Black Panther Themes and Ideas

 28/08/20, Friday

1. Summary: 

T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns as King in the African nation of Wakanda. After his father, the king died. A new enemy is introduced and T'Challa's ability to deal with the new problem arising will test his ability to rule as a king. The new king must decide between isolation and exposure.

2. Key ideas:

 Traditions vs. Changes:

The film tackles the idea of whether it is good to move on from traditions and make some changes. Wakanda is still governed by a monarch while the rest of the world has formed some type of democracy. The people of Wakanda have believed that their isolation is the best protection they have from the rest of the world. Although their traditions are their biggest vulnerability as well. The tradition of ritual combat handed the throne over to an "outsider"

Flora and Fauna relationships

 26/08/20, Wednesday

 The New Zealand bush is full of fascinating creatures such as the friendly fantail,

the dimorphic tomtits, and the welcoming bellbird. Not only that but it also consists of

beautiful flowers and plants like the annoying supplejack vines, nutritional mistletoe flower,

and various fruits. 

 The supplejack vines are a common native vine in New Zealand.

They can be commonly found in the rainforests but can also be found in swamp areas.

Its hard but flexible stems cling to trees and climb until it can access sunlight.

Another interesting plant is the mistletoe flower. It is a semiparasitic plant,

which means that they rely on photosynthesis but it also requires nutrition from the host tree.

There are nine species of mistletoe flowers. It is a shrub that grows on trees with clusters of tiny

flowers, which come in a variety of colours. 

 The fantail is a well-known bird in New Zealand that can grow up to 16cm and weigh 8g.

They usually visit parks and gardens, which makes encountering one easy. Their body

consists of brown, white and black feathers. Some of the fantails can have white spots on

their ears. The bellbird, also known as korimako is famous for being a honeyeater in the

South Island. They have yellowish-green feathers with a short slightly curved black beak.

Females are commonly more brown than their male counterparts.

Their songs vary according to regions, it is ringing notes with a match of grunts and wheezes.

The New Zealand Pigeon or kererū is a common sight since they have a widespread distribution

throughout the country. They are present in rural, urban and native forests.

Their body consists of purple-blue colours and white stomach.

They are often silent except for their occasional ‘oos.’ 

 In the wild, relationships among the animals vary and can be beneficial for one side

or sometimes for both sides. The first relationship is beneficial for both the fantails and tomtits

because they use the supplejack as a sanctuary. Somewhere they can rest on, the supplejack

vines climb on the trees, which can provide the birds somewhere they can perch that is high

enough and is safe from predators. The second relationship is beneficial for both the flora and

fauna. The bellbird feeds on the nectar of the mistletoe flower using its long-slightly curved beak.

The bellbird gets to have the nutrition that the flower provides while the pollen of the flower

covers the head of the bird. The bellbird would search for the mistletoe flowers to feed on and

along the way pollinate the other flowers. The kererū helps various fruits in the bush.

Its beak is big enough to help swallow large fruit seeds. The droppings of the bellbird contain

the seed of the fruits, therefore, helping plants and new fruits to grow. 

In conclusion, the bush creates various relationships between animals.

It can be prey and predator, but sometimes it can be favourable for both parties:

The supplejack vines providing perches for tomtits and fantails, the bellbird helping pollinate

the mistletoe flowers and getting the food it needs at the same time and the bellbird helping

spread seeds of the fruits it ate.

Presentation Reflection

04/08/20, Tuesday

In ESOL, we had to present in front of the class for an assessment. The Assessment gives 5 credits for Level 1 NCEA. The assessment can be about someone or something that is important to you. I chose to write and present about my friend, Alliah Abuan. 

Before my presentation, I didn't really think about it. As the days passed, I started to get more nervous. I was also excited at the same time about standing in front of the class and speaking. Furthermore, this was really good practice for me because the future assessments and jobs could include public speaking. 

Presenting is not my strong point but I could think of something I did well. Firstly, I would say that my voice was good and I was able to have a good volume. I didn't rush through it and I kept a consistent pace throughout my presentation. Also, I was able to control my body language. I used gestures related to the subject that I was talking about. For example, when I said Alliah's name I drew attention towards her using my hand. By pointing at her direction, everyone looked towards where I was pointing.

Even if we think that we did great, there is always something we could improve on. For me, I could've improved on how I delivered my lines. I wasn't able to create an impact on the audience because I spoke with a monotone voice. This bored the audience and created no impact. In other words, I could've put more emotions. In addition to the delivery of my lines, I forgot my lines. I wish that I put more effort into reading my lines and trying to memorize them. 

I still had fun doing the assessment. I enjoyed being able to present in front and gaining experience. What I found challenging, was memorizing my lines. Since I have a pretty bad memory this created a challenge for me.