Why Read Harry Potter

Why read Harry Potter? Good question you might think, and several reasons have been given as to why and why not. Here’s one more for why you should:
When reading, go deeper and try and explore the aspect that has been named the Rowling Code.
Consider this:
Classical fairytales – as this has sometimes been classified – often include the number 3 and 7. We see the number 3 in Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione.
The number 7 however, is far more present. For starters, there are seven novels, one for each year a student must attend Hogwarts. Harry is born in the 7th month of the year, July. In the first book, Philosopher’s Stone, there are seven obstacles the trio has to overcome to get to the Stone. Rowling is spelled of seven letters, as is the final – seventh – book’s title. Deathly and Hallows are both seven letters long.
Rowling herself has mentioned that 7 is regarded the most powerful magical number, as we also learn in HPHBP that Voldemort has split his soul into seven pieces in the Horcruxes.
One if these Horcruxes we learn was once owned by Helga Hufflepuff. Research shows that the name Helga is of Scandinavian origin and actually means Holy. Helga’s Cup à Holy Cup. Could this be a coincidence, maybe, but the Cup could have been attributed to any other wizard but was chosen to be connected with the one which name means Holy. Could this be a reference to the Holy Grail? Possibly; in the book we also learn that the Cup was said to have powers, just as the Holy Grail.

Think of this too: In the Papal Inquisition, now called the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, each cardinal cast a vote and throws them in a goblet/cup where after the person overseeing the process will call out the names and announce if there has been a majority. At the end, the papers will be burned with various chemicals. If the smoke rising from this burn is black it means that a pope has not been elected, but if the smoke is white the new pope has been elected. Now compare it to the process we have in the champion selection process in Goblet of Fire.

(Credit Einsjam, for more information go to: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/topic.php?uid=2264634324&topic=6320)

Hills like white elephants - poetry

We could have everything.
I guess so.
We can have the whole world.
I guess so.
We can go everywhere.
I guess so.

We could have everything.
No, we can't.
We can have the whole world.
No, we can't.
We can go everywhere.
No, we can't.

We could have everything.
I’ll scream.
We can have the whole world.
I’ll scream.
We can go everywhere.
I’ll scream.

hills like golden camels

The hills across the valley of the Fergana were velvety and golden like a peach. There were no roads and no trees, just a white building with flaking walls. At the outpatient clinic there was a café with green plastic tables outside, on the shadow of the building. A curtain of vivid colours made of thick cloth, hung across the open door of the café. The Uzbek and the girl with him sat at the table outside the café.
“ How long do we have to wait?” the girl asked. She had taken off her headscarf and put it on the table.
“ Put your scarf back “ the Uzbek said.
“ It is only a pregnancy test, and we have been here for four hours now” she complained.
“ Two teas” the man said into the curtain.
A young man brought two teas and some biscuits.
“Lemon? The young man asked looking at the girl.
“Yes” the girl said without looking up from her book.
The girl looked across at the line of sallow hills.
“They look like golden camels, like camel´s humps” she said.
“ nonsense!”
A woman´s voice called “Natasha Petrova” through the outpatient clinic´s door.
Twenty minutes later they came out , the girl smiled brightly at the nurse , to thank her.
The man looked at the dusty mountains.
“ In six months I will have a beautiful baby girl”
“Do you feel better?” he asked.
“ I feel fine” she said, staring straight into the young waiter eyes.

Bruce Chatwin's piece of travel writing: The Chinese Geomancer

For those of you who prefer to read the Chatwin text online, here is the link:

The Chinese Geomancer

The story appeared in Chatwins book What Am I Doing Here?

Rewrite on Hills Like White Elephant

May 15th

Today is the a desaster to me, I felt I'm like a murder and my life is ruined.I just came back from Span with Jack, the man I love with all my heart and soul. Oh span, such a romantic place, but to me it's hell, for I killed two lives there, one is a baby and the other is mine owe life. But Jack, oh he seemed so relifed when I finished the operation. I felt terrified and extremely low, and somehow I felt I will lose him.

Just when we were waiting for the train, we sat in a pub and had some beers. That was the worst moment for me, it's just like millions of ants were in your stomach, they crawl and bite, oh it hurts so much. No one in the entire world knows how painful I am, but what can I do, oh I have to do this,for Jack for the poor relationship. Jack repeated to tell me it's ok it's no big deal just a small operation, oh for god sake, it's a life and a life I have been looking forward for so long, how could he say it's a piece of cake?

Now it's over and so does my love, I have to face that he will leave me sooner or later, I know that, oh I know that, but what can I do what can I do. I am such a young naive and stupid woman and I ruined my life with my owe hands.....

The choices I must make

Writing game 4

Response to Hills like White Elephants

Genre: Poetry

The choices I must make

I sit before the beaded curtain here
Wondering what is going to be next
The decision I must make is so near
I want to do the things that is the best
The best could be what I want in my heart
The best could be what my love wants for us
To my heart his choice feels like a black dart
But I have to do what he wants, I must
We sit and drink waiting for the grey train
I want to be like we were in the past
I look out the window down the long lane
This grey train is the ending of the last
I have made up my mind and my love wins
This choice is going to make my heart bend

By: Cinthea L. Comer

Hills like white elephants - WG 4

Travel Writing: Guilty Abroad
24th July 1927: Headed towards Madrid
We did not sleep much last night. Jig's condition caused her to wake up several times during her sleep talking wildly and uncontrolled. The beds were bad. You would think there would be better accommodation in this region, but we were shocked to discover that to be far from the case. After roaming this little village near the Ebro for several hours in search of a place where we could spend the night we finally found the only room available - at the locals’ café. When Jig finally fell asleep after waking up four times, I lay awake for a while, staring up at the ceiling thinking how oddly close our search had been to the search of Josef and Mary in Bethlehem.
At this moment we are enjoying an Anis at the bar at the train station waiting for the train from Barcelona which will hopefully bring us to Madrid without much delay. Jig is drunk – again. Poor girl cannot control her need for alcohol, and I, thinking about her temper, do not want to aggravate her. Just a minute ago she started rambling in her drunkenness saying that she saw white elephants and the like. I truly hope we can find a doctor soon who can help us deal with her delusions.

HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS "Review"

Lately it has become almost obligatory to talk about Ernest Hemingway and his "Hills like white elephants" in the academic context. Which are the main reasons? What is about? Mainly because of its special connotations which transform what could be an easy text into a very complex one whose real meaning is difficult to figure it out. And added to this, I strongly believe that the importance of analysing this text also lies in the fact that is everlasting. Despite being a relatively old writing (its first publication was on 1927), is totally up-to-date. Its subject matterwill never be old-fashioned, since the problem with abortion and too much young mothers will never disappear. People commonly think that is a current social trouble, but that is not true. It has always existed. So what is the plot? A story repeated all over the time again and again. The main character is an educated, high class man who dazzles a naive and romantic young girl.A girl who follows her inexperienced heart and gets pregnant. He, who obviously is a charming man with a lot of experience dealing with women, brings her into a trip like they were a real couple. However the trip has a hidden agenda. He wants to persuade her of getting an abortion. It is clearly understood that having a child with her is not on his plan. Apparently she does not want to get rid of her baby, but will she be enough strong to go ahead, avoiding his tempting lover? Just read it!

By Marta Durá

Abortion – a life saving opportunity

By Meredith S. Layer

Let me tell you a story. This story takes place every day all over the world and so you are likely to know the characters of the story, or know someone who knows the characters. Who knows, your sister might be a character or you might even star in it yourself. The story is about a young woman who is seduced by a particularly older male who, in reminiscence of his lost youth, lusts the body of the younger woman. Things get heated, some drinks might have been involved and the woman becomes pregnant. Of course, the male, wise and experienced as he is, stays with the woman, comforts her, builds somewhat the foundations of a relationship and maybe even takes her on a trip to Europe. During all his endurances, he tries to persuade the woman to do the sensible thing and get an abortion of the child. The woman, young, naive and foolish as she is, rejects the idea and gives birth to the child which causes the male character to disappear. Within the first few months after birth, the woman realises the huge responsibility and maturity involved with raising a child in this godforsaken world, cracks under the pressure, gets committed, her child is taken away and two lives were thus ruined. How many lives were saved?

Exploring Abstract

I wander Ahead.
Close eyes
The perk of the sky
Falls short

I circle Around.
Feel fine
My head spins c-b-a
Slender high

Head over Sky.
Feet cold
Water ceases flowing

And the motion of the mountains freezes.

I'm Low

Singer

Hey girl can you do me this favour?
I’m all worn down and I cut me while shaving
I know it’s quite late, got to make it in time
I’ll change for some boots from a friend of mine
Hope that you know you’ll make my day
I’ll do anything to forget this place
Borrow me some dough, want to take the train home
‘Cause my joy is quite low and I’m all out of hope

Hey man can you do me this favour
I’m all fucked up and I used all my savings
Don’t really care if I know your name
Fuck what I get, for me it’s the same
Can’t you see that I am all messed up?
Rolled too many dices and I pushed my luck
Borrow me some dough, I want to take the train home
‘Cause my joy is quite low and I’m all out of hope

I’m low, but got to take this train right home
I’m going to make it, I’m going to make it, going to make it right back home

Quite disappointed at myself tonight
Far too drunk to get my things right
Borrow me some dough, I want to take the train home
‘Cause my joy is quite low, and I’m all out of hope

I’m low, but got to take this train right home
I’m going to make it, I’m going to make it, going to make it right back home

Hills Like White Elephants writing game 4 (manual)

The Ernest Hemingway Set: Hills Like White Elephants
Some assembly required

Carefully open 1.1( The Hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white)Add 1.1--> 1.2 (The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building (building = 2.0)
Apply A (What should we drink?) --> B (Let's drink beer!) Add A, B --> Aa (Yes. Two big ones.) Place 1.3 (1.3= girl) --> the hills. Attach A, B, Aa, 1.3 --> Ba (They look like white elephants) --> Add Ab ( Anis Del Toro ((Anis del Toro =2.1)). It's a drink) and Bb (We want two Anis Del Toro.) Add Ab( Everything tastes like licorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for, like absinthe.)--> 1.3. Add Bc (Well, let's try and have a fine time)-->2.2 (American=2.2) Add Bd (It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig) and Be(I know you would not mind it, Jig. It's really not anything. it's just to let the air in.)-->2.2 Insert Ac (and you think then we'll be all right and happy?) and Ad (Then I'll do it. Beacuse I don't care about me)-->1.3 Apply Bf (Come back in the shade. You mustn't feel that way.)-->2.2, + Ae (I don't feel any way. I just know things)-->1.3. Attach 1.4 (The train comes in five mintutes) --> 2.2, 3.1Ba, Ab, Ac. Add Q.1 (Do you feel better?) -->2.2 and Q.2 (I feel fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine)-->1.3. Combine Q.1 --> Q.2.