By the end of this class, I am at page 239. Hassan is Amir’s half brother. Baba is Hassan’s father…
Hassan has a family, a wife and a son in Kabul. He has learned to write and read, and has learned to his son, which is named Sohrab, after Hassan’s favorite novel. Amir learns this from a letter Hassan wrote him. By the time Amir reads this, Hassan is dead. He and his wife were shot by Taliban. Sohrab is an orphan, and Rahim Kahn wants Amir to get him out of Kabul.
Right now, Amir is at a soccer- field, watching two people being stoned to death. He is at the soccer- field to find Sohrab, who has been kidnapped by the Taliban.
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Kite Runner
Before class today, I am currently at page 178, Amir has just traveled to Pakistan, and Rahim Kahn.
It has happened a lot to Baba, Amir, Hassan and Ali since last time I wrote here. The relationship between Amir and Hassan is really bad. Amir is driven by guilt, and Hassan doesn’t know what he has done. After Amir’s birthday, he plants his new wristwatch and a handful of money under Hassan’s bed. Then he asks Baba where his watch is. This is Amir’s way of forcing Ali and Hassan to leave, and so they do.
At the age of eighteen, Amir travels with Baba to Pakistan. They escape from an Afghanistan tore by war. At the trip, Baba shows himself as a gentleman, as always. In the US, Baba works his head off. His hands are black from oil and dirt from the gas- station, and he is soon promoted as “daily manager”. Every Sunday, they go to the Flea Market where they sell second- hand items for a dollar more then they bought them. At the market, Amir meets the Taheri- family. Their daughter, Soraya, and she is at Amir’s age…
Baba gets cancer. For a long time, this illness demands a lot of attention in Amir’s life. After months of illness, Amir asks Baba to go and ask the Taheri for their daughter’s hand. Amir and Soraya marry each other, and a couple of weeks later, Baba dies…
Many years pass, and Amir and Soraya are happily married. One day, Amir receives a phone call. The person calling is Rahim Khan. He says that it is a way to be good again, and asks him to come to Pakistan before he dies…
It has happened a lot to Baba, Amir, Hassan and Ali since last time I wrote here. The relationship between Amir and Hassan is really bad. Amir is driven by guilt, and Hassan doesn’t know what he has done. After Amir’s birthday, he plants his new wristwatch and a handful of money under Hassan’s bed. Then he asks Baba where his watch is. This is Amir’s way of forcing Ali and Hassan to leave, and so they do.
At the age of eighteen, Amir travels with Baba to Pakistan. They escape from an Afghanistan tore by war. At the trip, Baba shows himself as a gentleman, as always. In the US, Baba works his head off. His hands are black from oil and dirt from the gas- station, and he is soon promoted as “daily manager”. Every Sunday, they go to the Flea Market where they sell second- hand items for a dollar more then they bought them. At the market, Amir meets the Taheri- family. Their daughter, Soraya, and she is at Amir’s age…
Baba gets cancer. For a long time, this illness demands a lot of attention in Amir’s life. After months of illness, Amir asks Baba to go and ask the Taheri for their daughter’s hand. Amir and Soraya marry each other, and a couple of weeks later, Baba dies…
Many years pass, and Amir and Soraya are happily married. One day, Amir receives a phone call. The person calling is Rahim Khan. He says that it is a way to be good again, and asks him to come to Pakistan before he dies…
Sunday, September 19, 2010
the Kite Runner
This semester, we are reading the Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. I started the book on Friday, and I am currently at page 88, chapter nine.
The book starts with Amir talking to us from his grown up life. I know this because I have read
the book before. In the first chapter, we are back in Kabul, where Amir grew up. This is a novel about a boy who really wants to be acknowledged by his father, Baba. Baba doesn’t give Amir enough attention, and Amir feels like a stranger in his own house. He explains this as “At the dinner table, the only thing speaking, was the silverware against the plates.” He finds support in Hassan, the servant’s boy. He and his father, Ali, is descended from the Hazara people. They are treated like dogs by every Afghan, but at Amir’s house, Ali and Hassan are treated with as much respect as a servant can get. The thing that bothers Amir the most is that Baba keeps a nice eye at Hassan at all times, as if Hassan was his son, and not Amir…
Every winter, Afghanistan’s children perform the Kite fights. The game consists of children with Kites, and the point is to try and cut the opponents kite down, and be the last kite flying. In the winter of 1975, Amir wins this tournament, and Baba is very proud. Another part of the tournament is to run for the fallen kites. The children station themselves at different spots around the city to try and get a head start. Hassan is the best of these Kite Runners. This day, Hassan runs for the last kite for Amir. As he runs to the opposite corner of the square where the championship where held, Hassan turns his head and calls: “For you, a thousand times over”. I think that one sentence summarize Hassan’s personality. He does anything for Amir, his best friend in the whole world.
Amir, at the other hand, teases Hassan all the time, and is a coward himself. He never stands up for Hassan, even when he is raped by Assef in a shabby alley. Hassan is there to pick up the kite for Amir, and Assef and two other guys gets there and tease him. They try to force him to give them the kite, but Hassan says “The kite is for Amir”. What Hassan doesn’t know, is that Amir stands and watches the whole episode, and then runs...
After this, Amir is driven by guilt for not interfering. It ends with Hassan saying: “I don’t know what I have done, Amir agha. I wish you’d tell me (...) You can tell me, I’ll stop doing it.” This statement from Hassan kills me inside, every single time I read it. How can a person be so kind? He scarified himself for Amir and that stupid kite, and all Amir was able to do was to run for his life! That's enough for this time, and I’ll try not to rip Amir to peaces until next time…
(The picture is the oridginal cover of the book, and I found it at: www.thebookclubblog.co.za/?p=688 (19.09.10)
The book starts with Amir talking to us from his grown up life. I know this because I have read
the book before. In the first chapter, we are back in Kabul, where Amir grew up. This is a novel about a boy who really wants to be acknowledged by his father, Baba. Baba doesn’t give Amir enough attention, and Amir feels like a stranger in his own house. He explains this as “At the dinner table, the only thing speaking, was the silverware against the plates.” He finds support in Hassan, the servant’s boy. He and his father, Ali, is descended from the Hazara people. They are treated like dogs by every Afghan, but at Amir’s house, Ali and Hassan are treated with as much respect as a servant can get. The thing that bothers Amir the most is that Baba keeps a nice eye at Hassan at all times, as if Hassan was his son, and not Amir…Every winter, Afghanistan’s children perform the Kite fights. The game consists of children with Kites, and the point is to try and cut the opponents kite down, and be the last kite flying. In the winter of 1975, Amir wins this tournament, and Baba is very proud. Another part of the tournament is to run for the fallen kites. The children station themselves at different spots around the city to try and get a head start. Hassan is the best of these Kite Runners. This day, Hassan runs for the last kite for Amir. As he runs to the opposite corner of the square where the championship where held, Hassan turns his head and calls: “For you, a thousand times over”. I think that one sentence summarize Hassan’s personality. He does anything for Amir, his best friend in the whole world.
Amir, at the other hand, teases Hassan all the time, and is a coward himself. He never stands up for Hassan, even when he is raped by Assef in a shabby alley. Hassan is there to pick up the kite for Amir, and Assef and two other guys gets there and tease him. They try to force him to give them the kite, but Hassan says “The kite is for Amir”. What Hassan doesn’t know, is that Amir stands and watches the whole episode, and then runs...
After this, Amir is driven by guilt for not interfering. It ends with Hassan saying: “I don’t know what I have done, Amir agha. I wish you’d tell me (...) You can tell me, I’ll stop doing it.” This statement from Hassan kills me inside, every single time I read it. How can a person be so kind? He scarified himself for Amir and that stupid kite, and all Amir was able to do was to run for his life! That's enough for this time, and I’ll try not to rip Amir to peaces until next time…
(The picture is the oridginal cover of the book, and I found it at: www.thebookclubblog.co.za/?p=688 (19.09.10)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Advice to fellow students
This entry is dedicated to the article about Facebook, and how it affects the students and their work for the exam.
The article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7985985/Facebook-hits-exam-results-by-20-per-cent.html20-per-cent.html has compared the exam-results of students using Facebook, and students not using it. The results were unambiguous. It says that students using Facebook in class or during the study- process get an average of 20% lower score than the students without Facebook.
The first thing that comes to mind, is that this news is very shocking, that highly educated people let a forum like Facebook, ruin their exam results! You wouldn’t think that anyone is
stupid enough to do that. But then, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, MSN and a lot of other communicational forums are demanding more and more of our time. In today’s society and study- situation, we are very often depending on communication. Students without a Facebook- account, easily fall out of the social gangs and environment in class. Me, I got Facebook when I started my first year at Sandvika high school. When I think about it, Facebook is a genius way to connect and find mutual interests, even if the only thing mutual, is attending the same class. I think I would have missed a lot of information about my fellow students without it. At the same time, I feel that Facebook demands a lot of attention. When I am studying, I can’t allow myself to open Facebook at all, because then, I will not be able to pull myself out of there.
I just happen to think about those people who used to spend every hour of their time off, at the internet. Before Facebook, I remember thinking “Aren’t they bored to death? It is not that interesting, and don’t they know that they have other things to do?” Now, I would have replied “Well… Facebook certainty demands a lot of time, and attention. I am not surprised that this is a problem.”
I think this illustrates the problem quite well. A couple of years ago, Facebook weren’t that big a problem. As the phenomenon grows, though, so does the amount of people spending a lot of time there. I am very pleased that I am not one of those who feel that they need to use every single moment at the internet. My advice to fellow students is therefore: You should definitely have a Facebook- profile, because it is a part of our future. Just remember that your future is built on what you learn in class, and Facebook can’t be the breadwinner for your future. Use it well!
(The picture is from the article, use the link in the entry! The chat- symbol is from my own Facebook- page, edited in OneNote.)
The article at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7985985/Facebook-hits-exam-results-by-20-per-cent.html20-per-cent.html has compared the exam-results of students using Facebook, and students not using it. The results were unambiguous. It says that students using Facebook in class or during the study- process get an average of 20% lower score than the students without Facebook.
The first thing that comes to mind, is that this news is very shocking, that highly educated people let a forum like Facebook, ruin their exam results! You wouldn’t think that anyone is
stupid enough to do that. But then, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, MSN and a lot of other communicational forums are demanding more and more of our time. In today’s society and study- situation, we are very often depending on communication. Students without a Facebook- account, easily fall out of the social gangs and environment in class. Me, I got Facebook when I started my first year at Sandvika high school. When I think about it, Facebook is a genius way to connect and find mutual interests, even if the only thing mutual, is attending the same class. I think I would have missed a lot of information about my fellow students without it. At the same time, I feel that Facebook demands a lot of attention. When I am studying, I can’t allow myself to open Facebook at all, because then, I will not be able to pull myself out of there.I just happen to think about those people who used to spend every hour of their time off, at the internet. Before Facebook, I remember thinking “Aren’t they bored to death? It is not that interesting, and don’t they know that they have other things to do?” Now, I would have replied “Well… Facebook certainty demands a lot of time, and attention. I am not surprised that this is a problem.”
I think this illustrates the problem quite well. A couple of years ago, Facebook weren’t that big a problem. As the phenomenon grows, though, so does the amount of people spending a lot of time there. I am very pleased that I am not one of those who feel that they need to use every single moment at the internet. My advice to fellow students is therefore: You should definitely have a Facebook- profile, because it is a part of our future. Just remember that your future is built on what you learn in class, and Facebook can’t be the breadwinner for your future. Use it well!
(The picture is from the article, use the link in the entry! The chat- symbol is from my own Facebook- page, edited in OneNote.)
Monday, September 6, 2010
Erin Brochovich- Yes, you can make a difference
Erin Brochovich is an American housemother, with three young kids to take care of, and no husband. In the beginning of the film, she doesn’t have job ether. The opportunity bids itself when she gets in
contact with the lawyer Edward L. Masry. He agrees to offer her a job. On one of her trips searching for information, she visits a family in Hinkley who have many problems and are very sick. When she starts to investigate the case, she finds out that the company serving the Hinkley area with water, PG&E are using a very poisonous material, called Hexavalent Chromium. This causes a lot of diseases, such as cancer, decreased immune system, higher rate of miscarriages and so on. The people exposed to these threats, has no idea about their water being highly toxicant, and when Erin starts her investigation, many of her clients get very frightened.
Mostly, this film is about a person with no training or competence in the juridical matters of this case, works really hard to get the case trough. And how she really manages to get things trough at the end. It is a touching film about a person going from a dressed up whore to a woman mistaken of being educated. This film should be an inspiration for us all as a wake up call to what we are exposed to every day, as well as a reminder that you, as one single person, CAN make a difference.
Me, I loved this movie. At first, I didn’t approve of her behaviour or the story, but after a while, I understood that this film had a much deeper meaning than I first presumed! I think everyone should see this movie, because it really is touching. The best part of it is that it is based on a true story. That is a fact that amazes me. I really had a hard time drinking water for a few ours!
So, see this amazing movie; Erin Brochovich.
(I have porously not said anything about how this story ends. I don’t want to ruin anything for you!)
contact with the lawyer Edward L. Masry. He agrees to offer her a job. On one of her trips searching for information, she visits a family in Hinkley who have many problems and are very sick. When she starts to investigate the case, she finds out that the company serving the Hinkley area with water, PG&E are using a very poisonous material, called Hexavalent Chromium. This causes a lot of diseases, such as cancer, decreased immune system, higher rate of miscarriages and so on. The people exposed to these threats, has no idea about their water being highly toxicant, and when Erin starts her investigation, many of her clients get very frightened.Mostly, this film is about a person with no training or competence in the juridical matters of this case, works really hard to get the case trough. And how she really manages to get things trough at the end. It is a touching film about a person going from a dressed up whore to a woman mistaken of being educated. This film should be an inspiration for us all as a wake up call to what we are exposed to every day, as well as a reminder that you, as one single person, CAN make a difference.
Me, I loved this movie. At first, I didn’t approve of her behaviour or the story, but after a while, I understood that this film had a much deeper meaning than I first presumed! I think everyone should see this movie, because it really is touching. The best part of it is that it is based on a true story. That is a fact that amazes me. I really had a hard time drinking water for a few ours!
So, see this amazing movie; Erin Brochovich.
(I have porously not said anything about how this story ends. I don’t want to ruin anything for you!)
The picture is from: www.impawards.com/2000/erin_brockovich.html (06.09.10)
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