Post 3A

Currently the most significant difference between American and Israeli cultures in Someone to Run With is the difference in common sayings and symbols of revenue. At one point, Tamar recalls some of her friends as she eats a self earned dinner on the streets of Jerusalem. She says "or about Leana, from chorus, who agreed to go steady when some boy from Boyer High School asked her" (87). While reading this, I realized that I had absolutely no clue what "going steady" was. I could guessed, based on the context in which the word was held, and assumed that either I was too young to understand this saying, or it was an Israeli saying. Well, I'm not that young (though Mrs. B probably doesn't want me to say my age) so I'm pretty sure its a saying outside of American culture. More obvious are the symbols of revenue, the shekel, which obviously aren't used in America.

Post 2B

Mr. Grossman,
I find it simply fascinating that you leave us no information about Israeli names for certain items which we have no idea about. While happened to know what a magnum bar was based on my trip to Europe, I suspect that few other American readers do. There are still other names which I am left clueless by upon reading them in your text. Although I can understand including these terms shows the true being of Israeli society, I really think that American readers would understand your book a lot more if you let them know what some of these things meant. You would probably get a lot more readers. I have one word for your editors- footnotes!

Post 2A

I have found one major difference between European and American culture in my most recent reading. While there are many similarities in commercial items people use in their everyday lives, the names and labels for commercial items are usually different. This is the case when Tamar has a last meal with her friends before she sets off on her own. After her meal, the narrator refers to her eating a MAGNUM bar. While we have no idea what a magnum bar is, I learned from a trip to Italy approximately one year ago that magnum is a company which makes extremely good chocolate icecream bars which also may include caramel filling. I can guess from this that most Europeans have no idea what a Ben and Jerry's is either. So, the difference in commercial labels exists between Europian economies and our own.

Someone to Run With- Post 1B

Although I have noticed many differences between the Israeli and American culture, some similarities have stricken me as slightly surprising. For instance, Grossman uses an analogy to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit in chapter one. "a magic sword, a bewitched ring, a treasure chest, and a greedy dragon watching over it" (Grossman, Pg 18). To me the analogy seems obvious, and I find it likely that he used this analogy because of Israeli students' familiarity with the book as well. Clearly, both cultures are familiar with the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Someone to Run With- Post 1A

I found two major ways which the culture of Israel and the United States differ. First, people are much more comfortable talking to random strangers, even having deep conversation with them. For instance, the protagonist Assaf had a long conversation with a nun who invited him into her house: "Assaf was surprised by the question- what did that have to do with the dog he brought her? Why was she so fascinated by the history of what had happened before he came here" (Grossman, Pg 24)? In this case we must recall the novel ELIC and remember that Oscar has many conversations like this with strangers, and we know this to be uncommon in America. So, this instance may not have been a reflection of the Israeli culture, but a part of Grossman's story.

The next example of contrasting culture in Israel is shop owners allowing dogs in their stores. When Assaf follows the dog through the streets of Jerusalem, it bolts into a pizza shop it had been to with its former master, and the baker fixes Assaf a pizza and throws the dog slices of cheese as if everything is "business as usual:" "The man gives it a friendly whistle, as if they're old aquaintances, and with one quick flick [...] throws a thick slice of chees, and the dog catches it in the air and swallows it.

Someone to Run With

My outside reading book for fourth quarter is Someone to Run With, by David Grossman. This story takes place in Jerusalem, also the home and birthplace of Grossman. It was given Israel's most prestigious book award and was also awarded by a German book award. Following its awards, it was translated into English, proving its authenticity as a worldly book. It follows a 16 year old boy, Assaf, who must return a stray dog to its unknown owners while working for the Jerusalem sanitation department. It seems like a great read.

Eric the Red: Led Zeppelin- Immigrant Song

For my hero, I picked Eric the Red, a famous Viking explorer of the tenth century. According to Viking tradition, his original name was Erik Thorvaldson, after his father Thorvald Asvaldson. Although it has not been confirmed why he was known as Erik the Red, all sources agree that his "cognomen" most likely related to his hair color. Although he was born in Norway, Erik's family was banished to Iceland, a Viking colony for- According to The Saga of Eirik the Red- several murders which his father committed. Then, while in Iceland, he was again banished for murdering Thorgest, a friend who wouldn't return a shovel that Erik lent him. Due to his rashness. Later, he killed Valthjof, who murdered several of his own slaves for causing a landslide. He was banished and sailed to Greenland, becoming known as its founder. He returned to Iceland after his exile and convinced a large group of peasants-by marketing the island as "Green" land- to go back with him and start a colony. For this, Erik the Red gained credit for discovering and colonizing Greenland. I was inspired to talk about this mortal character because of the way he dealt justice, and for his hair color. His hair color was probably unique, and might have also received the name for the common belief that red-heads are easily angered and rash, like the red-haired warlord, Menelaus.
I picked Immigrant Song, by the famous classic rock band Led Zeppelin, to relate to Erik the Red. Based on the lyrics, Robert Plant must have purposely based the song off of Viking invaders due to his multiple allusions to Norse Mythology. "Will drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde, singing crying: Valhalla I am coming" relates to Erik the Red's discovery of Greenland by ship, and his son's, Lief Erikson's, discovery of America. Valhalla is the closest relation to a Viking form of heaven. Also, the song talks about the hammer of the gods, Mjolnir, which was Thor's lightning hammer.

II. Post 7A

Vocabulary:
1) (169) gamboge- yellow orange color

2) (170) luminosity- intellectual brilliance

Fig. Language:
1) "the piece in D major... D major is blue" (Sacks, 168). One of Sacks subjects uses a simile to compare a certain key with a color.

2) "G-sharp minor, for example, has a different 'flavor' from G minor" (Sacks, 168). Sacks uses a loaded word to express more than just actual taste, but also the affect these keys have on the musicians mind.

Quote:
"He is frequently asked whether synesthesia has made much of a difference to his life, especially as a professional musician. He says, 'For me, at least, it's no big deal.' for him, it is normal and completely unremarkable" (Sacks, 171). This quotation expresses how many people who have the ability to compare a certain key to a color completely take their ability for granted.

Emerging Theme:
The theme has emerged that many people affected by not only synesthesia, but any ability, take it for granted and forget that they have it until it has left them.

II. Post 7B

I would now like to give my overall opinion about Oliver Sacks' Musicophilia. The book is packed with a ton of information relating the brain to many different aspects of music. While it may seem interesting to a professional musician or neurologist, the onslaught of terms and information can become overwhelming at times to a layman such as myself. The book also is structured nothing like a normal book. A better description of the text would be and "extended study." Just picture something you would find in a medical magazine, only ten fold in length. Dr. Sacks included many different stories about various patients he treated, so the text follows no storyline or theme. In fact, the theme of music's affect on the brain completely changes when he compares some of his subjects. Although I personally enjoyed the book, someone who's looking for an attention getting story would never find one in this book. Don't read Musicophilia unless you plan on being confused sometimes.