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This is Ong Yan Zhe from Class 2I3, index 20:D

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Comments

Monday, 22 August 2011

Below are the links to all my 10 comments. Thank you.

http://calcal1997.blogspot.com/2011/08/mp-penny-low-apologises-for-behaviour.html
I personally feel that with the National Anthem played, as a proud Singaporean, the only thing she could have done is to respect the occasion and sing along with the anthem. By texting, it is utterly disrespectful and thus insensitive. I feel that to bring this issue to the school level, while the national anthem is played, many of our classmates are often caught fooling around. Some of them are pushing and shoving each other during the anthem or purposely singing the wrong lyrics as a joke. This is as bad as, if not worse than MP penny low's actions as there is simply no justification.

http://chuachengtat.blogspot.com/2011/05/ride-in-right-direction.html
Personally, I am quite cynical about the MP's actions, I feel it is an effort into pleasing the public, but rightfully so as he aims to gain the public's trust in the few weeks in charge. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with Singapore's transport system and thus ministers cannot be held responsible. I refuse to join in the bandwagon of complaining about packed public transport. Having had the privilege of going overseas to Japan, the MRTs there are much more crowded, having to hire staff to push people into the carriage during peak hours. Besides, as compared to neighbours Malaysia, Singapore's MRT is also very convenient especially adding in the new circle line and downtown line. Thus, I feel that what people are really complaining about is the influx of foreign talent in Singapore. While I think that foreign talent diversifies and provides economical and social benefits, they definitely have to be controlled to ensure Singapore has the necessary resources to deal with a growing and aging population.

http://chuachengtat.blogspot.com/2011/08/india-education-crisis.html
After reading your article, i feel that Singapore's education has done a good job in a sense that no child is left behind and that every child gets at least primary school education, which would suffice for labour intensive jobs. However, I would like to enquire your personal view on brain drain as a problem having mentioned that,

Indian students are choosing to study aboard in Europe, Australia and New Zealand as the universities there are more attractive. Thus, these students will be working for those countries instead of their home country, India.

Personally, I feel that brain drain is an extremely huge problem. In a small country like Singapore whereby talents are limited, and top students are often going to overseas universities in the United States of America and United Kingdom, it is important that these students come back to serve the country. And one way of doing so, is through scholarship bonds. Another question, is by increasing the enrollment of Universities, will the make the university degree decrease in value. If the country was to be filled with university students, what makes you special?

http://bansiang2i3.blogspot.com/2011/07/future-school-programme-does-it-really.html#comment-form
I personally feel that your post is too subjective. Although i entirely agree that FS@SG is unnecessary if the teacher is forced to incorporate technology into their lessons, it is a waste of time. However, I feel that FS@SG is a welcome break from boring lessons as multimedia on the net allows for a variation in education platforms. This is also inline with the "teach less, learn more" scheme that the government has pushed out in order to make students more independent learners. As a non-gamer myself, I feel that it has benefited my studies and learn things the way I want. For example, in a recent chinese online reading assignment, a story could be expressed in various ways, a picturebook, a essay or thru a storyteller. Such is the different interaction that cannot be achieved during lessons. I feel that ultimately the issue comes back down to discipline, everything has its temptations. During lessons, who says that students do not doze off in class as the teacher tries to pass on her knowledge?

http://bansiang2i3.blogspot.com/2011/08/bullying-name-calling.html
Having read your post, I think you should consider that perhaps bullying is not solely blamed on the bully, but maybe the "victim" too. Sometimes, bullies are aggravated by the victims and thus causing an reaction, which is deemed as bullying. Bullying is a rather subjective term and its meaning can differ from one person to another. For example, if person A was to anger person B and person B reacts by calling person A names. Is that really bullying? Just like everything else, i think there is always two sides to a situation and both parties must be somehow involved. While I admit there is no excuse to bully and that bullies should be punished harshly? It is vital that we also ask, why was I the victim? What did i do wrong?

http://leeliakghee2i310.blogspot.com/2011/07/euthanasia.html
I personally disagree with you, I think that ethical is not very well defined. In my opinion, it is not right to compare euthanasia and the act of committing murder. Euthanasia is only approved assuming the patient is terminally ill and will die in 6 months. And this is after having two doctors' opinions, ensuring its reliability. Murder is not a choice while euthanasia is a self decision knowing that you were gonna die sooner or later with no chance of survival. Thus, it can be implied that the freedom of choice to live is already taken away from you. Hence, I personally feel that euthanasia should be allowed, in order to end the suffering early and not burden his/her family and relatives even more.

http://2i3-12.blogspot.com/2011/08/plagiarism-10.html#comment-form
I think that plagarism is a very evident problem even in secondary schools as students undermine the problem of copy-right issues and the idea of plagarism. While i totally agree with your posts about the two types of people who plagarise, I would like to point out that no matter which time of person you are, plagarism is just not right and hence cannot be accepted. So what if you did not know, it does not make the mistake just as much severe.

http://lwh2i3sec2la.blogspot.com/2011/07/ministerial-pay.html
While I disagree that with a higher ministerial pay, the chance of corruption will drop, I feel that it is important that the Ministers are given high pays.

The ministers are often faced with massive amounts of social pressure, more so than the CEOs of multi-national companies. Thus, with the job that they do, they probably deserve the high pay. That being said, it is important for the public sector to attract the brightest talents in Singapore. If the Ministers are the best talents in Singapore, then they should get the highest pay right? To receive only 2/3 of the private sector's top earners is quite fair.

I feel that the problem is that Ministers are often like celebrities whom people are constantly trying to find fault with. The fact that their pays are well publicised makes the problem worse than it is.

http://2i321.blogspot.com/2011/08/meritocracy.html
I agree that meritocracy is a good system as it encourages people to put in effort and do their best for the work they do. On top of that, it rewards those people who work hard and therefore are deserving.

Assuming everyone was given equal chances and promotion are not purely based on merit, this discourages people to put in effort. Without competition, it is very hard for people to want to change and improve. If people never improve, ultimately the country will be stagnant with no progress while other countries strive for progress. In chinese, 逆水行舟，不进则退。

NOTE: Utilitarianism is a concept where things are done for the greater good for everyone; what you have explained in your post is communism.

http://2i321.blogspot.com/2011/08/stomp.html
I totally agree, STOMP has became a public tabloid site that reflects everything bad that happens in Singapore. Personally, as a student with the recent STOMP appearances our school has been involved in. When i am in view of the public, i have learned to respect my uniform and behave myself in order to not disgrace myself and thus my school.

However, that being said, STOMP has restricted our freedom, and thus stopped me from doing many things. And i feel that it is a bit extreme and is a bit fake. For example, at a concert that is open to public, in uniform, I often find myself not wanting to clap or cheer loudly in order to maintain our school's reputation of well-educated children. Cheering and clapping was meant to be a positive thing, but is now restricted due to unwanted gossip from the public.

I honestly feel that Singaporeans have to be less critical and look more at their own flaws. For example, I would think that the case of a NS men carrying a girl's handbag has got nothing wrong. If it was not sensationalised by the fact that he was a NS men, it would be fine. I am sure we have all seen husband's carrying his wife's handbag and it is their way of showing affection. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Denying Global Warming

Climate change. Global warming. Greenhouse effect. Carbon emissions. These are terms that we find a lot in our current world, when we hear about all sorts of campaigns to stop our Earth heating up. But are we really listening to these advertisements? Are we attempting to prevent climate change from occurring? Or are we actually making things worse? These are questions that I will be addressing in this blog post.

I recently read an article online termed The Inconvenient Truth. Sounds familiar? This was the title of the famous slide show that was presented by Al Gore and his team of scientists, showing people how global warming had been affecting our world, and providing crucial statistics and evidence to prove this. It showed how temperatures have been rising drastically over the previous years, how sea levels have been raised to a very great height, how the amount of ice in the North and South poles have shrunk, and other statistics that made many people amazed yet disgusted at the behaviour of our human civilization that has been ruining the planet. Many started to take the initiative, launching programs such as Earth Hour, Green Day etc. And everyone agreed to do something about this problem, so that the world could come together as one and save itself.

But then others asked themselves one very important question: Is this true? Another journalist named Steve McIntrye read about this slide show and became extremely sceptical. Although McIntrye didn't know much about the complicated science of climate change, he was a software engineer and a long time Debian developer. Thus, he had a huge passion for numbers and had quite an experience in the minerals business. He saw how Al Gore used the same tactics as those people in the minerals business who had tried to trick him before, especially a graph known as the 'hockey stick'. He thus started to launch movement that heavily denied the global warming claim. This movement was formed of people called the "deniers". McIntrye asserted that the data he obtained from Michael Mann, the head of Penn State's Earth System Science Centre, did not support Al Gore's conclusions, and that a true graph of temperatures would actually reveal a cynical sense of recent warming. A cottage industry of amateur climatologists have followed in his footsteps, doing intensive research into the subject, obtaining statistics and trying to disprove Al Gore's theory by demanding information from Al Gore's team of scientists.

The scientists from Al Gore's team have resisted the efforts very fiercely. The case has been fought out in blogs, the Halls of Congress and in deliberations of the IPCC. There have even been cases of e-mails stolen by a side of the battle, resulting in raised questions about scientific objectivity.

To me, I feel that we should be co-operating, not fighting among ourselves, if we want to save our Earth. What's the point of all this battling and arguing? The 'deniers' are particularly at fault. Why can't they simply accept the fact that global warming is affecting us and work with others to find ways to stop this? Why must they insist that the whole procedure is redundant and useless? They are wasting time and resources when they do so. They could even be afraid and cowardly, just unwilling to accept the so-called 'inconvenient truth'. They thus come up with ways to prove that this truth is, well, not the truth and assume that by doing so, they can sit back and watch the world suffer, claiming that it is 'a cynical sense of recent warming'. Is this going to help save our world? My answer is no. We should instead work together, producing a clean and green environment for our world.

Foreign Talent in Singapore

The introduction of foreign talent into our society has always been a controversial and hot issue among locals in Singapore. There is a whole host of reasons for this dislike towards foreigners. Firstly, foreigners are a strain on our already limited resources. They steal the best jobs in our economy from us, they buy homes that should be rightfully ours, and they even occupy space in the MRT every day. Another popular complaint is that they come to Singapore only for short-term benefits. To rephrase this crudely, they take what they need and then leave. Many Singaporeans grumble that foreigners steal our salaries and resources before going back to their home countries. The third and final complaint that is that the quality of the foreign talent coming into Singapore isn't up to standard. Thus, why should we let these foreigners leech from our society, taking our resources, when they do not help us?

But are all these reasons genuine thinking, or are they just prejudiced judgments? Even though some of these concerns are real and have been acknowledged by the government, is Singapore in such great need of foreign talent that we can afford to sacrifice so much for them?

I think that foreign talent is key to Singapore's economic progress and the growth of Singapore's society. The more talent we have in society, the more vibrant and diversified our economy will become. If Singapore only relies on the talent that it can produce from locals, it will not be able to improve. Instead, it will stagnate, and will face increasing competition from the countries around us, eventually getting overtaken by them. For a country like Singapore, with limited resources, it will not do for our economy to depend only on local talent. Only by drawing in foreign talent can Singapore improve and compete with our neighbors.

Another reason why we need foreigners in Singapore is because they provide jobs for us. A statistic released by IM Flash Singapore explained that for every foreign worker employed by their project proponent, 1.5 local jobs were created. Another statistic showed that two-thirds of the technician and manufacturing jobs were done by foreigners. Because of the mass labor force that foreigners provide to drive our economy, it attracts more companies to set up businesses in Singapore, thus providing jobs for local citizens. Foreigners are also good in Singapore because they take up jobs that the locals would not be willing to take up. Maids, construction workers, road sweepers, taxi drivers... the list goes on. These jobs are low-earning, blue-collar jobs that are extremely demanding yet pay very little. The people who take up these jobs are usually left in the doldrums of societal status.

In fact, Singapore has only got to where it is today because of its willingness to open their doors to foreigners. In the 1960s and 1970s, Singapore was one of the few countries in Asia that brought in foreign multi-national corporations from countries in the West, such as Germany, France and America. In contrast, the other countries in South East Asia frowned upon this approach as they did not want "alien" companies to come into their countries and spoil their "nationalistic values". Only countries like Taiwan and Hong Kong had similar approaches as Singapore, and these states are all now extremely successful in the region.

To conclude, Singapore's economy cannot progress without the influx of foreign talent. Only with more talent in our society can we grow and expand. Our economy can also be diversified and more vibrant when we draw in foreigners from all over the world. This will attract more companies to set up businesses in Singapore, thus providing even more jobs for Singaporeans. Issues such as them stealing jobs from us are not really important; two-thirds of the managerial and professional positions are taken up by Singaporeans. And shouldn't we welcome them into our society and help them integrate? After all, they have come to Singapore to become Singaporean. Why shouldn't we help our fellow countrymen by lending them the necessary resources, especially when they help us so much?

Shylock - Villain or Victim?

As the main antagonist of The Merchant Of Venice, Shylock is supposedly a bloodthirsty villain who is out for revenge. But does Shylock really deserve this reputation? This has always been a controversial issue that top literature scholars and graduates cannot seem to come to an agreement to. Tragic victim, or tyrannical villain? Much like the Wittgenstein duck, he seems to be a victim at one moment, and a villain the next.
Portrayed as the bad guy in the plot, why would he be a victim? The irony, however, is that he constantly seems to be a victim of antisemitism. Firstly, he's treated disgracefully by Christians like Salerio, Antonio and Solanio throughout the book, just because he's a Christian. He is frequently mocked by many of the Christian characters, spat on in the streets, and taunted for being a Christian. In Act 1 Scene 3, lines 102 to 124, Shylock accuses Antonio of frequently insulting him. Antonio made fun of his job as a moneylender (line 103, 104) and insulted him, calling him a "misbeliever" and a "cut-throat dog" (line 107, 123). Antonio also spat upon him for being a Jew (line 108, 122). Throughout the play, he is also often referred to as "Jew" rather than his proper name, "Shylock".Yet Shylock had to endure all this mocking without retaliation as "sufferance is the badge of all our tribe". He has been so insulted by Christians that he is almost used to it.
Other than the fact that he is frequently mocked because of his religion, he is also taunted for being a moneylender. Christians are unwilling to do business with him, as they consider his job disgraceful and thus make fun of him for it. However, the fact is that he is unable to do anything about his job. As a Jew, his options for employment are limited to those jobs that are often looked down upon and no one wants to do. This further adds to the impression that Shylock is a victim of antisemitism, and evokes a sense of sympathy towards him.
During the court scene, Shylock is also cruelly punished by the quick and unforgiving tongue of Portia. She shows no mercy towards him, using craftily constructed loopholes and tricks to make his situation become worse and worse. In the end, he is robbed of all his money, without any means of getting it back or earning more money. He is also forced to become a Christian, but won't be accepted by both Christians (because he was only forced into it) and Jews (because he was a former Christian). His daughter, who is all he has after his wife passed away, also leaves him to elope with a Christian and gives away her late mother's ring which deeply saddens him. He is left alone against the world, with no one to support him. In becoming a Christian, he is also coerced into going against everything that he has stood for his whole life.
All this overwhelming evidence surely points towards the fact that Shylock was indeed a victim. Of that there can be no doubt. However, Shylock was also a villain at the same time. He was shrewd, very mercenary, and vengeful.
Firstly, Shylock was a very shrewd person. When discussing the forfeiture of the bond with Antonio, he specifies; "Let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me" ( Act 1 Scene 3, line 143 - 145). He suggests this playfully, such that Antonio will not take it seriously and agree to it without thinking. However, it is really a cunning plan to attempt to murder Antonio, with the law on his side.
Shylock is also very mercenary and materialistic. When Tubal brings him news of Jessica to Shylock in Act 3 Scene 1, he exclaims; "Two thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! Would she hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin!" Shylock would rather have his money and jewels back than his daughter returned. He seems to treat Jessica like a possession rather than a daughter of his own blood. When she runs away with his money, he seems to be more saddened with the loss of his ducats than the loss of his daughter.
Finally, Shylock is very vengeful. When Salerio asks Shylock what good would Antonio's flesh do Shylock if Antonio forfeits the bond, he replies; "If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies," (Act 3 Scene 1, line 49 - 54). The quote clearly portrays Shylock remembering every single thing that Antonio has done to him. He calculates what Antonio has done to him and tries to revenge the wrongs done to him by murdering Antonio. He also deliberately opts for the "pound of flesh" in the forfeiture because he has a grudge against Antonio, and, when the chance comes to get his revenge, he behaves in an extremely undignified and certainly unmerciful way.
In conclusion, there are good cases for both sides of the argument, and it's impossible to call which one wins. I think that his villainous acts cancel out the insults that were directed at him, thus balancing out the argument and the reader's opinion of Shylock as neither sympathetic nor disgusted.

Singapore footballing scene

Two weeks ago, we cheered as the commentators announced, “All square, one apiece it ends. Singapore advance to the third round of the world cup 2014 qualifiers through an aggregate of 6-4.” Time and time again, the Singapore football teams have left the nation gripping. Once, on our way to clinching bronze at the Youth Olympic Games 2010. Another, during the Lion City Cup has the Singaporean teams finished second and third against the youth academies of Everton, Newcastle, Flamengo and Juventus. And lastly, recently the world cup qualifiers against the ASEAN champions, Malaysia. It’s about time we further develop our football scene and get behind our lions.
Firstly, one of Singapore problems is the lack of a crowd, the lack of a big stadium for Singaporeans o show our support. That is one problem solved with the Singapore Sports hub due to be completed in April 2014. Among other sporting facilities, is a 55,000 stadium, and that is like a hundred times larger than the current Jalan Besar’s maximum capacity of 5000. If there was anything that Malaysia won Singapore, it must be the atmosphere that the Malaysians provided. In front of a more than 85,000 cheering fans at the Bukit Jalil stadium, once the Malaysians scored, it could be felt that the momentum shifted as they only needed one more goal to go through.
Secondly, football is a sport that can unite the whole nation. While table tennis is a sport for the Chinese, sepak tekraw is a game for the Malays while cricket is a game for the Indians, football is a sport that every one of all races can participate in. This totally fits Singapore’s identity as a multi-racial society. If we are willing to pay millions of dollars just to secure the rights to watching the Barclays Premier League, Champions League and World Cup, why not support our own local footballers, when they are right in front of us. Why watch on television, when you can watch it live. Why watch the English, when you can watch your own Singaporeans.
Thirdly, the standard of soccer in Singapore has been increasing. Quite obviously, Singapore football has been on the rise with the inclusion of French flair and Japanese steel to the S.League. Meanwhile, an ex-national player like Noh Alam Shah, who cannot keep up with the standards of the league is shipped off to the Indonesian Leagues. The likes of the Korean Super Reds came in runner up in the Singapore cup in 2008 while Brunie DPMM, Etoile FC and Albirex Niigata all won the Singapore League Cup in 2009,2010 and 2011 respectively. With these foreign teams providing an increase in the level of competition, our Singaporean players will naturally play better and better, improving our standards of soccer.
Lastly, there are many young prospects in Singapore. It is no doubt that attacking midfielders always hog the limelight, among those Kaka, Ronaldo, Lampard and Gerrard. Singapore has produced two of its own fine talents, in Adam Bin Swandi and Hanafi Akbar, 15 and 16 respectively. While Adam is a “number 10” player, playing behind the strikers, Hanafi is a left sided winger who likes to drift inwards. Most recently, these two players have caught the eye during the Lion City Cup as they drove their team to success on many occasions, leading to the second and third placed finish. Other than these two, there is still Fandi Ahmad’s two son, Irfan and Ikhsan, 14 and 12 respectively. Both have earned glowing reviews from Europe’s top academies including AC Milan, Valencia, Arsenal and Chelsea. And it does not stop there, with Ilhan, only 9, already showing great potential.
As we bid to qualify into round 4 of the qualifiers for the world cup, we are grouped against China, Jordan and Iraq. With three games to be played at the Jalan Besar Stadium, I look forward to these games and hope that you can join me. It is time to stop ball-watching and get in the game.

Present day leaders should not be judged by what they do in their private lives as long as they are good leaders

I honestly cannot care less about what happens in a present day leaders private lives. I fail to see the connection between a leader’s public image and private life. They are largely contrasting, and a person’s private life does not undermine his achievements. I think that with the development of media, especially web new media which include social sites, expectations of leaders have been extremely unreasonable. However, the way it is reported in the press is unnecessary. Everyone makes mistakes and I would think that such cases should be dealt with in private. It is unfair that the public get their say in the matter solely because of the person’s reputation. I think what is more important as a present day leader is his abilities. Other than that, I think that the way that the media exaggerates information, and cover ups much of the truth in order to sensationalize news which does not allow readers to get the full picture. Quite evidently, it can cause the person much distress seeing as to how these tabloids can distract a leader. In my opinion, the line between private and public should be made clear. Public is strictly defined by the leader’s job and what he does in his field of profession. Private however, includes his family and his friends, which should not be dragged into the picture and thus shamed. As said before, I think that a leader’s private life does not undermine his personal achievements. Thus, I think it is unreasonable that a leader is forced to step down if he is found to be tainted by a scandal in his private life, through means of social pressure. However, I think that, equality must be maintained an assuming, the leader gets convicted of rape, which is against the law, and he should be similarly punished. An example is Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former International Monetary Fund chief, it is no doubt his contribution to the society by bailing out the Greek and Irish economy, but having been plagued with reason scandals, and he was forced into resigning as chief.
For this I am glad that much of Singapore’s papers are broadsheets that offer more concrete facts. I think that reports on private affairs are rather distracting. As of present, my husband is the sole bread-winner of the family and with a salary of $5000 per month, I am glad that we are able to tide it through with the help of the government. By providing an educational scholarship for my two children, it has relieved a considerable financial burden to us. In addition, the medisave account has helped me pay off any medical needs that an elderly might need. In that sense, I more than satisfied with the job our governmental leaders are doing and am glad that our leaders are not as commonly plagued with scandals like in the United States of America.

Rupert Murdoch

The phone-hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch's News Corportation was ironic to say the least. It was like the hunter being hunted. Like scandals about gossipers. Rupert Murdoch's news empire was very much build around his company's ability to get inside scoop and sensationalise news in order to gain profit. For once, though long gone is the fear of Rupert Murdoch's corporation as politicians and the public alike spoke their minds about the matter through various platform like social networking sites. For once, Rupert Murdoch was the one whom the paparazzi was tracking.

But what makes this issue of international significance is the extremes in which media have taken in order to sensationalise stories. Is it too much? What can be done? Why is this so? This are profound questions that will probably not be answered. Firstly, it is important to enquire Rupert Murdoch's motive behind hacking into people's phone. Was it that he did not respect people's privacy or the public's expectations of news have grown so much that it has forced his hand in order to satisfy the public. Is it probably then the lack of control from the government that resulted into such cases, is it the lack of governmental control?

Personally, i feel that while it is obvious that the public's expectations had a part to play, it cannot be blame, it is entirely the public's curiosity. If the class does not want the class to teach, she will still teach the children, as it is her job and the morally right thing to do as she wants to past on her knowledge. In this example, I think Rupert Murdoch's greed and arrogance was ultimately his downfall. His greed to monopolise the industry led him to going to further extreme measures. His arrogance in thinking that he could get away with the crime was also on display. I feel that him and other members of the board involved in the scandal should be punished and charged for invading of privacy. While one can argue that celebrities are the public's role model and their actions are often in full view and the public has a right to know, justifying their high salaries, innocent soldiers' and murder victims' families should be dealt with more sensitivity and they deserve certain levels of respect. They are quite obviously going through a tough period with the deaths and thus would certainly like to sort the matter in the family rather than have the news reporting stories that might not even be true. I can totally imagine the hatred felt by these families as they receive such unwanted nationwide attention when they are innocent and have done nothing wrong. Is it really too much to ask for privacy?

Arranged Marriages

Arranged Marriages might be perceived as a thing of the past. The cliche of romeo and juliet loving each other, only for their parents to oppose the marriage, and soon enough one of the couple is married off to another person he/she does not really love. However, even in the modern society, such ideologies still very much exists. In India, arranged marriage is still practised because the people believed that marriages are arranged in the interests of the family or community, that choosing a partner is too important a step to be left to chance. Parents believe that they know what is best for their children and have the misconception that their children are impulsive youths who might just marry someone who will mistreat him/her and negatively impact the family. Thus, they arrange marriages to ensure that their children's spouses are perfect.

I personally am against arranged marriages. In a modern society where democracy and freedom is very much valued. It would be contradictory, if a personal thing like marriage is up to parents, then when will the child grow up and learn to make decisions and ultimately take responsibility? One of the aims of arranged marriages is ensuring a everlasting marriage for the child, to what is perceived to be a suitable partner. However, if the couple is indeed in love, does it not give the marriage a higher rate of success than one that is not in love? If the marriage ultimately fails, instead of having to blame their parents, the child then has no choice but to take responsibility for the marriage and his actions.

That being said, I think that it is perfectly fine for parents to discuss with their children regarding his/her future partners. In fact, arranged marriages are fine as long as it is not forced onto the child and that the parents assuming have their child's interest in mind. For example, if a parent was to marry off their children for money purposes, it is unjustified. Other than that, unless the child disagrees, there is no reason why arranged marriages cannot succeed as long as both parties give it a chance.

In conclusion, while I feel that a parents opinion is important, a child's one is as important and thus it should be a joint decision made by both the parent and children.

Harry Potter

Sunday, 21 August 2011

As a child, my childhood was very much different from that of my peers, while people of my age obsessed with elmo and pokemon, I rather go out and play soccer with my elder brother and neighbour, I missed out on such things. However, Harry Potter was something that i certainly did not miss. It was very much a big part of my childhood. I remember in 2007, I was only Primary 5 then, and my English was my worst subject, often getting in the 80s. But at the end of year exams, i got a 92, which exceeded my parents standards. As a reward, i was duly rewarded with the $50 dollar 7th and final book of the Harry Potter series. Conventionally, my family would wait for the prices of the book to drop to a more reasonable price, but this time, I was part of the Singapore craze as people fought to get their hands on the book.

7 books and 8 movies later. The journey ends here. Harry Potter and friends have finally come to a conclusion. As the 8th and final epic thriller came to a conclusion, I could not help but feel it was a fitting end. The memory of the red and green missiles shooting out of the wands come to mind. At the end of the day. even after watching the movie in 3D, all things good have to end.

But, the harry potter fandom do not have to end all that soon. Here where fan fiction comes into play. Upon recommendation from TIME, i have started picking up harry potter fanfiction, where fans all over the world get to write their own harry potter books. It contains fanfictions about the "mauraders era", "post-hogwarts" and the "next generation" stories. Fans are given the freedom or writing anything and everything that they feel J.K. Rowling could have elaborated on. Personally, it was fun to read "next generation stories" as I looked forward to how future potters and weasley copes with school life and the game that comes along with their parents. There is in fact a whole website dedicated to harry potter fanfiction, at http://www.harrypotterfanfiction.com/

Harry Potter does not have to stop here. It is a book. It is about imagination. J.K. Rowling simply started the story. But it is your imagination that ends it.

National Day

Saturday, 20 August 2011

9th August. Every year. People sometimes tend to remember it for the two day break it provides from the hectic school life. But more often than not, it should be remembered for its national significance. Everyday we recite the pledge and sing the national anthem. But what does it mean? What does it mean to be a Singaporean?

To me, the most significant part of being a Singaporean is our multi-racial and multi-religious society. There are Chinese, Malay, Indians, Christians, Buddhist and Muslims. Singaporeans are always going to remember the way the MRT is constantly buzzing with different people speaking different languages. They way we celebrate all racial and religious holidays as a form of respect.

The second aspect is the food culture and the idea of Singapore being a football paradise. In Singapore, all types of food are found. Whether it is Japanese cuisine, Korean Cuisine, Chinese food, Malay food, Indian food, all are available for choice. To focus more specifically, chinese food like the hainanese chicken rice, which is not actually sold in hainan, is uniquely found in Singapore, a mix of fragrant rice and chicken. Malay food like the nasi lemak is also special, with coconut rice and ekan bilis and fried fish mix together. Then there is the Indian food, which is known for the indian head curry, which is especially delicious. Such a variety of food is unrivalled throughout the world, and hence, makes Singapore special.

Lastly, it is Singapore's sporting culture. Singapore is a sport-crazy country. While we have excelled at table tennis, it is mainly a chinese sport. What truly unites the country, is soccer. Whenever our lions play, the Jalan Besar Stadium will have a influx of human traffic, more packed than ever. This year, as we bid to qualify in the World Cup 2014 for the first time, much of the same is expected.

August 9 will always be a special day for Singaporeans no matter where you are.

Softball competition

Monday, 1 August 2011

Throughout the whole of term 3, I was heavily involved in the C Division Softball Competition, which took a lot out of me as i was constantly lagging behind in terms of work. I had to come back to school and complete all my homework and do all my revision in time. The lack of time and the stress of exams and competition piling up, probably compromised my results.

Throughout the whole season, there were many ups and downs. At the start, it was all easy going, as we were a seeded team having finished in the top 4 last year (which means we are supposed to get drawn against the lousier teams). The highs and lows were clear as day. The highest point must be when we fought through a close game against montford eventually winning 7-6. It was a tough game as the opposition coach was shouting during the course of the game as a form of intimidation. It was essential that as a player, you have to shut out all other sounds to concentrate on the game. Although I made a few early mistakes that added pressure on our team, I recovered well and helped bulldoze our team past the finish line.

The low was definitely the injury that kept me out of the second round and also my place as second base. The injury was very unfortunate as the ball hit my finger, causing it to bleed. It was definitely not something I had hoped for. 16 months of training that might have gone to waste. Another low point was the nervousness of playing in the semi-finals and also having to adapt to a new position in the semi-final. Eventually, many balls were hit to right field, of which I was made to chase lost-causes and pressured into mistakes.

I think the biggest take-away is dealing with pressure and also adapting to changes. I think with my injury, it was always likely that I would be replaced by replacement second base, after he played so well throughout the second round. There was also added pressure as I get thrown into a new position in the semi-finals in a game with such importance. Other than that, I had to be flexible and adapt to changes. It is unrealistic to think that things will be as it is and remain unchanged. We have to constantly adapt, while eventually I was not put to play in the third place playoff, I still feel that I did my part by cheering loudly from the sidelines.

The real story behind Mississippi Burning is in the news!

Sunday, 26 June 2011

1)For minor crimes, most states have a “statute of limitations” that prohibits bringing charges when a certain period of time has elapsed since the crime.
When it comes to serious crimes, is it right for the justice system to pursue criminal charges several decades after the crime is said to have occurred?
I think that it is important to pursue criminal charges several decades after the crime is said to have occurred since the mistake has already been made and it is important that the person is held responsible. The state cannot be one that chooses to run away from the problem just because it has passed a long time ago and brings back bad memories, instead we should face up to the problem and make sure justice is done.
2)Reporting for The Times on the conviction of Edgar Ray Killen in 2005, Shaila Dewan wrote, “While some in Neshoba County [Mississippi] said it was too late and too painful to revisit the episode, others thought that in doing so, the county might find redemption.”
What do you think: was the state’s image “rehabilitated”?
I think the state’s image was “rehabilitated” because it shows that the state is willing to face up to its problems instead of running away from the situation at hand. It also shows that the fact that the state is willing to punish the criminals shows that the state is one that cares about the law, of which right and wrong are clear.
3)How much do you know about the civil rights era in general?
I do not really know anything much until after I saw the movie Mississippi burning whereby it was an insight to the life during the civil rights area. The book To Kill A Mockingbird also helped to further emphasise the racial inequality between the blacks and the whites. Furthermore, doing a comic earlier this year about Rosa Parks was all I knew about the civil rights era in general.

June holidays.

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

June holidays is two and a half weeks away. Half a week more of exams collection, 1 week of learning of Chinese chess. And a last week of IDS and IH exam.

June would be a perfect opportunity for me to rest and finally catch up on some sleep, and end what is turning out to be a very bad term two. Currently, my MSG is on the rise, something one would expect if he dropped from a2 to c6 for IH and a1 to b3 for science. People could probably argue that i have not studied hard enough. But i beg to differ. It was more like not studying smart. In fact, science and IH are two subjects i studied the hardest for, with 9 and 15 pages worth of notes. Unfortunately, quite commonly, all these gone to waste with a simple mistake in test or the inability to apply knowledge in tests.

I look forward to the June Holidays as it would mean intense softball training on alternate days, that is to say Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for training as we look to prepare for our competition in july and hopefully, win the championship, the greatest prize for a sportsman. It would also mean the ability to catch up with my old school friends, as that is when we meet. Essentially, it means having time to do things i like, for example play soccer with friends. More significantly though, it enables me to spend time with my family. For much of the school terms, invitations to dining out were rejected due to me and my brother's busy schedules. June would provide a respite away from work and studies.

After all, life is not all about work. It is about play, too. Right?

CSM!

CSM is just around the corner, 4 more days to go, which is this friday? Are you game?!

I am actually really interested in CSM since my friend, Lee Kay Han from class 2i4 is in charge of it. For me, since i am not particularly good at running or swimming, it provides as a opportunity to catch up with many of my old friends. Coming from Nanyang Primary, i am sure to have many friends at the CSM. I remember we used to meet often to go back to Nanyang last year, however much of it has not been carried out this year. The last time we met was during chinese new years.

Looking back now, Primary School was a period of bliss and innocence where we did not know very much, but thought we knew. Friends were like a given, and people go out often to loiter around with nothing much in mind. Nowadays, with all the work and projects, we are often caught in a fight against time. Reliving the past memories would sure be worth it. For that, i look forward to the CSM.

Osama. DIED?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q6JY1_h1Uo&feature=relmfu

I refer to the above video as to how osama died.

Osama's death was a huge milestone and shock at the same time interrupting the chain of events already affecting the middle east with the revolution. Besides, it proved to be really shocking as there was no talk about it anywhere, in a way it was a silent mission.

There has been much conspiracies that involves Osama's death. One of which was the fact that it was used as a conspiracy to heighten president obama's image in the minds of other american citizens. The fact that the body has already been buried, supposedly due to religion issues, disallows for any proof of his death.

Irregardless, assuming osama is indeed dead, the world has taken a huge step into eradicating terrorism, which is perhaps long and impossible. Since 9/11 the world has never been the same with added security in and around airports, and also the introduction of more sophisticated system to traded intelligence worldwide. Although osama was the main target, terrorism is by no means gone. In fact, it could prove to fuel the terrorists' vengeance. Just like a company, terrorist groups needed a media correspondent, it is possible that the true mastermind has not been revealed. Thus, we should never let out guards down, thinking that terrorism was one of the past. It probably will always be present in our fight against evil.

iLeague

As you probably have heard, my passion for iLeague was probably my downfall. Committing a serious offense, and a major embarrassment of my life, something i would not like to be reminded of, but that does not mean iLeague meant nothing to me anymore. In fact, it means alot, its not just about soccer, its about class bond and class commitment. Just like representing your school in a CCA, iLeague is just on a slightly scale.

I remember the way i sobbed as Dr Hon lectured me, and i pleaded for him to allow me to meet Mr Sung only after the game. But i guess the tears fueled my passion and performance. The game flew by in a breeze eventually. To start things off, I dribbled past the whole 2i4 defense to score a goal. The keeper could have to shoulder the blame, but it was a game. After countless opportunities in scoring another with me hitting the post, and blocking out whatever 2i4 had to throw at us, a unfortunate lapse of concentration meant 2i4 sneaked a goal in before the end of the game. Hence, we shared the spoils. However a draw might not have been a bad thing considering 2i4 were favorites to win the tournament. More significantly, it meant something more.

This year's iLeague seems to have a different feel compared to last years. I remember last year, where despite not being captain, i was in a way, doing all the dirty work. We struggled really to form a team of 5 every week. Absent-minded as you like, i never failed to turn up everyday, trying to convince reluctant people to turn up. It seemed playing soccer was an added burden. Young and innocent, i felt stressed to play well, a need to prove myself as a representation of the class. However, this year was a contrast with a higher energy level that i look forward to. Hopefully, much will remain the same. Last year started off with a 1-0 loss to 2i4, hopefully with a different start this year, it would mean a different ending too(;

Post-elections reactions

In response to the nation-wide affair as large as the general elections 2011, said to be the most competitive election in Singaporean history and the social media elections, i would like to reflect now, as the elections end. In this post, I would like to address the flaws with the GRC system, the huge publicity received regarding Nicole Seah and Tin Pei Ling and lastly, Mr George Yeo.

Firstly, i would think that the GRC system is a huge flaw which groups a number of people together. One for all, all for one. This would mean that the public does not have full power of their vote. Assuming they wanted to vote for one GRC member, they had to vote for all. Assuming they hated one GRC member, they had to give their vote awy to all the opposition members. This does not allow for a one-on-one duel between these politicians, allowing for lousier party members to be a minister of parliament while dragging down the better politicians. If one was truly good enough to be elected, such a GRC system should be demolished. Even if the government wanted to bond the members of parliaments with the community in which they are in charged with, is it not possible that members of parliament get voted in irregardless of party. That is to say, a voter can vote for 4 PAP members and one opposition member?

he GRC system is then largely relevant to the Nicole Seah vs Tin Peh Ling issue. Despite Tin Peh Ling being a hwa chong student, quite obviously Nicole Seah seems more fitted to be a politician, solely based on the fact that she knows what to say at the right time. The problem here is that while Nicole Seah single-handedly gained a significant amount if not half or more of the Singapore Democratic Party's vote in Marina Parade, the PAP team led by Goh Chok Tong, is obviously the more capable team.
Then, the question arises? Is the system then at fault for this?

Another side opinion is the loss of Mr George Yeo today. In my honest opinion, i find that he has fulfilled his duties as a foreign minister and till today, i fail to comprehend why people want him out. Perhaps, he was just unlucky. It was not so much
about him not doing a good job, but Singaporeans felt a need for an opposition. As he announced his retirement from politics these few days, i cannot help but feel that Singapore has lost one of its brightest talents who could potentially get promoted as he is only in his fifties.

msjianglai

Recently, there has been much fanfare about a certain ms jiang lai's blog, along with her personal comments. From a small matter involving her personal opinion on ACS guys being good boyfriends, it became public knowledge as it was published on the new paper.
It came to my astonishment then, when the matter soon centered around Hwa Chong boys and Soh Hwa Jin, a fellow Hwachong-ian. Personally, i think this matter is another prime example of the cyber danger in this committee.

We have no idea of her motive. I cannot really see why defaming Hwa Chong, along with Dr Hon, would do any good. If anything, its going against the law and thus contradicts her bid to graduate from law school. Therefore, i conclude she is doing this for publicity, something in which she probably has succeeded. Other than that, probably an obvious sexual attraction to younger boys and girls from elite school, which leads me to think that she probably has her personal grievances.

However, that amounts to nothing and I personally think that we should not entertain her public plea for attention. Admittedly, i was one of many talking about her blog postings both on the net and in reality, however, with the matter long over, i hope that others would do the same. I remain bemused by the secondary one students' reaction to her forthcoming around a month ago. Sincerely, i hope that Hwachong-ians like me would practice some maturity and stop reading her blog while she publishes about her love for Lee Kuan Yew and other young teenagers.

Should people adopt pets instead of giving birth to children?

I think that having Children is better than having Pets like dogs. Compared to pets, children are physically stronger and more abled. Pets cannot play sports. Even with Frisbees, pets like dogs can only it catch with their mouth, instead of hands.

More significantly, children, unlike pets, have a mind of its own, thus enabling social interaction, something that you are unable to do with pets. Having minds of their own allows them to make their own decisions, instead of doing as you say.

Children also have a longer lifespan, which means that, you get to build up a relationship with the child. Unlike dogs, where every few years, the old one dies and is replaced by another pet. As a parent, this provides a greater sense of satisfaction. Children is the second generation of their parents, dogs are just pets that die every now and then. Able to pass on family traditions and line.

Hence, i believe that we should still give birth instead of adopting pets.

Should Singlish be recognized as an official language in Singapore?

In this topic, we must recognize that to be an official language it means having to be accepted by the government as a language. This means, that instead of it just being spoke casually, it is a form of official communication in the civil service. Singlish is essentially English modified due to the different cultures in Singapore, therefore, singlish likely includes Malay, Indian, and dialect languages. Besides, singlish is without rules and regulations, thus there are zero rules of communication. Singlish is then unable to be comprehended by foreigners. As such, it is impossible that the government recognize it as an official language, since this would not enable us from communicating with other countries in this world effectively. For example, “Eh, walk faster or else late liao. Later kena scolded by Ms Tan” Essentially, this sentence is calling meant to tell the other person to walk faster in order not to be late, which would result in a scolding by Ms Tan. However, the use of liao and kena make it hard to comprehend. Other than that, the lacks of linking words make it confusing too. Can you imagine the embarrassment we would bring to our country by speaking singlish in formal occasions, especially with foreigners? Obviously distinguishable as the English language, the modification of such a language would not be permitted by the English and Americans. As both the United Kingdom and the United States of America yield more influence, our country would be viewed as a laughing stalk.
Therefore, I believe that singlish should not be recognized as an official language.

However, i can understand why others would want to recognize Singlish as a official langauge. Many people consider languages as a huge part of national identity, only with a common language, can the country truly be united, without room for misunderstandings. Even though Singapore is said to have a common English language, it is still not practiced within races. Singlish could prove to break the barrier of communication. Singlish combines the culture and language of all races together, easing different races to a common language. Also, it could prove to be Singapore’s sense of national identity, easily distinguished. Can you imagine going overseas to hear someone speaking Singlish, knowing that you have countrymen around you? How relieving will that be?

Rally reflections

On a day where more than 22 men took the field, on a day where football didn’t do the talking but yet it was thousands of people, waiting to be heard, trying to identify themselves with politicians deemed a class above at the Bedok Stadium. The day was an exciting one for me, even though it was slated to start at 7; I reached at 5:30 anticipating a large crowd. True enough, the stadium flooded with more people than a football game could have attracted. Due to my upbringing, I had thought that the opposition was merely a bunch of uneducated citizens that whined about their personal own inability. I had thought that the people who went to such rallies wasted their time. It seemed a straightforward decision to young and innocent children like me that the People’s Action Party was the best. I was of course proven wrong, people of different walks of life gathered around, on a Saturday night where income and occupation was not a matter of comparison. Everyone was entitled to their own opinion, and the opposition leaders just served as conveyers, or at least pretended to be.

One of the things that the Opposition made sure to do well was to involve the whole community. Commonly used in such occasions was the use of the dialect language, to the older citizens, this served as a reminder of their importance and significance to the society, it was also their way of feeling a sense of belonging. The fact that Malay and Indian representatives were there to speak in their mother tongue, made sure every part of Singapore was well-represented. Also, the reminder of history was also a huge part of their campaign. Track-record as they called it, the Worker’s Party stirred a few emotions linking back to the David Marshall days, and supposedly being in parliament every year since 1981. Also, they created a “sense” of support by having people standing in and around the compound waving the Worker’s Party’s flag and screaming their chants in support.

Lastly, the Worker’s Party crucially expressed itself as one of the citizens and maintained a cynical attitude towards both government speeches and policies. This helped express the sentiments of the public. In the hours long of speeches, the Worker’s Party’s centered on a few main points. Firstly, the Worker’s Party rubbished the recent grow and share package to that of giving $1 and taking back $2 in return. They analogies it to giving a fruit and taking the fruit tree from the citizens. An example widely used was the Goods and Services Tax hike after the last election. Secondly, they went on to talk about that of cost of living, bringing about the idea of income inequality. This was proven as statistics prove that bottom ten percent of households by 13.6% while the rest of the population rises by 2000. Next, the worker’s party went on to question the People Action Parties’ leadership position? Are they bias? Are they too comfortable, increasing their income to around 1.2 million for a minister. Besides, they also talked about that of foreign labour and how it affects job competition and also housing prices too. They attacked Mr Mah Bow Tan’s housing policies on the fact that he was raising the prices of housing like private property, making people to mortgage their houses for 30 years. They also mentioned on how the merging of SBS and SMRT, Singapore’s two transportation companies would help save costs. The most interesting part for me was seeing these politicians attacked Mr Lim Swee Say of the East Coast GRC who claimed to retire by the next GRC.

After listening to the whole rally, a feisty day where emotions were flying high, I must admit I was pretty swayed. But upon reconsideration, just like integrated humanities, it is important to judge the reliability of a source. Well, obviously the purpose is to gain the votes of Singaporeans in the upcoming elections. However, I question the Worker’s Party intentions. Like in Taiwan, elections preparation is done years before. And in a sense this is a problem with Singapore’s electoral system with the lack of resources for the opposition party, particularly the financial and human resource. Also, for example, I think by comparing the Minister’s salary to that of the normal Singaporean skews the figure. Since the figure of 1.2 million is said to be 2/3 of the top 50 earners in Singapore, I think it is justifiable. The fact that politicians are known to be the best talent of the country, if you could just assume that ministers were the top 100 talent of Singapore, then such an amount would no longer be as unimaginable. Furthermore, the fact that ministers that joined later like K Shanmugam, the minister of law and home affairs, enjoyed a successful career in the private sector goes to show that, ministers are indeed capable of earning such salaries if they had they had not entered politics. Is this not why Gifted Education children are said to be future politicians of Singapore? Besides, it is important that the government continue to appeal to the best talents in Singapore, which deserves to be respected by the public. And the only for that to happen, would be based on the minister’s capability.

Overall, I would consider the rally as a good insight into the life of a normal working adult in Singapore. More often than not, Hwa Chong students who mostly have a wealthy background would never understand the hardships suffered across the different levels of Singaporeans, thus it really helped to broaden my horizons.

How racism in the modern world is still existent

Thursday, 5 May 2011

How racism in the modern world is still existent
54 years of Malaysian independence, the stats and figures

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Allah, to be banned or not?
Racism is largely perceived to be that of the ancestor. However, racism is still evident in today’s world; it is hard to find the fine balance between the races in a multi-racial society, commonly found in the south-east asia, including the cohesion between different religion and races alike.
In contrast to neighbours Singapore, Malaysia is one that is filled with racial differences, and of which two incidents will spring up to mind. Firstly, the near-banning of the word ‘allah’ by non-Muslims who are likely not to be one of the favourited Malays and next the Mahathir vs Lee Kuan Yew debate regarding the ideals of a multi-racial country.

Arguing about racial ideals last year

At 23.7% Chinese have long been recognized as the race with better potential and ability internationally, even with the many measures implemented to protect the rights of the native Malays. Malaysian Chinese are dominant in both business and commerce sectors in Malaysia. As a result, they are the biggest taxpayers among all ethnic groups in the country, contributing to almost 90 percent of the country's income tax. The list of famous Malaysian Chinese would include that of Gary Cao, Fish Leong, Guang Liang and Eric Moo all recognised singers in the music industry, based in Taiwan.

Did you know?
Only 23.7% of Malaysians are Chinese
90% of the country’s tax are paid by Chinese
100 companies managed by Chinese were taken over by government, and later managed by Malays since 1970s
A catholic church in Shah Alam took 20 years to apply to be constructed and was told to make it look like a factory instead of a church. As of 2004, the application has not been approved
Malays enjoy 12% interest through government unit trusts per annum while banks fixed deposits are only about 3.5% per annum
None of the government TV stations directors (RTM1, RTM2, TV3) are of non-Malay origin

The government claims to be stopping racism, the government claims to be doing its best to be fair to all races. What if the government was the one starting all of this. What then, can the citizens do?

In order to protect the rights of the native Malays, the government has introduced various measures directed to allow for Malays to benefit, including easier and more frequent job opportunities and other social benefits. These might have been needed by all, but only for Malays.

A good example would be that of local Malaysian petroleum company, Petronas. 99% of Petronas directors are Malays and only 3% of Petronas employees are Chinese. Most crucially, 100% of all contractors working under Petronas projects must be of Bumis status, that is to say, Malays.

In terms of economic status, the government has also done much to help the Malays. For example only Malays are allowed to get shop lots in the new Muar bus station, in order to increase their profit. Moreover, there was a 5% to 15% discount for a Malay to buy a house, regardless his financial situation.
Furthermore, education in Malaysia is also heavily tipped in the Malay’s favour, whereby only 2.5% is government budget for Chinese primary schools, Indian schools get only 1% while Malay schools got 96.5%. While a Chinese parent with RM1000 salary monthly cannot get school textbook subsidies, a Malay parent with RM2000 salary is eligible. Next, only 5% has been given to non-Malays for government scholarships in over 40 years. This is even more evidently shown as prior to 2003 the science schools in Malaysia were 100% filled with Malays. Even now, there is only a 10% quota for non-Bumi students.

Comparative to developing countries in the region, Malaysia is still a long way from being a multi-racial country. The first step to solving is by admitting the mistake. 8000 billion ringgit are channelled to Malay pockets through various government schemes over a 34 years period. As such, 2 million Chinese Malaysians have emigrated in the past 40 years. In order for change, Malaysia probably needs a non-Malay president, or the fight against racism will continue.

Caring about happenings in other countries.

Saturday, 23 April 2011

Having prepared for my recent chinese current affairs on the viability of nuclear power plants in Singapore, my speech was muchly on the recent fukushima nuclear fallout. This made me realise that happenings in other countries are actually muchly relavant in Singapore.

Most young people have the misconception that foreign affairs do not affect Singapore at all, not socially or economically. That is the delusion of confined people, who have not seen the world. Although Singapore is 5400 km from Japan, the triple-calamity of a tsunami, earthquake and nuclear meltdown is a prime example.

Singaporeans are affected in many ways. Other than socially and economically, we are also getting limited in choices. Japan, as a technically advanced country, produces many cars in the world, including both Toyota and Honda, the top 2 brands of cars in Singapore. Both companies have allegedly stop manufacturing in Japan. Moreover, eleven food manufacturers' products in Japan have been banned according to Singapore due to radiation fears. Besides, government policies are also rethought, as countries start to doubt the viability of nuclear plants, including Singapore.

Socailly, the worry for our friends and family in Japan. When my father was only 18, he went to Japan to study, with no money, he had to work and study at the same time. It was only with some help from his Japanese friends, that he has managed to pull through. As a result, he has many close friends still left in Japan, to have them disappear in such a disaster, would be a shocker and a pain etched in his heart. So, immediately after the disaster, even before the nuclear crisis, he immediately called his Japanese friends, to find out most of them were still alive. However, most of their houses were destroyed and had spend most of the time after the disaster weaving their way through the tokyo traffic on foot. Other than that, the nuclear emergency also provided cause for concern as there were initial fears that the radiation could be carried through wind and rain to affect singapore.

More importantly and significantly for Singapore as a country, is the economic impact.Other than the fact that the government has donated $500000 to the Singapore red cross society to be given to help rebuild the country and help the victims of the natural disaster, Singapore companies have been affected too. 3 days after the disaster hit and Japan started tallying the damage, two of Singapore's major companies, namely Mapletree Logistics and Saizen Real Estate, saw their stock value fall drastically. Trade with Japan fell, and flight companies such as Tiger Airways, lost money after practically all their flights to Japan were either cancelled or empty.

All these prove that happenings in other countries indirectly affect Singapore, being a import-oriented country, with small significance in the global economy, Singaporeans have to care more about foreign affiars.

Expository essay -- Which aspects of your education do you think will be most useful to you in adult life?

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Greek philosopher Socrates once said “education means bringing out of the ideas of universal validity which are latent in the mind of everyman.” This proves that education is used everywhere, thus valid in your adult life. However, which aspects of your education do you think will be most useful to you in adult life? Personally, I feel that student development is the most crucial aspect, but it is often neglected in schools.
Firstly and most obviously the academic aspect of education, which includes core subjects like math, science, chinese language and english langauge. The main objective of education is to allow for basic knowledge about the world, which is also the basis of employment in adult life. The learning of chinese and english are especially important. As languages, they allow for good communication in the working world, which would help increase the productivity of co-workers and the familiarity between business partners. Most importantly, the learning of chinese allows us to be effectively bilingual and with china recognized as economic powerhouse, the mastering of the language would prove as a competitive edge in the working world.
Secondly, student development programmes in schools like co-curriculum activities and moral education develops crucial social skills. For example, the correct social etiquette in public and the importance of elderly respect. Besides that, moral education lesson is also a way for us to trace back to our roots and cultural appreciation, which would help students understand more about themselves. CCAs, especially sports, emphasizes on the need to work as a team. In the working world, this would be extremely important. English writer John Donne once wrote, “No man is an island”, in the working world, no one can individually do everything, everyone has to work as a team, and here is where the idea of teamwork comes into place. Other than that, resource and research skills in academic subjects are particularly useful in the working world, especially in commerce, with loads of projects and research to be done.
Thirdly, the physical and aesthetic appreciation aspect of education teaches students to strike a fine balance of work and recreation, recognizing that people cannot keep on working and need time for ourselves in order to release stress. Other than that, physical education allows us to fight healthcare problems with obesity the most evident of all.
Some people may argue that content heavy subjects like math and science are not important, due to the fact that these are not usually applied in real life. People usually say, when will u ever need to use algebra? When will you ever need to know how far the earth is from the sun, and why humans can only live on Earth? However, these subjects train the thinking process of your mind. In math, it’s the step-by-step problem solving method. In math, it is the step by step problem solving. In science, it is the idea of pursuing for knowledge. Such skills are instrumental in work success and thus cannot be done without.
Adults widely believe that education is the best form of investment parents can give to their child, and they are probably right. Other than academic education, it is the student development that goes a long way to shape the child’s future, thus it is very important for a child to have gone through education as it is crucial in the adult life.

World war II--Battle of the bulge (English online learning)

The audio commentary for this picture are gun shots fired continuously, which shows the danger that these people are oblivious of in order to help their friend. The picture shows many black men carry one of their comrades, which is heavily injured. This shows that while the war happened, the comrades still had the togetherness and spirit to care for each other. The idea of wooden doors and lock gives the idea of poverty and poorness, which is an after effect of war. Also, the fact that bloods stained the wall and door give the feeling of a foul smell. It is also implied that the future is gloomy with the black and white background.

A day in the life of the battle of the bulge
Dear diary,
Today signified the start of the battle of the bulge, at 18 years old, I had willingly joined the army. I miss my family, compared to the olden days when whites like us used to be so full of ourselves; we knew so little of the true meaning of life. We were obsessed with sports like baseball and basketball, negligent of the cruelty of society.
Society was cruel. The Germans were never going to sympathies with you. Who cared that you had a family. Who cared that you were only 18. Who cared that you were injured. You were an American. Americans meant enemy. That was what it really meant.
Tom Brady died today. Yet I feel so emotionless, it is like such things happen way too often, and there is too much for me to worry about. Tom Brady was my buddy, my best friend. Today my whole platoon was sent to the foxholes to guard the line, stopping the invasion of Antwerp. By an extreme stroke of bad luck, Tom Brady got shot within the first ten minutes of operation. A sense of country spirit did not allow us to just leave our comrade lying dead at the battlefield. Jumping out of my hole with a fun in hand, I fired random in the air, picking him up and bringing him to our sergeant. Upon further instructions, I made a mad dash towards the approaching truck, transferring casualties to the camp. I do not know if this is counted as brave but I just ran and ran. It was like a lost cause. In a war, how many people actually get back safely, once I set out to accomplish this mission, I would never give up, I would put in my all, and hopefully, just maybe, I will pull through. I was lucky this time, as my team surrounded to cover me, as I sprinted across the field.
But even country spirit meant nothing. As I begged for the medics to save Tom, they figured he was paralyzed already and was not worth saving. An hour later, he was pronounced dead.
Day by day, life passed without a goal. It seemed never ending, I really cannot predict my future, I just hope this ends soon. I miss my mum’s home cooked food, the comfort of my soft bed. I might sound childish, but that is all I really want during this painful war. I need the warmth of home.

To Kill A Mockingbird. Ending.

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

Personally, i was not surprised at the To Kill A Mockingbird ending. The story started off with Jem breaking his arm after a encounter with the radley place. By ending with the explanation of boo radley, it gives the story a successful conclusion. Also, boo radley in itself was a mini-story. Boo radley in himself is a mystery. By ending with the clarification, it signifies the story ending very well. Also, it displayed the book theme of prejudice and discrimination, as Scout eventually learned to like and repect Boo radley. Also, with that it shows the successful maturity of Scout and Jem, from kids who played pranks on others to adults that learned to tolerate. If i the author, I would have ended it the same way.

Personal qualities.

What does it take to make a fair judgement. Personally, i feel that to make a fair judgement, which is to be unbiased, one has to be mentally strong, a clear state of mind, and most importantly, to be impartial. To be impartial is quite self-explanatory. Judging should be based on facts and not opinions. As much as the judge might hate a person, this does not allow him to rule in favour of the opposition. Also, the judge has to have a clear state of mind. If the judge was to be overwhelmed by the facts and figures brought up by both parties, he would not be able to think clearly, to slowly process each piece of the jigsaw and make a fair judgement. Lastly, the judge has to be mentally strong, in order not to be easily swayed by either side of the arguement. It is of utmost importance that judging is his/her own judgement. This means that, in a court case, you could hire the best lawyer who could speak very well, but if all evidence point to the defendant being guilty, the judge cannot be swayed and rule in favour of the defendant. This is because, we must uphold justice and do what is right.

Also, i think that put yourself in another person's shoes, definitely requires a understanding person. To put yourself into other's shoes is to try to understand it from their point of view. You must calm your emotions, and take a step backward to look the matter from a different point of view, to look at the bigger picture. Instead of question the persons' intentions, we should ask ourselves, if i was him, would i have done the same. If we successfully understood why the person might do this, we would also know how to convince him not to. Therfore, it is important that we be understanding, and in the heat of the matter, do not over-complicate things.

Childhood memories

While reading the whole book of to kill a mockingbird, i would say a character that i felt for would be scout, similar to my age, i identified that we share many things in common. For example, that of a childhood friend which she had in Dill. And the love of two siblings.

I remember i was Primary one then, i had a neighbour, named yew kee. He was Primary five. I remember everyday, we would be looking out for one another, going to each other's houses to play. We often played computer games at his house, or watch television, or engage in board or card games. And most significantly, we always played soccer at the basement carpark, unafraid of the incoming danger of cars. I still remember our signal. Everytime we wanted to meet, we would clap twice as loud as possible. I could still remember the close relationship we had. He was like a older brother and a playmate at the same time. We had many fights and quarrels, arguing who won the soccer game, whether a goal should be disallowed, and who was stronger, hanging from a bar. Together, young and innocent, we played many pranks including throwing rocks at neighbours' windows, before fleeing in glee. Other than that, we also helped each other with homework. But like a classic story, it was not to last, his parents eventually sold the apartment and moved on with life. Eventually, i got over him and we have never kept in touch as I too have shifted house.

Another thing i could empathise with Scout, is the sibling love. Like jem, my older brother was a figure that i respected. Also, he was a big 'bully'. I remember complaining to my parents about what time my brother would come back. I was primary 2 then, my brother was secondary 3. He usually came back at 7+ and with the excess amount of work hwachong has, we never really got to interact. Many a times, he would promise to play soccer with me, only for me to be let down time and again. Sometimes, i would be so frustrated that I would start kicking the things in the house. Looking back now, I cannot imagine how foolish i was. However, no matter what, i would always compromise and give in to my brother, that was how much the sibling relationship meant to me.

Facebook Revolution

http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_634915.html

I refer to the above article about the recent Egypt protest having in roots deep into Facebook. Basically, Egyptian protestors' leaders communicated through a simple Facebook platform and shared experiences with Tunisian protestors. This made them prepared for measure by the police and the way around it, prevention and cure.

What i would like to discuss is whether this is exploiting or making full use of social platforms like Facebook.

Facebook was made out to be a social platform whereby friends can communicate, and share each other's thoughts. It has been so popular that nowadays, many of the world population, especially teenagers, spend many hours on the computer. However, it leads me to wonder, by using it as a tool of revolution, are we exploiting the purpose of such social platforms? Surely, Mark Zuckerburg did not have the idea of starting off a chain of protest in the middle east that has shook the world. Therfore, I am really confused about the morality of creating a political revolution through the use of facebook, in order to maintain annonymous.

Computerised marking. For essays?

http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_634701.html

I refer to the above article about 3,000 students in more than 20 Singapore schools using a computer software, costing around $60 to mark their english essays. The objective of such a software is by using hundreds of pre-fed essays on various topics as gauge, the computer will mark the essay and also spot grammatical mistakes. This ensures that a teacher is not always involved, and allows students to have feedback within seconds while he essay is still fresh in their minds. Also, who could spot for grammatical mistakes better than a computer. Other than that, with every teacher, they have a unique way of marking, and such computerisation is a standardisation of rubrics.

It might make writing uniform and that's the worst thing

However, personally, i feel that writing essays would lose its meaning with computerised marking. To say that a computer could totally absorb and empathise with the narrator is nearly impossible. And with the pre-fed essays in mind, this makes writing very limited. Does this mean, if you start your essay very uniquely, different from any pre-fed essays, its a bad essay? Also, Crescent Secondary 4 student Sabrina Mohamed Nezam Meah, 16, said she tried submitting the same essay for two different topics 'A significant experience' and 'A learning experience' and managed to get a good score for both. This showed that it is assessing me mostly on my language and not much on my ideas. I prefer having my teacher to mark my essays as she will grade me on all areas,' she added. Also, it shows that the computer failed to recognise the slight difference in topics.

While i have to admit it is a toot that could help teachers in marking, providing a second opinion, it most definitely cannot replace human-marking. Writing should be creative, and not limited. We should not be told what to write, in order to score good grades. Writing should be fun.

Going Online

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_634160.html

I would like to refer to this article about the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve going online, using technology to provide visitors with information along their trial in Sungei Buloh.

Having previously went to Sungei Buloh last year, i remember it as a beautiful place with loads of unique flora and fauna. However, due to the nature of the location, it is slightly run down, and many of the signboards are destroyed or their words are not very visible. Such information passed through technology is a painless and harmless way and effective use of technology. Not only is it practical, it also helps to improve the image of Sungei Buloh as a technologically advanced place in the eyes of others.

With Dr Hon recently discussing the practicality of future school and the using of laptops, i think the aboved articles just comes to show how reliant we are the technology. It seems, technology just cant stop improving. Gone are the days when people laboured to get basic work done. However, are we overly reliant. Are we neglecting the true joys of life, are we so lazy that most of the world have stopped exercising as everything is a click away? That is something we have to ponder. As technology improves, we too must keep up. Instead of resting on our laurels and lazing around, we must continue to do what benefits us.

Being Different

Being different is never easy. Being different means being not afraid to stand out. It means not being afraid to be laugh at. Not being afraid to make mistakes.

In life, its always easy to follow the norm. To follow the majority, gives you the sense of security. It is knowing that, if you're wrong, you have about another 100 people that are wrong with you. This, prevents us to be singled out among the crowd, which is largely embarrassing. However, if no one was to stand out, who could ever be a leader of the pack. Who could be special So, we have to ask ourselves, if everyone was to jump off a building, would you jump off too? A classic example, but it goes a long way to show the way to be different.

Being different here does not mean always being different for the sake of it, it means to think for yourself, and value, what is best for you. To value, what do you really want. If all man were to be living for ourselves, what's the point of following other's footsteps.

I have a older brother, who is going 21 now. By this august, he will be going off to study for university. My brother was a elite student in school, having a MSG of 1.0 in sec 4 and being the lead actor in the school Chinese drama play. However, what i am most proud of him was his choice to take up university in China. That is by no means as easy feat, needing to study economics in Chinese, but he was not afraid. What made him truly special was that, he too was accepted into National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Imperial College London among others. But he made the very brave choice to pursue what he wanted, in china. He believed that by studying in china, he would be different from the many graduates from the NUS, NTU and the UK. In that way, he was different. And he made a bold step towards what he perceives is right.

Personally, I have felt the pains of being different. And that memory, will forever be with me, bitter or sweet. I could still remember, in my Primary School days, it was all clear for me, friends and soccer mates. While my soccer buddies were made up of mainly guys, my friends in class were mainly the girls. Call it maturity or innocence, i preferred talking to girls, feeling closer. They were more sensitive, and less arrogant. I felt that, it was the better choice. But understandably, there were consequences to be faced. Forever to my primary school friends, i would be teased as a flirt, the guy who liked girls better. And till now, such insults would be thrown across jokingly. But that did not mean anything. I was different, I did what i felt was right. No matter the consequences, it did not matter.

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Firstly, the article cab be found at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html
This article is a piece of recent new that has been actively discussed, most commonly referred to as 'Chinese tiger mom', by both the western and chinese community. But who else better to comment on this issue of chinese and western education methods then Amy Chua is a professor at Yale Law School, the author of this article, an except from her full essay. For a chinese professor teacher law, a respected degree, in what is the second best university in the whole world, she has the ability and respect to make such comments. In this posts, i will discuss my parental situation, the western and the chinese education policy.

Let me first start off with my parental situation, when i first read the article, my immediate reaction was that, it sounded very similar to my parents. Too similar. Yes, i am allowed to have sleepovers seldomly, i am allowed to join a school play, i do not play the piano or the violin, however, academically, it somewhat indifferent. Since young, i was never allowed to satisfy with anything less than full marks, even being top in class barely meant anything, but just another excuse for not getting full marks. On the occasion i got full marks, if i was ever foolish enough to think i would get rewarded with a game or a game console, i was hoping for miracles. Nothing more than "you had better keep that up' would come out. This was all while i was young and innocent in Primary School, and while my friends were contended with As and A*s. Such basic chinese principals was carved into me starting from weekly spelling. I remember, getting back spelling test results used to be a torture. Every week, my mom would sacrifice at least 3 hours to revise my spelling words with me, before testing me time and again, making sure i was prepared for this 'test'. It seemed really stupid then, foolish now, but it laid the fundamentals of the mentality going into a test.

Never expect to get anything less than full marks

In this article, a key theme is the Chinese vs Western education. Firstly, i would like to clarify that Chinese and Western is not the correct term to use considering its a over-generalization, knowing many of my parent's who adopt the 'western' educational method. Basically a common thing within the two educational methods are that, we must recognise that both parents do love their child and only want to best for their child. The 'chinese' thinks that, as children, they need guidance, and they are the ones responsible to lead their child the right way, down to the right path in order to be successful. They believe that they are doing it for the child's benefits and when the child grows up, he/she will recognise the parent's efforts and thank them tremendously. The westerner's believe in independent learning. That the child knows its interest and what is best for them, they believe the child is good enough to cope and choose its choices wisely without the unwanted interference of adults. Also, 'chinese' tends to be more blunt and straightforward, getting to the point, the point is to embarrass and teach. While the 'westerns' prefer to beat around the bush and express their criticism subtly. Essentially, from a chinese education. It is way too idealistic, its like enforcing children to be successful, and to be lawyers and doctors like every successful person. It does not allow change, it is too rigid. And there is bound to evoke a sense of rebellion in the child, assuming the child was to totally disobey you, what could a real parent do without hurting him or her. Barely anything, likely just empty threats. However, the 'western' idea too is idealistic, at such tender age, would the child really know what is best for him, would not he need guidance from parents as reference?

Personally, i think that the main difference is in the culture. As 'chinese' parents are likely to be less educated and more likely from poor backgrounds, this evokes a sense of wanting the best for their children, thus kiasu, which is hokkien for being scared to lose. 'Western" parents however, believe in democracy alot, and thus they feel that being so strict is not respecting freedom and human rights, thus the over-reaction to this article recent. But, it is not the truth that we cannot incorporate both ideas. As singaporean, it is fair to say that we are mostly halfway in between, which is a good mix of east and west. As such,parent-child relationships can be maintained at a healthy level.

Nature vs nurture—Which is more important?

Nature vs nurture is a well discussed topic regarding which factor leads to a smarter child. Personally, I define nature as being naturally smart and of high intellectual ability, while nurture means a good upbringing, the willingness to study hard. So, which one is more important?

Nature basically means, being naturally smart, being smart at birth due to better genes from parents. It means that a person being smart is based on the success of his/her parents. But this is not exactly true considering a person could happen to shape after all the bad traits of his/her parents. However, to be naturally smart is as good as having a head start in this journey of life. Personally, I have encountered many a times whereby my friends never studied but still do better than me in test and exams. Although this is theoretically incorrect, considering the fact that our parents and teachers always told us, to get good results, we must study hard. But, being in the gifted education programme makes it rather obvious, which students have a higher intellectual ability.

However, does this mean, genes and hereditary and parents are the sole or main reasons to determine a child’s birth? I beg to differ. In such a world, poor people and unsuccessful people would never need to give birth again, ‘polluting’ the world with bad genes. And soon enough, it will be a unbalanced world where everyone has such smart and intelligent parents that, it is impossible to tell who is smarter and more capable, thus survival and jobs allocation would be rather random. So, this tells us that no matter our natural ability, it is possible to make up for. So what if I child has a high intellectual quotient if he does not work hard. What if a child is less smart at birth, but devotes eighteen out of twenty four hours to work? Does this mean he would not succeed? NO. If this was to be true, what about Albert Einstein, did he have a fantastic family background? NO.

Personally, I really feel that natural ability is important. Assuming life is a 100m race, it gives us a 10m headstart. But it doesn’t define life, there is still a 90m of race left to run. With hard work, perseverance, nothing is impossible. And one day, the hardworking person would definitely outdo the person with natural ability. Thus I conclude, nurture is more important and natural.

Social networking sites.

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Facebook. Twitter. Friendster. Myspace.

These four social networking sites. I believe it is not surprise that nowadays, not only teens, but also adults, has such accounts. Personally, i have a facebook, twitter and friendster with facebook being my favorite for obvious reasons. It is most dynamic, with games, fan pages and while being able to keep up with your friends. This is unlike twitter which is more one dynamic with a great emphasis placed on the following of idols and friends. This makes it more purposely and less of just leisure surfing. Friendster too is one of the old, used a decade ago. It is also more dull, and its database is alot smaller too.

Such networking websites definitely has its pros and cons.

Positively, unlike the usual adult stereotype, social networking websites has it good points. It allows for interaction, whether its to catch up with friends in other schools, organize events or for teacher's to post up homework, to serve as reminders. Social networking allows for exploration. It also serves as a easily accesible platform for discussion and also entertainment.

However, it serves as a distraction too. Personally, it has already became instinctive for me to check my website every now and then. Self admittedly, in an hour, i would check around 3-5 times, summing up to around 15 minutes, while doing work.

I believe that this could potentially be a useful educational tool that needs to be explored by teachers. Adults, other than viewing it as a form of entertainment, should do away with the stereotype that "Social networking + Students = Bad results"
Personally, there are several instances whereby i use the social networking websites to my advantage, messaging my friends regarding projects, as the use of email was way too troublesome. Such integration of email and chat are another reason why social networking sites are so useful.

The Blogger

The Talk

The People

The Code

Comments

Monday, 22 August 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 23:16

Denying Global Warming

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 06:00

Foreign Talent in Singapore

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 05:56

Shylock - Villain or Victim?

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 05:55

Singapore footballing scene

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 05:53

Present day leaders should not be judged by what they do in their private lives as long as they are good leaders

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 05:53

Rupert Murdoch

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 03:14

Arranged Marriages

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 02:39

Harry Potter

Sunday, 21 August 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 01:52

National Day

Saturday, 20 August 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 12:02

Softball competition

Monday, 1 August 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 07:53

The real story behind Mississippi Burning is in the news!

Sunday, 26 June 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 19:17

June holidays.

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 08:36

CSM!

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 07:52

Osama. DIED?!

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 07:28

iLeague

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 06:59

Post-elections reactions

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 06:04

msjianglai

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 04:48

Should people adopt pets instead of giving birth to children?

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 01:18

Should Singlish be recognized as an official language in Singapore?

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 01:11

Rally reflections

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 00:38

How racism in the modern world is still existent

Thursday, 5 May 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 08:36

Caring about happenings in other countries.

Saturday, 23 April 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 07:08

Expository essay -- Which aspects of your education do you think will be most useful to you in adult life?

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 22:33

World war II--Battle of the bulge (English online learning)

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 21:24

To Kill A Mockingbird. Ending.

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 07:48

Personal qualities.

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 07:35

Childhood memories

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 07:16

Facebook Revolution

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 06:51

Computerised marking. For essays?

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 06:28

Going Online

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 06:08

Being Different

Posted by, (Ong Yan Zhe 2I320) at 05:28

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

Thursday, 10 February 2011