Quarter 4- Journal 8: Thousand Cranes

Well, we finally finished our last world literature text. Thank the Lord above. These are some of the worst books I have ever read- but I don’t suppose they were completely useless. I did manage to whip out the poor excuse for a novel, The Stranger, in my SAT writing prompt. I hope they like that. Anyway, Mrs. Hilston called it from the beginning: they won’t be your favorite books, but you can certainly write about them. Yeah, I’ll admit, there’s a lot to write about, despite hating them.

Thousand Cranes, by Yasumari Kawabata, in general turned out to be my second favorite book. The order would have to be From Sleep Unbound >> Thousand Cranes > The Stranger > So Long a Letter. In any case, this book involves the man with the strange fantasies, Kikuji, the sexless wonder, Chikako, and the emotional wall, Fumiko. Kikuji hooks up with a woman twenty years his senior, and that’s definitely NOT expected. Chikako tries to control everyone’s life, and claims to defy gender herself. Awkward. Fumiko also attempts to hide all of her emotion until the resolution of the novel, where she breaks a jar and kills herself. There’s sort of a lot going on, but it’s just funny/ironic because the Japanese culture is supposed to be so relaxed at their tea ceremonies, but that’s when most of the commotion occurs. This is how most literature exists in my eyes- through irony. So there’s my blurb on the Thousand Cranes- yawn.

Quarter 4- Journal 7: Intuition

Just two weeks ago, I wrote a 1400 word essay on how intuition plays into the different areas of knowledge, but I really didn't talk about intuition in general since it didn't relate to the task at hand. In any case, I'd like to use this journal to talk about it. Intuition is defined as: the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. So it's basically understanding why something happens either upon it happening, or before it happens. I think it's a super strange ability to claim to have, but is totally real at the same time. Maybe they're just coincidences, but I think everyone has those moments where they just think something is going to happen, and then it does. I'd say that's intuitive. Also, babies use intuition from they moment they're born. They understand that when they want something, they can cry to get it, because that will get someone's attention. Therefore, they understand that when they need something, they need someone to help them. They're not born with that knowledge... so it's just intuitive for them. It's interesting to see how intuition plays a role in everyday life.

Quarter 4- Journal 6: Luck

How does one define something as luck versus skill? Some people say that things that they do are skillful, when they may in fact have just been complete and total luck. I think the best way to determine the truthfulness of this situation is to see how consistent someone is with any one task. For instance, on Survivor this past thursday, one of the castaways made an excellent game-play, game-changing move. Some think she's now the best player ever, while others say that she is just lucky. In that instance, I would have to claim this contestant as skilled. This is her third time playing the game. The first time she played, she had an excellent social game, but was ousted by a large alliance. The second time, she won. This is her third time out there, and she is basically controlling the game at this point. She plays for power and has succeeded multiple time in showing her skill at the game, yet some people refuse to give her the respect she deserves. I think people who claim other people to be 'lucky' who are actually 'skilled,' are just either upset or jealous. Usually, there is enough evidence to back up someone being skilled.

Quarter 4- Journal 5: The Stranger

Wow. What another waste of my time. I'm really starting to hate these World Literature books. How do people enjoy these things? Once again, quite literally nothing in this book happened except for at the end of both parts. At the end of one, he kills someone, and at the end of another, he has an emotional flip out. Otherwise, it's just him observing society and not feeling emotion. He literally has cut himself off from feeling anything, and it's just annoying. No one is that dense. His character is not even realistic- he's just cynical, indifferent and boring. These ingredients do not make for a good book. Books need action, and dynamic characters, and protagonists who actually involve themselves in what is going on, or actually feel an emotion. I just hated this book in general. So far: From Sleep Unbound>>>> The Stranger>>>>>>>>>>>>So Long a Letter. But still, I want to read a book with a protagonist who doesn't annoy the crap out of me. At least with From Sleep Unbound and So Long a Letter, there are things to write about. In this book, it's basically "Society is absurd." There's no substance there. BORING.

Quarter 4- Journal 4: Venting

Is such a good device. I feel so much better after my last journal post. But I really do hope that something comes along. At least all of this complaining is actually accomplishing something. I just can't type the TOK essay anymore. Maybe I should move onto chem then, after I'm done with this. I don't really want to do that either. But I need to knock out a few more paragraphs of TOK, and I need to finish that chem packet. Unfortunately both are due Tuesday, so I can't just focus on one and then move onto the other. And I always also tell myself that the day after the world is due, for instance this tuesday, everything will get better. But it never does. Something else ALWAYS comes along. It doesn't even just come in waves anymore, it's just a constant attack of death, and it's driving me nuts. I can't take it anymore. I need to stop falling asleep while I read The Stranger and waste two hours. I need to stop saving all the homework that I have for Sunday, even though this weekend I got bio and history done before Saturday at noon. I also need to start studying for my IB Chemistry IB examination, because I need at least a 5 on that, and I refuse to get anything lower. Oh, and my SATs are next month, right around the same time. SWEET. I just don't know how to effectively manage time anymore because FACEBOOK KILLS ME. BLAH. I was thinking about deleting it, but that's too extreme. I'll just text Miranda to change the password again. Goodnight TOK journals.

Quarter 4- Journal 3: This stupid cycle...

is absolutely killing me. I am stuck in this rut called my room because of IB. I want to go out and see my friends, but I can't. I'm stuck here doing homework. But I'm so sick of homework, so I don't do work that effectively. But I can't leave, because then I really won't get anything done. So I'm really just stuck here, waiting for something to happen, but nothing does. I eventually finish my homework, but by then it's too late to do anything. And then the next day, a project or paper is assigned, and I find myself in the same place again. I'm so done with school. The challenge doesn't even make me happy anymore. I don't even have time to do educational things that I want to do, like read for pleasure, or study SAT vocabulary words. This doesn't even start to make up for all the "teenager" things I want to do, like hang out with my friends or play video games. I am also so incredibly out of shape for cross country next year. I need to start training for this. But I've decided that all this unhappiness is no way to live my life. I need to start figuring something out to snap back into reality. This is life as I know it, and I need to man up and face the challenge. There's just no motivation... I need something like a miracle, and I need it soon. My grades won't make it if I don't.

Quarter 4- Journal 2: Test Taking

Often it is said that test taking is a skill. Others would argue that the ability at which one performs on a test is a direct output of their input time of studying. I would have to say that test taking is a skill. There are just people who are great test takers, and can get an A with studying for 20-30 minutes. Others, like myself, are mediocre test takers, and have to study for the grade that they want. Finally there are people who are bad test takers, and no matter how much they study, they'll probably get a C or a D. However, I think there are options to improve one's test taking skills. Options such as Sylvan promise kids grade-changing results. Therefore, I believe that kids should take advantage of these options if need be. Although it'd be nice to be able to get As by not studying too much, I'm happy when I get an A because I know that I've put in enough time to make myself proud, and did what is expected of myself, by myself. I wish it were more fair for kids who aren't great test takers, but there's not much I can do. However, I do encourage getting help with test-taking as a skill, rather than just having an extensive knowledge of the topic, however, both contribute to receiving good test scores.