Ying Yang

The sound of the silent lake deafens
Blinding darkness consumes my eyes
The soft sand removes all feel
The taste of the air bland
Fragrance with no scent
The water cool
And yet warm
I am
Calm

Thrid Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Ballantine Books, 1965. Fantasy

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a tale about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who lives in peace in a hobbit hole until Gandalf the Wizard comes to his house and Bilbo is elected the "burglar" on a mission obtain a large amount of gold that a dwarf, Thorin, is the rightful heir to. The problem is, it's guarded by a dragon named Smaug. The hobbit, dwarves, and Wizard set out and along the way, fight trolls, giant spiders, meet the intimidating elves, humans, goblins, wargs, and gollum. When meeting Gollum, Bilbo finds a ring that has the ability to turn the wearer invisible. Bilbo must keep going until they find Smaugs lair.

"Filled with marvels and strange terrors...an extraordinary, a distinguished piece of work." - Dan Wickenden, New York Herald Tribune Book Week.

Tolkien writes with amazing detail. He describes every little aspect in different manners depending on the time and place. The way he writes is so intriguing. It hooks you to the book, so you have to keep reading. It's almost literally not a choice when you read because it's a great book with a great author and superb detail. The writing style is direct yet detailed in a way I cannot begin to fathom. It is a true mark of a great writer when the reader is awed by the book.

"I feel magnificent," he thought; "but I expect I look rather absurd. How they [the hobbits] would laugh on the hill at home. Still I wish there was a looking glass handy!" -Bilbo

In my personal opinion, this quote is sort of symbolic to Bilbo's character development. The mithril mail he is trying on represents his new found belief in exploring and adventuring, even though he may look absurd and how the hobbits would laugh at him. But he wishes a looking glass was handy because he is starting to enjoy being this new person, and wants to see what it is like to be this type of person. After rereading this quote several times, I thought about this. It seems to fit Bilbo Baggins as he reverts to his Tilly side of the family.

The story is a classic. So many different plots collide throughout the book and are all explained in detail. Tolkien is an author who is to smart and different to criticize. The book is great because it is its own. The Harry Potter Series and Inheritance Series were great books too, but they used some ideas from The Hobbit to create their great stories. The Hobbit is one of those books that only comes once in a while. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone. If you absolutely dislike fantasy, I would recommend you ease your way into fantasy and then read this book to get the true feel of it.

In life, we all have many obstacles to overcome. For example, a young boy really wants to make the basketball team, even though he is not that athletic. He has always wanted to learn the complex rules and plays of the game. He knows there are many kids trying out who are better than he is at basketball. So he practices every day, and tries and tries to get better and make the team. He puts all of his effort into his practices. When the tryouts finally come he makes some great plays and is proud of his accomplishments. The other kids trying out are aggressive and make even better plays. The boy ends up not making the team, but he is still proud and satisfied because he put all his efforts into trying out for the team. The boy knows that he tried his best, and was able to learn the game of basketball. He is happy with his strength and persistence when competing with the others.

In the old man and the sea, Santiago must overcome many obstacles, but perseveres through them all. "His hope and confidence had never gone." (p.13) This quote shows how Santiago is strong. Santiago is putting every ounce of effort into catching fish, although he hasn't caught any fish for 84 days. He still perseveres to catch fish even though his chances look somber. The boy trying out for the basketball team also has a very dismal chance of making the team, but still perseveres. Both Santiago and the boy going for the spot on the basketball team are very audacious to defeat and optimistic.

Santiago is tireless in his efforts. He continuously tries to catch the Marlin. Even when his body tires he doesn't give up. " cramp then if you want, make yourself into a claw. It will do no good" (58) Once he has accomplished reeling in the great fish his obstacles don't end there. As he tries to bring his fish home the sharks start to attack the Marlin. Just as the boy trying out for the basketball team has to face the aggression of the other athletes on the court, Santiago must face the aggression of the sharks in the sea. "They must have taken a quarter of him and of the best meat" he said aloud (110).

When Santiago arrives home there is nothing left of the marlin but its skeleton. Instead of Santiago feeling poignant, he feels proud. He realizes that while he may not have brought the fish home to make money and prove to others he caught it, he proved to himself that he could accomplish the goal he had set out to do. Santiago managed to obtain his goal with effort and resolve. "He hit it without hope but with resolution and complete malignancy"(102).

In life there are many obstacles people encounter. Like Santiago, the boy trying out for the basketball team has multiple hurdles to overcome. He is less athletic than his peers, he is still learning the game, and he has aggressive competitors. He doesn't make the team, but he has pride in the effort he put into his try out. He is left with a greater understanding of the game and an improved ability to play. Santiago's obstacles are many as well; The demure size of his boat, the large size of the fish, and the aggression of the sharks toward the dead Marlin. Santiago brings home the fish, but not as a whole, as a skeleton. Santiago is proud that he knows he accomplished what he had set out to do. He caught the great fish! Both the boy trying out for basketball and Santiago proved to themselves they could accomplish their goals with persistence and pride. People face obstacles in everyday life. Conquering hurdles can be difficult, but with belief, effort, and perseverance, obstacles can be overcome.

The Right Decision

I woke up that Saturday under terrible circumstances. My dad had just left, without a trace of where he went. My mother now had to work on her own to raise her two children, my older brother John and me, Lawrence. It was the worst feeling in my life. Three years later, my mom was doing well enough, but was very bitter. My father had disappeared without a trace. John was in his second year of college in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I hated the situation. I didn’t have a real family like my friends with a mom, dad, and siblings all together. I wanted freedom. I loathed the way my life was.

On a warm day in March, I drove down to Santa Fe to visit my brother. I had my escape plan all set up. I was never coming back to my mother. I just wanted to live away from my bitter mother and the life I had. I had a little bit of money in the bank I could take out using an ATM. I would get a job and just live life away from my corrupt family.

I reached my brothers college, parked, and went to his dorm. We talked for a little while, went to Wendy’s, and ate. John knew something was up with me. He was a smart kid. So he said, What is going on?” “Nothing.” I replied stupidly. “Stop hedging me.” So I told him everything. When I told him I was leaving, he got angry. “You have no reason to leave. I won’t let you. I will chasten you.” “I am sick of this confounded family. I am going to live my own life.” But of course he rebuffed me. “You know it’s wrong to do this and you’re going to regret it. Don’t ruin your life.” “It’s already been ruined! I’m done.” “I understand what you going through. But don’t be so obstinate. I’m going to introduce you to someone who helped me get comfortable with College. His name is Josué. He lives in the local Indian Reservation.” I was bewildered and annoyed at the same time, but I just decided to go. So we went.

My brother led me to a tent when we got there. Inside was a small, shriveled old Indian man. “This is Josué.” John told me. “I met with him before my Calculus 2 final and did amazing on it after.” Josué looked at me, but in a way I’ve never experienced. He was staring at the inner me, viewing the appearance of my conscience and mind. “You are troubled.” He said. “Why?” He didn’t pester me for an answer, but I decided to tell him about my family, and my plan. He stared that uniform stare. When I had finished he told me that I should consider my paths. I said I had no future with my family. He stood, grabbed some rocks, and jettisoned them into a fire he had just kindled. He sat down and told me to stick my head into the fire. This was insane. But I felt like this man knew what he was doing, so I obeyed. The fire felt cool as I stuck my head in.

At first, I saw nothing, but a vision started to come to me. I saw myself in about ten years. I was in a large mansion. I wondered which path I had taken to get this. My myriad of money had come to me from a large business investment. I was wealthy beyond belief, but after I noticed my future self seemed incredibly laconic and lethargic. It must be me if I stay with my family. But after a while I noticed moving throughout his, well my life, there was no one there. I had money, but I also had no one to share it with. I saw myself make more and more money, get more and more stuff, but never did I have anyone I loved with me. It was strange seeing myself this vapid. I finally found out which future self this was. My butler asked me if I had anyone to spend Christmas with, but I said in a phlegmatic tone I have no family. This was me. I was incredibly wealthy, and also the poorest human being this earth has known.

It felt like it had taken years to watch but when I stuck my head out I realized it had been a second. Josué put in a new powder. After the fire was up, I stuck my head in. The first thing I saw was myself graduating High School, with honors. Then I saw myself in College, in which I became a teacher. Then I saw myself meet a wonderful woman, and later marry. Then I saw my Children. I couldn’t take that part in. I noticed that my mother lived with me and my brother visited often. I seemed incredibly happy even though I was not as wealthy as before.

I pulled myself out of the fire. Josué told me to go and follow my path. He also said the things I saw could be altered, but not majorly. John drove us back to the college, where I had to make my decision. “What if Josué is wrong?” I thought. I was conflicted. I could stay, live a life not financially wealthy, but have great love. I could leave and be very financially wealthy, but have no one. I also hated having to have the weird family situation. But if I stayed, it would be fine after a few years. It was the toughest decision I ever had to make. I got in the car, said bye to my brother, who told me not to run away, and headed to my destination.

I entered the house and my mother welcomed me cordially. I hugged and thanked her for everything. A little confounded she just said you’re welcome. I decided I would never tell her that I had almost left her for good. I decided I would just live my life the way it unfolded and make the right decisions. I went to bed that night, depleted, thinking, “Well, that was eventful.”

Book Review: The Color of Water

This book is a nonfiction about the author, James McBride's life and his mother, Ruth's life. The story switches every chapter, from James's life and his mothers. Throughout the story, James is conflicted because he is African-American and his mother is Caucasian. When he asks her what color God is, she says "God is the Color of Water." Thus the title. Throughout the whole book, James, his mother, his siblings, and his half-siblings deal with the pressures of being a multi-racial family. James and all of his siblings even though his mother just barely makes enough to keep them alive, puts all twelve of her children through college and allows them to become doctors, professors, teachers, composers, and scientists. On the other side of the story, Ruth's life is described, born to Jewish Polish immigrants in Virginia. Her father is a Rabbi, obsessed with money, hates black people, doesn't care for his family, divorces his wife but still lives with her, and hates his children. Her mother is a frail women with polio. Ruth (Rachel at the time) obviously falls in love with a black boy, becomes pregnant, but before her father finds out her mother sends Ruth to her aunt. She gets an abortion, one of the worst experience of her life. She then separates from her family, living with her somewhat, making little money moving from job to job. After a few events, she meets Andrew "Dennis" McBride. She gets to know him, and after Ruth quits an awful job that she thought was good, she falls in love and marries him. They have seven kids, but Dennis gets sick after a while, and Ruth is pregnant with James. Dennis dies after Ruth and the children visit him. She finds out for the first time that he had cancer. She gets remarried later, having more children, the the second husband dies. The book ends with James uncovering his mothers past, helping her meet lost friends and family, and discussing the accomplishments of her twelve children.

"The Color of Water [will] make you proud to be a member of the human race." -Mirabella

The real conflict in this story is one that started thousands of years ago. "Why do I look different from those people?" James doesn't understand in his early years why his mother is so different in looks from him. His mother wants everyone to know that black people are no different, and hates racism. They all go through life with this problem. Another conflict is the conflict Ruth has as she raises her children, losing two husbands, barely making enough to keep her family stable, but she overcomes this conflict. The story shows how true sacrifice pays off in the end.

"There are probably a hundred reasons why Ruthie should have stayed on the Jewish side instead of taking New Jersey transit and the F train to go to a Christian church in Red Hook, Brooklyn, with her shvartse children and friends, and I'm sure the Old Testament lists them all, but I'm glad she came over to the African-American side."

This book really made me think. About the three Inalienable rights, Life Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. About equality. Simply about life. The book shows the struggles this one amazing woman overcomes to give her family the best life she possibly can and her son's comprehension of life under his mother who lived differently than others. The book was a great read, teaching mean some lessons of life that are hard to comprehend. I would definently recommend it to other readers.

The Bass of Lake Spofford

In life, people find that there are mental effects an item has as well as Physical effects. Things that we have everyday can be our most prized possession. Our minds eye see these things as if there worth vast amounts of money. In many ways, those things in life that don’t have any value are the most valuable things a person can have. In many other ways, those things that have value can be valuable to us, but not in the ways people believe.
One item that I value in life is my Bass. My Bass shows how I can express what I believe through the different elements of music. It is a Rickenbocker 4003 bass, with two pickups, mono and stereo outputs, and a really great truss rod design. It is worth $1600. That is not the reason I love this bass. It just feels right to play it. The way I run my fingers along the surface of the strings, it makes my fingers blister and calices. I don’t feel any pain. I just feel the body of the bass in my fingers. The bass came to me from my uncle, who got it from his brother, who paid $800 for it from some crazy Rush fan who carved his name and social security number into the pickup plate. The bass came with an amplifier, a few chords, a strap, and a hard case. Every little trait about this bass is great. The strings, which have been on there for twenty or so years, are still in great condition. I had one string break in my three years of having this bass, but it was easy fixing. When I got the replacement strings, I saw a Hofner bass, (Paul McCartney is a well known user of it) and I asked the store manager to play it, but when it was placed in my hands, I didn’t feel the warmth I felt with my Rickenbocker. The Hofner was too light, small, and perfectly shaped. I can’t put another bass in my hand without missing the Rickenbocker that came from Alex Higgins, 019-….
In my life, I have gone to Spofford Lake in New Hampshire every summer. One moment in those fifteen years that really stuck out to me was on the Fourth of July (2007), when we all go out in the boat parade and throw water balloons and shoot water guns at other boats. We went in our cousins’ boat this particular year, and they have a ski tower on which he cleverly set up two catapults for water balloons, and we dominated. We had a great time, in the process nailing a bunch of annoying college kids who tried to flip our smaller boat last year. We took on the guys who use fire hoses, hitting quite a few people in the process. Afterwards, we went to our cousins’ house and had dinner, and we hung out all night, playing games, Rock Band, and just having fun. The times we have up at the lake are really important to me, because there are so many things I can do up there. I feel like I am free up there, with no worries or concerns, and time is not a matter to me.
My bass has also been involved at my lake house. This past summer one of the most fun times of my life occurred with my bass at my lake house. In mid July, we decided to play as two bands for a day. We played five set lists. I played in every song. We set up large amplifiers on our patch of beach on the right side of the lawn, two PA speakers on the edge, we took two old docks, connected them, and placed drums and the PA control on them, and we put wood on the beach to keep our shoes from spreading sand into the foot pedals. The bass amp is right behind me, and as I play, I feel the smooth, heavy rhythm of the bass combining with the warm summer sun and the lakes cool breeze against my body, and everything feels alright. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world.
I value both my bass and my time at my lake house. They both reflect the kind of person I am. I like being with the people I love to be with at my lake house, which is separate from cities and businesses, and just to separate myself from the world and go to the rhythm of the music thundering through my ears. As much as I value solitude and peace of mind, when it becomes too much, it is more a sin than a virtue. So I even though I cannot have this feeling whenever I want, I believe that the separation from this feeling greatens my value for it, because it is an award for time spent without the feeling of playing the Rickenbocker bass or being at my lake house in the summer.

Book Review

Ender's Game is a book by Orson Scott Card that is about Ender Wiggin, who is a child genius that is selected by government officials to stop alien invaders from invading Earth. He goes through battle camp, excelling in everything, beating all the hardest challenges after many attempts. Ender's evil brother, Peter, is taking over earth, and wants Ender to return under his control. At the end of the book, after training with Mazer Rackham, Ender supposedly defeats the buggers. He lives on a new planet until he finds what's left of the buggers. Ender goes to the Queen of the buggers and communicates through thought to find that she is only trying to find a new planet for her people to live on and that she is very sorry for what she has done. Ender then makes it his mission to find her a home.

"Enders's Game is a guaranteed crowd pleaser." - Ben Bova.

In Ender's Game, Ender is portrayed as a young, self-consciences boy who is trying to understand who he is. He wishes to be the best at battle school, but he also wants to see his sister again. The conflict here really caught my interest, because it shows that Ender can easily have one of these things, but he cannot have both. Card shows that even though the main character is genius, he has his problems. He also feels guilt after his defeat of the buggers, believing he had ended their entire existence. Ender's Game allows readers to see that even the mind of a child genius has its problems.

"I'll carry you." said Ender [to the hive queen] "I'll go from world to world until I find a time and a place where you can come awake in safety. And I'll tell your story to my people, so that perhaps in time they can forgive you to. The way that you've forgiven me."

This book as probably the strangest reading experience I've ever had. I read the book, found it dull, because I very close-minded to this genre type. But as I re-read it to comprehend any details I missed, I found that I really respected the writing style. Card is abrupt with his tone, not giving long, dull explanations on what is occurring. Ender gives the rest of his life to the last remaining queen of the buggers, to help her find a new home. In the end, I decided that if your going to read science fiction, Ender's Game should be #1 on your list.