Lesson 3: Analyzing & Composing poem

1) I feel that this poem shows that the author had a very eventful primary school life.
The author used "Free verse" in his poem as only by doing can he experiment with the shapes and sounds of the poem and truly express his inner feelings.

The second last stanza, there is an important quote about the author; "Pushing a wheelchair". This could mean the author either had an accident and broke his leg or suffered from a disease like polio. However, since his classmates "are smiling", I can assume that they do not mistreat or ostracize him because of that. Hence, I feel that the poet may have a happy memory of his primary school days.

The poet seems to enjoys school, judging that he does not defame his teachers or complain

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 The author reveals that he does not understand the significance of his badge. He seems unsure of whether the motto is
"Hope for the future" or "The future is hope". This could also symbolize that the author hopes for a better future in secondary school.

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 --> Author may have Physical Education and soil his shoes

I must admit there is something quite special --> I feel the author is rather childish as About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts he admires and may even be jealous of the scouts not for helping others but for their muscular thighs. The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates --> The author may come from a poor family unlike his Sit on the car park kerb classmates and cannot afford a chauffeur
Telling jokes to one another

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up --> The author may feel that this is amusing as a Chinese teacher In a sarong kebaya dresses up as a Malay on Chinese New Year and sings Bengawan Solo
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore --> This is elementary.

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A's --> I feel this shows how childish the author and his friends were For his Chinese Language during primary school as they regard shading "all A's" Multiple-choice paper as"heroic".

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

2) I share the sentiments with the author about primary school. Though I undoubtedly had more homework and tests to worry about than the author, I too had an happy memories of primary school.

School

I still recall primary school,
when life was fun and never blue.

All day long we played in the sun,
leaving our homework undone.

The teachers were great and witty,
Tests and exams never a-plenty.

But then, in Primary 6, came hell,
when I had to bid them farewell.

Now I pine for primary school,
Primary school oh how I miss you!

IT Emergency Lesson 2:Favourite poet

My favorite poet is an American known as Robert Frost(March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963). I find him interesting and intriguing. I admire him very much, not just for what he achieved, but what he overcame to achieve it.

Robert Frost has an iron will and does not give up easily. His personal life was plagued with grief and loss, his father having died of tuberculosis in 1885 when Frost was 11, leaving the family with just $8. Frost's mother died of cancer in 1900. Out of his 6 children, 4 of them died before he. However, in spite of his tragic losses and setbacks, Robert Frost continued to write outstanding poems and proses, eventually becoming America's most celebrated poet of his time. Hence, I admire him for having the courage to pick himself up each time he fell and never throwing in the towel.

Robert Frost writes deep and insightful poems. For example, one of his most famous poems, The Road Not Taken, tells of how the speaker came upon two yellow roads diverging in the forest and how he took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference. This poem actually symbolizes how the small decisions one makes now can affect your future life greatly. Hence, I feel that his poems are meaningful.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Nothing gold can stay
Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken_(poem)

IT Emergency Lesson 1: Figurative Language

The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost (1874–1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Hyperbole:

Robert Frost exaggerates his grief by stating "I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence".

Personification:

The poem suggests that the road "wanted wear". This is impossible as roads are inanimate and cannot yearn for anything. Only people can. Thus, Robert Frost personifies the road by giving it this human trait.

Symbolism:

Robert Frost uses symbolism to show how the speaker’s choice impacts his life.In the beginning, Frost says that “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” . He links a decision to two diverging roads. Travelers who face two diverging roads represent the people who have to make a decision in life.

The last two lines of the poem “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” tells us that the road the speaker chose has made a large impact on his life. This symbolizes that taking the less desirable or uncommon decision in life can make a huge difference.

I couldn't find any metaphors or similes in this poem. Sorry.

I liked this poem as it encourages me to go for the "road less traveled" in life, meaning taking the harder but more rewarding journey instead of a comfortable and meaningless one. For example, instead of simply going on to university and becoming an ordinary office worker, I could follow my dream to be an artist and opt for an overseas art course. This would be far more meaningful to me as I would have achieved my ambition in life and would have no regrets when I pass on.

Book Review- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

11 June 2009

A Different Childhood

Book Read: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Yes, I feel that this book has made me think different of my lifestyle. When I compare my lifestyle with that of Tom Sawyer's, I feel that I lead a very boring and unadventurous life. In this novel, the characters always seem to be full of exciting ideas and schemes for adventures. I envy them for living such a care-free life. They play truant, run away from home, explore caves and go fishing as and when they like. As for me, I have to study almost everyday and if I ever tried to escape school, I would be slapped with a suspension and grounded forever in addition to being severely punished. Instead of going fishing or cave-exploring, I would normally just hang out at the mall, watch a movie or go to a restaurant. Thus, I could only hope to enjoy such a happy-go-lucky life as Tom Sawyer's.

This story originated from the South on the Mississippi River, in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, a state in America. America and Singapore are different in many aspects.

Besides the obvious difference in size and population between the two countries, America is a powerful country. The US Army is unanimously recognized as the most powerful army in the world and it's one of the few countries with nuclear arms. On the other hand, Singapore's arm forces are very weak compared to America. To compensate for this, Singapore has to implement mandatory National Service, where young men of 18 years old are drafted into the army, navy and air force. Furthermore, Singapore has established good bilateral relationships between neighboring countries and superpowers like Britain and America. Thus, it can enjoy the protection and defense provided by them in the event of war.

However, Singaporeans are generally more prosperous than Americans. According to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita (person), the US ranks 6th while Singapore ranks 4th. This could be as Singapore progresses as a whole because of its small population and the income gap isn't as great as in the US, where the poor become poorer and the rich become richer.

I would change the part where Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and Joe Parker agreed to wait till their "funeral" to reveal that they are still indeed alive. By doing so, not only does it cause unnecessary worry to their loved ones and friends, it is also rather too dramatic for my liking. If they had simply come back earlier or even not run away to Jackson's Island at all, all the anxiety could have been avoided. They could have sorted the family matters that were troubling them instead of running away from them and none of these would have happened.

I think the most exciting part of the story was when Tom and Becky Thatcher were trapped in the cave.

It seemed like they were going to be trapped in the cave forever and "starve to death of hunger" . They had eaten "their last piece of cake" and "hunger and fatigue set in". Furthermore, "Becky's legs refused to carry her another inch" and their candle "finally flickered and went out". Thus, things were looking very depressing for them as they had no food and were tired. Hence, it was the most exciting part of the story.

They managed to find their way out of the cave in the nick of time. Tom had followed three passages "to the fullest stretch of of the kite string" and was about to turn back when he "glimpsed a far-off speck" of daylight. Becky was "going to die" at that time from hunger, thus, it was very fortunate that Tom had found an exit then. Thus, its was really exciting.

Tom saw his deadly enemy, Injun Joe in the cave. He had previously told the court in a murder case that the latter had been the real murderer of Dr. Robinson and not Muff Porter. Thus, Injun Joe "bore a grudge " against him and swore to take revenge on him. Tom had even called out to him accidentally in the cave and was "paralyzed with fear when he recognized Injun Joe". Hence, it was extremely exciting as Tom was stuck with Injun Joe inside the cave and was at his mercy .

Book Review- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

10 June 2009

A Different World

Book Read:Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

When I compare my childhood with Harry's, I feel that I lead a very dull and uninteresting life. In this novel, the characters always seem to be involved in sticky situations but always manage to triumph in the end. For example, when Ron, Hermione and Harry had to solve seemingly impossible puzzles to get to the Philosopher's stone and Voldemort, though they met with some initial difficulty, they eventually managed to unravel them and subsequently defeat the latter. As for me, I hardly have any adventures at all, the closest I ever got to it being the time I got lost in a mall when I was 6.

I learned that Good always triumphs over Evil in the end. In this novel, Harry Potter joins forces with his two new-found best friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, to defeat the evil force, Lord Voldemort, from stealing the Philosopher's Stone to resurrect himself. Harry and his friends find themselves in numerous life-threatening situations, like stuck in the toilet with a raging troll or forced to play chess where the loser loses more than just a game. However, they ultimately overcome these obstacles, even managing to defeat Lord Voldemort himself in the end. Thus, I can infer that no matter how powerful and mighty the dark side may seem, the good side will always emerge victorious.

Comparison of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort

Harry Potter and Voldemort are different in many ways.

Harry Potter is famous and revered by many in the wizard world, even by his own schoolmates in Hogwarts. The students "gawped at him" and "broke out in hushed whispers" when they saw him. Furthermore, the customers of the Leaky Cauldron thought "what an honor" it was to meet him and "always wanted to shake" his hand. They all know who he is and are in awe of him.

On the other hand, Lord Voldemort is feared and hated by all in the wizard world except his followers, the Death Eaters. He is infamous as he had attempted "taking over" the wizard world and killed those "who stood up to him" "in cold blood". Hence, the wizards and witches were extremely afraid of him and detested him for his massacre of innocent people.

Harry Potter is selfless and willing to sacrifice himself for others. When he knew that someone was going to steal the Philosopher's Stone and that he had to risk his life to pass through the several obstacles to it, he "did not hesitate". When he knew that he had to face Snape or even "You-know-who" again, he bravely chose to go on instead of Hermione. This shows that he cares much for his friends and dares to put himself in dangers for their sake.

Voldemort is selfish and only cares about himself. Though faithful Professor Quirrell helps him in his quest to resurrect his body, he "left Quirrell to die" in the end. Furthermore, Voldemort did not even flinch when Quirrell was "howling in agony" and "hunched in pain", even "screeching at him". He shows "just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies." Thus, I can tell that Voldemort does not even think of the well-being of his devotees but only of himself.


However, Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort share similarities too.

Harry Potter is an great wizard. He was the only one who "had survived" an attack by Lord Voldemort. All others had "perished by his hand". As such, they even refer to him as "The Boy Who Lived". In addition, he managed to defeat Voldemort and Professor Quirell in the end, even though they were powerful wizards and outnumbered him. Only a really good wizard could have done so.

Voldemort is also a strong wizard. He managed to kill all “who stood up to him”, including Harry’s parents, Lily and James Potter. He was “taking over” the wizard world and caused “terrible things to happen”. Hence, though he was no doubt an evil wizard, he was undeniably an able one.

Excerpt from Ronald Weasly’s Point Of View

Going to be my first day at Hogwarts. I’m so nervous I’m perspiring as I stand, waiting at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. “Ron, you’ve got something on your nose.” Darn it. I quickly jerk out of the way but Mom grabs me and rubs my nose. “Mum-geroff.” I wriggle free of her grasp. “Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?” teased Fred. “Shut up,” I mutter, red-faced. Percy soon arrives and Fred and George make fun of him. Mum kisses us goodbye fondly as Fred cracks yet another snide remark about me.
I overheard George saying that the boy we had met earlier was Harry Potter and he had the legendary lightning scar. Ginny begged to catch a glimpse of him but Mom forbade her and warned the twins not to question him. I waved one last time at Mom and boarded the train.
Unfortunately, almost all the compartments all already full. Luckily, I managed to find an empty seat… next to Harry Potter himself! I can barely conceal my excitement and sneak a glance at him. The twins arrive all of a sudden, inviting us to have a look at Lee Jordan’s giant tarantula and introduce me to Harry before leaving. As the door slides shut, I blurt out “Are you really Harry Potter?” Harry nods his head. I gesture towards his forehead and he sweeps his fringe aside to reveal a hidden lightning-shaped scar. I eagerly question him about it for a while and stare at him in wonder before I realize what I’m doing. Embarrassed, I quickly turn towards the window.
Harry asks me a few more questions about my family and I divulge how I pressured I feel, with all 5 of my brothers excelling in Hogwarts. I accidentally let slip how poor my family was and didn’t dare to continue the conversation. Surprisingly, Harry reveals how he too had to wear old clothes and never received proper presents either.

I think the ending is the most interesting part of the book.

The ending was the climax of the story. All the events that happened served the purpose of building up to the ending. The attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone at Gringotts, the troll at Halloween,the accidental discovery of Fluffy, the three-headed dog guarding the Philosopher's Stone, the dead, bloodless unicorn at the Forbidden Forest all pointed towards someone trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Thus, it is the most interesting part of the story.

There was an array of seemingly impossible dangerous obstacles Harry, Ron and Hermione had to face at the end. They had to get pass Fluffy, the Devil's Snare, the deadly game of Wizard chess and many others to get to the thief. They managed to do so using their wits and courage, even sacrificing his/her own life. Thus, with all the action, suspense and fighting, it was no doubt the most dramatic and interesting part of the story.

Are we headed for World War 3?

Recently, North Korea has upped its testing of nuclear weapons, like long-range and short-range missiles. The world had responded with harsh criticism and warned North Korea severely. "Seemingly unfazed" by this international discontentment, North Korea has launched yet a third nuclear weapon, the modified version of a Taepodong-2, which the was tested in 2006 and in April and which is theoretically capable of reaching Alaska. The US, of course, is extremely concerned and wants to put and end to it. They worry about North Korea becoming an nuclear state, which, theoretically, puts them in a position to annihilate the whole world at the push of a button. In their statement to international news, they stressed that allowing North Korea to go on unchecked could ultimately spark an arms race in Asia. However, North Korea still persists stubbornly, "ignorant" of the United State's blatant warning.

Angered by this, United States are proposing a new resolution which could impose new sanctions to punish the North for Monday's nuclear test -- its second since 2006. This had only escalated the already tight atmosphere. North Korea has responded by decreeing "self-defence measures" . They have fueled tensions by launching yet another 6 short-range missiles and threatening to attack neighboring South Korea.

So, since the US simply cannot accept North Korea having nuclear arms and North Korea continues to test its weapons, the two sides are unable to come to an agreement or even meet and talk it over. If the situation worsens, the consequences will be disastrous for the entire world. I feel that the US should not be so strict on prohibiting nuclear weapons in North Korea. Instead, it should relent and discuss with North Korea on a solution agreeable to both parties. This way, a potential war could be averted. On the other hand, North Korea is also quite unreasonable as it does not heed US's warnings at all. They should explain to the US why they feel the need to carry out this testing of nuclear weapons and maybe sign an agreement not to attack any countries. This way, US can rest peacefully and not worry about a nuclear war and might consider allowing them to continue the testing of nuclear arms.

Reflection on my First Semester as a Secondary Student

Another term has come and go in the blink of an eye... 6 months of sweat, hard work and mugging has past...


Secondary school is far different from primary school. Forget about relaxing after stressful year of studying for the Primary School Leaving Examinations(PSLE). Here, teachers expect much more out of you. They don't spoon-feed you anymore, like in primary school. You're expected to complete projects and assignments by yourself at home, often without any prior teaching or explaining of the text. New subjects like History and Literature enters, along with huge piles of homework and tight deadlines. Its a whole new curriculum, like nothing you ever experienced before.

Don't get me wrong, Secondary school can be fun and exciting too. The freedom to do what you want, like decide what kind of project you embark on is great. Learning new skills, like researching for information or working as a team, will be useful later in life. Many opportunities for you to excel and demonstrate your leadership capabilities or talents are readily available.

For me, the first six months helped to integrate me into the advanced curriculum. The first few weeks were tough, as it was quite difficult for me to get used to the amount of homework and assignments. I recall lamenting about the homework I got in primary school and promptly sighed, pining for the good old days where homework could be easily completed in 10 minutes. I also had to get used to not having my parents ferry me to and fro school and taking the public buses. However, as time past, I adapted to the environment and discovered its many plus points, like a long recess, freedom to choose what you want to work on and limitless chances to excel.

Now, as I look back at the last few months, I realize that I have matured and am, in a sense, independent. Of course I still need my allowance but I can do assignments and projects by myself, without asking my parents to help. I have also established many new friendships and have a tight circle of them. Homework is now manageable, albeit barely, and I managed to achieve generally high scores in my tests.

As for the next semester, I already mapped the route I'm going to take. I will do my best to max out my ACE and OP points by the end of the June holidays and work on my project for Project's Day. This way, I can avoid the " rush-hour" where everyone hastily does ACE presentations and fight over who gets to present. Furthermore, I will be adequately prepared to present my project and not need to rush through it. I believe that this way, I am able to make the most of the June holidays.

BREAKING NEW: MAS SELAMAT HAS BEEN CAUGHT!

Singaporeans cheer in celebration of the good news

Yes you heard me right. The Islamic militant who plotted to crash an airplane into Singapore's fabled Changi Airport has been located.

Flashback: After Mas Selamat bin Kastari was arrested by the Singapore Police Force, he was sentenced and detained in Whitley Detention House. Not for long though. He managed to escape by tricking his guards into allowing him to enter the toilet alone and promptly climbed out of a window to freedom. Singaporean authorities have been under heavy fire for reporting his escape late, thus granting him more time to make his getaway. Ever since, they have been searching fruitless for him...

Back to the present. Mas Selamat was nabbed at Johor Bahru. It is unknown why he was at Malaysia, though public speculation is that he had fled to there to regroup with fellow Islamic terrorists.

This piece of news was warmly received by Singaporeans. Some of whom, like Retiree Mr. Raymond Quek, felt "it is good that he has been caught." For me, I had almost totally forgotten about Mas Selamat, what with H1N1 Swine Flu and examinations just round the corner. Permanent Resident Lindy Lim pretty much sums it up, "With the recent H1N1 pandemic, this is certainly a sight for sore eyes."

Sources: http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g312/fingersdontfing/fingersdontfing3/MasSelamat1.jpg, http://asia.news.yahoo.com/cna/20090508/tap-783-singaporeans-cheered-news-mas-se-231650b.html

Swine Flu: Orange Level Alert!

Well, I trust everyone has heard of the recent outbreak of the H1N1 virus, named Swine Flu for the virus stems from pigs in Mexico. It has since evolved and mutated, becoming stronger and easily communicable among human beings, spreading globally. Countries like the US(226 confirmed, 1 dead) and Canada(85); even nearby neighbouring countries of Singapore like New Zealand(4) and Hong Kong(1) have confirmed cases of the Swine Flu.

As such, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has raised the alert to "Orange", since the disease can be transmitted via humans, however, a pandemic may not be imminent just yet. The World Health Organization (WHO), have termed the status as "Phase 5", which is characterized by human transmission of the virus in 2 or more WHO countries. While most countries will not yet be affected at this stage, this is a strong signal to other WHO countries to implement mitigation measures to prepare and protect themselves.

Fear of a repeat of SARS is evident as the Singapore government rushes to combat the deadly disease. Rules and regulations have been drawn up, quarantine of recent travelers to affected countries; even temperature checks at both primary and secondary schools! The government is clearly not leaving anything to chance, even though Singapore has yet to see a confirmed case of Swine Flu.

For me, I believe that as a citizen of Singapore, I must be at least civic-minded enough to do my part in preventing the spreading of this disease. Basic things like covering my mouth when I cough, not sharing food or drinks with others can contribute to the overall fight against it. Thus, I hope everyone can all pitch in and not be selfish. Stay home if you're sick or have a temperature above 37.6oC. Remember, if you ignore these precautions, you will endanger the lives of many others around you.

Update: The MOH has determined H1N1 to be less serious and lowered the alert to "Yellow". However, we must not take this for granted and be complacent.

Watch this video! Singapore's Health Ministers cautions Singaporeans on complacency.

Reflection: Animal Farm

A speech I admire by a well-known political leader: "We Shall Fight!" Winston Churchill, Britain Prime Minister during World War 2.

Here's the extract I like:

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender"

This speech was made by Winston Churchill, Britain former Prime Minister, amidst the start of World War 1. Then, the United Kingdom had been beaten soundly by the Nazis. Morale was low and the talk of defeat was in the air. This speech was intended to stir up the Alliance's confidence and boast morale. Winston Churchill's exceptional charisma, coupled with his commendable linguistic skills and passion, managed to convince them to fight to the end and not surrender to the Germans.

After reading the speech, I was touched by the passion Winston Churchill had in defending the glory of his motherland and his strong spirit. I could feel the very power of his speech. In my opinion, this is one of the best speeches ever made in history.

Should Organ Trading be Legalized?

Should Organ Trading be Legalized?

I believe most,if not all, of us have heard the case of the former Singaporean retail magnate of CK Tang, Tang Wee Sung. He allegedly attempted to buy a kidney for $300,000 from an Indonesian immigrant. As a result, he was fined $17,000 and sentenced to one day’s jail. The would-be donor, Mr. Sulaiman Damanik, was jailed for three weeks. The middleman who arranged the transaction, Mr. Wang Chin Sing, received the heftiest sentence of fourteen months jail. To read up on a more detailed account of the incident, click here.

This shows how people, out of desperation, are forced to resort to the black market of organ trading to buy kidneys, lungs and other vital organs for themselves. In Tang's case, he has been on dialysis for over a year and suffers from various heart problems. Doctors have estimated that he would not live beyond 5 years.

Now, for the main topic: Should Organ Trading be Legalized ?

Personally, I am for organ trading, not just for Singapore, but for the entire world. Why? In the United States of America alone, there were are more than 50,000 on the waiting list for kidney transplants in 2000. Only a mere 15,000 of them received kidney transplants. This implies an average wait of almost four years before a person on the waiting list could receive a kidney transplant. In the same year, almost 3,000 died while waiting for a kidney transplant, and half that number died while waiting for a liver transplant. These numbers will only continue to increase as the population grows.

What does this show? It shows that clearly, altruism or altruistic donations are not enough. We need something else, something more dependable. Organ Trading.If altruism were sufficiently powerful, the supply of organs would be able to satisfy demand, and there would be no need to change the present system.However, this is not the case in any country. While the per capita(person) number of organs donated has grown over time, demand has grown even faster. Inevitably, the length of the queue for organ transplants has grown significantly over time in most countries, despite attempts to encourage greater giving of organs, such as campaigns.

The situation in Singapore is equally dire. Studies have shown that Singapore is fifth highest in the world in terms of incidence of kidney failure. According to a news report, at least 3,500 people in Singapore have kidney failure; 600 are on the transplant list. Moreover, the demand for organs transplantation continues to increase rapidly. Between 1998 and 2003, the number of people waiting for a kidney increased by almost 20% to 673 patients. Singapore has tried time and again to improve the allocation of available organs among the needy, such as giving greater priority to those who needs them the most. These steps have helped, but they have not stopped the queues from growing, nor prevented thousands from dying while waiting for transplants.

On the other hand, countries like Iran, who have legalized organ trading, have almost no queue for organ transplants! They have proved, beyond all reasonable doubt, that organ trading is the sole solution to this plight that has the world in an iron-cast grip.

However, there are critics and a lot of people who are against it. They feel that it is immoral and unethical to sell what we were born with. I say: Get off your high horse! You don't know how heartbreaking and antagonizing it is to witness one's loved ones suffering a slow and painful death. In all likelihood, you have never been affected personally by the shortage of organs. If this issue becomes personal, I can guarantee you that those who were against it would adapt immediately and become an avid supporter of organ trading; such is the hypocritical nature of humans. They ignore a problem until it threatens to inflict personal harm. Let me ask you; is committing an immoral act worth saving one person's life? Or is it more important to preserve these natural gifts, at the expense of others' of lives? I sincerely believe that under no circumstances, saving someone's life should take a back seat to ethics or principles. The value of a life cannot be compared with that of moral values.

People are also against organ trading as they fear that it will lead to an economic allocation of resources where only those who can pay will receive an organ transplant, to the point where an organ is treated as a commodity.

This is not true. That is what happens in the black market. However, with proper and well-defined framework, the white market will be different.

One idea is to set up a kidney registry for registering and screening donors and recipients to find suitable matches and ensure that there is no coercion, duress or exploitation involved. Furthermore, it would make sure that organs are allocated on the medical condition of each donee, not on the financial value or assets of the donees. Also, the donar's organs will only be accepted if it is a suitable match for one of the donees. A charity or administrative body like the government could easily take care of this and related matters such as donor's and donees' consent, protection of identities of donors and donees, requirements, insurance and other pre and post-transplant issues. As this is handled by a legal administrative body, we would not have any problems that were in the black market.

Another set of critics admit that allowing organs to be bought and sold would be positive. However, they object as they feel that the lion's share of the organ supply would come from the poor. They think that with this implementation, the poor would be induced to sell their organs to the middle classes and the rich. Though there is no reason for complain should the organs of poor persons be sold with their permission after they died, and the proceeds went as bequests to their parents or children, voices might be raised if mainly poor people sold one of their kidneys for live kidney transplants.

Think about it. On the other hand, would poor donors be better off if this option were taken away from them? Maybe a limit on the number of organs that could be supplied by those with incomes below a certain level could be put in place, but would that improve their welfare?

Moreover, it is far from certain that a dominant fraction of the organs would come from the poor in a free market. Most of the organs used for live transplants are still donated by relatives or friends. Scenes wheret volunteers would almost entirely consist of low income families are inaccurate as many poor people would have organs that would not be acceptable in a market system because of organ damage due to drug usage,various diseases and over consumption of alcohol.

Some critics are worried that as a side-effect of legalizing organ trading the total number of organs available for transplants might decrease as it would sufficiently lower the number of organs donated altruistically as there would be plenty of other organs available on the free market.That scenario is extremely unlikely since only a minority of potentially usable organs are available for transplants currently. Compensating people financially for donating their organs would enormously widen the scope of the potential organ market.

If we do not legalize organ trading, we are indirectly helping the black market of illegal transplants to flourish, with poor clinical results for many patients and exploitation of the poor. In the black market, the quality of the surgeons and hospitals is generally very low, drastically reducing the quality of the organs sold and the compatibility with the recipient's organ. If we choose not to legalize organ trading , the desperate , like Mr. Tang Wee Sung, will have no other choice but to continue to turn to the black market. We have to realize that by criminalizing organ trading, we do not eliminate it but instead breed a black market with the middleman taking the largest portion of the amount which the grateful patient is willing to pay the donor.

In conclusion, organ trading is the most effective method in enabling those in need of organ transplants to receive one much more quickly than under the present Singapore system. I find the cons of allowing the sale of organs insignificant, when weighed against the thousands of lives that would be saved by the jump in supply of organs.

Please comment. I am open to criticism.

Sources:http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2006/01/should_the_purc.html,http://www.pap.org.sg/articleview.php?id=3521&mode=&cid=23

The Lottery: Relevance to today

Though we might live in a high;y advanced society, we are still possess those ugly features of a typical human being. Below, I will state and give examples of the features that we practise currently what we can learn from 'The Lottery'.


We can learn that we should eliminate or eradicate meaningless traditional or religious practises that manipulate us into doing acts against our moral values. This is seen when the villagers blindly follow traditions; no questions asked. The villagers are willing to go through with the lottery for the sake of tradition, killing one another for it and even feeling that it is a so-called "civic duty". One such example that exists in our present society would be terrorists killing and bombing innocent people for the sake of their God.

Furthermore, we can also learn from the story that we should try to be sincere as a person and not hypocritical like the villagers. Mrs. Hutchinson protests wildly on the unfairness of the process of voting but is quite acceptant of it at first. She was in quite a good mood at the start of the lottery and even joked about leaving “m’dishes in the sink”. However, when her husband, Bill Hutchinson won the lottery, she suddenly turned frightened as she was terrified of drawing the black spot and cried that Mr. Summers” didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted”, even going as far as to make " Don and Eva" take a chance so as to minimize personal risk. This is extremely hypocritical of her as she supported the lottery at first but resisted and argued against it when she was in personal danger.

I think that hypocrisy still exists in our modern society. For example, In America, those who are fortunate enough to remain employed don't really care about those people who lose their jobs because of the economic crisis,and may even hate them for causing higher taxes so as to pay for their Welfare claims. This is until they lose their own jobs. Then, they complain the government isn't doing enough to support the unemployed and demand higher Welfare payouts.


Additionally, Compliance that is illustrated in The Lottery is still depicted presently. The villagers comply with the annual lottery with no questions asked and do not question the result or the morality of the lottery, save for those who are personally affected. We also just comply with rules and regulations, regardless of whether they are right or wrong. For instance, the Japanese and German soldiers attacked and tried in vain to conquer other countries. Why didn't they stand up and fight against their government? They just complied with the rules the government implemented and invaded wherever and whenever the government ordered them to.

Founder of Singapore: Who deserves this title?

I feel that Sir William Farquhar deserves to be called the founder of Singapore.

Sir Stamford Raffles was the man who established and founded Singapore as a free port. He signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdul-Rahman in which they would receive a fixed annual allowance in exchange for allowing the East India Company to use Singapore as a trading port. This directly resulted in a flourishing economy for Singapore as traders from all around the world gathered at Singapore to trade their goods as they would not be levied with heavy duty and goods taxes. Singapore’s name was widespread and its fame grew, attracting even more traders which simulated its economy, making it a prosperous and developed nation. Hence, Sir Stamford Raffles should be known as the founder of Singapore as he was the one who had the foresight that Singapore, having a prime spot at the heart of South-East Asia, right along the trading path of two major trading countries, India and China, would be an ideal spot for a trading station and found it.

However, Raffles went on in 1823 to become the Governor-General of Bencoolen and left Singapore entirely to Farquhar. He died young and did not get back to Singapore to chart its growth.

Sir William Farquhar is the man who built it up from scratch. He first came with Sir Stamford Raffles to Singapore and was made the First Resident of Singapore. At that time, Singapore was very unhygienic, with rats, cockroaches and centipedes running rampant. This caused a huge problem as traders did not dare to trade here as they were worried that there products might be contaminated with diseases spread by these vermin. Thus, Sir William Farquhar introduced a scheme whereby each pest killed could be exchanged for monetary compensation. This scheme was well received and within a few months, not a single pest was to be seen in Singapore. Hence, traders flocked to Singapore and helped it to develop into a prosperous trading port.

Another example would be when there were racial riots and secret societies robbing and killing people. Sir William Farquhar quickly countered this problem by forming the country’s first ever police force to maintain law and order in Singapore. The police managed to prevent most racial riots and deter secret societies from committing crimes, making Singapore a safe and secure place. This encouraged others to make Singapore their home and made Singapore a bustling city and port.

Furthermore, since Raffles proclaimed as a Singapore, there was no revenue to carry out Raffle’s ambitious plans. The senior officers in Calcutta did nothing to help as they were not inclined to invest in public works. Selflessly, Farquhar paid for numerous expenses out of his own pocket to help build houses and homes for Singaporeans and also other public places.

In conclusion, I feel that Sir William Farquhar deserves the title, “founder” of Singapore more as he was the one who guided it through its early and difficult years and developed it. Sir William Farquhar should be credited as the founder of Singapore as though Sir Stamford Raffles did identify Singapore as a suitable trading port and build it as one, all the administrative and financial work was left to Farquhar. He solved the various problems that Singapore faced. He was the one who was responsible for advancing Singapore socially, politically and economically. Without his invaluable effort, we would not be where we are today. Thus, I feel that he should be recognized as the founder of Singapore and not Raffles.

Nanyang Technological University Students Leaps to His Death

I believe that all, if not most of you have read about or heard the incident of the NTU student plunging to an untimely death after stabbing Associate Professor Chan Kap Luk. He had stabbed the professor and slit his wrists thereafter, before commiting suicide. It is widely speculated that the 21—year—old Indonesian student, David Hartanto Widjaja, resorted to such a desperate act as his scholarship application had been canceled last month. His family and fellow Indonesian schoolmates alike had been shocked as they are both extremely close to the deceased. This incident has left them nothing short of emotionally distraught. Such is the seriousness of the matter that NTU has to facilitate counselling for some of them.

Reflections

From David's point of view, he might have thought that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. His only hope of studying in Singapore had diminished. Unable to face up to reality, he reacted by cowardly jumping to his death. This might also have been caused by him feeling that he had disgraced his family and had not been able to live up to their expectations of him.

Furthermore, I feel that this incident will put Nanyang Technological University in a bad light as they did not respond quickly enough after noticing that David was not his usual self and showed tell-tale signs of suicide and did something about it, like counseling him, as stated in the article.
Additionally, this incident will also cause much emotional distress and pain to David's parents as they will feel that they are responsible for his death for not taking enough care of him and not giving him much concern.

However, I can also infer from the article I read that Singapore schools are generally well-equipped with the resources needed to combat any form of problem. This can be inferred from the school's speedy response of counseling the students who are traumatized by the incident. It was extremely efficient and well prepared for such emergencies. As such, I think that this reflects well on the school. The Ministry of Education also deserves a word of praise as they are responsible for this.

I feel that the main issue here is that the stress from the high pressured education system of Singapore as far too much for students to handle. Singapore's education system is highly competitive as from young , Singaporeans are trained to be, so to speak,'kiasu', which means that they must succeed in everything they do. For them, failure is unacceptable. and not a possible alternative. David was influenced by this mindset, hence, when he failed to succeed by losing his scholarship, he could not face the music and plunged to his death.

Current Affairs: Blog Prompt 3

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing as the Chairman of the Hwa Chong Institution Recycling Club. Presently, Singaporeans do not recycle much. This is due to the fact that they are not educated about recycling and also because they do not realize the serious implications and consequences of global warming. Thus, in reference to the this matter, I wish to highlight the dire need to raise awareness about recycling and hence wish to raise funds to conduct a recycling campaign.

This campaign objective is to educate the people in the Bukit Timah district about recycling. This is how it will be carried out:

Posters will be placed on notice boards of HDBs, offering residents the incentive of participating in a lucky draw if they were to recycle at least 10 kilograms of recyclables monthly. They number of drawing tickets they will each receive is one-tenth the number of kilograms of recyclables they recycle in that month. They can be used for the following month's drawing. For example, supposing Mr. Lim recycles 40 kilograms of recyclables in the month of January, he would then receive 4 drawing tickets in compensation for the drawing in February.

Also, in addition to this, there will also be a 'Referral scheme'. Whenever someone refers one of his friends to this new recycling campaign, he will receive an additional drawing ticket for each and every month his referral recycles at least 10 kilograms of recyclables. This would definitely encourage people to spread the news about this campaign. For example, if Mr. Tan were to refer just three people: Mr. Lim, Ms. Lee and Mrs. Goh, and they each refer just three others, and they in turn refer another three each,another three,... This process will be infinite as people are lured into referring others to get extra tickets. As a result, more and more people would know about recycling and actively recycle so as to take part in this lucky draw, thus making this an extremely successful campaign.

However, though the heart is willing, the body is weak. Unfortunately, we are unable to carry out this campaign without sponsors for the prizes of the lucky draws. Thus, on behalf of the Recycling Club, I sincerely urge you to fund this campaign. Not only will this campaign benefit the natural environment around us by equipping citizens with the knowledge of recycling, but also uphold a good reputation for your company as an environmentally friendly one. Also, this will give plenty of good publicity for your company. Moreover, as a citizen of the earth, there is a compulsion to help put an end to global warming and pollution. It is each and every one's responsibility to stop Mother Earth's suffering.

As, a global citizen, I would like nothing more than to prevent pollution and promote recycling, so that the future generations will be able to grow up in a clean environment, unspoiled by humans. However, there is only so much I can do. Once again, for the sake of the future generations, please think this proposal through carefully. Details and information can be obtained by simply calling our 24/7 hotline:6902 8508.

Yours Faithfully,
LDM
Lee Dao Ming (Mr.)

Discussion Question 3

In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie thinks that being as smart as his friends would be the ideal life for him as he feels that achieving intelligence or high Intelligence Quota(IQ) equals happiness. However, he is proved wrong as he is isolated from those he loves and cares about when he achieves intelligence as he is unable to approach them from the same intellectual level.

This question is controversial as it depends on each individual's own opinion. As for me, I feel that the ideal life would be one where I would have a perfect job and a loving family and be someone people admire and respect. In this case, I would be satisfied with my job and able to look forward to returning to a warm family after work. Furthermore, I would be respected and looked up upon, hence being the ideal life for me. However, others might say that they think an ideal life would be one where they are rich and powerful while yet someone else might feel that having no stress and homework would be the ideal life for them. Thus, this question is entirely subjected to each person's opinion and has no absolute or definite answer.

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Little Ironies-The Taximan's Story

Q1. What is the irony in the story?

The irony in the story is that the taxi driver's daughter was influenced and became a social escort as the taxi driver encouraged and approved of social escorts as he profited greatly from sending them to their destinations. However, when his daughter misplaced his trust in her and became a social escort herself, he was heartbroken, which is ironic as he supported social escorts in the first place.

Q2. What are the themes raised in the story?

The themes raised in the story are Past vs Present, Trust and Betrayal.
The taxi driver lamented about the difference in conduct between children now and in the past, reflecting the theme Past vs Present.
The themes Trust and Betrayal are raised when Lay Choo betrayed her father's trust in her and lied to him and became a social escort.

Q3. How realistic is the story?

The story is quite realistic as there have been a few cases of teenage social escorts in the newspapers.

Q4. What do you think of the taximan? Do you feel sympathy for him?

I think he is unethical as he cheats the social escorts of their money by running the meter and driving round and round while they and their customers are privately engaged. Furthermore, he also encourages the existence of social escorts as he earns a lot of money from them, though it is illegal. He is also quite talkative but experienced.
I do not feel much sympathy for him as he was wrong to approve of social escorts at first. Furthermore, he shows little remorse for supporting social escorts though his daughter became one and still tries to make a quick buck off them, as derived from the last sentence.

Q5. Do you agree with his lamenting?

I agree with him about teenagers nowadays going astray and against their parents' wishes. There have been many cases in the papers about unruly teenagers causing all sorts of trouble , like playing truant, smoking and abusing. This is a far cry from teenagers of the past who were meek and obeyed their parents' every whim for fear of being caned.

Q6. What about the other characters in the story? Do you feel sympathy for them?

I sympathize with Lay Choo if she moonlighted as a social escort just to help pay for her University education. If that is the case, she deserves sympathy. However, if she worked just because she wanted to buy branded items like handbags or clothes, she deserves her punishment.

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Blog prompt: Letter to the Minister of Education

I am writing to express my opinion on how to improve the current History syllabus for secondary students. I feel that the current syllabus they are studying is not interesting and engaging enough as they only read about historical events in the past. As a result, they feel that History is dull and boring and only study History to score well in their examinations and tests. Also, they only have knowledge gained from textbooks and not know first-hand how the past events they are studying about took place. They should be allowed to progress beyond mere textbook studying in the classroom, if they are to study History truly because they find it interesting.

Thus, the Ministry of Education (MOE) could implement a scheme whereby secondary schools organize various field trips for students during History lessons or workshops to places of historical importance, like placetype Fort Canning at Sentosa Island or the Kranji War Memorial. I believe that by executing this idea, students will be more immersed in history as they will be able to actually look at go to these historic places. Also, students could visit heritage museums to look at the items there that were used in the past and, at the same time, understand what the past citizens of Singapore were like, their way of life, their culture and tradition, etcetera. Finally, there could also be chit-chat sessions for students and their History teachers or even invite renowned historians to schools to answer any queries students might have concerning History. This would surely incorporate and cultivate their interest for History and encourage them to take the initiative to study History on their own. Implementing these measures would undoubtedly make learning History an enjoyable as well as enriching experience for students.

Yours Faithfully,
Lee Dao Ming (Mr.)

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Issues in Flowers for Algernon: Intrapersonal

Take note: This is an ACE project. I am not mentally challenged.

Today I feel very sad, very very sad. I donno why the children are so bad. I am angry and sad. I come home and I cries loudly. Mummy ask me why I cry. I told her when I am walking in the park today I see two people playing with toys in a garden. They look very happy. I want to play with them and say hi. So I ring the doorbell and wave. But when they see me they point at me and laugh and run away. I am very angry and no understand. Why they run away when I want to make friend and play with them? Is it they don’t want to be my friend? I very angry and hit the gate very hard and press the doorbell a lot of times and ask them open the door. But they run into the house. I even more angrier and shout. I climb over the gate then I see a cute doggy. I want to pet it but it bite my hand. I very scared and confused. Me hand is now red and hurts so I quickly run away to my house and hide under the bed. Why even doggy don’t want to make friend with me? Nobody want to be my friend. I am very sad and cries loudly.

Tonight Mummy want me to bathe. I am still angrys and don’t care and run and hide. When Mummy finds me and asks me to bathe I shout at her. I don’t like to bathe. I want to stay up and play too. Mummy says I must bathe or else insects will bite me but I still hide under the bed. Mummy try to drag me to the bathroom. I am very very angrys and bite her arm very hard and run away again. Why I must bathe everyday and cannot stay up and play? It’s so unfair! Mummy says she don’t care about me anymore and go inside her bedroom and slam the door very loudly. I am very sad. Nobody, even Mummy, wants me. I cries and goes to lie down on my bed. I tries to sleep but my body is very itchy and I keep scratching it. I donno why and keep turning and cannot sleep until the next day. Maybe next time I will bathe before I sleeps.

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Happy Chinese New Year to All!

I wish everyone a very happy Chinese New Year! I have been very busy with homework and trials this past week and have not been able to post anything.

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NEWS CLIP #1 FISHY BUSINESS Blog Prompt Q1

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today I am going to address a topic which is of grave concern to us. As a member of the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, I am compelled to raise awareness about the cruelty of the fishing industry to whales. Until 1997, whaling in Japan was allowed. As a result of that, thousands of whales were mercilessly slaughtered each year in Japan, mainly for their most prized possession:oil, which can be extracted from their thick blubber. Their meat is also considered as a delicacy in Japan.

However, although commercial whaling was banned in 1997 because of pressure from various countries, Japan began what it termed "Scientific research on whales" in 1998 as a basis to continue whaling. Since then, the number of whales killed under the project, called JARPA, has risen sharply, from less than 200 at first to more than a thousand in 2007. Throughout the course of the entire project, samples were obtained from 6800 whales. However, less than 55 peer-reviewed papers were produced, of which only 14 were claimed to be relevant to the goals of the JARPA program and that only four would require lethal sampling.

This has sparked a worldwide controversy. Numerous anti-whaling groups have sprung up to protest against Japan's whaling. One of the more well-known ones, Greenpeace, argues that whales are endangered and must be protected. We, of the SPCA, sincerely urge all of you to help conserve our whales, simply just by signing a petition against whaling. It will be delivered to the International Whaling Commission.

Thank you for your attention and have a pleasant day.

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The Best Job in the World!

No, the title's no boast. I read the article the day before. Apparently, the Queensland state government is paying a female or male job applicant to laze on a paradise island 100,000 US dollars! That's almost 148,700,000 SG dollars! So, if you are over 18, a fantastic and charismatic communicator and able to speak and write English, feel free to apply for the job. However, chances are extremely low. Millions of people WORLDWIDE have applied for it. After all, who wouldn't want to be paid to relax and have fun?

However, it is not all play and no work. In return for 6 months of rent-free stay at a 3-storey bungalow, access to the beautiful beaches and coral reefs, the lucky employee will be have blog about his experience there, including his exploration of the Great Barrier Reef and feelings about the stay there. But, a few hours of blogging is no sacrifice compared to bagging that job! So, if you're eager to try for it, visit this website: http://www.islandreefjob.com/

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Attack on a Member Of Parliment.

I read an article the day before about Mr. Seng Han Thong of the ruling People's Action Party being assailed by an old man. The assailant allegedly strode up to Mr. Seng when the victim was attending a lunch hosted my his party and drenched him with a bottle of thinner and ignited him with a kitchen stove lighter.

The lawmaker's companion tried frantically to douse the flames and got burnt in the process of doing so. They were rushed to the hospital immediately. The attacker tried in vain to escape vailant policemen but was arrested and escorted to the police station to press charges. It was found out that he was Ong Kah Chua, a former taxi driver and mental patient. He has been charged in court for voluntarily causing grievous hurt, an offense punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Both the MP and his companion are currently recuperating at the hospital after undergoing skin graft operations.

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Secondary One CCA tryouts today

Today there were Secondary One tryouts for the various sports and clubs again, for those who had not chosen a Co-curricular Activity. I failed to get into the badminton team again but not too disappointed. Feet are sore after trying out for track-and-field.
I hope to join either softball or track-and-field. Less homework today so more time to relax in front of the computer and catch up on reading.

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CCA Tryouts

Today I tried out for the various Co-Curricular Activities at Hwa Chong. I failed miserably at badminton, which I was hoping to get into. Tennis, basketball and volleyball also rejected me. Sigh...... At least softball asked me to come for further trials the following week. I don't mind taking softball as my Co-Curricular Activity.
Anyway, I've got more things to worry about, like a mountain of homework to wade through. At least its the weekend.

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