Cycle 26: Performance Ideas

Here are my ideas for the upcoming final project our class will be performing using A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Characters interested to act as:

• Lysander
• Demetrius
• Hermia
• Helena

I would be interested in playing the role of one of the lovers. First off, the role of the lovers is something I could relate to more than being a King or Queen. The lovers face challenges that would be fun to act out. Playing the role of Lysander or Demetrius would be quite challenging because they are male parts, but these roles fun and exciting. The scenes I would want to act out would have to be when the lovers are having an argument. Acting out an argument would require emotion and seriousness, somethings I am willing to try.

Cycle 26: Flatworld Reflection

After completing our flatworld writing project, here are some of my ideas on this project:

1. What did you like best about the project and why?
I liked the fact that we were able to connect with different schools not only from around our Country, but around the world as well. This project connected students from different areas of the world by sharing stories about themselves. Without this project we probably wound not have been able to meet so many students from other schools around the world.

2. What did you like least and why?
The part of this project I liked the least was the way the feedback system was set up. It was sometimes confusing on who to give feedback to and when feedback was due to the other students.

3. What was something surprising that you learned about the other students (from other schools)?
I was most impressed with the students from Korea. The students from Korea were able to write unbelievably well, and for some of them that is not even their first language.

4. How do you think the project affected your writing?
I feel my writing changed for the better. By having writing partners in Korea, it taught me to be more descriptive with my writing. Most times things would have to have been explained in good detail, otherwise other students would not understand what was happening in your story.

5. Describe the most challenging aspect of the project.
The most challenging part of this project was the time differences between each of the schools. Because Korea, for example, was almost a full day ahead of us, they were often waiting on our class to finish.

6. Offer some advice to future participants.
Patience is the key. Because this project involves students from around the world, there is obviously going to be some sort of confusion. I would also suggest to try and give the best feedback possible, it really helps the writer if good feedback is given.

7. Other comments.
This is a worthwhile project. It was an interesting way to learn about other cultures from around the world, and still be able to improve our writing skills.

Cycle 25: Character Analysis of Helena (continued)

After finishing Act II of A Midsummer Night's Dream Helena feelings towards Demetrius stay the same. The more Helena continues to pursue Demetrius, the more Demetrius pushes her away. In this scene Demetrius tells Helena "Stay, on thy peril. I alone will go" (61). And still after this was said by Demetrius, Helena is still madly in love with him. For Helena to continue to chase after Demetrius after she constantly gets turned down shows that Helena has a strong frame of mind. This also shows some stupidity on Helena's part, who in their right mind would pursue a man that they had no chance with? But, love often blinds a person from what is normally a clear choice. And love is obviously blinding Helena.

Earlier in scene II Robin Goodfellow anoints Lysander with the nectar that makes him fall in love with the next person he sees. Later, when Lysander awakes the first person he sees in Helena. Because of the nectar Lysander starts telling Helena his feelings for her. But, Helena tries to remind Lysander how he truly loves Hermia and not herself. By doing this I feel Helena showed a great deal of friendship toward Hermia. Helena could have easily jumped right into Lysander's arms, but she tried talking Lysander out of it. This shows the bond of friendship between Hermia and Helena.

Also in this scene Helena makes a direct reference to herself, allowing the audience to know how she really feels about herself. Helena says, "no, no, I am as ugly as a bear, for beasts that meet me run away for fear" (61). By saying this, Helena shows the audience how little she thinks of herself. To say those things about herself shows that she does not believe in herself one bit.

Overall, Helena is going through a lot of hardships. Hopefully as this story progresses Helena will be able to gain more self confidence and will start believing in herself.

Cycle 25: Character Analysis of Helena

This past cycle our class started reading A Midsummer Night's Dream which was written by Shakespeare. When reading the first two acts of this play the major characters that were introduced were Hermia, Lysander, Helena, Demetrius, Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, Oberon, Titania, and Robin Goodfellow. Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius are four lovers. Hermia and Lysander love each other very much and want to get married, but Egeus, Hermia's father, forbids his daughter to marry Lysander and tries forces Hermia to marry Demetrius. While Demetrius loves Hermia, Hermia's good friend, Helena, is madly in love with Demetrius, who will not get Helena the time of day.

The character that interests me the most is Helena. From the reading, Helena appears to be Hermia's best friend. But, although a friend Helena's jealously and desperateness towards pursuing Demetrius overpowers Hermia's and Helena's friendship.

Hermia
I frown upon him, yet he loves me still.
Helena
O, that your frowns would teach my smiles such skill!
Hermia
I give him curses, yet he gives me love.
Helena
O, that my prayers could such affection move!
Hermia
The more I hate, the more he follows me.
Helena
The more I love, the more he hateth me.
Hermia
His foly, Helena, is no fault of mine.
Helena
None but your beauty. Would that fault were mine! (19-21)

In this scene Helena complains to Hermia how Demetrius does not love her. It almost seems as if Helena is so desperate she would do anything to be loved by Demetrius, even if that ruins their friendship. Helena appears to me to be living in Hermia's shadow. Helena must feel as if she acted more like Hermia, then Demetrius will love her. In Helena's personal feelings about herself, she constantly puts herself down because Demetrius shows no love to her but rather to Hermia.

If I were to play the character of Helena I would have to show emotions of rage, jealously, and desperateness all at the same time. Helena's rage comes through when no matter what she does Demetrius just does not seem to notice her. The character Helena must express frustration. Jealously must be shown when playing the role of Helena because throughout the two acts Helena is jealous of Hermia because she is able to capture the attention of Demetrius. Throughout the play so far, Helena goes through a lot of hardship.

Cycle 24: Sustainablity Fair

On Friday our school held a sustainability fair. The purpose of this fair was to educate the students, as well as faculty, about our environment. Not only was this fair open to our school, but to the public as well. Taking a break from English, our class decided to explore this fair and discover what it was all about. In this fair there were many booths, presentations, and games which we could earn from. Some of the demonstrations that caught my eye were fuel cells, how worms help our environment, and how our school is trying to sustain a more environmentally friendly campus.

When living in such a demanding world, pollution and waste rates rise. When walking around the sustainability fair I learned of a partial solution for this problem, and that is the use of fuel cells. Fuel cells are an electrochemical energy conversion device. Fuel cells produce energy that does not cause pollution. Fuel cells are sometimes called batteries because they provide energy. But in fact fuel cells are not batteries because they are not discarded after use, rather fuel cells use external sources such as fuel to produce more energy. The positive impacts fuel cells have on our environment is that they do not pollute, they are much quieter, and a lot more durable. In California, so buses run off of fuel cells. These buses are much more environmentally friendly.

I think worms are dirty, slimy, and gross. But after yesterday, I learned they can be very useful to our planet. Worms are useful because they eat our garbage. With worms, water wasting disposals could be eliminated. At this demonstration I learned 25% - 40% of household waste is worm friendly. But, not every type of worm can dispose of our household trash, only Indian Blue worms get the job done. These worms are also photophobic, which means they are afraid of the light, so just because you do not see them does not mean they are not there.

Because our school is so big, it uses many resources each day. At the sustainability fair I discovered ways ours school tries to cut back and limit the uses of our planet’s resources. Water, energy, and electricity are the major resources our school uses daily. To limit the amount of resources we use we try to find more environmentally friendly solutions to get the same results. Instead of using fresh water to water our plants and grass, our school uses the water from our lily pond. Also, plants and grass are watered at night to prevent evaporation and waste of our water usage. On campus, our newer built buildings have the technology to turn off the lights and air conditioning automatically while no one is in the room. This saves much electricity and energy. To heat our water, in our locker rooms for example, our school depends on solar water heating, saving a lot of energy and cost. With solar water heating our bill goes from $7000 a month to $1500 a month.

Attending this sustainability fair has opened my eyes to how many resources humans use. Although it would be hard to just stop using these resources it was great to learn how save and preserve as much as we can.

Here are some links to find out more about sustainablity:
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ecologicalfootprint/calculators/default.asp
http://daversitycode.com/
http://rainforestsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=4
http://climatecrisis.org/

Cycle 22: Character Analyst - A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe

A role I chose to be this cycle was the character analyst. The character analyst's job is to acknowledge what is figured out about the character's in this section. The section our class was assigned to read was A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe, the last section of The Woman Warrior.

After reading A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe I realized the character that is most mentioned is Maxine. During this section the reader learns about Maxine during the time that she goes to school. As a reader you learn Maxine was a shy girl, as were all the your Chinese girls, when she first started going to school. So shy in fact that her teachers thought she had a IQ of zero and they made Maxine repeat kindergarten. But as this section unfolds it shows how Maxine evolved into a talkative, over-powering, smart young adult. After reading the part of this section when Maxine is going through school, I picture Maxine to be a bully.

"If you're not stupid," I said to the quiet girl, "what's your name?" She shook her head, and some hair caught in the tears; wet black hair stuck to the side of the pink and white face. I reached up (she was taller than I) and took a strand of hair. I pulled it. "Well, then, let's honk your hair," I said. "Honk. Honk." Then I pulled the other side -"ho-o-n-nk"-a long pull; "ho-o-n-n-nk-a longer pull. I could see her little white ears, like white cutworms curled underneath her hair. "Talk!" I yelled into her cutworm. (177)

Although Maxine might have had the intentions of helping this girl, it did not come off that way. It suprised me that Maxine acted in such a manner. After reading this section I learned that Maxine can be tough, but still trying to be helpful at the same time.

Cycle 20: Shaman - Feminist

One of my roles for our literature circle this week is the feminist. The feminist tells what is stated and implied about the about the role of women in this section. The section of The Woman Warrior we are reading this cycle is Shaman.

I have read about half of Shaman so far, and by reading this section you learn a great deal about Maxine's mother, a.k.a. Brave Orchid. This chapter starts off with Maxine looking at her mother’s medical diploma. From there Maxine’s mother added with Maxine’s imagination paints a picture for the readers about Maxine’s mother’s experience in medical school.

During this time period women are just starting to explore what options they have in order to give back to the society. Maxine’s mother decides to put herself through medical school with the money Maxine’s father sends to her from Canton. While Maxine’s mother is telling her story, Maxine is looking at the metal tube that holds her mother’s diploma and various photographs.

• There are no snapshots of my mother. In two small portraits, however, there is a black thumbprint on her forehead, as if someone had inked in bangs, as if someone had marked her.
  “Mother, did bangs come into fashion after you had the picture taken?” One time she said yes. Another time when I asked, “Why do you have fingerprints on your forehead?” she said, “Your first Uncle did that.” I disliked the unsure-ness in her voice. (60)

Although women were given the freedom to pursue a career, this quote proves that women were still not fully respected. As Maxine’s mother explained how her brother put a thumbprint on her forehead this implies that men still mark or label women.

Cycle 20: Hawaiian Ghost Stories

We were assigned to find a ghost story about Hawaii and post the to our blogs. I choose this ghost story because I very much believe in spirits in Hawaii. I believe if you anger the spirits bad things will happen. But, if you treat the spirits with respect, they will then watch over you. Here is mine:

Hawaii Wasn't Always Paradise

I guess the first thing that was really weird was when we had a Kahuna come over to bless the house. Something must have been going on because when she went into the kitchen she burst into tears and started saying "Pat you be ok, Libby you be ok..." It seems we had what we called "the curse in the kitchen". For example mom got this solid brown stuff and when she opened it it turned to liquid and burst onto all her white cabinets and her floor... Also she got a toe infection that doctors couldn't explain. Then something really bad happened... She was diagnosed with breast cancer and this comes to my next experience, one I will never forget...

I was in her bathroom combing my hair when I noticed some black in the mirror. Being a skeptic I turned to see it. She (yes I could tell it was a girl) was all black you could see the out line of long hair, nose, mouth and a dress (you couldn't see the feet and she seemed to float) but everything else was muddled. She turned the corner and disappeared but thats not the end. The next night my parents saw her pass through the hall without them knowing I had seen it.

We took this as a blessing because my mother outwitted breast cancer and is alive, well and healthier then ever today.

---

*This story was from www.castleofspirits.com check them out!!!

Cycle 19: White Tigers: Moderator

Here are some questions I had after reading White Tigers from The Woman Warrior:

• Why did Maxine choose the story of Fa Mulan to imagine herself in?

• Why did Maxine's parents not tell her that she was chosen to be a warrior ever since her birth?

• What is the symbolism of the rabbit in this section?

• What are differences that the white tigers and the dragons symbolize?

• Maxine's mentors told Maxine not to being pregnant anytime soon. The fact that she got pregnant shows she did not obey her mentors' wishes. What does this symbolize?

• After hearing Maxine imagine herself as Mulan what do you learn about Maxine?

Cycle 19: White Tigers - New Critic

Tomorrow our class will be participating in our first lit circle. In my group my role is the new critic. As new critic my job is to select passages from the story and explain the importance of each passage. The section of The Women Warrior that we had to read was White Tigers.

• At first I saw only water so clear it magnified the fiber in the walls of the gourd. The old man encircled the neck of the gourd with his thumb and index finger and gave it a shake. As the water shook, then settled, the colors and lights shimmered into a picture, not reflecting anything I could see around me. There at the bottom of the gourd were my mother and father scanning the sky, which was where I was. “It has happened already, then,” I could hear my mother say. “I didn’t expect it so soon.” “You knew from her birth that she would be taken,” my father answered. “We’ll have to harvest potatoes without her help this year,” my mother said, then they turned away toward the fields, straw baskets in their arms. The water shook and became just water again. “Mama. Papa,” I called, but they were in the valley and could not hear me. (22)
  

This passage is of great importance to me because it gives a major clue about her destiny. By her parents saying she would be taken ever since birth, this passage shows that her parents already knew she was going to be taken. This passage also expresses the value of moving on. Not only did her parents know to let go and move on, but she also knew her duties and moved on as well. As a reader we also learn that there old people are magical because of the special gourd they have.

• A white rabbit hopped beside me, and for a moment I thought it was a blob of snow that had fallen out of the sky. The rabbit and I studied each other. Rabbits taste like chickens. My mother and father had taught me how to hit rabbits over their heads with wine jugs, then skin them cleanly for fur vests. “It’s a cold night to be an animal,” I said. “So you want some fire too, do you? Let me put on another branch, then.” I would not hit it with the branch. I had learned from rabbits to kick backward. Perhaps this one was sick because normally the animals did not like fire. The rabbit seemed alert enough, however, looking at me so acutely, bounding up to the fire. But it did not stop when it got to the edge. It turned its face once toward me, then jumped into the fire. The fire went down for a moment, as if crouching in surprise, then the flames shot up taller than before. When the fire became calm again, I saw the rabbit had turned into meat browned just right. I ate it, knowing the rabbit had sacrificed itself for me. It had made me a gift of meat. (26)

At first, when reading this passage I thought the rabbit was one of the old people, testing to see how much will power she had. When she described how the rabbits were skinned and used to make fur coats, I thought she was going to skin the poor rabbit. I felt this was an important passage because instead of skinning the rabbit, she added another branch to the fire to keep the rabbit warm. That part of this passage showed great loyalty. Eventually, when the rabbit jumped into the fire and sacrificed itself for her, I thought that was supposed to teach the girl that good things will happen if you wait.

Cycle 18: My Role Model

Most people who are recognized for their greatness are normally quite old or either dead. But, one person who I admire greatly is the same age as me. She is able to deal with pain no one could ever imagine, and never once complain about her problems. Coping with the pain she puts up with is only one of the reasons she is a person I admire. The fact that she is one of the best gymnasts in the state is not only impressive, but the modesty she shows is a quality every person should have. Her kindness towards all people who ever they are makes her the most kindhearted person I know. With all of the extra-curricular activities she does she is still able to manage her schedule and be an exceptional student. This young woman I know and love is named Keolamau Yee and I will always look up to her.

Cycle 18: No Name Warrior - More Quotes

This past week our class started reading The Woman Warrior, and completed the first chapter called “No Name Warrior.” “No Name Warrior” is a story about Maxine’s aunt which was told by Maxine’s mother. The story Maxine’s mother told her was about her aunt that committed suicide after giving birth to a baby that did not belong to her husband, but someone unknown. After Maxine’s mother tells her the story she ends up leaving the scene, leaving Maxine to ponder the possibilities in which this story took place. After finishing “No Name Warrior”, our assignment was: what does Maxine’s description and imagination about her aunt say about her?

• In one scene Maxine imagines, “Perhaps she had encountered him in the fields of on the mountain where the daughter-in-law collected fuel. Or perhaps he first noticed her in the marketplace. He was not a stranger because the village housed no strangers. She had to have dealings with him other than sex. Perhaps he worked an adjoining field, or he sold her the cloth for the dress she sewed and wore.”(6)
  

In this quote Maxine imagines three different scenarios in just one paragraph, this shows off how big Maxine’s imagination really is. Because there scenarios are all so wild, it reflects that Maxine has a wild personality. As readers, we learn that Maxine is creative. These scenarios are just three out of the many in this chapter. To imagine such creative ideas, she must have a creative mind.

• In another scene Maxine describes her aunt’s actions: “To sustain her being in love, she often worked at herself in the mirror, guessing at the colors and shapes that would interest him, changing them frequently in order to hit on the right combination. She wanted him to look back.”(9)
  

Because Maxine is a teenager, her thoughts reflect that of a teenage girl. When Maxine describes her aunt looking at herself in the mirror, I assume Maxine is self conscious herself and cares what she looks like. In this description Maxine talks about colors and shapes, this may show Maxine’s bright, colorful, and artistic side.

Cycle 18: My Family Story Characterization

On Friday, our class discussed the six methods of characterization. The six methods of characterization help to better describe characters in a story. The six methods are: appearance, inner thoughts/feelings, environment, what they say, what others say about them, and actions. To help practice characterization our assignment was to choose a character from our family story.

In my family story the main character is my gunggung. Here are the six methods of characterization about my gunggung:

Appearance:

• 18 years old
• young
• cheerful

Inner thoughts/feelings:

• scared, terrified
• nervous

Environment:

• Hawaii

What they say:

• calm
• controlled

What others say about them:

• generous
• giving

Actions:

• poise
• on top of things

Cycle 18: My Family Story

Our class is going to be starting an English project called: Thousand and One Flat World Tales. Here is an idea of a story i might use. Suggestions are very welcome!!!

I was ten years old and in the fourth grade when I got into the biggest fight about the littlest thing with my best friend at the time. Her name was Taylor, and we were the best of friends ever since we first met in kindergarten.

I remember this story like it happened just yesterday, we were in class on one of the hottest days of the year. My classmates and I were slowly counting down the long minutes until our lunch break. Lunch, where all of my friends would relax under the breeze of the cafeteria fans, feeling the air blow our hair around, listening to the laughter of all the kids around me. But, this day was different, the breeze from the fans above did not seem to be as satisfying and the laughter that I heard in the cafeteria made me want to cry. This was because all the kids were laughing at me. It just so happens that my best friend, Taylor, told another girl in my class named Andrea, who I liked. And by the time lunch had arrived I was the one being laughed at and I was the one being teased.

When I got home that day, my gunggung was at my house just for a visit. And, right away he could tell his little granddaughter was unhappy. He sat me down on my bed and I explained my story. I told him how my best friend stabbed me in my back and how I wish I was never born. My gunggung, being one of the nicest men I ever met, not only made me feel a whole lot better with the story he then told me, but I also learned something about him I will never forget.

After hearing my story my gunggung then told me one of his. He explained to me that I should never wish that I was never born because I almost might not have. “I was eighteen and as handsome as ever,” he bragged. He told me how he lived the best life ever, hanging out with his friends all the time, joking around in school and always frustrating the teacher. My gunggung then told me how one piece of paper changed his life. The piece of paper he was talking about was his draft number, the number that told him if he was going to be shipped out to fight in the Korean War. My gunggung’s aspect on life changed at that moment, he could no longer goof around or do what ever he pleased, because now he had a responsibility to the United States army. His number was so low that there was no chance he could avoid not being in the war.

My gunggung then explained to me how he felt with this duffle bag in his hands, starring at the ship that would that the newest batch of young adults to Korea to fight in the war. He explained every detail to me how if felt to hug his mom for what might have been the last time. He told me how he felt anxious, scared, worried, confused, and shocked all at the same time, not knowing what would happen next. As the military officers called each number one by one, my gunggung stood there in silence, waiting for his number to be called. …84…85…86…87…88…there it was, his number 88 was called. Henry Pang, number 88, please report on deck. At that moment his heart skipped a beat. But, then a message came in. As my gunggung walk to the officer that called his name, his memories of Hawaii flashed though him mind, not knowing when or if he would ever return. When he reached the officer, the officer told him how he was saved. The officer explained how my gunggung had been pulled out of the draft and was exempt from fighting.

It turns out someone in the administration knew my gunggung and pulled him out of the draft. He was informed, instead of fighting in Korea, he was to stay in Hawaii and carry out his duties by working in the office.

After my gunggung finished his story I was speechless. If my gunggung went to fight in the Korean War, he probably would never have met my popo, and they would never have had my mom, then I would not have been born. Because of this story my gunggung told me four years ago I have never again wished I was never born.

Cycle 17: No Name Warrior - Quotes

Yesterday our class read part of the first chapter of Woman Warrior. Here are some quotes I thought had important meanings:

• “Don’t humiliate us. You wouldn’t like to be forgotten as if you had never been born. The villagers are watchful.”
  

I choose this first quote because it reflects the feelings of the villagers. The culture reflected in Maxine’s village shows how honor is held at a high standard. The people in this village must live by the many rules and laws in order to keep a good reputation. This quote also reflects how strict Chinese families keep their households running. In China, your name is something you try to live up to for your entire life. When Maxine’s mother tells Maxine she will be forgotten if she does not take her mother’s advice it shows the importance of this story and also may foreshadow upcoming events.

• “I hope that the man my aunt loved appreciated a smooth brow, that he wasn’t just a tits-and-ass man.”
  

This quote comes from when Maxine is thinking to herself about what the possible stories that could have happened to make her aunty kill herself. I choose this quote because it shows the way Maxine thinks. This quote paints a picture of Maxine’s personality; it expresses her wild imaginations and shows her sexual thinking. As Maxine explores all the different scenarios, we learn Maxine has a somewhat blunt personality and is no where near innocent.

Cycle 17:Moodle

A goal that my English teacher, Mr. Watson, has made for our class was to go paper-less. To save paper, these past weeks he has introduced our class to moodle. Moodle is a website where our class can post assignments, share ideas, and communicate with each other virtually. One of the unique features of moodle is when other classmates are online, you are able to instant message them. With moodle, our class can have open discussions about assignments we are doing in class. Unlike a blog, with moodle it can not be seen publicly, it is your class’ site and no one else can access your work. What makes moodle difficult to use is the editing system. Only one person is allowed to edit at a time, and if someone else edits before you, you must edit again. This system would be a lot easier to use if more than one person could edit at a time. Moodle can also be troublesome when it starts to lag. If moodle updated each person’s work faster, it would be a lot more efficient. Overall, once our class starts using moodle more frequently, our work will like more professional.

Cycle 17: Lost Sister

During these past couple of weeks our class has been reading a few short stories and poems. One of the poems our class has read was Lost Sister. Lost Sister is a poem about a young woman who explains the situations of living in China, and then traveling to America in search of freedom and possibilities she could not obtain in China. One of the quotes I am fond of in this poem comes from the first sentence, “In China, even the peasants named their first daughters Jade-.” In China, Jade is a precious stone that is irreplaceable if ever lost. The reason why I like this quote is because it shows how daughters are referred to in China. This one sentence expresses how women in the Chinese culture are rare and beautiful even if they are just peasants.

A question raised by our teacher, Mr. Watson, was what does this poem say about how our “self” is created? By reading Lost Sister I realized you and only you can create your own “self”. In this poem, a young woman named Jade tells about her life in China. She explains how moving freely was a luxury taken from her and all girls at birth. Jade later creates her own “self” by moving to America. She broke through the old traditions and started something new. In this poem, Jade discovers that in America men and women are given equal opportunities. Jade is a perfect example on how to create your own “self”. To be your own person you must take life into your own hands. You must lead by example and not follow in other people’s footsteps. And you must live up to all that you can be. Once you have done all of that, then you can say that you have created your own “self”.