to see it. (I should have seen it last night, except I spent that time watching Thor.)
JPod, Part the Second
As expected, the rest of this book is as great as originally thought. Let me describe the story up until the end of part one. Our main character, Ethan Jarlewski, works in Vancouver as a video game engineer. His mother owns a marijuana grow-op, and his father is an aspiring actor who can only manage to land roles as extras. From here proceeds a series of partially random and only partially related events that are hilarious but kind of chimerical (OMG a vocab word!!11!one!11! <.<)
At the beginning of the book, Ethan’s mother accidentally kills a biker for extorting for a share of her grow-op. She has this puddle in the corner of the marijuana greenhouse that she can charge with electricity whenever something threatens her, and that's how Tim the biker died.
After mother and son get rid of the body (stopping at a garage sale on the way back), Ethan's house gets overrun with illegal Chinese immigrants, the team decides to covertly insert a serial killer clown with a secret lair into their lame skateboard game-in-development, and Steve, Ethan's immediate boss, falls in love with Ethan's mom and promptly disappears.
And that's just the beginning. You'll have to read parts two and three yourself to see the awesome. Hint: Think SARS. Hugging machines. Home-brewed cola tainted with coke. Lesbians with lowercase names.
Monday, August 29, 2011
This is me.
All Friday posts, in my opinion, should be prefaced with this:
Such a classy picture, no?
According to that oh-so-accurate (insert slight sarcasm here) personality quiz, I am personality type INTP, or an architect. I'm moderately introverted - no lies there; I'm pretty shy - and a very rare specimen of human. Apparently, my personality type makes up only one percent of the entire human population. Lolwut.
The rest of that analysis is all lies, of course. It says that I'm able to concentrate better than any other type, but I'm the worst procrastinator in the world. If I can start my homework at two in the morning and still sleep at least one hour, I'll do it. Therefore, final verdict: lies.
According to that oh-so-accurate (insert slight sarcasm here) personality quiz, I am personality type INTP, or an architect. I'm moderately introverted - no lies there; I'm pretty shy - and a very rare specimen of human. Apparently, my personality type makes up only one percent of the entire human population. Lolwut.
The rest of that analysis is all lies, of course. It says that I'm able to concentrate better than any other type, but I'm the worst procrastinator in the world. If I can start my homework at two in the morning and still sleep at least one hour, I'll do it. Therefore, final verdict: lies.
As Of Now
Books I'm reading:
JPod, Douglas Coupland
The Dark Tower IV: Song of Susannah, Stephen King
This week: 406 pages
Sentences of the week:
1. "Occasionally someone would ask to see 'the baby' and when I opened the blanket, would leap back shrieking, 'What is that?! A dinosaur?' Apparently, the world is full of educated adults with mortgages and stock portfolios who think that people are walking around grocery stores with dinosaurs in their arms." Wesley the Owl, Stacey O'Brien
2. "Mark brought shame upon the family after he signed up for the local community college's Clown Program. He says the program will put him into the clown fast track, but he's now dead to us." JPod, Douglas Coupland
3. "'We’re having a contest – we’re trying to see if there’s any way to hold a knife and walk across a room and not look psycho.'
'And?'
'It's impossible.'" Same book as #2
What can I say? These quotes are funny. I do think, though, that you can walk across a room with a knife and not look psycho. (It has to be a butter knife.)
JPod, Douglas Coupland
The Dark Tower IV: Song of Susannah, Stephen King
This week: 406 pages
Sentences of the week:
1. "Occasionally someone would ask to see 'the baby' and when I opened the blanket, would leap back shrieking, 'What is that?! A dinosaur?' Apparently, the world is full of educated adults with mortgages and stock portfolios who think that people are walking around grocery stores with dinosaurs in their arms." Wesley the Owl, Stacey O'Brien
2. "Mark brought shame upon the family after he signed up for the local community college's Clown Program. He says the program will put him into the clown fast track, but he's now dead to us." JPod, Douglas Coupland
3. "'We’re having a contest – we’re trying to see if there’s any way to hold a knife and walk across a room and not look psycho.'
'And?'
'It's impossible.'" Same book as #2
What can I say? These quotes are funny. I do think, though, that you can walk across a room with a knife and not look psycho. (It has to be a butter knife.)
Friday, August 26, 2011
JPod, Part the First
First reaction after reading Part 1 of this book: OMG. This. Book. Is. Amazing.
It's possibly the most random, most randomly hilarious book I have ever read. I'll let the words speak for themselves. Below are some excerpts.
"The only way to the top is killing and greed. Okay, I'm kidding. But killing helps. Greed kind of helps, but it looks ugly, and at parties people avoid greedheads, so there goes your social life."
"Don broke his arm skiing in February, but six weeks in a splint and he's tickety-boo. Laurie got her accreditation and is now a fully qualified dental hygienist. Mark brought shame upon the family after he signed up for the local community college's Clown Program. He says the program will put him into the clown fast track, but he's now dead to us."
"'I was in a fourgy with these three BMX chicks I met last weekend, and it was a dream come true, and then this one chick puts on a Raggedy Ann wig and a red foam nose, and says, Look at me, I'm Ronald McDonald, and I freaked.'"
Based on these quotes, it's kind of hard to tell what the book's about, but it's a satire novel about six cubicle workers with last names beginning with J (hence the title) who are "bureaucratically marooned in jPod, a no-escape architectural limbo on the fringes of a massive Vancouver game design company." These workers, each extremely abnormal in his or her own way, do anything except get serious work done. For example, they each write letters to Ronald McDonald asking him to choose them for his mate.
The most awesome part of the book is Ethan Jarlewski's (the main character's) mom. Ethan's mom is a pot grower who seems hilariously amoral. When a biker figures out her marijuana operation, she kills him by electrocuting him. She also collects some overdue marijuana money from another biker by shooting his foot. She does this all in a sugary sweet manner reminiscent of other normal moms. The contrast is so great that you wonder if she has split personalities.
I think it'd be great to have a mom like that, minus the killing aspect.
Fluffy, Fluffy Owls
I love animals, so it's appropriate that the first book I blog about be about animals. More specifically, a single animal.
The book is titled "Wesley the Owl" by Stacey O'Brien, and it is possibly the saddest and cutest book I have ever read. In it, Stacey, a biologist, adopts an owl hatchling to raise, consequently falling in love with it. The owl, quite literally, falls in love with her too. It's like Hogwarts and my biology textbook met up and had a love child, complete with 'the power of love' and everything. Except, of course, there's no magic or noseless megalomaniac bald guys who love snakes a little too much.
Stacey O'Brien talks of The Way of the Owl, which entails never breaking promises and loving only one mate per lifetime. Owls become deeply attached to their one mate to the point of willing themselves to die if their mate dies. I find this incredibly moving. It's certain that owls have emotions and souls, as the author says, based on this act alone, but we humans have too much of a superiority complex to consider that the animals we coexist with are just humans with feathers or fur.
But anyways.
I definitely recommend this book. I laughed and cried through most of it, and I guarantee you will too. Unless of course you hate animals, in which case you can redirect to that blog about young adult vampire romance novels which is located in the failsauce portion of the interwebz, kthxbai. Just know that no one I know has ever cried while reading *insert shudder here* Twilight.
Hello
This is the blog I've created as an assignment for my etymology class. In it, I will (as the description aptly indicates) be blogging on books and cute things. Mostly books. Woo.
Truthfully, I love to read, but I've never been able to find the motivation to even pick up a non-assignment related book since high school started. I guess this class is now my motivation.
And so we begin.
Truthfully, I love to read, but I've never been able to find the motivation to even pick up a non-assignment related book since high school started. I guess this class is now my motivation.
And so we begin.
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