The Giver: Blog Post

Well, for my blog post, I've chosen the 1st option: 'Would you like your future to be chosen by others? Why or why not?' It actually depends for me.

If it was chosen for me by someone else, that person would have to know me extremely well to ensure that I actually liked my job, career, future, etc. This is actually what happens in The Giver. Before they assign the Twelves their jobs, the elders, known as the committee, inspect and observe the Twelves so that they will be able to determine what jobs that the new Twelves will receive. An example of this in the book is what Fiona and Asher receive for their jobs. Through their observations, the commitee probably determined that Fiona was suitable for a job at the House of Old due to her calmness, gentleness, responsiblity, and compassion for others. They also found that due to Asher's livelihood, energy, and ever-lasting good humour, that he was suitable for a job such as the Assistant Director of Recreation, which required all of the qualities Asher had. In the book, everyone is happy with what the committee assigned them, which means that the commitee had chosen well, and observed the Twelves well enough to ensure that the Twelves themselves were well pleased with their chosen careers and the futures that lay ahead. This means that the person who would choose my future would have to take many things into account, such as my love for reading and my ability to be able to write long essays to satisfy me completely.

On the other hand, if someone chose my future for me without taking in my many qualities and abilities into consideration and just forced me to do something I didn't want to do or wasn't good at, I don't think I'd like people to choose my future for me. People choosing my future is basically me losing the many ambitions and freedom to choose what you want to do, what you want to experience, etc. This is the reason why the committee observe the children ages before they actually turn twelve; they want to know what the right job for them will be without making any mistakes. Also, if someone else chose your future for you, you could be missing experiences that you (and only you) could be experiencing. For example, if someone chose (or rather, forced) you to be, say, the President of the U.S.A., and you had actually wanted to be a ranger in the jungle, you could be missing plenty of things that only a ranger and not a President would ever experience. Another thing that you would also lose is the ability to think for yourself, as you will always be domineered by other people.

In conclusion, I think that choosing other people's futures is only right if the know what they will be for a very long time, or if you have observed them very carefully and are very sure that they will be very happy and completely satisfied with your decision. On all other occasions, however, I think that choosing other people's futures are something that you should never do, as the futures selected for the people could (or will) affect the lives of whom the futures are selected for.

Final White Mountains Blog Post

For my final blog post, I've picked #2 - Write a letter to one of the three main characters. I've chosen to write to Beanpole, because he is not 'mentioned' as much as Will and Henry, and I'd like to have HIM in the spotlight for once. Well, here goes.

'Dear Monsieur Beanpole,

I am a journalist from the "Interesting Experiences Journal".

I'd like to ask you how you get all your ideas about steam kettles, flying balloons, etc. It isn't exactly natural, even for an un-Capped boy! Did you get them from the old book you learned English from, or do you just make them up, just like that? I'd also like to ask you, how did you feel cutting the button from Will's arm? Was it really gross? Must have been. I mean, tearing an arm open vouluntarily... must have taken a lot of your guts to scoop all that flesh away, especially from an arm of a friend.

Something else I'd like to know was: How did you feel when you made the choice to accompany Henry and Will on their journey? Had you wanted to do it all the time, or did you just make the choice then and somewhat regret it later, or did you not regret it at all? From your actions, I think you wanted to go, because, as you pointed out, Capping would be the end of inventing for you. So, another I'd like to ask you about is the Ancient City. Why did you want to go through the city instead of around it? Weren't you scared about going through the city, or did you actually WANT to go through the city? I mean, when you found all that interesting objects, how did you feel? I guess you must have felt really excited, especially when you found those 'egg-like' things. Wonderful inferences about your ancestors, by the way. You could be right!!

I still have a couple of questions for you, so could you please keep reading on for just a few minutes? When you were found by the Comtesse, how did you feel? You must have felt very surprised, perhaps confused, and maybe even scared. With all the pressure about reaching the White Mountains, you must have felt very frightened, I guess. And when they took Will, how did you feel? Did you feel annoyed, scared (again)... well, HOW did you feel? I'll just leave you to answer, please. And now, for the last question, how did you feel when you finally reached the White Mountains? With the Tripods tracking you, and you succeeding in outwitting them and reaching the White Mountains, you must have felt ecstatic and exhilirated! When you finally met the White Mountains folk, you must have just rejoiced... in your own way.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please consider writing back.

Once again, thank you.

Rita Camacho, Journalist of the 'Interesting Experiences Journal'.'

Book Review

Personally, I kind of liked the book. One thing I really liked about the book in particular, was how we had a 'hard' time discerning-at the beginning-if the time period was set in the future or the past. Another thing I liked about the book was the way the author, John Christopher, could hold us in suspense. He also let us formulate all the different kinds of questions in the world, making the book even more interesting. One particular section I liked about the book was Chapter 5: 'The City of the Ancients'. It was interesting to see how he thought of the broken cities and what they looked like after the Tripods had taken over. His description was vivid, enabling us to see the cities. The way he described the cars and trains was a very interesting piece of writing in particular; it was as if he did not know what the objects actually were; he was describing them as if he were the boys himself. All in all, I liked the book.

White Mountains Blog Post (The Castle of the Red Tower)

"The bitter thing was all the spirit, all the gallantry, was wasted. For even more than inferiors, they accepted and looked forward to being Capped. It was a part of becoming a knight, or of turning from a girl to lady. Thinking of this, I saw how good things could be meaningless in isolation. What value did courage have, without a free and challenging mind to direct it?" (p. 111)


This story's theme is freedom, and Will's mighty struggle with himself here shows it. At this point of the story, (The Castle of the Red Tower) Will is in two minds: Does he want to continue the journey to the White Mountains with Beanpole and Henry, or does he want to live comfortably with the Comte and Comtesse at the Castle of the Red Tower? Of course, as an outsider, the automatic choice would be to continue the journey to the White Mountains. But to Will, it's a difficult choice. There are many things in the Castle that he enjoys, such as being treated as the Comte and Comtesse's son, the time he spends with their daughter, Eloise, and the luxury he is offered while living in the Castle. He could have all that, and a lot more... if he stays in the Castle. If he continues the journey, he would have to face all sorts of difficulties - no more luxury, no one to treat him lovingly, etc. To Will, staying in the Castle would be the ideal choice, that is, if he had not had some doubts and questions in his head about Capping, for that was his fate if he stayed in the Castle. He reviews both options and their advantages as well as their disadvantages. Some concerns he had about being Capped was giving up his hope of freedom. He thought that travelling to the White Mountains was better than being an important man living at the Castle, a happy man, but controlled by the Tripods. He recalls his doubts of Capping from the beginning of the journey; and, when the Cap was put on, the doubts vanished. He finds himself wondering if it is a loss at all. And when the Watch slipped from his wrist, he finds himself thinking what he had first thought what the Comtesse and the others would think about it. ("I had thought at first that the Comtesse and the others might be curious about it and want to know how a boy had come by such a possession; but they had shown no interest at all in it. They kept no relics of the skill or the ancients, and time meant nothing to them." 125) They had seen it, but did not show any interest in it at all, being controlled by the Tripods. They could not think, or feel, or love, for themselves. They were just robots being controlled by Tripods. In short, Will knew that if he was Capped, there would be no more freedom; he would always be happy, but never free. When Will finally makes his decision to leave, he decides it is most important to be free. He knows that there is nothing for him at the Castle, after Eloise has been Capped. He finds out that Eloise is devoted to the Tripods, and did not care about him as he had thought. He finally realizes that he is better off free. This shows Will's struggle to freedom, and of course, he achieves it.

Band Assignment: Power of the Void

Part 1: The International School of Kuala Lumpur provides an exceptional education (silence) that challenges each student to develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen.

I think that adding a silence after the word 'education' creates the best tension. Since we know that silence can create tension, excitement, curiosity, etc., adding a silence after education will create curiosity within the people who are listening. They will want to know what kind of education the school provides, and how it will affect the students studying there. They will also want to know what the students will become (in this case, responsible global citizens) and if the education ISKL provides is truly exceptional.

Part 2: One way composers can create tension and release in their music is to create a void. Since tension is a 'Question' and release is the 'Answer', you can put a silence right when you are about to find out what the answer is. For example, if the music sounds rather scary and foreboding, and you want to know what happens next, you could use dynamics, starting from piano and ending in fortissimo, and right when you have played the fortissimo, cut off into a silence. The silence creates tension and makes the audience ask questions. And when you start playing again, that's the release and the answer!

Holiday Snapshot: Boracay 2010

Many things happened during the holiday, but I'll write about a certain day at a beach in the Philippines called Boracay. Boracay has white, sandy beaches, wonderful water... but not many fish. I was there with my dad's side of the family, meaning two grandparents, three cousins, two uncles, two aunties, five siblings, and my parents. We all flew from Manila to Boracay on same plane, went on the same boat, the same jeep, the same bus... you get the point. Our family was going to spend five days there, and we went snorkeling on the third day of our stay there.

I got into the boat all set to go, wearing my swimsuit and prepared to have fun. After my grandparents boarded the boat, and everyone was all set, the boat zoomed off to the first site. When we arrived at the designated spot, I changed my mind about going snorkeling rather suddenly. The shining sun had vanished behind grey clouds, and the waves were strangely strong. Even though I was reluctant to jump into the water, my mom and dad encouraged me to go snorkeling.

"This is probably the only chance you'll get for a really long time." My dad told me. So, hesitantly, I dipped my foot into the water. I decided that I had to jump in sooner or later, since my cousins were right behind me. They, unlike me, looked extremely eager to start snorkeling. I sighed, then plunged myself into the water. I was momentarily engulfed in an icy layer of cold water, with the waves splashing over me. The minute my head was above the water, I gasped and made my way over to my sister, Trina, who was desperately scouting the water for fish.

It didn't seem like there were any. Pieces of bread we had thrown into the water to try to lure the fish toward us were bobbing along on the water's surface. No fish seemed to have come. I eventually spotted my Aunt Maricel waving frantically to me some distance away. Maybe she had spotted some fish! I swam over to her.

"Under there!" She exclaimed. I ducked my head excitedly under water. She was right! There were fish, though not many, all clustering around a piece of bread she was holding. Trina soon came out of curiosity, and we three looked quite a sight, floating and gawking at the fish under water. Twenty minutes later, we boarded the boat, and went to the second site, which was pretty much like the previous one, but with less fish. Aunt Maricel complained that there weren't any fish.

" The current is strong," the guide, Manong Eric explained, "So there aren't any fish."

Since lunch was included in the trip, we had lunch at an island which was called 'Magic Island'. Funny thing was, there was a ton of coral on the beach. This meant that you couldn't take a step without a mound of coral and sand entering your shoes.

"This place should be called 'Coral Island'," I grumbled. My cousin Julia and sister Denise didn't think so. They were happily collecting coral and shells of all shapes and sizes.

"It shouldn't be called 'Magic Island'!" Denise exclaimed. "It should be called 'Treasure Island'!" Later, I climbed up to the dining hut for lunch. Delicious aromas filled the air. Aside from our staple food of rice, there were platters of succulent squid, a wonderfully flavored and cooked chicken, some steamed oysters, A LOT of 'tahong' (a long, greenish kind of clam with appetizing meat in it), a scrumptious fish, and a tray of pork. Also, there were three bottles of soft drinks and two big containers of water. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and when the meal was done, there wasn't much left except a pile of leftovers!

After the meal, I found out why the island was called Magic Island. If you went down a flight of extremely steep steps to a little platform on the island, you could see the ocean. When I cast my eyes on the marvelous sight, I gasped in wonder. (I don't think I can tell you what the ocean looked like, but I will try.) The ocean was a deep, deep, navy blue, and the sound it made when it crashed into the rocks was like a pair of cymbals crashing together, except it was stronger, more majestic, more powerful, and more wonderful. This, with the sound of a light wind whistling softly in my ears, was truly music. It was as if the sea was playing a song of peacefulness and happiness. To make the scene prettier, the sun had come out and was shining over the ocean, and the sky was a beautiful azure, soft, pale, and delicate. I took a deep breath of salty sea air and sighed. The place was perfect.

Later that day, when we got back to the hotel, and after we showered and changed our clothes, our family watched the sunset. (I don't think I will be able to describe this to you either, but I will try.) As the sun sank in the horizon, the sky turned a pale golden color. As it sank lower, the sky kept getting darker, from a pale golden color to a rich, ripe, yellow, which turned into a strong, fiery, orange. The orange color evolved into a sensational shade of red, glowing with a heavenly radiance, and at that moment, the whole sky seemed alight, as if it was day again. Then slowly, slowly, slowly, the sun slipped to the other side of the world, leaving ours in darkness.

I smiled happily. 'Wherever I was, whatever what I was doing,' I thought, 'the sunset would always be something to remember.' It was a sunset I had never seen before. It was... out of this world! And so the day ended, with everyone happy, and of course, when watching other sunsets... I would always remember and think of this one.

New Year Blog Reflection

It's been a really long time since the beginning of sixth grade. In fact, it's been half a year since we started Middle School. From the many skills I've learned since school started, I will pick the new skill of being able to write in different types of writing. So far, I've learned how to write memoirs, autobiographies, personal narratives, essays, discussions...you get the point. I've also learned to write certain types of writing the way it's supposed to be written. For example, I've learned that a discussion should be written somewhat seriously, as if it is very important. (Thank you Mr. Sheflin!) Also, from Mrs. Reiser, (and Mrs. Mac) I've learned how to write personal narratives and how you have to put your whole feeling and soul into it. Whatever the type of writing, I'll be ready for it!



Number two for this reflection is to 'Explain how you handled a challenge these past 5 months.' I've always liked a good challenge (not too hard, though) and it's fun to accomplish it (eventually!). To accomplish a challenge, I always persevere and by that, I mean working on it with the spirit, vigour, and zeal that is in all of us. I sometimes go by this saying: 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again.' It's a lovely saying, which inspires us to go on, and don't give up, no matter what happens. And if you really can't go on, think about the joy and happiness and how ecstatic you will feel when you are done. It's really fantastic!



This year, I want to learn how to be able to learn how to speak French fluently. It would be such a wonderful achievement if I succeeded! This would help me a lot when I grow up and start traveling around the world. It would be wonderful to visit France and speak in French. I would always remember the many steps and days used in learning...and remember that I learned the language in ISKL! Also, if my whole family went to France, I could be the translator! To me, that's kind of cool.

I guess everyone contributed positively towards the 6th grade community so far this year. I'd like to give one example of how I demonstrated kindness, which is one of the Middle School Core Values. At the start of the year, a friend of mine couldn't open her P.E. locker. She asked me to open it, I gladly unlocked the lock for her, and we arrived at the class within five minutes. (Plus, I considerately forgot her lock code! I forget all locker combinations, excepting mine, anyway.) There were many more incidents concerning lockers, and when asked, I happily opened them. As I have said, I forget the codes anyway.

Everyone usually sets new goals for the New Year. I'M setting goals for the New Year and the next 6 months of school. (It was actually part of the reflection!) One goal I am definitely having for the New Year is to be able to make it to the ISAKL Track and Field meet this year. To get to the ISAKL, I will try not to miss any P.E. classes, not miss any Track and Field practices, and have lots of exercise. I will exercise by jogging or biking daily at Lake Gardens. By the time the meet comes, boy, will I be fit! Now, my goal for the next 6 months. I really want to keep my grades higher than a B+, so I will have to work hard to achieve this goal. To achieve this goal, I will have to be at the standard the teacher expects of me. I will have to work hard, finish my homework and hand in projects or assignments on time. On top of that, I have to keep in a good humor!

Well, I guess that's it. I do hope you enjoyed reading my reflection. Hope you liked it!

What did I learn (so far) about 'Hatchet'?

Well, so far, we've read up to chapter two in the book 'Hatchet'. It's pretty interesting, and mainly about a boy called Brian Robeson (from the blurb) who is stuck in the Canadian wilderness with a shredded windbreaker, a dead pilot, the hatchet his mother gave him, and a crashed plane. In chapters one and two, we learn that Brian's parents are divorced, and that Brian is flying over to his father's home to visit him. While Brian is in the plane that is transporting him there, (he is in the copilot's seat), the pilot teaches him how to fly the plane. It's a good thing he taught Brian, because sometime later, the pilot has a heart attack and dies. Brian is now on his own, and is not in a good position, because he only knows the basics of flying the plane, and the radio transmitter is not working! He decides to keep flying until he finds a lake to land it. At the end of the second chapter, Brian throws up out of nervousness.

*Here's something that the group would like to share with you: We think that the pilot taught Brian how to fly the plane because he knew he was going to die and wanted Brian to be able to manage on his own when he died. When he told Brian how to fly the plane, we think that the author made him sound calm so as not to alarm Brian. What the group says is: It's really possible!