Oh, hey, blog. It's been a while. Well, a week, but it feels like much longer since so much happens in a week!
I started classes last week, and I like what I'm taking. Three of my classes are very similar: Intro to Epidemiology; Health, Biomedicine, Culture, and Society; and Analysis and Interpretation of Social Data (aka Stats). Basically 3/4 of my courses are in the areas of medical sociology and statistics, so it blends together a bit, but it also reinforces the material across the classes.
My fourth class is Intro to Theatre Design (yes, the department here uses the pretentious "re" spelling), in which our first 2-hour lecture was over skype and the professor read us the syllabus for an hour and talked about point and line for the other hour. In lab, we moved our pencils on paper in rhythm with six different songs. I'm either going to understand the design process by the end or feel like it was an entire waste of time, but it's a requirement for my minor, so it won't really be a waste of any sort.
Workload seems manageable so far, just a bunch of reading and weekly assignments for stats, epi, and theater. I also have meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays that stand for most of the quarter in addition to a Friday evening commitment, so I'm kept pretty busy.
On Saturday night, I got my Pottermore e-mail just as I was leaving to go see a play. I saw the play (which was funny, but probably not something I needed to see as much as I had thought), then came home, got a bag of jammy dodgers from the vending machine to eat as I watched Doctor Who (what an episode!), and then I spent 3-4 hours on Pottermore.
I finally know what it is!
The site has illustrations and animations for the big moments in each chapter of the Harry Potter books. For instance, in the first chapter, we get a profile of Privet Drive, Dumbledore and the deluminator, and Hagrid and the motorcycle. You can click through the scenes, which makes it more interactive, and at a certain point you get to shop in Diagon Alley, get your wand, and get sorted into your Hogwarts house. There is a ton of new writing from JK Rowling about how she conceptualized characters and places, including new profiles and backstories for most characters.
I'm in Ravenclaw and my wand is 10 3/4 in. Laurel, Phoenix Feather Core, Hard.
Today is awesome because I had a good swim, and am on top of my coursework so I can blog and play on Pottermore. And maybe start new seasons of Buffy and Angel (I finished 5/2 respectively this weekend).
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
A New Dorm Room for a New Year
This year, I'm living in a single in a building of singles. My building has two dining halls and a c-store inside, so that's really nice. I have a door that goes right to my floor that I can use 8AM-8PM, but it's alarmed overnight, and then I have to go to the second floor to get across to my tower of the building.
My room came with a desk, a dresser, an armoir, overhead lighting, air conditioning, and a loftable bed. My bed is three notches up and I have a nice amount of storage space underneath. Three walls of my room are painted an off-white color, and the fourth wall is brick. I brought a fridge, a mirror, a floor lamp, and some storage bins that function as extra surfaces.
The furniture here is so much nicer than where I was last year! I may not have an excess of floor space, but what I have is enough for me to be happy and comfortable. Command hooks and Bed, Bath, and Beyond storage bins are my best friends in terms of creating space. I have a place for everything and I feel organized. Plus, my bed seems bigger this year, and I brought some cute throw pillows that add to the effect.
I put decorations on all of my walls. The wall that has the door and the armoir has my framed collage poster from last year. The one to the left of the door, where I have my desk and dresser, has my Eragon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book release, and Hunger Games posters. I can't hang anything on the brick wall because the tape won't stick, but the third painted wall, where my bed is, is becoming a wall of stuff. I have show posters, 6 8"x8" collages of photos from the past year, and these adorable owl mirrors. I didn't mean to make a wall of stuff, and I'm dreading taking it down in the spring, but it's really nice. And there's plenty more room for posters from the shows I work on this year :)
I feel really great about my space. There's something about having a home that is solely mine is really satisfying and makes me proud. My building has a reputation for being prisonlike, antisocial, and having small uncomfortable rooms, but I really like it here. My hall is pretty good about leaving our doors open, so I'm anticipating it'll be more social than I had initially thought. I actually had classes with two of the girls on my hall last year, so I already know people. My CA has been making a huge effort to chat with everyone, so I'm feeling very positive about the next year. It could just be that this is an average experience that seems amazing because I was expecting something so terrible, but I'm enjoying my new dorm. And we tend to have free food a lot. Like, a whole lot.
All in all, I'm happy with my home for the year. All that's left is for classes to start...
Today is awesome because I saw a show that was fun incarnate, and three of my friends who graduated last year came out to see it, so I got to see them and that was really nice.
My room came with a desk, a dresser, an armoir, overhead lighting, air conditioning, and a loftable bed. My bed is three notches up and I have a nice amount of storage space underneath. Three walls of my room are painted an off-white color, and the fourth wall is brick. I brought a fridge, a mirror, a floor lamp, and some storage bins that function as extra surfaces.
The furniture here is so much nicer than where I was last year! I may not have an excess of floor space, but what I have is enough for me to be happy and comfortable. Command hooks and Bed, Bath, and Beyond storage bins are my best friends in terms of creating space. I have a place for everything and I feel organized. Plus, my bed seems bigger this year, and I brought some cute throw pillows that add to the effect.
I put decorations on all of my walls. The wall that has the door and the armoir has my framed collage poster from last year. The one to the left of the door, where I have my desk and dresser, has my Eragon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book release, and Hunger Games posters. I can't hang anything on the brick wall because the tape won't stick, but the third painted wall, where my bed is, is becoming a wall of stuff. I have show posters, 6 8"x8" collages of photos from the past year, and these adorable owl mirrors. I didn't mean to make a wall of stuff, and I'm dreading taking it down in the spring, but it's really nice. And there's plenty more room for posters from the shows I work on this year :)
I feel really great about my space. There's something about having a home that is solely mine is really satisfying and makes me proud. My building has a reputation for being prisonlike, antisocial, and having small uncomfortable rooms, but I really like it here. My hall is pretty good about leaving our doors open, so I'm anticipating it'll be more social than I had initially thought. I actually had classes with two of the girls on my hall last year, so I already know people. My CA has been making a huge effort to chat with everyone, so I'm feeling very positive about the next year. It could just be that this is an average experience that seems amazing because I was expecting something so terrible, but I'm enjoying my new dorm. And we tend to have free food a lot. Like, a whole lot.
All in all, I'm happy with my home for the year. All that's left is for classes to start...
Today is awesome because I saw a show that was fun incarnate, and three of my friends who graduated last year came out to see it, so I got to see them and that was really nice.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Pippin
So much has happened in the last 4 days!!! I had the entire run of Pippin and I moved into my dorm for the year. Since I'm still adjusting to my dorm, and this post would be WAY too long if I wrote about both events, I'm going to write another post just about that process once I'm settled a bit more.
I really didn't get to stop from the moment I left my house until just now. Wednesday and Thursday of last week, we had dress rehearsals during the day. On Wednesday, I had dinner at my friends' apartment, and their cooking was amazing. After dinner, we watched a movie, then I had to go back to the theater for some final fixings.
On Thursday, I got up, packed everything up, and dragged my suitcase back to the theater for the day. We had the dress, then my dad picked up my stuff, but there wasn't room for me in the car, so I had to walk to the hotel. Upon my arrival, I was able to organize myself for the next 24 hours, take a shower, and get dressed for the 10:30PM opening performance. My entire family went out to dinner, then I had a bit of time to chat with my mom before heading to the show.
Opening night was CRAZY!!! The box office had oversold tickets, so we had to add chairs and let people sit on the floor in front of the first row of seats. As a crew member, I loved seeing how an audience changes the energy of the show that I had been watching all week. The performance was amazing, the audience was great, and I was so happy with the product that this team had put together.
Friday, we had a double header. After spending the day moving in, I had to lead a program from 6-7:30 then book it over to the theater to run the board for the 8:00 and 11:00 shows. It was a typical mid-run night: smaller audiences, and everyone fell into the rhythm a bit more. Still, it was brilliant and fun, and another proud night for all involved.
Saturday was a matinee (2PM) and an evening show (8PM). The matinee had a much older population (grandparents), so it felt very different because they react differently than the collegiate audience does. However, the weather was amazing, so stepping outside during intermission and after the show felt so good. It was warm and sunny as opposed to cold and nighttime, so that helped with the energy.
Our closing was as epic as our opening. The house managers had to split the admission line and ended up turning away 40-50 people who hadn't preordered tickets. There were two people who crawled in through the bathroom window because they wanted to see the show so badly! I felt a bit more pressure at this show because my family was there and I wanted to impress them; the designer was there, so he would know if I messed up; and it was the last chance to get it right. I hit all the "Go"s, so any mistakes were a calling error, and it felt good to know I did my job correctly.
There was a photo call after the performance, and I hate photo calls. I had to keep bringing up various light cues for the different moments, but they kept skipping around the play, so I had trouble keeping up. I went a bit crazy, but after a stop at 7-Eleven, we had a fun cast party with cake, Catchphrase, and the orchestra's interpretation of Pippin.
Today, I just finished strike. It was remarkably easy, but I think that's also because I go into strike with the expectation that it will be long, tedious, and difficult every time. The cast was really helpful, and I didn't have to coil any heavy cables! Taking down the pipes was annoying, but the teamwork was great.
I think my favorite thing about working on this show was that everyone knew each other. There are so many productions when there is a huge divide between cast and crew, but the people who spent tech week together during runs and performances really worked together. I find that as a lighting person, I observe the actors and know all their names because I have to in order to do my job, but to them I'm just that lighting person and they don't know my name or what I actually do. This cast was so great about knowing who I was and what I did, so it was a really pleasant process to be a part of. And the show was freaking awesome.
I also really liked having Gummy Bear and Sparring Bear at my tech table. I have made a comic of Sparring Bear in tech week, but I haven't had a chance to get it onto my computer.
I am a bit concerned about having started the school year so busy because I don't really know how to handle having down time yet. I'll figure it out, but it's weird to be able to chill in my room for an extended period of time that isn't after midnight.
Today is awesome because strike was easy, I'm seeing free theater with a friend tonight, and I've got some time to just relax.
I really didn't get to stop from the moment I left my house until just now. Wednesday and Thursday of last week, we had dress rehearsals during the day. On Wednesday, I had dinner at my friends' apartment, and their cooking was amazing. After dinner, we watched a movie, then I had to go back to the theater for some final fixings.
On Thursday, I got up, packed everything up, and dragged my suitcase back to the theater for the day. We had the dress, then my dad picked up my stuff, but there wasn't room for me in the car, so I had to walk to the hotel. Upon my arrival, I was able to organize myself for the next 24 hours, take a shower, and get dressed for the 10:30PM opening performance. My entire family went out to dinner, then I had a bit of time to chat with my mom before heading to the show.
Opening night was CRAZY!!! The box office had oversold tickets, so we had to add chairs and let people sit on the floor in front of the first row of seats. As a crew member, I loved seeing how an audience changes the energy of the show that I had been watching all week. The performance was amazing, the audience was great, and I was so happy with the product that this team had put together.
Friday, we had a double header. After spending the day moving in, I had to lead a program from 6-7:30 then book it over to the theater to run the board for the 8:00 and 11:00 shows. It was a typical mid-run night: smaller audiences, and everyone fell into the rhythm a bit more. Still, it was brilliant and fun, and another proud night for all involved.
Saturday was a matinee (2PM) and an evening show (8PM). The matinee had a much older population (grandparents), so it felt very different because they react differently than the collegiate audience does. However, the weather was amazing, so stepping outside during intermission and after the show felt so good. It was warm and sunny as opposed to cold and nighttime, so that helped with the energy.
Our closing was as epic as our opening. The house managers had to split the admission line and ended up turning away 40-50 people who hadn't preordered tickets. There were two people who crawled in through the bathroom window because they wanted to see the show so badly! I felt a bit more pressure at this show because my family was there and I wanted to impress them; the designer was there, so he would know if I messed up; and it was the last chance to get it right. I hit all the "Go"s, so any mistakes were a calling error, and it felt good to know I did my job correctly.
There was a photo call after the performance, and I hate photo calls. I had to keep bringing up various light cues for the different moments, but they kept skipping around the play, so I had trouble keeping up. I went a bit crazy, but after a stop at 7-Eleven, we had a fun cast party with cake, Catchphrase, and the orchestra's interpretation of Pippin.
Today, I just finished strike. It was remarkably easy, but I think that's also because I go into strike with the expectation that it will be long, tedious, and difficult every time. The cast was really helpful, and I didn't have to coil any heavy cables! Taking down the pipes was annoying, but the teamwork was great.
I think my favorite thing about working on this show was that everyone knew each other. There are so many productions when there is a huge divide between cast and crew, but the people who spent tech week together during runs and performances really worked together. I find that as a lighting person, I observe the actors and know all their names because I have to in order to do my job, but to them I'm just that lighting person and they don't know my name or what I actually do. This cast was so great about knowing who I was and what I did, so it was a really pleasant process to be a part of. And the show was freaking awesome.
I also really liked having Gummy Bear and Sparring Bear at my tech table. I have made a comic of Sparring Bear in tech week, but I haven't had a chance to get it onto my computer.
I am a bit concerned about having started the school year so busy because I don't really know how to handle having down time yet. I'll figure it out, but it's weird to be able to chill in my room for an extended period of time that isn't after midnight.
Today is awesome because strike was easy, I'm seeing free theater with a friend tonight, and I've got some time to just relax.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Returning to College: The Craziness Commences!
I got back to school on Saturday, and from the moment I left my house (for the last time since we're moving; that's weird) I have not stopped going. I spent 11:30AM-3:00PM in transit via car, airport, plane, airport 2, taxi, and foot. Flying on September 10, 2011 was an interesting experience. There were very few people in the airport, and all the lines were relatively short, but there was only one security line open because of the heightened threat. I had to go through the new scanner for the first time, so that was an experience.
When I finally got to school, I and my suitcase went straight to the theater to do electrical work. After 2 hours of cabling, we took a 7-Eleven break and then went back to it until 7:30. In that time, we ran pretty much all of the cables for the lights from the air to the dimmer rack and I taped the cables flat to the floor according to the safety requirements for the space.
When we finished, I got dinner and went to watch Doctor Who with friends. It was a really good episode!!! But I particularly liked getting to discuss the show with fellow Whovians. It was a different type of analysis than I'd had previously, so that was really nice.
I then stopped for ice cream for the remaining theater people, cut gel, and went to my friend's apartment for the night.
On Sunday, I woke up early, packed an overnight bag for the preorientation program that I was working, and went swimming. After my 1500 meter swim, I headed over to the theater to finish cutting gel and focus most of the lights. At noon, I went to the program for the staff meeting, met with an advisor, went to a 9/11 memorial, and then spent another 30 min at the theater before the program started.
The program was a success! I met a bunch of amazing freshmen, hopefully answered some questions that were bothering them, and definitely had fun. I was in charge of food, and dinner went really smoothly. I played Set with friends and slept on a couch.
Monday was a tired day. I was a little bit useless at the theater, but I retrieved the pipe coupler we needed to finish hanging the lights and I sorted through the random gel to find colors for a fire effect. Monday night, I had dinner with a friend I hadn't seen since June, and after the production meeting, I baked cookies with friends from last year's dorm who now live in an apartment. It has made me so happy to reunite with these people that I've missed so much!!!
Tuesday was yesterday, and we ran the show with all the cues. I got to actually use the board, and I found that I mostly remembered where the keys were, a bit of syntax, and that I like typing/programming. There was one sequence that I'd never seen before that is so visually stunning that I missed a bunch of cues because I was gawking at the action on stage.
Last night, I watched Tangled with yet another friend who I had been missing, and that was super fun!! I loved getting to catch up with her for real, and the movie was really good. I was particularly impressed with the animation of Gothel's hair, the sky, the water in the dam scene, and the characterizations of Pascal and Maximus' facial expressions and movements. The movie had the classic plot, typical tropes, but was visually interesting and had really good one-liners in the visual and vocal humor (Frying pans! Who knew, right?!?).
So, now I'm blogging because so much has happened and I haven't had another chance. I love returning to my crazy busy schedule; it keeps me entertained and happy. Readjusting to being a pedestrian has been more of a challenge than I thought. I still understand the traffic patterns really well and can successfully cross the street without getting hit by cars (though I am more likely to time my walking such that I walk into them), but my travel time estimation ability is off and I've developed a blister and shin splints. It hurts from my toes to my knee every time I step on my right foot.
Today is awesome because I'm here and happy.
When I finally got to school, I and my suitcase went straight to the theater to do electrical work. After 2 hours of cabling, we took a 7-Eleven break and then went back to it until 7:30. In that time, we ran pretty much all of the cables for the lights from the air to the dimmer rack and I taped the cables flat to the floor according to the safety requirements for the space.
When we finished, I got dinner and went to watch Doctor Who with friends. It was a really good episode!!! But I particularly liked getting to discuss the show with fellow Whovians. It was a different type of analysis than I'd had previously, so that was really nice.
I then stopped for ice cream for the remaining theater people, cut gel, and went to my friend's apartment for the night.
On Sunday, I woke up early, packed an overnight bag for the preorientation program that I was working, and went swimming. After my 1500 meter swim, I headed over to the theater to finish cutting gel and focus most of the lights. At noon, I went to the program for the staff meeting, met with an advisor, went to a 9/11 memorial, and then spent another 30 min at the theater before the program started.
The program was a success! I met a bunch of amazing freshmen, hopefully answered some questions that were bothering them, and definitely had fun. I was in charge of food, and dinner went really smoothly. I played Set with friends and slept on a couch.
Monday was a tired day. I was a little bit useless at the theater, but I retrieved the pipe coupler we needed to finish hanging the lights and I sorted through the random gel to find colors for a fire effect. Monday night, I had dinner with a friend I hadn't seen since June, and after the production meeting, I baked cookies with friends from last year's dorm who now live in an apartment. It has made me so happy to reunite with these people that I've missed so much!!!
Tuesday was yesterday, and we ran the show with all the cues. I got to actually use the board, and I found that I mostly remembered where the keys were, a bit of syntax, and that I like typing/programming. There was one sequence that I'd never seen before that is so visually stunning that I missed a bunch of cues because I was gawking at the action on stage.
Last night, I watched Tangled with yet another friend who I had been missing, and that was super fun!! I loved getting to catch up with her for real, and the movie was really good. I was particularly impressed with the animation of Gothel's hair, the sky, the water in the dam scene, and the characterizations of Pascal and Maximus' facial expressions and movements. The movie had the classic plot, typical tropes, but was visually interesting and had really good one-liners in the visual and vocal humor (Frying pans! Who knew, right?!?).
So, now I'm blogging because so much has happened and I haven't had another chance. I love returning to my crazy busy schedule; it keeps me entertained and happy. Readjusting to being a pedestrian has been more of a challenge than I thought. I still understand the traffic patterns really well and can successfully cross the street without getting hit by cars (though I am more likely to time my walking such that I walk into them), but my travel time estimation ability is off and I've developed a blister and shin splints. It hurts from my toes to my knee every time I step on my right foot.
Today is awesome because I'm here and happy.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Vlogging vs. Blogging
I've found that I've traded vlogging for blogging. I initially made videos because I was inspired by John and Hank Green (vlogbrothers) and the fiveawesomegirls. When an older friend went to college and the rest of us were still home, we made a collaborative channel to be a sort of penpal system. It worked for about two years, but then we stopped making videos around the time I started blogging.
I don't really mind that I blog instead of vlog. It's easier for me to think through the things I want to say when I'm writing rather than talking. When I vlogged, I didn't write a script because I didn't want to put in that kind of effort, so things were often incoherent. However, I do enjoy making videos, particularly because they capture the multidimensional and dynamic nature of life and the experiences that I'm trying to capture.
I like blogging because I enjoy the written word. When I have the time to think through the type of language I want to use when I communicate, I find that I choose words that fit together in a way that looks, sounds, and feels good to read and say. I love choosing words, so writing informally as myself is really fun for me.
Vlogging and Blogging have many things in common. For instance, dramatic titles and tags tend to generate more views. On the vlog, one of my friends posted a video called "Sleepover Humiliation," and it generated way more views than any other video we had posted so far. My most viewed blog posts are titled "5 Ways I Won Armadillo Day," followed by "To the Seniors," and "5 Things I Hadn't Done Until I Came to College." I think it's pretty easy to see why these seem more interesting than a post with a date or a BEDA number.
I'm super into blogging right now because it's a way for me to make a statement about something that's on my mind or happening in my life. I like being able to say something, know that somebody reads it or has the opportunity to read it, and that I can look back on old posts to see what was up a year ago (at least I'll be able to do that in December). It's fun!
Today is awesome because I had a really nice visit with my Great-Grandmother. She's so awesome :)
I don't really mind that I blog instead of vlog. It's easier for me to think through the things I want to say when I'm writing rather than talking. When I vlogged, I didn't write a script because I didn't want to put in that kind of effort, so things were often incoherent. However, I do enjoy making videos, particularly because they capture the multidimensional and dynamic nature of life and the experiences that I'm trying to capture.
I like blogging because I enjoy the written word. When I have the time to think through the type of language I want to use when I communicate, I find that I choose words that fit together in a way that looks, sounds, and feels good to read and say. I love choosing words, so writing informally as myself is really fun for me.
Vlogging and Blogging have many things in common. For instance, dramatic titles and tags tend to generate more views. On the vlog, one of my friends posted a video called "Sleepover Humiliation," and it generated way more views than any other video we had posted so far. My most viewed blog posts are titled "5 Ways I Won Armadillo Day," followed by "To the Seniors," and "5 Things I Hadn't Done Until I Came to College." I think it's pretty easy to see why these seem more interesting than a post with a date or a BEDA number.
I'm super into blogging right now because it's a way for me to make a statement about something that's on my mind or happening in my life. I like being able to say something, know that somebody reads it or has the opportunity to read it, and that I can look back on old posts to see what was up a year ago (at least I'll be able to do that in December). It's fun!
Today is awesome because I had a really nice visit with my Great-Grandmother. She's so awesome :)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
An Epiphany
There's a really good quotation from Paper Towns by John Green about how good it feels to leave a place permanently. I would love to share that quotation, but all my books are packed in boxes to be moved. I hate packing. And I'm packing to go away for a week, for the move to school, and the move out of my house (which is a permanent leaving that I can totally handle).
Basically, I love being at college. I have an amazing life there and every day is busy and exciting (well, most days anyway). I've been home since mid-June, and things were great: I got to see family and friends who I don't get to see as often anymore. However, I did not enjoy my summer job and once that ended I got bored. I really miss being constantly social and having things to do every day.
My problem is the liminal nature of my life. I am on the border of real world adulthood having just passed from adolescence. I live both at school and at home, and I have amazing people in both places. Because any leaving I do is impermanent, it's harder because I have to say goodbye to my friends multiple times every year. It is emotionally taxing because I really miss people, and my friends are the most important group in my life.
So, I am SUPER excited to go back to school on Saturday. I'm also really sad to be saying goodbye to the amazing people I've been with all summer. I really wish I had my book so I could find that quotation. I didn't realize that I'd still want Paper Towns and Harry Potter for reference purposes :/
Today is awesome because there was a caller request on the radio for a Backstreet Boys song, and they played one. Such memories from grade school...
Basically, I love being at college. I have an amazing life there and every day is busy and exciting (well, most days anyway). I've been home since mid-June, and things were great: I got to see family and friends who I don't get to see as often anymore. However, I did not enjoy my summer job and once that ended I got bored. I really miss being constantly social and having things to do every day.
My problem is the liminal nature of my life. I am on the border of real world adulthood having just passed from adolescence. I live both at school and at home, and I have amazing people in both places. Because any leaving I do is impermanent, it's harder because I have to say goodbye to my friends multiple times every year. It is emotionally taxing because I really miss people, and my friends are the most important group in my life.
So, I am SUPER excited to go back to school on Saturday. I'm also really sad to be saying goodbye to the amazing people I've been with all summer. I really wish I had my book so I could find that quotation. I didn't realize that I'd still want Paper Towns and Harry Potter for reference purposes :/
Today is awesome because there was a caller request on the radio for a Backstreet Boys song, and they played one. Such memories from grade school...
Monday, September 5, 2011
I read another book!
I just finished the novel Blood Red Road by Moira Young. It took a little time to get into, but it was really good!!
The story is about this girl, Saba, and how she and her sister Emmi go to rescue their brother (Saba's twin), Lugh, after he is kidnapped and their father is killed. On the way to finding him, Saba and Emmi get captured and Saba is forced to become a cage fighter in the city in order for both of them to survive. The distopian twist is that the King controls the entire population by drugging them, so the crowd at the fights is particularly insane. Saba escapes with the help of a rebel group and continues on her quest to find Lugh. She makes unlikely friends, has a bit of a love story, and an epic adventure while on this mission.
I liked the book because of the pace of the plot, the dialect Young writes in, and Saba's journey as a character. She goes from always following Lugh to being forced to be a leader. The necessity enables her to come into her own as a strong young woman, and I always love when a female character can be a strong action/adventure lead and still have the opportunity to be a girl.
It's also the first of a series, possibly a trilogy, but I'm not sure what the target number of books is.
Today is awesome because I'm home from a trip to see family that was 36 hours too long. It's good to be back.
The story is about this girl, Saba, and how she and her sister Emmi go to rescue their brother (Saba's twin), Lugh, after he is kidnapped and their father is killed. On the way to finding him, Saba and Emmi get captured and Saba is forced to become a cage fighter in the city in order for both of them to survive. The distopian twist is that the King controls the entire population by drugging them, so the crowd at the fights is particularly insane. Saba escapes with the help of a rebel group and continues on her quest to find Lugh. She makes unlikely friends, has a bit of a love story, and an epic adventure while on this mission.
I liked the book because of the pace of the plot, the dialect Young writes in, and Saba's journey as a character. She goes from always following Lugh to being forced to be a leader. The necessity enables her to come into her own as a strong young woman, and I always love when a female character can be a strong action/adventure lead and still have the opportunity to be a girl.
It's also the first of a series, possibly a trilogy, but I'm not sure what the target number of books is.
Today is awesome because I'm home from a trip to see family that was 36 hours too long. It's good to be back.
Friday, September 2, 2011
BEDA 31: I DID IT!!!
BEDA is won as of now. 31 blogs in 31 days. It's a shame it was one of the worst months for blogging, but I had some great times with amazing friends.
I traveled to a family event today. I had to fly west to get to a destination east of where I Love, which was ridiculous, but we are all together and it's pretty nice.
I like traveling. It's fun to go new places and I LIke exploring. However, no matter where I'm going, I hate packing. For a trip, for school, for an overnight...I can't stand having to sort my stuff and put it in a bag while determining what I will actually need. It bothers me and stresses me out.
Tomorrow I have to get up early, get dressed up, and go be with extended family. I think it's going to be fun. I like my outfit and I haven't seen my cousins in a while. The tough thing is that I always feel like I have to prove that I've grown up since the last time everyone's seen me, and that's why the outfit and harcut are important. I think I'm going to read the way I want to be perceived, so that's good.
Today is awesome because I sat in three airports and made comics using an app my TKD instructor recommended.
I traveled to a family event today. I had to fly west to get to a destination east of where I Love, which was ridiculous, but we are all together and it's pretty nice.
I like traveling. It's fun to go new places and I LIke exploring. However, no matter where I'm going, I hate packing. For a trip, for school, for an overnight...I can't stand having to sort my stuff and put it in a bag while determining what I will actually need. It bothers me and stresses me out.
Tomorrow I have to get up early, get dressed up, and go be with extended family. I think it's going to be fun. I like my outfit and I haven't seen my cousins in a while. The tough thing is that I always feel like I have to prove that I've grown up since the last time everyone's seen me, and that's why the outfit and harcut are important. I think I'm going to read the way I want to be perceived, so that's good.
Today is awesome because I sat in three airports and made comics using an app my TKD instructor recommended.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Second-to-Last BEDA (#30) and It's Kind of Random
IT'S SEPTEMBER!!!!!
I learned some interesting things this morning:
1. There are a remarkable number of people who drive at 2:30AM on a Thursday? I crossed paths with 6 other vehicles last night.
2. Raccoons are really cute, even though they're rabid and disgusting and all that other stuff. There was a group of them crossing the road while I was driving, and one of them stopped, looked at me, and went back the way it came.
3. Radio is pretty good in the wee hours of the morning.
4. Internet memes are weird. Planking, Owling, the Nigel Thornberry music videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw7A5fFjNfI)? All really strange, though quite hilarious.
I went to Borders and Barnes and Noble today to get a book for one of my classes and I wanted to get a Mockingjay pin or keychain while I was there, but Borders had sold out and BN didn't have any. I know that they will be everywhere when the movie comes out in March, but I want one now and have wanted one for about a year, ever since I first saw it. I love the strength and rebelliousness that it symbolizes and the way it inspires Katniss, plus its a pretty awesome looking item.
20-30 minutes is a really awkward span of time. It's not quite long enough to watch an episode of something online, but it's long enough that you can't bum around doing nothing. I hate being on a 30-minute countdown when I'm ready to go but have nothing to do until I go.
I made a video today for the first time in a really long time, and I'm pretty proud of my zoo footage. I set all of it to music and I like the way everything coordinates. Sometimes the process is a bit frustrating, but I always get really excited about the finished product.
There are no words to describe how awesome my evening was. To those of you who made it special, you know who you are, and thank you. You've been so supportive of me and such amazing friends.
I think I take people for granted a bit. I don't know if my friends truly understand how much I appreciate them, but I don't think I could get through life without any of you. You are my confidantes, jokesters, mentors, peers, and my chosen family. You are special and have left indelible marks on my life.
Okay, enough sappiness, but I really mean it.
Today is awesome because of Sparring Bear. Once the naming is complete, it can be gendered, but it's currently sitting next to Gummy Bear (the dog) being adorable, smiling at me, and in the correct position to be coming back to school with me. Makes me smile :)
I learned some interesting things this morning:
1. There are a remarkable number of people who drive at 2:30AM on a Thursday? I crossed paths with 6 other vehicles last night.
2. Raccoons are really cute, even though they're rabid and disgusting and all that other stuff. There was a group of them crossing the road while I was driving, and one of them stopped, looked at me, and went back the way it came.
3. Radio is pretty good in the wee hours of the morning.
4. Internet memes are weird. Planking, Owling, the Nigel Thornberry music videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw7A5fFjNfI)? All really strange, though quite hilarious.
I went to Borders and Barnes and Noble today to get a book for one of my classes and I wanted to get a Mockingjay pin or keychain while I was there, but Borders had sold out and BN didn't have any. I know that they will be everywhere when the movie comes out in March, but I want one now and have wanted one for about a year, ever since I first saw it. I love the strength and rebelliousness that it symbolizes and the way it inspires Katniss, plus its a pretty awesome looking item.
20-30 minutes is a really awkward span of time. It's not quite long enough to watch an episode of something online, but it's long enough that you can't bum around doing nothing. I hate being on a 30-minute countdown when I'm ready to go but have nothing to do until I go.
I made a video today for the first time in a really long time, and I'm pretty proud of my zoo footage. I set all of it to music and I like the way everything coordinates. Sometimes the process is a bit frustrating, but I always get really excited about the finished product.
There are no words to describe how awesome my evening was. To those of you who made it special, you know who you are, and thank you. You've been so supportive of me and such amazing friends.
I think I take people for granted a bit. I don't know if my friends truly understand how much I appreciate them, but I don't think I could get through life without any of you. You are my confidantes, jokesters, mentors, peers, and my chosen family. You are special and have left indelible marks on my life.
Okay, enough sappiness, but I really mean it.
Today is awesome because of Sparring Bear. Once the naming is complete, it can be gendered, but it's currently sitting next to Gummy Bear (the dog) being adorable, smiling at me, and in the correct position to be coming back to school with me. Makes me smile :)
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