Article interpretation

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2011/1103/Thailand-floods-floating-toilets-makeshift-jet-skis-and-doggie-lifejackets

Above is an article on the severe flood of Thailand, after reading the article; I was impressed by the creativity and optimism of the people. The calm and sophisticated attitude toward the misfortunes in life is not falling down and crying out, it is standing up and face it bravely. A merit is that the people adapted the life on water quickly and jokingly calling themselves “amphibians.” The even more creative spirit is that even in this natural disaster, which disrupted the normal life of Thai folks, the people still look at life in a cheerful way by inventing useful contraptions that can help themselves during the flood using minimal resources.

All the ideas of contraptions are creative and precious in current situation of flooding. One of my favorite inventions is the flood alarm invented by the technology students in Mongkhut University. Using small and cheap objects like Ping-Pong balls and piping, the students put their efforts to help the country and the people. Children are the next generation and the future of a country. If the students can gain and understand different knowledge of the flood during the process of thinking and experiences, they will be better at predicting, preventing and dealing flood in the future; this will result in less damage and death.

Another things that I like are the flood videos on YouTube and TV, to help themselves and others, Thais posted helpful and informative cartoons through media, this will pass the knowledge of the flood on and tell the people what to do. One example is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8zAAEDGQPM&feature=related

Facing the flood, I believe Thailand will become a stronger country, not only in technology from the inventions, but as well as the admirable spirits of the people, for they’re working together to make their country a better place for themselves and for others!

The flood journal

It all began in that afternoon, a few days after the closure of our school, that my father told us a bad news. Dirty water slowly rose from underground in Ban Bua Thong, the industrial park of Bangkok and where his factory is in. At that time, I think nonchalantly that the water will subside in a short moment for flood is a rather mild natural disaster. However, It is obvious now that my guess was wrong.

Among only a few days, the floodwater in Ban Bua Thong increased to the level of the knees, and more water kept flowing into the Industrial park. At this rapid rate, floodwater will enter the factory in anytime and damage the expensive machines. The situation got more severe. In those days, my father went to his factory in early morning, and returned at late night. Then, with an anxious brain full of worry and complex thoughts, he watched updated news while talking to clerks in phones and managed the flood prevention works, mainly on protection of the machines. I know it took my father more than twenty years of efforts to establish his company and factory, and it must be very stressful for him, so I tried my best to be a good girl and help on family chores. Soon, my father brought a boat, for the floodwater inclined to a dangerous level up to one meter—and then to over two meters. Dirty water entered the factory and already damaged many small machines, as well as swallowed up our products. The goal became to protect the two huge blow-molding machines, for they’re the most valuable things in the whole factory. To help process the work, my father brought two more big boats. Many stores and shops were running out of water and food, so my mother and me went to a shop where things are more expensive to buy things. We brought at less 30 packages of instant noodles and over 20 boxes of biscuits for the workers trapped in Ban Bua Thong. Meanwhile, My cousin’s family, who worked and lived in Ban Bua Thong could not stay there anymore. My cousin stayed to manage the work, and my cousin-in-law and one-year old niece evacuated to live with us in Minburi.

 Even though we insisted to stay and help, my father and cousin repeated persistently that we should evacuate. In October 27, my mum, brother, cousin-in-law, little niece and me packed up and descended the airplane fly to China. In Shenzhen, where I lived, I had a lot of difficulties to do my homework. My Mac had problems access to the Internet, so I have to use the PC in my house. Blogger, Facebook and Youtube are banned in China, so I missed a lot of homework that I will have to make up in a short time now. Compare to my father’s problems, the inconveniences are small trivia, so I learned to get used to problems in life better. In November 5, my father returned to do business in China, but two days later, we received the news that school will reopen in the 10^th, so we returned to Thailand in a rush. For almost the first time in my life, I longed for school so much, and I learned that education is so important to us that I can become something we want. My father returned with us before he was done with any business, because he was worried about us in the current situation, and I was really grateful to him, my papa.

When we drive on the path leading toward our house, our car is swimming in floodwater up to ankles. Since I never experience this, I was a little scared, but my father was used to more severe situation in Ban Bua Thong, so he was calm and slowly drive through the dirty water. When we returned to our house, I gasped for I see nothing but stacks of mess. It doesn’t look like a home but a blank shack. The bed is at one side of the living room. The dining table, piano, tables and other smaller objects are stacking on the hard bed. Fortunately, the items on second floor were not being stack up by my father and the workers before he left, so we can still live in Minburi, even though there are convenience when eating (we cannot use our dining table), we are still fortunate because the water doesn’t enter our house for now, and I hope it will never do in the future.

Reading the story above, you might think that flood only cause us troubles. Still, everything has its advantages and disadvantages, with an optimistic attitude; you can always see the good side even though it is an unwelcoming natural disaster. The flood brought up many rare fish from deep river water that usually cannot be seen in any markets. During the flood, my father brought a Mekong giant catfish up to 1 meter long and about 20 kilograms. That night, everyone get to eat the delicious wild fish. That is a sweet happiness in this severe situation, but without the flood, we can never enjoy the fresh fleshes. Yesterday was the Loi Krathong festival. Most people are worrying about the water and forget the celebration, but still, some optimistic folks are celebrating with fireworks, Krathong and lanterns. I believe even in this situation, people still have their hopes and wishes, and the silent Loi Krathong festival is prove. Yesterday we drove around Minburi, and saw the water was slowly ebbing away. I believe the flood will end, the water in Ban Bua Thong will decline and be gone, school will resume, and everything will turn out all right. 

"Where I'm From" Poem

Where I’m from

A tribute to Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid

I am from the ocean of foams,

From the dark, deep water, containing salty tears.

I am from the love songs of the mermaids,

The sweet, mellow melody, echo in the waves of the sea.

I am from the young hearts, yearning for love.

I am from the gorgeous human ship, the witness

Of the maiden and the prince, struggling through the rage

Of the stormy sea, and the forbidden love.

I am from the love of the human princess

Longing, yearning, wanting.

Sitting near the prince, waiting,

For the most dazzling eyes to open and see.

I am from the burning potion,

Of the taunting witch, taking away

The most beautiful voice, the sweetest melody

For the heartbreaking pain, heartbreaking love.

I am from the desperate sadness,

When the prince and princess married.

They smile to the sea, praying

For their happiness.

“So God, please…

Let them be happy…”

I am from the piercing knife

Of the beloved sisters, ending the life

Of the most handsome man

For the most awful death of him,

And the most awful survival of me.

I am from the sharp silver blades

That was thrown and tosses into the foam of the sea.

I am from the last glance,

Toward the sleeping prince and his loving princess.

“So God, please…

Let them be happy…”

 I am from the drifting air,

I am from the realm of heaven.

Rising, dissolving, but I do not regret,

For only love and freedom,

Last for eternity.

Summary using Metacognition-The Boleyn Inheritance

The Boleyn Inheritance was a historical fiction by Philippa Gregory. It described the life of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Rochford, three noble women from the 16^th century Europe who share the same fate—the Boleyn inheritance.

Katherine Howard

In this book, the first character that caught my attention is Katherine Howard, for she is such a bright yet stupid, precocious yet naïve child. I can almost picture her appearance and every acts of the young girl. That is because Katherine, who lived and died centuries ago, had many similar traits if compare to some modern girls—beautiful, playful, energetic, and passionate in love. While reading, I seek many likeness of this character to girls in real life, including myself. Katherine Howard would dress in her most gorgeous gown, perhaps in demure yellow or bright pink in the latest fashion, because all girls like to dress up and be the most pretty. She would act like a grown-up woman near the king and in front of the court—just like what we do when facing adults. In balls and masque, Katherine would dressed and danced in explicit ways, showing all her charm and glam to the young men, almost like what girls do to gain attention in a modern party. Then, when Katherine returned to her privy chamber, she would start to play pillow fights and tease with the girls, like what we do with our friends. Katherine was a vain, childish kid. To gain luxury; she made great sacrifices of becoming a puppet of a dangerous politic game and marrying a man that could almost be her grandfather. However, a young and lustful heart could not stand the void of love and desires. With the “help” of Jane Rochford, she ended up dating her beloved man and lost her life for it for her love cannot be allowed under Henry VIII’s reign. Until her end, Katherine was a helpless pawn. In the plan of her powerful uncle and her smart lady-in-waiting, she was no more than a cheap item traded for power and fortune, a tool for childbirth, or a toy thrown away after being played. The story of Katherine revealed the darkness of the English court back in the Tudor period; it also reminded me that there are plenty “Katherine Howard” in our modern world still.

Lady Jane Parker
(Later Jane Rochford)

Jane Rochford was the character I had the most questions on. The most important of all is that I didn’t expected, until the very end that Lady Jane was such a mad lover with a distorted soul. I didn’t see that her heart was filling up with jealousy, lust and greed for the Boleyn inheritance—a title and a fortune. I did not understand her acts until her death, for I always considered her a levelheaded, calm and sophisticated woman that know the court very well. In her insanity of loving her but not being loved, she gave away her sister-in-law, her husband she loved deeply, as well as all her future happiness that could be earned with an earnest attitude like the one of Anne of Cleves. After she committed such hurtful mistakes and injured her own heart deeply, Lady Jane did not draw back her ambitions for the power and wealth; instead, she continued to serve the sly, smooth Duke of Norfolk. With her sharp wit, she slowly led the ignorant Katherine Howard onto the path of death, only she didn’t expected herself to die with her puppet. In fact, Lady Jane herself had become a pawn of Katherine’s powerful uncle. Later, as being revealed by the Duke that to him, Jane Rochford was no more than a piece of filth, a byword of injustice, evilness, distorted lust and jealousy throughout the courts of Europe. In her last moment, Lady Jane learned that no one would want her; no one would marry a widow who cause her own husband’s death, despise how much she love him. After all, Jane Rochford was only a tragic woman who yearned for happiness and love.

Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves was my favorite character among the three. After the reading, I realized that she was not only fortunate, yet unhappy woman like I used to interpret when reading history. Through this historical fiction, I see that it is not luck that spared Anne of Cleves from the scaffold; it is the good qualities she obtained as a woman, a wife and the Queen of England. When bullied by her brother at Cleves, she tolerated the abuses with her dignity and strong mind instead of cry and surrender. When she went to England and married the king that can almost be her father, she decided to learn the English ways, help the king rule and make the people happy. Queen Anne made friend with her stepdaughter, the reserved Princess Mary with her wit; she took care of Elizabeth and Edward like they’re her children. From those events, I can see that Anne was a sympathetic woman and a gentle mother besides having a strong, free heart. Knowing that the king was a tyrant and do not like her, she still did her best for him. When Katherine took Anne’s throne, she didn’t hate the king or the new queen, instead, she worried about the young, silly girl. At last, being named the King’s Beloved Sister, she appreciated everything the king and England gave her. Finally, the king died, and she survived, freedom is the fruit of her good quality and works. Like what Anne’s beloved father used to called her, she was a gyrfalcon, soaring on the high, blue sky, with no restrictions from the world below.

After closing up the last page of the book, I have new understandings of the three main characters. I felt sorry for Katherine Howard, I pitied Jane Rochford, but I admired Anne of Cleves, not for she survived Henry VIII’s tyranny, but because she was always a strong yet gentle woman with a kind, free soul.