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
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
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
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
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
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
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
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