Graduation speech

Fellow students and teachers, men and women,

I thank you for being present to this important moment for my scolastic career. Being a student in this wonderful school was a honour for me. I thank the teachers that have aided me in these three years, and I hope they continue to help my fellow Earthlings of the future generations.

Cari studenti e professori, signori e signore,

Vi ringrazio per la vostra presenza in questo importante momento per la mia carriera scolastica. Essere uno studente in questa scuola meravigliosa è stato un onore. Ringrazio gli insegnanti che mi hanno aiutato in questi tre anni, e spero che continuino ad aiutare i ragazzi terrestri nelle generazioni future.

Seeking courage

Where is courage? Courage is in the knight in the shining armour, which in the books kills the paper dragons and saves the princess; courage is in the hero, who flies through the cities destroying the ugly monsters and beasts.

Many people are unaware of the courage that lies in everyone's heart, which is waiting for the right moment, to come out and help. Courage is needed for the task of coming to school every day, to take the abnormally disgusting medicine, to admit you broke the precious vase of pre- roman times. Adults show their courage when they take a decision, will we move to San Marino? Should I invest all my money in this ring? Courage is part of us, and killing a dragon is not more courageous than helping a friend, it is only different. There are several types of courage: the one you read in books, the one you see in television, and the decisions parents have to take for their children.

The most famous courageous character is the knight in the shining armour. He is the character of many children stories. He shows his courage by charging out of the security of his castle, and entering the ruthless and dangerous world. He travels for miles and miles, until he reaches the enemy castle/ dragon cave. There he has to destroy a wizard/ black knight/ dragon. He does not have other human beings to aid him. He only has a lance, a horse and a sword. Another fact that shows his courage is that he risks his life to free people of dangers. He does not do it for personal reasons, but to help the world.

The second type of courageous character is the super-hero of the television. He is much like the knight, but he is armed with special powers. He has these powers, not because he was trained all his life like the knight, but because he was born with them. He "has" to use his powers to help others, because nobody else can do it. This type of courage is different from the previous one because he did not decide if he wanted to sacrifice his life to the benefit of others, he was forced to; and if he accepts the task he shows an even greater courage.

The third type of courage is the one shown by the mothers and fathers towards their children. The adults have to frequently take important and difficult decisions on our future; and deciding, knowing it could affect our future, is a difficult task. You need a great amount of courage to put in danger the ones you love. This is what parents do, they build your life, and to help them with this difficult task they do not have a long training, and they do not have super-powers; they have only an ability which they call instinct.

Knights, super-heroes and parents: all people with a great internal courage. They have different weapons to help them: training, super-powers, or instinct. These weapons are not enough to succeed in the difficult tasks, so they use their courage and fight anyways, knowing that if you try hard you will win.

The poom-poom

What do you think the poom-poom is? An Adrianian word, or the most deadly weapon created on our ancient planet. Wrong! It is neither. HAHAHAHA! The poom-poom, our way of calling the tank, was one of the twenty-five inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. if you are searching for it, do not search for a colossal monument, you can find it in two ways: find the original plans of Leonardo, or enter one of the many military tanks and admire the modern copies of the Italian genius. This tank looks like a small building on four wheels. It can turn in any direction and if you admire its full circumference, you will find cannons emerging from every side, which is really one, because it is a circle. There were no engines, in fact the wheels moved in the same way the bicycle works. People turned giant cranks which produced motion. Leonardo developed this new war machine between the years of 1485-1490 when he also created the majority of his inventions. We think Leonardo's tank is a work of art because it shows the technological and engineering abilities of the modern, found five hundred years ago. It is incredible that in so ancient times a single person was already creating machines that would not be used in his own times, but they would be used centuries after, in the FUTURE.

There are two famous aspects of the poom-poom. Nobody, in Leonardo's times, had thought that arms could move feet (wheels). How is it possible that turning a simple crank, you can move wheels, which are distant from the crank itself. This concept had only been used in the draw bridges, but in this case a rope was pulled, but where was the rope in the tank? In fact, there were no ropes! There was a system of cogs (like in clocks) that people put to motion by moving the cranks. The platform did not contain, like in normal siege weapons, a single cannon, there were many, and they were placed all around the tank. This concept was new, and it meant that the tank could shoot in every direction, and also move while shooting. These are the aspects of Leonardo's tank we liked best. This famous Art work has no famous aspects because; and do not tell Leonardo da Vinci, he might get angry; the tank is not very famous itself. You can discover it only by studying Leonardo da Vinci, and many people know nothing but his name. The majority of the world thinks it was Britain who invented tanks. Puah, only jealous!

This invention was first made as a sketch about six thousand years ago, which makes it extraordinary. The weapon shown in the sketch contained technology which had never been seen before. This person, known by the name of Leonardo Da Vinci, planned many other inventions. The tank is one of the most famous because his sketches were later used in the building of future tanks. It also has a funny shape, which surely makes it an art work. It looks like a heavy armed UFO! The tank was also never built, and the drawing is the only thing which exist, and everybody knows that drawings are works of art; wink, wink, wink. People on Earth may not call it a work of art because it is more an invention, but from our point of view it is an art work, and will be seen as such forever.

Other two creations that we consider a work of art are: Leonardo's helicopter, and Leonardo's parachute. Leonardo's helicopter is so strange and unique, that it can be considered a work of art. Leonardo's helicopter could never work, it would never even lift from ground. It is not an invention, it is an abstract painting. Also the parachute is very strange. The victim was attached to a cloth pyramid without the base. The pyramid had also a hole in the middle for aerodynamics. The poor creature who had dared having faith in Leonardo probably would fall like a rock, creating the perfect work of art.

Works of art are an opinion, and our opinion is strange. We think that Leonardo's tank is not only the best work of art in the whole universe, but we also think that Leonardo is the only genius who can build war machines which kill the people who use them and not the enemies. Leonardo's tank had a lot of aspects which may not have worked, but these aspects were copied by the scientists who planned the modern tanks. The tank is a drawing which we will always remember as UMO, an unknown moving object.

by: Adriano Zanini Astaldi and Vladimir Gorovicov

future, can you see it in the distance?

I think that my personal safety is important for my future. If I decease or I am ill in an important moment, I may fail to get a work. I was ill both the last day of sixth and seventh grade. I am lucky to have a twin that brought my awards home, but I couldn't receive them personally. This year I hope to arrive to the last day of the year unharmed. This year I could not, only not receive awards, but also loose the graduation. There are three reasons to regard your safety and your health. You may be sick during an important event regarding your work, you might get seriously injured and have to loose whole months of working, and you might become drunk, and loose your reputation.

It is important to be healthy. You can't go to a meeting with the flu. The meeting might be your only possibility to get a promotion, and you loose it because of microscopic creatures called virus. You may have a job interview, and you have the chance to get an important job that everybody wants. Then you get sick because you have played snow balls with your friends, you can't go to the interview and you loose the job without even trying. This is not fair, but who decided to play in the snow?

To protect my future I also have to regard my health against serious injuries. These injuries cause you to loose school, or work, which causes a void in education. If, instead, you are already working, your absence causes difficulties, and if you are already working, they may fire you or diminish your salary. Health is important for physical works. If you fall from the Eiffel Tower, and you survive, which is not very probable, you will be seriously hurt. Probably you will not be able to work again, you will loose your job, and your family will starve.

The third type of health problem is the self inflicted one. If you start drinking, and I don't mean water, smoking, or using other rubbish, your carrier will fail. Your reputation is important, it brings respect, advances, and money. If you have the reputation of getting drunk every day, then it is highly probable to get fired, or to not get a promotion. If you were the president of a company, would you promote a diligent, and intelligent man, or a drunk zombie with a cigarette in his mouth? Obviously you would choose the first man. You would also kick the other man out of the company, and hire a better worker.

Health is important for your future. You have to get sick less than possible, if not you could loose important events as the graduation or job interviews. You should also try to not get seriously ill, you might loose your job, the ability to work, or loose an important part of your education. You should also not get drunk, smoke, or ruin your life with other rubbish. This will ruin your reputation and as an effect, you may loose your job.

The Funeral

The knife cut through the soft flesh. Jack fell on the deck with a muffled cry. While the blood splurted out of his mouth he thought of the life which was going to end. He closed his eyes and all went black.

Mario looked down at the lifeless body of Jack. He said" This is the best Scuba Pirate of all the world." Then he spat on him. He raised the body above his head, and he threw it on the enemy deck. Then he called the retreat, and they set sail. Mario was very happy with what he had achieved. He had killed a dangerous enemy, and he had captured Gud. Then he remembered. Gud had escaped, Jack had helped him escape. During the battle with Jack he hadn't noticed his disappearance. He knew that he would never catch him again. The emperor Adriano doesn't like failures. Nobody survives to a failure, not even his brother.

Captains Vlad Gory and Gud looked at the body of Jack with a horrified face. Gud spoke first. " I I I was nnot expecting him to loose." Then he started crying. Vlad tried to comfort him, but then Karl arrived panting on the scene. He saw Jack, and his face turned red. Then he screamed, " Mario and Adriano! I do not know how, but I swear I will kill you, or die trying!" Gud stopped crying, he raised his head, and he said," I was not expecting my only son to die, I will help you have vengeance. I think that Mario will be executed for failing to capture me, but our anger will turn to his brother." Gud and Karl ordered Vlad to set sail, and they began their voyage to the capital of the enormous Zaninian Empire, the mastodontic metropolis of Trieste.

Mario's boat arrived in Trieste one week later. Mario had thought for all the voyage of his imminent death, and he had reached the conclusion that he was old enough to die, he had already reached the venerable age of sixty years. He walked slowly to the castle on top of one of Trieste's hills. The castle was close to one of Trieste's military camps, called Opicina. There the troops, lead by commander Frank de Gianelle, were constantly training for a possible attack.

Mario entered the castle with no fear, he walked to the great hall, where Emperor Adriano and his wife sat in the gigantic thrones. Adriano's wife had a strange name, she had been called Adriano's wife, maybe the father had guessed what she would become. Once Mario reached the doors that opened into the Throne Room, he hesitated, for a moment he stood in front of the doors, then he pushed them open, and walked until the Emperor. He bowed, and waited for further instructions. Adriano observed him with an angry look, and than he said," Dear brother, you have deluded me, Now I can not have faith in you. My spies have reported the story, I am happy of the killing of The new Scuba Pirate, but Gud has escaped." Mario trembled, and then answered," I ask forgiveness, your majesty. The Scuba Pirate was strong, and during the battle, I could not control the prisoner." Adriano meditated for a while and then said, "I have no pity for the defeated, you will be executed tonight!" Mario turned white and almost fainted, but Adriano laughed and said, " fool! Do you think I would kill my brother, you will be "officially" executed, so nobody will expect you are alive. I predict Gud and his student will be here tomorrow. They will attack in great number, while the pirates attack the guards, Gud and the captain will come here and try to ...

..kill the emperor. Remember Karl, he is subtle and intelligent, and he will certainly have a plan. He never keeps guards in the great hall, because he says that inferior minds disturb him. He can't fight, and I doubt his wife can fight either." Karl thought of what Gud had said, killing the Emperor was going to be easy with an intelligent mind like Gud's.

The next morning Karl's ship docked in Trieste. They were disguised as merchants, with the fifty pirates hidden in two caravans. They slowly marched towards the palace, " all is going well", Karl thought. He didn't know he was completely wrong. In front of the palace they found twenty-five guards waiting for them. The pirates quickly jumped out the caravans, and started fighting. The pirates were more, so they started pushing the guards away from the entrance. Gud grabbed Karl and said," the door is free, we need to leave your crew behind, but I am sure it will win the battle." Karl and Gud entered the castle and they started running towards the great hall.

A moment after the two captains had left, the guards took of their disguises. They were twenty-five Scuba Pirates. In a few seconds the Scuba pirates turned into killing machines, and little was left of Karl's crew.

A satisfied smile spread on Adriano's face when he heard the horn announce the victory over the pirates. In a few minutes the two pathetic captains would enter in the Hall. He waited patiently until he heard the footsteps. With the help of his wife, he raised from the throne, the missing leg was a great problem he had. Then with a scream Gud and Karl entered the room. Adriano tried to make a terrified face, but the he started laughing. Furious Karl charged, followed by Gud. Silently Mario walked out of his hiding place, he took out his two guns, and shot the two captains dead. The last thing Karl saw were the feet of the enemy who should have been dead. Adriano kicked Gud and said, " poor Gud, you were too dangerous to be kept alive, also if now you can't tell me the secrets." Gud didn't answer, and not because he did not want to.

Memory and myself

During the language arts class, which is passed in the computer lab, we took surveys on three sides of our personality. The first survey was on our moral. This showed us if we were mature, and our ideas on the relationship with what surround us is honest, and full of goodness, or evil and immature. The second survey showed us our ways of thinking. This will help when we grow up to become adults. It will help us in the drammatic and sifficult choice of the job. The third survey measured our memory. In this survey I found out that I have a horrible memory, but I have wonderful logic skills, and my luck is immense. I also found out that these two abilities can be used to remember. These surveys were interesting, amusing, and made you think about the soul that lays beneath the crust we call body. My thoughts were many, but they are not found in the introduction.

The first survey did not surprise me. It stated that my attitude towards moral issues is mature and adult. In grade 7 we had many debates, and within these discussions I found in myself the ability to analyze and defend both sides of an issue. This ability was unknown to me, but Mrs. Banar helped me develop it, until, towards the end of the year, she said I had achieved a great task, and that I was now ready to think of the world that surrounds me. These traits will help me in my future; they help you understand what people want, so you can give it to them, a useful skill in diplomacy. They may also help in the case of judging a situation without taking the wrong road, which judges have two frequently do. People have to understand what moral is, and then they have to respect it. For morality is justice.

The second survey surprised me. The survey's objective was to make you understand the way you think. In the site's opinion I was three types of thinkers. Firstly I was a linguistic thinker. This did not surprise me; I love to write, read, and analyze stories, and this was only a proof of my suspects. The survey stated that, if you are this type of thinker, you could become: a journalist, not bad, a librarian, they give too little money, a proof-reader and a translator, absolutely futile, I write, not correct works, or the poet, I like poetry, but I would never be a poet. I quickly excluded the possibility of choosing one of these carriers, I like to read and write stories, not articles, poems or translations.

The second thinker was the Interpersonal thinker. This type of thinker reflects my characteristics perfectly. I pass the majority of my time thinking. Also when I read, sometimes I notice that I had started thinking about something, and that my body was reading without the mind. I normally think of myself, of others. My mind travels in the books I read. I analyze people, create diplomatic accidents, in which I have to fight to convince people. This way of thinking can bring me to become: a politician, but he has too many responsibilities, a psychologist, and this is a work that interests me. I like to analyze the soul of people. Their way of thinking and reacting. Then I could have become: a nurse, which probably I will exclude, a counsellor, another interesting job, and the teacher. I would not like to become a teacher for the simple fact, that I would laugh all the time, creating a state of not seriousness in my class

The third type of thinker was the Intrapersonal thinker. I also pass a lot of time thinking of myself; of the good, and bad sides of me. This type of thinker proposed: the teacher and the psychologist, of which I already talked, the pilot, I can't understand why, child care workers, I would not like to run all day trying to catch babies, and the explorer. Adriano Livingstone. I do not like these carriers, and I came to the decision that the only two carriers that interest me are, the writer, and the psychologist.

The last test measured your memory. I do not have a good memory, I remember things using logic, and listening to what others say. The test went well only because of luck. I think that improving my memory is an impossible task. I can't remember to sign a test, when I had thought about it ten minutes before. I will have to accept my problem and balance it with my great intelligence.

I am sorry I wrote so much, but this topic interested me, and made me think of what I am and what I will be.

Analizing the story

q) Why is the story titled Scuba Pirates, and so are the characters, if they fight mostly above the surface?

a)The name is given not because they fight only underwater, but because they are the only people who can fight and act underwater.

q)Does Jack die?

a)I would never ruin you the surprise! If you want to know it read the next book, " The Funeral".

q)Why is the ship called the " Moaning Seal"?

a)Firstly, how should I call it if not this! Then, did you ever hear a seal moan; well, I never did, so it is a strange name for a strange plot.

q)Why does the story end in tragedy?

a)Because, everybody would expect Jack to win, and surprise, he does not.

if you have other questions, contact me personally.