"It Is Not Power That Corrupts, But Fear": Aung San Suu Kyi

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2010/11/14/1225953/409296-aung-san-suu-kyi.jpg

I chose this picture because wearing these t-shirts in Burma is incredibly dangerous, so this shows their commitment.

A few weeks ago, Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest after 17 years. Everyone is celebrating her release, because now she can more actively lead the campaign against the corrupt military junta that rules Burma. Despite her long term imprisonment, Aung San Suu Kyi is more concerned for the other prisoners who are under much worse terms than she is, which is a remarkably selfless thing to do, considering the length of her sentence.

I think it is an almost unanimous decision across the world that Aung San Suu Kyi is a heroine. She selflessly stands up against the junta, even though by doing so, she could earn herself another, longer sentence (although "earn" is completely figurative). I say almost, because, for one, the Burmese government is quite obviously against her. Also, some have been critical saying that her rigidity is holding the pro-democracy party back. I completely disagree. Aung San Suu Kyi has made impossibly hard decisions regarding her family, and her people.

Aung San Suu Kyi values all people who want to do right in this world. She values peace, liberty, and a just system of law. She inspires normal people to stand up and say "This isn't right". She has made so many sacrifices for her people. Not being able to see her dying husband, not seeing her children for years; the list goes on. When I think about it, I have never really had to make many difficult decisions in my life, and nothing compared to what she's done. She values everyone, and everything that is peaceful and just, has been an inspiration to us all, and will continue to be just that.

No Man Is An Island Response

http://www.zinart.com/assets/environmental/no_man_is_an_island_450.jpg

I chose this picture because it portrays that one man is spread across the world, connecting with everyone, and being "involved in mankind".

The poem "No Man Is An Island" by John Done goes like this:

"No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

I think the main idea of this poem is that all of mankind is connected, everyone is equally important, and if even one person dies out of the billions, part of mankind is wiped out.

The video is showing two famous cities, New York and Sydney, and is saying that the cities are made up of people, it's not just a place, everyone is important in making the city.

I think the video is connected with Aung Sang Suu Kyi's story because she is trying to show that people don't have the rights they need, and should have access to. Also, she is only one person, and she is making a difference.

The poem connects with Matt Harding's video, because Matt Harding is going around the world and dancing, and everywhere he goes, people join in, and this shows we are all the same at heart and we like to connect with each other. When I saw the video, I felt like joining in too, which just proves that we are all the same.

Poem Connections

The poem connects with Jesus Colon's story because they both ask what we do when presented with a difficult choice. James Berry (the poet) has to figure out what to do with a difference, while Jesus Colon's dilemma is to chose to help the woman, or leave her. It connects with The Island by talking about a difference: and what to do with it. When the man comes to the island, they chose the first choice of the poem ("do we stand and discuss it's oddity"), and finally the sixth choice: "we move around it in rage and enlist the rage of others".

Little Things Are Big Response

I think that, by not helping the woman and her children, Jesus Colon just put a label on black Puerto Ricans as untrustworthy, that they didn't stick to their word of honor, and an overall, enforced racism. He also presumed that every white person was prejudiced, even when they weren't. This labeling meant he thought that the woman would shout at him, or scream, or think he was trying to get close, so instead of helping the woman, he ran off. He regrets this decision, because the woman might not have been prejudiced, and might have said yes to his helping her. I think he made the wrong choice, because it couldn't have hurt to ask, and even if she did refuse, or scream, the only thing that would have been hurt was his feelings, and he would probably have forgotten it the next day. If Colon was a white American, my answer would have been the same, because it would have been even more likely that the woman would have accepted. The real victim of this story was the black society, because Colon's labeling meant that all the white people would label all the black people as untrustworthy. But now Colon has made amends for the incident by writing the short story. I think he hopes, somewhere, the white woman is reading it.

These Are A Few of my Favorite Things

How best to describe me in ten objects? Maybe these particular items will shed some light on my personality. My bookshelf, My dog, a script, a rugby ball, computer, my bike, an Irish passport, chocolate cake, an airline ticket, and a T.V.

I love to read, as anyone who knows me will tell you, so I need a bookshelf to hold my vast collection of books, or rather, medium-sized collection of brilliance. As I once said in 4th grade, "Reading is a hiding place from boredom". But for me, reading is more than a form of entertainment. It is a portal into different worlds, past, present, future, a gateway to somewhere halfway round the world activated by opening a book. I know this sounds cliched, but reading, for me, is a different world.

Once, not so long ago, about a year, my family and I were at the pet store, when, in a cage in the back of the shop, on top of some other cages, we saw a tiny dog, barking, and throwing itself against the side of the cage. The dog was so pitiful that it could have made a war veteran cry. After begging, pleading, and a school essay, my mum finally agreed to get the dog. We named her Sheila, because she was an Australian Silky Terrier.

I first started playing rugby two years ago, although it feels like an age. I got this rugby ball at my first tournament, and for some reason, I can't pump it up. I first started playing rugby when my neighbor told me about Bintang Rugby Club in-you guessed it-Bintang. I recently quit BRC because the kids there only passed amongst themselves, and joined the ISKL rugby team. Rugby is my favorite sport along with basketball, and I follow neither.

There isn't really much to say on this topic. My mum dropped her laptop, got a new one, and the one she dropped still works, so it's mine, and I'm using it to write this essay. It's cracked screen gets my attention when I'm trying to edit blogs. Like this one.

I got my bike for my tenth birthday and I love it. It is very durable, has twenty four gears, and I've had it for a long time, so it feels comfortable riding it. I doubt I'll find a better bike anywhere, but if I do, I'll still keep my old one.

I have an Irish passport: I am an expatriate. I was born in the USA-by the way, my mum is Irish, and my dad is English- then we moved to England, my brother was born there, then we moved to Hungary for four years, and now I am here, in Malaysia.

My mum makes phenomenal chocolate cake, and usually it's gone within three days, courtesy of me and my brother. Chocolate cake is my favorite food, and I can also make it quite well.

I travel a lot, as you have seen from my passport paragraph, but I also go to a lot of places over the vacations, as do most expatriates. I have been to Bali, Phuket, Ankor Watt, although curiously, I have never been to KFC. But anyway, I do get around a lot, but the place I would like to visit most is where I was born: the USA.

As do most people I know, I have a TV. Often, after homework like this, plopping down in front of a screen and sitting there for an hour is quite enjoyable. Most people wouldn't write about watching TV, but I like to write about things most people would overlook as common. But, like everyone, I know that too much will rot your brain. It has been drilled into my skull quite a bit actually.

Well, now you should have a clearer idea of what kind of person I am. If you don't, well, you should probably talk to me for a while. That should clear things up.

Reflection on The Compliment Guys.

I think the Compliment Guys is a really excellent idea. It makes people happy, but more than just that. If someone is stressed, or has low morale, a compliment can make them feel better. A good compliment is almost as good as having a discussion with a councilor. Also, and this is a suggestion for the school, maybe we could have our on "compliments club". A few willing students could stand at the school entrances every morning and give compliments to passers-by. So back to the reflection. I think, tomorrow at school, I'll make a goal to compliment at least 5 people. The Compliment Guys are just normal people with a mission. Making people happy.

I chose this image because it is like the sign that the Compliment Guys were holding. Also, it emphasizes that compliments are "price-less".

Response on Matt Harding Video

I think that the video had a very "feel good" atmosphere. It also touched me that he was dancing with the children in Africa, who were probably quite poor, but they just danced like they didn't have a care in the world. Also, almost everywhere he was, people joined in dancing, from New York to Istanbul, North, South, East and West. There was an exception though. The Demilitarized Zone in North Korea. But, if there wasn't a soldier standing by, and there were normal North Koreans in the room, they would have definitely joined in, and North Korea isn't the best example of globalization.

As for the essay, I totally agree with the statement "Globalization is forcing our brains to evolve." Being able to fly all around the world and see different places makes us more open to other cultures. Also, he says that the new generation will have brains so slightly better suited to the culture and complexity around them. Matt Harding has made an excellent statement, and one which, in the future, I believe will almost definitely become a reality.

I chose this image because it shows people connecting, and Matt Harding's video is all about connecting the earth. Also, from the silhouettes, all of those people look different, and possibly are from different countries.
http://blog.worldvitalrecords.com/2008/01/16/world-vital-records-inc-changes-name-to-familylinkcom-inc/

The Giver Blog Thingymabobby. Question One.

The question is: would you want your future to be decided by others? Why or why not? I think it has it's ups and downs. Some advantages are: if someone else decides for you, they would probably make the right choices because they would have been studying you for a long time. Another advantage is, that, in the community, they are assigned spouses. They know that they would get along, so they put them together, instead of risking you making wrong choices, and becoming unhappy. But the big disadvantage is there would be no freedom, or indeed, real happiness, in your life because you just do what other people want, not what you want. The fun and adventure in life is taken away.

Review of the White Mountains

I liked the book "White Mountains" because it had a very original story line. I like the idea of the Tripods and capping. I also like how the author conveys Will's feelings. All of these are great assets, but there are some things I don't like about the book. For one thing, nothing much really happens. Often, all the author writes about is walking. Another thing I don't like about the book is the ending. One moment they are running away from Tripods, and in the next sentence they are at the White Mountains. Despite these setbacks, I still enjoyed reading the book and am keen to read the second one.

Letter to Will

Dear Will,

My name is Robert Chance, and I have a few questions for you. One is: What really motivated you to leave? Was it Ozymandias, or was it Jack's capping, or a different reason altogether? Also, I was wondering, what made you trust Beanpole? He could have been a spy for the Tripods, sent to track you to the White Mountains. There is a nagging thought inside of me: if Eloise hadn't been sent to serve the Tripods, would you have remained and been capped, betraying your friends for royalty to be with Eloise? Also, do you have any theories on why you didn't remember being inside the Tripod?

If your memory needs jogging, maybe I could voice my opinions on these questions. For the first one, I think that Jack's capping was what created your doubts about staying, and then Ozymandias confirmed it. If I may add, I think you trusted Beanpole because he helped you escape from the man's cellar, and he knew that if he was capped, he wouldn't be able to continue his experiments, so he had a reason to rebel against the Tripods. Frankly, I think you would have stayed at The Castle of the Red Tower, because you were so attached to Eloise, it was only her going to serve the Tripods that made you decide to leave. And lastly, the Tripod could have sedated you before you were able to see inside of it, or maybe you blacked out from the struggle or from pure fear.

Before I finish this letter, I have one more big question to ask you. What will you do to defeat the Tripods, and how will you do it? If I were you, I would try to strike the Tripods at their heart: find their capital city, infiltrate it, and destroy it from the inside. As to how, there are possibly other tournaments like the one at The Castle of the Red Tower. The champion goes to work in a Tripod city, with a false cap of course, and could feed information to the White Mountains. Then, when you have developed suitable technology, you could raid the capital city of the Tripods, presuming you find out where it is, and if your agent survives.

Regards, Robert Chance.

Freedom

The people in the Castle of the Red Tower do not have a will of their own because of caps, machines that constrict thoughts which are controlled by huge, three legged machines called Tripods. No matter how friendly they seem, they are controlled by the Tripods, and thus, they are the enemy of Will, Henry, Beanpole and all the other rebels. Will will do anything to avoid being capped, and to get to the White Mountains, but he has feelings for Eloise, so he discovers that freedom comes at a price.

Band-Creating a void in the mission statement

The International School of Kuala Lumpur provides an exceptional education that challenges each student to develop (silence)the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen. This particular spot creates effective void because we do not know what they want students to develop. Also, before, it said that it challenges students, and this could be an extremely difficult task, or wrong. It also states that it provides an exceptional education, but we do not know what kind of education, it could be, as I said before, something bad.

Snapshot of vacation

On Christmas eve, I could barely sleep. Thoughts of tomorrow kept flitting through my mind, like clouds across the sky. Imaginary clouds, but nonetheless clouds. I tried repeating words in my head to blot them out, but the mental clouds returned. It was impossible! I tried listening for the sound of footsteps to indicate that someone was coming to put presents in my stocking. But then I thought of what I would get and the clouds came back!

I was too anxious to sleep. Nothing I tried would work. I was tired, but my own excitability was my downfall. I cursed all excitement! Clouds or no clouds, I would get to sleep! But then, I eventually fell asleep. And you know how I managed it? Why would I tell you?

When I woke up in the morning, I wondered why I was feeling so excited. Why was there this feeling of euphoria, filling my body? But then I remembered. It was Christmas Day! I rushed to my stocking, feeling ecstatic. I opened my stocking, ripped off the wrapping paper, and gasped with pure pleasure!

Reflections on 6th grade (at least half)

The school year is halfway done, and I'm going to write a reflection. A skill I learned was to read carefully and pick out key information, like in reading the story "Fetch!". A challenge I handled was acting in the school play, and remembering my lines. A skill I want to learn(and everyone who knows me knows this) is organizing my work, my locker is not exactly sparkling clean. I demonstrated the core value Kindness by helping a new student find his way to the bus area, and to his bus. A goal I am going to try to achieve is organizing my locker. I will achieve this by doing a "locker check" every month to clean out my locker. Another one of my goals is getting my homework in on time. I will achieve this by making a "homework to be handed in" folder, and put all my completed assignments in it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!