Chapter 3 (cont): When trying to escape bullets, Don Jose tried to carry one of the injured, and both Carmen and Garcia (the husband) yelled at him to leave him and get the loot. Later at the campfire, Garcia was playing cards with one of the men while Don Jose lay on the ground thinking of the man he had to leave behind. Carmen sat beside him and kept kissing him "almost" against his will. "You are a devil", I said to her. "Yes," she replied.
Don Jose was sent to meet Carmen in Gibraltar because all the others were too recognizable. He was to ask where the chocolate-seller lives, while posing as a fruit-seller. He took a donkey loaded with oranges and melons. Many people there knew of the chocolate-seller, but said she was either dead or had disappeared. It was two days before he found her. She was shouting to him from a balcony, gold comb in her hair, with a rich Englishman who told him to come up because the lady wanted some oranges. She tells him in Basque to pretend it's the only language he speaks. They quarrel in Basque about the way she is conducting her "gipsy business", how he is silly for being jealous of it, and he threatens to make sure she does no business again if he catches her doing business this way again. She says "What are you, my husband?" and tells him that Garcia is pleased with her behavior. She asks "aren't you happy that you are the only man who can call himself my lover?"Carmen tells the Englishman that he said he was thirsty and would like a drink (lol). She started screaming with laughter at her translation, and when she laughed everyone laughed with her. She tells Don Jose to come back tomorrow with his oranges when the parade starts to find out if she is still his Carmencita. He planned to just leave, but when the parade started, he went to her. She tells him of her plan to get the Englishman to take her to another town where she has "a sister who is a nun" and tells Don Jose to take him down when they get to a particular spot. Then she tells him to let Garcia take the lead, and to fall a little behind so he won't be hurt. He tells her that he doesn't like Garcia, but he is a comrade, and while he might rid her of him someday, he will not do it this way. She accused him of not loving her and told him to go (be off with you), and he couldn't go.
Don Jose goes back to Garcia and the other man, El Dancaire, and suggests they play cards by the campfire. They do, and he accuses Garcia of cheating. They decide to fight it out with their knives. Don Jose kills Garcia. He tell El Dancaire that they couldn't live on together because he loves Carmen and wants to be the only one. They agree to be friends. They took out the Englishman and he won Carmen back. She tells him his day will come, and he says hers will too if she isn't a faithful wife to him. She says "so be it." She tells him she read in the coffee grounds more than once that their lives were to end together. They continue to be smugglers, and eventually she finds a rich man she plans to do the same as the Englishman with, and he carries her off and forces her to stop. She tells him if he's not careful, she'll find someone to do to him what he did to Garcia. Their group was caught by soldiers, most of them died, and he was shot. His only comrade left carried him to a cave and went to fetch Carmen. She came and nursed him and snuck him to Granada. He decided that it was time to change his life, and suggested to Carmen that they should move to America and live honest lives, which made her laugh. She talked him into another smuggling job. She kept talking about a local bullfighter named Lucas, and his comrade Juanito told him that she had been spending a lot of time with this Lucas. When he asks her about it, she tells him that he is useful, they either should take his money or ask him to join their gang. He forbid her to see him, and she told him to be careful because forbidding her to do something would cause her to do it quickly. But the bullfighter leaves town and they forget about him. At this point in time, he meets the gentleman. Carmen stole the gentleman's watch, wanted to take his money and his "magic" ring. Don Jose struck her and she cried, the first time he ever saw her do so. He begged her to forgive him, but she was very upset for a few more days, and then she was fine and they were like honeymoon lovers. She told him there was a festival in Cordova that she would go see, so she could point out to him the people coming away with money.
He realized by the festival plans and change in her temper that she must have already avenged herself. He found out that there would be bullfighting in Cordova, and he went to find Lucas, and Carmen was there. The bull attacked Lucas, and Carmen disappeared. At 2 am she returned, surprised to see Don Jose. They traveled together all night, and in the morning he told her he would forget everything like it didn't happen if she would go to America with him and live there quietly. She refuses, and he tells her it's because she wouldn't be near Lucas who might not recover anyway, and that he's tired of killing her lovers and will kill her this time. She tells him that she always knew he would kill her. He begs her to go with him, asks if she still loves him. He tells her to make up her mind. He asks a priest to say a mass for the soul of someone who will soon be dead. Then he returned to find Carmen scrying. He asks her to come with him, and they get on the horse. He asks if she is still ready to follow him, and she says she will follow him even to death, but won't live with him anymore. They arrive at a spring, and she suggests he brought her there to kill her. He tells her the past is forgotten, and she tells him it is over between them because she doesn't love him anymore. He asks if she loves Lucas, and she says she did, for even less time than she loved Don Jose. She tells him he has the right as her husband to kill his wife, but that "Carmen will always be free." She refuses all that he offers. He draws his knife and she still declines, throwing his ring in the bushes. It is Garcia's knife, and he killed her with it. He laid there with her for an hour, then dug her a grave and buried her in the woods with the ring beside her. Then he turned himself in. The mass the priest said was for her soul, not Jose's.
Chapter 4: Background on gipsies - highly invested in marriage, indifferent about religion. Most gipsy women tell fortunes, sell charms, and use incantations.
Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. Web Source.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Reading Notes: More Carmen
Chapter 3 - Don Jose tells the gentleman of his history. His family wanted him to go into the church. He studied but didn't like the work. he would rather just play tennis.He had to leave his town due to a quarrel with someone, so he became a soldier and moved up the ranks. He was told to guard the Seville Tobacco Factory. About 500 women work in the factory. Don Jose was afraid of the Andalusian women, so he didn't pursue them like the other men did. One night he heard a bystander shout "Here comes the gitanella (the gypsy)" and when he looked up he saw Carmen. She was wearing a short skirt with an off the shoulder top and had an acacia blossom in the corner of her mouth. All of the men paid her bold compliments. He didn't like her looks at first and continued to work. "But she, like all women and cats, who won't come if you call them, and do come if you don't call them, stopped short in front of me, and spoke to me."
She asked him for his chain to put the key to her strong box on, and he told her it was for his priming-pin. She teased him that she must make lace if he wants pins. She threw the blossom at him and it hit him in between the eyes, and felt like a bullet had struck him. When she went inside the factory, he picked up the blossom and put it in his jacket. He was still thinking about her a few hours later when a porter rushed in ab told the guards that a woman was stabbed in the cigar room. Don Jose took two men and they found 300 women stripped to their shifts, screaming and yelling. One was laying on her back streaming with blood, and X cut on her face by a knife. Opposite her, Carmen was being held by 5 or 6 others as the wounded woman yelled "a confessor, I am killed!" and Carmen said nothing. The injured girl had boasted that she had enough money in her pocket to buy a donkey at the market. Carmen asked why she couldn't do it with a broom, and the girl told her she knew nothing of brooms and that Carmen would meet her donkey when she took it out with 2 lackeys to keep the flies off. Carmen said "I'll make troughs for the flies to drink out of on your cheeks", and she slashed the girl's face with the knife. Don Jose told her to come with him, and she covered her head with her mantilla (lace veil). He told her he was taking her to prison, and she begged him to have pity on her, while complimenting his looks. She whispered that if he let her go, she would give him a loadstone that would make every woman fall in love with him. He told her to stop talking nonsense. Carmen could tell he was from the provinces and started speaking Basque. She was from a district four hours from him, and had been taken to Seville by the gipsies. Don Jose knew that she was lying and told the gentleman that she always lies. He was becoming drunk on her and when she suggested that she could knock him down and get away from the other two men, he told her to try for it. She punched him in the chest and he intentionally fell backwards and she ran for it. He blocked the other men with his lance, then ran after her with them following. She disappeared. The other men told their boss that she had spoken Basque to them and that it had been suspicious, so he lost is corporal's stripes and was put in prison for a month. He would have to work ten times as hard to get back into good graces. He still couldn't stop thinking of her. A loaf of bread was delivered to him from his "cousin". When he cut into it he found a file and 2 coins, a gift from Carmen. He chose not to escape.
When he was released, he was posted at the door of a young colonel who had many visitors. Carmen arrived in a carriage, dressed up and carrying a tambourine. She was with two other gipsy women and a man with a guitar. She recognized him, and he could see the whole performance on the patio from his post, and could hear the things the men were saying to her. He thought he began to love her that night as he kept almost driving his sword through the men. On her way out, she said he should go eat at a restaurant in Triana. He cleaned himself up and went. When he arrived she told her boss she wasn't going to work anymore for the day, and went for a walk with him. He tried to return the coins she had given him in the bread, and she decided they should go spend them. They bought food and wine and sweets, then went to a gipsy house. They spent the day together. He told her he had to get back for roll call, and she called him silly. She talked him into staying, then in the morning suggested that he leave. He asked when he would see her again, and she said he was too much of a simpleton, that she believed she loved him a little but wouldn't marry him because he wasn't a gipsy, and threatened to make him marry a window with wooden legs (the gallows) if he thought about her again.
He couldn't stop thinking of her, and her boss told him she had moved away. It was a lie, and one night she approached where he was guarding. He told her that no one could pass there. She told him not to be spiteful, and she asked him to let some people pass. He said he couldn't because it was his orders, and she mentioned that he didn't consider orders the night they spent together. He agreed to let the gipsies pass if she met him later. She was annoyed that he didn't just do what she wanted and tried to pay him off. He was angry and left, walking around town, going to church and crying hot tears in the corner. Carmen showed up and asked if he was still angry with her. She said she still wanted to come with him. They made up, and she promised to meet him, but didn't, and her boss again lied about her leaving the country. He looked for ever every day, and one day she walked into the restaurant with a young lieutenant in his regiment. She told him to go away in Basque, and the lieutenant told him to go away, and he felt paralyzed. They drew their swords and fought over her. He ended up running, and she ran with him. She found him peasant clothes and brought him to another gipsy house to have his wounds tended to. They told him that he would have to leave town as soon as he was well or he would be shot. Carmen tells him to go to the coast and become a smuggler to earn his keep. He was persuaded easily as it was the only job he could do. He also thought it would bring them closer together. He became a smuggler, and Carmen secretly was his mistress. He eventually found out that a gypsy man was her husband. She had been trying to get him out of prison for 2 years and finally succeeded.
Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. Web Source.
She asked him for his chain to put the key to her strong box on, and he told her it was for his priming-pin. She teased him that she must make lace if he wants pins. She threw the blossom at him and it hit him in between the eyes, and felt like a bullet had struck him. When she went inside the factory, he picked up the blossom and put it in his jacket. He was still thinking about her a few hours later when a porter rushed in ab told the guards that a woman was stabbed in the cigar room. Don Jose took two men and they found 300 women stripped to their shifts, screaming and yelling. One was laying on her back streaming with blood, and X cut on her face by a knife. Opposite her, Carmen was being held by 5 or 6 others as the wounded woman yelled "a confessor, I am killed!" and Carmen said nothing. The injured girl had boasted that she had enough money in her pocket to buy a donkey at the market. Carmen asked why she couldn't do it with a broom, and the girl told her she knew nothing of brooms and that Carmen would meet her donkey when she took it out with 2 lackeys to keep the flies off. Carmen said "I'll make troughs for the flies to drink out of on your cheeks", and she slashed the girl's face with the knife. Don Jose told her to come with him, and she covered her head with her mantilla (lace veil). He told her he was taking her to prison, and she begged him to have pity on her, while complimenting his looks. She whispered that if he let her go, she would give him a loadstone that would make every woman fall in love with him. He told her to stop talking nonsense. Carmen could tell he was from the provinces and started speaking Basque. She was from a district four hours from him, and had been taken to Seville by the gipsies. Don Jose knew that she was lying and told the gentleman that she always lies. He was becoming drunk on her and when she suggested that she could knock him down and get away from the other two men, he told her to try for it. She punched him in the chest and he intentionally fell backwards and she ran for it. He blocked the other men with his lance, then ran after her with them following. She disappeared. The other men told their boss that she had spoken Basque to them and that it had been suspicious, so he lost is corporal's stripes and was put in prison for a month. He would have to work ten times as hard to get back into good graces. He still couldn't stop thinking of her. A loaf of bread was delivered to him from his "cousin". When he cut into it he found a file and 2 coins, a gift from Carmen. He chose not to escape.
When he was released, he was posted at the door of a young colonel who had many visitors. Carmen arrived in a carriage, dressed up and carrying a tambourine. She was with two other gipsy women and a man with a guitar. She recognized him, and he could see the whole performance on the patio from his post, and could hear the things the men were saying to her. He thought he began to love her that night as he kept almost driving his sword through the men. On her way out, she said he should go eat at a restaurant in Triana. He cleaned himself up and went. When he arrived she told her boss she wasn't going to work anymore for the day, and went for a walk with him. He tried to return the coins she had given him in the bread, and she decided they should go spend them. They bought food and wine and sweets, then went to a gipsy house. They spent the day together. He told her he had to get back for roll call, and she called him silly. She talked him into staying, then in the morning suggested that he leave. He asked when he would see her again, and she said he was too much of a simpleton, that she believed she loved him a little but wouldn't marry him because he wasn't a gipsy, and threatened to make him marry a window with wooden legs (the gallows) if he thought about her again.
He couldn't stop thinking of her, and her boss told him she had moved away. It was a lie, and one night she approached where he was guarding. He told her that no one could pass there. She told him not to be spiteful, and she asked him to let some people pass. He said he couldn't because it was his orders, and she mentioned that he didn't consider orders the night they spent together. He agreed to let the gipsies pass if she met him later. She was annoyed that he didn't just do what she wanted and tried to pay him off. He was angry and left, walking around town, going to church and crying hot tears in the corner. Carmen showed up and asked if he was still angry with her. She said she still wanted to come with him. They made up, and she promised to meet him, but didn't, and her boss again lied about her leaving the country. He looked for ever every day, and one day she walked into the restaurant with a young lieutenant in his regiment. She told him to go away in Basque, and the lieutenant told him to go away, and he felt paralyzed. They drew their swords and fought over her. He ended up running, and she ran with him. She found him peasant clothes and brought him to another gipsy house to have his wounds tended to. They told him that he would have to leave town as soon as he was well or he would be shot. Carmen tells him to go to the coast and become a smuggler to earn his keep. He was persuaded easily as it was the only job he could do. He also thought it would bring them closer together. He became a smuggler, and Carmen secretly was his mistress. He eventually found out that a gypsy man was her husband. She had been trying to get him out of prison for 2 years and finally succeeded.
Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. Web Source.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Famous Last Words: Actually My Last Words
Today is my daughter's 17th birthday. We decided on Saturday morning to get some Italian takeout for lunch, and to spend the day making a crazy cake. We went with 6 layers of pastel rainbow, with sprinkles on top.
(Photos from my personal collection)
I'm also happy to report that I finally picked a graduate program last night. After spending some time with my art therapy teacher (I felt bad crashing their class, but everyone is so chill in there that no one seemed bothered by it), I've decided on a masters in human relations with a clinical mental health concentration. Afterwords I will likely get my PhD in psychology. It feels really good to have a plan finally. Now I just have to finish the application process.
I can't believe this is my last post for class. While I'm glad I have some extra time at the end of the semester, I'm also going to miss it. I'm very happy with how my project turned out, and hope all of you feel the same way when you're done. I plan to keep writing, and feel like this class has improved the way I think about writing stories. Thanks for all of the nice comments you all left me over the semester!
(Photo from Pinterest)
Friday, November 10, 2017
Famous Last Words: Five More Fridays
I realized this morning that my graduation ceremony is exactly five weeks from today. I have a lot to do before then, so it's a bit of a stressful thought. I guess I'm going to just roll with it and hope for the best. In class this week, I wrote my final story for my project. I can't believe it's about done. I started reading Carmen this week, because if I decide to write stories for the other characters, Panther would be one of the next. It's been a really fun book so far, I'm really enjoying it.
I made some grad school progress this week. Monday morning I talked to someone in one of the counseling programs. It sounded like where I might need to be. Then Monday night I got to talk to my psych teacher. She said she likes the other counseling program better (and has taught for it). She also confirmed that I can absolutely go get my PhD in psych after a master's in either counseling program, and the people she's seen do it that way have been really balanced students. This coming Monday I'm meeting with my art therapy teacher who graduated from the program my teacher recommended. And since I'll be crashing her studio class, I'm bringing my art project along to show her.
This afternoon at the veteran's center, no one wanted to do art. Most of the staff was off for the holiday and they had a big celebration yesterday. Even less people will be around the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the other art people aren't coming. I'm going to bring some new and hopefully fun things in case people show up and want to participate, and a project of my own to work on while I'm there. Whether anyone wants to do art with me or not, I need to get enough hours by the end. So I'm just going to camp out with something to do and hope some people at least come talk to me. That's why I'm really there, anyway.
I took my daughter to the mall this weekend and couldn't resist a picture of this bar of soap. Can you relate? I know I can right now.
I made some grad school progress this week. Monday morning I talked to someone in one of the counseling programs. It sounded like where I might need to be. Then Monday night I got to talk to my psych teacher. She said she likes the other counseling program better (and has taught for it). She also confirmed that I can absolutely go get my PhD in psych after a master's in either counseling program, and the people she's seen do it that way have been really balanced students. This coming Monday I'm meeting with my art therapy teacher who graduated from the program my teacher recommended. And since I'll be crashing her studio class, I'm bringing my art project along to show her.
This afternoon at the veteran's center, no one wanted to do art. Most of the staff was off for the holiday and they had a big celebration yesterday. Even less people will be around the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the other art people aren't coming. I'm going to bring some new and hopefully fun things in case people show up and want to participate, and a project of my own to work on while I'm there. Whether anyone wants to do art with me or not, I need to get enough hours by the end. So I'm just going to camp out with something to do and hope some people at least come talk to me. That's why I'm really there, anyway.
I took my daughter to the mall this weekend and couldn't resist a picture of this bar of soap. Can you relate? I know I can right now.
(Photo from my personal collection)
Tech Tip: YouTube Playlist
I normally use YouTube for finding music videos, video game tutorials, and other kinds of tutorials. I look up origami videos frequently because it's much easier to see what someone in a video is doing with their hands than looking at a flat diagram. I have also looked up videos on concepts for school if I was struggling, and it really helped. Occasionally I've made playlists of songs I can't buy anywhere. For this assignment I thought it would be fun to make a playlist of videos introducing the Persona 5 characters, and I also added in videos that introduce the many other characters that Joker can have relationships with in the game.
Learning Challenge: Mental Health Testimony
The mental health video I liked best was Jeremiah Stinnett talking about social anxiety. As a psychology major, this impacts me two ways. How can I help others, and how can I help myself? I also suffer from this. I felt like the video was really powerful because as someone who has problems with this, I could see how much effort it was taking him to just be behind a video camera, knowing that not only the person filming was seeing and hearing everything, but also that many people would see the video. That's an incredibly hard thing for someone with social anxiety to do. He looked uncomfortable, which is how I look any time I have to present in a class, or talk in a group I'm not very comfortable with. It was really brave of him to even do this. It also really hit home with me when he talked about how people without social anxiety don't even think it's a thing, because that's so true. People without it think you should just suck it up and do it and it will be no big deal. Unfortunately, that's not the case for us at all.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Reading Notes: Carmen
(Photo from Pinterest)
Chapter 1 - A gentleman and his guide, Antonio, encounter a stranger who they share a cigar and food with, and seek lodging for the night with. They figure out along the way that he is Jose Navarro, the most noted bandit in Andalusia. Antonio insists on spending the night in the stable with the horses. The gentleman wakes up feeling itchy and sneaks outside. He and Antonio talk. Navarro had threatened him to not tell the gentleman who he is. Antonio plans to go get others to help take Navarro down. This angered the gentleman, as he saw no reason to turn Navarro in, as he had done nothing to them. The gentleman goes back inside and wakes Navarro, telling him that half a dozen lancers will be coming. He tells him that someone he doesn't know told him, instead of throwing Antonio under the bus. He tells Navarro to go, and as payment for the tip, to never suspect anyone (Antonio). He gives him some cigars and sends him on his way. When Antonio returns with the soldiers, he tells them the robber left 2 hours ago. Antonio was sulky with him, and they parted ways.
Chapter 2 - The gentleman went to a convent in Cordova to read a manuscript about the ancient world. In town, just before the Angellus bell rings, women gather beside the river. The bell ringing brings darkness, and the women disrobe and bathe in the river. Men gather on the upper quay to watch, even though they can barely see a thing. One evening, a woman sits down near him on the parapet. She has jasmine in her hair. She was beautiful and young. The gentleman put out his cigar out of respect. She told him she liked the smell and sometimes liked to smoke papelitos. He had some and gave her one, and they smoked and talked so long that they were alone. She says she is a gipsy and offers to read his fortune. She asks if he has ever heard of Carmencita, and says that's who she is. The gentleman had studied occult science is college and was attracted to darkness. He doubted Carmen was a full gipsy. "There was something strange and wild about her beauty." Sensuality and fierceness in her eyes. He feels funny having his fortune read in a cafe, so he asks to go home with her, and she consents.
They are let into the house by a child, and Carmen speaks in gipsy language to her. They sit and she pulls out her cards, beginning to read his fortune. A man enters and begins yelling at her in gipsy. The gentleman is wondering when he will need to grab a stool and hit the man over the head with it when the man asks if it's him. It's Don Jose. The gentleman feels sorry he saved him from the gallows (he's a pretty funny guy, this gentleman). Don Jose pulls him outside and tells him to go straight and he will come to the bridge. Don Jose runs off, and the gentleman reluctantly goes back to his inn. He realized when he gets there that his watch is missing. He can't go back and get it the next day, and is done with the manuscript, goes to Seville and spends months there, then he leaves, wanting to head back to Madrid, stopping in Cordova on the way. One of the monks welcomes him back and tells him they thought he was dead and knew he had been robbed. The monk tells him that Jose Navarro is imprisoned and going to be hung, and that he will take him to him to get his watch back. The gentleman brings him cigars, which Don Jose thanks him for. The gentleman asks if there is anything he can do to soften his sentence (pay money), and Jose asks him to have a mass said for his soul. Then he asks him to go to Vittoria and take Jose's silver medal to an old lady there, and to tell her he is dead, but not how he died. The gentleman promises, and spends the following day with Jose, listening to incidents that had happened to him.
Carmen by Prosper Mérimée. Web Source.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Week 13 Story: Akira in Wonderland
(Photo from Pinterest)
One afternoon, Akira decided to go for a walk. He was still fairly new to the city, and thought it would be a good idea to get more familiar with his surroundings. He was walking through an empty alley. Empty except for a black cat that was walking on two feet.
“Oh no,” said the cat. “I’m going to be late! Everyone will be angry with me!”
Akira thought this was rather strange, so he decided to follow the cat. As soon as the world started twisting around him, he remembered that he had met that cat before. In that strange place he accidentally wound up in on the way home from school the other day, the Metaverse. He had no idea what that place was, but when they got home, the app on his phone had welcomed them back to the real world.
By “them” he meant himself and that weird kid Ryuji from school. The one his homeroom teacher told him to stay away from. Akira was in enough trouble already and didn’t need to hang out with a delinquent. Naturally, they ended up together in that strange world.
It was taking forever to land in that place, so Akira started thinking about all kinds of stuff. I hope I’m not gone too long this time. I wonder if Sojiro will miss me if I am. Who will help him make the curry if I’m not there? Will he be able to handle the shop if I’m not there to do the dishes? he thought.
He also started to think about that kid Ryuji again. And the weird cat-monster they had met the last time they ended up here. He wished he hadn’t followed it, at least not by himself.
When he finally landed, Akira caught a glimpse of the cat. Morgana, was it? He decided to follow, and found himself in a hall full of doors. The table in the center of the hall had a very small key on it. Too small for the doors. Akira looked around some more, eventually finding a small vent with a lock on it. Peering through the vent, he could see that there was a magical looking garden down below, but there was no way he would fit through the vent.
Akira returned to the table and noticed a small bottle of potion labeled “drink me.” He shrugged and decided to go for it. It tastes like Sojiro’s special curry! There was a loud popping sound, and Akira turned into a rat. I suppose I’ll fit through the vent now, he thought with a tiny rat frown.
When he ran over to the vent, he realized that he forgot the key. Akira ran back to the table and realized that he was a tiny rat that would never reach the key. Luckily, there was a little piece of cake under the table. Akira the rat took a nibble. It tasted like coffee. Jamaican Blue! How delicious! He thought. There was another loud pop, and Akira turned back into a human. He grabbed the key, took the last swig of the potion, turned back into a rat, and scampered back to the vent. He ran through and jumped down into the garden, landing with a thud.
When he got there, he was not alone. The garden was filled with all of his friends; Skull, Panther, Fox, Oracle, Queen, Noir, Crow, and even Mona, the cat.
“Joker?” asked Fox the rat. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m not sure. A minute ago I thought I had just arrived in Tokyo, but now… I know all of you.”
“What, did you eat some bad curry this morning or something?” Skull the rat asked. “You’ve been in Tokyo for months, now.”
“We’re in a palace,” said Mona, that cat who was now a rat.
“Hey guys?” Panther asked. “How are we going to open that door over there with our, umm, paws?” asked Panther.
“That is prepawsterous,” said Fox.
That was when Akira woke up. He sure hoped it was only a dream, or else he was going to have to listen to Yusuke’s terrible rat puns in real life, too.
(Photo from Polygon)
This story is based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. In the original story, Alice follows a talking rabbit down a rabbit hole and ends up in a hall of doors. The tiny key on the table opens a very small, hidden door that Alice can’t fit through. She drinks the potion to become small, forgets the key, eats cake to become very tall, and eventually gets the door open. She goes on to have many adventures in her strange world. My retelling is based on characters from the game Persona 5. The main character, Akira (Joker), is dreaming that he followed a talking cat into the Metaverse, a cognitive world inside people’s minds. In his reality, he knows the cat, and the other people who have turned into rats are his teammates, the Phantom Thieves. When he realizes that he knows them all, his friend Yusuke (also known as Fox) makes a terrible rat pun, waking him from the dream. In the game, there is a part of the cognitive world that they enter where devices turn them into rats, and they can crawl through small vents to get to new places. It becomes a very long puzzle, because rats can’t open doors. I thought that if Akira ended up in a sort of Wonderland, he would turn into a rat, which would make his life much more complicated.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Web Source.
Reading Notes: Alice in Wonderland Part B
(Photo from Pinterest)
The March Hare and the Hatter were having a tea party, with a Dormouse sleeping between them. The table was huge, but they told Alice there was no room for her. She sat in the arm chair at the end of the table anyway and noticed that there was nothing but tea on the table. She tells them it isn't civil to not have wine, and they tell her it wasn't civil of her to sit down uninvited. They begin asking her riddles, and saying all kinds of nonsensical things. They ask if she knows the answer to the riddle yet, and that they don't know what it is either. They decide the Dormouse should tell them a story and pinch its sides to wake it up. It was awake the whole time. It tells them a story about two sisters that live at the bottom of a well. In the midst of the story, the others decide they want a clean teacup, so they all slide over one seat. Only the Hatter ends up with a clean cup. The Hare and the Hatter offend Alice, so she gets up to leave, and the Dormouse falls back to sleep. Alice finds a door back to the hall, and gets the key to the tiny door, using just enough mushroom to be the right height to get into the garden.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Web Source.
Reading Notes: Alice in Wonderland Part A
(Photo from Pinterest)
Alice sees a white rabbit running and muttering about how it's going to be late. She thinks maybe she's just hearing things until it takes a watch out of its pocket to check the time. She followed it down a rabbit hole, without thinking about how she would get back out. She fell for a very long time, passing strange things like jars of marmalade and thinking all kinds of random thoughts as she fell.
She ends up in a hall with many doors, but they're all locked. She finds a tiny key on the table that was too small for the doors. She explores more and finds a tiny door behind a curtain. The key fits and she can see a passage that leads to a garden, but she can't fit through. She finds a bottle on the table that says "drink me" and drinks the potion which shrinks her. She can fit through the door now, but left the key on the table, and was too small to reach it. She finds a glass box under the table with a little cake that says "eat me". She does and grows tall, and gets the key. Unfortunately she's now too big to fit through the door again.
This is the part of the story I plan to use for my story this week. It will be Akira in Wonderland, and the potion will turn him into a rat so he can crawl through the vents in a palace.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Web Source.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Learning Challenge Week 12: Happiness Jar Part 2
(Photo from my personal collection)
Last week I started a happiness jar. I am making jars full of origami lucky stars, and my own jar was completely empty while I try to fill jars I plan to give as gifts, so I decided to use it for my little notes about things that made me happy each day. It's been a week now. I really enjoyed having to think about something that made me happy each day. It was a really nice feeling. I think if I were to do it long term, it might help shift my worldview a little. In a week, I don't really feel too different. But it feels like something that would build up over a longer period of time. It would be hard to not see changes in yourself if you did this daily for a whole year.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Famous Last Words: Famous Authors and Halloween!
This post is going to be overwhelming with pictures. Sorry.
Last Saturday I took my daughter to Oklahoma Teen Book Con. It was at the Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie, which is a really interesting building architecturally. We went to some panels to hear YA authors talk about writing fantasy, and why they like to write YA over adult fiction. We also got to meet one of our favorite authors, Maggie Stiefvater, which was a really fun experience.
This week for class I revised my third story. I really can't believe there's only one more to go. I started researching in case I decide to write stories for the rest of the Persona characters. I'm not sure when I think I'll have time to write five more stories. Christmas break, maybe? I guess we'll see. I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to pull off this last one. It's the most obvious story, and that might make it the most difficult to write.
My other classes have been a little bit odd lately. I have the same teacher for both and she hasn't been in class the past three weeks. I know her grad student that's filling in from our lab, and really like her, but I think we're all feeling sort of abandoned.
In other school news, I briefly talked to a professor in one of the grad school programs I'm interested in, and have an appointment to meet with him next week to talk more. Basically, two family members of mine told me that I shouldn't apply for that program within a couple of minutes time on Monday morning. One that doesn't really know the details, and one that should know better (and remember stuff we talk about after we talk about it). I was so mad that I started sending emails to get info I need from people that actually have it. I read an article the same morning that said people will try to talk you into programs they want you to be in, and it isn't helpful at all, because it's you that has to be happy with your path. And that's right where I am at this moment. This is about me. So I'm going to go see what this program is about and decide if it's for me or not. I have a feeling it's where I'm supposed to be, and it would be really cool to finally figure that out.
In more exciting news, yesterday was Halloween! Mario had two costumes throughout the day. He started off the day as Mona from persona 5, and then he wore his favorite bowtie all afternoon and evening. We made eggos for dinner and watched the last two episodes of Stranger Things season 2. It was a great day!
Last Saturday I took my daughter to Oklahoma Teen Book Con. It was at the Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie, which is a really interesting building architecturally. We went to some panels to hear YA authors talk about writing fantasy, and why they like to write YA over adult fiction. We also got to meet one of our favorite authors, Maggie Stiefvater, which was a really fun experience.
My other classes have been a little bit odd lately. I have the same teacher for both and she hasn't been in class the past three weeks. I know her grad student that's filling in from our lab, and really like her, but I think we're all feeling sort of abandoned.
In other school news, I briefly talked to a professor in one of the grad school programs I'm interested in, and have an appointment to meet with him next week to talk more. Basically, two family members of mine told me that I shouldn't apply for that program within a couple of minutes time on Monday morning. One that doesn't really know the details, and one that should know better (and remember stuff we talk about after we talk about it). I was so mad that I started sending emails to get info I need from people that actually have it. I read an article the same morning that said people will try to talk you into programs they want you to be in, and it isn't helpful at all, because it's you that has to be happy with your path. And that's right where I am at this moment. This is about me. So I'm going to go see what this program is about and decide if it's for me or not. I have a feeling it's where I'm supposed to be, and it would be really cool to finally figure that out.
In more exciting news, yesterday was Halloween! Mario had two costumes throughout the day. He started off the day as Mona from persona 5, and then he wore his favorite bowtie all afternoon and evening. We made eggos for dinner and watched the last two episodes of Stranger Things season 2. It was a great day!
Tomorrow I'm having breakfast with a friend. She's the only college friend I've made in the past 7 years of pursuing this degree that I still see regularly, but it's been awhile so I'm looking forward to catching up. She's definitely my go-to person that I call when I realize my life is a chaotic wreck and I have no social life! It will be nice to connect with someone for a couple of hours.
(All photos from my personal collection)
Week 12 Story Planning: Akira in Wonderland
Akira in Wonderland
-Akira (Joker) is out for a walk and sees a cat walking around. It's talking about being late and runs off. He follows it and falls into the Metaverse, and thinks random thoughts while he's falling into the cognitive world. He babbles more on the fall, wondering if Sojiro will miss him and if the curry will get made and if he'll be able to handle the shop without Akira there to wash the dishes.
-He finally lands, sees the cat entering a long passage, ends up in a hall of locked doors, finds a key on the table. Finds a tiny, hidden door and the key unlocks it (it's a vent). Can't fit through, sees a garden below. Goes back to the table hoping to find another key, finds a bottle that says drink me. Drinks it (it tasted like Sojiro's special curry) and turns into a rat.
-Realizes he forgot the key, goes back and can't reach the table. Finds a piece of cake that says eat me, it tastes like coffee. (Jamaican Blue, the best). He turns into a human, grabs the key, drinks the dregs of the potion from earlier, turns back into a rat.
-Now he fits in the vent and crawls through, jumps down into the garden where he finds his friends, who are also all rats.
-Has an odd conversation with them about how they got here, where they are, how they became rats, how they can get back to the real world. They can't open any of the bigger doors in this place because rats are very small and have paws, and they don't see any more of the odd drink.
-Wakes up in his bed in the attic, Morgana (Mona) the cat is sound asleep next to him.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Web Source.
-Akira (Joker) is out for a walk and sees a cat walking around. It's talking about being late and runs off. He follows it and falls into the Metaverse, and thinks random thoughts while he's falling into the cognitive world. He babbles more on the fall, wondering if Sojiro will miss him and if the curry will get made and if he'll be able to handle the shop without Akira there to wash the dishes.
(Photo from Pinterest)
-He finally lands, sees the cat entering a long passage, ends up in a hall of locked doors, finds a key on the table. Finds a tiny, hidden door and the key unlocks it (it's a vent). Can't fit through, sees a garden below. Goes back to the table hoping to find another key, finds a bottle that says drink me. Drinks it (it tasted like Sojiro's special curry) and turns into a rat.
(Photo from Pinterest)
-Realizes he forgot the key, goes back and can't reach the table. Finds a piece of cake that says eat me, it tastes like coffee. (Jamaican Blue, the best). He turns into a human, grabs the key, drinks the dregs of the potion from earlier, turns back into a rat.
-Now he fits in the vent and crawls through, jumps down into the garden where he finds his friends, who are also all rats.
(Photo from Polygon)
-Has an odd conversation with them about how they got here, where they are, how they became rats, how they can get back to the real world. They can't open any of the bigger doors in this place because rats are very small and have paws, and they don't see any more of the odd drink.
-Wakes up in his bed in the attic, Morgana (Mona) the cat is sound asleep next to him.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Web Source.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Reading Notes: Zorro, Milady, Carmen, Neronomicon, Johanna
If I decide to continue my storybook after class ends, I would write a story for each of the remaining Persona 5 characters: Mona (you got a Mona introduction, but no Mona story), Noir, Panther, Oracle and Queen. I decided to start doing some research and reading about their personas. I also located a few sources that might be useful for writing their stories.
Noir: Milady - Milady de Winter, more commonly referred to as "Milady" is a fictional character created by Alexandre Dumas for his seminal novel The Three Musketeers. Her main relation with the novel's titular heroes is her personal vendettas first against the novel's hero d'Artagnan after he discovered she was branded as a criminal with a fleur-de-lis, then against his mentor Athos who was her former husband. Her conflict with them ends in her death by beheading for her crimes. In both the book and subsequent adaptations, Milady is depicted as a fiercely independent and manipulative villain: despite acting as an agent of Cardinal Richelieu in his machinations against Louis XIII and the Duke of Buckingham, she is also a force on her own account, bringing others to ruin for personal gain. Her moniker of "Milady" is a title inherited from one of her husbands, whom she married under a false name, leaving her true identity a mystery.
Panther: Carmen - a fictive female gypsy created by Prosper Mérimée. She first appeared in Mérimée's eponymous novella that was first written and published in 1845. The novella was adapted into a variety of different genres, most notably the opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet which diverges in significant points from Mérimée's original story. Whatever the version, Carmen is generally depicted as a classic femme fatale who would take advantage of her beauty and charm to make men fall for her but quickly break the relationship once she is bored of her wooer and then looks for the next victim. Carmen is also usually seen smoking tobacco because she had once been working in a tobacco factory. She is later slain by a spurned ex-lover driven to a jealous rage after she leaves him. Though she knew he would be fated to kill her, she declares that she would rather die than allow herself to be bound to the will of another and that "Carmen will always be free".
Oracle: Necronomicon - a fictional grimoire (tome of magic). It was first mentioned in the short story The Hound written by H. P. Lovecraft, but its exact origin is the subject of debate. The book subsequently also appeared in stories of Lovecraft's followers. The Necronomicon has since gained a cult following and various fake "replicas" of the book are circulating. In the context of Lovecraft's works, the Necronomicon is a tome detailing the truth behind the various ancient cosmic beings that have inhabited Earth and continue to influence humans for their own ends. Written in the 8th century by the "mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, it both functions as a means of imparting the forbidden knowledge of the ancient ones, and a source of danger as those who read it risk going mad from its knowledge.
Queen: Johanna - based on Pope Joan, a legendary Medieval woman who reigned as pope for a short period, going against the Catholic Church's ingrained tradition of male popes. Though the story was widely believed for centuries, modern historians have found no evidence of her existence and believe the legend to be a work of fiction meant to discredit the church. Most versions of her story describe her as a talented and learned woman who disguised herself as a man, often at the behest of a lover. In the most common accounts, due to her abilities, she rose through the church hierarchy and was eventually elected pope. Her sex was revealed when she gave birth during a procession, and she died shortly after, either through murder or natural causes. The accounts state that later church processions avoided this spot, and that the Vatican removed the female pope from its official lists and crafted a ritual to ensure that future popes were male.
Possible Sources:
(Photos from Megami Tensei Wiki)
Monday, October 30, 2017
Tech Tip: Reverse Image Search
(Photo from Wordpress)
The Bishop of Hereford is a character from the legend of Robin Hood. In The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, he is the bishop who was supposed to marry Allen a Dale and his true love.
Reading Notes: Robin Hood Part B
(Photo from Pinterest)
Robin Hood’s Death - When Robin is ill and decides he is near death, he asks Little John to take him to his cousin who will bleed him, so that he can die. So he takes him to the cousin who agrees to bleed him. She cuts his vein and locks him in a room. He bled until the next day, then, too weak to move, he blew on his bugle. Little John heard it and feared that Robin must be close to death. He went back for him and broke the locks to get to him. Robin tells him to take him outside and put his bow in his hand. He shoots an arrow and asks to be buried wherever it lands.
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child.
The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child.
Reading Notes: Robin Hood Part A
(Photo from Pinterest)
Robin Hood and Little John - Robin Hood meets a stranger on a narrow bridge. Neither will move aside for the other. They each find a staff and decide that whoever falls off the bridge first loses. Robin ends up in the water, then asks the stranger to be his right-hand man. His name was John Little and he was 7 feet tall, so the merry men though it would be funny to rename him Little John. (Crow and Joker)
Allen a Dale - Robin Hood meets Allen a Dale and asks him to give money to the merry men. Allen says he doesn't have any to spare. Robin asks what he'll give him if he reunites Allen with his true love and makes a wedding happen for him. Robin pretends to be a harpist, and tells the bishop that he bride should choose her husband. He calls in 20 men, the first is Allen, her true love. Robin says they should be married. The bishop objects and says they have to be asked 3 times in church. Robin takes the bishop's coat and puts it on Little John who marries them, asking 7 times to be sure.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Famous Last Words: I Tend To Overshare, Sorry.
(Photo from my personal collection. Sunrise this morning.)
This week for class I wrote my third storybook story. It was easier to write than the last one, so hopefully it turned out well. I had absolutely no inspiration for a regular story post this week, so I did some other things instead. I'm getting close to the end. I'm excited about finishing my project soon (Just one more story to write!) but I think I'm also going to miss it. I have five more characters that I could write a story for. If I ever get that kind of free time, I might come back and complete it. It was hard choosing only four of them.
I had to present in one of my classes this week. A couple nights before, I met with my partner for it and we made our powerpoint quickly, then spent hours in the library coffee shop just having a conversation about all kinds of stuff. I have to tell you, it was pretty rad. (And yeah, no one says that anymore.) Meeting people almost half my age that I can connect with like that doesn't happen often, and it was really great. When we presented on Tuesday, my teacher wasn't even there, but one of the grad students from our lab was there in her place. It went really well. I thought I'd start freaking out and get too nervous. Instead I got up there and did my typical oversharing of weird stuff. The chapter we had to cover talked about evidence-based treatments for mental disorders, then it briefly mentioned lobotomies before talking about some current treatments that are more experimental. So I got up there and told them about my great uncle who had a lobotomy. Sometimes sharing stuff like that backfires on me, but it worked out this time, and I felt really good for the rest of the day, instead of having to slowly come down from fight-or-flight mode like I usually experience after a presentation like that.
Last week at the Veterans Center was pretty boring. I helped a man put together bookends while he took a nap. So, I put together bookends. It took forever to figure out how they went together. And their woodworking projects all use glue, so making them hold together was a nightmare. Would have been much easier with a hammer and nails. After that it was pretty quiet. I asked the art lady if she's thought about downloading some simple adult coloring pages online since there are some great free ones. She shot the idea down, telling me they only like things that are easy. I'm not sure what's not easy about easy coloring sheets, but whatever. She seems really set in her ways and thinks they will only like the art projects she brings for them. I can tell they're bored and hate them. It's likely why I never see the same people twice. The paper pumpkins were there for the third week in a row, and no one touched them. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it. Either start bringing some new stuff for them anyway, or just going with it. I don't really want to make art lady angry, because I think she's a nice person and great at talking with the residents, and I like talking to her, but I think they would like it if they had something different to do for a change. I guess I'll see how today goes.
I caught the sun a few times this week, so that's an improvement. I have some exciting plans for the weekend that I'll make you wait until next time to hear about, and we're looking forward to Halloween. I'm not sure if Mario will be wearing a bowtie like usual, or his yellow bandana so he can be Mona. Maybe both for a little while. I also need to help my daughter finish her costume before then, yikes. It isn't too complicated, but we need to buy some material and do a little sewing.
Learning Challenge Week 11: Happiness Jar Part 1
(Photo from Pinterest)
This week I am going to do the Happiness Jar Challenge and report back on how it went next week. I have been making origami lucky stars and filling jars with them as gifts. My own jar is completely empty since I want to fill the others in time for the holidays, and mine is just for me. So for this week, I am going to fill it with things that make me happy each day. I think this will be a fun challenge. Hopefully I won't get too busy and forget, because that would skew the results. So long as everything goes according to plan, I think it will work out well.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Tech Tip: Pinterest Sidebar
(Photo from Hello Giggles)
This week I added a Pinterest sidebar to my blog. I decided to use my Persona 5 board since it's the one I end up using the most saved images from in my blog posts. I regularly search Pinterest for images that are relevant to my stories and other posts, and save them so I can easily find and use them later. Sometimes when I'm bored and already planning a story in my head, I just spend a half hour on Pinterest looking for images that I think will work well with it. Some of them get used and some don't. I think having the sidebar right on my blog will make it even easier to work with both sites together.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Reading Notes: Japanese and other mythological and literary characters
Japanese:
- three-legged crow, inhabits and represents the sun. In Japan, a raven, Yatagarasu, "evidence of the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs."
- the crow is a mark of rebirth and rejuvenation
- as a crow-god is a symbol specifically of guidance
Nue -
- face of a monkey, legs of a tiger, body of a tanuki (raccoon dog) and the front half of a snake for a tail.
- OR back of a tiger, the legs of a tanuki, the tail of a fox, the head of a cat, and the torso of a chicken
- sometimes referred to as a Japanese chimera
- makes cries at night
- goddess of dawn
- lured Amaterasu out of her hiding place in a cave when she refused to come out, by dancing
Not Japanese:
Oberon -
- king of the fairies
- a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream
- consort to Titania, queen of the fairies
- a trickster
Alice -
- based on Alice in Wonderland
- the strongest persona in the Death arcana
- very strong dark spell called "Die for me!" that instakills all enemies on screen
(Photo from Pinterest)
Reading Notes: British North America Part B
(Photo from Pinterest)
I'm not sure how I would use this story, but I love astronomy and the Pleiades are beautiful.
Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Source.
Myths and Legends of British North America by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Source.
Reading Notes: British North America Part A
Creation of Light - An old chief owned all the light, fire and water. Everywhere else was darkness. The other people were all animal people. and they decided to trick him into giving them some light. They put on their masks and dancing aprons and showed up at the chief's house for a dance uninvited.
"Fox kept singing, 'Khain, khain, khain' because he thought in that way he would gain light. Therefore the animals call him Khain, which means, 'He cries for daylight.'"
Each animal persona sang their own song, and sang "Light, light, light, light."
Light began to creep into the sky like the dawn. The chief said "Let there not be" and the light went away. The animal people sang again and the light "began to steal into the sky."
The chief saw it, became excited and confused by all the noise, and said "Let there be light", and the light came into the sky to stay.
I can see Fox and the others in their masks singing, Joker wearing his apron from the cafe.
I can see Fox and the others in their masks singing, Joker wearing his apron from the cafe.
(Photo from Pinterest)
Why the Sun is Bright - An entire village moved away because they didn't like a boy. They left him and his grandma alone there and they expected them to starve. The grandma told the boy to go spear animals and fish. She made him a very large, bright robe from the skins of the birds he caught. The sun saw it and offered to trade his robe that was dull and had fringe at the ends. He showed the boy that each fringe would catch a fish if he laid it on the water. The boy traded, and the sun started wearing the bright robe which was so bright that no one could look at him.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Famous Last Words: My Plans Change Every Second
I had finally convinced myself that I should be applying to the three graduate programs that seem like a good fit for me, and this week I found out that you can only apply to one program at OU per term. So I can only apply to one, and if I don't get in, I will have to wait 6 months to a year longer to start school, depending on what program I try to get into next. So now I'm questioning everything all over again. I feel like I have to try for the PhD program, but it may not be a perfect fit for me, and they might not accept me. But there's a master's program that feels like a better fit. It used to have a companion PhD program, but that's on hiatus. So if I do the master's and the PhD program isn't reinstated, will the other completely different program accept me? Or have I prepared for the totally wrong thing?
I was thinking about asking my teacher some questions and for some advice when I ask for a letter of recommendation, and I still think that's a good idea. But my husband suggested last night that I should talk to the head of the master's program and see what he thinks about where I would fit better, and if he knows anything about the PhD program's future. I didn't even think of that. So I'll be sending him an email today. I want my PhD, but if it comes down to it, I would rather start a relevant master's program in the fall than get rejected from a PhD program that wasn't entirely right for me to begin with, and having to wait another whole year to start. I'm too old to keep waiting, I need to finish my education so I can make use of it.
In mythology this week, I finished revising my second story. Two more to go, and I think they will be a little easier to write than this one was. The next one will be set at the beach, and I think it's going to be really fun to write. I'm getting close to the end of the course, so I'm only taking so many points per week so I can finish up the project. As for other writing stuff, a group of people I collaborated with on some fan fiction over the summer asked me to do so again, so I'm starting to think about what I want to write for that. We're all writing the same characters, and there will be a theme, and then we'll each write our own unique short story and publish them all as chapters. It was ra great experience last time, and the topic sounds fun.
Mario has been really content most of the week. I took this photo the other day and he looked so happy. This morning he's the grumpiest cat that ever lived, and I haven't found a solution. He's finally napping, but he growls in his sleep every once in awhile. Having a hyperthyroid cat is hard sometimes.
I started making origami lucky stars at the end of last week. My new obsession. I'm filling jars as gifts for some of my family for the holidays, because I always have to add some kind of ridiculous deadline of pressure to my hobbies. My daughter is on her fall break this week, so we spent yesterday at the mall looking for things she might want for her upcoming birthday, and drinking yummy coffees. Wish I could spend all of today with her, too, but I'll be off to the Veteran's Center in the afternoon as usual. Last week was better than the first, but you never know what you're going to get there, so it makes me anxious every single time. Last week I made some weird pasta art to entertain the group we had there. The art lady keeps making them decorate paper pumpkins and none of them seem into it. I have a feeling it will be two more weeks of paper pumpkins. I would bring some things in to give them something new to do, but I don't want to overstep. I'm just there to help. I had a great talk with my supervisor on my way out last week, so that relationship feels really good, and I like the art lady and other volunteers, so hopefully it gets more fun and less stressful over time.
I was thinking about asking my teacher some questions and for some advice when I ask for a letter of recommendation, and I still think that's a good idea. But my husband suggested last night that I should talk to the head of the master's program and see what he thinks about where I would fit better, and if he knows anything about the PhD program's future. I didn't even think of that. So I'll be sending him an email today. I want my PhD, but if it comes down to it, I would rather start a relevant master's program in the fall than get rejected from a PhD program that wasn't entirely right for me to begin with, and having to wait another whole year to start. I'm too old to keep waiting, I need to finish my education so I can make use of it.
In mythology this week, I finished revising my second story. Two more to go, and I think they will be a little easier to write than this one was. The next one will be set at the beach, and I think it's going to be really fun to write. I'm getting close to the end of the course, so I'm only taking so many points per week so I can finish up the project. As for other writing stuff, a group of people I collaborated with on some fan fiction over the summer asked me to do so again, so I'm starting to think about what I want to write for that. We're all writing the same characters, and there will be a theme, and then we'll each write our own unique short story and publish them all as chapters. It was ra great experience last time, and the topic sounds fun.
(Photo from my personal collection. Happy Mario.)
Mario has been really content most of the week. I took this photo the other day and he looked so happy. This morning he's the grumpiest cat that ever lived, and I haven't found a solution. He's finally napping, but he growls in his sleep every once in awhile. Having a hyperthyroid cat is hard sometimes.
(Photo from my personal collection. Folding paper again.)
I started making origami lucky stars at the end of last week. My new obsession. I'm filling jars as gifts for some of my family for the holidays, because I always have to add some kind of ridiculous deadline of pressure to my hobbies. My daughter is on her fall break this week, so we spent yesterday at the mall looking for things she might want for her upcoming birthday, and drinking yummy coffees. Wish I could spend all of today with her, too, but I'll be off to the Veteran's Center in the afternoon as usual. Last week was better than the first, but you never know what you're going to get there, so it makes me anxious every single time. Last week I made some weird pasta art to entertain the group we had there. The art lady keeps making them decorate paper pumpkins and none of them seem into it. I have a feeling it will be two more weeks of paper pumpkins. I would bring some things in to give them something new to do, but I don't want to overstep. I'm just there to help. I had a great talk with my supervisor on my way out last week, so that relationship feels really good, and I like the art lady and other volunteers, so hopefully it gets more fun and less stressful over time.
Google Define Tech Tip
(Screen Shot from Google Define)
I already knew what aesthetics means, but I was curious about the origin. I think it's fascinating that it had nothing to do with beauty until the early 19th century, and was controversial until the end of the 19th century. The way word meanings change over time is really interesting.
I use google to look up words pretty frequently when I'm not sure what they mean, or I need to explain the meaning to my daughter and realize I can't put it into words even though I know how to use it. Another thing I use often if thesaurus.com when I am writing. It makes it much either to not keep repeating the same words over and over, especially descriptive words.
Wikipedia Trails: From buried treasure to witchcraft
1. Buried Treasure - It's a popular belief that pirates bury treasure. From what I have read, William Kidd is the only pirate known to actually have done it. His was found, and it is suspected that be buried even more in other places, but since those have never been found he probably didn't. Lots of fiction has been written about pirates burying treasure, including The Gold-Bug by Edgar Allan Poe.
2. Edgar Allan Poe - American write best known for writing creepy stories. Influenced not only literature, but cosmology and cryptography. May have died from alcoholism, "delirium tremens, heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis, meningeal inflammation, cholera, and rabies."
3. The Black Cat - a short story by Poe in which the narrator becomes an alcoholic and harms his beloved cat. It's sad and very mean to cats so I won't go into more detail. My daughter has read it in the past and remembered it was a one-eyed cat, but had forgotten how it happened. Symbolically, Pluto the cat becomes a witch that haunts him.
4. Witchcraft - the practice or belief in magic. Can also be a religion (Wicca). In Japan, witches are people who employ either foxes or snakes. The kitsune-mochi makes a deal with a fox, to provide food and shelter in exchange for it doing the person's bidding. The Tsukimono-suji is a family of hereditary witches that employ foxes. Employing snakes is much less common than foxes.
(Photo from Yōkai wiki)
Thursday, October 19, 2017
Reading Notes: Captain Kidd
(Photo from Pinterest)
Chapter IV - Kidd claimed his men were the pirates and that they locked him in his cabin to perform acts of piracy. He claimed to be afraid to go back to New York because of the false stories about him, so he instead headed to Boston. Along the way he stopped at Block Island, then stopped at Gardiner's Island leaving its proprietor, Mr. Gardiner, with most of his treasures for safe keeping. It is suspected that when Kidd traveled through Long Island Sound, he buried gold and jewels at Thimble Island and all along the coast before reaching Boson and his arrest.
Chapter I - A fortune teller told some men where to find Captain Kidd's treasure - Young woman with a sacred stone - Chihaya and the holy stones.
Kidd took notes that would enable him to find the treasure again later.
Fortune tellers continually told people where to find the treasure and to work in complete darkness and be completely silent, or else natural disasters would come and prevent them from taking the treasure (torrential rains and thunderstorms, lightning, shrieks of laughter heard, swarms of bats).
The buccaneer chiefs; or, Captain Kidd and the pirates of America by John Stevens C. Abbott. Web Source.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Week 10 Story: Return of The Sun
(Photo from Pinterest)
“What are we supposed to do about this?” Noir asked. “We can barely see anything.”
“Maybe there’s something we can do to restore the light,” Mona, the cat, said.
“I will take care of it,” Joker said.
“What are you planning to do,” Noir asked with wide eyes.
Joker smirked. “I’m going to steal it back.”
“Hey, can I come with?” Skull asked. “I’m bored.”
Joker shrugged, and the two went off in search of the light. They glimpsed some rays on a hilltop near a cabin. A man was shoveling snow out front. Each heap of snow he threw into the air completely blocked out the sun. Joker noticed a ball of light by the cabin’s door, and smiled. “Excuse me, sir,” he said. Can we trouble you for a cup of coffee? It’s very cold outside and we’d love to warm up.”
“What? You’re thinking about coffee of all things in a place like this?” Skull asked.
Joker held a finger to his lips, then turned back to the man.
“Oh, I suppose,” he replied. “Come into the cabin.” He dropped the shovel and walked to the door. Joker snatched the ball of light and started running back down the hill.
“Ohhhh, now I get it,” Skull said. He started to run after Joker, then stopped and grabbed the shovel. “Hey, we’re gonna borrow this, mister, thanks!”
The two thieves ran all the way down the hill, breaking off pieces of the light ball and dropping them every so often. When they reached the others, they had created days and nights in the palace.
“Oh, thank you! That’s so much better!” Noir said happily.
“I think we should leave, though,” Mona said. “I’m pretty sure that shovel Skull took was the treasure, this place is about the crumble!”
They ran as fast as they could, escaping to the real world just in time. “That light thing you did was really cool, Joker, but I guess it was for nothing since the palace doesn’t exist anymore,” said Mona.
Skull smiled sheepishly. “Oops. That was my bad.”
Author’s note:
This story is based on The Bringing of the Light by Raven from Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson. In the original, the sun stops shining in a village. A boy says he can get it back, and turns into Raven. He finds a man at the top of a hill shoveling snow, which is blocking the light. He tells the man he wants to live with him since his village is too dark. When the man agrees and invites him in, he steals the ball of light by the porch and the shovels and runs back towards the village, breaking off pieces of light every so often, creating days and nights. The man chases after him, but because he is Raven, the boy quickly flies away. I have used characters from the game Persona 5 in my retelling. In the game, a group called the Phantom Thieves can enter a cognitive world in people’s minds called the Metaverse. A particular person’s cognitive world is referred to as a palace. To create a change of heart in a person who has gone astray, the thieves have to steal the core of the palace, called its treasure. I thought it would be fun to set this story in the Metaverse where the sun could go missing. The thieves end up stealing the light back, but also take the shovel, which turns out to be the treasure. When the treasure is taken, the palace crumbles and ceases to exist.
“What? You’re thinking about coffee of all things in a place like this?” Skull asked.
Joker held a finger to his lips, then turned back to the man.
“Oh, I suppose,” he replied. “Come into the cabin.” He dropped the shovel and walked to the door. Joker snatched the ball of light and started running back down the hill.
“Ohhhh, now I get it,” Skull said. He started to run after Joker, then stopped and grabbed the shovel. “Hey, we’re gonna borrow this, mister, thanks!”
The two thieves ran all the way down the hill, breaking off pieces of the light ball and dropping them every so often. When they reached the others, they had created days and nights in the palace.
“Oh, thank you! That’s so much better!” Noir said happily.
“I think we should leave, though,” Mona said. “I’m pretty sure that shovel Skull took was the treasure, this place is about the crumble!”
They ran as fast as they could, escaping to the real world just in time. “That light thing you did was really cool, Joker, but I guess it was for nothing since the palace doesn’t exist anymore,” said Mona.
Skull smiled sheepishly. “Oops. That was my bad.”
(Photo from Pinterest)
Author’s note:
This story is based on The Bringing of the Light by Raven from Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson. In the original, the sun stops shining in a village. A boy says he can get it back, and turns into Raven. He finds a man at the top of a hill shoveling snow, which is blocking the light. He tells the man he wants to live with him since his village is too dark. When the man agrees and invites him in, he steals the ball of light by the porch and the shovels and runs back towards the village, breaking off pieces of light every so often, creating days and nights. The man chases after him, but because he is Raven, the boy quickly flies away. I have used characters from the game Persona 5 in my retelling. In the game, a group called the Phantom Thieves can enter a cognitive world in people’s minds called the Metaverse. A particular person’s cognitive world is referred to as a palace. To create a change of heart in a person who has gone astray, the thieves have to steal the core of the palace, called its treasure. I thought it would be fun to set this story in the Metaverse where the sun could go missing. The thieves end up stealing the light back, but also take the shovel, which turns out to be the treasure. When the treasure is taken, the palace crumbles and ceases to exist.
The Bringing of the Light by Raven from Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Source.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends Part B
The Ghost Land - when the chief's son's wife died, he was too sad to sleep. One morning he got dressed and walked all day/night, he was walking the Death Trail. He called to people on the other side of the lake to come get him, but they couldn't hear him. A man was paddling in a canoe. The people finally heard shouting and said that someone was coming up from Dreamland and to bring him over. The chief's son saw his wife and he was happy. She told him he couldn't stay long, and took him back in the Ghost Canoe. They landed at Ghost's Rock, at the end of the Death Trail. They walked back home, and he went inside and told his father that he brought his wife home. He told him to bring her inside, but no one else could see her. She wrapped a cloak around her, and ate, but all they could see was the cloak and the spoon. After, the chief's son died, and they both went back to Ghost Land.
The Boy in the Moon - a lazy boy in a village fell in love with a girl. He sees her climbing a ladder to the sky with a plate of meat and berries. She grabbed hold of a line hanging down as she climbed. Her brothers scolded the boy, and he rushed to get dressed and ran outside, climbing the ladder to get to her. She was floating away, and he did too. The girl became the sun and the boy the moon.
(Photo from Pinterest)
The Boy in the Moon - a lazy boy in a village fell in love with a girl. He sees her climbing a ladder to the sky with a plate of meat and berries. She grabbed hold of a line hanging down as she climbed. Her brothers scolded the boy, and he rushed to get dressed and ran outside, climbing the ladder to get to her. She was floating away, and he did too. The girl became the sun and the boy the moon.
"When the sun sinks in the west, the moon rises in the east, but always too late. The moon has no food, and sometimes almost fades away. Then the sun reaches out the dish of meat and berries and the moon becomes fat again." (Explains the phases of the moon).
Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Source.
Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Source.
Reading Notes: Alaskan Legends Part A
(Photo from Pinterest)
The Bringing of the Light by Raven - The sun and moon were taken away; people only had the stars for light. An orphan boy that everyone hated said he could bring it back, put on a raven coat and became Raven. He asks his aunt where the sun and moon are and she doesn't know. He insists she wouldn't sew so well if she didn't know where it was, so she told him to go south on snowshoes and that he'll know it when he gets there. So he goes, and days later he sees a ray of light, but every time he gets closer to it, it disappears. He comes to a hill and one side is full of lights, the other black as night. There was a hut with a man shoveling snow out front. When he tossed snow in the air, you couldn't see the light until it fell. There was a ball of fire near the house and the boy plotted to steal it. He asks the man why he keeps throwing the snow, because it's hiding the light. The man tells him he's not hiding the light, he's shoveling snow. He asks the boy who is is, and he tells him his village is so dark that he came to live with the man. He invites the boy in, and the boy takes the ball of light, grabs the shovel and runs north. The man chased him, but the boy was Raven and could fly fast. As he flew, he broke off a piece of the light, which made day. Then he let it stay dark, then broke another piece, and kept doing so, creating days and nights. Sometimes nights were longer, because he traveled through the dark longer.
Myths and Legends of Alaska, edited by Katharine Berry Judson. Web Source.
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