Confession Tuesday: Counting Down the Days

Okay, so I have to confess- I am not in the mood to work. There's one week of school left, but we are having final exams, we're completing a mission in science, of course Mrs. Meadows has made us add four new posts to our blogs (and it's only Tuesday) and in Spanish we have to complete a project.

Ugggggh. What's the point? I heard grades dont even count after today or something, so must we continue to work our butts off? Perhaps it's the fact that I'm leaving, and I feel a little rebellious, defiant even, but either way, I'm sick of working

And I know you may be wondering why Im still coming to school if I'm feeling so incredibly lazy (see, I have no problem admitting it.) The answer is, that I want to see my friends. Not Due tomorrow written on the board.

So teachers, if you see this, no disrespect or anything, please dont go and get offended and then double our already traumatizing work, just lower the amount of assignments. Pretty please?

And P.S - I know more work for us means more work for YOU, the teachers, to grade, and believe me, we reeeeallly don't want to have to trouble you with deciphering our horrible handwriting, incorrect spelling, and misplaced comma, because if we win, you win. But if we lose, you lose.


Your choice.

Memoir Monday - Expecting the Unexpected

Unhang, crumple, throw into suitcase, and repeat. Unhang, crumple, throw into suitcase, and repeat.
I glanced at my almost empty closet, my bare dressers, and the piles and piles of wire on my floor. Yes, I hang my clothes on wire hangers.

Almost a year ago, I was doing the same thing but in a different house, different room, but now that I had experience with the process and was familiar to it, I could go pretty fast, and soon, in a haze, almost two suitcases were filled. Probably another two lay sprawled all over my bed, those were the "don't keep”s the clothes which had grown to small, or out of season, or had a hole or stain, or I just didn’t like. Although I was all for donating the clothes, I almost didn’t want to; it felt like the clothes held little memories of my past, and in the end, were just another thing I had to part my separate ways with.

I wondered what Daniel would be like, no, not some friend, that was the name of the school—J.J Daniel. I wondered if we would make it before it snowed, or if it even would, would we get to make those snowmen again this year? I wondered what Balboa would be like without me here. Who would be made fun of for talking (too) much? How would they be able to do Someone Like You in music the next quarter without me? Who would ask random questions in class or repeatedly say the word ‘Ghetto’ much to the annoyance of my friends? Whose state would be made fun of? Or would anyone even remember these small things as much as I would?

            As I closed my last suitcase, taking it outside to be weighed, I also put an end to all my doubts. Was I ever the one to prepare myself for the next mission, next phase of my life? Did I know I was changing schools, or moving to Panama, did I know I was moving back months in advance? No.

            Sometimes, I think it’s better to expect the unexpected, go with the flow and to have no expectations, but to see where life takes you.

Catcher Craze

Catcher Craze - Should it be read or not?

Catcher In The Rye. Although these are only four words, it kindled the interest of many, some positively, some negatively. Written by JD Salinger in 1951, it seemed everyone had caught the 'Catcher Craze'; some worked feverishly to get the book banned even making it one of the most frequently censored schools (Chasan 2) and some gave it to their classes to read, supporting it. In my opinion, the book has more than earned its right to be read by grades if past the age or turning the age 13.

My opinion on this matter is this way because of a few reasons. For one, the book was based off of the author's personal experience from the private schools he went to. So the book isn't about someone going on and on because from what the author thinks would happen; the events or disposition of many in the book actually happened, meaning the experiences Holden faces in the book are very close to real life events Salinger had to face. And if the stuff in his book has occurred in real life, who are we to degrade him and judge his life? Decide whether or not his life story should be told or not? That’s just it; we don’t have that liberty.

Another point is that the events and problems which Holden faces aren't just for that period of time or that generation, many of the coming of age issues Holden, the main character and narrator, faces can be applied to teenagers even now, in this day of time. For example, in the book, Holden feels like he's the misfit, he doesn't belong among his peers, and who can say they have honestly never felt like that? Even today, millions of kids must feel that way; Holden does not have the best relationship with either of his parents, where he feels they don't care about him as much as he wishes them to, and parent drama? Typical teenage drama 101.   

Even though I believe the book should not be restricted, I do understand why some parents would like to restrict their children from reading the book. Getting drunk, drugs and alcohol, having sex, an opposing view of everything; really, that's in almost every book now, so although it may not seem like a big deal anymore, it was a big deal back then. A book that used bad language, talked in length and detail about sex and hookers, and alcohol was definitely not what people were expecting, because in the time the book was written, most authors did not use such subjects in their book, so it was definitely a shock to many parents and schools districts, and as expected, many got together to stop the change that would ultimately, in my opinion, lead to many books being written in the new type of, almost daring type of manner as many are now.  

But despite the protests, I insist that Catcher in the Rye should be a book taught in, if not every, then most schools. If parents are still upset, perhaps permission slips should be sent out, just to please both sides, but at the end of the day, I think the book should be read because it offers valuable life lessons to students all over. And besides, if children learn from the book, that’s what parents send their children to school for, right? To learn? And teachers have degrees in teaching, do they not? So why don’t we just leave the final decision up to the teacher which book they would like to assign to their students to read? I’m sure in the end, despite the arguments of others, the teacher will know best.

Memoir Summary.

The Summary of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

As one may tell from the title of the book, this entire memoir consists of epistles from the diary of a young Anne Frank, and is, in my opinion, absolutely breathtaking. To be able to get a one-on-one feel of the conditions Anne, and many other Jews, had to live like is horrifying but also immensely interesting. Through her diary we watch Anne grow up into a young lady through pages, a rather beautiful blossoming. She received her diary as a birthday gift for her thirteenth birthday, June 12th and less than a month later, Anne and her family went into hiding into what Anne refers to as the "Secret Annex" as to avoid the German concentration camps, and so does Anne’s diary.

Although Anne’s father doesn’t wish to explain why the Jewish people were being forced out of their homes to his naive daughter, Anne knows that her life will be different for the get-go. At first, the decrees banning Jewish people from doing certain things went above her head, and she focused on her happy life, her school work and friends, her gentlemen suitors being the biggest problem, but soon, Jews weren’t allowed to ride in public transportation, could only shop at certain stores, had to identify themselves by wearing patches, and couldn’t be in a school with other children—this is when Anne started to notice how things were changing, and when some of her friends stopped coming to school, she understood, although not so thoroughly, the situation she, and Jews all over Europe, were about to be put in. So did her father, apparently, because he was the one who readied the “Secret Annex” for their arrival.

During their time in the "Annex" the Franks allow the family of the Van Daans— Mr and Mrs Van Daan as well as their son, Peter— and later on, Mr. Dussel to live with them, also. The families went into hiding during the year of 1942 until 1944. They do not get to go outside, are given only a small variety of dried or canned food, their 2 or 3 set of clothes which are being shared with one another growing far too small, and what Anne describes worst of all, the quarrels; Mr. Van Daan fighting with Mrs. Van Daan, Anne with her mother, Anne with Margot, Anne with Mr. Dussel, Mrs. Van Daan with Mrs. Frank, of course such fights can only be expected when people, who previously did not live together and aren’t used to seeing each other day and night, are thrust into the position where they live together for 2 years.

From her diary entries you can tell Anne matures very much in the two years she lives in the "Annex", in my opinion, perhaps Anne has seen and knows far too much than any other 13 or 14 year old should. Instead of focusing on her school work, riding bikes, playing outside, and slowly maturing as most girls of this age do, Anne thinks of war, how her mother is not the ideal motherly figure she craves for her to be and how because of being hurt, she pushes her away, which in turn, hurts her mother as well more than she lets on, she takes pills to fight depression, and realizes that even though she's constantly reprimanded for "talking too much" Anne must talk in order to close the void she feels which is building inside of her. Anne realizes how wrong it is to judge people, not just by their religion or culture, but by their ethics, habits, race, color and anything else because she, herself, is inspected every day by the elders, who seem to be just waiting for Anne to slip up. Anne realizes that out of anyone, she judges herself the most, thinking over all her actions of the day at night, whether she could have done something differently, or better, or if this was irresponsible.

Nearing the end of the diary, Anne writes several entries dedicated to one topic- Peter Van Daan. In early January of 1944, Anne finds herself liking Peter as more than just a friend, and soon realizes that her feelings are returned. Anne and Peter form an unofficial relationship. Even though I’m happy Anne found a source of happiness in Peter and they are able to help each other cope through the difficult time they are in, I don’t think Anne would have chosen Peter as her love interest if for not being in hiding. In the beginning of the story Anne talks about Henry, a boy who fancies her, and she’s all but in love with, and so I think Peter, he’s not really one of the runners or candidates for Anne’s love, but the whole election. And although she feels happier when she’s with Peter, despite their precious moments spent together, Anne finds herself still unhappy.

In the months to come, talk of a revolution and the end of the war is very hopeful, and all the residents in the “Secret Annex” are very optimistic, in fact, Anne even tells her diary about D-Day, June 6^th and all of the Franks as well as the Van Daans and Dussel hope to soon be out of the confined space which they have been living in, to get fresh air, to take luxury baths, and to eat warm meals, already picturing how wonderful it will be after the war. Anne however, refuses to let herself hope too much, because she fears her expectations might be let down.

August 1^st, 1944 is Anne’s last journal entry. In this rather short entry, Anne takes a break from talking about the war and talks about herself and how others perceive her- the loudmouth, the “Bundle of contradictions”, the “Boy Chaser After”, all these titles, Anne admits, were only given to her by others who don’t understand her. People think of her to be far too loud and talkative, but Anne confides that she only talks as a way to distract herself. To convince her mind she is happy, although in her heart, she’s really not. However, as you can tell from the many quarrels described with Mrs. Van Daan over this topic, others do not understand this.

The end of the book are not pages from Anne’s diary but a telling of what experts believe to have happened to the Frank family: on August 4^th it is predicted a Dutch informer told the Gestapo of the “Secret Annex” and the eight Jews were taken to their headquarters in Amsterdam and after a few weeks of imprisonment, were sent to Westerbork. On September 3^rd, the Allies captured Brussels, but alas, the Franks were among the last 1,000 shipment of Jews to leave Holland.

The families were separated, the Frank women in one camp and Otto Frank in another. Soon Anne’s mother and sister, Margot, died. Although, from claims of people who survived, Anne was never informed, perhaps she sensed something to be amiss, but her speculations were never clarified. Anne soon also dies. Two weeks later, Allies win the war and invade the concentration camps. I personally think it’s almost too tragically horrible to be real. She could have lived if only the Allies came 2 weeks earlier. 14 days. That’s all it would have taken, and after surviving all she’s been through, Anne dies only a little too soon. Now Mr. Otto Frank is the only living member of the Frank family and returns to the “Annex” to see paper all over the floor, this turns out to be Anne’s diary.

At reading the diary, Mr. Frank is said to have cried immediately after, and at first, he chose to keep the diary his own special possession, which no other eyes could see, but after being urged by a professor, Mr. Frank submits Anne’s diary to be made into a book.

Once published, the book became a best seller, selling over a million copies, then translated into over 20 languages, selling approximately five million more copies. The name of Anne’s diary was changed, from the German name, Het Achterhuis, this is the name Anne originally wished to call the diary if it was ever published, although there’s no exact translation, the closest means The Secret Annex, however, this name was changed to Anne Frank, and now simply, it is known as Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

I feel so thankful after finishing the book, for all that I have, and I feel horrible for how we take things for granted when people like Anne have to live in a box almost, isolated from the world for two years and to no avail. Germany also feels shameful because the story was turned into a play, which when performed in Germany, received no applause at the end but a single despondent cry. There are many schools and places named after Anne as well, including the school Anne went to, before their family went into hiding.

Overall, the book was an absolutely amazing read of the struggles Jews faced during World War 2 as well as a major reality check for yours truly, and I now understand what all the hype for this book was about. I think if Anne knew how many she was inspiring with her stories, she’d feel just as proud of herself as I, and I’m sure millions of other people, do as well.

Thank you Anne.