An Escape

When it comes to family issues, there's always unsatisfaction and disagreement between mum and dad and child. Like in the novel secret life of bees, where the child had the intention on running away from her home, away from her father and it is all because of the fierce father behaviour on his little daughter. Lily felt that she was being tortured and she felt hatred towards T. Ray that she wanted to get rid of him and have a clear explaination on the lost of her mother. The escape plan was never a good idea for a fourteen years old kid like her.

Lily should have consider all the colds, sleepless nights, danger and hunger, the general sense of being lost and not knowing where she's heading to and where she need to go but her emotions  before she decided to escape. Although Rosaleen, the lady who helps T. Ray to take care of Lily was there in their house every day, she still feel the lack of love from his biological father. In the same time, she felt that she's just a burden to her father that make her felt so wrong to stay in the house.

There's always some time that I felt the same as Lily, where the idea of escaping from home appears. Probably it was just an idea and was never be a real plan. At those time, I was always turns out to be sad, like really sad. Those sadness and disappointed makes me feel down and overthink. This happens every time my family and I had a big fight among each other.

 The first and recent time in my life, where I felt really down because of my broken family and I drove away from home for 12 hours. Mum and dad were fighting with each other for a few days and doesn't even care with my existence in the house. By that time, my younger brother was at my granny's and my elder brother was at his university. I felt really bad that I heard all the arguments and started to overthink. I did my best to stay calm and silent that I decided to drive away and had my own time. It was a cold night that I picked up my car keys and quietly sneak out to my car.

I don't really had a destination so I went on mindless driving with tears on my cheeks. I was hoping that my parents would realize that I was away because of them but they didn't. The next afternoon I went back home was because of my elder brother called me to. When I was home, both mum and dad was already at work and there's me alone in the house. In the end, everything was back as usual. Mum and dad are still loving each other and we stays as a family.

Although it was back to the way that it should be, the saddest part that my parents didn't ever realize that I was away because of them was unforgettable. But anyway, let bygone be bygone. I still love my parents and they are my everything, always be. Do not try this at home or anywhere. Its advisable for teens to not overthink and act recklessly. To run away from home is never a good idea and will never be a solution to your own problems.

Have fun reading!

RUNNING AWAY FROM EVERYTHING???

Lily realizes she has to leave her father. What does this say about her? Write about a time you felt you needed to run away.

Do you know who is Lily? Did you read the novel with the title of The Secret life of Bees written by Sue Monk Kidd? Actually, Lily is the main character in this novel. She is a fourteen-year-old white teenager growing up in Sylvan, South Carolina. She is beaten down,abused and misused by her brutal father, T-Ray when Lily first appears. T-ray runs a peach farm where Lily has always lived, and neither he nor Lily ever forget that when Lily is in the age of four, she killed her mother while witnessing an argument between her parents. 

One day, Lily realizes that she has to leave her father, her house and also her hometown. What made she to have mind to leave her father? I think Lily want to leave her father because she want to escape from her father. This is because her father, T-Ray likes to conquer her. T-Ray doesn't give her enough love and care. Lily has always been beaten down and abused by her father,but Rosaleen which is her nanny's always encourage her and gives Lily courage.

What does this say about her? Lily is a brave fourteen-year-old white teenager girl. Why? This is because Lily can take the challenge to live in the other side of world without her family. Through her interactions with other people during the journey, Lily can gain the strength in her independence, understanding of prejudice and love connections in her life.

Besides, Lily'sense of humor helps her survive and takes her far beyond her father's lack of humanity.  

Now, let us move to another question!

When you were little, did you ever run away and did you had the time that make you felt like you need to run away? Maybe some of you had packed up your backpack and made it down the driveway or around the corner to your friend's backyard. But after a little while, you forgot why you were running away and it was getting dark out, so you want back to your home.

I don't have any experience about running away from my house but... I had the time that make me felt like I need to run away from everything. 

Do you want to hear about my story? This just happened about one years ago after I finished my SPM examination. 

When I was seventeen years old, I was on the rebellious stage. I didn't like to share anything with my parents. I didn't like to talk to them and always focus on my smartphone and laptop. I hate to come out from my room because for me, my room is always my comfort zone. Do you agree with what I said? YES, maybe someone of you don't feel what I felt. But if you're in my shoes, you will know and understand me more. 

I don't know why I just felt like I'm not belong to my family on that time. I don't talk to any of my family because I thought that all of them HATE me a lot and of course I will hate them too. Am I too childish in this kind to situation? Maybe. I just felt that nobody wanted and tried to understand and close to me. I HATE THAT STUPID FEELING. I cried almost every night and though about how basically none of my family wanted me to be born. Since that claim came to my mind, I always dream about the same thing every night. In my dream, my sister wished for me to never be born and my parents don't want me at all. All of this made me felt like I don't fit in with my family. 

One day, I had a big fight with my family. I was argue about what am I felt on that time and why I turned into a monster or maybe a cute monster?  After the argument, I didn't have any mood to talk to them. I closed my heart and my mind to not listen to anything that they try to explain for cool down the situation. I'm so stubborn. Am I??? On that time, my mind told me to run away from everything so that I can feel relax and no load at all. I told my best friend about my feeling. She just told me that, "Sometimes you need to follow your heart and not your mind.", and I still remember this sentence. THIS SENTENCE CHANGE MY LIFE.

After a week from that fight, I was started to feel regret and recall what was I just said during that fight. I knew that I already break my parents' heart. I lowered down my ego and said sorry to them. Then, everything turn to normal! There is no fight and the house is full of love and laugh. 

Actually I learned so many things from this experience and one of them is DON'T allow your ego and emotion to conquer your life. Why? Because ego and emotions can turn you into the one that you don't want to be. Then, you will hate yourself because you already did someone that you love a lot hurt. Besides, try to share yours problems with family. Maybe they can help you to settle your problems. 

Look like this is the last paragraph that I will share with you all for today. The last word that I will write in this blog for today is especially to my beloved mother and daddy that I hurt a lot. SORRY AND I LOVE YOU <3

Written by the heart breaker.  

29/09/2016

The Geography Of The Secret Life Of Bees

DREAM. EXPLORE. DISCOVER.

Hye, peeps! Today, I'm gonna share a little bit about South Carolina which is the place where Lily experience everything in The Secret Life Of Bees. You know what friends, there are so many places you can explore if you go to South Carolina. How I wish I'm in plane right now and flying to SC. Hahaha. I just love how SC is such a beautiful and tranquil destination to go. If I ever get a chance to step my foot in SC, I'll pay the locals to bring me to every inches of SC. I'm not gonna waste my time there especially when you've read The Secret Life Of Bees. I really wanna try the pure honey and not to forget the PURPLE honey in SC. I'm gonna go plucking the peaches from the tree. ARGHH!! I really want to go to SOUTH CAROLINA. Someone, please bring me there! LOL. I sound so desperate. By the way, here are some places you can go in SC:

               

              Myrtle Beach

Charleston

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

               

           Caesars Head State Park

               

                   South Carolina Plantation

  

       Hilton Head Island

LEADERS. ICONS. CELEBS.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson

Who knows the seventh President of the United States was from South Carolina? Wow! I'm so amazed and astonished.

Anna Camp

Anna Camp

Who doesn't know Anna Camp? You can be considered as lame if you don't know her. lol. She is known for her role as Aubrey Posen in Pitch Perfect and I'm very sure all of you've watched Pitch Perfect before. This beautiful actress from Aiken, South Carolina is also known as Sarah Newlin in True Blood, and her recurring roles in Mad Men, The Good Wife and The Mindy Project. 

James Brown

James Brown

The baby boomers will get excited if we mention James Brown like us hear someone mentions Justin Bieber. But still, I know him and I'm very sure I'm the only one in my generation who knows him. Hello, peeps? James Brown is the freaking  "Godfather of Soul". If you give a shot to listen to James Brown, I'll suggest It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World. I'll guarantee you the song will never get out of your head.

Clothings, Foods, Music and Traditions

Clothing

Black Women

Did you know, black women wear hats to church? I was very curious when i saw many black people wearing formal hats to church it turns out that this is one of their long lived tradition and it symbolizes a lot of things! how cool is that? You know what's even cooler? they believe that this fancy hats could catch god's eyes and they hope that He will listen to their prayers. 

White women

What about white women, do they wear similar clothes like the blacks in 1960s? As a matter of fact, they still wear their boring and classic 50s full skirt and sheath dresses. booooo. I'm pretty sure you know who John F. Kennedy is, but have you heard of his wife Jackie Kennedy? In the 1960s white women idolizes her for her fashion and i can see why. In 1960s a lot of people love wearing heels whereas she wears her low heels shoes. Her dresses is also well fitted and simple.

White men

Similar to women, white men's wore the same thing in the 60s as they did in the 50s boooo. The only changes that they had was their pants got tighter and a lot of them began to wear sweaters and scarfs. For casuals, they wear polo shirt was one of their main clothing at that time.

Black men

Black men on the other hand wore a simple t-shirt as their casual clothes ''wooo classic'' haha. For those who can afford a blazers, they will wear it. You can see how they dressed up based on the image on the right. The picture was taken during the civil right movements in 1960s. They look cool here. B)

Food

Soul food

I know a lot of you guys love foods, just talking about food makes them appear in front of you. Have you ever heard of soul food? It is one of the most famous dishes in the Souths now! Look at the picture, are you craving for it right now? I am sure you are wondering why it is called ''Soul'' food. In the 1960s, the word ''soul'' is use to describe black's culture in this case we have Soul food! What's even more interesting is that you can find at least one soul food in an African american community. Nowadays Soul food has spread everywhere through many different places in America which gives you more opportunity to taste soul food. However

Music

Have you ever wondered what Lily and Rosaleen listened to when they turn the radio on? I know I do. I’m very sure boy bands haven’t been introduced yet back then lol. And although I’m not very keen on the idea of not having a group of cute guys with dreamy voices and synchronized dancing to fangirl over, I’d like to imagine that Lily might have a favourite song. One she dances along to when it comes on the radio. Maybe even Rosaleen danced to it a little.

Let’s explore the possibilities, shall we? Let's get to know a bit about what genres of music they listened to back in the 1960's and how music was expressed by both the whites and the coloured.

                       Roots Rock and Hard Rock

Have you guys ever heard of rock and roll? Of course you have! Well, roots rock actually emerged in the mid to late 1960's as a combination of several genres of music that were popular at the time; folk music, blues, country, you name it!

Bob Dylan, a very famous musician, is thought to be the FIRST EVER PERSON to explore this type of music with his album Blond on Blonde. Other bands that created music in the style of this genre included The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Beatles, The Band, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Not long after this, roots rock eventually evolved to other genres of rock and roll like Surf Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Folk Rock and Protest Music.

I wouldn’t be surprised if you can’t relate to this genre because well, we didn’t even exist yet back in those days. But I’m pretty sure our Mums would recognize a few of these bands. I can’t wait to ask her later!

Now, all this might sound very mundane. But the history of African American music is anything but that. In fact, this style of music was frequently associated with the Southern Civil Rights Movement. ‘How’, you may ask? Surely, they couldn’t have simply sung their way to equality now could they?

Motown and R&B

The "Motown Sound", a very famous record company back then and popular R&B music played a huge significance in the Civil Rights movement and integration in American society during the sixties.

Bear in mind that this was the time when it was a taboo to speak to African Americans besides when giving orders. They were THAT low.

Motown records consisted mainly of African-American singers, songwriters and management. Their musical AND business success proved that knocking down the barriers of segregation was indeed achievable.

It also granted African-American performers a chance to redeem much of the success credited to WHITE rock 'n' rollers and pop artists who had success in singing "black music" during the previous decade.

Three of the most influential groups to come out of the Motown sound were The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, and The Drifters.

  

  Only a few pictures managed to capture the PASSION and PUPOSEFULNESS of the Southern Civil Rights Movement as powerfully as the freedom songs that were both played and sung during the campaign against racial injustice.

Wherever and whenever they were sung, freedom songs would always remind them of one thing; the urgency of the struggle towards freedom.

Tradition

In the Secret Life of Bees, Rosaleen was arrested for pouring snuff juice on Shoe and his friends after they provoked her. Shoe wouldn’t rest until Rosaleen gave him an apology, something she wasn’t very generous at.

Shoe and his friends waited in front of jail before Rosaleen and Lily even showed up, and as a sign of protest, he smashed a flashlight into Rosaleen’s forehead, right in front of the police officer. While Rosaleen tried to get up on her feet, head bleeding trails of blood, Shoe and his friends got away scot-free.

I don’t know about you but that wasn’t justice to me. Have you ever wondered why the people of Sylvan were so hostile towards blacks?

When the new civil rights movement was first introduced, which was about the same time as Rosaleen’s scene happened, some whites embraced the prospect of a new interracial land. Many more reacted with hostility, as they feared the social change that was bound to happen.

Their way of life was commonly known as the “Southern way of life” and was already racist to begin with. For instances,

• Blacks always addressed whites as “Mr.” or “Mrs.,” though whites rarely bestowed such courtesy titles on African Americans.
• Blacks worked for white families as nannies, cooks, maids, and yardmen.

Through the long years of slavery and segregation, white Southerners came up with cruel stereotypes about African Americans:

• Blacks became either clowns or savages, with no area in between.
• They were unclean, unintelligent and oversexed.
• If blacks were submissive and uncivilised, whites were strong and dignified.
• Blackness meant degradation; to be free was to be white.

 All this happened for so long that many white Southerners came to believe that African Americans have accepted their roles as second-class citizens.

While the civil rights movement made its breakthrough in the South during the 1950s and 1960s, it exposed the ugly truth of the matter. African Americans were finally able to voice out their discontentment.

The finally demanded dignity.

Black rebellions clash so sharply with white perceptions that many couldn’t believe their own eyes. And as activists led a mass movement for black equality, whites rose up in resistance. 

Historical Moment in Time

When I was reading The Secret Life of Bees, I noticed how people in the sixties was so racist towards each other. Do you notice it too? I just don't understand why it is a big deal for colored people to be beaten to death just because they wanted to vote. It made me go crazy when Rosaleen was put in jail for defending herself. Somehow, it is Rosaleen's fault for pouring the snuff jar on the white man's shoes, but worst comes to worst, he can just buy a new pair of shoes or pants to make up for the stain. 

After doing some research, Kidd's novel, The Secret Life of Bees made use of historical real-life issues, one that still lingers around in modern America, despite political movements and social change. Racism persists even when American top leaders gave their all to get rid of it. The sense of respect is all we need in the multicultural society. 

Civil Rights Act

The most prominent historical event to which Kidd's novel alludes is the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a significant piece of legislation that protected the rights of African-Americans or previously termed as 'blacks' or 'coloreds' to enter public places, enroll in schools, and avoid bullying from the then-racist whites.

Although the implementation of Civil Rights Act strengthened the black community and protected them from the fierce and often blood-thirsty claws of racism, this newfound freedom of blacks made the whites angry. Thus, evoking fearsome backlashes as experienced by Zach when he says that he could get killed for even looking at a white girl.

Racial Inequality

A struggle in this era is to change people's minds. Or at least, teaching them to be considerate to both blacks and whites.

Life was bad for the blacks during the segregation era. Whites and blacks had their own water foundations, schools and public bathrooms, but more often than not, the blacks' were of much lower quality and quantity than the whites'.

However, the blacks community started to and endlessly fought for their right to not be set apart from the whites, under the guidance of famous leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., who tried to draw people to him by giving memorable speeches of putting an end to segregation and racism as a whole. 

Jim Crow Laws

Under Jim Crow laws, African Americans were relegated to the status of second class citizens. Some of you may think that Jim Crow is a name of a people but trust me, it's not. Jim Crow is actually a song appeared in sheet music written by Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice. Rice, a struggling "actor" (he did short solo skits between play scenes) at the Park Theater in New York, happened upon a black person singing the song -- some accounts say it was an old black slave who walked with difficulty, others say it was a ragged black stable boy. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of anti-black racism. In the mid 1960s, Jim Crow was more than a series of rigid anti-black laws, it was a way of life. The Jim Crow system was established by the the beliefs that whites were superior to blacks in all important ways. If necessary, violence must be used to keep blacks at the bottom of the racial hierarchy. These are some of the Jim Crow etiquette norms:

• Blacks and whites were not supposed to eat together. If they did eat together, whites were to be served first and there is some sort of partition placed between them.
• Blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one another in public, especially kissing, as it offended the whites.
• If a black person rode in a car driven by a white person, the black person sat in the back seat or the back of the truck.
• A black male could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a white male as it implies being socially equal.

Throughout Lily's story, it is important to acknowledge that she grew up in South, where races were separated by both laws and attitude. Some of the Jim Crow etiquette norms that happened in reality, happened in The Secret Life of Bees. For example, blacks are not allowed to vote even after a law was passed to allow it. The police routinely allow black citizens, like Rosaleen, to be beaten by their white neighbors. All around Lily, she received strong messages of prejudice. The policemen who came to the Boatwright house and the receptionist at the lawyer's office both disapprove her living with the Boatwright sisters. 

In reality, many blacks resisted the indignities of Jim Crow, and far too often, they paid their bravery with their lives.

BEEs are DANCING

Hey guys!!! Do you want to know what are bees? How about honey bees? Honey bees are super-important pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables. This means that they help other plants grow! Bees transfer pollen between the male and female parts, allowing plants to grow seeds and fruit. But did you know how bees live, how they communicate and what is the issues about bees? 

                      HOW BEES LIVE?

Bees live in the hive. There are three types of bees in the honey bee colony which is a single queen, thousands of female workers and hundreds of the male drones. During April and May, the queen bee lays day and night and each egg taking about 20 seconds. That’s over 2000 eggs a day, more than her own body weight. Do you want to know something? Actually, the queen mates only once and holds sufficient sperm from the male drones to lay eggs for 3-5 years, incidentally the drone bee dies in the process which must come as a major disappointment for him. It’s sound weird right? For the eggs, there is three types of wax cell used. The smallest cells produce female worker bees; the largest cells will become mole drone; a very special cell that hangs vertically downwards is used to produce new queen. The fact about male drone bees is the male drone bee has no father but does have a grandfather. A healthy queen bee is continually emitting pheromones which is a bee perfume that only the bees in the hive can smell. These pheromone odors tell bees in the colony that the queen is still with them and all is well in the hive.

How long does a bee live? In the summer a worker bee only lives for about 40 days. As no young are raised over the winter months, the workers born in the autumn will live until the following spring. The most important fact about bee is the queen can live up to 5 years while the beekeeper of a queen is past her prime in her third year.

              HOW BEES COMMUNICATE?

The bees perform a group of movements called the 'waggle dance talk'. They do this to inform other worker bees of the exact location of the food sources. Some of these locations can be up to five hundred feet from their hive. Wow!  Bees fly from their colony looking for nectar and pollen. When that are successful in locating good food supplies, they turn to their hive and performs a dance on the honeycomb. At first, the bee walks a straight line while shaking its abdomen vigorously. The bee also makes a buzzing sound with its wings. Bees have two waggle dance talk variations to direct other colony members to the food source when it is closer to their hive. After the honey bee has performed the waggle dance talk, they may also share part of the food they found with other bees in the colony.

Communicating the path to follow is more complex because the bee performing the waggle dance talk will align their body in the exact direction of where the food is in accordance with the sun. The dance pattern looks like a figure-eight, as the bee keeps repeating the straight part of the movement every time it circles back to the center area again. The round dance has a number of circular movements that are narrow while the sickle dance and its pattern is crescent-shaped and these dance can tell other bees the direction of the foods. It’s sound nice right. Actually I was shocked when I did some research about bees. They made me feel appreciate to the nature.

          CURRENT ISSUES IN BEES AND                                     BEEKEEPING

Did you know that bees are facing extinction? Did you ever wonder about the reason behind all of these? 

First, the honeybees in the world are having really serious health problems.  DO you know why?? Since 2006 beekeepers have been noticing their honeybee populations have been dying off at increasingly rapid rates. The biggest cause is the parasite called the Varroa destructor, a type of mite found to be highly resistant to the insecticides that US beekeepers have used in attempts to control the mites from inside the beehives. Moreover, new virus species have been found in the US and several of these have been associated with Colony Collapse Disorder. Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) as this loss of bee phenomenon has been called is currently recognized as such an urgent crisis. What? You don’t know what is CCD? Hahaha… Actually… Actually… Actually I also don’t know more about this disorder. Sorry.

Besides, the use of pesticides in agriculture is also one of the reasons why bees are facing extinction. Since the end of the World War II, the use of pesticides in agriculture has increased exponentially. Relatedly, it is now suggested that the widespread use of pesticides known as neonicotinoids is having a detrimental impact on bees. Neonicotinoids, which are chemically similar to nicotine, are an extremely popular pesticides are terrible for the environment, and they are killing the organisms that help the world and human survive. Bees love Nicotine but Nicotine kill bees!!!!

Last, the climate change also cause the death of the bees. During the climate change, the bees become inactive. So, the bees are lazy to find their foods and finally died. Apparently, the bees also have their lazy time even though they are one of the hard-working insect.

The conclusion that I can make from all of these is if all bees in the world dies human will not survive.

Have fun reading! 

Are you ready?

Since we started the `appreciation literature' week I felt it was fitting for us to have an outlet to appreciate things more and express ourselves - or yourselves, more like it. So, this blog was born! :)Basically we're gonna try using this as your way to submit 1) assignments on The Secret Life of Bees and maybe some 2) homework. This blog is accessible to everyone in your class so please feel free to start writing here.

 

Here's how it will work. I will assign a task for you to do in groups and/or individually.  You complete the task(s) by posting it here in the blog. The teacher, me, and your classmates can comment on the posts sent by everyone or anyone, via intellectual and useful comments or constructive criticism (to learn from it) or add on additional useful info where necessary (eg. a link, a picture, etc). Jokes or playful comments are not encouraged but if used, should be kept to a very minimum amount if you really can't help yourself. By the end of our 3 weeks studying the novel I hope this blog will help assist your understanding of the story and of course give you a lot of practice in writing (typing!) and indirectly communicating with each other..


The best part is that your entries in this blog will contribute to 5% of your assignment marks this semester so make sure you get with the project! ;)

 Are you all ready?




ps/ suggestions to help manage this blog is highly recommended :D