Family Feuds: Nervous Conditions

Chapters 6 and 7 of "Nervous Conditions" were filled with dramatic fights, arguments, and family drama.  It was evident from the first time we were introduced to Nyasha that she had a rebellious side, especially towards Babamukuru, but in chapter 6, it escalated to a whole new level.  I was completely shocked when I read that she and Babamukuru, her own father, were punching and hitting each other.  What was most shocking about this fight was that it was over something very dumb and pointless.  I think that the fight ended up being so intense because both Nyasha and Babamukuru are very stubborn and set in their ways, and neither of them were willing to back down.  

The fighting had only just begun at this point.  When Babamukuru and the family returned to the homestead for the Christmas holidays, they were greeted with the ongoing family feud between Babamukuru's cousin Takesure and Tambu's aunt Lucia. Lucia and Takesure had an affair, and Lucia got pregnant.  However, she is telling everyone that it is Jeremiah's child and not Takesure's.  This disagreement has resulted in a dare, and the truth is clear to no one.  Babamukuru eventually settles the problem himself.  These two chapters have shown that families can have arguments, but when they get out of hand, that's when the real trouble starts.

Outside Reading:

Sunday: NC-2 hours

Monday: NC- 3 hours

Virgin Gorda

Hello Block 2!
I hope everyone had a relaxing Mardi Gras break and is ready to finish out the third quarter strong!  As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, last week my family and I traveled to the caribbean island of Virgin Gorda.  I had never been to the caribbean before, or to any island for that matter, so this trip was especially exciting!  Getting there, however, wasn't easy; it actually took about 24 hours!  But, when I finally stepped off of the plane and saw the ocean, palm trees, and sandy beaches, it was all worth it.

We had to take a boat from the island of Tortola to where we were staying on Virgin Gorda.  As we sailed along through the bright blue water, my excitement increased even more!  I was so anxious to lay in the sun, and play in the sand.  After we settled in, we took a drive around the island.  The entire island is only 8 sq miles, and only takes 20 minutes to drive from one end to the other!  There were so many highlights of this trip that it is impossible to describe all of them.  But, some of my favorites were visiting The Baths, a tourist attraction famous for its incredible ocean-caves and cliffs, and snorkeling on Cooper Island.  This was an unforgettable trip and I cannot wait to go back.  But, always remember to wear sunscreen, because sunburns aren't fun!

Shoulda Been a Knight

On Friday night, EHS faced off against their rivals, U-High, in three unforgettable basketball games.  Both the boys and girls teams played amazingly, and when it came down to it, were victorious.  Sports are a pretty big deal at Episcopal, and usually draw a large amount of fans to the games.  But, when we play U-High, the fan count is probably doubled.

The theme for the game on Friday was "Silent Knight and Camo".  When I heard about this, I was very confused about what it meant...well at least the silent knight part.  Later in the week, we got an email with a youtube video attached, which demonstrated what silent night, or "knight", was.  After watching it, I couldn't wait to do it at the game.  The entire crowd (or at least the Episcopal fans) are completely silent until we score our tenth point of the game.  And then, we go crazy.  That is exactly what happened at the game.  When the ball went into the goal scoring our 10th point, everyone shot up out of their seats and cheered as loud as we could.  The game was very fun and exciting, and I am looking forward to the next game!

Nervous Conditions 1-3

Hey Everybody!
This week, we having been moving along in "Nervous Conditions", and so far I am enjoying it.  We have read chapters 1-3, and have already learned so much about Tambu, the narrator, and other various bits of background information about the plot and characters.  We have even identified instances of theme in the book.  Tambu opens the story with a very powerful line: "I was not sorry when my brother died."  After reading this, I already had a million questions running through my head.  How did her brother die?  Why isn't she sorry?  Did she have something to do with it?  How will this play out in the rest of the story?  In the remained of chapter 1, and in chapters 2 & 3, we witness the rudeness, jealousy, and arguing that is Tambu and Nhamo's (her brother) relationship.

Tambu is very smart and yearns to go to school, but Nhamo, being the older male in the family, gets to go instead.  Nahmo's attitude has changed as a result of him getting to go to the prestigious boarding school.  He is cocky, rude to his siblings, and is losing touch with his culture.  Nhamo teases Tambu about it, and tells her that she better get used to the fact that she will never be anything more than a housewife.  Even Tambu's parents tell her that.  She is discouraged, but refuses to give up.  Tambu and Nhamo's father has a similar relationship with his older brother, Babamukuru.  Babamukuru is the leader in their family; he is even referred to as "our prince" by his relatives.  He is given this title because he is well educated, wealthy, and provides for the rest of his family.  After analyzing these situations in class, we posed the question: Are Nhamo and Babamukuru the way they are because of their natural character, or because of the situations they have been placed in?

Outside Reading:
Monday: NC- 73 min
Tuesday: NC- 20 min
Wednesday: Peer Reviews: 1 hour & 45 min
Thursday: NC- 48 min

Halftime Show

Most of you probably watched the Super Bowl tonight, which resulted in the Giants taking the title of national champions!  Sadly, I was unable to watch the game because I was studying for my World History test that I have tomorrow.  However, I did take a little study break to watch the halftime performance.  The Superbowl is known for putting on the best halftime shows.  In 2010, when the New Orleans Saints won the Superbowl, the Black Eyed Peas gave an incredible, and very memorable performance.  This year, the performance was one that will go down in history.

What's better than having one celebrity singer?  Having four celebrity singers!  Madonna, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., and Cee-Lo Green all shared center stage during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show.  The performance was show-stopping, to stay the least.  Complete with outrageous costumes, energetic songs, and an impressive tight-rope walker, this show was one of the best I've ever seen!  I can't even imagine what the energy in the arena was like.  I can't wait for next year's Super Bowl, and another unforgettable halftime show.

A New Book

Hello Everyone!
I was very excited to begin another class reading book this week.  We have been so busy with writing papers, and other rigorous tasks, that it was nice to slow down a bit with a book.  The title of the story is "Nervous Conditions", by Tsitsi Dangaremba.  I knew that the story was set in Africa, so I thought that the title might be referring to a girl in Africa who is nervous about something, because of the conditions she is living in.  After discussing all of the possible meanings of the words "nervous" and "conditions" in class, I have a much broader sense of what the title might actually mean.  I really enjoyed the first two chapters of the book, and am anxious to read more.

"Nervous Conditions" wasn't the only thing related to English class that I was focused on this week.  The rough draft of our global issues paper is due on Monday February, 6th, and that definitely kept me busy!  Since I had already completed the research, and written a detailed outline for the paper, I assumed that writing it all up would be a piece of cake.  I was wrong.  After staring a a blank word document for hours, unable to come up with the right words to put it all together, I realized that something was missing.  This made me come up with a new thesis statement, and a new idea to focus my paper around.  I still have the same topic, except now it relates more to the present, instead of just rehashing events from the past.  Even though it required a little extra time, I am pleased with the outcome of my rough draft.

Outside Activity:
Monday: rough draft-15 min
Wednesday: NC- 54 min
Thursday: NC- 67 min & rough draft- 20 min
Saturday: rough draft- 4 hours
Sunday: rough draft- 3 hours