Casino more harm than good

I feel that the casino in Singapore should not be built. Although it would be able to generate jobs for the people, allow a boost in tourism in Singapore and help our society earn revenue, think about all the problems that come with it. The casino would cause an increase in the number of people addicted to gambling. Because Singapore currently do not have a casino the problem of gambling addicts are not so obvious yet. However, gambling addicts already exist in the society. People are getting addicted to betting on horses, football, 4 digits, toto etc. So, with a casino so close to them, they need not leave the country just to gamble. This would cause an increase in the number of people getting addicted to gambling.

The government is broadcasting advertisements on television to remind people about the negative impacts of gambling, allowing the families to restrict their family members from entering the casinos etc. However, would all this be useful to prevent the rise in gambling addicts among the citizens? With a casino in our own country, it is impossible to stop or even minimise the negative impacts of gambling. Take a look at Las Vegas, it is now known as The Sin City. This is because of its casinos and the prevalence of crime. It is impossible to open a casino without corrupting the moral fibres of the citizens.

When the number of gambling addicts increase, the government would soon be forced to have to
provide counselling to these people. A lot of resources has to be wasted, a lot of money has to spent. Despite all these efforts, it will still be very difficult for the gambler to kick his habit.

Although there are some of good the casino would bring to Singapore, it is not worth sacrificing the well-being of the people in Singapore just to earn more revenue.

My favourite poet

"Words in themselves do not convey meaning" this statement was said by the famous poet Robert Frost when he tried to explain the importance of the sense of sound. I chose Robert Frost as my favourite poet because his poems are very interesting. They are often set in the more rural areas and also, his poems are very closely in touch with nature. Robert's works were most probably inspired by his daily life and also his many experiences in life. He collected many different experiences while working as he had worked in many different professions before. His professions range from being a farmer to a teacher. Robert loved language and the crafting of it. As poetry was supposed to be the highest art of language, it enticed him. Robert was a poet very closed in touch with nature both in his poems and even his daily life. Robert Frost was born in San Francisco. Although his works were associated with rural life, Robert Frost was brought up in the city. After he attended Darthmouth College, he held a large number of jobs. He even worked in a textile mill. Many of his poems were drawn from his own life, everyday tasks and also his recurrent losses. When Robert moved to England, he was inspired by many of the poets there like Rupert Brook. He also taught at Amherst College and Michigan universities. Many of the poems Robert wrote depicted the farms and fields that he had own throughout his whole life.
Robert Frost wrote many poems in his life. Some of the poems are "mowing", "into my own" and "stars".

Mowing
There was never a sound beside the wood but one,
And that was my long scythe whispering to the ground.
What was it it whispered?
I knew not well myself;
Perhaps it was something about the heat of the sun,
Something, perhaps, about the lack of sound--
And that was why it whispered and did not speak.
It was no dream of the gift of idle hours,
Or easy gold at the hand of fay or elf:
Anything more than the truth would have seemed too weak
To the earnest love that laid the swale in rows,
Not without feeble-pointed spikes of flowers(Pale orchises),
and scared a bright green snake.
The fact is the sweetest dream that labour knows.
My long scythe whispered and left the hay to make.

Into my own
One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom,
But stretched away unto the edge of doom.
I should not be withheld but that some dayInto their vastness
I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.
I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.
They would not find me changed from him the knew--
Only more sure of all I though was true.

Stars
How countlessly they congregate
O'er our tumultuous snow,
Which flows in shapes as tall as trees
When wintry winds do blow!--
As if with keeness for our fate,
Our faltering few steps on
To white rest, and a place of rest
Invisible at dawn,--
And yet with neither love nor hate,
Those starts like somw snow-white
Minerva's snow-white marble eyes
Without the gift of sight.

Bibliography
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/robert_frost/biography
http://www.ketzle.com/frost/
http://www.frostfriends.org/frostfaq.html
http://www.frostfriends.org/frostfaq.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Frost
http://www.bestoffrost.com/
http://www.internal.org/list_poems.phtml?authorID=7

Figurative language in poems

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.


This poem uses mainly symbolism. For example, the two roads represents choices in our life. Besides that, the less walked road road symbolised the less popular choice and the road which is mostly chosen by travellers represents the more popular choice. The poem also uses one personification - "and wanted wear" This short phrase shows that the road was hardly taken by the travellers and thus "wanted" to be walked on. The poems used a hyperboyle to express a long length of time - "somewhere ages and ages hence".



I like this short poem because it can be very easily related to our every day life. Everyday we have to make different decisions. However sometimes it is very difficult to make a decision when both choices appears to be equally appealing. Despite how much we want to choose both roads, we can only have one choice. Also, this poem expresses very well the dilemma of the author when he had to make a choice between the two almost equally good roads. However he choose the road less travelled in the end. Sometimes, we regret the choice we choose sometimes we are glad we made the correct choice. Finally, I like this poem because although it is short and easy to comprehend, it is very meaningful.

Singapore, environmentallly friendly?

Over the years, the Singapore government has encourage the citizens to play a more active roll in rescuing the environment. However, has all these plans worked, has Singapore citizens become a greener country? Perhaps, the project has not been entirely successful. For example, Singapore citizens have became more active in recycling. Even schools have been rolling out projects to encourage students to recycle. But, many people has forgotten about the "bring your own bag day" event. Now, many people hardly bring their own plastic bags to the supermarkets on Wednesdays. Even the cashiers did not remember about the project. They have started giving out plastic bags on Wednesdays even when the custiomers are supposed to bring their own bags.
In the recessions, being environmentally friendly could be a help in reducing expenses. For example, by buying bulbs which use less energy, not only can we save money on electicity bills, we can also reduce the anout of electicity used, and saving the environment. However, buying a hybrid car which uses less petrol might not be cost-effective even if it is environmentally friendly. The car would definitely cost much more and even the fuel is more expensive.

Parent's favourite read

Keenan: What is your favourite book?

Mum: I don't have one favourite book. I love all the books that I read. As you know, nowadays I am more into contemporary thrillers. But classics have always been my favourite. My favourite classics' writers are Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell.

Keenan: Please tell me more.

Mum: Pride and Prejudice is the first Jane Austen book I read. It was the literature text used in my brother's secondary school. I came across the book while rummaging through his stuff during the school holidays. I read the book and fell in love with it.

Keenan: What is the story about?

Mum: As the name suggested, it is about pride and prejudices. The main characters are Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. The latter, a proud gentleman due to his wealth and position in life is attracted to Elizabeth, a lively and spirited woman with no fortune. She is however prejudiced against him arising from a series of unfortunate events and rejected his offer of marriage. From her rejection, Darcy learnt humility. He went on to help her family avoid the devastating scandals of her sister's elopment and through it, Elizabeth reached a new understanding of Darcy. The story ended happily with the marriage of the hero and heroine.

Keenan: Why do you like the book?

Mum: Well, other than the "happily-ever-after" ending, the story brings to mind the reality of many of human relations which are beset with prejudices and pride. Don't we all look at things or people with tinted glasses and allow our judgement to be tainted with our prejudices? We are so intrisically bound in all these webs that conscious effort must be asserted to rise above them. And unlike novels, there may not be happy endings in real life.

Keenan: What is it about the writing of Jane Austen that appeals to you?

Mum: Beautifully crafted sentences - Jane Austen has a great way with words. Her writing is noted for its wit, irony and shrewd observations. Although her novels are confined to the closed society she is familiar with, there is much warmth and truth in them that appeals to the soul.

Nothing but the truth (point of view of Magret Narwin)

Philip Malloy has been accusing me of denying his rights to sing the "Star Spangled Banner". But, all I did was simply enforcing the rule set down by Dr Palleni, the Assistant Principal. In fact Philip was singing the song disrespectfully. Yet he fed the public with some cock and bull story about how patriotic he was by singing the song in my class and how I have been stopping him. Now, the public is unhappy with me! I am so baffled. Why is Philip doing all this? Does he want to get out of my class? Or does he want attention?Maybe he is in some trouble and if I help him, he might decide to clear all the misunderstandings up.
Phillip is such a bright boy. He has the potential of doing well academically. It is just that he just cannot focus. If I had the chance to help him, I am sure he would be a very outstanding student.
The news that comes out on the daily paper is a so bias. All they have is of Phillip's point of view. So, what about mine?! Doesn't public care of how I feel of being unfairly treated? Since they care so much of Phillip's rights, what about my rights to expalin the incident from my point of view. I am sure the school would blame me if they do not get their budget. Pherhaps, i should just resign from my post. But, I would not have a choice at the end if I want to stay or not... ...

Village By The Sea (10 Years Later...)

Ten years later, Thul was no longer a small traditional fishing village. In a decade, the small village just 14 kilometres from Bombay had transformed into a bustling establishment. The year the factory was built, people started streaming in. The new residents of the village lived in huge and tall buildings. The small huts were removed and in their places stood shopping malls and shops which sold goods to supply the needs of the new residents in Thul.

Just a short distance from the bustling markets, the fertilizer factory stood alone. The paddy fields which were destroyed had became swamps. Thick vegetation covered the more deserted areas. Effluent and chemical waste were pumped into the water. On the surface of the black murky were the bodies of fishes, victims of pollution. The shiny fishes which were sold at the markets were no longer fresh. Instead, these fishes were frozen and imported from all over the world.

Cars were no longer a rare occurence in the village. Vehicles travelled up and down the roads and alleys of Thul, day and night.

Among the shops along the streets was a shop that was always closed. The shutters were never opened and upon them were the words "For Sale". The signboard was dusty and black. It hung only on its last nail and was dangling dangerously at an awkward angle. Despite its conditions, the words upon it was still legible - "Hari Watchmender".

When the factory was built and the new housing colony was built, businessmen and merchants came to Thul. Among them were watchmenders. The more experience watchmenders open their own shops and business was good. Soon, Hari's customers started dwindling and finally he could not afford to pay the rent. Hari had to resort to doing temporary jobs to make ends meet. His poultry farm was a complete failure. The year before, a disease swept through Thul, killing all the livestocks in the village. Hari was catapulted back into povery and the slums of Thul.

When Hari went out of business, his last bit of savings was used to pay Lila's dowry. The moment Lilia was of age, she was married off to a rich man. But, after her marriage, the couple left for Australia. Lila lived in a huge and luxurious bungalow in Australia with servants at her beck and call. On her wrist were many gold and glittery bangles and she was was cladded in top quality silk sari. Despite living in luxury, Lila never sent a cent back to Hari. Never once did she remember the hard life Hari was leading back in the slums of Thul.....

The shark fin you ate over Chinese New Year.

I am sure you ate the mouth-watering shark fin over the Chinese New Year. But, have you ever thought if eating the shark fin is right?

I personally do not like the idea of eating shark fin. Did you know that shark fin, according to research results, does not contain much nutrients? Sharks are mercilessly murdered and 98% of the sharks caught are disposed of by throwing them back into the ocean and left to die on the ocean floor.

Sharks may be predators and are threats to the marine in the ocean, but they are all part of the diversity of life all around us. Most people eat shark fins just for their own enjoyment. If we respect living and breathing humans, why shouldn't we respect sharks as one of us. Sharks are endangered. If we continue to kill them just for our own enjoyment, sharks would be extinct soon. When the sharks become extinct, the whole marine Eco-balance would be upset.

The new Integrated Resort Hotel mentioned that they would not place shark fin on the menu. But, they would still serve it if the customers request for it. I feel that this is a very half-hearted stand. This would not stop rich people from ordering shark fin. The resort should make a firm stand that they would not be serving shark fin at all.

School rules too strict?!

Many people from different schools say that school rules are too strict! But, is that actually true? I should think not. Before I go into it any further, I will explain my definition of the word strict. To be strict is to demand that a certain rule(s) be followed no matter of circumstances. School rules are implemented so as to impose order in the school. It also builds up one's self discipline. If a certain school do not have school rules, the school will be in chaos and students would not be able to do well academically.If the students find that there is a need to change or totally lift a certain rule, they should talk to the teachers or relevant people. If the rule is really unreasonable, I am sure that the school will think about the matter seriously.An example of an unreasonable rule is the rule that White Sands Secondary School has implemented to prevent students from going to the shopping center near their school after dismissal. Although students sometimes behave badly at the shopping center, some people still need to have their lunch or meals at the shopping center. The school should not prevent students from going to the shopping center just because of a few errant students. Implementing this rule is also not a good method to stop all the errant behaviour. In a recent news report, it is reported that some students still go to the shopping center even though it is against the school rules. The school should also look at another solution: education. Yes, education is the best way to resolve things now of days. With the right values inculcated within the students, they are able to act appropriately at different time.

Chess Book

Over the past few weeks, I read a chess book by the U.S Chess Federation. When my mother borrowed the book I found out that all the book was about was the basics of chess. I felt that the book would not give me much help in honing my chess skills. The book started of with the history of chess, followed by basic information on different pieces then the different strategies in chess.
But after reading the book, I realised that my chess skills actually got better. Although I knew how to play chess before I read the book, I never bothered to thoroughly understand the basics of chess. All I knew before reading the book was to capture as many of my opponent's pieces as possible. After reading this book, I realised that executing a perfect strategy was more important than capturing my opponent's pieces. Also, the pieces exchanged must be of equal or higher value.
Through this experience, I learnt that knowing the basics of something is very important as it is the first step to learning. This reminds me of a Chinese idiom "基础打不牢,学问堪不高". In learning, for one to do well, he must have a strong foundation. Great learning is built on a strong foundation.

Photos from Katong

I took the pictures when I want to Katong to get photos for the RTA photo montage. At first, all I thought that I was going to see was just a couple of old buildings and temples. But when I reached there, I realised that the architecture of the buildings found were very unique. I noticed that many of the buildings there had unique carvings of dragons and other different sculptures. When I was there, I found out that my father had actually once lived there. Through him, I also learnt that many riots used to happen in Katong.

Upon reaching home, I did a background research on Katong. Through the internet, I learned that Katong used to be inhabited by foreigners and well-to-do locals. Although I go to Katong every week for classes, I had never realised that Katong actually had such a rich heritage and culture. Some of the buildings there is even protected.

Adeline Ng Ai Choo (reflection)

This story is about a girl who committed suicide after knowing that she had failed her examination by a mark and her teacher refused to give Adeline the one mark. The reason behind Adeline's suicide was because of the stress she felt from her parents. Her parents always wanted her to get good grades. But when she failed her exam, she felt that she had disappointed her parents. Therefore, she had did not dare to return home and face her parents. I feel that another reason why she committed suicide was also because her teacher had not cared about Adeline when she knew that there was something wrong with Adeline. For example, she used to be a very student who got very good grades but her grades were slowly decreasing. Also, Adeline was often found nervous and distracted. Although her teacher had tried to talk to Adeline about her problem, but when Adeline did not want to tell her about it, the teacher just dropped the matter. I feel that she was very irresponsible because she should have tried to talk to Adeline's parents about Adeline's problem. Also, there should be more communication between the parents and the teacher to understand the child more. This would allow the parents to understand what their child has been doing in school and also if they are doing well.

Nothing But The Truth(reflections)

I feel that this is a very sad story. In the end, Phillip was transferred to a school that he did not like and Ms. Narwin was fired. Also, the school failed to get the budget. This ending is not good to everyone. This all happened because Phillip had refused to explain his problem to his parents. Perhaps if Phillip had told his parents about his troubles, he would not have needed to resort to such method. Also, I feel that Dr.Palleni is a very uncaring and unreasonable woman. All she wants is for people to do as she wishes. For example, she refused to listen to Phillip's explanation on why he was singing the national anthem which was against the school rules. Also, she had dismissed Ms. Narwin because she felt that she would cause the school to fail to get the budget that they required. But in the end, the school still failed to get the budget. Finally, I feel that Ms. Narwin perhaps was a bit to insensitive. When Phillip had been disrespectful, she should have been able to sense that there was something wrong with Phillip Malloy. Then, she could talk to him about his problem and probably solve the problem between them. If this had happened, the story might not have resulted in such an unhappy ending for all of them.