Opinions of others

Hi!! I decided to share something else that I wrote sometime ago, this time it is about the opinions of other people.

“The best way to avoid falling prey to the opinions of others is to realize that other people’s opinions are just that- opinions. Regardless of how great or terrible they think you are, that's only their opinion. Your true self worth comes from within.”- the tribe.

This is something that I only understood a few months ago. That other people’s opinions are just opinions. And they don’t matter. just because someone said something it doesn’t make that true. If someone says that my dress is ugly doesn't make it ugly. It's only their opinion that it is ugly.

When we first got the assignment, to write a ted talk, I thought for a long time about things that I wanted to improve about myself. But for some reason, nothing would come to me! I spent a long time thinking. Nothing comes to me. I go over fifteen ideas. Writing and re-writing. Nothing.

Its Sunday. Still nothing. I sit and stare at the computer until my eyes water. I try to think. Suddenly, something crossed my head. I realized why I could not think of anything. It was because I was scared about what people would say about me if I said too much. I was scared of their opinions about me. So in the end that's what I decide to write about. Because one of my flaws is caring too much about what other people think about me. Not being able to find my power, and being too self conscious about myself.

What is an opinion anyway? It is a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. An opinion is not a fact. And it is hard not to care about what other people say about you! When someone says something about me, I immediately can not focus on anything else. The whole day I will keep thinking about what that person said about me and how I can change that. And even though other people’s views are important, they aren't even so important that you start obsessing over them, which is what I tend to do.

So I decided to keep track of every time I said something when someone said something I did not like. This way I can keep growing and remember everyday as I grow more. I will try and understand why people said this about me, and if I think that what they said is true, then I will change that about myself. Sometimes just listening to why a person said that can make you feel better and maybe even build a bond between you and that person. If I keep going on with this, soon I won’t be upset when someone has a bad opinion about me, and I can become a much better person. On the inside and the outside.

I have been trying not to care when other people tell me what they think about me. In the past few days when someone tells me their opinion about me I try to take it in without thinking too much about it and then trying to change myself. Last week, someone told me that they did not like me. Now, I would have felt really bad and gone home and cried and then try to change myself to please that person. But now, I would just not care. Because not everyone in the world has to like me! If someone doesn’t like me then it's a loss for them. I wouldn’t even be affected by it.

And through this, I realized is that your opinion, is not my reality. And it never will be.

Samtsrich

A few months ago, I wrote a paper on exotification! I felt like sharing it today so here we go-

Every Rebmeced, the creatures of the nacirema hold strange customs, and I, persons from Mars, am going to make observations about it.

When I first reached, I noticed that the creatures were putting out this huge green monster with spikes that could kill you, in each of their dwellings.

Everyday they present the green monster with some peculiar shaped hard things. If that is not presented to the green blob thou will be given a long colourful thing, which is worn on thou feet, filled with black asteroids which they had to stuff down a gaping hole in their brain.

Each dwelling is dirtied with thin strips of fragile colourful things, to please a Huge monster who howls HO-HO-HO everywhere it goes to tell the small creatures that it is coming to devour it. But for some reason the creatures of the Nacirema want to please it so that every Rebmeced 52dn it can leave small killing machines under each green blob for the creatures.

The creatures who are smaller in size, put strange things under the green monster for the huge monster to eat. These are, tiny helpless creatures who have been killed and baked in brown poison and covered in black dots on a white circular hard thing, and brown acid which burns through everything it touches in an acid proof container which if you touch is also poisonous. This i know from my own account, don’t ever touch anything these strange creatures own. It could kill you.

The smaller creatures also take these thin fragile white things which will break if you touch them and are made by killing the nature and also these thin poisonous yellow sticks which are as sharp as a knife on one side and have this jiggly soft pink stuff on the other. They drag the sticks across the white thing which leaves grey marks. I will take this to mars for future research. After the entire white thing is covered with grey marks, the creatures take the white thing and hang it on the green blob and go to asleep

In the night, the monster comes to the dwelling through a hole in the sky. Through this hole fire comes out. This shows that the monster is fire proof. That is a very dangerous thing indeed. The monster takes the white thing. And opens this giant round bubble and takes out some funny square things. He put these under the green blob, and flies outside the sky. Then he sits on this hard wierd thing and holds this thin strand of wires that connect to these four legged monsters with bones coming out of their brains and blood coming from their brains also.

In the sun time the creatures get up and come and sit near the green blob. They take the funny square shapes and take of the sticky stuff on it. Then they tear it apart like monsters. There are weird loud noises coming from the gaping holes in their brains as they discover what was inside.

In every box there was a killing machine so that they could kill themselves and other creatures. I peoples from mars could not understand why they are so joyous on such a  elbirroh  occasion.

Now if you could excuse me, I need to report to mars to tell my peoplets what surprising things I have found on earthland.  The people of the nacirema race are very strange indeed. I will report here again for future research, but for now,  eybdoog earthland!

Kindness

Hi guys! Sorry for such a late post, but some time ago I wrote something for my school about kindness and I wanted to share it with you guys.

People usually don't understand what it means when someone says ‘kindness saved my life.’ I mean how can kindness save your life? Is that even possible? Yes it is. Kindness is the reason that many of us overcome obstacles in our lives, including me.

A few yeas ago I was diagnosed with cancer. Now there are two ways you can see this. Bad, or terrible. My family and I decided to go with bad. Now I know that there is no way cancer can be seen as a good thing, but it can be seen as bad instead of horrible. Now the only reason that my family chose to see it as bad was because of all of our other friends and family that supported me to get better. We had so many people being kind to us and doing their best to make sure that I could get better and still have fun being a child.

I am not going to lie, cancer was hard. I got a lot of unwanted stares when I walked through the street. But my family and especially my mother helped me alot. She tried to make sure that I could do everything like any other child. She would take me to school and just sit with me in class which we couldn't do everyday, but we tried to go often. It is hard to have your child fall sick, but she still tried to make sure that for those few years I could do everything a healthy 6 year old can do.

There are lots of ways to be kind. One way that I know is by just being there are helping with everything. My mother's friend, we call her Navroop aunty, she would just come to the hospital, bring lots of art supplies and we would paint together. Sometimes she would paint my toenails and sometimes we would paint on canvases or just draw. She helped me by her just being there with a smile which made me smile even through the most painful days at the hospital.

Because of the people like my mother and Navroop Aunty  who gave me their kindness and compassion, I am here today. Without them I don't even know how my life would have been. I know that almost all the people that got cancer wish that they could get a do over, but if I could have a do over, I would do the exact same thing, cancer and all. Because having Cancer and seeing how people showed extreme kindness and compassion toward me is what made me who I am. It made me into the girl you see today.

“ Kindness is an act that the blind can see and the deaf can hear” once said Mark Twain. When you are kind to someone, it doesn't need to be visible. It should be felt by the other person, like they know that they are not alone and that you are there. Just praying or thinking about someone can also be kindness, you don’t need to throw a bag of gifts and toys at someone to be kind. The smallest things like just knowing that someone out there cares is also being kind. No act of kindness is too small.

Even though people all over the world are different, they all share one thing, which is kindness. All over the world we have the same understanding of kindness and that is one of the things that bring us together. So when I moved here from India, many things were different, but kindness was something which I found the same here and there. I also found that another kind of people all the world shares are intimidators or bullies. But I have found that they are just people who have not been given enough kindness in their lives, they have not felt what it feels like when someone is kind to you. So the only way to deal with a bully is to show them some kindness, so they can feel it and learn that there are also other ways to treat someone if you want a friend. Because I believe that everyone, including your aggressors, deserve kindness.

Tell me if you like it!

love,

Risa

Parents anniversary!

Hi!
Today I'm going to tell you about my Parents anniversary. It was really fun! We surprised our parents  with a cake and made a huge card for them. We had lots of fun! here's a picture-

here is my cake recipe-

1½ cup flour1½ tsp. baking powder¼ tsp. salt½ cup butter1 cup sugar2 large eggs½ tsp. vanilla extract½ cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the eggs, sugar and butter. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients. Don't pour in the milk yet! Make sure the wet bowl is mixed very well, then pour it into the dry bowl. Then mix it super duper well. slowly add in the milk. Mix unit there are no more bubbles. pour into a baking tray and put it into the oven to bake for 30 to 35 minutes. keep an eye on it! It bakes fast! Then its all done. you can decorate it if you like. I iced it and cut up some berries to top it off. Heres what it looked like-

The cake was finished in like 5 minutes! everyone said it was yum!

Then there was holi! that was so fun too! When me and nora came through the door, our mom scared us by saying that we had done badly in math! then she came to me, I thought she was going to hit me! but instead she threw colour on me! The math thing was all just a joke! I was so relieved! Then we played indoor holi since it was like -2 outside. We had a lot of cleaning up to do next! we vacuumed and swept the whole apartment!

     
Thats it for today!
tell me what your holi was like!

Risa

Conflict Minerals

Hey!
I haven't posted in forever, so I thought that I should post this essay I wrote for school. Its about Conflict Minerals. Tell me if you like it!

Conflict Minerals: Leaving a scar on Congo 

Have you ever wondered where your computer came from? Ever picked up your phone and thought, Who made this? Companies sell your electronics and design them, But the materials to make them come from very far. In Congo, a country in Africa, hidden beneath the ground are the minerals that make your Electronic devices. The 3 TG’s,- Tin, Tungsten, Tantalum and Gold. But they don't come without a price, thousands of Congolese people are forced to mine for them, as slaves. And the money they make? It’s used to buy guns and rifles, to give to children so they can become soldiers and fight in the war. That why these minerals are called conflict minerals, they are the cause for the conflict in Congo. Because of its wealth in naturals resources, The Congo is considered the poorest nation in the world. 

You would have thought that because of these minerals the Congo is blessed with good wealth, But that is wrong. Instead of a blessing these minerals are a curse. All men and boys are forced to work at gun point being shot if they even try to escape.They are given almost nothing for their work. The younger boys are given guns are forced to fight in the war, while Congo is the most dangerous place to be a girl. The Congolese people have no say in how they are treated. We thought slavery was over but no one looked deep enough. There is war in Congo, so the rebels thought that they could take all the people and force them to mine so that they could make money for war supplies. 

Even the greatest Companies have their secrets. This is a secret of many companies that make the best electronic devices, Companies pay to get the conflict minerals even though they know 

how they are mined. ‘Apple’ is one of the world's most famous, but it doesn't benefit everyone. People in congo suffer because of these companies. Children who could have been the next masterminds of the world were forced to forget their dreams are focus on risking their lives to fight. Because only a very few children have a chance to go to school, there are not many good schools in Congo. People have to carry sacks of minerals which way up to 200 pounds up a mountain so that they can get to the trucks, since they can't even afford to get a cart. 

Congolese people have said that they do not want this to stop, they want to be paid the right amount of money at the right time for all the hard work they do. Out of the two million dollars that the stores make only 35% goes to congo, then when that is distributed among the people there is often not enough for everyone, as little as 0.3% is distributed to the people. There have been a total 5.4 million because of conflict minerals. People often get a job to mine because they are afraid of being forced to fight in war and think it is better to work than to die. Many girls in Congo say that their lives are useless and people treat them like dolls throwing them everywhere and selling their bodies so that they can get money for their family. 

Every single day people in Congo suffer because of Conflict Minerals, But the real creators of these problems are the people who use these conflict minerals. That’s us. We are the real cause for the conflict in Congo, and we can fix this for them. Next time you go to buy a device, ask for a Conflict Free one. Remember, you can trade one laptop for the lives of 10,000 people. 

Works Cited 

Dibinga, Omekongo Dr. Interview on Conflict minerals, 1/31 

www.raisehopeforcongo.org 2/23

Ford, Jessica. Background on Conflict minerals 

https://www.sourceintelligence.com/what-are-conflict-minerals/ 2/20 

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/conflict-minerals/gettleman-text 2/24 

https://thinkprogress.org/9-things-you-need-to-know-about-conflict-minerals-76b1c6f89a2e #.1fy8lxmw8 2/20 

We've Moved!

Hi! Sorry I could not post for so long. I was so busy moving that I forgot about posting! So... now I live in Philadelphia! Its really nice here but I miss India a lot. Its so cold here while its so hot there. We go to a school called the Philadelphia school. the funny thing is, its a private school where there are just 43 children in 6th grade. In India there were around 200 children in 6th grade. that was also a private school. this is because most of the children in america go to public schools. We are really enjoying our new school. we learn things that are different from what we learned in Delhi. One thing I'm really happy about is that we're away from india at the right time when there was so much pollution in delhi. My mom is studying all the time so she can pass her exams and guess what... I finally got a phone!! I am so happy about that. I will post every week for sure! so I can keep you guys updated about whats happening. bye!
risA

The move

Hey Guys!
I'm back! Summer vacation has started so I'm free 24/7 today I would like to tell you guys about something that is a life changing opportunity for my family. We're moving to Pennsylvania for a few years. My mother wanted to do her MA in children literature. she applied to four university's and got into three of them. She has decided to go to UPEN in Pennsylvania. That means that we'll be moving for 2 to 3 years. I'm so excited because i will get to go to a new school in america but I'm also sad because that means that I have to leave this school and all my friends behind. this is our 2nd last month in india. we're moving in august, but this doesn't mean that I still can't continue my blog! I will always continue it until I can.
Risa

the perfect recipe for friendship

hey guys today I will tell you the perfect recipe for friendship;
1cup trust
1 cup fun
2 cups love
1 cup understanding
1/2 teaspoon fighting
mix it together. you should get a dough like consisinsy. Use cookie cutters to shape your dough and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes. let it cool and enjoy.hope you enjoyed making it!

newspaper nails!

hello! Today I will show you guys how to make newspaper nails. I did not use alcohol like you thought. It works with water. here is what you need=

1.newspaper

2. nail polish 

3. hot water

4.cotton

Start by cutting the newspaper into little squares. A bit bigger than you nail.

so your squares should look like this.Now paint your nail. I used blue nail polish. you should also use a light colour .

next let it dry well. This doesn't work on wet nails.When it has dried, put hold the newspaper on top of it like this.

now wet a bit of cotton and press it down on the newspaper on your nail.you need to rock it backward and forward .

now keep rocking it and after 30-40 seconds lift the newspaper. you should have something like this.

hope you enjoyed making it!

crayon melting!

today me and Nora were melting some crayons on stone here they are;

now I will show you how to make them. You need,

1.oven

2.stones

3.crayons

take your stones and put them in the oven. Once they are burning hot, take your crayons,(Its better to use ones that you don't need/like because you will be destroying your crayon tips.) and draw on them. you can draw anything you like I drew a rainbow and a butterfly. Nora drew a ladybug.You can draw anything you like.but make sure that the stones are still hot when you draw on them. (don't burn yourself! you should use oven gloves to help you) I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this!

risa

more books!

Hey guys!
I have been reading a lot, and i thought maybe i should share some of my favourite with you.

 Number the Stars 10 and up 
by Lois Lowry
Its wartime in Copenhagen, The world it a scary place 
for 10 year old anniemarie. there are soldiers every where.

But it is even scarier for her jewish friend Ellen. When Ellen's life
is in danger, Annemarie must use all her courage to save her. 


The Misfits 10 and up
kate Darnton
 chloe Jones has to come to the last place she wanted to, Premium academy class five new Delhi,That changes when another strange new girl shows up. Lakshmi.Chloe and lakshmi soon realise that they have a lot in common.Together with a little help from Chloe's Mom,perfect sister and a street dog named kali, they discover that even a couple of misfits can change the world.

harry potter series 9 and up
when harry potter is whisked off away from his brutal aunt and uncle at number 4 privet drive, 
soon to discover that he is a wizard and has a place at hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry! He has many fun exciting and scary encounters with his no. 1 enemy Voldemort through all his seven years at Hogwarts.

Now Nora wants to tell you some of her favourite books

Because of Mr.terrupt 8 and up
Rob Buyea  
its the start of fifth grade for seven children at snow  hill school  there is Jessica, Alexia, Peter, Luke, Danielle, Anna and jeffrey only there new teacher knows how to deal with them he makes the the classroom a fun and exiting place even though he doesn't let them get away with much but one snowy day at snow hill school every thing changes...

Charlie and the chocolate factory all ages
Roald Dahl
Charlie Bucket loves chocolate  and the worlds most wondrous chocolate  maker has opened the gates to his marvellous chocolate factory!! He has set out five golden tickets in chocolate bars  for five lucky children anywhere in the world!!! They will get to  go through the gates of Mr.willy wonka's marvellous chocolate factory and they will get to see the delicious surprises in there...

the amazing card

hello everyone!
today I will teach you how to make a card for any occasion. The one that i will show you is for a birthday.
To make this card, you will need;
1. a thick black marker( preferably sharpie)
2.some thick paper.( I used blue,red,purple,orange and green)
3. scissors
4.tape
5.glue
6.thread(i used golden and brown)
take your first piece of paper i am using red,and cut out 13 triangles.

next, you take another paper and fold it like a card.then you take your thread, I am using brown, and measure it on your paper. then you take your next piece of thread, which should be longer than the first, and place it on your paper.

then take your thirteen triangles and write happy birthday. putting a letter on each.then stick the triangles to the thread and stick the thread on the paper. like this-

then cut out two pieces like this and stick on either side.

next draw some balloons on the left sheets of paper.stick them like shown in the picture below.

so now that your card is finished from the inside, lets do the outside. since this one is a birthday card,if you are making something else you don't need to do the same.

now you have your finished card! I hope you enjoyed making it!

Agrasen Ki Bauli

We went to this place called Agrasen Ki Bauli. It is a step well. It has 102 steps, and we went all the way down!It was very deep. you could feel yourself falling down.

 this is how deep it was!

It is also known to be haunted! The story is that this step well belonged to king Agrasen, and all his people came and had a bath here. but then, everyone suddenly stopped coming there. The well became very sad. so it turned black and got a voice.every time someone passed by it would say in a voice you couldn't resist -"come,come to me. have a swim" and everyone would have to jump in. and of course they died. It is said that the ghosts of the people still haunt that place seeking their revenge.

but don't worry the step well is now all dried up. As it has been for many many years.  more pictures of us.

Adisini and the Ladybug

happy New year everyone! I really wanted to get this story published. If you guys have any suggestions please tell me.

It was a hot sunday morning. Adisini was going to the Lodhi Gardens for a story telling session, with her grandma sister and doll lydian.

Mrs.Zaza the storyteller was telling a story.they would even get to paint! during the story Adisini heard someone crying. she followed the voice and reached a flower.She looked into the flower and saw a beautiful ladybug.

"boo hoo hoo" cried the ladybug. "Why are you crying ladybug"? asked Adisini. "because you get to paint and have fun and I can only watch and do nothing!" cried the ladybug. "but don't cry you can help me paint and we an have fun together!" said Adisini.


So the ladybug sat comfortably behind adisini's ear and they listened to the story together.

then they painted a beautiful picture. the ladybug sitting on her finger and guiding it.

they even had a secret picnic! only lydian was allowed in it.
they hoped this day would never end. 

But like all days it ended. they were very sad. they promised each other that they would meet again and Adisini left the ladybug on a beautiful orange flower.

the next week Adisini came to the Lodhi Garden again. As she came in a beautiful ladybug came and sat on her nose...

Happy "CRACKER FREE" Diwali

Hi everybody! I'm back! Today I want to talk to you about this Diwali. Apart from having fun with crackers and all that stuff, have you ever thought, all this fun I'm having, where do these crackers come from? Who made them? Let me tell you. These crackers are made in cracker factories. but do you know who makes them? Children like me. Every year 1000 children are KILLED because of these factories.Would you ever in your entire life send your children to work in factories? Not just your children ANY children at all? I'm not saying don't follow you TRADITION because crackers were never a part of our tradition. Diwali is also known as the festival of light NOT the festival of KILLING, AIR POLLUTION AND NOISE? This Diwali for children and animals sake, please light a diya instead. Today I will tell you a short story that I wrote . It is about a boy named Amrit and how he has been sent to a factory to make crackers and there he dies at the age of 8.

Amrit was one of the million children working for PEANUTS in the cracker factory he sometimes wasn't even allowed bathroom breaks. Everyday he would burn his body and when he went home his mother would cry to see the state of him but what could they do she had no money at all.He knew  that he was going to die because no one,not even the manager, cared for the children. He knew the reason they did not use adults to do this job children have tiny fingers which can make mini things. Then at a fire he died but what did the cracker managers do? nothing. He was just 1 of the million others. Not just Amrit but thousands of other children die too.

I hope you save one child's life this year.

RISA

Holiday

Can you guess where I am ?? I am in Landor! it is so cold today 15 degrees .It is raining. My sisters friend just came in the rain without an umbrella for a sleepover!  I am so happy to be able to escape the scorching heat of Delhi!And now it is haling!!!!!!!!!!! here are a few pictures.

the view from our house

nora on a walk

with our neighbours dog

midnight monster

It was a dark nigh. Bloom lay restless in her bed thinking only about a glass of tangy juice.Finally she got  up and stepped inside the kitchen.She sniffed the air. there was an unusual smell in the air. It was a disgusting smell.Bloom covered her nose.Ewwww! she muttered under her breath.She started to follow it as she was a curious girl. The smell got stranger.She heard some spooky sounds.She followed the sounds and reached a table. there was nothing on top of it so she looked under it.


there it was staring right at her. For a moment she thought  she was DEAD!
when she was out of shock she saw that was a dark brown monster under the table! her mind flashed of images of the monster coming out and killing her.Then she heard it was whimpering and saw it was stuck. Though she was scared she was a kind girl.She called out,'come out  don't be scared'.Then she tried to pull it out.

When the monster came out it rose and looked scarier than ever.
lightning flashed thunder clashed. "MWHAHAHA" it cackled.

"you are a kind but foolish girl",it said

bloom felt herself falling into darkness . She opened her eyes. She was still on her bed and it was still night.

"What?? She said sleepily. "Oh it was just a nightmare!" she said waking up.

And she stepped into the kitchen as she still wanted a glass of sapid juice.

She stopped and sniffed the air, there was a disgusting smell and then she heard some spooky sounds AGAIN...

Authors - Maya, Kritam, Sarvika and Risa.

another poem!

hi today  I will tell you a poem I wrote about friends.

Friends

there is someone special in my life,

someone who always there for me,

a friend who's always by my side,

in my darkest times,

and when I am stuck in a poem she gives me loads of rymes

never did she turn her back,

never did she let me fall,

never did she say I cant do this,

never did she let me give up'

god really did some thing special,

when he blessed me with someone like you.

my favourite books

Hi I am back I promise I will write as holiday's have started so good bye busy schedule and hello sleeping in late here are a few books I would recomend reading in your free time or when you are on a vacation.

WONDER 

byR.J.Palacio

for all ages

      My name is August.

  I won't describe what I look like.

     Whatever you're thinking,

          it's probably worse.

BILLIONAIRE BOY

by David Walliams

for ages 9 and up

 Meet Joe spud, the richest 12-year-old in the world.

      Joe has every thing he could ever want:

        his own formula One racing car,

             a thousand trainers,

     even an orang-utan for a butler!

      yes, joe has everything he wants,

but there is just one thing he really needs: a friend...

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX

by kateDiCamillo

for all ages

 here reader ,is a tale of a tiny sickly mouse with unusually large ears a mouse who takes his fate into his own hands.

It is the tale of a beatiful, flaxen-haired princess,who laughes and makes everything around her seem brighter

It is the tale of a poor deaf serving girl,who entertains foolish dreams of splendour.and,reader,it is the tale of treachery;unlimited treachery. IT IS THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX...

shifting homes

hi I am back to writing my blog we shifted homes on 14 of nov and it was lots of fun our new home dosnt have a garden that is the sadest part I am happy and sad both at the same time it is hard to find a house that is only yours but my mom and dad did it ! isn"t that cool my new home is an apartment I still have the same nabourhood and i finally got my port out on 1st nov this month is the best month ever so now if you come to my house remember to come to 115-A 3f ok there is still work going on and it is a bit noisy my mom has been working day and night so please apreashiat it ok by for now risa