LA BLOG.

Analysing poems part (1)

2009-06-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

Firstly, before i analyse the poem "The Son is in Secondary School" by Affran Sa’at, you all have got to read it first. Like always, i will analyse with all of you with the upcoming post.

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts

The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’s
For his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me

Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed

Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

My favourite poet.

2009-06-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!
Today, i am going to tell you about my favourite poet. Her name is Soina Sanchez. Did you know that she has lectured more than five hundred universitie s and colleges in the United Sates and has travelled extensively just to write her wonderful poems? Let me tell you more about her...

Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez was born Wilsonia Benita Driver on September 9, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama. After her mother died in childbirth a year later, Sanchez lived with her paternal grandmother and other relatives for several years. In 1943, she moved to Harlem with her sister to live with their father and his third wife.
She earned a B.A. in political science from Hunter College in 1955. She also did postgraduate work at New York University and studied poetry with Louise Bogan. Sanchez formed a writers' workshop in Greenwich Village, attended by such poets as Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Haki R. Madhubuti (Don L. Lee), and Larry Neal. Along with Madhubuti, Nikki Giovanni, and Etheridge Knight, she formed the "Broadside Quartet" of young poets, introduced and promoted by Dudley Randall.
She married and divorced Albert Sanchez, a Puerto Rican immigrant whose surname she has used when writing. She was also married for two years to poet Etheridge Knight.
During the early 1960s she was an integrationist, supporting the philosophy of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). But after considering the ideas of Black Muslim leader Malcolm X, who believed blacks would never be truly accepted by whites in the United States, she focused more on her black heritage from a separatist point of view.
Sanchez began teaching in the San Francisco area in 1965 and was a pioneer in developing black studies courses at what is now San Francisco State University, where she was an instructor from 1968 to 1969. In 1971, she joined the Nation of Islam, but by 1976 she had left the Nation, largely because of its repression of women.
Sanchez is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, including Shake Loose My Skin: New and Selected Poems (1999); Like the Singing Coming Off the Drums: Love Poems (1998); Does your house have lions? (1995), which was nominated for both the NAACP Image and National Book Critics Circle Award; Wounded in the House of a Friend (1995); Under a Soprano Sky (1987); Homegirls & Handgrenades (1984), which won an American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation; I've Been a Woman: New and Selected Poems (1978); A Blues Book for Blue Black Magical Women (1973); Love Poems (1973); Liberation Poem (1970); We a BaddDDD People (1970); and Homecoming (1969).
Her published plays are Black Cats Back and Uneasy Landings (1995), I'm Black When I'm Singing, I'm Blue When I Ain't (1982), Malcolm Man/Don't Live Here No Mo' (1979), Uh Huh: But How Do It Free Us? (1974), Dirty Hearts '72 (1973), The Bronx Is Next (1970),and Sister Son/ji (1969).
Sanchez's books for children include A Sound Investment and Other Stories (1979), The Adventures of Fat Head, Small Head, and Square Head (1973), and It's a New Day: Poems for Young Brothas and Sistuhs (1971). She has also edited two anthologies: We Be Word Sorcerers: Twenty-five Stories by Black Americans (1973) and Three Hundred Sixty Degrees of Blackness Comin''at You (1971).
Among the many honors she has received are the Community Service Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the Lucretia Mott Award, the Outstanding Arts Award from the Pennsylvania Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Peace and Freedom Award from Women International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Excellence in the Humanities, a National Endowment for the Arts Award, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.
Sanchez has lectured at more than five hundred universities and colleges in the United States and had traveled extensively, reading her poetry in Africa, Cuba, England, the Caribbean, Australia, Nicaragua, the People's Republic of China, Norway, and Canada. She was the first Presidential Fellow at Temple University, where she began teaching in 1977, and held the Laura Carnell Chair in English there until her retirement in 1999. She lives in Philadephia.

Below are the three poems that i especially like!

1)nothing will keep
us young you know
not young men or
women who spin
their youth on
cool playing sounds.
we are what we
are what we never
think we are.no more wild geo
graphies of the
flesh. echoes. that
we move in tune
to slower smells.
it is a hard thing
to admit that sometimes after midnight
i am tired
of it all.

2)under a soprano sky
1.
once i lived on pillars in a green house
boarded by lilacs that rocked voices into weeds.
i bled an owl's blood
shredding the grass until i
rocked in a choir of worms.
obscene with hands, i wooed the world
with thumbs while yo-yos hummed.
was it an unborn lacquer i peeled?
the woods, tall as waves, sang in mixed
tongues that loosened the scalp
and my bones wrapped in white dust
returned to echo in my thighs.
i hear a pulse wandering somewhere
on vague embankments.
O are my hands breathing? I cannot smell the nerves.
i saw the sun
ripening green stones for fields.
O have my eyes run down? i cannot taste my birth.
2.
now as i move, mouth quivering with silks
my skin runs soft with eyes.
descending into my legs, i follow obscure birds
purchasing orthopedic wings.
the air is late this summer.
i peel the spine and flood
the earth with adolescence.
O who will pump these breasts? I cannot waltz my tongue.
under a soprano sky, a woman sings,
lovely as chandeliers.

3)With exact wings
Your words sailed back
into your throat. Could
not fly forward.
Your mouth face
startled by this autumn
Thunder went south again.
I had forgotten the salute
of death, how it waits Militarily
on the outskirts of our skin.
I had forgotten how death
howls inside our veins.
O father, how much like a child
again I felt as I ran down doctors
painted on porcelain corridors.
O My father, as I breathed
inhaled for us both,
I began to sing a song
you sang when I was
little without a poet's name,
Afraid of all the shadows
cremating my bones,
Remember the nite,
The nite you said
I love you
remember...
I remembered your voice swollen
in a ritual of words on
152nd Street and St. Nicholas Place.
Now I, daughter of applause,
hands waterlogged with memory,
asked for nothing more
as I circled your hospital room,
sequined with our breaths
in an hour-glass of sound.

To end off, i would like to share with all of you a quote from Sonia Sanchez. It goes like this "...I write to keep in contact with our ancestors and to spread truth to people."

Bye!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Figurative Language - Poems (2)

2009-06-29T06:31:00.001-07:00

Hi hi again,
Hope that you have watched the video i posted previously:)
The five most common uses of figurative language are: Hyperbole, Personification, Metaphor, Simile and Symbolism.
Hyperbole simply means exaggerating statements.
Personification means to take up a human feature or action.
Metaphor means directly comparing seemingly unrelated subjects with or without using the words 'like', 'as' of 'than'.
Simile is just like metaphor, except that it uses the words 'like', 'as' or 'then' to explicitly relate two subjects.
Symbolism is using a representative figure to carry additional meaning.

So. here is the poem that i quite like.

Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!

How are the figurative language used in the poem?
HYPERBOLE --> In line two and the forth line from the bottom, 'should be ashamed!' is repeated. The author is trying to describe and exaggerate that someone should be ashamed. And in the second last line, 'oh dear' is written.
Personification --> Personification is used in this poem as the author named the lizard Ed.

Why i like this poem?
Basically , and to be frank, My room is also similar to the room that the author described in the poem. However, the author describes it in a very interesting way such that the reader is interested to read even more. I did not expect the author to really list each and every thing in the room. The poem concluded, or should I say ended, in a very interesting and interactive way. I guess that this intention is to leave a lasting impression in the readers mind. It is interactive in a way that the author asks the reader a question. he threw the ball back into our net. I guess that in his mind, he should be thinking something like 'Ha ha, now it is your turn to answer my question and stop reading!' :) This also injects a little laughter and humor into the poem as well as the ending. These should be the main reason leading to why I like this poem.

That's all folks!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Figurative Language- Poems

2009-06-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Firstly, watch the video on figurative language (if you have not viewed it) then read the post above this post.

Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Which part of Village by the Sea do you like best? State your reasons.

2009-06-18T02:51:00.000-07:00

Hi again,
This is my sixth time posting today.
Village by the Sea is an interesting story that brings you through the life of Hari. Wait, let me think. I think that i like the part where Hari's father turn over a new leaf. It gives me a wave of relief when i find out about that. I felt really grateful for them. Well, another side of me says that it is supposed to be this way. It is a must for the father to turn over new leaf. He created all these trouble and he should be the one returning everything back to normal, to its own place. Definitely everyone will be happy for the family to be back together, living happily. Well, the only flaw about this is that the story ends the way fairytales end. Blah..blah..blah... and the live happily ever after.

Bye Bye for the very last time!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Please comment!

Coffesions of a cross-country runner to pole vaulter

2009-06-18T02:05:00.000-07:00

Hi for the fifth time today,
Complete the sentence: Confessions of a ____________________.
Cross-country runner to a pole vaulter is my answer to the blank.
'Confessions of a cross-country runner to a pole vaulter'
Being a cross-country runner is fun and tough. Many will think hat you are very good in running and always show off because you are their friend. "Eh... You know arh, i have this friend very the pro leh. His running is like damn fast larh. I cool right, have this type of friend...." and the broken english and fanciful talk will go on. I always walk away when i come across these type of incidents.
Then, one fine day, my cross-country running became history. My coach told me that i would excel better in pole vault and transferred me there straight away without even asking for my opinion (he did ask, but all these white lies are supposed to make the story more attention grabbing. After all, it is a confession). I wonder why i have the ability to pole vault. It is extremely different from running. The gap between pole vault and the latter is...is humongous. Pole vault is very technical, unlike running. Well, if you ask Usain Bolt, he will say that running is the most technical sport. You know, lifting your legs up at the right time, with the right effort, and the correct angle. All that sorts. But, i dont look so deeply into running. You can really say that the trainging required for running is tougher than pole vaulting, if you compare each session. However, during the hoidays, pole vault training is 6 times a week! That is so stressful. And then what about homework? My Mum and Dad keep complaining to me that it is too time wasting. Well it is time wasting to them but not me. after a whole morning of tired studies, pole vault is what i will look forward to. It is enjoyable! Howver, It is time-wasting in a sense that the training is held at Gombak Stadium and i live at Bedok. To travel there by MRT, it takes about 1 hour! It is like traveling round the world in a limited time! The school also have high expectations for us! Recently, the captain shawn, just brok the national record.
all in all, pole vault has its pros and cons.

Posting the last time in a while!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

I rather be the city rat than the country rat. Comment.

2009-06-18T01:49:00.000-07:00

Hi again,
This is my fourth post today. Haha. Cool eh?
Okay... Down to serious work. Let me be a little different. Many would agree with this sentence. Well, i would not. City life is boring. You know, Life is like a routine in the city. You wake up, brush your teeth, go to school, come home, do your work, eat, and then sleep. Work, work, work. Time, time, time. These are the two words that are in the minds of you and me--city people. That might be a harsh term to call ourselves. But, face it. We are like that. Think about the life of countryside people. They awake, bath in the morning sun, do whatever they want, swim in the sea. How nice is that? I don't, know. That is how i view it. You may see it in other perspectives. Many think that it is so good to live in the city. You have everything. From McDonalds to Karangguni. Well, I would definitely want to live with or even in nature itself. You have to limits. Where to go, ERPs, etc. you will even have your own pet cow! How cool is that?

All, in all, the country life is better and not as stressful as the city life.

Bye! (posting againn later, haha)
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Who is your least favourite character in Village by the Sea? State your reasons

2009-06-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

Dear all,
As you can tell from the title of this blog post, I will be stating my least favourite character and telling you all why (reasons).
Let me give a rough idea of what Village by the Sea is, if you did not read it (All of you would have read. If you have not, you are in hot soup!). It is about this family that is living in poverty. The mother is sick, father is always drunk, two younger sisters are receiving primary education whilst older brother and sister are not. So, basically, the whole family depends on the older brother, Hari, and sister , Lila, to bring in the bacon. The book brings you through the hard life of Hari (his burden, stress, etc.) and what decisions he has made to overcome all these obstacles.

Now, my least favourite character... He is the father.
In the story, the father drinks lots and lots of toddy every night and comes back all grumpy and sorts. I seriously thinks that he is totally useless. He is the one who has brought all the burden upon Hari and the family. He sold his boat, does not pay his debt and caused all the unhappiness for the family. It is because of him Lila had to go out to sea and offer prayers to their God, to protect the family. Hari was put in a hard position when deciding whether to leave his homeland and go to Bombay or to stay and continue planting a puny amount of vegetables. If he is not a drunkard, he would not have sold his boat and would go out to sea to fish for fishes to feed the family or even to sell to bring in some money.

That is why the father is my least favourite character.

Bye!
Cleon Wong 1a4 (07)

pictures

2009-06-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

compass

Singapore Flyer and Movie=COOL!

2009-06-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Guess what? Yesterday, I went on board the Singapore Flyer! Well, the height really did scare me a little at first but I got used to it after a while. No food, drinks, flammable items and dangerous items are allowed, of course. However, I did not notice the sign only after I walked out of the capsule. And so, I brought 'Poky' in to eat. My father said that it is common sense that food is prohibited. To me, being a little mischievous once in a while is alright. Hehehe... Well, everything is expected. The 'beautiful' scenery, the Merlion was a little small, Maybank building, NTUC main building, Kallang river, F1 race track and of course the halfway-built Intergated Resort. Before we went in, we received a headphone. The headphone will tell you all about the history of Singapore. Well, not the headphone of course, but the recording of the 'host'. There was also a compass in the capsule that will point you to whatever the headphone is talking about. In total, i think that the ride a little too fast (30 minutes). It should be 45 minutes. I was busy taking photos that i forgot to view Singapore from a bird's eye view. All in all, it was pretty expected yet interesting. After that, my family and i went to Vivo city to watch a movie. It is Monsters vs. Alien 3D. Yupp, the name tells it all. We watched it in 3-Dimention (3D). The story line is that: When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. Alerted to the threat of this new monster, the military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of other monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, The President is persuaded by General W.R. Monger to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction. (extracted from Golden Village website)
Bye!
Cleon Wong 1a4 (07)

Music website!

2009-05-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I have found an 'online MP3' website that will allow you to listen to music continuously without stopping in the midst of completing your homework, like what we usually do in YouTube. So, this magnificant website is: www.imeem.com. You will firstly need to create an account in order to listen to the music of your favourite popstar. Not only can you listen to music, you can also search for videos, blogs and pictures of singers. You can also join a fan group. Leaving comments is also a brilliant way of speaking your mind. Many say that it is better to listen to your all-so-famous iPod Touch (Kah Win :P). But research shows that listening to MP3 very often will deprove your listening ability by 50%!! That is alot! So please do enjoy this website!
Bye!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

New Math!

2009-05-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Here is a video about 'NEW' math by Tom Lehrer. Enjoy!!! :D

Bye bye!
Do leave comments!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Tips on Literature mentioned by Mrs Seet.

2009-05-04T01:20:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon all,
Here are notes and tips given by Mrs Seet regarding Literature. This might be a little late but, better than nothing.
So... tip number 1: Always use different coloured highlighters to identify points that shows a particular theme, for example POVERTY. A different colour for every different theme. Tip number 2: Use Post-It pads. It might seem small and useless, but be aware of its 'powers" that it beholds. Take down notes or even doubts about the story that might be helpful in future when analysing the story. Tip number 3: Identify the plots and characters in the story. Looking out for different characters will in the end lead to something called 'CHARACTERISATION'.
That is all I have for today.
Do DIRTY your books.
Have a nice revision,
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Spamming

2009-05-04T01:15:00.000-07:00

Hi,
This is going to be a short yet serious matter. Spamming has been witnessed in the Cbox. The person 'disguised' himself/herself (most likely a boy) using the name 1a4 sucks. Please note that SPAMMING is definitely not welcome in this blog, or in fact any other blogs. So, if this matter carries on, I will report it to Ms Caroline Gordon immediately. Who knows, maybe she might already noted about this matter. Ther are rules and regulations of this blog, mind you.
Yours sincerely,
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

The upcoming tests, or should i say the ongoing tests...

2009-05-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Hi again,
I know that this is not the right time to blog as multiple tough tests are awaiting all of us. However, please take note that 'all work no play makes Jack a dull boy'. So, blogging is one of the ways to relief one's stress and calm oneself down. But please do not get GLUED to the computer screen as if using the computer for hours can make you get straight A's. It is not possible. So please do enjoy yourself at the same time revise thoroughly for you test. :D
Thank you all and wish you the best of luck!:DD
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

IS Term 1 Project

2009-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hi again,
Oh... Thank God! I finally finished my IS project. And furthermore, I did it on my own (with a little help from Alvin and Liangrui, though...Thank you both of you.)!!! I am not sure if I have done it correctly, but at least I tried my best.
Here is my Website. A little problem with the 'Contacts' page:
www2.hci.edu.sg/y09hci0110/index.html
Please, please do not copy my hard work, it is copyrighted.
Thank you and goodnight,
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Blogs

2009-04-12T01:47:00.001-07:00

Hi again,
In case the previous post was too messy, The links are posted here again.

Search engines for blogs: www.blogsearch.google.com
www.technorati.com
Start a blog: www.blogger.com
www.wordpress.com

Thanks,
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

P.S The websites are hyperlinked.

I have the power of the media!!!!!!!

2009-04-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

Hi bloggers,
Did you ever know that I have the power of the media? Not only I have the power silly, you too, have the power! Want to know why? Have a look at the video in plain English and learn more about the big deal of blogs now a days.

Here is a short summary on blogs:
What is the big deal about blogs? In the 20th century, news were produced professionally. When news happen, reporters wrote the stories and a tiny group of people decided what appeared in the newspapers or broadcast. Professional news was mainstream, general and limited. The 21st century marked the point where news became both professional and personal. A new kind of website, called a blog, came on to the scene which let anyone be a reporter and publisher often for free. As blogs be came popular, they created millions of new sources that gave everyone their own version of news. Of course, we are using the word news loosely, but really, isn't everything news to someone? People who blog are called bloghers. Well, blog made sharing news on the web easy. With a click of a button, bloggers can share news minutes later.

Here is how blogs work:
Blogs are websites, that are organised by blog posts. And overtime, an updated blog becomes a collection of these posts. Also, each blog post can become a discussion for readers for comments left by readers. And thus, blogs make the news a 2-way street.
Blogs reflect bloggers unique perspective. This helps you built a relationship with readers and bloggers with similar interest. You will read each others post, quote each other, and link your blogs together. This creates communities of bloggers that inspire and motivate each other to post more.

Blog facts:
Since 2003, there had been 70 over million blogs created, each with its own version of news.

So the big deal about blogs is that it gives people like you the power of the media, and create a personal kind of news, that appeals to a high number of small audiences.

So, to end off, it is up to you. What will you do with this kind of power. There is likely a group of people out there who wants to hear what you have to say.
You can search for blogs using Blogsearch.google.com or Technorati.com. You can also start your own blog for free at blogger.com or wordpress.com .

Bye,
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Japanese human tetris. Funny video.

2009-04-11T01:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
This is a video on Japanese human tetris. I am sure all of you know about tetris but not human tetris! Watch this video interesting and hilarious video when you want to take a break in between hours of studying! Enjoy! Bare in mind that it is spoken in Japanese.

Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Aphelion SC Ning website

2009-04-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hello again,
Definitely you guys have heard of the "Aphelion SC Ning" website (of course, if you do not know, you will be in HOT soup with Mrs Teo)!
Website for Aphelion SC Ning:http://aphelionsc.ning.com/
Please note that our Science class test is held on the 5th May 2009.
Topics that will be tested:
1. Length and Volume
2. Mass, Weight and Density
3. Rate and Speed
Please prepare well for the test and all the best!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

IS project for Aphelions (due Friday 16.04.09)

2009-04-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Dear class 1A4,
Have all of you started on the html IS project? If you do not know about it (I hope not...) please go to the SMB to read up. Website: http://smb.chs.edu.sg/smb/hs_student/. I really have trouble doing the website. I do not have Adobe Dream Weaver installed in my home PC, thus it is a little troublesome to do. I am also definitely not IT-savvy and I need some friends to help. I willing to help, please post on my Cbox and inform me.
Thanks alot!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

More pictures...

2009-04-06T06:52:00.001-07:00

Here are three more... The first one is done when i was in Primary 1.

My recent art works...

2009-04-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Here are two of my artworks that I painted last year during the December holidays. It is painted with acrylic and on canvas. There will be some more on the next post.
Enjoy!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

www.weread.com

2009-04-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Hi hi,

Today was a very busy day for me and of course for all of you (I suppose...)! As expected, everyone is busying preparing for the 9th of April 2009, which is the preliminary-judging round for out Projects Day Competition! But please do not stress yourselves out because of that. Ms Gordan Just mention to us about an interesting website, www.weread.com, just a few days ago. It is an oline library and bookstore as well! Cool aey? I suggest that we do not take it as a homework, but a 'place' where we let our hair down by reading interesting books that we never thought that we would have the chance to. Futhermore, the benefit is that during the recession now, we can read FREE OLINE BOOKS!!! But remember not to psoil your eyes staring at the computer for a long time. Thank you Ms Gordan for the interesting and beneficial website!

Cleon Woong 1A4 (07)

History of Hwa Chong school song

2009-04-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Good day people!
We just learnt the history of Hwa Chong Institution school song from Mr. Tan BB during music lesson. Here is the video clip to recap the things that we had learn. We really look serious and neat in the video!
See you tomorrow!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

History Hwa Chong Institution school song

Gymnastics Nationals.

2009-04-02T07:33:00.001-07:00

Hi again,
Only recently, i heard from Joel Lee that our school gymnastics emerged CHAMPIONS for both C and B divisions and first runner up for the A division (Junior College)! Rejoice!!! I hope that next year our schools gymnastics will continue this tradition. Great job Hwa Chong Gymnasts!

Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Cross country nationals...

2009-04-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hi class,
Phew! The nationals are over... it was really stressful before the Cross Country Nationals. Training, training and training again. I really tried my best for it. The race was a 5km run at Bedok reservoir. It took me 19 minutes+- to complete the run. I came in 69th place. I was really delighted that amongst the C Division in our school, I was 3rd. A secondary 2 pupil was first amongst our school followed by a DSA student. Next was me! Overall, Hwa Chong came in 8th position with 200+ points. It was indeed a great disappointment for the school and us. I hope to to even better in next year's nationals.
Bye,
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

March holidays

2009-03-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

HI AGAIN,

So how was your March holidays? I heard from lots of people that it is EXTREMELY boring and could not wait for Term 2. The new timetable for term 2 is posted on the SMB and I hope we will get used to it as soon as possible. After 'examining' the timetable, I fell deeply in love with Wednesdays. The first period is P.E. and we will have a short 'recess'. And directly after that is BREAK! So it is like a double break, so-called. However, in the entire week, there is only 1 period for P.E....

My March holidays were no better than any other days. My family has 3 free tickets to the Singapore Flyer and on Saturday we were supposed to have a go in the Flyer. Unfortunately, it was raining and too bad, my parents said that it would be a waste of money to go on the Flyer and see a blurry image of Singapore. Whats more, the construction would be a definite sore-eye too! So that part was a little disappointment. The rest of the days were nothing but normal.

See you people soon!
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

The Real Lamb - 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl

2009-02-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

Dear classmates of 1A4,

Like what is mentioned during the discussion, we get mutton from lamb.

I WILL TAKE A VERY CENTRALIZED POINT OF VIEW OF 'WHO IS THE REAL LAMB'.

So, in my opinion, who or even what, is the real 'lamb' in the short story 'Lamb to the Slaughter' written by the famous author Roald Dahl?

I feel that i have a very different perspective in the point of viewing this story as a reader. I think that ALL characters in the story, are 'lambs' with exception of Sam. Why do I say so? Firstly, let me introduce to you guys all the characters being mentioned in the short story. Mary Maloney, Patrick Maloney, the police, Sam, the unborn child and of course last but not least, the frozen leg of lamb. (: [you will notice that after every paragraph, i will end with the sentence "Thus i think that xxx is the 'lamb'." Hehe.]

Patrick is a police and of course, Mary Maloney is his wife.

Why do I think that all the characters are the 'lamb'? The phrase 'lamb to the slaughter' means that someone or something innocent is sacrificed because of the wrong doing of someone else.
Mary has to face the death sentence, that is if the case of murder is solved. Patrick has let her down and wanted to abandon Mary and the unborn child. In a state of shock and anger, she killed Patrick Maloney unknowingly of what she is doing at that point of time. If she is to be killed for murder, she would be sacrificed in a sense that she is totally innocent and committed a CRIME OF PASSION, which should not be accused for. Thus i think that Mary is the 'lamb'.

Very simply, i feel that Patrick is the lamb because he is slaughtered as in really SLAUGHTERED by a frozen leg of lamb. However, Mary Maloney should not act that harshly as I think that everything can be solved using words and actions could only worsen the problem in hand.

Well then , why is the baby the so-called 'lamb' in the story too? If, like mentioned in the first paragraph, the mother is is sentenced to a death sentence, she would definitely be killed after the child is introduced to the real world. And the father is slaughtered already. So, when Mary had given birth to the child, it would be an orphan. It is innocent as he did not do anything and yet received this type of "punishment' by not having any parents. Thus, i think that the baby is the 'lamb'.

Lastly, the police are the lamb too because they are like fools in the story as they are expeirenced policemen and detectives yet they do not know how to act in a situation when the murder takes place.

I hope evryone gets what i am tryign to put across. Have a good weekend! :D

Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

how people in singapore are doing their own part to save the environment :D

2009-02-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

Hi hi!
I am going to describe to you guys about (as mentioned in the title) how people in Singapore are doing their part to save the environment that we live in, which is planet Earth.

Firstly, to start of, I feel that the Earth is fragile. Why do i say so? The Earth that you people walk on each and everyday of your life is not something that God accidentally created or cracked open. It has been around for hundreds of millions of decades and will definitely go on for hundreds of thousands of millenium after you die. THAT is, if we take good care of Mother Earth, our homeland. In my opinion, Earth is like a a piece of rock. And you would not be able to crack the rock by just squeezing it with however much strength you exert. But if you hit this piece of stubborn rock with a hammer everyday constantly, things might change. Maybe, a person hitting the rock daily will not do that much of a change. However, if a thousand people hit it daily without fail, a colossal change would definitely take place and the rock would be smashed into smithereens. This is the effect and process of how people harm the Earth.

Everyday, for decades, people have been driving cars conveniently on expressways all around the world. a little amount of harmful gases are released by each car everyday and nobody notices that it will harm the environment in future. This carries on for generations. Soon, scientist discovered that there is a hole in the atmosphere and we have got to do something about it.

People in Singapore are trying their best to save the environment. Some creates and hold workshops, teaching citizens how they can help in this 'long-term' process. Posters had been put up all around Singpaore, be it along Singapore rivier, pinned up at Housing Developement Boards notice boards and even along the streets at Orchird Road. Mant Megastores and Hypermarkets have been advising their customers to use recycle bags instead of plastic bags to carry their grceries. This is because plastic bags are not biodegardable and when burned, they will too release harmful gases. To a certain extent, some of the stores even give away free recycle bags! The singapore government has given many talks and speeches on the topic of 'saving the environment' and informing citizens the importance of it. Singapore has also been planting more plants, trees and greeneries everywhere.

So, i will encourage you guys to start saving the Earth with the above suggestions(if you have not been doing them). You can also comment on this post if you have any other suggestions on how to save Mother Earth.

Remember, your little actions would make a HUGE difference.
Regards,
Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

74 dead in Shangxi mine explosion

2009-02-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

My heart aches after reading this article. To sum it up, it is about a mine explosion in Shangxi. The blast occurred yesterday at Tulan mine Gujiao City near Taiyuan, capital of the main coal-producing province of Shangxi. As mentioned in the title of the article, about 74 miners were perished in this unexpected and unfortunate explosion. 436 miners were working underground when the pre-dawned blast happened and a total of 114 miners were under observation at the hospital. Futhermore, it happened the day after senior provincial officer held a conference about mine safety.

This article is a "plot-driven story"as the main concept that the article is trying to inform us about is the explosion, which is he most important aspect of the story. This interesting plot keeps readers wanting to continue readingtill the end of the article.

I feel that the senior provincial officer must do something about this unwanted issue and prevent this type of accident to happen again

Cleon Wong (07) 1a4

Word of the day 3.

2009-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Sorry for not posting the previous Word of The Day.(CNY!)
The word of the day is: acclaim
meaning: verb(used with objects)

1.	to welcome or salute with shouts or sounds of joy and approval; applaud: to acclaim the conquering heroes.

2. to announce or proclaim with enthusiastic approval: to acclaim the new king.

Cleon Wong 1A4 (07)

Traditions and customs of Chinese New Year

2009-01-23T23:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Today is the eve of the eve of Chinese New Year! Haha. I am sure that all of you are excited about it. I am going to tell you about the traditions and customs of this important festival.

CNY this year will fall on the 26th of January. This year's animal sign is the ox (cow). CNY is the most important festival amongst all Chinese, there are many traditions associated with the Spring Festival.

The day that CNY falls on in future

2009	01/26/2009	Ox
2010	02/14/2010	Tiger
2011	02/03/2011	Rabbit
2012	01/23/2012	Dragon

The animal signs running in order
1. Rat
2. Ox
3. Tiger
4. Rabbit
5. Dragon
6. Snake
7. Horse
8. Sheep
9. Monkey
10. Roster
11. Dog
12. Pig (me)

Finding your animal sign

From 1920 - 1950:

02/17/1950	02/05/1951	Tiger
02/06/1951	01/26/1952	Rabbit
01/27/1952	02/13/1953	Dragon
02/14/1953	02/02/1954	Snake
02/03/1954	01/23/1955	Horse
01/24/1955	02/11/1956	Goat
02/12/1956	01/30/1957	Monkey
01/31/1957	02/17/1958	Rooster
02/18/1958	02/07/1959	Dog
02/08/1959	01/27/1960	Pig
01/28/1960	02/14/1961	Rat
02/15/1961	02/04/1962	Ox
02/05/1962	01/24/1963	Tiger
01/25/1963	02/12/1964	Rabbit
02/13/1964	02/01/1965	Dragon
02/02/1965	01/20/1966	Snake
01/21/1966	02/08/1967	Horse
02/09/1967	01/29/1968	Goat
01/30/1968	02/16/1969	Monkey
02/17/1969	02/05/1970	Rooster
02/06/1970	01/26/1971	Dog
01/27/1971	02/14/1972	Pig
02/15/1972	02/02/1973	Rat
02/03/1973	01/22/1974	Ox
01/23/1974	02/10/1975	Tiger
02/11/1975	01/30/1976	Rabbit
01/31/1976	02/17/1977	Dragon
02/18/1977	02/06/1978	Snake
02/07/1978	01/27/1979	Horse
01/28/1979	02/15/1980	Goat
02/16/1980	02/04/1981	Monkey
02/05/1981	01/24/1982	Rooster
01/25/1982	02/12/1983	Dog
02/13/1983	02/01/1984	Pig
02/02/1984	02/19/1985	Rat
02/20/1985	02/08/1986	Ox
02/09/1986	01/28/1987	Tiger
01/29/1987	02/16/1988	Rabbit
02/17/1988	02/05/1989	Dragon
02/06/1989	01/26/1990	Snake
01/27/1990	02/14/1991	Horse
02/15/1991	02/03/1992	Goat
02/04/1992	01/22/1993	Monkey
01/23/1993	02/09/1994	Rooster
02/10/1994	01/30/1995	Dog
01/31/1995	02/18/1996	Pig
02/19/1996	02/06/1997	Rat

Things Chinese Do

Here is a list of things or traditions Chinese may do around Chinese New Year.

1. Preparation
Usually the preparation starts a month before the new year. The preparation includes thoroughly cleaning and decorating the house, buying new clothes, preparing enough food for at least two weeks. The decorations are highly symbolic with a lot of lucky words, printed paintings and red colors everywhere. Kids are busy in shopping for different kinds of firecrackers. Everyone gets a haircut before the new year. So everything and everyone looks new and fresh on the new year.

2. New Year' Eve
The New Year's Eve is the time for families. The New Year Eve's dinner is the biggest dinner of the year, much like Thanksgiving dinner. The dinner is full of symbolic meaning, such as Chinese dumplings implying wealth since they have the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. Everyone, even kids, drinks a little Jiu (usually hard liquor), which symbolizes longevity since Jiu has the same pronunciation as longevity in Chinese. Then the family chats while watching national TV shows or listening to radio together until the coming of the new year. In China, the national TV shows have been prepared for a few months by a group of famous entertainers.

3. Firecrackers
Firecrackers are set off as soon as the new year arrives. You can hear or see firecrackers everywhere and this usually lasts for a few hours. Some people will continue to play firecrackers occasionally through out the first half of the first month. Traditionally fireworks are the sign of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new. Fireworks are now banned in China, so this tradition is history.

4. Red Packets
Giving Hongbao or red packets during Chinese new year is another tradition. A Red packet is simply a red envelope with money in it, which symbolizes luck and wealth. Red packets are typically handed out to younger generation by their parents, grand parents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends.

5. New Year Greetings
Chinese New Year is also the time for socializing. People usually wear new clothes and go out to visit and greet their relatives and friends, so the streets are filled with a lot of cheerful people. The greetings and visitings can go on for a few days.

6. Dragon and Lion Dancing
Dragon and Lion dancing is another tradition of Chinese New Year.

Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

Chinese New Year

2009-01-22T06:33:00.000-08:00

Hi people,

Chinese New Year is just round the corner (I really mean round the corner). Are you people excited? I bet I am! Chinese New Year is the most important festive of the year(to Chinese).Red packets and mandrin oranges are to be given to the elders by the younger ones. I will be posting up the facts of CNY tomorrow!

Keep in touch!
Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

Word of the day no. 2

2009-01-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hi again,

The word of the day for today is: corpulent
Meaning: [adj] very fat

Happy Chinese 'Niu' Year!!!
Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

Comments

2009-01-21T04:54:00.001-08:00

Fellow classmates,
Please comment on my posts .

Thank you very much
Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

Fun and mini games.

2009-01-21T04:05:00.001-08:00

Dear classmates,

You will notice that there are mini-games posted in my blog. It is for you play for a little while to relax. Please do not abuse them and I will post more varieties.

Remember not to abuse the games.
Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

Word of the day.

2009-01-21T03:44:00.001-08:00

Hi people of 1A4(teachers too!),

I will be posting the word of the day everyday. Please tell me if you guys want it with the meaning or without.

For today, the word of the day is: qualitative.
Meaning: adj of or about quality
Eg: a qualitative judgment.

P.S. There will be a left-hand side column that will list out all the word of the day that has been posted.
There is a hangman game too! you can click on the link 'learn the word' in the game to learn it.

Learning will never come to an end.
Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

Diary: The Village by the Sea (thoughts and feelings of Lila while ofering prayers)

2009-01-21T00:50:00.000-08:00

This is what I think and assume what Lila is thinking about while she is offering her prayers:

Dear Diary,
Today morning was a peaceful morning. Surprisingly, I was exceptionally early and was the first one who went out to the beach. I went there with a bucket of bright - coloured flowers. When I came to a cluster of three rocks, I spotted a sacred rock(a kind of temple in the sea) and offered my prayers and said a greeting to God.
Soon, more women came down and offered flowers at the sacred rock. Some did what I did and just simply said a greeting to God. Some of them said a little prayer for the safety of the fishermen(their husbands) at sea.
Thinking about fishermen, I thought of my lousy father, who always came home drunk. He often gambled and was in a huge dept. He sold his boat to pay his dept, which made my Mum worried. That resulted in Mother falling sick. I am really angry with my father.

Signing off,
Lila.

Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

Timing.

2009-01-21T00:48:00.000-08:00

Pleas do not trust the time stated when I posted my blog. It is inaccurate.

My pet plant.

2009-01-21T00:40:00.000-08:00

Dear 1A4,

As you can see on the left-hand side of the screen, there lays my plant (named F.growth) growing whenever I visit my blog. This will remind me of the time I have been spending on the computer. F.growth and I suggest that you guys should have it too (to manage time wisely)!

From,
Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

A thing for you guys to ponder about...

2009-01-21T00:18:00.000-08:00

If the universe is everything and yet the scientist said that it is expending, then what is it expanding into?

Happy thinking!

CNN news update and Picasso's art of the day.

2009-01-21T00:08:00.000-08:00

Fellow friends and teachers,
Please do remember to view and read the "CNN news updates" (updated everyday) and "Picasso's Art of The Day" located at the bottom of my blog. Kindly try not to forget about them.

Enjoy the rest of your day!
Cleon Wong (07) 1A4

if i were a member of the Society of Prevention of Cruelty To Animals.

2009-01-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

If I were a member of the Society of Prevention of Cruelty To Animals, I would like to raise awareness of the cruelty of whaling in Japan, this is the speech that I prepared to be made at a public forum on the cruelty of the fishing industry to whales in Japan.

"Japan is a country which consumes great amounts of seafood. The fishing industry hunts for whales mainly because of their oils. It is in fact extremely cruel to hunt and kill whales. Who knows? At the rate the whales are breeding, it is predicted that they will soon become extinct mammals. There must be an alternative to finding oil to satisfy human cravings and needs rather than to fish for whales."

'FISH ARE FRIENDS, NOT FOOD!' this saying, which I think is true and deffinitely agreeable, is adapted from a cartoon movie - Finding Nemo.

Cleon (07) 1A4

All about me (not all actually.) ;)

2009-01-16T23:26:00.000-08:00

Hi again 1A4,
Basically, as you all know, i am a member of the Hwa Chong family and of course the brothers of 1A4.
I love art and i usually draw during my free time be it in school, at home or even at shopping malls! I am happy to tell you that I went to take the 2nd art test and am officially in AEP (art elective programme)!
That is all for now and i will update later on.
Enjoy your weekend!
Cleon (07) 1A4

my first and very important blog of the year!

2009-01-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

hi friends and teachers of 1A4,
this is the first post in the blog.
i will continue to update on this blog and make it interesting throughout 2009.
have fun reading!(please comment)
Cleon (07) 1A4