I am writing about stories in general, and one particular story. I’ve been reading ever since I was a kid, and I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t reading. I distinctly remember, during a vacation to Kashmir, we were in a long 4 hour car ride, and so my mom gave me a book to read for when we were in the car. It was called Malory Towers, by Enid Blyton. I thought then that it looked boring and I did not want to read about a group of girls in boarding school. But then I started, and before I knew it the car ride was over, and I was done with the book. That was my introduction to the Enid Blyton universe. From then on, there was no going back. I finished the entire Malory towers series in that 1 vacation, and I fell in love with all the characters. I realised the hidden beauty in living in a boarding school, and I started wanting to go to a boarding school in the suburbs of England too. From Darrell Rivers to Gwen to Alicia, I found that I could relate to each and every character in some form or the other. I too wanted to drink lemonade and eat candied oranges, have ginger beer in the night while sneaking out and steal butter cookies from the cafeteria. I loved reading about the description of the school, with the 4 big towers and the cliffs that were there on one end of the campus. There were huge fields, and even a stable with horses for the girls to ride. That was another part that I was fascinated by. I love animals, and I really wanted to go horse riding or take care of horses in my school as well. To this day, I wonder what would have happened and how I would have turned out if I had had the courage to actually go to boarding school at that age.
Class Summary 15/09
We talked about the The Dark Side of ‘The Arabian Nights, a news article. It discussed some of the problematic sides of the Arabian Nights. We mainly talked about racism, and how it’s been ingrained into the story for centuries. We talked about how racism is abundant in this world, and not just a product of the west. Another interesting thing was seeing racism on an equal footing, from both the white people to the blacks and from the black people to the whites. It was even mentioned how the author of the article talks about racism but also mentioned how all the characters are equal, making it seem almost oxymoronic. The history and accuracy was also discussed, and we talked about all the anonymous authors who translated or rewrote the stories and passed it down to future generations. Since they were anonymous, it might even be a reason why they felt more comfortable writing otherwise unspeakable things. A major thing we discussed was the British and French translators increasing the degree of the racism and sexuality. This might have been to either sell more books and earn more money, or to plant a seed of discrimination in people’s heads, and associate certain people of colour with certain actions. We ended with talking about acts of racism today, and having a sentence or two about how police officers are sometimes pre-disposed to think people of colour have high crime rates.
Summarising “The Dark Side of ‘The Arabian Nights’” – Irwin
250 words~
The author begins with an anecdote, and quickly morphs into the subject of how innocent someone might think the Arabian Nights really is. He starts talking about a story in the Arabian Nights – the story of the fisherman and the ifrit, or a jinni. The story seems innocent on the surface, but he author then tells us how these stories actually tell us a dark and cruel tale. We learn how this is a story told by Shahrazad to the King to prolong her life, and she was telling a story of sexual betrayal and infidelity. Daniel Beaumont critiqued the story, saying how there is racism involved, as the infidelity is worsened by the men being black. This racism is shown towards blacks, jews, Persians and europeans. The story is not only racist, but also sexist and mysogynystic.The thousand and one nights has been rewritten by many anonymous authors and though some of the story are just folk tales, many are reflections of scholarly and courtly preoccupations. The author mentions this to tell us that there is no consistent racism, and some stories portray blacks in a positive light. He then mentions a story in which blacks are portrayed in a positive way – The story of al-Ma’mun, the Yemeni and the six slave girls.
The author then moves onto talking about the role of Jews. In some stories they’re considered equal to the muslims, but not so much in the later stories. He discusses various examples as to how Jews were cast in a negative light in many of the stories. We also discuss how the racism and sexuality in the stories translated by the French and British were heightened. Many of the translations had been introduced with nègres and négresses, and had anti-semitism hidden in them. In recent times, everyone writes about how racism originated from the west, but racism is a crime without a history. The author concludes by asking if the reason why the Arabian nights is so popular is because of all these discriminatory subjects.
150 characters~
The author talks about The Arabian Nights which is actually dark and cruel. He talks about racism, sexism and infidelity, along with various examples.
Paraphrasing and Summarising~
Paraphrasing and summarising, though they seem similar on the surface, are quite different. Paraphrasing is capturing the entire essence of the sentence or the passage by writing it in different words. Summarising is the act of briefly letting the reader know what is happening, and they might omit some details they might think are unnecessary, just to give a gist of the passage. In paraphrasing, synonyms are used a lot, and usually nothing is omitted because the key point of paraphrasing is to rewrite everything in different words. Summarising may use words directly from the passage, or may be written in any way the writer pleases. Another difference is that paraphrasing doesn’t necessarily mean the new passage or sentence is shorter. But in a summary, the words are lesser and the passage is compressed to make it easier for the reader to get a general feel of what the passage is about.
20TH SEPTEMBER – TUESDAY
I really liked the humour aspect to the story. I think they did a good job making it a movie for kids as well, as the story is pretty dark. I also loved the songs, listening to the songs was very nostalgic and I was singing along to the lyrics in my head. The story was also concise, and it wasn’t dragged out. I found myself following It easily, and I never felt like it was difficult to pay attention to it or that it was boring. Another part that I enjoyed was the dynamic between Abu and the magic carpet. I liked their little ‘frenemies’ relationship, and how they were fighting all the time but also had moments of friendship and trust in each other.
I felt like the director and producers did a good job of making this authentic and enjoyable for the viewer. I liked how they did not Americanise it much, and portrayed Arabian culture properly with the music, the atmosphere and the accents.
Something I found problematic was the sudden switch up of the king when he allowed Jasmine to marry Aladdin. It felt weird that at one moment he was extremely against his daughter marrying a commoner, and then he immediately changed the law.
I also thought the age of jasmine when she was being given off to marriage was extremely young. She was 14, and Aladdin probably the same age, so it’s so awkward and disturbing to see a father want to give off his 14 year old daughter to marry some prince who could be of any age. Jafar wanting to marry jasmine was also extremely uncomfortable to watch. Another thing that was odd was the whitewashing of Aladdin. He didn’t seem like an Arabian anymore, and more like someone from a modern western country. These were mostly the things I found problematic in the movie. Overall I think they did a good job, and apart from a few things many of the details seem to be flaws of the story itself.
In conclusion, Aladdin is a good movie, and entertaining for kids. But it’s probably advisable for parents to be with their children during the movie.
THURSDAY – SEPT 22nd
When Aladdin poses as a prince and acts macho, she recoils and refuses to become his “trophy wife.”
I really like how this sentence was phrased. Even though many Disney movies have female heroines, it’s always the male leads who come and save the day, she just plays the role of the damsel in distress, when in actuality she could do things to save herself.
I like how strong headed jasmine is, and how she does not let others push her around. Even though her father presses down on her and pressurises her to get married, she says no and stands her ground. I also like her adventurous spirit and how she goes out into the kingdom all alone. Even she would probably know the dangers of going out unprotected in the streets, but she does it anyways because she is tired of being cooped up in her room. She does not want others living her life for her. I also like how she does not give into Aladdin when he acts like a prince, but only softens when she realises he is actually the guy who she met earlier.
Paraphrasing
“So has the drab fabric of life been transformed into the gossamer of romance, as these stories have been spun for centuries in family gatherings, public assemblies, and coffeehouses, in Baghdad, Damascus, or Cairo. (Indeed, on a recent trip to Marrakech, I came across storytellers in a public square, mesmerising their audiences.) Everybody has loved them, for they enchanted the young and the old, alike, with their magic.”
“And hence, life’s boring fabric has bloomed into the silk of romance, as for centuries these tales have been spun in family gatherings, public assemblies, and coffee houses, ranging from Baghdad to Damascus and Cairo. (Indeed, when I travelled recently to Marrakech, I happened upon storytellers in a public square, mesmerising the audiences.) They’re beloved by everyone, as they enchant both the young and the old with their magic.”
“And that’s how the dull cloth of life has been changed into a web of romance, with the stories having been spun for centuries in family events, public meetings and cafés, all the way from Baghdad to Damascus and Cairo. (Yes, on a vacation to Marrakech recently, I chanced on storytellers in a public square, captivating their audience.) Everybody adores them for they enchant the young and old with their magic.”
“So has the monotone fabric of life evolved into romance’s feathers, with the stories having been circulated in family gatherings, public assemblies and coffeehouses for centuries, in Baghdad, Damascus, or Cairo. (Indeed, I came upon storytellers mesmerising their audiences in a public square, on a recent holiday to Marrakech.) They are loved by everyone, as they captivate the young and old alike with their magic.”
“In the process of telling and retelling, they were modified to conform to the general life and customs of the Arab society that adapted them and to the particular conditions of that society at a particular time.”
“In the process of reiterating multiple times, they were changed to conform to the ordinary life and customs of the Arab society that adapted them to the specific conditions of that society at a specific time.”
“While telling and retelling, they were modified to fit in the general life and activities of the Arab society that adjusted them and to the particular conditions of the society at that time.”
“Through the telling and retelling, modifications were made to conform to the normal life and habits of the Arabs that changed them, and to the particular customs of the society at that time.”
Paraphrasing is something that I thought was initially difficult. I did not understand it, and felt that sometimes the sentences sounded unnatural and incorrect. But after paraphrasing 2 paragraphs three times each, I think I am getting the hang of it. The most difficult thing about it is when you know what you want to say, but you don’t know how to say it. And then it strikes you, and you have that aha! moment.
When you read a sentence more than 10 times trying to figure out a way to write it in a different way, you start understanding that the sentence can in fact have more than one meaning, and you as the writer, have the freedom of choosing whichever meaning you want.
I think it’s a good exercise to practice, especially if you want to expand your vocabulary and improve the way you write in general. It isn’t that people have the lack of words or vocabulary, but when you paraphrase you are forced to use the extensive vocabulary you have stored in the back of your head, and soon you start using it in day to day life.
Me as a Writer
I write because it’s the one form of expression that I’m good at. Whether it is on a piece of paper, on my laptop or even on my phone, writing is something that I have been doing since I was a kid. Due to my love for reading, I have had many dreams where I wanted to be a famous author or publish a best seller book series. I love the freedom I have with writing. When I write I do it for my own enjoyment, not for anyone else. I do it to please myself, to create something that I would, as a viewer, absolutely love.
I can’t really say if I’m a good writer, because it’s just the words in my head being put in front of me. Some people might find it boring, or mundane, or others might think there is something wrong with me. But none of it classifies me as a good or bad writer.
A thing I would like to improve is being able to communicate my feelings better. It’s easy to feel an emotion, and to know what you want to emote into the story. But actually putting across those feelings and have it successfully transfer to the viewer is a whole other ball game. I know how to describe emotions, and I know what emotions feels like, but I hate when I write something and it just feels flat and monotone.
But I guess everyone improves the more they write. All I can hope is that one day something I write affects someone else.
The Great Allentown Fair
It was my first time visiting the Great Allentown Fair. Before I visited, I was wondering why a small town fair from Allentown was called “Great.” But after going to it, I understand the reason why that word was used.
It is not one specific thing, or one specific ride that makes it great. It’s the fact that there is something for everyone, one particular stall, booth or ride that makes it great for that singular individual.
For me, it was the baby goats playground. I was wondering what to write about for the longest time before the fair, and I was frankly annoyed because my friends and I decided to go to the fair when the sun was blistering our skin off.
But in the end, it was all worth it because of the baby goats. I did not even spot it at first as it was behind some of the stalls, but my friend saw the sign advertising the the little area, and she immediately called out to us. It was a small squarish barn, and you could enter and play with baby goats. You can feed them hay, or lay them on your lap, petting them to sleep. Not only can you enter for free, but you can also stay for however long you want. They ask for donations at the entrance, and my friends and I all donated because it was such a wonderful thing for them to do.
As soon as I went in, I sat on the hay covered floor and saw a small, brown baby goat sitting right in front of me. I picked it up, and laid it on my lap. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved animals, and having something as precious as a baby goat in my lap made me feel extremely emotional as well as elated. Around me, there were several people, some cooing at the little animals to come sit on their laps, and others chasing one that was running around. But at that moment, I could only concentrate on the one in my arms, its little head adorned with the cutest horns, and a white stripe going down its forehead to its nose.
The smell of hay surrounded me from everywhere, and other baby goats would occasionally come and eat the hay off of my pants and t-shirt, because I was on the floor and had bundles of them stuck to me. I did not even care that they were making my clothes dirty, as long as they were having their food and being happy.
My favourite thing about the goats were when they would tuck their head into the crook of your elbow, and rub their ear against your hand when you scratched their bellies. Seeing them so comfortable and contented with me made me never want to leave, and take the goats back with me home.
Everyone else in the barn was in a similar feeling of happiness. I even met another student from Muhlenberg, and she was kind enough to actually give her baby goat to another child who did not have one. Unfortunately we had to leave, and I kept my goat under one of the seats, next to some food so it could go to sleep peacefully.
I just loved the atmosphere of the little barn, and even though I was close to going back home because of the heat, I was glad I did not. The little hay particles got stuck all over my pants, and I had wet spots on me from the goats eating off of me, but none of it bothered me even the slightest.
It was an experience I enjoyed thoroughly, and I can now confidently say that I was part of this year’s Great Allentown Fair.
