I have successfully finished the first day of classes (actually it's the first two days, but they were both first days for certain classes; we'll just lump it all into one).
The teacher of my racquetball class will be providing all the equipment, which is nice (even though I have my own). Even nicer is that I can go to class from home, and come straight home when it's done to shower, so there's no awkward changing or showering at the HPER, which I can't even imagine doing (the showering part anyway).
My Advanced Fiction Writing class, which is 2.5 hours long, should be okay; I've heard rumors about this professor but she seemed pretty put together, and it's only a once-a-week class anyway. But it's advanced. That will probably balance it out.
Period Studies will be FABULOUS!!!! Mostly because Dr. McCuskey is teaching it. We're studying the Victorian period, which I'm not an absolute fan of, but I'm way excited for that class. I think I can safely say that it will probably be my favorite this semester, even though we're reading Middlemarch by George Eliot (who was really a woman). I know nothing about that book, except what Dr. McCuskey told us in class: "I have to warn you," (pause as he looks all around the class) "People tend to hate this book." Sounds like fun!
Poetry Writing I am not excited for. Basically I'll have to write 2-3 poems a week: 9 poems are turned in periodically throughout the semester; about 6 poems will be reviewed in one-on-one conferences with the professor; and there's like 8 peer workshops/reviews that are supposed to focus on totally different poems from any of the above. I don't like poetry. I'm only in this class for my major. And I don't think this approach will help me learn to like poetry, either.
Science and Technology in Modern Society is my depth science requirement and Sarah says it's easy, but we'll see how that goes. No book, which is good, I guess, but the students basically teach the class because once a week a group presents on a topic. Hopefully this class is interesting enough that I can stay awake. The last class I fell asleep in was in the same room. Is that a sign?
Since my roommates came home and school started again I haven't been reading much in Jane Eyre, but I'll finish it, I promise!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year
Happy New Year's everyone (all three of you!)
So my New Year's celebration was really boring: I drank a bottle of Martinelli's and stayed up till two in the morning watching the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth (watching P&P and reading Jane Eyre has a strange effect on the way I think; instead of "that stinks", I think, "that is terribly inconvenient"; or when another driver bothers me, I think "insufferable!" or "hateful man!"). Not that that is a bad thing; I love that movie, I just didn't party or even watch any celebration on TV.
I think New Year's resolutions are old and washed-out ideas that never get done, but I have some goals anyway. They're not resolutions. They're goals. And they are:
1. Live a healthier lifestyle. My last visit to the doctor produced evidence of high cholesterol, and I wouldn't mind shedding a few extra pounds anyway, since I'd feel better, look better, like my clothes more, be happier in general, you get the drift. So my goal includes working up to eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day (not 5 each--5 total; right now I average 0-2 daily), drinking all 8 stupid recommended glasses of water a day (which will include carbonated water, Propel, and KoolAid mixes), and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day at least 5 days of the week. Usually that 30 minutes is on a treadmill or elliptical machine, since I'm lucky enough to have free subscription to the university gym, but I got a Balanceball set for Christmas so I'll give myself some leeway. The Balanceball workouts are only about 20 minutes, but toning is a lot harder than walking on a treadmill (run? me? are you serious?).
2. Come to know Christ. I feel like I don't know him very well. I know of him, I know most of the stories, but I don't feel like I could testify of him and his power right now. And I'm Christian, I ought to be able to do that much. So I'm reading the Gospels right now; I think I'll sign up for an LDS Institute Book of Mormon class this semester; I'd like to study on my own how Christ is the Master Teacher, since every calling in the Church requires a teacher and someday my children will need me as a teacher of Christ, and teaching is just an all-around good skill to have anyway; and I'll probably try to work my way through Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. I am convinced this will add greatly to my happiness.
3. Ain't this a blog about books and movies? I'm going to try to step away from the tried and true this year. Instead of wasting money on junk food from the Quickstop on campus, I want to invest in my personal entertainment and see more movies that are currently coming out, instead of watching the old ones that I know I like (A&E Pride and Prejudice, anyone?). The only problem is that someone has to go with me (my mother taught me never to go to the moviehouse alone), so if there's a movie you really want to see, let me know. I also would like to read more books that deserve to be read. Some of these will be classics like Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; some of them I'd like to be contemporary, but I don't quite know how to decide what's worth my time. I'll have to figure out current bestseller lists, I guess. If you know of any books I should read, or if you have any ideas about how to find books I should read, please share them in the comments section below.
This post wasn't supposed to be so long. Oh well. Happy 2009!
So my New Year's celebration was really boring: I drank a bottle of Martinelli's and stayed up till two in the morning watching the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth (watching P&P and reading Jane Eyre has a strange effect on the way I think; instead of "that stinks", I think, "that is terribly inconvenient"; or when another driver bothers me, I think "insufferable!" or "hateful man!"). Not that that is a bad thing; I love that movie, I just didn't party or even watch any celebration on TV.
I think New Year's resolutions are old and washed-out ideas that never get done, but I have some goals anyway. They're not resolutions. They're goals. And they are:
1. Live a healthier lifestyle. My last visit to the doctor produced evidence of high cholesterol, and I wouldn't mind shedding a few extra pounds anyway, since I'd feel better, look better, like my clothes more, be happier in general, you get the drift. So my goal includes working up to eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day (not 5 each--5 total; right now I average 0-2 daily), drinking all 8 stupid recommended glasses of water a day (which will include carbonated water, Propel, and KoolAid mixes), and exercising for at least 30 minutes a day at least 5 days of the week. Usually that 30 minutes is on a treadmill or elliptical machine, since I'm lucky enough to have free subscription to the university gym, but I got a Balanceball set for Christmas so I'll give myself some leeway. The Balanceball workouts are only about 20 minutes, but toning is a lot harder than walking on a treadmill (run? me? are you serious?).
2. Come to know Christ. I feel like I don't know him very well. I know of him, I know most of the stories, but I don't feel like I could testify of him and his power right now. And I'm Christian, I ought to be able to do that much. So I'm reading the Gospels right now; I think I'll sign up for an LDS Institute Book of Mormon class this semester; I'd like to study on my own how Christ is the Master Teacher, since every calling in the Church requires a teacher and someday my children will need me as a teacher of Christ, and teaching is just an all-around good skill to have anyway; and I'll probably try to work my way through Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. I am convinced this will add greatly to my happiness.
3. Ain't this a blog about books and movies? I'm going to try to step away from the tried and true this year. Instead of wasting money on junk food from the Quickstop on campus, I want to invest in my personal entertainment and see more movies that are currently coming out, instead of watching the old ones that I know I like (A&E Pride and Prejudice, anyone?). The only problem is that someone has to go with me (my mother taught me never to go to the moviehouse alone), so if there's a movie you really want to see, let me know. I also would like to read more books that deserve to be read. Some of these will be classics like Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; some of them I'd like to be contemporary, but I don't quite know how to decide what's worth my time. I'll have to figure out current bestseller lists, I guess. If you know of any books I should read, or if you have any ideas about how to find books I should read, please share them in the comments section below.
This post wasn't supposed to be so long. Oh well. Happy 2009!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Jane Eyre...and other random stuff
I have sinned, for I have never read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I am currently working on the repenting process by reading it this week when I get bored of watching TV (since I have no job and my roommates aren't here and I have nothing else to do but watch and read). I'm in the middle of chapter 9 right now, when Jane's friend Helen is dying from consumption. I've seen the Masterpiece Theatre version of the movie, so I already know a lot of what happens, and I already knew anyway that schools like Lowood at this time period were bad situations in many ways. What bothers me isn't the location of the school being a breeding ground for diseases like typhus, but rather the attitude of the owner of Lowood Institution. He talks about instilling in these orphan girls humility by their plain dress and simple food, but "humility" is just a nicer word for poverty in this case. Jane has already been at the school for a month, and readers know that her plain dress is inadequate for January weather, even when she's inside the building; readers know that her food isn't just simple but inedible and malnutritious, both in content and amount. Then in the very next paragraph after he talks about "humility", his wife and daughters come in the room, obviously at the opposite extreme of the spectrum from the orphans. It just makes me sick. I almost cry every time I read a paragraph containing a similar attitude, similar use of acceptable words to cover up an inexcusable crime. This makes me think of the orphanages in China where girls are sent because they are not wanted, and are therefore basically condemned to die (I'm sure this happens in other places too, to both boys and girls; this is just the first example I thought of). This makes me want to donate books to rebuild schools in Uganda (see the posters in the TSC bottom floor), but I don't think I have any books in my apartment that they would appreciate my donating.
Okay I'm done ranting. I feel better now. *sniffle*
On another note, I've been blog-hunting recently and I found one worth mentioning. It's called My Castle in Spain and I love reading it. The writer, Lala Ema, has a calming kind of blog style that almost reminds me of Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes: many of her recent posts talk about rural places and traditions (she also has pictures; I'm still trying to figure out what kind of pictures I can post when all I talk about are books and movies). I'm also amazed at how many languages this woman knows. She's from Provence, France; lives in southern Spain; blogs in English; and just recently blogged about learning German and Latin. Someday maybe that will be me. Anyway, give her a visit. Let me know what you think.
Okay I'm done ranting. I feel better now. *sniffle*
On another note, I've been blog-hunting recently and I found one worth mentioning. It's called My Castle in Spain and I love reading it. The writer, Lala Ema, has a calming kind of blog style that almost reminds me of Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes: many of her recent posts talk about rural places and traditions (she also has pictures; I'm still trying to figure out what kind of pictures I can post when all I talk about are books and movies). I'm also amazed at how many languages this woman knows. She's from Provence, France; lives in southern Spain; blogs in English; and just recently blogged about learning German and Latin. Someday maybe that will be me. Anyway, give her a visit. Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Another list
I like lists. Can you tell? This one is all the movies I got for Christmas!!!! In the past I would have listed books, but I asked for lots of DVDs this year so that's what I got. Although I still got two books: Tales of Beetle the Bard by J.K. Rowling and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (which I am WAY excited to read! Thanks Sarah!)
Anyway, back to movies (in alphabetical order for your convenience):
1. August Rush. Great music, cute story. Heartwarming tear-jerker. A young orphan, played by Freddie Highmore, who hears music in everything, runs away from the orphanage to find his parents, while they search for meaning in their lives. The kind of movie you watch when you're in the mood for a happy ending.
2. Bourne Identity and Supremacy. Great music, great story. Finishes my collection! (last year I got Ultimatum for Christmas) A man who believes his name to be Jason Bourne has almost complete amnesia. While he tries to remember who he was and what he did, his old associates from a covert operation in the CIA are after him. Great action film.
3. A Chorus Line. Haven't watch it yet; my mom thought I'd like it. Something about Broadway productions.
4. Cool Runnings. Family-friendly and cute. Four Jamaicans who tripped out of one of the pre-Olympic foot races make a bobsled team and journey to Canada for the Olympics against all odds. This is a great family night movie, and the Jamaican accents are hilarious.
5. Get Smart. Good music, hilariously funny! Some language and sexual innuendos but definitely worth seeing. Maxwell Smart (played by Steve Carell) is promoted from analyst to field agent when terrorist group KAOS nearly destroys Max's anti-terrorist employer CONTROL. The movie is all about his strange ideas and funny reactions to things as he and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) try to save the world. Also starring Dwayne Johnson.
6. Hotel Rwanda. Most heart-wrenching tear-jerker of them all, but as Joel Siegel said on Good Morning America, this is "the kind of film that can change the world". If you can't handle war or racial conflict, don't watch this movie. Don Cheadle stars as the manager of a five-star hotel in Rwanda in 1994, when a civil war broke out between the race in power and the other race that was being exterminated (I can never tell the difference just by looking at them). All the whites leave and the UN isn't working fast enough to help solve the conflict, so the hotel manager opens the hotel to over 1200 refugees, with only his wits and words to keep the army at bay. Very intense.
7. Indiana Jones boxed set!!! It's the old one though, so it doesn't have Crystal Skull. That's okay; maybe I'll get it next Christmas. :) If you haven't seen Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford), then I'm not going to tell you about it. Go rent them. IJ and the Last Crusade is the best one.
8. Karate Kid. Family-friendly martial arts movie (duh). And those keep getting harder and harder to come by. A teenage kid and his mom move to California from somewhere back east, and he immediately gets picked on by the local bullies. The apartment complex janitor, who happens to come from Okinawa Japan, teaches him karate, the appropriate way to use it, and little bit about growing up. If you liked Ninja Turtles, you'll recognize some things from this movie and probably like it, too.
9. The Mummy. Halloween movie, although it's not necessarily frightening. Just supernatural. Treasure-seekers in Egypt go to the city of the dead and accidentally awaken a cursed mummy, and then must find the Book of Life to kill him.
10. Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest. Also finishes a collection! Here we learn more about the relationship between Jack Sparrow and Davey Jones. Probably my least favorite of the three Pirates movies but worth seeing once to get the story. It just amazes me that Disney made a movie off nothing more than a ride and popular myth.
11. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Another chick flick, but with a good amount of action. Kevin Costner stars as Robin of Locksley, and Morgan Freeman as his Moor friend who follows him home after the Third Crusade to lead a band of outlaws and woodsmen in a revolt against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, played by Alan Rickman. Fabulous acting, great music. One use of the f-word (but still rated PG-13. It was made around the time the ratings changed)
13. Sleeping Beauty!!! I love this movie. Aurora and Belle are my favorite princesses. You have sinned if you have not seen this movie. It's rated G; it has beautiful music; modern villains are based off this movie's villain; it's a classic Disney princess movie. I understand if some people have chosen not to watch PG-13 movies, and that lots of the movies I just listed have that rating. Here that is not the case. You have no excuse not to have seen this movie. Go rent it. Right now. Watch it with girls, especially those younger than 10.
So I am way excited to have expanded my movie collection by so much! And since I'm alone at my apartment right now because I came back early, I'll probably get most of them through my new DVD player on my new 13" old-fashioned TV in my room.
If you have any comments about my list, or you know of some movies you think I should see, please leave a comment below.
Anyway, back to movies (in alphabetical order for your convenience):
1. August Rush. Great music, cute story. Heartwarming tear-jerker. A young orphan, played by Freddie Highmore, who hears music in everything, runs away from the orphanage to find his parents, while they search for meaning in their lives. The kind of movie you watch when you're in the mood for a happy ending.
2. Bourne Identity and Supremacy. Great music, great story. Finishes my collection! (last year I got Ultimatum for Christmas) A man who believes his name to be Jason Bourne has almost complete amnesia. While he tries to remember who he was and what he did, his old associates from a covert operation in the CIA are after him. Great action film.
3. A Chorus Line. Haven't watch it yet; my mom thought I'd like it. Something about Broadway productions.
4. Cool Runnings. Family-friendly and cute. Four Jamaicans who tripped out of one of the pre-Olympic foot races make a bobsled team and journey to Canada for the Olympics against all odds. This is a great family night movie, and the Jamaican accents are hilarious.
5. Get Smart. Good music, hilariously funny! Some language and sexual innuendos but definitely worth seeing. Maxwell Smart (played by Steve Carell) is promoted from analyst to field agent when terrorist group KAOS nearly destroys Max's anti-terrorist employer CONTROL. The movie is all about his strange ideas and funny reactions to things as he and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) try to save the world. Also starring Dwayne Johnson.
6. Hotel Rwanda. Most heart-wrenching tear-jerker of them all, but as Joel Siegel said on Good Morning America, this is "the kind of film that can change the world". If you can't handle war or racial conflict, don't watch this movie. Don Cheadle stars as the manager of a five-star hotel in Rwanda in 1994, when a civil war broke out between the race in power and the other race that was being exterminated (I can never tell the difference just by looking at them). All the whites leave and the UN isn't working fast enough to help solve the conflict, so the hotel manager opens the hotel to over 1200 refugees, with only his wits and words to keep the army at bay. Very intense.
7. Indiana Jones boxed set!!! It's the old one though, so it doesn't have Crystal Skull. That's okay; maybe I'll get it next Christmas. :) If you haven't seen Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford), then I'm not going to tell you about it. Go rent them. IJ and the Last Crusade is the best one.
8. Karate Kid. Family-friendly martial arts movie (duh). And those keep getting harder and harder to come by. A teenage kid and his mom move to California from somewhere back east, and he immediately gets picked on by the local bullies. The apartment complex janitor, who happens to come from Okinawa Japan, teaches him karate, the appropriate way to use it, and little bit about growing up. If you liked Ninja Turtles, you'll recognize some things from this movie and probably like it, too.
9. The Mummy. Halloween movie, although it's not necessarily frightening. Just supernatural. Treasure-seekers in Egypt go to the city of the dead and accidentally awaken a cursed mummy, and then must find the Book of Life to kill him.
10. Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest. Also finishes a collection! Here we learn more about the relationship between Jack Sparrow and Davey Jones. Probably my least favorite of the three Pirates movies but worth seeing once to get the story. It just amazes me that Disney made a movie off nothing more than a ride and popular myth.
11. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Another chick flick, but with a good amount of action. Kevin Costner stars as Robin of Locksley, and Morgan Freeman as his Moor friend who follows him home after the Third Crusade to lead a band of outlaws and woodsmen in a revolt against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, played by Alan Rickman. Fabulous acting, great music. One use of the f-word (but still rated PG-13. It was made around the time the ratings changed)
13. Sleeping Beauty!!! I love this movie. Aurora and Belle are my favorite princesses. You have sinned if you have not seen this movie. It's rated G; it has beautiful music; modern villains are based off this movie's villain; it's a classic Disney princess movie. I understand if some people have chosen not to watch PG-13 movies, and that lots of the movies I just listed have that rating. Here that is not the case. You have no excuse not to have seen this movie. Go rent it. Right now. Watch it with girls, especially those younger than 10.
So I am way excited to have expanded my movie collection by so much! And since I'm alone at my apartment right now because I came back early, I'll probably get most of them through my new DVD player on my new 13" old-fashioned TV in my room.
If you have any comments about my list, or you know of some movies you think I should see, please leave a comment below.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Finals...and lists...
I got all As and A-s!!! *happy dance* I was aiming to make the dean's list again this semester but the letter hasn't come yet so I'll keep you posted (no pun intended).
So I have this rule with myself that I can't put anything on my bookshelf until I talk about it, so I'm going to mention some of my favorites now so that I can list them. Deeper discussion can come later.
1. My favorite series of ALL time: Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, a 7-book fantasy series. Reading this made me want to be a writer and strengthened my desire to be an English major. Highly recommended.
2. Harry Potter rocks my socks!!! These books also inspire me to write, but they bring back good memories too: I read all 7 (several times each) out loud to the fam as we drove to and from Yellowstone National Park every summer for many years.
3. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes always makes me feel warm and content, and helps me appreciate the good things in life. Coupled with HGTV shows like House Hunters and Flip That House, it also makes me want to renovate something. The movie's good too, although a bit different from the book.
4. No list of faves would be complete without Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, including the many movie remakes (most of which are worth seeing). The twisted romances are always good, but I also really enjoyed learning to think about this novel in a totally different way this semester in one of my Brit Lit Hist classes (I won't tell you about that now. It will be part of a future "deeper discussion" so I have something to write about).
More favorites later. That will guarantee that I always have something to write about. At least, it should...
So I have this rule with myself that I can't put anything on my bookshelf until I talk about it, so I'm going to mention some of my favorites now so that I can list them. Deeper discussion can come later.
1. My favorite series of ALL time: Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, a 7-book fantasy series. Reading this made me want to be a writer and strengthened my desire to be an English major. Highly recommended.
2. Harry Potter rocks my socks!!! These books also inspire me to write, but they bring back good memories too: I read all 7 (several times each) out loud to the fam as we drove to and from Yellowstone National Park every summer for many years.
3. Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes always makes me feel warm and content, and helps me appreciate the good things in life. Coupled with HGTV shows like House Hunters and Flip That House, it also makes me want to renovate something. The movie's good too, although a bit different from the book.
4. No list of faves would be complete without Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, including the many movie remakes (most of which are worth seeing). The twisted romances are always good, but I also really enjoyed learning to think about this novel in a totally different way this semester in one of my Brit Lit Hist classes (I won't tell you about that now. It will be part of a future "deeper discussion" so I have something to write about).
More favorites later. That will guarantee that I always have something to write about. At least, it should...
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Brit Lit Hist (again)
The update on my papers...
I got my paper back from 2140 part 1 of the survey--the paper that practically wrote itself--and not only did I earn an A for a fabulous paper, but the professor wants me to email her a copy to use as a model. That's almost like being published!!! Actually I got that high of a grade because I met with my professor a couple days before the due date to go over my first draft; she liked all my ideas (it helped that I was the only one writing on Chaucer) but the quality of my presentation and organization doubled with her suggestions. I highly recommend that students, especially those studying English, meet with their professors to talk about their papers. I had never done it before this, but I think I'll do it a lot more in the future.
I don't have my paper back from 2150 part 2 of the survey. I think I did pretty well, but I wish I had met with that professor too.
I got my paper back from 2140 part 1 of the survey--the paper that practically wrote itself--and not only did I earn an A for a fabulous paper, but the professor wants me to email her a copy to use as a model. That's almost like being published!!! Actually I got that high of a grade because I met with my professor a couple days before the due date to go over my first draft; she liked all my ideas (it helped that I was the only one writing on Chaucer) but the quality of my presentation and organization doubled with her suggestions. I highly recommend that students, especially those studying English, meet with their professors to talk about their papers. I had never done it before this, but I think I'll do it a lot more in the future.
I don't have my paper back from 2150 part 2 of the survey. I think I did pretty well, but I wish I had met with that professor too.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Kung Fu Panda
I just saw Kung Fu Panda for the first time today. I can't believe that I haven't seen it until now! It's great and I highly recommend it, especially for families.
Po the (fat) Panda doesn't want to work in his father's noodle shop; instead, he dreams of joining the Furious Five kung fu masters. By a strange and hilariously funny accident, he becomes the Dragon Warrior, the only one who can defeat TaiLung, an evil kung fu master enraged at not becoming the all-powerful Dragon Warrior. Thrown in among all the comedy and a couple thwarted expectations that add to it are some little tidbits of life wisdom. I'm not going to tell you what that wisdom is because I think you should see the movie.
I was a bit nervous with Jack Black being in the movie, but it wasn't crude at all with very little body humor, and Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie also add their vocal talents. The main characters were developed well, and the kung fu was based on actual moves (think Dreamworks animal version of Forbidden Kingdom, which was also good movie). The plot was fairly predictable, but the humor and backstory was worth it. The only thing that could have made this movie better was lots of Orville Redenbacher's butter popcorn and kids.
Po the (fat) Panda doesn't want to work in his father's noodle shop; instead, he dreams of joining the Furious Five kung fu masters. By a strange and hilariously funny accident, he becomes the Dragon Warrior, the only one who can defeat TaiLung, an evil kung fu master enraged at not becoming the all-powerful Dragon Warrior. Thrown in among all the comedy and a couple thwarted expectations that add to it are some little tidbits of life wisdom. I'm not going to tell you what that wisdom is because I think you should see the movie.
I was a bit nervous with Jack Black being in the movie, but it wasn't crude at all with very little body humor, and Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie also add their vocal talents. The main characters were developed well, and the kung fu was based on actual moves (think Dreamworks animal version of Forbidden Kingdom, which was also good movie). The plot was fairly predictable, but the humor and backstory was worth it. The only thing that could have made this movie better was lots of Orville Redenbacher's butter popcorn and kids.
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