The Lover, The Mood

- Some facts about Rudy Steiner -
'He was eight months older than Liesel and had bony legs, sharp teeth, gangly blue eyes, and hair the color of a lemon. One of the six Steiner children, he was permanently hungry. On Himmel Street, he was considered a little crazy. This was on account of an event that was rarely spoken about but widely regarded as "The Jesse Owens incident," in which he painted himself charcoal black and ran the 100 meters at the local playing field one night.' - pg 48

Rudy Steiner seems to be one if not the only friend Liesel has at the moment. He is very loyal and is always there for Liesel. He supports her and defends her from the other guys. but her likes Liesel more than just a friends. He really likes her but she in not interested in have s romantic relationship with him. 

*** THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ***
             A BOY WHO HATES YOU
                  A boy who loves you.   
                            -pg 52

Rudy loves her, but she doesn't feel the same for him. She only likes him as a friend. He knows that but her isn't giving up on her. He has tried and asked for kiss a numerous amounts of time, but she refuse every single time. He knows what she wants and he will learn how to accept that. But nevertheless, they are still good friends and she doesn't want to loose her friendship with him. 

'Yes, it was white.
It felt as though the whole globe was dressed in snow. Like it had pulled it on, the way you pull on a sweater. Next to the train line, footprints were sunken to their shins. Trees wore blankets of ice. As you might expect, someone had died. - pg 6'
The mood is very dreary. Liesel has lost another part of her family, the same day that she is leaving her birth mother to go and live with her new foster parents. She was suppose to live with her foster parents with her brother, but that is no longer the case. Liesels birth mother is very upset by this and Liesel is devastated and heart-broken. She is having nightmares about her brother and her mother. The place where they buried her brother is the same place where Liesel stole her first book. The gravediggers handbook. It is the only connection with her bother she has. That'd why she keeps the book so close to her. It has a deeper meaning than just a book.

Demand A Plan to End Gun Violence

BBC:

When I was looking for a article to talk about I came across these ones. Gun violence in America. Gun violence has become a huge problem there and is one that can and needs to stop. All 3 of the articles were on the same subject, just different parts of the story and the action thats being put to use. The article from the BBC was about the shooting in america recently at a school, and what Obama is doing about it. Obama has decided to continue with his plans towards weapon ban and background checks in the U.S. This debate has been revived due to last months mass shooting at a school in Newtown, Connecticut. There, a gunman shot dead 27 people, including 20 children and his own mother.

This event was very traumatic and is one that shouldn't even be a problem, let alone exist! What I don't understand, is how someone can just go around and shoot people for no good reason! Anyway, back to the point. It is clear that Obama fells very strong about banning and stopping the gun violence, but the NRA (National Rifle Association) says they will fight any attempts to limit access to guns or ammunition. This is a possible threat as it is unpredictable what they might do in order to stop the laws from proceeding. After the Newtown shooting, the NRA proposed stationing armed guards in every school in America. The group says it has signed up more than 100,000 members since the massacre. This is the part im a bit confused on. Do they want to keep guns or stop them from harming any more people? I am on Obama's side because guns are nto suppose to be used in that type of way. I don't think that they should exist at all, other than MAYBE the police. But not everyone should be aloud a gun. I think that all of this is true and that non of this was exaggerated because this is a huge and serious problem and it should not be taken lightly. 

Irish Times:

President Obama is taking action towards stopping gun violence in the U.S. After the shooting that went down at Shandy Hook, Newtown, Connecticut; Obama has decided to move more quickly with the plans to stop gun violence.  Obama referred to the day of the shooting, as the worst day of his presidency. This article is similar to the one from the BBC, in the fact it talks about the shooting at Sandy Hook as well as the action Obama is taking. Something else to add: National Shooting Sports Foundation chief Steve Sanetti called weapons manufacturers, sellers and owners “misunderstood” in comments prepared for his speech on the state of the industry. I think that overall, that this should't even be a problem in the world. There should be no gun violence because it is no necessary.

Overall I am against gun violence and think that it should be illegal. I am soo happy that Obama decided to take a stand and try to end gun violence. Both of these articles gave good evidence and examples to support their ideas, but I proffer the one from the BBC a little more because they had different parts fo the story and I found it a little more enjoyable to read. 

Below is a video that I found ages and that has got me thinking for ages now. Once you have watched it, tell me what you think about this. 

If you want to help stop this, you can by signing a petition from the website for this organization:

http://www.demandaplan.org/

Websites:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0115/breaking70.html
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2013/01/president_obama_to_unveil_swee.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21032450

Christmas Holiday Round-Up, Day 18 & 19

Day 18, January 1st 2013

Yay! Happy New Year everyone! 2013 is finally here! Last time I stayed up until 1am and didn't ge tup in in the morning until 12:45. I love sleeping in during the holidays because during the school week that is not a possibility. So not much happened today. It was more of a stay at home type of day. So I didn't really do anything other than walk the dog and catch-up with some friends. My sister went out for a play-date I think. But thats pretty much it. Yes pretty boring day, but there is nothing else really to say. 

Hope you guys had a more interesting day than I did but there is nothing wrong with having a lazy day once in a while. 

Day 19, January 2nd 2013

So today was actually pretty exiting. I had a bit of a sleep in today, well until lunch actually, because I was still a bit tired from staying up on New Years. Anyway in the afternoon, My Dad, Hamish and I went mini golfing! I love mini golfing. It is a lot of fun and is soo much easier than bowling! The mini golfing place is called Lilli Put and is on the east coast at the big splash. 

Lil Put building at the big splash!

We played mini gold for about 45 minutes to 1 hour because there is only 18 holes and it doesn't take long to complete all the holes.

1st hole, Changi Airport

So all the holes are based on different landmarks in Singapore or things that make Singapore the country it is today. But to be honest, I didn't know quite a few of them.

2nd Hole, Singapore National Army

3rd Hole, Race Track (I don't know the name)

4th Holes, Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay

 5th hole, MRT Station

6th hole: I'm not quite sure what landmark this is
7th hole: I'm not quite sure what landmark this is
8th hole: Shipping bay near Sentosa and Vivo city
9th hole: Snow city
10th hole: Singapore zoo I think
11th hole: Hauka Centre
12th hole: I'm not quite sure what landmark this is
13th hole: The Big Splash, where Lil Put is located
14th hole: I'm not quite sure what landmark this is
15th hole: Mount Faber near Vivo City
16th hole: I'm not quite sure what landmark this is
17th hole: I'm not quite sure what landmark this is
18th hole: The beautiful Sentosa

After we had finished on the last hole, we tallied up the point.
Sam = 110, Hamish = 136

I won! The aim is to get the lowest score. I was actually pretty happy with myself consider Hamish beat me at bowling not to long ago but bear in mind he had bumper lanes. Anyway after we had finished there we went for some lunch, chicken rice, dumplings and satay! Then it was home.

Driving home

Once we got home it was homework time for me! I spent ages on math, 2 hours actually  but it had to be done. Then I took a break, had some dinner and got back to work. That was math out of the way and now onto englsih! we had to write 2 sonnets about the history of sonnets and sonnets themselves. That took me another couple of hours. By then it was getting late and my parents had guest over. So I went down to have a chat and say hi. After that bed time!

Hope you guys have all had a great holiday so far and Happy New Year!

The Truth Behind a Name

Our parents give us our names when we are born. They don't know yet what we will be like, look like, or act like when we are older. But somehow, they always get it right. Our names grow on us as we grow up and start becoming who we are today. We are still growing. We are always growing and expanding our minds to new knowledge everyday. Our names are a part of us and are something that we keep forever. Something that can never part from us. 

(Here are some of the names of people I know)

My name, Sam, most of the time is referred to as a boys name. News flash! It's not. Sam is a name for both girls and boys. But Sam is not really a real name. It is normally short for Samantha or Samuel. But it isn't for me. My full name is Sam. I do not wish it was Samantha because to me, Samantha is a posh name. I am not posh. I know for a fact that I am a loud, bouncy, energetic, and that I'm not the girliest girl. But that doesn't mean I don't like nail polish and doing my hair :) 

So to be honest, Sam does count as a real name. There is no reason why it shouldn't.  I want to end on the note that we all are our own person, our own name. Even though some people have the same name as you, they are a completely different person. 

Sammie <3

Darker Sides Beauty

(I took this at Dairy Farm on my phone)

The sound of the jungle

creates its own music.

The whispers of the trees

define each note.

The melody of the jungle

speaks to me.

The humming of the tropical birds

complement the steady hiss

of the diamond headed snake.

The harmony comes from a much deeper part.

The roar of the lion completes

the single flap of a butterfly’s wings.

The motion is so silent,

I can hear a single drop of water

falling from a leaf’s edge.

By Sam Coutts

I wrote this poem whilst I was at dairy farm at the G.I.N. conference. We were told to take the 15 minutes to sit in the jungle, and just write, draw, and create whatever we wanted. Some choose  to lay down and listen to the sounds of the jungle, some drew what they could see. I choose to write a poem. This poem just came to me. I sat and listened to the sounds around me, and stared at the scenery around me. Inspiration can be anywhere, even in the least obvious places. After writing it at dairy farm, I took it back and made it better.

10 Things I Know to be True

1. "If your heart is in your dream, no request is to extreme." - Jiminy Cricket

2. That good friends will be there for you no matter what.

3. Love is one of the most, if not the most, important thing in the world.

4.  Laughter is one of the best cures for anything, and just for fun. 

5. Follow your passion and your dream, no matter what.

6. The performing arts is where I belong.

7. Education is the key to the future. 

8. Paul Frank is one of the coolest brands ever!

9. The bitter true is better than the sweetest lie.

(Not really what I meant, but I though it was funny)

10. Music is pure poetry.

Image links:
http://disneyandquotes.tumblr.com/
http://solskinn88.wordpress.com/2010/09/29/the-value-of-friendship/
http://www.ghank.com/love-pictures/
http://www.ace-your-audition.com/new-york-acting-schools.html
http://educationrx.net/
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/paul-frank/images/15687473/title/paul-frank-photo
http://thelatterdays.blogspot.sg/2010/02/christs-music-or-satans-music.html
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3q0sqf/
http://www.dream-symbols.com/

Learning from my Perspective

Writing is more than just laying down your ideas. It's about who you are as a person and your perspective on things. We are all our own person and have our own point of views. 

In class so far I have learnt about vignettes, showing vs. telling. I found this very interesting because vignettes are more than just a writing, they tell a story. They are short and to the point. In class we were able to read through three examples of vignettes from a book called 'The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros'. It is a collection of vignettes telling a story about a spanish girl, living in America. Each chapter is short, maybe a page or two. But nevertheless, they all tell the story. At the same time, they give a clear understanding of what the girl is feeling and how she 'sees' the world around her. Vignettes are 'showing' instead of 'telling'. Telling piece of writing would be like 'I love my dog. He is very fluffy.' This is what a showing piece of writing would look like; 'The soft, curly locks of fur from my dog. As he runs across the field, they bounce up and down. The touch of them is softer than a trumpular tree. His tongue hangs out of his mouth as to say 'I never want to stop running'. Can you see the difference?

To me, learning how to change telling lines into showing lines has been very important, enjoyable, and useful to me because it is one of the ways I can improve my writing, and turn it into something more. I found it useful because as I get older, more will be expected, and learning simple but extremely effective writing techniques like this, help get higher grade. Also, I have found vignettes very interesting. They are such short pieces of writing, yet they give so much. I can't wait to study them more and learn how to write a good vignette. 

I don't really wish we did anything differently, but I think that maybe we could do some more of ghost reading  because it helps with confidence in reading out loud with people around, and it helps with taking turns without being told. Also, I maybe do some more study on vignettes as they are a very important topic and need to be as clearly understood as possible. 

Sammie <3