Kassy's Blog

Lesson on Finland

2009-03-26T09:59:00.007+08:00

Today in Global Ethics class, Max also gave his lesson on Finland. Max's objective for this lesson was to inform us of the environment and environmental policies in Finland.

Max firstly gave us a very general overview of the environment in Finland. He then went into some detail about the information. The activity we participated in was to read an article on recycling in Finland and then tell the class one or two things we learned from the article. This activity helped us to get a better understanding of the amount of waste produced in Finland and the steps being taken to reduce this waste. This activity directed contributed to the overall objective of the lesson because it helped to clarify some of the more general points talked about in the lesson.

1. Critical Thinker and Problem Solver - I read the article and comprehended the information.

2. Effective Communicator - I shared what I drew from the article to the class effectively i.e. the class could understand what I was saying.

3. Person of High Character - I paid attention in class and was a good listener. This way, I was able to understand the information given.

My Lesson on Denmark

2009-03-26T09:47:00.003+08:00

Today I gave a lesson on my country of study, Denmark. The objective of my lesson was to give a class a general overview on Denmark, and discuss the concept of an ideal country.

The activities which I included in my lesson were 'jigsaw' and 'visual organizer'. For visual organizer, I had a keynote which contained all the facts I wanted to get across, and also a movie. For jigsaw, I assigned every student two pieces (and in some cases, one), on a time period in Danish history. I then asked the students to read the excerpt/s, become experts at their assigned piece, and then report back to the class in chronological order. The keynote helped me achieve my lesson objectives as it was an easy and attractive way of presenting the information. The jigsaw helped to achieve the lesson objectives as it was a more appealing and easy way for the students to learn about history, which sometimes can be considered boring. By sharing the load, the students do not feel as overwhelmed.

1. Critical Thinker and Problem Solver - The students had to read two passages and pick out the most important parts from these passages. Having the ability to do this is a very important skill for research.

2. Effective Communicator - After the students had read the passages, they were to present back to the class. The students were able to report back to the class on what they learned and in this process, also teach the class.

3. Community Contributor - The students participated in the discussion at the end and shared their thoughts. This was contributing to the community as the others in their class could learn about their views.

Lesson on Austria

2009-03-23T09:39:00.010+08:00

In Global Ethics class today, Kevin presented a lesson on Austria. The overall objective I took from this lesson was firstly, to learn some information about Austria, and then learn about the idea of xenophobia and its relation to other concepts.

Kevin firstly presented us with historical facts which would help us later on in the lesson. He also gave us some commonalities of these historical facts. We were then asked to do a quickwrite on a piece on xenophobia in Austria after reading an article. The quickwrite helped to achieve the objective of the lesson because firstly, it got us thinking, and secondly, it enabled us to gain a better understanding of the situation in Austria, and then come to our own conclusions and thoughts as to why this may be. After this, we argued some prompts which were related to the objective. This helped to achieve the objectives because it gave us the opportunity to use the historical facts that had been given and use them to form an effective argument.

HIS student outcomes

1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: I wrote down my thoughts when we were given the information. I also used this information to argue prompts and ultimately, come to a conclusion.

2. Active Learning: I did my own research on the prompts given, and then made an argument based on this research.

3. Effective Communicator: I presented my argument for the prompt. I was able to define the terms, make an argument, support it with historical examples, and then finish with a conclusion.

Governmental Systems in Ancient Greece

2009-02-03T22:00:00.014+08:00

What was the governmental system in Ancient Greece? What do you think of this system?

Ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages in 1100 BCE to the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BCE The Ancient Greeks had many different types of governmental systems during this period. Plato wrote The Republic in approximately 380 BCE., so I will focus on the governmental systems before and around this time.

During the Dark Age, city-states developed in Greece. These were firstly ruled by kings, with advice from wealthy nobles. By about 750 BCE, the nobles had overthrown the kings to become the rulers. Many tyrants soon came to power in many Greek city-states as a result of revolutions. However, they were soon replaced by an oligarchy, in which a few wealthy citizens, instead of the nobility, ran the government.

In 594 BCE, a statesman named Solon reformed the laws by ending the practice of enslaving debtors, dividing citizens into classes by wealth, and defined the rights and duties of each class. He also wrote up a code of law. After Solon left office, civil war broke out, and in 560 BCE, a tyrant took control. In 508 BCE, Cleisthenes, another Athenian statesman, made Athens into a democracy. He extended voting rights to all free adult men and created a council of 500 members which was open to any citizen. This gave all citizens a chance to serve in the government.

During the 500's BCE, a lot of Greek city-states in Asia Minor were under the rule of the Persian Empire. Many of these city-states then rebelled against their Persian rulers. Although the Athenian army was outnumbered, it defeated the Persian army in 490 BCE at the Battle of Marathon. In 479 BCE, the Greek city-states defeated another Persian invasion.

During the 400s BCE, Athens reached its height of power and prosperity. The leading Athenian statesman at the time was called Pericles. Greece was at the center of culture in the Greek world, leading to what would be referred to as The Golden Age in 477 BCE.. The Golden Age, however, came to an abrupt end in 431 BCE with the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, a war between Athens and Sparta. During 430 BCE, a severe plague hit Athens; it killed approximately a third of its citizens, including Pericles. Athens then lacked able leaders during the rest of the war and finally surrendered.

Sparta's dominion lasted only a very short time before fighting among city states resumed. As a result of the continuing warfare, the quality of life declined, the economic conditions worsened, violent clashes between the rich and the poor became frequent, people grew less public spirited and more self centered, and the city-states lost their vitality.

I think the first form of government was not beneficial to the citizens. Many Greek farmers owned a very little amount of land, and had to borrow money between harvests to survive. When the farmers could not pay their loans, they lost their lands and were forced into slavery. The merchants and manufacturers had wanted a greater voice in government, but the nobility refused to share any power.

I think the next development of city-states run by tyrants, too, was not the best form of government. At first, the tyrants were able to help their followers. They distributed farmlands to the landless and found jobs for people working on large public building projects. However, the tyrants eventually grew more concerned with keeping their power than with helping the citizens.

I think a democracy is probably the best governmental system out of the ones I have stated above. The citizens had a voice in the government; people got to have a say in what their country, or in this case, state is doing. The Athenian democracy was the first democracy in the world and laid the foundations for many countries to follow.

Baraka Reflection

2009-01-22T11:31:00.010+08:00

Baraka is a film that has no narrative, which focuses on the world through time-lapse photography and videos of nature and landscapes. This film was astoundingly beautiful. There were many different cultures that were portrayed in the film, from those in East to those in the West. The film also juxtaposes the chaotic pulse of human life in cities such as New York and Japan to the silence and tranquility in the natural world. The film had footage from all over the world combined with a very suitable soundtrack to each particular "section" of the film.

I think the movie is about the beauty of the world. The director chose to focus on the cinematography so that we, the audience, can see the simple splendor in everything around us. He also chose to film from all around the world, displaying the diversity of the world. We are living a very busy lifestyle, as portrayed in the particular chaotic "section" of the film, which ended with a man with a painted face screaming. We then, sweep directly into the next section of the film. In this section, the pace of the film and the soundtrack slows tremendously from the section before, giving us a feeling serenity. The director is telling us that although our lives are hectic, we should take a break and enjoy the world. He is also saying that there is still much unappreciated magnificence in the world; we just need to take the time to discover this within our environment.

Parable for Ishmael

2008-12-07T23:14:00.004+08:00

There was once a very rich and ambitious man. He had everything he could ever want. One day, he realized there was something he wanted which he did not already have. He realized he had yet to possess his very own city.

And so, the man set about building his own city. He built the most wonderful city there ever was. Railroad, banks, apartments, restaurants, parks, all the things one could ever want in a city. When the city was complete, he found people, and invited them to live in this wonderful city of his. The conditions were perfect. The economy was thriving, the people were happy, and no one could ask for anything more.

Then one day, something disrupted the perfect city. A building sunk into the ground. The man, however, was not worried. He simply said to himself, "Not to worry, I have enough money; I will build a new one in place of the old one." And so he did. Things were back to normal, and everyone was happy again.

And then, another building sunk into the ground. The man thought nothing of it, and built a new one in place of it. However, the buildings did not stop sinking. The buildings sunk one after the other and the man built and built and built. However, the man could not win. The buildings were disappearing into the ground much faster than he could build them. One day, the man woke in despair to find that all the buildings had gone. The city was no more.

The man wandered around his "city" in despair, wondering what had led to its collapse. He had hired the best company. He had used the best materials. He had maintained the excellent conditions of the buildings. He had... Suddenly, his foot sunk into the ground. The man looked down and saw that he was standing on nothing other than sand.

Instinct Reflection

2008-12-07T19:12:00.011+08:00

This film outdid my expectations. After a look at the film's IMDB page prior to watching the film, I hadn't expected much. I think, however, you have to have read Ishmael to understand better what the film was about. I think the film was a good tie-in with Ishmael, but I preferred the book.

"It's the game. The game, Ethan. And I was so good at it. I made sure all the right people liked me. At night, I'd go through the checklist in my mind: Am I cool with Ben Hillard? Am I cool with Dr. Josephson? Am I cool with all the people who can help me? Am I cool with all the people who can hurt me? Nobody thought I was weak or a loser. There was nobody I was offending, nobody I loved. That game, Ethan. But guess what? You taught me how to live outside of the game. You taught me how to live. And you know what scares me even more? That I'm going back in."

I feel this part of the film was most powerful to me. I knew exactly what Theo was talking about. We spend all our lives trying to please the right people. No matter what we feel, no matter what we want, we put on this facade and pretend that we are fine with everything. We do the sort of things, and please the sorts of people that will get us places. We try our hardest not to offend anyone, and if we do, we apologize straight away. But what's most horrible is the fact that we have become so accustomed to this game that we cannot, we will not, live outside of it. For many of us, we don't even realize that we are playing this game...

I, too, want to learn how to live. I, too, want to learn how to live outside the rules, outside the game, outside the restrictions set upon me by both myself and society. I want to be able to experience freedom for myself, instead of vicariously.

Freedom is not a dream. Both the film and Ishmael give a very strong sense of hope at the end. There is some security in knowing that we can break free, tear down the bars, and save not only ourselves, but the world too. As Ishmael said, our task "is not to reach back but to reach forward."

Christmas Movie

2008-11-28T18:21:00.022+08:00

~~This is for SRC MEMBERS ONLY!~~

~~Here are the movies that we are thinking about. You might want to take a look at their IMDB ratings...Some of them are pretty low...~~

~~Vote for 4 (FOUR) that you think would be suitable. Yes, you can choose FOUR movies on the poll. Please only vote ONCE. Please do this by Sunday night, December 30th! Thanks! :]~~

POLL IS NOW CLOSED. RESULTS ARE SHOWN ABOVE. The four movies are: Elf, The Nightmare Before Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life and When a Stranger Calls.

Reflection on Section 10 in Ishmael

2008-11-26T19:01:00.004+08:00

"And every time the Takers stamp out a Leaver culture, a wisdom ultimately tested since the birth of mankind disappears from the world beyond recall, just as every time they stamp out a species of life, a life form ultimately tested since the birth of life disappears from the world beyond recall." (Ishmael)

This quote reminds me simultaneously of the Wade Davis and E.O. Wilson TED talks. It brings back the idea that the Leavers and other forms of life are quickly becoming extinct, and we, the Takers, aren't doing anything about it. In fact, we are the ones that are destroying them.

Takers are self-absorbed fools. All we seem to care about is the continuation of production of things that will lead to a better lifestyle. We only have knowledge of "what works well for production", but we lack the necessity of wisdom of "what works well for the people". Because of this, we destroy all other cultures and species, as they supposedly get in the way of our production. We do not realize that these Leavers are really the ones with the knowledge we lack, and that we have much to learn from them. Although we see that each Leaver culture has very specific knowledge as to what works for each of their respective cultures, their tastes, preference and vision of the world, they are still enacting the story which we are unable to enact, the one we should be enacting.

What makes us even bigger fools is the fact that although we don't know what works for us, we are not willing to find this solution. We are not willing to figure out what's best for us. We are not willing to take a look beyond our culture, to the past, to the Leaver culture, and figure out what it is that makes them successful in life, as to say. Instead we turn to prophets and lawgivers. These prophets and lawgivers give us the supposed one right way to live. And we follow. We teach our children the same. We do not realize that these prophets and lawgivers are like us, men, and people of the Taker culture. We do not realize that they too, have no idea as to what works for us. Instead, we follow blindly, for we cannot fathom the answer ourselves.

Driven by money, power, production, and the desire to conquer, we will not stop until we have destroyed the world, and everyone and everything else with it. We have been traveling down a path that has diverged from our past, the leavers. We have traveled much too far to look back and realize we took the wrong fork in the road, to even see the past. It's time to stop. It's time to realize that things are not going to work out for us, for the rest of the world, if we continue. We are destroying cultures, species, the earth. Is this a price we want to pay?

Letter from Zimbabwe: The Destroyer

2008-11-19T21:28:00.008+08:00

How does Mugabe seem to see himself in regards to the Tree of Knowledge?

"What does it matter that I'm weary of living as a murderer of all the life around me? I know good and evil, and this way of living is good. Therefore I must live this way even though I'm weary unto death, even though I destroy the world and even myself...I will grow without limit. To be limited is evil. I will steal the fire of life from the hands of the gods and heap it up for my growth, and that will be good. I will destroy those kinds that do not serve my growth, and that will be good...And because these things are good, they must be done at any cost. It may be that I'll destroy the garden and make a ruin of it...to grow without limit is good and to accept the limits of the law is evil...And if the groans of my progeny fill the air throughout the world, I will say to them, 'Your sufferings must be borne, for you suffer in the cause of good. See how great we have become! Wielding the knowledge of good and evil, we have made ourselves the masters of the world, and the gods have no power. Though your groans fill the air, isn't it sweeter to live in our own hands than in the hands of the gods?'" (Ishmael, page 163).

Robert Mugabe is the very essence of the Adam in the passage above. He has eaten off the Tree of Knowledge and deluded himself into thinking that he has the knowledge of what is good and what is evil. To him, whatever he can justify doing is good. It is because of this falsified belief that Zimbabwe is at the state it is now. The inflation rate of 11 million per cent, the desolate houses, the reeducation camps, the violence, the malnutrition and starvation, the HIV/AIDs rate, the low life expectancy rates, the black markets, the corruption, the bribery, the kleptocratic style of government are right, for Mugabe can justify his doing so. After being omnipotent for 28 years, Mugabe has become so engrossed in his vision and thirst for power that the killing and murdering and the people no longer matter; he has to continue to grow without limit. He has to wipe out everything that is in his way so that he may live with in his own hands, rather than the hands of the gods.

The vision of "empowerment", providing the people with the power to do something, was merely his excuse, his justification to do all the things he has done. It was merely a way to reach his goal of being the gods' equal, and living without limits. The schemes to benefit black "indigenous Zimbabweans" have been used by those in positions of authority and influence to benefit themselves. Mugabe and his circle are living an updated lifestyle of the whites that were driven away by Mugabe. This is rather ironic, and reminds me of the pigs in Animal Farm. Mugabe liberated his country from white colonists, yet he became like one himself. In his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mugabe said "Those who falsely accuse us of violations are themselves international perpetrators of genocide, acts of aggression, and mass destruction." To him, those who "falsely" accuse them are evil, for they do not serve his growth.

He is insatiable. He cannot and will not stop. He has to continue to grow. He knows what he is doing. He knows the state of his country. But to him, they are nothing. According to Paul Verryn, Mugabe hasn't "'lost it'...he knows exactly what he is doing...he's politcally astute, and he thinks this is the way you run a country." To him, these things are right. These things are good. He can and will pay any cost for growth, for power.

Indeed, Mugabe and his supporters believe that what he is doing is good. Zimbabwe and its people are no longer in the hands of the gods. Mugabe's nephew, Leo, said, "By 2010, we will be flying!" His supporters believe that Mugabe is their "own Moses". At the UN General Assemby address Mugabe said Zimbabweans were now "masters of their own destiny."

Mugabe and his country are spiralling downwards towards collapse and destruction because he is deluded in thinking he has the knowledge of good and evil. The gods had warned us. Now we can only hope that Mugabe will realize, or rather, admit that he has no such knowledge, and leave his, and his country's destinies to the gods. The same goes for the Takers, for on the day we eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, we were doomed to die. Now we can only hope that there is a way out of this, that there is a way to prevent us from devouring ourselves.

Click here for the full New Yorker article on Robert Mugabe.

Reflection on Dance at DongMen Mall

2008-11-16T13:59:00.005+08:00

Last tuesday, our dance class and advanced art class went to the Dongmen Mall to film a piece for Arts Night. Here are some reflection questions on the process.

How did the site of DongMen alter the choreography that you created in the classroom?

My group was assigned the site of the roof for our piece of choreography. We were told that it was an open space with a clothes line. We came up with the idea that we should hang clothes off of the clothes line, and have the camera zigzag its way through the clothing on the clothes line. When we got there, however, we saw that there was no way we could have used the clothes line because it was actually further out than we had thought and we could not reach it. Because of this, we had to get rid of the section of choreography that included the clothes line, and modify it so that we could perform without it. Instead, we hung the clothing off ourselves. However, that was again further modified because it did not create an eerie enough feel.

Most of the choreography remained the same though because our site was simple: an open space. We did not have to deal with escalators or hallways like the other groups had to. We had choreographed our dance for an open space, and an open space was what we got. However, we did make sure that we spread out more, and used bigger actions because there was much more space available to us than we had actually expected.

Now that you know this site better; If you were to go back to Dongmen what would you add or subtract from your choreography to make it stronger?

Now that I know the site better, I would probably include more people in our dance routine. We had a lot of space, and it felt a lot emptier than it did when we practiced it inside the dance classroom. Six people can only use up so much room, no matter how big their actions are. I think the choreography would been stronger if we had more people, and therefore, would not have as many empty spaces. I don't think I would take anything away from our choreography except the clothing hanging off the dancers, but we already did that, so I would only add more to it. I think I would probably plan for more effective use of the space. I feel we were somewhat restricted to a small proportion of what we were given. We could have done this by having more people in the routine, as mentioned before, or moving around more. I also think we should have done something involving the wall that was behind us.

E.O. Wilson Talk and Ishmael

2008-10-19T17:04:00.011+08:00

"There may be the temptation to treat biosphere holistically and the species that compose it a great flux of identities hardly worth distinguishing one from the other, but each of these species, even the tiniest, are masterpieces of evolution. Each has persisted for thousands, even millions of years. Each has adapted exquisitely to the environment in which to live, interlocked with other species, to form the ecosystems upon which our own lives depend in ways we have not even begun to imagine. We will destroy these ecosystems and the species composing them at the peril of our own existence. And unfortunately, we are destroying them with ingenuity and ceaseless energy."

The connection between Ishmael and E.O. Wilson's TED talk is simply summed up by the excerpt above from Wilson's talk. Humans constantly place ourselves in the center of everything. We believe that the world was made for man, and man was made to conquer it. And so, we set out to conquer. We exterminate everything that we think will threaten our survival. We do not realize that everything plays a role in the world. We do not realize that if we destroy our ecosystem, we will not be able to live. We do not realize this, for maybe it is our nature not to realize. Or perhaps it is Mother Culture whispering in our ear, telling us that the world was made for humans, and humans alone.

We are much too proud to realize that our lives are dependent on things that are not under our control. Take for example, the 500 species of bacteria living symbiotically in each person's mouth and throat. These bacteria are necessary to each person's health as they hold off pathogenic bacteria. In our vanity, we do not explore the vast domain of hidden biodiversity. Why? Because there is no need to. We believe that in no way are these tiny organisms related to us.

Instead, we choose to destroy these species. We believe that man is set out to conquer, and achieve glory. Hobbes believed that the nature of man is comprised of competition, diffidence and glory. We conquer for gain. We conquer for safety. And lastly, we conquer for reputation. Humans are so set on what we believe is our destiny, and our survival, that we will do anything to make sure we achieve our goal and fulfill our destiny. We don't realize the harm we are causing to the world and the other species of the world.

Our ethnosphere is disappearing, our biosphere is disappearing, our world is falling apart. What we do not realize is that man is a part of the world. We exempt ourselves from the laws of life. So we do not see that with the collapse of the world, man will follow. We do not realize that it is "the law that fosters life for all - life for the grasses, life for the grasshopper that feeds on the grasses, life for the quail that feeds on the grasshopper, life for the fox that feeds on the quail, life for the crows that feeds on the dead fox," or that it is the law that has been followed for centuries by all the living organisms.

We need only to look at the concept of the A, B, C society to see interconnectedness. The As depend on the Bs, the Bs depend on the Cs, and the Cs depend on the As. The same can be applied to the human world. Everyone, and everything is interconnected on some level. Humans just don't realize it, and so we set about destroying the Bs and the Cs of the world (Of course humans consider themselves the As, for A comes first) without any thought for the consequences.

We are free-falling, experiencing the thrill of freedom of air, without the realization of what is to come, and, as Wilson said, "flying blind into our environmental future."

Laws for Building Civilizations

2008-10-14T20:20:00.006+08:00

There are laws to be discovered about how a civilization is to be built, and man is ignoring them. What do you think about this?

I think firstly that man is unaware of these laws. However, it is not to say that we have not been warned. We need only to look in history to see civilizations passed, civilizations that have collapsed. Man is too ignorant and naive for his own good. And in some ways, we are too vain. We think that we can conquer everything.

We can only look so far ahead of us. We are exhilarated by the freedom of air during our flight. We can see that the ground is rising towards us, but we can't see further than that. We can't see that it is going to keep rising. We choose to live in the moment. We don't consider the future. We don't consider consequences. All we care about is now, the thrill of this freedom of air, and the marvels that come with it. We can't see that at the rate we are going, the world is going to be deplete of all its resources, and our civilization will collapse.

We can only look so far behind us. By looking back at our recent history, we see all the wonderful achievements we have made, and we therefore assume that we will continue this trend. We think that all we need to do is continue what we are doing, perhaps work a little harder, pedal a little faster, and all will be well. We will continue to conquer, to achieve great things, to enjoy the freedom of air. Soon, man will rule the universe.

We refuse to look further, either forwards or backwards. Maybe it is because we simply can't see so far. Maybe it is a deliberate attempt to ignore the past and the pending. Humans are afraid of what they don't know. So maybe we don't want to see what's coming because we are afraid. Maybe we want to outwit fate, to prove that we can conquer everything. Or maybe it is Mother Culture, whispering in our ears, telling us that everything will be fine. Things have been fine with the way we have been doing things, why then, do we need to start changing?

I have never considered that there be a law for building civilizations, or about how to live, but now, I am just worried for us humans. I hope that we can realize what we are doing, and that we can't wait anymore. Things are going to get worse, and they are going to get worse at an accelerating rate. I hope that we realize there is no way we can defy a law, no matter how hard we try. I hope we realize that if we don't do something now, our civilization is doomed.

The world was created for us

2008-10-05T19:53:00.011+08:00

I am a cat. The world was created for us. We have an account of how we came to be, but it certainly is no myth. We are very rational and incredibly intelligent. We accept only ideas that are proven by indisputable evidence.

About ten or fifteen billion years ago, the universe was created. Then our solar system was created about two or three billion years ago. Nothing happened for a long time. Then after a billion years or so, life appeared on Earth. At first, it was microorganisms and bacteria. Microorganisms evolved into higher and more complex forms. Evolution continued. More and more complex forms were created. Life spread to the land and evolved into amphibians. Amphibians evolved into reptiles. Reptiles evolved into mammals. And then, the cat appeared!

The universe was obviously created for us. The Earth revolves around us. Night was created for us, so that we may prowl and explore. Land was created for us, so we could live on it. Trees were created for us, so that we could climb and perch on them. The sea was created for us, so that fish we feed off could thrive in it. Mice, birds and other animals were created for us, so that we could entertain ourselves by chasing, hunting and feeding off them.

We are the most advanced race. Humans may think that they are more advanced than us, but in Ancient Egypt, cats were widely worshiped as a cult. To them, we were and still are, a symbol of grace and poise. We were also mummified to the same degree as humans. Humans have also done their part to create a lot of things for us. Cat food was created so that we could enjoy eating it. High buildings were built so we could jump off them. Wool and string were created so we could play with them. This is only to name a few; a lot of human-made things were created for us because we are so important.

Not only are we advanced, we are also a diverse race. We are spread all over the world, from the lions in the jungles of Africa to the cats that live with humans in cities. The cats that live with the humans choose to do it. We are not enslaved in any way by the humans. We can leave them any time we want. We live with them simply because they entertain us or we enjoy their company. In this way, humans were created for us too.

Evolution stopped once it reached the cat. There is nothing more to come. Things that are made after our creation are merely things that were created for us, to help fill various aspects of our lives such as food, shelter, entertainment and so on. We are the center of the world; there is no evidence that disproves this.

Stranger in a Village

2008-09-25T20:43:00.005+08:00

What is Baldwin's intent in writing Stranger in a Village?

Baldwin uses Stranger in a Village as social commentary on the treatment of blacks and the idea of white supremacy, especially in America.

"There is a dreadful abyss between the streets of this village and the streets of the city in which I was born, between the children who shout Neger! today and those who shouted Nigger! yesterday—the abyss is experience, the American experience. The syllable hurled behind me today expresses, above all, wonder: I am a stranger here. But I am not a stranger in America and the same syllable riding on the American air expresses the war my presence has occasioned in the American soul."

This paragraph is central to the essay, and is also part of Baldwin's intent in writing this piece. He is comparing the difference in treatment of blacks in Europe and America. He is criticizing the American experience for shaping the way Americans think and treat others.

Baldwin wishes to bring across the message that throughout history, blacks have gone through nightmare after nightmare of being "trapped in history, and history [is] trapped in them."
He also uses this essay to explain and bring awareness to the "rage" and "contempt" that the black people feel against their treatment.

Baldwin is expressing his belief that white people should no longer "keep the black man at a certain human remove because it is easier for him thus to preserve his simplicity and avoid being called to account for crimes committed by his forefathers, or his neighbors.Blacks have been outcasted and treated like strangers for too long. "[N]o other people has ever been so deeply involved in the lives of black men, and vice versa." It is time for change; it is time for equal treatment for "[t]his world's white no longer, and it will never be white again."

Ethical and Social Rules

2008-09-19T23:56:00.015+08:00

How do we become conscious of the ethical and social rules in our societies?

Are humans born inherently good or evil? If we are born good, then straight from the beginning, we would always do what is right. We would not defy the ethical and social rules; we would act according to them. I would like to believe that humans are born good. I don't think, however, that I have really given this idea enough thought and decided on an answer to be able to write about it, so I will approach this question another way.

One could say that we are born neither good or evil. It is later in life that we make these decisions, decisions that will change the way we go about the rest of our lives. When we are born, we do not have a sense of right and wrong. We do not know what defines right, or what defines wrong, or why there is even such a thing as right and wrong in the first place. I think we become conscious of the ethical and social rules in our societies by external factors, such as through experiences and what we are taught.

When we are young, we are taught what is right and wrong because we are unable to see the difference between them. We generally accept what we are taught, once again, because we are too young to question authority. However, as we grow older, we may begin to question what the adults have taught us; we may decide that we want to make these decisions for ourselves (generally when people are in their teenage years). This means, we try things. We try things that we have been taught as "wrong", just to see what would happen, what it would feel like and what the consequences will be. Through experiences such as these, we would then know that we can do things that are wrong, but we would probably feel an overwhelming sense of guilt and would have to face the consequences of our actions. However, once again, the idea of "Are humans born inherently good or evil?" is brought up here. If a person is born inherently evil, they may not feel guilt for doing something "wrong" and continue doing it.

Through experience, we become conscious the ethical and social rules the hard way, but it is this way that is probably the most effective. As we grow up, we also become exposed to the harsh reality of the world. We become more experienced to a point where we can develop a common sense; and do what is right to lead a good life.

However, I have often pondered why there is a good and bad in the first place. What defines good and bad? Why is killing a bad thing? Most of us despise killing, and this sentiment in some ways, prevents most of us from committing this crime. Is there some sort of proof that killing is bad? How do we characterize the actions that are bad from those that are good? Is there proof that killing is a bad thing? Maybe we don't become conscious of ethical and social rules afterall. Maybe having ethical and moral knowledge is impossible...

Reflection on Borges and Davis Talks

2008-09-16T22:42:00.009+08:00

In Global Ethics class, we watched two TED talks. One by Phil Borges called Documenting our Endangered Cultures and the other by Wade Davis called The Worldwide Web of Belief and Ritual. I will focus mainly on the talk by Wade Davis because it appealed to me more.

Both Borges' and Davis' talks were about endangered cultures and the disappearance of our ethnosphere. Borges talked about a program that links indigenous kids with the US kids in order to expand the insular views of the US. Davis talked about a myriad of different cultures and their viewpoints on life, the purpose of life and providing possible answers to the fundamental question, "What does it mean to be human and alive?"

The different cultures Davis spoke about really intrigued me. For I had heard of some of these cultures before, yet I had never really taken the time to understand their philosophy, or their outlook on life. Davis, in his talk, using only a few examples of different indigenous cultures, really struck me. I began to discern, and understand the different views of the world. I had never given much thought to the different cultures of the world for I was ignorant and selfish. Growing up in a so-called "advanced" society, I thought of nothing but myself. I did not know much about cultures other than our own; I did not care for cultures other than our own. I had a vague understanding for different cultures, but I had never thought them important enough to pay attention to. But after listening to this talk, my eyes were opened. I was, and people like the "old" me are, the reason that these amazing cultures are disappearing, unknown and unappreciated.

Some believe that we are all brothers and sisters. As Davis put it, "All people are merely cultural options, different visions of life itself." This brings up the idea that different peoples and societies choose to pursue different things. For example, in the west, we choose to pursue technology; we choose to advance our race. However, some indigenous people choose not to pursue such technology or advancement, rather, they spend their time in nature, appreciating its beauty. We chose to pursue knowledge that will put us out into space, while the Polynesians chose to pursue knowledge of the sea. We all began the same; we just made different decisions that led us towards separate paths. Who are we to judge these indigenous people if we are all interrelated?

We made our choice, and in the same way, they made theirs. Just because they chose to pursue things different than our own, we think of them as inferior and "unadvanced". This is such a falsified belief. When you strip us down, back to where we started, we are all the same. We all feel, we all go through life, wondering and searching for our purpose. We just chose different ways to find the answer to this question, subsequently creating different cultures. We are but a small part in the world. We may consider ourselves advanced but what about the indigenous people? They are, in their own way, advanced also. They just chose to pursue different aspects of life, aspects of life we have neglected. We see these people as primitive and inferior but we do not even consider that they do not do the same to us. Some of them even pray for us, we who have harmed our world. They forgive us for our wrongdoings to them and the world. But we are so vain and ignorant as a people that we do not understand that they too, deserve respect. Davis said that these cultures are not "failed attempts at being us or being modern." Rather, we should take on the perspective that they are just unique answers to the question of what does it mean to be human and alive?

Every two weeks, a language becomes extinct. Of the 6000 languages spoken in the world, only 3000 are taught to children. The world is losing its diversity. Cultures are either being assimilated or lost completely. We are losing what makes us a world.

In the end, it all comes down to choice. Our choice to pursue advancement, knowledge and technology has led us to where we are today. The indigenuous people's choice to pursue things different to us has led to the diversity in the world. We may choose to continue living the way we are, unaware of the dying ethnosphere. We may choose to learn, understand and appreciate cultures we have never heard of before. We may choose to think of the indigenous people of the world as inferior and primitive. We may choose to see them as our equals, and learn from them. Every choice leads us towards a different road, a different journey for us to travel. There is a way, a way to treasure the diversity in the world and it starts now. We need to begin to take small steps in humbling ourselves. We need to go back to the beginning, to the time when we were all the same. We need to go back to this time and learn. We need to learn from these cultures, not only that, we need to learn to help preserve these cultures. They are what makes our world the way it is, a rich tapestry.

What aspects of human life over the past several thousand years could be likened to a gorilla going from a forest to a zoo?

2008-09-09T21:21:00.010+08:00

Unknown to many of us, human life is bound by many limitations. Both limitations brought about by society and limitations that were brought about by ourselves. In this age, our minds and subsequently our speech and actions are controlled by factors unknown to us.

Before civilization came about, there was just man and nature. The man could live freely, as nature does not expect any favours from him, or any actions that he has to abide by. Man could do whatever he pleased for he has no need or desire to please others or nature. Man's mind was free to wander into the depths and realms that had yet to be discovered.

I am not critiquing religion or its principles but by putting our faith into God, or any other form of religious idol, we automatically snap ourselves into the grid of religious laws and principles. Unlike nature, religion has expectations of us. Using Christianity as an example, the first and foremost of these expectations is faith; we need to blindly put our faith into God and his existence. The other expectations then follow, such as the ten commandments, and following Jesus' teachings in the New Testament. We believe in God, therefore we must do what he expects of us. Religion constrains us, in order for us to live a life of good. Choosing to put our faith in God is like choosing to put ourselves into an invisible cage which limits what we do and think.

In the beginning, it was man and nature. Nowadays, it is society. Although it may seem so, we are never alone, and we are not entirely free. In accordance with Michael Foucalt's theory of Panopticism - the idea of behaviour control through constant surveillance, our behaviour will be influenced by the constant surveillance, much like in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. In this sense, our behaviour is influenced by society. Society, in this case, is the surveillance, exerting control over us. Society, like religion, expects many things from us. In our postmodern world, we are actually constantly controlled by the power of society. We are not free; in order to fit in, we have to 'please' society by following its laws and expectations. Man had created society in order to feel a sense of belonging and security, however, with its creation, we lost our free will and individualism.

Technology is also another aspect of human life that can be likened to a gorilla going from a forest to a zoo. In the past, we did not have technology, however, with the advancement of the human race, we created technology. Nowadays we are heavily reliant on technology, in fact, it would be extremely difficult for us to survive without it. Technology holds an extremely strong power over us and continues to do so. With this, the question of whether one day the costs of technology will outdo the benefits and lead to mankind's ultimate destruction has been raised.

Maybe it was time we took a break from these limitations. Maybe it was time we questioned whether we are truly free, and if we really want to be.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Henry David Thoreau

What choices have led to our current global situation?

2008-09-09T21:21:00.007+08:00

The current global situation can be interpreted as good or bad, depending on the person and their belief. One may choose to believe that our situation is really good, the best that it has been in centuries. We are making new discoveries each day, we are aware of the importance of knowledge, we have succeeded and are continuing to succeed in advancing the human race. However, one may choose to believe that our situation is disastrous and we need to take action immediately. In an effort to advance our race, we have harmed nature and the Earth in the process. Global warming, climate change, and pollution are only some of the issues facing the world today.

Speaking in a more specific sense, each person has made their fair amount of choices which have led us to where we are today. We may choose to litter, or we may choose to put the rubbish in the bin. We may choose to throw everything out, or we may choose to recycle. We may choose to drive our cars for convenience, or we may choose to walk or use public transportation. We may choose to leave the water running, or we may choose to turn off all unused taps. These choices all, in some way, affect and change the global situation.

With every choice, there is a benefit, and a cost. The good and the bad are complements, it is not possible to have one without the other, and it is ultimately up to us to choose how far we are willing to risk the well-being of earth and nature to achieve our goals.

Kids Making a Difference: Damienne

2008-06-18T21:08:00.001+08:00

Damienne is a 17-year-old high school student living in Tsevie, Togo. She has been a peer educator for five years, teaching her classmates about HIV prevention. Her goal is to get to people to speak out. Only one in ten youths has a thorough understanding of HIV and AIDS and the ways of transmission. Damienne is taking part in a national youth campaign against HIV/AIDS in Togo supported by UNICEF, the Togolese Government and UNAIDS. Damienne met with a group of high school students and had an open discussion about HIV/AIDS. The students asked Damienne questions and had a debate with her about the three recommended ways of preventing HIV: abstinence, fidelity and the use of condoms. Damienne was able to answer and explain the questions that the students had asked. In Togo, there is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation regarding HIV/AIDS but Damienne, a peer educator has been working hard to replace the myths about HIV/AIDS with facts. The results of her discussion with the group were immediate, one student said "I've learned about HIV/AIDS and one thing is for sure: I won't let it infect me."

Damienne is making a difference because she is spreading the word about AIDS. To me she is very memorable; the fact that she is using education and bringing awareness about a disease in countries that are most affected by it. In order to change a society or a community as such, the person to do it has to be someone from within the society or the community as they know the customs and expectations of the society/community and Damienne is doing just that. Damienne was also someone I could identify with by age because I am also 17 and it makes me wonder what I would do in her position. Would I do what she is doing by spreading the word about AIDS and how to prevent from getting it? Or would I be someone who was in and amongst the crowd receiving the myths about HIV and AIDS? I think she is very brave. She is trying to get people to speak up and break taboos. It is really hard to change a culture and perspective of a country. Taking the first step is the hardest because this is exactly when the country's citizens will react the most violently and aggressively against you. However, with taking the first step, the next steps become easier and easier as people begin to get used to the fact that change is about to happen or is happening. By spreading the word and making sure that people receive the correct information, she is really a role model. She is also really inspirational in the way that she started with younger people. She did not try to bring the correct information to adults. With her age, she is able to identify with adolescents and using this, she is able to talk with them more comfortably. Moreover, she uses this to her advantage. By changing the views of the children, she is changing the views of the future generations because the children grow up with a new perspective on life or on a certain aspect of life, and with this new perspective, they pass it onto their kids and them onto their kids.

Damienne has inspired me to think about what I can do with my life to make a difference. To start questioning the world around me, whether there are perspectives that need changing. She also brought back a topic I covered in my exhibition about the role of a doctor in the digital age. During my exhibition, I talked about the importance of education, bringing awareness and changing perspectives. To me Damienne is living proof that you don't need to be a doctor to make such a difference.

I have always believed in the amount of difference an individual can make. No matter whether they are a famous celebrity or just the ordinary man, whether they do something as little as helping out another everyday, whether they sacrifice themselves for others, whether they are able to bring justice back into a corrupted system. When you take away this individual, as if they had never been born, the effects of their actions are clear at once (It's a Wonderful Life reference...It was inevitable!). I have always believed in this notion of making a difference however, I have never really applied it to my life. Writing this blog entry and thinking about Damienne and my favourite fictional movie heroes George Bailey and Senator Jefferson Smith, I feel it's time for me to try and make a difference in the world. Whether I can achieve something as phenomenal as bringing the world's awareness about an issue I am unsure, but I will begin with the little things in life! I believe I can make a difference! I end with a quote from It's a Wonderful Life, "Strange, isn't it? Each man's lives touches so many other lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

Find out more about Unite for Children Unite Against AIDS and read about Damienne's story:
http://www.uniteforchildren.org/
http://www.uniteforchildren.org/press/press_44124.htm

Peace

2008-06-08T20:52:00.000+08:00

What is peace to me?

Peace to me is an ideal.
The world in a state of harmony and an end of all wars, all hate and all conflicts. Peace is the world, free of violence, much like Gandhi's approach when he freed India. However, differing just ever-so-slightly with no protests or rebellions to respond to. Peace is the world, free of anger. Anger towards another person, anger towards another country, anger towards who has the most weapons. Peace is the world, free of the thirst for power, free of the fight for power. Through armament, through wars, through money. Peace is the world, free of weapons. Weapons that are able to hurt, harm and destroy. Peace is the people, the people of the world. And the love and trust they have for each other.

String Theory

2008-05-07T15:25:00.000+08:00

This entry has been edited! I thought about this more afterwards because it's hard for me to write a response to something so complicated straight after I've just spent an hour or so watching and trying to understand it.

I think that this theory may actually exist but it is really complicated. I find it really hard to understand but I think it's really interesting how they are trying to achieve unification of the four fundamental forces and find the equation that proves everything in the world. If we can really find this equation, we can explain everything about the world and every question we ever had about our existence, the world and the entire universe. I think this is exciting in some ways because all of life's questions can be answered by this SINGLE equation. This basically unites everything about the world, from science to philosophy to even religion and it could end the whole debate about how we humans came to be about. We humans strive to find the meaning of life, our place in the world and everything about existence. I'm really interested in philosophy and I think that it will be so amazing if all of life's questions could be answered!

However, I am not sure if we can really prove this. We might, but it may take us another lifetime to just reach this groundbreaking breakthrough in science they are so sure we are close to reaching. I think if we did prove/find this equation, life would be really different to what it is now. It would completely alter the way we think and live. Humans have a lot of curiosity which we try to satisfy whenever and however we can but sometimes, I think it's beauty to know there is still some mystery in the world.

Reflection on Science Expedition "How and Why Things Move" - Friction

2008-05-05T11:12:00.000+08:00

What did you like about the way it was organized? What didn't you like about it? Do you believe you learned more or less this way? What would you like to see changed for next time?

I think I learned a lot from this experience. It was a challenge to completely understand the topic but it was good how we were given some but just enough (divine...? Haha) intervention from Mr. Loken to enable us to gain our understanding. Ranging from being clueless to confusion to frustration to the final enlightening “Ahh!” moment, we learnt a lot; not just getting our heads around the main concepts, the vocabulary we had to understand, the formulae we needed to use, the math and calculations behind it all, but of the whole team-work process. Not that it was hard for us to work in a team (we work really well together, okay?! *gets defensive*), but it was a really benefiting experience just to be able to see how we are able to help each other.

I think we learned more this way because we had to completely immerse ourselves with everything that had to do with our topic and go through the whole process to reach the understanding which we have for our topic now. However, I know for a fact we found it sort of hard to explain it to the group about our topic because they hadn’t gone through the whole experience like we had. I think this also made it a little hard for us to understand the other groups’ topics. I also think the math/calculations were hard to explain to the class... I think the good thing about this kind of expedition is everyone becomes an expert at their topic but at the same time, it’s somewhat harder for us to reach the understanding of the other topics.

The Children of Huang Shi

2008-04-16T16:09:00.000+08:00

I took a bit of time thinking this movie over before I was to post a blog entry on it. Most people will probably consider me weird for not liking this movie as much as they did (I think I'm the only one in the class who didn't like it as much as everyone else...). The Children of Huang Shi just didn't really work for me. I'll go onto explain why this movie didn't work for me and what I thought of it overall. And one thing I can talk a lot about is movies. So this entry may be huge!

This movie is based on the story of a British reporter called George Hogg who goes to Nanjing and ends up saving 60 orphaned boys by helping them travel through the silk road.

I think I expected more from this movie than it could offer. The pace of the movie was relatively slow and I kept waiting for something to happen, only it didn't... however, there were some (although relatively minor) build-ups. The storyline was plain and although one may argue that it's based on a true story and the director/writer wanted to stay true to the story, but the thing is, it's BASED on a true story. This generally means the movie has been altered a little to sort of fit to the prescriptions of cinema and movies. The fact that the build-ups were minor and somewhat absent, and there was no climax in the movie lowered my opinion of this movie in general.

The acting was alright. But Jonathon Rhys Meyers' (who was great in Match Point) George Hogg failed to work on me too. From the movie, I picked up George Hogg was obviously a Christ-like figure except Rhys Meyers' acting or I guess, interpretation of how he should play George Hogg, did not make me really look up to him as one should to Christ-like figures. Although this may be the fact that the movie didn't manage to portray the fact that he saved 60 orphaned boys as a huge issue! The passage through the mountains/on the silk road was pretty dull also, with the exception of a little sandy tornado. The ending, well, it was pretty anticlimatic. And as soon as Hogg had said "It's just a scratch." I had a feeling that his end might be coming (Romeo and Juliet anyone? "Aye, tis nothing but a scratch." I might have paraphrased sorry). Although I was sort of wondering whether he would really die because he was a Christ-like figure (and in most movies/books the Christ-like figure generally sacrifices their life for something they believed in or dies a horribly martyr-like death eg Cool Hand Luke, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Lord of the Flies), but it was based on a real person. This sort of made me anticipate the ending, just to find out whether Hogg would really die, because I was curious as to whether a REAL-LIFE Christ-like figure would suffer an end much like they do in fictional books, movies etc.

As for the theme of the amount of change an individual can make, I was glad that the theme was there because I managed to pick it up by the end of the movie. This theme is one that I like a lot, having watched many Frank Capra movies like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life, both of which have the main message of how much change an individual normal man can make to his country or just the people around him. It's through these two movies that I realized how much an individual can do and I am always so touched when I watch these two movies and cry at the end from how wonderful it is that a person is able to do something like that. However, I didn't cry in The Children of Huang Shi because I don't think that the theme was predominant enough for me to feel so touched by the end of the movie that I end up in tears. Some people might criticize me for comparing this movie to the old Capra movies, but I'm just writing down my thoughts and please don't judge me!

On a good note, I learnt some new information from this movie. I didn't know that George Hogg even existed before this movie. I didn't really know of the Europeans who were involved in helping the Chinese out during the occupation of the Japanese before the start of WWII but through this movie, I've found out that there were actually some Europeans who had helped many.

My overall thought from the movie was that I think it could've been done better. It could've made me cry, it could've made me look up to George Hogg and there are more things it could have been done. Although some people in my class will probably beat me for saying this, I wasn't really touched emotionally by this movie (Maybe Cindy will, she sure was emotionally touched, bawling her eyes out next to me through the WHOLE movie). I'm glad that I was able to learn some new information about 1937 in China.

Reflection on Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran Talk

2008-04-15T22:52:00.000+08:00

This talk that we watched today was so interesting and amazingly cool that I even went and read about it on Wikipedia! Did I also mention my love for Wikipedia? Being my resource to basically everything? Wait, that's not on topic.

Well, the reason I thought this talk was so amazingly cool and interesting was because I'm kind of interested in psychology/philosophy and all that. But I learned a lot from this talk! Dr. Ramachandran covered 3 main mental disorders in this talk. Firstly he talked about the Capgras delusion, then he talked about the phantom limb, and lastly, he covered synesthesia. These disorders are rare but it was cool to hear about them, having not realized that the brain has such a vital role in our lives and if it was to be damaged, the sorts of symptoms that could come about.

The Capgras delusion is a disorder that may happen (in very rare cases) when the brain has suffered trauma, the person will look at their family member/s or loved one/s and think that their family member/loved one has been replaced by an identical imposter. I think I may have read something about this before although I am not entirely sure it's about the same thing.

The phantom limb is when an arm or leg is amputated, the patient still continues to feel the presence of that limb although they know that it has been amputated! This, I have never heard of before but it seems really interesting! Dr. Ramachandran came up with an ingenious solution to the problem by using a mirror box which enabled the brain to think that the "paralyzed phantom limb" was actually moving and although it may seem really silly and super cheap compared to digital simulation it worked for many people he tried it on! The patient puts their hand into one hole, and the "phantom" hand into the other hole, and when viewed from one angle, they are able to see two complete hands. By moving their normal unamputated limb into one hole and moving it, are therefore able to trick their brains into believing that their "paralyzed" phantom limb moved and through doing it repeatedly over a few weeks, they will be rid of their phantom limb and the phantom pain that may have come with it! I thought this was so smart and amazing!

As for synesthesia, I have heard about it before. And I thought his explanation to it was really interesting but the part I liked best was when he proved that EVERYONE has synesthesia by using two shapes and having the audience pretend that they were alien alphabet letters and telling us the way you would pronounce the two then asking which letter corresponded to the shape. Most of the people associated the shape with sharp, jagged edges to the word that sounded sharp and jagged. Then with that, he proved that his whole audience has synesthesia! It was all very cool.

I think from this talk, I've learned a lot and I think I would like to read more into the brain and how it works and maybe find out more about psychology. This talk was so amazing that it has made me really want to read about these things to do with the brain now!

Reflection on Landmine Awareness Campaign

2008-04-15T17:37:00.001+08:00

This is my first blog entry on Blogger so bear with me a little in varying my page with pictures and everything because I'm a Livejournal user! I'll get the hang of it in a few days!

I haven't been here for most of the landmines topic and turned up just on time for this assignment! Oh well, onto the real stuff. I thought this was a really good experience for me, making this video about landmine awareness. Firstly, because I had never used iMovie before let alone make a movie from scratch. I've watched a lot of movies, but never really made one myself. So learning how to actually use the program was really great for me because I now know sort of how to make movies on it!

In an attempt to catch up, I read through the text book on the things I had missed out before but it proved to be beneficial for me because I haven't really studied about landmines. I had joined the Amnesty International Club in New Zealand for a bit and we were doing a campaign to ban cluster bombs and getting people to sign the petition. I didn't really know much about cluster bombs or landmines and reading the textbook has improved my knowledge in this area a lot.

In order to make the movie, I had to look through and research for some statistics and in looking through the statistics I realized how major this landmine issue actually was. I had no idea that every 15 minutes a person dies from detonating a landmine. The research that I had done basically added to my knowledge further and I thought it was good that I was actually learning something different that I didn't know was affecting the world today.

I thought it was quite a challenge for me to make this awareness movie because as I've already said, I've never used iMovie before! But also in the fact that I was somewhat unsure of the elements and the tone I wanted to give to the movie/video. I wanted to share the awareness I had gained through reading the textbook and internet websites to people who don't know about this so that they can become "enlightened" like I have. I thought if I could show the people affected by landmines and what they are generally doing when they are either harmed or killed by landmines, the audience would understand more about the severity of the issue. So I found footage of people who are actually from countries with landmines going about their daily activities, followed by a silent (deliberate...?) explosion and edited it in time to The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel. Through this, I learned that music is a HUGE factor in media and manipulating with the audience's reactions and emotions. Given the correct music and sound effects (including silence), a video/movie/advertisement etc could draw sympathy from its viewers, anger the audience or/and frighten them. I thought this was really interesting and chose my song especially to fit in with the whole idea/tone of the movie, having watched several...(well more than several) movies and becoming wise in the ways of media/audience manipulation through my constant viewing of old movies such as a lot of Alfred Hitchcock films. Hitchcock was probably one of the best directors who used their sound really wisely and effectively at that, to create suspense (the "missing" soundtrack to The Birds anyone?), tension (The famous shower scene from Psycho) and fear (basically any Hitchcock movie...I can't think of specifics but they scare me sometimes, in a good way!).

I'm not sure if we need to write reflections about what I thought of other people's videos but I might as well because I'm on a roll! After watching the videos made by my classmates, I thought the standard of the videos were really high and very varied. I was really glad that there were so many different styles of video/movie-making which were present in those videos, from satire to in-your-face to tugging at the audiences' (well, mine at least) heartstrings. It was a really exciting experience for me and I think I've learnt a lot from this!

PS. I tend to ramble a lot. If you haven't figured from the length of this blog entry... And you'll definitely find (some pointless?) references here and there to movies I have seen or liked a lot of the time!