Saturday, October 25, 2008

Mr. Cheng says, "Are you not entertained?"

(photo courtesy EW.com; body courtesy Russell Crowe and "Gladiator")

I've heard the grumblings and I understand that The Odyssey is a challenging text. Hey, I didn't have to read the epic poem until my first year of college. But trust me when I say that this translation is much more readable than the one I had to read, and if you give it time, the story will yield many rewards. It's a terrific adventure with many wonderful archetypal elements (we will get into the definition of archetype more in class). We'll spend most of the coming week (Oct. 27-31) practicing strategies to make the poem more comprehensible. Foremost among these strategies is understanding that the poem was intended to be performed for its listeners. Try reading it aloud, and really make a point of understanding how it is to be read. Don't worry so much about the names as you do the pauses and the ebbs and flows of the lines. Imagine being at a campfire and having the story told to you. It can be very rewarding. Just give it a chance, and you might find yourself enjoying it. People have been for nearly 3000 years. (Besides, you don't have a choice : )

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Siddhartha Vocab Definitions

Definitions and pronunciations taken from Merriam-Webster online.

ablutions
: (noun) \ə-ˈblü-shən, a-\ the washing of one's body or part of it (as in a religious rite); bathing

onerous: (adjective) \
ä-nə-rəs, ˈō- \ involving a burden; troublesome

samana: (noun) \s
ə-'må-nə\ a wandering ascetic in India

exalted: (verb/adjective) \ig-ˈzolt-əd\ raised in rank or power; praised

atman: (noun) \ˈät-mən, -ˌmän\ the innermost essence of each individual; the supreme universal self

asceticism: (noun)
\-ˈse-tə-ˌsi-zəm\ practicing strict self-denial

erudition: (noun)
\ˌer-ə-ˈdi-shən, ˌer-yə-\extensive knowledge acquired mostly from books; booksmarts

courtesan: (noun) \ˈkor-tə-zən, -ˌzan ˌkor-tə-ˈzan\ a prostitute with courtly, wealthy, or upper class clientele

equanimity: (noun) \ˌē-kwə-ˈni-mə-tē, ˌe-kwə-\evenness of mind, especially under stress; calm, mental balance

engendered: (verb) \in-ˈjen-dər-əd, en-\ caused to exist or develop; produced

ennui: (noun):
\ˌän-ˈwē\ weariness or disssatisfaction; boredom

expiation: (noun)
\ˌek-spē-ˈā-shən\ the act of atoning; making up for something

pallid: (adjective)
\ˈpa-ləd\ lacking in color; unlively

pyre: (noun) \ˈpī(-ə)r\ a combustible heap for burning (usually for a funeral)

samsara: (noun)
\səm-ˈsär-ə\indefinitely repeated cycles of birth, misery, and death caused by karma

exhortation: (noun)
\ˌek-ˌsor-ˈtā-shən, -sər-; ˌeg-ˌzor-, -zər-\ the act of urging; making urgent appeals or warnings

entwined: (verb/adjective)
\in-ˈtwīn-əd, en-\ twisted or wrapped together

om: (noun)
\ˈōm\ a mantra consisting of one sound in contemplation of ultimate reality

venerable:
(adjective) \ˈve-nər(-ə)-bəl, ˈven-rə-bəl\ deserving respect due to age; honored or revered

intrinsic: (adjective) \in-ˈtrin-zik, -ˈtrin(t)-sik\ having internal or built-in value

Monday, October 6, 2008

This is my example for how to post a photo


This is the picture that I created at Simpsonizeme.com.