Science – I think I improved greatly from last year.

Maths – I still need to work on Maths a lot.

English – I think I did alright.

History – I think I could have done much better.

French – I think I did alright. The oral exam was the hardest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpVYc3sPVKg

This unit started off with learning the basics, the foundation part. Figure drawing is the unit, which is a study of the human form in its various shapes and body postures – sitting, standing. In all of my work, I have used ‘life drawing’, which is a work that has been drawn from an observation of a live model. We firstly learned how to construct a figure. Similar to this.

Figure drawing can be done very simply, as in gesture drawing, or in greater detail, using charcoal, pencil or other drawing tools.

It is a quite challenging unit, as it does not really need creativity. One just needs to have that skill of drawing. I know I don’t have that experience compared to others. But I am working on it!

Reflection :

Which of the leadership styles that Itay shows us do you think is the most effective and why?

Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people.

What was effective about Itay’s talk?

Itay’s talk made audiences think, and he attracted people’s Normally long speeches can get on the boring side, however he tried his best to make audiences clap and shake with laughter instead of falling asleep. His personality and the way he presented his ideas stands out. His ideas were very engrossing, and I especially fancied how he included video clips from very well- known conductors, such as Herbert von Karajan. How did he use direct and indirect examples in order to make his points about leadership?

The characters in this book, are people of the Movement in Unity who practice polygamy, which has been illegal in Canada and the United States since 1890 but the fine line between the law and the right to religious freedom has allowed polygamy to flourish. The characters live simple yet structured lives. At first  I was disgusted by  the idea of multiple marriage, however I should not judge on their beliefs. Actually the religion and the people themselves interests me. I enjoyed learning how it affects the children within those religious sects. I realized that although Unity is a fictional community, there are people in numerous towns throughout North America who have beliefs to the ones describes in this story.

Celeste who is one of the main characters of this book, was born and raised in Unity. She always had to fight to fit in, whether it be with her huge family, her friends, or even within her religion. At 15, she is set to be assigned to a husband, a man who will be  older than her, already married to several other women, and a father to many. She will share the role of wife, mother and sister. Celeste secretly harbors doubts, and is not sure that she can be in good spirits within that lifestyle. She dreams of boys her own age rather than old men. And hopes to experience falling in love, not having her husband chosen for her. Even though Celeste  is against the process, she does not want to bring distress and shame to her family. But her “impure thoughts” already caused complications.

This story is told by three different people:  Celeste, Nanette, and Taviana, a young woman who was rescued off the streets by one of the men in the community. When Taviana is kicked out of Unity, the difficulties of adjusting to civilian life are clearly illustrated. Basically, Shelley Hrdlitschka is trying to show two opposing views of ” normal every day life” and those who live in a “cult”.

What I liked about the book was, that  this book is a completely unbiased look into this sort of lifestyle. Sister Wife describes in detail  the life of polygamists and how some women  believe it is their fate to be married to a man with other wives.I could not stop reading it from the first day I picked it up. I would suggest this book t0 those who want to learn about other people’s lifestyles, and their unique beliefs.

Marianne, who’s mother is very ill, promises her dying mother that she’ll seek a better life in Denmark and especially that she’ll try to find her father. Leaving Grimsby, England Marianne sets off on a long and dangerous voyage to Denmark, Skagen. On the way, she wonders if Skagen will be the fairy-tale town she has dreamt of. Will her father she has never met, welcome the arrival of his illegitimate child?  Should she keep this a secret or should she just let out it out?   She arrives in Skagen and thinks to herself what she will find there. At first sight, Skagen is not so very different to Grimsby. There are sand flats outside the harbor with wading birds and seagulls, but the houses look unfamiliar. She only has a small amount of money on her, and she desperately needs shelter, food and water. Luckily, she does find a job.  A girl named Hannah leads her along countless small paths among the dunes to the southern part of the town, where Marianne will be living as a live-in maid for a very poor family.  She could not believe her own eyes, as she saw how a young mother, who has numerous of children, does such a pathetic job of looking after her children, and looking after her house.  Therefore Marianne has a lot of adjusting to do, which is very difficult at first. However, over time Marianne meets friends, explores the essential beauty of Skagen, and she finally feels the connection to this place, due to the fact that her very own father grew up here.

The townspeople of Skagen’s relationship with the sea, is often mentioned in the book.  Marie-Louise Jensen describes the situation of fighting the sea in this harsh (real) Scandinavian northern town so well, that I imagined all this is my head. She uses clever metaphors and similes to express the sea’s awesome power, ” A huge wave roars in the shore. We watch helpless, as it catches the lifeboat crosswise, flipping her over. The men tip out, like pennies from a purse, tumbling into the surf “. This is a very effective way to allow readers to carry on reading, so that they can find out what will happen next. The after effects of such a strong storm is unbearable, and yet the people of Skagen simply carry on as normal, their ankles in the water. I felt horrible, reading that the poorer people’s houses are often flooded and that the sea claims the lives of fishermen, but thank goodness Marie- Louise Jensen does not go on an on about this disaster. Instead she also includes the beauty of Skagen and its culture, which has a lot do with Danish and Nordic artists who lived, gathered or worked there, especially during the final decades of the 1800. Many of the events featured in the story are based on actual historical facts, and the paintings are also real.

There were elements of romance and mystery. Marianne falls in love with a young fisherman named Peter, but her love for painting and rumors about her friendship with a French artist separates them. These rumors spread the town, like a disease and suddenly her friends turn their backs on her, and she is ignored. Meanwhile, her uncle who is the father of her close friend is not the supportive and kind uncle that she might have hoped for. He refuses to accept the friendship between his intelligent son and Marianne, which upsets and angers her. So, as brave as she is, Marianne talks to this grumpy captain Christensen, shares her secret for the first time and shows him the letter from her mother.

This book has a twist in the end, and ends in a completely unexpected way, overall I found it compelling and original, and came to the conclusion that this novel is a breath of fresh air.