Christmas Time is a holiday were people's true nature is shown. In my family, Christmas is not really a time of relaxation, but more of a stressful period where my Granny tries to make every detail perfect. This includes the tree, in which she uses her sweet old lady charms to corner my Dad into spending half the day pulling down ancient decorations from the attic. After making sure that my Dad isn't going to flee from his designated job, she then shuffles off to my mum and her three sisters, giving them cooking tasks like choosing the desert or what to drink (which ends up having to be approved by her anyway) and running around like a chicken without a head trying to satisfy everyone in my family dietary needs. While this is happening to the adults, us (the kids) don't notice it at all. Since my family is Australian, Christmas is during the summer time, so we rush in and out, trekking sand and sea water all over the house, which my Granny efficiently vacuums up the second we slam the door shut.
"Islah!Your dripping water all over my floorboards!" said Granny as she ushered my cousins out of the house. Before I left I caught a glimpse of my Dad with his head up the attic, sneezing because of all the dust balls that had gathered on the decorations in a year.
I never used to understand why, at the end of Christmas dinner, all the parents used to collapse onto the sofa with a box of Quality streets chocolates and look like they wanted to sleep for a million years. I mean, it was Christmas! I thought waking up my parents at five in the morning to open stockings was a gift. The earlier you wake up, the longer christmas day is! However, this year, I finally understood why. Granny had knocked on our door at eight in the morning, and we all greeted her with choruses of "Merry Christmas Granny!" she hugged us all and then bustled into the kitchen, rustling pans and eggs to make a big breakfast for all of my extended family. This continued throughout the day, making lunch Granny was constantly peering over my uncle's shoulder. "Just add some more salt" she would say. By the end of lunch and present opening everyone was exhausted and sprawled out around the living room, with plates of pudding resting on stomaches and a jungle of wrapping paper surrounding everyone. I couldn't help but smile when I saw granny shaking my Grandpa awake, frowning as she did so, asking him to show her how to change the settings of the Christmas lights. Although she might cause everyone in my family to have an anxiety attack, Christmas without Granny rushing around wouldn't be christmas at all.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Third Person Experience: Stiches and Snakes.
A remote control was hastily thrown across the room, accompanied by a deafening screech.
"MUMMMMM" they boy called,backing up on the sofa, as far away from the hissing black snake on the carpet as possible. The boy's sister was frozen in fear until she snapped into action a minute later. Springing upwards, she too backed up, shrieking for her mother. Chaos overtook the room, and the mother hung back in the hallway, holding onto the dog's collar.
"Julie!! JULIEEE!" the mother called, and, seconds later, the maid came through, holding the father's golf club with a dangerous glint in her eye.
"MUMMMMM" they boy called,backing up on the sofa, as far away from the hissing black snake on the carpet as possible. The boy's sister was frozen in fear until she snapped into action a minute later. Springing upwards, she too backed up, shrieking for her mother. Chaos overtook the room, and the mother hung back in the hallway, holding onto the dog's collar.
"Julie!! JULIEEE!" the mother called, and, seconds later, the maid came through, holding the father's golf club with a dangerous glint in her eye.
"Jump! Jump!" She motioned to the children, signaling for them to jump off the couches and down the hall to safety.
The young boy leaped across the room, landed with a thump, and ran screaming down the hall. The girl, on the other hand, didn't have it so easy. After the commotion, the snake had decided that it should take refuge under the couch she was sitting on. Taking deep breaths, she jumped, and, in a split second tripped over her own ankles, causing her to smash her right cheek against the hard tiled steep leading into the living room. The fall was hardy noticeable though, for the fact that she was up and running almost immediately. The fear of the snake coming out from under it's hiding place gave her an adrenalin rush, and she didn't even notice she was bleeding until she wiped her hand across her cheek, and it was wet with blood.
"Laurie, grab the phone and call dad" the mother said.
The girl was pressing a towel over her face, with blood staining her arms and hands. The pain was starting to set in now, and her eyes watered with tears as she walked on wobbly legs to the car, her mother tightly gripping her shoulders.
The harsh fluorescent lights glared down on the Hospital bed, and the girl held her Dad's hand as the doctor stitched her face together. Wincing as the needle went into her cheek, she soon felt the area go numb with local anesthesia.Holding his Daughters hand, the father turned away as the stitches were tied, and grimaced to himself.
"Right, all done then!" The doctor said, "I'll just stick this bandage here..and voila! Your free to go!"
"Thank you very much, Doctor" the girls father said, as the family walked out the revolving doors with a tube of scar cream and a bottle of pain killers.
It wasn't until about midnight that they got back at home, and straight away the girl flopped on to her bed and, closing her eyes, let one of the most bizarre days of her life wash over her as she felt the darkness of sleep pulling her down into her soft bed.
Third person reflection:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using third person was interesting because I was able to see the story in different ways, as it wasn't focused on one person's thoughts. It was also good to be able to distance myself from the story so I could see it from a new light, and it gave the story a third dimension because it wasn't focused on one person's view point the whole time.
"Laurie, grab the phone and call dad" the mother said.
The girl was pressing a towel over her face, with blood staining her arms and hands. The pain was starting to set in now, and her eyes watered with tears as she walked on wobbly legs to the car, her mother tightly gripping her shoulders.
The harsh fluorescent lights glared down on the Hospital bed, and the girl held her Dad's hand as the doctor stitched her face together. Wincing as the needle went into her cheek, she soon felt the area go numb with local anesthesia.Holding his Daughters hand, the father turned away as the stitches were tied, and grimaced to himself.
"Right, all done then!" The doctor said, "I'll just stick this bandage here..and voila! Your free to go!"
"Thank you very much, Doctor" the girls father said, as the family walked out the revolving doors with a tube of scar cream and a bottle of pain killers.
It wasn't until about midnight that they got back at home, and straight away the girl flopped on to her bed and, closing her eyes, let one of the most bizarre days of her life wash over her as she felt the darkness of sleep pulling her down into her soft bed.
Third person reflection:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using third person was interesting because I was able to see the story in different ways, as it wasn't focused on one person's thoughts. It was also good to be able to distance myself from the story so I could see it from a new light, and it gave the story a third dimension because it wasn't focused on one person's view point the whole time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)