Masterpiece
I remember my first year at school
where my zipper refused to go
It was a real tragedy as I really needed the loo
Still the artillery had to be let loose
and boy did the chappies guffawed
I remember my second year at school
where I met my first paper where I failed the rise above the "C"
Boy were my parents pissed
They hissed and nagged and whacked
till I was sore and dreary all over
I remember my third year at school
where I met the needle
it was a real shame when it made me weep
And the worst part was
Not even the girls did
I remember my fourth year at school
where I faced my first separation with my classmates
I lost my best friend and my friends
And met a whole new group of strangers
It was like the beginning of school again
I remember my fifth year at school
where exams suddenly got a whole lot tougher
And the school's excuse was that it was to get us better prepared
for the exam of our lives
After that year I had probaly met the cane a hundred times
I remember my last year at school
where nothing was ever bright again
how I yearned the days when I was P1
to be able to tell myself
Hey it is 6 more years until the big day
School is a dreadful place
You are never free
with a mind that had been wired to score
To be driven on force till you perform
Even now after primary school it is still the same
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Favourite poem
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
Figurative language
There are actually many types of figurative language namely, hyperbole, personification, metaphor, simile and symbolism. In this case there is no hyperbole involved but there are some personification here. For example "the dark street winds and bends", "smoke blows black", "where the chalk white arrows go" The writer probaly used this figurative language so as to try to add some life to the poem by making some of the actions carried out by non - living things seem like it is carried out by humans. Instead of saying the dark street was curvy, the writer uses a verb and says it winds and bends.
The next figurative languaage is a metaphor. Here are a few examples from the poem, "peppermint wind", "crimson bright", "soft and white". The writer used this as something like a gauge. For example "peppermint wind", it is actually trying to show just how cool the wind was, as cool as peppermint. Also it desribed how bright the sun was and how supple the grass were. As for the figurative language simile, it is just like metaphor except it must be linked to the word with "as... as...". So in this case there is no simile.
The last figurative language is symbolism which is the most complicating of them, it is actually a phrase or a word that symbolizes emtion, thing, etc. (Not to be confused with metaphor.) Some examples of symbolism would be "asphalt flowers", "chalk - white arrows". The asphalt flowers, which is the road, symbolizes just how ridden of nature the city is and the chalk white arrows, the white strips on the road, also mean the same thing.
Why I like this poem
Firstly I like this poem as there is a lot of interpreting that had to be done while reading the poem. Also it seemed to carry a message unlike the other the poems which was to save the beauty of nature. Also the way they conveyed this message was really elegent where they first start of by describing all the beautiful things about nature, of the birds, greenery and the sun. Then they move on to describe how gloomy the city is by talking about how sad the people are by their footstep and artificial flowers (asphalt flowers). The title was also very catchy and also required a lot of thinking to actually figure out what it meant. All in all the reason why I liked the poem is because there had to be a lot of thinking unlike other poems which were pretty staright foward.
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
Figurative language
There are actually many types of figurative language namely, hyperbole, personification, metaphor, simile and symbolism. In this case there is no hyperbole involved but there are some personification here. For example "the dark street winds and bends", "smoke blows black", "where the chalk white arrows go" The writer probaly used this figurative language so as to try to add some life to the poem by making some of the actions carried out by non - living things seem like it is carried out by humans. Instead of saying the dark street was curvy, the writer uses a verb and says it winds and bends.
The next figurative languaage is a metaphor. Here are a few examples from the poem, "peppermint wind", "crimson bright", "soft and white". The writer used this as something like a gauge. For example "peppermint wind", it is actually trying to show just how cool the wind was, as cool as peppermint. Also it desribed how bright the sun was and how supple the grass were. As for the figurative language simile, it is just like metaphor except it must be linked to the word with "as... as...". So in this case there is no simile.
The last figurative language is symbolism which is the most complicating of them, it is actually a phrase or a word that symbolizes emtion, thing, etc. (Not to be confused with metaphor.) Some examples of symbolism would be "asphalt flowers", "chalk - white arrows". The asphalt flowers, which is the road, symbolizes just how ridden of nature the city is and the chalk white arrows, the white strips on the road, also mean the same thing.
Why I like this poem
Firstly I like this poem as there is a lot of interpreting that had to be done while reading the poem. Also it seemed to carry a message unlike the other the poems which was to save the beauty of nature. Also the way they conveyed this message was really elegent where they first start of by describing all the beautiful things about nature, of the birds, greenery and the sun. Then they move on to describe how gloomy the city is by talking about how sad the people are by their footstep and artificial flowers (asphalt flowers). The title was also very catchy and also required a lot of thinking to actually figure out what it meant. All in all the reason why I liked the poem is because there had to be a lot of thinking unlike other poems which were pretty staright foward.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Comparism between rural and urban life.
Work
In a rural lifestyle the people have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to start a hard day's work either fishing, farming or doing some other agriculture work as in a rural area there really is not much education. As for the urban lifestyle they also do wake up early but most of the people of such a lifestyle usually work at the desks and do paperwork. The salary of the workers of the different lifestyle also differ with the people doing agriculture ranging the most as the work they do largely depend on the weather whereas the work people of the urban lifestyle do is rather fixed. But there are also some similarities. For example even in a developed area there are still people who are blue collar workers who still have to work under the sun and wake up really earl such as construction workers. There are also some people whose salaries vary as they do businesses and it depends on whether people need their products. It is especially for people who sell winter wear as people only start buying their products during the winter solstice.
Education
In the education area many things are similar in terms of the two lifestyles. The people of the different lifestyles still learn how to count figures, read and write. Except that in an urban lifestyle more emphasis is place on education, people in such a lifestyle have much better facilities, have competitions, etc. Also in an urban lifestyle most people learn till university but as for a rural lifestyle most of the people drop studying after primary school education to help out in the fields. Also in the things they teach differ with the urban lifestyle learning things that help them survive in a world where everyone is competing against everyone else like critical thinking and independence. Whereas in a rural lifestyle none of these is taught, only basic things like grammar, reading, writing and arithmetic.
Lodging and family
For lodging in an urban lifestyle the houses are very nicely decorated, nice walling and also with every thing inside like entertainment and toilets. Unlike in rural lifestyle with the houses without decorations, without entertainment devices and even without toilets. This is because most people living in rural areas cannot be bothered with decorating their houses with all the other things they have to worry about. They only regard their home as a place for shelter and nothing else. They also do not build their sanitation areas inside the homes as they do not have drainage systems and do not wish to pollute their homes. As for a typical urban families, both the parents are the breadwinners while the mother has an extra role which is being the home keeper while the children are just there to learn and have fun. But in the rural areas most families are a bit more different with both the father and sometimes the children helping out with the fishing or farming jobs as there is too much for the parent. While the mother is the home keeper. But there is one scenario which is similar for both lifestyles which is having a dysfunctional family. That means to have one or both parents unable to work and thus the jobs of sustaining the family is tossed to the children. Although this is more common in the rural areas there are also such things in the urban areas.
In a rural lifestyle the people have to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to start a hard day's work either fishing, farming or doing some other agriculture work as in a rural area there really is not much education. As for the urban lifestyle they also do wake up early but most of the people of such a lifestyle usually work at the desks and do paperwork. The salary of the workers of the different lifestyle also differ with the people doing agriculture ranging the most as the work they do largely depend on the weather whereas the work people of the urban lifestyle do is rather fixed. But there are also some similarities. For example even in a developed area there are still people who are blue collar workers who still have to work under the sun and wake up really earl such as construction workers. There are also some people whose salaries vary as they do businesses and it depends on whether people need their products. It is especially for people who sell winter wear as people only start buying their products during the winter solstice.
Education
In the education area many things are similar in terms of the two lifestyles. The people of the different lifestyles still learn how to count figures, read and write. Except that in an urban lifestyle more emphasis is place on education, people in such a lifestyle have much better facilities, have competitions, etc. Also in an urban lifestyle most people learn till university but as for a rural lifestyle most of the people drop studying after primary school education to help out in the fields. Also in the things they teach differ with the urban lifestyle learning things that help them survive in a world where everyone is competing against everyone else like critical thinking and independence. Whereas in a rural lifestyle none of these is taught, only basic things like grammar, reading, writing and arithmetic.
Lodging and family
For lodging in an urban lifestyle the houses are very nicely decorated, nice walling and also with every thing inside like entertainment and toilets. Unlike in rural lifestyle with the houses without decorations, without entertainment devices and even without toilets. This is because most people living in rural areas cannot be bothered with decorating their houses with all the other things they have to worry about. They only regard their home as a place for shelter and nothing else. They also do not build their sanitation areas inside the homes as they do not have drainage systems and do not wish to pollute their homes. As for a typical urban families, both the parents are the breadwinners while the mother has an extra role which is being the home keeper while the children are just there to learn and have fun. But in the rural areas most families are a bit more different with both the father and sometimes the children helping out with the fishing or farming jobs as there is too much for the parent. While the mother is the home keeper. But there is one scenario which is similar for both lifestyles which is having a dysfunctional family. That means to have one or both parents unable to work and thus the jobs of sustaining the family is tossed to the children. Although this is more common in the rural areas there are also such things in the urban areas.
The Village by the Sea presentation
Role
Our role for the Village by the Sea presentation was the Environmentalists.
Contributions
Basically the environmentalists consist of a few characters that were against the idea of building the string of factories. Some of the environmentalists include Sayyid Ali Sayyid and Adarkar. Adarkar was the leader of the group which was protesting against building a factory in Thul and Sayyid Ali Sayyid was joining him. They reckoned that if such a thing were to happen the effluents from the factory would poison their lands and in turn their crops and poison their sea and in turn their fishes. Also if such a thing were to happen they would not be able to live as they depended on sea and land for their livelihood. Both also reckoned that even if they were to be able to find jobs after that, they would be given the most ill - paid jobs like working as coolies and sweepers as they do not have any qualifications. Thus Adarkar who was joined by Sayyid Ali Sayyid brought the villagers with him to go to protest against the government from using their precious land to build factories that will poison their crops and the sea.
Reflections
Personally I feel that the construction of the factory will not be such a bad thing. Yes, it is true that the villagers might lose their crops and the fish because of it but only might. I mean it is only an assumption that the environmentalists were making, the factory workers only might dump the waste from the factories into the sea and onto the land. Moreover the probability of them doing such a thing would be lower after catastrophes like the mercury poisoning incident as a result of this as the factory now knows the consequences of such a thing. Also the building of a factory might benefit the villagers than make their life worse as it is better to work in a factory than in the fields or out fishing. This is because it is really tiring to work in the fields, the villagers would have to work very long hours under the hot sun. The job also depends mostly on the weather or in other words, your luck. Should there be a monsoon the fishermen would not be able to sail for the fear of strong winds and the fields would be flooded. There are also many other weather conditions to consider other than just monsoons so it is really up to your luck on whether you will earn money or gain nothing and instead incur losses. Whereas if you were to work as a coolie or a sweeper, your pay might be low as per compared to other jobs offered in the factory but at least you have a monthly pay unlike farming or fishing where it depends on whether you strike it lucky. But if such a thing were to happen I feel that the villagers should just adapt and acquire new skills to help them earn some money in the factories like what Hari did.
Our role for the Village by the Sea presentation was the Environmentalists.
Contributions
Basically the environmentalists consist of a few characters that were against the idea of building the string of factories. Some of the environmentalists include Sayyid Ali Sayyid and Adarkar. Adarkar was the leader of the group which was protesting against building a factory in Thul and Sayyid Ali Sayyid was joining him. They reckoned that if such a thing were to happen the effluents from the factory would poison their lands and in turn their crops and poison their sea and in turn their fishes. Also if such a thing were to happen they would not be able to live as they depended on sea and land for their livelihood. Both also reckoned that even if they were to be able to find jobs after that, they would be given the most ill - paid jobs like working as coolies and sweepers as they do not have any qualifications. Thus Adarkar who was joined by Sayyid Ali Sayyid brought the villagers with him to go to protest against the government from using their precious land to build factories that will poison their crops and the sea.
Reflections
Personally I feel that the construction of the factory will not be such a bad thing. Yes, it is true that the villagers might lose their crops and the fish because of it but only might. I mean it is only an assumption that the environmentalists were making, the factory workers only might dump the waste from the factories into the sea and onto the land. Moreover the probability of them doing such a thing would be lower after catastrophes like the mercury poisoning incident as a result of this as the factory now knows the consequences of such a thing. Also the building of a factory might benefit the villagers than make their life worse as it is better to work in a factory than in the fields or out fishing. This is because it is really tiring to work in the fields, the villagers would have to work very long hours under the hot sun. The job also depends mostly on the weather or in other words, your luck. Should there be a monsoon the fishermen would not be able to sail for the fear of strong winds and the fields would be flooded. There are also many other weather conditions to consider other than just monsoons so it is really up to your luck on whether you will earn money or gain nothing and instead incur losses. Whereas if you were to work as a coolie or a sweeper, your pay might be low as per compared to other jobs offered in the factory but at least you have a monthly pay unlike farming or fishing where it depends on whether you strike it lucky. But if such a thing were to happen I feel that the villagers should just adapt and acquire new skills to help them earn some money in the factories like what Hari did.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Alice in Wonderland the movie
What I liked about the movie
Well in the movie I am finally able to see how Alice grows when she eats something and how she shrinks when she eats something, this is very nice to see as in the book I can only picture how it may look like. Also in the movie there was a lot of tension and fighting scene which is integral to a good movie so it was quite eye - catching too. Also the producers still managed to keep the movie original with other characters such as the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, the Knave, etc. appearing and not adding in too many other characters. It was also quite a good continue from the previous movie with the Wonderland creatures wanting Alice back to help them but it gets a bit complicated from there.
What I disliked about the movie
As said from the above, after Alice returns to Wonderland it starts to get complicating. Firstly she realises there is more than one Mad Hatter, then she realises she must get a all - mighty sword to slay some divine monster but along the way she must save the Mad Hatter who had been captured. All in all it is unlike the book version where the storyline is Alice has fallen down a hole where it leads to a Wonderland and she must get out. Also the Alice in this story is unlike the previous Alice who is always curious, whereas this Alice seems to be following a script where she has to achieve things now instead of just wandering about this land and finding a way out. Also the Mad hatter does not seem as mad as before which causes it to be less original than before, there also seems to be less exploring of the Wonderland.
Differences
As stated in the above, Alice has changed in terms of curiosity which means that there is a great deal less exploring than the book. Also in the the book it used to be more suited for children with cute - looking talking animals and weird foods that cause someone to shrink or grow. Whereas in the movie it is less childlike with the Mad Hatter turning much more serious than before and slaying of creatures.
Well in the movie I am finally able to see how Alice grows when she eats something and how she shrinks when she eats something, this is very nice to see as in the book I can only picture how it may look like. Also in the movie there was a lot of tension and fighting scene which is integral to a good movie so it was quite eye - catching too. Also the producers still managed to keep the movie original with other characters such as the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, the Knave, etc. appearing and not adding in too many other characters. It was also quite a good continue from the previous movie with the Wonderland creatures wanting Alice back to help them but it gets a bit complicated from there.
What I disliked about the movie
As said from the above, after Alice returns to Wonderland it starts to get complicating. Firstly she realises there is more than one Mad Hatter, then she realises she must get a all - mighty sword to slay some divine monster but along the way she must save the Mad Hatter who had been captured. All in all it is unlike the book version where the storyline is Alice has fallen down a hole where it leads to a Wonderland and she must get out. Also the Alice in this story is unlike the previous Alice who is always curious, whereas this Alice seems to be following a script where she has to achieve things now instead of just wandering about this land and finding a way out. Also the Mad hatter does not seem as mad as before which causes it to be less original than before, there also seems to be less exploring of the Wonderland.
Differences
As stated in the above, Alice has changed in terms of curiosity which means that there is a great deal less exploring than the book. Also in the the book it used to be more suited for children with cute - looking talking animals and weird foods that cause someone to shrink or grow. Whereas in the movie it is less childlike with the Mad Hatter turning much more serious than before and slaying of creatures.
Is the Village by the Sea an adventure story?
Adventure story pattern
Problem
Hari's family is in a state of poverty.
Solution
Hari decides to go to Bombay to find Mr. da Silva and ask him for a job and bring home some money so that his family can sustain.
Obstacles
Mr. de Silva was not in Bombay anymore as he had returned to Thul and Hari was at loss of what to do.
Meet someone who helps him
Hari caught the attention of the Seabird watchman, Hira Lal, and Hira Lal brought him to Jagu who helps take care of Hari and offers him a job. Later Hari also meets Mr. Panwallah who offers him a job as a watch mender and that allowed him to earn some more money.
Comes home ...
Hari arrives home with his earnings and his family is finally able to afford the necessities such a large family needs.
Is The village by the Sea very much like an adventure story?
Well in my opinion I think the Village by the Sea is very much not like an adventure story as the time Hari's adventure (as can be seen above) took place Lila herself was also having an adventure which was unheard of in an adventure story with two adventures taking place. Even so Lila's adventure was not even an adventure, for example when she was finding the medicine man. Yes, she meets a problem which was that her mother's illness was getting worse and Lila finds a solution which was to find Hira Bai whom had some medical herbs with her and ask for her help, the obstacle was that she had run out, the person they met that "helped" them was the medicine man Hira Bai had asked them to see. But in the end the medicine man never did help them and Lila's mother was still ill. This proves that Lila did not even have an adventure back in Bombay and thus shown that the Village by the Sea is not an adventure story as only Hari was having an adventure and the other main characters were not. But at least the last part of the book was like an adventure story where there was evidence that there would be a part two where the factory would be built and Hari had to find other ways to sustain his family.
Problem
Hari's family is in a state of poverty.
Solution
Hari decides to go to Bombay to find Mr. da Silva and ask him for a job and bring home some money so that his family can sustain.
Obstacles
Mr. de Silva was not in Bombay anymore as he had returned to Thul and Hari was at loss of what to do.
Meet someone who helps him
Hari caught the attention of the Seabird watchman, Hira Lal, and Hira Lal brought him to Jagu who helps take care of Hari and offers him a job. Later Hari also meets Mr. Panwallah who offers him a job as a watch mender and that allowed him to earn some more money.
Comes home ...
Hari arrives home with his earnings and his family is finally able to afford the necessities such a large family needs.
Is The village by the Sea very much like an adventure story?
Well in my opinion I think the Village by the Sea is very much not like an adventure story as the time Hari's adventure (as can be seen above) took place Lila herself was also having an adventure which was unheard of in an adventure story with two adventures taking place. Even so Lila's adventure was not even an adventure, for example when she was finding the medicine man. Yes, she meets a problem which was that her mother's illness was getting worse and Lila finds a solution which was to find Hira Bai whom had some medical herbs with her and ask for her help, the obstacle was that she had run out, the person they met that "helped" them was the medicine man Hira Bai had asked them to see. But in the end the medicine man never did help them and Lila's mother was still ill. This proves that Lila did not even have an adventure back in Bombay and thus shown that the Village by the Sea is not an adventure story as only Hari was having an adventure and the other main characters were not. But at least the last part of the book was like an adventure story where there was evidence that there would be a part two where the factory would be built and Hari had to find other ways to sustain his family.
Fairy tale pattern vs. Village by the Sea
Fairy tale - The Princess and the pea
Protagonist in unhappy situation
The Village by the Sea - Hari and Lila's family is in a state of poverty with their father being a drunkard, their mother ill and two simblings to take care of.
Fairy tale - A prince who sets out to find a princess but cannot seem to find the perfect one.
The situation worsens
The Village by the Sea - Hari runs off to Bombay to find a job leaving Lila to care for the household, Mother's illness worsens, Pinto is killed by the Khanekar brothers and they threaten to kill the the girls.
Fairy tale - The prince is unable to find a suitable princess and comes home sulking as he wanted a princess so badly.
Protagonist receives unexpexted help
The Village by the Sea - Hari finds a job in Bombay and receives a monthly salary, Lila and her two sisters are offered jobs fom the de Silvas and the de Silvas later bring their mother to the hospital while their father stops drinking toddy to take care of their mother.
Fairy tale - A princess enters the prince's castle to seek shelter from a storm and the Queen decides to test if she was really a princess by seeing how delicate her skin was by putting a pea beneath twenty matresses and the princess still felt the pea proving she was a princess as only princesses had such delicate skin.
Protagonist is rescued from unhappy situation
The Village by the Sea - Hari brings home his earnings and brings some happiness to the family for a while and his mother is cured and his father stops drinking.
Fairy tale - The prince marries princess and they live happily ever after.
Parts left out in the Fairy tale pattern in The Village by the Sea
For one the part where Hari's family lives happily ever after is left out. Unlike the Princess and the pea story where the situation is completely resolved and the prince found a princess and such a problem shall nver occur again, it is different for Hari and his family. After solving the current problem which is curing his mother's illness and rescuing his family from poverty, there is still the problem of the factory to worry about. To counter this problem Hari has to find another job in Thul other than fishing and farming as the factory would poison the land and sea ridding the land of fertility and the sea of its fishes. in this case Hari has acquired the skill of watch mending which might help him earn some money should the people from the factories come once the factory is built allowing him to earn some money. Still this might not help Hari earn enough money and he and his family might just fall into poverty again, so this is not like a fairy tale as it does not necessarily be a "happily ever after".
Protagonist in unhappy situation
The Village by the Sea - Hari and Lila's family is in a state of poverty with their father being a drunkard, their mother ill and two simblings to take care of.
Fairy tale - A prince who sets out to find a princess but cannot seem to find the perfect one.
The situation worsens
The Village by the Sea - Hari runs off to Bombay to find a job leaving Lila to care for the household, Mother's illness worsens, Pinto is killed by the Khanekar brothers and they threaten to kill the the girls.
Fairy tale - The prince is unable to find a suitable princess and comes home sulking as he wanted a princess so badly.
Protagonist receives unexpexted help
The Village by the Sea - Hari finds a job in Bombay and receives a monthly salary, Lila and her two sisters are offered jobs fom the de Silvas and the de Silvas later bring their mother to the hospital while their father stops drinking toddy to take care of their mother.
Fairy tale - A princess enters the prince's castle to seek shelter from a storm and the Queen decides to test if she was really a princess by seeing how delicate her skin was by putting a pea beneath twenty matresses and the princess still felt the pea proving she was a princess as only princesses had such delicate skin.
Protagonist is rescued from unhappy situation
The Village by the Sea - Hari brings home his earnings and brings some happiness to the family for a while and his mother is cured and his father stops drinking.
Fairy tale - The prince marries princess and they live happily ever after.
Parts left out in the Fairy tale pattern in The Village by the Sea
For one the part where Hari's family lives happily ever after is left out. Unlike the Princess and the pea story where the situation is completely resolved and the prince found a princess and such a problem shall nver occur again, it is different for Hari and his family. After solving the current problem which is curing his mother's illness and rescuing his family from poverty, there is still the problem of the factory to worry about. To counter this problem Hari has to find another job in Thul other than fishing and farming as the factory would poison the land and sea ridding the land of fertility and the sea of its fishes. in this case Hari has acquired the skill of watch mending which might help him earn some money should the people from the factories come once the factory is built allowing him to earn some money. Still this might not help Hari earn enough money and he and his family might just fall into poverty again, so this is not like a fairy tale as it does not necessarily be a "happily ever after".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)