Assignment #5: The Road Less Traveled

1) Do you believe it is important to be passionate about your job?
      As children, we fantasize about the perfect job, minus all the technical things such as the pay, the effort, and the time, yet when one grows older the perfect job remains a dream, and we settle for the easiest option. Jobs are not only a source of money but a daily part of ones life. On average, people spend eight hours a day/ five times a week at their work place. It is impossible to lead a satisfying life if you are dreading to go to work. Passion plays a key role in ones day to day life. If there is no passion, there is no enjoyment and without enjoyment, it is impossible to be happy with the job you have. People tend to complain about their jobs rather than going back to school and finding an occupation that you are truly interested in and want to focus in more detail. For example, I'm a senior in high school and frankly I had no idea on what I plan to do this upcoming year until now. Unlike many adults who just reconcile with a future they are unsure of, I avoided making a hasty decision that I may later regret. Instead of picking any area to study in university, I took the advice of my councilor and elders who know how it feels to be in this position and researched deeper into the courses I am most intrigued by. Although, my future will be filled  with obstacles, I know I can conquer them because my driving force is my passion. Without passion, one's life lacks fulfillment. A prime example is my dad. My dad works as a construction worker. This is not his dream job nor is he passionate about it. Due to hard times, he had to take whatever job was available. Every afternoon, when I see him come home after a grueling day at work, I can tell he would much rather be doing something involving alot less labour. Eventually, such jobs can start to weigh you down, and that's when one contemplates all the decisions they've made throughout their lives leading up to this moment. People take the easy road all the time, but the ones that have the confidence to take the road less travelled tend to lead a life they imagine in their dreams.

2) What are you going to do with the rest of your life (career wise) and how are you going to get there?

   " What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question is one that I've been trying to avoid lately.I'm a grade 12 student, graduating in 6 months, its a scary thought to process that I will be heading into the real world in such a short amount of time. My future seems to be as stable as tall building during an earthquake. It feels as if my mind changes a total of three times a day but after many months of thoroughly considering all my options, I've come to a conclusion. For my upcoming year, I plan to study in university. My choices being Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, and University of Victoria. My final decision will be made after my acceptance and rejection letter arrive in the mail. But when it comes to my field of interest, I'd like to focus on psychology and get a Bachelor of Arts degree. When it comes to a specific occupation, I have yet to figure it out  but I'm sure as I attend university, it'll be much less of a struggle to decide on a future because I'm being educated. My main goal is to do something I know I'll wake up every morning knowing I have a great day awaiting me.

Ten Things I Hate About You Vs. Taming of The Shrew

    The movie "Ten Things I Hate About You" directed by Gil Junger is successful in capturing the essence of the play "The Taming of the Shrew" written by Shakespeare because there are many similarities throughout the two. For example, Katerina, in "The Taming of the Shrew" expresses her hatred for conformity several times. While having a discussion with her father, Baptista, Kate is asked to stay behind so he can have a chat with Bianca. Katerina answers with "why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? What,shall I be appointed hours as though, belike, I knew not what to take and what to leave, ha?"(1.1.104) This shows that Katerina, lives for herself and takes orders from no one. In "Ten Things I Hate About You", Kat, who is the equivalent of Katerina's character, who has the same opinion on conformity. An example from the movie is when Kat and Bianca are venting to each other and Kat gives Bianca some sisterly advice, along the lines of, how she shouldn't act the way people expect her to act, she should be the person she really is. In both, the movie and the play, Katerina is portrayed as an independent woman, who speaks whatever it may be on her mind. In the play, she is "renowned in Padua for her scolding tongue" (1.2.97). Many civilians are hit by fear when they hear her name. In the movie, Kat is known to be the girl who is only relies on herself, not caring about what peoples opinion is on her. She wears what she wants, and prefers to be an outcast rather than a part of the crowd. To her fellow classmates, she has the reputation as a "heinous bitch". Kat and Katerina are similar in terms of personality and the way they are received by the people around them, only difference is the time frame the movie and play take place.

    Although the movies does a fantastic job remaking the play in modern day time, there are some subtle differences. For example, the relationship between Katerina and Petruchio changes Kate as a person, "as she had never been" (5.2.7) Due to Petruchio's bazaar methods of taming, Katerina leaves her old ways and becomes the perfect wife. For example, towards the end of the play, all the men have a bet during Bianca and Lucentio's wedding. They bet to see who's wife would be summoned by their husband's first. To no surprise, Katherina is the only one who comes to her huband's command. At this point, it is evident that Katerina was no longer the same person she started off as. On the other hand, in the movie, Kat remains the same person throughout the movie. Kat and Patrick's relationship had no impact on her other than the fact that she begins to show some compassion and love towards her partner. She stops putting up the front of being tough  and shows the audience her kindhearted side. Yet, she still manages to keep her morals and beliefs. In conclusion, The movie does exceptionally well in capturing the essences of the play but if one were to look in detail, it is evident that some differences are present.

Journal #1 - Room

Room:
"Don't you want to escape?"
"Yeah, only not really."
(pg.113)

  Jack is born in a 11 foot by 11 foot room. He has never stepped out of it and has yet to see the world. Jack recently learns the truth about his situation. But this isn't what he is most intrigued by, Jack is far more overwhelmed by the fact that there are "real" things in the world, not just in the t.v. When he gets the chance to possibly go out into the real world, he is hesitant to do so. His Ma has a plan that might actually work but Jack is not willingly to go through with it just yet. Jack is use to being the most important person to his mother but when she tells Jack about her family, his grandparents, and uncle, Jack begins to show some jealously. Jack wants to maintain the relationship that they have now. He is not ready to leave the only home he knows. I can relate to Jack in several ways such as feeling unimportant and scared.

   When my younger sister was born, I felt pushed aside. I thought everyone stopped loving me. It was not until after I changed my mindset because I realized I was overreacting and missing out on what really mattered. I think Jack is experiencing the same feeling when he wraps his head around the idea of sharing his Ma. Jack seemed scared to leave the room because he's afraid of loosing the relationship him and his ma have. It's as close as the room they are living in.

   I can understand why Jack is unsure of escaping and being free. To him, the world is a scary place, something he hasn't experienced. Jack's Ma asked him "Don't you want to escape?" and he answered "Yeah, only not really." (pg.113)  This reminds me of when I was 5 years old and it was my first day of kindergarten. I wanted to make new friends but I was afraid of being alone and not having my mom by my side. I remember feeling nervous and throughout the book I can see that Jack experiences it too. It is difficult to go from relying on someone and then suddenly having to adjust a new environment and becoming independent. School is a place where you learn and grow to become more independent which is exactly what I did. As for Jack, the world seems to be his school, he's learning and is slowly making steps to independence. Jack and I share the same emotions in these situations, only difference is that his circumstance is much more impacting on a life.  

Public Displays of Disaffection

1.) The topic of cellphones is one difficult to discuss. In the article "Public Displays of Disaffection" written by Anne Kingston, there are three key points she explores throughout the article. First off, due to cellphones, people are loosing "one-on-one people skills", unable to carry on conversations because they are too focused on their phone rather than physically talking to the person in front of them. Many people consider this rude. Which brings me to my second point, Cell phones are causing problems in relationships. Young people today are becoming more and more tolerant to using such a device at times it would normally be considered wrong. Statistics show that "10 per cent of people under age 25 didn’t see anything wrong with texting during sex." This displays that there is no limit to cell phone use, society is starting to rely on technology rather than valueing communiticating face to face. There is a major difference. And finally, Cell phones are now considered "addictions" and those who are in the grasp of this disease are causing the ones around them to be "fed up". When someone is texting while you are talking to them, its like saying "to hell with all of you" and the texter doesn't even know they are sending out this message. The disease of addiction takes over their life and weakens their "ability to engage in uninterrupted, focused conversations.” The issue has reached a point where people would "rather see someone pick their nose than use a mobile device in front of them” in a survey done by Intel Corps. Overall the article discusses the promblems of cell phone users, and how they lead to "cell-fishness".

2.) In the article, Anne Kingston addresses that people are loosing their one on one skills because people are too captivated with their phones to take the time to have a face to face conversation. I would have to agree with this point because I've been in a situation where I am trying to have an important conversation with a friend but she was too busy texting someone else. This made me feel unimportant, and stupid because it felt as if I was talking to a wall. Her next point is that cell phones are causing problems for relationships between members of the society, I would partially have to agree with this because I rely on my phone to connect me to friends, and family I normally wouldn't be able to communicate with if it wasn't for my phone. I think there is a limit to when and where you should pull out your cell phone. I think it is important to maintain relationships with our loved ones that aren't with us everyday, but it shouldn't have an affect on the ones that are near you. When it comes to her third point, stating cell phones are considered an addiction, I would have to disagree with this because it is the users choice to pull out the cell phone. I wouldn't consider it addictive but it really depends on the person using it. Some are dependant on their cell phones while others can leave it at home or in the car because it acts as a distraction when they know they have something more important to do.

3.) I think cell phones are always acceptable when one is by themselves because you could face an emergency and might need to call for help. Also, you aren't being disrespectful. I think places such as schools and work places are limited to when you can pull out your cell phone. I consider it okay to pull your cell phone out on breaks during school or work. But I think it is important to leave it in your car or bag when you are suppose to be at work or being taught. It is disrespectful, and a distraction, not only to you, but those who are around you. Another place I consider cell phones to be unacceptable is at the movie theatre. People pay money to enjoy a movie, and it is annoying to see that someone is ignoring their surrondings and is off texting on their phone. I am guilty to doing some of these things, but I think most people are but its never to late to change that. However, I dont think there should be rules about banning cell phone because i believe people should have the morals to know when and when not to use their cellular device. If there are rules, they will most likely be broken since most of the cell phone users are teenagers, or young adults, there is bound to be a protest that would see occur.