2. The casino being built in Singapore is supposed to be a money-maker and job creator. However, many people have spoken against it. Talk to a parent or adult and get their view on the casino. Listen to the NPR and YouTube offerings and choose one that substantiates your viewpoint and include a quote from it as well. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words and you must either support the casino or condemn its construction and ultimately the hardships it will cause in Singapore.
The casino in Singapore is indeed a very good solution to the growing rate of unemployment as it will create jobs in Singapore and make more money at the same time. I strongly support the building of the casino. Those who have spoken against it thinks that casino will do more evil than good, but I beg to differ. The casino is a place for you to relax. As long as you don't go overboard, the casino will not do any harm at all. The casino only becomes harm when people are overly addicted to gambling. In those cases, it's not the casino's fault anymore, but the gambler's fault. People must know when to stop. Those who object to the building of the casino have absolutely no confidence in the people of Singapore.
I spoke to my dad about this matter and he agreed with my view. He said,"As long as you know how to stop, gambling is just another way to relieve stress."
I watched the video on YouTube on the advertisement about excessive gambling. That kind of people just don't know when to stop. They dream of overnight wealth which is almost impossible.
The other video about women recovering from compulsive gambling only shows the bad sides of gambling. The good sides are often not shown as people have the mentality that gambling is bad, people who go gambling are bad. People are still not able to take in the fact that gambling has two sides, one bad one good after being told for years that gambling is always bad.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
IT Home Learning Lesson 2: Favourite Poet
The poet that I adore most is Gary Soto, the reason being that his poems were simply great! His poems were mostly short and funny which is how poems should be. The amazing fact about him is that he grew up in a poor Mexican Amerian neighbourhood and since young, he had worked in the fields of San Joaquin Valley and was never academically inclined and was not motivated. However, he developed a sudden interest in poetry in high school. He then proceeded with college and university. His love for poetry took him to University of California where he studied poetry. Gary Soto was not only a poet, but he was also a writer. Although his books were not very well known, he won the Before Columbus 1985 American Book Award. After reading his poems, I noticed that most of his poems were set in the countryside where he grew up. His poems are also based on daily life experiences and not too far fetched. They also reflect on his life as a Chicano. His poems are very descriptive. For example, in "A Red Palm", he described the Sun as a red blister. His poems also rhyme beautifully and can calm down people with the serenity that is displayed in the poem. His poems all have the kind of calmness and are very soothing and pleasing to the ear. His very first collection of poems, The Elements of San Joaquin, won the United States Award of the International Poetry Forum in 1976 and was published in 1977. The New York Times Book Review honored the book by reprinting six of the poems. That marked the first achievement of his career as a poet. Since then, he published countless poetry books and poems. His great works includes "A Red Palm", "Looking Around, Believing", and "Who Will Know Us?" As I said, Gary Soto is not only a poet. For ITVS, he produced the film “The Pool Party,” which received the 1993 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Film Excellence. Gary Soto was not a genius and could write poetry from the moment he was born. He learned poetry in college from other authors such as Edward Field, W.S. Merwin, Charles Simic, James Wright and his favourite, Pablo Neruda. Then he discovered the novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and his love for writing grew. It was then that he decided to write for life. Gary Soto was a poet unlike any other and his poems would linger in the minds of people in time to come.
References
http://poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/230
http://www.garysoto.com/bio.html
References
http://poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/230
http://www.garysoto.com/bio.html
IT Home Learning Lesson 1: Figurative Language
A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
1. How is figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is, and why the poet chose to use this figurative language.
It is used in Hyperbole and Personification. The repetition of "O God!" is Hyperbole. The use of " they creep, Through my fingers to the deep", "Yet if hope has flown away" is Personification. Hyperbole is exaggerating the author's sadness and emphasises on the author's emotions. Personification gives objects human qualities, in this case, hope cannot fly away but the author wrote it so to give it human qualities. The author chose to use these figurative languages to enhance the beauty of his poem and create an image in the reader's mind.
2. Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.
I like this poem because it rhymes well and is pleasing to the ear. The poem is also realistic. It creates a parting scene in my mind for the first half o the poem and I could vividly imagine the sorrow of the author when he parted with his dear one. His grief is deeply expressed in the later half of the poem. It is very touching and can easily move a person to tears. 6th last line said,O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
I think this expresses the author's sadness deeply like he does not want to let go of his dear one but had no choice.
Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow--
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
1. How is figurative language used in the poem? Give the specific word(s), explain what type of figurative language it is, and why the poet chose to use this figurative language.
It is used in Hyperbole and Personification. The repetition of "O God!" is Hyperbole. The use of " they creep, Through my fingers to the deep", "Yet if hope has flown away" is Personification. Hyperbole is exaggerating the author's sadness and emphasises on the author's emotions. Personification gives objects human qualities, in this case, hope cannot fly away but the author wrote it so to give it human qualities. The author chose to use these figurative languages to enhance the beauty of his poem and create an image in the reader's mind.
2. Tell us why you like this poem in no less than 100 words.
I like this poem because it rhymes well and is pleasing to the ear. The poem is also realistic. It creates a parting scene in my mind for the first half o the poem and I could vividly imagine the sorrow of the author when he parted with his dear one. His grief is deeply expressed in the later half of the poem. It is very touching and can easily move a person to tears. 6th last line said,O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
I think this expresses the author's sadness deeply like he does not want to let go of his dear one but had no choice.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Village by the sea
Ten years had passed in a flash, Thul had gone through tremendous changes. Anyone who went to the great city Thul now would never have thought that it was once a quiet fishing village. Hari had progressed from working in a small watch-mending shop to an enormous watch factory! he did not just stop there, Hari was even going overseas to expand his business! Overtaking the old Biju, Hari was now the most successful and rich man in the whole of Thul as well as Alibagh. He had thousands of workers, all working in the factory which he had built with his hard earned money.
Meanwhile, Lila owned the largest farm in the whole of India. Instead of specialising in poultry only, Lila also bred pigs, cows and sheep. She even grew crops too! of course, managing the whole farm by herself was impossible, so she had to employ men to manage it for her. Being a renowned company now, her products were selling like hot cakes as many housewives trust her brand of goods.
The small wooden hut they had lived in was long gone, in its place stood a grand white two-story house, fit for the king. Inside, there was an old couple. Seeing their son and daughters doing so well, they couldn't help but smile to themselves. After a life of hardship, they finally could relax and have Hari's wife wait on them.
Hari's wife was a pretty and hardworking young lady. They had met each other in Hari's little watch-mending shop a few years ago. They were very fond of each other and decided to get married once Hari had earned enough to support her. They became a couple soon as Hari kept his promise.
And Lila? She too was married off. She was married to a dashing scholar from Bombay. Husband and wife worked together to expand their farm, going through thick and thin as a couple. They now loved each other deeply.
Bela and Kamal were sent off to Bombay to further their education. They still keep in touch by sending letters frequently to their family members or simply by phone. Bombay is still as great a city as before, not much has changed, except that there were no Europeans and people of different races walking the streets! Bela and Kamal had also befriended these overseas migrants and learned each other's languages. Shops in Bombay now had English names underneath their Indian names. Chinese migrants brought in Chinese food, and it was amazingly popular among Indians! Fast food restaurants sprouted everywhere as well and it was a booming industry. it was definitely popular among the working adults who needed quick meals as they were very busy.
So much had changed, but the more they change, the more they all seem the same. Hari and Lila are still the ones earning money, Bela and Kamal are still studying. But one change had brought about the greatest change of their lives, the building of the factories.
Meanwhile, Lila owned the largest farm in the whole of India. Instead of specialising in poultry only, Lila also bred pigs, cows and sheep. She even grew crops too! of course, managing the whole farm by herself was impossible, so she had to employ men to manage it for her. Being a renowned company now, her products were selling like hot cakes as many housewives trust her brand of goods.
The small wooden hut they had lived in was long gone, in its place stood a grand white two-story house, fit for the king. Inside, there was an old couple. Seeing their son and daughters doing so well, they couldn't help but smile to themselves. After a life of hardship, they finally could relax and have Hari's wife wait on them.
Hari's wife was a pretty and hardworking young lady. They had met each other in Hari's little watch-mending shop a few years ago. They were very fond of each other and decided to get married once Hari had earned enough to support her. They became a couple soon as Hari kept his promise.
And Lila? She too was married off. She was married to a dashing scholar from Bombay. Husband and wife worked together to expand their farm, going through thick and thin as a couple. They now loved each other deeply.
Bela and Kamal were sent off to Bombay to further their education. They still keep in touch by sending letters frequently to their family members or simply by phone. Bombay is still as great a city as before, not much has changed, except that there were no Europeans and people of different races walking the streets! Bela and Kamal had also befriended these overseas migrants and learned each other's languages. Shops in Bombay now had English names underneath their Indian names. Chinese migrants brought in Chinese food, and it was amazingly popular among Indians! Fast food restaurants sprouted everywhere as well and it was a booming industry. it was definitely popular among the working adults who needed quick meals as they were very busy.
So much had changed, but the more they change, the more they all seem the same. Hari and Lila are still the ones earning money, Bela and Kamal are still studying. But one change had brought about the greatest change of their lives, the building of the factories.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Renewable energy: A permanent viable solution?
With the world in panic regarding the alarming depletion rates of non-renewable forms of energy like crude oil and coals, we are forced to explore all other forms of possible sources of energy, and renewable energy is one of the key areas of research focus.
Renewable energy has many benefits as well as limitations. Being renewable, it's greatest benefit lies in its ability to be recycled and reused over and over again. Examples of renewable energy like solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy can be regenerated without much efforts, and they do not contribute to environmental damage as much as non-renewable forms like coals do.
Another positive aspect of renewable energy is its rampant availability. Renewable energy can be found everywhere and it is possible to set up solar cells on all parts of the earth, producing solar energy. Singapore is leading research in this area, having plans to build 2 solar-powered buildings soon. Recognising the need for energy-efficient and environment-conserving forms of energy, many key global players are also doing intensive research on this area. This means that new technology for better utilsation and storing of the energy generated via renewable means will be developed.
However, there are also negative aspects of renewable energy which explains why it is still not as prevalent today as a form of energy as it was supposed to be. The core reason why people are unwilling to depend on it for energy is because it is intermittent. For example, solar energy is only produced when there is light, and hence, during a particular period of intense cloud cover, people may not be able to get electricity at all because there is no supply of it. The same goes for wind energy, without wind, the windmills will not turn and hence, no electricity will be generated.
Another negative area of renewable energy is its difficulty of storage and cost inefficiency. Large machinery and space need to be built and cleared. Currently, no brilliant solutions has been found yet to solve these problems and hence, this explains why many countries are still not dependent on renewable forms of energy as their main source.
In conclusion, unless more breakthroughs can be done with regards to the arena of renewable energy, I do not think that it is a permanent viable solution. Instead, it will just be a spur of a moment kind of research interest with not much practical value. I feel that it is perhaps nuclear energy which will be the energy of the future, judging by the sheer amount of research that is being done on it.
Renewable energy has many benefits as well as limitations. Being renewable, it's greatest benefit lies in its ability to be recycled and reused over and over again. Examples of renewable energy like solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy can be regenerated without much efforts, and they do not contribute to environmental damage as much as non-renewable forms like coals do.
Another positive aspect of renewable energy is its rampant availability. Renewable energy can be found everywhere and it is possible to set up solar cells on all parts of the earth, producing solar energy. Singapore is leading research in this area, having plans to build 2 solar-powered buildings soon. Recognising the need for energy-efficient and environment-conserving forms of energy, many key global players are also doing intensive research on this area. This means that new technology for better utilsation and storing of the energy generated via renewable means will be developed.
However, there are also negative aspects of renewable energy which explains why it is still not as prevalent today as a form of energy as it was supposed to be. The core reason why people are unwilling to depend on it for energy is because it is intermittent. For example, solar energy is only produced when there is light, and hence, during a particular period of intense cloud cover, people may not be able to get electricity at all because there is no supply of it. The same goes for wind energy, without wind, the windmills will not turn and hence, no electricity will be generated.
Another negative area of renewable energy is its difficulty of storage and cost inefficiency. Large machinery and space need to be built and cleared. Currently, no brilliant solutions has been found yet to solve these problems and hence, this explains why many countries are still not dependent on renewable forms of energy as their main source.
In conclusion, unless more breakthroughs can be done with regards to the arena of renewable energy, I do not think that it is a permanent viable solution. Instead, it will just be a spur of a moment kind of research interest with not much practical value. I feel that it is perhaps nuclear energy which will be the energy of the future, judging by the sheer amount of research that is being done on it.
Village by the sea (Ending)
Lila turned around and smiled in delight. Their mother had recovered and their father had turned over a new leaf. Hari's poultry farm was built and Lila tended to it daily, feeding the chickens and taking care of the farm. Their father had surprisingly volunteered to clean the farm and had even gone to the market to buy food for the chickens. Meanwhile, Hari concentrated on his watch repair career. Using what he had earned in Bombay, he set up a shop right in Thul. Months later, just like what he had expected, people came from overseas in boats!
Hari guessed that they must have been engineers coming from big cities to live in Thul. Much to Hari's delight, lots of them wore watches. Within days of their arrival, Hari's business is booming.
With the combined effort of Lila and her father, their poultry farm was also a success. In a day alone, they sold close to a thousand eggs and some chicken. They also started breeding programmes for their hens.
Due to two large sources of income, Bela and Kamal could now go to school without any worries about the lack of money for the next year's books and school feels.
Their mother naturally became in charge of the household, doing chores and cooking for the family.
Like in all fairytales, Hari's family had a happy ending with both parents back together again. Hari and Lila lived a glamorous life with the money they made though sheer hard work. Bela and Kamal continued studying happily in their school. With their childhood ruined, they tried their best to make up for all the time they had lost.
Hari guessed that they must have been engineers coming from big cities to live in Thul. Much to Hari's delight, lots of them wore watches. Within days of their arrival, Hari's business is booming.
With the combined effort of Lila and her father, their poultry farm was also a success. In a day alone, they sold close to a thousand eggs and some chicken. They also started breeding programmes for their hens.
Due to two large sources of income, Bela and Kamal could now go to school without any worries about the lack of money for the next year's books and school feels.
Their mother naturally became in charge of the household, doing chores and cooking for the family.
Like in all fairytales, Hari's family had a happy ending with both parents back together again. Hari and Lila lived a glamorous life with the money they made though sheer hard work. Bela and Kamal continued studying happily in their school. With their childhood ruined, they tried their best to make up for all the time they had lost.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Mother's Memorable Read
The following is an interview between my mother and me in dialogue format.
Me: Have read any book that you still remember today?
Mother: Books? Err.. I can't remember any right now
Me: Never mind, just take a few minutes to remember.
Mother: Okay, let me think for a while
>
>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
Few Minutes Later.....
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
Mother: Ah! Remember already!
Me: Really? Okay, what's the name of the book
Mother: The Call Of The Wild
Me: Can I know who's the author?
Mother: Err... I think it is Mark Twain or was it Jack London? I forgot already
Me: Okay, never mind. Who was the main character of the story?
Mother: I can only remember Buck, the dog
Me: Can you summarise the the plot of the story in a few sentences?
Mother: Yes. The story is this dog named Buck. He was stolen and sold to some dog dealer. He stayed with the dealer a few days then got sold again to another person. Buck was the taken to a very cold place and trained as a sled dog. He then joined the team and obeyed his masters obediently. His two masters then left the team and the team was transferred to a mailing company where they deliver mails. They were then sold to a few inexperienced travellers. The travellers forced the team to travel on the dangerous ice. The team and the travellers then fell into the ice but Buck got rescued by a nice guy. Then Buck met some red indians and that's all I can remember.
Me: Okay. What was the factor that made you like the book so much and remember for so many
years?
Mother: The story plot is very exciting and it grips the reader to the end. The life of Buck is also
illustrated in the book realistically.
Me: Okay, that's enough, thank you
Mother: Okay
Me: Have read any book that you still remember today?
Mother: Books? Err.. I can't remember any right now
Me: Never mind, just take a few minutes to remember.
Mother: Okay, let me think for a while
>
>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
Few Minutes Later.....
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
Mother: Ah! Remember already!
Me: Really? Okay, what's the name of the book
Mother: The Call Of The Wild
Me: Can I know who's the author?
Mother: Err... I think it is Mark Twain or was it Jack London? I forgot already
Me: Okay, never mind. Who was the main character of the story?
Mother: I can only remember Buck, the dog
Me: Can you summarise the the plot of the story in a few sentences?
Mother: Yes. The story is this dog named Buck. He was stolen and sold to some dog dealer. He stayed with the dealer a few days then got sold again to another person. Buck was the taken to a very cold place and trained as a sled dog. He then joined the team and obeyed his masters obediently. His two masters then left the team and the team was transferred to a mailing company where they deliver mails. They were then sold to a few inexperienced travellers. The travellers forced the team to travel on the dangerous ice. The team and the travellers then fell into the ice but Buck got rescued by a nice guy. Then Buck met some red indians and that's all I can remember.
Me: Okay. What was the factor that made you like the book so much and remember for so many
years?
Mother: The story plot is very exciting and it grips the reader to the end. The life of Buck is also
illustrated in the book realistically.
Me: Okay, that's enough, thank you
Mother: Okay
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