Dartebiota

Journeying

2010-08-07T23:48:00.000-07:00

Without God we cannot. Without us God will not.

Pastors that have preached before told us, when you travel with God, you travel First Class.

A friend of mine wanted to go to church, but could not do so as it was too far away from his home. I really could not find a solution. Yet today at church, right in the Faithcomm booklet that they give to church goers every Sunday, there's a page filled with thumbnails of satellite neighbourhoods that enjoy a shuttle service too and fro the church. God has thus answered this problem.

After service, my cell group couldn't decide where to go for lunch. Most of us went to Changi Airport in the end, and after lunch I remembered that a bus drives from Changi Airport directly home. That sounded easy, but I had to ask myself, 'Where's the bus stop ._.?' The airport isn't just a playground. I whispered a quick call for help from God, and just as I was wandering along some bus drop-off depot, I saw this old man.

"Erm sorry. Do you know where the public bus stop is?"

"Public bus? SBS?"

"Yeah."

"Turn right, go down one level, and follow the signs."

So I did as he said, and got down to B1. Quite an unlikely place for a bus stop to be at. But there were signs that read "Bus to City". Following the signs, Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' played through the speakers. From all that I know, Lady Gaga is rumoured to be a satanist whose songs have devilish, satanic connotations. But in any case, the bus stop signs were clearly placed, and I found the bus terminal.

On top of that, the bus I was waiting for was parking at the parking space, as though waiting for me to board the bus.

Something told me that I should sleep. And I did. I was also assured that I would wake up by the time it's my stop. So I slept. Sure enough, at 2:26pm, I just snapped out of sleep and pressed the 'Stop' button.

Do you believe that all these happened to me?

Or would you just dismiss them as mere coincidence?

Such small yet significant acts showing us that God loves us.

In any case, when you travel with God, you really travel First Class.

Gifted Education

2010-08-01T02:20:00.001-07:00

Just as bad as me missing the offerings session during church service, I regretted coming so late that I missed the entire holy communion session as well. The Merlion Park band performance yesterday, atop other activities, wore me out so so badly.

The pastor was speaking of the 4th Dimension, and made the sermon more engaging by performing three versions of a magic trick to demonstrate the 4th Dimension. Pretty cool. He spoke of the way we have to think, the way we have visions and dreams, the way we must have faith, and last but most importantly, the way we used words.

And while emphasising on that final point, Snr Pastor went on to talk about speaking in prophecy. My parents, particularly my father, have always opposed of such charismatic acts. Speech is a rudder of a large ship, so small yet so impactful. He told us to give up on our rational thinking.

God's thinking is not 'irrational', it's 'not rational', operating in the 4th Dimension that we, as humans, cannot use our 3rd Dimension thinking to reason through.

Simply put, to speak in the supernatural. In order to operate with God, we have to operate in the 4th Dimension. Speaking in prophecy - something we can't make sense of nor reason through - but it just happens. And so he said, 'I'm urging all those, all those who have yet to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, to step forward now.'

Mattheus accompanied me there, with Daryl and En Jie.

Then again, my father's words resounded in my head, as though something was flying in my ear canal. And time and again, the pastor's words moved me, sweeping me wave after wave of convincing and persuasive words.

For the first time, I felt that he was speaking to me. Personally.

With much withheld anticipation, I left my seat.

I had no idea how this was to be received. My jaws were trembling violently, just like the anxiety you would get before an examination. The church sang a song of beckoning as my three friends escorted me to the front of the stage. I was afraid. And just as I thought I was afraid, the pastor said, 'You must not have fear'.

"Open up your heart for God. Give up ALL YOUR RATIONAL THINKING."

I didn't know how, but just somehow, I did. My teeth then started trembling. But I wasn't afraid. The senior pastor made a prayer, and it's the most powerful prayer my ears have ever heard, drowning out all the skeptical uncertainty. All of it.

"AND now, in the name of God and the Holy Spirit, SPEAK! SPEAK!"

A slow, flickering wave of tremble shifted away from the jaws and the teeth, with rather uncertain vibrato. The pastor's words resounded again and again. The church was still singing. I held my palms out as a sign of receiving. I had no idea what was going on.

And like a rising sun, the energy lifted, gradually and warmly.

I had received my gift.

Ehh Dad, I don't see anything wrong with this present.

Fourteen Dollars and Ninety Cents

2010-07-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

Surely you have received a birthday present before.

Surely you wouldn't know the pricetag of such presents.

Today, my brother insisted that he be dropped off at a Popular Store to purchase something that was meant to be a 'secret'. Well you could have guessed it by now, yes, he painstakingly used the savings from his weekly allowance to accumulate sufficient cash to buy me a movie, 大兵小将, or "Little Big Soldier".

I thought that this movie really fits my bro and myself. ._. somehow.

But surely I didn't anticipate that he use his savings not for stuff like cherry credits, but for a movie because he wanted to give me a surprise.

Alright.

Maybe you have received birthday presents from your family, and your siblings.

But surely, surely you have not received a birthday present from your younger sibling, who just so happens to be sharing the same birthday as you, only two years apart.

27 inches

2010-06-26T02:24:00.000-07:00

Wei Jie, Yue Jun and I signed up as a team of three for a competition organised by Nanyang Polytechnic named 'iCode', which challenges us to code an iPhone web app. The competition is confined within the secondary school circuit.

Funny thing is, how are we supposed to present an application, when we don't even know how to code it? The organisers gave us an answer when they organised a 2-day crash course to iPhone Web app coding. Due to a council commitment, I could only attend the second day of the course.

Well firstly, the venue alone is hard to find (not sure if it's entirely correct): Nanyang Polytechnic, Block L, School of Information and Technology, Level 6, Lab 6.25.

I walked out of the lifts and made a right turn towards the labs.

I saw 30 27" iMacs lined up neatly in front of me in the first lab. Wow.

I felt ancient.

The course went on fine.

I finally know how to code iPhone web apps! HAHA! Well, actually I didn't understand anything much. But Yue Jun did. He re-coded our class radio into an iPhone app: iRAdio

And so, I left the course feeling accomplished that I have finally used an iMac after 8 years. 8 years ago, it was those transparent-backed desktop computers in my childcare centre. Those were awesome too.

As I tucked in my chair, I felt great, and thanked the wonderful piece of technology in my heart.

Contact Time

2010-06-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have been attacked with fever three times recently; the latest being yesterday.

At night, I was saying a prayer. And ever since I started attending church, I acquired a newer, more elaborate way of praying.

I was half awake.

I'm not too sure about the words I said, but the replies I got were undoubtedly true.

"Dear Heavenly Father, please bless me with your Holy Spirit. Help me recover from this fever. Thank you for having given us all that you thought we deserved. Thank you for giving us today. I pray that all my loved ones and I will sleep safe and soundly tonight. Help me recover from this fever."

"I hear you."

I got stunned. I mean, I've never got a verbal reply from Him before.

"Give me your life, and I will give you your rest."

Whenever you had a fever, your fingertips and toes will be freezing cold, while the rest of your body is boiling hot. I got His instruction to "Place your hand on your forehead."

I did just that. I felt blood rushing to the fingertips and toes.

"Rest well, my child."

I kept on repeating "My faith is strong in You", "My faith is strong in You".. until I somehow fell asleep.

Guess what?

My fever's gone.

Thank you, FCBC. Thank you God :D

Sailing in the Bermuda

2010-06-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

Over the weekends, I went down to ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City for a Service Learning Project's Street Sales. Have you been in one of them before? I just did, and it wasn't the least bit easy.

Standing outside 313@Somerset was a great idea, as we got many people's attention, and our sales were great, for a while. A security guard with straightened hair and a seasoned uniform approached us and demanded that we (I was with another guy) produce a licence for checking. Thankfully, we had ours. He then told us that we had to stay away from the mall's entrance to sell our goods. Through street sales, you can really meet people from all walks of life.

There were several other schools doing charity work and sales.

The best part of the street sales? We met people we know. Hey, it's Orchard Road on a weekend. We met Mr Tan Choo Kee, a Hwa Chong teacher. I also met Hwa Jin with three of his friends. There was also Jonathan Koo with his brother and mother, Terence Neo with his flag day donation box, and Goh Dai Mei, my ex-classmate now in Nanyang Girls, helping the Children's Cancer Foundation. All of them obliged to buy or donate to our cause. The street sale slot lasted from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

Now onto another topic.

Have you always been waiting for someone, just like how God awaits His children to acknowledge Him? Or like how you await your loved one for a safe return trip?

I've been exploring into many situations I've never been through before.

Do I know how an only-child feels like? Lonely?

Do I know how having a sister feels like?

No I don't, No I don't.

When did we last meet?

No girl's too beautiful unless she's beautiful in the heart.

You're beautiful in the heart.

Imma in love with God.

Just can't spill it, for I am waiting.

Marlboro Nomads

2010-06-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

I admire courageous people.

I enjoy the sunsets from the LRT Station.

I also see many people getting into relationships.

Recently, a senior councillor from AMK Secondary School asked me what I thought of girls as in general. I didn't know what to say, and therefore conveniently changed the subject. Now rethinking, I must say that girls are friendly, caring, fun-loving, and understanding. Girls aren't easy to understand and comprehend, but they are smart, creative and bright. Imagine the world with only one gender - we'd be just like the smurfs.

Then this councillor asked me if I had a girlfriend.

Haha, obviously not.

She didn't believe me.

No girl is beautiful unless she has a beautiful heart.

I've been addicted to facebook lately. I've also been addicted to coffee lately.

We know what Marlboro is.

We also know what a nomad is, don't we?

Or do we not?

Aren't we just like nomads in love?

Have you ever been addicted to someone?

And now you don't? Infatuation.

Trevor told me that people change.

We must acknowledge that Trevor is very knowledgeable.

Every girl is precious to at least someone.

Harm her not, for you'll offend that someone.

Even if she doesn't have an earthly family,

God finds her precious.

Offend God not.

Marlboro is addictive. Nomads never stay at one spot forever.

What's the use of getting into relationships, when you know that you will break up someday?

LA eLearning Poetry Response: Rainbow Death

2010-05-26T04:06:00.000-07:00

Children In The Darkness

There are children in the darkness
Who have not seen the light
There are children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight

Chalk and blackboards will not be
To this door there is no key
From this life they can not flee
And these children are not free

Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance

Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole

Back into the darkness
From which there is no flight
Back into the darkness
Into which there shines no light

Henry M Bechtold

Task 1

Background Information and Conflict

The poem was written in year 2009, during Christmas by Henry M Bechtold when in his hotel room during his stay at Saigon. The poet was inspired by the photo of a young boy carrying an automatic rifle going to war in the news.

The poet was actually planning to write a poem about girls that are being ill-treated by men when they work in the park, but he wrote another poem, Children in the darkness. In the poem, the poet talks about Children that are involved in war and that they are being robbed of their childhood and forced to be engaged with war.

In the past twenty years, there has been estimated that there are over millions of children that has been used in the war or dragged into with their parents. Children are usually used as nurses, spies. They are in charge if guarding resources, general camps, drum-boys, and worst of all, infantry soldiers who are put at the front line to test out for enemy mines.

2 million children died, 5 million disabled, 12 million homeless, 1 million orphans and 10 million shell-shocked. Children are treated as lower classes of soldiers or recruits in the war as in the context to the poem, Children in the darkness. They are given high risks tasks as they are of low value.

Poet’s Background

I was in Vietnam in 1967 - 68 and again in 1969. I go back often because my soul lives in Vietnam and I go back to visit it from time to time.

I was sitting in my hotel room in Saigon just before Christmas 2009 and I was trying to write a poem about the girls who work in the park and how badly men treat them. I was angry but unable to write anything that did not sound trite or weak. I looked at the TV and the news was on. I did not know what the news reader was saying but in the background was a photo of a small boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle. This poem flowed out. The words just came to me and I typed as fast as I could to get it all down.

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Children_

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31962195/Children-in-the-Darkness

Task 2	Analysis
Point of View	The poet assumes a third-person point-of-view, taking much pity on the children whose childhoods are robbed away. The tone, although very much dramatised, are from pure observations and are true. The poet offers a cultural and social point of view, for the children should not be doing the things they are doing at their age. They ought to be enjoying their childhoods, but they have none to turn to. The poet was a first-hand witness of children carrying rifles to war, and hence adds creditability to his account. The point of view is pitiful, and yet depressing.
Situation and Setting	The poem’s timeframe occurs in the present in Saigon, where children are kept in the darkness away from what should be a joyful childhood. Their lives filled with misery and hopelessness, they are fated to take on the roles of soldiers going for war. The conflict in the poem is cultural yet emotional, making the situation very delicate and comprehensive. The theme of the poem is exactly what the title is – Children in Darkness. There seems to be no resolution to the situation, for it is the culture of the place and a tradition to the region. Life is all violent and no smiles for the children there.
Language and Diction	The poem follows a closed form, with regular punctuation and a regular rhyme scheme of rhyming words at the end of every alternate line. The pattern of the poem also adds a sense of melancholy and a monotonous feeling towards its contents. Apart from the series of rhetorical questions in the third stanza, which definitely cannot be fulfilled, the symbol of hopelessness is depicted as “some endless thirsty hole”, as though always ready to suck the life of the children forever. There are other symbols present in the poem, such as “light” in the last stanza, which represents hope and a new life. The children are constantly cooped in “darkness”, and this idea is consistently reinforced to the reader, as evident from the several repetitions of this term in the poem. The style of this poem, although traditional, shows the reality of the today’s world.
Personal Response	Once again, in this poem, we know the truth of war – it really isn’t about fighting for glory. There is never a winner in a war, for everyone loses out. The children here not only lose out on their childhood, but also lose out on their adult life. They are fated to fight for their country, and I’m certain they find no joy in it, but still have to do it. They do not have a choice. The poet aims to evoke a sense of sympathy for these children, by showing his thoughts and depicting his observations. Nonetheless, we all know that it is impossible for this idealistic outlook of life to materialise. The children are isolated, and the poet sees them as inner-souls capable of seeking for new life, but desperate for none.

LA eLearning Poetry Response: Rainbow Death

2010-05-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

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!

Hubert Wilson

Task 1

Background Information and Conflict

This small poem speaks of a modern day ingredient of warfare that has caused appalling death and suffering – not only to its intended victims, the Vietnamese people, but also the service personnel that used or even just came into contact with “Agent Orange”.

Wikipedia reports, “Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide and defoliant—contaminated with TCDD—used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War.

According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.

From 1962 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called "Rainbow Herbicides" employed in the herbicidal warfare program. During the production of Agent Orange (as well as Agents Purple, Pink, and Green) dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused numerous health problems for the millions of people who have been exposed. Agents Blue and White were part of the same program but did not contain dioxins.”

This poem may remind us that wars aren’t over when the wars are over. Fighting in the human spirit still continues for decades – they are the aftermath of war. The people suffer way beyond casualties suffered during the war. Our forefathers cause the war, and their future generations suffer the consequences. War is brutal.

Poet’s Background

I am a Vietnam War veteran (as are my four brothers) who served in the USAF Security Service. I, along with a dozen or so intelligence school grads, prepped for about 14 months at Kelly AFB in San Antonio, Texas, before anticipating being sent to Vietnam or elsewhere in southeat Asia in 1970. About half ended up in Da Nang (an Agent Orange hotspot) in the 6924th Security Squadron. The rest of us were assigned to Shemya Island, Alaska, with the 6984th Security Squadron, and what eventually was a MORE contaminated environment than Da Nang!

My health problems started approximately 15 years ago with unexplained headaches and limb pains. Four years ago my central nervous system radically deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors, severe headaches, progressive limb pains, etc. No physician has ever diagnosed the specific illness. NO VA physician has ever rendered ANY medical assistance! My number one educated guess is the heavily contaminated drinking water at Shemya during my year there as an intelligence analyst. Organo-phosphate toxins may not run their toxic course until 20 to 30 years after initial exposure.

Since my brain still functions moderately well (and I have mobility issues), I have turned to writing just like my late Father and the late singer (and writer) Johnny Cash.

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

Task 2	Analysis
Point of View	The poem adopts a first-hand account of war’s evil, for the poet was the Ssgt USAF, from 1968 to 1972, and approaches the horrendous situation with a serious and calm tone, reflecting truly the aftermath of a war. He views it from the civilian’s point of view, as he describes the suffering they will experience even though the war has ended. His account is definitely reliable as he knows the way an army operates, for he was in one. He wants readers to know the harsh truth of war.
Situation and Setting	The poem talks from the present into the past, about the Vietnam War, and thus has the historical approach with a tinge of emotion and a lot of pain. The conflict in the poem is harsh, real, and very hard to accept for those who are affected by war, but still have to accept it anyway. From the last three lines of the poem, one can tell that there is no practical resolution to the conflict and problem. The use of Agent Orange causes many disabilities and birth defects, and even people who are not defected are haunted with memories whenever they see those who are. The people affected by the war are always in misery, for they are forced to see and recollect the memories of war.
Language and Diction	There are hardly any connotations in the poem, and it sounds like a monologue. There are a couple of exclamations, which serve as a minor climax to the poem. The poem is constructed as a recount. America is personified for the country “did not foresee” and expected “others to pay a high price”. Colours such as green, pink, purple and finally orange paint the colours of the title “Rainbow Death”. Potpourri is a mixture of dried plant material, but “death potpourri” refers to the endless deaths and suffering war has inflicted. Apart from “thinking twice”, “Execrable effects” is an instance of alliteration, and is followed by the ending phrase “agent orange spray”, and gives the poem a slight impact at the end. The poem uses a solemn and depressing tone, serious and designed to evoke remorse out of those cruel enough to use poisonous sprays.
Personal Response	A four-year war lasts forty years long, and a lifetime long for those who suffer permanent damage from it. War is cruel. People who are blinded by this cruelty in turn inflict pain on the innocent, and blind the innocent for life. The title of the poem is oxymoronic, for rainbows are normally associated with joy, happy childhoods, and sunshine after a rainstorm, but a rainbow death definitely means something completely different. The rainbow causes the deaths of the young and illness to the people. The rainbow is not something that people look forward to, but dread seeing it, for the rainbow is Agent Orange, amidst other poison gases. War is harsh and unforgiving. Above all, war is an unfair affair. The innocent are the ones that get permanently punished, while the guilty ones get away with death or a jail sentence. Have you gone for an operation before? Or if you have taken some medication, you might get the side-effect of drowsiness. Here, the poet wants to say that a single war has countless, dreadful side-effects. Dreadful.

Starbucks@ION Orchard

2010-05-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

And so I got the best lemon chicken rice I've ever tasted. It costed $5.80 at Food Opera.

Jennifer and Max turned up first, then Trevor, then Evangel and Yasmine.

Trevor thinks that it was a real waste that Xin Yu couldn't turn up.

Trevor showed Jennifer many photographs of his DHS friends and asked her if she thought they were hot.

Max did a lot of things to Trevor, starting from the first call telling Trevor that we're at Starbucks, but in fact he was at Food Opera enjoying lunch.

Jennifer and Yasmine, both from RGS, just came back from their open house, and were wearing their school tees.

Evangel is celebrating her birthday today, but still made it down to spend the afternoon with us.

Jennifer was carrying her instrument along with her.

All of us talked a lot.

Max stole Starbucks straws, and also owes Trevor $7.30.

We used Trevor's iPod till it's out of battery.

We also almost pissed Trevor off.

Trevor likes Mitch Albom's books.

We talked about school life, primary school life, relationships, CCAs, family, games and laughed quite a lot.

Trevor's Hawaiian name is Kalawola.

Yasmine was the one who hid Trevor's spectacles initially.

Evangel was comparable with Trevor in terms of physical fitness (NAPFA).

Max sat outside Starbucks throughout our stay at the cafe.

Jennifer is now shorter than Trevor, who was shorter than Jennifer two years ago.

And so I got the best cup of tall Vanilla Latte I've ever tasted. It costed $5.80 at Starbucks.

LHC

2010-05-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

We all know how much we disliked our geography teacher last year, in 1A1'09. We know how Nigel and Yi Fan disagreed with the ways he handled with canoeing matters. The Aphelion Councillors also know his ways of settling council issues, as a council mentor last year.

There were names like 'Low, but High Class'.

And there was a never-ending mimicking of his actions and speech.

And there were drawings of him by a few classmates. Even comics.

Today after dinner, my mother was talking to me.

"Did you know that he is resigning?"

"Oh? Ok. No big deal what.."

Then the last line really hit me.

"Did you know that he wasn't trained, but still wanted to teach?"

Passion.

Real passion indeed.

And somehow, I felt bad for him.

He's Mr Lim Hong Chin.

A Letter from New Dehli

2010-05-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

"One teacher came and passed me this. Nah."

My brother handed me a large, white envelope with a wrapped present.

The giftwrapping paper was of an orange thin wax paper, and a cellophane sheet. The envelope read "Khoo Yihan" on its cover. There was a certificate inside. How curious.

It turned out to be a prize I received from an international art competition I took part, organised by India's 'Shankar's International Children's Competition'.

And it was a queer thing that I only received the prize now.

I participated in 2008.

Project AniCon

2010-05-16T05:48:00.001-07:00

Our Projects' Day'10 Creative Arts Project.

Too bored, so I came up with a logo using fireworks.

Imagine, If you will

2010-05-10T03:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt the skip in your heartbeat when you receive a marked test paper?

Or if you have to check for results online? And if you failed? Or succeeded?

Have you ever felt the body aches when you have a fever? Or the day after some vigorous new exercise? Or when someone hits you and means business? Or maybe not?

Have you admired the clouds for more than 5 minutes? Have you fallen asleep on your study table? Have you ever wished that you have fallen sick so that you could miss school? When was the first time you took chili?

When did you first talk? What are your first words? And you really look like your dad.

Have you squished an ant before? Have you ever asked why the moon keeps following the car? When was the first time you realised that a mac was different from windows?

When was the last time you spent real family time with your family?

When was the last time you hugged a family member? Your grandparents, perhaps? Or do you remember the last time you kissed a family member? When was the last time you praised a junior? Have you ever taken a look at those childhood photographs? When was the last time you said "I am sorry" and "I love you"?

Have you ever cried in front of a coffin before?

Maybe not, but a cry away from the distant heart,

As Jesus died from the cross and nail,

Have you got an answer to all these questions?

Then again, maybe not.

But imagine, if you ever will.

Isn't it beautiful.

2010-05-04T22:06:00.001-07:00

Everyone is yelling out loud in this computer lab as I make this post. Our Infocomm Studies Test on Javascript is an online form. Our results could be seen once we submit our test.

This test is rather unique. We were allowed to use the internet and ask from friends for answers - this is a form of enquiry in this subject, so we were allowed to run wild during the test.

"HI THIS IS MATTHEUS!" :D

-.- That was typed by Mattheus. Yep. That Mattheus from the post below. Again. You see the excitement.

Anyways, the results came out when most of us are done. Most of us got 13/20...didn't do quite good.

Just then, I heard:
"Yeah! Hi-Fi! YEAH!"
"Thank you Yue Jun, thank you."

I see Yue Jun slapping a hi-fi with a couple of other friends.

Yue Jun is the respected power of Infocomm Studies, Mathematics, and the Sciences. He got 17/20, and just agreed to stay back and help those who want a retest, which would be capped at 70%.

This test? If you got friends you can do well.
Ethan got 7/20, since no one wanted to help him.

How unique. Have we ever come across such a test?
Isn't it beautiful?

This is for my peoples who just lost somebody

2010-05-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

"Good morning. Welcome to FCBC, God bless you!"

"They are theee... hospitality people on duty."

Mattheus brought me into Hall 9 and Max Pavilion of the EXPO.

It was the first time I'm attending a church seriously, which meant that I wasn't just there for once. I wanted to see if this church was really the church I've been looking for.

It just happened to be holy communion of the month - the breaking of bread, and drinking of acting wine. There was worship and singing. Then there was a preaching session. The church-goers took out their pens and took down notes.

I followed suit.

But slowly, I began to feel bored, and doodled on the note paper. I tried drawing a place where things were always peaceful and happy. I could see that the teens of the church were also daydreaming with their mobiles and earpieces. I continued drawing, and soon I've pretty much covered all the writing space.

The preaching really did last for very long, and the pastor dragged it longer.

"You feel bored?"

"Kinda."

"Yeah. It's normal." Mattheus was spinning his pen.

We had lunch with the cluster group, consisting of people of the same age - a group of about 10 people present. The church has given a friendly introduction to me, and I liked the warmth of the people, their closeness to God, and really frankly, the smiles of the girls.

"So you coming every week?"one of the cluster friends asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Oo yay! Matt, you suceeded."

Mattheus did succeed, but so did the church. :)

Lunch was great, and we later headed our ways back home. I happened to be following a couple of my friends, Mattheus, my classmate, as well as Danielle, a long-lost primary school friend who transferred to another school in P4, on the MRT.

"Bye! See you again." said Mattheus.

I alighted from the bus. Just then, my mobile phone alerted me of an SMS.

It was from my uncle.

He told me that my granduncle has just passed away the day before of a heart attack.

I was shocked.

And just now, I tried drawing a place where things were always peaceful and happy. This is for my peoples who just lost somebody. I failed really badly.

We share the same birthday

2010-04-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

"What's contraction and relaxation?"
"Er, when you bend your elbow, your biceps contract and triceps -"
I see that he gave me a dumb look.

"You know what I'm talking about?"
"Maybe?"
"Why not go read up first then come."
He stomped out of the study and went into his room.

"You see? Even he can't help."

As I have mentioned in my other blog's post: http://dartebiota.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html, my brother has been getting into quite a bit of trouble lately. You see, when I was still in P6, I got 'sabotaged into becoming the head prefect, and that really ruined any fun in P6.

And now its back. The adults in my brother's life (i.e. his teachers) tend to benchmark him against me. That's also why my mother always blames him for things he really didn't do wrong. They are not aware that what I did in P6 was really just a puppet show: I didn't mix much with my classmates, I didn't have time for a lot of things, and I hated how I was bench-marked against the previous year's head prefects.

When I went back to my primary school during CNY'10 this year, I still could not find my name carved on the model pupil board in the school hall. Yeah, I did well in PSLE, I was the head prefect and model pupil of the year, I gave all sorts of speeches; I was famous. It's all a put-up show, and I had to put up with it.

My father has begun to take on more responsibilities in the household, and that's a good thing.
After the SHHK Sports Meet on 30th April, I think they had to clean up the mess they made at the stadium.

My brother seemed to be getting into every single troublesome issue that arises in his class.

"Why did she want to punish you?"
"Because of David. (his classmate) He thought I didn't clean up."
"Have your teachers been picking on you?"
"Ya."

"Why?"
"Haiyah.. tell you, you also call the teacher. Don't tell you, you also call the teacher. Might as well not tell you right."
"But you must tell me why what."

"It's because of this guy lah."
He pointed at me.
"What all the... head prefect thing."

"Tell me more about it."
"Never mind lah."
"You must tell me. I need to know, then I can decide on whether or not to talk to your teacher."
"Never mind!"
"But you must say."
"Never mind."
"Just tell me."
"Mind your own business lah! I need to study."

With that, my father left his room. Not long after, I see him lying on the bed and reading a comic book.

Most probably, his teachers think that 'if your brother can, then why can't you?' And I hate the way they think. He deserves a better childhood, yet he does not want to tell us anything. His teachers ought not to, ever so blindly, stereotype him with me.

I was born on the 7th July, 1996.
My brother was born on the 7th July, 1998.
We aren't the same. But my brother should be voicing out his troubles to the family.

After all, for more than a decade already, we share the same birthday.

Singapore Tourism Board Tagline

2010-04-06T07:44:00.001-07:00

Did you know that besides the usual 'Uniquely Singapore' tagline that we're so familiar with, there are other taglines that our Tourism Board would consider changing to?

Uniquely Singapore.
Live it up in Singapore!
Surprising Singapore

These are stored in the database of slogans.

On the other hand, Singapore Tourism Board is organising Your Singapore2010. Here it is:

http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/experience.html Do visit the website. It's really cool (:

According to CNA, this is organised to promote Singapore as an exciting destination for travel. The star of the Visa Travel Happy campaign Matt Harding was there to give a helping hand at the event which was held at Times Square.

What is Your Singapore?

Singapore is a city of the future for me. Just take a look at places like ION Orchard, our top-standard Changi Airport, Singapore Flyer, iluma, Integrated and World Resorts and all the upcoming excitement in Marina Bay, the YOG; within just these few years we've got so many things to look forward to - things that other countries do not always get.

Sometimes when you go overseas and you get back, the flight back can make you miss your holiday destination. We can enjoy the flight, but when you're back home you'll realise that you look up into the skies with satisfaction, and look into the Singaporean horizon with awe.

Hawaii

2010-03-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

It was great.

There was a series of performances from bands, choirs, and orchestras from all over the Pacific Basin, which involved Japan, Singapore, USA Mainland, Hawaii, Australia, and Tonga. There was a formal dinner and a great dancing session. There were visits to the Pearl Harbour and factory outlets where prices are real low. For instance, Converse shoes cost USD$20, Levi jeans cost USD$25, Godiva Chocolate cost as low as USD$4 per pack.

There were USA friends from an exchange we had there and a workshop. And there was the free time, in which we spent our time doing shopping, sleeping, going to Hawaiian Beaches, and eating out with band mates. And there was the gold award after all these fun.

The weather was very cooling, but not dry, and when it rained the raindrops were so fine that you couldn't feel a thing. You had to see the raindrops to know that it rained. The hotel was very comfortable, and our daily breakfast buffets at Perry Smorgy's Restaurant was rewarding. The main thing to all this fun is that we had to be together - times spent alone are...lonely. When someone wanted to go to the beach, friends accompanied. When we shopped, ate, played - it was all done together.

The 4 flights I had:

- Singapore to Narita

- Narita to Honolulu

- Honolulu to Narita

- Narita back to Singapore

These 4 flights were all United Airlines flights. Their service was professional, friendly and remarkable.

Put aside the jet lag, and put aside the instant noodles some of us had to declare at the Honolulu airport: the 25th Pacific Basin Music Festival, together with the raw cost of S$3740, was worth every cent. Mahalo (Thank you) Hawaii! For the great travel experience I got.

"Best Picture Award"Competition: HCI AEP Winning Entry

2010-03-07T08:46:00.001-08:00

Cornerstone!

2010-03-06T02:27:00.000-08:00

Cornerstone Community Church. That's a great place.

An acquaintance of mine, Celine, invited me to this church for a service called 'Love is'.

The congregation is about 600 people high, with humorous talks by pastors and engaging performances, as well as free candy floss and popcorn. The pastor emphasised that if you say 'Yes' to God, if you allow God into your life, you will be set free from your sins. You will lead a free and fruitful life, fearless and safe. It is the trust in the spirit of the Lord that we get rid of our phobias.

I'm certain that you, right now, as a reader, has some fear in your life. You could have fear of failure, fear of acads, fear of stress, fear of a broken family - everyone has fear. I'm also certain that everyone has sinned before. Why is it so that biblical quotes are so commonly used?

The bible is the best piece of literature anyone could ever get.

And so I attended the full service, mainly consisting of youths. The large screen projected a 3-minutes countdown to worship. The worship team came out, and I really had a great time. There were church members acting out what 'love' is. It was really humorous.

A pastor then came out and spoke to the congregation on what love is. Things like, two powerful words to sustain a marriage: "Yes, dear". There are over 1000 types of phobias people have. Just Google these few and see how out-of-the-planet they are, that our society is so messed up:

- Levophobia

- Namatophobia

- Arachibutyrophobia (really ridiculous)

- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (most ridiculous type of phobia mentioned by him, so long that I can't even type it out)

The pastor then called those people who want to accept God into their lives to come down to the front of the stage. Although I'm already a Christian, I know that I don't have a church, so I just went.

In the end, after a few prayers, for most people who went up to the front of the stage were non-believers, I left the area and noticed that along the way, there were a few people crying. They cried after the prayer.

Much Anticipated Turbulence

2010-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

I've no idea why my posts now are more-or-less band-related. I'm guessing it's because Hawaii's getting nearer. Hawaii - this musical festival brings along so much excitement, yet so much more stress.

Now, I'm not going to complain like what I used to.
I'll have to admit that the band majors have no choice but to increase practices to Saturdays as well; that was done quite long ago. To add on, I have AEP lessons on Tuesdays, whilst Mr Chong gets back to school every Tuesday, so I'll be missing his tutoring.

Speaking of my section tutor, I really hope he has calmed down.
I know that some day I'm still going to have to meet him again, so there's no way in my hating him forever. And note that I don't call him 'Adrian Chong' now, I'm trying 'Mr Chong'. I'm doing all these so as to make up for the trouble and loss I've caused in Sec1.

I hope that by the time the Sec1s this year get their instruments, somehow, someday, when someone thinks just like how I did in Sec1, I would be there to help, just like how the band majors and section leader did to me.

Anyways, Hawaii.
I'll be away for 4 lessons + 1 founders' day. This means a lot of catching up. This is why I'll be doing the catching up now. I want HCIBand to be proud of the achievement we'll be getting in Hawaii.

To Hawaii.
And to the band.

Yihan

Multiple Intelligence Results

2010-02-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Long time no post. xD
Last year, Mr Spelmer did get us to do a similar multiple intelligence test.
My top 3 results were (descending order):

1. Intrapersonal
2. Interpersonal
3. Logical

After one fine year of tuning in Hwa Chong, it does seem that these results have been replaced by:

1. Interpersonal
2. Intrapersonal
3. Musical

The 'logical' segment is now slightly lower than the 'musical' segment. You could say that I've become less logical after one year (: When I was taking the quiz, I knew for sure that my musical intelligence had grown. How so? One word.

Band.

Yes. That EP3 that I hated so much. That I wished was somehow disbanded. That I wanted to quit right up till the start of this year. I'm thankful for the band majors'09 (Jiasheng) and majors'10 efforts to talk me through and got me to stay in band. I now know how great it feels to play a musical instrument that is recognised by the public. Not just piano. Not just the recorder. But the saxophone.

Through band, I've come to realise that music is art. Everything is art. Music is everything. This is why I've become more musical in this test.

Note that there is also a swap in the positions of interpersonal and intrapersonal.
Intrapersonal means 'myself smart', to know yourself well.
Interpersonal means 'people smart', to know others well.

I guess the swap just suggests that I've beome less self-centered, and through my helping friends who have family troubles, I've definitely got to know more on how to say something when in an uneasy situation, and how to say it better.

The remaining five results are (in descending order):
4. Visual/Spatial (results equal to musical)
5. Logical
6. Linguistic (results equal to logical)
7. Naturalistic
8. Kinaesthetic

Alma Mater Update

2010-02-11T23:34:00.000-08:00

I heard that Tao Nan School changed principals earlier this year.
I went back to catch up. All I knew was that his name was 'Dr Chin'.

Woo xD... A doctorate.

"Who's that guy in the army attire?"
The Taoananite Graduate Class of 2008 wondered who that was. Some military personnel perhaps.

He walked past us.
I managed to take a glance at his nametag sewn on the uniform.
"Chin K.W."

That guy was the principal. What's the ocassion? It was their commemoration of Total Defence Day. Ah. No wonder. Tao Nan's CNY Celebration's on the 17th. >< Wonder what he'll turn up in.

So I asked on Dr Chin, from my teachers. They all agreed that his leading styles are indeed very different. Unique. He would tell stories with moral values behind them to the lower primary students, on a daily basis. He attends flag raising ceremonies promptly and consistently. He would give advice to the graduating classes. After having known all this, it is apparent that he is a devoted principal.

And so this was the guy who turned up in the military attire. I heard that he told everyone present at flag raising ceremony that day, to salute to the national flag. (*communist xD*) I can see how he envisions Taonanites to be.

I know that his actions may seem weird. I'd prefer call it unique. To think of a principal who can go to such extents of instilling moral values, and showing the importance of Total Defence Day and patriotism through his actions (his army uniform), these show his passion as a principal. He has only been in office for 2 months in Tao Nan.

And above all, he's an alumni of Hwa Chong Junior College.

Today at Band

2010-02-06T05:32:00.001-08:00

It was around 11.05am.

Our conductor walked into the SALT Main Hall. He was in a trifle lil' bad mood.

I heard that he threw a chair at the JC Band on Friday.

He told us about Catholic High Band, whose conductor, Mr David Gloss, refused to conduct band practices until they were fully ready. And soon they were. Now they are ahead of us. He will not allow them to stay behind Hwa Chong. And he achieved that.

For now.

So Mr Leng asked us if we had all our scores. We had to take them out and show it to him, including the warm-up pieces. Most people could do so, but our oboist, did not have. When questioned, he said 'Shang Yang (oboe senior) has the score'.

Mr Leng has said before that he hated excuses. Who likes them anyway.

"Say that again."
"Huh?"

"I want you. To say that again."

"Er."

"Everyone, hear what Chen Yang has to say."

"Er..."

"SAY IT!"

"Shang Yang has the score."

With that, he threw his conducting baton on the carpet, and walked out of the room.

Seriously, it's not entirely Chen Yang's fault, not to mention my Adrian Chong case, for those who heard about it last year. I got much worse than he did xD According to Joseph, it's because Shang Yang was instructed by Joseph to bring back Chen Yang's scores for photocopying, and that happened on Friday. It turned out that on Saturday, Shang Yang had some CIP Activity and could not come for band. Shang Yang had the scores, and despite them knowing that Mr Leng wanted all the have scores, it ended up with Chen Yang not having any.

We have to prove that HCIBand is a class of elites. We did that last year with Gold-With-Honours in SYF. I just can't seem to get my skills right. But, there's a way to get them right.

Sadly, the only way I can, is through Adrian Chong.

Oh gawde. How am I supposed to even talk to him. x.x

And so I'm stuck in this loop. I don't want to but I need to have Adrian Chong. For HCIBand's sake?

Sure.

By all means I could.

By Dartebiota

My hours in HCI

2010-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

A fruitful 3-and-a-half hour band practice. Half hour lunch. 4 hours of ACE work, 1-and-a-half hour CIT Camp Meeting, 3 hours of concert. And safely half hour worth of travelling time in between.

So here is the breakdown of my very great Saturday in HCI. Now no need to add up the hours: it's 13-half.

Today is a day where I could witness both sunrise, sunset, and nightfall, and still go home to sleep. How much more can I ask?

Today is a day where I found out that my mouthpiece had been the culprit, for 1 year, of my salivary-sound on the saxophone.

Today is a day where I spent half-hour trying to connect to the Wireless@HCI.

Today is a day where I could miss the LRT, MRT and bus on the way to school.

Today is a day where I could listen with full attention to a forty-eight-minute-long concert piece.

And today's a day where I could come home just in time to go on MSN, read Trevor's blog and get someone to immediately ask me why I always come online so late. xD Thanks Matt. Now what's so special about all these nonsense.

According to Trevor's blog post, people do not maximise their 24 hours, but only complain about how tiring and redundant homework is. We all usually take for granted what we have, and the sad raw fact is that we only cherish something when we do not have it.

And yes, this is the truth.

There is, however, at least one moment in our lives where we hoped that people would spend their time more wisely.

This moment arrives when someone who you love passes away. At the wake, we all find ourselves saying that 'this person has led a fulfilled and happy life'. We all hope that this loved one has made fullest use of his/her time before departing this life. And as we say the prayers, we see the body in the coffin, we see the Crematorium; then the columbarium, we see the urn - we then hope for ourselves that we would use time wisely.

For today, I have made good use of my time. We all want fulfilling lives. We all want to be happy. And I find that if we all make full use of all our time, and we achieve something big, we would then have lead fulfilled lives.

If you were to live every day as if it were your last, some day you would most certainly be right. A fruitful 3-and-a-half hour band practice. Half hour lunch. 4 hours of ACE work, 1-and-a-half hour CIT Camp Meeting, 3 hours of concert. And safely half hour worth of travelling time in between. Here is the breakdown of my very great Saturday in HCI.

NEW YEAR

2010-01-18T07:25:00.000-08:00

I walked into 2A1 with Cong Yang and Jarrett.

Band was tiring.

The march-in took up a lot of time and energy. Just as exhausted as I was, my heart sank when I saw the three seats left in the corner of the classroom. Great. I sat down, knowing that the back seat was my fate for the rest of Year 2. Then I saw those familiar faces of the Acerians.

Sean. Baboon. Kevin. Wei Jie. Hua Ying. And from the other end, The car lover, The british officer, Leoj, and Yue Jun. So this was life at the back of the classroom, reflected by a mirror at the back wall. From the back, I could see the whole class, know what everyone else is doing but not the other way round. From this, I could tell the colourful life of 2A1, without much interference from the world-famous E10.

============================================================

Hi all. I'm Khoo Yihan, also known as Hanky Hooi and Rihanna Montannah, but preferably Dartebiota, creative editor of The Distillation Melayu. Here are some snippets about me.

1. The title of this post took me 5 minutes to come up with. I can't say I think fast, but I'm someone who tends to observe and analyse things. Besides the bug that I accidentally crushed today at the Science Lab, I normally see and recognise situations and people real quick.

2. I'm born on the 7th July 1996, 20:47. It just happens that:

- that day's Sabbath Day, or Sunday.

- normally my birthday falls around or on Youth Day.

- fortunately this year it falls on our Projects' Day Semi-finals. *screams*

(falls down)

- my Primary 6 brother celebrates on the same day that I do. His birthday is on 7th July 1998. Celebrating birthdays together save a lot of money.

3. I enjoy music, arts (fine, media and design), sleeping, problem solving questions, sleeping, table tennis, dining at cafes, sleeping; and a newfound interest in Chemistry. On the other hand, I hate misunderstandings and pointless, trivial and baseless arguments.

4. Currently, I'm aiming for the Science and Math Talent Programme in Year 3, and academics are the essentials to get me there. I'm still coping with the new assessment systems, but really hope that I'll get through. I'm in the Science Olympiad Programme, which focuses on advanced triple sciences. Full commitment to everything.

5. I'm from Hwa Chong Institution High School Concert and Military Band. I play the Saxophone (Alto), and am currently preparing for the Pacific Basin Music Festival, held in Hawaii in March. I'll experience Hawaii first-hand ~~and miss lessons.~~

6. I'm also from the Art Elective Programme. Whenever people assume that AEP is just an extra CCA-like activity that isn't important and can be ignored, then they're wrong. Very very wrong. In fact, AEP, besides all the expected art-related experiences and knowledge, also provides a very flexible A1. This is because art work is versatile. I'll also be attending a film festival in Tokyo, together with my AEP-mates in November this year.

7. I'm in Aphelion Council, and this year I'm involved in planning the CIT Camp (Acerians who want to join the council can look forward to this camp), the mid-year review camp, and Aphelion Nite.

8. So you see, there is a whole long load of commitments I've got.

9. But yes, I'm also from 2A1, and a loyal member of IRA (1A1'09).

NEW YEAR. New hopes. That's me.

Lastly, here's one of the comedians whom I've always laughed about.

Russell Peters.

Preparation for LA EOYs

2009-09-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-08-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-01T19:51:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-30T23:47:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T01:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-03T23:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-24T01:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-14T07:35:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-26T04:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-25T06:40:00.001-08:00

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?"

2009-02-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

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

The Trip Home From School

2009-01-21T04:34:00.000-08:00

Okay. I know that this is a boring start but I can't think of any others at the moment.

The afternoon was really warm and the I stepped into the bus bound for an MRT Station after my CCA Trials.

To my surprise, I saw a couple occupying not 2 seats...but 4 seats - because they were resting their legs on the other 2 empty seats facing them. Upon seeing this, I just tried to ignore them, and I did. But after a while, I spotted them hugging one another in front of everyone standing in the bus. I shall cut short on how I felt. You know...first the seats, then this. I ignored them. And I was glad that I could.

Never mind about what happened in the bus. As I boarded the MRT Train heading towards my home, I found out that there were:

firstly, two rowdy children running on the MRT Platform
and... secondly, another loving couple hugging in public.

This time round I couldn't just ignore it. One look and I knew it was too much. Hugging. Kissing. Whatever you think that would be included in some situation like this. Anyway, they boarded the train with me. I thought that they would stop (because the train was crowded). But they did not. In fact, they got more engrossed in it; and oh great. They chose the seats next to mine. Now, how would you feel if you were in my shoes then?

You know...they are treating that place as if it was their home. All I can say is that I felt very disturbed. And annoyed. I knew that I had to bear with this for at least 20 minutes. And again, I was glad that I could.

After alighting from that train, and thinking about these incidents that took place, the strangest question suddenly struck upon me: Why was it so that I was the only one annoyed and the others were not even affected by them?

Photo From: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/concepts-and-ideas/modern-life/7572378-urban-transit.php?id=7572378

First Lost-and-Found Encounter

2009-01-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

I have been contemplating about writing this entry for a while already, but decided to do it anyway... =)

Well, it happened on a schooling day when I was feeling extremely tired, lethargic and you know...with all my energy drained. As I am dropped off at the carpark in school, I grabbed my bag from the boot and scooped up some files and very groggily, I headed for the classroom (thank goodness I was not late o.O...)

Then, before the flag-raising ceremony had begun, I realised that something from my uniform was missing - it could have dropped off; and I would be in hot soup if I was caught not properly attired.

Without hesitating, even though the bell would be ringing in just a couple of minutes' time, I traced my way back to the classroom, searching desperately for it. I couldn't find it. Luckily I brought spare. Or that would have been the last day I've seen daylight.

Placing the spare piece back to my uniform and vowing to hunt for the missing piece during recess, I hurriedly ran back to where the flag-raising was taking place, and I was relieved that my teacher (with the attendance list) was walking behind me. That would mean that I would not be considered as a'latecomer'.

When the recess bell rang, knowing that it could have dropped off when I slung my bag onto my shoulder (lol.), I ran back to the carpark and found it lying there peacefully. For a moment, I felt that I was in heaven (T.T). (Okay. Maybe I should change that ending phrase.)

Yar. So that's about it. =) Re-united.

Photo From:http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/concepts-and-ideas/modern-life/4100731-life-s-journey.php?id=4100731

Starting 2009 as a new Sec 1 Student

2009-01-11T21:16:00.001-08:00

I have been exposed to a lot of new things: friends, teachers and a new environment with new challenges. It has not been easy to adapt to these new things during the first few days of school and to be honest; I found it very tiring to come to school. On some nights, I even wished that I would fall sick and be excused from school the next day.

In fact, the only things I was hoping for during the first week were: the end of school and the weekends. However, at the thought of having to go to school the next day, that same wish would reappear in my mind again.

In the first week of school, I began as a lone ranger, spending my recesses away at the queues of the bookshop, or just walking around listlessly, waiting for time to go by.

You might think that I had wasted my first week away, but that’s not true. Now, I have much more confidence, I spend more time during the recess breaks with my friends (even if it means postponing my trip to the bookshop), I spoke up more in class, and I knew that I was slowly picking up. All these would not be possible if not for all the buffer time I had during the first week.

I hope that I would be able to cope with school life as early as possible, and just as much as I want to have a meaningful year ahead, here's wishing you a great 2009!

Photo From: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=7041142