Critical Literacy in my life.

I have been taking the subject critical literacy for about 4 and a half months now. From the first day of class, I am intrigued by the concept of learning the subject. The main idea of the subject is to think critically with a non bias way of thinking based on the application of the rule of 10. What can be said about critical literacy is that it has change the way of thinking, perspective and my point of view towards a subject that raised questions in my everyday life. There has been a major difference in my life after learning the subject critical literacy. It has given me input on how to judge and make decisive decisions whenever I am required to do so.

Critical literacy has made me realize the importance of logical and critical thinking in life. By thinking critically and logically this can further enhance the way we view life events and change the perspective that we have based on first impressions. I am a judgmental person and have always been, I believe everyone is a judgmental person but have different perspective and point of view in every single subject that we view. Through critical literacy, I have learned that to be truly fair and just in life the teachings of critical literacy should be applied. But in order to be true and just, we must have our own stand and not fall for anything. Being able to think logically and critically with a firm stand on what we believe makes a decision or opinion so relevant, convincing and believable.

All in all, critical literacy has helped me to become much wiser in making decisions and mature in the way I think, judge and choose and I believe it has made that impact towards others too. I would like to thank Sir Aliff Ibrahim Bin Abd Radzak the lecturer that has guided me through the whole semester, teaching the essence of the subject itself making much difference in me and further developed myself into a better, wiser and matured individual.

Thank You.

sanctum

Sanctum

Directed by: Alister Grierson

Produced by: Ben Browning, Leesa Kahn, Ryan Kavanaugh, Michael Maher, Brett Popplewell, Peter Rawlinson, Aaron Ryder, Andrew Wight.

Executive Producer: James Cameron

Starring: Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Alice Parkinson, Daniel Wyllie, Ioan Gruffudd

Music by: David Hirschfeld. The whole soundtrack of sanctum motion picture is made by David Hirschfeld, consisting of 18 songs. The soundtrack was release on February 1, 2011.

The Synopsis

Sanctum is the story of a team of cave explorer making an underwater cave exploration in Esa’ala cave, Papua New Guinea. The team has been exploring the cave for months and has been able to set up a forward base camp at the lower levels of the underwater cave with an impressive communication network that allows communication between the surface and lower camps. The team consists of Frank McGuire, Josh McGuire, Victoria, Carl Hurley, Judes, Luko, and George. A series of unfortunate events struck the team starting with the death of Judes after she and Frank decided to explore the Devil’s restriction, an unexplored part of the underwater cave, Judes hose snaps after squeezing through a narrow passage, without a backup tank, she panicked and fail to complete the buddy breathe routine with Frank. A storm than came on the surface and causing water to pour viciously into the mouth of the cave, a few of the team in the forward base camp was instructed to get to the surface but, Josh and Luko decided to came back and warn the people who were left back at the forward base camp. In their effort to help, disaster strikes and Luko hurt himself bad and later die after a mercy killing done by Frank as there is no way out of the cave, and it was to ease the passing of Luko so that he doesn’t have to suffer much longer. Then, after another few series of unfortunate incidents the team lost George and Victoria too. Frank, Josh and Carl were the only ones left, Carl was saddened by the lost of his girlfriend Victoria decided to bail on Frank and josh by taking the last breathing tank left and went to find for an escape route alone, Frank and Josh tried to chase and stop him, but they failed. Frank and Josh braced themselves and continued searching for an escape route on their own. Eventually, they found a way out but there are other challenges in order to go through. They found a nearly half insane Carl along the way, Carl beg for help but Frank and Josh left him behind because of his betrayal. Carl lost control of himself and attacked Frank, they fought with each other until Carl impales Frank onto a stalagmite, puncturing Frank’s lungs and then left Josh with his dying father. Frank had no chance of surviving so he requested to be mercy killed by his son Josh. Although Josh refuses to do it in the first place, he finally agrees and was able to get the job done with a huge pain in his heart. Josh continues to find the way out but this time on his own and the last breathing tank which was left by Carl. Along the way, Josh founds Carl’s body, dead due to the lack of oxygen. After running out of light and oxygen, Josh uses air bubbles which were trapped on the cave ceiling. On the verge of giving up, Josh sees sunlight ahead and swims vigorously to the surface, resurfacing in the Solomon sea and swims to the shore safely.

The review

The movie sanctum can be described as an adventurous movie. However, the movie is not as interesting as it should be. Although with the help of award winning director James Cameron as its executive producer the film somehow has lack in dynamics and awe factor for the audience. Add to the fact that the line of infamous actors playing the lead role making the movie less interesting. Nonetheless, there are some aspects of the movie that I admire. I admire how the film demonstrates survival skills which were brilliantly portrayed by the character of Frank and Josh McGuire. Both of the characters in the movie also shows the struggles and the misunderstanding between father and son, and how they finally able to get on the same page before Frank McGuire imminent death. All in all, this movie shows that the Australian movie scene is improving in the sense of its technology in the sense of its motion and imagery quality. But, I rate this movie poorly for its lack of dynamics and the uninteresting plot and story line.

Guilty Things That Pleasure Me

In life, there are a lot of things that one can indulge his/her self with and attain happiness, or in other words pleasure. Although pleasure and happiness is related, not all pleasures come from a positive action or activity. Things that are considered as wrong or inappropriate could also bring pleasure. Things that make us feel guilty, but we still do it nonetheless for the sake of pleasure. These are the guilty things that pleasure me.

1) Procrastination.

Since I was a child this attitude of mine is hard to get rid of. Although I’ve been reminded countless times about how making full use of time and getting my work done early would benefit me in so many ways, I always ending up getting my work done at the very last minute and procrastinate as long as there is still time for me to do so. The feeling of guilt does come, but the pleasure of procrastination is far more superior.

2) Laugh, laugh, laugh and laugh some more.

I am the type of person who has the needs to laugh at all times. It is hard for me to not to laugh. I would seek for the tiniest, the most minuscule reason to laugh at even at the most serious occasions that I am in. people who realizes this, might find it rude for example when in a meeting or in a middle of a serious conversation. But, I just can’t help it.

3) Farting in public areas.

This is an act that is just simply inappropriate and unacceptable, but still It gives me great pleasure to watch people starting to make faces and cursing randomly at others when the stench rises in the ambience. For this particular activity, it gives me the ultimate pleasure when strangers are involved during this despicable act of corrupted etiquette, because they would make an expression of despise and annoyance through their faces, but nothing would come out from their mouths, although they have a whole lot to say.

All of these are true and I do feel guilty every time I did one of these acts, but the truth is we as humans can’t deny the fact that nobody is perfect and being perfect would make this world a whole lot less fun than it is at this present time. Don’t judge me, because these are the guilty things that pleasures me and I believe everyone have a list of their own too.

Live life, love life.

The Blind Side

The Blind Side

Directed by: John Lee Hancock

Produced by: Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove and Gil Netter.

Starring : Sandra Bullock, Tim MgGraw, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Kathy Bates, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Adriane Lenox.

Soundtrack: 24 tracks from various artists including Five For Fighting, Uncle Kracker, Young Mc, Lucy Woodward, The Books and Canned Heat.

The Synopsis:

The Blind Side depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle.

The Review

The Blind side is a family orientated movie that is both heartwarming and interesting. It is interesting to see that a white family could treat a total stranger like their own and it is even more bizarre that the stranger is an almost 7 foot tall black male. The Touhys are setting an incredible example towards everyone that watches the movie, especially the character of Leigh Ann Touhy which was played by academy award winner Sandra Bullock. Although at the beginning husband and father, Sean Touhy and daughter Collins Touhy seemed reluctant to accept Michael Oher as a part of the family but Leigh Ann is a very persistent and determined woman, she looks at Michael as a son at the same time she was able to get Michael and her biological son Sean Touhy Junior (SJ) to have this great bond developed between them, and considered him as just another human being that should be given the same opportunity just like any other person and develop to his full potential. Overall The Blind Side gives awareness to the audiences that love is what the world needs right now. Less hating, makes the world a much better place.

Love is the voice under all silences.

Love is the one word that is associated with the feeling of happiness, pleasure, bliss, joy, and delight. A word so simple it could make the heart melts, make the knees weak, sent shivers down the spine, brings the widest smile to the face, and even bring tears prickling down the cheeks. Love knows no boundaries, love comes in all shapes and sizes and love comes from all sorts of ways and directions. We do anything, everything for love. We express love in our own unique ways. To love and being loved back is a feeling that is indescribable, unexplainable, a feeling that brings euphoria to the mind and heart to its highest peak. People are planting the thought in their mind that, love needs to be utter, only then their love is considered to be true and real. For this is such a narrow minded thought because the love of two lovers is so powerful that it made both speechless, lost for words. Love of a mother is so pure that she can connect with her child even they are miles apart with each other. Love of a father is so true and visible he expresses them by presenting it in ways that we can see them. The utterance of the word love may mean everything or nothing at all. Love is as love does. It’s just the way we see and interpret how the message of love is being presented and delivered that differs and conflict with each other. Whether we realize it or not, Love is the voice under all silences.

Music

Music is one of the most subjective forms of art known to mankind. People from all around the world have been making, producing, composing, appreciating and even revolutionized music, deriving influences from different cultures and heritage. It is hard to give the true definition of music. There is a massive conflict of ideas and theories when it comes to defining this celebrated art. What can be said is that music is a form of expression, which can be produce just by playing a single note or the merging of different elements of a chord, beat or scales of symphonic notes.

I love music. I have been very passionate about it ever since I was a child and I was exposed to music at a very young age. One of the earliest forms of music that came to me were nursery rhymes such as ‘Three Blind Mice’, ‘Old McDonald’, and even some traditional Malay old folk’s songs like ‘Jong Jong Inai’ and ‘Lenggang Kangkung’. The habit of listening and singing came naturally to me. Then it gave me an urge to explore deeper into various branches and roots of music. I started playing my first musical instrument at the age of 13. From then on, I have started to learn how to appreciate music. The art of creating and producing sounds and frills that infiltrate and intrigue the soul is unexplainable.

Growing up, I have been influenced by so many people and their music. From traditional to modern, from old to new, I came across uncountable types of expressions that has been interpreted in the form of music. As a teenager, I admit that initially I have problems to digest some of the materials that I have listened to and have my own bias perceptions towards those unusual and different sounds that differed and drifted far apart from the music that the people of my age listened to, but the more I learned about music the more I understood that I need to go beyond from what is upon me, to use my imagination and constantly reminding myself to be in the shoe of those who created and made the music as it is in order to really appreciate music to the fullest.

People loves to talk about the things they love, they cherish and adore. For me to talk about genres of music that I love is irrelevant because I can talk about it all day long. I am going to talk about music that I have difficulties appreciating and listening to. The likes of the Korean pop aka K-pop and the body shaking Dangdut.

I have the most problems appreciating k-pop songs so let me start with the K-pop. The music of K-pop artists is the usual catchy beats of pop songs, which is modest if I am to comment about their musicianship. Furthermore, the Korean language is extremely foreign to me, so basically I have absolutely no conscious understanding of the lyrics that had been sang by K-pop artists. I have encountered many obstacles before I can to finally digest what is being conveyed by the artists. The thing that I have noted about K-pop music is that it is fresh and new, portraying youth and perfections. Most of the songs bring arrays of surging rushes of excitement through their music which I considered as a very positive form of expression. Next, is the Dangdut. The music Dangdut is most adored in Indonesia but the genre had also made it to the Malaysian shore. There is not much of a language barrier as the Indonesian and the Malay language is quite similar thus, making it easier for me to comprehend with the lyrics. What I can say about Dangdut is that it is one of the hardest music to play to. The unusual arrangements of music and the adamant tone of the singer’s voice are nothing short of unique. I gave my earnest respects to those who are involved in the Dangdut music industry.

As a conclusion, music is a subjective art form. People may judge and give insensible critics and comments but, music is a form of infinite expressions which evolves and revolves around mankind and we as humans have our own way of expressing what is in our minds and hearts in which some, many can relate to and some only few that really understood. Patience, imagination and passion are the key to music appreciation which will finally conclude the true meaning of MUSIC.

notice.

i am going to be polite and very careful with my blog posts for this next 3 to 4 months. this is because of my blog will be used for college related works. i'm taking the subject CRITICAL LITERACY for this semester. so, the lecturer of this subject will examine and evaluate everything that will be written here. i have to control my tendencies to make bad remarks and cursing. This is just a notice to the people reading this blog of mine.

BLESS!

typical post

i had a freakin flu.. my ring finger and my ankle is swollen due to playing basketball yesterday. shit.

but, fortunately i got some great music to aid my soul and friends to laugh about stupid things that we do for fun. after being in and out of relationships, i'm stable and at peace so far. new semester in college seems far more challenging than before, i need to regenerate back those lost mojos, goals and attentions. the way things so far, i'm bound to fall for this particular someone sooner or later.. currently loving them random chats. and this one is different, i swear she is..

hati seorang yang takde laptop

unfortunate event ni telah membuatkan seluruh penghuni asrama lelaki di bilik bernombor 01-01 tersenyum dan ada jugak yang dok menganjing insan ditimpa tangga ni.. hehe. the russian dude's laptop has crashed and he's acting all funny and weird as usual when something unexpected happened to him. placing his laptop on the floor hoping for some sort of miracle or something, hugging and kissing his laptop while pacing around the room with an expression full of hope. hehe..

perasaan kesian dan kelakar menyelubungi penghuni bilik bersebelahan katil si rambut keriting. hehe. lets pray and hope that his luck would change.

:)