New Christchurch rebuild plan

Yesterday the mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker, unveiled the draft CBD Plan for rebuilding the city. For a brief article, go to:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/mayor-dedicates-plan-new-christchurch-those-lost-4347115

Take a virtual tour of the city centre showing views before and after the earthquake. This will help you to think about what has been lost and what needs to happen in the future. You can slide the arrows left and right to move between before and after images:

http://www.centralcityplan.org.nz/info/before-and-after.aspx

Then watch a video of an artist’s impression of what the new city will look like:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/video-selection-artists-impressions-draft-chch-plan-0-32-4348801

The response has been very positive so far, although the amount of money to be spent and the low height of the buildings may be an issue to some people including Christchurch businesses:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/cbd-height-restrictions-issue-in-chch-rebuild-4349389/video

Now look at the plan, which contains a lot of information about Christchurch as a green city (pp 27-44), a distinctive low-rise city (pp 45-63) city life (pp65-82) and transport (pp83-100). Read what people in Christchurch people said they wanted for their city (in the coloured speech bubbles) and write down some of their comments.  Then look at the many pictures and plans of what the new city will look like. Do you think that the city council has listened to what people want?

You can view the plan by clicking on:

http://www.centralcityplan.org.nz/resources/Draft-Central-City-Plan.pdf

The Slow Movement

The Slow Movement is about slowing down the pace of modern life. It began with Carlo Petrini's protest against the opening of a McDonald's restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, Rome in 1986 that sparked the creation of the Slow Food organization. Over time, this developed into a subculture in other areas, such as Cittaslow (Slow Cities), Slow living, Slow Travel, and Slow Design. Its popularity has grown considerably in recent years, with Slow initiatives spreading as far as Australia and Japan.

For more information on this topic, see the entry in wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_Movement

Slow Food

Opposed to the culture of fast food, Slow Food encourages the enjoyment of regional produce, traditional foods, which are often grown organically and to enjoy these foods in the company of others. It aims to defend agricultural biodiversity.

For more information on this topic, go to the Slow Food website:

http://www.slowfood.com/

Cittaslow

The goals of the Slow Cities movement is to resist the homogenization and globalization of towns and cities and seeks to improve the quality and enjoyment of living by encouraging happiness and self-determination.

For more information on this topic, go to the Cittaslow website:

http://www.cittaslow.net/

400A Cinema Survey Results

1. Introduction

We were asked the following 6 questions. These questions are aimed at knowing our habits for watching movies.   The results of each question are discussed in a separate paragraph.

2. Results

(1)

・Question

  

  Which of these movie types do you prefer?

   

   a Comedy

   b Action

   c Animated movies

・Result

   a 3 persons

   b 4 persons

   c 2 persons

Each options get support as many as other options. I think that we get this result because we are consisted of different persons for generation and sex.

(2)

・Question

  

  In which country is the movie entrance fee cheaper?

   

   a Your own country

   b NZ

   c Not applicable

・Result

   a 6 persons

   b 0

   c 3 persons

Option a gets more support than other options. I think that the movie entrance fee in NZ tend to be higher than other countries.For 3 persons who choose option c, 2 persons say that the movie entrance fee in NZ is as same as their country and 1 person say that she can't answer this question because she is from NZ.

(3)

・Question

  

  Do you like 3D movies?

   

   a Yes

   b No

・Result

   a 4 persons

   b 5 persons

  Each options get support as many as other options. I think that we are consisted of 2 types persons who are interested in the latest technology and are not interested in the latest technology for movies.

(4)

・Question

  

  Which seat do you prefer in the theatre?

   

   a Front seat

   b Middle seat

   c Back seat

・Result

   a 0

   b 4 persons

   c 5 persons

Everybody don't choose option a.  I think that we tend not to like to sit on Front seat because it is too close to the screen to watch the movies.

(5)

・Question

  

  How many times do you go to the theatre in a year?

   

   a None

   b 1-5

   c 6-10

   d over 10

・Result

   a 0

   b 5 persons

   c 2 persons

   d 2 persons

Many of us go to the theatre 1-10 times in a year. I think that we tend to enjoy watching the movies on DVD at our home as well as to enjoy watching the movies on big screen at the theatre in these day.

(6)

・Question

  

  Which day do you usually go to the theatre?

   

   a Monday

   b Tuesday

   c Wednesday

   d Thursday

   e Friday

   f  Saturday

   g Sunday

・Result

   a 0

   b 1 person

   c 0

   d 0

   e 1 person

   f  7 persons

   g 0

Many of us go to the theatre on Saturday. I think that we tend to enjoy going to the theater better on Saturday than the other days because Saturday is the first day of weekend.

What is education for?

Pink Floyd were an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. They are one of the most commercially successful and influential rock music groups of all time. They have sold over 200 million albums worldwide and achieved worldwide critical and commercial success with The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall.

One of their best known songs was Another Brick in the Wall, which reached number 1 in the charts and whose famous chorus was sung by London schoolchildren. Here are the lyrics:

We don't need no education.
We don’t need no thought control.
No dark sarcasm in the classroom.
Teachers leave them kids alone.
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall.
All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

The song was accompanied by an innovative music video by the artist Gerald Scarfe. You can watch this video by clicking on the link below. As you watch and listen, think about these questions:

1. What do you think of the lyrics?

2. What do you think of the video?

3. What is Pink Floyd’s view of education?

Pink Floyd Another Brick in the Wall part 2: video (3:15mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZOgJF7e_3k

That'll Teach 'Em is a British reality television documentary series which follows teenage students as they are taken back to a 1950s style British boarding school. The show investigates whether the school standards of the time helped to produce better exam results. As part of the experience, the students are expected to board at a traditional school house with strict discipline and a 1950s diet. After four weeks, the students take their final exams, produced to the same standard as today’s exams.

Watch the video by clicking on the link and think about these questions:

1. What do you think of the discipline?

2. Would you enjoy being a pupil in a 1950’s boarding school?

3. Would you take part in a TV programme like this?

That' ll Teach 'Em Misbehaving Boy: video (4mins)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xf8oq4_that-ll-teach-em-misbehaving-boy_shortfilms