Book Thief # 2

I finished the second fifth of the book today. I can not say I understand it any better thus far. More characters were added, making me more confused. Where I ended the second fifth was a really important part of the book, I am guessing. It looks like Liesel and Max have a lot in common, and may become good friends. They both came from bad situations, and they both absolutely LOVE reading. Maybe Max will get Liesel interested in some of his books, and vise versa. I am not enjoying this book so far. It involves really abstract thinking, which confuses me. The characters, and plot change ALOT. Luckily, the point of view is always the same! Nothing really exciting has happened in the book yet. Practically its mostly about the characters and Germany. It is also confusing because the author didn't develop the characters a lot. We know a little bit about Liesel, but not much about anyone else. I am having a lot of trouble getting into this book. Usually, I love to read, but this is a book that I don't even want to pick up sometimes. It's frustrating me. Hopefully, something happens SOON, or else this will be one long book study.

Book Thief # 1

Last week, I started reading The Book Thief. When I first started reading it, I was pretty bored, because there wasn't really much going on. I got confused aswell, because the actual story doesn't start until about 20 pages into the book. There are multiple characters with the same name, so that was confusing. Once I sort of got into the book, it was easier to understand. By the time I reached the end of my section, I actually understood, because there was more going on. I was still pretty confused up until our book club meeting, where Naomi pointed out that the story was written from the perspective of death. This made a lot more sense to the book. I am not sure whether I will like this book or not. From what I've read, it seems like it jumps around a lot. There are a lot of German terms, which I do not remember quickly. I shall go read some more of this book, and tell you how I feel about it later.

This is me at the MID- POINT of Grade 9!

It has been a CRAZY start to the year. Sometimes, I still find myself adapting to high school. I love it.

If I were to say anything to future Minor Niners, I would start by saying - don't be afraid to ask for help. You will make it a lot farther, and your life will be a LOT easier if you just simply ask. There are going to be people that tell you that the older kids are mean, scary, and won't help you. This isn't the truth. There are many people that want to help you. Everyone's really good about it. Also ask your teachers for help. They want you to ask. Their job is to answer your questions, and make sure you completely understand things. Another thing is - JUST BE YOURSELF! You are going to meet many new people. Don't become someone that you're not. Stay true to your friends and stay true to yourself! Those that are your true friends will stand by you no matter what happens, and the ones that dont, they aren't worth your time. Girls- Do not let a guy get in the way of your friendships with your girls. Your friends are the ones that will always be beside you, no matter what. Everyone- join as many teams/clubs as possible. You'll meet a lot of new people that are like you, and have a lot of fun aswell. DO NOT BLOCK THE HALLWAYS! The older kids hate this, and will be extremely mad at you. The teachers are not too fond of it either. This is one of the most important things. Stay to the sides, please! And don't be afraid to talk to older students. Don't be immature. Be serious. These are the 4 best years of your life. Have fun, but don't have so much fun, that you forget what your focus is. ENJOY THESE 4 YEARS!

Most of all, remember that everyone is in the same boat. You're not in this alone. Everyone has gone through this at one time or another. Right now is your turn, embrace it.

Take Your Kid to Work Day- at VMS! :)

For 'Take Your Kid to Work Day' I went to VMS. I could have had the chance to shadow my mom, dad or sister, but i didn't not want to. For my mom, her job is too easy. She works at Home Hardware, and I wasn't interested in that. For my father, I wasn't really interested in working at a cement factory either. My sister sells auto insurance for the Co-operators. Although this IS something I am interested in, the only I could have done all day is filing, because I haven't had any training. Instead of these options, I job-shadowed my former teacher, Paula Weese in her Grade 1/2 classroom. It was a big change, because when Miss Weese taught me, I was in grade 8. It was crazy to see the difference in her teaching. I had a great day, of singing, games, and helping. It was also a big change for me, because she has some students that are developmentally challenged. I worked with some of these students one-on-one playing games to improve their letter sounds, and spelling. We also arranged the alphabet different ways. My day was thoroughly entertaining and valuable. Growing up, I have been around kids a lot, but being able to teach them was a great experience. I also had the chance to teach a Grade 8 Music class, where we worked on bowing, and fingering techniques, and learned to play Ode to Joy. Luckily, I was working with a few other Grade 9 students that I knew, so it was easier for me. The class was very out of control, but we managed to get SOME work done. I think if I was to go teaching, I would teach a lower grade class. Although I would like the connection I could have with older students, it would be complicated. I would not want to deal with their immaturity. I think 'Take Your Kid to Work Day' is a great experience. Students get the chance to work in one field for a day, and see whether it suits you. I think it should be a program for all grades, each on a different day. This would give students a chance to attend several different workplaces, and test their skills IN that program. I absolutely loved 'Take Your Kid to Work Day.' I am so thankful that I got this chance, and that I WAS able to attend, unlike some students.

Shakespere

We all have to learn Shakespere. Most likely for at least 4 years of our lives. So whats the point? I don't really see a point. Barely any people understand it because the language is so old. I do not see how studying the works of someone who died 400 years ago will make us smarter. The only thing it does for us is teach us romantic things, and old words. I would much rather spend my time learning new math equations rather than learning about Shakespere's plays. I'll admit, I do somewhat enjoy some of them, or at least the stories I've heard about them. But for me, I can't grasp things like this. They go in one ear and out the other. I believe it should be a choice to learn, or at least a specific course. If we don't understand it, we shouldn't have to learn it.

Much Ado About Nothing.

I was pretty confused. Shakespere does not come easily to me. I have trouble understanding and hearing what they were saying. I didn't really understand the story at first, but after we talked about it as a class, I understood better. I think this may be because in the story, they use different language than we use today. When we explained it as a class, we were speaking OUR version of english, so everyone could understand. One of the things that confused me the most was the mind games they played. I found myself asking 'Why?' a lot. Overall, by the end of the movie, I had an understanding of what was going on.

Most Dangerous Game.

This story is majorly disturbing. :
Not only is it about hunting, which discusts me, but it's about hunting humans. This is just inhuman, it is murder! General Zaroff thinks he is such a great man, because he's an amazing hunter. Which is really not true, because he is a murderer. It is totally not fair what he puts these innocent victims through. He says he treats them well, but I'm sure their food supplies, and guns aren't sufficient. This is completely not fair. General Zaroff should be arrested for holding hostage, and murder. I'm sure there are many other things we could charge him for, but those are a few. He is a criminal, and should be put in jail.


--just my opinion.

a knights tale.

In the past week, we have been watching A Knights Tale in English class. It has been quite the interesting story. I can not say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am not a huge fan of 'Knight-in-Shining-Armour' movies. I do not know why, they are just not my first preference. This movie was not THAT bad though. It kind of had a twist. I enjoyed that it wasn't JUST about jousting, that it had a love story twist to it. Also, I loved that the story was practically all an internal struggle for the main character. He had to choose to be the man that he was. And he had to prove himself, and fight for his rights.

It sure says a lot about today's society. Maybe if we all fought for ourselves and what we believe is right, this world would be a better place.

Pretty Things # 8 !

Surprisingly, this story did NOT end how I had imagined.

I figured that the story would end badly. Walker would leave the show, Brie would be upset, Daisy would not be together with Claire, and Charlie would be left by himself. In reality, Walker came back to the show, Brie got her best friend back, Daisy did not end up with Claire, but she was with Walker instead, and Charlie finally got his fairytale. If I were to change anything about this book, it would probably be that it was sort of confusing to read. I think if the story had all been told from one point of view, such as Lavinia, it would have been easier to understand. While I was reading, I got easily confused. At times, I forgot which point of view I was reading. There was really no distinction between the characters. It was hard to understand who you were reading about. Overall, this was a good book, despite the confusion. I would recommend this story to anyone who is looking to find themselves. It can teach you a lot about how to live your life with no regrets.

Live your life for yourself, and don't let anyone stop you!

Pretty Things # 7 !

8. What would you say to _______?

If I could say anything to anyone in this book, I would have a LOT to say to Walker. First of all, i would start with how disrespectful he is to girls, and how he treats them like meat. It is very rude of him to say the things he does. I would also include how proud I am of him because he DID change. I wuold say that it was great of him to come back to the play, and to treat Daisy well. I would also have a lot to say to Brie. I would start with how low she is. She overreacts about the silliest things, and needs to stop. Hopefully, by the end of the book, she has changed and learned a lot.

Pretty Things # 6 !

Questions 6, and 12.

They say every story has a happy ending right? I am not sure this will happen in this book. The way things are going right now, it doesn't look like it. Some possible unhappy endings could be that the play gets cancelled, because Walker doesn't show up. But there could also be the complete opposite. Hopefully this story will end happily. Maybe Walker will completely make a turn around, and show up. Maybe everyone will be GREAT at the opening play. All we can do is hope.
If I could be ANYONE in this text, I would probably choose to be Lavinia. She is the director of the play. I think I would be able to fit this position, because I thrive best when I am able to make my own decisions, and lead! I have always been the leader type of person. It's almost like an automatic reaction for me to take control of everything, which can also get me in trouble. Lavinia is also great at advice, which I also am. Lavinia can connect with her students very easily. I also can connect easily with others' confusions, etc. There is not much more information about Lavinia in this story, but I think that if there was, I would be a lot more like her.

Only 2 more sections to go!

Pretty Things # 5 !

oh hello followers (:

Questions 4, 5 and 15.

I am well over halfway through my novel at the moment. This book is turning out to be quite interesting, in fact. I have discovered that the Sarra Manning (the author) seems to have an opinion on sexuality. In her novel, she treats everyone equally. Daisy and Charlie are not put down, or excluded because of their lifestyle choices. I agree with her opinion. Nobody should feel unsafe, or insecure because of the person that they are. Those people who AREN'T satisfied with others's sexuality need to accept it. I believe that it is your life, your choice. It should only matter who you are as a person, and if they can't accept that, then they really aren't your true friends.
I expected this book to have a lot more drama. So far, there has not really been a HUGE problem. The characters do not get along, but thats pretty much it. Hopefully there will be a bigger problem which causes everyone to get along, or get to know eachother better, at least.
I am not sure whether I would recommend this book to anyone thus far. The book has taught me a lot about equality and true friendship, but it has not been a very exciting book. This book could have been a lot better if there had been a bigger problem. Such as, the group having to save the play, or even standing up for eachother in a certain situation.
I shall go finish this book, and I will be back with my response in a few days.

Pretty Things # 4!

Questions 8, 10, 11.

My favourite character in this novel is probably Daisy. Although she can be mean at times, I really admire that she is not afraid to stand up for herself. She doesn't let anyone bother her about her sexuality. This is something I admire because sometimes it's hard for me to say my feelings, or stick up for myself.
My least favourite character is probably Walker. He seems like a jerk at times. He sometimes says too much, and hurts people. (example: telling Brie to piss off.) He is really quick to judge people and he takes them forgranted. He can be sexist aswell at times.
I know someone who reminds me of Brie. They are alike because they are both partially insecure in their lives. Brie and my friend both have trouble accepting their bodies and are taken forgranted. I find it sad. Also, they both are dramatic.

Viral Videos !

I believe that most video's become popular for various reasons. Some are famous because they are funny, while some of the others are just stupid. A lot of people will spread the word about funny videos they see. Although I have seen some of the clips included in this video, I would not say that they are the FUNNIEST. I have seen video's that are a lot funnier. These video's are THE most popular on YouTube. My favourite clip included in this video is probably the 'Charlie Bit my Finger' video, or the 'David After Dentist' video. I think these are probably some of my favourite videos of all time. They make me laugh every single time I watch them. They are not slapstick comedy, where it takes more time to understand. I find this kind of comedy more interesting because it's not just something you can laugh at easily. I find it a lot funnier when you have to think first.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Our song was 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.'
The song was not how I expected it to be. As a matter of fact, I had heard this song before. It was not completely common to me, but I had heard the beat before. I expected this song to be slower. I can almost picture the song being played while the boat was sinking. I got a mental image from the movie 'Titanic.' It was sort of hard to understand what he was saying, as he was sort of mumbling. I find that when I listen to music, if I read it first, I have a lot better understanding of what's going on, in the song. When I hear music, I mostly focus on the beat rather than the lyrics. This song is really long, but it is, in fact, a true story.

Did You Know?

We had quite the long discussion yesterday about this Youtube video.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8&feature=related



It was sort of depressing. It is not our fault, it is the generation above us. But we are not making any differences. It is really a shock how we are completely destroying our lives, and planet. It was kind of shocking in our discussion. We had trouble debating on ONE topic. We revisited and re-evaluated issues many times. I'm sure Mr. McGuchan hadn't planned on the debate lasting so long. I really don't know what else to say about it. Ever since yesterday, I've been at a loss for words. I think its crazy the facts they come up with. How do they do it!? We talked about how cell phones are a suspicion for breast cancer. It's crazy how anyone could even discover that fact. And to think.. 10 years ago, cell phones were RARELY used. And now, they're practically a necessity in many people's lives. It's truly amazing how far technology has come, but it is also scary. Before we know it, there will be a computer that can outsmart the human population. It's shocking. And yet, there really isn't much we can do to stop it. That is the most truly depressing fact of all.
The title of this video should not be 'Did you know?' It should be called 'Do you want to know?'

Pretty Things # 3 !

Question 3.

In this story, there are many conflicts already. Girl wants Boy. Boy wants Boy. Boy wants Girl.
Brie and Charlie have fought a lot already. Brie gets mad over the simplest things, which causes Charlie to overreact. This has happened to me mutiple times. There are the times, when you like someone, but they like your best friend. Aand that can make or break a friendship. Sometimes it has made my friendship stronger, buit other times, it has broken a friend and I apart. Everyone has fought with a friend at one time or another. But what makes a true friend is that you can forget your differences and move on in life. Luckily, most of my friendships have worked out that way. Brie and Charlie funciton that way. No matter what, they will always apologize to eachother and be friends again.

Pretty Things # 2

Similaries in Characters, and Question 14.

In this section, I was introduced to Walker and Daisy. My first impression of Walker was that he was sort of a jerk. He says some very sexist things about Brie and Daisy. Daisy seems sweet, but not very nice at the same time. She was very judgemental to Walker and Brie. I started to notice more differences between Brie and Charlie. They listen to different styles of music. Charlie is very layed back, and Brie isn't as much. Daisy and Charlie seem to have a lot in common, as well.

I was a bit confused to why everyone was at the Drama Camp in the first place. Brie wasn't an actor, and Walker wasn't either. All Walker wanted to do was learn to direct, but wasn't willing to act first. Daisy and Charlie were both interested in acting. Charlie as glad to have the second male lead, but Walker was NOT pleased about his lead. In my opinion, they should have just taken whatever part they were assigned, without complaining.

Pretty Things # 1 !

Character, and Book Summary. -- questions will come later (:

I started reading the book "Pretty Things" today. After the first chapter, I had already began to understand the friendship between Charlie and Brie. Although Charlie is gay, he and Brie are best friends because they completely understand eachother. In my opinion, I think it maybe be a little weird sometimes to have Charlie as a best friend. But it may also be comforting, because he would know everything about me, with out causing drama. Some girl friends do this. My first impression of Brie was mixed slightly. At first, I thought she was stuck up, but now it seems she is just a lonely girl. It really bothers me that her mom says she needs to lose weight, etc. No mother should ever tell their daughter to lose weight! It is the girl's body, and she can be herself in it- no matter what weight. She should never have to listen to her moms instructions for HER body. Brie's mom, Linda seems very controlling, from what I've read so far. Her brother, Henry, seems annoying so far, because of his greeting to Charlie. This book looks like it will be very interesting indeed, with love and friendship circles.

Lamb to the Slaughter.

This story was very interesting, but weird at the same time. It was a story about a woman who killed her husband, and managed to call the police -without being caught. It is usually uncommon to hear of a woman killing her husband. Also, Mary did not use a normal weapon. She used a leg of lamb, which not most people would think of. Mary continued on with her normal life, without being upset. She put the leg of lamb in the oven, and headed to the grocer. When she got home, she pretended like she never killed Patrick, and called the police. When the police arrived, she managed to put on a sad face, and pretend she didn't kill him. She fed the police the evidence, which I would say was pure genious. It would be very difficult to pull of such a skit, if I were her. My lack of dramatic ability, and focus would not help me much. This murder took a lot of skill, patience, hate, and acting.