Lit. Circles for Dinner, Again, Mom?

Working together with a classmate helps to put many things in perspective and develops within us a sense of friendship and collaboration towards achieving a common goal. Frequently during our discussions, I catch myself surprised by Dhabitah's point of view, perhaps even more so because she can relate better to the heroine, Charlotte Doyle as they are both female and in the same age group. For instance, I found it difficult to understand her decisions which, to me, are based purely on her emotions. Dhabitah pointed out that sometimes we have to rely our intuition rather than base our actions on logic alone. I finally realized this to be true as the story unfolded because Charlotte quickly realized who she decided to side with, which turned out to be the correct decision. Moreover, having a friend to discuss with helps my train of thought and pushes me to try harder as I feel compelled to contribute my share of the project. Dhabitah's answers allowed me to gauge my own understanding and input, helping to let me see where I stand in this project. Finally, in my own small way, I believe that by working together, we managed to achieve more and in shorter time, than by working independently.

There were many challenges along the way before we finally managed to collaborate constructively. Firstly, we have not ever worked together and there was that initial awkwardness that comes about before trust can be established. In a way, this connected us to the story, where Charlotte Doyle had to develop the trust and vice versa. Once we got going, I learned to put aside some of my prejudices concerning girls as Dhabitah proved to be a worthwhile partner. Again, upon reflection, there is a similarity and connection in the story whereby Charlotte abandoned many of her ideas concerning the working class. My partner's cheery attitude and warmth assisted greatly in helping create a conducive and friendly working environment in which we worked together as a team. Lastly, I had to forsake my natural competitiveness and share my knowledge and insight to a fellow classmate because we were to be graded together as a unit. In oversoming these challenges, I have learned a little bit about Dhabitah and a bit more about myself.

To me, this novel is more complex and has more twists and turns than the previous book, " Call It Courage ". Initially, I found the narrative, from a spoilt girl's point of view and written in old-fashioned English, to be a chore to read, much less gain any insight. However, as the plot thickens in Chapters 10 to 14, I begin to find myself getting more immersed in Charlotte Doyle's unfortunate situation. I can see now, that she became what she is because of the circumstances and because of her upbringing. It must have been a challenge being a young girl, alone, in a man's world, more so, amongst "brawny, rough-hewn sailors". Caught in between the two opposing forces, Captain Jaggery on one side and the crew on the other, Charlotte must have been feeling extremely isolated with no one to turn to for advice. Her writings provide me with the understanding that she is resourceful, principled and resilient because in the face of danger she is able to outthink everyone else. As the novel unfolds, I find myself developing a reluctant admiration for the main character.

Lit. Circles Make The World Go Round.....

1. How did your group's discussion help your understanding of the novel?

The novel centered on the adventure of a thirteen- year old girl who in overcoming her difficulties, found strength within herself. In a way, it was a voyage of self-discovery. The group managed to relate to her feelings and fears as most of the members fall within the same age range. Moreover, over discussions, some members voiced out their opinions that the plot was a little weak and haphazard in certain areas, especially the circumstances that led to Charlotte boarding the Seahawk without a chaperon. This helped me to understand that not everything that author wrote should be taken completely at face value. The writing of the narrative was deliberately old-fashioned which the group found difficult to follow, which reassured me because I felt the same way too. These discussions helped me understand that there are many points of views and that different people may see different things even though it is the same book that is being discussed.

2. Connections that you made during your discussion?

Based on the above, I found it  difficult to relate and connect with the heroine because she presented herself at the beginning of the book as being spoilt, over-protected and pampered.

She was also very proud of her social standing and looked down on the lower classes. Even though some of the girls in my group readily embraced her character, I, for one, did not. In a way, I was in the minority, who believed that she could have saved herself a lot of trouble by being truer and more honest. However,  it was only in Chapter 2 when she was facing difficulties that I felt some sympathy for her. I felt connected in her feelings of hopelessness in a new strange and dangerous place. I can also sense the fear that Charlotte felt as did the rest of the group when we discussed Chapter 2. 

3. Predictions

We all agreed that by Chapter 2, the story's setting and drama was becoming very absorbing!

The group felt that the author threw in plenty of warning signs indicating danger, for example, when the porters left on hearing the captain's name. Based on her own admittance right at the beginning that she has become a changed person, I too predict that Charlotte is going to confront her worst fears in the following chapters. We felt that the author is building up suspense in  the story by making Charlotte feel completely alone and miserable. From here, I believe that the heroine will be tested to the utmost and that she will overcome unimaginable crises.

 

Geographical Location is Good, Ya!

Malaysia is a country of 28 million people located just north of the equator at 2° 30' North and 112° 30' East. It is situated in Southeast Asia and is politically part of the ASEAN community. Independent since 1957, Malaysia is currently a newly developing nation with its economy centered around light industries, mining, agriculture and tourism.Malaysian's rapid growth has indeed been fueled by its fortunate geographic location and many natural resources.

Regarding Malaysia's geographic location, the country is placed within the Equatorial belt with high humidity, hot temperatures and basically two seasons, the dry and wet seasons. Rainfall is plentiful and the soil is fertile. Malaysia is also fortunate as it is also protected from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes or volcano eruptions. This environment has allowed for Malaysians to develop their skills in the manufacturing and agricultural sector.

The development of both the above sectors historically has been fueled because the country is situated at the mid-point of the trade routes. Trade, both domestic and international, has and is still playing a major role in the economy and allowing for a better standard of living for all Malaysians. Because of its diverse ethnic population, the country is able to garner talents from all over Asia to work in varying fields. In the past, the Chinese community was involved in mining, the Indians in the rubber industry while the native Malays were active in farming and fishing. Presently, more Malaysians are opting for professional jobs and there is a rapidly growing middle-class.

One of the areas in which Malaysia is prominent is in the field of software engineering and information technology. Most Malaysians are quite adept at making handicrafts and this tradition has been transferred into the making of computer chips, light manufacturing and the hospitality industry. Likewise, the oil palm and rubber plantations owe a debt to the diligence and vision of the nation's forefathers, the fertile soil and suitable climate. Another major contributor to the economy is the oil and gas industry. Malaysia is fortunate in that there are vast reserves of oil and natural gas trapped within the bedrock of its surrounding shores.

In conclusion, the geographical location of Malaysia places it in an ideal position to tap into its human, natural and agricultural resources. Coupled with climatic and cultural stability, it is poised to join the ranks of developing nations in the near future.

My Awesome Comic of Paleo to Neo times

Humans are back! Mudskip for your lives!

I have never been so shocked in all my life. I quickly pushed my fins into the mud leaving just my eyes above the water level. My whole body trembled with trepidation. The ground shook and all my friends panicked. Yes, right in front of me was a horde of schoolchildren from ISKL.The dreaded and feared monsters of the animal world. They had arrived presumably to plunder like the others before. I shuddered at the thought of what they may do next.

My fear was mixed with feelings of anger and indignation at how brazen they were to simply tresspass.One-by-one they form a line, each of them with a ravenous look on their face. A little boy went first accompanied by two more other boys. They all started screaming and laughing. " They're coming this way! Everyone, run for your lives!" cries a fiddler crab. STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! The sound of their footsteps shook the ground and was deafening but the humans don't notice that as they were too preoccupied with their evil intentions. As I carefully made my way back the hole, I said to myself " Please just let this be over...".

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. It seemed that my wish has, for once, been granted.  I crawled out of my hole to see what had happened. Hah! They were all struggling to get their feet out of the mud. One of them falls down. We all scoffed. No doubt, they wanted to destroy this beautiful habitat in which so many of us live. My friends and I have seen their kind cutting down trees and littering. I could only pray that this would soon be over. In our, state of anxiety I noticed some peculiar happening. These students were not here to capture us or to cause damage but instead, I saw them planting saplings.

Planting trees!? It was when when I realized that they came as friends to learn more about the place we live in and how to help us maintain our ecosystem. They wanted to repair the damage done by planting trees and learning how to make this corner of our world a better place. All this time, we were wrong. Humans were never evil. They've just been wanting to make this world, our world, a better place for all of us, human and mud-skippers alike to live in harmonious environment. And so ends, the most exciting day of my life. I made the discovery that there are good and kind humans just as there are cruel and evil ones. These students came to help re-balance all the damage that has been done and in doing so, learn a little bit more about each other. Perhaps one day, we all can learn to live together in.

B.U.L.L.Y.I.N.G.

I've only been in ISKL for a couple of months, but I remember last year, in my old school, I observed several cases of bullying. There was this particular incident in which a close friend of mine was seen by me bullying a smaller boy in the school corridors. All this while, I had never suspected him of being capable of such a cowardly act. But, I suppose he never showed this dark side of him to me. I remember it was a Monday morning, just after the school assembly, when I was on my way to class that I saw the incident which left me with feeling of disgust. I saw my friend ( let's call him Jimmy ), twisting the arm of a first grader and demanding his lunch money. The little boy was seen sobbing away while grimacing in pain. I hid behind a pillar and watched the whole episode unfold. I didn't intervene because I suppose I was too surprised and remained rooted to the spot. I saw the little boy hand over some money to Jimmy. I heard Jimmy laugh and then roughly push the boy away. Within seconds, he swaggered away leaving the boy crying uncontrollably. I was in two minds in whether to comfort the boy ,but I, still believed that Jimmy was incapable of committing such a violent act.

Later that day, I confronted Jimmy about what had happened earlier and he sheepishly replied that it was all a joke. Despite this explanation as I had seen everything with my own eyes, I only wished that I had been brave enough and had the presence of mind to do something when the first-grader was being bullied. Somehow, I felt that it was my fault. I learnt never to trust Jimmy again after that day and hope that should I ever be involved in a similar situation, I would find the courage to speak out and stand up for what is right. The very least I could have done was to have reported the case to the school authorities. I believe that bullies are just cowards turned inside out and need to be educated and understood in order for them to change.


In my opinion, everybody is entitled to certain rights, especially the right to be educated in a safe and conducive environment. In order to ensure this, I have set up 2 goals for this year namely, to report any episodes of suspected bullying that I come across or has been related to me. I will then leave it to the relevant authorities to handle the problem as they would be in a better position to do so. Secondly, I have decided that , as a student of ISKL, I am duty-bound to look after the welfare of my fellow students and will , in future, speak out against all cases of bullying and school violence. To this end, I am committed to any campaign against bullying that the school may undertake and will do my utmost to ensure its success.

Courage...

          I have always been afraid of being at the center of attention. I don't mind so much, talking on a conversation level with others but the idea of speaking in public or performing in front of an audience just scares me, leaving me   dry - mouthed and a stomach full of butterflies. I have always tried to avoid being caught in such a situation and sometimes went out of the way just to excuse myself from being caught by surprise. I don't really know how this started but, I suppose there must have been an incident in the past which may have left me looking foolish or embarrassed.

         This fear reached new heights when I first entered ISKL this year when I signed up for theater as one of my courses at my parents insistence. I was asked to read out a short speech in front of my new found friends as part of a learning project. I began to worry as soon as I was given the assignment even though my speech was only a paragraph long and was three days away. I tried practicing in front of my parents and alone in front of a mirror but I still could not get through a single sentence without feeling faint. Stuttering through my lines, I could barely speak much less remember what I had to say. The night before my speech I could barely sleep and tossed and turned in bed all night long.

         The next morning, I confided in my father and voiced out my fear of the stage. It took a lot from me to say it out loud but I did it anyway because I was hoping that he would let me stay home from school. I was in for a surprise when he simply laughed out loud and said that he was once like me but overcame his discomfort of being in the public eye by imagining every member in the audience were just in their underwear and that he was the only one fully clothed. He said that the trick is to be sincere and to be myself and if I manage to accept the way I am, then others would surely accept me. For those that didn't, it wouldn't matter anyway. I took his advice and even though it was nerve - wrecking for the first few minutes, I suddenly saw my friends and teachers in their underwear and laughed out loud on stage. This laughing feat lasted for a few minutes and some of my friends in the audience laughed with me even though they did not know why. It broke the tension in the room and I felt my body relax and went on with my speech without  problem. At the end of it, I realized that all that was needed, was to be myself regardless of how others see me and to be confident of my own abilities. I left the stage feeling a sense of achievement and awareness that I can overcome my fears, real or imagined if I face up to them and have the support of those who care for me. Nowadays, I feel less nervous going up on stage as I did before. I hope that one day, this fear will completely disappear.

       


Graphic source:http://www.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://waterwordsthatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/environmental-communication-03202009.jpg&imgrefurl=http://waterwordsthatwork.com/2009/03/20/environmental-writing-tip-2/&usg=__MSYA-BTiSlldjdRSVIokxrPmOpE=&h=422&w=425&sz=66&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=9-IatRbrlU1v8M:&tbnh=140&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstage%2Bfright%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D617%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=592&vpy=260&dur=8113&hovh=224&hovw=225&tx=108&ty=70&ei=24yHTIWhOM_tcKjKoPAK&oei=24yHTIWhOM_tcKjKoPAK&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0