Where have I seen that before?

There are many different themes in one movie, tv show or book. There can't really be just one. Take the Book Thief for example, it has many themes like: ====================>

There are thousands of themes, however most movies, books or tv shows share several themes. So what is a theme? You may think it's things like romance, comedy or action. If you thought that, you would be wrong. Those are genres which are entirely different from themes. For example "Finding Nemo"'s genre would categorize into family or adventure, but it's themes are trust, desperation, safety, separation, discovery and so on. A theme is a moral or lesson underlying the plot. They are usually relatable to our lives which is the reason they keep coming back in the stories we love. The reason why we normally like movies, books, tv shows, etc, is not only because of the plot line but all because of the themes. As we can relate to them, we enjoy the scene. Maybe this is also the reason why most movies are similar in a way - they could all share the same themes.

Some of my favourite movies and their themes:

See if you can guess the movies from the themes and design. Comment below, if you know!

The Human Piano

This is a video I just came across the other day and I just wonder how much time this would actually take. More than 300 random people on the streets of Israel, each repeating one single note, creating together one harmonious melody. No Auto-tune was used in the making of this video.

The Charcoal Skinned, Lemon Haired Boy

Rudy Steiner is what a typical, poor German would look like. "He has bony, legs, sharp teeth, gangly blue eyes, and hair the colour of lemon." page 48. As he is one of the six Steiner children, he is permanently hungry. He is considered a little crazy especially after the "Jesse Owens incident". One thing about Rudy is that he doesn't really care if he is going to get into trouble, he just goes for it, not really thinking what he is doing. Jesse Owens is his inspiration: "It was 1936. The Olympics. Hitler's games. Jesse Owens had just completed the 4 X 100m relay and won his fourth gold medal. Talk that he was subhuman because he was lack and Hitler's refusal to shake his hand were touted around the world. Even the most racist Germans were amazed with the efforts of Owens, and the world of his feat slipped through the cracks. No one was more impressed than Rudy Steiner."page 56. Because he was inspired in Owens one night he smeared charcoal on until he was covered in black and ran 100m on the local playing field. By reading this passage, I knew how much of a dangerous and daring character he was. I am still struggling to think if he is with the Nazi party or against them. He is very comfortable around girls and likes to talk to them, unlike some other boys at his age. He first meets Liesel on Himmel Street and death tells us that they will soon become best friends. I think he might like her - "The only thing worse than a boy who hates you - a boy who loves you."page 52. But death hasn't made that completely clear yet. He is 18 months older than her which means he is probably around 10-11 years old when they first meet. Rudy's relationship with Liesel is confusing as he calls her a Saumensch a couple of times. He wrote Liesel a letter that went like this: "Dear Saumensch, Are you still as useless a soccer as you were last time we played? I hope so. That means I can run past you again just like Jesse Owens at the Olympics..." But I think this letter was written just in a teasing kind of way.

"Everything stiffened. Glowing pockets of streetlights. Dark, passive buildings. The town hall stood like a giant ham-fisted youth, too big for his age. The church disappeared in darkness the farther his eyes traveled upward. It all watched him. He shivered." pages 168 and 169. This passage to me conveyed a special mood. It gave me a sense of an old, abandoned town. The moods that it showed were creepy, scary and uncomfortable.

Give Me Back The Key

Dazzling beams of light
Captivating, attractive
Hard to look away.

My heart starts beating
Staring, but he’s not seeing
Am I still alive?

Should I say something?
Should I take the bait and go?
What if it’s a trap?

Wish I had answers
My mind is buzzing with thoughts
I don’t have the time

My heart is locked now
Living off a long-lost dream
Give me back the key

I am a shadow
Invisible and ignored
Why won’t you listen?

Think I’m done with you
But emotion wins again
Love is powerful

Cheat

"Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France champion, was the king of cycling for most of the 2000s. Armstrong single-handedly made cycling, and the Tour de France in particular, a major spectator sport in America." - The New York Times

I think Lance Armstrong was a role model to many people. I mean, he survived cancer and in 1997 founded a charity called 'Lance Armstrong Foundation', which gives millions on behalf of cancer patients. However, for nearly a decade he was being accused of illegal performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career. He denied doping and sued anyone who made accusations of him doing so. He made their lives extremely difficult and strongly discouraged anyone from making any accusations. But, just recently, the United States Anti-Doping Agency found out that indeed he was lying. Soon after, his 7 Tour titles were taken away and he was banned from ever competing in the Olympics again. He also ended his association with Lance Armstrong Foundation. He has let so many people down. Today, January 17th 2013, the interview Armstrong had with Oprah will be aired. The Times said 'Lance Armstrong has finally capitulated to a mountain of evidence as formidable as any climb on the Tour de France, confessing for the first time in an interview with Oprah Winfrey to having used performance-enhancing drugs.'. I think this is true not only because I think the Times is a reliable source, but also because it was said in a number of different articles as well. For example the New York Times, The Telegraph, CNN, etc. The New York Times talks more about how he has busted his reputation whereas CNN talks about the effect it's had on everyone else in the world. A quote from the CNN article is: "This guy is a loser and a liar!!" Melinda Morgan said. "He is not sorry for what he did, he is sorry that he got caught!!". I think this is more of an opinion, not a fact. Also, I was watching a video on CNN about him and it stated that 'Lance Armstrong has been tested over 200 times by the Unites States Anti-Doping Agency' - I think this is a bit of an exaggeration. And now, because of his actions and all of his lying, he may have to pay back millions of dollars!

The Articles I used:

The New York Times

CNN

Here is the video I watched:

Where I'm From

I’m from Janet and Jeremy
Classical music and kipping on the couch
I’m from the A la nanita’s to the nana nanita’s
The comforting tone in my mother’s voice.

I’m from the leftover baked beans hiding under the spoon
I’m from the quietly growing blossom in the backyard
Timid, scared and invisible
But still there, still alive and breathing.

I’m from Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La la and Po
From the messy crackers and cream cheese smudged into my hair
The matching outfits with my baby sister
All cocooned up as one

I’m from the purple-nosed cuddly teddy bear
From the coral-coloured princess bed sheets
From the ‘Don’t let the bed bugs bite’s
Carefully tucked in.

I’m from the crooning tunes in the shower
From the ‘How does my hair look?’s
and the ‘Which dress should I wear today?’s
Am I really the same person?

I’m from the pouring rain and ice-cold snow on a winters day
From the pleasant Christmas smell filling up the house
The warm toasty hands by the relaxing fire
The carols on Christmas Eve.

I’m from the silent teardrop upon one’s cheek
From the cracked up mirror that could never be replaced
Trapped inside, no way out
A hole in my heart

I’m from memories that can never be remembered
I’m from people of whom I have never spoken to
But I wish I had,
Once again living in the past.

Technology these days...

Our world and it's technology is developing fast. But in my opinion, a little too fast.

A few years ago I wouldn't have known for example, what an iPhone was. iPads, iPhones, iTouches, iPods, iMacs, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iCloud, iOS, i-just-can't-keep-up-anymore! There is the iPhone 3, then 3G, then 4, shortly followed by 4S and now 5. Give us a little time to soak it in, will you? In just 5 years, Apple has sold millions of products. I have to admit, it is amazing to see how much technology has developed in such a short period of time. However, I do find it slightly pointless in releasing a new addition of the product every year. Just changing the smallest things like a better retina display or a 1mm wider screen. I have to ask myself 'Why do I need that?' - it's nearly exactly the same to what I have now.

Nowadays, it isn't just the product, but also the effect it has on people. If we took away all the electronics in the world for even 1 week, I bet it would be much harder for us all. We use electronics every day and the amount of usage is growing. I wouldn't even be writing this blog post, if it weren't for this computer. I don't blame us, because we have grown up in this world and this has impacted our lives. But, what happened to hand-writing, or letters or even speaking to each other face-to-face? If we spend all our lives typing on a computer what would happen if we need to hand-write an essay? For Christmas, my sister got me a keyboard cover. It's 2 weeks old and it's already worn out!!! That shows how much we type every day instead of hand-write!

The other day, I went to the new aquarium in Sentosa and, I saw something that I'm sure people now see regularly, but it really upset me and disappointed me. That sight was a 2 year-old playing on an iPad. Ok. First of all, two-year olds aren't supposed to be on iPads, they are supposed to be playing with their toddler friends or spending time with their family. Second of all, this two-year old was in an aquarium, so he/she should have been looking at the beautifully coloured fish, not a pixelated screen. The parents probably only went there for their kid. I know, i know, I'm getting a bit obsessed with this single matter, but it really gets me angry. And it's not only kids. During the Christmas holiday I went to Krabi, Thailand. We were eating at an Indian restaurant and the food was delicious! There was a couple sitting one table across from us and I noticed that they were both on their phones - texting away. I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. When you are on a date or having dinner with someone, you don't just ignore the other people, the whole point is to talk to them and eat food. Even when the food came, they didn't speak but just tapped away at their phones - oblivious to the rest of the world. And, it wasn't just that time, I saw them the next day, still on their phones, even when they went swimming! The woman had her phone up in the air checking her emails! This just shows how much technology can effect our lives. It can bring people together, but it can also push them apart.