Write about a time when in wanting to make someone happy you were forced to make a big sacrifice

I can still remember that day, when I willingly made a big sacrifice to make someone really close to me happy. Two years back, I was one of the 5 athletes chosen to go for an overseas Wushu training program in China after the stringent selection trial. We were going to China to prepare ourselves for the World Youth Wushu Championships. I had trained many months for the selection trial, and my hard work paid off. I was on cloud nine after receiving the news that I was one of the 5 athletes selected to go for intensive training and represent Singapore in the 2009 World Youth Wushu Championships.

However, on the day which we were supposed to leave for China, my uncle suddenly called my mother. After talking to him over the phone, my mother told me that my great-grandfather had cancer and was sent to the hospital. He was suffering from terminal illness and his final wish was for me, his favourite great-grandson, to visit him in hospital.

At that moment, I was in a dilemma. My great-grandfather, who had brought me up since young and took care of me, was in the hospital, suffering from a terminal illness. To fulfill my duty as a filial great-grandson, it is only right that I visit him! On the other hand, if I were to visit my great-grandfather, I would miss my chance of going to China to train with their national team and might even miss the opportunity to represent Singapore for the World Youth Wushu Championships! All my efforts would have been wasted then!

It was as if I was between the devil and the deep blue sea. I had to think seriously about this issue before making a final decision. I knew that no matter what my choice was, there would be some regret in my decision. After thinking hard on the issue, I decided to give up my chance to go for the intensive training in China and go to the hospital to accompany my great-grandfather. After all he had done for me in the past few years, and all the invaluable and unconditional love he has shown to me over these years, it is only right that I grant him his final wish. Regardless how big the sacrifice is, I must still do whatever I can to make him happy. This will be the last time I am able to do something which can show him my love and care.

After visiting my great-grandfather at the hospital and seeing him for the last time, I felt very touched. All these years, he had showered so much love on me, but I did nothing to repay his love. At last, I was finally able to grant him his last wish and make him happy just before he passed away.

Thinking back, I never regretted my decision. In fact, I was glad that I made the right choice at that time to go and visit him one last time before he passed away. It was certainly a worthy sacrifice.

School should emphasize on Character Development over Academic Excellence

School should emphasize on Character Development over Academic Excellence

I disagree that schools should emphasize on character development over academic excellence. This is because in the current society, academic excellence is more important in helping us to get a good job in future, character development should be taught at home and school teachers are specialized in helping us achieve academic excellence and not character development.

Firstly, I feel that academic excellence is more important in helping us to get good jobs in future as compared. In today's society, when we are looking for jobs, the first thing most employers look at is our past qualifications and achievements, not our character. Therefore, it is very important that schools focus on our academic excellence in order to make sure that we have higher chances of getting a good job in future. My parents and teachers always tell me that if two people were to apply for the same job, naturally the employer would choose the person who has better qualifications and achievements. This is one reason why I feel that schools should emphasize on academic excellence over character development.

The second reason why I feel that schools should emphasize on academic excellence is because the job of character development should be done at home, by the parents. Parents have the responsibility of teaching their children moral values, so that teachers can focus fully on academics in school. Nowadays, many parents are doing the job of character development at home, teaching their children principles of how to be a good person, because they hope that this will allow the school to emphasize on academic excellence rather than spending time on character development.

Lastly, school teachers are specialized in helping us achieve academic excellence and not character development. An example would be my Maths teacher, Mr Ho Ho Sing Philips. He is specialized in teaching us Maths, and not in character development. Therefore, we should allow our specialized teachers to maximize time to educate us more about their subjects, instead of having to fork out time to develop our character.

However, of course character development is also important and we cannot neglect it. Otherwise, when we go out to the society in the future, we will not be able to survive. Therefore, we should also place importance in our character development.

In conclusion, because of the above 3 reasons, I feel that schools should emphasize on academic excellence over character development.

The Ideal School

The Ideal School

No school is perfect, but all schools are trying to improve to be an even better place for their students to learn and have fun. My ideal school would be a school which has a clean and conducive environment for students to learn, has kind and caring teachers, and provide good facilities for students.

Firstly, my ideal school is a school which has a clean and conducive environment to learn. This is very important because our learning environment actually make a very big difference in the learning process. In my primary school, my classroom was always very messy and noisy. As a result, the students were unable to concentrate in class because of the chattering and the rubbish on the floor. However, after going to Hwa Chong where the classrooms are clean and quieter, the students were able to focus in class and learn better. Imagine a classroom which is dirty and there is rubbish all over the floor, there will be many insects and pests in the classroom. Students will fall sick easily and cannot learn properly. If the classrooms are too noisy, students will also be unable to concentrate in class. Therefore it is important for the school to have a clean and conducive environment for learning to take place effectively.

Secondly, my ideal school is a school which has kind and caring teachers. Caring teachers are very important, as they will take care of the welfare of the students. When the students do not understand what the teachers have taught, the teachers will do their best to explain to the students till they have finally grasped the concept. A good example of how a caring teacher would motivate us to learn better would be my Primary 2 friend, Darryl. In Primary 2, our Chinese teacher was fierce and often scolded people for not completing their homework. Darryl did not like the teacher at all and thus did badly in his End-of-year Chinese exams. However in Primary 3, we had a different Chinese teacher who was kind and caring. She did not scold people when they did not hand in their homework on time but instead gave them another chance to make up for their mistakes. She also treated us very well. This time, Darryl performed much better in his End-of-year Chinese exams.

Lastly, my ideal school is a school which provide good facilities for the students. Some examples of good facilities which an ideal school should have are computer labs, science labs, a track, and a fitness corner. I feel that the computer labs and science labs are a great aid in our learning and we can benefit alot from them. In the era, it is important that students have some IT knowledge thus a computer lab in school would be good. Science labs can allow us to carry out experiments and allow in order to have first-hand experience. A track and fitness corner would be good as students can make use of them to exercise and keep fit.

In conclusion, the ideal school would be a school which has a clean and conducive environment for students to learn, has kind and caring teachers, and provide good facilities for students.

Blog Post 41

The rise in self-obsession and narcissism in Singapore can cause many problems. 2 main problems will be that everyone will be very proud, and that everyone will become very selfish.

The first problem is that everyone in Singapore will become very arrogant. This is because everyone will think that they are the best, and look down on others. They will feel that the whole world is revolving around them. An example would be the football star Cristiano Ronaldo. He thinks that he is the best player in the world and thus tends to be proud. This is one great problem that the rise in self-obsession and narcissism would bring to our country.

The second problem is that everyone will become very selfish. They think that they are the most important, and everyone else does not matter. Thus, when others need help, they will not bother to lend a helping hand. This is another great problem that the rise in self-obsession and narcissism would bring to Singapore.

In conclusion, the rise in self-obsession and narcissism would bring a lot of problems to Singapore.

Blog Post 40

A : I can't do anything to stop it! There's too little time left!

B : Think about the lives of all the passengers on this plane! Are you just going to let them die? Do you still dare to consider yourself as a professional pilot?!

A : Shut up! Here I am trying my best to think of something and all you're not even helping! Just keep quiet and try to think of something or we'll all die!

B : This was all caused by your carelessness! You totally forgot to check the condition of our engines, and now you are lecturing me?

A : Stop it! Do you know how dangerous this situation is? I know it's my fault, but this is not the time to argue about it! We have to think of something immediately!

B : Alright, firstly, get the crew members to get everyone to calm down, it wouldn't help if everyone is panicking out there.

A : Ok, I'll instruct them to do so. Meanwhile, you try to find a way to get the engines working as usual.

B : Okay.

A : The crew members are already trying to get the patients to calm down. Have you found a way to solve our engine problems already?

B : No, the problem with the engines is a big one. I do not think that we can make it...

A : How can you just give up hope like this? I'm not willing to die at such a young age!

B : Then you can try your best to solve the engine problems, since it was all caused by you anyway!

A : Oh no! We're going to crash! We hitting the ground soon!

B : No!

A : Goodbye Mum, goodbye Da...

In-class Online Lesson 11

Good afternoon Mr.Lundberg and classmates, I am Etienne Lee from 2O4 and today I will be talking about the topic on whether the US should have shown mercy toward Osama bin Laden by imprisoning him rather than killing him.

Personally, I strongly feel that the US should have shown mercy towards Osama bin Laden by imprisoning him instead of killing him. Osama bin Laden was one of the world’s most dangerous and wanted terrorists; he had killed thousands of people. However, if the US chose to imprison him instead of killing him, there might actually have a better outcome.

Osama bin Laden was the leader of the extremely dangerous and infamous terrorist group, the al-Qaeda. He had many men under his control, and all of them acted according to his orders. His life was really precious to all the members of the al-Qaeda. By imprisoning Osama bin Laden, they could actually take him as a hostage. The US could use the leader of the al-Qaeda to negotiate terms with the al-Qaeda, and tell them that as long as they do not do anything to harm the world, Osama bin Laden will not lose his life.

If the US really imprisoned Osama instead of killing him, al-Qaeda would not dare to do anything which will harm the peace of the world, because they do not want to put their leader in harm. This will be very effective as without al-Qaeda trying to bring harm to the world, the world faces much less danger than before.

By imprisoning Osama bin Laden, the US could gain information about al-Qaeda. The US will then be able to come up with new methods to counter al-Qaeda now that they have better understanding of their operating and working style.

Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, al-Qaeda will have a lot of sorrow because of the death of their leader. In their anger, they might try to take revenge and carry out even more terrorists’ attacks. This will put the world in even greater danger than before.

Many people would rejoice and celebrate when they learn that Osama bin Laden is dead, but they did not think of the consequences. Now, there would be much more war in the world as al-Qaeda would go all out to seek revenge for their dead leader. There will also be more deaths of innocent people.

The US should be forgiving and they really should not have killed Osama bin Laden. This will only make the US behavior the same as Osama bin Laden; killing without showing mercy.

For the peace of the world, I feel that the US should have been merciful and imprisoned Osama bin Laden instead of killing him. Thank you.

Blog Post 39

I feel that it is not ethically right to participate in the newsroom culture Murdoch fostered. This is because we are not respecting others’ privacy, we are not respecting others’ rights and we are doing the wrong thing because we do not have their permission.

Firstly, we are not respecting others’ privacy. Whatever information is contained in their phones, most of them are private. We should respect their privacy, and not hack into their phones. Furthermore, after hacking into their phones, we spread the information to the whole world. How would the victims feel? There was once when my friend hacked into another friend’s phone and read all his messages. In the end, the victim was extremely sad as he felt that the other boy invaded his privacy.

Secondly, we are not respecting others’ rights. People set passwords into their phones for a reason. It is because they do not want others to see what is inside it. By hacking into their phones, we are not respecting their rights. I had once been a victim before. Someone hacked into my phone and sent random messages to random people. I felt that my rights were not respected and thus I feel that if we do not want people to do the same thing to us, we should not do it to them too.

Lastly, we are doing the wrong thing because we do not have their permission. When we do not have their permission, we should not try to access the content of their phones. This will make them feel much disrespected. Just like when people take our things without permission, we will feel hurt too.

In conclusion, because of the above three reasons, I feel that it is not ethically right to participate in the newsroom culture Murdoch fostered.

Blog Post 38

I feel that the idea of private commercial space travel is a bad idea. This is because only the rich can afford it and it will be unfair to those who cannot afford it.

Firstly, only the rich will be able to afford the private commercial space travel. This is because the price of ticket is really expensive, and not many people can afford it. Only those who are rich can afford the ticket.

Secondly, people who cannot afford the tickets will feel that it is unfair to them. Just because they are not as rich as others, they are deprived of the opportunity to go to space. Therefore, they will feel that it is unfair to them.

In conclusion, because of the above 2 reasons, I feel that the idea of private commercial space travel is a bad idea.

Blog Post 37

If I were Antonio, I would also have loaned the money to Bassanio. This is because of three main reasons. I believe that Bassanio is a trustworthy man, Bassanio is a good friend of mine, and Bassanio needs the money because that amount of money will affect his life happiness.

Firstly, I have known Bassanio for a long time and I believe that he is a trustworthy friend. Bassanio says that back when he was a schoolboy, if he lost an arrow he would try to find it by shooting another arrow in the same direction, watching the second arrow more carefully than he had the first. By risking both arrows, he often got both arrows back. What he is trying to tell me is that, this amount of money which he wants to borrow is just like the second arrow, and if I lend him this amount of money, I would be able to get both sums of money back. After being friends with Bassanio for such a long time, I know his personality and I know that he is trustworthy. Therefore, I am willing to loan the money to Bassanio, because I believe that I will be able to get back both sums of money.

Secondly, Bassanio is a good friend of mine. True friends should help each other in times of need. That is what I believe. Now that Bassanio needs this sum of money urgently, I should therefore all the more lend it to him. This is what friends are for.

Lastly, Bassanio need the money because that amount o money will affect his life happiness. Bassanio needs this money in order to woo Portia. If this money will help Bassanio to successfully woo Portia, then of course I ought to lend him the money! If I do not lend Bassanio the money and he fail to woo Portia, then I will regret my decision. Therefore, I feel that I should lend Bassanio the money.

In conclusion, because of the above three reasons, I would also have loaned the money to Bassanio if I were Antonio.

BLog Post 36 - Apple's Decision

As of right now, Apple has only allowed the App Store in Singapore, but not the full iTunes Music Store, which means that iPhone owners can buy apps but not music, movies, or books through Apple. This reason is rampant piracy throughout Asia.

What are the negative consequences of Apple’s decision? Write in ABC/PEEL format.

The negative consequences of Apple’s decision are that less people will support Apple, Apple will earn less money, and more piracy will occur.

Firstly, this will result in less people supporting Apple. This is because when Apple does not allow people to purchase their music, movies and etc., it gives people the impression that Apple does not trust them. This will cause people to lose faith in Apple, and less people will support Apple. One good example will be after an Acer computer incident similar to this, many people lost faith in Apple and less people supported Acer.

Secondly, Apple will earn less money. Since Apple does not allow people to purchase music and movies and books from its App Store, they will certainly earn less profit. Even the newspaper states that the world’s fastest digital market has been shut out.

Lastly, more piracy will occur. This is because people will find more ways to purchase the movies, music and books available only in the US App Store. This will lead to more piracy.

In conclusion, the negative consequences of Apple’s decision are that less people will support Apple, Apple will earn less money, and more piracy will occur.

Blog Post 35 - Narrative prose without adjective and adverb

It was around 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning. My phone rang. I thought to myself: “Who could be calling at this hour?” I jumped out of bed and went to get my phone. I stared at the number displayed on the screen. Below it was the name “Ah Guang”. I was shocked. Whenever Ah Guang called, it meant that something bad is about to happen. Ah Guang was the leader of my gang, and he had many enemies outside. I did not know what he had done this time.

I hesitated before picking up my phone. “Hello?” I breathed.

“Ah Meng,” replied Ah Guang, “I need your help now. I have just gotten into trouble with some members of another gang. Bring your group to Clementi now. Contact Ah Seng and the other group leaders and instruct them to bring their men to Clementi now!” The next thing I heard was a beep tone and he hung up.

I rushed to change into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I carried out Ah Guang’s instructions and did as I was told. The other groups were also notified. After that, I dashed to meet my men, and together we rushed over to Clementi to meet our leader.

We met our leader at our rendezvous and we went to meet with the other gang to settle things. As usual, the two leaders spoke face to face. If they were able to come to an agreement, everything would turn out well. Or else, a fight would occur.

This time, things did not turn out well. A fight heated up. Many were injured. In the end, a few people from my gang and me who were not injured managed to escape. We were lucky to escape without a scratch.

In-class Online Lesson 10

Theme - Filial Piety

In “The Merchant of Venice”, one of the very important themes was “filial piety”. We are able to make a comparison between Portia and Jessica. Portia was very filial, even after her father died; she still respected him and followed his orders. Before her father died, he made every man who wanted to marry Portia go through a test. This was done in order to make sure that only those worthy of Portia would get her. Although Portia disapproved of the idea, she still respected her father’s decision and made every men who wanted go through the test.

However, Jessica, on the other hand, was not filial. She disliked her father greatly, and she stole all his money and eloped with Lorenzo. She showed no signs of regret and she even felt what she did was right. Therefore, from the above two daughters’ behaviors, we can see how much difference there is between them.

Narrative

Ali had been out of job for 2 months. He was already running out of money. He knew that this could not continue any longer. He had to find some means to earn money. His mother was extremely sick; she lay in bed all day. He needed to find money somehow, for her treatment. Finally, he made a decision. He had no other choices. He would take up stealing as his profession. “It was the fastest and easiest way to earn money,” he thought to himself.

The next day, Ali went out to the busy city streets of India early in the morning. He tried his best to act like a normal citizen. He analyzed the movements of everyone, including the policemen, in order to make sure that he would not get caught. By noon, he started pick pocketing. He stole from so many people without getting caught. By evening, he had already collected about 300 dollars. “I just have to continue this for a month and I will get enough money to treat my mother!” he thought to himself happily.

Ali continued this daily routine for two weeks or so. However, one day, he got caught by a policeman. When asked why he was stealing, he replied, “My mother is really sick and I have no money to let her see a doctor for treatment. I really need the money, so please let me off.”

The policeman was touched by how filial Ali was to his mother that he decided to let Ali off this once.

Blog Post 34 - • What will be the effect on Asian society by such a large gender imbalance if this trend continues?

· “Largely as a result of sex-selective abortions, Asia today is short 160 million 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.” (Cunningham, TIME, 5 July 2011)

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

There will be a large effect on Asia’s society if this trend continues. Effects on Asia’ society will include a sharp decrease in Asia’s overall population, a drop in Asia’s economy, and more Asian men visiting prostitutes.

Firstly, there will be a sharp decrease in Asia’s overall population. This is mainly because women are needed in order for more babies to be produced. With Asia having 160 million less women, what will happen to Asia’s birthrate? Asia will not be able to replenish its man power and the population of Asia will decrease sharply. A recent research study showed that Asia’s population has decreased a lot already over the years, although the statistics were not reported. This just shows how great an impact on Asia’s population the sex-selective abortion has.

Secondly, this will also result in Asia having a bad economy. Women these days are very competitive; they have a great thirst for knowledge. Women go all out and strive for the best. This is a boost for Asia’s economy. A lot of CEOs from big companies these days are Asian women. This shows that Asia women are a great help to our industries and our economy will be much better with more women. However, now that Asia has 160 million less women, our economy is getting from bad to worse. A good example would be the tourism industry. There are many tourists who come to Asia, and many good tour guides are all women. Now that Asia has so few women, there will not be as many tour guides in future and less tourists would come to Asia. Therefore, this will lead to Asia’s economy becoming worse.

Lastly, this will also result in many Asian men visiting prostitutes. The large decrease in Asian women will result in many men not able to find themselves a wife. They are unable to get their sexual pleasures. Therefore, they will have an urge to visit prostitutes to satisfy their sexual desires. This has occurred in the past, and it is still an on-going issue. Many men are unable to find themselves a suitable life partner, and thus they decided to visit prostitutes. A recent study proves that this is true.

In conclusion, if this situation continues, Asia’s population will decrease sharply, it will have a bad economy, and it will also lead to many Asia men visiting prostitutes.

Expert Circles

Topic 2:

Elizabeth I : Who was she?

-Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen reagent of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Bloeyn. She is also known as The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess. Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.

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

-Due to the fact that Queen Elizabeth 1 was a Protestant, this caused her much trouble with other countries because of her strong belief. However, England had an alliance with Netherlands during Elizabeth's reign.

What was Shakespeare's relationship with Elizabeth I?

-Shakespeare’s relationship with Elizabeth I was an employee-employer relationship. Elizabeth also often watched Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare was ardently attracted to Elizabeth and her Court, and proved a faithful servant to his royal mistress.

Compare Elizabeth I to Portia from The Merchant of Venice. How is Portia's character a tribute to Elizabeth I?

-Portia:

Lead female in Merchant of Venice play.
A heroine who saves the day.
An independent woman.
A Strong headed woman

Elizabeth:
Same as Portia.
Tribute paid to Elizabeth who was a patron of Shakespeare’s work
Famous of the defeat of the Spanish Armada
Strong woman like Portia.
Gave England Identity

Topic 3:

What was personal hygiene like during the Elizabethan era? -Only the wealthy people bathe and use soap. They think that washing their hair is unhealthy. The notion of cleanliness had a different meaning for the Elizabethans. During that period, when Queen Elizabeth ruled and Shakespeare wrote, personal hygiene as we practice it was virtually nonexistent.

Diet?- Poor diets consisting of sugary candy, which were favored by the wealthy, resulted in rotten teeth. The wealthy feasted on a variety of meats and breads. The lower class subsisted on fish, cheese and bread. Both rich and poor alike ate few fruits and vegetables, resulting in a prevalence of scurvy.

Recreation? Recreation during the Elizabethan Era encompassed spectator/blood sports, team sports, simple games, and individual amusement activities. Queen Elizabeth enjoyed hunting--at age 67 she was occasionally found on horseback loving the "thrill of the chase".

Accommodations? Rich had country mansions Tudor manors were remodelled to be lived in. The poor lived in ghettos in mud houses within the towns and cities in London, the rich lived in the West while the poor lived in the East, where modern day Fleet Street is.

Dress/clothing? Bright colours, elaborate trimmings, and excessive padding are the most notable characteristics of Elizabethan dress. Padding was so full that all outward semblance to the human form was completely lost, both to men and to women.

Topic 4: The (historical and cultural) Setting of Venice

* What was Venice like during the 15th and 16th century? Comment especially on its demographics and culture.

Venice in the 14th and 15th century was fighting and acquiring islands and various territories on the way to the Middle East. Venice started declining in the 16th century after various attacks like the Kingdoms of France and Spain. However, Venice flourished and was an important trading centre and art centre due to its stable political climate. There were over a 100,000 people living in Venice in the 15th and 16th century. Venetian craftsmen produced various decorative arts, including sculptures, lace, glassworks, paintings and ceramics. Merchants traded wool and silk and various other products. At the beginning of the 16th century, theatres appeared and were welcomed. Groups of actors performed in the houses of nobles and even they charged admission.

* Why was Venice important during the 15th and 16th century?

Venice was a centre for Renaissance culture in the 15th and 16th century. Architecture, art, music and literature flourished in Venice. The printing of books in the Italian language was initiated in Venice and contributed to the Italian Renaissance. The Venetian School polychoral compositions were famous throughout Europe in the late 16th century. Trading was also very important in Venice as it was along one of the main trading routes during the Renaissance. More is mentioned in my response to the previous question. - What was the dominant religion in Venice? How were Jews treated and regarded? The dominant religion in Venice was Roman Catholicism. Jews were evicted from England in the 1290s and were forced out of many countries in Europe in the 15th and 16th century. They were allowed in only certain countries like Venice because they had value and were beneficial to the country. Jews were discriminated by the Christians in the 16th century in Europe, especially in England and Venice. Christians saw Jews as a threat to Christianity and that they were inferior and were excluded from society. In Venice, Jews were restricted from working in certain sectors like in manufacturing. They were not allowed to be bankers, lawyers, doctors or merchants and could only be moneylenders, which were important to the Venetian economy. However, in 1516, there was a set-up of a Jewish ghetto in Venice where several thousands of Jews were crammed into the small walled area and were restricted from moving to other parts of the city.

* How is Venice is an appropriate setting for the plot of The Merchant of Venice?

Candidates for Shakespeare authorship including de Vere visited Italy and the personal travels to Venice allowed Shakespeare to gain a better understanding of life in Venice. The Merchant of Venice had to be set in a place where Jews were allowed, and could not be in countries where Jews were forbidden to live in (most countries in Europe). Venice, however, allowed Jews and there were many instances where those who borrowed from Jewish moneylenders fail to repay their loans. Trading was also common in Venice with Antonio being the merchant.

Topic 5: Jews vs Christians

* What was the dominant religion in England and Venice in the 15th and 16th century? The dominant religion in England during the 15th century were the Catholics frist then it changed to the Christians. Venice dominant religion would be the Jews.

* Why was there such animosity between Jews and Christians? The Jews and the Christians got off with a bad start with the Jews trying to exterminate the Christians. This was shown in the Acts and the letters of Paul. But, the Jews failed to exterminate the Christians, which led the Christians to treat the Jews badly. It was to the point of the Christians, just giving the Jews enough to survive. This resulted in the animosity between the Christians and the Jews. A couple more reasons to add on to this animosity would be theological differences, competition between Church and Synagogue, the Christian drive for converts.

* In what ways did the Christians discriminate against Jews in 15th and 16th century Europe? -In 1396, 100,000 Jews were expelled from France
-In 1421 thousands were expelled from Austria. Many of the expelled Jews fled to Poland
-Spanish Inquisition, the expulsion from Spain in 1492,
-The expulsion from Portugal in 1497,
-various pogroms, the Dreyfus Affair,
-the Holocaust by Nazi Germany.
-In countries that did not ban Jews from their country, were heavily discriminated and they had many restrictions. They were only limited to jobs, land ownership and residential areas that made them seem inferior from the other citizens.

Topic 6: Shakespeare's Theatre

• * In what sort of building were Shakespeare's plays performed? central part had no roof
• depended on sunlight- no electricity
• contained stage and yard
• like a mini football stadium-circular
• audience who paid higher prices get to sit on the seats around the stage 2-3 stories higher up
• above back of stage contained machinery
• trapdoors were used to walk in and out

* How did the physical constraints of the theatre affect the language of Shakespeare's plays? have to describe the scenes vividly because of open air.

* What sort of people acted in plays? What sort of people went to see them? actors and young actors. Women were not deemed fit for work in the theatre

* How was "The Theatre" viewed by Elizabethan society? the authorities of London disliked the public performance of plays. However the Queen was a frequent patron of the plays.

* Compare the modern-day Globe Theatre in London with the theatres that Shakespeare worked in.

Blog Post 33 - Sentences with < 7 words

He entered the house stealthily. The owner was unaware and continued sleeping. The thief started to ransack the house. He rummaged through cupboards for expensive items. He found much valuable jewelry. The thief put them into a bag. After that, he got ready to leave. He tried to escape through the kitchen window. However, the thief knocked a table accidentally. The cups fell off and shattered. There was a loud sharp noise. Startled, the owner woke up immediately. He felt that something was amiss. He decided to go down and check. The thief was flustered. He dashed out through the main door. The owner was stunned. He had slept through the entire incident. He could not believe it. How could he not hear the noise?

Blog Post 32 - How would the world be different if human beings were not inherently optimistic

If human beings were not inherently optimistic, the world would be very different. Everyone would be giving up and lose confidence once they do not succeed in something, and the world would be an extremely sad place where there is no hope, laughter and happiness.

Firstly, everyone would give up and lose confidence once they encounter failure. Currently, there are many people who are really resilient and always persevere to the end, no matter how many times they fall, they will always pick themselves up again and strive for success. They will not stop fighting until they succeed. These people are able to persevere to the end and never give up because they are inherently optimistic. A good example would be Albert Einstein, who invented the light bulb. He faced many failures when he was trying to invent the light bulb, but he was optimistic and viewed these setbacks as a learning journey. He never gave up and never lose hope, he always believed in himself, and in the end he made an extremely great contribution to mankind – the invention of the light bulb. If human beings were not inherently optimistic, everyone would be failures and no one will believe in themselves because they will all think that they will not be able to succeed, no matter how much work and effort they put in.

Secondly, the world would be an extremely sad place where there is no hope, laughter and happiness. Everyone would be thinking of bad things happening, they will not think about the good things that they can enjoy in this world. The world will be full of sadness. It will be a really gloomy place. I have three friends who are really pessimistic, and I often go to their house. Every time I am at their house, the atmosphere is gloomy; there is no liveliness at all. Nobody laughs and they always complain about the bad things that happen to them. Once when the economy was down, they kept complaining that they were sure to lose their jobs, and they would not have enough money to feed their families. Therefore, if human beings were not inherently optimistic, they will not be able to look on the bright side and think positively, which will lead to the world being a gloomy place without any happiness.

If human brings were not inherently optimistic, the above two things will happen and the world would be very different from the way it is now.

In-class Online Lesson 9 Part 1

Passage A:

They are describing Cannons.

These "jackies" are common sailers, who served during the war-time. The sailors are singing war chanties because they came out victorious in a war.

“The shovel is brother to the gun” means to say that war and death are connected inevitably. The "shovel" represents Death, while the "gun" represents War. Sandburg wants to tell, through the poem, that war will inevitably lead to deaths.

Passage B:
It is to show how easily the soldiers and the citizens obey each other in the midst of war. As stanza 1 shows war in destruction and seriousness, shows how the soldiers destroy the citizen’s living area. While in stanza 2, it shows the hopeful side, as the soldiers sees the citizens having to rebuild the city they have lost in the midst of war.

The contrasting actions make the poem have 2 different sides, tones and point of view. The first stanza shows seriousness, while the second shows hope. The author’s attitude towards the soldiers are that they are only made for war, which he does not approve of, which also shows a negative attitude towards them. But the author’s attitude towards the citizens is mainly positive, showing how they rebuilding what seems not to be the first time.

I think its harder to build everything up again. This is because to destroy, not much effort is needed to destroy, but to build back up something is very difficult because no matter how hard someone tries to put back everything together, it will never be the same again. An example is the recent japan earthquakes. The tallest and strongest buildings all came down within a few minutes, and this shows how easily things are destroyed, and how hard it is to build everything up again.

Passage C:

The onomatopoeia represents new machines that no longer use motors anymore, yet to be invented by scientist, deadlier, stronger, better, faster.

Gaddafi is a good example. Previously he used to rule a lot of people and everyone has to follow his orders. But recently after a few days of rioting, he has fallen and now is wanted by the police. This is because the people had enough of him and does not approve of his style of ruling.

Blog Post 31

I woke up feeling giddy only to realize I was in deep inside a forest and out of the blue I saw an extremely beautiful dark brown deer with two long and magnificent horns and right behind it were two younger deer which looked equally beautiful just like their father and at that moment I realized that I had just seen my favorite animal of all times and I cannot describe how extremely delighted and elated I was at that time and I felt as if it was the best time of my life and how I wished that time would stop moving.

In-class Online Lesson 9 Part 2

Every day I go to the battle field terrified

And if I survive I count myself lucky

Every day I see thousands of dead bodies

And I always fear that I might be the next

One day I shot an enemy in the chest

I was shocked and could not believe it

I ran over to him immediately

He was bleeding profusely

The dying enemy was young

Less than 20 years of age

Yet he sacrificed his life for his country

Dying as a brave soldier on the battlefield

He lay still on the floor

Breathing his last breaths

He said his last words "Dad, Mom"

And he stopped breathing forever

Blog Post 30 - Will same-sex marriage ever be legalized in Singapore?

I feel that the chances of same-sex marriage to be legalized in Singapore is very low. This is due to the fact that Singapore is continuously facing a decreasing birth rate and the fact that Singaporeans are very Asian-cultured and they will not be easily influenced by western countries' thinking.

The fact that Singapore is continuously facing a decreasing birth rate is an important reason why same-sex marriage is very unlikely to be legalized in Singapore. This is because in same-sex marriages, couples are unable to produce any babies. This will result in less babies produced, and Singapore's birth rate will continue to fall even more. Since the government is encouraging Singaporean couples to have more children, the government would not legalize same-sex marriage in Singapore.

Secondly, Singaporeans are very Asian-cultured and they will not be easily influenced by the western countries' practice nowadays. Singaporeans usually follow a certain tradition, and the tradition is that marriages should not be same-sex marriages. The Chinese traditional practice is for a man to marry a woman, and the more babies they have, the better. However, same-sex marriages are unable to fulfill the wishes of the tradition. The government hope for Singaporeans to be filial these days, thus the government is unlikely to legalize same-sex marriage.

The above two reasons are why I think that the chances of same-sex marriages to be legalized in Singapore is very low.

Term 2 LA ACE BLog Post 9 - HBL Part 2

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

1)Point of View: This poem is written from the point of view of a soldier who had to fight on the battlefield. This can be seen from "I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more" and "We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks". These two sentences imply that the soldier had to shoot lots of bullets from his gun, and almost everywhere they went they fought enemies.


2)Situation and Setting: The setting in the poem is Afghanistan. The poet wrote this poem when he was serving as a soldier in his army years and he states that “The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives” in his poem. The Hindu Kush is is an 800 km (500 mile) mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The poet also states “Good men and bad men, Mothers lost sons”. This goes to show how bad the situation was at that time. Innocent people were killed mercilessly.

3)Language/Dictation: The poet used vivid descriptions in his poem. Some examples are “Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies” and “Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire”. These two sentences alone allow us to imagine the beautiful scenery of the majestic mountains and how much blood was dripped during the war.

4)Personal Response: I really enjoyed reading this poem. I feel that it is extremely meaningful and it truly brings out how much suffering, bloodshed and deaths which war results in. It also brings out the intense atmosphere in which one has to be vigilant at all times and never let their guard down.

Term 2 LA ACE Blog Post 8 - HBL Part 1

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

The poet describes the war he is going through in Afghanistan as a period of time in which he is in hell. Some signs of conflict were mentioned in the poem also. The poet was scared of the war and he did not want to fight, but he was forced to. He did not like the idea of war and going to the battlefield to kill people. He also stated that many people felt that blood was thicker than water, but he felt that lead was thicker than blood. Also, the poet feels that brothers are not borned but instead they are earned. He feels that two people can only get along well and become brothers only if they go through hardship together.

Term 2 LA ACE Post 7 - Joournal Entry of a War Soldier

World War 2
15 March 1940
Today, it was just like any other day of the war. I was out on the battlefield sacrificing my life and fighting for my country. I should consider myself really lucky to survive another day. Many of my friends died, shot by bullets and blown up to pieces by grenades and land mines. I really hope that the war will end soon. I cannot bear to see any more deaths and suffering. Why must there be so much hatred in the world? Why is it that there will never be peace?

The war cannot continue much longer. It has to end soon. Or else, the world will be destroyed. There are already millions of casulties, why must there be more? I really hope that all this will end immediately. I cannot take it anymore. Going to the battlefield in the fear of being killed everyday is really too much for me.

Blog Post 29 - Most Interesting Thing I Learnt in Home-Based Learning

The most interesting thing I learnt in Home-Based Learning is how to construct diagrams and graphs using an online educational tool,Geo-Gebra, during the Mathematics online lesson. Geo-Gebra was developed to allow students to learn algebra and geometry through a more exciting an interesting way. At the end of the lesson, we were expected to develop and construct a digram through using the tools in Geo-Gebra. I really enjoyed the lesson because I felt it was a fresh experience. We did not get to use online educational tools very often during normal lessons. I really hope that we are able to use more of such tools in future.

Blog Post 28 - Was the decision to assassinate bin Laden rather than bring him to trial a justified one?

Yes, the decision to assassinate bin Laden rahter than bring him to trial was a justified decision. Osama was an extremely cruel and heartless terrorist who has caused many people to lose their lives. He spare no thought for others. He was extremely selfish, and he killed without even blinking his eye. Take the 9-11 incident as an example. Osama bin Laden was the one who was in charge of that sucide incident. That incident killed thousands of innocent people. Surely he deserved death, after all the harm he has brought to this world. If he were to escape that night, the US army might have to search for another few years before capturing him again. Therefore, I feel that the decision to assassinate bin Laden rather than bringing him to trial is a justified one.

Blog Post 27 - History of Manned Space Flight

I agree that the drive to explore space and our solar system is still an important human endeavor. It is very important to understand what there is in our solar system, because we need to know what is going on out there outside Earth. Humans will be able to predict future phenomenons and can prevent disasters from happening. Example a meteorite is going to crash into Earth, scientists will be able to predict it and prepare for it. Thus I feel that the drive to explore space and our solar system is still an important human endaveor.

Blog Post 26 - Making NS mandatory develops Singaporean boys into men

I agree that making NS mandatory will develop Singaporean boys into men. Going through NS will allow boys these days to be thougher and learn to endure. They will be both physically and mentally stronger. Boys these days might be quite pampered and thus going through these trainings will allow them to develop into a man. Take my cousin as an example. He was very dependent in the past, but after going through NS, he became more independent and more like a man.

Blog Post 25 - Posters for General Election

I feel that the NSP's poster depicts more teamwork than the PAP's poster. In the NSP poster, the size of all the MPs competiting for Marine Parade's GE is the same. This shows that everyone in NSP are equal, and it gives viewers the feeling that NSP have a strong bond. However, in the PAP poster, Goh Chok Tong's face is the biggest. This gives viewers the feeling that he is superior to the other MPs, and it also gives viewers the feeling that there is not much unity among PAP.

Term 2 LA ACE Blog Post 6 - War: A Personal Response

This picture depicts the scene of 3 Malay men dragging an old man on the floor. 2 men are pulling him by his arm while the man behind is pushing him. The mood gives a sense of sadness, anger and suffering. The victim has his head down, as if falling in defeat and showing that he has surrendered. The atmosphere is very tense, as no one knows what the 3 Malays might do to the victim next. They look really angry and there are looks of hatred on their faces. The 3 men might torture the helpless victim very badly and the passers-by are looking at the victim in disgust. They appear to look down on him and feel that he deserves it. There is a very solemn mood too and it gives viewers the feeling that war is a very horrible and saddening thing and there is a lot of suffering. The victim looks as if he is feeling extremely hopeless and sad. The fact that his head is lowered in defeat shows that he is feeling very hopeless. He already knows that it is impossible for him to escape his fate. The cracks on the wall shows the destruction that war causes, which implies to tell us that war is terrible. The background shows us that the country’s future is very bleak. The paint on the wall has cracked and fallen off, and this shows that the country is falling also. The fact that a man of another race is being dragged by people of another race on the floor shows that there is lots of violence during this war. A lot of fighting must have occurred at that place during the war time. War is indeed a horrible thing, and we should avoid war at all cause to prevent more killings from taking place.