Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Google Define Tech Tip

The word that I decided to take a screenshot of is "copacetic", since I especially enjoy using it. As for Google Define, I often use it! So much so, the dictionary app on my phone has more or less become obsolete. I always find myself just typing the word in Google.


Thursday, September 14, 2017

Week 4 Story: Adam's Bad Day

Updated Version here: link

Adam was up early today, packing. Yesterday, he received an eviction notice from his apartment complex due to something his now ex-girlfriend did. Adam was sad. The apartment was perfect! It was fully furnished with modern furniture and had everything a man could want, so much so that he nicknamed it "Eden". But now it was no longer his apartment. Adam had neatly packed all of his belongings into his small hatchback that was bound for his new domain, a small studio apartment that probably didn't have a working AC unit. This sorry excuse for an apartment was all he could find in such short notice, after his then-girlfriend got him kicked out for breaking every rule that the previous apartment complex had set.

After returning his key to the front office, Adam walked out into the blistering heat hoping to stay optimistic. Though he had lost his dream apartment, it was not the end of the world. He had faith that everything will be good again. However, the moment he stepped out, his face was greeted by a rather large deposit of bird dropping. Disgusted since he was a germaphobe, Adam told himself to be calm as he tried to clean his face with as many sanitizing wipes he could get out of his car's glove compartment. Adam felt that this incident was some type of ominous warning for the coming day, but he decided to press on with some optimism.

Driving down the freeway, Adam kept tell himself that everything will work out in the end. It was at that moment when black smoke began spewing out of his engine bay and his car made sounds similar to that of washing machine filled with bricks! He then began to feel that his car could no longer accelerate, so he pulled it over along the road to dodge the rest of the cars behind him. For the next hour, Adam tried all that he could to turn his engine over, but to no avail. Adam was sure that all of the groceries that he had packed for his new apartment was spoiled by now in the summer heat. Adam decided to give up and walk to the nearest gas station to call for a tow, since he suddenly realized that he forgot to charge his cellphone the night before. Again, Adam tried to remain optimistic.

After a half hour walk, Adam arrived at the closest gas station and called for his car to be towed. The operator, however, did not have good news to share with Adam, saying that the nearest driver would not be available until 2 hours later. Adam accepted this half-heartedly and decided to have a pseudo lunch at the gas station to wait. After about an hour, Adam began his trek back to his car, but upon his  arrival to his car, Adam discovered two citations placed on his windshield. Apparently the local police department did not appreciate that his car was left abandoned here for so long. At that point, Adam had lost all his optimism and broke down on the side of the highway, defeated. Finally, the tow truck driver arrived and picked up Adam and his car. After delivering his car to a local mechanic, the driver dropped the now-gloomy Adam to his apartment. Despite his bad day, Adam still tipped the driver healthily out of gratitude.

Walking into the apartment complex's main office, you could see the disparity on Adam's face. Even so, he remained courteous to the front secretary. Adam told her who he was and that he was moving in. Upon learning who he was, the secretary's face grew pale. Apparently, the night before, a fire next door to what was suppose to be his new apartment engulfed the whole building, destroying every apartment. Again, Adam was sad, but not surprised considering how the rest of his day had been. The secretary asked Adam to wait as they tried to find another apartment for him. After about two hours of just wallowing in his self-pity, Adam was greeted by the apartment complex's manager, apologizing for the situation. Adam remain calm and told him that he was not angry, just a bit sad. The manager responded to this with what he described was fantastic news. Since the insurance money would cover everything for the fire and make it even better, the manager was able to upgrade Adam to a nicer, larger apartment, free of charge. Adam reacted ecstatically! Though he was still feeling glum, this news did make him feel better. Upon his arrival to his new apartment that was even better than the one he was evicted from, Adam received more good news when the mechanic called him and told him he was able to fix his car and was on his way to the apartment to return it.

In the end, despite having probably one of the worst days of his life, everything worked out in the end. Adam was away from his crazy girlfriend, his car was in its best shape in a long time, and he now had an apartment that he is more proud of than his previous one. Adam went to bed that night thinking how all that suffering that day was nothing compared to how the day ended.

Author's Note: In my last post, I suggested a modern, less grim take on the banishment of Adam and Eve from Eden. In the story, you can see many references to the Biblical tale. I wanted to keep the theme of "everything works out in the end" in my story, but without the overly cruel punishments.

Bibliography: Book of Adam and Eve, link

(Adam being evicted from Eden:

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part B

This week's reading revolves heavily upon Adam and Eve. Where Part A of this week's reading focused mainly on the creation of Adam and Eve, Part B shows all the hardships that both Adam and Eve had to endure after being casted out of the Garden of Eden. I enjoyed Part B since it shows how powerful God is within the Bible. This can be seen by his ability to cast such terrible luck upon the banished Adam and Eve. For my storytelling this week, I can spin this around and make the work less macabre. Instead of simply being tortured so that they may seek redemption, my story can revolve around a man plagued by misfortune in a lighthearted way. As I have said in previous posts, I am not a fan of such dark writing. I prefer light hearted tones, and I feel like this story can be twisted that way. Instead of being biblically punished, my version of Adam or Even would have to endure gum on their shoes, a hangnail, or maybe discovering the fact that they had nose full of boogers their whole day!

(This might as well have been Adam in the readings Part B!




Bibliography: Book of Adam and Eve, link.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part A

The idea that God is an omnipotent character is a common theme that is present in many stories outside of the Bible. That is why it is no surprise that he is just as grand and powerful in his depiction within the Bible, especially compared to Adam and Eve. The thing that I enjoyed, however, is the fact that in many of the stories Adam is shown to be just as wise as God himself. It especially surprised me in The Ideal Man, where Adam was able to answers some of God's question so confidently and logically. The theme that I am pointing out is where the undermined character, who everybody does not expect to be intelligent, surprises the readers with his/her intelligence and thinking ability. I feel that the use of this theme since it allows writers to create a more relatable character who isn't perfect, all the while creating foils/antagonists against the characters as non-believers or bullies.

To expand on this idea, I feel that my storytelling for this week could be a party of the ideal man, where God can be Alex Trebek and Adam can be a contestant in Jeopardy!. The difference is that I plan on making Alex Trebek so vehement in his want for the contestant to lose. Think: Slumdog Millionaire in Biblical times!

(Adam and Eve, with Adam being so ideal: