Farewell :)

Cherish and Treasure the Memories We Had. Those were the best times.

Fin. (or The End)

Throughout this semester I have learnt a lot from this subject Critical Literacy, or as it usually referred to as CL. Guided by a really dedicated lecturer, my classmates and I have seemed to get a brand new eye. Not literally an eye, but a new perspective and view in looking at things. An eye-opener. We are taught to evaluate each matter with every bit of fact that we can get then, justify it with concrete reasons.

• Lesson 1 : “Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover”
First and foremost, every article or topic that is given should be a very critical matter so that it is worth being analyzed and evaluated. Next, as soon as we get it we are told to read it as many times as we can so that we can fully understand it. It is very important to avoid being biased because that will be considered as being fair towards the topic. Therefore, every conclusion or point of view that we want to give in Critical Literacy should be backed up with justification.

• Lesson 2 : Nothing is right and wrong
Thinking critically means you have to evaluate one specific topic from all angles. Looking from different perspectives give you holistic view on it. Therefore in Critical Literacy we do not judge whether that one thing is right or wrong, but we justify each and every opinion based on our own research and reading.

• Lesson 3 : Comment critically
The final lesson we had in this subject was to comment critically. We were given a task to comment on a peer’s work and present it in front of the whole class. The benefit from the task is actually quite indirectly. This is to sharpen our logic and creative mind because commenting needs logic, but answering questions about our comments need creativity. Hence, this activity teaches us to be able to balance our two parts of the brains in analyzing things around us.

Movie - The Sanctum

Cast

Richard Roxburgh as Frank
Ioan Gruffudd as Carl
Rhys Wakefield as Josh
Alice Parkinson as Victoria
Daniel Wyllie as George
Christopher Baker as J.D.
Nicole Downs as Liz
Allison Cratchley as Judes
Cramer Cain as Luko
Andrew Hansen as Dex
John Garvin as Jim Sergeant

Review

The Sanctum
A movie that kept me at the edge of my chair.
A movie that made me held my breathe without me realizing it.
A movie that made me stiff and hugged myself till the end.

This movie summarizes all about the bad side of a man (which actually has a reason behind it).


One, the selfishness when trying to survive.
When participating in such extreme expeditions like cave-exploring, we have to make sure that we’re equipped with the knowledge and important equipments. If not, we’re exposing ourselves to any possible dangers voluntarily.

As the head of the expedition, one has to become selfish at times to make sure that the group is safe from any risks, including drowning someone. In The Sanctum, someone who is badly hurt is being drowned to death. The reason is not to become mean or heartless, but rather than leaving him/her to suffer it is better to end the pain right away by putting an end to his/her life. Plus, even if the group carries the wounded person, it will only slow down the whole journey and in this such expedition, time is crucial and even a second of lateness may lead the group into something nasty.

Of course, people outside the cave might thing that drowning that person is cruel.

But in risky situations, quick decisions and smart calls from a leader is essential. Rather than risking the whole group’s safety, it is better to sacrifice only one life.


Two, hate for one who does not portray what we want to see.
Also called, double-standardizing or simply, discriminating.
What kinds of people are usually being treated this way? Easy. Black people, disabled people, poor people or just plain weirdo who wear things other don’t, listen to music others hate and just talk so queerly.

In simple words, people who act, talk, dress, or even walk or do things not similar to the majority of the society.

To relate this point to the movie, Joshua has a father (Frank) who has a career different from other fathers. He does not show his love like other fathers do, but only focuses on his job. Yet he often takes Josh to follow him and teaches him a few things about caves, climbing and diving. He always gets mad at Josh, shout at him, treat him coldly and force him do things that he does not like. As a result, Josh hates his father.

But actually, his father does that just to pay all the bills and support their family. It is true that he can do other jobs that can make him work only 9 to 5, so that he can go back home in the evening and spend time with family just like the other fathers. Yet, he feels that the big caves like his own church. A place where he feels that he knows everything, expects the worst scenarios that may happen and still know how to fix it. It is just something he thinks he is best doing. Now we don’t see any harm in that as long as he supports his family and still love his family, do we? How do we know that he loves his family? Well, he recites poems that his wife loved, and he always worries about Josh during the expedition.

And three, the dark consequences from a protective instinct.
A human being, when being in the state of really angry that someone or something he loves is disturbed or harmed; will surely be overcame by emotions and judgment will be blurred.

If we watch National Geography, the animals have their own instinct for survival. For parents, they will surely protect their babies from enemy animals and would kill if any enemy comes close into their area.

As for this movie, this point can be seen when Josh “killed” Carl after Carl tried to kill his father. Seeing his beloved father being hurt like that, Josh got mad and threw himself at Carl. With the anger and rage, he fought with Carl with all his might, punched him and finally (kind of) killed Carl. He became to mad that he could not control himself, in order to protect his father. In the end, Carl got up and clearly he wasn’t dead but only playing dead to trick Josh. Despite of that, we can see that protective instinct can seriously bring out the worst in a person.

One Guilty Thing that Pleasures Me =)

One guilty thing that pleasures me is my personal great escape or what I love to refer to as "escapism".

Escapism :
>The act of breaking off from the chains and running away.
>The action of releasing oneself from a strain.
>The weird need from inside of the heart to escape the stress and live freely without constraints.
>My own way of creating a boundary between myself and the work loads of assignments and tasks.
>The way of relieving the tensions and ease up the tight knots in your stomachs.

Blank? Well, let me explain this further.

At times when assignments are congesting up your system, your head get too crowded with stuffs to do, work to be completed and problems to be settled. Even the act of thinking seems too difficult and unbearable as the tons of tasks squeeze the air out of your lungs until you grasp for air to breath. What would you do release all the stress and ease up the tensions? Surely everyone has one unique way of de-stressing right? That is seriously and crucially important; to avoid us from being a “zombie” who feels nothing and stare into nothing and just to do what is being told. Well, some may refer that as being “dead inside”. This can usually be detected whenever a friend of yours appears to be emotionless when you crack a joke in front of him of her. Or even pinch him or her and no response is given out. Clearly that is the most critical state someone can be when he or she is too preoccupied with assignments. This state might be normal around the examination week.

Does that sound familiar?

Okay, that is when I look for my escape! If I fail to get it, I might get cranky or even snappy or just shut off from the whole world, and be as quiet as a mouse.
It is a getaway, my own style of getting away, taking a rest from the stressful tasks of my studies, and go hang out with my friends, out of and far away from college, in my own beloved hometown. My friends and I would talk, drive around, and mostly listen to music on the radio and enjoying the city life outside silently. Those might not seem like a waste of time to others especially my parents, but to me that is the most important thing that I have to do have at least one or twice a month. I would spend a lot of money just to go back home, go have a drink or meal with my friends and just spend the night gossiping and all. For others, that might sound boring, they might prefer going to clubs, go for a date or just spend some time alone or listen to some soothing music. To me, my escapism is my relief. And often, weekends are my target for it! That is why I am always looking forward to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Oh. And why is it a guilty thing for me? Because only few knows where I go for escapism! And that's what pleasures me. :P

The Blind Side

“There is an important difference between love and friendship. While the former delights in extremes and opposites, the latter demands equality.”

The Blindside is the movie you have to watch to learn the true meaning of love, passion and power of dream. This movie brings you the story inspired by a real tale which teaches us that the world is actually a good place and everyone deserves a chance in reaching their dreams. Just imagine, a black guy in a white people’s family, dining together, spending time together and shopping along with them. Equality for all is the major message.

In this era of modernization, racism is no longer a relevant issue because nowadays, every individual deserves the same rights as others. There should not be any discrimination towards anyone at all. The family is not afraid of what the society thinks when they adopt the black kid they meet on the streets, while he was walking in the rain with no place to go. Although the double standards still exist in some of the minds of the society members, the idea that black people are bad, dirty and all; this family portrays that color, race and background should not be the boundary for love. They accept Big Mike in their family with open arms, give him shelter, food and comfort, support him in his passion for football and even give him the love that he never had from his own mother. Big Mike’s mother is a sort of mother who never really cared for her children, and sleeps around with different guys until she gets old and sick. In the end, she is alone with no one to care for her.

However, the love of a son towards his own mother always drives Big Mike to sneak out from the orphanages he was placed in to see his mother, bring her food and look after her when she is ill. Big Mike has a very high level of protective instinct, which we can guess where it comes from, he always look out for his mother even though she never loved him. Consequently in football he also shows the protective instinct to help his team towards countless victories, and brings them to the top by blocking opponents and protecting his team members. Even the coach is shocked when he sees what makes Big Mike special, as in the beginning he thinks that Big Mike or Micheal Oher is just a useless kid with no brains because he is quiet and is a bit slow to catch up compared to the other kids. But as time passes by, he realizes that Big Mike plays the role as a big wall to shield his team members from opponent players on the field while playing by using his huge figure and strong force to defend them to score the ball. In the end, Big Mike becomes a well known figure in the football history for his touching life background, motivating ups and downs journey of life and super-loving foster family.

The morale that we learn in the movie Blindside is that to see a person is not by looking at the physical but seeing the heart that lies inside, which in Micheal Oher’s situation a boy who was abandoned by his mother, who never gives up on life, who always gets back up on his feet every he fall and always do good to people despite of their harsh treatments towards him and is very passionate in playing football until he becomes a successful sportsman known all over the world. That is what we call the power of love. It can motivate a person in such wonderful way we never expected.

Love is the Voice under All Silences

Love

For me, love is the thing that spins the planet; it is the magical subject that turns a frown to a smile within seconds. The power of love can definitely stops a war. That is why in my opinion everyone needs love, As love is a strong feeling that it can be felt through the darkness of pitch black sight of a blind man and the dead silence of heard by a deaf man, thus making the life looks so colorful and beautiful and love songs are played in the air.

Love is the Voice under All Silences? Also known as the ‘silent love’.

Now what does that mean? This is one type of love does not really exist nowadays because not many of us understands the real meaning of love anymore. The silent love is actually a love that works its magic silently and quietly. Outside you may seem that there is nothing going on between two persons, but inside there is actually a burning love towards each other and that is usually the reason for two spouses to be able to live through this life together for decades and for some, a bit more than a hundred years.

Arranged marriages.

If you ask our grandparents, ancestors or any real old people about this, they will surely smile. Why? Well, that is because by majority, those are the reasons why they got married in the first place. The parents choose a candidate for their child, get to know them and their family and if nothing are in the way, and then the marriage is on. That may seem simple, hustle-less and all but hey, most of arranged marriages last for a long time right? They may not have known each other at first, total strangers living together. But as time passes by, they got to know each other deeper, they understand each others’ weaknesses and strengths and fall in love with everything there is in the other person.

Divorce.

If you compare arranged marriage and the modern marriages nowadays where people get married to the persons they have known and loved for a while. But which one breaks so early? The modern marriage, of course. This is a result of, after some time the love that made them got married had dried out and probably some crisis have filled the air in the house and they started to hate each other and in the end there is nothing that can hold the marriage anymore. Finally, divorce is their option (in most cases).
Do you think that the elder people would divorce just like that? No, because despite that they may seem to fight every day, scream to each other, lecture each other but inside of their hearts, the silent love towards each other is still strong, the love that they have built from zero has finally become very strong and sturdy and nothing, like those small arguments can break the tie between them. Thus, the marriage becomes unbreakable and they live together until death does them apart.

That is what “love is the voice under all silences” means to me. Others may have different interpretations towards this but this one meaning brings a very significant importance to me as I think, this is also one of the many forms of true love.

The End.

Music

Music is love.
Music is hope.
Music moves continents.
Music breaks through the wall of Berlin.
Music saves lives.
Music stops wars.
Music changes people.
Music awakes the inner senses.
Music has a soul, and the soul is in the heart of every one of us.

One of the movies that can really sum up the definition of music is August Rush.



Watching this movie made me realize how significant music is to the world, the society and to one’s self. It connects people, from afar. It sends message to people who understand. Ever cried after listening to a song?Or have you ever changed your ways because of a song?That is the proof how powerful music is.Through the beats, the melody and the lyrics it gives big impacts to all of us.Like the Sun shining through all parts of the world, music affects everyone who hears it.

The music that interests me to write for this post is classical music. This music was actually a common thing around the years of Shakespeare, Mozart, Beethoven and others' fame, as an entertainment for the royalty and rich people. I’d agree if you say it’s quite expensive to go to such concerts, because the tickets are usually sold at a very high price because of the performers who are invited to play. Not shockingly, not many people today listen to it anymore, though there are still a group in our society who’d go to symphonies to listen to the beautiful plays by pianists, violinists, cellists, saxophonists, harpists, and other ‘angels’ of music. Though classical music are often played without a singer who sings, this lyric-less type of music tells stories in a different way to the audience and listeners. Some may cry, others may be touched, but most people would be very captivated that they would not blink all the while the song is being played. True, not everyone would understand classical music because there are no lyrics that can convey the message in the song, like a Morse code. But for people who really love this music would translate it in their own way and every note played is like a word whispered to their ears. They understand the song as if the song is being sung. They can feel the ‘soul’ of each song as if the song comes to live and dances around on the stage. Sounds freaky? Well, it is just the way of explaining this thing in a simple way. Basically, classical music should be treasured by all, not only the riches. You don’t have to go to the concerts and pay much, just buy a CD at the music store, or just stream online and already you can experience a very moving experience of classical music.