Leonardo Da Vinci 'A True Renaissance Man?'

Leonardo da Vinci was a true renaissance man. He was a philosopher, mathematician, engineer, inventor, architect and a painter. He was born into the renaissance age and was a genius, not likely to be seen again. He seemed to be interested in everything which led him to discovering and creating many things. His scientific study of light and shadow allowed him to discover that objects are not simply created by lines, but also by light and shadow which helped give the three dimensional effects. His detailed anatomical study shown in the Vitruvian man has shown the symmetry and proportion of a human body which was never studied. He was the first artist to study the proportion of men. In a time when there was a limitation in scientific research, Da Vinci was not afraid to query and discover new things. He also assisted in the design of guns and armor tanks for the army. In the field of architecture, he participated in the competition for the Cupola of the Milan Cathedral (1487-90). But his design was not selected. In the field of mathematics, this can be seen in his design by introducing to the world perspective. He believes that mathematics is closely related to drawings and paintings. He also believes that: "things of the mind untested by the senses are useless." It was this curious and querying mind of his that led him to discover new things to introduce to the world. He is truly one of the greatest Renaissance men.

Brunelleschi- Risk Taker

Brunelleschi was definitely a risk taker because he challenged new ideas that had not been tested. Building a dome weighing 37,000 tons consisting of 4,000,000 bricks was not a simple feat during the renaissance. He had to convince the church and those involved that this could be done. During the 14th century as Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) was constructed, the Opera de Duomo which oversaw the construction held a competition to see who could build a dome on the cathedral. It was Brunelleschi who won the competition. He convinced the authorities by standing an egg upright breaking its bottom. It was almost an impossible mission as Brunelleschi "had to rewrite the rules of Western architecture and there was no guarantee of success." At that time, there was a shortage of timber in tuscany which could be used for building scaffolds in the cathedral, so Brunelleschi had to think of a new idea to make this possible. Ingeniously, "his plans showed an inner hemispherical dome within the cathedral's octagonal drum, a second ovoid brick was placed on top held by nine sandstone rings." To raise the bricks and sandstone beams, he invented a hoist to raise them; this was the world's first reverse gear invented. Everyday he came up with new ideas to finally complete the task proving that his theory was workable when many doubted it. Even when there are times when he could have doubted himself, he persevered by inventing new methods and coming up with unconventional ideas to overcome his obstacles. He was willing to take risk when he was unsure of the outcome. It was his risk taking spirit that the Duomo was the largest masonry dome ever built. Fillipo Brunelleschi reinvented engineering and architecture proving himself to be the greatest architect and engineer of the Renaissance.

His dome could not have been created without the help of the Medici family. Because he had the support of the Medici, the church had no choice but to support him. Because his idea wasn't fully tested, they could only hope for his creation to hold up. Each time he proved that his new method works, people began to have more faith in him. Had the church not given him a chance, new engineering methods would not have been discovered. He was the first engineer of the Renaissance.

Where Do New Ideas Come From?

There are many types of ideas such as business ideas, inovative ideas, good ideas, terrible ideas, etc. But where do all theses ideas come from? They can from the enviroment we live in, TV,advertisements, internet, people around us, dreams, etc. But where they come from is not as important as if it actually works. Steve Jobs's mackintosh and ipods are good examples of good ideas. In today's society, one of the many universal ideas is to come up with ways to save our planet. These ideas involve the three R's, reduce, reuse, and recycle. Producing energy saving cars such as electric cars, more energy efficient buildings, water recycling are all fantastic ideas of this century. There will definitely be many more innovative and green ideas to come that to meet our every needs.

My Favorite Story- What makes a good story?

What makes a good story? A good story is one that hooks the reader into wanting to read more. Building tension making the story even more exciting is the best way to keep readers wanting to read on. Many stories such as "The Sniper" are interesting to read because it talks about the history of a country and how people struggled to survive. From the "The Sniper", we are able to feel the tension that's going on not only between the two snipers, but also the political tension in the country. Furthermore, we get to see the mind of the snipers, how they feel and what are their moves to accomplish their mission. It is from this story that I can see that a sniper has two sides of him, a robotic side which feels no pain but programmed to kill his target and a human side of him that has emotions and curiosity. "The Sniper" is one of my favorite stories as it is able to draw me into its war setting and make me curious about the the IRA and the Free Staters. It is from this story that I get to understand Ireland more.

This I Believe

I believe that all races not only come in different color; but also in different shapes and sizes. Everyone thought that I was short because I am Chinese. Similarly, many people have the notion that Americans must be tall.

Back in Singapore when I was in kindergarten, I was considered as an average height student. You could probably say that I was one of the tallest in my class, but I was WAY skinnier than the other students. When I moved to Sydney, I was a dwarf in the school. I must say Australian kids are really big and tall. Even my mom was getting worried that I did not inherit the Shanghainese gene. Well, Shanghainese being closer to the north of China are supposed to be taller than southern chinese. So my parents thought I could have inherited the inferior gene.

When I moved to Kuala Lumpur and started grade 1 at ISKL, I was not that dwarf like anymore. ISKL being an international school with students from all around the world, showed me that westerners are not really as tall as I had thought them to be. I remembered my first day at ISKL, I was really excited to make new friends with different people with different nationalities. But it didn't go as I thought. Many of the kids looked down at me due to my height. In ISKL, most of the students were at least half a head taller than me. I was the same height as a prep junior! Not only was I just short, but I didn't show much talent for anything, especially when I joined the basketball team. No one would pass to me because I couldn't shoot, pass or dribble the ball. On the following year in second grade not much had changed. But at least everyone excepted me more than in first grade.

It was only in my third grade that I started to shoot up. After my summer holiday, I was actually taller than most of the students who used to be much taller than me. Not only that, when I joined the basketball team again more people started passing the ball to me. Because I kept getting the ball, I was able to see what I was really capable of. I became one of the top players in the whole of grade three. Practically everyone changed the way they thought about most Chinese people; especially about height.

I used to think that I was short because I was Chinese. At least that was what my friends made me think. But now I realized even people from Holland can be short although they are famous for being tall. Now in 7th grade, I am considered tall in school. Thus I believe that we should not stereotype someone because of their race. This I believe.

Matlida Bone

Matilda Bone is about an orphan named Matilda who was a lonely and religious girl who finally opened her heart to people. This story was set in the fourteenth century in a small village in England. She was staying at Lord Randall's manor and Father Leufredus taught her reading and writing. Matilda preferred living a proper life and staying in a manor, studying Latin and living the lives of the Saints whom she admired. Her piousness and seriousness can be seen when she told Tildy: "I should not be here laughing....it would be better for me to spend the time in prayer." Although she was taken care by Father Leufredus, it was him who abandoned her in Blood and Bone Alley with the local bonesetter, Red Peg. She was to work for Red Peg in return for food and shelter. Matilda fell into a world that was filled with the scent of healing herbs, bloodletting, broken bones and leeches. Initially she hated her new environment and the people around her. She "would sigh a very big sigh, remembering the days when she was uninvolved in all the matters of the world, of pain and illness, of all the unsuitable friends and useless skills." But when she met Effie the kitchen maid, she was fascinated at the market square where Effie brought her. As she experienced the life of a bonesetter's assistant, she found a new life of friendship and happiness. We could see the change in her by the way she took care of Tildy who was sick. "Day after day Matilda sat with Tildy, held her hand, washed her face with cool water, and forced thin porridge between her lips." At the end of the story, she evolved from an arrogant and ignorant brat to a compassionate and caring girl.

Battle of Hastings- 1066

William, the Duke of Normandy, was the cousin of Edward, the King of England. When Edward died without children in 1066, the throne was given to Harold Godwinson, an English earl. But William claimed that before his death, Edward had promised to give the throne to him. Therefore William planned to assume his role as heir and take up the throne. Actually, William was promised the throne because he took Edward in when Edward was chased by the Danes. Thus to thank William, Edward promised him the throne. However, Harold a close friend of Edward the Confessor, thought himself as a contender for the throne and had no intention of letting William's claim hold any significance. Harold based his claim on the close friendship he had with Edward and his wife.

With the backing of the Church, William went to war with Harold and the Saxon army. The Saxons were eventually cut down by Norman swords. In one systematic and devastating act, taking less than 10 hours time and rendering any Saxon retaliation virtually impossible, south and southeastern England were shortly torched and destroyed at William's command. Nothing was left behind but a trail of horse and human corpses. Understandably, the Saxon society did not gain a favorable first impression of William, and their struggles with his leadership continued on for 21 years, despite several futile attempts at rebellion. Nonetheless, by Christmas day of 1066 in Westminster England, William was crowned King of England. William had accomplished his goal and had proven himself worthy of the English Crown.

1066- The Game:

The game 1066 is based on the battle of hastings. The story line allows the player to learn about how and why the war started.

The game requires lots of thinking and strategy to outsmart the opponent. The winner is decided when either one of the two player's moral fall down to zero or when all your men are dead. Create formations like a "Bore's Snout" or a wall to deliver more devastating attacks to your opponent. Use the "Bore's Snout" for a more brutal attack and the wall for a defensive attack. The game may contain a little violence, for example, whenever a soldier is killed, blood splatters all over the screen. Nevertheless,it is a fun way for learning about the battle of Hastings as the story line explains how the battles were won and lost. It has taught me why and how the wars were being fought. Through its story lines, it shows that the English had two choices, to march south in case if the Normans arrived or to march North to confront the vikings. This game has also taught me how William of Normandy strived to become the king of England.

Power of The Void Questions

What did you think was going to happen? What clues led you to believe this?

I thought that the woman was going to be executed. When the old man said "Ok guys! lets get this over and done with."

How did you feel when the end of the story was not given to you?

When we were not given the end of the story, I was eager to find out what was going to happen to the old lady. Will she be killed? It kept me in suspense and I was imagining the possibilities of the story. Nobody likes a an incomplete story.

How did you feel about the black box and the black spot/blank paper? Explain.

When I saw the black box, I guest that we were going to do a lottery like the people in the story. I got the black dot so I felt nervous as I thought that I was going to die.

How did you feel when you read the end of the story? Explain.

I was shocked to find out that the old lady who won the lottery was killed so violently. Everyone including the children picked up a stone and stoned her to death. That was why in the story the villagers said that many villages had stopped this ceremony. It was just too cruel. The old lady did not deserve to die.

Why did the author leave these voids in the story?

The author left these voids in the story so that he can get the readers to read on. By creating a void, he is creating tension in the story. This tension will make the readers eager to know more about the story.

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas- Did John Boyne address the sensitive issue of the Holocaust appropriately?

In the book "The Boy In Striped Pyjamas," John Boyne the author, addressed the sensitive issue of the holocaust appropriately in most parts of the book. From the book, we can get an idea of what was going on in the minds of the Nazis and why they were cruel to the Jews.

The cruelty of the Nazis could be seen when a jew accidentally spilled the glass of wine which he was pouring for the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant pulled the Jew into the other room and beat him to death. Also, when one of the soldiers shot the dog which was barking too much, it showed that the Nazis were cold hearted people. To the Nazis, the Jews were animals. John Boyne showed these thoughts through Grettle, Bruno's elder sister. When Bruno asked Grettle why were the people in striped pyjamas were on the other side of the fence, she answered that they were not humans, they were animals.

I think John Boyne did not go into details of the Holocaust. How could the people not know about the gas chambers? How could they think that the smoke came from burning old clothes? Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story which made me more aware of what was happening during the holocaust.

Tale of the Sprinter- by Sudeep Pagedar

I am an athlete from Berlin,

my feet are fast and swift.

I can run faster than anyone!

Truly, this is the Lord's gift!

Any race I participate in,

I always come in first,

for I tell myself, "I HAVE to win";

it is like a great thirst.

Even if someone, somehow passes me,

I put on an extra burst of speed

and run past him, leaving him behind;

thus, I take the lead.

I once thought, "If I keep running this way,

I might be in the Olympics, some day..."

THE PRESENT -

But now the year is nineteen-thirty-eight

And for my dreams, it's just too late.

My running days are all gone,

I'm not going to see tomorrow's dawn.

Yes, it is true

that I can run very fast;

But it is also true

that I am a Jew...

There's no running, from the Holocaust.

10 Questions from Holocaust Website

1. Who lead the German army?

2. What is the Third Reich?

3. Where were the concentration camps?

4. In what year did Hitler assume the powers of the presidency?

5. By 1945, how many Jews were killed?

6. What was Hitler’s objective?

7. How many concentration camps were there?

8. Why was Hitler anti-Semitic?

9. What was Hitler's book, "Mein Kampf" about?

10. Why did Hitler lose the war?

Tension- Power of The Void

The International School of Kuala Lumpur provides an exceptional education (silence) that challenges each student to develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen. 

The reason why I put the silence where it is because I think it creates the best tension. it keeps the listener wonder what sort of "exceptional education" is ISKL referring to. It makes them curious and want to hear more. This void helps to emphasize on the importance of the kind of exceptional education ISKL offers.

Composers can create tension in their music by several ways. One common way is to create a void by using a "pause" followed by sforzando(sfz) or forte (f or ff). This creates a big explosion emphasizing the climax of the music. The void can help audience to anticipate that something exciting is coming. 

Steve McCurry - A picture speaks a thousand words

By Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry, one of the finest photographers today, was born in Philadelphia and graduated from College of Arts and Architecture at Pennsylvania State University in 1974. After working at Penn State Newspaper for about two years, he decided to leave home for India. He traveled extensively all over the world producing many iconic pictures. One of his most memorable pictures was the picture of a 12 year old Afghan girl named Sharbat Gula who lost her parents in a war when she was just a baby. It became the cover page of National Geographic and she had been referred to many as the "Afghan Girl", of course, we can all remember her pair of green eyes. This picture was taken more than 25 years ago when he crossed the Pakistan border into rebel-controlled Afghanistan. It was also due to the many pictures he had taken during this time that he became well known to the world. He had received numerous awards including the Robert Capa Gold Medal for best photographic reporting as well as recognizing his exceptional courage. His photographs often explores the themes of victims of wars and conflicts, aftermath of war and conflicts, people and their religion, religious festivals, children and people of less developed countries. Many times, he risked his life just to produce these amazing pictures so that we are able to know what is going on in these countries. In McCurry's blog, he believed that his pictures can help those in need; to him, "many of us are in a position to help others, but few of us are aware of what we can do or what a difference our contribution can make, I hope my photographs help people become more informed and find a way to contribute."

I have chosen this picture of an Indian boy running because it shows unique colors and designs, and at the same time it is also telling a story. On the wall there are red hand prints and a boy is running away. Was it the boy's hand prints? Is he running away because he had done something naughty? By looking at the picture, I would guess that the Indian boy must have stolen something, perhaps money, and he is running away from the crime he has committed. From the clothes he wore, he is definitely one of the many poor boys in India. The primary colors of red and blue make the picture very lively. We can see that the boy's feet are off the ground as if he is running away very quickly. There is a lot of energy in this picture. I can feel myself cheering for the boy to run quickly and it seems like he has succeeded running away. It is sad that the boy had to steal for a living but yet I feel happy that he is able to run away. The hand prints on the wall makes the wall look like a piece of art. At the same time, it reminded me of myself when I was very young still doodling with paints. I used to put my hand prints and foot prints on a piece of paper. I like this picture not only because of the colors but also because it reminded me of my happy childhood and I know that I am really fortunate compared to the Indian boy.

From McCurry's pictures, I believe that every picture tells a story. I learned that taking a picture is not just about capturing the main subject, but also how the picture is presented or composed. In McCurry's pictures, there are lots of colors and depth. Just like the picture above about the Indian boy, we can see the vibrant colors of India and the depth in the photo. Many of McCurry's photos shows the victims of war and conflict such as children holding guns. It makes us wonder what is going to happen to these children. What are they going to do next? His work reflects not only on his own journey but also the subject's journey. Just like the picture known as "Vrindavan, The City of Widows", the old lady in the picture was taken during his journey in India. In India, most of the widows proceed to the holy city to wait for their death as when their husbands die, they become unwanted by their relatives because a widow is considered to bring bad luck. One will definitely feel sorry and sad for the old lady who is all hunched back and yet she is still persistent on making her journey to Vrindavan. With the grey background and the skinny ox, it is definitely a sad picture. But the green door at the background again shows the vibrant colors of India. Besides looking at the subject and knowing its story, McCurry's picture is like a piece of artwork which colors are nicely co-ordinated. To McCurry, "the magic of this image is its ambiguity; the woman is anonymous, yet she embodies everyone who meets challenges with a deep-seated will to overcome them." Now I understand why a picture speaks a thousand words.

Vrindavan-The City of Widows