The Road Not Taken

Reflections on the poem "The Road not Taken" by Robert Frost.

I feel that this poem is extremely meaningful, as it teaches us to take responsible risks, to be daring and brave, to try out new alternatives, instead of only having "sheep thinking", following what others do blindly. Also, Robert Frost uses the two diverging roads as an analogy to show how taking responsible risks will lead to success, which can be inferred from the poem itself, "I took the road less travelled by, and that has made all the difference". One must not be conservative and stick to the usual "old ways", but instead should try to be unique and think out of the box, trying possible flip sides, even though they may contain elements of risk. As the saying goes, "Failure is the mother of success", one must not be afraid of failure, but on the other hand, should see failure as an opportunity to learn, to gain experience. Hence, they should, and must try alternatives.

That is all!

Thank you!

Schools should place more emphasis on character development than academic excellence

Hello everyone,

Now i will be sharing on my essay:


Schools should place more emphasis on character development than academic excellence


Definitely, school should place more emphasis on character development than academic excellence. There are many examples that went world wide, regarding students with excellent academic results, but unfortunately, with extremely poor character and moral ethics. Furthermore Hwa Chong Institution values also concentrate more on Character than excellence in results.

Firstly, look at the news all around the world. Recently, a Hwa Chong Institution scholar whom is on a scholarship in Australia was doing all well in his exams, having straight "A"s. However, a moment of folly is a lifetime of regret. He was unable to control his sexual lust due to having a poor character and no moral ethics. Furthermore, he downloaded child porn, using the Campus wireless network, thus being caught. He is then stripped off his scholarship. This shows the importance of character as compared to academics.

Next, Hwa Chong Institution's new core values, PIER, emphasises on character development. Character comes first before academics. If one's character is good, being responsible, passionate, etc, he will definitely be able to be self disciplined to study, to excel. Furthermore, Hwa Chong emphasises on leadership, Servant Leadership, Entrepreneurial Leadership and Task Oriented Leadership. Only with good character, can one have elements of all three leadership abilities, with Kantian-ism, Utilitarianism etc.

However, definitely academics is important in today's society. The economy is extremely competitive, and in order to get a good job, one must have good qualifications and good degrees. Thus, school must also emphasize on ensuring the fundamentals of the students in each and every subject. Furthermore, parents usually extremely emphasize on getting good academics results. Hence, mindsets of students are already set, and thus is hard to change their mindsets to "Character>Academics Results".

In conclusion, character is definitely more important than academics results, however, the mindsets of today's society and also the instilled mindsets of the children now makes this a difficult task, to change them. However, schools and education ministries must never stop this trying this task.

That is all!

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Mervin

My Ideal School

Hello everyone, 

Today I will be sharing on an essay,

MY IDEAL SCHOOL

My Ideal School has to concentrate in inculcating creativity, which can be done in 3 ways, to change the curriculum, to initiate creativity-instigating activities, and last but not least to allow students to be organisers of events, to start allowing them to put on their thinking caps. 

Firstly, in order to inculcate creativity into student to enable them to become entrepreneurs and technopreneurs, which are what Singapore needs badly to boost its economy, the curriculum of schools have to change. Currently, curriculum is basically focusing on just the basics and the fundamentals of each subject. However, even though it is important for the students to have the basics and fundamentals of each and every subject, it is even more important for the students to work independently and think innovatively. This can be done through adding more lessons for art. which definitely will help inculcate creativity. 

Next, activities can be initiated, such as the Innovative Programme, the Projects Day Competition, the Future Problem Solving Programme, etc. This activities can definitely help instigate creativity, since it pushes the intellectual capabilities of the students, pushing them to think out of the box, to enable their projects to be unique yet useful in solving their objectives. For example, I have experience a few of these activities, and i definitely is aided tremendously. These activities allowed me to think of creating new products and raising awareness on existing issues through different means, as I participated in the "Invention" category.

Last but not least, students can become organisers of events. This will allow them to come up with new ideas using their innovation to improve on events which they have experienced before, such as Teachers Day Celebration etc. This allows the student organisers to put on their thinking caps, and at the same time, enables the participating students to have a better experience in these activites, thus killing two birds with one stone. For example, in my school, school student councillors will be running almost all activities, such as National Day Celebration, Racial Harmony Day, and even Camps!

In conclusion, students have to start thinking creatively during school, instead of just "mugging" for exams, as this would definitely aid them insignificantly in their future. What will aid them to excel in the working industries would be whether they can initiate and innovate. T

That is all!

Thank you!

Yours sincerely,

Mervin 

Online Lesson #12

Hello everyone!

Now I will be doing the Online Lesson #12.

The scrolls from each of the casket, gold, silver and lead chosen by the Prince of Morocco, Prince of Arragon and Bassanio respectively, each has a common theme, which is not to judge the book by its cover, and also shows that contrast between love and self interests.


Firstly, Prince of Morocco wanted to court Portia, because she was very wealthy and furthermore, has extremely fair skin, hence being extremely beautiful. Hence he loved her not for her true self, her inner self, her character, but instead wanted to court her for wealth and other interests. Furthermore, he chose the gold casket, claiming that it signifies Portia, being glamorous and wealthy, majestic and high classed. However, little did he know that it signified greed, which refers to courting for self interest as explained earlier. Hence, it was a bad decision. Also, this showed the immature thinking of the Prince, and his cowardliness as well.


Next, the Prince of Arragon chose the silver casket, was immature and cowardly, not daring to choose anything that contains an element of risk. Hence, he chose the silver casket, as he claims it to be the best among all three. He feels that risks are not worth it as long as they are not objectively attractive to him. Hence, he judged the book by its cover and acted rashly, leading to failure as well. Furthermore, he did it just for himself, not considering Portia's feelings etc at all. It was all about him. Whether he will be able to get the correct casket. Whether it was worth the risk for him. Whether it would allow him to gain the money and fame after marrying Portia. Hence, it shows that it was an extremely selfish decision as well.


Last but not least, Bassanio made the right decision, and "did not choose by the view", as stated by the book. Bassanio made the correct judgement, and resisted the urge to judge the book by its cover. Also, he was matured, and thought carefully before choosing and making rash decisions, jumping to bottomless conclusions. Hence he was entitled to "a loving kiss" from Portia, and thus signifies that he is the right man whom Portia shall marry. Furthermore, despite him courting Portia for money as one of his reasons, there was still mutual love and respect for each other.

That is the end! Now, I will write the Narrative Essay(:

The battle raged on in my heart. Should I go against my moral values and let bygones be bygones, or should I tell the teacher right now, to let John learn a lesson, and turn over a new leaf, to learn never to cheat again? "Honesty is the best policy" is something that is thought to me since I were a small kid. Shouldn't I put what I learnt into good use? Furthermore, it will help John, and make sure that he learn from his mistakes. His GRAVE mistake. However, he is my best friend and furthermore, someone so popular among my classmates. If I told on him, he will definitely break all relationships with me and I will be shunned by a ghost! I have to decide instantaneously! Turn away from my moral values and let everything go to waste, or face the repercussions as a sacrifice for John?


In a moment of moral fury, I shot my hand into the air.

That is all!

Thank you!

Yours sincerely,
Mervin ((:

David Dunggan : London Riots

Hello everyone!

Today I will be talking about a article! (:

Recently, in London, two policemen shot David Duggan, a 29 year old Negroe, as they thought he is a threat to them, and that he would assault the policemen. However, currently, there are still no evidences and witnesses to proof their claim, and hence caused riots in London, burning down buildings etc. Should they be punished?

Yes I believe that the police officers should be punished.

The black man in the taxi may have a gun, but if he is not brandishing it, and the gun is just lying in his pocket, why did the police have to shoot him, claiming that they thought the black man would shoot them?

Furthermore, the policemen may have lied about David Duggan about to shoot them, since they do not have any evidence and witnesses to proof their claim valid.

Yes, policemen in Britian, America, etc are warned about the dangers of terrorism, and hence are used to the mindset of "shoot first ask questions later", to ensure the safety of themselves. Hence, these "finger shooting" cases are not rare, but this is an especially major one, since it is from a white, to a black.

The blacks in London thinks that the shooting of David Duggan is discrimination and prejudice. They thought that the police thought that David Duggan was a threat just because he is black, and maybe, they did not even thought of him as a threat. Maybe they just shot him because of his skin colour.

I feel that the policemen definitely have to face justice, and should be punished, if there is no evidence of David being a threat. People have developed a mindset, thinking that policemen are always morally right, serving the country, risking their lives. However, just because they are men clad in blue uniforms, it does not mean that they have the authority to be entailed to shooting anyone who "seems to be a threat". Policemen must be generalised as the people lusting for justice but some of them may be corrupted. They my betray their country and the people they serve, which is the population, just to get what they want, to satisfy their personal intentions.

Hence, in conclusion, I feel that the policemen that were involved must be punished, as this may yet just be another case of discrimination.

That is all!

Thank you!(:

Yours sincerely,

Mervin 

Reflective Thinking 1

Hello everyone!

I will now be reflecting on the recent competition I had in Malaysia, for St John Ambulance Brigade(:

A one day competition, may seem extremely short, in a matter of a few hours. However, the process may not be so short.

To get to this Malaysia-Singapore First Aid Competition, held once every two years, we had to be the best in Singapore, and that is not easy task.

There are three rounds for us to pass.

1. Zonals (Against 4 Schools)
2. Nationals (Against 10 Schools)
3. Malaysia-Singapore (Against Malaysia's Best Team)

I will start off with the Zonals first. The Zonals is held in April, and to make sure we are prepared to win it, we started in the December holidays. Every weekday of the December holiday, we will come down to Hwa Chong Institution to have our training sessions, which are 4 hours each. 

At the start, it was really enjoyable and interesting, especially since we were amateurs and were learning new things, such as casualty management, casualty simulation, transportation of casualty etc. However, when we became more and more good in these aspects, it became a routine for us, and hence all of us became restless and bored, despite it being only the first 2 months of training. 

Furthermore, being a Uniform Group, discipline is important, and during the trainings and casualty simulation cases, when we do badly, we will get punished and shouted at by our Sirs and Seniors, and usually, we have to pump, in other words, "Knock it Down", frequently during training. The pressure that we face also became one of the factors that made us detest training more and more. 

Adding on to those two factors, being the only Secondary 2 in the Secondary 3 Competition Team, I feel left out, since all their discussion topics etc were different. Furthermore, I became left out by my squad mates, and hence training really became somewhat a nightmare to me.  

However, with resilience being our school's key motto, we persevered on, all the way until the Zonals. The Zonals was an easy round to pass, since we had much more training time and experience than the other teams, being the best Corps in our Zone (Zone7) for consecutively 9 years. We won with a astonishing number of points (40 points)

However, winning the Zonals means that we have to undergo 3 more months of training until the Nationals, and hence it means a larger responsibility and even more stressful and frequent training sessions. But now, the urge to win is much stronger. My team now has the motivation to train as hard as we can to make sure we win the Nationals. 

As expected, training became extremely frequent, and now Saturdays were also included as one of the training days. Next, every morning before flag raising, we have to report for morning footdrill. Hence lots of sacrifice had to be made, such as waking up earlier, burning midnight oil to study, etc. Training time also dragged on up to 8pm. Hence, by the time i reach home, which is about 9pm, there would be no time to do anything, but take a bath, eat and sleep. 

However, persevere we must, and so we did. Finally, the long awaited Nationals arrived. I was really nervous then, and my lips and legs kept shivering. The opponents we now meet are the best from every single zone in Singapore and furthermore, we were much younger than most of the competitors, which were usually secondary 4 or even Junior College 1. 

During the competition, we did not do as expected, and performed below average standards. Despite that, we kept our morale high, unaffected, and carried on with the competition. Finally, when the results were announced, I cried tears of joy. The hard work and effort we put in has not gone down the drain!

Here is the score chart. We won by a mere margin of 1.5 marks! 

So after winning the Nationals, we are crowned the best team in Singapore. Hence, we will represent Singapore to go to Malaysia and compete against their best team.

And this time, we won by only 0.5 marks!

Here is the picture of the majestic trophies!(:

The one we won is the second from the right. It was really an honour to help Singapore gain glory, as this trophy has been won by Malaysia for the past 6 years. Furthermore, our name are going to be carved on it. It is really a once in a life time opportunity!

That is all, hope you enjoyed it!

Yours sincerely,

Mervin (: 

Language Art Speech

Done by: Mervin Lim

Class: 2A220

Language Art Speech: Mercy and Justice

Norway Terrorist Attack

Good afternoon Mr. Lundberg and fellow classmates. Today, I will present on my speech, entitled "Norway Terrorist Attack Controversy-Mercy or Justice?"

This terrorist attack involved a series of car bombings, and a shooting spree, in a span of a few hours, killing 93 people, and left many injured. The gunman, Anders Behring Breivik, is a far-right zealot, and  the rationale of his killing spree was to "market" his manifesto calling for a revolution that would rid Europe of Muslims.

During the court hearing, Anders demanded a public speech to emphasize on the "need" for the killing spree he committed, in other words, to brain wash the innocent citizens of Norway. However, the demand was denied by the judge, and furthermore, to add on to the debating and discussion of people from all over the world reading this piece of news, Anders will only face a jail term of maximum 21 years, despite the number of lives he took, since Norway does not have the death penalty, and worse of all, he is yet to be charged for crime against humanity. Hence, we now come to the my viewpoint, that justice should be carried out, instead of mercy. But why so?

Firstly, look at the consequences if Anders is not persecuted for his atrocious crime against humanity. Currently, he is 32 years old, and after his 21 year jail term, he will come out, only 53 years old. At that age, he can continue with his far right activities, and his "marketing" of the revolution, as he claimed it to be. Hence, many more innocent lives are at stake. Furthermore, since Norway is already a country full of racial sensitivity, due to the sudden influx of immigrants from Africa and other Islamic countries such as Pakistan, the release of Anders will lead to him brainwashing the public through his speeches and "rallies", which he demanded for, and was denied. This will lead to a large number of people joining the "revolution" Anders aim to make, and supporting the manifesto that Anders created. Thus, the Norway at that stage would be extremely chaotic, due to the far-right terrorist activities being so prominent, and it would be much harder to stop all the Islamophobia views among the Norweigeins by then.  Moreover, the civil war in Europe that Anders was hoping for would come true, and bloodshed would be never ending. 


Secondly, if Anders is not persecuted, and sentenced to death, for taking the lives of 93 innocent people, the repercussions would be dire. The relatives and affected Norweigeins are definitely angry at Anders. They are demanding for a public persecution of Anders on the 22nd of July, and if this rightful demand from the Norweigeins are not met, they would definitely feel frustrated and agitated, and this may escalate to strikes, and even riots and bloodshed. Furthermore, the fact is that the number of anti-Anders around the world is very significant, and their views are now being conveyed through social medias, such as Facebook and Twitter. For example, a Facebook page has been set up by a relative of a victim, and currently, it has 64318 likes, within just a week, which is an astounding amount of people. Next, the Islamic immigrants and people all over the world are now greatly affected, insulted and threatened, will definitely be unhappy if Anders is not persecuted, and hence a civil war may really break out, as in plan, for Ander's massacre. Hence, if Anders is not persecuted, the prominent amount of anti-Anders around the world will be extremely unhappy, and Norway will definitely face the dire consequences.

Last but not least, justice is ultimately important, particularly for the injured survivors, and also the family members of the deceased. This is because persecution of Anders would then signify the closure and ending of this whole terror attack. The people mentioned above are already affected tremendously by this incident, particularly psychologically. If Anders is not persecuted, the affected will still live in fear and hatred, and this incident would be etched in their minds, unable to be forgotten.

In conclusion, justice should definitely be carried out, instead of mercy. This is so as to prevent all the dire repercussions and consequences from taking effect, and for the rightfulness of the affected, to aid them to recover from the trauma they have experienced, through this ridiculous massacre of Anders.

Thank you. 

Apple

Hello everyone! Here is a blog prompt:

As of right now, apple has only allowed the App store in Singapore, but not the full Itunes Music Store, Their reason is rampant piracy throughout Asia. Describe the consequences.

The consequences are dire. I will categorize them into three sections, on the Asian consumers (user), the Apple company (producers), and last but not least, both.

Firstly, the Asian consumers will definitely be unhappy, since they are unable to download or buy music, movies or books, and can only buy application. Paying the same prize as other in the different continents, having the exact same phone, yet they are unable to access various tools, as mentioned previously. Furthermore, this may be viewed as a type of prejudice against Asians, since apple is produced and initiated in Europe. With that, there may be rumours and slanders, and there would definitely be a lot of frustration and defamation. This results in a decrease of users and consumers for apple, leading to apple having less profits.

With that, i come to my next point, that apple will be greatly affected by their own decision as well. People in Asia, which is a large population,  a large continent, would be unhappy, and hence there would be a great decrease in the number of consumers and customers. With that, apple loses a large majority of their target audience, and hence, they will earn less, and become less successful. Also, as mentioned, slander may lead to defamation, and hence the reputation of apple may be affected negatively, and this may lead to a global decrease in consumers. Furthermore, with free online websites that allows downloading of apps, movies, etc, people may take alternatives and use those mentioned instead of apple, which is a much cheaper alternative, and hence, apple will be greatly affected.

Last but not least, the affect on both parties. The two points above are interlinked with this. With apple limiting the Itunes store in Asia, misunderstandings occur, and people may think prejudice is taking place. Hence, sensitivity occurs, and riots, strikes whatsoever may happen. Countries will then no longer allow imports of apple products and hence once again, it affects the business tremendously. With riots and strikes happening in apple outlets in Asia, particularly China, being an emerging dragon, people will be affected socially. Hence, both parties will face the dire consequences.

In conclusion, apple limiting the Itunes store in Asia will lead to many negative impacts on apple themselves, and also the society, in Asia. Therefore, it may not be such a wise idea to do so. Furthermore, by allowing Asians to have full access to the Itunes store, more people will buy music, movies, books, applications etc, and apple will gain more profits! It is just like killing two birds with one stone, pleasing the people, and aiding apple economically as well. However, from another viewpoint and perspective, it is right to do so as well, since Asia is ranked the first, with the highest percentage of piracy. With that, it may backfire, and affect apple greatly.

That is all.

Thank you!

Yours sincerely,
Mervin

Narrative Paragraph Without Adverbs and Adjectives

Write several paragraphs of descriptive narrative prose, but without using adjectives or adverbs:

 [To be editted]

Merchant Of Venice Expert Group Research

Hello everyone!

Now i will be doing on the Merchant of Venice expert group research and collaboration. We will be doing on three topics, topics 2,3 and 4, due to the absence of certain group members.

Topic 2

Elizabeth l: Who was she?

She was a daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. She was queen of England and Ireland, from 1558 to 1603, was the longest reigning monarch in nearly two centuries and the first women to successfully occupy the English throne. This is greatly related to Merchant of Venice, since Queen Elizabeth's reign was noted for the English Renaissance, an outpouring drama and poetry led by famous and fantastic philosophers and poets, including William Shakespeare, that remains unsurpassed in English history. In a nutshell, she was a successful queen, and was capable of doing many great things, despite her gender.

What were England's international relations like during Elizabeth's reign?

England was initially at war with France and Scotland, and hence their relationships were very bad. However, after Queen Elizabeth took over, relationships grew friendly, and a military peace treaty was signed. Hence, England's international relations improved a little.

Also, she made peace with many barbaric states and Japan, through friendly diplomatic and trade relations. Therefore international relationships became better.

However, during Queen Elizabeth's reign, she went on loggerheads with a few countries, particularly Spain. When she took over, relationships with Spain grew worse, in fight for bigger territories. Hence, when Queen Elizabeth gave the order for her men to execute the plan of sending an army to safeguard Netherlands, otherwise known as Holland. The Spaniards reacted dramatically, by sending their mighty and powerful Spanish Navy, known as Spanish Armada to British, but suffered a defeat. However, relationships were worsened tremendously.

Furthermore, she banned Catholic services, and popes were allowed to marry etc. Italy, being a country with 97.2% of them being Catholics, of course, was displeased, and hence trade relations were aggravated, and international relationships are hence worse as well.

 (TO BE EDITTED TOMORROW!)

Lack of Females

Hello everyone!

Today i will be doing a question in SEE format.

Case history:
"Largely as a result of sex-selective abortions, Asia today, Asia is short 160million women. They have disappeared silently over several decades, but their absence can be seen in classrooms filled with boys, in huddles of bachelors on city streets and in higher rates of bride trafficking and prostitution elicited by growing numbers of sexually frustrated men."

Questions:
What will be the effect on Asian society by such a large gender imbalance if this trend continues. Write in SEE format.

The effects on Asian society by a large gender imbalance is dire, and severe, if the trend continues.

In the past, only males are allowed to work, and be educated, while women stay at home, and literally train to be a good wife, to be married off. Hence, women were only able to learn how to cook, sweep the floor and many other house hold chores. Therefore, without education, they are unable to work, and hence are not able to earn money for the family. Thus, people had a mindset that to have more security in the future, during their old age, they must have a son, or many sons, to support them financially, and socially. Also, there was a need for male heirs, to continue the family tree. Furthermore, the situation, when only male children were wanted,  was aggravated because of China. In China, people thought that having many children signifies prosperity. Hence, each family has an average of 7 to 12 children, leading to a baby boom, which escalated to major over population. With not enough resources, jobs, housing etc, China restricted each family to have only one child. Hence, if a family give birth to a female baby, many of the families kill the daughters, or abort them. This lead to a major decrease in the number of females in the world, lacking 160MILLION females. Moreover, in the past, the consequences were minor, in fact, insignificant, due to the economy only depending on the abilities of men.

However, in the present, we are actually "suffering", and social vices are largely due to the lack of females in our society today. For example, due to the lack of females, males outnumber the number of females, and hence there would be less couples. This problem is escalated to many other social vices and sub-problems, such as less fertility rate, which is a very prominent domestic problem for Singapore now, with a fertility rate of 1.16% , instead of the supposed 2.1% replacement rate. Hence, economy competitiveness decreases tremendously. Next, social vices also occur, such as prostitution. Due to there being less female partners for males, the males are sexually frustrated. Hence, they look for prostitutes to curb their sexual lust. Next, crimes also occur. Due to the extreme sexual lust, molesting cases, raping cases etc. become especially common in our society. This brings about social unrest and more traumatized victims, but we have to face the dire consequences of our ancestors' acts.

That is all!

Thank you!

Yours sincerely,
Mervin

A Narrative With Only Short Sentences

Hello everyone!

Today i will be doing an interesting exercise!

Write a paragraph of narrative, 100-150 words, in sentences of seven or fewer words. No sentence fragments! Each must have a subject and a verb:

The sun hung high in the sky. Its rays baked the ground relentlessly. Beads of sweat trickled down my cheeks. I made a beeline for home. All I want was a shower. A cool shower to refresh myself. I took a shortcut, through the park. "HELP! HELP!", screams reverberated around the park. Overwhelmed by curiosity, I decided to investigate. I walked in the direction of the sound. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I was curious yet scared. I was greeted by a ferocious dog. Its incisors were exposed. Shivers were sent down my spine. I stood transfixed to the ground, motionless. The dog pounced onto me. Its incisors sunk into my tender flesh. The pain was excruciating. Curiosity killed the cat.

[121 words]

That is all!

Yours sincerely,
Mervin (:

Online Lesson #10

Hello everyone,

Now i will be doing a narrative essay regarding race and religion.

Here are the links of my research:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8065597.stm
http://marranci.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/the-allah-case-in-malaysia/
http://www.christianpost.com/news/malaysia-high-court-delays-ruling-on-christian-allah-case-42484/

Here is the narrative essay:

After a long nap, I woke up, and took a stroll in the streets, admiring the lush greenery, soothing to my eye. Out of the blue, a loud bang reverberated around the area. I spun around and almost instantaneously, I was transfixed to the ground. The recent Allah cases, which was such a trivial matter, has actually escalated into a riot!

I rubbed my eyes, unable to belief myself. It must be deceiving me! In front of me, tear gas was sprayed at the rioters, and cars were over turned, and glass were shattered every where. Scenes of the riots that happened in 1950s in Singapore floated into my mind. This cannot be happening. Can history really repeat itself?

The rioters scattered and ran away in pain, grabbing their eyes and shouting profanities, cursing the police and the Christians at the same time. Many of them were also arrested, while the fortunate ones escaped. It was hard to belief that something so small can escalate into bloodshed.

Noticing the instability of the situation, I scurried back to my house, and locked the gates. 


"Ridiculous!"I exclaimed to myself. 

That is all.

Thank you!(:

Yours sincerely,
Mervin

Online Learning War Poetry (Part 2)

Poem of the Battle of Malaya, when Japan invaded Singapore


Wilt    By Mervin Lim :D
The Allied and Axis,
Shed blood in the mist,
Some for their territories,
While others for nothing.

War heroes emerged,
While some were infamous,
But the war still went on,
And the fear still lived on.

But who would have thought,
That America will be bombed!
And so angry were they,
That they joined the drama,
And used their triumph cards,
Whom are two brave men,
Fat man, and little boy!

And thus the war,
Ended with a pop
And two gigantic black mushrooms,
Grew up to reach for the moon.
But the innocent were killed,
And there are more to wilt.

Online Learning War Poetry (Part 1)

1. “Guns / Long, steel guns / Pointed from the war ships” (lines 1-3). What type of
gun is Sandburg describing here?

Answer : Sandburg is describing battle guns that are used by soldiers during the war.


2. “Laughing lithe jackies in white blouses, / Sitting on the guns singing war songs,
war chanties” (lines 8-9). Who are the “jackies” in these lines, and why would
they be singing “war chanties”?

Answer : The jackies in these lines refers to soldiers from the navy, who are going out for war. They are singing war chanties, as they are confident of winning the war, and also, at the same time, and singing loudly to raise and boost their morales. Also, they were ignorant and were blinded by fame, financial incentives etc. which the war will give them, despite the extreme and danger. 


3. “The shovel is brother to the gun” (line 16). Explain what Sandburg means by
this statement.

Answer : This statement is what explains the whole poem, and the intentions and rationale of the poet for writing it. A shovel is an instrument or a tool for digging a grave for the dead. Also, a gun is a weapon used in war. Hence, with the phrase "The shovel is brother to the gun", he means that these two objects are closely related, Sandburg is trying to tell the readers that going to war is just like digging your own grave. 

4. What is the significance of the poem’s title, “And They Obey”?

Answer : It is used to signify the the foolishness of the people and soldiers, and how they listen to commands with the sheep thinking mindset, following everything they are told to do. Also, it brings out the irony of war. The soldiers are commanded to destroy cities into nothing but rubble, and they obeyed. However, after the war has ended, the people are told by the soldiers to rebuild the city, the city they have destroyed. Hence, it brings out how stupid and meaningless war is, and hence is an anti-war  poem. 

5. What is the effect of the contrasting actions between stanzas 1 and 2 (smash/
build, knock/set up, break/put together)? What is the persona’s attitude toward
the soldiers and citizens in the poem?

Answer : The poet's attitude towards the people is somewhat disappointed, and angry. This is because they are foolish, and are in fact causing trouble for themselves. During the wall, the soldiers listened to commands without thinking, and destroyed cities, and reduced all of them into rubble. However, after the war, the soldiers told the citizens to rebuild the city, ironically, the city that the soldiers, themselves have destroyed, and they obeyed. Hence, Carl is disappointed with the people for not thinking twice before executing commands. 


6. In your view, is it harder to tear a society down, or to build it back up again? Use
examples from current events to support your answer.

Answer : It is definitely easier to tear a society down, than to built it back up. This is very similiar to taking drugs. It takes just a second of wrong judgement to start taking drugs. However, to stop drugs, it takes a life time of rehabilitation, and a really strong determination, to stop the habit. An example would be World War 2, when the causeway was bombed, and factories, houses and buildings were all destroyed by the constant air raids of the Japanese. Thus, there were many post war problems, such as lack of sanitation, housing and jobs, and it took Singapore near to a decade to recover, from 1965 to the 1970s. 

7. Explain the progression of onomatopoeia in the first stanza. What do you
imagine the sounds of the future wars represent?

Answer : There was a progression of onomatopoeia, from loud to soft, from "drum of hoofs" to "hum of motors" to "thread of rubber tires" to "silent wheels". The sounds of the future war represents the advance in technology, from the past to the present, which allows enemies to be more sneaky, and less easy to be spotted. Hence future wars are more strategic, unlike the old wars, where drums were played loudly to boost morale of the soldiers, but unfortunately, giving out the positions of themselves. 


8. “In the wars to come kings kicked under the dust” (line 9). Taking an example
from current events, discuss one “king” that has been “kicked under the dust” in
recent times.

Answer : The "king" would be Osama Bin Laden. He was a "king" to many, being the leader of the al Qaeda terrorist group, a large scale, world wide group, in charge of many others "smaller branches" such as Jemaah Islamiah. It caused havoc in the world with their bombings, and is a largely hunted criminal. An example of his atrocious deeds would be the "911" bombing of the World Trade Centre, on 9 September 2011, killing 2579 innocent people. This is how terrible and evil a person he his. Fortunately, he has been hunted down by the investigation team of USA, and has already been shot in the head just recently. 

Optimism

Hello everyone!

Today i will be answering a question!(:

Recent Research has shown that optimism is hard wired into the brain as an evolutionary trait, and allows human beings to function face of failure, rejection and death.
How would the world be different if humans are inherently optimistic?

Optimism is vital in our world. Our economy, our society, everything. Everything will be affected if the whole world is pessimistic. For example, having a mindset of "there is always a better tomorrow" is necessary, if one wants to start a new business, invest in new firms etc. It allows one to gather enough courage through positive thoughts, to take responsible risks. With Singapore, constantly searching and trying to develop entrepreneurs and technopreneurs, through many different means, such as financial subsidies and incentives, such as changing bankruptcy rules and also enabling entrepreneurs to do business from their homes and also courses that educate and provide entrepreneurship skills. However, what the government failed to do is to change the mindsets of the people in Singapore. People do not think critically and optimistically, and therefore, are afraid to create new products, to come up with new manufacturing processes etc. Hence, Singapore's economy is rather stagnant, instead of improving tremendously.

However, that is not the worst case scenario. France is infamous for being the most pessimistic country, with 61% of the people thinking that the next year will be a year "riddled with economic problems for their country". Therefore, they always are more conservative, not wanting to share their thoughts and execute new plans, and hence, they will definitely remain stagnant, and not improve. The french are only worried of economic problems for their country. However, in Europe, 38% of them are worried about their personal wealth, and think that they will be poorer or even bankrupt in the next years to come, and hence they do not dare to take responsible risks, and entrepreneurs, which are extremely essential for economy to prosper, are never developed.

On the other hand, the most optimistic countries are countries like China, India and Brazil. Just looking at the countries would already allow you to see the magnificent positive results of optimism. The two emerging dragons, India and China, are now improving rapidly, and its rapid urbanisation, together with the cheap labour and land due to the abundance of both resources enabled them to be economy superpowers. China, whose people have such positive mindsets, are ever willing to take responsible risks and hence, new products and manufacturing processes and invented, hence allowing them to earn loads and loads of money, improving their economy tremendously. For example, fireworks were greatly improved by China, and this can be clearly seen in the recent grand opening of the Beijing Olympics, which involved a large and magnificent display of fireworks for 9 minutes. Also, gunpowder is also invented in China, and hence is hence, by manufacturing these two expensive products in large amounts, and exporting them globally, China, has is now a real super power, and is definitely catching up with America. Similarly, India is now a major technology manufacturing and researching unit in the world, and they have invented new and improved products, through Research and Development processes and techniques. For example, super sharp display phones that uses nanotechnology and new software for business cellphones. With this value added goods, they can definitely surpass all other countries, who are pessimistic, and not willing to take risks, hence only being able to remain stagnant, without improvement.

Optimism affects our society greatly as well. For example, if one does not be optimistic, after failures and setbacks, one is likely to give up easily. Without optimism, our school motto, "Resilience" can never be achieved, due to students dwelling on their mistakes, and not wanting to experience failures again.  Furthermore, suicide rates will increase as well. For example, due to France being the most pessimistic country, their suicide rates are rather high. For example, in the year 2006, the total number of suicide rates was 10415 people, and the reason why they committed suicide was largely due to economic reasons, and bankruptcy. This is how important optimism is.

Therefore, if humans are not inherently optimistic, the world will suffer, socially and economically, where economy will be stagnant, and the society will be much more chaotic.
[671 words]

Thank you!

Yours sincerely,
Mervin

Interesting Narrative

Hello everyone!

Today i will be doing an interesting piece of narrative writing, which is to write a narrative paragraph of at least 100 words.

So here it is:

I was strolling and walking happily in this fine day when I saw this two notorious boys disturbing a large and menacing looking dog which was rudely awaken by the stones hurled at it by the boys and hence is ready to attack its assaulter and wanting to sink its teeth into their flesh and hence it stared at them with its blood shot eyes before it charged towards them at full speed with its powerful limbs and exposing its ferocious and extremely sharp incisors and hence the two atrocious boys began running for their dear lives to prevent them from being bitten by the ferocious dog which is still charging towards them at magnificent speed just like lightning and soon it caught up and bitten the two boys and shrieks of pain reverberated around the atmosphere and it was a painful experience indeed.

[145 words]

Thank you!

Yours sincerely,
Mervin

Should Same Sex Marriages Be Allowed in Singapore?

Name: Mervin Lim Han Hui                                                                          Date: 27th June 2011

Class: 2a2                                                                                                             Register Number: 20

Do you think that same sex marriage should be legal in Singapore? Write in SEE format

I think that same sex marriages should NEVER be legal in Singapore, as the social repercussions and consequences would be rather dire, as the society is still not ready to accept them. For example, the Home section of the Straits Times, issue date, 27 June 2011, touched on this particular sensitive topic, in the sport section. Recently, in the women soccer league, the Nigeria coach, Uche, calls gays, also known as same sex marriages and relationships, dirty, stating that "(it) is a very dirty thing, spiritually and morally" to the German daily Bild. Hence this caused some commotions as Germany has a legal recognition same-sex couples. Therefore, if Singapore was to legalize same sex marriages, the society will be unstable, due to the tensions between same-sex couples and the straight people.

Also, same sex marriage should NEVER be legal in Singapore also because it spoils the fantastic, majestic, tremendously urbanized and developed reputation of Singapore, as a Clean and Green City. For example, the ex-Prime minister of Australia, John Howard stated that legalizing same sex marriages ruins the "(long preserved) reputation of a institution in society, and marriage as a special character", which in view of the same-sex couples, are very offensive. Therefore, from this statement from a Prime Minister, I can prove that legalizing same sex marriages should never be allowed, as it spoils the good name and reputation of the country which was long established, and furthermore, due to the offensive statements passed down, it will bring about anger and hatred, emphasizing on my previous point that is brings about social repercussions and dire consequences.


Last but not least, Singapore's economy would suffer dearly. In 2003, China proposed this to the legislature, but this proposal was denied, due to it not having the needed 30 votes. Hence, this shows that a large majority of China still does not accept same sex marriage. Furthermore, since China is one of the emerging dragons, and is a economy super power with its abundance of land and labour, it is definitely a fantastic and potential investor and trade partner of Singapore. However, if Singapore legalises same sex marriage, China may break off all trade relations with Singapore, and Singapore's economy will definitely suffer tremendously.

In a nutshell, as we can see from other countries, the social consequences and repercussions are too dire to be bared, and it is an ultimate risk to legalize it, as it may bring about tremendous negative effects. If Singapore was to legalize same sex marriage, just to satisfy the needs of the very minority, it may dissatisfy the large majority, leading to anger, which may escalate into bloodshed, through riots and strikes. Furthermore, Singapore would have to face dire consequences that affects its economy tremendously, and therefore, Singapore should NEVER legalize same sex marriages, to ensure peace and security of the country.

[475 words] 

We Slept With Our Boots On -Task 2

Hello everyone!

Now i will be doing my HBL, task 2. 

"We Slept With Our Boots On" -Steve Carlson

They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes

They washed out the blood, we loaded our rucks and then took to the skies

Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew

Where we would land we had not a clue

Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot

We're leaving this bird whether we like it or not

30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit

Get ready to go and make it quick

My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins

I run as fast as I can through the lead rain

The noise is tremendous, terror I can't define

The only reason I survived that day was divine

I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more

You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more

We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks

From house to cave, to car to creek

Dirty and tired and hungry and scared

We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared

Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies

The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives

Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod

Who knew hell was so close to God

Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink

So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think

Good men and bad men, Mothers lost sons

Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns

Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire

I will never forget those who were called higher

They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood

Brothers aren't born they're earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud

And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell

Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell

ANNEX A

1. Whose Point of View

Statement: 

The poem is written from the point of view of a soldier involved in the Aerial bombing campaigns, targeting Al Qaeda and Taliban forces (Most probably Steve Carlson himself, as he was involved in the campaign)

Evidence:

"The noise is tremendous, terror I can't define"

Elaboration:

The poem is written in a first person perspective, on his experiences and fear during the campaign, as a paratrooper, to conduct aerial bombing in Afghanistan, which are aimed at Al Qaeda and Taliban, to stop all terrorist activities, in fear that history may repeat itself. (September 11 [911])

2. Situation and Setting

Statement:

The situation there was rather terrible, where fear and terror lingered in the atmosphere, and where morales were low, as death seems inevitable. 

Evidence:

"Who knew hell was so close to God"-Fear and terror

"Dirty and tired and hungry and scared"-Low morale

Elaboration: 

The soldiers (paratroopers) were all terrified, and they had to keep killing and killing,and it the pulling of the trigger was never ending. Also, they became paranoid, and everything they did, they took extra precautions, in case they were ambushed, which links back to the title, "We Slept With Our Boots On". Also, they were hungry, tired and dirty, and they no longer had the morale to continue fighting and killing. 

3. Language/Diction

Statement:

The writer used many metaphors, and war related terms. 

Evidence:

"Who knew hell was so close to God"-Metaphor

"We're leaving this bird whether we like it or not"

"Paratrooper reporting for duty sir"-War related terms

Elaboration:

The poet depicts the battle field in mountains peaks and hills as hell, to show the bad conditions. It also shows that the soldiers were near death, and could be shot dead anytime. Also, because the soldiers are mainly paratroopers, the poet emphasises this, by replacing the plane with the word bird. Next, there were many war related terms, such as "Paratroopers reporting for duty". This is allow readers to have a hint on what this fight is all about, and why it is started. For example, Paratroopers were commonly deployed when America and Afghanistan were having a war, as America started a aerial bombing campaign. This allows the readers to link this poem to true real life fights and facts, and allows them to understand it better as well. 

4. Personal Response

Statement:

I feel that this poem is really good, depicting very clearly how the fights between America and Afghanistan (Al Qaeda and Taliban). 

Evidence:

"Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir"

"My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins"

Elaboration:

Paratroopers were commonly deployed when America and Afghanistan were having a war, as America started a aerial bombing campaign. Therefore, the writer allows readers to link this to the events, which in this case, refers to fights between America and Afghanistan. Also, it depicts the feelings and emotions that the soldiers of America had, showing the morale, fear and terror or war. Hence, i can infer that the purpose of this poem was to show the world how scary a war can be, and to try persuade people not to support war, and not to participate in it. 

That is about all!

Thank you!(:

Yours sincerely,

Mervin Lim