List Update

I just finished the final book of The Chronicles of Narnia! Which means I get to cross something else off my list! Hooray! After reading all the books, I must say that my favorite is still The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe since it's so original and can stand alone.

I didn't know all of the Christian symbolism that goes along with the books, so I did do a little online searching to learn more. It was interesting, though not everything was meant to be a symbol when Lewis wrote the books. In some of the stories, the parallels to scripture were obvious (almost painfully so), while in other parts of the stories I think that it was more of a stretch. But that's just my opinion. I do think that the end (of the final book) was a little weird, which is why I really didn't enjoy it very much.

I did enjoy learning more about the debate surrounding the order of the books. Lewis wrote them in a different order than organized and sold by the publisher today. I agree with some people debating about it- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe should really be listed as the first book, just because it does set things up and has a line at the end of the story that the adventures in Narnia were just beginning. Anyway, I'm glad I read the books and may continue to read more about the Christian symbolism. I will also probably read more of Lewis' books- I've wanted to for a while and just haven't gotten to them!

Also, I did watch my July documentary, but didn't have a chance to write about it until now. I watched one of the discs in the Planet Earth series. If you haven't seen the series, or even part of it, do check it out. The lengths these camera-people and crew went to for the video are amazing. The images are awesome. I sometimes can't believe all the diversity out there and how these plants and animals survive in some truly harsh climates!

Keep Learning, Part 2

The other documentary I watched recently was Arctic Tale. It's along the same lines as March of the Penguins, which I loved, but details the lives of a walrus and polar bear. Now, I love March of the Penguins, so I found myself (probably unfairly) comparing the two films. First of all, Queen Latifah, who narrates, has nothing on Morgan Freeman, but she was still easy to listen to and tried to insert humor in various places. Second, the music in some parts was a little too... folksy? I don't know if that's exactly the right word to describe it. Needless to say, it was a little irritating and distracting for me... though in some parts, the music was great! In one spot, you're meeting the whole herd of walruses and "We Are Family" is playing, which was funny and totally appropriate.

I will say one thing, this film definitely has a high cuteness factor going for it. I mean, come on, what's cuter than two baby polar bears romping around in the snow? Even the baby walrus was cute. What amazed me, and what I didn't know, was how familial walruses are. A baby walrus is looked after by a mother and another family member (Queen Latifah kept saying "auntie") for 3 years! The mother actually holds her baby in her flippery arms, which was very cute and very human-like and completely unexpected. There was this adorable scene where they baby and mother engage in some walrus-y kissing-type behavior... but really they're using their whiskers to memorize each other's faces. Interesting!

I'll admit, though, I couldn't help but think of Adam Sandler in 50 First Dates. In the movie, his character is interested in learning more about walruses because we don't know very much about them, which is true. So this footage was actually pretty amazing and took a long time to get.

Now, there were sad parts in the film, but I'm not going to spoil everything, don't worry. One of the saddest parts was when the polar bear and walrus herd couldn't find food because of the unusually warm temperatures, which meant that the ice didn't freeze. Obviously, the film, put out by National Geographic, is trying to educate people, especially children, about the environmental crisis we're facing, but the film really doesn't ever get preachy or anything.

I'd say, if you liked March of the Penguins, you'll like this film. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out!

Keep Learning

All right, I admit I didn't watch a documentary in May... not unless I can count all the hours of HGTV I watched! Technically those shows are documenting stories of people looking for houses and whatnot. I think it should count... besides, I did a LOT of house-hunting in May.

Anyway, in the last couple of days I've watched 2 pretty awesome documentaries. I really didn't plan it that way, but when I got my new Netflix, it turned out to be a documentary. So, maybe I didn't watch one in May, but I suppose this makes up for it.

First, Paper Clips. This film is about a group of kids and teachers at a Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee. The teachers wanted students to learn about about diversity and tolerance, so they decided to do a unit on the Holocaust. The students had an idea to collect paper clips so that they could envision what 6 million actually looked like. What started out as one unit turned into a 4+ year project that was known around the world.

This story was inspiring and truly touched my heart. These kids and teachers took learning to another level. People from around the world sent letters filled with stories and paper clips in remembrance of people that had perished during the Holocaust, survivors came to the school to tell their stories and to see what the children had done. Their stories made me cry. Many people in this little rural town challenged themselves to examine their own beliefs and biases about people who were "different" and they spoke about how this project had changed them for the better.

What really struck me, as it always does when I hear survivors' stories, is that soon these people will no longer be around. People who were alive when all of this happened will not be here on this earth to tell their stories. That scares me. What scares me even more, and angers me, is that there are still people out there that deny the Holocaust ever happened.

Yet, I'm heartened by the fact that these children have collected, catalogued, and preserved numerous stories, that they have listened to and been touched by survivors' stories. Many of the children in the documentary said that they were changed by their experiences and want to pass on the stories they heard so that others will learn about and never forget what happened. To me that is absurd! How can someone deny that this has happened? Look at the photos, listen to the interviews, read a book! It happened! Hatred like that is still happening!

There are organizations out there dedicated to preserving these stories, preserving history for future generations. For more information, check out Holocaust Survivors. Also check out the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. They have a great page entitled, Life After the Holocaust.

Keep Learning

I watched my March documentary last night- The Business of Being Born. I thought, spring, growth, babies, it all goes together! And NO, I didn't choose this documentary because I'm planning to have a baby anytime soon!

Anyway, what an interesting documentary! If I get a chance to teach another developmental or sexuality class, I would show parts of the film in class. It talks about how childbirth and care for new mothers and babies has really turned into a business that may not necessarily be the best thing for those involved. I was amazed to discover that 70% of births are attending by midwives in much of the rest of the world, but only 8% in the US (I think I got those numbers correct). Wow. I was also surprised to hear the mortality rates of the US compared to other countries (of course comparing hospital births versus births with a midwife). It was astounding. Interestingly enough, using a midwife is cheaper than the whole hospital/OB/GYN experience, and the statistics are good, so why is it that insurance companies aren't lining up to authorize and pay for these services? What's up with that??

The history of midwives and childbirth techniques were also shown- I can't believe some of the techniques they used to use- putting the women in a "twilight state" and then basically tying them into bed, so they wouldn't hurt themselves or others. Yikes. It looked more like torture, rather than childbirth!

The concept of midwifery is not completely new for me. I read a fantastic book, Baby Catcher, a few years ago, which taught me a lot. I actually had my students read a few chapters when I was teaching Child Psych. I also saw a midwife for my annual checkups and loved her! (I'm actually very sad that I will need to find someone new). So I've thought about the pros and cons of a midwife versus an OB/GYN... though I'm not sure I really want to do a home birth. Maybe a birthing center... any thoughts???

If you get a chance, I recommend checking this out, it was such an interesting film. If you've already seen it, I would love to hear what you think!!