Hello everyone,
In this blog post, I am going to do a brief introduction on my CCA and why I joined it as many people have been asking me what my CCA, which is canoeing, is like. Last year, I picked canoeing as a CCA because canoeing is a competitive sport which meant that it would require a high level of fitness and strength. When I was in primary 6, I was very fat and had very poor fitness, I always admired the people around me who had six packs. So, when I went through the CCA orientation, I was being told that through the regular trainings I attend, I will be able to slim down a lot and get a defined muscular body which is something every teenage boy would want. That was one of the reason in which why I joined canoeing. The second reason was that I thought canoeing is a fun outdoor sport and I have always had a liking for water sports since young, and always set on a float in the swimming pool and used my arms to paddle.
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that commonly requires either a single-bladed paddle or a double-bladed paddle. In our school’s canoe CCA, we have many different sorts of boats. They are classified under Canoe and Kayak. Canoes are usually paddled with a single-bladed paddle and the paddler will have to kneel in the canoe. This requires high level of balance as you are prone to capsize when you lean too much to either side of the boat. Canoes are usually called C by the paddlers. Kayaks are paddled with a double-bladed paddle and the paddler usually sits in the boat. This does not mean that kayaks do not require balance as the competition kayaks are very streamlined in order to reduce resistance, this means that the paddler have make sure that he/she must not lean too much out to prevent capsize. The kayaks are called K by the paddlers. Another difference between the canoe and the kayak is that the kayak have a rudder, a short blade at the end of the boat submerged in the water which helps control direction while the canoe does not have. Although the CCA’s name is called canoeing, it maybe quite misleading at times, as it includes dragon boating as well and there is a lot of long-distance running during the trainings.
These are the different boats we have in our boat sheds at MacRitchie Reservoir:
Kayak:
K-1: single seat kayak (paddled by a single paddler)
K-2: double seated kayak (paddled by two paddlers)
K-4: four-seated kayak (paddled by four paddlers)
Canoe
C-1: single kneeling canoe (paddled by a single paddler)
C-2: double kneeling canoe (paddled by two paddlers)
Our coach and teacher-in-charge usually assign smaller-size people to the Cs while the rest are assigned to the Ks. This is due to the fact that bigger and taller size people have more central gravity than the smaller and shorter people, which means that the taller people tend to have less balance than the smaller paddlers.
The competitions we take part in, which our active teacher-in-charge, Mr Yong Yuen Cheng (well-known long distance runner) signed us up for are: Singapore Canoe Marathon, Natioanl Junior Canoeing Championships, National Schools Canoeing Championships, National Schools Dragon Boat Championships, National Canoe Championships, Club Crew World Championships and World Dragon Boat Racing Championships.
For canoe marathon, the distance ranges from 14km up to 21km. I took part in the 16km race this year and got 15th position out of the 40+ plus people who took part. Mr Yong himself took part in the K2, 21km event and got overall 1st.
For National Junior Canoeing Championships and National School Canoeing Championships which would be held in April, the distances will be 500m and 1000m. These canoeing championships are when the different schools in Singapore come together and compete against each other.
For National Schools Dragon Boat Champioships, we will race against the schools in Singapore over short distances of 300m to 500m.
Whereas for Club Crew World Championships and World Dragon Boat Championships, these are international competitions which means that we will get to travel to the country the competition is held in and represent Singapore and compete. These two competitions are dragon boat competitions.
Mr Yong takes all the competitions seriously, especially the National Junior Canoeing Championships and National Schools Canoeing Championships as Mr Yong was formerly the teacher-in-charge of the canoe team in National Junior College our rival school. Mr Yong said that he left NJC because of the poor attitude the canoe team in NJC has. When Mr Yong just joined NJC, NJC were just underdogs. But Mr Yong coached them till they won close to twenty titles under him for over a span of seven years. Mr Yong wanted to do the same to the Hwa Chong canoe team and bring back gold trophies for our school. In order to fulfill his dream, he inspired us with his own accomplishments and an inspirational movie as our team’s attitude towards him is not very positive. We were finally inspired after a few months of training under Mr Yong and experienced immense improvement.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, which is on the 3rd of February this year, passed a few weeks ago already. I am sharing with all of you my wonderful and special encounter this year.
Every year, to us, Chinese, we will celebrate the Lunar New Year. The Chinese New Year will be the festive period where all the shops in Singapore experience a boom in their businesses and food delivery and catering companies finding a sudden hike in orders from customers. Many preparations will be carried out before celebrating the Chinese New Year. Preparations such as packing up the mess in the house which was created during the previous year, clean up the house, getting new clothes and most importantly, for the adults – making a visit to the bank.
My family, however, is slightly different. We will pack up the house and dispose the unwanted stuff and old furniture two months before Chinese New Year, while the typical Chinese family in Singapore usually will start only a few weeks before the week the day of the New Year. We will then clean the house regularly, once every two days until the eve of the Lunar New Year. In my family, as I am already secondary two, my parents took this reason for me to clean up my room and my sister’s room. My “kiasu” parents will not waste any time as I lighten their burden. They will beat everybody else and get to the bank and draw out a huge amount of money for the red packets they will be giving out during the fifteen days of the festive period.
After all the tiring preparations, the day we had all been anxiously waiting for, and the day the adults, including my parents, are dreading have finally got closer by one day. It was the eve of the Chinese New Year, this is the day when the whole family sits down together and have a meal. But usually, for typical Singaporean Chinese, and what my family have been doing for the past few years, we will have steamboat. However, on the eve, my father decided to bring us to East Coast Beach for BBQ dinner instead. The fun did not end after the BBQ session, in continued throughout the subsequent fifteen days. On the eve, we were all allowed to stay up to as late as midnight as it is a Chinese tradition for children to stay up to the wee hours on the eve as it is an act of filial piety to our parents.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, we went to Mandai columbarium first thing in the morning to pay respects to my late relatives. After that it was a marathon of house visiting. At night, although my jaw was aching from giving festive wishes and legs pain from walking to and fro the car, my pocket was already bulging with red packets. The second day of Chinese New Year was the day which made this year’s Chinese New Year special to my family. Our Indian neighbours who just moved in recently and migrated to Singapore paid a visit to us! We had so much fun as we taught our Indian neighbours our Chinese culture and let them taste the Chinese new year goodies. When my parents gave the Indian children red packets, they taught that my parents had given them a letter and the red packet was a fanciful envelope. We had two hours of fun interacting with our new neighbours and my parents promised them that we would visit them during Deepavali also!
This year’s Chinese New Year is one that would be etched in my memory for quite some time. I hope that you had a good Chinese New Year also!
Every year, to us, Chinese, we will celebrate the Lunar New Year. The Chinese New Year will be the festive period where all the shops in Singapore experience a boom in their businesses and food delivery and catering companies finding a sudden hike in orders from customers. Many preparations will be carried out before celebrating the Chinese New Year. Preparations such as packing up the mess in the house which was created during the previous year, clean up the house, getting new clothes and most importantly, for the adults – making a visit to the bank.
My family, however, is slightly different. We will pack up the house and dispose the unwanted stuff and old furniture two months before Chinese New Year, while the typical Chinese family in Singapore usually will start only a few weeks before the week the day of the New Year. We will then clean the house regularly, once every two days until the eve of the Lunar New Year. In my family, as I am already secondary two, my parents took this reason for me to clean up my room and my sister’s room. My “kiasu” parents will not waste any time as I lighten their burden. They will beat everybody else and get to the bank and draw out a huge amount of money for the red packets they will be giving out during the fifteen days of the festive period.
After all the tiring preparations, the day we had all been anxiously waiting for, and the day the adults, including my parents, are dreading have finally got closer by one day. It was the eve of the Chinese New Year, this is the day when the whole family sits down together and have a meal. But usually, for typical Singaporean Chinese, and what my family have been doing for the past few years, we will have steamboat. However, on the eve, my father decided to bring us to East Coast Beach for BBQ dinner instead. The fun did not end after the BBQ session, in continued throughout the subsequent fifteen days. On the eve, we were all allowed to stay up to as late as midnight as it is a Chinese tradition for children to stay up to the wee hours on the eve as it is an act of filial piety to our parents.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, we went to Mandai columbarium first thing in the morning to pay respects to my late relatives. After that it was a marathon of house visiting. At night, although my jaw was aching from giving festive wishes and legs pain from walking to and fro the car, my pocket was already bulging with red packets. The second day of Chinese New Year was the day which made this year’s Chinese New Year special to my family. Our Indian neighbours who just moved in recently and migrated to Singapore paid a visit to us! We had so much fun as we taught our Indian neighbours our Chinese culture and let them taste the Chinese new year goodies. When my parents gave the Indian children red packets, they taught that my parents had given them a letter and the red packet was a fanciful envelope. We had two hours of fun interacting with our new neighbours and my parents promised them that we would visit them during Deepavali also!
This year’s Chinese New Year is one that would be etched in my memory for quite some time. I hope that you had a good Chinese New Year also!
Movie Review on Pearl Harbour
Hello all, I have just watched this movie with my family a few days ago, and I few that this movie is suitable for us all as it is a little part of history.
Pearl Harbor is filmed based on the storyline of the Japanese’s attack on Pearl Harbour during Christmas’s Eve. This was also the reason which got the United States of America involved in the Pacific and European war. “Pear Harbour” is also a movie on romance as it shows two army pilots and their love interests.
The war film shows two best friends, Rafe and Danny, the protagonists of the film, who are also very talented pilots in the United States air force. Both Rafe and Danny’s friendship started since their childhood days, growing up on a farm, and having the same dream of becoming pilots. Halfway through the show, Rafe volunteers to go to England and fight with the British Royal Air Force against the Nazis, while Danny remains in America, without combat.
Apart from being a war film, it is also a movie on the complicated romance between Rafe, Danny and Evelyn, a nurse Rafe met while going for his fitness test. Rafe fell for Evelyn when he saw her and tricked the young lady into coming for a date. When Danny got word of Rafe being shot in combat and presumed dead, he and Evelyn turned to each other for comfort and fell in love with each other. However, to Danny and Evelyn’s misfortune, Rafe survived. What happened after that? I am not telling, as it would spoil the suspense, so watch the movie to find out.
There are many interesting dog fights throughout the show which was what captivated my attention during the movie. The battle of Pearl Harbor itself caused me to sit on the couch with my eyes glued to the television and my mouth slightly ajar. The visuals are very beautiful and seemed almost real. Itis certainly one of the finest bombing scenes I have watched so far.
The thrilling and exciting show consists of many stunning military manoeuvrings and the attack on Pearl Harbor, and romance. However, I feel that the flaw in “Pearl Harbour” is that it showed too much on the love story and it should have filmed more the dog fights and training sessions the pilots of the United States air force undergo and how Rafe miraculously survived despite being in his plane when it got shot down by the Nazis. This film brings the world war and the men and women who lived through it or died fighting it, back to the people watching it, who may not recall much about or do not even know that such a battle was even fought before. I feel that this movie should be recommended to students our age as we are also studying the second world war history.
Pearl Harbor is filmed based on the storyline of the Japanese’s attack on Pearl Harbour during Christmas’s Eve. This was also the reason which got the United States of America involved in the Pacific and European war. “Pear Harbour” is also a movie on romance as it shows two army pilots and their love interests.
The war film shows two best friends, Rafe and Danny, the protagonists of the film, who are also very talented pilots in the United States air force. Both Rafe and Danny’s friendship started since their childhood days, growing up on a farm, and having the same dream of becoming pilots. Halfway through the show, Rafe volunteers to go to England and fight with the British Royal Air Force against the Nazis, while Danny remains in America, without combat.
Apart from being a war film, it is also a movie on the complicated romance between Rafe, Danny and Evelyn, a nurse Rafe met while going for his fitness test. Rafe fell for Evelyn when he saw her and tricked the young lady into coming for a date. When Danny got word of Rafe being shot in combat and presumed dead, he and Evelyn turned to each other for comfort and fell in love with each other. However, to Danny and Evelyn’s misfortune, Rafe survived. What happened after that? I am not telling, as it would spoil the suspense, so watch the movie to find out.
There are many interesting dog fights throughout the show which was what captivated my attention during the movie. The battle of Pearl Harbor itself caused me to sit on the couch with my eyes glued to the television and my mouth slightly ajar. The visuals are very beautiful and seemed almost real. Itis certainly one of the finest bombing scenes I have watched so far.
The thrilling and exciting show consists of many stunning military manoeuvrings and the attack on Pearl Harbor, and romance. However, I feel that the flaw in “Pearl Harbour” is that it showed too much on the love story and it should have filmed more the dog fights and training sessions the pilots of the United States air force undergo and how Rafe miraculously survived despite being in his plane when it got shot down by the Nazis. This film brings the world war and the men and women who lived through it or died fighting it, back to the people watching it, who may not recall much about or do not even know that such a battle was even fought before. I feel that this movie should be recommended to students our age as we are also studying the second world war history.
Book Review on "Call of the Wild"
Hello all,
I have read this book not along ago and I feel that it is worth sharing it with you guys. The book’s title is “Call of the Wild” by Jack London. The protagonist of the book is a dog named Buck and the book is written from the dog's point of view. In the point of view of a dog, we get to observe the lives of humans with all of their strengths and weaknesses.
Being a pampered and honoured pet of a judge, Buck who is a cross-breed between a St. Bernard and a Scotch Shepherd, is sold by an employee who is a gambling addict, to be taken to the Klondike to work as a sled dog.
When Buck is sent to his new environment, he is forced to endure and adapt to the brutal treatment, starvation in order to survive. His harsh and new environment is totally different from the luxurious one he had with his previous owner.
In the Klondike, the dogs are not treated like pets with feelings, and can endure any amount of cruelty. The deaths of these animals are seen only as an inconvenience to the mushers.
As Buck and other sled dogs suffer punishments from whips, clubs, and fangs for disobedience or out of total randomness, humans are frequently shown as thoughtless and cruel, not just to animals but to humans as well.
Buck does encounter one man who becomes his bonded owner. Buck is loyal to his owner in many circumstances right to the end. Through this relationship, the owner portrays that not all men of the Klondike were thoughtless and cruel. There were some ethical men, but many were not of admirable character.
As Buck thrives under the care of his new owner who treats him with kindness, he increasingly learns and explores his primitive instincts. He slowly transforms from a pampered rich man's pet to a tough and seasoned lead dog of the Klondike. Buck develops his ability to kill for food instead of being dependent of humans for nutrients. He is exposed to his wild cousins the wolves and increasingly become interested in interaction with them.
The Call of the Wild is an excellent book to read about the Klondike, but it is not an innocent children's book. It contains violence as well as examples of animal cruelty that while not glorified, may not appeal to all readers. When I first picked up the book, I thought that it was merely a normal dog story. Due to the violence included inside the book, I think that people around my age is most suitable to read the book because our minds are developed and we are able to think in a mature way. This book may also change your point of view towards these dogs, and if you are an owner of a dog and you are sick of it simply because it is too old, I hope that after this book, you may reconsider your actions. Thank you.
I have read this book not along ago and I feel that it is worth sharing it with you guys. The book’s title is “Call of the Wild” by Jack London. The protagonist of the book is a dog named Buck and the book is written from the dog's point of view. In the point of view of a dog, we get to observe the lives of humans with all of their strengths and weaknesses.
Being a pampered and honoured pet of a judge, Buck who is a cross-breed between a St. Bernard and a Scotch Shepherd, is sold by an employee who is a gambling addict, to be taken to the Klondike to work as a sled dog.
When Buck is sent to his new environment, he is forced to endure and adapt to the brutal treatment, starvation in order to survive. His harsh and new environment is totally different from the luxurious one he had with his previous owner.
In the Klondike, the dogs are not treated like pets with feelings, and can endure any amount of cruelty. The deaths of these animals are seen only as an inconvenience to the mushers.
As Buck and other sled dogs suffer punishments from whips, clubs, and fangs for disobedience or out of total randomness, humans are frequently shown as thoughtless and cruel, not just to animals but to humans as well.
Buck does encounter one man who becomes his bonded owner. Buck is loyal to his owner in many circumstances right to the end. Through this relationship, the owner portrays that not all men of the Klondike were thoughtless and cruel. There were some ethical men, but many were not of admirable character.
As Buck thrives under the care of his new owner who treats him with kindness, he increasingly learns and explores his primitive instincts. He slowly transforms from a pampered rich man's pet to a tough and seasoned lead dog of the Klondike. Buck develops his ability to kill for food instead of being dependent of humans for nutrients. He is exposed to his wild cousins the wolves and increasingly become interested in interaction with them.
The Call of the Wild is an excellent book to read about the Klondike, but it is not an innocent children's book. It contains violence as well as examples of animal cruelty that while not glorified, may not appeal to all readers. When I first picked up the book, I thought that it was merely a normal dog story. Due to the violence included inside the book, I think that people around my age is most suitable to read the book because our minds are developed and we are able to think in a mature way. This book may also change your point of view towards these dogs, and if you are an owner of a dog and you are sick of it simply because it is too old, I hope that after this book, you may reconsider your actions. Thank you.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Book Review on "Animal Farm" :D
I have recently finished reading "Animal Farm". I borrowed the book from my friend from Primary school as he had done literature on it in his secondary school. So, let me share what I feel and a few contents on the book.
Animal Farm, is a bit like the Russian Revolution. There was a meeting of the animals of Manor Farm after the owner, Mr. Jones, went to bed drunk. Old Major, a boar, had a dream of a farm governed by the animals, without Mr. Jones and other humans stealing work, where all the animals were free and equal and worked to support themselves instead of their masters. However, Old Major died before his vision is seen, but two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, shows his vision and convince the animals that it's possible. The next time Jones treats them cruelly, the animals rebelled, drove him and his wife off the farm, and took it over for themselves.
At first, the rebellion was an amazing success. The farm animals were giddy with joy and quickly changed how everything is done on the farm. Seven basic principles were drawn up:
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs or has wings is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.
The animals had to do their tasks efficiently and work more collectively, the harvest was the best they had ever seen, and everyone has more food and leisure. The only sign of the trouble to come is that the pigs don't seem to do much of the physical work. The reason for this was that the pigs were the best ones to do the organizing and directing. But slowly, the pigs take more and more control, and principles begin to change conveniently, times get worse, and Napoleon slowly comes into control.
What happens afterwards is a classic example of corruption. Snowball, while making plans to build a windmill, which would would further improve the conditions on the farm, was attacked and chased out of Animal Farm by Napoleon and a pack of ferocious dogs. What follows was that Squealer, who was the propaganda manager, changed the facts by lying to the animals that Snowball was in fact, a traitor, and it was Napoleon who exposed him and chased him out. Through deception and treachery, they turned the animals on Snowball and made them work like slaves, while the pigs and dogs enjoyed themselves. They tried to build the windmill, but it ended up being destroyed every time. It showed the slow change from pigs, to humans. The rules were also changed by the party in power, in this case, Napoleon. They were changed to:
1. Four legs good, two legs better.
2. No animal shall wear clothes.
3. No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.
4. No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.
5. No animal shall kill any other animal.
6. All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.
This story clearly depicts how some humans act in politics when they are in power. They will gain the trusts of the fellow citizens and when they achieved the highest position, they betray the citizens of the country. Forcing them to do things that would only benefit the corrupt leader. They will also go to certain extents by getting rid of people who oppose their rule. The unfortunate country with the corrupt leader would then slide downwards for example from a first world country to a third world country.
Read the book to find out what happened to the farm in the end. Thank you.
Animal Farm, is a bit like the Russian Revolution. There was a meeting of the animals of Manor Farm after the owner, Mr. Jones, went to bed drunk. Old Major, a boar, had a dream of a farm governed by the animals, without Mr. Jones and other humans stealing work, where all the animals were free and equal and worked to support themselves instead of their masters. However, Old Major died before his vision is seen, but two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, shows his vision and convince the animals that it's possible. The next time Jones treats them cruelly, the animals rebelled, drove him and his wife off the farm, and took it over for themselves.
At first, the rebellion was an amazing success. The farm animals were giddy with joy and quickly changed how everything is done on the farm. Seven basic principles were drawn up:
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs or has wings is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.
The animals had to do their tasks efficiently and work more collectively, the harvest was the best they had ever seen, and everyone has more food and leisure. The only sign of the trouble to come is that the pigs don't seem to do much of the physical work. The reason for this was that the pigs were the best ones to do the organizing and directing. But slowly, the pigs take more and more control, and principles begin to change conveniently, times get worse, and Napoleon slowly comes into control.
What happens afterwards is a classic example of corruption. Snowball, while making plans to build a windmill, which would would further improve the conditions on the farm, was attacked and chased out of Animal Farm by Napoleon and a pack of ferocious dogs. What follows was that Squealer, who was the propaganda manager, changed the facts by lying to the animals that Snowball was in fact, a traitor, and it was Napoleon who exposed him and chased him out. Through deception and treachery, they turned the animals on Snowball and made them work like slaves, while the pigs and dogs enjoyed themselves. They tried to build the windmill, but it ended up being destroyed every time. It showed the slow change from pigs, to humans. The rules were also changed by the party in power, in this case, Napoleon. They were changed to:
1. Four legs good, two legs better.
2. No animal shall wear clothes.
3. No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.
4. No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.
5. No animal shall kill any other animal.
6. All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.
This story clearly depicts how some humans act in politics when they are in power. They will gain the trusts of the fellow citizens and when they achieved the highest position, they betray the citizens of the country. Forcing them to do things that would only benefit the corrupt leader. They will also go to certain extents by getting rid of people who oppose their rule. The unfortunate country with the corrupt leader would then slide downwards for example from a first world country to a third world country.
Read the book to find out what happened to the farm in the end. Thank you.
Tolerance and Intolerance of Scout
At the beginning of the novel, Scout shows high amount of intolerance to people around her. She gets irritated easily and acts like a tom boy. There were a few instances when Scout tried using violence to solve problems or when she was provoked. Some of the more significant examples are when Scout tried to wrestle Walter when he got her in trouble. Scout also beat up Dill when he called Atticus a “runt” and also a “nigger-lover”.
However, subsequently as the story develops, and Scout grows older, she started showing levels of tolerance. One example was when Scout sympathized with Tom Robinson when it was very clear Tom was innocent but he was sentenced to death just because he had colored skin. Being coloured in America at that time was like being dropped down a standard below humans. Scout was also able to tolerate insults others throw at her and her father for defending the Negro. Scout, was able to tolerate and to make her stand known to others and reason out with them on why Tom Robinson is being wrongly treated. Towards the end of the novel, Scout also did not mind when she sat beside Boo Radley while the adults were talking about what happened when Scout and Jem were attacked by Ewell. Scout also agreed to send Boo Radley to the Radley porch.
Hence, my conclusion is that Scout tolerance grows as she gets older.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1il-VqYvnLxcbQkAHmZLaTTseSqE0_xjP_ThEliEAfo8/edit?hl=en#
However, subsequently as the story develops, and Scout grows older, she started showing levels of tolerance. One example was when Scout sympathized with Tom Robinson when it was very clear Tom was innocent but he was sentenced to death just because he had colored skin. Being coloured in America at that time was like being dropped down a standard below humans. Scout was also able to tolerate insults others throw at her and her father for defending the Negro. Scout, was able to tolerate and to make her stand known to others and reason out with them on why Tom Robinson is being wrongly treated. Towards the end of the novel, Scout also did not mind when she sat beside Boo Radley while the adults were talking about what happened when Scout and Jem were attacked by Ewell. Scout also agreed to send Boo Radley to the Radley porch.
Hence, my conclusion is that Scout tolerance grows as she gets older.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1il-VqYvnLxcbQkAHmZLaTTseSqE0_xjP_ThEliEAfo8/edit?hl=en#
Monday, February 21, 2011
Blog-Writing Prompt #13
"I'm afraid...."
Standing at the back of the a dark, wet and smelly ally, a gust of wind blew past, carrying the odour of human waste in liquid form. I had to reach my new house, or it should be called a cubicle. It was thanks to my father's "lucky gambling hands" that we downgraded from a condominium to this disgustingly small HDB flat. Then, I saw a shadow flashed past the wall in front of me. Then, as I walked closer, the smell of liquor swept into my nostrils. Someone was around. Then, the shadow suddenly appeared on the wall infront of me, I screamed, then I realised that I had seen my own reflection on the wall in the dimly lit alley. As I walked home briskly, I heard some pants behind me, but when I turned around and looked, I only saw the wet floor with beer bottle all over the place. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I quickened my pace and little. Then, the panting sounds came back, and this time, I heard heavy footsteps. I'm afraid....
Standing at the back of the a dark, wet and smelly ally, a gust of wind blew past, carrying the odour of human waste in liquid form. I had to reach my new house, or it should be called a cubicle. It was thanks to my father's "lucky gambling hands" that we downgraded from a condominium to this disgustingly small HDB flat. Then, I saw a shadow flashed past the wall in front of me. Then, as I walked closer, the smell of liquor swept into my nostrils. Someone was around. Then, the shadow suddenly appeared on the wall infront of me, I screamed, then I realised that I had seen my own reflection on the wall in the dimly lit alley. As I walked home briskly, I heard some pants behind me, but when I turned around and looked, I only saw the wet floor with beer bottle all over the place. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I quickened my pace and little. Then, the panting sounds came back, and this time, I heard heavy footsteps. I'm afraid....
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Blog-Writing Prompt #12
"I'm tired"
I'm tired today... as I only had four hours of sleep last night, thanks to the science test that I would be taking today. I had training yesterday which ended at Macritchie. The training consisted of a 3.2km run and a few sprints and long distance paddling in the water. Other than that, we also had weights training I reached my home in Tampines at around 9... After washing up and having my dinner, I am already overcame with fatigue. I decided that studying for the science test would only be productive when I am wide-awake. So I slept for 2 hours and woke up at three in the morning. My eye-lids were barely open, when I walked to make myself a cup of coffee. It was my fortune, that my father was willing to fetch me to school.
I'm tired today... as I only had four hours of sleep last night, thanks to the science test that I would be taking today. I had training yesterday which ended at Macritchie. The training consisted of a 3.2km run and a few sprints and long distance paddling in the water. Other than that, we also had weights training I reached my home in Tampines at around 9... After washing up and having my dinner, I am already overcame with fatigue. I decided that studying for the science test would only be productive when I am wide-awake. So I slept for 2 hours and woke up at three in the morning. My eye-lids were barely open, when I walked to make myself a cup of coffee. It was my fortune, that my father was willing to fetch me to school.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Blog-Writing Prompt #11
Use specific sensory details, describe accurately the neighbourhood where you live.
In my neighbourhood, specifically the place around where I live, has many gardens and parks. Directly below my block of flat, is a primary school, which was the school I studied at during my primary school. So, early in the morning, when I am not in Hwa Chong, I would get to hear the primary school students singing the national anthem and school song.
In my neighbourhood, specifically the place around where I live, has many gardens and parks. Directly below my block of flat, is a primary school, which was the school I studied at during my primary school. So, early in the morning, when I am not in Hwa Chong, I would get to hear the primary school students singing the national anthem and school song.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Blog-Writing Prompt #10
Write about a vivid childhood memory of an event that helped to influence the person you are today.
An event in primary school helped to influence the person I am today and is also an important reason to why I am studying in the school I am studying in today. Back in primary 2, when it is the "streaming" year, where we would be allocated to different classes, according to our academic abilities. During that year, I totally slacked off, and played computer games, watched cartoons, read comics and went cycling with my cousins almost everyday. I only stopped all these during the week before the semestral examinations. However, I did not fully utilise the whole week for revisions. My parents had to resort ot corporal punishments to keep from being restless, and usually it would take 2 days for me to settle down and start "basic" work, because I did not pay attention to teachers in lessons, neither did I do their homework.
The end of year results were devastating and I was being allocated to the last class in standard. So, in primary 3, the experiences in that class, led me to "waking up from my deep dream" and start serious work. Students in that class were all being looked down upon, by some teachers and most of the students. When the teachers were scolding someone fromt the best class, it would always include threats to being transferred into our class. There were even a few times, our form teacher was so angry that she scolded us, "You people are already so stupid. Why can't you people just stop being so restless. You people are going to have a hard time in Primary 6!"
I was furious about the teacher's remarks about us. I decided that I should prove her wrong. Whenever, a fellow school mate sees our class, they will also call it the "Idiot Class" such that the school principal had to address the school and threatened to punish whoever who gave our class names again. I worked hard for that year, and emerged top in standard, even over taking people from the best class. Since then, I have learnt my lesson, and stopped slacking around and screwing up my academic studies.
An event in primary school helped to influence the person I am today and is also an important reason to why I am studying in the school I am studying in today. Back in primary 2, when it is the "streaming" year, where we would be allocated to different classes, according to our academic abilities. During that year, I totally slacked off, and played computer games, watched cartoons, read comics and went cycling with my cousins almost everyday. I only stopped all these during the week before the semestral examinations. However, I did not fully utilise the whole week for revisions. My parents had to resort ot corporal punishments to keep from being restless, and usually it would take 2 days for me to settle down and start "basic" work, because I did not pay attention to teachers in lessons, neither did I do their homework.
The end of year results were devastating and I was being allocated to the last class in standard. So, in primary 3, the experiences in that class, led me to "waking up from my deep dream" and start serious work. Students in that class were all being looked down upon, by some teachers and most of the students. When the teachers were scolding someone fromt the best class, it would always include threats to being transferred into our class. There were even a few times, our form teacher was so angry that she scolded us, "You people are already so stupid. Why can't you people just stop being so restless. You people are going to have a hard time in Primary 6!"
I was furious about the teacher's remarks about us. I decided that I should prove her wrong. Whenever, a fellow school mate sees our class, they will also call it the "Idiot Class" such that the school principal had to address the school and threatened to punish whoever who gave our class names again. I worked hard for that year, and emerged top in standard, even over taking people from the best class. Since then, I have learnt my lesson, and stopped slacking around and screwing up my academic studies.
Friday, February 11, 2011
“Hello, may I speak to Ben please…… Eh, later four o’ clock want come my house downstairs play basketball? OK, I go check first then call you back”, I called my best friend since primary school to play basketball with me at the basketball court directly below my block of flats. As he was quite busy, he asked me to check if the basketball court was empty as he did not want to waste time waiting for others to clear the court before we start our own game. I walked to the window and peered down at the basketball court, it was relatively empty but, I had no choice but to call Ben and tell him that the basketball session would have to be cancelled.
I called Ben and told him what I saw and agreed with me that it is better to ‘play safe’ and stay at home and keep out of trouble. I went back to the window asked my mother to look at what was about to happen there. There were a few teenagers sitting at the basketball court, a lighted cigarette stuck in between their lips, wearing sunglasses and cap. They were all wearing long jeans, and had massive headphones plugged on. They looked as though they were waiting for someone else to join them before they go bowling, discoing etc. However they were all carrying big sling backs. My mother said that it was just another bunch of hooligans waiting for their friend before going off to play and she went back to her work.
A few moments after my mother left the window, the tallest guy among the rest stood up and shouted, “CHARGE!” in Hokkien. The rest of the teenagers threw their cigarettes onto the floor, chucked their headphones into their bags and shot off in the direction the tall guy ran at with black wires flying about behind them as they run. I saw two other guys of similar age running off. The group of boys which were at the basketball court was hot on their heels; some of the boys picked up stones from floor and threw it at the two guys who were running as though for their life. I thought this was simply a minor case of ‘bully’ and did not do anything. The adults present took no action and walked off briskly. The two guys managed to escape the gangsters which were originally at the basketball court.
Then, I heard shouts again. This time it was the gang who were at the basketball court running in the opposite direction. My mother was already at the window looking at the basketball court. What I saw gave me shock. There were two groups of youngsters now, except that the difference between the two was that one group was waving something long and shiny while the other was scrambling to safety, shifting their sling bags from their back to their chest. Taking a closer look, I saw that the teens were wielding “parangs”. They were creating a din. I looked around the neighbourhood at the surrounding blocks and saw almost every window in every block would show the resident of the apartment behind it, looking at the basketball court.
Taken aback, I thought of the murders the teenager was about to commit, but the others followed suit and drew the long knives out from their bags. I was thankful that I was not standing somewhere near the basketball court. Looking at the fight, one of the teenagers’ “parang” narrowly missed another’s arm. I broke out in cold sweat. My mother told me to move away from the window as she picked up the phones and pushed a certain button three times. If my mother did not tell me to move away, I would not have realized that I was trembling. Although I did not get to see what was going on, the expletives yelled and screamed by the gangsters still reached my ears and until, I heard something that would be very difficult for me to forget – a long drawn out scream.
I saw my mother, who was standing at the window; her hand flew to her mouth when we heard the scream. My only guess was that someone was down. The shouting stopped a few moments after the scream. By the time we heard the police siren it was too late, as the gangsters had fled the bloody area. The incident which happened made the headlines of the newspapers the following day. After reading the article, I had a deeper understanding of what happened – what I witnessed the day before was a gang fight.
I called Ben and told him what I saw and agreed with me that it is better to ‘play safe’ and stay at home and keep out of trouble. I went back to the window asked my mother to look at what was about to happen there. There were a few teenagers sitting at the basketball court, a lighted cigarette stuck in between their lips, wearing sunglasses and cap. They were all wearing long jeans, and had massive headphones plugged on. They looked as though they were waiting for someone else to join them before they go bowling, discoing etc. However they were all carrying big sling backs. My mother said that it was just another bunch of hooligans waiting for their friend before going off to play and she went back to her work.
A few moments after my mother left the window, the tallest guy among the rest stood up and shouted, “CHARGE!” in Hokkien. The rest of the teenagers threw their cigarettes onto the floor, chucked their headphones into their bags and shot off in the direction the tall guy ran at with black wires flying about behind them as they run. I saw two other guys of similar age running off. The group of boys which were at the basketball court was hot on their heels; some of the boys picked up stones from floor and threw it at the two guys who were running as though for their life. I thought this was simply a minor case of ‘bully’ and did not do anything. The adults present took no action and walked off briskly. The two guys managed to escape the gangsters which were originally at the basketball court.
Then, I heard shouts again. This time it was the gang who were at the basketball court running in the opposite direction. My mother was already at the window looking at the basketball court. What I saw gave me shock. There were two groups of youngsters now, except that the difference between the two was that one group was waving something long and shiny while the other was scrambling to safety, shifting their sling bags from their back to their chest. Taking a closer look, I saw that the teens were wielding “parangs”. They were creating a din. I looked around the neighbourhood at the surrounding blocks and saw almost every window in every block would show the resident of the apartment behind it, looking at the basketball court.
Taken aback, I thought of the murders the teenager was about to commit, but the others followed suit and drew the long knives out from their bags. I was thankful that I was not standing somewhere near the basketball court. Looking at the fight, one of the teenagers’ “parang” narrowly missed another’s arm. I broke out in cold sweat. My mother told me to move away from the window as she picked up the phones and pushed a certain button three times. If my mother did not tell me to move away, I would not have realized that I was trembling. Although I did not get to see what was going on, the expletives yelled and screamed by the gangsters still reached my ears and until, I heard something that would be very difficult for me to forget – a long drawn out scream.
I saw my mother, who was standing at the window; her hand flew to her mouth when we heard the scream. My only guess was that someone was down. The shouting stopped a few moments after the scream. By the time we heard the police siren it was too late, as the gangsters had fled the bloody area. The incident which happened made the headlines of the newspapers the following day. After reading the article, I had a deeper understanding of what happened – what I witnessed the day before was a gang fight.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Blog-Writing Prompt #9
Pick a scene from your favourite movie and describe the setting in detail.
Use specific sensory details to capture the mood and atmosphere of the scene.
My favourite scene is the battle scene of Helm's Deep in the movie Lord of The Rings - The Two Towers. I like the scene as it shows the battle between man and orcs. It was a total mess, as men and orc alike, fought each other, killing each other in different and fastest methods. Swords and barbaric weapons were being waved around as arrows soared into the sky and miraculously land on an orc. The protagonist of the show is filmed to be the best fighter as almost every stroke he makes with his sword, a limb would fall off the orc or you would see the blade of his sword appearing through the centre of the back of the orc. The sword would be then withdrawn again and brought down a second time, killing the invading beasts.
Use specific sensory details to capture the mood and atmosphere of the scene.
My favourite scene is the battle scene of Helm's Deep in the movie Lord of The Rings - The Two Towers. I like the scene as it shows the battle between man and orcs. It was a total mess, as men and orc alike, fought each other, killing each other in different and fastest methods. Swords and barbaric weapons were being waved around as arrows soared into the sky and miraculously land on an orc. The protagonist of the show is filmed to be the best fighter as almost every stroke he makes with his sword, a limb would fall off the orc or you would see the blade of his sword appearing through the centre of the back of the orc. The sword would be then withdrawn again and brought down a second time, killing the invading beasts.
Blog-Writing Prompt #8
In-Class 10 min Blog writing Prompt #8
Who is your favourite character in To Kill a Mockingbird, and why? What makes him or her appealing to you?
My favourite character in To Kill a Mockingbird is Arthur Radley, also known as Boo Radley to the children of the Maycomb County. I feel that Arthur Radley gives the kids in his neighbourhood a very scary impression, but he turned out to be a hero who saved the protagonist’s life. I feel that the write decribed him to be someone equivalent to be a murderer or worse, but at the end of the story, he turned out to be a kind-hearted man. He is also very pitiful as the children around does not share his sentiments and gives him nicknames instead.
Who is your favourite character in To Kill a Mockingbird, and why? What makes him or her appealing to you?
My favourite character in To Kill a Mockingbird is Arthur Radley, also known as Boo Radley to the children of the Maycomb County. I feel that Arthur Radley gives the kids in his neighbourhood a very scary impression, but he turned out to be a hero who saved the protagonist’s life. I feel that the write decribed him to be someone equivalent to be a murderer or worse, but at the end of the story, he turned out to be a kind-hearted man. He is also very pitiful as the children around does not share his sentiments and gives him nicknames instead.
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