Much Ado About Nothing Review

Dear Friend,
            This week I went to see Much Ado About Nothing, the play. This play was very interesting and very enjoyable. The props, actors/actresses, and etc. were all very appropriate. This play was nothing that I expected it to be.
            The thing that was most interesting for me was the setting. The stage that the actors and actresses performed on was circular. It wasn't the typical stage that we're all use to seeing. It was a different vibe for me. Everything was seen a lot more clearly that way. The props were also very simple. The tables were the main prop, but the actors and actresses were very interactive with the tables. For example Beatrice would hide under the table when Hero and her friends were talking about how Benedict was in love with Beatrice. The same with Benedict, but he hid behind a piano and was interactive with the audience.
          The actors in this play were all very enthusiastic. Whenever one of them said their lives, there was a lot of emotion and feelings. The actors all did a great job emoting how they felt with gestures and not one of them was boring. Whenever the spotlight was on one actor, all the other actors would interact with each other. Not one of them stopped what they were doing. All of the actors stayed in character, which was also another good feature.
            I enjoyed seeing this production and it was very enjoyable to watch. My favorite part was the shadowing part of what happened in Hero's room. It was very original and unlike many plays I've seen. If I saw this production again, I would understand a lot more and I would enjoy it a lot more as well.

The Hunger Games

            I admit it! I gave into reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. At first, I didn't understand the whole hype about The Hunger Games, but now I see why this book is a favorite of many people.The Districts that are in the book are very similar to a dystopia society, where the society you live in is characterized.  Although I haven't finished the book, the characters in this book are very unique and different. I have grown to like many of them.
            My first impression of Katniss Everdeen was that she was a very independent young mature teenager. Katniss still lives up to this impression. All the aspects of Katniss makes her seem so realistic and real. The fact that Katniss doesn't have a father to guide her and gently push her along the way is one of the reasons why she is so independent. I admire her a lot. Her strength and thrive to keep her family alive is what I admire most. "You can't clock out and leave Prim on her own. There's no me now to keep you both alive. It doesn't matter what happens (35)." Katniss gives her mom a pep talk about how her mother has to support herself and Prim.  This part really made me wonder about how Prim and her mom would do on their own. Without Katniss, I think they would have a hard time coping with the things that Katniss did like hunting.
            The second character I got the chance of meeting was Gale. Let me just say, Gale is genuinely a kind boy. He's almost like Katniss's safety blanket because they both have a hunting friendly relationship together. I do feel like there is something more than a friendly relationship, but for now I can only assume that. Gale is the male figure in Katniss's life, even though Gale is slightly older than Katniss. Their friendship is so valuable and real. Gale seems very humble and adventurous. I can't really say much, but when Katniss is saying her goodbyes with Gale at the Justice Building, I can see that Gale really cares about her.
          Lastly, there is Peeta Mellark. From what I've seen so far, Peeta is the kindest boy I've ever met. Although him and Katniss have to "fake" a friendship, I believe that they both care about each other secretly. Since Katniss is some what poor, Peeta once helped Katniss out. "In his arms, he carried two large loaves of bread that must have fallen into the fire because the crusts were scorched black (30)." Peeta was willing to give Katniss bread when she was at the lowest point in her life. It was also mentioned in the book that Peeta was hit for doing such an act because his mother didn't like it when people picked through their trash for food. I find Peeta an amazing guy so far.
          I'm afraid that if I read the book too quickly that I would miss all the details. I truly do love this book so far. Its got me on my toes! I can already sense some kind of love triangle going on later on in the book/series. Ahhh let the games begin!

Letter About Romeo and Juliet

Dear beloved friend,
            I have recently just started reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. This is such a well known book and I'm really enjoying the first 20 or so pages that I've read! The puns and word play included in the book are humorous and makes the book even more enjoyable to read.
            I've noticed so far that the Montagues and the Capulets don't enjoy each others company very much. It confuses me because I don't know why they are holding grudges/are mad at each other. The two families keep fighting and Shakespeare leaves you hanging until you find out why they are really fighting. The quarrel between the two families, to me, is completely ridiculous and silly. Why aren't they able to solve their problems with each other? Anyway, Sampson, a servingman for the Capulets, grosses me out a little. I mean come on now. This just makes me wonder if they ever got punished for thinking these nasty thoughts, but then again, men are men.
            The text itself is a little harder to understand. There is a lot of old time English incorporated in the text which makes it harder to understand, but it makes you think. I'm so happy that there are translations on the left side of the page because it makes reading the book a lot more helpful and its easier to understand. If there weren't translations, I would be flipping through the dictionary every few seconds or so.
            This book is already so interesting, but Shakespeare leaves me more engaged on what is going to happen next! I still have many questions like why do the Montagues and Capulets hate each other? How did Romeo and Juliet start their romantic and hard suffering love journey together? These questions shall be answered as I read further into the book!

                                         Until next time,
                                              Michelle Wong :)

The Seeker (My Sonnet)

I look upon the world with open eyes,

Days past and for time seems so far yet close.

An erudite maiden sends her goodbyes.

They say I’ve got it, enough for a dose.

I adore this sphere, as do I love her.

The children lose their open want for air.

The time is ticking; it all turns to blur.

A tender promise shown with little care.

The seeking of thou is lost and hiding.

I want to see it all before I go.

A gift that values the sight of seeing,

Oh she blooms and learns, I watch as she grows.

To the world I’ll never leave, I thank you.

Spiritually I gaze from this calm view.

Sonnet 75 (Response to Poem)

So are you to my thoughts as food to life,
Or as sweet-season'd showers are to the ground;
And for the peace of you I hold such strife
As 'twixt a miser and his wealth is found;
Now proud as an enjoyer and anon
Doubting the filching age will steal his treasure,
Now counting best to be with you alone, 
Then better'd that the world may see my pleasure;
Sometime all full with feasting on your sight
And by and by clean starved for a look;
Possessing or pursuing no delight, 
Save what is had or must from you be took.
Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day, 
Or gluttoning on all, or all away.


            Sonnet 75 written by William Shakespeare is very different. The comparison of want and food is compatible. The narrator has this urgent need to see this girl that he wants. The way he compares it to food is unique because in order for us humans to live, we rely on food  because we need it. Without food, we'll die. As I read this sonnet, I didn't have a hard time understanding it because it was very simple and easy to comprehend.
            "Sometime all full with feasting on your sight (line 9)" shows the comparison to food. The narrator talks about how they are full from the sight of whoever they want. The following line talks about how they long for a look or a glance from the person they want. The way both of these lines are phrased shows the desperate need and attention that the narrator is seeking. Throughout the sonnet, the sign of desperation keeps reoccurring. 
            The narrator of this sonnet makes me chuckle and laugh. They seem very indecisive about what they want. For example, "Now counting best to be with you alone,/Then bettered that the world may see my pleasure," shows how the narrator is very indecisive. They say how one moment it is best to be alone with who they want, but then another moment it is best for the world to see the pleasure that the narrator is having. It is almost like the narrator wants the world to see the beauty of this person, but then they also want this person to themselves. 
          This sonnet was really enjoyable to read. Most of William Shakespeare's sonnet are love based, but what made this one special was the comparison to food, which is something we as consumers depend on. The narrator's indecisiveness made a drive for this sonnet. The desperation shown shows how the narrator would "die" without the person they want. All in all, this sonnet was very unique and one of the best that I've read this year. 

3 Poems

1. What is poetry...?

Poetry is the flow
of words running rampantly.
The rhythm taps along
with a
constant
beat.
The words express their feelings.

2. What happens to...?

What happens to those
who lose who they love?
The emptiness haunts them
like a non stop nightmare.
The absence of them is
still, quiet, and
lonely.

The old flashbacks
leads to us trying to seek solace.
But often it isn't there.
Flashbacks repair themselves
and create a pavement.

3. Artwork Poem
*** Can be found in  'Still Life With Black Clock by Paul Cézanne' post.

Still Life With Black Clock by Paul Cézanne

Still Life With Black Clock (1870)

            Paul Cézanne was born in the year 1839. As a child, his father was a strict hardened business man who treated him unfairly and strictly. Although that might not seem like the best relationship, Cézanne got along well with his mother and his sister. He went to law school in Aix. Soon enough, he also went to an informal art school called Atlelier Suisse and he began to doubt his ability to paint. After 5 months, he finally gave up and returned to working in his father's bank. Even though he gave up, he started trying to improve his skills by drawing delicated colors. He disliked it when spectators watched him as he painted. Most of the time Cézanne appeared to be shy, awkward, moody, and rude. You can kind of see this through his paintings too. Many think his paintings are violent and nightmarish. His paintings are mostly painted with dark colors. I think something that has led to this dark painting phase is because of his parent's passing. His mother's passing affected him alot too. In the 1890s time period, Cézanne began painting many portraits of family and friends, which I find interesting. It almost seems to me that he is trying to save the memories of these people onto canvas or a sheet of paper before they leave him too. Along with making beautiful artwork, Cézanne admired some well known artists like Rubens and Michelangelo. 

            The piece of artwork that captured my eye was the one above called Still Life With a Black Clock. One of the many things that I've noticed about this picture is that the clock doesn't have hands. This makes me wonder if it was done on purpose since the title of this piece is Still Life With a Black Clock . The clock not having hands could lead to time stopping or pausing for something. Or it could also possibly show how slow life is. I like how there are other objects in this painting. Even though it has been told that Cézanne's paintings are violentish, this piece of artwork is rather quite quiet and calm to me. I like that the background colors don't overpower the painting too much. The object that I like the most from the painting is the shell. I think it brings a lot of color to the room. It some what lights up the room. The detailing on the shell makes it look rough and bumpy. This is a weird observation, but the shell reminds me the sound of the ocean and the clock reminds me of a constant, steady tick. When you combine those two together, the sound that those two objects make together seems like it sounds very halcyon and tranquil. The interpretation that I have for this picture is that maybe Cézanne made this art work when he was in a quiet and calm state. Whenever I look at this picture, it reminds me of him sitting down painting to soothing quiet music. 

            This piece of artwork reminds me of memories. I know it's strange. All this thinking that I've been doing is strange, but the shell is what I've been focused on. The shell is so fragile and sometimes it's overlooked by us. The beauty inside it is magnificent and beautiful. The song of the sea is captured in a shell, big or small. Every shell has the sound of the sea within them. This reminds me of memories because all of our memories are collected and gathered together to compose all these bitter-sweet moments together. They migh be forgotten for awhile, but the fact is that these memories that we create never leave us. The sound of the sea will never be lost, simply because it stays within the shell. This is where the whole "calming" thing comes in too.  This also pops the question: why do some of us try to create memories that were never there? These memories become fake memories. They are almost like fantasy memories. They are unrealistic and are composed of all these thoughts and ideas that have never happened. 

The Nonexistent Memory 

Captured in a shell, is the sound of the ocean.

Like a memory.

What if it held something different?

Like a fake memory.

What if we could remember things

that we’ve never experienced?

Fiction.

If you remember something,

something that didn’t happen,

a fake memory,

then wouldn’t it be a dream?

Dreams and fantasies only go so far.

But what if fiction becomes

reality?