Reluctant Blogging

Notice!

2010-01-17T20:27:00.004+08:00

Hopefully by now you have checked the class blog? You may have realised this blog is as dead as Michael Jackson. So if you don't mind. Please follow me at :

http://www.i-suppose-you-blog-at.blogspot.com

Thank you. Er... And if you don't, I'll bite yer cheeks off. Nah, I'll just help you pick your nose with a chopper. Hopefully i don't miss. Ha ha. Ending blog in 5.4.3.2.1.

Blog Prompt Lesson 5

2009-07-03T09:37:00.001+08:00

1. The casino being built in Singapore is supposed to be a money-maker and job creator. However, many people have spoken against it. Talk to a parent or adult and get their view on the casino. Listen to the NPR and YouTube offerings and choose one that substantiates your viewpoint and include a quote from it as well. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words and you must either support the casino or condemn its construction and ultimately the hardships it will cause in Singapore.

Casinos, what do they remind you of? Is it money, risk or even Las Vegas? What do you think about one in Singapore? For me, I am strictly against it. Why you ask? Casinos, they inspire greed. Furthermore, I was brought up in a home where I was thought at a young age that gambling is wrong. Las Vegas is the perfect example of what greed can do. A “sin city” it was called. A man, he gambles and wins, gambles again and loses everything. After that, the losing streak continues, the man desperately tries again to recuperate his losses, it was a vain effort. When he reaches home, he vents his angry on his children and hurts his wife. Then, to escape it all, he commits suicide. This of course will not always happen, but it does occur from time to time. Why risk it?

“Casinos are a great source of temptation for people who are addicted to gambling. People who are addicted to gambling are often in a helpless state, unable to think straight. Easy access to casinos will not solve their problem.” This is what my mother said when I asked her. It is true, we Singaporeans do not need the a casino to add to all the gambling addiction points on our island.

“You are going to see, gambling, take its place along side alcoholism and drug abuse, as being one of the most significant addictions of our time.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aQgpcxVtu0

Poem Analysis - The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

2009-07-01T08:59:00.001+08:00

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

This is a Quatrain. The motto was nothing special to him. Like most children, he cared not of the future. Because of the “Or something” we feel as if he felt it not important to be absolutely accurate on the subject, giving us a sense of sloppiness.

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

This is a couplet. It emphasizes a different idea. He is stating that black crows sometimes quarrel with each other when they sang the National Anthem. And the son believes that the black crows were doing it on purpose because of his childish imagination.

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

This is a tercet. It is a three line stanza. Now the son complains about the difficulty of keeping his shoes white. However, for no reason, he emphasizes on Wednesdays. This leads the reader to believe that on Wednesdays the son has certain activities that would dirty his shoes, possibly Physical Education.

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts

Yet another couplet. A two lined stanza. “About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts”. This is the first indicator that this poem is about Singapore in earlier days. This is evident in how the scouts wore short pants that showed if their thighs. Unlike nowadays where scouts wore long pants or shorts of certain length.

The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another

This one is a quatrain. The key phrase here is “chauffeurs Who wait for my schoolmates”. Notice how the son focuses on the word “My”. Meaning that there was on Malay chauffeur for him. This shows that there are to possibilities. However, both mean the same thing. 1. The son’s family was poor. 2. The schoolmates came from wealthy background.

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

A single line is a poem. This poem shows that at that time, they were not allowed to use calculators yet. And therefore seven to the power of five would be difficult to work out mentally.

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

This one is a quatrain. This verse confirms it. It was in early Singapore as Mrs. Lee, a Chinese name, would dress up in a sarong kebaya, Malay clothing, and sing Bengawan Solo. This shows that Mrs. Lee was most likely a Straits Born Chinese and Straits Born Chinese were most common in early Singapore.

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

Well, this confirms that they were in early Singapore.

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper

This is a quatrain. The son’s friend is daring and extremely mischievous. If not he was a little desperate.

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me

Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed

Well, this last part here is basically all about how unlucky the son is.

And now that I had reached the end, I can conclude that this poem is in Free Verse. Without a regular rhythm or rhyme or form. This allowed the poet to mold this poem such that it milked all the happiness and sadness and many other feelings out of the reader.

Favourite Poet

2009-06-30T09:50:00.000+08:00

I suppose we all know the story of Alice in Wonderland? However, I have a feeling most people along Orchard Road might not know who the author is. Well, the author (who is also my favourite poet) of the internationally celebrated Fairy Tale is Lewis Carroll. Actually, I did not know much about Lewis Carroll either. But after doing my research, I found out that Lewis Carroll was actually a pretty interesting guy. Well, to answer the general question, I like Lewis Carroll as he writes his poems smoothly and well, sending a spark of laughter through your body with each Hilarious Poem. Okay, therefore in this paper I will be covering his background and historical context, biographical information that provides insight into the writer and his work. And is a treat, three poems by the Lewis Carroll.

Lewis Carroll’s real name was “Charles Lutwidge Dodgson”. Lewis Carroll was his pen name and he was most famous for his writings in the genre of “Literary Nonsense”. His family was predominantly northern English, with Irish connections. Lewis Carroll at twelve was sent away to a small private school at nearby Richmond (now part of Richmond School), where he appears to have been happy and settled. But in 1846, young Dodgson moved on to Rugby School, where he was evidently less happy and then went on in January 1851 to Oxford, attending his father's old college, Christ Church. His early academic career veered between high promise and irresistible distraction. He may not always have worked hard, but he was exceptionally gifted and achievement came easily to him.

Now some interesting things to note, when Lewis Carroll was young, he suffered a fever that left him deaf in one ear. At the age of seventeen, he suffered a severe attack of whooping cough, which was probably responsible for his chronically weak chest in later life. Another defect he carried into adulthood was what he referred to as his "hesitation", a stammer he acquired in early childhood and which plagued him throughout his life. So as you can see, nobody is perfect. Although he had an impressive intelligence, he was not physically fit, with a knee injury sustained in middle age affecting him.

Now, despite his growing wealth and fame, Lewis Carroll stayed modest, his existence remained little changed. He continued to teach at Christ Church until 1881, and remained in residence there until his death. Therefore, Lewis Carroll is my favourite poet.

Beautiful Soup - a poem by Lewis Carroll
Beautiful Soup

BEAUTIFUL Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!

Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?

Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!

Jabberwocky - a poem by Lewis Carroll
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree.
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came wiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

The Walrus and the Carpenter a poem by Lewis Carroll
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Lewis Carroll
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might;
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright—
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done—
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky;
No birds were flying overhead—
There were no birds to fly.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand.
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"

"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.

"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach;
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."

The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said;
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head—
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.

But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat;
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat—
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.

Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more—
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low;
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—
And cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need;
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed—
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said,
"Do you admire the view?"

"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice.
I wish you were not quite so deaf—
I've had to ask you twice!"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"

"I weep for you," the Walrus said;
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer came there none—
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Lewis Carroll
http://www.poetry-online.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll

Lesson 1 "Figurative Language"

2009-06-29T09:10:00.000+08:00

Phenomenal woman
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

1. How are the figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?

As from the video, we all know figurative language is spread into 5 groups; Hyperbole, Personification, Metaphor, Simile and Symbolism. Unfortunately, I am only able to find two in the required time.

The Hyperbole in this case would probably be the word “Phenomenally” and “That’s me”. This is because the word “Phenomenally” and “That’s me”, like the words “Oh My!” , gives the character a sense of image an lets people fell that the main character in the poem is proud and arrogant and in that one word itself we see that she puts herself in such high esteem in herself. Therfore I believe that those are the Hyperboles in this poem. I believe the poet chose this those hyperboles as they would be the most efficient word to splash out the woman’s character.

The Metaphor of this poem is “A hive of honey bees”. The men are depicted to swarm around Phenomenal woman and therefore described as a swarm of honey bees. This is a Metaphor because a Metaphor basically means to take an human being,in this case the man, and expressing them is the form of an animal or object, in this case a hive of honey
bees. I believe the poet chose this as the Metaphor as it fits the men who are swarming around the woman, just like a hive of honey bees.

1. Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

Well, this poem just seems like a movie is being played out right before your eyes. This woman walks into a room and all eyes are on her, and she the proud woman she is, knows it, and watches as her charm gets to all the men.
Further more, the poem is catchy and easily readable. And whenever you reach the end it just has to end with “'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me.” And whenever I see that it just makes my want to laugh.
Another point is that the poem has good rhyme and everything seems to fit just perfectly in each paragraph. That’s another point on the poet’s list.
Therefore, overall, I strongly feel this poem is all rounded and funny, brought a smile to my face, hope the same for you to I guess.

Book Review

2009-06-28T23:07:00.001+08:00

27 June 2009
Book Read: The five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom

The lesson that I learn from this book is that, in life, everyone’s life is connected. In the book, Mitch Albom gave an example. When Eddie, the main character, was young, chases a baseball across the road and runs in front of an automobile, a Ford Model A. The car barely misses him. Eddie is safe and almost immediately forgets the entire incident. Then, Mitch Albom tells the story from the driver’s point of view. The auto mobile actually belongs to the friend of the driver and the driver had borrowed the automobile to practice his driving. After barely missing Eddie, the man somehow regains control. However, the man had a weak heart and that jolt of adrenaline forced his heart to pump furiously. The man gets dizzy and again almost collides with another automobile. The man veers away. His car skids and then rolls until it collided with the rear of a parked truck. The man steps out bleeding and then collapsed on the wet pavement. Medics find his and pronounced dead. Cause of death: Heart Attack. Eddie was a complete stranger to that man, yet unknowingly, it was Eddie that had killed the man. In this way, Eddie lived because the man had sacrificed himself for Eddie. Instead of running Eddie over, the man veered away from him, thus risking his weak heart. In a similar way, everyone is connected. Somebody knows somebody else and that somebody knows somebody else and the list goes on until everybody is related like one big family.

One word that describes Eddie would be realistic. Yes, Eddie is realistic. Like all of us, Eddie is not perfect. Physically, Eddie was eighty- three before he went to heaven. And he looked the part too. Eddie squeezed a cane in his right hand, his forearms were pocked in liver spots, fingernails small and yellowish and his legs had shingles. He was disgusted by hastening decay. Eddie could feel fear. Yes, Eddie was scared of war, he had nightmares of war scenes and it always haunted him at the back of his mind. I also find Eddie realistic because of how Mitch Albom described his actions. Through the book, Eddie is showed as a boy to a soldier, from a soldier to an old man. And the whole time, Mitch Albom had been able to inject the thoughts and feelings people of those ages feel and think. For example, Eddie as a boy was impatient and playful. He prided himself in his birthday. Yet as he grew older, he felt that birthdays were pointless. Another reason is Eddie’s habits. After the war, Eddie kept to himself, locking away all his feelings. He was pessimistic and cynical and regarded teenagers as rebels, feeling joyful only with children. And the last reason is that he is described in such a way that anyone can related to at least one aspect of him and that is what I believe makes Eddie the most realistic.

The climax of this book is actually in the epilogue. However, there is a sub climax at every one of the five people Eddie met in heaven. In my opinion, the suspense keeps building up. First, you wonder who the fifth person is, then you wonder what well happen to Eddie after the fifth person and what well Eddie’s heaven be like. Then you wonder if Eddie’s death was important or not. And then you wonder which person is Eddie going to be, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th? And for whom? All this questions are answered in the last 2 chapters and the epilogue. Therefore, I believe that the climax of this book is actually in the epilogue.

If I could save one character from disaster, I would save Rabozzo. During his fourth month of captivity, something happened to him. Rabozzo developed an ugly skin rash and severe diarrhea. He could not eat, at night he sweated through his filthy clothes until they were soaking wet. He soiled himself. He slept naked as there were no clean clothes to give him. The next day at the mine, he could barely stand. He was showed no pity and when he collapsed, Crazy two, the enemy, mocked him and then pulled out a pistol and rammed it into Rabozzo’s ear, and shot him in the head. In my opinion, Rabozzo did not have to die to allow the story to go on, therefore if I could save one character from disaster, I would save Rabozzo.

Philosophy Blog Prompts

2009-06-26T16:46:00.002+08:00

If you could eliminate one emotion from the world, would you? Which one? Why?

A little research reveals that all of us are capable of emotions such as love, joy, surprise, anger, sadness and fear. These emotions are termed ‘Primary Emotion’. When I consider this list of ‘Primary Emotion’, I am very tempted to eliminate ANGER from the world.

Many might ask why I want to do that. Well, anger is an emotional state that may range from minor irritation to intense rage. So far, I have not found one good thing that can happen when someone is consumed in anger or stay angry! The physical effects of anger include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of adrenaline and nor adrenaline, more commonly known as stress. Prolong anger therefore can lead to stroke. On the emotional side, prolong anger can rob us of peace, happiness, harmony in the families and in the extreme side, even our sanity. Prolong anger can also begets hatred and so far I have not heard of one single case where a person when consumed with hatred could produce something positive. Everyday, when I open the papers, I read of many, many tragedies that are the result of this emotion.

Imagine a world without anger. That would also mean we are rid of irritation, exasperation, rage, which also means we are rid of hostility, bitterness, spite, vengefulness, resentment, envy, jealousy etc. From young, I have been taught “in your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. {Ephesians 4:26-27}. Such profound wisdom and a lot of truth are revealed in this verse if you do consider it very carefully. If one simmers in anger for too long, one will gain nothing except a revengeful heart and a bucket full of hate.

An angry person upsets everyone around them, and they make serious mistakes as a result. Only too often have we heard of angry men abuse their wives, or even kill them or angry woman destroy their relationships by pushing their spouses beyond they could control and ended up being killed etc.

Ironically, it sets me thinking that if anger is eliminated from the world; wouldn’t sadness be greatly reduced as well? Somehow I am sure of that because there are no angry people to cause hurt to others and then nobody will feel sad. Then I realized that if there is no anger, there surely will have no violence for violence is often spurned off from anger.

Now, is that not killing two to three birds with one stone? You bet.

What is beauty?

To me and me only beauty is a pandora’s box. People all over the world will go to great extend to attain beauty. Hair care products, skin whitening, laser gum lift etc. are like our stable food many cannot go without. Millions of dollars are spent by people all over the world on beauty products just to make them look better or hope to look better. Some even go under the knife to get the look they desire. How apt is the saying that “beauty does not come without a price”.

However, beauty itself is a complicated thing. How often have we heard people quoting “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” for what is deemed as beauty to one can be poison to another. There again a beautiful person might not have a beautiful heart which makes that person not beautiful anymore. Or, an average person with no looks at all but possesses a beautiful heart that touches everyone around him or she will become beautiful in time to come to most people…beauty is truly a complicated thing.

With the advancement in science and technology, good looks are within one’s grab. Nobody needs to live with the looks one is born with. Plastic surgery can give you that perfect nose, botox can make wrinkles disappear leaving behind perfect skin, liposuction allows many to attain the body shape they desire etc. There are too many makeover reality shows to show us how ugly ducklings can be transformed into beautiful swans. But ironically no amount of money nor plastic surgery can create a beautiful heart that is all about the internal beauty. A beautiful heart is the link that completes beauty and makes beauty whole. A beautiful heart is where external beauty and internal beauty fuse together to make beauty complete and perfect as one is tempted to quote, “looks may attract people to you but it’s the heart that makes them stay with you”. Too often in fact have we read of how supermodel Naomi Campbell uses her external beauty and abuses people who work for her and serve her; how have we heard the sharing of a certain makeup artist while doing makeup for a famous actress was kick in the leg by her in one of her tantrums; how beautiful people display their ugly insides with no restrain etc.? Too many such cases in fact and that is really sad.

One of my favourite writers, Roald Dahl in his book “The Twits” wrote, “A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” How sad it is that most people fail to realize what Roald Dahl has found out. It is even sadder when beautiful people with stunning looks fail to realize this truth, they are in fact short changing the good looks that God has so graciously bless them with.

For me to conclude on what is beauty would be that true beauty is hidden in the heart and only with time can one find it for it is hidden in the heart.

Will having fun make you happier than studying?

Honestly, if you ask me will I feel happier while having fun than when I am studying, the answer is yes definitely. At least to me, having fun has nothing to do with study. I have yet to derive fun from my study so how would I be able to feel happier when studying than having fun?

When I consider this question in a more serious way, I realize that having fun and be happy while studying can be quite similar. You see, both having fun and studying can end up in happiness. For example, when I am playing a computer game, it is instant happiness for me. But such instant happiness will not last for often one will get bored of the game and will move on to another game that guarantees instant happiness until boredom sets in and the cycle goes on. A temporary feeling of elation while having fun and then there is no more. Therefore, one can never be truly happy while having fun.

I have yet to derive fun from my study as I have mentioned earlier. I study because my folks tell me that it is my responsibility. Even though my parents have often told me how fortunate I am to have a chance to acquire an education, I still do not have the urge to jump at this chance that I am blessed with. That is maybe because I am never deprive of this chance to an education and never having been without it makes me blind to what I am blessed with.

Studying hard can definitely make a difference in one’s life and possibly lead to happiness in the long run. For example, if I study hard and attain good results, not only will I be recognized for the efforts I put into my study but also the good results will propel me nearer to the goals I set for my life. Also, through studying, I can acquire knowledge and skills that will allow me to grow intellectually. The road of study is one that is long and filled with hardships and obstacles. Most will experience failures and heartbreaks and then learn to bounce back again to face the challenges within. The sense of achievement when one made it is exhilarating. Through it all, many will mature and learn to be ready for the real world. The happiness that can be found when you study hard and succeeded in getting what your heart desire does not come immediately as compared to the temporary feeling of happiness with computer games. But how can one acquire knowledge and skills while playing computer games?

By now, I am beginning to have second thoughts. When I initially thought that having fun is definitely happier than study, I now conclude that it might not be so. My idea of having fun at this stage of my life is to stay put in front of my computer and play games to my heart’s content but I know for sure I shall regret that foolishness someday in the future. I want to feel happiness at the end of my journey to know that when I am given the chance to acquire knowledge and skills, I did not let it slip away and I did not waste my time away. I want to be able to say that I study hard and tried my best and therefore I have no regrets.

Could there ever be a perfect world and what would it be like?

My faith has taught me that there was once a perfect world that God has created for Adam, the first man ever created. It was called the “Garden of Eden”. In the Garden of Eden, all kinds of trees grow out of ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden. It was a perfect world for Adam. There were no tears, no illnesses, no sin, and no deaths. Then man disobeyed God and sinned against God, this perfect world ended.

If man continues to sin, there will never be a perfect world. As long as man continue to kill one another, as long as the strong nations oppress the weak, as long as man lie to get what they want, as long as man continue to cheat; as long as man continue to be immoral or kill to be rid of competition etc. there will never be a perfect world. A perfect world is for perfect people and since nobody is perfect, we do not deserve to live in a perfect world even if there is one.

My faith has also taught me that God sent his only son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for all our sins. His death on the cross redeemed us from eternal death so that we can then one day return to the perfect world God has created for us.

What is this perfect world that God has created for those who believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God. I can only try to find my answer from the Bible. It was recorded in Revelation that when we next live in the perfect world God has created, God will dwell together with man. In it, God will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Thus, I am filled with hope that one day when God thinks I am ready, there is a perfect world for me.

WATCH OUT FOR FALLING TREES…

2009-05-16T23:19:00.001+08:00

The weather in Singapore has been quite erratic lately. For days in a row, we had heavy afternoon downpour accompanied by lightning, and sometimes, the rain is coupled with very strong gusts of wind. Many nights in the past two weeks we have had very sudden heavy downpour too. I remembered being awakened by the loud sounds of thunder and when I looked out of the window, I saw many trees by the sides of the road straining due to the high wind speed. This created a problem because Singapore, being well known as a garden city, has trees planted everywhere and it is no wonder that sometimes these trees can be struck by lightning.
I read in the papers that last Saturday several trees at the carpark in Ubi Avenue fell, and the most probable reason is that these trees were struck by lightning. Unfortunately, one of these trees fell on a van that belonged to the father of Ms Nazrah Bani Nazeer Mohamad. The van was damaged rather badly by the fallen tree and I believe the repair cost will definitely be a hefty sum.
The owner of the van is a self-employed school bus driver and the sole breadwinner of his family. The damaged van can only mean that he will not be operational until the van is repaired. All vehicles in Singapore have to be insured so that owners can claim compensation for damages from insurers. The sad part here is that the owner of the damaged van was unable to claim any compensation from the insurers because damage caused by a fallen tree is deemed as “an act of God” and most insurers in Singapore cover vehicles for damages sustain during car accidents or even the complete theft of the vehicle. But “an act of God” is not within the scope of the insurer’s coverage. The owner of the van then sought the town council and the Housing Board’s help, but was told that they, too, were not liable to pay any compensation. He was then advised to hire a lawyer to seek compensation, lodge more complaints with the Land Transport Authority or the National Environment Agency, or better still, foot the bill for repairs himself. The irony is that if he can afford a lawyer, there is no need for him to plead to his insurer for he could then use the money for repair of his van.
We hear more and more cases of fallen trees damaging cars, vans, balcony window etc. Due to the fact that our little island has trees growing everywhere, everyone who owes a car is at risk and that includes the cars belonging to my father, mother, and grandmother. Maybe it’s time for all insurers in Singapore to consider enlarging the scope of coverage to include fallen trees damaging vehicles etc.

No self Respect?

2009-05-12T23:17:00.000+08:00

No self-respect?

“When I go to Singapore, why can’t I have chewing gum? Later I realized that it is correct to forbid people to have chewing gum. If I let you have chewing gum, some people are going to stick it underneath the table or on the chair. They don’t respect themselves.” Such were the indiscreet comments of a certain action superstar by the name of Jackie Chan who has a strong fan base here in Singapore. I was appalled not with such comments because this is not the first time such comments were hurled at Singapore, but more with the person who made the comments.

When chewing gum was banned in Singapore, there were many debates and many views as well as many thoughts. However, one cannot deny that large amount of the commuters’ time is wasted should a MRT train be brought to a halt by a silly piece of chewing gum that managed to find its way to the wrong place! Sure, Jackie Chan might never be able to empathize with the aforementioned. To be chauffeured around is only a small part of the lifestyle of a famous action superstar. But imagine the inconvenience caused and suffered by all the commuters on the train brought to halt due to the piece of wayward chewing gum. On that particular train, there might be some students like me on their way for their examinations; some on their way to the hospitals to visit love ones who are sick; some on their way for doctors’ appointments; some fresh graduates on their way for job interviews; some working class on their way for the big breakthrough deal negotiations etc.

I bet Mr Chan won’t feel this way if he was one of those being inconvenienced, and again, I bet he would definitely, along with everyone else on board that train stopped by the piece of gum, curse that silly piece of chewing gum. So living a life without chewing gum is just a tiny price to pay for the convenience of uninterrupted train rides for many. This is exactly my point of view.

Jackie Chan is very much respected in the film industry as the big brother and mentor. I must admit that some of the movies he directed remain my favourite’s to-date. I still cannot fathom why he said what he said about Singaporeans. Since we are on the topic of self-respect, what he said clearly indicates he has none for himself. The ban on chewing gum by our government is for the overall good so that we can be more effective, less time wasted and increase efficiency. Why don’t he try taking on the social issues of graffiti, another name for vandalism, a problem faced by many government around the world?

As a developed country approaching its 44 years’ of independence, I know without a trace of doubt that Singapore will strive, no matter what, in the face of all these negative criticisms. I am just thankful and somewhat proud that our leaders do not make comments like that. I pray that they never will… still we shall strive as we had when we were deemed as “rude, aggressive, cowardly and inhospitable, full of vague racial fears” by Paul Theroux in 1975; when we were called “stupider” by Li Ao in 2005; when our home is likened to being “Disneyland” by William Gibson, but a “Disneyland with the death penalty”. Even the size of our country was not spared the cruelty either for Mark Chen, Taiwan’s then foreign minister in 2004 was quoted as saying “a tiny country the size of a piece of dried snot.”

I suppose for Singapore, more fondly known as the little red dot than “a piece of dried snot”, to achieve a developed country status and transformed from a fishing village to what we are today in just a mere three-generation time span, we must constantly remind ourselves not to be too proud and to have our feet planted firmly on solid ground. On the other hand, we must mindful of the others who are jealous of the achievements of our country.

Take a break, eat some fries ....IT'S THE ENTERTAINMENT SECTION!

2009-05-05T21:45:00.003+08:00

The title says it all, and the other title explains it all. Remember, reduce stress, be happy!

Update: Remove the part on be happy.

Below insert is taken from:
http://www.coolfunnyjokes.com/Funny-Jokes/Misc-Jokes/101-Ways-To-Annoy-People.html

101 Ways To Annoy People

1. Sing the Batman theme incessantly.

2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sensual massage."

3. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."

4. Learn Morse code, and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeep Bip Bip Beeep Bip..."

5. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.

6. Amuse yourself for endless hours by hooking a camcorder to your TV and then pointing it at the screen. <

7. Speak only in a "robot" voice.

8. Push all the flat Lego pieces together tightly.

9. Start each meal by conspicuously licking all your food, and announce that this is so no one will "swipe your grub".

10. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 98 copies.

11. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.

12. Sniffle incessantly.

13. Leave your turn signal on for fifty miles.

14. Name your dog "Dog."

15. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."

16. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think."

17. Claim that you must always wear a bicycle helmet as part of your "astronaut training."

18. Declare your apartment an independent nation, and sue your neighbors upstairs for "violating your airspace".

19. Forget the punchline to a long joke, but assure the listener it was a "real hoot."

20. Follow a few paces behind someone, spraying everything they touch with Lysol.

21. Practice making fax and modem noises.

22. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc:" them to your boss.

23. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.

24. Invent nonsense computer jargon in conversations, and see if people play along to avoid the appearance of ignorance.

25. Erect an elaborate network of ropes in your backyard, and tell the neighbors you are a "spider person."

26. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with the prophesy."

27. Wear a special hip holster for your
remote control.

28. Do not add any inflection to the end of your sentences, producing awkward silences with the impression that you'll be saying more any moment.

29. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.

30. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.

31. Give a play-by-play account of a persons every action in a nasal Howard Cosell voice.

32. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.

33. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."

34. Drum on every available surface.

35. Staple papers in the middle of the page.

36. Ask 1-800 operators for dates.

37. Produce a rental video consisting entirely of dire FBI copyright warnings.

38. Sew anti-theft detector strips
into peoples backpacks.

39. Hide dairy products in inaccessible places.

40. Write the surprise ending to a novel on its first page.

41. Set alarms for random times.

42. Order a side of pork rinds with your filet mignon.

43. Instead of Gallo, serve Night Train next Thanksgiving.

44. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a "croaking" noise.

45. Honk and wave to strangers.

46. Dress only in clothes colored Hunters Orange.

47. Change channels five minutes before the end of every show.

48. Tape pieces of "Sweating to the Oldies" over climactic parts of rental movies.

49. Wear your pants backwards.

50. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints by the cash register.

51. Begin all your sentences with "ooh la la!"

52. ONLY TYPE IN UPPERCASE.

53. only type in lowercase.

54. dont use any punctuation either

55. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.

56. Pay for your dinner with pennies.

57. Tie jingle bells to all your clothes.

58. Repeat everything someone says, as a question.

59. Write "X - BURIED TREASURE" in random spots on all of someone's roadmaps.

60. Inform everyone you meet of your personal Kennedy assassination/UFO/ O.J Simpson conspiracy theories.

61. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, its gone now."

62. Light road flares on a birthday cake.

63. Wander around a restaurant, asking other diners for their parsley.

64. Leave tips in Bolivian currency.

65. Demand that everyone address you as "Conquistador."

66. At the laundromat, use one dryer for each of your socks.

67. When Christmas caroling, sing "Jingle Bells, Batman smells" until physically restrained.

68. Wear a cape that says "Magnificent One."

69. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.

70. Stand over someone's shoulder, mumbling, as they read.

71. Pretend your computer's mouse is a CB radio, and talk to it.

72. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "no, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.

73. Drive half a block.

74. Inform others that they exist only in your imagination.

75. Ask people what gender they are.

76. Lick the filling out of all the Oreos, and place the cookie parts back.

77. Cultivate a Norwegian accent. If Norwegian, affect a Southern drawl.

78. Routinely handcuff yourself to furniture, informing the curious that you don't want to fall off "in case the big one comes".

79. Deliberately hum songs that will remain lodged in co-workers brains, such as "Feliz Navidad", the Archies "Sugar" or the Mr. Rogers theme song.

80. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head. like a parakeet.

81. Lie obviously about trivial things such as the time of day.

82. Leave your Christmas lights up and lit until September.

83. Change your name to "AaJohn Aaaaasmith" for the great glory of being first in the phone book. Claim it's a Hawaiian name, and demand that people pronounce each "a."

84. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.

85. Chew on pens that you've borrowed.

86. Wear a LOT of cologne.

87. Listen to 33rpm records at 45rpm speed, and claim the faster speed is necessary because of your "superior mental processing."

88. Sing along at the opera.

89. Mow your lawn with scissors.

90. At a golf tournament, chant "swing-batabatabata-suhWING-batter!"

91. Ask the waitress for an extra seat for your "imaginary friend."

92. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.

93. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions, and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something
about "psychological profiles."

94. Stare at static on the TV and claim you can see a "magic picture."

95. Select the same song on the jukebox fifty times.

96. Never make eye contact.

97. Never break eye contact.

98. Construct elaborate "crop circles" in your front lawn.

99. Construct your own pretend "tricorder," and "scan" people with it, announcing the results.

100. Make appointments for the 31st of September.

101. Invite lots of people to other people's parties.

The legendary “I Have A Dream” speech by Martin Luther King

2009-04-02T19:33:00.004+08:00

Martin Luther King's speech is in the previous post

The theme of the “I have a dream” speech screams loudly the injustice and lack of freedom faced by the Negro in the land of America. It talks loudly of an irony that though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed which “came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who have been seared in the flames of withering injustices. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” Yet, the Negros are still not free one hundred years later. In the American society, the Negro faces not only segregation but also discrimination. They still live in exile in their own land having to abide by signs stating: “For Whites Only”, unable to vote in a democratic nation etc. In the speech, Martin Luther King demanded that America make real the promises of democracy and that the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.

The message is one of utmost urgency to lift America from the “quick sands of racial injustices” inflicted on the entire Negro community and the Negro’s quest for freedom will not be quenched until equality and justice is a reality for all of God’s children whether black, white or otherwise. The message aims at liberating the Negro people from many years of oppression. It is also a message of hope for the Negro people for there will surely be a change. Finally, it is a message of peace for “We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.”

After reading the speech, my emotions were stirred up and I am filled with this urgency to do something about the situation. To do what I have no idea. I only know that I cannot just sit there and do nothing. This is an impactful speech forcing us to face the pain and suffering that America has inflicted on the entire Negro community. If put myself in the shoes of the Negro at the time when the speech was delivered, I would be filled with comfort and I would be thanking God for bringing someone like Martin Luther King to give the entire Negro community a voice and a voice that was heard throughout the world .

Martin Luther King delivered this speech after a legendary March on Washington. The March – officially the March on Washington for jobs and freedom was a major success. It was held on 28th August 1963 and it attracted between 250,000 and 400,000 people. It was here that Martin Luther King made his legendary “I have a Dream” speech which was heard throughout the world and did a huge amount to publicise the civil rights movement in America across the world. This led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" Speech

2009-04-02T19:32:00.000+08:00

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio.]

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

martinlutherkingIhaveadream2.jpg (11261 bytes)

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Great Leaders in History

2009-03-27T23:34:00.003+08:00

The Great Leader I See in Martin Luther King…

“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character”. This impactful sentence was part of the legendary ‘I have a Dream’ speech by Martin Luther King delivered after the equally legendary march on Washington for jobs and freedom held on August 28th, 1963. When we talk about civil rights movement, our minds are immediately linked to Martin Luther King who epitomized what civil rights campaign was all about.

After graduating from College in 1948, King was trained at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester having decided on a religious career. Church was very much a part of King’s life as both his father and grandfather had been Baptist preachers. I believe that his faith set the standards and directions for many of his beliefs and struggles. From the time King assumed leadership of the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the time of his assassination in 1968, the world witnessed the lifting of segregation law by the end of 1956; the establishment of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization committed to the use of non-violence; congress passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Many would see King’s struggles as merely freeing the blacks from segregation or making sure that their voices could be heard. But in reality what King had done was way, way farther and wider than this. King’s movement made it possible for America to valid their claim to be the leader of the “free world” and their talks about racial equality, and the country of opportunities for all.

As a leader, Martin Luther displayed extraordinary courage, great endurance power and great perseverance beyond description. His leadership from Montgomery Bus Boycott to the time of his assassination 13 years later, King faced hundreds of death threats; his home as bombed with his wife and children inside, hounded by FBI which bugged his telephone and hotel rooms etc. Yet, through it all, King’s belief in non-violence never swerved which explained The Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s motto being “Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed.”, an organization which King founded.
Today, when the world has learnt much from numerous sacrifices of courageous men and women, when discrimination of skin colour is minimum and for that we pay tribute to Martin Luther King who as Gunnar Jahn, Chairman of the Nobel Committee said in his presentation speech : “He is the first person in the west world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence. He is the first to make the message of brotherly love a reality in the course of his struggle, and he has brought this message to all men, to all nations and races.”

“To this undaunted champion of peace the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Parliament has awarded the Peace Prize for the year 1964.”

As a leader, Martin Luther King demonstrated self-denial which might have been his flaw. He took too lightly all those deaths threats and totally disregarded the danger that he and his family was under. His involvement in the civil rights movement had put him in a high profile position and had clearly made enemies in his rise to fame. On April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King was shot dead by an assassin. A mere 13 years since Montgomery Bus Boycott till his assassination, we saw changes brought on by King that had changed America forever. Imagine that if he had a chance to live his full life span, what other changes would there be made possible by him and how many more lives would he have changed!

5. Lottery – Relevance to today…

2009-03-22T19:31:00.007+08:00

The Lottery never fails to send a chill down my spine. I fully understand why letters flooded The New Yorker in 1948 where The Lottery first appeared for I have many questions myself for example, is this true story? If it is, where did it happened and should not the authorities be doing something to all those cruelty that were going on. Town folks were murdered and yet nobody bat an eyelid about it? Disturbing though The Lottery may be, we all can and should learn something from it.
The Lottery certainly taught me never to accept any unreasonable rituals based on the fact that it has been around for a long time especially rituals that are cruel and brutal. It also taught me not to be part of any superstitions that has no logic. I will definitely ask questions and search for answers but as long as lives are at stake, as long as hurt is inflicted be it physically or mentally, we should never stand by to watch, or participate or do nothing to stop these rituals. In this modern time and age, everyone has their rights. We have the power to make changes.

Sadly the story Lottery happens everywhere.
For example …
Thailand’s Elephant Crushing Ritual

In the northern Thailand, baby elephants are caged, known as the “training crush”, and the baby elephants are tied up and immobilized in a small cage and tortured. They are stabbed with nails in their ears and feet. They are beaten; they are left hungry for long hours. They are not allowed to sleep. The torture is to break the elephant’s spirit and make them submissive to their owners. This ritual is centuries old and is practiced to domesticate the young elephants.

http://bite-dose.com/bizarre/7-most-disturbing-rituals-of-the-world/

Now, this incident is like the Lottery except that the victim is an animal. This is animal abuse at its worst. Did the Elephant have a choice? If it did, I do not think it would be enjoying the experience. This pitiful animal is being tortured slowly and painfully! Doesn’t it pain you to watch? Yet these people are tormenting this poor elephant and they feel nothing at all. Even though this incident is not in Singapore, it is important to know that somewhere out such acts of cruelty are still being performed.

What is the world becoming?

I know I serve a Righteous God...

2009-03-10T18:51:00.000+08:00

I was born into a Christian family and so very naturally my faith has helped to shape my thinking and forms my views. A couple of times in the past when I found myself at a crossroad and know not what to do, I often confined in my parents and hopefully they would tell me what to do, I was told to pray for God’s guidance and follow God’s lead. Many times, my parents did not tell me what to do but we prayed together. I might sound calm and cool here but let me assure you that at those times I really was not. When I desperately needed an answer, I yearn for my folks to simply tell me what step to take. My mum later revealed to me that even parents sometimes did not know what to do and when at lost, we pray for God’s hands to lead us. She further affirmed that this is the best way because one day she and my dad would not be around and I have to stand on my own with God as my guide.

I often wonder when would I able to attain that kind of faith in God like my folks. But God has shown me that though He cannot be seen physically, He is there and is in control through an incident that had happened a couple of years ago.

Every year, my primary school will organize and I&E (Innovation and Enterprise) “Little Businessmen” Competition. This competition serves to encourage all pupils to be enterprising and creative. We are to set up individual stalls selling foodstuff. My brother participated in such a competition before and his team came in second. As such, he received a silver medal. With my brother’s promise to get all his classmates to come and support my stall, I quickly formed a group of five with my classmates and submitted our proposal to the teacher in-charge. The teacher will then select two groups from each class to participate in this competition.

As it turned out my group’s proposal was selected and we were thrilled. We decided to sell pop-corn chicken, tortilla chips, mini hash browns and sparkling apple juice. We were given an hour every day to set up our stall and sell our food items. This went on for a week. Our pop-corn chicken was as popular as lemonade on a hot day. They were snatched up even before we could say “Jack Robinson”.

Running a business is not easy…and my friends and I had to find out the hard way. By the end of the one-week competition, we were tired and sore. My team made a total profit of $600. The rule of this competition is that 50% of the profit will go to the needy pupils of the school and the remaining 50% will be divided equally amongst members of my team.

When the entire competition was wrapped up, and all the individual team results were tabulated, my team emerged as the winner and we were ecstatic. The members of the winning team will each receive a trophy and I anticipated the prize giving ceremony with bated breath.

The day prior to the prize giving ceremony, I found out a very sad fact. The teacher in-charge made a grave mistake by inscribing the names of the boys who participated in another event, the Excel Fest, on the trophies meant for my team. We informed the teacher of the mistake but he refused to right his wrong and commanded my team to live with it and not to make a big deal out of it. You can say that it was a dark day for me then.

When school was dismissed, my mum picked me up as usual but she noticed that something was amiss straight away. I told her and suggested that she should lodge complaint immediately. But my mother thought otherwise and said we should pray and have faith in God that He will sort the matter out.

On and off throughout the rest of the day, I prayed with my mum and my brother for the teacher to come to his senses, to correct his mistake and to give my team and I what is rightfully ours.

The next morning, I watched with great sadness in my heart as the trophies were given out to the Excel Fest participants instead of us, the “Little Businessmen”. When I returned to the classroom, wondering why God did not answer my prayers, the teacher in-charge then asked to speak to my team in private. He admitted his mistake and told us that his conscience (I was beginning to think that he did not have any) did not permit him to do what he did. He decided to take back those trophies given out to the wrong boys. He will personally pay for the cost of removing the names already inscribed and would replace our names on them. These trophies would then be returned to us.

This is truly a wonderful turn of events and I know that God has played a great part in it. Not only have I learn a great lesson that came directly from God, my faith has been strengthen as well. Even though I missed the opportunity to collect my trophy during the prize giving ceremony, I learn that everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance. I should forgive just as Jesus Christ has forgiven me. God has answered my prayers and I know for sure that I serve a righteous God who at the right time will not remain silent.

Animal Farm

2009-03-08T22:23:00.000+08:00

I started getting interested in the book entitled Animal Farm by George Orwell when my brother who belongs to the English Drama Performing Arts did a play on it. In order for my brother to get into the character he was acting, the teacher in-charge advised the cast to read the book and feel the story. Since any book that my brother reads, I’ll make it a point to read too so as not to lose out. My mum puts that down to the second child syndrome.

I read Animal Farm like I would read any other Aesop’s Fables where animals talk like humans and they perform actions that only humans can undertake. These are the stories that I read years ago when I was at the brink of being an independent reader and these are the stories that ignited my love and pleasure for reading. But my brother told me that Animal Farm is not just a simple fairy story, but rather as a political allegory specifically directed at events in the Soviet Union since the Russians Revolution of 1917 and particularly at the Soviet leader, Josef Stalin.

I decided not to make my life any more complicated than it already is and decided to put any political implications aside and read the book like any other Aesop’s Fables. Then I feel that I still learn a great deal from it. All the characters portrayed in the book are characters that I come across everyday in my life, be it in school, at my tuition centers, at church or movies that I watch etc. Take old Major for example. His character embodies someone who dares to dream big and to some people impossible dreams. Unfortunately, he did not live to the day when he can see his dream became a reality. But reality sometimes can be cruel because his dream reaped very different results from his original ideals.

Then there is the all ever hungry for power Napoleon who is a dictator. He is vicious, brutal and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. In so doing, he brings misery and pain to the people around him but that does not bother him a tiny bit for in his world, there is only himself and himself. Napoleon represents the group of people who believes that it’s a dog eats dog world out there. They fail to realize that they are the ones who are responsible for making the world to be thus.

The character of Snowball depicts a truly intellectual guy but even with his intelligence, the real world proves too much for him to handle. Through the character of Snowball, I now understand what my mum often quotes “IQ is important but EQ is essential for survival”. One has to be kind of street smart to handle the real world but that does not mean turning it into a place where dog eats dog but more of being capable of protecting oneself from hurt and harm.

As much as I like the character of Boxer and Clover, I am quite saddened by their simple or even blind faith in the pigs that control them. They represent a certain group of people that believes in working hard. Being hardworking is indeed a good trait but I believe that while Boxer and Clover work hard for the pigs, at the same time, they must have many questions that left unanswered in them or doubts that they choose not to clear. They lack the courage to face the truth and often choose to run from it. But I do admire the special friendship between Boxer and Clover. Boxer and Clover taught me to cherish my friends and only through honesty and sincerity can friendship be built and blossomed.

It is kind of fun to read about the cynical Benjamin who is never appalled by anything following the revolution. Nothing surprised him either, like he has expected all these to come in good time. His good relationship with the cart horses, Boxer and Clover, reveal to a certain extent that he is capable of feeling and caring like all of us. Benjamin chooses to erect a protection wall around him so as not to get hurt. To me, he is the wisest of the lot with his “hooves” most firmly on the grounded. Benjamin taught me that should I come across people like that, I must try to get through the protection wall around them to really know them for that are where the real person will be.

Animal Farm is a special book. The characters depicted in the book are still very relevant even today. Do not wait further. Start reading it now just as the March holidays are round the corner.

Friends from China

2009-03-05T20:02:00.001+08:00

My grandfather who passed away at the age of 71 was from Shanghai, China. He came to Singapore contracted by Metal box as a engineer in his thirties and had stayed on ever since. He married my grandmother in Singapore and she gave birth to my father when my grandfather was 40 years of age. That makes my father the first generation of Singaporean and my brother and I, the second generation of Singaporean. Though I did not have the privilege to grow up holding his hands, I have long heard of his deep, deep love for China. Through his hard work and perseverance, my grandfather built a business that made his folks (ie my relatives) in China proud.

Likewise, I was taught from young to remember and never to forget that my ancestors came from China and that’s where my roots are. My brother and I were often ticked off for being too western in our thoughts, actions, gestures and even our preference for TV programmes. Whispers of concern like “never forget that you are a zhong guo ren” were never far from our ears. My mother (deemed by us to be not so Chinese in her ways) attempts to do her part in helping us remember our roots and also be proud of the fact. She remembers every Chinese festival and celebrates them in the most traditional ways, taking great pains to explain the meaning behind it all. My brother and I often wonder why our folks make such a big deal of the whole thing. I am Chinese, fine, I have been told already, often enough! Yes, filial piety…I promise to do my best!

Now that I am older, I find that my thoughts and views have changed and I am quite surprised with myself. My family and I worship in a church where many Chinese nationals who came to Singapore will worship there too. That is due to the Chinese ministry that the church is very keen and active on. Our church welcomes and supports these Chinese nationals regardless whether they are here to work or study. Many of these students are studying to be nurses in the hospitals here and when they complete their studies, they will be offered nursing contracts in our hospitals. The Church organizes many programmes that help integrate the locals and Chinese nationals and through these activities, I was given a chance to get to know our friends from China much better. What touches me is their courage to leave everything behind and venture to a new country where they have to find their ways around. Take the nurses for example. Many of them have little command of English. When they came, they have to master English given a short period of time. Some of these nurses were unable to master the language soon enough and were even told that their scholarship might be terminated if they do not pass English. Many were at their breaking point. But they never gave up. When asked why they replied that an opportunity to come to Singapore will never come knocking twice and they must treasure it no matter what. They are all so self driven and motivated knowing that they cannot fail.

The nurses who subsequently made it and are able to work in our hospitals on a contractual basis will give the best part of their lives here serving our country through their work. At this point, I am filled with admiration for all of them. They are doing the work that the locals here have no or little interest in. Many are of the opinion that nursing is hard and dirty work. I now look at them with a new found respect.

Not too long ago, I was within earshot when a Chinese family in my church was having a conversation with my mum. They have been here for the past 15 years and they love Singapore. Thus they applied for Singapore citizenship. When it was finally approved and they have to give up their China citizenship in order to be Singapore citizens, they were overwhelmed with pain. It never occurred to them that when they give up belonging to the country they were born, it can be SO PAINFUL.

What am I compared to these people. I am a Chinese and I think nothing of it. I am born in a country that is peaceful and stable and I took all these for granted. We have a honest and clean government and I hardly give thanks. I am a true Singaporean and yet I seldom relate my life to my country.

I now truly understand why my folks need me to know that “wo shi zhong guo ren”.

IKEA

2009-03-04T20:22:00.005+08:00

March holidays is just round the corner... that means to us that a trip to Ikea is also just round the corner. Ikea has been a hit in my family since I cannot remember when. Ikea has also been a hit in many European countries, that much I found out. Whenever I enter the store, I am immediately attracted to all the colourful soft toys and home furnishings. The store often put me at ease at whichever corner I browse and shopping in Ikea has always been a wonderful experience.

Ikea Singapore has furniture's conceptualised in Europe and applicable in use to Singapore. Designs of furniture varies tremendously and caters to all generations. It is amazing that almost every household in Singapore has at least purchase an item from Ikea. Ikea is truly a household name here. It is the store most will make a trip to when they are looking for some home furnishings.

My older brother is truly a supporter of Ikea. Our room is filled with waste paper bins from Ikea, CD and DVD stand from Ikea, book shelf from Ikea and a display cabinet which house all our age-old lego collection that is our pride and joy. My brother is also the one to remind us to visit Ikea every holidays.

I sometimes wonder why my family keeps going back to Ikea even when we do not need any thing from there. Then I realised that the reason why we kept going back could be the fact that Ikea has played a part in our lives and also my growing up. There were many fond memories of Ikea. When we were little, our favourite section in Ikea was the children's bedroom section. It has a lot of colourful toys. We spent much time there touching and squeezing those soft toys that I know my folks will not buy for me. There was a huge green snake with colourful rings round the body that I would give anything in the world to own but my mum said no. I stayed as long as I could to cuddle and squeeze it till my heart was contented. As for my dad, he would be trying out those soft and comfortable sofas and then murmuring to himself that they felt just wonderful. My mum would be lost in the household section where if she has her way would buy up all the pots and pans because they looked SO good.

What makes Ikea so successful? That's the question I ask myself these days whenever I visit Ikea. By the way, I no longer linger at the children's bedroom section but head straight to the computer accessories section. I personally think that some of the stuff sold there are not only cool but also good value for money. Then suddenly I got it! Ikea is successful because the store has something for everyone irregardless of their age. Take myself for example. I have been going to Ikea since I was a toddler cuddling and squeezing those soft toy snakes and now that I am a teenager, I still go to Ikea. I have never been tired of the store nor the merchandise and even now a trip to Ikea is still a pleasant experience. So I can really see others like myself visiting the store in the future while dating their girlfriend or boyfriend and then visiting the store further down the road when they are thinking of getting married and furnishing their homes and when they have kids, bringing their children to visit the store, spending much time at the children's bedroom section probably squeezing a soft toy (not necessarily a green snake)!

So, that's how it goes. What a great concept that make Ikea the way it is. Organised and detailed showrooms and walkways guide the crowd to the many different sections. Friendly staff are around and also the many customer service stations to provide on site sales and other advices. Not forgetting the team that dares to dream of a store like Ikea, believes in it and make that dream come true. Such is the secret of success I guess. All of us must dare to dream first, then believe in that dream in order for it to come true.

Oh yes, before I forgot...a trip to Ikea is not complete without a meal at Burger King at the end of our shopping. Sadly, Burger King is no longer there. It has moved out to make way for a larger shopping experience at Ikea. But still, all is not lost because the $1 per hot dog tasted equally good at the end of our shopping too. What more can one ask when you can help yourself to all the ketchup, chilli sauce or mustard to add to the dogs.

Project "Nite"

2009-03-03T20:54:00.003+08:00

Project-ed Out!!!!!

Whoa... 6 projects to do by Friday. Most of them are art- related projects. Do not expect much from me for the next few days. Okay, recently life has been torturous. I do not know that I have that many projects at hand until I compiled my stuff yesterday. It's as chaotic as hell in my room as I rush out work. O dear, I feel like Dexter, mugging it out. T_T

Work aside, I recently have not been sleeping a lot. Sadly, this will lead back to work. Everything is related to work somehow. I say we sign a petition for no more examinations or homework for one term. WHO IS WITH ME???

p.s. If you think I came up with this, well I did not. It was someone else. Seriously.

MY Little Ironies

2009-02-27T22:35:00.002+08:00

No, I am not writing about the book. Today, we received our Chinese and History papers. My Chinese was horrible. A mere 49/80. A useless B4. Sigh...But! I had studied extremely hard for it yet the thing which defeated me was not the questions but the time given. I believe this is the same case for many, right?

Yet, today's saving grace for me is History. I was the highest in class along with Foo Tze Han. This really helped my MSG. Now as I think back, I had worked really hard on the preparation for this test. I guess this preparation has really paid off.

Now, don't you just find this ironical? 1 high mark, 1 low mark. Sure is weird.

The Mom Song Review!

2009-02-23T21:16:00.003+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESe-AysF9mw

Enter this link into your Internet search engine.

Be shocked.

Be frightened.

Be scared.

Be annoyed.

Yet, you just cannot help but fine this song unbelievably funny!

And familiar.

I know.

I should stop during this.

But I cannot.

As this is the same format as the song!

No more funny business. This song elaborates greatly on the bossy side of mothers. We all saw this video during Music class, right? Yes. The first time I heard this song, I was unsure how to react. Why? My mother was beside me and to laugh was not a very pleasant thing at that moment.When my mother left, I immediately switched the computer back on to watch it again.

Now, between you and me, the first time you heard this song, you just have to marvel at the originality and quality of the song. The lyrics fitted rather well considering the number of drastic changes the song has gone through. Even with such a basic rhythm, great content was added to the song. It truly expresses the way a mother might appear when in one of her bossing sprees.

In conclusion to this simple review, I find that a lot of effort had been put into this song and the learning process of the song on the singer's part. It is I enjoyable experience on days you just feel like you need a pick me up. My rating? 4/5 popcorn.

Distance does not matter... I am almost always late everyday

2009-02-21T23:07:00.004+08:00

This is my second post for the day.
Hwa Chong is my choice for secondary school because I live a minute away from it. With my school so near my house, it will always be a head start for me every morning, something like "An early bird catches its worm." The truth is... I am lazy. I use living near the school as an excuse to sleep longer hours. Every night I always convince myself that if I woke up early, I would probably reach school at 5:30 AM or something. Yet, I always wake up late at 7:10AM every morning and rush out of bed to school. My father needs to go to work so he drives me to school even though I live a minute from school (Oh, what a joke) . We always reach there just as the barrier is lowered. The security guard upon lowering the barrier will then turn around so that his back is facing us. I bet my braces that he is laughing. I think he hates me.

Evil one.

So, I know you wonder why I am always seen at the Terraces with my bag during morning assembly. Go figure.

Shakespeare: Right or wrong?

2009-02-21T20:23:00.011+08:00

To sleep, a chance to dream.

Yes, he is wrong. Well, maybe he is right. Have you heard about nightmares? I suppose so. What do you think Shakespeare meant when he said dreams? Does it even make sense? Why did he speak in riddles?
I am probably too young to comprehend such " cheeminology". But still, you will see me try in vain for your entertainment to replace that quote with something else in this episode of " The Everyday Shakespeare".

Let's go!

I guess Shakespeare was trying to say that sleep is important? I do not know. Maybe he was being dramatic? To ensure that this is difficult for me, I have decided not to do any research on this! You can watch in glee as I rake my brains, trying to think of a grammatical correct sentence that will fit into this Shakespeare quote. It will be difficult, very much so. But I must try! I must prevail! I will not fail! Yes, I will conquer this quote and I will win!

Okay, I was get back to the point! Shakespeare said, and I quote, ahem, " To sleep, a chance to dream..."

Now, to the context of many, including myself, Shakespeare was a dreamer. He dreamt of Romeo and Juliet, he dreamt of Macbeth. So, to Shakespeare, dreams might innovation, ideas, plans for the future. He could have meant a chance to relax, to be free from the rat race of the world. So, I will replace this quote with this," To live, one must rest"

Okay, this concludes my episode of " The Every Shakespeare".

Comment, and share what you think the quote ought to be!

Flowers for Algernon: Introduction and Themes discussion questions

2009-02-20T22:56:00.003+08:00

1.What is giftedness?

Giftedness is when a person is born with special ability or abilities that set him or her apart from the majority eg. when a person is gifted artistically, he is already good in that area to begin with and any training that he or she receives will only propel him or her to a level unachievable by the majority. This giftedness allows the person to be noticed and outstanding.

2.What does intelligence determine?

Intelligence determines a shorter route compared to the those with lack of it to the set goals.

But intelligence does not determine absolute success nor happiness.

3.What makes an ideal human or the ideal life?

An ideal human will be one that is able to fix into the society or community that one is in. The ideal life is one where there is a balance in all aspects eg. work, relationships with others, etc.

4.Which Charlie do you like best-the one with an IQ of 68 or the one with an IQ of 200? Why?

I prefer the Charlie with an IQ of 68 because that is the real Charlie Gordon the way he was meant to be. Even with an IQ of 68, he was a happy person, striving to do better knowing that he was not good enough in everyone's eyes. He was motivated, driven with great determination to find all ways to be smart so that he could fix into the society he was in. These were the characteristics that made Charlie Gordon the way he was meant to be.

5.Should science be used to artificially improve someone's intelligence or external appearance?

Science should not be used to artificially improve someone's intelligence but maybe science should be used to improve the external appearance of those who really needs it. One example will be to use science to correct babies born with cleft lips. Cleft lips once corrected will save these babies while growing up from embarrassment and being ostracised by others.

Timing...timing...timing...

2009-02-18T17:56:00.003+08:00

Okay... how many of you are angry that we only received one hour to do the Chinese class test?

Considering that we had the equal of two compositions to write, I think we ought to have more time to do the test. I had not even finished the last 10 mark question. What about you? I sincerely think that the teacher should have put in more thought into the preparation of the paper. A extra 20 minutes would have been accepted gratefully... yet receive it we did not. However some did finish the paper and their smug little grin was depressing.

What do you think? Would extra time be essential? Comments please...

A New Thought

2009-02-14T22:51:00.003+08:00

Hi it's me again.

I just thought about something. You guys know MRTs right? Of course you do. Now, do you remember those MRT orals practices we did in Primary school? Of course we do. There will always be that little boy that will give up his sit to an old man right? Of course there is.

Okay, you are probably wondering why I am saying all this. So basically, we have the knowledge to know what must be done. Yet honesty, how many of us really do it? We can but we do not take action. So, recently when I took MRT with my brother, I noticed a old man holding on to the hand hold. The people were clearly ignoring the poor man. Okay, right about now you probably would be criticising me, asking why then I had not offered my seat. Ha ha.You see, I too had no seat, and if that elderly man wanted my hand hold instead of his, I would surely agree to it. However, I do not really see the point in that so let us not wallow further into this ridiculous idea.

The people around him were clearly ignoring him as I said earlier. But if we look at it from another point of view, they could be unsure if the old man would refuse. And when that happens, it would be, what do you call it, embarrassing to sit back down to some people. For Singaporeans, face is as important as life and therefore it will take a person with a lot of courage to stand up and offer his valuable seat.

Well, this is my point of view on this matter... please comment!

Cowardice

2009-02-11T19:37:00.001+08:00

Okay I suppose you all know the ... thing that Mr "Yinn Jaye" impostor did. After Info comm Studies, Computer genius Grady kindly offered to track down that spammer. However his efforts proved to be in vain. The unnamed pupil had used the school computers to write that piece of ... trash. However, someone else was aiding this investigation. If the piece of information he produced was correct, the imposter had not gone to the training village with us that day...... which can only lead to three solutions. Keng Soon could have done it, but I extremely doubt he is that kind of guy. Secondly, my blog time zone is wrong and lastly it was written by someone not from our class.

I find this behaviour immature and ridiculous. If I happen to find out who was spamming, I will hunt him down and drill a hole through his kitchen. I'm serious, really. If you have any idea who did it, feel free to comment without using your real names. I will hunt him down this week, or the week after, or the week after......

The Ballad of Charlie Gordon (LA ACE project)

2009-02-08T16:35:00.003+08:00

THE BALLAD OF CHARLIE GORDON

Charlie Gordon was the man,

Born with a brain most would lament,

With an IQ of only 68,

Nothing could he comprehend

Laughed at him were all his friends,

But sadly he couldn't understand,

Sit and smile was all he did,

Unsure of what all his friends meant

But eventually the opportunity came,

For him try to fit in again,

And by undergoing an operation,

Had a doctor put some brains in

Now Charlie Gordon grew real smart,

And discovered his “friends” weren’t friends from start,

Now sad and depressed was poor old Charlie,

He laid in bed and cried out his heart

As Charlie’s mental abilities grew,

He experienced more emotions than his old self knew

Everyday his span of emotions grew,

Blossom they did like flowers anew,

Then he knew what had happened,

He had fallen for Little Miss Kinnian

Sadly, disaster strikes poor Charlie,

Little mouse Algernon has just died suddenly,

After many days of study,

Charlie discovers the horrible reality

Charlie was going to die,

He locked his door and cried, cried, cried,

Even Miss Kinnian was not allowed in,

Mr Gordon was on the road to depression

Charlie Gordon blamed no man,

For even as his language failed him,

And his memory plunged like stones,

Charlie blamed neither Strauss nor Nemur

Then Charlie knew what he had to do,

To flee the country, to start anew,

Hoping none would pity him,

He disappeared without further ado,

On this note the story ends,

Poor Charlie had no chance,

So answer this simple question of mine,

Does intelligence really mean happiness?

The Taximan's story - answers for discussion questions

2009-02-03T20:19:00.003+08:00

1. What is the irony in the story?

The irony in the story is the Taximan's lack of respect for young girls providing services to American and European tourists yet he makes a living ferrying these young girls and their American and European boyfriends around in his taxi.

The irony is clearing shown when the taximan brings these tourists upon request to Elroy Hotel, Tung Court or Orchid Mansions where such services are provided.

2. What are the themes raised in the story?

The themes raised in the story are the degrading moral values of the young people nowadays compared to the young people in the past as shown in page 76, "Today, young people not like us when we are young." Lack of good character traits are also another theme raised in the story such as the young people lying to the parents without batting an eyelid as shown in page 77, "They tell their Mum got school meeting, got sports and games, this, that, but they really come out and play the fool."

3. How realistic is this story?

This story is very realistic because young people these days are becoming more and more materialistic, "wearing latest fashion,". It is saddening that these young people will go to great length to satisfy their materialistic desires. Accoring to the taximan on page 78, "if I tell you all, no end to the story." Thus we can see that such cases are growing in number.

4. What do you think of the taximan? Do you feel sympathy for him?

I think that the taximan is a person only after his own interest. In order to make extra money, he is wiling to take the tourists to the places where services are provided as shown in page 77, "Some of it for services. Some of tourists don't know where, so I tell them and take them there, and that's extra money."

I do not feel any sympathy for the taximan because he is a man with double standards. He punished his daughter when he found out that the daughter is lying and leading a different life after school. Yet, he continues to make a living from all the young people doing what his daughter is doing as shown on page 79, "Must go off, please excuse me. In a hurry, madam. Must go off to Hotel Elroy - there plenty of young people to pick up."

5. Do you agree with his lamenting?

No. I do not agree with his lamenting at all. If the taximan is truly upset with lack of moral value in the young people nowadays, why will he continues to provide opportunities for these young people to engage in these immoral activties?

6. What about the other characters in the story? Do you feel sympathy for them?

I feel sympathy for the "Madam", the passenger that the taximan had the conversation with. It is clearly a one sided conversation with the taximan talking all the time. The "Madam" had to provide a listening ear to the taximan's lamenting and through it all, she must have realised what a double-standard man he is.

Pressure and joy

2009-02-02T21:31:00.004+08:00

Whoa... It's Monday already. Next Tuesday is Situational Writing Formal Letter, the week after and the week after that is the Termly test. My Art Elective dirty charcoal painting is by this Thursday.PRESSURE!!! However, I have a little (call it sadistic, I don't care) joy, that happens when I play a occasional game of chicken with my brother. During Primary 6, I bought blue tack... like a lot. Over 4-6 kilograms of it. My brother and I would then compete with each other in a most ridiculous sport. We would lift the blue tack ball for the longest time possible with our writing arm, well in this contest of strength, you do not want to lose. Bluntly, loser has to do a split... if you have seen my photo... you will be imagine the unpleasantness of...that ...

So you see the cruel nature of my brother and me. Ha! That's nothing. Oh, whoever is reading this, I beg you to remind me to do my art and buy workable fixative. Leave a comment if you think I write a big lot of rubbish or if I should change back to the same format of writing like in the first two post. I would appreciate your responses. Thanks.

Blogging myself out of project work

2009-01-29T20:34:00.003+08:00

Hi everyone! Today I really do not have any thing to blog about except blogging about why I am writing this blog now. Okay, the story goes that I came home at 5.40pm and noticed the amount of homework that we did not receive. So blessing my luck, I took a long shower and did the pathetic amount of homework compared to other days, note COMPARED. Then I lay on my bed ready to sleep at 6.30 pm. (What? I like to sleep. Is there a problem?) Then my mom came in and said do your homework. I told her that homework had already been done. So to avoid this fiery debate to reach on doing project day's competition tonight, I decided to blog. Thus explains the title. So I will be typing really slowly on this blog so I can avoid my mom's "do your homework" line.

Now that I have finished explaining the title, I will start explaining what "Hi everyone" means.(You can stop reading now...this is going to go on until my clock hits 9.10pm.)Okay...Hi everyone is just my way to say hi it is also the start of my post that will eventually come full circle. It is a casual way to say greetings.Elaboration time!(time now 9.07pm) "Hi" is a common word that is used all over the world. In most countries, "Hi" is a word of kindness and "everyone" in this case refers to my audience,you people who read my blog. So if these two words are put together, I am greeting my audience with kindness. Now is exactly 9.10pm. Sorry if I wasted your time. It could not be helped.

World's Fastest Man

2009-01-28T21:35:00.003+08:00

Blog Prompt>>>>

I am Dr Tan and I have been invited to contribute an article to this youth magazine. I hope this article will encourage young people to set worthwhile goals in their lives and continuously work towards achieving them. You might have heard about my accomplishments in life; being the first person in the world to complete a marathon in the north pole in 21hours and 10 minutes despite being in a wheel chair. To raise money for cancer research, I managed to achieve another world record to be the fastest person in the world to complete 7 marathons across 7 continents in 27 days.

So much about myself for now. Lets talk about you guys for whom this article is written for. You are still young, full of energy and drive. This is the perfect time to consider what you want to do and set life-long goals. You must be passionate about these goals and stay focus, never giving up when faced with obstacles. Never neglect to share what you have with people around you or with people in need. At some point in your lives, you may think that your goals are not achievable and there is no point in pursuing. But trust me, if you take one step at a time and constantly review your progress, you might be very surprised that before you knew it, you are already half way there. Just take me for example, what can a wheelchair bound person achieve? What kind of future is there for me? But when I did not give up and started to set goals and stay focus on them, what I have managed to achieve still marvel me in the dead of nights. Just believe in yourself as I believe in you. All of us have what it takes to achieve if only we believe... aand let us all come together to make the world a better place.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Tan

(This article is fictional.)

First AEP class last Thursday

2009-01-28T15:30:00.004+08:00

What a blast! 2 hours 40 minutes of pure art! Could anything be better?

Yet I found out that my art was narrow-minded. I am a bit sad, but hey, art is almost everything so I guess my art is still art no matter what. Anyway, lesson 1 was basically like an introduction. We watched a few AEP graduating art works and they were rather good. Then there was a gallery tour. When it was about to get boring, they gave us a little test which I did EXTREMELY horribly.

I miss-judged the tone of shading and I did the exercise wrong. It was rather embarrassing to find out that it was a very common test. Well, sue me for not going to art school.

Anyway, tomorrow I am going to try even harder to do well in class... I hope. Common test? What kind of common test tests this kind of weird shading skills . . .I mean honesty. . .

(Sorry I have been a bit unstable with my blogs. . . I will try to find time)

Chinese New Year...

2009-01-25T21:57:00.004+08:00

Chinese New Year Eve ...ten o' clock... blog time.

Hi, sorry about the 6-7 day silence, I have been busy. So... Chinese New Year comes early this year. My plans? This may sound weird but I detest receiving red packets.trading money just seems(dare I say it)...stupid? I do not mind meeting up but this red packet tradition is pointless and wallet-bleeding. But...without red packets would there be an impact on Chinese New Year's atmosphere? So I sign off with this question left hanging in the air... please comment if you want to debate on this matter.

The hardships of farmers for the "Meet the People" session

2009-01-19T21:35:00.010+08:00

Blog Prompt>>>>

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am the Chairman of the Farmers' Cooperative of Jiang Su. I would like to share with you, and hopefully in so doing, to create awareness of the hardships the farmers in Jiang Su are experiencing due to the conservation/reforestation projects carried out by the state officials.

Fact: Every piece of land that has been earmarked for conservation will actually result in the farmer being prohibited to use the said land to grow their crops. The problem here is that farmland that is currently efficiently producing crop are also being earmarked for conservation.

Most households in Jiang Su depend on farming as their main source of income. With the area of their land reduced, the size of their crop, and hence, their earnings from the sale of the crop is greatly reduced. This directly affects their personal income, as well as indirectly impacts Jiang Su’s economy.

The farmers argue that although the conservation exercise is correct and is necessary, the government should not have taken the very land that the farmers are currently using to grow their crops. When the government does exactly that, it definitely appears to the farmers that they have forgotten about the people of the land.

The farmers further argued that the government should place the citizens of Jing Su as their first priority. As the farmers’ land is reduced progressively, I would like to remind that with many countries sourcing their product or with their own factories also in Jiang Su, any unrest within the area would definitely result in a negative effect in the province overall.

Therefore, I motion that the conservation plan be temporarily halted, the entire proposal reviewed, and all concerns of the farmers looked into and taken care of immediately.

Thank you.

Be-lated intoduction or profile... which ever is you prefer

2009-01-17T16:46:00.007+08:00

Beds and couches are my best friends. I hate vigorious activity. To be honest, I am a slothful. I enjoy a slow-paced life and it has been a completely new game since secondary school started. "Slacking" is no longing an option. In the December holidays, it was pure and unexplored freedom, school's back bringing along all its little friends:Homework; boredom; new subjects; new teachers; and and my favourite buddy, sense of accomplishment.

I want to put it clearly that I am not used to expressing myself over the Internet, but I well try. My likes? Regretfully, food and sleep both horrible habits. Dislikes? Obviously sports. I enjoy a read once in a while and my favourite subjects are Art, Language Arts, Maths and history.

I was born on the third of October in 1996 and end of the year examinations fall directly on that day itself. Birthdays have been awkward ever since. Last year I went to America after the PSLE and it was the best relaxation vacation I ever had. I met my father's old friend. Uncle Larry was a old war veteran who shared some of the best war stories I had ever heard. After the holidays, it has just been picking up the pace for school. That is the my main interest points of 2008-2009. Oh,right. Martin is the name.

Stop Whaling in Japan

2009-01-16T23:46:00.008+08:00

Blog Prompt>>>>

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I represent the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. I am here today to share with you a grave issue… Whaling in Japan must stop and cannot be ignored by the world any longer. It is time for us to take a stand, and not wait a day more because the possibility of whales becoming extinct is very real if Japan continues to do what she does. WHALES ARE ENDANGERED AND MUST BE PROTECTED.

Let us not be fooled by the Japanese government when they maintain that certain whale populations are strong enough to sustain a managed hunt. You and I know that whaling a specific species is simply not possible and is not done for the simple fact that it is not economical to throw a ‘wrong’ whale back.

Let us not be fooled even when Japan halted its commercial whaling and began what is termed "scientific research on whales". Japan is only providing a basis for the resumption of sustainable whaling. The number of whales killed under the name of “scientific research" has risen from less than 200 in 1985 to almost 1000 in 2007. It is then crystal clear that Japan's ‘research whaling’ is commercial whaling in disguise.

Ladies and gentlemen, you and I have the power to stop such cruelty to whales, and especially so when this cruelty is committed under the guise of "scientific research". I implore you to take the stand today and stop this cruelty.

Thank you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKIQquVqAy8&feature=PlayList&p=242D78522FED4676&playnext=1&index=14

Is the Crumpler Bag that GOOD or is it just a STATUS SYMBOL?

2009-01-12T20:57:00.008+08:00

Today as I waited for my Mother to pick me up from school, I met a friend from my old school. He was carrying a Crumpler Backpack. Passer-bys always gave the occasionally stare. He was getting what he wanted. Attention.

Over the past two years, crumpler's sling bags and backpacks have become in great demand. At one stage, the waiting list was incredibly long. Children and Adults alike all bought crumplers. Even I bought a Crumpler bag in the heat of the matter.Now, after a year-and-a-half, I wonder if it really is that good. Sure, it is made of brilliant material, the colour code is nicely matched but other than that eye-deceiving design,is it any different from ordinary bags?

You may argue that it is exactly what I wrote that makes a Crumpler a Crumpler, but after thinking about it, is paying an extra two hundred dollars for a bag that might last two years more than any other bag just does not seem right.

So if you still disagree with me and want to buy your fourth Crumpler bag, why not? I am not in charge of you.All I am doing is trying to convince you that any old bag will just be as good.( Unless it is a barbie doll bag, even a plastic bag will be better )

I rest my case.

CCA Orientation and FIRST week of School

2009-01-10T20:40:00.001+08:00

We had to stay back in school for three days. Last Friday, Wednesday and yesterday. Now that all the CCA Orientation days are over, I have to say that the students, our seniors, had carried each CCA preview out smoothly and successfully.

However, there will always be some that outshine the others. Frankly, I feel that all the uniform groups did a rather spectacular preview, the Band was probably the most well organised and of course the track and field as the most physical.

Okay, maybe track and field was not that bad. However, I think the fact that I have 20 kilograms more to carry than everybody else seems to explain my dislike for physical training. Well, I plan to join the Art Club. It is a silent, non-sport CCA, seems like my kind of CCA, should I join?Yet I wonder if a (dare I say it ...) sports CCA would be a better choice for points?

Okay, let's see. First week of School, not bad, the teachers are friendly but are strict with their rules. Secondary school seems fine except for the different way subjects are graded. Oral Participation, ACE and the certain amount of independence needed to survive everyday. Challenging and fun. The number of subjects is an issue. Language Arts, Art of persuasion, History, Geography, Chinese, PCME, Lower Secondary Science, Music, Art...did I say Geography? Anyway, I think you have gotten my point. Only the first week is over,yet pressure is building...