Review: Much Ado About Nothing

This week all of Ms.Galangs got to see the play "Much Ado About Nothing" and its based on a Shakespearian play. I think that the play was great especially because I love watching comedies and it was something that I wasn't really expecting. When I think of Shakespeare, I think of a proper play that litterally bores me. But Much Ado About Nothing was very intriguing and very interesting!

I think that my favorite character would be Beatrice because shes very independant, an amazing singer, and I think that her role really does stand out. I think that this play shows how a character can change because in the beginning of the play she seemed very free and that life is fun and shes just having a great time but then later in the play she becomes a little more concious about whats going on around her.

In the play there are alot of issues for example there are alot of love triangles, betrayal, rumors, friendship problems, death, and marriage and friendship and also trust. The play was sorta confusing because I couldn't really tell what was going on because of how the space was used and all the props that were being used. They didn't use alot of props which was sorta weird but I think very unique. Also there was a big black circle hole thing and I think that that was very interesting because it seems to symbolize alot of things for example, time and mood. 

In general I think that the play was overall okay. It was suprising intriguing but at times it was a little confusing. But it was pretty good and I think that each character had an important role and it was shown properly. 

Letter re: Romeo and Juliet

Dear Sofia,

In class we just started reading Romeo and Juliet. The book is pretty confusing so far because Shakespeare uses many complicated phrases and such but thats ok because I've been using the No Fear Shakespeare books and Sparknotes. Using that, I think the plot is very touching and in the book there are so many symbols and things that represent issues and other things. There are many things that I've noticed in the book.

One thing that I've noticed is that the lifestyle thats happening in the time period of Romeo and Juliet is very different then ours. Juliet is supposed to have an arranged marriage with Paris at the age of only 13. In our generation there can be arranged marriages but defenitly not that young. Also in the book, Romeo and Juliet don't say a single word to each other but know that they both are in love, and the first time they actually do converse is when Juliet is on her balcony saying how in love she is with Romeo. In our generation, we actually get to know the person and then fall in love, but for Romeo and Juliet its love at first sight.

Something else that I've noticed is that the main issue is love and hate. The love between Romeo and Juliet is very strong and strong enough to leave family but Romeo and Juliet's family hate each other so Shakespeare definilty shows how hard it is for both of them to leave there familys and get married. That also shows the strength of their love.

In general I think the book is very deep and good and very intriguing but when I'm reading the orignal book I do zone out because I dont really understand whats happening. But the story line is great!

- Love Pooja

Sonnet 130

SONNET 130
By William Shakespeare

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breats are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. 
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses I see in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistess, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

Paraphrase:  


My lovers are nothing like the sun's
Coral is so much more redder then her lips
If snow is so white then why are her breasts so dull and grayish
Her hair are like black wires
I have seen the reddest cheeks red and white
But her cheeks are nothing like the roses I have seen
There is such a good smell in some perfumes
Versus the smell in her mouth
I love hearing her speak
But music is much better to listen to
I've never seen a goddess walk
And when she walks my girlfriend drags her feet
By heaven, I think my love is unique
Her looks disguise her beauty. 


Responce :
I think that this sonnet is very misleading but very enjoyable too. In the beginning of the poem its very rude but then in the end he does show his love for the women that he loves and the main message in the poem is that aperrence doesn't matter and you could be the ugliest person ever but that's just a disguise from your true beauty inside of you. I think that Shakespeare really did show how much love is inside of him. I think that this poem shows dream and reality. Reality being her looks, and then her personality being the dream. At first when I first read the poem I was sorta bored and I kept zoning out because I didn't actually interpret the poem which is why I kept zoning out. But then after interperating it I did understand the poem and it turned out to be one of my favorite sonnets that I've read!

Final Sonnet

I walk up to my blue and black dresser.

I go pick up my eyeliner pencil.

But then I catch the sight of a letter.

So carefully written on a stencil.

Opening the letter with a great care

Impatient to see what is written inside

Each move that I make is a little dare

I read the letter and feel the cries.

Here I sit in the corner with the pain

Who would have known that words could make change

I feel, all of my blood about to drain 

It does feel very very very strange.

And this is what I felt and thought

The single day that I was caught.  

Three Poems

What is Poetry 


Poetry is a story
Different perspectives
Different voices
Poetry is a story

Poetry is music to my ears
Each word is a beat
Each stanza has rythmn
Poetry is music to my ears

Poetry draws a picture
Vividly each thing I see
Vividly each thing I feel
Poetry draws a picture

No definition yet set for poetry
But deep inside my heart
I know that poetry is a
burst of a magical story with beats
and rhythm



"What happens to ____"


What happens to a unicorn born with no wings?

Is it treated like garbage
and just thrown in the trash?
Or does it get worshiped
like it was a king?
Does it become an outcast
never being able to fly?

Or maybe

It'll just grow a pair of wings
sooner or
l
a
t
e
r

and fly.

"Ballet" by Degas

The artist that I chose for this poetry unit was Degas and the painting that I chose is called "Ballet" but is also known as the "Star". It's made from pastel on canvas.

The history of Degas is very interesting. Its defenitly not one of those simple lives that we teens are living through right now. He was born July 19th in Paris. His father was a banker and his mother died when he was only 13 years old. Over time he changed his focus on painting and what exactly he wanted to draw. He went from painting horses and riders, theaters, plays, girls, women in a toilette/ironing, women bathing / women combing their hair to making sculptures of young schoolgirls. He also abandoned paints for pastels. Throughout the last decades of his life, he began to have eye problems. How can you be a painter without the proper use of eyes? This was defenitly a big loss to Degas because he spent alot of time painting in his life and now the use of that was pretty much gone.

The painting "Star" is one very deep painting filled with depth of mystery. The painting was made of pastel versus it being used by oil (which is what Degas usually used). This shows the hardness versus smoothness in the painting. The painting itself is very dim instead of being a very bright, filled with light kinda painting. Its interesting and I think very important how the colors used are very bright but the picture in general does seem very dark. In the picture itself, there's a ballerina dancing, dancers, in the background behind / inside of a cave like shelter, and a man wearing a black suit. His head isn't showing which I believe gives this entire picture meaning. The thing that I wondered when I first saw this painting was why did Degas put the man there behind the cave like shelter? Who does that person represent? Seven years before Degas made this painting, he sent a letter saying this :


"I have just had, and still have, some trouble with my eyes. This happened on the riverbank at Chatou, while I was painting a watercolor in bright sunlight, and for three weeks I was unable to read or work or go out, and was terrified that I wouldn’t recover”

I think this is what the man in the background represent. I think that the man represents the blindness which was coming to him. And the ballerina is him expressing himselves throughout painting. But then the blindness is just behind him and he's totally unconcious of it coming to him. 

After looking and interperating this piece, I've learned that Degas was a really mysterious painter and he took very small things that have the biggest interperation / meaning behind it. I think that is very interesting and this makes me wanna look at all his other paintings and such and observe those and connect them all out. 

poetry

The artist that I chose for this poetry unit was Degas and the painting that I chose is called "Ballet" but is also known as the "Star". It's made from pastel on canvas.

The history of Degas is very interesting. Its defenitly not one of those simple lives that we teens are living through right now. He was born July 19th in Paris. His father was a banker and his mother died when he was only 13 years old. Over time he changed his focus on painting and what exactly he wanted to draw. He went from painting horses and riders, theaters, plays, girls, women in a toilette/ironing, women bathing / women combing their hair to making sculptures of young schoolgirls. He also abandoned paints for pastels. Throughout the last decades of his life, he began to have eye problems. How can you be a painter without the proper use of eyes? This was defenitly a big loss to Degas because he spent alot of time painting in his life and now the use of that was pretty much gone.

Reading Responce : Man Walks Into A Room

I'm currently reading the book "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri. I just started reading it and as I was, I was thinking about religion and how it plays a really big part in the book.

The book is about two young adults that get married and are from India. They come to England to start a new life. The mission that they both (husband and wife) both try to accomplish is to honor there traditions and religion even though that they are in a place out of India.

This was shown alot in the book by using show not tell. In the beginning of the book, the wife in the family "Ashima" is in the hospital going through labor and the author describes and contrasts Calcutta to America.

I thought that this was a really interesting unique writing strategy and it defenitly dragged me into the setting and who the character is as a person.

I think that the whole point of the book is really setting up because the child that is born begins to disrespect the traditions and it shows how much love and passion the wife and the husband have for there religion.

During the book I was thinking about how the child feels about his parents. I can somewhat relate to him because something that I think about is whether I'm doing something wrong towards my traditions that would affect my parents in anyway. I think that the son would defenitly be thinking about that.

So far I think that the book is really good and that the book is going to go deeper into religion and tradition. 

Reading Responce : Go Ask Alice

I'm reading the book Go Ask Alice by Anonymous right now and I think that its a book filled with a ton of issues that people can definitely relate to. It’s about a young teenager who records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and difficulty relating to her parents. But a really big issue in the book is drugs and how the main character gets addicted to it. I think that they author did a really good job of emphasizing the importance of each issue. I think that the two most important issues are drugs and family. 

Drugs took a really big party of this book because it was sorta like a journey that would rob her out of her innocence and her youth, pretty much everything she had. In the book, it all starts when she goes to a dangerous party and is served a soft drink with a dose of LSD which is a type of drug. She did some crazy things such as loosing her virginity and just going crazy. Then finally when shes sober, she realizes what she did. She didn't know what she was doing but she defenetly felt free and in her own world. Away from all that stress and family issues. Starting from that day, she was hooked, trapped in a world that took her away form her comfortable home and loving family, to the rough streets of an unforgiving city. But she didn't realize and she had to learn everything the hard way. Death. (In the end of the book she dies because of overdosing of pills). 

Another big issue that really affected her and was a really big loss to her was her family. I think that the author did a really good job of showing how she lost everything mostly her family. The main character moves away from where she lived to another place and she doesn't have anything except her family. She actually did have one friend but her friend went to camp and they both get seperated. But then when her grandma gets sick she does realize that she her family does care for her and everyone in her family is really important and even if she looses one person, that would really affect her life. But those drugs were still too strong and took everything away from her. "Poor Gran is pretty much beside herself, but she's staying calm on the outside anyway. They haven't bugged me at all since I've been here, and they've been so delighted that I'm having a good time and that I've met a lot of friends that they stay completely out of my way." (37) . 

This is how drugs and family really did change her life. Alot of teenagers in the US often do learn the hard way and I think that this is one book that I'll never forget. I find it fascinating how one little choice you make can take away everything you have. First it was family, and then it was life (for this character). 

Reading Responce : Stiches by David Smalls

            The book Stitches by David Smalls is a powerful book. It doesn’t have many words but the pictures show a depth meaning behind it. The book is about David Smalls (the author) having his vocal cord removed, not being told that he had cancer and that he was expected to die. His family is very harsh on him and he’s always in his own little world. But no one knows that he’s a very talented young adult. What I noticed about the book Stitches by David Smalls is how the book deals with loneliness and self esteem which is what a lot of people deal with in the world.

           

            In the book, he’s very lonely. He has no one to talk to, no one to share his thoughts and feelings with, and no one that shares the same interests with him.

I think this because his family is filled with secrets, and not only him but everyone is in their own little world. He lives with his brother, mother and father. His mother was secretly a lesbian, and was depressed with David having cancer. She seems to regret the fact that he’s his son and isn’t able to show any love towards him. His father was a doctor and was very quiet. He always seemed to know what he was doing and never took any advice from anyone. And his brother would always just beat on his drums.

He has no one to relate to. “And I, too. Had learned a way of expressing myself wordlessly…” (18). This quote shows that he tries to hide his loneliness but entertaining himself. “Getting sick, that was my language” (19). This quote shows that he really does need some love.

Something else I observed in the book was that he has no self esteem and is lacking it. I think this because when he found out he had cancer from a letter the doctor wrote the the mother, he automatically lost all self esteem. First he never received love, and now he knows no one loves him. I think he just also lost all respect for himself because everyone he was around with had no respect for him either.

“Back in school, at first wildly self-conscious… I soon learned… when you have no voice… you don’t exist”(212). This quote shows that he really did lose all respect for himself and he thought that there was no reason for living.  

This book is very deep and interesting and I think that every teenager or maybe even adult can relate to this book because there’s always a time in life where someone does feel really alone and not loved. Being not loved can really affect a person and it really does hurt and I think that David Smalls really did show that throughout the book. 

Reading Responce : Sphynx Princess

Im reading Sphynx Princess about a young girl who lives with her father and since I just started the book I don't know much but Nefertiti is a her father and I've been thinking alot about her family.


 Is there something special that he knows about Nefertiti? I think that he possibly is hiding something. Ya know? 

I think this because, if it was just a regular girl, he'd say no because at that specific time period, most girls were just trained to be house wives or just to be a dancer to dance at different festivals and etc.

This just popped into my head but, does the teacher possibly have any connections with her and or her family?

What about her mom? I think that her old mom might've known about the teach or something. Does he have anything to do with her mom dieing?

I'm also pretty surprised that she didn't even tell her father. I think that she should've.

Or is she just really pissed cause her father married some other women that she didn't really like and didn't imagine to actually be her mother. If so, I totally understand that but I feel as if she should've told SOMEBODY.

The teacher has been acting pretty suspicious in ways which is another reason why I think that she should've told some body. What if he's possibly the bad guy of the book or something?

Also, I think that the teacher and the dancer (the beginning of the book) might have something in common because the author didn't exactly tell anyone about who the dancer was and what she wanted. All the author said was that she came up to her father and said something that sorta got her father upset.

All because of this, I think that a big theme in the book might be secrets. I mean the whole family is keeping secrets from each other. There's no respect ( another theme ) . I think that if they did tell each other, there wouldn't be as many problems in there family. (I believe in karma so... yeah.)

But what if the teacher is a good guy and is preparing Nefertiti for something big that's going to happen in her life?

Does the dancer have anything to do with it?

It might also be in a good way becuase maybe he's a fortune teller or some guy that could possibly tell the future and knows what Nefertiti is going to do in the future and is possibly like, preparing her for it.

But there might not be a big chance of that because, again, he was acting pretty suspicious. In a away. Ya know?

Now about this dancer, does she possibly have something to do with the teacher dude? I think so because the author purposely didn't tell us what the dancer was saying to her dad so yeah.

Does the dad maybe know that she is taking these classes? Did the dancer tell him? Maybe she did...

In conclusion I think that the dancer and the teacher are pretty important people and BOTH have a big connection with Nefertiti. 

Two Voice Poem : Global Warming (Issue)

All : I don't care.
A: I don't care. I will make a change.
B: I don't care. Why do I have to waste my time "helping the environment". Other people are probably doing it so I don't get why one person not doing it is gonna make a change.

All : Its stupid.
A: Its stupid. Other people should really help because we're all in this together and we can do this if we try!
B: Its stupid. Sorting cans and papers in bins, isn't gonna save the planet.

All: We have to do this!
A : We have to do this? ha, funny. The world is still gonna be alive until I'm alive. So I don't care!
B : We have to do this! Our lives are being passed on generation to generation and if we don't make a change, what will become of our next generation? Crap. Garbage.

Social Awareness : Entry 1

AMAZING PEACE  by Maya Angelou

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft.   Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.

We tremble at the sound.
We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war.   But true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, and comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.

We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace.  We look at each other, then into ourselves,
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation:

Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.

When I first read this poem I was like, what? But when I reread it, I noticed that what the poet (Maya Angelou), is describing something that we don't have going on right now! She says "The word is Peace/ It is loud now/ Louder then the explosions of bombs". Right now in our world, there are many wars going on such as the war in Iraq. I think what Maya is trying to say here is that there peace all around us but we just need to find it for ourselves. We humans are paying to much attention to all the hatred around us, but peace is everywhere. We just need to feel it. 

This poem reminds me of the song "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan. (We're singing it for chorus). In the song, Bob Dylan talks about something very similar to what Maya's trying to say here. He talks about how peace is around us (its blowing in the wind! get it?) and Maya's trying to say the same thing. 

I was wondering/thinking about what Maya was trying to do in this poem. Was she trying to persuade us to make a change? Was she just expressing her feelings about how the world is being plain, stupid and we have to notice the peace around us? Or was this just a poem she just felt like writing for fun cause she was bored? I assumed that it was maybe like a dream or image that she had in her mind of how SHE wants the world to be like! This sorta reminds me of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. In the speech he talks about how he has a dream that everyone is free and all humans are equal, whether your black or white. And then M.L.K.J. dies and it came true! So maybe if we all try to understand this poem, maybe we all can also make a change!

Two Favorite Blogs

                 I've read alot of blogs that were on Ms.Galangs homepage and I thought that alot of them were really good! Filled with details and there was alot of elaboration and etc. I think that two of the best blogs were Wisons and Guadalupes!

                 I think Wisons blog was really good because he defenitly had one idea that he was talking about in the blog and he really elaborated on each idea. Also the ideas that he chose were really interesting. In one of his blogs he talked about the writing format and how that affects the reading and I thought that was really interesting!

                 I also liked Guadalupe's because her blog is really organized into different sections and I feel as if she really knows what shes talking about and she gets her point through very clearly. For example, in one of her blogs, she talks about how an animal can be a dogs best friend and she states her reasons why very clearly! I think she could elaborate more but the point she got through was really good!

Keep up the good work you guys!

An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore #4 for Social Awareness

As time goes by, the climate and world has just gotten worse and people need to be aware of that and if we don’t recognize a real crisis, and take action consequences only get worse from the condition that our earth is at right now.

I think that he’s right. If we don’t do something about planet Earth, we can get into serious danger and things will only get worse.

You may think that the world is a happy place with green healthy growing plants and everyone having enough water, food and shelter for their family and nothing can destruct them. Well you’re wrong.

If we don’t do something, powerful storms would happen more frequently, their would be many more floods and that really affects people, where they live, family, friends and their lives.

Just recently there was a big earthquake and tsunami and it killed a lot of people and everyone’s in a really big crisis. Now imagine if this happens everywhere around the world and much more frequently.

If we don’t do something now, it can really affect us and the way we live.

Scientists have been changing information in textbooks because they said that there’s nothing that can bring a hurricane to South America. Guess what? Due to global warming and climate change, there was a hurricane in Brazil for the first time.

This brings in more of a crisis because first off, your changing information in really important recourses that people use and that takes up a lot of money and paper and ink. Then, there is all the destruction that happened in Brazil. And to make it more worse, they probably weren’t even ready for the hurricane. It’s actually their first one ever!

Also, in different places around the world things are changing and its worse. It’s extremely hot or there’s a terrible flood.

The fact that most people don’t even know about all this stuff and about global warming is really bad! They need to become aware.

If we don’t recognize a real crisis, and take action consequences only get worse from the condition that our earth is at right now.

I think that he’s right. If we don’t do something about planet Earth, we can get into serious danger and things will only get worse.

Architects help a competition to create or design floating homes in order to survive floods! Imagine life living in a floating home.

People don’t understand all the changes that we’d be going through if all these floods, storms, hurricanes and natural disaster actually happen (which they will). I mean hello, FLOATING HOUSES! 

I think that if people become more aware of what’s going on in the world we can really make a change! Also, we’d have to make new atlases and redraw maps. I mean what more can we all ask for?

Its not just the physical features that global warming is affecting. Our world has many different types of memories for example the world trade center. If sea levels rose twenty feel worldwide, the site of the World Trade Center Memorial would be underwater.

The World Trade Center Memorial is a museum and memorial to the people who lost their lives there on September 11^th, 2001. Imagine how much it would mean to their family and relatives!

As the climate gets warmer, disease carrying specicies move into new places and the diseases travel faster. The west Nile virus had never entered the United States until around 1999. Within only two years it reached the Mississippi river. Then it spread all across the continent!

It’s crazy how much one small problem in the earth could cause such damage to health and mental and family issues!

In conclusion, as time goes by, the climate and world has just gotten worse and people need to be aware of that and if we don’t recognize a real crisis, and take action consequences only get worse from the condition that our earth is at right now.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

I'm currently reading the book "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri. I just started reading it and as I was, I was thinking about religion and how it plays a really big part in the book.

The book is about two young adults that get married and are from India. They come to England to start a new life. The mission that they both (husband and wife) both try to accomplish is to honor there traditions and religion even though that they are in a place out of India.

This was shown alot in the book by using show not tell. In the beginning of the book, the wife in the family "Ashima" is in the hospital going through labor and the author describes and contrasts Calcutta to America.

I thought that this was a really interesting unique writing strategy and it defenitly dragged me into the setting and who the character is as a person.

I think that the whole point of the book is really setting up because the child that is born begins to disrespect the traditions and it shows how much love and passion the wife and the husband have for there religion.

During the book I was thinking about how the child feels about his parents. I can somewhat relate to him because something that I think about is whether I'm doing something wrong towards my traditions that would affect my parents in anyway. I think that the son would defenitly be thinking about that.

So far I think that the book is really good and that the book is going to go deeper into religion and tradition. 

Blog Post 1 : The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe : Character - Lucy

              Lucy becomes much more sincere through the entire book and that’s how she changes. At first she was very hyper, always used her imagination but then as time went by she got more mature and I think that is because of Peter and Susan. In the beginning of the book she says “We can pretend we are Arctic Explorers” when the three children need to find Edmund. Lucy’s the type of girl whose trying to be optimistic about everything! I think that she changes because in the beginning she doesn’t mean to be optimistic and all delightful about everything but at the middle she does it on purpose to brighten up her siblings day.

                I feel as if Lucy was the one to go inside the wardrobe because she’s a really curious, optimistic, and cheerful girl but later in the book she gets more sincere and brave! She’s most likely getting her braveness throughout the entire adventure and journey that her and her siblings go through in Narnia. Lucy is much different than other young children because in the beginning of the book, when Mr.Tumnus was crying about how he’s such a bad faun for kidnapping Lucy, a regular child would probably start crying also and not know what to do. But instead of Lucy doing that, she was very calm about it and was comforting the faun! Santa Claus gives Lucy a cordial, which she uses to heal the wounded following the battle with the Witch's troops.

 I think the cordial represents all her strength and power that she’s been showing over her siblings. Santa Claus gives Lucy a cordial, which she uses to heal the wounded following the battle with the Witch's troops. The power the cordial I think represents her optimistic because she’s trying to cure people physically and emotionally. All the stress the Penphancies are going through is something that Lucy is trying to take away. The cuts/bruises, etc the creatures are getting is what Lucy is trying to take away. This is why I think the cordial represents all the strength and power that Lucy has.