Hannah’s Blog

 Bob tried asking what the thing was but no one answered for a while. Then King Nathan told him in a whisper “It is one of the Devils followers, they are what we must stop.” Bob started to get nervous after this but Bob was curious about what it done “But why did it stop instead of attacking us?” Bob asked. The King replied shortly “The Hinky punks. We never found out how but they ward off unwanted creatures.” One of the smaller ducks waddled out past the rock to check that the coast was clear and they set off again.

When nightime came they ate fish and took turns at keeping watch at for unwanted visitors. In the morning Bob heard a noise outside the tent and so he woke Rex. Rex woke one of the smaller ducks and  the small duck poked his head out. He came back in and told Rex something. Then Rex told Bob
“Wake the king and Lizzie. It’s a follower.” Bob first woke Lizzie and then the king. He told them what happened and the king went to talk to Rex, again in a series of quacks and a bit of English.

On Saturday around 4:30 we went to Hamilton. We (Mum, Dad, Emma, Me and 2 of Mums friends) went to a place called The Cook for dinner and then mad our way to the Riverlea Theatre where we waited a while then went into the actual theatre part. Me and my sister had seats A1 and A2 so we were front row while the adults were 3 rows behind us.

We were watching a play called Chicago. A girl named Roxie had committed a murder and was sent to jail. During her time there she meets a whole lot of other woman who had also committed murder. She got 5000 dollars to pay a lawyer to win her trial. (She does end up not guilty although she is). My favourite character was a Hungarian girl who had only learnt to say ‘not guilty’ in English. I also liked most of the costumes especially the white ones that had sequins and feathers. I enjoyed it and i would recommend it to people 10+.

Fast facts

• The first grilled cheese sandwich was invented in 1920.                                                                                                      
• A grilled cheese sandwich was sold for 28,000 dollars at an auction because it contained the likeness of Virgin Mary on Nov 23 2004.
• There is a Grilled Cheese Sandwitch Invitational cook-off (each yr in Los Angles) when the contestants attempt to cook the best grilled cheese sandwich.
• How to make a grilled cheese sandwitch  
• You will need  

Two slices of bread.                   Cheese   

•   How to:

1. Place piece of bread in hot frying pan
2. Next arrange cheese on piece of bread in pan then put other peice of bread on top.
3. Flip sandwich when ready
4. Once cooked place on plate ,turn off pan and enjoy.                       

After everyone was ready Bob and the ducks set off. They travelled in carriages that were pulled by hinkypunks (small animals that feed on worms and dirt). The ride was bumpy and they travelled for days. Bob ended up losing track of time, but after about 2 weeks of travelling over bumpy road the carriages stopped onto smooth road than stopped. The creatures and the ducks looked around. Bob did to. He could see nothing though until King Nathan told him to listen. Bob then noticed a faint buzzing noise interrupted by a gun shot noise. The hinkypunks trundled on further towards the noise.

When they were close enough to see the source of the noise they carriges stopped. Bob stood up but a duck pulled him down. Flames suddenly licked the rock they were behind and it was flown aside. Behind the rock stood a big monster. It was red and it towered over the rock and the carriages. It had two horns and its teeth were like knives. It reared up and then it bowed and walked away. Bob was confused but he didn’t mind not being eaten.

Belmont is coming up and I decided to try out for the Belmont debating team. On the first session we discussed topics, how to/what is an argument and Mr. Kerr’s 4 point formula. He also set us homework.

Mr Kerr gave us each a piece of folded paper. Each piece had a different speech topic written on it. We each had to prepare a speech on the topic we were given for next weeks practise. I got euthanasia. Some other speech topics   were smoking and the Olympics.

We had a week to do this. I found the topic quite hard but I found out stuff like:

1)      Sometimes religious people believe that suffering and pain is positive because it increases compassion, character and wisdom.

2)      Euthanasia is when a person is really sick and a relation/friend/doctor puts them ‘to sleep’ like animals.

3)      In most countries euthanasia is illegal

I enjoyed doing this even though it was hard  (I probably won’t like presenting it though).

Bob felt as though he was soaring upwards towards the sky. He landed with a thud on (what he thought was) a soft cushion. As he stood up he relised he was standing on a cloud. Bob started to understand what the last word meant. Heaven. So Rex was a duck from heaven. Bob couldn’t believe it. He was in heaven but he wasn’t dead.

Rex ran off towards a large house that Bob hadn’t noticed yet. It had brght red bricks and pots of flowers on the balconies. The orange tiled roof was covered with singing doves and eagles. A cat sat on a wall nearby with a mouse on its head. Rex led Bob into the house and though a large set of oak doors. More flowers sat in the doorway on a large cabinet. Bob walked in and kept following Rex to a door painted bright yellow. When Bob walked in, a perfume smell hit him. It took him a while to get used to but Bob knew Rex was in a hurry so he helped Rex to pack a small bag and followed him to a large dining area that was crammed with more ducks. Some of the ducks were huge and others could fit on Bobs pinky finger. Rex introduced some ducks to Bob. While Rex was introducing Bob to Chiefess Lizzie Bob noticed a sound and bangs coming from a nearby door. Wanting to investgate Bob sneaked away from Rex to open the door. But before he could get his hand on the doorknob Elizabeth Barthony (a judge duck) grabbed his arm. “You don’t want to go through there, Bob” she said. “Well if I can’t go through there,”said Bob “you can tell me.” “Fine,” began Elizabeth”through that door is something worse than death. Its worse than anything you could imagine. Bob, through that door is a place we call hell.” Bob started to inturupt but Elizabeth plouged on “A evil spirit called the Devil lives through there. He controls that world. You don’t want to go there once you die. Even ask King Nathen. He once went to hell for an important meeting with the Devil.” King Nathan was a good duck and so Bob knew that Elizabeth was telling the truth.

During summer on Sunday mornings my Dad wakes me up at 5:00 am to go surfing in Raglan. We put the bags and boards in the car and when we get there we wait for Eric and Richard(Dads friend + Erics dad). I have my dads old board  and we have to walk down a steep hill to get to the beach. My Dad, Eric and Richard go for a surf while I wait for my Dad (and for it to get warmer). When dad comes in he takes me out on my board to give me lessons (I’m not allowed out in Raglan by myself yet). I enjoy surfing and I want to become a really good surfer once I’m older.

I aim to finish work on time.To achieve this I will stay on task and find ways to write faster. I think I have done well on this goal. I can definitly finish work faster than I used to.

 This term I will push myself to keep up with the rest of the band(to learn the band music also).To do this I will practise my flute harder and longer. I think my flute has improved. I need to learn my slurring and high notes but I am doing well.

 This year I also aim to get a honours or distinction in my dancing exams.Which I will achieve by pushing my self . Dancing exams atill haven’t come round.

The first half of this year I aim to become level 3 in maths.To do this I must stay on task. I still have not achieved this goal. It will become one of my Term 3 & 4 goals.

I also want to be able to play softball well by the end of term2 at a maximum.I’m still not to sure how to achieve this. I still can not play softball and the softball season is over.

The Olympics are a series of sport’s that people from around the world compete in. They are held every 4 year’s in a different host country. The Olympics allow other countries to compete without war. An important part is lighting the Olympic torch. It was first lit at the temple of Hera in Greece as a symbol of friendship, competition and love.

The Olympics started (approx) in 776 BC in Greece. They are the most important and valued of the 4 Greek festivals. The Olympics were held in Olympia, Greece in the sanctuary of the god Zeus, at the bottom of the mountain, Mt Kornos. The sports are a religious festival held for Zeus. Only men were allowed to compete in the Olympics. The woman did not; they weren’t even allowed to be spectators. They had a special version of the Olympics called the Heraea in which there were fewer sports than the Olympics. Before the Olympics began the athletes trained for 4-10 months and swear an oath that they were freeborn men and that they would not cheat. The 190 metre sprint was the first sport at the Olympics.  Other sports in the ancient Olympics included horse racing, boxing, pankration, chariot racing, pentathlon, race in amour, wrestling, javelin hurling and the jumping event.  The winners of the Olympics/Heraea were crowned with wild olives and the men got privileges, honors and valuable gifts. In 1900 woman were allowed to enter the Olympics. They were only allowed to enter either golf or tennis but they feared losing their femininity entering the Olympics. The Olympics were eventually stopped in the 4^th century when emperor Theodosius said it was a pagan spectacle.

They started again in 1986 in Athens, after the founding of Olympia. The modern Olympics allowed both genders (woman had made first appearance at Olympics in 1912) to participate in any sport in the Olympics. New sports like synchronized swimming and gymnastics were introduced as well. The Olympics were continued to be held every four years with the commonwealth games and winter Olympics in between. Poor organization and absence of worldwide athletes hampered the Olympic games in St Louis and in Paris. At the turn of the 3^rd millennium 40% of the competitors were woman.  Some sports in the Olympics include swimming, cycling, sprints, high jump and many more.

In between the Olympics the winter games and commonwealth games are held. The common wealth games include sports like the ones in the Olympics. The winter games include games like ice hockey, bobsledding and skiing.

Overall I think the Olympics is a important celebration to Greece and the rest of the world.  It lets countries compete without war and aguments.

Chapter 3

Another week went past after this and Rex was starting to make sounds with his beak. Bob didn’t worry about this because he knew Rex was a special duck. This kept going until one day the sounds began forming into words. 5 weeks after this Rex could say the, first, duck, Jack, Bob, my, Rex, can and many more. Rex’s vocabulary knowledge increased over the month and he could speak fluently with most English. Though Bob shouldn’t be worrying, he was. A talking duck attracted a lot of attention and Rex was becoming stressed. Either something was troubling him or Rex just didn’t enjoy attention.

Bob consulted him that night but the answer he got was not very positive. Rex dragged out a pack of magnet letters to help Bob understand what he was saying. With the letters Rex spelt out a sentence. The words were wobbly and unclear and Bob couldn’t read some. From what Bob could read he got “I come ____ the ____ above. Something is ________ there and I ___ leave you for a _____ to save my country, ______ .”Bob wrote it down to try and find the missing words. While doing this he promised his duck (even though he didn’t know were to go) that he would travel with Rex ’to save his country’.

Bob studied the letters hard and found all of the words except one. “I come from the land above. Something is stirring there and I must leave you from a while to save my country, ______. ” Were Rex came from stayed a mystery until they set of  that night.

Bob and Rex were excited. Rex led Bob to a large cave just on the outskirts of jumble jamble woods. He led Bob deep into the cave and called out in a high pitched quack. The earth suddenly began to rumble and a hole at the back of the cave formed. Rex jumped through. Bob hesitated at first, but jumped through after Rex.