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
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
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
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