“Living in Riyadh or living in the Philippines”

Every person wants to live a comfortable and suiting environment, a place where you would appreciate and share different experiences with your family and loved ones. Thus, living in a place where you feel safe and secure would probably be easy for you to cope up with their different culture and tradition. Although, there similarities between living in Riyadh and living in the Philippines, living in Riyadh also differs from living in the Philippines.

Living in Riyadh and living in the Philippines are similar to each other in some aspects. First, laws and restrictions would always be present in each country and people should comply with it. Whether you are living in Riyadh or in the Philippines, you must follow an respect the various laws and restrictions that were regulated. Second, not only in Riyadh has a lot of foreign nationalities working, but also in the Philippines. They are working as a businessmen in different companies and corporations.

Despite the similarities, there are also some differences between living in Riyadh and living in the Philippines. Firstly, most Saudi women prefer to stay at home and take care of their family, while the Saudi men are the ones who work to provide their family’s basic needs. Unlike in the Philippines, men and women are equal in terms of work, employment, and jobs. Secondly, in Riyadh, car is the most common means of transportation, but there is also one train station and a few buses. However, in the Philippines, they are using different means of transportation like cars, motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles, vans, buses, and trains.

In conclusion, it is clear that there are both some similarities, such as laws and restrictions and foreign nationalities, while the differences are jobs and transportation between living in Riyadh and living in the Philippines. People should be open on their decision making on where to live.

Troy

Troy is one of the most interesting and a the same time most adventurous movies related to literature. The movie was based in Homer’s work which is “The Iliad”. It gives us a glimpse of how ancient Greeks survived, on how the alliance was built with the other ancient Greek city states and how their way of leaving affected their decisions and motivations.

The main characters of the movie are Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector, Orlando Bloom as Paris, Diane Krugar as Helen, Brian Cox as Agamemnon, and Brendon Gleeson as Menelaus. The conflict started after the peace settlement of the Trojans and the Sparta. Helen went with Paris back to Troy and that made Menelaus furious. He asked his brother Agamemnon to get his wife back and at the same time to kill Paris. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity to destroy and conquer Troy. Agamemnon then asks for the help of Achilles to join them. Achilles joined because he wanted to be known during his generation. When Menelaus army reached Troy, they were confronted by Hector’s army. Menaluas challenged Paris in a duel and whoever wins would have Helen back. Hector feels pitiful and he killed Menelaus instead.

Brad Pitt did a great job acting as Achilles. I was very impressed with the acting skills of Eric Bana as Hector. He showed the different sides of Hector like being a man, a leader, a son, and a brother.

I didn’t like the part where Achilles wasn’t able to fully express his love to Briseis and he wasn’t able to save her when Sparta conquered and destroyed Troy. I like the scene where Hector tries to protect his brother from Menelaus.

The lesson or the moral teaching of the movie is that, how one’s action or decision can affects the lives of others. Like for example, when Helen went with Paris despite the peace settlement that was agreed and talked about. The whole Trojans were affected and some were killed.

A lot of students who are interested in English literature would enjoy watching this film, together with your family, who would understand the different conflict that arises between city states.

My score or rating for the movie would be four out of five.

Thea Cyndrille B. Obzunar is a fourth year student and is currently studying at Palm Crest International School in Riyadh, K.S.A. She loves and appreciates people who care for her. Her hobbies are playing different sports like badminton and table tennis. She also plays the guitar and a little bit of keyboard.

Oedipus the King

In the story, the most important characters are Oedipus the King, Teiresias, and Creon. Oedipus the King, the King of Thebes is a selfish kind of king. He somehow cursed or asked the Gods to kill the former king, which is King Lauis. Teiresias, the seer, was the one who predicted and saith that, Oedipus the King was the one who killed King Lauis. Creon, the brother of Iocasta, the Queen of Thebes, was accused that he is the one who killed King Lauis.

The relationship between the characters in the story to one another is that, they are all part of the royal family. They are somehow connected with each other. Oedipus didn’t know that his wife was his mother and King Lauis, whom he killed was his father.

The story took place during the ancient Greece. The people of Thebes, including Oedipus, believed in the gods and goddesses. They ask guidance and protection from Apollo, Athena, and Artemis.

The conflict in the story was when, the people of Thebes was suffering from this plague. They ask ask the help of Oedipus to solve the problem. Oedipus told his people that he ordered Creon to find the answers to their conflict. When Creon returned, he said that the only solution to their problem is to find the killer or murderer of their former king, King Lauis.

The story arises when, Oedipus finds out that he was the one who killed King Lauis. When Creon said that there is a blind prophet who could help them answer and solve their conflict. Teiresias, the blind prophet was accosted by Oedipus and he has no plans of telling him what he knows. Through out their conversation, more like an argument, Teiresias spilled out the answer that Oedipus was the one who killed King Lauis.  Moreover, he also found out that King Lauis was his real father and Iocasta was his real mother, through his visitor, the Corinthian.

In my opinion, the problem wasn’t really that solved. Creon as a good brother-in-law to Oedipus,  he took over the responsibility of a king to Oedipus. The daughters of Oedipus, Antigone and Ismene were also left to Creon. Oedipus wasn’t true to his words because, according to him, whoever killed King Lauis would be killed too.

I’d like the ending to be unexpected. Like for example, when Oedipus finds out that Iocasta was his mother, he would have killed Creon because, there would be a possibility that Creon would overthrow him. Despite the fact that, Creon wouldn’t really like to rule the Theban people.