The Joys of Being a Woman

For my paper, I decided to write on the complex definition of the word female, and what it really means to be a female.

Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman!

Let's go girls
C'mon

I'm going out tonight--I'm feelin' alright
Gonna let it all hang out
Wanna make some noise--really raise my voice
Yeah, I wanna scream and shout

No inhibitions--make no conditions
Get a little outta line
I ain't gonna act politically correct
I only wanna have a good time

The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun and...

Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy--forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts--short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild--yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action--feel the attraction
Color my hair--do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free--yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!

The girls need a break--tonight we're gonna take
The chance to get out on the town
We don't need romance--we only wanna dance
We're gonna let our hair hang down

The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun and...

Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy--forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts--short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild--yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action--feel the attraction
Color my hair--do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free--yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!

Oh yeah,
The best thing about being a woman
Is the prerogative to have a little fun

Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy--forget I'm a lady
Men's shirts--short skirts
Oh, oh, oh, really go wild--yeah, doin' it in style
Oh, oh, oh, get in the action--feel the attraction
Color my hair--do what I dare
Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free--yeah, to feel the way I feel
Man! I feel like a woman!

I get totally crazy
Can you feel it
Come, come, come on baby
I feel like a woman

Rebellion and Farewells

In the last part of the reading, there was one particular part that I really enjoyed in the book, which was when Marji showed her act of rebellion against her mother by smoking her first cigarette. In a way, this reminds me of myself because when I was that age, I did anything and everything I could to rebel and spite my mother. I guess this was Marji's way of initiating her adulthood, although she was still quite young at that time.
By the end of Persepolis, I was filled with many different emotions. Because the Baba-Levy's house was bombed and Marji was expelled from school, her parents thought it was best if she went to live with a family friend in Vienna, Austria. I really do think it was courageous of Marji to leave her home, family and friends. On the last page of the book, you see that Marji is getting ready to leave and it says, "I couldn't just go. I turned around to see them one last time. It would have been better to just go" (Satrapi 153). This shows the profound love that Marji's parents have for her. They loved her so much that they made the decision to send her thousands of miles away from home so that she could further her education and live a safe life. By the end of the book, I already wanted to know what would happen next, such as how Marji's life in Vienna, Austria would be and what new adventures she would have. I guess we'll just have to wait and see... Love, M.

The Key to Nothingness

In the last part of the reading of Persepolis, it truly broke my heart. Marji tells us of the "key". The key that was given to young boys promising them that if they went to war and died, they'd live an afterlife in paradise. It's enraging to know that the government would deliberately fill these young, naive boys' minds with propaganda just so that they would be willing to go to war. I honestly think that everyone should have a choice whether or not they want to go to war, instead of being tricked into it. "They come from the poor areas, you can tell... First they convince them that the afterlife is even better than Disneyland, then they put them in a trance with all their songs..." (Satrapi 101). Better than Disneyland? What kind of lies and deceptions were they feeding these poor, uneducated boys? However, in a country that is highly religious, the Iranians believed anything that the government fed them, especially if it's making them believe they'd live their afterlife in heaven. Love, M.

While you were out playing golf...

you managed to screw us all.

After listening to Sky and Bryce's presentation on Thursday, it really opened my eyes and even more, it infuriates me. It infuriates me to know that not only has it costed us $900 billion for weaponry and aircrafts, but it has also cost us the lives of about 4,500 Americans. It infuritates me to know that because our economy is in such a horrible crisis, my parents and the rest of the country are suffering for it. It infuriates me to know that because of this, my father lost his job in March 2009, and now my mother is working her hardest to support a family of five. It infuriates me to know that next year, our family will lose our house. It infuriates me to know that all of this money, being spent on guns, rifles, items used for taking the lives of other human beings, could have been spent on schools and education for millions of children, high school and college students. Bush sent our troops to Iraq, trying to prove himself to be "the man", but unfortunately, that has backfired on him. I really wonder how he can sleep at night, knowing that he is the reason that the rest of the country is suffering. I wonder if he even feels guilt for causing our country to be in debt by $57 trillion. I wonder if he even cares at all for that matter, but then again, he might just be playing golf while the American people are laboring, trying to save their homes and provide for their families. Hearing stories about Sky's personal experiences was very saddening, yet so many ignorant people praise the idea of "war" and think of it as "cool" or great action. No, it is far from that. War means killing other innocent people, war is what causes mothers to cry because she has to bury her son, war ruins homes, families, economies, and war takes away the ones that we love most. Thanks Bush, for everything you've ever done for us.. taking away our money, taking away our jobs, taking away our education, and our own people, all so that you can go to war and prove what a tough guy you are. No love for you, M.

Pedro and Persepolis

A Land with No Peace

In our second reading, which was pages 40 to 60, I learned that the Shah's reign had ended and the Islamic revolution was over. Although this part of the reading should have been a joyous one, it was very hard for me to swallow down some heartbreaking parts. It was in this time that the 3000 political prisoners were finally liberated and released from prison to go home to their families and friends. Marjane's family knew two of them, Siamak Jari and Mohsen Shakiba. It was very saddening for me to find out that while convicted, these two men along with many other prisoners had to go through traumatizing and horrific torture. The descriptions and pictures about the tortures are more than I can bare to read. Is torture considered humane? No. It is sickening and unethical, yet it is happening every single day all around the world. I recently came upon a news article in which young women and men are still being raped, tortured and executed in the Middle East today. It saddens me to know that there are still people in the world who could be so heartless as to harm another human being for the sake of wealth and power. As Marjane's father explained right after the revolution had ended, "As long as there is oil in the Middle East we will never have peace" (Satrapi 43). To what lengths are people willing to go for wealth, power and oil? The reoccuring war in the Middle East is already enough to answer that question... Love, M.

PUNK IS NOT DED

The City of Persians

So yesterday our first presenter Adam talked about the capital of the ancient Persian Empire, whose name is the the same as the book that we are reading in our English class, Persepolis. Built in about 500 B.C., Persepolis is approximately 125 square meters wide (the same as a football field) and is located in Iran. It's massively impressive architecture was known as the "Gateway of All Nations". Actually, on one of the statues, the phrase "Be kind of travelers and respect people's cultures" is inscribed in three different languages. However, in 331 B.C. it was destroyed by Alexander the Great after only existing for about 179 years. Our class discussed on how it relates to the book that we are reading right now, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. There could be many reasons as to why Satrapi gave her book this particular title. One could be that the actual Persepolis was a strikingly glorious place in which people sought peace and serenity. It was destroyed by invaders due to the greed of wealth and land. It relates to Satrapi's story because Iran was also once a peaceful country until one day the emperor was overthrown by the Shah for oil and wealth. Even to this very day, Persepolis is still known to the world as a beautifully constructed capital of the ancient Persian Empire and even though it is now only ruins, I hope that I get to lay my eyes on this astonishing sight someday. Let's just say... another goal has been added to my list, hehe. Love, M.

The Story of a Great Imagination

So this week, the class has started a new book called Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. It's basically a memoir of the author as she matures into her adult life. I've only read one other comic based book, which was Pedro and Me. However this book draws my interest because it's topic is something new and foreign to me as I have never had the chance to learn about Iran's history. This book, however, is far from any history text book. It's a touching yet humorous story of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Although we only just started the book, I have grown a liking for the author. Even though at such a young age, Satrapi was a curious, yet strong-willed individual. She questioned everything, wasn't afraid to speak her mind, and believed in what she thought was right. Actually, my favorite part was in the beginning when she exclaimed that she was destined to be the last prophet. Like previous prophets, she even wrote her own holy book, which included silly yet heartwarming rules such as, everybody should have a car, all maids should eat at the table with the others, and no old person should have to suffer. Although a majority of the book is full sad stories about her family's struggles during the revolution, this part actually made me smile. In a way, the author reminds me of myself when I was that age. Like Satrapi, I was also full of imagination. As we progress into the story, I can already tell that this is a book full of heartbreak, sadness, laughter and inspiration all packed in one. Love, M.

Looking Back

Over the past few weeks, my English 1A class has been reading from the book The World is a Text by Jonathan Silverman and Dean Rader. One assignnment was to read from an article entitled "Say Everything" by Emily Nussbaum. I was quite interested in this reading as I was able to actually relate it to my own life, or should I say, my internet life. Nussbaum's article mainly focuses on several different young women who frequently use these social networking sites for their everyday lives. One of them was a mid-twenties New York resident, Kitty Ostapowicz. To tell you the truth, although I have never met her before in my life, I actually like her thoughts and ideas. In one part of the interview with Nussbaum, Kitty was asked about how she were to feel if she came upon her blogs in the future. She says, "It's a documentation of my youth, in a way. Even if it's just me, going back and Googling myself in 25 or 30 years. It's myself--what I used to be, what I used to do."

Growing up in the Silicon Valley, which plays a huge role in rising technology, it isn't surprising that I am now very much reliable on my macbook, cell phone, ipod, etc. I learned to use the computer at age 8, and by age 10, I already had my own AOL instant messenger screen name and a Xanga blogging site. Actually, to make it more clear, I had several blogging sites. As I entered middle school and high school, things took a turn for me as I started to use Myspace more. Now as a college student, I am frequently checking my Facebook and I also have my own tumblr blogging site (just because nobody in the world uses Xanga anymore). After reading what Kitty said, it got me to think. How would I feel if I were to go back in 20 or so years and read my blogs or look at my old facebook or myspace? Would they even still be there? If they were, how would I feel when reading them? I'd probably look back on them and think "Ha, wow! Why did I ever post that? How immature." Even so, I agree with Kitty when she calls her blogs a 'documentation'. Yes, of course I too would love to look back on the documentaries of my own life someday. What now seems as nonsensical ramblings of my daily life could possibly be a memorabilia worthy of remembrance in the future. Love, M.