How to Write a Journal Entry: The IB Way...and the Kat way

Today my French teacher was going over the way that IB wants you to write your diary entries, because supposedly for the SL/HL test a prompt can often be to write a diary entry. Of course, one of my classmates, who wasn't listening asked, "Why would IB be reading my diary? What, do they come to my house or something?" But, no, there's a "specific" way to write it. *rolls eyes* AHEM.

Date (3 avril 2009)

Cher journal,
Comme tu sais, mon journal, je n'aime pas Lundi. (blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, address your diary blah blah blah have an emotional tone blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah)
À demain,
Votre nom

SHEESH!!! Really, who does IB think they are? Telling ME how to write a journal entry?!?! I mean...I'm not exactly talking to my diary here, am I? NO! I'm talking to whoever actually takes the time to read this thing (anyone?) Anyway, who says, "As you know, my diary, I don't like Mondays." REALLY?!?! Gah!!!

Anyway, this brought to mind the fact that really, you can do things however you want. Granted, not on the IB test or I'll lose...about 10 points. But, you don't have to follow the rules. Screw rules!!! (Wow did it feel good to say that) Everyone has their own way they like to do things. And if you're creative about the way you do something, more props to you! Sure, sometimes there are penalties and punishments for creativity...but really...why? What's wrong with doing something or writing something in a different way? Setting strict rules makes sure that humanity will all eventually become the same and people who are creative will be....oh, I don't know. Put in jail or a mental hospital or something. Anyway....umm....well, I mean, obviously I have to remember the "rules" for writing a proper French diary entry, but that doesn't mean I'm actually going to write it like that....

Kat's rules for writing a blog/journal/diary (who even calls it that anymore?!):
1. HAVE FUN AND AMUSE YOURSELF!!!! Writing a blog should never be tedious, boring, or a chore.
2. Make sure you remain true to yourself!!! Don't try to be a different person just because you are writing a blog!
3. Do WHATEVER you want to that makes sure you meet rules number one and two. I don't care how you write it, what you say, how many jokes you make, how much sense you make, or how "proper" you are (though, as a grammar/spelling freak, I do prefer that you at least try to use proper grammar and spell things right....)

THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EASY, right?

Erm...anyway....

So, during English class we were doing research on what different colors "mean" to start our reading of The Great Gatsby. My group did red. A few interesting (?) facts about red:

• red makes you hungry and thirsty, especially when paired with yellow
• red improves your performance in competition
• people are more likely to gamble/risk money under red light (think casinos with red light)

I also took a color personality quiz (located at colorquiz.com) and while I do not feel like sharing the full results, this is one thing they said:

Your Actual Problem
"Feeling anxious and restless frustration toward current situation or unfulfilled emotional requirements. Tries to escape into a fantasy-type environment full of sympathy, understanding and artistic beauty."

Harry Potter???? =]

All right, this entry is super long already, so 2 more things.

First, Maureen's 18 THINGS TO DO WHENEVER:
1. Blog every day in April. Check
2. Make some soup. Check. I LOVE soup. Especially during our cold winters.
3. Get a hat. Check. I love my newsies hat =] And my mini top hat
4. Read a book. Check...I read a different book almost daily. I'm obsessed.
5. Make a friend...on Beda. Check!!!! (I think)
6. Say something nice to someone. Check!!!! Just this morning, my friend was saying that her painting was awful, and I reassured her that she had an amazing technique and it looked pretty dang amazing.
7. Work on your moves. Not check. I'll have to get back to you on that one.
8. Speak for an entire day in a fake accent. Half-check. I spoke for an entire day in my southern accent here in Colorado, but I lived in Texas, so that's not really fake for me. Just....not used in daily life anymore. So I'll get back to you on that one.
9. Cultivate a completely imaginary relationship with someone famous. Check!!! Oh, wow...my imaginary relationships could go on and on and on....but they include friendships with Lauren Fairweather, Melissa Anelli, and John Green. And Jo Rowling.
10. Do something completely sekrit. Check =]
11. Go into a store and pretend not to know how something works. Not check. But it sounds so fun, so maybe I'll do it soon.
12. Spend one week completely offline. Check. Try FOUR weeks away from the computer while at Girl Scout camp.
13. Plan to go somewhere. Check!!! Europe, New England, Boston....=] =] I'm huge on traveling.
14. Hit the shiny red button. Check. Except it was a shiny pink button...and I ran.
15. Write to me. Check. But...will you answer?
16. Learn to sew on a button. Not check...Oops?
17. Admit it. Check. I admit it.
18. Try again tomorrow. CHECK!!!!!!!!
(Thank you Maureen)

And second, apparently we are getting a huge blizzard tomorrow...."The roads may be impassable." They are warning is might be like the blizzard of March 2003 when we got 34 inches and my family was in the middle of moving and we were stuck in a stupid Temporary Living Facility and it took the moving company several days to get our stuff to our new house. Crazy. It could also be a dud. But these clouds look pretty threatening!!!

Cheers! DFTBA!!!



Oops...one more thing. Is this really our dear Emma Watson?!?! She's so...grown up! http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2009/4/3/emma-watson-designes-jacket-for-charity-new-images-from-vs-magazine