http://2i303la2011.blogspot.com/2011/08/majulah-singapura.html?showComment=1313286332454#c1534251251742216568
chester
http://2i303la2011.blogspot.com/2011/06/gentleman.html?showComment=1313286552997#c503179366294965535
chester
http://leeliakghee2i310.blogspot.com/2011/08/reflection-for-cip-activity-on-racial.html?showComment=1313286759201#c7378881942593516027
liakghee
http://leeliakghee2i310.blogspot.com/2011/07/racial-harmony-day.html?showComment=1313286919334#c3129764931920199249
liakghee
http://leeliakghee2i310.blogspot.com/2011/06/being-gentleman.html?showComment=1313287276702#c4560374200342723604
liakgee
http://chuachengtat.blogspot.com/2011/08/mp-uses-phone-during-national-anthem.html?showComment=1313287481754#c1543984741075666159
chengtat
http://chuachengtat.blogspot.com/2011/06/gentleman.html?showComment=1313287843784#c6031451649685077422
chengtat
http://chuachengtat.blogspot.com/2011/08/deepening-of-reservoirs-under-review.html?showComment=1313288066769#c7547961674171657635
chengtat
http://2i3-12.blogspot.com/2011/07/peer-pressure.html?showComment=1313288315253#c6993330819139392576
weikiat
http://2i3-12.blogspot.com/2011/06/true-gentleman-3.html?showComment=1313288502022#c1373483670249687708
weikiat
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Term 3 Math Test 1 ---> Some Personal Reflections
Recently, I took my first math test for term 3, 2011.
I scored a very, VERY pathetic 21/40 for the math test.
I feel that this is credited to a number of things and I felt a need to reflect on them in order to help me improve myself.
Initially, I knew that I was weak in math. Somehow, I had this feeling even before the test. This feeling was the feeling that I was not going to do well. The worst part, was however, I did not take subsequent action even after harboring that thought. Knowing that I was weak in this topic, what I could have done was to do more practices. This way I can assure myself and at the same time bring back better results.
I also thought that I lacked a lot of discipline when it came to doing practices. My study table is a platform for both my work and my computer. Essentially it meant that distraction was less than arm's length away from me. 9/10 occasions when I conduct self-study, I find myself hopping on the computer. I would tell myself 'just a while, it won't hurt'. This would repeat and repeat, until a certain point in which I get too tired and fall asleep. When I wake up, I realize that I have achieved nothing! Procrastination is a big problem in which for the rest of my life I must face and learn to overcome.
I felt very set back by the results, which is my rationale for this post. I feel that I need to change to be more mature. At the end of the day my results are mine and only to affect myself. I should learn to be responsible. Hence, I decided to spend less time on the computer. I have also decided to place my computer in the bag when not in use, rather than leaving it on the computer and distract me. This way I can improve my results!
I scored a very, VERY pathetic 21/40 for the math test.
I feel that this is credited to a number of things and I felt a need to reflect on them in order to help me improve myself.
Initially, I knew that I was weak in math. Somehow, I had this feeling even before the test. This feeling was the feeling that I was not going to do well. The worst part, was however, I did not take subsequent action even after harboring that thought. Knowing that I was weak in this topic, what I could have done was to do more practices. This way I can assure myself and at the same time bring back better results.
I also thought that I lacked a lot of discipline when it came to doing practices. My study table is a platform for both my work and my computer. Essentially it meant that distraction was less than arm's length away from me. 9/10 occasions when I conduct self-study, I find myself hopping on the computer. I would tell myself 'just a while, it won't hurt'. This would repeat and repeat, until a certain point in which I get too tired and fall asleep. When I wake up, I realize that I have achieved nothing! Procrastination is a big problem in which for the rest of my life I must face and learn to overcome.
I felt very set back by the results, which is my rationale for this post. I feel that I need to change to be more mature. At the end of the day my results are mine and only to affect myself. I should learn to be responsible. Hence, I decided to spend less time on the computer. I have also decided to place my computer in the bag when not in use, rather than leaving it on the computer and distract me. This way I can improve my results!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Name Calling
Recently, there have been a few cases of offensive name calling happening in my class. Just a week ago another fight was sparked off. One of my classmates started calling this other classmate offensive remarks pertaining to his physical qualities. The victim was obviously enraged and it was a chain reaction.
For privacy purposes, I cannot name the students specifically. Hence, let Student A be the perpetrator and Student B be the victim.
Firstly, the case was evidently sparked off with the name calling. Student B states that Student A had called him offensive remarks such as 'black' and 'chicken-eyed'. Student B felt extremely insulted as it felt very 'racist' although Student B was not exactly of any culture with darken skin tone. But still, it was an insult. Student B reacted with violence.
I feel that in this case obviously the insults were not right. We should learn to accept each other for who they are. We should not be finding opportunities to alienate anyone from the class. Bad qualities are existent and each and every person. What is important is not bad qualities. They do not help anyone, they only spoil our day! It is a lose-lose situation- so what for pick on it?
Secondly, I feel that how Student B reacted as the victim was not wise. I am sure we all have been guilty of throwing such insults at people. The ultimate goal is to see reaction by the other party. Eg. To make them angry, to make them do something. Similarly, when the other party DOES NOT react, they lose their goal. At this point, they don't see the point in continuing the attacks. Hence, sometimes, holding yourself back is very wise and clever too.
Ultimately name calling is very immoral and mean, we should not practice it. Respect is a virtue, and should not be compromised at any time!
For privacy purposes, I cannot name the students specifically. Hence, let Student A be the perpetrator and Student B be the victim.
Firstly, the case was evidently sparked off with the name calling. Student B states that Student A had called him offensive remarks such as 'black' and 'chicken-eyed'. Student B felt extremely insulted as it felt very 'racist' although Student B was not exactly of any culture with darken skin tone. But still, it was an insult. Student B reacted with violence.
I feel that in this case obviously the insults were not right. We should learn to accept each other for who they are. We should not be finding opportunities to alienate anyone from the class. Bad qualities are existent and each and every person. What is important is not bad qualities. They do not help anyone, they only spoil our day! It is a lose-lose situation- so what for pick on it?
Secondly, I feel that how Student B reacted as the victim was not wise. I am sure we all have been guilty of throwing such insults at people. The ultimate goal is to see reaction by the other party. Eg. To make them angry, to make them do something. Similarly, when the other party DOES NOT react, they lose their goal. At this point, they don't see the point in continuing the attacks. Hence, sometimes, holding yourself back is very wise and clever too.
Ultimately name calling is very immoral and mean, we should not practice it. Respect is a virtue, and should not be compromised at any time!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Land Scarcity Crisis in Singapore- How our government solves it!!
Singapore is a very small island. In fact, it is one of the smallest nations in the world, as we would all probably know by now. To top up to that constraint, Singapore is extremely populated. With 5 million people and such a small area of land, we rank the 3rd in the world in terms of population density. This just tells you how much Singapore is so cramped up and squeezed up. Hence, we definitely need more space to increase our space.
Over the years the government has been very efficient in ensuring that every inch of land put to its full use. The government has been strategic when it comes to selecting the areas to built infrastructure and also the type of infrastructure. For example, in many HDB flats and even some condominiums, it is common to spot retail shops usually at the ground level of these buildings. This way the land use is mixed. The Pinnacle and Paxton apartment is a good example of a building that serves retail and residential purposes. Suntec City would be a decent example of a building that serves both commercial and retail purposes. We also observe that buildings are densely built. Tessellation plays a helpful part in increasing land space.
We also observe that the structure and features within the buildings itself are also designed to conserve space. Many buildings make use of multi-storey car parks. This 'stacking' can further increase the efficiency of land use. Essentially building upwards is multiplying the piece of land by the number of storeys you choose to build. If there are car parks above ground, there definitely are underground car parks that are mostly used in private buildings. These two types of car parks are so commonly seen nowadays!
Transport has been very cleverly designed to save space as well. MRT stations and interchanges are quite common nowadays. It is also very common to see an MRT station or interchange that is located above ground. Examples of such would be the Choa Chu Kang MRT Station and the Woodlands Interchange. Expressways for private vehicles are also underground. Examples are the Central Expressway and the Kallang Paya Lebar. Similar to the car park example above, expressways are built to be above ground too. An example would be the Bukit Timah Expressway.
In addressing the issue of land scarcity our government has undoubtedly done a very good job. In future, we are certain to prosper. (Well maybe not with a slightly new cabinet).
Over the years the government has been very efficient in ensuring that every inch of land put to its full use. The government has been strategic when it comes to selecting the areas to built infrastructure and also the type of infrastructure. For example, in many HDB flats and even some condominiums, it is common to spot retail shops usually at the ground level of these buildings. This way the land use is mixed. The Pinnacle and Paxton apartment is a good example of a building that serves retail and residential purposes. Suntec City would be a decent example of a building that serves both commercial and retail purposes. We also observe that buildings are densely built. Tessellation plays a helpful part in increasing land space.
We also observe that the structure and features within the buildings itself are also designed to conserve space. Many buildings make use of multi-storey car parks. This 'stacking' can further increase the efficiency of land use. Essentially building upwards is multiplying the piece of land by the number of storeys you choose to build. If there are car parks above ground, there definitely are underground car parks that are mostly used in private buildings. These two types of car parks are so commonly seen nowadays!
Transport has been very cleverly designed to save space as well. MRT stations and interchanges are quite common nowadays. It is also very common to see an MRT station or interchange that is located above ground. Examples of such would be the Choa Chu Kang MRT Station and the Woodlands Interchange. Expressways for private vehicles are also underground. Examples are the Central Expressway and the Kallang Paya Lebar. Similar to the car park example above, expressways are built to be above ground too. An example would be the Bukit Timah Expressway.
In addressing the issue of land scarcity our government has undoubtedly done a very good job. In future, we are certain to prosper. (Well maybe not with a slightly new cabinet).
Monday, August 1, 2011
Should A Leader Be Judged According To His Personal Life? - Yes!
One of our current affairs recently was pertaining to the question 'Whether leaders should be judged according to their personal life?'. I shall voice my personal opinions rather theoretically, as I am not exactly knowledgeable in this field and don't exactly have much of particular case evidences.
I think that a leader should, and must be judged according to his personal life. The issue we are dealing with here is the issue of respect. Leaders are here to lead, but think about it- why do the people allow themselves to be led. The reason is respect. Leaders are people who have shown in their records and portfolio to be outstanding and above other people one way or another. You would definitely not see a random coffee shop waiter to be Singapore's next Finance Minister. It just doesn't make sense. Why doesn't it make sense then, you say. The reason is, once again respect.
In order to lead, and convince the people to let you lead them, you must gain their respect. This is why we follow our parent's advice and directions. They have spent so much effort in order to bring us up and support us, hence we have a certain respect towards them. Similarly, we respect leaders as they, during elections have presented themselves to be charismatic, capable, reliable and worth trusting. Their portfolios are decorated beautifully by the abundance of certificates while their reputation builds upon it. This is why we trust our leaders- they are accountable.
Then, the issue of personal life comes in. It definitely affects your accountability. How would you feel if a policeman who drinks in his police car orders you to stop your car for speeding? Naturally, the level of respect and trust is lowered, and you probably would not even care about him. If a leader goes around toying with stocks and loses thousands of dollars because of it, and goes on to talk about his new financial plans of Singapore, would you believe him? No, you would not. Society is all about the people. We, as the common citizen trust people who are wiser than us common people. When these 'cleverer' people fall down to standards of common citizen or worse, then how is he valuable as a leader anymore? He is not fit to lead anymore; it defeats the purpose of such intense selection of leaders like him.
Hence, leaders must be judged according to their personal lives as it reflects their accountability and their leadership qualities. These reflections affect the way people see him, and most importantly- the level of trust between him, and the public.
I think that a leader should, and must be judged according to his personal life. The issue we are dealing with here is the issue of respect. Leaders are here to lead, but think about it- why do the people allow themselves to be led. The reason is respect. Leaders are people who have shown in their records and portfolio to be outstanding and above other people one way or another. You would definitely not see a random coffee shop waiter to be Singapore's next Finance Minister. It just doesn't make sense. Why doesn't it make sense then, you say. The reason is, once again respect.
In order to lead, and convince the people to let you lead them, you must gain their respect. This is why we follow our parent's advice and directions. They have spent so much effort in order to bring us up and support us, hence we have a certain respect towards them. Similarly, we respect leaders as they, during elections have presented themselves to be charismatic, capable, reliable and worth trusting. Their portfolios are decorated beautifully by the abundance of certificates while their reputation builds upon it. This is why we trust our leaders- they are accountable.
Then, the issue of personal life comes in. It definitely affects your accountability. How would you feel if a policeman who drinks in his police car orders you to stop your car for speeding? Naturally, the level of respect and trust is lowered, and you probably would not even care about him. If a leader goes around toying with stocks and loses thousands of dollars because of it, and goes on to talk about his new financial plans of Singapore, would you believe him? No, you would not. Society is all about the people. We, as the common citizen trust people who are wiser than us common people. When these 'cleverer' people fall down to standards of common citizen or worse, then how is he valuable as a leader anymore? He is not fit to lead anymore; it defeats the purpose of such intense selection of leaders like him.
Hence, leaders must be judged according to their personal lives as it reflects their accountability and their leadership qualities. These reflections affect the way people see him, and most importantly- the level of trust between him, and the public.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Projects Day Reflections
Personally, the projects day were quite the disaster for me. Mistakes were obviously made, however what is important to learn from the mistakes we made.
1. I felt that I lacked the appropriate leadership skills. One big regret in my project was the lack of one of my team member's participation- Justin. However, this was not to blame him. Our project was very messy. Essentially the making of the prototype and finalization of the slides were all done one week before the actual judging. The work was rather unequally divided among us. Most of the time, it was me and my other member, Samuel carrying out the work. The other members, Kay Han and Justin rarely did anything. This was because I came into contact with Samuel more easily than Justin.
I would like to place the blame of the disorganized workload on me, the leader of the group. At first, I blamed the other two members a lot for their lack of contribution. However, after the Semi-Prelims, I realized that blaming them was not appropriate. I understood an important point- I did not assign work to them. I feel that this has been a major mistake on my part. The blaming essentially was also wrong.
2. Secondly, I felt that the overall flow of the project is incorrect. I shared my the story of my project with my tuition teacher, together we dissected the whole process and successfully identified the problems. The crucial mistake was at the very start. We had an idea before every else- we were so big headed. We spend a whole 2 months working on that idea even before the start of the year. Then, during the first IvP peer mentoring session, disaster struck. Instantly, the idea was rejected and "shot down" by most of the people.
I thought about this. It was very unsafe for us to have jumped the gun. The problem was that the idea was not secured, but yet we still chose the category. We took a huge gamble- a gamble that failed. What could have been better, was to put in the extra effort to confirm the project with a mentor, so that at least there is an insurance.
I feel that this can help me with my projects day so that next time, disaster can be avoided.
1. I felt that I lacked the appropriate leadership skills. One big regret in my project was the lack of one of my team member's participation- Justin. However, this was not to blame him. Our project was very messy. Essentially the making of the prototype and finalization of the slides were all done one week before the actual judging. The work was rather unequally divided among us. Most of the time, it was me and my other member, Samuel carrying out the work. The other members, Kay Han and Justin rarely did anything. This was because I came into contact with Samuel more easily than Justin.
I would like to place the blame of the disorganized workload on me, the leader of the group. At first, I blamed the other two members a lot for their lack of contribution. However, after the Semi-Prelims, I realized that blaming them was not appropriate. I understood an important point- I did not assign work to them. I feel that this has been a major mistake on my part. The blaming essentially was also wrong.
2. Secondly, I felt that the overall flow of the project is incorrect. I shared my the story of my project with my tuition teacher, together we dissected the whole process and successfully identified the problems. The crucial mistake was at the very start. We had an idea before every else- we were so big headed. We spend a whole 2 months working on that idea even before the start of the year. Then, during the first IvP peer mentoring session, disaster struck. Instantly, the idea was rejected and "shot down" by most of the people.
I thought about this. It was very unsafe for us to have jumped the gun. The problem was that the idea was not secured, but yet we still chose the category. We took a huge gamble- a gamble that failed. What could have been better, was to put in the extra effort to confirm the project with a mentor, so that at least there is an insurance.
I feel that this can help me with my projects day so that next time, disaster can be avoided.
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Singapore Spirit- Races
Singapore is a very diversified country. Nonetheless, race itself is diversified throughout Singapore. Hence, there is a necessity for a "common race" or "common belief" among people in order for unity.
This "common belief" would be the infamous "Singapore Spirit". This Singapore Spirit is highly ambiguous. Many people have many different opinions and interpretations of it. To me, the Singapore Spirit acts like a bridge and common platform among all the races in Singapore.
Over the years since Singapore's independence we have been plagued with many racial disputes and collisions. The 1964 Prophet Muhammad Birthday riots, for example, was certainly unfortunate. It was a very depressing sight- Singaporeans killing Singaporeans. The violence killed 36 people and injured another 556. About 3,000 people were arrested. Racial disturbance was very high in Singapore. I would hence classify these killings and racial disputes as the lack of the Singapore Spirit.
Despite all the unhappiness and anger among the races, there were also positive and brighter sides to racial relations in Singapore. A very good example would be the 2003 SARS outbreak. The SARS virus was a deadly virus that affected 37 countries all around the world with more than 8200 cases and 775 deaths. The virus was deadly and also the first time Singapore faced an epidemic or such caliber. However, medical staff risked their lives to try and save patients from this unknown disease. In this period of darkness, heart-wrenching and inspirational stories of courage and selflessness emerged. A doctor even said: "We went in there 90 per cent expecting to die,". However, Singapore stood as one, as one nation, as one race, as one body. This is true Singapore Spirit.
The Singapore spirit is very important to Singapore. It is very powerful as shown in the SARS crisis. The Singapore Spirit is a spirit in people in which at the end of the day, regardless of race, religion, age or position, you are a Singaporean. As a Singaporean you are responsible for Singapore and every other Singaporean. That, is the real Singapore Spirit!
This "common belief" would be the infamous "Singapore Spirit". This Singapore Spirit is highly ambiguous. Many people have many different opinions and interpretations of it. To me, the Singapore Spirit acts like a bridge and common platform among all the races in Singapore.
Over the years since Singapore's independence we have been plagued with many racial disputes and collisions. The 1964 Prophet Muhammad Birthday riots, for example, was certainly unfortunate. It was a very depressing sight- Singaporeans killing Singaporeans. The violence killed 36 people and injured another 556. About 3,000 people were arrested. Racial disturbance was very high in Singapore. I would hence classify these killings and racial disputes as the lack of the Singapore Spirit.
Despite all the unhappiness and anger among the races, there were also positive and brighter sides to racial relations in Singapore. A very good example would be the 2003 SARS outbreak. The SARS virus was a deadly virus that affected 37 countries all around the world with more than 8200 cases and 775 deaths. The virus was deadly and also the first time Singapore faced an epidemic or such caliber. However, medical staff risked their lives to try and save patients from this unknown disease. In this period of darkness, heart-wrenching and inspirational stories of courage and selflessness emerged. A doctor even said: "We went in there 90 per cent expecting to die,". However, Singapore stood as one, as one nation, as one race, as one body. This is true Singapore Spirit.
The Singapore spirit is very important to Singapore. It is very powerful as shown in the SARS crisis. The Singapore Spirit is a spirit in people in which at the end of the day, regardless of race, religion, age or position, you are a Singaporean. As a Singaporean you are responsible for Singapore and every other Singaporean. That, is the real Singapore Spirit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)