How I felt during the projets day semi finals

Hey guys,

I am sure some of you have gone through the semi-final round today, so how did you feel before and during your presentation? Of course, how you feel after the presentation is quite predictable. You would most likely feel relieved that the presentation is finally over, or maybe you would have some regrets, regretting perhaps the fact that you were slacking (glares at some people in our class).

During and before the presentation, I admit that our whole group was kinda nervous, especially Elvis our dear old mr paranoid group leader, who kept claming that our powerpoint was simply not good enough without being able to come out with ideas to improve on it. DESPITE our countless number of times of persuasion, he still did not believe that the powerpoint was good. So, we turned to a propaganda technique...... Assertion! However, that did not work either.

Finally, the time for us to present came. We were all extremely nervous, apart from Yi Shin who does not seem to have nerves at all (don't take that literally). When we were presenting, my legs felt worse than jelly. How I managed to pull through is a surprise. However, as I was the third speaker, by the time it was finally my turn to speak, I was surprisingly less nervous. And interestingly, Elvis was kinda right about our presentation being not good enough. It may not have been what he was thinking, but our powerpoint was a little bit too long, and we therefore had to skip some slides (*sob*). However, we got mostly contrustive comments from the project judges, leaving us elated. Wish us all the best, and you guys too!

Hey all,
I was just wondering if you guys ever had this feeling when you feel that someone, just somone, whether sinister or a guardian angel, is watching you, only to find that nobody around you actually is? I am sure many of you have felt that way too. So what exactly is the reason for this? Are we paranoid, are we having a sense of insecurity? Have we done something wrong?
To tell you the truth, I really do not have any idea on why we feel this way. Maybe it's a feeling everyone has deep down in their hearts, maybe it is a fear of people finding out of ones sins, ones secrets. There are many different opinions, of course. I believe that, facing this type of question, the answer deep down will be never found. However, I might have another opinion on this. Something to do with our loved ones. No, not our loved ones that are beside us, protecting us with their bodies, comforting us when we are sad. This type of loved ones are in another world, something people call the afterlife ( No offence to those who don't believe in it)
Basically, this might be described as a kind of supernatural force, something unexplainable once again. However, if you think about it, if your loved ones want to protect you know, wouldn't they want to do so too after they have passed away? There is this saying that love would last for a lifetime, so why can't it last for a eternity? I am pretty sure that your loved ones, even after they have passed away, will do all they can to try and see you living safely and happily.
Okay, that was just my theory. It might sound nonsensical to some, yet it might some perfectly sensible to others. Hence, it's up to you to decide.
Thankzzz
jeremy

About the Casino being built

Hey,
Indeed, this casino is expected to bring some social problems to Singapore. However, if you look at the whole picture, this is a really good way to make money from foreigners and create job oppurtunities for unemployed Singaporeans, something we need during this recession. Furthermore, the Singapore government has done its part to try an reduce the number of compulsive gamblers that are Singaporeans.
Firstly, we being such a small country with not much pulling power due to the lack of beautiful sights such as mountains and waterfalls, building this casino seems like the only method to attract foreigners. After all, if we do not do so, we would definitely be losing out to the numerous countries that have casinos in terms of revenue, such as Malaysia, Macau etc, as these foreigners who enjoy gambling (it is unfair to say that they are compulsive gamblers as there is no evidence) would flock to other countries, leaving us wondering what we have done wrong. This seems like the last resort by the government as if you look back, you realise that Lee Kuan Yew had always firmly rejected ideas to build casinos in Singapore, fearing the worst.
Secondly, building a casino here not only creates more revenue for Singapore, it also creates job oppurtunities for Singaporeans. Now, isn't that just great? In view of the current financial state and the astonishing number of people being retrenched, this is a great move by the Singapore government to create a huge number of jobs at one go. If you were out of a job for a while and in desperate need to have income, wouldn't you embrace this oppurtunity with both hands? Think about that.
Lastly, the Singapore government has put in place some measures to dissuade Singaporeans from getting addicted to gambling. They have set up counselling centres and hotlines for people with gambling addictions to seek help from if they find themselves needing professional advice to quit cold turkey. Furthermore, the casino has allowed family members to block their loved ones from entering the casino. The government is also pondering over putting in place an exorbitant entrance fee of $100 per entry or $2,000 every year.
Therefore, if you look at the measures the Singapore government has taken, you have to give them a pat on the back and admit that this move might most likely be for Singapore's own good. However, it remains to be seen whether the measures put in place is effective in preventing Singaporeans from getting addicted to gambling. So, for now, I am for this idea of building a casino.
Thanks for reading,
Jeremy

My Favourite Poet

Hey,
Well, I remember in primary school, when we would read our textbooks with many poems inside, and I was particularly fascinated by one poet - Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) . So now, I shall share a bit about him, and hopefully you would, like me, see the beauty in this wonderful poet.

Do you know that, amazingly, Shel Silverstein never studied poetry like other poets? Pretty hard to believe, considering the fact that his poems can be compared with the likes of other poets that studied poetry, or maybe even better than the others. Having not studied poetry like the other poets, he had to develop a style of his own, and my, what an unusual style he developed. His poems were laid-back and conversational, occasionally having some profanitie and slangs. And that, I feel, is what made me feel so attracted to his poems.

Shel Silverstein never intended to write poems for children when he first started his career. His editor, however, encouraged him to do so and after writing his first book which was filled with what we called "silly but unique" ideas and poems, he realised his passion for writing for children. A quote by Otto Penzler says, "his unmistakable illustrative style is another crucial element to his appeal. Just as no writer sounds like Shel, no other artist's vision is as delightfully, sophisticatingly cockeyed". All of us readers would have to admit, while his poems may sounds ridiculous, they are very enthralling to read, us being lost in the world Shel Silverstein has painted in his poems.

Shel was not only a poet and an author, he was also a cartoonist, a musician, a composer, a singer-songwriter and a screenwriter. These probably made him become a wonderful poet as he was able to use the skills in these different areas to combine to form a poem like no other. He wrote famous songs like "A boy named Sue" and sketches like "One Tennis Shoe". Late in his life,his favorite places such as Greenwich Village, Key West, Martha’s Vineyard, and Sausalito, California, where he continued to write beautiful poems, songs etc. He died in 1999 in Key West, Florida. It was a rather sad loss of a genius in illustration through words, and a person that no one would be able to replace.

Some examples of his poems are: If the World was Crazy, Mr Grumpledump's song and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Hope you would take some time to read his poems and be like everyone else that had read his poems, be lost in a magical world created by Shel Silverstein.

Thanks for reading. Special thanks to wikipedia(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shel_Silverstein) and poets.org(too long an address) for providing me with all the valuable information:)

Why I like this poem

Back with the second post,
Well, basically, I like this poem simply because I find it very meaningful as it shares with us some important matters in life. It is about a mother sharing with her son her experiences to prepare him for the outside world, therefore making it very real. Firstly, it reminds us that life is not a straighforward path, it has many obstacles we have to overcome. It also reminds us that we have to keep trying, keep improving, so that we can overcome these obstacles, and, at the end of the journey, succeed. Finally, it reminds us that we should not turn back when facing obstacles, we should keep going, keep climbing.
Thanks

Figurative Language

Hey,
The poem I have chosen is Mother to Son by Langston Hughes. It is "Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floorâ. Bare. But all the timeI'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now—For I'se still goin', honey,I'se still climbin',And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Firstly, this phrase "crystal stair" is, in my opinion, a use of figurative language. It is, in my opinion, a metaphor. Life has no relation with a crystal stair, and therefore it doesn't make sense to say that "life ain't been no crystal stair". Therefore, the poet wants us to draw a conclusion that this "crystal stair" is representing a smooth journey, without many obstacles. Therefore, in this instance, he is saying that life for this mother has not been smooth with many difficulties she has had to overcome. I suppose that the poet chose to use this figurative language as it sounds fanciful and stylish and mskes the reader more interested as you must read the whole poem before you can fully understand that phrase, something that cannot be achieved if you directly tell the readers what you are saying.
Actually, there are more uses of metaphors here, such as "tacks" and "splinters", as life cannot have tacks and splinters, can it? Now, touching on symbolism. The word "dark" in the poem is used as a symbol that, in my opinion, represents a place where all seems lost, in other words, failure. In my opinion, the author is trying to tell us that when we fail, we "dont turn back" like this mother, we should keep trying, and like what the poet wrote, "keep climbing".
Okay, that is about it for figurative language, read my next post to find out why I like this poem.

What is the right way to live?:

Hey guys,

Well, nowadays with people of working hard, desperate to earn as much money as they possibily can, have you ever paused and wondered, "Is that really the right way to live? Is there really any meaning left in life if I continue living my life this way, working long hours just to earn money that I will spend on luxurious cars and high-class restaurants?" Therefore, keeping this in mind, I am here to share a bit with you on what i think is very meaningful in life.

Now, what indeed can we do with the money we earn? Well, of course, we pay off our neccessities, such as our house loan, our electricity bills, our food and so on. Then, what do we do with the rest of the money we have? Well, one option, we can use it to indulge ourselves, but isn't that a bit selfish? How about all the others that have no food to eat, no books to study? Won't they feel disgusted at the way you are just spending your money? Now, I really feel that this money can be put to better use if we were a little more caring, a little more kind. So indeed, what is this meaningful act?

Well, you can say it is helping the less fortunate people.

Indeed, it is a wonder how this act of kindness, no matter the amount, will make you feel so satisfied, a feeling you would never get from spending your money on luxurious cars and high-class restaurants. If you do not wish to contribute your money, you can always contribute your energy by helping to build schools to give more people the chance to receive some education, in a bid to provide them an oppurtunity to leave the kind of poverish state they had been immersed in since young.

In case you are not satisfied with my explanation of getting a feeling of satisfaction after doing this good act, then you have just to look at the world's richest and most successful people. Most of them, I am sure, would donate lots of money to charity. Firstly, to be successful, you must have a kind heart. And people that do charity work obviously have a kind heart right? And, in my opinion, they would find life much less enriching if they do not do charity work. After all, at the end of the day, it is kind of boring just working and working to earn money without seeing it really go to anything meaningful.

So now, I srongly encourage you to do some charity work, no matter the amount. and I promise you that you would realise that life is more meaningful than you actually knew.

Thanks for reading,
Jeremy