My Two Blankets

My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood is a very powerful book about a child having to build a new sense of self in a new country. The two blankets refer to the two aspects of herself.

We drew our own blankets and also wrote about our experiences of change.

I am a Chinese girl but, when I was six years old, I went to New Zealand. I was afraid and timid when I went to school. I thought English was difficult and boring.
Also, in New Zealand I changed my name. I was called Gao Ruo Wei in China, but in New Zealand I was called Regina. I was like Cartwheel in that I didn’t feel I was me.
I felt like I had two identities. The new world was boring, but slowly, slowly I adapted to New Zealand. But I am me. I can’t change! – Regina

Viktor’s blanket

I drew TKP because that’s my kete. I drew a motor bike because I want to learn. I drew my mum’s shoes because I like her. I drew a cross because I like to play naughts and crosses. I drew a plane because I like planes.

Alex’s blanket

I drew my blanket because it will make me feel safe and warm and a kind person. It felt very hard to make it yesterday. I drew ice-cream because I like ice-cream. I even drew Mrs Flaus!!! Because I like her. It feels great to have her asa literacy teacher. She always improves my work and checks it.

Tanu’s blanket

I am a careful person and I like a game for playing and need money, and need to do hard work for getting 100%. And I love my family and am a kind person.

 

 

Learning a new language

One of our homework topics was:

I’m not good at learning a new language. Sometimes I get embarrassed trying to say things. How do you feel learning a new language? What makes it easy to learn? What makes it hard?

Here are some of the responses.

I feel it is hard and difficult to learn a new language. When we go to that country it is easier. But staying in our country, it is hard to learn. – Regina

I felt happy about learning a language, and because of that, working very hard can make you good at our language. That’s the easy part. And it’s hard to learn something different about another language, like Chinese does not have past tense, but English does. – Alicia

Because we feel shy or nervous and they are better at speaking it. It’s easy because we practice every day. It feels like new things to do. And I listen to my friends and say it. I’m watching English so I know some knew words. And I’m feeling really confused. – Tanu

The easy way is some people telling how to say the language, but the hard way is to be learning alone. I feel happy because I am learning a new language. – Richard