Hotel Rwanda

I dint watch The Constant Gardener, instead I watched Hotel Rwanda (a true story), and I believe I have made the right choice to watch it. Ok here goes my reflection...

Hotel Rwanda
The first thing to recommend about "Hotel Rwanda" is its attempt to tell an important and ignored story—the civil war and genocide between the Tutsis and Hutu in the central African country of Rwanda that left nearly one million people dead over the course of three months in 1994.
This movie has shown many desensitizing acts of violence between the two different races. Acts such as rape, murder, genocide has been clearly shown. It is because of this movie, I have realise much more of the horrendous happenings/environment the third world countries people have been undergoing/staying.
On a side note, I am very impressed by the moral values Paul Rusesabagina (acted by Don Cheadle), Hotel Rwanda's manager has put up in the show. His efforts helped to save 1200 lives out of close to a million who were killed. Hotel Rwanda shows this man's courage and devotion in solving the crisis. He is a man of quiet, steady competence in a time of chaos, also the kind of man who knows how things work in the real world, who uses his skills of bribery, flattery, apology and deception to save these lives who have come into his care. In a nutshell, I respect his bravery and intelligence in handling situations.

Overall, It's a very good movie to teach moral values as well as to open up our realisation of how bad things happen in a third world country, and how other countries are oblivious to it by not giving help to them which is within their means.

From : Chia Ven Cheng

nurulhuda LOVES 07S!2!!!
hahhas.
pics from teachers' day!!

REFLECTIONS on the CONSTANT GARDENER

the constant garderner tells the story of Justin Quayle, a man who finds his wife, Tessa Quayle, murdered and then seeks to uncover the reasons behind her death. the issue that i learnt from this movie is that the fact that there are drug companies that have been doing such things in today's modern world. i find them cruel and pathetic that they would go to such extent of using less fortunate and desperate people just to test their newly made, non-tested drugs on them. i think that they should at least warn the people first and have volunteers from that country rather than testing on them secretly. and if they were to continue to do this testing secretly, they should also know their limits and stop. in the movie, it seems that the drug company knows that the drug, dypraxa, don't only cure the illness but also ends the person's life. thus, in my opinion, they should stop once they see the number of people dieing due to dypraxa. on the other hand, they still continue to issue dypraxa to the african community. these people should be punished and be hanged. (: i know i sound evil, but who are they to take away peoples life just to make money out of it. and to think of it, in the movie, they showed us that those people who died because of dypraxa were taken and dumped at a empty field and they were said not to exist. ain't that a crime? thus, they should be punished. if people who does drug trafficking are sentenced to death, why not the people who does drug test on other people illegally? why are they spared? this might be because these comanies are somewhat related to the government. thus this shows that the world is corrupted. i hope i would be able to play apart in the fight against such crimes made by such people. ((:

:)) nurulhuda <3

THE CONSTANT GARDENER

(im really really sorry i posted this a day late.. sorry ms fam..)

The Constant Gardener. Initially when i heard the title of this movie, i thought that it was a very boring movie about some gardener and i actually thought that we were very unlucky to be asked to watch this movie because i badly wanted to watch Hotel Rwanda as it is a really GREAT movie. But after watching this movie, i was grateful that we were told to watch this movie because it really is a great movie. Apart from the good-looking lead actor and the scandalous relationship between the wife, Tessa and Justin's friend (Justin is the lead actor), Sandy and how bad Sandy is as a friend to betray Tessa, The Constant Gardener tells a GREAT story about the British authorities and the Threebees making use of the Africans to test their drugs.

The pharmaceutical company makes use of these Africans because they cannot understand what is stated on the medical card. In order to get medical treatment, they are 'forced' to become test subjects for the drug Dypraxa without even knowing it. Dypraxa is a drug which cures tuberculosis. However, it also kills people. Hundreds of people were killed through this testing and to cover up for the deaths, the corpses were dumped somewhere and they were regarded as though they never existed.

Tessa was against the drug testing so she investigated about this issue with her good friend, Arnold. She sent reports to the higher authorities but the reports were not accepted. The British authorities were not happy about this. So they tracked here down at Lake Tukana and killed her so that the issue remains a secret.

These kind of movies are really good to show us what is really happening around the world. If i didnt watch this movie, i wouldn't have known how bad the people in the third-world countries are being treated. I do hope more of these movies are screened as it is really educational for us. Like this movie, it educates me a little bit about the drug Dypraxa and the testing of drugs on the people in the third-world countries. The authorities may seem as if they really cared to give free medical help but there may actually be something behind this 'help'.

doneby: wiwi

PM SPEECH

in the rally, PM LEE has brought the issue of muslims now being included in the HOTA. 20 years ago, muslims were not in the HOTA system because they said that is goes against the rules of ISLAM but now since that has change, more patients who needs organ transplant will be able to receive an organ without much waiting. i'm really happy that now we muslims are able to help those who are less fortunate. in my opinion, the muslim community should have been included in this HOTA system when it first began. this is because, i don't really find it to be going against the rules of ISLAM. this is because, in the teachings of ISLAM itself, we are told to help those who are less fortunate than we are in whatever ways we can. so therefore, we should have been there for them since the start of HOTA. another reason why the muslim community should be in the HOTA system long ago because the number of patients who needs to have an organ transplant majority of them a muslims. thus, the more we should be the ones who should help our own community and not others. therefore, i agree to the inclusion of the muslim community in the HOTA system and i hope that with us in the system, we would be able to save more lives and still obey to our religion. ((:

LOVE 07S12
nurulhuda ((:

PM lee and death penalty assignment respectively.{SHEN}

PM SPEECH

When Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong explained that teachers have been working hard and have been providing our students with ample education,he did not mention about biasness and i feel that this issue is a major problem.Most teachers do educate their students fairly.However there is a small percentage of teachers who teach only who they like(i.e Biased).This is especially true in some instituitions which shall not be named so as not to intrude on their privacy.If this goes on,certain students will have unfair (dis)advantages in securing their own future.


DEATH PENALTY

A day before my demise

My name is Joe Elton Nixon,sitting in my cell waiting for the majestic arrival of Elijah's flaming chariot to take me home.Dead silence around me broken by the wails of the doomed.Am I guilty?Did I kill Bickner?Did I want to kill her?Somehow I just feel as if I was being treated unfairly.I would never think that a WHITE lawyer would ever want to help me.I demanded for a black lawyer but they simply refused.This truly is a country of UNITY. Now look where I am,surrounded by the angelic misfits, to all of them a fair trial,but to me?Whites all of them.So much of biased feelings.Serial killers,rapists,murderers,even that poor eighteen year old drug trafficker begging to be free from their inevitable fate,execution.Looks like its about time for me.Why did i do it?I'm confused.I never meant to kill her,never did,just pilfer her thats all.Gain a little income.Gasp!I was scared that she'd recognise me so i burned her.Now i know my true self.I did it.I killed Bickner.The pastor is approaching.Now I know my sin.I hope its not too late.Oh lord forgive me!

A date with the lord almighty.

The guards draw close, tearing part of my clothes.They were afraid they couldnt find a vessel.
"DEAD MAN WALKING" echoing throuout the halls as I was walking to the limousine.I sit,drinking the final liquid that I would have on earth.Not through my mouth but my veins.
I feel a sense of relief......

Ong Wei Shen Keane
07S12

Reflections on 'THE CONSTANT GARDENER'

The movie showcases the sufferings of third world countries such as Africa. The movie is difficult to watch in the sense that it is emotionally moving. Watching the westerners commiting crimes at such a big scale brings both anger and pity.

Anger surfaces when one of the characters actually tries to bring justice to the Africans but ends up getting raped and killed. At the same time, you pity the Africans who are all innocent and are getting affected by the drug.

Though the company's officials appeared to be rather merciless, i think it depicts a rather similar picture on the plight of the people in the third world countries.It basically shows that the people in such countries are being ill-treated and nothing can be done to help them.Im sure that if something is actually being done currently, the thrid world countries would have progressed.


I do hope more of such movies will be made in the future in an attempt to educate the young and old on the injustice occuring in Africa. This would certainly help to bring more people into helping those in need.

Nurul Sakinah.

Reflections on "The Constant Gardener"

The Constant Gardener reveals a world of almost exhaustive despair, yet it never strains credibility. Any worthy thriller must reflect a world that can exist, otherwise we are merely entertained, instead of left reeling with the pain of it all.

The movie feels honest in how it captures poverty and filth. The pharmaceutical heavies are portrayed a bit too villainous. However, getting people to buy their drug so they could make money is ruthless, especially if it is harming people, and that is undeniably inhuman. My heart aches for the poor Africans when I see them getting in line, not knowing that they are in fact sending themselves to death.

From this film, it has made me more aware of the reality of the plight of the Third World. The film offers a powerful condemnation of how the West colludes with those in power to take advantage of the poor and defenceless for financial gain. I really hope that the organisation will do something to stop the suffering of there Africans.

http://www.constantgardenertrust.org/

cerlyn.- (:

Dear 07S12

I'm encouraged by the quality of work that has been uploaded so far. Do keep it up. Special thanks to your class' GP Rep- Kai Ning, for all the trouble and smses sent.

I figured I should respond to all this "mayhem" on your class gp blog. We shall all give this a benefit of a doubt. If the poor person is suffering from guilt, you can come find me. That may help you sleep better. And I won't disclose to the rest of the class, ok? As for the rest of you, please, don't scold the person online. Ok?

Before everything was deleted, I managed to read Jessica's post to your class. I echo what she says. You guys have done well, coming in for the first prize for the art competition. Hopefully this blog can be used by your class to keep up the class spirit and to encourage one another for the coming promos.

One thing I've noticed, when class spirit is present, a class gets more motivated to study, do work, live life, together. Because, when one gets discouraged, others will come alongside to push and cajole that person together. You guys are in 07S12 for a reason. It's not by chance. Now, don't roll eyes and say "that's so cliche". It's true. Every class that I've taught is different, and personally, as a (relief. heh) teacher, I've come to appreciate each class for their unique spirits. Your class is fun and quirky. I do hope that you'd put this attitude into your schoolwork and life (not just GP)!

Happy Holidays. See you on Thursday at 12.30pm;)

Yours,
Miss Fam

Holiday assignments

Dear (young) ladies and gentlemen,

I’ve realized that there are 2 things I would like you to blog about this Sept hols. Have fun doing them (I really mean it. No sarcasm intended). Hope you have fun with the clips I’ve found below. They should be a good reprieve from the usual notes. Ok?

1. Reflections on the GP movie screening last Friday.
[due 5 Sept, Wed]

This is your proof that you went for the screening. Keep to 150 words (no more no less). I do NOT want an account on what the movie is about. Rather, I want you to pick one issue/ lesson from the movie and tell the rest of your class what you have learnt.

Upload in this format: *insert your name*’s reflections on *insert movie name*

2. Your environmental wishlist.
[due 8 Sept, Sat]

Part 1: Draw up your own wishlist (top 5) for the environment.
Part 2: Discuss the feasibility and desirability of each wish on your list.

You are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to check out ALL the websites below (esp the funny clips!!):

For eg: I wish that more Singaporeans will stop using Styrofoam boxes and plastic boxes to “tapao” their food. Food vendors and customers both need to play a part to reduce the CFCs released into the atmosphere from the disposing of them. Currently, food vendors charge an extra 10 cents or even nothing for takeaway packaging. To encourage customers to bring their own containers, one should be charged 50 cents for each takeaway packaging. This will make customers feel the pinch.Upload in this format: *insert your name*’s 5 wishes for the environment

An “all you need to know” website on environmental issues from BBC.
I’m trying to save some trees by reducing the amount of notes. Wouldn’t it be ironic that you get a thick stack of notes on environment??

A snippet from Ali G’s talkshow.
By Ali G @ Borat @ Sacha Baron Cohen, very funny & intelligent guy.

A short clip on a schoolgirl’s bid to play her part in saving the environment.

The movie trailer to An Inconvenient Truth (the Al Gore movie)

Spongebob’s bid to stop global warming.

This is really for laughs. A cartoon on Al Gore’s environmental efforts.

;) Miss Fam

p/s: Streaming for some of the clips may take a while. So I suggest you finish streaming them first.

PM’S NATIONAL DAY RALLY 2007

The issue that i will discuss will be the widening of income gap in Singapore.

Singaporeans now live longer and since there are not enough babies being born every year, it is expected that the country is to be littered with way more elderly than the young in years to come.

Many of those who are poor are likely to be elderly. This problem probably derives from the fact that they do not provide enough for old age/retirement. Also, they tend to retire early.
Hence, what the government suggests is to provide more job opportunities for the older generation.

I think this is a good way to combat the widening income gap in the country. Though the income of these elderly may not be that high, i am positive that it would make a difference in the income gap in Singapore.

The best way according to the PM, to have enough savings during old age is to stay employed and work longer. Personally, i think that its probably the most effective way to ensure that you are able to support yourself throughout your retirement years.

In order for them to work longer, they should upgrade themselves education wise by going for courses or workshops that is relevant to their job scope. Also, they should learn to accept lower wages so as to make way for newer and younger workers to earn a living. In my opinion, they can also opt for a part-time job if they find a full-time job to be too taxing. Since, they would probably have saved quite an amount of money from their previous job, they would not be needing to earn a huge sum of money at this age. Hence, a part-time job would be sufficient.

Nurul Sakinah.

PM Lee's Speech- "Teach Less Learn More" Policy

In response to PM Lee’s Speech on the issue of upgrading education through methods such as “Teach Less Learn More”, I would like to comment that the benefits of this policy depend largely on the abilities of the individuals. Although the intentions are good, and the concept is strong, not everyone can adapt well to such an approach.


Different students have different learning speeds. Some of them may not be able to understand lessons fully even if the concepts were to be explained and elaborated meticulously, let alone when it is brief. In order to conduct more class activities, teachers would have to sacrifice “proper” lesson time, thus having to cover the syllabus at a faster speed. This would definitely not be beneficial to slow learners, thus widening the gap between the more intellectually-inclined and less intellectually-inclined. This may result in massive stress in the weaker students, as they would find it increasingly difficult to catch up with the fast-paced syllabus, thus causing some of them to lose interest in education.


Although it was mentioned that PM Lee could sense “tremendous energies and enthusiasm in many schools”, it does not exactly imply that the policy is successful, as participation and academic results are two different matters. Students may respond actively towards the activities, as it is definitely more fun and enriching than normal “boring” lessons, however, it may not exactly be beneficial to their learning, and may not reap good academic results.


However, one advantage of such an approach is it encourages independent learning. Since not all concepts would be elaborated on, students would have to learn how to research or gather information elsewhere in order to boost their understanding of the subject. It would also enhance time management, as students would have to learn how to cope with their increased workload and other co-curricular activities. This would definitely be beneficial for the working world as students would get used to being independent, and not be “spoon-fed” all time. As the society becomes increasingly competitive, such qualities would allow Singapore to be an inch above the other countries, thus boosting our global reputation in the economy.

Hazel <3

Time creep slowly as endless reminiscences fill my mind. I have already lost count the number of days I am trap in this bleak and silence cell. Anguish and emotional torment engulf me as I await for my death penalty. I am on my death row because of a folly mistake, I shouldn’t have let my anger overwhelmed me but the sight of him reminds me of how he had ruthlessly raped my wife three years ago. I simply cannot forget the old animosities between us.

Everyday, someone will have to be hang, to pay for the consequences of their action. Today is that fateful day. Cold fear grip me. I am fill with remorse and agony beyond words. I hope this is a nightmare that soon I will be liberate out of it but I know I am being too naïve. My death penalty is a reality, an unchangeable reality.

Uncountable thoughts flash through my distress mind. The thought of my friends, my family, my loves one fill me with nostalgia. If only I had more self-control then but it’s too late to regret.

That rusty and bulky door swing open with a loud “bang”. Finally they have arrive. I walk slowly into that death chamber. Soon, I will be able to reunite with my wife again. She had committed suicide after being raped. radiant smile start to appear on my stolid face as they shout “death man walking”..

aaron ng

DEATH PENALTY

"This is destiny. This is life. This is something Allah wants me to do. I'm not mad at you. When I get to the gates of heaven I'm going to be waiting for you. Please forgive me."

These are my last words before I am executed. It was foolish of me to kill someone. I realized my mistakes and I am really sorry for your lost of your family member. I am totally penitent by my deeds and I think it is through my death that I could redeem myself. Do not shed any tears for me because you have no reasons to do so.

I know nothing that I could say could bring your mother back to life, but please accept my apology to you and your whole family. What I have taken from you I cannot return. When you grow up, teach your children good moral values, do not let them end up like me as a murderer. It is not worth paying the price.

Please let my family know that I truly love them although I always beat them up and steal money from them. I know it is too much of a favour to ask of you, but please grant a death man his very last wish.

When I see your mother in Heaven, I will apologize personally to her and I will tell her how sorry and dumb I was to pull the trigger on that fateful day.

May my death be a closure for you and your family.

With Utmost Apologies,

Conner

DONE BY ZHENG YONG LE

An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

Death Penalty

Alok Diwan: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind". Never would I know that one day this quote would directly affect me and, never did I know that one day I would be awaiting for my death sentence...
Yes I have committed a murder, a murder so as to save my son from harm. Yes I have killed him but who could account for my son if he would to be killed by him instead? Death penalty doesn't gets rid of murder, it only gets rid of a murderer, it does not kill the cause, it only kills the case; not the root, only a branch. If people wants to eliminate abhorrent evils from the society we have to repolish the soul. By giving me death sentence I am getting punishment to my body while my soul remains unpunished and unchanged. How would people convert inhumanity to humanity; give love against hate, free our heart from hatred in this case?

My thoughts swirling round and round in my mind, since when the judiciary and the state have the right to destroy what they cannot create? Death sentence should be abolished! I have seen innocent comrades in the cells whereby they are wrongfully judged. Benefit of doubt is important because history proves that millions of people have been wrongly sent to gallows. Human beings are supposed to be rational animals, how rational could we be if we kill a man for a man? How rational could we be when we don't realise death will not undo the wicked deed I have committed? A person should be allowed to die a dignified death and one should not snatch this right away from me.

Yes. I am now a dead man walking, I still think that what I did was right. I "saved" my son. And now I am "exchanging" my life for his. "DEAD MAN WALKING" I have been awaiting for this thunderous voice, finally it rung into my ear. Now the rope is on my neck, as my pair of eyes closes, I see my bubbly and smiling son waving to me...


Done by: Chia Ven Cheng

COMMUNICATING

Hey S12,
i know there has been some confusion with the blog link and stuff like that,but right now this blog link is final. No more changes should be made to it.
However, if you object to using this link, tell me. I will consider asking Kai Ning to change the link should there be more than HALF the class who objects to this link. Other than that, no one should change the link without Kai Ning's approval since she is the GP rep.
Please understand that if we keep changing the link, our classmates will be confused to which link to use, even Ms Fam. (And sadly my hand phone bill will keep raising with all this constant relaying of information)


Anyway, i just want to say that if there's anything you guys are unhappy about, do voice it out to me. We're a class, a team and we need proper communication to be able to work together. Just so you know, I'm always ready to listen to any one's suggestions or complains.

(This post is NOT to blame or scold any one, its just to clear things out)


S12 you guys rock my world, seriously.



JESSICA :D

PM NATIONAL DAY RALLY 2007

Working Longer – more savings for old age

PM LEE quotes,"the best way to be alright in old age and to have enough savings is to stay employed and to work longer because with longer life spans, you cannot retire at 55 and live until 80 or 85 or 90." As Singaporeans are living longer and better due to the prospering and blossoming economy. Life expectancy of the average Singaporean has gone up. I think PM Lee is right in encouraging old people to go back to the workforce to work because the ratio of young abled working population to non-income elderly is off the balance.

Although it may seem cruel to the elderly but it is the only way to survive in this society. They may find themselves incapable of doing a lot of works due to their poor health because of old age, but the government has come up with various counters to resolve the problems that may arise through the rise of retirement age.

EDUCATION
Changing the mindset of employers and employees.

By making both employers and employees understand the benefit of hiring old people and going back to the workforce, it can resolve a lot of misconceptions that both the employers and employees faced. Old people are hired back to be a form of mentor so that they can pass down their skills and experience to the younger ones. They may have to settle for lower pay and lower position, but this is for the vibrancy and progress for the society. If the old people remain at the senior positions, the younger ones could not rise up. It will not be beneficial for the progress of the society. Although they may have taken a backseat in their jobs, but their valuable experiences would bring a lot of great insights to our younger generation.

Legislation and incentives-
-To send a clear signal to employers and to the public and to the workers
-To encourage older people to work and to encourage employers to hire older people

PM Lee do not want to just pass a law to rise the retirement age, because he knows that it may not solve the problem and maybe made it worse. but he wanted to pass a Re-employment Act by 2012. he want to encourage the people to continue working after 62, year to year for as long as you can. Employers do not need to worry about having to stuck with a old employee and the old employee can work on a year to year basis contract. It is a win win situation for the employers and employees.

To buttress the legislation, incentives are also offered to both the employers and employees. this would thus increase the re-employment rate by a measurable amount. Work fare would be paid to employees to make them come back into the workforce. Maybe some of it would go into CPF, but the remainder would cause an insurmountable of increase in the hand held income. this would benefit the old citizens and also encourage them to be re-employed again. With legislation and incentive together, old people would be so encourage to come out of their comfort zone to work again and will do to the best that they can.

DONE BY ZHENG YONG LE

PM National Day Rally 2007

Working Longer – more savings for old age

As Singapore continues to strive upon a prospering and blossoming economy, it is undeniable that we are inevitably heading towards an ageing population too. As such, there tend to be in disproportionate to the ratio of young abled working population to handle the burden of the non-income elderlies in Singapore. Such stress upon the working population would hinder the economic aspects of Singapore if the problem persists.

Furthermore, as quoted from PM Lee, "The best way to be alright in old age and to have enough savings is to stay employed and to work longer because with longer life spans, you cannot retire at 55 and live until 80 or 85 or 90. ", with a rise in the life expectancy of our people, it seems inappropriate to keep the retirement age level constant at 55.

Although this might result in a resentment of the elderlies in Singapore due to the fact that they might find themselves incapable of serving the society due to their physically disablities, PM Lee has come up with various counters to resolve the problems that might arise through the rise of retirement age.

Education:-
Changing the mindsets of both employers and workers

By doing so, PM Lee hopes that employers and workers would both consider to employ and re-enter the workforce respectively. In such a case, the older workers whom are often skilled and experienced can play a part in administering the overall movements and system of a corporation. They may take roles such as mentors to help educate and aid the younger workers in their jobs as such, increasing the efficiency and production of various sectors of industries in Singapore.
However, the capacity of such positions may be limited and older workers may be required to work in sectors of industry in a lower position, lower paying job. Such may lead to an resentment of the workers as they have to do biddings of younger workers. Yet, such sacrifices have to be made in order to help Singapore prosper as a better country, moreover, PM Lee has made other efforts to resolve the situation.

Legislation and Incentives:-
To send a clear signal to employers and to the public and to the workers
To encourage older people to work and to encourage employers to hire older people

The better approach which PM Lee is pursuing is to legislate for re-employment -- retire at 62, but re-employ, continue working beyond 62, year to year, but continue working as long as you can. It’s more flexible for both the employers and the employees; not necessarily the same job, not necessarily the same pay. It doesn’t mean that you will definitely get a job, but employer has to make an offer and you take into account the worker’s performance, his health, his preferences and the company’s needs and both sides work out a win-win arrangement, usually year to year. This is what the Japanese have done, but they only took this step after a very long period of preparation and thus, Singapore would also be pursing its footsteps.

But to buttress the legislation, incentives are also provided in order to encourage the re-employment of older workers. By offering incentives to both the employer and the employee, it would stimulate the re-employment rate of the older workers, thus inflicting a considerable rise in the re-employment rate. With both legislation and incentives working hand in hand, it is no doubt that PM Lee is raising the employment rate for the older Singaporeans and help them to save more for old age and this is a core part of his programme to help old people take care of themselves.

doneby: fangyi

The Aging Population

How can Singapore deal with the financial challenges of an aging population? The solution is quite obvious, but the devil is in the details.

During PM Lee's speech, he mentioned “longevity risk”. This is the risk that you end up living longer than you expected, and therefore you eventually run short of money to support yourself. Furthermore, a high proportion of Singaporeans are middle-aged today are choosing not to have children at all. Thus many of them will one day become senior citizens literally without any living relatives at all, to depend on. Harsh as it may sound, the problem is its own solution.

PM Lee described a future where, thanks to advances in medical knowledge and health care, people will live longer. However, the assumption is that you are able to afford living to such an old age, or that someone else will take care of you. Otherwise, death is the simple solution to living too long. That’s the brutal truth. It is not necessarily the case that many old people will not be able to afford food and water. A more likely scenario is that as they grow older and their savings gradually run out, they find themselves unable to afford the various medical treatments that would prolong life. So essentially, your life expectancy has become a matter of money. Your life expectancy is a function of the medical care available to you, which in turn is a function of the amount of money you have. Ultimately you die, not of starvation, but of a curable heart condition which you could not afford to cure.

My next point is about the likely pattern of wealth distribution in an aging population. It is often said that in an aging population, the working population will end up bearing the heavy burden of supporting the older folks. This is no doubt true, but is there any silver lining for the younger folks? In an aging population, a relatively high proportion of the general population are in the older age-groups. As the population ages, the combined wealth of a relatively greater number of old Singaporeans will become concentrated in the hands of a relatively lesser number of younger Singaporeans. This is in contrast to countries with a young population, where the wealth of the recently-deceased will be divided among a greater number of living people. In a sense, this alleviates the economic hardship of the relatively younger section of the population, in supporting the relatively older section of the population.

PM Lee gave an insightful and interesting speech during the National day rally. He raised issues concerning the economy, religion, population, technology and commitment to the country. I truly believe that these issues are really important and are fundamentals to our country future progress. Especially, grooming and nurturing new leaders that are capable to lead the country to greater heights.

this boy's mouth is full of banana while he watches the National Day rally. this may be random but i thought that it's cute. xD

ps: just adding some colour to the blog. so, pardon me for the extras.
cerlyn.-

Death Penalty

The one who killed Huang Na

Minutes pass like hours, days pass like years. 4 more days, and I would be executed. Hanging… would I be in pain? To say the truth, I’m scared, terrified. I would be leaving behind everybody, all those who yearned for me to be by their side now. My family, my friends and all my loved ones, I was thankful enough to have them with me yesterday. They brought all my favourite suits along with them, for me.
Tears flowed when I saw them yesterday. We sat in silence, eyes upon the floor. I had so much to say to them, but yet, nothing came out from my mouth. I just didn’t know how to start. They loved me, my father, my mother, my brother. Yet, I bring upon such shame onto our family and tarnishing our family’s reputation. I deserve the retribution, but why bring my family upon it too?
It was painful to see them leave when the time was up. The cold-blooded officer wouldn’t even allow a hug for me from them. And now, I’m seated, bounded within these four merciless ice cold walls regretting. Regretting how I didn’t say I love them, how I appreciate for all they have done..
Huang Na.. I shouldn’t have made u suffered. If I could choose all over again, I wouldn’t have done it to you. You were just 8 years old. Only a beast like me would do that to you, and for that, I sincerely apologize. May you rest in peace, among the angels’ wings bestowed upon you.

With Love,
Hao.

doneby: fangyi

btw who deleted the blog ah. KILL u!

PM National Day Rally 2007

I will be giving my views on the issue of Upgrading Education.

Every year our education system seems to keep changing. And this year it is no different. The PM has brought up many new ideas to help improve the system. Firstly he talks about the quality of neighbourhood schools. In my opinion, I feel that it was good that he raised this issue, to show Singaporeans that these neighbourhood schools also provide quality education. It is also a good way to try to eliminate the elitist mindset amongst Singaporeans. People will not feel the need to get into top schools in order to get good education and thus, creates a less competitive environment.

Another issue he raised about education was the learning of Malay as a third language. I personally wanted to pick up Malay, as I feel that learning many languages is a very good life skill. Furthermore, I feel that with Malay we can destroy that language barrier we have with our older generation. Also, a reason for implementing this scheme would be because we are surrounded by Malay speaking countries. It would therefore, be necessary to be able to learn their language in order to communicate and understand them better.

Finally, an important topic of building a fourth university was brought up. I feel that this is important, as it is getting easier and easier to get into university. This is beacuase there is more than one way to enter a university. Hence, more students are able to obtain a place in university even though they take other routes. Therefore, building a fourth university will give an opportunity to students to get tertiary education. Plus, it will lower the competitiveness of getting a place in university. It can also be a source of motivation for the generations to come.

Lavanya E.

Death Penalty

The crime that was never committed

Hi, my name is Mumia Abu-Jamal. People call me a convict while others just believe that I was a victim of biasness and racism that usually happened to black people like me living in America. It was not my choice to be black, I was already born this way. If only people would embrace the mindset that I have, I would not be on the death row for almost 20 years. Yes, I’m still stuck here facing the cold four walls that surrounded me everyday 24/7. However, I manage to get “comfortable” with my surroundings and to just bear with it. Anyway it has been 20 years. Well, during the period here I wrote books so as to kill the time that I have.

How in the first place I got into this mess you may wonder? Well, living in the world full of racism it’s hard for the minority black people like me to live. But still this is life. Just have to get on with it. It was late at night at that time. I still remembered that I saw a cop beating my brother. Anyone in the right mind would just help and fought back especially when the person getting beaten is your own flesh and blood. However, I was the one that got shot by the cop himself. At that time I was carrying a gun but it was not me that shot him to death. It was a stranger or a passer by that did the crime that had cost my freedom and life. It was dark and it is just hard to see the face and to focus when you are in pain.

In 1982 trial was marked by repeated and flagrant examples of prosecutorial misconduct aimed at punishing me for my political views. A witness who had been coerced later recanted her testimony, and another whom the prosecution had refused to call came forward to tell his version, which pointed to another shooter. The medical examiner's report indicated that my gun that was a 0.38 and could not possibly have fired the bullet that killed the officer that was a 0.45 gun. However, Judge Sabo sentenced me to death. In August 1995 I was granted a stay of execution. In October 1998 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court refused to grant me a new trial. Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Ridge has vowed to sign a new death warrant for my execution. There is just no way that I will escape from the gallows of death. Maybe this is just fate.

Well I know that even a new piece of evidence will do nothing but only lengthen my time here. I can only pray and hope that this injustice will never befall to anyone regardless of the race or skin colour. But for now, I shall wait for that day to come where He will open His arms to embrace me back home.

Faranursheila, Catherine, Cerlyn, Kaining

PM national day rally

Here's my view on PM Lee speech on the Population.... :)

It was a relieve to know that more doors are opening up to all Singaporeans especially in terms of working overseas. Singaporeans nowadays are the most sought after by employers overseas and this might be because of our character and upbringing like what Prime Minister Lee said. We are honest. Apart from that more universities overseas like UNSW are giving polytechnic and Junior College graduate an opportunity to study there. However, i feel that it will put a greater impact on us Singaporeans if PM Lee would just show the statistics of the intake of Singaporeans from the local universities like NTU and NUS as there are those who wish to further their studies our own universities. This is so as not many Singaporeans here can afford to further their studies outside of Singapore and this would mean that a high cost is involved.

Furthermore, he also mention about talented foreigners who came to Singapore and make a living here and then became a Permanent Resident like Mustaq Ahamd and David Gan. He also praised the illegal immigrant from PRC who ran a chain of 5 hawker stalls, and employed 11 PRC and a few Singaporeans. I think that it is only fair that Singapore would actually give him a second chance. After all he did provide jobs for the local and definitely boost our economy with 5 hawker stalls. For Singapore to actually be an open and free country like what it claims to be, its people first need to be liberal in certain trivial issues. Putting that aside, i believe that it is wiser to have our own pool of talented people rather than welcoming the foreigners. Not that it is bad, i think that local people will not leave Singapore as this is after all our home country but as for the foreigners no matter how high the pay is, they will still leave this country to stay in their own home country.

Faranursheila Omar (03)

msg 2 de person who deleted de previous blog

whoever u are tat deleted de previous blog...u're such a nuisance....
all those werk we did now go 2 waste bcos of YOU!!!!!

THANK YOU....(if u noe wat i mean)

PM Lee's Rally Speech

PM Lee mentioned in his speech that the aging population is becoming more of a concern by 2020. I totally agree with his statement. Aging population is a problem which all countries dread of. Especially in the case of Singapore, where the population is small and estimated at only around four million, the problem is much more serious. This is due to the fact that taxes paid by the working adults are used by the government to aid the elderly people. Thus, the more elderly people there are, the greater the burden of the working adults.

One of the reasons of the rise of an aging population is due to the fact that more married couples in Singapore are choosing to have one/two child or even none at all. I believe the reason is that they want to concentrate on working so as to earn more money for their future when they retire. I think that this is a very selfish act, by benefiting oneself and affecting the whole country. We still have to carry on our generation. If not, why in the first place is there the existence of man and woman?

PM Lee also mentioned that one of the measures of aging population is to encourage Singaporeans to work longer and retire later. Even though this is a good measure, there are bound to be some who will not do so. They would rather enjoy life at home than to work longer. Again, this is due to the selfish nature of human beings.

Aging population in Singapore seems to be inevitable. The only thing the government can do is to minimise the effects of it and we as individuals can only get on with our lives.


Derek o.O

PM Lee's rally speech

YAY!

In PM Lee's rally speech, it was mentioned that Singapore's commitment to multi-lingualism is paying dividends. i.e. Singapore's commitment to multi-lingualism and the people's understanding of the languages and culture around its neighbourhood have paid off. I agree with the statement and support it.
It is because of the rise of China that is has encouraged many people to take Chinese seriously. Around the world, there is a strong interest, and millions are learning Chinese. In particular, Singaporeans' ability to speak and write Mandarin is a major asset when they do business in China. Which allows Singaporeans to do very well in especially in parts like Shanghai. There are 10,000 of them in Shanghai, and many have made significant inroads into the market. There is such importance in learning the language that the Governments wants to take full advantage, and get more people to master the language, underscoring continuing efforts to to maintain high standards of Mandarin, and to popularise its use. Just like Econs concept, if we are able to have lots of business in China, our property from abroad will greatly help Singapore's economy (GNP).
Also, the Government has reminded Singaporeans that Singapore is located in Southeast Asia. Hence we need to encourage more Singaporeans to learn Malay or Bahasa Indonesian. Then we can interact with our neighbours, do business with them, and improve mutual understanding. I believe this is also of great importance. Learning more languages can indeed benefit Singapore in the present and future.
However, the 1 thing on my mind is that what about Tamil? Doesn't Singapore have 4 national languages? why isn't there any emphasis on Tamil? Also, how does the Government plan to make students take up a third language, considering the heavy school load they already have.


JESSICA :D

PM Rally Speech

let me be the first to post.

PM Rally Speech...
Upgradng Education

I would like to comment on the PM Rally speech on the part of improving the education of Singaporeans.

When the "teach less learn more" policy was first introduced in the year of 2005, i was a Secondary 3, the busiest year in my secondary school life. I had trouble catching up with the syabullas when my teachers implemented this policy. Since i was from a neighbourhood school, my learning pace was much more slower than those students in the top schools. With this policy and also the five-day work week rule, my teachers had to rush through the syabullas like a bullet train. With more CCA cramming into our time, both my teachers and I had no time for consultations and remedial lessons. In the end, i ended up lacking behing my peers of my cohort. Therefor, even though there were some successes with the "teach less learn more" policy, it wasnt a success in the other neighbourhood schools as well. So i would like to suggest to the PM that perhaps he may want to do a survey to see how well the policy had been appreciated by the students in the other neighbourhood schools.

Furthermore, i would also like to comment on the part on the introductions of the Malay Language and Bahasa Indonesia. Nowadays, school-going children are facing tremedous pressure in doing well not just doing well butexcel in not only academic areas and also other areas such as CCA. This pressure will be even more significant when it comes to students in the neighbourhood schools. In order to grab the two bonus points for JC admission, these students would try their very best to do well in the Malay Language and other subjects as well. In this way, it will as if studying is a torture to them. In the extreme cases, some may sink into depression and may even contemplate sucide. Thus, more students may want to give up entirely. Therefore, i would like to suggest that in order to efficiently and succussfully learn the Malay Language, try to make it as a non-examinable subject and make the learning of the language as fun and enjoyable as possible. Alternatively, the ministry may want to introduce the subject to the students in primary schools. this is because, primary schools children would be able to pick up the subject faster than the students in secondary schools and junior colleges. Hence, students would be able to feel less stress and would also rediscover the fun in learning.


Done By: Kai Ning (02)

GP blog

Hey ppl... This is the new blog.. Please do not delete this again... ALso... pls include ur name when u post anything here...

From: Kai Ning..