Beijing Bicycle

China has the largest population on the earth 1.3 Billions and the forth biggest country in world 3,704,426 mi2. That’s not all; china has also the largest number of bicycle about nine millions bicycles in Beijing alone. The bicycle is a simple the director has used to depict the life of countryside teenager moved to urban area looking for a job.

The movie starts when a countryside teenager got a job in a Delivery Company as messenger. As part of his job he received a new well build nice bicycle, he should pays for it from his delivery charge portion till he own it. After that, he shares equally with the company any delivery charge. Guei was happy with his “dream job” working hard delivering packages.

As Guei was working he visited places he hasn’t being before. He saw the big contrast between social classes. Where lower class hardly keep up with basic life expenses and between upper class who are living in luxury. But, that did not mean anything to him as long as he riding his bike and delivering. Unfortunately, those happy days did not last for long time. His bike was stolen caused him firing from his job. After negotiate with his boss he had his word to have him back in the company if he got his bike back. In fact, He did not just lose his job and his bike, it was more than that.

Bicycle in Beijing goes beyond a tool of transportation. It is prestige and proud source for its owner. Moreover, it is reflecting the owner personality. For teenager bike consider as entertainment time tool and the way your biking skills are important as well.
Guei started searching for his bike in the crowded with small odds to find it. Yet his search did not last for long time before he found it with Jian. Jian is a teenager was promised many times by his father to get him a bicycle .But he couldn’t because of financial difficulties the family going through. Jian clime that he bought the bike from used cycle by money he was stolen from his father. In the same time Guei is only thinking about getting his bike back no matter what in order to get back to his work.

As mention previously in Beijing the bike consider away more than a transportation tool. Jian wanted the bike to seducing the girl he wanted and ride with his friends. Unfortunately, the girl he wanted went with someone else after small fight with him. She went with a “cool guy” according to the movie teenager standard, who was dyed his hair, smoker, has biking skills and wearing western clothing.

One of common difficulties that rural people has to deal with once they moved into the city is harshness. The main character Guei has to be beaten many times. Not because, he is week or easy to get, he just not used to face violence in villages. And this is why he got beaten in the end of the movie along; he just was lost in crowded. In addition that was hint to indicate that person is will be beaten more and going to take some time before he could adapted to the harshness city life style.

Something funny in noticed in the movie. There were many people brushing their tooth. Though I thought this habit doesn’t excite in bottom class. Do you think poor Chinese aware about the important of having healthy mouth that much?

Once Were Warriors

Once were warriors is a movie was filmed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1994 based on novel by Alan Duff. This movie is tried to enlighten some aspects of Maori culture and life style. According to Wikipedia.org, The word Māori refers to the indigenous Polynesian peoples of New Zealand, and to their language. Archaeological and linguistic evidence (Sutton 1994) suggests that probably several waves of migration came from Eastern Polynesia to New Zealand between AD 800 and 1300. The origins of Māori as a separate people relate to those of their Polynesian ancestors (see Polynesian culture). Māori oral history describes the arrival of the ancestors from Hawaiki (a mythical homeland in tropical Polynesia) by large ocean-going canoes (waka: see Māori migration canoes). Migration accounts vary among Māori tribes (iwi), whose members can identify with different waka in their genealogies or whakapapa.

Maori men are musclers and well build bodies in general and they often resort to their fist to settle down any disagreement. There were some scenes shown men works out. They have popular dance called Bakah see the video below the New Zealand rugby team perform this dance.

The family that was depicted in the movie is Jack and Beth a couple of Maori and their two sons and daughter. Jack was alcoholism addicted cannot hold on to a job and he was mainly depending on dole to feed his family. The movie is shown Jack and his friends are heavy drinker with a bottle in his hand almost every time. Moreover, smoking was strongly present in the movie shown all Maoris as smokers. Read about the smoking rate among Maoris http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=17294

Many social problems were presented in the movie beside drinking and smoking. And one of these is domestic violence which was hit the family. Jack was using his fist against his family specially his wife. I noticed that action was not surprising the family or the friends’ and they saw it as normal situation could any family go through. I remember a fanny statement was said by Beth friend’s she said” keep your mouth shut and your legs opened. Which is indicated the upper hand of the men in this particular society. Unlike the woman in Pakeha society who is working side by side with the men and live independently.

Drinking, unemployment, smoking and violence are serious problems in Maori society. However, we cannot reprove Pakeha for that. In addition, it is normal to see most of officials are Pakeha .Because; they are the majority of the population. I did not notice any kind of oppression of Maori by Pakeha in the movie. However, there is a big question mark about the Maori being living in ghetto

There is no good or bad ghetto and there is no comparison between a ghetto and another neighborhood because, ghetto always wins as worse place. Poorness, lock of security, deprivation and pollution are lineaments for almost any ghetto around the world. so, when it is compared with countryside the ghetto look like a dark, humid and worn room has a big window with nice view the sun light pass through it along with fresh air, this window is the countryside. This kind of enviromment affects the family in negative way for sure. Each member of the family could be affected by different way.

Each of the family members was presenting a way of life. Nig the oldest son, was kind of person who turns his back to his family. Trying to forget the problems that associate with his family and looking for gang as alternative. Grace the daughter, ambitious teenager loving her family looking forward for better life. Who as killed herself after had gotten rapped by her bully uncle in her own bed. Boogie, who had lost and ended up in juvenile system before he made a dramatic change in his life and personality to be good person helping his mother to start all over again,.

Jack loved his Beth yet. It doesn’t make any good as long as he treats her and their sons that way. In the end of the movie she got that and she finely came to place where she knew he is not going to change and stop and make U turn and continue no more. After that, she confronted him and said “you still sleeve for your drink and fist”.

I personally believe the same I’m always say that for people around me. Your love to me is nothing as long as love does not combined with respect care, and good treatment.

Rabbit Proof Fence

Through out history dominator always trying to alter the ruled nation's culture, language and religion to fit the dominator set of interest. For example; in all countries French has colonized, they tried to spread the French language along with some French values. And almost the same tragedy happened here in the United State when the official tried to fit Native American to white man shoos. They opened schools in Indian Reservation to teach small Indian English and Christianity. So, what happened in Australia is not exception. However, the approach Australian white man used was cruel and savage.

Removing kids from their parents forcibly and tear out the family apart is something can not be described less than a savage. Living in ghastly environment even made worse. Living in a place resemble military base in middle of a war, missing basic facilities like bathroom and using pocket instead. Moreover, sleeping in one big crowded room and sharing beds sometimes. All that was surrounded by a cruel atmosphere missing a passion and loving environment that kids need especially if they were deprived form their parents.

They had to walk 1300 Miles was separate them form their village and most of this distance was a desert. At the first sight I said "wait a minute I been there, I know the place very well. It reminded me by my country where most of it a desert. Where the yellow carpet is lay down for all seasons with no exception and where either green or white carpets are not available all the time. And scattered plants fight the dryness of the desert by keeping moisture in, and keep it away from the sun.

There was more than a scene during the movie where you can see a pack of camels. Usually camels are a mark of desert. Camels are two types 1- Dromedary 2- Bactrian and both of them living in Asia as the below picture show

According to http://www.camelsaust.com.au/ the first camel in Australia was imported from the Canary Islands in 1840 by Horrock. The next major group of 24 camels came out in 1860 for the ill-fated Bourke and Wills expedition. The first time the explorer Giles used camels he travelled 220 miles in 8 days without giving water to the camels. He later went from Bunbury Downs to Queen Victoria Springs (WA), a distance of 325 miles in 17 days and gave one bucket of water to each camel after the twelfth day.