Expressions of Nationalism

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So most of the smaller icons on this picture are rather self explanitory. The first picture on the top right is a group of four hands joined together. Seeing as the color of the four hands are different, it is showing that I want to be able to travel to places different from Canada and learn about their cultures.

Personal Reflection

From the beginning of this mission I thought I was going to do well. To start it all off, the first assignment that we did was a challenge, it took all my focus to finish as I found it very boring and repetitive to the first mission, more vocabulary....great. However because I wanted to do well, I submitted my best work and received 100%. Now the non fiction book assignment is totally different; not in my effort, time spent on it, or mind set, but apparently in my formatting and failure to include something that was not known to me or the rest of the class about the assignment. I feel that if there were comments put on my blog instead of just a straight mark, I could improve, but seeing as there aren't I will just have to do my best in guessing. As for being a team, all of us accepted our responsibilities and worked together when we had trouble. For example, with the team poetry assignment one of our members took on the responsibility of documenting everything. She quickly had trouble, so we broke the assignment up and each did a little bit of writing to take away some of the stress. I thought that this was a good mission, as it challenged me in staying focused. To my knowledge what I thought I was handing in was great work, but apparently not as I am only at a 76% in this class. Seeing as it is now June, this class will continue to challenge my focus and determination to do well, but I can only hand in my best and get a mark, the rest is to be determined. I suppose that with this final project, the portfolio and visual/verbal presentation, I will have to give 150% to get 100%, as I need to get my mark up.

Three Cups of Tea Projects

Three Cups of Tea became a very popular book, when Greg Mortenson wrote and had it published in 2006. There are two other variations of the book for younger readers, published in 2007 and 2008. Their impressions could have varied due to nationality, geographic and ethnic back rounds as well as their prior education on the cultures and lifestyles of those in Pakistan and Afghanistan. All of those that have read this book, or those that want to read this book will take from it what they will, and maybe be inspired. It is obvious that there are many lessons to be learned, and after I worked through the first 100 pages, with doubt in my mind that this book would be worth the time I had put into reading it. However it was not long after I hit the 120 page mark that it got interesting, but new information has been discovered. Although Mortenson has inspired thousands, including myself, he is now being sued for having faulty accusations included in the book. I wouldn't say that I lost inspiration, I would say that I lost hope and respect, like many others. All those that had read this book have had some sort of a negative impact since Mortensen had been accused and admitted to the many lies contained in this novel. Knowing now that the contents of that book were not all totally true, there are things that make me mad and frustrated. Then I think of all the people Greg Mortenson inspired to stand up for humanity, what you believe in and the education for the younger generation, I guess I realized it was worth it, and everything you have to overcome to be successful.
Thank you for being the inspiration that we all needed, just not the truth we hoped for.

                    Annotated Bibliography: Three Cups of Tea

Mortenson, Greg, and David Relin. Three Cups of Tea. Vol. 1. New York: Penguin, 2006. 1-368. 1 vols. Print

Throughout this novel, there were many lessons that can be taught, but you will take
from it what you will, as I did. Greg Mortenson, a climber of the mountain K2, chased his climbing dreams though the beginning part of the book, and began his life with his wife Tara. He simply worked hard for what he wanted and clearly obstacles like building a bridge didn’t stop him. I feel that the message that was trying to be portrayed is that we need to plan for the future and be appreciative of what we have and what we all need to happen for the future to be successful. I learned that whether the information enclosed in the book are true or false, real or fake, exaggerated or not, people like me were inspired. It might have just been that I didn’t contribute to the building of the actual schools that didn’t make me upset, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t parts about the fraud that didn’t disappoint me.

Understand my role as a global citizen

The average distance from Pakistan/Afghanistan to Canada is 10,197.15km. So clearly they do not have anything directly physical to us.


It wasn't until I got about half way through the book that I realized that Greg Mortenson was a very determined man, and it wasn't until I saw that he had a dream and wouldn't stop until it had came true. It was a very simple concept; build schools in places where they are needed most. It is made very clear that we are in need of more people like Greg Mortenson. People like him are people who go at challenges knowing the obstacles, knowing the effort that it is going to take and most importantly, not knowing the outcome. I realized that directly or indirectly, there are things that are going to affect the world as we know it. Whether it is the next generation, current education, poverty in my community or country; or across the world, healthy relationships with those around you, and the future relationships that you are going to make with others. Greg Mortenson made it very clear that changing the world one school at a time, one village at a time, is not something that happens over night. It take patience. Although I had the patience to read the book, I realized that that was nothing like what the author had to overcome. Yes, there are false accusations in this novel, however, inspiration, knowledge and courage to do what is right in our own minds had nothing to do with the lies, and what I got from it was something that I can not lie about. Something that the nation and all those world wide can not deny.

Definitions avalible for my team

Globalization- describes the process by which regional economies, societies and cultures have become interbreed through a global network of political ideas through communication, transportation and trade.

Identity- the condition of being one’s self, or its self, and not another

Civic Response- the way people within a community respond

Quality of Life- the perception of the ability to meet daily needs, or personal satisfaction

Aboriginal- the original or earliest known natives to the land

Human Rights- the basic rights and freedoms that every human should have

Indigenous People- Any ethnic group that inhabits a geographic region with which they have the earliest know historical connection

Multiple Perspectives- different views from different people held on a matter

Residential School- force natives to be assimilated into Canada

Oral Histories- personal opinions and experiences of a speaker kept in preservation

Cultural Contact- The interaction between two different cultures

Imperialist Policies- policy to extend your rule over foreign countries

Legacy- something that an ancestor passes down to another generation

Human Condition- The character or characteristics and key events which comprise the essentials of human existence

Euro centrism- believing that European ways of life is superior to superior to everyone else’s

Imperialism- believing your ways are superior to all others

Anecdote- short narration of something interesting or amusing

Allegory- a short story with morals

Allusion- a reference in literature to something else well known

Colloquial Language- informal language, slang

Connotation- implied or suggested meaning

Figurative Devices- devices used to make literature more interesting

Figurative Language- saying something that means something completely different

Hubris- form of pride that expressed itself as an accessed power and exaggerated self confidence

Hyperbole- extreme exaggeration

Imagery- details that appeal to the senses

Dramatic Irony- when the reader knows more than the characters in the story

Situational Irony- when something is different than what appears in the story

Verbal Irony- a difference in what is said and what is meant

Jargon- unintelligently speaking, or talking non-sense

Juxtaposition- placed close together

Collective response- The way a group responds to an issue

Logical Fallacy- clearly defined error in reasoning, includes unintended mistakes

Metacognition- a process which involves focused thinking to create effective strategies for learning

Mood- How the author writes to express the attitude or appeals to your senses

Oxymoron- An expression with two words that contradict one another

Paradox- Seems unbelievable but may be true

 Rhetoric- The art of making persuasive speeches

Ridicule- Language or behavior meant to mock or humiliate someone/thing

Sarcasm- Jokingly saying something that is not necessarily true and or mocks someone/something

Primary source- Original source of information

Secondary source- a source of information that is not the original source

Tragedy- A serious play that involves downfall of a great/ good person because of some fatal flaw in character

Tragic Flaw- Character hero in a tragedy that leads him/herself to their own destruction

Voice- The personal writing style of an author

Wit- intellectual humor

Comedies- A play with a happy ending

Histories- things that happen in the past brought to life

Soliloquy- the speaker is alone and communication his thoughts to the audience

Aside- talking to the audience but not to the characters even though the characters are still on the stage

Couplet- end of a scene in Shakespearean play usually the last two lines rhyme

Sonnet- 14 lines long

Atmosphere- setting of the play, book, ect

Multiple perspectives- each person having their own separate view on a issue

Sustainable- capacity to endure

Emergent Issues- A new issue, either positive or negative that has not yet been generally recognized

Individual responses- The way an individual reacts to an issue

Historical Globalization- a period that is often identified as beginning in 1492. Christopher Columbus made his 1^st voyage to the Caribbean, and ending after world war 2

Indigenous people- Any ethnic group of people who inhabit a region with which they have the earliest known historical connection

Non- indigenous peoples- people who have settled with the indigenous people and in some cases mixed with population

Prosperity- an economies state of growth with rising profits and full employment

Aboriginal- having existed from the beginning

Francophone- a person who speaks French as their first language

Short Stories

Short Stories

Characteristics:

1. Concise
2. Short
3. Most readers need a prior understanding
4. Foreshadowing-gives the reader a glimpse into the future, or a sense of what is going to happen
5. Repetition- helps to drive the main ideas home
6. Dramatic- may not always be resolved during the climax
7. Suspense-draws a reader into the idea of the story
8. Setting- includes mood and atmosphere
9. Theme- is the total meaning of the story and doesn’t have to be just one moral, could encompass more than one life lesson
10. First person, second person and third person
11. Plot, setting, characters and theme are possibly the most important parts of a short story
12. Dialogue
13. Make the climax clear and strong
14. Can usually be read in one sitting

 Truth and Bright Water by Thomas King is concise and short. There isn’t much time between events in the story, so everything happens rather quickly.  The plot is not very complex  however the plot is very clear. Setting enhances the plot, and in this case the lake by creating problems in the families dynamics. The climax is usually the big ‘boom’ of the story, but in this short story the climax was very unapparent and there is obvious conflict between the mother and the father. The characters that develop the most throughout the story are the mother and the son. The sons thoughts are very clear to the reader as it is a third person narrative. This means that the reader knows everything about everyone, and all of their thoughts. Foreshadowing is also used when the father talks about work before they leave on their holiday to the lake. Seeing as  this is only an excerpt of a novel, we don’t get the full value, but what we did read stays true to most of the characteristics of a short story.

The theme of the short story Truth and Bright Water is not very clear but it was discovered to be crossing boundaries. While reading this excerpt, it applies to the lake they visited, Waterton Lake. The US and Canadian border runs directly through the lake and the son in the story is able to go across it. The border is a figurative boundary, but in actuality it is a border as well. The parents are not getting along, and his father has to cross his ‘own boundary’ and leave the family. The son learns a lesson from the lake, a very valuable one, sometimes to get where you want to go you must cross boundaries, even though you may have to leave someone behind that you love.

• Situational Irony- when the exact opposite of what is intended happens
• Dramatic Irony- when irony is seen by the audience but it is not fully grasped by the actors
• Verbal Irony- when the exact opposite of what is said is meant

All three ironies are used in the short story The Wall by Gilles Vigneault. Situational irony applies to the fact that the man in the story is repairing his prison cell, meaning that he could break out only if he wanted to. Verbal irony is the second and is applied what the prisoner says to the people around him, the guards and the man that walks by. The dramatic irony is near the end when the mason, without disturbing a soul, leaves the prison.

Romeo and Juilet Movie Review

Going into this assignment I wasn't too sure what 'mood' or 'atmosphere' meant.

However, after comparing the book to the 1968 movie, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, I decided that I enjoyed both. In the movie, during the balcony seen near the beginning, neither Romeo nor Juliet wanted to leave each others side. The music that was playing made me feel alive, the fact that they were holding each other so close, or that even that I could feel and see the love that they had for each other in their eyes. I don't think that this can be misinterpreted, just unappreciated.

Seeing as the actors were to be acted as people around my age, I feel that I responded to the movie a lot better because they were easier to relate to. Unfortunately the general consensus of people that  are interested in Shakespeare tend to be older than my age group, so it may be more difficult for others to relate as well as I did.

I knew that as soon as I was done the play I wanted to seen the movie asap. However it was a bit of a let down. The screen play seemed low budget and so did the finished product. All in all, a great story but I in my opinion the overall movie was not what I had expected.

Third Diplomatic Personal Reflection

I guess that one could say that during this mission, I learned a lot about what I want in my life, and the things I don't want.

During this mission, we focused on and discussed a lot of current events going on around the world. I really enjoyed debating on the current issues that are changing the world around us, and by globalization, indirectly affecting our world. Whether it was the political instability in Libya and Egypt or the earthquake and tsunami in Japan I found it easy to talk about due to the fact that I was wanting to expand my knowledge of the world.


While reading the play Romeo and Juliet, there were a lot of things that crossed my mind, one of which was that no matter whether or not I did good on a project, I knew that the play in itself along with the assignments were teaching me new life lessons. There were definitely some assignments I liked doing, for example the Romeo and Juliet song interpretation. The 3 reasons that I enjoyed this assignment were: 1) I love music, so to be able to incorporate that aspect into school work was a joy, and I felt privileged because I was able to express myself. 2) Being able to express the feelings that I possess with my peers was awesome! Knowing what my friends were thinking and how they felt in reference to me was really an eye opener. Finally, 3) Being able to visually represent the song, a song that meant something, not only within the play but that it related to my own life as well, was cool.

I did really enjoy the play, and I feel like I have a good understanding of the message that Shakespeare wanted to deliver, therefore I am going to put a lot more effort into this essay, as I want to do better. Seeing as grade ten humanities is coming to an abrupt end, I want to get as much out of the next mission as possible.