Hi,
I would like to share my feelings after watching the film "Mississipi Burning".
I think that I do not really like this show because it is quite slow-moving and quite vulgar as well. However, this film was very effective in evoking strong feelings of hate in me against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Before this year, I did not know much about the extent of the racism in Southern USA. By watching the film, I discovered about the cruelty of the KKK and how they silenced the Blacks by using intimidation. I also knew what the term "lynching" meant. I feel very indignant against the KKK and the people who just watched the discriminations but did nothing about it, because all humans are equal, therefore we should accept each other and acknowledge that every human has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. I think that generalisations and stereotypes are not to be accepted too, because they are definitely not true. Violence is just not "cool", because it is not the gentlemanly way to settle disputes. However, I have to admit that I myself have some prejudices against some people, therefore I have to make sure that this thoughts do not become actions. I also have to confess that if I were living in Mississipi at that time, I would have discriminated the Blacks too, so that I would not be bullied by the Whites.
The scene that struck me most was the part where the Ku Klux Klan lynched the Blacks and burned down their houses. The sight of the Black man hanging on a tree made me feel very angry because the Ku Klux Klan were very cruel. It really brought out the theme of prejudice very strongly. Another scene that I enjoyed was the last scene where the Blacks gathered at the burnt down church. I think the producer includes this scene to show that although the KKK were successful in breaking the physical bond among the Blacks by burning down their churches, however they were unable to break up the strong spiritual bond among them.
My favourite character in "Mississipi Burning" is Mr. Anderson, because he has a way with people and knows the perfect way to deal with the Ku Klux Klan. He is also very brave and is willing to stand up for what is right. However, I do not like the fact that he is quite vulgar and violent, as there are always other alternatives to solving a problem. Therefore, I find that Mr. Anderson is my favourite character because he played a vital role in nabbing the Ku Klux Klan and helped the state.
In conclusion, I find that the film is a very good film in teaching about the racism that happened in the Southern USA because its scenes are very useful in bringing out feelings and themes. However, I feel that the film is quite slow-moving, perhaps because it was made in 1988.
Nathanael
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Superstitions
Hi,
I would like to share some of the unique superstitions and give my view on these beliefs.
Some superstitions are listed below:
If you cut an apple in half and count the number of seeds inside, you will hence know the number of children you will have.
However, if a person eats many apples a day, does it mean that the number of children he will have will change? Anyway, the number of children a couple has can be controlled by them and thus I believe that this superstition is not really true.
It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
I have cut my nails on Sunday before but nothing noticeably bad had gone wrong to me. Also, life is full of ups and downs, therefore it is perfectly normal if I get into trouble.
A yawn is a sign that danger will come.
I think that I yawn almost once every day, and science has proven that we yawn because of an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in our body, not when we are going to face danger.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
This is completely untrue.
I think that the reality of superstitions is really up to the person. In my opinion, I think that suprestitions are just things that were made up due to coincidences that happened in the past or when people decided to have some fun scaring their friends. However, I find superstitions quite interesting and enjoy proving them wrong.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
I would like to share some of the unique superstitions and give my view on these beliefs.
Some superstitions are listed below:
If you cut an apple in half and count the number of seeds inside, you will hence know the number of children you will have.
However, if a person eats many apples a day, does it mean that the number of children he will have will change? Anyway, the number of children a couple has can be controlled by them and thus I believe that this superstition is not really true.
It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
I have cut my nails on Sunday before but nothing noticeably bad had gone wrong to me. Also, life is full of ups and downs, therefore it is perfectly normal if I get into trouble.
A yawn is a sign that danger will come.
I think that I yawn almost once every day, and science has proven that we yawn because of an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in our body, not when we are going to face danger.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
This is completely untrue.
I think that the reality of superstitions is really up to the person. In my opinion, I think that suprestitions are just things that were made up due to coincidences that happened in the past or when people decided to have some fun scaring their friends. However, I find superstitions quite interesting and enjoy proving them wrong.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
My Favourite Character
Hi,
I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and would like to share my favourite character in this story.
My favourite character in the story is Atticus because he is very wise and always maintains his cool throughout the story despite being the one who is always facing some sort of adversity. I have utmost respect and admiration of Atticus because he is an ideal father to me and a role model for me to follow. There were certain instances in the story which the author includes to invoke the feelings of respect that I feel towards him. For example, he would allow Scout to cuddle in his lap every night reading The Middle Section, showing that he is a very caring father who is willing to spend time to build up on the relationship with his children. However, not many fathers in Singapore are willing to put aside their busy schedules to ensure that they are close with their families. Therefore, I respect Atticus for this point. Also, when Bob Ewell threatens to kill Atticus and even spits in his face, Atticus just wiped the saliva off his face and replied Bob Ewell in a polite manner. If he were me, I would have taken no hesitation to deal a stinging blow onto his cheek and spit on him ten more times! I am extremely amazed at the way Atticus is able to curb his temper. Next, Atticus teaches his children very good and insightful values like putting ourselves in others' shoes and that having prejudices is wrong. Most importantly, Atticus has a very strong sense of justice. He was willing to defend Tom Robinson even though it put him at risks like getting confronted by a lynch mob. However, many people do not have the courage to stand up for the right thing because they fear the bad things that would happen to themselves. All these examples are the reason why my favourite character is Atticus.
However, in reality, I do not think that I would be able to find such a good man because Atticus is just a fictional character in a book. Even so, I hope to model after his wisdom and courage. I hope that every boy in the world would have the same dream as me!
Nathanael
I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and would like to share my favourite character in this story.
My favourite character in the story is Atticus because he is very wise and always maintains his cool throughout the story despite being the one who is always facing some sort of adversity. I have utmost respect and admiration of Atticus because he is an ideal father to me and a role model for me to follow. There were certain instances in the story which the author includes to invoke the feelings of respect that I feel towards him. For example, he would allow Scout to cuddle in his lap every night reading The Middle Section, showing that he is a very caring father who is willing to spend time to build up on the relationship with his children. However, not many fathers in Singapore are willing to put aside their busy schedules to ensure that they are close with their families. Therefore, I respect Atticus for this point. Also, when Bob Ewell threatens to kill Atticus and even spits in his face, Atticus just wiped the saliva off his face and replied Bob Ewell in a polite manner. If he were me, I would have taken no hesitation to deal a stinging blow onto his cheek and spit on him ten more times! I am extremely amazed at the way Atticus is able to curb his temper. Next, Atticus teaches his children very good and insightful values like putting ourselves in others' shoes and that having prejudices is wrong. Most importantly, Atticus has a very strong sense of justice. He was willing to defend Tom Robinson even though it put him at risks like getting confronted by a lynch mob. However, many people do not have the courage to stand up for the right thing because they fear the bad things that would happen to themselves. All these examples are the reason why my favourite character is Atticus.
However, in reality, I do not think that I would be able to find such a good man because Atticus is just a fictional character in a book. Even so, I hope to model after his wisdom and courage. I hope that every boy in the world would have the same dream as me!
Nathanael
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Putting Myself in another person's Shoes
Hi,
I would like to explain on the term "to put yourself in another person's shoes" and thinking about what personal qualities that are needed to see things as someone else does.
I think that putting oneself in another person's shoes is very important in life, as it can help to reduce the number of quarrels in the world. When we put ourselves in another person's shoes, it means that we take a moment to think about the other party's situation and try to come up with a rationale of why he/she is behaving like that. For example, if I am doing a project with Person A and I contribute almost everything while Person A does nothing, I should try to understand his situation before carrying out an action towards him. Perhaps Person A is struggling with a loss of a family member and does not have the time or mood to do the project. Therefore, it is quite important to put oneself in another person's shoes so that we can think before we act and can hence come up with a more righteous and accurate judgement of a person. This will also enable us to prevent certain arguments from happening.
However, putting oneself in another person's shoes in not as easy as think. In order to carry out this action, we need to learn to possess certain characteristics. One such characteristic is sensitivity. We need to be sensitive to one another's feelings so as not to provoke their feelings and understand them better. We also need to be very patient and take time to listen to what the other person has to say. Objectiveness and fairness are also key qualities needed to ensure that we can have an unbiased view of the whole picture. Last but not least, I believe that we have to be very understanding and forgiving, because it is the key to maintaining a good, peaceful relationship with the other party by trying to understand that his/her way of life might be different from ours.
In conclusion, I think that I should learn from the character Atticus in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" because he is always able to put himself in other people's shoes, instilling great respect in me for him. I hope that everyone in the world will be able to do this simple action so that the world will become a happier place to live in.
Nathanael
I would like to explain on the term "to put yourself in another person's shoes" and thinking about what personal qualities that are needed to see things as someone else does.
I think that putting oneself in another person's shoes is very important in life, as it can help to reduce the number of quarrels in the world. When we put ourselves in another person's shoes, it means that we take a moment to think about the other party's situation and try to come up with a rationale of why he/she is behaving like that. For example, if I am doing a project with Person A and I contribute almost everything while Person A does nothing, I should try to understand his situation before carrying out an action towards him. Perhaps Person A is struggling with a loss of a family member and does not have the time or mood to do the project. Therefore, it is quite important to put oneself in another person's shoes so that we can think before we act and can hence come up with a more righteous and accurate judgement of a person. This will also enable us to prevent certain arguments from happening.
However, putting oneself in another person's shoes in not as easy as think. In order to carry out this action, we need to learn to possess certain characteristics. One such characteristic is sensitivity. We need to be sensitive to one another's feelings so as not to provoke their feelings and understand them better. We also need to be very patient and take time to listen to what the other person has to say. Objectiveness and fairness are also key qualities needed to ensure that we can have an unbiased view of the whole picture. Last but not least, I believe that we have to be very understanding and forgiving, because it is the key to maintaining a good, peaceful relationship with the other party by trying to understand that his/her way of life might be different from ours.
In conclusion, I think that I should learn from the character Atticus in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" because he is always able to put himself in other people's shoes, instilling great respect in me for him. I hope that everyone in the world will be able to do this simple action so that the world will become a happier place to live in.
Nathanael
Making a Fair Judgment
Hi,
I would like to share my views on what I think is involved in making a fair judgment about a person or situation.
First of all, the person making the judgement must not have prejudices against any party and must not even have a preference on one side over the other even before the matter happened. This is very essential because prejudices and preferences will greatly affect the outcome of the decision. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, event though the jury of Tom Robinson's court case were presented with a lot of substantial evidence to prove that Tom Robinson was not guilty of rape, the jury were still influenced by their prejudices against African-Americans and sentenced Tom Robinson guilty of rape.
Secondly, I think that the person must be upright and not corrupt. The judge needs to have a clear distinction between what is right and wrong before being able to come up with a fair judgement. The judge must also be strong enough to resist the temptations of bribes from either party if it is a court case.
Next, the person making the judgement must take time to understand the whole matter so that his judgement will be fair. If one does not know the facts of a person/situation and jumps to conclusions, his judgement will be very inaccurate and unfair. Therefore, it is very crucial for a person to be patient and understanding in order to make a fair judgement of a person/situation.
Finally, a fair judge needs to be someone wise. The judge needs to be able to interpret some facts or data and come up with a relevant and accurate inference or statement about the person/situation. Wisdom will aid the judge in making a fair judgement and even help him to come up with a solution to help the person or situation.
A fair judgement is very rare, as people are too lazy to bother about the steps to take to make one. However, I believe that an unfair judgement can result in unwanted consequences and can hurt one party very badly. Therefore, I think that we should try not to judge anyone or anything if we know that we are not good judges. I suggest that should a judgement really be needed, that one should ask a few other trustworthy friends for their opinion.
In conclusion, there are many factors and characteristics of a person that can influence his judgement. However, I believe that the objectiveness, wisdom, trustiness and patience of a person will help him to come up with a fair and good judgement of a person/situation.
Nathanael
I would like to share my views on what I think is involved in making a fair judgment about a person or situation.
First of all, the person making the judgement must not have prejudices against any party and must not even have a preference on one side over the other even before the matter happened. This is very essential because prejudices and preferences will greatly affect the outcome of the decision. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, event though the jury of Tom Robinson's court case were presented with a lot of substantial evidence to prove that Tom Robinson was not guilty of rape, the jury were still influenced by their prejudices against African-Americans and sentenced Tom Robinson guilty of rape.
Secondly, I think that the person must be upright and not corrupt. The judge needs to have a clear distinction between what is right and wrong before being able to come up with a fair judgement. The judge must also be strong enough to resist the temptations of bribes from either party if it is a court case.
Next, the person making the judgement must take time to understand the whole matter so that his judgement will be fair. If one does not know the facts of a person/situation and jumps to conclusions, his judgement will be very inaccurate and unfair. Therefore, it is very crucial for a person to be patient and understanding in order to make a fair judgement of a person/situation.
Finally, a fair judge needs to be someone wise. The judge needs to be able to interpret some facts or data and come up with a relevant and accurate inference or statement about the person/situation. Wisdom will aid the judge in making a fair judgement and even help him to come up with a solution to help the person or situation.
A fair judgement is very rare, as people are too lazy to bother about the steps to take to make one. However, I believe that an unfair judgement can result in unwanted consequences and can hurt one party very badly. Therefore, I think that we should try not to judge anyone or anything if we know that we are not good judges. I suggest that should a judgement really be needed, that one should ask a few other trustworthy friends for their opinion.
In conclusion, there are many factors and characteristics of a person that can influence his judgement. However, I believe that the objectiveness, wisdom, trustiness and patience of a person will help him to come up with a fair and good judgement of a person/situation.
Nathanael
Childhood Memories
Hi,
I would like to share my childhood experiences when I read about Scout's experiences in the book "To Kill A Mockingbird".
I find that every child is very innocent and I think that the way the author portrays Scout is very true and realistic. For example, Scout does not know the true meaning of marriage and gets engaged to Dill at a very young age. This reminds me of how I used to cheer my kindergarten classmate on as he proposed to a girl from our class. I did not really understand the concept of marriage then and thought that it was a very simple and happy occasion that one can plan anytime he/she wants to. Scout also had very creative imagination, just like me when I was young. However, instead of playing 'Pretend' like Scout and imitating other people, my favourite childhood pastime was to come up with very weird stories including monsters under the bed. Although this often gave me nightmares, I loved to exchange stories with my sister or my friends. As a child, Scout was also very defensive and never thought anything as her fault. Once, Ms Caroline Fisher showed her disapproval for being able to read in Year 1, causing Scout to hate Calpurnia for teaching her how to read. I remember an incident when I accidentally kicked a ball too high, knocking over a family photo and damaging the photo frame. Although my parents politely asked what had happened, I became defiant and blamed the wind for blowing my ball too high. I was just too stubborn at that time to acknowledge my mistake.
I think that every child is as innocent, stubborn and creative as Scout and I was, but the things that all of us do in our childhood is what makes every child distinct. I really enjoyed the times that I had and I really feel like travelling back in time to where there were no worries in life other than wearing my diapers. I really hope that every child in the world will treasure this precious span of time and make the fullest use of every second.
Nathanael
I would like to share my childhood experiences when I read about Scout's experiences in the book "To Kill A Mockingbird".
I find that every child is very innocent and I think that the way the author portrays Scout is very true and realistic. For example, Scout does not know the true meaning of marriage and gets engaged to Dill at a very young age. This reminds me of how I used to cheer my kindergarten classmate on as he proposed to a girl from our class. I did not really understand the concept of marriage then and thought that it was a very simple and happy occasion that one can plan anytime he/she wants to. Scout also had very creative imagination, just like me when I was young. However, instead of playing 'Pretend' like Scout and imitating other people, my favourite childhood pastime was to come up with very weird stories including monsters under the bed. Although this often gave me nightmares, I loved to exchange stories with my sister or my friends. As a child, Scout was also very defensive and never thought anything as her fault. Once, Ms Caroline Fisher showed her disapproval for being able to read in Year 1, causing Scout to hate Calpurnia for teaching her how to read. I remember an incident when I accidentally kicked a ball too high, knocking over a family photo and damaging the photo frame. Although my parents politely asked what had happened, I became defiant and blamed the wind for blowing my ball too high. I was just too stubborn at that time to acknowledge my mistake.
I think that every child is as innocent, stubborn and creative as Scout and I was, but the things that all of us do in our childhood is what makes every child distinct. I really enjoyed the times that I had and I really feel like travelling back in time to where there were no worries in life other than wearing my diapers. I really hope that every child in the world will treasure this precious span of time and make the fullest use of every second.
Nathanael
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