quality project draft

INTRODUCTION
I am setting out to learn more about the cuisine of my ancestors by researching, gathering recipes and then actually making a day of food for my family and friends. My big questions are:
a. How are traditional Japanese meals different from the Japanese food we eat in America? How did this so-called "Japanese food" become to what we eat?
b. What is the etiquette of the Japanese in the past? How is it different from the present?
I don't really expect my readers to know much about my topic, although living in Hawaii gives us a little background and introduction to Japanese cuisine. I would expect my readers to know different Japanese terms like shoyu or soy sauce, nori or seaweed.
I chose to do this project because I have always been interested in Japanese cuisine and the traditions that have remained in the past and the ones that are still celebrated. I would also inform my parents about the traditions we celebrate and if they actually are traditional Japanese, and not influenced by America. This also allows me to build my cooking skills and learn new ones. The second part of my project, the scrapbook, gives me a chance to use my crafting skills to do something I have never done before. I enjoy paper crafting, like making cards, posters, signs, etc. I feel that making a scrapbook to gather up all the information I find, along with the recipes of the dishes I make will be the perfect complement.

LIT REVIEW
History/Evolution of Japanese Food:
After two millennia of culinary influences from the outside world, Japanese food has been refined to reflect local preferences in taste and presentation. One of the most important ingredients to the Japanese is rice. Rice came from China around 300 BC, which was used as a form of praise until the 20th century. In the 7th century, milk-drinking and meat eating was very common. But during the 8th century, meat eating was forbidden, resulting in the famous hand rolled, sushi. Later in the 8th century and in the early 9th century, the origin of soy sauce arrived in Japan from the mainland Asia. But it was not until the 15th century when Japanese-style of soy sauce was produced. During the Heian Period (794-1185) was when the Japanese began to form their distinct style. After the capital was moved from Nara to Kyoto, the nobility had time to enjoy arts, like literature, poetry, fine cuisine and games. "Elegant dining became an important part of the lifestyle and the aristocracy were not only gourmets but gourmands who supplemented their regular two meals a day with numerous between-meal snacks." Kyo ryori, or the cuisine of Kyoto represents ultimate Japanese dining. Shojin ryori, represents an simpler, healthier style of cuisine, made for the samurai lifestyle. This style emphasizes variety. In the meal, 5 methods of cooking are required, 5 colors and six tastes.

Presentation:
Generally, there are two contrasting meals in Japan, an array of a dozen or more small portioned food arranged on tableware, kaiseki ryori, and the basic meal which consists of simply a bowl of boiled rice, miso soup and seasonal dishes. Each meal is divided into a beginning, middle and end. The beginning is made of appretizers, clear soups and raw fish. The middle portion, the main part is seafood, meat poultry and vegetables, prepared by grilling, steaming, simmering, deep-frying or served as a vinegared "salad". Each, individual tray holds an assortment of bowls and plates, with a pair of finely pointed chopsticks. Generally, round foods like rolled meat, slices of lotus root are presented on rectangular or square plates, while square foods are presented on round plates.

Modern:
O-bento, a box lunch with white rice, an assortment of tiny helpings of meat, fish vegetables, egg, fruit and a pickled plum are the most common lunch in modern Japan. Making an o-bento is very time consuming since it consists of several different kinds of foods. The detail and presentation is also very important to all Japanese meals. Ebiken, the most famous o-bento is available at most of the nation's train stations in Japan. The contents depend and vary, depending on the region, but all consist of delicacies, customs and crafts of the city. For example, in the city of Takasaki, known for its doll-making industry, sells their lunches in little red plastic bowls shaped as Daruma dolls.


MY QUALITY PROJECT JOURNAL

April 14, 2010
Today, I surfed the web to research a little background information on teacup pigs, tiny, teacup-sized potbelly pigs. As I have been a pig-lover for nearly 15 years, I figured that I finally had a chance to research pigs. My dad recently showed me an article of teacups pigs since celebrities, like Paris Hilton, owns these cute, little pigs. I decided that to share my work with others, I will make a scrapbook containing the information with pictures.

April 15, 2010
I thought about possible different topics that I could research instead. There isn't much information on pigs, but more importantly, teacup pigs since they just recently became popular. I found an article on green tea and thought about researching the effects of green and the history of it instead. I jotted down a few notes on the article, which described the different kinds and grade of green tea.

April 19, 2010
Today, I googled how green tea promotes weight loss. While doing so, I found facts on how green tea in products, like sunscreen, helps aging. I also went to EBSCO host, the online research database, and gathered a few articles on green tea and weight loss and history.

April 20, 2010
Today, I downloaded several articles on green tea and continued to take notes.

April 21, 2010
I talked to Mr. Watson about my two ideas: pigs and green tea. I thought about going back to my initial topic of pigs. I briefly research the feral pig problem in Hawaii to help me decide which topic to take. I completed my project proposal, keeping the scrapbook idea and started my introduction.

April 22, 2010
With the Quality Project stuck in my head all day, I began to think of new topics. Since green tea, itself, as a topic isn't considered "Quality," I thought about expanding my topic to Japanese food, the evolution and history. I wrote a new proposal, keeping the scrapbook idea, again.

April 23, 2010
Today, I went to Cooke library and searched for books, using the online catalog. I found 4 books on the history and evolution of Japanese food, which included some recipes. Although I didn't find "how-to" books or tips on scrapbooking, Mrs. Peterson helped me to find several articles on EBSCO host which including helpful tips to make a scrapbook successful.

April 25, 2010
I started research on Japanese food using the book, "The Food of Japan." This book was helpful since it was too elaborate. It allowed me to get the gist of the history of Japan and their food, along with the modern cuisine.

April 26, 2010
I continued to research, moving on to another book, "The History and Culture of Japanese Food." I realized that learning about Japanese history with the course, Asian History, helps me understand the evolution of Japanese food. I also wrote up my literature review, which includes the information that I have found, so far.

April 27, 2010
I continued to research and take notes, taking a break from the history and evolution, moving onto the different meals and types of food.

April 28, 2010
Today, I googled and flipped through the recipe portions of the books I had. I thought of possible meals to make for breakfast.

April 29, 2010
After collecting information on the basic meal and lunch, I began formally writing. When the two sections were completed, I found some pictures that I could possibly use in my scrapbook.

April 30, 2010
Today, I jotted down each of the common ingredients listed in the book, "The Food of Japan." To accompany the ingredients in my scrapbook, I collected pictures of each while copying and pasting the URL for future references and to make the bibliography.

May 1, 2010
I found exact recipes online and from books for breakfast. After deciding what to make, I wrote down all the ingredients. I checked my kitchen to see if we had some, if not all the ingredients necessary. I went to the Manoa Safeway to buy a few of the ingredients I didn't have at home. Later, in the afternoon, I visited Ben Franklin, wandering around, gathering paper, crafter's tape and glue. I scanned through a few books to find inspiration. I ended up purchasing "The Encyclopedia of Scrapbooking." After dinner, I chopped up the cabbage, sliced the carrots and cucumbers for the pickled vegetables (tsukemono) that needed to soak overnight. I was in a "Quality Project mood" so I stayed up late, writing my portion about green tea and looked through the scrapbooking book right before bed.

May 2, 2010
I visited Safeway again before cooking breakfast to buy last minute ingredients. First, I combined the eggs, sake, mirin, soup-base, sugar, salt and soy sauce. After frying the tamagoyaki, I stirred together the soup-base, miso and water in a small pot for the miso soup. I cubed the tofu and soaked the seaweed to later add to the soup. Later, I wrote the rice portion for my scrapbook and drew the layout of the breakfast page, with inspiration from the scrapbooking encyclopedia.


May 3, 2010
Today, I took notes on the evolution of Japanese food and the history that lead up to the change.

May 5, 2010
I read the etiquette portion in "The History and Culture of Japanese Food" and took notes. Later, I formally wrote up the section of etiquette which including the basics of the art of chopsticks.

May 6, 2010
Today, I wrote out my Process & Methods portion, up to what has been done so far. I continued to gather information and finalized the writing portion of tea, rice and miso soup. After reading about mochi, I formally wrote up a few paragraphs on the importance and history of the sweets in Japan. I am excited to make mochi, rice cake, from scratch for the first time!

May 9, 2010
I began my morning my surfing the web for bento recipes. I came out empty handed so I decided that it might be best to visit the library or bookstore, so I searched for books on bento making. Before leaving, I checked our bookshelf of recipe books and coincidentally found the exact book I wanted, but five dollars cheaper, due to inflation, perhaps. I also found another very useful book, which consisted of recipes that I plan to make for dinner. I made a grocery list, quickly checked my kitchen for any ingredients I could cross off, then I was off the market. With a limp, I wandered around Don Quiote to find all the ingredients necessary to make daifuku, mochi with red bean paste, ginger pork bento and dinner for the next day. I started my afternoon by making the mochi, then moved onto cooking the different components of the bento.

May 10, 2010
Today, I was planning on cooking dinner, but my parents' schedule changed dinner moved to tomorrow. I prepared the tofu by slicing and draining the tofu and cut the vegetables. I also planned out a few pages on my scrapbook, the breakfast, bento, dinner and dessert pages.

May 11, 2010
After many days of avoiding the history and evolution portion, I finally decided to take some time wrap up this dreaded portion. After scanning through my notes from the previous week, I started to take more notes. I researched the different periods in Japanese history, like the Yamato Period and Jomon, then googled the cuisine in each respective time period. The search was somewhat a failure, as nothing relevant showed up. I then decided to email Mr. Straton, my Asian History teacher from last semester to see if he could help me out. He responded with a few websites to start at, along with a new traditional concept, kaiseki, a traditional Japanese dinner. Starting at around 5:00 pm, I began making dinner. While waiting for the tofu to marinate, I simmered the mushrooms in one saucepan and the other veggies and chicken in another. After two hours of simmering, I prepared the flour mixture, coated each individual tofu, and then fried them for a few minutes. Just before dinnertime, I sliced the sashimi and arranged the rest of the meal.

May 12, 2010
Five days overdue, I renewed my three library books with a fine of $1.20, just in case I need it for references while finished up my research.

May 13, 2010
Today, I gathered up my information on the history of Japanese cuisine to formally write it up. I got about half way through all the periods of history. Later at night, I started the cut out each title of my scrapbook, using my CriCut.

the quintessential bag

Imagine your first day of school. How did you bring your lunch and blanket to school? Most of us would answer: a backpack. Backpacks are used by every age group, from students, like us, to the elderly, who feel obligated to carry around every essential object that they may or may not use. Backpacks come in all different styles, colors, and sizes to fit your own personality. They are convenient, easy to carry, good for travel and you can even eat while using it, not like your average handbag. Backpacks are reasonably cheap, pricing between $25 to $160+. Whether you are simple or value organization, there is a perfect backpack for you.

final proposal

-What will you read?
I will read about the history of Japanese cuisine, etiquette and cookbooks that include traditional Japanese recipes.
-What will you write?
I will write about the different dishes that I make, the history of the different dishes and Japanese etiquette.
-What will you do?
I will go to ESPCO host to find any information on the history of Japanese cuisine and if not, I will visit the Hawaii State Public Library to find informational books on Japanese food/etiquette, cookbooks and books on scrapbooking.
-How will you share?
I will share by making a scrapbook and by making meals for my family and friends.
-Who will you serve?
I will serve my family, friends and classmates.
What do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn how to make traditional Japanese breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. I also hope to improve my cooking skills and scrapbooking skills.

new proposal

-What will you read?
I will read about different types of pigs, their habits, diets, intelligence, etc.
-What will you write?
I will write up different portions for the most common pigs that will include their behavior, diet, background, breeding...
-What will you do?
To find information, I will visit the public library and bookstores since Punahou doesn't carry informational books on pigs. If I feel like I need more information, I will try to visit a farm, where I can interview someone and observe the pigs' behavior.
-How will you share?
I will share by making an informational scrapbook about pigs which will include pictures and design.
-Who will you serve?
I will serve my family, friends and classmates.
What do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn strange facts about pigs as well as learn the proper way (if any) on how to put together a scrapbook.
-What do you hope to contribute?

proposal

-What will you read?
I will read about the history and modern (weight loss) facts of green tea, recipes of green tea
-What will you write?
I will write up a history portion, modern facts portion, weight loss and recipes.
-What will you do?
I will research green tea, in general, then make an informational green tea scrapbook. I was hoping I could make recipes that have green tea [eg. ice cream, tea (grow a green tea plant)]
-How will you share?
I will share by making a scrapbook of several different categories of green tea.
-Who will you serve?
I will serve my family, by making our own tea, the Punahou community, by possibly putting it on display in the library.
-What do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn about the pros and cons of drinking green tea, ceremonies in Japan, the significance, how it came about, etc. I also hope to learn about the process of scrapbooking, planning it out,
-What do you hope to contribute?

final PWB essay

With privilege comes great responsibility to yourself and others. In my opinion, it is more effective and ethical to try to change your self, versus changing others. There are several examples in the book, The Poisonwood Bible and the column, What Could You Live Without?

First of all, when you have a privilege or advantage, you are able to share that privilege or knowledge with others to improve and help their lives. Initially when the Price's move to the Congo, their goal was to help the Congolese's government. Although the Congolese people do not end up in a so-called productive and efficient government, the Price's left a well-embedded impression and religious beliefs with them.

Second of all, it is easier to change your lifestyle, than to force another person into changing his or her lifestyle. One cannot change another's beliefs on demand. In The Poisonwood Bible, Orleanna changes her way of life, her perspective and her strength, after Ruth May's sudden death. She decides to leave the Congo, along with Nathan, as her daughters follow her lead. "I had to keep moving. I didn't set out to leave my husband. Anyone can see I should have, long before, but I never did know how," (383). Orleanna was able to change her life, not changing the lives of her daughter. Her decision was very effective for her daughters, who all lived a decent life after. It was definitely more effective and ethical to try to change herself, than to try to change her daughters'.

Third of all, in the column, What Could You Live Without?, the Salwen's had the advantage of a lovely home and the privilege of always having a meal in front of them when hungry. The Salwen's were willing to sacrifice their luxurious life for a decent one to help the ones in need, the ones suffering in Haiti and Ghana, as well as a local charity for the homeless. As their project went along, the Salwen's got some negative feedback, as one can expect, which is an implication of sacrificing the things in their lives for people in other countries. I can see how others can argue about helping other countries, versus the people in their town or even their own country, but it gave them a chance to "define themselves by what they give as well as what they possess."

Though there are implications of trying to change yourself and trying to change others, it is more effective and ethical to try to change yourself. The Poisonwood Bible and the column, What Could You Live Without, both have significant examples that can stick with us for the rest of our lives.

poison onion: orleanna

What kind of world is this and how do I live in it?
In the beginning of the Poisonwood Bible, Orleanna was a shy and meager mother who was always obedient of Nathan, her husband.

"I remained his wife because it was the one thing I was able to do each day. My daughters would say; You see, Mother, you had no life of your own," (8).

Orleanna has no true reason as of why she married Nathan and why she shares a family with him. Orleanna views the world as cruel. She seems somewhat innocent and incapable of changing her life for the better. Orleanna just "goes with the flow" when it comes to interacting with Nathan and making decisions.

Although Orleanna's and Nathan's relationship is a huge component of Orleanna's attitude and her life, there are other parts of her life that she could have changed to improve her life as a whole. Orleanna's attitude towards life was negative, never believing in herself and her self-pride.

"It makes me want to keen, sing, clap up thunder, lie down at the foot of a tree and let the worms take whatever of me they can still use," (87).

Inferring that her body, physically and mentally is consumed and depleted, one cannot expect that her life would improve. but the turning point, when Ruth May suddenly passes. Orleanna decides that she must step up, for herself and for her 3 daughters. Orleanna figures out a way to push aside Nathan and his beliefs; Orleanna leaves the Congo. She realized that Nathan wasn't a plus in her life.

"Nathan was something that happened to us, as devastating in its way as the burning roof that fell on the family Mwanza; with our fate scarred by hell and brimstone we still had to track our course. And it happened finally by the grace of hell and brimstone that I had to keep moving. I moved, and he stood still," (384)

Towards the end of the book, Orleanna finds the world a much better place to be, finding happiness in her daily life. Moving into a cabin in Georgia, once again, to be close to Adah, she finds a special talent of gardening. Selling bouquets of flowers on the side of the road, she earns money in order to support herself. Now, Orleanna's character is much more of a leader and independent, since she has more freedom and living in solitude.

Assumptions:
Orleanna values her daughters the most in her life. She is always willing to make sacrifices and changes in her life for them. Even when the Price's were still in the Congo as a family, Orleanna was always thoughtful of them. Her daughters relied on her for many things around the house and Orleanna felt that she should take care of them at all times.

"If I only hadn't let the children out of my sight that morning," (324)

The girls are always her first priority. Obviously, I don't have children of my own, but I do have a family. They are always my first priority in life. I count on them to care for me a take care of me, as they rely on me as well, whether they live in the same house, like my parents, up the street, like my aunty and uncle, or in another state, like my brother.

out with the old and in with the new: orleanna

Old:
-Obedient to Nathan
-"I remained his wife because it was the one thing I was able to do each day. My daughters would say; You see, Mother, you had no life of your own," (8)
-Didn't speak for herself
-"I would be no different from the nest one, if I hadn't paid my own little part in blood. I trod on Africa without a thought, straight from our family's divinely inspired beginning to out terrible end," (9)

New:
-Strong
-"These heavy things she dragged by herself, even though I know for a fact that two months ago she couldn't have moved them," (371)
-Has her own beliefs
-"I had to keep moving. I didn't set out to leave my husband. Anyone can see I should have, long before, but I never did know how," (383)
-"Nathan was something that happened to us, as devastating in its way as the burning roof that fell on the family Mwanza; with our fate scarred by hell and brimstone we still had to track our course. And it happened finally by the grace of hell and brimstone that I had to keep moving. I moved, and he stood still," (384)
-Takes control
-"if I only hadn't let the children out of my sight that morning," (324)\

cast of characters in congo: leah

The character that I choose from the Poisonwood Bible is Rachel. Here are some characteristics of her:
Rachel:
-Self-centered
-Oldest, most knowledgeable sister
-Not concerned with the soul/Bible
-Materialistic



Monique in the movie, She's The Man resembles Rachel in the Poisonwood Bible. In these collection of clips, Monique, as her usual self-centered and materialistic personality, goes through her life, after breaking up with her boyfriend, Sebastian, who is actually his sister Viola.

green tea: the miracle

Recently, I have been drinking green tea as a way to wake me up in the morning and through the day, sometimes in place of water. I have been wondering about the benefits and the Japanese history of green tea.

History Of Green Tea:
In Japan, green tea, Ryokucha, is everywhere, making it commonly known as just "tea". The earliest references of green tea in Japan has been traced back to written text by a Buddhist monk in the 9th century. When Japanese priests and envoys were sent to China to learn about its culture, they brought along tea. Tea became a drink of the religious class.

Modern Green Tea:
"In 1740, Soen Nagatani developed Japanese sencha, which is an unfermented from of green tea. Tea leaves are first steam-pressed, then rolled and dried into loose tea. The dried leaves are brewed with hot water to yield the final drink. Sencha is now one of Japan's mainstay teas." (Wikipedia)

Green Tea For Weight Loss:
In order to loose one pound of fat, a person must maintain a calorie deficit of 3500 below their normal "set point", whichi is the amount of calories consumed in one's daily diet. Japanese researchers suggest that if the average person were to drink five cups of green tea a day, the would burn an extra 70 to 80 calories through an effect called thermogenesis, a process of heat production in organisms. The caffeine derived from green tea is responsible for this thermogenesis effect. Although 70 to 80 calories per day is not sufficient enough for drastic weight loss,it can still be used as an aid to weight loss. Research states that if a person added five cups of green tea to their daily diet, then over a 43 day course, one could expect to lose a pound. Then over a one year period, one could expect to lose eight pounds. Green tea is not only a weight loss aid, but a health benefit as well. Green tea protects against cancer and diseases, promotes healthy skin, prevents wrinkles, fights aging, enhances mental focus, boosts the immune system, promotes oral health and many other benefits like lowering stress.

PWB: grammie's no-crust apple pie

A Poisonwood Bible with no boundaries, made with sisters, perspectives, patience and a handful of knowledge.







Ingredients:
6 Characters (Leah, Adah, Ruth May, Rachel, Orleanna, Nathan) - 6 cups apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Christian Background - 1 cup white sugar
Congolese Background - 1/2 cup buttermilk baking mix
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 death - cup buttermilk baking mix
Famine & Sickness - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 selfishness of Nathan - cup dark brown sugar
3 broken hearts - tablespoons margarine, chilled

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
2. In a large bowl, combine apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, white sugar and 1/2 cup baking mix. Stir together the milk and eggs and mix into apple mixture. Pour filling into pie plate and dot with butter.
3. To make the Topping: In a large bowl, combine 1 cup baking mix, walnuts, brown sugar and margarine. Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over top of apples.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until apples are cooked and topping is golden brown.
5. Place a toothpick in center of pie. If toothpick comes out clean, carefully remove pie from oven.
PWB Recipe:
1. Preheat Ruth May's age to about 5 years old.
2. In a small house, combine Ruth May's sickness and Nathan's selfish disregard for his family's safety. Stir together all the drama between Orleanna and Nathan and mix into the girl's problems, especially Ruth May's. Pour into their lives and dot with famine and hunger.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 6 months, or until an event sparks a change.
4. Place Ruth May's loss in the center of the Price family's attention. If Nathan has no grief, Orleanna will step up and take control.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grammies-No-Crust-Apple-Pie/Detail.aspx

20% time work

"Picture a twenty-two inch, seven-pound doll with white porcelain skin and fiery red pigtails. Picture stiff toy limbs and a sweet little grin. Picture the clothes of a newborn draping over the doll's arms and legs. Picture pea-sized eyes and toes the size of tic-tacs. Imagine squeaky words and peeping hums. This is Charlotte.
But, Charlotte is not a doll. She was featured on "The Tiniest Girl in the World" on TLC, and she just may be that. When I was born, I was six pounds and seven ounces; Charlotte is just a half a pound heavier than me at two years old."

"This topic is so interesting. I love how you describe a doll as an introduction then expand into the life of Charlotte and the history and facts of primordial dwarfism."

"***A sudden fall… Darkness enclosing around her. Smothering her; stifling the air. She stumbled and fell to her hands. She felt rocks gauging out her soft skin. Rushing to her feet she turned in circles, desperately searching. She found no light. Breathing hard, she began to panic. She started sprinting. Heart racing, blood pumping; she tore away from the place where she was dropped into this strange world."

"AHH, so intense...I love the description of every action, feeling and place. The introduction reminded me of the movie, "Alice in Wonderland," when Alice falls down the rabbit hole. I can just imagine what is happening by the choice of words and the sentence length."

"Fun: "An enjoyment, amusement or lighthearted pleasure."(New Oxford Dictionary). Some people say that fun is a waste of time, it doesn't get the bills payed, unnecessary, etc and etc. I feel that fun is a necessity to our very own survival. A life without fun isn't a life at all. It is the reason for us humans to live for another day, it is a cure for the stress that we encounter everyday and it is an element that motivates people to do things."

"I love the topic, I can relate to it so much. I like how you did research to relate the topic to the readers."

During the 20% time class, I realized that the introductions of people's posts was the most important component to someone's writing. After reading the introduction, I either chose to keep reading or to go on to the next person's paper. This made me think about how to make an introduction interesting, hooking the reader. Max gave me a good idea by putting the definition in the beginning or using short and sweet sentences which captures my attention.

cycle paper #4: those six minutes

For some, this is all they've been waiting for, but for others, its six minutes of embarrassment and torture. As the green and red men secure their ankle straps, they each step on their respective line as they enter a whole new world. The two glare at each other eye-to-eye as they shake each other's hand. The whistle beeps; the two are unleashed. The hand to hand, head to head and overall body contact is inevitable. Fighting for a takedown, worth two points, the green man hauls the red man up in the air. Luckily the padded mat is there to cushion their fall. Immediately, the red man squirms to his feet while the green man keeps him down. With thirty seconds left in the first period, the red man manages to escape, closing the gap. The score is 2-1.
The black and white man casts the green and red coin into the air, whirling back down to the mat. The fire truck red side notifies the red man to make a choice: top, bottom, neutral or differ. "Differ, sir," the red man declares to the referee as he motions his arms, forearms parallel, his right arm a few inches from his left. The green man glances at his coaches who motion the down position. The green man mimics the same gesture to the referee, as he bends down to rest his ragged kneepads right in front of the faded line on the mat. Shaking his arms, from his shoulder to his fingertips, he flops his hands down in front. The referee takes two steps backward, hunching over, ensuring that the green man is set in the proper position.
"Set?" the referee assumes. The green man nods his head, as the referee motions for the red man to cover, "elbow last." Immediately after the red man's hand completely covers the green man's elbow, the whistle beeps, initiating the second period. 2:00, 1:59, 1:58, 1:57… The green man pops up to his feet as the red man struggles to keep control. The score: 3-1. Before the green man gets situated into his comfortable stance, the red man makes a tie-breaking move. The green man clumsily falls to his stomach. A quarter of a second later, the red man drives his shoulder into the green man. It's easy to differ which one is in better shape. The green man lies on the mat, without enough energy to get to his feet. The red man accumulates 3 more points for turning the green man to his back for 5 seconds. This happens once again, the green man is gasping for air.
*Beep!* "Out of bounds!" the referee shouts as his arms to his left. The red man rolls to his butt as he plants his feet on the ground in front of him. The green man pushes himself up. The green man gets set on the bottom position once again before the red man covers. *Beep!* The green man doesn't have any motivation as he just waits for something to happen. His lungs are about to give up. All he hears is a jumble of voice, which he cannot make out. The red man manages to get him to his back in just a few seconds with a simple, power half. The referee flops to the mat, searching for the green man's shoulders. Both hit. *Beep!* *Boom!* The referee slaps the mat. The match is over with just 22 seconds left in the entire match.
The red and green men rip off their ankle straps. They shake hands until next time. The red man's hand is raised. The green man strolls off the mat, only wondering what kind of lecture he will receive from his coaches. The red man knows that he can look his teammates and coaches in the eye, knowing he did his best.

pairings

1. "Rushing out of their caves like a dark wind to greet you; of the vast nocturnal cities of lightning bugs floating down from Mina Gerais; of the coral snakes; of the crimson birds..." (Strand)

"Every space is filled with life: delicate, poisonous frogs war-painted like skeletons, clutched in copulation secreting their precious eggs..." (Kingsolver 5)

2. "I want the tree that stands in the earth for the first time with the sun already going down and the water touching it roots..." (Merwin)

"If some of the branches have been broken off...made to share the richness of the olive's root, you must not look down upon the branches. Remember that you do no support the root; the root supports you." (Kingsolver 252)

3. "This could be the supermarket of your dreams, the shelves slick and showy with fruits, wide-mouth mason jars of herring, rice grains longer than your fingernail." (Aguilar-Carniño)

"They might have green bananas, pink bananas, mounds of rice and other whitish things piled on paper, oinions or carrots or even peanuts if it's our lucky day..." (Kingsolver 108)

introduction

As we continue to read about the Poisonwood Bible, I notice several centers of gravity that all the Price girls connect to. Sexism, religion, both cultures and the gardens are a few that come to mind. These ideas help me think of further concepts and questions that relate to my own questions from the beginning of the semester. I believe that the culture that the Price's become accustom to is a main center of gravity that continues to develop.
In the beginning of the Price's journey, itself, from Georgia to the Congo was engaging as a reader; as they had to give up some of their belongings just make it on the trip. As the story went further on, I realized all the little things that I take for granted in my daily life and how I would have to live and cope without it.
When the Price's eventually kind of settle in, the culture of the Congolese people still bother some of them, especially Rachel. I feel that though Rachel is the complainer out of the 4 girls, that most of us could relate to how she feels. I think most of us would agree that it is not easy to live in a foreign country, even if it is just for a week of so. Reading the Poisonwood Bible, we become familiar with two completely different cultures that practice two completely different religions as a basis for their life.