Monday, April 02, 2007
To A Mouse
I finished reading Of Mice and Men this weekend...and I have to say, I enjoyed it, but what a sad, depressing tale! It is pretty much only about how the "American Dream" cannot be fulfilled, at least not often, although it may easily come into reach. John Steinback based the book on a poem by Robert Burns; I found a copy of it translated into modern English:Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast,
O, what a panic is in your breast!
You need not start away so hasty
With hurrying scamper!
I would be loath to run and chase you,
With murdering plough-staff.
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
And justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth born companion
And fellow mortal!
I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal;
What then? Poor beast, you must live!
An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves
Is a small request;
I will get a blessing with what is left,
And never miss it.
Your small house, too, in ruin!
It's feeble walls the winds are scattering!
And nothing now, to build a new one,
Of coarse grass green!
And bleak December's winds coming,
Both bitter and keen!
You saw the fields laid bare and wasted,
And weary winter coming fast,
And cozy here, beneath the blast,
You thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel plough past
Out through your cell.
That small bit heap of leaves and stubble,
Has cost you many a weary nibble!
Now you are turned out, for all your trouble,
Without house or holding,
To endure the winter's sleety dribble,
And hoar-frost cold.
But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!
Still you are blest, compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!
I find that poem really interesting...quite thought-provoking anyway.
Labels: Just a Thought, School
Saturday, March 31, 2007
The Tragedy of McDonald
Well, Mr. Nickel told me to put it online for others to see, and to get others to read it so here it is: I give you McDonald (spin-off on Macbeth).
Act 3, Scene 1
Characters: Narrator, Ronald McDonald (Macbeth), Worker (Attendant), Birdie (the McDonald's character, playing First Murderer), and a Chef (Second Murderer).
Narrator: This is a story of friends turned foe
A classic tale of Macbeth and Banquo
That has taken a twist across the times,
Now they are former hockey players and talking mimes
Ronald McDonald and Timmy were friends
Until one day their friendship ends
When Mr. McDonald hires three mysterious chefs
To sabotage Tim Horton, ensuring his business’ death.
McDonald: Oh dear Tim Horton, my old friend
Do what you wish until your end
For tonight, after my shift
My fry cooks will meet you with actions swift
Now where are those cooks?
Worker: They’re in the back room, balancing the books.
McDonald: Bring them to me!
Manager of McDonalds I may be…
But as long as Tim Horton is in the way
Never will I see the day
That I shall be owner of them all
All fast food chains, big and small!
Burger King and Wendy’s I already own
Now it’s up to my fry cooks to set the tone
For me to take over, if prophecy and fate agree,
I’ll steal Tim Horton’s famous iced cap recipe!
[Birdie and Chef enter].
Aha! You are here,
Come in close, gather near
I have a special task for you
Birdie: What is it you want us to do?
McDonald: Listen close to what I say
At the end of our shift, at the end of the day
You will sneak quietly into Timmy’s
And take hold of their secret recipes!
Flying Girl: Okay, sounds good, Ronald sir,
And just so you know, with you I concur.
When we worked for him he made us so mad,
Now were going to get him so bad.
Act 3, Scene 3
Characters: Tim Horton (Banquo), Birdie (First Murderer), Chef (Second Murderer), Hamburglar (Third Murderer).
[Tim Horton walks outside after locking up his restaurant and starts walking towards the Chefs].
Birdie: Oh look he’s leaving.
Let’s find that recipe we’re to be retrieving.
Quick, sneak in, he’s checking his phone.
Tim Horton: [opens his phone] Hello, Tim Horton here!
Chef: Hurry, stay out of his no-zone!
Birdie, Hamburglar [who suddenly appears], and Chef: No-zone, stay out of the no-zone!
Birdie: Who sent you here?
Hamburglar: McDonald did, my dear.
Chef: Why he’s here doesn’t matter,
Let’s go steal their cookie batter!
[Open the door and sneak inside Tim Horton’s restaurant].
Birdie: O wait, there’s something I need to say:
We’re taking the small door, is that okay?
Or would you rather go through the garage door?
Hamburglar: I don’t get it, can you explain it more?
Chef: Where should we look?
Birdie: I don’t know, you’re the cook.
[Birdie, Hamburglar, and Chef look around, rummaging through boxes, papers, etc].
Hamburglar: We’ve been looking around for half an hour. We need some electrical power. Give us a light there, ho!
[Tim Horton walks in and turns on light].
Hamburglar: Thank you. Let’s look down this row.
[Birdie and Chef walk down audience rows].
Tim Horton: No problem, I'd be much obliged.
[Three chefs gasp, act frightened, and start to panic].
Chef: I’ve got the recipe, run and hide!
[Chefs run past Tim Horton, knocking him over onto the floor, and run for the door].
Labels: School
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Change of Heart
So we're doing this assignments in English revolving around World War Two. My group got anti-semitisim, which I thought would be really boring. Honestly, I just have not been caring all that much about this project, until today. I have had a change of heart about it. I am realizing that it is one of the most interesting things I have heard in a long time. So confusing and complex...kind of lacking logic...someone's ignorant, but no one knows who...I don't know, but I find it interesting. Perhaps sometime I will post something on here about it. But not tonight, because I just want to sleep. P.S. I know some of you will be reading this right now thinking, "Is she out of her mind? That sounds so boring!" but I am loving this. It may only be because we have had so many boring lectures from Mr. Yeo though...
I guess you can decide, but in any case I will definitely be posting a big rant about my opinions on this topic in the near future.
I think I may have lost my mind, or else I have just gone back to being that completely nerdy self. Which I don't think I mind so much anymore...smashing expectations. Anyway, that's a whole other topic! Have a good evening.
Labels: School
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year?
Today Mr. Nickel pointed out something to our class that we all kind of secretly realized: the fact that in general the girls are at a high/positive level for the most part and the boys are at a low/negative level for the most part. Our class is like the great divide when it comes to girls and guys...girls on one side of the room, guys on the other. And no, it is not because we are all grade 3ish and still think there are cooties, it's because we're not on the same level.And when we do all decide to hang out...that's all we do, hang out. Intelligent conversations going on=0. Instead of the girls pulling up the guys and motivating them we sink down to their level. And why should we?
It's like us girls are standing on top of a table and trying to pull the guys up on top. But they're so much stronger for some reason and it is so much easier for them to pull us down.
So here it is: our second year in high school...do we make it a sophomore slump...or have that comeback of the year as "the golden class"? I guess it's up to us. All I know is that I'm tired of bringing myself down to that level and making myself look so foolish. And I'm tired of everyone else looking so foolish too. There is no need for that.
Are we going up or just going down?
It's just a matter of time until we're all found out
Take our tears, put them on ice
'Cause I swear I'd burn this city down to show you the light...
Friday, October 27, 2006
Go Lions!
Yeah! VCA girls won 5-2!!! Provincial Gold medal game tomorrow!!!Labels: Erika's Life Updates, School
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Studying Politics
What I'm finding out this year is that relationships in high school are pretty much pointless. It's like a pencil with erasers at both ends...why would you want it or even need it? You can not give but only take away. Seriously. They're just convenient. That's the only reason I have friends right now, it's because of convenient relationships. Otherwise I doubt most people would even want to be my friend. They'd be just like everyone else who just writes me off these days. Inconstant, judgmental people who treat me better when I do one thing even though my beliefs and life are exactly the same in all situations. These are the politics of my friendships. I always feel like the odd person out whether this be true or false in life. But it's how I feel and it sucks.These are the politics of our conversation: an idle chit chat constantly buzzing around the halls. Pointless and meaningless talk. I need someone to share my passions with...I seem to have a lot of those. I want my life to have meaning and purpose and I can't seem to find it right now. I go to a Christian school. But I won't kid myself, it's no Christian school. It's just like anywhere else, or worse because people know better and don't care; they toss it out their window of apathy. Their hearts are hard and ugly and people probably won't like it that I say that, but it's too bad because I did. And honestly I just wish some of them weren't in my life right now. Aren't Christians supposed to be building each other up???? Then how come at this "Christian" school am I constantly feeling torn down and alone? Is this a reflection of me??? Is this the reaction for my actions?
Generally, I am a judger. This is not always bad...but I analyze everything to death and I have opinions on most things...and if I am close enough to you I will spit them in your face (uh, not literally)...but I know my family just hates me for this but I can't help that I just load it all on them because they don't understand that I have no one else to tell it to. And I want to tell it to someone but at the same time I don't, this is mostly a fear: a fear of being rejected or hurt or used or abused...because I do believe teenagers can truly be horrible, and in one of the worst ways to be so. Yet, I am one of these horrible people. I am a jerk and it is my own fault that I sit at home alone every night. I just want to find someone who understands it. What it's like to be me, what it's like to always have to be responsible and on time and perfect, and what it's like to not be able to be "who I'm supposed to be".
Mr. Nickel says that I'm definitely not a normal teenage girl. I'm just not sure whether that's a compliment or not...but after he told me that I took this quiz online that was supposed to be able to guess about how old you are...and I got mid-late 20s. Go figure, but whatever. A part of me really wants to just get on with life, go to university, get a job, etc. and just move on from these crappy teenage years...but another part of me actually wants to be just like everyone else...and just have fun. But I'm not everybody else and I never will be. And Mr. Nickel also told me not to rush my life away, and if things improve maybe I'll even take him up on that offer. But right now I can't see a lot of significance in being 15, and I'd really just like to get through these teen years as quickly and as pain-free as possible. Which is kind of contradictory, because all of this does not fit in the "pain-free" category. But whatever. I am just having a hard time with this whole friends issue right now, and I ask for your prayer and your forgiveness. But if you ever want to talk to me about it, please don't use your typical teenage gibberish.
I just want to add, this blog was not meant to hurt any of my "friends" (and I'm sorry I'm putting you in quotation marks, but that's just how it is right now). You guys are good people...I am just trying to figure out who is true and who is not. I don't think you're jerks. I don't consider you awful people. I'm just stating what I have found to be true about people I know. It's too bad that I have to actually write these things. But yeah, no offence to anyone, I am just venting here. These are the politics of my life.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
The Chrysalids
I finished reading The Chrysalids a little while ago, and I just have to say, it's really strange. John Wyndham must have had a really strange mind. Or else he was just super creative, in a weird kind of way.Anyway, I guess it just got me thinking: we are all mutants in this world. Especially as Christians. This is not my true home...it's like I'm David and living in Waknuk or travelling through the Fringes, and am always being chased down or having to always be on my guard. And then some day I'll get to the Sealand and I'll finally be home.
I can't wait for that, because I don't fit in that well in this world. And I can't wait to see Jesus! I think that when I first see him it will be like David and Rosalind and Petra staring in awe at that big blue bay...so unfamiliar [but they already know it], yet so wonderful and beautiful and magnificent. And amazing, like nothing else. I can't wait!
LISTENING TO: Some Will Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape; Underoath
Labels: School, Spiritual Life