February 7, 2013
4-4:20
Water for Elephants
Pages: 80-90

After getting water for the horses, Jacob uses the left over water to clean himself. August sees this and tells him to use the water they have stored in a tent. The buckets are labeled and August tells him to take the one named Walter. He is given a clean shirt and goes back to the rooms and looks at kinko's book. Kinko gets mad and learns that it was Jacob who had used his water (his real name being Walter) but only his friends call him Walter. While the train leaves angry people chase after it. Silver star isn't doing too well and is sitting in his stall. When he wakes up, they're stopped in the middle of no where. After getting some food, August gets Jacob to help him feed the cats. The food is disgusting and spoiled and Jacob says they can't feed them this but August said they had to. He tells Jacob to start at the lion cage. He waits for the lion to walk aways so he can open the door and chuck the food in. The lion chomps its jaws on his arm before he get the food out. Jacob freaks out but realizes he still has an arm which he does. He gets mad at August but he tells Jacob the lion is toothless hence he still has an arm and there was no blood. He leaves to get cleaned up and is warned by diamond joe that August is kind of weird and he should watch out for him. He thinks this whole thing with kinko was planned by August. After helping him, Jacob goes to the horse stable and sees marlena with the horse and they begin talking and she notices his arm and touches it and he pretends it doesn't hurt. She says she's staying with the horses until the next stop and Jacob worries about her even though she says she can climb over them. He and joe then go to load up the rest of the animals. Jacob goes back to his room and finds a pillow, a bedroll and a plaid blanket. He sees the note telling him to have dinner with mr and mrs august and kinko makes a comment.

I don't think it's right that these animals should suffer like this so that a few men can prosper financially. However, that's the way things are. It would have been worse for children or people who are being forced against their will and treated badly.

I read fairly well today because I finished the chapter.

February 6, 2013
5-5:20
Water for Elephants
Pages: 70-80

It is back in the past and Jacob is back on the train with kinko the clown and the dog queenie. He gets of the train which is stopped and sees all the workers putting the tents up and the rest of the people getting off the train. He makes a connection that the farther back in the train you are, the better your quarters are. He and kinko are the closest humans to the engine while uncle al has the cart right in front of the caboose. He meets August who introduces him to marlena who looks an awful lot like Catherine and she recognizes him from their small encounter under the tent yesterday which Jacob denies. He inspects the horse that is having problems and realizes that the horse is floundering which is really bad and can't be fixed. Uncle al comes at this moment and asks Jacob about the horse's condition. This is bad because this horse in particular, silver star, is a liberty horse and they are difficult to get. Uncle al is mad when he realizes that the horse can't perform anymore and starts yelling at everyone and tells Jacob he will be paid $9 a week to fix the horse and be under August's command but will be fired if he looses the horse. He also announces that they will be packing up and moving out despite just arriving. The townspeople watching get mad because they circus was supposed to stay for 2 days. They go to eat breakfast where they hear a bunch of rumors. One aerialist named Lottie sees marlena and starts talking to her and Jacob learns the history of Alan J. Bunkel (uncle al) and his circus. In 1929 he got a sleeping car and two flats from the benzini brothers who couldn't afford it anymore. This became his lifestyle. He would venture around when he heard a circus was failing and took the stuff they didn't want. He was especially interested in natural freaks. This is why they are leaving now. The fox brothers circus had just collapsed and uncle al wants to get a natural freak before anyone else can. It's a three say journey to the town so they stalk up on supplies.

I like the part where Jacob realizes there is a hierarchy. Uncle al at the top and he is at the bottom. The hierarchy rank is determined by the position on the train. The performers and guys in charge are given better rooms while the workers are given rooms that are not so good and are closer to the train engine. This is similar to real life where certain individuals are given better treatment that others.

I read well because it was quiet.

February 5, 2013
11-11:20
Water for Elephants
Pages: 64-70

Jacob wakes from his dream and is back in the present again. He is unsure of how much time he has missed but a nurse reminds him of the circus and he realizes he hasn't missed a day. He reflects on how he hates trying to convince people that he hasn't lost his marbles he just has more things to keep track of than most people. He has the nurse place him in front of the window so he can see the grand spectacle and all the people in the park. He remembers how horrible it was to work on the circus when the weather was foul and he sees how much better the conditions are for the workers and performers. He also remembers marlena when he sees a bunch of horses. He sees his friends being taken with their families to see the circus and when they come back he criticizes how cotton candy comes in a bag instead of beig freshly spun like when he was working. At dinner he is still bitter towards McGuinty and refuses to sit with him and sits at a table alone. He sees the dinner and is so overcome with anger he asks a nurse for real food and pushes his tray off the table after making a very convincing argument. The nurses however don't take so kindly to this and call a doctor. The doctor talks to Jacob for a bit and thinks he has depression that is manifesting itself in anger. Jacob overhears this and yells that he is old not deaf. Later, he is given a new pill for depression but refuses to take it and throws it on the floor because he is not depressed. However, he is forced to take the pill and is also given an injection which he thinks is unfair because he took the pill. He becomes sedated and falls asleep but not before making a mental note to be anger tomorrow in the morning.

I like how he contradicts the nurses. They say he is a resident but they refer to the people as patients and Jacob points this out to them much to their dismay. I like how he stands up for himself and isn't afraid to say things the way they are even if it could be bad for him. It's a clear display of how badly elderly people are being treated and they have no dignity and are shown little respect which isn't right.

I read well today because I was in class and the class was silent.

February 4, 2013
3:50-4:30
Water for Elephants
Pages: 49-63

Jacob is guarding the door where the dancer is entertaining men for $2 and has made a buck. It's almost 10 and some of the smaller tents are being taken down but the big top still stands. He catches up with camel who tells Jacob to go back to his life but Jacob says he doesn't have one to go back to. Filled with compassion, camel tries to talk to the boss, uncle al who is the ringmaster, in an attempt to get Jacob a job. Uncle Al doesn't listen as camel gets really mad. Determined to help Jacob, camel goes in a tent for an hour, gets smashed and arranges for a guy named earl to take care of Jacob. Earl puts camel on the train and takes Jacob to an overcrowded sleeping car where the guy let him sleep if Jacob gave him the buck. There is a voice over the train speaking in polish and one guy gets irratated. The next day Jacob meets uncle al and August. He tells them how he was studying to be a vet and gets a spot on the train in a room with a clown and a dog because the horses he saw yesterday and not doing so well according to marlena (the girl in the sequins). August leads him to the room where he will be staying and Jacob sleeps on the floor.

One part in particular that stood out to me was when he guy on the train was speaking polish. Another man yelled saying that he should speak English and called him a racist name and said how all these people are "fresh off the boat". It reminded me of how difficult it was for the early immigrants to come to the country.

This chapter was a little long but I got through if regardless and my reading was well.

February 3, 2013
1-1:30
Water for Elephants
Pages: 31-48

Jacob wakes up just as the train is about to stop. The other men in the cart leave but camel stays to help Jacob out. He tells him that crazy joe might give him a job but is unaware of why they call him crazy joe although camel says that he went to jail for a while. They find crazy joe who gives him a job because of camel and Jacob starts to work with Charlie by shovelling horse feces out of the cart. It is clear that he Jacob doesn't not fit in and that he will have to learn how to handle himself. While shovelling he starts talking to Charlie, the other guy working for crazy joe and finds some things out. Then, they are told the food tent is up and leave to go get something to eat. While eating camel explains some basic things to Jacob and how they can't sit at the tables because the performers (kinkers) sit there and they can't call the kinkers to their faces and such things. After eating, Jacob goes to meet Cecil who is the ringmaster. The workers are finished setting up and people begin to come. Jacob sees a girl who looks extremely like Catherine but he's not sure if its her and she seems to recognize him too. One man gets angry and demands to have his money back and attempts to hit Cecil but Jacob stops him. Cecil is impressed and has Jacob work as a bouncer in the tent where a woman is stripping. It's very secret, costs 50 cents and Jacob has to keep people from getting rowdy and people from looking on the outside. Jacob admits it is the first time he's ever seen a naked woman and doesn't think he will ever be the same.

I liked the part where camel is talking about kinkers and Jacob asked why he can't just call the performers all the time since he isn't allowed to call them kinkers to their face and camel responds by saying there's them and there's us and you're us. It wasn't a straight answer but it's just the way it is. Like in life there are some things that are the way they are even though they don't make sense.

I read alright considering the time. I chose to read at this time as an insurance and peace of mind that I completed the reading or today just in case something pops up during the day.

February 2, 2013
10:30-11
Water for Elephants
Pages: 14-30

Jacob is in class sitting next to catherine one of only four women in the class of '31. He admits to being a virgin but this chick is teasing him. He's been in school for 6 long years and in 10 days is going to go to Norwich to join his father's veterinary practice. In the middle of the lesson he is called out by the dean and is informed his parents have died in a car accident. They need Jacob to positively identify the bodies. They drive to the coroner and after seeing his prarents' bloodied and dead bodies, he vomits and takes the two mile walk home. He sees a new sign above the entrance that says "E. Jankowski and Son Doctors of Veterinary Medicine" and sees his parents things and is sad. All his relatives are in Poland so neighbours and people of the church come to take care of him. Two days after burying his parents he goes to the esquire to talk about the estate. He is told that his father has been taking payments in the form of vegetables and other goods for nearly two years because the community has been hit very hard. He is also told that he lost everything because his parents took out a mortgage on their home and practice to pay for his tuition and everything goes to the bank. The esquire is being a jerk so Jacob leaves before he hits him and decides to go back to school since his room and board is paid for until the end of the year which is in 6 days. He's missed the entire week of review lectures and everyone is willing to help him but he is unable to focus and keeps thinking of his parents death and how an old guy from their town forgot what side of the road he was suppose to drive on and hit the gas instead of the break and his parents went over the guardrail to avoid hitting the truck. It's possible the truck driver was drunk because Jacob recalls one Easter when he showed up to church without trousers. He's sitting in the exam room but is unable focus and does not start the exam. He gets up gasping for breath and flings the exam at the proctor's desk and begins to walk until he ends up somewhere in the middle of the forest beside train tracks. It's night and he hears coyotes and then a train and decides to jump on. He does so but is met with some other men one of whom tries to throw his off the train but Jacob is saved by one of the men. This man informs Jacob that he is on a circus train and that he should sleep but not near the door because sometimes they take the turns sharply.

I wished Jacob had gone back to school and did well and succeeded and stuff but then the story would be boring. I also like when Jacob tries to know how to determine where you are from. If it is determined by the place from where you are leaving or the place where you have your roots.  I have also wondered this.

I read well today despite the fact that I was thinking about tempus.

February 1, 2013
10:30-11
Water for Elephants
Pages: 1-13

The book starts off with a prologue that is the memory of when a man worked in a circus and something goes horribly wrong and all the animals escape and start running amuck and the man tries desperately to find a girl and an elephant. He finds the girl however she picks up an iron stake and hits a guy in the back of the head inevitably killing him. The man reveals that although his has happened long ago it still haunts him and he has never told anyone. After this, the book redirects to the present where the same man is in an old folks home and is 91 or 93. He forgets and explains how the aging process begins when you hesitate to remember your age during your 30s and it turns into you forgetting words, forgetting what you went upstairs to get, getting your children's names confused, forgetting the day and finally forgetting what year it is. He isn't satisfied with his life in the home and wants real food as he still has all his own teeth. Some people gather to look out the window and he goes to see what they're all staring at. The circus is in town and it gives his heart a lurch. At supper, the other people are talking about the circus and one guy claims to have used to give water to the elephants. The man, Jacob, says that this guy is lying and they get into an argument where the impersonater falls and Jacob is sent to his room to finish his dinner there. The nurse however, gives him some of her food and he is happy. It is also revealed that he is being tormented by ghosts of his past.

I was not expecting the narrator to be elderly or that he would have witnessed a murder. Also, I predict that the next chapter will go further into his past.

I read well today because I have been waiting a while to read this book and was excited to start it which motivated me to read better than I would have.