Term 1 Week 7: (Weekend Assignment)

This year's LA lesson has been very fruitful. I have learnt many things in less than one term. A few things I learnt are: the way of writing a good narrative essay, how to analyse stories and extracts and the right way of writing dialogue.
The program is also very interesting. For the first time, I did not feel like sleeping in LA classes. The lesson is interactive as we usually form groups to discuss or share our thoughts. There is not much I want to change but there is one problem that affects all other subjects too. It is the HCI wireless access. During our future school lessons, over half the class would be unable to access the internet. This is very does not contribute to a conducive the learning environment. I suggest the school installs better wireless access so we can study smoothly and efficiently. I think the best lesson and the one I enjoyed the most, was a future school lesson. In this lesson, we had to describe a character using descriptive language. The fun part was that we could choose any character we wanted. Although the internet still caused a lot of problems, I was able to recall how my chosen character looked like so it was still manageable.

Term 1 Week 5: Weekend Assignment

It is like the White House in America, but better. It is like the Taj Mahal, but grander. With walls as white as snow and doorways made for giants, the Istana is certainly a grand place. A red and white flag stands firmly with pride on the roof, flapping in the wind gracefully. The Istana is always surrounded by trees, some as tall as itself, On certain days, the place would be crowded with people, here to witness the grandness of the Istana. Whether they were tourists from around the world or locals from around Singapore, all will be awe strucked by its impressive structure. Th Istana itself has braved many historic moments. It has witnessed the Japanese Invasion, the merger then the separation of Singapore and Malaysia, the independence of Singapore and many many more.

Characterisation: Story Excerpt

Tasmanian Devil
He will strike fear into even the boldest of toonians. Children have nightmares about him; Parents are afraid that he would take their children. His hair is curved and protrudes out like a pair of horns. His eyes are slanted in a way that he always look angry, whether he is sad, happy or nervous. The pupils are the size of ants giving him a crazy look. He has jaws so big it would shame a great white shark and an equally big tongue to go with it. When he speaks, he never fails to spit saliva at the person he is speaking to. With hands the size of saucepans he can grab prey bigger than him. When chasing his prey, or when running away, his legs would morph into a twister, increasing his speed and destruction. This creature, this monster, is none other than the Tasmanian Devil.

Term 1 Week 4

Thia is the Istana. It is the home of the president of Singapore, currently SR Narthan. It occupies over 40 hectares of land along Orchard Road. It means a lot to me as it is a precious and important part of Singapore's history and heritage, and has borne witness to Singapore's many historical milestones. For example, during the Japanese invasion of 1942, deliberate shelling destroyed the small ceremonial guns on the steps of Government House and left the building and its grounds in a state of ruin. Then Governor Sir Shenton Thomas and Lady Daisy Thomas loyally remained in Government House with their servants until the very last moments. When they finally evacuated, they took with them the Union Flag that had been flying in front of Government House and carefully kept it hidden throughout the Japanese Occupation. During the occupation, the house was occupied by Field Marshal Count Terauchi, commander of the Japanese Southern Army, and Major General Kawamura, commander of the Singapore Defense Forces.

The Istana building was built by the British Colonial government to house its governors. Completed in 1869, it was then known as the Government House. The building was handed over to the Singapore Government when Singapore attained self government in 1959, and renamed Istana (“Palace” in Malay).

It is part of my identity as it is the most significant part of my neighbourhood. In my spare time, I would go to the Istana to admire its structure and if I was lucky, witness the changing of guards.