Sentiments about Slumdog

The movie Slumdog Millionaire portrays a poor, orphaned boy from the slums of India somehow winning on a game show that Doctors, Lawyers, and other professionals cannot succeed at! The authorities believe that he is a cheat and attempt to torture him into confessing, in the movie's beginning. As the movie progresses, Jamal gives account of where he learned of each answer to the questions he was asked. The movie then begins to transforms into a journey of Jamal and his brother. This journey includes their trials with both each other and the world, their adventures as the "Three Musketeers" with Jamal's friend Latika, and how Jamal comes to win around 10 billion dollars, becoming a national hero. This narrative, set in India, includes romance, angst, suspense, and a captivating coming-of-age story.

I found myself engrossed completely in this film. The story was entertaining, sometimes humorous and sometimes suspenseful. I thought that the actors did a wonderful job, especially the lead Dev Patel. I also absolutely loved that the movie was drenched in the Indian culture. I think it is important for people from Western countries, like the United States, to learn about foreign places. It is an enriching experience to aid us in understanding our brothers and sisters of other regions. Sometimes it reminds us how well off we are to be living in such a wonderful country. Either way, cultural experiences broaden horizons and help us understand the wonderful world God has given us.

Another interesting aspect of this film was that the extreme poverty of the country was was captured by this film's cinematography. India has some of the largest slums in this world and has the most people, besides China. I believe that the Chinese government was probably delighted at the fact that they had an opportunity to display the slums of India to their citizens. I think this movie could aid in reinforcing the message of Communist China's superiority over other nations of this world.

Through this movie's portrayal of Indian slums, God reminded me that I need to help and be there for others, both here and abroad. Although I would love to go to India to do mission work, It isn't guaranteed that I will. What is guaranteed is that God has prepared God works in advanced for me to do even here, in Seward, Nebraska to show the love of Jesus to others around me. And that's where I'll start.

A Not-So-Springy Break

Spring break should be a time for fun in the sun and flip-flops. Mine did not include either. However, I did have a lot of fun indoors.  My travels brought me to the chilly, wintry land of Minnesota, where there were negative degree windchill temperatures for many of the days I was there.  

Although my break was not the glorious vacation many spring breakers got on the beaches of Florida, it was a blast! I got to spend some time with my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins.  Even though I didn't get to see my immediate family, I did enjoy some down time from classes.  I went to coffee shops, baby sat my cousins, shadowed a teacher for my Ed 101 class, went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (which is closed on Mondays, just so you know), and spent time at my Cousin's house in St. Paul.  

Overall it was a great break to spend more time with my wonderful family I am so blessed to have!

As Africa Ails

Africa brings to my mind a variety of mental pictures.  Some are of lions and giraffes and safaris, but most are of poor people in small villages.  Although my thoughts are probably a bit skewed from the truth by suppositional stereotypes, there is a lot of validity in this as well.  Almost all news headlines about Africa in recent years have accounted the extreme poverty of the people and their inauspicious governments. 

America has continued to grow to become the greatest nation in the world, since its more recent birth in 1776, while the ancient civilizations of Africa have struggled just to maintain existence in the past several decades.  According to an article published by the Cato Institute on foreign aid to Africa, both the United States and Great Britain have pumped billions of dollars into the UN and Africa to try to ameliorate the problems which plague the continent.  Instead this money has barely even palliated the struggles of the African nations. 

It is hardly surprising that countries like Ghana and Uganda have escaped development and continue to endure the same arduous, economic problems when their budgets are more than 50% aid dependent.  What kind of motivation do these people have for developing their countries when rich nations seek pity on them year after year?  What the United States is doing in Africa can be compared to merely covering up a festering wound with a band-aid.  There is not progress. 

My heart breaks for the African people who just can't seem to catch a break.  I pray that their countries will grow and develop local infrastructure, industry, and trade.  However, there is no way that this will happen while they can easily use the USA as a crutch to escape the inevitability that they must overcome their struggles.  

I love the fact that there are organizations, both humanitarian and religious, which are working in Africa to help the poor, the refugees, and the sick.  I think that this aid is not only a boon for the people, but also a necessary part in the development of their social programs.  Governmental involvement in this kind of aid is where we should draw the line.  There is not much incentive to develop when richer countries are just sending ample amounts of funds into the countries.  Local industry is hurt and therefore economy suffers.  Instead governments, if they want to help, should offer aid to the industry of these countries and foster trade as well. 

A HUGE problem remains which I have not addressed thus yet.  Many of the governments in Africa currently are very corrupt and erroneous in nature.  My true feelings are that nothing good can  truly happen in this continent until these kinds of villainous charlatans are taken out of office and leaders for free trade markets, individual liberties and justice are instated. 

That is when Africa will truly be a wonderful place again, God willing.