Mentality

Hello! Today I am going to blog about what I think is very important for us to succeed in whatever we do. That is mentality. I believe having a strong and good mentality is very important especially in competitions. I became very interested in triathlon a few months ago and have started reading a lot of things about it. The recent YOG triathlon event spurred me on even more to take on triathlon. The 2 representatives for Singapore are Clara Wong and Scott Ang. Clara Wong is a great example for what I am going to talk about.

Let's discuss about Clara Wong who came in last. When I saw the results on the internet, I felt ashamed. Singapore getting last even though she had trained on the same course hundreds of time already. However, after reading articles about the race, I was inspired. I was not embarrassed, in fact proud. What did she do? She had a great mentality. She suffered a crash during the bike leg but she stood up and continued the race. She suffered bruises on her left arm and hip but she persevered to the end. Due to the crash, both of her tyres were punctured. This made her lose the race, but thats not important. She had a strong heart. She did not give up despite having difficulties. These are qualities of a true champion. I really admire her.

I believe she will succeed in whatever she does in the future, but I sincerely hope she can become a triathlon champion. I will definitely take up the sport of triathlon and I have a goal.

That is to come in first in my age category for the Tribob Series and Osim International Triathlon.

Training.

Hello! I am finally back. I would like to blog about my training yesterday. It was a training for the WDBRC training squad. So we are basically training to get into the National team for next year's WDBRC. In case you dont know, it stands for World Dragon Boat Racing Championship. I really hope I can get into the team. Someone said before," It is hard to say what is impossible for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." So I sincerely hope I can get into the team. Anyways, yesterday's training was awesome! Although it made my legs hurt like made, it was still great! We learnt new technique on how to paddle on the dragon boat more effectively. It felt weird but... we still learnt something new! :D

I was also considering on join triathlon after the EOYs. I would help me with my fitness and it is a new hobby for me :D However, I dont think I will have the time to train when school re-opens and I would most probably be wasting money this way. But I still want to join! :D Hope I get good grades for EOYs too! :D This way, I can train a lot during the holidays :D

Memories of Macau

Hello, 2 days have past since I came back from Macau. However, the memories of Macau are still fresh in my mind. Being in a faraway paradise where we were free of worries. The feeling was great. Memories of training in the mountains. Doing pushups on a bridge outside the 6-star hotel, Venetian. Most importantly, what made me laugh during the trip. My friends and Mr Yong Yuen Cheng. Ever since he became our team manager, our team has improved a lot. Especially myself. Before he came, I wanted to transfer to VJC. However, when he came to HCI, he motivated the whole team. I was very touched by what he said. He told the team,"No matter how ordinary you are, you can achieve something extraordinary... if you work hard enough, you will succeed even if you are not talented like others." I had always thought Im not good in sports and would never be. However, he taught me to not give up. I started to train very hard. Within 4 months, I got my 1st Gold medal and a Silver medal the same day. Till now, I have a total of 7 Gold medals. However, this would not have been mine if not for MrYong. He was the one who helped me find my passion for canoeing and running. I even have plans of joining triathlon to strengthen my heart and improve my endurance which would benefit me in terms of canoeing also.

Back from Overseas Competition

Hey, I just arrived this morning from Macau. I went there with my CCA mates for a dragonboat competition. It was fantastic. The best trip in my life. Until now, I am still living in a world of illusions? I can't express my feelings. It felt like a dream, a dream that I would never want to wake up from. It was just so perfect. Training in the mountain, shopping with friends, racing against other teams, parties at night. It was wonderful. If it was really a dream, why did you wake me up? And if it was a mistake to go there, it was a beautiful mistake. How I wish I could go there again. Free from homework, laugh all day long(except during competition). I feel like I am suffering from depression.

Anyways, the results were awesome. We got Gold for 200m and Silver for 500m. For the 2km races, we were the only U-16 boat therefore we raced with the U-23. Guess what?! We got 3rd! Out of 13 boats. It was so unexpected. 1 year later, it will be the World Dragon Boat Racing Championship in USA, Flo Rida. I hope I can make it into the team as I will be representing Singapore! 2 years later, Club Crew World Championship will be held in HongKong. It is the same as the recent one I went.

I hope I can get over it quickly and focus on my studies. Now, I can't do anything but think about the trip. HELP ME!!

Rainbow Death (Task 2)

Complete the template provided below (Annex A), focusing on (1) Point of View; (2) Situation and Setting; (3) Language/Diction; and (4) Personal Response, and post your response to Task 2 on your blog. This template is based on John Lye’s ‘Critical Analysis of Poetry’, and you can make reference to this in Annex B when in doubt.

Rainbow Death

America did not foresee
Green, pink, purple and other colors death potpourri!
Expecting others to pay a high price.
Now thinking twice?
Toll on the innocent and unborn.

Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn.
Reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead.
All the deceit continues to spread.
Nefariously America led astray -
Generations untold WILL pay -
Execrable effects of agent orange spray!

Hubert Wilson

1) Point Of View
I believe that the poem is written by someone who has encountered Agent Orange before. He obvious that he knows about Agent Orange as he mentioned about them in his poem. However, "America did not foresee" suggests that he probably did not know Agent Orange was released therefore he suffered from the effects. He knew that Agent Orange was "reflective about all the illness, birth defects and prematurely dead" and "toll on the innocent and unborn" therefore it suggests that he had first-hand experience of it which actually evokes a sense of solemness. With reference to the background information, he was a person that went to war in Vietnam since he was a Vietnam veteran so he should be able to see the effects since the war was about a span of 20 years.

2) Situation & Setting
I setting of the poem is after Agent Orange had been used. Since the poet is experiencing the effects of Agent Orange, he should be writing it in an emotional state. He would most probably like to inform others about the devastating effects of Agent Orange. To fit in historical background, Agent Orange was used in the Vietnam War and it caused 400,000 deaths. I guess the main purpose of the poem is to show people how modern warfare can destroy lives and thus needing the setting of aftermath of the war or the use of herbicide.

3)Language/Diction
Firstly, I would like to elaborate on the title, 'Rainbow Death'. It seems like 2 very contrasting words. Rainbow seems like a very enjoyable word as everytime we see a rainbow, we would stare at it and smile to ourselves. However, death is not a nice thing. Therefore I searched the web for the meaning of 'rainbow'. I found out that rainbow actually symbolizes heavenly glory or they serve as a bridge between earth and paradise. However there is still a contrast, but if you were to think carefully, there might be another meaning to 'rainbow'. It could also mean different colored herbicide used in warfare such as Agent Orange and Agent Green which caused death and deformities. Therefore, I would say that the title actually means a bridge leading to hell or death.

4)Personal Response
This poem evokes sympathy and pity those who suffered from the effects of Agent Orange. The title 'Rainbow Death' is called an oxymoron which leaves the reader puzzled throughout the poem. This makes the reader feel uneasy. The poet elaborates on the devastating effects of war such as "illness, birth defects and prematurely dead" while the Americans had been "Omnipotent and disregarding who will mourn". I think the poet tells the reader what caused all this to happen at the last line to make them angry and sympathise with those who died. I think the poet dislikes modern warfare a lot and would hope that war will not happen again as many innocent people would die from it.

Rainbow Death (Task 1)

Task 1

Based on your understanding of the selected poem, perform extensive web research and write a report on your blog detailing the conflict represented in the poem(s) of your choice. Bear in mind that this piece of background information will allow your blog audience to further understand the poem as well as your analysis of the poem in Task 2

Who is Hubert Wilson? I did some research and this are my results. He is a US Vietnam war veteran.The Vietnam war was a Cold War military conflict which lasted from November 1, 1955 , to April 30, 1975, about 20 years.Hubert served in the USAF Security Service along with a dozen of school graduates.His team was sent to Shemya Island, an Agent Orange hot spot.About fifteen or more years ago, he started to have health problems such as headaches and limb pain. Soon, his central nervous system deteriorated with Parkinsonian type tremors. He suffered severe headaches and progressive limb pains. The doctors did not know how to cure him or know what he was suffering from. He guessed it was the contaminated water of Agent Orange he drank when he was at Shemya Island. The effects of toxins could take up to 20 to 30 years before they are shown.

For you information, Agent Orange is a herbicide developed for the military, which use it in tropical climates.The purpose of such a herbicide for the military was to was to clear the possible enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain by defoliating trees and shrubbery where the enemy could hide. This seemed to be a very helpful tool in warfare but it came with unforeseen circumstances.

This poem is about Agent Orange that has caused appalling death and suffering – not only to its intended victims, the Vietnamese people, but also the service personnel that used or even just came into contact with “Agent Orange”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html#Rainbow

Hey guys! Sorry for not blogging for a long long time, but I was really really really really busy. I had training almost everyday to train for the Nationals School Canoeing Championship. Well, it ended yesterday. The results were good. (: I got a gold and silver medal. I lost by 1 second! 1 second! D: Could have gotten double gold. ): As for the overall title, C division we got 3rd B division got 2nd and A division got 1st! Next year we are aiming 1st for B division :] We can do it!

Hey! I am back! :] Today, I would love to blog about the March holidays. Firstly, does it feel like a holiday to me? (: My answer is no. But it was still enjoyable. :D I had training everyday from Monday to Saturday. I was compulsory but not many people went for all trainings except the Captain, Yi Fan and I. Why did I go for all? We had a competition on Sunday called the National Junior Canoeing Championship(NJCC). I missed the first race which was the K1 event because I did not have a bracket to put my numberplate. My second race was the K2, which I capsized. My partner said it was because my coach changed our positions. I became the frontman instead of the back. However, I think it was not that. Instead, it was because of the lack of training. I hated myself then. Therefore, I decided to go for more training. On Monday, we had a race. I was all the Secondary 2’s. it was a 1000m race. 3 people did not come therefore, there were only 12 participants. On the starting line, I was very nervous. I took in many deep breaths. This was the one and only chance to prove myself to the coach before the Nationals School Canoeing Championship, which was the most important competition. “Start within 10 seconds! GO!” My coach yelled. I started to sprint. I raced with my heart. I put in 110% into every strokes. I put every single drip of blood and soul into the strokes. Soon, we passed the 500m mark, 3 boats passed it together. They were Yi Fan, Wei Keat and mine. Davis was not too far back. At the 250m mark, I realized Wei Keat and Yi Fan were slightly in front of me while Davis has slowed down. I was furious. I paddled even harder with longer strokes and higher stroke rates, hoping to catch up. 50m before the finishing line, I had the lead. I was first! FIRST! But then, I accidentally slipped my paddle and my stroke was wasted. My paddle dropped of my hands. I quickly picked it up and sprinted to the finishing line. I turned and look. I was disappointed, I lost to Yi Fan. ): I was such a close race. So I got 2nd place. My coach decided to let Yi Fan and I take K2. And for the whole holidays, we have been training together. I have broken many of my previous timings. For 500m, I improved by 11secs to achieve 2.12min. For 1000m, I broke my 4.54 timing with the new 4.42min. And most of all 2000m, I managed to get 9.52min which is a very good achievement. For the National School Canoeing Championship I hope I can get double gold medal. :] I will just have to work harder.

Sorry for not posting any post for a long long time. I have been very busy with my training, training 5 times a week. X.X Anyway, as I have promised, I will post a video on the different types of boats.

Here is the link: http://animoto.com/play/C38TWGm5ljqR0E2Mhk1gSw?autostart=true

Hope you enjoy it :D

Hey! I am back again. This time I am suppose to compose a poem. I have decided to compose a poem about the game Jem, Scout and Dill played during the Summer. I wrote it in Jem's point of view. Here we go:

I want to play a game
Called One Man's Family
Although it is wrong
We still do enjoy it

Dill is old Mr Radley
and Scout is Mrs Radley
I will be Boo
And its a family

We played during the summer
Polished and perfected it
We added many dialogues
And many plots it seems

Finally came our play
A very nice small play

Done :D Hope you enjoyed it. I know it doesnt really rhyme very well at some parts. But do forgive me >.< Thank you :D

Now I am going to do my Home-Learning activity. Since my best score is Interpersonal, I have to interview a friend or a family member. Since only my brother is at home, I have decided to interview him. Firstly I asked him whether he knows what is the meaning of prejudice and discrimination. Just like I expected, he didnt know what it means. I asked him to check the dictionary while I continued with my Home-Learning activities.

After a few minutes, he came out with the dictionary in his hand and he said, "Prejudice is unreasonable dislike of a particular group of people or things, or a preference for one group of people or things over another. Discrimination is the practice of treating one person or group of people less fairly or less well than other people or groups." I smiled at him and said,"well done"

Immediately, he asked me," Isn't it the same as the word 'nigger'?" I was shocked. I didn't expect him to come up with an example so fast. I was just about to ask him to give me an example. So I asked him to elaborate.

He told me," In school, my friend calls my other friend a nigger when they were quarrelling. The whole class laughed so I also laugh. Then got one teacher pass by and heard him so he come in scold us. He say that word is not the correct word to describe someone who is black. But after that happened, many of us still continue to call my friend nigger just because he is an Indian." Then he continued," Just like what you do to Siddarth." I was dumbfounded. Siddarth was an Indian who lived in the same condominium as us. He used to be in the same class as me when we were in Primary School. Everyone hated him even myself. Now whenever we played soccer, I would push him and call him names. I was shocked that my younger brother even noticed that. I think from now on, I will try not to insult Siddarth no matter how irritating he is. Even if I have to, I must not do it in front of my brother. This activity has just taught me a valuable lesson.

Today I am here to post about what I feel about my Multiple Intelligence Test. My highest score is Interpersonal followed by Musical and Kineasthetic. I think this is quite true. :D I am really amazed by how they did this. I would really love to learn about they did it.
Byebye.
I will be back to post a video! :D Stay tuned :]

Hello. I am back. Sorry for not posting for a long time. I have been rather busy with my training. I have decided to post more about my CCA instead of soccer. Sorry if I disappointed you. >.<

Anyway, my CCA is canoeing. It is an elite sport in our school. This year I am in the C division team. I will be rowing K2 during the competition. Today I will give a brief introduction about canoeing. :]

Basically, in our school we canoe, kayak and dragonboat. We do everything! K2 stands for Kayak 2. 2 means that there are 2 people in the boat. C1 stands for Canoe 1. Simple? :D Last year we got silver medal for dragonboating. It was a fantastic achievement because it was our first time participating in it.

What is canoeing? Canoeing is not all about moving your paddle on the boat. One of the most important factor is balance. Without balance, you cannot even sit on the boat. Besides balance, we also need muscle endurance. We have to paddle long distances therefore muscle endurance is very important. Muscle strength is another important factor. How are you going to paddle fast without muscle strength?

Land fitness. A very very important factor too. We will not be able to complete long distances with stamina. Therefore it is very important.

With these, I am sure you all will have a brief idea of canoeing. Next I shall post about the different type of boats. Byebye!

30/01/10 Matches

Hello. Today I am going to share about Saturday night's matches. There were 2 astonishing matches. Firstly, Liverpool defeating Bolton Wanderers 2 goals to 0. Liverpool are finally back in form after a few months of bad results. There were either losing or not scoring any goals. They secured a point during their last match against Wolverhampton, which is 4th from the bottom. A place above the relegation zone. Will they be able to secure a place to next season's Champion League? Secondly, Tottenham Hotspurs was held to a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City. Are they real contenders for the Champion's League spot or should I say, will they qualify?

Here is my views:
1) I think they have a slight chance of securing a slot. This season, Tottenham Hotspurs, Aston Villa and Manchester City are huge contenders for the place. Needless to say, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are definite qualifiers. I feel that Aston Villa or Manchester City are the biggest contenders. Defeating Fulham 2-0 during last night's game, they displayed a wonderful form. They were defending as a team, attacking as a team. Everything was almost perfect. Manchester City will be playing against Portsmouth today. Playing against a team which is last in the table and suffering huge debts, it will be easy for them to secure all three points. Having spent so much money on so many world-class players from all around the world, I do not see why they are not contenders for the Champions League spot. Therefore I do not think Liverpool have good chances of qualifying.

2) Although Tottenham is currently 4th in the table, I do not think they qualify. Birmingham City was in excellent form during the last few months, having broken their own record of not losing for 14 games. This time, they did not lose for 15 games! Having lost to Chelsea 3-0 in their previous game, I expect their moral to be lower. This gives Tottenham a huge advantage over them. However, Birmingham scored a last minute to goal to secure a point for themselves. This is the 3rd time out of 4 games that Tottenham conceded a last minute goal. I was obvious that the players were all very nervous during the last 10 minutes and Birmingham was playing extremely well. After the game, Tottenham will not be contenders for the Champions League. The situation may change, but not so soon. Therefore, for the time being, Tottenham are not real contenders.

Sorry for the long post, but last night's results were far too amazing :]
Thank you for reading! Please do comment :]

My Favourite Boots

Hey there! :]
Today Im going to post about my favourite soccer boots
Its from Nike
And its worn by Torres and Rooney.
Haha
Its the T90 Laser III
:D
Here is a picture of it

Haha
Isnt it nice?!
Haha
I have not tried it before but it seems very good
:]
According to Nike they said," Get pinpoint accuracy with bite, thanks to a revolutionary shot shield, shape-correcting memory foam and swerve fins."
Haha.
Its just amazing!
I cant wait to get it when my boots becomes too small.
Hehe
Okay
I have to do my homework now
Hope you enjoyed reading about my favourite boots.
Byebye! :]