As we all know, now our project work is included when considering for our promotion criteria. Now, we need a (irrationally high) 65% to get into sec 3. This spells bad news, especially for students who did not do well in project’s day.

Project’s Day Competition takes up a whopping 50% of the total. However, this 50% is extremely unfairly split. 5% for prelim, 30% for semis and 15% for finals. That means, those who do not pass the prelims have a maximum mark of 50% (ACE) + 5% = 55%. This is a fail grade, with no hope of regaining the marks through any means.

Even for those who get into the semi finals say, with 24 points, they have obtain at least 41 ACE points to PASS. Considering our already hectic Schelling, I would say that that is very very difficult to achieve.

Furthermore, project work is based on creativity, flexibility and other non-measurable qualities. Since exams and results only aim to measure and gauge how much we have learnt throughout the year, using our project work is not a fair way. We might lack creativity or innovation to carry out a project, but we might know a lot about the subject topic. Why should creativity decide whether one gets into sec 3 or not when the Singapore school system clearly values solid academic grades over softer topics like project work?

Our ACE has also become more of a teacher-assigned chore than a student initiated project. We are literally FORCED to do our ACE with the new system. How is it student initiated when we stand to gain nothing but instead lose everything if we do not do it? It used to be partially student initiated last year when there was an incentive, but this year…it can only be described as a BORING CHORE.

I have a suggestion. revert everything back to the old system! Why change it to something more stressing for the students when Hwachong students are stressed enough? Everyone loved the old system. Don’t create trouble and dissatisfaction when there is absolutely no need at all.

I have read many articles talking about the YOG, saying that it is not successful, or just a whole line of screw-ups and no one is interested in it. However, I feel that everyone is just being over-critical about this whole event.

Firstly, Singapore is not the only one who spends a lot of money on the olympic games. Athens, which hosted the Olympics in 2004, spent more than $1 billion, twice the budget, not including last minute infrastructure constructions which were at an inflated cost. Over $1.2 billion was spent on security itself. Now Greece is in debt, with over half of the stadiums constructed for the olympics vacant and abandoned. Sounds much worse than singapore, don’t you think?

Even the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing has not been used much since the olympics in 2008. Only 2 major events have been held there since. However, the stadium costs 9 million dollars to maintain per year.

I think that people who criticise the government’s decision to spend more money on YOG really do not think about the importance of foreign relations for a country as small as Singapore. Singapore relies heavily on foreign companies coming here to trade, or investing in other countries. By spending money on not just YOG, but the GP and other sporting events, Singapore is able to boost its image in the international stage. It might sound like some crap but it does help. Imagine 20 years later in the 5th YOG, they will be recounting the story of YOG, and Singapore will be mentioned every time!

There are also economic benefits for Singapore. If foreigners are impressed by Singapore’s performance, they would be more willing to say, invest in our island state or accept investments. Of course, if the games’ screw up’s are very obvious, then of course it would not be so beneficial to singapore. So, that is what the increase in budget is for, to decrease the chance of screw ups, and to put up a better image!

I feel that Singaporeans are just too critical and cynical over YOG. We complain over the budget, the fines, the inconveniences, the remarks etc. One example would be using money to attract foreign talent to Singapore. We are just too self-protective and xenophobic for our own good. I mean like, who in Singapore was not proud when the table-tennis trio won an olympic medal?

From personal experience as a volunteer, I find the games quite impressive. The venues are spick and span. The area is well-lit with conducive, aesthetically pleasing  colours in the field of play. I dare say it is close to international standards. Even the mascots are quite cute, as compared to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Their mascot is shown below:

Why can’t we just stop worrying about where our money is going and appreciate the games? It is not as if the government is full of corruption. Heh its the same government that brought companies to SIngapore to give your dad a job! (By the way, $300 million / 4 million people = $75 per person. Is that too much to pay for an international event?)

Since its done, its done. There is no use worrying about the negative points of the games. Just give your fullest support. Do not compromise on your support for the games simply because you find that it is a misuse of funds or that it is simply useless. All the reasons are not excuses to be unsupportive of the games. After all, you paid for it so ensure your money is not wasted.

PS. I do not understand why 90% of the people do not care about YOG when they are so worried where their taxpayer’s money is going to. They are worried that it is not going to the elderly some of them are unwilling to take care of, when it is no use worrying! So since they care so much about their money, why don’t they support the games to make sure their money is put to good use; that their money will cause Singapore to seem more attractive to foreigners?

This is just my view, please feel free to comment.

Recently, Singapore has signed multiple agreements to develop land in China for agricultural purposes. Some projects include a disease-free farming zone and an integrated pig farm. The amount of land that will be developed amounts to over 1450 square kilometers of land in Jilin Province.

To most people, especially students, this might not seem to be very important or significant. Its just another investment overseas, some might say. However, I feel that we should look closer into this.

Firstly, this joint venture provides us with a constant supply of food for our country. This ability to be self-sustaining is extremely important as Singapore, being a tiny island state, cannot produce enough food on its own land. We are heavily dependent on imports from countries such as China, Thailand and other Asian countries. However, if something were to happen in those countries, say, political unrest or natural disasters, our source of food will be compromised. If we change to other sources of food, the price will no doubt be much higher. One example would include when Australia had a drought in 2008, its exports of fruits nearly stopped. Singaporeans had to buy fruits from at a higher price as the supply was much less. By having this joint venture in China, we would not be affected by rising prices in other farming nations in the world (although there is still a chance of natural disasters occurring in China)

Secondly, this agricultural project will build stronger ties between Singapore and China. China, wanting to improve its food safety standards after the melamine milk incident last year, would no doubt benefit from Singapore’s stringent food standards. Singapore, on the other hand, would gain a new and steady source of food without having to deal with complicated politics and other bilateral problems. In other words, it is a Win-Win situation. With this cycle of interdependence, Singapore and China would be more willing to build stronger ties. Singapore would also not dare to insult or offend China as our source of food might be endangered.

Some people might argue that being over-dependent on this single source of food might be detrimental to us. The project might be stalled by droughts or floods anytime, and investing too much money is akin to betting all your fortune in a single game on a gambling table.

So is it wise for Singapore to collaborate with China to form a Agricultural Zone?

Yesterday I experienced how much kindness a total stranger can actually have. It was raining extremely heavily yesterday as me and another councillor alighted outside Tanjong Katong Girls School. Carrying our ‘beloved’ and ‘endangered’ blazers, we stood at the bus stop fumbling for our umbrellas, only to realize that we only had one, hardly sufficient to ward of the rain. Just when we were about to rush recklessly through the rain, this middle-aged lady approached us.

“Are you going to TKGS?” she asked. Certainly, it was surprising. Most people in our society refrain from even talking to strangers. Next, she offered to ferry us to a side-gate of the school, sacrificing her limited space under the protective shelter of her own umbrellaFurthermore, when she saw that my friend was being drenched in his sleeve, she instinctively pushed the umbrella to cover more of my friend, and less to herself. I am extremely touched by her actions. She not only offered to help a total stranger, but also sacrificed much for us.

Here, I would like to say thank you to her, whose name I unfortunately do not know. She has certainly made my day.

Hi Guys,

Today I will be discussing an issue about poetry. Well, this term, or rather last term, we were studying war poetry. From what I understand, war poetry is supposed to try to educate the public, authorities as well as those who support war about the truth about war; That war is cruel, harsh, exhausting, has a heavy price and heartbreaking.

From my  point of view, poetry should really be targeted at the general public. If poetry is targeted at let’s say, the government. Yes, they are the ones who ultimately control the outbreak of war of the settling of the disputes. I agree that they are the ones who have the greatest impact on the soldiers by sending soldiers out to the battlefield. However, in my opinion, it is rather difficult to convince the government. Firstly, they understand the implications of war, although most of it is economical damage etc. yet they still decide to go to war. It means that they had made up their mind already. Also, since the government is made up of a heirachy, in the event of a few members getting convinced, they will not be likely to make much of a difference. Lastly, government officials look at facts. COLD HARD FACTS AND FIGURES, not some literature work posted on a newspaper.

Hence, poetry should be targeted at the general public. Now, another problem arises. Some poems have extremely complicated or deep meanings that no ordinary person would be able to decipher. For example this:

Dover Beach

The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Come to the window, sweet is the night air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Ægæan, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.

The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.

Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Hmmmm…I didn’t really understand much of that. So if a student studying war poetry could not really understand this poem, or many war poems to begin with, how could uneducated country folks-men at that time possibly understand the poem? Most people during the time of let’s say, the first world war or the second world war were uneducated.

So is poetry just for the sake of art, or for the expression of human feelings? Or can it serve a more…practical purpose?

Yeah this is the “Do this or else….” assignment which unfortunately was only given to me today.

Reference: Saving Private Ryan, Documentary on Hiroshima, Pearl Habour (movie)

As you have probably noticed, this is WordPress, the new platform for blogging I will be using this term. Well for one I feel WordPress just looks better and easier to use. So here it is! The new blog which I had a lot of difficulty naming

Perfect Privacy Policy.

Hope you enjoy it!

Point: The poem is written in the point of view of a person who has had first-hand experience with Agent Orange.

Evidence: He knew about the “Execrable effects of agent orange spray!” and the “ deceit that continues to spread” about Agent Orange.

Elaboration: The poet exhibits a profound understanding towards the consequences and effects of Agent Orange. He knew about the “birth defects” and “prematurely dead”, both of which are the dire consequences of Agent Orange. His knowledge was most likely gained through first-had experience. We know this to be true as he was in fact exposed to this toxin during his time as a soldier.

Situation and Setting

Point: The setting of the poem is after the Vietnam war.

Evidence: The whole poem is in the past tense, such as “America did not foresee” and “now thinking twice”, which means the event (Vietnam war) happened in the past.

Elaboration

Since the setting is after the war, some of the victims of Agent Orange would have surfaced and the poet would know about the actual consequences of Agent Orange. He realizes that war is dangerous not only for soldiers, but also innocent civilians, and even babies not even born! The poet is also able to discern the :deceit” spread by the government, and provide the truth to those who read his poem.

Language and Diction

Point: The poet uses oxymorons and some other interesting words.

Evidence: “Rainbow Death”

“potpourri”

“Nefariously”

“Execrable”

Elaboration: “Rainbow Death” is an oxymoron. Rainbows are commonly associated with happiness, hope and the light after the rain. However, death is sinister, bad and sorrowful. This oxymoron emphasizes the harmful effects of using Agent Orange.

“Potpourri” is a metaphor. It means: a mixture of dried petals and leaves from various flowers and plants that is used to give a room a pleasant smell. However, the context of the poem, I think that it just means dried (or dead) petals and leaves. The killing leaves and petals are actually one of the goals for using Agent Orange. However, just like the flora, many other people were killed by Agent Orange. Also, potpourri also mean an unusual mixture of things. The effects of Agent orange were many, from disabilities to babies with two faces, or missing limbs etc.

“Nefariously” is an interesting word that means evil. The poet is indicating that Agent Orange was just evil, and covering it up was even more so. From here, we can infer that he is strongly anti-war.

“Execrable” also means evil or bad. Again, the poet suggests that war is bad.

Personal Response

The poet is able to make me change my perspective of war. His ominous descriptions of the numerous evils as well as the plight of the victims makes me pity the victims of this horrible weapon. Vietnam is known to still feel the effects of this chemical weapon. Many of the villagers were born with birth defects, although they did nothing wrong. The poet describes this groups of people as the “unborn” and “prematurely dead”. The line “Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn” suggests that America, being powerful both militarily and politically, was bullying a weaker nation, or rather a weaker group of people. America is portrayed as selfish through the line ;expecting others to pay a high price”. Hence, the poet is able to evoke my sympathy for the victims of Agent Orange.

Rainbow Death

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

by Hubert Wilson

This poem speaks of a chemical weapon, called “Agent Orange”, used during the Vietnam war. This chemical weapon was supposed to kill forests such that the Viet-cong could be driven out of hiding. However, this chemical also affected humans. As a result, millions of people were infected, with over 400,000 deaths and disabilities. Subsequent generations of children had many birth defects.

During the war, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the range of “Rainbow Herbicides” employed in the herbicidal warfare program. This groups of chemical weapons not only infected the Vietnamese, but also some Americans. Hubert Wilson was one such victim.

Some of its effects include:

• Prostrate Cancer
• Respiratory cancers
• Chloracne
• Leukemia

As evident, Agent Orange has many detrimental effects to its victims, as well as future generations of children. Furthermore, some of its effects can only be felt 20 to 30 years after exposure. Hubert Wilson suddenly came down with some symptoms associated with Agent Orange. He thus wrote this poem to condemn war and the usage of chemical weapons.

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html

http://bhopal.net/oldsite/oldwebsite/agentorange.html

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/

Hi guys,

Browsing through the pages of 2O1′s history, I have come to a conclusion. Our class lacks camaraderie. Short, seemingly harmless, yet pressing and fatal.

The first sign of a un-bonded class is the unwillingness to help out each other in schoolwork. I would like to express my appreciation to those who really help me as well as the other classmates in the class. Yes, that means Martin, Jonathan, Hui Ming, Zhi Xin, Dexter etc. However, I feel that sometimes we are unwilling to help others, including me. Although help is still rendered in the end, I occasionally get a little frustrated or irritated. It is just human nature to be selfish and self-protecting. I promise that I will help everyone to the best of my ability.

The second sign is the flaming of classmates on blogs. From the posts that I have read, many involve unreasonable and often fictional descriptions of another classmate. It is extremely saddening to see fissures forming in the class. I hope that there will not be anymore hatred in the class, especially unjustified ones.

The third sign is the many “social circles” formed in the class. Well, it might not be bad if it was an open social circle, however in the class it is an extremely closed social circle. Somehow I feel as if the whole class has been divided into a few factions opposing each other in subtle ways. There is no sense of belonging to the class.

So how did the lack of camaraderie affect us, you may ask. Well, for one we got into a lot of trouble with our results. Our MSG ranking dropped 10 positions. That is one great “accomplishment”. However, I think this could have been averted if the class had enough teamwork to help each other out. Though it might seem troublesome, you never know when that person might help you in return. Furthermore, by repeating your knowledge to others, you are actually learning yourself! As the Chinese saying goes, revise the old and learn the new, you are able to gain knowledge just by thinking about it again. It is not a disadvantage to you to be helpful to others, in fact it is beneficial to you.

To solve the problem of the lack of camaraderie or the lack of class-spirit, I propose that we have more outings/CIP activities. Having fun is the best way to develop teamwork and camaraderie (unless you prefer the more painful solution-going through very hard times together). It will not be easy, but it is possible. For a better class, it must be done.

Whether you are a member of “fearsome four____” or the “waterpolo brothers” or the “mighty muggers”, I sincerely hope that everyone will be able to put aside their personal feuds and start anew, to rediscover the class in a whole new way.

Thank You