Hunger Games - Personal Responses

Suzanne Collins has written a fantastic book that teenagers will read at least once. There are so many great aspects constructed into the novel. One of these is the main character, Katniss Evergreen. I personally think she is an amazing female character. She is strong, independent, loving, helpful, just everything about her personality is something young girls should look up too. I think this because, she didn't care about how people view her or thought about her, which I really admire. Girls in this day and age need to have the same opinion. They shouldn't care about what people think of them, they should be able to wear whatever they want and feel comfortable and confident. I myself need to take my own advice. I need to put clothes on that I love and not feel guilty or self conscious about wearing my old jumper and comfy track pants and rock the living life out of them.

I really liked the concept of the Hungers Games, even though it is really violent and brutal. I would actually like to participate. When reading the book, I would wonder what character I would and how would I go. Would I be like Katniss? Smart, very quiet, try and survive rather than try and kill everyone. Or would I be like Peeta? Try and get into a pack and then be injured constantly and rely on others to get me through. In reality, I probably not make it through. I wouldn't be able live without constant access to food and I wouldn't be able to survive without my phone or Wi-Fi.

In the novel a quote that really struck me was, "stupid people are dangerous." I didn't want to bring politics into this, specially politics in a different country. However when I see this quote there is only one person that I can think of, the idiot himself, Mr Donald Trump. He is stupid and he is dangerous. My dad said, "if he was to become president, we would all be screwed." I can't express enough, how stupid he is. The fact that he is constantly insulting someone or some race really grinds my gears. He wants to build a wall so Mexicans and immigrants, yet his wife is an immigrant? Doesn't make any sense to me. I am all for femmisnm and women equality. Watching the documentary of him calling the beauty pagent Alicia Machado fat, allowing the paparazzi to watch her work out, really bugged me. Who cares if she likes to eat, everyone likes to eat. But the fact that he made it a real issue and made it public, is just disgusting.
tching the documentary of him calling Alicia Machado fat, allowing paparazzi to watch her working

If I Stay - Personal Response

If I stay written by Gayle Forman is such a love tragedy. Mia who is the main character goes on a family road trip and ends up getting in a car accident, and she and her whole family end up getting in critical shape, the whole book is based around Mia's life events. I honestly loved this book, one reason I loved this book is because it really made me think about my family, in this book her whole family didn't make it alive, they all passed away except for Mia. It made me realised that at any given time, my mum or dad or even my little brothers lives could be taken away for good. I shouldn't take my family for granted because at any moment they could leave my life. I would be extremely devastated if that happened to me.

There was one part of the book that really touched my heart. It was when Mia was in the hospital in a coma and her Grandpa was visiting her. I think he was upset to see her there before he was. He was telling her how much of a fighter she was and how strong she is here's how it went:

  "“It's okay,' he tells me. 'If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more than I've ever wanted anything in my life.' His voice cracks with emotion. He stops, clears his throat, takes a breath, and continues. 'But that's what I want and I could see why it might not be what you want. So I just wanted to tell you that I understand if you go. It's okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you want to stop fighting.''

This just really hit home for me, while reading it, all I could think of was my Pretty Nan. (This is my Grandma, all her mokopuna's called her this.) She had leukemia in 2012, and she was in intensive care just like Mia, she put up a good fight in the hospital. She wasn't going to give up so easily, a few months later she got released from the hospital and went home. A few weeks from being released she past peacefully in her sleep, it was a sad but blissful night when she passed. Before she forever went to sleep she told my dad that my Grandad was calling her home (he passed away as well). I feel like Mia could feel like this because her whole family passed but her, she could stop fighting and be with her family, but towards the end of the film we see that Mia does decide to stay.

The seahorse and the reef - Personal responses

The seahorse and the reef by Witi Ihimaera is a short story, and personally I am not a big fan of short stories, I just find them quite boring. But for some reason I quite liked this story because I feel like I can connect to it, because I have a Maori background. I remember going on haerenga (trip) in year 8 going up to Whangarei and we stayed at beautiful Marae, and right next to the Marae was a little secluded beach, just like how the dad had a sack and a knife to catch the kai moana, I did too, however this was my first time going diving and I just couldn't catch anything, but the scenario was just so similar, everyone that was diving was at the shore talking and walking in the water.

There is a quote that I think is extremely important it was, "he taught us to respect and to have reverence for the life contained in its waters." I feel like more people in this world today need to be taught this. I feel like not enough people respect the sea, there is always rubbish and junk in the sea, the sea is home the many marine life and people just chucking rubbish in the sea is just destroying there home. I also think many big companies need to learn this, it really does break my heart watching documentaries of killer whales in tiny tanks trying to beach themselves because they don't want to be trapped they want to be free in the sea, where they home and family is. I mean I would have the exact same feelings if I had been captured and be put in a tiny room and can barely move. I think creatures like that SHOULD BE LEFT IN THE SEA!!!

I think my generation and younger generations needs to read this short story because all our favourite swimming spots and beaches could end up like there shore in the story, polluted and dangerous to swim in. If we could just stop being lazy human beings and put our rubbish in the bin, we could save our beautiful beaches!

Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans filmed by Boaz Yakin filmed in 2000, is based of a true story. (Film's that are based off a true story are my favourite.) The film was set in 1971 and is all about racism and two ethnicity's becoming civilized. Even though society has changed and come a long way since that period of time. I still think some of these scenes are important and relevant to today's world and society.

When the boys went away for the high school football pre-season camp. Coach Boone made the whites and blacks sit next to each other. You could see how uncomfortable everyone was, but Coach Boone made them and forced them to learn about each other, because they were a team, they were going to act like a team and play like a team. After they finish the camp and come off the bus, you see the black and white parents on separate and the team come off together. The thing that is so important, is that most of the children in that day and age, followed what there parents think. When they all hopped off the bus you could see that the parents were confused at what was happening. I personally think this is relevant to today as well. We don't need to follow in our parents footsteps, we don't need to have the same thoughts and opinions as our parents. As a child of this generation, I say we need to go off our parents track and create our own paths to follow.

Sheryl Yoast who is the deputy head coach's daughter, plays an important role. She is not the typical girly girl, she's quite the opposite. She likes to play football with her dad instead of playing with barbie dolls. She likes to wear a plain old t-shirts and pair it with shorts. I love the fact that she challenges her gender stereotypes. Again I think in that time and age, most girls at that age were forced to wear skirts and dresses and play with dolls, but this little girl didn't conform to girls expectations. I still think that girls and boys should be able to do whatever makes them feel happy and comfortable, however it is not so much of an issue now as it was back then.

In the film big Ju and Bertier, both seen as the team leaders of the football team, were having an argument because they both needed to now something about each other's life, however they were both closed books that never wanted to be open. During there argument big Ju said something that really strikes me, he said "Attitude reflects leadership, captain." I totally agree with this quote, because it is so true. If you have a happy, positive attitude and see the obstacles in the way and believe you and the team can over come them you will be a great leader, and fellow team members will trust and faith in you. Whereas if you only see the negative and believe as a team you will fail, or only think of yourself, you will be a horrible captain and most likely bring down the whole team. I believe as a captain, you are suppose to walk your team to victory, but if your leaving the whole team behind, you'll never get to where you want.



  

Personal Response- Divergent

The dystopia novel, Divergent written by Veronica Roth is an all time favourite read for me. After I read Divergent, I was hooked on the characters, the plot, everything! That I made my mum go out and by me the other two novels the make the trilogy, she ended up getting angry at me for reading the whole trilogy in a week. She told me that I "need to slow read," so I can save her money. However that's not the point in this response. The point is during reading this book there is so many potential hidden messages and life lessons, which I think people my age need to know about.

Life lessons 1: Labels we give people aren't true, they are made up.

There are four factions in this novel. Erudite are suppose to be the smart and intelligent people in this society, this faction usually got the high ranking jobs like lawyers. Dauntless were meant to be the tough and the brave, and protect the society, with there fighting skills. Abnegation, are the humble selfless servant that aren't allowed to stare in a mirror for more than 5 seconds. Amity is suppose to be the peaceful and love nature. Candor are suppose to spit the truth whenever and not hold back. 

Tck publishing wrote something in a blog post that I think can really relate to this life lesson.

"In the real world, these values are not black and white. Instead, how we act and how we are perceived by others is often situation-dependent. If you walk up to a lady and compliment her on her well-behaved child, she will probably smile and be friendly. If you walk up to hear and start screaming, she will probably withdraw and turn away.

Same woman, different situation, different behavior. You can’t say based on her reaction that she is kind or rude. She is both. It just depends on the situation.

If you want to be more courageous, put yourself in situations where you must practice courage.

If you want to be more kind and loving, practice being kind and loving and put yourself in situations where you can do that.

If you’re trying to be a positive, happy person but you’re surrounded by complainers and negative people all day, it’s going to be tough.

It’s not that you were “born a negative person.” It’s that you’re in a situation that makes it harder or you to be positive.

Put yourself in the right kind of situations where you can succeed and be the kind of person you really want to be."

Coach Carter - Personal Response

Coach Carter directed by Thomas Carter has got to be one of my favourite movies. I remember the first time that I watch this movie with my older sister that at the end we wanted to run suicides, because that's all that Coach Carter made his Basketball team, but firstly we were both to lazy to get off the couch and secondly go and run the suicides, but that's not the point of this personal response. There are so many underlying messages throughout the story line. I think that coaches and athletes would relate to these messages more than anyone else.

Below I've listed a couple of messages that have really hit home while watching this film.

"Sir is a term of respect. And you will have my respect until you abuse it."

When the coach first meets his team her refers to one of the players as 'sir' and you could tell by everyone's mannerisms that they were uncomfortable with it because they aren't use to respect, as most of them are from unprivileged families and involved with gangs. Throughout the film its evident that they quickly see the importance of respect. 

I think this is an important message, because you should also respect someone, especially someone who is given up there time to coach and aid in sport. Being a coach myself its hard having to plan out a whole training, going out of my way to come to training's and games and the last thing I would want is to be disrespected. Also no athlete wants to come to training feeling like its unorganized and be disrespected by the coached.

"These boys are student athletes, the student comes first."    

Education is a re-occurring theme in this film. At one stage Coach Carter locked the gym and defaulted one of the games because the boys weren't reaching the educational standards that Coach Carter set for the team at the start of the season. 

Coach Carter understands how important education. Yes some of these boys are outstanding in Basketball, but if something fatal like injury happens they would have nothing to fall back on. Coach Carter encourages them all to put there education first before there sporting careers.

"I'll do push ups for him. You said we're a team. One struggles we all struggle. One player triumph's we all triumph, right?"

"After asking to rejoin the Richmond basketball team, Timo Cruze is given the near impossible task of 1,000 suicides and 2,500 pushups. When he fails to reach required number with the time given, his teammates step in to help him complete them so he can get back on the team."

There are so many similar quotes that are so similar like: "There's no I in team", "You're as strong as your weakest member." Playing team sports these quotes come up a lot, and this quote that one of the team members said really does hit home because, your team is essentially like your family. What you do for your family you would do for your team. You would help your team members get out of their struggles and help them succeed, and knowing that you would get that sort of treatment in return.

Hopeful - Personal response

Hope by Twista ft Faith Evans

Twista and Faith Evans have come together to create a relevant yet uplifting song, Hope. Which throughout this hopeful song the message of whatever life throws at you, you've just got to keep pushing on through. ' I know it ain't easy, but that's okay cause we hopeful." Weaved throughout the lyrics of the song, subtle yet personal messages that different people could relate to. People who could relate to this song are people who have been through or going through a tough time. For example parents who have low income that struggle to feed there kids 'And I hope that all the kids eat, and don't nobody in my family see six feet.' Which is why I really love this song.

The first verse is about drugs. 'I wish the way I was living could stop, serving rocks, knowing the cops are hot when I'm on the block.' This sentence is about about selling drugs on the street, when he is sayings 'rocks' he is talking about crystal meth. I tend to look down on people who sell drugs on the street, I do understand that some people are doing it for a living, but in my eyes people are just digging a deeper hole that they can't get out of. I do think there are much better jobs to go and get to make a living, like working at a supermarket or a cleaner. Anything is better than putting your life on the line.This is where I think the song comes into play, its talking about the bad situation (selling drugs, brother being in jail, his grandmother being sick.) but then towards the end of the verse it becomes uplifting and positive and talks about moving forward. 'Sit at the lights so long, then we gotta move straight forward cause we fight so strong.'

One of my favorite quotes from this song is 'see the vision of the world through the eyes of Stevie Wonder.' I love this quote, 1, I love his music and he would be one of my idols, but 2 this generally is a great quote, if you dig deep you get a lot of of it. What I got was that he's blind yet he's successful he what he does, being blind didn't stop him reaching his dreams at all. Since he's blind he doesn't get to see what we see, yet he doesn't let that get him down at all. He is happy and loves life.

Twista talks a lot about God in this song, 'The lord gon make you feel better so you ain't gotta cry today,' I have to disagree with, personally I don't believe that "God" is gonna do anything. You make yourself feel better, yourself is the one that is pushing on and not letting things get to you, why should god get all the credit for the hard work you've done to get yourself out of a bad situation? Yourself would have been the one that got you out of this bad situation, a man in the clouds isn't putting these thoughts and motives into your head, your brain is. I understand the controversy this paragraph can cause, but this is my personal belief and what I stand for. Some people believe in God, and like to go to God as an outlet source, which is why I think this song has a lot of references to it. Twista wants people to turn to God when times get tough. 'And only the heavenly father can ease the hurt, just let go and keep prayin on your knees in church and let's hope!'