Celebrate A Smile

As sand passes through the hour glass, so do our lives. Just as a breeze comes and goes, so does our existence. Those we hurt, those we love, what we do and what we achieve; eventually fade away and form part of a vague memory.

Sitting and pondering about this, a thought comes to mind, a thought which sparked a domino of questions in my head. Have I achieved enough in life? Have I valued every precious breath I took? Have I, taken a moment to pause and celebrate the joys which have passed in my life and more so the joys of others? Was I really there to share another’s heart leaping moments and did I give another the chance to celebrate mine? This thought seems to occur in my mind recurringly.

In the hustle and bustle of our lives we seem to have forgotten the value of what we are and the value of those around us. We tend to brush off important days, events and people in our lives so easily; one would think these things were never there. The world around us is so diseased by negativity that a brother forgets to smile at his brother, a mother forgets to congratulate her daughter on her achievements and you and I no longer see a blossoming flower for its beauty but rather an obstacle in our way.

We are so used to complaining and whining about this matter and that person that we’ve forgotten the good in anything. Instead of spending quality time with our families, we rather tell a stranger, “that old stinking hag off a tannie, who wants to be around her?” Never mind that, our second nature has become such that we continually bring ourselves down…and everyone on board with us, “I’m a useless, stupid, pretty, pathetic animal and it’s all my biased teacher’s fault because he gave me an A instead of a B.”

The human mind has cocooned itself to such an extent that we have taken the value out of our own lives and placed ourselves in an “I don’t care about anything” state. This in essence is the starting point of our own destruction. We need to take the time to give credit to ourselves for the hard work we do and magical people we are and give an open invitation to people around us to come and be part of a joyous experience. The smile encarved upon your face at graduation night, should be one not only be one your fellow students see but also your family, your friends. The day you feel you have succeeded in becoming your best, jump, scream and shout, for that moment will come to pass. If you have a friend and you’d like to tell the world about what an astonishing person they are, do not shy away, and popularize them. Smile more often and grieve less, for a warm smile is worth more than all the riches in the world to a sad face.



All said and done we need to realize that life will not value us, it is our choices and the way we value the moments in our lives, that will give value to what our lives are. If we do not live our moments happily and do not enjoy the prized moments which crown us, we will never have full satisfaction of the time we are in existence. Time ticks on and you and I as a memory will continue to fade. Therefore, grasp the moment and live your achievements and your worth to its crest and join in the living through a smile.

Animal Farm-What I've learnt so far

Animal farm is a satirical fable which was written by George Orwell. The fable was written in light of the Russian revolution. The book starts off with a dream that Old major had. The ideal was of 'Animalism' i.e. the freedom of the animals from oppression by humans. This ideal is brought to life by the animals. From the start, the pigs assume authority. With their authority they begin having more privileges over the other animals. The initial course begins to alter. Orwell is showing how people in authority change their motives and interpret situations differently for personal gain. He is telling us that a classless and totally equal society can never be established. Also, people are gullible(in this instance shown through the animals). Thus far the novel has been very intense, informative and a mind opener.

Twisting the Truth

Propoganda can be defined as the twisting of the truth. Propoganda is a tool which is highly used in politics, media and social systems. Daily we are bombarded with images, stories and speeches which sound so rosy yet in actual fact are false The use of this tool is to change the current mindset of people in order to persuade the masses to support a course or ideal. Many a time propoganda is used so shrewdly and to such an extent that the truth in these cases is a faint word. Propoganda employs exeggeration, sensationalism and dramatisation. It creates sterotypes, negative feelings, discrimination and other derogotary ideas eg All Muslims are terrorists. Propodanda is the reason the world has is contaminated.

Book Review

The Little Man In The Space Case by Aamena Khota.

I was born when Apartheid was nearing its end. I had not witnessed the wrong doings during Apartheid times because I was very small to understand what was happening. I only know South Africa as a democratic country. Thus, reading this book not only educates Joyce and Mariam, the two young girls who just found out about apartheid, but also others.

When reading the book one can imagine the story actually taking place. The setting of the story is relative to reality. It is the perfect setting for children's book. Joyce is eager to inform her friend Mariam, what she had discovered about our country's past. She learned about apartheid and how cruel it was. How it destroyed people's lives. She told Mariam about what had happened, how apartheid became weak and finally ended. Now we are a democratic country.

I found the book to be really interesting and exciting. I think that children will definitely enjoy it. I was really pleased with the writing style. Aamena wrote the book based on facts but at the same time made it mysterious and exciting for the young ones and easy for them to understand.

This is a very good book for children. For all the parents who wish to educate their children on apartheid, make them read the book.

Film Study

Film study was not for me a first time, however it was an improvement. My introduction to film study was with the animated movie Aladdin. At the time I learned about the different angles and camera shots. Also the colours in the movie played an extreamly important part especially because the movie was animated. The study of the movie was an excellent foundation to film study.
Kingdom of Heaven was very much different to Aladdin in the sense that it was more of a non-fiction movie whereas Aladdin was based on a fairytale. Both movies were based on an event or book and in that respect were similar. Kingdom of Heaven was a serious movie based on true history and therefore more fruitful and informative. Aladdin on the other hand was purly entertainment. The movie Kingdom of Heaven was aslo more realistic. The music, setting, use of colour, props used and costumed were excellent. The shots and angles created the effects perfectly. The movie itself kept you glued. In terms of acting, the characters played their roles exceptionally well. The role of Bailian was played very well aswell as the role of Salahuddin.
Film study this term forced me to read and go beyond my little brain. I also look at movies differently and more critically and sceptically. Film study is a wonderful part of English which I hope to do again.

Preparing to teach a lesson.

The task of having to prepare a poetry lesson and teach it to another class is slightly scarey. The pressure, uneasiness and unfamiliarity are obstacles we need to overcome. However, our class together with Mr Sujee are learning how to conduct the lesson and will hopefully succeed. The task itself seems some how exciting.

Evaluation of Term3

Term three was a short term with the most amount of work covered. The study of Cry the Beloved Country was extensive but at the same time enjoyable. The plays and visits to the Shanty towns were an incredible experience. Our moral values were greatly improved. The most enjoyable aspect in the term, was for me, poetry study. The way we conducted learning the poems and how we related them to society was amazing. I also loved the dynamics used, sound and voice recordings. The troubles I had in the term were related to time management. Hopefully I will improve in that aspect. Overall the term went well although my stress levels increased.