Congrats Janice on getting your ministry approval and thanks for the book recommendation!Someone at work was nice enough to lend me a copy of this book and I just finished reading it. It is fiction and I am usually not a big fiction reader but I did enjoy it a lot and would recommend it to anyone who is adopting. It is set in Ethiopia and provides a lot of insight into the culture and history which was interesting.
We had a nice weekend visiting with our moms and I even got my first mother's day card (from my cat Tilly - but really made by my husband) hehe. Thanks Tilly (and thanks Matty for thinking of me).
I watched a little bit of the Pangea day on Sat. as well. If you missed it but are interested in checking out some of the videos they are posted on this website: Pangea Day Films.
There was one very short film (only a couple minutes) about racism that I thought was very simple but good. If you want you can check it out by clicking on the link below. What do you guys think of the film? I will post my thoughts in the comments.
14 comments:
I thought it was a nice film - the idea that just by changing one or two words you can really change the mood/attitude of a group of people. I think they were trying to inspire us that it doesn't take much to break the cycle of hatred sometimes. I'm not sure if things are really this easy to change in "real" life but I suppose there is no harm in trying. What do you guys think??
Shannon
What a surprisingly sweet ending! I loved the simplicity of the idea. I agree that it's not always easy to change real life in the real world, but kids often seem to find a way to do it with less drama than us adults.
I think maybe the message could also be that we often blindly go along with what other people think and say. But that every message of hatred out there started with one person and it only takes one person to start a change.
Oh, that looks like a good book - I'll definitely have to get a hold of a copy.
k
I thought the ending was really sweet. I was watching and dreading what was going to happen, and I kept hoping one of the kids would have the courage to change it. That is what I got out of it. Have the courage to be the one to change it.
Oh and the book sounds like a good one, will have to scope out chapters....
Thanks for the book recommendation. My local library has it!
What a neat movie. One small act teaches an important lesson. Thanks for sharing this.
I liked the short film! Kids can be so mean but hey, they can also stand up and do the right thing. It's up to us to try to teach them right from wrong and hope that they they will be brave enough not to conform in similar situations.
I also couldn't help but think about it from a teacher's perspective because I teach young kids. I had lots of thoughts about how the teacher was partly to blame. She should have more strict rules about insults in the class, etc. I also had to laugh because in my experience, no matter how many new and fun games you introduce to a class of kids this age, when asked what game they want to play they seem to always choose 7-up.
I'm glad you liked the book. As you know my copy finally arrived and I haven't even started it yet.
Thanks for sharing that little video.
It is amazing that kids learn to be so mean at such a young age, but isn't it just as encouraging that kids learn to stand up for what is right and not fall into the trap of going along with the crowd.
I didn't think it was sweet ending at all. Each one of those children passed the mean thing on - just so they could feel part of the game, they said those mean things over and over. The boy at the end wasn't being nice - he was just obviously as scared and weak as the rest of them to say something. The poor kid Paul - the whole joke was on him, and because of what the last boy said, it was even worse.
Maybe it hit a little harder since I speak German. It doesn't just mean Paul doesn't wash much. It means he isn't clean - he doesn't clean himslf often. It's like a double-entendre, since to feel the sting of racism is to feel defiled and unclean.
Anyway -
on a much happier note, I loved the Sweetness in the Belly as well - but I will never EVER forget the scene with the young girl.
Nicky
Thanks for posting your thoughts on the movie everyone.
My husband teaches at an elementary school and he said they are dealing with issues all the time where kids are saying mean things about other kids (racism or just plain being mean). He is thinking of showing this video and then having a discussion afterwards with the kids about it.
When I watched the video a second time I noticed how there is a little boy early on who hesitates before he passes the message. If he had the strength not to be a "follower" then most of the people in the circle would have heard something different.
I think one of the most important things to teach kids is empathy. How do you think you would feel if someone said something about you? How do you think Paul would be feeling?
On a different note I know what you mean Nicky about the scene with the little girls. That scene was an eye opener for me.
I was saddened by how many opportunities were missed along the way to change the sentence and yet because of social pressure or just their own racism or hatred, it went until the last person. I thought the film was really well done though.
I thought you looked familiar!!! Seems as though i've been watching your blog for the past couple of weeks as well!!
HI. I just came across your blog from a different one where another family is also adopting from Ethio, which we are too... In any case, I watched this little video and actually cried- my daughter has been bullied a lot this year and last (she's grade 1)and we have a zero bullying tolerance in her school, but the short of the long is some kids can be so mean. Teachers are trying to change things, but one girl's parents think their girl rules the world... Some maybe don't even know they are being mean, but others do... And I love that the last boy was able to do what he did, but am sure this boy will still find out what the others all said. I am so glad to be done with these years for myself, but realize these things hurt even more when it's our kids that get bullied even when we step in, try to empower and teach our kids... I'll be passing this along to my daughter's teacher (as we've done with some other good books). Thanks
Ramona (willodalewhimsy(at)yahoo(dot)ca)
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