Family First

Somebody's Daughter is about a girl named Sarah who goes to Korea to find her biological parents but is unfortunate to find them. This story is similar to a movie named 'We Are Family.' In this movie, there are three children who's mother dies due to cancer. So they have the absence of a mother figure. But they have a step mother who then takes responsibility to take care of them. In Somebody's Daughter, Sarah has an absence of a mother figure and a father figure but she is adopted and her American family makes her feel wanted and they support her. The children in both of these stories are probably very upset because in Sarah's situation, she didn't get to even meet her biological parents but in the movie, the children got to spend time with their mother but she died while the children were young. In both stories, there is someone there to support the children and help them grow up. If I was in any of these situations, I would feel like I'm missing someone that's important in my life. Even though I would have a family who adopted me or a step mother, I would still be curious to find my biological relations and get to know them personally. I remember a time when I had a very bad dream that I will never forget. I dreamed that my mom had died and no body else in my family cared except for me. And the next morning when I woke up, it felt like I really lived through that moment and it really felt like I woke up with no mom. It was so real to me that the next morning, I went up to my mom and told her how much I love her and I told her to never leave me. So I can kind of feel what these children are feeling but they had a much more real experience. From all of this, I have learned to never judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes or lived a day in their life because you never know what someone is going through and their behaviors depend on what's going on in their life.    

Somebody's Daughter v.s Mobbed

Somebody's Daughter is about a girl named Sarah who was put into the hands of a foster home many years ago when she was just a little baby. She was then adopted by an American couple who consisted of a mother, father and their biological daughter named Amanda. As Sarah grew older, she got more and more curious to find out who her biological family was. So she goes on an epic journey to reunite with her long lost folks. Through the journey, Sarah has to face some challenges. Since she is in a new country, she has to learn a new language. During the end of her search, Sarah sees a game show on t.v where adoption stories are told and hopefully their biological family calls to reunite. So Sarah decides to go on the game show in hopes of finding her biological family. Unfortunately, she leaves the show not receiving a phone call.

While I was reading about the part when Sarah went on the show, it reminded me of a show called mobbed where the biggest secrets are revealed in the form of a flash mob. In this one episode, a man wanted to meet his father after 27 years without having a father figure. The flash mob was put together and the man finally met his father for the first time. Although the father wasn't the best parent, he promised to always be there for his son from then on.

Both of these stories are similar because both Sarah and the man are eager to find their family in their own unique ways. On the journey, they both encounter many challenges. While Sarah enters a whole new country, the man has to put together a whole flash mob. At the end, it is unfortunate that Sarah couldn't find her biological family but the man from mobbed was happy to leave the show knowing that he was reunited with his long lost father.

Somebody's Daughter Word Cloud

I chose this word cloud to represent some of the emotions and feelings that are running through Sarah's mind in the novel I'm reading called "Somebody's Daughter." Although Sarah's foster parents are very supportive and accepting of Sarah, she feels like she can't live her life not knowing who her biological parents are. So she has no other choice but to go on a journey and find them in Korea. As Sarah is aware that she has a different heritage than the rest of her family, she accepts herself for who she is and she's proud to be Korean. When Sarah lands in Korea, she feels very overwhelmed and confused because of the fact that she has to read and understand everything in a whole different language that she doesn't know how to speak. Sarah has to go back to her foster home where they ask her to recall what she knows about who her mother is. Unfortunately, Sarah is unable to do this because she has a very foggy memory about what her life was like with her biological mother. Although it is a challenge for Sarah, she won't give up just yet. Inspired by other stories, Sarah goes on a game show and tells her very own story to the world in hopes of receiving a phone call. As a call comes in, Sarah feels at ease knowing that her biological family cared enough to call, but it isn't as it seems. The woman who called claiming that she was Sarah's mother was a false recognition when they met in person and Sarah then begins to feel hopeless and emotionally drained.  At the end of her journey, Sarah is unaware of when she'll meet her biological family but until then she feels safe and wanted by her family back in the United States.  

The Story of My Life

Abandoned at the fire house,
I thought I was all alone.
Bless the folks who took me to the foster home.

"Oh mama," I'd say,
"Where are you?"

Looking out the window,
I'd see children holding their parents hands.
But there was no one to hold mine.

As I seen them coming toward me,
a tear dropped down my eye.
I was excited with joy.
They had finally come.

We may not have the same eyes,
we may not have the same skin colour,
our blood may be different,
but in the end,
family is what really matters.

She'd look up to me as her big sister and smile,
I would reassure her that we were together forever.

He was my first hero.
Although I may not admit,
it is true,
I appreciate all you do.
So fortunate is how I feel,
for having a father just like him.

It's a special bond,
a sense of trust that can never be broken.
Hugs and kisses, warmth and caring.
Mother and daughter: A link that can never be undone.

Going back to Korea brought so many wild memories.
Growing up in the foster home,
I never thought I'd visit again.

On that epic journey,
I encountered many struggles,
met new faces,
and found my first love.

I never found that one,
the one who never found me,
the one who gave me life,
the one who abandoned me,
and the one who I call mother.

Oh mother where ever you are,
please be safe.
Never forget that my search is not complete.


This poem unfolds the life of a young girl named Sarah who struggles her way through in an epic search for her biological family. She goes through times that are rough when she just feels like it's hopeless. While other times Sarah is very determined to reunite with her long lost family. But fortunate enough, Sarah has the support of her American family who is by her side every step of the way. In the poem, Sarah describes her relationship with each one of her family members but it is her relationship with her father that is very special. Even before Sarah was born, her biological father had passed away in a car accident, so she never really had a father figure in her life. But when she meets her new father, Sarah immediately is feeling the love and she develops that father daughter relationship.

The Sniper News Report

REPUBLICAN SNIPER'S TRAGIC LOSS

March 20, 1981

Written by: Michelle Kumar

A Republican sniper has witnessed the loss of two people today and one of them being his brother.

On March 18, 1981, a war had erupted between Republicans and the Free Staters. It was reported that a Sniper from the Republican side was trying to kill his enemy for days but failed to do so.

The Republican Sniper had one day made a plan to fake his death in order to trick his enemy into believing that he was dead. His plan worked and the sniper got a fair shot at his target. His plan was a success.

The sniper shot successfully and hit his target.

The sniper then went to inform his company commander about the success.

“I do remember the sniper walking towards me, when a bullet whizzed past him, just missing his head, after that he disappeared,” explained the company commander. 

It was then reported that the sniper approached a dead man laying on his side with a bullet in him. When the sniper turned the dead man around, it was then that he realized that he had lost his brother.

“It was a time of joy but more importantly, it was a time of sorrow. I had lost the most closest person to me and that was my brother. When I lost my brother, it made me think of the feelings that would be running through my enemy’s family when they would find him dead,” the sniper explained with tears in his eyes.

“This is another example of how tragic and frightening war can be. You only witness it when you experience it. War is something that I believe that no man or woman should have to go through, especially when you have loved ones waiting at home for you,” grieved another sniper who was well known friends with the young man that died.

There will be a candle light vigil held for the death of the sniper’s brother on March 21, 1981. The public is welcomed to join and share their love for this young man who was killed very tragically. 

Family vs Blood

Throughout life we will meet people who will kick us when we are already down, but what really matters is those who will hold our hand and pick us up once again. Somebody's daughter is about a girl named Sarah who is left abandoned when she is just a few weeks old. Sarah was fortunate enough to be brought to a foster home where she was adopted by an American couple and has been blessed every since. This quote says that family isn't always about blood but it's about the people in your life who wants you in theirs. The quote relates to Sarah's situation because although her American family isn't biologically related to her, they still want Sarah to be a part of their family. Sarah has many differences between her family and herself. For example, Sarah is Korean but her parents are not neglecting her for that. Also, as Sarah grows up, she wants to go on a journey find her real parent and her American parents are supporting her wishes. Sarah has many personal differences and goals that she wants to accomplish. Through the process, Sarah's parents are being very encouraging and supportive every step of the way. I remember a time when I got in trouble for wearing my outdoor shoes into the class. Every one else was ganging up on me except for one girl who stood up for me and told the class that everyone makes mistakes and it's not that big of a deal. So Sarah's situation and what happened to me are very similar because although when we were abandoned or hurt, there was always someone there to accept us and bring us back up to our feet once again even if they were not biologically related. Therefore it is important to recognize those who are there in our lives that accept us, even if they are not biologically related we must tell them that we appreciate all they do for us.   

Story vs Reality

http://barrie.ctvnews.ca/man-woman-charged-after-8-week-old-baby-found-abandoned-in-london-driveway-1.2274896

Somebody's Daughter is about a  nineteen year old girl named Sarah who was adopted by her American family. Her childhood was rough because at only two weeks old, Sarah was left at the front door of a fire station in Seoul, Korea. Her mother did not intentionally do this but with Sarah's father dead and no food left in the house, Sarah's mother had no other choice. On a desperate search to find her biological mother, Sarah comes across many barriers that she must overcome. Since Sarah was raised in America for most of her life, she does not know her Korean heritage very well. One of the barriers Sarah faces is trying to communicate in Korean so she goes to school to learn and speak in Korean. Sarah has no specific plan on how she will find her mother. But one day as she watches T.V., Sarah comes across a show called "The Search of Missing Persons." The show is about people who come in and tell their story hoping that they will be reunited with their loved ones. As Sarah watches this show, she wonders if it would be a good idea to be on the show in hopes of her mother calling the show. Fortunately, a call comes in claiming that Sarah is indeed her daughter. So they meet at the Little Angels orphanage (where Sarah was put into when she was found) and they have their DNA test done to prove that they are biologically related. Sadly, the results come back that they are not related and the lady says that she for sure thought that Sarah was her daughter because her husband and Sarah had a number of things in common.

Sarah's story is similar to what happened in London, Ontario yesterday. A couple are facing charges after an eight week old baby was found on a London driveway early yesterday morning. It was alleged that the father had been sleeping in the house while the mother had been arrested just before 2 a.m. for driving under the influence of drugs. It is not known how long the baby was outside for but the baby is now in the hands of the Children's Aid Society after being checked medically.

Sarah's story and this baby's story is very much similar to one another. Sarah had been abandoned on the door steps of a fire station while the baby had been abandoned on the driveway in London. Both of the babies were seeked and put into some sort of special care. But I think the baby in London will one day go looking for his/her biological parents because s/he will always have that question of why? Both of these stories relate to the topic of family relations. Sarah had her adopted family in America but she was curious to find out about her biological parents. In London, the baby's parents left the baby because they obviously had some personal issues that they needed to sort out before they could provide the necessities of life to another minor. I believe that these two stories are very similar and go hand in hand with each other in several ways. In many cases, family is like a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet we all have the same roots. Family is not always about blood, sometimes it's about who's there to hold your hand when you need them to.

The Boy in Striped Pajamas Movie Analysis

Retell- The Boy in Striped Pajamas is about an eight year old boy named Bruno who moves into a new neighborhood with his family. Like any other young child, Bruno is curious to explore his surroundings. Bruno comes upon a fence where he meets a young boy sitting on the other side. the boy wearing striped pajamas (as Bruno would describe it). Bruno is quick to make friends with Shmuel, but soon discovers that Shmuel is Jewish and Bruno knows better than to make friends with a Jew. A speechless Bruno runs away as soon as he discovers that Shmuel is Jewish. Bruno often sneaks a sandwich out of the house to give to Shmuel as the two boys spend time together. One day Shmuel tells Bruno that he is unable to find his father and is worried. Bruno promises to help Shmuel in his search and Shmuel vows to get Bruno a pair of pajamas so that they blend in. After wearing the pajamas, Bruno sneaks onto the other side of the fence. As they search for Shmuel's father, the soldiers take the prisoners into the gas chamber and Bruno and Shmuel get mixed into the crowd. Bruno's father desperately searches the neighborhood in hopes to find Bruno once again. But he fails to get to the gas chamber in time to save Bruno.
Relate- When Bruno has to move to his new house, it reminded me of how I was felling when I had to move. I grew up with many friends in my old neighborhood with all my memories left behind. Bruno felt the same way as he said goodbye and moved on. The plot in the movie is very much like what is happening today in Nigeria. Boko Haram is an extremist Islamic group in Nigeria who seize young innocent girls for no specific reason. In the movie, Jews were captured because the Nazi's didn't like them. As we saw, young innocent children like Shmuel were captured for no reason.
Reflect- This movie is based on the thematic topic of the innocence of childhood. Shmuel does not know that his father has died in the gas chamber. But he is quick to realize that when he is forced into one. There's no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were.  

Ishmael Beah: A Child Soldier

A young author by the name of Ishmael Beah was once a child soldier. Ishmael grew up having the average childhood life. But by the age of twelve, Ishmael was separated from his family when the rebels attacked his town. His family had fled to another village that had been already destroyed. by the time Ishmael got to where his family was, it was too late because he saw death right before his very eyes. Ishmael then went to military base to find safety but ended up being recruited into war. he was forced to take drugs that would make him numb in order to kill others. Ishmael grew up with a very rough and tragic childhood life but he was later blessed with another mother who was glad to look after Ishmael.

Connection to previous learning: The story of Ishmael's life reminds me of a movie we watched last year called "Blood Diamond". In that movie, Solomon Vandy is captured by the rebels when they invade a small village in Sierra Leone. Solomon's son Dia, is forced into the rebels where he is eventually brainwashed to kill others. Ishmael was recruited by the rebels in Sierra Leone similar to how Dia was forced into the rebels. they both were eventually forced to kill.

Connection to "Teaching Kids to Kill": Fourteen year old Michael Corneal was involved in a school shooting but he had never before picked up a real gun in his life. Ishmael Beah was twelve years old when he first fired a gun. Both of these boys have one thing in common which is that they both learned to kill. While Ishmael Beah was brainwashed by the rebels, Michael Corneal learned it from video games and media violence.

Challenges: Although Ishmael Beah has wrote a book about his life, is he still engaged in the rebels way of life or has he put that behind him to start a new life?

Concepts: Some of the key concepts that I learned from the interview is that life can change with the blink of an eye. One minute you could be surrounded by the love of your family and the next minute you could be desperately looking for that love once again.

Changes: I think the changes that this interview suggests is that you should cherish the time you have with your loved ones because you never know where life can take you and every day may be your last.

Obama Uses Military Force Against ISIS

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/fighting-isis-barack-obama-asks-u-s-congress-for-war-powers-1.2953245

This article is about the U.S. President Barack Obama, who wants to use military force in the campaign against ISIS. This reminds me about the time when we had a class discussion about war being justified or not. Many students believed that war is not justified for many different reasons while other students believed that war is justified for their own reasons. Prior to the class discussion, my opinion on war was that it is never justified. But after reading this article, I learned that war is justified under certain circumstances. For example, Obama wants to use military force in the campaign against ISIS. I believe in this situation, war is necessary because ISIS is a Militant Islamist Organization and they are threatening many nations. Therefore after reading this article, I came to the conclusion that war is justified for all the right reasons.