Trouble with the inquiry

I can't seem to find anything to do regarding the inquiry. It will be good to help out my community if I could find something to do that will help me with my inquiry. Our question is: what is madness? I don't really have any ideas on what to do in my community to help me answer that question. I guess I could take a trip to east Hastings, but I don't really know how that will help me answer that question, as people on the downtown east side aren't really mad.

 I've just heard Ms.Kwan give us some ideas. We can raise awareness about mental illness and showing that there are different forms of mental illness. I know our group can but together a good video. We have somewhat of a base to work with, but we sill have a lot of work to do.

Mediocrity at it's most mediocre

I've read quite a bit since my last post. My feelings haven't really changed since then. This book is not bad by any means. On the other hand, this book is not good by any means. It's totally mediocre. Although I finally made a connection, I still have the same problem: NOTHING HAPPENS. I realize that the problem is that the family is disfunctional, but this book pretty much explains how the family lives. All of the events that happen are things that I do and talk about with my family. There's a connection there, but not a big one. I do get some insight on how people from other parts of Canada live, which is great, but this book contains no exciting events. When I finish this book, I will not be able to recall anything exciting happening because there is nothing exciting that happens! I suppose this is one of those books that is about the big picture and not major events. I still can't see anything mind blowing happening at the end. I think it's going to be one of those cliche books with a feel good ending, which I hate. I am curious to see what's going to happen later in the book though.

Growing on Me

Yesterday, I said that The Last of the Crazy People was dry, dull, and plain boring. Well I must say that it has grown on me. I'm not certain that I like it yet, but I must admit the story is getting a little more compelling. I just want to see how (and if) the characters develop and what happens to them. I'm still on the fence with this story. I don't know weather I like it or not yet, but I am enjoying the novel much more than I was yesterday. I suppose  I just had to get through the boring beginning. I think as I will read on, I will enjoy reading the book more. However, I don't really see a twist coming at the end like I've been told. I am foreseeing a cliche ending, since this is a novel about family. I have seen enough films about family to know how they all end: They make up and apologize and they all live happily ever after. I'm a sucker for good cliches. Back on topic, nothing major and exciting has happened yet. Hopefully something major will happen soon, hopefully a plot twist (although I don't really see what there is to twist as there's not much of a plot). Still, I am somewhat enjoying reading this. I am learning about how life was in the 60's, which is pretty interesting. I still won't take back about what I've said about the charecters being unlikeable. Good thing the story is keeping me engaged. I am patiently waiting for something major to happen, and when it does, I'll be sure to blog it.

First Impressions

So, I've finally started to read the book. I must say, I'm not very impressed. It is not a thriller/mystery novel like some of the reviews I've read described it as. I guess I just had the wrong mindset going into the book. The book is mostly about the life of a disfunctional family. There are a lot of problems with the family, and they have poor communication. To be honest, the plot its pretty dull. Nothing exciting or shocking really happens. Maybe that's because I just started, but I have ideas for what's to come. Moreover, I can't seem to get attached to the charecters. The main kid, Hooker, seems oblivious to the problems going on around him. Iris the maid, while at times can be nice and helpful, can be a jerk at times. The Aunt which takes care of the mother is a straight up meanie. The father, from what I've read seems demanding and bossy. I don't have anyone to side with or anyone I can cheer for or connect to! I don't like any of the charecters, the story is bland (maybe because I haven't quite gotten into it) and I can't connect to anything in the book. Perhaps I will be able to make connections later on, or learn about what life in other parts of Canada is like, but for now, no. Or maybe when I dive deeper in the story I will enjoy the book more. Not exactly a page turner, I can tell you that.

Feb. 7th 2013

I am yet to start reading the book. I need to pick it up tomorrow. However from what I have read, it's about a regular Ontario family who's mother in that family gives birth to a stillborn baby and loses her mind. It sounds fantastic! I am a huge fan of thriller/mystery material in general. I am going to read a rather large chunk of it tomorrow. Just reading the summary reminds me of the film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Don't ask me why, it just does.

I really hope this book scares me, because I have trouble finding scary books. Even though I have read a few of Stephen King's works, nothing I've ever read has kept me up at night. Hopefully the physiological aspect of this story can mess with my mind and make me think and reflect upon my life, which will keep me up at night.

I hope to learn about life outside of BC, as I hear that it is very different. I have never visited anywhere outside of BC in Canada, so I hope this novel gives me insight on what family life is like on the East side. Perhaps I can apply some of this knowledge to better my relationships with family. For know, I will pick up the book tomorrow and let you guys know how it goes.

Reflection Number 1

The novel I will be studying throughout this unit is called 'Last of the Crazy People' by Timothy Findley. From what I've heard, it is a mystery/thriller novel with many plot twists. I love reading books like this, so I pretty much can't go wrong. I am excited to start reading it.

Regarding why I chose this book, I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't. One of my friends heard that this was a good book and it would be fun to study. I know he has good taste in movies and books, so I trust him.

I hope after reading this book that I can get a better understanding of Canadian literature and appreciate the literature from my country. I can count the amount of books from Canada that I've read on a finger, so hopefully this journey exposes me to new books and ideas.

Ted

Ted
By Konstantine Xinos

 I wake up in a room made of stone. There is a rancid lingering smell of something dead. I throw up next to me. I feel very dizzy. There is a chain next attached to my ankle which is on a pole. However, my biggest concern is not regarding where I am, it's about how I got here. Do I owe someone money? I don't think so. I'm not the gambling type. Is there possible a ransom on me? Well, I'm not the wealthiest person in the world, so I don't see why anyone would want money from me. I'm probably just dreaming. Yeah, that's it! I pinch my neck. Still in the room. I slap my face. Still in the room. I pass out from shock.

                         I awake several hours later in a daze. Or at least I think I do. I have no idea what time it is. Hell, I don't even know the date! I glance around the room. There is a single light on the roof, flickering on and off. Behind that is a large, twelve-foot medieval door. I need to find a way to get there, but how? I look next to me. The pungent smell was a corpse. I vomit again in disgust. Once I regain sanity, I see that there is a gun in his hand. I take the gun. There are only two bullets in the chamber, so I have to use the gun wisely. I then come to a startling realization: since the gun was in his hand, that means that he committed suicide. I have seen way too much to carry on with life. I put the gun under my chin. I can't do it though. I'm too scared. Also, there is a way out of here, I know it. I point the gun at the lock and it breaks. I am free. I have to be careful now. I have one more bullet, so the lock on the door simply needs to come off. I walk up to the door and take a deep breath. I shoot it right off. I was now to carry on my own, in an unknown place, scared out of my mind.

I now walk into a corridor. It's much brighter than the room, as there are torches for every 5 feet. It almost looks like an abandoned mine shaft except with no rails on the ground. I can even see what I am wearing. I must have been kidnapped at work because I am wearing my white collared shirt tucked into my black pants. Well, the shirt was white before the blood was on it. Suddenly I see a sign of life. It is a man in a suit with his hands clasped behind his back. I hold up the gun, knowing that it is empty.

"Relax," the man said with a smile. "I don't know you, but I may be able to help you."

"Who are you?" I ask skeptically

"My name is Ted. I am the man that owns that gun you are pointing at me," Ted says

I lower the gun as my jaw drops.

"So you're dead?" I ask.

"That is correct," Ted says with a grin.

"Ok, I'm listening. How can you help me," I ask politely.

"Well, I cannot tell you who owns this place, because frankly, I don't even know. But what I do know is that this is the beginning of you’re troubles. You see, this is the lowest level. There are two more floors each with dangers. I cannot tell you what they are, unfortunately."

"Sounds harder than the way you put it," I say.

"That's because it is," laughs Ted.

Ted points to a rusty metal ladder.

"Go," he says.

"Thank you so much. You saved my life," I say

Before I can say any more, Ted vanishes before my eyes. I climb up the ladder. My nightmare has begun.

                       I reach the second level of the chamber. There is a pool of a greenish-brown liquid before me. There is a door on the other side, so that is promising. Next to me is a pile of about ten dead bodies. I thought I would never have to see another dead body in my life. I must get across this pool, but how? I find a piece of scrap metal on the ground and throw it in the water. It disintegrates before my eyes. I glace to my left. What if I use that pile of dead bodies to make a bridge to the other side? Genius! I drag the heavy dead bodies to the pool. I know this isn't morally correct, but I have to disregard morals for the time being. I will also have to act fast before the bodies disintegrate. I will probably accel at this because I was a tennis player thought high school and collage, so hopefully it all pays off now. Also, my balance should be intact. I put the first body on the pool. Then, the second. I stumble a few times, but other than that, I'm keeping calm. The only hard part is the metal aspect. I am placing dead human beings. I go back and forth placing bodies on top of the water. After placing 7 bodies, I finally make it to the end. I take a moment of silence for all of those people that died. I continue through the huge door, similar to the first one. I am a third done my journey.

                  I approach the next phase. There are four vicious pit bulls attached to chains. I notice that there is a gun on the roof. Suddenly the dogs are unleashed and running toward me. It was almost as if someone triggered it. I need to find a way to get to the roof. I dodge many dogs and try to distract them. I cannot climb up to get it, as the gun is in the centre of the roof and is made of stone. I am on the move, dodging the dogs. One of the dogs bites off a chunk of my arm. I howl in pain. I take off my shirt and tie it around my arm to stop the bleeding. I try jumping directly under the gun, but I fall a few inches short. I need some sort of a boost. One of the dogs bolts toward me like a rocket. Instinctively, I jump over it. Little did I know, I knocked down the gun in my jump! I pounce on the gun. I check how many bullets are inside of it. Two. I have enough bullets to shoot one dog and the lock off of the door to the mansion. A dog starts running at me, so I shoot it in the head. I turn around and dive for the door, shooting in mid-air like James Bond. The lock comes straight off. I book it to the door and shut it behind me immediately.

                 Turning around is the most awe-inspiring experience of my life. I am in a beautiful house, with a door in front of me. There is a window next to the door, shining bright sunlight inside of the house. I hear a slow clapping sound. To my surprise, Ted appears out of thin air!

"Congratulations, you've survived my test," Ted says with a scary smirk.

"You're test?" I question with complete shock and confusion.

"Yes," says Ted. "You were supposed to die in those tests. You were the first person to ever complete it alive." Ted steps to the side and points to the door.

"What, so you just expect me to leave? Also, you said that the mansion part was the hardest," I say with extreme anger and hatred.

"I never had anyone finish my tests," explains Ted.

"Tell me why you put me through this," I demand.

"Ok. I was murdered 30 years ago in my very home. To seek revenge I took this ghost form and built my traps. I took extreme pleasure in seeing him suffer, so I kidnapped more people to fulfil my needs of having fun."

"You're sick," I say as I spit toward his feet.

"Well, aren't we all?" Asks Ted with a smile.

"So you expect me to just leave and forgive and forget?" I sarcastically laugh.

"Basically. You see, records show that I have died 20 years ago. No one will believe you I'm afraid," Ted laughs.

I shake my head and spit at the ghost. It goes through him and lands on the other side. He blurts out an evil laugh. When I walk outside, I recognize exactly where I am. I am in my hometown of Santa Ana, California. I take a glance at the home that kept me hostage for such a long time. I recognize it. In fact, this is the street I take to work every single day! I pass this house every day! I make a vow never to return to this street for the rest of my life. I take one last turn at the house. To my surprise, it's not there anymore. It disappeared into thin air. Now I know I'll never have to relive the horrors I've been put through in that house.