Comment on ShengHua's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on ShengHua's blog and on one of his blog posts.

http://www.caustic-potash.blogspot.com/

ShengHua's blog has a simple background, with words that are easily read.

However, if his words could be just a little bit bigger, then it would be okay.

His blog post about the theme of change in Emily of Emerald Hill is well written, and it provides insightful information to what change is all about in Emily of Emerald Hill. It covers the pointers sufficiently, and is enough to fill one's mind with what is needed.

However, he could have added in some of his own personal reflections. That would have made the post much better and insightful.

There is nothing much to say, really. Overall I feel that his blog is rather well done.

Thank You.

Comment on Darrell's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Darrell's blog and on one of his posts.

http://www.causticpotashhh.blogspot.com/

When looking at Darrell's blog I actually have to squint to see the words.

Darrell's blog has actually very miniscule and microscopic words.

One actually has to either move nearer to the screen or zoom in to see it clearly.

Furthermore I feel that Darrell has not put in much effort into his reflections and comments. His comments are not very insightful, and they only cover the topic at a very superficial level.

He should go into more depth about his own reflections, such as: the cause of the problem, how it can be solved etc.

Thats all I have to say.

Thank You.

Comment on Marcus Lau's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting about Marcus Lau's blog and on one of his blog posts.

http://www.blanketboymarcus.blogspot.com/

Marcus' background is simple, the font is easy to read.

However, one thing i would like to point out is about the length of his posts.

True, long posts might reflect on his character and the way he thinks. It also shows hoe deep Marcus has gone when posting his blog post.

However, there are always two sides to a coin.

Long posts might not sustain the interest of readers. Although it provides insight, it might cause the reader to feel bored very easily.

Marcus' post about success is really thought provoking.

It is true that everyone has their own definition of success.

Different people find success and happiness(which is closely liked to success) is different things.

For example, some may find an interest and a love in drawing, music etc.

I myself find an interest in Pokemon.

His post also ends with a cliff-hanger:

"So, what is your definition of success?"

This really lets the reader to ponder and reflect about him/herself.

Reflections are really important in our lives.

This blog/post has really intrigued me.

It lets us reflect, and to ponder about more questions and possibilities.

This blog is definitely a "must-read".

Thank You.

Comment on Sze Chuan's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Sze Chuan's blog and on one of his blog posts.

http://www.causticpotashhhh.blogspot.com/

Sze Chuan's blog has a background of light green. The palm trees also give viewers a calm and soothing effect when looked at.

Sze Chuan has done a

Poem Analysis - The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

I feel that Sze Chuan is only giving a brief description and narrative about the poem. What he should actually have done is to give a detailed analysis about the poem. This way, he not only will learn more about the poem, he will also learn the ways to analyse the poem. e.g. the literary devices, effects of poem etc. With a full analysis, I feel that his blog could become a very complete blog.

Thank You.

Comment on Joel's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Joel's blog and one of his posts.

http://www.jneater.blogspot.com/

Joel's blog is actually very simple. It is merely black words on an orange background.

However, i feel that his words are actually too crammed. His words stick together, and there is no breathing space in between. He should improve on that area.

I would also like to comment on Joel's post about the swiss vandal.

Actually, Singaporeans should be thankful to them.

Have we actually wondered - what if the person who managed to go over the fence was a terrorist planting a bomb? it would surely result in a large number of deaths.

Singapore should reflect, not only on this case, but also about the Mas Selamat case as well.

Has Singaporean security de-proved in the last few years? are we getting too complacent?

This is something we ALL have to ponder about as we all have a part to play in Singapore's safety.

Thank You.

Comment on Cleon's blog

Dear all

Today I will be commenting on Cleon's blog.

http://www.bloggingcurrently.blogspot.com/

Cleon's blog has many comments on other people's blogs. This would allow him to have some reflection on other people's blogs, and how he can improve on his own blog. His design is simple and eye catching. the words can be easily seen, and a reader does not have to frown at the screen to see what he has written.

Cleon has done some posts about other matters such as good quotes about emily of emerald hill, and how to write a good essay.

This allows him to have a recap on what he has learnt so far, and will help him in his revision in the future. i feel that he is an example to us and we should all learn from him.

Thank You.

Singapore fencers.

Singapore's LIANE WONG represented our nation for the women's foil event..

however she was knocked out in the quarter finals.

here is our fencer that did us proud, LIANE WONG

Singapore's, and Hwa Chong Institution's very own RANIA RAHARDJA represented our nation for the women's epee event.

however she was knocked out in the direct elimination round.

lastly, JUSTIN LIM represented our nation in the men's foil individual event.

he too was knocked out at the direct elimination round.

i would like to thank the fencers for all that they have done and hope that they would achieve better results in the future.

volunteer's job

i, as a volunteer has been assigned a job "video assistant".

what is that? i will tell you now.

my job was simply to capture the match between the two fencers on film. simple enough?

it was, the volunteers found out, easier said then done. sometimes, the fencers moved so fast that we were unable to catch them on film. but after a while we got used to it.

i must say, we did quite a good job.

what we were controlling was practically a large camera on a ten metre tripod (its not easy)

once we gotten the hang of it, it was quite easy.

fencing - the other sword fighting

now, let me give you an introduction on fencing!

fencing, is the sense of "the action or art of using the sword scientifically", and dates to the late 16th century, introduced to denote systems designed for the Renaissance rapier.

fencing is one of the four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games. Currently, three types of weapon are used in Olympic fencing:

Foil — a light thrusting weapon; the valid target is restricted to the torso, the chest, shoulders, and back; double touches are not allowed. This weapon follows the rules of "right of way." In the 17th century it used to be named fleuret and it was developed in France.

Epee — a heavy thrusting weapon; the valid target area covers the entire body; double touches are allowed. There is no "right of way" in épée.

Sabre — a light cutting and thrusting weapon; the valid target area is the saddle line, which is from one side of the fencer's hip to the other, and up, this also includes the head. The target area does not include the hands. This weapon follows the rules of "right of way." The sabre is also used for training because of its light weight.

well that was just some basic information. i am fencing the sabre.

let me continue with my YOG journey.

The YOG experience

after being a volunteer at the inaugural singapore 2010 youth olympic games, i have experienced what being a volunteer truly feels like. before i go into any details about my time there a brif introduction about the sport i was helping in must be given.

to your spirit, i thee wed.

I have never heard of ghost marriages untill now. to some, like me, have no idea what it is. hence i decided to do some research and here are my findings.

A ghost marriage is a marriage in which one or both parties are deceased. Several cultures practice a form of ghost or spirit marriage, but China is probably most famous for its ghost marriage tradition. Ghost marriages are sometimes featured in Chinese films and novels, and occasionally stories about ghost marriages make their way into the West. The practice of ghostmarriage is linked to centuries of tradition and complex beliefs about the spirit world.

in one form of the ghost marriage, both parties are deceased. Chinese culture places a heavy value on partnership for people of marriageable age, especially women, and if someone of marriageable age should die before he or she can marry, the family may choose to hold a ghost marriage. Some families believe that it is unlucky or even dangerous to allow someone to remain buried without a spouse. The family consults with a priest or expert to find a suitable spouse, relying on astrological profiles to find a match.

If a match is found, a formal wedding ceremony is held in a temple, complete with the burning of offerings so that the partners have objects to use in the spirit world. Paper stand-ins are used for the bride and groom, with these stand-ins being burned at the end of the ceremony along with the rest of the offerings.

For Chinese women, a ghost marriage can be especially important. By tradition, many Chinese families keep tablets which represent their ancestors on the family altar. The family is responsible for praying for their ancestors and providing offerings, including food and spirit money which can be used in the afterlife. Chinese women who die unmarried are not entitled to a tablet on the family altar; a ghost marriage, however, ensures that the woman will have a tablet on the altar of her husband's family, so that she will be taken care of in the spirit world.

There are a variety of other reasons to perform ghost marriages. Some families hold marriages to appease angry spirits, while others choose to perform a ghost marriage to avoid allowing younger sons to marry before older sons. If a younger son marries first, this is viewed as inauspicious. Families may also utilize ghost marriages to carry on a family line; if an only son dies and he is wedded in a ghost marriage, the family can adopt a grandson to continue the family name.

The people involved in a ghost marriage do not necessarily need to be deceased. Wealthy families may hold a marriage between a living woman and a dead son, with the woman providing the justification to adopt a grandson. It is also possible for a living man to marry a dead woman, although this is less common. Some people may also hold ghost marriages to satisfy an engagement contract in the event that one of the fiancees dies before the marriage is held.

I have never heard of ghost marriages untill now. would you want to do it when you have left this world?

Diary entry about the Youth Olympic Games

Dear Singapore

Congratulations! you have been chosen to hold the inaugural Youth Olympic Games!

I am so envious! when can i do something great like you?

You must feel so excited, with so may visitors coming over. you must be interested in making new friends. do you know where your new friends are coming from? you don't? let me tell you then! did you know that there are 205 countries sending their representatives to you? don't you feel proud!

hmm? specific countries? no problem! but not all 205 of course! some renowned countries are: australia, brazil, germany, hong kong, china, france, italy, argentina the united states of america, switzerland, and many many more!

i beg your pardon? what will i be doing? good question! as you know, i am in fencing, hence i will be helping you out in the games! you are not alone after all! i am a YOG volunteer, just like the many others!

well yes! that definitely means that i have less time with you! i am helping put fom the 13th to 18th of August, hence i will also be missing three days of school.

what i feel about all of this? well i feel that you, singapore has surpassed all odds in hosting this event. initially, do you know that you were not even considered to be a host? they felt that you were too small, and had no capability to host this event. well you certainly surpassed all odds, and showed the world what you were made of!

yes, it is getting late, and i have a long day tomorrow.

congratulations to you singapore, i will be cheering for you! i love you!

Signing off

Marcus, beloved singapore lover.

Young mind, overwhelming perseverance.

There were two constants during the 10th of August's morning session of the Youth Olympic Flame torch relay.

One was the flame itself, as it weaved its way through Sengkang, Punggol and Hougang.

The other was schoolboy Low Wei Jie, 12.

Dressed in an orange T-shirt, blue bermudas and flip-flops, he clutched on to his digital camera and stuck with the relay.

He ran. And ran. And ran. Over two and a half hours, he covered almost fifteen km, undeterred by a heavy downpour along the way.

His morning's adventure was not without some pain. His flip-flops may have held up, but his feet hurt, and there were bloodied scratches on his right ankle.

Then he discovered to great consternation that the camera he had borrowed from his parents was not waterproof and had jammed.

However, what i would like to comment on is not his journey, but his sense of determination. All the way, through the torrential downpour, he only had one intention -- to take pictures for his scrap book. He was not deterred by the fact that he had ran for two and a half hours, nor by the fact that his legs had blisters and were bleeding.

Such a strong sense of perseverance, who would not look up to him?

He is part of the minority in Singapore. such a value is rare, and hard to find. Students should look up to his as a role model. If such determination were to be put into use in our daily lives, our dreams would no doubt be achieved. Let us strive to have a determination like Wei Jie as one!

National Day 2010

This year's national day parade was an overwhelming success. On the 9th of August, singaporeans witnessed the passing of another year of the their homeland, singapore.

Four minutes and six seconds. Time held its breath while the nation sang

Home together. At 20:10, the nation stood up as one to say the national pledge,

which set the scene for the One Voice moment. This showed the closeness of

the country and its citizens. The 2010 national day performance has been

Singapore's best so far.

This exceptional performance is the fruit of Singapore's united response during times of crisis, which allowed the country to take the advantage of improved global conditions.

Singapore has put up a good show. Not only to its citizens, but also to foreigners who are here for the Youth Olympic Games. Singapore, just like China in the 2008 Olympics, has made a shock-wave on the minds of people near and far. So much so that it has even caused a permanent resident to be moved o tears by its spectacular performance.

I feel that it boggles the mind when one thinks of how much Singapore lacked in terms of people, resources and others, turned itself form a third world country to a First World nation in a mere 45 years.

Furthermore, Singapore is now one of richest first world countries. She has topped other first world countries in per capita gross domestic product. Personally, i feel that the success of the country can be credited to Singaporeans, particularly Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, which was one of our fore founding fathers during the tumultuous times after World War Two. Great men have have made this country the world's cleanest, greenest and safest.

I can safely say that Singapore has done its fore founding fathers proud through National Day 2010.

Here are some shots of the spectacular fireworks.