War - A Personal Response

At the first glance at the picture we see two soldiers tending to their injured squad mate. The whole atmosphere is very tense with war going on and we can sense it when we see the chaos in the picture, buildings fallen apart, masses of people dying or injured in the war and soldiers carrying rifles and guns, dressed in army suits, to battle and risk their life for the sake of a better future and safety for their country and nation.

In fact, this picture is taken in a war in Hue, Vietnam in 1968. The war is going on and the photographer managed to take a picture of such situation when two soldiers tend their squad mate who looks seriously injured at a hiding place. This picture manages to evoke pity towards men who sacrificed themselves in the war. It also manages to evoke a person’s dread and horror towards the effects of war that claimed many lives in the past.

The effects of war also seem like what the photographer is trying to convey through this photo. War actually also means that the nation is wasting manpower for the sake of the piece of land. In the end what is left is a series of blood bath and massacres of dying people and resulting in a mass area of wasteland, with buildings razed and destroyed through all the bombings in the war.

Through this picture, I've learnt the dreadful effects of war and the consequences of the loss of lives and the loss of economics due to the destroyed buildings which were once carefully built by people in the past. I also learnt that if a war is to be stopped, people must unite and not develop misunderstandings so that there will be peace and harmony among the people and the country.

Letter for Japan victim

Just read an article about how Japanese victims, and felt like writing a letter to them. So I wrote one to David, an American working in Tokyo.

661 Bt Timah Rd
Singapore 269735
Dear David,

How are you? This is Charles from Singapore writing a letter to you. From what you posted in the article, I can see that how fearful it is to think of the earthquake in Japan and actually experiencing it. To be frank, I sympathize for you, much as the others who suffered from the wrath of Mother Nature, attempting to rip Japan apart.

You might have known how much damage did this earthquake deal to Japan. And I know it is not really good to wander hopelessly after the quake, searching for possible hopes but not finding any. But in fact, you were being very lucky indeed compared to other victims who are nearer to the epicenter, and so I believe there is still hope for you and the others to find a way out of this chaotic disaster.

With the town destructed by the cruel force, people running crazily around, the sky looking apocalyptic and helicopters and police sirens going off randomly, even I will be uneasy about the environment and the atmosphere and feeling hopeless. However, bear in mind that there is always hope. You will soon find out that Tokyo will recover its busy metropolis of the past quicker than you imagine!

Actually I admire you for being grateful towards yourself for surviving the disaster comparing the others who are more unlucky than you. You also cared about the others by asking, in heart, how are your colleagues, how are the other victims. It also shows thatyou are not the one caring for only his own self, but also the others.

If you have trouble living in your current place, you could try to evacuate to safer areas. And do not worry about Japan’s economies because the world is working very hard collecting funds to save Japan. Have faith in your heart. I’m sure you will find hope of surviving and living.

Regards,
Charles

The Frozen Fire

By zc970520 | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

This comic has a humorous and an exaggerating theme. As you can see, this story has an exaggerating scene where two explorers at the North Pole were frozen after setting up a fire, unfortunately because of the weather too harshly cold, the fire was frozen as well!!! Basically I made this to express exaggeration which can be randomly expressed out when one is writing a piece of novel.

The setting of this image

It was a very nice and beautiful afternoon, but over here it looked as if it was evening. The fire was roaring madly of domination and devouring everything that's left of the forest. There are even signs of flames on the road tar, and it seemed difficult for him to escape alive, even with his car.

The World War II in Germany

Suppose everyone know about the World War II in Germany where a lot of Jews were murdered in mass numbers by the Nazis. But what is the real reason for that?

The main reason the Germany started the WWII is to apply the ideology of the "Ubermensch" or super race. -to eradicate democracy. -to eliminate physically,in first instance the Jews. -to eliminate physically, all parties who did not think like them. -to eliminate physically,if they had won the war, all people of Slavic origin (old east European countries). -to eliminate physically,in third instance the protestant and catholics, because the origin of the new testament,is found in the old. Endly to be the masters of the world, and use other people-country, religion as slave. Thanks to the allies and all the Jewish fighters (Jewish Brigades in free French army,in Britain armies, etc...) it never happened. "ideologically" if you call this thoughts an ideology, the purpose was that only, the survival of the fittest, the law of nature,would be established. The law as a tool, to allow human beings to live together, had to be eradicated. Another is the religious discrimination where the Nazis despised the Jews.

What are concentration camps? Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps (in German Konzentrationslager, or KZ) throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps were greatly expanded in Germany after the Reichstag fire in 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime. The number of camps quadrupled between 1939 and 1942 as Jews, political prisoners, criminals, homosexuals, gypsies, the mentally ill and others were incarcerated, generally without trial or judicial process.

The term was borrowed from the British concentration camps of the Second Anglo-Boer War. Holocaust scholars draw a distinction between concentration camps (described in this article) and extermination camps, which were established for the industrial-scale murder of the predominantly Jewish ghetto and concentration camp populations. Extermination camps included Belzec, Majdanek, Sobibor, Treblinka, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Do you know about the Mein Kampf? Mein Kampf (English: My Struggle) is a book written by Nazi politician Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926. The book was edited by the former Hieronymite friar Bernhard Stempfle who later perished during the Night of the Long Knives.

Hitler began the dictation of the book while imprisoned for what he considered to be "political crimes" after his failed Putsch in Munich in November 1923. Though Hitler received many visitors earlier on, he soon devoted himself entirely to the book. As he continued, Hitler realized that it would have to be a two-volume work, with the first volume scheduled for release in early 1925. The prison governor of Landsberg noted at the time that "he [Hitler] hopes the book will run into many editions, thus enabling him to fulfill his financial obligations and to defray the expenses incurred at the time of his trial."

Final draft of story (Terms of Life)

Terms of Life - Life of a Malaysian in Singapore

'But what's life meant to be anyway?' asked the five-year-old kid, tugging himself comfortably under his father's arms.

'Well son, sad to say but life's complicated. Sometimes you just can't understand your destiny, whatever lies on your path, or what's on your path stopping you, pushing you forward, you just can't expect what you will meet in your life. Life is like a crooked path wandering off, craggy, uneven and risky. But to me life depends on how you look at it. Some can live well and happy in a poor family, while others live miserably in a rich family. But listen son, you can actually pave your own path of your life. You can change your destiny, just depending whether you want to live happily or unhappily. Depends, son, it sure does...'

I remembered that conversation well enough although it had been some 8 or 9 years. I always remembered how Dad explains what's life meant to be, how did he say about all these, though at that time I did not fully understand what Dad was trying to say. Somehow with the starngest reason, I suddenly understood Dad's words. Way too much it was that I was apart from both of my dearest parents in this land, of what the natives called Singapore. Most unexpected. Had it not been the letter of summons, had it not been the interview, had it not been the test, had it not been the opportunity to even come in here to study.... Dad's right, you just can't expect what you will meet in your life.

Life in the boarding school of Hwa Chong Institution may seem interesting at first and relaxing without the nagging of parents, but eventually gets boring, with tight schedules and mass loads of homework, you can hardly squeeze out even a second to do what you want. It also feels boring to even do the same things you do everyday during free times. Soon I realised life at home is much better in any way.

The first year shot off with a series of lucky and unlucky cases. Lucky when I get to be, or unlucky when I get to be. Lucky when I achieved prizes, when I found something lost, when I almost fell down. Unlucky when I lost something, when I fell down, or when once my phone rang in class caused by my mother accidentally calling me! Same for this year, same scenario, same unchanged. Like what Dad said, Life is like a crooked path wandering off, craggy, uneven and risky.

What is most unluckiest is that I chose an undesired CCA, so called the abbreviation of co-curricular activities. It started when we were asked to choose a CCA, with six choices and at least a sports and uniform group among two. I started off choosing........ and the results came. Scouts??!! I did not want Scouts and thought I just put there for fun only. Therefore I approached the teacher-in-charge for help. Turns out I made a huge mistakes: the selection is according to your most and least desired CCA!! As a result, I managed to appealed to St John Ambulance Brigade. At least it was not bad, or I might die to it.

At least all seem well throughout these years, except for just one thing that quite pissed me off and bothered me a little, troublesome, and for just with one person solving it, it was actually a little bit bone-chilling. When Ms Yap distributed the Annual St John Walkathon Fund-raising card to us, we were required to collect $40 publicly. I collected, with a lot of effort put in and managed to get that seemingly large amount of money in two weeks. Then I put the donation in my wallet and the card somewhere among my files.

Then came the day before when we had to submit the card and the donation. I flipped through my files but............THE CARD IS GONE!!!!!! Searched throughout my whole room. Nothing. Oh god how could I submit the donation without the card? I told this to Ms Yap and 'Really?' she says, 'oh then you will have to make a police report as stated at the back of the card. Submit the report to me by tomorrow.'

The real trouble came. I lived alone, although I had friends, and I don't believe any of them want to come with me to accompany my trip to the police station. Hence, I made my time available for me to go to the police station, and embarked on my journey. To be honest, I felt a little uncomfortable on my journey, and since its relatively close to the boarding school, I walked, past the whole school compound, past the nearby Coronation Plaza...... Inconfidence continuously strikes me as I stood before the Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Station and since this is my first time making a report, I felt a little afraid, chilling and unsuitable.

After hesitating for some time, I walked myself into the police station, pushing open the swinging door and entering the air-conditioned lounge. I approached the officers there and told them my reason for coming here, anxiously. The police (Mr Razid as I saw his name tag) said to me, 'Oh you want to make a report for the loss of your donation card. Now you see that notice over there?' I turned and saw the notice saying List of items not required for police reports, and in the list I saw the two words. Donation Cards. 'So donation cards no longer require police reports?' I asked. Mr Razid nodded. I suddenly had a complex mixture of feelings in me: part of me is relieved of not having to spend a lot of time in there, and another part pissed off for coming a long way to the police station in vain. I thanked the officer and headed back to the boarding school, part of me hating Ms Yap for sending me to the police station and wasted my 1 hour period in walking to and fro the police station. Like Dad said, you won't know what strikes you next.

This year came 2011. Right before the prophecy of 2012. The Secondary 1 students entering the school compound, completely new to them, completely unfamiliar to them. Our duty is to try to keep them company , show them around, and make friends with them. They are quite nice persons and some a little more mature. They had been 'good' this year and what I know is that none of them come from where I come from. I actually predicted it because our teacher-mentor, Mr Jeffrey Lim said to us they are not recruiting students from JB ever again, since they always had the tendency to go home during the weekends. In fact, I wonder how would they feel when they are not with their parents.

For me, even though I felt a little depressed not being at home and unable to see my parents, I still felt glad having able to live here, study here, and possibly play with my good friends here. No matter how hard would life be, there's always a motivation somewhere around the corner motivating you to continue with your life. Like Dad said, Some can live well and happy in a poor family, while others live miserably in a rich family. The terms of life.

Q1)The first story was set in the stairwell, the second story was set in watson's house while the third story was set in a neighbourhood of a town.

Q2)The first story was set during the night of the 9th century, the second story was set in the morning in early April of 1883 while the third story was set in the early 19th century.

Q3)The setting of the first story tells us that the story is going to be moody and sad. The setting of the second story tells us that the story was going to be mysterious and suspicious. The setting of the third story gives us an amiable feeling and a warm and loving effect.

Q4)The setting of to kill a mockingbird is set in Maycomb county the town where the Finchs’ live. Maycomb, some twenty miles east of Finch’s Landing, was the county seat of Maycomb County。 The story states that Mr. Finch works in the area. Maycomb is repeated many times in the story and there is a vivid description of it “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer’s day”. Maycomb is also a white town as there are description of the Finch’s neighbours. “It was customary for every circle hostess to invite her neighbors in for refreshments, be they Baptists or Presbyterians, which accounted for the presence of Miss Rachel (sober as a judge), Miss Maudie and Miss Stephanie Crawford.” It describes the fine ladies in town and how they live their lives in Maycomb County.