Preparation for HCI The End Of Year Examinations 2009

Strand 1 Paper 1-Free Essay situational writing
I know that I would have to complete a narrative essay and a formal letter within 1hr 45 mins.Time is short and this is how I would allocate the time:
1.Narrative Essay-Approximately 1 hr(Includes proofreading)
2.Formal letter-Approximately 45 mins(includes proofreading)
My preparation for Paper 1:
1.Read through the narrative practices done over the course of the year.
2.Look through the mistakes and identify key points that should be committed in the paper.
3.Identify the mistakes and try to avoid them during the exam.
4.Read through practices done on Letter Of Request and Letter of Complaint.
5.Memorise the letter format such as how the address should be presented etc.
6.Identify the key points of writing a formal letter such as the tone of the letter,use of language etc.
7.After the first try,attempt these steps one final time before the Paper 1.

Strand 1 Paper 2-Comprehension,vocabulary,summary(1hr 45 mins)
Time spent:
1.Comprehension+Vocabulary:Approximately 50 mins(including check)
2.Summary:Approximately 50 mins(including check)
My preparation for Paper 2:
1.Read through the tests and practices on Comprehension,vocabulary and summary.
2.Identify weak points in each area and identify a solution.For example,no long answers but short,straightforward answers.
3.Take note of common mistakes in this area of Language Arts,for example,Take note of the tense used in the question.(Past,present tense etc.)
4.Take note of notes copied in the practices and interpret them.
5.Attempt these steps twice.

Literature Strand 1-Unseen Prose or poem,Novel-Animal Farm(1hr 45 mins)
Time allocated for each area:
1.Unseen Prose or Poem:Approximately 1 hr(Including check)
2.Novel-Animal Farm:Approximately 45 mins(Including check)

My preparation for the Literature Paper:
1.Read through practices and tests done over the year on Unseen poem and prose.
2.Identify important marks-determining factors such as identification of figurative language,how to integrate the purpose of the poem with figurative language.
3.Take note of my weak points such as:Write only main points instead of trying to cover everything!
4.Read handouts on figurative language and take note of the uses of common literary devices such as:Metaphors,repetition,alliteration etc.
5.Read through the novel,Animal Farm.
6.Take out handouts on Animal Farm such as those on the Russian Revolution and read thorough them.
7.Read through the handouts on Animal Farm concerning a passage-based question and an essay question.
8.Identify the main points of this novel area and take note of the main points such as writing tighter.
9.Repeat the following steps one more time after the first attempt(twice in total) to have a deeper understanding.

Major Blo Assignment(Song Analysis relating to my personality)

Thats What Friends Are For:

And I never thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I'm concerned
I'm glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love you

And if I should ever go away
Well, then close your eyes and try to feel
The way we do today
And then if you can remember

Keep smilin', keep shinin'
Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

Well, you came and opened me
And now there's so much more I see
And so by the way I thank you

Whoa, and then for the times when we're apart
Well, then close your eyes and know
These words are comin' from my heart
And then if you can remember, oh

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
In good times, in bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
Oh, that's what friends are for

Whoa... oh... oh... keep smilin', keep shinin'
Knowin' you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

Keep smilin', keep shinin'
Knowin' you can always count on me, oh, for sure
'Cause I tell you that's what friends are for
For good times and for bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for (That's what friends are for)

On me, for sure
That's what friends are for
Keep smilin', keep shinin'




This song is sang by music greats such as Elton John,Stevie wonder etc. mainly revolves around a single theme: Friendship. Friendship, in my opinion, is one of the most valued aspects of my life and it is something which cannot be obtained through money. I believe that friendship is essential in the road of life which this song relates to about. This song reflects my personality. In the first verse of the song, the 2 lines that stands out are "I'm glad I got the chance to say" and "Then I do believe I love you". This relates to me in the fact that, being able to have the golden opportunity of having a best friend is something I would treasure in my life. Thus, I more than delighted to express my feelings for my special friend. Even though the second lines of the first verse(probably to most boys)is "mucky" because of the word "love”. I think otherwise. Like me, the song emphasises on to what extent a long-lasting friendship can go to and this is expressed as "love". Long lasting friendship are friends who traverse the bumpy road with you, who is always there for you."Love" is the perfect word to express our feelings to indicate the passion raging in a friendship. That is one of the important aspects of my personality.
In the second verse of the song, the first line “And if I should ever go away" indicates that unfortunately, one day, friends will have to go on their separate paths in life. It is the fact that I know something essential that I can cope with this occurrence: Inevitable. This would always happen, no matter what it takes. A part of my personality: One day, when we pursue our everlasting dreams, we have to try to let go. This is one of the hardest moments in my life and I guessed it should be the same for you too. However in the 3 lines in the second verse "Well, then close your eyes and try to feel "The way we do today" and" And then if you can remember" indicates an important aspect. The mental power of a friendship. This captures my interest, making these line memorable. These lines show us that even though we may not be there physically for one another, the bond of our friendship will continue to remain in our hearts forever. In need of doubt, thinking of our friends might just be our golden thought. I feel this is important in cultivating my love for friendship in me. In the third verse of the song, the first two lines"Keep smilin',keep shinin'" and "Knowin'you can count on me, for sure" are exceptional and caught my attention. This portrays the essence of friendship: I will be there for you. This aspect is one of the key building block of a friendship, I feel. Without this, friendship will be nothing more than a memory. I feel this 2 lines reminds me that whatever it takes, when friends are in trouble, helping that is evidence of being a true friend. That is my personality and this 2 lines strongly relate to it.The next two lines "For good times and bad times" and "I'll be on your side forever more" is one that should not be overlooked. Like what the song means, because of me knowing the true essence and platform of strengthening friendship bonds ,going through thick and thin with a friend is absolutely critical. No matter the situations we are in, I feel that true friends should face one's greatest fear together and now run away like a coward. This truly is the determining factor of whether you are a true friend or not. This aspect is cultivated in my personality that I know that I would keep it locked up in my mind forever.
In the fourth verse, the line "Well you came opened me" causes "And now there's so much more I see”. This 2 lines is related to each other, sort of a rhythm in the song. The song indicates that the origin of a burning friendship comes from the heart. Because of my personality, I feel that somehow, the courage of a person who opens up to you, welcomes you with open arms in a new environment(Transition form Primary school to Secondary school) in life is the main thing that kicks off a friendship. This not only contains part of the essence of the poem but also highlights that without this occurence, there would be no friendship at all. These specific lines remind me that I would appreciate my future friend's courage in introducing oneself's to me: Because if this, I truly knows he cares about me. This theme is one of the reasons of my personality. In the fifth verse of the song, this entire verse is mainly like the second verse of the song:"Whoa, and then for the times we're apart "to "And if I should ever go away".Well, then close your eyes and know" to "Well, then close your eyes and try to feel". This creates sort of a circular motion in the song, indicating that friendship is all in 1 huge cycle. The huge cycle of friendship constantly removes around and I feel that this cycle has cultivate the fact that being able to experience the rare privilege of having a friend into my personality.
Last but not least, in the fifth verse, the line "These words are comin' form my heart" is ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LINES OF THE SONG THAT ESSENTIALLY CARRIES THE WHOLE THEME OF LOYALTY AND FRIENDSHIP. Like this line, I feel this ultimately sums up the song, putting a perfet touch: Expressing one's feelings that are not superficial but are in fact from the bottom of my heart. My personalty reveals that I truly mean what I say.

Verse 3 is then repeated till the rest of the song. This repetition emphasises on the fact that loyalty and love are the ingredients to a fiery friendship.ONe of my main charecteristics of my personalty is intrapersonal,which means interacting and socialising with people.

All in all, my personality allows me to feel that having a friend in truly a privilege. In times of trouble, a friend's true colours would be revealed.2 aspects, loyalty and love combined form a single magical product:

Friendship.


This is the poem I had constructed on my personality:

The Journey


You know you can trust me.
Unimaginable trust.
Through the bumpy road,
you know you will not be alone.

Whatever it takes,
I would be there
in your heart
in your soul
I will ride the waves with you.
you know you will not be alone.

Through the rain of doubt,
through the mountains of sadness,
to the ends of the world,
you know you will not be alone.

Destined from the beginning,
I am really glad,
to have a friend.
No matter the jungles of horror,
or the volcanoes of terror,
you will not be alone.

I am glad that I met you,
This can
be all summed-up
in
a
single
word:
Friendship


These are my parents' responses:
1.My father:
I feel that my son has captured the main point of his personality;he could socalise well as since primary school.However,I think he should edit and write a shorter essay.

2.My mother:
I feel that my son has captured one of the main points of his personality;he treasures his friends.However,I think he should try ot write a tighter essay.


Done by:Gary Leong(16)
Class:1A1

Metamorphic poem on a household item

The Seasoned Diver


Those cold grey ends.
Plunged into the chilling water
day by day,
sending shivers down the wooden spine.
Smooth scalp colliding with the floor,
its head becoming dirt-grey ever once more
day by day.
Alas,its hair is left to dry,
the dirt clinging on the dull grey strands,
the browinish water soaked into the ends,
day by day.

Done by:Gary Leong(16)
Class:1A1

Final Assignment-First Blog Entry for term 3(My reflections on E-Learning)

Due to the current H1N1 pandemic,a Home Learning Programme was decided by the school commmitte and we as students,stayed at home for 1 week,doing assignements online.I could not complete several of the Language Arts assignments in 1 hour.Overall,I put in more hours on E-Learning than if I had attended school,including the rest of the subjects where lesson were conducted online.In the 6 Language assignments that were assigned to us for E Learning,I preferred IT Lesson 2 the most and I do not really have any other assignments which I liked the least.I feel that IT Lesson 2 is a very useful assignment to all of us students as writing about our favourite poet is a new refreshing topic and it allows us to ponder on the poet's personality, which allows us to broaden our knowledge horizon and also allow us to take a dive into the world of imagination.We would be able to picture a person's personality by analysisng previous poems and it would prove to be an extremely useful lifeskill in the future as it can be applied in University examinations and important job interviews.We would learn how to look at people from different walks of life at a bigger perspective and sets us thinking,thus,allowing us to think out of the box.In this process,we would also be able to learn important morales such as "Do not judge a book by its cover" which would prove extremal useful to us when we grow up.My suggestions to make E Learning a more condusive environment for students is to increase teacher-student interaction.This would not only allow us to understand brand new concepts but also have a main idea of what is critical,which are the main points to look out for.This would also prepare us for our return to school,thus killing two birds with one stone.Overall,I felt that the E-Learning week went on smoothly as students were able to work in condusive environment and through E learning,we acquired new skills and became more independent and of course the best advantage which probably applies to teachers too would be:Less hassle in the morning,getting more sleep.

Done by :Gary Leong(16)
Class:1A1

Lesson 6:Gambling Compulsory blog entry

Q2.The casino being built in Singapore is supposed to be a money-maker and job creator. However, many people have spoken against it. Talk to a parent or adult and get their view on the casino. Listen to the NPR and YouTube offerings and choose one that substantiates your viewpoint and include a quote from it as well. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words and you must either support the casino or condemn its construction and ultimately the hardships it will cause in Singapore.

Casinoes,some called it a place for fame and fortune,some refer to it as the living pits of doom.Casinoes may seem attractive and glamourous but do not be deceived by its grand,stylish appearances.Yes,I have to admit,a casino is a grand place to attend in,the timber wax-polished floors,the delicious delicacies served by world reknown chefs,the mahogany tables,the articulately designed crystal fountains sprouting water along with security cameras in every nook and cranny of the casinoes add up to be a glorious place to attend to.The appearance may seem impressive but the consequences of gambling addiction may change your mind and make you think otherwise.Casinoes would be built in Singapore after the Sentosa IR and the Marina Bay IR have been completed.Several Singaporeans feel that having casinoes built in Singapore is an entirely creative,refreshing concept.It not only creates jobs but is also a boost for Singapore's economy which may prove extremely effective in this current economic recession.However,if there are advantages,there would be disadvantages and unfortunately,the disadvantages exceed the advantages to a great extent.Casinoes would be a favourite haunt for the best targets:The gambling addicts.Even the patrons of the casinoes who came here to soak into the atmosphere,to get a taste of the steady whirring of jackpot machines,the rapid rolling of a roulette wheel,the constant flipping of cards and shrills of happiness and agony,would be caught under the gambling addicts''wave of influence which may cause them to be "infected".Gambling addicts only have their mind set to revolve around money,money and more money.Greed,a poison,a virus, would be fortunate to reside in this hosts as their abilities could be maximised to its full potential.Greed can only be resisted by the strong.Gambling addicts,sadly are not.Because of their narrow perspective of winning profits,gamblers may be so addicted and immersed in the game that they may resort to any means to achieve their goals,which threatens the social security of the Integrated Resorts.This in turn would cause an unsteady uproar in the society and because of the increasing thrill seekers whom,are similair to a hungry pack of wolves,flock to the casino without fail for the utter thrill and excitement would ultimatelywalk down the wrong path.Gambling not only ruins a person's life,it would be completely consumed by it,there is no turning back.For instance,Greg,a past American who was a gambling addict,quit his job in order to fufill his desires and became a dealer to be "closer to the action".Greg was overwhelmed by the temptations,unable to withdraw his steps towards the beckoning casinoes and ultimately,broke precious family ties and bonds between friends.According to the NPR news,“the withdrawal symptoms were psychologically intolerable.” and this prompted Greg to be addicted to gambling.Gambling addicts have their future ruined by gambling,precious family ties and bonds between friends are gone,something which money cannot purchase.Gambling would cause many social problems to arise and this not only ruins the image of Singapore,the gambling addicts,like fish to a bait,would be caught and become the victims of gambling.Gambling is a poison,a virus waiting patiently to jump on a person,maliciously,bit by bit taking away the person's assets.That is why,I firmly believe that for the country's sake and the citizens'sakes that we should not build casinoes in Singapore.It will cause more problems to surface in Singapore.
I am sure of it.

Citation of quotes:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5182193

Done by :GaryLeong(16)
Class:1A1

Lesson 5 -Poetry on Gambling

Q1.Show how the poem Tom Beatty could be compared to The Rocking Horse Winner. In studying the poem, note that the opera house is really life and when He makes the rules it’s either the Lord or perhaps the devil. Beatty suggests that everyone has about 70 years, but Paul in The Rocking Horse Winner had much less time. Explain what Paul’s weakness was, how the cards were stacked against him and do you think Paul was lucky not to live to be an old man fumbling the cards, leaden-eyed and whining about his losses?

Paul may seems to be a fantastic gambler at such a tender young age but however,he failed to have a long insight to the future,he only looked at happenings in a small perspective,not contemplating what might happen in the future.His ultimate weakness:A lack of wisdom led to a lack of long insight.The odds were stacked against him although that is no what it seems like under the surface.Do not judge a book by its cover.His ability to possess such great skills of a wonderful gambler were derived from the inspiration he discovered from his wooden rocking horse.He knew his health was detoriorating rapidly during his escapade to short term glory but his utter determination and concentration caused him to persevere.As everybody knows,perservering and never giving up is positive but not realising the reality and the importance of the issues and thus persevering in it is negative.Sadly,this problem was derived from his lack of wisdom.The cards were stacked against him but Paul had a too narrow prespective on luck and life to realise this in time.Like in the poem Tom Beatty,if you failed to realise the truth of what is going on,you will ultimately,fall down the pit,just like the rash boy Paul.In a way,Paul is fortunate to have passed on at a young age.If he had lived on,he may be so immersed in the world of gambling and luck that he may be extrusive and he would be determined to achieve his goals by all means,which may hurt the people surrounding him and cause a dent in society.His regret would build up and his suffering and those voices would torment him for the rest of his life,which may cause him to become mentally-disabled due to his mad rampage for luck,unfortunately.Too much of luck and gambling is NEVER positive.They may turn their backs on each other and the endidg would be disastrous.

Q2.In The Green Clothes, green is the color of envy, greed and money! This poem is thematically similar to Paper. Even though the poem takes place at a roulette wheel the gamblers from the short story and the poem have similar experiences. Explain how tips, dry lips, and all that was spent in vain could apply to the short story Paper.

The characters in the poem The Green Clothes and the characters in Paper are similiar in many ways.The most important thing to a gambler is winnign profits.Their whole lives revolve around:Luck,skills,fortune.In the poem The Green Clothes,colourful tips are made.This indicates how much the gamblers inside the poem would be willing to bet on just for profits,hoping for sheer luck or windfall to befall on them.Similarly in the Paper,the characters in the story purchase stock shares in their frenzy or earn huge amounts of profit.Money means the world to them and nothing else matters,it is all mainly profit,profit and more profit.In the poem,the characters wore green clothes,which symbolises envy greed and money.This perspective is extremely similiar to that of the paper.In both written works,the gamblers have succeded time and time again.Why did they not break the line,controlling themselves to halt.Period,no more gambling.Well,the ultimate reason is because of their greed which is their driing force in a negative way.They want to gamble because they believe they could win continuosly just like before.All the characters in both written works were wealthy,thus giving them the abilty to mplace colourful tips.However,their failure to realise that their confidence and temptations for monet are not always right;luck will not go on forever,nobody is perfect.Because of this ultimate reason which led them down the wrong path of life did they spend their money in vains,along with shattered hearts and hopes.Dry lips is significant in both written works;it plays an extremely important role in the failure of gamblers whose escpade for fortune is due soley to luck.Dry lips indicates nervousness,uneasiness.Tje gamblers should have sensed their stomachs full of fluttering butterflies and knew something wrong was about to hapen.Instead,the hidden greed,that cunning yet derilous monster,the poison have triumphed over their conscience.


3.Ah Boh in Lottery has about one dollar, there’s a “blind man,” the number 13 and ultimately zero dollars to bet. These last examples are taken from One-Dollar Gambler. Show how they also relate to Ah Boh.

Ah Boh had a sum of money in the beginning of the story.This can be interpreted in a different manner:A dollar of the One-Dollar gambler refers to the little salary Ah Boh receives working as a maid.Number 13 in this two written works indicate a misfortune about to arrive.As everybody knows,the number"13"is an unlucky number in western superstitions and the number 13 in the poem signifies and hints the end of Ah Boh's quest for money in lottery.Ah Boh is blind non literally,she fails to realise the consequences of squandering almost all of her salary on gambling and wasting precious efforts and time on deciphering lottery numbers.Instead of being a filial daughter and making the right decision by taking care of her elderly mother,she gambles it away.Similarly,in the poem,the One-Dollar Gambler,adavantages such as obtaining food to fill up an empty stomach can be gained by a dollar but because of their irrestible temptations of gambling,a precious dollar went down the drain,cent by cent without a chance of returning back.Similarly,Ah Boh cannot find the courage to resist the temptations of gambling and instead,happily gives in to it.

Done by:Gary Leong(16)
Class;1A1

Lesson 4-My reflections on the Lottery and The Rocking Horse Winner

Q2.For Lottery, do an analysis of 100 words in which you look at Ah Boh’s superstitions regarding gambling.

I feel that Ah Boh has a superstitous mindset implanted in her mind.By looking at the story and the extent she would go to to win money in lottery,gambling,the superstitious mindset would stay in her mind forever.Ah Boh believes in superstitions full heartedly and she would,without fail,squander most of her salary on gambling.Even though she has a elderly mother to take care of,she treasures winning money in lottery more than giving her mother a happy life to live on.Her superstitions may be absurd at times,a spider in her dream would represent a number and she would waste precious effort and time in trying to decipher the numbers in the dream.The outcome?All her hard-earned money had gone down the drain.The superstitions, she believed in so much that she was willing to happily take down the licence plates of the deceased or injured in the car accident,a contrast to a pitiful crowd and heart-broken family members at the scene,or should I say,a black sheep among the white.Her superstitions also caused her to generally lose any love for her mother who passed away in an accident:She had probably assumed that her deceased husband took away her mother's life as a sign for lottery winnings.Ah Boh,instead of being grieved over her relative's death,she was ecstatic and regretful at the same time.Her regret comes from no t being able to give her mother a good life before she passed on but her happiness originated from the fact that she would be able to win money now without anyone in her way.She is afraid at the same time,that her mother would haunt her but in the end,the little love of her mother left in her heart was nothing compared to the daughter's happiness.


Q3.For The Rocking Horse Winner, write a paragraph of 100 words in which you point out who was responsible for Paul’s death.

I believe that Paul's parents are ultimately responsible for Paul's death.Paul's parents were rich and wealthy in the beginning;they had servants,lived in a bungalow and so forth.However,things started to decline drastically and soon,they were desperately in need of money in order to keep up with their high social status in this town.It was because of the parents utter confidence in his or her ability which causes them to attribute all their misfortunes to 1 factor:luck.They believed so strongly that they were unlucky that continued to keep their glamorous,expensive taste in sending their children to the upper classes of school.They were previously so immersed in their road to fortune during their short term glory which led to them believing in luck.Their actions and voices influenced Paul so much that he "gambled his life"away in search proving his parents wrong.His utter determination proved to be a driving force in his heart that under his parent's influence,he passed on.Luck is good but too much much luck may not be a good thing.


Done by:Gary Leong(16)
Class:1A1

Lesson 3-Analysing a poem

This poem that I would be analysing is :The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at
The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

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

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

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

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

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
in a strong kebaya
and sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore
My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed

I feel that the poet is reminiscing his childhood memories which have not faded away from his mind.Although his child hood memories originated many years ago,time,the cruel poison,has failed to take away the memory which the author treasures the most in his mind.The poet indulged in his childhood memory by writing a poem about it which indicates that a vivid image of his poem is currently still implanted in his mind.I feel that the poet had probably thought about his childhood memories still locked away from his head to maybe reignite the happiness he had found as a normal school boy in attending school every morning. But I am sure that the poet would have wanted to relive those memories and experience the true meaning of childhood once more while writing this particular poem.
The poem above has exactly 31 lines.A lines are arranged in in quinrains mostly in the last few stanzas and the lines are arranged in a quatrain and couplet in the beginning and the middle stanzas in this poem.This poem contains 10 stanzas.There is no particular beat or rhythm to this poem,it is a free verse poem. There are occurences of illiteration in the majority of the stanzas, in stanzas 1,3,5,6,7 and 8.This poem mainly revolves around the sense sight and have little usage of imagery.The usage of exxageration can be derived from this phrase"Seven the power of five is unreasonable".No similies can be found in this poem and onomaetopia(the usage of sounds) can be foound either.There is litt;e usage of personification,it occurs in the second stanza,"At times black crows try to interrupt".No idioms can be found in this poem and the symbol portrayed in this poem that childhood is happiness.The mood in this poem is mainly positive and the poet trys to convey the message that all of us should treasure our childhood and never allow them to be erased from your memory.

Now,I will be constructing a poem on my primary school life:

Primary school life seems a walk away,
but in fact it is away forever.
Just wished that I could relive those memories,
but everybody knows no one can do such time.

Encountered welcoming friends,
the moment I stepped into school.
Slowly,bit by bit,I crept out of my shell,realising the true meaning of school and friends.
Time waits for no man.

In a flash,the exams had arrived.
I knew it was important.
I told myself no my games,no more fooling around.
It was time to get to work.

PSLE was arriving soon.
This was the ultimatium of primary school.
This would decide your fate.
I breathed in deeply as I entered the examination hall.

The invigilators distributed the papers,
only the flipping of papers could be heard.
Staring at the papers that decided my fate,
I picked up my pen and gave it my all.

In a flash,I am sitting here constructing this poem.
Now a secondary 1 student,
those memories seem a millennium away.

My Favourite Poet-Ted Kooser

Ted Kooser.These two words rang in my mind like a silver ice-cream bell as I marvelled at this American author who was born in Ames,Iowa.It is no doubt that the the this poet had produced marvellous yet fantastic poems in the past.Ted Kooser has an extremely unique feature:the theme of his poems.The theme of his poems give all readers a taste of a slice of life living in the country side,away from the hectic hustle and bustle of metropolitan cities.His theme of writing poems mainly revolving on the everyday countryside gives me a clearer,yet refreshing headset,thus momentarily giving me an opportunity to experience quiet rare peace.(It is quite difficult to find peace with all your assements to mark or all my homework to complete in today's modernised society.)The lazy cows,the azure blue sky,waving green grass in the breeze and the best of all,the remarkable array of colours ranging from orange to red.I must say,this is the perfect cure for letting your hair down after a long day at work or school.My thesis:I feel that Ted Kooser is a man who prefers quiet peace,serenity,surrounded by the wonders of Mother nature.His poems are excellent in many different points of view.For instance,he has penned down poems using the animal's point of view,invoking an emotion into readers who would know have a clearer understanding of what it feels like to be an animal,thus,dissipating anymore queries on animal emotions.This enhances the interesting factor if the poem Ted Kooser produces and emphasises the theme clearly,even taking into consideration the animals' emotions in a peaceful countryside in America.He uses figurative language greatly,almost every one of his remarkable works portray at 3 out of 5 main points in figurative language.The clarity of his poems easily implants the image of a peaceful countryside in the reader's mind,ranging from "No hunting signs" to the silver identification of cows to rare wood and trees.His amazing skills in writing poetry allowed the 70 years old poet to be awarded prestigious prizes in America: two NEA Literary Fellowships (in 1976 and 1984), the Pushcart Prize, the Nebraska Book Awards for Poetry (2001) and Nonfiction (2004), the Stanley Kunitz Prize (1984), the James Boatwright Prize, and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (2005).On August 12, 2004, he was named Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry by the Librarian if Congress to serve a term from October 2004 through May 2005. In April 2005, Ted Kooser was appointed to serve a second term as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry.He have received many outstanding rewards in his career.The former vice president of an insurance company has definitely made out most of his career.
Need a coffee break with words?Relaxation and comfort away from the ever daunting desk your everyday goal?How about a Ted Kooser poem?It would have wonderful effects on you.
I am absolutely sure of it.

Here,take a break by reading Ted Kooser's magical poems:

Horse
In its stall stands the 19th century,
its hide a hot shudder of satin,
head stony and willful,
an eye brown as a river and watchful:
a sentry a long way ahead
of a hard, dirty army of hooves.


How To Foretell A Change In The Weather
Rain always follow the cattle
sniffing the air and huddling
in fields with their heads to the lee.
You will know that the weather is
changing
when your sheep leave the pasture
too slowly, and your dogs lie about
and look tired; when the cat
turns her back to the fire,
washing her face, and the pigs
wallow in litter; cocks will be crowing
at unusual hours, flapping their wings;
hens will chant; when your ducks
and your geese are too noisy,
and the pigeons are washing
themselves;
when the peacocks squall loudly
from the tops of the trees,
when the guinea fowl grates;
when sparrows chip loudly
and fuss in the roadway, and when
swallows
fly low, skimming the earth;
when the carrion crow
croaks to himself, and wild fowl
dip and wash, and when moles
throw up hills with great fervor;
when toads creep out in numbers;
when frogs croak; when bats
enter the houses; when birds
begin to seek shelter,
and the robin approaches your house;
when the swan flies at the wind,
and your bees leave the hive;
when ants carry their eggs to and fro,
and flies bite, and the earthworm
is seen on the surface of things.


In the Corners of Fields
Something is calling to me
from the corners of fields,
where the leftover fence wire
suns its loose coils, and stones
thrown out of the furrow
sleep in warm litters;
where the gray faces
of old No Hunting signs
mutter into the wind,
and dry horse tanks
spout fountains of sunflowers;
where a moth
flutters in from the pasture,
harried by sparrows,
and alights on a post,
so sure of its life
that it peacefully opens its wings.


Citations:http://www.tedkooser.net/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kooser


Done By:Gary Leong(16)
Class:1A1

Lesson 1 Figurative Language Assignment

This is the poem I would be working on:

A Birthday Poem by Ted Kooser

Just past dawn, the sun stands
with its heavy red head
in a black stanchion of trees,
waiting for someone to come
with his bucket
for the foamy white light,
and then a long day in the pasture.
I too spend my days grazing,
feasting on every green moment
till darkness calls,
and with the others
I walk away into the night,
swinging the little tin bell
of my name.

Figurative language are widely used in this particular poem.Figurative language have already been used in the first 2 lines of the poem.The phrases" sun stands with its heavy red head" is personification.Personification implies giving an object abstract ideas of a human quality,generally. In this particular example, a sun is a star.A star is being related to having a "heavy red head",which indicates the usage of a non-human object being related to specific human qualities.This is the usage of personification.
As seen in the phrases " come with his bucket",this implies the usage of a metaphor.A metaphor means directly comparing seemingly unrelated objects to the poem,without using words such as "and"or"as". In this poem,the word "bucket" is related to the word "sun".As we all know,it is common knowledge that a human object is totally unrelated to a massive ball of energy in vast space,a star.However,the words"for" and "light" in the poem suggest a figurative relationship between the "Sun" and the "Bucket":The bucket is here to collect light given out from the sun to allow the night to take over.This creates an image in the reader's mind,giving them a clearer understanding of the events happening in the poem. Moreover,there is also another usage of figurative language hidden in this sentences.Symbolism occurs when these 2 words"night" and "bucket" appears.Symbolism means using a representative figure to carry the additional meaning often verooked by readers. As everyone knows,a bucket can only contain an average amount of liquid or an average size object,unlike a cement mixer.The hidden relationship between the words "bucket","light","night".A bucket,being an average sized container,scoops light up bit by bit.Similiar to the night,night approaches slowly,devouring the light;Lesser light is received from the sun as night creeps slowly.I guess you can see the symbolic relation ship between these three words now.
Moreover,the usage of hyperbole occurs as the poem reaches its definite end.Hyperbole is and exxagerated statement in poetry,being used to invoke an emotion in the reader,thus emphasising the theme of this poem.The words "feasting","grazing","walking away","swinging" and "bell" indicates the usage of hyperbole.These words invoke a sense of,sort of a type of laziness.The reader would have similiar emotions to the cow in the poem,having the same routine day by day till night approaches.Nothing can be done to change this routine and the them of this poem,"laziness"is emphasised.

Why do I like this poem?
This poem is an excellent poem.For starters,the usage of 3 types of figurative language,hyperbole,personification and symbolism gives the reader a full insight to what is really happening in the poem and clearly understand the surface below;the hidden meanings.By reading this poem,the reader would understand how to appreciate the fact that hidden meanings concealed beneath the surface gives the reader a taste of a slice of life.The theme of the poem is simililar to the scenes of everything life:Avoiding the jam on the road,seated in office after an uncalled frenzy.

Word Count for my reflections on why I like this poem:
100 words

Target Practice

I espied my enemy in the distance.

Swiftly ,I loaded my weapon.

A resounding click.

This was it.

The sitting duck was unaware of the skilled combatant's presence.

I gingerly took aim.

Bang!

The sound of victory reverberated through the house.

Shrill Screams.

"MUM, ASK TOM TO STOP TARGETING ME WITH HIS DART GUN!"

Smirked.

Word Count:55 words

Done by Gary Leong

My Reflections-The Tale Of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo

Wonderful.This word echoed in my mind as I placed this magical book gingerly on the table,satisfied that I had a good read.The Tale of Despereaux is an excellent fiction book.I was extremely engrossed in this fairy-tale like adventure that I had my eyes glued to this book and could not put it down until I finished it.It creates an atmosphere of magic and this implants a world filled with castles,talking mice into the reader's avid mind.This book mainly revolves around a mouse with abnormally large ears called Despereaux Tilling.His adventures and quest for love and honour as a magnificent knight for his princess  grips the reader's attentions with immediate effect.Despereaux is different from the other mice in a positive manner;instead of chewing crunchy paper from books which other mice treat as a delicacy,Despereaux reads the content of a book,savouring every word of it.The story is about a beautiful princess rescued by a heroic knight in shining armour.This,however,manages to give the reader a hint of the events which were about to happen next.This drives the reader to read on,eager to know the outcome of the story.Desperaeax is unique in a positive manner;for instance,he reading a book in a library or rescuing the princess from the cunning,sinister rats make him a brave knight.This aspect makes the story a fairy-tale springing to life through words weaved in a nonetheless beautiful manner.This book is absolutely a fantastic,beautifully created fairy tale which ultimately,gives all readers a sense if satisfaction after reading.I can assure you of that.The author's ability to use the theme of mice along with bravery and love and transforms it  into a fairy tale impresses me.Her story flows with a smooth transition, piecing the story perfectly  together like a jigsaw puzzle,allowing the reader to fully interpret the story over time.Combined with twist and turns,an adventurous mouse with great ambitions along with bravery,courage and honour,this is a book you would not want to miss.

I am sure of it.

Mercurial Tom-Imminent End

Absolute destruction.

Screams of agony.

Horrified civilians scurried across.

The paradise had transformed into a slaughter house.

A green spaceship crashed into a building,deafening sound.

Civilians strewn across the mahogany ground.

He was impatient.Time was running out.

The world,his world, had to be destroyed.

BotTOM line.

"Mum,where's my toy monster?"

Word Count:54 words

The 55 Word Blog Entry-My 55 reflection

Done by Gary Leong

55 words an essay?How on earth is that possible?

Well guess what?

Newsflash.Bingo.

We are learning micro fiction.

Cruised through 2 pieces,this is the third.

The future gleams,micro fiction is short.

It may seem hard on the outside.

With frequent practices,the inner beauty would rise to the surface.

Sweet.

Word Count:55 words

The Last Stand

“You have to be lying.”

Eyes crossed. Disbelieved.

“YOU HAVE TO BE LYING!”

Eyes darted towards the man at the mall.

The man’s moustache twitched in anger as he glared at his boss.

He thumped his fists against the mahogany table,arousing the den of security.

“That’s the reason why I don’t need you.”

Unconvinced.

Failure.

55words

Apology

I apologise to everyone that I had accidentally put "gals" at the last sentence instead of "happy".It was because of the spell check that the computer gave me similar meanings of the word to me and I had accidentally picked "Gals".I apologise fo that mistake.

My Mother's Comments on My Reading Habits

After requesting for my mother to comment on my Reading Habits(you can find it on my blog here),she felt that she knew I would love reading after exposing me to all kinds of books when I was a innocent little child.She felt that my reading habits developed because of this main factor:constantly exposing me to storybooks.According to my mother,she knew that I loved fantasy and adventure storybooks from the very beginning.How is this possible?She knew it when I was at a tender.young age of 2 years old.Once,my mother said that she gave me 2 books,one with colourful pictures of happy and happy dragons while the other one contained picture of an apple with a delightful smile on its shiny red outer "covering".After minutes of careful observation on me (I could not remember anything as I was too young!),she said the 2 year old baby was constantly slapping the colourful graphic pictures of happy robots and dragons,a grin formed on my then chubby face.According to my mother,she also added that I did not glance at the book with the smiling apple afterwards,leaving the Apple book to lie forlornly in a corner.Instead,I continued to admire the beautifully illustrated pictures in awe,with wide opened eyes.This gave my mother a mentality instantaneously:When I grow up,I would concentrate my reading on fantasy and adventure storybooks.Her predictions were true as time flew past as I started to pick up more storybooks to fulfill my utter curiosity.She was delighted I had picked up reading as she feels that reading not only improves one's level of language,it also transports readers into another different world of fantasy and imagination,giving a reader to let their hair down from a hectic work or study schedule.It was like killing two birds with one stone.She felt that reading brings countless benefits to a reader and she felt that that was what had happened to me.

I was gals I had picked up reading.

Mother's memorable read

I knew my parents read books but I had never knew they would read the same books as me when I was in primary school and I still do.It was pure coincidence that I read the popular,world re known Star Wars novels which surrounds light sabres,star ships,aliens and clone troopers.I know this may sound unusual and moreover,strange,my mother reads them.She told me that it was common knowledge in all families that Star Wars are only catered to the needs of boys and burly man(I guessed your family had the same mentality)and it is not a good choice for gentle girls and women to read them.Well today,I stand for my point and changed this fact in my family:Star Wars are for humans of all ages,regardless of your gender.I have to admit,when I had asked my mother what she had read before,she mouthed 2 silent words,looking at me with be wilderness:Star Wars,I was shocked.I asked her the question one more time just to confirm and she was still firm with it.It was a wonderful fact that there was another Star Wars fan like me in the family.Why Star Wars,well,my mother said that she loved science fiction novels since a tender young age.She said these science fiction novels were extremely interesting and even helped give us the a glimpse of the humans' future reality and what actions would have an impact on us.She adores the action theme and cliffhangers endings of the Star Wars books and that was what drove her to read then till she was 14 years old.Although the Star Wars novels was a long forgotten,faded memory,she said it gave her an insight of the amazing things a novel can do on a human being and caused to have a certain passion for reading storybooks.Even though my mother has lost the habit of reading Star Wars novels,she said the novels she had read would always have a special place in her heart.I know this would be hard to believe but believe it.

Anyone believes about intergalactic star ships in the future?How about light sabres?

Confessions of a childish boy

A THIRTEEN YEAR OLD BOY IS CHILDISH?HOW CAN THAT BE POSSIBLE??Well,to state the truth,I am childish.I do not feel embarrassed at all.I carry a sense of pride within me as I can find joy in playing with toys,unlike most other teenagers of my age.Toys are a child's best friend.Some people revitalise their day by having an occasional game of badminton, a ride around the neighbourhood on a scooter but I inject laughter in my day.Pride is made of two vines-life and death.But it is different.Pride can be used for enjoyment without harming anything physically or mentally.For example,till now,I still loved playing with toy monsters and marvel figurines fighting each other,destroying toy cars and a brio set train track.Causalities were suffered,most likely consisted of civilians and villains.That is "death".And as the victors stood proudly,looking ever so tall,their heroic silloutet shadowed by my lamp,a sense of satisfaction overwhelms me.When I play with the plastic figurines,I let my hair down and had forgotten the burden of homework piling on me or the occasional headaches caused by stress.I feel refreshed and full of energy when I found time with my toys.It was as if I was transported to my imaginary world,with monsters,villains terrorising powerless civilians as super heroes swung into actions.Anything from a cute little mouse to a ten-foot tall dinosaur could appear in my imaginary world.My mind goes wild when I played with toys.Creative ideas popped up in my head every second as I constructed my world of imagination.I would find joy in my childhood in spending time with my precious toys.I would say this proudly that I love toys even though I am thirteen and am not ashamed of it at all.Not one bit.

The Second World War quiz

As all of you,the Second World War has ended long time ago but it is still being remembered.Want to figure out how to experience war in the rain?Just follow what this US soldier who fought in the war.

1.Dig a hole in the back garden while it is raining.

2.Sit in the hole while the water climbs around your ankles.

3.Pour cold mud down your collar

4.Sit there for 48 hours and,so there is no danger of dozing off,imagine that a guy is sneaking around waiting to club you on the head or set fire on your house.

5.Get out of the hole.

6.Fill a suitcase full of rocks.

7.Pick it up,hold something which weighs at least 2kg in your other hand and walk on the muddiest road you can find.

8.Fall flat on your face every few minutes.

9.Snoop around until you find a bull.

10.Try to sneak around him.

11.When he sees you,run like hell all the way back to your hole in the backgarden.

12.If you repeat this every three days for several months,you will be able to understand.

Excerpted from Terry Deary,Horrible Histories,The Woeful Second World War(1999)

Published by Norhaven Paperback,Virborg A/S, Denmark

See what I mean?We are so fortunate.

Naturalistic:Philip Malloy,Nothing But The Truth

Arghhhh!How I wished I could experience the refreshing yet cooling sensation of running in the gentle breeze endlessly.Oh,how I wished to compete in running events,the crowd cheering me on with utter enthusiasm and my parents beaming at me proudly,saying:"That is my son Philip!" However,this was not what had happened in reality,the real world.The only thing I could see was my legs striding across the terrain,running,running,running.I feel.......how should I say it....desolate,lonely.All my friends detest me,keeps me at arm's length,all they do is ignore me and try to avoid me whenever possible!My parents.....they are not even responsible,all they do is dump me in Washington Academy(IT DOES NOT HAVE A TRACK TEAM!)and get on with their daily,hectic work schedule.It was as if me being born into this wonderful world was just another burden to them!Arghhh..I...I don't even love them anymore!Wait,wait,why didn't I think of that?A brilliant thought lit up my mind:RUN AWAY FROM HOME!That's the best and ideal solution to the current problems I face.Hmmm.....running away in my country is not a very outstanding nor fantastic idea,for starters,there would be many eye witnesses and my parents could just inform the police,telling then I was still in USA!No way I could outrun a team of highly trained ,professional personnel!That idea is not good at all!Hey,I know:Just run away from USA!Travel to another country without my parents knowing and there would be a lower chance of me being spotted there as no one knows me,not even identify me!YES,Philip,you are a genius!Me running away from my own problems would cause people to eventually forget them!2 years later,everybody would probably think:Hey,who is that boy who created such a commotion by singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner"?Anyway,I need to find a country with suitable conditions for me to run everyday in order to revitalize my running career.It would need to have warm climate for me to run daily,a low cost of living,plentiful of jobs and someplace relatively remote so that I cannot be easily found.This would be paradise for me!I would be able to revitalize my running career and all my problems would be solved!It is like "Killing two birds with one stone!"Let's see,how about Switzerland?No,no it is freezing cold there and the cost of living is pretty high because their currency used is Euros.How about Egypt?Nah,it is remote but it would be scorching hot there,not a good condition for me to train there.Hmmm....maybe some country in Asia.How about Singapore?Heard from lots of people from USA that's it is a wonderful country with clean environment,it is a safe city to live in and moreover,it has a tropical climate,it is summer 365 days constantly!The food there is charged at cheap and affordable prices,a Chicken Cutlet sold at a food center costs only 3.5 US dollars,which is much cheaper compared to the 9.95 US dollars chicken cutlet sold in USA!I did my research before on Singapore and I found out that there are plenty of apartments for me to rent and constant job opportunities for me to grab.Nobody,not my family members,my so called"FRIENDS" nor my teachers would ever discover that I had escaped to Singapore in Southeast Asia,which is on the opposite side of the Earth from the United States!Singapore,here I come!Yes, in the wee hours of the morning,I would pack my belongings,take my passport,grab the US 10000 dollars my father keeps in the safe,book a flight ticket and a taxi for me to be ferried to the airport and by daylight,I would be gone!All I got to do is plan carefully now......

APOLOGY

I am so,very sorry that I POSTED THE WRONG BOOK ON MY BLOG!Please,I am not reading the Prima guide or whatever,I am reading the NOVEL.A thousand apologies.

My experience of maintaining a blog

A blog.Those two words rang incessantly like an imaginary ice cream bell in my head.In primary school,most of my friends had blogs.I thought having a blog was a waste of precious time and effort but after entering Hwa Chong Institution,I had no choice but to create a blog.In the very beginning,I,again having the mentality of a Primary 6 student,thought that it was a waste of time and effort to maintain a blog and the thought of risks of maintaining blogs pervaded my train of thoughts,causing me to have a huge desire and certainty of taking down my blog.I simply thought:Why should we write our own views and thoughts on certain matters when we can just voice them out?However after having a blog,I found out that a blog was a good platform to voice out thoughts as most of the minute details of our views will be placed on the blog,unlike voicing them out as we may overlook them.I like blogging as it not only helps me to improve my writing skills,it is also a great aid in comprehending English passages with better and more precise understanding.However,I also dislike blogging(Nothing in this world is perfect!) because of me having difficulty in signing into my Blogger account and moreover,I am increasingly frustrated because of the lack of user-friendly icons on blog accounts to guide a "Computer Illiterate" like me.Having a electronic bookshelf tied to my blog is absolutely a excellent idea.I can share the books I read on my blog,allowing them to comment on the books I have read too.I can also gain satisfaction on the number of books I have read over the years.(P.SMy electronic bookshelf is not updated yet!) I am currently reading the science fi ction novel"STAR WARS THE FORCE UNLEASHED)http://weread.com/profile/Gary/E3F2DAEC-BCE1-482A-A227-24E066DAFAA3?con_sandbox=booksiread&container_type=booksiread

EGGS!

EGGS!SO DELICIOUS AND SO YUMMY!JUST THINKING OF IT MAKES ME SALIVATE!There are many different types of eggs and these are all I know:

1.Scrambled Eggs(Really Delicious with Ketchup!)

2.Poached Egg(Actually I Have Never Ate One Before But It sounds Yummy!)

3.Hard-Boiled Egg(mmm...great with MAGGI mee!)

4.Fried eggs(Delicious with light soya sauce and with MEE GORENG!)

5.Omelette(mmmm....Any filing is applicable!Maybe with mushrooms or...)

I LOVE EGGS!(For now because I suddenely have a surge and desire for Eggs!)

My Electronic bookshelf PS.I am not done updating it yet

http://weread.com/profile/Gary/E3F2DAEC-BCE1-482A-A227-24E066DAFAA3?refuid=E3F2DAEC-BCE1-482A-A227-24E066DAFAA3&src=&auri=
Take a look at some of the books I have Read!

My Top 3 Learning Preferences

In order of merit ,my top 3 learning preferences are:
1.Interpersonal and Intrapersonal(Both of these are of equal level)
2.Logical
3.Visual/Spatial

Narrative Writing And Graphic "writing"-My Connection

Narrative writing and Graphic "Writing",what do these phrases mean?Well,the definition of narrative writing -It is a unique form of writing used to write or should we say narrate a particular story in the form of words.Graphic "writing"-It is a way of "writing"in which graphic pictures are illustrated without any words to narrate and portray a particular story.In this world,there exists countless forms of writing which are mastered by authors in order to plant their story in the reader's mind to leave a deep impression.For some reason,according to myself,there is a connection between narrative and graphic "writing".What is this connection?Relative to my recent Language Arts lesson in which we were supposed to carry out various activities according to our strongest element(e.gVisual,musical etc.),Narrative writing and Graphic "writing" are like the 2 natural elements-Earth And Water.They are dependent on one another,something extremely essential.The Earth element stands for Narrative writing while the Water element stands for the Graphic "writing".Why Earth?We all have sufficient knowledge about the Earth and know that it is a "platform"we live on.This is implied on narrative writing.Narrative writing is the basic,fundamental platform for a story to be told to the reader.Without it,the reader would not be able to identify the key points and the characteristics of a story.The Water element is important too.Water is one of the key conditions on Earth that keep all of us alive.Graphic writing helps the reader to visualise clearly the story's events and prevents the story from being monotonous and injects the story with livelihood.Water brings out the essence of life and it is similar to Graphic writing-It also brings out the essence and the true meaning behind the story.This is a important connection between 2 of the most common methods of portraying a story,if you get what I mean.

My Reading Habits

My reading habits are varied,not only revolving around a single idea.I have to say that what kicked me into a reading habit was my parents.Ever since I was only a innocent little infant,my parents have been reading me all sorts of storybooks,actually,mainly from these 2 categories-Fantasy and Adventure.I guess this factor had an important part to play today as I mainly love to read attention grabbing,heart-stopping,fantastic fantasy and adventure books.I must thank my parents and be grateful for their fundamental contribution.The children series which I used to read was "Berenstain Bear "children series.The illustrations come in a myriad of colours,ranging from red to purple.The illustrations are drawn with many intricate and elaborate details that I found it to put that particular book down.This book series was the roots of my now "Brain Book Library".Nowadays,I am hooked on fantasy and adventure books.Reading is one of my favourite past times and whenever I have the opportunity to read,I will seize it because of the burden of homework "piling"on me right now.For some strange reason,only these two genres of books intrigues me and enthralled me,giving me more desire to go in depth.Other genres of books somehow do not interest me over these years.I feel that we should never read a book just to please someone.Have your own choice,for example-mystery.Reading books of the genres you do not like so as to please someone will not only waste much of your precious time,you will not feel a sense of satisfaction,which may probably cause you to feel increasingly frustrated.My reading habits are something essential in my everyday life,something which is a part of me.I guess that happened to you too.

Why Did I Do It?(The Diary Entry Of Philip Malloy,Nothing But The Truth)

Arghh,Philip Malloy,Why did you do it?I deeply regretted my reckless actions which happened during the very beginning.I should not have bear ed an unnecessary grudge against my homeroom teacher,Ms Margaret Narwin.This was the heart of the problem that caused the problem to be aggravated,going from bad to worse.If only I did not try to be the centre of attention and make such a huge commotion which involved many people,I would not have been transferred from the homeroom of Mrs Narwin and to Mr Bernard Lunser homeroom.In the end,I would also not have been transferred to Washington Academy.Moreover,the college money which my parents have been saving up for me during these years will all be spent for the school fees for Washington Academy,which probably created another problem for me to encounter when I am in college.Until today,I was unhappy that there was not a track team at Washington Academy for me to be on.I wanted to be a running sensation like my father,following down the same path he did in high school,joining the track team.Unfortunately,it did not turn out the desired way.Arghh,Philip Malloy,Why did you do it?If only I beared with the teacher I disliked,and not cause a small matter turn into a such a unwanted,huge problem ,which led to much inconvenience for the people around me.Why was I such a petty teenager?I should not have made up such a lie:All the students dislike or hate Ms Narwin.Due to this,I carry the burden of guilt,something which will be hard to erase from my memory.If only I had not committed these reckless actions,I would still be studying at Harrison High,probably passed my English examinations and secure me a place on the track team.I would be extremely delighted but as the saying goes "Time Waits For No Man",it is to late to turn back.Arghh,Philip Malloy,why did you do it?

Year 2009 as a sec 1(A WHOLE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL)

WOW.My shift from primary school to secondary was really exciting.Well,for starters,my secondary school was huge compared to my primary school.But of course,that happening was quite a common thing in Singapore.Secondary 1 life was much busier than I had expected.Loads of homework coming in,staying back for various types of lessons and and although it was only the beginning of the year,I could already feel the burden of homework.But I know that I had to face this fact-I am no longer a young and innocent boy.I am growing up.Things in school are not spoonfed and I have to be independent and learn how to complete all my tasks efficently in a short period of time.The thoughts of already making many friends in less that a month proved to be sastifactory to me.My friends are really wonderful.I know its only the beginning of the year . Well,for some strange reason ,our class had already bonded with each other so well .I guess it must be the class spirit in all of us.Of course I would never forget my primary school buddies.Now,my secondary school provides us a wide range of CCAs for us to choose from.So,currently,we attended CCA trials .My classroom is windy.It proves to be useful as it allows us to cool down after vigorous activities,allowing us to concentrate during lessons and widen our knowledge horizon. But of course,it is not always windy.Moreover,the food sold in the canteen are mouth-watering.The different types of food sold in the school canteen are delicious and alsocharged at affordable ,reasonable prices.Now to wrap up,I think my secondary school is wonderful and I believe that I will lead an exciting and enriching secondary school life in this new chapter.