An unbelieving hectic week as lead to my fourth entry a bit late. I wasn't as inspired to write my next journal entry as I have been previously. I am not sure of the exact cause, but realizing last week that I had two weeks to get everything together and board the plane probably freaked me out a little bit. In fact, I am still freaked out a little bit. Up until lately, I have had most things under control. When enjoying the few rare moments I get to myself, I would dream up all the things I would need in Greece and what it would be like. And then I would go out and purchase those items I did not yet have. But I have started to realize that there are many things I have not yet accounted for and time was running out to figure out what exactly those things entail. Thursday in class, my instructor Jim brought in his already packed suitcase. We had two weeks until our trip, and he was already packed and ready to go? What was even more astounding was the fact that his suitcase AND carry-on totalled a whole 24 pounds. How we managed to pack so light, I have no idea, as he is extremely well prepared. I suppose it is about being smart and choosing only things you KNOW you will need to wear. This will be a very difficult process for me, as I was a girl guide and always taught to "be prepared." For me, a week's worth of clothes does not seem like enough, although I know in my head that it will actually be too much.
I had decided that this weekend I would pack my suitcase and figure out everything that I need. Unfortunately, I also have hours worth of lectures to listen to and write notes on, a novel to read that I wanted to pretty much finish before leaving as the information will be very useful and it is not practical to bring on the trip, house work and cleaning to do, and not to mention, a full time job. Somehow, through all of this, I expect to have a social life and visit most of my friends and family before leaving them for an entire month. I realize I am shooting a bit high, because I do also expect to sleep! But I don't think I can stop feeling panicky until I have packed everything that I have ready so I know exactly how much weight I am at and to see visually that I have enough clothing. I am a little sad after seeing Jim's suitcase. It was very nice and had all the right pockets in all the right places. It was small and compact and looked easy to get around and keep organized. My own suitcase is more of a duffel bag with wheels. And while it is really cute on the outside, the inside really isn't all practical. There is only a pocket on the front and it is not very big- I have a feeling many of my items will be getting lost within the bag and will result in me having to rip everything a part in order to find what I am looking for. Again, I cannot know this until I pack my bag and see for myself. This will just need to get done, tonight!
Anne's english course has been dedicated to Greek plays, primarily tragedies. Monday, we had a small preview of the tragedy Oedipus, translated into English of course and put onto film. The story is an interesting one, one that I had thought not to ever have heard of. Upon learning more, I realized that the story was very familiar to me. A baby boy is abandoned by his royal mother and father, and instead raised by the king and queen of a neighbouring region. A prophecy tells Oedipus that he will kill his father and marry his mother, and so Oedipus leaves Corinth, where he had been living, and makes his way to Thebes. Along the way, he killed King Laius, unknowing he had been the king and his birth father. Oedipus then comes upon the Sphinx. The story of the Sphinx is the most familiar part of the story. The Sphinx blocks travellers and asks them a riddle. If they answer right, they get to pass. If wrong, they are killed. Oedipus answered the riddle correctly, allowing himself passage, and the Sphinx subsequently killed itself. For ridding Thebes of the Sphinx, the people of Thebes award Oedipus as ruler of Thebes and give the recently widowed Queen Jocasta as his wife. The prophecy had been fulfilled. What is interesting to me is that in all stories regarding prophecies and psychic visions that I have heard, it is because of the prophecy that the individual decides on a certain action, leading it to truth. If the prophecy had never been told, Oedipus may not have felt compelled to leave Corinth in order to protect his parents.
The next tragedy we would cover would be the story of Medea. Medea was a foreigner who had helped the hero Jason escape from her father, by killing his brother and chopping him into pieces, leaving the pieces behind as they escaped for her father to pick up and become distracted. Jason awarded Medea's help by making her his bride and returning home. However, Jason would soon become dissatisfied by having a "barbarian" (foreigner) as his wife, adding further insult is the fact that she possessed witch-like traits. Jason announced he would marry another women and sent Medea away. Medea was very good at persuasion and convinced Creon, father of the new wife Glauce, to let her stay. She then convinces Aegeus to let her stay in Athens and later becomes his wife. To punish Jason, Medea murders both Glauce and Creon. In one scene, Medea is depicted having an internal struggle with herself, for she knows the best way to punish Jason would be to kill their two children. However, Medea needs to decide if she loves her children more then she hates Jason. In the end, Medea ends up killing her two children. While the story of Medea isn't as known to me, it makes me wonder if the Greeks had any knowledge of mental illness. From Medea's story, she sounds like someone who would be labelled as clinically insane. I feel somehow as though in medieval times, many supposed witches were also burned, and may have actually been hindered with mental insanity, mistaken for witch-ness. I am interested to learn more, both about the Greeks, but Medea's story also, something I believe we will continue to learn about in next week's class.
For now, I will just have to continue my homework, and pack my darn suitcase!
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