End of the year~

Now that the time has come to an end of ninth grade, its also time to remember some old blogs that I did from way back at the beginning of the year. For the most part, I can tell that most of my blogs mention about romance. That is typical because I am considered as a romantic, I love to read and watch bout romance related things. Throughout the whole year, I learned from the blog assignment that everyone has their own thoughts about one subject and you shouldn't expect that the responses that are posted aren't similar or same as your own thoughts. But, most of all I thought that having a blog assignment every week meant that we had to remember things to do in the back of our heads or else we would be sacrificing our grade. From the blogs that I have written, I feel that I have evolve quiet a bit. For example, I would usually ramble on about things and my essay grades from class aren't so good. But, after reading my classmates blogs and the way that they worded their responses, I would get ideas on how to word my thoughts much more clearly out of my head. Having blogs have definitely benefited me, my essay grades have improved over the year and I have accumulated skills of writing I don't even notice.

   At the beginning of the year we worked on To Kill a Mocking Bird and Animal Farm. I found that we focused on symbols and themes a lot more than I am used to. Which helped me to understand that there are many types of themes and symbols in a novel. Then, there's Great Expectations, the novel by Charles Dickens had many foreshadowing that was kind of hard to catch. But, with the class time that we took to discuss about the book helped me to understand the book better than if I was just reading it by myself and not discussing it. Also, The Importance of Being Earnest had a pretty big part in my understand of literary techniques too. The play consisted many puns and humor that I did not get but was eventually deciphered during class. Last but not least, Romeo and Juliet was constantly of characters in the play using metaphors and allusions to express their thoughts. We also had a couple blog entries that were about poems. I don't think that there was anything that was really important that was in the poetry related blogs. But, I think that it was mainly on reading in between the lines of what the poet is saying. Also, the many devices that are used to construct the poem and not just random things or words that are just randomly put together without much thoughts.

"Great things are not done by impulse,

but by a series of small things brought together."

~Vincent van Gogh~

I totally agree with this saying. Every human being has to work hard for something that they want or need. To do that we must do little things that will build up to bigger things in the future . Every step or task may be hard, but if we think about the reward that we will get, we keep on going until we reach that goal or reward that we were running towards. This quote is like my blogs, each of them are little contributions to the improvement of my English knowledge.

Memorable Project

  Hm...something memorable of the year. I think probably the thing that I remember the most about is the one blog that we get to relate a novel we are reading in class to something that we have read or watched in the past. That's because I watched a lot of Asian Romance Dramas and I really wanted to share the dramas or novels that I read that was really good. Sharing my thoughts about the novel or drama that I watched with my cousins is good. But I wished that I could share with other people who are out of my normal social range and have them watch the drama or read the novel that was really good that I think should deserve more attention. Also, there doesn't seem to anyone that can relate to how  I feel about the drama. For example, sometimes when I talk to my cousin about a movie that I really liked, they would say "okay..." but I could see that they don't really have an interest in what I am talking about.

   For instance, there was a blog assignment that the students was supposed to relate something that was similar to the story line of Romeo and Juliet. The tragic play of Romeo and Juliet was filled with romance, but the romance in the play was too corny. I like to watch dramas and read novels that contain romance and Romeo and Juliet was one of them. But then when I read the play, there was many uses of literary techniques used in the characters speech that sometimes I don't get what the characters are saying. Reading Romeo and Juliet was probably the one novel that increased my knowledge on how much a author and use to compose a story that can be confusing.

A Good Experience with Poetry

   Well, telling the truth, I don't really read poetry or recite poetry with my parents. At first when I was forced to watch T.V. with my dad, which contained many historical sayings. I didn't know what they meant, but then later in life when I got older, I tend to want to know more about wise or so called old sayings. When I listen to the adults talk, especially the women, they often add a saying here and there when they speak, and I would ask what it meant. I feel that I don't really like poetry at all, but then when I hear a verse in chinese that I don't know and sounds interesting, I would want to search what it means. I don't read poems at all in my reading, but now that a assignment about poems is assigned, I went to find that one book that had multiple poems in it. There was one that I liked but couldn't fully understand.

人生一世，草生一春。
黑发不知勤学早，
转眼便是白头翁。

   It it saying that lifetime is only once and grass can only grow one spring day. Black hair as in saying when you are young and don't learn as much as you can or earlier, when you turn your head you already passed your lifetime. There was also, a story about the past but I don't want to translate the story.

   The positive impact that this poem had in my life was that, I keep talling myself that as long as one works hard,they will be awarded.Also, my parents would always tell me to learn as much as I can and that learning more won't harm you. In my mind, poetry is like a phrase that contains more wisdom than one can imagine. Poetry is like a paragraph that is shortened to about one to two sentences that contains more than what the original paragraph is about. So because of the shortened sayings, the meaning behind the words are harder to decifer.

Conflict in Romeo and Juliet

   So far in the play, Romeo and Juliet I have cleared that the conflict is a person vs. person. For example,Capulets Vs. Montagues because of the feud between the two families their next generation and people are affected by this feud. The feud between has already affected their next generation, which includes their sons and daughters. Because of the feud that is still going on between the two families, Romeo and Juliet have fallen in love but if it is found out, then they would be in grave danger. Then, the another conflict that is because of the feud that arises. The conflict of Tybalt and Romeo, the hatred that was from the Capulets side seem to rub off quite a bit onto Tybalt, causing Romeo to be put into a difficult position when he doesn't even want to fight Tybalt. On top of that there seems to be problems that has arise in each family because of the family's feud. For example, Juliet and her parents, especially her father. Falling in love with Romeo has cause Juliet to rebel against her father because Capulet doesn't agree with the decision that Juliet made to be married to Romeo.

   I don't really have any problem or conflict with my family or the people care about. But it seems that in society, when there is a conflict between something, there is another conflict that is started because of the big conflict that started. Like when a group of friends say that something is gross or bad, one would go along and agree with them. But, really inside you don't think that way yourself. Then again because of the way how other people react, we don't want to be different from how the group of people act.In my eyes, from a normal small conflict, it restricts humans to do things that they want to do because they think of how other people will see them. So it's basically because of one conflict arises more and more conflict that we can't take it anymore and breakdown.

The Coward and the Weaver Girl

   From the dramas that I watched, I that this was the one drama that held the strongest resemblance to Romeo and Juliet. The storyline of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is basically the same, except how they met. Also, the character's background isn't the same. Where Juliet is Si Yin a fairy, a princess of one of the kings up in heaven. Romeo is Niu Lang, a poor and honesty boy from earth that is unloved by his family. They both met when Si Yin was 7 if i remembered correctly and that's when they fell in love. Despite the happiness that both of them experienced when they were young, when they grew up, things became more difficult. Si Yin was to be engaged to the water prince （Paris) and the crisis down on earth became more and more devastating. According to the law, humans and fairies are forbidden to fall in love. If they do fall in love then their punishment would be death. But in Si Yin and Niu Lang's case, they were separated to the two ends of the world where they can never meet. So according to Legend, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, magpies would form a bridge where Si Yin and Niu Lang can meet. This couple could be called the star crossed lovers, which is also how Romeo and Juliet is like. Except Juliet poisoned herself and both of them went into suicide where, Si Yin and Niu Lang was just separated. Not to mention, Si Yin and Niu Lang gave birth to a girl and a boy. I thought that this was a story that was also exactly like Romeo and Juliet, but this is one of the four most famous Chinese folk tales.

   At first I didn't know that such a folk tale existed until I saw the commercial that advertised this drama. I didn't watch the whole thing but I saw the important parts and I asked my mom about the story of the cowherd and the weaver girl. The Chinese name of this drama and folk-tale is called "Niu Lang Zhi Nu" ( 牛郎织女）. Although I got to say, the actors of the drama wasn't really good looking~ I think that's why I didn't watch the whole thing. What I call good looking actors is from “Romantic Princess”( 公主小妹）。

Connecting Romeo and Juliet

1. From what I have read of Romeo and Juliet, I think that there isn't really anything that I can connect with the story. But maybe the part how Montague doesn't really force Romeo to this and that at the beginning of the play. That's because my parents are the same, they let me do what ever I like most of the time. Just not when I'm lazing around and not doing my chores or homework, they would start telling to do my chores or homework. Also, when I think back, I didn't really have my parents by my side when I was younger. I was with my relatives most of the time that my parents were working at a restaurant that they owned. If I was at the city attending school, I would remember how my Dad came to pick me up from school no matter what weather, rain, sun, or storm. From what we read in class, I was thinking that most of the experience that I've had in my younger years and now is quite the opposite of what happened in the play. But, I would like some of the things that happened in the play to happen to me in real life...lie romance.

2. When I'm reading at home, I would understand most of it, maybe just the connotations of the words are a little harder. When I read at home, I wouldn't notice as much puns or humor as when I'm reading at school. I think that reading at class aloud helps me understand more of the play because of the meanings that are conveyed by another person. So, far I haven't used any resources to help my reading but I think I will use some later on when the play gets to more of the complex scenes. But one thing that I don't like about the play is that when the acts or out of nowhere they change the scene without telling. For example, in act 1.4 it started with Romeo and Benvolio talking, I thought they were at Romeo's house. But, I found out later that they were on their way to the mask party.

Wrapping up of Great Expectations

   So,every book that we read always have a lesson that is taught or a message being conveyed. In Great Expectations ,Charles Dickens use characters that are innocent and haven't seen much of the outside world. But, then when they actually come in contact with the outside world, it completely changes their views on things. Like for example, Pip comes in contact with someone who is his age for the first time and from the outside world, Estella. With the influence of Estella's point of view on Pip's outward appearance, she makes fun of pip how he is so much like a commoner and that if he liked Estella, then he would never be able to stand on the same line as she is without becoming a so called " gentleman". Now, this shows that human nature is to want more, what we don't have is what we admire or want. But, when we do get out hands on the thing that we wanted or is forbidden, we lose what is originally ours.Also, the thing that we have achieved isn't what we thought it really was. Meaning that we have to sacrifice something to get something else that we wanted. Take this, Pip becomes a gentleman throughout the years with the help of his mysterious benefactor, sure he doesn't get the girl he loves, Estella. But, he finds that Estella isn't really what he thought she was, he was trying all this time to match up to her status of a lady, but really she is the daughter of two criminals. Also, in the process, Pip loses the comfort of having Joe as a best friend and talk about what ever they want.Adding to what I also, say, I think that we should be happy with what we've got and not be greedy wanting for more than what we already have with us.

Thoughts on Great Expectations

Over all I thought the book was okay...but I feel that it could be more interesting. In a way, the novel wasn't as appealing as I thought it was. Truthfully stating, I DO NOT like Charles Dickens writing. I feel that he has too much of non- exciting writing and that the novel was one like one of his works "A Christmas Carol". The movie was interesting and fun to watch, but the novel was in short boring. But Great Expectations wasn't as boring as A Christmas Carol as a writing. Or it could just be that Dickens doesn't fill the holes that I are exciting and interesting to read. Although, I got to say that his writing style is pretty unique, not your usual writing that you read these days. Also, his usage of words were kind of confusing made the novel more complex than it really was. Then, when there's humor or some kind of important thing, I thought it wasn't important or the humor didn't reach me at all. I sympathized with Pip in the beginning of the novel, but when it reached the 2nd stage, I just started hating him and the story got sooo boring. Most of the mysteries that I was uncertain about got solved as I read more of the novel, so basically at the end all the mysteries are wrapped up and solved.


   I didn't read the entire book, but I read most of it. I like skipped 2 or 3 chapters and looked at spark notes, other than that, I only looked at spark notes when I was confused with the storyline. I started out reading the assigned reading assignments but then as the novel dragged, my reading was dragged. I would suddenly get behind on reading 3/4 of the way on the 2nd stage. Then, the reading would seem too long and I would read need to read about 40-60 pages a night to make up for previous night that I didn't read.

Great Expectations Photo Post

In this picture there is many house similar to London in Great Expectations. In the novel, Pip was visited by his benefactor who he least expected to see, the criminal that he rescued when he was a kid at the marshes. " It was wretched weather; stormy and wet, stormy and wet; mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets" (39, 314). Similarly in this picture as shown is a dark and stormy night which one would think a misfortune. I choose this picture because both the novel and this picture is a symbol that there is a foreshadowing that something bad will happen later on in the story. In the novel, Pip has many misfortunes happening to him. For example, Estella getting engaged to Drummle, him hiding a convict, and the fact that he might watched by the government or someone. Also, when he met Mr. Wopsle, Wopsle saw Compeyson behind Pip, which isn't a good thing, knowing that Compeyson is here to have revenge on Provis( Abel Magwitch).

Great Expectations Connections & picture

Although tight now I can't really think of any novels or movies that I've watched is similar to Great Expectations, I think that Goong is rather similar. There's a lot of dramas that I've watched and loved that carried a little of each of the motifs and themes that  is in Great Expectations. But I'll say probably the feelings of hurt was one of the things that appeared to me in this Korean drama called Goong. That's because Crown Prince Lee Shin, one of the main characters is in love with someone else other than his fiancee that both Chae Kyung and his grandfather decided. Although he loves Hyo Rin, Lee Shin stills feels guilty that he should love Chae Kyung.

   Whereas Chae Kyung has to suffer the pain that is caused by Lee Shin when she slowly falls in love with Lee Shin. In Pip's case, he loves Estella but the coldness that is shown to Pip whenever he meets Estella is similar to the case of Lee Shin and Chae Kyung. But the extreme of those feelings of hurt wasn't as far as in Goong, because during some of the moments when Chae Kyung is hurt, my chest would clench up like something has pricked it. On the other hand, when I think about Pip and Estella's feelings that are involved, they don't seem to hurt each other as much but there is still a feeling of hurt that is expressed through.

   Also, it feels like both the characters in Great Expectations and Goong is going through a roller coster of emotions. The two couples would experience the ups and downs on their realtionships. It's just that Pip and Estella's relationship hasn't reached to the point where they are with each other everyday and tied by something like Lee Shin and Chae Kyung.

Great Expectations, Second Stage

   "If I could buy the furniture now hired for me," said I, "and one or two other little things, I should be quite at home there" (ch24,197)

In this quote it seems as thought Pip is starting to behave like a man who has luxuries unlike when he was living with Mr and Mrs Joe. Asking money from Mr. Jagger is basically proving that now Pip is looking down on the people who didn't have much money. Even when he himself was once in that lower class of people. Connecting this, as he grows up in London, he begins to think that Joe is a shame compared to people that were on a more higher class level than them.

   During Pip's stay in London he sheds the innocence of his naive past, becoming greedy and lazy. In stage one, Pip wouldn't ask for money at all, even if he did he wouldn't get any either way. But, there was one time when Pip was getting a fitting for his new set of clothes, he spent quite a lot of money on the clothes. The amount of money that he use to spend made a big jump when he started to get ready for the trip to London. As Pip's so called " becoming a gentleman" time goes on, I think that he will spend more and more money on things that he usually wouldn't spend on. Also, his personality would get more and more on the side which the reader will hate this character called "Pip".

Pip's Quote

Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.

    When I read this quote, I thought that it meant what you do on one day would affect another day. Like a chain, the very first link of a chain is where we all start out. But what we do or where we end up at depends on what we do to the previous link before the present link. To Pip, I think that he means that the first link of his chain was from the day that he went to Miss Havisham's mansion to "play". Also, when Estella remarked how common he was, made his ashamed of Joe, and he thinks that he would have a goal of becoming a gentlemen and uncommon. What Pip haven't thought about came to his mind when his first visit to Miss Havisham house, which would impact his life and thinking more than he can imagine.

   What this quote meant to me personally was that what I did on one day would affect on how my next day would be like. When I was little, my family would go visit my grandma who was in Hai Nan, and I hated to go there. But now that I think back to those times, I wished that I could go back there again and again. I felt a attachment to Hai Nan and to my grandparents and relatives. To my thinking, one would only know to treasure something only when it's no longer there or in my case possible . I guess every link in my life is what became of the me right this minute in my life.

Question About a Passage

" Well," said the sergeant," they'll find themselves trapped in a circle, I expect, sooner than they count on. Now, blacksmith! If you're ready, His Majesty the King is." (Chapter5, 30)

How is "His Majesty the King" related to a sergeant asking a blacksmith fixing handcuffs? It's kind of confusing...

Group Essay

1. What You Haven't Seen.
I have changed my concrete details and altered some of the meanings that I thought connected more to the topic.By doing so, I took out the parts that have modern society thoughts about the topic and how I compared them. Also, I found other synonyms for the word " marriage" since I find that I'm using the word too much in my paragraph.

2. So I had a question... Do you think " I hope not Algernon. It would put my table completely out. Your uncle would have to dine upstairs. Fortunately he is accustomed to that." -Lady Bracknell Pg 18. Do you think think quote ties in with the topic? I can somehow relate it how its a lies within marriage by like, in Victorian era people usually dine together so its like contradicting that they don't eat together( play). Also wouldn't it be that men would dine more on the dining table than women? since basically they are the head of the household.

Dishonesty in The Importance of Being Earnest

Throughout the three acts in The Importance of Being Earnest, dishonesty is portrayed. Especially through the contradictions of what the characters say earlier. Although the characters don't notice that they are contradicting themselves of what they said earlier. For example, in Act III Jack said that he doesn't have a brother nor does he want one. But, later on he discovers that Algernon is his younger brother and is saying how he has a brother and that he wanted one for so long. Sometimes, when the characters like Jack and Algernon say something , they contradict it later with something else that doesn't make sense or fit into what they are saying. Also, there are times when an epigram about life is said but doesn't quite make sense. It's like the epigram is the opposite of what it means today.

In my opinion, I think that Wilde is saying that there is at least once in your life that you will be dishonest. In the play The Importance of Being Earnest, is shown that Algernon and Jack tends to show dishonesty more than half of their lifetime. Also, I think that the play teaches a lesson of life to people who read it. Although lies can bring you a bad ending, if you just clear up the lies in the end then there's still a chance that you will feel happier. But, to tell lies is definitely not a good thing to do at all.

Animal Farm Project Evaluations

1. Rachel-slide show game

   Rachel's project of " Animal Farm" is very well done. The ideas weren't just on the surface. But, instead the questions that were on the slide show game were more in depth. Causing people to think more deeply into the layer of the surface of each idea. Also, the questions brings out some of the foreshadowing and irony.

2. Kamron- Picture

   Kamron's project was well done. He showed some foreshadowing on his picture. Also, he related some of the ideas to the Russian Revolution. But, I thought that he could add some irony into the picture.

3. Leah- Comic Strip

   Leah's comic strip was very well done. I liked how she showed the same thing in visual, but she uncovers the hidden meaning of Napoleon's sayings. There were a moderate amount of irony and foreshadowing in the comic.

4. Olivia W.- Poem, Haiku

   I liked Olivia's project, that's because although it was short, the meaning conveyed through the poem was pretty strong. Instead of doing a long and broad idea, she could sum the whole thing up in just a couple of words.

5. Olivia T.- Picture

   Very cute project~ Olivia! I liked how your picture showed that humans and animals went back to original state of being. Although I think you could show some foreshadowing in the picture and your caption of the picture.

6. Galen- Comic Strip

   Nice comic~ the comic showed the events throughout the whole novel. I liked how you could somehow fit some of the hidden meanings that were said in the book. Also, you had some foreshadowing in your comic of how the animals would get led to a downfall of the farm.

7. Sara- picture

   Your picture is very cute~ I like how you compared the animals' everyday lives. You had very good foreshadowing points. Although I thought that you could add some irony.

8. Blog of the Swimmer- Poem

   I like how you kept the poem short and included things that weren't human. Also, how you  described tyranny as a poem about Animal Farm.

9. Maddie- Picture

   Cute picture~ the equation diagram is very unique to me. That is because, usually a person would put a draw in a equation about a novel. But, you did it. There was foreshadowing but there doesn't seem to be any irony in the picture. Good job on the drawing.

10. Britta S- poem

   Great poem! It was very well thought about, I can tell. The way you summarized the novel and showed many literature was unique! I would really give this project a A+++!

After looking at my classmates' projects, I thought mine needed more work. Especially after reading Britta's poem about "Animal Farm". But, I thought that I did a pretty good job though I could improve a lot more. In a scale, I think my project is kind of a little bit below the middle of the scale of Britta( the best!) and Kamron's.

Extra Credit Blog: New Years Resoulution

A new year has come upon us, what would we look forward to? I for once thought that if I were to make ANY resolution, I wouldn't keep to that promise. But, I should try again shouldn't I? This year I plan to try to figure out, or have a single clue on what I would want to be when I grow up. On Tuesday, walking with my mother shopping for clothes, she suddenly stopped out of the blue and said " Ting, you should become a fashion designer when you grow up." Since I sill don't know what I want to be when I grow up, I would open up to any suggestions. But, I don't really get what shes going to...saying that I should be a dentist when I become a adult last year, then this year now say that I should be a fashion designer. But, if I were to pick I would want to be a fashion designer. Thing is, I'm pretty sure that fashion designing would be very difficult, plus the fact that I don't think I can sew For now, I'll just keep the thought of learning anything and try to have different jobs to keep me interesting. I personally don't like the fact of thinking a job as a job and that I must do it. More like I would want to be someone who does things willingly and not think, " Oh my! I have to do this and that etc..."

   I thought that a fashion designer would be hard due to the fact of experiencing sewing during 8th grade. Besides I do not think that my artistic skills are good enough, too lazy I guess? Also, the drama that I am watching is called " Tokyo Juliet" is based on fashion designing. I know this sounds really weird, one would think " Why would a drama affect a dream of what you want to be?" I don't know either I just want to experience the life a fashion designer for a day. Dentist? I don't even know if I can get the basics down. I'll just let myself fly to where ever it wants to go to in the future.

Animal Farm Project: Greed for Power

Greed for Power

By: Ting Liao

Animal Farm was once Manor Farm,

but the rebellion changed the animal's fate

the rebellion lead by Snowball

but later Napoleon took over.

Claiming that all animals were equal,

Then why oh why did the pigs

get more than what other animals get

and put above the other animals on the farm?

The windmill, once succeeded was then destroyed

by nature but was blamed on Snowball

if Snowball was the one that came up with the idea

then why oh why would he destroy it?

Rules state that an animal would not behave or participate in any human like thing

then why did Napoleon start trading with their neighboring farm?

Did the animals see what was coming their way?

If they did, they should've formed a rebellion.

"Beasts of England" once a honored song

taught by Old Major then banished from the animals

What would they expect when the symbol

of courage led them to where they were today, banished?

As Napoleon slowly acted as a human being,

what would the animals in the farm think?

Of course, they wouldn't dare rebel, but for once

I thought, what would happen if they rebel.

As they say, as one experiences something,

they will want more.

In this scenario, Napoleon got a taste of power

and later he wanted more power.

As one animal want more power,

the system of treating every one equally is broken.