Reading Logs

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/23/greta-thunberg-full-speech-to-mps-you-did-not-act-in-time

Greta Thunberg / Article

Read: 12/10/19

Written by: The Guardian

This article is about a girl called Greta Thunberg who standed up of the future generations on climate change. I felt that this article that read the speech she made was strong. She explained that we are destroying the world because we are stupid and don’t care. I must say I learnt a lot from her. “Around the year 2030, 10 years 252 days and 10 hours away from now, we will be in a position where we set off an irreversible chain reaction beyond human control” Thos struck me it showed that we are on a path that may lead to our extinction or mass extinction. It really opened my eyes to the realization that we are killing ourselves. “The fact that we are speaking of “lowering” instead of “stopping” emissions” She used fact to show that we are doing everything wrong. The article inspired me to slow down on buying things in plastic or recycling more. Once money came important we forgot that we are not the only ones that lie on this earth. We are trying to change by inhabiting Mars we should be able to look after the earth. “During the last six months I have travelled around Europe for hundreds of hours in trains, electric cars and buses, repeating these life-changing words over and over again. But no one seems to be talking about it, and nothing has changed. In fact, the emissions are still rising.” Greta gave so many reasons for this to change let alone we ignore her. It made me think about how I live my life and how I’m going to change it for the better of this planet.

People don’t understand that if we don’t change the path we are on it will become irreversible. We will be stuck on the path that will be to our doom. Greta was trying to show the entire 7 billion people in this world that we are leading ourselves to death. She states “Around the year 2030, 10 years 252 days and 10 hours away from now, we will be in a position where we set off an irreversible chain reaction beyond human control”. She tells us its basically a fact and people still to this day are ignoring it. People ignore the serious situation that will affect everyone further into our future. It should be the most important. What’s funny is the people who live in poorer society respect the earth more than people who live in the first world. “During the last six months I have travelled around Europe for hundreds of hours in trains, electric cars and buses, repeating these life-changing words over and over again. But no one seems to be talking about it, and nothing has changed. In fact, the emissions are still rising.” Greta is trying to show the people that if we do not change this we will be the beginning of the end. Greta is a strong and confident woman having the courage to speak up about a matter that was just being pushed aside as if it was a task that governments could fix it later. This article really shows that people have to start being conscious of cutting down trees and our carbon emissions and our seas. We are killing off our ecosystems.

The Fault in our Stars / Book

Read: 12/6/19

Written By: John Green

The Fault in our Stars is about a girl called Hazel Grace Lancaster who lives with terminal thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. The plot of this book who was written by John Green is, Hazel meets this boy called Augustus “Gus” Waters. She meets him in a support group for individuals going through cancer. Gus had lost his leg to bone cancer which was thought to be cured. However, he got his cancer back at the end of the book and died due to it. Throughout the book, they become friends then they become lovers. What really sparked in this book, in my opinion, was the friendship that they created. Both were going through trying times and had scares from each other in thinking that they may lose the one they love. I think that this book represents friendship and how important it is to have. The book shows how hard it was to not have each other by their side. This book made me think about how lucky I am to have amazing friends that stand by my side. This book made realise that we should be thankful for our friends and not take them for granted. “Some people don’t understand the promises they’re making when they make them,” This quote symbolises that being friends is like making a promise and they forget they are making them. With friendships, I try to make sure they are working for both. “I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.” Another quote that speaks about when you have good friends there are no lows you have to go through on your own. This book revealed the importance of having friends and not taking them for granted. 

Coco / Movie

Watched 1/10/19

Directed By: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina

People forget the importance of being a friend and having friends. Friends are supposed to stick by your side through thick and thin. At the moment people forget that friendships go both ways. If you want a friendship to work both people have to work for it. Having a one-sided relationship doesn’t work. Many people these days believe that friendships can only be one way. This means that one person is putting all the effort into a friendship. People undermind the importance of friends when you are going through a hard time. Hazel and Gus both benefited from being one another friend as both were going through hard times. People forget that when they are going through hard times having friends is very important, they help you in times that are very hard. “I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.” its a quote the symbolises that when you are having a low day your friends will always make it better. People need to understand that the friends they have may not stick with you through life but they care about your well being. “That’s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.” People all deal with pain and friends can help. Life is easier if friends are just there for you when they need to be. Friends stick by your side no matter what. This movie shows people that friends will always be there for you no matter the hardship you are going through.

I found that the movie Coco was awesome and really showed what The Day of the Dead is like. Coco is a movie about the tradition of The Day of the Dead Los Dias de Muertos. The story is about a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead. This is where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living and to reverse his family’s ban on music. I found that this movie really opened my eyes to what The Day of the Dead means to the people who celebrate it. In my opinion, I think everyone should celebrate it because it makes you connect with the family that is dead it also makes you remember them and cherish them. The Day of the Dead is about not forgetting your ancestors but remembering. I found that this movie really made me look at a different religion and wish that I participated in it. ‘Nothing’s more important than family.’ Miguel, I think it would be amazing if we celebrated our ancestors instead of forgetting them. The point of The Day of the Dead it to remember the family that is ours. I think it would be cool to hear stories about my family that I don’t know. I feel like the movie Coco made me want to know more about my history and family. “For even if I’m far away, I hold you in my heart,”  I don’t remember my grandparents and would love to have all my family to come together for one week of the year to celebrate just being a family. The thing about Coco is that it really shows what that day of the dead is about.

When people watched this movie it opened peoples eyes to the culture called The Day of the Dead. It really showed how the Hispanic see the day. Many people don’t celebrate The Day of the Dead and the movie Coco shows that we should. It shows that bringing your family together for just a week is important because you don’t often see your family that much. A lot of New Zealand families have family all over the world wherein Spain the families all live close. Even if the families don’t live close they make the effort to celebrate their family with their family. This movie really dictates The Day of the Dead, and shows that  “Nothing’s more important than family.” Miguel. The movie shows what The Day of the Dead is and how it works. People should celebrate it because its a great way of spending time with the family and talking and remembering the ancestors, and telling stories.

The Hunger Games / Book

Read: 2/6/19

Written by: Susan Collins

I found that this book really represents the theme right vs wrong. The Hunger Games is about a place called Panam which has 12 districts, and each has a hierarchy so district 1 is the richest and district 12 is the poorest. Every year they host a game for the punishment of the rebellion. As a punishment, they must send 1 girl and 1 boy where they must fight to the death it is chosen through a bowl of names. Katniss Everdeen sister Prim was chosen but she volunteered for her. Katniss and Peter Mellark. They are stuck within this made up biome, they have to last until everyone is dead but one. At the end of the book, Katniss and Peter survive, with loss and sadness. I took from this book that it’s not always fair what happens to you. The book shows that it’s unfair for the people who have to go through The Hunger Games. “Tonight. After the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate. And a lot of people do, out of relief that their children have been spared for another year. But at least two families will pull their shutters, lock their doors, and try to figure out how they will survive the painful weeks to come.” This shows that the families that have to deal with the loss of their child. The unfairness that out of everyone only two families have to suffer. I found that this book shows that not everything is fair. You have no conclusion if it’s fair or not you deal with it. “At first one, then another, then almost every member of the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love.” This quote shows that everyone morns the people who sacrificed their lives for their district. Even though the unfairness of letting that person go in and sacrifice their lives. Everyone still understands the hardship of how unfair it is that 2 kids have to die.

People forget that life is built with right vs wrong. For example, the gender pays gap in the movie industry. This book shows people that there is an unfairness to how the two tributes are picked. It also shows how young they can be as well. Rue who participated in The Hunger Games died she was only 12 years old. The book shows that unfairness exists in a society and you can’t change it. Katniss nor Peters families new that they were going to go out and be part of a brutal blood bath. The interesting thing is that people don’t understand how unfair it is until they have experienced it themselves. The thing about the district is that most people understand because they had lost their children in the previous games. “At first one, then another, then almost every member of the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love.” This quote shows that they understand. They stand as one. Most of the people who lived in the district experienced it sometime in the past 74 years. People forget that things happen and the only thing you can do is get through it. This quote sparks a sense of everyone remembering the sacrifice “No one will forget me. Not my look, not my name. Katniss.” Right vs wrong is a strong theme of this book. The people of the districts understand the unfairness of having to lose a child due to The Hunger Games. This book shows that people need to understand the unfairness in other peoples lives and no assume. Everyone is going through something different at times.

Second Act / Movie

Watched: 11/10/19

Directed by: Peter Segal

I found that the Second Act made me think about how I look at myself. The story is about a girl called Maya Vargas, she works in a value shop store and is trying to get the promotion. Which she does not get, so her best friend’s son who is very tech-savvy creates an entirely new life for Maya. Giving her a Harvard degree and other talents that she doesn’t have. She then got a call from a CEO called Anderson Clarke to work with him. Basically she lives her life as a lie and pursues a career that she has no qualifications for. I found that this movie made me look at myself, and be proud of what I have. When she began working at the company she forgot her personal life. She started to push her friends, family and boyfriend away. She was caught up in her career than her personal life. She realised that even though she had a great job, she forgot about her family. In the movie, it shows that she felt pressured to get a better job so she could start a family.
‘The truth is, our mistakes don’t limit us. Only our fears do.’ – Maya This quote was important because it shows us that she understood what she did wrong, she tried to change her life for the better because she was scared of creating a family on a low budget. She admitted to her mistake and she became stronger than she would ever have been. When she began to lose her family, friends and boyfriend she realised that she was good enough. That a job didn’t define her.“You were always good enough. You’re the one that ever doubted it.” Trey said this to Maya when she started to push everyone away. It shows that everyone believed that she was perfect and she didn’t need a fancy job to prove it. This movie showed me that your friends, family and boyfriend if you have one love you for you. It made me realise that I’m perfect the way I am even if I am struggling. It also taught me that I should have to prove myself to anyone.

People nowadays due to social media overlook the importance of accepting yourself. This movie showed everyone that even if you have an amazing career, that doesn’t fulfil the need for friends and family. In the movie, it shows that Maya gets a fancy job and slowly forgets about her friends and family. They were the ones that encouraged her and then she just forgot about them. However, we find that people often forget that they are perfect, and have to impress everyone. People forget that your family and friends will always support you no matter what. Also, it showed that even if you work you need family and friend beside you. People take away from the movie Second Act that you are perfect no matter what you have. Your friends and family will love you no matter what and a fancy job won’t make your life better. “You were always good enough. You’re the one that ever doubted it.” this quote really emphasises what happens nowadays people forget that they were good enough and that they didn’t need to change their life. “You’ve confused this Facebook thing with who you really are” People allow social media to show their lives which in all honestly is how people flaunt how rich or successful, which is sad. Maya allowed the perfect life to take over her life, were in actual fact she was fine the way she was. Maya saw her as a failure where her family and friends saw her as a successful person. The movie shows that you are fine the way you are and your family will always be there for you no matter if you are successful or not.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/08/australian-sri-lanka-bomb-victims-offered-compensation / Article

Sri Lanka / Article

Read: 12/10/19

Written by: The Guardian

This text was about the bombing in Sri Lanka. Where 3 churches and 3 luxury hotels in Colombo were the results of coordinated terrorist suicide bomb attacks. This was on the 21 of April 2019 and 259 people died which included at least 45 foreigners. I was in Sri Lanka when the bombing went off, so I like to think that it is somewhat important to me. However, this was truly terrifying. This text made me realise that life is very important and the just in a blink of an eye it can end. I realised that I take things for granted and being there as a tourist, meant that it could have been a hotel I could have stayed in. I could have died, and I realise now that anything could happen. This attack showed me that we undermind that anything could happen in a blink of an eye. It made me think about the value of my life, and that I should cherish it. I think that it’s really depressing that this happened but its also an eye-opener. “We condemn those responsible for the horrific terrorist attacks on innocents and have extended our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those killed and injured, and to the government and people of Sri Lanka,” Dutton said. This quote really sums up what most people were thinking in the sense that we are sad for them. “The Sri Lankan bombings targeted churches and hotels. More than 253 people died and more than 485 were injured.” It’s so sad that this many died due to living there lives. I have taken that I should value my life all the time.

This text sparked a movement for all of the worlds. People all over the world were shocked and sad that something so terrible could happen. The attack on churches and hotels was sad as the people were just living their lives normally. People take the realisation that life is precious and that it cane and so quickly. They took that we should cherish the moments we have and love one and another unconditionally. People overlook the privilege of being alive and they don’t realise how important it is. This article made people see that the lives of innocents people can end so quickly. This article showed people that the small things in life are important. That due to someones stupid thinking lives could be at risk. The Bombing in Sri Lanka showed widely that we should cherish and love our life. No matter what age you are in your life it could end in a matter of seconds.