Keep Calm and Take the Exam!

“IB” the first time I heard this word was in my sophomore year, and all my junior and senior friends who took IB classes was complaining about it. Except this one “Andrew” one of the most famous student at Cheshire Academy told me that he felt so happy because he can finally show all his two years’ hardworking on 10 pages. I have to say that 10 pages sounded so scary to a me as a sophomore. After a year, at the same time me my self had to take my own IB exam, and I want to say that it was actually not so bad.

I bet you want to ask me why. Well, I am telling you right now! I was so nervous about this exam because I felt it will be so hard. I remember every time I ask teachers about the quiz, test or exam. They always tell me that John don’t worry, you will be okay and it won’t be so hard. However, when I see the actual test it looks somehow so hard to me. This time my dear English teacher Ms. Guarino told me that I will be fine, and the truth is that I actually did okay. Before the exam, we did so much work to help us to be ready, especially the practice exam. I had no idea how to do those question until I have to start write the essay in class.

Not only in class writing, but also the discussion and projects we had in this class. Since the beginning of the year, we have been working on every details we need for this exam. Starting with Romeo and Juliet, we learned how to analysis the literary work. Then we studied the staging through My Love My Love project. Finally, when we put everything we learned together we present our final production on the IB exam paper!

notes

"Nature is what we see" "Nature is what we hear" "Nature is what we know"

three times start with the exact same sentence with three different ending word. Bring the emotion from different sense, see and hear are two most important sense we have to everything.

"Nay" showed up two times at the end of see and hear, Not after know to give reader it's own space to think and feel.

In Blood "true Arab" showed up 4 times.

1. At the beginning to show true Arab do not like to kill

2. It's when they say abput watermelon and I changed it. It tells reader how her attitude to the True Arab and how it changed later

3. Father respond after "I" said to give name back, to show that True Arab respect the nature and they love the nature

4. At the end, It gives a question of "What does a true Arab do now?" This sentence is the ending sentence, which is also a question that can make reader to think the deep meaning of the poem and give a open ending to have more creative thoughts

simple? no it's complex

"Nature" is what we see— This poem is leading us to the higher level question and concern at the beginning. However, this poem finally leads us to the simplicity of nature which was not I was thinking when I was reading at the first time. All the poems are written to pass a meaningful massage, and author always use simple things and scenes to give or represent a bigger picture of life or human. However, this poem gives it’s purpose and idea of the connection between human and nature at the end of the poem which is ambiguity. Even though it lead us into another direction, but we can still analysis the first part on our own perspective.

When I first time read Emily Dickinson write all the things such as the hill, bumble bee, thunder and cricket, I felt that she is trying to tell us to pay attention to the nature and enjoy it as “Heaven” and “Harmony”, but at the end she wrote “So impotent Our Wisdom is To her Simplicity.” (Dickinson). this is the main point she is trying to tell us. It’s about the simplicity of great nature which she thinks is simple, but I feel that even if a most simple thing that exist in the nature it is absolutely beyond our wisdoms and art we have created. This massage which is ambiguity lead people to think that nature is simple, but on my perspective it is too hard to be studied, and that’s why people call it simple which our art cannot say.

I know there are so many poems which do not give the main passage or only direction, so readers will have to discover and analysis in their own way. However, this "Nature" is what we see— poem is very different from those kind of poem. In this poem, the author gives us the idea of the simplicity which provide all the Heaven and Harmony which we call art. Through this point so many people discover the simplicity, but I see the other side which is complexness. Thus, even though there is ambiguity to lead readers to different directions, but there is always some reader who sees things differently.

Curious of story? No it's about the stage

The curious incident of dog in the night-time this is the first Broadway production I saw, and I was just amazed by the stage and skills! I read both the novel and play version through last summer. However, I have to say that the Broadway version still shocked me in many different ways. As the symple of best theater in the world, Broadway productions always have their own perspective and setting. 

When I was reading the novel version, I felt that Mr. Shears is a kind scary character because he was the one yelling and complaining at Christopher, but I in the play he is a funny person, especially when he hands books to Christopher, and he makes those funny sound effects. I also feel that the Christopher in the play is so different from the one I pictured in my head when I was reading the book. I thought he is the kind of boy who is extremely quiet, but on stage he is so loud. I think it is beacuse they need to pass the emotion and craziness to audience.

Another thing and one of the most important thing is stage. I have to say that this stage is the best stage I have ever seen before in my life. The lighting and sounds together picture out an amazing environment for us. When he walks on the wall and jump on the subway rail, I was speechless. The theater technology helps the whole show improve to a whole new level. I never thought that without computer technology a production can bring audience into the story. 

The way to deliver a story can be so different from play and novel, and this is also way Broadway can always amaze audience because you cna never predict the setting and character’s development. The curious incident of dog in the night-time is a such big success combine stage technology and character performing.

In class writing

There is only one stanza in this poem, it I think we can break it down to three parts to read, ""nature" is what we see", "nature is what we hear" and "nature is what we know". I feel the emotion is enjoyable and peaceful. It keeps tell beautiful things in the nature, and I think she is trying to make connection to all the nature things to our senses. It says the nature is heaven, harmony and simple which gives a image with all the goals people are seeking.

I feel the most important massage she is sending to us is we should paying attention to all these beautiful things around us which we ignored before. The thing we can see such as the afternoon which represents the setting sun. Things we can hear such as the sea, peaceful and beautiful. AAlso the thing we know about nature and there is no art to say. All these things are around us, but we didn't pay attention top them, and that's we didn't see heaven, hear harmony, know the simplicity. The simplicity of nature is the thing we know but we can't tell we can only feel his our senses to gather the information. 

In class writing

1. Fig tree: homesickness. it is the missing of home and culture in the poem. It is father's belief and all other people's belief in Arabic. "plucking his fruits like ripe tokens, emblems, assurance of a world that was always his own."

2. Coffee: expressing culture. It represent who these people are and what they stand for. "a motion of faith. There is this,

and there is more."

3. Grandmother: seize the loss missing for past. It is the person who author wants yo meet again, and it represent all the people's will to meet others who had pasted away. "Where we live in the world is never one place."

Stage

I want to have stories about Kahu on the stage right and Father on stage Left. The narrator will be in the center stage to tell each side's story then each side will need to act out to show the story when one of them is on the other one will be in the dark. We might need some spot lights to focus on different parts. Koro is the only character show on the both sides. He will enter through the purple door. At one point Kahu will speak to the other side and Father will also do it. And they will speak after each other, so it sounds like they are having a conversation but they don't know who they are talking to, but they can hear each other. And the clam max would be when Father hand the stone to the daughter, and it show the connection between the Past and Future. Also it prove that anyone can the leader.

Costume: Koro with white wig in Kahu area and without wig in FATHER SCENE