The Way Home

Recently my daughter and grandson came to visit me. It was the first time I ever met my grandson, his name is Sang-Woo, and he is seven years old. From the moment I met him he was not very kind to me. His mother, who is my daughter, told Sang-Woo to say hello to me, and meet me for the first time, he said to his mother that he didn’t want to say hello to me, and he told her I was dirty. So, from the get go he made me feel kind of upset, and I wasn’t sure how our relationship would ever grow. My daughter left Sang-Woo with me to watch over him. Sang-Woo is an outrageous, cruel child. He does not talk to me in a nice manner ever, and it makes me feel really bad about myself. I tried to give him candy the other day, and he refused to accept it. I thought that that was kind of mean. He also kept saying that he wanted “Kentucky Chicken”. So I walked all the way down to the Market and got a chicken. I killed and plucked it, and cooked it. I gave the chicken to Sang-Woo and he started crying and freaking out that it was not “Kentucky Chicken”, it made me upset because I don’t know what “Kentucky Chicken” is, and I just wanted to please him. After a while, he got real hungry and ate the chicken, it made me feel better that he actually ate it. After spending so much time with him, it was sad to see him go when my daughter came to pick him up a while after he first arrived. Although he was not the nicest person to me, he wants me to write to him often, and if I get sick, he wants me to send him a blank letter. I plan to write to him, and I hope that he plans to write back.

The Girl Who Left Her Sock on the Floor by: Deborah Eisenberg

Words I didn't know the meaning of:
ruefully: causing sorrow or pity.

Slicker: a long, loose, oilskin raincoat.



This is a story about two roommates at a boarding school. Jessica is a very clean and organized person while Francie is very messy, and they argue about the mess often. A girl named Cynthia walks into their room looking for Francie. She tells Francie that Mrs. Peck wants to see her in the Administration Building. Francie is really scared that she is going to get into trouble for something that she has done, she couldn't quite figure out why she would be called there. When she arrived at the building Mrs. Peck told her that her mother had passed away. Francie was to go home, but had no wway, or family to call. Francie took a bus to New York City to find her father whom she had never met. Francie arrived at his apartment building, talked to a roommate of his, and the story ends without letting the reader know if she ever met her father or not.

Valentine's Day

"Be Mine", a song by David Grey is one of my favorite love songs. It is one of my favorite love songs because I really like the lyrics to the song and can relate to them.

David Grey- Be mine
From the very first moment I saw you
That’s when I knew
All the dreams I held in my heart
Had suddenly come true
Knock me over stone cold sober
Not a thing I could say or do
'Cos baby when I'm walking with you now
My eyes are so wide
Like you reached right into my head
And turned on the light inside
Turning on the light
Inside my mind hey

Come on baby it’s all right
Sunday monday day or night
Red blue or white its plain to see
Be mine be mine
That rain or shine night or day
What’s the difference anyway
Honey till your heart belongs to me

If I had some influence
With the powers that be
I’d have them fire that arrow at you
Like they fired it right at me
And maybe when your heart and soul are burning
You might see
That every time I'm talking with you
It's always over too soon
That everyday feels so incomplete
Till you walk into the room
Say the word now
I'll jump that moon hey

Come on baby its ok
Rain or shine night or day
There’s nothing in the way now
Don't you see?
Be mine be mine
Winter summer day or night
Centigrade or fahrenheit
Baby till your heart belongs to me
Be mine be mine
Thursday friday short or long
When you've got a love so strong
How can it be wrong now mercy me
Be mine be mine
What’s the difference anyhow
Baby till your heart belongs to me

My body's on fire, and my heart is on fire
And my body's on fire now my heart is on fire
My body's on fire and I'm losing my sanity
Be mine be mine

Gorilla, My Love by: Toni Cade Bambara

This story is about a tomboy named Hazel and her family. The story starts out with Hazel riding along with her grandfather, uncle and little brother. They are driving in a truck filled with pecans. Hazel tells storys of how tough she is, like the time she went to the movies and they didn't end up playing the movie that she wanted to see and started a fire in the theatre. Also, when she explained to her parents what happened she avoided getting beaten because her parents always taught her to fight for what she believes in. Her uncle, who she refers to as Hunca Bubba, is sitting in the backseat of the truck. He is telling everyone of his new lover and how he plans to marry her. Hazel gets upset and recalls how when she was young her uncle always said he would marry her when she grew older. Hazel says something to her uncle and he doesn't know what to say. The grandfather just says to her that he is not Hunca Bubba anymore, and has now changed. This shows that Hazel does have a soft side to her.

The Glass Tower by: Reinaldo Arenas

This story is about a Cuban man who has just moved into the United States. He is a well known author in Cuba, but has yet to write anything upon arriving to the U.S. He always has these characters floating around his head, and feels as though he should begin writing about them soon. The characters names are Berta, Nicolas, Delfin, Daniel and Olga. It seems as though the man has some kind of mental disorder because these characters take over his mind.
He goes to a party that is held in his honor, he can never refuse to go to a party, and finds out that he has been lied to, as well as everyone else at the party. He thinks he is going to meet some people who will publish his writings, only to find out that all the other guests were told that he would publish their writings. He also learns that no one at the party knows who he is. And he feels very lonely. The only friends he has are in his head. It is later found out that the whole story was a dream, and the only thing that was real is his dog, and his dog is the only one who notices and understands him.

Cultural Refrences:

Cuban danzon: danzon is the offical music of Cuba, and derives from a European-infulenced ballroom dance played by Cuban ensembles.

Pinar del Rio: a city in Cuba. It is the capital of Pinar del Rio Province. It is located in a major tabacoo-growing area and is a center of the cigar industry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinar_Del_Rio

Evermore by Julian Barnes

Thiepval: a major war memorial to British and South African men who died in World War I Batlle of the Somme and have no known grave.

G-String by Nicola Barker

Cultural Refrences

dour-faced: relentlessly severe, stern, or glommy in appearance.
www.dictionary.com

Canvey Island: an island in the River Thames estuary off the coast of Essex, England.


frock: has been used since Middle English as the name for an article of clothing for men and women.

Choose a quote and research..

"It's the ones you can call up at 4:00 a.m. that really matter." - Marlene Dietrich

I enjoy this quote because it is very true to life. I think this because the only friends that are true friends are the ones that will be there for you always, even at 4:00 a.m. The quote is also saying that a friend who wouldn't care to help you out so early in the morning is not a true friend at all.

Betrayal by: Patricia Duncker

Cultural Refrences:

Magdalens: derived from Hebrew 'of Magdala' sometimes shortedned to Magda, is a female name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalens

Vittel: a spa town and commune of the Vosges department in northeastern France. Mineral water is bottled and sold here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittel

Verrucas: Plantar warts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verruca