Memoirs of a Geisha up to pg. 404

As always, a lot has happened in these last 50 pages. Since the last post, Sayuri wrote to Mother about returning to Gion. Soon after, Auntie comes to the house and brings Sayuri back to Gion. Once she is back, Mother reopens the okiya and the three must clean up the place since it has become dusty since they have lived there. When Sayuri goes to visit Mameha, Mameha tells her that English will get her farther than dance these days because of all the American soldiers visiting Gion. Sayuri prepares herself for her first appearance back as a geisha and goes to entertain Nobu and the Minister at the teahouse. The Minister turns out to be a very boring person, who only grunts for responses. He drinks non stop and eventually throws up out of the window of the room in the teahouse. He makes such a fool of himself that night with his drunken stupor, Sayuri is sure he is not having a good time. Nobu really dislikes the man but must obey his orders. To their suprise, the Minister requests Sayuri's present again after this awful meeting. Sayuri tells Nobu he should bring the Chairman, mostly because she wants to see him more, and she says she will also bring more geisha the next time. When she tells Mameha of this, Mameha says she should also invite Pumpkin, who Sayuri hasn't seen in a very long time. Apparently, Mother did not allow Pumpkin to move back into the okiya after the war so she had to move into a "sad little okiya" as Auntie put it. Sayuri goes out and finds her and invites her to the meeting with Iwamura Electric. Pumpkin does not believe her presence is wanted and is somewhat rude to Sayuri. Nevertheless, she turns up at the party which turns out to be fun and exciting because of her presence. The geisha are invited back for more parties with the men throughout the winter and following spring. After a while though, Sayuri's presence is requested to entertain Nobu and the Minister, shortly after her arrival the Minister gets very drunk and Nobu orders him to go home. Nobu and Sayuri stay at the teahouse though, and Nobu tells her that the Minister inquired to become her danna that night and since the mistress of the teahouse said it could not be arranged he asked if he could have one night alone with Sayrui, which is why Nobu was so angry with him. Nobu was mad that the Minister only wanted to use Sayuri and thought he had a chance when her when men like Nobu actually had feelings for her. Then Sayuri and Nobu get into a fight. Nobu says he would never want to see Sayuri again if she had chosen to go through with spending the night with the Minister (I think you can guess what that implies). After Sayuri lies and says she would not do such a thing, Nobu tells her to bring the rock he gave her when he told her to come back to Gion, which is a symbol meaning he will propose himself as her danna. Sayuri does not want to give him back the rock, because she does not want him to become her danna since it will ruin her chances with the Chairman. She tries to do what she is told though and when she returns to the okiya tries to get Auntie to stop her from going back to the teahouse to avoid Nobu. Auntie makes her go back though and Nobu tells Sayuri that "things are possible now that were not before." Afterwards, Mother tells Sayuri that Iwamura Electric is taking the usual dinner group to Amami, an island, for the weekend. During her first airplane ride, Sayuri comes up with a devious plan to make Nobu not want to be her danna anymore. She decides Nobu must walk in on her and the Minister which will make him hate her. She has to force herself to do this though because she does not believe she is strong enough to break his trust. She lures the Minister to an abandoned place though, and beforehand instructs Pumpkin to bring Nobu to the place, and specifically says to make sure the Chairman stays away. Pumpkin responds to this in a somewhat rude way but Sayuri believes she will do what was asked. As Sayuri has succeeded in seducing the Minister, she sees Pumpkin with....the Chairman. Uh oh right? I can only imagine what is racing through Sayuri's mind.

As stunned as I was at the end of this section, I guess I should have seen it coming. Sayuri had taken Pumpkin's place as adopted daughter of the okiya. And Hatsumomo and Mameha's bitter rivalry only made the situation worse. I feel so bad for Sayuri, because in doing something wrong to try to save herself from a destiny she does not want, she may have diminished her chances at being with the man she has loved all along. I hope she can explain herself to the Chairman, because I really do believe he is her destiny.

Memoirs of a Geisha up to pg. 356

These last 20 pages or so have been more exciting than I had expected them to be. The tensions of World War II are heightening in Japan. Since Sayuri's danna is General Tottori, their okiya is able to keep some of the items the government has prohibited due to the war effort. However, this ends quickly after the General is taken into custody for abusing his powers and the okiya is stripped of their prized possessions. Things continue to get worse when the government announces the closing of geisha districts. All the geisha stress over finding a way to get out of working in a factory and go to all the men in power they are acquainted with to try to find help. Sayuri goes to the General who is staying at an inn, but he says he doesn't have enough power to help her. Sayuri goes back to Mameha, who's relationship with the Baron ended months earlier, and asks what to do. Mameha says the Baron refuses to help her, and warns Sayuri to find someone quickly. That evening, Sayuri goes to a teahouse for farewell parties, and is led into a room where only Nobu sits. They talk for a while and Nobu says he has found a way to save Sayuri from the factories. She will go to Arashino Isamu's home, and make parachutes with his family. Mr. Arashino used to be a famous kimono maker, but the government ordered him now to make parachutes. During her stay with the family, they treat her very kindly. Sayuri has plenty of time to think though and realizes the problem with what she has expected her destiny to be. She realizes she will probably never see her sister again, and her life may never lead her to the Chairman as she had hoped. Afterwards, the war ends, and Sayuri describes not only the physical destruction of her country, but also the mental destruction. She then points out, though, that in the spring after the war they realized they would overcome the ordeal of defeat, and life starts to return to normal. Mr. Arashino is encouraged to start making kimono again and Sayuri helps out. Soon enough, Nobu visits her and instructs her to get in touch with Mother to have her come back to Gion since the geisha districts were reopened. Nobu also says he will soon be Sayuri's danna, but she has to help him impress the Minister of Finance so that his company can survive and he can afford to be her danna. Nobu also scowls at her peasant appearance, but she promises to return to Gion ASAP.

I don't think I've come across an uneventful section of this novel yet. Sayuri's life is so full of adventure and events. This section was also more meaningful because it contained a perspective of World War II from a woman in Japan. In US History, we've been studying World War II, and I feel like this section was a good addition to what I've learned recently since we mostly studied the American side of the war. Anyways, I also enjoy how prominent Nobu has been in the book. Sayuri mentions in this section that maybe her destiny wasn't meant to be with the Chairman as she had hoped, but with someone who had always been there, just in her "side view." She had never expected this person to be her true destiny, and had avoided the signs that pointed to him because they seemed unfavorable. Sayuri realizes Nobu may be the man she is destined to be with, and I'm beginning to agree with her.

All the Pretty Horses up to pg.180

As exciting as the last few sections have been, I definitely think this was a turning point in the novel. John Grady and Alejandra’s relationship abruptly and unfortunately ends because Alejandra leaves to go to France. The story becomes even more disheartening and serious when John Grady and Rawlins are arrested. They are taken out to the town where Blevins took back his horse and are reunited with Blevins, who was also captured. The police captain doesn’t believe anything Rawlins and John Grady tell him about Blevins, so the two are helpless in saving Blevins and possibly their own lives. Blevins is in prison for killing a few people, something I would never have expected from him since he is so childish and inexperienced. According to Mexican law, there can be no executions as punishments for crimes which you would expect to be beneficial for Blevins. However, the captain agrees to take revenge for the brother of a man Blevins killed. The three men are taken out to an abandoned place where Blevins is murdered. During the event, I was shocked at how Rawlins had tears in his eyes. I didn't know he was capable of feeling bad for Blevins after the way he treated the poor kid. I also feel bad that the two men could do nothing to save Blevins. I wished that the three would be reunited, but I didn't think it would be like this. I don't know that I will be enthusiastic to keep reading the book since I really have nothing to hope for. But that's not really up to me I guess :/

Just Like Everyone Else

Probably half of the class has chosen this site also, but my favorite site is StumbleUpon. Somehow, I just find it amusing to press the Stumble! button and learn something about the world or strange people that I would have never known without pressing that button. By choosing the topics of sites you would like to see, this site allows you to have some control over what you want to see, making it more enjoyable. This site gives me new interesting information to feed to my friends and make me seem even smarter and more socially aware. Recently, I learned apricots are the healthiest food on Earth. I'd definitely recommend this site to anyone looking for a new online hobby, or just looking to procrastinate!

Memoirs of a Geisha up to pg. 332

I made the assumption last night that nothing else significant could happen in Sayuri's life. Well, these last 30 pages proved me wrong. Chapter twenty- six begins by saying in a round a bout way that General Tottori has become Sayuri's danna. Sayuri realizes that Mother was right when she said "military men don't treat geisha the way aristocrats do." The two always meet at shabby inns, which is unlike the lavish surroundings Sayuri is accustomed to. One day, Sayuri meets a man named Yasuda Akira at a party. She becomes interested in him and he in her. He buys her a cheap kimono, which Mother sells because of its poor quality. Out of angst that evening, Sayuri "hooks up" with Yasuda in a room at the teahouse, promising the maid an indecent sum of money to make sure no one disturbs them. After this engagement, Yasuda is no longer mentioned. However, the book moves on to talk about how Nobu has not contacted Sayuri after she took a danna. She learns which teahouse he now goes to after a young geisha comes to her saying he has treated her badly. She tries to run into him for several weeks until she finally accomplishes her goal and stops him. They take a walk together and Nobu explains that he has lost respect for her because of who her danna is. She tries to tell him she has no control over who is chosen for her, but he doesn't believe her, claiming she must as the daughter of the okiya. After talking it out, there friendship is left in a somewhat awkward spot, since Nobu hasn't said whether or not he would like to be friends still. Anyways, in the past month, Sayuri has earned more than Pumpkin and Hatsumomo combined, so Mother says it is time for Sayuri to take the larger room upstairs and trade with Hatsumomo. While moving her stuff, though, Sayuri returns to her new room to find Hatsumomo at her mirror, reading her private diary. Hatsumomo is drunk and threatens to show Mother the diary if Sayuri tries to take it from her, which is bad because it tells about all the feelings Sayuri has toward all the men in her life, plus Mother. On Hatsumomo's way out of Sayuri's new room with her diary, Hatsumomo accidentally cuts her foot on broken glass and has to hop down to her new room to bandage herself. Sayuri comes down to her new room in hopes to catch her off guard and take back the diary. When she opens Hatsumomo's door, she sees the obi brooch she was accused of stealing from Hatsumomo years earlier. She decides to take it, and the diary from Hatsumomo, catching her off guard. She quickly hides the diary in a kimono room before Hatsumomo can see then rushes into her room and opens and closes her drawers, pretending to stash the diary in them. Hatsumomo comes out of her room and both girls go to Mother's room to tell on the other. Sayuri shows mother the brooch, proving she never stole it, and Hatsumomo tells Mother about the diary. This prompts Mother to make Hatsumomo show her the diary since Sayuri denies knowing anything about a diary. When Hatsumomo is unable to find the diary, Mother says she will pay back Sayuri for the brooch charges and pay for new tatami mats that her foot blood has stained. This pleases Sayuri, but she is not through with torturing her yet. Mameha and Sayuri follow her to a party thrown by a very close friend of her, Bajiru- san. There Mameha shows up Hatsumomo when Bajiru asks her to perform a dance, then playfully kisses her all over the face. This angers Hatsumomo very much since Mameha took away Bajiru's attention during almost all of the party. After seeing her anger, Mameha prompts Bajiru into kissing Hatsumomo the same way in front of everyone, and he cannot turn down her request. However, Hatsumomo makes a fool of herself when she bites Bajiru- san out of angst and makes him bleed. He calls her a monster and she is thrown out of the teahouse once she tries to beat Bajiru up. Mother kicks her out of the okiya, and Sayuri hasn't seen her since. She's heard of her becoming a prostitute, but she thinks she drank herself to death.

This section makes me realize how much Sayuri has changed throughout the novel. She has become almost like Hatsumomo, playing her own evil tricks on those who have done her wrong. She has been led by Mameha in this, though, so I suppose I can't blame her. Mameha is trying to make Sayuri self-supportive, even though she is always there to give Sayuri advice and talk to her about her feelings. I think Sayuri's life will get more interesting now that the main part of World War II is coming. I'm very interested to find out how the atomic bomb impacted her life at the time, and how she has gotten to America, which she hints at saying she lives in New York now.

Memoirs of a Geisha up to pg. 303

Since last night, I've read twenty more pages of the novel. Similar to the last entry I made, I can't do much more than give a short summary of what happened. It's not because of how short this last section was, it's mainly because this last section had few big events to describe. The first event was Sayuri's mizuage. Sayuri and Doctor Crab are bound as mizuage partners. And they spend a night together at an inn...which is extremely awkward for Sayuri. There are basic reasons why you can guess it'd be awkward for her. But what makes it worse is that the Doctor says he will collect the blood from it...creeper? I think so. anyways, after it is over, they leave the inn in the morning, and the Doctor gives her herbs towill avoid pregnancy. Since her mizuage, Sayrui wears a new hairstyle, and notices other geisha who have the new hairstyle and thinks lower of the girls who have not yet had their mizuage. Also since her mizuage, Mother has put a stop to Hatsumomo's tormenting Sayuri. Another event that has occured is that Nobu has asked to be Sayuri's danna. Sayuri does not want this though since she does not share the feelings with Nobu and this would ruin her chances of being the Chairman's danna. She expresses these feelings to Mameha, who says she is in no place to be choosy with who her danna will be. Also, she hints she is not happy with the Baron. Sayrui becomes a full geisha and makes many observations about geisha during this section, and makes many realizations about life, especially when she entertains the men in the military. They talk about all the things at war, and after hoping these things will lessen her suffering after learning she will not be able to be with the Chairman, she realizes they just make her realize how selfish her suffering is. Later on, Mameha tries to collect her money from the bet she made with Mother about Sayuri paying off her debts before she is twenty, but Mother tries to get herself out of paying the full amount of money. Sayuri takes Mameha's side, though, instead of Mother's, which pays off because Mameha tries to convince Mother to make a man named General Tottori become Sayuri's danna, instead of Nobu, since she knows Sayuri does not want to be with Nobu.

This section was pretty meaningful to me, especially since I understood Sayuri's feelings even more. She exposes her thoughts even more in this section, which gives reasoning for her selfish actions. I can't help but think I would do the same thing in her situation, which makes me relate to her even more. Sayuri's life is almost fully developed now, even though she is only eighteen. From what she has explained about a geisha's life so far, I can't see anything exciting happening anytime after she finds out who her first danna will be. But I guess I'll have to keep reading to find out!

In the spirit of my Japanese story, I went to the Japanese restaurant, Sakura, last night. Well, it wasn't really in the spirit of my book. My best friend and I were just really in the mood for sushi. But I thought I'd post about it since it's related to my book. This is what I ordered: a California Roll, a Sake (Salmon) Roll, and one piece of uni sushi (the orange thing in the corner). Both rolls were great, but the uni was probably one of the weirdest and most disgusting things I've ever eaten! It tasted like sea water and had a gross texture :(