My Summer Objectives

Summary:So many summers past, I've just kind of done whatever not really paying attention to any objectives. I hope this summer will be different, which is why I've set myself objectives to reach before the start of the fall semester. I want to accomplish a lot, but a little ambition never hurt anyone, did it? To summarize my summer plans, the theme I have chosen since I'm stuck in scorching Phoenix is hell. I'm reading all of the underworld stories and seeing what I can get out of them as well as many other things. It's also going to be like hell because I have to relearn calculus this summer for next fall and it's been over a year since I did calculus. I'm also going to push my body to a fiery level of fitness because a healthy body makes for a healthy mind, which makes for a healthy human being.

Self Goals

1. Keep in contact with friends


2. Extend linguistic skills


3. Be the person I want to be, not the person I don't want to be


4. Relearn Calculus for Calc 2 next semester!


Work Goals

1. Make $5000 for the summer with U-Haul


2. improve professionalism and sales skills


Reading/Languages
Suggestions for other great books are always welcome!
Finished:

1. Life of Pi by Yann Martel- wonderful book about a boy trapped on a lifeboat for 220 days with a Bengal tiger. A must read discussion of theology and zoology.


2. ΝΕΚΡΙΚΟΙ ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟΙ by Lucian- hilarious dialogues on issues in the underworld. Lucian's underworld largely resembles Christian one with punishments for bad people like Helen of Troy, King Midas, and King Croesus. It's not to be missed. It raises the question for me of cultural interchange in their ideas of heaven and hell. It seems like people's ideas and political thought at any time period are always similar in Euro-Asia as seen in the movement toward empire with Rome and the Han Dynasty in China. I'm really personally curious hence what Chinese ideas of punishment after death were.


3. ΕΤΑΙΡΙΚΟΙ ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟΙ by Lucian-Dialogues of prostitutes! What could be better?! Actually, a very realistic and just portrait of the life and anxieties that a prostitute/courtesan would feel in Ancient Greek society.


4. ΟΙΔΙΠΟΥΣ Ο ΤΥΡΑΝΝΟΣ by Sophocles-No beating this classic for drama and katharsis!


5. O ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΩΝ-Very interesting perspective from a former Greek minister on conceptions of culture and Greekness.

To Read:
Greek
All of the Following by Lucian:

1. ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΡΑΣΙΤΟΥ Η ΤΕΧΝΗ Η ΠΑΡΑΣΙΤΙΚΗ (As a teacher and scholar what could be more useful than to learn how to leach off rich people for patronage;)


2. ΑΛΕΧΑΝΔΡΟΣ Η ΨΕΥΔΟΜΑΝΤΙΣ


3. ΡΗΤΟΡΩΝ ΔΙΔΑΣΚΟΛΟΣ (for much needed relief in Prof Van den Burg's class next year)


4. ΑΝΑΧΑΡΣΙΣ Η ΠΕΡΙ ΓΥΜΝΑΣΙΩΝ


5. ΦΙΛΟΨΕΥΔΕΙΣ Η ΑΠΙΣΤΩΝ


6. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΕΝΥΠΝΙΟΥ ΗΤΟΙ ΒΙΟΣ ΛΟΥΚΙΑΝΟΥ


7. ΧΑΡΩΝ


8. ΕΡΩΤΕΣ (looks steamy! Also has an instance of statue abuse)


9. ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΠΕΡΕΓΡΙΝΟΥ ΤΕΛΕΥΤΗΣ (already read it, but always worth a second time around)


10. ΣΚΥΘΗΣ Η ΠΡΟΞΕΝΟΣ


11. ΝΕΡΩΝ


12. ΔΡΑΠΕΤΑΙ


13. ΝΙΓΡΙΝΟΥ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑ (Lucian bashing philosophy for Brennan next year)


14. ΑΛΗΘΩΝ ΔΙΗΓΗΜΑΤΩΝ (already read it last year, but great story)

Also on the side:

15. TIMARION-(11 century Hell journey, very funny, involves characters from Byzantine court)
    
16. MAZARIS-(15 century Hell journey, makes fun of characters in Morea and Byzantine government)


17. Andronikos I section of Niketas Choniates


18. interesting sections of Dio Cassius


19. Plutarch?


20. ΡΩΜΑΝΟΣ Ο ΔΙΟΓΕΝΗΣ by Kostas Kyriazis


21. the Modern Greek books purchased from Prof Van Steen

Other

1. L'inferno by Dante


2. Le vicomte de Brangelonne with l'homme au masque de fer by Alexandre Dumas


3. Historia de expeditione Frederici imperatoris in Orientibus partibus


4. Il nome della Rosa by Umberto Eco (already read in English, now time for Italian)
5. 
   
6. Other Latin novels or histories?


7. interesting English books? Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to keep in the classical vein?


Translation

1. rest of Logos Nouthetikos pros ton basilea


2. one of Lucian's works, probably a dialogue


3. sections from the historia de expeditione Frederici above that are interesting or related to Byzantium


4. Continue translating Vingt Ans Après by Alexandre Dumas from French to English


5. Byzantine Chrysobulls?


Writings/Creativity

1. comparison of versions of Hades and hell (?)


2. finish history of the empire of Trebizond (1204-1461)


3. expand Lord of the Rings story idea


4. build Latin scene with Legos for the Classics Department


Fitness/Health

1. Attain level 7 of the Lafay method


2. put on some weight (75kg-->80kg) (165lbs-->175lbs)


3. Begin training and learning about triathlons


4. more flexibility


5. mile time of 5 minutes 30 seconds


6. 600 yards continuous swim


7. more muscle, more tone, more ladies;)