Floggin' Bloggin'

Well, here I am sitting at the computer recollecting all the ups and downs I have had with my blogging experience- well I guess mainly the downs. Being sick with mono really killed my blogging momentum. It put me out of commission for a solid week and half, leaving me feeling weak and uninspired. So upon arrival at the heavy silver doors of Pascack Hills, it was time to buckle down and get back into the blogging game. My hiatus came to an end with my latest post about Chinua Achebe's novel, "Things Fall Apart." It was actually a very inspirational read; it reminded me of one of my top 10 favorite movies, "Blood Diamond". Focusing on the struggling society of the African culture, it makes a reader like me actually think about what life is like for those less fortunate, who must fight for survival each and every day. Just as Okonkwo, within "Things Fall Apart", experiences the impact of external forces fusing in their societal views, Solomon Vandy, within "Blood Diamond", gets a first hand account of rebels interfering with the functioning society of Sierra Leone. The reader gets the impression that both men are strong willed and will fight through the hardships. Trying not to give much away about the summary of either, Okonkwo lets the outside world catch up to him as he "hangs on by a rope". Solomon, on the other hand, is persistent along his journey and is rewarded with 3 F's... his family, fortune, and semi fame.
I realize that blogging wasn't necessarily at the top of my priority list, and that is one thing I have regretted the last few days. It is a great tool to voice one's opinions and thoughts about a recent read or really even anything of interest. As I continue on with the year, I plan on utilizing it as much as possible. I plan on living up to the name of this blog- it will not longer be the "Occasional Postings by the Squad". Look out Yo! JSpell is alive and well!

Getting back in the game

After missing what feels like an eternity of school, Jspell is back in action and ready to blog! I've spent a lot of time sitting at home on the couch watching the tele, but that gets nothing accomplished in the long run. Pops has been telling me to just pick up a book and read, because there are endless lessons to be learned just by reading the words of the respected authors who have put their ideas down on paper about an array of topics. Take Chinua Achebe for example with his novel “Things Fall Apart”. His overall intention was to depict the important of courage and nobility but also explores themes of ignorance and cruelty within a struggling society. The novel is set in the late 1800’s showing the growing rival between the white Nigerian government and the indigenous Igbo Africans. "Achebe illustrates that the two different cultures cannot communicate with each other through language, but only through violence" (Troyer, 2007) .
He focuses on the impact that white colonials make on tribal society. Achebe writes from the heart about the views of tribal life and the idea of change. He illustrates a very important message throughout the novel, one that cannot be ignored. Change is always going to occur no matter what the situation, good or bad. Those who can incorporate the change, will be the ones to come out on top .