My life at 12-years-old was nothing compared to what the children of Bulgaria go through. For the little girl I made up, her life was considered great compared to the other girls in the country. Many girls at that age are married, and have children very young. A lot of children in Bulgaria live in foster homes, and are adopted by Americans or the wealthy of the country. The thing that surprised me the most was the amount of children that are being put up for adoption for many reasons. Whenever I did research for my country, I kept getting things about adoptions agencies, and the steps you must take to adopt a child (which is not very hard in Bulgaria). The thing that didn't surprise me was how many of the children who suffer from malnutrition in the country because their families are poor. In certain cities the citizens are pretty wealthy, but as you move to the more rural areas that begins to change. I think that when most of these kids are 40, they will have great-great-great grandchildren! Most likely they will not be well adjusted enough because they spent most of their childhood as parents. If not that then they probably won't make it to 40.
She is someone who is of
African American descent. She is someone who is tall,
almost as tall as I she is someone who is Light
skinned, with Long, dark brown hair She is someone with big,
dark brown eyes She is someone who has a
smile that brightens any room
She is someone who loves animals She is someone who loves
candy She is someone who can hold
her own in a video game tournament She is someone who can
spend her life at sea, she swims that well She is someone who knows
her way around a city, as long as it isn't Philadelphia
She is someone with her mind in the clouds, only because her
dreams are there She is someone who is
willing to go the extra mile for people in spite of herself She is someone who can deal
with the weight of the world because its her nature
She is someone that can keep a smile on
her face no matter what the situation
She is someone who has her weak moments,
but no one would ever know it.
She is someone who I can go to, to talk
about anything
She is someone who comforts me and makes
me feel like I am special
She is someone who I feel sees the real
me, even when I put on a mask for other
She is someone that keeps me going when
I can’t think of any other reason to go
She is someone…someone I will forever
hold dear to my heart
There a few similarities of a life of a 12 year old Nicaraguan boy to my life as a 12 year old American girl. First comparison is that we both go to school, however his classroom was way smaller than mine and his class size was way bigger than mine. Although Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America I wasn't surprised to know that 92% of kids go to primary school. I know this because I visited Nicaragua 3 years ago and during the day all the children were in school. While this was expected one thing that did surprise was how little people had healthcare. I figured the working class (which was my 12 year old boy's family) would have health care; however after I factored in the size of his family and went over some data I came to the conclusion that his family wouldn't be able to afford health insurance. I think that by age 40 the boy will be working, have 4-5 children who will attend primary school and possibly secondary but might not make it onto college. I think by the time the boy is 40 Nicaragua will have universal healthcare, however the boy and his family still might not have access to adequate healthcare.
Alejandra, the wife of a trapped miner and mother of a worrying son Pablo, the son of the miner who is trapped in the mine Carlos, a father/husband who is trapped in the mine who has to put food on the table for his family
Mining For Hope
Act I, Scene I ALEJANDRA:
(Pacing back and forth outside of her house concerned about her trapped husband, contemplating what she will do without him.)
...Why? Why would this happen to me? I mean it happened to him. But you know what I mean, I know it’s happening to my husband, but he is a part of me I love him, he brings in the money. I mean, that’s not the important reason, he also is...just there for my son and I....I can’t even contemplate what it would be like...down there...in the dark... all you have is your mining hat with the light that might run out anytime soon. He had told me before that this sorta thing might happen but I never actually expected for him to be trapped.
(pauses for a couple seconds to look at the bright side)
But hey, at least there are other people down there to cope with him I hope they all can get along and just survive until they are rescued
(She stops and a tear rolls down her cheek.)
if they are rescued.
(starts pacing again with more vigor)
I haven’t told little our little Pablo what has happened to his papi. Should I tell him? It would make him worry a lot. He wouldn’t be able to pay attention in school. He does need to know...right?
(Picks up a picture of her husband and son playing together and looks at it longingly.)
Act I, Scene II PABLO:
(sitting on a ragged couch, on the verge of tears)
W-W-Where’s my....my dad? Did he leave us? Did he lose his way and get lost or something? I-I-Is-Is he...d-dead?...NO! He can’t be dead. He’s the strongest man in the whole world He said that he would never let anything happen to me Mommy said that we both might have to get a job I’ve never worked before...and I’m only 9 years old! What can I do? I will always mess up everything. Will I have to work as someones servant, or...or as a slave? I hate meeting new people too.
(Starts to pull himself together and is gaining confidence again.)
Do other kids that are my age even THINK about working? The guy that I would work for would probably yell at me all the time, and what I’d do would never be good enough for him. What would my papi think of me doing work for some random person that I don’t even know? Would he be okay with it? When will he be home so that I don’t have to get a job? I know that he will be able to get back. Especially since I’m here, he should be back so he can protect me from all the bad guys out there.
Act I, Scene III CARLOS:
(Standing against the inside of the mine in darkness talking to a fellow miner who is sitting on the ground a couple feet away)
Do I have anyone that I want to see when I get out? Of course I do. I have my beautiful wife Alejandra, and my wonderful little son, Pablo. ... What? Are you serious? That is horrible. I mean thats your choice and I don’t have the right to judge but they are going to find out when we get out of here. Your wife is going to be angry, I would assume. … I know that that is your business but I think it’s wrong to cheat on your wife. And yes we are going to get out of here. It is no matter of if we get out, it’s when we get out. You need to think positive. … What do you mean that never works? … Well that’s because you didn’t have a positive thought about it from the beginning. I know everything doesn’t happen the way you want it to, but the key is to stay positive through the worst of times.
I know you're somewhere out there
Somewhere far away
I want you back
I want you back
My neighbors think
I'm crazy
But they don't understand
You're all I have
You're all I have
Chorus:
At night when the stars
light up my room
I sit by myself
Talking to the Moon
Trying to get to You
In hopes you're on
the other side
Talking to me too
Or am I a fool
who sits alone
Talking to the moon
I'm feeling like I'm famous
The talk of the town
They say
I've gone mad
Yeah
I've gone mad
But they don't know
what I know
Cause when the
sun goes down
someone's talking back
Yeah
They're talking back
At night when the stars
light up my room
I sit by myself
Talking to the Moon
Trying to get to You
In hopes you're on
the other side
Talking to me too
Or am I a fool
who sits alone
Talking to the moon
Ahh Ahh,
Ahh Ahh,
Do you ever hear me calling?
Cause every night
I'm talking to the moon
Still trying to get to you
In hopes you're on
the other side
Talking to me too
Or am I a fool
who sits alone
Talking to the moon
I know you're somewhere out there
Somewhere far away
My monologue is about the wars in Darfur, Sudan. The people in the country have it hard because they don't know if they'll be another death victim, so they fight for their lives. The government is corrupt. The president if Sudan, Omar al-Bashir does nothing to benefit his country. He contributes to the problems going on there. This war has been going on for years between north and south Sudan. It's only a matter of time before they get help.
Cast:
Villager
Act I, Scence I
Abkar
As I sit here in my village and watch my family sleep, I wonder if
I’ll see them tomorrow. Everyday I’m fighting for my life, and I don’t know if
I will live to see another day so I make the best of what I have. I run for
duck and cover to prevent being seen by one of the Janjaweed men. If they saw
me God knows what could happen. I feel like I’m being held hostage in my own
country fighting for the right to live.
(Man sitting on the floor in his village
in front of camera)
A
man in a jail cell looking out the window thinking to himself. I’m sitting
here in my cell and I’m thinking; how did I end up in here? I mean is this what
people get for fighting against cruelty to humans. I was fighting for rights
for all south Africans, “Equal Rights”. I felt relieved that people were
actually by my side, and they were fighting with me, blacks and whites. We were
people fighting for each other’s rights. If we people don’t fight for our
rights then who will? I sit here and I feel confused everyday that I am in this
jail cell. I don’t deserve this. I was doing the right thing, or was I? I mean
are we supposed to do the wrong thing in this cruel world? Maybe it’s the
opposite right is wrong and wrong is right. Either way I will keep faith, and I
shall continue to fight for our rights, until things change. One day all South
Africans will have “Equal Rights”. We must keep this fight going.
A
girl laying down on her bed writing in her diary under her cover with a flash
light. Dear Diary, Its
been a long time since I last talked to you, today I am writing to you today to
inform you about my idol Nelson Mandela. He is in jail, and I wonder when is he
is going to get out of jail. When he does could this mean that South Africans
all over will be treated equally. I love that Nelson Mandela stands up for
everyone in our country. His vision is a vision that can not be ignored. I’m
only 9 years old, but I can get some adults involved, and we can start protest,
just thinking about this makes me happy. I can make big signs, and we will
stand outside of the jail, chanting let him free let him free. We will make
sure that Nelson Mandela is set free out of jail. Thank You Diary You Gave Me
Some Great Ideas, I will be back later I have to go talk mom and dad, so we can
get started! See you. Sincerely, Jackie Wells
A
girl talking to her parents, she is very excited! Jackie-
Mom! Dad! I have a big master plan, and it involves helping someone very
important to me. Mom-
Who is it honey? Dad-
Yeah who is it. Jackie-
NELSON MANDELA! Mom-
Isn’t he in jail? Jackie-
Yes he is. Dad-
Jackie I forbid you to go anywhere near a jail, he got himself in there with
his mouth, so let him get himself out. We don’t have no business helping
someone of that color out anyway. What good has he done for white people? Jackie-
Dad he isn’t just standing up for black people, he is helping everyone, not
just blacks. He isn’t racist and by the way you are talking it seems that you
are! Smack. Dad-
Now you go upstairs in your room. I will not have any thing to do with any of
your shenanigans, and I will not have a child disrespecting me. Mom-
John you didn’t have to hit her, she is only trying to help someone. Her heart is
in the right place, and it shouldn’t matter if they are black or white. I think
what she is trying to do is a good thing. I am a big supporter of fighting for
rights for all people black and white, and I am ashamed that you would even
give a hell about his color. He seems to be a really good man, and I’m going to
support our daughter whether you like it or not. Dad-
Sarah you know I’m not racist, but we could get in to some deep trouble for
siding on the black man’s side. We will been seen as traders. My family won’t
be seen as traders and that’s final. Mom-
Well I’m helping him whether you like it or not, and I don’t give a damn what
people think.
Yeah
who is it. Jackie I forbid you to go anywhere near a jail, he got himself in
there with his mouth, so let him get himself out. We don’t have no business
helping someone of that color out anyway. What good has he done for white
people? Now you go upstairs in your room. I will not have any thing to do with
any of your shenanigans, and I will not have a child disrespecting me. Helping
him out, would be getting involved with government business, and that could lad
to serious trouble. Like us being locked down right along with Nelson Mandela,
and we don’t need to be in jail. If we go to jail your mother and I both could
lose our jobs, and you would be kicked out of your school. We have to pay a lot
of money for you to be able to attend private school. Be happy that you are
getting a great education at the top private school in all of South Africa.
Plus you should be occupied with homework so I don’t know how you would have
time for helping out someone else, you got to take care of yourself first.
Who
is it honey? Isn’t he in jail? Oh I would say yes right away, but we will have
have to see what your father has to say. You know how he can be, and for the
most part what he says goes.
John
you didn’t have to hit her, she is only trying to help someone. Her heart is in
the right place, and it shouldn’t matter if they are black or white. I think
what she is trying to do is a good thing. I am a big supporter of fighting for
rights for all people black and white, and I am ashamed that you would even
give a hell about his color. He seems to be a really good man, and I’m going to
support our daughter whether you like it or not. Well I’m helping him whether
you like it or not, and I don’t give a damn what people think.
Sarah
you know I’m not racist, but we could get in to some deep trouble for siding on
the black man’s side. We will been seen as traders. My family won’t be seen as
traders and that’s final.
I came out of my sleepiness slump. I'm so glad. I really hated being so tired all the time. My mom though I had hypothyroidism but people who have that are really fat so I don't think i have that. I think I was just sleepy all the time because of senoiritis. It caused me not do any work, I hated being in school, and when I had to do work I got sleepy. After my trip to my college I realized I got to keep the grades up and back in the swing of things. Hooray!
Here's the link to the email addresses and who you have.
1. Update your word document so that you have the name of the Venezuelan student in the greeting. 2. Convert the updated doc to a PDF. 3. Upload PDF to googledocs. Choose "Anyone with the link" 4. Go to SLA blog and change the old link you posted to your new updated link. 5. Email new PDF link to your Venezuelan ePal. 6. If the email works, type "YES" under the "Worked?" column in this document. If your email bounces back to you, type "NO" under the "Worked?" column and let me know so I can assign you a different ePal.
I can’t give you everything I can’t even really sing but you can have my heart It’s only one small part you deserve so much more but thats all I can account for
I can’t give you everything but I will take you under my wing protect you, when I’m around make you laugh when your feeling down I’ll never let you hit the ground
I can’t give you everything but, I can try to buy everything you wana have
"Call a truce, world peace, stop actin like savages No war, we should take time and think The bombs and tanks makes mankind extinct But since the beginning of time it's been men with arms fightin"-NAS
