Early this year, I hardly spend my time reading any books. I felt that they were all boring and uninteresting until I bothered to pick up some books from the library during the March holidays.
One of the first books I read was 'Hellstrom's Hive'. The sublime plot and the unique writing style intrigue me not only to read on, but to start picking up the habit of reading. I continued with the science fiction series of 'Saga of Seven Suns', a plot filled with twist and turns, a book of interesting new ideas. From then onwards, I started patronizing the library every 2 weeks, scouring for attractive titles.
My love for modern fantasy started when I started reading Terry Brook's 'Armageddon's Children'. The setting of an apocalyptic world was so amazing, vividly described. I could feel as if I'm watching a movie while immersed in the story. Unlike most stories about fallouts, this book adds an essence of magic and fantasy, where all odds are stacked on the protagonist. From reading this, it intrigued me to continue reading books of the author until this date.
Posted by 2i202 at 11:15 PM
Friday, August 6, 2010
The judicial system: True justice?
Justice means to be fair, and uphold what is right. To give justice is to punish or reward one in accordance to equity. This is the reason for laws and the judicial system; to deter crimes, maintain peace, and uphold what is morally right. But the controversy surrounding us is that, does the judicial system really bring out true justice, or is it too unforgiving?
In my opinion, the law and judicial system does serve true justice in a form of punishment, which includes, caning, jailing, fining, and even death. Judicial punishment is used to inflict pain, such as caning, to give a lasting reminder to the offender not to repeat the same mistake. Judicial execution will also serve as a strong reminder to others to think of the consequences before acting. However, I feel that some of these methods are overused and unnecessary.
In Singapore, caning is a punishment often used for both minor and serious crimes, from murder and rape, to theft and vandalism. This has proven effective in many cases and Singapore's second-time offenders is significantly lower than some other countries. I feel that such punishments should be dealt to those who commit violent crimes without remorse or regret. Since they show no mercy, I think we should give them a taste of their own medicine. However, this might be unnecessary to smaller crimes such as vandalism. This is seen in the controversial cases of Michael Fay and Oliver Frickler, where foreigners feel caning is too serious a punishment.
Still, justice isn't only about the law. Justice can be in a form of retribution, giving those what they should deserve. Justice can also be used to balance harmony in a nation, where equilibrium balances peace. However, when there is justice, there is hard to have mercy. With mercy, one doesn't get his just deserts, creating an unbalanced scale and may cause unfairness. Thus, I feel that a peaceful society should have justice to keep the country stable, but also mercy to make it seem more humane.
Posted by 2i202 at 9:09 PM
Saturday, July 31, 2010
SJAB, journey in Platoon 2
Just two more days, till one of the biggest event of the year in the SJAB calendar, POP (Passing Out Parade). After that, the current Sec 3s will take over as our trainers and PCs, and our squad will become Platoon 3. We would have to bid farewell to our current trainers and venture forth into a new experience; a tougher, stricter, yet more enriching journey.
Looking back, I had already gone through so much in this CCA, times of difficulty and teamwork, but all memorable. I still remembered last year, when the current Sec 4s took charge of the CCA; and our first impression was that they were strict and mean, and some of us even developed a greater hate for them and the CCA itself. The fact remains that some of us still dislike SJAB, but we gained some understanding on the reasons behind the procedures. Even though the squad started out with a bad impression of the Sec 4s, we were still able to get along with them as time passes, seeing both their authoritarian side, and friendly side.
The foot-drill sessions we had were obviously much harder compared to when we're Sec 1. It required more precision, better timing, and thus, was extremely tiring. Whenever a mistake was made, we would have to do the number of pumpings. First-aid sessions, however, were more interesting as they were more hands-on, together with longer 'Transportation of casualty' sessions. Recreational activities were rarer, and we had occasional trainings with the Sec 3s.
Now all these have passed as the squad will become Platoon 3, where we would be trained in leadership and discipline, but now we would wait till the judgement day arrives...
Posted by 2i202 at 7:01 AM
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A multi-racial experience
Today, our school organized a flurry of activities for racial harmony day, which proved to be more entertaining than I had expected. Prior to the events, everyone came to a conclusion the day would be exceedingly boring, since none really cared about traditional stuff.
When the events started, half the class stayed in class to slack, while some went to man the stalls. The bazaar was larger than I thought, though some items sold had nothing to do with the theme, but still, the variety of items sold was impressive. Our 2I2 stall was probably the most unprepared, yet the food turned out as a pleasant surprise.
Next, we had went to a performance in the auditorium. A band of malay boys greeted me at the doorway, and caused me to be periodically stunned afterwards. The four performances were great, all combinations of Hwachong students from different consortiums with other schools. My favourite was the indian bell performance; the music was hypnotising, added with the shining golden instruments, creates a surreal effect.
This was followed by an indian mass dance, which was quite an embarrassing situation. The dance was fast-paced and full of spastic actions, which was not that hard to do, but felt awkward. I especially admire the dancers and their energy and enthusiasm, which they incredibly managed to sustain throughout the entire day.
All in all, this was a more fruitful experience than I had expected.
Posted by 2i202 at 5:50 AM
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
War
Posted by 2i202 at 6:35 AM
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Merchant of Venice Summary
Posted by 2i202 at 2:03 AM
Monday, March 1, 2010
TKAM research, habitat of mockingbirds and Maycomb
Mockingbirds live in areas with open ground and with shrubby vegetation like hedges, fruiting bushes, and thickets. When foraging on the ground, they prefers grassy areas, rather than bare spots. Common places to find Mockingbirds include parkland, cultivated land, suburban areas and in second growth habitat at low elevations. From this information, we can also infer that Maycomb is rich in cultivated land as it is mainly a farming community. Mockingbirds eat a variety of berries and fruits, which tells us Maycomb has many ornamental bushes and multiflora roses.