Frolicking at Frim

For our school field trip we got to go to Frim. During our 2 day stay there we played a humanities game based on the famous book, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games is about the future and how there is only one country left in the world called the Panem. There are 12 districts in Panem and every year one boy and one girl is chosen from each district to fight to death.

In the activity we were separated into 5 groups to represent the districts. Each district was allowed to choose 5 items that they wanted to use to survive. My group, district one, was Stephen, Victoria, Sandy and me. The items that my group chose was flint, first aid kit, mosquito net, compass and flash light. The flint was to make a fire, the first aid kit was for injuries, the mosquito net was to prevent mosquitos and catch fish, the compass was for direction and the flash light was for the night time.

Although not all of the groups got what they wanted. My group only got the mosquito net and after that we had to improvise and get whatever we could. In the end we ended up with a mosquito net, file, soap, t-shirt and hand sanitizer. Our group was frustrated because most of the stuff we had was for luxury and we needed stuff to survive. Also we were stressed and found it unfair because we went first and were sent back.

That's not all. The teachers suddenly came and we were told to preform a skit. We had no idea what it was on and we were surprised and confused. In the end our group did the Haka and got a shovel in return as the audience/teachers didn't think we did very well. I thought that was unfair as we weren't given any information or time to prepare and we had to preform. Our group thought doing that Haka on the spot and even getting the idea to do it was worth a lot more than a shovel. Especially since our group was first.

The main dangers for my group was the people, animals, and weather. In the book the Capitol controlled the weather and we were scared. The people might not seem scary as they were our friends but if you were thrown into an arena to fight to death every one is your enemy. If I could have 1 extra item it would be a machete. The machete could help us kill for food and enemies and also we can carve a bow and arrow or make traps. It would also be useful for starting a fire because we could carve the wood into the shape we want and then rub the sticks together to start a fire. In the group I wasn't the leader but I don't think I was the weakest link either. I always got a chance to contribute my ideas even though they weren't always listened to.

All together this whole trip wasn't as bad as I thought. I liked being able to survive like in the book. I now understand all the frustration that Katniss felt. The trip was about learning to live ethically and I think that we did a good job. We learnt how to take care of the environment without leaving a trace behind. It was a good trip but I think that some items were missing from the list like a torch because at night it was really dark and hard to see. In the end the trip was a nice trip.

The Black Box

1. I would call this story The Black Box because the whole story talks about the black box and of what's in it.
2. I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen but, I thought that something bad would happen to the person who contained the sheet of paper with the black dot. The reason I thought this was because Mrs. Hutchinson, who had the black spot, was screaming "I think we ought to start over." and "I tell you it wasn't fair". Also the mood was very tense and everyone was relieved when they found out they didn't have the spot.
3. When the end of the story wasn't given to me I was flooded with questions. I didn't feel satisfied as if there should be more descriptions on what happened next.
4. When I was given the mystery paper I was curious on what was inside. I thought that if you had the black spot you would be told what would happen to Mrs. Hutchinson. Even though I was bursting with curiosity, I opened the paper at home to see what was in it to add more void.
5. I was confused about the black box and what was in it. I was also confused about the black spot and what it did and why when the people didn't get the black spot they were so relieved.
6. When I read the end of the story it made a little more sense but I was still confused. I didn't understand what the rocks had to do with the pieces of paper and the black box and why everyone was scared of the black spot.
7. No, my predictions were not correct but I felt good that at least there was an ending and I felt much more satisfied than I did before we got the slip of paper.
8. I think what would have helped me make a better prediction was to be given hints in class, even if they weren't obvious.
9. I think the author left these voids in the story because it keeps the reader captivated, thinking and gives the reader a chance to imagine what happens.
10. The void in having no title and no author information doesn't give you any idea on what you are going to be reading. Having no ending lets the reader imagine one but doesn't give you much satisfaction. The text clues and foreshadowing throughout is a type of void that can only be found if you are paying attention as it isn't very obvious. The mystery paper makes you curious and makes sure that you don't forget what happened in class. The delayed ending caused you to be unsatisfied and confused. Lastly getting no information on what we were doing caused a void because we weren't sure what was the purpose of reading this and how this was relevant to anything we had done so far.

Dominant Profile L

1. I learn best when I get to move around so that I can process my thoughts, and by looking at the "big picture". Rather than looking at each detail, looking at the end product helps me more. I learn best when I am relaxed because when I am stressed my brain, ears, eyes, hands and feet don't work well. If I am relaxed I can learn faster than most gestalt (right brained) people and I can use both my logic (left brain) and gestalt brain more. In other words the two parts of my brain work better together when relaxed.

2. I need to be seated in an area on the right side of the classroom, where it is quite and I can move without disturbing others. I need to be on the right side of the classroom because I use my right ear and right eye to see. Also, if I were to sit on the left side of the classroom I feel uncomfortable and uneasy. If something is explained to me I need to have examples and metaphors so that I can fully comprehend what I am doing.

3. The stratiges that would help me in learning is to be able to move around so that I can process what I am thinking. Working with my non-dominant body parts will help me engage both sides of brain, like trying to draw with my left hand instead of my right. Also when I am trying to concentrate it is best for me to be in a quite area on my own so that I don't get distracted with the sounds.

4. Something I would like my teachers to know about me is that when I am under stress I move with caution and often feel clumsy. When I am relaxed my movements are spontaneous and I don't think as much about what I am doing. I also tend not to do things in order and rather think about what the end product would.

The Religious Trip

The purpose for our religious trip to Masjid Jamek was to experience the similarities in Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim places of worship. Although the religions are different the way they are practiced or where they are practiced is similar. In the mosque the was a huge dome with a moon and a star on top of it and minarets surrounding it. Between the minarets (to form a wall) there were repeated designs. Most of the mosque was made of white marble but some of it was also made from cement. The only smell that was there was the smell of dirty water as there was a river right next to the mosque. The next place that we visited was the Buddhist temple. The Buddhist temple was very open and you could go anywhere you wanted. It also had a high glass ceiling. As soon as you entered the temple a strong smell of incense hit you like a tornado. You could hear people praying and every once in a while someone would hit the gong. What really made the temple stand out was that almost everything was in red and gold. There were many deities in one corner but nothing overpowered the most powerful deity of them all: Buddha. He was beautifully carved and carefully painted in gold. The last place to visit was the Hindu temple. As you stepped in the music filled your ears. Unlike the mosque and the Buddhist temple there were many vibrant colours in the Hindu temple. There were many Gods as Statues or Gods carved into the wall. People were praying and lighting lamps.

The common values in all the religions is that all of them had some kind of repeated pattern. The Buddhist and Hindu temples had lots of colours and incense. Though, the biggest similarity is that they are all places to pray in and relax. Also once I left all of these religious places I felt more calm and at peace. The reason could be because of the psychological feeling of God or it could just be because of the smiling people and the atmosphere they give out.

A Day in the Life of Me!

Homework on my laptop; REALLY boring.

Gone to pray at the temple.

Fancy lunch at the Kl Minara!

Shoping, shoping, shoping, and more shoping

I finally got a new book!

Got new shoes and went running.

Love swimming, love swimming and LOVE swimming

Bunch of notes put together = Music!

After all that work, entertainment time!

Went to watch a comedy movie!

Creation Myths

An example of a creation myth

The dictionary of creation myths says a myth is the projection of a cultures soul. Many people believe that is true indication that different myths show you what their cultures are like. Themes of creators, birth, and separation are at the center of many creation myths, which is unusual because the places are so far away from each other and they couldn't travel and communicate with each other.

Common elements in many myths are the creators of the world. For example in the one of the Chinese myths, Phan Ku was the creator of the world because once he died his body parts became the features of the world. Also in the Maori myth there were two Gods who gave birth to different children like the deserts and forests. Therefore it can be said that even though the myths were from different places and the people weren’t able to travel to each other or communicate with each other it can be said there is some kind of connection between them.

In the beginning of many myths they talked about birth. For example in the Inca myth the people were made out of stone and therefore humankind was born. Another example of this is in the myth of Phan Ku. Once Phan Ku died the fleas that surrounded him became mankind. This proves that no matter where the myth is from the people have the same styles of thinking.

A similar element in many myths is separation. For example in the Maori myth the sky God was physically forced to separate from the earth God. This is related to when in the Inca myth the men and ladies were separated and lived in different cities and worshiped other Gods. As we can see many elements in myths was separation even though the places from where the myth was from were so far away from each other.

Even though the countries are so far away, their myths are still similar. Which shows that their cultures are similar and it really is a small world after all.

Picture Url: http://c0027112.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/3566.jpg

My Bag

Items in my picture: Thai bag, Archie Comic, camera cover, red elephant, toy dog, goggles, charm bracelet, ipod, Langkawi key chain, and colored stabilo pens

Is it possible that ten items of yours can almost exactly describe you? Well you are about to find out. I chose ten items that I thought really described me. So here they are. I chose my Thai bag because it represents where I was born. I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and in 1998 my mom got this bag for herself. One day I found it in my mom's room and absolutely loved it. I told my mom that and she gave it to me. She told me to keep it so that once I grow up it will remind me of Bangkok. I have moved around a lot and was only in Bangkok for three years. This might not seem so important but once I have grown up and have lived in so many places I can be assured that I will remember Bangkok, my birth place.

Another item I took a picture of to represent me is one of my Archie Comic books. The reason is that I usually don't like reading comic books. That might sound weird for a kid of my age but for me, Archie Comics are the only exception. I started reading Archie Comics when I was only 8! I once saw my brother reading them and I tried to read them too. Of course when I was 8 I didn't understand it that much but now I do. I have 14 Archie Comics but there are over 1000 different books!

One item that is really important to me is my camera. I couldn't take a picture of my camera because I was using it to take the picture of my ten objects. So instead I put my camera cover. Ever since I was small I loved taking pictures. When ever my family went on a vacation instead of wanting to be in the picture, I always wanted to take the picture. So just recently my dad bought me my very own camera. What made me happy was it wasn't a cheap camera and has lots of good qualities. This is important to me because it shows how much I like taking pictures.

The red elephant in my photo might seem like any ordinary toy but it isn't for me. This was the first toy that my brother bought for me. When I was born my brother was only seven but he wanted to buy something special for me. So he saved up his allowance money and went to the store and bought me this gift. When I was just born I wasn't old enough to appreciate it and like most babies bit it and ripped it. When I got older my mom stitched the part that I ripped and told me that my brother bought this for me. Since then I have treasured it and made sure nothing bad happened to it.

My toy dog is not as important to me as my red elephant but it does tell you a little about me. It shows you that I really love dogs. Most of my toys are dogs. I have always wanted a dog of my own but since we keep on moving to different places my mom didn't buy me one. Even though my dogs aren't real they are good enough for me!

Something else that tells you a little about me is that I love swimming! So that is why I have my goggles in my picture. When I was small and had swim lessons I used to hate the water but now I love being in the water. Sometimes my brother says that I am more like a water mammal than a human being! Although I would rather play in the water than have to do laps, if I got a choice between swimming laps or running laps I would choose to swim them. So that shows how much I love swimming!

My charm bracelet is important to me because not only is it the first charm bracelet I ever got but it was also my first bracelet. My mom bought it for me when I was six years old! Back then it was too big for me and still is but I still love it. Anyways once she got it for me I liked it so much that I wanted another bracelet. Since then I have more that 20 different bracelets!

The next item I am going to talk about is my ipod. My brother bought it for me last year from America (he goes to university there). The reason that I find it important is not because he got it for me but because I use it almost everyday. When I am bored I listen to my ipod or when I am angry, sad, anything! I feel that the type of music that you listens to expresses who you really are.

My Langkawi key chain doesn't express who I am or what I like to do but it does represent two things. It represents that every country I go to I always get a souvenir. The second thing it represents is that I love to collect key chains. I am not sure why but I have a lot of key chains in different shapes and sizes. Although it is more common to collect stamps or coins I find that boring. Key chains can look so different and come in so many colors and that is why I collect them.

Last but not least, the last item in my picture is my stabilo pens. Once again this tells you two things about me. The first thing is, like most girls, I love stationary. The second thing it tells you about me is that I like many colours. Like music, colours also really express your personality. I don't have one favorite colour because I like all the colours in the rainbow. That is why most of my stuff at home is colourful. So those are the ten things in my picture. Ten objects can really tell you a lot about a person and I hope after reading this you know a little more about me!