Summer Goals Update

It turns out I can't balance work, volunteering, three weekly blog posts, a healthy lifestyle, and fiction writing. Go figure. I'm human, and my track record for balancing multiple things isn't great. I suspected this day would come, once I started my job. So I'm going to remove the column status for Summer Viewing and Summer Reading. When I have time, energy, and the material to write such posts, I'll do so. When I don't, I won't even bother with a Swamped post.

Anyway, here's an update on my reading, viewing, writing, etc. goals:

Summer Viewing: I still haven't continued Free! Eternal Summer. I plan to... but that's work to watch. I have to think in order to appreciate it, since appreciating it doesn't come naturally. I'm fairly caught up with all current sports anime—just a couple weeks behind on Daiya no Ace—and with Ore Monogatari. I'm also re-watching Hunter x Hunter (2011). Innocent Gon makes me smile, but when I think of what he goes through later... it's bittersweet.

Summer Reading: I'm still working on The Professor and the Madman. There were several pages, maybe a chapter, dedicated to the history of dictionaries. Yeah, it's pretty fun. No, that wasn't sarcastic.

Blogging: See first paragraph. But my column at Beneath the Tangles is going strong.

Fiction: I was supposed to start revising my screenplay at the beginning of this week. I haven't touched it. I have, however, started brainstorming new story ideas... barely. Yeah, this is one reason I'm letting go of some blogging.

Work: I scoop a lot of ice cream, make a lot of milkshakes... my right wrist was starting to make me nervous with twinges, but I've been careful, and I think it will be fine.

Volunteering: I'm over halfway done with the 120 hours I needed this summer!

Fixing sleep pattern: hahahahahaha... I keep saying it will happen, but nope. And I accepted a coffee from my coworker earlier this evening... whoops. At this rate, next semester's 9:00 am classes are going to be really, really hard for me. I know I have over two months to change, but still...

So yeah. That's what I've been up to. I knew my goals were a bit too lofty, but it was worth a shot. I'll probably drop in for Summer Reading and Viewing posts from time to time—just not weekly anymore. 

Thanks for reading! I hope your summers are going well. I know for some of you, it's probably just started. 

Summer Reading: The Professor and the Madman (ch. 1-2)

I've been volunteering in a thrift store's book section. Amazingly, I've only bought two three books (the number changed after I started this post) and brought home several free ones. One of them is The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester. Can you guess which part of the title caught my attention? Here's a hint: I'm an English major.

I think Winchester has spent too much time reading the Oxford English Dictionary (referred to as the OED from here on out), because he uses a lot of unfamiliar words. Seriously. I've been reading on the college level since long before college, and I do as much of the assigned reading as possible. My vocabulary isn't shabby. But Winchester throws in words like "louche" and "garroting" like everyone should know them.

louche: disreputable or sordid in a rakishly appealing way

garroting: present participle of "garrote," meaning to kill someone by strangulation, typically with a wire, cord, or iron collar

I've only read two chapters so far. The first begins with an excerpt of the OED's entry for "murder." It covers the incident that landed Dr. WC Minor in an asylum for the criminally insane. The second chapter has two epigraphs, excerpted from the entries for polymath ("A person of much or varied learning; one acquainted with various subjects of study") and philology ("Love of learning and literature; the study of literature, in a wide sense, including grammar, literary criticism and interpretation, the relation of literature and written records to history, etc.; literary or classical scholarship; polite learning"). This chapter focuses on Professor James Murray's life before his work as the lead editor of the OED. Murray didn't have much of a formal education, but he loved learning... to call him a "polymath" who learned for the sake of "philology" is an understatement. He was a nerd. The book doesn't say "nerd," of course. But in today's lingo, that's the best way to describe him. He knew Latin, of course. But he varied from fluent to familiar with all the Romance languages, as well as Dutch, Flemish, German, Danish. And he was quite capable in the realm of Anglo-Saxon and Moeso-Gothic as well. All that before he got higher education. If he lived 100 years later, I bet he'd be a Tolkien fan, fluent in Elvish and all derivatives, including the tongue of Mordor.

The second chapter also paused to recount the "protagonist" definition controversy. The OED said there could be multiple protagonists. In 1926, Fowler's Modern English Usage declared that "protagonist" could only be singular, and any instance of plural was absurd. The OED settled the matter over fifty years later, confirming that protagonist can, in fact, be pluralized. That's a relief, because The Professor and the Madman has two protagonists, as the title indicates.

I'm sensing that this author is a bit of a nerd, too. I'm a little out of my depth. It's like saying, "I'm a Naruto fan!" then meeting someone who knows a dozen jutsu hand signs and all the characters' names. Except with the English language.

This isn't as enjoyable as, say, a fantasy novel. But I still like it, and I'll keep puttering through it over the next week or two.

---
P.S.: I referenced the OED in two of last year's posts. I wrote about the origins of the words "geek" and "nerd." Thought it would be appropriate to link to those here, especially since they came from the homework assignment that introduced me to the OED.

Summer Reading: The Wise Man's Fear

Last week, I said I should avoid reading until I finished my screenplay. But when I can borrow library eBooks without leaving my couch, the temptation can be overwhelming. So I did things backward: I borrowed Patrick Rothfuss's The Wise Man's Fear, finished all 1000 pages by Sunday night, and then finished my screenplay. 

The Wise Man's Fear is the second book in the Kingkiller Chronicle and the sequel to The Name of the Wind. In this one, Kvothe finally travels far beyond the University, which means we learn more about the world Rothfuss has created. This includes...

... Adem mercenaries and their country

... Fairies, and not the cute kind (finally! we knew they were part of the story, because Bast is in the inn, but we didn't know at what point Kvothe started to believe in them)

... other cultures and languages

I should probably warn you that Kvothe didn't just learn the language, politics, and favored fighting styles of the cultures he visited; he also learned their views on sex... first hand. I sort of skimmed through those parts. I wouldn't say they were extremely explicit, but I wouldn't recommend it to my more sensitive teenage self, either. 

I personally think the book wouldn't be hurt if those scenes were shaved down to something more PG. But the discussions about sex on a cultural level were interesting—Kvothe came from a more conservative culture than some that he visited. Meanwhile, here in the real word, conservative and liberal subcultures are at odds about sex, reproduction, and surrounding issues. The Wise Man's Fear may be an epic fantasy, but it's definitely a product of its time. 

Since I fall on the more conservative side of the spectrum (for a more complex reason than "because the Bible says sex outside of marriage is a no-go," though God's Word would be reason enough), I could get too annoyed about Kvothe's... adventures and miss out on the story. Instead, I enjoy the insight into a decidedly non-Christian perspective. Don't misunderstand: I know that the characters' actions and words do not always represent the author's beliefs. The characters themselves disagree with each other. But I've stopped by Rothfuss's blog, and as much as I enjoy his writing, I won't be putting his posts on my church's overhead projector.

It's almost midnight PST, so I'd better wrap this up: I still love the Kingkiller Chronicles, and I look forward to the third book. There is a shorter, related book about one of the Kvothe's friends, and I'll probably pick that up this summer. But other than that, I'll just wait patiently for Day Three of Kvothe's storytelling.

Summer Reading: Harry Potter 2 & 3

This will be a quick post. I've been really busy with volunteering (required for graduation) and applying to jobs. I needed to take tonight to just rest. And I really should stop myself from reading much more until I finish this draft of my screenplay. I "only" have to finish the resolution, but I'm guessing that means at least ten more pages (I'm already past 130!), and the procrastination has been awful.

I did less reading in the past week: just Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, followed by Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which I'm close to finishing.

A few notes:

Yes, The Prisoner of Azkaban includes divination. I'm not particularly offended. I don't think Rowling is advocating divination—it's just part of the magic in the world she's created.

I'm still enjoying the Harry Potter books. They are a little formulatic, like a TV series: Harry starts the new school year, meets the new Defense from the Dark Arts teacher, clashes with Malfoy and Snape, plays Quidditch, learns a little more about Voldemart and his parents, and somehow solves a mystery that the adults couldn't solve themselves. 

That's all I'm going to say, because it's almost past my deadline. Hopefully next week's post will be longer... and hopefully my screenplay will be done, so I can let myself read more. 

Summer Viewing: Free! Eternal Summer (ep 1)

Confession: I completely forgot to watch Free! Eternal Summer this past week. I'm starting to remember why it's so hard to mix being a bookworm with being an anime fan. So now, just one and a half hours before my personal deadline, I begin watching Eternal Summer. I'm writing this while the first episode plays on my TV.

Okay... refresher on names (yes, the main boys have names usually associated with girls):

Iwatobi is the school most of the main characters go to.

Haruka (Haru) is the water-obsessed guy who swims freestyle. He's often found in the bathtub, with his swimsuit on, especially if he doesn't have access to a pool. He'll happily cook breakfast wearing just his swimsuit and his apron because, ya'know, fanservice. Also, he's the vice president of the club. His passion for swimming may be unmatched, but he's not exactly president material.

Makato is the motherly best friend. Backstroke. Team captain and club president.

Nagisa is the youthful face. Breaststroke. Treasury.

Rei is the newer swimmer who only knows butterfly. Secretary.

Matsuoka Rin is the shark toothed guy who spent time in Australia, and who I vaguely remember being a jerk last season... Ah, yes. I summarized the first season after I watched it. Here's an excerpt:

Free! was all about the drama. Basically, four guys used to be friends. One of them, Rin, aspired to be an Olympic swimmer. Back in grade school, he knew the importance of camradarie, and he convinced the other three kids to be in a medley relay with him. Then he went off to Australia for middle school, to study at some academy with a great swimming program. He finally came back during the second year of high school... but not to the same team, or even the same school, as the other three boys.

So, Rin was back in Japan, but he was kinda a callous jerk to his old buddies. He eventually joined one of their rival swimming teams, but he was still obsessed with being on the same team as his old friends. It was kinda like in TV shows where the girl is still totally in love with her ex, but gets a new boyfriend anyway, only to cheat on him with the ex... who also has a new significant other, so he's cheating, too.

For more about the first season, see my post Rewind: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. To see my reactions as Eternal Summer unfolds, stay tuned here. It looks like this season begins the year after the first one.

Back to ep 1 of ES:

The Iwatobi crew visits Rin's school and has an impromptu race—as usual, it pretty much starts with Haru taking off his clothes (he always wears his swimsuit underneath) and preparing to dive in. While they're there, we find out that Rin is future captain of his swim team. He doesn't look too thrilled about it. Remind me... why isn't he switching schools?

Oh, a character I forgot: Rin's little sister is the manager of the Iwatobi Swim club. I don't remember her first name, but I think it was boyish.

Hey, look. She's introducing the club members to the school at the beginning of the term. Aaaand there go their shirts, leaving them just in their swimsuits. They declare their name, specialty stroke, and their "charm point" muscles, then strike a pose.

I love the students' reactions when the boys pull off their jackets.

They're having trouble getting new members, of course. Might be partially because their pool is outside, and it's still too cold. The other reason? Dude, this is a club anime. We need the second years to worry about keeping the club next year, and we need Haru to feel sad about that lack of new swimmers (think Chihayafuru 2). Heighten the drama, folks.

Their coach is Sasabe... cool, he owns the indoor swimming pool where the gang first met.

There goes Haru's shirt again. And into the pool he dives... watched by a mysterious newbie whose face we don't get to see yet.

Wait... Sasabe's first name is Goro? That makes me think of another cheesy boy-filled anime... that Goro owns a bathhouse with water from a hot spring, but he spends all his time chopping wood... this Goro owns the pool... I prefer wood-chopping Goro (from Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!).

Anyway, it looks like they're already at a swim meet.

Okay, Rin and Haru race! ... Haru's teammates call encouragments while rather sweet-arcade-ish music plays and Rin looks pretty in the water... Aww, that's sweet. They tied, setting a new record together. Then they high five...

I'm sorry, after last season, I just can't take this seriously. I know, I know, I should try... but... but... the sappiness... the friendship... "oh"... cherry blossom pool... childhood dream... "you guys"...*emotional happy-tears*..."Rin-san, go ahead!"

Talking about future plans, dreams... and there's that faraway look in Haru's eyes.

Rin asks Haru and Makato what their plans are after graduation.
I know that look in Haru's eyes. I've seen it in countless anime characters
before. It means "I know my answer will disappoint you, so I'll
just keep quiet and look a little sad." We'll find out more later,
because drama.

We get a transfer-student and blast-from-Rin's-past, Sosuke. He joins Rin's class. There's no drama yet, but the look on their faces promises a backstory.

Yay! Ending theme! This was my favorite part last season. It's like a music video... thought not quite as fun this season.

I'm sorry, I just can't take this show seriously. I think TWWK wrote several posts about Eternal Summer over at Beneath the Tangles. Maybe I'll read those as I watch. It might help me stop scoffing during every dramatic part.

Summer Break Blogging Plans

It's already been over two months since my last post here... wow. I haven't gone that long without posting on here since spring of 2013. But I can't say I feel bad. In the past few months, I've had plenty of writing projects to keep me busy.

My column at Beneath the Tangles keeps me accountable to think more critically about anime and faith, and I enjoy it. I have a lot of freedom with where I take each post, but I usually end up going deep. On several occasions, my Saturday morning journal and prayer sessions have related to the next Monday's blog post. 

In other news, I turned in Draft 0.9 of my screenplay last week. I can't quite consider it the first draft, since several scenes are still just outlines. But I will finish it in the next few weeks! Then I'll set it aside for a couple weeks to let it cool off before I start revisions. This project started as homework, but now that the semester's over, I can take it as far as I want. I think it might work better as a book, so I'll probably rework it into novel form, starting later this summer. I might start a prequel, too. Thanks to the prewriting homework, I know the main characters' parents' generation pretty well. They intrigue me. After all, they're the ones who let the kingdom fall into so much evil.

So, that's part of my plan for the summer. But I have other plans, too, and I think I'll use this blog to keep me accountable to them. I'm such a terrible procrastinator, I have to be kept accountable even to fun things. 

1. I'll finally watch some of those anime I keep saying "I'll get around to" (Free: Eternal Summer, Psycho Pass, a few Miyazaki films...). Also, I'll get caught up and stay caught up on my sports anime (I had to let some of them go in order to focus on school). To that end, I hope to run a weekly column throughout break to keep me accountable. Maybe I'll title it "Anime Report." I'll tentatively schedule it for Fridays, but I can't set anything in stone until I know where and when I'll be working this summer.

The sticky note on the shelf is for anime: old shows to try or to
finish, shows I'm already following, and shows to re-watch.

2. I'm going to read. I already have two piles, labeled with sticky notes: "Summer Reading: Non-Fiction" and "Summer Reading: Fiction." The second sticky note also lists books I plan to check out from the library. Once such library book is The Name of the Wind, the first installation of the Kingkiller Chronicle. I just started re-reading it, and I plan to read its sequels. However, I need a little help re-awakening the bookworm in me. To that end, I'll start a weekly post series, in which I say something short about what I'm reading. 

3. I will write fiction! In addition to expanding and revising the screenplay I wrote about above, I hope to start brainstorming a new long story (I'm not sure if it will be a screenplay or a novel). Maybe I'll come up with something more lighthearted this time. I'll also refine a short story I wrote for a different class this past semester... and look into contest possibilities. I should probably write another short story this summer, too. 

I know I won't get to read and write everything I hope to. I need to get a job, after all, and I like to spend time with family. But I'll make a concerted effort, and blogging will help keep me accountable. So, here's a tentative blogging schedule... I'll at least hold to it this week:

Wednesday (tomorrow/tonight): Summer Reading. First up is The Name of the Wind. It will be a very short post, I think.

Friday (maybe 7ish PST): Anime Report. Don't know what will go on there this week, but I suspect it will involve a sports anime or three.

Monday afternoon: As usual, a post will go up in my corner at Beneath the Tangles.

We'll see how my volunteer hours and eventual job affect my plans in future weeks. 

What are your goals this summer? Do you have a to-read or to-watch list? Maybe we can plow through some of these titles together.