farewell..

With the year coming to a close very quickly, I feel the need to say goodbye.

Goodbye college essays and excessive homework, I will not miss you.

So long Mike Mussina and Greg Maddux, your contributions to the great game have been phenomenal.

Farewell Uncle Iggy, you'll be missed greatly.

 Soon I will be saying bye to high school, which is bitter sweet. But I have time to do so. It need not be done by the end of 2008, which is greatly appreciated. 

~kd.

yup, still writing that essay

It's a good thing I have ADD when I try to write essays. Think of all the things I wouldn't get done if it weren't for essays. My room wouldn't get cleaned, my drawers would be left unorganized, and my pencil case would be full of useless junk. Not to mention the sudden motivation I have to do every other bit of homework I have. Honestly, I should consider myself lucky.

-mmr.

ugly sweater parties.

There have been 3 Ugly Sweater Parties going on this weekend, one of which was cancelled due to the weather and other unfortunate circumstances. At first, when I heard about the second two, I was just like "what the heck, people need to be more original with their party themes." Turns out, white people like ugly sweater parties. 

I was just reading a post from Stuff White People Like.. and their most recent was "UGLY SWEATER PARTIES." I almost died. 

Since one was cancelled, it is rescheduled for lunch tomorrow at school. I will be making a cake.. and it's going to be awesome.

~kd.

essay much?

Over the past 3 days I have written 4 essays, and started another 2. As soon as those other two are done, I will be DONE with my college applications. I know it's kind of late to be getting them out, but they'll be done before the deadline and that's really all that matters at this point. 

Beyond those 6 essays, I have yet another to do for Lit. Thank god it's due by next Tuesday. I would've gotten it done, but I don't think it would be as well written now that I have a bit more time to work on it. That's really no excuse though, since we've had the assignment since November. Whatev, I'm not complaining.

And, I'm not going to lie. I'm kind of excited about this paper. I know that sounds stupid, but Nigel said that my subject matter and set up is "sophisticated," so it makes me feel good. I hope I do well. 

~kd.

Lost in Translation?

Apparently not so much.

 Milan Kundera states, "Do I mean that to judge a novel one can do without a knowledge of its original language? Indeed, I do mean exactly that!" We were talking in class not too long ago about how the meaning of novels, stories, anecdotes can get lost in translation, but this author feels otherwise. Kundera later asks, "Is it not their very natural mission to study works in the context of world literature? Not a chance... They make a great point of identifying with the small--national--context of whichever literature they teach." 

Does this mean we should read through the perspective of citizenry? I mean, are we supposed to read it as is we were part of the society that the story takes place? It might give us different insight of the novel, but it changes our own perspective of it. 

~kd. 

Air

I get a little down on myself
But when you come around
My whole world feels new


Ok. So that isn't some deep, meaningful quote from literature, but just some catchy lyrics of a song. But as I was listening to this song and thinking about Crime and Punishment (cause that's what I do...sit and contemplate Russian literature) I realized the whole idea of a "new world" was brought up a lot in C&P, especially towards the end. Raskolinkov ponders it a bit in the beginning, when he starts to break out of his isolation and interact with society again: "After a whole month of concentrated melancholy and gloomy excitement, he was so weary he wanted to take breath in some other world, no matter what kind, and even if only for a moment. In spite of all the dirt around him, it was actually with pleasure he lingered in the saloon." A new world, new air to breathe -- a change.

And when the effect of his crime, the anxiety, the illness, starts to weigh on him, Raskolinkov is tempted to just run. More than once, he is tempted by the prospect of "air". "Every man needs air, air, air! . . . More than anything!"

Now, I know that's not really a major theme of the book, but I couldn't help noticing the recurrence. Especially since I know the feeling, with all the stress of everything and just being tired, I wanted something new. A change, fresh air. It seemed the perfect way to escape. Which is what Raskolinkov wanted; to escape and run away from his concience, the people who wouldn't let him forget, his life...everything.

At least, that's what I was thinking when I was reading.
--mr