My Study Plan for the English Exams

The examinations are just round the corner, only twenty days away! I have to do some planning to make sure I am well prepared for the examinations.

The first paper is ‘Writing’ where I am given only 105 minutes to complete an essay and a letter. For this, I will need to read some narrative essays for ideas on plots and characterization. If I read three essays a day, I would have read sixty essays! (If I keep to the plan that is) I must practise writing some essays and memorise good phrases that I can use too.

Paper 2 is the ‘Comprehension’ paper. It is difficult to revise for this paper. I will go through the previous comprehensions done and practise writing some summaries. I will also read more to widen my vocabulary.

The last paper, ‘Literature Strand 1, Unseen prose, Unseen poetry and Animal Farm essay’ will be challenging, I think. For this, I will read all my handouts including the ‘Animal Farm’ notes. I will memorise the story and take note of points that I had previously missed during tests.

One day or two before the examinations, I will review to make sure I remember all that I have studied.

Good luck to everyone!

The Jungle Book - The Bare Necessities

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin' in the tree
To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life

Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw
Have I given you a clue ?

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard
'Cause let me tell you something little britches
If you act like that bee acts, uh uh
You're working too hard

And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

Introduction

Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s "Mowgli" story, The Jungle Book follows the ups and downs of the man-cub Mowgli as he makes his way back to the human village with wise panther Bagheera to escape ruthless tiger Shere Khan.

Along the way, he meets unforgettable friends and foes including mad King Louie of the Apes, the hypnotic snake Kaa and the loveable, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo, who teaches Mowgli “The Bare Necessities” of life and the true meaning of friendship

"The Bare Necessities" is a song, written by Terry Gilkyson, from the animated 1967 Disney film The Jungle Book sung by Phil Harris as Baloo.

Analysis

This song is about the basic things we need to survive that is the bare necessities in life. The first stanza is a summary of the whole song and tells us that we should forget all our worries and problems and just enjoy life.

In the second stanza, the writer tells us that wherever he goes, he misses his home: ‘I couldn't be fonder of my big home’ where food is available: ‘To make some honey just for me’. If one is not fussy, there are other things that can be eaten too like the fancy ants

In the fifth stanza, the writer tells us that we must learn from our past mistakes in life and learn to change the way we do things: ‘Next time beware / Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw / When you pick a pear / Try to use the claw’.

In the seventh stanza, the writer thinks that if we work like the bees, we are working too hard. I do not quite agree with this part. I think it is important to work hard and play hard and learn to relax as well.

The repetition: ‘The simple bare necessities / Forget about your worries and your strife’ constantly reminds us that we should not worry too much and the bare necessities are enough for us. This is also emphasized by ‘That's why a bear can rest at ease / With just the bare necessities of life’. If a bear can enjoy life so easily, why can’t we? A bear is not really better than us!

In the eighth stanza, I think what the writer says here is interesting: ’And don't spend your time lookin' around / For something you want that can't be found / When you find out you can live without it / And go along not thinkin' about it’. We should be realistic and not waste our effort on things we do not really need.

Relation to learning style: Linguistic

The composer of this song cleverly uses rhyming words to help us remember the song easily: ‘pawpaw, prickly pear, prick a raw paw, beware, prickly pear by the paw, pick a pear, claw, claw, pear of the big pawpaw’.

Also: ‘roam, home, tree, me, plants, ants’.

My Response:

A simple poem to share with you simple pleasures of life

Life’s Simple Pleasures

French toast and syrup on waffles
Happy Meal and Fish ball noodles
Fish & Chips and Chicken Rice
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner nice

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Witches and BFG
Tintin and Asterix
Roald Dahl, Comics and many more

Fur Elise and Flight of the Bumble Bee
Air in G string and Marche Slave
Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev and Stravinsky
Beethoven, Bach and Tchaikovsky

Everyday food, library books and soothing sounds
They are everywhere to be found
Forget your worries and your strife
Let simple pleasures brighten up your life

Parent’s View:

Ethan was introduced (so were we) to this song when he was in nursery school. It has a catchy tune and the chorus was easy to sing. Nursery school was fun, little homework and lots of play. Ten years on, secondary school is challenging, lots of tough homework (like this one) and little play. But Ethan is very much the same (for now). There may be sad and unpleasant moments but he picks himself up quickly after that. Simple pleasures like food, reading and playing the piano make his day.

Courtesy of: http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/classicdisney/thebareneccesities.htm

Metaphor Poem (Household Item)

Standing in a corner and looking bored,
Once in a while, I take him for a walk.

Round and round the house we will go,
Passing every room, every corner high and low.

My friend is tall and skinny just like me
Has lots of hair, as straight as can be.

My house is now fresh and clean,
For you and I cannot do without him.

IT lesson 7: Reflection on E-learning

The five days of IT Home Learning were very hectic!

IT Home Learning is useful in case of school closure. This way we can still carry on learning new topics. It is also an eye-opener as there is a lot of information on the internet.

Many powerpoint presentations and websites were also put up for viewing. However sometimes instructions given were not clear or we were not sure if we were accessing the correct websites. My eyes are going groggy. (Spectacles, here I come!)

I was stuck to the computer for almost 8 hours daily. Looks like the electricity bills is going to shoot up. (Anyone remember Earth Hour?) Not to mention, slow response. Sigh.

After this experience, I think most of us miss school and the teachers. Can’t wait to see the teachers on Monday. Oops, Monday’s a holiday. Have to wait another day.

IT lesson 6: Compulsory Blog-Q1

Yes, I condemn the lotteries. It is already a well-known fact that many people are addicted to gambling and gambling has caused many family problems. People have committed suicide over money loses, heavy debts and pressure from loan sharks. Family problems are created when the gamblers start to borrow money from their family members.

From the YouTube video, one can see that addiction to gambling can create many family problems. The man was addicted to gambling went to the extent of borrowing his daughter’s savings just to gamble. He promised her that it will be his last gamble and that he will definitely strike a big one.

People gamble because of greed, no matter how little there is. When one gambles, you either win or lose. When you win, you would think that luck is on your side and you will want to win more. If you lose, you are annoyed and think that you could win back what you lose. So, you continue to gamble. Thus, no matter you win or lose, you are unlikely to stop. That is why some people became addicted to gambling

It is sad to know that there are so many gambling opportunities in Singapore. On Monday and Thursday, it is the Toto draws; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 4D draws; first Wednesday of the month, the Big Sweep draw. And all other days, if not soccer then it's car racing. Practically every day one is gambling, and that is bad!

P.S. Mr. RS, sorry for the late entries.

IT lesson 5: Poetry on Gambling

Tom Beatty
I was a lawyer like Harmon Whitney
Or Kinsey Keene or Garrison Standard,
For I tried the rights of property,
Although by lamp-light, for thirty years,
In that poker room in the opera house.
And I say to you that Life’s a gambler
Head and shoulders above us all.
No mayor alive can close the house.
And if you lose, you can squeal as you will;
You’ll not get back your money.
He makes the percentage hard to conquer;
He stacks the cards to catch your weakness
And not to meet your strength.
And he gives you seventy years to play:
For if you cannot win in seventy
You cannot win at all.
So, if you lose, get out of the room—
Get out of the room when your time is up.
It’s mean to sit and fumble the cards,
And curse your losses, leaden-eyed,
Whining to try and try.

The Green Clothes
The colourful tips,
The smoke,
The dry lips,
The tired voice, “No more bets”
The hands,
Erratic sights,
Constrained tones,
Mesmerizing lights,
Twenty eight seconds of roulette’s spin
Nervously jigging ball
The clothes are green
Somewhere, in another world,
The ringing of falling coins
and obtrusive melody: “Tu-ru-ru-ruuuu”….
These are very, very far.
His body, glance, nerves,
Brain, space and time are
Condensed in the small ball,
Which is trembling in the circle.
Dryness in the throat.
That is all:Morning, 4:48, emptiness … .
The blazing desire to win back,
To take revenge, to bring back
The nerves, the time, the brain
And all that was spent in vain.
by Gulnara Karimova

One-Dollar Gambler
I have one dollar to bet on number 13
One dollar for a loaf of bread
With a piece of ham, sandwiched between two slices of tomato.
One dollar for a hot milk tea
Before work time starts.
One dollar for some paper and ink
And some knowledge for a blind man.
One dollar each morning,
One dollar each night and for each brick I laid.
But, I bet one dollar. The counter closed
The next day number 13 appeared
In the middle of my drowsy eyes
On top of my nose
Or somewhere in between the hollowness
Of my empty hands.
I now have zero dollars to bet
Zero dollars for bread, tea, paper, ink and bricks!
Zero dollars, again, for number 13.
by Phan Thi Nam Mai

Tom Beatty

It seems that the place is too ‘important’ that even the mayor cannot close it down. In gambling, the odds will always be against the player. But if the gambler loses, the place will always be there if he wants to take another gamble. But the author advised that it is better to stop and get over the loss than continue to try your luck.


The Green Clothes

Gambling sometimes has a brainwashing effect on the gambler. It can be nerve-racking, energy-zapping and yet eventually all money can be lost. ‘Dry lips’, ‘erratic sights’, ‘mesmerizing lights’, ‘constrained tones’ shows that there is a lot of tension, fear and anxiety, just like Tay Soon in the Paper, and all that was spent was in vain.


One-Dollar Gambler

Although the gambler sees the importance of a dollar, it can buy him a proper breakfast (and food is important to the body), he still tries his luck with the one dollar he has. Now he has no money to even buy some food after the one dollar is gambled away. This poem seemed to imply that gambling can lead to poverty.

IT lesson 4: Gambling

Paper

1. In the story, ‘Paper’ refers to the paper gains in the stock market. The paper house which was burnt at the grave. Although, the couple in the story had made a profit after the shares they bought had increased in value, it was only paper gains.

Tay Soon wanted a big beautiful house all his life that he directed all his energies and devotion towards his goal. He used his savings to buy stocks hoping to gain more money to achieve his dream house. In the end, he did achieve his dream house, but it was only made of paper and it was burnt at his grave.

The paper gains were of no use to the living just like the paper house which was of no use to the dead. If the couple had not been greedy perhaps they would have become millionaires. They could have sold the shares to get the money to build their dream house.

One should never be too greedy and take high risks as things can be very unpredictable. Many people become addicted to gambling and are unable to get themselves out. He went on hoping that the situation may become better but it did not. Anxiety and depression eventually killed him.

Lottery

2. Ah Boh was obsessed with gambling.. She would try to recall any dream of the previous night and work out what it meant. For her, every object or event signified some number, for example, a spider meant the number 3 and an act of defecation meant the number 10. She believed that objects or scenes in her dreams indicated the prize-winning numbers.

Ah Boh once weighed a cat just to get a number for the draw. She had also written some numbers on pieces of paper and placed them on a baby. She then waited eagerly for the first piece to roll off the baby. She even went to the extent of taking down the license plate numbers of vehicles involved in accidents and used these numbers to buy lottery.

Ah Boh was also very superstitious. Every morning, she prayed for good luck She had obsessive interest for new-born babies, children celebrating birthdays and newly-weds, as she believed they were supposed to bring luck.

The Rocking Horse Winner

3 I feel Paul’s mother was responsible for his death. His mother was incapable of showing love and was obsessed with status and material wealth. He sought for her love and wanted to silence the voice that whispered “There must be more money!” Paul found that he could predict the winner of the horse race by rocking his wooden horse so he gambled to earn money hoping to please his mother. Once Paul won and sent 5000 pounds to his mother, she merely remarked ‘quite moderately nice’. Sadly, the strain and the stress killed him, yet he thought he was lucky to have the special power.

IT lesson 3: Analyzing & Composing poem

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem
It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts

The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling

They caught me
At the exact moment
When my eyes were actually closed


1. The poet was thinking of his secondary school days. It was typical to have school motto in Latin and students were allowed to wear only white shoes. It looks like he was not sure of the school motto and did not like Math (no calculators back then).

He thought about his daily routine like singing the national anthem and special moments like his teacher dressed up in traditional Malay dress for Chinese New Year. He could not forget being photographed with his eyes closed. I think he felt amused looking back.

My poem:

Back in the old days…...

Back in the old days,
we see each other’s face.

We chat together,
and argue all over.

We copy each other’s answers when we could,
like naughty children would.

Back then, teachers were caring,
and always sharing.

Now, things are serious,
and teachers are fierce.

IT lesson 2: Favorite Poet

Something from the Poet

“I have always enjoyed playing with words, but I had no idea that I would be a writer. There was a time when I couldn't stand poetry!”

“When I was a young man, I discovered poetry again and it changed my life. I had drawn several imaginary animals, but one evening I decided to write a little poem to go with each drawing.”

“A friend encouraged me to show the poems to an editor, and when I did, I was astonished to find that the editor -- Susan Hirschman -- thought I had a talent for writing verse. She encouraged me to keep writing. She published my first book and, 30 years later, she's still my editor.”

Jack Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 8, 1940, and now live in Washington State with my wife, Carolynn. He is the author of more than 50 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976), The Mean Old Mean Hyena (1978), and Something BIG Has Been Here (1990).

For years, his imaginative poems have been turning children into poetry lovers. His silly poems have tickled the most stubborn funny bones, while his scarier verses have raised the little hairs on the back of the neck!


How I feel about his works

Jack’s works are simple, funny and easy to understand. They are so enjoyable to read! They are relatively short and have no hidden meaning, unlike some other poets’ works.

I read his works when I was in primary school from the ‘Celebrate English’ textbook and the following were taken from the book.


MY FISH CAN RIDE A BICYCLE

My fish can ride a bicycle,
my fish can climb a tree,
my fish enjoys a glass of milk,
my fish takes naps with me.

My fish can play the clarinet,
my fish can bounce a ball,
my fish is not like other fish,
my fish can’t swim at all.

I wonder how a fish can do all these things except swim but anything is possible with Jack . He is indeed imaginative!


I DID A NUTTY SOMERSAULT

I did a nutty somersault
and landed with a thump.
I struggled to my feet again
but tumbled on my rump.
I tried to keep my balance but invariably fell,
and every time I toppled
I led another yell.

Backwards, forwards, even sideways,
I fell every sort of way,
as a growing crowd applauded
my theatrical display.
I flopped, I flipped, I skidded,
I performed a barrel roll.
My arms and legs kept flapping,
They were out of my control.

Beautiful described! It is a wonder how you write all the actions while remembering to rhyme them! But of course, Jack is a magician when it comes to poems.


TODAY I’M GOING YESTERDAY

Today I’m going yesterday
As quickly as I can
I’m confident I’ll do it,
I’ve devised a clever plan,
It involves my running backward
At a constant rate of speed,
I’m mindful of my timing,
I’ll undoubtedly succeed.

Ha! This poem has a nice twist. At first, I thought this person had some time machine that could bring him back to the past. But as I read on, I realized the poet was talking about running backwards. I think this poem is just like a mini-fiction.


References
1) http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-prelutsky-jack.asp
2) http://www.jackprelutsky.com/
3) http://www.poemhunter.com/jack-prelutsky/biography/

Emergency IT Lesson 1: Figurative Language

The Eagle
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

metaphor : wrinkled sea
personification : clasps with crooked hands"... like a human being
simile:" like a thunderbolt " ascribes the act of diving or falling with the use of the word like"

This is a famous poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. I like it because it is easy to understand. In a few sentences, one can see the character of an eagle. The eagle stays alert on the mountain in the hope of catching a prey. And when he sights his prey, he swoops down swiftly and catches the prey with precision. I wish I can be like the eagle alert, fast and accurate.

Busy Tom

Music Lesson – sang ‘Phantom of the Opera’
History Lesson – learnt about the tombs of the Pharaohs
Chinese Lesson – study Chinese customs and festivals

Recess – ate ham, cheese and tomato sandwich

Chemistry Lesson – study about atoms and molecules
Biology Lesson – learnt about the symptoms of a virus

Sigh, tomorrow will be another busy day.

Reflection on Micro-Fiction

Before I started secondary school, I never knew that micro-fiction existed. It is quite amazing that people can write a fiction in 55 words! At first, I thought it was going to be very difficult to write due to the word limit, but after a reading a few examples, I had a better idea.

Writing micro-fiction was also a good practice for my essay. In my primary school essays, I usually have to put in a lot of ‘good’ phrases, clichés and sometimes unnecessary descriptions. From now on, I will try to keep my essays short and tight.

Maybe, micro-fiction can be introduced at the primary school. It can help students improve in their essays and their skills will get better when in secondary school.

Book review: The Arrival by Shaun Tan

The Arrival is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel. It is about a man who left his homeland for another country to build a new life.

In the new country, he meets many unusual creatures; in his room, he tried to turn on a tap to get drinking water only to find that it is actually a shower. Once, he got a job to paste advertisements on walls. As he did not understand the language in the poster, he pasted them upside down!

However, he soon got used to the new life and was eventually joined by his wife and daughter.

Shaun Tan is an illustrator with great imagination. The creatures in the book were very unusual, nothing like real life animals. His buildings were also unique. There was a bird-angel like structure carrying an egg. It had weird inscriptions on it.

Lastly and very unusual, you will find the Chinese characters of Shaun Tan’s name: 陈 志 勇 in some of the drawings！

I find it very refreshing to read a fiction without words. And I will certainly recommend any book lover to ‘read’ this exciting graphic novel,
The Arrival.

Virtual Battle

The enemies took up their positions all ready to attack.

The foot soldiers fought bravely.

The men on horseback charged swiftly.

Every move counts. Intense moments.

Sensing that his defence was leaky, the King retreated.

“Sire! The Queen is in their hands. You must run!”

Before the King could react, I make my move.

“Checkmate!”

Interview with Mom......

Blog : A novel Mum read…..

Me: Tell me something about the novel.

Mom: It’s called “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. I read it a long time ago. Couldn’t remember when. I probably came across it in the library.

Me : Is the author famous?

Mom: Quite, I think. She was born in 1775 in Hampshire, England. As one of seven children, she writes stories and plays for her family’s enjoyment. She also wrote Sense and Sensibility.

Me : What’s the story about?

Mom: All of Jane Austen’s novels deal with the manners and social life of upper class Englishmen during the eighteenth century. Pride and Prejudice depicts the situation during the 1800’s in England where prejudice was common and the rich had little respect the poor. For those daughters and mothers in poor families, it was ideal to find a rich man to marry.

The story was about the five Bennet sisters and their mother’s main concern to marry her daughters off to well-established gentlemen.
The spotlight is on the second daughter Elizabeth Bennet who is her father’s favourite because of her level-headed approach to life. Despite Elizabeth’s prejudice against Mr Darcy whom seemed rather proud at first, she later found him to be the true hero and married him.

Me : Any interesting character or dialogue in the story?

Mom: Yes, Mr Bennet who is totally different from his wife who was always eager to make the acquaintance of rich men. In the story, Mrs Bennet insisted that the father ‘persuade’ Elizabeth to marry a Mr Collins otherwise she would not speak to her again. And his response to Elizabeth was:

“Elizabeth, you have a hard choice. Your mother will never talk to you again unless you marry Mr Collins. And I will never talk to you again if you do!”

Isn’t he interesting?

Me : Anything to add?

Mom: Yes, and may the best woman win! (Oops! Do you understand?)

Me : ???

Confessions of a Fish Guzzler......

I am an avid fish-eater, I confess. I like them steamed, baked, grilled, barbecued or even deep fried. I will try to avoid those with lots of bones but it is difficult to resist the fish especially if it is fresh and yummy. I am fortunate to be able to find my dream food in many places.

At home, the fish that I eat is usually steamed with ginger and garlic, salt and pepper and sesame oil. I love the steamed Cod and Threadfin.

At this hawker centre near my house, I always order the sliced fish soup with noodles. I enjoy it best with a little soya sauce on the fresh slices of fish. Here, I can also buy slices (steaks) of Batang fish from the Vegetable Rice stall. They are usually fried with a little dark soya sauce. I like the salty taste and it is easy to devour the fish because of the way it is cut. Another delicious fish is the barbecued Sting Ray. I like it because it is very spicy

If I crave for the Sardine and the Tuna, I can buy them in cans from the supermarkets. The Sardines are usually cooked in tomato paste but the Tuna come in a variety of flavours. I like the tom yum flavour best.

Grilled fish (usually Dory or Salmon fillet) is available at western food stalls and cafes. Grilled fish is tender and a little oily.

I do not eat the deep-fried fish very often but I like the one at a ‘zhi-char’ restaurant that sells Thai food. The fish is very crispy but one has to be careful because it has many bones.

So you see, I like many fish dishes and fish is good for health because they contain proteins.

Well, how about a fish treat?

English Differentiated Assignment for “Nothing but the Truth” (Linguistic)

Philip’s Final Blog……

Ah! Tomorrow I am moving to Washington Academy. All because of that Narwin. I really dislike her! And everyone including Coach Jamison, Superintendent Albert Seymour and Mr. Lunser sent me their ‘goodbye’ responses :

Coach Jamison thinks that I am very naughty and mean. He is very furious that I had a huge mess out of a small thing. He even ‘congratulated’ me for failing my English; not able to get extra work from Miss Narwin to pass English; not getting into his track team and having to transfer to another school that does not have track! Mean old Jamison. He even said it served me right for destroying Miss Narwin’s career. He thinks she’s a really nice woman and he condemned my actions. And it was he who suggested the petition against me. He then smugly said “Do enjoy your new school……” Maybe he was right about my wrongdoings, but he’s just too mean!

Miss Narwin screamed that I was a rude, disrespectful and outrageous student! I was shocked at her outburst. Ok, she has the right to be angry with me, but she screamed into my ears! She claimed that I had ruined her teaching career and ‘asked’ me whether I knew how hurting and painful it was to read the letters of complaint sent to her. She added that I may have won the first round, but her former students and Coach Jamison are on her side and they hate me till no end! She even hoped that my new school would be very strict and discipline a rude student like me. I know how she feels about me but I am not going to apologise to her. Never!

Superintendent Albert Seymour was very kind. Imagine he started with ‘Dear Philip, I hope you will enjoy your new school’! He gave me the good news that Miss Narwin had resigned. He believed that I was right in being patriotic and Miss Narwin was wrong to kick me out of the class. Wow, there is someone supporting me! Sadly, he reported that most of the kids from my class hated me just because Miss Narwin was nice to them. And he really felt sorry for me! Nevertheless, he added that I should cheer up and try to enjoy the new school. “All the best to you ” (from Seymour of course). Good old Seymour. What a gentleman he is and I am going to heed his advice!

Mr. Lunser, the joker, started with ‘Hi, Harrison High’s own Uncle Sam! I am so sad that such a famous person is leaving my own humble class! Hope you miss my jokes’! Well, the truth is that I do miss his jokes. He asked what really happened between me and Miss Narwin. Did I really sing and was kicked out by Miss Narwin? Or did I attempt to sabotage her in any way? I didn’t answer him. ‘Don’t get me wrong! I am not on her side!’ he added. And of course, he ended with ‘Do enjoy life in your new school, you bozo’. He doesn’t seem to be serious but I think he’s on my side.

Ah, so it’s even, two on Narwin’s side and two on mine. I am not going to apologise to Narwin and I hate Jamison! But, no matter what, I am going to enjoy life in my new school. No one’s going to stop me. It’s Malloy Magic time!

Final Blog for Term 1

I love writing blogs!

I like writing blogs as it helps me to improve my English, especially my spelling and writing and definitely my typing skills. It also gives me a chance to use the computer and to go on the Internet. And I do not mind sharing general information with others but not personal information. Also, blogging makes me feel that I am connected to the digital world.

The main thing that I dislike about blogging is that it is a little time-consuming as I do not have good typing skills. It is also ‘electricity-consuming’. And sometimes, people can post nonsense in their comments on my blog. Some may use improper English. Maybe the whole ‘blog’ thing is suitable for not so serious stuff or anything general that anyone can read. But to use it for our assignments is a very good idea because it helps to save some paper.

Nevertheless, the whole process of blogging is not too difficult for a new blogger like me. I am not sure whether I have the time to maintain the blog, maybe only when I have an assignment to do. With access to the electronic bookshelf, I can select books that I like to read, do reviews and post them on my blog. On the whole, it has been fun.

Want to check out the latest book I have read? Clicking the link at the bottom.

http://weread.com/profile/1A107/C8A2B96A-CC9C-48E0-B33B-34F4F2350932?refuid=C8A2B96A-CC9C-48E0-B33B-34F4F2350932&src=&auri=

My top 3 learning preferences……

1st : Please give clearer instructions before we do an assignment. For example : When doing comprehension, you can explain the passage and the questions briefly so that we have a better idea what is expected. And please provide us with answers to guide ( giving out the answers after finishing our assignment ).

2nd : Please provide us with more ideas on how to develop our essays and share some good essays with us.

3rd : I would like to have some online exercises (to save paper) in school ( maybe 1 period a week in the computer room). The online assignments can include : grammar, vocabulary and other aspects of English. Yes, I like to go to the computer room to work!

My reflections on narrative and graphic novels......

A narrative novel tells a story in detail about what happened and how did it happen, so it is straight to the point while a graphic novel with a lot of pictures but no words gives the reader “food for thought”. In graphic novels, the story seemed more interesting because it is usually unexpected and most of the time it does not really give the reader a clue what would happen next. Though the style of writing a story is different, the writers may want to share the same story or idea.

I would prefer graphic novels as it is more relaxing to browse through them and they give us a chance to imagine what would happen next. Graphic novels are also easier to read and it saves time. We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words and that is why it is easy for us to digest a graphic novel easily. For narrative novels, we have to read a few pages before seeing the plot unfold……

My Reading Habits......

My reading is varied , to say the very least. Well, when I was eight or ten,
I usually read adventure books, and I always pretended Iwas the main character. For example, I read the ' Sorcerer's Apprentice' , and I pretended I was the powerful sorcerer or the smart apprentice.Childish huh ? Please remember : I am only eight or ten.

When I proceeded to Secondary School , I begin to read mysteries and more advanced adventure. I like 'Sherlock Holmes' especially. Good old Dr. Watson and Mr. Sherlock.

Also, funnily, I love to read some history, especially about World War II. And of course, Adolf Hitler and all the other big bad guys. Funny huh ? I also do not know why I read these books. And my love for history is very wierd too!

Oh yes, soccer fans out there. I love to read some soccer magazines too. My favourite team ? That will be ARSENAL ! VALENCIA ! JUVENTUS ! AJAX !

Want to check out some of the books I have read ? Check it out by clicking the link at the bottom!

http://weread.com/profile/1A107/C8A2B96A-CC9C-48E0-B33B-34F4F2350932?refuid=C8A2B96A-CC9C-48E0-B33B-34F4F2350932&src=&auri=

A) You are Philip Malloy after his first day at his new school. Write your diary entry from Philip's point of view entitled. "Why Did I Do It?"

My diary entry: Why Did I Do It ?

Oh no! Now I am in for it! I got transferred into this ‘Washington Academy’. Thought it was a good school, but guess what? I was in Miss Rooney’s class, when she asked me to lead the class by singing the anthem, ‘Star-Spangled Banner’!

And, I stupidly cried and said, “I do not know the words!” Oh, why did I say that? Well, what can I do? Just wait to be expelled then! Oh, why did I……

Now, my folks are definitely going to get at me! Why did I do it in the first place? Come to think of it, I should not have ‘betrayed’ Narwin! At least, she would have given me some extra work to level up my grade, to get into the track team. Now, worst of all, I cannot get into any track team any more!

What I have encountered as I moved from primary 6 to secondary 1.

I was a recent Primary 6 graduate and entered a good secondary school. Well, quite a good one. And my, this school was huge compared to my primary school.

The first problem I face in Secondary 1 was knowing my way around the school campus. I was often lost, but after two weeks since school started, I managed to familiarize myself with the place.

Secondly, about the amount the of work. I realized that the amount of work in Secondary 1 was more than that in Primary 6. That is why people say ‘Time management is important’.

Lastly, bullying. I have not been bullied before by the older students before, but they do jump the queue, especially during lunch.

Well, these are some of the things I encountered as I move on to Secondary 1, but some pleasant things happened too! For example, the Secondary 1 orientation was very fun. We played with water bombs, participated in teambuilding games and mass games. The orientation will always be etched in my mind... ...

Anyone is welcomed to 'discuss' anything .

For example: Sports, like soccer ;latest news etc.

Hi to all ! Anyone is welcomed to post comments , but please do not post nonsense !

Thank You !