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.
Monday, March 1, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
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.
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.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
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?
What is CNY to you?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
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 :))
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 :))
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
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 :)))
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 :)))
Friday, January 22, 2010
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.
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.
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