Blog Post #6

I just finished reading a novel that my Dad wrote.  He just got it published and I was excited to read it when it was in the actual bound, professional style.   I have a very bias view, but I thought it was good.  It was about a 14 inch tall boy who lived in a colony of small people hidden in a world of big people.  He was considered a freak for being the tallest.  The book is for younger kids around 12, but I still liked it.  I liked the adventurous story and i thought that the imagery was fun.  I loved seeing the cover and seeing it as an actual book.  It was so fun to read!!

Book Thief #4

I finished The Book Thief last week.  I thought it was good.  The story wasn't really driven by a suspenseful plot, so by the end I was getting somewhat bored.  Overall, I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it for the people who like books like books like that.  

This is somewhat of a stretch, but the ending reminded me of the movie Titanic.  Liesel, the main character, who was a young girl living in the middle of World War Two, was forced to move to a small town In Germany and live with her foster parents.  She made many friends, her best friend was a boy named Rudy, and she loved her foster parents.  The book itself was nothing like the story of Rose and Jack on the Titanic, but the endings had the same feel.  Throughout the book, Liesel didn't act like a normal German girl should.  She played with boys, stole, and wanted to learn how to read, but most of all she liked the Jews and opposed the Nazis.  This is somewhat like how Rose didn't want to live a rich, lady-like life, and how she opposed her parents.  At the end of the book, the whole town was bombed and nobody survived, much like when the ship sunk and only few survived.  Liesel was the only survivor, and it was only because she was in the right place at the right time, just like Rose luckily floated above the water until the rescue boats came.  Then, her best friend Rudy died in the bombing and Liesel was very sad because she loved him.  This is the same idea in the Titanic when Jack died.  Liesel then moved on in life, got married, and lived like a normal person, just like Rose did.

I think the book really had a powerful ending and I though the characters were very good.  I also like that the book was narrated by death, I don't think the story could have been told in a better way.

The Book Thief #3

I am almost finished with The Book Thief.  In the story as the war goes on, the Nazi's prove to be less innocent.  They march long lines of starving Jews through Liesel's city on the way to the camp.  They whipped Liesel's dad for giving bread to the starving Jews, and forced him to go to war as his punishment.  His job was to pick up dead bodies during  air raids.  The book is really good.  The story is told in a way that makes you feel you are in the story.  It' not very plot driven but you understand the characters so well and it gives you new perspectives on World War Two.  You understand the lives of the average German citizens better, instead of categorizing them all under the idea of Nazi's.  In the story everyone is suffering of hunger and air raids.  Families lose their fathers and even young sons to the war, after being drafted without a choice.  People are taken away for the smallest thought of rebellion and cities are being destroyed.  The feelings of the characters relate very much to those of the characters in Night, and many other WW2 books I have read.  

The Book Thief #2

I have been reading The Book Thief, and it is pretty good.  The book itself doesn't have a suspenseful plot, yet, but it has really good characters.  Each character has a very "human-like" personality with many positive and negative traits.  They interact with each other very realistically.  

I feel the book gives a perfect example of what life was like for an average German family in the middle of World War Two.  The main character's, Liesel's, family does not support Hitler and the Nazi's.  They have been negatively impacted by the Nazi's, but they fake support.  They even are hiding a Jew in their house.  The dad is trying to join the Nazi party to get on the safe side, and in public they pretend to love and "hail" Hitler to stay safe in their Nazi town.  In class when we talked about the by-stander effect and how everyone who knew about the genocide didn't do anything, I think this book answers the question of why.  People either supported  the Nazi's completely or were to afraid to speak out.  Everyone kept quiet about their disagreements, so if people did share the same beliefs, they didn't know it.  People also didn't want to help the less fortunate because they were so worried about themselves.  They either had to completely follow Hitler, weather they wanted to or not, or were going to be taken away/killed.  

I think the book is really good.  It is a great story told in a different way than most other books.  It's interesting to read a World War Two story through a different perspective than most (the German perspective oppose to the jew/genocide victim).  

Outside Reading #1

For my outside reading book I am reading The Book Thief.  The book is different from most of the other books I have read.  The overall book itself is an easy read, but it's filled with vocabulary words that I don't know, which makes it more difficult to read.  The author also writes a few words in German which makes it hard to understand as well.  The book is also written in a unique way that is hard to describe.  The story is told in a very matter-of-fact way.  It has little paragraphs, almost like headlines, spaced in between the paragraphs that basically stop the story to answer a question, and then the story proceeds (kind of like in The Princess Bride when the grandpa talks about the book to his grandson, and the story takes a break).  The book is told from death's perspective.  I think it's interesting the way the story is told.  The book seems as if it is more about the "story of the story" than the "story of the characters", if that makes sense.  The book so far is about a girl living with her foster parents to escape the violence of WW2, and she stole a book, that she can't read.  I am just in the beginning and the story is still building so I don't have anything to say about it now, just that the book itself is interesting.  So far it is good.       

Overcomming odds

I read a little MN state overview of the High School boys hockey game against Hill-Murray on this web page.  Hill Murray was the underdog and Edina was ranked number one.  Edina thought they would win.  Hill Murray would have to overcome the odds to beat Edina.  Edina played a not-so-very-great game against the pumped up Hill Murray team.  Hill Murray won by a lot.  Even though Hill Murray was defined as the underdog, i think Edina was the lesser team that.  They worked hard and played together as a team.  Edina was cocky and lazy.  I think it was a typical underdog-beats-the-best team situation and a typical Edina outcome where we were super cocky.  Hill Murray deserved to win!

Love

I read a lovely poem about love.  It expressed how the writer's love grew like a bud into a flower and always grew bigger.  It was a typical love poem.  I read it on the internet.  I think when you truly love some one, that is great and wonderful.  I personally have never fallen in love before but I bet when I do I wouldn't read that poem to the person I love.  I don't think love can be expressed in a poem like that.  Although, I think the person who wrote it wrote it for love or maybe not, but it wasn't very original and they should not be a poet.

Aztec Research #2

link here

cortez!!!!!

-born in Spain, in Medellin in 1485

-exploring: first went to the Dominican Republic (it was called Santo Domingo) in 1504 at age 19

-he helped in the Spanish conquering of Cuba in 1511

-mexico was discovered by a spanish explorer: de Cordoba in 1518

-cortez went to mexico in march 1519 with 600 men, and horses

-he befriended the Tlaxcalans who were emenies of the aztecs

-he went to inner mexico to Tenochtitlan

-the aztecs rebelled and tried to drive out cortez in june 1520 but cortez conquered them in 1521 and captured thier capital

-he was made gov of Spain in 1523

Aztec Research #1

article link is this

-the Aztecs lived 500 years ago in the central highlands of modern mexico from about 1428-1521 on lake Tetzcoco

-in February 1519, Hernan Cortez arived on the cost of the Yucatan Peninsula  with 11 ships.  the conquered the aztecs land by august 1521

-the aztecs had elaborate calendars, poetry, music, danc, sculptures, jewelry, gardens

-slavery was temporary and voluntary

-divorse was legal: much of the times from abuse: mothers could get custody of thier kids

-women who gave birth were well respected: the ones that died were given honors

-they practiced human sacrifice

-cortez came when Motecuhzoma II was ruling (aka Montezuma)

-the aztecs lived on a grid system and islands and had aquaducts

 

"With the European discovery of the New World, two highly developed civilizations that knew nothing of each other collided, and the consequences, for the Aztecs, were catastrophic. It is estimated that when Cortes first set foot on Mexican soil, about 25 million people lived there. By 1600, the population had shrunk to around one million, due to massacres by Cortes and his Indian allies, the brutality of Spanish colonial rule and low native resistance to diseases such as smallpox and measles transmitted by the Spanish conquerors."

- the aztecs had books, pictographs, to document history and religion and alot of it was destroyed by cortez

-the aztecs were ruled by a semidevine ruler through hereditary things, there was a council

-there were warriors, the aristocracy, merchants, artisans, farmers, and slaves

War

I read an article about the war in Iraq.  The article says how the US troops are making progress in decreasing the violence in Iraq.  It talked about how many people now have jobs and more are being given out so people can get out of unemployment.  This improves the conditions there and improves the lives of people.  I think it is a good thing that we are trying to help the people who need hep but i do not agree with the war.  I support our troops but i think we were there for the wrong reasons.  The war is violent and i hope it will end soon and i hope everything will work out eventually.

Imperialism

I read an article about Puerto Rico.  Puerto Rico is like a US colony in a way.  It isn't faced with imperialism or violent persecution like many others in history, but it does fall under 

US territory and it is not a state either.  The article was about the Puerto Rico baseball team playing the USA baseball team.  Some of the players switched  teams and were questioned for what they thought.  Both teams really want to win and were going to play hard.  I think the US's relationship with Puerto Rico is much better than other situations that have happened in the past.  The people living their are very free and have their own baseball team.  Woo hoo!  

Global Issue

I read an article about Obama and his plans to help fix the environment.  It talked about how he carefully picked people to be on the energy committees and to work on the environment.  He was very careful because our environment is very important and it is very important how he handles the issues.  The environment and global warming one of the biggest global issues right now and the whole world must work together to move in a positive direction.  Obama has been trying to find alternative energy sources and a cost-effective climate change policy.  I hope and believe that the world is begining to take a step in the direction to help the environement.

Holidays

I read a poem about Thanksgiving.  It was written by a regular person expressing their feelings about the holiday.  I think it shows the true meaning if Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to your family and loved ones.  It is a time to show your thanks for everything you're thankful for.  The poem talks about visiting family, which is something I do as well.  The writer also lists a few things he/she is thankful for that she usually doesn't say on a daily basis, which is what my family does at dinner on Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  We only have Thanksgiving in the United States, but other countries and religions celebrate other holidays as well.  Even though there are many different holidays, a lot of them are in honor of something that happened i the past to honor it or remember it.  Thanksgiving is about the day when the Pilgrims came to America and had a feast and were thankful to the Native Americans who helped them.  Christmas is to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus.  The 4th of July is to remember and celebrate our independence. Every holidays is special in a different way to all different kinds of people.

Bollywood

I read the plot summary of Slumdog Millionaire.  Many people think it is a Bollywood movie even though it was produced by an American company.  Slumdog Millionaire is about a boy who went onto the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire".  He grew up uneducated but ended up answering all the questions on the show, but he was suspected of cheating because nobody knew how he knew all the answers.  The movie then was about his life and how he learned all the answers to the questions.  

Slumdog Millionaire is not a Bollywood movie because it was not produced in Bombay, India and it is not a Hindi language film.  It is also not set up the same way as a Bollywood movie is with the lipsinking, dancing, and length of the movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/plotsummary

Culture

I read an article from New York Times about the actresses gowns at the Oscars.  It talked about all the different dresses and what the red carpet fashion experts thought about each one.  They talked about how much free advertisement clothing and jewelry companies got from the women wearing dresses and accessories that they don't even own.  The article also said how people made conservative fashion choices but branding and logos decreased.  Ryan Seacrest was even criticized for not asking the actresses where their gowns were from.  

I thought the article was fun  to read about all the different outfits people wore and what people thought of them.  I also liked to look at the pictures of the dresses since i missed the Oscars on TV.  I think it's funny how the movie awards focus more on the dresses and fashion than the actors and actresses themselves and their talents.  I think it reflects our modern American culture perfectly.  I know in other parts of the world fashion is big too, but here where it's about the expensive dresses and million dollar diamonds, i think it's kind of funny.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/movies/awardsseason/23fashion.html?_r=1&ref=fashion

Change

I have been reading The Secret Life of Bees.  In the book a young girl named Lily ran away from her cruel dad in order to find out about her dead mom.  She and her house keeper moved in with 3 bee ladies.  They farmed bees and produced honey.  In the book her life changed drastically.  Instead of living with her abusing, narrow minded, prejudice dad in a very white community, she moved in with many black women who were very kind and smart.  Even though the change was huge, Lily handled it well and it improved her life.

I think change is fun.  Most of the times it is unavoidable and hard to adjust to.  Some change is hard.  During Hurricane Katrina many people's lives changed drastically.  That was hard change.  But some change is for the better.  When i moved to MN from CA i was sad.  It took a year to adjust to but in the end i was happy i moved.  I have better friends here and i enjoy the snow.  Change can go either way, it can be devastating and it can also be for the best.  In lesser situations i think it depends on the person.  Change depends on if the person likes it or hates it.  For example moving to a new house or ordering a different meal at dinner.  I personally like change but i also know many people who dislike it.

http://www.suemonkkidd.com

Hope

I just read an article about how the deaths in Afghanistan increased about 40% in 2008 due to war-related violence between American and Taliban forces.  There have not been that many deaths since 2001 when the Taliban were driven out.  According to the United Nations survey, fatalities rose in almost every month last year due to fighting in the winter season, which had usually been the calmest time of the year.  Most deaths were causes by suicide bombers and roadside bombs from the Taliban and other anti-government revolt groups.  The United Nations report also said how there were most likely going to be more struggles and deaths because the insurgents purposely plan attacks in civilian areas.  Many people have died and there is still a lot of struggle in Afghanistan.  

I think what's going on in Afghanistan right now is horrible and needs to end as soon as possible.  I think there is still hope to end the violence.  But in Afghanistan it is not as easy to fix as it is to talk about fixing.  Many people have lost hope.  Many civilians have died and many American troops have died as well.  But many people do have hope, even the people who have lost everything.  Obama plans to help and hopes to make a difference.  I think in our country many people who are well off hope for, for example, an ipod for their birthday or hope that the teacher wont collect their math assignment the day they didn't do it.  We are very fortunate living in America that we don't have to hope we don't get shot on the way to school or bombed on the way home.  Just like in Nectar in a Sieve, Ruku hopes it rains one day so the crops grow and her family can eat another meal.  I think we don't experience hope the way people in other parts of the world do.  Many people rely on hope for their futures and hope is necessary to survive.

I read this article at: 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/world/asia/18afghan.html?ref=world

Religion

I have been doing a project in latin, and when I was researching i came across a reading about religion, and how the Romans conquered Brittan and tried to convert the native people.  This reminded me of Nectar in a Sieve because just like the Britton were conquer, so was India and Ruku's village.  In both cases they were taken over and colonized.  They were also taught new ways of life and new beleifs.  The Britons learned about Roman culture and their polytheistic religion of worshiping the gods.  Ruku was introduced to modern civilization and Christianity from the Europeans.  I think it is interesting how history repeats itself.   I also think it's ironic that at one point the Britons were conquered by the Romans and then the Britons conquered the Indians.  I think its all very interesting.

http://www.cambridgescp.com?page.php?p=clc^oa_book3^stage21

Gender Roles

I read an article about how there are more more women in the work force than there are men.  Because of the recession there have been many layoffs.  Women have more jobs in healthcare and education, while men have more jobs in construction and manufacturing, which are less needed.  Women have never before been the leading gender in the workforce, but now they are.  The article also said that women's jobs tend to have less benefits.  They may have less healthcare than mens jobs, which may cause there families to have difficulties if the man has no job.  I thought the article was interesting.  I don't think it is good or bad.  Just because there are more women working right now than men, it doesn't mean they have gained even more equal rights, it just means more of them are working.  I don't have any opinion to this article at all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/business/06women.html?scp=4&sq=women&st=cse

Culture

I read an article about a riot in China.  The short article its self gave a lot of insight into Chinese culture.  Every year there is a huge celebration in the streets.  Many people come to see the dancing dragons and fireworks.  The celebration is very important in Chinese culture.  It brings people together and is enjoyed by all ages.  At the time there was a lot of social unrest in china as well.  At one of the celebrations this year the fire works fell down on the spectators.  It caused chaos and a riot broke out.  The celebrations were then banned for safety purposes, but many people believed it was to tighten control of the citizens.

This article tells us about the different aspects of culture in China.  It showed some of their celebrations.  It also told us about the unrest in China and hoe there are a lot of strikes and revolts.  Lastly it also showed how the government is stricter than the american government.  I like reading about different cultures and i think it is interesting to learn about the differences and similarities.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/world/asia/10unrest.html?ref=world

Struggle to Overcome

I just finished reading the last Harry Potter book.  In the book, Harry went on a long journey to find Voldemort's horcruxes.  Horcruxes are pieces of the soul that make people immortal.  Harry must find them all and destroy thm in order to kill Voldemort.  Harry had a very difficult task in front of him, and many times he felt like giving up.  He worked hard and believed in himself, and he ended up succeeding with the help of his friends.  Even though some times were tough Harry had his friends to help him.

I thought the story had a very good mesage.  It reminded me of the time when my dogs escaped and I couldn't find them.  I searched around the neighborhood, but I couldn't find them.  Later my friend came over and we both searched for my dogs.  We searched for over an hour and finally we found them on the other side of the creek that is near my house.  It reminds me of the Harry Potter story because we both had a hard task to overcome and we did it with the help of our friends.  It also reminds me of Animal Dreams.  Just like Harry Potter, Codi has the task of finding herself.  She finally found herself after a long struggle with the help of a friend, Loyd.  I like both the books Harry Potter and Animal Dreams and how I can compare them to my own life.

Natural Disaster

I read an article about the Northridge Earthquake in Los Angeles, California in 1994.  I chose to look up this article because I was in that earthquake.  At the time, I lived in California and when I was 18 months old the earthquake happened.  The article was written by the Earthquake Engineering Research Center at the University of California Berkely.  It gave the major details of the natural disaster.  At 4:31 am on monday, January 17, 1994 the earthquake struck.  57 people died,  and there were at least 5,000 injuries.  There was more than $20 billion in property damage.  This was the costliest seismic disaster in U.S. history.  I think it is a very interesting natural disaster, and even more interesting that I was in it.

Losing Rights Activity

I thought that the activity was interesting.  At first I gave away the color of my hair, which I don't care about.  Next I gave away being Jewish/Christian, because I am not religious at all.  I then gave away being a 16 year old highschool student, only because it was less important than the other things I had.  Next I gave away my ethnicity.  I am mostly Lithuanian and Sweedish.  I care about it and would not like to loose it but it is not the end of the world, and it doesn't completely define me.  The rest of my cards were a sister, a daughter, a friend, and a girl.  I got rid of being a friend because I would still have my family.  I got rid of being a daughter because I still had my brother.  When it was down to being a girl and a sister I didn't know what to do.  This activity was a little easy because in real life I wouldn't loose my ethnicity, family, or sex.  I chose I would rather be a girl than a sister.  I love my family but I wouldn't want to be a boy.  I thought the activity was fun, but when I thought what would happen in real life, I can't imagine how hard it would be.  I would never want to lose my family or even my ethnicity.  It would be sad and very hard.  I think the activity gave me a good perspective on what had happened to people throughout history.