The Power of One

The Power of One is definitely one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. I had no idea what to expect going into it, all I knew was that it took place in South Africa, around the time of World War II. I was shocked when I saw the movie. P.K., even from such a young age, is faced with major hardships. Everyone and everything he loves gets taken away from him throughout the movie. He still manages to make it through and continues to help others. Since he was raised in a multi-racial environment, he has no racial views. He has the gift of language, and is able to speak multiple languages. This allows him to bring the prisoners together and later to help Zulus from Alexandra learn and be able to teach how to read and write the English language. This all greatly inspired me to try to do more selfless things like him. The scene with all the prisoners singing was probably my favorite scene of the movie. It was really amazing to see the different tribes all together as one become so powerful in rebellion without the Nazis even knowing. However, one of the hardest scenes to watch follows that. Seeing Sergeant Bormann beat and kill Geel Piet was terrible. Piet was such a great and inspiring character, a seeing him die was difficult, but it was nice to see him get a last moment of freedom when he was telling the Sergeant exactly what the prisoners were singing. I learned much more about the actual state of South Africa at the time of Apartheid. I was much more brutal than I expected. The living conditions in places like Alexandra were absolutely atrocious. Overall, I absolutely loved this movie and the message it sent.

Happy New Year!

I had a pretty low key New Year this year. I honestly can’t remember the last time I didn’t go to a party on New Year’s Eve, but this year was a little different. I rang in 2010 with my mom and dad. It was pretty boring but nice in a way. I laid around in my sweats and just had a lazy night. We watched Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in Times Square while eating very good food. I can’t say that I’m sad to see 2009 go. Drama is probably the thing I hate the most and I had no shortage of it in 2009. When you spend nine years with the same group of one hundred kids, tension builds and drama happens. There were some very good times, though, especially at the end of eighth grade. Our class trip to Cedar Point, Graduation and the after party, and even just the excitement of graduating and moving on to high school all made 2009 a year to remember. However, I‘m ready for a fresh start in 2010. Over spring break, I’m turning fifteen and going to Disney World. Disney World in Orlando is my absolute favorite place in the universe. I’ve been there many times before and have wanted to go there for a while, but never worked out with scheduling. I‘m also super excited for the summer Global Ed. trip to Berlin, Prague, and the Swiss Alps. It should be a blast and a wonderful way for me to meet new people. That is exactly what I plan on doing this year. I love my friends, but I want to meet some new people. I love learning about new people and their culture if it is any different from mine. 2010 should be a great year.

Christmas :)

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Besides having time off from school, I love the whole atmosphere of the season. From the decorations everywhere to the music and even the shopping, everything adds up and creates what I think is perfect. Every year, around Christmas, I get really excited and I love to decorate the house. My family is never quite as into it as I am, but that’s okay. I decorate our entire house, including my room which is always the best. I put lights all over, around my door on the outside and inside, around my closet and even hanging from my chandelier. I have two small Christmas trees, and many other accessories including a Nativity, a stocking, several wreaths and some Christmas themed stuffed animals. Besides decorating, our family has a few traditions. About five years ago, my mom and I started making Christmas Eve Cinnamon Rolls. They’re pretty easy to make. On Christmas Eve, you put frozen dinner rolls in a Bundt pan then add brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla pudding mix, and melted butter. Let them rise over night, put them in the oven on Christmas morning and enjoy. They are incredibly delicious and definitely one of my favorite parts of the holiday. After opening all the presents and digging into the scrumptious cinnamon rolls, my extended family comes over. Three aunts, three uncles, and seven cousins along with my grandpa join my mom, dad, brother and me to further celebrate the holiday. We eat and each open one more present to finish off the day. We always have a wonderful time and I wouldn’t want to celebrate any other way.