We Are Who We Are

Are actions is what shapes who we are. We control what we do. We can make the wrong decisions. There are things we can do that give us the things that feel good. Helping a homeless person, donating to charity, that can make us a better person. We shape our identities from what people see of us.

The book, The Island by Arman Greder shows that because the towns people treated the strange man so harshly, he was interpreted badly. They thought he was a bad person. They thought he was evil. They thought he was a murderer. But never once did they stop to ask the man what he was. I think we should take that to mind and remember other people have an influence of what is thought about you. We need to spread the message that we are good people.

Jesus Colon was man who worked late, he took to subway home and decided not to help the woman who would have a hard time getting off the train. He blew right past her and didn't stop. He lost his pride. What he had earned. All because of a little moment. He still feels the pain of that day. His identity was shaped by the way he didn't stop to ask the lady if she needed help. But people's identities can also be shaped by the rumors spread around schools, soon everyone hears and people are wondering "who would do that?" YOU never did! Everything you do has an impact on the big picture, if you mess up somewhere then your final product is messed up. There is nothing you can do to change that. The picture,painted by Pat Mansen, fits in with the idea of impacts. The one pink spot leaves an impact on the whole painting, either good or bad.

Site: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/blue-impact-pat-mansen.html

The Fear of a Hero

"It's not power that corrupts but fear" spoken from the lips of a true hero Aung San Suu Kyi. She stands up for what she believes in. She has spent the last 15 years of her life in house arrest, because the fact she dislikes the Burmese government. She wants her people to be free from the tortures of the government. She realizes what a hero she is to her people and wants to help them.

Aung San Suu Kyi spent around 15 years living with her two maids (mother and daughter) and learning how to fix electrical problems. Aung has learned how to fix the plumbing and lights around her house, when natural disasters decided to strike. She was the handy man of the house.

Now that Aung San Suu Kyi has been released she still continues to fight for the freedom of her people. I think Aung San Suu Kyi is like Martin Luther King Jr. because she fights for the rights of her people no matter what the cost. They have made many public speeches and stood up against the government. They believed in what they thought and took it to new levels.

Around the school today, I see people standing up for what they believe, bullying, AIDS, peace, and being eco, but there are always some people who just don't agree. They think they are cool by not joining in, but it's their loss, a sense of pride comes with the right thing.

The picture, Freedom painted my "Freedom"~Lisa Moore, I chose reminds me there is always a choice. You can stand up for what you believe and be free, or you can still down and let the world tumble. The world is placed in your hands. Do with it what you please but be careful, you never know what might happen.

Site: http://oliviahumanitiesgreen.blogspot.com/

No Man is an Island

By: John Donne,

No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

And the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrDxe9gK8Gk&feature=player_embedded

Are both connected and different.

I think that they are the same because they are both saying that together we are strong and if one of us dies it affects everyone. In the poem John is saying that everyone depends on another to survive, and if one perishes it makes him weaker because he is involved in this big thing, and never knows who death calls for because it always calls for me. In the video the person is trying to tell us that we need to look out for each other, help one another, there are homeless people with no one to turn to for support, their own families have abandoned them. They are both trying to say that we need to help each other and be connected.

The video and the poem are different because one is talking about homeless people and one is talking about everyone together. They are very different yet similar, but both have a big impact. The video is talking about how Sydney, Australia and New York City, New York are faced with the same problems, people loving the place they live not the people living in it, that is why there are many homeless people living on the streets with no one to care for them, because NO ONE REALLY CARES! The poem is saying that we all need to work together and not stand alone, because that will make us weaker, as a individual and as a whole. We need to make sure that we do not leave out one person because they are black, yellow, white, or brown, we are all people regardless of the color on the outside, we still are a part of this world. So why can't people accept the fact we are different on the outside? That is because they think you will make them weaker, but everyone knows 2 heads are better than 1, so forget the outside, think about the inside.

When I watched this video and read the it reminded me of Fatmire Feka, she wasn't alone in the fight of survival in Kosova. She stood connected with the kids, Albanian and Kosovan, with the thoughts of the war and bombing clear in their heads. The painting above shows the kids standing together reaching out to make the one in the middle feel connected, not an island anymore. The kids all feel like they have to be the ones to connect the Albanian and the Kosovan people together and not the adults that made the mess.

Picture: Original water color painting "Because No Man Is An Island" copyright © 1997 Debbie Turner Chavers

Site: http://visionsofhisword.blogspot.com/2009/12/because-no-man-is-island.html

Hero Song

October 1st: A HERO COULD SAVE US

This song is about someone who wants to be a hero. The lyrics are saying that people were saying that LOVE or a HERO would come and save them, but there was no hero. During the beginning "I am so high, I can hear heaven, Oh but heaven, no heaven don't hear me" is saying that he wants to be a hero but god isn't listening to his cry. "Now that the world isnt ending, its love that Im sending to you. It isn't the love of a hero, and thats why I fear it wont do." This man wants to be a hero to save his lover from whatever the problem is.

I think that a hero is a person who wants to save the people they love. They need a villain too be a hero, or they need something to save the loved ones from, a natural disaster, a villain, etc. A hero is someone who helps people with payment, and usually they got bit by a spider or something like that to make them a hero. The song Hero by Nickelback is saying that he wants to be a hero to save the one that he loves but heaven is not hearing his cries about being a hero.

Elgin Marbles

I think that the Elgin marbles should be returned to the Parthenon because what is the point of having art work if you can only enjoy part of it. It you can only enjoy a foot or a head or a body, then what is the point? The elgin marbles are meant to tell a story and there is no way we can understand that story if we are missing some important scenes. In ancient Greece there is a lot to understand, and the Elgin marbles help us to unravel some important parts in the ancient world. If all the marbles are torn off their place and shipped to museums no one will truly know what the Elgin marbles may have to tell us.

(not finished I left the newspaper article at school)

4 letter story

The howl of a wolf rang in the dark. The howl was sad. The wolf was near it's end. A gun shot rang out. A soft cry rang in the air. Then there was only the mist to keep me warm. That was it. I was on my own.

The run with the pack was never the same.m That pain, it hurt to even think of him. "NO!" I said "DON'T GO!" but it did not work he was gone, gone with the wind. I woke up with a start. He was not at camp. So it was true, he was gone.

Then it cam. The rain. Not from the sky , but from the guns. The bang rang in my ears and into my head. This day was the as the one when I lost him. It was dark and cool with mist and fog. We ran, me and the pack, deep into the woods, the men came too. They cry of a wolf in pain made me turn and help. I went to her and sat as her eyes went from blue to a cold, steal gray. She was gone. I ran back to the pack. We were safe, for now. Our pack lost 5 guys and 1 girl. Our pack was too tiny. Now we had to fight. All in the dark, we came up with a plan. Ruin the cars, so they had no way to reach and find us. Next the guns. We took them and put them in the lake. Now they had no way to hurt us. We were even. Part of the plan was to run them out of here. We got one male bear and one girl bear and they got more and more wild cats. Soon we had an army. Then the time came. "1, 2, 3! GO!" We ran and the mean began to flee, out of our town and into their' s. We had won, us! As for me. Me, one wolf, is here to tell the tale.

Pheonix

I think that the author chose the name Pheonix because it a bird that "never dies" and that probably means when "Pheonix goes into the game" he won't die. The pheoix (bird) is said to have gone up in flames once it's baby has been born. There can only be one pheonix at a time. On the third day the pheonix rises from the ashes, or flames, and the baby gathers the ashes and takes them to the altar of the sun god, Re.

In the Shadow of the Minotaur I think Alan Gibbon named his main character Pheonix because maybe he is follow in his parents or relatives footsteps. The bird rises from the dead. Maybe Pheonix is the "rise from the dead" of his uncle.

Me in 10 Objects

Me in 10 Objects

• Rabby, my stuffed animal
• Swimming Medal
• Picture of My Cat Reuben
• 2 pictures of my family
• Charm Bracelet
• 2 pig statues
• First Holy Communion necklace
• And my James Avery ring

Rabby, my stuffed bunny

I put in Rabby, because it has been my stuffed animal since I was a baby. My mom told me a story that when she found out that Rabby was my favorite stuffed animal she stocked up on them. Every time I ruined Rabby he would “go in the washing machine” and come out clean...and brand new. I love this bunny, even though it wasn't the original. Rabby's velvet touch helped me sleep at night.

A swimming medal

This medal is special because I won it at my first swim meet since I moved to KL, Malaysia. When I won this medal I was so happy because it was the first 1st place medal I had won in a while. I remember every detail from the time I dove in the water until the time I touched the wall at the end of the race. It was the 100 freestyle. Every time I swim in a race my mind goes blank as I push myself through the icy water. I was the only girl in that event to I had to take first. I love swimming because I have made so many good friends at swim meets and on the swim team. I love water, ever since I was a little girl I have been around water. Swimming on the swim team, to going to the ocean every summer.

A picture of my dead cat, Reuben

This picture brings back many memories, memories of me and my cat. This picture was one of the few pictures of Reuben we ever took. The reason we couldn’t take many pictures is because he moved to fast for us to catch him in a photo. But the reason we could get this photo of him was because he was very old and didn’t like to move around much. A few months later we had to put him down before we moved to Malaysia. This photo is a happy one because it reminds my of all the happy times I got to spend with Reuben. Reuben was like a brother to me, my parent's had him before they even had children. His snow white fur reminds me of were he was from, the Canadian snow.

Two pictures of my family

One of these pictures is of my family in Shanghai, China. That picture is on the Great Wall of China, My mom and I thought the steps were to steep to climb so we just sat at a little cafe and ate ice cream with the tour guide's daughter who didn’t want to climb either. When we had finished our ice cream we went and explored little places. When the people came down from climbing they were all panting and “dying” while we just perfectly fine sitting on a bench.

The other picture is from our beach house in Destin, Florida. The beach is like my home, because I always went there when I was younger, and this picture brings back memories of it. I am quite young in that picture and my sister and I are riding on my parent's shoulders. This picture means a lot to me because it is one of the only photos that I have of me and my family when I was younger. Every where I am there is water, I am a water person. I love the water and I have always been around it. I will always be around the water.

My charm bracelet

This charm bracelet was given to me by my grandma. I remember when I first got it I hated it, I thought it was ugly. I thought it was ugly until when we went to Disneyland my mom told to pick out two charms whichever ones I wanted to put on that charm bracelet. Then I wore that charm bracelet all the time, especially to church. That charm bracelet was my favorite thing. Then I started wearing it less and less. But I still wore to church. Over the years I have collected more and more charms to put on that bracelet. Each charm on that bracelet is a different memory and all of those memories jangle and clink around on my wrist.

Two pig statues

The first pig statue my sister gave to me for my birthday. We were at the mall with some friends for my birthday party and my parents said go off and look in stores but meet us at the movie theater in 30 min, so we went off. As we made it to the movie theater level we saw a cool looking store, so we went inside and I found that pig. That pig really spoke to me, it was a flying pig with a little heart on the side. Later on we were walking to the theater when my slippery shoes slipped and I went down on the ground. Luckily I didn’t break the glass pig, and from then on I have been really careful with that pig.

The second pig, the Christmas pig with a flower in his mouth, I got from my dad. As my dad and I were walking through Pavillion I saw a little stand that was selling those kind of pigs. I stopped and asked my dad if I could have one, and of course he said no. But I pleaded and pleaded, saying but Madeline got something why can’t I, until he gave in. That is the power of whining. I got this pig and then my dad and I ate lunch. This pig symbolizes the time that I spend with my dad, and that 3 hours that we got to do whatever we wanted.

My Holy Communion Necklace

This necklace reminds me of when I was doing my first holy communion I got this necklace from my dad, It is special for me because that was a very important day in my life. It was also a very funny one. When I was doing my communion my sister wrapped a shawl around her head and said look I’m the Virgin Mary and everyone around her started laughing, right when one of the kids was giving their speech. It was embarrassing but also very funny.

And my James Avery ring

This ring reminds me of Camp Hardtner. After camp this summer, when we were in the car driving back to Alabama, my mom drove us the James Avery store in Louisiana. We stopped and went in the store to find a certain ring. This ring that we were looking for was a heart with the cross inside, our camp sign. Finally my mom found it. My sister and I each got one, and it reminded us of camp. I loved camp, this year it was so much fun.

From a stuffed animal to jewelry and pigs, these all explain a little thing about me.

No Hero is mortal until he dies. W H Auden

- I chose this quote because I like how they are saying that a hero

is an immortal person until the day that he dies, then he has

become a mortal person.

- I chose this picture because those guys look like nothing can hurt them almost like they are immortal. I love how these boys don't care that they are poor they just like their sport, Grassroots Soccer.

Matt Harding

I think that Matt Harding got to connect with many countries in ways that we cannot remake. But we can make up our own ways to connect with many people. Matt Harding went around the world on a backpacking trip and danced in places in that country. He made a video of all the people coming together just to dance on his video. It seems silly for people just to come together for some guy who dances horribly. But it's not silly, it connected all those people together. People were dancing with people they didn't know, and it brought them together. We can do the same, we can visit different countries and stand on the street and give compliments or we can call up some people we know in that country and tell them to bring friends so then we can all come together as one big "family."

Matt says "My brain was designed to inhabit a fairly small social network of maybe a few dozen other primates—a tribe. Beyond that size, I start to get overwhelmed." Yes that is true. But if that is what our brain's our designed to do then why are we living in a world of 6 BILLION PEOPLE?! It is because we are also designed to connect with those people.

Matt Harding is an ordinary guy who did something for fun, that turned out to change the world.

--I like the picture because I like how Matt went to different countries even if he didn't know this place before. I chose this picture because I like how even though I haven't been there I feel like I've seen it before. By: Yann Arthus Bertrand

Compliment Guys

I think that the compliment guys were very creative coming up with the idea of giving compliments to every on that walked by them. The fact that they couldn't count the amount of compliments in one minute is amazing. It is amazing that they gave so many compliment that people lost track trying to count them all. These guys are very nice spending 2 hours of their time complimenting random people walking by the science wing of the university. I'm surprised that nobody else has joined them.

I'm glad they are doing this because it really makes someone's day hearing a compliment even if it is something simple like "I like you backpack." That still makes someone's day. I remember getting compliments from people and how good that made me feel inside. So imagine if every Wednesday you walked by the science wing and you got a compliment from someone you may not really know that well. How would that make you feel?? I know that it would make me feel really good inside.

-- I chose this photo because I think that the picture really compliments how beautiful the bird is. It reminds me of something the Compliment Guys would say to the bird if they saw the picture. Photo by: Tambako the Jaguar

Final White Mountains

I am choosing how Will has changed. Everyone in the story has changed but I'd like to focus on Will. Will changed the most and he was also the main character. Henry and Beanpole changed him, and the journey itself.

In the beginning Will was this jerk who didn't care about anyone but himself and a little bit Jack. When Henry decided to come with Will, Will was not happy he was very mad at Henry. Will was self-centered! Once he realized what happened to Jack after the capping Will was willing to make the journey to the White Mountains not knowing how it was going to change him.

The journey changed Will in more than one way. One, he learned to depend on Henry and later on Beanpole for resources. Will also learned about love and he also became un-self-centered. He learned about the Tripods and how to deal with pain. Will was much more confident in himself after he made the journey to the White Mountains. He learned that the journey wasn't all fun and games, it was tough!

~GO WHITE MOUNTAINS!

White Mountains post 4

I think that this relates to the theme FREEDOM because it shows how the people of the castle were kind of free. The people in the castle, even though they are capped, they didn't tell the authorities when Will, Henry and Beanpole arrived. It also is because Will wants to be free, so he leaves Eloise behind. Will wants to be free, but considers being capped for Eloise but once he hears she is going to serve the Tripods he goes back to wanting to be a free man.

White MOntains

I think that my group is doing well. We all are prepared, most of the time, ad we all contribute. I think that Sandy needs to work on his questions and being responsible and bringing his Lit circles all the time!

I think we all work well together. GOOD JOB GROUP 3!

White Mountains post2

I think Beanpole will be useful because he is intelligent. Beanpole is smart and that will help Will and Henry make good decisions and keep them out of trouble. Beanpole will be useful because he is able to speak French, to help communicate, and he taught himself how to speak English by reading a book. Beanpole might help them by making inventions to help them move along.

Beanpole is smart, he realized that the Tripods controlled the people and wants to escape the capping, too. If Beanpole didn't show up, in the story, Will and Henry would be trapped in the cell

and would have been put up for capping and they would have become adults, like Jack. Beanpole can talk to villagers in French and get the out of trouble, he can also help them escape with his many ideas.

White Mountains post

Will is just like me because he is adventurous and curious about things. Sometimes you just want to know the answers to things and not have to search, but being adventurous also makes you want to find the answers. Will and I are both alike because we have older family members who we look up to. We are the same because we both have questions his about the Tripods and mine about the Will and the book.

Will and I are alike because we both around the same age. Another thing we have in common is we like to explore, Will wants to explore the White Mountains. We both have a little hang out place to go, for me during school, for Will after school. I bet Will and I have a lot more in common but I just haven't noticed yet.

The International School of Kuala Lumpur provides (silence) an exceptional education that challenges each student to develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen.

I feel that adding a silence after the word “provides” creates the best tension. When you add a void after the provides, the audience might have a question in their head. The question that would pop into my mind is "the school provides what?" I think that question is the best void, and then after the reader finishes his/her pause they give the listener the answer by going on with their speech.