Tuesday, February 12, 2008

hahafunny

paper #1

Sarah Ota
February 8, 2008
English
Paper #1
The Connections of Lives
The story that I chose to tell was about how there is this one frustrating thing that my parents do to me, which is making me repeat what I am saying more than one time. Basically doing the whole "selective hearing" stuff that I just cant stand. This particular situation is about me asking the permission of my parents to go to the beach with my friends. I wrote about how frustrating and how much I need to go through to try to get the approval of my parents to go anywhere. The emotions and aggravation that I feel when talking to my parents are the same in which Holden feels when he is talking to Mr. Spencer. An example in the book is on page 10, when Holden goes to visit Mr. Spencer before he leaves.
"I flunked you in history because you knew absolutely nothing."
"I know that sir. Boy, I know it. You couldn't help it."
"Absolutely nothing," Mr. Spencer said over again.
Holden then talks about how he hates when people repeat a statement twice and it really irks him. I can totally relate to the feeling of anger that Holden is feeling when Mr. Spencer does that, because my parents do the exact same thing.
Another example of it is on page 20, when Holden is talking with Ackley.
"We win, or what?" he said.
"Nobody won," I said. Without looking up, though.
"What?" he said. He always made you say everything twice.
"Nobody won," I said.
I guess in the way, Holden and I are similar since we both are easily irritated. Like when I was reading this story and came across both of those situations, I thought to myself I that is exactly how I am, and I can really relate to Holden's character in that way. Another similarity between Holden and I is that we both say things just to make the person feel like we agree what they are saying. When my parents ask me questions and sometimes I know that they are not going to like the answer, I sugarcoat my answer and make it sound better than it is. Holden does it a little differently by just straight out, one hundred percent, lying to the person, but we think similarly. For example on page 8, Holden speaks with Mr. Spencer.
"Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules."
"Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it."
While inside thinking, "Game, my ass. Some game."
So basically he just tells Mr. Spencer what he wants to hear just to make him be quiet and not argue back with him, which is what I do a lot when dealing with my parents.
Holden seems to have a problem with his parents as well as adults in general and I think that also is something that we share. He always has some kind of conflict with an adult if its not the bartender it's the taxi driver if its not the taxi driver its his parents. And I think I am also like that. But from reading it from a third point of view I think it helped me learn something. That most of the time even though it might be the last thought that would ever cross my mind, its me or as I've been seeing it in the book, its Holden who is the one that causes the conflict and trouble between people. By reading about this, it seems like it is a sign of immaturity, and needing someone to be blamed other than yourself, so I learned that I need to learn to take more responsibility for my actions.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

my comic lifee

alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205119655685059298" />

short story

Sarah Ota
January 23, 2007
English

The Frustrating Truth About My Parents
The process of asking my parents if I can go anywhere is a challenging one that takes much lying and staying calm.
"Uh mom, can I go out today?" I asked with hope of receiving a positive answer.
"What?" she responded.
"Can I go ou..?" I always have to repeat the question twice, even though I am sure she could clearly hear me especially since I was standing two feet away from her asking the question. She cut off my second approach to ask the question in finally understanding what I was saying.
"Ohh, did you finish your homework?"
"Yeah, I'm like basically done, just gotta do a few more problems for math."
When asking my parents if I can go out, they always need the reassurance of knowing exactly who will be attending, and exactly what time I'll be back, being the overprotective parents that they are.
"I'm gunna go beach with like kelc, kylie, tiana guys, we're going to Walls," I said even though we still hadn’t decided where to go and who was coming.
"Im the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. Its awful."
"Who are you going with?" my mom asked the irritating repeating question.
Trying to not get mad, I calmly answered through gritted teeth, "Kelc, Ky, and T."
"Who?" she said.
Now it was getting to the point where it was just plain ridiculous.
"Ohh, Tiana, ohh I get it. What time will you be back by?"
"Hopefully around five, not sure yet but Kelcie said she could give me a ride back to her house so you can just pick me up from there, so I gotta leave the same time she is getting picked up."
As soon as that long phrase left my mouth, I regretted not just saying "Oh around five" knowing that my mom is going to make this even harder than it is.
"Wait so you are going to catch a ride back home with Kelcie," she inquired
"YES MOM," I tried to be in control of my frustration that was slowly overtaking me.
"I guess so, try ask you dad," my request finally received approval of one parent, task half way completed.
As I ran up the stairs to where my parent's room was, I reviewed my plan in my head. If he has any questions try to just stick with, "Mom said its okay to go."
"Hey dad?," I shouted over the sound of running water as the smell of shaving cream passed by my nose.
"Yea," he responded knowing I was asking for something.
"Uhh so I asked mom if I can go to the beach today and she said okay so can I go?" I asked hopefully once more.
"So mom said okay?" he asked shouting over the sound of the faucet, which was surprisingly louder to him than expected.
"Umm yea, she said that its fine, so can I go?"
"Wait I cant hear you… What?" he yelled as I thought about all the times when I talked back quietly to him and somehow he could catch every single word of what I would say.
"SHE SAID ITS FINE!" I said the feeling of frustration once again erupting in my system.
"There is no need to get all excited and mad," he said testing my patience.
"So when will you be done at?" he asked.
"Probably fiveish," even though I wasn't sure at all when I would be through.
"WHAT? SIX?" he asked. "WHAT?"
"Dad," I took a deep breath and tried to sound calm. "About five, is it okay?"
"I guess so."
Finally with the approval of my parents that enjoy making me repeat everything twice or sometimes three times I went to the beach. Its like they don't understand how frustrating it is to talk to them, and its not only for things like going out its for any question I ask them, we establish what I say about two times before they answer. Here's the thing, its not like my parents are deaf, they aren’t stupid either, it's just that sometimes they just have this "selective hearing" that really bugs me. It's a good thing that I can usually make up a pretty good lie to sugar coat the truth and make the story seem the way my parents want it.

Comments:
I like the dialogue. I think you could add a little more non-dialogue parts inbetween the rest of the dialogue.