Preparation for End of Year Exams

Language Arts

Contrary to what Dr. Hon said that there was nothing to study for Language Arts, I feel that Language Arts is the subject that I should pay the most attention to. It is my second weakest subject. My weakest subject is History just in case you are wondering.

There are lots of things to revise for Language Arts. For example the format for writing letters of complaint or letters of request. There are lots of skills to apply and you need to have a discerning mind to be able to spot out figures of speech in poetry or unseen prose, to understand poems or comprehension passages and to choose the important points in order to write a summary.

I think that the only thing I can do is practice, practice and practice. Remember what teachers used to say? “Practice makes perfect”.

Higher Chinese

Even though Higher Chinese is a language like Language Arts, it is not as hard as Language Arts. There is only I form of letter writing to memorise. There are no summaries, no poetry analysis and no prose analysis. However, there are a lot of comprehensions. There are four comprehensions in one exam paper! There is not so much to study as Language Arts. I just plan to look through some compositions that I have written in the past and memorise some good phrases to use in them.

Integrated Mathematics

Maths is my strongest subject and I never fail to get an A1 every term. It is also quite a confusing subject. One must be quick-witted in order to solve a problem. I feel that to be able to excel in Maths, practice is not so important. What is important is EXPOSURE. Exposure is critical. One must be exposed to different forms of questions. A question can be asked in many different ways trying to confuse you but the only way to conquer it is to be exposed to that kind of question before. Of course another important element is carefulness. If one is careless and writes to messily. He may end up mixing up numbers. For example mixing up 6, 9 and 0 due to untidy handwriting or writing the correct answer at the end of an equation but writing a different answer at the statement.

Lower Secondary Science

Science requires a lot of memorising work. Other than memorising the chemical elements symbols, there is the memorising of chemical equations and many other complicated formulas that I shall not mention or I would be writing o forever. I just have to start memorising.

Integrated Humanities

Integrated Humanities consists of two subjects Geography and History.

Geography

I am neither good nor bad at Geography just like my Higher Chinese. Geography is just like a simpler form of Science with memorising to do but quite considerably less. I just have to read through my textbook and I should be fine.

History

History is terrible. I can never get my facts right. The dates, the information, it is driving me crazy! I can never get the format of writing History essays right. I spend the bulk of my revision time on History and only pass History with a score of 11/20. Why is this happening to me? I study very hard for History and I just passed it. I really don’t know what to do for History probably revision and lots of memorising work to do.

Bolt's 100m and 200m World Record

Well I am sure everyone has heard about Bolt's 100m new world record of 9.58s and his 200m new world record of 19.19s in the Berlin Games. Ask me if he is my idol, my answer: NO. Surprised?

Usian Bolt is an exceptional talent. He can beat other runners by a full 10m. Everything about him is perfect except one thing. His pride. I do not like proud people. Just look at him before his race, doing all sorts of funny actions like checking his hair and shave. I mean come on! You are having a race and you check your shave? Also when he wins the race, he does his trademark pose with both his hands pointing to the sky. He should congraluate the other runners on having run a good race. You don't see the other runners doing all sorts of weird actions. They shake hands and congraluate each other.

Maybe he is too happy and wants to express his emotions which is also not wrong. However, how do you think the other runners should feel after losing to him by just a fraction of a second and there he goes around showing off just because he is the best and just because he is Usian Bolt.

To all the Bolt fans out there I beg you to forgive me. However, I must say that Bolt is too arrogant for his own good. One must be humble in order to excel. But at least there is something we should all learn from him. Usain is an extremely hardworking man who does not cease in reaching his goals.

Please give your views.

MBA - Who Am I?

March On
Don’t cry
Open up your eyes and know
There’s someone else out there that feels this way

I’m singing to you
Cause I know what you’ve been through and now
It’s not so long ago I felt the same

Like soldiers
March on
If we can make it through the night will see the sun
March on, march on

I remember summer nights alone
Fireflies the only thing we own
All we ever dreams of California
I remember winters were so cold
Hunger was the only thing we know
And rock n’ roll dreamin’ was what saved us

Like soldiers
March on
If we can make it through the night will see the sun
March on, march on

Till we see the sun
Till we see the sun

Through the good times,
Through the bad times
Through the long days
Through the hard nights
Keep on till we see the sun

Like soldiers
March on
If we can make it through the night will see the sun
March on, march on

Like soldiers
March on
If we can make it through the night will see the sun
March on, march on

Even when there’s no one there for you march on
Even when the days are long for you march on
Like soldiers
March on

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6byLYRF2Pf8 for the music video.

A brief introduction of myself.

I am Lim Zi Yang Sean, a 13-year old, who is currently studying in Hwa Chong Institution and is in the school’s track team.

I strongly believe in the school’s motto “自强不息” which when translated to English means perseverance. I take failures in my stride and believe in a Chinese saying “失败是成功之母” which basically means that one can never be successful if he has never experienced failures. Failures are what makes you stronger and determined to overcome all challenges to meet your goals you have set. Speaking of determination, I have a very strong determination and will always try my best to reach my goals.

I think all this information more or less sums up my personality.

Analysis of the song

Good Charlotte - March On

The first verse:

Don’t cry
Open up your eyes and know
There’s someone else out there that feels this way

The first paragraph basically means that if one has suffered setbacks, we must not cry and give up because there is bound to be other people in the world who are in a worse situation. The bottom line “Always look on the bright side of life.”

The second verse:

I’m singing to you
Cause I know what you’ve been through and now
It’s not so long ago I felt the same

The second paragraph means that the composer was singing to comfort someone as he had also been through the same thing and understands perfectly how it feels.

The third verse:

Like soldiers
March on
If we can make it through the night will see the sun
March on, march on

The third paragraph is the chorus. The composer uses a simile “like soldiers” and a symbol “soldiers”. Soldiers are a symbol of courage. It means that we should follow the examples of the brave soldiers and still stand bravely against all odds. “March on” means just push yourself forward even after suffering failure. “If we can make it through the night will see the sun” means that we will still live to see another day if we stand bravely against our problems. The composer uses repetition in “March on, march on” to emphasise that we should never give up.

The fourth verse:

I remember summer nights alone
Fireflies the only thing we own
All we ever dreams of California
I remember winters were so cold
Hunger was the only thing we know
And rock n’ roll dreamin’ was what saved us

The composer “remember summer nights alone” showing that he could never forget how lonely he was. He was so poor that “Fireflies the only thing we own”. He could “remember winters were so cold” and “Hunger was the only thing we know”. This shows that the composer can never forget the hardships as they were what inspired him to do better and never give up.

The fifth verse:

See the third verse.

The sixth verse:

Till we see the sun
Till we see the sun

The composer uses repetition “Till we see the sun Till we see the sun” to emphasise the importance of not giving up in the previous verse until we have achieved success in overcoming our difficulties in this paragraph


The seventh verse:

Through the good times,
Through the bad times
Through the long days
Through the hard nights
Keep on till we see the sun

When the composer uses the phrases “Through the good times, Through the bad times Through the long days Through the hard nights Keep on till we see the sun”, he means that life is full of ups and downs. However, we must never give up until we succeed.

The eighth verse:

See the third verse.

The ninth verse:

See the third verse.


The tenth verse:

Even when there’s no one there for you march on
Even when the days are long for you march on
Like soldiers
March on

The last verse concludes this whole beautiful and inspiring song. The composer addresses the problems we might face in life like loneliness and hardship with the phrases “Even when there’s no one there for you march on
Even when the days are long for you march on” He ends this song reminding us to be like soldiers and “March on”.

My own response

I feel that this song really suits me well as it has a lot in common with my own mentality and mindset. I know of many people who would give up easily after a few failures. Unlike them, I will keep on trying until I succeed. Sometimes, this is not really good as it may make me become very stubborn and not realising that my way is not always right. I feel that I need to learn more about finding the root of the problem and solve it instead of just insisting on using my own way.

Mother’s comments
I believe Sean knows himself well enough to be able to write the above. Though his strength is never to give up easily, his weakness is that he is often too stubborn to take other people’s advice. It is often very difficult to change his mindset and this sometimes hinders his progress in his studies.

Metaphor Poem

Watch it as it huffs and puffs,
Smoke billows from it

It is silvery,
And very scary

When it gets angry,
You had better be wary

Cos if you touch it,
You go “Ouch!”

Household item: Kettle

First Blog Post for Term 3

Overall the E-Learning was a pleasant experience. I learnt many things like teamwork, punctiality and self-discipline.

I think I put in more hours per day during E-Learning as compared to a regular school day with homework.

Generally, one hour was quite sufficient for me to complete all the LA assignments.

My favourite lesson was lesson two where we had to write about our favourite poet. It was rather interesting finding out and reading their great works. They never failed to captivate me.

I enjoyed doing all the lessons. It is a hard choice to choose my least favourite lesson. However after much deliberation, I have come to a decision. My least favourite assignment although I enjoyed it was lesson 4. I liked it the least as it was quite difficult to do, but I managed to finish it.

My suggestions to make E-Learning better are to allow students to have more time to do their lesons as some were a little too long and sometimes I exceeded the one hour limit by a few minutes. I also took quite a long time to access the SMB as there was quite "heavy traffic". Hopefully, the school can do something about this problem.

Generally, I felt that this E-Learning week went by quite smoothly. All instructions by the teachers were very clear making this whole process a pleasurable one

Emergency IT Lesson 6: Compulsory Blog Entry

I chose blog prompt two.

2. The casino being built in Singapore is supposed to be a money-maker and job creator. However, many people have spoken against it. Talk to a parent or adult and get their view on the casino. Listen to the NPR and YouTube offerings and choose one that substantiates your viewpoint and include a quote from it as well. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words and you must either support the casino or condemn its construction and ultimately the hardships it will cause in Singapore.

I talked with my mother and discussed with her about the casino in Singapore. We felt that having a casino in Singapore had many pros and cons. Thus, we came up with a list as seen below.

Pros: More jobs.

Boost Singapore's tourist industry.

Allows Singaporeans to have access to a casino without having to travel to other countries.

Cons: Many people will be addicted.

Some will lose a lot of money.

Some may even go bankrupt.

First let me share with all of you my view of the casino before I share my mother's view. I was against having a casino in Singapore as I felt that casinos would pose many problems to the gamblers in Singapore. I felt that gamblers would be addicted to the games in the casino. They would come everyday and not care about their jobs. This would eventually ruin their lives. I also felt that alternative ways could be used to create more jos opportunities instead of building a casino to create jobs. As such, I condemn having casinos in Singapore.

Now as for my mother, she totally supported this casino. As stated in the pros, not only is having a casino in Singapore a convenience, it also creates jobs and help to boost Singapore's tourist industry. As for the case of people becoming addicted and losing a lot of money, there are many ways the Singapore government has came up with to solve these problems. Family members may appeal to the government for a ban for their family member. A person himself may also sign papers saying that he will not step in to the casino as a promise to his family memers or friends. A man actually did that as a birthday gift to his mother. My mother felt that having a casino in Singapore will be a win-win situation. As such she supported having a casino in Singapore.

My chosen links:

1. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93191168

My favourite quote was "I will still be an addicted gambler till the day I die even if I have quit gambling."

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chbjc-XDKLw

My favourite quote was "Imagine what we can do."

I would like to emphasise the word "Imgaine" which the man used in the advertisment.

Emergency IT Lesson 5: Poetry on Gambling

Thread 1: Ah Boh actually has a good pay. She can afford to let her mother have three meals a day. She can use the money for many purposes. However, she does not save up and put the it to good use. Just like in One-dollar Gambler, one dollar can buy food, tea or the newspapers. However, after she had spent most of her money gambling, she did not have money to even buy a coffin for her mother. This is just like in One-dollar Gambler wher without a dollar, no food, tea, or newspapers can be bought.

Thread 2: I think Paul was too obsessed with stopping the whispers in his house. He was desperate and would resort to any means to stop them. That included black magic. Even though he has had much less time than most people to live, at lest he died happy. He knew that his house would be free of the whispers as he had won his last bet. Unlike other people who die with their wishes unfufilled, Paul died a very relieved and happy person. That was what mattered most.

My favourite Micro Fiction Serial Novel

My favourite Mcro Fiction Serial Novel is written by Mattheus (1A133)

A Secret Fear

I entered the room.
A cold blast of air hit me.
I shivered.
Was pushed onto a chair.
Fear crept all over me.
I watched.
He ran through the equipment before him.
Eyes rested on a sharp object.
He brought it towards me.

Slash! I winced.

“Your fringe looks loads better, son.”
“It’s ugly, Dad!”

Mattheus Wee 1A133

Emergency IT Lesson 4: Theme: Gambling

Materials: Three short stories: Catherine Lim’s Little Ironies, Paper and Lottery and D.H. Lawrence’s The Rocking Horse Winner.


1. In relation to Paper, you should explain exactly what the title refers to and why it is so significant to gambling, gains on the stock market and ultimately the conclusion of the story.

Paper seemed to be the reason that started this whole problem. Paper made me think of money as money is made if paper. They decided to make quick money in the stock market. They were making lots of money and their shares' worth were going to hit a million soon. However, the stock market plunged and they found themselves losing a lot of money. In the end they had no money to even buy their dream house. A house made of paper was built instead. Thus, here is where paper comes in again.


2. For Lottery, do an analysis of 100 words in which you look at Ah Boh’s superstitions regarding gambling.

Ah Boh is overly superstitious. Everyday she tries to recall her dream hoping to be able to translate them into numbers.She even used the weight of a cat to allow her to choose her numbers. She also asked a baby to choose numbers for her. New - born babies, children celebrating their birthdays and newly - weds instantly interested her as they were supposed to bring luck. She would even go to accident scenes to copy down the registration plates of vehicles that were involved in the accident. She prayed to gods and her late husband hoping they would bless her and let her strike it rich. Any little thing was thought to be a sign given to her from her late husband.


3. For The Rocking Horse Winner, write a paragraph of 100 words in which you point out who was responsible for Paul’s death.

I think no one but Paul was responsible for his death. He was overly-obsessed with the whispers in his house and wanted to get rid of them. However, as he earned more money the whispers became worse and he began to go mad. He would only concentrate on one task and that was to get rid of all the whispering in his house. He was actually as good as being possesed when he would ask his wooden horse for the correct horse to place his bet on. This made him go crazy.

Emergency IT Lesson 3: Analyzing & Composing poem

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem
It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts

The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese LanguageMultiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me

Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed



The poet is actually relieving the good old days when he was still in school.

He was probably quite happy thinking about those good memories that he had shared with his friends in the past and probably just a little sad as he misses them.

I definitely share the same sentiments. My best memories of my primary school life is when I was in Primary 6. My friends and I were exceptionally close as we were taking our PSLE that year and would not hesitate to help those in need. We also learnt to treasure our friends as we knew that that was our last year in our primary school.

I have many fond memories of my primary school life although some may not be so pleasant. I had many good friends and I enjoyed my life there.

I memory that stuck in my mind is during the day where we received our PSLE results. Everyone was very tense. At the same time, we were also quite sad that we had to leave our school and friends. That was the day which many handshakes, pats on the back and words of encouragement were exchanged.

My Poem

The Day the Results were Released.

The day the results were released,
Everyone was pretty pleased

Amidst all the celebrating,
There was one thing

It was the last time we would be in school with our friends

We could not bare to leave them,
Handshakes and hugs were exchanged

Emergency IT Lesson 2: Favourite Poet

A Brief introduction of Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois and began writing and drawing at a young age. He became a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.

Silverstein is best known as the author of iconic books of prose and poetry for young readers. His works include such modern classics as Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back (1963), The Giving Tree (1964), A Giraffe and a Half (1964), The Missing Piece (1976), and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1981). His immensely popular poetry collections are Where the Sidewalk Ends, a 1974 Michigan Young Readers Award winner; A Light in the Attic, recipient of the School Library Journal Best Books Award in 1982; Falling Up (1996); and Don’t Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies, which was originally published in 1963 and reissued in 2008. Runny Babbit, a posthumous poetry collection of spoonerisms, was conceived and completed before his death.

Silverstein’s books, which he also illustrated, are characterized by a deft mixing of the sly and the serious, the macabre, and the just plain silly. His unique imagination and bold brand of humor is beloved by countless adults and children throughout the world. He died in May 1999.


Critics generally agree that the greatest strength of Silverstein's poetry for children lies in his effective use of humor.

I definitely agree in that although my favourite poem "A Boy Named Sue" does not include any humour. It is quite a touching poem with a twist at the last part.

The reason why I chose Silverstein was because his work is very engaging. When I read his poems, I feel like I am in another world watching every scene in the poem.

I feel that Silverstein is a very talented writer. His poems generally promote peace over violence and diversity over prejudice. Many people have applauded his actions. He is probably my most favourite poet.


Three Fantastic Poems by Silverstein


Where the Sidewalk Ends (Poem is in my previous blog post)

Falling Up

I tripped on my shoelace
And I feel upto the roof tops,
Up over the town,
Up past the tree tops,
Up over the mountains,
Up where the colors
Blend into the sounds.
But I got me so dizzy
When I looked around,
I got sick to my stomach
And I threw down.


A Boy Named Sue

Well, my daddy left home when I was three,
and he didn't leave much to Ma and me,
just this old guitar and a bottle of booze.
Now I don't blame him because he run and hid,
but the meanest thing that he ever did was
before he left he went and named me Sue.

Well, he must have thought it was quite a joke,
and it got lots of laughs from a lot of folks,
it seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
and some guy would laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean.
My fist got hard and my wits got keen.
Roamed from town to town to hide my shame,
but I made me a vow to the moon and the stars,
I'd search the honky tonks and bars and kill
that man that gave me that awful name.

But it was Gatlinburg in mid July and I had
just hit town and my throat was dry.
I'd thought i'd stop and have myself a brew.
At an old saloon in a street of mudand at a table dealing stud sat the dirty,
mangy dog that named me Sue.

Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
from a worn-out picture that my mother had
and I knew the scar on his cheek and his evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray and old
and I looked at him and my blood ran cold,
and I said, "My name is Sue. How do you do?
Now you're gonna die." Yeah, that's what I told him.

Well, I hit him right between the eyes and he went down
but to my surprise he came up with a knife
and cut off a piece of my ear. But I busted a chair
right across his teeth. And we crashed through
the wall and into the street kicking and a-gouging
in the mud and the blood and the beer.

I tell you I've fought tougher men but I really can't remember when.
He kicked like a mule and bit like a crocodile.
I heard him laughin' and then I heard him cussin',
he went for his gun and I pulled mine first.
He stood there looking at me and I saw him smile.

And he said, "Son, this world is rough and if
a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
and I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along.
So I gave you that name and I said 'Goodbye'.
I knew you'd have to get tough or die. And it's
that name that helped to make you strong."


Yeah, he said, "Now you have just fought one
helluva fight, and I know you hate me and you've
got the right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you
if you do. But you ought to thank me
before I die for the gravel in your guts and the spit
in your eye because I'm the nut that named you Sue."
Yeah, what could I do? What could I do?

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun,
called him pa and he called me a son,
and I came away with a different point of view
and I think about him now and then.
Every time I tried, every time I win and if I
ever have a son I think I am gonna name him
Bill or George - anything but Sue.





References: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/104
http://www.enotes.com/poetry-criticism/silverstein-shel

Emergency IT Lesson 1: Figurative Language

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein


There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.


Hyperbole – The sentence “To the place where the side walk ends.” is repeated many times in this poem. The poet might have wanted to express his great desire to go to the place where the sidewalk ended by repeating the sentence many times.
Personfication – In this poem, the “chalk-white arrows” are assuming human actions by leading the poet “To the place where the side walk ends.” The poet might have chosen to include this in his poem to make it more interesting.
Metaphor – “a walk that is measured slow” is a metaphor for life. The poet might not have wanted to simply write the word “life” but let his readers guess the meaning of “a walk that is measured slow”.
Simile – There is no simile in this poem.
Symbolism – The first paragraph represents good times while the second paragraph represents bad times. The writer used different things to show the difference between good times and bad times.

This poem is very expressive. The sentence “To the place where the side walk ends.” is firmly stuck in my mind after I have read this poem. I like the face that the poet used the grass, sun and birds to represent good times while black smoke and dark streets were used to represent bad times. This is a very unique way of showing the contrast. Silverstein has written an excellent poem.

Book Review - Ravens's Gate ( Self-Initiated )

A boy named Matthew was arrested because he had stolen something. He was sent to be fostered in Yorkshire. He soon senses that there is something about his guardian and the whole village that makes him feel uneasy. With the help of a journalist named Richard, Matt finds out more about himself. Matt learns that he is special as he is one of the five gatekeepers. The five gatekeepers were supposed to guard the gate when it opened do that no evil may be done. Matt has some special powers that makes him so valued. His blood is priceless. He finds out that his guardian is a witch and on the dark side. She agreed to foster Matthew so that she could kill him and use his blood to do evil. Matt manages to escape with the help of his super powers. He even manages to kill the witch.

An interesting read. Once you pick it up, you can never put it down.

Book Review - Bog's Child ( School Assignment )

This story is about a boy named Fergus. He found a dead girl in a bog when he was digging for peat in the mountain with his Uncle Tally. After the corpse was sent for a test, he found out that the body was close to 2000 years old.

The child was actually murdered by one of the most cruel forms of punishment - hanging. The dead child actually spoke to Fergus in his dreams, telling him how she was murdered and the reason why.

The child, named Mel, was acused of murdering a person. She was made the scapegoat and as such, was sent to the gallows.

The boy, Fergus, actually has a brother who is on a hunger strike in prison. He is put under a lot of pressure as he has a driving test, a major exam, the constant worry of his brother ( who eventually slips into a coma ) and the secret of the bog child which remained unknown to him until the very last chapter. He also has to cope with the death of his friend.

An interesting read. I would recomend this book to those who are of a mature age as the language might be a little to strong for some young readers.

Nike Mercurial Superfly

Tom held his breath and opened his birthday present. He wanted to get those Nike Mercurial Superfly football boots.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Theo Walcott and Alexandre Pato all wore Superfly.

Tom tearing off the wrapping paper, revealed a shoe box. His heart beat accerlated. He lifted the lid. It was a Nike Mercurial Superfly.

Beaten

A young cheetah, Speed, walked with its head hung low, towards its enclosure in the zoo.

Exhausted after its race, it lay on the floor.

“What's wrong?" asked Dash.

"With this blistering hot weather in Jamica and my disappointing loss, I'm feeling lousy," Speed replied.

"Whom did you lose to?"

"Usain Bolt, who else?”

55 Words

Parents' Review on my Electronic Bookshelf

Well one thing quite obvious is that you have read the whole Harry Potter series. It is not bad to read Harry Potter, but it would be better if you could read more varieties of books.

Other than the books you read during you Language Arts class in school, you have heeded my advice and have gone to you school's library to read books. I am pleasantly surprised to know that you have been reading the "TIME" magazine in your school. It is a very good magazine. It keeps you up to date with the current affairs around the world. Another magazine which I think you have forgotten to add to your electronic bookshelf is "Readers' Digest". I know that you have been reading it.

Now that you are young, you may want to indulge yourself in lots of fiction and fantasy because as you grow older, you will find that you will have less time to read books.

It seems to me that you electronic bookshelf have quite a small number of books as compared to your Language Arts teacher. It is really a world of a difference. I want you to aspire to be like your teacher and read widely and deeply. Happy reading my son!



Check out my electronic bookshelf at: http://weread.com/profile/Sean/845E661B-BB16-40D0-9A85-ACE693290BD0?con_sandbox=booksiread&container_type=booksiread

Mother's Memorable Read ( Part of the Book )

Well actually this whole book is really good, but I will just read my mother's favourite part.

"Happiness begins with wisdom and understanding others. So if you you're really interested in being a happier person, then you must make up your mind to become a wiser person. It's the only way"

As I have mentioned, in my previous blog post, this book is meant to be read in 30 days. So at the end of every chapter, there is a quote of the day. One quote was written by Oprah Wrinfey.

Follow your instincts. That is where true wisdom manifests itself.-Oprah Winfrey

If anyone is interested in this book, please feel free to approach me.

Mother's Memorable Read

When I asked my mother which book had impacted her most, she took a long time to find the book. Simply because she had read many books. There were countless books that had made an impact in her life. There were books that inspired her, books that motivated her, books that lifted her up when she was down. After much thought and deliberation, and many hours of flipping through her private collection of books, she finally found the book that made the greatest impact on her.

The book was titled "Happines is... a way of mind, a way of life". It was written by A.R. Bernard. There was this phrase in the book that really stuck in my mother's head. "Money can't buy happiness, but happiness may buy money." As stated by the book, we, humans are quick to equate money with happiness, no matter how many times we hear otherwise.

Is money the most important thing in the world? NO! Happiness is the most important thing in the world. This book actually has 30 chapters. My mother was supposed to read a chapter a day for one whole month. After reading a chapter, she was to spend a few minutes to reflect and think of the things that she had read.

The aim of this book is to transform you from an average person to one who lives life to the fullest and enjoys life. In short, this book will make you a happier person. My mother definitely changed. She went from an easily irritated woman to one who was more understanding. Being less irritated, she was definitely a happier woman.

My mother felt that this was the book that impacted her the most as not many books can actually change a person within 30 days. However, she told me that in her mini library of books there were other books that also made an impact on her. I am really interested to find out more about them. As for this book that made the most impact on my mother, my mother says, "Read It".

Track and Field Nationals 2009 (Results)

My 200m race was on Monday. Let me tell you more about my race.

The atmosphere at Choa Chu Kang stadium was tense everyone was nervous. ( I have included a picture though I am not in it. ) I received my shirt tag. the number was "499". Just 1 hour before my race, I received news from my coach that I was running in lane 1. Bad News! As you know in a 200m race, a runner runs a route compromised of a curved and straight route. As lane 1 was the most inner lane, it no doubt had the steepest curve, making it the hardest to run of all lanes. If only I was in another lane, I am sure I would have been able to get a faster timing.

You must be really dying to find out my results right? I ran my 200m race in 28.08 seconds. A new personal best. I managed to shave off 0.82 seconds from my previous personal best timing of 28.9 seconds. That is quite a big improvement. Unfortunately I did not make it to the semi-finals. Just for your information, the difference between every runners' timing was 0.01 seconds. Just imagine that!

Let me narrate to you how I felt while running. When I started off, I was full of energy, leaping from the starting blocks. I easily managed the steep curve and thundered down the straight route. I have never felt so good before with the wind blowing against you face. There was actually no wind, but I was travelling so fast that I could hear the air roar in my ears as I sprinted towards the finishing line. I felt like the boy named, Zebra. Zebra is a character in a story I recently read during Language Arts class. Like me, Zebra loves running. Back to my race. Many of my track friends came to support me. According to them, they were cheering and shouting their lungs out. However, I did not hear them. I think I was travelling too fast to hear them. Remember I told you the wind was roaring in my ear? Anyway I would like to thank them for all their support from the bottom of my heart.

Next Thursday is the track and field grand finals. I really hope that we will once again as for the past 18 years be crowned the champions. It really means a lot to us to continue this legacy and not let all our seniors' sweat and tears go to vain. Good luck to all our Trackers!

Track and Field Nationals 2009

The annual track and field nationals is just round the corner. I am so nervous. I am representing the school in the C-boys 200m sprint.

In case you do not know, A-boys are the JC1s and JC2s, B-boys are the Sec3s and Sec4s and of course as you would have guessed C-boys are the Sec1s and Sec2s.

My event is on the first day of this whole almost two-week long competition. It is on Monday, 13 March. I feel kind of unprepared as I have not been training for the past one week as I was quite ill. I was more than happy to go back to training yesterday. With only two trainings left to prepare myself, I really hope that I will do well. My school's track and field team has been clinching the top place for 18 years in a row already. This year will be our 19th. I am confident that this year we will emerge champions again.

I heard that on the 23rd (Finals) all the Sec1s will go and cheer for our school. I am really looking forward to that day. We will all feel so proud when we stand and sing the school song as our school's track and field captain lifts the championship trophy. Just like how our seniors did for the past 18 years.

Sean, you will do well as usual so don't worry too much.

Confessions of a Runner

>200m

I always feel nervous before I sprint a distance of more than 200m. It makes my stomach go feeling all weird. It is a phobia I have after I ran a 300m distance earlier this year.

It was one of the worst experience I ever had. Halfway through my 300m race, I could not feel my legs and my hands. My whole body was numb and my body felt like a machine than just kept accerlating. There was no feeling at all. No pain. No exhaustion. Nothing...

However, after crossing the finishing line, when my leg muscles were not so worked up anymore, the pain then set in. It was a pain so terrible that my fellow trackers and I could only stumble on the floor and gasp for breath. It was a living hell.

Ever since, I have always feared races above 200m be it during training or competitions. Even when I run a 200m I still feel a little nervous though not so bad. I guess I will just have to train more. Hopefully, this phobia will soon go away.

Differentiated Assignment

Linguistic: Philip’s final blog! Philip writes his final entry before leaving for his new school, Washington Academy. What makes this interesting are the responses he receives from: Coach Jamison, Miss Narwin, Superintendent Albert Seymour and Mr. Lunser. Each one is very strong in his/her viewpoint. (tone)

This blog post is written with me assuming the character, Philip Malloy. This is going to be “my” final blog entry before “I” leave for “my” new school, Washington Academy. This is in reference to “Nothing but the Truth" by Avi.

Most of the kids in Harrison High hate me. They tease me and call me names making me feel awful. Allison and Todd even wanted to get a petition going to get me to say that I was wrong. Worst of all, Brian told Ken who told me that Coach Jamison gave Allison and Todd the idea to start the petition. Of all people why Coach Jamison? I am not going to apologise to Miss Narwin. I am not in the wrong. I do not know why all the kids are treating me this way. It is best that I transfer to another school. I will be going to Washington Academy. I really hope that life there will be better.

Responses from Coach Jamison, Miss Narwin, Superintendent Albert Seymour and Mr Lunser

Coach Jamison: Philip, I wanted you to admit that you were wrong as if you apologised to Miss Narwin, she would forgive you and you would be able to go back to her Literature classes. With you back in her class, you can ask her for more work and you might be able to join the track team. I really want you on the team. You are a rare talent. It is a such a pity that you have decided to transfer to another school. Anyway I wish you all the best in your new school.

Miss Narwin: Philip, whatever you decision is, I respect it. Let us both put this matter behind us and move on with life. I wish you all the best in your new school. Do not be angry with your friends. They were just trying to support me. Please remember what I said and put this matter behind you.

Superintendent Albert Seymour: It is good to know that you have decided to start life afresh in a new school. It might do you a lot of good if you forget about this incident and enjoy your life in you new school.

Mr Lunser: Hey Phil, I am sad to know that you will be going to another school. I have always liked you. Please do not hold a grudge against the kids. They just wanted you to apologise to Miss Narwin. I am sorry to have called you Uncle Sam. If that hurt you please forgive me.

Personal Best Record for 100m

13.48s

Last Saturday, I went for this 100m race at Bukit Gombak Stadium. When I reached there, it was packed with people from Nanyang, Cedar and RI.

When it was my turn to run, I could feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach. However I was not as nervous as my other friends, maybe my stomach had fewer butterflies than them.

I was actually running with a guy from NJC. He was in JC1. I took a look at him and knew that I definitely could not emerge champion in my heat. He was so tall and well built.

When I heard the gunshot, I leapt from the blocks. My whole mind was in a flurry. As I neared the finishing line, I bowed slightly so that my head could touch the finishing line. It is kind of like in the Olympics where you see all the sprinters use their heads to finish off. I was surprised to know that I was first in my heat.

According to my friends, the JC1 guy and I were travelling at the same speed until the 50m mark. They said they did not know what overcame me but I suddenly picked up speed and reached the finishing line close to 10m ahead of the JC1 guy. My timing-13.48s. It was my new personal best.

My coach told me that in April, I would be representing the school in the nationals. I will be running a 200m race. I really hope I can do well.

Reflection on Blog for Term 1

After one term of starting and maintaining a blog, I feel that my writing skills have definitely improved. Though it may not be a significant improvement it is still something to rejoice about.

What I like about blogging is that it is like an electronic diary open to the whole world to see. I can also put pictures on my blogs and decorate it in anyway I like. This makes it very personalised. As for now, I have no dislikes about blogging and I do not see a reason why I should dislike blogging now or even in the future.

Well I think this method used to improve our command of the English language does not need any improvements. I would say that this is a very unique way and not many teachers use blogging to help their students improve their language. I am happy with this user-friendly way of finding out my blog topic on my English teacher's blog.

I feel that with you knowing my reading habits and having access to my electronic bookshelf, you will understand me better. As quoted by my English teacher, "Interests kind of say it all".

I am currently reading this book titled "The Book of Rules". It is a book explaining the rules of different sports. As I am going for my track and field competition next Saturday on the 14 of March, I thought that this book would be useful in helping me to familiarise myself with the rules. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find the book on weread.com.

To view my electronic bookshelf, feel free to visit the link below:

http://weread.com/profile/Sean/845E661B-BB16-40D0-9A85-ACE693290BD0?con_sandbox=booksiread&container_type=booksiread

Narrative and Graphics My Connections

First, let me start off by stating the definitions of narrative and graphics.

Definition of a narrative novel:
1. A story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.

2. A book, literary work, etc., containing such a story.

Definition of a graphic novel:
1. A graphic novel may be classified as a picture book, but graphic novels employ some other elements that distinguish them. In particular, they use sequential frames of pictures, with or without written text, to tell a story. Predominant sequences of panels and gutters throughout a narrative indicate that the text is a graphic novel.

In my opinion, both narrative and graphics are similar in a way that they both can tell a story. A narrative appears to have all the information. Thus, we may not be able to form our own ideas. The reader will not have a chance to view the story in his own way. However, in graphics, there are no words and just pictures. This "forces" the reader to interpret what the pictures are actually trying to show. Some readers will like this as this allows them to find out what the story really is about themselves.

I think that the only connection between both narrative and graphics is the fact that they both tell a story. Other than that, they don't seem to have any other things in common.

For graphic novels, different people will come up with different interpretations of the pictures. This explains why there is this famous phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words".

My preferred learning habits:

1. Logical (Number Smart)

2. Intrapersonal (Myself Smart)

3. Interpersonal (People Smart)

My Reading Habits

I read a wide variety of books from magazines to novels and of course newspapers. A typical day in my school usually starts off with a solid 20-minute reading period. This reading period is considered sacred. We read the day's newspapers, allowing ourselves to keep up with the world news. During recess if I have time, I will read the month's issue of "Reader's Digest". After school it is just homework, homework and homework so as you can see I really have no time to even sit down for an hour to do some reading.

However, when the weekends come, it is rest and relax. I am able to settle comfortably in my sofa, grab any book that gets my attention and savour it. The books can range from IT magazines to sports magazines to any book I buy from the bookshop. Sometimes I even read story books that goes like this " One fine day, little pig went out to play and he saw a............" Yes, it is childish but guess who I read it to? I read it to my toddler sister of course! She loves to listen to stories. Although she has yet to learn to talk properly, she seems to understand the story.

I really miss the good old days in Primary school when we had more time to spare for leisure reading. I remember reading picture books and stories about animals. Well, those times are now history. We should make do with whatever little time we have now and cultivate a love for books.

Want to check out some of the books I have read?

Go to the link below.

http://weread.com/profile/Sean/845E661B-BB16-40D0-9A85-ACE693290BD0?con_sandbox=booksiread&container_type=booksiread

My New Spike Shoes

Last Friday I went to buy new spike shoes. All my track seniors who wore the same shoe gave good comments about it.

This shoe uses "Christmas Tree" spikes. I don't know why the spikes are called "Christmas Tree" spikes but they do look like "Christmas Trees". There are other types of spikes out there.

A review from http://www.eastbay.com/ :

The ASICS Turbo Phantom is an elite track spike for events from 200
to 800 metres, including 110/300/400 metre hurdles. The synthetic
leather and mesh upper is specifically designed to assist and support
the athlete's foot on the turn. Hook-and-loop closure adds a
customized supportive fit. Polymetric monodensity spike plate with
removable spikes offers a stiff platform for sprint efficiency. A
SharkDuo® heel outsole provides traction for hurdling.
This shoe is an ideal 400/800 metre shoe due to its lightweight upper
and soft midsole. It really stands out as a hurdle spike and with its
hook-and-loop strap across the upper forefoot; the Turbo Phantom
offers great stability.

I just cannot wait for my training this Friday so that I can try on my new shoes. Tell me what you think about my shoe.

"Why Did I Do It?"

This blog post is written as a diary entry with me assuming the character, Philip Malloy, after his first day at his new school. This is in reference to "Nothing but the Truth" by Avi.

Today was horrible. I learnt from my new principal that there was no track team in my new school. During Homeroom period my teacher, Miss Rooney, even asked me to lead the class in the singing of the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". I did not know why, but I burst into tears and told her that I did not know the words. This is really embarrassing and I do not know how to face my teachers and classmates tomorrow. They must be wondering why "America's Number 1 patriot", who made the headlines for being punished, as he was patriotic, does not even know the lyrics for his own national anthem. This is the worst day of my life...

My first two weeks as a Secondary 1

It was a bit tough to adjust to the new surroundings. My school is huge. Walking from my class to the canteen takes about five minutes. It was a bit tough realising that you have six subjects to study.

My school is so cool. For assemblies, we sit in comfortable cushioned chairs in an air-conditioned auditorium.

It is quite tiring joining track and field as I have training thrice a week. I am in sprints so training is very exhausting. Life in my school is tough but I know I will be able to overcome all the challenges. I know I can do it.