Cleopatra's Legacy Revisited

“History is written by the victors -- in Cleopatra's case, the Romans -- her press was somewhat less than complimentary”. For that reason, archeologist, Kathleen Martinez, has spent the last 3 years digging for Cleopatra’s tomb. She is searching for new sources and information to study in hopes of reforming the unfair reputation, given by historians, to the famous Queen of Egypt. Along with her excavating, she is co-writing a book about Cleopatra in an attempt to “repair the damage”. In class, we have learned about Cleopatra from the Roman point of view. We read about how she stole the hearts of multiple men and caused unrest in the empires. On the other hand, Martinez describes Cleopatra as phenomenal. She claims she spoke 9 languages, was a philosopher, a poet, goddess, politician and a warrior too. Today, our thoughts of Cleopatra are based upon Roman historians’ ideas, which have been refreshed throughout the years by Shakespeare and over 45 movies. Looking at the big picture, Martinez’s findings will probably not change history, but her work is important because it reminds us, as a society, to be open minded and remember that sources are not always balanced. There is not always a right answer in history, so it is important to try to see both sides. Ultimately, this idea cannot only be identified with Cleopatra, but can be associated with history in general.

Click here to read the article on cnn.com.

Anna Words

My Identity

In my family, we are all close. I think that has impacted the person I am today. We share similar habits when it comes to food, exercise and sleep. Each of those is especially important to my parents and to my family!

We share favorite meals (Mexican and Indian!) and eat healthy at home. I do not really like soft drinks and I think this is because they are rarely found in our fridge. Ever since I can remember, my family has been active. When we lived in Switzerland, we would ski every weekend in the winters, and hike in the summers. Now, whether we are on vacation or it is just a quiet weekend, my sister and I will go against my Mom and Dad in a tennis game, surf all morning, play 2 on 1 basketball with my Dad or go for long walks with my Mom. Sleep has always been an important thing in my family too. I guess this is because we are so active and enjoy doing so many things.

Along with the things I do, my family has impacted the way I act. For example, another important aspect of our family, which I believe has rubbed off on me, is respect. I respect my parents and they respect the person I am, too. Our family atmosphere is very open and we always try to have dinner together. At the dinner table, we talk about our day or tell stories we heard. There are usually abundant jokes and a lot of laughing. I truly love dinnertime at my house. I would definitely say that the things my parents say, the advice they give me and the ideas they share with me are constantly impacting my identity. I am not saying that my family is superior to others, but I do think that we are a “happy family” and that “happy family” has shaped my identity.

As far as my own goals are concerned and how much of them are based on my parents’ own values, I think it is simple. My parents have always told me to do my best. They have always told me not be afraid to try new things. They have always told me that its okay to get it wrong the first time, and they have always told me that they will love me no matter what. The fact that I have this knowledge, the knowledge that I can explore and try new things and that my parents support me is really important when it comes to making goals for myself.

I like to do many different activities and my family has always encouraged me. Recently, the school has been mentioning to me that I take part in too many things and I need to cut back. For example, I was excited to go to four APAC conferences last year, and although it was pushing the schools’ previous ideas of what was too much, my parents knew that I truly enjoy everything that I chose to do and so they told me once again to do my best, and encouraged me the whole way.  These activities closely relate to my main goal in life which is to not only take part in things, but to make a difference in what I do. In terms of being a part of a sports team, my goal is to play a key role in the team dynamics and work hard. I want to connect with people and have an impact. When it comes to other extracurricular activities, whatever I do, I want to do it well! The same goes for my academic life, I want to be successful. That means not only to get good grades, but also, to go beyond what is expected because this is the foundation to lead an interesting life. 

The same thing goes for long-term goals in life. My parents make it clear to me that the reason why they push me to reach my self-actualization is because they want me to have the liberty to do whatever I want to later in life. They feel it is important to have options and not be held back by things that can be controlled. To put it simply: my parents influence my values, and ultimately, I make my goals.

 

Me like English

More than once, when I have told someone I live in Japan, they have asked me why I speak such good English...or why I don’t have a strange accent. This seems like a funny question for those who know me because I am really more American than anything else. However, I guess I must give the curious or confused people who ask me that question some credit, because it does make sense. 

Why do I have an American accent if I have never lived in the US? Well, although this is true, English has always played an important role in my life. I have always attended school taught in English, I speak English at home with my family, and with all my friends! English has always been my favorite subject and this is probably because I have been blessed with an abundance of amazing English teachers everywhere I’ve lived.

Both of my parents grew up in the United States and are 100% American. Even though I was born in Japan, they taught me English as my mother tongue. However, I do not only speak English.

Living abroad my whole life has exposed me to a variety of cultures and languages. When I lived in France and attended a French “garderie” I learned a bit of French – but it was mostly “playground French”. When I moved to Taipei, Taiwan, I was still quite young; too young to remember any of my French. Instead, I switched to Mandarin Chinese. At the American school in Taipei, the kindergarten classes spent almost half of the day in Chinese classes and I became very familiar with the language. We have home videos of me speaking to friends in Mandarin, and now when I watch them, I have no idea what I am saying. I think it's sad, because although I was good at Chinese, we left Taiwan when I was 6 years old and so I do not remember much anymore. We moved to Lausanne, Switzerland where they speak French. It was in Lausanne where I spent nearly 7 years of my life and where my French really developed. I continue to take French in school now while living in Japan, and I am getting pretty comfortable with it. I would still love to learn Japanese. I can order Starbucks and ask for directions in Japanese but that's just about where it all ends right now...

I am very happy to keep learning English while living in Japan. As I said before, I have always thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of English class. I am pretty sure that this year will be a great experience as well. I am excited for the books we will be reading and just as much for the discussions they will provoke.

When I get older, I expect to study some form of English in college (I had fun in a debate class I took this summer!) and someday I would love to be a journalist. My far off dream is to be a member of The Second City, Chicago comedy group or Saturday Night Live, but no one really knows that about me. In my mind, the comedy and the journalism are very similar in the way that they both share the idea of talking about current events, which is also an interest of mine. That is why they both appeal to me as future careers.

But then again, I truly have no idea what I want to do in my life except...I would like the years of my life to be as Abraham Lincoln said they should be “...it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” That is how I want to live. =)

I love quotes

Personal Literary History

The initial thought of choosing three books to represent me, or represent my literary background sounded challenging. But as soon as I got thinking, I was not racking my brain for memories, or even scamming my bookshelf at home – these three books came to mind almost instantly. This is because ultimately, they have all impacted my literary background as well as the person I am today.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Imagine a world where society was never separated into “black” or “white”. Instead, into “noughts” and “Crosses” based on skin color. Sephy is the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country, and she is a Cross. Callum is second-class, and he is a nought. In this hypothetical world, Noughts and Crosses do not mix. Until, of course, Sephy and Callum fall in love. Blackman writes a story of “love, hate and hope”. Similar to the themes of Romeo and Juliet, this novel was dramatic right up until the end. Sephy and Callum take turns narrating each chapter. This allows the reader to experience two perspectives with insight into the emotional frustration that each character is experiencing.

I was in year 6 (5^th grade) when I first entered Blackman’s world of Noughts and Crosses. I read it as a member of a book club that met at lunchtimes. This was my first adult book – or book that specifically said “not suitable for young readers” under the blurb at the back. Although I was a mature 10-year-old, I had never read a book with so much anxiety, tragedy, and conflict in such a realistic scenario. Now, even though there were multiple chapters that ended in tears on my behalf, I think the unusual intensity of this novel is what appealed to me. Despite the fact that on the surface, I had nothing in common with the characters in Noughts and Crosses and their situations, there were many life lessons embedded in the text that connect to my life. It also exposed me to conflicts in society that I had never thought of as more than a distant idea. It taught me that the world is a scary place and that not ever story has a “happily ever after”.

The Tempest by William Shakespeare

The play, The Tempest was written by Shakespeare in his old age. The entire story takes place on an island which Prospero, a philosophical old magician, owns. Prospero creates a tempest off the shore of his island in order to punish his enemies. He leads them, confused and shipwrecked, onto his magical island. His work is both hindered and helped throughout the play by Ariel and Caliban, natives of the island. His beautiful, naive daughter Miranda along with the jester Trinculo are among the other characters that help to build up the momentum of the story. Often categorized as a comedy, The Tempest is a magical piece of romance, conflict, and reconciliation.

To read an unabridged version of one of William Shakespeare's plays is a task for anyone. To understand and analyze it is an even greater challenge. I read The Tempest in year 7 (6th grade). I had a wonderful english teacher whose motto was that we were never too young for good literature. So, slowly but surely, page by page, as a class we read the marvelous play. My capability to understand the plot and the characters brought The Tempest to a new level. I began to recognize the humor in the acts and relate to the characters. The ability to see those things made my introduction to Shakespeare unbeatable. Not only can I say that I have read one of his entire plays, but that I really "got it" too.

Rules of the game by The Diagram Group

"The most spectacular book ever published" is the phrase to describe Rules of the game on the book's front cover. It is the complete illustrated encyclopedia of "all the sports of the world" (in other words, to the 1976 olympics) The purpose of the book is to aid the reader's understanding of the world's major sports. By doing so, the book attempts to increase the enjoyment of both spectators and players! The encyclopedia contains over 150 sports which are categorized into 13 types (ie. Athletics, Water, Court, Team, Air...etc), 400 events and 2500 illustrations "in color!". This abundance of visuals are included in order to help with comprehension.

You may be asking yourself why this is the third book I have chosen to write about to represent my literary history. Well, that answer is simple. Rules of the game has played an important role in making me the person I am today. I discovered this ancient book (©1975) in a bookshelf at home about 3 years ago. As I sat there, on the floor of our living room, flipping through the pages, I was fascinated by all the sports, and just as much so, by the explanations provided. The book even includes "appropriate dress" for each activity right down to a headband (to "keep sweat away from the player's face"!) Through the years, from long-jump to breath-stroke, without ever having rehearsed the event, I have been able to compete in them, and be successful after having referred to the particular section in Rules of the game. I used it for volleyball and basketball when I came to CA and for how to be a goalie last year. Even with pages falling out, and fading colors, I can honestly say that Rules of the game is a treasure.

As far as my expectations for grade 10 English are concerned, I am looking forward to a mix of classic english and the basics complemented with a modern up-to-date outlook on the subject. Hopefully, the homework will be comprehensive and rewarding...but brief.