"Look! Look! It's them!" exclaimed ecstatically when she saw the group of five in resplendent white uniforms sauntering across the hall.
The group of five consists of five alluring and gentle young ladies, they are the most popular students in the school. They have got everything one would want, the looks, the wealth and the brains. All the boys would like to be those girls beau while other girls would stand at a corner and envy them. Everyone just loves them to bits except for only person, named Mary, in the school who was filled with jealousy and hatred towards the five girls.
“Jane, could you tell me the answer when you differentiate this sum?” Miss Wong asked.
Jane, the leader of the five, stood up graciously, took out a few strands of her brunette hair and placed it behind her ears. She replied politely, “The answer is x equals to 2.”
Indeed, the answer was right, as usual. Mary was sitting at the back of the classroom alone where the view in front of her was the five beautiful ladies. She cursed silently in her heart as she wishes that an accident would happen.
“Why must everyone like them and not me? I have the looks, the wealth and the brains too but why not me? Why is everyone showing favoritisms towards them?” Mary thought deeply and a part of her died a little.
Mary drafted out various plans to counter the five girls and throw them into shame. After hours and hours of thinking and planning, she finally came up with a final and rather perfect piece of master plan. The next day, Mary woke up earlier than normal, she got everything prepared and was all pumped up to start her mission to busting the girls. She went into her history class and stuck a sheet of paper filled with answers underneath the tables of the five girls.
“Ring! Ring! Ring!” the school bell sounded.
Everyone presented in school rushed to their respective lesson and as expected, the five girls headed into their history class, all ready for the test.
“Alright class, you may start.” Miss Tan said.
Everyone starting scribbling on their answer papers while Miss Tan walked around the class, observing if anyone were to cheat. A bright yellow piece of paper was hanging at the edge of Jane’s table which had caught Miss Tan’s eye. Miss Tan paced towards her table and grabbed the slip of paper. To her astonishment, what was written on that piece of paper was the answers to the test.
This was brought up to the principal and they keep interrogating Jane but she just kept calm and denied everything.
“If you don’t believe me, you can always check the recording which was taped by the camera in class,” Jane replied coldly.
Indeed, they listened to her and they went to check the recording. Little did they expect, it was not Jane who did it but it was Mary! Miss Tan apologized for falsely accusing Jane and stormed off to catch the culprit.
“Mary Lee! Get out now!” Miss Tan roared.
To Mary, it was an accomplishment. However, she underestimated Jane, and now all she have to blame is herself for letting her jealousy take control of her. Her once brilliant plan had failed and she had to serve three weeks for detention. She was drowned in disappointment.
KAH HUI
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Favouritism
Her dresses are like pale frocks. She silently walked down the corridor, only the sound of her heels could be heard. For others it may sound like danger whenever she stepped into the office but however, you could hear her colleagues rejoicing after her shadow left the office. She sat down at her desk labelled, "Director". As soon as the clock chimed eight, her timid-looking secretary served her a fresh cup of dark coffee and flipped open a diary and stuttered out the schedule for her for the entire day. However, after listening to the same things for a week, she raised up her hands for her secretary to stop.
"Now what else is there except meetings, and meetings and meetings!" She almost howled.
"W..well, there are t..two letters f..for y..you, Miss Mae.." Jessica stuttered, almost too afraid to look right into her eyes.
Jessica handed over the letter and scurried out of the room leaving the neatly printed envelope and one that was clearly being handwritten on the edge of the desk. She took the crumpled envelope and using her sharp nails, tore open the top and it was from her adopted son, James. It was a rather short letter indicating that he needed money for investments. James had already lost a large sum of money and no matter how much he lost, Mae will try every way just to fork out that sum of money. She reached out for the neatly printed letter and it was from Amy. She also needed a sum of money for setting up a company. Mae was Amy's last option as she could not tolerate how her foster mother treated her in the past.
Ever since young, Mae had always favoured James more. He was always the one getting into trouble and he even got expelled from school, but her love for James can never be compared for the hatred she had towards Amy. Mae only chose Amy because she looked like a little doll when she was young and in the end, Amy grew up to be more beautiful than Mae herself and she felt inferior standing next to Amy.
Ignoring Amy's letter, Mae decided to help James instead. She first sent him a sum of ten thousand dollars. But he requested for more. Over a period of three months, Mae had already lent him close to a million dollars, which landed her heavily in debt. While Amy's company was thriving ever since it started with the help of Amy's newly-wed husband, James kept getting his fingers burnt in the stock market. This made Mae more furious and wanted James to do even better than Amy. After James' last letter which came in days ago, Mae mortgaged her whole company to the bank. Penniless to her name, she felt insecure but she could not leave her son in the lurch.
James was later being caught by the police for investing in illegal market and with Amy's refusal to help both mother and son, Mae was left alone, on the streets, with nothing, nothing at all...
Ever since young, Mae had always favoured James more. He was always the one getting into trouble and he even got expelled from school, but her love for James can never be compared for the hatred she had towards Amy. Mae only chose Amy because she looked like a little doll when she was young and in the end, Amy grew up to be more beautiful than Mae herself and she felt inferior standing next to Amy.
Ignoring Amy's letter, Mae decided to help James instead. She first sent him a sum of ten thousand dollars. But he requested for more. Over a period of three months, Mae had already lent him close to a million dollars, which landed her heavily in debt. While Amy's company was thriving ever since it started with the help of Amy's newly-wed husband, James kept getting his fingers burnt in the stock market. This made Mae more furious and wanted James to do even better than Amy. After James' last letter which came in days ago, Mae mortgaged her whole company to the bank. Penniless to her name, she felt insecure but she could not leave her son in the lurch.
James was later being caught by the police for investing in illegal market and with Amy's refusal to help both mother and son, Mae was left alone, on the streets, with nothing, nothing at all...
5. Disappointment
I was alone at home on a week day during my school holiday. I was sitting on the sofa, reading a book. Suddenly, the phone started ringing and the ringing tone could be heard across the entire house. I jumped up immediately and went to pick up the call. “Congratulations! You have won yourself a thousand dollars from our annual lucky draw! Could you please provide us with your full name, identification card number and your mobile phone number? We will get back to you once we have processed your information.” I was totally lost for words. Could I have been so lucky? I always wanted extra allowance from my parents but they always refused to give me any. Now, I have a thousand dollars all by myself! Without hesitation, I revealed my personal information to the speaker. Little did I know that this step was a wrong step, very wrong step...
After hanging up the phone call, I closed my book and kept it back to the book shelf. I picked up the phone again, but this time to my best friend Kate. I told her about my luck and how I was going to use the money to get the latest phone model and that limited edition pair of shoes that I had always yearned for. Instead of celebrating the euphoria with me, this was what Kate told me, “Don’t be silly! Haven’t you been catching up with the news recently? There are so many fraud cases and so many people have become victims! Don’t believe what the speaker had told you!” I was fuming with rage when she told me that. I disconnected the call and let the conversation come to an end. How could she say that! Was she being jealous of the good luck that had befallen on me that she had to say such words to convince me to ignore the lucky draw? Being a stubborn person, I turned her advice to death ears and continued to immerse myself in my world.
Several days later, I still did not receive any news from the speaker. I started to doubt if the lucky draw was real or was Kate right. I searched for the contact number of the dialer and dialed the same number using my phone. However, a recorded speech was being played. It said, “Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Thank you.”
I did not dare to tell my parents about this as I had revealed my personal information to a total stranger that day. I ransacked my mind to search my mind for someone who could help me get out of this trouble. The only person that came to my mind was still Kate. The both of us came up with suggestions but all seemed to be of no use at all.
Three hours later, I told Kate that I have decided to file a police report. I went to the police station, alone. I explained the situation to a police officer from the beginning. He informed my parents and in no time, my parents were standing right before my eyes. The police officer concluded that that was just a prank played on me and I was not chosen from the lucky draw. I was told not to reveal my personal information to anyone unnecessarily, especially strangers. Although I was disappointed that I did not get to purchase the latest phone model and the pair of limited edition shoes, I have really learnt not to trust people so easily.
After hanging up the phone call, I closed my book and kept it back to the book shelf. I picked up the phone again, but this time to my best friend Kate. I told her about my luck and how I was going to use the money to get the latest phone model and that limited edition pair of shoes that I had always yearned for. Instead of celebrating the euphoria with me, this was what Kate told me, “Don’t be silly! Haven’t you been catching up with the news recently? There are so many fraud cases and so many people have become victims! Don’t believe what the speaker had told you!” I was fuming with rage when she told me that. I disconnected the call and let the conversation come to an end. How could she say that! Was she being jealous of the good luck that had befallen on me that she had to say such words to convince me to ignore the lucky draw? Being a stubborn person, I turned her advice to death ears and continued to immerse myself in my world.
Several days later, I still did not receive any news from the speaker. I started to doubt if the lucky draw was real or was Kate right. I searched for the contact number of the dialer and dialed the same number using my phone. However, a recorded speech was being played. It said, “Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Thank you.”
I did not dare to tell my parents about this as I had revealed my personal information to a total stranger that day. I ransacked my mind to search my mind for someone who could help me get out of this trouble. The only person that came to my mind was still Kate. The both of us came up with suggestions but all seemed to be of no use at all.
Three hours later, I told Kate that I have decided to file a police report. I went to the police station, alone. I explained the situation to a police officer from the beginning. He informed my parents and in no time, my parents were standing right before my eyes. The police officer concluded that that was just a prank played on me and I was not chosen from the lucky draw. I was told not to reveal my personal information to anyone unnecessarily, especially strangers. Although I was disappointed that I did not get to purchase the latest phone model and the pair of limited edition shoes, I have really learnt not to trust people so easily.
Term 1, Week 10
Writing Assignment:
Essays with one-word titles
Task:
Choose ONE of the following.
1) Rivalry.
2) Favouritism.
3) Success.
4) Euphoria.
5) Disappointment.
Instructions:
Post your composition as a blog entry.
Click on "Instructions On Posting" tab if you have forgotten how to do so.
Deadline: 10 March 2011, Thursday, 2359 hours SGT.
Reminders:
1) Remember to state the question number and title in the "title" field of your blog entry.
2) Check that there are no spelling and grammatical errors.
Essays with one-word titles
Task:
Choose ONE of the following.
1) Rivalry.
2) Favouritism.
3) Success.
4) Euphoria.
5) Disappointment.
Instructions:
Post your composition as a blog entry.
Click on "Instructions On Posting" tab if you have forgotten how to do so.
Deadline: 10 March 2011, Thursday, 2359 hours SGT.
Reminders:
1) Remember to state the question number and title in the "title" field of your blog entry.
2) Check that there are no spelling and grammatical errors.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Term 1, Week 9: Two newspaper articles
Read both newspaper articles "Am I kiasu? Yes. Am I kiasi? No." and "Youths Abusing Drugs" that were distributed during English lesson today.
Choose only ONE of the articles to write for your reflection.
Click on 'comment' for this post to present your reflection.
Deadline: 28 February 2011, Monday, 2359 hours SGT
Choose only ONE of the articles to write for your reflection.
Click on 'comment' for this post to present your reflection.
Deadline: 28 February 2011, Monday, 2359 hours SGT
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Term 1, Week 7: "Elite" versus "Neighbourhood" Schools
Alright, people. It is time to revive this blog.
By now, you would have expressed and shared your views about the education in "elite" and "neighbourhood" schools in Singapore.
Some of you may have new ideas after your sharing, some may be less certain of your stand while some may be even more convicted of your original opinions. Whatever the case, this is where you now share your final opinions on the issue: Do "elite" schools provide a better all-rounded education than "neighbourhood" schools?
Click on 'comments' to air your views. You should refer to your own written response and the worksheet where you have jotted down some of the interesting points shared by your group members earlier this afternoon.
Please feel free to comment on one another's views as well. The usual rules apply. You should read "Rules and Regulations" if you have forgotten them.
Deadline: 15 February 2011, Tuesday, 2359 hours SGT
By now, you would have expressed and shared your views about the education in "elite" and "neighbourhood" schools in Singapore.
Some of you may have new ideas after your sharing, some may be less certain of your stand while some may be even more convicted of your original opinions. Whatever the case, this is where you now share your final opinions on the issue: Do "elite" schools provide a better all-rounded education than "neighbourhood" schools?
Click on 'comments' to air your views. You should refer to your own written response and the worksheet where you have jotted down some of the interesting points shared by your group members earlier this afternoon.
Please feel free to comment on one another's views as well. The usual rules apply. You should read "Rules and Regulations" if you have forgotten them.
Deadline: 15 February 2011, Tuesday, 2359 hours SGT
Monday, November 22, 2010
Holiday Week 4: Reflection 2
An article from www.straitstimes.com (Friday, 19 November 2010)
Teen slashed in AMK
by Brian Huang
POLICE have arrested a teenager who was involved in an attack on another youth in Ang Mo Kio on Thursday.
In yet another incident of youth violence, a 17-year old , who was acquainted with the alleged attacker, also 17, was slashed on the right shoulder at Block 448, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 7pm.
The victim, who left a blood trail from outside a 24-hour restaurant, where the attack took place, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
The New Paper reported on Friday that the two youths had got into a loud dispute and a shoving match before the victim was knifed.
A police spokesman told straitstimes.com on Friday morning that the incident had nothing to do with gang activities, and investigations are ongoing.
The latest incident comes after a teen was slashed to death at Downtown East and seven others were attacked in Bukit Panjang.
--------------------------------------
Task
Comment on the above article. What are your thoughts on youth violence in Singapore? Why do you think more of such cases are surfacing? How will this affect the future of Singapore?
Deadline: 26 November 2010, Friday, 2359 hours SGT
Teen slashed in AMK
by Brian Huang
POLICE have arrested a teenager who was involved in an attack on another youth in Ang Mo Kio on Thursday.
In yet another incident of youth violence, a 17-year old , who was acquainted with the alleged attacker, also 17, was slashed on the right shoulder at Block 448, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 at about 7pm.
The victim, who left a blood trail from outside a 24-hour restaurant, where the attack took place, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
The New Paper reported on Friday that the two youths had got into a loud dispute and a shoving match before the victim was knifed.
A police spokesman told straitstimes.com on Friday morning that the incident had nothing to do with gang activities, and investigations are ongoing.
The latest incident comes after a teen was slashed to death at Downtown East and seven others were attacked in Bukit Panjang.
--------------------------------------
Task
Comment on the above article. What are your thoughts on youth violence in Singapore? Why do you think more of such cases are surfacing? How will this affect the future of Singapore?
Deadline: 26 November 2010, Friday, 2359 hours SGT
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