Critical Literacy: A Good Day to Die Hard ☼

Assalamualaikum. Can you hear that? (Scream) That's what freedom sounds like.

Well, it is almost the end of the semester. I can hear the birds chirping, the tigers roaring, the cows mooing, the cats meowing, the students screaming. All of them are celebrating. For what? Yes, of course. It is because they are all celebrating, graduating from the course - the one and only, Critical Literacy.  I am so glad that Critical Literacy has come to its end, after months of struggling. To me, this course is extremely difficult to digest. While I was learning Critical Literacy, it was as if I have constipation 24/7. It is that hard to digest, to brain. 

I cannot express my happiness enough. I am over the top happy that this critical course has come to its finish line! I feel like screaming out loud, as loud as everyone in this world can hear. Alright, I was exaggerating much. Although, it was quite true though. I really feel like screaming. Truthfully, it was like a tonne of Critical Literacy's weight have left both of my shoulders. They were sitting there for four months, and that is it. This is the time for you to fly. Find your freedom, while we enjoy ours. 

Throughout studying this particular course, I have gained absolutely countless of experiences, including happy and sad moments. Although studying Critical Literacy felt like being tortured all the way, but I have learned so much throughout learning the course. I have learned how to do critical thinking. It is via the use of both brains. You cannot conduct critical thinking, if you do not use both of your left and right brain. I have learned that it is important to have premises or evidences to support our stance and our beliefs. We cannot simply say that we are right, when we clearly do not have any evidence to support us. Everything that we claim should be supported by evidences or premises. We cannot foolishly say something without thinking. Throughout learning this course, I have had hard times. But, at the end of the day, I have come up with a quote, "Life is like kitkat, you have to break it to eat it,". 

As for myself, this is clearly based on my experiences, I would say that Critical Literacy was a hardcore subject. It knocked our heads out, it pulled our hair out and it definitely took our breath away - far, far away. It was not like love at first sight. When I first encountered CL, it was more like, "I don't want to know you any further, you're way out of my league,". Knowing CL was like knowing someone that clearly would pull the trigger towards our face. I am not CL's lover, nor its enemy. But, I can say that the chemistry just was not there. Critical Literacy was indeed hardcore and difficult at its best. I do not want to express more of my comments about this course, because this post would probably appear like a hate expression letter. I do not want to say that I hate Critical Literacy, but I just did not see eye to eye with it. I do not hate the course because I see the benefits that it carries. I see them, clearly. Therefore, I accept it or among muslims we say, redha.

I suggest this course to be eliminated from Diploma in English Communication's list of courses. I think Critical Literacy should not be taught at Diploma level. On the contrary, I do not think it should be taught at Degree level, as well. I am sorry for saying this, but honestly, from the bottom of my heart, I am hoping for this course to be vanished, thrown far away from KPMIM. I do not want our juniors to face the hardship like we did. I do not want them to suffer like we did. Please eliminate this course immediately. This subject would probably defect one's result. I am afraid the DECOM students' overall results will drop down because of this particular subject. I am urging for this subject to be terminated from DECOM students' lives. I hope you will consider my suggestions. This is for the future. This is for DECOM's future. Let's change for the better. We can do it. We can make the world become a better place to live in, if we try to understand each other, tolerate with each other and help each other. Where there's a will, there's a way, inshaAllah.

Thanks for the memories, Critical Literacy. I would say, today is a good day to die hard. Adios!

Hollywood's Based-on-True Story Movies: ✔ or ✘?

Assalamualaikum. Movie time!

I love talking about this topic because I'm a huge movie lover! Especially English movies! I cannot express enough of my excitement when it comes to movies and anything that is related to movies like actors and actresses. Easily said, I am a huge movie lover, thus I am excited to write about this topic.

As known by many, Hollywood is where big stars were produced, like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence and many, countless more. Movies produced by Hollywood are mostly great and outstanding. Movies like Transformers, Fast & Furious and even, Avatar are all pleased in the eyes. I love Hollywood movies as there is a variety of genre that they produce, like action, romance, thriller and many more. In addition, Hollywood also produces movies that are out of this world that goes beyond one's imagination like After Earth, Edward's Scissorhands, Hotel Transylvania, Final Destination, Inception, X-Men, The Host and infinitively more.

Despite its countless number of unique movies, Hollywood also produce based-on-true-story movies. The question is, do Hollywood's based-on-true story movies, tell the truth? I would say, the movies do not necessarily convey the truths and I have premises to support my stance. The movies do not necessarily tell the truth because there are modifications being made, in the movies. There are various movies like this being produced by Hollywood. Based on my knowledge of movies, I know that 127 Hours is based on a true story of a hiker that have faced difficulties in surviving, to continue living, therefore he would do anything in order to survive. He would even break his arm and chop it out in order to get himself out from the difficulties that he was facing, which was, his arm was stuck between a heavy rock. Even though this movie is said to be based on a true story, some modifications were made in order for the content to fit the required duration. Modifications were made and some facts were erased and replaced with a new created fact. For the 127 Hours movie, modifications were made. This can be proven by the statement stated in the article written by Barkham (2010), "Boyle shot 127 Hours at the exact spot where Ralston had the accident but added some fictional scenes, such as when he splashes in a secret pool with the women he meets before the accident (the reality – helping them with a few basic climbs – was much more prosaic). Ralston was uncomfortable with these at first but belatedly understood that such changes enabled the audience to "experience it in a truthful way" and did not undermine the "authenticity" promised by Boyle,".

The second premise that I have with me in supporting my stance of Hollywood's based-on-true story movies do not necessarily tell the truth is sometimes the movies stray away from the actual authentic story. This happened because movie producers want to produce dramatically exciting movies that would gain high rates. Thus, sometimes this causes the movie to stray away from the actual story that is said to be based on to. The stories are made more dramatic, because that could capture people's attention and interest. Therefore, producers, directors, as well as co-screenwriters collaborate with each other to produce a better story line and plot than the actual story itself.

From this, we can conclude that sometimes what we see on the screen do not convey the truths. We have to do researches and find evidences before we believe the stories that we hear and see in movies as the truths. Do not be deceived by dramatic and almost real movies. We have to be a smart consumer, so that we will not be deceived by people, by the world. But, above all that, I still watch this kind of movies, because it makes me become kind of like a real researcher as I will always find evidences to identify whether the movies that are claimed to be based on a true story, is true or not. 

Reference List 

Barkham, P. (2010, December 15). The extraordinary story behind Danny Boyle's 127 Hours.
        The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/15/story-danny-boyles-127-hours

Babies for Sale ☠

Assalamualaikum. Babies for sale, anyone?

I have read the article from NST dated March 3, 2013 which claimed, "If money were the only criterion by which a child's welfare can be gauged, then a baby bought for as much as RM 40,000 on the black market would seem set for life. For money-rich but child-poor couples, it is a small price to pay to introduce a small life into their home. The cot is gilded, the blanket monogrammed, the college fund filled to the brim. All that's wanting is a bun in the oven. And where there is a baby-for-sale racket, money can indeed buy happiness. And after all, why not?". This breaks my heart - this entire statement. Who would ever sale babies? Who would ever have the heart to kidnap innocent babies and then, sell them? Who on Earth would ever heartlessly do black marketing?

It is true that money can't buy happiness. I believe in that. I hope the ones who do black marketing for babies are informed about this. As I know, black marketing does not involve in selling babies only. There are some cases involving selling children's organs, and some even forces girls to become prostitutes. These black marketing cases are all heartbreaking to hear. Clearly, there is no heart in those who do the disgusting work.

In this case, babies are being kidnapped before being sold at high price to couples that desired a baby, especially those who have been married for years, yet there is no baby in the picture. Without a doubt, a couple would feel devastatingly heartbreaking knowing that they cannot reproduce. A child is like a gift in a marriage. It is one amazing gift that they can have. It somewhat completes a marriage. When there is a child, it is as if the child has completed the jigsaw puzzle of one's perfect concept of a family. A baby can be bought, hence happiness can be bought, true or false? I would say false as I have mentioned earlier, money can't buy happiness. If money can buy happiness, that is not real happiness. There will be guilt which comes along with that 'happiness'.

Maybe for certain couples that are rich, but poor in terms of number of child think that RM 40,000 is a small amount of money and they can afford to buy a baby with that amount of money. But, they have to bear in mind that it would be a crime if they buy the baby. But, when it comes to having feelings, having sympathy and empathy, one would buy the baby anyway. But, not necessarily to make the baby as his/her child. Some buy the babies to avoid them being harmed, even being killed by heartless people. These people are to be respected as humanity is being restored by them. Although RM 40,000 seems expensive, a person's life is far more valuable that that.

To conclude, money can't buy happiness. But, it can help people and it can make a person's life much better. Humanity should be restored in everyone, so that there will come peace in this world.

POV: Stereotyping ✿

Assalamualaikum. Today's topic is stereotyping. 

What comes to your mind when you hear the word, 'Stereotyping'? I'll tell what comes in mine; gays, nerds, geeks. Look, I just stereotyped groups of people which are gays, nerds and geeks. In my own perspective, I think stereotyping is a disease that is already in our mind. It has being drilled into our brains ever since we were little. This is a passed-on disease, I would say. As everyone know, every child's first education is at home. Parents are children's first teachers. Children learn mostly from their parents, like the way they speak, the way they eat and the way they do things. With or without realization, stereotyping occurs almost 24/7. I wouldn't say that I don't do stereotyping because I do it too. I am one out of many stereotyping 'patients' that have troubles in eliminating this so-called-habit. I would say that stereotyping starts as being nurtured in ourselves from the influence of the surroundings, with or without us realizing it. I would say that it happens without us being conscious. I wouldn't take that as a fault that is valid to be blamed for as stereotyping occur without us realizing it. 

Sometimes, what we think about something is not entirely true. Our assumptions do lie, sometimes. That is why we can't assume. To me, assumptions and stereotyping are intertwined with each other. They are like best friends, holding each other's hands, teaming up to destroy people's minds and feelings. To psycho us, that's the right word; psycho. When it comes to stereotyping, I would say that it is somewhat unacceptable. But, it happens without us realizing it. Despite that, I still think that stereotyping is a BIG NO-NO! I don't think people should stereotype. It's undeniably sickening to simply view people based on what people have categorized them in. Sometimes, well, almost all the time, stereotyping is not true. 

It is known to most people that whoever has punk hair is a bad person. This goes the same with those who have tattoos on their bodies. One of the most popular groups of people that have been categorized by the society is blondes. What comes into your mind when it comes to blondes? Britney Spears? Justin Bieber and recently platinum-blonde-dyed Kim Kardashian? The word, 'blonde' brings me back to the movie, Legally Blonde which the main cast of it was Reese Witherspoon whom is a blonde and in the movie, she was initially been laughed by her university mates because she seemed clueless of simply everything. But, at the end of the day, she got fired up and she tried hard to make the people who are laughing at her, stop laughing anymore. She wanted to proof those people that she was not like what she has being stereotyped as and that she was much better than that. She successfully done a great job in her Law studies and successfully became a lawyer at the end. This, thus shut people's mouth about her stupidity before. Thus, this clearly proved that stereotyping does not necessarily convey the truths. Easily said, stereotyping is clearly based on shallow-minded people. 

In brief, try to avoid stereotyping. It is hard, unimaginably hard. But what do we get to lose if we don't even want to try?

Critical Literacy: Say Hello To Goodbye ✦

Assalamualaikum, I am Nur Aisyah binti Rosli from DEC 4E.

I heard none of Critical Literacy before I enter this semester. When I first learned this particular subject, it was like a new and fresh thing for me as I've never heard of any subject that has the word 'critical' in it, before. By looking at its name, I thought it was going to be critically hard. I really thought that the subject would be as difficult as I couldn't imagined. It turned out that this subject was and is indeed, hard. At first, we learned about using left and right brains. I thought it was the first part of the critical thing. Surprisingly, it was the first part of the whole critical thing. I was somewhat terrified at first with the word, 'critical' in the subject's name, but I got more terrified when I knew Critical Literacy's real deal. 

Despite being terrified and all, I have expectations, as well as hopes for this subject. My expectations are this subject will be extremely hard to digest, extremely mind-exhausting, mind-blowing and head-banging. Although my expectations that I have stated earlier were not positive. But, I do have some positive expectations on this subject and one of them is I expect Critical Literacy to be interesting. I also expect the subject to give an eye-opening impact towards me as I don't really do much of thinking before. Therefore, I expect this subject to urge me to think more, although I dislike thinking and over-thinking. I hope this subject will not be as hard as I thought it would be and I hope I can score this subject because if I do excel in this subject, I'd be the happiest girl in the world. That is undeniably and irrevocably true. I really hope I will succeed in this subject. I also hope that the lecturer will be kind and understanding when the students have lack of understanding regarding the subject, as well as the content of it. I also hope that the lecturers will help as much as they can in order to help the students in gaining understanding and creating interest among the students of this subject.

It is official. It has started. Say hello to CL, goodbye to peaceful mind. Dear Mr. CL, you are potential to be a foe, rather than a friend. Whatever it is, I will not let you break me into pieces. If you dare to do so, I will tear you off into millions of pieces and I shall show no mercy at all. Whatever it is, I just hope that this subject won't mentally kill me, but instead will create a better me, InshaAllah.