After reading "The Lotus Seed" by Sherry Garland, and hearing Mrs. Fraser's heartbreaking and yet en-capturing and inspiring story, let's reflect. Please take some time to read through your questions and answers, and other notes you collecting during Mrs. Fraser's visits, then answer the following questions:
1.) How did Mrs. Fraser's story make you feel?
2.) Were you able to make connections and/or empathize with any part of Mrs. Fraser's life?
3.) How does Mrs. Fraser's story relate to "The Lotus Seed"? What connections did you notice?
4.) Compare your childhood to that of Mrs. Fraser and Ba in "The Lotus Seed". How do these stories make you feel about your own life? (Appreciative? Grateful?) Why?
5.) How would you describe Mrs. Fraser and Ba's perspective or outlook on life? Consider what they have lived through and the life they were able to create for themselves after all the hardships they encountered.
Please answer these questions as a 'reply' to this post (make sure you write your first name or computer name), or type and hand them in.
1) Mrs. Fraser’s story made me feel horrified because she actually experienced being in the Vietnam War.
ReplyDelete2) My mom recieved a tree that her father gave to her, she planted it in her garden to remember him by.
3) I was able to make a connection, when Ba had to go on a boat to go to America, and when Mrs. Fraser had to go on a boat to go to Thailand.
4) When I heard the two stories it made me think how lucky I am.
5) Mrs. Fraser is very thankful of being in Canada, if her parents didn’t work very hard on escaping from Vietnam, she’d still be there, being treated poorly.
Dan
DeleteAfter listening to Mrs.Fraser's story, i felt the same emotion i felt while reading the Arrival. I felt bittersweet, I couldn't possibly imagine myself in her shoes, the sad mournful story in the refugee camp and the 3-day journey in a crowded fishing boat... I was really glad that Mrs. Fraser gets to share this story with us.
ReplyDeleteI was also able to make some connections throughout the story. My grandma once told me she had a third child, unfortunately, he died because of some certain reason that made his stomach explode. My dad lost his younger sibling, just like Mrs. Fraser. I was also able to empathize with the characters in "The Lotus Seed", I kept a seed in a drawer, not for remembrance, but for my fascination and attraction towards the flower.
I noticed how Mrs, Fraser's story and "The Lotus Seed" both happened during the Vietnamese war, Ba and Mrs. Fraser both loss their loved once and felt loneliness during that period of the war.
I feel really lucky and grateful that i have lived a life where i have yet witnessed violence or death(except on T.V.). I am truly thankful for the having three meals a day and not having a nightmare in years. Mrs. Fraser struggled to fit in the society in Canada. After listening to Mrs. Fraser's story, I personally think that i have lived my life at ease, my parents gave me a wonderful life.
"The most important thing I have learned throughout the entire experience is that my story is not shameful, it is actually the opposite of shameful. I am proud to have this Vietnamese heritage." I think both Ba and Mrs.Fraser are very optimistic towards things. After experiencing this traumatic experience, they were able to create a happy life for their kids and or grandchildren.
-Celery
Great refection, I like how both stories made you think about and appreciate what you have, and I like how you incorporated Mrs. Fraser's quote.
Delete1. It made me feel lucky
ReplyDelete2. My grandma originally had 6 children, 2 died
3. In the story the main character keeps her traditions
And Mrs.Fraser also keeps her traditions and family heritage too
4. It makes me feel lucky to be born IN Canada instead of the other countries
5.At first she might be scared but gradually through her life she finds something for herself and eventually forgets the bad
-Pineapple (R.S)
1)A:It made me feel really sad that many more people had to suffer the pain of living in a country like that. It also made me feel lucky about the fact that, i am so lucky to live in a country where war isn't taking place.
ReplyDelete2) A:I can make a connection to when Mrs.Fraser was in school.
3)A:Mrs.Fraser's story was related to Ba's story because both of them went through having someone you loved go to war. Also to have to leave your home country and travel to a strange new country.
4)A: One thing I know for sure is that I am truly grateful of my parents,siblings,and family for giving me the best childhood I could ever want.
5)A:I think that they would be sad that they could not have lived a normal life but I am sure that they are very happy to have moved to Canada and rebuilt a good life for themselves.
Lemon(A.M)
Good thoughtful reply.
Deletei forgot what was the details for " the lotus seed"
ReplyDeleteTop
this is all i have
ReplyDeleteThe Lotus Seed
ReplyDeleteMrs Fraser’s story was kind of disturbing and I actually never thought that would happen to our teachers. I felt lucky for Mrs. Fraser because she was so lucky, I can not imagine if her dad was not a captain, she might be at Vietnam right now if her dad was not a captain. I was imagining if she stayed at Vietnam, probably she would not be happy and she won’t have freedom. Also she won’t meet her husband and she won’t have your son, Ethan. But her story really taught me a lot that there are still kids out there without freedom or even getting tortured. Mrs. Fraser’s story was scary and very frightening, but if she won’t share this story I would not know how many kids out on earth wants freedom and peace.
When Mrs. Fraser mentions that her parents forced her to get good grades, I actually had a connection. My connection was quite different because my parents want me to do well in golf so I can get in to University easier. I actually feel happy that Mrs. Fraser listen to her parents to do well on education because if she did not she might not find the same husband and she wont be able to teach us.
1: The story made my thoughts mixed, I was happy she survived the ordeal, without any major mental trauma and I was depressed at many areas within the story, for example, she said that the refugee camps were more often than not, cluttered, filled with children that bullied her.
ReplyDelete2: I was able to empathize, yes, however, I cannot fully empathize with here because I may (and hopefully never)not go through that ordeal, the entire thing would put an adult to tears, imagine what would happen to a child?
3: It related comparatively well. Both stories were set within the Vietnam War. Both were stories about refugees. From what I heard, Mrs. Fraser's father was a Captain of a ship, and probably served in the war, very much like the Ba's husband within "The Lotus Seed".
4: In one way or another, disappointed in myself, not because I didn't go through that, (nobody would want to) but because of how I used to view my life. I remember before, at a younger age, seven up to nine, I used to complain about multiple things, for example, not getting the toy I wanted or spraining my arm (honestly, I thought it was cool at the time since I didn't have to do tests or write down my homework, the cast was itchy though). Mrs. Fraser after going through that can also say this to the kids in her class, "Oh so you broke your phone, want me to tell you about my childhood?" (Obviously I'm joking)
5: From their perspective, they probably going to be grateful throughout the rest of their lives, seeing as how they've been through so much. They seem to both have endured a lot, pain, sadness, happiness, Tom and Jerry (the best stress reliever while you're a kid) and I think they are living it well.
- Aragorn, son of Arathorn II Chieftain of the Dúnedain, Heir of Isildur, King of all the Dúnedain, King of the West, Lord of the Dúnedain, Envinyatar, King of Gondor, King of Arnor, High King of Gondor and Arnor.
You have shown an amazing understanding and clearly grasped the concepts of empathy and appreciation, as I was hoping you would.
Delete1) I had kind of a sad happy felling, sad that people bullied Mrs. Pham Fraser, happy that she made it through the ordeal.
ReplyDelete2)This story relates to the Holocaust when many Jewish people had to flee Germany or Nazi-occupied areas.
3)Ba and Mrs. Fraser both had to ride on a boat to freedom
4)When I heard these stories I appreciate what a wonderful country I get to live in
5)If Mrs. Fraser's husband wasn't in the navy, they wouldn't be in Canada right now, and she would be still selling slushies to the refugees, or be forced to do backbreaking labor.
-C.M.
) Mrs. Fraser's story is very amazing. I can't believe that she has a very touch story.
ReplyDelete2)"The Lotus Seed" makes me think of when I was little, I collected many seed of fruits. I planted it in the mud. After a long time, I came back, it didn't grow up.
3)They also have a a little bit sad story.
4)These stories make me feel that i have a really perfect family, many brothers and sister. I can't leave this family.
5)Mrs. Fraser really likes Canada and the people that she met in Canada. Even though she can go back to the farm. She still wants to live in Canada.
-Eva
-Eva
1. It made me feel happy that she lived and also made me felt sorry that she had to go threw all that.
ReplyDelete2. Not really.. not that i think of it it seems realy unfair that she had to go threw all that when she was little. We shoudl be happy for what we have already.
3. Both the book and Mrs.Fraser had moved out of the country and have been really poor like sharing a bowl of rice and chicken.
4. My childhood and Mrs.Frasers is different. I got to eat shower and well play. She never really had time to paly or anyone to play with. I feel sad that she has to go threw all that.
5. It might not sound so good at first, but eventually it will get better.
-Marco
1. It made me feel sad. And I really like that she shared her story to us, I never tried like Mrs. Fraser’s life that she need to escape from Vietnam need to crowed on a boat, some people they need to pay to get on the boat.
ReplyDelete2. Mrs. Fraser’s life: Well, maybe the part that she was at Thailand and she always got beaten up. There was a time that I was at school and got beaten up by 8 boys from grade 6. That really hurts, but I think my life is better than Mrs. Fraser’s life because she get beaten up almost every day and she has no toy to play with and her tea set got broken by the beaters.
3.They were both related of scrambled into a crowded boat.
4. I feel really lucky, because I wasn’t born in Vietnam and like some people is alone, their parents are not with them. Lucky me that I’m not born in a poor family, I’m not alone I have sisters and brother to take care of me. Some Vietnam people are homeless, they can’t eat full every day, but I can.
5.I think they are sad, because they don’t have a normal life when they were small, but I think there happy about the life that they have now.
---An9
Very thoughtful reflection:)
Delete1. The story was awesome, and it's also really touching, I was really into it, but I never thought something like that would actually happen to someone we know, because this is somehow like the scenes in movies instead of real life. \
ReplyDelete2. I can kinda empathize... ish... Well, my mom is my grandmother's 8th child, but my mom also had a little brother. My grandmother had to give him to someone else to raise because of the bad living conditions they have at that time, which was in the 1960's - 1970's.
3. Well, Mrs. Fraser's story is somewhat similar to "The Lotus Seed" because Mrs. Fraser and they Grandmother in the book both had to leave their home and move to a different city where they knew nobody and had to start a new life.
4. Wow... if I have to compare my childhood to Mrs. Fraser and Ba, then I am really really lucky. When Mrs. Fraser was little, she lived in a place of war and unpeacefulness, starvation, and boredom, but when I was little I had T.V, computers, Nintendo DS, music players, etc. My parents protect me like I'm a mountain of gold, and they would never let me get hurt. I had countless toys and Barbie dolls. Also, they worked really really hard to create a better learning envoirnmen, which is why I switched schools a lot and came to Canada. But when Mrs. Fraser was little, she didn't fit in and was bullied a lot, and her only toy (the Tea Set) was destroyed by the bullies. Compared to Mrs. Fraser's childhood, I am really really lucky.
5. Mrs. Fraser's and Ba's life were pretty hard, and they worked hard for a better life. Mrs. Fraser had an unforgettable childhood. She are probably really grateful of the life they have now, considering the life they had when she had when she was little. She went through a lot of pain, happiness, sadness, and had a lot of unforgettable memories.
-Fried Chicken Unicorn
Excellent, I like your use of similes to make comparisons:)
Delete1. Her story made me feel grateful for every thing I have now. Sometimes you don't appreciate something until it's gone.
ReplyDelete2. Once, "someone" got my favourite toy (a yoyo type thing) broken and I was really sad.(Her tea set)
3. In the story, they had to leave their home and Mrs.Fraser also had to run away.
4. In Mrs.Fraser's story, when she was little she was seperated from her parents. In the lotus seed, it did not say anything about her parents but I asumed they died. They both had a hard time with family issues and it makes me feel thankful for my family.
5. I think that now they would appreciate every little thing in life and be grateful for what they have. I think that they think more about what they do have rather than what they don't have.
-Elaine ^v^
1.
ReplyDeleteI feel really proud and happy that I didn’t have to go through as much pain and terrible experience. I’m really proud that Mrs. Fraser lasted till this day and is so proud of her for being the person she is. I’m very inspired by her and feel that we should always be proud of who we are rather then to be ashamed of it.
2.
I connected to how Mrs. Fraser was not being proud of who she was at first but then gradually accepted who she is. My connection with that is that I once was not proud of who I am because I had really high expectations for myself but I realized as long as I try its okay.
3
Both of the story talk about the Vietnam War and they both survived successfully which is good. Both of them had to go to a brand new country and had to adapt there.
4.
My childhood was so much easier and it didn’t involve so much sadness and it was really happy. Both stories make me realize that I should be really grateful that I didn’t go through so much bad experiences.
5.
Mrs. Fraser and Ba probably really appreciate the life they have now and are really happy they got a good life out of what they tried to do.
-Nicole :D
1. l was surprised that Mrs. Fraser was able to cope with the experience. It seems unimaginable that she survived pirates and other threats while escaping from a war. Comparing her story to other people's lives, and many other people in Canada, including myself, have a much better life compared to Mrs. Fraser.
ReplyDelete2. Mrs. Fraser's story is identical to the grandmother's in The Lotus Seed, except with some minor details changed.
3. In "The Lotus Seed", the grandmother and her family was forced to escape on refugee boats to America, due to air raids on her village. Mrs. Fraser and her parents did the same; they took a boat from Ho Chi Minh city to refugee camps in Thailand. Also, both events took place during the Vietnam war (sometime between 1955 and 1975).
4. The story that Mrs. Fraser told us made me feel mixed emotions. I was somewhat startled when I heard that Mrs. Fraser had been bullied by other refugees during her time in the Thailand refugee camp.
5. Mrs. Fraser and the grandmother generally have a positive outlook on life.
1. Mrs.Fraser's story made me feel like that i'm lucky to be raised in a safe country that was not at war.
ReplyDelete2. i made a connection of when her sister died so did my moms sister when she was one. I felt sad for Mrs.Fraser got bullied and they broke her tea set.
3.Mrs.Fraser and ba both came on a boat and left there belongings behind.
4. i feel happy that i was born in a city that i've never been bullied and neve seen bullying. also i realized that i need to be more grateful for the stuff that i have got.
5. Mrs.Fraser has seen dead body's at a young age. she had to start at kinder garden when she got to canada. she had been bullied.
Name?
Deleteparm
Delete1)I can't imagine how Mrs. Fraser can live through what she did at such a young age. Even if I were to do the same at my age, I wouldn't be able to be as brave. When I was listening to the story and how they got out of Vietnam, I was relieved that Mrs. Fraser's dad was an officer. I also felt that Mrs. Fraser's family's will to survive was amazing. I'm also glad that Mrs. Fraser is still a sane person. I think I would have developed some mental issues with all the pressure and such. Most of the time during the story, I felt sad and upset. Why? Why them? I kept thinking if I were in Mrs. Fraser's shoes I would keep asking, why me? Why us? I was really glad that Mrs. Fraser could share her story with us and I'm happy for her that those hard times are over and happy that she can now be proud of her story.
ReplyDelete2)When I was in Gr.2 my family lived separately, because of my dad's job. He lived in Renton, Washington, while my brother, mom and I lived here in Richmond. One day during school I was called out by my mom and she said I was leaving school early, I didn't know the reason why, but I was happy because I got to miss school. Once I got onto the car I saw the luggage in the back so I asked where we were going. My mom said "Oh we're visiting your dad." So I was fine and happy because woohoo! Who gets to go on a vacation during school days? Anyways we were in America for about a week, when I finally asked when we were going home, my mom dropped the bomb on me. My family will be living in America with my dad from then on, and I will be attending school there. It was a real shock because I don't remember ever discussing this with my parents and I didn't get to say goodbye to my friends. This relates to how Mrs. Fraser's parents woke her in the middle of the night and told her to take her belongings and leave everything behind without letting her know ahead of time.
3)The scene where Ba had to go on the boat and when Mrs. Fraser went on the boat is what stands out the most to me.
4)Well once I heard Mrs. Fraser's life, I felt that whatever I cried in the past about was nothing like what she has been through. It made not getting a solo part in dance like a dust mite compared to those who could not get on the boat. I feel grateful and spoiled rotten. I'm glad that with her story I can feel that my parent's have given me more than I need. I feel very grateful for what I have now.
5)I don't really know how they look at the world and how they look at life. Maybe they think that every moment that are good is precious and shouldn't be overlooked as something that should be there. Maybe they think that hard work pays off eventually and deserves to be rewarded. I'm not sure. When you have been through that much in your life, everything after that is different for you. Your whole life changes.
Tomato
Wow, that is an amazing story about how you moved to America without even knowing! Great reflection.
DeleteThe Lotus Seed
ReplyDeleteMrs Fraser’s story was kind of disturbing and I actually never thought that would happen to our teachers. I felt lucky for Mrs. Fraser because she was so lucky, I can not imagine if her dad was not a captain, she might be at Vietnam right now if her dad was not a captain. I was imagining if she stayed at Vietnam, probably she would not be happy and she won’t have freedom. Also she won’t meet her husband and she won’t have your son, Ethan. But her story really taught me a lot that there are still kids out there without freedom or even getting tortured. Mrs. Fraser’s story was scary and very frightening, but if she won’t share this story I would not know how many kids out on earth wants freedom and peace.
When Mrs. Fraser mentions that her parents forced her to get good grades, I actually had a connection. My connection was quite different because my parents want me to do well in golf so I can get in to University easier. I actually feel happy that Mrs. Fraser listen to her parents to do well on education because if she did not she might not find the same husband and she wont be able to teach us.
Mrs. Fraser’s story relate to “ The Lotus Seed” because in the story, the character was riding on a boat to crowded with people and Mrs. Fraser also said that they were on a boat crowded with people too. The main character and Mrs. Fraser both was safe and went on with their lives.
I really feel lucky and I really appreciate my life because all the things I have. My childhood is a complete different childhood than Mrs. Fraser’s and “ The Lotus Seed” because they seen Violence and deaths in there childhood as for me all I have was peace and school. They had a hard experience and for me I never had such a hard experience.
I gave all my respect to them because they went on with there life and found a great life. Maybe many people cant stand what happened in the past but Ba and Mrs. Fraser wiped the bad memories found a great route to start over. Mrs. Fraser had a wonderful life, she got married and got Ethan her son. She didn’t suffer or anything but she just lived on. Even today, she shared her story to us, and I know it wasn’t easy for her to get those bad memories and share it. Mrs. Fraser was very tuff in her ages back then and still lived with it.
Top
Very thoughtful reply Top, well done:)
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