"Change is nature, Dad. The part that we can influence"

Django: [showing the exterminator shop to Remy with the dead rats in the window] Take a good long look, Remy. This is what happens when a rat gets a little too uncomfortable around humans. The world we live in belongs to the enemy, we must live carefully. We look out for our own kind, Remy. When all is said and done, we're all we've got.

Remy: [Django starts to walk away] No.

Django: What?

Remy:No. Dad I don't believe it. You're telling me that the future is - can only be more of *this*

Django: This is the way things are. You can't change nature.

Remy: Change is nature, Dad. The part that we can influence. And it starts when we decide.

Django: [Remy turns to leave] Where are you going?

Remy: With luck, forward.

--Movie "Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a movie the represents the theme “Determination”. Remy is a rat who wants to become a chef. When he goes to Paris, he meets Linguini, a chef who can’t cook. Remy made a deal that he will control Linguini’s actions and cook for him, and in return Linguini will appear human and provide Remy a place to live in. Remy’s father, Django finds out about this, and takes Remy to a shop with dead rats. Django explains how Remy can’t trust Linguini and that he can never be a cook. Remy refuses to give up and walks back to the restaurant, determined to achieve his goal of becoming a cook. Ratatouille tells all cultures from all time to not be afraid and challenge new things.

Praying for A Safe Return

Picture -"Praying for A Safe Return" by Angelina Cornidez

Hope

Hope travels through a roaring tunnel

Bearing his armour stronger than diamond

He proudly marches towards the sparkling light

~~ Satoko Ayabe

Hope is being positive, hope is when you believe something good is on the other end of tunnel. Whenever people feel like if it is the end of the road, they shouldn't give up, because good things may happen later on. The theme "Hope" is relevant no matter what country or what time period it is in. Everybody in the world hopes for something, and it can be anything. It might be food, good luck or love. Hope was believed a long time ago, and even now. A long time ago, homo sapiens wished for food, in the medieval ages they hoped for their country to win the war, and now ISKL students hope for good grades (so they don't get grounded). The theme hope is not being positive and not giving up, and it is relevant for all cultures and time periods.

Searching Omens -- Alchemist Essay

“When I have been truly searching for my treasure, every day has been luminous, because I’ve known that every hour was a part of my dream that I would find it.” (Coelho 115) .Santiago, the main character from “The Alchemist” realizes that when he is truly searching for his treasure by using his heart, he would definitely find it. The treasure hunter, Santiago used to be a shepherd from Andalusia, until he dreams about a treasure in the Pyramids and is convinced to find it and achieve his destiny. He departs Andalusia, through the docks of Tarifa, then to the Pyramids of Egypt. Along the way Santiago learns new ideas and views of life from Melchizedek, the crystal merchant, Fatima and the Alchemist. Santiago finds his treasure in Andalusia, where he started his journey and realizes that it wasn’t about finding the treasure, it was about the journey he had. Santiago was able to achieve his destiny by being wise about his choices, curious about the Soul of the World, and staying brave when facing challenges.

Santiago is forced to choose between two paths, and he has to be wise and decide the one that will lead to his destiny. First, Santiago struggles to choose between staying a shepherd and having the merchant’s daughter, or to find the treasure and achieve his destiny. “Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, they boy thought. He had to choose between something he had become accustomed to and something he wanted to have” (p 26). Santiago leaves his flock and goes to Tangier, where he works for the Crystal merchant. After Santiago earned enough money in the crystal merchant’s he decided to go back being a shepherd. Santiago was about to go back to Andalusia, until the merchant, said “you know I’m not going to Mecca. Just as you know that you’re not going to buy your sheep.” (p 58) this means that Santiago shouldn’t go back being a shepherd, and must continue his journey. Santiago changes his min, and travels to Al-Fayoum. He meets Fatima, a dessert woman he falls in love with. Santiago decides to give up his destiny and live with Fatima, but Fatima insists him to find the treasure. She tells Santiago that his omens brought him to her. If she was really part of Santiago’s destiny, he will meet her again. Santiago replies, “I’ll return, just as your father came back to you mother” (p 117). As Santiago learns to choose the path leading to his destiny, he also starts wondering about the Soul of the World.

On his journey, Santiago’s curiosity helps him to understand new views of life, like the “Soul of the World”. Santiago first heard of the “Soul of the World” when he met the Englishman. “Everything in life is an omen,” said the Englishman…“There is a universal language, understood by everybody, but already forgotten…I have to find a man who knows that universal language. An alchemist.” (p 67). The Englishman and Santiago went around asking people of the Oasis if they knew the Alchemist. Santiago meets Fatima, and this was when Santiago understood the Soul of the World. “When he looked into her dark eyes…the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love.” (p 88). Santiago leaves Fatima behind, and goes with the Alchemist to find the treasure. Santiago is told that he must listen to his heart, but Santiago doesn’t want to because every time he listened to it, it reminded him about Fatima. Santiago keeps listening to his heart, because he was curious to find what the alchemist’s lesson really was. Santiago soon realizes that listening to his heart will help him find the treasure. “He asked it (heart) please, never stop speaking to him….when he wandered far from his dreams ,his heart press him and sound the alarm.” (p 126). Santiago’s curiosity helps him understand the “Soul of the World”, about love, and to listening to his heart. Santiago continues to connect to the Soul of the World by listening to his heart and he uses this knowledge helps him to prepare for the challenges he faces.

The challenges Santiago is destined to face are always dangerous, and he has to stay brave for all of them. Santiago has a vision of an army attacking an oasis, but he is afraid that the tribal leaders won’t believe him. The seer tells him, that when Allah wants the tribal leaders to know something, the tribal leaders believe someone will come to tell them. That someone was Santiago. Santiago decides to tell the tribal leaders, and the tribal leaders tell him that there was a person just like him a long time ago who had a vision, and the person saved Egypt from famine. Santiago’s vision was true, and he rewarded with gold. Santiago was on his way back to the camp after meeting the tribal leaders, but a strange man stopped him. The stranger demands who read the message of the vision, in a loud and threatening voice, but Santiago answers proudly “It was I who dared to do so….Allah created the armies, and he also created…Allah taught me the language of the birds. Everything has been written by the same hand.”(p105~6). Santiago lowers his head to get his neck chopped off. Instead, the stranger lowers his scimitar till it touches Santiago’s forehead. Santiago didn’t show any sign of fear. Santiago realizes that the stranger was the alchemist, and he was testing Santiago’s courage to see if he was ready to understand the Soul of the World. Santiago goes on a journey with the Alchemist to find treasure, but a group of tribesmen approaches them telling Santiago to turn himself into wind, or else he’ll die. Santiago finds out how to turn himself into wind: by irritating the wind. Santiago has enough courage to irritate the wind, the wind is such a powerful being, and people never know what it can do. ““When you are loved, you can do anything in creation…even men can turn themselves into wind. As long as the wind helps, or course”…the wind…becoming irritated with what the boy was saying. It commenced to blow harder” (p141). The bravery Santiago has helps him in his journey, along with his wise choices and now his curiosity.

Santiago has been able to achieve his destiny, by choosing wise decisions that will lead to his treasure, being curious to learn about the soul of the world and his heart, and staying brave for dangerous challenges. Santiago learns that every person has a destiny, but they are afraid to realize it. Start to look for omens, you never know what you destiny can be.