Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Facts

From www.scnf.org/history2.html:Additional history of naginata -

  1. The naginata was used in fedual japan

  2. Had a curved blade 2 feet long mounted on a oak shaft 5-9 feet long

  3. Repelled cavalry(could slash horses legs and the falling horse would kill it's rider

  4. Used in close up fighting

  5. Used by women warriors

  6. Could keep attacker at safe distance

From USA.Dojo.com- About naginata do

  1. Samurai women used it as self-defense and for self-development

  2. helps to build physical and mental disclipline, grace and awareness of self and others

From http://www.naginata.org/

  1. Japanese martial art of both power and grace

  2. Sweeping movements are used

  3. can be used in competitive fighting or practiced movements of kata

  4. live blade (steel naginata)rarely used today

  5. solid wooden naginata is used for kata and the bamboo and wood naginata in competitive naginata

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naginata

  1. A wood shaft with a curved blade on the end with finger guard (tsuba) in-between the shaft and shord
  2. Nagitsu is studied more often by women then men
  3. A symbol of social status of daughter's of samurai
  4. The naginata can batter,stab, or hook an opponent and is often spun
  5. The wielder could keep out of reach of attacker

From www.calpoison.org/public/spiders.html

  1. All spiders have some venom that varies in toxicty
  2. A spiders fangs are hollow and are used to inject poison into the venom
  3. Venom paralyzes the victim and helps digest stuff
  4. Spiders bite people out of fear and to protect itself
  5. Patient often doesn't remeber beinng bitten
  6. Bites are small pucture wounds, have reddness, itching, and sweating lasting for a few days
  7. The Hobo spider causes a open, slow healing wound that should be kept clean
  8. Wolf spiders are aggressive and come after their prey and are swift runners.They are also large.
  9. The largeness of the jaws causes tearing of skin and the bite area can turn black
  10. Jumping spider has a bite with symptoms of pain, redness,itching, headaches,fevers,chills,nausea and throwing up.
  11. Bites of these spiders have pain or burning(chronic archidism)pain
  12. In chronic archidism there is necrosis or tissue death when the wound is infected

My bilibgraph

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/naginata

Gilmore, Dr. B"Posionous spiders". Retrieved from Www.brownreclusespider.org/poisonous-spiders/poisonous-spider.htm

C,Renae 2009."When Spiders attack". Retrieved from www.scienceray.com/biology/zoology/when-spiders-attack/

Southern California Naginata Federation 1996. "Additional history of Naginata". Retrieved from www.Scnf.org/history2.html

USA. Dojo.com 2010. "About naginata-do". Retrieved from www.USAdojo.com/styles/about-naginat-do.htm

http://www.naginata.org/

"Naginata"Retrieved from www.scnf.org/history2.html

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Akhilesh's Biography

Born: July 29, 1996Place of birth: Parin Province, India
Occupation: Demon slayer
Physical Description: Stocky, brown complexion, black hair, plump and athletic figure
Family background- Her Father was a rich land owner and died in America of a stroke. Akhilesh's mother died in childbirth so she never knew her. Her sister Sasha is her only other sibling and older sister.
Events in life- Before living in poverty in America Akhilesh lived in a luxurious farmhouse. She enjoyed going outside and the peaceful silence surrounding her home. She helped to heard sheep and listened to the stories of the servants. Parties were common and Akhilesh was always surrounded by helping hands- hardly ever alone. As a toddler she cried when left alone. A tutor privately gave her lessons as they lived 4 miles from the nearest town. A excellent fighter- she enjoyed and was reckless not caring for any danger facing her. And she felt the champion of the world and ready for fun and excitement. But demons destroyed the plantation and they had to move to America as demons might come after them with violence. In America her Father's death made things worse for Akhilesh and Sasha her sister. Her sister had to work two jobs and was laid off. Akhilesh desperate asked Mary for any jobs his family might have. Mary gets her a job as a type of demon slayer in training under his boss a African American boy Dave, changing her life forever.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

5 major events




Introduction: Akhilesh moves to America due to violence. She enrolls at a school in Manhattan.
A: Akhilesh bullied
B:Akhilesh has to go to guidance after injuring one of her male tormentors pretty badly
Rising Action:Akhilesh's Father dies. She meets Mary a new student like her and he gets her a job as a demon-slayer to make ends meet. Her guardian spirit meets her. The two defend each other at school and become friends.
A:Akhilesh trains
B:Allowed to get rid of demons and bad guys
Climax- Mary and Akhilesh fight Jugamoru- a venomous fanged spider demon. Mary is bitten-yet he hides the wound. Mary dies.
A: Akhilesh receives news of Mary's death
B:Akhilesh pays respects to his family and Mary
Falling Action: Akhilesh mourns Mary's death. Her guardian spirit leaves her. Akhilesh is afraid to fight demons- afraid to die.
A: Akhilesh stays away from school
B: Sasha gets a job as a secretary
Resolution: Akhilesh realizes death will come to everyone fighting demons or not. Tired of being angry about everything and killing demons in rage- she realizes she can't escape the past either- but hate and anger will destroy her.
A: Akhilesh moves to a new place
B:Akhilesh goes outside for the first time, and never uses her naginata again.

Chapter Summary

"5 years", Akhilesh said to Sasha. "5 years of taking countless lives, of gambling my own life for money." Sasha was amazed at the 18 year old. Those were the words of a girl who learned to bare pain, to show no emotion as she used her weapon to take the lives of demons. All of that was for money. Sasha patted her on the back. “You did what you had to do." "I feel like a murderer. I hunted humans too." She paused. "I wanted money so we could be rich again. So we don't have to suffer any more. But I know what it does to you." " And what would that be?""It makes you cold inside. Makes you not care about anything because you get use to it. Use to the blood, the screams. But now Mary's dead." "It wasn't your fault," Sasha said. "I know. It's his fault -that's what hurts the most. Mary could've said something. If he had said something I wouldn't be moping in this new house we live in. I wouldn't have stopped slaying demons.""Go on", her sister urged, "You’ll feel better when you talk about it.""When those demons burned our land, I hated demons. They helped to kill Baap by putting that burden on him, living like a peasant in this land. So when I got a job as a demon slayer I also did it for revenge on all demons. I wanted to wipe them out on the face of the Earth." Tears were coming out of her eyes. “But I met demons who weren't bad. Yet I distrusted them."Akhilesh looked at her naginata, a wooden staff with the curved blade at the end. “But I'm tired of it. You have a job. There's no need for that old thing anymore." Akhilesh got up and went over. She carried the weapon in her hands. “Mary died. He suffered in silence. That was stupid of him if he said something he would’ve been breathing and laughing with us.Her sister smiled. “I am proud of you Akhilesh”. Akhilesh did not smile. She thought of Mary and wished she could've known he had been bitten, that Tavara had told her. But the past was the past and nothing could be done. As she stared at the weapon Tavara had given her she thought of how she used it to flee from death- out of rage and pain at the demons.For years Japanese women used it and she had had the honor of using it herself. One spin of her arm she would kill 20 demons at once. But the 18 year old was tired. The black wound on Mary’s ankle, his vomiting, and his constant sweating made the pain worse. And she knew she could not continue to endanger her life killing demons who whose families understandably would want to avenge them. Like she had wanted to avenge her Father . “Hide it. I don’t want to see it.”“Akhilesh you don’t have to hide it. Mary wouldn’t want that nor Tavara. Father would want you to be aware that you were once a demon slayer at 13! Thirteen. T hat is impressive. But you don’t have to continue living as one either. I know its painful looking at it, but it’s all you have to remember your past and Mary and Tavara by.”
Her sister was right. Akhilesh could not forget the anger and pain at their home destroyed. The grief at her Father and Mary’s death. Tavara too because, who was gone forever.
Akhilesh looked at the door and was afraid to go outside.
What if she got ran over by a car? Or Jugamoru-damn the spider to hell-was resurrected and came after her for revenge? Would she die painful and slow like Mary?
Her eyes looked at their new apartment- way better than the one –roomed one where everyone had to share the one bathroom in the hallway. A real mattress with iron springs and not a cheap old air mattress they pumped manually.
No more starving herself so Sasha would have a little more. Or eviction letters on the front door, threatening to throw them out of the place.It was a lot of things she ought to be grateful for, that she failed to see before.
Sure, she was poor in America for 5 years, years that felt like centuries.
But, she was alive.
Many children had no roofs above their head. No one to care for them. But her big sister Sasha was here. As a child she hated being alone. But loneliness is a man’s constant companion; Mary’s word’s said in her head. Akhilesh now understood. A lot of times people felt alone and on their own. Akhilesh would have to take death alone. No one could take her place, it would be her turn.
“Your right”, Akhilesh got of her bed and saw the bathroom they would not have to share with several other people.
She would be more careful with her life in the future. But that wouldn’t make her cower in the house in fear.
The oak shaft in her hand, the blade reflecting her brown face, Akhilesh knew she could never hide it. And she knew her days as a demon slayer had come to a end.
“Good-bye naginata. There’s no need for you anymore.” Akhilesh place the weapon by the door. She did not worry about anyone using it to kill her- only she was the few who had the strength to wield it.
“Let’s go eat ice cream in honor of Mary”, Akhilesh said, “Because he liked to that in the past.”
Sasha nodded and got her purse. Akhilesh followed her out, locking the door. She walked down the stairs. Sasha went out first waiting, for Akhilesh.
The sun was shining, she could see through the glass. Akhilesh could see herself and Mary running in pursuit of demons or in a hurry to get to the movies.
She took a deep breath. And entered the outside world for the first time.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Novel Project(pitch




Akhilesh: The Demon Slayer is about a girl named Akhilesh who moves to New York in 2010's for safety from violence. Their wealth destroyed back home, they must start from the bottom- but Akhilesh's Father dies. Sasha struggles to pay rent for a one roomed apartment with a toilet everyone has to share in the building. Akhilesh is devastated and bitter at demons who destroyed her luxurious life. (Because of demons in my story, yet my novel fits fantasy).Bullied at school, she loses hope- especially when her sister is laid off. But a new student Mary becomes her best friend and she meets her protective guardian spirit Tavara. Together, Akhilesh and Mary defend each other from their tormentors. He also finds her a job as a demon slayer. Upon taking the job- Akhilesh sees it as a way to earn money until her sister gets a job. And for revenge against the race who caused her to live as a pauper in America.
Readers would want to read this as it has adventure and is about hate which we all feel sometime in our life. It is about a girl,who like many, wants to be rich (in her case again). She also wants to forget her hurt and grief and never have to endure such poverty again. It is also about the fear of death by young people and how it cannot be escaped.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

expository # 12

Will we ever cure did a better job in using text feature. It has pictures that made me laugh and fill a more close text toself connection. It helped the writer get the reader interested. The title made me curious as the reader and so did the pictures and subtitles. Without those I'd probably skim it then throw it out(or x it out).