Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

I am not one to watch a lot of television. In high school, I just never really had the time. Most of my days played out like this: Wake up (late) around 7:00 a.m., take a quick shower, get to school by 8:00 a.m., go to classes, go to school sport (either field hockey, soccer, or softball) practice at 4:00 p.m., be done with school sport around 6:00 p.m., grab a quick smoothie from Smoothie King (almost always Caribbean Way), race over to club soccer practice at 7:00 p.m., finish soccer at 9:00 p.m. (if my coach didn’t keep us late), FINALLY get home by 9:30 p.m., eat dinner, do homework, and crash. Now that I think back on it, I’m not sure what I was thinking with that schedule. All I know is I loved it! Anyway, due to a pretty crazy schedule, television was never really high on my “to do” list. Now, in college, I might watch some television every now and then, but I do not really have the means to just sit on the couch and “veg.” Most of the time, I am completely ok with that.

However, there has always been that one show that, if on, ruins all hope for being productive for the next hour (or hours, depending on how many episodes are on). This show is suspenseful, thrilling, tricky, and at times, scary! This show is Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. I know that there are many versions of Law & Order, but this is the only one that I love. There is just something about this show that completely captivates my attention. Firstly, the characters are fantastic! I don’t care how cheesy some of their lines may be, I love every second of it. First, there’s the kick-butt woman detective, Olivia, her rebellious partner, Elliot. These two make such a great, dynamic duo. Elliot is always bending the rules, leaving me a little nervous, but also eager to see how it turns out, while Olivia is an intelligent cop with a rough past that always comes back to haunt her in one way or another. The two balance each other out and always solve the case.

Then there are the other detectives on the squad like Munch and Finn. These two are the more comical characters if you ask me (even though they’re not meant to be). Finn, who is played by the rapper Ice-T (which is comical within itself), always manages to have those cliché lines in the show that always manage to bring a chuckle out of me. You know those lines in mysteries that are rather “punny”? For example, in one episode, he is making a comment to the forensic team about how long they are taking to examine a bathroom and he says something along the lines of, “Are you almost done in there? You’re starting to make my ex-wife look good.” What a line! I know how cheesy this is, but a little bit of cheesiness every now and then isn’t so bad; and SVU has just the perfect amount.

Besides the characters, the best part about Law & Order: SVU is the storyline! Every episode is a suspenseful thriller that leaves me on the edge of my seat until the very last minute. Between finding the perpetrator of the crime and the prosecution of him/her, the action it nonstop! Although many of the stories are rather dark, most of them have somewhat happy endings, and nothing is more satisfying than to see a bad guy go to jail! (I know that sounds elementary, but I found it appropriate.) Almost always Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is on television there are things I need to do. Whether it’s homework, chores, exercise, or almost anything else, it is put on hold for this addicting show. TV usually does not get the best of me, but when SVU is on, it is a lost cause. 

Potentially the Last Meeting... But Hopefully Not!

            So, Young and I met again last week. We decided to meet in the Rec again since that worked out nicely the last time. This time around, Mr. Luke Hockett decided to join us! Just like last time, this meeting was much more comfortable and fun for the both of us! It is so refreshing to be able to really see how our relationship has developed over the past couple of months. Unfortunately, Young and I did not get to meet as often as I would have liked. However, the time we did get to spend together was an amazing experience that certainly taught me so much and has made me grow as a person.

            It was so nice to see how excited Young gets when we hang out. We spent the entire game of pool high fiving or hugging after good shots, and sharing lots of laughs after the not so good ones. As fun as all of this was, my favorite part of this visit was what we did after we finished playing pool and after Luke left (no offense, Luke). After our second game of pool, I was thinking it was about time to head out. However, Young asked me something that I was not expecting.

Instead of the usual, slightly awkward goodbye, she asked me if I had some extra time to stick around and help her with her homework. I was delighted! At first, I was not sure what kind of homework she was talking about, and even if I would be able to help her; but that did not stop me from excitingly agreeing. We went over to a couple of couches by the pool tables and sat down where a small wooden table was. Before she did anything else, she unzipped the small pocket of her backpack and pulled out two small pieces of candy. They were a type of South Korean candy. She offered me one and I took it gratefully. At first, I was a little concerned how this would taste. It was unlike any other candy I have tried before, but it tasted delicious! When I expressed to her how much I enjoyed it, she was ecstatic and pulled out four more candies and gave them to me!

I told her that she didn’t have to do that, but she insisted I take the candy. After this, she pulled out her thick English workbook and a pencil from her backpack. I was thrilled to see that it was only English that we were going to be working on. She flipped to the page of her assignment and explained in the best English she could what she was supposed to do. There was a short essay she was to read and then about twenty multiple-choice questions pertaining to the grammar in the essay. I let her read the essay out loud and then, one by one, we went over each question and considered the best possible answers.

I have to admit, this assignment was more difficult than I thought it would be. I always forget how insanely complicated the English language is. There were a few questions that even threw me for a loop. I am certainly thankful to have been raised in an English-speaking household with a strong education in English. Working with Young really made me consider how difficult and challenging this whole experience of being in the United States must be for her. She did not know any English when she came here, and to see how well she has picked up the language so quickly is extremely impressive. I definitely admire her courage and perseverance she has shown through this adventure.

Fortunately, I was able to help her complete the assignment, and she was so thankful! It felt so nice to be able to help her. I definitely feel as though we have both been able to benefit from our meetings. Even though the first couple meetings were a little rough, these last two have been extremely rewarding. I am hoping that we will be able to meet one last time before I leave for home. 

Open Window-- sorry this is late..

I have been without Internet the past few days and am just now getting around to posting these blogs that I wrote... 

           Although I did enjoy reading Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” it doesn’t quite compare to “Open Window.” For some reason, this story just struck my funny bone! I remember reading this story my sophomore year of high school for my English class. However, I don’t think that I found it as humorous as I did this time around. I think that because I was able to remember the story and the niece, I was able to really analyze her character.

            I love how Saki opens the story by describing the girl as a “very self-possessed young lady of fifteen.” Initially, I thought that this is a peculiar way to describe someone. However, as I read on, I began to remember how this story unfolded. Saki writes this story as if it is about a skittish, shy man named Framton Nuttle. He goes into a rather in depth description about Mr. Nuttle as well as a background of why he visiting the Sappletons’ home. The only catch is that Saki does this purely to set up the niece. I believe that this story is one about the niece, not Mr. Nuttle.

            Although not much is said about Vera, the “young lady,” Saki does a fantastic job of indirectly characterizing her. Initially, Vera seems to be a normal, pleasant fifteen-year-old girl. She does her best to entertain her guest until her aunt arrives. However, her motives become questionable when she tells Mr. Nuttle the devastating story of her uncle and the two boys. The detail with which she described the men and even the dog seemed to be a sure sign of the story’s legitimacy… for Mr. Nuttle at least. At this point in the story, since I knew she was telling a fib, I found her story, and Mr. Nuttle’s uneasy reaction to it, quite entertaining.

            However, my absolute favorite part of the story occurs towards the end. Once Mrs. Sappleton is introduced to Mr. Nuttle and his many anomalies, and Mr. Nuttle saw the “ghosts” coming towards the house and quickly bolted out the door, I couldn’t completely remember what happened next. However, the minute Vera spoke for the last time in the story, I remembered exactly how hysterical her character is with her extravagant stories.

Reading “Open Window” for the second time around allowed me to appreciate the irony of this story so much more. Vera is such an entertaining character who we slowly get to know as to story progresses. Saki completes the story with the perfect line of, “Romance at short notice was her specialty.” As a reader, after Vera tells her second tale, I was at the point of questioning what exactly was going on. This line is the perfect closure to both the story and the characterization of Vera.

Meeting #3!

           Things are going much better! This time around, I met Young in the Rec with one of her friends. In fact, it was Carmen’s conversation partner, Shinhye! When I first arrived, there were actually three of Young’s friends there. Honestly though, I cannot remember the two boys’ names. Anyway, the two boys left after we were introduced and Shinhye, Young, and I proceeded to talk. Young and Shinhye had actually been playing pool with the others and asked if I wanted to join them! Just then, one of my friends from my dorm room, Michael, walked up. I introduced him to Young and Shinhye and then asked him if he wanted to play as well. The four of us split up into two teams, Michael and Shinhye versus Young and myself, and racked the pool balls.

            This was certainly a different start than my previous two meetings with Young, and it was great! I think Young felt more comfortable to have Shinhye there because they were able to help each other with English. I noticed that I am getting better at understanding Young, as well. (I was able to help Michael a few times.) This was certainly the first time for us to meet and not feel completely and totally awkward!

            The first two really weren’t that bad, they were just difficult. I really think that both Young and I are finally past the awkward introduction stage and on to the friend stage! We were making jokes the whole time and laughing at our misunderstandings of each other. I loved being on a Young’s team also. She is quite the pool player! Certainly better than me, because after Michael and Shinhye left, we stuck around and played one more game. Although it was close, I managed to scratch while trying to get that final 8 ball into the hole, handing the well-fought game over the Young as the victor.

            It was nice getting to know Shinhye, as well. She is also from South Korea, and is so excited to be at TCU! She really seems to love TCU. Shinhye and Young are just about on the same level when it comes to English. However, when one was struggling to find a word in English, they were able to figure out another way to say it by speaking Korean to each other. (Or they were talking about me, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t do that…)

            Seeing Young and Shinhye together really gave me a better sense of their culture. Young has always been very outgoing and rather physical, but I wasn’t sure if that was just the way she is. However, Shinhye seemed to be the same way! This leads me to think that it is very common in South Korean culture to be very friendly and physical in relationships. (By “physical” I mean that they both hugged me and constantly grabbed my arm in a playful way when we were joking.) This is pretty much the complete opposite of what I expected. Although I don’t know much about South Korea, I would not have guessed that these girls would be so friendly and outgoing! I actually assumed quite the opposite. I would have thought that I would constantly be guiding the conversation and at most, shaking hands with Young. Playing pool with Young and Shinhye was so much fun!

"Hills Like White Elephants"- I love this story!!

I have read "Hills Like White Elephants" at least three times now, and each time it gets better and better. I remember the first time I read it in tenth grade, and I was not sure what to think about it. I thought it was odd, and I definitely did not understand what was going on. At this point, my English teacher was extremely modest, and rather conservative, so discussing this story was a little awkward. However, this also made it entertaining. I’m pretty sure I did not understand the meaning behind this story until my teacher uncomfortably brought up the topic of abortion. I remember that initially, I was confused as to how abortion had anything to do with this story. However, as we more closely read the text, I began to notice things that I did not originally.

            This is my all-time favorite Ernest Hemingway story. I love how Hemingway characterizes both the man and the woman in the play. For the man, the abortion is not a big deal. He seems so detached from the topic, not thinking about how it would affect “Jig.” The girl on the other hand, keeps going back and forth between wanting to talk about the subject and wanting to completely avoid it. She is much more hesitant when it comes to having the surgery. It is almost as if she is going back and forth between choosing to keep the baby, or choosing to keep the American. I think it is interesting how she is trying her hardest to confirm with the American that he will still be around and love her after and if she has the surgery. She seems so unwillingly dependent on the American.

I love how Hemingway develops these two complex characters without giving them names. However, he does give the woman a nickname. I believe this supports the readers’ perception of the man. The fact that he is almost forcing the woman to have the surgery done in such an unsympathetic way sort of creates this evil character image. Because he is not given a name, he is even less personal to the readers. Although the woman is not given a name, she is given a nickname, which in many cases makes her even more personal than she would be if she just had a name. We usually don’t call people by nicknames unless we are closer to them, or at least on a friend level. Hemingway immediately puts us, the readers, on that personal, friend level with “Jig.”

Last but not least, I love the way Hemingway uses “white elephants” as part of the opening dialogue between the two characters. Even though the woman is describing the hills in the distance, we immediately realize that there is something present between the couple acting as a true white elephant. We also immediately get a taste for the man’s personality and attitude towards the whole situation when he responds with, “I’ve never seen one,” referring to her comparison. We know that he is uninterested and extremely unsympathetic. I am so happy that we read this story- I love discussing it!