For you, my darlings.
A song to give you hope and know that things will come, in its time. As long as you work hard, good things will come. :)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Everything in its time
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Check this out!
Calling all 3A-ers!!!
I would like YOU to take part in this competition. NO, it is NOT compulsory, but Carrie won a certificate of commendation last year!!! WOOTS! So, why not try out your writing prowess.
You don't have to have any special talent. JUST a keen interest in writing and I will help you send your entries in!
Just remember to type it out! :)
Commonwealth Essay Competition
Run by the RCS for over 100 years, this is the world’s oldest and largest schools’ writing competition. Choose from a list of ten topics which all aim to fire your imagination on the theme Science, Technology and Society. Write us an essay or go creative and compose a story, a poem, a film script, a play… the possibilities are endless! We ask only that your entry must be your own original work.
These will recognise special ability and flair in any of the following:
- Creative writing
- Story telling
- Humour
- Journalistic excellence
- Academic scholarship
- Use of language
- Personal account of oneself and one's community
- Working with a disability
For the Essay Competition please choose ONE of the following topics and write within the word count!
Class B - 14-15 years (Born 2 May 1994 – 1st May 1996). Word count 1200-1500
Commonwealth Photographic Awards
One powerful image can often say more than many pages of writing. If you want to make your response to the Science, Technology and Society theme an image, then start snapping! Whether you use a digital, analogue, or disposable camera – or even a mobile phone – we want to see your pictures.
So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your story now! :)
Love
Miss Tan
I would like YOU to take part in this competition. NO, it is NOT compulsory, but Carrie won a certificate of commendation last year!!! WOOTS! So, why not try out your writing prowess.
You don't have to have any special talent. JUST a keen interest in writing and I will help you send your entries in!
Just remember to type it out! :)
Commonwealth Essay Competition
These will recognise special ability and flair in any of the following:
- Creative writing
- Story telling
- Humour
- Journalistic excellence
- Academic scholarship
- Use of language
- Personal account of oneself and one's community
- Working with a disability
For the Essay Competition please choose ONE of the following topics and write within the word count!
Class A - 16-18 years (Born 2 May 1991 – 1st May 1994). Word count 1400-1750
Class B - 14-15 years (Born 2 May 1994 – 1st May 1996). Word count 1200-1500
- What technological invention(s) would most improve life in your community?
- The mad scientist.
- What positive steps can you or I start to take to tackle climate change?
- The day the computer started misbehaving.
- “Science never solves a problem without creating ten more.” (George Bernard Shaw)
- An adventure in space.
- What is knowledge? Who owns it? How can it best be taught or transmitted?
- A ‘eureka’ moment.
- Is your generation wiser than your grandparents’ generation?
- Welcome to my Utopia!
Love
Miss Tan
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The blogosphere and just my thoughts
Dear 3A-ers,
I guess there will be moments where you are infuriated by someone or something and you would like to blog about it. However, I would like to appeal to you to put yourself to be the person at the receiving end of the action.
How would this person feel when he/she reads that particularly emotionally charged post of yours and if it is truly justifiable to put up defamatory post about this person? How does it feel to be judged upon by tinted glasses? Have you looked enough from the other person's perspective when you blog openly about your thoughts?
Do consider the feelings of others when you blog; some of the things that you write may come across as a rude shock or a surprise to others. If you seriously have an issue with a person, let the person know offline, instead of airing your thoughts openly online. Your words may hurt another person's soul.
Just my thoughts for the day and for you to think about what you post online, however harmless you may think it is.
That's all folks
p/s: I will return your journals back to you once term reopens. I know it will be a relief to some of you because you wouldn't have to write it...
I guess there will be moments where you are infuriated by someone or something and you would like to blog about it. However, I would like to appeal to you to put yourself to be the person at the receiving end of the action.
How would this person feel when he/she reads that particularly emotionally charged post of yours and if it is truly justifiable to put up defamatory post about this person? How does it feel to be judged upon by tinted glasses? Have you looked enough from the other person's perspective when you blog openly about your thoughts?
Do consider the feelings of others when you blog; some of the things that you write may come across as a rude shock or a surprise to others. If you seriously have an issue with a person, let the person know offline, instead of airing your thoughts openly online. Your words may hurt another person's soul.
Just my thoughts for the day and for you to think about what you post online, however harmless you may think it is.
That's all folks
p/s: I will return your journals back to you once term reopens. I know it will be a relief to some of you because you wouldn't have to write it...
Monday, March 8, 2010
I liked what I saw
I have started reading up your blog entries. Some of your entries were really reflective (kudos to Cheng Ning, Jannel, Guan Wei) and creative (kudos to Hafizah, Carrie--just to name a few). There were some that I thought were pretty amazing. Thanks for sharing your lives and your thoughts.
Keep the entries coming in. I delight myself in reading your thoughts. :)
Also, this is a REMINDER to those who have yet provided me with your link to your blog: BIG SISTER IS WATCHING.
Here's a phrase for the day:
When in Rome, do as the Romans do (adapted from http://www.goenglish.com/WhenInRomeDoAsTheRomansDo.asp)
When in Rome, do as the Romans do means that when you are visiting a new place, you should try to do as the people do who are from the place.
Example: "I can't eat that."
A reply using this phrase might be: "Oh, give it a try. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
People from different places have different ways of acting, so it is important to try to do things the way people from the place that you are visiting do.
Example: "Are you sure we can eat this with our hands?"
A reply using this phrase might be: "Why not? All of these people are. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Story behind this saying (adapted from http://www.trivia-library.com/b/origins-of-sayings-when-in-rome-do-as-the-romans-do.htm)
The Saying: WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO.
Who Said It: St. Ambrose
When: 387 A.D.
The Story behind It: When St. Augustine arrived in Milan, he observed that the Church did not fast on Saturday as did the Church at Rome. He consulted St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who replied: "When I am at Rome, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the Church where you are."
The comment was changed to "When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done" by Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy. Eventually it became "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
A lot of the 3A-ers are working very hard. Miss Tan shall adapt from this phrase and say, "WHEN IN 3A, DO AS THE 3A-ers DO"
Love
Miss Tan
Keep the entries coming in. I delight myself in reading your thoughts. :)
Also, this is a REMINDER to those who have yet provided me with your link to your blog: BIG SISTER IS WATCHING.
Here's a phrase for the day:
When in Rome, do as the Romans do (adapted from http://www.goenglish.com/WhenInRomeDoAsTheRomansDo.asp)
When in Rome, do as the Romans do means that when you are visiting a new place, you should try to do as the people do who are from the place.
Example: "I can't eat that."
A reply using this phrase might be: "Oh, give it a try. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
People from different places have different ways of acting, so it is important to try to do things the way people from the place that you are visiting do.
Example: "Are you sure we can eat this with our hands?"
A reply using this phrase might be: "Why not? All of these people are. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Story behind this saying (adapted from http://www.trivia-library.com/b/origins-of-sayings-when-in-rome-do-as-the-romans-do.htm)
The Saying: WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO.
Who Said It: St. Ambrose
When: 387 A.D.
The Story behind It: When St. Augustine arrived in Milan, he observed that the Church did not fast on Saturday as did the Church at Rome. He consulted St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who replied: "When I am at Rome, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the Church where you are."
The comment was changed to "When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done" by Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy. Eventually it became "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
A lot of the 3A-ers are working very hard. Miss Tan shall adapt from this phrase and say, "WHEN IN 3A, DO AS THE 3A-ers DO"
Love
Miss Tan
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A Quake Diary: We go, so that others will know
Hi 3A-ers,
As promised, this is the write up by my friend, Desmond Lim featured in THE STRAITS TIMES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 2009 PAGEs D8 and D9. Do the class assignment that was tasked to you in my previous blog entry....
Love Miss Tan
Journalists help isolated villagers get aid by highlighting their plight
On Wednesday, I had a taste of what it must feel like to be buried alive.
As I was treading gingerly through the muddy swamp of the landslide area where villages once stood, I sank waistdeep into soft mud.
I was totally immobilised, with my cameras held aloft. Each time I tried pushing myself out of the mud, I went deeper into it. I shouted for help and two Indonesian rescue workers saw me and pulled me to safety.
When I was finally on firmer ground, I stared at my trousers coated with mud. That was when, for the first time in a week, the thought struck me: What am I doing here?
For five days, I had gone without a shower, no permanent shelter to stay in, no supply of clean water and almost no food. I had trekked up and down mountains, waded through a soggy rice field and crossed a wafer-thin makeshift bamboo bridge and then made my way back.
I am not complaining. It was just that, at that moment in the mud, I found myself pausing to ponder hard over my work. When the 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck in West Sumatra last Wednesday, I was among a batch of journalists jostling at the airport for the first flight into Padang.
When the first flight on Thursday morning was cancelled, the journalists lost not only their seats but also their tempers.
Everyone scrambled to find a way in, some even contemplating a flight to Medan, followed by a 12-hour drive to Padang. All of us wanted to be there first to get the stories and pictures out.
After several attempts to get there, I finally landed at Padang airport at 8pm last Thursday. My editors texted me a message: “Singaporean rescued from hotel.” I knew I had to get to him. The city was in complete darkness due to the power cut.
Armed with my camera equipment, a laptop and my luggage, I teamed up with a German journalist to catch a taxi and look for a hospital.
One of the hospital’s buildings had collapsed. The ceiling in the main building had caved in and its corridors were packed. People were wailing and groaning in pain. Children were crying. Used syringes were strewn all over the place. The stench of dried blood and urine almost knocked me over.
Over the next hour, I gesticulated and spoke the little Malay that I knew to the hospital staff there to try to locate the Singaporean survivor. I finally found him on an old rusty gurney in the corner of the A&E department.
After I identified myself and interviewed him, he asked me in a feeble voice to pass a message to his family back in Singapore to tell them that he was safe, which I did.
He was grateful, his family was relieved and I was glad to be the bearer of good news. He put his hand gently on my arm and thanked me. In that second, the stress I had gone through the last 24 hours was worth it.
When I headed to the villages in Padang Pariaman, another quake-affected area with almost no aid, last Saturday, the huge cameras on both my shoulders made it clear I was a photojournalist. Before long, a mob of villagers had gathered around me, earnestly begging me to photograph what was left of their houses.
A colleague proficient in Bahasa Indonesia told me that the villagers wanted the photographs to be published so that help would come to them. They were pleading with me for their stories to be told.
Just three days later, I had to photograph a 52-year-old villager, Mr Ali Abuzar, who lost four children in the landslide that buried his entire village in Padang Pariaman.
As I snapped away at the scene before me, he knelt on the ground where his house once stood and wept. Later, I learnt that it was his first visit back to the village since the ground rumbled and raged.
Remembering how difficult it was for me to pull myself out after sinking waistdeep in mud at the village that is now a mass grave, I cannot help but think how hopeless it was for those buried alive. How can anyone crawl out from under 6m of mud?
I looked at him, snapped a few frames and stopped shooting. Why was I intruding on what must be his moment of unimaginable grief?
Six days later, aid is still trickling into the remote areas. I learnt from other journalists that more supplies will be ferried to other remote areas as agencies learn about the plight of isolated villagers from the media.
I found my own answer to that question of why journalists go to these places.
We go, so that others will know.
As promised, this is the write up by my friend, Desmond Lim featured in THE STRAITS TIMES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 2009 PAGEs D8 and D9. Do the class assignment that was tasked to you in my previous blog entry....
Love Miss Tan
Journalists help isolated villagers get aid by highlighting their plight
- By Photojournalist, Desmond Lim
PADANG PARIAMAN (West Sumatra): On Wednesday, I had a taste of what it must feel like to be buried alive.
As I was treading gingerly through the muddy swamp of the landslide area where villages once stood, I sank waistdeep into soft mud.
I was totally immobilised, with my cameras held aloft. Each time I tried pushing myself out of the mud, I went deeper into it. I shouted for help and two Indonesian rescue workers saw me and pulled me to safety.
When I was finally on firmer ground, I stared at my trousers coated with mud. That was when, for the first time in a week, the thought struck me: What am I doing here?
For five days, I had gone without a shower, no permanent shelter to stay in, no supply of clean water and almost no food. I had trekked up and down mountains, waded through a soggy rice field and crossed a wafer-thin makeshift bamboo bridge and then made my way back.
I am not complaining. It was just that, at that moment in the mud, I found myself pausing to ponder hard over my work. When the 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck in West Sumatra last Wednesday, I was among a batch of journalists jostling at the airport for the first flight into Padang.
When the first flight on Thursday morning was cancelled, the journalists lost not only their seats but also their tempers.
Everyone scrambled to find a way in, some even contemplating a flight to Medan, followed by a 12-hour drive to Padang. All of us wanted to be there first to get the stories and pictures out.
After several attempts to get there, I finally landed at Padang airport at 8pm last Thursday. My editors texted me a message: “Singaporean rescued from hotel.” I knew I had to get to him. The city was in complete darkness due to the power cut.
Armed with my camera equipment, a laptop and my luggage, I teamed up with a German journalist to catch a taxi and look for a hospital.
One of the hospital’s buildings had collapsed. The ceiling in the main building had caved in and its corridors were packed. People were wailing and groaning in pain. Children were crying. Used syringes were strewn all over the place. The stench of dried blood and urine almost knocked me over.
Over the next hour, I gesticulated and spoke the little Malay that I knew to the hospital staff there to try to locate the Singaporean survivor. I finally found him on an old rusty gurney in the corner of the A&E department.
After I identified myself and interviewed him, he asked me in a feeble voice to pass a message to his family back in Singapore to tell them that he was safe, which I did.
He was grateful, his family was relieved and I was glad to be the bearer of good news. He put his hand gently on my arm and thanked me. In that second, the stress I had gone through the last 24 hours was worth it.
When I headed to the villages in Padang Pariaman, another quake-affected area with almost no aid, last Saturday, the huge cameras on both my shoulders made it clear I was a photojournalist. Before long, a mob of villagers had gathered around me, earnestly begging me to photograph what was left of their houses.
A colleague proficient in Bahasa Indonesia told me that the villagers wanted the photographs to be published so that help would come to them. They were pleading with me for their stories to be told.
Just three days later, I had to photograph a 52-year-old villager, Mr Ali Abuzar, who lost four children in the landslide that buried his entire village in Padang Pariaman.
As I snapped away at the scene before me, he knelt on the ground where his house once stood and wept. Later, I learnt that it was his first visit back to the village since the ground rumbled and raged.
Remembering how difficult it was for me to pull myself out after sinking waistdeep in mud at the village that is now a mass grave, I cannot help but think how hopeless it was for those buried alive. How can anyone crawl out from under 6m of mud?
I looked at him, snapped a few frames and stopped shooting. Why was I intruding on what must be his moment of unimaginable grief?
Six days later, aid is still trickling into the remote areas. I learnt from other journalists that more supplies will be ferried to other remote areas as agencies learn about the plight of isolated villagers from the media.
I found my own answer to that question of why journalists go to these places.
We go, so that others will know.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Count our blessings
Let's open up for discussion 3A-ers!
Jiajun has posted something really interesting and i thought it was really food for thought- It is true, the earthquake that hit Haiti was BAD. It really makes us reflect upon our lives and thank God that we are in here in Singapore. Many times we don't stop enough to count our blessings. We complain about everything: the internet is too slow, assignments are too many, my dad's not increasing my pocket money. Such incidences makes me feel that our world view is so small. Our 'problems' are so meagre compared to those in Haiti. We battle against work and assignment and material gains. Our fellow beings fight for their chance at survival.
No, I am not saying that we should throw away the textbooks and really just 'enjoy the moment' and live life to the fullest. What I am saying is that we need to learn to give thanks for what we have and learn to appreciate what the Singapore Government, our families, our friends and our school have given to us.
My friend is a photojournalist in SPH (he has just won 2 prizes-- check out Desmond Lim, my friend :)) and he shared his perspective on the fragility of life in a reflection after his trip back from Padang's earthquake (October 2009). That is what I mean by living life out. Upon receiving news of the earthquake in Padang, he hopped on a chartered flight, went there with a small backpack, stayed on the streets for 3 days literally (he had no where to stay!), nearly lost his life--half submerged in mud. The trip has changed his life and you should read his reflection. I have just contacted him and I have gained his permission to put up his article on our class blog. I will post it once I get hold of it. :)
Anyway, I was blog-searching for a relevant article on Desmond's reflection. It is not online. However I came across this other post about his work. It is reflection on Desmond's reflection. It is pretty interesting, do visit it: http://gofar2009.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/we-go-so-that-others-will-know/
Meanwhile, here are the ONLINE TASKS for you to do:
Task:
Love
Miss Tan
Jiajun has posted something really interesting and i thought it was really food for thought- It is true, the earthquake that hit Haiti was BAD. It really makes us reflect upon our lives and thank God that we are in here in Singapore. Many times we don't stop enough to count our blessings. We complain about everything: the internet is too slow, assignments are too many, my dad's not increasing my pocket money. Such incidences makes me feel that our world view is so small. Our 'problems' are so meagre compared to those in Haiti. We battle against work and assignment and material gains. Our fellow beings fight for their chance at survival.
No, I am not saying that we should throw away the textbooks and really just 'enjoy the moment' and live life to the fullest. What I am saying is that we need to learn to give thanks for what we have and learn to appreciate what the Singapore Government, our families, our friends and our school have given to us.
My friend is a photojournalist in SPH (he has just won 2 prizes-- check out Desmond Lim, my friend :)) and he shared his perspective on the fragility of life in a reflection after his trip back from Padang's earthquake (October 2009). That is what I mean by living life out. Upon receiving news of the earthquake in Padang, he hopped on a chartered flight, went there with a small backpack, stayed on the streets for 3 days literally (he had no where to stay!), nearly lost his life--half submerged in mud. The trip has changed his life and you should read his reflection. I have just contacted him and I have gained his permission to put up his article on our class blog. I will post it once I get hold of it. :)
Anyway, I was blog-searching for a relevant article on Desmond's reflection. It is not online. However I came across this other post about his work. It is reflection on Desmond's reflection. It is pretty interesting, do visit it: http://gofar2009.wordpress.com/2009/10/10/we-go-so-that-others-will-know/
Meanwhile, here are the ONLINE TASKS for you to do:
Task:
- Write down the things in life that matters to you and how you can make your days count even more. (1- 2 paragraphs, in complete, standard English)
- Write down, in a paragraph, who you are thankful for- it can be a parent, a sibling, a cousin, a friend, a teacher, etc- and why you thank your lucky stars for this person/persons. You can be creative and write a poem if you want. This is not for CA. :)
Love
Miss Tan
Monday, February 22, 2010
the mrbrown show: gongxi ni
Dear Class
Please be mindful of what you post online. Remember, we have already discussed this in class. We are a democratic and multi-racial and religious society. Do not engage in any cyber- activities that will strain our harmonious ties with others. =)
For the Chinese students, Happy New Year! Enjoy the song!
the mrbrown show: gongxi ni
Posted using ShareThis
Love, Miss Tan
Please be mindful of what you post online. Remember, we have already discussed this in class. We are a democratic and multi-racial and religious society. Do not engage in any cyber- activities that will strain our harmonious ties with others. =)
For the Chinese students, Happy New Year! Enjoy the song!
the mrbrown show: gongxi ni
Posted using ShareThis
Love, Miss Tan
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