A Letter From The Perfect World.

Dear Fiona,

These past few days, I have been trying to make a decision, but now I have come to a conclusion. I am going to Elsewhere. I have finally realized that this society that we live in is, regimented. We have no color, no emotions, no music, NOTHING! But you don't know all these things, so you have a different perspective on this decision. Elsewhere has everything I have been looking for ages, freedom and choice. These two things are the prime reasons as to why I am leaving. I know you must be wondering about my training as a Receiver Of Memory why I am leaving, and this letter will explain everything. I also give you permission to read this with Asher.

Being the Receiver of Memory was such a honour, but it wasn't all fun and games. Do you remember at the Ceremony of Twelves, where the Chief Elder told everyone that I would feel pain during my duration as a Receiver Of Memory? Well, she was right and as the Giver transferred the memories to me, I felt all of these different kinds of emotions that I have never felt before. My favourite one was when the Giver gave me his favourite memory. It was about a family, a real family, celebrating Christmas, a holiday that they celebrate. And as I was experiencing it, I realized something. This so-called society we live in, has nothing. I was thinking about asking to be released but the Giver told me a story about a girl called Rosemary. She was also a Receiver Of Memory. She had asked to be released because the memories were too much for her. From this story, I could feel her pain because I have felt the same way before. The rule, here in our society, states that I wasn't allowed to ask to be released because of Rosemary. This is why I was forced to flee (page 163). Rosemary was the Giver's daughter and when she was granted her wish of being released, he had finally realized how much he loved her and now he misses her dearly. Love was the one feeling I felt was my favourite feeling. It is something so precious, I think it's too good to be true. Do you realize something Fiona? THERE COULD BE LOVE! (page 129) But our society doesn't have it. This is a brief reason as to why I had to go find a place that had what I wanted, love. So I have decided to go to Elsewhere. But you do not know why, now do you. Well, the rest of this letter will explain it.

Though I have introduced the topic very briefly at the beginning, I do not think you know the real reason as to why I am leaving. I have many reasons, but all tie together as one. It is very simple, I feel our society does not have what I want and possibly need. I feel so horrible about it but yet at the same time, I think this is the right decision for me to make. Being a Receiver Of Memory, I have felt many emotions and it has been a big part of why I am going to flee away. Another reason why I have made this difficult decision is that there is nothing in this society. During my assigned job, I have sensed three things; feelings, music and color. I know that Elsewhere has all these things, while our society does not. Feelings are something that everyone should have, but sadly our society is so controlled, they haven't given us the chance to. Though the Giver has asked me not to leave, I must go. I must go as this society is not my ideal one.

I hope to hear from you when I am in Elsewhere and I bid you farewell Fiona.

Jonas

The Giver Reflection #4

How does this quote " Gabriel's breathing was even and deep. Jonas liked having him there, though he felt guilty about the secret. Each night he gave memories to Gabriel: memories of boat rides and picnics in the sun; memories of soft rainfall against windowpanes; memories of dancing bare-footed on a damp lawn. "Gabe?"The new child stirred slightly in his sleep, Jonas looked over at him. "There could be love" Jonas whispered." and chapters 16-18 relate to the theme of freedom and choice?

Firstly, I think these chapters relate to freedom because at the end of The Giver, Jonas becomes free and comes to a town where it is full of music, color, love and feelings. Though through this journey, Jonas has had to make some decisions that have been hard, but this means that he had the freedom to choose which decision he wanted. When Jonas decided to go to Elsewhere with Gabriel, he used his freedom to choose to be free. From previous knowledge, he knew that Elsewhere was full of what everybody in his society doesn't have and he feels that he deserves to have that. When he arrived at Elsewhere, Jonas was free. Free from his rule-full society, free from his parents, free from everything.

Finally, I think these chapters are related to choice mostly because of the same reasons as freedom. Jonas had to make a very hard decision at the end of the book, he had to choose to leave his society to go to Elsewhere, or stay and live the rest of his life in his society, that was full of rules. Though he knew that getting to Elsewhere was a hard journey, he chose going to Elsewhere because he knew it was the right choice. Elsewhere was full of what he could dream of! Love, music, color and feelings! All of which aren't visible in Jonas' current society. Making the journey even harder, Jonas had brought Gabriel, a Newchild his father had been taking care of. This special person is way more sensitive than anyone else and could die easily. Jonas had to be careful. He did not have a lot of experience of nurturing so it was basically a life or death route for Jonas and Gabriel. But still, Jonas takes the risk because he knows the right choice. Sometimes people make weird decisions, but they do it because they know it is the right choice.

This is how choice and freedom was related to those 3 chapters and the quote above.

The Giver Reflection #2

Why does Jonas find the instruction of lying so disturbing?

I think Jonas finds the instruction of lying so disturbing because of 2 reasons. One reason is that because he is in such a structured society, lying would be against the rules so he has not experienced it before. the second reason as to why Jonas finds instruction of lying so disturbing is because he feels it is a terrible crime to do it. Though he has never experienced it before, it is a sin to lie. For example, lying would probably be the equivalent to murdering someone here in Malaysia. You can get in a lot of trouble. In the novel, The Giver, Jonas has been raised to not lie. 'Finally he steeled himself to read the final rule again. He had been trained since earliest childhood

, since his earliest learning of language, never to lie.' (Page 70)

The first reason as to why I think Jonas finds lying disturbing is because he lives in such a united and structured society. I would rather not call it a perfect society because they are a lot of things about it that are not perfect. In Jonas' world, they have many rules and one of them would be to never lie. I think we can all agree that lying is bad. Even the slightest lie can change someone's future. For example, if someone is going for a college interview and you don't want them to get in so you call the interviewer and act as that person and tell him/her you're sick. You have just ruined that person's future. That person could have been successful, but now they won't be because you lied. All Jonas knew was that lying is bad because that is the way he was raised. Jonas also might've thought that there would be nothing to lie about in his world because they seem to b

e the "best society". I agree with Jonas as to how lying is bad. I have to admit, I have lied before and I regret lying, but if I hadn't lied, I might not be what I am today.

The final reason is that Jonas thinks that lying is a crime. I believe that lying is a crime, it just doesn't have the same punishments as murdering someone or being accused of a crime you didn't do. In our society, we have laws. If we don't follow them, it's either jail or death. Because you have been warned as you

didn't listen. Jonas' community must also have laws like this, but they are still different from ours. As I said earlier, lying to them might be murdering to us. We all have different levels of severe and minor. For us, it might be okay to lie sometimes but for Jonas' society, you can even get killed because they know it wasn't the way they were raised.

In conclusion, I think Jonas finds lying so disturbing because it's against his rules and he believes it is a crime to do it. We all think this, but I don't think, we classify it as important. Since Jonas has no intention of doing it, I think he will be safe from the law!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OVm84MipjGs/TFAriZ5LNjI/AAAAAAAAAAk/AabNWYY0Lyg/s1600/thegiver.jpg

The Giver Reflection #1

Would you want your future to be decided by others ? Why or Why not?

I chose this question because though it seems like an easy question, if you really think about it, it's very hard to think. Both sides have their pros and cons and it's a very hard decision. Sometimes people will not need guidance in their life but others do. Sometimes it's hard to make some decisions and you need someone to help you make it, maybe even make it FOR you. You probably know what you want so you go with your choice, but occasionally it will be the wrong choice. People might think that having people choose for you is a good thing because it requires less work of you. But those are the kinds of people who never get far in life.

I have decided that I would like my future to not be decided by others because I recommend people should have some sort of freedom in their life, but not too much freedom that would get me wild and crazy. I realized that everyone should have guidance in their choices and advice but would not like them to make the entire decision for them. I would get my family to help me out with my choices or my friends to give me advice on which choice to make. If I disagree with what they say, I still have the right to follow my own opinion. You would still have someone who has your back but you would't be controlled by them. For example, in the novel The Giver, Jonas starts to wonder about his society because he starts to think deeper into the decisions the Elders make. He suddenly realizes that he can't make any choices for himself. Jonas worries about the assignment he has been selected for and is questioning why he can't choose his own assignment. I think Jonas has suddenly realized that he is being controlled.

Though I am gestalt, I still feel I have a little bit of logic in my brain, and as a "logic", I like things to be in order while gestalt people like to look at the big picture first. Though I like things to be in order, I figured I wouldn't like that to imply with the decision of me not having my future decided by others because there are 2 completely different things. Having someone control you is having no freedom and when we can get a list in order, you can either choose to follow it or to not. It's entirely your choice. I think Jonas feels the same as most people do. Nobody would like their future to be decided by others. For example, slaves have their "future" decided for them, but it's not their choice. They grew up in poverty and would want to do anything in order to get wealth.

In conclusion, I would not like my future to be decided by others but I like guidance and advice for the choices I make. I have the choice of following or not following it. I also believe that Jonas would not like his future decided by others but he can't help it. Would YOU want your future to be decided by others?

Why do you think Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs created monuments?

I think they created monuments because they believed that that was the only way to represent their thoughts and beliefs. The pharaoh I researched on, Ramses II, built monuments to represent his religious beliefs and to enhance his relationship with Ra, the god that he worshipped. Pharaohs might have also built monuments because they wanted to be remembered and they believe that monuments would be the best solution. For example, Ramses II built the Ramesseum because it was the place where his memory would be kept alive after he passed on from his world.

2. What monuments in our society are similar? (be sure to provide explanations and graphics).

One monument that was similar to Ancient Egypt's monuments would be the Statue Of Liberty, which is located in New

York. The Statue Of Liberty was a gift to America from France. It was first completed in France and then presented to America on July 4, 1884. It's similarity would be the Abu Simbel, which is a monument that Ramses II built, because

both buildings showed purpose. The Statue Of Liberty was given to the US by the French to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American Declaration Of Independence.

Another monument would be the Taj Mahal. Many say that if you kiss someone at the Taj Mahal at sunset, you'll know if she/he is your true love, which makes the Taj Mahal the perfect place to symbolise love! It is located in India and it is also one of the 7 Wonders of The World. It's similarity would probably be the Caesareum, which was founded by Cleopatra. According to Natalie's blog (Thanks!), it was to symbolize her love for one man named Julius Caesar.

3. How did the using google docs as the main portal for collaboration help you with this assignment?

Google Docs is an absolute tool for presentations, projects and research, especially if you're working in a group. On a collaborative document, you can chat with them in case you're stuck or just don't know what to do. Google Docs also automatically saves your work, so your partner can always be updated on your work. They can also tell if you have been doing your share of work.

4. What did you learn from this assignment?

I learned that pharaohs didn't just build monuments for the sake of it. They actually did it for many purposes such as, religious beliefs, love, glory and many others. Another thing I learned is just everything about Ramses II. I actually never knew that they were so many pharaohs. I only knew 2; King Tut and Cleopatra. And this project just opened me up to a whole new subject.

5. What was challenging?

What I think was challenging was just getting the iMovie done. Sometimes in class, you aren't able to always finish your work and you have to do some work at home, but the fact that you and your partner have very different schedules, it would be hard to make some time for each other.

6. Which schoolwide learning results were evident in this assignment?

I think "Collaborate Constructively","Think Creatively", and "Learn Enthusiastically" were some of the SLRs that were evident in this assignment because you and your partner had to work together, think of some creative ways to do your iMovie, and along the way, having enough information to learn and fit into your iMovie.

SOURCES

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX81q37pkVntzKJA4OqYhwD4MCA45wo0fVZZO-iJVbzybvpEu97pU5RDewDadhAuyUROGkzSIIlKnrWzchlO9vfd1ZZ6IPF8hvyBCGXMiTsNDrF4qwVOs5ZbOsgEcSibV0Gzkg-PjnDnj0/s570/statue_of_liberty_800cropped[1].jpg

http://www.veneziatravel.com/dbpics/cities/thumb1264343496Abu_Simbel1_gdj.jpg

http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1/401877-Caesareum-Alexandria.jpg

http://rajivawijesinha.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/taj-mahal.jpg

北 京 欢 迎 你, Beijing Welcomes You :)

In class, we all had to present a powerpoint on our home city. Even though my home city is KL, I chose Beijing because 1) a lot of people were doing KL and 2) I consider it my second home since I lived there for 7.5 years.

1) What you believe you did well on the project?

What I believe I did well on my project is the information I found. I put in the requirements that Mrs Narsiman expected us to put it in. Environmental factors, historical factors, statistical information and other interesting facts. I believe I covered all the guidelines Mrs Narsiman gave us.

2) What you would improve for future presentations/projects?

Something I would like to improve for future presentations/projects would be the oral part of my presentation. I should be more prepared with speaker notes, notecards etc...I start to fidget and tend to look at the board very often. In the future, I can work on my physical appearance, no moving my hands and eye contact. Even though I LOVE performing on stage, I have a phobia of presenting my work to a crowd of people because of the worry of the quality of my work.

3) What did you learn from your preparation (for your presentation) in addition to the presentations of others?

I learned that you should be confident and proud of your work, because (courtesy of my friend, Natalie's, blog post) if you're confident enough, then everything will be fine. I also learned that you should always use your time wisely because you never know what will happen. Like for me, I had no wifi that week so I couldn't do any internet-related homework, so I problem-solved and try to get as much as I could in class so that I wouldn't have any problem with homework at home.

4) What is your analysis of your performance?

Overall, I think my performance was good. I could've have done worse, but the best piece can ALWAYS be improved because no matter what, we will always have presentations to do. I'll take the mistakes I made and put them into effect the next time I present my work and will be proud of my work. And I won't worry about anything.

If you would like to see my presentation and you'd like to learn more about Beijing, here's a link to my project----https://docs.google.com/a/iskl.edu.my/present/edit?id=0AaIsXQbl7EzZZGRkMnpzYmpfNDZjanRrd2ZmOQ&hl=en

Sources

-http://comps.fotosearch.com/comp/IMZ/IMZ008/businessman-making-presentation_~wdr0002.jpg

-Google Docs "Nadia_Beijing" https://docs.google.com/a/iskl.edu.my/present/edit?id=0AaIsXQbl7EzZZGRkMnpzYmpfNDZjanRrd2ZmOQ&hl=en

New Year's Resolutions and Goals from 2011 To The London Olympics

New Year's Resolutions and Goals

Who here has made up some New Year's resolutions? How many of you have done it EVERY year? For me, this is my first year making New Year's resolutions. And that's perfect because 2011 is the start of a new decade. A fresh start. Here in this blogpost, it will ALL be about my New Year's resolutions and goals (not to be arrogant) and about my mom, dad and sister's New Year's resolution. Enjoy!

My first New Year's Resolution is to be nicer to my family. Sometimes they can just
REALLY tick me off by asking questions over and over again, making me pause the DVD all the time so they can go to the bathroom etc. But all families have their rows and fights now and then because it's life. So I have to adapt to get used to that and control my patience. My second New Year's resolution is to be nice to other people, not only to my friends but to all the others I don't know as much as my friends. Some people say that I'm bossy and I seem very mean and arrogant to them.To be honest, I don't believe this even other I have had my moments. I would let them sit next to me at lunch if they're lonely and let them have a piece of seaweed etc. In 2011, I will try my best to complete these resolutions and surely, I will be a better person in time for the London Olympics.

Many people have goals like "I don't want to have fights with my family" or "I want to get fit." I have goal that relate to my strength, swimming. I will always have a goal for my swimming but these 3 goals, to me, are the most important and hardest to achieve. They are to go under 37 for my 50 breastroke, at least a 1:20 for my 100 breatsroke and to dip under 30 seconds for 50 free. To succeed and achieve the goals, I have chosen 3 methods of strategy. 1) I will work harder in training and give 110% everyday even if I feel down. 2) I will eat more healthier such as eatying right before a competition or just simply not beating junk. And finally 3) I will have a positive attitude everyday. Not looking at my past and thinking "I can't do this.

Hope you liked reading about my New Year's resolutions and my goals. I also hope you enjoy reading about my Winter holidays and what I heard and did.
 

A Harry Potter Marathon and An Unique New Year's Resolution

I stayed here in KL for my winter break. For the first part (1.5 weeks, it was actually pretty boring. Swimming everyday and double training on Tuesday and Thursday. Not really fun right? Well, my dad and I went to the DVD store and bought every Harry Potter DVD until Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. I brought it home and popped Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone into the DVD player. It was good, good enough for me to watch the second one. Way good! Then came all the other DVDs, #3, #4, #5 and then #6. Sure enough, I had finished a Harry Potter marathon. It's amazing what spare time can hypnotise you to do.

My family doesn't always make New Year's resolutions but I found this one actually interesting. They said, based on age and probability, they should all be nice to me! I asked them about this and they answered "Well Nadia, since you are the youngest in the family you will end up burying us in to the ground." I felt quite happy about this because well, they should be nice to me. My sister, Diana, started arguing about how I could die earlier than her by a drunk driver or a car accident etc. But then my mom started emphasising on the BASED ON PROBABILITY part of every sentence she said. This only proves that we should all be nice to eah other even though we have our fights because you never know what will happen in the next 5 seconds.


This concludes my blog post on my New Year's resolutions, my goals and 2 things I did over the winter holidays. This is NadiaRedza :) signing out.