Translation

A family friend was working in Slovakia for over two years and did not know the language before going over there. He said that it was hard to meet people, and especially date in the beginning of his stay there. After awhile he was able to speak Slovakian more and was able to meet more people. It helped that Slovakians usually know some English too. After hearing his experience I doubt that Maire and Yolland relationship could work out without them learning each others language. In the play it seems like intrique and not love for a new person from a different country that interests them both. However, if they would try to learn each other's languages I think that there could be hope for them.

Beliefs and Knowledge

It was discussed in class the difference between beliefs and knowledge and how Omishto perceives them. Omishto views knowledge is what she sees and feels and beliefs are more factual. I think it is important to put in the context that she is 16 years old. While I'm reading the novel I have to remind myself that she isnt an adult but a teenage. Her age affects her beliefs and like any other teen she is trying to find herself while being torn between two worlds. It is hard enough being a teenage but she has extra pressure to fit into two different forms of society that have different beliefs. I feel bad that Omishto has to go through that experience, luckily she has the support of Ama to help her because she doesn't have the support of her mother and sister. However, Omishto is trying to find herself when most people her age don't have to try to figure out their lives and their place in their community.

Power

In Power, Omishto has a special connection to nature and is comfortable in it. It is the place where she has a sense of identity and feels at home. Nature is her "room of one's own." Her connection to nature reminds me of a man that was a tour guide for my family's tour group in Kauai. He had a special connection to nature and took us on a tour of the rainforests in barefoot and knew the paths by heart. Also, he knew all about the vegetation because he grew up walking in that rainforest. I was better able to understand Omishto's connection to nature because of his connection.

Lucy

The cover of Lucy does a good job of depicting the novel. I am usually not drawn to books that don't have vibrate colors. However, I really like the color green and I found it relaxing. I was intrigued by the chose of art on the front cover. While I was reading I imagined Lucy like the women on the front cover. Througout the book my image of Lucy changed, the women on the cover gave me starting point to image Lucy. The title Lucy font increased my interest because the big cursive "L" is one of the first things I notice along with the orange strip that has the author name. The cover of Lucy represents the book well to foreshadow the storyline.

"This Blessed House"

Is there a pressure to be one identity or another?
Everyone, including Twinkle and Sanjeev, have to deal with the pressure of identifying with different aspects of our lives. I think in different situations and with different people there is pressure for people to identify with certain identities. I feel that when I am with my dad I have to identify with my sports side and talk about sports where as when I am with my mom I feel the need to identify with my more girlie side that enjoys shopping. People adapt to reveal different aspects of themselves when they are with certain people. I think people can do this unconsciously most of the time as a cooping mechanism to blend into their environment. This can seen as a performance by people to change into something that people expect them to be.

O Movie

After viewing, O, the second time I couldn't get the scene where Oden is bouncing the basketball and looking at Dessie during the dunk contestant. In the scene the focus is just on him and then flashes to Dessie and back and forth. A big importance in the scene is that in the beginning all the audience can hear is the sound of the ball hitting the court. I think at that point Dessie knew that Oden made up his mind that she had cheated on him and that there was no one to persuade him. Also, the significance of the ball bouncing as the only noise relates back to the reason that all this drama and deceitfulness started was because of basketball.

We discussed in class, why have basketball be the main sport in the movie. I still am not sure why it was chosen. One reason could be that basketball only has 15 players and that allows for more emphasis on certain characters. Also, it was said in class that in basketball there is generally a superstar and that is why it was chosen. However, after playing a successfull basketball team in high school who didn't have a superstar I don't necessarily agree with it. Other sports have superstars or people feel the need to have them. Yet, more than half through the movie and I am still not sure the significance of basketball.

Othello Films

Aftering viewing two very different clips of Othello I was amazed on how much people can interpret Shakespeare differently. The 1965 film was staged more like a play, which I liked less than the one that was viewed in class. The creative differences used in Othello films and plays is very diverse and adds new dimensions to the play that I might have overlooked. It was interesting to see the final scenes of Othello played out after having the preconceived notion of what the characters looked like and what they were doing while I was reading it. After watching the films how I now imagine the final scene has changed and gotten more detailed. However, the bed is still significant to the imagery that I have of the final scene, just like the films.