One Picture Can Change Everything

This Pulitzer Prize winning photograph that portrayed Sudan's starvation changed everything. It changed the way we look at poverty, it changed the way we feel for others, it changed people's hearts in good and negative ways. You might be confused after reading that sentence, but after reading my views on this picture, you would truly realize the truth behind poverty. Kevin Carter, the photographer of this photo, was born in 1960, the year Nelson Mandela's African National Congress was banned. As his parents were religious Roman Catholics, Carter often argued with them about African rights and why they all couldn't do anything about it. Even as a teenager, he clearly believed in righteous and just issues. Kevin Carter struggled finding the right job numerous times. However, he finally became a journalist, taking pictures with a group of Caucasian men who wanted to expose the ferociousness of apartheid and discrimination in parts of Southern Africa. They were arrested a couple of times, but they never gave up in what they genuinely believed in. On a trip to tropical Sudan,Carter took this influential yet extremely cruel photo shown above, careful enough not to disturb the vulture in the setting. After taking the photo, he flew the vulture away and just watched the little girl struggle to reach to her feeding center. Carter then sat under a tree, cried, and prayed to god. Silva, his partner, recalled that Kevin kept on saying that he wanted to hug his daughter, most probably the one that he never ever saw. This photograph of carelessness was then added to the New York Times on March 26th, 1993, but thousands of people were under criticism at Kevin Carter because he took no initiative to help the starving girl. He was depressed, frequently doing drugs, and having weak, negative thoughts. For example, when his friend Ken was shot, Carter told his group of friends that the the bullet should have been shot in him. And at the young age of 33, Carter committed suicide. His suicide note was dark and haunting. He wrote, he was, "depressed . . . without phone . . . money for rent . . . money for child support . . . money for debts . . . money!!! . . . I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings & corpses & anger & pain . . . of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners . . . " And then this: "I have gone to join Ken if I am that lucky." Carter had a intellect and a desire. His mind told him to sincerely help the young child, but his weak desire told him to hurry and go back to taking more shots of starvng people. Unfortunately, he listened to his desire, the one that was so weak that it simply and eventually dissolved into depression, darkness, and death. 

Read more at: http://www.thisisyesterday.com/ints/KCarter.html
(suicide note of Kevin Carter and facts and information taken from there)

Citation of Image: 

"Iconic Photos." Iconic Photos. N.p., Scott Macleod. Web. 31 July 2013. <http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/vulture-stalking-a-child/>.

A Beautiful State: Some Amazing Shots of Uttarakhand and Details of my Trip

On the 26th, my family and I departed from Noida on a night sleeping train. We were all comfortably sleeping, with someone deeply snoring at night. Even then we enjoyed our journey greatly because it was the first time each and every member of the family went on a trip together. We were going to Uttarakhand, a scenic state in India filled with mountainous areas such as the Kumaon  Hills and parts of the Himalayas. This state has lush green nature and important landmarks all the way, which made our trip shine out from the rest. Moreover, Uttarakhand is full of thriving Kumaoni culture.

First, my large family and I reached the city of Haldwani, a busy city in Uttarakhand. After this city, natural areas and small towns start to arrive up north. From Haldwani, we went on two comfortable cabs to a very small village called Dhalonga (pronounced Da-lon-jaa.) Dhalonga is my grandfather's (nanu's) ancient hometown, and he wanted to show the whole family how life was like when he was really young. We made this trip for my grandfather's elder son and daughter because unlike my grandfather's youngest son, they have still not seen his hometown at the age of 41 and 38 respectively. My grandfather lived there for fifteen years, right from his birth. His traditional Kumaoni house wasn't remodeled or improved for over 150 years, but it still remains special to him and all of us because it treasures his childhood memories. 

Beautiful Mountains near a cool river..

 Kumaon Hills.. So many shades of green.

And so many shades of blue .. If you look carefully, you

can see spots of houses lying across the plains.

My grandfather's traditional Kumaoni house. A lot of
intricate woodwork is done, especially near the windows
and outer doors. 

After arriving to my grandfather's old house, we headed to a temple named Devi Dhura honoring a goddess called Barahee Devi, which held great significance because it was one where my grandfather often went to pray. There is an old legend in this temple that in every year, men throw stones at each other. Long ago, it is believed that boys were sacrificed and one by one, from each family, they died. One woman, in particular didn't want to leave her only son;therefore, she prayed to the goddess. The goddess then declared that every year she would receive the blood of one man. That is why this stone fight is still held today, and blood is sacrificed. Numerous amounts of people get severely injured. I was shocked and surprised by this tradition. My family and I received blessings at the temple, and then we drove to Almora, a breathtaking city near the Kumaon Hills. In Almora, I got amazing shots even from the hotel's balcony.

Beauty in the sky..

Sunset.. you can see a bit of the porch.... hehe.. I had to

reach out the camera to get this pic.

That very night, we slept at the hotel, and the very next day we head to another famous temple near Almora called Golu Devata. This such temple was filled with bells, and it certainly was very fun ringing them.

People also put requests in paper, and tied a bell to their request. They believed that God would fulfill their wishes. No offense to these people, but some of these requests were really funny and ridiculous. For example, one letter said "Please give me 93% marks because I will work harder." :)

 

Then, after visiting this temple, we proceeded to the train station at Haldwani, and we boarded  the train at 9:00 P.M.. We only stayed for one night exploring Uttarakhand, but due to my grandfather's happiness and the desire of his children visiting his hometown, we covered so many places. The most significant fact was that my grandfather always had a smile on his face throughout the trip; he was so joyful standing on the soil where he and his ancestors grew up.

:)

Citation for Images of Bells:

 Web log post. Http://4.bp.blogspot.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2013. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ChFtdNgYz4fwsLHI0ByMKLW3Av-dWl73-hDifofu0Sp-AkKudJLNvOg3pZqeRzTtOiNiTxsNL_Tk5Jm16wWSucuaOkPeumgabZhlletbiJCdo3sCpiovAfuDmQNeKbvrQvVqUxcsXCA/s400/chitai+temple+bells+Almora.jpg>.

 Flickr.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2013. <http://farm1.staticflickr.com/55/144629202_35d1b48050_z.jpg?zz=1>.

Girl Rising

A Girl Rising is a powerful topic, a peculiar one starting from the beginning of time across the globe. That is, why doesn't a girl rise in strength and education in the Middle East, Haiti, and India? And, how can we change that in positive ways?  These ideas started to float in my mind ever since the 2013 documentry, Girl Rising, came out. Nine successful actresses including Anne Hathaway, Selena Gomez, and Bollywood Priyanka Chopra narrated true stories of nine girls from nine different countries. These females grew up going through child marriage, being abandoned as a baby, and even getting severely judged by society. However, where are these amazing, smart role models now? After reading passages in http://girlrising.com, I learned that almost all of them started excelling greatly in school and standing up for causes that they courageously overcame. Now, even in the future, most people in poor countries, especially women, are going through unbearable sufferings. Programs such as Girl Rising are working hard to provide education and financial support for these families. Moreover, when other governments encourage equality for all genders, our international society will become a better and safe place. For instance, groups like the Taliban believe that it is in their religion to give no respect to females. Women are frequently beaten up for no specific or valid reason. If these horrifying beatings never occurred, then people wouldn't treat women differently than men today. However, there is certain hope that not only these nine girls can rise, but also every girl who has a soul of hope and faith, just like a free bird. 

                           

Here is the trailer for Girl Rising. It is amazing! :)



Read more at: http://girlrising.com/ 

Citation for Image: 

Http://dayatrust.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2013. <http://dayatrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Girl-Rising-Poster-3.jpg>.

Books with Strong Female Heroines

Many books nowadays involve a confident, fierce heroine, and this is inspiring girls to step up and show confidence. Additionally, when these types of books gain popularity, it may even change ideas of feminine rights in poor countries. I hope that after you read this post, you will have attachment to these amazing characters...

1) Katniss from the Hunger Games Trilogy 
This book in an incredible trilogy involves main character, Katniss, who fights for survival in the arena. She puts her family ahead of her all the time, demonstrating absolute mental intelligence. Katniss is fierce, powerful, and wise. All these qualities obviously make her strong as well as an inspiration.
























2) Lina from Between Shades of Gray
First of all, Between Shades of Gray is an amazing book filled with history that few know. In that historical time period, the Soviets controlled three nations: Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. Lina was a 15 year old girl who was put in labor camps with her mother and brother. She experiences great violence and loses her mother and father, who was put in prison. However, with her pencil and paper artistic Lina remains strong and finally returns to her homeland, still facing racism and hardships.




3) Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
Showing both smartness and bravery, Hermione is a strong female character. She is the only student in her school that has read Hogwarts: A History, and she is always there for adventure with her friends Ron and Harry. Hermione makes good decisions, and she is the backbone of intelligence for her companions at Hogwarts.



4) Mia from A Mango-Shaped Space

Mia, the main character of A Mango-Shaped Space, has synthesia, a disease relating to the human senses, and this causes problems with her parents, peers, and close friends. However, she joins a club with people who have overcame synthesia, and she realizes that she is not the only one suffering. What Mia learns is a valuable lesson stating that it is necessary to overcome hard times and stay fierce, powerful, and fearless.



5) Merida from Brave
Merida, from the excellent Disney movie Brave, grows up as a warrior princess. As she grows older, she solves an adventure, travelling the woods all alone while facing obstacles. Merida, as a character, clearly demonstrates that it is vital to be brave, both inside and out.



All of these heroines play exceptional roles and give a fascinating character. They are in literature and movies  today and were in the past. If only these females would be a reality in poor countries in mainly the Middle East, those countries would succeed enormously with a powerful female's intelligence and strength.

Citation for Images:

"Hunger Games Wiki." Http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July 2013. <http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130405101739/thehungergames/images/f/f4/Kateverdeen.jpg>.

Http://www.soviethistory.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2013. <http://www.soviethistory.org/images/Large/1917/rr18.jpg>.

Review. Weblog post. Http://1.bp.blogspot.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July 2013. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefOhETQGJKLtxsIk8VYvddDCPW9hNOkefNY9Ufji1NHWJ9c1nO_hI1ARB4oWaPlFESKJJyNrzYbAhZsrTUhaELIUfU0U-wj_K9otUqNu26qHBt6hXFMcfEPrHCds92U3kfpyvQPG37go1/s320/Between+Shades+of+Gray+2.jpg>.

Http://upload.wikimedia.org. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 23 July 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Hermione_Granger_poster.jpg>.

Weblog post. Http://media.tumblr.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2013. <http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfxsoqCbrc1qboux1.jpg>.

Http://www.apa.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2013. <http://www.apa.org/Images/2001-03-synesthesia_tcm7-26102.jpg>.

Http://www.hdwallpapers.in. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2013. <http://www.hdwallpapers.in/walls/braves_princess_merida-wide.jpg>.

Characters Who Love Books

In literature and movies, there are numerous amounts of characters who have a love for reading. Some common ones include Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. Do you know any other characters that love to read books, and how do we readers or movie watchers know that? 
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Please reply to this question in the comment section below.

Milkha Singh: The Flying Sikh

Recently, I watched a fantastic Bollywood sports biography called "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag," or "Run Milkha Run." This true story is about an Indian champion runner, Milkha Singh, who faced  many struggles as a child. For example, he lived in present-day Pakistan, but in 1947 India and Pakistan got divided into two separate countries. Hindus had no choice but to live in India, and Muslims resided in Pakistan. As Milkha was a Hindu, he went to India, and in his journey there, his whole family except his sister got gruesomely killed by Pakistani soldiers. His father's last meaningful words were "Bhaag, Milkha, bhaag." Even though he faced this tragedy, Milkha participated in a race set in Pakistan towards the end of his career, and there he won a gold medal. Over there, he was given the name of "The Flying Sikh" by the president of Pakistan. Milkha started his running career in the army, where he got abused by senior players and overcame conflicts before he broke the national record. In the eve of his big race, after Milkha got physically assaulted in areas of his leg, he ran bare feet with his injury. In spite of his coach warning him that his leg could get permanently damaged, Milkha insisted to run. However, even with this leg injury, he stayed strong and he trained with several coaches such as Gurudev Singh and Ranveer Singh. And finally, after this magnificent amount of hard work, Milkha overcame battles and won international races around the whole globe. For instance, he won his first race with a gold medal at 400 meters. At later years, he continued his success at the Asian Games and Summer Olympics. Although Milkha Singh's incredible story was set in the 1950s and 60s, he is still known today not only for his athletic ability, but for his determination, power, and persistence. Moreover, he is known for pride in his country, India. At Milkha's last race in the Rome Olympics, he was leading and suddenly he looked back for whatever reason. Later, it was known that all four participants broke the international record. Milkha is famous in India for becoming a great athlete in a newly independent country. In spite of his humble personality, Milkha Singh brings pride and faith to India today. 
                                         

Citation for Image:

"Milkha Singh." Http://upload.wikimedia.org. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 17 July 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Milkha_Singh.jpg/220px-Milkha_Singh.jpg>.

Tokyo Heist

I decided to do a book review on Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn because most of my friends have never heard of it. This amazing mystery has exotic visions of Japan, especially the tourist attraction's popular city life.

         Tokyo Heist, an amazing novel by Diana Renn, involves a heroine named Violet who solves an incredible Japanese mystery. She and her dad, a gallery owner, are suddenly sent to a commission in Tokyo, and they soon find out that her dad's rich clients are the victims of a missing Van Gogh painting. Lives began to be in risk (including her's and her father's), and as the plot thickens in this book, interesting characters began taking large roles. For example, I found the character of Edge fascinating, even though he  was not in much of the book. At some times he was important, and at other moments he was just there or out of the scene. Although I wasn't impressed by this missing character, I just enjoyed his personality and way of thinking. Violet also was a genuine heroine, as she balanced her artistic manga personality and cleverness perfectly.  Renn's writing gave an absolute majestic and exotic feel to these characters; it was just beautiful filled with Tokyo's pleasures and delights. The quotes were mixed with visionary moments, allowing the reader to think about this piece of literature. Moreover, Violet's relationship between her and her divorced dad increased, and this gave me a little thought about how the two main characters were developing as people. Additionally, it was a perfect add-on to the suspense and violence in the whole story. All together, I would give Tokyo Heist, an amazing and thought-provoking book, 4 and a half stars. The book was lovely; however, I was hoping for more speed in Violet's trip to Tokyo and some more character significance. This is a great summer and exotic read for teens and up. I absolutely loved this book. :) 

Happy Reading!

Citataion for Image:

Tara, Miss. Http://hobbitsies.net/. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TokyoHeist.jpg>.

Dogs in India

I have not seen a single dog or puppy loitering the street in the US, but sadly in India many dogs are stray and abandoned. Most streets are filled with dogs biting themselves, and in fact they can dangerously cause disease. However, most laws in India ban treating animals cruelly. Still, as it evolves as a country, these important morals are getting left behind. The government is not at all caring for this menace. For example, I read a story on the Internet saying that a guard in Noida shot a dog just because it was barking at him. The guard himself was shocked that he did this action. Because of the cruelty against animals in India (note that other countries around the globe also treat animals badly) he must have instinctively thought that it was okay. This story gives a stand to treat animals fairly just like humans. Not only dogs, but other animals like elephants, zebras, and dolphins should not be abused or beaten up. To keep in mind, countries like Japan and China kill dolphins and sharks for food. These poor animals don't even kill humans;only about five humans get killed by sharks in a year! These messages all together tell me to care for animals just like a person. They have a heart, and that is what makes someone a being. <3

Citation for Image:

"On the Border, Stray Dogs Are Army’s New Best Friends Ajay Sura,."TamilNaduStrayAnimalsProctectionCentre. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2013.

Link to story about guard and dog:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/noida-guard-tries-to-silence-barking-dog-w/537346/ 

The Best and Worst Book Sequels

In your reading lifetime, was there ever a book that was really AWESOME, and then the sequel was the opposite? Or, on the other hand, did the sequel turned out to be way better? Well, from the books that I read, only some sequels turn out to be exceptional. Below, I created a list of the best and worst sequels.
(In my opinion)

Best Sequels:

1. Crossed by Ally Condie

This book was a sequel to Matched by Ally Condie. Compared to Matched, (which had a boring plot in my opinion), Crossed had an unique and special flavor. Even though it had adventure/rebellion, it had a good balance of Ky's and Cassia's relationship.




2. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan, the author, keeps on improving his writing in every book of the Percy Jackson series. The book is combined with the perfect amount of action, relationship themes (like loss and friendship), and new characters. It truly was an amazing sequel to the Lightning Thief.



3. Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix
I found Sent, the second book of the Missing Series to be very magical and interesting. The main characters, Jonah, Chip, Katherine, and Alex all go back in time to London where Alex and Chip finally learn their true royal identities. This book was fully action-packed like the first book, Found.



4. Among the Imposters 
This sequel is again magnificently written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Even though it is old (published in 2001), I found it to be awesome and somewhat realistic. The book had a fantastic plot filled with great suspense. The whole series is about a one-child policy (similar in China) and how the 2nd or 3rd children (known as shadow children) struggle and protest against this unfair policy. 



Worst Sequels: 

1. Pretties by Scott Westerfield
This book had no flavor or meaning to me, compared to the first book, Uglies (which I rated 4 stars). Uglies had an unique taste, while Pretties lost all the good characters and mixed in other ones with no feeling or even personality. I just didn't like it. 



2. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 
This book was OK. However, the first book, Beautiful Creatures, was AWESOMELY EPIC. It made my heart race. To tell the truth, I didn't get to finish Beautiful Darkness, but my friend told me that it surprised her after reading Beautiful Creatures. Beautiful Darkness just didn't have an exciting plot. 



That's all for the bad sequels. I could give more, but I don't think you would want to know what not to read.. hehe ;)

What sequels do you like or do not like?


Citations for Images:

Condie, Ally. Http://www.allysoncondie.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 July 2013. <http://www.allysoncondie.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Crossed_enhanced1.jpg>.

Http://www.solomonsays.in. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2013. <http://www.solomonsays.in/web/imgs/review-images/77/the_sea_of_monsters_book_cover.jpg>.

Kochel, Ms. Web log post. Ms. Kochel's Book Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2013.

Http://upload.wikimedia.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/40/ATImposter.jpg/200px-ATImposter.jpg>.

Http://upload.wikimedia.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/77/Pretties.jpg/180px-Pretties.jpg>.

Http://www.karenkincy.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2013. <http://www.karenkincy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Beautiful-Darkness.jpg>.

Books and Society

Books like the Hunger Games, the Matched Trilogy, Divergent, and The City of Ember are related to mainly future society. The Hunger Games sparks rebellion, while the Matched trilogy talks about acceptance. In the future, some of these ideas can be used to improve technology and other imprortant things. Here is the debate topic: Do you think that dystopian novels (books about future society) can impact our society in later years, or not?

Please respond to this topic with your opinion in the comments below. 

Happy 2nd of July??

Happy 4th of July everyone! Or is it really the 4th of July? In July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress declared independence, and George Washington himself  proudly declared a speech. Moreover, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail about how he predicted Americans would celebrate July 2nd in the future:

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

July 4th is obviously our Independence Day, as this was the time the Declaration of Independence was officially signed. However, we must take note that this small passage explains that our nation never turned out how John Adams envisioned. To honor his wishes, we can always keep July 2nd as a day to celebrate with sports, bells, bonfires, and even guns. 

Read more at: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/happy-july-2_738179.html 

                            

Citation for Image:
"America Independence Day 2013 SMS Wishes Messages."Http://2013independenceday.in. © 2010-2011 Independence Day USA 2013 - Independence Day USA 2013., n.d. Web. 4 July 2013. <http://2013independenceday.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/independence-day-wishes-USA-2013.jpg>.

Reading Scenes

Have you ever gone to a fascinating place where you like to read in peace or in excitement? Well, here are a list of some places I would love to read in (or places I currently read  in.) 

1) On the rocks near Merced River in Yosemite (I have been there before, but I only read for a minute)
The soft yet crashing currents and the large trees give a peaceful person an amazing read!

2) On my tummy in my cozy bed
Even though this is not a fascinating place, it is cozy to cuddle up with soft blankets and hot cocoa. 

3) Under a shady tree
This experience gives you some thought and morals over your book. Try it, it works!

Now, for the fun stuff: 

4) Vatican Library in Vatican City, Rome
This library gives you an ancient feel, as it is one of the oldest libraries in the whole wide world. 



5) Stuttgart City Library in Stuttgart, Germany
This library is very modern and made of a nice, pretty material.



6) Niagara Falls
With the foamy, crystal clear water, Niagara Falls is the best place to read in for nature-lovers.



7) Alaska 
Alaska is the best place to read books with fantasy elements because it is a very snowy, icy, and magical place.



What other places do you like to read in? 

Citations (for images):
Theorange.co. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2013. <http://theorange.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Vatican.jpg>. 

Emptykingdon.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2013. <http://www.emptykingdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/librar-1.jpg>.

Web log post. Http://3.bp.blogspot.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2013. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1uNAdX078zLSw1fRiWrvvE4EWeC0Rud0SZLayZ042CtVY4G5HKTc05yLPsQz5gKj9xe32JiRCJbHd2JewSxIPQwr_zukIiMvA-D8HOiPFmsiq4FmAFDYrvngDE01XOgaHngiYcaUQA/s1600/Niagara+Falls.jpg>.

Http://lerablog.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 July 2013. <http://lerablog.org/wp-/uploads/201content3/05/alaska-mountains.jpg>.