Blogs I've Commented On:
Emily
www.frozenschoolstuff.blogspot.com
"My Newspaper Article"
Fox
www.foxore'sblog.blogspot.com
"Extra! Extra! Read All About It!"
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Glossary
Ghetto
Example: 'The Blankstein family had remained in the ghetto from 1940 until April of 1944.'
Definition: An area or part of a city where people of a certain race or religion are forced to live. In this case, a Jewish ghetto, where Lilli lived for most of the war.
Incorrigable
Example: '"By now it must be clear to everyone that this child is incorrigable," Mrs. Chandler told Mrs. Karr.'
Definition: If someone is incorrigable, they are unruly and steadfast, ad not easily swayed by anyone. it also means someone who is beyond hope of reform, someone who cannot possibly learn to live a different way. Mrs. Chandler uses this word to describe Lilli, after Lilli kicked Mr. Peabody and Mrs. Chandler decided she had to leave.
Flouted
Example: '"This has nothing to do with your tardiness. It has to do with the fact that you flouted our dress code."'
Definition: To ignore or break a rule; Marilyn 'flouted' the dress code by wearing slacks to school instead of a skirt.
"Damaged Goods"
Example: 'They'd heard rumours that some of the children were "damaged goods."'
Definition: An expression that means that the children were permanently scarred from their experience in the war, and not able to be healed.
Greenies
I thought it would make sense add this word, since it's the title of the book.
Example: '"Like the green shoot of a plant? They've always used it to describe newly arrived Jewish immigrants. Newcomers. Greeners."'
Definition: As it says in the quote, it is an expression used to describe Jewish immigrants that have just arrived. it symbolizes a new beginning, like a plant starting to grow.
Example: 'The Blankstein family had remained in the ghetto from 1940 until April of 1944.'
Definition: An area or part of a city where people of a certain race or religion are forced to live. In this case, a Jewish ghetto, where Lilli lived for most of the war.
Incorrigable
Example: '"By now it must be clear to everyone that this child is incorrigable," Mrs. Chandler told Mrs. Karr.'
Definition: If someone is incorrigable, they are unruly and steadfast, ad not easily swayed by anyone. it also means someone who is beyond hope of reform, someone who cannot possibly learn to live a different way. Mrs. Chandler uses this word to describe Lilli, after Lilli kicked Mr. Peabody and Mrs. Chandler decided she had to leave.
Flouted
Example: '"This has nothing to do with your tardiness. It has to do with the fact that you flouted our dress code."'
Definition: To ignore or break a rule; Marilyn 'flouted' the dress code by wearing slacks to school instead of a skirt.
"Damaged Goods"
Example: 'They'd heard rumours that some of the children were "damaged goods."'
Definition: An expression that means that the children were permanently scarred from their experience in the war, and not able to be healed.
Greenies
I thought it would make sense add this word, since it's the title of the book.
Example: '"Like the green shoot of a plant? They've always used it to describe newly arrived Jewish immigrants. Newcomers. Greeners."'
Definition: As it says in the quote, it is an expression used to describe Jewish immigrants that have just arrived. it symbolizes a new beginning, like a plant starting to grow.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A Tiny Bit of Information
Just in case I haven't mentioned it already, this blog was created by Julia DaSilva.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Quotation Number Four
Page 231, Paragraph 6
'"You really are not a reliable person, Lilli. I know my children have grown fond of you but I have to think of my family. Our needs come first."'
I chose this quotation because this is, as I said in the first journal entry, the aftermath of the climax. You think everything has been resolved and then this happens. These words create that feeling of everything going wrong right when you thought the big problem was solved. This proves correct when Lilli talks to Mrs. Karr, who tells her she's going to have to move to New Westminster.
Text to Self: When I first started playing piano, in grade two, I practiced every day without anyone having to tell me. I moved forward quite quickly, and was doing really well... until grade three. I didn't go and practice on my own anymore, and had to be reminded constantly to sit and play the piano. My mom said she was surprised that I wasn't doing it anymore (following with the "not being reliable" thing). This, like my text to self connection for quote three, sounds very different from what's happening at this point in the story, but the line of thinking is the same: you think everything's fine, but then you realize it's not.
Text to World: This sounds really, really strange and gruesome, but the connection I made for this quote was something I heard from my younger sister, Miranda: if a tiger is really hungry, it will eat it's cubs. This is my reasoning: tigers created their cubs. Mrs. Davidson took Lilli into her home. The tiger eats its cubs. Mrs Davidson tells Lilli she has to leave. The relationship between the caregiver and the young... mammal is destroyed in both cases (though a little more gruesomely in the tiger situation). The tiger decides that its life is more important than its cub's life. Mrs. Davidson tells Lilli that her family is more important than keeping Lilli.
Text to Text: Last year we read a picture book in drama class. I forget what it was called, but it was about a boy and his younger brother, who are home in the evenings when their mother works. One night, the boy's friends come over, and they want him to be part of this gang. He has to prove himself by doing graffiti over the graffiti another gang did. He does it, but the other gang shows up and they want to fight him. The boy manages to get home in time, and they think they're safe, but then he gets in trouble with his mother for going out when she wasn't home. This is similar to what happened withLilli; they find Max, and she thinks everything is fine, but then Mrs. Davidson tells hr she can't live there anymore. In both this book and The Greenies the authoritive figure decides hat the main character is not reliable.
'"You really are not a reliable person, Lilli. I know my children have grown fond of you but I have to think of my family. Our needs come first."'
I chose this quotation because this is, as I said in the first journal entry, the aftermath of the climax. You think everything has been resolved and then this happens. These words create that feeling of everything going wrong right when you thought the big problem was solved. This proves correct when Lilli talks to Mrs. Karr, who tells her she's going to have to move to New Westminster.
Text to Self: When I first started playing piano, in grade two, I practiced every day without anyone having to tell me. I moved forward quite quickly, and was doing really well... until grade three. I didn't go and practice on my own anymore, and had to be reminded constantly to sit and play the piano. My mom said she was surprised that I wasn't doing it anymore (following with the "not being reliable" thing). This, like my text to self connection for quote three, sounds very different from what's happening at this point in the story, but the line of thinking is the same: you think everything's fine, but then you realize it's not.
Text to World: This sounds really, really strange and gruesome, but the connection I made for this quote was something I heard from my younger sister, Miranda: if a tiger is really hungry, it will eat it's cubs. This is my reasoning: tigers created their cubs. Mrs. Davidson took Lilli into her home. The tiger eats its cubs. Mrs Davidson tells Lilli she has to leave. The relationship between the caregiver and the young... mammal is destroyed in both cases (though a little more gruesomely in the tiger situation). The tiger decides that its life is more important than its cub's life. Mrs. Davidson tells Lilli that her family is more important than keeping Lilli.
Text to Text: Last year we read a picture book in drama class. I forget what it was called, but it was about a boy and his younger brother, who are home in the evenings when their mother works. One night, the boy's friends come over, and they want him to be part of this gang. He has to prove himself by doing graffiti over the graffiti another gang did. He does it, but the other gang shows up and they want to fight him. The boy manages to get home in time, and they think they're safe, but then he gets in trouble with his mother for going out when she wasn't home. This is similar to what happened withLilli; they find Max, and she thinks everything is fine, but then Mrs. Davidson tells hr she can't live there anymore. In both this book and The Greenies the authoritive figure decides hat the main character is not reliable.
Quotation Number Three
Page 204, Paragraph 3
'"...It may sound strange to you, but Max probably ran away because nobody wanted him in the family picture. He realized that he wasn't family, that he was still an outsider, and he was ashamed when somebody made it obvious."'
I chose this quote because it was a more extreme version of the situation in quotation two. I believe it is more extreme than the second quote because it is later in the book and Max has gradually been adjusting and starting to fit in. This incident took him right back to the beginning, made him realize that he was still a newcomer and that these people didn't think of him as family. Max confirms this a little later on, when the others find him at the beach.
Text to Self: This doesn't sound very similar, but the think that came to mind for this quote was one time when I was in a clothing store with my mom and my siblings. We were all looking around around except for my younger brother, Aidan. He clued in pretty quickly that he didn't exactly belong over here, with us looking at skirts and sports bras, and he asked my mom if he could go "sit on the bench over there." Again, this is very different from what is going on in the quote, but it follows the same theme of not belonging and leaving because of it.
Text to World: I think most forms of bullying could be connected to this. Usually if someone bullies someone else, it's because something about their personality or appearance is different. If that person excludes them because of it, then they are leaving because someone made it obvious that they were different. This is a lot like what happens with Max.
Text to Text: This reminds me of a short story I read called Bait, where a family goes hunting magical creatures in an enchanted forest. The main character's older sister and parents are amazing hunters, but he can't catch a thing. He knows he doesn't belong in these woods, with all these amazing hunters around him, but on his first day there, he gets bitten by this creature that latches onto his back and won't let go. Before long, he and the creature are one being. He realizes that he doesn't even belong in human civilization anymore, so he goes deep into the woods and never comes back. In both this story and The Greenies, it is made obvious that the person is an outsider, so they leave.
'"...It may sound strange to you, but Max probably ran away because nobody wanted him in the family picture. He realized that he wasn't family, that he was still an outsider, and he was ashamed when somebody made it obvious."'
I chose this quote because it was a more extreme version of the situation in quotation two. I believe it is more extreme than the second quote because it is later in the book and Max has gradually been adjusting and starting to fit in. This incident took him right back to the beginning, made him realize that he was still a newcomer and that these people didn't think of him as family. Max confirms this a little later on, when the others find him at the beach.
Text to Self: This doesn't sound very similar, but the think that came to mind for this quote was one time when I was in a clothing store with my mom and my siblings. We were all looking around around except for my younger brother, Aidan. He clued in pretty quickly that he didn't exactly belong over here, with us looking at skirts and sports bras, and he asked my mom if he could go "sit on the bench over there." Again, this is very different from what is going on in the quote, but it follows the same theme of not belonging and leaving because of it.
Text to World: I think most forms of bullying could be connected to this. Usually if someone bullies someone else, it's because something about their personality or appearance is different. If that person excludes them because of it, then they are leaving because someone made it obvious that they were different. This is a lot like what happens with Max.
Text to Text: This reminds me of a short story I read called Bait, where a family goes hunting magical creatures in an enchanted forest. The main character's older sister and parents are amazing hunters, but he can't catch a thing. He knows he doesn't belong in these woods, with all these amazing hunters around him, but on his first day there, he gets bitten by this creature that latches onto his back and won't let go. Before long, he and the creature are one being. He realizes that he doesn't even belong in human civilization anymore, so he goes deep into the woods and never comes back. In both this story and The Greenies, it is made obvious that the person is an outsider, so they leave.
Quotation Number Two
Page 109, Paragraph 4
'"The girls are dressed like they're going to The Cave nightclub for cocktails and dancing. Too agonizing for words," Marion Walker whispered.'
I chose this quote because it illustrates the difficulties the newcomers had fitting in. They all dressed up for the dance and none of the Vancouver kids weren't nearly as formally dressed. They were thought of as weird and this quotation shows how the other children thought of them. This party didn't actually end up working at all, because the whole point of having the party was so that the orphans and the Vancouver children could mix. Marilyn even tells her father later that the party wasn't a success.
Text to Self: This reminds me of my friend Nina's twelfth birthday party last year. She goes to the school I went to until grade three, and she is the one friend from that school I still see sometimes. But when I went to her party last yea, I realized I completely did not fit in anymore. Everyone was talking about people and things and events that I kew nothing about. I kept to the fringes of the party, not fully participating, because I just didn't know these people anymore.
Text to World: This is the sort of thing I imagine the Aboriginal people must of said to each other when explorers from Europe first came to North America. They must have thought that the clothes they wore were odd, and said things like this to their friends.
Text to Text: This quote reminds me of a short story I read, Eating at the End-of-the-World-Cafe. In this story, everyone lives in this huge city, which is centred around the "Pit". You never really know what the "Pit" is, except that it's supposedly really horrible and people work there. At one point, a man who works there walks into a cafe, and instantly everything is quiet and people start whispering uncomfortably. He sits down away from everyone else and everyone ignores him after that. This seems a lot like the situation the newcomers find themselves in at Barbara's party.
'"The girls are dressed like they're going to The Cave nightclub for cocktails and dancing. Too agonizing for words," Marion Walker whispered.'
I chose this quote because it illustrates the difficulties the newcomers had fitting in. They all dressed up for the dance and none of the Vancouver kids weren't nearly as formally dressed. They were thought of as weird and this quotation shows how the other children thought of them. This party didn't actually end up working at all, because the whole point of having the party was so that the orphans and the Vancouver children could mix. Marilyn even tells her father later that the party wasn't a success.
Text to Self: This reminds me of my friend Nina's twelfth birthday party last year. She goes to the school I went to until grade three, and she is the one friend from that school I still see sometimes. But when I went to her party last yea, I realized I completely did not fit in anymore. Everyone was talking about people and things and events that I kew nothing about. I kept to the fringes of the party, not fully participating, because I just didn't know these people anymore.
Text to World: This is the sort of thing I imagine the Aboriginal people must of said to each other when explorers from Europe first came to North America. They must have thought that the clothes they wore were odd, and said things like this to their friends.
Text to Text: This quote reminds me of a short story I read, Eating at the End-of-the-World-Cafe. In this story, everyone lives in this huge city, which is centred around the "Pit". You never really know what the "Pit" is, except that it's supposedly really horrible and people work there. At one point, a man who works there walks into a cafe, and instantly everything is quiet and people start whispering uncomfortably. He sits down away from everyone else and everyone ignores him after that. This seems a lot like the situation the newcomers find themselves in at Barbara's party.
Picture Number Two- Max
This picture shows him looking away into the distance, and I chose this picture because it seems like Max is always still looking for something; he doesn't know his parents re never coming back and thinks they will, so really in the story he is looking for something that isn't there. This picture shows him looking thoughtful and alone, and he also looks younger than many of the others. You can tell in the book that he is younger because of the way Kurt warns him about the doctor,and he is quite quiet in the book. This picture shows that.
Picture Question
What type of information does a visual provide that the text does not?
A visual gives you exactly what the author wants you to see. You can describe someone very well, and yet the exact details, the little things you imagine that we don't have words to describe, won't be portrayed to the reader. You can't really describe the exact way someone's hair falls over heir face, or the particular look they get when they laugh. You can show everything the precise way you see it in your mind in a picture.
A visual gives you exactly what the author wants you to see. You can describe someone very well, and yet the exact details, the little things you imagine that we don't have words to describe, won't be portrayed to the reader. You can't really describe the exact way someone's hair falls over heir face, or the particular look they get when they laugh. You can show everything the precise way you see it in your mind in a picture.
Picture Number One- Totem Point Junior High:Lilli, Marilyn and Others
This picture shows Lilli, Marilyn, and a few of the other girls who were part of the protest against wearing skirts on cold days. I chose to portray this because this is when Lilli started to become accepted by girls other than Marilyn. There was still the struggle going on between her and Mrs. Davidson, but this shows that she was really starting to become involved and making friends with the other girls.
I drew a picture of Lilli at this time in the book because it shows that Lilli wasn't going to let something unfair like this happen to Marilyn, probably because of all the unfair things that had happened during the war; she didn't want to be a victim again. I put her in front of the other girls walking into the school because she was the one who started the whole protest after Marilyn was suspended. This picture shows that Lilli was wiling to stad up for what's right.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Quote Number One
Pages 3-4 paragraphs 4,1
'"This doctor is a real though one." The elder boy was still warning Max. "Operates strictly by the rules. Flat feet, you're out. A suspicious cough means tuberculosis to these guys, so choke back any coughs or sneezes."'
I chose this quote because it introduces Kurt and Max and describes how hard it was to get into Canada. At the beginning of the story, it's all about getting to Canada, so I picked this quote because it helps express that difficulty and their hopes that they would make it. Kurt later gives an example of how difficult it is to get into Canada when he tells Max the story about the boy who wasn't allowed passage because he failed the reading test.
Text to Self: When Kurt was going on about everything Max should and should not do when he was with the doctor, it reminded me of myself, going on and on to my younger siblings about things I know they don't understand. I imagined Max with the same bewildered look they get when I do this.
Text to World: Kurt makes it sound pretty much impossible to pass all the tests, and there are a lot of things that come to mind which seem nearly impossible, or like there are so many restrictions it seems like there's nothing you can actually do. Or it seems like every time you come up with a solution, it creates another problem. I thought of global warming, and how people have come up with so many different ways to solve it, yet they all harm the environment in some other way.
Text to Text: It was very difficult to get into Canada, but over one thousand children did make it, so it certainly wasn't impossible. This reminds me of a book I read called Squire, by Tamora Pierce, in which a girl named Keladry is training to become a knight. The final step before knighthood was the Chamber of the Ordeal, which made you live through your worst nightmares. If you could survive that, you could become a knight. It seemed impossible to live through, yet nearly everyone made it through. It seemed like there was no to be allowed to come to Canada, but many children did.
Text to Self: When Kurt was going on about everything Max should and should not do when he was with the doctor, it reminded me of myself, going on and on to my younger siblings about things I know they don't understand. I imagined Max with the same bewildered look they get when I do this.
Text to World: Kurt makes it sound pretty much impossible to pass all the tests, and there are a lot of things that come to mind which seem nearly impossible, or like there are so many restrictions it seems like there's nothing you can actually do. Or it seems like every time you come up with a solution, it creates another problem. I thought of global warming, and how people have come up with so many different ways to solve it, yet they all harm the environment in some other way.
Text to Text: It was very difficult to get into Canada, but over one thousand children did make it, so it certainly wasn't impossible. This reminds me of a book I read called Squire, by Tamora Pierce, in which a girl named Keladry is training to become a knight. The final step before knighthood was the Chamber of the Ordeal, which made you live through your worst nightmares. If you could survive that, you could become a knight. It seemed impossible to live through, yet nearly everyone made it through. It seemed like there was no to be allowed to come to Canada, but many children did.
Journal Number Two Reflection
Character
There are three main characters in The Greenies, but Dany is the only boy out of the three. Lilli's and Marilyn's perspectives are very intertwined, because they go to the same school and many of the thing s that happen to one happen to the other. Danny's perspective is completely different and provides an entirely different view of everything that is happening. He is also the first orphan in the story to start working and his description of his dreams illustrate one of the affects of the war on the children.
Time
I chose this time in the story because it shows that Danny is really starting a new life in Canada an becoming independent. It shows that he is putting the war behind him and adjusting to life in Vancouver.
There are three main characters in The Greenies, but Dany is the only boy out of the three. Lilli's and Marilyn's perspectives are very intertwined, because they go to the same school and many of the thing s that happen to one happen to the other. Danny's perspective is completely different and provides an entirely different view of everything that is happening. He is also the first orphan in the story to start working and his description of his dreams illustrate one of the affects of the war on the children.
Time
I chose this time in the story because it shows that Danny is really starting a new life in Canada an becoming independent. It shows that he is putting the war behind him and adjusting to life in Vancouver.
Journal Number Two- Danny
February 10,1948
It's been almost three years; why don't they stop? How long will I be plagued with dreams about the past? Nearly every night I dream I'm back in the camp with Moniek, and all the guards around me. But shouldn't they have stopped by now? Why do they continue, even after so long?
I dreamt of Buchenwald again last night. It's not like it's on my mind all day; I'm not constantly thinking about the war, so why am I dreaming about it? I hope it doesn't go on like this forever; I'd rather dream about other things, things that are happening now, not in the past.
On a brighter note, I've just started working full time. Mrs. Halpbern thinks it's still too early, that I should go to school for awhile longer first, and get more of an education. But luckily Mr. Halpbern agrees with me that I should start working as soon as possible. I went to the interview and got hired, and now I'm being paid eighteen dollars a week at a nearby furniture store. It feels great to be earning money for myself, and to be able to pay the Halpberns back for all the help they've given me.
Max and Kurt aren't really happy about my decision, even though I told them I'm taking night school, to get a diploma as an accountant. They don't understand, they think I'm in too big of a rush. But the Halpberns have done enough for me; they have two children of their own and I don't want to be burden.
Am I the only one aside from Mr. Halpbern who thinks this is a good time to start working? Everyone says it's too early- are they right? They can't be; the most important thing right now is becoming independent. And I'm taking night school, so I am still learning, so why are Kurt and Max and Mrs. Halpbern making such a fuss?
More than anything right now I want to become a true Canadian. Don't all the orphans who came here?
It's been almost three years; why don't they stop? How long will I be plagued with dreams about the past? Nearly every night I dream I'm back in the camp with Moniek, and all the guards around me. But shouldn't they have stopped by now? Why do they continue, even after so long?
I dreamt of Buchenwald again last night. It's not like it's on my mind all day; I'm not constantly thinking about the war, so why am I dreaming about it? I hope it doesn't go on like this forever; I'd rather dream about other things, things that are happening now, not in the past.
On a brighter note, I've just started working full time. Mrs. Halpbern thinks it's still too early, that I should go to school for awhile longer first, and get more of an education. But luckily Mr. Halpbern agrees with me that I should start working as soon as possible. I went to the interview and got hired, and now I'm being paid eighteen dollars a week at a nearby furniture store. It feels great to be earning money for myself, and to be able to pay the Halpberns back for all the help they've given me.
Max and Kurt aren't really happy about my decision, even though I told them I'm taking night school, to get a diploma as an accountant. They don't understand, they think I'm in too big of a rush. But the Halpberns have done enough for me; they have two children of their own and I don't want to be burden.
Am I the only one aside from Mr. Halpbern who thinks this is a good time to start working? Everyone says it's too early- are they right? They can't be; the most important thing right now is becoming independent. And I'm taking night school, so I am still learning, so why are Kurt and Max and Mrs. Halpbern making such a fuss?
More than anything right now I want to become a true Canadian. Don't all the orphans who came here?
Friday, November 12, 2010
Reflection- Journal Number One
Character
I chose this character because, throughout the novel, I think Lilli is the one who had the most consistent problem. For nearly the entire thing, the places she goes to live in just don't work. The others have problems, of course; Marilyn gets suspended, Max runs away; but Lilli's is ongoing and only gets solved at the very end, after everyone else is fine. Even though there are three main characters, Lilli seems like the main main character.
Time
I chose this time in the book because it shows the struggle to adapt to life in a new country, especially after the war. Both households she lived in didn't understand her an hat she'd been through, and that created tension. I also chose this time because it was , in a way the aftershock to the climax; the climax was undoubtedly when they were all at the beach trying to get Max to come back. This happened as a result of that, and is almost as big as the climax itself.
I chose this character because, throughout the novel, I think Lilli is the one who had the most consistent problem. For nearly the entire thing, the places she goes to live in just don't work. The others have problems, of course; Marilyn gets suspended, Max runs away; but Lilli's is ongoing and only gets solved at the very end, after everyone else is fine. Even though there are three main characters, Lilli seems like the main main character.
Time
I chose this time in the book because it shows the struggle to adapt to life in a new country, especially after the war. Both households she lived in didn't understand her an hat she'd been through, and that created tension. I also chose this time because it was , in a way the aftershock to the climax; the climax was undoubtedly when they were all at the beach trying to get Max to come back. This happened as a result of that, and is almost as big as the climax itself.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Journal Number One- Lilli
May 24, 1948
I can't believe it; I've lived in two different places since coming here and now I'm going to a third. You'd think Mrs. Davidson would have understood. In know I should have called before going out to look for Max, but he had RUN AWAY, we had to move quickly, and it's not like there are telephones on the beach anyway. What was I supposed to do? It seems like Mrs. Davidson already wanted to get rid of me. Maybe she's just using it as an excuse for me to leave. There was that time the other day when she was eager to get me out of the house... but why? Kicked out of two homes; am I doing something wrong? Is it me? All the others-Danny and Sylie and Kurt and all the other survivors who came to Vancouver- they all seem to be fine. Is there something wrong with me? Am I really- what did she call it- incorrigable?
I'm sure I'm a huge pain to Mrs. Karr; no one wants me and I've left two places already. She has to deal deal me, it's her job and I'm already here in Canada, but; oh, I feel so unwanted! She probably doesn't have any idea what to do with me. No one wants me and I have to go somewhwere, so that's why I have to go away to live with a sick man in New Westminster.
And now I'm going to have to give up school. What was the point of applying to Canada, going through all those tests and forms and everying, waiting for agess for before knowing I'd made it; if now I can't learn, can't become anything? I might as well go back to Europe.
I'm sure the actually job itself won't be bad, but-well- that's not what I came here for. I came to batter myself, to have a life I couldn't have had back where I came from. Is it just luck, or was I fated to live in to different places that just didn't want me, so that that could never happen? If so, why me? What have I done?
They just don't understand here that we've been through so much that fourteen-year-olds here in Canada haven't. You had to be strong, to live throught the camps; you had to look out for yourself and they simply don't get that here. Mrs. Chandler and Mrs Davidson both tried to completely control my life. I can't handle that. I haven't had anyone loking after me like that for years.
On a different subject... I wonder how Feyla is doing now. It was on the radio just recently- right before Max went missing, in fact- that there is now a country within Palestine only for Jews. It is called Israel. I'm sure that's where Feyla is now. I really wish she hadn't been to old to apply for Canada; she could be here now, instead of halway around the world.
I can't believe it; I've lived in two different places since coming here and now I'm going to a third. You'd think Mrs. Davidson would have understood. In know I should have called before going out to look for Max, but he had RUN AWAY, we had to move quickly, and it's not like there are telephones on the beach anyway. What was I supposed to do? It seems like Mrs. Davidson already wanted to get rid of me. Maybe she's just using it as an excuse for me to leave. There was that time the other day when she was eager to get me out of the house... but why? Kicked out of two homes; am I doing something wrong? Is it me? All the others-Danny and Sylie and Kurt and all the other survivors who came to Vancouver- they all seem to be fine. Is there something wrong with me? Am I really- what did she call it- incorrigable?
I'm sure I'm a huge pain to Mrs. Karr; no one wants me and I've left two places already. She has to deal deal me, it's her job and I'm already here in Canada, but; oh, I feel so unwanted! She probably doesn't have any idea what to do with me. No one wants me and I have to go somewhwere, so that's why I have to go away to live with a sick man in New Westminster.
And now I'm going to have to give up school. What was the point of applying to Canada, going through all those tests and forms and everying, waiting for agess for before knowing I'd made it; if now I can't learn, can't become anything? I might as well go back to Europe.
I'm sure the actually job itself won't be bad, but-well- that's not what I came here for. I came to batter myself, to have a life I couldn't have had back where I came from. Is it just luck, or was I fated to live in to different places that just didn't want me, so that that could never happen? If so, why me? What have I done?
They just don't understand here that we've been through so much that fourteen-year-olds here in Canada haven't. You had to be strong, to live throught the camps; you had to look out for yourself and they simply don't get that here. Mrs. Chandler and Mrs Davidson both tried to completely control my life. I can't handle that. I haven't had anyone loking after me like that for years.
On a different subject... I wonder how Feyla is doing now. It was on the radio just recently- right before Max went missing, in fact- that there is now a country within Palestine only for Jews. It is called Israel. I'm sure that's where Feyla is now. I really wish she hadn't been to old to apply for Canada; she could be here now, instead of halway around the world.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Greenies
The Greenies by Myra Paperny is about the Canadian Jewish War Orphans Project. It takes place in Vancouver, BC, in 1947 and follows three characters: Lilli, Danny, and Marilyn. I hope you enjoy reading my blog.
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