Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Feeling of Empathy

Definition: The ability to understand and share the feelings of someone else.


The author of any type of novel will have to use the feeling of empathy for their novel. Sometimes giving more detail will make the reader more interested in your novel. For example the book "Breadwinner" has a lot of empathy in it. The sad thing is that Parvana has to go through hard times especially the part where she has to make the decision to become a boy to make the right amount of money for her family to live off of. Anyhow it also depends on how much effort is put in to the writing.

Take the breadwinner for example. It has lots of empathy writing in it. one thing I felt empathy for in the book was when she thought she saw her father in the market but it was actually something else. I actually did that once. there is a lot of description in the book that the author is telling you that Afghanistan is a very scary place.this passage reminds me when, I was in the grocery store and I couldn't find my mom, but then I thought I found her so I went running to some random person, and wrapped my arms around her, I think, my memory is faint from when I was three years old. there's lots of description in this part of the story.

There is another book with such a sorrowful moment.The book was called "Parvana's Journey" yes, it is the second book of the breadwinner. Anyhow the part of the book that made me feel empathy was at the beginning. I don't mean to spoiled the book, but her father dies and I felt empathy because I know what it feels like to lose someone who is dear to you. When I first heard this, I instantly felt empathy for Parvana. The same author, and with the same type of feeling of empathy.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Breadwinner

Imagine if your country was ruled by the Taliban and you had to cover your face from head to toe,that is the problem in Afghanistan. The book "Breadwinner" is based on this tragedy. Parvana, the main character, has to make a lot of decisions, like to become a boy to make money for food, or to go to the water tape near their apartment. This book made people understand what was going on in that country.Imagine what it would be like to see the Taliban take your father away. Then the next day you read a letter to one of them and he cries! that would make me very confused. imagine if you saw your friend from school in boy clothes and looked like a boy just like you?I would fell surprised. so many mixed feelings in Afghanistan, and it's not just me who's thinking these emotion.


the question is "imagine what it would be like to make money for your family and food, like Parvana did,how would this change the way of my life?" well I would also make myself a boy, because my hair would feel lighter on my shoulders and I wouldn't have to have hair in my face all the time, plus I could go outside with out my burqa. People wouldn't notice if I was a girl or not. I could also get extra money and go get stuff like candy and other sweet, other than those positive things there were still dangerous things like the Taliban might be around and think she's a girl.that day would be very hard if the Taliban got into this situation.


this would make a grate impact in my life because I wouldn't have to go to school and that would be bad. also you couldn't show your face in public unless you're a boy. and you can't go outside without a boy. Also you would have to live in fear every single day. this would also change my life because I wouldn't have a big house to live in so I would have to live in an apartment like Parvana. also I would have to stay home unless I really needed to go out. This is the type of fear Afghan women usually have to face everyday, rich or not, they couldn't make a difference.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Holocaust Survivor

hatred, an emotion caused by not helping someone with there homework, or not getting a juice drink that you wanted. There is another kind of hate that took over Germany. A long time ago there was a world war between Germany and basically the whole world. One of the survivor of this awful war came to our school one day and told us about the dangerous Holocaust. they're very dangerous people and there leader was named Hitler. Eva Olsson was the guest speaker at our school. she talked to us about her experience of the Holocaust. Every one was moved by what shes been through. she taught her grand kids to never use the word "hate" because hate is what took over the Nazis.

she was 19 when she went to Germany and she told us that it wasn't Paradise when they got out of the train they were sent right away to work and if they argued about anything they were killed or beaten. She lost her mother during the war, and she never got the chance to just say "I love you " before she was taken away from her, she will never forget what they did to her mother. she also mentioned that her father was sent to another camp and she never heard of him again.she was sent to a camp that they would have to move bricks for work and there was food and water but not very much of it.

through out Eva's life there has been too much violence and blood spilt, and that is really scary for someone to go through, especially blood from her family and loved ones.just the thought of losing her husband from a car crash , just because the driver was drunk. There is just so much to take in.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Monday's Middle School's Norval Trip

On Monday October 19, 2009, the whole middle school went on a trip to a place called the Norval Outdoor Education Center. We went there to build our leadership and to "bring middle school closer",but I don't think it was very good idea of "bringing middle school together" because we were just split into groups of our classes and we knew everyone in our group. The trip was okay, some parts were sort of fun but other parts were no fun at all. Like some of the activity's were fun, and some were no fun at all. For example the Mohawk walk was really easy for me, because I do gymnastics, and I'm use to it all the time,plus I had to go first to pass the rope to everyone. Also I was the first on to get to the end.This activity was all about balance and mostly trust from the spotters. Then there was this activity which was called "The Kings Finger"it was hard to get the tier out over the post, because the post was so high. We tried Jenny on Jakes shoulders, but it only left Jenny hanging. Literally. Then after trying new things we finally give up.


After all the Activity's were finished we ate lunch, after we had a drum circle. A drum circle is a thing were everyone comes,and well, plays the drums. No not the drums in the rock and roll music, the drum that is made in Africa, the single drum. Well anyhow, we were playing, and the leader who was leading us, was so energetic, that he was bouncing off the walls when we all did something together. Also he was getting us into the grove and everything, although my friend Hayley and I, didn't like the drum circle very much, it was just another thing in our daily lives. Nothing spacial. Also at the end of the drum circle the people did this one song in the drums, and it was kind of cool, because I wasn't really listening, because of the fact that my Hayley and I were deciding if we should be bus Buddy's or not.when we were done talking about that, the drum circle was over and we all when to the bus, but then Emilie had to go to the washroom so I went too. Then when we got to the bus Hayley and I couldn't be bus buddy's, so we had to split up, Hayley in the front, and me in the back.


All together the trip was okay, the only good part about it was the bus ride there. My friends, Hayley,Emilie, Lyndsey and i were playing games like truth or dare, would you rather, and other games like that, but the most worst part, of the trip, was the part my friend Wilks and i got yelled at the back of the bus, on the way back to the school. I wanted to go talk to Hayley at the front of the bus, so I gradually made my way up to the front then when I got there, Andy, and Jordan started pulling my hair, and it was getting annoying, so I yelled "stop" to them. Then one of the teachers heard me, and there was only suppose to be two to a seat, but when I went up there, there were three in the seat so she asked me to go back to my seat, and she was watching me as I went to the very back, and it was so embarrassing. Then at the back I went in to Wilks' seat and there was Emilie, Wilks,and I on a seat. suddenly the same teacher comes back to us, and tells us to move to the other seat. and at that exact moment everyone went quiet in the bus and it was even more embarrassing for me. when we hit the speed bump at our school we knew we were back home, and I was so relieved.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

"the clothes make the man, " this expression is used for people who judge other people on how they're dressed.

I don't think this is a good expression to judge someone because lets say your a really nice person who went to the store for lets say some food. You would just go in your track pants and sweater, not in like some awesome dress that you would wear to like prom or something, but just your usual, a sweater and track pants, then someone comes along and looks at you and they whisper to their friend beside them and say, "hey, look at that person. They look like a slob, they must have been through a lot. " that's not describing someone at all. that's just what someone says, just by looking at them.well, those are only some of the reasons this expression is not a very good one.



Friday, October 2, 2009

BLOG!!!!!!!!!

HEY I FINALY GOT A BLOG!!!