Helping the Poor

Good morning to our beloved teacher and fellow friends. It is an honour for me to be here and the topic that I would like to share with you today is entitled: “Helping the Poor”.

Sometimes it is easy for us to forget how lucky we are with our family always by our side, making sure that we live a comfortable life and getting formal education. We often take things for granted because we do not have to worry about basic necessity unlike many people who are not as fortunate as we are. Many people, for example, the community living in Kampong Tupai who is living below the poverty line, have to go through their daily lives from hand to mouth. Since Kampong Tupai is a typical rural area, there are very little job opportunities for the community there. Those who are lucky enough to secure a job will still have to work on a minimum wage as they make ends meet. In fact, majority of the residents of Kampong Tupai cannot even afford to seek medical treatment. Worst yet, most of them have to live in a deplorable and unhygienic condition because they are unable to improve their standard of living.

We should be aware that there are many more places around the country like Kampong Tupai, where people do not have much to defend themselves from the problems of poverty. They desperately need our help and assistance but you may wonder: what can you do to help the poor? The answer is simple. You may start a local charity drive in our school or even local residential area. Get people to gather various forms of aid such as groceries, medicine as well as cash aid.

Besides that, schools can definitely help by having welfare and service clubs that are like any other co-curricular activities. The only difference is that such student bodies will focus on community service and get the whole school to be involved in helping the needy people. Furthermore, students can be encouraged to participate in school organised trips to visit local orphanages and old people’s home. Through such noble effort, students can become more understanding and giving in charity work.

All in all, in line with the effort of creating a caring society, we should all be involved in social work and serve the community voluntarily. By helping others, we do not only bring happiness to strangers but we are also sowing the seed of love in the lives of those who are living in hopelessness and sorrow.

Drugs

Ever since human started dabbling in the field of medicine, people have learnt many uses of drug with great medicinal value. However useful they are, drugs should only be taken after consultation with a doctor. Otherwise, it will lead to addiction and cause great harm to the user if the drug is taken habitually.

Our country has been battling the problem of drug abuse for many years. It is the nation’s number one enemy because it will lead to various social problems. When the problem concerns youth of the country, it becomes a more distressing issue for all. This is because we cannot foresee our country being led by future generation with drug problem.

Besides that, people who are addicted to drug are often associated with crimes because drugs will impair their sense of judgment. Therefore, they will go to the extend of stealing, lying and even killing just to satisfy their addiction. They become a menace to the society and their behaviour poses a great threat towards the peace and orderly of our community.

Furthermore, being depended on drugs causes one to lose his or her ability to function normally. In other words, drug abusers cannot work like a healthy living being and without work, they lose financial independence. That means they do not have money to support themselves as well as their terrible habit. Hence they will once again resort to crimes in order to maintain their intoxicated lifestyle.

Moreover, drugs are lethal because people will die of drug overdose. Abusing drugs can also expose the users to the deadly AIDS virus if they share syringes with another drug addicts with AIDS. Therefore, either way we look at it, a drug addict will still die of a horrible death.

As a closure. It is important that we become more aware of the dangerous effects of drug abuse. That way, we will learn to say no to drugs in every possible situation. By staying away from drugs, we will assure ourselves a healthy and fulfilling life.

The Setting of The Return

In the novel “The Return” by K.S. Maniam, there are two types of settings which are social setting and physical setting. Social setting refers to the time or period when the story is set in and physical setting refers to place where the story takes place.

In terms of social setting, the story is set between 1940 until 1962, from the pre-independence era of Malaya that is also known as the British colonial period in Malaya; to the Japanese occupation of Malaya; to the independence of Malaya; even until the time of emergency, when curfew hours were imposed due to the activities of the communists. The story is also set in a small town of Bedong, Kedah where most of the action takes place in the “lines” which is known as Bedong Group Hospital.

The novel deals with life of the Indian immigrants from lower social strata or rather labourers. They are the Tamils who had very little education worked in the district hospital and in the rubber estates. They included Kannan and his neighbours. On the other hand, there are also the educated Indians, like CD (Ayah), Mrs. CD and the Justice of the Peace (JP), who held more responsible positions and looked down upon the working class. They keep to themselves and constantly look down upon as well as discriminate the labourers. Meanwhile, there are also the British, who ran the country and held the top posts and they were feared and held in awe. Despite the differences in social ranks, the Indian community in Bedong does share similar cultural values. The Tamils observed Hindu festivals such as Deepavali, Thaipusam and Ponggal. They lived their lives according to mainly Hindu customs.

In terms of Physical settings, there is Bedong which is the place where Kannan’s family lives specifically beside the Hindu cemetery where Periathai puts up the first shelter in the most undeveloped part of the town. It is also the same place where Periathai dies of cancer. Besides that, there is the long house or better known as ‘the lines” which is the place where Ravi is introduced to formal Tamil education at first. In addition to this, there is the hospital compound where CD sneers at the Ravi and tells him he is fit only to wash other people’s dirty clothes. As Kannan’s business prospers, we witness the opening of the laundry shop in Bedong town. However, as the story spiral downwards for Kannan after the death of Periathai, the setting slowly changes to beside the river where Kannan’s tragic death occurs there.

Bedong is also where Ravi used to live in - the “lines” which are houses with little basic amenities. The lines is the place where most conflicts and values systems affect him. He goes to school around the area and it is where Miss Nancy influence him by providing him with hopes, a place for him escape poverty and oppression and that draws him away from life at the “lines”.

On the other hand, a different setting took place at Sungai Petani which is where Ravi goes to school and later returns to this place to teach. At the same place, we see Ravi gaining a place in the English school. At the end, Sungai Petani is also the same place where Ravi starts work as a qualified teacher.

Other less significant physical setting includes Gurun and Merbok where Kannan opens two laundry shops were here. Not forgetting England where Ravi goes to for two years for teaching training

As a conclusion, we see Kannan and Periathai being affected by their environment. They try very hard to establish roots in Malaya as well as to own their piece of land. However they both fail as we witness Periathai dies of cancer without achieving her dream whereas Kannan dies in a fire. Ravi, though saddened by the tragic lost, finds his own way out of the difficult life in Bedong and changes his fate through means of education.

The effects of pollution

Pollution has become a happening issue which many of us would not have welcomed. It is a distressing problem because as we are discussing the topic now, our mother earth is also slowly being eaten away by the problem of pollution. The question is what are the devastating effects of pollution if we continue to allow it to happen?

First of all, greenhouse effect is considered as the worst ever problem which the earth has ever come across with. Due to the excessive emission of global warming gases, our mother earth is now surrounded by an extra layer of greenhouse gases and this causes heat to be trapped inside the atmosphere. This will lead to the increase of temperature, uncertain weather and the melting of ice caps at the poles.

Besides that, due to the pollution of water, we face a possible loss of clean fresh water source. If we cannot have the supply of natural clean water simply because we ruined it, we may have to pay a huge price just for a glass of drinkable water.

Not only that, the pollution of air and water has also caused the extinction of flora and fauna. They cannot continue to live if there is no clean air and water. In fact, the whole ecosystem will lose its balance once pollution becomes out of control.

In addition to this, humans cannot escape the terrible effect of pollution either. Due to pollution, we are exposed to all kinds of pollution-related diseases. Hence, the more we pollute the earth, the sicker we become. In other words, our longevity will be greatly shortened because of pollution.

Finally, when worse comes to worst, we will witness the total annihilation of the human race one day due to pollution. Perhaps some may not believe it, but it is highly possible especially when people cannot control the rate of pollution.

Simply put, we may think that we are intelligent and superior beings, taking charge of the world but we are wrong. The balance of nature has been disturbed and if we do not step on the break on development now, it may be too late. Hence, it is vital time for us to step up and protect our mother earth from further destruction.

Computers

Nowadays, you would be a hopeless hermit if you have never heard of the word “computers”. Computers are so common among modern households that they are practically found in every home. Thus we cannot ignore the powerful influence that computers has had over our life.

Computers can bring a lot of benefits to us. First of all, computers help us manage complicated datas and present them in an easier format. Charts, tables, reports, presentations and so on will not be possible without a computer.

Besides that, computers also help us to get information on different topic such as world views and sports items. This is because a normal computer can be connected to the internet which is a world of information.

In addition to this, computers have since evolved into an entertainment centre. We can play games, listen to music, chatting with friends all over the world and so on by just using a computer. This means that in the near future, we do not need to buy all kinds of entertainment equipment because a computer would have been enough.

Finally, we also use a computer to carry out chores. We can pay our bills online, book airs tickets or movie tickets online as shopping online. All these are made possible with the use of computer.

As a conclusion, our lives are now much easier because we have computers. However, we need to understand that a computer is still a tool so it cannot replace our basic ability as a human being.

A happy family

QUESTION: What, in your opinion, makes a happy family?

A family is a social unit that consists of parents, children and sometimes extended family members such as grandparents, cousins and so on. A society is not complete if it is without families. Although a lot of people will come up with different opinions in terms of what makes a happy family.

Everybody craves for a positively charged family. An individual who grows up in a happy family tends to become a well-rounded person. Therefore they key factor to a happy family is love and understanding. Family members may have different personalities that sometimes clash or cause conflicts. However, if everyone practices a little sense of understanding, love can conquer any problems.

Besides that, a loving family must be a forgiving family. To err is human so we must know how to forgive and forget. It is very important in a family to practice forgiveness because we can cut down a lot of unnecessary disputes. That way, we can also say that a forgiving family allows room for an individual to learn from the mistakes.

Communication is also as important as other values brought up before this. A family that never communicates with each other will face disastrous consequences. This is because the lack of communication means the less understanding between family members. If we try to keep communication line, open for our family, we are embracing them and allowing them to enter our circle. That way, they will be just as willing as to open up to us so that we get to share our ups and downs as well as resolving problems together.

Having humour within the family is like adding salt and pepper to your favorite dish. If we learn to not take everything too seriously, we can see life a little differently than everyone else. Laughter is the best medicine so who else can we share our joy and happiness if not for our family? In fact, humour can lift our spirit and encourage more positive thinking. Therefore by being humorous, we can influence our family to be happier.

All in all, family is precious to all of us. If we adapt a more positive outlook on life, we should always include our family within. As such, it is vital that we try our best to create a happy family the best that we can.

War

From the beginning of time, men have fought each other for money, power and many more reasons. However, war between men should not have any justification at all because war does not bring any benefits to us but destruction. The bottom line is, war kills many lives and religious of all society never condones such murderous act.

The outbreak of war is the beginning of infinite tragedies. People involved in wars will lose their homes, friends and loved ones. We see soldiers trained to be merciless and cruel in order to obtain victory. Although is it really victorious for a country to win a war when millions and millions of lives are being sacrificed aimlessly.

Through the pages of history, we get to wishes the damage of war towards human civilization. We may be living in a modernized world, yet every time there is a war, we degenerate a few centuries back. This is due to the reconstruction work needed to build the society that has been afflicted by war.

Most of the war began because of the most selfish reason one can think of. Take the war in Darfur for instance. Innocent people are being slaughtered for the control of land and diamond mines. Even neighboring countries helped subsidized the war by supplying weapons and soldiers just because they can gain some profit from the war. Such senseless act must be condemned by the world instead of keeping mum about it.

Wars are often associated with dictators. People with moral decay like Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, George W.Bush and so on are just few of the many war criminals who believe that starting a war can help them achieve political agendas. In fact, some of these war criminals also profited tremendously from playing war games. Therefore, we should ask ourselves is it really worth to support dictators in the pursuit of their personal wealth and glory?

Simply put, life is precious so we should not waste it on wars. The peace movement will be an on-going struggle for human kind as long as the-power-to-be or the people with power are those with selfish thoughts. Let us decide who should govern our future and may it be a future without war.

Smoking

Smoking is a terrible habit yet many people do it. In fact, the number of smokers in the country has risen in the recent years. Despite the many efforts made by the authority to curb smoking habit among the nation, the effort seems to fail to show any positive results. The million dollar question is, why do people smoke and what are the side-effects of smoking?

As we all know, smoking do not bring any benefits to us but it does expose us to numerous health hazards. Diseases such as bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, nasal cancer and so on so forth are simply few of the many outcome of smoking. Therefore, before you light up another cigarette, think about which hospital bed you want to lay on in the next 5 to 10 years.

Besides that, smokes do not only harm themselves but they also harm others by producing the problem of second-hand smoke. The damaging effects of carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar and carcinogens are just as bad being inhaled by non-smokers. This is almost like act of murder in the second degree but the blood is in the hands of the smokers.

Moreover, the habit of smoking is a wasteful thing to do. Since one can become addicted to cigarette smoking easily due to nicotine, therefore he or she will go back to the habit of smoking. Moreover the price of a packet of cigarette is not cheap so in the long run, smoking is an expensive habit.

In addiction to this, smoking is not good for one’s image. A smoker is easily identified by his poor complexion on the face, yellow teeth and bad breath. He is definitely not an ideal person to befriend with or going out on a date with.

As a closure, smoking do more harm than good so we must stay away from such insidious habit. Only then can we assure ourselves a healthy and fulfilling life.

Food

Many people have this love and hate relationship when it comes to food. I, for one, love food. Food has become one of my passions in life since I was a young and curious child.

My father shares the same passion for food as I do. He used to bring me out to the end of the world just to enjoy every sort of exotic food ranging from durians to Hokaido’s famous hairy crabs. I guess my adventurous taste buds must have been inherited from my dear father.

Food is almost like an ambassador of a country. For example, when one tastes the wonderful freshness of sushi, he will definitely think of Japan. The sour and spicy food from Thailand represents the passionate friendliness of the Thais. This is the great influence of food.

Besides that, food has the magical touch of bringing up happy memories. When we bite on a slice of cake or a bar of chocolate, the great taste reminds us of past experience in our childhood. Such feeling is something that money cannot buy.

In a nutshell, food is not only something that we need to satisfy our hunger or supply us with nutrients that we need. Food is also something that feed our soul and our minds. This is why I love food so much.

by

LHS

National Service

Question: how has the national service helped in fostering racial harmony among the different races in the country?

As we all know, National Service has been introduced to the nation by the Malaysian government in 2002 and the program has slowly received acceptance from the people over the time. Despite the overall general acceptance by the Malaysian public, however, some are still sceptical about the effectiveness of National Service.

Those who have doubts fail to see how a program like National Service is able to put together a stronger and more united nation. They constantly criticise the program for wasting time, effort, money and energy. Yet if they give something new a chance and look at the issue from afar, we can then understand the bigger picture in the idea behind National Service.

The thing is, when youth nowadays with all the development and privilege they enjoy, are showing signs of losing touch with history of how the country was built in the first place. They allow their petty differences get ahead of themselves. These young and the restless Malaysians tend to become impatient, less tolerant, discriminate, prejudiced and worst of all, divided.

A country will not stand strong if their youth cannot live harmoniously together. Therefore it is important that the Malaysian youth be given the opportunity to be trained in a regimented program with solid objectives and beneficial learning modules. Our future leaders of the country can then be taught the true values that Malaysians have upheld ever since the independence of Malaysia.

Unlike the drafting service implemented by our neighbouring country, the Malaysian National Service basically enlist selected group of young Malaysians who are 18 years old to be trained in programs consisting of 20 % military style of physical training which does not involve combat training at all. In fact, the trainees also undergo various training modules that serve the main objectives of fostering interracial understanding and harmony.

In other words, when Malaysian youths of different races are gathered together to execute a series of training programs which requires team work and cooperation, they will be able to bond and form stronger relationships. They get to learn about each other’s differences through ethnic and cultural modules, they can see the lifestyle and religious practices carried out by different races and most important of all, they understand each other a lot better than before. Such opportunity rarely gets to be experienced by all Malaysians if not given the right time and the right place.

All in all, we must acknowledge the good intentions of implementing National Service for our young Malaysians. After going through the thick and thin with other fellow trainees, certainly they will learn to appreciate each other more. Furthermore, they may then proceed to the next chapter of their life with stronger conviction that national unity can never be compromised or forgotten lightly.

Mobile phone: Friend or Foe?

Mobile phone has become a fashionable trend especially among the younger generation. Nowadays, the function of a mobile telephone is no longer limited to just a communication tool but more. We get to use it to send text messages, play games, take photographs, play music, record sound and videos and so on. The list goes on and on with the help of software and technology. In fact, it is believed that mobile phones will continue to evolve and become an inseparable part of our life in the near future.

The use of mobile phones among students, however, has raised a lot of questions and debate among society. Many believe that students should not be using mobile phones because it causes distraction and students will lose track of their responsibilities. Students who frequently use mobile phone will not be focusing in their study thus their grades will slip tremendously. Although such belief has yet to be proven statistically, life of a student who has plenty of tasks to juggle with already, should not be further complicated anymore with the use of a mobile phone.

Students who often use mobile telephone with its many features tend to misuse the gadget if they are not properly guided. They may send or forward useless messages when they are bored, take pointless photographs for fun, play meaningless games on the phone just to kill time and basically defeat the whole purpose of owning a phone in the first place. Parents usually are willing to purchase a mobile phone for their school-going children just to keep in contact but if they realise that the phone is going to be misused in such a manner, perhaps parents would think twice before doing so.

Besides that, there are also concerns over health hazards caused by the use of mobile phones. Possible outcomes believed to be connected to the use of mobile phone include cancer, brain tumor, migraine, lowering of immunity level and so on. Scientific studies have been conducted numerous times to prove the statement but so far the result has been inconclusive. Nevertheless, we should all be careful with the excessive use of mobile phone because we can never be too careful when it comes to our health and safety.

All in all, technology like mobile phone should not be treated as a threat but a convenience. However such convenience must never be misused or it could bring upon negative consequences. Students, especially, ought to practice moderation and self discipline when it comes to the use of mobile phone because they should be aware that their responsibility should never be taken over by any form of over indulgence.

My Favourite Travel Spot

When one travels to a foreign place, the ultimate pleasure is obtained from experiencing numerous wonders and beauty. I personally had once such memorable experience before and the magnificent land of wonders is Tokyo, Japan.

I have always wanted to visit Japan for I have seen and heard so much about it from the main stream media. Although when I was told by my dear parents that we would be visiting the land of the rising sun last year, I was completely dumbfounded for it all came as a surprise. In addition to this, we would be visiting Tokyo during the winter. As a frequent traveler, I would still be excited by the idea of seeing snow in the metropolitan of Tokyo.

Tokyo is a full-bloomed metropolitan because of the efficiency of almost everything despite the high population living in it. My family and I were travelling around the beautiful city on foot, via subway and tour buses. What an experience it was! Being on a Tokyo subway, I could see the crowds of people coming in and out of the carriages systematically. It was like the Japanese have conformed to the system so well that they do not need signs or verbal reminder to tell them to squeeze in further without getting anyone hurt. My family dared not take the chance of squeezing along with the locals during rush hours so sometimes we resorted to waiting for the next train instead.

The best experience being in Tokyo would be the culinary trip we had there. I got to try many Japanese cuisines such as sushi, sashimi, ramen, udon, caviar, local confectionery, chocolates and so much more. I fell in love with the food there because Japanese are famous for their articulacy and detailed attention put in their food. I could almost taste love in the food that they make.

I definitely underwent some cultural shock while interacting with the locals. People there are extremely polite and organized. I could see books and mobile phone as their loyal companions no matter where they go. There was not much opportunity to befriend any Japanese of my age although I was very curious to find out what would be in their minds.

Tokyo is a must-see place for any avid travelers. Although there are a lot more magnificent sights offered in other parts of Japan, I would not mind visiting Tokyo again because I do not believe I have explored the city completely yet. I love Tokyo and it will always have a special place in my heart because of its modern features, exotic cultures and most important of all, delicious food.

My greatest problem

To err is human, so no one is perfect without any flaws. However, we must all strive to improve ourselves or this world will be doomed with trillions of unmotivated individuals. I, for one, face similar predicament of having same flaws. Although my greatest problem is being viewed as immature.

I admit, I can be a little too animated and exaggerated sometimes. Therefore, to many people who know me, they tend to be irritated by me. I gasped louder, I screech when I am shocked or horrified, I shouted and laughed when I am exhilarated. Sometimes I even make funny noises, when I am uncomfortable or embarrassed. I guess I cannot change my trait overnight because it is the way I am.

In addition to this, I have interests that are usually preferred by the kids. I enjoy watching animation, playing arcade games, collecting toy models and loving tidbits such as ice-cream, chocolates, lollipops, sweets and so on. Occasionally, I am mistaken as one of the kids because I can get along with children effortlessly.

The fact that I have horrendous handwriting and I have problem spelling even the simplest word make me the prime target of mockery. They seem to think I am still a child judging from the way I write. Maybe writing quickly has affected the aesthetic value of my handwriting but I believe no one should judge people’s intelligence based on handwriting alone.

Besides that, I am considered immature because I have childish relationships with my sister. We always make fun of each other and we constantly bicker about little things that are unimportant. My sister is like my nemesis, although we share the same bloodline and I care about her dearly, I can never express my brotherly love towards her in the normal way.

As a conclusion, immaturity is my biggest problem. At the age of 18, I knew it is time for me to behave my age. I am aware that being mature is for my own good because only then I will be taken more seriously instead of being regard as a child.

by LYC

Drama Script : The Pearl (Chapter 4)

In the town of La Paz, it is business as usual. Kino brings the big pearl to town to trade for good money.

Kino : This is the day. I’m sure I’ll get a good price for my pearl. Then, my family and I will live a good life.
Kino sets off to the market full of pearl buyers. The buyers are chatting quietly.

Buyer A : Wait till the fool comes along. I’ll lower the price and buy the biggest pearl in the world.
Buyer B : Dream on. I’ll get the pearl. I’m the best pearl buyer here.
Buyer C : What makes you think such silly ideas? I’m the one with the kind and fatherly face. The poor man will believe me and sell it to me!
Buyer A & B : Here comes the man with the big pearl. May the best man win.

Buyers return to their shops. Kino enters shop C. He looks around carefully and then approaches the buyer and shows him the great pearl.

Kino : I have a pearl to sell. How much do you want for it?

Buyer C takes out his magnifying glass to study the pearl closely.

Kino : Well?
Buyer C : Sorry, my boy. This is the cheap stuff. It’s a ‘fool’s gold’. It’s just too big.
Kino : What? How can this be?
Buyer C : Look, for what it’s worth, I can only pay you 1,000 pesos.
Kino : 1,000 pesos?! This is ridiculous! My pearl should be at least 50,000 pesos! Are you kidding me?
Buyer C : Uh… Alright. Calm down, my friend. If you don’t trust me, I’ll get other buyers to check on your pearl.
Kino : Fine!

Pearl buyers A, B and D enters shop C. They start to examine the pearl one by one.

Buyer A : This pearl is a monstrosity. I’m making no offer for it.
Buyer B : Hmm… Better pearls are made of paste but yours is too soft and chalky. In fact, it will lose colour soon. Come, look at the strange surface for yourself.

Kino sees the pearl under the glass. He is shocked to find that it is true. Pearl buyer D takes the pearl from Kino’s hand.

Buyer D : I know someone who’s interested in this worthless thing. Sell it to me. I’ll give you 500 pesos.
Kino becomes more and more upset. He takes the pearl back and says nothing.
Pearl buyer C steps up to make his offer again.

Buyer C : Come on, my friend. How about that 1,000 pesos? Do you want to sell it to me?
Kino : You’re taking me for a fool! I’m not falling for this. You’re all liars and thieves. I’ll never sell my pearl in La Paz!
Buyer C : Wait, wait. Let’s talk about it. 1,500 pesos, what do you think?
Kino : Humph! Never!

Kino turned around and walked away madly. Pearl buyer C grips his fist and starts mumbling.

Buyer C : You’ll be sorry. You won’t live a day in peace because my men will not stop until they get your pearl. You should have sold it to me….

End of Drama

A Drama Sketch : The Sound Machine

Klausner, the paranoid inventor, is testing his latest invention, THE SOUND MACHINE. He wants to find out if the machine actually works.

KLAUSNER : I must know if the tree can produce any sound. If the machine really works, I should get the same result as before. Hmmm… where’s my axe. Aha! Here it is. Time to go to the park.

Klausner walks to the park, checks every direction before he puts his earphone on and swings the big and heavy axe at the tree.

TREE : AAAAAIIIIiiiiiiiyoooooyoooooooo, who’s cutting me so deep? That’s killing meeee……. OOOOOOUUUUUUccccchhhhhhh………..

KLAUSNER : Oh my god! That’s it? That’s the scream of a tree? That sounds painful. Oh dear! what have I done? I’ve killed the tree!

Klausner uses his fingers to touch the gash of the wood.

KLAUSNER : Tree… oh, tree… I am sorry … I am so sorry … but it will heal … it will heal … it will heal fine …, wait! I know what I can do.. I’ll call my friend, the doctor. Just you wait here, I’ll be back with help!”

Off he dashes back home, Klausner picks up the phone and dials for Dr. Scott.

DR. SCOTT : Aheemm, hello, Dr. Scott here. How can I help you?

KLAUSNER : Dr., Quick! Tree… Sound… Hurt! Come! Soon!!

DR. SCOTT : Klausner, is that you? Calm down, calm down. Are you alright? O.K., O.K., I’ll come right away.

KLAUSNER : Dr……., please, hurry!

Dr. Scott and Klausner are at the park, under the tree.

DR. SCOTT : What’s going on?

Klausner spoke softly into Dr. Scott’s ear.

DR. SCOTT : WHAT??!! Say that again?

KLAUSNER : …………

DR. SCOTT : But, but that’s IMPOSSIBLE!

KLAUSNER : (nods gleefully)

DR. SCOTT : How can it be? I don’t believe you…..

KLAUSNER : Try it on, you’ll see what I mean.

DR. SCOTT : Fine. If it’s not working, you must end this nonsense once and for all.

KLAUSNER : O.K.

Dr. Scott puts on the headphone.

DR. SCOTT : I hear nothing.

KLAUSNER : Hold on, I’ll try this again.

Klausner picks up the axe and swings at the tree for the second time.

TREE : Aaaaiiiiiiiiiyoooyooo……OH NO, not again?!!!! …..Aaiiiiyayaaaa!!!

The tree branch breaks and falls onto the SOUND MACHINE. The men leap away but the machine shatters into pieces.

KLAUSNER : My machine is broken. Tree…Oh no… It’s hurt! Hurry, heal the poor thing!

DR. SCOTT : Huh? (scratching his head) What do you mean?

TREE : (weak and slow) Aaaaiiiiiiiiiyoooooyoooooooo!!

DR. SCOTT : I don’t understand….

KLAUSNER : No time to explain… put some iodine on the cut. It’s in pain.

DR. SCOTT : Uhhhh…. Well, alright then.

TREE : (weak and slow) Aaaaiiiiiiiiiyoooooyoooooooo!!

KLAUSNER : Nice and slow, doctor. The tree is in great pain. (Shaking head) It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault.

TREE : Ouch, ouch, ouch! Don’t be so rough with the cut! I have feelings too, you know…. Boohoo…

DR. SCOTT : O.K. It’s all done. Why don’t you come with me?

KLAUSNER : (Shaking head) It’s all my fault, all my fault……

By CBL

A Letter about the Trip to Melacca

3014,Jalan HB,

Taman CCC,

56100 Kuala Lumpur

3 June 2005

Dear Micheal,

How are you?I believe your summer holiday in America is going to begin soon,but my holiday has just ended. I am sure you must be curious about I spent my holiday so here it is.

During the school holiday, I was in Malacca with my family.Malacca is known as the historical city of Malaysia because it used to be a famous port hundred of years ago. Other than that, it is also rich in culture and delicious culinary delights.

We stayed in a luxurious five-star hotel. The first destination we headed to was A Famosa which was a famous historical site built by the Portuguese in 1411. It used to be a grand fort but it was destroyed by another occupying force. Now it is only a small portion left. Over there, we bought some interesting souvenirs.

Next, we went to the Crocodile Farm to see the famous reptiles. We saw many species of crocodiles that we do not usually see. Some of them even come from America! (which should be called alligators instead of crocodiles) The most exciting moment was during the crocodile feeding session. The trainer was so amazing that he put his hand into the crocodile’s mouth for over a minute. Isn’t that scary?

Opposite our hotel, there is a shopping center called Mahkota Parade. It is a large shopping complex. We could shop there for a whole day but we became tired, so we watched a movie in the complex instead.

Finally, on the last day of our visit, we traveled to A Farmosa Waterworld. My family and I enjoyed all water games such as water ball, slides, surfing, swimming, diving and so on. We even had a picnic there.

So, this is how I spent my school holidays. I hope you enjoy your upcoming summer holiday. Don’t forget to write to me about it.

Yours sincerely,

CBL

A Wedding

Last month, I attended my cousin's wedding held in Johor Bharu. All family members from different parts of the country were invited so it was like a big family reunion. I was also looking forward to seeing my cousin in a white gown which was indeed a rare occasion.

My family and I drove all the way from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bharu to attend the tea-ceremony at the bride's house in the morning. the groom arrived later with his gang of best men to face the fun challenges arranged by the womenfolks. He must first submit a huge angpow in order to enter the house and see the bride. Then came the tea-ceremony where the couple would present cups of Chinese tea respectfully to every elders in the house. Finally, the bride would officially leave her home by following the husband-to-b to the new home.

In the evening, after a few hours of interval, the ceremony continued in the form of a dinner banquet. During then, I could see the newly-weds were dressed in traditional wedding costumes while they were busy attending to every guest. Although I was more focused on the many delicacies served on the dinner table. There were abalones, sharks fins soup, roasted pig, lobster, crabs and so on. My mouth watered just thinking about all those wonderful food.

Other than that, the other less interesting highlight of the night was the toasts that the newly-weds had to make at every dinner table. It was a gesture of gratitude to all the guests who came. Judging from the vast number of guests there that night, I wondered why the couple did not become totally drunk at all. it was much later when I was told that they were only drinking tea instead of wine.

At the end of the day, the party was over and people started returning home. Everybody left with a full stomach not forgetting to greet the newly-weds with many good wishes and blessings. For me, I hope my cousin and her husband will live happily ever after like the couples in the fairy tales we often hear about.

by CBL

Ok I get the picture..

HS was trying to help me visualise the taste of Yam mooncake which I have never tasted before. Thanks a lot, HS! Here's a thought, taste and memory actually blends well together. If you ever have to try to cram some notes that are just gibberish after many attempts of memorizing them, do so with the help of strong-tasting tidbits. Not that it's the only viable method or even short cut, actual studying effort is still very much required, ok? Besides, full understanding on the topic you're studying in order to retain the information is far more effective than just stamping the material in your head.

A Breifly Summerised Fable

There was once a tortoise and a rabbit that were very competitive. One day, the rabbit challenged the tortoise to a race. The overly confident rabbit was ahead of the race from the beginning. So halfway through the race, he decided to take a nap under a tree. He never expected the tortoise to win the race. The tortoise kept moving despite everyone’s belief that he would never win the race. As time went by, the tortoise finally overtook the rabbit and became the champion. The rabbit was very upset and regretful for undermining the tortoise. He was never proud and boastful from that day onwards.

by CWO

At the Swimming Pool

Ali’s hobby is swimming. He always goes to Chin Woo swimming pool to swim as long as he wants.

One day, he went to swimming pool as usual. He could see many people in the pool because it was a public holiday that day. So Ali decided to wait a while until there weren’t as many people using the pool before he gets in.

When he was observing the surrounding, he could see there were more children compared to the number of adults. Suddenly, he noticed a boy struggling in the bigger pool. Ali knew that boy must be drowning in the pool but no one noticed him because everyone was busy swimming and enjoying themselves.

Without any hesitation, Ali jumped into the pool and swam towards the boy. He grabbed him quickly and swam to the edge of the pool. Everyone was shocked to see what was going on.

Ali tried to revive the boy but he showed no sign of life for the first five minutes. After that, the boy choked and started to breathe again. People standing around them were terrified but they clapped happily when the boy was saved. Ali was praised tremendously and he received a one-year free admission to Chin Woo swimming pool for his bravery.

by CWO