Love or Money

I personally believe that there must be an equal balance of both in order for a relationship to survive and prosper over the years. It is true that without money, financial difficulties will bound to arise, but without true love there is no point in the marriage at all, because the love shown may only be one sided or both parties fell nothing for each other. You cannot like or go after a girl just cause she is rich, one must see beyond the appearance of someone, consider her qualities and personality, when you are around her, are you truly happy? Going after a girl because she is rich, is more like a love for money instead, which is similar to Merchant of Venice: Bassanio's initial purpose in wooing Portia. Quoted from the play' In Belmont is a lady richly left, And she is fair and, fairer than that world, Of wondrous virtues." This is clearly evident that Bassanio puts money as his first priority, Portia's beauty second and her qualities third, therefore proving the point whereby he is actually wooing Portia for the money initially. We must not learn the ways of Bassanio in the beginning of the play, truly loving one another means being through thick an thin, happiness and despair together, only then will a marriage be considered to be blissful. Money is certainly never the criteria that i would look for in a girl, going after a girl that i like means that i like her for who she is and not whether she is rich or not. Using money to threaten one to be in a relationship is not the right way, in this case the love is only one sided as mentioned earlier. We as humans must never value money over love for true love is what keeps a marriage steady and going. I do agree that over time, there have been an upward trend of relationships and marriages that put money over love. It is vey saddening to say that true love may very well be soon rid of it's existence. A relationship that only values money over love is not real, then there are other cases as to couples lose interest in each other but stay on just cause of the money. People are becoming too mercenary, they do not even care about love at all. They only thing that matters to them is living a luxurious life till their deaths and love is nothing but a mere word to them. Life without love is seriously pointless.

Evolution of war

In my point of view, war has certainly taken a huge leap and evolved as time passes. The reasons and the way of fighting war differs as of those in the present from the past. For example, the wars in the chinese kingdoms in the past. Those wars were fought using swords and spears, requiring physical combat between both parties. At that time, machinery was yet to be invented. Even english countries at that time used swords to battle. When guns and bombs were invented, the way of war was fought changed drastically. People started using guns and bombs to fight a war. This actually caused more destruction than in the past. Nuclear bombs were also used and these could affect many people for their lives in terms of health and possibly even mutation when in contact with radiation. Besides the obvious change of usage of weapons, there was also change in why war was fought. In the past, war is usually fought for power and resources. Now times have changed. People do not fight a war to get power or resources. Now wars are fought based on suspicion. For example, USA attacked Iraq just based on suspicion that they had weapons of mass destruction within their artillery. War nowadays use more advanced weapons and the motive of fighting wars has also changed.

Reflection on the "Soldier"

The soldier is a poem that presents war in a new different perspective. Commonly, war poems are about the emotional trauma, devastating bloodshed and aftereffects that one has felt and witnessed after the war has ended.

Reflections:

from my contextual knowledge, national service is compulsory for Singaporeans men that are 18 year old, able-bodied. Singapore is a small country with limited human resources. It would be difficult for us to maintain a professional army as it is costly and with the high standards or living, most men would rather choose not to do so. However, possessing an army is essential as defence should be a priority which may result to Singapore being vulnerable without one and thus prone to invasions or assaults by other countries if that ever happens.

War changes people's views and one might turn into a hero or a coward depending on the nature of one. The mentally strong would be able to go through war and fight for a purpose, e.g. protecting their country. I would like to perceive me as being patriotic. Our country has given us a home to live in, an environment to grow in, free from all types of natural disaster thus we should be able to give back to our country. Even though Singapore is small and vulnerable ( a little red dot on the globe), we must give it our all to protect our home, enduring all hardships and defending till our deaths. I would like to think that if i ever die, i would not die in regret. Living a life of regret is both torturous mentally and emotionally. I am willing to give my life for the country that has nurtured, educated and taught me the moral values of what it means to be human for i will never be able to repay the kindness she has given to me.

Throne of fire (book review)

Following the rise of chaos, Carter and Sadie decide to stick to their plan of reviving Ra the Sun God by finding and chanting the three sections of the Book of Ra. They choose to isolate themselves from their friends and trainees of Brooklyn House. They have already successfully stolen one of the scrolls by infiltrating the Brooklyn Museum. The second is unknown while the other is claimed to be with Russian assassin Vlad Menshikov who is targeting Brooklyn House. Before setting off Sadie decides to enjoy her birthday in London...

It turns out Sadie had walked into a trap made by Nekhbet the Vulture Goddess and Babi the Baboon God who are hosting Sadie's grandparents. Sadie is pursued throughout London and is given a divine knife by Anubis, a useful tool to resurrect Ra. Sadie is saved by Bes, the Dwarf God, and afterwards is joined by Carter as the three plunge into St Petersburg, Russia.

There Carter and Sadie break into the Third Nome to collect Vlad's scroll. They overhear Vlad collaborating with Set. When Vlad discovers them, he summons demons to destroy them, and the siblings are forced to release Set so he can defend them. While trying to escape Carter is stung by a two headed serpent. Set offers the location of Zia Rashid and the last scroll to Sadie in exchange his secret name. Sadie agrees and heals Carter by using his secret name. Carter vows to rescue Zia along with Bes while Sadie searches along with their trainee Walt Stone for the final scroll.

Carter and Bes finds Zia at Red Sands and find out that she had been buried with the Pharoah's crook and flail. They are suddenly attacked by Desjardins and Vlad, and are forced to use the sacred artifacts to fight. Meanwhile Sadie finds out that Walt is dying from an ancient family curse brought on by priests of Amun-Ra. They are attacked by golden Roman mummies but are saved by the God of Creation Ptah. With the scroll in hand Sadie and Walt depart for Cairo along with Carter, Bes and Zia. In a ba dream Carter finds that Brooklyn house is under siege from the House of Life. Walt and Zia leave to Brooklyn to help while Carter, Sadie and Bes descend into the Duat to find Ra.

They come across gods and lakes of fire but Bes finds a woman from his past in a nursery home: Tarawert the Hippo Goddess. With her help they track down Ra and awaken him. Unfortunately, they find they have already lost and Menshikov had closed the gates to the prison of Apophis and is now loosening the giant snake's bonds. The trio, along with Ra, come across Carter and Sadie's parents and gamble with the Moon God for a few extra hours for them to catch up to Vlad. Bes gives up his ren for the two to succeed. Carter and Sadie come face to face with Vlad who is now hosting Apophis. Desjardins arrives and banishes Apophis for at least a few weeks or even months to give the Kanes a little more time, yet dies doing so. Carter and Sadie arrive at Brooklyn House to end the battle.

Bes ends up at the nursery home with amnesia. Amos becomes Chief Lector and tries leading the magicians into a new age of embracing the gods. Sadie vows to cure Bes and Walt. Ra once again becomes the leader of the Gods. Zia and Walt are going to make a huge difference in the upcoming war. And Sadie must choose who she loves more: Walt or Anubis?

I am number 4 (book review)

I Am Number Four follows the story of John Smith, a 15-year old alien from the planet Lorien, together with his guardian, Henri, as they run away from the Mogadorians, another race of aliens that are hunting down John and the eight other teenage Loriens, who all make up the Garde, living on Earth, the only chance for Lorien's future possible survival. The Garde consists of all Loriens who have special Legacies and powers. The teenagers are protected by a charm, which only allows them to be killed in a numerical order, if not the Mogaadorians will have the way of death backfired to them instead. John is Number Four.

The book opens with the death of Number Three. Number Four is introduced, going by the name of Daniel Jones, as he leaves Florida. Four has three circular scars wrapped around his right ankle, symbolizing the deaths of Numbers One, Two, and Three, which means number Four is next in line of the mogadorian's chase to assassinate. The scars are present on all the Lorien teenagers, and with each death, another scar appears. Henri, Four's Cêpan (guardian), tells him they are going to Paradise, Ohio. Four is given the name John Smith as his new identity.

Sick and tired of running, John says that he wants to begin to make a life for himself. Henri reminds him why they run, and the conversation ends. John begins to attend the local high school, where he meets Sarah Hart, a blonde junior. He also meets her ex-boyfriend Mark James, who immediately begins to pick on John. John stands up to him, the first time he has ever stood up to anybody.

In his astronomy class, John's hands begin to hurt and glow. When John is back at his house, he realizes that his first Legacy has arrived. A Legacy is a power that only certain Loriens possess, and each differs from one Lorien to the other, except for telekinesis, which all members of the Garde are capable of performing. Henri tells John that his first Legacy is Lumen, the ability to produce light from his hands and a resistance to heat and fire similar to that of his grandfather's. When Henri begins to help, the resistance of fire and heat spread throughout John's body, John has a vision of his last moments on Lorien when the Mogadorians attacked, while Henri narrates.

Henri and John have a special Lorien chest that can only be opened by John and Henri together. The only way that John can open the chest without Henri is if he dies. Henri shows John a model of the galaxies, where he can see how Lorien looked before the Mogadorians destroyed it and how it looks now, desolate and barren. The chest also has a healing stone that heals all wounds inflicted on the body, but in order to heal the wound, the injured person must endure pain twice as intense as the first time and the wound must have come from the intent to hurt or kill a Lorien. The healing stone must also be used soon after the wound is inflicted. A third item in the chest is small pebble-like rocks(Lorien salt) that John and Henri put under their tongue to reduce pain. But that immediately diminishes if a Lorien uses one of their legacies.

After his first Legacy arrives, John begins to train in combat. John can eventually turn his lights on and off by will. John also makes his first real friend, Sam Goode, who believes in aliens. He also grows closer to Sarah. At a town Halloween party, John, Sarah, Sam, and Sarah's friend, Emily, are ambushed by Mark and his football teammates. John, who is enraged by Mark's constant bullying and the fact that he has kidnapped Sarah, finds, confronts, and defeats him. Sam sees John's lights and begins to avoid him.

John confronts Sam, and Sam turns a gun on him, asking who he really is, but John convinces him that he isn't an alien. At a Thanksgiving dinner, John is worried when Henri doesn't turn up at the Hart's place after going in search of the publishers of Sam's alien conspiracy magazine. John calls Sam for help, and the two go to Athens, Ohio, where they find Henri. John's telekinesis Legacy appears, and he uses it to save both Henri and Sam. Sam is told the truth about both John and Henri after seeing John use his telekinesis, and accepts them for who they are. John's training begins to intensify, by being set on fire and using his telekinesis.

At a party at Mark's house, a fire starts, trapping Sarah on the second floor. John rushes in and saves her, revealing who and what he really is to her in the process. She still confesses her love for him though, and John says he loves her, too. He then proceeds to tells her everything about himself. At school the next day, John fears that he will have to leave, as people had seen him jump out of the window and reported it. However, the paper has no reference to John, but a fax sent to the school saying "Are you Number Four?" causes John to flee the school in panic through a window. When he arrives home, he sees Mark, who has realized what John is. He also has an argument with Henri about why he did what he did, saying he wanted a normal life. He returns to the school to find Sarah after realizing the Mogadorians are on their way to kill him.

John finds her, but is found by a Mogadorian scout, one of several who have closed in on the school. John kills it, and while trying to flee the school is found by Henri and Mark. The four are found by a girl around John's age, and John's dog, Bernie Kosar. The girl says that she is Number Six. John realizes that with Six with him, the charm protecting them from being killed out of order has now broken. Six replies that the war has begun, with Henri agreeing. As the five companions find a way out of the school, John tells Mark and Sarah to go back and hide, as it isn't their fight. They leave, and John confronts his first soldier, whom he kills.

John is wounded severely and is rescued by Henri and Sam, who realized what was happening and came to help. John discovers his third Legacy, the ability to communicate with animals, and convinces one of the Mogadorians' beasts to turn on its masters. Henri is hit by an energy blast from a soldier and dies in John's arms. Before he passes away, he says, "Coming here, to Paradise, it wasn't by chance."

After waking up in a hotel room, John tells Sarah he has to leave. Sarah accepts this and tells him she will wait for him. John replies in a similar fashion, saying his heart will always belong to her. Afterward, Henri's body is cremated. Sam agrees to go with John and Six as they prepare to leave in search of the other four Loriens. The novel ends with John telling Sarah he will come back to her as he leaves.

Descriptive piece

The picture depicts the scene of disease stricken children and they are clearly the victims of the Cambodian war. They are experiencing starvation and a clear symptom would be that the hunger level is so severe that the children are so skinny to the core, being able to see their ribs and most of their bones. I can infer that the children lust for food, but are unable to get any, as supplies are restraint and minimum. They have apparently contracted some sort of disease that is commonly found among many war victims. The children all seem petite and puny, however their stomachs are bloated to the extent where the naval has been pushed out proving the fact that the aftereffects of war are so grievous. Not to mention, they have hardly any clothes on them except that little piece of cloth covering the private part. There is another child that whose head has enlarged, probably because of contracting various diseases due to lack of food and malnutrition. As a result, I can infer that the atmosphere is very miserable and the children who are supposed to be the future leaders of the nation are in a very pitiful plight. The photographer is trying to relay the message that war is because of political and sometimes racial tension between two countries. The ultimate victims are the citizens of the two countries and in turn suffer because of the war that is ongoing. In conclusion, war must be put to an end in order for there to peace and stability throughout the world as war is unnecessary and results in a lot of destruction.

Image attached at the side.

Perfect Breakfast Sandwhich

This is the recipe to a deluxe 3 in 1 finger licking good sandwich.

The ingredients are: 2 slices of honey baked ham, 3 pieces of bacon, 1 sausage, 3 pieces of cheese , one fried egg and also 3 pieces of white bread.

Step 1: Toast 2 pieces of bread.

Step 2: Fried the bacon so that it will be nice and crispy. Then place the bacon on the first toasted piece of bread.

Step 3: Crack the egg, beat it up and fry the egg till it is golden-yellow. ( You can at a little salt into the egg, so that it will have more taste ) Following that place the egg on top of the bacon. After that, place the second toasted piece of bread on top.

Step 4: Put the sausage in the oven and set it to 2 min. When its done, slice the sausage into pieces.

Step 5: Place 1 piece of ham onto the non-toasted piece of bread, followed by the cheese and then the final piece of ham. Put it into the oven and set it to toast for about 2 min . This will cause the cheese to melt.

Step 6: Now, you put the sliced up sausages onto the just toasted ham and cheese bread.

Final step: Combine everything together and you have completed the deluxe 3 in 1 finger licking good sandwich.

See all it takes is just 7 simple steps, even the busiest person will now get to enjoy one heck of a delicious and nutritious sandwich. All thanks to my brilliant recipe.

Letter to Japan

Hwa Chong Institution

661 Bukit Timah Road

Singapore 789095

Dear Nick Jones ,
I am Kenneth Tan and I am a student of Hwa Chong Institution. Recently, I have been reading the papers and watching the news about the events that happen in Japan. I empathize with the state Japan is in; you must remain strong and be resilient. You should count your blessings and be grateful that you and your family are still alive.
I am shocked as such a powerful and great country, like Japan has met with a crisis. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit the northeastern coast of Japan have caused devastating results, such as many people being stranded, homeless and the Fukushima Power Plant has been partially destroyed. The human population of Japan faces the threat of exposure to radiation resulting in health problems like death by cancer due to the nuclear reactors facing meltdown.
After reading your story, I pity the citizens of Japan and I am glad to know that I am fortunate to be staying in a country where no natural disasters happen because we are shielded by many other countries. We pray for the Japanese and we are generously donating so that Japan will be able to tide over this difficult period. There are many international organizations, for example, the Red Cross, rendering their help. Hwa Chong Institution has also been actively participating in the collection of funds so that we are able to play our part and contribute to helping Japan.
The death toll in Japan is now over ten thousand and many are still missing. I am able to understand how you feel for my good friend, Jerome was in Japan when the natural disaster happened, the entire class is worried and hopes that he returns safe and sound. I do hope that you will write more about the situation Japan is currently in as we will never be able to experience the state of pandemonium and despair the people of Japan are in now.
Be strong, you will definitely be able to pull through and recover from this natural disaster.

Regards,
Kenneth Tan

Final Draft- water polo match of my life

Hi guys, this is the final draft of the 1000 word story that I am supposed to write about and it is pretty similar to the previous first draft. Just some grammatical changes and cutting out some parts from the story where the teacher felt it was unnecessary and too long. Yah so on overall, this story is one of my masterpieces and hope you enjoy reading it.

I was on my way to water polo Singapore National Team training when a wave of nostalgia swept past me, the very moment I drove past Hwa Chong Institution. I recalled the swimming pool within the prestigious institution was once my very training ground while I was a student. Without hesitation, I made a detour down to the Co-Curricular Activities Board (CCAB), which was a stone’s throw away from the institution. In a jiffy, I arrived at my destination. The scene was reminiscent for the swimming pool in CCAB was the location where the A-Division National Finals was held. A flashback of the past instantaneously appeared in my mind and replayed the events on the day of the A-Division National Finals.

On the day of the A-Division National Finals, the entire team had a surge of confidence rushing through us and we were one hundred percent sure that we would thrash our opponents, ACJC and emerge as the victors. We anticipated that history would repeat itself and we would be announced as the champions for we have done so during the C-Division and B-Division National Finals. After a period of time, the match was to commence in several minutes. Nicholas, the team captain and I exchanged glances and we nodded knowingly with confidence in our eyes. With the fighting spirit that was within us, egged the drive to win the championships. The whistle went “BEEH” and the match was in session. Being the ace of my team, I propelled myself forward with long powerful strokes, with my eyes riveted on the ball at all times. In the first three quarters of the finals, I was full of energy and had scored all of my five shots with dead accuracy and immense power. The goalkeeper tried to save my shots, but his efforts were futile. However, we were caught off guard when the team from ACJC retaliated, they fought back and the score was all tied up in a short span of time. The score was neck to neck, one moment we were leading, the next they had turned the tables on us. Both teams had to push beyond their limits in order to known as the winners. At the end of the third quarter, the score was seven – six; we were only ahead of ACJC just by one goal.

This was a crucial moment, the last quarter would determine the final result of the match, whether we would win or lose. The coach gave us a pep talk and pointed out weaknesses and flaws in our gameplay. He even told us to incorporate some of the techniques that were bound to help us escape from our defenders and get ahead of them. The pep talk gave us new energy and boosted our self-confidence. During the start of the last quarter, ACJC unleashed their “secret weapon”, that water polo player was approximately one hundred and eighty six centimeters tall. He was substantially larger than all of us, and I instantly knew that he had the ability to overpower us effortlessly. Indeed, he was the powerhouse of the ACJC water polo team. In less than a minute that the last quarter started, he banged against us and that blow felt like a massive weight had crashed onto our chest. He immediately penetrated our fortress of defense and scored the equalizer. That equalizer was what infuriated me, incurred my wrath. Enraged, I played rough and attempted to score a goal in order to gain the upper hand in the match. There was just one problem, I let my anger loose and it got the better of me. I could no longer remain calm, the only thought that was revolving around my mind was that no matter under what circumstances, I had to score that goal at all cost.

The clock was ticking and there was only a minute left before it was the end of official match play, it was indeed an insane rush against time. Now we were facing two incredibly strong opponents, ACJC and time. In the last five seconds of match, the powerhouse player from ACJC droved in and charged towards goal, scoring the winning goal. That was it, the defeat of the Hwa Chong Junior College water polo team. I could not face up to reality. Being the champions for two nationals in row, this was unacceptable. The word “defeat” had never existed in my dictionary before. I stood rooted to the same spot for a few minutes, my mouth agape with obvious disbelief. I was traumatized and rendered speechless for the fact that we were the first runner-ups instead of the champions. At that juncture, the floodgates burst and rivers of tears streamed down my flushed cheeks.

Luckily, Nicholas, the captain of the team was there. He gave me encouragement and told me that losing is not the end of the world. There would always be another competition sometime in the future. Then, I plucked up my courage and decided to face the truth and accept defeat. It was impossible to reverse time and return back to two hours ago and get a second chance at winning the A-Division National Finals.

Although this incident happened some years back and now that I am a Singapore National Team player, I get to represent the nation in worldwide competitions such as the Olympics and the Sea Games. I have learnt that sometimes one must accept the fact of losing in order to improve and further hone his or her skills and technique. As the saying goes “ life is not always a bed of roses”, one is bound to face obstacles along the pathway of life. Therefore, one must never ever harbor the thought of giving up. As long as you possess that kind of mindset and attitude, you would be able to take all difficulties head on, overcome all odds and definitely be able to succeed in whatever you do.

Setting to story

Hi all, I am supposed to post up an image and describe the setting as of what is seen in the picture and the viewers of the blog will have to try and guess what my story is going to be like judging based on the image and the short description of the setting of 5-10 lines. So good luck to all and happy guessing.

Here's the setting:

It was a gloomy Saturday night. The mysterious owl seemed to be in cahoots with the ominous moon. Suddenly, the grandfather clock at the basement struck twelve. The chilling breeze sent shivers down Mr Tan's spine as he was about to check out of Hotel 88. Hotel 88 was the finest and most luxurious hotel in the whole of Athens. It was a hotel that provided world-class service that satisfied any person's demands and request. Out of the blue, there was a power outage. The lights were back on . At that juncture, the rich tycoon, Mr Tan was unconscious and lying on the floor with a bullet shot right through his brain.

The water polo match of my life - first draft

Now this is the story that was requested by my teacher and I believe this story has to be one of the masterpieces among all the stories and essays that I have written so far. Hope you will enjoy it and please input all good and pleasant comments in the cbox. Thanks a lot and help is much appreciated.

I was on my way to water polo Singapore National Team training when a wave of nostalgia swept past me, the very moment I drove past Hwa Chong Institution. I recalled the swimming pool within the prestigious institution was once my very training ground while I was in secondary school and junior college. Without hesitation, I made a detour down to the Co-Curricular Activities Board (CCAB), which was a stone’s throw away from the institution. In a jiffy, I arrived at my destination. The scene was reminiscent for the swimming pool in CCAB was the location where the A-Division National Finals was held. A flashback of the past instantaneously appeared in my mind and my mind transformed into a movie projector, re-enacting the day of the A-Division National Finals.

On the day of the A-Division National Finals, the entire team had a surge of confidence rushing through us and were one hundred percent sure that we would trash our opponents, ACJC and emerge as victors. We anticipated that history would repeat itself and we would be claimed as the champions for we have done so during the C-Division and B-Division National Finals. After a period of time, the match was about to commence in several minutes. Nicholas, the team captain and I exchanged glances and we nodded knowingly with confidence in our eyes and the fighting spirit that was within us, the drive to win the championships. The whistle went “BEEH” and the match was in session. Being the ace of my team, I propelled myself forward with long powerful strokes, with my eyes riveted on the ball at all times. In the first three quarters of the finals, I was full of energy and had scored all of my five shots with dead accuracy and immense power. The goalkeeper tried to save my shots, but his efforts were futile. However, we were caught off guard when the team from ACJC retaliated, they fought back and the score was tied up in a short span of time. The score was neck to neck, one moment we were leading, the next they had turn the tables on us. Both teams had to push beyond their limits in order to known as the winners. At the end of the third quarter, the score was seven – six, we were only ahead of ACJC just by one goal.

Now, this was a crucial moment, the last quarter would determine the end result of the match, whether we win or lose. The coach gave us a pep talk and pointed out our weakness and the flaws in our gameplay. He even told us to incorporate some of the techniques that would bound to help us escape from our defenders and get ahead of him. The pep talk gave us new energy and boosted our self-confidence. During the start of the last quarter, ACJC unleashed their “secret weapon”, that water polo player was approximately one hundred and eighty six centimeters tall. He was substantially larger than all of us, and I instantly knew that he had the ability to overpower us effortlessly. Indeed, he was the powerhouse of the ACJC water polo team. In less than a minute that the last quarter started, he banged against us and that blow felt like a massive weight had crashed onto our chest. He then immediately penetrated our fortress of defense and scored the equalizer. That equalizer was what infuriated me, incurred my wrath. Enraged, I played seriously rough and attempted to score a goal in order to tie up the score. There was just one problem, I let my anger let loose and get the better of me. I could not remain calm, the thought that was revolving around my mind was that no matter what circumstances, I must score the goal.

The clock was ticking and there was only a minute left before it was the end of the match, it was indeed an insane rush against time. Now we were facing two incredibly strong opponents, ACJC and time. In the last five seconds of match, the powerhouse player from ACJC droved in and charged towards goal, scoring the winning goal. That was it, the defeat of the Hwa Chong Junior College water polo team. I could not face up to reality. Being the champions for two nationals in row, this was unacceptable. The word “defeat” had never existed in my dictionary before. I stood rooted to the same spot for a few minutes, my mouth agape with obvious disbelief. I was traumatized and rendered speechless for the fact that we were the first runner-ups instead of the champions. At that juncture, the floodgates burst and rivers of tears streamed down my flushed cheeks.

Luckily, Nicholas, the captain of the team was there. He gave me encouragement and that losing is not the end of the world. There will always be another competition sometime in the future. Then, I plucked up my courage and decided to face the truth and accept defeat. It is impossible to reverse time and return back to two hours ago and get a second chance at winning the A-Division National Finals.

Although this incident happened some years back, furthermore now that I am a Singapore National Team player and I get to represent the nation in worldwide competitions such as the Olympics and the Sea Games. I have learnt that some times one must accept the fact of losing in order to improve his skills and technique. As the saying goes “ life is not always a bed of roses”, one is bound to face obstacles along the pathway of life. Therefore, one must never even harbor the thought of giving up. As long as you have that kind of mindset, you will be able to overcome all odds and you would be able to succeed in whatever you do.

What It means to be Singaporean

This is the first draft of my essay entitled "What It means to be Singaporean". However I wrote the essay wrongly and the teacher actually requested for a story. However, I thought that this essay is worth taking some time and reading it. As it clearly shows the nature of Singaporeans. So, I hope you will enjoy it and agree regarding my point of view about what it means to be a true Singaporean.

A wave of nostalgia swept past me the very moment the airplane touched down on to Singapore. The feeling of being back in Singapore, brought back fond memories and reminded me of the good old times that I experienced while I was living here. Finally, I have returned to my home country. There is nothing better than being back in your homeland. I still recall that Singapore of the past was all but just a fishing village. But who would have known that in a span of time, a mere 46 years after gaining independence that Singapore has completely transformed. Now this island is a modern and industrialized location that has survived and proven to be able to thrive when face with difficult circumstances. It feels great to be able to live in the beautiful metropolis where everything is peaceful, no war and no natural disasters and that is exactly what Singapore is today.

The minute I got out of the airport, I instantly flagged for a taxi. In a jiffy, I reached the Ang Mo Kio hawker centre. I smiled, relishing the thought of the delectable food and the smell was so strong that I could scent it from a mile away. That made my tummy rumble and I quickened my steps anticipating the scrumptious Singaporean breakfast that I had been waiting for so long. At the hawker centre, I was spoilt for choice, there was chicken rice, fried noodles, carrot cake and many other excellent food. The hawker centre is indeed a utopia for classic, delicious food. After considering for some time, I decided to go with a plate of fishball noodles and a glass of sugarcane. In less than ten minutes, the entire bowl had been wiped clean and I was slurping on the last drops of sugarcane juice. The pleasant tasting food made my day and immediately lifted my spirits.

As the wet market is just a stone’s throw away from the hawker centre, I came to a decision whereby I would make a detour down to see the current condition of the wet market. At the juncture I arrived at my destination, the wet market was just as I remembered, the place was thronged with hordes of people purchasing their groceries, the stall vendors were amplifying their vices to attract customer to their stalls. “ Come now, one kilogram fish selling at only ten dollars, a must buy, you will find no better deal anywhere else.” At that moment, my eyes scanned the surroundings and instantaneously my eyes riveted at the common scene commonly found in a wet market. “Aiyah, uncle, why you sell these vegetables so expensive, cheaper by one dollar lah, don’t like that leh. Oh yah, can throw in some free chilies also, thank you ah uncle.” Ah, the sight of an auntie negotiating over the price of vegetables and being thick-skinned and asking for freebies , Singaporeans are just so calculative.

However, during the auntie’s conversation with the stall vendor, it triggered something, a quality that every Singaporean possesses. “Arh, lor, eh, lah, aiyoh.” The Singlish has no disappeared after what seemed like an eternity. It is obvious that the government’s “Speak Good English Campaign” has not been very successful. Due to the fact that Singapore is a multi-racial society. Naturally the presence of other races and their languages, especially various varieties of Malay, Chinese and dialects have immensely influenced the course of nature. In this case, causing a great impact towards the English of Singapore. The influence is peculiarly apparent in the kind of English that is used informally, which is popularly called Singlish by the locals, was born. Singlish is addictive, just like drugs. Once you get hooked on to speaking the language of Singlish, it will take a great amount of willpower and control in order to eradicate the habit. This is just the typical language used in Singapore. Furthermore, Singlish is more commonly used than Queen’s english. To many individuals living in Singapore, Singlish is a part of our very being. It is just like a badge of identity for us, a part of our soul.

Simultaneously, there was a pair of middle-aged aunties having a discussion about what their son’s future would be like. They were oblivious to they fact that I was eavesdropping on to their exchange of words. They said something about sending their child to the most prestigious school in Singapore and give them the best tuition, no matter the cost as long as their child is able to gain precious knowledge. This is another quality that Singaporeans own and it is inside their blood, flowing through their entire being. This quality is known as being “Kiasu” meaning Singaporeans are overaggressive in the bid to "win" to get what you want. To put it descriptively, you have an impulsive desire to get what you want even at the expense of doing silly things. Kiasuism has its good side and bad side. The positive side is that if you are Kiasu, it means you are serious and intended on getting something and willing to overcome all diificulties in order of getting it. The negative part is that it brings out the ugly side of human nature, Kiasuism can easily turned into selfishness and anti social behaviors.

In Singapore, there is finger-licking good food almost in every corner of the nation, the locals have the aspects of being Kiasu, speaking Singlish and some are calculative. Not to mention, some would go to extremes just for some freebies. In actual fact, these are the very attributes that make us stand out among the crowd, makes us unique as an individual and what is means to be a Singaporean lor.

Research on the holocaust

Discrimination against Jews - is it racial or religious?

For much of history, Jews have been the target of prejudice and hatred, which has resulted in Jewish discrimination, persecution, and expulsion from various lands. Persecution of the jews was the most terrible when the nazi's stepped in. The nazi's were very merciless towards the jews, and as hilter was discriminating jews, which is a religion. Hence, it is religious discrimination and not racial discrimination.

What are concentration camps?

Concentration camps were camps that the Jewish, Gypsie, or other people were forced to go to. Concentration camps in Amsterdam is the placed where enemies of the Nazis are starved, enslaved, tortured ,forced to do hard labour and killed . Adolf Htiler and the German Nazi Soldiers did not like those kind of people so they decided to put them in camps, called Concentration camps. They put them in these camps mostly based on their looks, appearance and their religion.

What is a 'genocide' or 'holocaust?

The term "genocide" did not exist before 1944. It is a very specific term, referring to violent crimes committed against groups with the intent to destroy the existence of the group. It comprises of two parts - 'geno-', which means tribe or race, and '-cide', which means killing or extermination.

The word 'holocaust' comes from the ancient Greek word for 'sacrifice by fire'. In the 19th century it was used to refer to mass slaughter, especially by fire. The mass killing of Jews by Nazis was referred to as 'this holocaust'.

What is Mein Kampf ?

Mein Kampf (English: My Struggle) is a book written by Nazi politician Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926. The book was edited by the former Hieronymite friar Bernhard Stempfle who later perished during the Night of the Long Knives. Hitler began the dictation of the book while imprisoned for what he considered to be "political crimes" after his failed Putsch in Munich in November 1923. Though Hitler received many visitors earlier on, he soon devoted himself entirely to the book. As he continued, Hitler realized that it would have to be a two-volume work, with the first volume scheduled for release in early 1925. The prison governor of Landsberg noted at the time that "he [Hitler] hopes the book will run into many editions, thus enabling him to fulfill his financial obligations and to defray the expenses incurred at the time of his trial."

Answers to Setting

Q1) The first story was set at at the stairwell in the evening. The second story was set in Watson's house in the morning. The third story was set in the neighborhood of a town.

Q2)The first story was set in the modern day. The second story was set in 1883, early April in the morning. The third story was set in the early 19th century England.

Q3) The setting of the first story tells us that the story was going to be moody and sad. The setting of the second story tells us that the story was going to be suspicious and mysterious. The setting of the third story gives everyone a very amiable feeling and and gives us warm and loving effect.

Q4) The setting of to kill a mockingbird is set in Maycomb county the town where the Finchs’ live. Maycomb, some twenty miles east of Finch’s Landing, was the county seat of Maycomb County。 The story states that Mr. Finch works in the area. Maycomb is repeated many times in the story and there is a vivid description of it “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer’s day”. Maycomb is also a white town as there are description of the Finch’s neighbours. “It was customary for every circle hostess to invite her neighbors in for refreshments, be they Baptists or Presbyterians, which accounted for the presence of Miss Rachel (sober as a judge), Miss Maudie and Miss Stephanie Crawford.” It describes the fine ladies in town and how they live their lives in Maycomb County.

Q4 answer taken from: http://thenotnamed.blogspot.com/

Telephone Conversation-Wole Soyinka

Q1. This poem is full of colours not just that of skin, what do you think these colours signify?

The poem is about a telephone conversation between the poetic persona wanting to rent an apartment from an English Landlady and she completely alters her attitude towards him after he reveals himself to be a black African. In my view, I perceive that the colours signify racism between blacks by whites. The whites having the thinking in which they are superior and the blacks are of low status and a rank below them. The landlady was then reluctant to rent the flat to the narrator. This is clearly visible from the landlady being "Silence" with "Silenced transmission of pressurized good-breeding". She also ask whether he was light or very dark. Throughout the whole poem, the words "dark" and "light" were repeated and this clearly shows that the man was being discriminated by the landlady just because he is a black. The metaphor "plain or milk chocolate"was also used to give the landlady a rough idea of the shade of skin colour the narrator has. The poet was trying to show a clear distinction between the narrator and the landlady to tell readers the very existence of racism in America. The colours also shows that the narrator was a black and that he was not pleased by being discriminated . This can be seen from the incident where the narrator kept explaining that he was not really that black. "Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see the rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet are a peroxide blonde." tells us that the narrator was trying to explain to the landlady that he was not entirely black.

The colour red in the story is used to represent the fury of the narrator. "Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered omnibus squelching tar" tells us that the narrator was getting really angry with the landlady as she refused to rent the flat to the narrator and she kept asking whether he was dark or light. The narrator was left with no choice but to reveal his skin colour in the end. At that point he was already very angry with the landlady for looking down on blacks. As red means anger, the poet's repetitive usage of red expresses the narrator's anger. Although it is hidden with seemingly polite language, a glimpse of the speaker's anger appears in the quick pauses in between the conversation.

The colour gold signify the elegance of the landlady. "long gold-rolled cigarette-holder pipped" tells us that the poet depicts the landlady to be a respectable person as gold signifies wealth and elegance and beauty. The poet is trying add a sense of irony to the poem by describing the landlady as a respectable lady even though she was racist against blacks. The poet associated gold with other descriptions like "good-breeding," and "lipstick coated" voice to describe her wealth and elegance but these words in which are used to describe her wealth are neutral in regard to her personal character, but allow that she could be a good person.

In conclusion, the poet used colours like red, black and gold to describe the narrator and the landlady. Black was used to describe the racism in the poem and red to describe the narrator's anger while gold to describe the landlady's wealth and elegance, telling the readers she might be a good person even though she was racist towards blacks.

Q2) What does the dialogue in this poem reveal about these two characters?

This poem is strong evidence that there is discrimination between blacks and white. The landlady in the poem was described as a polite and nice person but when she realised the narrator was a black, she was becoming reluctant and continuously questioned the narrator whether he was very dark and this shattered her good image to the readers.

Their dialouge revealed their skin colour. The poet revealed he was an African right at the start of the poem and it tells the readers that he was a black. The landlady paused in the telephone conversation when she knew he was a black and this would create suspicion that she was not a black but of a different skin colour."Silence. Silenced transmission of pressurized good breeding.". After the pause she asked how dark the narrator was and this further creates a visual image to the readers that the landlady was not a black. The narrator and the landlady was talked about skin colour instead about the rental of the apartment throughout the entire poem. "ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT" was repeated throughout the whole poem and it clearly proven that the landlady was a white and she was shallowly being racist towards the narrator.

Their dialouge revealed their characteristics. The landlady was described as a polite, well-bred woman although she was shown shallowly being racist. The landlady was actually not very cruel towards the narrator in their dialouge, she was just asking about his skin colour. She did not use any horrible words to describe the narrator. Her repetitive usage of dark and light tells us so and she was attempting not to harm the narrator's feelings. Whilst, the narrator was genuinely apologetic for his skin color, even though he need not be sorry for something which he was born with and has no control over at all. He was trying to explain to the landlady about his skin colour throughout the poem. "Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see the rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused —Foolishly madam — by sitting down, has turned my bottom raven black — One moment madam!" — sensing her receiver rearing on the thunderclap. About my ears — "Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?" tells us so. In this poem, I can see that the narrator was an intelligent person by his usage of high diction and quick wit, not the savage that the landlady assumed he was because of his skin color. All of these discrepancies between what appeared to be and what really was created a sense of verbal irony that helped the poem display the ridiculousness of racism.

In conclusion, their dialouge revealed their skin colour and characteristics. The landlady was a white and the narrator was a black. The landlady was actually a nice landlady and did not meant to be racist. Maybe at that time whites were not supposed to rent flats to blacks. The narrator was shown to be an intelligent person.

Q3) This poem exaggerates a duel between the two where the narrator was trying to rent a flat and the landlady was reluctant because of his skin colour.

He makes the situation complex by saying the difference in colours of the different parts of his body and most important of all, he stated the colour of his bottom which is seriously disgustful.

In his words, sarcasm is oozing out. He is using his wits which the landlady lacks to perplex her. She is a failure as she is unable to grasp the hidden meaning behind it and the sarcasm when he stated the colour of his bottom and she did not understand the hallucianation. The man uses deception on the woman when he said "wouldn't you rather see it for yourself" where "it" refers to the man's bottom. This is insulting as he is asking the woman to look at his black bottom which accordingly, is due to friction. The man succeeds in being sarcastic and played around with the feeling and making fun of the woman that has a pea brain

In conclusion, the man wins because he leads the ignorant woman into a trap which he set to trick the woman. Her discrimination against blacks actually leads her to being mocked and trick so the black man was the ultimate victor.

Bus boycott and Scottsboro trials

a. State the specifics of each trial and why they were significant.

Rosa Parks- Parks was ordered to enter at the back of the bus and as she was heading to the back of the bus, the bus driver drove off without her. She never wanted to to board a bus driven by James Blake after then but on December 1 1955, she was sitting in the front-most row for black people but was later asked by the bus driver to move back to create a row for the whites, only to realize that the bus driver is James Blake but she refused to move despite the fact that bus drivers are given the authority to assign seats. She was prosecuted and fined but she appealed and her arrest triggered a series of events. She was known as one of the pioneers of civil rights movement.

Claudette Colvin- She was fifteen years old when she refused to give in her seat to a white man but later was found that she was pregnant.

Scottsboro trials- On Mrach 25, 1931, a freight train was stopped in Paint Rock, a tiny community in Northern Alabama, and nine young African American men who had been riding the rails were arrested. As two white women - one underage - descended from the freight cars, they accused the men of raping them on the train. Within a month the first man was found guilty and sentenced to death. There followed a series sensational trials, condemning the other men solely on the testimony of the older woman, a known prostitute, who was attempting to avoid prosecution under the Mann Act, prohibiting taking a minor across state for lines for immoral purposes, like prostitution.

b. How is the Scottsboro trial related to the trial in the novel?

Both trials are related as they involved white females accusing innocent black men of raping. In TKAM, Mayella Ewell accused Tom Robinson of attempted rape when she herself seduced Tom while in the Scottsboro trials, the prostitutes accused the blacks of rape because she wanted to escape prosecution for immoral acts.

c. In what ways are these trials similar?

The trials are similar in the time they took place which is in the 1930s and they both took place in Alabama. The trial began with the charge of rape made by white women against African American men and the poor white status of the accusers was a critical issue. Both have a central figure in which a central figure of the Scottsboro trials was a heroic judge, a member of Alabama Bar who overturned a guilty jury verdict against African American men while in TKAM, the central figure is Atticus, lawyer, legislator and member of the Alabama Bar, who defends an African American man. Both judges went against public sentiments in trying to protect the rights of the African American defendants. Both jury ignored evidence that was evident that the African American men were innocent. Both also include the attitudes of the Southern women and poor whites that complicated the trials.

Harper Lee

a. About Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, to Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Harper Lee grew up in the small southwestern Alabama town of Monroeville. Her father, a former newspaper editor and proprietor, was a lawyer who also served on the state legislature (1926-38). As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader, and she enjoyed the friendship of her schoolmate and neighbor, the young Truman Capote, who provided the basis of the character of Dill in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

b. Biodata
Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville Alabama.

--- Lee was the youngest of four children born to Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. 

--- She attended Huntingdon College 1944-45, studied law at the University of Alabama 1945-49, and studied one year at Oxford University. 

--- In the 1950s she worked as a reservation clerk with Eastern Air Lines and BOAC in New York City. 

--- In 1957 Lee submitted the manuscript of her novel to the J. B. Lippincott Company. 

--- After being instructed to rewrite it, Lee worked on it for two and a half more years

--- In 1960 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Lee's only book, was published. 

--- In 1961 she had two articles published: "Love --- In Other Words" in Vogue, and "Christmas To Me" in McCalls. 

--- In June of 1966, Harper Lee was one of two persons named by President Johnson to the National Council of Arts.

c. Novels written by her
"To Kill a Mockingbird." (1960)
"Christmas to Me". (December 1961)
"When Children Discover America". (August 1965). "Cold Blood" (1966) Capote and lee collaborated "The Long Goodbye" (mid-1980s)

d. Awards received
Pulitzer Prize (1961)
Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (1961)
Alabama Library Association Award (1961)
Bestsellers Paperback of the Year Award (1962)
Member, National Council on the Arts (1966)
Best Novel of the Century, Library Journal (1999)
Alabama Humanities Award (2002)
ATTY Award, Spector Gadon & Rosen Foundation (2005)
Los Angeles Public Library Literary Award (2005)
Honorary degree, University of Notre Dame (2006)
American Academy of Arts and Letters (2007)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2007)

e. Why was To Kill A Mockingbird a significant novel to her?
To Kill a Mockingbird was written and published amidst the most significant and conflict-ridden social change in the South since the Civil War and Reconstruction. Inevitably, despite its mid-1930s setting, the story told from the perspective of the 1950s voices the conflicts, tensions, and fears induced by this transition.

Trails of a true Southern Belle and Southern Gentlemen

a. What were the rules of etiquette for the southern gentlemen and ladies?
Mannerisms to be carefully avoided by all
Manners appropriate for all
• Whispering or pointing in company.
• Omitting to pay proper attention to company when entering or exiting a room.
• Giving attention to only one person when more are present.
• Contradicting parents, friends or strangers.
• Laughing loudly.
• Making noise with hands or feet.
• Swinging arms or making awkward gestures in company or in the street.
• Actions that have the most remote tendency to indelicacy.
• Leaning on the shoulder, or chair of another person.
• Throwing things rather than handing them.
• Crowding or bumping elbows.
• Contempt in looks, words or actions.
• Lolling on a chair.
• Looking earnestly in the face without any apparent cause.
• Surliness of any kind (distortion of countenance, and mimicry
• Ridicule of every kind.
• A constant smile or settled frown.
• Lending a borrowed book.
• Dressing in a bright and loud manner that attracts attention.
• Reading when there is company.
• Reading when others are talking.
• Reading aloud without being asked.
• Laughing at the mistakes of others.
• Speaking or acting in anger.
• To neglect little things if they can affect the comfort of others.
Manners appropriate for all
• To govern yourself and be gentle and patient.
• To remember that as valuable as the gift of speech it, silence is often more valuable.
• To speak with a gentle tone of voice.
• Learning to deny yourself and prefer others.
• Giving applause liberally to others, but only by the clapping of hands and never the stamping or kicking of feet.
• To rise to ones feet out of respect for an older person or dignitary.

b. What do the southern ladies do during their free time. (Hobbies)

They baked cakes.

c. Pictures of a Southern gentlemen and southern lady.

d.Identify characters in the novel that fit the mould of true southern belles and gentlemen and those who don't. Explain why they fit the mould and why they don't.

Gentleman- Atticus- He has all the etiquettes above and he is also very helpful.

Belle- Miss Maudie- She is very kind and bakes cakes, then, she gives the cakes to her neighbours.
Answers for question b,c and d taken from: http://thenotnamed.blogspot.com/

Civil War Rights Movement

a. When did the civil war movements right begin?
The Civil Rights movement began on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks (1913– ), a black seamstress, refused to cooperate with a segregation law. As she boarded a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama, she took a seat in the designated "black" rows in the back. When the bus filled up she was asked to move so that a white man could have her spot. She refused to give the man her seat and was then arrested. This event sparked what would become a national movement of resistance to racial segregation (separation of black people from white people) and discrimination.

b. What was the civil rights movement about?
The African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights in Southern states. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1954 and 1968, particularly in the South. By 1966, the emergence of the Black Power Movement, which lasted roughly from 1966 to 1975, enlarged the aims of the Civil Rights Movement to include racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency, and freedom from oppression by white Americans.

c. State some of the significant incidents that took place during the civil war rights movement?
Over 25 race riots occur in the summer of 1919 with 38 killed in Chicago. 70 blacks, including 10 veterans, are lynched in the South. 5000 federal troops are sent by Pres. Kennedy to allow Meredith to register for classes. Riots result in 2 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

d. Which American president supported the civil rights movement?
President Lyndon B.

e. What was the outcome of this movement?
As a result to the civil rights movement African-Americans are now as equal as whites.

f. In what way is the civil rights movement related to the novel?
The novel was set in the period of the civil rights movement where the blacks were still segregated with the whites. Tom in the novel, was convicted because of the discrimination of Blacks during that era.

Jim Crow's Laws

a. What/ who is Jim Crow?
Jim Crow was the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s. Jim Crow was more than a series of rigid anti-Black laws. It was a way of life. Under Jim Crow, African Americans were relegated to the status of second class citizens. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of anti-Black racism. Many Christian ministers and theologians taught that Whites were the Chosen people, Blacks were cursed to be servants, and God supported racial segregation. Craniologists, eugenicists, phrenologists, and Social Darwinists, at every educational level, buttressed the belief that Blacks were innately intellectually and culturally inferior to Whites. Pro-segregation politicians gave eloquent speeches on the great danger of integration: the mongrelization of the White race. Newspaper and magazine writers routinely referred to Blacks as niggers, coons, and darkies; and worse, their articles reinforced anti-Black stereotypes. Even children's games portrayed Blacks as inferior beings (see "From Hostility to Reverence: 100 Years of African-American Imagery in Games"). All major societal institutions reflected and supported the oppression of Blacks.

b. What were Jim Crow Laws?
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans. In reality, this led to treatment and accommodations that were usually inferior to those provided for white Americans, systematizing a number of economic, educational and social disadvantages.

c. What was the response of the slaves and the Blacks to these laws?
This type of segregation led to extreme civil rights struggles, especially in regards to Jim Crow Laws that segregated schools. Several major events – include Rosa Parks’s refusal to move from her seat on a segregated bus, as well as several bus boycotts built up and provided enough tension in society that the question of segregation finally had to be dealt with.

d. Do we see The Jim Crow laws surface in the novel? If so then in which part of the novel
Yes the Jim Crow laws did surface in the novel. Blacks and Whites go to different churches.

The Civil War

a. Identify the southern states.
Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma are the southern states. West Virginia is also often grouped with the south. Maryland and Missouri have historically been considered southern states but usually are grouped elsewhere today.

b. Who was the US president that proclaimed war in the south?
President Abraham Lincoln

c. Why was the civil war fought?
When Abraham Lincoln was elected as president in 1860. Southerners thought the government was becoming too powerful. They did not think the government had the right to tell them how they should live their lifes. Southerners felt if they stayed in the United States, the North would soon have control over them. The northern states were called the Union. President Lincoln said he would fight to keep the southern states as part of the United States. There were Union forts on Confederate land. The Confederates wanted Union soldiers to leave these forts. In Charleston, South Carolina there was a Union fort called Fort Sumter. The Union soldiers refused to leave this fort, so the Confederates fired cannons at the fort on April 12, l861. This marked the very beginning of the Civil War.

d. When was the war fought?
1861

e. What was the outcome of the war?
The issue that was left out of our Constitution, that could not be resolved by peaceful agreement, was settled by the Civil War instead. The North won, and the southern states were eventually reabsorbed into the Union.

f. How did the civil rights movement relate to the novel?
It all began because the Southerners feared that the Northerners would overpower them and this can related to the novel as it shows the relationship of the two parts of America whereby they were very cautious and wary about each party similarly in the novel whereby Whites and Blacks are socially different.

Slavery

a. When and how did slavery begin in the southern state?
Blacks became slaves in the American Colonies during the 1600's. People were getting more slaves in the South where large plantations grew cotton and other crops. These plantations needed many workers to take care of the farms. People in the North didn't need slaves because they didn't have as many large farms as the South did.

b. Which country were the slaves bought from?
The slaves came from Africa.

c. Who traditionally bought and owned the slaves?
The North Americans were the ones who traditionally owned the slaves. Later, the White South Americans owned more more slaves as they needed more workforce.

d. Were there laws/rules that the slaves had to abide? If yes what were they?
They could not gather in-groups of 4 or more because their owners thought they would plan an escape. If the slaves got caught trying to get away, their owners would beat them or cut body parts off so they could not escape again. They cannot leave their owners property without a written pass because the slave owners wanted control over the slaves. They could not own weapons because the slaves might shoot their owner. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read or write because the slaves may start to think about freedom and try to escape.

e. How does the notion of slavery relate to the novel? Does the study of slavery help you understand the novel better?
Slavery was the due to racism of White against Black as slaves were from African and they were Blacks. They were mostly owned by the Whites which result in the Whites looking down on the Blacks, thinking that Whites were superior and Blacks were inferior. The novel is about a Black who was found guilty by the White judge of something he did not do and there was clearly enough evidence to acquit him. The study of slavery definitely help me understand the novel better as it is very related to slavery. It tells me how discrimination of Blacks started.

Comic strip

By ktjw9172 | View this Toon at ToonDoo |

This is a comic strip that I created myself using ToonDoo. It is about how one guy passing by a spooky castle, he has got nothing to do and is totally bored. So he decides to enter the house and check it out. However, once he reaches the gateway, he sees a werewolf which he thinks looks like a statue. He thinks that the statue is very real and original. In the end, curiosity killed the cat and the werewolf threatens him and attempts to eat him alive, the guy is scared out of his wits and and luckily for his lightning quick reflexes he gets away in the nick of time. I used a like spooky twilight theme as I wanted my comic strip to revolve around something regarding midnight and a creepy castle. I just changed the scene to make it seem that the guy moved closer to the dreaded looking castle. The hidden message of the story is that it is human nature to be curious, just like how the guy was when he first saw the castle, he wanted to go and check it out. Another hidden meaning is that, it is human nature to be scared when you see something frightening right before your very eyes, similarly to how the guy freaked out when the werewolf tried to eat him ALIVE. Therefore, I conclude that the comic strip has been a success as it encapsulates 2 human natures and they are clearly portrayed in the comic strip.

After you, My dear Alphonse

This is a story called After you , My dear Alphonse by Shirley Jackson. It is about a boy, called Johnny taking his friend, Boyd home for lunch. When Johnny's mother notices that Boyd is a negro, she starts acting out of goodwill, by giving him lunch, offering some of Johnny's and her own old clothes that are still wearable. She assumes that Boyd and his family face financial difficulties and have not a sufficient amount of necessities for daily usage. She feels that she is acting out of charity without even knowing Boyd's family condition. Even though Boyd is a negro his family is able to survive.

So the blog topic for this post would be: would you have treated Boyd or someone who is not of the same race differently? Why or why not?

I feel that everyone should be treated fairly and equally, we all leave on one Earth, we should stand united as one human body. Mrs.Wilson is still under the impression that negro do hard labour, are poor and are barely able to survive with the meagre income that they earn. another factor is that African-Americans have developed and improve themselves so they till will no longer be looked down on by others. Furthermore, you should never judge a book by its cover, always get your facts right before jumping to conclusion. Besides one should judge a person based on his character, personality and attitude and not just by his outer appearance or features.

Discrimination and Prejudice

Today, I will be talking about what prejudice and what discrimination is but more about discrimination. Here is the definition of what prejudice means: 1-an opinion that is not based on reason or experience. 2-unfair reactions or behaviour based on such opinions. And here is the definition of discrimination: 1-the discrimination against people. 2-recognition of the difference between on thing or another.

Here is a list of different types of discrimination:

Types of discrimination:

Discrimination against a person's intelligence level

- Blonde people are dumb

- All athletes have low IQ

Discrimination against sexual orientation

- Gays and lesbians are not acceptable in today's society

- Bisexuals are nuts

- Homosexuals are not accepted for who they are

- Not behaving in a forthright manner is like breaking the law

Discrimination against family background:

- Being a kid that is half boy, half girl is 'wrong'

- Not having respect for other people's family because they are of a lower status

- Having a different family background is incorrect

Discrimination against disabled:

- Handicap people are just a waste of space

- People with down syndrome are 'retarded'

- Making fun of people's disabilities

However in my opinion, racial discrimination is the worst and inhumane. People judge others simply by their skin colour. Racism is the reason why there are so many racial riots happening in modern day society. Some think that whites are superior and blacks are inferior just due to the fact that negro worked as slaves, had little education and low status in society in the past. We are all human beings and we live on one Earth, hence we are all equals. Black people have also started to show that they have the brains and the capabilities to be successful. let me name you a few examples: Barack Obama is the first African-American to ever become the president of the United States of America, Oprah Winfrey is also another African-American to become a famous talk show host and she even has her own show called 'OPRAH', there are also many artist who have produced music that hit number one on the billboard music charts such as Bruno Mars, Iyaz, Nelly and many others. Many track and field athletes also have dark skin but that does not stop them from winning an olympic medal. Therefore, if people weren't so racist, thought that they were a rank above others, there would not be as many racial riots as there are today.

Poetry

Hi all, it's been like 5 months since i did my last blog post. So I have to continue with my blog as it is a compulsory language arts assignment. I would not be doing many blog post regarding Lamborghini. I would be doing more stuff related to language arts. Ok, now to get on to official business, today I will be posting 3 poems and giving my analysis and the explaining the hidden meaning between the lines of the poem.

The little boy and the old man - Shel Silverstein

Said the little boy," Sometimes i Drop my spoon."

Said the old man, " i do that too."

The little boy whispered, " i wet my pants."

" I do that too," laughed the old man.

Said the little boy, " i often cry."

The old man nodded, " So do I."

"But worst of all, " said the boy," it seems

Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."

And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.

"I know what you mean, " said the little old man.

My analysis:

After reading the poem, one should feel sympathetic towards both the young boy and old man as they are being neglected by the adults. The young boy does not receive the love and care which is necessary for his growth as a child, and the old man is not being taken care of in his old age, which a sign that his children are not filial and do not repay his kindness for bringing them up. To an adult, being a child is something of the past, while being an old person is of the future to an adult. But it is clearly shown in the poem that both phases of life are being neglected. Shel Sliverstein has used comparision through the conversation shared between the young boy and the old man to show that both parties are able to understand each other with just the exchange of a few simple words as they experience the same things in life.

Messy room - Shel Silverstein

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!

His underwear is hanging on the lamp.

His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,

And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp,

His workbook is wedged in the window,

His sweater's been thrown on the floor.

His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,

And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.

His books are jammed in the closet,

His vest has been left in the hall.

A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,

And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.

Donald or Robert or Willie or --

Huh? You say it's mine? Oh dear,

I knew it looked familiar!

My analysis:

The way in which Shel Silverstien described the messiness of the room adds a sense of humour to the poem. The poem has a lot of tongue and cheek humour. ( For your information, tongue and cheek humour refers to humour which possess sarcasm or irony.) The room is extremely filthy to the extent that everything is in the wrong places and there is even a lizard named Ed sleeping the bed. Shel Silverstien's poem encapsulates a hidden meaning regarding human nature. Human nature is quick to push the blame others, however does not hold responsibility for what he or she has done. Another factor that concerns human nature is that humans are quick to judge other people's wrongdoings and not their own mistakes. They are also unable to take care of their own belongings. Therefore this poem does have a hidden meaning, it is just there for you to spot once you have critically analysized the poem.

Cloony the clown - Shel Sliverstien

I'll tell you the story of Cloony the Clown

Who worked in a circus that came through town.

His shoes were too big and his hat was too small,

But he wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.

He had a trombone to play loud silly tunes,

He had a green dog and a thousand balloons.

He was floppy and sloppy and skinny and tall,

But he just wasn't, just wasn't funny at all.

And every time he did a little trick,

Everyone felt a little sick .

And every time he told a joke,

Folks sighed as if their hearts were broke.

And every time he lost a shoe,

Everyone looked awfully blue.

And every time he stood on his head,

Everyone screamed, " Go back to bed!"

And every time he made a leap,

Everybody fell asleep.

And every time he ate his tie,

Everyone began to cry.

And Cloony could not make any money

Simply cause he was not funny.

One day he said , "I'll tell this town

How it feels to be an unfunny clown."

And he told them all why he felt so sad,'

And he told them all why he felt so bad.

He told of the pain and the rain and cold,

He told of darkness in his soul,

After he finished his tale of woe,

Did everyone cry? Oh no, no, no

They laughed until they shook trees

With "hah-hah-hahs " and "hee-hee-hees"

They laughed with howls and yowls and shrieks,

They laughed all day, they laughed all week,

They laughed until their jackets split,

The laughter spread for miles around

To every city, every town,

Over mountains, cross the sea,

From Saint Tropez to Mun San Nee.

And soon the whole world rang with laughter,

Lasting till forever after,

While Cloony stood in the circus tent,

With his head drooped low and his shoulders bent.

And he said ,"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT-

I'M FUNNY JUST BY ACCIDENT."

And while the world laughed outside.

Cloony the Clown sat down and cried.

My analysis:

A clown usually tickles peoples funny bone by making them laugh till sides hurt by performing tricks, jokes or even some out of the world stunts. However, Cloony is obviously unable to get his audience to laugh and his is a failure at his job even though his has the right appearance, equipment and tools to be a clown simply because he is not funny. Maybe he is just inexperienced or he just does not have the potential to be a clown. He does not have the ability to infuse humour into the tricks and jokes he does. The audience are definitely bored with his acts. He is extremely depresses as he is not succeeding as a clown. He is at the point whereby he can no longer keep his emotions inside of him that he tells his audience how it feels to be an unfunny clown in the eyes of the crowd. His emotions take over and he pours everything out. There is no happiness, only darkness and sadness within his very being. Cloony expects the crowd to pity and sympathize him, to lend him a listening ear, a crying shoulder. In the end the crowd does not buy the story, as they find it too exaggerated and unbelievable. They now laugh to their heart's content and the laughter slowly spreads. They are unable to experience what Cloonry is feeling. Cloony then turns emotional and his state of depression worsened. He is upset as when he tries to make people laugh he fails to do so. However, when he does not have that intention, he makes people laugh. It is just so ironic. The poem concludes with Clooney bursting to tears as his plan to make people understand how he feels turns around and backfires, instead making people laugh. In Cloony's opinion it was just by accident. However, in my view, he was just lucky and his attempt was a fluke. Shel Sliverstein is able to convey some harsh reality about life which is people are able to accept the lies in which you portray , but very difficult to believe the truth. This is the hidden meaning which requires you to read between the lines.