Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 25 Page 304 and Final Thoughts

Sayuri is a changed woman now that she had her misuzage. She is more mature and older now completely. She has become a full geisha now. She can turn her collar around as they say. All these traditions and customs that geishas have to actually finally become one is insane. There is so much you have to learn and do. Even though Sayuri is only eighteen she is going to be getting a danna, which is very young for her young age. Of course the guy that it is going to be is Nobu. It is almost like her life is over now. She will have to be devoted to him. What if he will want to have kids and everything with her already? I would not know what to think if I were Sayuri. She is probably hoping for that special someone to be her danna. Of course mother would do anything for money even if Sayuri must dedicate all her life to Nobu now. Hatsumomo sure got a kick out of Nobu being Sayuri’s danna since of all the scars on his face and all even though she does not have one so I really do not see what she is laughing about. That was very smart of Mameha to go collect her share of money from Mother since it will be a bad time for a while. I cannot believe what a crook Mother is. She is very frugal and a liar. She tried to rip Mameha off by only giving her ten percent instead of double what she offered. Mameha did everything for Sayuri and deserves all the money and mother really should not get any. Thank goodness Sayuri stuck up for Mameha instead of Mother or else I would have been upset with Sayuri. Since Sayuri did this for Mameha, she returned the favor by trying to talk mother into finding a different danna for Sayuri. I am not sure if it worked or not maybe they will say in the next few chapter. I hope Sayuri finds a different danna since she thinks of Nobu as a friends that would be kind of weird. I really wonder what is going to happen with the rest of this book. I really have no idea. I am thinking maybe in the end she will end up with the Chairman or even a totally new person that she really likes. In the end she is going to get out of being a geisha somehow and move to the United States. I really do not know how any of this will work out, but I am very curious. I will continue to read this book, but I really do not have time to blog anymore before my trip to Chicago, so I blogged up to page 304 and will continue reading while I am in Chicago because I can not wait to see what happens at the end of this books. I am really enjoying it. It is very interesting and educational at the same time. I learned a lot about the geisha society. I learned a little about Japan and the differences between the poor areas there compared to the rich party cities. I am anxious to see how this book ends up. I have become very fond of Sayuri and Mameha.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 24

Mother did decide to adopt her, which is a very good thing now Sayuri barely has to worry about Hatsumomo at all. In fact she can boss her around as much as she wants to. This was one of the most emotional and important chapters in the book. It was wear Sayuri’s mizuage takes place. It does seem that Mameha is a little upset of how the bidding for Sayuri went, since her danna ended up being one of the men bidding. That was a very strange twist to the story. I really did not expect the baron to bid for Sayuri, but I guess he was a little more than obsessed with her. I was shocked to see that Nobu had dropped out. He seemed so into Sayuri. I guess he was in it for more than what Mameha and Sayuri thought. The guys sure did auction off a lot. They paid a lot of money to be the first to explore Sayuri. This is a very weird concept I must say. It is rather gross if you ask me, and I feel really bad for Sayuri because she does not in anyway really like any of these guys. To bad the Chairman did not end up bidding for her or anything. He is probably too cheep for her. Sayuri was a very expensive girl. She made records technically not as much as Mameha, but still a lot of money. It just disturbs me how crazy this whole concept is and how obsessed some guys can be. It is actually uncalled for. This is what Sayuri has been preparing her whole life for and she barely has any idea what is going on. That is pretty amazing that her misuage had covered the cost of all the expenses she had. That is insane because she had a lot of debt built up. She is way more successful then Pumpkin is. The guy that ended up winning the bid was Dr. Crab, which was really weird because I would say he knows her the least. I really did not like this guy. He was crazy, messed up, and he makes me sick. I cannot imagine how nercous Sayuri was. She is giving everything she got to this man that paid dearly for her. He seemed very prepared. One thing that really grossed me out was the suitcase the guy brought with him. It had blood samples of every geisha he has been with. That is disturbing on so many levels. This part really made me want to vomit especially since the book went into great detail about it. To top it all off he kept a blood sample from when Sayuri had been in his doctor’s office with a cut and he was practically in love with it. This guy is a psycho in more than one way. He knew that Sayuri would be special the minute he laid eyes on her. That is just a little creepy if you ask me. The whole concept was an awkward mess why would some old guy pay to do that with a young girl. Sayuri definitely did not know what to do. At the end of this chapter Sayuri learns that the Chairman did not even invite her to his party, which means that he really did not care for her entertainment. I felt so bad for her at this point because I’m sure her heart was broken. This was just a very emotional chapter and the climax of the book I would say.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 23

Sayuri is getting older and more mature now I can tell by how she is starting to act and think. She has become very emotional and has been going through many events that will affect her the rest of her life. Sayuri is becoming a very popular girl. The artist that she had met previously had drawn the picture of her when he had first noticed her eyes. That remarkable picture that he had drawn of her is now all over the town of Gion. I would say her career is becoming a success. I would be very excited if I were her seeing my portrait on a poster everywhere. The dance recital event that she would be starring in sounds very intriguing and fun. The dance Mameha preformed seemed very deep and emotional, especially since when Sayuri said that she would never get the impression of the dance erased from her mind. Mameha must be an amazing dancer. Mameha sounds almost perfect in everything she does. She is one hundred times better the Hatsumomo. The book did not really describe how well Sayuri did in her dancing, but I am thinking that she did okay. I think it would be fun to attend and watch on of the dance events in Gion. I love watching people dance and perform things and they way they describe it in the book seemed like an awesome place. That was very nice of Nobu to wait for Mameha and Sayuri outside for so long. Even though he seemed very upset it took them so long he was still nice enough to give Sayuri a gift. I wonder if Mameha is becoming jealous at all this attention that Sayuri is getting. The gem that he gave Sayuri sounded very pretty, I would not have known what to say if I would have been in Sayuri’s shoes. Nobu is very interested in Sayuri. I wonder if he will be her highest bidder. I was surprised when Mameha told Sayuri to give Mother the gem that Nobu just had given her. I would have been upset to give it to that mean old lady especially since the Nobu gave it to her to enjoy. I guess Mameha knows what she is doing though, so it was probably a smooth move to give it to Mother. Now she knows Sayuri will be bid off her soon and that will give her a good advantage to adopt her. I think Mother could have been a littler more nicer though after Sayuri had handed her the gem, that made me a little mad. She is not appreciative of anything.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 22

I bet that would have been nerve racking to attend a party so far away without Mameha for the first time. I would have been scared on what to do, say or what would happen to me. I believe the Baron is very hot for Sayuri’s form. He sure did brag about her a lot to all of his guest making sure all the men got to meet her. It would have been weird to have everyone analyzing and taking pictures of me. Sayuri sure did get giggly when she seen the Chairman. The Chairman seems like such a good guy. As much as I want Sayuri to end up with him I do not think she will. He is so kind to her and nice, but there is just nothing there between them. I found it cute how the Chairman was so worried about if the Baron would like the gift he was. The sad part was that the Baron was so drunk that he barely had much of a reaction to the beautiful gift. I knew it was not a good idea for Sayuri to stay after the party so the Baron could give her a gift. He was way to fond of her to give her just a gift. She should have just gone home and not worried about it. He had some nerve to drag her to his bedroom. I would have been so scared if I were Sayuri especially since Mameha and the Chairman warned her how pushy the Baron could be. I cannot believe the Baron started taking off her clothes. That is such an invasion of privacy it is not even funny. I cannot even imagine what was going through Sayuri’s head. I was so afraid that the Baron was going to rape her lucky for Sayuri though he just examined her. He really had no right to do that though. Then in the end he gave her a beautiful kimono. I do not know if all that torture really would have been worth the kimono. I cannot imagine how hard it would have been to explain what happen between the Baron and Sayuri to Mameha especially since the Baron is Mameha’s danna. Despite the events that happen in this chapter I found it amusing that they have button up socks. I really cannot even imagine these kinds of socks. I would really like to see the pair. I would have been so embarrassed if I were Sayuri when the dresser was undressing me and he noticed that someone else had undone her clothes previously. I really would not have wanted to be in Sayuri’s position. I cannot imagine how emotional she must be right now.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 21

Mameha is a very clever girl. I like her a lot. She sure did get very excited when she knew that she could bring Dr. Crab and Nobu together in the same room. This is a very big deal for Sayuri, because they guys know who they will be competing against and Sayuri can flirt with either one while the other gets jealous. She sure could have a lot of fun in this position. While they were at the party she did have a very interesting conversation with Dr. Crab. He is completely into Sayuri big time he wants her badly. You can tell by the way he acts around her and the way his face reactions are described. I knew that the Baron was not a good guy. He is such a creep the way he talked about the beauties of women. He is a total pervert. I would feel so awkward if I were Sayuri because I know what these guys are after now, and even talking to them would make me feel uncomfortable. I really have no idea who I like better either Dr. Crab or Nobu. I really do not prefer either, which makes it hard to choose which one is the best. Nobu really does not like the Baron at all. I wonder why he even attended the party then, probably to keep Sayuri company. I find it very strange that the geishas walk the men to the bathroom. That is so weird and I really would not want to do that. Then what do they do casually wait outside until they are done? That is a little pathetic if you ask me. I cannot believe how offended the Baron became when Mameha said she would not be attending his party this year. He pretty much flipped out on her. It was like he was the most important guy in the world or something that she could not miss it. I guess he is a pretty important person in Mameha’s life though. I was a little confused when she mentioned something about a medical issue, and then said something about an abortion. Is she really going to get an abortion that day of the party? Do geishas get abortions all the time because that would be terrible and not right. Does that mean that Mameha is actually pregnant at the moment? That is really weird to think about. This would kind of be a very horrible life to lead. After the Baron learned of her medical appointment he did not seem as mad about her not coming, so I guess she really was getting an abortion. That was very nice, I think of the Baron to invite Sayuri in Mameha’s place. I wonder how Mameha feels about this? I would imagine not very happy but feels it would be best for Sayuri. For some reason I have a feeling that if Sayuri goes to the Baron’s party something bad is going to happen. The Baron seems like a very pushy man and I do not like him nor trust him. The only reason Sayuri is excited to attend this party is because the Chairman is going to be there, but I have a suspicion she will not even get to hang out with him or anything. It would probably be for the best that she drops this little crush she has on the Chairman because he does not seem that interested in her.

Memoirs of a geisha - Chapter 20

The conversation Sayuri had with Mameha changed her views and life forever. It would change any girl really. Hatsumomo really treats Pumpkin like a slave. She is always so tired and is pushed to her limits. She is constantly bossing her around. I feel really bad for Pumpkin and Sayuri really did not help much by pushing her to tell her what exactly Hatsumomo had said to Dr. Crab. Pumpkin had a mental break down to Sayuri. It is depressing to see what is happening to the girl. She hates Hatsumomo with a passion, but yet she has to put up with her crap every single day. She is one tough girl. Evil is too nice of a word to describe Hatsumomo she is a monster. Sayuri ended up getting the information she needed to get out of Pumpkin plus a bonus. Their Mother is planning on adopting Pumpkin, which in a way is happy for Pumpkin yet bad at the same time because if she does get adopted Hatsumomo will be staying in this place forever. Everyone will have to put up with her Sayuri’s whole lifetime career. Sayuri gave Nabu the gift that tells him she is ready to be bid on. They ended up plotting a time to run into Mr. Crab to give him his gift as well, which ended up going pretty awkwardly if you ask me. Like I predicted they had to beg for his trustworthiness and to believe them that Hatsumomo was lying about the whole neighbor boy thing. He eventually took the gift but I am not sure he was persuaded enough into believe them or Hatsumomo. It is kind of creepy that Mr. Crab is known for winning these kinds of bids on apprentice geishas. That is very sick if you ask me and to top it all of he has a wife. He seems like a pig if you ask me. I really do not know exactly where the book is going from here, but I am very curious.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 19

This chapter was a very important chapter. We learned a lot about what Sayuri’s main purpose for doing all of this is. They are going to pretty much be selling her virginity to the highest bidder. That is so sad and downright evil. I would be freaked out if I were Sayuri when she found this out. Especially since Nabu is known for these kind of things. He is the one that bought Mameha. That is not right at all, poor girls. I really would not want him around me no matter how nice of a man Mameha says he is. I find it amusing how repulsive Hatsumomo finds Nabu and that is why she has been being nice to Sayuri lately. She actually encourages her to hang out with this man. I really love the names that Sayuri gives to some of these people in the books. I really like Mr. Crab that is a good descriptive name. She sure has been hanging out with the artist and Mr. Crab. I cannot believe that Hatsumomo found out what Mameha has been planning to do with Sayuri, now she is going to ruin it. That was so cruel of her to spread a nasty rumor about Sayuri messing around with the neighbor boy just so the doctor will not bid on her. Hatsumomo really just needs to mind her own business, but in a way I guess Sayuri is her business. That was even cruel of the doctor to jump to conclusion and believe Hatsumomo without even confronting Sayuri about it. He just plain out ignored her after he found this out. I bet Mameha is going to have to beg him to come back to Sayuri and stuff. It was a very awkward position for Mameha to be in when she had to explain to what mizuage was. She describe it a very interesting way. I really cannot believe they are going to make Sayuri go through with all of this.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 18

I found it very ironic how at the same time when Sayuri had met the chairman is the same time when the electric company had been famous and all over the magazines. So any magazine she would have picked up would have had the chairman’s face on it. It is almost kind of cute how she researched him in like every news article that she could find. She really has it bad for him and they are like thirty years apart. I guess age does not really matter in this place. Sayuri had been very upset about Mameha’s kimono having a cut in it; them things must be really expensive because of how worried she was. That was actually very convenient that the kimono did have a whole it in because they used it very usefully. I cannot believe Mameha went to such the extremes just to meet this doctor guy. They must be really desperate to get Sayuri to meet this guy. I was shocked that they actually cut the poor girls thigh just so she could go to the hospital. That is the craziest, yet very smartest idea I ever heard of. That was a very clever move for Mameha only I felt really bad for Sayuri because she had to suffer with the pain. Sayuri seems like a very good actress, because when she showed the doctor her cut she played her part very well. The doctor seemed very shy and I really have no idea if he was impressed with Sayuri or not. I wonder if he really even believed that Sayuri fell while going to the bathroom or could he really tell it was a cut made on purpose. The artist guy that Mameha took Sayuri to seemed like a very interesting character. He was a very messed up man and very temperamental. I cannot believe they made him get mad enough to leave his own house then came back feeling a little better. He really has some anger issues. I found it strange that it took him so long to notice Sayuri’s eyes especially since he is an artist and all. I guess he just had other things on his mind. He seemed very intrigued with her though after he finally noticed them though. Her eyes are a major part of this book.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 17

It is kind of sad how bad Sayuri has it for the chairman. It is really weird if you ask me. She has dreams about him every night and even when he looked at her it brought chill to her. That is insane. What do these old guys really even want with young girls like Sayuri that is just wrong. I found it very amusing when Sayuri was trying to show off the beauty of the side of her arm as Mameha had showed her by pouring tea into the chairman’s cup and then there ended up not even being any tea in there. That made me laugh. I was surprised to see that the chairman remembered that the Kimono that Sayuri was wearing had once been Mameha’s. He must have a really good memory or the kimono must really be that beautiful. The whole town sure seems to get into sumo-wrestling. Nabu was obsessed with it and he was angry that the chairman did not feel this way. That is kind of pathetic. I found that the whole sumo wrestling match thing seemed a lot like a lot of our sporting events. It seemed like it would have been fun and interesting to watch. Myagiyama seems like a very good wrestler, everyone seems to be impressed with his works. I think it would be very entertaining to watch two extremely big guys fight each other. I wanted to scream when Hatsumomo showed up at this event as well. She really does not know when to quit. All because her one friend told her that Sayuri was there. Hatsumomo really does not have a life at all. I found that the chairman seems like a very generous and kind man. I hope for Sayuri’s fate that is whom she ends up with in the end, since she is crazy about him and everything. Nabu does not seem like a very nice and caring man. He seems rude, self-conceited, and very cranky all the time. I do not think I like him much, but I feel he will be an important character in this book. I really want to know what Mameha’s plan is; it seems like a good one that will help Sayuri out a lot. I wonder whom this other man is that she is going to have to meet.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 16

I do not know how I really feel about Pumpkin winning the apprentice award. She seems like a nice enough girl and deserves to be successful since she has to put up with Hatsumomo all day long everyday. It is sad that she is getting all her fame now and nobody will know who she is in the next five years. I wonder if everyone will know who Sayuri is by then? I really hope that Mrs. Nitta does not adopt Pumpkin because then it is not possible for anyone to get rid of Hatsumomo. I really want to see Hatsumomo fail and suffer because she definitely deserves it. I cannot believe Hatsumomo even tracked Sayuri down at every single party they attended just so she could ruin her reputation. She is such a witch in more ways than one. If I were Sayuri I would always be going crazy wondering what Mameha’s plans were for me because she is always afraid to say them allowed in case Hatsumomo may get wind of them. It was very nice of Mameha to lend Sayuri all the kimonos she lends her. I really like Mameha she is a very nice caring person, I just really hope she does not turn out to be a bad person or anything like that in the end. Mameha tries so hard for Sayuri to become successful and meet a ton of people. She even took her to a place in Osaka where they would be attending a sumo exhibition. I am very curious about the sumo-wrestling matches. I hope they explain what is going on during it in the next chapter or so. That was very polite of Sayuri to not stare at Nubo since he has a whole bunch of scars all over his face. That would be very hard to do. I was extremely surprised to see the chairman at the match as well, and a guy that she would be entertaining no less. That was a huge surprise to me, but know that we seen him in the book again I have this huge feeling he is going to end being a very big part. I find it disturbing how much she falling for this old man. I am very curious to see what happens next now that she sees it is the chairman. Wonder if she will get to talk and flirt with him? That could me exciting.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 15

I really cannot stand Hatsumomo at all she is so annoying. She always finds a way to ruin Sayuri’s life. I loved how in this chapter that Sayuri came back with her own remark about the hair situation. She totally made Hatsumomo look bad and like a fool. This now means though that Hatsumomo will try anything to get back at Sayuri for this. I hate how much Hatsumomo lies; she is always telling lies. I cannot see how someone would even listen to and believe all the crap she says. Now Sayuri cannot go out and explore all her options and be a famous apprentice geisha because Hatsumomo will do anything to destroy her. I wonder what kind of plan Mameha will come up with to stop Hatsumomo. I cannot wait for the day when Hatsumomo will be overpowered; that will be a very happy day. I would get so bored if I was Sayuri waiting for the day when Mameha comes up with a plan. She just has to hang out around the house all day instead of going out and becoming famous. I am really curious why Sayuri has that name instead of something that is related to Mameha, since that is what most little sisters are named after. Something does not make sense here. The Baron that Sayuri met at the end of the chapter seems like a very important person. I feel he will become a main character towards the end of the book. I found it interesting how Sayuri brought up her father at the end of the chapter as well and that this Baron guy reminded him of her father. Her father seems really low to me right now, I really cannot believe he sold his daughters to Mr. Tanaka. Since the baron guy is Mameha’s danna they sure do seem like strangers. Mameha seems so fake around him and would do anything he says. I really would not like to be in that position. I hate the fake acting. I was not very impressed with Mameha’s danna he was not very friendly and did not pay much attention to Sayuri.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 14

Chiyo finally gets to become an apprentice geisha. I would be very excited to make my debut if I were she. I really liked the caterpillar analogy in the beginning of this chapter. It really seemed to fit into the scheme of everything. I cannot believe that the hairdresser pretty much scalped Chiyo. That was terrible that he just kept scrubbing and scrubbing until all the dry skin was out of her head. That would have hurt so bad and while I was reading this part it even made my head feel hurt and scrubbed. It is very creepy and crazy that they put wax in the girls hair. That would be so uncomfortable. I can not imagine having my hair done like they do to the geishas. How often do they get this done? Everyday? The split peach hairstyle seems very interesting, I would kind of like to see a picture of it. I bet it would be very amusing. Just for their hair to be perfect they had to sleep on a stack of rice sacks. That would be so uncomfortable and if it was ruined in the morning they had to go through the torture of redoing it again. I would flip out at this part and probably quit at this point. The ceremony for the uniting of Chiyo and Mameha seemed very nice and proper, kind of like some kind of fancy party. Chiyo’s real geisha name now is Sayuri so I guess I will start calling her that from now on. It is kind of sad though that the little girl Chiyo does not exist anymore she is a totally different person. It seems like a lot of hard work to be a geisha even though they go to parties all day long. The story Mameha told at the party was very amusing it sure made me chuckle. It was about the guy that was spying on her and was absolutely obsessed with her. I think it would be very stressful to be a novice because they have so much of a reputation they have to look out for. That would be horrible that Hatsumomo showed up at the same party as Sayuri. I have this huge feeling she is going to do something very bad to Sayuri and may even ruin her reputation.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 13

That would be a killer watching Pumpkin become an apprentice geisha now, knowing that she could have been one all along if it were not for her previous activities. It is so weird how everyone calls her Pumpkin, which would be a really crappy name to be called. That is sad that Mameha had been busy traveling everywhere. I would get so bored if I were Chiyo. Mameha was traveling back and forth to places like Tokyo and other fancy places. I think it would be so cool to visit Tokyo. It seems like such a pretty place. That was just a very random thought that crossed my mind while reading this part of the book. It seems Chiyo is getting very grown up and mature looking, because everyone hardly recognizes her. That would be very fun but yet educational traveling the streets with Mameha all dressed up in a kimono. If I were Chiyo I would really enjoy all the attention everyone was giving her although I really do not like meeting new people so that part would not have been as fun. I found it very captivating how Mameha had thought that Hatsumomo had made Pumpkin an apprentice too soon. That would be one of the longest waits ever waiting for Mameha to let Chiyo to officially become her little sister. This was one of my favorite chapters so far. I loved how Mameha told Chiyo that she had to get a guys attention before she could become her apprentice. The fact that she told Chiyo that she makes statements through her eyes was so fascinating, because there is many times that people know how I am feeling just by the way that they look at me. People tell me all the time that I do most of my talking through my eyes. It was very cool to see how Chiyo made the waiter guy drop the tray just because she looked at him in a certain way. That was awesome and would have been really funny to witness. Chiyo is a very clever girl and it is about time for her to become a geisha. That whole eye part in this book was definitely the highlight so far for me.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 12

I believe that Mameha has something tricky planned because it is awful peculiar how she out of the blue wanted Chiyo to be her little sister. Something is not adding up here, even if Chiyo becomes a successful geisha there is still a little bit of a chance that she will fail. Mameha either has her hopes up very high or is very confident Chiyo will beat Hatsumomo. Mameha sure does have some strict rules about being a geisha; she is a perfectionist for sure. I think it would be extremely hard to be Chiyo. She has to live with Hatumomo and make sure she does not say a single word to her that could ruin her entire career. It would have been hard to go back to lessons after two years. I really admire Chiyo and all of her bravery. I found it very funny when the teacher said, “Such and such, does your flute smell bad? Well then why do you wrinkle your nose that way?” This really mad me laugh because I could just picture the girl doing this and it was a very smart remark the teacher said back to her. I felt so bad for Pumpkin when Hatsumomo grabbed her lip really hard like that. It is not fair to Chiyo or Pumpkin that they are not allowed to practice or even talk to each other anymore just because they are competing against each other. It should be their choice whether they want to talk to each other or not. Poor Chiyo lost one of her closest friends now and she did not even do anything wrong for it. If I were Chiyo I would really want to move out of the house and go live with Mameha, because she really has nothing to lose at that house she is living at now. How geisha get rich is very interesting. I cannot believe a man would pay that much just to be entertained. It is a little crazy if you ask me. I hope we get to meet Mameha’s danna that would be an interesting time. Mameha is really lucky to have a danna that is why she gets to live by herself have all them pretty kimonos and everything else. I think it is neat how dance is a geisha’s most important talent. I like to dance it is fun and exciting. That would really be bad though if the person was not good at dancing they would pretty much be screwed then. I find it very weird that Chiyo is still having visions about the Chairman she ran into a long time ago. This chapter was a very revealing chapter.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 11

That is so sweet that Mameha wants to be Chiyo’s older sister. I think they will get along quite nicely, especially compared to Hatsumomo. I would have been very confused if I were Mother because out of the blue Mameha the most successful geisha shows up at the door wanting to be Chiyo’s older sister. I would not know what to say. Mameha knows how bright and pretty Chiyo is and feels she will be a wonderful geisha. At least Chiyo will not have to be a maid anymore she is much too talented to be that all her life. I found it very funny that Auntie and Chiyo were both spying during Mother and Mameha’s conversation, and then Auntie finally caught Chiyo doing it so she shooed her away. So know Chiyo gets to be a geisha, which is very exciting. I think the competition is going to get very tense with Chiyo and Pumpkin now because they are almost competing against each other. I am very curious about how this entire ordeal is going to turn out.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 10

That was very random that Granny died. There was no showing of this coming or anything and how Chiyo found her dead was a little repulsive. She first noticed it by the smell coming out of her room, which is gross beyond so many levels. I cannot believe she died from plugging in the heater thing, that is a terrible way to go. She practically fried to death, at least that explains the smell. The funeral they had for her was very different from how we have funerals around here. They left Granny around for a very long time at least three weeks, while they cleaned the house for guess to come and visit. The whole town practically came to say their condolences. That would just be very weird and pretty much unnecessary. I felt bad for Chiyo when she ran into Mameha. I think Chiyo did react a little too fast though, like the girl would have even remembered it was Chiyo that ruined her kimono. She jumped to conclusion too fast and felt way too guilty. It seems though that Mameha really noticed Chiyo though, which is very strange, I bet this is not the last time we will hear from Mameha. It was also very intriguing how Mameha invited Chiyo to come visit and talk to her. I would really like to know what that girl is up to I can tell she has something up her sleeve.

Memoirs of a Geisha Chapter 9

Chiyo has to be a maid for the rest of her life, that would terrible knowing that what you are doing now is exactly what she will be doing in years to come. Especially since she has to watch Pumpkin train and prepare to become what she could have became. A geisha seems to have it nice; they drink all night long almost every night and party with guys. That would be a very interesting job, wonder if they ever get tired of it. I found it weird how they made such a big deal about Hatsumomo brought home the wrong clip thing for your hair. The chairman on the street that Chiyo ran into seemed rather nice, but yet weird. That was extremely polite of him to stop and notice her. I found it a little weird though that she had visions of him and seemed to really enjoy his presence there. Then later she had secret thoughts about him. She must a very poor lonely girl. Again he noticed her eyes as well, I have this feeling that her eyes are going to get her popular and maybe even famous. In the beginning of the chapter it said she was one of the most successful geisha so somehow she does end up not being a maid all her life. I really cannot wait to see how it all goes down.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 8

I was so surprised that Chiyo was actually going to try an escape after all the trouble she is in already, and the fact that her escape route was the roof, yeah not a smart idea. I would have been too chicken to even think about leaving that place, especially since I would have no idea what was going on or no official plan. Plus does anyone in their old town really want them there and didn’t her dad kind of sell her to that guy anyway. As predicted her whole roof plan did not work considering that she did not even make it out of the yard due to her falling off the roof. Chiyo ended up unconscious lying on the ground with some lady helping her out. I found the whole situation a little amusing but at the same time I felt really bad for Chiyo. It was sad that she broke her arm and it seem that they did not try too much to fix it compared to what we do with a broken arm. Now that she tried to escape and was caught her future is over. She no longer can be a geisha that is really disappointing I bet she would have been a good one. For some reason though I think she is going to end up working something out and become one anyway. The letter that was address to her was very depressing. For one the mother of the house would not even let Chiyo read it first even though it was in her name, that is not right. Everything in that box is all of the first part of Chiyo’s life. We found out both of her parents died and her sister escaped, made it home, and ran off with some guy. It is very good Chiyo did not end up escaping since she would have been abandoned, but it stinks that she was caught because now her life is over. She will have to be a maid the rest of her life. All that is left of her childhood is the religious tablets, which is way too disheartening.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 7

She found her sister! She is not in a very good place though and it is really sad to see what happen to her. I can’t believe she is a prostitute that is horrible. She did not even have a choice in the matter that is not right at all. The house she was staying out did not even sound very fancy and men seemed to come and go out of that place like crazy. That is ridiculous. It is a good thing Chiyo came when she did because Satsu would have been gone if she came any later. Chiyo was very brave and determined when she was talking to the women at the entrance of the house. They all seemed so jumpy and nervous though that Chiyo was there. Wonder why they are like that and if they would get punished for her being there. The plan that Chiyo and her sister came up with does not seem like a very well thought out one. I do not think it will work and I doubt Chiyo will be able to get away from the place she is staying at. Personally if I was Chiyo I would just stay put at her place because there is probably a big chance they will get caught and then she will end up in an even worse place just like Satsu. I really think Satsu should get away though, that is not good for women to be in a place like that. They really did not have much time to talk sadly because Satsu had another client to tend to. When Chiyo got back to her own place of course Hatsumomo was with her boyfriend. Hatsumomo spotted her as soon as she got in the door and set her up to look like she was up to no good. Again Hatsumomo blamed Chiyo for something she did not do, but at least this time Chiyo tattled on her as well for having a man in the house. It was nice to see that Hatsumomo actually gets punished as well, only if it was a little slap across the face. I can’t believe that Chiyo is going to have to pay for Hatsumomo’s brooch now as well. Chiyo has some major debt built up and she did not even do anything wrong.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 6

I found it a little strange that they unbutton their socks. That was just a really random thought and I can’t even imagine trying to unbutton my socks. I do not care if Hatsumomo is the only one that brings in the income to their house; they spoil her way too much and should really stand up for themselves once in a while. For example, making Chiyo stay up at night to wait for her to get home so she does not have to be alone is just ridiculous and half the time she comes home drunk. That would annoy me to no end. Not only does Hatsumomo come home drunk she brings a man home with her sometimes as well. She knows she is not allowed to have him there but she brings him anyway and expects Chiyo to not tell anyone about it. She is such a witch, actually worse than that. She is such a jealous person. She had no right taking the kimono from the other geisha Mameha just because she does not like her. That sounds a lot like what someone do around here if they do not like that person. The worse part about Hatsumomo’s situation was that she was not even doing the destroying of it she was making poor Chiyo write all over it and ruin it. That was just plain out cruel. I really do not like this girl. It is sickening how much control Hatsumomo has over Chiyo. Then it totally backfired on Chiyo because she has to pay for the damage done to it plus be beat while Hatsumomo gets away with everything. One day Chiyo will get her revenge I can feel it. At least now Chiyo knows where her sister is; she suffered a lot to get that little bit of information though. I do not think it would be a good idea to go look for her sister though; she could get into major trouble for that maybe even killed.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 5

Again the sumo wrestler Awajiumi mentioned something about Chiyo’s eyes. He described them as mirrors. It amuses me how everyone single person has noticed her eyes. I bet Chiyo is very annoyed with it though. I like how he said “I once saw a dead man fished out of the river, his tongue was just the same color as her eyes” That made me laugh it is such a good description. He also brought up how beautiful Chiyo is as well just like everyone else. I bet she will make a great geisha. I also enjoyed when Awajiumi brought up that Hatsumomo must be too pretty herself to see elsewhere besides her self. I think she is deep down very jealous of Hatsumomo. I am still very curious as to where they took Chiyo’s sister. She has to see her again because they keep bringing her back up. The people in the house clean themselves really weird. Do they even get in a bathtub or anything or just scrub up in a bathhouse out in the open down the road? That would be horrible having to go get a shower a little ways down the road, kind of like camping. The way a geisha gets ready for their day is crazy. There is so much preparing and stuff to do. It seems like they pile a bunch of make up on their faces too. I would not like that very much. It would get old after awhile. Even getting dressed like putting the kimono on seems like a lot of worker especially for the dresser. There is a lot of clothes under the kimono that the people don’t even get to see, it seems pointless to be there and would be very hot I imagine. Hatsumomo seems like a very pretty girl; too bad her attitude is so rotten. I wonder how old she is? I do not think that after all the preparing the girls have to do would be worth it in the end.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 4

This girl is very brave and she actually listens to all the commands these people are giving her. It must have been really hard trying to figure out whom to listen to, from the annoying granny to the complaints of Hatsumomo. What exactly are they trying to train her to do exactly anyway? The kimonos these people where in the house seem so fancy and pretty. I would like to see one of these kimonos they keep talking about. They are so expensive for just a dress like thing. I would even be afraid to wear them because just repaying the cost to have them fixed if something is wrong with them would even be expensive. This Hatsumomo girl seems very spoiled. Why does everyone have to treat her so nicely especially since she is so cruel to Chiyo and she did not even do anything to her at all? The other little girl in the house that Chiyo calls pumpkin seems very scared and worried. She has to obey every rule or she feels extremely guilty. She must have gotten beat pretty badly or something to be behaving how she is. The lessons the girls have to go through seem kind of fun, but a lot of hard work and concentration. That would be horrible to not be good at a particular talent though because the teacher picks on them pretty badly then. I think that Hatsumomo is going to be a pain in the future especially since the teacher just laughed when Chiyo told her that was the only geisha girl in their house.

Memoir of a Geisha- Chapter 3

I knew Mr. Tanaka was not a man to trust. He is such a creep. So did he sell the girls to somebody or did the girl’s parents sell them to Mr. Tanaka? I am so confused. I feel really bad for Chiyo because she has no idea what is going on or what is happening to her. Did their father tell Satsu what was going on because she seemed pretty upset and knew what was going on a little more than Chiyo did. I really don’t think the girls will ever get to see their parents again or that tipsy little house Chiyo always complained about. That is so sad. Wonder if their mom knows what happen to them or if she died already? Poor Chiyo thought she was going to go live with Mr. Tanaka and his daughter and wife, she had a big shocker there. I am not really like this Mr. Bekku guy either, he seems like as much of a creep as Mr. Tanaka. I would be so lost if I were Chiyo the poor girl is so young and is with out her parents now. The elderly ladies that run the house sound a little weird and demanding. There are so many rules Chiyo has to follow. I would be very agitated if I were her. I think it would be very awkward to call the ladies “mother”, “Auntie”, and “Granny” especially since they have no relation to Chiyo at all. These ladies don’t seem that pretty but they sure are amazed by Chiyo’s beauty. I wonder where they took Chiyo’s sister and if she will ever see her again.

Memoirs of a Geisha- Chapter 2

The girls bathing suits seems a little ragged and very poor. I could not imagine wearing old clothes to go swimming in, it would be so saggy and uncomfortable. It was a very akward situation when Mr. Tanka came up on her while she was spying on her sister and her little friend. I found it weird how she goes swiming in the pond naked and walks around like that even if she is only nine years old that is still very weird and akward. It was not right the fantasies this girl was having about Mr. Tanka, he was so old. It is not right that she wanted to be adopted by this man even though she already has a family. I really do not like this man I just have this feeling he is up to no good. Why would he really want to adopt her. I think she is jumping to conclusions way to fast and not thinking things through. I wonder what Mr. Tanka talked to Cheyo's father about and then the next day they were spending the night at his house. There is somthing about Cheyo that everyone love. Why do they keep bringing up how beautiful she is, is this perhaps forshadowing? Her eyes sound really pretty to me and its weird how rare grey eyes seem since everyone notices how different her eyes are. The book also keeps mentioning how Cheyo is water. That is so interesting how Japan compares people to nature things like that. I do not think I would want to be a wood they seem so stiff and unfriendly. That lady Mrs. Fidget or whatever her real name is was very pushy and way too touchy. I would have felt so offended if that lady just came and examined me like that and I had no idea why. I cant believe the girls let her check them over like that. It was very peculiar how Tanka's daughter Taro took Cheyo to go spy on him. Was he like cheating on his wife or something. That whole situation confused me a little bit but I knew he was not up to any good. I wonder if Taro really wants Cheyo as a sister, she did not seem to have any emotion on wheter she was going to be adopted or not. I really do not think he is adopting her, because why would he have them examined if he was. He is a very suspicious man.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Chapter 1 and Translator's Note

For the culture's book project I decided to blog for the book Memoirs of a Geisha. The book starts out with a Translator's note which talks about how this book was written about a girl but she did not want the story published until after she died. I really have no idea why she wished this but I am sure I will find out when I start reading the book. Also the note said that some of the guy's names have been changed to protect them. I am not quite sure if this book is based off of a true story or not, I am a little confused about that.

This books seems very interesting and im only on the first chapter. I am still not quite sure what a geisha is but I have my ideas and I am sure I will find out later on. It seems like from the first few paragraphs that this girl does not talk about her personal life much or lets out her emotions, which seems sad. The "Noh Smile" she was talking about seems very intriguing, I would kind of like to see what she was decribing because I cant really picture it. Where did she go if she does not live in her home town anymore. I found it weird how she did not stick up for her hometown it really must be a pretty bad fish town. How old is this girl anyway? I thought it was a little rude to ask her dad why he was so old. That is really sad about his previous family. Wonder what happen to them? I can not believe that a doctor only comes to their village once a week, what do they do if there is an emergecy or something? That must have made life hard worrying about a sick mother and then the doctor had the nerve to tell their family she was going to die soon. I did not know that Japaneize walk around barefoot that would really hurt especially on rocks and all. Maybe they only do this in poor cities. I found it funny how fishermen were terrribly superstitious they did not even want one of their daughters playing in the boats. That is a little pathetic if you ask me. This Mr. Tanaka seems really nice but I dont know if she should trust him he seems a little suspicious especially since he knew who she was and all this stuff about her.Cheyo seems like a very smart girl. I liked how she described her house as being tipsy that was very clever. Her sister seems a little stuborn and kind of like a pain to be around. I think I might enjoy reading this book.

Responses to Other Blogs...

I commented Sam R. and Lisa's blogs. They seemed to think along the same lines as I did. We all agree that this is a very complex religion and would take many many years to fully understand it. I think we all learned a little bit from this podcast. It certianly was unique and interesting. If we did not learn much about Hinduism we did learn a lot about everyday life.

Sam and I basically felt the exact same way this about podcast. We both thought it was neat how they view life as one big play and how God is the director. I thought that this related to Christianity as well with the whole God and the universe thing he was talking about. I was also confused about the whole hide and seek thing just like Sam.

I liked how Lisa used the Shakespeare quote that was really neat and seemed to really relate. I had not really noticed the whole western and eastern side thing before so I am glad that she wrote about it to refresh my mind. At some points though I really thought that Watts seemed to be rambling on and on about random topics that popped into his head, kind of like what Lisa said in her blog.
So basically we all thought this podcast was interesting and learned a little from it. We all bascially got the same idea out of it.

Mythology of Hinduism # 3

This guy has very unique points. He is very inspirational speaker. I liked the whole dream part in the beginning. It really had me thinking about dreams and the whole 75 hours subject. It is very true we have pushed technology very far. That was a very good point about Aladdins lamp about the surprise thing. It does take a lot for someone to have a surprise now a days. It was very funny how he said that we would have to invent a suprise button, but the scary part is that it is true. I think it is neat how Hinduism sees things as a big dream. I like the mythological image of hidism instead of the other part. They started kind of using big words and Im got a little confused on the whole Hinduism religion. It is true that everyone does see God as a man but really no body has any idea, he is just known as the father. It was interesting how he compared the universe as God playing hide and seek with himself. That is a very strange comparison to me. I like the idea of a staged played. That is completely true. "The world is dramatic because it is one big play" I really liked that quote it makes tons of sense. What you do see at a theater is not real but really people make it feel it is real and some people actually do think it is true. That is completely relatable. I like thinking that the world is one big play. Dancing and music does represent the world more than any other arts because it is playful and fun but really not that serious. Many people do take these arts seriously though. He kind of confused me at the ending, but made me really think hard about it. It was like he switched topics completly towards the end. It did not make sense to me and was cofusing. I really did not see how this related to Hinduism very much but it was a very unique with many deep thoughts and left me wondering.

Chapter 25

The last chapter started with the district commissioner arriving at Okonkwo’s compound. At Okonkwo’s they had a whole bunch of his friends there sitting around in a circle. They demanded to know where Okonkwo was and they said not here. I figured he ran far away or was hiding somewhere. When the commissioners told them they would kill them if they did not tell them Okierka told them to follow him. They took him to this bush exactly where Okonkwo was hanging from a tree dead! I really was not surprised though I kind of saw if coming from the beginning. Taking your own life though is really not the way to go he could have solved some of his problems if he was not so stubborn. I bet his friends were really disappointed in him especially Okierka. He could not even take him down even though that is not their customs anyway. Plus he got all tongue tied when he was talking about it. I wonder what his family thought about it and what they are going to do now. Ezinma admired and looked up to him for a while. This book ended really weird. It does not even say what happen to the tribe. They were not going to go to war so Okonkwo really had no choice since he knew he would have been killed for what he did anyway. I guess the whole tribe is going to be wiped out now and not exist. They will be over conquered right from under their noses. The very last sentences were very weird. It was like from someone that was going to right just a paragraph on Okonkwo when it took this entire book, which was kind of funny.

This was definitely not one of my favorite books. I really did not like it much at all. It was very informative on Africa, but the whole story line was not that great. Okonkwo was a jerk and ended up killing himself in the end. I really did not like how it ended that much. The very first part of the book was really good. There was a lot of action and emotion but when it got to the second part I hated it mainly because all it dealt with was religion. The whole topic was religion, which got old very fast and was not that interesting. It became hard to keep my attention and it was very confusing. I became irritated how it kept going on and on about nothing and the same thing. I did learn a lot about the African culture though, which was the main goal!

chapter 24

Everyone in Umuofia is pretty much freaking out right now because they realize how much power the Christians have on them and they cannot do much about it. After the prisoners returned they decided they would have a meeting so they could prepare what their next action was going to be. Okonkwo is a nervous wreck. He could not even eat even though he has barely eaten anything in the last few days. His favorite daughter Ezinma even brought him the food so he tried to force it down his throat. While he was eating everyone noticed the whip marks on his back. I really cannot believe they tortured them like that. I guess Okonkwo finally knows what is feels like to be on the other end of the beatings. Okonkwo could barely sleep he was so worked up about this entire situation. Once the gong was beat in the morning all the men gathered in the market place. There was a ton of men all gathered there. Okonkwo was hoping to convince everyone that they must go to war with these people. He really did not want Egonwanne to be there because he would convince them not to fight. This was a very disorganized meeting and everyone was talking at once. When they were starting to accomplish things they had some visitors. When Okonkwo saw them he was very upset. They wanted to stop the meeting and before they could say much else Okonkwo let his angry take him away and he chopped a man in half with his machete. Then he panicked and ran from the meeting. I really have no idea what is going to happen but I do not think that was very smart of Okonkwo of maybe the whole clan will start the war right there now. That would probably be the best choice in Okonkwo’s case

Chapter 23

Okonkwo is pretty happy with his tribe at this point and feels a little stress free. He feels this is going to be a war and maybe even be able to get his village and clan back. He is feeling really good when the District Comissioner wants to meet and talk. I found it amusing when they put their weapons down because it was obvious they were going to need them very soon. Of course the christians put handcuffs on them and held them prisoner. I thought it was very stupid of them not to fight back and not seeing this coming. They acted all friendly but in the end they are pure enemies. They sent word out to the clan that they had their leaders held captive and that they must pay a fee to get them back. They had these guys all chained up to like a wall and did not allow them to go anywhere not even to the bathroom. These people are mean not even letting them go to the bathroom. They had to stand in their pee that is so gross and horrible torture. I knew I did not like these guys from the start. They also did not feed them. They had to be starving pure tortue. This should really start a war now after all of this. Finally after a few days the clan rounded up enough money to get them out so they were free to go. I really have no idea where this book is going to. Okonkwo seems like a changed man when he returned home and for once I think the clan should listen to him.

Chapter 22

This chapter deals with Brown being replaced with a man named James Smith. He seems to be more aggresive and mean compared to Brown. Smith did not like how Brown was approaching things and wanted different things to occur. Enoch was also mentioned in this chapter as the person who killed and ate the sacred python he also unmaked an egwudwu in public which is a major crime. They tried to hide him so he would not get killed for doing this. This threw the whole village into a confusion and rage. Enoch did this mainly to start a holy war so he was disappointed when they told him to get into hiding for a few days. Smith had a meeting with the high titles of the village but Umuofia did not want to hear anything from them so they took darastic measures and burned down their church instead of killing Enoch.
I was surprised that Enoch lived. I mean they kill everyone else why not kill someone we do not really know all that good. This chapter really confused me and I was not positive what was going on. I really do not think they should trust Brown because obviously the christians will get revenge for them burning their church and it will be on big war.

Chapter 21

Okonkwo is pretty much jealous of the christians because when you think about it he is mad no one noticed he has returned because they are too occupied with the new religion, so he is jealous! He is also mad that no one sees it through his eyes that they need to fight these people and get the away from here. They are destroying their customs and everything they stood for. I think the Christians should not really take over but become friends with them first maybe get to know Umuofia's beliefs first or at least learn their language. I can really see were Okonkwo is coming from. If people that did not even speak my own language came and told me what to believe I would be more than angry and want revenge. Everyone else in Umuofia does not seem to see this though. Mr. Brown seemed to communicate well with the village people. He was nice friendly and listened to what they wanted. He seems to have the right approach, but I am still not convinced if he should be trusted. He became ill so he needed to return home. The one person the people seemed to talk to well is going home, which is probably not a good thing. Okonkwo is angry all the men he use to trust are going to this religiong even some of the people with high titles. They are betrayers now what cruel people. Okonkwo can not believe all these good men are turning into soft people just like women!

Chapter 20

Okonkwo is back in Umuofia! Since it has been seven years since he has been there everything has changed, which is exactly what I expected because nothing stays the same life is always changing. All of his expectations were pretty much smashed to pieces. I like the lizard comparison, "The clan was like a lizard; if it lost its tail it soon grew another."Which bascially means once Okonkwo was gone the clan soon forgot and found a new better person to replace Okonkwo. Okonkwo had this huge life planned out for him. He wanted to become a top cheif, rich, and many other expectations. But the christians ruined it all for him.

He still will not get over the fact that his daughter Ezinma was not a boy. He really just needs to see people how they are and live with it. He loves his daughter though, because he always admires her and brings her up. Appearently she is a beautiful woman and a lot of suitors had asked to marry her in Mbanta, but since her father wished she would wait till Umuofia, she actually followed her father wishes and waited. She really admires her father as well. Once Okonkwo was in Umuofia and seen what has become of it he knew everything was going to go down hill from there.

I found it very funny how they called the court messengers AshyButtocks. That is very amusing even though the guys really did not like to be called that. This chapter talks a little more about the religion and the government. They really do not like this white man that is taking over their way of life.

Chapter 19

This chapter mainly deals with Okonkwo leaving Mbanta. Okonkwo made it through his 7 years so he get to go home! I wonder how they keep track of time there; do they have calender or something? He could not wait to leave Mbanta to become famous in his home town. He did not mind being in this town but feels he could be a lot richer in Umuofia. He really appreciated everything his mothers family did for him and decided to pay them back with a huge feast. They are having another party with a huge dinner. This dinner must have had so much food because everyone was so surprised. I could not imagine seeing or even eating as much food as they described there was. Wonder how many people actually makes up a village anyway, because they always have these feast with everyone in the clan invited? Okonkwo was so anxious to get back to Umuofia that he told his friend Obierika to prepare a few huts for him. He really wanted to be prepared when he got there. He has such high hopes of his home town but I am kind of thinking that the christians may have taken over the whole town so everything is going to be completely different now. I feel he may be very disappointed when he get there so he should just stay where he is since nothing is really long with Mbanta. The Mbanta people seemed to be really happy that Okonkwo threw them a feast so I wonder if they have that many gathering together... This whole part of the book was mainly about religion. I kind of hope the next part is a little better. I got a little bored with all the religion detail.

Chapter 18

This chapter really confused me. I did not really know what exactly was going on in it. It was a lot about religion just like before. Basically talking about the christians and how they are pretty much taking over all the villages and making the village people mad. The Christian people are kind of getting on my nerves. I mean they think they can just take over and believe their religion is the best. People can belive what ever custom tradition and religion they want. They are as bad as Okonkwo as wanting to control everything. This religion welcomes everyone especially twins. They seemed to emphasize that. They also accept rejects like people do not fit in with the other people. These people then shave their head so they will be really picked out of the crowd. This church and religion seems to be really growing. I think they are going to end up taking over everything in the end. The villagers really should not have been that nice to them, which was not a very smart idea from the very begginging. The whole python thing confused me as well. I really did not like this chapter very much at all. It seemed like a pointless chapter and nothing major really happen in it.

Chapter 17

This chapter talks a lot about the missionaries again and how Nwoye was talked into joining their religion. It starts out with the missionaries or chrisitans rather begging for a place to set up their church and stuff. So the clan pretty much gives them the dump or grave yard where they throw all the dead people, hoping they will all wind up dead before long. Of course things do not go as planned and they end up being there for a very very long time. It would be very gross cleaning out that area to build a church. I can not imagine seeing bones and things like that laying around let alone touching them; very gross! What is with the villages killing twins? what do they have against them anyway? It was pretty much Okonkwo's cousin Amikwu who tattled on Nwoye about hanging out with the Christians. Amikwu spotted him one day around the missionares and ran home and told Okonkwo right away. When Okonkwo found out saying he flipped out is pretty much an understatement. He went crazy and was very mad and angry. He already had so low of expectations for Nwoye that this is just the icing on the cake. Okonkwo patiently waited for Nwoye to get home and when he finally did he took his anger out on him. I felt so bad for Nwoye having to deal with his father beating him. For one I bet it hurt and plus it probably crushed him knowing his own father did not support him. Okonkwo does not know one thing about parenting and just makes everything worse. I am very glad Okonkwo is not my father. After Nwoye took his beatings he left to live with the missionaries forever disclaiming his father forever. Okonkwo will never see his son again and never will admit that is his son.

Chapter 16

I am very happy for Nwoye because he decided to break away from Okonkwo and follow his own heart. This chapter dealt a lot with religion. Obierika came back to Mbanta to visit Okonkwo but mainly to find out what the deal was with Nwoye because he had seen him with the missionary people and said Okonkwo was not his father. I was very curious on what exactly that meant so as I read on I realized the missionaries before they settled in Umuofia they visited Mbanta first. While they were there they gave their inspirational speeches about their religion, which is basically what a majority of Americans tend to believe now that heaven and hell exist and there is a God. Most of Mbanta was very offended by this belief except for Nwoye who was very confused on what to believe. He decided to go along with these missionary people, which he found fascinating. Plus he really doubted his old religion because how it told the people to kill Ikemefuna and all its other weird missions. Also in this chapter I found out that iron horses means bicycles, which is a really awesome comparison. I found it very amusing how when the inspirational speaker, the man instead of saying myself he said my buttocks. That kind of made me chuckle. Okonkwo was really embarrassed and ashamed that his own son who he had high expectations for went with them. I think he was really depressed and disappointed. I wonder if Okonkwo actually beat him or gave him some kind of punishment?

Chapter 15

In this chapter Okonkwo’s friend Obierika came to visit him in Mbanta. He must be a really good friend to Okonkwo because it was a very long journey and he also brought him money for his yams way back at home. That was extremely nice of him to watch over Okonkwo’s yams for him and I bet Okonkwo really enjoyed seeing him as well. While Obierika was there he also told Okonkwo what exactly was happening around the place. I was a little confused on the whole story he told though. Apparently Abame village was wiped out by a white man I think. So now there is this tribe that is going around attacking and destroying villages. That would be really creepy being a victim to this. It would be like going out into the middle of a war. I would always be scared that my village would be next. These African villages really do not seem to have much protection. It would also be scary being a white man in Africa. They could easily tell that you did it because it would be very easy to pick out of a crowd. Plus they seem to blame everything on the white man so that is also a disadvantage. What exactly is an iron horse that the man was hanging from? I found it funny when in the end of the chapter they were talking about a guy just getting married and not being able to hear the cockcrow because of that. That is a lot like how people tease each other here now a days. Okonkwo is very lucky to have such a good friend like Obierika. They seem to really be able to count and trust on each other.

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 is all about new surroundings and life for Okonkwo and his family. They arrived in the village of Mbanta. Okonkwo’s uncle welcomed them in. I can imagaine how hard Okonkwo’s family must have worked to get the new crops planted since Okonkwo is a workaholic. All though he was not inspired too much this time to work it did not thrill him as much and in his free time he sat and half slept. He is a changed man maybe. One of Okonkwo’s dreams in life was to become one of the lords of the clan. It does not really look like that is going to happen. I almost feel bad for him; his life is shattering all to pieces. I guess it is Ikemefuna getting revenge on him. One thing I am kind of confused about is why Okonkwo brought his mother’s body back to this village instead of burying her with her husband? Is that what they usually do or did Okonkwo feel his mother should be buried in Mbanta? Also some of the people in Mbanta do not seems too happy that Okonkwo is in their village. They did not give Okonkwo or his family a very welcomed feeling. They asked very rudely what exactly he was doing there. Then they asked him difficult questions that he did not know the answer to. Uchendu basically called Okonkwo a child and kind of insulted his intelligence; I found this a little amusing. I also liked how Uchendu does not feel sympathy for Okonkwo because everyone suffers and has their own problems and sorrows. He does not want to hear Okonkwo complain about how bad his life is because there are even worse people out there suffering, which is absolutely true.

chapter 13

Chapter thirteen was a huge turning point in the book that really surprised me. I did not see this part coming at all. The oldest man in the village died so everyone living there went to the ceremony. I was kind of wondering how old the man actually was it does not say? I wander how old they become in Umuofia? The ceremony was very unique it did not seem like they did very much mourning. It was kind of like a celebration. They sure do seem to have a lot of partying and celebrating in Umuofia. The people at the ceremony sang some sort of national anthem thing that was in their language. The very first line in the chapter kind of reminded me of a theme song from Nick Jr’s television show Go Diego Go! The man that died was a very noble and a well-liked man in the village. He was a warrior so they had a funeral made for a warrior, which means they fired guns during the ceremony. Since Okonkwo has such a bad aim as we learned in a chapter awhile back he had a few problems. While they were firing the last salute he kind of hit a boy right in the heart. It was a sixteen year old and just so happened to be the man that just died sons. That must have been hard for the wife and mother to bear. Now Okonkwo is in trouble with his village and must flee for a while (7 years), which is a tradition if someone murders another one in the clan. This was really hard on Okonkwo’s family because they had to pick up all their belongings and run. Now he had to start all over again in a new village. That would be terrible I would be a little upset if I was his wives. I did not expect this to happen at all. It is such a huge turning point. I just got use to Umuofia now they will be switching to a whole new village

Chapter 12

This chapter is mainly all about Obierika’s daughter’s wedding or Uri, which means that dinner thing last time was not their actual wedding just a time where they figured out who gets what. Ezinma survived the last night’s activities and returned safely at home. Her mother had nothing really to worry about. I am a little confused though on what exactly the spirits did to her while she was down in the cave. We also found out that Okonkwo had actually made four trips back in forth to the cave until he finally seen Ekwefi there. I think he really made Ekwefi proud when he was there it really warmed her heart. That night Okonkwo or Ekwefi did not get that much sleep but they still managed to go celebrate the Uri. I thought it was neat that the entire village attended the Uri, its like they are one big family. The Uri kind of sounded like a wedding we would have here only its no were as fancy and people bring dishes and wine to it. I found it a little selfish that the in-laws wanted a least thirty pots of palm wine. If they did not bring more than thirty they were going to say something, which is really selfish but I guess that is how they do things there. They brought fifty pots so it was all good and everyone was happy. For the Uri the village people dressed up and danced around. The dancing sounded like a lot of fun. I also found the song they sang very amusing; it made me laugh. Now the bride gets to go live with her husband and in-laws for seven weeks. Does she live with them all the time after that then or if she decides she does not like them does she come home?

Chapter 11

This chapter is mainly all about Ezinma. She was recovering from her sickness and her mother was telling her a story about a tortoise and birds. I found the story very interesting and was a good logic for why tortoise’s shell is not smooth. It was not smooth because he fell from the sky when the birds were getting revenge on him because he ticked them, so his shell broke into pieces but the medicine man was able to patch him up. All these little stories in this book are very amusing and have good judgment about them. When it was Ezinma’s turn to tell her story about a tortoise and a cat there was this high pitched screaming voice that was chanting and calling her name. It was the priestess that its name was Chielo. It was the same lady Ekwefi was talking to at the wrestling match who called Ezinma “my daughter”. All though now this lady seemed a lot more terrifying now than before when she was just having a friendly conversation. The priestess wanted to take Ezinma with her to see Agbala in the hills and caves. Ekwefi put up a fight like a good mother would but a person cannot fight with a priestess. After Chielo took Ezinma away Ekwefi felt like she just kidnapped her daughter so she followed her. This would take a lot of courage since Chielo had warned her not too. It would be very hard trudging through woods and desert in the pure darkness but Ekwefi managed it just for the sake of her daughter. She believes they are going to harm Ezinma but I am not really sure what they are going to do with her surely Agbala will not do anything bad to Ezinma she is just a child. Chielo knew someone was following her and even threatened her but Ekwefi still continue the journey. When they finally got to the caves Ekwefi decided not to go in with and just wait. While she was waiting surprisingly enough Okonkwo shows and and volunteers to wait for Ezinma to come out and make sure they do not harm her. This is the first time I was actually proud of Okonkwo for finally doing something right. At least I think it is a good thing he was there. He must really love Ekwefi and Ezinma to actually follow them and help them out. I for once was happy with Okonkwo maybe he does have a little bit of a heart after all….

Chapter 10

Chapter ten is a very random chapter because it went from talking about Ezinma’s sickness in the last chapter then straight into a ceremony. It was a ceremony for men so the women just looked in from the outside. There seemed to be a lot of drum beating and flute playing going on in this ceremony. The Umuofia’s seem to be big on playing music before events and during times of the day. They have gathered at the ceremony to get the evil forest wisdoms on a problem going on between Uzowulu and his wife. He basically beat her so she moved back in with her parents so now her parents want their offerings back, but Uzowulu does not want to give them back. It is kind of like a Jerry Springer episode in a weird way. The spirit decided that Uzowulu has to go beg for his wife back then be watched by his neighbors so he does not beat her anymore. So Uzowulu basically gets his way and the in-laws still do not get their offering back. I kind of liked this chapter it was pretty cool. It portrayed a Umuofia ceremony very well and was interesting. It reminded me of like a court room and the evil forest is like the judge.

Chapter 9

In Chapter 9 we learn a lot about Ekwefi. Okonkwo seems to have forgotten about Ikemefuna’s death, which did not take him very long at all only like three nights. It should have haunted him for life but no now he is thinking about mosquitoes before he goes to bed. I found the mosquito story very strange. I had not really thought about it in that way before, which really it makes sense why the mosquito torments the ear.
I cannot believe Ekwefi went through that many children and they all died on her. That would be very devastating and heart breaking. I could not imagine how she felt. That would be very mean of the child to agonize the mother like that being an ogbanje, someone who dies repeatedly and returns to the mother to be reborn. Ekwefi has a lot of courage I must say for having that many children and then losing them all in just a few weeks or months, plus she never gave up and had hope every single time a new child was born. Then finally she was blessed with having Ezinma and she has lived for ten years. Now she is sick though and needs medicine. I really hope she does not die I have become very fond of her and I feel like I know her the best so far in this book beside Okonkwo. She cannot die for Ekwefi’s sake it will kill her inside to lose another child especially since she has become so close to Ezinma. I see now what that lady meant at the wrestling match about her staying that makes sense now. The whole iyi-uwa stone is very weird like that is the stone that connects the child to the evil spirits. What did they do with it once Okonkwo and the medicine man dug it up it did not really say? Did they destroy it or just hide it again? I just really hope Ezinma does not die everyone loves her in this story so she cannot die.

Chapter 8

This chapter deals with Okonkwo dealing with Ikemefuna’s death and the marriage of Obierika’s daughter. I was happy to see that Okonkwo did have trouble getting over Okonkwo’s death. He had no right going with the tribe to kill him let alone finish him off. They told him he should not go but his pride took over him. He is so annoying sometimes. Ikemefuna should haunt his dreams forever and make him feel very guilty.
It is very weird how Okonkwo keeps saying Ezinma should be a boy. I am kind of thinking this may have something to do with her in the next few chapters. He needs to get over the fact that she is not a boy and accept who she is. Just because his other sons are not that strong yet he should not neglect them and actually treat them right maybe. I found it irritating how he bragged about Obierika’s sons and he seemed so proud of him just because he won that wrestling match, but yet he does not see a good future for his own sons. There culture is so much different than ours. Nwoye is only sixteen and it says he is old enough to get someone pregnant, which is true but he is not old enough to fend for himself he is not even an adult yet in our society. Okonkwo just needs to relax and trust his sons.
I found it intriguing how they have a bride price in exchange for their daughters. It is pretty much like they are selling their daughters. I do not know exactly how I would feel if my family traded me off for better belongings. Then in this chapter it talked about the oldest man in the tribe had died and then he could not be buried until his wife has been buried. I found this kind of like a love story in a way because as soon as the woman found out her husband died she went to him and then later on she died as well and they said they only had one mind, which for some reason reminded me of the Notebook. So does this mean Obiericka’s daughter is now married and that is the only ceremony they get for a wedding? That is a very interesting wedding if so, because the women went and cooked while the men settled things out and now they are husband and wife. That does not seem like too hard of a process I guess, but then the wives do not even get to know their husbands before hand, which would really stink. I would want to be a woman living in this tribe.

Chapter 7

I cannot believe they killed Ikemefuna! That is terrible and not right. He was a poor innocent boy that did not do anything wrong accept adapt to what life threw at him. It made it even worse that Okonkwo finished him off. The boy thought he was his father and really admired him. It crushed me to know Okonkwo is that much of a horrible person. What honestly gave him the nerve to give him that last blow, now the boy’s last image will be of the person he looked up to these last 3 years kill him. I cannot stand Okonkwo he is a terrifying person. Then Okonkwo’s son Nwoye really loved Ikemefuna they were brothers. I cannot image how devastated he must have been. I wonder if he knows his own father killed his role model? Why did the tribe kill him; he was not doing any harm to them at all. Just because some spirit told them too that is a pretty pathetic excuse if you ask me. Okonkwo should really regret what he did. Before this tragedy even happen it talked about how the locust were coming this year. I remember one year when they came here at least I think they were locust. They were really ugly and kind of creepy looking. Well when they came to Umuofia they ate them! That is really disgusting. They dried them out and then ate them for like a treat, which is sickening. It is so much different than our society. They were delighted to see the locust come. I personally could not wait till they were gone; they were so big, nasty, and loud with their wings rubbing together. As the chapters go on I am beginning to see a lot of their customs and things, which is very interesting compared to ours.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 was a very short chapter and not a whole lot happen in it. It mainly described the wrestling match in it. One thing I found interesting was the sacred tree where good children spirits were resting. I found it fascinating how young women would sit under them hoping for good children. It was pretty sweet how the entire village gathered around to watch the wrestling match. That would be very interesting to watch kind of like the sporting events we have now a days. I found it very weird that the one lady that talked to Ekwefi called her daughter “my daughter”. If I was the girl’s mother I do not know how I would react to that. Is this lady some kind of goddess or something? It was entertaining reading about the wrestlers and who won. I was glad they had a winner this year that would be a very boring match if it ended in a tie. The chant at the end of the chapter was cool. I can visual the village people lifting the winner up and singing that song; good times.

Chapter 5

Umuofia was in a festive mood because the Feast of the New Yams was approaching. It seems to be a lot like our Thanksgiving, were there is a lot of eating and family time. There was a lot of preparing that went into this feast. Okonkwo of course could not get into a partying mood because he is such a workaholic and does not want to waste his time. It would be a lot of fun painting my stomach and back like they did to prepare themselves for the feast. It would be very exciting preparing and celebrating this feast.
The one part in this chapter that really surprised me was when Okonkwo asked who took the leaves off the banana tree. It ended up being his wife so of course he beat her again. He is so mean to his wives I cannot believe they put up with that crap. So then it only got worse when she made some smart comment to him so then he went and got his gun and shot at her. This really made my heart skip a beat when this happen. I thought she was dead I was so depressed, but it was a good thing he missed.
After the in-laws come for the feast and go home the second day begins and they have a great wrestling match going on. The wrestling sounds like a lot of fun, it would be amusing to actually participate in it and watch it happen.
We also got to know Okonkwo’s daughters in this chapter. It was really confusing keeping straight who is who and who is their mothers. Each daughter from his three wives brought Okonkwo a plate and they had to sit there and watch him eat it. This would be very annoying and that is an awful lot for one person to eat; he seems to be a little bit of a hog if you ask me. The last sentence it says “In the distance the drums continued to beat.” Are the drums some kind of symbol or something they seem to mention them a lot? I also think Ezinma is going to be an important character here sooner or later…

Chapter 4

In this chapter Ikemefuna is introduce and we learn more about him. In the beginning of the chapter Okonkwo is at a meeting with all the other men. He insults one of the men and called him a woman. Nobody took his side, which I found very amusing. When Ikemefuna came into Okonkwo’s household he was very home sick for his mother and three year old sister and he was very afraid of what was going to happen to him. Then he did not want to eat anything so Okonkwo practically shoved it down his throat, which made Ikemefuna sick for three weeks. I felt that was very terrible of Okonkwo to do that too the poor boy he was already scared to death as it is. After the three terrible weeks were over though he seemed to be adapted to Okonkwo’s family. I found it very sweet how Ikemefuna ended up calling Okonkwo his father and they seemed to always be bonding together.
It was absurd how much Okonkwo flipped out when one of his wives were not home to make him his meal. He would not let it go and he got terribly angry. He beat her for goodness sakes just because she did not make his meal. The men depend on women for so much, but yet they treat them like slaves. She was over at plaiting her hair. What exactly does plait her hair mean? Is it like getting it cut or something? Okonkwo deserved getting in trouble for beating his wife during the peace week. Numerous people yelled him at for his evil deeds, which was very relieving that he got punished for it. It seems they do a lot of clearing brush for new farms in this book, which is pretty much how they make their living though I guess. Planting all them yams seems to be a lot of work. That would be a hard job to do every day. It would get so boring. I found it very humorous when Ikemefuna was talking about a few pieces of corn on the cob they called it "the teeth of an old woman." I had never really thought of it that way before, it is very amusing.

Chapter 3

The third chapter deals with the Umuofia religion and we get to know Okonkwo a little better. It begins talking about the Oracle called Agbala. To visit Agbala the person had to crawl through a round whole that was only a little bigger than a hen house. If I would of had to crawl through something like that I would be a little spooked out especially if I was visiting a god. I would feel very claustrophobic. It was a little sad how Unoka could not grow any crops but I guess he did not really try that hard. I was a little confused on how Unoka died though. Did he have some kind of evil spirit fallowing him or something and then tied to a tree to die? I did not understand that part very good.
It would be very hard for Okonkwo to start a life when he did not have anything to inherit. He seems to have survived all right though, considering his circumstances. He even had the trust of Nwakibie to plant his yams for him. That seemed to be a very big honor. Nwakibie did seem to be a little selfish though. I really liked the one quote on page 19 “Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break.” It was a really neat quote and made me pause and think about it for a minute. After Nwakibie trusted him though the season was all mixed up and he ended up ruining all the yams he had planted. I felt really bad for Okonkwo after all that hard work it was such shame. On top of that he was the one supporting his father as well. Okonkwo has a lot of patience for sure. One thing I noticed that seemed to be somewhat different than what we are use to is that they drank out of horns. I found this extremely unique and different. I think I will stick to my plastic cups. Also while they were drinking out of these horns Nwakibie’s wives had to take turns until it was there time to drink. It is ridiculous how they treat women in this book. They had to kneel down to their man while they drank, which is crazy. I cannot believe how low people use to think women were.

Chapter 2

In Chapter 2 of Things Fall Apart it is starting up the story line of the book. We start to get to know Okonkwo and the city of Umumofia. The wife of Ogbuefi was killed by the people of Mbaino and the Umumofia want revenge. There choice is either go to war or they offer a young man and a virgin as compensation. I thought this was a very unique kinda of trading and wonder what good these two people will really do for the Umumofias. That is the path they decided to follow so a young man and girl now joined the tribe. The girl went and lived with the man that lost his wife and the boy went with Okonkwo. I am a little confused on why Okonkwo had to take him in, but I guess it is all part of the story. I felt really bad for the boy and girl because they didn't do anything wrong so why should they suffer. They had no idea what was going on and they had to leave their families at such a young age. That would be very depressing to be either one of them. We also got to know what Okonkwo was like personally he seems like a jerk, but he has good intentions for the most part. He really wants to not be like his father so he tries so hard to work as much as he can. He does not really see that he is working his 8 children and 3 wives to death. He really in a way is no different than his father. I think it is going to end up bring him down in the end even though he feels he is succeeding now. The poor boy has to suffer through all of Okonkwo's hard work. He has no idea what is going on. I wonder if we will here of the girl again even though he never sees her again...

Chapter 1 of Things Fall Apart

I have finished reading the first chapter of Things Fall Apart. I do not really know what to think of it so far, it is a little weird. Okonkwo is a main character and he defeated Amalinze the Cat. at first I thought they ment a real cat which really confused me, but realized it was some famous wrestler. The names are all very similar so far, which kinda of mixed me all up in the beginning but now that i am getting use to them they are not as bad. I really do not think i will be able to pronounce them though. Okonkwo's father, surprized me a little. I could not believe one man could be in so much debt. That is crazy, it really goes to show how lazy he really was. I can not imagine being so poor having barely enough to eat especially for his wife and kids. I would feel so guilty if i was Unoka. It was obvious that he would never pay anyone back that he borrowed from. Even his neighbor Okoye had to come asking for his mony back. That would be very embarassing for Unoka, but he didnt seem to care. I found it interesting that both Okoye and Unoka were musicians I think that may come into play in the future of the book maybe. I was also surprised that they marry more than one wife. That seem very disloyal and did not know people actually do that in Africa. This books seems like a book that will be about succeeding in life, especially for Okonkwo since he was so ashamed of his father. He will be doing "great things" in the next chapters.