A New Life

Value of money

2010-08-18T10:33:00.002+08:00

Would you bend down and pick up a 20-cent coin if you saw or dropped 1 on the ground? Probably not. In Singapore, everything has become so expensive that no one would waste their time in bending down and picking up a coin that would not buy them anything. Everyone has a busy life, and everyday is spent earning money.

However, a 20-cent coin is also earned with hard work. If we want a product in the shop that is worth $20, we would not be able to by it if we only had $19.80, even is the difference is only 20 cents. Thus, I think that it is quite wasteful if we drop or see money on the floor, and not pick it up. Even if it does not stand for much monetary value, it is still earned with hard work.

In places like India, 20 cents is nearly $7. In other words, 20 cents can actually buy you a meal, etc. When there is a disaster and people have nothing to eat, the 20 cents might be able to help a number of survivors of the natural disaster. Thus, we should not think that the 20 cents is insignificant.

Any comments?

Dickson

IS - Should it be used as criteria for continuing studies in HC?

2010-08-17T16:09:00.003+08:00

In Secondary 1, many of us did not take ACE very seriously, because we did not know the importance of it. After all, it affected 10% of our overall mark. Many of us started rushing out our ACE in term 2 and term 3. However, we were still able to do well in the end, as some of us did very well in the exams, and even if we had little ACE, were still able to get through to Secondary 2 in the end.

However, now in Secondary 2, we are needed to do ACE as compulsory work. Come on, isn't ACE supposed to be something that we do if we are interested in a particular subject and something that we do for the fun of learning? By doing this, the school is forcing the students to do ACE in order to pass their exams, which does not address the main point of ACE at all.

Now, we are not able to do the last-minute rushing of ACE, if we wanted to do well. This, to me, is quite unfair as we are no longer able to leave work to the last minute and still do well.

If you use me as a real-life example, I think that I might be going to the Q class, because I do not have enough ACE in term 2. Sigh...

Dickson

Grades - Are they a correct representation of a students intelligence?

2010-08-16T19:53:00.002+08:00

Well, there are many people in this world who just cannot do well in school, no matter how hard they try. These people may be smart in other areas, but they just are not able to show their intelligence in terms of their grades. I will state a few reasons why below :

1) Wrong way of studying

These people make up a huge percentage of the people who are smart but are not able to do well in school. These wrong ways of studying include listening to music while studying, watching television programmes while studying, etc. It is mainly these distractions that prevent these students from concentrating their efforts in absorbing the information in the textbook or notes.

2) Physically demanding CCAs

Some students participate in co-curricular activities that use up a lot of our energy. For example, swimming. Trainings for competitive sports like swimming usually take place very frequently and such swimming sessions can cause the student to not have the required energy to study. When they get home, they are just so exhausted that they might just lie down and sleep. This would cause them to not have the energy and time to study as their CCA is just too demanding. Hence, they would not have the time to prepare for their exams and their grades would suffer as a result.

There are still many other reasons, but I think that most students who are smart but cannot do well in school fall into the above two categories.

Any comments?

Dickson

YOG - Efforts of ordinary Singaporeans

2010-08-15T11:13:00.003+08:00

Yesterday was the opening ceremony of the YOG. In my opinion, it was all very well-organised and the organising team can be proud of their efforts, in ensuring that there were no major hiccups in the ceremony. If there was one hiccup, I would say that it was during the march in of the flag bearers of all the countries. Some of them were unsure of where exactly to go, and I was rather amused with some of them, who walked all the way to the front, or to the wrong side, etc. Other than this, I think that the ceremony went quite well. The weather also did not pose any problems and there was no rain during the time when the ceremony was held, which was lucky because there were a number of activities that could not have taken place if there had been rain. These activities included the lighting of the cauldron with the Olympic Flame, and it would have been a major spoilsport if the 27,000 spectators had to use umbrellas and ponchos to view the ceremony. ( Even after paying so much to go to the Marina Bay Floating Platform to watch the ceremony live. )

But, we should ask ourselves. What can we, as ordinary Singaporeans do, to help leave a good impression in the minds of these foreign young athletes? These athletes are mostly between the age of 15 and 17, and they make up the future of the sports world. If they have a bad impression of Singapore, this might pose a major problem in the future, because these athletes would not come back to visit Singapore in the future if they do not have a good impression of Singapore.

So, what can we do to help? Firstly, we can ask our parents, who drive, to give way to the coaches that bring the athletes to their destinations. I think, if we give way to them, they will think that we are gracious and they might want to come back again in the future. Secondly, we can do our part by not littering. I mean, how would you feel if you are an athlete and you go to some country that you have never went to before and you see litter everywhere? Would you want to come back again? Obviously no.

So, I think that by doing our part, we can all help to leave a good impression on these athletes. Even if what we are doing are quite insignificant, I think that we can do a lot if we all work together. You can leave a comment if you have any other ways of leaving a good impression on these athletes.

Dickson

Latchkey Kid VS Normal Kid

2010-07-05T20:19:00.004+08:00

Dear Readers,

I'm back here, after nearly 2 months, to revive my blog. Today, I would be commenting about the difference between the Latchkey Kid and the Normal Kid. According to the dictionary, the term "latchkey kid" refers to a child who returns from school to an empty home because his or her parent or parents are away at work, or a child who is often left at home with little or no parental supervision.

According to research, children who grew up being a latchkey kid might suffer from multiple negative effects. These effects include boredom, loneliness, being prone to peer pressure, etc. These children might also be easily swayed by their friends to commit acts that are morally or legally wrong. These children will be more prone to smoking and having alcoholic drinks even when they are underage. If the situation is serious, the child might also suffer from depression because they are lacking from love from their parents. On the other hand, being a latchkey kid might also cause the child to become more independent and to become more self-reliant.

Usually, parents leave their children to become latchkey kids because they are just too busy at work to stay at home to take care of their children. In this case, they are giving up the chance to oversee their children's emotional, physical and psychological growth just to earn more money. However, I will admit that parents attempt to earn more money to give their children a better environment to live and grow in.

Now, I will pose a question to you. Being a parent involves taking care of the child. Is satisfying the child's material needs really enough for the child? Are such parents fit to take up the sacred responsibility of being a "parent"? I will leave that for you to ponder on.

Dickson

Home Learning Task 1

2010-05-26T11:07:00.005+08:00

Task 1

Based on your understanding of the selected poem, perform extensive web research and write a report on your blog detailing the conflict represented in the poem(s) of your choice. Bear in mind that this piece of background information will allow your blog audience to further understand the poem as well as your analysis of the poem in Task 2. Be sure to include your references and credit your sources.

Rainbow Death

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colours 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!

In this post, I would be writing a report about a poem entitled “Rainbow death. The poem is about the types of gas used in chemical warfare. In the first stanza, the phrase “green, pink, purple and other colours death potpourri” tell us that there are many different types of gas that can be used to kill. In the second stanza, the last three lines tell us a bit about the notorious gas known as Agent Orange.

We know that millions of veterans are dealing with the after effects of Agent Orange, called such because of the Orange band painted around the barrels. During the war, the Military colour coded their ordnance: yellow meant explosive, red meant chemical, blue meant inert (training rounds), black was armour piercing. Those colours might be modified into other categories.

Thus, I think that the poet wrote this poem to tell us about the negative effects of chemical warfare and how its effects last even after the war. He is also trying to discourage the use of chemicals in war as it harms the civilians.

Below is the author's thoughts of his poem.

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.

Hubert Wilson.

Any comments?

Dickson

( References: http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow,

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_were_the_effects_of_the_chemicals_in_the_vietnam_war)

Home Learning Task 1

2010-05-26T11:07:00.001+08:00

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.[1]

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.” To read more in Wikipedia go tohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

This poem may remind us that wars aren’t over when the wars are over.

DR March 2010

Author’s comments follow the poem.

Rainbow Death

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

Hubert Wilson

Rumors persist of still another more toxic color coded herbicide at the end of this deadly rainbow!

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.

Hubert Wilson.

Diary Entry

2010-03-09T16:15:00.002+08:00

In this post, I would be writing a diary entry for Jean Louise " Scout " Finch.

9/3/2010

Dear Diary,

I am writing this post at midnight. Atticus is sleeping soundly at the sofa, with the newspaper on his lap, and I just cannot fall asleep at all. I am really affected by Ms Dubose's comments of Atticus being a nigger-lover. Although I don't like Negroes, but Atticus is my father. Should I stand on his side, and defend Tom Robinson, whom I do not know? Should I risk being ostracized by the entire white Maycomb society, or should I stand up for a Negro who is framed and is unable to defend himself against a biased judge? Sigh, diary, how I wish that you could become alive and give me some advice. Atticus always tells us to stand up for those who are bullied, but should I? I don't really want to be licked by others just because of a Negro whom I do not know very well... Hmm, thinking really makes me sleepy. Goodnight, diary.

Scout

MI Profile.

2010-03-01T15:42:00.004+08:00

I am an intrapersonal person. It means that I know myself the most.And the task I am going to do is to tell you who I want to be friends with in the novel " To Kill A Mockingbird" most. I would like to be friends with Arthur "Boo" Radley.

This is because Boo's personality is not well-explained in the novel and I would like to find out about his personality first-hand and see if he is friendly, caring, etc.

Although I am intrapersonal, I also like to work in groups and I think that I work well with others better because we can share the work when I feel lazy. I think thats why my interpersonal account is also quite high. I also like to participate in sports and to sweat it out and I think that explains my high kinestatic account.

Revival.

2010-02-23T20:18:00.002+08:00

I am back to revive my blog today. I will be commenting on the behaviour of teenagers on public transport.

Today, while on the bus home, I heard this teenager aged 16-18 speaking loudly on the phone. He was hurling vulgarities at the receiver and earning himself snide looks from others, which he seemed to ignore. This made me think, why are the teenagers these days so indifferent of their own image in front of others? This particular teen that I am speaking about here, said that," Aiya, he also don't want to study liao. Normal Tech leh, study for what? Might as well come out to work like me?"

This made me think of another point. Do people who did badly for their PSLE have a future in the competitive society of Singapore? Is it true that people who do not do well in their academics cannot survive in the society of Singapore where talents are aplenty?

Actually, this is not true. People like Sim Wong Hoo can also make a fortune without a good academic record. This shows that as long as we have the determination and creativity, we can still make it in life. Another issue is the vulgarities that are soon becoming something usual for the young. I think that the reason why people show indifference to their public image is because they think that uttering vulgarities is cool and manly. They think that saying vulgarities makes them more daring.

Any comments?

Dickson

Poet

2009-06-30T10:42:00.003+08:00

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but severe homesickness led her to return home after one year. Throughout her life, she seldom left her house and visitors were scarce. The people with whom she did come in contact, however, had an enormous impact on her thoughts and poetry. She was particularly stirred by the Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she met on a trip to Philadelphia. He left for the West Coast shortly after a visit to her home in 1860, and some critics believe his departure gave rise to the heartsick flow of verse from Dickinson in the years that followed. While it is certain that he was an important figure in her life, it is not certain that this was in the capacity of romantic love—she called him "my closest earthly friend." Other possibilities for the unrequited love in Dickinson’s poems include Otis P. Lord, a Massachusetts Supreme Court Judge, and Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican.

By the 1860s, Dickinson lived in almost total physical isolation from the outside world, but actively maintained many correspondences and read widely. She spent a great deal of this time with her family. Her father, Edward Dickinson, was actively involved in state and national politics, serving in Congress for one term. Her brother Austin attended law school and became an attorney, but lived next door once he married Susan Gilbert (one of the speculated—albeit less persuasively—unrequited loves of Emily). Dickinson’s younger sister Lavinia also lived at home for her entire life in similar isolation. Lavinia and Austin were not only family, but intellectual companions during Dickinson’s lifetime.

She admired the poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, as well as John Keats. Though she was dissuaded from reading the verse of her contemporary Walt Whitman by rumor of its disgracefulness, the two poets are now connected by the distinguished place they hold as the founders of a uniquely American poetic voice. While Dickinson was extremely prolific as a poet and regularly enclosed poems in letters to friends, she was not publicly recognized during her lifetime. The first volume of her work was published posthumously in 1890 and the last in 1955. She died in Amherst in 1886.

Dickinson's poetry reflects her loneliness and the speakers of her poems generally live in a state of want, but her poems are also marked by the intimate recollection of inspirational moments which are decidedly life-giving and suggest the possibility of happiness. Her work was heavily influenced by the Metaphysical poets of seventeenth-century England, as well as her reading of the Book of Revelation and her upbringing in a Puritan New England town which encouraged a Calvinist, orthodox, and conservative approach to Christianity. Here are some of her poems, taken from Poets.org:

I cannot live without you

I cannot live with You –
It would be Life –
And Life is over there –
Behind the Shelf

The Sexton keeps the Key to –
Putting up
Our Life – His Porcelain –
Like a Cup –

Discarded of the Housewife –
Quaint – or Broke –
A newer Sevres pleases –
Old Ones crack –

I could not die – with You –
For One must wait
To shut the Other's Gaze down –
You – could not –

And I – could I stand by
And see You – freeze –
Without my Right of Frost –
Death's privilege?

Nor could I rise – with You –
Because Your Face
Would put out Jesus' –
That New Grace

Glow plain – and foreign
On my homesick Eye –
Except that You than He
Shone closer by –

They'd judge Us – How –
For You – served Heaven – You know,
Or sought to –
I could not –

Because You saturated Sight –
And I had no more Eyes
For sordid excellence
As Paradise

And were You lost, I would be –
Though My Name
Rang loudest
On the Heavenly fame –

And were You – saved –
And I – condemned to be
Where You were not –
That self – were Hell to Me –

So We must meet apart –
You there – I – here –
With just the Door ajar
That Oceans are – and Prayer –
And that White Sustenance –
Despair –

Fame is a fickle food

Fame is a fickle food
Upon a shifting plate
Whose table once a
Guest but not
The second time is set.

Whose crumbs the crows inspect
And with ironic caw
Flap past it to the Farmer's Corn –
Men eat of it and die.

Come slowly-Eden

Come slowly—Eden
Lips unused to Thee—
Bashful—sip thy Jessamines
As the fainting Bee—

Reaching late his flower,
Round her chamber hums—
Counts his nectars—
Enters—and is lost in Balms.

Poem

2009-06-29T08:34:00.002+08:00

There is another sky by Emily Dickinson

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields -
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

Question 1 :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?
Answer 1 :Figurative language is used sparingly in this poem. There is no
symbolism in this poem. However, there is a lot of usage of
similes. Here are some examples:
1)There is another sky ; There is another sunshine
2)Faded forests ;little forest
3)Silent Fields ; brigher garden
The writer used similes because he wanted to show similarities between
two objects. After that, the writer can better describe the objects in
poem. There is only one hyperbole in the poem. It is Prithee. The writer
used such a word as she did not want to use a similar, but common, word
like "Welcome". There is also a rather wide use of personification.
Words like "serene","fair" and "silent" are words used commonly to
describe humans but in the poem, these words are used to describe the
sky and the fields. I think that the writer used personification because
she wanted to give life to the non-living objects.There is one use of a
metaphor. It is "Though it be". I think that the writer used this to
two completely different things in sunshine and darkness.

Question 2 : Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

Answer 2 : I like this poem because it contains many descriptive vocabulary words.
With wide use of similes and personification, the writer can better
describe the objects involved. The poem also made me learn a new word :
Prithee, which means 'welcome' in old english. The poem also tells us
about the garden the writer describes in very descriptive words. The
poem also has a lot of meaning where the writer uses words that is not
commonly used on that object. That is the main reason why I chose this
poem.Another reason I like this poem is because the writer has a
similar name to me. I picked this poem on the website because of this
factor.

Any comments?

Signing off,
Dickson

Blog Prompt #5

2009-06-24T16:32:00.002+08:00

Blog Prompt #5: Who is your favourite/least favourite character in VBTS? State your reasons.

After reading the novel "Village by the Sea", I found that my favourite and least favourite character is the same. Both are Hari.

I like him as he has a never-say-die personality. Even with an alcoholic father and a sick mother, he never gave up and kept working to create his perfect family. He even went over to Bombay to earn money to put bread on the table. He took on this responsibility which was supposed to be taken by his parents. Yet he did it with no complaints whatsoever.

His ability to plan his time is also admirable. In a period of a few months in Bombay, he managed to work for Jagu in Sri Krishna Eating House and learn how to repair watches from Mr Panwallah. He learnt a new art while earning money for his family.

Hari is also my least favourite character as he made us infer a lot of his thoughts in Language Arts classes, making classes rather boring…

Haiz,
Dickson

Blog prompt #4

2009-06-11T10:27:00.003+08:00

Blog Prompt : Which part of Village by the Sea do you like most? State your reasons.

I like the part when Hari's parents shrugged off their dehumanized state best. After plenty of hard work from Lila, Bela and Kamal, the formerly shattered family bond slowly regained its shape. When Hari's father kicked his alcoholic habit and went to the hospital to take care of his wife, the shape of a harmonious family started to show. Finally, when Hari came back from Bombay with lots of money, the entire family started to show the shape of a real family.

Finally, when Hari's mother recovered form her sickness and came back home, the family displayed vibes of happiness as they prepared for Diwali together. When Hari's mother went for the festival to pray for the village, the family became a happy one again.

This story, although a little fairytale-like, is a very good example of families in India. Drunkard fathers, sick mothers and children who are too young to put bread on the table but are forced to for survival. However, it is uncommon that the family will come together again. So, I like the part where the family comes together again the best.

Any comments?

Signing off,
Dickson

Flirting in public : Right or Wrong?

2009-06-09T22:19:00.003+08:00

I went over to Suntec City last Sunday for the book fair. I bought a couple of science assesment books and a book entitled ' English as it is broken #2 ' As I had the first series, I wanted to read the second book in the series. I also went to the Home Team Exhibition. It gave me alot of knowledge about how the Army and Police cooperate to deal with criminals and smugglers. When I was heading back home, I saw a couple huddling together and kissing like nobody's business. I thought that they were a disgrace. Yes, I know that it was their right to display their love for each another. But there was no need to do it in public! Moreover, Suntec City is a place frequented by foreigners. What happens if they spoil the image of Singaporeans? Didn't they think of the dire consequences if they did that? Maybe some foreign investor was passing by and saw this couple. He or she might chance their minds and invest in another country. We will lose money this way. I know I am being a little too far-fetched but this is a possibility! We must put our country and people's monetary interest as of utmost importance, don't you think? If they really want to flirt, they can do it at home, right?

Any comments?

Signing off,
Dickson

Blog Prompt #3

2009-06-05T09:46:00.004+08:00

Blog Prompt #2 : I rather be the city rat than the country rat. Comment.

I don't really agree with the quote " I rather be the city rat than the country rat ". I would rather be a " country rat " if I had a choice. What's so good about the city? We live in stress everyday and don't really get to enjoy the technology in the city. Yes, I know that there is more convinience in the city, but this also causes us to be lazy. In my opinion, the remote control is a very good example. Imagine that we only have to walk a few steps to turn on the television and we have to use the remote control! People in the city are getting more and more lazy, and this is something we must work on and not add on to it.

I will now list the advantages of being a " country rat ". Firstly, in the country, the life is much more relaxed. Things move in a slower pace and we won't feel as stressed as living in the city. Secondly, there is not much pollution in the country, so people won't get ill so easily. We breathe in clean, cool air when we breathe in, not some dirty, polluted air.

Above is my analysis of the quote " I rather be the city rat than the country rat ". Any comments?

Signing off,
Dickson

Blog Prompt #2

2009-05-30T21:28:00.003+08:00

Blog Prompt : The book that made an impact in my parent's lives.

I interviewed my mother in this "survey". Here are the following questions and answers. Questions will be in red and answers will be in green.

1) Do you read books?
Yes. Reading books is my hobby.
2) What kinds of books do you enjoy reading?
I like to read books that give me some knowledge,instead of novels, which do not give me
anything but entertainment.
3) What is the title of the book you are reading? Why are you reading it?
I am currently reading a book entitled 《 Obey 》 ( ISBN 957-29660-7-3 ). I am reading it
because it teaches me how to communicate and interact with my subordinates.
4) Do you think it is more important to read for leisure or for work?
Leisure. As an adult, I am very busy with work. Thus, I treasure the time I have for reading.
Reading for leisure can help me relieve stress and help me relax.
5) Which book has the greatest impact on you? Why?
The book 《 Romance of the Three Kingdoms 》 has cast the greatest impact on me as it
teaches me how I should fight for what I what and not to skulk in a corner and wait for things
to happen. I also like it as it is a great historical novel.

Above is the interview. Any comments?

Signing off,
Dickson

Blog Prompt #1

2009-03-06T09:36:00.005+08:00

Blog Prompt #1 : Readers for life

I am currently reading a book called Odd Hours by Dean Koontz. It is very interesting as it has alot of twists and turns.It also offers a lot of good vocabulary for us to learn. Up till now, my word bank is already containing about 70 words from that book. The book contains 30 chapters and is quite a long book. I plan on finishing the book during the March holidays.

I had been reading the Harry Potter series writtene by J.K Rowling for the whole of my primary school life. The series contains 7 books and I always look forward to the next book. The books are usually more then 500 words.

I want to read the series of of unfortunate events written by Lemony Snicket. Some of my friends in Primary School say that the book is very interesting as the book talks about how the main characters in the book suffer the unfortunate events.

Signing off,
Dickson

17th February 2009

2009-02-17T21:36:00.003+08:00

Today, I am going to talk about the recent hot topic. The current Global Recession. I think that the entire world is going through the recession because of the declaring of bankruptcy of the old bank, Lehman Brothers which was founded in 1850. It's closure caused many people to lose money buying the shares and trusts of this particular bank. Many lost their whole fortune as they invested all of their money into these shares and trusts. Many Singaporeans lost their money as a result of this. This global recession has many different effects on different people from different parts of the world. For instance, the government of Iceland had lost so much money that it almost declared bankruptcy and took money from the IMF. It also caused Singapore to use its reserves for the first time since its independence in 1965. I think, the moral of this is not to be too greedy. Some lost their whole fortune as a result of being greedy.

Signing off,
Dickson

29th January 2009

2009-01-29T21:39:00.001+08:00

Today, I would like to post about the overscheduled lifestyle of the children of Asia.I feel that the reason causing children of Asia have a busier day then adults is that the parents do not want their children to lose out to others. Other than that, they do not want to lose their their " face " when they compare their children's grades. Thus, they tend to send their children to endless enrichment classes besides school. For example , a typical Asian child could have piano lessons, ballet lessons, English enrichment , the list is endless. Therefore, I think that parents should not push their children too hard, as that will cause them to have a stress-filled day. In my opinion, our childhood is short. We should not waste it and should enjoy that period of time to the best of our ability. Even when we reach the age when we need to study hard, if we can manage our time well, we can still enjoy our " pre - adulthood ".

Signing off,
Dickson

16th January 2009

2009-01-16T10:14:00.000+08:00

Hi to all, this is my new blog. I will be posting all about my school in this blog, no more in my old blog. Today, we discussed if economic development will always have the upper hand over environmental conservation. The discussion was quite interesting, it lasted about an hour.In the end, we agreed on the co-existence of both. The later part of today, was quite boring. Nothing much more happened during the curriculum that was after recess, and I got kicked out of the basketball trials after 45 minutes. After that, I slacked at the library. At 5.45pm, the parent symposium started. Nothing constructive was asked. There was some parent and teacher interaction, and some refreshments. After that, some parents asked some question about school life. After that, at 9.30pm, my parents and I went for a very late dinner. Well, that's about all for today.

Signing off,
Dickson