Hello. This shall be a short post. Yesterday, Yee Hark and I had a weird encounter with a taxi driver on our way home. In the taxi, this middle-aged taxi driver started talking to us ever since we sat in the taxi and told him our destination.
He began talking asking us about which school were we from, although it was quite obvious. From then on, we started to feel that he was quite weird. Then, on the expressway, he suddenly started ranting. About what? We were curious at first. We finally realised when he started spamming the horn at a vehicle which suddenly switched lanes in front of him. Pissed off, the taxi uncle drove beside the vehicle and wound down the window and started doing many hand gestures and asking the driver of the other vehicle if he was crazy, but he failed to find out that the other vehicle's windows were all wound up and no one could hear him except us.
The uncle said something to us after exiting the expressway, and I remember what he said clearly which is why I am posting a blog post about it now. He said " Uncle arh, born loser, so what to do? Suffer like shit lor." This left a deep impression in my mind. Anyway, I think that we should not be so pessimistic about life, even if our jobs give us little earnings. Yes, that taxi driver is trying to face up to reality, but he should do it in a more optimistic manner such as talking about what esle he can achieve and not what he has failed terribly to do.
And so, that's all. Bye.
Posted on Term 3 Week 6
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Singapore's Judicial System
Hello everyone, today I will be posting about Singapore's judicial system. I feel Singapore's judicial system currently is still acceptable. Although other countries around the world disapprove with some of the punishments meted out by the laws of Singapore, I feel that there is no need for them to disapprove and condemn punishments like caning.
Yes, although I agree that caning as a punishment for vandalism is too harsh, but the point of the government to use such harsh punishments for dealing with such crimes is for deterrence. By having such harsh punishments, those who have the intention of committing graffiti or other related crimes would think twice about the punishments they would receive if they were caught. This would make them drop the idea of vandalism, wouldn't it? I think it is a matter of perspective when we look at the judicial system of Singapore. In the viewpoint of other countries, they they disagree to some extent the judicial system of Singapore as they look in the point of view of their people who commit crimes in Singapore such as vandalism (Michael Fay and Oliver Fricker incidents). They think that the Singapore government's ways of punishing their people is harsh and inhumane, thus making them disapprove of the judicial system.
However, in the viewpoint of the Singapore government, I think they view the punishments as a way to let the criminals remember never to commit the crime again, or else the harsh punishment, and also a form of deterrence like I have said previously.
Thus, in overall, I still agree with the judicial system in Singapore. Bye.
Posted in Term 3 Week 5
Yes, although I agree that caning as a punishment for vandalism is too harsh, but the point of the government to use such harsh punishments for dealing with such crimes is for deterrence. By having such harsh punishments, those who have the intention of committing graffiti or other related crimes would think twice about the punishments they would receive if they were caught. This would make them drop the idea of vandalism, wouldn't it? I think it is a matter of perspective when we look at the judicial system of Singapore. In the viewpoint of other countries, they they disagree to some extent the judicial system of Singapore as they look in the point of view of their people who commit crimes in Singapore such as vandalism (Michael Fay and Oliver Fricker incidents). They think that the Singapore government's ways of punishing their people is harsh and inhumane, thus making them disapprove of the judicial system.
However, in the viewpoint of the Singapore government, I think they view the punishments as a way to let the criminals remember never to commit the crime again, or else the harsh punishment, and also a form of deterrence like I have said previously.
Thus, in overall, I still agree with the judicial system in Singapore. Bye.
Posted in Term 3 Week 5
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Justice And Law
Hello everyone. This blog post is about justice and law, as I have come across it during my LA lesson on The Merchant Of Venice. So, what is justice anyway? There are two sides to justice, fairness and the laws in a country that punishes people. From this, it is quite obvious that is not only about law, but about being impartial in dealing with a matter, getting the facts right and making the right judgment.
Yes, law can be used to instill justice by punishing people who do wrong. But sometimes, the law can be too harsh for people who commit minor errors or mistakes which do no deserve the punishment meted out by the laws of the country. therefore, justice must have both fairness and mercy for proper judgment to be made and the right punishments to be meted out.
In the modern world, there are some controversies over how law is perceived. For example, in Singapore, the issue of caning as punishment for vandalism has been much talked about all over the world, and Singapore's system of corporal punishments is being questioned. In fact, caning itself is being condemned by many nations around the world, as those countries think that the extreme pain from the corporal punishments is condemned under human rights of the United Nations. Like the Michael Fay and Oliver Fricker incidents, both of them have been sentenced to caning for vandalism for cars and MRT trains respectively. Many people from countries outside Singapore disapprove of caning as it is not appropriate for a non-violent crime which has not caused any physical or mental damage to any other person. Although no other party got injured in the process of vandalism, the eventual outcome led to the perpetrators of crime being subjected to emotional and physical scars in the mind and body. Because of this, many people disapprove of caning as a punishment for vandalism.
Hence, to conclude, I think that justice should be practiced with both fairness and mercy in order to punish the criminals appropriately and not create a controversy over the matter. That's all. Bye
Posted on Term 3 Week 5
Yes, law can be used to instill justice by punishing people who do wrong. But sometimes, the law can be too harsh for people who commit minor errors or mistakes which do no deserve the punishment meted out by the laws of the country. therefore, justice must have both fairness and mercy for proper judgment to be made and the right punishments to be meted out.
In the modern world, there are some controversies over how law is perceived. For example, in Singapore, the issue of caning as punishment for vandalism has been much talked about all over the world, and Singapore's system of corporal punishments is being questioned. In fact, caning itself is being condemned by many nations around the world, as those countries think that the extreme pain from the corporal punishments is condemned under human rights of the United Nations. Like the Michael Fay and Oliver Fricker incidents, both of them have been sentenced to caning for vandalism for cars and MRT trains respectively. Many people from countries outside Singapore disapprove of caning as it is not appropriate for a non-violent crime which has not caused any physical or mental damage to any other person. Although no other party got injured in the process of vandalism, the eventual outcome led to the perpetrators of crime being subjected to emotional and physical scars in the mind and body. Because of this, many people disapprove of caning as a punishment for vandalism.
Hence, to conclude, I think that justice should be practiced with both fairness and mercy in order to punish the criminals appropriately and not create a controversy over the matter. That's all. Bye
Posted on Term 3 Week 5
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
theORIGINALs , theWEIRDs , theSPECIALs
Hello everyone, notice a change in my blog slogan. Yes, now it has been changed to ...(you know it). Previously, the blog slogan was mySCHOOL , myLIFE , myBLOG. Why did I even want to change it? Firstly, it is because some classmates have also changed it. Secondly, I found out that my blog posts are more of special or weird events than events in school or my normal and dull life. Thus, I chose the blog slogan theORIGINALs , theWEIRDs , theSPECIALs as it somehow suits my category of blog posts. That's all. Bye.
Posted on Term 3 Week 3
Posted on Term 3 Week 3
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
LA June Work - Effects Of War
Hello, this is Part 2 of my LA June Work. A mind map on the after effects of war. I did not read any books, but I did watch some mini - series films and movies. If you have no cable TV at home, then that's just too bad. But I have. So, I watched The Pacific. I remember it is around nine parts. And I started watching it around the May period. Another series of war films I watched would be The Band Of Brothers since I have the DVD edition. The Pacific is the story of a survived soldier and his experience during world war II, fighting against the Japanese soldiers. In contrast, The Band Of Brothers is mainly reflecting the life of soldiers fighting the war in Europe. Anyway, here is the mind map.
Bye.
Posted on June Holidays Week 4
Bye.
Posted on June Holidays Week 4
LA June Work - Merchant Of Venice Plot
Hello everyone, this is the mind map on the plot of Merchant Of Venice.
Bye.
Posted on June Holidays Week 4
Bye.
Posted on June Holidays Week 4
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
LA E-Learning
Poem: Rainbow Death **
America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.
Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!
TASK 1
I think the conflict of the poem lies in the last line of the poem stating the use of Agent Orange spray. ("Execrable effects of agent orange spray!") Some research was done by me, of course, and I found out that Agent Orange is actually the code name for a highly toxic herbicide and defoliant, a substance sprayed over plants and crops to cause its leave to fall. Agent Orange was used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. An estimated 4.8 million people were exposed to Agent Orange and this led to the deaths and disabilities of around 400,000 people and 500,000 birth defects. Agent Orange was used during the herbicidal program during the Vietnam War which also include the use of Agent Purple, Pink and Green, which were less toxic. I think this is why the poet entitled the poem Rainbow Death. Perhaps it is because of the different colours of toxic sprays used during the war that caused the deaths of the people.
What the lines mean:
1. Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Potpourri means a mixture of things. This lines probably means that the mixture of the various toxic sprays used have led to a mixture of deaths during the war.
2.Toll on the innocent and unborn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Generations untold WILL pay -
These four lines mean that the effect of Agent Orange and the other agents on the victims of its usage would suffer terribly, including its future generations as there would be genetic birth deforms and illnesses. And such genetic problems can be carried down to many generations ahead.
3.Execrable effects of agent orange spray!
The poet re-establishes how deadly the use of Agent Orange on people can be.
TASK 2
Point Of View: The poet adopts the point of view of the victims who suffered the wrath of the horrific Agent Orange during the Vietnam war. The poet must have had some experience about the Vietnam Warfare involving the usage of the toxic agents, or perhaps he could have interviewed a victim suffering from the effects of Agent Orange to be able to compose the poem from the victims' perspectives.
Situation And Setting: The setting of the poem is set after the use of Agent Orange. Only then would the poet be able to write in the victims' point of views, what happened to their future generations and their feelings towards the Vietnam War. It is also said that "America did not foresee" the deadly effects of the use of Agent Orange. Thus, the poet probably wrote this line after he himself witnessed the terrible after effects of Agent Orange.
Language And Diction: The poet entitled his poem "Rainbow Death". Usually, when we think of rainbows, good memories or things come to our minds. However, the poet uses rainbows to signify the deaths in the Vietnam War. Also, the use of the word "potpourri". This word is rather interesting. Like I have said in TASK 1, "potpourri" means a mixture of things, in this case, a mixture of the different agents used in the Vietnam War - Agent Orange, Agent Green, Agent Pink and Agent Purple. The use of the word "deceit" in "All the deceit continues to spread." probably suggests that the Vietnamese people had not been told of the use of Agent Orange in their country, therefore they could not escape and in turn had to suffer from it.
Personal Response: This poem is rather disturbing. The poet tells the readers about the terrible effects of the usage of Agent Orange and images of the descriptions would be depicted in the mind. The poet adopts a solemn and rather furious tone, taking pity of the Vietnamese as well as to ask the U.S. government if they think what they had done was the right thing to do. This poem gives readers an greater understanding of how devastating Agent Orange usage can be. However, the person who reads this poem should have some knowledge about Agent Orange, of he would not be able not comprehend the poem.
Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 10
America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.
Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!
TASK 1
I think the conflict of the poem lies in the last line of the poem stating the use of Agent Orange spray. ("Execrable effects of agent orange spray!") Some research was done by me, of course, and I found out that Agent Orange is actually the code name for a highly toxic herbicide and defoliant, a substance sprayed over plants and crops to cause its leave to fall. Agent Orange was used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. An estimated 4.8 million people were exposed to Agent Orange and this led to the deaths and disabilities of around 400,000 people and 500,000 birth defects. Agent Orange was used during the herbicidal program during the Vietnam War which also include the use of Agent Purple, Pink and Green, which were less toxic. I think this is why the poet entitled the poem Rainbow Death. Perhaps it is because of the different colours of toxic sprays used during the war that caused the deaths of the people.
What the lines mean:
1. Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Potpourri means a mixture of things. This lines probably means that the mixture of the various toxic sprays used have led to a mixture of deaths during the war.
2.Toll on the innocent and unborn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Generations untold WILL pay -
These four lines mean that the effect of Agent Orange and the other agents on the victims of its usage would suffer terribly, including its future generations as there would be genetic birth deforms and illnesses. And such genetic problems can be carried down to many generations ahead.
3.Execrable effects of agent orange spray!
The poet re-establishes how deadly the use of Agent Orange on people can be.
TASK 2
Point Of View: The poet adopts the point of view of the victims who suffered the wrath of the horrific Agent Orange during the Vietnam war. The poet must have had some experience about the Vietnam Warfare involving the usage of the toxic agents, or perhaps he could have interviewed a victim suffering from the effects of Agent Orange to be able to compose the poem from the victims' perspectives.
Situation And Setting: The setting of the poem is set after the use of Agent Orange. Only then would the poet be able to write in the victims' point of views, what happened to their future generations and their feelings towards the Vietnam War. It is also said that "America did not foresee" the deadly effects of the use of Agent Orange. Thus, the poet probably wrote this line after he himself witnessed the terrible after effects of Agent Orange.
Language And Diction: The poet entitled his poem "Rainbow Death". Usually, when we think of rainbows, good memories or things come to our minds. However, the poet uses rainbows to signify the deaths in the Vietnam War. Also, the use of the word "potpourri". This word is rather interesting. Like I have said in TASK 1, "potpourri" means a mixture of things, in this case, a mixture of the different agents used in the Vietnam War - Agent Orange, Agent Green, Agent Pink and Agent Purple. The use of the word "deceit" in "All the deceit continues to spread." probably suggests that the Vietnamese people had not been told of the use of Agent Orange in their country, therefore they could not escape and in turn had to suffer from it.
Personal Response: This poem is rather disturbing. The poet tells the readers about the terrible effects of the usage of Agent Orange and images of the descriptions would be depicted in the mind. The poet adopts a solemn and rather furious tone, taking pity of the Vietnamese as well as to ask the U.S. government if they think what they had done was the right thing to do. This poem gives readers an greater understanding of how devastating Agent Orange usage can be. However, the person who reads this poem should have some knowledge about Agent Orange, of he would not be able not comprehend the poem.
Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 10
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Worst Birthday?
Three days have passed since my birthday. Since it was a normal school day, I could not possibly celebrate my birthday at night; my parents and I were far too tired to do so. I was then thinking of how would this year's birthday be celebrated. But the actual celebration was not as great as expected. Could this really be the worst birthday celebration ever?
The first thing I received from my father as a so-called birthday present: a new pair of spectacles. I went to choose the frames and do all the necessary stuff yesterday. Finally, I picked a frame which I liked, and we added in prices of the lenses, with Transitions and the ending price was like three hundred over dollars. Quite a reasonable price since the lenses are special. This could have been more expensive, I initially picked the Emporio Armani spectacle frame which was like two hundred and thirty dollars already. Too bad my head width was too small so I could not pick that frame. So I saved money for my father. This was practically the only thing I got as a present.
Subsequently, I celebrated the rest of my birthday today. The day started with bad event. My grandmother tripped and fell in her room and slammed her face onto the ground and bled. My parents then had to spend like five long hours at the hospital with my grandmother. Fortunately, my grandmother did not sustain any major injuries, but with just a few bruises here and there and a swollen eye. The moment finally arrived, my parents brought me out for a feast of Japanese cuisine. The food was just exquisitely served and tasted awesome. Thumbs up! This may seem very good for a birthday celebration, but compared to my previous years, this was the worst. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high. Presents in the previous years were much more, like four to five and red packets. Could it be because of the economic situation nowadays?
Comment and speculate. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
The first thing I received from my father as a so-called birthday present: a new pair of spectacles. I went to choose the frames and do all the necessary stuff yesterday. Finally, I picked a frame which I liked, and we added in prices of the lenses, with Transitions and the ending price was like three hundred over dollars. Quite a reasonable price since the lenses are special. This could have been more expensive, I initially picked the Emporio Armani spectacle frame which was like two hundred and thirty dollars already. Too bad my head width was too small so I could not pick that frame. So I saved money for my father. This was practically the only thing I got as a present.
Subsequently, I celebrated the rest of my birthday today. The day started with bad event. My grandmother tripped and fell in her room and slammed her face onto the ground and bled. My parents then had to spend like five long hours at the hospital with my grandmother. Fortunately, my grandmother did not sustain any major injuries, but with just a few bruises here and there and a swollen eye. The moment finally arrived, my parents brought me out for a feast of Japanese cuisine. The food was just exquisitely served and tasted awesome. Thumbs up! This may seem very good for a birthday celebration, but compared to my previous years, this was the worst. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high. Presents in the previous years were much more, like four to five and red packets. Could it be because of the economic situation nowadays?
Comment and speculate. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Blog Updates And Changes 2
Just an update of my blog for the term. Clearly, there are certain obvious changes to my blog. What's the point of updating a blog? Updating and sometimes changing the blog makes its become more interesting and unique for a some time after change, and not remain the same old themes as before. That's basically the main aim. So here are the changes.
Change 1: New blog skin
Specific details: This new blog skin is called the Memory Book skin. It simply means collections of personal memories. This suits my blog well as this blog is about my life -- personal and school.
Change 2: Clear and concise layout
Specific details: I always think that words are better read on brighter backgrounds. I have always maintained this personal requirement whenever I pick a new blog skin. The light beige background colour gives a more relaxed feeling I guess? I have also enlarged the font sizes of the text for better reading without straining eyes.
Change 3: Removal of irrelevant gadgets in the sidebar
Specific details: I feel that some gadgets in the sidebar can distract a reader from reading a post. Music is certainly a problem. Can you visualise it? It's like when you are reading the words in your head, you start hearing other words from the lyrics of the song and you would not be able to make sense out of the words. Other gadgets like the "tree frog feeding" and "fish" can make one losing concentration while reading a post.
Change 4: Followers, profile photo and hit counter
Specific details: The number of followers for my blog has increased. So thanks to those who followed my blog. My profile photo has been blank for some time. I finally came up with a picture somewhat like Justin's. Hit counter -- number of visitors to my blog has increased from around eight hundred to about a little over a thousand now.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for my blog? Feel free to give the suggestions. They will be greatly appreciated. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Change 1: New blog skin
Specific details: This new blog skin is called the Memory Book skin. It simply means collections of personal memories. This suits my blog well as this blog is about my life -- personal and school.
Change 2: Clear and concise layout
Specific details: I always think that words are better read on brighter backgrounds. I have always maintained this personal requirement whenever I pick a new blog skin. The light beige background colour gives a more relaxed feeling I guess? I have also enlarged the font sizes of the text for better reading without straining eyes.
Change 3: Removal of irrelevant gadgets in the sidebar
Specific details: I feel that some gadgets in the sidebar can distract a reader from reading a post. Music is certainly a problem. Can you visualise it? It's like when you are reading the words in your head, you start hearing other words from the lyrics of the song and you would not be able to make sense out of the words. Other gadgets like the "tree frog feeding" and "fish" can make one losing concentration while reading a post.
Change 4: Followers, profile photo and hit counter
Specific details: The number of followers for my blog has increased. So thanks to those who followed my blog. My profile photo has been blank for some time. I finally came up with a picture somewhat like Justin's. Hit counter -- number of visitors to my blog has increased from around eight hundred to about a little over a thousand now.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for my blog? Feel free to give the suggestions. They will be greatly appreciated. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Clay Madness
Talking about clay, it is somewhat like shit, dried up ones with a little moisture. So, have you ever made anything out of clay. I made several different objects for the past two Fridays ... at Art Club. Some people think of Art Club as very slack, but actually we do many varieties of artwork with different media.
Back to clay, we were supposedly required to make either a cup or building out of clay. Then the long-winded introduction to what clay was started. (We shall skip that part.) First thing I made was a cup, out of the "pinching" method. It looks kind of like the cups used by cavemen, totally unlike the seemingly perfect ones we have at home. Since my task was already accomplished, Martin and I started to shape out random things. Initially I had no ideas, so it was like I shaped out something, then destroyed it, shaped out something, then destroyed it. This went on until I realized there was a tool, which I do not remember what it is called, that could make noodles out of the clay. It was like a thing which you force the clay through the small little holes. Then the noodle ball mission started. Martin and I took turns to make the noodles, then compress them into a ball. Subsequently Dylan also joined in the fun.
My hands really hurt, but they were not injured. This was all thanks to Martin. Do you know what he did? Go ask him yourself. Reply on his blog or something. Find out how he actually "injured" my hand. Making the noodle ball soon became boring, since the procedure was repeated on and on. We finally stopped at the size of a mini soccer ball. The ball may seem normal, but it can be made a "bomb". You center of the noodle ball just had to be sealed up and made hollow and it will be a "bomb". Why so? I shall not really elaborate, it's got to do with air. Find out on your own.
We ended our two hours at Art Club with sports. Let me think. We have not been having our sports as it should have been since Secondary One. Our Art Club teacher-in-charge Mr Quek always can help us and himself come up with excuses to skip sports, like "The skies are so dark today" or maybe "The sports secretary is not here". In the end, we had sports, in fact for the second time. We played soccer for fifteen minutes. Not really actually. I should say we watch other people play soccer for fifteen minutes before we went home.
So how is your day at CCA? Other comments are also appreciated. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Back to clay, we were supposedly required to make either a cup or building out of clay. Then the long-winded introduction to what clay was started. (We shall skip that part.) First thing I made was a cup, out of the "pinching" method. It looks kind of like the cups used by cavemen, totally unlike the seemingly perfect ones we have at home. Since my task was already accomplished, Martin and I started to shape out random things. Initially I had no ideas, so it was like I shaped out something, then destroyed it, shaped out something, then destroyed it. This went on until I realized there was a tool, which I do not remember what it is called, that could make noodles out of the clay. It was like a thing which you force the clay through the small little holes. Then the noodle ball mission started. Martin and I took turns to make the noodles, then compress them into a ball. Subsequently Dylan also joined in the fun.
My hands really hurt, but they were not injured. This was all thanks to Martin. Do you know what he did? Go ask him yourself. Reply on his blog or something. Find out how he actually "injured" my hand. Making the noodle ball soon became boring, since the procedure was repeated on and on. We finally stopped at the size of a mini soccer ball. The ball may seem normal, but it can be made a "bomb". You center of the noodle ball just had to be sealed up and made hollow and it will be a "bomb". Why so? I shall not really elaborate, it's got to do with air. Find out on your own.
We ended our two hours at Art Club with sports. Let me think. We have not been having our sports as it should have been since Secondary One. Our Art Club teacher-in-charge Mr Quek always can help us and himself come up with excuses to skip sports, like "The skies are so dark today" or maybe "The sports secretary is not here". In the end, we had sports, in fact for the second time. We played soccer for fifteen minutes. Not really actually. I should say we watch other people play soccer for fifteen minutes before we went home.
So how is your day at CCA? Other comments are also appreciated. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Nearly Breathless
The NAPHA 2.4 kilometre run had just ended a couple hours ago. Unfortunately, I did not perform as well as I had expected. I came in 34th out of the three classes of students and clocked a time of 12 minutes 50 seconds I think. Running may seem easy, but it's easier said than done if there is insufficient practice. The 2.4 kilometre route is six rounds of the school field. I initially thought that six rounds around the track would not be that challenging. But I was wrong. After just running three rounds continuously, my stamina gave up on me and I started to breathe heavily and I had a stitch somewhere near my stomach. The feeling just terrible. I can't stop running, or I would risk getting a lousy timing, but I was suffering in silence. What Could I do? I could no nothing but just try to survive the subsequent three rounds.
Finally, after much endurance and perseverance, I managed to cross the finishing line and survived the "horrifying" ordeal. However, just when I thought all was over, I started to feel intense breathlessness in my chest. I felt like dying for a few moments, but every now and then I was able to take in deep gulps of air to satisfy my exhausted lungs. In the end, I got through the entire P.E. lesson and I lived on to write this post now.
So, did you have a similar experience as me during the run? Or was yours an enjoyable one? Please comment. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Finally, after much endurance and perseverance, I managed to cross the finishing line and survived the "horrifying" ordeal. However, just when I thought all was over, I started to feel intense breathlessness in my chest. I felt like dying for a few moments, but every now and then I was able to take in deep gulps of air to satisfy my exhausted lungs. In the end, I got through the entire P.E. lesson and I lived on to write this post now.
So, did you have a similar experience as me during the run? Or was yours an enjoyable one? Please comment. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Monday, April 26, 2010
Is Doing Your Duty Really That Difficult?
What duty am I talking about? Class duty roster of course. Recently, I have somehow became the Assistant Facility Secretary. I do not really know why. Previously, I was only assigned to fill up the duty roster column on the whiteboard and that's it. Subsequently, the Facility Secretary started pushing all the work to me, making me check if duty has been done or not and all the other random stuff. That was how I became the Assist. Fac. Sec.
Doing duty soon became transparent in the eyes of some classmates whom I shall not name. They started to skip duty or just do duty halfway and leave. Then they tell me that they have done their duty and it was other classmates who screwed up the cleanliness. They duty of sweeping the floor has the most problems. I cannot really check if sweeping is done unless I see it myself, which means that I have stay back in class and waste time. There is this classmate of mine who does not do his duty. Ever since, he was assigned to sweep the floor till the end of the year, but this does not seem to work, this classmate still does not care. He apparently does not click with the Fac. Sec. He told me that he would only start sweeping the floor once the current Fac. Sec's reign is over. What's sweeping the floor got to do with the Fac. Sec. ? How ridiculous. So I just told my form teacher about this classmate, and he was humiliated and said to be sabotaging the class by not doing duty. I really hope that this classmate would do his duty and not leave the filthy floor for me to sweep.
The blog title is clear. Is doing a simple duty really that difficult? Please leave any comments regarding this matter. And Keng Soon, I hope you read this post. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Doing duty soon became transparent in the eyes of some classmates whom I shall not name. They started to skip duty or just do duty halfway and leave. Then they tell me that they have done their duty and it was other classmates who screwed up the cleanliness. They duty of sweeping the floor has the most problems. I cannot really check if sweeping is done unless I see it myself, which means that I have stay back in class and waste time. There is this classmate of mine who does not do his duty. Ever since, he was assigned to sweep the floor till the end of the year, but this does not seem to work, this classmate still does not care. He apparently does not click with the Fac. Sec. He told me that he would only start sweeping the floor once the current Fac. Sec's reign is over. What's sweeping the floor got to do with the Fac. Sec. ? How ridiculous. So I just told my form teacher about this classmate, and he was humiliated and said to be sabotaging the class by not doing duty. I really hope that this classmate would do his duty and not leave the filthy floor for me to sweep.
The blog title is clear. Is doing a simple duty really that difficult? Please leave any comments regarding this matter. And Keng Soon, I hope you read this post. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 6
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Ended Addiction
Yes, I finally quit MouseHunt. If anyone was wondering what MouseHunt actually is, it is a game on FaceBook where you click on a virtual image of a horn every fifteen minutes and check if you have caught any mice. Why did I quit. Basically, I began to find the game boring for the past two to three weeks and I went online on FaceBook less often. Also, I realised that playing games is a really bad thing for me, proven by my MSG in Term 1 -- 3.0, which is far below expectation. I took a rather long time before coming to a decision to quit the game. Reasons being that I was of the highest ranking in class, not too bad actually, and my game account seemed to have the most resources needed for the game.
The quitting procedure was quick and nice, no hesitating and nothing. I just told myself that quit and everything would still be the same, no more game addiction of course. To prevent myself from actually playing again, I gave my entire account away to Zhi Xin, I wonder how is he doing having total control over my account. The account password was changed and life went on as usual, no side effects like quitting a drug addiction. Another reason for me quitting is because I started playing another game, in moderation, called Maplestory. The game did not make me become addicted, since self-control was in operation. The game is perfectly fine to me, even Martin, Justin, Jim and Darren plays it. Similarly to MouseHunt, I own really high-leveled character accounts in Maplestory, since I used to be a game "spammer" during June and December holidays.
To end of, I just want to ask a simple question to other people who still play MouseHunt. Is MouseHunt really that difficult to quit. Even so, I think priorities and time management should play a part. Place priorities on important things and do not become addicted. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 5
The quitting procedure was quick and nice, no hesitating and nothing. I just told myself that quit and everything would still be the same, no more game addiction of course. To prevent myself from actually playing again, I gave my entire account away to Zhi Xin, I wonder how is he doing having total control over my account. The account password was changed and life went on as usual, no side effects like quitting a drug addiction. Another reason for me quitting is because I started playing another game, in moderation, called Maplestory. The game did not make me become addicted, since self-control was in operation. The game is perfectly fine to me, even Martin, Justin, Jim and Darren plays it. Similarly to MouseHunt, I own really high-leveled character accounts in Maplestory, since I used to be a game "spammer" during June and December holidays.
To end of, I just want to ask a simple question to other people who still play MouseHunt. Is MouseHunt really that difficult to quit. Even so, I think priorities and time management should play a part. Place priorities on important things and do not become addicted. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 5
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Movie Marathon
I recently created this thing called a Movie Marathon. It meant that I would watch many different movies in a day. And so I did. I remembered that I watched six movies. I watched movies like Avatar, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Hurt Locker. These movies are all spectacular and I really do not mind watching them again and again. Overall, I felt that this Movie Marathon thing which I tried out was a total failure. I became so tired after watching all six movies. My eyes were terribly exhausted and I felt as if I was blind. This is bad for eyesight.
This post is very short. Just some opinions about what I have done to myself. Please leave your precious comments. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 4
This post is very short. Just some opinions about what I have done to myself. Please leave your precious comments. Bye.
Posted on Term 2 Week 4
Monday, March 1, 2010
Homelearning
This will be a short blog post. And this post may seem to appear a little late, but I decided to still post it. Today and tomorrow are home learning days since all the school teachers had to attend the education conference.
Home learning can be seen as both a good or bad thing. The good part about home learning is that I can do the homework at the expense of my own time, as long as I hand it up before twelve midnight on the same day. The bad point comes where you are in doubt of the notes or questions. Who can you ask? Your grandmother, or maid. Yes, I forgot about the Internet. But even with all these search engines, who can give you the best explanations? It is quite obvious it is the teachers. So home learning equals to doing work more relaxed which equals to having some or no doubts about the questions which equals to remain in doubt since there are no teachers at home.
That's about it. The end. Please comment, even if there's nothing to comment in this post, at least comment in others. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 9
Intrapersonal
Although naturalist is one of the highest in percentage when you look at my Multiple Intelligence Test report, I still fell that the test is rather inaccurate so I decided to choose another task on my own. The question is: "Who would you want to be friends with in the novel? Explain." Let me start off in the next paragraph.
Well, in my opinion, I would most likely want to be friends with two characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. They are Boo Arthur Radley and Atticus Finch. I shall first explain why I picked Boo Arthur Radley, then I would continue with my reasons for picking Atticus Finch.
Basically, the reason I chose Boo Arthur Radley is because he is pure person or should I say a pure soul. Although many other characters think that Boo is a freak due to being kept in his house for fifteen years consecutively, I differ from their views. If you look at it in another way, since Boo was made to only stay in his house for fifteen years, during this period of time he would not be exposed to any of the evils in society and thus he would have a pure mind and soul. Not many people in society nowadays have such a quality. People in society often put on "masks" to hide their true feelings and identities from others. Because of this, it is rather difficult to determine whether a person is really truthful when they say something. And thus it is also difficult to make true friends. But for Boo, I'm sure that his truthful when he says something. Also, Boo's "pureness" can also be seen from his actions when he leaves chewing gum and other stuff for Jem, Scout and Dill. Although Dill often makes fun of Boo, Boo still tries his best to establish contact with the outside world through the knothole in the tree at the Radley Place. Another important point to note - Boo also saved the children from Bow Ewell when he tried to attack them. The last point that is evidence of Boo's kind soul is from Miss Maudie. In the novel, Miss Maudie's opinion of Boo was that he was a good boy and spoke politely to others. These are all the reasons why I decided to choose Boo Arthur Radley as one the characters whom I would like to make friends with.
Next, on the Atticus Finch. This paragraph would be shorter as I would just list some of the main reasons for my choice. Most importantly, Atticus possesses courage, in moral form. Atticus had the moral courage of standing up for Tom Robinson and being in the minority, despite the fact that he knew the court case would eventually still be lost. By doing this, he also educates his children as to the true meaning of heroism or courage. Atticus also displays determination. He did not give up defending Tom Robinson even though there were numerous obstacles and difficulties - his children were being made fun of at school, people insulted him, people talked bad about him behind his back. Graciousness was shown when Atticus forgave Mrs Dubose for insulting him. That's about it, all my pointers.
In conclusion, I would like to make friends with Boo Arthur Radley and Atticus Finch as they possess the true qualities of good people. What about you? Who would you like to make friends with in the novel. Share your interesting view in the comment box. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 9
Visual
This is part of my Language Arts E-learning homework. This is the map of Maycomb County, Alabama from the novel To Kill A Mockingbird.
All the positions of the houses and buildings are all based on the descriptions in the novel. I have also coloured it so you may get a better view of the entire map. I'm not that professional as to imagining a map in my brain. This map is actually a reference to another map of Maycomb from enotes.com. Hope you enjoy looking at the map. Click on it for a better view (as in click on the picture).
On to the next task under Intrapersonal section. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 9
Multiple Intelligence Learning Profile
1. Post your learning profile on your blog and write in no less than 100 words the implications or what you feel about the Multiple Intelligence test.
So, what do I feel about the Multiple Intelligence Test? No, I should start off with something general about this test. This test comprises of forty questions in five sections. These forty questions are basically asked based on the eight intelligences, logical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, visual or spatial, naturalist, kinaesthetic, and linguistic. To me, they are just some random questions.
Now, the main part of how I feel about the test and my results. You can see from the test report above, or can't you. Nevermind, I should just type it out, instead of letting you strain your eyes at the image. My two best intelligences are the visual or spatial and naturalist. Just be looking at my results, I feel that the test is inaccurate. I am never a nature-type of person. I crush ants when I see them, and worse, when I was younger, I used to destroy plants by separating the stem from the roots. Basically, the main thing is that I dislike nature kind of stuff. I guess I got such a percentage for naturalist perhaps because of a question. It ask if I could remember names of plants well. And I put the fifth option, which meant that I could remember stuff about nature really well. You see, when you study something, you may need to memorise it well for a test or whatever. So, it does not mean that since I can remember facts about nature very well, I am a naturalist. I repeat, it is not true.
However, the test was right about one thing - I can remember stuff well when I write it out or draw. That's why I got the highest percentage for the visual or spatial section. That's about it. So overall I feel that the test is not really accurate as it is stereotyping the kind of person you are and some of the questions are asked and analysed in perhaps the wrong way?
Please comment on my blog posts. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 9
Friday, February 26, 2010
Blog Updates And Changes
Here are the changes I made to my blog and some updates. It should prove to be better than last year's blog, I guess.
Change 1: New blog address http://alex-is-blogging.blogspot.com/
Use: It is easier to remember. Just think about it, who is blogging? It is me, Alex, so the blog address says that I am blogging - completely logical.
Change 2: New blog slogan mySchool, myLife, myBlog
Use: I have elaborated on this in my second post, I think. But just a summary of it, this new blog is about school life and personal stuff, thus the blog slogan - completely logical too.
Change 3: Brightly coloured blog skin
Use: I see that many people use dark coloured blog skins with white fonts. To me, reading words in a dark coloured background makes my eyes get tired easily. Also, bright colours can help make a person happier, I guess, and more refreshed.
Change 4: Blog posts with more pictures
Use: A word is just a word. A picture paints a thousand words. See the difference when using pictures instead of words? This has already been practiced in my last two or three posts. The posts seem more interesting and catchy right?
Change 5: At least one post every week
Use: There is no point posting like ten posts in a go after seven weeks of nothing right. Consistency is as important as content when blogging. So I will try to blog one to two times every week, so people can also look forward to reading my posts every week.
Change 6: Visitor count and time
Use: Widgets, may be useful if you are keeping track of your time when doing something. Visitor count shows number of people who have visited my blog, in this way I can also keep track of my blog popularity level.
Change 7: Blogs that deserve to be read section
Use: Idea taken from Martin's blog. This also help boosts the popularity of the blogs which I think are well written (content and opinions).
Here are some updates of my blog. Visitor count almost hitting eight hundred - a good sign of my popularity level (also thanks to Martin for recommending my blog).
Yes, that is about it. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 8
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Magnificent Places And Sights In Hong Kong
As mentioned in my previous post, there will be a post on some interesting and special places in Hong Kong. It has been almost two weeks since I came back from Hong Kong so I only could recall some places I had been to. Sorry for this, for the whole of last week I have been spending most of my time revising for tests and some other crap... But luckily I have the photos I took at Hong Kong.
Okay, back to the trip. So far, the places I remembered going was the "Walk of the Stars" or 星光大道, Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak, The Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Wax Museum and Ocean Park. I also remember going to Hong Kong Disneyland. However, I will not be mentioning it later on as I feel that Hong Kong's Disneyland is not as good as Japan's, so to me there is nothing interesting there.
This was taken at the "Walk of the Stars" or 星光大道. The Walk of the Stars is not a path with a red carpet that many Hong Kong celebrities had walked on. Instead, it is just a normal path that can be seen almost everywhere. The interesting part of this path is the hand prints embedded along the walk. Although I only took a photograph of the hand print of Jackie Chan, There are much more hand prints of celebrities - around a hundred of them. Besides this, that path has nothing much special or worth looking at. Let's move on.
This was taken at Repulse Bay. As you can see from the photograph, the beach is a lot different from that of Singapore's. The sand on the beach there is very clean - no litter at all, the sea water is crystal clear (but very cold). The sea breeze there is makes me feel very relaxed and the feeling is awesome? See those houses and buildings in the background? Those belong to some Hong Kong celebrities including Jackie Chan and Andy Lau who are actually neighbours. That's about it. Next.
This is not an everyday sight in Hong Kong's Victoria Peak. The magnificent lighting of the buildings and a skyline are astoundingly beautiful and breath-taking. Although you may not feel that Victoria Peak is magnificent place just by looking at this picture taken by none other than me, you would feel otherwise if you were standing at that location in Hong Kong. Victoria Peak is one of the highest places in altitude and the city would only be lighted up during special events or occasions like Chinese New Year, so I was quite lucky to be able to capture the sight on camera. If you ask me, I feel that Victoria Peak is a must to go if you are in Hong Kong. Done, shall we move on or do you want to continue staring at the picture?
Look, I saw President Obama in Hong Kong. Never mind, no one would believe me. And if you actually believe what I just said, you shouldn't. Yes, this picture was taken from the Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Wax Musuem. There is a similar wax museum in London, I remember. The wax statue of Obama was just added to the collection of many others just a few months ago, I think. Look's pretty real, right? I had also taken photos of Albert Einstein, Adolf Hitler but due to lack of space I did not put it in this post. The wax museum is located at Victoria Peak (Why did I even write this? Who cares anyway?).
This is the Panda from Ocean Park. I did not expect to find the panda at Ocean Park, since the name Ocean Park should mean ocean animals and wildlife? Ocean Park is actually somewhat like a theme park, just that it has another area for animals and wildlife. I find it better than Disneyland, not so childish and lame stuff there. Now I realised that I should put a video of the panda because it looks very fake in a photograph. But too bad, no videos... The next photograph is also a "product" of Ocean Park.
I almost forgot what this was called. But when I was in Hong Kong, I heard people calling it the red panda (I think it is because this little creature also eats nothing but bamboo shoots and leaves, just that its fur is red in colour). These two kinds of animals were what I found the more interesting ones, since it was my first time seeing a panda up close in real life. The end.
So, this was what I still remembered about Hong Kong. Comment on anything, please. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 8
Okay, back to the trip. So far, the places I remembered going was the "Walk of the Stars" or 星光大道, Repulse Bay, Victoria Peak, The Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Wax Museum and Ocean Park. I also remember going to Hong Kong Disneyland. However, I will not be mentioning it later on as I feel that Hong Kong's Disneyland is not as good as Japan's, so to me there is nothing interesting there.
This was taken at the "Walk of the Stars" or 星光大道. The Walk of the Stars is not a path with a red carpet that many Hong Kong celebrities had walked on. Instead, it is just a normal path that can be seen almost everywhere. The interesting part of this path is the hand prints embedded along the walk. Although I only took a photograph of the hand print of Jackie Chan, There are much more hand prints of celebrities - around a hundred of them. Besides this, that path has nothing much special or worth looking at. Let's move on.
This was taken at Repulse Bay. As you can see from the photograph, the beach is a lot different from that of Singapore's. The sand on the beach there is very clean - no litter at all, the sea water is crystal clear (but very cold). The sea breeze there is makes me feel very relaxed and the feeling is awesome? See those houses and buildings in the background? Those belong to some Hong Kong celebrities including Jackie Chan and Andy Lau who are actually neighbours. That's about it. Next.
This is not an everyday sight in Hong Kong's Victoria Peak. The magnificent lighting of the buildings and a skyline are astoundingly beautiful and breath-taking. Although you may not feel that Victoria Peak is magnificent place just by looking at this picture taken by none other than me, you would feel otherwise if you were standing at that location in Hong Kong. Victoria Peak is one of the highest places in altitude and the city would only be lighted up during special events or occasions like Chinese New Year, so I was quite lucky to be able to capture the sight on camera. If you ask me, I feel that Victoria Peak is a must to go if you are in Hong Kong. Done, shall we move on or do you want to continue staring at the picture?
Look, I saw President Obama in Hong Kong. Never mind, no one would believe me. And if you actually believe what I just said, you shouldn't. Yes, this picture was taken from the Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Wax Musuem. There is a similar wax museum in London, I remember. The wax statue of Obama was just added to the collection of many others just a few months ago, I think. Look's pretty real, right? I had also taken photos of Albert Einstein, Adolf Hitler but due to lack of space I did not put it in this post. The wax museum is located at Victoria Peak (Why did I even write this? Who cares anyway?).
This is the Panda from Ocean Park. I did not expect to find the panda at Ocean Park, since the name Ocean Park should mean ocean animals and wildlife? Ocean Park is actually somewhat like a theme park, just that it has another area for animals and wildlife. I find it better than Disneyland, not so childish and lame stuff there. Now I realised that I should put a video of the panda because it looks very fake in a photograph. But too bad, no videos... The next photograph is also a "product" of Ocean Park.
I almost forgot what this was called. But when I was in Hong Kong, I heard people calling it the red panda (I think it is because this little creature also eats nothing but bamboo shoots and leaves, just that its fur is red in colour). These two kinds of animals were what I found the more interesting ones, since it was my first time seeing a panda up close in real life. The end.
So, this was what I still remembered about Hong Kong. Comment on anything, please. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 8
Sunday, February 21, 2010
CNY Hong Kong Trip
Although it has been a week since the first day of Chinese New Year, I am still posting a blog post on my holiday trip because this is what I did then. So, very sorry for the delay of this post.
Now, back to my holiday trip. As you should know from the title of this post, I went to Hong Kong. And during my five days there, I found out that the restaurants and food stalls in Hong Kong provide very "good" service. If you had been to Hong Kong before, you should know what I mean by saying this. Do you know how the employees at the restaurant serve you food? They just slam they bowls and plate on your tables! After five days of such kind of service, this made me "pissed off" and think that it is a requirement to slam stuff on the table to make Hong Kong people special in a certain way, so that people would immediately think of Hong Kong when it comes to slamming food on tables. However, I do not mean that the employees of fast food restaurants like MacDonald's and Burger King. This is because these fast food restaurants have other branches worldwide and they have a certain standard of service, thus they are not "ill-mannered". Therefore, I think that the people of Hong Kong should improve on their standards of service.
Another thing I do not really like in Hong Kong is that many of the stuff sold there are more expensive than those sold in Singapore. So I only bought some unique and special items because why take the trouble to buy items which can also be bought in Singapore at a higher price and also have to bring it up the plane? Hong Kong also has many night markets but they all sell fake branded products like shoes and bags. The point is that I do not like fake branded goods. So on the overall, the part on shopping and buying stuff in Hong Kong is not really enjoyed by me.
The final thing is that there is a communication problem in Hong Kong for me. Many of the Hong Kong residents only know how to speak Cantonese and minimal Chinese. And I myself do not know how to speak Cantonese except a few vulgarities I heard and learnt. Only the younger generation of Hong Kong people know how to speak English and Chinese. There older generation of Hong Kong people are also quite rude in the sense that they call the Caucasians by nicknames in Cantonese.
Actually I did something wrong in this post. I should have put the good points of Hong Kong at the front part of the post first then the not so good points. Okay, now on the better points. I like Hong Kong's weather. It is not really freezing, about an average of 13 degrees Celsius. It is too hot in Singapore, you just keep sweating if you stand out in the open for too long. The good weather in Hong Kong is further enhanced by its mild rain everyday.
This post is just a general overview of what I think of Hong Kong. There will be another post on what special and sightseeing places I went in Hong Kong. Bye. One more thing, please comment.
Posted on Term 1 Week 7
Now, back to my holiday trip. As you should know from the title of this post, I went to Hong Kong. And during my five days there, I found out that the restaurants and food stalls in Hong Kong provide very "good" service. If you had been to Hong Kong before, you should know what I mean by saying this. Do you know how the employees at the restaurant serve you food? They just slam they bowls and plate on your tables! After five days of such kind of service, this made me "pissed off" and think that it is a requirement to slam stuff on the table to make Hong Kong people special in a certain way, so that people would immediately think of Hong Kong when it comes to slamming food on tables. However, I do not mean that the employees of fast food restaurants like MacDonald's and Burger King. This is because these fast food restaurants have other branches worldwide and they have a certain standard of service, thus they are not "ill-mannered". Therefore, I think that the people of Hong Kong should improve on their standards of service.
Another thing I do not really like in Hong Kong is that many of the stuff sold there are more expensive than those sold in Singapore. So I only bought some unique and special items because why take the trouble to buy items which can also be bought in Singapore at a higher price and also have to bring it up the plane? Hong Kong also has many night markets but they all sell fake branded products like shoes and bags. The point is that I do not like fake branded goods. So on the overall, the part on shopping and buying stuff in Hong Kong is not really enjoyed by me.
The final thing is that there is a communication problem in Hong Kong for me. Many of the Hong Kong residents only know how to speak Cantonese and minimal Chinese. And I myself do not know how to speak Cantonese except a few vulgarities I heard and learnt. Only the younger generation of Hong Kong people know how to speak English and Chinese. There older generation of Hong Kong people are also quite rude in the sense that they call the Caucasians by nicknames in Cantonese.
Actually I did something wrong in this post. I should have put the good points of Hong Kong at the front part of the post first then the not so good points. Okay, now on the better points. I like Hong Kong's weather. It is not really freezing, about an average of 13 degrees Celsius. It is too hot in Singapore, you just keep sweating if you stand out in the open for too long. The good weather in Hong Kong is further enhanced by its mild rain everyday.
This post is just a general overview of what I think of Hong Kong. There will be another post on what special and sightseeing places I went in Hong Kong. Bye. One more thing, please comment.
Posted on Term 1 Week 7
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Handwriting
Another post by me. It has been around 1 week since I posted something. So, I thought of posting something interesting and random. Compare and contrast! Of handwriting! Let's get started with the computer-typed handwriting, followed by the "autistic and ugly" handwriting and finally the normal handwriting.
Here it is. Looks pretty good right? Actually, this cannot be counted as handwriting, it is done by the computer. Let's move on to the next image.
Taken from the science notes.
Guess who's handwriting is this? This type of handwriting can be unreadable and some people may think it is written by an autistic person. Autistic people have difficulty in writing words or alphabets with curves, therefore they may have such a problem of "illegible" handwriting. The way the words are written are somewhat weird. For example, take the word "potassium", if written in the way of the image below, most of the time only the first 3-5 letters can be read. This leaves the reader to have to guess the entire word. Let's move on.
Taken from Samuel Yu's worksheet. However, I find it quite weird as Samuel does not suffer from any problem that affects writing abilities, such as autism. So what do you think is Samuel's problem? Feel free to comment on this.
This is normal handwriting to me. Does it look normal to you?
Taken from Ong Yinn Jaye's worksheet
Handwriting is used in our everyday lives and is not just important for doing homework and assignments. Through handwriting, others know our attitude of doing something and whether we are serious or not. If you have bad handwriting and someone who does not know you may have a bad impression of you. Thus, handwriting is very important! That's all, bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 7
Here it is. Looks pretty good right? Actually, this cannot be counted as handwriting, it is done by the computer. Let's move on to the next image.
Taken from the science notes.
Guess who's handwriting is this? This type of handwriting can be unreadable and some people may think it is written by an autistic person. Autistic people have difficulty in writing words or alphabets with curves, therefore they may have such a problem of "illegible" handwriting. The way the words are written are somewhat weird. For example, take the word "potassium", if written in the way of the image below, most of the time only the first 3-5 letters can be read. This leaves the reader to have to guess the entire word. Let's move on.
Taken from Samuel Yu's worksheet. However, I find it quite weird as Samuel does not suffer from any problem that affects writing abilities, such as autism. So what do you think is Samuel's problem? Feel free to comment on this.
This is normal handwriting to me. Does it look normal to you?
Taken from Ong Yinn Jaye's worksheet
Handwriting is used in our everyday lives and is not just important for doing homework and assignments. Through handwriting, others know our attitude of doing something and whether we are serious or not. If you have bad handwriting and someone who does not know you may have a bad impression of you. Thus, handwriting is very important! That's all, bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 7
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Cellphones & Cancer: Ring Of Truth?
I came across this article in the Forum and Review section in The Straits Times yesterday. The information in the article involves everyone in the world using cellphones, be it young or old. Cellphone radiation causes brain cancer and the world may be expecting a epidemic only from year 2030, when the brain cancer can be detected. However, by then, it would be to late for those with the brain cancer as the cancer would have reached its final and fatal stage...
Here are some of the important points of the article (or maybe you could go flip yesterday's newspaper to see for yourself). In September last year, the first International Expert Conference on Cell Phones and Health was convened in Washington. 13 countries were involved in the study of cellphone radiation called the Interphone. It was discovered that children and teenagers, aged 20 and younger, who have started using cellphones would be more likely to suffer from brain damage over the years as their brains are still maturing and their skull bones are relatively thin. Although it does not mean that adults would not suffer the same fate. Since brain tumours are known to take decades to develop, an epidemic of brain tumours would be expected as a result of widespread cellphone usage worldwide. And if it occurs, only from the 2030s. By then, it may be too late for us. A number of measures can be taken to try to prevent an epidemic from occurring in the future. Cellphone sellers must display prominently how much radiation their models emit,adults should advice children to speak less on the cellphones. Even if it is urgent to speak on the cellphone, use the speaker, earphones or just send an SMS. But the best is to just switch off the cellphone and put it as far away as possible.
So, I think we should all try to reduce our cellphone usage as much as possible, at home or at school. If everyone tries their best to reduce cellphone usage, I believe that the epidemic which the scientists predict might not occur. What do you think? Please comment.
Posted on Term 1 Week 5
Here are some of the important points of the article (or maybe you could go flip yesterday's newspaper to see for yourself). In September last year, the first International Expert Conference on Cell Phones and Health was convened in Washington. 13 countries were involved in the study of cellphone radiation called the Interphone. It was discovered that children and teenagers, aged 20 and younger, who have started using cellphones would be more likely to suffer from brain damage over the years as their brains are still maturing and their skull bones are relatively thin. Although it does not mean that adults would not suffer the same fate. Since brain tumours are known to take decades to develop, an epidemic of brain tumours would be expected as a result of widespread cellphone usage worldwide. And if it occurs, only from the 2030s. By then, it may be too late for us. A number of measures can be taken to try to prevent an epidemic from occurring in the future. Cellphone sellers must display prominently how much radiation their models emit,adults should advice children to speak less on the cellphones. Even if it is urgent to speak on the cellphone, use the speaker, earphones or just send an SMS. But the best is to just switch off the cellphone and put it as far away as possible.
So, I think we should all try to reduce our cellphone usage as much as possible, at home or at school. If everyone tries their best to reduce cellphone usage, I believe that the epidemic which the scientists predict might not occur. What do you think? Please comment.
Posted on Term 1 Week 5
Monday, February 1, 2010
Plagiarism?
Hello everyone, another post by me again. Recently, my class has been involved in a case regarding plagiarism during our History lesson. We were given a worksheet on the facts of World War I. Some of my classmates made use of the Internet to search for some of the answers. Amazingly, they found a website with the exact same questions as those on the worksheet. Obviously, they took some of the answers from the website and handed up the worksheet after completion.
However, on the next History lesson, our History teacher Balan said that he believed that some of us had copied from the website and said that we were plagiarising and sent all of us each an email entitled "Academic Dishonesty". In the email, he stated that the entire class plagiarised and that he might take disciplinary actions against us. Thus, most of us also said that Balan was plagiarising as he did not cite the sources used for the worksheet.
You see, the definition of PLAGIARISM in the dictionary is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. However, the answers to the questions given are all facts, not opinions. Also, facts cannot be altered. Therefore, Balan's accusation that we plagiarised does not stand. Our consortium director also came to our class last Friday to talk to us about the situation and agreed with us that we were not in the wrong.
So, do you agree that my class was wrongly accused or do you have other opinions? Please comment. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 5
However, on the next History lesson, our History teacher Balan said that he believed that some of us had copied from the website and said that we were plagiarising and sent all of us each an email entitled "Academic Dishonesty". In the email, he stated that the entire class plagiarised and that he might take disciplinary actions against us. Thus, most of us also said that Balan was plagiarising as he did not cite the sources used for the worksheet.
You see, the definition of PLAGIARISM in the dictionary is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. However, the answers to the questions given are all facts, not opinions. Also, facts cannot be altered. Therefore, Balan's accusation that we plagiarised does not stand. Our consortium director also came to our class last Friday to talk to us about the situation and agreed with us that we were not in the wrong.
So, do you agree that my class was wrongly accused or do you have other opinions? Please comment. Bye.
Posted on Term 1 Week 5
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Tragic Disaster In...
Yes, Haiti.
On the evening of Tuesday, 12 January, the people of Haiti were struck by an astonishing 7.0 magnitude earthquake with another 33 recorded aftershocks of about 5.0 to 5.9 magnitude. The earthquake, including the aftershocks, claimed about 110,000 lives. Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, and other settlements in the Haitian region were caused major damage with many notable landmarks destroyed as a result of the horrifying disaster.
After the earthquake, mothers and fathers could be seen searching for their children, children searching for their parents and some crying over the loss of their loved ones. To the elderly there, their experience in this disaster could be described as worse than the war and revolutions they have been through in the past. This will no doubt cause tears to well up in some of our eyes. Many people were now homeless, many suffering from physical and emotional damage. With homes and family members lost, what more can the people lose? Although many associations and world organisations such as the Red Cross have contributed their help in providing food and medicals supplies, no one would be able to make up for the psychological impact in the hearts of the Haiti residents.
The worse thing is that, people of Haiti have been fighting one another over a mere packet of food and water. Good friends could turn out hurting each other just for their own survival in the earthquake-damaged area. Haiti is one of the poorest and least-developed countries in the Americas, with the average monthly pay at around $60.
So, as students, since we are unable to provide our support in the form of supplies, I think we can just pray for the affected people of Haiti that they would be able to get through this tough period with strong wills. What do you think? Please share your views.
Posted on Term 1 Week 4
On the evening of Tuesday, 12 January, the people of Haiti were struck by an astonishing 7.0 magnitude earthquake with another 33 recorded aftershocks of about 5.0 to 5.9 magnitude. The earthquake, including the aftershocks, claimed about 110,000 lives. Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, and other settlements in the Haitian region were caused major damage with many notable landmarks destroyed as a result of the horrifying disaster.
After the earthquake, mothers and fathers could be seen searching for their children, children searching for their parents and some crying over the loss of their loved ones. To the elderly there, their experience in this disaster could be described as worse than the war and revolutions they have been through in the past. This will no doubt cause tears to well up in some of our eyes. Many people were now homeless, many suffering from physical and emotional damage. With homes and family members lost, what more can the people lose? Although many associations and world organisations such as the Red Cross have contributed their help in providing food and medicals supplies, no one would be able to make up for the psychological impact in the hearts of the Haiti residents.
The worse thing is that, people of Haiti have been fighting one another over a mere packet of food and water. Good friends could turn out hurting each other just for their own survival in the earthquake-damaged area. Haiti is one of the poorest and least-developed countries in the Americas, with the average monthly pay at around $60.
So, as students, since we are unable to provide our support in the form of supplies, I think we can just pray for the affected people of Haiti that they would be able to get through this tough period with strong wills. What do you think? Please share your views.
Posted on Term 1 Week 4
Friday, January 22, 2010
Treatment Of Black People In America
This is officially my first post on a question given in school. Guess what subject it is... Alright, its LA. If some of you do not know what LA is, its Los Angeles. I was just kidding. How can Los Angeles be related to school? Here is the real meaning, LA is an abbreviation of Language Arts which can also be known as English.
The topic, as you already know from the title, is Treatment Of Black People In America. This question is based on a novel To Kill A Mocking Bird. Here are my views on the treatment of the blacks.
I feel that there has been racial segregation between the Blacks and Whites in America since the 1800s. In the 1800s, African-Americans were working as slaves for the white people. They had been working as slaves until the late 1800s when a law was passed the Blacks were give freedom and the opportunity to vote. Although the Blacks were free, They were still being discriminated by others. Anywhere they went the had to be separated from the others and and had could only be at areas labeled "For Coloured". There is also a day called "Coloured Day". The Blacks could only go to certain places on that they and were not allowed to do so on other days. This was a clear form of discrimination towards the Blacks.
Worse still, Black students sometimes had to be escorted to school to prevent themselves from being attacked by other students. And when sometimes bad happen like property values fell, the white people would claim that this was caused by the presence of Blacks. In America's history, there is a group known as the Ku Klux Klan which have been going around killing Blacks and whoever else who stood up for them. They did this with the sole intention of intimidating the Blacks and prevent them from voting, holding political office and attending school.
Although in today's society in America Blacks were not so much of being discriminated, I think that the period in which the Blacks suffered is a something worth remembering. Bye!
Posted on Term 1 Week 3
The topic, as you already know from the title, is Treatment Of Black People In America. This question is based on a novel To Kill A Mocking Bird. Here are my views on the treatment of the blacks.
I feel that there has been racial segregation between the Blacks and Whites in America since the 1800s. In the 1800s, African-Americans were working as slaves for the white people. They had been working as slaves until the late 1800s when a law was passed the Blacks were give freedom and the opportunity to vote. Although the Blacks were free, They were still being discriminated by others. Anywhere they went the had to be separated from the others and and had could only be at areas labeled "For Coloured". There is also a day called "Coloured Day". The Blacks could only go to certain places on that they and were not allowed to do so on other days. This was a clear form of discrimination towards the Blacks.
Worse still, Black students sometimes had to be escorted to school to prevent themselves from being attacked by other students. And when sometimes bad happen like property values fell, the white people would claim that this was caused by the presence of Blacks. In America's history, there is a group known as the Ku Klux Klan which have been going around killing Blacks and whoever else who stood up for them. They did this with the sole intention of intimidating the Blacks and prevent them from voting, holding political office and attending school.
Although in today's society in America Blacks were not so much of being discriminated, I think that the period in which the Blacks suffered is a something worth remembering. Bye!
Posted on Term 1 Week 3
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
New Way Of Studying
Here is the post on what the future class is about and also about the new subjects and grading system.
The Future School Program
From what I know, my class was appointed as the future class mainly because of our results in Secondary One. My class's MSG was like 1.83, ranking second in the whole level. Thus, I guess that is the main reason why my class became the future class.
Basically, we are allowed to use our laptops during lessons and a new teaching method is introduced: JITT - Just In Time Teaching. This means that we have to do readings on a particular subject and answer some questions at home before attending the actual lesson in school. This speeds up the process of teaching and learning. This is because on the day of the lesson, the teacher will only explain those questions which most students do not understand and the teacher would not have to explain everything in class. Therefore the JITT teaching method saves time.
The New Subjects
There are two new subjects this year - the Oral Communication (OC) and Independent Studies (IS). Previously, the ACE and OP helped most of us to get A1s. But now, with the OP and ACE set as individual subjects, I find that scoring a A1 has become more difficult. The OC comprises of OP which means we have to speak in class and Current Affairs. The IS comprises of ACE which self-initiated learning and Projects Competition.
Although the difficulty to get and A1 for subjects has increased, but I still hope that all of you can still achieve it. Bye!
Posted on Term 1 Week 3
The Future School Program
From what I know, my class was appointed as the future class mainly because of our results in Secondary One. My class's MSG was like 1.83, ranking second in the whole level. Thus, I guess that is the main reason why my class became the future class.
Basically, we are allowed to use our laptops during lessons and a new teaching method is introduced: JITT - Just In Time Teaching. This means that we have to do readings on a particular subject and answer some questions at home before attending the actual lesson in school. This speeds up the process of teaching and learning. This is because on the day of the lesson, the teacher will only explain those questions which most students do not understand and the teacher would not have to explain everything in class. Therefore the JITT teaching method saves time.
The New Subjects
There are two new subjects this year - the Oral Communication (OC) and Independent Studies (IS). Previously, the ACE and OP helped most of us to get A1s. But now, with the OP and ACE set as individual subjects, I find that scoring a A1 has become more difficult. The OC comprises of OP which means we have to speak in class and Current Affairs. The IS comprises of ACE which self-initiated learning and Projects Competition.
Although the difficulty to get and A1 for subjects has increased, but I still hope that all of you can still achieve it. Bye!
Posted on Term 1 Week 3
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
2O1 In 2010
A year has passed in the blink of an eye. It seemed as if I was still in Secondary One yesterday and now, I am Secondary Two! Come to think of it, I think that my academic performance last year was only average, with me only achieving a mean subject grade of 2.0. I intended to get 1.5, so it can be said as quite disappointing. However, most importantly is that I should look forward to this new year with a fresh mind.
I am officially Secondary Two since the start of this year, and my class has not changed, just a number is different - from 1O1 to 2O1! Classmates are the same and some teachers too (in fact there are only two teachers from last year teaching us this year - Mr. Yong and Ms Soh). Classmates, still no change in what they do. Tze Han is still trying to act like his favourite celebrity - Lady Gaga, with Ryan and Grady being together with him. And, Martin still looks the same way as before - a cute and fat little boy (no offense Martin). Teachers, most of them whom I still do not really know well yet (since they are new to me).
Two important changes from this year onwards: my class has been appointed as the future class and our academic assessment system has also been changed (in my opinion - made more difficult). I shall be sharing more about these two changes soon (most probably in my next post).
Posted on Term 1 Week 3
I am officially Secondary Two since the start of this year, and my class has not changed, just a number is different - from 1O1 to 2O1! Classmates are the same and some teachers too (in fact there are only two teachers from last year teaching us this year - Mr. Yong and Ms Soh). Classmates, still no change in what they do. Tze Han is still trying to act like his favourite celebrity - Lady Gaga, with Ryan and Grady being together with him. And, Martin still looks the same way as before - a cute and fat little boy (no offense Martin). Teachers, most of them whom I still do not really know well yet (since they are new to me).
Two important changes from this year onwards: my class has been appointed as the future class and our academic assessment system has also been changed (in my opinion - made more difficult). I shall be sharing more about these two changes soon (most probably in my next post).
Posted on Term 1 Week 3
Saturday, January 16, 2010
My Blog Slogan
Hello again. Some of you must be wondering why my blog slogan is called "mySchool , myLife , myBlog" while others may find this blog slogan weird. I have chosen to use this blog slogan after a few days of pondering on what blog slogan to use. I shall explain why...
As I have said in my previous blog post, part of the reason why I created this blog is because it is included in the school curriculum. Therefore, the first word, mySchool, indicates that the blog includes posts of my school life in Hwa Chong Institution, especially in my class. The second word, myLife, means that there will also be posts on what I do in my everyday life, maybe on my holiday trips and my observations of the things around me. Finally, myBlog, refers to this platform where all the posts on my school and personal life are being put here.
However, there is also a thing I should say, that I got my inspiration to think of such a slogan from a prominent blogger, Dr. Leslie Tay, whom which I did an evaluation of her blog. On her blog, she made used of the slogan "ieat ishoot ipost" as it is a food blog. The slogan of her blog basically means that she tries out the food, take photos of it, then create a post about it . Here is her blog URL: http://ieatishootipost.sg/ You could go and have a look at her blog if you want to.
So, that is my blog slogan! Bye!
Posted on Term 1 Week 2
As I have said in my previous blog post, part of the reason why I created this blog is because it is included in the school curriculum. Therefore, the first word, mySchool, indicates that the blog includes posts of my school life in Hwa Chong Institution, especially in my class. The second word, myLife, means that there will also be posts on what I do in my everyday life, maybe on my holiday trips and my observations of the things around me. Finally, myBlog, refers to this platform where all the posts on my school and personal life are being put here.
However, there is also a thing I should say, that I got my inspiration to think of such a slogan from a prominent blogger, Dr. Leslie Tay, whom which I did an evaluation of her blog. On her blog, she made used of the slogan "ieat ishoot ipost" as it is a food blog. The slogan of her blog basically means that she tries out the food, take photos of it, then create a post about it . Here is her blog URL: http://ieatishootipost.sg/ You could go and have a look at her blog if you want to.
So, that is my blog slogan! Bye!
Posted on Term 1 Week 2
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Introduction
Hello, my name is Alex. Basically, this is my new blog for this year. So I hope you like it. First things first, I really hope that you will follow my blog and comment on my posts. But, please do not post any useless comments as it will not do you any good either.
One more thing, this is officially my second year blogging.
If you blog, you certainly must have reasons why you blog. So do I. Here are my reasons...
1. I guess I blog during my free time, especially when I am extremely bored and have absolutely nothing do to. Although I said that I only blog during my free time, I will still post some blog posts consistently. My next reason for blogging will explain why.
2. Blogging has become part of the school curriculum for my Language Arts subject since last year. This is quite important as it is counted in my school grades. Therefore, you will also notice that my blog posts are in Standard English because eventually these posts will be "graded".
Yes, so these are the reasons why I blog. And, to the other 33 wonderful classmates of mine in the GLAMOROUS 2O1, please follow this blog of mine and I will do the same to yours too. Bye!
Posted on Term 1 Week 2
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