Entry 5: A journey

      I had read a book about this boy who travel a long journey to where god of the fire lives, asking for extra strength. In his community, it is believed that the god of fire will give special power to whom requested. However, you have to ask it face to face, and sacrifice a human as the gift, usually salves. The rule is that the requester has to go along, slave don’t count, and taking water roots are not allowed. No one had ever come back from the trip for 400 years and non had even tried for 100 years. He didn’t make it after all, but the journey change his attitude and his way of viewing life forever. Now he learn to survive without the serving of slaves, he now know how to respect and now he is a much kinder person. He won the respect of his community with out the special strength from the god of fire.

      Yes I had went on a journey that effect my life forever. It seems like a lot of accidents put up together, but also not accidents because I am the one making all the decisions. I chose to be in home school when I was in grade 5, chose to take a trip to US, chose to stay a little longer. I don’t know that those decisions would change my life for ever, I don’t know that I chose to take a trip to US would result me going into a American School and end up in a English speaking collage. I was a for fun trip, all I was thinking is to visit other country and have fun.

           I have to say that I was very independent already, having a mom that is “a bit” lazy. I learn to be a lot more independent during the trip, without any of my family members coming with me. I took a plane back to Taiwan by myself a month after I was legal to do that. I live out there with host family, which I don’t really miss because they were not too good to me. I am there to learn, not to work! I didn’t notice those changes at the time but now a days when I think back about it, it is really a meaningful experience that change my life forever.  

Entry 4: Time

     In the “Contents of Dead Man’s Pocket,” Jack Finney makes the time seems to move very slow by using a lot of descriptions in the story. Which creates a scary mood with high tension, from our real life, we all know that when in a situation of scary or with high tension, the time walk very slow. Also the descriptive details make the readers feel like they are also on the edge of wall 16 floors above the ground, they can see/feel every step Tom is making and following along with him.

       To me, it happens to be when I am in a boring class or when I am stretching time went by super slow. I have to keep on telling myself not to look at the clock, when I do look at it, the pointer never moves. Whatever song I am listening to when I am stretching, that song immediately trouble its length. Combine all those conditions when I feel like time walk super slow, I get a conclusion, which is that *Time crows as slow as it possibility can when you are suffering!*

         On the other hand when I consider all situations when I feel like time just flies, I get a conclusion of * Time flies when you are having fun* Before the first week of school ends, I was already feeling like my school life would torture me forever and always. Likewise my summer seems like a week long when it is actually 10 weeks long.  

Entry 3: Values

       In “contents of dead man’s pocket” at first the main character-Tom have his value change from the beginning of story to the end. At first, the most important things to him are about the position of his job and money. Which are the things a lot of people treasure the most. At the end of the story, after he had the near to death experience, he now spends more time with his wife. He didn’t value the things he once treasured as important.

      The things I value are: friendship, money, grades, relationships within family, my personal things, Necky, basketball, FUN, and religion. If I have to order those things from the most important to least important, the order would be: friendship/ FUN/ religion -> necky->basketball/grade/money-> relationships within family/personal things. Although some I value more than others, everyone of them I put up there are important to me.

        There are a lot of things I put in the same category because they are very hard to tell which is more important. For example, in my heart the pressure from basketball is just as high as the pressure I get from grades. The feeling of have to be good in basketball and feeling of have to get good grades are very much similar. It might be harsh to say that I put the relationships within family the last in my category. However, for the time being, I did treasure them but the things I have to work for in the family more or less reduce that feeling of treasure. I don’t want people to think I don’t know how to thank my family or respect my parents but I don’t want to lie to myself nor anyone who is viewing this blog. So, please don’t comment on this particular thing.  

      

      

Entry 2: Describe setting

For the scene I saw on page 7 of my text book

1.     The girl with the bamboo stick on her hand. Who is doing kung-fu.

2.     Place: China, bamboo forest. Time: early in the morning, early autumn

3.     The action to me is intense practicing of kung-fu because they are wearing similar clothing. If they are wearing different clothing than it will be the for guys behind are trying to kill the girl with bamboo stick. This give the viewer an intense and violent mood

4.     The line of the ground,, vertical, dark line from the bamboos give a serious mood to the scene

5.     The perspective is low, close to the ground and it is “looking” up

2011’s prom

1.     Esther Lu laying on the ground being step on by a lot of people

2.     Place: prom floor. Time: April first, 2011, late at night, after the dance

3.     The action in this scene is 6 people putting their feet on Esther Lu, ready to step on her. Everyone including Esther have a warm smile on their face. Combines with the for-fun action, creates a joyful, playful, happy mood.

4.     The light is not white, there is a yellow light and everyone in their colorful, fancy prom dress creates a non-serious mood

5.     The perspective is a little high, looking down at Esther

   

Entry 1: Common Experiences

      Yes, I do agree with the statement that there are only two or three human stories and they go on repeating themselves as if they never happened before. I think there are more than 2 or 3 human stories but i do agree if the big idea. Before this class I never even thought about things like this but now i find it very truthful. What happened to me usually happen to other people too. However when i actually experience it, it is like this thing never happened before. 

       When i actually think about it, everyone have this little space in their heart that is privet and no one else would touch. I have this personal and special place too, i felt like it was so unique that it is there just for me. The untouchable place for me is so privet that no human actually reach it. Yet, i have 4 best of best friends that i told my everything to. The only "person" who knows and keeps that special place for me is Necky. I know deep in my heart that she will never ever slip my secrets away nor will so complain about having to hear my rant. She is my journal. 

       I also think that the common experience link all humans together. Why else do those love stories and breaking up songs so popular and never dies? Because all of us have the common experience or stories, so we feel connect to the situation. This is also the reason body language works. When ever you see a warm, welcoming smile, the warmth slip into your heart before any words are spoken. When a person cries, the people around them can feel the sadness because they understands. Maybe they have never lost a brother before in their life but they know what it is like to leave someone forever.