TO: THE STAR NEWSPAPER
re:Crime rate in South Africa.
According to statistics South Africa is one of the highest crime rated country. People get robbed, raped, shot dead almost everyday. Everyday there are articles in the newspapers about break INS, small kids being kidnapped and than found raped in bushes, robberies, which lead to death. Women even go to the extent of dumping their babies and killing their own child. And why? Because our country can’t provide houses for all those people on the street! We have a high unemployment rate. People are unable to make money the right way so they commit theft. People with sick minds commit rape. All the newspapers do is report all the crime. They never have articles on how to stop crime.
People are turning to corruption. Everyone wants money. Everything is about money. The more you have the more you want. And when you can’t get it, you steal it. By selling pirated DVDs, selling drugs and so on. The things that people will do just for a little money is ridiculous. People also take bribes for that little cash.
Crime in South Africa is increasing everyday. We are hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Who would want to come here when there is so much of crime? Why risk your life for a game. People will be scared of getting robbed, raped or even worst things that some sick people do. I deffinatly would not come to South Africa if I know that there is such a high crime rate.
I think that the government should provide labor for all those unskilled people in South Africa. The government should also provide houses for them. If everyone is earning money than we will have a crime free country. No one will have to steal money for a living.
I hope that you will agree with what I have said and help me make our country a better one to live in. We all want crime to stop, so we should all put a little effort in making that possible. If we all play our parts right than our environment will be a peaceful one to live in. At least people won’t be scared to leave their doors open and also to walk in the streets without having any fear.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Reflective Essay
My essay is about my interview with Mr. Percy Mestry on his life in the apartheid era. He lived in the great Shady Bazaar in Vereeniging. Mr. Percy Mestry was there when the Sharpville riots took place. All the people from Vereeniging gathered and went together to Sharpville to help those in need. They closed their shops and gathered as much money and food as they could to go and give it to the people in Sharpville. They took the injured people to hospitals and got them treated.
Brave: it is an adjective. The meaning: a brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear. It can also be a verb. If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something.
I chose the word “brave” for Mr. Percy Mestry because he was ready to take up any challenge. He was not afraid to fight for what is right. He went to Sharpville knowing that his life was in danger. He did not care. He took the risk and went there to save all those people.
I think that Mr. Percy was a very brave man. He was not afraid to stand up for his rights. If he knew something was wrong, he wouldn’t sit back and watch that wrong thing. He would stand up and try his best to fix it. Even at the time of the Sharpville riots he went out and helped the people. He wasn’t afraid. He did not sit behind locked doors like a chicken. He gathered people and went to rescue those injured people.
They even went as far as going door to door for food collections. They collected money, food and clothes for those who were in hospital and for the relatives who had nothing.
Mr. Percy Mestry was an exceptional man. He did not let the whites stop him from having his good years as a teenager. He obviously could not do a lot of things, but he went out and made the best of his youth. He was the captain of the soccer team. He played soccer tournaments as well as coached soccer teams. He was very involved in sports. He played an important role in the sporting field.
I think that Mr. Percy Mestry is a great man. He taught me a lot in a short time. He showed me that being a coward gets you nowhere. We must learn to be brave and take up challenges. We have to learn to get out there. Experience the world for what it really is. We should come out of our fairytale lands and accept the reality of life. I thank Mr. Percy for his time and effort. And I also want to thank him for teaching me all those things about the past. I have now learnt to appreciate life and stop complaining for what I don’t have.
Brave: it is an adjective. The meaning: a brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear. It can also be a verb. If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something.
I chose the word “brave” for Mr. Percy Mestry because he was ready to take up any challenge. He was not afraid to fight for what is right. He went to Sharpville knowing that his life was in danger. He did not care. He took the risk and went there to save all those people.
I think that Mr. Percy was a very brave man. He was not afraid to stand up for his rights. If he knew something was wrong, he wouldn’t sit back and watch that wrong thing. He would stand up and try his best to fix it. Even at the time of the Sharpville riots he went out and helped the people. He wasn’t afraid. He did not sit behind locked doors like a chicken. He gathered people and went to rescue those injured people.
They even went as far as going door to door for food collections. They collected money, food and clothes for those who were in hospital and for the relatives who had nothing.
Mr. Percy Mestry was an exceptional man. He did not let the whites stop him from having his good years as a teenager. He obviously could not do a lot of things, but he went out and made the best of his youth. He was the captain of the soccer team. He played soccer tournaments as well as coached soccer teams. He was very involved in sports. He played an important role in the sporting field.
I think that Mr. Percy Mestry is a great man. He taught me a lot in a short time. He showed me that being a coward gets you nowhere. We must learn to be brave and take up challenges. We have to learn to get out there. Experience the world for what it really is. We should come out of our fairytale lands and accept the reality of life. I thank Mr. Percy for his time and effort. And I also want to thank him for teaching me all those things about the past. I have now learnt to appreciate life and stop complaining for what I don’t have.
Poem on Johannesburg
There are many ways of describing its beauty
There is nightlife,
Fast life,
And crime side.
Those living outside its borders know it as the
“Place to be”
But me and others in it
We live,
We see,
We became victims of its crime.
My neighbor was raped,
My brother was killed.
I am a victim that lives in.
It’s not all what I have said
It’s where you find your superstars
Fancy cars
“Hola mpinch”-can you feel the rhythm?
It’s where it all begins
Want to know it?
You got to live in it
E Jozi!
There is nightlife,
Fast life,
And crime side.
Those living outside its borders know it as the
“Place to be”
But me and others in it
We live,
We see,
We became victims of its crime.
My neighbor was raped,
My brother was killed.
I am a victim that lives in.
It’s not all what I have said
It’s where you find your superstars
Fancy cars
“Hola mpinch”-can you feel the rhythm?
It’s where it all begins
Want to know it?
You got to live in it
E Jozi!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
English essay
6 . . . . . .
It was the twenty-seventh march and I could not take it anymore. I’ve had enough of his bossing around. He treats me like his dog.
Just like him, I am human. It was that very same day that I realized that my boss was the biggest chauvinistic pig ever. Because of all his money, he walked with his nose in the air and bossed everyone around. No one ever stood up to him because, our jobs had meant the world to us, our poverty stricken lives made us desperate and because jobs were so scarce. But that day I finally decided, to hell with his work. I could no longer take it. I was not prepared to be anyone’s dog anymore. So the very next day I handed in my resignation form. It was a week later and after all I had done for him, he did not even phone to ask if I would please come back, but then again with the amount of pride he had, it was no surprise. I have humiliated him in public and spoiled his name completely. I even reported him to the daily newspaper and had done everything in my power to put him to shame. People mocked at him and looked at him in disgust. I succeeded in bringing him down.
Not realizing that later I would need him the most!
It was a month later and I had still not found any means of earning a living. My daughter had been waiting for her dream wedding to happen. I had been saving all my life for that day and I was very close to getting that amount, but unfortunately my arrogant boss had drove me to my resignation. My daughter had meant the most to me and I would do anything to see her happy. Ever since she was a child I had watched her plan and draw every detail of her dream day. I did not want to disappoint my angel daughter, so I plucked up my courage and swallowed my pride and went to go ask my ex-boss for a loan. I begged and pleaded. I had no one else and needed his help desperately. My wife had earned just enough to put a little food on the table.
After everything I had done, he had given me the loan, after everything I had said about him, he forgave me! This had made me realize that everyone has to work hard if they want to be big someday. I had no idea on how to repay him, so he had given me my job back and changed his habits towards his staff. I was also promoted and got a better salary.
It was the twenty-seventh march and I could not take it anymore. I’ve had enough of his bossing around. He treats me like his dog.
Just like him, I am human. It was that very same day that I realized that my boss was the biggest chauvinistic pig ever. Because of all his money, he walked with his nose in the air and bossed everyone around. No one ever stood up to him because, our jobs had meant the world to us, our poverty stricken lives made us desperate and because jobs were so scarce. But that day I finally decided, to hell with his work. I could no longer take it. I was not prepared to be anyone’s dog anymore. So the very next day I handed in my resignation form. It was a week later and after all I had done for him, he did not even phone to ask if I would please come back, but then again with the amount of pride he had, it was no surprise. I have humiliated him in public and spoiled his name completely. I even reported him to the daily newspaper and had done everything in my power to put him to shame. People mocked at him and looked at him in disgust. I succeeded in bringing him down.
Not realizing that later I would need him the most!
It was a month later and I had still not found any means of earning a living. My daughter had been waiting for her dream wedding to happen. I had been saving all my life for that day and I was very close to getting that amount, but unfortunately my arrogant boss had drove me to my resignation. My daughter had meant the most to me and I would do anything to see her happy. Ever since she was a child I had watched her plan and draw every detail of her dream day. I did not want to disappoint my angel daughter, so I plucked up my courage and swallowed my pride and went to go ask my ex-boss for a loan. I begged and pleaded. I had no one else and needed his help desperately. My wife had earned just enough to put a little food on the table.
After everything I had done, he had given me the loan, after everything I had said about him, he forgave me! This had made me realize that everyone has to work hard if they want to be big someday. I had no idea on how to repay him, so he had given me my job back and changed his habits towards his staff. I was also promoted and got a better salary.
evaluation of the vaal hearings
I think that the interview was very challenging. It was difficult finding someone and actually asking them all those questions. At first it felt weird but then it got okay. It is hard finding someone who would actually allow one to interview him as it might open up some very deep wounds. I had to watch what I say and how I say it. I can’t sound inconsiderate. Some people really went through a rough time. Some lost very dear people. It was much tougher than the audio assignment. Here you had to talk and listen. You couldn’t make any mistakes. With the audio assignment you can record it over and over again but here you can’t. It was a challenge that alhamdulillah I managed to do. Other than that it was a great experience. I learned a lot. I learned how everyone struggled for the freedom that we have today. We get everything on a golden platter yet we always complaining. We are never satisfied with what we have. I hope that one day we can all sit back and be thankful to those who fought and those who died struggling to give us a free live. I thank Mr. Abdullah Sujee for giving us this assignment to do as it really opened up my mind and made me appreciate all the luxuries that I have today. Jazakallah
Speech-sports is just a game
SPORTS IS JUST A GAME
It is Sunday morning and my brother is psyched up, as it is his famous cricket match where they never make much runs but concede many yet they never give up. My dad continuously reminds my brother that ‘sports is just a game’ and ‘winning is not everything.’ My 9-year-old brother took heed to this advice until the cricket world cup when his favorites of the world cup were knocked out. Yes, Pakistan surprised us when they gave up so easily. My brother was still getting over his team’s loss when he over heard that there coach MR. Bob Woolmer was murdered....
Assalaamu alaikum to my teacher and fellow classmates
I have never been too keen on sports but I have been sort of following the world cup as a trend, but the news of Mr. Woolmer did leave even the uninterested interested! My brother has one question: if winning is not everything than why was Mr. Woolmer murdered? I was so intrigued that I decided to further check this on the Internet.
It was deduced that Mr. Woolmer was brutally murdered by being strangled and poisoned. The speculations are ‘WHO? And ‘WHAT? And what was more unbelievable to me was that the suspects could be one of the Pakistani players. The worst is that the murder is related to gambling. This was too much for me. The Pakistani cricket team is a Muslim team who are supposed to be setting an example to young Muslim boys, like my brother. Sports are about team play, dedication, fairness, good spirit and fun and yet this tragedy has given sports a whole new meaning.
After doing more research I realized that this was not only in Pakistan and at this world cup, but rather it has been happening along time around the world. In England, children and adults worship soccer. Manchester united; Liverpool and Chelsea have become a mantra. The scariest thing was that they actually take their lives in the name of sports. It is sad that life has become so meaningless and cheap that it has become so easy to simply take your life.
In our own country Hansie Cronje, a mentor to South Africans and around the world was also involved in match fixing. What I found quite a coincidence: at the time that Hansie was involved in match fixing, Mr. Bob Woolmer was their coach. We learn in Islam never to judge people and it could simply be a coincidence, but I just can’t believe how corrupt and disruptive our world has become.
For someone who is not an actual lover of sports, I have become quite involved in the politics of sports. But even though I am not a passionate sportsperson or fan, I am sure of one thing, sports was never intended to take lives but rather to make lives. It was never intended to harm people but rather bring joy.
We need to fight against corruption in sports. We need to take away greed from our hearts. The very same greed that steels your soul… that greed that robbed Pakistan of playing a good game of cricket and maybe even win… it robbed south Africa off a captain whom they trusted and loved.
Corruption in sports is robbing nations from enjoying the simple pleasures that we can have. So let us remind people that sport is just a game and always remember that winning is not everything. The fact that you made the effort to play makes you a winner.
It is Sunday morning and my brother is psyched up, as it is his famous cricket match where they never make much runs but concede many yet they never give up. My dad continuously reminds my brother that ‘sports is just a game’ and ‘winning is not everything.’ My 9-year-old brother took heed to this advice until the cricket world cup when his favorites of the world cup were knocked out. Yes, Pakistan surprised us when they gave up so easily. My brother was still getting over his team’s loss when he over heard that there coach MR. Bob Woolmer was murdered....
Assalaamu alaikum to my teacher and fellow classmates
I have never been too keen on sports but I have been sort of following the world cup as a trend, but the news of Mr. Woolmer did leave even the uninterested interested! My brother has one question: if winning is not everything than why was Mr. Woolmer murdered? I was so intrigued that I decided to further check this on the Internet.
It was deduced that Mr. Woolmer was brutally murdered by being strangled and poisoned. The speculations are ‘WHO? And ‘WHAT? And what was more unbelievable to me was that the suspects could be one of the Pakistani players. The worst is that the murder is related to gambling. This was too much for me. The Pakistani cricket team is a Muslim team who are supposed to be setting an example to young Muslim boys, like my brother. Sports are about team play, dedication, fairness, good spirit and fun and yet this tragedy has given sports a whole new meaning.
After doing more research I realized that this was not only in Pakistan and at this world cup, but rather it has been happening along time around the world. In England, children and adults worship soccer. Manchester united; Liverpool and Chelsea have become a mantra. The scariest thing was that they actually take their lives in the name of sports. It is sad that life has become so meaningless and cheap that it has become so easy to simply take your life.
In our own country Hansie Cronje, a mentor to South Africans and around the world was also involved in match fixing. What I found quite a coincidence: at the time that Hansie was involved in match fixing, Mr. Bob Woolmer was their coach. We learn in Islam never to judge people and it could simply be a coincidence, but I just can’t believe how corrupt and disruptive our world has become.
For someone who is not an actual lover of sports, I have become quite involved in the politics of sports. But even though I am not a passionate sportsperson or fan, I am sure of one thing, sports was never intended to take lives but rather to make lives. It was never intended to harm people but rather bring joy.
We need to fight against corruption in sports. We need to take away greed from our hearts. The very same greed that steels your soul… that greed that robbed Pakistan of playing a good game of cricket and maybe even win… it robbed south Africa off a captain whom they trusted and loved.
Corruption in sports is robbing nations from enjoying the simple pleasures that we can have. So let us remind people that sport is just a game and always remember that winning is not everything. The fact that you made the effort to play makes you a winner.
Evaluation of term 1 & 2
I think that the last two terms have been really challenging. The workload is a lot. It is kind of hard to catch up on all the work all the time. We work moderately. The art of sirs teaching is excellent though. No other teacher has ever taught us the way you have. I have learned a lot this past sis months. English was never one of my favorite subjects, but this year my attitude has changed towards English. I actually enjoy doing my work. The work is not monotonous. I have fun in the class. The audio assignment was really good and so was the interview with the apartheid activist. I learned to open up and talk more. I can go out there and talk to people without making a fool out of myself. Cry the beloved country is not a very exciting book, but studying it this year changed it a little. Our exams are quite difficult. We really have to think a lot and write fast. Other than that the last two months in English have been a really exciting journey.
Evaluation of audio assignment
The audio assignment was really challenging. To actually record yourself and than play it to the whole class was a little bit weird. Especially being a girl. Girls naturally are more concerned about people listening to their voices. It was a little hard to change my voice for certain parts. Other than that this was a very exciting assignment. I enjoyed doing it. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.
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