My English Blog

Comment on Marcus Low's blog

2010-08-19T01:33:00.001-07:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on Marcus Low's blog (http://lowzuowu96.blogspot.com/) on his post about his volunteer work at the Youth Olympic Games.

Below is my comment :

Marcus,
I feel that it is really kind of you to volunteer to help out at the Youth Olympic games, especially during the test season when everyone else is busy studying.

It seems like you enjoyed your volunteer's job in the Youth Olympic Games. I am really happy for you. But after reading your post, I find that the job of filming the two fencers on film appears to be quite challenging to me. If it was me there, I am afraid I would not be able to handle it.

Thanks.

Comment on Marcus Lau's blog

2010-08-19T01:28:00.000-07:00

Dear readers, I have commented on Marcus Lau's blog (http://blanketboymarcus.blogspot.com/) on his post about the definition of success.

Below is my comment :

Marcus,
I couldn't agree with you more. Indeed, success is when you feel that you have tried your best. No matter what the outcome is, you will feel satisfied at least.

I feel that success should not be based on what others think of you. Instead, it should be what you think it is. Set your own definition of success. And as long as you KNOW that you have given your best, it is considered success.

Thank you.

Comment on George's blog

2010-08-19T01:22:00.000-07:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on George's blog ( http://georgeblogging.blogspot.com/ ) on his most recent post about the mudslides that happened in China.

Below is my comment :

I agree with your view on this issue. Yes, the author should not have entirely blamed it on the rescue efforts not being fast enough and the headline thirsty media. This was a natural disaster which no one could avoid.

Instead of complaining and grumbling, I feel that they should think of new ways to solve these problems, such as building dams and a dense network of canals and drainage systems so as to prevent mudslides.

However, the people there should also learn to put up with occasional mudslides. No country is perfect. Although China may experience more occasions of mudslides than other countries, they may suffer less of something else compared to the same country.

Thanks.

Comment on Darrell's blog

2010-08-19T01:16:00.000-07:00

Dear blog readers, I have commented on Darrell's blog ( http://causticpotashhh.blogspot.com/ ) on his post about the biography of a famous war poet - Wilfred Owen.

Below is my comment for his post:

I feel that Wilfred Owen is indeed one of the most powerful war poets. Although he is born in an upper class family, he is still able to convey and express his lament for war. I like this characteristic of his as I do feel that war is nothing more than a bloody battle that harms many sacrificial lambs sent by the government. My favourite poem written by Wilfred Owen would be Exposure.

I feel that in Exposure, Wilfred Owen has successfully portrayed the soldiers to be traumatized by war. They no longer carry any hope for a better future after witnessing and battling in the battle field. In exposure, Wilfred Owen has also used a lot of imagery. This successfully draws images of poor and pitiful soldiers. Exposure is also one of Owen's signature poems. Thus, I really enjoy the work of Wilfred Owen

Poem Analysis - The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

2010-08-19T01:04:00.000-07:00

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
____________________________________________________________________
The first stanza
I feel that the author uses a little bit of rhythm so as to stress out the importance of his badge that he obtained. I feel that the author does not fully understand the symbolism of his badge as he mentioned in the last sentence " or something " even though he has already passed secondary school. Another element the author used would be symbolism, for the badge seemed to symbolize the hope for a better future.

The second stanza
The author has used the element " Free verse " as i feel that only with free verse he can truly elaborate the fun they had when being interrupted while singing the national anthem.

The third stanza
The author is trying to tell us that on Wednesday, he probably has Physical Education or Sports so his shoes would be soiled and black. However, he seems to enjoy this day as he did not point out any hint of regret or disappointment.

The fourth stanza
The author admires the scouts, not for their will or determination to help others, but for their strong thighs and muscles. This is something quite amusing to me. However, he seems to dislike the scouts a little as he used the phrase " must admit " which told us that he was rather unwilling to say this.

The fifth stanza
I think the author is rather envious that his other schoolmates have chauffeurs to pick them up after school. However, we could see that the chauffeurs at that time were rather free and had nothing much to do as they were tellling jokes to each other while waiting for the children.

The sixth stanzaThe author must have enjoyed Chinese New Year very much at that time but however, I feel that he was also trying to tell us how funny it was as Mrs Lee dressed up in a Malay costume and sang a Malay song during Chinese New Year.

The seventh stanza
The author seemed to enjoy exams but because he could do well and score, but because he could see the amusing acts that his classmates would do when they did not know the answer.

The eight stanza
I feel that the author had an intention of revealing that he was wheelchair bound only when the poem was about to end. However, despite of this, i feel that he still enjoyed Secondary school very much as he was able to give a big grin for the annual yearbook.

Thank you for reading my post.

Innova JC starts silat lessons to help foster racial harmony

2010-08-12T01:43:00.000-07:00

" A junior college has become the first in Singapore to use the Malay art of self defence, Silat, during Physical Education lessons.

Innova Junior College sees this as a way to foster racial harmony. " - Channel NewsAsia

Innova JC has found a new way to foster racial harmony, and that is by using the Malay art of self defence, Silat, during Physical Education lessons. Silat was introduced as a compulsory sport of the Mixed Martial Arts Programme for PE lessons. About 95 students of various races from five classes are part of it. Apart from Silat, Wushu was also included in the 10-week programme.

I feel that this is an innovative yet effective way of inculcating the importance of racial harmony into the students' minds. If they just teach the students the importance of racial harmony verbally, most of the teachers' words will soon be forgotten after a while. Many students will not be paying attention to them in the first place as well. However, this method engages the students' interest and attention, yet at the same time fosters racial harmony into their minds. It thus successfully teaches the students the importance of racial harmony. At the same time, students will also be able to have fun. Hence, I feel that this method by Innova Junior College is very interesting and effective.

Thank you for reading my post.

Boy cladded in bermudas, T-shirt and flip flops runs 13 km with the runners carrying the YOG torch

2010-08-12T01:37:00.000-07:00

In yesterday's papers, it was reported that a young boy of merely age 12 ran with the torch runners just to take photographs of the torch. He was described to be a Youth Olympic Games fanatic, and despite the mud and his undesirable "running shoes", he persisted and completed a total of 13 kilometers. At the end of the relay, the runners let the boy hold the substitute torch and he was really glad to do so.

I was moved by his pure interest in the Youth Olympic Games and his perseverance. Despite wearing flip-flops and having to run in the muddy water along the pavement, he did not stop and survived till the end. At first, the reporters did not notice him. However, as the crowd differed when the runners passed by different locations, they noticed the same boy appearing in the crowd and soon started to focus on him. They found out that he has been following the runners ever since the torch was passed at a primary school. At the end of the relay, he was drenched in sweat and perspiration, but there was a proud grin on his face.

Even though I am moved by his perseverance, I feel that he should have been better well equipped. 13 kilometers is not a short distance, and by running in his slippers it would have hurt his toes badly. He should have wore running shoes the least to protect his feet against the constant running.

Thank you for reading my post.

SMRT to add over 300 more train trips for YOG opening, closing ceremonies

2010-08-12T01:30:00.000-07:00

"SMRT says it will add over 300 more train trips on August 14 and 26 - the opening and closing ceremonies of the Youth Olympic Games - to bring spectators and participants home after the events." - Channel News Asia

I feel that it is really considerate of SMRT to do so. Many of the events end really late at night and many people cannot afford to be taking the taxi or cab all the time. Adding hundreds of train trips will definitely help in bringing the spectators and participants home after the events.

Many of the spectators are also foreigners who make a trip to Singapore specially for supporting their family and friends in the Youth Olympic Games. The opening an closing ceremonies are usually the events that most people will attend, and thus I also feel that it is a smart choice of SMRT to increase the number of train trips during those two events. Likewise, I also hope SBS buses will do the same as some people may not have MRT access at their homes and might need buses to reach home.

Thank you for reading my post.

Youth Olympic Games

2010-08-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday, I witnessed the Youth Olympic Games torch relay in Hwa Chong. Today, I shall be talking about my feelings during that time.

At first, it was rather boring as we had to wait really long for the torch to arrive. However, I was excited as I have never seen an olympic torch up close before. After what seemed like eternity, the torch finally arrived. It was carried by one of the runners together with others and they ran up to the clock tower, down the slope, to the Junior College section and finally back to Gate 3. Among the runners were national basketball players Russell and Jabez. As my CCA is basketball, I really hope to be able to be like them one day.

As for my opinions on the Youth Olympic Games, I feel that Singapore is really lucky to be the country to host the very first Youth Olympic Games. This will definitely boost Singapore's popularity and increase the number of tourists. However, I also feel that the Youth Olympic Games will most probably not be as popular as the actual Olympic Games. Nevertheless, it is still a good chance for us to go down there and support our country!

Thank you for reading my post.

Flooding in Orchard Road

2010-08-12T01:17:00.000-07:00

As you all know, there was a flooding at Orchard Road a few weeks ago. Today, I am going to talk about what happened.

Around a month ago, there was a huge rain at the Bukit Timah area which was followed by a flooding. Buses stopped operating and many were stranded there. There were floods at many places, such as Orchard Road and even our very own Hwa Chong.

However, I read on the newspaper that some of the electronic shops were also victims of the flood. Electronics such as iPhones, cameras and video cameras floated on the water. They reported that some people even went to dive into the water just to get those appliances for free.

This act intrigued me. I can't believe that people in our society will do such a thing as it is rather unethical and embarrassing. Furthermore, after those electric appliances have been in contact with the water, they might not work at all. Thus, I was utterly shocked when I learnt that there were such acts by some people.

As for those people who were stranded there, I sympathize with them. I feel really sorry for them and I saw that many had to be stranded there for at least an hour on the news. They must have missed some things on their schedule.

Thank you for reading my post.

Task 2 E learning

2010-05-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

1. Point of View
The Speaker seems to have a negative perspective on the poem.

Evidence
This could be seen from the negative words the speaker has used to describe the situation, such as "death popourri" and "mourn".

Elaboration
The word"potpourri" is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant material, used to probide a gentle natural scent in houses. Howeverm in this case, it is used with the word "death", which is a much more negative term. Hence, I feel that the speaker does seem to have an negative perspective on the situation. The word "mourn" is also a negative word which means feeling or expressing grief or sorrow. This definitely gives the entire poem a negative picture.

2. Situation and Setting
In this poem, there is an external conflict as this concerns the whole of America, not just a single person. The fundamental cause of this conflict would most probably be the "agent orange spray". However, the poem provides no resolution to the conflict.

Evidence
This could be seen from "America could not foresee" and also the last sentence of the poem - "Execrable effects of agent orange spray!"

Explanation
The last sentence clearly shows that the effects of the orange spray were execrable, which meant disastrous. Thus, it clearly was the fundamental cause of this conflict as it could cause the death of many people. We could also tell that this conflict concerns the whole of America from the first sentence of the poem, thus making the conflict an external conflict.

3. Language and Diction
I feel that the author was very successful in conveying his meaning across to the readers through his use of language. He has used a lot of imagery in his poem to warn the readers of the deadly effects of "Agent Orange Spray" and that the aftermaths of war might still linger on even though the war has ended.

Evidence
He has used words such as "execrable", "mourn", "led astray" and "WILL pay" to give the readers a sense of gloominess.

Explanation
The word "execrable" gives the readers a sense of doom as the effects would be disastrous. Words like "Mourn" gives the readers a sense of gloominess as mourn usually represents expressing one's grives and sadness. The phrase "WILL pay" with the word "will" capitalised gives the entire poem a sense of terror as the author is emphasizing the word "will." By doing so, the author is suggesting that the generations would definitely have to pay a heavy price.

4. Personal response
From this poem, i have learnt from the poet's intended message that the aftermaths of war is terrible even though a war has just ended. Wars might not be necessary over when it appears to be.

Analysis of Poem - Rainbow Death ( Task 1 for Home Learning )

2010-05-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Analysis of the Poem ( Task 1 )

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.”

Rumors persist of still another more toxic color coded herbicide at the end of this deadly rainbow! This poem may remind us that wars are not actually over when the wars are over.

Sources :
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

Bad english, should we put a stop to it?

2010-03-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

(Source : http://www.allenhsieh.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/badenglish.jpg)

As you all can see, the creator of this sign has poor english skills. However, the terrifying part is that this sign is just one among the thousands more yet to be seen.

I feel that these signs should be improved. The people should take up English classes if they really need to, as English is gradually becoming an important language and skill that we have to master in our lives. Without English, thoughts cannot be conveyed easily to people of other races. Furthermore, English is also the international language. It is used in places such as the Olympic games and presidential meetings.

I would suggest that the people whom are poorer in the English language to take up classes. This would improve their language skills and they would find it easier to communicate with others, especially if one is outstationed in another country. Understanding the language better would also increase the fun factor in our lives. For example. one can listen to English music and also watch English movies. They would also be more confident when conversing with others.

Earthquake in Haiti

2010-03-04T02:07:00.000-08:00

As you all know, a terrible earthquake has taken place in Haiti a few months ago. Although this post is a little late, i still hope you guys will enjoy it. Today, I shall be giving a brief summary and my reflections on this topic.

Firstly, let us watch a video

As we can see from the video, the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti was terrifying and horrible.

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately 25 km west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 4.53pm local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. As of Feb. 12, an estimated three million people were affected by the quake; there were reports that between 217,000 and 230,000 people had been identified as dead, an estimated of 300,000 were injured, and an estimated of 1,000,000 were homeless. They also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.

( Source of figures from wikipedia.org)

The earthquake caused major damage to Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other settlements in the region. Many notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Among those killed were Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Joseph Serge Miot, and opposition leader Micha Gaillard. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, collapsed, killing many, including the Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi.

Many countries responded to appeals for humanitarian aid, pledging funds and dispatching rescue and medical teams, engineers and support personnel. Communication systems, air, land, and sea transport facilities, hospitals, and electrical networks had been damaged by the earthquake, which hampered rescue and aid efforts; confusion over who was in charge, air traffic congestion, and problems with prioritisation of flights further complicated early relief work. Port-au-Prince's morgues were quickly overwhelmed; tens of thousands of bodies were buried in mass graves. As rescues tailed off, supplies, medical care and sanitation became priorities. Delays in aid distribution led to angry appeals from aid workers and survivors, and some looting and sporadic violence were observed.

On 22 January the United Nations noted that the emergency phase of the relief operation was drawing to a close, and on the following day the Haitian government officially called off the search for survivors.

Reflection :

This incident has caused me to be deep in thought. Firstly, I learnt that I am very fortunate to be living in a country like Singapore with no natural disasters. The people living in Haiti are very pitiful, for it is not their fault who caused such a tremendous and horrible aftermath. Yet, they have to bear with the pain and agony. The citizens of Haiti have no choice but to accept the terrifying fact and reality. Thus, through this incident, I have learnt not to take things for granted and to be grateful for whatever I have now, even like living in a safe country.

I feel that everybody should play a part in helping the Haitians as we are united as a world. When we are in times of needs, other countries such as the USA have also helped us. Thus, I feel that we should help the Haitians, and even if we are in need of financially assistance, we can still play a part in other means.

2010 Term 1 E-learning (Day 1)

2010-02-28T02:30:00.000-08:00

MIDAS Learning Profile (2009) : I am a intrapersonalist.

Intrapersonal [pick one]:
a. Who would you want to be friends with in the novel? Explain.
b. Which character would you like to play in the movie version of the novel? Explain.
c. Write a diary entry for a major character of the novel.

Answer ( Question A) :
If I was given a choice to be friends with someone in the novel, I would choose to be friends with Boo Radley. This is because he is protective of friends, which can be seen from how he rescues Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell's attack. Thus, being his friend would be very good and also at the same time, assuring and safe. He is also not very corrupted unlike the other whites of Maycomb, who would for example discriminate against the blacks because he has been staying in his house for ages and does not need to face the outside world. Having a friend like him would also allow me to be calm and peaceful as I do not need to think about the outside world when I am with him.

Boo Radley is also very caring towards others, which can be seen from how he fixes Jem's pants and how he places a blanket over Scout during the fire. This attribute is very important in a good friend as I would then know that he is a caring friend rather than a selfish and uncaring one. He is also willing to listen to others and tends to be rather quiet. This is the opposite of me and thus, we are very compatible as friends.

Hence, although many characters in the novels are afraid of Boo Radley, I on the other hand, wishes to be friends with him.

ANOTHER basketball match

2010-01-30T23:50:00.000-08:00

Hey guys... as many of you went for the concert yesterday at hwa chong, I did not. And the reason ? I have ANOTHER basketball match.

We were playing against and international school which actually meant mixed races but in the end all we saw were europeans. However, we still continued to play our game...

Let me tell you all something before I continue describing my game, we had lost to this school by 20 points when we played a match with them a month ago.

The game was held at Emmar intenational school and it ONCE AGAIN had an indoor court. At the end of the game, we only lost by 4 so it was considered as an improvement compared to our skills in a month ago.

:)

Basketball match

2010-01-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

Hello all readers once again!
Today I will be blogigng about my two continuous matches I played on Wednesday, which also made me skip my CMC seminar. =D
We first played with nanyang girls and then moving on to playing with catholic high school.

The match with nanyang girls was rather embarrassing because we only won them by 9 points... however they were playing with their b-division as well so it was a rather fair fight. Furthermore, it was a boys versus girls match, so we had to be extra CAUTIOUS... haha.

After the match had ended, we then proceeded onto playing with catholic high. It was located at Bishan, so we had to take a public bus there. Hwa Chong never held any matches as it didn't have an indoor court. This is one thing that puzzles me as well, why do we not have an indoor court? Hwa Chong is rather good in its financial terms and should be able to afford an indoor court.

So continuing my story, we arrived at Catholic high at 4. However, we lost badly due to the fact that we were tired and that Catholic high was a rather strong team.

I have another match tomorrow with an international school tomorrow so wish me luck guys!

Goodbye for now ! =D

A new start

2010-01-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I have just created a new blog. Please feel free to comment on my posts and do not hesitate to criticize them if NECESSARY. Thanks!