Comment on George's blog

Hi readers, below will be my comments on George's blog -- http://georgeblogging.blogspot.com/ on the topic of "Russian Heat Wave"

After reading George's post, I was shocked by the number of lives have been lost due to fires and droughts. In my opinion, I feel that many countries do not take global warming into eye and this has thus caused many serious consequences. Apart from countries which are heavily affected by the increasing effect of global warming, others do not even give support to prevent the destruction of the ozone layer. There had been an organised meeting in Singapore to help prevent the extent of global warming to get too large, but it ended up without an agreement as a few countries did not agree to the terms. In conclusion, I urge the government that they should start to take heavier action to prevent global warming as it would be easier to start early rather than when global warming has becomed an extremely dangerous concern to the Earth.

Comment on Sze Chuan's blog

Hi readers, below will be my comments on Sze Chuan's blog -- http://causticpotashhhh.blogspot.com/ on the topic of "Flooding in Orchard Road"

I feel that these flash floods happen more oftenly in Singapore nowadays. I suppose it is caused by the depletion of the ozone layer and also the increasing threat of global warming. However, I still feel that Singapore is fortunate that the floods that happen are not as serious as compared to other countries where citizens actually get drowned by the floods. Furthermore, Singapore's government have been taking several measures after the first flooding incident to prevent the loss of too many goods, at the same time trying to prevent citizens from getting stranded. In conclusion, I think that people who make use of this flood incident to obtain goods that are submerged in the water does not have any integrity. They make use of a natural disaster to obtain benefits for themselves, indeed should be despised by others.

Comment on Sze Chuan's blog

Hi readers, below will be my comments on Sze Chuan's blog -- http://causticpotashhhh.blogspot.com/ on the topic of "Boy cladded in bermudas, T-shirt and flip flops runs 13 km with the runners carrying the YOG torch"

I feel that this boy is what Singapore is looking for. With such a determination to run with the Olympic torch, Wei Jie must have a very strong national pride for Singapore. He is able to neglect his studies and run with the torch for a mere 13km, this shows that he is indeed a very persistent soul who is able to persevere to reach his goals. Since the YOG torch relay began, I have not heard of any Singaporean, apart from Wei Jie, who ran with the torch to give some support. Therefore, I suppose that Wei Jie has set a very good role model to us by showing his perseverence of reaching a certain goal. As students, we should also learn how to overcome obstacles in our path and not just give up easily upon seeing a difficult question.

Comment on Marcus Lau's blog

Hi readers, below will be my comments on Marcus Lau's blog -- http://blanketboymarcus.blogspot.com/ on the topic of "Success"

I feel that success is when I have accomplished a task which I have put in a lot of effort into. According to the dictionary, success is the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like. However, I take the same stand as Marcus and feel that this definition is not real success. Success requires hard work, while wealth can be attained in many ways, some which does not require any work at all. Therefore, I feel that the dictionary definition of success is unrealistic. All in all, everyone has different views on their own real success. I feel that no matter how many failures a person has faced, he will have successed even more times compared to his failures.

Comment on Qing Zhou's blog

Hi readers, below will be my comments on Qing Zhou's blog -- http://ep9cfail-blog.blogspot.com/ on the topic of "Why can't people just show some support for the YOG"

After reading Qing Zhou's post, I feel quite shocked by the fact that our citizens do not show any support for the YOG. However, I think that the YOG came at the wrong time of the year, during students' test period, which then causes a lot of students unable to buy the tickets in case of a clash between a test and the YOG game. As the YOG games are played by teenagers around our age, I assume that it should be meant for us to watch. In my own opinion, I conclude that it is true that Singpore citizens do not show any support for the YOG and that most spectators are forced to watch the games. One example is the students in school uniform who watch the shows after school time, I heard that they are forced by their schools to buy the tickets. All in all, I feel that the YOG is a rare opportunity for us to watch as it is held in our homeland and that we should all grab this opportunity.

Comment on Joel Lee's blog

Hi readers, below will be my comments on Joel Lee's blog -- http://jneater.blogspot.com/ on the topic of "Swiss Vandal".

I agree with Joel's point that the judge is being a little more strict to this case by convicting Oliver Fricker of seven months in jail and three strokes of the cane. However, I shall say that it is unfair as Oliver Fricker is a foreigner who just wanted to "beautify" the MRT train. Moreover, I feel that if Singapore lay such a heavy sentence on Fricker, it will cause Singapore's relationship with Switzerland to be strained and may lead to further consequences. In my own opinion, I feel that Fricker should be not be convicted of caning, but instead a longer sentecne in jail and a large sum of money. From the point of view as a reader, I still do not understand Fricker's intention of vandalizing a MRT train and find that it is a really foolish thing to do as it will lead to unforseen circumstances.

Alternative Ending to EoEH

Hi readers, today I will be writing an alternative ending to the novel Emily of Emerald Hill. The novel ended with Emily remembering her years as a mother and the head of Emerald Hill. However, I feel that this way of ending is pretty boring and normal and thus I shall propose another ending to the novel.

As the years went by, Emily became lonelier with Charles, Edward and Doris visiting her only during Chinese New Year and her birthday. Gradually, Emily suffered depression.

On her 75th birthday, she was given a large television set by her children. However, on the very occasion, Emily's health condition unfortunately also detoriated. The doctor had diagnosed her with Alzheimer disease, urging her children to spend the last few days together with Emily.

As Emily was admitted to the ward, she held a grin on her face, telling her children that they have to take good care of Emerald Hill as it is their family's "treasure". Days past with Emily getting paler and paler...

At one period of time, Emily started talking about her past times as the head of Emerald Hill, telling her children about the hardships she had went through. One that silent night, Emily's soul left her body willingly, reuniting together with Kheong and Richard...

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Singapore English -- "Singlish"

"Dis country weather very hot one."
"Dat person there cannot trust."
"He play soccer also very good one leh."

Hi readers, I suppose all of you should know about "Singlish".

Singlish, sometimes known in the academic community as Singapore Colloquial English, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.

As a student, I can say that Singlish is strongly discouraged in schools at a governmental level as it is believed to hinder the proper learning of proper English. For many students, using Singlish is also inevitable when interacting with their peers, siblings, parents and elders as it has becomed a bad habit since young.

Singlish derives its roots from the 1819 of British colonial rule over Singapore. During that period of time, many foreigners came to Singapore for trading purposes. British English was then spoken, but not long after immigrants moved in, the language became influenced by them. Therefore, Singlish now consists of Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin words which then make Singlish not a formal way of communicating.

Frankly speaking, I feel that it is quite impossible to eradicate Singlish as it is just natural that we say a few "la" and "lo" during conversations. Even so, the government has already tried to promote the use of standard English instead of Singlish, but it was to no avail.

As a permenant citizen of Singapore, I feel that Singlish makes Singapore unique in a way that we have somewhat created our own nation's language.

"Ei brudder, come on la. Guo Qing Ri just past le, you dunno meh. Wa, you balik kampung la."

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Haiku

"The old pond;
A frog jumps in -
The sound of the water."

Hi readers, do anyone of you recognize the famous haiku above?
Haiku in english is a development of the Japanese haiku poetic form in the English language. Some of the more common practices in English haiku include the use of three lines of up to 17 syllables and a season word (For example, cherry blossoms indicate spring, snow indicate winter, and mosquitoes indicate summer, but the season word isn't always that obvious. )

What can you actually write about in a haiku?

Haiku-poems can describe almost anything, but you seldom find themes which are too complicated for normal people's recognition and understanding. Some of the most thrilling Haiku-poems describe daily situations in a way that gives the reader a brand new experience of a well-known situation.

Many people might wonder:"Whats the point of writing a haiku?"

Haiku helps to let the reader stop for a few moments and feel the situation as stated in the haiku -- a glimpse of what others are facing. It also reminds the reader to experience things fully instead of passively letting them wash over them. Most importantly, it calms and soothes the reader, like a brief moment of meditation that's not forced or contrived.

Although haiku might not be as popular as other poems, it still has its benefits. A haiku, having only a maximum of only 17 syllables, conveys lots of thoughts into the readers mind by using only a few wordsm which in turn makes it an incredible type of poetry. After a long day of studying, try reading a haiky in your heart, slowly understand the hidden meaning and a smile will naturally appear.

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Roald Dahl

Born in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander. He rose to prominence in the 1940s with works for both children and adults, and became one of the world's bestselling authors. His short stories are known for their unexpected endings, and his children's books for their unsentimental, often very dark humour.

Hi to all readers, today I will be introducing to all of you my favourite author -- Roald Dahl. As a fan of this marvellous author, I have read most of his books, being written for adults or children. Following, I will be touching on Roald Dahl's children storybooks.

Dahl's children's works are usually told from the point of view of a child. They typically involve adult villains or villainesses who hate and mistreat children, and feature at least one "good" adult to counteract the villains. These stock characters are possibly a reference to the abuse that Dahl stated that he experienced in the boarding schools he attended. They usually contain a lot of black humour and grotesque scenarios, including gruesome violence.

The Witches, George's Marvellous Medicine and Matilda are examples of this formula. The BFG follows it in a more analogous way with the good giant the BFG or "Big Friendly Giant" representing the "good adult" archetype and the other giants being the "bad adults". Furthermore, class-conscious themes also surface in works such as Fantastic Mr Fox and Danny, the Champion of the World.

Roald Dahl's books are usually easy to understand as they cater to mostly children. Many might think that as these books were written for children, they would be the boring "Once upon a time..." story and thus not give any interest for them. However, having read most of the books Dahl has written, I can assure all of you that once you start reading one of his books, you will never stop as the urge to know the ending of the storybook will push you on...

What are you waiting for? Grab a Roald Dahl book and finish it!

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Tongue Twisters

"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

But if Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Were they pickled when he picked them from the vine?
Or was Peter Piper pickled when he picked the pickled peppers
Peppers picked from the pickled pepper vine?"

Hi once again to all readers, it is time for me to share about "Tongue Twisters" this time.

A tongue twister is a phrase or sentence which is hard to speak fast, usually because of alliteration or a sequence of nearly similar sounds. It helps develop speech skills & helps in speech therapy. To get the full effect of a tongue twister you should try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible, without stumbling or mispronouncing.

Some of you might ask:"Why is it so difficult to read tongue twisters?"

Many tongue-twisters use a combination of alliteration and rhyme. They have two or more sequences of sounds that require repositioning the tongue between syllables, then the same sounds are repeated in a different sequence. For example, in the sequence: She sells sea shells... The shells she sells..." requires a speaker to switch rapidly between the sh and s sounds.

According to the Guinness World of Records, the hardest tongue twister in the English language is "The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick." Try pronouncing these few words at a fast pace without stumbling and master the very skill of tongue twisting!

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Reading

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who lived in Buckingham Palace..."

Hi readers, I will be sharing about 'Reading' today. I will first begin by stating the definition of 'Reading'.

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of deriving meaning and constructing meaning. It is the mastery of basic cognitive processes to the point where they are automatic so that attention is freed for the analysis of meaning.

Many people might ask:"Everyone around the world read, but what is their goal? Why do they want to read? Does reading actually benefit them in any way?"

Frankly speaking, the general goal of reading is the acquisition of meaning from the ordered arrangement of symbols, followed by "reading to obtain understanding" and lastly "reading to obtain information".

Moving on, I shall mention several benefits of reading. Have any of you experienced embarrassing situations where you didn't have anything to talk about to a new friend? Did you hate yourself for making a fool of yourself? Do you want a remedy for this? It is simple. Start Reading. As reading helps to widen your horizon of knowledge, you will always have something to talk about. Furthermore, with a larger range of konwledge, you will easily build a high self-esteem and more people will look for you for answers. Subsequently, holding a book or magazine on your hands while on the bus or MRT makes you seem more like a scholar.

Above are only a few benefits of reading from a small scale, there are still many more awaiting for you, so what are you waiting for? Grab a book and start reading it!

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Hachiko - A Dog's Story

Hi readers, today I will be sharing about a movie which I watched a few weeks ago.

"Hachiko - A Dog's Story" is a 2009 American drama film based on the true story of the faithful Akita Hachiko. In general, it is a moving film about loyalty and the rare, invincible bonds that occasionally form almost instantaneuosly in the most unlikely places.

Hachiko was a loyal dog which was truly faithful to its owner. It was to such extent that Hachiko wuold follow its owner to the train station every to "send him off for work" and then "pick him up" at 5pm in the evening. Unfortunately, Hachiko's owner passed away one day. As Hachiko did not know that, it was still faithful and continued to wait for its owner at the train station every single day of its life until it died around 10 years later. Since Hachiko's death, it became one of Japan's most faithful spirit and it was so touching that a bronze statue of it was erected at Shibuya Station.

This sense of loyalty is hardly recognised in the world, but it also shows that if an animal can be so faithful, why can't humans? In other words, it is just like being loyal one's parents by not sending them to old folks' homes.

After watching this heart-warming movie, I really salute Hachiko for having such a great sense of loyalty for his master and have also learnt that although loyalty is rarely talked about in these days, we must possess this core value as to recognise our benefactors.

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Home Learning 25 - 26 May 2010

Children in the Darkness by Henry M Bechtold

Conflict in the poem :
In the first stanza , the poet shows that there are children who are in the dark , which means that they are like a frog in a well who does not know anything about the outer world. Meanwhile, he also says that they are taught how to fight, therefore having a conflict.
In the following two stanzas , the poet aspires to teach these children how to read and dance , but on the other hand , he a.so mentioned that "Chalk and Blackboards will not be" , meaning that teaching the students will not work , so there is a conflict. Furthermore, the poet wants to give the children some hope , but in the second stanza, he said that "And these children are not free" , thus having another conflict.

Point of View :
I think the poet is writting on a general's Point of View. His voice being very dramatised , and "Could we simply light a candle , Could we give them half a chance " , shows that he have the authority to give them hope and not bring them for a war.

Situation and Setting :
I feel that the climax is when the poet aspires to teach these children how to dance and read , as the "Could" brings by tension. I think this poem is set at an orphanage as these children do not know how to read or dance and are also "kept in the dark" , where soldiers can bring them for war.

Language / Diction :
I think that the language that the poet use is effective in conveying the message of the poem. He focuses on two subjects, the children in the dark and they being not able to learn anything. I think that the language used is direct and can be used to reveal the true meaning of the poem easily.

Personal Response:
I learnt that children who are left in the dark suffer a lot and are even brought to learn how to fight at times. I felt pitiful and sad for these children who are living in the dark , and also feel very fortunate not to be one of these children. In the modern world , this type of situation can be found in countries like Afghanistan , Iraq and many developing countries , therefore people in those areas will find it easier to understand the poem as they might have experienced the same situation. All in all , I find the poem very meaningful and evokes strong feelings to the reader.

IT Home Learning Day 1 (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Hi readers , today is IT Home Learning Day 1 !

Now , I am going to complete a task given about TKAM. Although there are many other choices to choose from , I would like to choose "Intrapersonal" as I would wanna do the task on my own , without asking help from others. Below is the choices given for "Intrapersonal" , I will then continue to give me answer. Hope you enjoy reading it !

Intrapersonal [pick one] :

a. Who would you want to be friends with in the novel ? Explain.

b. Which character would you like to play in the movie version of the novel. Explain.

c. Write a diary entry for a major character of the novel.

My Answer ( Choice A ) :

I would want to make friends with Jeremy Atticus Jem Finch. Being one of the main characters in the novel , Jem plays a very important role of being Scout's elder brother. I feel that he is a brave young gentleman who is always courageous and caring for others. Furthermore, Jem is also a kind and friendly boy who is seldom angry or moody. In the novel , he is always protecting his sister indirectly. Let say the scene where Scout got into a fight in school. Although Jem did not assist his sister , Jem stopped the fight as he knew that if he didnt do so , either side would get injured. In other words , Jem actually didnt want his sister to get hurt.

On another occasion , we can see that Jem takes responsibility in the things that he do. At one point of time in the novel , Atticus was called a nigger-lover which caused Jem and Scout both to be very unhappy. Everyday when they went to school and passed by Mrs Dubose's house , Mrs Dubose would start saying that Atticus is a nigger-lover and scold him using lots of vulgarities. After a few days , Jem got really annoyed and went to cut off Mrs Dubose's garden's plants. As such , Atticus was informed of this and he then forced Jem and Scout to tell Mrs Dubose stories everyday. Although Jem was unwillingly to do so , I suppose he felt that he had to take responsibility of what he did and to "apologize" to Mrs Dubose by telling her stories.

As such , Jem is an easy person to get along with and start conversations with. Having such a friend is really one in a million. All in all , I conclude that if I had the chance , I would want to make friends with Jem as he is very likable.

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Multiple Intelligence test

Hi once again , today I am going to express my views about the recent Multiple Intelligence Test which I have taken. The chart on the left shows the results of my Multiple Intelligence Test.

When I first heard about the test , I was quite curious about it as it sounded as if it could really tell you personality.

However , when I started reading the 40 questions that I had to answer , I realised that the questions were very vague and can be interpret in many ways. Despite so , I completed the test with ease and managed to get the results.

After so , I stared at the chart for a few seconds and found that it was pretty inaccurate. Judging from my true self , I feel that I am a more Logical person instead of a Linguistic person. Furthermore, I found many other flaws in my results and find the test totally inaccurate.

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Importance of Sleep

Hi readers , today I am going to talk about Sleep.

Sleep is to take the rest afforded by a suspension of voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial , of consciousness ; cease being awake.

For all civilisations and sophistication , human beings are still animals , and our brains and bodies are governed by primal biological functions and needs.

Sleep plays a very huge part in the way our body function , so big in fact , that if we were totally deprived of sleep for an extended period of time , we will actually die!

Having a deep , restful sleep allows our bodies to rejuvenate , restore and regenerate themselves. Every part of the body is affected - the brain , the nervous system , immune system , emotions etc.

Therefore , if you want to live longer, keep your body strong and healthy , help your brain stay sharp and focused , improve your memory or keep your emotions positive , healthy and balanced , you have to recognise the importance of sleep.

Instead of seeing our need to rest as a weakness , we need to learn to welcome it as our ally , as a friend who wants to help us learn to live our best life !

Summing up , I have an advice to give you . Always remember that better sleep truly does lead to a better life , in every possible way!

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he$Tr@1Ght$71mE$

Bryan Santoso

Welcome Post

Hi all , this is my new school blog , I welcome everyone to follow my blog and link it to yours too. My new Sec 2 blog will be used for school purposes and will report the happenings of my daily life. Everyone is welcome to comment on the posts , but please do not include vulgarities . :)
My first report will be coming up soon , so look out for it!

Editor-in-Cheif of 7he $Tr@1Gh$ 71mE$
Bryan Santoso