JYLing

Binus Immersion

2010-08-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

Below is my reflection on my immersion trip to Indonesia. I really like this trip very much and will post photos next time.
I felt so honoured to stand a chance to go for this exchange programme as I had fun during this trip. In this trip, I stand a chance to know more things about Indonesia as this is the first I came to Indonesia and I love the people and food here. People here are very friendly to us as they are very warmly. We also stand a chance to go to Indonesia’s largest and most famous mall, Grand Indonesia Mall and Pondok Indah Mall.

Besides that, for a person who likes spicy food like me, I love the food here as they are very spicy and delicious. Although we do not have a chance to stay with the host family, but I still feel the kindness of Indonesian by interacting with my buddies.

Furthermore, I get to know new friends during this trip. They are very kind to us and will do their best to fulfil our needs and go by the schedule. During the first one or two days, we are mingling among ourselves as we are not familiar with them. But until the third day, we are already playing and chatting with them all time.

I also get to know and learn some of their traditional games, dances and songs. We also had fun learning their songs as it is quite different with our songs in Singapore and Malaysia.

Lastly, I get to improve my Indonesian language as I learnt some from my maid in Malaysia. Some of them are so terrified when they find us understanding their language, and even talking to them in Malay.

Overall, I liked this trip very much as I had lots of fun and learnt many things in Indonesia.

Bijani Twins: Has medical been breached or abused?

2010-08-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladan_and_Laleh_Bijani

For the people that wants background information of Bijani Twins

I personally think that medical has been breached. It is the twin who wanted to be separated and the doctor had already warned them on the risks and dangers they may face and they know that if the operation is not a success, they will die. It is not the doctor’s fault as they lost lots of blood during the operation and the Doctor had already warned them. A specially-designed chair was required that allowed the operation to be performed with both sisters in a sitting position.

The attempt to separate the twins turned out to be very difficult, because their brains not only shared a major vein (the superior sagittal sinus), but had fused together. The separation was achieved on July 8, 2003, but it was announced then that the twins were in critical condition, both having lost a large volume of blood due to complications of the operation.

I think that they should bear with each other and continue to line on.

A Joke That Went Wrong-Essay

2010-08-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I liked to play practical jokes on others. I liked to look at their expressions being fooled by me. One day, my sister brought me for a stroll in the park. The Narcissuses were in full bloom and the filled our nose and the leaves rustled as a breeze blew by.

We ambled our way to the bridge and, a thought came to my mind. I told my sister that I wanted to take a photo of her standing on a bridge. I like I wanted to change her pose and ‘splash!’ she fell into the river. She hit her head against a rock and her arms were flailing wildly in the air. Suddenly, I remembered that we do not know how to swim. I quickly called mother to seek help as I could not find anyone there. Overwhelmed by the pain, she sank below the surface of water. This added on to my anxiety.

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped at the sight of her sinking. Gasping for breath, I clasped my hand over my mouth. “What is it, darling?” my mother’s voice was from the phone was muffled by the howling wind. My lips parted but no words came out. Luckily, a jogger passed by and saved my sister. She was no longer conscious and her whole face was covered with blood. He pumped rhythmically on her chest. She began to cough violently and water started spluttering out from her mouth.

He immediately brought us to the hospital and I called mother. “What? Which hospital?” Mother’s voice faltered. Upon my mum’s arrival, the doctor and came out and said: “The patient is in stable condition. She needs rest and will be warded for further observation. If nothing goes wrong, she should be discharged in a couple of days.” I heaved a sigh of relieved and creases of worry vanished instantly.

When we went back, mother scolded me. “Are you tired of living? What you need is another beating!” Mother brandished the ugly-looking cane.

After this incident, I swore that I will never play pranks to other people.

Home Learning Task 1- Children In The Darkness

2010-05-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Today is Home Learning and our English teacher, Mrs. Lily Chai, wanted us to complete two tasks. One is to explain something about This Poem.

Children In The Darkness

There are children in the darkness
Who have not seen the light
There are children in the darkness
Who someone will teach to fight

Chalk and blackboards will not be
To this door there is no key
From this life they can not flee
And these children are not free

Could we simply light a candle
Could we give them half a chance
Could we teach them how to read
Could we teach them how to dance

Or will a war consume them
Their body and their soul
Will their life and blood be poured
Down some endless thirsty hole

Back into the darkness
From which there is no flight
Back into the darkness
Into which there shines no light

Henry M Bechtold was in Vietnam during 1967 - 1968. During that period of time, there was a war raging and he witnessed what was happening. Although he rarely talked about it, he could never close that chapter in his life.He was in his hotel room in Saigon watching the news channel on the television. At the same time, he was finding inspiration to write another poem on the mistreatment of girls by men when a picture of a young boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle in hand flashed on the news channel. This reminded him of the Vietnam war that happened during the late 1960s and immediately, began to pen down his feelings of the war and it resulted in this poem.

Nana Coming To BS

2010-04-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hi all, this post is about Nana, a friend I made in Indonesia, which came to BS today.

An Interview

2010-03-02T07:34:00.001-08:00

Task- Conduct an interview with a friend (not from HCI) or family member. Find out from their point of view on prejudice and discrimination. Either record the interview or write out the interview transcript.

Here is an interview with my friend, Brenda Chan, using MSN, I copied directly from MSN.

Jun-Yu says:
hi brenda.
Brenda says:
hi

Jun-Yu says:
can you help me do something???
Its an interview
very fast
I ask you then you answer

Brenda says:
ok what

Jun-Yu says:
What is your point of view on prejudice?

Brenda says:
Very unfair to those who r being prejudiced
Jun-Yu says:
haha
then what is your point of view on discrimination

Brenda says:
isn't it the same???
lol

Jun-Yu says:
no
u check dictionary
not the same

Brenda says:
almost the same

Jun-Yu says:
Please form a sentence on the word discrimination and prejudice

Brenda says:
Racist is a form of discrimination.
Judging by people's looks is a form of prejudice.
Jun-Yu says:
ok
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Brenda says:
lol
Jun-Yu says:
u can view it in my blog later
Brenda says:
okay
i will
Jun-Yu says:
goldfishjyling.blogspot.com
Brenda says:
okay thx

Pathetic... Someone died...

2010-03-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

Learning Profile-Multiple Intelligence

2010-03-02T01:31:00.000-08:00

Attention Mrs. Chai, I posted this around 8:30 p.m.
One of our home learning task is to complete this quiz and write a report.

I think that this quiz is partially correct as most of my weak areas are correct except for the Kinesthetic (body smart). Although I am active, I am not good at sports. I do not have much stamina. This quiz is not so reliable as it is not detailed enough is the question asking part. They should give more questions instead of forty pathetically amount of questions. Anyway, this quiz is just a reference, if someone wants to excel, even with low IQ, he can also excel if he strives to work hard. Of the 4 highest areas, I decided to choose the spatial and naturalistic to be accessed as my LA homework for IT home learning.

I WANNA BUY THIS...

2010-03-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

I wanna buy this earphone but its damn freaking expensive.

This is a earphone designed by LADY GAGA!!! Every single one have her signature!!!! But, it is damn expensive larh... SGD$240.00 leh... more than what I get for 1 month...

Holidays and School Exchange Programme

2010-02-25T04:45:00.000-08:00

Yay!! Holidays At Last!
I will go back to Malaysia around 12 0r 13 March. I feel that this term is a pathetic term for me as I did not do well in my tests and everything. I will work hard to catch up next term as Sec 2 is a busy and crucial term for us. we will be streamed next year and I do not want to enter the Q classes as I have to take O levels and leave Hwa Chong after that.

I will be going to Jakarta, Indonesia for 1 week in Term 2 for exchange programme.elow is the itinerary for the exchange programme.

“A Vibrant, Innovative and Caring Community”
Day 1
Sunday, March 21 *Flight from Singapore to Jakarta
• Meet & greet with host parent and check in at the home stay
* Dinner with host family

Day 2
Monday, March 22 * Breakfast with host family
• Morning : Join the activities of the At School Projects (Money Management and First Aid) in BINUS Serpong
• Lunch : in School
• Afternoon : School Tour
• Indonesian Culture Introduction
• Visiting the local community : Pasar Modern BSD, Ocean Park
• Visiting BINUS International School Simprug
• will be picked up from School
* Dinner with host family

Day 3
Tuesday, March 23 * Breakfast with host family
• Drop off in School
• Learning about Indonesia : Taman Mini
* Dinner with host family

Day 4
Wednesday, March 24 : * Breakfast with host family
• Drop off in School
• Explore the Indonesian Myths/Legends in Bandung (overnight stay).
• Visit Tangkuban Perahu Mountain, Lembang , Kawah Putih, Strawberry Farm, Angklung Community
* Overnight in a hotel

Day 5
Thursday, March 25 * Breakfast in the hotel
• Back to Jakarta
• Jakarta Kota :”Old City” Batavia
• Busway to visit Monas and National Museum
* Dinner with host family

Day 6
Friday, March 26 * Breakfast with host family
• Join BINUS Serpong students for an Outbound Activity to Anyer
* Dinner with host family

Day 7
Saturday, March 27 * Breakfast with host family
• To Airport for Singapore

I will miss school for 1 whole week and I really need to work hard and catch up with my peers.
Thank You

A Beautiful Place In Malaysia__Lake Chini

2010-02-07T04:56:00.000-08:00

Attention, Mrs. Lily Chai, this is my 1st significant of 2010....

Hi all! This is my first post of the year! I know that I have not been blogging for damn looooong. So, I am back blogging!

Now, let me blog about a place in Malaysia. This post is MY OWN IDEA, ok, except the points and I did not copy in ANY websites. If you do not believe I can show you the hard copy. Please note that there may be some grammatical errors, if so, please tell me by commenting and help me improve.

Lake Chini

Nestled cosily in the interior of Pahang, Malaysia, Lake Chini is a fresh water swamp. Lake Chini offers you and your family a perfect retreat unspoilt by man. Enjoy the scenic view of the luxuriant jungle full of exotic flora and fauna like the pitcher plants, Venus fly trapper, colourful birds and insects. You will see animals that you seldom see in the city like Raja Brooke, branded Imperial butterfly and The Three Ring Butterfly.

How To Get There

Lake Chini can be accessible by boat from Kampung Belimbing, an eighty kilometres ride from Kuantan, Malaysia. you may think it will be boring during the car ride, but you are wrong. As the journey along the winding road, you will be so mesmerised by the tranquil view that you will not want the journey to end. But do not fret, what awaits you will be even more enchanting-Lake Chini.

The Surroundings And What You Can Do

Lake Chini has tranquil surroundings. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the ear-blasting motorcycles and honking of the cars and buses. You will not be bored about the beauty of Lake Chini. For the energetic and adventurous you, there are many activities to challenge you like jungle treking. You can also fish in the crystal clear waters, feast your eyes on the wondrous marine life in the charming lake. You can also ride on the boat to fish in the middle of the lake. Discover the secrets in the surrounding jungles as you trek along. The buzzing of bees, creaking if crickets, croaking of the frogs and the chirping of the birds greet you when you step into the jungle.

Accommodations
A visit to Lake Chini will not be complete without one or two nights stay. There are various types of accommodation available ranging from a cheap tent to a luxurious hotel. Spending a night in the jungle is essential to make your holiday complete. The best time to arrive is at dusk. All you need is a packed meal, a torch and your binoculars. at nightfall, the jungle becomes a magical place where you will see tiny creatures like fireflies winging their way among the trees. In addition, you can see deers, tapirs, toads, spiders and frogs or even an elephant if you are lucky. Lake Chini is ideal for those who wish to escape from the outside world and those who hanker for peace and solitude. The secrets of Lake Chini awaits you........

Things To Do

Fishing

Bird Watching
Jungle trekking

Visiting Orang Asli settlement

Canoeing

Packages

Mysterious Lake Chini (Tour Packages)
Lake Chini (Student Tour Packages)

2009-07-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

Any forms of gambling hurts in the end. Lottery is one of them. In fact the harm lottery has is even higher than other forms of gambling given that it is affordable, has a lot of outlets to put in the bets and the high frequency is betting sessions. Lottery is also highly addicitive as people tend to bet collectively and becomes more of a social event. Usually people progresses to other forms of gambling such as majong, horse betting, casino from lottery. Addictions catches on very fast and hard if the person has a lucky streak and wins a few times.

Although part of the money from the lottery is given to charities, lottery poses more harm and creates more social issues than the good it does by contributing to the charities.

"Once addition is form it will take a lot more effort and resources to break it. Along the way, families and friends of the addicts suffers." Yes, we must not be addicted to gambling. We must have control ourselves from buying too much as it is affordable and easily addicted.

My Favourite Poet- Robert Frost

2009-06-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

Robert Frost was born 26th March 1874 in San Francisco, America. He was the first child of Isabelle Moodie and William Prescott Frost. 1881, Frost enters second grade. Baptized in mother's Sweden-borgian church but droped out of school in the following year. After being dropped out of school, he is educated in home. His father dies of tuberculosis on May 5, 1885, leaving family with only $8 after expenses are paid. The whole family family moves to Lawrence to live with grandparents. Robert and Jeanie, his younger sister dislike grandparents' sternness and rigorous discipline. Enters third grade after testing, while younger sister enters fourth grade.
The next year, they moved to Salem Depot, New Hampshire, where their mother began teaching the fifth to eighth grades. Frost and Jeanie enter the fifth grade.
1890, Frost published his first poem "La Noche Triste," based on episode in Prescott's Conquest of Mexico, and then appeared in the Lawrence High School Bulletin in April. He also published his second poem, "The Song of the Wave," appears in the Bulletin in May.
He did well at his college but left the college to support his growing family. Before his grandfather had died, he purchased a farm for Frost and his wife. The farm is located in Derry, New Hampshire. He worked in the farm for nine years and he wrote poems every early morning.
His farming proved no success. In 1912, Frost and his family sailed to Great Britain and published his first book of poetry ' A Boy's Will" The next year. He returned to America due to world war 1.
Frost died in January 29, 1963.

Robert frost's Personal Life

His personal life was filled with loss and grief.

His father died of tuberculosis in 1885, when Frost was 11, leaving the family with just $8. Frost's mother died of cancer in 1900. In 1920, Frost had to commit his younger sister, Jeanie, to a mental hospital, where she died nine years later. Mental illness apparently ran in Frost's family, as both he and his mother suffered from depression, and his daughter Irma was committed to a mental hospital in 1947. Frost's wife, Elinor, also experienced bouts of depression.

Elinor and Robert Frost had six children: son Elliot (1896–1904, died of cholera), daughter Lesley Frost Ballantine (1899–1983), son Carol (1902–1940, committed suicide), daughter Irma (1903–1967), daughter Marjorie (1905–1934, died as a result of puerperal fever after childbirth), and daughter Elinor Bettina (died three days after birth in 1907). Only Lesley and Irma outlived their father. Frost's wife, who had heart problems throughout her life, developed breast cancer in 1937, and died of heart failure in 1938.

The reason of I liking this Poet

"A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom." The first poem that I have read is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. I liked it very much and decided to surf the internet to look for more poems written by him and his biography. His poem were all very interresting and meaningful. The most major thing that I admire this poet is, when he met any failure or loss, he will not give up and be upset but he will work harder to achieve success. He can write such good quality of poem when he was a farmer. He had just a little time at the early morning to write poem and he could produce such good quality of poem.

His Poems

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.

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.

Acquainted with the Night

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

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.

Links

http://www.ketzle.com/frost/frostbio.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_frost.html

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

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquainted_with_the_Night

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

Poetry- The Road Not Taken

2009-06-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Recently Mr. Lundberg instructed us to complete a task on poetry. The question is

The poem I choosed is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.

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.

1. How is figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is, and why the poet chose to use this figurative language.
One of the figurative language used in this poem is symbolism. The writer uses the figurative language by using "roads' to describe "choices". I think that he is describing himself as a poet. He relates this 'road' to his real life.

2. Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.

I like this poem because the meaning of the poem is very obvious and make reading more easily. Besides that, the poet uses imagery to potray the scenes in the woods to make people imagine the beautiful scenes in the woods. Furthermore, the poet uses quite many of figurative language to make the poem more interesting. He can relate this poem to his real life which is not easy because he use symbolism to bring up the "hidden meaning".

A Book That Impacted My Aunt The Most

2009-05-18T05:15:00.000-07:00

My aunt likes to read all kinds of books as she has a lot of books in her house. One book that impacted her the most is Angel and Demons by Dan Brown. This book is publicated on May 2000. My aunt was around 19 years old that time.

This book is about CERN, a facility at Switzerland dealing with particle physics has one of its most brilliant scientists, Leonardo Vectra, most brutally murdered and branded with an ancient symbol used by an ancient underground organisation, Illuminati, which is believed to have extinct. A world renowned Harvard Symbologist, Robert Langdon, is immediately called in to give insights to the death as he has done extensive research on the subject and has the right credentials. When he reached the facility, he discovered that the dead scientist and her daughter, Vittoria Vectra, has managed to create and contain Antimatter at a sizeable amount and one unit has been stolen. Just days before this, it was announced that the Pope has died and on the day of Leonardo Vectra’s murdered, the cardinals will perform Conclave and elect a new Pope. The creation of Antimatter at this amount is the re-creation of the exact moment of Creation itself. Traditional Catholics see this as a direct challenge to the Christian belief that god created the world. More progressive Catholics see it as a bridge between Science and Christianity.

Leonardo Vectra, who is also a Father, and the recently demised Pope are such progressive Catholics. Both Vittoria and Robert went to Vatican when news of the lost canister was found in the Vatican at a location that is not known. Linking the Illuminati, the news of the kidnapping of 4 Cardinals and the message from the kidnappers, Robert beliefs that the carnister is in the Church of Illumination. Therefore. Robert and Vittoria went on the search for the path of Illumination, hoping to find the Church of Illuminati, a place where the members meet. The message for the path is embedded in the work of Galileo (which is kept in the Vatican archives). This work was put in a material so fragile that it can be easily destroyed. This path is also a test to allow only the right and worthy is admitted into the brotherhood.

The search on the path of illumination involves entering the Vatican archives, searching Rome for the Symbols placed by the Illuminati. The Symbols are the basic elements of life: earth, air, water, fire. One feature of the illuminati is their ability to create Ambigrams. Ambigrams are words curved into symbols that look exactly the same when you turn it 180 degrees. Ambigrams are believed to have been created for the words Illuminati, earth, air, water, fire. There is also one more Ambigram that is made for the Illuminati Diamond.

Robert and Vittoria managed to follow the path of illumination and found the symbols but are unable to save the 4 cardinals who are killed and branded by using the Ambigrams. When they at last found the church of illumination, they, the cardinals and the world are led to believe that the Camerlengo was sent by god to unite the church against the age old enemy, the Illuminati, only to discover a sinister plot behind and the real villain.

This is all about the book.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My aunt feels that this book talks about an aged battle between Spiritual belief and Science and these makes the story interesting by showing the contrast between Spiritual belief and Modern Science.

She also thinks that this book is very amazing. The amazing part of this book is the amount of research that has been done on very difficult topics: particle physics, Biophysics, Church proceedings, Christianity history, Christian Symbols, and the art work of the masters like, Raphael and Bernini and linking them up to form a seeming credible story.

It is also highly accurate in its description of the locations, Art Work, and facts; even CERN is a fact. This is a very distinctive feature in all Dan Brown’s books. Dan Brown’s books also have another one distinct feature. Everything happens in 24 hours. That’s why my aunt loves this book.

Furthermore, there will be in the cinemas soon. My aunt is planning to watch it.

Nothing But The Truth_Point Of View of Margaret Narwin

2009-05-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

Ugh! I felt a little tired after teaching literature for twenty-one years and I have been teaching Literature in Harrison High School for these years but I really liked it and feel that teaching is almost a religion to me. I want students to appreciate literature but they do not read books at all outside the school requirement.

I wanted to apply for a grant to go for a course but the school could not approve it.

Philip had been given two days of suspension and he will be coming back today. I think that he deserves that. He is a nuisance of our homeroom and I do not look forward to see him. Every morning during homeroom period, the Principal or deputy principal will say " Please all rise and stand at respectful, silent attention for the playing of our national anthem." When the national anthem started to play, Philip began to sing the national anthem. The whole class heard it! I stopped him from doing that but after a while, he continued singing. I immediately stopped him from singing and after another time stopping him, I felt angry and sent him to Mr. Palleni's room. He claimed that his former homeroom teacher allows him to sing. After a few more times caught him singing, the vice principal suspended him from school. After coming back, his parents told the reporter about this and our case was on the newspaper.

The reporters also called me and asked me about this. This case made the whole US send me telegrams and letters scolding and insulting me. I felt humiliated and I resigned. Why? After 20 over years of teaching in Harrison High, this is what I get?

SMOPS 2009

2009-05-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

SMOPS stands for " Singapore Maths Olympiad for Primary School students". This program is held by Aphelion annually. This year will be 3823 primary 6 students from all over Singapore. This is the busiest year because the number of participants is the most participant that Apelion had ever handled. We are confident that we are able to success this year. There will be more than 113 groups and more than 32 people a group.

On the preparation day, we went to Kah Kee Hall to attend the preparation. We arranged the chairs and tables. I am a registration officer of this event.

The next day, we reached school around 6:30 a.m. I went to Kah Kee Hall and sit at my registration counter. Around 7:00a.m., the participants arrived and I helped them to take their attendance carefully. After all the participants had arrived, I bring them to the Junior College part to take the test.

When the test is about to start, we distribute the test papers to the participants. "start!" The invigilator shouted. Everyone started to do the test. I can see that they are quite nervous by their face expression. I also helped to invigilate.

After the test had ended, I bring the participants back to Kah Kee Hall and dismissed them right away.

I felt honoured to help out in this major event.

How Do I Get My Scholarship To Study In Singapore

2009-05-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

It is SDLS now and I am in the dining hall. SDLS stands for "Self Directed Study Session" for the whole boarders in Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School. Suddenly, I have the thoughts of blogging. I sat there for 15 minutes and could not think what to blog about.

Looking at all the Malaysian Scholars, I suddenly have the thoughts of blogging about how do I get my scholarship to study in Singapore......

I had known about the scholarship to study in Singapore and I am working very, very hard for it. Let me tell you how busy am I and yet I have to prepare for all tests and examinations this whole year, in fact, I had already started to prepare when I first know about the scholarship (When I was at Primary 4). I also had to prepare for my term examinations, year-end examinations and UPSR. UPSR is a test for all primary 6 students and it is compulsory for all Malaysian. (Like PSLE in Singapore)

Some days, I reached home around 10p.m. and have quick dinner, bathe and started to do my homework. I did not pass the APMOPS and I am thinking of taking the school-based scholarship. I worked harder and I am slated to pass the test and go for interview. Thanks to Mrs. Yuen, my English private tuition teacher, she helped me A LOT in my English. She let me stay back and have extra lessons with me to improve my English. I also had a maths teacher who helped out a lot in my poor mathematics, although his fees were EXTREMELY high.

After vigorous tuition and practices, I went to SJK(C) Jalan Davidson to take the test. I was so nervous and keep going to the toilet. When the test is about to start, my hand nearly shivered as I am too nervous. i took a deep breath and started to do my test. The invigilators were Mrs. Ke and another teacher from Ortus Consortium. After that, we had a break. My mother went to buy a packet of chicken rice and I finished it all. After having our breakfast, we continued on having the English test. I was too sleepy and I started to sleep when I finished the papers as I need energy to do the composition writing. When I woke up, I saw Mrs. Ke and another teacher pointing to me and they had a paper on their hand. I wondered what was it but I continued to check my papers.

After the tests, I went back home and waited for a phone call that the invigilators told us. At 6 o'clock sharp, the telephone rang. I answered the phone call and passed it to my mum. The person is Mr. Lim. He told my mum that I have been chosen for the interview. He told us to go to Dorsett Regency Hotel to interview me. Oh My God! I have been chosen for the interview! I am so happy.

The next day, we went to the hotel for interview. To add burden to my anxiety, the place was so crowded. I am scared that I will fail the interview. When it was time to interview, I could even hear my heart beating. I told myself not to worry and treat this as a casual conversation. I took a deep breath and walked in. To my surprise, the two people who interview me was Mrs. Ke Ee Kian and Mr. Ang Lai Chiang.

They started to ask me question like "Why do you want to study in Singapore?", "Will you feel homesick if you study in Singapore?" and all kinds of stuff. I was quite nervous in the starting but after a little while, I feel that they are not "scary" but they are kind. Suddenly, they changed the language to Chinese and asked about my family and my personal life, this made me feel like as if I am chatting with my friends. After 20 minutes, they asked me to go out. I was shocked, am I going to fail the interview? But after a few minutes, they asked me to go in again and invited my parents to go in. They asked them if I am going to study in Singapore, will they be sad and all kinds of questions.

After that I saw Mrs. Ke nood her head to Mr. Ang and told me that I was given a chance to study in Singapore. Then, Mrs. Ke brought us out of the room and gave us forms to fill. After filling in the form, we went in to see Mr. Jeffery Lim, the scholarship branch consultant. I did not have the chance to meet Dr. Hon as they went out for lunch. After signing the contract, we went out for lunch and came back to get the contract as we have to wait for Dr. Hon to sign the contract. After that, we went back and celebrate the happy news.

I will always treasure the chance of studying in Singapore and I will complete my studies here.

Village By The Sea ~What Happens Next?

2009-05-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

After a whole week, the watchman from the factory disappeared mysteriously and the villagers started to gossip about it. Suddenly, the village chief came hopping wild with some government officers and announced to the villagers of Thul that the building of factory all over Thul is just a rumour. Instead, they are going to make Thul a famous tourist attraction despite its picturesque view of the beach.

"We are not going buy your land for building the factories but we are planning to build two hotels and a large shopping mall" announced one of the government officer to the villagers. "We will pay you high fees if you all co-operate and we will reward every family one lot in the shopping mall to start your own business.", he added. "Yay!" The villagers cheered along the road.

After a few days, the construction of the buildings had started. Trucks, lorries and even cranes came in to Thul. They had never ever seen this magnificent view before. " Ma! come here and see, there are big lorries and cranes!" shouted Lila asking her mother to come and see what is happening. They stood there staring with their mouth wide opened.

Two years later, the construction of the buildings finally completed. Almost everyone was flabbergasted and someone shouted " We can start our own business soon!" After several days, businessmen from all over India came and have a meeting with the villagers and people who own any shop lot in the mall. " What will be our new mall called?" asked a person. When people were thinking about the name, Hari's father shouted " The Mall". Almost everyone agreed with his idea and they continued to elect a committee. Mr. Murugam was elected as he is the one who own the most shopping lot in the mall. Hari's father was elected as the logistics vice manager. Besides doing his business, he will sometimes have to sign some letters to approve the logistics in the mall. He will be given 300 rupees per month. This is enough to feed the children for 2 weeks. He just have to earn another 600 rupees to feed the whole family. His average income for fishing per month is 700 rupees. Plus the 300 rupees income from Hari's poultry farm per month and 100 rupees per month for the watch mending shop. They all had 2000 rupees per month and they can save up to 1000 rupees per month.

Hari's father is planning to upgrade their house. After counting and adding all the costs, the total is 38,600 rupees. 15,000 rupees for upgrading their wall to cement wall and adding three bedrooms for Hari, Lila and Bela and Kamal because they had grown up, 600 rupees for changing all the doors to wooden ones, 1,000 rupees to upgrade the roof, 4,000 rupees for every one's new bed, 2,000 rupees for painting, 600 rupees for a black and white television, 400 rupees for a dining table set, 1,000 rupees for a new fabric sofa set and 4,000 to renovate the kitchen and toilet. "And one more thing, the safety of Thul will be not as safe as last time because tourists will come and we had to make a fence with a gate for safety and privacy's sake. The cost is about 10000 rupee" Added Hari's mother. " The most important thing is, where is the place we are going to stay during the renovation process?" "We are going to stay in de Silva's home but we are going to pay him.

The renovation will take 5 months to complete and we can move in. I have spoken to Mr. de Silva, he will charge us just 80 rupees per month. If we add all the costs together, the cost is 39,000 rupees. I will borrow they money from Mr. de Silva. With our monthly savings of 1000 rupees, we will be able to pay him back in 39 month, as in 3 years and 9 months.

5 months later, Hari and his family returned back to their own house. Their house was finally built. They are flabbergasted to see their brand new house. "Hari, come and look at your room!" Hari's room was painted blue in colour, equipped with a single sized bed, a study desk and a wardrobe. Hari was so happy to see his own room, so were his sisters.

Hari's father had another plan too. He is planning to sell different things in their shop lot in The Mall. From now onwards, their shop lot will sell crops grown by Lila, Poultry by Hari, Fishes by their father. Hari is also in charged of the watch mending counter and their mum will take over hari's job as a seller.

At night, Hari lie on his bed, thinking of his past days......

Class Exercise

2009-03-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last week, Mr. Lundberg gave us a very interesting exercise. It is about describing a setting. I love this exercise so I decided to post about it.

Nestled cosily in the botanical garden, there is a picturesque pavilion. Beside the pavilion, there is a river of cascading waters. In the crystal-cleared water, there are some koi fishes swimming gracefully and the water lilies are so beautiful. Sit on the swing on the pavilion and enjoy the gentle breeze of the wind. There is also a field of majestic lavender flowers, the fragrance of the flowers greeted anyone who went there.

The chirping of the birds, croaking of the frogs and creaking of the crickets made the whole place feel like as if they are in the woods. There is also some apple trees, the apples are as red as blood and extremely juicy and sweet.

Every morning, you can see some couples strolling around the place, some old folks exercising, some people bringing their dogs for jogging and kids running around. The morning air is so fresh and unpolluted and attracted many fauna here. This place is like a magical place to everyone who visited it and will not hesitate to visit it again.

My School

2009-03-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

I am in my grandaunt's house now. Well, let's blog about my current school, my current school is Hwa Chong Institution and it is the culmination of the watershed merger between the former Chinese High School (founded in 1919) and Hwa Chong Junior College (founded in 1974) in 2005.

This is my school's clock tower. The clock tower was gazetted as a national monument on 13 March 1999. The four clocks were donated by Seiko. The “天下之马”means flying horse.

The school's clock tower sited in The Chinese High School (now the high school section), with a statue of founder Mr. Tan Kah Kee.

This field is located in front of the clock tower. The running track is 400 metre long. Every morning, students gather at the terraces for flag-raising ceremony.

This is the main entrance of Kong Chian Library. It is named after Mr. Lee Kong Chian, he donated a big sum of money to build new classes and buildings in our school.

This is inside the library. We can borrow all kins of materials including, reference books, story books, movies, CD-Roms, laptops, etc.

These are some other services and the maximum of seaters:

-PD LRC - 8

-Project Room - 10

-English LRC - 74

-Conference Room - 35

Compared to Kong Chian Library, Jian Xian Library is bigger that Kong Chian Library. There are about 45,000 books and 3,800 CD-Roms.

Facilities Available
-A Discussion cum Video Room (for group discussion and viewing)
-Individual viewing points for movies
-24 sets of computers linked to black-and-white printers as well as colour printers (using photocopy cards purchased from the photocopying shop)
-Laptops (please approach the library staff at the counter)
-Photocopying machines (using photocopy cards purchased from the photocopying shop)
-In-house toilets
Services Provided
-Borrowing and returning of open-shelf and red-spot materials
-Borrowing and returning of laptops
-Borrowing and returning of CD Roms, videos and VCDs
-Reservation of all materials
-Help with using computers and printers
-Help with using photocopying machines
-Help in obtaining information regarding materials
-Display of New Arrivals
-Display of various types of materials based on a monthly theme to expose students to the large variety of books available
-Library newsletters which can be found at the counter and newspaper rack

This is Kong Chian Administration Office. Like the Kong Chian library, it is also named after Mr. Lee Kong Chian.

The multi-million dollar Science Research Centre (SRC) provides ample resources to support the advanced research programmes in Hwa Chong. It serves as a one-stop facility for student research activities. The main features of the SRC include
-10 Research Laboratories for Science projects and experiments;
-A 100-Seater Theatre;
-Field Station and Special Culture Rooms for the incubation of living organisms used in Life Science and Biotechnology projects;and
-Project Rooms and Work Resource Rooms for collaborative research between students and expert-mentors.

The Ong Teng Cheong Student Activities and Leadership Training Centre(which is known by SALT centre) is named in honour of distinguished Hwa Chong alumnus and Singapore's first elected President, Mr Ong Teng Cheong, who was both an outstanding leader and a passionate supporter of the Arts. Under the Hwa Chong Integrated Programme, the Centre serves as a platform to develop students holistically, particularly in areas of the Arts and leadership excellence. Some CCA's are also held in this centre. There is also a professional Cardio room and Weights room inside it.

This is the gymnasium where students practice gymnasiums and it is equipped with almost all of the gymnasium facilities.

This is the area of Junior College.

This is the front of Hwa Chong Junior College.

This is the basketball court and beside it is our school's canteen.

( Resources: www.hci.edu.sg)

ANGLES workshop and competition

2009-03-07T03:23:00.000-08:00

Again, it’s me, blogging in the dining hall. Now, let’s talk about the public speaking competition that my school held last few weeks. The title of the workshop is ANGLES (A New Generation of Loquacious Speakers). Every secondary one student is to attend this workshop.
On the day, we went to drama centre and Mr. Tommie Chen briefed us about the public speaking competition. Later, two seniors shared with us their experience and taught us how to present a good speech. After that, a senior ask us to go back to our respective classes and each senior is to pick a student among the classmates and he will be chosen to attend the semi-finals. Our title is “money is the root of all evil”. The best speaker is my friend, Shawn Ang De Xian. He have to attend the semi-finals.
The day had come, it’s the semi-final. We went to the auditorium to give support to Shawn. We are given one ACE handout each, and we were asked to fill it and hand it to our LA teacher. The first one who came out was Shawn, his title is ‘’speech is silver, silence is gold’’. He agrees with the title. His speech was marvelous! Then, every participant also spoke greatly.
The most important time has arrived; each participant was given 1 impromptu title 10 minutes before their speech. I personally think that Shawn’s speech is just nice because he lacked confidence. Almost all the participant’s speech is better than his because they spoke confidently. Everyone jeered the other consortiums and Ms. Laura Ng (queen of literature) stood up and scolded us for our intolerable behavior.
After that, the judges went to the library and calculated the marks. Then, they announced the prizes and Shawn won a merit but he did not get into the grand finale. The champion and the first runner-up was from the iSpark consortium, whereas the 2nd runner-up was from the Aphelion consortium, which is my consortium.
iSpark was chosen to the grand finale as they grabbed two places. Ihope that our consortium can win the next ANGLES competition.

Exams

2009-03-01T04:27:00.000-08:00

I am so happy and excited because the test is going to be over soon!!!

For the past three horrible weeks( week 6,7,8), I have been having tests in my school for my different subjects, for example Mathematics, Language Arts, Chinese, LSS, etc. But I still have Mathematics 2 test on Tuesday. I am very scared because my maths is very bad I felt nervous during some tests because I was scared that I would not get a passing grade.

The night before Language Arts test, my roommates listened to songs which I do not really like. I can tolerate with them just listening to the music, and I would appreciate if they could turn down their volume. As I result, I could not concentrate in the LA test and I just scored C6 for the test. I would not say that it was my roommates’ fault that I scored low marks, I might as well be responsible for my own marks. But I would have failed my LA test if I lost one or two more marks!!!

Moreover, some of my roommates studied almost every night during the exam weeks. Their table lamps distracted me from sleeping. Almost every test I felt sleepy and I could not concentrate in the test. Well, I will train myself not to be so easily distracted by others and I will definitely study hard for my next test in term 2.