Journal Blog

Day Eight Oral

2009-07-12T22:18:00.001+08:00

Picture Discussion

This is a picture of a group of children playing a game called “The Eagle Catches the Chick”, which is a direct translation of the Chinese name of this game, with their teachers at a playschool. I can tell that they are playing the game “The Eagle Catches the Chick” because the children and teacher are linked together by holding each other’s hips and the teacher has her hands spread out like a Hen protecting the chicks behind her from the eagle, which is the kid running in front of the teacher. Also, I can tell that it is a playschool because the children are all wearing home clothes, and not uniform, and there is a playground at the field they are playing in. Also, the children are allowed to play at the field with their teachers instead of staying in classrooms studying. Perhaps the young children in the picture are students of the playschool, and the adults there are the teachers of the children. Also, they seem to be of two different classes because they are playing in two different groups and there are two different teachers. The teacher in the foreground of the picture, dressed in a knee-length skirt and wearing a jacket seems to be enjoying the game more than the children are enjoying the game. The wide grin on her face is a very good evidence of her having a whale of a time. Before this picture was taken, the children could have been having their recess at the canteen or in their classroom, while the teachers come together as a group to discuss what they can play with the students without making them feel bored. I feel that teachers like those in the picture who may meet with stress when working should relax by playing games with their students or doing other activities with their students or other teachers. This way, they will be able to get to know their students and other teachers better, and at the same time relax and not get too tense over work. Also, children should be allowed to have more time to have fun instead of having to stay in their classrooms throughout the whole day studying or attending lectures. Therefore I feel that the recess of lunch time of students should be extended to an hour instead of the current thirty minutes. If I were to give this picture a title, I would call it “Kids at Play”.

Conversation

There are many difficulties faced by women wishing to purse a career and have a family. For example, pursuing a career and having a family requires a lot of commitment. Pursuing a career requires one to spend a lot of time entertaining customers, or having to do overtime work in the office. Having a family requires one to spend a lot of time taking care of her child or children, and to stay at home. Therefore, there are many difficulties faced by women who wants to do well in both aspects because one can only be at a particular place at a time. What the employers can do is to allow these women to work from home or to have only five working days, instead of six or seven, so that they can have more free time to accompany their families. However working from home has its disadvantages too. For example working from home will use a lot of electricity, increasing the electricity bills. Also, there are many distractions at home which may affect the performance of the women especially when they are easily distracted.

Day Six Oral

2009-07-12T22:16:00.001+08:00

Picture Discussion

This is a picture of a group of school girls jumping and cheering at a sports stadium, probably during a friendly soccer match between their school and another school. I can tell that they are at a sports stadium because there is a track and spectator’s stand in the background. I can also tell that the school girls are from the same school because they are wearing the same school pinafore. Perhaps this is a friendly soccer match between two schools because there are a few boys in the background wearing soccer attire and there are also other students in a different uniform at the spectator’s stand. The four main girls whom the picture is focusing on could be cheerleaders of their school as they are obviously cheering by screaming and jumping. Also, some of the people behind may be substitutes of the main soccer team, and the rest are spectators. One of the four girls, second from the left, who is jumping up and down, seems to be very excited. Her mouth is widely opened, which shows that she is actually screaming with all her might, maybe because the soccer team from her school had just scored a goal. Also, her bent legs and messy hair also shows that she has been jumping up and down excitedly. I feel that there should be more enthusiastic students like her coming to support the soccer team of their school so that they will have the motivation to perform better! Before this picture was taken, everyone could have been in their respective schools, chatting excitedly in groups while waiting for the big buses which will send them to the sports stadium to arrive. Also, the soccer team could have been doing warm-up exercises to prepare themselves for the friendly match which was going to commence soon. I think it is a good idea for schools to organize friendly matches like this, be it soccer, basketball, netball, volleyball or other sports. This way, students will be able to interact with other players from other schools and learn some skills from them, as if participating in an exchange programme. Also, Singapore will be the first country to hold the Youth Olympics next year. Through these friendly matches, it will instil a higher interest in sports in students, so that the Youth Olympics next year will have a great impact on the youth in Singapore. If I were to give this picture a title, I would call it “Goal!”.

Conversation

There was a period of time when I was in Primary Four that I would forge my parent’s signature on test papers because I did not want my mother to know that I did not do well for my tests. All along I had thought it was not a wrong thing to do because my classmates were also doing the same thing. Until one day when my teacher found out that most of us had been forging our parent’s signature, and brought this matter up to our principal. All of us were made to go up on the stage during assembly and had to apologize to our teacher in front of the whole school. It was very embarrassing and most of us did not dare to look up, and could only stare at the ground. From then on, not any one of us dared to forge our parent’s signature anymore. I learnt from this experience that we should have responsibility for our own work, and even if we did badly for our tests we must show the test papers to our parents because we only have ourselves to blame for doing so badly and should face the consequences of doing badly. I feel that some people find it hard to admit their mistakes because they do not want to lose their pride in front of others. That is why they choose to deny their mistakes which is the wrong thing to do, instead of admitting them. Also, it may be because they were wronged, and thus do not want to admit to something that they have not done.

Day Four Oral

2009-07-12T22:14:00.001+08:00

Picture Discussion

This is a picture of a group of social workers and a bus-driver helping disabled people in wheelchairs to board a bus by pushing their wheelchairs up a ramp. I can tell that they are a group of social workers as they are wearing the same shirts, and I can tell that they are helping wheelchair-bound people onto the bus as there is a ramp from the bus to allow the social workers to push the wheelchair up easily, without the disabled having the get off the wheelchair. Also, I can see that it is a bus as there is the brand “Volvo”, a vehicle brand, on the bus. Furthermore, they are on the road and I can see so because the ground is made of gravel, and there are white stripes on the ground. Perhaps the social workers have planned an outing for the disabled, so they would not feel bored cooping themselves at home. Perhaps the people standing up are social workers. They seem to be of various ages and genders, coming together as a group to help the less fortunate in the society. Which in this case, are disabled people. Also I can see that they are social workers as they are wearing the same shirts with the logo of an organization printed on the top left of the shirt. The middle-aged man on the wheelchair wearing a white shirt and suspenders seem to be afraid of being pushed up the ramp. Either that or he feels lowly of himself as he needs help boarding the bus. I can tell so because he does not have a smile on his face and looks rather solemn. I feel that he should not think so lowly of himself because he is no different from others. He should look at life in a more optimistic way, and be happy every day. This way he will be able to ignore the weird stares from others, and will be able to enjoy life too! Before this picture was taken, this group of disabled and social workers could have been on a tour around a part of Singapore. I can tell so because everyone seemed to be looking very tired and satisfied, and they are also taking a big private bus, like how big groups going on a fieldtrip will do. I think it is a good idea for wheelchair-bound, or even other less-fortunate people, to go on an excursion like that instead of cooping themselves at home, which will cause them to have a lower self-esteem than it already is. Also, members of the public should volunteer to be social workers like those seen in the picture to help the less-fortunate! Also, buses, be it private or public buses, should have ramps like the one shown in the picture to make it more convenient for disabled people to board the bus instead of taking taxis which is expensive. This way, everyone will be happy! If I were to give this picture a title, I would call it “A Day Out”.

Conversation

Like the HDB buildings or private housing areas that most of us live in, the natural habitats of the animals, insects or plants are home to them. Therefore, there is a need to protect the natural habitats of the wildlife creatures, and to look after the wildlife. The wildlife creatures are living things. Like us, they need food, water and shelter to survive. If we destroy nature, they will not have a source of food, a source of water and shelter. Destroying nature then means killing the wildlife creatures. I feel that man is destroying nature to a great extent. Developing cities, building roads, polluting the seas, and most importantly, supporting urbanization all destroys nature. Therefore, we should cut down on acts of urbanization, or illegal hunting of animals which may cause some animals to be endangered or extinct. However, one cannot deny the importance of developing cities, even if it destroys nature. For example, the increasing world population means demand of more jobs, which means needing more companies or offices which means further development of the cities. However, we can implement laws to help develop cities and save the nature at the same time. For instance we can implement a “No Net Loss of Natural Habitats” law to ensure that the wildlife creatures will not lose their natural habitats.

Day Two Oral

2009-07-12T22:08:00.002+08:00

Picture Discussion

This is a picture of a group of middle-aged ladies experimenting on hair wigs by cutting and styling them. A middle-aged lady with her hair tied up in a bun and wearing a white sleeveless top is enjoying the process of cutting the hair. I can tell that they are either in a salon or a hair-styling school, learning to style hair so that they can be professional hair-stylists in the future, because the room is quite big and looks like a classroom, with a sign in the left background probably having the words “Room 1” printed on it. Also, the middle-aged ladies are styling hair wigs, as if practicing on hair wigs will prevent them from making mistakes while attending to customers. In the background, there is a sign on the door of the room, probably saying “Room 1”. Also, there are grilled doors in the right background, overseeing a big garden. Perhaps this is a hair-styling school with experienced instructors coaching these middle-aged ladies, and they are practicing by themselves, without the instructor. Perhaps these middle-aged women are students of the hair-styling school. They seem to be learning hair-styling as a pastime as they are enjoying themselves and are wearing casual clothes. However some also looked serious in doing their work as they do not have a smile on their faces. The middle-aged lady with her hair tied up in a bun and dressed in a white sleeveless top seems to be enjoying the process of hair-styling as she is wearing a big smile on her face. However, she also looked as if she is afraid to cut the bunch of hair in between her fingers as she looked a little nervous, having an awkward-looking smile. I think if she has a little more confidence in herself, she will be able to make an outstanding hair-stylist. Before this picture was taken, the middle-aged ladies might have been sitting in a corner chatting in a group, waiting for lessons to start excitedly. It could be the reception area of the school or one of the living rooms of the students’ houses. Perhaps they had met each other through this hair-styling school, I think it is a good idea for middle-aged ladies like those in the picture to pick up some skills like hair-styling or computer skills to make themselves useful. Also, they can pick up these skills to find a job so that they can play a part in supporting their families too. If I were to give this picture a title, I would call it “Housewives at Work.”

Conversation

CCTVs, also known as surveillance cameras, are used for surveillance in public areas such as banks, shopping malls, casinos, airports, convenience stores, and other places which require a high sense of security. I feel that CCTVs are definitely necessary in public places because they play a role in maintaining a safe and crime-free environment in Singapore. Many news reports have proven CCTVs to be useful and necessary as it, although being a small device, helped many stall owners or the police to catch shoplifters. Everywhere we go, we can see CCTVs. Therefore we can say that they are definitely necessary because everyone is using them! I feel that CCTVs may and may not make people feel relaxed, depending on who we are talking about. For instance, shoppers who do not have ulterior motives on their mind, like shoplifting, will definitely feel relaxed because it reduces the chances of pick-pocketing and ensures their safety. However, shoplifters and pickpockets will not feel relaxed because they know that there will be chances of their criminal acts being caught red-handed by the CCTVs. Therefore, I feel that even though CCTVs are small devices, they can be easily hidden and can catch shoplifters or pickpockets off guard, helping to ensure the safety of the public.

T1W10 Granny on funerals

2009-03-24T20:36:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty and has attended many funerals. ):

"It was a sultry day. Lugubrious music played, accompanied by the melancholic wailing of the deceased relatives. Levity of the small children were strongly discouraged. The air was thick with the redolent smell of incense. A monk chanted nebulously as people streamed in with condolences to the family of the deceased."

T1W9 Granny Reads Adolf Hitler!!!

2009-03-24T20:31:00.004+08:00

My granny is eighty, and loves to read on Adolf Hitler.

"In 1933, Hitler was named Chancellor. Employing people's fears, he defamed the Jewish, accusing them as a thieving, lowly race. Afflicted with megalomania, Hitler began to enact anti-Jewish measures, leading to the Holocaust. Under his dictatorialship, strife was rife as his mendacious claims that the Jewish were a lowly race led to the mass massacre of the Jews. Also, Jews became expatriates as they lost their citizenship under the Nuremburg Laws. (1935)"

The above is an extract from one of Adolf Hitler's biography, which my granny enjoys reading.

T1W8 Granny's gone trekking

2009-03-24T20:04:00.003+08:00

My granny is eighty, and is very very adventurous.

"It was a spontaneous decision, but I have decided to go on a peregrination I deemed an adventure, with my daughter. I had to modify my list of items to bring in order to accommodate my choosy daughter's needs. That did not take too long. Finally we were ready to embark on our trek at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve."

This was one of the many dairy entries of my granny's adventures.

51 word story

2009-03-08T22:50:00.002+08:00

"Hi." "Bye." This was the longest conversation between John and Mary. Both of them were colleagues. Very shy colleagues. They had feelings for each other, feelings that were never expressed. Until one day, "Will you marry me?" "Yes, I do." This was the second longest conversation they had before their chaotic married life.

Mr Kek, can or not?

T1W7 Granny cheated of $5000

2009-03-08T15:37:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty, and is probably the most gullible person I have ever lived with. Whenever we would blame her for bring cheated of her five thousand dollars, she would concoct an excuse, as she did not want us to nag at her. A few months ago, she had met a consummate conman on the streets. He had deployed a hoax that his daughter had to undergo a surgery and he did not have enough funds to pay for it. My gullible granny fell into his trap and transacted five thousand dollars to that conman within five minutes.

T1W6 Granny VS Uncle

2009-03-08T15:34:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty, and is an altruistic person; the antithesis of my uncle. My uncle is filled with cupidity. Whereas my granny always puts others' needs and feelings above her own. If we place my uncle among our family, he will seem like an interloper, whereas my granny will naturally be indigenous to our family. We love our granny.

T1W5 Granny speaks out loud

2009-03-08T15:27:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty and enjoys going to the Speaker's Corner to debate on political matters. I remember once when she made a controversial statement that an accomplice culpable for talking the culprit into committing the crime instead of precluding the crime from happening should be given a heavier sentence than the culprit himself. However, after many discussions and debates from the aggressive public, my granny was forced to recant that controversial statement.

T1W4 Granny's Embarrasing Moment

2009-02-08T13:13:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty, and has a stentorian voice. People of ten have a biased stereotype that loud people are rowdy like gangsters, which kinds of nettles those whose voices are a tad too loud. I remember once when my granny was in the public bus talking on the phone with her usual loud hailer-like voice, everyone in the bus was clearly staring at her. She did not notice anything and went on chattering on the phone and laughing like nobody's business. Finally, a small boy went up to her and interjected, "Auntie, can you lower down your volume please? It's not as if your friend or whoever can't hear you." My granny's face turned into a shade of pink, and she scurried down the bus, with almost the entire bus of passengers laughing in the background.

T1W3 Granny Saves The Day

2009-02-08T12:00:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty, and prefers to take the bull by the horns to cowarding out in the face of danger. I remember once when we were basking in the tranquility of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, we heard someone emitting a loud, piercing scream. We thought, the Nature Reserve was supposed to be a haven for 50 over species of birds, so why was there a scream? My annoying little brother started to importune my granny for answers to what was happening. We immediately made him repress his curiousity and began looking for that source of scream. Finally, after hours of looking for it, we surmised that it probably came from someone who had digged out a chest of jewellerys from a subterranean tunnel. However, on the way out of the Nature Reserve, my granny was seen using a stick to hit the attacking cobra and saving the little girl who almost got bitten by the cobra. After many punches an beatings, the cobra was finally killed and my granny brought it hime to have snake soup. My granny sure is one courageous old woman.

Can one improve his/her English skills?

2009-01-22T12:08:00.003+08:00

In my opinion, there are many ways one can improve their English skills. However, whether it is effective or not, it will be based on how hard they work on the ways to improve their English skills. One of the many ways to improve one's English skills is to make him/her to be interested in English. Like what Mr Kek had done, he allowed us to do our journals on journal blogs, which will actually get students interested because in this modern society, students are more than glad to actually have the chance to touch the computer. (Sorry for stereotyping, HAHAHAHAHA sorry!)

Another way to improve one's English skills is to encourage him/her to read books by their favourite authors. This will not only help to stimulate their interest for reading, it will also help them to learn how to use punctuation marks correctly, how to use specific words correctly, and how to make their stories interesting.

All in all, there are many ways which one can follow to improve their English skills. Students can try to perceive what are their effective ways of improving their English skills, instead of following their friends' ways even though they're ineffectual.

//////////////////////////////////////

Okay enough of serious stuff I don't like serious stuff HAHAHAHA k sorry! ): Here are some videos which I ripped from Qianhui's blog!

K byebyebye and sorry Mr Kek if there are scurrilous languages in the videos and sorry for not using proper English! HAHAHAHA.

T1W2 Granny in trouble

2009-01-18T12:18:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty this year, and is timorous by nature. She is afraid of lizards, cockroaches, ants and others of that ilk. I remember once when we brought grandma to the Esplanade to watch a prestigious play, something happened that caused us to be blacklisted. The flamboyant Gollywood star, Bread Peet was sitting two rows in front of us. Halfway through the play, a spider landed on Bread Peet's head, and caught grandmother's attention. She started shrieking and took off her shoe, climbing to the front to whack the spider...... and Bread Peet's head. We were awestrucked but soon regained composure, and started explaining to Bread Peet that it was entirely fortuitous. We were out of the Esplanade even before Bread Peet's bodyguards could even get to seize us. It was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

T1W1 Granny gone missing

2009-01-18T12:07:00.002+08:00

My granny is eighty this year, and suffers from senile dementia like the majority of people of her age. I remember once when my brother was lax, and caused grandma to go missing. We posted placards everywhere with our contact number and was inundated with prank calls. After two hours, the usually phlegmatic me decided that it was fruitless to wait for news on grandmother's whereabouts, and started wandering about to look for granny. Finally, I conjectured that grandma could have went back to her old domicile, and to everyone's relief, grandma was there, but trying to climb over the gate. "Stop!" We screamed.

Luv

2009-01-08T17:29:00.001+08:00

Hi, Threeloyalty! ♥