What is our moral duty?

The poem by John Donne means that man should be looked at as a whole. Every mans death makes Europe smaller. " Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main" Everybody has a part and people depend on that.We are interconnected and therefore responisble for each other. "Every man's death diminsishes me"not just literally death but suffering/oppression. All this suffering is taking away from the respect and concern we should show and share for our community.

In Arman Greder's "The Island" a man washes up on shore carried by the raging rapids of the sea. This 'outsider' asks for assistance, all he wants is safety, to be treated fairly, and food. Instead the island natives exclude him to the other side of the island where he is left to rot in a pig pen. But one day he shows up in the center of the village roaming and trying desperately to find food. The villagers have no choice but to feed him and after long arguing they feed him the scraps that they would usually feed to the pigs. Then decide he has to go. But the fisherman stands up to his community and says this isn't right. The villagers end up burning his boat letting him to suffer and find a new career. To have to be fed pig scraps to survive. How low can you go? Would you give a visitor the your scraps? It's just inhumane. So to avoid all of this the natives of the island build a wall around their island, and whenever they see a seagull or a ship passing by they shoot it down. All this occurs because of our reaction to "otherness", seeing people as outsiders. They think "Oh, they're not one of us." They can't see the fact that nobody is useless, we are interconnected, and everybody has a role.

The short film "Mankind is no Island" by Jason Van Genderen also suggests the importance of helping the vulnerable making sure they're in the loop. But may I ask you what is our responsibility? To see a fellow human being in need and to pass by imagining that they aren't really there? They are and you can't escape reality. You see them there but you don't even bother. People contribute to society but sometimes they are in a state of vulnability and need help. Do you help? Do you contribute to your community? Should we not feel concern for our fellow human beings? People who are suffering and don't have much at all should have the right to a better life, shouldn't they? Not just on a global level but every day how do we acknwledge the people around us? It makes me think about what I do to speak up or consider the vulnerable on the street or anywhere for that matter. If I have some money on me I donate. But do you? Should you? You might think that that dollar or two don't make a difference. So you don't bother. But what if you and the person sitting next to you and the person next to him and so on donated. Wouldn't that make a difference? But we don't all donate. So for those who do just give what you have and hope it can help. Because if we don't try we'll never succeed. Perhaps it's not just donating but realizing that we are all human and to see the humanity in each of us, to recognize it in our everyday lives with gestures as simple as a smile.

The painting that I selected was by Paul Klee and it is entiled "Highway and byways". To me it shows how fragile we are as a community. If one brick should fall we would still stand tall. But without the support of that brick another will fall and another until we perish. One man after the other the vunrable will perish and the strong will become weak. "Any man's death diminishes me,because I am involved in mankind." Until all of mankind finds that connection, and feel respect for each other our society will continue to unravel.

Nine Items and Me

I chose a book, swimming trunks, praying mat, a rubiks cube, my trombone, a deck of cards, my mixed desktop, my tool box and a soccer ball. How can all these things tell you about me- the......

Book I chose was Attila the Judgement. Because reading takes you out of your seat to your own world it tells you what was what could be and what would be. I like to picture myself as the main character and look and how things would be this book is also historical and I love history. I got the book here in malaysia. On the first week of school in fifth grade. As usual in every place we go to we in a way go on a shoping spree. It was one of the first items I bought in malaysia. This also means a lot to me because I have been to a lot of places where there were ancient battles witch really interests me. To see the strategies they had what type of people they were and in a way how they were like us. Reading about them makes me feel connected to all that came before my time and to our race of human beings.

Swimming trunks are my second item and represent me because I love to swim. I got these back in Nairobi. Where swimming was everywhere. Me and my brother would go down to the pool when the skies cleared up after a big storm. It is one thing I will never get bored of, something that I will never let go because it is so different from our everyday lives. In the water there is something different. Ever since I was five I loved to swim. The first time I ever swam was in I.S.K one of my previous schools and it was just magnificent. I would just jump in and make a huge splash. Get a running start to the pool to be the first in line for the high dive. The thrill of it all was the part that captured me most.

Praying mats represent me because I am Muslim and to a Muslim they are the true essence of our beliefs and our religion. They mean everything to us and are everything to us. They tell about our prophet and how the holy book came to him in parts and how he was told to pray aswell.

Rubik’s cubes are pure logic. There are many unique ways to solve them. Different people have different ways of solving them. I solve those using algorithms. There are many steps to it. You first select any colour and make a cross. Then it gets tricky you have to find the right corner pieces and match them up. The most basic algorithm is Di Ri D R and you would use that if the corner piece is directly underneath its rightful spot. Then bam you solved a colour and the first row. The rest is just more complicated algorithms. This is my first rubiks cube though that I got in china. You would see kid walking down the street with a giddy look on their faces because they just claimed their own. But when it was my turn. I became hyper and it was quite difficult for my dad to walk me back to the hotel we were staying in. Ever since then I have had a collection of them from normal 3 by 3’s to 4 by 4’s. That is how they represents me. Because they just need some practice and dedication.

My trombone is item number 5 on my list. I was always a fan of music and classical and jazz stood out to me. There are a lot of fun songs I can think of like smoke on the water and soul express. I also like some old song from the Marcel’s like “Blue Moon” that my dad used to listen to. Because let’s face it he isn’t the young boy he used to be. They are pretty interesting and the first time I ever heard them was on an airplane ride form Ethiopia to Kenya. My dad was listening to them and plugged in my headphones next to his so I could hear them to. Then on the ride to the hotel he told me all about them, and some of their other songs. It was cool to hear some backround things. The hard cold facts.

A deck of cards really represent me because I like to do some card and coin tricks with my friends. And I know almost every game there is Poker, 14, Indian poker, Blackjack. I can play them all and I am pretty good at them to. It is interesting because it is a combination of luck and decisions. Like in Indian poker you don’t know your card and put it on your forehead and keep your game face. Because you can see everyone else’s and they can see you but you can’t see your own. Then you decide are you in or out is your card better or worse than your opponents. I learnt about all this here in malaysia even though I already knew a ton of card games I learnt more and more on each rainy day. Then I got good.

A desktop because I really like computers and I am interested in them. I use different brands like my monitor is Acer, my keyboard is Logitech, my stereos are edifier, my printer is hp, my mouse is sentetive and the rest is dell. So you can see I like to mix it up and try to use the best part of everything I can get my hands on. I got my first laptop in kenya. It was a dell laptop and I really liked it because it was new to me I was a 7 year old boy with a laptop. It connected me to my friends through email to my dad through Skype. But it is also is part of the interest I take in cars. My favorite is the 1972 GranTorino.

Building a tree house is hard work and my father and I had to use my/his tool box. It was the coolest tree house ever. Then it started to drizzle so we went inside for snacks and drinks. Unfortunately after the light drizzle our tree house fell. My father and I aren’t the best crafts man you could say. But the truth is it was my fault I must have done something to the platform or was it the hole I made in the side after my dad left by mistake. So he rebuilt an even better one for me but this time on his own. So as you can tell I really like to see how things work and like to tamper with them.

Sports equipment comes in all shapes and sizes but as you can probably tell I like soccer balls. I always did take an interest in sports and physical activities like baseball, basketball, lacrosse, fencing and American football but these are just a few of my favorites. I got my first football in 1st grade and then entered a soccer league my team got 11th out of 20 so we didn't get very far. But you don't always get what you want. I like to run around and do team things with others. Because to me it is better to lose together than win alone.

So this is how I would sum myself up in ten items. They capture my personality and show how I really am. But to you am I really a book, swimming trunks, praying mat, a rubiks cube, my trombone, a deck of cards, my mixed desktop, a Bosch tool box and a soccer ball?

Procrastination

This video shows people messing around. Because they don't want to do the work they have to. They just are blowing off work. In the end this in my opinion a lot more work than they had to do in the first place most likely. Lets hope the deadline is no time soon for these guys.

"A hero has faced it all: he need not be undefeated, but he must be undaunted."
Andrew Bernstein

Undaunted:Ajective: undiminished in courage or valor; not giving way to fear;intrepid:

II chose this quote because it shows what a real hero is. It shows that you don't have to be undefeated but you have to be undaunted. You have to have courage real guts. You have to want it you have to try. Push forward don't go back or you won't succeed. It shows we can all be heros we just have to be corageous and alway fight for what is right and what you believe in. I chose this quote because it defines what a hero really is. Someone who is willing to try. Not always someone who secceeds. Life is like a journey a hero to me is someone who takes it. That is why I chose this quote.

References: http://trinitystl.com/oldsite/images/BusinessPeople.jpg

I chose this quote because it has hundreds of people and anyone of them could be a hero they just have to be dauntless and without regrets.

Global Connection

Matt Harding has shot videos of himself dancing badly in exotic places all around the world. It has been viewed by millions of people. Then he made a second video and asked people if they wanted to join in, you wouldn't believe how many did. But I think that Matt Hardings videos make a difference. Because he makes people smile and he shows everyone is equal. He puts a smile on everyone's face and shows us we are the same. All the people that watch his videos laugh. Whenever he dances people just want to join in and participate. He connects people through dance and for a moment people feel like everyone around them is not different but the same person just in a different for. Mumbai,Madrid,Paro,Stone town all the way to Teotihuacan. He keep making an impression. With his dancing he has people realize people are people. Now the people of Fiji know they are equal and one with the people from Timbuktu. His dancing connects people from all over the globe. He is a believer that people one day will live together knowing that their neighbor is their friend and everyone else in the world is to. He shows that people want to be connected and they want to be seen and heard. He show that in the end the world is also way to big for us. But we just want to see it all. All the people and place of our world.

Reference: http://www.barcelonaphotoblog.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

I chose this picture because it fits in. It has people dancing together and connecting like what Matt Hardings dancing does to people. Weather it is church or just for fun dancing connects us and shows us we are one.

Purdue University Compliment guys

The Purdue University Compliment Guys. I think are doing good because they brighten up peoples days. And because a lot of people in the world are in a state of depression and a compliment can brighten up a persons day. I mean if you have a low self esteem people around you are going to be bummed out. But if you are positive then a world of happiness will open up to you. And you preform better to. I mean for example one day I didn't do too good on a test and I didn't even score a single basket. I had extra homework because I was sick. The day wasn't really going my way. Then some random person I never met said nice shoes! I was like thanks and more came like nice t-shirt or nice shot at basketball practice. It brightened up my day. And I was all good inside the next morning for my math test and I aced it. Everyone likes compliments and it makes you feel good knowing you brightened up someones day by saying a few nice things about them. It make the person receiving or giving the compliment feel all good inside. And it can really switch someones day around. But negative things also impact people. So we shouldn't talk badly about our peers,friends,family or anyone else in general. A few words can change a persons day for the better or for worse.

References: http://www.purdue.edu/uns/x/2009a/090313ComplimentGuys2.html

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2009/compliment-guys.jpg

I chose this picture because it shows Brett and Cam high fiving a complete stranger that they probably gave a compliment to. It is just amazing.

Dear giver,

How are you doing? And how is the community doing. I have a few questions about all that has happened so far. Did it all work out? I mean did you create peace and did they turn to you in their time of need. Can people see color and did they receive all the happy memories you gave me along with the memories of pain and the feeling of Love. Is it all different and do they have feelings now. What about the reality of realese. Did it change and is there a new system of justice? But what I really want to know is how my family is doing? How does my dad feel? I mean if it worked out knowing that he killed a helpless baby? I mean all those feelings that they all have. And my mom does she make different decisions not just because they broke a teensy rule but for what is right and a perfect crime. And I might not have told you this but I took the new born Gabe. Because after I saw the reality of release. After seeing what my father did and picturing him doing that to gabe I just couldn't let him do that. He just couldn't do that to a child. So I had to take him. I left because it just couldn't work out. The cruelty of it all was sickening. So that is why I left and took the newborn.

But enough about me how is asher. Is his training doing well as the directer of recreation? And Fiona how is she? Does she still care for the old and she stopped her traning in "the art of release?" Also did you explain everything to the community or did you leave some of the story out. And do my parents know secretly or did you really say I fell into the river. And how about the memories. Did you get some of them back aswell? What really happened after I left? How did you solve it all? But my other question is about lily? Is she the same as always or different since I left? How did everyone react to the fact that I fell in? Did they question how since I am a good swimmer so I could have swam back to shore.

There is a ton I want to ask you about. But how is everyone in general? Has the community seen the error in their ways? Or are they still following the old rule of release and sameness? I want to know about it all! But I know I can't. So I hope that every thing worked out? I also hope that all is well on your side. This place I came to was very interesting. I saw a sled and it was the exact same as the first memory you ever gave me and there was your favorite!! The memory of love and christmas. It was amazing just amazing. I hope that you can come because it just has that special feeling.

Love,

Jonas

URL: http://worldtodiscover.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/giver_t250.jpg

P.S: Visit older post to see giver 1

Giver 1

1. Would you want your future to be decided by others ? Why or Why not? In the givers community everything is perfect. There is no war, theft or sadness. Everything is the same and everyone is happy. There are no problems and everything is very organized. They have what you would say the perfect world. But the price is they have no choice. Not like not having freedom but not having freedom of choice and diversity. From birth they are put into their proper age group organized and given to a selected family unit. Then they become a two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and tweleve. From then on age doesn't matter anymore. And twelve is when they have their big day and are assigned the perfect job for them that has their characteristics and that they show interest in. So every thing is ladida, until you get released. And they start to rule you with and Iron fist.


They would then have full control. It would be like your the puppet and they're the puppet master. It wouldn't be nice and I wouldn't want that to happen. Because my future is mine to chose and to shape. It is my decision and I don't want anyone to take that freedom of choice from me. Because that choice would decide who I am because what if they make that wrong decision? If that is the path fate has chosen for me I have something to say about that. I just don't want it to happen because it takes what I want away. Maybe they make the perfect choice and I make the wrong one I will be the judge of that because people change and one day everyone is going to regret their decision but anyways its mine nomatter how imperfect. It is just my choice and I don't want to loose the freedom of choice to anyone. My destiny is mine and nobody can control it but me. My future is really something I want to think about. I am not like some people who already know what they want to be. I want to find that out and leave it to the end because I can't wait to see if left or right north or south east or west. I just have to find that out.

So my answer is definetly no. I don't want my future to be decided by others because that is the big choice you wait for all your life. Why would I let someone else make it for me? So I think that it is sad they don't go their own way but in their world they make perfect decisions. For one thing you never know when someone changes. Because they are perfect choices but freedom of choice is one thing that I don't want to loose because once it is gone it isn't coming back.

Future? Or past?

1. Write a prediction as to what will happen to the character(s) in the next book of the trilogy.
I think that in the next book that there will be war. I think this because it is called when the tripods came. This indicates to me that the tripods came to somewhere. I assume this could be the white mountains and that the tripods have found out about it. Then there could be a war the people of the white mountains against the tripods. It would change the course of man and it would set the mood and all that for the next book. Or it could be a blast from the past it could be the story of how the tripods got control in the first place. It could have new characters and it could also show how the white mountains were discovered and how they came to be. It might be a completely different story. A story where the author changes it all and it could be similar to the first book but fitted into a different frame and with a different ending. It could be later into the future after the tripods are defeated and man roamed free again. Then suddenly aliens show up and want power. Or maybe the tripods return and they are better and stronger. The aliens/tripods could fight with the humans and then finally there would be a big and epic ending. Where the main character sacrafices his own life for the good of man. Then everybody is free but sad because he is gone. Twenty years later everybody would be happy and there would be thousands of cities their streets thriving with people and life. There are many possibilities. I have only stated a few of them. It could be anything as far as I can tell.
Pic from: http://www.depressedchild.org/images/past-future-signposts.jpg

Freedom

Freedom

Well it shows that even the great people of the castle had no spirit and were not willing to fight for freedom. They excepted capping like all the others. It shows that even the greatest had a right of passage that was controlled by the tripods. It shows that being rich is useless. In the end you have no freedom to capture the moment so what was the point. You were just like everybody else a prisoner of the tripods. All the luxury was useless that even if you were high class you couldn't fully enjoy it because all the decisions you make are not yours you might have turned left but if you were free you would have gone right. It is funny how it all fits together because you could be at the bottom of the world but you wouldn't be any different from the people at the very top becasue you would all be the same without your freedom you are not yourself and you are just another person in the crowd. You are not free you are imprisoned. It relates to freedom because it shows that whoever is capped is not free nomatter who they are. I find it sort of depressing because freedom is what makes us who we are and whatever we do is becasue we can do it.

Pic url: http://affirmativethinking.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/freedom1.jpg

Answers

The tripods are able to control people through capping. It is a celebrated day and is a right of passage. All boys get capped and on ocassion girls. It is celebrated with a feast and many activities. Tripods take the person and return them later. With a shaved head and a cap on their head. Some cappings don't workout and the person becomes a vagarant. When you are capped you loose control of your self and you become a slave of the tripods. Until the day of your death. It is a rite of passage in which you enter manhood. Once capped the tripods have full control over you. Although will is starting to change.

To prove it. I chose a passage on pg 116. The passage is"More and more I had come to see the Capped as lacking what seemed to me the essence of humanity, the vital spark of defiance against the rulers of the world. And I had despised them for it-despised even, for all their kindness to me and their goodness, the Comte and Comtesse. But not Eloise. I had thought her free like myself. I might even have come to the idea- its beginnings, I think, were in my mind already- that when we set off once more for the White Mountains, there might not be three of us, but four. All this was rendered futile by the site of her bare head" I had chosen this passage because it showed that he was uncomftable that the Comte, the Comtesse and now that he found out Eloise were capped. He knew that they belonged to the enemy which made him uncomfortable about staying at the castle. Because at first he thought that he might have had feelings for Eloise but they have just weakened.

Well will felt strongly about being capped at first. As it says on page 121 he said that" Was I to abandon my hope of freedom, surrender the mastery of my mind, for the sake of wearing jeweled leather and having other men touch their caps to me? The notion was obsured." When he said this I was asured that he did not want to be capped. But later on the very page I found out that he was starting to think that it wasn't a bad thing because he thinks about the possibilities. But I hope he changes his mind and continues his journy.

How will Beanpole help Will and Henry on their journey to the White Mountains ? While reading chapter 4 I met an interesting character. Zhanpole or as henry calls him "Beanpole". Beanpole is a tall and skinny kid with glasses he is sort of a perfect image of a geek. He might be a geek but he has some skills that Will and Henry can use on their journy to the white mountains. So he can really help and in my opinion he would be a great member of the pack. Although he could drag them down. I say this because possibily beanpole is a spy and his mission is to ensure that Henry and Will don't make it to the white mountains. It is possible but in my opinion I think that beanpole is a good guy and he can really help.

There is proof in the book that shows that he can help. He helped Will and Henry escape. So that is a big one. Not only is there proof but beanpole can also help them blend in. I think that he can really help if they just give him a chance. He can do alot and they can take him to the white mountains. It is a fair trade and anyway why did the author put beanpole into the story. I think it is because he can help them and he can make the story more interesting. Maybe put some more action and sense of adventure into it. Because after all there has to be a reason.

How am I like Will?

( We are just like twins

but not related)

How is Will just like you? Is not a very hard question to me because. When I read the first two chapters of white mountains one character has stuck out the most to me. That character was will. Mainly because we are alike in so many ways. We are both curious and a little disobedient. Also we are both a little careless sometimes. But one big thing is that we are both the same age so I sort of have an idea of how he feels and what he is thinking. Because we are just so alike.

Curious because will was curious about his fathers watch and how it worked. So he took it out whitch was disobedient just like me on occassion. But it is only because I am curious about what will happen if I do this and how does this work. Why does it work like this? Why not like that? Those are some of the questions I think were in Wills mind when he took the watched and decided to show it to his friends. Esspecially when he fell with the watch that shows that he is a little careless just like me. Those are just a few of the things we share in common. Because after all "Boys will be boys". Whitch in my opinon is perfectly normal for a guy.

Like myself will takes risks and is open minded to some cookee storys and ideas. He is also friendly and intelligent not unlike myself. We all take risks and one of the risks he took was taking the watch like when I ate icecream when I was not suposed to. It takes a man to take risks like me and will (or a woman) (either). I am also open minded and I admit I do do some weird things like fencing or aptempting to hand drum. As you can see we are very similar. So I hope to findout more about will and his personality throughout White Mountains.

Url: http://images.clipartof.com/small/85336-Royalty-Free-RF-Clipart-Illustration-Of-Twin-Boys-Laughing-During-A-Food-Fight.jpg

Power of the Void

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 word after a statement like that I think it brings up questions. The question I think it brings up is "What does this school provide? Why should I send my child to this school perticularly? There are plenty of schools in Kuala Lumpur why this one?'' I think the questions show up because there are many schools and options. It makes you wonder " What does this school have that the others in malaysia don't?" It just gives that feeling of mystery. To every question there is an answer. Which in my opinion is what the rest gives the audience. That is why I chose to put the silence after provides.

Making conections

If you would like to see my powerpoint please go to the following link:

http://www.slideshare.net/mohamedelrashidhamad/home-3037753

New years Resulutions/My Vacation

My resolution for this year is to learn a new skill. Mainly because I want to widen my variety of activities. So I can be more of a well rounded person. Besides the point of my new years resolution. My Christmas break has just ended so I would like to tell you a little about what I experienced during the break.

For the first couple of weeks I stayed in K.L saw some sight and went to my regular fencing classes. Near the end of the break I went to Singapore. I stayed there for a week. A few of the things I did were sightseeing; I visited the zoo I also went to Sentosa and the Singapore flyer. When I went to the zoo I had a great time I saw lots of animals and some that I had never heard of. It was fun for the entire family. Especially for my little eight year brother and my little three year old sister. Because they really like seeing different animals.

On my trip I also visited Sentosa which is a theme park in Singapore. We really enjoyed underwater world, the Merlion and the turning tower. Underwater world was fun because I got to see some see creatures that I never knew existed. It was astonishing to me and my entire family. The turning tower was also really cool because we could literally see all of Singapore. Because as you might know Singapore is a very small country but very well developed. So it was really fun.

In Singapore my family and I did a lot of sightseeing. Some highlights would probably be the Merlion, the fountain of wealth and the Singapore flyer. The Merlion was in Sentosa and it is a giant statue of a half lion half fish. This was built to represent how Singapore was born so it is a historical statue. The fountain of wealth I don't know the story behind but it is the world’s largest fountain so that was cool. Finally we rode the Singapore flyer. It was just amazing we took some photos and maybe I will show them to you in my next post. It was amazing because it was night time and it all just looked so beautiful. It was truly one of the best trips I have ever been on.

P.S: I highly recommend a trip to Singapore to whoever likes seeing and experiencing new things.