He struggles through his life being misunderstood, depressed, weak, lonely and afraid. His devotion to his work was often a means to escape the dark feelings that haunted him. If we were his contemporaries, we would surely criticize him for being a workaholic and unable to appreciate the important things in life. The book was also not a captivating story, it was pretty dry and boring, at least saved by the controversial letters from Alfred to his mistress of twenty years. I trudged through (for the sake of the challenge, mostly), and ultimately I’m glad I did because it has made me think about a few things more deeply.
In our obsession with enjoying life to the fullest, traveling, exploring and staying connected, do we forget that there were men and women throughout history that had to invent these things that we so casually enjoy? When we travel with ease across countries and borders, do we stop to appreciate the millions of people that have done something to make that possible? Alfred Nobel’s dynamite gave a huge advantage to the travel industry by greatly reducing the time to construct railways. Can I condemn him for creating something so destructive while enjoying the obvious benefits of it? I have often sat at airports, gazing out the window as the planes are taxied, bags are loaded and passengers accommodated. So many people have to work hard at their jobs day in and day out to make my choice of life possible. This goes for almost everything I enjoy - the food I eat, the clothes I wear and even the books that I read. With all of the social strife that is raging today, maybe we should all stop and think about how the people that we judge, accuse and hate, might play an integral role behind the scenes of our daily lives and the luxuries we enjoy. Are we contributing to the future or just enjoying the fruit of other people’s past labors? I wonder what Alfred Nobel would have thought if he had lived to see the twentieth century, the most barbaric and deadly of all time. His last will and testament, which established the Nobel Peace Prize, was not just a last ditch attempt to make up for devoting his life to destruction. He actually had a keen desire for peace all of his life, and his greatest ambition was to create something so destructive and deadly that nations would be forced to live peacefully. As anti-social as he was, he had a deep concern for world peace that we would do well to emulate, first and foremost in our daily interactions with one another.
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 RHYMES Jolly Phonics - Letter K Kites are flying in the sky /k/ /k/ /k/ Kites are flying in the sky /k/ /k/ /k/ Kites are flying in the sky, flying in the sky Kites are flying in the sky /k/ /k/ /k/ Kick the Ball Kick, Kick, Kick The Ball. Kick it very high! Kick it over the garden Wall. Kick it to the Sky. Kangaroo Kangaroo, Kangaroo, hop up and down Kangaroo, Kangaroo, turn around! You jump so high, That you reach the sky! Hold your Joey tight! BOOKS
ACTIVITIES
"K is for Kick" coloring sheet -Reinforces vocabulary and practice handwriting skills. Letter K Coloring Book - Reinforces vocabulary and develops an interest and confidence in reading books. 1. Fold along the middle dotted line. 2. Fold back and forth along the dotted lines like a fan, ensuring the title page is on the outside. 3. Put two staples to secure the spine. 4. Cut along the open edge so that all the pages open. "K is for Kite" Craft - Develop fine motor and problem solving skills 1. Print the template on various colors of card stock. There are three kites per template and I've done my best to set it up in a way that minimizes cutting. 2. Cut the triangle pieces out (or if you have older kids, you can let them give it a go.) You can use this as a good teaching opportunity both for triangles, and for "Big, Medium, Small" since there are three sizes of triangles. 3. Mix up the colors, so that each student can get a variety of pieces for their kite craft. 4. Children can glue the pieces in the correct spaces on their kite picture.
DOWNLOADS Download the preschool letter K vocabulary flashcards and activity worksheets to use for personal and educational purposes. Do not sell them or offer them as your own. Please give proper credit wherever you use them. The flashcards are formatted for A4 and can be printed back to back, cut and laminated. There is a color and a black and white version in case you want to save on printing costs and do the coloring yourself.
 Having picked Botswana completely at random, I couldn't have been more interested and impressed by this little country! A population of just 2 million, it is an example for the entire continent being the least corrupt, least violent and most politically stable country on the continent.
MUSIC My favorite music was this guy Ronnie on his guitar. Overall the music was beautiful and soothing to listen to. I listened to some very traditional songs where they were singing accapella as a group and it honestly sounded like a choir of angels. CURRENT EVENTS While the country has been peacefully and democratically ruled by the Khamas since independence in 1966, more political parties are forming and the current government has been blamed for slow economic growth and for high unemployment about the youth. The next elections will be held in 2019 and prior to that a coalition has united against the current government. I hope that they can continue to maintain peace even if such a massive transition of power takes place. Also this month, Botswana was hit by a cyclone which has left flash floods and many damaged homes. It is hard to believe there are flash floods in a country that is 70% desert!
LANGUAGE
Laleme le le lengwe ga le a lekanela - One language is never enough! So true, I wish I knew more! |
JulieLuke and I are married and have four little munchkins that travel the world with us. I blog about living overseas, travel, kids, education and graphic design. Archives
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