My favorites Books

This is the classment of the book I read this semester. The first ones are the ones I liked the most and the last ones the ones I didn't like:

Syrup by Maxx Barry

Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Finding Forrester by James W. Ellison

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Shane by Jack Schaefer

Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Heroes, Gods Ands Monsters of the Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell 

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Chrstmas Carol by Charles Dickins

Thanksgiving

I had a typical Thanksgiving dinner in an American family. It was great. My neighbor, the one who danced in my video "Sweet Afternoon", invited us in his family. We eat the Turkey, beans with almond, potatoes bud, salad, a thing that I don't remember the name but you eat it with cranberry sauce, and then in desert and apple pie with ice cream. At the beginning of the dinner my neighbor's mother ask us to think about someone o something we were thankful about, and we will said it at the end of the dinner. It was really nice to do that. Around the table, we were two Frenches and two Indians. It was funny because the story of Thanksgiving is that Indian gave food to the American, and years later they killed all the Indians. It's the story I know, I don't know if it's the real one... Anyway, it was a really good experience!

Feminine/Masculine

Feminine/Masculine was the name of a contemporary dance creation that I danced last year in France. It's funny because it is also the name of my comparative essay on the David's sculptures. This dance was a kind of battle between men and women. There was moment where the delicacy of women was show and strongest moment where the boys showed their capacities. My favorite moment in this show was the duo. I had a duo with my partner Kofi. It was really nice because I know him well and we had the possibility to create our own duo. Our teachers told us that it was a really beautiful duo because we match with each other. I hope to find someone like him to work with here in LA. 

Car Accident

On Saturday I went back home from my aero silk class, and my street was close. I parked my car and went to see what happened. There was two police cars and a crashed car. The man in the crashed car crashed a lamppost. The lamppost fell on the car. The car was totally destroyed. The front was crushed and the lamppost crushed the top of the car. Fortunately nobody was hurt, and the driver was chock but safe.

Green Screen

Yesterday I went to the film festival with my boyfriend. I went to see the Experimental Eye at 3 p.m. The first part was strange. There were lots of films about the water, and another called «Street Chaos ». The last one was really really strange. It showed the worstest parts of LA, drugs alcohol sex fights criminals stopped by the police… and the music was also strange. I better enjoyed the second part with the shorts films. Marianne, Paul and Yassine presented their movies. There was one with a skateboard man which was really funny. At the beginning we just saw someone skateboarding without seing who he is, and at the end we just saw a 60 years old man exhausted ! I didn’t stay to the party at the end because I had to go to another show.

Cirque School Show

After the film festival, I went to see a show from a cirque school in Hollywood. I know that place because I use to take my aero silk class there. All the students did a really good job. It was amazing because they are not professionnal and some of them did  really good stuff. One of the man, who is a surgeon in his everyday life, did a show with the silk. It was great. The last number was a show from a professionnal, and that one was super great and super amazing ! 

Lofts In Downtown

Yesterday afternoon I went to downtown to visit some apartments. I don't want to move out, but I just wanted to take a look. There is lots of big buildings there, and lots of choices for apartments. Most of the buildings got Rooftop with swimming pool and jacusi, and also a beautiful view on LA. I was suprise by the prices which are not that expensive, and I can even say cheap for some of the apartments. I like to visit places and I had a nice time visiting those places! 

Corporal Punishment at School

This week we watched the level five's debate. The resolve of one of the group was "Corporal Punishment should be legal at school". This debate was really interesting. The Pro team was Korean and the Con team was European. Through this debate we can really see the difference of the culture and the education in different countries. Even if I'm European I'm Pro the Corporal Punishment at school. Last year in France some students stabbed their teacher or another beat them. It's totally disrespect for the education. And maybe with the Corporal Punishment there were more respect between student and teacher at school.

A Summer Weather For a November Month

LA weather is awesome! I can't beleive that it is November 19th, and that I was in t-shirt in the street today! I was still at the beach last weekend! When I call my family on skype, they wear sweaters and the heater is on. It's really cold outside. It's a real Winter there. But here, it is like the end of Summer. And I'm surprised to see a christmas tree next to a palm tree, with a beautiful blue sky and a hot sun! Even if I like this weather, I can't wait to go back home and be cold, walk in the snow, and warm myself around the fireplace! 

First Debates

Today, we made the two first debates of the class. The one on the Gay Marriage, and the one on the World Currency. To make it simple, it was a DESASTER! The groups were not ready, there was no action, it was slow, boring, really not attractive and furthermore Susan was interrupt them all the time. I think we were not enough prepared, and we should do a simulation before the day of the debate. I hope it will be better for my team, and actually I'm pretty sure it will be better, because I'll use the mistakes of the others to improve my debate!

Dexter

Do you know that TV show? Dexter? I love it! It is the story about a man who work with the police the day and who is a serial killer the night. Dexter kills only the murderers who managed to escape the juridical system. He has to keep his secret from his family. That I love the most in this TV show is that nobody can find him. He knows perfectly his job and I like his character. The presentation of the show is also really impressive. I started to watch this TV show because of my boyfriend, and now I'm addicted!

Comparison

I'm going to compare Ginny the character of the movie Rocket Science and 6 the character of the book Syrup by Maxx Barry. These two characters are first two girls. They got a straight objective: be the best. For Ginny it's in debate and for 6 it's in marketing. They also have a problem with their relationship. They can't accept to be loved by someone because of their career or objective. It's why in both story they reject Hal and Scat. In the book, 6 changes her position, she evolves. She lets Scat come in her life. We don't know what will happen to Ginny in the future. It is the only difference that I can see between these two girls. I think that these characters are pretty much similar.

Syrup

Syrup by Maxx Barry is a book we are reading with my class. It tells the story of Scat a young man who wants the American Dream. He crosses several difficulties to reach his goal. It is such a NICE book! Besides to be a very good book it's also an easy reading book. You can't stop read it. You want to know what's happen next! It out yourself in the story. I was stressed, happy, bad, for what's happen to the characters. I felt the feelings of them. I just finish it because I really wanted to know the end of this book. And I'm really happy of it! I recommend this book to everyone

Funny Name For a Club

This weekend, we wanted to go to a club in Hollywood with my friends. We hesitate, during a moment, and one of my firend said "Hey guys! Let's go to My House!" I looked at him and said "Why do you want us to go to your house? If you make a party, it's better to make it at My House, it's bigger!" And my friend answered "Yeah I told you let's go to My House!" Actually My House was the name of the club! It was so funny because nobody knew!  Finally we went to My House and it was a very funny night.

Parking Place/ Football Game Day

At my place I don't have a real parking place for my car. I have to park it in the street. I all the time find a place during the week and the weekend, so it's not really a problem. The problem is when there is a football game at USC... Everybody try to find a place to watch the game, and if I want to go shopping or see my friend, I can't find a place when I come back. USC should create a parking area to avoid this problem in the neighborhood. 

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. During the night our body works with our energies' reserve that we made on the day. The goal of the breakfast is to reconstruct them. First by giving energy to the organs, then provide muscles proteins and finally water rapprovisionner. It's at this meal that you get your energies for the day. Lot of people don't measure the importance of the breakfast, they say that they are not hungry in the morning, or that they don't have time. It encourages snacking causing overweight. I took 20 minutes each morning for my breakfast. And I can take all morning without get weak!

LA Belongs to Car

Los Angeles belongs to cars. It's simple, you can't live in this city without a car. This is a huge city and everything is scattered. If you want to visit LA, and saw all the wonderful places here, you have to drive! Of course you can take the bus or a public transportation, but you waste lot of time. The paradox here is that you have to get a car but there is lots of inconvenient by having a car. First the traffic, you spend lots of our in the traffic on the freeways. Then it's often hard to find a parking place. The solution is to go in the parking area, but you have to pay, again! And then there is the danger of having an accident. Furthermore, cars are a culture in America. People spend lot of time and money in their car, to wash, fix and maintain. It's why, even all the inconvenient you'll get a car.

This Is It

Yesterday night I went to a new movie theater, next to the Staple Center in downtown. I watched This Is It, the movie about Michael Jackson. It was really nice! This movie shows all the preparation and repetition of Michael Jackson Show. It was really like a concert. I couldn't stop myself dancing on my chair! Through this movie we can see a new image of the real Michael Jackson. He was an amazing professional artist. He knew what he wanted for his show, and if he wasn't dead, I think it would be a fabulous show. If you have the possibility to see this movie and if you like Michael Jackson, rush immediately to a movie theater!

Halloween Party

Last Saturday I made a party for Halloween, like all the people did in LA. I made a barbecue with friends on the roof of my building. It was really nice because the weather was good and we got a nice view. Around 7 p.m, we put our costumes and we went in the street to see the other people and all the costume. Then we went to a club in downtown, and that place was amazing! There was a big terrace and really good music. All the people in there were amazing costumes! I think lots of people spend hundreds of dollars for them! My Pirate costume got lots of success, and I'm really excited to celebrate Halloween again next year! 

Halloween is celebrate the October 31 during the night. This party is primarily a traditional folk festival celebrated in Ireland. It was imported in the US in 1930. During this night children go in scary (ghost, witch,...) costume from house to house, asking the question "Trick or Treat?". In Europe Halloween is not famous as it is in the US. In the US this is one of the biggest party of the year. Nowadays, this day is a little bit different, Children still ask for candies, but the older people celebrate this day by making big parties. They are all disguised and the costume are not scary anymore but sexy! I think this year I will be a pirate and I will make a big party like all American do!

This weekend I took a class of Aero Silk. Aero silk is acrobatics with a tissue attached at the ceiling. I saw this art last year for the first time, during a show that I made with my school. The two acrobats were amazing and I really wanted to learn that. Last weekend I met a French girl who made aero silk, and I asked her if she could gave me classes. That's how I took my first class this weekend. It was really nice! Aero silk is based on nodes, you have to learn the keys and then let yourself carried away by your imagination. It was really hard for my arms, because I don't have enough muscles. But I will do it again next weekend and I will improve that!

The Best Presentation

Shin Jin was the best presenter this morning in class. Her topic was: "people should use natural form of sugar instead of artificial sweeteners I think she was the only one to support an idea to create a debate. Her presentation was clear as her arguments, and she looked at everybody when she spoke. I agree with her points, because I really think that real sugar is better than artificial one. Artificial sugar not taste like sugar, and we don't know if it's good for our health. I prefer eat something with real sugar, and enjoy eat, than eat something not real, not take pounds and be frustrated by the taste.

José Limon

I want to talk about José Limon, because I had the opportunity to take master classes with two of his dancers, Betty Jones and Fritz Ludin. Through them I could learnt a little bit of his work. José Limon was a pioneering modern dancer and choreographer. He moved in New York in 1928, where he studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, two Masters of the modern dance. He founded his own company in 1946: The Jose Limon Dance Company. Betty Jones is one of the dancers of his company. With his company, he developed his repertory with Doris Humphray and he established his style that was become the Limon technique. I was very lucky to take the master class with Betty Jones and Fritz Ludin because they are very old, and they don't give lots of classes now. Furthermore we have to take benefits of their knowledge before they die. The class was amazing, Fritz is almost 72 and he still did all the jumps for boys, and all the stretching. Betty is almost 80, and she showed all the exercises. When it was Fritz who gave the class Betty was taking it, and vice versa. It was really impressive, because sometimes you are tired or you don't want to work, but when you saw them you have to! And when I saw them, I can say that I'm sure that dance preserves your body.

The Benefits and the Bonuses of Drinking Coffee

There are benefits in drinking coffee moderately. For example, coffee is a stimulant, an anti-migraine, a laxative, a cardiovascular protective and also an anti diabetic. It is also a drink that you can decline on different ways: cappuccino, mocha coffee, iced coffee, caramel macchiato...  In addition to be a nice drink the coffee is also a social concept. For example, in enterprises during the break, colleague take a coffee together; or in the level 6, the famous "coffee time", when we went together buy coffee at the cafeteria. It permits to strengthen relashionship. 

Museum of Jurassic Technology

On Saturday I went to the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. This museum is like a labyrinth with lot of different things inside. You can see the evolution of microscope, 3D vectograph process, ancient method to cure, supertitions, et cetera... There is also library, the Napoleon Library. I was impressed by one of the ancient belief: "children afficted with trush or sore throat, can de cured by placing the bill of a duck or goosse in the mouth of the children". I didn't really enjoy this museum, because I didn't understand the purpose of it. If someone want to go there, they make students prices, 3$, and the normal entry is 5$. They don't have parking places.

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning is the best morning of the week. You are free to choose what you want to do and you don’t have any obligations. During the week you have to wake up early to work or to go to school, and you have to undergo the noise of the alarm clock. On Sunday morning, you turn off your alarm clock. You can stay under the duvet if the weather is bad and take a huge French breakfast in front of a nice movie. If the weather is good, Sunday morning is nice to walk in forest and play sport. For the bravest that wants to enjoy the morning and day, you can wake up early and take your car to visit an unknown place. I can say that Sunday morning is a vacation day for me, I take this opportunity to escape, to think of something else or simply do nothing.

Weekend to San Diego

This weekend, I went to San Diego. All the weekend was FUN, but the thing I enjoyed the most was San Diego Zoo. This place is really amazing! It's a huge park with animals from all around the world. There is different part in the zoo park for all kind of animals. For example, Polar Rim with Polar Bears, Urban Jungle with Giraffes and Rhinos, Lost Forest with Crocodiles Tigers and Hippos, Elephant Odyssey with Camels Elephants and Lions. This last one was my favorite, elephants are huge and they look friendly. In addition, this zoo is a good place to walk and make sports. And for the people who don't like  walking, there is a bus, little cars and a cable car.  To conclude there is no age o go to the zoo, you can enjoy it since 2 to 90 years old! 

Right or Wrong

Dan Ariely talks about his experience in the hospital. His body was burn at 70 percent. When nurses put out his bandages, he gets lots of pain, because they did that in short time. He adviced them to do that slowly and he will have painless. Nurses thought they were right. Thus he made an experience on student about cheating. These tastes help him to understand how irrationnality works. Through this experience, Dan Ariely learned that people listen to their instincts, but sometimes you should beware of it.

An Amazing Restaurant

Espiau's Cafe is a restaurant located in Claremont in LA. It's a mexican restaurant. That is amazing with this restaurant is that the creator was french. He lived in a little city in France named Lannepax in the department of Gers. This place is really close to mine. Espiau went to Pomona in 1890 where he was a winegrower. In 1919 he closed the winery, and entered his busines which beras his name. In fact Espiau was the great grandfather of one of my friend in France who still live in Lannepax!

My leek tie

I'm going to give you my leek pie's recipe. We need: 1 puff pastry, 3 leeks, 1 big oignon, sour cream, and milk. First, cut leeks and oignon in piece. Cook them in a pan, until they turn white. Put the puff pastry in a dish pie, spread leeks and oignon on it. Add milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Put the pie in the oven during 20 minutes. Don't fortget to keep an eye on! Now it's ready, have a good meal!

Learning to Listen

Evelyn Glennie is a percussionist who lost all of her capacity to hear at 12 years old. her aim is to teach the world to listen. It's strange to play music when you're deaf, but she explains that she can hear things by the others part of her body. When you loose one of your five sense, you develop the others. That's what Evelyn Glennie did. She feels sounds by vibrations, by movements, by feelings. Thus, she can play drum easely.

Self-Judgement

The subject of my fable was really easy to understand, because people are or were affected by this problem. However I felt that some classmates didn't understand me, because of my french accent. Some people would say that my accent is cute, but I think it's one of my biggest worries has spoken. To facilitate understanding, and also to animate my story, I put dialogue. I think it's a bonus in my fable, because everybody can understand the everyday language. It was really more attractive. My fable was short, thus people didn't sleep during my talk. I had lots of propositions for my moral, and they were all true. I hope next time I will be less stressed, and my voice will be more clear.

Indian Restaurant

On Satruday night, I went to an Indian restaurant close to downtown. It was a small, poorly furnished place on a bad block, but you can not judge a book by its cover, and it turned out to be very good food. I tasted Samosa with a Mango sala in appetizer, and I shared a chilli chicken and a chicken massala with rize with my boyfriend. The chilli chicken was really spicy! I eat some indian bread. That dinner was really nice, and I really enjoyed eat indian food.

You Make my Decision

Are we in control of our decisions? I'm suppused to answer yes, but Dan Ariely show you the otherwise. In this video he has some impressive arguments. Our vision mislead us with color and size. Our decisions are made by illusions. And without knowing, you're directed by other things or other people, like media, advertissements,  and designers. We think that we have all the time the posibility to choose, but our decision is all the time guided by what's happening outside of us.

There is a Time for Everything

Sophie and Arthur are two french students who went to LA to realise their American dream. She wants to be a lawier and he wants to be a businessman. « Wouah, Arthur exclamed, This city is amazing ! I want to visit everything here, go to big parties with other students and go to each club !!! » . «  Hey Dude, Sophie answered, don’t forget to work, you will have all your life to go partying! This year is really important for your future. » « Oh, you’re so boring Sophie, Arthur said, be cool and don’t worry about me ! »Sophie worked hard all weeks to reach her goal. Arthur went to parties and continued to Enjoy his life. The time of exams came, and after few days the results were displayed. « Arthur ! Sophie screamed, I’m a lawier , I passed my exam, I’m so happy ! My dream comes true ! » « Oh nice ! Congratulation. I’m very proud of you…, Arthur said » « What about you ? Sophie asked » « Hum… I… I will not become a businessman yet , I missed my year… » That night all students made a big party except Arthur. «  You have to work hard to get your dreams.»

Of Mere Bieng Wallace Sevens

The palm at the end of the mind

Beyond the last thought, rises

In the bronze distance

A gold-feathered bird

Sings in the palm, without human meaning

Without human feeling, a foreign song

You know then that it is not the reason

That makes up happy or unhappy

The bird sings. Its feathurs shine

The palm stands on the edge of space

The wind moves slowly in the branches

The bird's fire-fangled feathers dangle down

We studied this poem in class. I'm not accostumated to that kind of work. This poem is complicate to me, and I don't really find a meaning in what he says. I don't find links between stanzas. I understand that he speaks about relaxation, bird's song, palm tree? but there is no sense to me. I hope learn more about poetry to understand messages.

Santa Monica Pier

I decided to go to Santa Monica Pier because I had others plans for saturday night. Santa Monica Pier is a nice place. Families, friends and children come to go to the funfair, eat churros and make rides. The funfair is very impressive, there is a big ferris wheel and lots of attractions. When you're sick you can go to the beach to swim, bronze and play. When I went to Santa Monica Pier, there was lots of people, it's a very touristic place and I didn't really like that. You can take a picture with a fake Beyonce or a fake Mickael Jackson, or furthermore sculpt your portrait. I think there is lots of things to spend money to spend money ( childrens love that! ).

That I really apreciate was the concerts. They are free all thursday nights. I also found nice the Trapeze School.

September, 9th was the 100th anniversary of the Pier. I think there is lots of pass stories in this place and I hope there will be future stories too!

To conclude Santa Monica Pier is a pleasant place, but I prefer go to a place less frequented with more truth things.

My best gift was a stroke

The lesson that Jill Bolte Taylor learned through her experience is the importance of life. One morning she woke up with a headache, which turned, step by step in a stroke...

I will explain that I've learned in this video about brain. The human brain is composed in two hemispheres. The right hemisphere, and the left hemisphere. The right leads all the things about the present moment, what's happen "right here, right now", Jill says that she "is an energybeing connected to the energy all around her through the consciousness of her right hemisphere". In addition the left hemisphere thinks "linearly and methodically", it is all about the past and the future, all the in formations you learned are categories and organizes with everything in the past and all your projects in the future. Jill says that the left hemisphere permits her "to become a single solid individual, separate from the energy flow around her and separate from us". In her accident Jill lost this part of her brain. She couldn't walk, spoke, and read, anymore. It took 8 years to recover all her capacities. When she realized that she was still alive, she realized the immense opportunity that was the life! She thought finds the nirvana, she realizes what a tremendous gift a stroke could be.

Farmer's Market

Yesterday ( Sunday 6th of september ), I went to the Farmer's Market in Hollywood. It was impressive because it was like a french market! You can buy food, vegetables, fruits, clothes... There is lot of people, they went for stroll, to make shopping because it's very cheap! I can saw families, young couple, old person, everybody come to farmer's market! 

I really had a good time there, and I think I will be there next week-end to make my shopping!

First football game

Yesterday ( saturday, 5th of september ), I went to my first football game : USC vs San Jose! It was very impressing! I havn't really liked the game, but the atmosphere was exceptional. There was 80000 people in the stadium, everybody wore clothes of USC, everybody sang. 

Before the game, families, friends, and students, come on the campus and begin a big party at 9 a.m to celebrate their team. One hour before the game begins, the band makes a gigantic show with 150 people. The mascot, a horse, comes into the stadium and evoryone aplause and scream. Then gamers enter, and it's like an ovation.

I left before the end of the game. USC won 56 to 3! 

How Origami has changed the world to Robert LANG?

Origami consists to fold papers to recreate forms. When you are a children, you learn how makes a plane, a boat, and it becomes very funny toys for you. It's origami. In the 20th Century, Robert LANG, associated math with origami. This new technique become an Art, they tried to create more details to make new forms and sculture. It's amazing what you can create with a piece of paper, it's looks like real things! I was so surprised by the work that it represent, and especially by the beauty of sculptures. Involving math to Origami, the folding became easier. You just had to count angles, fold by colors, to make circles. Relashionship between maths and origami is equations in 4 setes:

              SUBJECTS -> TREE -> BASE -> MODELS

Origami helped for sattelites, airbags, umbrella, prototypes, telescopes and to reduce or enlarge things. Robert LANG gave lots of good examples to show is these about Origami. He thinks that origami will safe lifes.

This reportage on TED video, was really impressive. But I'm not convinced that it will be save lifes one day...

Dog days/ A dog parable

I'm going to compare two differents stories about dogs. The first is named "A Dog Parable". There is a man and his dog, they went to Heaven, and the man choosed to keep his dog with him. Second, the other story is named "Dog Days". It's about Cooper, a young man, he has a dog, Uno, and a pregnant wife, Christina. She doesn't want to keep the dog with the baby, thus, she asksCooper to ditch Uno. 

Dogs are known to be the human's best friend. These two stories talk about, friendship, loyalty and faithfulness.

  In the first story, the man is dead, he's alone, and he has nothing to loose. His only friend is his dog. I think he is the most important thing at this time in his dead life. Unlike, in the second story, the young man Cooper, got a family. He is maried, his wife is pregnant, he has a house and friends. He has to protect his family and his future child. Cooper's wife has an influance on him, so his choice depends to her. He have to maintain his marriage. The man has nobody to tell him what to do, he is free. Furthermore, those two men have not the same priorities, and the same way to see the friendship between men and dogs. If cooper had been in the "Dog Parable", he would go to Hell, and just let the dog on the way. If the man had been at Cooper's place, he would have kept Uno, or he would found a better solution than let it him to an animals shelter.

  To conclude, I think the big difference between the two stories is the two men. They don't have the same age, not the same lifes and apparently not the same attachment with dogs.