Preparation for LA EOYs

Language Arts Revision Guide Strand 1 Paper 1 - Writing

For this section, it'll be a whole lot of reading for the Free Essay and practising on the format for Situational Writing. There will be intensive revision to re-establish a strong structure for both components, as well as thorough reviewing of completed work over the year and 2008 papers. Afterwhich, I will sit myself for a full simulation of this paper - by timing myself and writing the full course and then executing peer-editing.

Also, I will begin reading the newspapers daily (inclusive of weekends), as I would need the content to write for Free Essays. I will also prepare handwritten notes - with all the tips and pointers to note regarding Paper 1. These notes will be read a couple of days before the examination. Considering the weightage of this paper, most attention will be given to it.

Language Arts Revision Guide Strand 1 Paper 2 - Comprehension

I would be reading short stories and revise previously-completed work. To widen repertoire of vocabulary and to increase my strength of expressing myself in answers, for every foreign word/phrase I encounter during such readings will be looked up in both the dictionary and thesaurus.

As for summary writing, I will practise re-writing both the short stories and the comprehension pieces done previously this year very tightly. There would also be the handwritten notes, and the practice-test.

Language Arts Revision Guide Strand 1 Paper 3 - Literature Strand 1

Definitely a reread of Animal Farm, and thorough reviewing of all the analysis we've done over the year. There will be a lot of analysing for Animal Farm, Poems and Prose pieces. Practising would be essential in the preparation for this final section of the LA Papers.

Of course, there will be handwritten notes and pointers, together with a practice test.

Footnotes

There will be at least 2 hours devoted to the preparation of Language Arts on weekdays, and at least 3 hours on weekends. I'll ensure that I get through the 3 papers with a sweet A1. To the other Acerians: All THE BEST! (:

Yihan

Major Blog Assignment: Who Am I?

This song I chose really reflects the deepest understanding I have of my most secret self. If you're reading this, just know that it'll be something you won't think that resembles me, but it's really my bottommost outlook of the way my life is, or the way I see it ever since I became a Hwa Chong student.

The lyrics to this song: Disturbia - Rihanna.
To go with the lyrics, here's the music video. It's a little disturbing though.



Here's my analysis of this song. If you've no idea how the lyrics reflect me, here's how:

From the first stanza, lines like ‘What’s wrong with me?’, ‘Why do I feel like this?’ and the declaration that ‘I’m going crazy now’, show constant self-reflection, which is something I always do. It’s just in me; I always evaluate. In this case, however, it’s someone who’s about to go insane; and it’s the time when self-evaluation gets more vigorous. The accompanied sounds are constantly repeated, and they sound just like a heartbeat going slightly out of pace; and its repetition aggravates the stress within this soul.

From the second stanza, as a student, stress usually does nothing but pile up. In this case, ‘no more gas in the rig; can’t even get it started’ is a metaphoric expression – ‘gas’ refers to energy and ‘rig’ refers to, in this case, myself. Always, I find myself getting drained by never-ending school commitments.

In the third stanza, ‘can creep’ and ‘close for comfort’ are examples of alliteration. The repetition of ‘it’ means influence, for my case. I’m easily influenced. Metaphors are used again to describe this ‘influence’: ‘thief’ and ‘disease’. From how influence can grab, consume and control me, a symbol is used to show how effective influence is on me.

In the next stanza, ‘Put on your brake lights’ is another metaphor symbolising hesitation and indecisiveness – yet another part of me. Indecisiveness and hesitation leads to destruction, as stated in the subsequent lines. For me, it’s always hesitation that leads to me losing opportunities. Nevertheless, when making decisions, one had ‘better think twice’ and ‘be wise’, hence a form of situational irony. Assonance is also used in the line ‘Your train of thought will be altered’. This line evokes the feeling of speed and prompts us to make decisions fast and wise.

In the fifth stanza, a line with a paradox embedded in a simile is shown here: ‘It’s like the darkness is the light’. This, besides adding negativity, contradicts each other as in darkness, there’s never light. This line reflects the kind of trouble I get into whenever I make a huge mistake.

This song follows a very depressing, pessimistic, and negative tone. The song’s chorus is repeated twice, including the sound of the heartbeat sung out, again adding to the severity of this insanity. After every repetition is another new stanza, but each of these stanzas only open up to a more depressing mood.

‘Faded pictures on the wall’ from the seventh stanza depicts faded memories, and forgetfulness alike. ‘Disconnectin’ all the calls’ shows attempts to isolate. This is what I usually do when I get into hot soup – isolate myself and try to forget everything. This is actually a way to escape, but usually to no avail, and hence comes a certain degree of madness. Also, a form a satire is used to ridicule those who are becoming insane: “Am I scaring you tonight?’.

In the twelfth stanza, ‘curse’ is a hyperbole as there is, in fact, no curse, but rather stress and depression. An attempt ‘to maintain but I’m struggling’ shows how difficult it is to get out of trouble once I’ve got into it.

One possible theme for this song would be ‘Insanity at its border’ as vivid descriptions are used so widely that insanity couldn’t possibly get worse. From the title of the song, ‘Disturbia’, is an incorporation of the word ‘Disturb’ and ‘Utopia’, which means a disturbed mind, and a mind can be interpreted as a utopia of activities, now all disrupted.



Learning Style: Intrapersonal
MIDAS Profiling Top Skills Identified:
- Interpersonal, Understanding People
- Interpersonal, Leadership
- Spatial, Artistic
- Spatial, Imagery
- Linguistic, Linguistic Sensitivity

For my response, here’s a short poem:

The World Revolves
By Yihan


It is when you feel so high
When you hit that low
The world revolves,
Pride comes before a fall
And so will our spirits be.

It is how a curse prevails,
And when it all reveals,
Watch trouble rotate
Greet Murphy and his Law,
Greet Murphy’s Law.

It is when you’re neglect,
O how the Sun shines
On those who regret
Regretted working with you.

It is when you need the warmth,
Yet the World gets in your face,
The agony to isolate,
Agonising anger
Agonising agony.

It is when you decide,
But the others preside,
Smell the Moon from afar
Signalling nightfall
Time to sleep
Step aside and let time decide.

It is when you feel so high
When you hit that low
The world still revolves,
Pride comes before a fall
Fall into your grave. And goodnight.



This is my mother’s response, directly from her words:


“From Mom:
Everyone has an inner self even his / her parents do not recognise. I am surprised by my child’s choice of the song, but if he thinks it is appropriate, then, this is an interesting, revealing activity for me.”


Courtesy of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCt4mB2PGgc
http://www.elyrics.net/read/r/rihanna-lyrics/disturbia-lyrics.html

Metaphoric Poem of a Household Item

HEATED


An anvil she is.
Her moves never a miss.
A long tail she had,
That fed right from, a 3-pin pad.

Her stage is a board.
She heats when she feeds.
And gracefully glides,
As slow as it seems,
Across the crumpled,
Out comes the corrected.

Rounding the online experience up

Reflections on E-Learning:

i) Overall did you put in more hours per day with E-Learning or a regular school day with homework?

Of course not. This is because a school day comes with much more school commitments - all of which are cancelled if not postponed, hence freeing up much more time. With eLearning and its homework, it still stays below the long, tiring hours of schooling days.

ii) Were you able to complete the Language Arts assignments in about an hour each or did they take longer?

Yes, I did. In fact, Language Arts is much more managable than many other subjects when it comes to eLearning.

iii)Which assignment(s) did you like the best and which one(s) did you like the least? Explain why.

I loved Lesson 3 the most; Analysing and Composing a Poem. I composed the poem about my primary school, shared it with my ex-classmates from my primary school, and man they loved it. They described the nature of the poem as 'Written from the heart' and 'Heartfelt' all attributable to the analysis lesson I undergone before the composition. The poem composition took quite some time though.

I didn't quite enjoy Lesson 5; Poetry on Gambling. This lesson has taken up the entire hour reading all the stories. Hence attempting the lesson after reading spilt into my break time.

iv)My suggestions to make E-Learning better are...

Provide an platform whereby students can instantly communicate with teachers (unlike email) and clarify any doubts on lesson content and instructions so that we do not end up calling and disturbing one another in the midst of our eLearning Lessons. Instant Messaging is one such suggestion, like Windows Live Messenger. Our Geography teacher set up such an account and came online so that we could ask any questions regarding his lessons to him on the spot.

This makes communication much easier, as though we're in the classroom, only that our classroom is the messaging platform.

v) A general reflection on how you feel the week went.

I really enjoyed the eLearning week and the lesson packages. Honestly. This is because I get to learn at my own pace, and I can complete any lessons in any order which suits my learning style (such as starting mathematics everyday at 8am). Much convenience has also been brought to me, for I can get lessons much quickly and efficiently. Instead of writing my answers, I type, which makes homeworking faster to complete.

An excellent first time experience. I sure hope this rounds the online experience up.

Post eLearning Work

1. Lotteries have been called a tax on the poor. Ultimately at only a dollar or two a ticket, anyone can play the lotteries. However, many people become addicted to buying tickets and they can cause family/marital problems. Discuss this topic with a parent and get their view on lotteries and specifically lotteries in Singapore. Include at least one quote from an adult, one quote or reference from either an NPR presentation or YouTube video in your discussion. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words in length and you must either support lotteries or condemn them.

Ultimately, I believe that my family and I condemn lotteries, even those in Singapore. This is simply due to the strong and consistent addiction it brings to frequent buyers - buyers who succumb to addiction without them even knowing.

Upon interviewing my father, I've got the gist of what he's saying. My father takes lots of interest in investing with the New York Stock Exchange and the SGX. He also offers financial advice to many of his business partners and has been in this hobby for the past two decades. Here's a quote when I interviewed him.

"I never believe that that is not the way to get rich. The odds are always against you. The chances of you winning are low. The probability is always low. It’s not like a dollar-for-a dollar. Playing for long would only let you lose, especially if you play consistently. It’s definitely not a way to get rich.

I only play for fun during Chinese New Year – the million dollar draw. It's just for the fun of it. Just for the hope. Just for the good feeling. I do not anticipate that I win.

People who spend a lot on lotteries ultimately lose lots of money. They spend more on the tickets than when they strike their pot of gold. The more you buy, the poorer you get; not worth the salt."

Obviously, the lethal element underlying in lotteries or gambling alike, is addiction.
From this youtube video:



Psychologist Paul Goods says that:
"A sense of excitement, of being on the edge, and you are literally holding your fate in your own hands at a poker table."

Addiction isn't harmful alone. Addiction's only harmful when it accompanies actions detrimental in anyway as a side effect. Hence, the lotteries itself isn't harmful. It is the addiction that comes along with it.

To me, visiting Las Vegas for a week with two million dollars and leaving with four million in debt would be an excellent (though rather exaggerated) example of addiction to gambling, and to buying lotteries.

I believe that all lottery ticket buyers must have the right mindset - the lotteries would never help you stay rich. There is no assurance or guarantee that all buyers would win. Most of the time, you are paying $100 for a piece of paper with printed text that expires in a couple of months time.

And over time, this accumulative effect of overspending on lottery-ticket buying or gambling would only mean that you've spent much more money on useless pieces of paper. The frustration most buyers get would only turn to addiction, and they return to the lottery booths to get more tickets, and hence facing even more loss.

As such, I firmly condemn lotteries, especially because people buy those tickets without the right concept at hand.

Emergency IT Lesson 5: Poetry on Gambling

Poems Involved: Tom Beatty, The Green Clothes and One-Dollar Gambler.

Q1. You have to do a brief comparison of each poem to a short story in approximately 100 words.

‘Tom Beatty’ emphasises on the mental burden gambling brings. It reveals the thoughts of a gambler, and how very willing all the gamblers are in winning the cash. Some would earn, others would lose, but in the end they’re all losers – they lost the feeling of leading a happy life.

‘The Green Clothes’ depict the agony and determination of a gambler. It depicts how strong-willed gamblers are, and how tense a gambling scenario is. It also shows how gambling never ceases to make gamblers feel dissatisfied with what they have, and how badly they want to recover their self-made loses.

‘One-Dollar Gambler’ signifies how money could be spent better and how easily it can be lost in a game of betting. Eventually, not only does the gambler lose his cash, he couldn’t spend on those things his money was capable of spending on, and he feels a strong sense of disappointment.

Q2. Show how the poem Tom Beatty could be compared to The Rocking Horse Winner. In studying the poem, note that the opera house is really life and when He makes the rules it’s either the Lord or perhaps the devil. Beatty suggests that everyone has about 70 years, but Paul in The Rocking Horse Winner had much less time. Explain what Paul’s weakness was, how the cards were stacked against him and do you think Paul was lucky not to live to be an old man fumbling the cards, leaden-eyed and whining about his losses?

Paul’s weakness lay in his quick addiction to gambling and betting. He quickly turned his hobby into his life and was preoccupied by nothing except for two things – gambling, and betting. He was also weak in terms of not being conscious that he is really getting addicted; he just continues.

The cards stacking against him are a figurative term showing the great pressures and uncertainty that gambling brings along. It shows that gambling is never an easy game to play; never an easy match to win.

Paul was lucky to have died earlier in his life in this instance. Should he have lived to a ripe old age, he would get more and more engrossed with the betting so greatly that it would most probably affect anyone who knows him. Even as a boy, Paul has already caused his mother to worry for him. Surely he would be in riches, for he has no problem with earning a wealth from gambling; but if he had lived longer, he would only be more interested in gambling as the days go by. Eventually, he might even realise that he has lead a meaningless life. Till then, he might have lived a wealthy life, but one with much sorrow, anger and disappointment.

2. In The Green Clothes, green is the color of envy, greed and money! This poem is thematically similar to Paper. Even though the poem takes place at a roulette wheel the gamblers from the short story and the poem have similar experiences. Explain how tips, dry lips, and all that was spent in vain could apply to the short story Paper.

‘All that was spent in vain’ can be applied very closely to the short story ‘Paper’. Throughout the story, the object in the centre of attention was the dream house. Along the way, Tay Soon and Yee Lian have been participating in the stock market very furiously and frequently. They got, in fact, addicted to the stock market – which is to some extent, also gambling. In the end, all the money they earned from the stock market backfired against them – and all the time, effort and money they put in were spent to vain.

Not only did they not get their dream house, Tay Soon got so depressed that he died. Hence, in addition to all the wasted time, effort and money, there was the life of a man lost, and the grief the people around him got.

3. Ah Boh in Lottery has about one dollar, there’s a “blind man,” the number 13 and ultimately zero dollars to bet. These last examples are taken from One-Dollar Gambler. Show how they also relate to Ah Boh.

Throughout the story, Ah Boh was blind, really blind, until the end of the story, towards her addiction, her neglecting her mother, and her wasting her life on gambling. Through her interests in pursuing a lucky number for lotteries, numbers are always involved and she’s always on the lookout for them, in any form they came in.

Finally, her small pool of money that she has stayed together with in gambling was reduced to a complete zero, together with her joy, her goal in life and her dead mother.

Emergency IT Lesson 4: Gambling

1. In relation to Paper, you should explain exactly what the title refers to and why it is so significant to gambling, gains on the stock market and ultimately the conclusion of the story.

The title refers to all the paperwork and paper involved in the story; the money the couple earned; paper could be inferred to as being weak and unstable, just like that of gambling chances and gains on the stock market. The conclusion of the story, however, has paper in its denotation meaning, for the dream house for Tay Soon in his funeral was made of paper. His dream was realised at last, but instead of the kidney-shaped swimming pool, the majestic and magnificant infrastructure of his dream house, he realised his dream through burnt paper and ashes in front of his grave for three mere minutes.

2. For Lottery, do an analysis of 100 words in which you look at Ah Boh’s superstitions regarding gambling.

Gambling consumed the presumably happy life of Ah Boh, for everything she’s interested in was gambling; and it consumed, above all, the life of her old mother. She believed in anything with numbers, be it a cat’s weight, an infant or the licence plate of an accident-wrecked car. She would, by all means, resort to extrusive measures to get her hands on gambling. She believed in offering joss-sticks to her dead husband, or the household gods. Yet her addiction brought her to no fortune, and a dead, lifeless mother.

3. For The Rocking Horse Winner, write a paragraph of 100 words in which you point out who was responsible for Paul’s death.

Ultimately, he was responsible. Alongside Bassett and Oscar, this hobby soon became addiction and eventually obsession with horserace betting. Gradually, his obsession grew and backfired at him; for his life was nothing but horserace betting. His strong belief in luck led him to ponder over the ‘right’ horse all the time. It was because his courage grew as he reaped more money from his successful bets that he continued; he could not be stopped. Eventually, his mind was so pre-occupied with identifying the winner that he went into a coma, and eventually succumb to death. And there’s no turning back.

Emergency IT Lesson 3: Analysing and Composing A Poem

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at
My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts

The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another
Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year Mrs Lee dressed up In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s For his Chinese Language Multiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment
When my eyes were actually closed

Respond to the following threads. Do note that you are also to comment on your friends’ comments and these will be graded too. : To teachers: (Discussion thread)

1. What are the poet’s thoughts? What were his feelings as he thinks back on these?

He is reminiscing of his days when he was at youth; when his life’s made of very simple, everyday things. As he recollects, he pens down his observations when he was still young; when he still had the time to observe and ponder over many things that cross his eyes.

Right now, while he remembers all these past events which might seem to be insignificant to most people or even to him when he was young – for he’s always observing – he is, in fact, cherishing the times when he had those experiences. He could be deep in thought, feeling his way through his memories. There could be mixed emotions, for not every thing he remembers are good; but memories that last they are.


2. Think back on our days in Primary School. Do you share the same sentiments? What were your memories of those days? Write a poem of no less than 4 stanzas.

Yes, memories of high sentimental value now, memories that can’t be materialised now, but memories that will be archived for sure.

This Growing Tree
Yihan
There was a time when I entered primary school
At a negligible height of 112.
Nanyang rejected,
Tao Nan accepted.
And that’s how it all began.

Right round the school hall
There was a time when I’d play catching.
And together with my friends in Primary 1
Right round the school compound
We’d go exploring.
That’s where the roots start growing.

There was a time in Primary 2
When I’d start drawing
Right in the quadrangle
With my friends watching.
Watching those cotyledons drop.

There was a time when Tao Nan underwent great renovations
And new area implementations
Came propping up one by one.
And before Primary 3 ended,
It seemed like I was in a foreign school.
A foreign school with growing leaves.

There was a time when more excursions came
When my free time was restricted to a frame.
In came the workshops and overnight camps.
In Primary 4
When more work drove,
When the branches starts blooming
On a stove.

Exchange programs.
And even more camps.
A heavier schoolbag.
All of which made those flowers in Primary 5,
Start to grow and come alive.

Then came the times
When we’d learn everything in one semester,
And consolidate anything in the other.

Doing countdowns for the national exam.
Free time then was reduced to zero.
All waiting for us to show what we have
As a hero.

All eyes on us. For we’re on the top.
To maintain those scores of the past.
And hoping that it’ll last.
I thought we were in agony.
Thought the bark’s rotting into an ugly mahogany.

Class Bonding
Was a typical thing.
Immersion Programs and even more camps.
Are added on to the waiting list.
They materialised after all,
And to not much surprise or appall,
We bonded.
We stayed connected.

And that’s when I knew the fruits ripened.

Emergency IT Lesson 2: Favourite Poet

Robert Frost (1874-1963)
"A poet never takes notes. You never take notes in a love affair."
Robert Frost’s strong love for poetry writing and appreciation empowered him to pursue this career as a poet. This entry will include my opinion on him and his works after research, and a sketchy background of his life. Also, 3 of his poems will be featured.
The shortest of his poems I’ve ever read are only 40 words long (entitled “Nothing Gold Can Stay”), even smaller than a microfiction; the longest I’ve read of his poems are a colossal 1409 words long (called “The Death of A Hired Man”), enough to fill an essay.

My interest in his poems lies the consistent taste of originality always present in his writing. He writes from his heart; yet it’s not easy to appreciate his poems just at a glance. Sometimes it requires a second reading, but his poems are somehow captivating – you won’t really feel like stopping unless you have no idea what he’s writing about.

Robert took interest in reading and writing poetry in high school in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His first professional poem, "My Butterfly," was published on 8 November, 1894, in the New York newspaper The Independent. Until her death in 1938, his wife, Elinor Miriam White, whom he married in 1895, became a major inspiration in his poetry.

In his poems, there’s much description and observations, all of which sound very real, but occasionally this brings along monotonousness. Yet his works are still completed with finesse; it’s still a privilege to read his poems. Here are three of them (since a couple of them are too long; we won’t want a long scrolling page here):

Lesson 2 Robert Frost Poems

Bibliography
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/quotes
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/photo http://poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/192

Emergency IT Lesson 1: Figurative Language

As extracted from: FamousPoetsandPoems.com.
Romance by Edgar Allan Poe
Romance, who loves to nod and sing
With drowsy head and folded wing
Among the green leaves as they shake
Far down within some shadowy lake,
To me a painted paroquet
Hath been—most familiar bird—
Taught me my alphabet to say,
To lisp my very earliest word
While in the wild wood I did lie,
A child—with a most knowing eye.

Of late, eternal condor years
So shake the very Heaven on high
With tumult as they thunder by,
I have no time for idle cares
Through gazing on the unquiet sky;
And when an hour with calmer wings
Its down upon my spirit flings,
That little time with lyre and rhyme
To while away—forbidden things—
My heart would feel to be a crime
Unless it trembled with the strings.



Q1: How are the figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is and why the poet chose to use this figurative language?

Personification is used for the first line and 20th line; where ‘Romance’ takes human form and action and where the heart is a crime.

Also, there’s metaphoric expression in the 5th line; the Edgar Allan Poe writes that Romance is a painted paroquet. A paroquet is a small auk inhabiting the coast and islands of Alaska. The upper parts are dark slate, under parts white, bill orange red.

Hyperboles are used in the 8th line and 12th line, where the word ‘very’ is repeated to emphasise and exaggerate on the nouns that follow. Symbolism is also used in the 16th Line, where ‘an hour’ is used as a representative figure to carry greater meaning to ‘my spirit’.


All these uses of figurative language accompany the poem and the writer’s expressions. Since this poem is much of self-reflection and thinking, and that the ‘I’ in the poem is the only character, these are used to add gloss to the words of the poem, thereby bringing taste, feel and authentication to the poem.




Q2: Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

Adjectives and nouns are mixed and spiced with figurative language – all of which are of the same mood (such as drowsy, thunder, trembled, crime and shadowy) – this makes the poem play along with the feelings the words within bring.

The poem emphasises a lot on sentimentalism, and evolves around strong emotions. Above all, it has connotations, some of which are covered under figurative language. Edgar Allan Poe has written tight and uses the strongest and best verbs to weave out the poem.

Upon reading, for a while I felt that it was written on the spot, without any planning. The poem has a natural flow to it and it does not have an artificially fabricated structure.

With all these in mind, it’s a five-star poem written by a five-star poet. Simple and Perfect. An excellent masterpiece.

Book Review #2

Mathematics From The Birth of Numbers
Author: Jan Gullberg


1093 pages


In rudimentary terms, this book is the encyclopaedia for Mathematics, covering wide, boundless areas of Mathematics that the normal textbooks would never deem to explore. Ranging from primary concepts like Rules of Divisibility, to in-depth studies of Logarithmic Equations and Vigesimal Numeration, this book is filled to the brim with the information just about any mathematician quests to recover (like venturing into pi [π].)


In fact, it is like a 1093-page-long report on one huge topic: Mathematics. Utilising many pictures, diagrams and figures to lay the concepts of Math concepts, this book offers a wide repetoire of topics covered, or uncovered, by many other Math-related books I've chanced upon. A gift to every mathematician, this book is ideal for reference for project and research work. With all knowledge absorbed and kept in this book, it's definitely not possible to treat them as a book for recreational reading. Yet it's an excellent study resource.

Know of the birthdays of any mathematician? Look no further. This is the best you can give.

Book Review #1

An Illustrated History of China's War of Resistance Against Japan
Author: Zhang Chengjun and Liu Jianye


170 pages



This book features China's Resistance against Japan in the early 20th Century, gradually showing how Japan's defence rose to power, and eventually taking over China, and capturing their land bit by bit. Along the way, the book features many pictures of the Resistance and the Japanese Army alike, emphasising on how gruesome the whole war was, and how justice was redeemed after Japan's fall.


This book utilises more pictures than text, each reflecting greatly, the situations of war. Through them, readers are provided constant insights on how WWII in China was like. Maps and Diagrams of Army Strategy and Structures are frequently used. This book would work very well for Project Work, but definitely not for leisure reading.

It contains much information, either through text, but mainly through the black-and-white images reflecting the spirit of the armies, the tensions of their leaders, and the pain of their civilians. The images and information are transparent and impartial; this book is strongly recommended to those who want to view war at different perspectives; war before Japan's attack on Singapura.

Another Microfiction

One Man's Land
Yihan

2nd Draft

Sitting in the corner,
He yelled in fluent Cantonese.

"Drugs are the best. Yes, THE BEST!"

He paced listlessly,
Slamming handles; kicking walls.
Then he cried.

I looked intently at him;

There’s a tag dangling from his ear.

And on his clothing, seven outstanding words read:

“National Moral Home for the Disabled Adults”.

__________________________________________________

1st Draft
He yelled in fluent Cantonese;
Sitting in the corner,
As though afraid of the commuters.

"Heroine is the best. Yes, THE BEST!"

He walked to and fro the carriages,
Slamming handles; kicking walls.

Then he cried.
I Looked intently at him;
His crestfallen face of self-defeat.

There’s a tag dangling gently from his ear.

Integrated Humanities Incoporated Into Language Arts

One of our June Holiday Homework for IH Integrated Humanities was to read up a set of handouts regarding the Japanese Occupation and come up with a set of our own notes. As I was reading the handouts, I found out a segment of the information that is related to the novel that we recently studied in Language Arts Class: Animal Farm.

Here is the extract from the handouts:
"They were promised their pre-war allowances, though payment was not always made in full. An Advisory Council of State was established with representatives from all the communal groups. Here the Sultan was only the Vice-Chairman or Adviser to the Japanese Resident who was Chairman. This was worse that the State of Council of British days, and since nobody dared to speak up or oppose the Japanese, the meetings were always a one-sided affair."

See how related it is to the text, with Napoleon practising autocracy on the animals - in this case, the people of Malaya and Singapore. In today's world, it's North Korea against the World.

If you have any comments or anything to share, do drop a comment if you have an account, or the tagboard if you don't. Glad to have shared so far.

____________________________________________________________________
Image Courtesy of iStockPhoto

The Mercurial Tom

Solemn Love
By Yihan
2nd Draft

“I’ve Good News!”
No reply.

“Dr Armstrong, yer’there?”

On his desk, a note read: “Take care of Tasha, Ollie and Milson.”
There’s a million-dollar cheque for them.
"Better tell Armstrong about this," he remarked.

The assistant walked to the surgical instruments.

Then running out of the room in tears,
The door closed peacefully behind him.

____________________________________________________
55 Words

1st Draft

“I’ve Good News!”
The air was still.

“Dr Armstrong, yer’there?”
No reply.

On his desk, a note read:
“Take care of Tasha, Ollie and Milson.”
There’s a three-million-dollar cheque for the three children.

Darrell walked near the surgical instruments.
And saw it.

Running out of the room in tears,
The door closed peacefully behind him.


____________________________________________________

55 Words
Image Courtesy of: iStockPhoto

55 Influence

55 Influence
By Yihan

"Next Week: We'll be doing – Micro Fiction".
A story 55 Words long.
"And how on earth’s that possible?"

But turned out to be possible.
Sounds difficult.
Yet so easy to write.

The week’s passed.
With me: 3 fictions done; 1 more to come.
Even this entry’s just that short,
and done in 20 minutes straight.

_______________________________________________

55 Words
Image Courtesy of: iStockPhoto .

The Peacock

The Peacock
By Yihan

"This million-dollar deal is CRITICAL.'
Silence. Clients? Unconvinced.
Waving his hands furiously, he repeated, "This's CRITICAL'.
Still Silence.

"Goodness! It's CRITICAL!'
Finally someone spoke. "How's this convincing?"
Deliberate Impatience. The CEO slammed the table and firmly announced, "I'll SHOW you."

He turned to fumble his documents.

Shuffles.
The CEO looked up.

Swivelling chairs.
Closing door.

55 Words

__________________________________________________________________

1st Draft
"This million-dollar deal is CRITICAL.'
Silence. Clients? Unconvinced.
Waving his hands furiously, he repeated, "This's CRITICAL'.
Still Silence.
"Goodness! It's CRITICAL!'

Finally someone spoke. "How's this convincing?"
Deliberate Impatience. The CEO slammed the table and firmly announced,
"I'll SHOW you."
He turned to fumble his documents.

Shuffles.

He looked up.

Swivelling chairs.
Closing door.

53 Words
________________________________________________

Image Courtesy of: iStockPhoto

SAM Visits - Art Appreciation

I have no idea how this is related to Language Arts, but maybe it is because LA has the word 'Arts' in it, I guess this post shall do. It was, in rudimentary terms, a workshop that was held over a span of two Wednesdays, each with a session of 1h30min, fully sponsored by the school. The two Wednesdays are 22nd and 29th April, both of which brought me much knowledge towards Art Appreciation.

We went through intensive studies of artworks currently stored in the many great galleries within the museum walls. It turned out that the curators had the tedious job of having to replace the exhibitions with new artworks purchased globally every 3-4 months, and hence the exhibitions are for temporal display, afterwhich it would go into the museum storehouse - which stores around 7000 works.

Each exhibition will have a theme (the previous one was named: "Daimler Art Collection") - this time round, it was: Earth and Water. The galleries feature all kinds of works of different media from artists all over Southeast Asia; some of which are 3D Art Works taking up full fractions of gallery display space. One of the curators was put in charge of bringing us through museum tours and thereby explaining the history and connotations the artworks represent. It turns out that the artists paint out of need - out of the urge of necessity - for none of the artworks seem artificial. They depict vivid scenes of various milestones in SE Asian History in mainly the 20th Century.

We even had to do our own presentations on some artworks which we studied carefully. Through this intensive course, I could better understand and appreciate
artworks presented in various forms of media. And how fruitful it has been.

(Entry best viewed with Windows Vista 2007)
Photograph Courtesy of: istockphoto

Parent's Response to e-Bookshelf

Firstly, here is the link again to my eBookshelf.

Okay. This blog entry is basically to get this other point-of-view about my electronic bookshelf: from my mother. Here is what she thinks:

[

" This is an innovative way to encourage the habit of reading. Hopefully the children will carry on this habit after leaving school. Thank You."

]

Right, I know that it is a rather short piece of opinion from her. I suppose you will understand what is phrased in just a matter of a few words :). However, right up till today, I still can't seem to understand the meaning of maintaining such a bookshelf - for exam marks?

Nevertheless, I guess my mother is rather on a neutral scale (maybe it is because she is busy when I asked her). Anyways, even if it means I do not understand why I am keeping an electronic bookshelf, it sure doesn't hurt to maintain one - keep a lookout for updates on the shelf =)!

Mother's Memorable Read

I have never known that my mother enjoyed reading English books. In the past, she was brought up in an almost completely Chinese Environment. Most of her childhood was spent under chinese exposure, so it was really unexpected that she did have a favourite english book.

Okay, now on to the book itself. It's title is: The Secret Island by Enid Blyton. Actually, she cannot really recall what the story was really about, but that was the first answer she gave me when I asked her the question. Apart from that book, she has also read classics like Gulliver's Travels, Aesop's Fables, Treasure Island and the like.

From her response, I can only conclude that she really enjoyed reading when she was young, and this includes a wide spectre of books from various genres. Hitherto, I have finally found out her real passion to books when she was young.

Perhaps this was my mother's first response simply because of the title, which could have caught her eye both when she was young, and emerged from her memory when she was answering my question. My mother enjoys exploring (even now, she loves to go overseas because she likes adventures) and maybe the title of the story suggests mystery and adventure.

On the other hand, it could also be because of this book that she began to enjoy adventures. Whichever it was, I suppose my mother remembered this read after so many years also because she found it meaningful. I have read Enid Blyton's stories when I was a pre-schooler, and I am fairly aware that Enid Blyton can create stories that seem so vivid. This is why my mother can still recollect these memories after so long.

However, she told me that it was also because she wanted to improve on her English (Don't forget: Chinese environment) and Enid Blyton's books were considerably thicker and her stories are longer; my grandfather bought many other series of such books for my uncles and my mother so as to raise their standards of English.

I believe that this book would stay in my mother's memories for a long time to come, and in the meantime, I guess she has many other more books in mind;

That would be another story.

(Image courtesy of: istockphoto)

Braced myself for these Braces

It has been quite some time since I last blogged, but anyways, it was today that I put on metal things that would last me for another 1 and a 1/2 years. Agonising...

It is already aching really badly - and so far, I don't see any improvements from how my teeth are aligned. Also, I didn't know that putting on braces costed more than $3000, and it took the dentist 45minutes to do all the assembling of the braces. I assumed that he would put some form of anaestatic substance onto the oral region, but no, he proceeded to put them on - that was something I did not expect.

Now, I would have to go for cleaning appointments on a monthly basis, and I must go on a soft diet, and my front teeth cannot close or it would hurt really badly, I must use a special toothbrush to brush my teeth, the metal pressing against my teeth is really aching - it is just so hard to adapt to these overnight. I wonder if sleeping would be a trying experience because it aches consistently, and it does not seem to die down at all.

I suppose my schoolwork would be compromised on - because I cannot concentrate on my work with the pain going on. And how am I going to play the saxophone in my school band with these on? I really don't know, and I don't really know why I am complaining to a blog either.

Maybe it is because I have just started with this and am not yet experienced - amateurism. If you can offer me any form of advice (except to remove them), please comment. I would be more than appreciative to hear from you.

In the meantime, I would have to bear the pain. Thank you in advance..now why does my mouth taste of blood...

Confession of a Terrible Accident

As the saying goes, "Time Heals All Wounds". It all happened on the 26 April 2005, and now, I do not feel much ashamed to share this openly, but nonetheless, I shall keep the names involved at a discreet level (but all the ex-TaoNanites from 3G'05 will know what it is all about.)

As I used to have this bullying target in class, alike almost all my classmates, who is recognised for his quiet and introvert personality. Now, I do admire him for this exceptional trait of his, for when he is teased or bullied in class, he doesn't utter a word and sometimes joins in the fun =).

Nonetheless, there was this fateful day, this one fateful day, the whole class was told to complete an English Practice Paper under the supervision of a relief teacher, and it was because of this relief teacher that made me start all my mischief. This classmate of mine likes to be known as Tom H** (I feel that even his nickname is something I must keep a secret), although his real name is completely different from this, trust me. =)

Under the control of my mischief, I took out my stapler, and out of fun (seriously, I had no cruel or 'inhumane' intentions) and guess what I did? I opened the stapler and for no apparent reason, I whacked the stapler down onto his head, k maybe not 'whack', but 'hit'.

So he turned around and out of my wildest imaginations, he felt his scalp and showed it to me. Upon seeing it, my blood froze. It turned out that a staplet had been placed perfectly in his scalp, with some bleeding. Therefore, the case was reported to the relief teacher, who in turn informed the Disciplinary Mistress and wow, I got a 2.5 hour-long lecture with her (DM) standing in front of me and with a cane behind her back. But come on, trust me. The cane was just for show, because I know that she cannot carry out any form of punishment unless my parents' allow.

Anyways, Tom got fetched to the hospital by his grandfather, to get the staplet removed. But to make things worse, the day after, 27 April 2005, was our SA1 Composition Writing Examination Paper. Thankfully though, he was fine. But one thing for sure, I felt really remorseful.

And from that day onwards, we shook hands, and became the best of friends (although some of my ex-classmates still used to pick on him then still). In fact, he scored a higher mark than I did in the Composition Exam.

You know, actually, all these sequence of events just show this:
Tom is the ground, and my classmates and I were the people trampling on it, but what is not known to us is that, under this seemingly peaceful piece of land, underlies some of the most nasty mines. What happened to me? I was unlucky enough to step on one of them, and although this mine exploded and he got hurt and so did I; we, Tom and I, still turned out to be the best of friends.

Science For Fun Enrichment Activities

Colour Changing Milk Video

This video features the entire process whereby my teammate and I carried out the experiment.
Please enjoy =).

Sec 1 Annual Camp at Sarimbun Campsite

This, to be really honest with you, has been the most extreme camp I have ever been through - this camp has genuinely left me with strong, mixed emotions and has made an ever-lasting impression in my memory; but why do I say so?

Okay, the reason is really simple =). I, together with my camp groupmates, have been through some seriously unprecedented encounters and experiences:

1. The encounter in the common toilet on the first night
2. The devastating incident on the second night
3. The huge hole in our A-hut (15)
4. The camping experience as a whole
Let me cover each part on a case-by-case basis.

Firstly, the encounter in the common toilet, which was meant for the campers of Outram Secondary School and St. Patrick's School, on the first night. At around 4.40a.m., a couple of hours after the ghost-storytelling session by one of our roommates who was at Sarimbun for the 7th time, my friend sleeping on my left started, as usual, shining the torch in my eyes in the attempt of waking me up.

He told me that he needed to go to the toilet, and after much reluctance, I accompanied him to that common toilet. We were told to go in pairs, and I was glad he woke me up, because when I was waiting for him outside the cubicle, with a torch in my hand (I'm not sure if he heard it), I heard a slow, steady series of knocks on the 3 metal pipes of the common shower, and the knockings took turns. Then, one of the showers (the one furthest away from me), started to spurt out water, bit by bit, without any warning. That seriously freaked me out. (By the way, if you visit the Scout's website, look under 1966, and you'll find that the Sarimbun Campsite was built.)

Okay, now to the second encounter. We were sleeping in our A-Hut, and at around 2.40 a.m., my other roommate shone some torchlight in my eyes and I woke up only to find another one of my roommates lying motionless on me. I found out that he was bleeding on his cheeks and temple. Shocked. Real shocked. I told that guy (keeping names in discretion) about it, and we ran to the White Tentage, where we found a couple of trainers still there.

So we related the condition of our friend to them, and two of them ran with the First Aid Kit in hand, and informed the Camp Chief, who later informed the Camp Commandant, a teacher from our school. We found out how he got injured and hmmm...maybe I should pay him a visit soon.

Anyways, the 3rd part. Not such a big issue here, but when we entered our A-Hut, we found that some nice people had helped us by bearing a nice big hole in the bunk, and causing us to have to share the remaining space in the A-Hut. I shall exclude the minor details (:.

And finally, the main part of this entry: the camping experience as a whole. Naturally, I would say, that the trainers have done a good job; I mean, at first, I thought that the camp was terrible, but after the camp, I found out that I could "act faster, move faster, chop chop"..(my trainer's motto). They have been really strict, which is both good and bad, and I presume you know why. Things have been done in a rather rushed pace, so there I suppose it was because we did not have enough time, but I would not want the camp to get any longer either.

But generally, I wouldn't really mind to get back to InnoTrek (the organiser of this camp) and have another camp, but not like the one I had, because it was too hurried. Right, I cannot think of any conclusion at this moment, I close this entry with a quote from my trainer:"From mistakes we gain experience, and from experience we avoid mistakes". And that's a memorable camp.



Photo From:

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/nature/5489573-camping-at-the-lake.php?id=5489573

Term 1 in Conclusion

Perhaps I would like to start off with just one general statement: Why do people blog? Well, as of me, I must say that this is like an electronic diary, one example? I did my entry on behalf of Philip Malloy (click here to view it).

With the blogging tool at hand, I can easily put my thoughts onto this electronic platform by just typing (typing is faster than writing, isn't it?) Blogging is an avenue for me to express my thoughts - and at the same time - allow others to read and share their thoughts.

This is both good and bad, because you will know how others feel of your entries and you can ammend them accordingly and improve on them, but it also has a flipside - what I do not like about blogging is that they can be read by the world, so that means almost zero privacy, and you cannot write anything that is deemed private and will have to keep all your private entries to yourself. Maintaining a blog would also mean that you cannot write freely - you have to take into consideration the feelings of others - so you have to hide certain things and abide by our class's RBP.

On a personal note, blogging can be improved by simply limiting the number of people who can read your blog - in this case 1A1 and Mr S. (got to keep it to one letter, because of RBP). See? Blogging has its limitations and because it is mandatory to set up and follow the RBP, we have our limitations when blogging, which means we cannot express ourselves freely, pick the right words, etc... This could be an area to be improved on: Limit the number of readers who can access your blog.

Now moving on to the relationship between the reading habits and the electronic bookshelf. Anything that has been put on the electronic bookshelf (e.g.: The Favourite Reads) depends on our reading habits; and whatever we type on our blog depends on how we interpret things - our reading habits comes into the picture again. Also, the electronic bookshelf allows readers to understand your personality by accessing the books you have read before - the content of the books will show your personality, which in turn leads you to the way you write your blog. See this inter-relationship?

By the way...

Given topics to cover:
1) a general reaction statement	2) likes and dislikes regarding your blogging	3) how this whole process could be improved	4)statement regarding the tie-in of your reading habits/elecctronic bookshelf to your blog

Narrative and Graphics - My Connection

Hi everyone (again),

Recently, in my language arts lesson, we got help in identifying our learning styles (though I did it before in P5 and found out that I was a tactile learner) through graphic evaluation. We were split into groups, according to our learning styles, and then given quite a number of pictures which we had to put together to form a story. (Those who were visual learners got the most pictures with the highest difficulty level). The website from which we obtained our results from was this website.

So the story we had to form was the narrative part, and the pictures were the graphics part. My connection between them? As a picture paints a thousand words, then many pictures would paint many many words. (Okay, just kidding about that bit.)

Actually, between narrative and graphics, I feel that the graphics play an essential role in piecing together the different fragments of the narrative - each picture having its own story to tell. It is only with the pictures that the story can form.

Although I am not a spatial person, I can say that the way we (the group) piece the different pictures together in chronological order determines the way we interpret the story and how well we can interpret it. And this is something which I am not too good at, especially if there are no words involved - just images.

So my connection, generally, is that we need to go through graphics in order to understand a narrative, at least for the exercise we did in class.

Okay, so here are my Top 3 Learning Styles: (in no order of merit =)... )

1 Intrapersonal

2 Interpersonal

3 Logical

Do you have your own views about this topic? Share it here. All comments are welcome =D.

Photos From:

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/isolated-objects/7238549-organized-group.php?id=7238549

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/isolated-objects/3956659-jigsaw-puzzle.php?id=3956659

Public Speaking Competition'09 - My Reflections

Hi all,

Recently, all the Sec 1s had to join a mandatory, annual English Speaking Workshop organised by our school. (And for certain confidential matters, I'm not allowed to reveal the name of this event, based on our RBP.)

During the workshop, after being briefed on tips on public speaking, we ajourned to our classrooms where our coach gave us an impromptu speech topic to prepare - 3 minutes to prepare for a speech 1 minute long. Some of us contributed, and our coach selected 2 of us (My friend and I) to meet the teacher-in-charge because they were considering of allowing us to participate in the competition's Grand Finals. We repeated our speeches in front of that teacher.

When it turned out that I would be admitted to the Grand Finals, my immediate response was: I'm so very dead. I mean, I didn't even know how to speak properly with my friends, what more with 400+ people and judges? I wanted to withdraw (I mean, I contributed during the workshop out of fun, and wasn't expecting this to happen.) from the competition, because I had no confidence.

But we were assigned coaches (last year's Grand Finalists) whom we had to meet up with at least twice before the competition. We were assigned various topics by drawing lots, and I was lucky enough to get this: Time waits for no man.

So we prepared and prepared, and even collaborated with other coaches. As the Grand Finals neared, we were just getting better (admist those term tests) - really surprising. Anyway, when the grand finals came, I just felt really quirky - despite the many rehearsals.

Although I have spoken in front of huge crowds before (those who came from my Primary School know what I mean), this was something totally different - there are spotlights, strong, yellow spotlights, shining so perisistently in your eyes. And all you have is a microphone squatting in the middle of the stage, and I was supposed to, with my 4 cue cards in my right hand, step in front of the microphone, and deliver a 3 minutes speech, bearing in mind that I am representing my class and my consortium. I got really nervous, because from the previous speakers, they were really loquacious, and speaking was their natural talent.

But for me? No. I forced out my prepared speech, holding the hopes of my fellow consortium-mates with me. However, after the impromptu speech, when the results were announced, I withheld with me even greater anxiety, as the consolation winners, in no order of merit, were called out to receive their award. I held the hopes of my classmates and consortium-mates, and as each name was called, I silently hoped that mine would not be next. Then, the time came.

"And our last consolation winner is...". The name was announced, and thankfully, it wasn't mine. I stood as 2nd runner-up and oh how much I would like to thank my coaches. And my classmates as well. Through this experience, I can say that hard work does pay off. And that winning a competition isn't just about everything (this sentence reminds me of my PSLE EL Oral Picture Discussion).

To all my friends out there, who were in the auditorium supporting me, and including my consortium counterparts, thanks a bunch for that moral support. This competition has in a way or another, moulded me into some form of a public speaker.

And yes, I found out that hard work does pay off, if you work hard the right way in the right time, or time would not wait for you either.

Photos From:

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/business/business-symbols-metaphors/8530371-molding-people.php?id=8530371

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/illustrations-vectors/6312337-shout-out.php?id=6312337

Diary Entry of Philip Malloy: "Why did I do it?"

Disclaimer: I am writing this entry based on an assignment. To my friends who are not in the same class, please do not mistake this blog entry as my genuine diary entry. Do not get me wrong. =)

---

Dear Diary,

Today was rotten. Nothing went right. I feel like punching Narwin straight in the face. Life stinks. Narwin is just so totally unfair. Why is she even made a teacher of this stupid school anyway? Why was I even admitted to this school?

Okay, it all happened like this: I wanted to annoy that Ms Narwin because she is just so partial in her thinking. I hate her. So, I deliberately sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" out loud in class when we were meant to observe silence as this anthem was played on tape. I knew that I was supposed to shut up. Everyone in class knew. But I didn't. Why? Because I want to make her blow her top. And I did.

At first, she started by questioning who was humming so loudly. And when she identified me, she asked me to stop, and I did not. She yelled - and I knew I got my way. I did it for another 2 times in succession, only that after each time I got sent to Palleni's office. And in the end, guess what?

I ended up on the losing end. I got suspended, but I did this dumb thing. I told Palleni that I was just fighting for my rights, like what Dad told me, but in the end, he just told me to play along with the rules. I got stubborn - and he suspended me.

I did it because I hoped that Narwin would know that she was paying for what she had done. I wanted her to pay. Which was why I did all that humming. I knew that she would go hopping mad - and I am glad she did. At least, although I end up in this sticky mess, I got Narwin to pay for her wrongdoings.

Now all I need to think about is how to get out of this situation. Getting suspended is never fun you know. And if I can, I want to transfer out of Narwin's class, if not out of school. I hate Harrison High, just hate it! And Ms Narwin? She's just such a numbskull.

(On the behalf of)
Philip Malloy

---

Photo From: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/business/business-people/6537396-reading-rules-or-bill.php?id=6537396

My Reading Habits

As the years go by, as time passes, I realised that my reading habits have changed really drastically. I know that this blog post might sound boring to you...but I just have this natural compulsion to share my reading habits in this blog, partly also because I am required to as part of my E.O.Y. Assessment. =)

Okay... let's just start off with my Nursery schooling years. I used to just to pick up a picture book - one with the most colours, pictures and graphics - and sit down on the floor; no matter how dirty the floor may be, and then flip through the pages (in an almost desperate manner), looking at the pictures only, not even caring about the content. So you might as well just say that I am not reading, but appreciating those illustrations only. As I was only four then, if I were to see a book loaded with words, I would just force it back onto the bookshelf and mark it as "unreadable".

Yes, that was when I was four.

As I proceeded to my later kindergarten years, I began to take up those "Budding Readers" books, and started to read some books written by Enid Blyton. I did not really understand who this person "Roald Dahl" (and I pronounced his name as "Road-Dial" [-_-"]) whenever I heard my older cousins buzzing about him. Nevertheless, I was confined only to children books written by Enid Blyton, but I was already beginning to have some form of interest in reading.

Okay... When I was in Primary school (P2 to be exact) I classified reading as one of my hobbies. You know, all these "milestones" seem to work out into a timeline, and this continuous line would not stop getting longer until I put down my last book and -

In P2, I started to read books written by award-winning authors, such as E.B. White (who wrote "Charlotte's Web" and the like (and I started with Roald Dahl books as well).

And then as I went on with my primary schooling years, the level of difficulty in the books I read increased and I began to read those wrist-thick Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling (I read one book only from this millionaire because I could not stand fantasy stuff). Also, before I reach the end of a book, I would be tempted to look at its ending. And the only book which I recall not doing this is "Nothing But The Truth".

The timeline goes on, but as of today, I feel that my reading has somewhat reached a sub-advanced level, meaning that I can somewhat decipher the connotational meanings behind stories (reading between the lines), but I am still working on this. As I progress in Secondary School, I sure hope (=D) that this reading standard of mine will constantly incline, and I hope that it will never stop completely.

Want to know more? Here is my link to my electronic bookshelf - which I will be updating every now and then:

http://weread.com/profile/Khoo/AA3C90CC-5EB7-48FA-A7C4-4CC13A5097F1?refuid=AA3C90CC-5EB7-48FA-A7C4-4CC13A5097F1&src=&auri=

Image Source: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/actions/2193842-world-of-books.php?id=2193842

A Big Problem with those Theft Prevention Devices

This series of unfortunate incidents would always be etched on my mind. Why? Because they are too hard to forget. Its that simple. =)

Well, it all started when I had a reunion with my friends after the Chinese New Year Celebrations at my school. After meeting up at our alma mater, we headed to the nearest shopping mall to get some lunch. After which, we planned to split up for a while and do some of our own things.


One of my friends decided to follow me into a bookstore (I shan't say the name) and this bookstore was of course, equipped with the gates which will go off the minute you walk through it without paying up. Well, I was just about to enter the store when these gates, without any warning, went off the very moment I set foot onto the carpeted floor.


Stunned, I looked around, not knowing what to do. Luckily, my friend was not the one with the problem and he went into the bookstore and seeked some assistance. The cashier then beckoned me to enter the store and ignoring the alarm that went off as I stepped into the store, I placed my sling bag onto the table and the cashier started to scan the bag, suspecting that I committed theft.


Just then, one question struck me: What if something inside my bag really set that alarm off? And what if it came from that store for some weird reason? I was afraid - but fortunately, nothing went wrong. Relieved, I proceeded into the store and after a while, we had to meet up again and this time round, as I crossed my fingers, there was no trouble with the gates at all. And I thought that it was nothing serious.


Then, some of my friends decided to get some CDs from a CD Shop and this shop was also armed with these devices. Confidently, I strode in only to set that alarm off - again! Fed up, but not afraid any more, my friend explained everything to that nice shopkeeper who bought our story.


Again, as I stepped out of the shop, nothing went wrong. However, this time round, as my friends had already known about this problem, they asked me to take off my bag and empty the contents of my pockets, removed my watch, and got me to walk through those gates again.


To my utter shock, the alarm sounded again. I stared at my friends in disbelief - and they stared back too. Was I sensitised? Or what?


Never mind. After that day, I just went to the shopping mall near my house, and I wanted to purchase some pencils from a stationery shop (I shall'nt say the name of the shop). This shop has also planted the devices along its entrance. As I had forgotten about the incident on the day of the reunion, I walked through the gates only to be disturbed by the incessant ring of those stupid gates. What was I supposed to do now?


Shocked, I approached the cashier who bought the same story my friend told the CD Shop owner. And I was glad she did because I was completely inoccent.


As I made my purchase and stepped out of the store, the gates remained silent once again. While I went home and related this whole weird experience to my parents, I began to worry. Was it something that I had consumed that caused the gates to react this way? I am not sure...but if I were to experience the same thing again, I would definitely want to see a doctor.

Has this ever happened to you before? Feel free to comment. =D

Photos From:
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/isolated-objects/isolated-background-objects/4795507-security-concept.php?id=4795507

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/illustrations-vectors/vector-icons/5769237-internet-software-security-icons-premium-matte-series.php?id=5769237