"Mauritius"

"Mauritius" is a play that is about a girl who had two Mauritius "Post Office" stamps: "One Penny" and "Two Pence" and tried to sell them. They were worth a lot because people supposed to print "Post Paid" on a stamp, not "Post Office" as these two Mauritius stamps. There were only five hundred of each value printed at that time. In the play, the main character, Jackie had both of them which belonged to her step-sister, Mary's grandfather. They supposed to belong to Mary after their mother's death but Mary wasn't here when their mother was dying. Mary wanted them back but Jackie wanted to sell them because they were worth a lot.

One of the themes in the play is different people have different opinions. In the "Mauritius", Jackie and Dennis wanted to sell the two "Post Office" stamps in exchange of money. Mary and Philip were kind of opposite. They thought these two stamps were belonged to the world, not for a specific person or for the money.

Another example of the play is to believe yourself and not to believe what you are not sure. Mary and Philip lie to Jackie that the two "Post Office" weren't real. Jackie believed them and let them get the stamps. She shouldn't believe her and asked some evidences about the two stamps.

In my opinion, I think Mary was the right person and she had the right to get the stamps. It is because those stamps were from her own grandfather, not Jackie's grandfather. She was the only one who had the right to decide the stamps' future --- were sold or sat at a museum. Also, I think she should help Jackie to solve the problem of her bills by selling them. Comparing this to my older sister, I think we have better relationship than they had. Although we always have fights, the fights aren't that big and we will talk happily a second after. I think it is a interesting play.

O Brother, Where ART Thou? <-----> The Alchemist

The movie "O Brother, Where ART Thou?" has some similarities and differences between the book "The Alchemist". In the "The Alchemist", Santiago has to start a journey in order to find his treasure. In the movie " O Brother, Where ART Thou?", the main characters Everett, Pete and Delmar also have a journey to find their treasure. The difference is that they are not alone in their journey. Although they sometimes would have different opinions at different things. At least, they can have someone to save each other when they meet some challenges. They can use teamwork to solve the problem together. In the book "Lirael", the main character, Lirael, released a Free Magic dangerous creature inside the library. Although she held it inside the room, her spell couldn't held it that long and forever. She needed to find the way to bind it. Her new and only friend, the Disreputable Dog, brought her courage to face the dangerous creature. That is why Everett, Pete, and Delmar might have a easier time than Santiago.

Santiago's Decision?! Sabriel's Decision?! CONNECTION!!

In "The Alchemist", Santiago decided to tell the chieftains about the omen he observed from the two hawks. He discovered that the oasis was dangerous and he wanted to do something to help with this bad situation. He knew if it wasn't true, it will bring him the death only. In his situation, he was so confusion what to do next.



This scene remained me that "Sabriel" seemed had a similar situation. Sabriel decided to go to the Wyverley College to get more helpers to destroy the Kerrigor's "body". She knew that this decision will bring her classmates danger only. She had no choice and it was her responsibility to save the world. The similarity between these two decision is they both had a chance to cause death after they decided to do it. The difference between them is Santiago's decision might cause his own death but Sabriel's decision might cause her classmates' death, not her own.

At the end of "Sabriel", Sabriel's decision caused some of her classmates and teachers dead. I think it still worth it because it saved the other people.

"You lose something small but you get something big back."

However, I still haven't finished "The Alchemist" yet. I am so excited to know what is going to happen next. ( > v < )

Symbols in The Alchemist

Symbol #1 --- Crystals

Definition : (noun)

1. A homogeneous solid formed by a repeating, three-dimensional pattern of atoms, ions, or molecules and having fixed distances between constituent parts.

2. A mineral, especially a transparent form of quartz, having a crystalline structure, often characterized by external

3. A high-quality, clear, colorless glass.planar faces.

Background :
1. There are a form where the atoms, molecules, ions and particles arranged in an organized 3 Dimension way.

2. This word is derived from the ancient Greek word κρύσταλλος (krustallos) which means "ice" and "freezing".

3. In literature, they have the meaning of "pureness" and "cleanness".

My thought :

In my memory, I think crystals are the most expensive things in the world and only the rich people can have a chance to get them. They are "living" in a worth, clean and the best world. In "The Alchemist", I think they are the symbols of the cleanness and the importance of the Personal Legends. Crystals bring me the feelings of pureness and happiness. It just likes when someone reach his/her own Personal Legend, they are successful in his/her life. It means he/she is the highest person than anybody else. Crystals are seemed the most beautiful, highest things in the world, just like the people aren't like the one who gives up to reach their Personal Legends. It means if Santiago reaches his Personal Legend, he would become the top one in his life.

Symbol #2 --- Narcissus

Definition : (noun)
1. Any bulbous plant belonging to the genus Narcissus, of the amaryllis family, having showy yellow or white flowers with a cup-shaped corona.

2. The flower of any of these plants.

Background :

1. ( Classical Mythology ) A youth who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool and wasted away from unsatisfied desire, where upon he was transformed into the flower.

2. ( 1983 Film : Black Narcissus ) It is a psychological drama about the emotional tensions, based on the novel of the same name by Rumer Godden.

3. ( Painting : Narcissus ) It is a painting by an Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, 1597~1599, Oil in Canvas, 110 cm × 92 cm (43 in × 36 in).

My thought :

When I hear the word "Narcissus", my brain would appear the story of Narcissus immediately, rather than that type of flowers. I think the appearance of the flower narcissus has some relationships with the mythology "Narcissus". The flower narcissus gives people a feeling of pure and angelical because of the white color. The people who are narcissus may think they have the most beautiful and pureness face in the world so they are kind of connect each other.

Symbol #3 --- Alchemy /Alchemists

Definition : (noun)

1. A person who is versed in or practices alchemy. (Alchemist)

2. A form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life. (Alchemist)

3. Any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value. (Alchemist)

Background :

1. (Film : The Alchemist) It is a 1984 film about a man who desires to avenge a curse placed on him by an evil magician.

2. (Japanese Manga : Fullmetal Alchemist) It is about two alchemists brothers who want to restore their bodies after a disastrous failed attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy.

3. (Band : Alchemist) It is an Australian heavy metal from Canberra, combining death metal, progressive rock, psychedelic, Eastern, aboriginal, and electronic influences.

My thought :

In my opinion, I think the alchemy is kind of the same as the magic. The only difference is the alchemy is used by the chemical rules, which is the balancing equation. In the other hand, the alchemists are the chemists and the scientists. It looks kind of easy to use alchemy but actually it isn't. The alchemy is so complicant that normal people can't use it. I think the alchemist is kind of like the highest, smartest person in The Alchemist.

My impression on Santiago's road of LIFE

I think this picture is kind of explain what a LIFE is. In the Alchemist, Santiago chose to find his treasure, rather than went back to Spain as a successful man. In this picture, it shows a lot of "choices". The roads seem to represent that different choice can bring you to different future, but it was only a photo of the "processes". If Santiago chose to go back to Spain and never thought about to reach his own Personal Legend, this "road" will bring him to a completely different future. What I mean is: Every choices can "light" and "bring" you your future road. I don't know his choice can bring him to what kind of future and we can't know what is going to happen in the "front" road. That's why LIFE is interesting!!

Sabriel -- The Old Kingdom and ME

Today, I am going to talk about the connection between me and the story.



Sabriel went to the Old Kingdom, in order to discover what was going on on his Father. After she found his father's house, she needed to get out of it and to get away from the Mordicant. When she drove the Paperwing with Mogget (the Free Magic creature servant of Abhorsen), she met some Gore Crows on the way to Belisaere. In order to get away from the Grow Crows, she released Mogget's collar. Then, she even needed to fight with Mogget and tried to bind him again. (Summary)



All the things Sabriel was doing seemed that she made some "troubles" and then used the other "troubles" to fill up those "troubles". What I mean is : first, she was followed by Mordicant(trouble#1). Then, she went to his father's house to get away from it. She used Paperwing to escape. Unfortunately, she still met some Gore Crows (trouble#2) . Next, in order to "fill up" trouble #2, she released Mogget's collar( trouble#3). For example, you borrow $ from Bank. A and then you use the $, which is borrowed from Bank. B, to return to Bank. A. Then, you use the other $ from Bank. C to pay back the $. At the end, you will never "really" return the $. Actually, I always see this scene in the movie...

The Alchemist #2

I know Santiago was an adventure boy in the beginning of The Alchemist. He learned more things on the way while he was getting to the Pyramids than only being a shepherd. At first , he was just liked everybody else that he was afraid to “change”. He never thought about to follow his recurrent dream if the old king did’t show up. He never knew anything about omens. He never knew how to observe and read the omens. I think the old king became his HERO in his heart. When he met something challenged himself, his mind always showed up the time when the old king was talking to him. He earned a lot of experiences during the time he was with the old king even he wasn't realised. Santiago was close to become a successful man.

The Alchemist --- CHANGES in Santiago ?!

Santiago learned more things on the way while he was getting to the Pyramids than only being a shepherd. At first , he just liked everyone else that he was afraid to "Change". He never thought about to follow his recurrent dream if the old king didn’t show up. He never knew anything about omens. He never knew how to observe and read the omens. I think the old king became his HERO in his heart. When he met something challenged himself, his mind always showed up the time when the old king was talking to him. It means the old king affected him the most. The old king might even “light” Santiago’s road to his Personal Legend.

Besides, Santiago wasn’t afraid to change the way he always did, not liked the crystal merchant. He feared it might be disappointed himself after he changed something, so he never reached his own Personal Legend. In the beginning of the book, Santiago was anxious what would the “changes” bring to her but now he was more mature and confidence after all the experience he got from his journey.

Dear Mr. Garth Nix

March. 06 , 2009

Dear Mr. Garth Nix,

How are you? I am one of your "Sabriel" 's readers. Although I haven't finished it yet, it's a very exciting book. I pretty love "Sabriel" this character because she is an excellent girl. The main character of most of this kind of adventure stories is male, so I think it's kind of special for me.

When I started to read this book a week ago, I didn't get any of it completely. I didn't get anything about the worlds of Life and Death. How come she could cross those two worlds easily? And one more thing, what was Aboerson? These were just my questions at first, I cleared some of them later on when I continued to read it.

Sometimes, I felt a little bored when I saw so many desciptions in front of my eyes. I almost gave up but the feelings of nervous brought me back several times. When Sabriel met a monster after she summoned her guide or her "mother" (is it actually her "mom"?), she took her actions very fast. I thought the monster hit her already, but it didn't and she moved so fast. Her strongful power made me felt excited but when I kept reading it, I was very nervous and anxious just like I was "Sabriel" and I was fighting with that monster. After I finished reading that scene, I felt relaxed. I didn't know why it happened, like I have fallen into your "Old Kingdom". The only conclusion I had was Your descriptions were very good. Your description pulled me out of my world and brought me into your mysterious world. I think I will continue to read your "The Old Kingdom series". I am excited now, even I haven't finished "Sabriel" yet . ( >.< ) XD

P.S. I am appreciated to become one of your readers!!

Sincerely,

Mei Lan

" Sabriel " ----- I am a HERO !!

"Sabriel" is my third independent reading book of this school year (2008~2009). I choose this book because my sister read it before and I got some good comments from her. Actually, I am a younger sister that always "follows" my older sister. It seems that I am her "shadow", right?


(--......--;) However, today's topic is "Sabriel" !!!





"Sabriel" is a pretty hard book, but I think it's a exciting book. It's about MAGIC & SORCER!!(...>v<...) Sabriel was a girl who went through the Wall to get into the mystercies and dangerous place, the Old Kingdom, in order to find her "father" and discovered the whole secret which was hidden there. I dreamed about that I was the main character of an adventure story when I was just a little child. I daydreamed that I am going to save the whole Earth with my partners someday.Was I silly? I love to put myself as the main character and dream a adventure story, even though it's now!! (> v <)
I am a HERO !! ( >o+")

2nd Reading Reflection —— The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants

The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants was my first independent reading book of the fall semester of 2008. Actually, I didn't have special feeling when my sight connected with the book cover at first. My older sister had read this book last year and she said it was a good book though. This reason changed my mind and brought enough attraction to me with this book. After, I had the same feeling as my sister. It taught me so many lesson while I was reading it. Sometimes, I refused to accept "new" things. I really knew that "changing" wasn't bad for me, but I just didn't want to face the "new" things. You may think that I was a freak, I hated that feeling, and I was afraid the time of changing. However, I still had to face it because "life loves 'changing.' " In this book, the four main characters, Tibby, Bridget, Lena, and Carman, needed to accept the change of their life. Tibby needed to accept the life without Bailey. Bridget needed to face the sadness after Eric refused her. Carman needed to accept her new life with her father's new family. Lena changed her life because of Kostos. Sometimes, "changing" might bring you sadness, but "So What ?" I learned that I need to be brave to face "changing". This was the point why life is so interesting because you couldn't know what is going to happen next. If I didn't read this book, it means I couldn't realize this fact.

Actually, my reading speed is faster than before this semester, which means reading really helps with my reading speed. It also helps me to know more about the other countries. Every country has its cultures. I can know more about the other countries through reading. For example, sausages are came from German. Vodka means "water" in Russian, which means Vodka=water, which means they drink Vodka as water everyday!!! This is just my opinion... I want to read more and learn more about different kind of things through reading. I want to learn more extra knowledge other than from the textbook. This brings me the biggest interest to keep me read. Also, it may be the reason why I need "glasses" these wonderful things. ( >v< ) XXXXXXXXXD

1st Reading Reflection —— The Alchemist

The Alchemist is my English class's shared reading book for these several months. It contained a lot of themes, more than what I thought before I started reading it. Although I finished just a little bit, I've already discovered some themes. One of these is "You should seize your chance tightly and never let it go away." In this book, Sandiago had a recurring dream, and it directed him to find his treasures. This was a chance for him to travling the world and had a challenge. If he ignored his recurring dream, he might never had a chance again to get such a valuable experiment and treasures. In real life, sometimes if you meet a good chance, but you still think about it skeptically, the chance may go away suddenly when you decide to catch it. So, i think it's important to me that I should never fear to make a decision. I should seize my chance tightly everytime I need to decide something and never regret that I make this decision someday.

Dreams !!

Have you ever had a dream? I believe everyone has one, but it depends on would you still remember it after you wake up. In my personal opinion, I think DREAMS are very mysterious and enigmatic. We don't know when we can be dreamt and the exactly reason why we dream. One of my friends said that a dream only happen a few seconds before you wake up, even it is a super long dream.

Would it become real in the real world? I believe that, but it depends on what I dreamt. If it is a recurring dream, like Santiago in The Alchemist, I think it is about the future, the purpose, or my own life that somebody want to tell me. "Somebody" would be the ancients, the gods, or even it is myself. DREAMS can be a media for some "people" who want to tell me somthing, but they can't show up right in front of me. If it is true, I think that Santiago was wise in his decision to follow a dream that came to him at night. Besides, I think the dream interpretation is true because "nothing is impossible"!! I think sometimes the dream interpretations may be true, but sometimes are not. Anyway, if you really want to solve it, you would believe in everything, even you know it's impossible.

Yesterday, I have dreamt a horrible dream. It was about a girl, who was me, but she wasn't "look" like me, like my soul just went inside a wrong body, was running so quickly, like she tried to keep away somthing... I don't really remember it after I wake up. Then, I find somthing interesting about sleep. Sometimes, we can have more than one completely different dreams in a night, because of the sleep cycle. Dreams can happen in any of the four stages of the sleep cycle.

However, this is just what I thought about dreams, and you? If your want to share something to me or anyone, please make a common and this will be your free place to share forever !!

The New Post Assignment on 12/18/2008

My second independent reading book is “Twilight”. I finished it about a month ago and I am working on my second reading journal now. I discovered several things when I was reading it. United States is a “free” country!! In the book, the main chacarter, Bella, was a junior student. She had her own car and most of the characters in this book knew how to drive. They could go out with their friends at night and their parents didn’t limit them so much. They had lots of fun activities at school. Bella went out to the prom with Edward at the end of this book. Both of my parents are Chinese, and some of my friends are in China. They don’t need to drive to school and they don’t even think about driving when they go to college. It’s because they have very good transportations, like buses, trains, and MTR(underground train). In real life, my parents always limit me to go outsides without them, because it is very dangerous! It’s always be their most eloquent and most common reason, and I’ve heard so many time…… Anyway, I know it’s because they care me so I don’t quite care they limit me or not. Some of my friends in China tell me that they have so many fun activities at school, but completely different activities than in the United states. Although this book was just talked about the school life in the United States(a little bit), I compared it with the school life in China. This reminds me that every country , every person has their own personal way to face their life.You don’t have to do the same way to get the same results. In my personal comment, I enjoy the process more than the result itself. So that why I like to travel different countries in the world to see different kind of stuffs. That will be super funif I have this chance!!