Life of Pi: Week 4, Post A

Cultural Differences....Well, today I'm going to talk more about religious differences, because religion is a huge part of culture in the United States and an even bigger part in the rest of world. In the story, Pi gives a very down-to-earth view of religion, giving examples of beliefs with easy and yet striking simplicity. For example, he describes how Christianity is like if a lion killed two of you llamas, but to make up for it, you had to be fed to the lions. Pi goes on to say how, regardless of the question, the answer to anything relating to God is "love." Simple, yet brilliant. He also discusses religions we don't think about much, such as Islam. He describes how the prayer for Islams is so simple, and people can do it whereever they are. He says "Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise, I thought. Hot weather yoga for the Bedouins. Asanas without sweat, heaven without strain" (60). This, in a few words, is Pi's thinking, as well as an insider's look at an outsider's religion. In the U.S., we either a) completely ignore it, or b) look on it badly. In some countries, people hate Islam. Overall, in other parts of the word, Islam is looked upon very differently, whether for better or worse.

Life of Pi: Week 3, Post B

I suppose I'll do first thoughts again, and expectations for the book. 

So far, I'm only a few chapters in, and I have a few very distinct thoughts. First, it is quite confusing. They never really tell us who Pi is, what he looks like, what he does, we just have to get that out of the stories. Also, the story jumps around. For example, in just the first chapter, Pi starts out talking about his college studies, and his project--Sloths. But not the 2-toed sloths, mind you, the 3-toed ones, though you have to tell that from the front paws, since they all have 3 in the back. All of a sudden, the story jumps, and they're talking about hospitals in Mexico and BAM! it jumps again and they're talking about eating with your hands in Canada. Then the next chapter is just a description. Then, the following chapter is about swimming. Quite confusing, especially for an opener. 

As for expectation, I think I'm setting the bar high. Although Ms. Burgess told me that she knew people who didn't like it, I have heard good things from others. And not that I don't trust Ms. Burgess, I'm just an optimistic person who hopes it will be an enjoyable read rather than a boring one. 

BOOK SWITCH! Life of Pi: Week 3, Post A

All right, so if you've heard me complain you know I hated the old book, so I switched, and thanks to Mrs. Burgess to lending it to me for the time being. 

Well, as for cultural differences. One thing I found interesting was when Pi goes to an Indian restaurant in Canada, and eats with his hands. The server says "Fresh off the boat, are you?" and Pi gets very offended. In India, where Pi grows up, they don't use silverware, which I've personally never thought about, but now that I do, that really is quite weird. Well, not necessarily weird, just different, I suppose. 

Another cultural...well, cultural similarity I found interesting was that of swimming. In the Olympics, you hear of Michael Phelps, and American leading the way. There are a few other foreigners, but no one considers India. In the book, Pi's father was a big swimmer, as is Pi, and he practices three times a week, not counting the millions of times he goes over it mentally in his head, thinking of everything.

Just two things you never really think about--eating utensils and swimming, that are practiced differently in other cultures.

At the Crossing Places: Week 2, Post B

Today's topic: Merlin

Today I decided to look up Merlin. He's a wizard in the Arthurian Legends, and is wildly popular. In the story, he gives a seeing stone. Here's some info on him from, where else, Wikipedia.  

He first shows up in Geoffery of Monmouth's story, but has been featured in hundreds of other stories and movies, from hundreds of authors including Mark Twain. According to Monmouth, he was born from a normal, mortal woman, but is sired by a demon like creature and given supernatural powers. It's actually unclear as to whether Merlin ever lived, and if not, who the character was based off of. 

Well, I'll be honest. I looked today in Zephyrus and at home, and pretty much everything written about Merlin contradicts itself. Did he live? Was he young or old? No one seems to know. Like my last post, I'll try to improve on this if I find some definite information...this whole book is confusing!

At the Crossing Places: Week 2, Post A

Collops, Clinchpoop, Poultices. 

What do these words all have in common? They're all words used in the novel that we never say. In fact, I have only heard one of these words in my life. I decided to looks up the words to find out what they mean and why we don't use them...

Collops: Pieces of meat. Comes from the french word escalope.  Scottish collops is a, well, a scottish meal with strips of meat served with potatoes. 

Here's a recipe if you want to make it. 

Clinchpoop: According to Urban Dictionary, it's "a moronic person, an idiot." That's how they use it in the book as well, but we just never use it. I'll try to use it in class tomorrow.

Poultices: A soft, moist mass used to treat an injury. This is the word I've heard, and I think maybe we use it sometimes in our "American" english...I just don't use it. At all.

All of these words, and more (maybe I'll add more later) are just words we don't use in our language today but seem to be commonplace back then. Interesting cultural differences you could say...Now excuse me while I go make some collops. Don't make me hurt you clinchpoop, or you'll need a poultice.

Essay Topic: Pollution in China

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At the Crossing Places: Week 1, Post A

All right, well...cultural differences. Suprisingly, I found quite a few. One main thing I was thinking about while reading was the importance of family heritage, and heredity. Now, that's obviously not a big issue. But as we learned in AP Euro, and in this class, that's ALL that mattered. In this book, Arthur couldn't inherit any of his land because he was the second born son. Everything, including pretty much your whole life path, is determind by your parents and your birth order. Which, connecting back to present day, I find interesting. Recently, a lot of studies have come out about birth order and how it affect a child. I found this interesting: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1672715,00.html. It talks about how birth order can affect kids--But can it really? I found this quote pretty interesting:
"People read birth-order books the way they read horoscopes," warns Toni Falbo, professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. "'I'm a middle-born, so that explains everything in my life'—it's just not like that."
In family, it's not like that, either. But for some, maybe it is. Back then, birth order really mattered. Today? Not so much.