This i believe -- Personal essay

It was the most unforgettable experience of my life. What I just went through, it changed my life forever.

I was primary 4 back then, and it was always a joy to visit my great grandmother in Malaysia. Back then, she was already 95 years old.  From the outlook, however, she was a strong, fit, old woman who could even climb flights of stairs and go to nearby shops to buy food for herself. She lived on her own, but it seemed like she was even more independent than my grandparents who were already plagued with high cholesterol amidst many other illnesses.
Every time I went back there, it was as if I could expect loads of biscuits waiting for me. It was as if I could expect a thick, red, envelop of money would be waiting for me. It was as if I could expect her arms around my back and receive many dear kisses from her. It was as if I could expect to hear her stories about how she suffered as a veteran of world war 2.

This I believe: I would be able to give back to her one day.

 All went well, and as she neared a 100 years old, she still looked as fit as ever. However, There's a harsh reality - nothing lasts forever. One has to be ready to grow, and grow fast, for suddenly, I learnt of her fall when climbing up the steps one fine day. I was traumatized.

Seconds seemed to last like eternity. I could not bear the thought of how she was as thoughts raced through my mind. Tears trickled down my cheek as if it were a breach in a dike. At the current state, my grandparents rushed back to Malaysia to have a last glimpse of their mother. However, I was told to stay behind as there was nothing else much to do already.

Back there, I called my grandparents. I figured, if she were to wake up, I would like to have a talk to her. I prayed against all hope that it would be this way. Her unmoving body, my grandparent's unwavering love, the doctor's words were all I had.

This I believe: I had to fulfill her last wish: I had to give back to her one day.
And that special wish that she had was all I could do now. It was as if that was my life's aim, my last goal that I must and had to achieve :" 用功读书，不要放弃".

Water sources for Singapore

Is Singapore River a source of water for us today?

No, it is not. The Singapore River is salty and it has to be processed before it is drinkable. Since processing this water is more costly compared to taking water from another source, the Singapore River is therefore not used as a source of water for us.

Then... Where do we get our source of water?

Today, Singapore’s source of water is partially from the rainfall that is collected in its 16 reservoirs. This is the most economic solution as rainwater is comparably clean, and it is free. However, this has never been sufficient to slake the domestic thirst, so Singapore has had to turn to neighboring Malaysia to make up the shortfall. Now, Malaysia is pumping raw water from rivers in Malaysia to Singapore, and Singapore sells some of this back to Malaysia in the form of purified water.

Advances in technology further made desalinated water an economic solution for Singapore as well, as water from the sea is pumped through a membrane, rather than the old, evaporation technique which made desalinated water too expensive to be viable for Singapore. Water reclamation did not fall short as water is continually recycled from waste waters from homes and industries. The advance method used here makes this waste water safe for consumption, through complicated ultraviolet radiation and microfiltration among other methods.

Which do you think is the best source of water for Singapore? Why?          

To me, I find that Singapore River’s best water supply is from the rainfall collected. I find that relying on other countries for water is not a good thing as the other country could just stop selling you water anytime they want. Reasons might be because of the lack of water in their own country or they found another country who would buy it at a higher price. Whatever the reason it is, Singapore has no say over what other countries decide. NEWater and desalinated water is an expensive way to get water. As we know, these processes require fuel, which is on the rise. Fuel, which is getting less and less on our planet, has a very high demand, which caused the price to have a steep incline over the past few years. To me, I find that this money could be put to a better use as to renovate buildings, given to charity, etcetra. I find that the best solution is still its own reservoir. The reservoir is a reliable, and less costly method of getting water. People might critic that by doing this, there will not be enough land for other use. However, I think that Singapore has a lot of unused land as well. Sometimes as I look out of the car, I can see huge patches of unused land, probably owned by the government. I think that some of this land can be used to build reservoirs.

Introduction to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Summary

Four siblings discovered that a wardrobe in an old country house was a portal that connected their world to the magical land of Narnia. There, it is winter for over hundreds of years, due to the spell casted by the evil white witch.

On his first trip to Narnia alone, Edmund meets the evil White Witch and is lured into betraying his siblings. However, just when all hope was lost, the real king of Narnia, Aslan, returns to the land, heralding the end of the endless winter. A prophecy was later reviewed to them. If all four siblings were to make it to Cair Paravel and sit on the four thrones, the witch will meet her doom. 

Aslan taps into the deeper magic before the dawn of time and frees Edmund from the curse that was placed by the white witch. The white witch later launches an all out attack on the four humans when she realised that Aslan had been away for awhile.

Just when she looked like she was going to win, Aslan comes back with a huge army behind him. He kills the white witch personally through his razor sharp claws and finally, the evil that hung over Narnia for the past centuries had been removed. The children, who fought gallantly in the battle were later proclaimed kings and queens of Narnia.

Setting

My favourite setting is the stone table. It was where Aslan was humiliated, killed and reborned. As Edmund has ate the witch’s food, his blood was her property, as she knew the deep magic of the dawn of  time. So, Aslan tried to be the one who will get killed, and the witch agreed. That night, he went face to face with the witch and many other creatures and get tortured and finally killed. He was reborned as he knew the deeper magic before the dawn of time.

My favourite character: ASLAN

Picture of Aslan in the movie

My favourite character is Aslan, the lion. He was brave, as leading an army against the witch is not easy. He was even willing to be humiliated by the witch to save Edmund’s death, and trying to keep it a secret from his army. He also accepted Edmund, although he has betrayed them. He was also not an ordinary lion. His mane was like gold, and his roar is much more ferocious than any other lions in Narnia. He can also talk, like humans can.

The plot which I feel should be changed

Why did I want to change the plot?

The plot in which the author used does not depict the true evilness of the Witch is. She would simply just kill him instantly, but only if she has no choice, would she sweet talk to him and try to prepare against him.

THE ORINGINAL PLOT

Chapter 4 

From: Then, just as he gave himself up for lost, she appeared to change her mind……

To: He was quite warm now, and very comfortable.

THE CHANGED PLOT

Chapter 4 

Just then, the witch raised her wand, just when she was about to turn him into a statue, Edmund saw a weird looking person as tall as a house. It pounced on her just in time, and her wand was broken. The witch gave a yell of rage and hurriedly retreated on her sledge. After he warned him about the witch, he took off. The moment he was out of sight, the witch appeared again.

“Now, now, son of Adam, don’t be afraid. I’m not going to harm you.” she said, and smiled. “ Are you cold? Now come here and I’ll put a jacket over you.What would you like? Perhaps a warm drink? How about some roasted duck?”

“No thanks,” said Edmund, and turned to go knowing that she was up to no good.

"Now, son of Adam, do you not know that that monster you saw was a bully? He pushed me away and broke my wand! And I was just playing with it! A truly horrible thing. Just look,” said the witch, and presented her broken wand.

“What about a nice warm glass of hot cocoa, with some delicious Turkish delight? And we will talk over the matter,” said the witch in a kind voice, which is not the usual for her.

Full of greed, Edmund hurriedly agreed. Soon, he was sitting beside the Queen, on the sledge, eating at his food very comfortably.

The Merchant Of Venice

The people of England, namely Shakespeare and Elizabeth which influenced the play: The Merchant Of Venice. Today we shall look more into this...

Why is William Shakspere of Stratford-upon-Avon an unlikely candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works;

Shakespeare was born to a poor, working-class Warwickshire family which would not have had enough access to any of the resources such as education, libraries or capacity for abstract thought that an author would require to complete such an extraordinary body of work.

 Who are the possible candidates?

Edward de Vere, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Francis Bacon and Mary Sidney.

Who is the most likely candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works? Provide reasons to support your view.

Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford is the most likely candidate. According to Kurt Kreiler's book, The Man Who Invented Shakespeare, The Earl gave himself the penname 'Spear-shaker' due to his ability at tournaments. Furthermore,  It is said that he had a prominent political career in court and was a well-regarded poet and sportsman. He was also a sponsor of acting companies such as the Oxford's Boys and a flamboyant nobleman.. As the Earl of one of England's most affluent and academic cities, Oxford would have been rich enough to travel to every country Shakespeare ever set a play in. He was also thought to have owned a home in Stratford from 1589 to 1616, which corresponds roughly with the time Shakespeare's canon was written.

 Elizabeth I: who was she?

Elizabeth I was the queen of England.

 What were England’s international relations like during Elizabeth’s reign?

England had strong international relations with countries that contributed significantly to the English
dominance in the colonial era during Elizabeth's reign. The queen maintained strong relations with the Ottoman Empire and North Africa, thus creating strong allies and maintaining effective trade. Furthermore, she established a long, peaceful process of trade with the Russian Tsardom which was one of the most powerful states in the 16th century.

 What was Shakespeare’s relationship with Elizabeth I?

Queen Elizabeth was a huge supporter of the arts in England and she also wrote poetry herself. She very much liked Shakespeare’s plays, and stood against the puritans who wished to close down the theatres. Later, she regularly invited Shakespeare and his acting company, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later The King’s Men, to perform in her court.

Compare Elizabeth I to Portia. How is Portia’s character a tribute to Elizabeth I?

Portia and Elizabeth were equally intelligent. Queen Elizabeth used tactics to defeat the Spanish Amada and helped England prosper, while Portia was intelligent in finding the loophole of the bond between Shylock and Antonio together with the trick made about the rings.

Computers, a modern marvel

Computers are a modern innovation. Little is known about the effects that computers bring as extensive research has not been carried out on all fields of the computer age. Furthermore, research papers have not been published as a lack of scrutiny into this new world. Today however, I am going to clarify that the benefits of the usage of computers far outnumber and outweigh the harms that computer bring.

Computers and the technology today allow people to receive any type of information in the world right at their fingertips. For example, in America, computers is the basis of every profession, be it to write up information, to check background information for police officers, to issue fishing licenses at fishing stores. This brings about greater convenience and efficiency, as the computing power of the computer is far greater than the human brain. Furthermore, this would also eliminate human errors and replace it with mechanical precision.

Next, Computers permit us to socialise with our friends and get connected with our family who live a great distant from us. This means that one would no longer need to physically be there to get in touch with someone pertaining a certain issue. One of the largest developing platform of these social networking sites is Facebook, with more than 750 million active users, with 50% of their active users logging on to Facebook in any given day. This reduces the distance between continents and makes the world a much more warm and close environment.

However, it is noted that some people complain of computer games being a harmful vice of the computer age that will result to definite drop in grades or the inattention at work. As shown, a Time magazine cover article reported about the issue of "over-parenting," written by Nancy Gibbs in 2009, stated that "the percentage of  "free gaming time dropped 25 percent" from 1981 to 1997. This is a huge misconception and to counter this argument, research from the University of Rochester published in the world's most respected science journal, Nature, offers compelling evidence that playing first-person computer games radically enhances visual attention skills. Video and computer games also help children gain self confidence and many games are based on history, city building, and governance, which indirectly teach children about aspects of life on earth. Although addiction to gaming is a bad thing, but computer games alone, if taken in moderation is actually beneficiary, so it is untrue to state that  computer games are definitely harmful.

Computers are part of almost everybody's everyday lives, and with the continuous expansion of the computer industry, computers will only be increasing every year as more capabilities are developed, and the true long term effects of the usage of computer will yet to be revealed.

References:

Author unknown (Date unknown) The Concerns

Media Awareness Network © 2010
Retrieved on: 13 August 2011
Retrieved from: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/video_games/concerns/

Author unknown (2003) Computer games good for IQ

MediLexicon International Ltd © 2011
Retrieved on: 13 August 2011
Retrieved from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/3680.php

Author unknown (Date unknown) Computers
123HelpMe.com © 2011
Retrieved on: 13 August 2011
Retrieved from: http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=59903

Author unknown (Date unknown) Statistics
Facebook © 2011
Retrieved on: 13 August 2011
Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

Timothy Rudon (Date unknown) 10 Benefits Of Video Games
SelfGrowth.com © 1996-2011
Retrieved on: 13 August 2011
Retrieved from: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/10_Benefits_Of_Video_Games.html

ALEXIS HAUK (2011) Letting them fly: A parent's most difficult job?
Dow Jones Local Media Group, Inc. © 2011.
Retrieved on: 13 August 2011
Retrieved from: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110812/LIFE/108120302/-1/ENTERTAIN

Trip to Sungei Bulog Wetland reserve

About 2 months ago, I visited Singapore's nature reserve: Sungei Buloh. Having read the chapter of Ecology in my science textbook, I was inspired to look for the phenomenon of the interactions in an ecosystem for myself. And this did not disappointed me, as I found almost all that I wanted there. Mainly, I was looking mainly for interactions between organisms and the general conditions of the swampy environment. I also encountered so many unique adaptations of organisms that I would not have enough time to describe them all. So here are my brief findings:

1) Adaptations of a crab

Crab and its habitat

zoom in on crab



Crabs have an outermost shell, or carapace, that acts as a protective armor to help the crustacean protect its vital organs during an attack from potential predators. Also, for each variety of crab, they have a different outer shell color as it helps them blend into their surroundings. For example the crab stated above has similar colours as the rock and is hard to notice from a distance.

Besides that, as shown in the crab above, they have eyes that are mounted on flexible, lengthy stalks which enables the crab to be able to see to the side, front and back in its search for food or predators.
Next, crabs have large front claws, or chelipeds, and these pincer like claws are crucial for the crab’s defense and collection of prey for food.

Finally, crabs have antennas and many legs that enables them to smell, feel, and move safely away from predators and find food swiftly.
 
2) Abiotic factors

Typical mangrove soil

 Abiotic components of mangrove soil consists of  the pH of the damp soil, the available oxygen, nutrients, winds and currents, light, temperature, humidity, tides and salinity.
From the picture, we can tell that in this particular instance, the soil is very moist due to the constant tidal waves that sweeps through the mangroves, the pH is low due to the decaying leaves, the available oxygen is scarce due to the soil being dense, the nutrients available is high due to the many trees that provide it, and the light is low due to the many particles in the soil.

3) Population interactions: mutualism

Insects on the flower

Flower

Mutualism is an interaction between two or more species, where species derive a mutual benefit, meaning that both parties get a benefit. One or both species involved in the interaction may be obligate, meaning they cannot survive in the short or long term without the other species.

In the picture above, the insects help to pollinate the flower, and the insects get food and nutrients as well. Therefore, both parties benefit and this therefore can be said to be Mutualism.
 

4) Population interactions: commensalism

Mangrove trees produce a lot of leaves and other organic matter like all other trees. However, instead of accumulating these leaves and organic matter in the soil, the leaves fall in the water, where they rot and provide food for microbes and many tiny animals in the water. Furthermore, the roots of the mangroves also provide shelter because they block our large birds and other predators that are eager to prey on them.

Mangrove trees in a swamp

Because there is lots of food in mangrove areas, and good shelter among the mangrove roots, some kinds of fish come there to reproduce. Therefore it can be said that the mangroves are a critical habitat upon which these species depend for survival, and if something happens to the mangroves, the future of these kinds of fish will be affected.

However, the Mangroves do not really depend on these animals in turn in any way in their growth, therefore this sort of relationship the mangrove has with its marine life is commensalism, where the marine animals benefit while the tree remains neutral.

5) Competition

Plants competing for resources

All plants need nutrients, light and water to survive. However, if a large number of such plants compete in a small area, there will be scarce resources which are insufficient for the plant’s growth. Therefore, the plants compete against one another for their reward: namely water, sunlight and nutrients. Some plants go mainly on the offense, trying to get as much as they can. Other plants use defensive methods to make sure that what they already have will not be taken away by others.

In the above picture, the main area of competition which is obvious to us is in gathering available sunlight. The plants grow as tall as they can, trying to gather as much sunlight at the expense of nearby, shorter plants.

6) Population interactions: exploitative relationships(parasitism)

Plant growing on tree

The harms and benefits in parasitic interactions concern the biological fitness of the organisms involved. Parasites reduce host fitness, ranging from general or specialized pathology such as a modification of host behaviour. In the mean time, parasites increase their fitness by exploiting hosts for resources necessary for the parasite's survival.

In the above picture, we can see the shoot of the young plant  coiled around a tree. The plant that grow on a tree feeds of the nutrients of the host plant in terms of nutrients, water and food for its own use to grow. The tree does not gain any benefits, and instead loses its resources to this plant, therefore it can be said that the plant is the parasite that feeds of the host tree.

Must leaders be judged by what they do in their private lives regardless of their leadership qualities?

With regard to leaders with double lives, let me start with a quote from Matthew, Disciple of Jesus, that bests describes them: " You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Such leaders do their best to present well of themselves in public, but what they do in their private lives are far from the same utopian state.

Let us recap on exactly what characteristics classifies a good leader. This is not with reference to a company manager, a state governor,  a president or so on so forth. But, in a larger sense that applies to all leaders in any field, in any state, in any country.

They are to serve their people the best they can;  they are to be compassionate about their job; they are to uphold morale standards for their people;  they are to be respectful to their people's opinions, without any they would never make a good leader.

So what if they might be able to manage their jobs well, so what if they get along with their colleagues, so what if they have good leadership qualities? Secretly, if they are doing something else behind the scenes, would all this matter? Would anyone like to have a leader that does not practice what they preach?

All leaders are subject for scrutiny through their actions taken out of office as the private lives of leaders matter to the people.

Before I move on we should stop and review: what constitutes a private life? To me, it ranges everything from hobbies to drug taking. Some would argue that this would be the equivalent of gossip, but this "gossip" is duly necessary. It helps the people better understand their leaders beyond their masks they wear when in office.

If the private life of a leader has an impact on his public standing, this is the only way people are able to judge his true character and with that respond accordingly. Therefore it is necessary to judge a leader's personal life as this is giving the right to the people to see their leaders from a holistic point of view for them to better decide who is fit to be their leaders.

Credibility must be earned. Our morals and ethics must form a seamless garment in all that we do – both publically and privately. From what I see, this is not humanly impossible. Cory Aquino who was once president of the Philippines, achieved this, being a plain housewife. Golda Meir, former prime minister of Israel, achieved this, being a plain teacher. 

If one is unable to uphold the qualities expected from a leader, one should step down immediately. Why not choose another route in life? Why must one wait to be forcibly pushed down from one's post before giving in?

Finally, I would like to leave you with this: “I do not write this to shame you, but to warn and counsel you as my beloved children.”

The Singapore budget

The underlying problem of Singapore

I feel that Singapore today is facing the problem of rapid inflation. Singapore’s inflation accelerated to an 18-month high as record economic growth in the first half of 2010 spurred demand for goods and services, sustaining pressure on the central bank to allow currency gains. As prices soared, many Singaporeans found it harder and harder to sustain their basic necessities.

Is there a hidden agenda in giving out free money?

Along with this rapid inflation, Singapore's economy grew at a record 17.9 percent pace in the first six months of 2010, as surging exports bolstered manufacturing and the opening of two casino-resorts boosted services. Coult it be because of this growth, that the government has agreed to give this budget of One-off Benefits for households?

Aims of Singapore budget

 With this budget of One-off Benefits for Households,  it is said that all Singaporeans would be able to cope with the rising costs of living. The elderly  will also benefit as their CPF Medisave Accounts of Singaporeans aged 45 and above will be topped up. The Needy would also be taken care of by funds.  Families supporting children would also get cash bonuses. Additional Utilities-Save (U-Save) and Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) rebates will be given this year, further alleviating the problem of inflation. Finally, a one-off Special Bonus will be paid out to those on the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme and Personal Income Tax Rebate will help low and middle income groups.

Will the government succeed in fulfilling its aims?

To me, I feel that this solution does not work in the long run. The problem is that wages have barely kept pace with inflation. After this giveaways, it is uncertain when the next giveaway would be held. With all this giveaways, it would not last very long too. Most people might even spend it straight on the spot. Therefore, this would just save us from the relentless inflation for a short period of time. The government even stated that :" we can't do this every year", which is to say that they are barely balancing or making a deficit and dipping into reserves. After this one-off benefits, the reality will once again sink into us as we are plunging into poverty and recession. Therefore I think the government should work more on long term measures instead of one time measures as this measure is not really solving the problem that we are currently facing.

Meritocratic Singapore

Meritocracy is by far the most successful in ensuring equality to all. With this system, everyone who deserves respect and praise gets it because they earned it, and not because they were born with it. This gives people the chance to choose who they become with their achievements and accomplishments determining factors. This is also supported by the quote :" An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". It is a fair reward for the amount of work that one does in life.

Next, Meritocracy takes into account a holistic list of talents and strengths of people. In a meritocratic society, a person's merits are judged based on one's IQ, in the form of academic work, as well as EQ, in the form of character upbringing. As quoted from Dr. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, :" IQ accounts for 20% of a person's success in life, while the rest largely attributed to emotional intelligence". Meritocracy captures these two main traits and thus gives fair chance to all no matter their area of strength.

Although some people argue that Meritocracy is a haphazard thinking with the reason being  that in order for equal opportunities to be ensured for all in society, the pre-requisite would be that people in society must enjoy equal access to these opportunities, one cannot expect a system to be perfect. At present, it has to be admitted that meritocracy is the best systems that reaches the highest level of equality coupled with one of the highest level of productivity.

 Now, let me introduce the topic of a successful life. Broadly speaking, someone who has a successful life must be able to set goals and accomplish those goals in one's life. Usually, there is a common denominator for a truly successful life, and it is to include wisdom, faith in a higher being, and peace with oneself and the environment.

Indeed, meritocracy is backed by the definition of a successful life. Therefore meritocracy is the best way for schools in Singapore to enable the brightest and best to rise to the top to reach a Utilitarianistic future.