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.