My favorite character

The character I like the most is Ti Moune's father. Firstly, he is a really good singer. Secondly, his character is really rational in the musical. He is not like Ti Moune who wants to marry with Daniel, he knows what is going to be happened and tried to persuade Ti Moune not to fall in love with Daniel. He went on his journey on his own for telling Daniel's family where Daniel is. He risked his life to save the whole peasants. When he was performing, he was always bowing because his character is kind of old. Keeping in that position must be really hard. 

Review of Once On This Island

Review of Once On This Island

This is the first time for me to watch a musical. Before I watch this musical I have only watched the Sound of Music which kind of counts as a musical but it is actually a movie. As a foreigner, it is hard to watch a musical, even if as a native speaker, I some time don’t understand what a Chinese singer is singing. As a result, knowing the plot first is especially necessary. However, there are also lots of benefits of musical like audiences’ emotion can be influenced by music even if they don’t understand the plot.

            Since I already learned about the plot of this music, I kind of already understand it. The name of this musical is really special and attractive. The name is Once On This Island, it sounds like “Once upon a time…” It makes me so curious about what is going to happen. Also when I was watching it, it gives me a magical feeling because of the gods, performers’ dressing, the background… I can see how hard these people worked. They had to sing for 2 hours and have so many words to remember, some of them not only had to sing, they also had to dance. I think I really like this performance and admire these people and the organizers. I watched the last show on Sunday, some of my friends watched it on Saturday and Friday. They all suggested me to watch it. Olivia is one of them, she told me that this is the best performance she has ever seen after she came to Cheshire Academy.

Just like many of my friends said, they started take serious about a relationship. I was wondering does Daniel really loved Ti Moune? If he really loved her, why does he married Andrea? There are no family rules Daniel has to obey, they can elope or there must be some other ways for them to live together. I think there are only two reasons, one is Daniel is not that into Ti Moune, the other is they bow to reality. The performance shows a really true life story, many couples can’t get marry because one of they doesn’t love the other or their life doesn’t allows them to marry. It also shows a theory which is people who are in different class have so many difference, no matter on their life habits, their outlook of life, sense of worth, moral outlook are all different. One of the reason I like this musical is that Daniel married Andrea not Ti Moune. I don’t Ti Moune and Daniel will have a happy ending if they get marrie.

I have to say I was shocked by this musical cause I never thought students have this ability to perform such an awesome musical. When I was in China, no students really involve in the activity like this. Some of them were shy to sing, some rely on teacher so much. The students in my school can’t make the same performance even if they have a year time. After watching it, I can feel every one in this group is involving, they are all trying to show their best. Without this musical, I can never know there are so many talent singers in my school. From my point of view, I think musical is better then drama. With music, the performance has one more way for performers to express feelings, and the audience has a better to feel the emotion.

Writing canter visit

After went to Writing center, I learned a lot and improved. Ms. Swift gave me many suggestions and helped me to delete the useless part. Go to writing center is very necessary when you are writing an essay, not only for correcting the grammar but also for improving your writing skills.

Before I went there, I was not sure what my thesis is and there was no ending sentence after each paragraph which made my essay not complete. Also, my thesis was not strong enough. All I wrote was what I learned from class: how Lorenzo changed, what happened in Me and You, what  my feeling was about the story. I have to  say that I don't really understand this movie which makes me doesn't like it at all. I had so many questions about this book but I was afraid to ask. I was wondering why Lorenzo choose to stay in basement rather a better place, I was wondering why does the writer wrote this book. When my class started to read this book, my class asked the same question and the answer we got was “ what do you think?” The teacher said we will get the answer while we are reading but I didn't.

After I went to the writing canter, I learned many new words like symbiosis and metaphor. Firstly, I have never thought about why does Lorenzo’s real reason to choose to stay in basement. I used to think about this question from my point, I thought it is more convenient to see what his parents are doing. However, the right way is to thing form writer’s view. I found out that the basement is a metaphor for Lorenzo’s own small world. He hided inside means he was staying in his own world. Olivia came to basement means she came to Lorenzo’s world and helped him to walked out side. Secondly, when I was telling Ms. Swift about the relationship in the book and the movie, she asked me what relationship are they in. A loving relationship? A caring relationship？A friend relationship?  Then I started to think what relationship are they exactly in. Since the article talks how the main character has changed, I always thought about the Lorenzo and Hazel but doesn’t really care about Olivia and Gus. Ms. Swift mentioned me that changes are always a two way thing. Their relationship can’t just be caring relationship, moreover, a symbiosis relationship. In their relationship, Gus and Olivia was also changed. Just like in our real life, when we are helping some one to change, we are always changing by them.

The writing center visit gives me many good suggestions about how to write an essay next time. I always have to keep asking me questions when I am reading. Why does the author write like this? And later on, when I am writing, I need to ask myself do I really understand this book and what is the think I truly want to write. After asking all these questions, I can have a clear analysis for this book so that I can make a good essay.

Reflection

I have done about 98% of my essay. The 2% left is grammar mistakes and sentence continuity. In my revision, I added some sentence connection words and corrected some grammar mistakes but I am not sure if there is and other mistakes left. I also moved some sentences' location which made the sentence longer.  The strength I think I have is the metaphor of basement. The weaknesses are sentence continuity. Having an interesting title is difficult and writing thesis is kind of easy.

Revision

Loving Changes

People can be changed by caring relationships. This happens in the book Me and You by Niccolo Ammaniti and the movie the Fault in Our Stars directed by Josh Boone. In the book, the main character, Lorenzo was changed by his half sister, Olivia, after they experienced a hard time together. In the movie, Hazel the main character was changed by Gus, her friend and her lover. Both the movie and the book show how love can help people grow in order to step outside of their small world. 

Family members play a very important role in the book Me and You. Family loves you, but they also give you pressure. Lorenzo used to be a boy who is really smart, not talkative, and introverted. Also, he doesn't care about other people's feelings except his parents’ and his grandma’s. This makes him doesn't know how to make friends.  So he lied to his mom that he went to a ski trip with his friends but actually he hid in the basement. One day, Olivia found him. She took drugs and had nowhere to go so she stays in basement with Lorenzo as well. During the time they live together a huge change occurs for Lorenzo. He sees his sister suffering from withdrawal so the small hero hidden inside him finally appears: “In my den she was safe, hidden away. Nobody could hurt her”(Ammaniti Page135). Before this experience, Lorenzo wanted to help those people he loves but he doesn't have enough courage: he wanted to help his mom from a traffic but he didn’t, he didn’t went to see his grandma until he has to… now he becomes brave and walks out from his small world and starts to accept others. His courage made him went to hospital to save Olivia. There is a very important point is that Lorenzo chooses to stay in his basement is a metaphor of staying in his small world. He was afraid of the world out side, all he could do was to watch others carefully from the small window, listening to others' movements quietly, and moreover, enjoy him self in his own world. Lorenzo always guess other people's mind when they are asking questions and he answers what they want him to answer. No one really cares about what Lorenzo really feels, even his parents. However Olivia came into his world, taught him love is caring, helping, and share happiness together. Lorenzo left his basement means that was starting his new life. He wants to help and think for those people that he doesn't even care about before. Without Olivia, Lorenzo couldn't have ability to make friend with others. “ I felt something I’d never felt before. I felt alive- it took my breath away.” (Ammaniti Page153) As Loreanzo said, this is a really big change for him that even makes him feels alive. In the past 14 years, what he has experienced doesn't even count as being alive. As a result, he becomes more embracing life and finally grow up.

Without family’s support, many unimaginable dreams could not be true. When you are having trouble, family is always your biggest supporter. With helps from family, even a dying person can travel abroad and achieve her dream. The movie the Fault in our stars and Me and you are talking about love and changes as well. Hazel and Gus are both teenagers who are suffering from cancer:  Hazel has to take oxygen career all the time and Gus has cut down one leg. They have similar experience and situation but they keep different opinions of death. Hazel live every day the same: read the same book, lie on sofa, and wait for death. “Depression is the side effect of dying”(The Fault In Our Stars Dir. Josh Boone. Temple Hill Entertainment,TSG Entertainment,6^th, June, 2014. Film). As she said, she thinks her life is a mass. However Gus lives every day in his life happily, he does the same thing that other healthy teenagers will do and enjoys his life. He throws eggs to his friend’s ex girlfriend, allows his fiend uses trophy to express anger, take the girl he likes having picnic. The difference they have made them fail in love quickly. They went to Amsterdam together, visited their favorite writer, challenged their self, did many unbelievable things together. Hazel climbed stairs in Annie Frank House by her self without anyone's help which lights up her hope of being alive. Pressures and pain is able to see all the time in this sad movie, the pain from cancer, the pressure from Hazel’s parents, and the pressure from death… Hazel realized she should not always think about pain but to find happiness in her heart, think about nice things around her, where there is life there is hope. We all know two cancerous could never enjoy having a love forever. Gus died first. The movie gives people a new view of death: death is not the ending of a person’s life. Hazel said funeral is not for people who has died, it is prepared for people who are still alive. “Life comes from life” (The Fault In Our Stars Dir. Josh Boone. Temple Hill Entertainment,TSG Entertainment,6^th, June, 2014. Film). Funeral is a chance for people to remember the dead, is a chance to take love and start again. In their symbiosis relationship, Gus realized every one would be forgotten, he only has to be remembered by the people he loves and the people who love him, that is enough. From this movie, Hazel changed from a girl who given up all hope of live to a girl who is brave enough to challenge her new life. She also learned love needs to be tell, pain needs to be felt. Death is not fearful, enjoy everyday life is always the right thing to do. 

Both this book and movie are full of changes, love, and pain. The changes of Lorenzo and Hazel. Love from Lorenzo to his sister, love from Hazel to Gus. Also, pain from Olivia and Gus. A small thing some time can change your life. Just like Lorenzo and Hazel, Olivia and Gus gave them a whole new view of this world. More over, they are not only caring relationship, they are in a symbiosis relationship. They need each other, they also change each other. Not only Lorenzo and Hazel has changed, Olivia also became less rude, Gus doesn’t any want many people remember him anymore. The change happened on them helped them grow up and step out side of their small world.

Favorite sentence

“Funeral is a chance for people to remember the dead, is a chance to take love and start again. ” is my favorite sentence. It is from the Fault in Our Stars. Since I have experienced the person I loved who is my grandma passed away and I went to her funeral, I have the same feeling with this sentence. Every year, my whole family go to my grandma's grave and tells her what we happened in this year. Obviously my grandma has already passed away and there is no chance for her to listens to our voice. So what my family have done is just to express our own pressures through the way of going to my grandma's grave. We have to understand there are people die every day, we have to remember the dead in our heart but not to be sad every day.

Loving changes

People can be changed by caring relationships. This happens in the book Me and You by Niccolo Ammaniti and the movie the Fault in Our Stars directed by Josh Boone. In the book, the main character, Lorenzo was changed by his half sister, Olivia, after they experienced a hard time together. In the movie, Hazel the main character was changed by Gus, her friend and her lover. Both the movie and the book show how love can help people grow in order to step outside of their small world. 

Family members play a very important role in the book Me and You. Family loves you, but they also give you pressure. Lorenzo used to be a boy who is really smart, not talkative, and introverted. He doesn't care about other people's feelings except his parents’ and his grandma’s. He doesn't know how to make friends.  He lied to his mom that he went to a ski trip with his friends but actually he hid in the basement. One day, Olivia found him. She took drugs and had nowhere to go so she stays in basement as well. During the time they live together a huge change occurs for Lorenzo. He sees his sister suffering from withdrawal so the small hero hidden inside him finally appears: “In my den she was safe, hidden away. Nobody could hurt her”(Ammaniti Page135). Before this experience, Lorenzo wanted to help those people he loves but he doesn't have enough courage, because he becomes brave and walks out from his small world and starts to accept others. He wanted to help his mom from a traffic but he didn’t, he didn’t went to see his grandma until he has to… He became brave and went to hospital to save Olivia. He choose to stay in his basement is a metaphor of staying in his small world. He was afraid of the world out side, all he could do was to watch others carefully from the small window, listening to others' movements quietly, and moreover, enjoy him self in his own world. Lorenzo always guess other people's mind when they are asking questions and he answers what they want him to answer. No one really cares about what Lorenzo really feels, even his parents. However Olivia came into his world, taught him love is caring, helping, and share happiness together. Lorenzo left his basement means that was starting his new life. He wants to help and think for those people that he doesn't even care about before. Without Olivia, Lorenzo couldn't have ability to make friend with others. “ I felt something I’d never felt before. I felt alive- it took my breath away.” (Ammaniti Page153) As Loreanzo said, this is a really big change for him that even makes him feels alive. In the past 14 years, what he has experienced doesn't even count as being alive. As a result, he becomes more embracing life and finally grow up.

Without family’s support, many unimaginable dreams could not be true. When you are having trouble, family is always your biggest supporter. With helps from family, even a dying person can travel abroad and achieve her dream. The movie the Fault in our stars shows the same thesis with Me and you. Hazel and Gus are both teenagers who are suffering from cancer. Hazel has to take oxygen career all the time and Gus has cut down one leg. They have similar experience and situation but they keep different opinions of death. Hazel live every day the same: read the same book, lie on sofa, and wait for death. “Depression is the side effect of dying”(The Fault In Our Stars Dir. Josh Boone. Temple Hill Entertainment,TSG Entertainment,6^th, June, 2014. Film). As she said, she thinks her life is a mass. However Gus lives every day in his life happily, he does the same thing that other healthy teenagers will do and enjoys his life. He throws eggs to his friend’s ex girlfriend, allows his fiend uses trophy to express anger, take the girl he likes having picnic. The difference they have made them fail in love quickly. They went to Amsterdam together, visited their favorite writer, challenged their self, did many unbelievable things together. Hazel climbed stairs in Annie Frank House by her self without anyone's help which lights up her hope of being alive. Pressures and pain is able to see all the time in this sad movie, the pain from cancer, the pressure from Hazel’s parents, and the pressure from death… Hazel realized she should not always think about pain but to find happiness in her heart, think about nice things around her, where there is life there is hope. We all know two cancerous could never enjoy having a love forever. Gus died first. The movie gives people a new view of death: death is not the ending of a person’s life. Hazel said funeral is not for people who has died, it is prepared for people who are still alive. “Life comes from life” (The Fault In Our Stars Dir. Josh Boone. Temple Hill Entertainment,TSG Entertainment,6^th, June, 2014. Film). Funeral is a chance for people to remember the dead, is a chance to take love and start again. In their symbiosis relationship, Gus realized every one would be forgotten, he only has to be remembered by the people he loves and the people who love him, that is enough. From this movie, Hazel changed from a girl who given up all hope of live to a girl who is brave enough to challenge her new life. She also learned love needs to be tell, pain needs to be felt. Death is not fearful, enjoy everyday life is always the right thing to do. 

Both this book and movie are full of changes, love, and pain. The changes of Lorenzo and Hazel. Love from Lorenzo to his sister, love from Hazel to Gus. Also, pain from Olivia and Gus. A small thing some time can change your life. Just like Lorenzo and Hazel, Olivia and Gus gave them a whole new view of this world. More over, they are not only caring relationship, they are in a symbiosis relationship. They need each other, they also change each other. Not only Lorenzo and Hazel has changed, Olivia also became less rude, Gus doesn’t any want many people remember him anymore. The change happened on them helped them grow up and step out side of their small world.

2nd draft( not down yet)

People can be changed by caring relationships. This happens in the book Me and You by Niccolo Ammaniti and the movie the Fault in Our Stars directed by Josh Boone. In the book, the main character, Lorenzo was changed by his half sister, Olivia, after they experienced a hard time together. In the movie, Hazel the main character was changed by Gus, her friend and her lover. Both the movie and the book show how love can help people grow in order to step outside of their small world.

Family members play a very important role in the book Me and You. Family loves you, but they also give you pressure. Lorenzo used to be a boy who is really smart, not talkative, and introverted. He doesn't care about other people's feelings except his parents’ and his grandma’s. He doesn't know how to make friends. He also doesn't know how to control his irritable emotions. All he knows is to pretend to be a popular kid that his parents want him to be. So what he did to make his mom happy was to lie to her. He told his mom that he went to a ski trip with his friends but actually he hid in the basement. One day, Olivia came to basement so he had no way to disguise this secret. Olivia took drugs and had nowhere to go so she stays in basement as well. During the time they live together a huge change occurs for Lorenzo. He sees his sister suffering from withdrawal so the small hero hidden inside him finally appears: “In my den she was safe, hidden away. Nobody could hurt her”(Ammaniti ##). Before this experience, Lorenzo wanted to help those people he loves but he doesn't have enough courage. Because he become brave and walks out from his small world and starts to accept others.( hospital, reason) He wants to help and think for those people that he doesn't even care about before. Without Olivia, Lorenzo couldn't have ability to make friend with others. (Feels alive) more embracing life. 

Without family’s support, many unimaginable dreams could not be true. When you are having trouble, family is always your biggest supporter. The movie the Fault in our star shows the same thesis with Me and you. Hazel and Gus are both teenagers who are suffering from cancer. Hazel has to take oxygen career all the time and Gus has cut down a leg. They have similar experience and situation but they keep different opinions of death. Hazel live every day the same: read the same book, lie on sofa, and wait for death. “Depression is the side effect of dying.”(The Fault In Our Stars  Dir. Josh Boone. Name of company/studio that produced the film. Date. Film (the word film).  She thinks her life is a mass. However Gus lives every day in his life happily, he does the same thing that other healthy teenagers will do. He enjoys his life.(examples) Even though they have difference but they still fail in love quickly. They went to Amsterdam together, challenged their self, did many unbelievable things together. (details) Pain is able to see all the time in this movie, the pain from cancer, the pain from Hazel’s parents… We all know two cancerous people can never have forever love. Gus died first. The movie gives people a new view of death. Their time together made Hazel understand death is not the ending of a person’s life. It is a new start for those who has loved the died person. Hazel said funeral is not for people who has died, it is prepared for people whose still alive. Funeral is a chance for people to remember the died person, it is a chance to take love and start again. In this world, we only have to be remembered by the people we love and the people who love us, that is enough. She doesn't afraid of death anymore after she experienced Gus’s death. Death is not fearful, enjoy everyday life is always the right thing to do. From this movie, Hazel changed from a girl who given up all hope of live to a girl who is brave enough to challenge her new life. 

Similarities

Both this book and movie are full of changes, love, and pain. The changes of Lorenzo and Hazel. Love from Lorenzo to his sister, love from Hazel to Gus. Also, pain from Olivia and Gus. A small thing some time can change your life. Just like Lorenzo and Hazel, the shows of Olivia and Gus give them a whole new view of this world. whythatkindofchangeisimportant

in order to grow up we have to step outside of their small world.




Poem of winter

The snow is white,

Her hood is red.

Walking in the snow along,

Seeking for her home.

No one is sleeping, 

No one is speaking.

Only a wolf hiding behind trunks ,

Waiting to have a lunch.

It grabbed her hood,

Bit her neck.

At the mid night,

The sky is dark.

The snow is red.

first draft

Small things change life

People could be changed by a small business. This happened in the book Me and You and the movie the Fault in Our Stars. In the book, main character who is Lorenzo was changed by his half-sister, Olivia, after the experienced a hard time together. In the movie, Hazel was changed by Gus, her friend and her lover. Their similar situation and Gus’s attitude to death changed Hazel.

Lorenzo used to be a boy who is really smart, not talkative, and introverted. He doesn't care other people's feelings except his parents’ and his grandma’s. He doesn't know how to make friend. He also doesn't know how to control his irritable emotion. All he knows was to pretend to be a popular kid that his parents want him to be. So what he did to make his mom happy was to cheat her. He told his mom that he went to a ski trip with his friends but actually he hired in basement. One day Olivia came to basement and found Lorenzo staying there so he has no way to disguise this secret. Olivia took drug and has nowhere to go so she stayed in basement as well.

During the time they lived together, a huge change occurred on him. He saw his sister suffered from withdrawal so the small hero hided inside him finally appeared. Before this experience, Lorenzo wanted to help those people he loves but he doesn't have enough courage. He became brave and walked out from his small world and started to accept others. He wanted to help and think for those people that he doesn't even care about before. Without Olivia, Lorenzo couldn't have ability to make friend with others.

The movie the Fault in our star shows the same thesis with Me and you. Hazel and Gus are both teenagers who are suffering from cancer. Hazel has to take oxygen career all the time and Gus has cut down a leg. They have similar experience and situation but they keep different opinions of death. Hazel live every day the same: read the same book, lie on sofa, and wait for death. She thinks her life is a mass. However Gus lives every day in his life happily, he does the same thing that other healthy teenagers will do. He enjoys his life. Even though they have difference but they still fail in love quickly. They went to Amsterdam together, challenged them self, did many unbelievable things together.

We all know two cancerous people can never have forever love. Gus died first. Their time together made Hazel understand death is not the ending of a person’s life. It is a new start for those who has loved the died person. She doesn't afraid of death anymore after she experienced Gus’s death. She know that having funeral is not for the died one but for those who are alive a chance to memorize their time. Death is not fearful, enjoy everyday life is always the right thing to do. From this movie, Hazel changed from a girl who given up all hope of live to a girl who is brave enough to challenge her new life.

Both this two movies are full of changes, love, and pain. The changes of Lorenzo and Hazel. Love from Lorenzo to his sister, love from Hazel to Gus. Also, pain from Olivia and Gus. A small thing some time can change your life. Just like Lorenzo and Hazel, the shows of Olivia and Gus give them a whole new view of this world.