I productively studied tonight (yay for me), and I also went to the gym after school (another yay for me). Oh! And I got a B on my English midterm which I really thought I did badly on. It was very hard, all on Chaucer...I had to translate a piece from Middle English into Modern English, which took up half the test time alone for most people. One more point towards the English major side. I tend to go through phases in school where I'll think I want to major in English (I did very well in Eng and Eng Lit in high school), until I bomb an essay and consequently think, Oh my God I totally suck at English, what am I doing, but all in all I think I am still okay with it and this is a big yay for English, so...yay.

Big, BIG yay for English came when I was still at SFU (shudder). But my English class there was still the best class I've ever taken at a post-secondary school. For my final essay, I wrote about short story by my favourite short story author, Kathe Koja. At the time that the essay was due, our class hadn't discussed that particular story yet, and out of a class of 300 students I was the only one to pick that topic (I'm oh so oringial, aren't I?). Anyway, the story is called "Lady Lazarus", based on Sylvia Plath's final days before she comitted suicide. I was completely, utterly suicidal at the time I wrote it, which was at 3 in the morning the night (hours?) before it was due. Cody and I were originally doing the same topic, until I called him that night for help on something he promised he'd help me with and he had gone out for the night, and I was so pissed off at him that I changed my entire topic. So I wrote passionately about the story and submitted it, thinking I was completely crazy (which I was, in another sense). Well, I got a B+ on it, even though I had misinterpreted a lot of the story completely (because we had not discussed it in class at all), and my TA told me that although I'd explained things in the story that were completely and obviously wrong, the writing style and imagery was so well done that I got a B+ anyway. That was (and still is) my motivation for continuing with English and writing.

That was a fun little story.

We're starting Shakespeare now in Lit, which is great, but I cannot stand the play we're starting off with, which is Twelfth Night. I personally think it is confusing and the plot is boring (gasp! Krista, dissing Shakespeare?!). Honestly, I don't like it, and I'm not enjoying talking about it, or even watching the movie version. I did learn this year, however, that none of Shakespeare's plays are oringial, except for his very last one, The Tempest, which he wrote himself (and it also happens to be my all-time favourite. Miranda is my hero! But anyway.) <--- does the period go inside or outside of the bracket?! That drives me crazy!

I guess I should go back to the Psych chapter I have to finish reading. I've probably bored everyone anyway, unless they have the same weird fascination with literature that I do.

If you've been thinking, what can I do to be cool like Krista? (and I know you have been), you can a) Read the stories, "The Neglected Garden" and "Lady Lazarus" by Kathe Koja (you first must read the poem "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath), b) Read the story, "River of Names" by Dorothy Allison, c) Download some Carole King (suggestions: So Far Away, One Fine Day, You've Got A Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow?, I Feel The Earth Move), d) Go on a short-lived health kick and eat 5 apples a day because you figure it's "natural" sugar (and then realize, it just doesn't seem to have the same effect as chocolate, does it?)

That's all for now.

<< || >>