Term 3 Week 6 Blog Post (Can Justice & Mercy Coexist?)

Can justice coexist with mercy?

First and foremost, we have to define the terms. Justice is the quality of being fair and just. Mercy is leniency and compassion shown towards the offender. Purely by definition, these two are completely different. Therefore, many people think that as the two as contrasting qualities, justice cannot coexist with mercy.

Justice and mercy have been disputed virtues since the 1500s, and can be seen in the play The Merchant Of Venice. Both are virtues which Man has been working hard to attain, striving to achieve these qualities since the dawn of Mankind. However, more often than not, they turn out to be the exact opposites of each other, whereby both cannot be practised fully at the same time. To be just is to uphold equality, and to be merciful is to forgive. It is about achieving the right balance; a compromise has to be made. In my opinion, I believe that these two qualities can coexist.

To many, the word "justice" equates to "an eye for an eye" exchange. When someone does something wrong or is guilty of a criminal offence, he is judged as fairly as possible and given the punishment he is due, most of the time according to the law. It is important for one not to confuse the definition of "justice" with "retribution". The main difference between the two is the element of vengeance and personal hatred imbued in the carrying out of "retribution". If justice were not present, human civilisation would have collapsed long ago as it is a prerequisite. The reign of anarchy and chaos would result, as people would not be held responsible for their actions. However, for the purpose of fine-tuning the acting of justice and also to throw a crucial element of human flexibility and compassion into the mix, the aspect of mercy has to taken into account. A very good example of this is the recent incident in Iran. A man had deliberately splashed acid on a woman and blinded her, and was due to be blinded in the same way by Iranian law, which is based on retribution. However, the victim decided to forgive him and let him keep his sight, although he would still need to serve a jail term and pay the victim compensation. In this case, the victim was very merciful towards the culprit, however, justice was still present, despite the lightening of the sentence.

It is very important that mercy always takes a back seat to justice. It has to be given only after the execution of justice to ensure fairness. This is particularly beneficial for ex-convicts. Past-offenders are now increasingly being given a second shot at life after coming out from jail. A local example would be the Yellow Ribbon Project, which has the main purpose of helping past-offenders integrate back into society after long jail terms and lead meaningful lives withoout being destroyed and ostracized because of their pasts.

Of course, there are still situations where the two virtues cannot coexist. For example, someone guilty of commiting genocide, such as Adolf Hitler, cannot be given mercy. The crimes of such people are too weighty to be forgiven. If they are given mercy, the rule of law will be destroyed.

All in all, I feel that in most situations, justice and mercy are able to coexist. One cannot solely depend on either justice or mercy as both are required to maintain a just and yet at the same time humane society.

Term 3 Week 5 Blog Post

What is Shakespeare's intention of creating Shylock?

In my opinion, Shakespeare’s intention of creating the character Shylock is to portray Jews in a negative light, as was common in his time. In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare strongly emphasised the antagonistic and sympathetic sides of this supposed villain. While he appears to be a bloodthirsty, menacing and merciless Jew, at the same time the poor man's plight leads the reader to feel a small shred of sympathy when reading about his isolation and the prejudice against his race from the Christian majority of Venice. Ultimately, the trial scene in The Merchant of Venice (Act 4 Scene 1) serves to highlight the power of the Christians over the scorned Jews and shows the helplessness of the lowly Jew against the exalted Christian.Firstly, Shakespeare describes Shylock as the merciless, cruel and utterly ruthless antagonist of the book. This is brought out through the revealing of the contents of the bond and Shylock's behaviour and his bloodthirsty and unreasonable manner in the trial scene. As a method of effectively intimidating Antonio into returning the money and also in a bid to exact revenge on Antonio for his previous acts of scorn against Shylock for being a Jew, he requested for “an equal pound of (his) fair flesh” and swore to take Antonio’s life if he failed to keep his promise. Also, in the trial scene, he did not take heed of the pleas for mercy coming from the various people present and stood firm on his right that he get his pound of flesh from Antonio as justice, even saying, “What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?” This just goes to show how heartless a person Shylock is. Secondly, Shakespeare brings out his loneliness and isolation very clearly. Almost every Christian character in the play has insulted or humiliated him in one way or another at some point in the story. For example, Gratiano once called him a “currish Jew”, comparing Shylock to a dog in Act 4 Scene 1. Bassanio also called him an “unfeeling man”, saying that Shylock did not have any compassion or mercy. This discrimination against Jews, manifested at its worst, along with the elopement of Jessica, his daughter, and her subsequent conversion to Christianity, further emphasises his isolation from the rest of the characters in the book.While it is possible for one to argue that due to Shakespeare's revelation of the poor, miserable side to Shylock, which has the effect of portraying him as an isolated and misunderstood individual, Shakespeare may have wanted to show the strong discrimination against Jews during that period and evoke some sympathy over his plight. However, the presence of Shylock’s sentence at the end of Act 4 Scene 1 appears to convey the message to the reader that Jews are always inferior to Christians. Shylock stood alone in court, while Antonio had many friends on his side, which is an obvious indication of the Jews’ lowly status in that period. Due to Portia's manipulation of the wordings of the bond, and the resulting court verdict, each and every of his assets were confiscated by the state, with half going to Antonio, and it was no wonder that Shylock felt cheated. Furthermore, Antonio using the chance to force Shylock to convert to Christianity had caused Shylock to lose all his dignity and pride, with the end result appearing to tell the reader that Christians will always be superior to Jews, and that whether in the right or wrong, Jews will never be able to win a Christian in any way. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that Shakespeare’s intent behind creating Shylock is to provide an antagonist that makes the play far more interesting, and at the same time, cast Jews in a negative light to affect the reader's impression of them.

Term 3 Week 4 Blog Post

In this article, Jim Rogers raises a few highly critical but accurate points on America’s decreasing number of connections in our rapidly globalising world, and touches on the importance of raising “global kids”, the next generation of youths who are able to bridge the gap between the east and the west. His perspective is undeniably true, and as much as we may not like it, those are the undisputable facts. As we all know, the future lies in Asia now. America has amassed a tremendous debt of $14.46 trillion, far worse than that of 2006, and its debt ceiling is ever rising. It has come to a point where its credit status has suffered a downgrade to the AA rating, from the AAA rating. America may be the superpower at the moment but Jim Rogers has much to say about this. America is disregarding the rapid pace of globalisation, during which the veil between “economies and business; of politics and conflict; of fashion, technology, and music” becomes less and less discernible, which is a great threat to America’s prosperity. If America continues along its current path, blinded by its current might and status as a world superpower, militarily and economically, it risks being isolated from the rest of the world.With the current rate of globalisation, the prosperity of any nation can no longer solely be dependent on bilateral ties with other nations. This fact of life is embodied in the current poor state America is in, which serves to further prove this. What America really needs now is a revolution, and that means nurturing a generation of “global citizens”, who are able to become the link between the vastly different western and eastern influences and cultures. As it lies on the crossroad of east and west, Singapore has always placed major emphasis on bilingualism. In this aspect, Singapore is well established and has a great head start that makes her well placed to succeed in the future of the globalised world. Over the years, besides English as the common language between all races, the teaching of the mother tongue has also rooted itself deep in the foundation of Singaporean education, setting the catalyst for our nation’s rapid progress as the regional, or even worldwide hub of quality education and healthcare services. It may be advisable that America follow a similar approach to education, not just through the teaching of useful foreign languages, but long-term immersions of its youths in other cultures, slowly but surely instilling a global perspective.On the other hand, some may argue that English will continue to remain as the global business language and that America will, as has been the status quo for a long time, still be the main driving force behind globalisation such that replacing the English language with another would be neither practical nor wise. However, we cannot deny the fact that one still needs to be immersed in the Asian culture and language and have a good understanding of it, since the multitude of rapidly industrialising and developing Asian countries will in time end up as the main contributors to rapid globalisation. Certainly, it would be for the best if one was well-equipped with a proficieny in both languages, since it would definitely pay off as one would then be capable of bridging the western and eastern influences, the mainstay of the globalised economy of the future.To sum things up, Jim Rogers’ viewpoint about America’s lack of interaction and immersion with the rest of the world is actuated and not without backing , addressing the many concerns of the rapidly globalising world of today. It is hence clear that being capable of bilingualism and the understanding of both eastern and western cultures and practices would bring about innumerable benefits to all developed countries, including America.

Term 3 Week 3 Blog Post

Singapore’s education system has traditionally been extremely demanding and stressful. Its original purpose was to act as a meritocratic framework, in line with Singapore’s policy of meritocracy, that pushes stakeholders to achieve academic excellence, so that students can be moulded into productive units of labour in the future. From the strict design of pedagogies and curriculum to the series of standardised examinations, the Ministry of Education has undergone great pains to not only make ten years of basic education compulsory for all Singaporeans, but also to maintain the reputation of a premier teaching-learning hub. The entire system encourages individuals to consistently do their best each year. Through this process, the cream of the crop would be differentiated from the rest.

And the sacrifices have paid off. Despite the innumerable controversies over our students’ true linguistic abilities, Singapore’s overall literacy rate is one of the highest in the world, students excel in international rankings and universities, and the workforce is generally well-equipped with the fundaments and the relevant knowledge required. Nonetheless, all this assortment of benefits blind many to the real question that should be asked of the administration: at what costs are we enjoying these takeaways?

The deaths of two junior college students in 2009 due to bad academic performance only serve to highlight the primary ramification from the highly-competitive and rigid education system of Singapore: tremendous stress and pressure. Many might just conveniently brush off such assertions as ludicrous, establishing the opinion that children need to get used to stress sooner or later, and that it is better for them to be taught how to manage such pressures early on in life instead of being lulled into a false sense of comfort. However, when this stress originates from rote-learning, memorisation and the regurgitation of facts simply for the sake of doing well in examinations, where exactly are the positives? Most students who have experienced multiple major examinations should share the sentiments of painful preparations in the hope of fulfilling expectations from within and without: parents and teachers who expect nothing but the best.

The school needs to more than a place for the dispensing and dull feeding of information; it needs to be a platform for students to shine in their individual areas of expertise, providing channels for questioning, interaction and discussion. Students must be allowed to let their talents shine forth in non-academic areas, such as the arts instead of wasting many years of their lives away “mugging”. How often have we felt that we were fed up with school: it had taught us how to read, write, think and analyse – so was there really a need to pedantically cloud our mind with information and textbook narratives that we may never come into contact with ever again?

With the evolving global landscape, it would not be soon before pure academic excellence and mere superiority within a school-based sanctuary would cease to be the accepted recipes for success. People who would truly find joy and triumph in life would be those who have stuck close to their passions regardless of the peripheral pressures, moving beyond the antiquated notions of traditional Singaporean pragmatism. Parents too must accept that there is no fixed script for success; failing an examination would prove to be insignificant if their child can creatively think up a way to make things work.

Term 3 Week 2 (Blogging Assignment)

An article entitled 'The Religion of Water' was published in The Straits Times on 7 July 2011. In the article, it was mentioned that ' within countries, there is debate over whether water should be treated as a human right or as a commodity, access to which is determined by the market.' Please read the article.

Is there a difference between treating water as a human right and as a commodity? In your opinion, should water be treated as a human right or as a commodity?

Water as a right precedes water as a commodity - the intrinsic value of the Earth's fresh water precedes its utility and commercial value.

Water is essential to life and, therefore, cannot be considered a normal good. Humans are completely dependent on water for sustenance. No other good is able to take the place of water in the maintenance of human life; none fits this description. While food is a necessity for human life, all foods can be substituted by other foods. This makes water even more unique and necessary than food in the preservation of life; there is no substitute for it. As such, water has a special place in the lives of humans. It is not like other commodities. Our right to life and all other rights that are dependent on or relevant to life are dependent on access to water. Water should therefore take its rightful place as a right.

The extraction and supply of water has many externalities that need to be considered and protected against by the governments, which make it a non-normal good. Water extraction can cause serious environmental harm if done irresponsibly or carelessly, without a regard for the environment. It can lead to a large number of casualties of wildlife and human life. If water supply is done irresponsibly and no action is taken to curb or control the output, it can result in water depletion and the resulting scarcity may cause broad economic shocks.

Furthermore, the fluidity and mobility of water makes it very difficult or even impossible to stake ownership. Water reserves and resources are incredibly hard to stake ownership over. Various factors such as evaporation and river flows are natural forces that make water different from land as far as the ability to claim ownership over a certain portion goes.

T3W1 Weekly Blogging Assignment

Article (Source: The Straits Times)

SINGAPORE should consider legislation that makes employers give their domestic helpers a rest day every week, said Madam Halimah Yacob, the Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Speaking on the sidelines of a community sports festival at Singapore Polytechnic, she said that giving maids a day off might help to minimise some issues such as stress and overwork that domestic workers are facing now.

Just like other workers who enjoy a rest day, domestic workers, too, need to rest and should not be made to work excessive hours that could affect their health and well-being, she added.

She was commenting on the new International Labour Organisation convention that was approved last week in Geneva to grant domestic workers greater protection from exploitation.

Singapore was among 63 voters which abstained from voting on the convention, and the Ministry of Manpower has said it would sign the treaty only when it was sure it could implement it here, and that it would continue to review the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers.

Saying that Singapore takes its international obligations seriously, Madam Halimah expressed hope that Singapore would 'take stock of its laws and policies and progressively make changes' to be in line with the convention.

Separate Article (Source: The Straits Times)

A survey by non-governmental organisations here has found that few Indonesian maids get days off, with only 38 per cent having at least one day off a month. This is in contrast to 85 per cent of Filipino maids getting at least one day off a month.

THREE non-governmental organisations have echoed veteran labour leader Halimah Yacob's call to legislate weekly days off for maids.

The three groups surveyed 108 employers and found that 45 per cent do not give their maids a single day off in a month.

Other survey findings

 On average, maids here work for around 14 hours a day, though most - nearly 60 per cent - are able to get one to two hours of rest during the workday.

 More than half the maids start work at 6am and end work between 8pm and 9pm, according to their employers. A quarter end work at 10pm.

 About 90 per cent of employers listed 'performing household chores' as the most common task. Slightly over 40 per cent of maids look after school-age children, and 25 per cent care for the elderly.

 Among those who do give maids a day off, the most common reasons cited were 'our maid deserves a day off' or that she 'has a right to a day off'.

 Half the employers surveyed said they would consider giving their maids a day off if the security bond was lifted. Employers stand to lose at least $2,500 if a maid absconds and cannot be repatriated. About 16 per cent said they would definitely grant days off if the bond was abolished.

 Employer satisfaction levels are high, with nearly 80 per cent of those polled agreeing or strongly agreeing that their maids perform their tasks effectively.

In your opinion, should the giving of weekly days off be legislated in Singapore?

In my opinion, the giving of weekly days off should be legislated in Singapore. Due to their flexible working times, maids often work from the wee hours of the morning to sometimes 10pm or later. Furthermore, most maids have no choice but to submit to their employers’ will, as they could be fired simply for not doing so. Therefore, if the employer wills so, maids may not be able to even take monthly off days on time, or perhaps not at all. On average, maids work for around 14 hours a day, and are sometimes able to get between one to two hours of rest during the workday. Compared to the general working hours in Singapore, the working hours for maids can be considered to be very long. As such, they should be allowed a weekly off day so as to rest or socialise with their friends after a long week. Some maids are tasked with taking care of children or the elderly, and both jobs have numerous difficulties. It can be very exhausting to spend an entire day dealing with disobedient children or senile elderly. In some cases, the maid can no longer stand the stress of the job and abuses the children or elderly. It can be said that a maid has the potential to do much harm to a family. As a Chinese saying goes, even while keeping a lookout day and night, it is hard to guard against a thief in one’s own house. As the maid is taken into the trust of the family, if she decides to harm the family, it is hard for one to find out or guard against. Hence, due to the stress maids face daily from children and the elderly, they should get weekly off days to take a break. This would help to reduce incidents where the maid is too stressed and harms those she is supposed to take care of. Furthermore, if the maids put in effort to take care of the children or elderly well, they should all the more be given a weekly break – they deserve it. Some employers may choose not to respect the maid’s rights or the effort the maid put in, and hence a legislation is needed to enforce this.

25 May 2011 - Home-Based Learning Assignment

Rainbow Death

Task 1:
This poem is written from the point of view of an American soldier during the Vietnam War, fought between the communist North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. This poem talks about a modern day ingredient of warfare that has caused appalling death and suffering not only to its intended victims, the Vietnamese people, but also the service personnel that used or even just came into contact with “Agent Orange”.

Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War.Approximately 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects. From 1962 to 1971, Agent Orange was by far the most widely used of the so-called “Rainbow Herbicides” employed in the herbicidal warfare program. Thus, the title of this poem is “Rainbow Death”. During the production of Agent Orange, dioxins were produced as a contaminant, which have caused numerous health problems for the millions of people who have been exposed.

This poem reminds us that wars can have a lasting impact on its victims. A war might be over, but memories of the war, such as witnessing the death of a fellow soldier, are stuck in the heads of the soldiers who survive. A war can ruin one’s life, as well as one’s loved ones. A soldier could be critically injured or emotionally scarred by war. Either way, war has a negative effect on the ones involved. With that said, not all soldiers have this experience. Some come out stronger from war,more confident than ever, and proud of what they have achieved for their country.

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

Task 2:
Point of View
This poem is from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran from America. During the war, Hubert Wilson himself experienced health problems due to herbicidal warfare, such as unexplained headaches and limb pains. Furthermore, his central nervous system radically deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors, severe headaches and progressive limb pains. It is evident in the poem that Hubert Wilson disapproves strongly of the use of herbicidal warfare in Vietnam, from “America did not foresee / Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!” and “Nefariously America led astray”. Most probably, the poet had witnessed how enemies or even innocent civilians have suffered from the use of herbicidal warfare. He himself suffered from the contaminants, highlighting his disapproval of herbicidal warfare.
Situation and Setting
This war poem is mainly talking about the Vietnam War, which is a war between the communists and anti-communist. The poem describes how herbicidal warfare is a cruel tactic in war and the agony that it has caused. Apparently, the poet feels angry about America’s use of herbicidal warfare as he portrays America as the party at fault in the poem. Why was herbicidal warfare even used in the Vietnam War? Early in the American military effort it was decided that since the enemy were hiding their activities under triple-canopy jungle, a useful first step might be to defoliate certain areas. As you know, guerilla warfare was a common tactic employed by both sides. The extent of the damage on the environment was very serious. In 1961 and 1962, the Kennedy administration authorized the use of chemicals to destroy rice crops. Between 1961 and 1967, the U.S. Air Force sprayed 20 million U.S. gallons of concentrated herbicides over 6 million acres of crops and trees, affecting an estimated 13% of South Vietnam’s land. In 1965, 42% of all herbicide was sprayed over food crops. The poet is appalled that even the main livelihood of the innocent civilians was not spared.

Reference: Blog by “Silentman”

Language and Diction
Hubert Wilson has used very strong language and some very deep terms that i myself do not comprehend. He has possibly done so to highlight and emphasize his disapproval of the use of herbicidal warfare, as he feels that it is a cruel tactic. From his choice of language, you can fairly easily tell that he is unhappy. Some words are in caps lock as well. His choice of language leaves a very deep and lasting impression on readers and sets readers thinking. Yet, his message is clear and precise.
Personal Response
For a 2 star difficulty poem, I have to say it’s pretty tough. A lot of research was required in order for me to have an understanding of what the poet is referring to. This is quite a strong poem and it has a lasting impression. I find it just amazing how he rhymed “foresee” with “potpourri”! All in all, it’s a tough poem to decipher but at the end of it, I’ve learnt a lot more than I expected from these simple 11 lines.

Term 2 Online Lesson 1: Crisis in Japan Letter

123 Danke St 99
Sendai, Japan 123456

4 April 2011

Dear Chun Ang,

How are you doing? As you probably know, Japan has been struck by a tsunami. I would like to reassure you that I am currently safe. Sendai was one of the worst-hit areas in Japan, being one of the nearest to the epicentre of the earthquake. I barely escaped with my life. I was unprepared when the tsunami wave struck. I was cooking in the kitchen when I heard a loud rushing sound outside the house. It seemed quite far away, but I could hear it rapidly getting louder as though it was coming closer. I went out of the house to investigate and was stunned to see a huge wall of water, many metres high, rushing towards me at great speed. When I regained my senses, I hurried frantically back into the house and prepared myself for the wave. My parents were away at work. As I grabbed onto a pole nailed firmly to the ground, the wave struck. A loud thundering noise approached and I braced myself. Even so, it came as a total shock when the walls of my house crumbled around me and I was swept out, still clinging to the pole for dear life. As I was swept away by the surging froth, I was knocked unconscious along the way.

I woke up, safe and sound, in a house high above street level. I was perched near the railing and I looked over to see the entire city submerged in surging waters, with only the tops of some houses protruding out. I had been rescued by a group of local rescuers.

I am currently searching for my parents and I believe they are both safe and looking for me as well. I hope we will be reunited as soon as possible. If you know about the whereabouts of my parents, please let me know.

Yours Sincerely
Darryl

My Comments on the Blogs of Wei Loon, Benedict and Wei Cong respectively

The links to the blog comments are provided directly above each screenshot, though I could not change the colour to one that can be more easily read.

http://wlcheng-lablog.blogspot.com/2011/02/term-1-week-8-blended-learning.html?showComment=1299337628079#c1855765048872291988

http://arts-du-langage.blogspot.com/2011/01/term-1-week-4-weekend-assignment.html?showComment=1299336797021#c2747520573334993950

http://wongweicong.blogspot.com/2011/02/characterisation-story-excerpt.html?showComment=1299336013007#c3837073780963669670

Becoming and Identity - Essay Final Draft

She laughed and spun round, her frilly dress swirling round in a lovely way. She stood up on tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheeks. Ah, how that had felt – her soft delicate lips touching his sun burnt skin in a moment of bliss. This is the girl I want to spend my life with, he had thought.

Now that seemed surreal. All these happy moments had come to an abrupt end, along with all hope of a marriage to Shayna, when the world had stopped turning for him. That was when the Japanese invaded, under the command of the greedy dictator Yamasuki Marutama. He sought out their country as a base for his assault into Asia.

Now he, Julian Teo Zi Zhao, looked at the bleak future and saw no promise ahead, no light at the end of the dark tunnel. He simply had nothing to look forward to, no future ahead, and no reason to live any longer. He looked at the wall and wanted desperately to smash his head against it. But he did not dare to. Although he knew the Chinese saying that a moment of suffering is preferable to prolonged suffering, he was afraid of the pain. With a long-suffering sigh of self-pity and leaned against the wall to try and sleep while the bombing was taking place. If the bomb shelter caved in on him while he was sleeping, all the better.

A voice cut sharply into the haze of his weary slumber. No one had spoken loudly since the bomb shelter door had shut days before. “It sounds like the bombing has stopped…” “Why don’t you have a look, Ming?” The door creaked open slowly. Suddenly a great cheer erupted and everyone, despite their weary bodies, surged towards the door.

When Julian stepped into the daylight once again, it seemed that the entire city had changed completely. An entire row of buildings towards the left had been leveled by heavy bombing, and most of the buildings around had been reduced to rubble as well.

The people who had spent days cooped up in the tiny bomb shelter now streamed out as fast as their stiff joints would allow. Most went looking for loved ones, some just cried, and the rest, including Julian, now simply walked around aimlessly. After all, since their country was now on the losing end of a war, with their houses probably destroyed and family split up, they had nowhere to go, no idea at all of what to do. Suddenly a shout rang out and people started to flee in all directions. It was a group of Japanese soldiers, now heading their way! The crack of a rifle fire split the air, and instantly all of Julian’s thoughts of turning tail and running vanished. The people who did were dispatched swiftly. The group of straggling survivors were rounded up and brought to a six-tonner truck, where they boarded and were blindfolded.

A shot was heard. Immediately all the Japanese soldiers responded, speed borne of rigorous military training and alertness coming from sheer necessity during the war to survive. Aiming their rifles at the British platoon that was just coming into view, a firefight began. The soldier beside Julian was shot down, a bullet clean through hi8 head. This was the perfect distraction for him to escape! Then a thought occurred to him – how was he going to help the rest of the survivors escape? If he did the large group of people running off would surely get the attention of the Japanese. So he resolved that he would leave the rest of the people here and run off by himself. He jumped off the truck and made a mad dash for the nearest standing building. His life depended on it. As he was nearing his target, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left thigh. He looked down and stared numbly at the bullet hole there, finally toppling to the ground. His head hit the ground and the world faded from existence.

Julian woke up three days later in a torture chamber in the Japanese Secret Police Headquarters. He opened his eyes to find a menacing looking man staring straight into his eyes. He held a blood-crusted whip in one hand and in the other he was holding Julian’s shoulder in an iron grip. The look on his face seemed to say, I will be your torturer for the day, and indeed he would be, Julian realised. The man pulled Julian roughly from the blood-stained floor, cracking the whip across his back. Julian screamed as white hot agony seared across his back.

That was when the door flew open. A bald-headed European man and a Japanese general, easily identifiable by his uniform, stepped in. “What is going on?” The bald-headed man asked in perfect, accented English. His eyes widened when he saw Julian. “What is he doing in such a place? He’s but a teenager, and moreover an injured one. Get him down now!” The menacing sadist who was the officer on duty tried to protest, but the European man was firm and would not budge from his stand. The torturer had no choice but to let him into the custody of his benefactor. The European man beckoned to Julian and said, “Walk beside me, if you will.” Julian stood and made his way to the man’s side, feeling a little dizzy, because of his wound and also because of his close brush with the torturer and simply because events were happening too fast for him to comprehend.

The man asked him, “What is your name?””Julian, sir.””Well, Julian, would you like a cup of coffee?” Julian looked at the man, surprised. This man was actually offering him coffee, which had been a rarity since the war started? “Sure, thank you.” He put on the accent he had picked up from his British tutor, whom his father had hired at great cost, but then money was no problem in a rich businessman’s estate. His near-perfect, accented English was not lost on the European. “You speak well, my friend. Almost like a native speaker from Europe.” Julian tried to be modest. “My teacher taught me well.” The European surprised him yet again. “How would you like to restore your family’s wealth?” Julian was cautious of this too-good-to-be-true offer and the stranger’s quick wit and intelligence. “What do I have to do?” “Well, it’s simple. As a teenager no one would notice you. No one would realise you arelistening in. Now, all you have to do is report to me what you hear, and that’s it. Sometimes I will give you some assignments. Now you will be doing no one any harm, and you will be helping me at the same time. Don’t you want to help me, Julian, after I have saved you from the reach of that evil man? Surely you do not want to return to the grasp of people like him?” Suddenly the man’s voice, though still kindly, had a hard edge to it. Seeing no choice at all in the choice he was being given, and since as the man had said, no harm would come out of it, Julian agreed.

“Here’s your first task. It’s rather simple, actually. You shall go to the warehouse next to the noodle shop “Fu Tak’s Noodle Stall” and report to me what you heard from the traitorous resistance’s meeting. You will be protected if anything happens, so don’t worry. At the end of this you can take back 20000 banana notes.”

Julian found the place after an hour of searching. He climbed up the rafters, scrambling up the last few planks just as the “resistance traitors” came in. He strained his ears to listen. “…and we have to get rid of Japanese control in the eastern part of Singapore. That is a crucial step in ridding the country of the invaders and restoring our freedom.” Julian knew from their conversation that these people were trying to free the country, and wondered whether reporting this would really do no harm. It seemed that these matters were much more important than him, and Julian was starting to think perhaps he shouldn’t report this after all. Caught up in his considerations, Julian accidentally knocked his feet against a plank. All heads looked up. Julian froze. “He’s there!” A bearded man pointed. A pistol was drawn and aimed at him, as a man instructed him to get down immediately. He climbed down from the rafters, thinking desperately how to get out of this mess. With the gun aimed at his head, Julian didn’t dare to try anything. He tried to keep still and not make any confrontational moves, even though he knew there was a skilled Japanese Secret Service team behind him. He waited and answered, biding his time. But even as he talked to them, he wondered if he truly wanted these fighters to die. Did he want his country to stay under Japanese rule forever? Was the hunger in his stomach enough justification for that?

“What did you hear?””Nothing, sir. Really nothing.” He continued this pretence for as long as he could, but soon he knew that no Japanese team would come. He was exposed and he was of no further use. He blurted out everything to the interrogator. After hearing his story, the man shook his head and sighed softly. “Many people living in this conquered city have fallen prey to this scheme, where someone appears to be very rough and fearful, then another will save you from him. So you will owe your ‘saviour’ and also be grateful to him.” Reflecting upon what the man had said, Julian realised it was the truth. He had indeed fallen prey to such a scheme, which explained why no troops had come to his rescue. He had lost his value and at that very moment someone was probably being tricked the same way. His chest swelled in anger as he understood he had been made use of, his emotions played with by the Caucasian. He thought about the many people who had been tricked like him, and the people who had to actually go through torture at the hands of evil Japanese sadists. He wanted to join these noble men to free his country! As he thought this, layers of skin peeled off him. His cowardice, his indifference, all of them were shed like snakeskin. A new resolve and confidence hardened his heart.

He turned to the fighters and said,“I want to join you.”

Language Arts Blended Learning Assignment - Point of View in Narrative Writing

First Person Voice – a new Student & a Parent

A new Student

It is my first day at the Welton Academy. I take the stairs step by step - I don’t want to fall and embarrass myself even more in front of Neil Perry. Earlier, when I was in my room, Neil, who is my new roommate, had some friends over to see our new room, and I heard his friend describe me condescendingly, and though Neil seemed quite friendly and told me to ignore his friend, but I still felt inferior. His other friends that I met earlier seemed rather nice people though, and I wouldn’t mind knowing them better. Perhaps Neil could introduce me to them someday, I wonder as I reach the bottom of the flight of stairs.

A Parent

As I am striding out of the school in a brisk pace, thoughts are flying through my mind in a mess. My mind is in a whirl as I wonder if the change I have just asked Neil to make would destroy his future. I had asked him to pursue a different career path as that was the wishes of his mother. My wife always comes first, I tell myself. This does not help and I am still in a dilemma. Earlier on, I had been very firm with Neil, not allowing him to offer even a shred of resistance against the decision I had conveyed to him. I had asked him to change his course of study from one he has always wanted to one he dislikes. I hope I have not caused him to lose interest in studying and impact his future career severely.

Term 1 Week 7 Weekend Assignment: Reflection on LA Lessons covered so far

Up till today, we have had many Language Arts lessons, covering various topics in literature. In the course of learning Language Arts this year, with the frequency that we have been writing essays this year, I believe my writing skills have improved quite a bit and I have enjoyed myself at the same time. Though writing essays is a tiring and long process that requires hard work, sometimes late into the night, I like brainstorming for ideas and “letting my creative juices flow”. One problem I have, though, is that at times the “creative juices” just don’t flow, so I just can’t come up with any storyline that I am satisfied in. I hope that instead of the current method, where we learn a lot about theory, we can focus more on practical usage, where we can actually utilise that knowledge for far better results. I believe that with more practical usage we can bridge the gap between theory and appliance, and learn to apply what we learn. I think this is a better way to use the limited time we have. I particularly enjoyed the lesson where we researched on America’s history and presenting it in the form of a mind map, as this requires creativity and hones research skills on top of learning Language Arts, which is really killing three birds with one stone!

Term 1 Week 5 Weekend Assignment: Photo Description

This is the Clock Tower in Hwa Chong Institution. It is situated right in the centre of the school, standing proud and majestic as a lion, staring down at the statue of Tan Kah Kee and the school field, the clock on each face of the tower resembling a Cyclops’s eye. What you are looking at is not just a standard school clock tower. This is a national monument, having gone through and seen much. There is a fleet of stairs ascending the tower from the road, with a globe in the centre of the large landing above the stairs. Walk through any one of the side corridors and you will be faced with cosy, old-style classrooms. This is where the best of the students study. A small steep set of stairs wind their way up to the upper levels of the tower, where more classrooms fill the space. Ascend these steps and one will find themselves in a place that exudes rustic charm. Gentle breeze lightly caresses bushes and grasses green as grass in small plots of greenery within the clock tower. The clock tower is fronted by a road that is accessed by many, and hence the clock tower is seen by all entering the school. In fact, even those on the road outside the school can see the clock tower from afar in its prominent position, as it towers above the entire school. The night view is especially breathtaking, the clock tower a beacon of light in a sea of darkness, and one can see it from even further away in all its lighted glory.

Characterisation : Story Excerpt - Explanatory Paragraph on Techniques Used

A defining characteristic of the fictional character Harry Potter is his loyalty to his friends. He values his friends very much and is very faithful to them. This is illustrated in my story with his actions. It can be seen by the way he reacts to Ron’s arrival that he is very intimate with his two best friends, Hermione and Ron. However, the moment Hermione is being bullied by Malfoy, Harry immediately drops what he is doing and confronts Malfoy, even going so far as to use the threat of violence on him, actually carrying out his threat later on. Harry is also impulsive. Whenever he sees an open chance of saving someone no matter what danger lies ahead he takes his chances. Similarly, he is willing to face the consequences of his retaliation to Malfoy’s assault as long as his friends are safe. It can be seen throughout the story excerpt that he always puts his friends before anything else. It can also be seen in the way Harry treats his friends that he is very friendly and warm from the way he treats his friends. Malfoy mentioned that Harry was well known. This is true. He was reknowned throughout the school mainly because of his powerful command of magic. This power is demonstrated when, using magic, he turns Malfoy’s assault against himself.

Becoming and Identity: An Essay - Draft 2

Theme: Becoming and Identity

She laughed and spun round, her frilly dress swirling round in a lovely way. She stood up on tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheeks. Ah, how that had felt – her soft delicate lips touching his sun burnt skin in a moment of bliss. This is the girl I want to spend my life with, he had thought.

Now that seemed surreal. All these happy moments had come to an abrupt end, along with all hope of a marriage to Shayna, when the world had stopped turning for him. That was when the Japanese invaded, under the command of the greedy dictator Yamasuki Marutama. He sought out their country as a base for his assault into Asia.

Now he, Julian Teo Zi Zhao, looked at the bleak future and saw no promise ahead, no light at the end of the dark tunnel. He simply had nothing to look forward to, no future ahead, and no reason to live any longer. He looked at the wall and wanted desperately to smash his head against it. But he did not dare to. Although he knew the Chinese saying that a moment of suffering is preferable to prolonged suffering, he was afraid of the pain. With a long-suffering sigh of self-pity and leaned against the wall to try and sleep while the bombing was taking place. If the bomb shelter caved in on him while he was sleeping, all the better.

A voice cut sharply into the haze of his weary slumber. No one had spoken loudly since the bomb shelter door had shut days before. “It sounds like the bombing has stopped…” “Why don’t you have a look, Ming?” The door creaked open slowly. Suddenly a great cheer erupted and everyone, despite their weary bodies, surged towards the door.

When Julian stepped into the daylight once again, it seemed that the entire city had changed completely. An entire row of buildings towards the left had been leveled by heavy bombing, and most of the buildings around had been reduced to rubble as well.

The people who had spent days cooped up in the tiny bomb shelter now streamed out as fast as their stiff joints would allow. Most went looking for loved ones, some just cried, and the rest, including Julian, now simply walked around aimlessly. After all, since their country was now on the losing end of a war, with their houses probably destroyed and family split up, they had nowhere to go, no idea at all of what to do. Suddenly a shout rang out and people started to flee in all directions. It was a group of Japanese soldiers, now heading their way! The crack of a rifle fire split the air, and instantly all of Julian’s thoughts of turning tail and running vanished. The people who did were dispatched swiftly. The group of straggling survivors were rounded up and brought to a six-tonner truck, where they boarded and were blindfolded.

A shot was heard. Immediately all the Japanese soldiers responded, speed borne of rigorous military training and alertness coming from sheer necessity during the war to survive. Aiming their rifles at the British platoon that was just coming into view, a firefight began. The soldier beside Julian was shot down, a bullet clean through hi8 head. This was the perfect distraction for him to escape! Then a thought occurred to him – how was he going to help the rest of the survivors escape? If he did the large group of people running off would surely get the attention of the Japanese. So he resolved that he would leave the rest of the people here and run off by himself. He jumped off the truck and made a mad dash for the nearest standing building. His life depended on it. As he was nearing his target, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left thigh. He looked down and stared numbly at the bullet hole there, finally toppling to the ground. His head hit the ground and the world faded from existence.

Julian woke up three days later in a torture chamber in the Japanese Secret Police Headquarters. He opened his eyes to find a menacing looking man staring straight into his eyes. He held a blood-crusted whip in one hand and in the other he was holding Julian’s shoulder in an iron grip. The look on his face seemed to say, I will be your torturer for the day, and indeed he would be, Julian realised. The man pulled Julian roughly from the blood-stained floor, cracking the whip across his back. Julian screamed as white hot agony seared across his back.

That was when the door flew open. A bald-headed European man and a Japanese general stepped in. “What is going on?” The bald-headed man asked in perfect, accented English. His eyes widened when he saw Julian. “What is he doing in such a place? He’s but a teenager, and moreover an injured one. Get him down now!” The menacing sadist who was the officer on duty tried to protest, but the European man was firm and would not budge from his stand. The torturer had no choice but to let him into the custody of his benefactor. The European man beckoned to Julian and said, “Walk beside me, if you will.” Julian stood and made his way to the man’s side, feeling a little dizzy, because of his wound and also because of his close brush with the torturer and simply because events were happening too fast for him to comprehend.

The man asked him, “What is your name?””Julian, sir.””Well, Julian, would you like a cup of coffee?” Julian looked at the man, surprised. This man was actually offering him coffee, which had been a rarity since the war started? “Sure, thank you.” He put on the accent he had picked up from his British tutor, whom his father had hired at great cost, but then money was no problem in a rich businessman’s estate. His near-perfect, accented English was not lost on the European. “You speak well, my friend. Almost like a native speaker from Europe.” Julian tried to be modest. “My teacher taught me well.” The European surprised him yet again. “How would you like to restore your family’s wealth?” Julian was cautious of this too-good-to-be-true offer and the stranger’s quick wit and intelligence. “What do I have to do?” “Well, it’s simple. As a teenager no one would notice you. No one would realise you are listening in. Now, all you have to do is report to me what you hear, and that’s it. Sometimes I will give you some assignments. Now you will be doing no one any harm, and you will be helping me at the same time. Don’t you want to help me, Julian, after I have saved you from the reach of that evil man? Surely you do not want to return to the grasp of people like him?” Suddenly the man’s voice, though still kindly, had a hard edge to it. Seeing no choice at all in the choice he was being given, and since as the man had said, no harm would come out of it, Julian agreed.

“Here’s your first task. It’s rather simple, actually. You shall go to the warehouse next to the noodle shop “Fu Tak’s Noodle Stall” and report to me what you heard from the traitorous resistance’s meeting. You will be protected if anything happens, so don’t worry. At the end of this you can take back 20000 banana notes.”

Julian found the place after an hour of searching. He climbed up the rafters, scrambling up the last few planks just as the “resistance traitors” came in. He strained his ears to listen. “…and we have to get rid of Japanese control in the eastern part of Singapore. That is a crucial step in ridding the country of the invaders and restoring our freedom.” Julian knew from their conversation that these people were trying to free the country, and wondered whether reporting this would really do no harm. It seemed that these matters were much more important than him, and Julian was starting to think perhaps he shouldn’t report this after all. Caught up in his considerations, Julian accidentally knocked his feet against a plank. All heads looked up. Julian froze. “He’s there!” A bearded man pointed. A pistol was drawn and aimed at him, as a man instructed him to get down immediately. He climbed down from the rafters, thinking desperately how to get out of this mess. With the gun aimed at his head, Julian didn’t dare to try anything. He tried to keep still and not make any confrontational moves, even though he knew there was a skilled Japanese Secret Service team behind him. He waited and answered, biding his time. But even as he talked to them, he wondered if he truly wanted these fighters to die. Did he want his country to stay under Japanese rule forever? Was the hunger in his stomach enough justification for that?

“What did you hear?””Nothing, sir. Really nothing.” He continued this pretence for as long as he could, but soon he knew that no Japanese team would come. He was exposed and he was of no further use. He blurted out everything to the interrogator. After hearing his story, the man shook his head and sighed softly. “Many people living in this conquered city have fallen prey to this scheme, where someone appears to be very rough and fearful, then another will save you from him. So you will owe your ‘saviour’ and also be grateful to him.” Reflecting upon what the man had said, Julian realised it was the truth. He had indeed fallen prey to such a scheme, which explained why no troops had come to his rescue. He had lost his value and at that very moment someone was probably being tricked the same way. His chest swelled in anger as he understood he had been made use of, his emotions played with by the Caucasian. He thought about the many people who had been tricked like him, and the people who had to actually go through torture at the hands of evil Japanese sadists. He wanted to join these noble men to free his country! As he thought this, layers of skin peeled off him. His cowardice, his indifference, all of them were shed like snakeskin. A new resolve and confidence hardened his heart.

He turned to the fighters and said,“I want to join you.”

Characterisation: Story Excerpt

The door swung open. “Ron!” Harry ran forward and scooped his friend up in a huge hug. “I’ve missed you and Hermione so much over the holidays. What did you do in the summer holiday, Ron?” Ron, squeezed by Harry so hard that he could hardly breathe, was unable to respond. Harry looked up at him expectantly, before realizing that he was smothering Ron with his bear hug. “Sorry, Ron,” he said with a sheepish grin, “It’s just that I haven’t seen you for so long and…” Ron assured him, “I’m fine, Harry!” Suddenly scuffling could be heard from the corridor, and it was coming nearer and nearer to the hall. A pair of black boots appeared in the doorway, a pair of smaller boots dangling above the floor and kicking. “Malfoy! Put Hermione down before things get rough!” Malfoy smirked at him and replied in a sarcastic tone, “Ooh! It’s Harry! Aren’t you so well known throughout the school now? Why don’t you turn me into a frog?” Harry clenched his fist, trying to restrain himself from doing just what Malfoy suggested. Before he could react, suddenly Malfoy flung Hermione to the ground and muttering a quick chant, created a pit viper beside Hermione’s shocked face out of thin air. Harry, ever willing to do anything for his friends, blasted both Malfoy and the pit viper into a glass tank he materialized, no longer caring about the consequences. He looked at Hermione, now safe from the snake, and slumped to the ground in relief.