The book Clash! 8 Cultural Conflicts That Make Us Who We Are is a highly respected book that discusses the seemingly trivial and mundane aspects of society. The ideas provided throughout the book is anything but as the authors Hazel Rose Markus and and Alana Conner successfully explains what makes the variety of cultures in the world so different, and why people outside of one culture have a hard time accepting another. In sum, the authors break everything up and classify them into two selves, with four 'i's: independent and interdependent, and I's, Interactions, Institutions, and Ideas. To do a little bit more research and get a more thorough breakdown, here is the website to visit.

Upon beginning this book, I had no idea what to expect. Truth be told - I did not even fully understand what the heck Sociology even was. I knew that the suffix '-ology' meant 'the study of', so I ended up with the conclusion that Sociology is the study of being social. {I suppose my English & Lit teacher forcing us to memorize those prefixes and suffixes have come in handy. Eh?} I also was unaware that there are two selves that different cultures use (although some use both). As I was reading the book, I recognized some of the scenarios Hazel and Alana gave, which helped identified who used what self and when they used it. I finally understood why. Why women seem to not do as well when surrounded by a ton of male counterparts. Why Asians do not like to speak their mind while learning. Why Americans prefer to have choices. Why Whites think that race is not still present. Why making friends of different races seem to be a bit intimidating. Why non-profits do not always get as much as they need. I get it!

I can now distinguish the 8 cultural conflicts at hand: West vs. East, Male vs. Female, White vs. Colored, Rich vs. Poor, Conservative Protestants vs. Mainstream Protestants, Midwesterners vs. Southerners, Businesses vs. Non-Profits and Government, and Global North vs. Global South.

This book is something that I highly recommend you read - and take your time when you do! - so that you can better understand social happenings. Don't succumb to the oblivion of life. Make yourself aware.

{I start my Sociology class on Monday, so as I go along and learn more, I'll share some of the things on this blog. If you're interested, watch out for that!}

Tune: Happy People by R. Kelly

I've finished The Fault In Our Stars, and my heart has swollen. Oh, Augustus. Oh, Hazel. It only took me a day and a few hours to finish the entire book, with breaks and time to re-read certain parts. This either means I'm an exceptionally fast reader or that TFiOS is not that difficult of a read - which it isn't. It's quite easy to read, but with the word play and the need to re-read certain parts to get a better understanding, you need to take your time while reading it. It's a heart-wrenching book that made me "[fall] in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once." Now, where's my Augustus Waters?

Last month, I decided to start reading a book a month. Reading is a place where I can escape and become someone else. It's my favorite pastime. I read The Devil Wears Prada last month [in May] {here is the book discussion I did after I read it}, and this month I was supposed to read I've Got Your Number, but I started reading my Sociology book Clash! 8 Cultural Conflicts That Make Us Who We Are. I began that book in May and am still reading it now, in June. {Btw: I highly recommend that book as it provides different points of views and breakdowns of why different cultures act the way they do. It's broken down in two selves: independence and interdependence. Then, there are the I's, Interactions, Institutions, and Ideas. I'll do a post regarding this book soon after I finish it, or maybe after I take the class this summer.} Anyways, while I was reading the latter book, I sporadically decided that The Fault In Our Stars had to be read by me, so I purchased it, it came in the mail two days later, and I was finished the day after. Impressive, eh? So I might push back I've Got Your Number, or I might just skip that all together. It did not really seem that appealing to me after awhile. Gah. I don't know. 

1. What does An Imperial Affliction have to do with Hazel's own life? Why is she so stinkin' obsessed and how has the book changed her?

Hazel's favorite book was An Imperial Affliction (referred to as AIA by Hazel and Augustus), written by Peter Van Houten. The book was focused on a a cancer victim named Anna. She told her life's events - about her hamster, Sisyphus, her mum and the Dutch man that Hazel believed was a con man, etc. What Hazel found so spectacular and honest about the book was how it ended mid-sentence, which is how life is actually. She loved how the ending of mid-sentence portrayed reality and not the common ending of  "and she dies."

This sparked Hazel's interest, making her obsessed with the book and how it ends. She wanted to know what happened to Anna's hamster and mum - whether she moved with the Dutch Tulip Man or moved back to where they were from. Hazel understood how life gives no warning and you can go at any moment - hence the mid-sentence ending - but she just wanted to know what happened to everyone else, what happened to the other characters.

2. How does Hazel and Augustus's relationship differ from that of other teens? How is it the same? 

Hazel and Augustus were quite the quirky couple. They found humor in the simplest of things and noticed the smallest. They had true, brutally honest love. Their relationship differed from that of other teens because, well, for starters they both had cancer. This caused them to perceive the world differently. Plus, the cancer did not allow them to go out and do everything they would like to because of Hazel's breathing difficulties. They also talked about movies, books, and music a lot more than an average teenage couple might. Yet, their relationship was the same because they went on dates, they kissed (eventually), they made jokes and played games. Their relationship was simply unique if I am going to sum it up correctly.

3. Why is Isaac's sight such a point of contention between him and his girlfriend? Do you think his girlfriend leaving him was warranted? 

Isaac's sight is a point of contention between him and his [ex-] girlfriend because she felt as if she could not deal with the stress it brought. So she left him. She did not want to dump him before he lost his eyesight, so she did it beforehand, which left Isaac completely heartbroken. I do not personally think that his girlfriend leaving him based on his sight was warranted. Sure, I get that it would be stressful seeing as Isaac would be a lot more dependent on her, but love is love - you do not give up on it. If their "always" was real, then she never would have left, so obviously she did not always mean that "always." I feel as if people that run whenever the going gets tough or something challenging is brought about are cowards, and I have little to no respect for that. So no, her leaving Isaac was not warranted.

4. What is the significance of the words "always" and "okay" to the characters? Why do they pick these words? 

The words "always" - Monica and Isaac - and "okay" - Augustus and Hazel - signify their love and devotion to one another. Monica and Isaac used their word to tell each other they they'll always be together. Later on in the book while on the phone, Augustus told Hazel, "Maybe okay will be our always." It's just their simplified way of telling each other I love you. 

5. Why do the chapters in the story get shorter during the time that Augustus is progressively deteriorating?

The chapters get shorter because the routine of Hazel and Augustus becomes the same. It's a repetition. As Augustus got sicker and sicker, he could do little to nothing, so the dwindling chapters connoted Augustus' time left. 

Tune: I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz