Proud to Be An American..

Yesterday, I had a simple and friendly discussion with my relative discussing a sudden topic of a question of racism in the U.S.A. Even though this topic is serious, it later on built up to be a question of philosophy and inner thinking. I would kindly say that I learned a lot from my own words. At the topic of racism, she presented me with an article in the news about a group of  Americans writing on a Sikh temple's walls. Her statement was accurate; however, my own words were streaming out of my mouth, not because I was mad, but because I had pride for my nation, The United States of America. I felt very happy and relieved afterwards because it was the first time I told a few people my own thoughts for more than five minutes.

After my relative told me about this issue, I replied saying that each and every country has its good pros and horrible yet important issues. Clearing my mind's wishes to tell everyone my thoughts, I then described the women rights issue in the Middle East, the Muslim-Indian problem in India, and child abuse in China. Moreover, I covered a topic of people, simply just people. Some groups of people in the past and even in the present are horrifyingly cruel, but most people in every single country share their love and true affection in beautiful unique ways. For example, when my art teacher assigns us projects relating of every religion, she describes them all so beautifully, complimenting their beliefs or customs. However, I encountered a mean woman in a July 4th parade, celebrating the United States' independence. She told my dad to get out of the way, calling us rude and shouting. It was difficult to ignore her at first, but then thinking positively, I told myself to treasure the wonderful people God allows us to meet as well as getting through the cruel ones. The fact of having both kind and terrible people is what makes a nation a nation, a United nation. America is not called "America"; it is called The United States of America. =)

My relative was curious about discrimination during the Civil War, when African Americans were slaves in mainly Southern America. I told her that there were non-African protesters against slavery, including Abraham Lincoln, Bishop Asbury, Mary Lloyd, and William Legge. Additionally, the past remains the past, and every day our country improves as an independent nation. Yes, people did cruel things including mistreating Jews and putting the nations Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia in labor camps, but now we have equality in people and this will still improve in future generations.

Racism is an illusion. If we think about it, it will surely happen and affect our minds. However, ultimately people are people and God created them in this universe to have both love and meaning, not to discriminate others. As every country has  its unique trait, the United States is a country open to people from around the globe, everlasting from the year it got independent, 1776.

                                         

(This song was playing in my mind while I was writing 

this post.... hehe. enjoy)

Poll: Worldwide Issues

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.