Recount: First Memory as a Child

         Watching a horror movie as a child is memorable.  Fourteen years ago, my parents left me with my older cousins in our house and watched a scary movie together.

On the screen of the television, I can see Powerpuff Girls defeating Mojo Jojo once again. While lying down on the couch with a blanket over me, my cousins stood up and were hiding something. I noticed that they were changing the show. Suddenly, a creepy blue doll appeared holding a knife appeared on the screen. At the climax of the movie, my cousins went out of the house and left me alone inside. Goosebumps climbed all over my body and I couldn't move an inch. After a couple of minutes, they all went back inside while holding their laughter. Loudly, I cried. As my tears crawled down my face, my cousins hugged me and said they were 'sorry'.

I'm not sure if my parents knew about what happened. A 2-year old girl could remember such a horrible thing, also known as a traumatic experience.  To my dear cousins, it may be funny for you but it's not for me. I don't want to see that doll ever again.

Close Viewing-Discussion (Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Close Viewing Discussion

Moving on to the next topic in English which is Film study. The class voted on which film we're going to look at, and had 3 options. Perks of Being a Wallflower obviously won over Slum Dog and The Dark Horse. 

Perks of Being a Wallflower is about a high school freshman boy going through a lot of things. He came out from his shell and approached reality. Mainly, the story shows love, friendship, and family. When you hear the word 'wallflower' what is the first thing that comes to your mind? It's PG 13 by the way.


One important lesson that I learned from the story is that communication is very very very important for every individual. NOT a surface level communication but deep. This is first noticed when Charlie took all of his courage and approached Patrick, a senior student, in a football game. Additionally, this is when Charlie's life begun to change. He first talked to Patrick, then with Sam, and so on. It's really amazing what taking one little step at a time could do.

Stephen Chbosky, author/director of the story, said that he didn't want to make any bad characters. His statements gave contrast to Ponytail Derek (Candace's ex-boyfriend), the smart girl in Charlie's English Class, and especially Aunt Helen. Ponytail Derek is an abusive person and likely to control his relationship that links to Aunt Helen's marriage. The smart girl bullied Charlie throughout the plot but did not have enough details about it. Aunt Helen sexually abused Charlie when he's young but still, she's his favourite person. My thought about that is maybe Charlie forced his self to forget what she did because his aunt died while thinking it was his fault. That part is very complex so I don't have any say more.


I guess the Stephen Chbosky left us with a hidden message or subtext from this story and it's up to us to figure it out.

Visual Language Features

Visual Language Features

Basically, these are techniques used to make a film or a clip more interesting and magnificent. Communicating with the audience through the screen as it catches the eyes and hearts of the viewers.

Here are some examples of LANGUAGE FEATURE that you might know or want to know about. (partnership with Alyana)

English Learning Goals 2019

English Learning Goals 2019

What are the things I want to achieve or improve this year?

1. I want to read at least 5 novel books this year to improve my reading skills and widen my vocabulary. 
2. I want to interact with other English-speaking people more in order to practice my speaking language skills. GO OUT WITH MY COMFORT ZONE.
3. I want to be consistent in writing:
• on my journal (short stories)
• poems each month summarising my feelings. 
• essays about different topics and look for my own mistakes. 

Tūrangawaewae

“The Lady with the Little Dog,” from The Collected Short Stories of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov

From the book: “At home in Moscow everything was in its winter routine; the stoves were heated, and in the morning it was still dark when the children were having breakfast and getting ready for school, and the nurse would light the lamp for a short time. The frosts had begun already.”



My continuation: .......... The hands and feet of each person are trembling, I felt my body as a concrete wall at the moment. We are a layered cloth ball. Breakfast felt like dinner with the breaking dawn and all the members of the family are together. One spoonful of a hot soup made by the light of their home could warm their bodies and spirits. Cars and people start passing by along the streets, ready to start a new day of life. The sun takes a peek on the windows that brightens the whole area.

Goodbye's and I Love You's are echoing.

SIMILE and METAPHOR

Metaphor

One of the most commonly used language of speech that compares two things directly. 

i.e. a book is a portal to another world 

Simile

We often use this in our sentences unconsciously. Just like Metaphor, it also compares two things but using the words 'as' and 'like'. [Simile-sounds like similar]

i.e. Her skin as white as milk

Metaphor   and Simile

RED [Taylor Swift]

Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street
Faster than the wind, passionate as sin ending so suddenly
Loving him is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall
Like the colors in autumn, so bright just before they lose it all

Losing him was blue like I'd never known
Missing him was dark grey all alone
Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met
But loving him was red
Loving him was red

Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you
Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song
Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer
Regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE [Jimmi Davies]

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

TITANIUM [DAVID GUETTA]

You shout it out
But I can't hear a word you say
I'm talking loud not saying much
I'm criticized but all your bullets ricochet
You shoot me down, but I get up

I'm bulletproof nothing to lose

Fire away, fire away

Ricochet, you take your aim

Fire away, fire away

You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium

You shoot me down but I won't fall

I am titanium, I am titanium, I am titanium, I am titanium

SPRING DAY [BTS]

I'm missing you 

And I don't know what to do 

I'm missing you 

These pictures just remind me of you I miss you

 And time is just so cruel I hate this trying to see you once, never worked out once 

Where do we find the chance? 

And it feels so cold like winter it's August and not December 

With my heart I walk alone across time, this train is a snow piercer 

Want to take you by the hand and forge across the other end of the earth

Tell me how much more should I long for you and pray for spring to come forth, friend 

Like little specks of dust 

Floating round in the air, floating round in the air 

If I was snow in the air, will I get to you even just a little bit faster?

 Snowflakes keep falling down

 They drift away further around I’m missing you, oh I miss you 

And how long do I have to wait How many sleepless nights, do I have to take?

 To finally see you, to meet you 

Passing by the edge of this winter 

At least until the change of the weather 

When spring comes and flowers bloom 

Just stay until then, please stay and wait a little more

Soundtrack of My Life

Music connects everybody", a cliche....

If you are into fandoms, you know what I'm saying. Music now has made people compare and also argue whose music is better. Sharing the soundtrack of my life into public might be a question to a few people in this universe. "We are all different". Music has become part of our stories, journeys, our lives. My OWN soundtrack means my OWN life, too. Different music, different stories.

Disclaimer: I don't own the background photo on the slides nor any of the songs and pictures used. All rights to the right owner.