Gambling

My parents and I agree on condemning lotteries. We feel that it is like drugs, once we get hooked on, it is very difficult to stop. My mother especially pointed out that instead of spending the money on lottery why not put it in a safe deposit account. I found this very useful. I thought to myself, the main reasons people want to start gambling is that the wanted to have the thrill of earning money.

Hence, if they truly want to earn more money, they could get a better job or start up a safe deposit. The chances of winning big in a lottery are like a million to one, instead of wasting money on lottery, why not starts a deposit. It’s definitely much safer than gambling. “If you lose your money while gambling, you can never get it back. However, in a fixed deposit you can get back with interest.” My mother quoted this and it is very meaningful. However, there are a lot of gamblers that pay no heed to this.

They added that gambling not only cause monetary problems but family problems as well. I definitely do not think that it is worth it to quarrel with your family over gambling issues. Gambling is certainly not worth it!

My favourite poet

My favourite poet would be Shel Silverstein. His works are not lengthy and are very easy to understand, it is a good way to start small kids with poems. Furthermore, all of his poems always make me laugh, as they are humorous and silly in nature. Silverstein did not really care to conform to any sort of norm he never read reviews because if you believe the good ones you have to believe the bad ones too. Here are some of his works:

Messy Room by Shel Silverstein
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or --
Huh? You say it's mine?
Oh, dear,I knew it looked familiar!

The poet is trying to tell readers that we sometimes we are too busy minding other people's business/lives that we have forgotten to reflect on our own. Be slow to make judgements; you might end up looking like the fool!

Bear In There by Shel SilversteinThere's a Polar Bear
In our Frigidaire--
He likes it 'cause it's cold in there.
With his seat in the meat
And his face in the fish
And his big hairy paws
In the buttery dish,
He's nibbling the noodles,
He's munching the rice,
He's slurping the soda,
He's licking the ice.
And he lets out a roar
If you open the door.
And it gives me a scare
To know he's in there--
That Polary Bear
In our Fridgitydaire.

This poem is humorous and amusing. It is neither complicated nor dry. The personification of the polar bear makes it easier to read as well as funnier.

Smart by Shel Silverstein
My dad gave me one dollar bill'
Cause I'm his smartest son,
And I swapped it for two shiny quarters'
Cause two is more than one!
And then i took the quarters
And traded them to Lou
For three dimes-
i guess he don't knowthat three is more than two!
Just then, along came old blind Bates
And just 'cause he can't see
He gave me four nickels for my three dimes,
And four is more than three!
And i took the nickels to Hiram Coombs
Down at the seed-feed store,
and the fool gave me five pennies for them,
And five is more than four!
And then i went and showed my dad,
and he got red in the cheeks
And closed his eyes and shook his head-
Too proud of me to speak!

The poem tells us that we may think what we are doing is very smart. However, it turns out that we are doing the exact opposite. We should not be presumptuous and think that everyone will praise us.


Bibliogarphy:
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Shel-Silverstein
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Shel-Silverstein/13484/comments/18
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Shel-Silverstein/13484
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Shel-Silverstein/19771
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shel_Silverstein

My favourite poem

Fast rode the knight by Stephen Crane

Fast rode the knight
With spurs, hot and reeking,
Ever waving an eager sword,
"To save my lady!"Fast rode the knight,
And leaped from saddle to war.
Men of steel flickered and gleamed
Like riot of silver lights,
And the gold of the knight's good banner
Still waved on a castle wall
.. . . . .
A horse,
Blowing, staggering, bloody thing,
Forgotten at foot of castle wall.
A horse
Dead at foot of castle wall.

Hyperbole is used with the repeated use of "fast rode the knight". It is the exaggeration of the knight rode very fast.
Personification is used when they say "an eager sword". The poet is making the sword taking a human feelings.
Simile is used when the poet writes "like riot of silver lights".
The dead horse is used to represent that the dead horse is just a forgotten stepping stone for the noble knight to win the battle. The subtle death of the horse how people leap into action without good judgement, leaving behind something valuable. Not all losses in battle are human losses and not all heroes are human heroes.

I like this poem as it shows that in our rush to accomplish a task, we often forget the ones who serves us loyally and faithfully. It also shows that someone who is well-known for a trait may not be that good after all. In this case, the knight, known for its nobility, even steps on his valuable horse to achieve his goal. Furthermore, the horse is left to die at the foot of the castle. I am sure that the meaning behind this poem is very valuable for our lives yet we still keep forgetting it. This poem reminds us this value therefore I admire this poem.

Compassion confronting intimidation

Book read: Egghead by Caroline Pignat

Brief summary – Will Reid and Katie came from the same elementary school. When he becomes the perfect target for Shane, the grade nine bully. Katie tries her best to defend Will from Shane, however it comes with a great cost. Devan has been part of Shane’s bullyboy team until he befriends Katie and realises that it is not wise to back Shane up for every prank. He also realised that he is as bad as Shane as he chose to look on instead of helping the victim out, which leaves him very guilty. Egghead goes through the modern day teen’s classic dilemmas and how to conquer them with much food for thought.

When I compare my life to the main characters in Egghead, I feel that I am going through a very safe and secured schooling life. Will, also known called Egghead, is known for his gawkiness. After being embarrassed by wearing pink underwear, the whole school makes fun of him and he never gets a day without people bullying him. Unlike him, I study in a very safe school where no bullying occurs. Bullying in school may seem like an impossible thing yet it is thriving in American schools. Devan, who used to follow Shane and his ways, realised that it is not very smart to keep backing him up. He requires huge courage to go against Shane. I am elated that I do not have to go through such troubles. Katie, on the other hand has different problems. As friends since elementary school, it is only natural that Katie help protect Will when he faces difficulties with Shane. However, Shane has also targeted her as a victim as she helps Will too much. There will be misunderstandings between them as a couple and this will cause their friendship to turn sour. I am lucky that I do not face such understandings.

I will change the ending paragraph of the story from “I smile too. It hurts my cheek, but I just can’t stop” to “ I was flushed with relief and elation, I beamed till it hurts my cheek. After all I had been through in my life, I felt the true happiness that overwhelmed me now. I was glad that I had listen to Will instead of Shane. It was worth it.” I changed it because I felt that old paragraph did not tie in properly with the theme of bullying and friendship. I changed the paragraph to give greater elaboration to show that the choice Devan made was the right choice instead of choosing his old path of bullying, it also ties it with the themes more than the previous paragraph.

This is an excerpt of the story from Will point of view. "I squirmed and thrashed around while Brad continuing taping me. He seems to be gaining pleasure as a smug grin appeared on his mouth. His eyes landed on the ant farm which I spent much time on it. He slowly pushed the ant farm until it was wobbling precariously at the edge of the table. I felt the my eyes are coming out of its socket. ‘You got something to say?’ Shane asked, in a piteous voice, picking some cards off the table. I totally ignored his taunt and lunged straight for Brad. I knocked him squarely on the back and sent him flying. His face crashed down and squeaked across the floor like a wet gym shoe. I stood over him, observin that his eyes were in total shock.”

I think that the author intended teenagers to read this book. It is a book that depicts the scenario of bullying, which is thriving is certain schools. Through her depictions of Will, Katie and Devan, she shows that bullying will harm a lot of people and relations cold be broken as a result. Friendships will be taken to the test and this book will tell teenagers that losing friends may not be such a bad thing after all. The author wants to teach us certain things – how not to be a bystander to bullying, how to stand up for your friends and how to do with consuming rage.

Females suffering and endurance

Book read : A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Brief summary – Mariam was born a illegitimate child and can only see her beloved father once a week. On her birthday, she decided to visit her father’s house, but was turned down coldly. When she returned home, she finds that her mother has hung herself. Her father’s wives decided to marry Mariam off to Rasheed, an elderly widow from Kabul, far enough to be safely forgotten. It was a marriage deteriorated into a brutality made worse by Rasheed decisions to marry Laila. Laila was a target of his cruelty when she bore a daughter. However, he two women friendship grew and their union will endure death. One day, Mariam killed Rasheed while he was strangling Laila. Mariam took the punishment and allowed Laila to flee and then marry her childhood friend.

When I compare my own life with that of Mariam’s, I feel that I am living in happiness yet I am unable to realise it. In the novel, Mariam lived in a kolba, a small and dirty house. She appears to have a caring father yet he still would not acknowledge her. She has been deprived of education and can only be taught by a regular guest, Mullah Faizullah. Following, she is forcefully married off to Rasheed at a young age and led a life of suffering in the end. She also has to face the war in Afghanistan at that time. I lead an enjoyable and happy life yet I still complaining about every minor detail in life. I am able to receive proper education but I hate the thought of going to school everyday and I cannot stand the sight of homework. I doubt I will be moving out from my family so soon and can enjoy everyday of my life. Singapore is also a very peaceful country to live in, not being terrorized by the bombings on the street. I feel a great sense of guilt, as I am unappreciative of what my parents gave me over the years.

I am going to compare Mariam and Laila. In many aspects they are different and in many ways they are similar. Here are some way where they are different, Mariam was not given proper education while Laila has a proper eduation and her father always help her to revise her work. Mariam was the only child while Laila had two brothers thatlater died while defendin th country. Mariam lived in poverty, forcing her to stay in a kolba while Laila was the middle classed and lived in a proper house. They are similar because both their parents died before they reached twenty, with the exception of Mariam’s father. They both had motherly love and enjoyed taking care of the children Laila bore. They were both forced into marrying Rasheed and led horrible lives.

This is an excerpt of the story from Laila point of view. "My eyes fluttered open. ‘Do you know who I am?’a voice murmered, ‘Do you know what has happened?’ My mouth quivered, I closed my eyes. My hand grazed my left cheek. I mouthed something inaudibly, the woman drew closer to me. ‘This ear,’ I breathed. I can’t hear. I did little for the first week except for sleeping, with the help of the pink pills which a man keeps on giving me. I realised that I murmer in my sleep sometimes as well as crying out names that were once so close to me. I wepted in my sleep, grew agitated, kicked he blankets off and the poor woman had to hold me down. Sometimes I retch a lot and threw p everything hat the woman gave me. When I calmed down, I put on a sullen pairs of eyesstaring from under the blanket, breathing short answers from the woman and the man’s questions. I also behaved childlike on certain days, whipping my head side to side when the couple tried to feed me. I went rigid when the womancame at me with her spoon. Unfortunately, I tired easily and had to sumbit to the couple’s persistant badgering. I wept a lot afte surrendering. I could not control the sadness that my parents had died because of a stray missle and my only loved one left fled off because of the war. Deep down inside my heart, I was really grateful that the couple took time off to take care of me.

Although many people lost their lives under the Taliban rule, I would choose to save Mariam from he book in the event of a disaster. I find that Mariam has a friendly and caring pesonality. She does things from the bottom of her heart and is willing to do anthing just to save a friend. When Laila was being suffocated by Rasheed, Mariam risked her own life to save Laila by hitting Rasheed on his temple. This blow killed Rasheed instantly. Yet, she still faces death punishments and allows Laila to escape without her, such courage comes only once in a lifetime. However, females under the Taliban rule lived with such difficuly that rven though Mariam killed Rasheed as a form of self defense and protection for Laila, she still faces death sentence. Therefore, I feel that Mariam, a noble character, shold be saved from the disaster.

If many people thinks something is true, is it true?

If many people thinks something is true, is it true? In my opinion, I feel that is it not true unless proven. It is most likely the media influence and false statistics that causes the public to change their mindset to be the same as what the company wants you to think.

For example, consumers uses petrol x for their own car instead of petrol y as the company of petrol x claims that their petrol is the most environmentally friendly petrol among the other petrols. After consumers saw this advertisement, they all felt that the company of petrol x is telling the truth and continues to pump their car with petrol x. However, is the claim that company x made true? Therefore, if many people thinks something is true, it is not necessarily true.

Although we do not have a viewpoint over a situation yet, we should not side with the crowd that have the most 'supporters' thinking that majority wins. We should try not to follow the crowd with their thinking as it will show that you lack critical thinking.

I am sure that everyone has their own unique viewpoints over certain situations as everyone have different ways of thinking and looking at a situation. However, people may have the same belief in a certain situation as they share same characteristics in their thinking or they do not bother to look beneath the surface. Take the very recent case for example, there is a man putting cats to sleep as he wanted to end their suffering. Animal activists and the public are against with what he is doing. However, are they doing so because a lot of people have taken their sides against the man? Yet if you think hard enough, could the man be right in his actions? Therefore, this is a realistic example that if many people thinks something is true, is still may not be necessarily true.

Will having fun make you happier than studying?

After studying in school for several years, I am very sure that everyone wishes that there were no such things as schools. Instead of studying, we yearn to stay at home all day to play computer games, watch television or just have fun. However, will having fun make you happier than studying? Having fun brings short terms happiness while the happiness of studying comes later, when we are applying for a job or working. Which do you prefer?

In short terms, such like a fortnight or month, I am sure that having fun will make you happier than studying. Firstly, after a long term of studying, I am very sure sure that everyone will feel that we should take a break. Hence, in this case, students or pupils will feel happier to play than to study. Secondly, it is student's 'instinct' to have more fun than to study. So, naturally students will have more fun playing computer in a short term period. Thirdly, some students, after studying for a long term, we naturally hate to see homework or anything related to study and will have fun as an alternative solution instead of studying. As they hate studying so much, they will feel that having fun will make him happier.

However, during long term periods, such like a year or two, things changes. Lazier students will continue playing during this period of time and do nothing to improve their life. Diligent students will know that this is not the way to go on forever as they will feel that having fun is meaningless in life and the only true meaningful thing in life for them now is studying and will start to feel that studying can bring more happiness than having fun.

We should always look into the future and not dwell on the past or the present. Studying now allows us to get a better job in the future, things will be smoother for us in the future. We will have enough money to support ourselves and we can enjoy ourselves in our later life rather than enjoy your teen life and suffer through your entire life. If you had a choice, which scenarios would you prefer?

In my opinion, in short terms periods, I will feel than having fun brings in more longer term periods I will feel happier happiness than studying wheareas in studying instead of having fun. Please share your opinions.