He Reigns!

Why Singapore has YOG

2010-08-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

It is midway through the first Youth Olympic Games organised in Singapore. As a Singaporean and a fan of all kind of sports, I definitely looked forward to this occasion and I have carefully kept track of the Singaporean athletes. I must say that I am relatively satisfied for how they have performed and I hope that this would kick start and increase the standard in the declining sports scene especially in sports which are underfinanced. Now it is a good time to analyse why Singapore initiated YOG and what good it brings to Singapore.

In the opening ceremony speech where the chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Mr Rogge, mentioned that the purpose of the competition was to combine sports, education and culture. I believe that this is a breakthrough in the sports scene of Singapore, because the bar that the athletes have set is something that the Singaporean athletes may attempt to emulate, but more importantly expose them to the sporting world other than the Singapore-dominated competition in the Southeast Asia Games.

Secondly, the YOG unites people together. In a world where the term "competition" is encrypted in our minds, the YOG breeds healthy competition, and also demonstrates a high level of sportsmanship and brotherhood throught the shared identity in their passion for sports. No matter the race or religion, sports have been on of the few mediums where the world can be brought together without discrimination of one another.

Apart from promoting sports among Singaporeans, Singapore benfits through the publicity they get through organising the YOG, which brings out the best out of Singapore, which will definitely bring more revenue and economic benefits to us. Mr Rogge has commended the YOG for being a success, and this would undeniably be one of the greastest achievements and heights Singapore has reached in its promotion of global cultural hub.

Lastly, Singapore benefits in promoting sports and health among civillians. Organising such big events will raise interest among Singaporeans, who would get interested in certain sports and would participate in them. With such widespread live coverage of the competition live on television, many people would be watching it and some would pick up certain sports, which would make them healthier both physically and mentally.

Sports bring out the best and worst in men, from the greatest example of sportsmanship to the worst cheats in doping scandals. Through this global event, it would bring countries to unite together to be the strongest supporters for their country's athletes. The first Youth Olympic is only the developing stages. With more awareness for this competition, the International Olympic Comittee would hit greater heights in promoting sports.

I would be backing Team Singapore, and I wish the very best to the rest of the Youth Olympians who have demonstrated what we can expect of them.

National Day

2010-08-10T04:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Singapore's 45th year of independence. 45 years on and we have steered to great heights today. Seeing what I see today makes me be proud to be a Singaporean. Now why should I be proud of Singapore?

Firstly, I would say that I am most proud of how I am able to have the space and freedom to learn what I want under a controlled environment. I appreciate how a balance have been struck between censorship and freedom. This optimises my learning and gives me the ability to think out of my reach. I think that this would definitely have a great impact of how I think and imagine as I grow up to be a member of society. Is Singapore a nation? I would love to think of it as one, but unfortunately, I do not think that it qualifies as one. As one would know, Singapore does not have a distinct cultural heritage to be one. This is partly Singapore has progressed too quickly, having a ambiguous cultural mix of the east and west. It is hardly something to be proud of, because we do not have anything which we can call it truly Singapore. It may not affect the growth of Singapore directly, but it would definitely affect the mindset of Singaporeans. It would be interesting to see how Singaporeans manage the contrasting cultures to create it into our own.

So my resolution for Singapore is simple. Find your distinctiveness in the midst of the intensive competition and need to globalise. It is the only way to reach out and unite the people

15 min Drought

2010-08-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, I experienced a drought at home. Maybe it was man made, but I still felt the crunch of not having water. Actually, my father was fixing the shower and had to turn off the water supply. At first, I did not really care much about the change, but it really hit me hard when I was brushing my teeth. The first time I turned on the tap, I realised that here was no water flowing out of it. I did not really care less because I simply just used my water bottle, hoping that there was enough to last me throughout my brushing of teeth. However, I was in for some trouble. Once I rinsed my mouth, one fifth of the water was gone. While I was rinsing my mouth halfway, I realised that there was no more water left in my bottle. I went to refill my bottle feeling annoyed. After rinsing my mouth and washing my toothbrush, there was no more water in my bottle again. And I have not even washed my retainers. So I had to refill my water bottle again.

What really hit me after the incident was that I had to used so much water just to brush my teeth. 3 of my 500ml water was all that I needed just to brush my teeth. I did not really expect that I would have experienced so much difficulty in brushing my teeth. So basically I learnt that should appreciate that I am so previledged to have water running out of my taps. It really makes me reflect on how Singapore has progressed from a developing country to a developed country. Now that National Day is just tomorrow, I believe that each and every one of us should have such experiences so that we value what we have now, being thankful in what we do, appreciating where we are living.

2010-07-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

It is going to be another stressful week, although I do consider myself lucky to only have 3 test next week. I would have to start studying mostly for Geography and Chinese, and I hope I would be able to make it in time. However, studies aside, I want to comment about the article in this week's Time Magazine on Rwanda's President and his successes. Firstly, I would definitely like to congratulate Mr Kagame for how he has gone against the norm and refuted the stereotypes of rebel governments by showing his capability to manage the country and mostly to understand the feelings of the people. Mr Kagame has ruled for 16 years now, and if he wins the August elections, he would have another 7 years to his reign. Mr Kagame was raised in a refugee camp in Southern Uganda, although he was a Rwandan, and he grew up to become a rebel. He helped Yoweri Museveni seize power in Uganda, and co-founded the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which invaded Rwanda to overthrow the government. It was then the civil war between the Hutu and Tutsi broke out.

The controversial issue about Mr Kagame's rule was that he has been accused of war crimes, and also being blamed for pushing the country towards dictatorship after he arrested opposition members and banned the Human Rights Watch. However, we should have to understand the basis of his actions. His purpose was to abolish any memories that would remind the people of the genocides. Hence, he decided to ban the newspaper UMUSESO, which according to Mr Kagame, would bring bad blood between the two ethnic groups. Mostly, Mr Kagame has been efficient in ensuring that he would make the country prosperous. Its economy has grown an average of 6.4% since 2001, and it was ranked the most improved country by the World Bank last year. To me, this is the marks of a good leader, as it shows how Mr Kagame has reached out to his coutrymen, trying to mend the ties without breaking relationships. How he managed in his country's rebirth convinces us the importance of his reign has overwritten and redefined Human Rights.

He has solved the people's problems. He is taking the country out of its worst history. He has gained the support of the people. Let us embrace such leaders who put their concern for their own people.

In reference to the stomp article about HCI students

2010-07-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

In reference to this article, I would like to discuss on the issues in this article, and also to question the student's integrity on this matter. Firstly, after reading this article, I believe that the real cause of the problem is that students in this generation are easily offended, quick to make judgements and do not think before they act.

This article was written by a HCI student, and I definitely could not believe my eyes when I saw this article in the news. This student could not have done anything worse in degrading the reputation of the school, and I believe that he should be dealt with severely. In the first place, all students, no matter what school they come from, should practise having respect for the school and its reputation. In this case, the student failed to realise that what he was posting was something that the public can view. It is obvious that he should have resolved this petty matter internally than blow this whole thing up and make it appear on the headlines of STOMP.

Moreover, this issue at hand is very insignificant, and I do not believe that a HCI student would have done such a thing. Portraying the teacher as a thieve and not an educator is also definitely not the right thing to do. In the article, it was clearly stated that the teacher had good motives for the students, to teach them the value of responsibility. However, this student failed to take this as a lesson learnt, and instead makes a fool of himself when he STOMPed this article. This article not only brings shame to himself, but would also develop a stereotype for all HCI students.

On hindsight, I believe that such an incident could be avoided if the student knew the value of respect. HCI has strongly emphasised on this value, and it is important that we as students know how to uphold it. This issue does not have any arguments for the proposition, and I hope that the student would realise his mistake and send out an apology.

Students not only have the responsibility of studying, but also to learn life skills, and mostly to uphold their moral values. What are the values that each person should uphold as a Singaporean?

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/418626/teacher_takes_students_belongings_to_teach_them_a_lesson.htmlhttp://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/418626/teacher_takes_students_belongings_to_teach_them_a_lesson.html

Optimistic Pessimism

2010-07-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

After my projects day competition, I did not want to know the result. My flash website could not open and I was not expecting to get into the finals after that experience. My months of hard work would have gone to waste. But wait. The results are not out yet. Do not fret so early. Maybe my powerpoint was good enough to put me through. No. I cannot lapse into delusion.

So frequently we are met with such troubles, that we always put the executioner swords to our necks even before the results are announced. We should always remain optimistic. It is the only way to getting over with things. Why should we unsettle ourselves before even knowing the outcome? I have become a firm believer of waiting and hoping for the best possible result. And then I realised that I would always be wrong. Is there another way other than being over optimistic such that we would be disappointed after knowing the result?

That is why I have adapted this mentality of "optimistic pessimism". It is a mental state by which one calculates the worse possible outcome, prepare oneself for the truth, and may surprise with the result. It is the process where we lower our standards, and maybe get a surprise if the result favours us. People who have "optimistic pessimism" will always have a good balance of reality and hope in their head. They are the one who would be the best to prepare themselves for the truth.

With this attitude, I held my breath when the results were out. I would not be too confident of getting in nor getting out. The result which read was "Finals". I was overjoyed. It was unbelievable. My mentality has enhanced the element of surprise. I thanked God for how he gave me the chance to get into the finals.

So that is how my theory goes. Do not expect too much, nor feel an ultimate sense of hopelessness. This is why we should know how to balance between encouragement and pragmatism before judging the outcome.

Causing Controversy

2010-07-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

The octopus has gotten it right again. I have agreed with Paul until the Germany-Spain match. Being an avid German team supporter, I was obviously hoping that Paul would be proved wrong for once. However, I was obviously beaten by that sotong. Paul only became famous after he correctly predicted the Germany-England match, and by then I was hoping that he would be rooting for Germany all the way.

There have been many reactions to this creature's accuracy in his prediction. I definitely did not believe that he had "psychic powers" or anything like it, only by pure coincidence. I was not particularly angry with the octopus, but joked that I would eat the sotong sashimi after the world cup. However, many others have taken the octopus' predictions personally. They realised that the octopus was spoiling the fun of anticipation, and his predictions may have a demoralising effect on the supposed losing team. There are even recipes to cook the octopus after the world cup. Haha, I thought. What a waste of time for people to be so angry because of football. This octopus has caused a stir among the football fans, and some hope that these sources of predictions would stop. For me, I do not mind controversy, and I was very happy when Sepp Blatter did not introduce the goal line technology. I still hope that he does not.

The octopus has predicted that Spain would win the world cup. I would be rooting for Netherlands. It seems like Paul is turning the tide against me now.

Redefining Youth Day

2010-07-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a long weekend, with the heavy workloads which spoilt my world cup fever weekend. I have been struggling to complete my Projects' Day website and also with NSCC lurking around the corner, coupled with two tests in the week ahead, and representing Singapore in the coming WALA track competition, it is not difficult to feel stressed. As a student, I definitely expected this sort of sudden piles of workload ahead of me. However, this is the first time I have experienced such extreme amount of work being piled ahead of me.

This "fateful" event somehow coincides with youth day and also with the world cup fever. I was fully hoping that I would have enough time to catch this once every 4 years event, but obviously I did not have the luxury of watching an entire match. I believe that this is the result of a competitive environment, where everyone is competing to find his own significance to others. There is nothing wrong with that, but I do not think it is right to fight to be the best for the sake of glorifying yourself. Youth day was more like rushing to get work completed, no time to be youthful.

Anyway, I think you might be wanting to know what my solution to this problem is. I have decided to postpone youth day, which would fall on this Sunday, which would coincide with the world cup finals. However, I began thinking about my "plight". I believe everyone is experiencing just as much stress as I am, maybe even more. It does not matter whether it is youth day. Youth day has become more like another holiday to catch up with work. Stress becomes a sense of belonging to a teenager. Stress keeps up with people. People keep up with stress. It is impossible to break this cycle. Hence, I decide that it would be a better resort to manage your time and taking short breaks in any way you like. This is the only way how stress can be conquered.

The society has redefined what youth day is to many people. Do you accept this form of redefinition?

2010-06-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

I have always had the habit of cleaning myself after training before boarding the bus, so that I would not be a source of discomfort for others. But if I really have no time to do so, I prefer to stand up rather than sit so that I would not leave my perspiration on the seat.

I was with my friend just now, and we were about to board the bus right after training. I did not clean myself up, so I was still perspiring when we were boarded the bus. As usual, I did not take a seat. When my friend asked me for the rationale of my actions, I explained it to him. However, he did not accept it. He simply said, "There is no such rule". Honestly, I reflected on my actions and I was actually quite convinced by his reply. It is true but there is no such rule that people who are dirty should not board public transport. But I thought again: Do our actions always have to be driven by rules?

I have always had this idea in my head: Follow the rules, and nothing wrong will happen to you. It has worked well, because I believe people with authority constructed rules with a reason: For people to follow. Being law abiding will not land you in trouble. However, I find being law abiding is not always the perfect way of living. I believe that we other than following the rules, it is important that we be at peace with others. This may not always be the best way to all situations, but I think that if we do not want to be someone who is known for doing the right things just for others to see and applaud, we have to start learning to consider the convenience of others and have a clear conscience at the same time.

2010-06-07T06:11:00.001-07:00

The HBO miniseries of Band of Brothers was fantastic. To be honest, I was not all that hyped up about war films when we started out in class, but when I watched the first episode, I could not stop watching the rest. It deeply portrays the cruelty of war and but also brings out people who have leadership potential in the film, especially Major Richard Winters. I have actually bought the whole series, and I think I have already watched it twice over. Amongst all the shooting and the running and the bombing, valuable lessons can be learnt and I would like to share my thoughts about certain quotes in the show.

Firstly, there was a soldier, named Albert Blithe, who was deeply traumatised during his land on Normandy beach, and was afraid to face the enemy. His commander, lieutenant Speirs, told him that in order for him to be a good soldier, he had to have the "hope that he was already dead", then he would fight selflessly against the enemy "without compassion, without mercy, ...". I believe that during war, people are forced to lose their identity as a compassionate person, and would have to carry the burder of fighting their own human kind. I feel pity for Albert Blithe, but I believe that soldiers really have to prepare themselves mentally for warfare.

Secondly, Major Richard Winters, who is known as a hero of war, rejected the praises of others when they called him a hero. Instead, he humbly recalled an incident where his grandson asked him, "Grandpa, were you a hero of war?" Major Winters replied," No, but I served in a company of heroes". I admire his attitude and how he credits the effort of others for the success of the European Campaign. In fact, the soldiers in war would be heroes for fighting for their country.

Now, it is time for me to watch Saving Private Ryan

2010-05-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, where Steve Carlsen, the poet for we slept with our boots on, worked in. He deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He Deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003 due to a life long injury. He currently attends Southwestern Michigan College where his professor, Dr Michael Collins challenged him to write about his past experiences, which was why he was inspired to write the poem. The regiment was created in 1942 in the Army of the United States, and his job as a parachute soldier was to take part in land operations to restore order in the countries in need. One of the battalion's operations was operation uphold democracy, Haiti 1994. The battalion was also known as the Red Devils. One of Steve Carlsen's other poems include Take your Pills.

In the poem We slept with our boots on, it was written in the point of view of a soldier, as it is evident from how he describes that his "heart is pumping adrenaline all through my veins" and how he always uses the pronoun "we", where all the soldiers were feeling the same during the intense moments of the operations. He offers a religious tone in the poem, by how he acknowledges that he would soon be punished for his misdeeds which included handling a gun and killing people. This is evident from how he believes that he would meet Saint Peter when he dies. The poem is fast paced until the end, where he believed that he his career as a soldier was over, which is similar to how he had a near death experience. This portrayal is relevant to all soldiers, and hence the poem is in the point of view of all soldiers. In writting the poem in his point of view, it gives readers an idea of how a war is fought and the tiredness and fear when the soldiers were resting. Through his point of view, I feel that he is very direct in his approach of telling us his experiences.

The situation in the poem is during a landing operation. This is evident from how he says "Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot". The LZ stands for Landing Zone, and he knows that it was another dangerous operation and he needed to be quick and agile to dodge the bullets. The poet uses many different settings in the poem, from how he says that he fought from mountains to valleys, from house to caves to cars to creeks. The climax of the poem is during his fights with the enemy, where he kept pulling the trigger and reloaded repeatedly. It is an intense moment where we are unsure when he would be the one who is shot. The resolution to the conflict is when he escapes and goes to safety near the mountains at the Hindu Kush. If the conflict was not resolved, he would not have told us how he had to sleep with his boots on and the fear the soldiers were experiencing even when they were asleep.

The Language of the poem is simple but fast paced, coupled with a few strong words to increase the momentum of the poem. This is evident from how he uses military language like Lock N Load, which refers to weapons, and how he had no time to descibe the equipments and substituted it with "s***". Also, words like "yelled", "tremendous" and "adrenaline" to describe the chaos and fast paced scene in a war. He uses the poppy as a symbol of death, where he believes that his deathbed would be at a place of "tears" and "mud", which refers to war. Also, he uses metaphors when he said that "Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink". This tells us that while he admire the scenery of where he was camping at i.e. Hindu Kush, terror also overwhelmed him inside. Also, he said that he "drank it like drunkards and had no time to think", which tells us that he could not risk his sleep to think about all the dangers and beauties which surrounded him. The simplicity of the poem helps to give readers a vivid portrayal of war, and the use of figurative language to describe his feelings is effective in portraying the common among the soldiers at war.

The poem makes me feel pity for the individual soldiers and their mothers, as the truth of the war really creeps me towards the end. It is really heartbreaking that the soldiers lose their innocence due to war, and how many people would be going up to see Saint Peter. Also, what hit me the hardest on the head was how the soldiers would sleep in constant fear of being sprung by the enemy during a surprise attack. However, the one thing good about war is that there is a sense of brotherhood, where unity is key in success, as how the poet says that "Blood is thicker than water, well but lead is thicker than blood", which tells us that they were all bonded together with the bullets and weaponary they were carrying, which was to become part of themselves. I believe that the reality of the poem is without question, as it could have happened less than 10 years ago. I am able to relate to what the poet sees through his eyes when writing the poem. This poem makes me feel a little more pessimistic about human nature because we realise that all the fear and intensity in the poem is because we are fighting against our own kind.

2010-03-20T19:02:00.001-07:00

I have just finished reading That was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton. It is about two juvenile delinquents, Bryon and Mark, who were best friends from young and they started to grow apart as they got older. After several incidents, like the killing of one of their friends, Charlie, a bartender, made them changed their views. Also, with Bryon's girlfriends' brother going missing, Bryon starts spending more time searching for her brother than with Mark. This was when he discovered a shocking discovery about Mark. You may wish to read the whole book to discover the ending.

This book which was written in 1967, still seems very true to us, even if gang fights are not common in Singapore. There may be social segregation because of different social status. Also, because the poor people in society are left out, they turn out to crminial acts to obtain money. This book talks about friendship, priorities and growing up, which will definitely leave a lasting impression on your memory. Overall, this is a highly recommended book by me because you can really see the darkness and loneliness of a segregated society through the eyes of a gangster.

2010-03-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

My interview with Jem Finch after the verdict for Tom Robinson's trial was out:

Q: Mr Jem, you were seen crying after the trial. Why?

A: I was too frustrated and too emotional when I realised that the all-white jury would choose to convict and innocent man. I am shocked to realise that the people in Maycomb are prejudice towards Negroes and would just convict a man based on his skin colour. I am still utterly stunned because I thought that the people of Maycomb were the best folks in the world. I was wrong.

Q: So Mr Jem, I can see that you detest injustice. May I ask you what is your stand towards racial prejudice?

A: I did not know that racial prejudice existed in this county because I have not seen anything like this before. Maybe I have, now that I come to realise, that the world sees what you are on the outside, not caring about the character of the person.

Q: Can you give me a few examples of racial prejudice in Maycomb County?

A: Yes, for example, I remember that during my visit to First Purchase Church, a woman came up to me and scolded Calpurnia, my cook, for bringing me to an all- black church. This is the first time I have experienced racial prejudice but I did not take note of it at all.

Q: Your father, Mr Finch, would be filing for an appeal for Tom Robinson. Do you think that his chances of success is high?

A: I am not too sure, now that I have seen how people can reject all evidence and base their verdict on their skin colour. I wish that someday this mentality about Negroes that they lie, cheat and are immoral, would change. I do know black people who present themselves better than white people.

Q: Do you know that this is the first time the jury took more than 15 minutes to come out with a verdict? In fact, it took around 6 hours. Do you see a positive outlook for fair trials for all, including Negroes?

A: This is an interesting question which I have not thought of. This is certainly something positive which I can take away from this trial, and I hope that there would be more people like my father who will have the moral courage to work towards fair trial for all.

Q: Your father displayed moral courage in this situation. Are your ready to take on his role to fight for fair trial for all?

A: That is a challenge I would definitely want to take on.

With that, I conclude my interview. Thank you Mr Jem for your cooperation.

2010-03-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

This is my diary entry to Mayella Ewell:

Dear Ms Mayella,

How could you be wicked enough to frame someone else for your sin? You have broken the code of society by kissing a Negro, Tom Robinson, and you have to bear the consequences. Instead, you have cooked up a tale and attempted to win the sympathy of the jury by crying and potraying Atticus as a monster. You are a big girl, and you are cunning enough to potray yourself as weak and vulnerable.

What have come over you to lie about your sin? Is it to protect your father's image, or yours? Or it could be both, as you risk that the people of Maycomb will marginalise the Ewells and their generations further. However, if you were brave enough to frame Tom Robinson, you would be brave enough to admit to your mistake. By framing Tom Robinson, you are definitely going to win this case because you are White. I am utterly furious and frustrated with your behaviour and your lack of moral courage.

You did not only convict Tom Robinson, you also convicted his family and the Negroes. If you are still unaware of the trouble you are causing to so many people, then I will tell you: These people who are close to Tom Robinson, will suffer injustice together with him because of your ignorance of the consequences of his conviction. I urge you, Ms Mayella, to admit your mistake in the court of appeal, and free this man who has done no harm to you or the White society.

2010-02-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

I just took my learning profile and I realised that I am best at kinestatic and logic. I think that it is quite accurate that my learning peek at both of these methods especially for logic. I enjoy doing puzzles and solving riddles. I prefer something which has a logic behind it and I like to experience things for myself. For being a kinestatic learner, I think that this is somewhat true because I am quite active and I cannot sit still to study or revise for more that 15 minutes. I need to walk around; I think I am hyperactive. This is a good way for me to revise my work and I have been revising my work in this way all the while. I just cannot be in a fixed position and study with materials in front of me.

I am the weakest at visual and musical. I am not surprised that I am weak at being a visual learner because I do not like to read with so many graph and chart representations, they just make things more complicated. I prefer large chunks of word documents where there is just words on it so there are no distractions. However, I am rather surprised that I am weak in being a musical learner becuase I actually took piano when I was young. I think that I am quite straightforward and I do not like to compose some music to aid in my learning. Or maybe I think that using music to teach is too distracting for me.

So there you have it, I am a hyperactive and a no-nonsense learner.

2010-02-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that the CNY frenzy was on a smaller scale this year. This may not be so for you but it certainly is for me. It could partly be because I do not visit Chinatown at the stroke of midnight before CNY but the publicity for this year's CNY just did not get inside of me. Maybe its because people feel that CNY is more of a time for us to spend time with family and relatives. Or maybe its because we are still weary of the recent economic downturn. Whatever it is, I prefer to think of the former. CNY is more about continuing to forge that relationship with your closed ones, to keep in contact with people you care about. As a view from a student, I definitely looked forward to collecting the ang pow and eating loads of tidbits but on a serious note, it was a time to show respect to my elders and to bond with my cousins. Within all the shopping craze for preparations for CNY, I hope that the time we spend visiting our relatives will be treasured and a way to continue our Chinese tradition.

What is CNY to you?

2010-02-07T04:53:00.001-08:00

My jumping wasn't that good today. I did not even jump over 11.5m. At least there is still 1+ more months to train before the big day. How can I even get a chance to be in the top 5 if I don't even jump over 11.5m? Makes me sound a little like Philip Malloy in Nothing but the Truth. Just that there isn't a Miss Narwin ruining my practice. At least I don't jump just to get a good athletic image.

Anyway, just to elaborate a little on my jumps today. It was drizzling a little, but the competition went on. I felt a little nervous because it was the first time I was in a triple jump competition. I was doing fine in training so I sort of expected myself to do quite well. However, I have learnt that this is not so. The first sign of my inexperience was when I measured my stepping. I kept on faulting until I got really fed up. I thought that it was just not my day. But it did not just stop there. When I did a practice jump, my legs were so stiff that I could not even jump up or run quickly. I panicked. Actually, I panicked throughout the competition so it will be something that I will take note of in the future. Honestly, I was not in my best form and my footsteps were always very heavy and it felt as if a 100kg weight was tied to my legs. The feeling was miserable. I cannot always have this kind of feeling during a competition. How can Usain Bolt run quickly even if pressure was pounding on him every second? How can Michael Phelps win 8 olympic gold medals when he knows that a slip up would make him fail. I wish I could have their calmness. I realised that confidence and calmness is key to winning but unfortunately it is not so easy to attain that kind of balance between over confidence and lacking confidence. I would rate myself 6 out of 10 today so it is essential that I be put under more stressful conditions (not to say I want more tests and homework) Anyway, I think that I have learnt much from today and I choose to take the bright side of today's time at Gombak stadium. Hope to jump better the next time :))

2010-01-26T04:08:00.000-08:00

The reminiscence of my primary school life overwhelmed me for the past two days. The smell of the canteen, the sounds of children reciting texts in class, the ever so familiar voices of screaming and shouting, made the events of my primary school life come rushing at once. I definitely missed my primary school life, partly because of its slack schoolwork and syllabus :) However, I think there would be more in store for me in secondary school as I am currently experiencing. The only worry I have is that I would have to catch up with homework and lessons.

I would like to reflect on the events of the past few days and how it has taught me patience and enthusiasm.

Firstly, when I attended the camp breifing last Saturday, the camp commandent said that there would be more scolding or reprimanding of students. When I first heard that, I felt that it was not much of a problem (becuase I am not the type who is the best at scolding) This seemingly simple task turned out to be a horrible nightmare for me, not that I managed to scold the 12-year-old students, but because I was rather propelled to giving them a good punishment for their behaviour. I am rather fortunate to have a facilitator who had immense patience, which I still envy. It is almost impossible not to get fed up with the students, but his dedicationa and patience brought me to realise the fact that I was once like them and if he could tolerate their behaviour, so could, or rather should, I.

Secondly, I was rather disappointed during the ice breaker games because they were not exactly enthusiastic about it. They played in a rather lacklustre manner and I was discouraged by this experience, mainly because this was my first time facilitating a camp and this was the first activity of the day. However, as the day drew by, the enthusiasm of my chief facilitator finally won them over and they started cheering loudly. This just boils down to the fact that patience is essential in leading a camp and how influential enthusiasm is. I really have much to learn and this two days at camp has taught essential lifeskills.

The class which I facilitated was a GEP class (6M) and I thoroughly had fun as I hope they all had. I wish that they will have more class spirit and I wish them all the best for their PSLE :)))

2010-01-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

Hi all, its time to make a post after 6 months+. I must have been MIA (Missing In Action). So this time I would like to start blogging again :)

Ok, today I started out school with a sore throat and a minor flu, but hopefully I would be back to my normal self by tomorrow :) I would like to comment on the traffic of Singapore and I am pretty disappointed by the way Singaporeans drive. There is this minor congestion when some cars want to turn out from a junction when there are no traffic lights. I have observed that the Singaporean drivers do not give in to the cars which are trying to turn out. Moreover, when the driver in front have the opportunity to turn out, the other drivers would all rush to turn out, creating a minor jam in the junction. There must be some sort of a competitive spirit in Singaporeans, but I believe that the habit of Singaporean drivers is so inconsiderate that it cannot be tolerated. I have been to other countries which have many more cars on the road (i.e Istanbul) but the drivers still give way. I believe that the Singaporean drivers will justify their actions by saying that they are in a rush or that other drivers do not give in too. However, I feel that this is an excuse as the city of Istanbul has so many more cars than Singapore and Istanbul is way bigger than Singapore. The government of Singapore has constantly insisted on road courtesy, but it all starts from the driver. Thus, I feel that before drivers obtain their driver's license, they should also take a 'courtesy test'. This will make the drivers more aware of road courtesy and importance.

I still look forward to the day where Singaporeans drivers abolish their "must win, must be first" mentality so that Singapore would be a step closer to being the "model country" for the rest of the world.

my favourite poet

2009-06-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

"A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom." Who said this? It is none other than poet Robert Frost. I have found an interview from http://parisreview.com/media/4678_FROST.pdf with Robert Frost and I would be discussing some of the excerpts from the interview. Robert Frost said that he did not own a desk when he was young, and he still doesn't have one ! Can you imagine a poet without a proper desk to write. He says that he writes on anything, including on the sole of his shoe. Although this statement is not very significant, I think what he is trying to tell you is that an inspiration to write poems can come from anywhere, from a neat writing desk to the sole of your shoe.
In one statement, when he was asked which poet did he admire the most, he literally said "I was the enemy of the theory......that you should play sedulous ape to anybody. That did more harm to American education." He might be trying to tell us to develop our own style in writing poetry than have a "copied version" of another poet.
I think that his poems are largely influenced by his sad personal life. Since he had travelled to many different countries, he has many sources of inspirations. His poetry is usually about something not many people had realise, like this poem: A Patch Of Old Snow. Some of the poems he writes usually starts with something light-hearted, and then it goes into a deeper meaning, and ends with a pessimissic theme. There are others such as A Late Walk which has a very heartwarming end.
Robert Frost is an American poet, and was born in California. He grew up in the city and graduated from Lawrence High School and took on jobs including delivering newspapers and factory labor. He did not enjoy any and realised his true calling to be a poet. He was also a teacher in Pinkerton Academy. He credited his writing to his writing classes in high school. The places he travelled and lived throughout his life can be summarised into the poem he wrote title "New Hampshire". He has written more than 180 poems and his poems are critiqued in the "Anthology of Modern American Poetry". He passed away in January 29 1963, but his works live forever. Here is a poem which I hope you would enjoy:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Citations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost
http://parisreview.com/media/4678_FROST.pdf
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/poems/

My favourite poem

2009-06-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite poem, which is written by Robert Frost. This is how the poem goes:

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

I have just learnt a few uses of figurative language, so I think I should be able to identify some of them here. The first one I can spot is personification (line 5): He make the horse think that to stop and watch the woods fill with snow is queer. Another one of personification is in line 10, where his horse asks if "there is some mistake". The last one I have spotted is in line 12 with the use of a metaphor. "Easy wind and downy flake", the author is trying to give us the image of the snowy forests where the wind is lightly blowing and sonwflakes are landing on him so smoothly as ever. For the use of personification, I think he is trying to indicate that a human thinks differently from that of an animal and we should not treat each humans as animals. This is from where he wants to find a house to sleep in and his horse wants to find a farmhouse where there is a shed so he can rest there. There is a different perspective in their ideal place of "rest" and the author is demonstrating the different needs of an animal and a human.

I like this poem because it gives me the image where I was in Germany when I was 10. The 'wind was easy' and the 'downy flake' drifting down. I like that image very much and this poem happens to remind me of the scene of a big area of casuarina trees laden with snow. The only difference was that I was in a bus and the author is travelling on his horse. I can imagine him in the situation and writing this poem, and this snowing scene; it gives me the image of the start of Christmas.

The book that impacted my mother's life

2009-06-16T00:59:00.001-07:00

Have you ever read any books? Duh... you say. But have you read any books about Singapore politics? Erm, not too sure this time. Well, the book that impacted my mother's life was this book: Singapore: The Air-Coniditioned Nation, by Cherian George.

Does the title sound catchy enough? The book talks about the importance of unity in the nation and how we unite. Air-Conditioned, hmmm, it actually talks about how Singapore has been governed by PAP and why it is so successful in making Singapore such a peaceful country. My mother says that this book impacted her life because it reminds her the importance of racial harmony. She was not too bothered or a fan of this racial harmony thingy that was emphasised so frequently by the government. This was a long time ago. A rule was imposed that in every level of HDB flats, the residents should consist of people of all races. She only realised the importance of racial harmony after the book described the effects of the absence. Since Singapore is such a small country, we cannot afford to have riots happening in our daily lives, where there is social unrest.

Another aspect that impacted her life her thinking of the grass is always greener on the other side. She had always wanted to migrate to one of the Oceania countries. However, the book emphasised that Singapore was where we are all born in and we should pledge loyalty, where we should have a sense of belonging. It said that " All would be treated fairly with respect as a citizen and a human being". I am starting to find that too. Actually I have never thought of leaving Singapore and I would have not idea where to migrate to go.

Haha, this is the end of the post. Would you like to migrate or not? Or is racial harmony that important? Share your thoughts with me.

2009-06-12T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hello readers, I would like to introduce you to this book VBTS and today I would be blogging about that. It is actually about a family with dysfunctional parents and how the eldest children have to take on parental roles to support the family.
I would like to talk about my favourite part about the book. I would say that this book is a fairytale story for early teens but it is also somewhat true in potraying the images of city and rural life from different points of view. I will be telling you my favourite part of the book and I hope that you would love this book too.
My favourite part of VBTS is actually when Hari goes to Bombay in search of work. It is when Bombay is seen as the majestic financial capital of India and also how it is like when you take a look at the dark alleys and the people that roam around. This is where Hari realises the experience to work and how a big city so foreign to ask is unveiled to our eyes. I feel that that is exactly how we feel everytime when we search for something new and discover the goodness and badness in it. We are blinded by the splendour when we first step in but are soon disillusioned when things start to happen. This is the same for Hari. He was looking forward to the trip to Bombay but realised the city at its ugliest. It reminds us to be cautious at all times and do not be blinded by what we see first see and thought.
I also like the part when he finally goes back to Bombay and realises and appreciates what he has in his hands. This also prevents us from coveting and learn to appreciate what we have. Apart from the fairytale side of the story like how coincidences fall in so randomly, this is book worth reading and is also certainly a brain-bender. There are many themes in the story and you could just list out all the pros and cons about this or that.
As usual, for readers of this book, please comment and also tell me which part of the story you enjoy reading the best :)

2009-06-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

Where is the air-con remote controller? Why is the computer lagging? Where did I park my car?
Hmmm, industrialisation? Progress? How should they help us? Convenience? Luxurious living? Is it necessary?
Let us take a closer look into the topic of progress: Is it ALWAYS beneficial for the society?
VBTS (Village by the sea) says no. How can it be always beneficial when bullock carts are more useful in terms of its functionality than trucks? How can it be possible when progress will bring
more harmful effects such as excessive pollution to the environment when it can be avoided?
Well, I feel that while progress will definitely bring us convenience, it also makes us feel more disabled. Needs are created. We suddenly feel we are in need of something we don't. Moreover, it makes us spend money.
Progress is the developmental activity in science, technology, etc., esp. with reference to the commercial opportunities created thereby or to the promotion of the material well-being of the public through the goods, techniques, or facilities are created, according to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/progress.
Where progress is necessary at times, I feel that it may not be needed and it could lead to the rise in unemployment where the people living in the countryside are unable to adapt to city life. Their way of life will be changed dramatically and this would not be good news. How can a fisherman suddenly be able to work machines? Or how can a farmer suddenly be able to drive trucks? I am trying to say here that while we have progressed for a long while, let us not be so carried away and let the people at the countryside, who have provided us food for all the years, continue working in their slow-paced, casual life.
Thank you for reading this post and feel free to comment, especially if you have some disagreements or something which I have missed out.

my most hated character in VBTS is...

2009-06-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

Biju? Hari's father? Billu? Which one? I shan't tell you, but continue reading on and find out!

Okay, firstly let's analyse Biju's character. At first glance you would say that he is the proudest man on the surface of this earth and deserved to be hated to the core. His ill-treatment to his workers cause us to feel for the workers and make our hate swell towards him. He boasts about his boat, has the most amount of bullock carts and even has a television set which doesn't work. How odd! He has a serious ego problem. BUT if you look more closely.... what is the yelling all about to the guard? He was protecting the village! He had an ego problem nonetheless, but he managed to use his egoism to make the villagers have a sense of belonging and they could depend on themselves and not others.

Hmm, now its time for Hari's father. He drinks toddy all day long, beats his wife and children, caused the death of the family dog, sold the family boat and made his eldest children carry the burden of sustaining a family. Obviously they cannot do a good job, who can if you are just in your so young and immature? He "recovers" nearing the end of the story but I think that the family has suffered a lot already. Perhaps if I were Anita Desai, I would complete it with the father doing something good for the family like getting a job or something of that sort.

Lastly, lets take a look at Billu. He looks really kind at first sight, tossing Hari a coconut to drink to quench his thirst. Really a nice guy right? Good man at heart right? Wrong, wrong and wrong again. Teaching Hari to disobey his parents, tell him to be a loner and that there is no help in the world. The world is full of rich people who doesn't help the poor and he was one of those who was helpless. This is really morally wrong and I hope all of you would not heed his advice even if you felt that your situation was worse than Hari.

Alright, that brings me to the end of character analysis, its time to name the man. Who would it be? None other than Hari's father. Surprising? Not really. Let us take a look at Biju. He did not affect Hari much. Just some demoralising. What about Billu? Hari would not have met him if his father was responsible! Thats why I made Billu seem as if he was such a terrible man. It was all Hari's father's fault. Get it now? Even if he made some"amendments" I think it would be too late. That is also why I wrote that if I were the author, I would write something nicer about Hari's father to absolve himself from the blame. Alright, quite a long post, it would be yours truly signing off......

2009-06-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

Country rat? City rat? Which would you rather be? Let's weigh the plusses and minusses of being a country rat and city rat:

Starting with the country rat, we would realise that our resources are widely available as long as you are financially inclined. Modernisation is a 100% yes in the city and there would be continuous developement to make life more convenient. Higher literacy level and all of that sort.Sounds great? Then what about these: The cost of living is high, the living standards are high, crime rates are high...... there you have all of these. People have much knowledge in managing but what is knowledge? City=More jobs? That is quite right but you would realise that people are more densely populated and competition for resources are high, thus city also= more people! Now think about it: If you have a low literacy level, poor financial state, then you would be more of a beggar roaming the streets than a person leaving in a mansion with many servants and the latest gadgets and a large plot of land and a big business to run...... How would it be?

Next with the country rat, let us weigh it out, starting with the positive: Slow-paced lifestyle, easy to cope. Resort to farming and fishing as your way of life and financially stable. You work for yourself, you are the boss. You control your income. No external interferences. Absolutely fantastic. Wait. Are you sure it is fantastic? Traditional way of life, always useful? Medical clinics easily available? Check. Learning centres easily accessible? Check. Slow-paced=less stressful, Can we contribute significantly to the society? How is it possible then? Purpose of life is to fish and farm. So is slow-paced lifestye=fulfilled life?

To summarise, you can only cope in the city if you have a stable and high-paid job. You can survive in the country in any conditions. So would you like to know if I would rather be a city rat or a country rat? Honestly, I would like to be a city rat. This is because I am not that sort of a slow-paced person. I like competition. It is by human nature. I would like to compete my way in the city. I would not always win, I would have fought hard enough. That is certainly what I want. But for the country rat, I would just like to go to the countryside for holidays or something of that sort but certainly not to live there. Its just a direct opposite.
So care for any comments? Share your views!

2009-06-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hello all, this is the Monday Interview! Today, our grand interviewee will be.... my father! Ok, just a brief introduction. This interview is to understand the reading habbits of my father and you would be interested in how he answers his question. Off we go then!

What is the title of the book that you are reading? Why are you reading it?
Glycerine. I am reading it for scientific purposes and for my researches in the laboratory. I do a lot of lab work, so this book will come in handy, especially if I am doing a project about it.

What are the criterion that you use to select a book title?
It must be topics of my interests and I would like to read books which are in the form of movie trailers. One of such is The Da Vinci Code. Other criterion that I choose is that the book must work-related.

Do you think it more important to read for leisure than for work?
Yes, because I think that reading is more of a form of leisure and even though I read books that are related to work, I find it rather relaxing as work is also a form of leisure for me.

How does reading benefit you? (for relaxation? for learning new knowledge? gaining literature insights?)
It is more for relaxation and to expand my vocabulary. It is also for my leisure activities.

Which book has the greatest impact on you? Why?
Animal Farm by George Orwell. It reminds me as a parent especially to be fair and transparent always or my children (my siblings and I ) will be mad at me!

Can you recommend some books you have read in your childhood that you think is suitable for us to read?
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Another one is Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy.

If your shelf caught fire, which book would you take?
Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I usually read this book to sleep and the thought-provoking mysteries prevent my mind from overworking.

Overall, I think that my father reads quite a fair bit but if may seem that he is quite a workaholic. The fact that he reads most of his books related to work makes me feel that way. Alright, the interview has ended. Hope you enjoyed it and I will try to have an interview weekly until the end of the holidays.

2009-05-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

Phew, the weekend is almost over! The week is starting all over again! You may find it weird, but I just love a new week and a new day. The holidays are approaching, but I am sure it will be hectic. The weekend was rather eventful, but I would just like to share with you one of the main events that happened and I think that it should be rather predictable if you went with some people in the class on Saturday. It was the Spastic Children's Association of Singapore (SCAS) 47th annual Sports Meet held at Meridian JC. I would just give a brief introduction on the event. There were 17 events altogether, consisting of rollators/kaywalkers* competition, dash races and staff races. There were actually spastic adults too. I was allocated in the yellow house and the boy whom I was handling was exceptionally hyperactive. He would run everywhere with so much zest that I had trouble handling him. I felt relieved that he managed to put his hyperactiveness to good use when he competed in 3 events. I would like to point out this boy as he had trouble with his hand movements and could not fully control it. There was one thing about this boy which I took notice of: his eyes were quite big and although he did not speak English, he could somehow understand what I was saying. The event I would like to highlight is the one which was the 50m dash race. This boy was very enthusiastic and raced me to the start line. When the umpire rang the horn, off he went like a wind. You would not expect him to go as fast as Usain Bolt, but I can tell you that that legs of his was as strong as anyone's. Even without much hand movement, he pushed on in the race and managed to come in second, before collapsing on the track. The smile on his face was exceptional. I had seen many people smile before, but I knew that this boy had the widest grin I had ever seen. It was a heartwarming sight. Even after the whole race, he ran some 20m more before I caught up with him. I think he wanted support from people who came, and I was glad I could provide it. Congratulating him, he completely ignored me. He wanted to continue running, until his adrenaline rush finally died down. Until now, I felt this event was one of the best I have ever seen. His sheer effort and enthusiasm taught me to put in the best effort that I could in everything, and continue to go the extra mile. This boy who was "supposed" to be handicapped, proved to be that there was no such handicappness if you put in the best that you could.

*rollators/kaywalkers are rolling walkers which help to ease movement.

A Long Road

2009-05-21T04:31:00.001-07:00

Don't we all love walking never ending roads. I went to the dentist today and I chose to walk back instead of taking any forms of transport. I think it must have been at least 1.6km. This time, the path I chose to walk was just under an MRT line. The road must have been really long. Eager to reach home, I walked briskly until I started to pant. It must be like taking part in a walkathon. It must be a long road ahead. Whether I walked slowly or quickly, I would still reach my destination. I felt that I was being the one who would walk so quickly that I would not even notice my surroundings. It would take you to your destination very quickly, but you would have not enjoyed the surroundings around you. I started to slow down my pace, and take a break from walking. It was then I realised all the things I had missed. There was full of greenery and I noticed many creatures that lived there. Initially, all around me were just green stuff which are so common to me. Now, as I look more carefully, more vividly, I discovered a few squirrels on the tree. Not one. A few. As I drew out my camera phone to snap a picture, they scrambled down to the undergrowth and disappeared out of sight. Although I could not get a picture, it was better than not having to see them at all. Now, I feel that I should really take the time in June holidays to observe more carefully to the creatures that so frequently roam the earth but me having failed to realise their presence.

2009-04-27T04:12:00.000-07:00

WOOOTSSSS! I won the triple jump event today! Can't believe I won because I was not the "favourite" to win. I am currently aiming for double field champion award but I think I have to work hard for it. Actually, I did not really jump very far. It was just 10.69m. However, this event has thought me a lesson. It is that you should not underestimate yourself as I did not even know that I could jump over 9m. This is quite an achievement and I hope I can do better in the future :) Now, it is all time for high jump, my next mission. Nothing much to blog about, I would just have to take the time off now. However, thanks for the support that 1O2 gave and I think that we would be able to win more for our class.

2009-04-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone there, I would like to express my own reflections on something that just happen two days ago. I was just rushing back home from the dentist and the distance I had to walk from the dentist to my home was like a million miles to me. Then I saw this woman who had a young child and was pushing him in a pram. Then, she said in Mandarin to her son, "Look, there is a sparrow on the tree!" Mind you, the sparrow was nothing special. It was just ordinary. Right after she said that, I immediately turned my head to look at the sparrow. On the way back, I realised something odd. I, after 13 years living on this earth, am still turning my head to look at something I have seen for probably more than a 100 times. Then, so fascinated as ever, the young boy stared at it entranced, with his head not moving an inch. I started to wonder: After 13 years of my life, how many times have I looked back at the past years to enjoy what I had seen and experience. So, I am just trying to get that amidst all your homework, all the pressure from the working world, let us take time to relax and look back at what we had all enjoyed when we were younger.

2009-03-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, today is the last day of the school holidays! Term one is gone, term two has come! Time for loads of change and resolutions (although it was meant for the start of the year) For now, I shall be uploading photos of my term one experience in Hwa Chong and these photos I took throughout the whole of term one! Hope you enjoy it!

This is a morning sunrise
and I took this picture
before flag raising.

There was meant to be a
squirrel on the rock. Can you
spot it?

A squirrel on the railings. It
was moving rather swiftly.

(Left):This picture was taken on the second floor of the library. It overlooks Bukit Timah Hill (background) and the classrooms of Hwa Chong.

(Left) This is one of the pictures taken for the AAP assignment. Can you guess what it is about?

(Down) A close-up shot taken for my Geography project.

The morning sunrise at the Terraces.

(These pictures were taken by my 3.2 megapixel handphone camera.)

2009-03-20T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hello all. First post in the March Holidays. Sadly, the holidays are ending but I am excited for school! I shall do a quick review for the March Holidays:

1. I went to St Andrew's Cathedral Home For the Aged to visit the elderly there.
2. I went for training.
3. I injured myself during training.
4. I learnt how to play mahjong.
5. I have new spike shoes!

Alright, top 5 highlights of the week! Anyway, I went to the home to do CIP. It was quite interesting and the elderly seem to be quite happy there. Actually, I learnt how to play mahjong from them. That was only after cleaning the windows and helping the staff out. Rather a memorable visit. Next, I bought new spike shoes! Thats the most exciting part actually. The spike shoe is red and the brand is nike. I had to adjust to the new spikes and it worked out perfectly. However, when it was time to do frog jumps, I injured myself! Couldn't go for training the next day (today). The March holidays is quite interesting and I am waiting for the June holidays! (obviously) Anyway, I have been reading some encyclclopedia (correct my spelling if I am wrong) as recommended by Vincent. Rather fantastic learning something out of the classroom, but some of the facts are too difficult to understand. (sadly) Currently, I am out of books to read so please recommend some. It can be of any genre so feel free to comment.
Thanks and I think I have to conclude now. Bye and come by regularly!

Reading Habits

2009-03-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I am in the computer lab and blogging once again. Well, today I am supposed to post about my reading habits. I think that I am supposed to tell truthfully. Alright, I think that I have only read 5-7 books this year. I hope that I can read more books. However, I do not know what to read. I usually just take up a book which I find interesting and start working on it. I remember reading a lot in the beginning of the year but somehow I just stopped reading suddenly. I promise to start reading again hopefully in the March holidays. I have already read all the literature books I am supposed to read and I think my favourite is The Valley by the Sea. I have also read Animal Farm and To Kill a Mockingbird and I think I like the latter most. It is highly recommended and I think all of you should read it too.

Now, I am supposed to go to weread.com to open an account. Now, I think I should read at least half an hour a day so that my English Language can improve. All I can say, I should be going to the website now!

2009-02-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

Helloooooo, this should be a long, dreary welcome to the new but happening blog. Not really actually. I haven't blogged for a long time and doubt if I would ever blog for the next two weeks. Tests. Training. Stress. All these happening so quickly. Within a flash, it has already been 1/12 of a year gone by. Soon, it would be 1/6. Then 1/4. Then 1/3. Then 1/2. Enough of counting. You get what I am trying to say. The year is passing too fast. Way too fast. Its term test already. I hope that I would get enough of year 2009. Anyway, enough of talking. This would be a rather outdated post but I think the least I should do is to blog about it.
Was the taximan a good father?
This is in reference of the Taximan story (from the book which you should know). Initially, I thought that the taximan was a good father. But after analysing it carefully with the help of my teacher, I managed to sieve out the important imformation from the story. The taximan was not a really good father after all. "What it lies in the power to do, lies in out power not to do. "------Aristotle. I feel that the father was not showing a good example and how could he even have an ideal daughter? He should reflect on himself first before checking on the rest. Pot call the kettel black. HAHA. I think I have exceeded the word limit. Goodbye and have to mug for Geography.

2009-02-03T05:01:00.001-08:00

"GOOD EVENING EVERYONE....." This was what I practised today. I got a headset-cum-microphone today! The first thing I did was to open the package and check it out. Surely it was going to work. I had half written my script for the voice recording ( I wrote the part one only ) and I was just testing the quality of the sound. It was perfect. I had fun using a monotonous voice reading and a cheery one too. I had a whale of a time figuring out all the functions of it, just like how a baby would fiddle with something new. I hope I would be ready by Wednesday and it would be perfect by then.

Alright, I have briefly talked about school work today. I promised to share jokes ( some of which are corny ) and some true life story I adapted from the newspaper, The Straits Times. I really enjoy the last few pages of the main paper and I think that you should read it too.

JOKES:

1. What can be served but cannot be eaten?
Tennis balls

2. Who was the first person to wear the eggshell?
Humpty Dumpty

3. What do you get when some grizzlies get stuck in a pool of slime?
Gummy bears

4. What happens when two frogs get married?
They live hoppily ever after.

5. Why could screams be heard from the kitchen?
The chef was beating the eggs

6. Why did the man walk stealthily across the dispensary?
He did not want to wake up the sleeping pills.

These are all I have found out so far. Actually, I read all these from a variety of joke books. I love jokes and it is one of my ways of relaxing, whether corny or not. Thats all I have for today, so GOODNIGHT EVERYONE!

2009-01-30T03:38:00.000-08:00

SUP ALLLLLL!!!!!!!! I am just feeling really happy because it is Friday today! I am not sure if I can use a smiley but I am just really happy today. Well, I just want to wish all a happy Chinese New Year! So, what are you waiting for? Time for goal settings (which would be realistic) and time for tests as well. Back to square one again after PSLE. Just to take my mind off tests, I would like to discuss some current affairs which is happening to us now. And, I would also take some slices of life which I came across or encountered myself.

All of you have read about the new education system right, I hope. I realise that primary 1 and 2 pupils do not need to sit for any examinations anymore! I am really glad for them because I remembered that when I sat for my examinations in primary 1, I really did not know what to do. This change in the education system also highlight the effort of the ministry of education (MOE) to reduce stress from pupils. This comes back to the topic of the complaint letter I did today. How can the education system be altered so that it will be beneficial for the student? Maybe we cannot entirely take away all examinations but I hope that the examination period will be spread over the school year. Enough of talking, I would like to share my slice of life........ in the next post!

So keep up with my blog, and I hope that you will find it interesting. Good night everyone!

2009-01-28T02:12:00.000-08:00

Oh no, tomorrow need to go to school. Sad. Anyway, I think I should post this because everyone has already posted.

"Who killed Adeline?" (This question is based on the book Little Ironies and one of the short stories Adeline Ng Ai Choo)

The reason why I haven't posted my thoughts on this question is because I do not really have an answer right now. It is a really brain bending question because it don't really seem as if there is even a standard answer. I would have thought that Adeline had killed herself but I think that there are many 'murderers' behind her death. Let's put it this way: Adeline killed herself but the reasons she killed herself was because of the pressure given from her father and her teacher not giving her another mark to pass her examinations. At least this is what I think. I do not really think she had any reason to kill herself anyway because she was studying for her own future and she was only trying to pass the grade for the sake of her future instead of the sake of her father's face.

That is all I can think of for this question. I really do not have any exact answer and your thoughts can come from different point of views. Hope you will read this story and post your comments!

2009-01-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

"Wad do u think of tis prob?" This was one of the messages I received quite a few weeks ago. I was browsing through the messages of my handphone and this message happened to catch my eye. Suddenly, a question popped up in my mind:

"Does the use of text message language affect the English standard of Singapore?"

I think that it is quite natural of us to use slang in our speech. I am no different. It is already in our blood to speak "Singlish". I think that the use of "Singlish" or slang will only affect us if we do not have know how to spead Standard English. We may get influenced by our speech that sometimes we do not even know that we are not speaking Standard English. The use of "Singlish" becomes our Standard English and we feel weird using Standard English. Thus, we might somehow get affected if we do not practise speaking Standard English. I can assure you that if it wasn't for my English lessons, I would not even know the difference between "is" or "are". This is evident that using "Singlish" is will most likely affect our way of speech.

Although I would not really go all out to ban the use of "Singlish", I also do not think that we should promote it. I would like all of us to try to use more Standard English and the use of standard of English in Singapore would be greatly improved.

2009-01-23T01:41:00.000-08:00

Once again, a grand hello to all reading this post. Today was not too bad. Just had some really interesting Chinese New Year celebration. Yeah, had to admit it was above expectations because they had stuff like Don't Forget the Lyrics Chinese New Year Version. I thought it was quite a well planned performance thought I would have preferred it to be in the auditorium. Now, I would like to talk about what the topic of the day (actually it was yesterdays').

"What is the duty of a teacher?"

These few days, I have been talking about education related topics. This is because I have been studying this short story adapted from Adeline Ng Ai Choo, taken from Catherine Lim's book Litte Ironies. You can read more about the book.
I think that a teacher's job is not only to teach. The teacher should come and counsel the student and find out more about his or her problems. Should the student be unwilling to talk, then a professional counseller should be called in. If the teacher is not concerned about the students, then where is the value 'care' in the teacher? Can we study in a school where the value 'care' is not present? What should we do then, when we have problems to tell a teacher, and the teacher does not care? We always say school is our second home, thus I feel it is also the teacher's job to help students not only in terms of studies, but also the students's well being.

These are my reflections. I am interested to know what your views are on this topic. So, comment!

2009-01-21T02:23:00.000-08:00

Home, finally! Changed my braces colour to pink and yellow. Anyway, today we had language arts, my new favourite subject! The topic for the day:

"What do you think we can do to improve our education system?"

I think that Singapore's education is quite whole and well already, and I do not really have much to comment about it. However, I still have some suggestions to improve our education system.
Firstly, I believe that since we are living in a rather competitive society, the duty of students is to study, study and study even more. I think that it is certainly very natural for students to be overwhelmed with school work and added pressures to strive from their parents. I hope that students will not be too stressed out by their work and sometimes have some fun instead. Firstly, I think that we should introduce more outdoor activities for them. This will help the students to destress. Secondly, I would like schools to have more facilities so that students can learn in a more conducive environment. I also think that learning should not always be in the classroom and we should have students to go out to discover more about what they are learning.
This will help the students be more interested in their studies and learning should be more creative. This will enhance the quality of our education and enjoy learning.

Any disagreements? Share your thoughts!

What is education?

2009-01-19T03:49:00.000-08:00

Hello, this another issue which was posted in class today.

"What is education?" Have you ever thought of this question?

Well, what do you think of education. Does being educated need you to be thought by a teacher? Must you be in school, or must you graduate to be known as educated? Let me share with you might thoughts on this matter.

In thesaurus.reference.com, the defination of education is instruction, developement of knowledge. But the synonyms also stated that education is also to a certain extent brainwashing. Therefore, I think that education can be on anything, whether good or bad. So, I think that education is expanding your knowledge about certain things and it does not need to be taught by a teacher. You do not need to graduate to have education either. Having said this, I feel that education can be on anything, anywhere, anyhow. The term "education" is very general. That is why education is not limited in the classroom or teacher rambling on about geography, mathematic, science and so on. It can be on your general knowledge. I also feel that since education is on anything, we should not view "education" as "study". Having education means that you have more knowledge on certain things.

This are my thoughts for the topic. What are your views then?

2009-01-16T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hello, this was the discussion posted yesterday. Economy will always have the upperhand over environmental conservation. I was suppose to be against the motion and I think all of you have heard enough so I am moving on to the second question posted by the chairman, which is what I am elaborating on now.

"Can economic growth and environmental conservation co-exist?"

Well, i think that they are able to co-exist. It suddenly hit upon me when we were attending geography class. This was what the geography teacher was explaining: There was a resort located near the coast of the Indian Ocean and to prevent the strong waves from hitting against the resort, t-groynes were placed. However, they did not cover the whole coast as they wanted to protect the marine creatures there, which could be seen very easily when standing near the coast, and the marine creatures were the main attraction for tourists.

Through this example, I believe that the environment is conserved (the marine creatures were not entirely destroyed) and economic growth was certain (tourists who wanted to see the marine creatures). From this example, I am quite certain that economice growth and environmental conservation can co-exist.
Well, this is just my thought. What about yours? Do you agree? Post your comments!

MYNEWBLOG

2009-01-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I have just created a blog! Had a disccussion today. about economy. Should economy have the upperhand over environmental conservation? Think about it. Well, I am not going to elaborate anymore. But don't worry, I will have a real post soon and this blog will come alive :D