Essay #2

Some people prefer to have vacation at beach resort. Other people prefer to go to hill resort for their vacation. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

            “Should I go to the beach resort or to the hill resort?” I am very sure that this dialogue is one of the most frequent questions asked when someone is planning for his or her vacation. To choose a perfect place is very important as vacations should be fun and relaxing, either they are expensive or low-cost. Maybe some people like to spend their holiday at hill resort, but for me, I prefer a beach resort as an interesting place for my vacation for several reasons.

            In my opinion, beach resorts provide me with various exciting activities for me to have fun there. For example, I can swim and snorkel in the clear sea water, play a volleyball game, build gorgeous sandcastles and have a wonderful picnic at the dazzlingly white sandy beaches. Most of these activities can be enjoyed personally or in groups, such as family members or friends. Therefore, I will not easily get bored although I will stay there for a few days.

            Moreover, according to weather forecasts, at most time, the weather at the beach resort is sunny and windy, which is really good for outdoor games. The cool sea breeze which caresses my skin will be very relaxing as I spend my time there. I will also feel that all the troubles in my mind just blown away by the wind. The sun that shines brightly also keeps me feeling healthy and energetic. Thus, the beach resort is absolutely suitable for me to relax and recharge myself.

            Furthermore, beach resorts are much safer than hill resorts. Most of them provide safety guards that patrols the beach all the time, so it is safe to swim there. Although there are some accidents involving sharks and jellyfishes, they are very rare and only occur at certain places. Natural disasters such as tsunamis, which are caused by the earthquakes beneath the water, can also be predicted earlier by the seismologists. On the other hand, landslides at hill resorts may occur in a sudden. Therefore, I am certain that my safety is ensured while having my vacations at the beach resort.

            Finally, the scenery at the beach is absolutely picturesque. As I love taking photographs, it is a great in opportunity for me to snap some scenic pictures, especially during sunsets and sunrises. Most photographs that are chosen as the winners of contests have spectacular sunset and sunrise backgrounds. For example, a young teenage won a photography competition for his photo of a crab on a stone at a beach with sunset background. Thus I will take this opportunity to snap the best photo in order to win the contests.

            As a conclusion, I choose to go to the beach resort rather than the hill resort. The exciting activities and perfect weather attracted me to go there. Also, my mind is certain to it because of the safety and the picturesque scenery at the beach. I am very sure that my vacation at the beach resort will be the most wonderful vacation in my life.

Movie: Sherlock Holmes 2 - A Game of Shadows

Credit: http://hdw.eweb4.com/out/993722.html

It was my second time I watched the movies about Sherlock Holmes. However, the first time I watched Sherlock Holmes, I fell asleep before it finished. For this time, I was able to finish Sherlock Holmes: A  Game of Shadows until the end.

Sherlock Holmes movies are quite interesting, especially the special effects and the way Sherlock Holmes did his actions. Most of the time, when it reached the suspense parts, the time would be slowed down to visualize the detailed effects of the actions. For example, when a bullet was shot, the small bullet became the center of attention at that time that it would slowly hit one of the trunks. The effects of the cracks was amusing! Besides, it was usual for Sherlock Holmes to whisper to himself, particularly when he was fighting with others. He had a very thoughtful mind which he really made use of it everywhere and every time.



For me, my first perception on Sherlock Holmes when I first heard about his detective stories is he was a smart-looking guy. Well, that was visualized in a comic, The Boscombe Valley Mystery. However, I was flabbergasted to see that the movie was totally contradict from my perceptions. He usually looked untidy, which maybe caused by the presence of some scars on his face. At first, I was confused. Then, after I watched the Sherlock Holmes 1, I got to know that he was good at wrestling, and he even liked it! Yet, I am sure that it was a very important skills when someone had to solve crimes and mysteries. He or she should be prepared to fight with the criminals.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was an investigating story about a missing brother of a fortune teller. Sherlock Holmes found a letter that was addressed to the fortune teller, Simza. He tried to solve the mystery until he actually arrived at Switzerland from London. Eventually, after some investigations, Sherlock Holmes succeed to find that Simza's brother had already undergone a plastic surgery which totally changed his original face. However, Simza managed to recognize him as a family. Unfortunately, his brother was involved in a syndicate to cause the world war as a sharp shooter. However, he was sadly killed as soon as Simza tried to persuade his brother to leave the crime. Sherlock Holmes was also injured seriously as he was caught by one of the criminal that threated him to tell a secret of the telegram he sent. Even though the mission to save Simza's brother failed, but at least they victoriously managed to prevent the world war that might cause the nations to fight among themselves. The same goes in the chess game, sometimes we have to sacrifice the Queen in order to protect the King.

Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes' best friend really showed a good sacrifice to maintain their friendship. Dr Watson had just married at that time when suddenly there was a threat on him while he was enjoying his first honeymoon. At first, they quarreled as Dr Watson felt that Sherlock Holmes was the one who brought him into trouble. It became worse as Sherlock Holmes pushed Mrs Watson out of the train into a river. Fortunately, he timed the moment perfectly that his brother saved Mrs Watson from being drowned. After some time, Dr Watson began to realize that he should help Sherlock Holmes to solve the problem. After all, they were good friends. Although he had to sacrifice his honeymoon, he did not regret it.

To conclude, Sherlock Holmes movies is a full action movies, though not too violent. For my opinion, it can be a good movie for the adults and youths to think creatively to solve something, just like Sherlock Holmes. Although his appearance not seemed to be smart, but his mind was incredible. Maybe he could be better in appearance for other movies.

Words I learned:

1. Verge
   Meaning: approach something closely; be similar or close to something
   Eg: My mother verged me during my birthday celebration.
   
2. Petulant
   Meaning: Childishly sulky or bad-tempered
   Eg: The petulant man is disliked by most of his family members.
   
3. Narcissism
   Meaning: Excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance; egoism
   Eg: His narcissism never prevent the young lady to try to approach him.

Movie: The Hunger Games

I am very sure that most of you had heard about this movie, and also had watched this movie. For me, I just watched it last week. However, for those who had not watch it yet, do not be sad as I will tell the synopsis of this movie.

Credit: http://www.playbuzz.com/nickmo10/would-you-survive-the-hunger-games

The Hunger Games movie started with the scenery of a poor village called District 12. In the world, altogether they have 12 districts. In District 12, a teenage girl called Katniss Everdeen lived with her mother and sister. On a fateful day, she and her younger sister went to a ceremony to choose who was going to participate in the Hunger Games. No one ever wanted to volunteer as it was a very dangerous game. To win, they have to kill others until only one remains. Each district has to send 2 person for this game, which means a person should kill other 23 people to win it. Back to the ceremony, they were chosen based on a draw. Katniss eventually volunteered when her sister's name was called. She knew that her sister would not be able to survive as she was too small. The other unlucky man was Peeta. From that moment, their life began to change. Before the game, they were given the training on handling weapons such as knives and arrows. Katniss was an expert in arrows and bows. As the game began, Katniss quickly ran away from the people after she managed to get her weapons. The game was all about survival. They might also die because of dehydration or venom by some animals besides of being killed. At last, Peeta and Katniss are the only people survived. However, they did not want to kill each other. They decided to eat some poison berries so that no one would become the champion. Their actions forced the organizers to stop the game and gave the victory to both of them.

One of the most significant lesson I learned from this movie is we should be ready to sacrifice ourselves especially for our family when we know that they could not make it. Like Katniss, she volunteered to join the game instead of watching her young sister suffers there. Moreover, Katniss also did not kill a girl from District 11, named Rue, although she had the chance to kill her. In contrast, we should love others, especially younger ones, not kill them. Katniss tried to protect her but to no avail. At last, she was killed by others. In addition, I also support her choice to try to kill themselves at the end of the game so that nobody would won it. This was a very brilliant idea to show that they were not happy with the game.

In my opinion, this game should not be realized as it can cause our brotherhood to be broken. Killing other people is a violent way only to ensure that we will become a winner of a game. While watching this movie, I always wonders, why should they create this game as an annual game that is compulsory for every district? This game can bring us to war! They should voice out their opinion about the game. Although this game can attract thousands of people to watch it, most of them only do it to know about their loved ones in the game, not just for fun. We should pity the participants as they had to kill themselves in order to achieve victory.

Lastly, I think that this movie should not be watched by small children as they are some violence that may interrupt their minds. I really hope that this game will not be conducted in the future.

Words I learned:

1. Mahogany (noun)
   Meaning: hard dark reddish-brown wood that is used for making furniture
   Example: The expensive large wooden chair is made of mahogany.
   
   
2. Rebellion (noun)
   Meaning:
   a) an occasion when some of the people in the country try to change the government, using violence
   eg: The rebellion was held at the Central Park near the Main Square.
   b) the action of fighting against authority or refusing to accept the rules
   eg: The man was the one who conducted the rebellion against the new rules.
   
   
3. Mob (verb)
   Meaning: to form a large crowd around somebody, for example in order to see or touch him
   eg: The people mobbed the singer as she stepped down the stairs.