Day 2

Seems to her that her life is full of waiting hopelessly. Her new path just has an enormous obstacle to her fulfill happiness. She started to wonder why should she waits and keep waiting and waiting, but although he doesn’t want to. But why it bothers her, cause she cares, she truly does, she cares. He might not have that big of a place in her heart right now, but she cares. Hurts and pain and many disastrous incidents occurred in her past, she froze her heart, numb her mind, just to get away of all the bullshit in this life. She thought she found he who cares for her actually, but he, whom does not. Again she was mistaken. She was so stupid to think she could pour her heart out this time.  It got crushed before it actually appears Tears ran down her face even when she’s not intended to.  She cares, she did, she does, she will as long as he still hers He cares, he did. He stopped by stepping away from her She left alone again, for one more time, her soul broke apart by his words “Why am I always have to wait?! Why am I the one that waits for so many times?!”  There’s a question that has no answer in her head right now She came out bluntly, she stopped speaking truthfully.  She punks with people’s feelings, she thought she could be so tough that she is strong right now but she got even weaker She might does not need to pure her heart out, she does not need to get to her knees for him She should seek for the signs, those signs that he does not have any feeling for her.  After all, right now they are together, a little sympathy might be just fine. But oh c’mon, from the beginning it was a game to both himself and her Is he truly care ? He said he did, but again, she heard words She trusted it, she believed in it, she thought she could do it one more time. To actually believe in empty words But no, it’s useless shoving those thoughts into her head. Blunt !  Bullshits !!! What could have she done wrong ? What did she do to make him saying things like that into her ears? She does not deserve this But that’s might be true, she’s not that important compared what he’s having right now in his life. Yeh true she isn’t. She’s just an ordinary little chick like others that came in and out of his life. She understands that she is either let this go, move on as normally as she can the next day. Or finish it right here, because it’s so easy for people to say goodbye.  They say goodbye when they ready too, they give no shit thought about the person they’re saying it with. It is just so damn easy telling this is over. They won’t hurt as much if they start, if they begin and finish it. She could be this person if she wants. All she needs is a phone call, a little “Hey, where are you?!” and the rest goes on as normal. “I don’t think we should be together and I don’t think you’re being true with me. You seem to have other priorities in your life, and in my way I can’t see where I’m fit in. So it’s better if we go on our own way.” a little white lies, a little humor and mocking, it’s all she needs to get this over with.

 

Day 1

Looking all around found herself in a strangest place.

She turns around, and she found herself alone.

She positions herself on the pavement right beneath her knees. And put her head up to the sky. The stars are dazzling and showing off their truest beauty. She holds her arms out, reaching towards the pitch black darkest sky, with golden spots all over. She rises her arms up higher, dragging her body along. when she finally stands up, she realizes the stars are to far away from her.

That salty liquid runs down her face, from the left corner of her eyes, down to the fracture of her cheekbone and lastly drop to her jaw.

Her eyes close tighter, cause she knew, once she opens it, she’s facing the reality.

She stands there for a little while. Trying to get her feet back on the ground and clearing her head.

She has so many things to do tonight. That design portfolio she gotta turn in the next day, 10 pages of them. And she knows she doesn’t have a clue in her head. She just not in that feeling for thinking straight about formalizing her words and putting it all in a paragraph. She just can’t.

Decisions have to be make, quick. And she’s not the one who could decide, but to put herself through all the options, which she already knew which one to choose. Cause by choosing those typical ones, would pleasing a lot of people. And that’s how her life was set to do. Pleasing people.

But I know, she’s not like that inside. She’s hiding. “I let myself exposed to you once. And I’m not going to do it again.”

She’s scared. That’s all.

Hurt too much too be hurt twice. She cannot bear it the second time.

She understands where she stands in your heart. But seems to me she chose to step out of that timid corner that doesn’t even have enough room for her to be who she is.

She’s avoiding him.

She chosen to say what they wanna hear, to do what they expects her to do, to be quiet when is needed and need not to show her temper. Then she became, a popular chick with that talent of amusing people. Yeah that’s how it’s like to her.

She’s having a good time. Yeah at least that’s what she’s telling me. She finally can move on. He rescued her I must say, he saved her actually, from the hell hole she was in.

She doesn’t love him, she knows, she just needs someone to be there, to taking care, to look after her. She couldn’t stand on her own for that long. He came, and get her out of the dark. She owes him. A lot actually.

Confusion, all she is right now. She doesn’t know what step further more she should take. She wants it to last long, but her journey doesn’t allow her to. When she finds where she can lay her head then she gotta move on further with her life. That’s life, tired as fuck. She can’t please 2 sides as once, although she’s really want to.

What happened if she stays, what will happen if she doesn’t?! Part of her want to stay, part of her loves the fact that he is caring and treating her very well. Part of her thinking that this is just all a game. And the first part is growing, getting bigger every day. She feels warmth and light in the end. She deserves this.

But he doesn’t seem to be like it anymore. It just not the same, seems like his feelings are bored of her. Laugh out loud she told herself. She prefers when he looks at her only, when he holds her. She feel loved.

Maybe he’s just not that interested. LOL

 

“Confucius says…”

1. Select 5 sayings and write a short explanation of them.

-The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat.- This sayings simply just mean that if you are looking for something but you’re not certain about what it is, then you would never find it. Especially when it is not there in the beginning, because you don’t know what exactly you are looking for.

-The way out is through the door. Why is it that no one will use this method?- This says that the simplest method is to follow what is planned, but people tend to make it more complicated than it should be, and they’re trying to get around what obvious is the only way in front of them.

-I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.- This says that no matter how much you hear or remember about it, you would not understand unless you started to do it.

–When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.- When what you aimed for is not able to be done, red-do the steps, and see what went wrong with it, not adjust the goal to a lower lever in order to reach it.

-Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.- Life is what it is like, people intentions are to create a messier picture about their future, or their pasts to make their lives more complicated than what it should be.

3. Confucian sayings have often been used as plot lines for film, television, novels, plays and poetry; how many story lines do you know that could be related to Confucian sayings? As you read down the list write the names of films, television shows, novels, etc that could be related to these sayings. (aim for 20)

1. Confucius – the movie (2010)

2.The King Speech’s (2010)

3.The Social Network (2010)

4.Rio (2011)

5. 127 Hours (2010)

6. Just Go With It (2011)

7. World Invasion: Battle of Los Angeles (2011)

8. The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

9. Pope Joan

10. Love and The Other Drugs

4. Try writing some Confucius sayings of your own (aim for 5)

-Dream big, reach high-

-Don’t try to smile when you really can’t-

-There’s nothing wrong to be a narcissist, love yourself, appreciate yourself so others whom love you won’t get hurt, because they’ll get hurt if you’re hurt.

-Silence kills haters-

-Smile is the best makeup a girl can wear-

Which of his teaching became law? Confucius taught in his school for many years in his school. Later on in life, his theories and principles were spread throughout. There are many things that he have said that people are still using today. He said a wise phase called a golden rule that is still being used a rule today :” A man should practice what he preaches, but a man also preach what he practices.”

What is the link between Taoism and Buddhism and Confucian teaching? Confucianism and Taoism are the two great philosophy in China. Taoism and Confucianism are similar in many ways. The basic beliefs of Taoism and Confucianism are basically expecting people to behave well and peace, while Buddhist in the other hand, strictly aim to reach Nirvana and follow 4 noble truths. In Confucian teachings, its overall purpose is to find a peaceful destination in life, in which, Taoism and Buddhist have no overall goal for their followers.

 

Porphyria’s Lover by Robert Browning

1. What kind of an atmosphere is evoked by the first four lines of the poem? How does this reflect the character’s feelings? The first 4 lines created a dark and spooky atmostphere. The night rain and the sullend wind show that the character was sitting by himself alone in his cottage. He was so quiet that he could eventualyl described the weather surrounded him so details.

4. What impression do you gain of Porphyria from what she does when she arrives? From the following lines of the poem, the author described Porphyria as the sun and the warthm came in the middle of the night to chased the cold and rain away. So imaginely I had an impression of her as an ordinary woman with a warm smile and personality that can embrace everything that is around her.

6. Why should the reader’s curiousity be aroused by the statement: “When no voice replied”? Because it seems like he was expecting her to come by and give him a visit, but when she does, he did not act or sound like he was hoping that she would come. She called him, but he did not say a word to reply her call. So it is strange compared to what he said above, that is why the reader’s curiousity aroused by the statement in my opinion.

10. What does he decide to do? Why? What does this show about him? He basically decided to strangled her with her hair. I think this man is insanly in love with his woman, although he knew that she was getting married, or getting marry with another man. That idea of keeping it to himself made him came to an act that killing her, so then she (or her body) can stays by his side forever and not coming back to the other man. He has to be love her really much that eventually he lost control of his actions and mind.

11. How does he treat the dead Porphyria? Why? He opens her eyes, and lay her head on his shoulder. He positioned her the exact same way she was sitting before he killed her. I think because he has this idea in his head that his lover is alive, still and he is sitting next to her. People like him who lost it, they usually prefer to keep their mind this way, that the person they just killed is still alive.

14. What is it about Porphyria that seems to attract Porphyria’s lover most? He loved her for the fact that she puts himself first and then her. When she first came in, she was cold and wet, but she didn’t make herself comfortable but she lighted up the fireplace for him. And her physical beauty, that’s the 2 things he loved about her.

20. What wish of Porphyria’s does the lover believe he has granted? He believed that he has granted her the wish to be with him forever.

25. Is this poem only about love, or are other ideas being explored through the poem? I think this poem is only about love, or how insane a man/woman can be when they are crazily in love with somebody.

Full text: The rain set early in tonight,

The sullen wind was soon awake,

It tore the elm-tops down for spite,

And did its worst to vex the lake:

I listened with heart fit to break.

When glided in Porphyria; straight

She shut the cold out and the storm,

And kneeled and made the cheerless grate

Blaze up, and all the cottage warm;

Which done, she rose, and from her form

Withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl,

And laid her soiled gloves by, untied

Her hat and let the damp hair fall,

And, last, she sat down by my side

And called me. When no voice replied,

She put my arm about her waist,

And made her smooth white shoulder bare,

And all her yellow hair displaced,

And, stooping, made my cheek lie there,

And spread, o’er all, her yellow hair,

Murmuring how she loved me — she

Too weak, for all her heart’s endeavor,

To set its struggling passion free

From pride, and vainer ties dissever,

And give herself to me forever.

But passion sometimes would prevail,

Nor could tonight’s gay feast restrain

A sudden thought of one so pale

For love of her, and all in vain:

So, she was come through wind and rain.

Be sure I looked up at her eyes

Happy and proud; at last I knew

Porphyria worshiped me: surprise

Made my heart swell, and still it grew

While I debated what to do.

That moment she was mine, mine, fair,

Perfectly pure and good: I found

A thing to do, and all her hair

In one long yellow string I wound

Three times her little throat around,

And strangled her. No pain felt she;

I am quite sure she felt no pain.

As a shut bud that holds a bee,

I warily oped her lids: again

Laughed the blue eyes without a stain.

And I untightened next the tress

About her neck; her cheek once more

Blushed bright beneath my burning kiss:

I propped her head up as before,

Only, this time my shoulder bore

Her head, which droops upon it still:

The smiling rosy little head,

So glad it has its utmost will,

That all it scorned at once is fled,

And I, its love, am gained instead!

Porphyria’s love: she guessed not how

Her darling one wish would be heard.

And thus we sit together now,

And all night long we have not stirred,

And yet God has not said a word!

 

ISA Practice – Stairs

4. Which one of the following quotations from the text suggests that the mother had experienced the strange feeling before? – “It always does”

5. Is the writing effective in convincing you of a presence in the house? – Kind of, because I can see the house by the way the author described step by step what’s in the where. I can see from the boy’s perspective more than from my perspective because by the way the author began the passage it was already from the son’s point of view.

6. ‘On the stair there was a plain, clear silence’. – I think the author deliberately chose to open the passage this way because he/she was meant for the readers to aim straight at the stairs and no where else within the house. Plus, the author already by that sentence show that this is a horror story about the stairs.

 

Friendship.

Friendship is a central theme of this story. As you continue reading, answer the following question with reference to key passage of the novel.

• Why do you think Bruno and Shmuel become friends and stay friends? I think partly because both Bruno and Shmuel don’t have any actual friend in their life. Bruno needs a friend to play with, and Shmuel just needs a friend to talk with. In addition, Bruno always hears strange things from Shmuel’s life, this excited him somehow.
• Does the friendship between Bruno and Shmuel evolve in the story? How? Yes, it certainly does as the story move along. Shmuel’s life gives Bruno some certain feelings that he quite cannot explain. It just as the story coming to the end, he accepted Shmuel as his true and only friend. As Bruno talking to Shmuel everyday, this made him forgot his other 3 best friends completely, even their names. He took Shmuel’s hands and said that Shmuel is his best friend for life. – chapter 19, page 213: He looked down and did something quite our of character for him: he took hold of Shmuel’s tiny hand in his and squeezed it tightly. ‘You’re my best friend, Shmuel,’ he said. ‘My best friend for life.’
• Why doesn’t Bruno try to protect his friend when Shmuel is attacked by Lieutenant Kotler? I think simple because Bruno was so afraid of Lieutenant Kotler, partly because what he did to the other servant. So he got choked on his words, and he didn’t have the courage to stood out for his friend. Also because he was a few times attacked by Lieutenant Kotler mentally and he knew the consequences that would come to him if he go against Lieutenant Kotler; and also he didn’t want to embarrass his father by protecting his enemy.
• Have you ever done something to a friend that you feel bad or ashamed? How does shame and remorse figure into the friendship between Bruno and Shmuel? How does Bruno show his remorse? Yeah, I think maybe I did. I can’t remember. People don’t usually remember bad things that they’ve done. After what happened, Bruno immediately feel ashamed about himself, because he was the one who insisted Shmuel to took those food, and he was also the one who didn’t say a word to protect his friend. It was just an instinct reacted from Lieutenant Kotler’s words, he got so scared that he responded in such a way. Although right after that, Bruno felt sick about what he just did. Bruno showed his remorse by apologize to Shmuel, sincerely – chapter 15, page 175: He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to get sidetracked. He felt that he should say it one last time and really mean it. ‘I’m very sorry, Shmuel,’ he said in a clear voice. ‘I can’t believe I didn’t tell him the truth. I’ve never let a friend down like that before. Shmuel, I’m ashamed of myself.’
• Why does Shmuel forgive Bruno? How? It still unclear to me that how Shmuel did forgive his friend so easily. It would be very difficult just to face each other after that incident. Others children will just walk away from Bruno, but Shmuel stayed and forgave Bruno so easily. I still can’t see any other reason for the kindness of Shmuel, apart from I think he doesn’t want to lost his only friend in that horrible place – chapter 15, page 175: And when he said that, Shmuel smiled and nodded and Bruno knew that he was forgiven, and then Shmuel did something that he had never done before. He lifted the bottom of the fence up like he did whenever Bruno brought him food, but this time he reached his hand out and held it there, waiting until Bruno did that same, and the two boys shook hands and smiled at each other.
• How is it possible for Bruno and Shmuel to have fun together and maintain their friendship in the midst of their circumstances? I think partly because all Shmuel ever wanted to have is a friend whom he can talk with, and Bruno needs a friend too. But their lives are unexpectedly different from each other, somehow, those strange things in each other life attracted their attention and curiosity to each other.
• How does Bruno justify continuing his friendship with Shmuel despite what his father, sister and tutor said about Jews? Most of all, I think it is because of Bruno’s age. He was too young to understand what is going on outside his small world. He thought that there is no different between people to people, and there is no different between himself and his Jewish friend. Simple because he just wanted to stay as friend to Shmuel. There was no boundaries between his feelings for this special friend despite what his father, sister or tutor has said about Jews. He just did not care, at all.
• The barbed wire fence is a physical separation between Bruno and Shmuel. What other types of separation does the fence represent in this story? The fence also represent the difference of where they came from, like Bruno was born in Germany, and Shmuel was not. Also the fact that Shmuel’s family is kept under the concentration camp because of Bruno’s father, but obviously Bruno still think about his father as a really great man. The difference society that they were living in. And it separated the friendship between Bruno and Shmuel as well.
• How do Bruno and Shmuel demonstrate the essence of friendship despite their many differences? What are their differences? There are so many things in the world that we quite can’t explain yet. It was indeed unusual for a German kid to have a Jews best friend for life. It might be because of how strange they have met, it might not be. The different class of society that they came from, the different nationality. And the fact that Shmuel’s family is kept prison because of Bruno’s father.
• How can people use the power of friendship to cross boundaries of race, religion, and culture? By having a friend, it makes one person has a lot more courage to do what they thought they couldn’t. Although there are some differences between human to human,  but if we’re not considering those differences within one human self, then surely we will find something in commons. No matter what race, or religion or culture that each person is held,  they still have a lot more similarities in themselves. By that similarities, they can find their soul mates that have the same personalities as them, they then can find their own voices in life, and it can help them to over cross anything.

 

A sense of danger

 

The concentration camp

1. Collect words and phrases that create a sense of danger and foreboding (strange)? -huge wire fence; huge wooden post; enormous bales or barbed wire; tangled in spirals; an unexpected pain inside her as she looked at the sharp spikes sticking out all the way; no greenery anywhere; sand-like substance; nothing but low huts and large square buildings; 1 or 2 smoke stacks in the distance;

2. What is foreshadowing? Gave an example from chapter 1/2. Foreshadowing is when the author gives a hint, or a clue of something bad is going to happen next. An example from chapter 2, page 21 is: “He put his face to the glass and saw what was out there, and this time when his eyes opened wide and his mouth made the shape of an O, his hands stayed by his sides because something made him feel very cold and unsafe.”

 

Self Discovery Essay

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Innocence

 

What do “innocent” and “naive” mean used to describe children? People usually describe a child as innocent and an adult as naive. The reason for this is because being innocent is he/she knows no better than what they already know. It’s the lack of knowledge within a person, so people usually described children as innocent. While a person being naive is very simplistic about life’s experiences; being naive in some way is having less experience about situations than others. Innocence is when you’re have a lack knowledge of evil, while being naive is when you’re inexperience of the situations.

Can adult be naive? Yes, adults are usually described as naive.

In what ways can they be naive? An adult is being naive when they have no experience about some situations, they might have never experience this or they were just pretending to not know about this to get others in troubles.

What adults in the book seem naive? I can’t think of one adult in the book that seems naive to mec, because they’re all so mature-ish and none of them show a lack of knowleadge to another.

Can you give an example of a time when you were a young child and saw the world from a more innocent perspective? My world didn’t as interesting as Bruno’s. So it’s really hard to give an exmaple from a time when I was a child and saw the world from a more innocent perspective. I cannot remember when exactly my perspective has changed, and how did I see the world differently before.

What are some examples of that? I can’t give any cause I couldn’t remember any.

What experiences helped you see the world differently than what you initially thought? Probably just an age problem. Like when I got older, I see the world differently than when I was younger. I do not think there is an “experience” for this, cause it is just emotionally different.

Although Bruno and his family have move to a desolate place, Bruno continues to display his strong sense of adventure and creativity. What are examples of this? Bruno developed his sense of creativity by using a wheel tire and a rope to make a swing out of them. Also, he was curious and brave enough to went through the wood by his own, although he was forbidden to do so, and he went to the concentration camps and talked to a Jew, if his father knew he would probably tears his son apart.

Can you give an example from your own life when your sense of adventure and imagination allowed you to escape from a sad and painful situation? I can’t really give an example, cause back then my world was not as fascinating as Bruno’s. I can’t remember anything when I was a child, because I didn’t see the world in so many different perspectives before.

Sources: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090921124814AAZHDuM; http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090329115031AAtNCxO; http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090329115031AAtNCxO;