This is the first time that I have been such a slacker during an examination period. I have not been revising hard and properly. I have not been memorizing my biology terms, doing my chemistry revision exercises and...well other than that I don't have anything else to do.
The driving force behind this...not being driven to do well, is because I have given up hope of getting a 4.5 CAP score for this semester already. English is 6 MCs, and I have not been doing very well for it. I would rather English be 3 MCs spread out over two semesters, and having a lower CAP last semester, than it being all weighed this semester.
Chinese, which is also 3 MCs, is pulling me down too.
And I know I didn't do very well for music either. Music Education Module, really tough one to score. I would prefer doing a music module than doing a music philosophy module. More fun, more grades too.
So altogether its 11MCs of acidic buffers keeping my pH of my overall score in the low range. How can I still be motivated to do well for the rest of my subjects?
Last week, I have read my biology textbook once or twice, understood the terms, but I have never really gone into memorizing anything. It turned out to be quite a good move too, because other than a couple of 'history of evolution' questions that required memory work, the rest were much easier than I thought.
For chinese, I memorized a list of 250 idioms to use. The only problem was, I knew the meanings in chinese, but I am not able to recall the idiom when I want to use it. It's a one way flow, sorry about that.
English exam tomorrow. I really hope I can do well for that. Hope I get a lenient marker. During the holidays I have to go read lots of non-fiction should I want my english to improve.
Chemistry is tomorrow too, and I have not really gone into any practices. I'm more worried for English.
Physics. E and M is so abstract. You know how I am going to revise for that? I'm just going to make a list of all the equations related to the topic. And that's all I'm going to study.
After tomorrow, after the horror of english and chemistry is over, I will start on some integration practices for mathematics. Effectively, once tomorrow is over, it will be such a great stress reliever, like the whole examinations are over.
Sorry for the poor language. Too much is running in my mind right now.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Drawings - Instruments of the Orchestra
Just a few of them:
I drew these pictures, so I own them, but feel free to use them.
I drew these pictures, so I own them, but feel free to use them.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Covering the Oil Spill (English Homework)
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/26/the-missing-oil-spill-photos.html
Article Review:
This article talks about the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Local and federal officials are limiting access to the sites of the oil spill where the effects are most visible, to news photographers and journalists. Even when they are allowed to visit the site, a close eye by the officials is kept on them. As local fishermen and charter boat captains are left without a source of income as a result of the spill, they are being forced to work for BP in order to keep their livelihoods. They are thus being pressurized by BP not to talk or co-operate with the press at the risk of losing their jobs.
The BP oil disaster is one which really shook the world. It being denied coverage, is in my opinion one of the most selfish acts conducted by the officials. Peace Marvel, a charter boat captain, claimed that “running members of the press around only gets in the way and makes things worse”. This is a fallacious argument, as should officials be worried about the clean up works being hindered by visitors, all should be kept out, and not just members of the press. In addition, planes are not allowed to fly below 3000 feet above the affect areas, which clearly wouldn’t have any role in hindering clean up works.
Peace Marvel also compares this restriction of press coverage to not allowing people to enter a flaming building to take photographs. This comparison is ridiculous, as the latter brings about a risk in human safety, while the former does not. It appears to me, that BP, together with their supporters, federal and local officials, are making up excuses to justify them concealing their big blunder in order to salvage their reputation.
The damage has been done, and no amount of salvaged reputation will be able to fix the problem. The affected land might be governmental property, giving them every right to restrict access to whomever they please from a legal point of view. Looking at it morally however, it is wrong to do so, as the environment belongs to everyone, and thus they have the right to know what exactly is happening to it.
I hope that BP comes to their senses. Two wrongs does not make one right.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
711 disaster
After playing badminton till 3 pm on thursday, I finally decided that it was time to head for German lesson. However, it turned out that when I reached there someone told me that there was no lesson. For having wasted such a trip, I felt a little discontented and so I decided to salvage the 'wastedness' of the trip to have lunch somewhere nearby.
I headed down towards Serangoon MRT station and had a quick survey of the locality map, looking out for any shopping center. I saw 'Upper Serangoon Shopping Center' a walking distance northeast to my current location and thus I made up my mind to try having lunch there.
After walking for a little while I felt rather easy. I wouldn't have mind taking a walk in the park, but walking along old roads, Serangoon Road, with the run down shophouses and light industries was not very comfortable. Hot, dirty air, having to constantly watch the ground for puddles of sewer, uneven floor, awkward pieces of rock and concrete jutting out from the curb and the need to manoeuvre your way round thrown out boxes and plastic chairs.
Finally I found Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre which I would have thought was a factory had I not seen the sign on the utilities room. After jumping over a drain and walking along a lonely alley, I reached the entrance. It was one of those old style shopping centers like Bras Basah, Lion statues all over the place, the nauseating presence of incense, either red bricks tiling the floor or grey concrete.
I wouldn't even think of visiting such shopping centers if I didn't have to. I doubt I would find a good lunch there. Disappointed, I walked out to the main road and proceeded to Kovan Station to take a bus home.
Along the way I had my attention caught by 'a sign of civilisation', a seven eleven shop front. It had a tiny entrance, just two glass panels for doors, with the counter just a few steps away from the entrance.
I reckon I should get a drink.
The counter occupied the top left of the shop, which already covered half its space. To the right of the counter, in what was pathetically called the remaining space, was lined with refrigerators which only had half a meter of space from the counter. Opening the doors was already difficult. I reached my hand in to get a drink in an awkward position. I tried to reverse my way out after closing the fridge, but something was stuck. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something teetering back and forth, but I did not think much about it as I was worried. I figured that I would soon find out what it was when I got out of my crammy space to have a better view.
Fright makes people do stupid things.
My bag dragged what appeared to be a plastic rack of assorted condoms and bottles of what I think were lubricants. The entire shop was covered in them, since the shop was tiny to begin with. I just remembered myself feeling very shocked at first, followed by fear, and no number of apologies I made was able to pacify my feelings. I did not know whether the male shop owner was feeling pissed or pitiful of me, but he was putting on a friendly front and told me that it was okay, although his facial expression was rather dull. What made it worse was that the plastic rack shattered into smithereens. The owner got a basket and we put the products into it. I picked up the pieces of the shelf with my bare hands with the childish notion that the owner was going to see how sorry I was that I go to the risk of injuring myself. Like I said, fright makes people think and act irrationally.
People who wanted to come into the shop opened the door and left. It was very embarrassing. Now, I had no money to pay for the broken shelf. I forked out $4.40 to offer to pay for the damage which I knew that he was reject, but I could not think of anything else to do. The least I could do was to buy everything I could worth $4.40, but irrationality caused me to put back the drink I wanted to buy when he asked me whether I wanted to buy it, and instead I replied 'never mind', and I just walked out like that.
At that point, just after I walked out of the shopfront, I felt a feeling I have never felt before, a tinge of embarrassment which refused to part with me concocted with guilt. A feeling that made me feel like I have just committed a crime, one that have tarnished my life forever. I have never blundered so greatly in public before. And even if I did not tell my parents; as if there was a need to, I regret the feeling of facing anyone at that moment.
Such unpredictable things happen in life. I lived in comfort for too long. Such a happening, relatively minute to others, has shocked me so greatly.
The only thing I kept on telling myself on the way home was to go straight home after school next time and not to wander about, especially into unfamiliar places. I would have been resting at home an hour ago and yet I was then still on the bus, filled with my concoction of fright, shock, embarrassment and guilt.
What made it rather ironic was that I saw Heartland Mall when I reached Kovan. Why did I have to stop at Serangoon?
I headed down towards Serangoon MRT station and had a quick survey of the locality map, looking out for any shopping center. I saw 'Upper Serangoon Shopping Center' a walking distance northeast to my current location and thus I made up my mind to try having lunch there.
After walking for a little while I felt rather easy. I wouldn't have mind taking a walk in the park, but walking along old roads, Serangoon Road, with the run down shophouses and light industries was not very comfortable. Hot, dirty air, having to constantly watch the ground for puddles of sewer, uneven floor, awkward pieces of rock and concrete jutting out from the curb and the need to manoeuvre your way round thrown out boxes and plastic chairs.
Finally I found Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre which I would have thought was a factory had I not seen the sign on the utilities room. After jumping over a drain and walking along a lonely alley, I reached the entrance. It was one of those old style shopping centers like Bras Basah, Lion statues all over the place, the nauseating presence of incense, either red bricks tiling the floor or grey concrete.
I wouldn't even think of visiting such shopping centers if I didn't have to. I doubt I would find a good lunch there. Disappointed, I walked out to the main road and proceeded to Kovan Station to take a bus home.
Along the way I had my attention caught by 'a sign of civilisation', a seven eleven shop front. It had a tiny entrance, just two glass panels for doors, with the counter just a few steps away from the entrance.
I reckon I should get a drink.
The counter occupied the top left of the shop, which already covered half its space. To the right of the counter, in what was pathetically called the remaining space, was lined with refrigerators which only had half a meter of space from the counter. Opening the doors was already difficult. I reached my hand in to get a drink in an awkward position. I tried to reverse my way out after closing the fridge, but something was stuck. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something teetering back and forth, but I did not think much about it as I was worried. I figured that I would soon find out what it was when I got out of my crammy space to have a better view.
Fright makes people do stupid things.
My bag dragged what appeared to be a plastic rack of assorted condoms and bottles of what I think were lubricants. The entire shop was covered in them, since the shop was tiny to begin with. I just remembered myself feeling very shocked at first, followed by fear, and no number of apologies I made was able to pacify my feelings. I did not know whether the male shop owner was feeling pissed or pitiful of me, but he was putting on a friendly front and told me that it was okay, although his facial expression was rather dull. What made it worse was that the plastic rack shattered into smithereens. The owner got a basket and we put the products into it. I picked up the pieces of the shelf with my bare hands with the childish notion that the owner was going to see how sorry I was that I go to the risk of injuring myself. Like I said, fright makes people think and act irrationally.
People who wanted to come into the shop opened the door and left. It was very embarrassing. Now, I had no money to pay for the broken shelf. I forked out $4.40 to offer to pay for the damage which I knew that he was reject, but I could not think of anything else to do. The least I could do was to buy everything I could worth $4.40, but irrationality caused me to put back the drink I wanted to buy when he asked me whether I wanted to buy it, and instead I replied 'never mind', and I just walked out like that.
At that point, just after I walked out of the shopfront, I felt a feeling I have never felt before, a tinge of embarrassment which refused to part with me concocted with guilt. A feeling that made me feel like I have just committed a crime, one that have tarnished my life forever. I have never blundered so greatly in public before. And even if I did not tell my parents; as if there was a need to, I regret the feeling of facing anyone at that moment.
Such unpredictable things happen in life. I lived in comfort for too long. Such a happening, relatively minute to others, has shocked me so greatly.
The only thing I kept on telling myself on the way home was to go straight home after school next time and not to wander about, especially into unfamiliar places. I would have been resting at home an hour ago and yet I was then still on the bus, filled with my concoction of fright, shock, embarrassment and guilt.
What made it rather ironic was that I saw Heartland Mall when I reached Kovan. Why did I have to stop at Serangoon?
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