Indonesia Bombing---Mixed Feelings

The 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing occurred on 5 August 2003 in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, Indonesia. A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel, killing twelve people and injuring 150. All those killed were Indonesians with the exception of one Dutch businessman, one Danish, and two Chinese tourists. The hotel was viewed as a Western symbol, and had been used by the United States embassy for various events.

Another similar bombing, which is the 2004 Australian embassy bombing also took place on 9 September 2004 in Jakarta, Indonesia. It also occured at Mega Kuningan.

A one-tonne car bomb, which was packed into a small Daihatsu delivery van, exploded outside the Australian embassy at Kuningan District, South Jakarta, at about 10:30 local time (03:30 UTC), killing 9 people including the suicide bomber, and wounding over 150 others.

Ritz and JW Marriot are just milestones away from ‘my dungeon’.I was shocked to hear my mum breaking this tragic and barbaric bombing news to me after school dismissal. Immediately, tears were flowing down my cheeks as I asked if everyone at home was safe as our home is also at Mega Kuningan which is about 300 m away from JW Marriot.

I was told by mum it is forever unsafe for us Chinese, to walk on the streets of Indonesia. At the entrance of every hotel or even the shopping centres, there are security guards carrying scanning gadgets to search our vehicles. So I simply don’t understand how the terrorists managed to smuggle in bombs to blast the highly secured twin hotels!

The suicide bombing of the Australian Embassy occurred during my September Holiday in 2004, just as I was in Jakarta, eating my brunch joyously. I remembered vividly that it was at 10.30am while I was having my brunch alone in the vast dining hall. I heard a thunderous blast nearby, followed by the shaking of window panels and I also could see the wobbling of the chandelier lights in the hall. Our house maids ran to me nervously to make sure that I wasn’t frightened from the blasts. Immediately ,mum called from office, asking me to stay put at where I was and watch CNN to get myself updated with the situation while she was held up in Notary office located at Mega Kuningan Barat. At the age of 8 at that time, I was extremely terrified and burst into tears. But now, I am already 13. I felt differently, so raged with anger. I simply despise this kind of barbaric acts as it is simply inhumane.

However, in 2009, there is a similar bombing at the twin hotels, JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton, which are both very prestigious hotels to live in. On 17/7/09, the two suicide bombers entered both of the hotels at the same time and the bombs went off almost simultaneously at 7.30 a.m. The two suicide bombers dressed as hotel guests and just walked into the hotels, but in the first place, how did they enter the hotel with a metal device, when there are scanners at the entrance of the hotels.

The blasts at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton and Marriott hotels blew out windows and scattered debris and glass across the street.International hotels, which by their nature must be open and accessible for visitors and guests, make attractive targets for terror attacks. Complete security is virtually impossible, despite security barriers, metal detectors and high-tech surveillance gear.Anyway, latest reports in Indonesian capital Jakarta say that the death toll in two bomb blasts at luxury hotels on Friday has gone up from nine to twelve, while the injured list is still pegged at 50.

Don't the attackers know that by doing so, it not only ruins the economy of poor Indonesia but also keeps foreigners who want to travel to Indonesia away? Does Indonsia forever have to be living in poverty and insecurity? I am fuming but sad by the ‘terrorists’ acts and the terrorists who tried to destroy my home, my dungeon!!!

I simply don’t understand why Jakarta is always the target for multiple terrorist attacks. On the other hand, it also explained why Indonesians find Singapore a safe haven to land in.

This is a video about the bombing of the JW Marriot and the Ritz Carlton. Please take a look:

Cosmetic Surgery--Should I go or not go?

“It is just as acceptable for adolescents to undergo cosmetic surgery, as it is for adults. They have the right to decide what they want to look like, and how they want to achieve that look.”

As this is the debate topic for tomorrow's panel discussion, I might as well write a blog post on it.

As for my opinion, I disagree that it is acceptable for adolescents to go for surgery. Adolescents are also going through the period in which he goes through maturity and puberty, they all want to look nice and handsome so that they will be able to fit into the gang.This is also known as peer pressure. As other students look handsome, they feel that they are left out, and thus, wanting to follow them and be friends with them, they do not mind risking their lives and their parents' hard-earned money to look nice. Well. adolescents are also known for their rashness. They do not think twice before doing a task and just go straight into it. They do not consider their parents' feelings on wasting their money or their own feelings or even their friends' feelings before going for cosmetic surgery to change their looks and appearances, to look like a completely different person.

Not only that, but people who go for cosmetic surgeries are taking a gamble---to look better or to look worse. In fact, adolescents are risk-takers and they will do anything just to get what they desire for. Adolescents are also very stuuborn and they do not listen to their parents, and do the contrary of what their parents wish for them to do--- which is studying and make normal friends. The teenagers are always trying to defy their parents by going against their wishes as they tgink that they can handle themselves as adults. They think that they are able to make the right choices and desicions and need not follow what their parents want them to do. they are probably afraid that their classmates will laugh at them or mock them when they know that he or she is a goody-two-shoes and follow what their parents want them to do. This is also peer pressure as I had mentioned above.

However, if the adults can do it, why can't adolescents, besides, adults should set a good role model for their children,so if they do it, their children will follow in tow, and thus, it will be a vicious cycle that their family will be doing it too. Not only that, but adolescents are old enough to have their own thoughts, their own views and their own perspective of things. They need not follow what their parents want them to do. Adolescents are also matured enough to know what their dreams are and what they need and want. If they want to undergo surgery and risk their facial appearance to follow or even look like Michael Jackson, who needs to wear a mask to cover his cheekbones, then let them go ahead. As adolescents like to look nice to attract girls or for other motives, they always want to achieve that kind of look that girls will just gawp in shock and follow him wherever he goes.

Anyway, I still think that adolescents should not go for the cosmetic surgeries as they will not only risk their lives but also waste their parents' money.

Here is a short video on the risks of doing cosmetic surgeries. Take a look of the video from 23 seconds onwards:

Lesson 5 on IT Home Eleaerning--Blog Entry

The casino being built in Singapore is supposed to be a money-maker and job creator. However, many people have spoken against it. Talk to a parent or adult and get their view on the casino. Listen to the NPR and YouTube offerings and choose one that substantiates your viewpoint and include a quote from it as well. Your blog entry has to be at least 200 words and you must either support the casino or condemn its construction and ultimately the hardships it will cause in Singapore.

By creating the casino, a money-maker and a job creator, I think it would be helpful in Singapore after a careful decision by the government.

After interviewing my father for his views, he said that by building the casino, it would create many job opportunities for the citizens of Singapore and boost our Gross Domestic Product( a rate on how the country is doing on their economy) thus, boost our economy as there is much more cash. Also, the workers in the casino will be able to receive a stable income from the casino, thus, there is a sense of stability for their families. By building the casino, it would also promote tourism and thus, more tourism and more cash flowing in to the government. Tourists from Indonesia had to go to Genting to gamble, but now they can come to Singapore to gamble and tourists from Las Vegas or LA will also think that the casino in Singapore is newly-opened, and thus, they would probably come to Singapore too as they are also probably sick of their casinos in LV or LA. Not only that, but he also said that more tourist will look forward coming to Singapore for a tour and go to the casino for a spin of luck. This will create more money from the casino, and thus, the government will get all the money, reducing our loads on the taxes and the ERP. I totally agree with my father that it is good to build the casino in Singapore.

However, on the other hand, by building the casino, it will also cause some harm to Singaporeans. A quote from the National Council and Problem Gambling said,"20 years ago, only just a handful of women were gambling, but now, almost half are female." What does this show? This shows they there are more gambling addicts in the entire world. Not only that, psychologist Paul Goods from Atlanta even said," Women gamble to escape their routine everyday lives." Women and men are getting more addicted to gambling and this is a problem which will be happening in Singapore. More men will get addicted to the casino and they will have a broken family, ruining their family because of a man’s foolishness to gamble for once and get addicted forever.

Based on the points that I have written above, I think that by building the casino, it will be helpful to the Singapore’s economy.

My favourite poet Elearning Lesson 2

"In what country did your poems first become famous in?" A boy from an elementary school during the 20 th century once asked Robert Frost upon seeing him. " England." He answers, full of pride and respect. However, now his poems are not only famous in England, but all around the world.

My favourite poet is Robert Frost because he grasps the literary techniques and uses the figurative language very well, such as symbolism and personification. Although he does not use them too often, but there is a large impact on the readers when they read his poems which ae full of figurative languages. Some examples are that in the poem " Birches" by Robert Frost, Frost portrays the images of a child growing to adulthood through the symbolism of aging birch trees. Through these images readers are able to see the reality of the real world compared to their carefree childhood. The image of life through tribulation is the main focal point of the poem and the second point of the poem is if one could revert back to the simpler times of childhood.

This is a quote from a website called www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=52640. They said that "The language of the poem is entirely arranged through images, although it contains some diction it lacks sound devices, metaphors, and similes compared to other published works by Frost."

After having done research on Robert Frost, I think that his works can be compared to those who have published various famous poems such as Elizabeth Bishop, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and much much more poets. Robert Frosts has published many poems and they have received good claims about them such as the poem on "The Road Not Taken". He has a good grasp of English and is able to use them to his advantage and this is what I like about him.

He has published a lot of poems but I am going to share with you three of those that he had written, they are Birches, A Patch Of Old Snow and An Old Man's Winter Night.

Here are some of his background and important events that he had been to.

Robert frost moved to Massachusetts after his father died of tuberculosis. He shortly attended collage but dropped out and married, Eleanor White. He then took up collage at Harvard but again dropped out before receiving a degree.

His first book established Frost as an author and was representative of his lifelong poetic style: sparse and technically precise, yet evocative in the use of simple and earthy imagery.

In 1961, at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, Frost became the first poet to read a poem—"The Gift Outright"—at a presidential inauguration.

Frost's poetry mainly reflects life in rural New England, and the language he used was the uncomplicated speech of that region. Frost’s work has lots of emotion, with dramatic shifts from humorous to tragic.

He ended his poems with, “And miles to go before I sleep” to indicate Frost's philosophy of continual and productive work—whether it be work on his New England farm, or the written work required to create his poetry.

Cites:

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215687/robertfrost.htm

IT Home Learning: Lesson1

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

1)The figurative usage of language in this poem includes symbolism and hyperbole. The words in which symbolism is used are "Two roads diverged" while the words in which hyperbole is used are " ages and ages" as it is an exaggeration.

The poet chose to use symbolism and hyperbole is beacause by using the hyperbole, it represents that it is unreaslistic and he is immortal and since this entire story tells the stopry of how he would heve liked it to happen, thus by using the symbolism. it would mean the different desicions that we must make in life or maybe even him wanting to make a different decision in life to probably a much improved way of living if he had taken the other path.

2)I like this poem because he tells the story or the poem in a way which he wanted and not how it actually happened, thus, it creates a sense of desire and longingness to want to know his side of the story. Not only that, but in the last stanza, it turned out to be a twist and he created a delibrate personal myth by creatig a persona in front of us. "A sigh", it could be regret or relief which is ambiguous and the last word " difference" is it positive or negative which makes me wonder. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference." With the punctuiation, it creates a sense of hesitation and suggests a moment of uncertainty, momentarily pausing as if he is contemplating what to say just before he lies

Thank You.

Experience working in a restaurant

I had a very different holiday this time. I was forced by my parents to go to work in the restaurants instead of staying home playing my favourite Dota and watching Dvds. I was reluctant to work at first because I had certain degree of pride in me that I could not bring myself down to be humble enough to serve people. But now, I have equipped myself with this valuable experience in these two restaurants which I promised my mum that I will definitely want to work in there again in next vacations. Let me share with you how I spent my days in these 2 restaurants working as an illegal underage waiter!

20^th June,2009—

I entered the restaurant which is located in the heart of red light district in southern tip of Malaysia. That morning, I saw more than half of the restaurant packed with customers. It seemed to be a rush hour and a busy lunchtime. The tables were full of dishes and people sitting around joyously, eating the food while chatting away happily, and seemed oblivious to the noisy surroundings. The waitresses and waiters holding trays each full of sweet potato porridge and side dishes, rushing here and there to meet the customers’ satisfaction and requests. I saw my mum busily doing her networking with the customers around and wasting no time, she assigned one of the senior and experienced waiters to teach me how to serve. I saw my friend as he waved to me with a dirty palm. Then I realised that he was working in here too. I was delighted to see him and he taught me how to take orders and basic serving manners and clearing the tables for next customers.

After a hectic day of serving customers, I then realised the importance of teamwork and how hard it is to be a waiter. The importance of teamwork cannot be emphasized more. When the customers leave the tables and it is time for us to keep the dishes and clean the table, we must always do it in duos or even trios as the customers who are queueing outside needs to be satisfied. We must also lay out the table with chopsticks and wet towels, menus and appetizers before we can lead the customers to be seated .

During rest time, my friend and I sat down to rest but the others waiters and waitresses still continued their jobs and ignored their rest time. After the restaurant closed after midnight, my friend and I walked home together. I asked him,” How much is your pay per month?” and he answered ,” 1000++” I was so shocked. This was in Ringgit! It was about S$400++.Even though their pay is so meager, they still respect their job and try to make the most out of it by slogging their guts out until about 3 am per day. They do not have the mentality that we have that is” Pay less, Work less” .They have free accommodation and food served to them every 3 hour. What can they do with this amount of money? I really wonder…

21^st June 2009 Sunday-Father’s Day.

I put on restaurant ‘s uniform early morning at 10am. I was told by my parents that I needed to go to the 2^nd restaurant which is double the size of the first one to help up today. It consisted of 28 tables and it was a Sunday, also Father’s Day. We expected big crowds to turn up at the restaurant to celebrate Father’s day.

As it was only busy during lunchtime and dinnertime, thus we could sit down and slack from about 3 pm to 5.30 pm. Other than that, we had to make our leg muscles work and hold up trays with one hand while serving with the other. Not only that, but we also had to clean up the rubbish and dishes after every customer leave, making our hands dirty. However, this is part and parcel of the life of a waiter in our restaurant.

Also if customer does not want the towels and peanuts, we have to tell the cashier and she will then have to take note and not to charge the amount in the bill. If we do not and we pass the bill to the customer with the money for the peanuts and towels included in the bill, we will be admonished and the only thing that we can do is to humble ourselves down and apologise, which a person full of pride will never do, like me. However hard I forced myself not to do it, I still had to do it as I did not want to lose this customer. This was what I had to do on the second day that I was working as I met a drunkard. Wonder what happened to me…

Never judge a book by its cover is a phrase that I have learnt in this holiday. Those staff, be it the waiters or chefs, are mostly transmigrates, this means that they are people from other states of Malaysia, and Burmese. They leave their hometowns and families to come to JB to find a living. They are either below 20 or early 20s with very little education and simple background .However young they are or where they come from, they are able to speak perfect Mandarin and they are full of life experiences and are unselfish to share with me. From them, I can see that they respect their jobs so much that some slog their guts out and work to their fullest capacity. Their loyalty and diligence is really an asset to the restaurant and these are virtues that we have to instill in ourselves. Some even work 2 shifts in order to make their ends meet. With the meager salary, they spend little on their necessities and send the rest of their pay back to support their families. I take my hats off to them! Of course, there are some black sheeps too. Due to their ignorance, they spend their hard earned money in inappropriate ways.

These are what I have learnt through these two days of training. I thank my parents for this valuable opportunity for learning what life is out of the box and books. I treasure everyone I met in the restaurants, including the ‘frontline’ waiters and waitresses and the ‘backstage’ chefs and assistants chefs and most importantly, the customers. They add spices to my routine life. Thanks for making my Father’s Day so meaningful and educational.

Book Review on Nothing But The Truth

Q1)New Ideas of Myself
Book Read: Nothing but The Truth by AVI

After reading the book, I realized one important character that all of us must have, that is to stand up for your own rights when others think that you are in the wrong and stop doing something that you feel is right.

People are always against somebody who feels that whatever he does is right. People always think that the person who does whatever he think is correct as stubborn and thus, they stereotype him and they have a bad impression about him, thinking that he is one who does not listen to other people’s opinion. In reality, he has a character of standing up for his own rights and voicing out his own opinion.

With the example given above, that is why in real life, people who stand up for their own rights is getting lesser and lesser as most people think that by standing up for your own rights is an absolute waste of energy, effort and time. Therefore, most people prefer to listen to other people’s advice and follow as they do not need to waste their time voicing out their own opinion.

We must be able to stand up for what we think is correct and not let others control over what we can do and what we cannot do. We must voice out our opinion so that others would not think that we are weaklings and thus, think that they are able to control what we do and our thoughts of what is correct and what is incorrect.

By being able to stand up for your own rights, when you grow up, your boss will start to like you as he thinks that you are one who comes out with your own ideas instead of other workers who just follow what he says. He will think that you are capable and a born thinker and leader and thus have a good impression on you.


Q2)Two characters in the book
Book Read: Nothing but The Truth by AVI

The two characters in the book that I am about to compare is the two main characters that are described very well in the book, they are Miss Narwin and Philip Malloy.

Miss Narwin is a homeroom teacher who teaches in Harrison High School. She teaches Philip Malloy.

Miss Narwin is also being too strong-headed against Philip. She is always against Philip, such that every time when she hears humming in the class room during the national anthem, she will always pinpoint Philip as the person who was humming and he is always her main target. When there is humming in the class, she would ask,” Philip, is that you singing again?” without even getting enough evidence to pinpoint Philip as her main target.

When Philip is humming or even singing the national anthem, she will ask him if he was singing and when Philip continues singing without heeding the advice of his teacher, Miss Narwin will lose her temper and she will scold him and ask him to get out of this classroom to meet the principal in his office so that the principal would be able to deal with Philip without her needing to waste her time to berate Philip.

Philip is a boy who stands up for his own rights and says that by humming “ The Star-Spangled Banner”, their national anthem is to show his patriotism towards the country and show his loyalty towards his country. He does not follow what other people says and voices out his own opinion to let others reflect upon.

Philip is also a boy who does not want to let others control over him on what is correct and what is incorrect. When it was the last straw for Miss Narwin who knew that it was Philip who was humming, she scolded him and asked him to stop humming. However, Philip did not want others to control over what he can do and what he cannot do, thus he voiced out his own views and said that America was a free country and that he could say anything that he wanted.




Q3)Radio Announcement
Book Read: Nothing but The Truth by AVI
Are you timid and you do not have the courage to speak up? Then read Nothing But The Truth! It is a story that will allow you to stand up for your own rights and learn the true meaning of courage. Buy it now at any book store nearby!



Q4)Title
Book Read: Nothing But The Truth by AVI
I think that the title” Nothing But The Truth” is a good title because this book is all about the reality and the truth when Philip was being dismissed from school for two days for breaking the school rule which said to maintain respectful silence when the national anthem in school was being played.

Philip Malloy was only humming to the national anthem to show his patriotism and his loyalty towards his country, America. He was trying to show that America is his country and that he would not pledged loyalty to any other country by humming “ The Star- Spangled Banner”. Miss Narwin, his homeroom teacher then said that they should abide by the school rules and thus, requested for Philip Malloy to get out of the class room and go to the Principal’s office to let the principal deal with it.

The truth is that Philip was only trying to show his patriotism towards America to pledge loyalty and not trying to go against Miss Narwin or to try to break the school rules. Thus, when it was the last straw for Miss Narwin and she could not take it anymore of Philip’s singing, her anger rose and she asked of Philip to get out of the class. However, Philip voiced out his opinion of Miss Narwin and stood up for his own rights, saying that in America, it was a free country and that he could say anything that he wanted to say. He also said that it was not wrong of him to hum the National Anthem, “ The Star- Spangled Banner” during class as it was a free country.

His parents also said that they had been training him since young to sing the National Anthem as his whole neighbourhood has been doing since young. They are very supportive of him and with the reporters and the whole of America behind to support him, he believes that he is correct in singing the National Anthem.