Lessons to a daughter

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Have you ever seen the video “If I should have a daughter”, by Sarah Kay? Well, here, I’ll show you, what lessons a mom should give her daughter (in Sarah Kay’s opinion).

First of all, her daughter should call her “Point B”. Why? Because like that she’ll always find her way back to her mother.  Then, she’ll say to her daughter, that “Life will hit you in the face and wait for you to get up again to kick you in the stomach”. In summary, “life is hard”.

 

This mother would also make sure she’ll paint the solar system on the back of her daughter’s hand. Then, this girl will have to learn about the whole universe to say “Oh, I know that like the back of my hand”. And, when this daughter realises Superwoman isn’t coming, her mother will make sure she won’t need to handle everything by herself, because she’ll always be on her side.

And when this girl puts her nose up, her mother will say “Don’t point your nose up at me, I’ve tried this trick lots of times. You’ll just find smoke, the smoke from the burnt house and then, the boy who lost everything in the fire and try to help him. Or, you’ll find the boy who set fire to the house and try to change him”. But this mother knows that this girl won’t be successful. That’s why this mother will have an extra chocolate bar and rain boots, because there’s no heart break that chocolate can’t fix (I mean, the MOST PART of them chocolate can fix). And for those unfixable with sweets, there are the rain boots, because when rain starts, they won’t let you get wet. And then, this mother will say “There will be days like this”, because smoke isn’t something you see just once in your life.

And, when this daughter does something wrong, her mom will say “Always apologize if you’re wrong, but NEVER for your curiosity’”. And, thinking about that, the girl will reflect if the wrong thing she did was out of curiosity or not, and then, she’ll do the right thing.

Afterwards, her mother will say: “This world is made out of sugar. It can crumble so easily, but don’t be afraid to taste it”, because life is made out of mistakes and attempts, which sometimes are right.

Put your records and headphones on

 “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent” – Victor Hugo

Since prehistoric ages, people listen to music. Babies, children, adults, lawyers, teachers, doctors, British, American, Italian and Chinese listen to music. Music is probably the only thing that doesn’t make crazy, that can makes us feel calm, happy, excited or faithful.

Here I’ll write about teenagers and music. Despite all the “types” of different teenage groups and ages, music is certainly something which brings them together into one large group. The best part of it is finding out that your favorite song is also someone’s favorite song. Oh, and wondering how can Taylor Swift describe your entire life in lyrics, or realizing teenagers also like The Beatles, sometimes more than teens did in the 60’s

Examples of the importance of music are films: without soundtrack, they become monotonous, boring, or just impossible to understand.

Looking back to the past, we can see music had been through lots of changes, but has always entertained people. Through music – hearing, playing, singing, dancing writing or discussing it – you meet other people, get to know them and become friends. Music is almost something magical, which gives life another meaning.

That’s why the best advice someone can give you is to put your records and headphones on – even if it is a cloudy, miserable day-, because life is a journey through music.

I had never felt so nervous before in my life

“Passengers and crew, the airplane is ready to take off”, announces the pilot. Something moves inside of me, as soon as I hear the message. Am I excited? No. Happy? Impossible! Maybe nervous and afraid, probably so anxious and fearful I can’t do anything.

The safety belt sign turns on. My level of adrenaline may be as high as the airplane will be in some minutes. The plane approaches the runway. I start counting slowly: 1, 2, 3… We’re going faster and faster and faster, my heart beats faster too.

Suddenly, I feel weightless, ungrounded: the airplane is flying! I take a long breath.

You may be asking right now, why am I so nervous. The answer: the last time I was in an airplane, the pilot had a little accident and some difficulties with a tropical thunderstorm. Since this episode, every time I have to stay more than two hours inside a vehicle or something, my face goes white and I freeze.

Then, I say to you, my dear reader, that you’re wrong. The time you feel more nervous is not the time you live the danger. That’s why the last time I was in a plane I wasn’t nervous, but afraid. And I have never felt so nervous before in my life than right now, while we’re landing.

It doesn’t matter if you count until 1 000 000 000, or close your eyes and think you’re in another place, start to sing, watch a film, start to pray or sleep.

The moment you feel more nervous is the time after the danger, when you go through the same situation, and realize it can happen again.

Heroes and Villains of Inkheart

We often think that heroes are people that always do the right thing and help the others. But we’re wrong.

The heroes in the book “Inkheart”, by Cornelia Funke, aren’t super heroes, like Batman or Superman. We also can’t say they are “normal”: They don’t spend the whole story doing good deeds and helping people. Nor even the villains from this book can be “normal”.

*     The heroes:

The heroes in this book aren’t really easy to find. They are the characters Meggie, Mo, Elinor and Farid. We can say Meggie’s a heroine because of her courage and determination when she was trying to escape from Capricorn’s hands. Mo is also a hero because of his intelligence and affection with Meggie, Teresa (his wife) and Elinor. Meggie’s Grandaunt, Elinor, becomes a heroine when she looks for Meggie and Fenoglio and we can also say Farid’s a hero because of his enormous courage.

*     

      The Villains:

The Villains in this story are Capricorn and Basta. They are from the book “Inkheart”, but live in our world. We say they are villains because they kill people or make them villains. They kidnap people and they did that with Meggie.

*     Some different people:

There are two characters in this book that are really strange: Dustfinger and Fenoglio. We can’t consider them heroes or villains. They’re in the middle of these two categories. Dustfinger, because he sometimes helps Mo and Meggie, but sometimes he betrays them. Fenoglio is also a character that is neither a hero nor an evil person because he helps the main characters, but in his book (he’s the author from “Inkheart”) he kills Dustfinger. Fenoglio says: “He was such a brilliant character, but I needed to kill him, just because of that.”

Heroes are easy to find

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to find a hero? A hero is a person that does heroic acts. A hero is someone that helps or save another person. There are lots of types of heroes: from those who save people in comics (like Superman or Spiderman) to the heroes that are with us in our daily routine.

An example of heroes is the policemen: they make countries, cities and neighbourhoods better and safer. If they didn’t exist, there would be more robberies, traffic and forgery than there is nowadays.

The Firemen are also heroes: You can see, almost every day, the action of these heroes in the news. Sometimes, there is a big fire in London, or a shipwreck in Italy and they are helping people there, saving their lives.

Everybody has a hero: a friend, or a parent, who does a little thing, but that thing helped you. So, heroes are easy to find. You just need to pay a bit more attention and you’ll see there is one right next to you! 

"In the Garden"

When Mr. Archibald Craven stopped to rest near a lake, he thought about the Secret Garden, where he was happy with his wife. He started to think about Misselthwaite Manor, that he should return.
One night, Mr. Craven dreamed about his dead wife and the garden. In the morning after that, he decided to return to Yorkshire, when he read a letter from Dickon's mother.
On the journey back to England, Mr. Craven thought about Colin and his first days of life. He stopped near the Sowerby's cottage, to talk to Mrs. Susan, but she wasn't there.
When Mr. Archibald Craven arrived at Misselthwaite, he talked to Mrs. Medlock. The old woman said Colin was different and strange. She told to Mr. Craven that the boy was in the gardens.
The man walked through the manor, and stood in front of the Garden's door. He heard laughter and feet running. Then, a boy passed through the door and fell into his arms. Mr. Craven was astonished: the boy in his arms was young, strong and lively. The boy in his arms was his son. They talked about the garden.
And they returned from the garden. And all the servants were surprised when they saw the scene: Colin was walking, happily and healthily.

"'It's Mother!'"

While Mary, Dickon, Ben and Colin worked in the garden, the young rajah talked about Magic and his discoveries. Then, he stood up and felt the sun on his body. Dickon started to sing a song thanking God. Everybody sang it twice and, in the last line, a woman entered the garden. She was Mrs. Susan Sowerby, Dickon's mother.
The woman said Colin looked like his mother and that his legs would be the strongest in the whole world. She also said Mary would be beautiful as her mother, like a rose.
They talked and walked through the garden. Colin asked Mrs. Sowerby if she believed in Magic. She said she did. Colin admired Dickon's mother the rest of the afternoon, wishing she was his mother too. And Mrs. Sowerby said, that Colin's mother would probably be there, in the Garden, looking after him.

"The Curtain"

The Secret Garden became more beautiful day by day. The Robin and his friend took care of their nest. They were a bit apprehensive about Mary and Colin. The young rajah was diferent from the others. He came into the garden with a wheel chair, and was covered with animal blankets.

The Robin wasn't afraid of Dickon. He spoke the robin's language. Then, one rainy day, Mary and Colin were in Misselthwaite Manor. The girl thought of going through the corridors and rooms. There, she and Colin could do their exercices and the young rajah could walk and nobody would see him.

"'Let them laugh'"

Dickon looked after the Secret Garden, but he also took care of a small garden near his family's cottage. There planted he potatoes, cabbages, turnips, carrots and herbs. When Mrs. Sowerby had time, she stood with Dickon there.
One evening, Mrs. Sowerby met her son in the little garden. Then, the boy told her the whole story of the secret Garden: how did Mary found the key, the pretty Robin, Colin, his tantrum, Ben Weatherstaff...
Dickon said Mary and Colin acted every day, and they had a lot of fun doing it. Colin complained with everone and when he and his cousin arrive at the Garden, they laugh a lot.
The two cousins grew stronger and faster, but they were always hungry. Then, Dickon's mother had an idea: bake some bread and send some milk to Mary and Colin, so nobody would be hungry and they could continue acting. For that, Colin and Mary gave Mrs. Sowerby some money.

"Magic"

When Mary and Colin arrived at Misselthwaite Manor, Dr. Craven, Mary's cousin doctor, was waiting for Colin. He said the children were late and, if it continued, he wouldn't let Colin go to the gardens. The young rajah said he wasn't tired and he would go outside even if the doctor don't agree.
Mary said she felt sorry for doctor Craven, because he needed to be educated for ten years with a rude boy (Colin). They talked about it and Colin concluded he would stop beeing rude and would go to the Secret Garden every day. They talked about Magic: the good magic from the garden where nobody was allowed to go in.
The months passed, and the garden was turning more beautiful day by day. Colin thought about the Magic and realized he would learn about it. Then, Dickon, Mary, Ben Weatherstaff and the young rajah sat in circle and they started to do some "Magic": Colin sang about the Magic in the garden, in his feet and in Ben Weatherstaff's back.

"When the sun went down"

Colin asked Mary to go meet Ben Weatherstaff and show him the entrance to the garden. While this, the young Rajah promised himself he would walk. He asked Dickon for help, and when Ben arrived in the garden, Colin was standing in front of him. Colin tried to walk. Then, he learned how to plant a tree and, when the sun went down, Colin continuated to walk. And to laugh.

"Ben Weatherstaff"

In the Secret Garden Colin felt he would live forever. It seemed that the whole world was perfect for just a boy. Dickon, Mary and even Colin spoke with "a bit o' good Yorkshire" accent. Mary and Dickon worked a little in the garden and showed it to Colin. They saw the robin building his nest.
Then, the young rajah saw a man. This man was Ben Weatherstaff. He was watching them from a ladder near the wall from the garden. The old man was surprised. He had heard rumours about Colin, that he was a hunchback, but they were lies. Colin was just a palid thin boy.
Ben said he took care of the garden nobody was allowed to go in it. He said that before Mrs. Craven died, she asked him to look after the garden.

"'I shall live forever- and ever- and ever!'"

Colin needed to wait more than a week to go outside the house. Some days looked very windy and sometimes he looked a bit ill. Regardless of the weather, Dickon came every day to tell Mary and Colin about the moor and the garden. They planned the way that they would make to go to the garden.
Everybody in Misselthwaite knew about Colin going outside. Mr. Roach, the head-gardener, talked to Colin. The young Rajah said he didn't want anyone in the garden while he, Mary and Dickon were there, and Mr. Roach agreed.

The day after , Colin sat on his wheelchair and Dickon and Mary went to the moor with the Rajah. They showed him everything and about how  Mary discovered the secret garden's door. Then, Mary showed Colin the door and they went into the garden. And Colin realised, he would live forever and ever and ever.

"It has come!"

Colin's doctor came to Misselthwaite Manor. Mrs. Medlock told him that Mary made Colin feel better. Then, doctor Craven (he was Colin's cousin too) entered the boy's bedroom. Mary was talking about the bulbs and flowers in the garden and when the doctor arrived there, she stopped. Colin said to the doctor that in one or two days he would go outside the house.
Doctor Craven was shocked. He couldn't belive the boy in front of him was saying something like that. Doctor Craven said Colin should go out with Mary AND his nurse, but the boy didn't want to. He said Mary and Dickon would take care of him. No nurses or other people. The doctor agreed.
The next day, Colin woke up happy. Happy about everything. Then, Mary entered his room and said springtime arrived. She said the garden was beautiful.
After Colin and his cousin had breakfast, he said to his nurse that Dickon would come and he should go to his bedroom imediatelly.

When Martha's brother arrived, Colin was impressed. The three children talked for hours and hours and they saw Colin's books.He said he would see the garden and Mary said he certainly would.

"'Tha' munnot waste no time!'"

Mary didn't wake up early. She was extremly tired. Martha brought her breakfast and told her Colin was a little bit ill. He wanted to see his cousin. The young maid said Mary was very corageous, when she was in Colin's bedroom the night before.
Some minutes later, Mary was in Colin's bedroom.Mary said she was going to meet Dickon in the garden. Colin said he dreamed about the Secret Garden.
Then, Colin's cousin went to the garden. Dickon found two new friends: they were two squirrels. Mary told the boy about her cousin's tantrum and Dickon felt sorry for Colin. Dickon wanted Colin to go outside the house and see the garden. Mary tried to speak with a Yorkshire accent.

The young girl returned to Colin's bedroom and talked with him about her day. Then, he said sorry for his tantrum and Mary said her cousin could go outside the house, to meet Dickon and his friends and see the garden.

"A tantrum"

Mary was sleeping when Colin had a tantrum. Everybody was running up and down the house. Colin's nurse asked Mary to make the young rajah stop. He was yelling, and shouting, and screaming.
Mary was furious. She got into her cousin's room and screamed too. She said she hated Colin and that, if he shouted again, she would do it too.
Then, Colin said he saw a lump on is back and Mary, furiously, ordered the nurse to show her her cousin's back. The little girl said there was nothing, just Colin's backbone.
Mary and his cousin agreed Colin would go outside the house with his cousin and Dickon. Mary sang to the young rajah a song that her Ayah would sing to her.
Colin and the girl were no longer fighting.

"'I won't' said Mary"

After lunch time, Mary asked Martha to tell Colin she couldn't stay with him that afternoon- Dickon and Mary had lots of work to do. She returned to the garden and finished her work.

Then, she came home and met Martha. The young maid said Colin was vexed. Mary went to Colin's bedroom. He was in his bed, not in the sofa next to the window, where he used to stay. Colin said he wouldn't allow Dickon come if his cousin continuated to stay with Martha's brother and not with him. 

Mary was annoyed. She and Colin fought and Mary said she would never say anything with Colin, not even a word. 

She left her cousin's room and met Colin's nurse, who was laughing. She said the fight was good for him.

Mary recieved, from Mr. Craven, some presents. If she hadn't fought with her cousin, she would have them to show him.

"Nest building"

The whole rainy week passed quickly for Mary. She passed hours and hours talking about gardens and rajahs with Colin. He showed her his coloured books.The girl though her cousin would be healthier if he met Dickon, the pretty robin and see the gardens.

Some days after, Mary woke up early. She met Dickon in the Secret Garden and they observed the things growing. Mary talked with Dickon about Colin, and they concluded it would be good for "the rajah" if he saw the gardens. Dickon asked Mary if she saw that the robin and his mate were building a nest.

"A young rajah"

It was a rainy day. Mary told Martha about Colin. The young maid was a little scared. She asked Mary how did Colin reacted, if he was vexed.Mary said he wasn't.
The girl asked why Colin was always saying he would die. Martha answered, everybody thought the boy would be like his father, a hunchback.Mary asked Dickon's sister if she thought Colin would die. Martha replied that he was always ill and does nothing.She told Mary about a episode of when he got really annoyed and vexed.

Then, Mary went to Colin's bedroom. She told him about a rajah, a rich boy from India that ordered everyone to do what he wanted. She also mentioned Dickon and talked about him to Colin, without telling him about the Secret Garden. Mary said Colin could go outside the house, but he didn't want to. He said he would die soon.
Then, Mrs. Medlock entered "the young rajah's" room accompained by a doctor.

" I am Colin"

Mary heard the cry in the corridor, that she had heard before. Now, she was certain it wasn't the wind.
She walked through the corridors and rooms. Then, she entered into a large room, "with ancient, handsome furniture in it".
The cry came from a thin boy. He looked very ill, but cried like someone tired, not ill. He asked Mary if she was a ghost or something. Then, she said she wasn't and they discovered they were cousins. The boy's name was Colin Craven.
They talked about the garden nobody could go in (The Secret Garden), and Mary told him a lot about gardening tools and how she "imaginated" it.

Colin said the whole time he would die soon. He showed Mary a picture of his mother, that looked like his cousin.They agreed that this meeting (and the others) would be a secret.

"Might I have a bit of earth"

Mary talked with Martha about Dickon. Then, Martha asked Mary where she was going to plant the seeds that Dickon had brought. Mary didn't know as she hadn't asked anyone yet for permission.

Then, Mrs. Meddlock came into Mary's bedroom and told her that her uncle wanted to see her, Mary was nervous.

Mr. Craven asked her if she wanted to have a nanny or a governess and she said she didn't want either. Her uncle said that was what Martha's mother had said to him. In the end of the conversation, Mary asked if she could have a little bit of earth, to plant her seeds, and Mr. Craven said she could do whatever she wanted.

Mary was excited. She could have her Secret Garden.

"The nest of the missel thrush"

Mary showed Dickon the Secret Garden. He was fascinated.
He showed Mary that the garden wasn't completely dead, as she had imagined. There were some dead trees, but some were very alive.
They were excited and wanted to go from tree to tree to see if the trees were dead or not. 
The children worked a lot in the garden. They agreed to meet there every day, even if it was raining. They wanted the garden to look beautiful.
Dickon sang "Mistress Mary quite contrary", but Mary wasn't annoyed. She liked it. They had a lot of fun together.

Then, Mary realized that day was the best day in her life and she would never forget it.

"Dickon"

Now, Mary can run faster and for much longer and can skip up to a hundred with the skipping rope. The sky continued blue and she worked a lot in her new garden. The bulbs were growing faster and faster, fascinating Mary everyday.
During this week, Mary became more friendlier with Ben Weatherstaff they talked with the robin and about gardens. Ben said he liked roses and Mary asked lots of things about gardens. "It is very suspicious", he thought. 
Mary walked through the moor. Then she met Dickon. He was strange and had a snub nose. Mary showed him the robin and the secret garden.

"The strangest house any one ever lived in"

Mary worked in her new garden. She tried to help the bulbs "breathe".
In the afternoon, Mary talked to Martha. The young maid said Dickon could help the girl to organize the garden. Martha also said Dickon could buy some seeds for Mary. The yellow-faced girl loved the idea and Martha dictated a letter (that Mary wrote) to Dickon.

"The robin who showed the way"

Mary kept the key, so she would be prepared for when she found the garden door.

Mary meets Martha the next   morning. Mary couldn't understand how the girl could be happy waking up at four o' clock and helping her mother the whole day. The young maid says her brothers and sisters liked hearing about Mary and India.

Martha gives Mary a present: a skipping rope. The Indian girl had never seen anything like that before. She began trying to skip and then, she could skip until ten!

Mary meets Ben and shows him the present.

The girl followed the cute robin, which was now her friend. Mary thought that what happened after was magic. The wind made the plant curtain move and Mary saw the garden door. Then, she turned the key and opened the door. 

She was inside the secret garden.

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/THE_ROBIN_WHO_SHOWED_THE_WAY_p1.html

"The key to the garden"

The next day, the sky was blue and beautiful. There was no rain anymore.Mary says to Martha that she likes the maid's mother and her brother, Dickon. The yellow-faced girl also says she would like to see their cottage. Martha says spring time's coming.

Mary meets Ben Weatherstaff and his robin. The robin shows Mary where the Secret Garden's key is. 


http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/THE_KEY_TO_THE_GARDEN_p1.html

“There was someone crying-there was!”

In this Chapter Mary goes around the house, because she had nothing to do – it was raining.

 After hours and hours walking around the house, she saw a picture of a girl with a parrot. Mary Lennox wanted the girl to be there, so she could play with someone. Then, she found a big room which had a closet with a huge quantity of little white elephants. Mary played with them for hours and hours. When she was tired, she tried to go back to her bedroom, but she (unfortunately) meets Mrs. Medlock. Mary says she turned the wrong corner and that there was someone crying, but Mrs. Medlock was very angry and didn’t wanted to listen to Mary.  

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/index.html (Chapter link)

“The cry in the corridor"

One day, Mary Lennox woke up with appetite- she was HUNGRY! She didn’t take her eyes off her breakfast- only when it was all eaten. Martha sees that and says to the Indian girl that she was very proud of Mary.

When Mary goes out, she discovers that the robin which is Ben Weatherstaff’s friend is now her friend too!

She was so happy that she discovers a new feeling-love. She discovers that someone (even if it’s a robin) likes her and she likes it too.

In the afternoon, when Martha was in Mary’s room, they hear a very low cry. Martha says it is nothing- it’s just the wind in the moor.

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/THE_CRY_IN_THE_CORRIDOR_p1.html (Chapter link)

"Martha"

The fourth chapter of the book tells the reader about the adventures of Mary in the moor. She meets an old gardener called Ben Weatherstaff and a cute little robin that lives in a garden that nobody can go into, Mrs. Craven’s garden.

From this day forward, Mary Lennox starts being friendlier with Martha, the girl who is Mrs. Medlock servant and starts to talk with the Yorkshire girl, finding out many things about her brother, Dickon.

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/MARTHA_p1.html (book link)

"Across the Moor"

In this chapter, the author tells us how Mary Lennox arrived at Misselthwaite Manor, her uncle’s house.

She arrived there at night, so she couldn’t release what is a moor. Mrs. Medlock told her that her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven, didn’t want to see the girl. She wasn’t surprised: nobody ever wanted to see her. Mary was told that she couldn’t go out of her room. Never. Ever.

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/ACROSS_THE_MOOR_p1.html (Chapter link)

"Mistress Mary quite contrary"

In this Chapter, the author tells us that Mary was so ugly that nobody wanted to play or be with her.

Mrs. Medlock, the housekeeper of Mary’s uncle’s house, Misselthwaite Manor (where the girl would live) told her about her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven and his big house, which had a hundred rooms, most of which were locked up.

Mary was told that Mr. Craven was married to a beautiful woman who died ten years before Mary arrived at the Misselthwaite. Mr. Craven was so sad when his wife died, that he never wanted anybody to see him, except for Pitcher, his butler.

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/MISTRESS_MARY_QUITE_CONTRARY_p1.html (link to the book).

"There is no one left"

The first chapter of the book tells the reader about Mary Lennox, an ugly girl with a yellow face, a little thin body, thin light hair and a sour expression. She lived in India.

She always had an Ayah, a woman who did everything for her. Then, one day, this woman wasn’t there. She died of cholera, like Mary’s parents and many more servants that worked in her house.

On the day her Ayah didn’t come, nobody remembered Mary, so she stayed in her room the whole day, doing nothing. Then, an English official found her, and Mary realized she was the only person in the house.

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frances_Hodgson_Burnett/The_Secret_Garden/THERE_IS_NO_ONE_LEFT_p1.html (Chapter Link)

The Secret Garden

For my new English project, I’ll be reading the book “The Secret Garden” and watch a part of the movie. Every week, I’ll post something about the book and the movie.

“The Secret Garden” is a novel first published in 1911.The author is Frances Hodgson Burnett. She also wrote the book “A Little Princess”. She lived in Manchester. When her father died, her family moved to Salford. When she was sixteen, her family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. She died in 1924, in Long Island, New York.