“I never read reviews because if you believe the good ones you have to believe the bad ones too. I was always prepared for success but that means that I have to be prepared for failure too.” This is a quote from an interview with Shel silverstein, the well-known poet in the world.
Shel silverstein was born in Chicago in 1930, 25th September. He became a cartoonist for the U.S. Army publication Stars and Stripes during his army service and attracted notice since then. After his service, he began to draw cartoons for magazines such as Look, Sports Illustrated, and This Week. However, it was only when he joined Playboy magazine that his fame shot up and he was known world wide. From then on, he embarked on his journey to become a composer, singer, cartoonist, illustrator and an author.
I think I like him because of many reasons. One of them is that he is humble. He does not brag and does not “think about his image”. In fact, he wanted people to be inspired by him. The most important thing is to be humble. Being overly proud will blind you from reality and lead you to failure eventually. Being humble is the key to success as you are continuously learning from others.
Secondly, I like the way Shel silverstein writes his poem. He has a unique style in writing and his poems are brimmed with feelings. For example, in the poem “Where the sidewalk ends”, he strongly convey to us to get away from the “place where the smoke blows black and the dark street winds and bends.” This poem tells us to free ourselves from the world full of pollution and go to the beautiful place where the sidewalk ends. He feels that we should not be corrupted and instead has the innocence of a child.
The poems he wrote are filled by emotions and feelings and by reading the words, I can even picture the scenario in the poem. Shel Silverstein is indeed a talented and inspirational writer and I hope to come across more of his poems.
Three poems by Shel silverstein
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.
The explanation of this poem is above. Nevertheless, here is a short recap. This poem tells us that we are corrupted and to step out of this polluted world into a beautiful world where the sidewalk ends.
Messy Room by Shel Silverstein
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
This poem is humorous and relatively easy to understand. However, it can also be viewed as a critique of modern society, saying that people often blame people for what we have done or hate about ourselves.
Hug O'War
I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.
This poem shows Shel silverstein optimistic and gentle character. He makes people think of a world where everybody co-operates and live together happily, where there are no fighting and quarrelling.
Reference:
1)http://www.answers.com/topic/shel-silverstein
2)http://kyleysenglishblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/where-sidewalk-ends.html
3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shel_Silverstein
4)http://faculty.weber.edu/chansen/humanweb/projects/MeghanUng/poems.htm
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
IT lesson 1
Life Is Fine by Langston Hughes
I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.
I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.
But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!
I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.
I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.
But it was High up there! It was high!
So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born
Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.
Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!
There are uses of figurative language in the poem.
Example of hyperboles in this poem would be ‘But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!’ and ‘But it was High up there! It was high!’ The writer repeated the feelings to exaggerate the feeling of coldness and how high it was respectively.
As for similes, there is ‘fine as wine’. This is linking life to wine, which is normally nice to people who like it. By saying ‘Life is fine! Fine as wine!’, the writer is trying to say that in the end he felt that life is good.
Last but not least, there is symbolism. The cold water symbolizes that life is harsh and there will be times that we feel that we are unable to go on living. This symbolizes that the person’s who wants to commit suicide grief in life.
2. I like this poem because it is very meaningful. It teaches us not to give up and to push forward even if life seems to be weighing down on you. The person in the poem who wants to commit suicide cannot bring himself to do so because a part of him still holds on to life no matter what happens. When he wanted to drown himself, he couldn’t do it because he felt the cold and decided not to. When he wanted to end his life by jumping off a building, once again he couldn’t bring himself to do it because of the height. If he really wanted to stop living, he would have just let go of his feelings and just do it, which he didn’t. Although he was very unhappy about the things going on around him, he still had a strong will to life on for the sake of her child. This shows that everyone will struggle throughout life, but that we will always have hope within us.
Thank you
I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.
I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.
But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!
I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.
I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.
But it was High up there! It was high!
So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born
Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.
Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!
There are uses of figurative language in the poem.
Example of hyperboles in this poem would be ‘But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!’ and ‘But it was High up there! It was high!’ The writer repeated the feelings to exaggerate the feeling of coldness and how high it was respectively.
As for similes, there is ‘fine as wine’. This is linking life to wine, which is normally nice to people who like it. By saying ‘Life is fine! Fine as wine!’, the writer is trying to say that in the end he felt that life is good.
Last but not least, there is symbolism. The cold water symbolizes that life is harsh and there will be times that we feel that we are unable to go on living. This symbolizes that the person’s who wants to commit suicide grief in life.
2. I like this poem because it is very meaningful. It teaches us not to give up and to push forward even if life seems to be weighing down on you. The person in the poem who wants to commit suicide cannot bring himself to do so because a part of him still holds on to life no matter what happens. When he wanted to drown himself, he couldn’t do it because he felt the cold and decided not to. When he wanted to end his life by jumping off a building, once again he couldn’t bring himself to do it because of the height. If he really wanted to stop living, he would have just let go of his feelings and just do it, which he didn’t. Although he was very unhappy about the things going on around him, he still had a strong will to life on for the sake of her child. This shows that everyone will struggle throughout life, but that we will always have hope within us.
Thank you
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Book review 2 -- Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Book read: Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
A different childhood
When I compare my childhood with that of Eragon’s, I feel that I lead a dull and boring life. In this novel, Eragon faces many adventures and even found a dragon’s egg in the first book. Although he faces many life threatening situations, he was still able to overcome them, either by his own determination or from other people’s help. Eragon leads an interesting life as he can meet up with elves, dwarfs and all the magical creatures. However, unlike Eragon, I lead a very uninteresting life as nothing fun and exciting has really happened to me before. Although the adventures I seek are not as dangerous as Eragon’s, the only interesting thing that happened was when I got lost in a shopping centre. Hence, I feel that Eragon is very lucky to be able to embark on such an adventure where so many exciting things await him, though some may be life threatening.
Comparison of Eragon and Galbatorix
Eragon and Galbatorix have many similarities and differences.
Needless to say, both of them are one of the few reminding dragon riders and are also very powerful and talented magicians.
However, they have a lot of differences.
Eragon is a humble person who started off as a farm boy before he found the dragon egg. However, he was not power-hungry and was very compassionate and kind. For instance, he was repulsed by killing the enemy although he had no choice. Another example is also when he did not kill Katrina’s father although he betrayed them. Eragon, being kind-hearted, only strives to help the people by eliminating Galbatorix.
On the other hand, Galbatorix is an evil and cruel king. He does not care about his soldiers’ life or death and only wants his job done no matter what. This can be shown when he made 300 of his soldiers lose the feeling of pain just to kill more of the Varden’s soldiers. He does not even find killing repulsive. Moreover, he is so power-hungry to the extent that he would go and steal the dragon’s hearts of hearts to become more powerful.
As shown above, we can see how different Eragon and Galbatorix are, although both of them are dragon riders.
Excerpt from Roran’s point of view
“Choose something- be it an emotion, image or sound and let it swell within your mind until it blocks out anything other thing”.
“That’s all?” I was taken aback by the simplicity of the task.
“It’s not as easy as you think. Go on and take a step at it. When you are ready let me know and I will see how well you have done”.
I was determined to impress my cousin, to show him that I could do this. I focused all my thoughts on my memories of Katrina and thought of nothing else. When I was ready, I flicked my fingers.
A powerful mental ray rammed into the thick wall that I had built in my mind but I stayed firm. I knew that Eragon could not break into my mind if I concentrated hard. Indeed, Eragon could not find any entrance in.
However, I accidentally shifted my left foot and the wood beneath released a harsh squeal. Momentarily distracted by the sudden noise, my concentration fell apart and the wall was immediately shattered into pieces.
Is this a good title or a bad one?
Generally, I feel that Christopher Paolini is very creative, being able to come up with such an idea. After reading this book, I feel that the title of this book is very unique and special. I say this because no one would have guessed that the title of the book would be “fire” in the ancient language. Some people even thought that the book would be named “Empire”. This is also a good title, as it has something to do with the book. Brisingr is the name of Eragon’s newly made sword which he had dreamt of getting. This sword is important as it is a dragon’s rider sword. Furthermore, Brisingr could also be the true name of that sword. Hence, Christopher Paolini decided to use this title to highlight the significance of the sword.
A different childhood
When I compare my childhood with that of Eragon’s, I feel that I lead a dull and boring life. In this novel, Eragon faces many adventures and even found a dragon’s egg in the first book. Although he faces many life threatening situations, he was still able to overcome them, either by his own determination or from other people’s help. Eragon leads an interesting life as he can meet up with elves, dwarfs and all the magical creatures. However, unlike Eragon, I lead a very uninteresting life as nothing fun and exciting has really happened to me before. Although the adventures I seek are not as dangerous as Eragon’s, the only interesting thing that happened was when I got lost in a shopping centre. Hence, I feel that Eragon is very lucky to be able to embark on such an adventure where so many exciting things await him, though some may be life threatening.
Comparison of Eragon and Galbatorix
Eragon and Galbatorix have many similarities and differences.
Needless to say, both of them are one of the few reminding dragon riders and are also very powerful and talented magicians.
However, they have a lot of differences.
Eragon is a humble person who started off as a farm boy before he found the dragon egg. However, he was not power-hungry and was very compassionate and kind. For instance, he was repulsed by killing the enemy although he had no choice. Another example is also when he did not kill Katrina’s father although he betrayed them. Eragon, being kind-hearted, only strives to help the people by eliminating Galbatorix.
On the other hand, Galbatorix is an evil and cruel king. He does not care about his soldiers’ life or death and only wants his job done no matter what. This can be shown when he made 300 of his soldiers lose the feeling of pain just to kill more of the Varden’s soldiers. He does not even find killing repulsive. Moreover, he is so power-hungry to the extent that he would go and steal the dragon’s hearts of hearts to become more powerful.
As shown above, we can see how different Eragon and Galbatorix are, although both of them are dragon riders.
Excerpt from Roran’s point of view
“Choose something- be it an emotion, image or sound and let it swell within your mind until it blocks out anything other thing”.
“That’s all?” I was taken aback by the simplicity of the task.
“It’s not as easy as you think. Go on and take a step at it. When you are ready let me know and I will see how well you have done”.
I was determined to impress my cousin, to show him that I could do this. I focused all my thoughts on my memories of Katrina and thought of nothing else. When I was ready, I flicked my fingers.
A powerful mental ray rammed into the thick wall that I had built in my mind but I stayed firm. I knew that Eragon could not break into my mind if I concentrated hard. Indeed, Eragon could not find any entrance in.
However, I accidentally shifted my left foot and the wood beneath released a harsh squeal. Momentarily distracted by the sudden noise, my concentration fell apart and the wall was immediately shattered into pieces.
Is this a good title or a bad one?
Generally, I feel that Christopher Paolini is very creative, being able to come up with such an idea. After reading this book, I feel that the title of this book is very unique and special. I say this because no one would have guessed that the title of the book would be “fire” in the ancient language. Some people even thought that the book would be named “Empire”. This is also a good title, as it has something to do with the book. Brisingr is the name of Eragon’s newly made sword which he had dreamt of getting. This sword is important as it is a dragon’s rider sword. Furthermore, Brisingr could also be the true name of that sword. Hence, Christopher Paolini decided to use this title to highlight the significance of the sword.
Book review 1 -- Star Wars Rule of Two
Book read: Star Wars Rule of Two by Drew Karpyshyn
A different childhood
When I compare my childhood with that of Darovit’s, I feel that I am very lucky and fortunate to be in such a safe country. In this novel, Darovit was one of the few survivors of the thought bomb and he had no family. Even after this unfortunate series of events, he lost his arm to his childhood cousin who was trying to save him. Darovit was very unfortunate and was not talented. Near the end of the novel, he was even driven to his death by his own cousin who took his arm. Unlike Darovit, I feel that I am very lucky to be here in Singapore, where very few riots, strikes and wars take place. I am also very fortunate to have a family who loves me unlike Darovit, who was “betrayed” by his cousin. Hence, I feel that I should treasure what I have now, lest something unfortunate happens.
Describing a character
In this novel, I would say that Zannah is very scheming and cunning. There are many instances in the novel where Zannah uses her intelligence to outwit people when she knows she cannot use her strength to beat her opponent.
For example, one of the instances is at the beginning of the novel when Darth Bane was forcing her to keep up with him. Darth Bane had expected a “more broader and basic assault” but Zannah focused on his heel, trying to trip him. This shows her cunning as a normal person would just blindly strike him without thinking.
Furthermore, Zannah knows how to exploit people’s weaknesses and using them to her own advantage. She could think of solutions for every problem she faced.
Near the end of the novel, when the Jedi were coming for them, everything seemed to be going bad for the Jedi. However, Zannah was able to turn the tables and make the Jedi go away instead. Zannah killed Caleb, hacking him into many pieces over and over. She then hid, with her master underground from Caleb's shack, and used her sorcery to drive Darovit insane. When the Jedi arrived, Darovit attacked the Jedi, making them believe that he was the Sith Lord.
From these examples, it is obvious that Zannah is very scheming and intelligent.
Excerpt from Seth’s point of view
I watched Irtanna fall in wide-eyed horror, momentarily paralyzed by all that had happened. As the girl turned to face me, fear overwhelmed me as I looked at her cold and emotionless eyes.
In an attempt to save myself, I shouted out “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! Please!”
However, those words did not seem to have any effect on the girl as she turned to face me. Her eyes terrified me as she pointed the blaster at me.
In a last desperate attempt to save myself, I cried out “Please don’t shoot! I’m just a kid! Like you!” I knew I had said the wrong thing as anger flashed across her face and she said in a menacing tone, “I’m not a kid! I’m a Sith”.
Then, she fired and the next moment, I was dropping into an abyss of darkness, screaming out loud as my senses were all lost.
Saving a person
If I could only save one person from the book in the event of a disaster, I would choose to save Caleb the healer. The reason why I would save Caleb is because he is a man of his words and he does his work faithfully once he has promised he will do it. Even though Darth Bane was a monster to him, when Zannah agreed to tell the Jedi they were here, he healed him and did not even tried to kill him.
Keeping to your words is very important in today’s society. If you stand by your word, you will gain other people’s trust. However, if you cheat or go back on your words, people will not trust you and have anything to do with you in the future.
A different childhood
When I compare my childhood with that of Darovit’s, I feel that I am very lucky and fortunate to be in such a safe country. In this novel, Darovit was one of the few survivors of the thought bomb and he had no family. Even after this unfortunate series of events, he lost his arm to his childhood cousin who was trying to save him. Darovit was very unfortunate and was not talented. Near the end of the novel, he was even driven to his death by his own cousin who took his arm. Unlike Darovit, I feel that I am very lucky to be here in Singapore, where very few riots, strikes and wars take place. I am also very fortunate to have a family who loves me unlike Darovit, who was “betrayed” by his cousin. Hence, I feel that I should treasure what I have now, lest something unfortunate happens.
Describing a character
In this novel, I would say that Zannah is very scheming and cunning. There are many instances in the novel where Zannah uses her intelligence to outwit people when she knows she cannot use her strength to beat her opponent.
For example, one of the instances is at the beginning of the novel when Darth Bane was forcing her to keep up with him. Darth Bane had expected a “more broader and basic assault” but Zannah focused on his heel, trying to trip him. This shows her cunning as a normal person would just blindly strike him without thinking.
Furthermore, Zannah knows how to exploit people’s weaknesses and using them to her own advantage. She could think of solutions for every problem she faced.
Near the end of the novel, when the Jedi were coming for them, everything seemed to be going bad for the Jedi. However, Zannah was able to turn the tables and make the Jedi go away instead. Zannah killed Caleb, hacking him into many pieces over and over. She then hid, with her master underground from Caleb's shack, and used her sorcery to drive Darovit insane. When the Jedi arrived, Darovit attacked the Jedi, making them believe that he was the Sith Lord.
From these examples, it is obvious that Zannah is very scheming and intelligent.
Excerpt from Seth’s point of view
I watched Irtanna fall in wide-eyed horror, momentarily paralyzed by all that had happened. As the girl turned to face me, fear overwhelmed me as I looked at her cold and emotionless eyes.
In an attempt to save myself, I shouted out “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! Please!”
However, those words did not seem to have any effect on the girl as she turned to face me. Her eyes terrified me as she pointed the blaster at me.
In a last desperate attempt to save myself, I cried out “Please don’t shoot! I’m just a kid! Like you!” I knew I had said the wrong thing as anger flashed across her face and she said in a menacing tone, “I’m not a kid! I’m a Sith”.
Then, she fired and the next moment, I was dropping into an abyss of darkness, screaming out loud as my senses were all lost.
Saving a person
If I could only save one person from the book in the event of a disaster, I would choose to save Caleb the healer. The reason why I would save Caleb is because he is a man of his words and he does his work faithfully once he has promised he will do it. Even though Darth Bane was a monster to him, when Zannah agreed to tell the Jedi they were here, he healed him and did not even tried to kill him.
Keeping to your words is very important in today’s society. If you stand by your word, you will gain other people’s trust. However, if you cheat or go back on your words, people will not trust you and have anything to do with you in the future.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
So we control technology or does technology control us?
Who controls who? Do we control technology, or does technology slow gain control of their creators? Of course, most people would think that humans are the one controlling technology because they created them and knew how to use them. However, is this really true? Maybe to a certain extent, but I feel that as technology advances, the possibility of technology controlling us one day is getting higher and higher...
Now, technology is so advanced. We wake to an alarm clock, use a toaster to toast our bread while listening to the news on the radio, or watching TV. You either take a bus or a train or your parents drive you to school. In this age, we couldn't live without technology. We've all grown up with it and we've become so dependent, we wouldn't know what to do without it. It is a two headed monster as it makes our lives easier but is also making us very reliant on it quickly. Technology is advancing very swiftly indeed. More inventions are made to make our lives more comfortable, vaccines are created to help fight against diseases.
So, how can technology control us? I feel that technology can control us through many ways. One of them is through our mindset -- computer games.
Nowadays, computer game is an essential necessity that every teenager needs. Almost everyone plays computer, but most of us do not know how to control ourselves. And even if we know how to control ourselves, we may still be affected by the computer games. Although playing computer games can release stress and is relaxing, we may get affected in the long run. Let me give you a few examples.
Firstly, we may get addicted to the game and only feel like going home to play instead of going out with your friends to socialize. This would rob us of your real life experiences. Instead of hanging out with our friends or taking a trip with our family which can bear long lasting friendships and memories, we will choose to stay at home and fix our gaze at the computer screen. As computer games are becoming more addictive, they are becoming more expensive too. Many avid gamers spend all their money on games. For example, it's not uncommon for a gamer to have 50-100 games that cost $40-$50 each. Hence, we can see that technology is slowly gaining control of our lives. It is ironical because we are the ones who created it, yet we are slowly getting controlled by it.
Moreover, if technology becomes so advanced, what would happen to our future generation? Would they only know how to rely on technology and nothing else? What if they relied so much on technology that they do not even know how to write even a Chinese character? They would become lazy with technology and eventually, technology would control them as they do not train their minds to think, only relying on technology.
With so advanced technology, we also would not be able to socialize. For example, we can chat on MSN, send emails and share our thoughts through face book. However, these are all in the internet and we are not meeting up face to face to really socialize. When we use the internet to communicate, we do not meet with them, thus there is no emotional feelings like when friends meet up. The relationship between friends also become more distant and we will slowly become unfeeling.
As said earlier, we are all dependent on the internet. When we need to get information, we search the internet. When we need to do research, we do the same. Internet is so efficient that we become reliant on it. If this becomes worse, what would happen to us? We would only use the internet; we would not read any books because everything can be found on the internet.
What happens if one day, technology becomes so advanced that robots are created. First, if something does not go wrong, we will become lazy and uncritical as we only rely on the robot to do what we want. Secondly, what if the robots turn against us? (This is only a possibility).
In conclusion, I would say that technology is slowly gaining control over us, knowingly or not. We, the creator of technology, are slowly becoming too dependent on technology, which may lead to it controlling us in the future.
Now, technology is so advanced. We wake to an alarm clock, use a toaster to toast our bread while listening to the news on the radio, or watching TV. You either take a bus or a train or your parents drive you to school. In this age, we couldn't live without technology. We've all grown up with it and we've become so dependent, we wouldn't know what to do without it. It is a two headed monster as it makes our lives easier but is also making us very reliant on it quickly. Technology is advancing very swiftly indeed. More inventions are made to make our lives more comfortable, vaccines are created to help fight against diseases.
So, how can technology control us? I feel that technology can control us through many ways. One of them is through our mindset -- computer games.
Nowadays, computer game is an essential necessity that every teenager needs. Almost everyone plays computer, but most of us do not know how to control ourselves. And even if we know how to control ourselves, we may still be affected by the computer games. Although playing computer games can release stress and is relaxing, we may get affected in the long run. Let me give you a few examples.
Firstly, we may get addicted to the game and only feel like going home to play instead of going out with your friends to socialize. This would rob us of your real life experiences. Instead of hanging out with our friends or taking a trip with our family which can bear long lasting friendships and memories, we will choose to stay at home and fix our gaze at the computer screen. As computer games are becoming more addictive, they are becoming more expensive too. Many avid gamers spend all their money on games. For example, it's not uncommon for a gamer to have 50-100 games that cost $40-$50 each. Hence, we can see that technology is slowly gaining control of our lives. It is ironical because we are the ones who created it, yet we are slowly getting controlled by it.
Moreover, if technology becomes so advanced, what would happen to our future generation? Would they only know how to rely on technology and nothing else? What if they relied so much on technology that they do not even know how to write even a Chinese character? They would become lazy with technology and eventually, technology would control them as they do not train their minds to think, only relying on technology.
With so advanced technology, we also would not be able to socialize. For example, we can chat on MSN, send emails and share our thoughts through face book. However, these are all in the internet and we are not meeting up face to face to really socialize. When we use the internet to communicate, we do not meet with them, thus there is no emotional feelings like when friends meet up. The relationship between friends also become more distant and we will slowly become unfeeling.
As said earlier, we are all dependent on the internet. When we need to get information, we search the internet. When we need to do research, we do the same. Internet is so efficient that we become reliant on it. If this becomes worse, what would happen to us? We would only use the internet; we would not read any books because everything can be found on the internet.
What happens if one day, technology becomes so advanced that robots are created. First, if something does not go wrong, we will become lazy and uncritical as we only rely on the robot to do what we want. Secondly, what if the robots turn against us? (This is only a possibility).
In conclusion, I would say that technology is slowly gaining control over us, knowingly or not. We, the creator of technology, are slowly becoming too dependent on technology, which may lead to it controlling us in the future.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
My first semester of being a secondary one student
My first semester in my school was well... generally not bad. I mean, although I have just stepped into a new school, I was still able to adapt and cope well. This was because I have 2 brothers who were students of the school I was in now. They were able to share their experience with me. I will be talking on the pros and cons and the interesting things in my first semester school life.
The gap between primary school and secondary school is very big. In primary school, we study only like 4 subjects; however, secondary school life is a totally different thing. New subjects are introduced to me, like Geog, His, Lit, and Computer Studies. At first, these were totally foreign subjects to me and I was a bit scared of them. However, I was still able to cope by putting in effort. I think the biggest change that I face is the change in exams. Back then, there were only 4 exams annually, but now there are quizs and tests almost every other week. Hence, I have to know how to manage my time well in order to cope. The pros in secondary school life are that I can make new friends, expose myself to new things and learn different skills.
There are not many minus parts yet... but one of them is that I have to work longer hours. For example, I have projects and assignments that need to be completed and I can’t play as much computer games :(.
Now to the interesting part. Well, just to let you know, my classmates are all addicted to soccer. Everyday, without fail, we will go either to the corridor, field or street soccer court to play. No matter what (: Soccer is a very fun sport indeed! Moreover, they also like to play hand phone games...
There is also the matter of third language. I must admit, its tough. I'm taking Jap now and it is difficult and tires me out easily. I mean, it is a totally new language and there are tests like once every two weeks. Sometimes I am really tempted to drop it. Especially during the time of my competition, I was so busy and had to struggle with my work that I could not do my Jap homework. Each lesson of Jap is 3h 30 min. It will be very hard to catch up if you even miss one lesson. However, I feel that Jap is a really intriguing language. Although it is not easy, I will not drop it. (hopefully). One question I always ask myself is "Why did I take up Jap if I am going to drop out now?"
In conclusion, my first semester of my secondary school life is generally not bad. However, I have still much to adapt to. The journey would not be tough but I will persevere.
The gap between primary school and secondary school is very big. In primary school, we study only like 4 subjects; however, secondary school life is a totally different thing. New subjects are introduced to me, like Geog, His, Lit, and Computer Studies. At first, these were totally foreign subjects to me and I was a bit scared of them. However, I was still able to cope by putting in effort. I think the biggest change that I face is the change in exams. Back then, there were only 4 exams annually, but now there are quizs and tests almost every other week. Hence, I have to know how to manage my time well in order to cope. The pros in secondary school life are that I can make new friends, expose myself to new things and learn different skills.
There are not many minus parts yet... but one of them is that I have to work longer hours. For example, I have projects and assignments that need to be completed and I can’t play as much computer games :(.
Now to the interesting part. Well, just to let you know, my classmates are all addicted to soccer. Everyday, without fail, we will go either to the corridor, field or street soccer court to play. No matter what (: Soccer is a very fun sport indeed! Moreover, they also like to play hand phone games...
There is also the matter of third language. I must admit, its tough. I'm taking Jap now and it is difficult and tires me out easily. I mean, it is a totally new language and there are tests like once every two weeks. Sometimes I am really tempted to drop it. Especially during the time of my competition, I was so busy and had to struggle with my work that I could not do my Jap homework. Each lesson of Jap is 3h 30 min. It will be very hard to catch up if you even miss one lesson. However, I feel that Jap is a really intriguing language. Although it is not easy, I will not drop it. (hopefully). One question I always ask myself is "Why did I take up Jap if I am going to drop out now?"
In conclusion, my first semester of my secondary school life is generally not bad. However, I have still much to adapt to. The journey would not be tough but I will persevere.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Should we criticse, or should we not?
Should we criticise people or the opinion they have?
"To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. " This is a quote from Elbert Hubbard.
Generally, I feel that we should not criticise people or their opinions. Different individuals have different perspective of things and see things in a different way, thus having different opinions. This is similar to the quote " Beauty is in the eye of the beholder " What one finds beautiful, the other may not. Hence, we should respect people's opinion and not criticise them because their opinion differ from yours.
Firstly, as friends, we should not criticise each other. As true friendship involves a shared sense of caring and concern and a desire to see one another grow and develop, we should not criticise but help our friends. Criticising our friends would only make them more demoralized. As friends, we should respect their views and opinions.
Secondly, when we step into society, we should watch our mouths and not criticise people because of differing opinions. To be successful in society, one must have people supporting you. If you always criticise people, people will not respect you and support you. In this society, being tolerant is also very crucial. All the people come from different backgrounds, for example, some people come from rich families while others come from poor families. People have different cultures and behaviour. Hence, everyone will have differing opinions because of the differnce in wealth, education and culture.
Thirdly, as humans, we should give each race and religion equal respect. For example, the whites should not criticse the blacks and vise versa. Religion and race is a very sensitive topic, thus, if we criticse people without thinking twice, disaster would be sure to ensue. For example, if the whites keep criticising the blacks, a riot or strike may occur. Everyone have their own weaknesses and strength and we should help each other.
However, even though criticisng people is unwise, sometimes we have to step in when it concerns fundamental truths. For example, if a person says " Murdering is the key to success " We should not just stay back and listen to him. We should criticise him and point out his mistake or he would go on with the wrong concept that murdering is the key to success.
In conclusion, I feel that criticisng people is not good. However, if the need arises, we should step in and voice out.
"To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. " This is a quote from Elbert Hubbard.
Generally, I feel that we should not criticise people or their opinions. Different individuals have different perspective of things and see things in a different way, thus having different opinions. This is similar to the quote " Beauty is in the eye of the beholder " What one finds beautiful, the other may not. Hence, we should respect people's opinion and not criticise them because their opinion differ from yours.
Firstly, as friends, we should not criticise each other. As true friendship involves a shared sense of caring and concern and a desire to see one another grow and develop, we should not criticise but help our friends. Criticising our friends would only make them more demoralized. As friends, we should respect their views and opinions.
Secondly, when we step into society, we should watch our mouths and not criticise people because of differing opinions. To be successful in society, one must have people supporting you. If you always criticise people, people will not respect you and support you. In this society, being tolerant is also very crucial. All the people come from different backgrounds, for example, some people come from rich families while others come from poor families. People have different cultures and behaviour. Hence, everyone will have differing opinions because of the differnce in wealth, education and culture.
Thirdly, as humans, we should give each race and religion equal respect. For example, the whites should not criticse the blacks and vise versa. Religion and race is a very sensitive topic, thus, if we criticse people without thinking twice, disaster would be sure to ensue. For example, if the whites keep criticising the blacks, a riot or strike may occur. Everyone have their own weaknesses and strength and we should help each other.
However, even though criticisng people is unwise, sometimes we have to step in when it concerns fundamental truths. For example, if a person says " Murdering is the key to success " We should not just stay back and listen to him. We should criticise him and point out his mistake or he would go on with the wrong concept that murdering is the key to success.
In conclusion, I feel that criticisng people is not good. However, if the need arises, we should step in and voice out.
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