Week 1 UnTextbook

Cupid and Psyche
I've always enjoyed mythology. In my Latin class in high school we read the story of Cupid and Psyche and loved it. It is probably one of my favorite mythological tales. I am interested to read it again. It has been a long time since I've read it so I don't remember much about it. All I remember is that it is about a romance between an immortal and a mortal.

Homer's Iliad
In my high school Latin class, we translated the original Iliad from Latin to English. The initiated my interest in the story of the Trojan War. I have the novel, the Iliad, but have yet to read it so reading this perhaps encourage me to read the whole novel.I've always enjoyed stories that were about war, warriors, bravery, and sacrifice so I'm excited to read and learn more about Homer's Iliad.

Homer's Odyssey
 Although I have read numerous mythological stories, I have yet to read Homer's Odyssey. All I know about Homer's Odyssey is what others have told me, which is little. All I know about Homer's Odyssey is that it involves sirens or mermaids. This is why I chose Homer's Odyssey. I want to learn more about it.

Andersen Fairy Tales
I really enjoy fairytales because anything can happened. Though I know a lot of the fairy tales. I am ware that there are thousands of fairy tales  that exist so there are probably some that I have not heard of yet. This is why I am interested in the Andersen Fairy Tales. I am not aware of the Andersen fairy tales so I am sure I will be reading some fairy tales for the first time.

Below is a picture of Helen of Troy: "the face that  launch'd a Thousand Ships." I chose this picture because it portrays an important variable that played a role in initiating the Trojan War. Perhaps if she never existed there would have never of been a war.

Image Information: Helen of Troy, Source: Homer's Iliad

Week 1 Storybook Favorites

The first Storybook I looked at was The Prince Diaries. I picked this one because the title caught my attention. As a child I loved watching the Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews Princess Diaries movies. They were one of my favorites. I think that it is creative that the author of this story book used "prince" in place of "princess" in the well-known movie title "The Princess Diaries." The Introduction did a good job of explaining the topic. It prompted me to desire to further read and explore the storybook. It is always interesting to hear the male character's perspective in a fairytale especially since most fairytales are in the female character's perspective.

The next Storybook I viewed was the Friends: The One with All the Stories. The reason why I chose this Storybook was because the Friends television show is one of my favorite shows; it is pretty much a classic. I've seen every episode at least three times. From the introduction, one could tell that this Storybook was about friendship and how one central meeting place, Central Perk,  played a role in this particular friendship. Central Perk was pretty much the glue that held the characters of Friends together. Each of the characters had separate jobs and lives from each other but when they came together at Central Perk their separate lives came together and intertwined with each others' lives.

The final Storybook I read was The Dark Side of Fairy Tales. I was drawn to this Storybook because as of late there have been a lot of movies that are just fairytale movies redone -- in a darker style. For instance, Alice in wonderland that was directed by Tim Burton. I enjoy this new take on fairytales. The physical layout of the of pages supported the theme of what I believe the author was trying to portray: darkness. The dark and gloomy colors suggest that this Storybook may be about fairytales it is not all about happily ever afters. It is about the dark and sad obstacles the fairytale character endured.

Below is a picture from the Storybook, The Dark Side of Fairy Tales . As you can see it adds to the theme of the Storybook: dark and gloomy. 

Image information: Grimm, Source:Myth-Folklore

 

Introduction, Week 1

Hi!

    My name is Sarah Nguyen and I am currently a junior. My major is Psychology pre-pt. I hope to one day become a physical therapist. In my spare time I enjoy hanging out with friends, reading, running, and watching movies. Some of my favorite books are the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and the Road by Cormac McCarthy.

    I also really enjoy traveling. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to study abroad. I studied abroad in Ireland for a month and during that time I was able to visit London and Brussels, Belgium. I enjoyed my time at each of these places. I loved Ireland because of the greenness of the natural environment, the hospitality, and the cheerfulness of the Irish population. London was great because while I was there it happened to be the Queen's official birthday so I thus got to see the Queen, Prince William and Harry, an Kate Middleton in front of Buckingham Palace. And I really enjoyed Belgium because of its delicious food. While I was there I got to try Belgium waffles, Belgium chocolate, and macarons. It was delicious!

(Image information: personal photo of myself on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland; June 2014.)

I’m a huge fan of the TV shows House of Cards and True Detective. At first I was reluctant to watch House of Cards because I thought that you had to be very politically informed to be able to comprehend the show but you really don’t. Although politics is a large component of the show, the show is more focused on the character’s development and relationship with other characters. I really enjoy True Detective because of the style it is portrayed in; the atmosphere of the show is dark and gloomy throughout the show. It is really interesting how the environment of the show parallels the main character’s personality.