Comic: Lonely is the World

From the poem "Poem on the Underground", by DJ Enright, I decided to make a comic. This comic is not meant to be a graphic version of the poem, but it's inspired in it.

Lonely is the World by anonymous

Song Commentary: Who says you can't go home?

                                  "Who Says You Can't Go Home", Bon Jovi

I spent 20 years trying to get out of this place
I was looking for something I couldn't replace
I was running away from the only thing I've ever known
Like a blind dog without a bone
I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone
I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold
I been there, done that and I ain't lookin' back on the seeds I've sown,
Saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone
Who says you can't go home

[Chorus]
Who says you can't go home
There's only one place they call me one of their own
Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, its alright

I went as far as I could, I tried to find a new face
There isn't one of these lines that I would erase
I lived a million miles of memories on that road
With every step I take I know that I'm not alone
You take the home from the boy, but not the boy from his home
These are my streets, the only life I've ever known,
who says you can't go home

[Chorus]

I been there, done that and I ain't looking that
It's been a long long road
Feels like I never left, that's how the story goes

It doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter where you go
If it's a million miles aways or just a mile up the road
Take it in, take it with you when you go,
who says you can't go home

[Chorus]

It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, its alright
Who says you can't go home [x2]

As we've been studying the Third Culture Kids, I found a song by Bon Jovi that expresses, in some way, the importance of having a place you can call "home". The lyrics present a man who has been to many places, traveled many miles and had a lot of anecdotes, but he still wants to go back home. The commonly repeated sentence "Who says you can't go home" is very special, as it makes us understand that, apparently, their shouldn't be obstacles when we want to go back to what we call home. When we contrast this song with the Third Culture Kids, it might be awkward for them to analyze the lyrics, as many people don't have a "home". In this sense, I think that Bon Jovi reflected much of his musician life in this song, as he is on the road all the time. Therefore, the lyrics show us how important home is, and let us reflect about the sense of Homeless of third culture kids. In some way, the song gives the idea that it doesn't matter how many great places we visit, home will always be important in our lives, as it is where we've lived some of the most important experiences in our lives. 

The first part shows the experiences of a man who has been to many places searching for something special, but he always goes back to the importance of his home. He also mentions that, far from home, he feels lost "like a dog without a bone". 

The chorus is also very important, because in some way it summarises all the ideas presented in the song. "There's only one place they call me one of their own" must be highlighted, as it shows that he feels part of his home's community.

The next stanza goes deeper into the idea of being far from home, searching for something better. "I tried to find a new face" has a great significance, as it makes a reference to the different facial features of people from different cultures. The song also expresses the idea of feeling comfortable only at home, "These are my streets, the only life I've ever known."

The rest of the song repeats the ideas presented before, always emphasizing in the event of going back home one day.

Third Culture Kids: Where's Home?

In the last classes, we've been studying Third Culture Kids, which are persons who grow up between different cultures, due to a variety of reasons. As we watched a video, which I'll link in this post, I made a mind map to show my ideas around TCK.

So Where's Home? A Film About Third Culture Kid Identity

One concept that caught my attention was Rootless. This word created a feeling of loneliness when I first read it, as it means that you come from nowhere and that you belong to no particular culture or society. A very close example for me is my grandfather, who had the same name as me. He was born in Chile, but he grew between English people and he learnt to speak Spanish at the age of 20. My father has told me that he was a very peculiar person, because he never felt comfortable in Chile, as he was extremely different to the local people. However, he didn't felt british neither, as he always said he was chilean. In some sort of way, he forced himself to believe he was chilean, although he had all the characteristics of an English man. I think this situation represents the sense of rootless; when your life struggles between two cultures, but you don't feel at home in any of them.

Stereotypes Movie: "METALHEAD"

As we read a text about the stereotypes around punks, I found useful to share a movie related with Steryotypes. In is call "METALHEAD" and it deals with the social prejudices against heavy metal fans. The movie shows a very extreme case in Iceland, the homeland of some of the most extreme metal bands. I'll post the trailer here.

Personal Response: Surrogate mothers

“The Akanksha clinic is at the forefront of India’s booming trade in so-called reproductive tourism — foreigners coming to the country for infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization. The clinic’s main draw, however, is its success using local women to have foreigners’ babies. Surrogacy costs about $12,000 in India, including all medical expenses and the surrogate’s fee. In the U.S., the same procedure can cost up to $70,000.”

In the last years we've seen how technology has opened new areas to the human behavior, which, of course, are firmly related with ethics. One of them is Surrogacy, in which someone with fertility problems rents a woman's body to develop an embryo. At first we could think that this practice is totally okay, as the person is paying for a service and, moreover, he is encouraging the development of life. However, when a person decides to have a child is because he thinks he we'll have some benefits from it, like happiness, companionship or the sense of being part of a family. Although one could say this represents a fair cause, at the same time we have to see the child's experience. When someone decides to have a son or daughter by surrogacy, he is also determining the life of the child. The boy will not have a mother, or at least a "real" one. Moreover, he'll probably share the phenotype of his indian mother, which is not his father's, but the child will never meet her. The question here is, at what extent can we control our children's lives? Is it correct to conceive a love from money, and not from love?

The Indian women case is also very peculiar, as they are using their body to earn money, just like prostitution. While they get some money, women are also renting the most important part of their bodies, and taking personal advantage of the sacred ability to reproduce.

Individual Oral: Mobile Robots

1. Description of the robot in a wild situation.

2. The benefits of being able to travel independently or controlled remotely:

3. Reaching places dangerous for humans.

4. Going to very far sites.

5. Moving through hazardous or violent territories.

6. The wide variety of activities developed by these robots:

7. Space Exploration (NASA's Mars Exploration Rover)

8. Landmine Detection or Bombs Analysis (The Falkland Islands issue)

9. Assistance of disabled people

10. Conclusion: Extension of Human capabilities and the future of Mobile Robots.

Click here to listen my presentation.

Solving a Problem: The Vaccinator 3000

Robots are being increasingly used in order to solve common problems, commonly replacing a human in a certain task. In Chile, during winter time we see how hospitals are filled by ill people, which have to wait many hours before being attended. The Vaccinator 3000, developed by the most ingenious and smart scientists, aims to solve this problem. This revolutionary machine is not only able of vaccinating people, but also to identify the person's illness by analysing his/her symptoms.

The Vaccinator 3000 Presentation

During this week, we'll have to present about our own-created robot. I'm working with Mr Barriga and Mr Oporto.

Here are some questions that will help to guide our planning:

What materials will it be made out of? Why?

It will be made of metal and the corresponding circuits to assure its functioning, because it's the easiest way to create and program a robot.

How will the robot sense its surroundings? 

It will have thermal sensors, to perceive if it's in front of a person or of an object. It will also be able to communicate, and "understand" (through a variety of computational programs). 

How will it move and respond to the environment?
It will have wheels, to guarantee an easy movement through the room, where it will go from bed to bed, and from patient to patient, also helped by its thermal sensors. 

How or why is a robot better equipped to handle this challenge than a human? 

A robot would be faster than a human, and also it would make doctors only occupate on other issues in which they might be more required.

What will the robot look like? Will it look human-like? Why or why not?

It will be the cheapest possible. Probably a "box" (cube) with an arm.

How will the robot’s appearance influence how people interact with it?

At first people may be scared, but then they'll get used to it and it will be the same as being vaccinated by a person or a human-like robot.

Video: "Stem Cells Breakthrough" and "Stem Cells: Seeds of Hope?"

Here are some questions related to the last two videos we watched about Stem Cells. In this post, I present my answers.

1) Why are stem cells considered so valuable for medical research?
This is because Stem Cells are flexible and can turn into any specialized cell, that's why they're called Pluripotent.

2) Why did the researchers have to narrow the spectrum of genes within stem cells? (video 1)
Because there are over 20 thousand genes, which were narrowed to 100, then 24 and finally only 4. 

3) What are the sources of stem cells and the advantages and disadvantages associated with using each?
They can be taken from embryos, or can be produced from some specific cells taken from any cell. The advantages of stem cells are obvious, as they could eventually turn into any organ and help doctors cure almost every disease. However, their main drawback is related with ethics, as an embryo must be created to extract a specific organ, which means that doctors would "kill" the embryo (there is a similar problem with abortion)

4) What are the three cases presented at the beginning of the second video?
A hockey player with a problem in his spinal cord, a man with diabetes and two cousins that had a genetic brain problem (Tay Sachs disease)

5) How might a stem cell be used to treat spinal cord injuries?
They could replace the dead cells and build a bridge along the spinal cord by communicating with the closest cells.

6) Explain the outcome of the experiment with injured rats presented in the second video?
The stem cells were placed in a section of the rat's spinal cord, and they turned into spinal cells by communicating with the nearby cells. However, the result was not completely perfect. 

7) What issues surround the debate over of stem cell research?
The ethical problem related with embryos is the main issue, as in some methods a embryo is created and then it dies.

8) What issue do you think needs to be debated as we make decisions about stem cell research?
Just as with abortion, life should be respected. I think that healing diseases is something great, but it cannot go over other's life. I believe that killing an embryo to heal someone else is something selfish and it might generate deep problems in our society.

Video: Genetic Took Kit

1) How has evolution tinkered with genes of animals?
Evolution can be considered to be all the new combinations of genes that are created, commonly triggered by the external changes (Climate, food availability, etc). 

2) What role has embryos played in the study of evolution?
They are the developing animal, which shape and form is determined by the activated genes and the homeobox. This is the stage of development in which scientists focus their researches. 

3) What did the experiment with fruit flies and mice show?
It showed that the homeobox or genetic tool kit could guide the growing process of any animal, as the genes come from common ancestors. This created a new view about the complexity of evolution.

4) What does the presence  packages of information suggest about evolution?
It suggests that all animals have common genes, but their development is determined by the external factors and by the homeobox. 


Genetic Tool Kit Video

Video: Gene Control

As we keep learning about embryos and cells, today I present a set of questions related to Control Genes. 

1) Why did the German scientist decide to study the fruit flies at the larval stage?

She decided to investigate the flies in their early stage to analyse how they developed and how the mutations occurred.  Other researchers used to analyse fruit flies in their adult stage, but they couldn't understand how the genes worked nor how the mutation was produced.

2) How does the mother fly activate the control genes?

She leaves different chemical messages when she lays the eggs, and they determine the head and the tail of the growing fly and activate some gens inside the egg.

3) What is the role of control genes?

They switch on many other genes inside the cells, in order to specify their tasks. They control time and space, so the genes are activated at a determined region or organ in a specific moment of the growing process.

4) Which of the two species are closer to humans?

Zebrafish is closer. Their control genes and body plans are similar to the human beings'.  

Gene Control Video

The Development of the Embryo

As we are starting to explore a new area, the stem cells and the ethics around them, I'll answer some questions about the video "The Embryo takes shape" to have a better knowledge of this biological process.

1) What directs the sequence of events that turn a blob of cells into an embryo with specialized tissues and organs?
It's mainly determined by the genes and by the three layers created in gastrolation. The lower layer becomes the lungs, liver and digestive tract, the middle layer turns into the heart, muscles, bones and blood, while the top layers develops into the nervous system, skin and hair.

2) The narrator says that “cells talk to each other.” What does that mean?
It means that they can communicate to each other by chemical messages, which activate some specific gens in the nearby cells.

3) How do cells in different parts of the embryo become different kinds of cells and organs?
It depends on the ADN, the gens activated in each cell and the embryo layers explained in question 1.

4) What kinds of proteins are found in different cells and organs?
Collagen - Skin, tendons and bones.
Carrington - Hair.
Crystalline - Lens of the eyes.
Actin and myosin - Muscle fibers.
Hemoglobin - Carries oxygens from lungs to body.

5) What tells the cells which kinds of proteins to make?
The groups of genes activated in each cell.

6) What is the relationship between DNA, genes, and the proteins that are produced in cells?
They are all connected. The DNA is the genetical information in your cells, and genes are very small sections of these code. The genes, activated by molecules, determine which proteins are produced in each cell. Proteins are the molecules that build our bodies.

Reflection on Biofuels + Peer Assessment

Last week, we studied the benefits and drawbacks of the implementation of biofuels in our world. It was great because we had the chance to understand the bad aspects of these sources of energy, which are usually seen as completely green and safe. During the week, we joined in pairs (I worked with Mr. Barriga) and presented about a topic. We focussed our work on the land consequences in the production of biofuels, which is mainly related with the production of food. I think we managed to perform pretty well and explained our subtopic to our class in a good way. In general, I think the presentations were all good and also, they were a great way to understand the problems and benefits of biofuels in a better way, as each group faced the topic from a different aspect or view.

If some asked me how would I evaluate my partners work, I think all the peers did a good job. Some topics were more difficult, specially the one about the production process, but Mr Nuñez and Mr Ugarte managed to present it in a good way (Maybe they could have spoken a little louder). Mr Oporto and Mr Gastó presented about the Economical Effects, contrasting the comercial benefits of biofuels and their impact in food prices. 

What is the effect of producing biofuels on land used for food or cattle?

Biofuel production has increased in recent years. Some commodities like maize (corn), sugar cane or vegetable oil can be used either as food, feed, or to make biofuels. For example, since 2006, a portion of land that was also formerly used to grow other crops in the United States is now used to grow corn for biofuels, and a larger share of corn is destined to ethanol production, reaching 25% in 2007.

A recent study for the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development shows that market-driven expansion of ethanol in the US increased maize prices by 21 percent in 2009, in comparison with what prices would have been had ethanol production been frozen at 2004 levels.

Second generation biofuels could hence potentially combine farming for food and fuel and moreover, electricity could be generated simultaneously, which could be beneficial for developing countries and rural areas in developed countries. With global demand for biofuels on the increase due to the oil price increases taking place since 2003 and the desire to reduce oil dependency as well as reduce GHG emissions from transportation, there is also fear of the potential destruction of natural habitats by being converted into farmland.In February 2010 Lapola estimated that planned expansion of Brazilian sugarcane and soybean biofuel plantations through 2020 would replace rangeland, with small direct land-use impact on carbon emissions. However, the expansion of the rangeland frontier into Amazonian forests, driven by cattle ranching would indirectly offset the savings. "Sugarcane ethanol and soybean biodiesel each contribute to nearly half of the projected indirect deforestation of 121,970 km2 by 2020, creating a carbon debt that would take about 250 years to be repaid....

However, a 2010 study also by the World Bank concluded that their previous study may have overestimated the contribution of biofuel production, as "the effect of biofuels on food prices has not been as large as originally thought, but that the use of commodities by financial investors (the so-called "financialisation of commodities") may have been partly responsible for the 2007/08 spike." A 2008 independent study by OECD also found that the impact of biofuels on food prices are much smaller.

Biofuels are the best way of reducing our emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases responsible for global climate change. As with fossil fuels, burning biodiesel or ethanol to drive an engine or generate electricity releases carbon into the atmosphere. Unlike with fossil fuels, however, growing the plants from which biofuels are made takes carbon from the air, so overall the process is carbon neutral. This means policies to increase the use of biofuels could greatly reduce overall levels of carbon emissions, and so be a major part of tackling global climate change. Since the international community has made reducing climate change a priority, with different climate conferences like Copenhagen, seeking energy alternatives should be at the forefront of their efforts. Biofuels can also help improve local air quality as mixing ethanol with fossil fuels helps meet clean air standards, and overall be one of the tools used to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Extra-Material:

Biofuels versus food production: Does biofuels production increase food prices?

Biofuels seemed to be the solution to the environment issues. However, now we can see that some studies have stated that they aren't that good, as they may increase food prices and can eventually contaminate as much as petrol. On the other side, they are considered to be the solution as they are supposed to be eco-friendly and can clean the air, as well as they reduce the petrol price. Unfortunately, it is hard to decide which position is correct as there are no official researches about the real effect of biofuels in land and food production. Moreover, it will be very hard to do such investigation as many other factors influence the food price, apart from the land availability.

Finally, I think we could reflex about something. Do you think that the control of the food prices is more important than the preservation of the environment, considering that food is actually enough for the world's population if it's correctly distributed? In other words, is it acceptable that a human-creation (Prices) prevent the correct distribution of food, forcing us to contaminate more in order to allow this distribution to be done? Aren't we, as humanity, suffering a self-made and virtual problem?

The Kite Runner Questions (Chapters 11-25)

1. Chapter 11 has a new setting. What is it?

Fremont, California, the United States.

2.  “America was different. America was a river roaring along, unmindful of the

past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the

waters carry me someplace far.” This quote from Chapter 11 is said by whom?

What does it reveal? What does this metaphor mean?

It was said by Amir, two years since they arrived to USA. It shows that America seems to be the new country, were Amir can be free of all the problems that were taking place in Kabul. It can also be considered as a reborn for Amir, in which he can forget his sins (Hassan's rape, maybe).

3. What does Baba give Amir as a graduation present? What is Amir feeling at this

moment? What is Baba feeling?

The gift was a Ford Gran Torino. He felt very excited and happy about the kindness that Baba showed, because he knew how hard was to get a car.

4. What does Amir tell his father he wants to study in college? What is Baba’s

reaction?

He says he wants to be a writer. Baba, in some way, accepted it and felt that he was going to be a very good writer (At least, he tells so to General Taheri). However, Baba didn't feel happy for it and he thought his degree would be wasted. 

5. Baba observes that “It may be unfair, but what happens in a single day can

change the course of a whole lifetime.” Whom is he speaking about? Why?

What else might be significant about that quote?

He is speaking to Amir about the General's daughter, as Amir asked about the stories floating around her. It means that one action at one moment can change the whole future of a person.

7. In 1989, what is going on in Afghanistan? Who are the Mujahedin? Who is in

charge?

In 1989, the Shorawi or Soviets left Afghanistan. The Mujahedin are that afghan muslins that are fighting against the soviert-puppet government of Najubullah.

8. Chapter 14 brings us back to the opening of the book: the telephone call from

Rahim Khan. What is Rahim asking Amir to do?

Amir has to go to Pakistan because Rahim Khan is very sick. He also says that there's something pending in his life. 

10. Who is Farzana? Sohrab?

Farzana is Hassan's wife, while Sohrab is their only son.

12. In Chapter 17, Rahim gives Amir a letter from Hassan, who wrote it six months

before. What is the tone of this letter? How does Amir react?

The tone in the letter is quite sad and negative. Although Hassan explains that the situation in Kabul is horrible, he also seems to be happier when he refers to his son Sohrab. In fact, he would like Amir to meet him. Also, Hassan is preccupied  by Rahim's health.

13. In Chapter 18, Amir finds out that both Hassan and his wife were shot by the

Taliban trying to protect Baba’s house, orphaning their son. Rahim tells Amir

it is his job to find Sohrab in Karteh-Seh, Afghanistan, and take him to an

orphanage in Peshawar, Pakistan. What is Amir’s reaction? Do you think

Rahim’s dying wish is unfair? Why or why not?
At first, Amir didn't want to go, probably because he had a comfortable life in America. Then he started to feel the responsibility (Maybe for the rape?). Rahim asked this as his last wish, as he would die soon. I think he is just being honest and that he want to end his life in peace, contributing to save Sohrab. After that, Rahim told him about his brotherhood with Hassan. At that moment, Amir broke and he rushed out of the apartment ("I'm thirty-eight years old and I've just found out my whole life is one big fucking lie!").

14. In Chapter 19, Farid is engaged to drive Amir from Peshawar to Afghanistan.

Describe his first impression of Amir. When Farid said, “You’ve always been a

tourist here, you just didn’t know it,” (p. 232), what did he mean? What is

Farid’s impression of emigrant Afghans who return to visit Afghanistan?

Farid gave him a dismissive look. The quote could mean that Amir never got into Afhganistan reality, as he was from a wealthy family. He also seems to think that returning afghans are coward people who escaped with the money they had and didn't had the courage to defend the country.

15. In Chapter 20, the director of the orphanage, Zaman, tells Amir that Sohrab

was taken by a Taliban official, who takes children, usually girls, about once a

month, for his “sexual pleasure.” The official gives Zaman a great deal of cash.

How does Zaman defend his actions?

He says that he gives out one child to pay for the food and necesities of all the others. He has a reasonable point, as he doesn't have any money to pay for those children's needs.

16. What is your reaction to Rahim Khan’s letter to Amir? Should the letter have

been presented to him earlier? Do you feel that Baba was a good man?

After reading the letter, I still think Baba was a good man. Living with a hided son and trying to keep the social view of the family was very hard for him, and he did a lot of social actions to be considered good.  Also, we get to know that Rahim knew what happened to Hassan and he understood it, although he thought Amir acted in the incorrect way.

18. Chapter 25 resolves the action with Sohrab and Amir returning to San Francisco.

Describe Sohrab for the first seven months he is in San Francisco.

He was calm and pretty sad, he doesn't speak much. He didn't seem to be happy at all, maybe he felt he betrayed his friends from the orphanage.

19. What happens as Amir runs the kite for Sohrab?

He shouts "For you, a thousand times over", the same phrase that Hassan said many years before. It gives a perfect end to the story, connecting it with Hassan's duty in the kite tournaments.

20. How is this another full circle?

It is very special, because in the 70s Hassan runned kites for Amir. Now, 30 years later, Amir runs a kite for Hassan's son. Maybe, it could be considered as the final redemption of Amir towards Hassan, as he always felt guilty for what happened with Assef.

Europe Trip 2013

Next friday, we are leaving to Europe! We'll be there for about 20 days, and we'll visit Scotland, England, France and Italy. Luckily, I'll also stay with my family to visit Germany, as some of my ancestors were born there. I hope we'll have a great time and many experiences that I'll surely share in this blog. Here is the countdown!

The Kite Runner Graphic Novel Analysis

Last class, I had to present about a specific page of the Graphic Novel inspired in The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. I spoke about page 98 supported by a Power Point, which I link in this post. I think this was a great activity because we had the chance to learn about the novel by using a completely different text format, a comic.

PPT

Afghanistan in the 60s and 70s

To have a better comprehension of The Kite Runner context, I researched about the country before the war and I found a video with some interesting images.

Summary: The Kite Runner (Chapters 1-10)

As I'm reading The Kite Runner, I thought it would be a good idea to write a small summary of each chapter as I read them. In this post, I'll share my thoughts as I advance with the reading.

Chapter 1

Many characters are introduced, as Amir, Baba, Rahim Khan (who calls by phone to invite Amir to Pakistan) and Ali. After the phone call, Amir went for a walk by the park to think about his life.  Memories from 1975: Something changed in those days.

Chapter 2

The Narrator (Amir) explains his childhood with Hassan. Amir was Pashtun, while Hassan was Hazara. They both lost their mothers and their fathers were Baba and Ali. Ali married with Sanaubar to restore his uncle's honor. Hassan (whose mother run away when he was borned) lived in a small house with his father, near Baba's Mansion. He used to play with Amir and they had a strong relationship, as they were fed by the same breasts. They once met a soldier who said he had a relation with Hassan's mother.

Chapter 3

 Baba built an Orphanage. Against the popular beliefs against his idea, Baba was succesful. Baba was supposed to become a lawyer as is father, but he decided to be a businessman and became one of the richest merchants in Kabul.
Amir had a Islam teacher at the school. Baba thought that teachers weren't good, and he talked to Amir about sins. He believed that all sins were variations from theft. (Amir knew Baba's father was killed by a murder).

Baba felt his son was not like him. Amir tried to enjoy football, but he prefered to read poems. Amir listens Baba talking to Rahim Khan about him.

Chapter 4

Amir explains the relation between Baba and Ali. They had a similar childhood to Amir and Hassan, because Ali's parents died when they were crashed by a car and Baba's father, a famous lawyer, decided to adopt him. Amir also goes deeper referring to his relationship with Hassan and the differences they had, specially in terms of education. Amir used to read stories for Hassan in a tree in the cemetery. Once, he started creating a random story and Hassan, that thought Amir was reading, said it was the best story he had ever heard. Motivated by this, Amir wrote a story about a man who cried pearls, which was only read by Rahim Khan, as Baba didn't show interest in it. When Amir was going to read it to Hassan, something happened. Along this chapter, we can appreciate that Amir has a special rivalry with his friend Hassan, as he always wants to be better than him. For example, he laughed at Hassan because he didn't know some words to show he was "better". 

Chapter 5

Suddenly, they heard like a thunder outside. There was a coup and a new republic was established, along with a president. Amir and Hassan went out to read at the tree, when they met Assef, who was famous for his steel knuckles. He talked about Hitler, how he hated the Hazaras and his relation with the new president. Assef blamed Amir for treating the hazara as his friend. Amir and Hassan managed to escape from the knuckles thanks to Hassan's slingshot.

Time later, Hassan received his birthday gift from Baba: Dr Kumar, a surgeon. Amir got his harelip fixed.

Chapter 6

Winter starts. Most of the children in Kabul didn't have to go to school in winter, therefore it was considered the best season. In winter, cities held the Kite Tournaments, in which kite runners also take an important spot. Amir and Hassan used to make their own kites, but as they were better fighters than makers, they started buying them. Also, Hassan was the best kite runner Amir had ever seen. Amir remembers a story in which Hassan caught a kite, in which they had a very special and uncomfortable talk.
In 1975, Amir saw Hassan run a kite for the last time. In that year, Amir's neighborhood held a very big tournament. Baba told Amir that he thought he was going to win it. Amir considered this as a chance to prove he was a good son and decided to win the competition.
The night before the tournament, many men came to Amir's house to talk with Baba. Meanwhile, Amir and Hassan were playing cards. They talk about how iranians were more developed and they way many afghans were envious because iranians were Shi'a muslims. Finally, Hassan said Amir was going to make Baba very proud tomorrow and Amir said he was going to buy a TV for each one day. He then reflected and felt sad on how Hassan accepted he was going to live in his little shack in the yard forever.

Chapter 7

It is the kite tournament day. While Amir was having breakfast, Hassan told him about his dream ("There is no monster, just water"). They went out and saw a lot of people preparing for the competition. At the beginning, Amir thought about don't participating, but Hassan convinced him to go on. After hours of fighting, Amir's kite was the last in the air, and Hassan ran the blue kite for Amir. Amir was congratulated by all the neighbors, including Omar, who was playing soccer with his brother. Amir asked Omar about Hassan, and he said he saw him ran toward the bazaar. Amir started searching for him, and after a chat with an old fruit merchant, he managed to find him in an alley; Hassan had the blue kite, but he was also trapped by Assef and his two friends. Assef offered freedom for the kite, but Hassan wouldn't give it, so Assef tortured him and, at some point, he unzipped his jeans and dropped his underwear. At this moment, Amir saw the eyes of Hassan and remembered the look of the dying sheep in the religious ceremonies. Amir ran away, and hided. When he realized that Assef had left, he came back to Hassan, and saw him tired and his shirt was ripped, but he was holding the kite. Amir took the kite to Baba and the hugged strongly.

Chapter 8

Amir barely saw Hassan in the following weeks. Amir asked Baba to take him to Jalalabad on friday and he accepted, but he took all the family with them. After a fun weekend, they came back home. Hassan kept doing all the chores, but he was sleeping most of the time. By the other side, Amir tried to stay as long as possible in his bedroom to avoid seeing him, and he wanted to return to school. Amir was kind of cruel with Hassan and asked him to go away, but the Hazara would keep on doing the chores and being loyal.
When Amir was planted tulips with Baba, he asked about hiring new servants and Baba got angry at him. After the tense situation, school started. One day, Amir went to the cemetery with Hassan to read him a story. Before he started reading, he started firing pomegranates at Hassan, feeling a mix of emotions: He wanted Hassan to hit him back, but he wouldn't. Again, he showed to be a loyal servant, and that bothered Amir. He felt guilty.
After that, in 1976, Amir's birthday party was organized. Four hundred people was invited, from which Amir barely knew a quarter. Assef and his parents showed up, and he was really kind with Baba. Amir took the present and went out of the house: It was a Hitler's biography. In that moment, Rahim Khan sit  behind him and told him about how he almost married a Hazara when he was 18. When Amir heard the fireworks, he returned to the party and saw Hassan serving drinks to Assef, while he grinned. 

Chapter 9

The birthday is over. The morning after, Amir looks at his presents, but he is not really happy, although he got an awesome bicicle. After some reflections, he went for a ride and he received a present from Ali: The Shahnamah. After that, he left his watch and some money in Hassan's place, and told Baba Hassan was a thief. This provoked Baba to call them all together. Hassan said he had stolen those things, and Baba decided to forgive him, surprisingly. However, Ali said that they were leaving anyways. Amir was shocked by Hassan's action and loyalty, but he felt it was his final sacrifice. Baba asked them to stay, but the wouldn't, so he drove them to the station in a sad, raining day.

Chapter 10

Baba and Amir escape from Kabul, and they're in there way to Pashwar, in Pakistan. They were travelling with a young couple. Amir felt sick, so Karim had to stop the vehicle for some time. At a checkpoint, a Russian soldier wanted to have half an hour with the lady, but Baba stood firm and refused. He would have been killed if it wasn't for another soldier, who apologized for his partners atitude (He said he was into drugs). After the passed, the husband kissed Baba's hands. When they arrived to Jalalabad they slept in a small house, where they should wait for Toor (Karim's brother) to continue the trip. However, Karim informed they that Toor's truck was broken and that he was waiting for the parts to fix it. When he heard this, Baba almost killed Karim, but the lady stopped him. In the small basement, they met Kamal and his father (Assef friend). After one week waiting, Karim said the truck was not going to be fixed. At last, he offered his cousin fuel tru
ck. That same night, they left in the fuel truck. During the trip, Amir tried to have good thoughts and he remembered some adventures with Hassan. Finally, they arrived to Pakistan. A bus would take them to Peshawar. Amir felt sad for Baba: After all, he only had one disappointing son and two suitcases. Also, he realized that Kamal had died during the trip (He won't breathe!) . At last, they saw how Kamal's father shot at Karim, killing him. 

Article: The Tongue of Singapore

The Tongue of Singapore

In a highly developed asiatic country, English stands as the main language.

Singapore in famous for archieving high development in a few decades. Since their independence from the British Empire, in 1963, Singapore has been considered a cosmopolitan country, in which languages combine and evolve every year. Despite the fact that over 70% of the population is Chinese  English stands as the most important language. Children are taught English in schools, the law is written in English and even the traffic signs are in English! However, the government ensures that young children also learn their ethnic group languages, to conserve the relevant aspects of each culture. This has a great importance in a country that contains Malays, Chinese, Indians and other races in its essence.

As a once British Colony, and now members of the commonwealth, Singapore still has some of the English aspects in its organisation and culture. In this sense, it's interesting to see that the legal system used in Singapore is based on the "Common Law". Therefore, the laws and legal processes in Singapore are all done in English, something astonishing if we consider that the English population is the 2% or 3%. However, the use of English is not just tradition, as it grants some benefits to the country. In fact, when Singapore gained self-government in 1959, the local leaders decided to keep English as the main language to maximize the economic opportunities. 

However, we know that languages evolve. In Singapore, the case hasn't been different, as Singlish emerged in the streets. Singlish is an English-based creole language, which combines Malay, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Tamil, English and other indic languages, and began to be used in the sixties, after Singapore's Independence. Singlish is spoken by the popular communities in the Island, as it is considered a low prestige language by the upper clases. In fact, the government created the "Speak good English movement" to promote the use of Standard English. Also, Singlish is heavily discouraged in the mass media and in schools

As a cosmopolitan country, Singapore resembles the asiatic culture with a clear British influence in its roots. Someone could say that Singapore has taken the best of the Eastern and Western world to achieve a rich and highly developed society, supported in a huge economy with a population of only five millions. In this process, languages were naturally combined to ensure the communication between different ethnic groups.

Singapore: The Cosmopolitan Island.

Singapore seems to be a great country. Although it only has a population of over five million, it has developed very fast to be considered one of the most important countries in Asia. Formed by a combination of Malay, Chinese and Indians, Singapore is hardly influenced by the British Empire, from which they separated in 1963. Here I'll leave some useful information about the English marks in Singapore.

The Legacy of empire in Singapore (PDF)
Two Decades of Independence
Balancing the benefits and downside of Meritocracy

Edu Glogster: Loss of Identity.

Speech: Loss of Identity

The addiction to video games is a growing problem in our society. Children will not only spend the whole day in front of a shinning screen, but they will also isolate themselves from society. In an online gaming world, you will be no more than a nickname. Therefore, game addiction can cause a loss of identity. In this sense, when you are  gaming, you will only be worth for your skills or levels, and not for the person you are. Also, after some time gaming you will meet new people and make new friends, with whom you'll spend most of your online life. However, this friendship will be also based in a game, so once you quit playing you'll lose the relation with these people. I think this mostly happens because sometimes games bore you, but as you are addicted you want to get to a higher level or get to the top of the high scores ranking, so you keep on training. In this situation, you will be more likely to talk to new people to make your training funnier, but that realtionship will only last for some weeks. In the other hand, as you get addicted, you will stop doing activities that you used to do in real life to spend more time online. Long story short, games will become the centre of your life. 

At this point, we must make a difference between addictive gaming and once-a-week gaming. Some people play games once a week with real life friends to have some fun and laugh, and this is not much of a problem. The real conflict comes when games become the most important thing in your life, because with some games you can not decide to play 1 hour a week: It's just the game or your life. You lose control. You lose your identity.

But, what's someone's identity? Well, this is something very difficult to explain. I think identity is built up as you live, as simple as that. The things you like to do, the way you think, the religion you follow, the friends you have, and even the country you were born in, they are all combined together to create your identity.

The moment your gaming skills become more important than your hobbies, your family, or even your religion, then you are in problems. In that precise moment, when your nickname becomes more important than your real life name, then you've lost your identity. And now I want to ask you, what will you do once you quit gaming? Is there something worthy in your life, other than games? Do you have real life friends? You don't know who you are, because you've lost all the components that make a life worth living, such as sports or hobbies.

I think games are important in a teenager's life. But we should only leave games as a friday night pastime, and never as the center of our lives. We matter for what we feel and think in the real world, not for a bunch of levels. Never let a game control your lives, my friends.

Video Games Presentation

Last class, we had the chance to watch an interesting video about video games. It was special to reflex around its ideas and to realize that I, as a person who enjoy playing games, understood many of the "gaming messages" shown in the video. We must consider that games addiction is a growing problem in society and that we must be aware of it. In fact, most of teenagers have been addicted to a game at least once in their lives. In the video I heard a phrase that surprised me: "What are you afraid of? - Im afraid of not knowing who I am". Now, we've to present about a subtopic, and after thinking about it, this is my starting point.

Subtopic: Loss of Identity caused by video games.

Text Type: Speech

Information Sources: 

Shooting in the Dark (NY Times)

The effects of Video Games on Children

What is Video Game Addiction?

(Edu Glogster Nickname: VMind23)

Reflexing on Advertisement

“Advertising is everywhere you look, whether it is in the newspaper you pick up daily or on that billboard you see while driving down the highway. Some people may say that they are not in fact influenced by the advertising that is thrown at them each day, and that they do not fall into it, but everyone does.”

Advertisements are something that we cannot avoid, because they are wherever we look. In fact, they are part of our lives and in some way the keep us updated and connected. I think Advertisements are awesome, because they show us all the options available. If you want to buy a TV you're not forced to buy one because you know there are many different models and brands in the market. Nevertheless, Ads can also be confusing and can trick us, so we have to be aware of the products offered to us. If we know how to interpret Ads, we'll rarely have any problems. 

Going deeper, I want to refer to the main point of Ads: Showing us a new product. But, who is behind that? Who says what the new fashion will be or how are the new mobile phones going to be? The only answer for that is Major Brands and Big Companies. They want us to follow their guide, and it's not rare that fashion, for example, changes every year... and there are the blind persons who follow and buy new clothes every year. I think we have to be balanced and not agree with everything we are shown. If the Ads say that skinny pants are "cool" and you don't like them, well, don't buy them! I think self confidence is crucial to follow our own way of living and not accepting everything the system shows us.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Ad!

Analysing an Ad

I found this advertisement video very interesting because it offers a product in a special way. Domino's Pizza introduced their all new "Pizza Box Office" service into the UK market by bringing a military-related scene to a common pizza delivery, set in a regular neighborhood. The Ad shows how a pizza is delivered by a group of soldiers dressed with special vests and helmets, which relates the delivery to the new movie service that Domino's Pizza offers. In the Ad, we can also see that the customer that receives the pizza is surprised by the way his pizza was brought home, as he expected a common pizza guy. This ad takes advantage of the natural relation between pizzas and movies, and that's why it must be oriented to people who like to enjoy a movie while eating some pizza at home. 

To contribute to the atmosphere, the ad includes helicopters and guns, which create a military theme. The commercial also includes sounds related to war so that the Ad seems to be a real movie, and only at the end it's revealed that it's not actually a war but a pizza delivery. Another technique used is the close up to the soldiers to offer a movie-like recording. It's also important to note that the ad includes very little text, as the military-scene takes all the attention. This advertisement seems to be very eye-catching, although it doesn't include any special celebrities. Also, I believe the message behind the scenes is that now you can watch movies in a much more enjoyable, easy and fascinating way with the new Pizza Box Office service.