TY Reflection

This year has gone so fast its hard to believe its almost over! I have enjoyed this year because I made new friends and got to spend more time doing things I want to do rather than school work. I am glad I did TY because I feel ready to go into 5th year now, and I really didn't this time last year. I think Carlingford was the best part of TY because we were all together and we had such good craic. I got to try subjects I never would have picked - art, music and tech. Although I still wont be doing them next year, I enjoyed doing them this year! I also really liked pilates and dancing! Although it was hard work, mini company was a good experience. We had to contact loads of companies in our search for a manufacturer, and I think we learned valuable communication skills. We had loads of interviews, between mini company and Scifest, so that will help us when appyling for jobs too. Work Experience was the most beneficial part of Ty withot a doubt, so that in itself made it worthwhile. Sometimes I regret doing TY when I see my friends who went into 5th year and only have a year left in school. Although I'd like to be finished sooner, when I think of everything I have got out of this year I don't really regret it.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro

I have studied “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro. The novel is divided into three parts. Kath begins in the first chapter stating that her “name is Kathy H. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’ve been a carer now for over eleven years”. In the opening few pages, Kath speaks about her job as a carer and what her role entails. Upon first reading this, the reader finds it monotonous, and tends to be ignorant of what she is saying. She then begins to tell the story as an adult looking back on her childhood, growing up at Hailsham School with Tommy and Ruth. It is only when you read these first few pages again after finishing the novel that the descriptions which initially had seemed monotonous take effect. In this part of the novel, Kath’s memories are very innocent, and the reader does not appreciate the implications of them. All we know is that the students of Hailsham are “very special” and it is more important for them to never smoke than the guardians. In the second part of the novel, Kath reminisces on her time at “the cottages”, where she and some of her close friends from Hailsham spent a few years after they graduated. “The cottages” is kind of an awkward time in the lives of Kathy, Tommy and Ruth. They are finished their school days at Hailsham, but they still cling to the memories, as Hailsham is the only life they have ever known, without it they seem a bit lost in the world. There are people from other schools like Hailsham in the cottages; the ones who have been there longest are called veterans. At this point in the novel, the reader still does not know that they are all clones, living purely to donate their organs to dying humans, however the term “carer” and “donor” is introduced, but we don’t fully understand what they mean. It is still widely open to the reader’s personal interpretation. In the third part of “Never Let Me Go”, Kath portrays her life as a carer. The novel ends in Part three, in which Kath is still a carer. We never get to see what her life is like as a donor, although we know it will soon be upon her. In this part of the novel, Ishiguro slowly reveals why the students of Hailsham are “special” – they are clones, raised for organ donation. During her time as a carer, Kath is reunited with her friends Tommy and Ruth who are now donors, and who she hasn’t seen since her time at the cottages. For a time, their friendship is rekindled and slowly they begin to shake away the cobwebs of their past. Ruth and Tommy have long split up, and in her final few weeks, Ruth tells Tommy and Kath she knew they were always meant for each other, and they should try to defer the rest of Tommy’s donations, so they can have a few years together. After Ruth “completes” (dies) after a bad donation, Tommy and Kath decide to try to get a deferral for Tommy’s donations. They visit Madame, who was in charge of the art gallery at Hailsham, which Tommy believed was the key to getting a deferral, as art shows the true inclinations of the soul, and true love is the only way to get a deferral. They realise the stories about getting a deferral are nothing but rumours, and the truth about their lives. Having been raised at Hailsham, they have known love and happiness, and so they initially do not understand how people could be so selfish. They then realise love is the reason people are so selfish; and that without their organs, people who are loved all over the world will die. This is a small consolation, as Tommy and Kath realise their love is doomed. Tommy is nearing his fourth donation, which people rarely come through. They discuss what will happen when he completes, and in the days leading up to it. Tommy tells Kath he doesn’t want her to be his carer anymore, as he does not want her to have the memories of him in the horrendous pain he would be in during his last few days imprinted in her memory. Reluctantly, Kath agrees. She keeps visiting him, but they both know their time left together is very limited. The novel ends with Kath in her last few months of being a carer. She speaks of Tommy’s death. She was ready for it, she knew it was coming, but it still had a devastating effect on her. Not only is she mourning the loss of Tommy, her friend, and her lover, she is mourning the days they should have had together, but never could have because the world wanted a way to keep the people they love with them as long as they could. This is ironic, because this is exactly what Kath wanted for Tommy, and it is exactly what he died for. The strongest theme in the novel is the theme of love. The beauty in this novel is what makes its power to distress so poignant. The novel tells the story of depth and quality of the relationships between the three main characters; Kath (Viewpoint character), Tommy and Ruth. The cruelty of their deaths certainly accentuates their love, and the tragedy of how little time Tommy and Kath’s have together. From under the shadow of their fate, Ishiguro draws warmly compelling vignettes of love and friendship that cumulatively establish an urgent and engrossing story. When Tommy and Kath realise the stories about getting a deferral are nothing but rumours, and the truth about their lives, the theme of love is evident more than ever. As they have known love and happiness, from their childhood at Hailsham, they realise love is the reason people are so selfish; and that without their organs, people who are loved all over the world will die. This is a small consolation, as Tommy and Kath realise their love is doomed. Tommy is nearing his fourth donation, which people rarely come through. “Never Let Me Go” is a reminiscent story told through the protagonist Kath. I enjoyed the story being told from Kath’s perspective, as I like the hearing her opinions and insights into things. Having said this, I think it could have been interesting if it was written Ruth and Tommy’s perspectives at different times throughout the novel. I found the way the story was told; Kath looking back on her life, a bit frustrating. Ishiguro was clever; Kath almost tells you her feelings about a particular incident before he explains what actually happened. Maybe it is just because I am impatient, but I found this irritating at times. Ishiguro is clearly an absolute master of writing in first person. He uses it really cleverly in the novel to limit and control what we learn when, using not so much an unreliable narrator but an unquestioning one. He uses the very form of the narrative expectations, to set you up to expect a certain kind of thing, but then it turns out to be completely difference. There is certainly an element of appearance versus reality in this novel, as it is partly told through naive childhood memories. One thing I really admire about Ishiguro’s style in “Never Let Me Go”, is his amazing ability to create a sense of mystery and suspense. He manages to keep the reader in the dark about who the students of Hailsham are, and why they are so special until the very end of the novel. When at times there is nothing else to keep an easily distracted reader like myself reading, it is this creation of suspense and the desire Ishiguro creates within the reader to find out what the purpose of Hailsham is, that keeps the pages turning. “Never Let Me Go” is a revolutionary science fiction novel. Having grown up in Hailsham, a school for clones, being raised for organ donation, Kathy thinks she’s so lucky, she has a bedsit, and the work she does caring and advocating for the donors before she begins her own donations is actually useful. Yet she knows, “knows and does not know” as she says, that normal people can work in offices or as postmen, and she will be dead before she’s thirty-five, so that those “normal people” can have their cancer cured. And the normal people accept it. The most enlightened ones we see think that the lives of the clones shouldn’t be as horrible as they possibly can be, that they should be like Kathy’s lucky life. In a conventional story about clones and their horrible lives, you’d have clones trying to escape or organizing a revolt. They would at very least recognise how awful it is. It’s Kathy’s cheerful acceptance of everything that makes this so brilliant and unbearable. “Never Let Me Go” is simply a fantasy of complete powerlessness. This is what makes is such a heart-wrenching, tragic novel. There’s a rumour that people who are truly in love can get a deferral for a few years, to be together. It isn’t true, and when Tommy and Kath discover it isn’t true they accept it pretty much without protest. They are angry at their situation, but they never really seem to think it is unfair. They only imagined being able to defer, not to escape. That was the most they could hope for. I believe “Never Let Me Go” has the potential to become a classic and to be taught in schools. In reading this novel one may feel that the book addresses out current world, where scientific standings are changing, and so are the morals in the people. These children are raised to be donors. They are never allowed to leave their school grounds; they don’t interact with any other children and do not know any other way of life. I enjoyed this novel because it is thought provoking, and I think it is powerful, in that it has a very compelling plot, an insight to the human condition and it portrays the force of human nature and morals in society. For these reasons, I think it would be good for analysis in a classroom, and so it would be a good novel to study.

Geog post 5 - The Maldives

The Maldives consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, making this one of the most dispersed countries in the world. The atolls are live coral reefs and sand bars, situated on top of a submarine ridge 960 kilometres long. The Maldives is the lowest country in the world, with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 metres, with the average being only 1.5 metres above sea level, although in areas where construction exists, this has been increased to several metres. More than 80 per cent of the country's land, composed of coral islands, is less than one metre above sea level. The reef is composed of coral debris and living coral. This acts as a natural barrier against the sea, forming lagoons. The barrier reefs of the islands protect them from the storms and high waves of the Indian Ocean. A layer of humus 15 centimetres thick forms the top layer of soil on the islands. Below the humus layer are 60 centimetres of sandstone, followed by sand and then fresh water. Due to high levels of salt in the soil near the beach, vegetation is limited there to a few plants such as shrubs, flowering plants, and small hedges. In the interior of the island, more vegetation such as mangrove and banyan grow. Coconut palms, the national tree, are able to grow almost everywhere on the islands and are integral to the lifestyle of the population. The limited vegetation and land wildlife is made up for by the amazing marine life. The waters around the Maldives are abundant in rare species of biological and commercial value, with tuna fisheries being traditionally one of the main commercial resources of the country. The Maldives have an amazing diversity of sea life, with corals and over 2,000 species of fish, ranging from reef fish to reef sharks, moray eels, and a wide variety of rays: Manta rays; Stingray; and Eagle ray. The Maldivian waters are also home for the whale shark. The weather in the Maldives is affected by the large landmass of South Asia to the north. The presence of this landmass causes differential heating of land and water. These factors set off a rush of moisture-rich air from the Indian Ocean over South Asia, resulting in the southwest monsoon. Two seasons dominate Maldives' weather: the dry season associated with the winter northeastern monsoon and the rainy season which brings strong winds and storms. The shift from the moist southwest monsoon to the dry northeast monsoon occurs during April and May. During this period, the northeast winds contribute to the formation of the northeast monsoon, which reaches Maldives in the beginning of June and lasts until the end of August. However, the weather patterns of Maldives do not always conform to the monsoon patterns of South Asia. The annual rainfall averages 2,540 millimetres in the north and 3,810 millimetres in the south.

The Maldives is to become the world's first carbon-neutral country Over the last century, sea levels have risen about 20 centimetres; further rises of the ocean could threaten the existence of Maldives, being the lowest country in the world. On 22 April 2008, then Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom pleaded for a cut in global greenhouse gas emissions, warning that rising sea levels could submerge the island nation of the Maldives.

The reality of Global Warming hit me while I was researching the Maldives. It has made me realise just how big a problem it is, and what a devastating effect it could have. I hope the Maldives will still be here so I can visit some day, as they are truly beautiful islands.

Geog post 4 - Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia

Ipanema Beach is in Rio de Janeiro, which is situated on a strip of Brazil's Atlantic coast, close to the Tropic of Capricorn. Facing largely south, the city was founded on an inlet of this stretch of the coast, Guanabara Bay (Baía de Guanabara), and its entrance is marked by a point of land called Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) – a "calling card" of the city. The Centre of Rio, lies on the plains of the western shore of Guanabara Bay. The biggest part of the city known as the "Zona norte", plains composed of marine and continental sediments and on hills and several rocky mountains. The South Zone (Zona Sul) of the city, reaching the beaches fringing the open sea, is cut off from the Centre and from the North Zone by coastal mountains. These mountains and hills are offshoots of the Serra do Mar to the northwest, the ancient gneiss-granite mountain chain that forms the southern slopes of the Brazilian Highlands. The large West Zone (Zona Oeste), cut off by the mountainous terrain, was made accessible by new roads and tunnels by the end of the 20th century. The population of the city of Rio de Janeiro, occupying an area of 1,182.3 square kilometres (456.5 sq mi), is about 6,100,000. The population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at 11–13.5 million. It was Brazil's capital until 1960, when Brasília took its place. Residents of the city are known as Cariocas.

I chose Ipanema Beach, because not only is it known as the number one sunbathing hotspot in the world, but it is also a place where people of all ages gather, and so there would always be new people there, making the atmosphere there very exciting.

Geog Post 3 - Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu as a city is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the area from Makapuu south of the Koolau Mountain range summit to the western edge of Halawa Valley. Located along the southern coast of Oahu, Honolulu is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands, just south of the Tropic of Cancer in the Pacific Ocean. The city is situated on a narrow plain between the ocean and the Koolau mountain range; it climbs the Punchbowl, an extinct volcano. Although the climate is semi-tropical, the trade winds usually keep the city comfortable, until the "kona" or south-erly winds blow for a few weeks in the summer. Honolulu's weather exhibits the least seasonal change of any city in the United States, with only a few degrees difference between winter and summer. Area: 86 square miles (2000) (City and county area in 2000: 600 square miles) Elevation: 15 feet above sea level Average Temperatures: January, 72.9° F; August, 81.4° F; annual average, 77.2° F Average Annual Precipitation: 22.02 inches

Geog Project Post 2 - Charles River Boston Massecusetts

I chose the Charles River in Boston because it is a truly unique place, famous for sunbathing. I chose Boston because it was, and still is one of the most popular cities for Irish People to emigrate to. Boston is sometimes regarded as the capital of Irish America. As a percentage of the population, Massachusetts is the most Irish state, with about a quarter of the population claiming Irish descent. New England remains the most Irish-American part of the country, with New Hampshire contributing a good portion of its population.

Boston is certainly not a beach, which immediately made me curious as to how it is such a sunbathing hotspot! With 1 in 6 people living in the city attending any one of the many institutions of higher learning, this hip town has a great deal of young eye candy to enjoy without wandering too far from the dignified boundaries of Beacon Hill or the Back Bay. The Esplanade has miles of jogging and rollerblade trails, and an abundance of manicured lawns where people gather to sunbathe and socialise. The Charles river was so named when Captain John Smith who mapped New England presented his map to King Charles I, and he suggested that the king should feel free to change any of the "barbarous names" for "English" ones. The king made many such changes, but only four survive today, one of which is the Charles River, which Charles named for himself.

Adrienne Rich Poetry

In English we have been studying some poetry by Adrienne Rich, a poet that we will be studying for the Leaving Cert. So far we have read "Storm Warnings", "Living in Sin" and "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers". I really like her confessional style. I think poetry is more interesting when it gives you an insight into someones life, feelings and emotions rather than a description of a monotonous object. having said that, I do like poetry with nice descriptions too. "Living in Sin" is about Rich's relationship with her husband. It is evident from the poem that their marriage was not a happy one - "She had thought the studio would keep itself; no dust upon the furniture of love". The woman in the poem (presumed to be the poet herself) it busy trying to dust off the cobwebs and tidy up the house, trying to put things back the way they should, make things right. In contrast, the man "with a yawn, sounded a dozen notes upon the keyboard, declared it out of tune, shrugged at the mirror, rubbed his beard, went for cigarettes". It is clear the man is resigned to the fact that nothing can be done, the relationship is over. This poem makes me sad, because it is clear the woman is trying to make up for what has gone wrong in their relationship, whereas the man has just given up. He seems completely unwilling to forgive her and forget what happened in the past. It seems almost inevitable that their relationship will never be as good as it once was. "Storm Warnings" is a descriptive poem about a storm. I really like it as a descriptive poem alone, as I think the language use is really unusual - "How with a single purpose time has traveled, by secret currents of the undiscerned into this polar realm". "Storm Warnings" is also a very metaphorical poem, and the hidden meanings are really what bring it to life for me - "A proof against the wind; the wind will rise, we can only close the shutters." This is one of my favourite metaphors in the poem. It is a classic example of the underlying story of how things have gone wrong in her life, and as she has grown older she has realised that things will go wrong in life, and sometimes try as we might we can't always prevent them. "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" is about a woman of creative fire and passion, but she has been defined by the rules of others (especially her husband who it could be interpreted is abusive) for so long that she is unable to express herself outside of them. Ultimately, the poem is a tale of hopelessness, of a caged bird’s inability to sing of freedom because she doesn’t know what it is. I think this poem was the saddest of all, because Aunt Jennifer had an awful life - " When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie, Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by." The use of the word "ringed" references to "uncles wedding band". The only bit of hope at the end of the poem was when she said that after Aunt Jennifer's death "The tigers in the panel that she made will go on prancing, proud and unafraid." This portrays the tigers as a symbol for the life of freedom and happiness Aunt Jennifer had always wished for herself, but never experienced. They seem to say that because Aunt Jennifer left them behind, other people will be comforted and break out of bad relationships like her marriage, which caused her so much heartche and suffering.

Retreat in Glendalough

On tuesday we went to Glendalough for a retreat. It was just Amina and a few people from Emnet who couldnt make it today. We got the bus down, and it was roasting because there were no windows! Thankfully we discovered an opening in the roof that we wedged open with bottles for some air! When we arrived we saw loads of other groups of people and buses. We met our tour guide who broiught us over onto the grass away from the other people. We had to do this dance type thing where we put our hands on the ground and felt the earth. Then we did a reflective walk around a big symbol which was marked out as a labyrinth on the grass. We saw St. Kevin's Well and then we went into the centre. In the centre we watched a film about the foundations of the monastry in Glendalough and the life of St. Kevin. After that we went outside again and went on a big walk up a hill. We saw this gorgeous waterfall which ran along the hill for ages. It was a tough climb, but thankfully we got to sit down for a rest at the top. We then walked down the hill and ate lunch on picnic benches. It was surrounded by trees and the mountains and the lake made it very picturesque. After lunch, we went on a walk up by the lake and saw St. Kevin's bed, a tiny 2mx1m cave in the hillside. We also saw remains of an early monastic settlement church. We then went to the graveyard, where we saw graves both ancient and recent, and many high crosses. The main feature was the round tower, which the guide said was like a metaphor for our lives, because it has seven windows for every 10 years of the average person's life.

Overall it was a good day, it was nice to get out in the fresh air rather than being stuck inside all day :)

Hotel Rwanda

In the last few Religion classes, we have been watching Hotel Rwanda, another film about the Rwandan Genocide. We finished it today. I really enjoyed watching it, and I think it is a brilliant film, even though the subject on which it is based - The Rwandan Genocide - is horrific. After watching Sometimes in April, I think we had a really good understanding of the tribes, the Hutus and the Tutsis, so Hotel Rwanda was easy to follow. I preferred Hotel Rwanda because it is more of a personal story, and although it ends with the awful figures of how many poor people were murdered, the story ends happily for the main character, which is hopeful. I have really enjoyed watching both films. I knew nothing about the Rwandan Genocide this year, which I know realise is a disgrace. It was during my lifetime, and yet I had never heard of it. I think these films really highlight the silent suffering of the Rwandan people in a world where the west were, and still are, ignorant of the extent of their suffering. "They will look at it and say That's awful, then continue on eating their dinners" - this is a quote from the film which I remember. It really struck me because it is so true. It has really made me think about what is going on in the world today in Africa, and around the world. Our class is hoping to have a talk with Amnesty International, and try to organise some kind of action, as what is going on in countires such as Libya today is really worrying, especially after seeing what has happened before when Europe didn't step in. There has to be some way we a class of TY students like us can help?

Place 1 Geog Project - Inis Mór

I am doing my project on one of my favourite things to do.. sun bathing! There's nothing better than lying out on a beach or freshly cut grass on a summers day, sun on my back & sea air tossing my hair = smile on my face! I went to the gaeltacht on Inis Mór two years ago. This is where you get off the ferry from Galway, and it is the only town on the island. It contains the only shop which is a Spar, a few cute pubs such as Joe Watty's and a few little restaurants. It is also home to the Aran Sweater Shop which attracts many tourists. The 3 weeks I was there was the sunniest Irish weather I have ever seen. I got a better tan there than I ever have abroad! Combining that with the absolutely STUNNING sunsets, Cill Mhurbigh beach, clear blue water and the unique rocky landscape and unusual formations, I have never been anywhere more naturally beautiful. The cracked surface of the landscape marks out much of the land in a grid pattern kwon formally as glints and grykes. The clints are the flat blocks of limestone can cover the land while grykes are the deep straight fissures which cut through the clint blocks. The karst limestone landscape of the Aran Islands and The Burren was formed by a Glacier during the Ice-Age which cleared the land of any plant and soil material leaving the bare rock exposed. The grykes between the clints were formed by water cutting through the softer parts of the rock.

Never Let Me Go

In English we have been given our list of novels for next year. We have to pick one and read it before Easter. I picked "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. I am only on page 30 at the moment. I picked it because my friend recommended it and I have heard the film is good. I hope the little snippets I have heard from people talking about the movie don't ruin it for me! So far it it isn't really clear what's going on, but I think I'll stick with it because it's good according to my friend and it has won loads of awards. So far it has been told by a girl called Kath who is looking back on her school days. She works as a "carer" but its not really clear what happens to the people she cares for. I have heard the students of her school are clones who are raised for organ donation? I don't know if this is true, I guess I will just have to read on and find out!

Work Experience

Last week I did work experience in St. James' Hospital. I was working with the Cardiology Department. I saw observed clinics and one day I visited A&E where I saw people from all walks of life who were very sick. It was really interesting, and I think I learned a lot from my time there. I think it was a really good opportunity for me, because I got to talk to so many doctors and people who have come through medical school. I got so much advice and it made me realise how much I would enjoy the job, but also how much hard work it would be and how much of my life it would consume. I really enjoyed it, and I think if I decide to do all the hard work it would need, I would really enjoy it as a job.

English Trip

Jack Butler Yeats

We headed off to the William Butler Yeats exhibition first. We were greeted by a tour guide who brought us through the colourful displays and cases which make up the exhibition. Everything was colourful and designed beautifully, from the stands themselves to the contents of the cases, so things were catching my eye every way I turned. We got an insight into Yeats' life, as we sat in reconstructions of his home and places he visited often, such as the Abbey Theatre. I learned that the "Butler" part of his name is actually not from either of his parents, but a distant wealthy relative after whom Yeats and his siblings were all named, with the hope that some day he would give them the financial support their parents could not offer them if they needed it.Next, we went to see the bog bodies! Once again we were greeted by a tour guide, who brought us through most of the ground floor of the museum. We saw beautiful jewellery from ancient Ireland, that I recognised from my junior cert history book, but they were so much more intricate to see up close. We also saw a massive boat (everything had been found in various Irish bogs) which was made of an oak tree! I would like to see how they rowed in those! Finally, we went into the room where the actual bodies were. I was excited to see them, as we had heard so much about them! The first one was not exactly as I had expected, it's skin was so worn it could have been part of a leather hand bag! And strangely, it's hair was almost perfect, all of it still on his head. It was the weirdest thing. They were so well preserved that they didn't seem like thousands of years old! Another one had been decapitated, but he had these huge perfect hands. They even looked soft to touch! The guide said they believed he was a king, as although he was in his twenties or thirties when he was killed, he had never done a days work!After an interesting morning, we headed out into the sunshine in search of some lunch. We decided on a picnic in Stephen's Green. It was such a beautiful day, I think it was safe to say it was the first day of summer - it was the first day I fully lay back on the grass this year :) In the afternoon, we went to the Jack Butler Yeats exhibition in the art gallery. I had never even heard of him before the tour, but he is actually a really famous artist! He was a very versatile artist, with a range of styles incorporated into his vast collection of paintings. At first I preferred his realistic paintings, but in hindsight I think that was because they were very lifelike and easy to interpret. However after we saw his more emotional paintings which appeared initially to be a blur of paint and I realised they were so much more than that, I decided I actually prefer those because I could look at them all day! Overall we had a really interesting day and the sun just made it even better :)

Drama Final

The drama final is in Cork on Saturday. The girls have been working hard all week on it, and I really hope it goes well. I'm really disappointed that I can't go, but I had already said I would row in a race tomorrow, so I can't let the crew down. I think Noughts & Crosses will do really well, because the script is really good and their acting is amazing. Best of luck everyone :)

Sometimes in April

On the Friday before midterm, we began to watch a movie called Sometimes in April, an American movie about the Rwandan Genocide. We watched it with Emnet, but we didn't have time to watch the whole thing. From what I have seen so far, I think it's a brilliant movie. I never really knew about the Rwandan Genocide before this, and so as well as being a really good movie, its quite educational! Every so often in the movie, statistics come up saying something like "Day 1.. 8,000 People Killed". The genocide was truly horrific, and I think the movie really captures that. It changes time frame between the 90's when the Genocide was going on, and 2003/4 when the consequences of the Genocide were still fresh, and the people who played a part in it were being brought to justice. The movie follows a man called Augustin who is separated from his family in the Genocide. He last saw his wife and his two sons as they drove away from their family home with his brother Honoré. His daughter who was away in boarding school when the fighting broke out, was killed. It then shows Augustin over ten years later, with his new partner Martine who is pregnant. He receives a message from his brother Honoré who he has not seen since he drove away with his family, asking him to come and visit him in prison. Honoré is under trial for his participation in the Genocide through his radio broadcasts, which encouraged the Hutus to join in the fight against the ruling minority tribe, the Tutsis. We still haven't finished watching the movie, but so far I am really enjoying it, and I can't wait to find out what happened to Augustin's wife Jean and their two sons.

Mini Company Competition

Yesterday we went to Clane G.A.A for the competition. Everyone had worked hard getting the prototypes and stand ready. We set up our stand and put on our aprons to symbolize how The Spoover would be useful in kitchens. The judge was quite scary, and we were really nervous. At the end they announced groupos that were shortlisted, and we were among them. There were so many other cool mini companies there. I think our school was definetely the best overall though! I hope a few groups get through to the next round, we are still waiting to hear! :)

Last day cooking for American Cusine Project

On Tuesday I made Baked Alaska. I didn't realise how little work was required to make such a nice dessert! I made the sponge base, allowed it to cool, made the meringue and then all that was left to do was slice up the icecream and pour over the meringue! I forgot to beat the egg whites on their own before adding the sugar, so the meringue wasn't as big as I needed it to be! With the help of Niamh Mc I put it on anyway, but not all of the icecream was covered (the meringue mixture was too hard for some people to resist! :P) So when I put it in the oven, the icecream began to melt! When I took it out it looked really cool, the sugar had gone golden brown and the meringue had grown. As the icecream was melting fast, I brought it up to the lunch room where everyone was more than happy to help eat it! :)

Oisin McGann Visit!

Yesterday morning, Oisin McGann, an Irish author and illustrator came in to give us a talk. He was really enthusiastic about his work, and even the way he talked to us made it evident he writes brilliant stories. He asked us what we read, and read some extracts from his own novels. Then he drew us a picture of one of the characters from his books. It was amazing. He signed it and we got a picture with the whole year and him. The talk was over an hour, but I didn't get bored because he speaks with such enthusiasm and energy!

Noughts and Crosses get through to final!

Yesterday we were deligthed when Ms. Guilfoyle told us Noughts and Crosses have gotten through to the final of the Briary Gap Drama Competition in Cork! My happiness was short lived though, when she said it was on the 5th of March. I have a race that day in an eight, and so I can't abandon that, or the other seven girls and my coaches will KILL ME! It's so disappointing because going to Cork with everyone would be so much fun :( I did the lights in Mullingar, and I really enjoyed it. I wish it was on another day, but there's nothing that can be done. I hope the girls do well, they have worked so hard over the last few months :)

DIT

Yesterday I went to DIT with Kate to meet a man about getting a prototype for our mini company. We arrived at the room we were meeting him in to find a lecture in progress! Eventually he came out and called us in. He showed us our design on his computer, but to our horror it was our old design! He was pretty scary so we didn't have the heart to ask him to start all over again with our new design! So when we thought it was finally over, our search for a prototype continues!

International Cuisine Project

We began cooking ofr our international cuisine project last Tuesday. I am with Aoife and we chose America for our country. Last Tuesday, I made Southern American Sausage Stew. I know the name sounds disgusting, but I made it because I wanted to try something new and something eaten by your average American. I thought it was actually really nice, but if I were going to make it again I would probably use chicken instead of sausages. The vegetables and the sauce with the rice was really good. It was quite spicy because I included chillies and paprika, which gave the dish loads of flavours. We haven't decided what to make next week yet, but I am thinking it should be something a bit more appetising as the sausage stew isn't the most attractive looking!

Subject Choices

Today in Careers we did a new interest test. We are having meetings with our guidance councellor in the next few days, and mine is tomorrow. There was a business talk at lunch time today, and it made me consider doing Economics again. I think I will probably do Chemistry, Biology, Business or Economics; although sometimes I think I should do Home Ec or Music instead of Chemistry or Biology. I was thinking of doing Medicine in college, but I know that it's a bit too hard for me. So I don't know whether to do Chemistry which I would need for medicine, because I probably won't end up doing it, and I think I might find Chemistry hard. But then if I don't do Chemistry and I decide I want to do Medicine, I won't be able to. Hopefully I will have a better idea of what I want to do after my meeting tomorrow.

Drama Workshop

This morning all of TY had a drama workshop. We began by stretching and then we did this activity in pairs. The first partner would make a shape using thier whole body, and then the other partner would have to fill the space around them. Then the first partner would move out and look at the position the other partner was in and fill the space in a different way. It went on like that for a while, it might sound very monotonous but it was really good fun! I have never done anything like that before, so it was something new and I enjoyed it :)

Tag Rugby

After the rugby blitz last week, we thought tag rugby was over for the year. This Wednesday in PE we found out that we're doing it again this term! There is going to be another tournament around Easter. I didn't get to put my name down to play last time, becuase I was out sick, so hopefully I will get a chance to go this time! We got free posters of the Irish Rugby Team too :)

Mullingar

We went to Mullingar on tuesday 25th January for the drama competition. Noughts & Crosses was first. I was doing the lights. The play went really well, everyone remembered their lines and gave their best performance. The judge gave us some helpful tips, and we should find out the results next week. All the other groups did really well too. After our school finished, we quickly got some lunch and then we watched the other schools. Their acting was really good! We had a really good day :)

Noughts & Crosses

We have been practising our drama "Noughts and Crosses" really hard over the last few weeks, and tomorrow we are going to Mullingar for the Competition. I'm excited to see the plays from other schools, and our own with all the costumes, lights and sound. I hope everyone who has lines remembers them, because I think I would be really nervous for it if I had to remember any! Hopefully our school will do well because in fairness we have worked very hard on the plays. It should be a fun day :)

Back to School and the Young Scientist :)

We went back to school on monday 10th January. As usual we were all feeling sorry for ourselves, wishing Christmas and the snow days could have lasted longer. The week was brightened by our trip to the B.T Young Scientist Exhibition in the RDS that Friday. Kate, Steph and Aoife from our class were displaying their project there and we were all excited to see them and read their project. There was another group from 5th year too. I saw loads of people I knew and lots of exciting projects. The best part of the day was huntng for free things that are given out at various stands! The girls won highly commended for their project, and had an interview with KTV and pictures in the Liffey Champion! We are all very proud of them :)