Caring Citizens

In RIS, all students are considered very lucky people we are born within a good environment and an opportunity to education . However this does not apply to all children in Thailand, that is why being a caring global citizen is important for all of us. Last Friday,  three groups of students are divided and assigned to go to different community services. Some went to the Daycare Center, the blind or to the Children's Village. We all had different assignments and jobs to do there, but we were all demonstrating a caring global citizen. 
As for me, at the daycare we had to put our energy and effort forth into helping the kids learn and entertain them. Further more we organized the food stock. We all wanted to help, and to thank us they even gave us ice-cream as an award, this just goes to show that doing good gets you somewhere good. As for the blind, students understood and appreciated the differences and difficulties the blind have to face each day. Lastly, at the Children's Village, students there all got a taste of culture and what it felt like to farm. 
From the advisement trip we all learned an important lesson. All of us demonstrated that our abilities and responsibilities that were developed from school could be used to help both environmental and community issues as a caring citizen.

Patriotic Terrorists

It is clearly evident that the sons/daughters of liberty abhor the British. I as a student, easily got fooled by their so called name, "patriots." As their title says so, people assume that they were innocent victims of the British, who was struggling to fight for their liberty. These "patriots" boycotted the British in ways like the Boston Tea Party, where they destroyed valuable products. This I suppose was uncivilized and barbarous. Can we still call them patriots when ethnic groups like the Taliban are fighting for what they believe in? The Taliban is very much similar to the patriots. Their goals were to reform Muslims in countries like India, where British culture corrupted the Muslim ways. Now I shall ask, is there much difference in fighting for religious rights and beliefs, and fighting for the country's rights? And if we call the Taliban terrorists, should we say the same for the patriots? I say, the "patriots" are terrorists. Unlike Mohandas Ghandi who used non violent methods to drive out the British influence, the colonists repealed the British in a ruthless way. The Sons of Liberty beat up the tax collectors, scared them away and rebelled against all British products. Therefore it is legitimate to say that "patriots' are terrorists.

Personal Interests

Eye, a name that people consider as funny, funky, and weird. Well that's me. Entering middle school allowed me to further explore my personal interests, both academically and athletically. But don't even mention art or music, I am neither artistically nor musically talented. However I find public speaking and debating interesting and highly enjoyable. Because I realized this, I started joining a club called MUN. (Modeled United Nations) Here I get to meet other people from other schools and have fun debating with my friends. On the other hand I am the kind of person who does not like staying still. I enjoy taking part in after school activities like sports. I am in the school basketball and volleyball team. However I do have to admit that I relish basketball much more than volleyball. "Sports" have made me new friends as well as giving me a harder time on dealing with homework. I'd say that my interests in academics and sports balances my life in middle school pretty decently.

Creativity Adapts

As the water rises and enters into the house more we encounter more and more problems. The government is not able to deal with all these problems, this is where our creativity is needed for out survival. There has been alot of outstanding innovations, but the makeshift toilets impressed me most. This innovation jumped up to my favorites firstly because, how people understand why toilets are needed, they are a necessity for everyone. In addition it is portable, an very easy to function.

If I was really stuck at home with water swimming all around me I would invent an electricity generator This would come in handy because it can be used to charge phones. Phones are a key part in communication, you can't call for help if you don't have a phone! This electricity generator will always work even if the cut out the lights. Why? Because we will be the one generating the electricity. This innovation will be powered by a bicycle, as the wheels turn power is generated to create electricity.

Innovation comes from our creativity and ideas. Especially when humans are left with nothing we tend to be able to think up something workable and useful during a crisis, these qualities are important because of how it helps us adapt to new situations.

Flooding

I have lived in Thailand my whole life, however I have never experience a flood crisis like this before. My house is located around the outskirts of Bangkok, therefore it was starting to flood a few days before school closed.  My mom did her best to protect the house, she ordered sandbags and stacked them in the front gate, and we moved the furniture up to the second floor. Nevertheless my father said that no matter how hard we try to prevent the water, it will come. Because of that, my family decided to temporarily move back to my former house in order to avoid the flood. It was not long and in a few days after school closed the water rapidly rose, and soon enough like we predicted our house was flooded. The entire garden was submerged in water to about the height of my thigh. But that was not yet the worse, water seeked into the inside of the house. In just two days the interior of my house was immersed in water. (about my ankle height)

When my parents watch the news, and I see people grieving from their loss from the flood I can easily relate to how the feel. Just the sight of my house in a "flooded state" makes me feel "the loss" that was caused. This does not only apply to the flood victims but to other victims that experience other natural disasters as well. For example Japan or Haiti. Back then I didn't understand their loss of their property, belongings etc. but now I do because I have experienced something similar first hand. But right now I am staying high and dry, and doing the overwhelming homework.

Identification? Identity? ID?

     Since the very start of the school year, "identity" has always been the bedrock in topics of discussion as well as projects, and assignments. Through the school year I have developed my knowledge and understanding of identity.
     I never thought about what I "think" about identity. It never crossed my mind for more than two seconds. I just referred to it as "ID." But your ID or in other words, identity has a much deeper meaning than that. It is not just your name which is a a major contributor to your identity, or your family. From the very first project, the most essential question was, "what makes you you?" From this project the terms friends, family, media, hobbies, nationality, spiritual life, and school were added to my definition of identity. Like what I've learnt about how to write an effective essay, my definition of identity needs to be further enhanced or revised. Through the process of the name essay I discovered that our name followed with it's history have tremendous influence on who I am, even possibly who I will be in the near future. Now how my name has effected/is effecting me is an additional point added to my definition. Nevertheless, after Ms. Torie's lesson on designing and color, I again found myself adding, color, taste, and style into my definition of identity. Up to the point where I constantly found myself adding on to the my definition of identity, I knew that my definition can go on forever!
     Identity now to my own definition is virtually anything and everything you do! It can be your choices in life, even something as minor as picking what shoe color you want, or the wallpaper you want in you bedroom. In addition your identity can change. For example, the media might influence you to change your style of clothing, now that becomes a new part in your identity. You can notice how the media which is part of you identity can also effect the other factors of your identity! Identity is baffling, it's complicated but with a good understanding of it, I can now answer the question most imperative, "what makes you you?"

Who Are You?

From this video I reveal who I am and what makes me, me till now. People who influence me plays and important role in shaping my life, friends and families help me go through the tough times and the various conflicts that I face in life. My nationality, culture and belief system sets me apart from other people. Furthermore because of the various cultures at school, I am open to new ideas and have a chance to get to know other cultures in a much better and unique way. Everyone has a different identity and I have my own unique identity, all in all various factors combined defines who I am as a person.