Al St. Louis

The presentation that was watched yesterday (guest speaker... Al St. Louis) was fairly interesting. But im not going to lie, the highlight was when he yelled out "Pull up your pants boy! It aint that big... I know... I have one!" Come on guys I know that was your favourite part too.

The speaker was hilarious. He was a very effective public speaker because of the fact that he used so many expressions, and memorized his poems, and rarely blanked out when reading his poems (.... but on every thing else... ahem...). It was so funny and I was laughing the whole time.

The only thing I would have liked about the presentation would be to hear more poems. He presented two, which is still good, but I would rather have heard the poems instead of his outlook on life and how we should always be learning (which was still good) but hearing more poems would have helped with our calss unit.

Incident while walking home

Today my friend phoned me up around 7 o clock. She was walking home through an area which I will not mention. All of a sudden I heard a loud BANGGGGG, and it sounded exactly like a gun shot. She heard it too, and we were both freaking out on the phone. Then I proposed the idea that maybe it was something using firecrackers. Then someone comes up out of no where and yells "GUUUUNNN SHHOOOTTT"... so obvoisly we were both scared but it did not seem to be anywhere around her. This was not unusual in this particular area. Still... it was 7 o clock inthe evening... what are people doing with their lives? The chaos was soon followed by police sirens... so hopefully everything goes okay there. Luckily, my friend reached home safely.

She told me about another incident which she witnessed around the same area. She cannot avoid it as this is the fastest route to her house. It was evening time (again.. not late at all) and she witnessed 3 guys beating up a guy in a wheelchair. I think this is so ridiculous that our world has come to this. Our society has become so dependant and used to violence, especially on those who are weak and are unable to defend themselves.

I was telling my mom this story, and she then she told me about how a little old lady probably around 75 years of age was wearing a gold chain.. and a fewguys came up to her with the intentions of robbing it. Knowing this, she told them to take it, but not to harm her. And what do they do? They RIP it off her neck (leaving bruises) and PUSH her down stairs. If she is giving you the necklace with just a request to not hurt her as she is fragile, why cant you just take it and scamper off into the jungle you came out of? I dont understand these types of people... how they got into such a degrading "occupation" such as robbing people and pushing them around. Neighborhood bullies turn into wild hooligans, then make children who turn out the same, and it is like one vicious cycle. Like seriosly, go to university or college or something, make something of yourself, learn a skilled trade and make REAL money. How can you go to bed at night knowing your such a waste of space? I would not be able to live with myself. I hope those people that hurt that little old lady get the lesson they deserve.

Im sorry if this post seemed a little negative... or harsh... but it feels good to get that off my chest :).

Prayer to Laughter

While working on my Poetry Anthology, I came across a poem, that for some reason i fell in LOVE with. Its just a simple little poem, but I dont know why.. it realllllly appeals to me. It makes me snicker. I shared it with my parents, and brothers as well.

PRAYER TO LAUGHTER by John Agard

O Laughter
giver of relaxed mouths

you who rule our belly with tickles
you who come when not called
you who can embarass us at times

send us stitches in our sides
shake us till the water reaches our eyes
buckle our knees till we cannot stand

we whose faces are grim and shattered
we whose hearts are no longer hearty
O Laughter we beg you

crack us up
crack us up

I think its so amazing how someone can chose a simple topic like "laughter" and create a piece using it, just by playing around with interesting words that connect to the original topic. I wish I could have used this piece for my anthology but it didnt relate to my original theme. I espeically love the choice of words in this poem. Anyone can choose random words to make a poem about laughter. But, for example, the sentence "you who rule our belly with tickles". What made him choose the word "rule" rather than something like... "give our belly tickles"... or something along the lines of that. The writer of this poem used very good poetic devices. Though there is no rhyming, it is still very affective.

This poem was from the book "Classic Poems to Read Aloud", selected by James Berry. This book has a very unique taste of different poems and I found it very useful for my anthology, but also a good read for when I am bored.

Twilight

Okay... soo I just watched Twilight yesterday night, and all I have to say is now I understand what all the hype is about.

I am someone who has never read a sentence of the books, never watched an interview with the cast, have never even seen a commercial for the movie (don't really get to watch TV anymore)... and never even heard of the books before I saw Fawziya reading them... but I LOVEDDD the movie!!!! It got some really bad reviews but I absolutely LOVED IT! The cast did an amazing job and there was sooooooo much chemistry with all the characters... I felt like another one of those crazy hard-core fans when watching the movie. I was like "OH MY GOD" and "AWWWW" throughout the whole movie! I got really into it.

I cant wait to actually read the books. Maybe during the Christmas break when I get bored, I will read them. But yeah the movie was awesome and I recommend anyone to go watch it. Many people think its a chick flick.. and yes there were moslty girls in the theatre but I think anyone can enjoy it. Even if you know nothing about it from before (like me), you will enjoy it!

Room -at night

Somehow it seems that the feeling in this room has been sucked out now. It is dark outside, the light is on. Some of the objects have been moved around, probably by my mother. There are a few books lying around now that shouldnt be. The carpet needs to be vacuumed.. which is probably what I will do once I finish this blog.

There is light swarming inside this room. Then why isnt it lightning up my mood? For some reason the foggy day was better. Maybe becuase it included natural light.. light that you cannot get from a bulb. Also, the light in this room is white which looks very unnatural to me. There are not as many shadows now. The television is on so it does not seem gloomy. The room was better in the morning because it added a little bit of a touch, a homely feeling. Now it just seems like every other room.

Poetry from the Newspaper #2.

A Canadian veteran of World War One
He was 34 when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force,
Halfway through the year second year of World War Two,
Winning didnt look like a sure thing for the allies.
From here we sit,
history always looks inevitable.
Men who served along my father,
will go down to a few dozen.
My brother remembers his medals showing up in the mail on a saturday,
almost a decade after the war had ended,
He never really thought he'd risked his life.

Poetry from the Newspaper # 1.

Knives come out,
Be aware,
Difficult relationships,
Burning up,
Tension stirring up,
Dishing the dirt,
Ongoing problems,
Violence everywhere,
Seldom listening,
Extensive talking,
Why cant we,
communicate with words...
Rather than weapons?

Obama... centre of paparazzi?

I was reading the newspaper and on the front was a picture of Obama. But this was not a usual picture.. you know the one where hes wearing a suit, giving a speech in front of a crowd.. saying "YES WE CAN!". No.. it was not like that at all. It actually looked like a Paparazzi shot.. becuase he was coming out of a private area.

Then I opened a People magazine... something I do very often. I spotted another candid picture of Obama... Where he was just getting out of a car in normal Saturday afternoon attire. Has he become yet another celebrity which paparazzi are dying to get their cameras on? Whats going on?

I am all for Obama as president, but I am hoping people do not like him for the wrong reasons. I mean if they see him in a magazine perhaps NOT looking his best, maybe in sweats, or if he has put on a little weight, is this going to affect our view on him? It has not done Britney much justice thats for sure...

Hopefully Obama will be treated like a PRESIDENT and not the object of paparazzi desire inthe time of his duration as President. I think he deserves that respect at least.

Also... something that has brought up my attention.. is how people are questioning whether he is going to be the next Hitler. I find this sort of funny... because Hitler also promised changed to his nation and was loved by the majority of his country... but anyway only time will tell.

Albert Austin

Albert Edison Austin was born to a rich and honoured family. His dad was on the Board of Directors for the Dominion Bank and was well respected in his community. He also had a brother whom he loved with all his heart.

Throughout his life, Albert has difficulty trying to live up to his father. He was well known by his community and people everywhere knew who he was the son of. When you have a dad like that, it is difficult live up to his name. At the same time, Albert was finding it hard to keep up with his studies and found pastimes like sports more interesting. He had no way to tell this to his father, though. He did not want to dissappoint his dad. He was reaching a point in his life where he was drifting further and further away from his dad. Also, Albert Sr. was busy as the Dominion Bank of Canada was expanding and opening more locations. After a while, Albert only saw his dad a few times a week.

This allowed him to become closer with his mother. He would help her cook, take her on horse rides around town and help her clean up the house. He would do anything for his mother. One day, Albert broke down to his mother. He told her that he was having an awful time at school, especially in arithmetic, English and French. He told her that he wanted to join the faculty of arts at U of T, and not the business school like his father wanted him to. She told him not to worry and that she would talk to Albert Sr. about this when the time was necessary. But Albert was worried as it was his last year of high school and he needed to decide his path soon.

One night Mrs. Austin talked to Albert Sr. about her son. She told him everything Albert had told her. ALbert Sr. stormed out of the house... he felt he had enough stress from work and that this was not acceptable. He felt that he had worked very hard in his life to help his family come this far, and the least Albert Jr. could do was carry on the family name and get a job at the Dominion Bank after recieving a degree in Public Finances.

Fights arose between the two Alberts. Day after day, night after night, they could not come to a conclusion by negotiating. One night, after hours of arguement, Albert's younger brother Bobby came up to his father.

"Daddy... why are you so worried? I am planning on going to business school... so I can carry on the family fame."

Albert Sr. realized that his son was right. He could pass on all his business expertise to Bobby, not Albert. This way Albert could have what he wanted, and he would still have a son who would be doing what he wanted.

Albert Austin grew up to be a physical education teacher at East York Collegiate Institute. His brother, Bobby, became president of the Dominion Bank of Canada. Albert married a native american woman and had 3 children, and Bobby married as well and had 2 children.

Room - in the afternoon

This room seems a little narrower than I remember it. Its the study... and I am rarely in this room but it is the only room where there is no noise and there are no distractions right now. There are no lights on right now so the sun is housing the light in this room today. The day is foggy and not very pleasant. That is probably why the mood in this lonely room is so bare. It is not lit up and happy. Instead, it is very ... blah. The word does not come to mind but for some reason "blah" fits right in there. Now I know why I do not spend a lot of time here.

The objects in the room are all placed in the perfect positions, as if they have not been touched for years. Though, there is not a single speck of dust on any of the frames, desks, etc. The shadows are very vague, but this is not a bad thing. They add a little bit of an artistic touch. Sort of a gloomy feeling to it. The lack of light in this room gives it a spooky touch,even though it is only 12:51 in the afternoon. Why is it that shadows do so much to an image? I think they are one of the best types of imagery, becuase of the lack of colour, intensity, and description. But you can find out so much from the descriptions of shadows, becuase it allows the mind the wander.

In the distance I can hear my family bantering. But for some reason, being in this room right now, it allows me to disregard all those noises and just focus on this blog. It is almost as if the room has taken away the other "stuff" from the home. I think I will start to come here more often.

Sitcom English

I was reading the newspaper and an article caught my eye. It was basically a picture of a TV set and some students in a university watching it. Then I started reading the article and there is a class at U of T called Sitcom English! This is basically a class which studied sitcoms... and I thought this was the coolest thing ever! They watch sitcoms in class and then analyze them. This is basically the perfect class for me (even though I wouldn't be able to take it because the program is completely different from the one I am going into). Anyway, I though this was so cool because it is one class that you could never get bored in and would always be laughing. And I would actually look forward to going to class! Plus, I probably would have seen most of the sitcoms!

There are a lot of interesting classes out there that people can take. There is no excuse for not going to university or college anymore. There is something for everyone to take. My brother was just telling me the other day, there there is a class called Witchcraft, and they study the myths and history of "Witchcraft". See, there is something for everyone!

I kind of forgot to write my blogs for last week so here I go...

So the other day I was taking the train to the mall. For some reason it was really packed, I think because the service was really slow that day because of an accident or something. Anyway I was standing and holding the top bar, and an old man sitting in front of me with a sketch pad and a pencil in his hand. I was not really paying attention to him because I was too busy getting p.oed at the main behind me with the 200 pound backpack who was pushing me. Anyway, I happened to look down at the small man, and noticed he was drawing something. I saw his sketch pad and then noticed he was drawing people on the train!
Then I squinted and saw that he had drawn a very light sketch. It was basically outlines, but I could see my hair, glasses, and what I was wearing... which was a white sweater with black pants. The old man was drawing me! At first I was going to say something, but then I noticed that it was not really detailed of my face, but rather just an outline and he was drawing other people on the train as well! He never caught me looking at him though. He just kept sketching away.
Then my stop was approaching so I was moving towards the door. Then I glanced at him, and as soon as he noticed that I was gone, he flipped the page to the next one and began to draw someone else!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRR. . . .

I do not get VERY angry that often, but when I do, it is pretty bad. One thing that I can think of that makes my blood boil and makes my ears steam, is when I work REALLY hard on a project or assignment and I get a really low mark that I clearly did not deserve. If I slack off and procrastinate when doing the project, then I understand if I receive a bad mark. But when I know that I have put in my blood, sweat and tears, then I know that the judgment of the marking was not done properly. Then, it what adds on to my anger is when someone who slapped something together in 13.9 minutes got like a 90%. The reason this gets me really mad is that I knew that I worked really hard and took so much time to make the project or assignment precise and perfect. Another part is when I receive a bad mark and the teacher does not even explain what I did wrong, with no rubric, but just a mark on the back of the assignment. This shows to me that the teacher is probably not marking for criteria but rather what his or her mood is that day!! Okay, that may not be the case, but at least pin point what the student is doing wrong1 That really gets my blood boiling!!!

HAAPPYYY

I cannot really think of something that ALWAYS makes me happy (though ice cream cake comes pretty close), but a time that I was happy for seven days straight was when I went to
Cuba. I was literally all smiles, twirls, and was singing all the time. I was at one of the most beautiful resorts, and the feeling just made you so fulfilled. First, I went in the Winter so I got to get away from the devastating cold. Then, basically EVERYTHING was available at the resort. They had like every flavour of ice cream, any drink, and the most amazing food. And even if you were hungry or thirsty at like 4 AM, you could go grab something.
Every night they had a play or dance show that they would perform. This was usually an hour and a half and was so interesting. Everyone would gather around to watch them. Then after they would have dance clubs and stuff, but I was not old enough to get in, so my parents would let me and my older brothers explore the resort. There was a pool there, so we would go swimming. This was especially fun at night because no one else would be there, so we would have the ENTIRE pool to ourselves (and it was HUGE!!!!). They also had a bar IN the pool! How cool is that?! On days when we didnt go swimming, my bros and I would go play foosball or pool. One time some other kids challenged us to foosball, but we sooo kicked ass!
There was also the beautiful beach that my family and I would go to during the days sometimes. They had awesome drinks there and a lot of people went sailing and took water skis out. Also, at the resort, they offered really cheap massages and they had hot tubs which people could go to.
I realllllllllly miss the week I was at Cuba. I would do anything to go back to the same resort we were at for another week. That was the one thing that made me happier than I had ever been :).

Conversation between two people on the bus

Person 1: Its so chilly I had to take out my scarf and mits today
Person 2: I know! Just last week it felt like summer.
(Long Pause...)
1: You know the second time I thought he was going to stop. Really.. because he sounded so sure of himself.
2: Well you dont know what to think these days. You know with the internet they can do anything... ( missed the end of the sentence...)
1:Hes fixing my garage door next week though so that should keep him busy.
2: Did the insurance company call you back yet?
1: Yea but they said I have to wait about a week how am i supposed to wait that long so i asked him to try to fix it if he could for the time being. im not going to have an open garage door you know so he was nice enough to offer.
2: Thats good.
1: Is this the stop? (looking out the window)
2: I think it is the next one.

.... The two old ladies walk to the front so they can get a better view. So this was the conversation. Im not too sure what it was about exactly but I have a feeling the man they were talking about was probably person 1's son, and the other lady was a very close friend. They were all bundled up with scarves, gloves, a HUGE jacket. But I dont blame them because it was a really cold day.