6) A Coronach for Black Society by Salif Keita - Folon

Regarding The Bluest Eye

When I listen the song " Folon" at first time, it affected me so much. I don't know why!? Maybe, Salif Keita's fascinatic voice causes that but even though I don't know the language it makes me feel a pain in my heart. Then, I researched information about Salif Keita and his song "Folon", I understood why I feel these strong feelings because the song tells how black people live in past and how they live now. He mentions what they faced in the past and how these change. The lyric of "Folon" in Mali language and English translation below;

fôlon, é té nyinika
fôlon, né té nyinika
fôlon, a toun bé kè t'ni dén
fôlon, ko kow koun bé kè
fôlon, môgow ma koté

kouma diougou bé môgo mi kono
hèrè bi môgo mi kono
kongo bé môgo mi laaaaa
fôlon, kow ko koun bi la
fôlon, é koun té sé kô fô.

sissan, é bé nyinika
sissan, né bé nyinika
sissan, an bé bè nyinika
sissan, ko kow koun bé kè
sissan, môgow ma ko bala

(translation)

In the past, no one questioned to you
In the past, no one questioned to me
In the past, that’s how it used to be
In the past, whatever happened
In the past, no one wanted to know

People who had suggestions to make
People who could think for themselves
People who were hungry
In the past whatever happened
In the past, you could not speak about it.

Today, you are supposed to take part
Today, I’m supposed to take part
Today, we are all supposed to take part
Today, whatever’s happening
we’re all asked to take part
Today, people want to know

In the past, people did not want to know


We have read The Bluest Eye written in 70's nowadays. We witness to Black Peoples conditions in poverty, ignorance, dearth and being rejected in the past. But today, A Black person is the president of world. One of the member of the most oppressed race is USA president, Barack Obama and, Today, They can pursuit their rights, they take part in World, they can speak, they can ask. Now they can exist and tell it clearly.

I strogly recommend to listen The song "Folon". It is really one of the most beatiful song in world, of course this is my idea :)

5) Break?! Are you sure?

How kind of break is this?

now I'm at 5th day of holiday.. but it is not different from a school day!! I'm really so so so sooooooooooo angry because of these homeworks!! I want to ask you my all teacher!! Is it really a holiday break? or is it a homework break? I couldn't finish all of these bulshits althought I study!! And I know when I came to istanbul you will say that " heyy you were responsible to do all..!!" but maybe you cannot understand that I MISS MY MOTHER .. BECAUSE I SAW HER ONLY TWICE TIME IN A YEAR!!

POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFF!!!

Sabancı I hate you and all of your ...!!

4) Have you ever seen a "Hanife"?

A young scapegoat

Sevgi Soysal interprets a severe issue of Turkey in the story "Hanife" on her book "Barış Adlı Çocuk". Hanife is just 15 years old young girl. She wants to be important because nobody care about her, her mother as well. For the first time, Hasan gives she something to make her feel herself important. To be with Hasan in hayloft can seems dangerous for her life, but she already doesn't have anything to lose in her life. She is already scapegoat. I doubt whether, in villages like Hanife lives, there are girls who have different fortunes from Hanife or are happy to have their life.

Let change the story process. If Hasan didn't rape hanife and she wasn't sacrificed for honor, What would happen? Would Hanife be good and glad her life? It is slight probabilty!! She either gets married with a man who is not accepted by Hanife or she always be under the pressure and no chance to tell anyting. She have only right to consent what society give her.

it is awful, isn't it? Can you imagine it? or Have you ever seen a "Hanife"?

Yes, I saw! She was 17 years old and she were gotten married with a 58 year old aged man by her father for money. Also, aged man have already 6 wifes. After nearly 9 months, they have a son. A few year later, the son died and old man divorced the little girl. She had no crime to be punished. Nevertheless, the man must punish someone because of death of his son and the scapegoat was ready to be punished.

Now, she is a 23 years old widow woman. She couldn't feel in love another man and she will never feel in love in future. If she wants to be with a man, she will announced as a whore! So, she has been convicted to be alone her lifelong or she will be gotten married with another old man who want to be with her.

Now, tell me! Is it better that death?

I say " NO!". We can be far away from girls like Hanife in our daily life we used to see but everyday hundred of girls and women in Turkey still suffer from being not "Man" and "scapegoat". You may not do something for make their conditions better, but you can give thanks for not being in their shoes as a girl.

3) Presentation weeks

Practice Presentation

Eventually, presentation weeks started in Sonja's secions. I didn't hear that another teacher has had students prepare "practice presentation". However, in my mind, it is really efficient activity because we can see our faults and mistakes at the first time as practice presentation. Therefore, we can prepare better final presentation at the second time. For example, last semestre, when I was at Sonja's course again, I and my friends determined our defficiencies we couldn't be aware during powerpoint slides preparation, and we bewared of making same mistakes. After all, it became precisely satisfaying final presentation.

Again this semestre, my presentation group faced several problems at this time. I and Zeynep were extremely sick. Hence, Reşide and Didem were obliged to prepare whole presentation. We cannot help them. Our presentation was really good, slides were so funny and our classmates appreciated all of us but we couldn't manage order of slides, it was mixed up. And the must important issue; it couldn't be a team work because of that Reşide and Didem were so tired :( So, we decided to that we will do our presentation as soon as we take the presentation subject :)Just in case..

2) Research Paper

Honour Killing

"Töre" is a concept which belongs to Turkish Society. It is a kind of unwritten constitution which includes customs, traditional and moral rules and determines the places of different gender in society. In Turkey, the patriarchal society, on one hand that "unwritten constitution" regulates the society and try to keep it well-behaved, on the other hand they try to achieve organization by oppressing to women. The "chastity" builds up the principal structure of Töre in turkey and generally it is depended on women. The chastity equals woman. They must obey strictly to rules and breaking of traditional laws requires the most severe punishment. The woman must maintain her life under the shadow of rules by neglecting her thoughts and emotions. If there is a fault it must be punished, and usually it is resulted by homicide. The name of that kind of homicide is "honour killing". As far as I'm concerned, the honour killing is one of the critical issue which waits for solution at short notice, since still, in ever year, there are hundreds of women who suffer from honour killings especially in the east of Turkey. Therefore, I decided to do research on the subject of Honour Killing in Turkey and possible solutions about that situation. Even if it seems a little research for eng102 research paper, i hope i will analyse that subject deeply in my future academic and business life to provide abstract solution to society.

1)The Graduate

The Confused Young Boy

We started the new semester with the film called "The Graduate". It tells a story about a young boy Benjamin who is a new graduated from college and a middle aged woman Mrs. Robinson who tries to seduce Benjamin.

The whole story shows us what teenagers need sexually and emotionally. Also how they struggle when they really feel in love.

The process Benjamin has is passed by every healthy person. That duration is a kind of time which people recognise their body, feelings to opposite sex and role in society. Also it is times of firsts. Therefore, it is healthy to meet true people who can advise resonable.

Benjamin started to learn woman's body by Mrs. Robinson. it was only a sexual relationship but it was not ethic in society. Even though it is wrong, Benjamin wanted to have this kind of relationship because it was a natural desire and there were no one to show him the true ways. Actually, there was no one to try to listen and understand Benjamin and he hugged the first person who respond his needs. She can be a exit door for Ben from the confusion in his mind. But it was not an escape because that situation will affect the real love of Ben.

He found the innocence in Elaine. He felt in love to Elaine but there was a problem. She was Mrs. Robinson's daughter. But he didn't withdraw from Elaine. Because the real requirement of Benjamin was the pure and innocent relationship with a woman. All people he surrounded care about only for themselves and have expectations about Benjamin, But Elaine was not.

It was really attractive movie because it points out the adolescences who are ignored and neclected. In additon, during the watcing movie I tought that who Benjamin looks like. At the end of movie, in the cast, I learnt that he was Dustin Hoffman :)

finaly, i recommend everybody to watch "the graduate"

10) The Last Blog

BLOGING AND THE END OF SEMESTRE

The first semester of freshman year passed fastly. It was totaly full with projects, presentations, exams, homeworks etc. there was no time to spend for myself. however, i can never catch up my lessons because of that i couldn't realise some of the enteraining works from lessons. The blogging is one of entertaining work from Eng 101 but it is too late to be aware of this :)..

But it doesn't end, i will continue to write blog after the first semester.

And also i want talk about general Eng 101 lesson. The subject in Eng 101 course was generally about sexual preferences of people, differences between gender and reality TV. Firstly, I saw these subject unnecessary, especially gay & lesbian subject can drive me crazy, but now i can develop empathy. And also I reached the source of the problem,the place of females on society, The source is media and ads. Eng 101 couse makes me more aware about social problems.


And lastly, thank you Sonja for your feedbacks and helps... if i have a chance, i want to be in your class at Eng 102 course but i will be regular at second time :)

See you