In order to get the whole outline of the diary and Anne’s daily
life, I watch the film about her, Anne Frank: the Whole Story. Before I watch
the film, I was always confused by the people in the diary. After watching it,
I can clearly recognize them. In my notion, vision is a lot more shocking than
words because its impact is direct and immediate. The scene that shocked me
most happened at the time when Anne was sent to the concentration camp. Germans
gave them nothing to eat and treated them like animals; they stripped off all
Jews’ clothes, making them naked, and then tattooed the number on their body.
What’s more mortified was women’s hair was all cruelly cut down like weeds.
After the mayhem had all done, Jews were sent to obsolete camp.
Students in Taiwan
study in a highly competitive environment. In order to enter a good University,
some parents spend a lot of money hiring a tutor for children. Since my parents
couldn’t afford the money, I didn’t have the experience of one on one teaching
before. However, when I entered in college, there was a project that each
student was assigned a tutor for free. After seven times of meetings with my
tutor, the tutoring project was over. Now I would like to reflect on this
project from three aspects: the whole project, the tutor, and my own learning.
Less than 3 years ago, we condemned China for producing poisonous milk
powder. Now Taiwanese food ingredients and drinks are discovered with DEHP
contamination which is much worse than the toxic chemical in poisonous dairy
from China.
How can we salvage the M.I.T. (Made in Taiwan) reputation we have
attempted to build worldwide for a long time?
Mark Zuckerberg is pursuing a new "personal challenge," as
he calls it. "The only meat I'm eating is from animals I've killed
myself," says the Facebook founder and CEO. Only Zuckerberg himself can
explain what this is really about. He sent Fortune an email detailing his
thoughts:
No one can choose his parents and his family of birth. Parenting
style is different from family to family and culture to culture. Parents have
their own ways to teach their offspring, which will bring up children of various
kinds. Sometimes, even father and mother have their own point of views on parenting
respectively. In order to have a clear understanding of parenting styles, we
can group them into three types: helicopter, drill sergeant and consultant.
I do not know what the date of World Earth Day is. So, of course I
search the Internet and find that the World Earth Day has already passed for
many days; it's on April 22. I only had one course on April 22, and I spent
rest of my time staying at home, turning on the air-conditioner and using my
laptop computer. It is obvious that I do not do all the things above to protect
the earth in my daily life.
If
I were a boy
Even just for a day
I'd roll outta bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted then go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I'd kick it with who I wanted
And I'd never get confronted for it.
Cause they'd stick up for me.
If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I'd be a better man.
I'd listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he's taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
So they'd think that I was sleepin' alone
I'd put myself first
And make the rules as I go
Cause I know that she'd be faithful
Waitin' for me to come home (to come home)
If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I'd be a better man.
I'd listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted (wanted)
Cause he's taken you for granted (granted)
And everything you had got destroyed
It's a little too late for you to come back
Say its just a mistake
Think I'd forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong
But you're just a boy
You don't understand
Yeah you don't understand
How it feels to love a girl someday
You wish you were a better man
You don't listen to her
You don't care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
Cause you've taken her for granted
And everything you have got destroyed
But you're just a boy
I have envied my younger brother for over ten years. When I was
still a little girl, I always dreamed of being a boy. I think the direct reason
why I would like to become an opposite gender is because of family environment.
Since Taiwan
is a patriarchy society, the elders always favor boys more than girls. Of
course, there is no exception in my family. For instance, my grandparents only
buy gifts or snacks for their grandsons. Besides, when my brother does
something wrong, my mom doesn’t punish him for his own fault. Instead, she
always blames me for setting a bad goal. After those years of undergoing such
unequal treatment, I start to imagine that what my life would be if I were a
boy.
I think there are three specific advantages of being a boy. First of
all, I would not have menstruation and pregnancy if I were a boy. For women,
the pain of menstrual cramps and childbirth is hard to endure, and men never have
to experience it. So if I were a boy, I would not have to suffer from this
pain. The second benefit is that males feel less emotion than their counterpart.
They are rarely influenced by their moods; thus, most of them can objectively
make decisions and map out their plans soon. It is always said that men are
rational creatures, not emotional one. Finally, men have more opportunities
than women in the patriarchal society. In Taiwan, it is easier for a male to
get promotion than a female; such circumstance is so-called Glass Ceiling
Effect. Though the government ceaselessly advocates gender equality, patriarchism
is rooted in Taiwan;
it’s hard to entirely eradicate it. Therefore, I think it is better to be born
as a man than a woman in this type of society. If I had the chance to become a
boy, even though for only one day, I would feel fulfilled and satisfied. However,
the truth is I am a girl indeed.
Having a creative ceremony, no matter in junior high schools, senior
high schools, or universities, seems to be a trend in these years. However,
recently our ministry of education enacted the regulation of graduation
ceremony, which provides standards on planning graduation ceremony, warning
that students should not “overdo”. Some scholars approve of this regulation,
while some others think our ministry of education is over-conservative.
No one is born to be a bully. However, bullying in school appears to
be a troublesome problem that needs to be dealt with instantly. A bully is
someone who abuses one’s power to threaten or insult others who are compared to
be weaker. The society should put attention on those misbehaved teenagers lest
there should be more innocent victims under the bullies’ self-complacency. The
three main possible reasons which contribute the bully behavior of a student
are peers, family conditions, and the mass media.
Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal
and physical. It involves repeated acts over time attempting to create or
enforce one person's (or group's) power over another person (or group), thus an
"imbalance of power". The "imbalance of power" may be
social or physical power. –Wikipedia
We all know what happened to Japan recently; and in fact, the
disaster has not reached to its end. Except for showing our sympathy for the
victims, what have we learned from this historically devastating tsunami? We
have heard people talking about the amounts of money people donated, e.g.,
President Ma and Mayor Hao. Some people also started to prepare for emergency
begs (with water, food, and flashlights) under the bed. But when one is facing
a life-threatening situation like this, what do you care the most?
When there are so many less expensive alternatives to choose from,
people are still willing to pay much more money to purchase products with this
trademark and to wait for months to before enjoying the items. What is the
psychology behind it?
Take a look at this picture. What’s your first impression on this
young man? Do you know who this is? If you saw him on the street, would you
take a second look at him, knowing that he was going to be a big shot?
“My blood runs cold when Peter talks about becoming a criminal.” It
was approaching the end of Anne’s diary; she had no idea that the eight of the
Annex family would be arrested. In the novel, how they had suffered after being
found was not told.
Even though the Annex Residents were in hiding, they didn’t miss any
festival, anniversary, and birthday. I think it’s the way that they made
themselves feel better and happier. They were stuck in the Annex like jailbirds,
so they had to find some way to amuse themselves with. Otherwise, the
atmosphere there would grow deathly still. Also, I think that they wanted to
live ordinarily just like the other people outside. For this reason, they even
took classes during the hiding time. Thus it can be seen that they indeed yearned
for getting back to normal life after the war.
Anne was curious about sex. She wrote a lot of things about this
subject in her diary. She even narrated baldly about how female sexual organ
looked like. First, she raised the concern why her parents were unwilling to
talk and teach them about sex. I can answer for their parents, “Because of conservative
thoughts.” It is a common phenomenon in Taiwan; my parents also talk
nothing about sex to me. Second, since she couldn’t get the answer from parents,
she went for Peter. But this time, there was a slight embarrassed.
From the beginning till now, Anne was always pretend to be brave and
confident. However, she cried so often in the night to herself since they had
moved into the Secret Annex. She didn’t even dare to cry in front of all the
other (except her father), because she was afraid that they would tease that
she was childish and weak. Because her self-respect didn’t allow her to concede,
she put on a false mask on her face. How could the adults treat Anne like that?
I feel awful that an innocent girl had changed into a girl who believed no one.
Now her only comfort she had was Peter, whom she talked everything (Mother,
Father, and Margot) to.
“I firmly believe that nature can bring comfort to all who suffer.” Recently,
Anne liked to go upstairs to the attic, because she could not only take a long,
deep look at God and nature outside through the window, but also Peter was
there. The only window without curtains was right in the loft. Anne simply
stood or sat beside the window, and looked intently at the luxuriant green
trees and the spotless white shy. Anne’s long for going outside grew fast, but
she could only stand by the window and imagine there was fresh leaking in to
the Annex.
Anne once wrote, “I take a leisurely look at the person called ‘Anne
Frank’ and browse through the pages of her life as though she were a stranger.”
I think she was trying to objectively examine herself by this way. There’s a
saying: “No one is wise in his own affairs.” It is always easier to see things
clear as a bystander. Instead of acting like Anne, I love to put myself in the protagonists’
shoe. Whenever I read a novel or watch a film, I always feel the same as those protagonists
feel. I realize the innermost of Anne by this way. Outwardly, Anne and I are
doing two exactly different things; nevertheless, we are actually doing the
same thing: being another person.
A year and a half had passed, Anne could no more satisfy with such
condition. “My longing for someone to talk to has become so unbearable that I
somehow took it into my head to select Peter for this role.” Why did she say
that? Anne could share whatever in her head with her dearest Kitty; however, the
only problem was that Kitty couldn’t reply her. I had once kept a diary like
the way Anne did, but the only thing I can feel was “I’m soliloquizing.” I
think what Anne really needed was to talk to a living person who could give her
response or suggestions. Obviously, it was unlikely for her to choose her
parents or Margot, because they just had a fight. So, there was only Peter,
whom Anne once thought he was a dope, left. Yet, Anne still felt wronged, “No
one could hear me…I had to beg Peter for favors.” You never know what a woman
thinks, because woman is capricious.
In about one month, Anne occasionally dreamed of her grandma and her
best friend, Hanneli. She must miss them very much. War always brought about breakups
and deaths. “Thinking about the suffering of those you hold dear can reduce you
to tears.” Anne was worried about Hanneli, and she could do nothing but pray
for God to perform a miracle on her girlfriend. Actually, Hanneli to Anne was a
symbol of the Jews; the entire Jews who were suffering outside.
Recently, there was some good news from the broadcast, but
relationships there in the Annex was getting worse. Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan had
more battles because Mr. Van Daan lost his wallet at the warehouse; and they
were broke. The incidence of air raids increased. What’s worse was that their
friend Mr. Kleiman was terminally ill. “We’ve almost forgotten how to laugh…Let
me out, where there’s fresh air and laughter.”
There was another small interlude between Anne and her mother. One
night, Anne’s father was too busy to listen to her prayers, so he sent Anne’s mother
to do it. However, when her mother asked for Anne’s permission, she simply
rejected; so Mother cried. Everyone asked Anne to apologize, but she refused. I
am surprised by the reason why Anne refused to say sorry. “I seem to be
indifferent to Mother’s tears and Father’s glances, and I am, because both of
them are now feeling what I’ve always felt.” She wanted both her parents to
feel what she had felt when Mother treated her bad. I think this kind of
behavior is called “An eye for an eye.” Only the reason why Anne did so was not
for retaliating. She merely hoped her parents could understand her true heart.
Today I read nearly seven months of Anne’s diary, and Anne had her
first birthday celebration in the Secret Annex. Hiding in a hermetical place was
boring. Things Anne did in her pastime were reading books, chatting or arguing
with other members, and observing people outside (peeking through the curtains)
and the other seven people inside; I think the last item is the most
interesting, and Anne really did well at describing what she saw. Provided she was a novelist, she must
be a fantastic one. I like to observe people as well, especially on the train.
I can see men from all walks of life and analyze them on the quiet. That’s
really a lot of fun for me while traveling. The only a fly in the ointment is
that I’m bad at writing it down. Anne could always give a vivid description,
and I should take her as a model.
The relationship between Anne and her mother was abject. Anne’s mother
wanted her to be a good wife and loving mother, but that’s not what Anne
thought; she wanted to be more than that. Also, her mother always blamed her in
front of everyone, which made her feel Humiliated. “Mama is always carping on
me, especially on the table.” She stated more than twice that she loved Father
a lot more, and she couldn’t stand Mother. It’s normal that a girl will have Electra
complex. Yet in Anne’s case, she seemed too extreme. However, a year and a half
later, she added her own comment: “I’m surprised at my childish innocence…I can
understand the mood changes and comments about Margot, Mother and Father…It embarrassed
me greatly to read the pages dealing with subjects that I remember as being
nicer than they actually were.” I can see that she had already grown more
mature.
The part I read today is mostly about clashes between the Franks and
the Van Daans. Hiding in the Secret Annex, both of the two families had to be gingerly.
It is possible that they would be nosed out by neighbors or workers downstairs
only because of a little sound. Because of such atmosphere, the two families’ nerves
were frayed. I think that’s why they squabbled that often. Besides, people
living in an airtight space would feel extreme pressure. Anne once wrote: “Not
being able to go outside upsets me more than I can say.”
Foreword of The Diary of a
Young Girl mentioned that there are two different versions of Anne’s diary:
version A and B. The former is the original diary that she wrote to herself;
the latter is the edited version. The motivation why Anne started to edit her
diary is also mentioned: one day in 1944, Gerrit Bolkestein announced in a
radio broadcast that he would like to collect eyewitness accounts of the
suffering of Dutch people. At that year, Anne was only 15, starting to edit the
diary she had kept since 1942. Thus it can be seen that Anne’s patriotism is
strong. One of the plots in the movie also shows that Anne is a faithful patriot.
Anne was persecuted because she was a Jew. However, she said to her father, “I
don’t want to be a German.”
This winter vacation, I decide to read a novel: The Diary of a Young Girl. I will separate the whole book into 14
parts (about 25 pages per part). After finishing one part, I will write down my
thought about that part. Doing this plan can help me in many ways. I can read
and write English everyday, so I won’t be unfamiliar with English after this
winter vacation. By doing so, I can also change what I thought into words, and
this is the main point I want to improve. Four years in university, there must
be many essay questions waiting there. No matter in English or Chinese, I want
to strengthen my ability of getting my thought well in order and writing it
down clearly.
Since both Shirley and I love watching movies, we decide to
introduce the movies we like to each other. By task 10, we can not only share
our feelings and opinions about movies, but also take task 10 as the final gift
of this semester. Dear Shirley, let’s have fun!
