Week Four: Apple iPhone 5 Review

As everyone knows, Apple Inc launched the iPhone 5 in Canada on September 21st, 2012.  The iPhone 5 had accumulated a lot of talk, as it had so many design changes from the previous, iPhone 4. It had been equipped with a larger screen, it was thinner and lighter, and also had an aluminum based body. This phone comes in two basic colours, white/silver and black/slate. Aside from physical differences, the iPhone 5 is also said to have a better camera quality and longer lasting battery life.

Personally, I got my iPhone 5 approximately a month after it's launch, and I have to say, it is a decent phone overall. It had been previously equipped with the operating system iOS 6 when i had first received this product, however then apple had launched their new operating system, iOS 7 which had truly messed up my phone to no end. It had made it so that my battery life had decreased significantly, and also my phone had become much slower when doing basic actions. Therefore, my opinion is that the phone has a couple of flaws.

However, the iPhone 5 I currently have right now has been functioning for close to two years, which is more than i can say for some other cellular phones on the market today. The screen has not shattered as easily as people may think, and it has been capable of doing most of what I would expect from a cell phone. Although it has been discontinued as of September 2013, due to the release of the iPhone(s) 5s/5c, one can still get all they can out of their apple care plans and apps, if they have this model.

Overall, I would have to say that this product has been okay as far as cell phones go. It has lasted a couple of years and completed basic tasks, therefore I would give this model of the iPhone a 7.5/10 and would more than likely recommend it to someone if they were on the market for a new cell phone, and of course if these models of the iPhone were still being produced.

Week Three; Photos

Photo 1:

This is a photo, taken in summer of 2013 in Vieux Quebec. From where this photo is taken, you can see all of the souvenir shops and clubs around the area. This is a place where I had spent most of my time during the summer of 2013, as I had spent five weeks doing a french exchange in Quebec City. This place means so much more to me than just a vacation area, it was where some of the best memories of my life had been made. I think of this place, and look at this photo quite often, and that's when I realize that I had grown up a lot since going here, and without this experience I don't know where I would be, or who I would be today.

Photo 2:

This is a photo, taken just a week ago at the Trinity Conception Relay for Life. The Canadian Cancer Society has this event every year, in aid of cancer research. I for one, walk for my family members and loved ones who have passed on due to this awful disease. As one can see from this photo, me and my team members all have our own reasons for doing the relay, and we have all lost or known someone with cancer. Without these people, the $40 000+ that we have raised in the last five years for cancer research wouldn't even be possible. To me, this photo represents a group of teenagers that want to make a difference in the world and would do anything to find the cure for cancer. 

Week Two: Song

                                                           "Kryptonite"

"I took a walk around the world
To ease my troubled mind
I left my body lying somewhere
In the sands of time
But I watched the world float
To the dark side of the moon

I feel there is nothing I can do, yeah

I watched the world float
To the dark side of the moon
After all I knew it had to be
Something to do with you
I really don’t mind what happens now and then
As long as you’ll be my friend at the end

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I’m alive and well, will you be
There a-holding my hand
I’ll keep you by my side
With my superhuman might
Kryptonite

You called me strong, you called me weak,
But still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted all the times
I never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head,
If not for me then you'd be dead
I picked you up and put you back on solid ground

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I’m alive and well,
Will you be there a-holding my hand
I’ll keep you by my side
With my superhuman might
Kryptonite

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I’m alive and well, will you be there
Holding my hand
I’ll keep you by my side
With my superhuman might
Kryptonite
Yeah!!

If I go crazy then will you still
Call me Superman
If I'm alive and well,
Will you be there a-holding my hand
I'll keep you by my side
With my superhuman might
Kryptonite

Oh, whoa, whoa
Oh, whoa, whoa
Oh, whoa, whoa"

(Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/3doorsdown/kryptonite.html)

The song above, "Kryptonite" by the band Three Doors Down, has it's own very unique structure. It has nine stanzas, in which the refrain can be found in stanzas 4,6,7 and 8! The meter of each refrain is 9-5-6-9-6-7-3, and within this song there is no real set rhyme scheme as you can see in the above lyrics. Like many other songs, this song has a certain way of being laid out where it is a verse followed by a refrain, or chorus for the most part. 

The speaker in this song would be someone who used to be a really good person, like a superhero, but now are losing their grip on their old self, and feel as they are turning into someone new. The tone seems to be quite regretful, as they feel that they are slipping away from the person they once were. I feel that they are trying to get the point across that although they are changing, they still want to be thought of as the same person they always were, which is a common feeling in today's society. In this song, one can find examples of language such as metaphor, symbol, and allusion. Metaphor can be found in line 7 of stanza 4, when it says "I picked you up, and put you back on solid ground". This could be referring to when perhaps his partner had been going through a hard time but he had helped them. Symbol is used throughout the whole song when the speaker says "Will you still call me Superman?". Superman is being used as a symbol of the ideal person, and therefore the speaker uses this symbol to say that they still want to be the person that they once were. "Will you still call me Superman" is finally, an example of allusion. This is an allusion since they are referring to themselves as a good person, such as the well-known character, Superman.

Personally, I think this song is extremely catchy. To me, it has a message that life won't always be easy, and that there are times that you must truly try your hardest to see the best in people no matter what the situation. I like this song because unlike most songs today, it has a powerful message, and it honestly gives you some insight into how the speaker really feels. This song shows us how life can sometimes be difficult, but there is always someone you may be able to turn to, therefore this song can have quite the impact on an individual.

Introduction

Hi,
      
     My name is Kelsey Gillingham, I'm 18 years old and a first year MUN student! I'm originally from Marysvale, and I've lived there all my life. Due to the fact that I'm from an extremely small town, it's safe to say that coming to St.John's for school was an easy decision! As much as I love living where I do, there's much more out there for me than staying in a place like that for the rest of my life. I have no siblings, but I do have a dog, and she's honestly my favourite thing in the world, I really can't imagine not having her! I'm currently a business student, but my mind tends to change a fair bit so who knows what the future holds!.

     I'm the type of person who loves learning new things and taking on new challenges, which explains why one of my favourite things to do is read. Nothing makes me happier than finding a good book and not being able to put it down. Also, I'm a pretty friendly and outgoing person, so don't be afraid to approach me, I love meeting new people! I really like going out with friends, and spending time playing the violin, I guess you could say my interests say a lot about me. I really look forward to  everything this course has to offer, and hopefully getting to know all of you a little better! Oh yeah, and thanks for checking out my blog!