Secret Guard

As I've already mentioned, at Hailsham (in Never Let Me Go, of course. You need to pay more attention!) guardians are basically teachers. You'll need to remember this for later on. Without further ado, in this section of flashbacks, Kathy talks about how her relationship with Ruth started. While they are in the same year, they'd never really crossed paths until one day in the sand pit, Ruth gets angry at two girls sitting behind Kathy. Kathy describes that all she wished for at that moment was for Ruth to see that Kathy was not with the other girls, that she was not part of Ruth's problem. So basically, she was a little intimidated/afraid of Ruth. The next incident mentioned is when Kathy's around seven or eight. Ruth asks her if she wants to ride any of her horses (imaginary horses). They ride around and bond over the different horses, but Ruth seems frustrated at the end when Kathy isn't "riding correctly" and makes her lead the horses back to their stables. Out of nowhere, Ruth mentions Miss Geraldine, a sweet, soft-tempered guardian (see, told you), asking if Kathy likes her. Kathy replies in the affirmative. And this is where Ruth mentions the "Secret Guard" and almost begrudgingly lets Kathy into this prestigious club. Apparently Ruth and her friends think someone is planning to kidnap Miss Geraldine and the Secret Guard collect evidence against people, blaming (between themselves) random people for being at the head of the conspiracy. They never actually do anything to protect Miss Geraldine, instead just continuing to "gather evidence."
Miss Geraldine is the root of the problems Kathy and Ruth start having. Ruth always hints that Miss Geraldine favors her over all the other students and finally that Miss Geraldine gave her this really pretty pencil case. She never directly says this so Kathy cannot confront her. So she comes up with a plan to figure out the truth, because she believes Ruth just bought it from the Sale (the Sale is where the children get all their stuff, clothes, toys, gadgets, etc.). She tells Ruth she was looking at the register, where all the information on what was bought lies. Ruth responds to this worriedly; she knows Kathy has figured out Miss Geraldine definitely did not give Ruth that pencil case. Instead of getting angry, though, and getting back at Kathy, Ruth becomes downcast, and Kathy feels sorry. She makes mentions about how Miss Geraldine favors Ruth to make amends.
This section seems a little unimportant to me, but I guess it must be setting up Ruth's character and her relationship with Kathy for further down the road. Not much to say about this section other than GET TO THE POINT! I just want to know what is going on with Hailsham, why Madame is afraid of the children, why Miss Lucy says the children should know more? So many unanswered questions, it makes my brain go fuzzy.

Round 6

So, national public radio has this contest called Three Minute Fiction where ordinary people submit short, fictional stories. They have several rounds, each round judged by a different person, each judge setting certain parameters the author must write within. Round 6 stories must contain someone telling a joke, and someone laughing. I read several stories from Round 6, but my favorite one went by the name of Soft-Shoe by Cynthia Gunadi. A father lies in his hospital bed, unable to answer to his 6 year old son's jokes, unable to ask his weeping mother-in-law to leave. He describes his son, Joseph, and his routine, how Joseph would ask him a joke, and he would return with another. The narrator describes himself as "practically vegetal" but able to respond with groans, twitching limbs, hoping Joseph realizes he's trying to "convey all the knock-knock [he] knows." The thing that gives him away, communicates to Joseph and his mother-in-law that he is still there, is when he breaks wind, reaching through his mother-in-laws sobs and causing her to snicker.
The really sad part about this tragic, yet quietly funny story is that this little boy has practically lost both of his parents. Apparently his mother already passed away and now his father is trapped inside his own body. While I'm always up for a sad story, I like the way Gunadi inserted humor at the end, lifting the characters spirits and mine along with it.

Sweet Discombobulation!

Ah books! The way you speak to me is magical, however sometimes I feel like you're speaking a different language. Okay, maybe it's not THAT dramatic, but I feel like Never Let Me Go is a fast moving carousel, that likes to switch directions every five seconds, and I'm still standing outside the gate, waiting to be let on by the teenage ticket-taker, too busy reading her tabloid magazine to notice my hand waving paper in her face. Nice image right? I know I'm so proud. So Kathy H. is a "carer" and so far I still have no idea what that means. I know the story begins when she's older, but as of late she's been having many flashbacks to when she was 12, going off on tangents about her years as a Hailsham student. Their traditions and schedules are odd to me, and I find myself wondering if they've ever been out of "school?" To further clarify, here are some thoughts directly from my brain (you're so lucky, I know), "It seems like these kids never really had a life before they started at Hailsham...Do they have families? Did they start "school" at birth? Do they get a summer? Any time off? What is the deal!?!" Stimulating, wasn't it? Back to the point. Kathy describes the guardians, which are more or less teachers at the school. Apparently, Miss Emily is the head guardian and is very intimidating, although she's softspoken. Miss Lucy seems like a more rebellious guardian, perhaps because she speaks about the gallery directly to the students. The gallery is a collection of the "best" creative works from students, gathered 3-4 times a year by "Madame." Kathy's friend Ruth is convinced that Madame is afraid of the students and they set out to discover whether her claim rings true. Apparently it does, because when they approach her, Madame stiffens. Doesn't gasp or shriek. Just freezes and holds her breath. Like she's afraid they're going to brush against her. Kathy (older Kathy) hints at Hailsham's main objective at this point. She says "there are people out there, like Madame, who don't hate you or wish you any harm, but who nevertheless shudder at the very thought of you-of how you were brought into this world and why-and who dread the idea of your hand brushing against theirs." It gives more detail of what Hailsham's all about, but still lacks the ultimate epicenter of the purpose of the place. I'm really looking forward to figuring this mystery out. Oh, one more thing. There's this really creepy part where Kathy mentions the woods, and how everyone's afraid of them, who even sob just looking at them at night. There's a story, that once a boy who had a row (fight, for all those who are not as versed in real English as I ;) with his mates (friends) and ran into the woods. Days later, apparently, his body was found tied to a tree, the hands and feet cut off. Gross, right? I'm curious what role the woods will play in Kathy's ultimate story... I must read on!

Never Let Me Go

So I'm really confused by this book I'm reading. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is about three kids who live in England and go to a boarding school, apparently called Hailsham. What I've discovered so far is that Kathy is friends with a group of girls, who all revolve around the character of Ruth. She's kind of like the ring leader I guess. And their acquaintance/friend (it hasn't been distinguished thus far) Tommy has anger management issues I guess. He's really good at football (England's soccer) and is all psyched when they're warming up and when it gets around to picking teams, he doesn't even get chosen. So he starts throwing a temper tantrum, which by what Kathy says (she's the narrator) I assume to be a common occurrence. Kathy keeps commenting on how he's going to get his favorite shirt all dirty and when she brings this up with Tommy himself, he becomes even more enraged and yells at her. Later he apologizes, in the midst of another odd common occurence: the children must have checkups and wait in line on the stairs for them. They're checked for health development.

I'm not sure what's going on in the book at this point. I feel like I'm walking around blindfolded. It's discombobulating, but the curiosity is too great for me to stop reading. Let the confusing novel unfold!

Poetry At Its Best Changes Things

In 2010 I happened upon a special on HBO - the Brave New Voices 2010 Poetry Slam. Four teams of teenagers from around the United States competing, using poems they wrote themselves, after training year round. This poem, by Denver’s Eli Lynch, Elizabeth Cheever and Libby Howard really stuck with me. I am not a poet myself, but if I was I would have wanted to be up there with them, yelling these words through the mic. You should know, before you watch this, that the judges at this slam never gave a score below an 8, on a 10 point scale, although I believed several competitors deserved less than 5’s. The audio in this video is not the greatest so I apologize, I can’t post the words here or it’ll qualify as plaigarism. Just try to listen as best you can. I also recommend Brave New Voices - Childhood, Amber Alert and Favorite Color.

Music and Emotions

Another reference to the legit website that is Stumbleupon.com. Oh how you make my world so much more interesting. Please, if you value any music whatsoever, go to stereomood.com. No matter what mood you're in they will have music to match. Or if you want to change your mood, they have music for that. Just click an emotion. feeling, activity, etc. sit back and listen to the music that unfolds before you. My friend and I are currently listening to peaceful, complete with beautiful piano covers, instrumental songs, string solos and I could go on forever. Needless to say, if we weren't peaceful before, we sure are now. I've been eating sweet tarts for the past hour and a half, and earlier was running around out in the blizzard and could fall asleep, just by listening to this playlist. As I'm obsessed with music and am always looking for the next big thing, I could not be happier. Good night everyone. Have fun getting snowed in. Don't forget to have french toast for breakfast tomorrow. I know I won't.

C'Est La Vie

As the adept advisor to the students of Homestead (Benji of the Benjicast on Facebook) so eloquently put it.....SNOWMAGEDDON '11 is here! That's right everybody, up to 22 inches of snow/sleet/freezing rain is going to effect 22 states starting at 3 pm tonight. Now I am no meteorologist and I will not be studying to become one anytime soon (but as my mom would say "you never know.") but that, ladies and gentleman, seems like it's going to be a DOOZY. In fact the NWS has issued a blizzard warning for our area. Ah well, c'est la vie. (la vie).

So, speaking of things being issued this week, my ETY teacher gave us all an assignment due today: blog about a website you love or a book you love. Seeing as I've already blogged about a website (see Shed A Little Light On The Subject) I might as well blog about my favorite book of all time. This book is one of many: it's part of the most popular book series of all time. Harry Potter. To speak of one Harry Potter is to speak of them all so I can't just pick one favorite. BUT if I had to choose it would of course be the Deathly Hallows (the last book for all those who are unwitting of the genius that is J.K. Rowling) I don't know what it is about the series that I love: the magic, the wizard battles, the suspense, the love between friends and family, the romance between Harry and Ginny and Hermione and Ron (all that sexual tension FINALLY being resolved, thank the Lord). Maybe it's that my dad started reading the series to my sister and me when I was only three years old. No wonder Harry, Hermione and Ron are old friends of mine. That's the thing about a super long series: you've been with them through thick and thin, for everything, and with a great book you feel what the characters feel, you crave justice, that the bad guys will be brought to a dramatic and everlasting end. Like in the Toy Story series. The third was long awaited but for all the people who grew up with Woody and Buzz it was like seeing old friends, waving at you as they pass by. If Toy Story 3 didn't make you cry, then you must have a really tough exterior because I wept like a baby. Same goes for Harry Potter. The final book of this amazing series was bittersweet (and the affair that started when I was just entering kindergarten will end when I'm seventeen years old when the final movie explodes into theatres this summer). I wanted to know what would happen but I will always miss my magical friends. Which might explain why I've read it over ten times (and it's a big book). I love all that is Harry Potter (I've even got a wand!) and I will continue my love for The Boy Who Lived long after the last movie has come out. All I can say is thank you, J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter was my childhood. I spent fourteen years with them and it has been one heck of a ride.