Let’s do it!

5 June was the WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY. On that day many organizers celebrated it with joy and festivities. Some came up with rallies, some organized seminars and some participated in campaign in order to aware people about environment; how we pollute it and how we can protect it. All of them are undoubtedly appreciable work.

 

World Environment Day

On that day, the Bangla newspaper the “Prothom-Alo” published a special feature regarding environment titled “No Damage in the Sundarbans though Aila Hit: the Speed of Tidal waves Reduces 30% and Height Reduces 10%.”

The photo of Sundarbans taken from the Prothom-Alo

Most of us know about the cyclone Aila. It hit Bangladesh and India. In Bangladesh it couldn’t have much damage due to Sundarbans. This mangrove forest undermined the damages by becoming a protective shield.

Just think about it. We cut down tress to meet our demands and usages. In every country there should be 25% of forests considering its land area. Unfortunately, Bangladesh doesn’t have that much forest land. Moreover, we are cutting down tress! Just think what would happened if there was no Sundarbans. 

Let's do it!

Please plant trees. It is true that we need wood, however, it is also true that we need forests that can protect our lands. It is not for Bangladesh, it is for all countries of the world. So, if you cut down a tree, please plant two trees for that. In future, those trees will give you shelter.

Source: http://prothom-alo.com/archive/news_details_home.php?dt=2009-06-05&issue_id=1300&nid=MjQxMTY=

A new conception

        Till now I critisized  cartoon which has an advarse effect on society. I focused on only one issue of the society. Now, I’ve decieded to change my blog a little bit.

        From now, I’ll write about newspaper articles which I think need to talk about or to reach to everyone. Those articles or reports will be related to social issues that need to change or if discussed, can make a change.

        To accomplish this, my preferences are ‘THE DAILY STAR‘ and ‘PROTHOM-ALO‘; the leading newspapers of Bangladesh. The first one is English and the other is Bangla. There will be two section in my writing; first part of my writing will be the summary and the next part will be my response. I’ll change the title of my blog, but the URL will be the same.

What are we learning?

This post is about negative side of cartoons. In this post I would like to mention some cartoons that are giving false information of the living world.

I think in cartoon fiction is ok, but we have to make sure that our kids can easily understand what is the fiction and what is the truth. We have to be careful that we are not mixing the fiction with reality.

Yes. It is true that some of our kids are so serious about cartoons that they like to believe what the cartoons show, but what will happen to those who are enjoying cartoons, but not affectionate about that? 

POKEMON

Some cartoons, like ‘POKEMON‘ and ‘DIGIMON‘ are the

DIGIMON

examples of those cartoons which are giving our kids wrong information. In these cartoons we can see many creatures which are not real. However, they set up as they are real and their body shape is like shape of original animals. The problem is there are lots of surprising plants and animals in this world, about which we are unaware. So, after watching those creators, small kids can easily believe that those are real. They will be puzzled easily.

Instead of those characters can’t we use the original animals to introduce our kids about the living creators? It is my another silly thought. One day while I was watching television with my small cousin, I noticed that he knows all the names of the characters of the cartoons which are very weird. It surprised me because he can’t memorize properly any English name of animals, but he can memorize what the cartoon is showing him. I am sure that if we introduce the original plants and animals through cartoons like Pokemon or Digimon, they will enjoy and learn quickly.

Are we in the correct track?

I am taking karate class in my school. Once it was my dream to learn karate, but now I am happy that I have the opportunity to learn it.

It became my dream when I started watching Japanese or Chinese cartoons. Obviously, at that time I could not understand anything excluding the martial art: karate, kung fu, judo. It was amazing for me to watch boys and girls were fighting respectfully. I learnt about those arts from my father. He taught me the value of these arts. It was an inspiration; inspiration to defense own self.  I like the spirit.

'SAMURAI X'-cartoon that demonstrates martial art

On the other hand, some of my friends took it violently. They thought it was a new form of fighting to defeat others or show power to others. When I told them what my father had said, they laughed at me. They thought I am girl, so I do not how boys think!

This is the difference. When something new, which is not our culture, introduces through cartoons or other television shows, we take it differently as we do not know anything about that. Our misconception can lead us into another way which may be harmful for us, for example, martial art. In China or in Japan, it is natural as it is their culture. Kids of those countries learn it to defenses own selves, not to fight or create violence. And in those countries, where it’s not a culture or it’s unfamiliar, mistreat the main idea and practice it differently.

The main aim of cartoons is to spread culture from one country to another. As children are the backbone or future of a country, cartoon is an easy media to make them familiar with different culture. Now, the question is how they take it? Are they adopting the positive side or negative side of that? Are our parents are paying attention to it that their kids are having misconceptions?

Captain Planet –we miss you!

When I was small, I used to watch a cartoon ‘CAPTAIN PLANET‘. It’s a social awareness cartoon. There was a group of five chosen Planeteers. From their ring power the hero ‘CAPTAIN PLANET’ was formed. The hero only used to come when there was a trouble for earth or mankind. I like the cartoon because it showed how human can pollute the environment and what their consequences are.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Without our concern we always pollute the environment. After polluting it, we realize that what we have done. The cartoon captain planet teaches us to think before harming the nature. That’ s why when people experience the consequences of pollution, and nothing left to do at that time, only then captain planet comes to save the world.

I think we should telecast the cartoon series once again. When we were kids, we learned how behave towards nature. At present, our kids can see trees and greens barely. So, they don’t think much about the environment. Their world is full of fantasy and unreal things. If we make them watch awareness cartoons like captain planet, they can learn more and maybe can be interested to protect the green world like Captain Planet. It has been my dream to watch our kids not to become Superman or Spiderman, but to become Captain Planet. This cartoon will force them to think the reality. Therefore, I miss you Captain Planet.

I am grown up!

 

Just imagine kids of 10 years old who are in our homes. Do you understand their thought? Or what do they do in a day?

Go to school, study at home, watching cartoons or playing games in computer or television rest of the time-this is the general daily routine of a kid of 10. Most of the time, they will be in their own world which is full of their dreams, full of their superheroes. In their rooms you can see the posters of their favorite cartoon characters hanging on the wall, sticker in the notebooks, and pictures in bag, pencils or sharpener. They don’t go outside to play as their parents don’t allow them because of their safety. So, their world is surrounded by cartoons and other indoor games. They always want to do some crazy stuff because they want to be unique. If you tell them to stop, the answer will be “I AM GROWN UP. I am not a child anymore. So, I can do whatever I want to.”

Now, I am going to write about two kids who are what we call ’street children’. They are Janhangir Alam and Tauhidul Islam. Both of them are 10 years old and live at Chittagong in Bangladesh.

Jahangir Alam

Janhangir works in a hotel in the day time. In the night, he plays with his friend Masuk, who is also the same age of him. He loves roaming here and there all the time.  I asked him why he stopped his study. The answer was he has to earn for his family, otherwise his mother, who stays in village, will starve. I reminded him his age, but he said, “I AM GROWN UP”. I changed the topic. My next question what he does in the leisure time: whether watches television like other kids of his age. He watches television in his neighborhood, and according to him, watching cartoons is childish and bogus. He thinks, the kids who don’t have anything to do, they watch cartoons, which is worthless.

Tauhidul Islam

Like him, Tauhidul is also working. He asks money from the passerby of streets. He is not ready to agree calling his work begging. He is also earning as he is “GROWN UP”. He loves playing in the open field. There is no fear for him to get lost, so he can play without any tension.  But, sometime he watches cartoons in the television. There is neither any

characters of the SISIMPUR

dish connection where he lives, nor any television. So, if the head of their colony allows him, he can see cartoons in his home with his kids. He watches only one cartoon which is “SISIMPUR“. As he stopped going to school, he can learn a little bit from this cartoon. It’s his additional concern. Still his major concern is how to earn more to lead a better life.

Now, please think of it. These kids are only 10 years old, but there is a huge difference between their thoughts. One group is thinking of imagery things, which we are allowing. Even they don’t have any idea about real world. And another group is thinking of livelihood and managing life. After all, both of them are GROWN UP!

Thanks to my friend Nasima, for whom I was able to meet these kids.

What a solution!

In my last post I mentioned that I went home and had some interesting experiences. This post is also part of my experiences.

In my grad mom’s home, there was a get together of my uncles and aunts, along with my grand mom’s neighbors. It was like a festival for us because after a long time all of my aunts got a chance met each other in one place. It is to inform you that I have five cousins and there was total nine kids including neighborhood. 

Everybody was in the dining table: eating, chatting and watching news in the television. However, they were also disturbed because of the kids. They were screaming and running and playing here and there. So, it interrupted the elders.

The kids were in their world, but it was difficult for us to stay calmly because of them. We warned them several times to be quiet and not to make much noise. But who listened to whom?

Then, one of my uncles came up with an idea. He suggested others to send the kids to one of my neighbors’ house in order to allow them to watch cartoons in television.

We all praised him, as his idea worked. The kids were enjoying among themselves and their parents were not tensed because they were safe in one place and were having fun.    

This is the craziness of cartoons and sometimes we can take this type of little little advantages from it. It seems that watching cartoons was more valuable for the kids than playing outside, at present time.

I am isolated!

A few days ago I went to my home with my friends. I never imagined that I would experience something new!

When I went to meet my grand mom, I met my uncle from neighborhood and his son. My cousin is studying in class II. He is my today’s topic.

Like other kids he also loves Spiderman cartoon. He is a really fan of it. He plays the Spiderman games in computer all the time. He has the collection of the movie series also.

Not only this, his pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler, pencil box, school bag and even water bottle also have Spiderman logos. Isn’t it craziness?

Spiderman

The problem is his parents are also happy with this because their kid is not a disturbing kid. Moreover, their child is doing well in exams. So, they are providing what their kid is saying. My uncle is also satisfied because his son is not playing outside, so they don’t have any tension where their kid is or what is he doing or is he having any bad company.

Now, my cousin’s demand is a by cycle. Obviously, it should have to have Spiderman photo in it. And his parents are planning to buy it!

How will I describe this one? My uncle and aunt are happy because both of them go to work and nobody is there to take care of their son. Moreover, their son also is not feeling lonely while he is with Spiderman. So, they can work without any tension.

Because of this thought, my neighbor uncle and aunt are making their son addicted to cartoon and computer games. After talking to their son, I realize that he is becoming unsocial. He has no interest to talk about anything rather talking about Spiderman. According to uncle, he is still kid and when he will grow up he will be social. 

I don’t know what conclusion I should draw about this problem. I can’t blame my uncle because he is right from his point of view. There is no option for him to choose. If his son goes outside, who will take care of him? So, let him to be isolated!!!  

Is watching cartoons bad?

 

Today I am going to write about one of my roommates and friends who loves reading cartoons (comics). No matter what happens, she has to read it!

She used to read cartoons on line for more than four hours daily. It became her habit, she became addicted to it.

I have never seen her studying at evening. She spent her whole day in the IT Lab and at night she sleeping! What an easy life!!

Though I have never seen her studying, her class performance is always good. I, along with my other roommates am surprised to that. The thing is she used to do homework during her free period. Sometimes, we have lots of work to do. I don’t know within a short period how she has managed all of the work.

One day, one of her teachers told us how creative she is. In her literature exam, she answered a question with her vision and imagination power. Her teacher was impressed to see it.

There is no doubt that from cartoon she is learning many things –small small general knowledge, lifestyle of the people of different countries. In one word, she is enriching herself without reading books, but only reading cartoons.

When she was in her home, she used to watch cartoons with her sisters all day long, but during her study time, she studied. However, she quarreled a lot with her sisters regarding watching cartoons. Three of them have different tastes and there is only one television. Her mom always scolds them for quarrelling. This is the sweetest memory of her life, which she shared with us several times. Now she is here, missing her family and sweet memories and reading cartoons!

This is just an example from my experience that watching cartoons is ok, but don’t be addicted to it. Like my friend, who is taking the good thing from cartoons, and never forget her responsibilities.

Cartoons and dress code!

 

In an earlier post “My Friend and Her Cartoon Life!” I have talked about one of my friends who was so much cartoon addicted that all the time wore dresses like cartoon princess. This post is about the dress up of the characters of the cartoon.

We have some cartoons where animal are the leading characters and most of the time they are half naked. The big examples are Donald Duck, and Pooh. I have read about a rumor in a newspaper a few years ago that Donald Duck was banned in Finland because of its dress code/ or short dress.  Isn’t it interesting?

This is the only examples of those cartoons which are fables means main characters are animals, but what about the others, where characters are based on human?

Now I’m writing about male characters. Batman, Superman, Robin, Phantom …..who else don’t have the weird dress up?  The common thing about their super hero costume is almost everyone has the same dress pattern—underwear is out of their pants! These are our super heroes and we are mad for them!! Not only this, their suits are also very popular and demandable in costume parties!!!

Let’s move to our female heroes. We have lots of heroines whose dress up are very excited. Among them the Wonder Woman, Winx Club’s fairies, Hawkgirl are the worst. They are almost naked.

These cartoons are not adult cartoons. They are for our kids to encourage them to not fear the enemies and teach them how to handle the difficult situation with braveness and courage. So, if the cartoons are for kids, why their dress has designed like this? This is not the current occurrence, it has been happening from the last few decades. My question is; are we provoking our kids to watch bad things?  

Source:

• http://www.donaldpins.com/why-were-donald-duck-cartoons-banned.html