Sacramental greetings

Poland President

2010-05-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

I was really shocked when I heard that Poland's president had died.

President Lech Kaczynski and scores of other senior Polish figures have been killed in a plane crash in Russia.

Polish and Russian officials said no-one survived after the plane apparently hit trees as it approached Smolensk airport in thick fog.

Russian media reports said the pilots ignored advice from air traffic control to divert to another airport.

Poland's army chief, central bank governor, MPs and leading historians were among more than 80 passengers.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the crash was the most tragic event of the country's post-World War II history.

The Polish delegation was flying in from Warsaw to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre of thousands of Poles by Soviet forces during WWII.

Lech Kaczynski, file image

Obituary: Lech Kaczynski
In pictures: Plane crash
Your reaction

The BBC's Adam Easton, in Warsaw, says the crash is a catastrophe for the Polish people.

He says Prime Minister Tusk was reportedly in tears when he was told.

After an emergency meeting of ministers, Mr Tusk, who runs the day-to-day business of government, said a week of national mourning had been declared with two minutes of silence on Sunday at midday.

Mr Tusk added: "The Polish state must function and will function".
Flowers and candles laid outside presidential palace in Warsaw - 10 April 2010
Thousands have gathered outside the presidential palace in Warsaw

A government spokesman said that according to the constitution there would be an early presidential election, and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Bronislaw Komorowski, would be acting president.

In Warsaw, people gathered outside the presidential palace to lay flowers and light candles.

"I'm all broken up... it cannot be expressed in words," Ewa Robaczewska told Reuters news agency.

This accident breaks my bubble of security.I have always thought of presidents and prime ministers as "godly".This makes me think again.I now realise that no matter how powerful you are,you are still a fragile living human being.

Outing at the Beach

2010-03-16T02:06:00.000-07:00

Lol,my family went to the beach today.It was fun:D.I swam in the sea for 1h before playing soccer with my brother.Then,I enjoyed my favourite food:My mother's fried noodles!It was succulent and delicious.I ate a whole bowl of it.Then,we rented bicycles from the nearby bicycle rental shop and cycled for 1h.It was exhilarating!I really wish I could have another of this type of beach outing.

To Kill A MockingBird

2010-03-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

Intrapersonal Question:
a)who would you want to be friends with in the novel? Explain.
b)Which character would you like to play in the movie version of the novel? Explain. c. Write a diary entry for a major character of the novel.

a)I would like to be friends with Jem.He is around the same age as me and he is more mature than Scout.He can understand the seriousness of things and not be so hot-tempered like Scout.He is more calm and he is experiencing puberty,which means he is growing up.He is also fun-loving like me so we could play with each other.Jem is also very loyal to his family and friends as demonstrated when he tried to protect Scout at the ending chapters of TKAM.

b)I would like to play Atticus in the movie version of the novel.This is because he has a strong sense of right and wrong and I would like to act as a caring father:D.He is also very strict with his children.Atticus is very loyal,kind,generous and caring.He allows Mr Cunningham to pay his lawyer's fee with necessities instead of money.

c)Diary Entry of Mayella Ewell
Day of Tom Robinson's trial
Dear diary,today was the worst day of my life!I was forced to lie by my father that Tom Ronbinson,with whom I have an infactuation,had raped me!It was so horrible when that nigger* held out his hand and showed that it was withered.I think that I will definitely convicted for false accusations.That lawyer was so evil!I hope that that Pa doesn't hit me again.It was so painful the last time.That lawyer,calling me "Miss Ewell"here,"Miss Ewell" there.

My Profile

2010-02-27T20:46:00.001-08:00

Wow.I didn' I was so...interpersonal.Or maybe I am not.I think that the survey is not very accurate because for most of the interpersonal questions I put them as "I do this more often than not".I also think that I am more musically smart than people smart.This is because I learn piano and my CCA is Choir.=.=I am not that "people smart".I also do not know much about botany and "body smart".To conclude,I think that this survey is not very accurate.

2009-09-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

2009-08-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

I am talking about my favourite food as I was forced to.My favourite food should be fish and chips.Smile please!

I like fish and chips because...(in point form)

Firstly,it is a western food!:)

Secondly,it tastes very nice.There are three parts of the dish that make up fish and chips.They are the fish(obviously),french fries,baked beans and peas.The fish is crispy on the outside and soft in the inside after biting,the piece seems to melt in your mouth.It is VERY delicious.The french fries are crispy and salty.Coupled with ketchup,it tastes scrumptious and palatable.The baked beans are very soft and nice.They are exquisite and heavenly.Lastly,the peas.I actually did not like the peas when I first ate fish and chips,but after my mother's persisting that I eat them,I find them fit for a king!The best thing is,the peas are healthy!I have a friendly store uncle who sells fish and chips.This is why I always get more fries and more peas!Actually,the uncle is a reason why I can eat fish and chips.My mother says she wants to support him.Unfortunately,fish and chips is bad for health.Sigh...

I hope that after reading this,you also will try fish and chips!

2009-08-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hi ALL,

I am doing an article review on the article "Scarred by ex-wife"

The link can be found here.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_418652.html

Firstly,I think that the wife of the constable should have been locked up in the first place.Even before their divorce,she was already having psychological problems.As stated in the text,she had tried to commit suicide once as she thought Mr Jamaluddin had an affair.

Secondly,I think that the wife should not have been able to get hold of acid so easily.If it was,everyone could hurt their enemies easily.She also shouted abuse at her ex-husband,which amplifies the fact that she sould be sent to a mental hospital.She sould not be allowed into society as she just suffered a psychological blow by her divorce.

Thirdly,I think that the wife should not have had the key to her ex-husband's house.This is actually quite irresponsible for him as the wife could have easily killed him and his fiancee.

Lastly,I think that Mr Jamaluddin should have persuaded her ex-wife to go to seek psychological help.Pride is not important when compared to that.Why did the wife deteriorate so badly under their marriage?I think it is because the husband is quite irresponsible.Why did the wife not know that her husband was actually only working late at work,not having an affair?There is a lack of communication between the two of them.

Thanks for reading.
Feel free to write comments

Favourite poet

2009-06-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

My favourite poet is William Wordsworth and my favourite poem is his's "Daffodils".It incorporates the ideas and aspects that are essential in poetry during the Romantic movement. Various peaceful images of nature, including a field of daffodils, exude human qualities in the poem. These natural images express Wordsworth's self-reflections, whether it be tranquil solitude at the beginning of the poem or excitement about being in the company of daffodils at the end. The field of daffodils is evidently the subject of this poem, making nature the most apparent feature throughout. As well as this, William Wordsworth also adds a range of natural images such as lakes, trees, stars and even clouds, which he metaphored for himself. Through nature a mood is instantly created from the very first line, "I wandered lonely as a cloud."
The atmosphere established in this poem is very peaceful and the use of nature creates a tranquil yet joyful setting. The imagery of nature and the peacefulness that is created is accomplished through the many metaphors, similes and descriptive language that he uses.William Wordsworth is also a very interesting person.He was inspired to write the poem because he saw some daffodils!Sadly,he died at 80 years old.William Wordsworth also was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.One of his best works is The Prelude. His definition of poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings arising from "emotion recollected in tranquillity" was shared by a number of his followers. "Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; it is the impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all Science."

THE PRELUDE Courtesy of http://www.bartleby.com/236/68.html
THUS while the days flew by, and years passed on,

From Nature and her overflowing soul

I had received so much, that all my thoughts

Were steeped in feeling; I was only then

Contented, when with bliss ineffable

I felt the sentiment of Being spread

O’er all that moves and all that seemeth still;

O’er all that, lost beyond the reach of thought

And human knowledge, to the human eye

Invisible, yet liveth to the heart;

O’er all that leaps and runs, and shouts and sings,

Or beats the gladsome air; o’er all that glides

Beneath the wave, yea, in the wave itself,

And mighty depth of waters. Wonder not

If high the transport, great the joy I felt

Communing in this sort through earth and heaven

With every form of creature, as it looked

Towards the Uncreated with a countenance

Of adoration, with an eye of love.

One song they sang, and it was audible,

Most audible, then, when the fleshly ear,

O’ercome by humblest prelude of that strain,

Forgot her functions, and slept undisturbed.

Of that external scene which round me lay,

Little, in this abstraction, did I see;

Remembered less; but I had inward hopes

And swellings of the spirit, was rapt and soothed,

Conversed with promises, had glimmering views

How life pervades the undecaying mind;

How the immortal soul with God-like power

Informs, creates, and thaws the deepest sleep

That time can lay upon her; how on earth,

Man, if he do but live within the light

Of high endeavours, daily spreads abroad

His being armed with strength that cannot fail.

Visionary power

Attends the motions of the viewless winds,

Embodied in the mystery of words:

There, darkness makes abode, and all the host

Of shadowy things work endless changes,—there,

As in a mansion like their proper home,

Even forms and substances are circumfused

By that transparent veil with light divine,

And, through the turnings intricate of verse,

Present themselves as objects recognized,

In flashes, and with glory not their own.

Imagination—here the Power so called

Through sad incompetence of human speech,

That awful Power rose from the mind’s abyss

Like an unfathered vapour that enwraps,

At once, some lonely traveller. I was lost;

Halted without an effort to break through;

But to my conscious soul I now can say—

I recognize thy glory: in such strength

Of usurpation, when the light of sense

Goes out, but with a flash that has revealed

The invisible world, doth greatness make abode,

There harbours; whether we be young or old,

Our destiny, our being’s heart and home,

Is with infinitude, and only there;

With hope it is, hope that can never die,

Effort, and expectation, and desire,

And something evermore about to be.

Under such banners militant, the soul

Seeks for no trophies, struggles for no spoils

That may attest her prowess, blest in thoughts

That are their own perfection and reward,

Strong in herself and in beatitude

That hides her, like the mighty flood of Nile

Poured from his fount of Abyssinian clouds

To fertilize the whole Egyptian plain.

The brook and road

Were fellow-travellers in this gloomy strait,

And with them did we journey several hours

At a slow pace. The immeasurable height

Of woods decaying, never to be decayed,

The stationary blasts of waterfalls,

And in the narrow rent at every turn

Winds thwarting winds, bewildered and forlorn,

The torrents shooting from the clear blue sky,

The rocks that muttered close upon our ears,

Black drizzling crags that spake by the way-side

As if a voice were in them, the sick sight

And giddy prospect of the raving stream,

The unfettered clouds and region of the Heavens,

Tumult and peace, the darkness and the light—

Were all like workings of one mind, the features

Of the same face, blossoms upon one tree;

Characters of the great Apocalypse,

The types and symbols of Eternity,

Of first, and last, and midst, and without end.

In some green bower

Rest, and be not alone, but have thou there

The One who is thy choice of all the world:

There linger, listening, gazing, with delight

Impassioned, but delight how pitiable!

Unless this love by a still higher love

Be hallowed, love that breathes not without awe;

Love that adores, but on the knees of prayer,

By heaven inspired; that frees from chains the soul,

Lifted, in union with the purest, best,

Of earth-born passions, on the wings of praise

Bearing a tribute to the Almighty’s Throne.

This spiritual Love acts not nor can exist

Without Imagination, which, in truth,

Is but another name for absolute power

And clearest insight, amplitude of mind,

And Reason in her most exalted mood.

This faculty hath been the feeding source

Of our long labour: 2 we have traced the stream

From the blind cavern whence is faintly heard

Its natal murmur; followed it to light

And open day; accompanied its course

Among the ways of Nature, for a time

Lost sight of it bewildered and engulphed;

Then given it greeting as it rose once more

In strength, reflecting from its placid breast

The works of man and face of human life;

And lastly, from its progress have we drawn

Faith in life endless, the sustaining thought

Of human Being, Eternity, and God.

Daffodils Courtesy of http://www.poetry-online.org/wordsworth_daffodils.htm
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

The Solitary Reaper Courtesy of http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/82.html
Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate'er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o'er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

Q2

2009-06-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

I like this poem because it is very smooth and it speaks of nature.You can almost hear the author in the poem,talking about the daffodils.The author is very passionate about this poem.He uses personification to give the daffodils a human-like aura.This poem is also a song which is very lovely.The daffodils seems almost like a human

Poem-Daffodils

2009-06-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody,this is my poem which I don't really like...
Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Q1 There are many words from the figurative language,such as
Wandered lonely as a cloud(Line 1)
Floats(Line 2)
Dancing(Line 6)
Tossing(Line 12)
In sprightly dance(Line 12)
Outdid the sparkling leaves in glee(Line 14)
This poem uses personification for the words above.

2009-03-01T04:17:00.000-08:00

In Singapore,there have been many efforts to preserve the environment.For example,there was a new campaign launched last year:Go Green.Its aims were to save the plants,which in turn means save the environment.Many people are now using recycled paper to print out their miscellaneous materials.There is also a brand of A4 size paper whose cardboard cover is totally made of recycled paper.

2009-03-01T03:48:00.000-08:00

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen,

I am the Indian politician Dr C.Niall DeMencha.I am here to present a speech against the sale of organs illegally.As you know,everybody starts with two kidneys.However,over the years,there are more and more cases of doctors who remove people's organs without their consent.I believe that the government can play a crucial role in ensuring that such criminals be punished,which serves as a severe deterrence.For example,the recent case of Dr Ahmad Kumar.He stole over 250 kidneys from people without their consent.Now,he has been arrested by the government for doing that.I think that this is a deserved punishment for him as he stole kidneys because greed.Most people living in India also do not have two kidneys because of this. I truly hope that the government can do something about it to prevent this sort of thing to happen again.Thank you.
I hence forth conclude my speech.

2009-03-01T03:27:00.000-08:00

I think that age and experience are two very important variables to the workforce in any country.As you all know,young people are more physically abled to carry out work than old people.However,old people have a huge advantage over them,which is:Experience.Having experience is very important as it is essential to any company.Experienced people can teach new workers how to handle the ropes and also how to deal with things in certain situations.For example,an experienced guy may know how to fly an aircraft acrobatically while an inexperienced one may not.Another example is our Minister Mentor,Lee Kuan Yew.Although he is 86 years old,he is still the Minister Mentor as he can share his wealth of experience with the Prime Minister.This why I think that age and experience are important to the workforce in any coountry.

Blog prompt Nothing But the Truth

2009-02-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

Miss Narwin sighed as she prepared to write the letter.Her hands were heavy as she lifted her pen."Ringg!!!!!!!!!!"The phone suddenly rang.She was shocked momentarily before answering the phone."Hello?"
"Hello Miss Narwin,I am Phillip Malloy.I would like to apologise for the matters that have surfaced after I was suspended.I know that I shouldn't have sung during the tape of the national anthem.I hope you will forgive me and allow me to do more work so as to increase my scores and let me join the track team."
"Phillip.......I don't know what to say.Is this whole thing started because you couldn't join the track team?"
"Well......sort of.So,can you let me do some extra work?"
"Ok."
"Thanks!I won't forget that.Now I can join the track team.Thanks again!"
The phone disconnected.Miss Narwin put down her pen with a sigh of relief.This whole issue had finally been settled by a simple phone call.She was definitely not going to resign after that.
A few days later,Phillip Malloy handed in his work,which earned him an increase from D to C.He rushed to Coach Jamison."Hi,coach.Did you hear about the good news?"
"Of course,lad.Now,come on and do a sprint!"Coach Jamison said with a smile on his face.Phillip Malloy jumped and ran with joy.He could finally join the track team!
The next day,Phillip Malloy called the reporter."Hi,this is Phillip Malloy.I would like you to publish an article of me apologising to Miss Narwin."The article was published and the national issue was finally put to rest.Phillip could finally go to school with a smile on his face.

2009-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am here to present a speech on how the cruelty of whaling in Japan has affected the population of whales.
As you know,whales are already diminishing on the double here due to other countries and plus Japan's whaling tradition,are decreasing even more.The population of blue whales up to date is 5000-12000,even though they were abundant during the beginning of the twentieth century.They were hunted to almost extinction by whalers.Do you feel this is wrong,yes?The fishing industry of whales in Japan are this cruel.
The Japanese fishing industry has also killed of at least 50% of the blue-fin tuna's population.The blue-fin tuna is a much sought-after delicacy that has a melt-in-the-mouth texture.Even though some efforts have been made to stabilize the population to breed bule-fin tuna from fry,these efforts are futile and in vain.The blue-fin tuna's population is still declining rapidly.There has been no effort to stem the killing of the fish as the fishing industry are that cruel.

I henceforth conclude my speech and hope that you will listen to my words.Thank you.

2009-01-09T05:27:00.000-08:00

Hi!

This is my first time creating a blog so don't blame me if there are any mistakes!:)