Assignment: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

1. Suburb in Taiwan feels more like a dormitory since they look all the same and all at least from outside, and normally there wouldn’t be any big space for garden or backyard whatnot, in America it seems, more domesticated and depressing, for me at least. Depressing because it just feels like this is where old people would be kind of like bed ridin, nonsense right?

2. Ferris had his last freedom as a high school student with his girlfriend Jeanie, who also enjoyed her day and got “proposed” I suppose. Cameron, who thinks that he is very sick all the time got dragged outside and had a final experience as high school student, too. While Cameron had all that, he also will be facing his father ,who does not give much attention to Cameron, for destroying his father’s beloved car collection.

3. Good question, tough question, and I decided to keep the comment to myself. Ferris is a playboy, crazy fool who does ignorant stuff to have fun and get out of trouble, cool but what a butt. Actually, I changed my mind just now, I’d say I’m more like Cameron since I am kind of wary of all that trouble stuff, at least now I do, or do I? I wouldn’t say I am that much of a sissy as Cameron is, actually I’m not a sissy am I?

I will take John and Smith with me to ditch the school and do whatever, I don’t go around Taiwanese street very much so I’d leave it to them what we should, but actually since we got 2000NT, I don’t think there are much to do instead of eating off the street, no street vendor. If we had cars or scooter it’d be neat, but since we’ve got no power like that, might as well just stay in an air conditioned room and do what kids do these days, video game. Yes, we will buy cans and cans of iced sweet tea and anything off the street and just sit around do nothing. That is what I can think of which is “realistic”, I don’t have a girlfriend or anything, nowhere to go either. I think that is the most perfect realistic plan ever.

Well as a teenager, everyone must have skipped class before. However, what I think is different is what about the American subculture compared to my culture today is that they actually have a lot of fun skipping class while most of the Asians play online games. There’s just so much technology advancement now that kids just don’t necessary want to go out. Also, Ferris seems very close with his parents (Although he’s faking his sickness). There is a great culture difference between what Ferris has with his parents compared to the Taiwanese’s. Taiwanese parents don’t normally talk about or directly show their love for their children. It seems to be hard for Taiwanese families to say “I love you” to each other. A big contrast in culture difference is the “American principle” compared with the “Asian principle.” While principles do care if their students are in school or not, they do not try to hunt down the students. I guess there is generally more trust between Asian teachers and students.
Ferris learned to take responsibility when he offered to take the blame for Cameron; Cameron learned to enjoy life while gaining the courage to solve the problem between him and his father; Jeanie learned to not just think about herself but to consider others.
I would definitely say that I’m more like Ferris. For one, I love to have fun and am very outgoing and second, I want to live my life to the fullest. I believe, like Ferris, that life is too short to let it just go by. If one lives one’s life always cautiously and avoiding problems, how can one enjoy life at all? All there will be left is regret for the things that one didn’t do. Also, I think I’m a pretty straightforward person, so I always like to get my problems solve. Unlike Cameron, I tend to solve all my problems as quick as possible without letting them build up.

If I was going to skip school for a day, I would, oddly enough, go for a bike ride and have a picnic with a group of friends. We would bike ride in Ba-li and enjoy the Summer breeze. When we finally get tired after a few hours of biking, we can pick a spot near the lake and then set up our picnic! Everyone would bring some food and we would all sit on the grass to eat and chat. We can also have some games to pass by time. My friends and I are also free to laugh as loud as we want and just simply hang out. And the best part about it is that it’s cheap. I think it would be nice to do something other than shopping or watching movies for a change.

1.) You have seen some activities or events that reflect the American culture in this movie. How is American suburban culture of the 1980's both similar and different to your cultural experiences in 2011 here in Taiwan. Pick three aspects from this list to focus on: family relationships, peer relationships, the school setting, community values, types entertainment and/or personal freedom and consequences.

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American suburban culture of 1980 is different to my culture in 2011 in Taiwan by skipping classes. Normally, it would hard for the students to skip school with security guards standing at the gates in Taiwan schools. In American 1980s, the campus was open for everyone to come in and there was no security gates. However for Taiwan, with security cameras set around the campus with high barbed wired walls, students were like prisoners, unable to get out.

American families were closer than Modern Taiwanese parents and emphasize the time of having “family time”. However in Taiwan , due to overwhelm jobs to fund their children for better future, Taiwanese parents pay close attention to children and send them to after school classes to study and buy a lot of review books for them to write. Thus teenagers like Ferris were much free than Taiwanese students who doesn’t have time to go out and play as if they wanted to.

2.) How did Ferris, Cameron and Jeanie all "come of age" or experience personal growth in this movie?

Cameron learnt to go against his father without worrying on getting punishment.


3.) Are you more like Ferris or Cameron? Explain.



Your Day Off" Short Essay
If you were going to skip school with two of your best friends who would you skip school with? What would you do? Where would you go? What would be your perfect day? Keep it real kids... Ferris and his friends did not spend a ton of money, the film's story felt possible (you have budget of $2,000 NT). (Respond in 5-8 sentences)

If I were to skip school with two of my best friends, I would skip school with Amy and Vincent. As usual, we would take the bus next to our school to the center of the city, where the train station and shopping areas are located at. Then, we would spend couple of money to watch newest movie at cheap cinema(not the one in Mega ) which might spend about 300 NTD(minimum). Then we would go to some good restaurant around the shopping areas.

1: There were honestly not that many differences between the teenagers back in the 80s compare to teenagers today, atleast I don’t think there is much of a difference. Back in the 80s, they were more limited on resources, by that I mean, they don’t have the technology we have today, such as sophisticated computers and an easy to use internet. Therefore, they were more limited towards having things to play with. Today, kids normally stay home and play with their computers all day long rather than going out. Most kids back then would spend time on sports teams and out socializing with their friends rather than staying home all day. I think the rest are all the same, family, friends, everything is about the same.
2: Every character in this film eventually had their own little lesson throughout this movie. Ferris started out being a sly playful guy who doesn’t give a damn about school, he started out being a bit irresponsible, a very carefree person who eventually become a responsible person. When the Ferrari fell out of the garage, he wanted to take blame for it, when Cameron almost drowned, he saved his life. Cameron on the other hand, was this uptight careful person who is scared of his dad more than anything. Towards the end of the film, he decided to overcome his fear and stand up to his father. Jeanie hated her brother at the start of the film, she hated how everyone had to attend school while he gets to cut class. She hated how everyone loved her brother and thought he was dying when he was perfectly fine. She eventually realized that they are all family, and when Mr.Roony almost caught Ferris, she stuck out her arm and helped him escape the principle.
3: I would think I am more of a Cameron. I am just like him, how he is so uptight with everything, the Ferrari, and everything he does, he doesn’t want to screw up and get in trouble. I would think I am a little bit of Ferris and Cameron mixed, I sometimes would not think and just wait until I receive some consequences, but I would sometimes think really hard before doing something. So I am a little bit of both.
Essay:
Honestly, if I could have a day off, I would go berserk. If the weather was just as nice as the day in the movie, I would sneak out with my mom’s moped, and just ride around Hsinchu with my friends. With the 2000nt I have, I would mostly spend it on food and drinks. I mean there is really not a lot to do around here, or I would even go buy some things with the money. I wouldn’t go crazy like Ferris did, I would just spend it relaxed, not rushing anything, just relaxed.

1) Family relationships between the States and Taiwan are a little bit different. Parents in the States provide more freedom to their kids, who basically are allowed to do anything besides illegal things. On the contrary, in Taiwan, most of the parents keep an eye on their children’s homework regularly. American kids also hold a more relax attitude toward school works, comparing to the Chinese. The scene of students skipping schools rarely happens in Taiwan. I think the American teenagers are given too much freedom, which they are unable to handle. For example, the teenage pregnancy rate just keeps on growing. This shows that they are not mature enough to take care of themselves.
2) At the beginning of the movie, Ferris is a cool kid who does not really care about everyone else. All he can think off is to have fun. Towards the end of the film, Ferris starts to turn into a more thoughtful person. Seeing Cameron worried so much about the car, Ferris is willing to take on the blame. For Cameron, he learns to stand behind his idea and not to cower anymore. For Jeanie, she turns from a girl who is jealous of her brother all the time into a confident individual.
3) I am definitely more like Ferris. I am an extremely outgoing guy. I could never stay in the house for an entire weekend without going crazy. Like Ferris, I love to hangout with friends, which includes girls of course.
4) I will hangout with my bros, Gordon Trill and Joseph Hong. I will use the money to buy ourselves three movie tickets and some snacks. However, we will not just leave the cinema after two hours. Instead, we will stay there for an entire day; we will go from movies to movies. I believe this will be a perfect day, since we all are movie addicts.

Back then, family are closer to each other than we are now in modern Taiwan. Nowadays, due to the change of many things, we are not that close like Ferris and his parents. They kiss and say I love you. We don't do that now. As for the source of entertainment, they didn't do much even though they skip school. Today, people usually go to a movie or do something that costs money when they skip school in Taiwan, for example going to the pub to drink or something like that, hangging out with girls. Now, principle don't act that way like the principle in the movie.
2. I think only Cameron grow because he change from a coward to someone who dare to stand out for himself. He wants to take control over his own life rather than letting his dad make him do things. IN the end of the movie, he is actually happy for what they've done including ruining that expensive car of his dad.
3. I am more like Cameron because like him, my life is basically controlled by my mother and I do not dare to fight for myself but I did fight for my life a few months ago, just like what Cameron did in the end.
4. I'll of course skip school with some of my friends or maybe with another person. I'll probably want to go to Taipei. With 2000 NT, we can go to a movie and eat some great stuff at 101 or around there. We can have some afternoon tea and shop around but can't buy things because there's only 2000NT. I would want to go to the beach for awhile because I don't usually have time to do that. We could go get some drink too since we;re all over 18 and it'll be so fun to drink and see people get drunk in the morning or afternoon although it'll be embarrasing but still, it'll be cool and memorable.

1, In the movie Ferris Bueller, we have seen distinctive American suburban culture of the 1980s compared with our own culture here in 2011, and in Taiwan. It’s not just the country that affects the different culture values but also the time period. We now live in 2011, the present day, and many things have changed and developed. For example, the family relationships in the film is not much different from what we have now. We can also see parents taking care of their children when they’re sick and how they really love their children. This is almost the same in Taiwan. Furthermore, people live in nuclear family rather than an extended one, just like Ferris Buerller’s family. As for the peer relationships, I don’t think it’s much different either because no matter where you’re at or what time period you’re in, there’s always this guy who breaks rules like Ferris Bueller. Although in most Taiwanese schools, they don’t allow girlfriends/boyfriends but there’s always exceptions. People have ways. Also, because I’ve never been into a Taiwanese local school since primary school, I can’t say much either. As for personal freedom, I think American kids definitely have more freedom because Taiwanese parents are overprotective.

2. Ferris first started out to be this total jerk, who simply lies in order to get out of school. He’s egotistic. His friend Cameron sounds like someone who gets bullied by Ferris because he tells Cameron what to do. But by the end of the film, I think Ferris has grown more mature. But of course he’s still that guy who gets out of trouble by tricks. Cameron, on the other hand, started out to be very cowardly because whatever Ferris says he follows and does it. But by the end of the film, he decides to confront to his father about the car that he somehow accidentally “kicked off”. At last, Jeanie is a girl who started out to be so jealous of his brother that she would try anything to get his brother busted. But then, when it comes to the “Family thing”, she still protects Ferris from the principal.

3. I don’t think I’m like either Ferris or Cameron because I’m not exactly cowardly or outgoing. I’m just in between.

If I really had a chance to skip school, I won’t really say who I want to skip school with but just my friends, I would probably go to Taichung since it’s so near Hsinchu. I love the night markets in Taichung, the food is great. I would probably go KTV or shop, and then just wait until the night market is opened. I really don’t know what else I can do because there’s not even a Disneyland in Taiwan. I probably could take the money, go to a dance studio, and pay for one class. I’m sorry my day will be boring because there’s not much I want to do. Chilling is good enough.

1.) In Taiwan, or at least from the perspective of which I view Taiwan’s culture, family is held in high esteem and to the greatest degree of respect, but explicit displays of emotional affection are rare. This is in contrast to the American culture portrayed in the film, where physical displays of affection between family members are common. The school setting also differs in Taiwan compared to American suburban culture of the 1980s. It may be just as boring, but students in Taiwan tend to view school much more seriously and with a more studious mindset (compared to the film, where kids are seen lounging around the campus and sleeping in class). In addition, close peer relationships carry a more serious tone in Taiwan, compared to American culture where friends have a seemingly casual disregard for another despite their closeness.

2.) Cameron’s experience of personal growth is probably the most obvious. In the past he had relied on the support of Cameron due to his father’s bad parenting, and by the end of the movie he learns to be independence and to stand up for his beliefs. Jeanie learns not to care so much about Ferris and to care more about herself, allowing her to open to mind towards her brother’s actions and ultimately saving his neck at the end of the film. Ferris (who was originally anxious because of the closing school year, and hence wanted to seize one last opportunity to spend time with Cameron and his girlfriend) gains a new perspective of his friends and his sister and continues to live life in the moment.

3.) I think I am more like Cameron – insignificant with the ladies (or unwilling to even try and make a move), an unconfident decision-maker, and anxious about the future – compared to the extroverted, sly and smooth Ferris. I am different from Cameron, though, since I don’t possess any of the family problems he is plagued with, nor am I as wildly pessimistic or unconfident. I also have a constant in life which I can put my faith in (my religious views), something Cameron seems to lack. Furthermore, I agree with Ferris Bueller’s more idealistic philosophies of life (primarily enjoying life by living in the moment) and would say that I sometimes possess a casual disregard for authority as well.

"your Day Off" Short Essay

If I were to skip school I would probably spend it with a couple of buddies from Morrison and Taipei American School, whose names you will not recognize even if I typed them up. A day off would be spent in Taipei (where else could we possibly go and have fun?), but it probably wouldn’t have as much excitement as Ferris’s day off had (unless we got very lucky). Watching a movie in Miramar or another shopping center, lounging around the technology department of the mall, browsing through shops and bookstores in Gongguan, eating in a relatively high-end restaurant, competing in computer games in a coffee shop (like we used to do in Mr. Brown last year on Fridays) and playing ball in TaiDa is enough for me to call it a day. It may not seem like much and may seem rather superficial compared to Ferris’s day off, but it works well and fits the style of my buds and I. It also has a significantly lower budget, and that is crucial.

1.)You have seen some activities or events that reflect the American culture in this movie. How is American suburban culture of the 1980's both similar and different to your cultural experiences in 2011 here in Taiwan. Pick three aspects from this list to focus on: family relationships, peer relationships, the school setting, community values, types entertainment and/or personal freedom and consequences.

In this movie, we can see the different values between Taiwanese culture and American culture. First, I think there is no principal will keep in track with one of the students so strictly and concernedly in Taiwan. Education in Taiwan anticipates students to take care of themselves. Also, if there is any student who has the same situation like Bueller, the principal will just kick the student out. He will not waste his time to search, but just make a notification to the student that he is out of the school. Also, I think in the movie, Bueller has a good relationship with his parents, even though he makes up his naïve attitude with his parents. This is the part that I think Taiwanese will treasure, because his parents trust Bueller. However, I do not appreciate that his parents ignore his sister. This is the same error that some Taiwanese parents might have. They might only appreciate the children who have the better score than the others. I think all parents should always try to listen and communicate with their children. Last, the peer relationship in the movie is similar with nowadays-Taiwanese culture. Now teenagers are allowed to have open relationship and make any kinds of friends.

2.) How did Ferris, Cameron and Jeanie all "come of age" or experience personal growth in this movie?
In the movie, Cameron has the most change. At first, he presents with Somatoform disorder. He thinks that he is sick and going to die at any time. However, his illness was actually due to the bad relationship that he has with his father. His father never cares about his family but his cars. First, his life is colorless and meaningless. There is one part that he stands in front of Seurat’s painting. He feels moved by the image of a child holding hand with her mother. He misses the love from his family. Yet, over this day off that Ferris brings to him. Cameron builds up his passion to life. He builds up his courage and eager to talk with his father. He wants to face the thing he wants. I like the last part that the camera zooms into Cameron’s face. At that point, with his courage, Cameron no longer had a faceless emotion but shine on his face.
For Jeanie, she also faces a change. At first, she was unhappy about the unfair treatment between Ferris and her. She feels jealous that Ferris always gets the things he wants. She wants to ruin Ferris’s fame and reputation at the beginning. However, as she is trying to find the way to reveal Ferris’s wickedness, she might her love at the police office. She finds her confidence back. I think the only thing Jeanie wants is love. A surprise at the end is that Jeanie helps Ferris when the principal catches him. She seems to let go the envy to her brother.
For Ferris, I think he does not change a lot, yet he preserve his distinctiveness. Moreover, I see his attraction and uniqueness through out the movie. Ferris is the central character of the movie. At first, I thought he is just a troublemaker who wastes all of his school time. Then I slowly see that he actually helps Cameron to find his passion back. He is actually trying to create the best memories for his friends, and of course himself. He is not trying to cause any trouble, but enjoy this day off. Overall, I think Ferris is very attractive!


3.)Are you more like Ferris or Cameron? Explain.

I think I am more like Ferris. I do not conceal my emotions from my parents. I communicate with my parents anytime. Also, although I do not have the courage to run away from school, I think I do create joy among my friends. I like to make all of my friends happy and let them to know how to seize the day. I enjoy sinking into my peers’ smiles. Like Ferris, I always hope my friends can talk with their parents and can have the same cheerfulness as mine.

"Your Day Off" Short Essay
If you were going to skip school with two of your best friends who would you skip school with? What would you do? Where would you go? What would be your perfect day? Keep it real kids... Ferris and his friends did not spend a ton of money, the film's story felt possible (you have budget of $2,000 NT). (Respond in 5-8 sentences)
If I were going to skip school with two of my friends, I would skip with Vicki Chen and Kristine Huang (she is not in PAS.) We would not be as crazy as Ferris, yet I believe we would run around Taipei city. First, we would have a wonderful western style breakfast at Q’square, which is at the Taipei Main Station. Then we would go shopping around Taipei Main Station, then to the City Hall. We might watch movie fro the afternoon. There would be no worries for this day. We would not talk about any schoolwork. Then, at night, we would go to Shi-lin night market to eat anything we want! Although this day off would not be like Ferris who even joined a festival or run into a restaurant with other person’s name, I think we would have a lot of fun, because we do not need to go to school!

1) Compare with Taiwan, I think that in the type of family relationship, Americans have more freedom than the Taiwanese. For example, in Taiwan, the values and the morals are very important in the family; however, the Americans tend to make their childrens what they want and have less restrict on family relationship. Compare the school setting between American 1980's culture and Taiwanese culture, the schools are both boring for the students; the teachers are both boring; however, I think that the Taiwanese students would not try to skip the class which the American students would do it. Peer relationship, in the movie, it seems like the students would help each other to skip the class, on the other hand, the Taiwanese student would not do such thing. They are more selfish.
2) Ferris: He did not really change his personality from the beginning to the end. He just kept acting like a good kid in front of his parents, and act totally different at the school.
Cameron: At first, I think he was very unconfident. He changed a lot in the movie. He was willing to talk and to face his father.
Jeanie: Althoguh she hated her brother when her brother skip the class but she could not, she still decided to help her brother rather than a boring teacher. I think that was what she had changed.
3)I think I am more like Carmeron because I am totally different from Ferris. Sometimes, I might be scared because of my mom and decided not to talk to her the reason.
4) If I can have one day to skip the class, I would go out with two of my best friends, Vicki and Bella. We might not stay in Hsinchu because they think that Hsinchu is very boring. I think we might go to Taipei and they will bring to many fun places so I just need to follow them. We might go to the KTV in Taipei because Vicki really want to sing recently. And we might go to a good restaurant, which is not expensive, because it is the place that we can chat and have fun. I believe that will be a great day!