Winter break blogging

The film Power of One is a very interesting movie in comparison to the other movies we’ve watched in Global Ed. So far because it is a story of the main characters life rather than just a struggle in a part of their life. The film began with P.K. as a child and progressed until he was in his early twenties. It was interesting to see how the spread of Nazism came and went somewhat quickly but it’s effects stayed in South Africa, such as the racism displayed by the police force in P.K.’s adulthood. The most disturbing part of the movie occurred when the prison guard made Geel Pete eat the waste from the bucket. Another disturbing moment is when Geel Pete is killed. In general though, the movie was not very depressing at all, and managed to be somewhat upbeat how it showed P.K. overcome the problems he encountered.
P.K. was a remarkable character because he was very honest and respectable as a child and an adult. When he was a child he was scorned because of his British culture at an Afrikaner school. Jaapie Botha constantly assaulted him by spitting on him, urinating on him, and killing his chicken, which was his only friend at the school. When P.K. grew up he didn’t have any hate for Afrikaners, because he fell in love with Maria. He knew that one’s race didn’t determine what kind of person they are. The Power of One was a film not only about South African racism, but also about the concept that race does not say that a person is friendly or and enemy.






Every holiday season families celebrate traditions with friends and family. All people celebrate differently; some observe Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. Every year my family and I commemorate Christmas and New Year’s Day. Like every year, during the week before Christmas we go to a party for my mom’s side of the family at one of my uncles’ or aunts’ houses. At the party, I usually hang out with my cousin Bradley and play video games, all the adults chat and drink wine, and my other cousin’s usually end up beating me in game of pool by the end of the day. After a dinner of ham or turkey we exchange silly gifts called “White Elephant” where each family brings an used, usually strange household item and swaps it with another family member. On Christmas Eve me my parents, sister and I usually watch A Christmas Story and other assorted Christmas movie until night when we go to eat Chinese food. Afterwards, we go to midnight mass at Saint Aiden’s in Livonia. I usually fall asleep unintentionally a couple times during the service, but I am not the only person in the crowd dozing off. After the mass, we go back home and go to bed as it is about Three A.M. when we returm
Each year we usually invite my Uncle Paul and grandmother over for dinner and gifts on Christmas Day. They stay for dinner and leave around nightfall. The next few days are pretty lame, because of no holidays, but on New Year’s Eve, me and family stay up and watch the ball drop in New York every year. On New Year’s Day, I just sleep in and hang out with friends. The Next day, January Second is my birthday so I have to eat dinner with my family at the restaurant of my choice. Every holiday season my family and I spend a lot of time together, sometimes too much, but we always have a good time.






2009 was a year that I cannot forget. I went from being an immature eighth grader to a more responsible high school student. A year ago today I was probably watching TV shows I’d today call shows for kids, listening to lame music that I’ve outgrown, and wasting my money on things like video games that for the most part aren’t used anymore. 2009 also brought a lot of good things, I began to take school and work more seriously since this summer, which has proven beneficial already. I have become a much more focused person this past year and plan to keep it that way, but I also plan to keep having fun and enjoying my life.
As I sat on the cough falling asleep waiting for the New Year to officially begin, I briefly thought about what 2010 should symbolize for me. I couldn’t come up with one resolution. After considering it for a while, I still couldn’t come up with anything serious. Later, I determined that a good resolution for this year is to continue taking school seriously, and to think before I talk more often, because that usually gets me in trouble. In 2010 my other goals are to clean my room more often, to keep my mind open, to get a job, to learn to drive, learn to save money more effectively, and learn to play harmonica. I think if I follow these rules I have set for myself, that I will gradually become a better person.