WIKI COMMENTS

http://serifbaltaci.blogspot.com/2013/06/wiki-project-sports.html?showComment=1371120852150#c6986696353366930545


http://bayraktarayla.blogspot.com/2013/06/world-cuisine-food-literally-means-that_7.html?showComment=1371121486704#c4449902770987356328

COMMENTS

http://elifaydn.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-effects-of-being-athlete.html?showComment=1370979366590#c128323383055391201

http://serifbaltaci.blogspot.com/2013/05/secondterm-first-article-reflection.html?showComment=1370979853778#c4392400761475154596

http://sedaagirbas.blogspot.com/2013/03/hidden-beauty.html#comment-form

http://mervebayram94.blogspot.com/2013/05/second-term-first-article-reflection.html?showComment=1370980860742#c5899703676221771655

SECOND TERM JOURNAL ENTRY 4

                                                      INCEPTION

 “Inception” is a science-fiction movie which was made by Christopher Nolar in 2010. It was translated into Turkish as “Başlangıç.” Leonardo Di Caprio acts Cobb and Marian Cotillard acts Mal who is Cobb’s wife.

   Cobb and Mal have a peaceful and happy life with their children. Then, they discover that they can control their dreams and they can create their own worlds in these dreams. However, later Mal gets confused about which is the real world and she believes that the world in their dreams is the real one. She supposes the real world is just a dream. Cobb tries to make her give up this idea but she isn’t convinced. She also knows if you die in your dream, you wake up. That’s why she decides to kill herself. Before her death, she writes a note that says Cobb is the one who killed Mal. She writes it just to punish him as he didn’t believe her. Thus, Cobb has to live as a runaway and he never sees his children. Then he meets Saito who is a really influential man in politics. He wants Cobb to enter prime minister’s son’s dream and change his thoughts. He says that he could make Cobb free again if he changes the son’s thoughts. Cobb accepts his offer and forms his own team. They finally manage it even if it is so hard. In this way he is reunited with his children.

    Actor’s performances are impressive and also visual effects are totally magnificent. Events in the film are so complicated that you watch the movie on the edge of your seat. Moreover, events are breathtaking and exciting.

     As a result, the movie is like a completely different world so you lose yourself in it. If you like science-fiction and complex films, do not miss it !

                   

                                   ARTICLE REFLECTION 3

     The article called “Papa the Philosopher” is the one which I liked most. I enjoyed reading it because I really liked the message and idea that the writer gives. The writer states being different is something to be proud of. He gives that idea by telling us a story which makes the article much more interesting. The example that the writer shows is a striking one and it really influenced me.

   I totally agree with the writer because I think people shouldn’t be ashamed of not being someone that other people want them to be. Unfortunately, teenagers can be really cruel when it comes to differences especially in high schools. This is much more common in European countries compared to Turkey as there are so many people who come from different religion, country or ethnicity. Apart from these differences people who are not straight are the ones who are the most affected by bullying in their school. Teenagers lock them in a toilet or throw them to a rubbish bin like they are garbage. Gays or bisexuals are not normal in their peers’ eyes. However, they feel or love the same as other teenagers do. They don’t deserve to be abused or insulted just because they have different sexual choices. Similarly, being ginger, coming from a different country or being black cannot be the reasons to bully someone. These differences make the people who they really are. Moreover, nobody has the right to classify people according to their different characteristics. However, teenagers in high school are hardly aware of that. They are so obsessed with being the best that they ignore the others’ feelings. There is a huge misjudgment among teenagers that bullying someone makes them invincible and popular. However they cannot see the fact that all these bossy manners only make them pathetic individuals.

   To conclude, bullying in schools is something that really disturbs me. I think differences make this world more livable. That’s why; we should appreciate our differences rather than be uncomfortable with them. Also, we should be aware of the fact that we are nothing without our distinct characteristics and features.

REVISED VERSION

                                                  

                                        ARTICLE REFLECTION 2

       In the article called “Show Me the Way to Go Home” writer tells us about a misjudgment which is that teenagers are willingly leaving their home. She shows statistics to make her claim more dependable. She also gives specific examples which clearly show why children prefer not to leave their parents and stay at their home. That’s why the article didn’t bore me and attracted my attention.

   I agree with the writer in some respects. For example, the reasons that teenagers come back to their home or never leave it, seems fair enough. These reasons mostly consist of economic problems or divorcements. Teenagers eventually find the peace, which they are looking for, in their home. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that teenagers who left their home come back soon or later. There are lots of examples which show that some teenagers can manage to live alone, without the support of their family. It is just a matter of the characteristics of individuals. I also think that if a teenager decides to leave home, her family definitely should support her. She is the one who is supposed to experience the hardships or advantages to live alone. If she likes the idea of standing on her own legs then nobody can judge her or force her to come back the home. On the contrary, if she couldn’t make it and want to be with her parents, everyone should respect her decision. In other words, each teenager should have at least one chance to see if s/he can make through living alone and solving problems without parents’ supports. That is the best way to show a teenager that s/he is also an individual and has a right to say whatever s/he thinks or do whatever s/he wants.

    All in all, I liked the way the writer mention her ideas and enjoyed reading the article. In my opinion, teenagers shouldn’t be forced to do something that they don’t want to do. In this way, they can decide whether they are able to live alone or not.

                                                  ARTICLE REFLECTION 1

 In the article named “CAN MEN AND WOMEN BE FRIENDS” , the writer gives different examples and views from experts. Relationship experts say that “ The belief that men and women cannot be friends comes from another era in which women were at home and men were in the workplace and the only way they could get together was for romance.”

      I totally agree with them because there is nothing wrong with a female-male friendship. There are much more common places and interests for both women and men in today’s world. That’s why it is quite normal for a male and a female to be friends or even best friends. Also, they can stay friends forever without falling in love each other. Moreover , I think a man sometimes understands better a woman or makes more realistic comments than another woman does. I don’t deny the differences between a same sex friendship and female-male friendship. For example; if you are a girl, you can’t be physically close to your male friend like the way you are close to your female one. However, it  is not an obstacle to be a good friend with your opposite sex.

     Unfortunately, most people think totally the other way around  which is a real misjudgment. As it is said in the article, televisions are the major factors for this misunderstanding as they make people think that a man and woman can only be lovers not friends. For instance; it there are a girl and a boy who are really close friends in a movie or a tv serial, they usually end up being lovers.

     To conclude, I think people misinterpret the opposite-sex friendship which is quite wrong. It seems highly natural to me that a female and a male get on with each other and be close friends. People should be aware of that and look from a broad perspective.

SECOND TERM JOURNAL ENTRY 3

                                              

                                            FOR MORE LIVIBLE LIFE

      Young population in Turkey is very crowded in comparison with European countries. That’s why Turkey is shining like sun with its young population between them. Although it is advantage for Turkey, it also causes some problems. One of these problems is crimes committed by young people. Unfortunately, the amount of crime committed by young people is increasing day by day. Then what should be done to avoid these problems?

      To start with, parents should be more careful about their children’s education because they have a big role in their life. As a proverb says: “Train a child while his mind is pliant.” Also parents should make them think that “We are the only one who support you in every condition, appreciate your uniqueness. If they give them this thought, teenagers will have awareness about importance of their family. Consequently, it will make them more responsible and more optimistic about future.

      What’s more, education quality should be higher. Even if there are so many education associations, how many of them have a real education system? Education doesn’t necessarily mean to prepare students for exams and students shouldn’t be judged according to their exam results. In addition, if education system is carried out like that, students don’t succeed in only exams also social life.

     Finally, government should take under control this kind of young people telling them they are the same like every teenager and when they have a problem, they shouldn’t answer this with committing crimes. Government should open social activities department so that teenagers will think they’re useful for society.

   All in all, everybody has a life purpose but we primarily should be aimed at living as a purpose. When we do that, we will see that life is so nice and also realize that everybody needs a chance! 

SECOND TERM - JOURNAL ENTRY 2

                                                         AMELIE

        I want to introduce one of my favorite movies “Amelie.” It moved me so much that I have watched it several times. Briefly, it is a French movie made in 2001 directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet. It is about a girl named Amelie who is really optimistic and hopeful. She is misdiagnosed with a heart condition when she is a child so she couldn’t attend to school. That’s why she doesn’t have any friends. She creates her own fantasy world and friends. Later on, she becomes a young woman and starts working as a waitress in Paris. One day she finds a lost treasure box which belongs to the former occupant of her apartment. Then, she decides to return it to him anonymously. When she sees the man’s reaction and happiness she decides to devote her life to the people around her.

      She enjoys small pleasures in life like skimming stones on the water, plunging her hand deep into a sack of grain, cracking crème brulee with a teaspoon and looking at people’s faces in the dark. She likes these small things because she is aware of the fact that one doesn’t necessarily need money, power or fame to be happy. I think this part makes the movie more realistic and sincere.

     When it comes to acting of the lead role I can say that Audrey Tautou is the best choice for the role of Amelie. First of all, she has a perfect smile. When she smiles it gives you hope, peace and joy. Secondly, she uses her mimics flawlessly and the way she looks at someone is expressive. Lastly, she has all necessary qualities to play the leading role in a movie.

    All in all, I think this movie is like a modern version of Pollyanna story. It gives you hope and courage whenever you watch it. Above all, it gives the idea that if you appreciate little things in life happiness is not hard to achieve.

This is my favorite scene from the movie. Hope you enjoy it ! :)

                      SECOND TERM - JOURNAL ENTRY 1

                                                    
                                        "THE USERS” OF TECHNOLOGY

    Technology has been such an indispensible part of our life that probably one cannot think a life without it. People benefit from technology for almost everything in every field of their life. However , the way one uses technology varies from person to person.So we can categorize people according to how they use technology : techno-freaks , technology-users , technology-ignorant.

    Techno-freaks are the people who know everything about technology and technological devices. They absolutely have an answer whatever you ask about technology and they can talk about it for hours without getting bored.You can always recognize these people as their appearances reveal their characteristics.For example they usually wear round wire-rimmed glasses and their hairs are unkempt. So when you see one of them in your daily life you can describe him as "crazy" . Techno-freaks do not have many friends as their best and most loyal friends are computers. They rarely communicate with other people and when they do it the only thing they talk about is again technology.

     The second group is technology-users , who benefit from technology only when they need. They think that technology makes their life easier and one can use it whenever he needs.Yet , these people do not allow the technology to capture them. In other words they are not the one who are shackled by technology but  the one who dominate technology. They also esteem very highly their relationships with other people and their social life. For this reason technology cannot make them asocial people. These characteristics make them concious users of technology and they do not face any problems with technological improvements.

      The last group , technology-ignorant are the one who know little about technology but try to use it in every field of their life. They alwas need help to make use of technology as using technology is the hardiest thing in their life. This results from their own ignorant as they do not make any effort to understand how the techology works. So they always fall behind with technological improvements.They actually make life harder instead of making it easier by closing their eyes to new improvements in technology.

       To sum up , Neither should we put the technology in the centre our lives nor turn our behind it as it is a necesity in our modern world. Also we should realize the pros and cons of technology and we should not only stay away from its bad sides but also make good use of its facilities.

                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                   Hale Albayrak

I commented on 2 friends' journals and 2 friends' reflections.

http://serifbaltaci.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-ideal-university-for-me-is-metu.html?showComment=1358713277116#c4407136338455284225

http://zeynepeda.blogspot.com/2012/12/reflective-journal-2-pianist.html

http://tbcan.blogspot.com/2013/01/journal-8video-reflection-4.html

http://elifaydn.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-change-with-metu.html

                                             ERROR CORRECTION


1) When I first heard that I had been accepted to Middle East Technical University, I was disappointed because I do not like Ankara as a city. However, my opinion has dramatically changed over time as Middle East Technical University is really a different world in Ankara.

2) It has been only a month since I came here. However, I got used to this environment because people at all ages respect each other here.

3) I love Ankara, my dormitory, my new friends and my department. I am content with everything which belongs to METU.

4)  If someone wants to walk, he or she can wander around and it is a nice place to meet friends.

5) We can easily see this by watching TV, surfing on the internet or just looking around us. There are many people who graduated from different kinds of universities but they are not even able to know what is going on around the or they do not even try to find good ways to improve the countries where they live.

               JOURNAL ENTRY 2 REVISED VERSION

     METU is like another lovely city in Ankara with its beautiful campus. Being a part of this feels so good as I have always dreamed about it.

  In METU we have lots of facilities to improve ourselves, to socialize or to specialize in our fields. In other words, it gives countless opportunities to make us more sophisticated and easy-going. A great many examples can be given for it. Firstly, we have a huge and well-equipped library which provides a lot of materials and access to all kinds of information. Secondly, campus supplies almost everything that anybody needs. It is a rare feature that few universities have. Lastly, there are many kinds of clubs here and they enable us to meet other people, make new friends and be a part of something. Anyone can find at least one club that appeals to him. When we think about intellectual advantages of being a METU student, we can say that “English as a language of education” is a big opportunity. In this way students will be one step ahead in their field when trying to make a career. Besides all these good features there are hardships too. Courses are so hard and it is the biggest challenge for me as I have to study hard every time. However, when I think my future career this challenge becomes less important to me.

   Overall, being a METU student is a great thing and every single day I spend here will be an unforgettable experience. It means more than a university for me.

                     

                 JOURNAL ENTRY 3 REVISED VERSION

       University is such an important part of our lives that we have always dream about it since high-school’s first years. Everyone has different images in their minds when they think about their ideal university. I can count some specific characteristics of my ideal university.

     First of all, campus should be big and full of green area since such a nice place always makes me peaceful. People that are living in this campus are also an important factor for me. I want them to be open-minded, cheerful and friendly. In this way they can express themselves freely. Moreover, my ideal university has all the necessary materials and facilities for my profession. It helps me to improve myself on every hand. It creates me a free environment to make my dreams come true. Apart from these, it has lots of social activities and clubs. Thus, students find opportunity to socialize and get away from the stress of the courses. Lastly, it provides accommodation for all students so that no one faces any troubles to find a place to stay.

     When I this compare METU with my ideal university I can say that it fits almost all my criteria as it is one of the best universities in terms of academic and social life. It offers everything that a student will need.

VIDEO REFLECTION 3

                                                               

                                              

                                                 THE MISSING

    Casta-Gavras (the director of the film) tried to stay away from political polemic and exhibited an attitude like a dramatic document in this film. It took place North America where military stroke affected life severely. When preparing this film, the director combined with the book by Thomas Hauser and the even which is about Charles Harman that was killed in Chile during a military stroke.

      Even though it took place in Chile, at first it started in Santiago whose regions were full of soldiers, frightened children faces, fires and at the same time people drinking their champagne.

  Beth (Sissy Spacek) started some researches to find her lost journalist husband Charles Harman. Even Ambassadorship couldn’t help her. Later, Charles Harman’s patriot and conservative father Ed Harman joined the research. But the clues they had made him think that his son was killed because of some political reasons.

     After the period that waking up after a long and deep “sleep” the action of the film increased reasonably. “The Missing” reminds people the pain they had and affects them like being slapped.

    I really liked the story of the film as it was interesting for me. Also, actors’ performances were praiseworthy. The message given in the film about America was notably effective. Actually, I don’t like politic or political films but this film attracted my attention. So I watched it without being bored. As you see in the trailer it is an old movie but don’t be prejudice because of it. I am sure you will like it.

VIDEO REFLECTION 2

                          

                            BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE

 

       Because of development of technology face-to-face communication lost its value. As technological devices provide constant communication for people, they tend to use them more often. However, they don’t realize the fact that it isn’t the same thing as seeing each other in flesh. Communication is a need for people in their life. They express themselves, share their feelings and make new friends by communicating with one another. It is the best when communication is face-to-face. If you see someone’s face and his facial expression while talking, you can better understand him. On the other hand, when you chat with your friend on net you can’t be sure if he tells the true. Moreover, touching is also a way to communicate and it makes communication more effective. It is only possible when you talk someone face-to-face.  Lastly, when we miss our relatives, friends we don’t only want to talk them but also want to see and hug them. The only way to do is face-to-face communication.

     To sum up, face-to-face communication is the best way to express ourselves and understand others when compared to letters, telephone etc. Also, it is the only way to  have a real and healthy relationship with others.

  This video indicates ideally what I mention in my paragraph. As it is seen in the video face-to-face communication isn’t a new thing. On the contrary it is the oldest way to communicate but it isn’t in demand anymore. Unfortunately, technological devices have already taken the place of face-to-face communication. However, there isn’t any device more effective than face-to-face communication. People should be aware of this fact and they should give due importance to face-to-face communication.

VIDEO REFLECTION 1

                                                    DONT BE A COSMO GIRL

      “Do you follow fashion?” or “Are you interested in fashion?” are the questions that are asked us frequently. Even if some people say they aren’t, I think everybody sometimes has to follow it. Firstly, when something is in fashion, there are some colors and styles in big shopping centers, local shops or outlet centers. So even if we don’t like fashion we have to follow it by this way.

However, there are some people who make fashion the most important part of their life. Whenever something is new in fashion, that kind of people are always ready to try! Sometimes it may even become illness for them to look fashionable. So it harms them both economical and psychological. I think, fashion isn’t something that we have to live according to it. If we find things god for ourselves, then it is worth trying. However having clothes just because they are in fashion isn’t a logical act. Every person is radically different from each other in respect of their character, life style and interests. When they have some outfits as they are in fashion, there is no difference to take them apart. It shouldn’t be forgotten that our appearance and life style give people strong clues.

      All in all, fashion affects our life in different ways. Being interested in fashion may be incentivebut we shouldn’t put it in the center of our life. What I mean is that we shouldn’t buy something just because it is in fashion.

 I chose this song as it reflects what I mean. As you see in the video fashion is such an important part of their life for people that they mention it in a song's lyrics. I think fashion means everything for some people as they emphasises in the song. “Cause fashion’s what we breathe.”  

 In my opinion, fashion is exaggerated by people which is wrong.