Pobby and Dingan

Pobby is a boy who has a limp in his right leg and Dingan is a girl who has a invisible opal on her bellybutton.as the book said. ”Dingan had a lovely opal in her bellybutton, only you had to be a certain kind of person to see it. And Pobby had a limp in his right leg”(p421). They are different with usual people first because only specific person can see them second they don't sleep at night. So in my picture they both don't have eyelid. “ Pobby and Dingan don’t sleep and they don’t shoot” (P508).

Kellyanne and Dingan both won Opal Princes prize ” Two Opal Princesses--- Kellyanne Williamson (age eight) and her invisible friend Dingan”(p78). So I guess Dingan is a really pretty girl from Kellyanne's view. When I was drawing, I tried to make them look unusual because they have so many difference with normal people. Pobby looks like a boy who always live in forest, actually, he is more close to a man. For Dingan, I draw a pink dress and a opal on her bellybutton which is more close to the figure of Opal Princes. She has long hair just like Kellyanne, she has big blue eyes and pail skin.She wears pink high heel and fancy royal dress which is hard for her to walk on claim. This can cause her death on claim. Pobby is not wearig the same fancy dresses as Dingan does. Innstead he wears a dirty shirt and a shorts. His wooden leg makes him can not walk really fast so he has to stay under sun for a long time when he is walking outside. Therefor I painted his skin with tan.

It is hard to imagine Kellyanne has two adult imaginary friends sitting with her in a van, drinking tea, eating candies, but this can be a reason why every one said they have found Pobby and Dingan and Kelluanne said they didn’t. Because they think Pobby and Dingan are young children however they already grow up.

Vocabulary

Sorry I finished this assignment on time but I just forgot to post it on blog.

Claim

“Find anything today?” Mum asked one night when she’d got back from her job on the checkout at Khan’s and me and Dad were relaxing after a hard afternoon’s work out at the claim.

N. something that is claimed, especially a piece of public land for which formal request is made for mining or other purposes.

Wobbling

 The noise of a car drove into our ears and a four-wheel-drive police jeep came wobbling down the creamy red track that leads to our claim.

Adj. that wobbles or causes to wobble.

Startled

My dad turned around, startled.

Adj. to disturb or agitate suddenly as by surprise or alarm.

Figment

Kellyanne glared at me through tears the way she did the time I slammed the door of the ute in Dingan’s face or the time I walked over to where Pobby was supposed to be sitting and punched the air and kicked the air in the head to show Kellyanne that Pobby was a figment of her imaginings. I don’t know how many times I had sat at the dinner table saying: “Mum, why do you have to set places for Pobby and Dingan? They aren’t even real.”

N. a feigned, invented, or imagined story, theory, etc.: biographical and historical figments. 

Rummaged

He rummaged through piles of rocks.

V. to search thoroughly or actively through (a place, receptacle, etc.), especially by moving around, turning over, or looking through contents.

Ute

Kellyanne glared at me through tears the way she did the time I slammed the door of the ute

N. Informal. a utility vehicle.

Crackpot

It made you want to be sick all over the place. Lightning Ridge was full of flaming crackpots as far as I could see.

N. a person who is eccentric, unrealistic, or fanatical.

Mello Yello

“Pobby and Dingan aren’t dead,” I said, hiding my anger in a swig from my can of Mello Yello.

N. Mello Yello is a highly-caffeinated, citrus-flavored soft drink

Mates

“I still say Kellyanne could do with some real-live mates,”

N. one of a pair

Opal

My dad would come back from the opal mines covered in dust, his beard like the back end of a dog that’s shat all over its tail.

N. a mineral, an amorphous form of silica, SiO 2 with some water of hydration, found in many varieties and colors, including a form that is milky white.

Fairdinkum

“Fairdinkum?” His excitement always caught ahold of me.

Adj. genuine, honest, fair and square.

Imaginary

Now, I was as much a rockhound as the next kid, but I wasn’t crazy enough to talk to imaginary friends, I’ll tell you that for nothing

Adj. existing only in the imagination or fancy; not real; fancied:

Grub

She said they were quieter and better behaved than me and deserved the grub.

Slang. food; victuals

Fossilized

There’s rumours going that Lucky Jes has taken out a million-dollar stone and a fossilized mammoth tooth with sun-flash in it.

V. to change as if into mere lifeless remains or traces of the past.

Mammoth 

There’s rumours going that Lucky Jes has taken out a million-dollar stone and a fossilized mammoth tooth with sun-flash in it.

any large, elephantlike mammal of the extinct genus Mammuthus, from the Pleistocene Epoch, having hairy skin and ridged molar teeth.

 

In class writing

At first I don't think they are real obviously, other vise it is going to be a supernatural or science fiction novel. However many children had imaginary friends when they were young and some of their friend really related to the person who has died in their house before. So it is hard to say if they does exist or not.

Firstly,People all know that Kellyane's friends doesn't exist that is why they call Dingan: Kellyane's invisible friend. Since they can't see Digan, how do they judge how pretty Digan is? So people are all living to Kellyane just to protect her heart. Secondly Ashmol's can't see Pobby and Dingan as well. In the book when they are finding Pobby and Dingan, his dad were just sitting there and did nothing because Kellyane is the only one who can see her friends.

On the other hand, when Ashmol's dad didn't pick Pobby and Dingan up, Kellyane wouldn't find it out if they doesn't exist. 

Improvements

I made a lot of changes from my first draft to my final draft, I deleted useless sentence, summarized a more clearly summary, and the most important part, I found my thesis which is caring relationship changes people. In my first draft, I didn't have a clear statement, all I had was summary and some not strong analysis. I wasn't clear about what I am going to write on that time. However after I had extra help with Mrs. Guarino and then went to writing center, the teachers mentioned me to think more deeply. The main characters were not only changed, they grow up, they had a new view of world. Also the book is not only about a boy hiding in basement, it is more about a boy staying in his own world. Secondly, I didn't have a good ending sentence. I used to have a strong starting of each paragraph and a weak ending, I made improvement in my final draft. More over, I corrected some grammar mistakes. I learned when writing review of a book I need to use present tense.

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.