Zobeide Invisible Cities

Above is my very awesome English project. For my project I had to take a book that was in the textbook, but had not read. Then I had to study about it, write a paper on it and give a presentation to my class. We were allowed to get creative and do what we want.

So I decided to do a puppet show. Yes it is silly and no its not supposed to look professional. It was my 1st time doing a puppet show and making a movie. I was very excited and the fact that I got an "A" on it just makes me even more happy.

For my topic I focused on Italo Calvino's Invisible City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_Calvino

Invisible Cities is about a conversation between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan feels that his empire is failing and so he has Marco Polo tell him stories of the many wonderful places that he has been to. But the more Marco Polo tells Khan stories, the more the emperor begins to doubt Polo. About what?? Well that's something you will have to find out. :D

Now here is the back ground story to this video to see where I got the idea from. Remember the movie is not an actual representation of this part:

From there, after six days and seven nights, you arrive at Zobeide, the white city, well exposed to the moon, with streets wound about themselves as in a skein. They tell this tale of its foundation: men of various nations had an identical dream. They saw a woman running at night through an unknown city; she was seen from behind, with long hair, and she was naked. They dreamed of pursuing her. As they twisted and turned, each of them lost her. After the dream, they set out in search of that city; they never found it, but they found one another; they decided to build a city like the one in the dream. In laying out the streets, each followed the course of his pursuit; at the spot where they had lost the fugitive's trail, they arranged spaces and walls differently from the dream, so she would be unable to escape again.

This was the city of Zobeide, where they settled, waiting for that scene to be repeated one night. None of them, asleep or awake, ever saw the woman again. The city's streets were streets where they went to work every day, with no link any more to the dreamed chase. Which, for that matter, had long been forgotten.

New men arrived from other lands, having had a dream like theirs, and in the city of Zobeide, they recognized something from the streets of the dream, and they changed the positions of arcades and stairways to resemble more closely the path of the pursued woman and so, at the spot where she had vanished, there would remain no avenue of escape.

The first to arrive could not understand what drew these people to Zobeide, this ugly city, this trap.

This is only a part of the book and the part of the story. You will just have to find out what the actual conversation that took place between Kublai Khan and Marco Polo.

I hope you all like it. You can go to the youtube and leave comments there if you want to.

Enjoy!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wow, it is already thanksgiving. Not too long ago it was Halloween. As I get older, the years seem to go by faster, a part of me wants it all to slow down just so that I can ebjoy.

But at the same time I am very glad, because soon I will be done with my 1st full semester at Pellissippi State. Go me! It has been quite the challenge, but I am very glad that I went on and pushed through it.

Now this Thanksgiving I decided to do something I have never done before, really give thanks to all those in my life and why I am thankful.

Here it goes:

To...

• My Mother- she has always been there for me and listened to me and taught me how to deal with everything in life. She has taught me how to be a strong woman and have belief in myself.
• My Father- a strong man who taught me how to love my country and taught me to take pride in myself.
• My Brother, Sean- he taught me (and still is) teaching me patience. With him having autism, it is very hard and very frustrating. He also taught me to not judge, be afraid or uncomfortable with people who are different.
• My Grandma- she is such a hard worker and is always good for a laugh. She is very strong and has taught me a lot about where my family had come from. I'm so glad she lives with us.
• Amber- my dog, the biggest and most lovable ditz ever. She is hilarious and so insecure. But our family would not be complete without her.
• Christopher- my wonderful and amazing boyfriend, he has taught me so much that it would take a whole book to explain it all. But I will say is that he has brought a lot of laughter in my life, but also helped motivated me to become a better person for me, myself and no one else. That is the greatest gift he has given me.
• All my old friends- thank you. I have learned so much from all of you. Listening to all of you and learning from your lives has helped me appreciate my life more and taught me to look at life from another persons perspective. I hope that I will be able to hang out with you again soon.
• The random people I have met and haven't talked to since- although our encounters were brief, you have made and impact and taught me something as well. The lesson may have been small, it may have been big. The important thing is that you were at the right moment, at the right place, at the right time. Teaching me something new. Thank you
• Jessica- there have been many Jessica's in my life. My best friend from high school, and My big sister from Omega Phi Alpha are just a few. To My BFF from high school, thank you for all the wonderful times we had together, you were very optimistic, kind, passionate and very bubbly. You helped bring out the happy side in me. And to my big sister, you were so understanding, very awesome and you always helped me out, thank you. I know I haven't talked to both of you in a long time, but that changes now.
• Tanya- You are so sweet. I love your personality. I hope when I'm at your age, I'm still full of life, as kind, and as wonderful as you are. You were very helpful and so much fun to be with. Don't worry, you will see me again, you can't get rid of me.
• Meredith- I was so glad to have met you. There aren't many people I love, admire and respect and you are one of them. I know we haven't talked in a long time. But I remember all the times that we have spent together and they have made an impact on me. The next time I'm in town. Let's hang out and get some cake :D
• My cousins- I'm thankful that I have you. Although I don't know all of you as well as I would like, I still remember all the times we got together and it was so much fun. I would still nevertheless want to get to know all of you better and I hope that we could hang out and get to know each other even more.
• The rest of my extended family- the same goes to you as well. I'm thankful for all the cards and gifts you have sent me over the years, even though we don't always talk and see each other. I would love to spend time with all of you and get to know you better.
• Dr. Gray- an amazing Professor who has been so helpful to me this fall semester and so full of life. Her thirst for knowledge and desire to be a better person has inspired me greatly. Thank you
• Professor Rivers- who helped me speak out during class discussions and help me not stay in the background and taught me that yes my opinion matters too.
• Professor Byrd- who was so much fun and made literature very enjoyable. Which even though I am an English major, I have experienced teachers who were able to suck the life out of literature.
• My french Professor, Madame Gammon- thank you for your patience. Learning languages has always been hard for me. I had a speech problem when I was younger. So taking on French has been a challenge for me. But I appreciate the help and the enthusiasm that you exude. Thank you
• All the new friends I have made at Pellissippi- thank you for all the new memories that I have. I hope that I will be able to get to know all of you better.
• All the soldiers that are fighting and have fought- thank you, thank you, thank you. I honestly can't thank you enough for fighting for this country. It is a hard job and you go through more pain, hardship and struggle that most people would see in a lifetime. I'm proud of you, even if I don't know you. Keep up the good work, don't get discouraged, and have faith.
• The founding fathers and mothers of this country- I thank you for fighting for freedom, I thank you for making the sacrifices that you did. We can never truly understand that hardships that you went through. Do not worry, your sacrifice will not have been in vain. I will never forget.
• All those who do not like me- thank you too. You have taught me to ignore what you think of me, to not care about how you feel about me, and how to just live me life as though you were not there. And if I had to work with you, you have taught me how to show respect to others and to be kind and compassionate towards others, even if I did not receive it in return. Thank you.
• St. Joan of Arc- one of my biggest inspiration and someone who I hope to be like. She is a woman of strength, wisdom, and strong faith. She led an army of men and between the ages of 14-16. I thank her for all the times she has listened to me. She is like a friend that I wish to one day meet.
• God- For everything. My family, friends,me, my dog, boyfriend, and all of those in my life. For giving me strength when I needed it, listened to me and for every time he forgave me.
• Myself- Yes this one is very weird, but I am thankful for me too. I am thankful that I have become a better woman over the past 2 years. That I have become more motivated and that I have been working with more determination to reach my goals. That I have taken life by the reigns and took charge of it. I am thankful for what I was, for what I am now, and what I will become.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy the food, the family and most importantly have fun!

Stuck in a Rut

For the past month I have been feeling stuck in a funk. I have gotten behind in my classes, my grades haven't been as up to my standards and I feel overwhelmed by it all.

Reasons for being behind:

1.) Bound to happen, after all more homework is assigned throughout the semester and so occasionally something will slip through the cracks.

2.) My boyfriend was visited me for 2 1/2 weeks.... I love him, but because I enjoy so much time with him, he can also be a distraction. A good one, but also bad because I have other things I have to work on as well.

3.) Thinking that I have enough time to do everything I want.

4.) Extracurricular Activities, same as above. I just have to remember to prioritize.

5.) Bad Habits die Hard! After all this is the 1st time I am really trying to put effort into my schooling, not procrastinate and still have fun. I'm not used to that.

So my awesome game plan is this.....I'm doing it on here to keep myself accountable, if people know it, I will think, "Oh shot," I really have to do this.

1.) Finish My English Proposal

2.) Study French Vocabulary

3.)Finish Puppet Show Script for English Project

4.) Finish Designing and making Puppets

5.) Finish Set/Scenery

6.) Read over Madame Bovary

7.) Read over the Death of Ivan Ilyich

8.) Study for French Test

9.) Study For World Lit

10.) Put together movie project for english- reason for all the puppet talk

11.) Finish reading Ch.9 for World Religions

12.) Get ahead in math

Wow I have a lot to do. I know I can do it I just have to kick my butt into gear, motivate myself and remember my goals. Right now My goal is to get all A's so that way I will be able to get a job next semester without it upsetting my parents. My parents are very much that I should focus on just my grades, but with how things are changing, I know that there are many companies/ business, etc that won't hire someone unless they have had job/ leadership experience of sorts.

I try telling this to my parents, but I don't think they understand or they honestly believe that they will look at my grades more. Oh well I shall just work within their rules.

Anywho I have a goal and a mission. By this time next week I will post my awesome project up that I will have presented to my Lit. class. Wish me luck!