Room 613 Student Blogs - 2005/2006

With no dirt tracks, no roads, no electricity, no schools, water supply, post office, or health care facilities, what would you do? Well, in ‘Old India’ there are none of those things, however, they live near thick jungles surrounded by hills. In four villages there has been an estimated population of 1,000 people. In ‘New India’ the economy has opened up approxamitely 14 years ago. There are roads, electricity, water supply, schools, health care falicities, and post offices. So as you can see there is a difference right there. Alot of people in ‘Old India’ have not been on a bus, seen a train or visited a town. Unlike ‘New India’ when teens ride a bus or train to school and live in a town. Also there is not as much murder or suicide in ‘Old India’ as there is in ‘New India’. Those are some of the reasons that tells you how ‘Old India’ is different to ‘New India’.

Born on October 2,1869, Putlibia as the mother, was a child named Mohandus Gandhi. He was born into a very religious family. He and his family were Hindu. His mother would not eat a meal without praying to the sun first. Sometimes, when it was raining and the sun was not out, she would last days until she got to pray. When he was a boy he did not care very much, for the subjects he was taught, but soon started liking them. When he was on his way home from school he did not stop to chat with people, or stop to eat, he went straight home to start his studies.When he was thirteen he was married to a woman named Kasturba, who was the same age as Gandhi. In 1885 his father had died of an illness. Soon after, he passed his High School, which made him feel a little better. His family had agreed for Gandhi to go to England to study to become a barrister. After that he had tried to become Diwan, but when he left England he had promised his mother that he would not eat non-vegetarian food, also he would not drink alcohol. When he was away he had alot of people coming up to his trying to get him to become whatever religion that man was. He stuck to his religion, but he studied the Bible, Gita, and the Quran. In 1891, after completing his studies, he returned to India. When he got to India he had found out that his mother had passed. His brother did not contact him in any way when his mother died, because, he did not want this to interfear with his studies. After he qualified for a barraster he tried to be a lawyer in Rajok. When he got no cases he moved to Bombay. He got one case, and tried really hard to present it well, but could not present it satisfactorally. He wasn’t getting any more cases, until his brother came along and got him a case. The man he was doing a case for was named Mr. Abdulla. He was a rich buissnessman who lived in South Africa. Luckily, that case was succesfull. So he left for Africa in 1895. Since that case was succesful he got many more cases. Even though he became a good lawyer, the British treated him badly. There were insults, rude comments, and sometimes the physically assaulted him. When the British fought the Dutch in a war called the Boer war, they needed alot of help. So the many people of India helped them out. The British won!!! They couldn’t have done it without the help [of] the many people of India. So, since they won, they got more rights. On August 15, 1947 India attained it’s freedom. The one person Gandhi admired was Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Also Gandhi thought of him as a mentor. Finally, on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi, when he was on his way to a prayer meeting, he was shot by an assailant. His last words were ‘Hey Ram.’ If anyone asks you who Gandhi was, you say, Gandhi was a man who dedicated his life to humanity, also he taught the importance of truth,and non-violence. The one most benefiting tribute that Indians can pay him, is to follow the path he had shown us.

Would you like to watch a 30 secon video?

How about a speech from Gandhi? 

Muslims all around the world are angry. They have been protesting, for about a week, because, there have been cartoons that are showing the muslims prophet Muhammad in a bad way. The cartoons first started in a newspaper last September, in Denmark. Then, other newspapers in Europe started printing them. Muslims do not allow anyone to publicate pictures of Muhammad. Muhammad was born in 570 in Mecca, which is now Saudi Arabia. Muslims beleive the angel Gabriel, gave Muhammad the words of god, which are now in the Koran. The Koran is the Islam holy book.

In math I had a pickle during snack. The next day I got a 100 on my social studies test. Then the day after that we had a math quiz and what did i get on it……… drum roll please……100 i got two 100’s in one week. Talk about a lucky pickle!!!!!!

You can’t keep a good horse down, especially a horse named after a super bowl team. This pacer (kind of horse) survived a Novemer car crash-the trailer he was in got rear-ended. Steeler (the horses name) got loose and galloped on the highway-and has finished second twice in the three 2006 starts. Of course, second isn’t what the other Steelers are after.

For more information and a video about Steeler, click here.

The suez canal is west of the Sinai Peninsula. It is placed in Egypt between Port said on the Mediterranean Sea and Suez on the Red Sea. Also, the canal allows two-way north to south water transport between Europe and Asia without going around Africa. The canal makes up two parts, north and south of the Greak Bitter Lake and links the MediterraneanSea to the Red Sea. Last, because of were the suez canal is it is sometimes known as the cross roads of Europe.

On April 25, 1859 the canals construction began. About 25 thousand ships pass through the canal each year. Approxamitly 14% of world shipping goes through the canal. The passage takes between 11 and 16 hours. Many tours by tourists go through the canal.

Did you know the suez canal was man made? Here’s some historic facts on it. Also, did you know that before the opening, some transport was conducted by offloading ships and carrying the cargo overland between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea? The canal opened to traffic on November 17, 1869. Also, in 1888 the convention of constantinople declared that the canal is a neutral zone under protection of the british, after the british troops moved in to protect the suez canal in 1882. In 1951, Egypt regected the treaty, and by 1954 the United Kingdom agreed to pull out. The result of the damage and sunken ships, the suez canal was closed until April 1957. Then it had been cleared by UN assistance. In 1967 after the Six Day War, the canal was closed until June 5, 1973. Then it was later opened in 1975.

By, Celeste, Kim, and Alex

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be Italy. I would go to Italy because I love the ice cream, they have awesome clothes when you go shopping, and they have the best pizza.