Post 7

I read chapters 4 and 5 of my book, The Kitchen Boy. These chapters really focused on the shocking optimism and tenacity of the ill-fated Romanovs. They talk about how every day, even right up until they were killed, the Russian royals still held out hope that someone, any ally they had left, would come and liberate them from their prison. Things start looking up in this chapter. I might not have mentioned this in my last posts, but the Romanovs weren't even allowed so much as and open (or uncovered) window when they were being held captive during the Bolshevik Revolution. The windows were covered over with lime so that they couldn't communicate with anyone. Not only that, but they also weren't allowed to open the windows, which made the house very stuffy and hot. This was especially harsh because it was summer when they were trapped in this house, where the heat would often get above 30 degrees Celsius (about 90 degrees Fahrenheit). But, their Bolshevik captors weren't totally inhumane. They were allowed about 3 hours (broken up) outside a day. Even though they were treated like prison inmates, this family was always happy. I can't imagine how my family would react if this happened to us. I don't think we would be as optimistic. In fact, I think we would freak out. But this situation probably doesn't happen very often any more. I actually find it hard to believe that they were so happy, but the Romanovs were a different type of royalty. They didn't marry off their children to random strangers, even though when they were captured, their youngest was 15. I think this is a good thing, because it means that they were probably a lot happier than many other leaders of the time. I'd like to think my family could be as strong as they were, but I just can't tell unless we were actually put into this sort of situation.

6th Post

I read chapters 2 and 3 of the book The Kitchen Boy. Leonka receives a message in a milk bottle from a nun, which he passes on to the Tsar. Nikolai and Aleksandra decide to make Leonka the runner for their secret messages for the plot to liberate the royal family. The royal family is treated terribly by their bolshevik captives. I feel terrible that these people were treated like slaves, especially because they were just a family who focused more on their family than their country. While that is a problem, it doesn't mean that they deserve to die for it. Another thing I found interesting was the fact that the narrator, old Leonka, said that it was partially his fault that the Romanovs were killed. I don't know what this means, but I hope Leonka will reveal his supposedly fatal error, because this is intriguing. I personally would feel terrible if there were any way that I had endangered an entire family. It is nice to know that even when they were in distress, the Romanovs were still respectful and not overly arrogant. Leonka said that they were always courteous and occasionally treated him as a member of the family, even though he was just a fourteen year-old kitchen boy. Kind of off topic, but I thought it was interesting that the youngest Romanov, Anastasia, had the same kind of dog as me. She has been described as always paying attention to her dog in the book thus far. I hope that at least some of the Romanov family survives.

5th Post

This week I started reading a book called The Kitchen Boy. It's a fictional story about the boy who was with the royal Romanovs when they were killed. It's in the point of view of that boy, now 94 years old, telling his story to a tape recorder to give to his daughter. When he immigrated to America he changed his name and tried to forget the whole ordeal. He had told no one of this story except his wife, and she died a long time ago. I haven't gotten into the story yet, but I think it will get pretty intense. Also, there's another storyline with the daughter. She went to someone's house in Russia in the prologue, and I think it was her grandmother, but I'm not sure. Maybe she will visit her father while he is recording his story. Or, maybe she will learn her father's story from this woman she visits. It seems like a good plot, and I think it's also a memoir, not just a story. I hope that the man, whose name is Leonod (Leonka for short), tells of his interactions with the royal family, and what he knows about the two bodies that were missing from the secret family grave and the many carats of family jewels that were lost after the family was killed. This story also seems to have a hint that Leonka will learn something about himself in the process. Maybe to not be so reserved and secret, or maybe telling his story will allow him to die. It seems intriguing that someone knows what happened to this mysterious family and is finally telling what happened. This book looks like it will be a good book, and I think I will enjoy it. But I'm only done with the first chapter, so I'll have to see what the book has to tell. 

4th Post

This week I read an article in Time magazine on tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a disease that affected 9.2 million people in 2005, and killed 1.7 million. The more dangerous part is that drug-resistant strains of TB are showing up in developing countries like Russia, India, and China. While these strains only make up 5%, or half a million cases, they are mushrooming. This disease is also producing multi-drug resistant cases. It does succumb to powerful medications, but the countries that need them most don't have them. And even when those who need it have it, it is poorly used and the patients aren't responsibly taking their necessary daily medicine. This medication must be taken every day for six months to fully eradicate the infection from the body. The World Health Organization has suggested implementing a new, more rapid TB test. This probably won't go to work in most countries, because they need the lab upgrades that are difficult to afford in the areas where TB is most prevalent. Doctors say that this disease is fully treatable and preventable, but some areas are unable to receive the necessary equipment to treat TB. TB has been a killer for over thousands of years, yet an antibiotic-based treatment has only been around for decades, but the bacillus itself had been identified only a century ago.