Thursday, March 24, 2011

Ethnocentrism causing conflict between the British and the first Australians

Owing the fact of the Australian’s savage reputations, the British viewed them in an ethnocentric way causing conflict between the two cultures.The British viewed the aboriginals of Australia as uncivilized and uneducated natives as they were nude and savage autochthons. The British judged the natives as inferiors as they had never seen black as a skin tone and were labelled as animals. The British also insulted them by calling them savages, barbarous and ferocious. As the British held more power than the aboriginals, they tried to take over their lands thinking that the aboriginals were "animals"; by replacing the crops and making mansions and streets; giving pressure on the aboriginals to change their appearances to the well regulated looks of the British citizens, which caused huge conflict between the two cultures as the aboriginals did not seem to accept the British’s act. The aboriginals had hardly any space left for them in their own country so, they retreated by burning all of the crops that the British had placed; and replaced it with their own crop. This seemed to cause more hatred for the aboriginals as their impressions for the British remained as savages and ferocious animals.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Julius Caesar - Duet Acting




I will be performing a duet performance with Dakshina. This passage are on Act 1 Scene 2 , lines 130 – 174. The whole point of these passage was Brutus and Cassius in private, where Cassius talks to Brutus about how he should take a step ahead and go against Caesar. Cassius wants to take over Brutus and put his mind into thinking of being a rebel so that Caesar has no chance of being the one to hold the crown.

This passage clearly shows how Cassius works his way into Brutus and plays with his emotions. Brutus starts off with showing the fact that he does not like Caesar and the way Romans have betrayed the great Pompey. But Cassius doesn't give up and he tries to make Brutus a rebellion against the Caesar.
"Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonourable graves." Cassius says these lines to convey that if Caesar is not stopped before he gets the crown, they (Cassius and Brutus) will be the one to regret it.


BRUTUS

Another general shout!
I do believe that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heap'd on Caesar.

CASSIUS

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar'?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed!
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was famed with more than with one man?
When could they say till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O, you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.

BRUTUS

That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any further moved. What you have said
I will consider; what you have to say
I will with patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.

CASSIUS

I am glad that my weak words
Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Learning Profile

I am a gestalt learning with L profile. It says that I am Visual learner, which means I learn things better when I see than hear. These people use their right side of their brain more than their left. I need to move when I'm in stress so that it can help me calm down and clear up the stress.
The strategies that would help me in my learning in class would be for example in humanities, we are reading Julius Caesar, I prefer to see the movie before reading or annotating it. It helps me to understand it better because I'm a visual. On my Profile, It says that should should play games like soccer which has a lot of movement.
I would like my teachers to know this about me that I'm really quite because I like to listen to people rather than talk about it. I am more convenient when I see a movie and then read about it. So being visual is one of the strengths I have. When i read things, I imagine in my head . For example when you tell people to think of a forest, some logical people would see it in their heads with details. But, for logical people they see "forest" as a whole picture. They would see trees and that's it. Another example might be when someone bought you a gift which is bunch of blocks and you would like to transform it into the picture on the box. Logical people would read the instructions on how to make it and Gestalt people would start to make the picture themselves without following the instruction.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Art Mirroring Our Society

This famous painting known as "The Ambassadors" was painted by a well known painter called Holbein. This is painted on oak with oil in the year 1533. This painting illustrates some selected exploring items. The painting includes 2 globes; one terrestrial and celestial, a quadrant, a torquetum and a polyhedral sundial. It also includes the texture on the floor which is mosaic, and based on the design from Westminster Abbey.
This symbolizes the presence of exploration and knowledge back in the Renaissance. This is shown through the objects that are present in this painting such as the globes and the telescopes. As people started to explore more and share their ideas. Some would inquire about humans and their world. Some people looked for their answers in church, but others looked for their own answers through scientific methods. An example from the renaissance, would be Galileo Galilee. He looked for his own answers by inventing the telescope and many other instruments to help him search for his answers. The big change in this painting is that it is secular and the ambassadors are looking exactly at the painter.
This painting also uses art techniques like; using shadows, depth and the use of perspective. The focal point is this painting are the instruments that are place on the table. These new art techniques have enhanced the realism of paintings back in the renaissance. Renaissance artist would look more into details and to make the painting look life-like. These new art techniques led to knowledge of art which leads to patronizing more professionals around the world. This would also contribute to the rivalry between the city states. All this then made art the center of civilization in the renaissance.
In this painting, the most notable famous symbol by Holbein is the skewed skull that is placed at the bottom center of the carpet. The skull, which was another invention of the renaissance, is meant to be some sort of a visual puzzle as it asks the viewer to look closely from the side to see the "form morph" into a human skull. The meaning of this skull is very unclear. Why would Holbein use such a symbol for this kind of painting? The possibilities are that it might represent "the heaven", "the living" and "death". Holbein must have put this to remind the others about their future.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Driving Forces of the Renaissance












Because of the Galileo's telescope, people now know that the earth was revolving around the sun and not the opposite. This left many people questioned, and some people tried to do more exploration to gain more knowledge. thus, the era of exploration starts.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Caring For Others Makes Them Feel Highly Regarded.


September 20th 2010,
Theme Notebook #2

Showing someone you believe in them helps them feel highly regarded, is a dominant theme in the "Thank you Ma'am" by Langston Huges. This means that when youshow someone that you really care about them, they feel highly valued. Ms.Luella Bates, a lady who worked in a beauty-shop was walking down the road with a very heavy purse, when came a boy and tried to steal her pocket-book. The boy fell on his back due to the weight of his purse. Luella walked up to him and held by his shirt front and dragged him home.

The women did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which she left behind her on the day-bed. Despite the fact that roger tried to steal her handbag, Ms.Luella cared enough. This statement also suggests that Luella trusted him, which was an unexpected twist. Most people would probably leave or run away from the robber or if possible, take them to jail. But she took Roger home and taught his a lesson. She made him feel comfortable by telling him that when she was young, she also wanted things she couldn't get. This suggest that Luella knew he trusted her. Roger also knew that Luella trusted him. And he didnt wanted to be mistrusted anymore. "Need help? maybe i can get you something from the store." For all Luella had done for Roger, She made him feel valued and trusted. He coudn't believe that he had done such a misery to Luella.

Reffering to the Story of "Thank you Ma'am", another such odd request was for Lauren Rinder, a photographer who liked to share his one memory with public. This story was named the "Unexpected Request" which is a story about a 90 year old lady asking her photographer to take a nude picture of her, Because when she dies she would want her body to be celebrated. The photographer was stunned by listening to such request. He had taken nude pictures before but never a person whose age was 90s and below. He said OK just because he didn't want to let her down. He cared about his job and also cared to take responsibility to take her picture. By doing this, he made her feel respected. Now, she could make sure he cared about her request.

The case in "Thank you Ma'am", Luella made Roger feel valued as she provided him with food and care. After Snatching Luella's pocket-book, certainly made feel Roger that he had done something wrong. This was very astonishing to most of the readers. Lauren Rinder's story shows the empathy of valuing someone's request and accepting it, makes someone feel valued and cared. The story had a twist that was truly unexpected. Both the stories had a connection. Ms.Luella was kind enough to take care of that boy who tried to steal her purse, knowing that he was stealer, Luella knew he needed to be taught. In Lauren Rinder's story, he didn't expect such a request from a lady who was at her 90's. But he cared to fulfill her wish. Lauren Rinder's photography and Langston Huges's Story "Thank you Ma'am", Both have the theme that connects to "Showing someone you believe in them helps them feel highly regarded". It is very important to understand people what they expect. No one knows where life will take you to. Make someone happy, will make you proud. Price is what you pay, love it what you get.

Monday, May 31, 2010




I Believe in this…..



I believe that everyone can learn from their mistakes. Big or small, everyone knows what’s good and bad. Learning from mistakes is a very big thing to accomplish. As they say “Failure is the mother of success” that means once you fail you sure have the chance to fix it back. This has happened to everyone, me, you and even our guardians. Never think yourself as small when you make mistakes, go ahead and fix it up.



This is a story of mine, when I was in 6th grade. My math was very weak. I couldn’t do any type of calculations! I was sick of all the laughter when I was proved wrong in front of all the students. I just couldn’t bare it. My eyes filled up with tears when my dad used to hit me during “math time”. Well, you know; whatever parents do for you is always for your own good. Well I knew I was weak at it, but I was too shy to ask anyone to help me.




Days passed by, more scolding more laughter and more tears. I was just too sick of these. I tried to find out myself what was wrong. And yes, I did find out. Later that evening I was crying out my tears looking at the children running around with their toys, that's what I was supposed to be doing. But no, how can I show my face in front of all those kids? They are in my school and the same classes. So I continued crying. After sometime my grandmother came in, and when she saw me, she got emotional and asked me if she could help. But I said no. Why should someone else know how brainless I am? Just that second as I said no, I felt like someone telling me: 'it’s your only chance to improve yourself and find out what’s the cause.' I ran to my grandmother quickly to stop her. She said alright and I gave her a seat. I sat on the floor because it felt like it was story time. I loved all that she said. But still I couldn’t find out what was wrong. After she finished I told her how much it helped me, even though I didn’t really pay attention. At night before bed, something struck me, felt like cold breeze washing me from top to bottom. I heard my grandmother's voice. I remembered her words, “There is nothing wrong with the people its always thier action towards it. I replaced me instead of people and rephrased it. And I found it. What was wrong was me! All this time, I was the one who day dreamed in classes, I also knew that i sure will get some type of punishment during "math time", all this time! It was so unbelievable for a person like me to get something like this in my brain! Now, I believe that nothing is wron gwith me its just my action towards it. I felt pretty proud.


Next day, I tried it myself. I concentrated on what the teacher said every time, and when she asked me something I could answer it. Instead of mocking laughter, this time I heard, claps. I was so proud of myself. But the teacher was shocked she planned to give me a quiz about this, and I got a full grade. She still couldn’t believe me. She thought I had cheated. But later she agreed. Then these days passed, more claps, more smiles and no more tears. I believe in the power of concentration and in not finding the key to the problem the way that i need to understand