Hi,
Today I will talk about how writing blog posts about really helps me in my life and that it is not all about ACE. I would like to explain why I have such a love for writing blog posts and how they can help me in daily life. (By the way, I hope you get the title. Hint: Inception is about a world within a world. So, Blog-ception is about writing about blogs in a blog post)
Ever since primary school, I did not know much about blogs and had the impression that blogs were for grown-ups only. I also thought that blogs were a waste of time and a bit stupid because it was public so many people could see what was happening in your life, which means intruding in your privacy. Therefore, I did not have the habit of writing blogs, diaries or journals. However, after joining Hwa Chong Institution, I was introduced to the idea of blogs and started to write many posts about my feelings on current events. At first, I struggled to come up with my own topics and had to rely on my LA teacher for ideas. From there, I expressed my views on the topic but was not able to do so very well. However, as I wrote more and more blog posts, my confidence in writing grew as well and now, I am able to write blog posts very freely about almost everything under the sun. Blogs have also changed from a compulsory section of my studies to an enjoyable activity that I look forward to do. My writing skills have also improved by a lot, as I can spurn out chunks of words without much thinking. I enjoy blog posts because they help me to know more about current affairs and be used as a platform to pour out my feelings about something. It also helps me to improve my writing skills, in preparation for the examinations. I can comment on others' blog posts and learn many different points of view too, hence helping me to think critically and consider all points-of-view. Therefore, I find that blog posts have definitely helped me in my life both academically and emotionally.
In conclusion, I think that blog posts have really helped me in my life and I recommend that everyone start a blog right now! Thanks to blogs, my writing skills have improved by a lot and I have been exposed to a totally different world online!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Poor Results
Hi,
During the recent LA Reading & Reasoning test, I did very poorly, scoring a D7. I was the second lowest in class and I did much worse than my expectations. I failed! This definitely dealt a major blow to my studies because I was aiming for a good MSG this term. I also wanted to get into Humanities Programme next year but it requires me to get an End-Of-Year LA grade of A1. Of course, an appeal can work. However, i definitely do not want to take such chances. Therefore, I want to share my feelings on this test, why I did so badly and how I will respond to this matter.
When I first got the R & R paper back, I was quite alright with the results, because I expected that I did not do well in the test and I also thought that others were doing as badly as me. However, I realised that everyone around me was doing much better than I was and I even came it second lowest in class! This was a major shock to me because I was quite good in Language Arts. Thus, I felt very devastated and I knew that my MSG this term was going to be very poor. What's more, I was aiming to go the Humanities Programme next year, but I may have to put aside my hopes, thanks to this very poor result. I mean, this is one of my only failures in secondary school and it dealt a huge blow to me. I was feeling very emotional, but I managed to confide in a few of my friends who were nice and comforted me. Although I still feel that it was a pity that I did not get four or five marks higher, I think that I have gotten over it now.
I believe that there must be reasons for not doing well. It cannot be just about pure misfortune. I think that it is important to analyse where I have gone wrong so that I can take future steps to improve during my next test. I would love to say that the main reason why I failed was because the passages were so hard, but this is all but an excuse because I know that my other classmates were able to get A1s, doing the same paper as me. Therefore, I think that the fact that I did not study enough was the main reason. I did not annotate the whole book of The Merchant of Venice and faced the consequences when I was unable to accurately answer the questions tested. Had I read every chapter more detailed-ly and ask my teacher when I had problems understanding, I think that I would have scored much better. I also feel that I did not read widely enough. One key to scoring well in Language Arts is by reading widely; reading newspapers, reading all kinds of genres of books and reading informative texts. As a result, I was not able to understand the Rupert Murdoch case very well and missed out on a lot of marks.
Since I know where I have gone wrong, I feel that my marks are just water under the bridge and that there is no point crying over spilt milk. Therefore, what I can do now is to start practicing for the End-of-Year examinations. Anyway, this test is just a mere 6% in my EOY grade and I believe that I can still manage to score at least an A if I do well in the final examination. Thus, I think that I need to start to read The Merchant of Venice and To Kill a Mockingbird all over again and annotate every passage. I also need to start a journal where I can jot down notes on certain articles that catch my attention, so that I can have a ready supply of articles at hand to use as evidence to support my point in the argumentative questions.
In conclusion, I believe that all is not lost despite this failure and I feel quite happy that I managed to get through this setback quite easily. As long as I work hard from now on, I believe that my Language Arts can get back on track and I will be able to score well.
During the recent LA Reading & Reasoning test, I did very poorly, scoring a D7. I was the second lowest in class and I did much worse than my expectations. I failed! This definitely dealt a major blow to my studies because I was aiming for a good MSG this term. I also wanted to get into Humanities Programme next year but it requires me to get an End-Of-Year LA grade of A1. Of course, an appeal can work. However, i definitely do not want to take such chances. Therefore, I want to share my feelings on this test, why I did so badly and how I will respond to this matter.
When I first got the R & R paper back, I was quite alright with the results, because I expected that I did not do well in the test and I also thought that others were doing as badly as me. However, I realised that everyone around me was doing much better than I was and I even came it second lowest in class! This was a major shock to me because I was quite good in Language Arts. Thus, I felt very devastated and I knew that my MSG this term was going to be very poor. What's more, I was aiming to go the Humanities Programme next year, but I may have to put aside my hopes, thanks to this very poor result. I mean, this is one of my only failures in secondary school and it dealt a huge blow to me. I was feeling very emotional, but I managed to confide in a few of my friends who were nice and comforted me. Although I still feel that it was a pity that I did not get four or five marks higher, I think that I have gotten over it now.
I believe that there must be reasons for not doing well. It cannot be just about pure misfortune. I think that it is important to analyse where I have gone wrong so that I can take future steps to improve during my next test. I would love to say that the main reason why I failed was because the passages were so hard, but this is all but an excuse because I know that my other classmates were able to get A1s, doing the same paper as me. Therefore, I think that the fact that I did not study enough was the main reason. I did not annotate the whole book of The Merchant of Venice and faced the consequences when I was unable to accurately answer the questions tested. Had I read every chapter more detailed-ly and ask my teacher when I had problems understanding, I think that I would have scored much better. I also feel that I did not read widely enough. One key to scoring well in Language Arts is by reading widely; reading newspapers, reading all kinds of genres of books and reading informative texts. As a result, I was not able to understand the Rupert Murdoch case very well and missed out on a lot of marks.
Since I know where I have gone wrong, I feel that my marks are just water under the bridge and that there is no point crying over spilt milk. Therefore, what I can do now is to start practicing for the End-of-Year examinations. Anyway, this test is just a mere 6% in my EOY grade and I believe that I can still manage to score at least an A if I do well in the final examination. Thus, I think that I need to start to read The Merchant of Venice and To Kill a Mockingbird all over again and annotate every passage. I also need to start a journal where I can jot down notes on certain articles that catch my attention, so that I can have a ready supply of articles at hand to use as evidence to support my point in the argumentative questions.
In conclusion, I believe that all is not lost despite this failure and I feel quite happy that I managed to get through this setback quite easily. As long as I work hard from now on, I believe that my Language Arts can get back on track and I will be able to score well.
Pollution
Hi,
In Term 3, I learned about Geography for IH and I enjoyed learning it. The topic of pollution hit me hard and I have decided to write a post all about it: What are my takes on pollution and my suggestions to how we as people of the world can improve.
There are many different types of pollution, namely air pollution, land pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and light pollution. The most serious pollutions that can result in the death of humans are the first three types of pollution. Most of the causes of pollution are man-made. For example, air pollution can be caused by construction works, emission from cars and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)from household appliances like fridges. Land pollution can be caused by littering and deforestation, while water pollution can also be caused by littering, pesticide overuse and industrial emissions. The effects of pollution can be very harmful, ranging from the mild ones like inconvenience or causing irritance to those that can cause health illnesses like lung cancer and even death. Therefore, it is important that the world try to reduce the amount of pollution it is experiencing.
One thing that I do not understand is why humans are so selfish, including myself. We all know that the world is facing severe pollution, yet we ignore it and do not want to do anything to minimise the harmful effects that can occur. This is a huge irony: Men are complaining about the pollution the world is experiencing but is not only doing nothing about it, but also continuing to cause more and more pollution in the world. Therefore, I hope that every human wakes up and realises that each of us has a role to play in preserving our Earth. For example, we can start just by not littering and using household appliances that are proven to release less harmful gases. As we grow up, we can also choose to buy eco-friendly cars and hold campaigns to spread awareness about the severity of pollution. The government and various environmental organisations should also take some initiatives like banning excess emissions of harmful gases or toxic wastes and providing incentives to companies who help to reduce pollution.
In conclusion, I believe that as long as we all do our part in trying to prevent the world from getting sick of pollution, we need to WAKE UP and stop being so selfish. If we do not want to bear the harmful consequences of pollution, we need to start to do something about it.
In Term 3, I learned about Geography for IH and I enjoyed learning it. The topic of pollution hit me hard and I have decided to write a post all about it: What are my takes on pollution and my suggestions to how we as people of the world can improve.
There are many different types of pollution, namely air pollution, land pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and light pollution. The most serious pollutions that can result in the death of humans are the first three types of pollution. Most of the causes of pollution are man-made. For example, air pollution can be caused by construction works, emission from cars and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)from household appliances like fridges. Land pollution can be caused by littering and deforestation, while water pollution can also be caused by littering, pesticide overuse and industrial emissions. The effects of pollution can be very harmful, ranging from the mild ones like inconvenience or causing irritance to those that can cause health illnesses like lung cancer and even death. Therefore, it is important that the world try to reduce the amount of pollution it is experiencing.
One thing that I do not understand is why humans are so selfish, including myself. We all know that the world is facing severe pollution, yet we ignore it and do not want to do anything to minimise the harmful effects that can occur. This is a huge irony: Men are complaining about the pollution the world is experiencing but is not only doing nothing about it, but also continuing to cause more and more pollution in the world. Therefore, I hope that every human wakes up and realises that each of us has a role to play in preserving our Earth. For example, we can start just by not littering and using household appliances that are proven to release less harmful gases. As we grow up, we can also choose to buy eco-friendly cars and hold campaigns to spread awareness about the severity of pollution. The government and various environmental organisations should also take some initiatives like banning excess emissions of harmful gases or toxic wastes and providing incentives to companies who help to reduce pollution.
In conclusion, I believe that as long as we all do our part in trying to prevent the world from getting sick of pollution, we need to WAKE UP and stop being so selfish. If we do not want to bear the harmful consequences of pollution, we need to start to do something about it.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Soccer Crazy
Hi,
It is now the transfer window for the Barclays Premier League 2011/12 season, where teams get to buy and sell players in preparation for the new season. This transfer season has been open for very long already and I have followed it everyday, being a hard-core soccer fan. Many players have already left their old clubs in search for better football clubs, but the gastronomical prices that the players cost really make me wonder why football players are worth so much. Many players also earn a lot, with top players like Wayne Rooney earning around $250,000 a week, which means that he can be a multi-millionaire in just a matter of months.
There are many reasons why players cost so much. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with millions of people subscribing to sports channels and thousands of fans going down to the stadium to watch the match live, regardless of the fact that TV rights and ticket prices both cost a lot. Fans just want to get the pleasure of watching their team win and even go to the extent of wanting to experience the atmosphere in the stadium. Furthermore, many clubs are owned by rich business men, who are willing to pump in a lot of money to contribute to the cash flow of the club. Therefore, professional clubs earn a lot of money every year and can afford the transfer fees of new players and the high players' wages.
Although I agree that the transfer season is one of the aspects that make soccer very interesting because it enhances the quality of the teams and hence the competitiveness of the league, I think that spending such huge prices is quite unfair because it only allows clubs with rich owners to buy better players, which will ultimately allow them to perform better in the league, thus earning more prize money and the cycle goes on and on. Therefore, I hope that a cap is introduced to limit clubs to have an equal budget during the transfer season so that every team has an equal opportunity to improve the team's quality. Furthermore, I also feel that soccer players should not be paid such high wages because all they do is just to play soccer competitively and help their team to glory. This means a large amount of money has to be dedicated to football leagues. I think that a football player should be paid less, because they do not deserve to get so much money. Therefore, I feel that the wages should be cut down and the extra money be given to charity, so that a larger amount of people can benefit.
In conclusion, although I am an avid soccer fan, I feel critical towards all the clubs that spend so much money because this money can be dedicated for better uses like donating to the charity so that the society can benefit from football as well.
It is now the transfer window for the Barclays Premier League 2011/12 season, where teams get to buy and sell players in preparation for the new season. This transfer season has been open for very long already and I have followed it everyday, being a hard-core soccer fan. Many players have already left their old clubs in search for better football clubs, but the gastronomical prices that the players cost really make me wonder why football players are worth so much. Many players also earn a lot, with top players like Wayne Rooney earning around $250,000 a week, which means that he can be a multi-millionaire in just a matter of months.
There are many reasons why players cost so much. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, with millions of people subscribing to sports channels and thousands of fans going down to the stadium to watch the match live, regardless of the fact that TV rights and ticket prices both cost a lot. Fans just want to get the pleasure of watching their team win and even go to the extent of wanting to experience the atmosphere in the stadium. Furthermore, many clubs are owned by rich business men, who are willing to pump in a lot of money to contribute to the cash flow of the club. Therefore, professional clubs earn a lot of money every year and can afford the transfer fees of new players and the high players' wages.
Although I agree that the transfer season is one of the aspects that make soccer very interesting because it enhances the quality of the teams and hence the competitiveness of the league, I think that spending such huge prices is quite unfair because it only allows clubs with rich owners to buy better players, which will ultimately allow them to perform better in the league, thus earning more prize money and the cycle goes on and on. Therefore, I hope that a cap is introduced to limit clubs to have an equal budget during the transfer season so that every team has an equal opportunity to improve the team's quality. Furthermore, I also feel that soccer players should not be paid such high wages because all they do is just to play soccer competitively and help their team to glory. This means a large amount of money has to be dedicated to football leagues. I think that a football player should be paid less, because they do not deserve to get so much money. Therefore, I feel that the wages should be cut down and the extra money be given to charity, so that a larger amount of people can benefit.
In conclusion, although I am an avid soccer fan, I feel critical towards all the clubs that spend so much money because this money can be dedicated for better uses like donating to the charity so that the society can benefit from football as well.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
MP Penny Low
Hi,
During the National Day Parade, cameras caught MP Penny Low looking down at her mobile phone while everyone else was singing the National Anthem. Further controversies were made when MediaCorp censored this part when they screened the replay of the parade one day later. Therefore, many people questioned the PAP's credibility and are losing faith in the party.
In my opinion, I think that it is definitely impossible that MP Penny Low is not to blame for the incident. She looked at her mobile phone during the singing of the National Anthem, which is obviously a sign of utter disrespect to the nation. The National Anthem is supposed to be sung solemnly and with full focus on the flag. However, her actions were contrary to these customs and made herself a bad role model for younger generations. Now, younger generations can use her as an excuse to look at their mobile phones while attending lectures or when someone is talking to them. As an MP, MP Penny Low should have known that all eyes were on her. Her job was to be a leader and I am sure that many people will lose their trust in her leadership abilities after this incident. Therefore, I feel quite disappointed with her actions.
However, MP Penny Low apologized to the media one day later and gave the reason that she was too excited over the parade and decided to post her feelings on Facebook. I feel that her act of apology was good because it should be the right way to go and showed that she was willing to confess her mistake in public. I also think that MediaCorp did the right thing by censoring that part because there is absolutely no reason to show it once again on television, since she has already apologized. However, her reasons make me doubt whether her apology was really sincere. I mean, of all times, posting a Facebook post during the singing of the National Anthem? Why can't she post that afterwards? I looked at her Facebook profile and discovered that she posted a picture of the fireworks at 8.00pm. I am not so sure when the National Anthem was sung so I cannot make a final conclusion.
In my opinion, I think that this incident just another porthole that distances the relationship between PAP and the citizens of Singapore. I hope that the MPs will learn from this incident and act according to how they should behave. I also hope that the citizens of Singapore will be forgiving so that we can enjoy peace in Singapore. Anyway, National Day is supposed to be a day of celebration, so why let this small matter sour the festive mood? However, if only MP Penny Low had exercised a bit of self-control and thought before she acted, this incident would not even happen in the first place.
During the National Day Parade, cameras caught MP Penny Low looking down at her mobile phone while everyone else was singing the National Anthem. Further controversies were made when MediaCorp censored this part when they screened the replay of the parade one day later. Therefore, many people questioned the PAP's credibility and are losing faith in the party.
In my opinion, I think that it is definitely impossible that MP Penny Low is not to blame for the incident. She looked at her mobile phone during the singing of the National Anthem, which is obviously a sign of utter disrespect to the nation. The National Anthem is supposed to be sung solemnly and with full focus on the flag. However, her actions were contrary to these customs and made herself a bad role model for younger generations. Now, younger generations can use her as an excuse to look at their mobile phones while attending lectures or when someone is talking to them. As an MP, MP Penny Low should have known that all eyes were on her. Her job was to be a leader and I am sure that many people will lose their trust in her leadership abilities after this incident. Therefore, I feel quite disappointed with her actions.
However, MP Penny Low apologized to the media one day later and gave the reason that she was too excited over the parade and decided to post her feelings on Facebook. I feel that her act of apology was good because it should be the right way to go and showed that she was willing to confess her mistake in public. I also think that MediaCorp did the right thing by censoring that part because there is absolutely no reason to show it once again on television, since she has already apologized. However, her reasons make me doubt whether her apology was really sincere. I mean, of all times, posting a Facebook post during the singing of the National Anthem? Why can't she post that afterwards? I looked at her Facebook profile and discovered that she posted a picture of the fireworks at 8.00pm. I am not so sure when the National Anthem was sung so I cannot make a final conclusion.
In my opinion, I think that this incident just another porthole that distances the relationship between PAP and the citizens of Singapore. I hope that the MPs will learn from this incident and act according to how they should behave. I also hope that the citizens of Singapore will be forgiving so that we can enjoy peace in Singapore. Anyway, National Day is supposed to be a day of celebration, so why let this small matter sour the festive mood? However, if only MP Penny Low had exercised a bit of self-control and thought before she acted, this incident would not even happen in the first place.
Foreigners
Hi,
Recently, there has been a lot of unrest among Singaporeans saying that there are too many foreigners who have immigrated to Singapore, because they take away privileges that should belong to "true Singaporeans". I would like to express my views on this issue and suggest some initiatives that Singapore can take.
There are two types of foreigners in Singapore: foreign talent and foreign workers. Foreign talents are those that are highly-skilled and have the capability to work in white-collar jobs. On the other hand, foreign workers are foreigners who take up jobs that are unwanted, like construction workers and domestic helpers. Nowadays, more and more foreign workers are entering Singapore to find jobs to provide for their families back home. The same goes for foreign talent. This has resulted in the problem of a rapid population growth and puts a lot of strain on Singapore's already limited resources. For example, the public transports are now very packed during peak hours and almost every cabin has at least one foreigner getting ready to go to work. Some Singaporeans also accuse foreigners of bringing their poor hygiene standards into Singapore ad taking up jobs that Singaporeans are capable of doing, which worsens the unemployment rate. As time goes by, some foreigners also decide to stay here for good and buy housing units, which further drives up property prices. The most important problem that Singaporeans point out is that Singapore will lose its national identity and they do not feel proud to be Singaporeans with this huge influx of foreginers. As such, foreigners are targeted, but foreign talents tend to be victimised more than foreign workers.
In my opinion, I feel that this huge influx of immigrants is definitely a problem for Singapore because I agree that many of them take up our jobs, houses and identity. I just have to step out of my front door to see the huge extent of this influx. Out of four units on the floor that I am living in, half of them are owned by families who immigrated from China. However, I have to say that it is a stereotype to say that foreigners have lousier hygiene standards compared to us. We need to also look on the bright side of the matter and see how foreigners contribute to our economic sector. For example, look at Aleksander Duric, Shi Jiayi, Qiu Li, Mustafic Fahrudin and Daniel Bennett. They were all foreigners once but they toiled their hearts out to allow Singapore to enter the 3rd round of the World Cup qualifiers. Furthermore, since the foreigners are already here, it would be very cruel to send them back and Singaporeans will aggravate the situation by creating tension between "true" and "foreign" Singaporeans. Therefore, I think everyone has a role to play to minimise the negative effects of the influx of foreigners and instead use this to our advantage.
Firstly, I think that the government should enforce stricter laws on immigration to Singapore because we need to curb the number of people coming in. The government should also encourage companies to hire locals first, before considering foreigners to join the company. On a community level, I think that organisations should organise some activities for locals and foreigners to interact so that Singaporeans can understand the foreigners' situations, which will aid in promoting social cohesion. Finally, I hope that individuals can become more tolerant and understanding towards these foreigners and recognise their contributions, just like how I respect the construction workers for their silent enduring of the hard work that they do.
In conclusion, I think that the influx of foreign workers is a serious problem that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. However, things can be done to bring out the potential of these foreigners.
Recently, there has been a lot of unrest among Singaporeans saying that there are too many foreigners who have immigrated to Singapore, because they take away privileges that should belong to "true Singaporeans". I would like to express my views on this issue and suggest some initiatives that Singapore can take.
There are two types of foreigners in Singapore: foreign talent and foreign workers. Foreign talents are those that are highly-skilled and have the capability to work in white-collar jobs. On the other hand, foreign workers are foreigners who take up jobs that are unwanted, like construction workers and domestic helpers. Nowadays, more and more foreign workers are entering Singapore to find jobs to provide for their families back home. The same goes for foreign talent. This has resulted in the problem of a rapid population growth and puts a lot of strain on Singapore's already limited resources. For example, the public transports are now very packed during peak hours and almost every cabin has at least one foreigner getting ready to go to work. Some Singaporeans also accuse foreigners of bringing their poor hygiene standards into Singapore ad taking up jobs that Singaporeans are capable of doing, which worsens the unemployment rate. As time goes by, some foreigners also decide to stay here for good and buy housing units, which further drives up property prices. The most important problem that Singaporeans point out is that Singapore will lose its national identity and they do not feel proud to be Singaporeans with this huge influx of foreginers. As such, foreigners are targeted, but foreign talents tend to be victimised more than foreign workers.
In my opinion, I feel that this huge influx of immigrants is definitely a problem for Singapore because I agree that many of them take up our jobs, houses and identity. I just have to step out of my front door to see the huge extent of this influx. Out of four units on the floor that I am living in, half of them are owned by families who immigrated from China. However, I have to say that it is a stereotype to say that foreigners have lousier hygiene standards compared to us. We need to also look on the bright side of the matter and see how foreigners contribute to our economic sector. For example, look at Aleksander Duric, Shi Jiayi, Qiu Li, Mustafic Fahrudin and Daniel Bennett. They were all foreigners once but they toiled their hearts out to allow Singapore to enter the 3rd round of the World Cup qualifiers. Furthermore, since the foreigners are already here, it would be very cruel to send them back and Singaporeans will aggravate the situation by creating tension between "true" and "foreign" Singaporeans. Therefore, I think everyone has a role to play to minimise the negative effects of the influx of foreigners and instead use this to our advantage.
Firstly, I think that the government should enforce stricter laws on immigration to Singapore because we need to curb the number of people coming in. The government should also encourage companies to hire locals first, before considering foreigners to join the company. On a community level, I think that organisations should organise some activities for locals and foreigners to interact so that Singaporeans can understand the foreigners' situations, which will aid in promoting social cohesion. Finally, I hope that individuals can become more tolerant and understanding towards these foreigners and recognise their contributions, just like how I respect the construction workers for their silent enduring of the hard work that they do.
In conclusion, I think that the influx of foreign workers is a serious problem that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. However, things can be done to bring out the potential of these foreigners.
Kinship
Hi,
Recently, after watching many TV dramas, reading news articles and books, I realised that there are many families with relationship problems. Therefore, I would like to explain the importance of kinship and how relationships affect our lives directly.
There are many cases of kinship problems in the world. For example, in the book "The Merchant of Venice", there were arguments between Jessica and her father, Shylock, because they had differing principles in life and could not see eye to eye over life matters. Therefore, possibly out of frustration with her father, Jessica decided to leave her father for good and become a Christian, contrary to her father's ways, probably in a bid to spite him. I also watched a Hong Kong drama entitled "Moonlight Resonance", which centered its plot around kinship. There were many quarrels among family members, mainly because of monetary issues. Finally, in real life, there was a recent case a few years ago in 2008, where a multi-millionaire died in 2001. His three children had expected the inheritance to be split equally among the three children, however, they were taken aback when the inheritance was all given to the only son, leaving the two daughters with nothing. Therefore, the siblings decided to go to court to fight over $14 million. Thus, from all these three examples, we can see that kinship problems can be derived from differing viewpoints and more importantly, money!
It is very sad to see that many relatives fight over such trivial issues. It definitely shows that man is fallible to temptations of the world, such as money. Is money really more important than kinship? Kinship is for life, but money can be lost and won in just over a matter of days! Thus, I do not know why relatives can make up a big fuss and are willing to sacrifice their many years of kinship just to get benefits for themselves! Family members are very important to us, because they can support, help, encourage and care for us. They play a big role in determining our happiness in life and ensure that we are not lonely. In my opinion, we should always appreciate and treasure our family members and not wait until a bad thing happens that we start to regret. Therefore, we need to treat each other properly and show love to our relatives.
In conclusion, I hope that all kinship problems will be eradicated in this world and that everyone will be aware of the importance of relationships.
Recently, after watching many TV dramas, reading news articles and books, I realised that there are many families with relationship problems. Therefore, I would like to explain the importance of kinship and how relationships affect our lives directly.
There are many cases of kinship problems in the world. For example, in the book "The Merchant of Venice", there were arguments between Jessica and her father, Shylock, because they had differing principles in life and could not see eye to eye over life matters. Therefore, possibly out of frustration with her father, Jessica decided to leave her father for good and become a Christian, contrary to her father's ways, probably in a bid to spite him. I also watched a Hong Kong drama entitled "Moonlight Resonance", which centered its plot around kinship. There were many quarrels among family members, mainly because of monetary issues. Finally, in real life, there was a recent case a few years ago in 2008, where a multi-millionaire died in 2001. His three children had expected the inheritance to be split equally among the three children, however, they were taken aback when the inheritance was all given to the only son, leaving the two daughters with nothing. Therefore, the siblings decided to go to court to fight over $14 million. Thus, from all these three examples, we can see that kinship problems can be derived from differing viewpoints and more importantly, money!
It is very sad to see that many relatives fight over such trivial issues. It definitely shows that man is fallible to temptations of the world, such as money. Is money really more important than kinship? Kinship is for life, but money can be lost and won in just over a matter of days! Thus, I do not know why relatives can make up a big fuss and are willing to sacrifice their many years of kinship just to get benefits for themselves! Family members are very important to us, because they can support, help, encourage and care for us. They play a big role in determining our happiness in life and ensure that we are not lonely. In my opinion, we should always appreciate and treasure our family members and not wait until a bad thing happens that we start to regret. Therefore, we need to treat each other properly and show love to our relatives.
In conclusion, I hope that all kinship problems will be eradicated in this world and that everyone will be aware of the importance of relationships.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Wrongdoings
Hi,
I recently did something wrong that I am ashamed of and would not like to share it on such a public platform. However, through the incident, I learned many things, especially the important lesson of always thinking before I act.
Every time I do something wrong, I always feel an extreme sense of guilt and regret that I had acted that way. I always think, "If only I hadn't....". However, as the incident passes and gets removed from the "memory space" in my brain, I repeat the same actions and go through the same thought process. No doubt it is the human nature to do wrong. However, I should not take advantage of this fact as an excuse to do wrong all the time.
I see this situation in many Singaporeans in today's society as well, especially younger generations, and I know that I have no right to judge them because I fall under the same category too. For example, many students start from not handing up their homework in time, to talking back to teachers and finally to breaking school rules. Furthermore, I find that more and more people are beginning to undermine the seriousness of doing wrong. One possible cause is that many parents do not bring up their child well by not scolding them when they do wrong because they do not want to punish their children. This results in many people not having respect for others and do not realise how their wrongdoings can affect other people very severely. After repeated scoldings, many people also begin to get immune to these punishments and do not care about the consequences of their sins. This is a very bad situation in Singapore now because we, the young, are leaders of the next generation and we need to set a good example so that we can educate our descendants properly.
Therefore, I think that a solution has to be found very quickly in order to salvage this situation. I think as individuals, we need to practice self-discipline and to think before we act. When we think our actions through, we will be able to decide whether or not they will cause harm to anyone so that we can prevent the case of hurting someone unintentionally. More importantly, when we do wrong, we need to be humble and apologise to the opposite party, and not be stubborn and unwilling to be corrected. Parents also have to play a role in the proper bringing-up of their children and inculcate values such as respect in them from young. The community and the government should also organise programmes and campaigns to allow students to build their character in various ways.
In conclusion, I believe that humans are definitely not infallible, but there are many occasions where we can choose to do right or wrong. When we want to repent from our sins, we need to be sincere in our words and try our very best not to repeat the same mistake again.
I recently did something wrong that I am ashamed of and would not like to share it on such a public platform. However, through the incident, I learned many things, especially the important lesson of always thinking before I act.
Every time I do something wrong, I always feel an extreme sense of guilt and regret that I had acted that way. I always think, "If only I hadn't....". However, as the incident passes and gets removed from the "memory space" in my brain, I repeat the same actions and go through the same thought process. No doubt it is the human nature to do wrong. However, I should not take advantage of this fact as an excuse to do wrong all the time.
I see this situation in many Singaporeans in today's society as well, especially younger generations, and I know that I have no right to judge them because I fall under the same category too. For example, many students start from not handing up their homework in time, to talking back to teachers and finally to breaking school rules. Furthermore, I find that more and more people are beginning to undermine the seriousness of doing wrong. One possible cause is that many parents do not bring up their child well by not scolding them when they do wrong because they do not want to punish their children. This results in many people not having respect for others and do not realise how their wrongdoings can affect other people very severely. After repeated scoldings, many people also begin to get immune to these punishments and do not care about the consequences of their sins. This is a very bad situation in Singapore now because we, the young, are leaders of the next generation and we need to set a good example so that we can educate our descendants properly.
Therefore, I think that a solution has to be found very quickly in order to salvage this situation. I think as individuals, we need to practice self-discipline and to think before we act. When we think our actions through, we will be able to decide whether or not they will cause harm to anyone so that we can prevent the case of hurting someone unintentionally. More importantly, when we do wrong, we need to be humble and apologise to the opposite party, and not be stubborn and unwilling to be corrected. Parents also have to play a role in the proper bringing-up of their children and inculcate values such as respect in them from young. The community and the government should also organise programmes and campaigns to allow students to build their character in various ways.
In conclusion, I believe that humans are definitely not infallible, but there are many occasions where we can choose to do right or wrong. When we want to repent from our sins, we need to be sincere in our words and try our very best not to repeat the same mistake again.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Captain America
Hi,
I recently watched the movie "Captain America: The First Avenger" and I loved it very much. It was created by Marvel and is a prequel to the new movie coming out next summer, "The Avengers". It has really peaked my interest on the Marvel superheroes and I cannot wait to go to the library to borrow some of the comic books to see how the storyline of the comic and the movie differ.
In the movie, Captain America was first known as Steve Rogers, who was a very skinny but brave little man. He was often picked on by others for being weak and short, but always persevered when ever he was beaten up and never ran away, standing up tall against his assailant. He tried to enlist for the US Army to fight against the Nazis, but his applications were denied 5 times because of his long list of medical problems and his small stature. However, his perseverance paid off and he caught the eye of a scientist called Professor Erskine, who allowed Rogers to train to become a soldier. Convinced by Rogers' brave and compassionate nature, Professor Erskine decided to test his experiment on Rogers in an attempt to make his strong. The experiment worked but a Nazi operative came and assassinated Erskine, but was eventually killed by Rogers. With his new-found fame, Rogers became known as Captain America and began fighting his way to destroy the Hydra, a cult group that was led by Johann Shmidt (aka Red Skull), with the help of a few of his soldier friends.
I liked this movie because it was action-filled and hence, very intriguing. The plot was very deep, leaving no detail unexamined, but made use of the full two hours it was screened without going off track at any point of time. Every scene was important in the movie and many sensory details were also included to appeal to the audience's emotions. For example, the colours of red, blue and white were on Captain America's uniform, representing America's flag, hence showing that he had a strong sense of loyalty. On the other hand, Red Skull has a very bright red skin, symbolising hatred and anger, making the audience fear and hate him. I particularly like war movies, because they really bring a strong sense of justice and seeing good triumph over evil makes me smile.
One theme that stood out in the movie was the theme of sacrifice. Steve Rogers was willing to sacrifice his life for the country out there in the war even though he knew that very few people returned alive. Furthermore, during a training session, a fake grenade was thrown by one of the commanders and while the other soldiers fled immediately, Rogers was the only one to react and covered the "grenade" with his entire body. The most touching scene in the movie was when Captain America decided to sacrifice his life by piloting a plane down into the icy plains because it was heading towards New York with atomic bombs. Another theme that was prevalent was the theme of character vs appearance. Steve Rogers was chosen to be Captain America not because of his figure, but because of his nature and character. A motif that appeared in the show was the shield that Captain America always held when he was fighting. To me, the shield represented a form of freedom and bravery.
I would recommend this movie to everyone, especially those who like action-filled movies. I also learned a lot through this show, like not to pick on someone smaller than me, to put my talents to good use and to be willing to sacrifice for my friends. I will definitely be one of the first at the cinemas next year when "The Avenger" comes out!
Nathanael
I recently watched the movie "Captain America: The First Avenger" and I loved it very much. It was created by Marvel and is a prequel to the new movie coming out next summer, "The Avengers". It has really peaked my interest on the Marvel superheroes and I cannot wait to go to the library to borrow some of the comic books to see how the storyline of the comic and the movie differ.
In the movie, Captain America was first known as Steve Rogers, who was a very skinny but brave little man. He was often picked on by others for being weak and short, but always persevered when ever he was beaten up and never ran away, standing up tall against his assailant. He tried to enlist for the US Army to fight against the Nazis, but his applications were denied 5 times because of his long list of medical problems and his small stature. However, his perseverance paid off and he caught the eye of a scientist called Professor Erskine, who allowed Rogers to train to become a soldier. Convinced by Rogers' brave and compassionate nature, Professor Erskine decided to test his experiment on Rogers in an attempt to make his strong. The experiment worked but a Nazi operative came and assassinated Erskine, but was eventually killed by Rogers. With his new-found fame, Rogers became known as Captain America and began fighting his way to destroy the Hydra, a cult group that was led by Johann Shmidt (aka Red Skull), with the help of a few of his soldier friends.
I liked this movie because it was action-filled and hence, very intriguing. The plot was very deep, leaving no detail unexamined, but made use of the full two hours it was screened without going off track at any point of time. Every scene was important in the movie and many sensory details were also included to appeal to the audience's emotions. For example, the colours of red, blue and white were on Captain America's uniform, representing America's flag, hence showing that he had a strong sense of loyalty. On the other hand, Red Skull has a very bright red skin, symbolising hatred and anger, making the audience fear and hate him. I particularly like war movies, because they really bring a strong sense of justice and seeing good triumph over evil makes me smile.
One theme that stood out in the movie was the theme of sacrifice. Steve Rogers was willing to sacrifice his life for the country out there in the war even though he knew that very few people returned alive. Furthermore, during a training session, a fake grenade was thrown by one of the commanders and while the other soldiers fled immediately, Rogers was the only one to react and covered the "grenade" with his entire body. The most touching scene in the movie was when Captain America decided to sacrifice his life by piloting a plane down into the icy plains because it was heading towards New York with atomic bombs. Another theme that was prevalent was the theme of character vs appearance. Steve Rogers was chosen to be Captain America not because of his figure, but because of his nature and character. A motif that appeared in the show was the shield that Captain America always held when he was fighting. To me, the shield represented a form of freedom and bravery.
I would recommend this movie to everyone, especially those who like action-filled movies. I also learned a lot through this show, like not to pick on someone smaller than me, to put my talents to good use and to be willing to sacrifice for my friends. I will definitely be one of the first at the cinemas next year when "The Avenger" comes out!
Nathanael
Friday, June 24, 2011
Who is the real Shakespeare?
Hi,
I would like to share my views on the ongoing debate whether William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon holds the real authorship of Shakespearean works and if not, the most possible candidate who used William Shakespeare's name as a cover-up.
Many scholars do not believe that the William Shakespeare who lived in Stratford-upon Avon was not the real author of Shakespeare's plays. They base their claims on the fact that Stratford was not a very educated place, so someone from that town would not be able to write so beautifully. They also claimed that a playwright would never use his real name to produce his works, because he would receive a social stigma from his peers. Therefore, someone must have used William Shakespeare, a commoner from Stratford, to cover up as the author of all the plays. Some scholars have also went on to analyse "Hamlet", and took certain letters in the sentence "The funerall baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables." and formed an anagram of "FR. BACONI NATI", which was Latin for "Fr. Bacon made me". This showed that the real Shakespeare was probably from Baconian School, which was famous for its cryptography and anagrams. Therefore, many scholars suggest that Sir Francis Bacon was the actual writer of all the Shakespearean works. Others have also suggested Queen Elizabeth and Edward de Vere, because they are also educated and have written fair bits of poetry themselves.
However, in my opinion, I think that we should not dig so deep into the matter and that William Shakespeare really holds the real authorship for all his works. Anyway, some of the arguments that the scholars present are not very valid. For example, the phrase "FR. BACONI NATI" is not very correct in terms of phrasing and should be "FR. BACONUS ME FECIT". Furthermore, scholars have no evidence to prove that writers really receive a social stigma from their peers if they use their real name to write their plays. Queen Elizabeth also writes poetry under her own name. Therefore, it is still highly possible that William Shakespeare is the most likely candidate to holds the real authorship for Shakespearean works.
In conclusion, I think that this matter will never be resolved until concrete archaeological evidence can be presented. I really do not think that this issue is such a big deal because we already have the Shakespearean works, so why spend time arguing about the real author when we can just appreciate the craftsmanship of the author. No matter who the real author is, I would like to thank him, or her, for bringing such beautiful pieces of works into our world of literature right now.
Nathanael
I would like to share my views on the ongoing debate whether William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon holds the real authorship of Shakespearean works and if not, the most possible candidate who used William Shakespeare's name as a cover-up.
Many scholars do not believe that the William Shakespeare who lived in Stratford-upon Avon was not the real author of Shakespeare's plays. They base their claims on the fact that Stratford was not a very educated place, so someone from that town would not be able to write so beautifully. They also claimed that a playwright would never use his real name to produce his works, because he would receive a social stigma from his peers. Therefore, someone must have used William Shakespeare, a commoner from Stratford, to cover up as the author of all the plays. Some scholars have also went on to analyse "Hamlet", and took certain letters in the sentence "The funerall baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables." and formed an anagram of "FR. BACONI NATI", which was Latin for "Fr. Bacon made me". This showed that the real Shakespeare was probably from Baconian School, which was famous for its cryptography and anagrams. Therefore, many scholars suggest that Sir Francis Bacon was the actual writer of all the Shakespearean works. Others have also suggested Queen Elizabeth and Edward de Vere, because they are also educated and have written fair bits of poetry themselves.
However, in my opinion, I think that we should not dig so deep into the matter and that William Shakespeare really holds the real authorship for all his works. Anyway, some of the arguments that the scholars present are not very valid. For example, the phrase "FR. BACONI NATI" is not very correct in terms of phrasing and should be "FR. BACONUS ME FECIT". Furthermore, scholars have no evidence to prove that writers really receive a social stigma from their peers if they use their real name to write their plays. Queen Elizabeth also writes poetry under her own name. Therefore, it is still highly possible that William Shakespeare is the most likely candidate to holds the real authorship for Shakespearean works.
In conclusion, I think that this matter will never be resolved until concrete archaeological evidence can be presented. I really do not think that this issue is such a big deal because we already have the Shakespearean works, so why spend time arguing about the real author when we can just appreciate the craftsmanship of the author. No matter who the real author is, I would like to thank him, or her, for bringing such beautiful pieces of works into our world of literature right now.
Nathanael
Background on "The Merchant of Venice"
Hi,
I would like to share on some of the background information of "The Merchant of Venice", which will be my literature text for Term 3. It is written by William Shakespeare, a very famous playwright in the early 17th century. I will address some issues about William Shakespeare and other interesting facts about life in the 17th century.
Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan era, which was from the mid-1500s to the early 1600s. Elizabeth I ruled England from 1558 to 1603 as Queen, but her position was very different from that of the present Queen. She had the power to disagree with the Parliament and to order the imprisonment or death of anyone, even an important minister or landowner. She was very rich and was also a great patroness of poetry, drama, music and all the crafts. Like any other rich lady, she loved bautiful clothes and had many highly decorated dresses in her enormous palace. At that time, London was tradng heavily with different cities like Venice. Queen Elizabeth was also portrayed in "The Merchant of Venice" in the form of Portia, a beautiful, elegant lady who was very smart.
There was a very big divide between classes during the Elizabethan era. The 'upper-class' people had lots of land and money, and could therefore afford to eat better food. They also wore very delicate clothings. They lived in big houses and went to watch plays for recreation. However, those of the 'lower-class' did not have enough money to live life in luxury. They had to work in jobs like farmers, and hence did not have much time for recreation. Their personal hygiene was also not as good as the rich people, and they wore less elaborate clothing.
Venice and Belmont were chosen as the settings of the story. Venice's dominant religion then was Catholic, while England were Protestant Christians until the middle of the sixteenth century, were increasingly oppressed. This was because Henry VIII quarelled with the Pope and broke away from the church of Rome, influencing Elizabeth I to enforce Protestant Christianity by law. Thus, for the first time, the Bible was widely available in English and large numbers of people could understand it. Ever since then, the Jews in Venice were discriminated by the Christians, who had anti-semitism feelings (or anti-Jewish) due to economic problems. The Christians were not allowed to work as usurers, hence leaving only the Jews to take up this money-lending businesses. As this resulted in Christians owing money to the Jews, many people viewed the Jews as loan sharks and they grew increasingly unhappy with them. There was also a conflict in religious views, where many Christians claimed that the Jews did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, hence leading to the widespread persecution of the Jews. The Christians also further laid claims on the Jews, saying that they were responsible for Christ's death, killing Christian children and even for causing the Bubonic Plague (or the Black Death) to happen. Finally, this animosity also came about because many Christians at that time suffered from xenophobia, the fear of foreigners. The Christians discriminated them by persecuting them, first starting from torture, before expelling them from the country and finally, even killing them in big numbers. Therefore, the animosity between Christians and Jews was quite a big matter.
All in all, I think that it is very important to read up on the context of a novel before reading it so that we can better understand the plot and how the characters are feeling in the story. It also helps us to imagine the setting and the context on which the whole story is based on. Therefore, I feel that reading up on "The Merchant of Venice" will help me a lot when I analyse it further in Term 3.
I would like to share on some of the background information of "The Merchant of Venice", which will be my literature text for Term 3. It is written by William Shakespeare, a very famous playwright in the early 17th century. I will address some issues about William Shakespeare and other interesting facts about life in the 17th century.
Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan era, which was from the mid-1500s to the early 1600s. Elizabeth I ruled England from 1558 to 1603 as Queen, but her position was very different from that of the present Queen. She had the power to disagree with the Parliament and to order the imprisonment or death of anyone, even an important minister or landowner. She was very rich and was also a great patroness of poetry, drama, music and all the crafts. Like any other rich lady, she loved bautiful clothes and had many highly decorated dresses in her enormous palace. At that time, London was tradng heavily with different cities like Venice. Queen Elizabeth was also portrayed in "The Merchant of Venice" in the form of Portia, a beautiful, elegant lady who was very smart.
There was a very big divide between classes during the Elizabethan era. The 'upper-class' people had lots of land and money, and could therefore afford to eat better food. They also wore very delicate clothings. They lived in big houses and went to watch plays for recreation. However, those of the 'lower-class' did not have enough money to live life in luxury. They had to work in jobs like farmers, and hence did not have much time for recreation. Their personal hygiene was also not as good as the rich people, and they wore less elaborate clothing.
Venice and Belmont were chosen as the settings of the story. Venice's dominant religion then was Catholic, while England were Protestant Christians until the middle of the sixteenth century, were increasingly oppressed. This was because Henry VIII quarelled with the Pope and broke away from the church of Rome, influencing Elizabeth I to enforce Protestant Christianity by law. Thus, for the first time, the Bible was widely available in English and large numbers of people could understand it. Ever since then, the Jews in Venice were discriminated by the Christians, who had anti-semitism feelings (or anti-Jewish) due to economic problems. The Christians were not allowed to work as usurers, hence leaving only the Jews to take up this money-lending businesses. As this resulted in Christians owing money to the Jews, many people viewed the Jews as loan sharks and they grew increasingly unhappy with them. There was also a conflict in religious views, where many Christians claimed that the Jews did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, hence leading to the widespread persecution of the Jews. The Christians also further laid claims on the Jews, saying that they were responsible for Christ's death, killing Christian children and even for causing the Bubonic Plague (or the Black Death) to happen. Finally, this animosity also came about because many Christians at that time suffered from xenophobia, the fear of foreigners. The Christians discriminated them by persecuting them, first starting from torture, before expelling them from the country and finally, even killing them in big numbers. Therefore, the animosity between Christians and Jews was quite a big matter.
All in all, I think that it is very important to read up on the context of a novel before reading it so that we can better understand the plot and how the characters are feeling in the story. It also helps us to imagine the setting and the context on which the whole story is based on. Therefore, I feel that reading up on "The Merchant of Venice" will help me a lot when I analyse it further in Term 3.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Technology
Hi,
As many people of the world now know, technology is getting more and more advanced each day and has brought about a huge impact on the way humans live their lives. However, the big issue is that although technology has brought about numerous benefits to our lives, it has also caused many bad things to happen that might not occur if technology was absent in this modern era.
Firstly, let me acknowledge some of the advantages technology has given us over the people of the past. Telephones and social media has allowed us to improve communication greatly so that we can meet up with our loved ones everyday. Cars, buses and planes have also sped up the rate of travelling so as to allow us to save time when going overseas. The Internet has helped us in the entertainment, business and education sectors of our lives. Finally, but definitely not the last, machines have helped to contribute to the success of healthcare services. There are really many benefits that advanced technology can bring to human life, but again, whether these advantages are brought to the fullest is another issue altogether.
However, technology can bring about devastating effects as well. For example, not everyone in this world is perfect. There will always be someone trying to implant evil into our society. Many cyber-bullies just enjoy to insult people on social platforms to put others down for their own pleasure. Technology also means better and more cruel weapons being made to torture people of our own kind. Many teenagers nowadays are also addicted to playing online games, chatting or even watching pornographic videos. Furthermore, as Henry David Thomas once said, “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” I think that this statement is very true because without technology, there will definitely be less problems in the world and people will be happier without having so much of a workload. All these disadvantages would certainly not be present if technology was not existent!
The most important question still lingers in everyone's mind, do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, or is it the other way around? Whatever it is, we have to accept the fact that technology is in our lives now and will be even more advanced in the future. What we need to do is to accept it and make sure that we minimise the harmful effects these non-living things are imposing on us.
Nathanael
As many people of the world now know, technology is getting more and more advanced each day and has brought about a huge impact on the way humans live their lives. However, the big issue is that although technology has brought about numerous benefits to our lives, it has also caused many bad things to happen that might not occur if technology was absent in this modern era.
Firstly, let me acknowledge some of the advantages technology has given us over the people of the past. Telephones and social media has allowed us to improve communication greatly so that we can meet up with our loved ones everyday. Cars, buses and planes have also sped up the rate of travelling so as to allow us to save time when going overseas. The Internet has helped us in the entertainment, business and education sectors of our lives. Finally, but definitely not the last, machines have helped to contribute to the success of healthcare services. There are really many benefits that advanced technology can bring to human life, but again, whether these advantages are brought to the fullest is another issue altogether.
However, technology can bring about devastating effects as well. For example, not everyone in this world is perfect. There will always be someone trying to implant evil into our society. Many cyber-bullies just enjoy to insult people on social platforms to put others down for their own pleasure. Technology also means better and more cruel weapons being made to torture people of our own kind. Many teenagers nowadays are also addicted to playing online games, chatting or even watching pornographic videos. Furthermore, as Henry David Thomas once said, “As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” I think that this statement is very true because without technology, there will definitely be less problems in the world and people will be happier without having so much of a workload. All these disadvantages would certainly not be present if technology was not existent!
The most important question still lingers in everyone's mind, do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, or is it the other way around? Whatever it is, we have to accept the fact that technology is in our lives now and will be even more advanced in the future. What we need to do is to accept it and make sure that we minimise the harmful effects these non-living things are imposing on us.
Nathanael
Essays
Hi,
I have written many essays in Term 2 and have also learned about the different types of essays and their differences. Therefore, I would like to recap about what I have learned and how they have benefited me in my life.
We learned about several types of essays and how people use it in everyday lives. For example, definition essays can be used in textbooks when explaining a term that is not commonly known. Causal analysis essays are used in history textbooks to tell us about the cause of historic events. Recipes are types of process analysis essays. Techniques of comparative analysis essays are found in advertisements when companies compare and contrast the efficiency of their products or services. Classification essays are found in science and business reports. Example essays are found in debaters' scripts, when they want to back up their point with evidence. As you can see, most of the essays are applicable in real lives and help us to achieve our goals better. This will definitely improve the quality of our lives because it aids in making communication more efficient and fluent.
I really enjoyed writing essays in Term 2 because there were many different styles of writing so I could experiment between them and discover my forte. I think I enjoyed the argumentative essay the most because it is the least dependent on facts and requires the writer to use more of his thinking skills instead. This will aid the writer in practicing critical thinking and putting one's point across. This has definitely helped me in my speeches when I am presenting because I am able to express my opinions on something convincingly, hence achieving my purpose. However, essays are not easy to write and require hard work and a talent for writing. No matter how well I write, I cannot seem to match those high-profile writers who write for newspapers and renowned magazines. I think that they are willing to spend time to perfect their essays because of their passion for writing. I believe that they have their own unique styles of writing that are appealing to the general public and I hope to learn from them someday so as to pick up some interesting techniques on writing essays.
All in all, I really benefited from writing essays in Term 2 and hope to continue to improve on this aspect of my Language Arts so that I can be able to become a critical thinker and a good writer.
Nathanael
I have written many essays in Term 2 and have also learned about the different types of essays and their differences. Therefore, I would like to recap about what I have learned and how they have benefited me in my life.
We learned about several types of essays and how people use it in everyday lives. For example, definition essays can be used in textbooks when explaining a term that is not commonly known. Causal analysis essays are used in history textbooks to tell us about the cause of historic events. Recipes are types of process analysis essays. Techniques of comparative analysis essays are found in advertisements when companies compare and contrast the efficiency of their products or services. Classification essays are found in science and business reports. Example essays are found in debaters' scripts, when they want to back up their point with evidence. As you can see, most of the essays are applicable in real lives and help us to achieve our goals better. This will definitely improve the quality of our lives because it aids in making communication more efficient and fluent.
I really enjoyed writing essays in Term 2 because there were many different styles of writing so I could experiment between them and discover my forte. I think I enjoyed the argumentative essay the most because it is the least dependent on facts and requires the writer to use more of his thinking skills instead. This will aid the writer in practicing critical thinking and putting one's point across. This has definitely helped me in my speeches when I am presenting because I am able to express my opinions on something convincingly, hence achieving my purpose. However, essays are not easy to write and require hard work and a talent for writing. No matter how well I write, I cannot seem to match those high-profile writers who write for newspapers and renowned magazines. I think that they are willing to spend time to perfect their essays because of their passion for writing. I believe that they have their own unique styles of writing that are appealing to the general public and I hope to learn from them someday so as to pick up some interesting techniques on writing essays.
All in all, I really benefited from writing essays in Term 2 and hope to continue to improve on this aspect of my Language Arts so that I can be able to become a critical thinker and a good writer.
Nathanael
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Newsworthiness
Hi,
Having already talked about the different kinds of newspapers in my first blog post, I will now proceed to talk about the different types of articles and how I think they are judged. I will also provide some of my personal opinions on which criteria I think is the important when judging the newsworthiness of an article.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers.
However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
Having already talked about the different kinds of newspapers in my first blog post, I will now proceed to talk about the different types of articles and how I think they are judged. I will also provide some of my personal opinions on which criteria I think is the important when judging the newsworthiness of an article.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers.
However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
Prejudice
Hi,
I would like to share about what I learnt about prejudice in Term 2. We started analysing "To Kill A Mockingbird" from Term 1 and one of the most obvious themes the story is based on is prejudice. Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Contrary to common knowledge, there are many forms of prejudice; class prejudice, racial prejudice, gender prejudice, etc.
In my opinion, I believe that prejudice is bad. Although I have to admit that I occasionally judge people based on their appearances, I think that prejudice is just an unfair way of treating somebody because it is inaccurate and does not give the opposite party a chance to show his/her true self. Once someone has prejudice against another group of people, it will be hard to change this thinking because the prejudice will stay in a person's mind like a brick wall and needs something big to break it down. For example, if a person is prejudiced towards females, but when that person is saved by a woman when drowning, he will definitely change his mindset about females. Furthermore, prejudice can also lead to discrimination, where the opposite party will know about this prejudice and will be hurt. This is unfair to the victims because they did nothing wrong, hence not deserving to get treated so badly by another person. We should also not assume that everybody has a strong character, because a depressed person can take the action very seriously and will be hit with a very huge blow. Therefore, prejudice only leads to bad consequences where a party's feelings will be hurt.
Therefore, since prejudice is bad, we need to learn how to carry a positive attitude towards all people to do something to curb this problem. However, this is virtually impossible because everyone has the freedom of thought so we cannot control what they want to think. Thus, we need to start from ourselves and hope that we can be able to influence others to follow our actions. Firstly, we should try not to judge a person straight away and put ourselves in the other person's shoes to understand him/her better. If we know that person, we should take a step further and talk to the person so that we can find the person's character, because I believe that a person will take time to unfold and show one's character. Next, we should also try to think before we act so that we can prevent prejudice from becoming discrimination. Perhaps we could spend a few seconds thinking whether our intended actions are rational so that we can avoid hurting other people. Lastly, we should take a stand against prejudice. For example, we should not join other people when they are having fun making racist remarks. If we have the courage to do so, we will then be able to free ourselves from prejudice.
In conclusion, I think that prejudice is still prevalent in the world, which is bad because it only places barriers between people of one Earth. We need to learn how to accept one another's differences, so that we can live harmoniously and peacefully.
Nathanael
I would like to share about what I learnt about prejudice in Term 2. We started analysing "To Kill A Mockingbird" from Term 1 and one of the most obvious themes the story is based on is prejudice. Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. Contrary to common knowledge, there are many forms of prejudice; class prejudice, racial prejudice, gender prejudice, etc.
In my opinion, I believe that prejudice is bad. Although I have to admit that I occasionally judge people based on their appearances, I think that prejudice is just an unfair way of treating somebody because it is inaccurate and does not give the opposite party a chance to show his/her true self. Once someone has prejudice against another group of people, it will be hard to change this thinking because the prejudice will stay in a person's mind like a brick wall and needs something big to break it down. For example, if a person is prejudiced towards females, but when that person is saved by a woman when drowning, he will definitely change his mindset about females. Furthermore, prejudice can also lead to discrimination, where the opposite party will know about this prejudice and will be hurt. This is unfair to the victims because they did nothing wrong, hence not deserving to get treated so badly by another person. We should also not assume that everybody has a strong character, because a depressed person can take the action very seriously and will be hit with a very huge blow. Therefore, prejudice only leads to bad consequences where a party's feelings will be hurt.
Therefore, since prejudice is bad, we need to learn how to carry a positive attitude towards all people to do something to curb this problem. However, this is virtually impossible because everyone has the freedom of thought so we cannot control what they want to think. Thus, we need to start from ourselves and hope that we can be able to influence others to follow our actions. Firstly, we should try not to judge a person straight away and put ourselves in the other person's shoes to understand him/her better. If we know that person, we should take a step further and talk to the person so that we can find the person's character, because I believe that a person will take time to unfold and show one's character. Next, we should also try to think before we act so that we can prevent prejudice from becoming discrimination. Perhaps we could spend a few seconds thinking whether our intended actions are rational so that we can avoid hurting other people. Lastly, we should take a stand against prejudice. For example, we should not join other people when they are having fun making racist remarks. If we have the courage to do so, we will then be able to free ourselves from prejudice.
In conclusion, I think that prejudice is still prevalent in the world, which is bad because it only places barriers between people of one Earth. We need to learn how to accept one another's differences, so that we can live harmoniously and peacefully.
Nathanael
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
War Poetry
Hi,
I would like to voice my opinions on the topic that we are soon going to embark on for our LA lessons- War Poetry. I have already read some war poems last year, for example, Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade". I feel very excited because I am particularly interested in war and I hope to be able to learn some new lessons about war. I also hope that I will be able to pick up some techniques to describe the battle scene, something that will definitely benefit my essay writing.
Having watched many war shows and read war poetry before, I think that this topic would be of no unfamiliarity to me. I think that war is a very touching event where many young men risk their lives for their countries and fight valiantly to win the war. It is about character; a sheer test of perseverance and resilience to stay focused on the war despite the deaths of many other fellow soldiers. Therefore, every time a watch a war film, I will be moved and will hence be forced to choke down my tears.
War is definitely also a cruel thing. It separates men from their families, and when these men die, who will take care of the women and children? It is a loss that is hard to take but has to be accepted. War is caused by unresolved differences or conflicting egos between two parties and violence is hence one of the methods to resolve this issue. But can violence really solve these issues? On the surface level, it certainly can prove that one party has more authority over another. However, revenge and bitterness will definitely stay in the citizens' minds and this will only help to sour the relationship more between the two parties. Furthermore, so many people's lives are lost just because of a conflict, it is really very inhumane. Pain, death, bleeding may all seem common to us, but the people experiencing it definitely have no fun at all. Why, oh why, can't conflicts be settled with a treaty. This, I have to admit, is hard to materialise because it is very hard to ask the parties to give in to each other. Fortunately, times are different now. In the past, there were many wars being waged, probably also because of the lack of clear boundaries of each countries, causing the fights for land area. Now, we have the judicial system so that parties can argue in court and war is definitely the last thing on any minister's mind, as it can prove hugely detrimental to the country's economy. However, should a war be waged soon, I have a feeling that it will be much, much bigger compared to wars of the past because of the advanced technology we now enjoy. This means more weapons made, more deadly weapons and hence more painful deaths. Therefore, I sincerely pray that no such thing will happen again, but I know this is only a dream.
Nathanael
I would like to voice my opinions on the topic that we are soon going to embark on for our LA lessons- War Poetry. I have already read some war poems last year, for example, Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade". I feel very excited because I am particularly interested in war and I hope to be able to learn some new lessons about war. I also hope that I will be able to pick up some techniques to describe the battle scene, something that will definitely benefit my essay writing.
Having watched many war shows and read war poetry before, I think that this topic would be of no unfamiliarity to me. I think that war is a very touching event where many young men risk their lives for their countries and fight valiantly to win the war. It is about character; a sheer test of perseverance and resilience to stay focused on the war despite the deaths of many other fellow soldiers. Therefore, every time a watch a war film, I will be moved and will hence be forced to choke down my tears.
War is definitely also a cruel thing. It separates men from their families, and when these men die, who will take care of the women and children? It is a loss that is hard to take but has to be accepted. War is caused by unresolved differences or conflicting egos between two parties and violence is hence one of the methods to resolve this issue. But can violence really solve these issues? On the surface level, it certainly can prove that one party has more authority over another. However, revenge and bitterness will definitely stay in the citizens' minds and this will only help to sour the relationship more between the two parties. Furthermore, so many people's lives are lost just because of a conflict, it is really very inhumane. Pain, death, bleeding may all seem common to us, but the people experiencing it definitely have no fun at all. Why, oh why, can't conflicts be settled with a treaty. This, I have to admit, is hard to materialise because it is very hard to ask the parties to give in to each other. Fortunately, times are different now. In the past, there were many wars being waged, probably also because of the lack of clear boundaries of each countries, causing the fights for land area. Now, we have the judicial system so that parties can argue in court and war is definitely the last thing on any minister's mind, as it can prove hugely detrimental to the country's economy. However, should a war be waged soon, I have a feeling that it will be much, much bigger compared to wars of the past because of the advanced technology we now enjoy. This means more weapons made, more deadly weapons and hence more painful deaths. Therefore, I sincerely pray that no such thing will happen again, but I know this is only a dream.
Nathanael
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
GE 2011
Hi,
I would like to share my opinions on this year's General Elections that sparked a huge interest in many Singaporeans. This was the most contested elections ever in history, where 82 out of 87 seats were contested by opposition parties. Prior to the elections, only 2 seats were not held by the People's Action Party (PAP), namely the two Single Member Constituencies in Hougang and Potong Pasir. This year, 7 parties fought for the seats, but PAP eventually captured 81 seats, with the remaining 6 going to the Workers' Party (WP).
I think that it is good for opposition parties to challenge the PAP's power in Singapore because there must be some kind of opposition in order to keep the government going and to make sure that the government continues to put in effort to benefit the citizens. This also helps to make sure that there is more than one party ruling in the government to prevent discussions from being too one-sided. However, I feel that too many opposition parties in the government is detrimental to Singapore's growth as a nation because there will constantly be arguments and nothing will be done. Talking about this, I feel that the opposition parties should put aside their differences and come together to form a united opposition party so that the citizens will not be so confused over the various mottos of the parties.
Recently, there have been many issues brought up by the opposition parties to try to point out the PAP's weaknesses. Some speakers give statistics on these problems, while others simply put down other candidates through harsh means. I personally feel that this is not commendable, as this only sparks off tension between parties and does not help to prove a point that their own party is capable of doing something better. Therefore, I was quite disappointed with the speeches some of the candidates gave because it made this election sound more like a debate, but the speeches should focus more on new initiatives to benefit the citizens instead.
Another big problem in this year's General Elections was that many Singaporeans failed to consider their options wisely before voting. While visiting my relatives on Polling Day itself, many of them were talking to each other about how they were voting for the opposition, no matter how lousy they were. I think this is caused by extremist views planted into their minds by events happening around the world. Due to the rebellions now happening in the Middle East, many people, especially the young, are influenced to vote for the opposition because they think that it is "cool". Some people even bet on who they think will win the constituencies and the thought of this really makes my blood boil! In my opinion, I find it extremely important to consider the strengths of both parties before giving out extremist views, which most of the time are inaccurate. Voting is also an important process because it affects our lives for the next 5 years. Therefore, elections should be considered as a solemn event that cannot be taken light-heartedly.
Lastly, I think that many people were unhappy over the fact that they were placed in constituencies that were not near them at all. I have a relative who lives in West Coast but is placed under Holland- Bukit Timah instead! I think that these trivial matters need to be resolved because I am sure that citizens want to be living in constituencies that are near them so that they can be involved in that area.
On the brighter side, this election has sparked a lot of interest in younger generations, a phenomenon that has never been experienced before. This can be attributed to the fact that politics is becoming more of a larger issue in Singapore and the fact that every vote counts, making teenagers feel like they can play a part to decide Singapore's future. Thus, this election has been beneficial to Singapore in this aspect.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this GE even though I was not able to vote. I really look forward to the election where I can finally vote! For now, I will just have to keep myself updated on current events so that I can make an informed decision when the time comes.
Nathanael
I would like to share my opinions on this year's General Elections that sparked a huge interest in many Singaporeans. This was the most contested elections ever in history, where 82 out of 87 seats were contested by opposition parties. Prior to the elections, only 2 seats were not held by the People's Action Party (PAP), namely the two Single Member Constituencies in Hougang and Potong Pasir. This year, 7 parties fought for the seats, but PAP eventually captured 81 seats, with the remaining 6 going to the Workers' Party (WP).
I think that it is good for opposition parties to challenge the PAP's power in Singapore because there must be some kind of opposition in order to keep the government going and to make sure that the government continues to put in effort to benefit the citizens. This also helps to make sure that there is more than one party ruling in the government to prevent discussions from being too one-sided. However, I feel that too many opposition parties in the government is detrimental to Singapore's growth as a nation because there will constantly be arguments and nothing will be done. Talking about this, I feel that the opposition parties should put aside their differences and come together to form a united opposition party so that the citizens will not be so confused over the various mottos of the parties.
Recently, there have been many issues brought up by the opposition parties to try to point out the PAP's weaknesses. Some speakers give statistics on these problems, while others simply put down other candidates through harsh means. I personally feel that this is not commendable, as this only sparks off tension between parties and does not help to prove a point that their own party is capable of doing something better. Therefore, I was quite disappointed with the speeches some of the candidates gave because it made this election sound more like a debate, but the speeches should focus more on new initiatives to benefit the citizens instead.
Another big problem in this year's General Elections was that many Singaporeans failed to consider their options wisely before voting. While visiting my relatives on Polling Day itself, many of them were talking to each other about how they were voting for the opposition, no matter how lousy they were. I think this is caused by extremist views planted into their minds by events happening around the world. Due to the rebellions now happening in the Middle East, many people, especially the young, are influenced to vote for the opposition because they think that it is "cool". Some people even bet on who they think will win the constituencies and the thought of this really makes my blood boil! In my opinion, I find it extremely important to consider the strengths of both parties before giving out extremist views, which most of the time are inaccurate. Voting is also an important process because it affects our lives for the next 5 years. Therefore, elections should be considered as a solemn event that cannot be taken light-heartedly.
Lastly, I think that many people were unhappy over the fact that they were placed in constituencies that were not near them at all. I have a relative who lives in West Coast but is placed under Holland- Bukit Timah instead! I think that these trivial matters need to be resolved because I am sure that citizens want to be living in constituencies that are near them so that they can be involved in that area.
On the brighter side, this election has sparked a lot of interest in younger generations, a phenomenon that has never been experienced before. This can be attributed to the fact that politics is becoming more of a larger issue in Singapore and the fact that every vote counts, making teenagers feel like they can play a part to decide Singapore's future. Thus, this election has been beneficial to Singapore in this aspect.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this GE even though I was not able to vote. I really look forward to the election where I can finally vote! For now, I will just have to keep myself updated on current events so that I can make an informed decision when the time comes.
Nathanael
Monday, May 9, 2011
Xenophobia in Singapore
Hi,
I would like to talk about xenophobia and whether it is existing in Singapore today. First and foremost, it is of utmost importance to clarify the meaning of the word xenophobia. There are many different meanings of xenophobia; 1)some say it is the hatred of foreigners, 2)another group says that it is an unreasonable fear of foreigners, while still 3)others say that is is discrimination of foreigners. I will hence try to approach this issue using all these different meanings and decide whether Singaporeans encouter this problem.
1) I think it would be a bit exaggerating to say that Singaporeans hate foreigners; disgust would be a more appropriate term. This attitude applies to both "foreign talent" and "foreign workers". Many Singaporeans feel that foreign talents have come in to Singapore only to deprive them of jobs, hence affecting their income. Singaporeans have also complained that foreigners do not conform to the lifestyles of Singaporeans but instead treat Singapore like their own homeland and do whatever they like. On the other hand, "foreign workers" are disliked because they are deemed by Singaporeans as "dirty", probably owing to their lack of hygienic practices. Therefore, according to this meaning, Singapore is suffering from early stages of xenophobia.
2) I think that fear is definitely out of the question in Singapore's context. It is true that Singaporeans fear the prospect of losing jobs and becoming bankrupt, but fearing foreigners, no. Therefore, if one uses this meaning to define xenophobia, Singapore will definitely not be victims of this "illness".
3) I have to admit, sadly, that Singaporeans do discriminate foreigners, especially "foreign workers". Even acts like not allowing these workers to sit right beside you on public transportation is considered discrimination. Big-scale discrimination acts are also prevalent in Singapore's society. Many teenagers take advantage of the advanced technology we enjoy by flaming these "foreign workers" on their blogs, Facebook, etc., by calling them "dirty" and other rude names. Many domestic helpers have also been abused by their employers. Thus, Singapore is a severe victim of xenophobia.
On a personal level, I think that I have a bit of xenophobia too. For example, I distant myself from my grandmother's domestic helper when sitting in the car. I also witnessed a foreign worker sitting in front of me in the bus and saw the disgusting sight of ants crawling all over his hair. However, I have a sense of respect for these foreigners; I respect the hard work foreign talent put in to help Singapore's economy to develop and I respect the amount of effort put in by the foreign workers in constructing the Singapore we have today.
I think that the influx of foreigners should be curbed so that Singaporeans can remain happy in this country. However, it is inevitable that there will always be a number of foreigners in Singapore. All we need to do is to look at things from their perspective. They must have a reason to come to Singapore. They are humans, like us. They, too, need a living.
Nathanael
I would like to talk about xenophobia and whether it is existing in Singapore today. First and foremost, it is of utmost importance to clarify the meaning of the word xenophobia. There are many different meanings of xenophobia; 1)some say it is the hatred of foreigners, 2)another group says that it is an unreasonable fear of foreigners, while still 3)others say that is is discrimination of foreigners. I will hence try to approach this issue using all these different meanings and decide whether Singaporeans encouter this problem.
1) I think it would be a bit exaggerating to say that Singaporeans hate foreigners; disgust would be a more appropriate term. This attitude applies to both "foreign talent" and "foreign workers". Many Singaporeans feel that foreign talents have come in to Singapore only to deprive them of jobs, hence affecting their income. Singaporeans have also complained that foreigners do not conform to the lifestyles of Singaporeans but instead treat Singapore like their own homeland and do whatever they like. On the other hand, "foreign workers" are disliked because they are deemed by Singaporeans as "dirty", probably owing to their lack of hygienic practices. Therefore, according to this meaning, Singapore is suffering from early stages of xenophobia.
2) I think that fear is definitely out of the question in Singapore's context. It is true that Singaporeans fear the prospect of losing jobs and becoming bankrupt, but fearing foreigners, no. Therefore, if one uses this meaning to define xenophobia, Singapore will definitely not be victims of this "illness".
3) I have to admit, sadly, that Singaporeans do discriminate foreigners, especially "foreign workers". Even acts like not allowing these workers to sit right beside you on public transportation is considered discrimination. Big-scale discrimination acts are also prevalent in Singapore's society. Many teenagers take advantage of the advanced technology we enjoy by flaming these "foreign workers" on their blogs, Facebook, etc., by calling them "dirty" and other rude names. Many domestic helpers have also been abused by their employers. Thus, Singapore is a severe victim of xenophobia.
On a personal level, I think that I have a bit of xenophobia too. For example, I distant myself from my grandmother's domestic helper when sitting in the car. I also witnessed a foreign worker sitting in front of me in the bus and saw the disgusting sight of ants crawling all over his hair. However, I have a sense of respect for these foreigners; I respect the hard work foreign talent put in to help Singapore's economy to develop and I respect the amount of effort put in by the foreign workers in constructing the Singapore we have today.
I think that the influx of foreigners should be curbed so that Singaporeans can remain happy in this country. However, it is inevitable that there will always be a number of foreigners in Singapore. All we need to do is to look at things from their perspective. They must have a reason to come to Singapore. They are humans, like us. They, too, need a living.
Nathanael
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Diary Entry- Omaha Beachhead Assault
June 6, 1944
Dear Diary,
Today was a gruesome day. I have already begun going a little crazy from seeing all the blood spewing out of my fellow soldiers like little fountains at the park. I have already been immune to seeing all my friends die in pain, one by one. I have already begun to hate this war, even though this is just the beginning!
When we were about to reach Omaha beach, many people vomited while the rest looked to God for protection. As the soldiers departed from the boat, they were immediately shot by a barrage of bullets. I was fortunate to escape this wrath and swam to shore. I hid behind several barricades and led some of my soldiers up the beach. However, the death tolls increased very quickly, as we were on lower ground. I lost many friends; some lost their limbs while some died in horrible pain. I could not bear to look at their badly-wounded bodies because it was just too revolting. Finally, the day drew to a close and the remnant of our troops returned to base, all relieved but shocked.
As soon as I returned to my bunk, I asked myself, "Why do countries wage war against each other?" Looking at all the dead bodies around me, I really wonder why wars take place. Wars just take away lives like that, destroying people's dreams, breaking up people's families and ultimately increasing the death tolls. Where is humanity? I am lost with a few other soldiers in an enemy's land, although I know that my opposition feels the same way. I live in worry everyday and as soon as I wake up, I live it like it is my last. War is such a tragedy, I cannot emphasise this enough. I hate the war, but not the soldiers; the action, but not the people. I respect all those who risks their lives to fight valiantly and pray that no one dies brutally.
Captain John H. Miller
Dear Diary,
Today was a gruesome day. I have already begun going a little crazy from seeing all the blood spewing out of my fellow soldiers like little fountains at the park. I have already been immune to seeing all my friends die in pain, one by one. I have already begun to hate this war, even though this is just the beginning!
When we were about to reach Omaha beach, many people vomited while the rest looked to God for protection. As the soldiers departed from the boat, they were immediately shot by a barrage of bullets. I was fortunate to escape this wrath and swam to shore. I hid behind several barricades and led some of my soldiers up the beach. However, the death tolls increased very quickly, as we were on lower ground. I lost many friends; some lost their limbs while some died in horrible pain. I could not bear to look at their badly-wounded bodies because it was just too revolting. Finally, the day drew to a close and the remnant of our troops returned to base, all relieved but shocked.
As soon as I returned to my bunk, I asked myself, "Why do countries wage war against each other?" Looking at all the dead bodies around me, I really wonder why wars take place. Wars just take away lives like that, destroying people's dreams, breaking up people's families and ultimately increasing the death tolls. Where is humanity? I am lost with a few other soldiers in an enemy's land, although I know that my opposition feels the same way. I live in worry everyday and as soon as I wake up, I live it like it is my last. War is such a tragedy, I cannot emphasise this enough. I hate the war, but not the soldiers; the action, but not the people. I respect all those who risks their lives to fight valiantly and pray that no one dies brutally.
Captain John H. Miller
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Descriptive Paragraph
Smoke wafted into my nostrils, causing me to cough. Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot resounded. The general standing beside me fell to the ground. Blood splashed out from his wound onto my face, then flowed down his cheek continuously and dripped onto his uniform. Bending down to support him, I wiped off the blood off my face and managed to hear him mutter a few words of gratitude to God and his family. After he breathed his last, his head fell to one side. I held back a few tears, thinking back of the encouragement he had given me and I took off his helmet. My fellow soldier beside me was literally shell-shocked. He stared blankly into space, possibly wondering when the same thing would happen to himself. I clasped my hand around his, feeling coldness and lack of life in him. Spurred on by my general's death, I stood up and charged towards the enemies.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
LA Essay- Classification
Q. Our lives have improved as a result of computers. Do you agree?
Our society is filled with 'Generation Y' teenagers who cannot get apart with their electronic devices even for one day. One common device is the computer, which has since been developed from its initial invention in 1936. Despite many negative comments about computers, I believe that these high-tech media devices can help us in every aspect of our lives, if we use them properly. The main aspects I will talk about are education, communication and business.
Education
As Kent Conrad, an American politician, put perfectly, "Access to computers and the Internet has become a basic need for education in our society. " Computers provide many resources for better education to take place. Due to the advance in technology, there are now search engines, like Google, that are useful for research, applications for enhanced learning and online tools available for teaching in a unique manner. Hwa Chong Institution recently adopted a "Future-School" programme which involves online lessons for students to use media to learn subjects in a more interesting way. For example, instead of just doing worksheets on coordinate geometry, teachers use an application called Geogebra to make learning "hands-on". Therefore, computers help to provide quality education by allowing students and teachers to use its resources so that education is improved as a whole.
Communications
Computers have been used as a platform of communication over the past few years, therefore helping to bridge the gap between people from different countries who are unable to meet up in person. As more and more people go for business trips, overseas exchange programmes and vacations each year, more and more family members or friends are separated. Thus, computers help to solve this problem by allowing people to communicate with their loved ones through Skype, Facebook and any other social networking site on the Internet! Therefore, computers have definitely brought convenience to our lives, as we do not need to use the slow and conventional method of writing letters.
Business
Business is an important part of adult life and many companies are coming up with new strategies to improve efficiency in the workplace. Computers are one of the main solutions to fulfill this aim because they provide employees with tools to collate results, analyse data, classify information, you get it. For example, an accountant can use Microsoft Excel to collate data very quickly and then calculate the net profit of the company each month. Hence, this helps to speed things up in the office so that companies can produce work faster, earning more profit as an end result.
However, I have to admit that computers cause gaming addiction and undesirable content can also be easily posted up on the Internet. Therefore, I believe that in order for us to reap the full benefits of the computer in every aspect of our lives, we need to start learning to discern between right and wrong, and gain self-control. The computer is an awesome invention, all we need is to use it wisely.
Our society is filled with 'Generation Y' teenagers who cannot get apart with their electronic devices even for one day. One common device is the computer, which has since been developed from its initial invention in 1936. Despite many negative comments about computers, I believe that these high-tech media devices can help us in every aspect of our lives, if we use them properly. The main aspects I will talk about are education, communication and business.
Education
As Kent Conrad, an American politician, put perfectly, "Access to computers and the Internet has become a basic need for education in our society. " Computers provide many resources for better education to take place. Due to the advance in technology, there are now search engines, like Google, that are useful for research, applications for enhanced learning and online tools available for teaching in a unique manner. Hwa Chong Institution recently adopted a "Future-School" programme which involves online lessons for students to use media to learn subjects in a more interesting way. For example, instead of just doing worksheets on coordinate geometry, teachers use an application called Geogebra to make learning "hands-on". Therefore, computers help to provide quality education by allowing students and teachers to use its resources so that education is improved as a whole.
Communications
Computers have been used as a platform of communication over the past few years, therefore helping to bridge the gap between people from different countries who are unable to meet up in person. As more and more people go for business trips, overseas exchange programmes and vacations each year, more and more family members or friends are separated. Thus, computers help to solve this problem by allowing people to communicate with their loved ones through Skype, Facebook and any other social networking site on the Internet! Therefore, computers have definitely brought convenience to our lives, as we do not need to use the slow and conventional method of writing letters.
Business
Business is an important part of adult life and many companies are coming up with new strategies to improve efficiency in the workplace. Computers are one of the main solutions to fulfill this aim because they provide employees with tools to collate results, analyse data, classify information, you get it. For example, an accountant can use Microsoft Excel to collate data very quickly and then calculate the net profit of the company each month. Hence, this helps to speed things up in the office so that companies can produce work faster, earning more profit as an end result.
However, I have to admit that computers cause gaming addiction and undesirable content can also be easily posted up on the Internet. Therefore, I believe that in order for us to reap the full benefits of the computer in every aspect of our lives, we need to start learning to discern between right and wrong, and gain self-control. The computer is an awesome invention, all we need is to use it wisely.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Newsworthiness and Newspapers
Hi,
I would like to share about the different types of newspapers and the factors that decide whether a story is newsworthy.
Firstly, I would like to classify newspapers under two main categories: Tabloid and Broadsheet. Broadsheet newspapers are printed in larger formats and are considered as more "serious journalism" compared to tabloids. This is because broadsheets are normally written in a factual and formal tone, in contrast to the sensational and light-hearted tone used in tabloids. Broadsheets also put a lot of facts and details in their articles and present the issue from an objective view. On the other hand, tabloids emphasise certain parts of the article to make it more dramatic to attract readers and hence slants to a certain perspective. Therefore, the people who read broadsheets are often people who are more educated while the people who read tabloids prefer gossipy talk compared to facts. Some examples of broadsheets are The Straits Times and The Telegraph, while The Sun and the The New Paper are tabloids. However, it is important to note that there are some newspapers which have both types of articles. For example, The Straits Times include both the factual sections (Prime News, World, Asia) and the sensational sections (Life, ST Forum). Personally, I prefer tabloid news because I will be more engaged to read the article. However, it is important to read the broadsheets too, so as to look at the issue from a more objective stand and then taking our own point of view based on the facts provided.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers. However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
I would like to share about the different types of newspapers and the factors that decide whether a story is newsworthy.
Firstly, I would like to classify newspapers under two main categories: Tabloid and Broadsheet. Broadsheet newspapers are printed in larger formats and are considered as more "serious journalism" compared to tabloids. This is because broadsheets are normally written in a factual and formal tone, in contrast to the sensational and light-hearted tone used in tabloids. Broadsheets also put a lot of facts and details in their articles and present the issue from an objective view. On the other hand, tabloids emphasise certain parts of the article to make it more dramatic to attract readers and hence slants to a certain perspective. Therefore, the people who read broadsheets are often people who are more educated while the people who read tabloids prefer gossipy talk compared to facts. Some examples of broadsheets are The Straits Times and The Telegraph, while The Sun and the The New Paper are tabloids. However, it is important to note that there are some newspapers which have both types of articles. For example, The Straits Times include both the factual sections (Prime News, World, Asia) and the sensational sections (Life, ST Forum). Personally, I prefer tabloid news because I will be more engaged to read the article. However, it is important to read the broadsheets too, so as to look at the issue from a more objective stand and then taking our own point of view based on the facts provided.
Newsworthiness is an important factor in deciding the success of newspapers. If the articles provided are chosen well and engage its audience, then the newspaper will certainly sell well too. I think that there are many factors that determine an article's newsworthiness. For example, the proximity and the number of people involved in the article will affect the impact of the issue and will hence determine the relevance of the article to the readers. The fame of the person involved and the uniqueness of the article will also help to engage the interest of the audience. Some other factors to consider are the timeliness of the article, the shock or titillation factor instilled in the readers and most importantly, there must be a conflict between two parties in order to attract readers. However, in my opinion, I think that I am naturally drawn to the articles which talk about the issues that I am interested in. For example, being an athletic person, the first section of the newspaper that I read everyday is the Sports section, so as to keep updated on what is happening in the sports field. I also enjoy reading unique news that peak my interest. Most importantly, I find that the most simple yet most important factor is still the timeliness of the article. I feel that the timeliness really affects the other factors, because if the article is outdated, no one will read it even though it may be shocking or unique. Therefore, I learned that in order for a newspaper company to stay competitive, it needs to hire skilled news editors to pick interesting articles that are newsworthy.
Nathanael
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Reflections of Mississipi Burning
Hi,
I would like to share my feelings after watching the film "Mississipi Burning".
I think that I do not really like this show because it is quite slow-moving and quite vulgar as well. However, this film was very effective in evoking strong feelings of hate in me against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Before this year, I did not know much about the extent of the racism in Southern USA. By watching the film, I discovered about the cruelty of the KKK and how they silenced the Blacks by using intimidation. I also knew what the term "lynching" meant. I feel very indignant against the KKK and the people who just watched the discriminations but did nothing about it, because all humans are equal, therefore we should accept each other and acknowledge that every human has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. I think that generalisations and stereotypes are not to be accepted too, because they are definitely not true. Violence is just not "cool", because it is not the gentlemanly way to settle disputes. However, I have to admit that I myself have some prejudices against some people, therefore I have to make sure that this thoughts do not become actions. I also have to confess that if I were living in Mississipi at that time, I would have discriminated the Blacks too, so that I would not be bullied by the Whites.
The scene that struck me most was the part where the Ku Klux Klan lynched the Blacks and burned down their houses. The sight of the Black man hanging on a tree made me feel very angry because the Ku Klux Klan were very cruel. It really brought out the theme of prejudice very strongly. Another scene that I enjoyed was the last scene where the Blacks gathered at the burnt down church. I think the producer includes this scene to show that although the KKK were successful in breaking the physical bond among the Blacks by burning down their churches, however they were unable to break up the strong spiritual bond among them.
My favourite character in "Mississipi Burning" is Mr. Anderson, because he has a way with people and knows the perfect way to deal with the Ku Klux Klan. He is also very brave and is willing to stand up for what is right. However, I do not like the fact that he is quite vulgar and violent, as there are always other alternatives to solving a problem. Therefore, I find that Mr. Anderson is my favourite character because he played a vital role in nabbing the Ku Klux Klan and helped the state.
In conclusion, I find that the film is a very good film in teaching about the racism that happened in the Southern USA because its scenes are very useful in bringing out feelings and themes. However, I feel that the film is quite slow-moving, perhaps because it was made in 1988.
Nathanael
I would like to share my feelings after watching the film "Mississipi Burning".
I think that I do not really like this show because it is quite slow-moving and quite vulgar as well. However, this film was very effective in evoking strong feelings of hate in me against the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Before this year, I did not know much about the extent of the racism in Southern USA. By watching the film, I discovered about the cruelty of the KKK and how they silenced the Blacks by using intimidation. I also knew what the term "lynching" meant. I feel very indignant against the KKK and the people who just watched the discriminations but did nothing about it, because all humans are equal, therefore we should accept each other and acknowledge that every human has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. I think that generalisations and stereotypes are not to be accepted too, because they are definitely not true. Violence is just not "cool", because it is not the gentlemanly way to settle disputes. However, I have to admit that I myself have some prejudices against some people, therefore I have to make sure that this thoughts do not become actions. I also have to confess that if I were living in Mississipi at that time, I would have discriminated the Blacks too, so that I would not be bullied by the Whites.
The scene that struck me most was the part where the Ku Klux Klan lynched the Blacks and burned down their houses. The sight of the Black man hanging on a tree made me feel very angry because the Ku Klux Klan were very cruel. It really brought out the theme of prejudice very strongly. Another scene that I enjoyed was the last scene where the Blacks gathered at the burnt down church. I think the producer includes this scene to show that although the KKK were successful in breaking the physical bond among the Blacks by burning down their churches, however they were unable to break up the strong spiritual bond among them.
My favourite character in "Mississipi Burning" is Mr. Anderson, because he has a way with people and knows the perfect way to deal with the Ku Klux Klan. He is also very brave and is willing to stand up for what is right. However, I do not like the fact that he is quite vulgar and violent, as there are always other alternatives to solving a problem. Therefore, I find that Mr. Anderson is my favourite character because he played a vital role in nabbing the Ku Klux Klan and helped the state.
In conclusion, I find that the film is a very good film in teaching about the racism that happened in the Southern USA because its scenes are very useful in bringing out feelings and themes. However, I feel that the film is quite slow-moving, perhaps because it was made in 1988.
Nathanael
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Superstitions
Hi,
I would like to share some of the unique superstitions and give my view on these beliefs.
Some superstitions are listed below:
If you cut an apple in half and count the number of seeds inside, you will hence know the number of children you will have.
However, if a person eats many apples a day, does it mean that the number of children he will have will change? Anyway, the number of children a couple has can be controlled by them and thus I believe that this superstition is not really true.
It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
I have cut my nails on Sunday before but nothing noticeably bad had gone wrong to me. Also, life is full of ups and downs, therefore it is perfectly normal if I get into trouble.
A yawn is a sign that danger will come.
I think that I yawn almost once every day, and science has proven that we yawn because of an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in our body, not when we are going to face danger.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
This is completely untrue.
I think that the reality of superstitions is really up to the person. In my opinion, I think that suprestitions are just things that were made up due to coincidences that happened in the past or when people decided to have some fun scaring their friends. However, I find superstitions quite interesting and enjoy proving them wrong.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
I would like to share some of the unique superstitions and give my view on these beliefs.
Some superstitions are listed below:
If you cut an apple in half and count the number of seeds inside, you will hence know the number of children you will have.
However, if a person eats many apples a day, does it mean that the number of children he will have will change? Anyway, the number of children a couple has can be controlled by them and thus I believe that this superstition is not really true.
It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
I have cut my nails on Sunday before but nothing noticeably bad had gone wrong to me. Also, life is full of ups and downs, therefore it is perfectly normal if I get into trouble.
A yawn is a sign that danger will come.
I think that I yawn almost once every day, and science has proven that we yawn because of an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in our body, not when we are going to face danger.
A watermelon will grow in your stomach if you swallow a watermelon seed.
This is completely untrue.
I think that the reality of superstitions is really up to the person. In my opinion, I think that suprestitions are just things that were made up due to coincidences that happened in the past or when people decided to have some fun scaring their friends. However, I find superstitions quite interesting and enjoy proving them wrong.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
My Favourite Character
Hi,
I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and would like to share my favourite character in this story.
My favourite character in the story is Atticus because he is very wise and always maintains his cool throughout the story despite being the one who is always facing some sort of adversity. I have utmost respect and admiration of Atticus because he is an ideal father to me and a role model for me to follow. There were certain instances in the story which the author includes to invoke the feelings of respect that I feel towards him. For example, he would allow Scout to cuddle in his lap every night reading The Middle Section, showing that he is a very caring father who is willing to spend time to build up on the relationship with his children. However, not many fathers in Singapore are willing to put aside their busy schedules to ensure that they are close with their families. Therefore, I respect Atticus for this point. Also, when Bob Ewell threatens to kill Atticus and even spits in his face, Atticus just wiped the saliva off his face and replied Bob Ewell in a polite manner. If he were me, I would have taken no hesitation to deal a stinging blow onto his cheek and spit on him ten more times! I am extremely amazed at the way Atticus is able to curb his temper. Next, Atticus teaches his children very good and insightful values like putting ourselves in others' shoes and that having prejudices is wrong. Most importantly, Atticus has a very strong sense of justice. He was willing to defend Tom Robinson even though it put him at risks like getting confronted by a lynch mob. However, many people do not have the courage to stand up for the right thing because they fear the bad things that would happen to themselves. All these examples are the reason why my favourite character is Atticus.
However, in reality, I do not think that I would be able to find such a good man because Atticus is just a fictional character in a book. Even so, I hope to model after his wisdom and courage. I hope that every boy in the world would have the same dream as me!
Nathanael
I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and would like to share my favourite character in this story.
My favourite character in the story is Atticus because he is very wise and always maintains his cool throughout the story despite being the one who is always facing some sort of adversity. I have utmost respect and admiration of Atticus because he is an ideal father to me and a role model for me to follow. There were certain instances in the story which the author includes to invoke the feelings of respect that I feel towards him. For example, he would allow Scout to cuddle in his lap every night reading The Middle Section, showing that he is a very caring father who is willing to spend time to build up on the relationship with his children. However, not many fathers in Singapore are willing to put aside their busy schedules to ensure that they are close with their families. Therefore, I respect Atticus for this point. Also, when Bob Ewell threatens to kill Atticus and even spits in his face, Atticus just wiped the saliva off his face and replied Bob Ewell in a polite manner. If he were me, I would have taken no hesitation to deal a stinging blow onto his cheek and spit on him ten more times! I am extremely amazed at the way Atticus is able to curb his temper. Next, Atticus teaches his children very good and insightful values like putting ourselves in others' shoes and that having prejudices is wrong. Most importantly, Atticus has a very strong sense of justice. He was willing to defend Tom Robinson even though it put him at risks like getting confronted by a lynch mob. However, many people do not have the courage to stand up for the right thing because they fear the bad things that would happen to themselves. All these examples are the reason why my favourite character is Atticus.
However, in reality, I do not think that I would be able to find such a good man because Atticus is just a fictional character in a book. Even so, I hope to model after his wisdom and courage. I hope that every boy in the world would have the same dream as me!
Nathanael
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Putting Myself in another person's Shoes
Hi,
I would like to explain on the term "to put yourself in another person's shoes" and thinking about what personal qualities that are needed to see things as someone else does.
I think that putting oneself in another person's shoes is very important in life, as it can help to reduce the number of quarrels in the world. When we put ourselves in another person's shoes, it means that we take a moment to think about the other party's situation and try to come up with a rationale of why he/she is behaving like that. For example, if I am doing a project with Person A and I contribute almost everything while Person A does nothing, I should try to understand his situation before carrying out an action towards him. Perhaps Person A is struggling with a loss of a family member and does not have the time or mood to do the project. Therefore, it is quite important to put oneself in another person's shoes so that we can think before we act and can hence come up with a more righteous and accurate judgement of a person. This will also enable us to prevent certain arguments from happening.
However, putting oneself in another person's shoes in not as easy as think. In order to carry out this action, we need to learn to possess certain characteristics. One such characteristic is sensitivity. We need to be sensitive to one another's feelings so as not to provoke their feelings and understand them better. We also need to be very patient and take time to listen to what the other person has to say. Objectiveness and fairness are also key qualities needed to ensure that we can have an unbiased view of the whole picture. Last but not least, I believe that we have to be very understanding and forgiving, because it is the key to maintaining a good, peaceful relationship with the other party by trying to understand that his/her way of life might be different from ours.
In conclusion, I think that I should learn from the character Atticus in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" because he is always able to put himself in other people's shoes, instilling great respect in me for him. I hope that everyone in the world will be able to do this simple action so that the world will become a happier place to live in.
Nathanael
I would like to explain on the term "to put yourself in another person's shoes" and thinking about what personal qualities that are needed to see things as someone else does.
I think that putting oneself in another person's shoes is very important in life, as it can help to reduce the number of quarrels in the world. When we put ourselves in another person's shoes, it means that we take a moment to think about the other party's situation and try to come up with a rationale of why he/she is behaving like that. For example, if I am doing a project with Person A and I contribute almost everything while Person A does nothing, I should try to understand his situation before carrying out an action towards him. Perhaps Person A is struggling with a loss of a family member and does not have the time or mood to do the project. Therefore, it is quite important to put oneself in another person's shoes so that we can think before we act and can hence come up with a more righteous and accurate judgement of a person. This will also enable us to prevent certain arguments from happening.
However, putting oneself in another person's shoes in not as easy as think. In order to carry out this action, we need to learn to possess certain characteristics. One such characteristic is sensitivity. We need to be sensitive to one another's feelings so as not to provoke their feelings and understand them better. We also need to be very patient and take time to listen to what the other person has to say. Objectiveness and fairness are also key qualities needed to ensure that we can have an unbiased view of the whole picture. Last but not least, I believe that we have to be very understanding and forgiving, because it is the key to maintaining a good, peaceful relationship with the other party by trying to understand that his/her way of life might be different from ours.
In conclusion, I think that I should learn from the character Atticus in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" because he is always able to put himself in other people's shoes, instilling great respect in me for him. I hope that everyone in the world will be able to do this simple action so that the world will become a happier place to live in.
Nathanael
Making a Fair Judgment
Hi,
I would like to share my views on what I think is involved in making a fair judgment about a person or situation.
First of all, the person making the judgement must not have prejudices against any party and must not even have a preference on one side over the other even before the matter happened. This is very essential because prejudices and preferences will greatly affect the outcome of the decision. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, event though the jury of Tom Robinson's court case were presented with a lot of substantial evidence to prove that Tom Robinson was not guilty of rape, the jury were still influenced by their prejudices against African-Americans and sentenced Tom Robinson guilty of rape.
Secondly, I think that the person must be upright and not corrupt. The judge needs to have a clear distinction between what is right and wrong before being able to come up with a fair judgement. The judge must also be strong enough to resist the temptations of bribes from either party if it is a court case.
Next, the person making the judgement must take time to understand the whole matter so that his judgement will be fair. If one does not know the facts of a person/situation and jumps to conclusions, his judgement will be very inaccurate and unfair. Therefore, it is very crucial for a person to be patient and understanding in order to make a fair judgement of a person/situation.
Finally, a fair judge needs to be someone wise. The judge needs to be able to interpret some facts or data and come up with a relevant and accurate inference or statement about the person/situation. Wisdom will aid the judge in making a fair judgement and even help him to come up with a solution to help the person or situation.
A fair judgement is very rare, as people are too lazy to bother about the steps to take to make one. However, I believe that an unfair judgement can result in unwanted consequences and can hurt one party very badly. Therefore, I think that we should try not to judge anyone or anything if we know that we are not good judges. I suggest that should a judgement really be needed, that one should ask a few other trustworthy friends for their opinion.
In conclusion, there are many factors and characteristics of a person that can influence his judgement. However, I believe that the objectiveness, wisdom, trustiness and patience of a person will help him to come up with a fair and good judgement of a person/situation.
Nathanael
I would like to share my views on what I think is involved in making a fair judgment about a person or situation.
First of all, the person making the judgement must not have prejudices against any party and must not even have a preference on one side over the other even before the matter happened. This is very essential because prejudices and preferences will greatly affect the outcome of the decision. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, event though the jury of Tom Robinson's court case were presented with a lot of substantial evidence to prove that Tom Robinson was not guilty of rape, the jury were still influenced by their prejudices against African-Americans and sentenced Tom Robinson guilty of rape.
Secondly, I think that the person must be upright and not corrupt. The judge needs to have a clear distinction between what is right and wrong before being able to come up with a fair judgement. The judge must also be strong enough to resist the temptations of bribes from either party if it is a court case.
Next, the person making the judgement must take time to understand the whole matter so that his judgement will be fair. If one does not know the facts of a person/situation and jumps to conclusions, his judgement will be very inaccurate and unfair. Therefore, it is very crucial for a person to be patient and understanding in order to make a fair judgement of a person/situation.
Finally, a fair judge needs to be someone wise. The judge needs to be able to interpret some facts or data and come up with a relevant and accurate inference or statement about the person/situation. Wisdom will aid the judge in making a fair judgement and even help him to come up with a solution to help the person or situation.
A fair judgement is very rare, as people are too lazy to bother about the steps to take to make one. However, I believe that an unfair judgement can result in unwanted consequences and can hurt one party very badly. Therefore, I think that we should try not to judge anyone or anything if we know that we are not good judges. I suggest that should a judgement really be needed, that one should ask a few other trustworthy friends for their opinion.
In conclusion, there are many factors and characteristics of a person that can influence his judgement. However, I believe that the objectiveness, wisdom, trustiness and patience of a person will help him to come up with a fair and good judgement of a person/situation.
Nathanael
Childhood Memories
Hi,
I would like to share my childhood experiences when I read about Scout's experiences in the book "To Kill A Mockingbird".
I find that every child is very innocent and I think that the way the author portrays Scout is very true and realistic. For example, Scout does not know the true meaning of marriage and gets engaged to Dill at a very young age. This reminds me of how I used to cheer my kindergarten classmate on as he proposed to a girl from our class. I did not really understand the concept of marriage then and thought that it was a very simple and happy occasion that one can plan anytime he/she wants to. Scout also had very creative imagination, just like me when I was young. However, instead of playing 'Pretend' like Scout and imitating other people, my favourite childhood pastime was to come up with very weird stories including monsters under the bed. Although this often gave me nightmares, I loved to exchange stories with my sister or my friends. As a child, Scout was also very defensive and never thought anything as her fault. Once, Ms Caroline Fisher showed her disapproval for being able to read in Year 1, causing Scout to hate Calpurnia for teaching her how to read. I remember an incident when I accidentally kicked a ball too high, knocking over a family photo and damaging the photo frame. Although my parents politely asked what had happened, I became defiant and blamed the wind for blowing my ball too high. I was just too stubborn at that time to acknowledge my mistake.
I think that every child is as innocent, stubborn and creative as Scout and I was, but the things that all of us do in our childhood is what makes every child distinct. I really enjoyed the times that I had and I really feel like travelling back in time to where there were no worries in life other than wearing my diapers. I really hope that every child in the world will treasure this precious span of time and make the fullest use of every second.
Nathanael
I would like to share my childhood experiences when I read about Scout's experiences in the book "To Kill A Mockingbird".
I find that every child is very innocent and I think that the way the author portrays Scout is very true and realistic. For example, Scout does not know the true meaning of marriage and gets engaged to Dill at a very young age. This reminds me of how I used to cheer my kindergarten classmate on as he proposed to a girl from our class. I did not really understand the concept of marriage then and thought that it was a very simple and happy occasion that one can plan anytime he/she wants to. Scout also had very creative imagination, just like me when I was young. However, instead of playing 'Pretend' like Scout and imitating other people, my favourite childhood pastime was to come up with very weird stories including monsters under the bed. Although this often gave me nightmares, I loved to exchange stories with my sister or my friends. As a child, Scout was also very defensive and never thought anything as her fault. Once, Ms Caroline Fisher showed her disapproval for being able to read in Year 1, causing Scout to hate Calpurnia for teaching her how to read. I remember an incident when I accidentally kicked a ball too high, knocking over a family photo and damaging the photo frame. Although my parents politely asked what had happened, I became defiant and blamed the wind for blowing my ball too high. I was just too stubborn at that time to acknowledge my mistake.
I think that every child is as innocent, stubborn and creative as Scout and I was, but the things that all of us do in our childhood is what makes every child distinct. I really enjoyed the times that I had and I really feel like travelling back in time to where there were no worries in life other than wearing my diapers. I really hope that every child in the world will treasure this precious span of time and make the fullest use of every second.
Nathanael
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Narrative Viewpoints
Hi,
I would like to share my view on the different types of narrative viewpoints and each of their purposes.
The first-person point of view uses a narrator to recount the story to the readers, hence containing the word "I". It is used mainly to provide a subjective view of the events that happened, allowing the readers to pick out important characteristics of the narrator as well by looking at some of the narrator's thoughts and feelings. For example, the first-person point of view can bring out the narrator's state of mind very well as compared to the third-person point of view. Furthermore, this point of view is usually used to make the readers feel close to the narrator and know him/her better. This is done by sharing some of the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Finally, it is mainly used when the author wants to focus on the characters or themes of the story.
In contrast, the third-person point of view uses a narrator who is not mentioned at all in the story. The narrator can follow one character around or can be omniscient. This helps the readers to identify the main character of the story and see how he resolves the conflict he is facing. The third-person point of view can also be used if the author wants his readers to feel close to all the characters in the story. This narrative viewpoint is very useful, as it allows the readers to know every characters' feelings and thoughts, so enabling them to understand each and every single one of them. Finally, the third-person point of view is used when the author emphasises more on the plot and setting of the story, as the narrator is objective and can hence describe the setting more and can develop the story fully too.
In conclusion, I think that choosing an appropriate narrative viewpoint for a story is very important, as it can affect the way our story turns out to be. By analysing the gist of our story and the aspects that we want to emphasise on, we will be able to use the best narrative viewpoint.
Loo Nathanael
I would like to share my view on the different types of narrative viewpoints and each of their purposes.
The first-person point of view uses a narrator to recount the story to the readers, hence containing the word "I". It is used mainly to provide a subjective view of the events that happened, allowing the readers to pick out important characteristics of the narrator as well by looking at some of the narrator's thoughts and feelings. For example, the first-person point of view can bring out the narrator's state of mind very well as compared to the third-person point of view. Furthermore, this point of view is usually used to make the readers feel close to the narrator and know him/her better. This is done by sharing some of the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Finally, it is mainly used when the author wants to focus on the characters or themes of the story.
In contrast, the third-person point of view uses a narrator who is not mentioned at all in the story. The narrator can follow one character around or can be omniscient. This helps the readers to identify the main character of the story and see how he resolves the conflict he is facing. The third-person point of view can also be used if the author wants his readers to feel close to all the characters in the story. This narrative viewpoint is very useful, as it allows the readers to know every characters' feelings and thoughts, so enabling them to understand each and every single one of them. Finally, the third-person point of view is used when the author emphasises more on the plot and setting of the story, as the narrator is objective and can hence describe the setting more and can develop the story fully too.
In conclusion, I think that choosing an appropriate narrative viewpoint for a story is very important, as it can affect the way our story turns out to be. By analysing the gist of our story and the aspects that we want to emphasise on, we will be able to use the best narrative viewpoint.
Loo Nathanael
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Setting of a Beach
Hi,
This is the setting of the photograph of a beach I was given:
Standing on the balcony of the three-storey villa, I could feel the salty breeze caress my face and sting my eyes. The view in front of me was astounding. The coast was full of footprints, possibly belonging to children who had went there to play. Waves slowly formed as they rushed eagerly to the shore, like a puppy running to welcome his master home. The sea seemed like it was divided into two by a wall; slightly turquoise near the shore, but turning dark blue after a certain point. A solitary motorboat spurned through the clear blue waters, sending droplets of water up in the air and leaving a trail of bubbly white foam behind it. On the left of the sea, a bumpy hill, dotted by countless greeneries, gave off fresh oxygen that mixed with the smell of sea salt, giving off a soothing smell of Mother Nature. I closed my eyes and tried to remember the picturesque sight that was right before me.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
This is the setting of the photograph of a beach I was given:
Standing on the balcony of the three-storey villa, I could feel the salty breeze caress my face and sting my eyes. The view in front of me was astounding. The coast was full of footprints, possibly belonging to children who had went there to play. Waves slowly formed as they rushed eagerly to the shore, like a puppy running to welcome his master home. The sea seemed like it was divided into two by a wall; slightly turquoise near the shore, but turning dark blue after a certain point. A solitary motorboat spurned through the clear blue waters, sending droplets of water up in the air and leaving a trail of bubbly white foam behind it. On the left of the sea, a bumpy hill, dotted by countless greeneries, gave off fresh oxygen that mixed with the smell of sea salt, giving off a soothing smell of Mother Nature. I closed my eyes and tried to remember the picturesque sight that was right before me.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
Sunday, January 23, 2011
BECOMING
Hi,
This is the comic that I made using toondoo:
I chose to write on the theme on "Work or Family?" because I find this problem very imminent in many Singaporean households. I also find this problem very serious and think that this should be eradicated from Singapore. Singapore is getting busier and busier, which results only in making people more stressed and tired. I believe that we should adopt the steps taken by countries such as Denmark, where there is a 4-and-a-half day week.
I tried to bring out the theme strongly in my comic by constantly putting John in office clothes. This represents his business and that he even thinks about work when he is at home. I also set half of the panels in the office and the other half at home, to show the struggle on prioritising certain things in our lives. I also put clocks in some panels to represent that time is important, thus we should treasure it and spend it on something worthwhile. This again brings out the theme on whether we should choose work or family as the number one priority. I also used various emotions for John, in order to bring out his character and his feelings at a specific point in time.
In conclusion, I find that this online learning task is very beneficial to me because it makes me think and reflect on how Singaporeans have become ever since the country placed a huge emphasis on business and industry. I hope to do something like this again!
Nathanael
This is the comic that I made using toondoo:
I chose to write on the theme on "Work or Family?" because I find this problem very imminent in many Singaporean households. I also find this problem very serious and think that this should be eradicated from Singapore. Singapore is getting busier and busier, which results only in making people more stressed and tired. I believe that we should adopt the steps taken by countries such as Denmark, where there is a 4-and-a-half day week.
I tried to bring out the theme strongly in my comic by constantly putting John in office clothes. This represents his business and that he even thinks about work when he is at home. I also set half of the panels in the office and the other half at home, to show the struggle on prioritising certain things in our lives. I also put clocks in some panels to represent that time is important, thus we should treasure it and spend it on something worthwhile. This again brings out the theme on whether we should choose work or family as the number one priority. I also used various emotions for John, in order to bring out his character and his feelings at a specific point in time.
In conclusion, I find that this online learning task is very beneficial to me because it makes me think and reflect on how Singaporeans have become ever since the country placed a huge emphasis on business and industry. I hope to do something like this again!
Nathanael
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Reading a Novel
Hi,
I would like to share my views on the historical and cultural background of a novel and how it relates to reading a novel.
Firstly, I think that it is necessary to understand the historical and cultural context of a novel before reading it. I find this essential because I believe that doing this aids the reader in understanding more about the context of the story and from there, he can be able to relate to the story better and understand certain parts of the story that depicts a scene of the history. For example, take the book "Animal Farm". It was written during the time when Communism ruled Soviet Union. This motivated George Orwell to write the novel to illustrate what was happening at that time. However, if one does not know these facts, he may just think that the novel is a fantasy story where farm animals can talk. Thus, it is necessary for a reader to understand the historical and cultural aspects of the story as it reveals a lot of secrets and helps the reader understand the true meaning behind the story.
I also think that understanding the author's backgrond helps us a lot in finding out the purpose the author wrote the book and the prejudices he might include in the story. Let me use the example of "Animal Farm" again. Geogre Orwell was against the system of Communism as his personal experiences taught him that greed is imminent in every part of the world. Therefore, he wrote the novel to criticise it. Thus, reading up on the author's background can help us to identify the key message of the story.
Finally, although I think that the historical and cultural contexts, and the author's background are important when reading a novel, I have to admit that it is still possible to appreciate a text without reading up on either one. This definitely applies to non-fictional books, where most of the reader's creativity is put to use. I also have to say that since young, I have always enjoyed reading good books but have never put these skills into practice. Thus, it is possible to do without reading up on the backgrond of a novel, but it will definitely bar the reader from finding out more secrets beneath the surface of the story.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
I would like to share my views on the historical and cultural background of a novel and how it relates to reading a novel.
Firstly, I think that it is necessary to understand the historical and cultural context of a novel before reading it. I find this essential because I believe that doing this aids the reader in understanding more about the context of the story and from there, he can be able to relate to the story better and understand certain parts of the story that depicts a scene of the history. For example, take the book "Animal Farm". It was written during the time when Communism ruled Soviet Union. This motivated George Orwell to write the novel to illustrate what was happening at that time. However, if one does not know these facts, he may just think that the novel is a fantasy story where farm animals can talk. Thus, it is necessary for a reader to understand the historical and cultural aspects of the story as it reveals a lot of secrets and helps the reader understand the true meaning behind the story.
I also think that understanding the author's backgrond helps us a lot in finding out the purpose the author wrote the book and the prejudices he might include in the story. Let me use the example of "Animal Farm" again. Geogre Orwell was against the system of Communism as his personal experiences taught him that greed is imminent in every part of the world. Therefore, he wrote the novel to criticise it. Thus, reading up on the author's background can help us to identify the key message of the story.
Finally, although I think that the historical and cultural contexts, and the author's background are important when reading a novel, I have to admit that it is still possible to appreciate a text without reading up on either one. This definitely applies to non-fictional books, where most of the reader's creativity is put to use. I also have to say that since young, I have always enjoyed reading good books but have never put these skills into practice. Thus, it is possible to do without reading up on the backgrond of a novel, but it will definitely bar the reader from finding out more secrets beneath the surface of the story.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Prejudiced Group
Hi,
I would like to share my experience of my being in a group of people that were unkind to one or more individuals. This experiences happened in my primary school.
I had a clique of friends who were good in soccer and we also stuck together on the same team when we played soccer during recess. This meant that we placed all the better players on one team, while the others formed another team, making it a heavily lopsided match in terms of skill. Furthermore, there were a few bullies in our group who decided to misuse their "power" and control the rules of the game. For example, when the opponent team scored, they would find a way to explain that it was disallowed, eg. offside. This made our group feel high and mighty. However, it hurt the others' feelings. This eventually led to class lessons. A few people in our group tormented others and made fun of them, causing teachers to take action.
At first, when I realised that we would never lose the daily soccer matches, I felt quite good and decided to play along with their plan. However, I had not enough courage to bully others, so all I did was to join their group but not defend the victims. As the days went by, I felt quite bored and frustrated because it was more interesting to lose at times and my groupmates were beginning to carry things too far. I began to feel guilty and so I did not really linger with that group already. However, it was quite hard to do so because I feared the prospect of being bullied by them. Therefore, I took a quiet role in our group until we departed for our own secondary schools. Fortunately, after the teachers intruded into our affairs, my groupmates turned for the better and started making friends with the people they once bullied.
Looking back now, I feel really guilty for joining their group and not having the bravery to stand for what is right. I felt that I was prejudiced against those who could not play soccer better than me. I hope that they will forgive me for my selfish actions and that I will not do such a horrid thing in the future. It is so true to say that "making 1 more friend is better than making 1 new enemy".
Nathanael
I would like to share my experience of my being in a group of people that were unkind to one or more individuals. This experiences happened in my primary school.
I had a clique of friends who were good in soccer and we also stuck together on the same team when we played soccer during recess. This meant that we placed all the better players on one team, while the others formed another team, making it a heavily lopsided match in terms of skill. Furthermore, there were a few bullies in our group who decided to misuse their "power" and control the rules of the game. For example, when the opponent team scored, they would find a way to explain that it was disallowed, eg. offside. This made our group feel high and mighty. However, it hurt the others' feelings. This eventually led to class lessons. A few people in our group tormented others and made fun of them, causing teachers to take action.
At first, when I realised that we would never lose the daily soccer matches, I felt quite good and decided to play along with their plan. However, I had not enough courage to bully others, so all I did was to join their group but not defend the victims. As the days went by, I felt quite bored and frustrated because it was more interesting to lose at times and my groupmates were beginning to carry things too far. I began to feel guilty and so I did not really linger with that group already. However, it was quite hard to do so because I feared the prospect of being bullied by them. Therefore, I took a quiet role in our group until we departed for our own secondary schools. Fortunately, after the teachers intruded into our affairs, my groupmates turned for the better and started making friends with the people they once bullied.
Looking back now, I feel really guilty for joining their group and not having the bravery to stand for what is right. I felt that I was prejudiced against those who could not play soccer better than me. I hope that they will forgive me for my selfish actions and that I will not do such a horrid thing in the future. It is so true to say that "making 1 more friend is better than making 1 new enemy".
Nathanael
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Prejudice
BEFORE:
KNOW: What do I already know about prejudice?
I know that prejudice means being biased to a certain group of people because of their characteristics or way of life, which will influence one’s actions towards a matter concerning that certain group of people.
WHAT: What do I want to learn/know about?
I want to learn about the different types, effects and causes of prejudice and some of the generalisations of prejudice.
AFTER:
LEARN: What did I learn about prejudice?
I learned that prejudice can arise from stereotypes of a person. I also learned that some prejudices may not be right and that bigotry means stubborn and complete ignorance of any opinion different from their own.
KNOW: What do I already know about prejudice?
I know that prejudice means being biased to a certain group of people because of their characteristics or way of life, which will influence one’s actions towards a matter concerning that certain group of people.
WHAT: What do I want to learn/know about?
I want to learn about the different types, effects and causes of prejudice and some of the generalisations of prejudice.
AFTER:
LEARN: What did I learn about prejudice?
I learned that prejudice can arise from stereotypes of a person. I also learned that some prejudices may not be right and that bigotry means stubborn and complete ignorance of any opinion different from their own.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Poem Extract
Hi,
I would like to share a poem that I enjoy reading and share what I learned from it.
"One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy belly
Of Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.
Picture Puzzle Piece by Shel Silverstein "
This poem left a deep impression on me because it relates to my life as a student and the big future that lies ahead of me.
Firstly, I will talk about what the poem means. The poem illustrates a scene of the poet walking past a single puzzle piece on the sidewalks. He is interested in it and starts to ponder on the possibilities of what it could be, instead of other passers-by who would treat it as a lost item or simply rubbish. He lists all the characters and things related to fairy tales to help children to understand the poem better.
I think the poet is trying to target people who are very straight-minded and cannot think out of the box. As a single puzzle piece is small and does not portray a complete picture, there are a lot of possibilities of what the puzzle could be. Thus, I think that the poet is trying to tell us to look at a matter more optimistically, by pondering on what paths it could take us to if we look at it differently and not just looking on one side of things. For example, a choice of what courses to pick up in university is a puzzle piece. We should not just take the course which seems the easiest or the one that sounds the most interesting and stick to it no matter what. Instead, like the poet, we should consider all the possibilities and imagine what our future would be like if we should join a certain course. When we do this, we would be able to list our choices better and decide what is best for us.
I learnt important lessons from this poem. I learnt that we should be more optimistic and take time to ponder on a matter, especially studies because it will affect our future greatly. Therefore, we should exercise our critical thinking skills to ponder on the possibilities of what it could hold. We should also not be so greatly let down by a setback, because it may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Finally, I learnt that we should not jump at conclusions by just looking at one piece of the puzzle. Instead, we should take an unbiased and full view of the whole matter before making a decision about something or someone. This will enable us to be more objective and will help us to judge something accurately.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this poem and learnt many lessons that I can apply in my life in the future.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
I would like to share a poem that I enjoy reading and share what I learned from it.
"One picture puzzle piece
Lyin' on the sidewalk,
One picture puzzle piece
Soakin' in the rain.
It might be a button of blue
On the coat of the woman
Who lived in a shoe.
It might be a magical bean,
Or a fold in the red
Velvet robe of a queen.
It might be the one little bite
Of the apple her stepmother
Gave to Snow White.
It might be the veil of a bride
Or a bottle with some evil genie inside.
It might be a small tuft of hair
On the big bouncy belly
Of Bobo the Bear.
It might be a bit of the cloak
Of the Witch of the West
As she melted to smoke.
It might be a shadowy trace
Of a tear that runs down an angel's face.
Nothing has more possibilities
Than one old wet picture puzzle piece.
Picture Puzzle Piece by Shel Silverstein "
This poem left a deep impression on me because it relates to my life as a student and the big future that lies ahead of me.
Firstly, I will talk about what the poem means. The poem illustrates a scene of the poet walking past a single puzzle piece on the sidewalks. He is interested in it and starts to ponder on the possibilities of what it could be, instead of other passers-by who would treat it as a lost item or simply rubbish. He lists all the characters and things related to fairy tales to help children to understand the poem better.
I think the poet is trying to target people who are very straight-minded and cannot think out of the box. As a single puzzle piece is small and does not portray a complete picture, there are a lot of possibilities of what the puzzle could be. Thus, I think that the poet is trying to tell us to look at a matter more optimistically, by pondering on what paths it could take us to if we look at it differently and not just looking on one side of things. For example, a choice of what courses to pick up in university is a puzzle piece. We should not just take the course which seems the easiest or the one that sounds the most interesting and stick to it no matter what. Instead, like the poet, we should consider all the possibilities and imagine what our future would be like if we should join a certain course. When we do this, we would be able to list our choices better and decide what is best for us.
I learnt important lessons from this poem. I learnt that we should be more optimistic and take time to ponder on a matter, especially studies because it will affect our future greatly. Therefore, we should exercise our critical thinking skills to ponder on the possibilities of what it could hold. We should also not be so greatly let down by a setback, because it may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Finally, I learnt that we should not jump at conclusions by just looking at one piece of the puzzle. Instead, we should take an unbiased and full view of the whole matter before making a decision about something or someone. This will enable us to be more objective and will help us to judge something accurately.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this poem and learnt many lessons that I can apply in my life in the future.
Loo Nathanael (18) 2I1
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