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Sigh...the cold war has recently begun.
So what is this cold war.?It is not the period when the United States of America was on bad relations with the Soviet Union or Russia today. This “war” actually is happening in class. This war has no bombshell sound or gun fire but rather it is silent. My friends stopped talking to each other. This chilling silence began around a few days ago...
I know the term "cold war" since I was in primary school because I used to see my parents in that state. My mum ignored my Dad and then the silence. However this war was short and they soon began to talk. I wonder about this one, will the silence last?
Last year, when I was doing project in a group, there were internal problems. Everyone was unhappy and seriously felt like giving a punch into the face of the other. It was because of the project that kept us together. After the judging of the project, we sort of fell out. We did not talk much and we found new friends. This was a miniature form of the cold war. Well, I managed to salvage a friendly relationship with one friend and he still is a friend. It took about 1 year to get the relationship back into a friendly state. The other one I am not so close but we are classmates on fairly-well terms.
I have three friends which I am on great terms with. We do talk and laugh although sometimes at me but we had fun. I am not sure what happened but the three stopped talking to each other. They still talk to me and still are my friends but they treat each other like strangers ignoring each other. Two of them got very irritated by one of them and then "Poof", the silence ensued.
I believe one of my friends got frustrated because that friend, having a playful nature, had irritated him beyond his tolerance level. The other one in my group got so pissed off by my friend's lack of planning of the project that he stopped talking. They both ignored him and because they ignored him, he too ignored them. See this cycle? This vicious cycle of silence?
I was often caught in the middle. Since nobody talked to each other, they talked to me. It is not hard to hear each other criticizing about the other friends’ behaviour. I would sit there and like try to "nod" my head and say "okay...." I often had to pass messages between them since they don't talk to each other and like today when I tried to get a group discussion for the project, one sat at the right end of the class room while the other sat at the opposite side. So I was like a little messenger boy walking left to right and right to left trying to get a date to complete the project. I wonder how my project will fair with this lack of communication. Sheesh...
The previous one is not so problematic. I guess the communications is beginning to build up again since we are tied down by the project. The one between the playful boy and the friend who got irritated is more troublesome. It is sad to see friends act like that when they were on good terms like 3 weeks ago. Now, they are really acting like the USA and the USSR except they don't fight which makes it all the scarier.
My friend asked me a weird question before. He said if I kept helping him but when one day I asked him for help but he refused to help and said "you didn't do anything to help me" or something like that, he asked how I would feel, what will I do and think and why. Well, I treat this question as it meant that what you would do if your friend did something horrible to you. My answer was that I would be angry, walk off and sleep over it. The next day, talk to the person like nothing happened. I would think the person had a bad day so I will not rebut him which would make the situation more complicated nor would fight him as it would only worsen the relationship. I have a policy when making friends. That is to forgive and forget. Though I won't say I can fully abide by it but I do try hard. When one of my friends gave me a huge task to do by the next day, I got very angry since he was like demanding it rather than requesting it and log off Msn to prevent any more conflict. Then, I calmed myself down, did the task till 2am.I try not to bear grudges and gave him the completed task for the project.
I am a guy with few friends and fewer enemies to be honest. I try not to antagonize anyone and try to have a more than average classmate’s relationship with people. I know I need to be kind and patient since I would like others to be kind and patient with me. Seeing others having problems and they have come to ask me to clarify their doubts, I try to welcome and help them. Patience is the key and don't make them feel they are dumb by saying "You still don't get it? Or what is so hard about it?" That is perhaps the worst thing you can say. Help them and they and you will go away happy. Also, do not make witty comments that insult others. That is simply not nice. I try to hold it in sometimes but most of the time I do not come out with insulting comments. Perhaps it is by nature, I am not too sure. Oh and you can join in their activities. Be it computer games or sports, being present and keeping them company also help.
I know all these might seem that I am preaching but this is what I do to maintain a friendly relationship with everyone. I like everyone to be friendly to each other even though that may be impossible due to differences in attitudes, nature and attributes etc. I just hope the cold war would soon end and life would return to normal (friendly state)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Temptation is Everywhere
In my class, temptation is always hanging heavily in the air, always luring us, waiting for us to fall into its trap. Many have fallen prey to it and many still do not admit it. Computer has never been so enticing without it. The rapid clicking and continuous pressing of buttons seem all too alluring. Yes, it has come down to this again. It is the temptation of computer games. Although you may think this topic has been talked about many times, this time will be my fight to ward these temptations off my back.
I was always different from others, at least different in the gaming sense. Many boys had started to play more sophisticated computer games like shooting, soccer and many other fascinating games. You may called me old fashioned but i always though computer games were bad but it affected my grades. My family did not really approve of these games. My sisters never played it, my mum never seemed to approve it so I never really brought it up. Therefore, I did not follow the craze of computer games.
Ever since the school have allowed the use of laptops in the class, the computer gaming in class has been on the rise. First it was one, then it was 3 and then it started to spread like a disease, one which could not be controlled. At first it started off to be passive games, those though addictive but not to the extent to real games with violence and gore. Those are the more violent or expensive games in the market. Even those without violence like football games still share the same negative effects. I do not know how they get the games but now almost half the class had them (free) and they have sped off with the laptop in reach, right hand on the mouse and mind on the game.
It is frightening to see that so many people play these games. Even those who do not play in school have them in their computers and play them at home. Everyone is attracted to one game or another. However, no one can blame them. Why? The computer games are just too tempting for 14 year olds to resist. You can blame it on game creators to make the graphics all too clear, the difficulty of the levels high enough to challenge the minds of the teenagers and the super realistic aspect of the games.
Many have said computer games are bad since some games have violent nature in them which may rub off to the youths. Some games are so addictive that they can play it for hours soon affecting their grades. Some say they affect social skills since they are only facing the computer. I have been looking the positive aspects of computer games and what other people argue against the stereotype of computer games. They said it is a good way to relieve stress from the fast pace society or let out their emotions such as rage in a non violent way. They also involve problem solving, planning, estimation and analysis of the moves or actions of both you and your opponent so it can help in developing problem-solving skills, analytical and estimation skills and quick decision-making. Whichever stand you take, it is all your own opinion.
On Tuesdays, my CCA starts at 4pm.Since school ends at 1.30pm, I have about 2 hours of free time after subtracting lunch time. Sometimes, there is not homework to be done so I walk around in class seeing those who are playing computer games after school. I was impressed by the games. One of the games was on war and soldiers. The player had to accomplish mission objectives, surviving, shooting and such. It was quite violent and I guess it is this thing that makes it appealing. The graphics were awesome and it was realistic. It does show the devastating effects of war on towns and soldiers as many die to complete objectives. Many people in class play football on the computer. You could be a manager in the game, buy and sell players, get sponsorship and money in the game just like in real life. Even if you do not know how to play football which needs real skill, they can play it on the computer with ease. I knew how people could get addicted. The games nowadays are getting more interesting. Time really flies when you are playing especially these games.2 hours have passed so quickly and I went for tennis.
I admit, I enjoy watching people play computer games but playing them yourself is a different matter. You need to have self-control. I always wonder what my classmates do when they are at home. So I went to ask them. They replied that after they finish their homework, they play their computer, to no surprise. Some finish they work in school so they can play at home. I remembered one stayed up to 12am playing these games.
No wonder excessive gaming is bad for grades. However, most of my classmates are responsible enough to complete their work first, or at least I think so.
Everyone is playing these games so there is a temptation of me playing too. That was how the computer game craze came about. One person got one game and soon others were playing them as well. This is peer pressure and if you do not follow the trend, you would be left out in a sense. This devil called temptation has been trapping many teenagers under its spell, ruining their grades and conduct in school. I may not be my school but I am sure there are others suffering the effects of addiction. There is always an urge to get and play these games and the feeling has been increasing in intensity since at the start of this year. I know addiction is bad so I have denied myself from playing. Some have said I should play since everyone is doing it or it would relieve stress since I am usually uptight. However, I know what addiction can do to me if I lack self-control. Therefore, I do not even try to get the game as temptation will sooner or later lure me into playing. I just hope it will remain that way.
I do play some games at my friends' house and we do have fun. I guess it is to occasionally release stress. However as students we need to get our priorities straight. I think our studies still comes before having fun. There is a thin line between fun and addiction. Gaming can be an enjoyable and relaxing experience. We just need our self-control and willpower before it turns into gaming addiction.
If you think you lack self-control, do not try it.
I was always different from others, at least different in the gaming sense. Many boys had started to play more sophisticated computer games like shooting, soccer and many other fascinating games. You may called me old fashioned but i always though computer games were bad but it affected my grades. My family did not really approve of these games. My sisters never played it, my mum never seemed to approve it so I never really brought it up. Therefore, I did not follow the craze of computer games.
Ever since the school have allowed the use of laptops in the class, the computer gaming in class has been on the rise. First it was one, then it was 3 and then it started to spread like a disease, one which could not be controlled. At first it started off to be passive games, those though addictive but not to the extent to real games with violence and gore. Those are the more violent or expensive games in the market. Even those without violence like football games still share the same negative effects. I do not know how they get the games but now almost half the class had them (free) and they have sped off with the laptop in reach, right hand on the mouse and mind on the game.
It is frightening to see that so many people play these games. Even those who do not play in school have them in their computers and play them at home. Everyone is attracted to one game or another. However, no one can blame them. Why? The computer games are just too tempting for 14 year olds to resist. You can blame it on game creators to make the graphics all too clear, the difficulty of the levels high enough to challenge the minds of the teenagers and the super realistic aspect of the games.
Many have said computer games are bad since some games have violent nature in them which may rub off to the youths. Some games are so addictive that they can play it for hours soon affecting their grades. Some say they affect social skills since they are only facing the computer. I have been looking the positive aspects of computer games and what other people argue against the stereotype of computer games. They said it is a good way to relieve stress from the fast pace society or let out their emotions such as rage in a non violent way. They also involve problem solving, planning, estimation and analysis of the moves or actions of both you and your opponent so it can help in developing problem-solving skills, analytical and estimation skills and quick decision-making. Whichever stand you take, it is all your own opinion.
On Tuesdays, my CCA starts at 4pm.Since school ends at 1.30pm, I have about 2 hours of free time after subtracting lunch time. Sometimes, there is not homework to be done so I walk around in class seeing those who are playing computer games after school. I was impressed by the games. One of the games was on war and soldiers. The player had to accomplish mission objectives, surviving, shooting and such. It was quite violent and I guess it is this thing that makes it appealing. The graphics were awesome and it was realistic. It does show the devastating effects of war on towns and soldiers as many die to complete objectives. Many people in class play football on the computer. You could be a manager in the game, buy and sell players, get sponsorship and money in the game just like in real life. Even if you do not know how to play football which needs real skill, they can play it on the computer with ease. I knew how people could get addicted. The games nowadays are getting more interesting. Time really flies when you are playing especially these games.2 hours have passed so quickly and I went for tennis.
I admit, I enjoy watching people play computer games but playing them yourself is a different matter. You need to have self-control. I always wonder what my classmates do when they are at home. So I went to ask them. They replied that after they finish their homework, they play their computer, to no surprise. Some finish they work in school so they can play at home. I remembered one stayed up to 12am playing these games.
No wonder excessive gaming is bad for grades. However, most of my classmates are responsible enough to complete their work first, or at least I think so.
Everyone is playing these games so there is a temptation of me playing too. That was how the computer game craze came about. One person got one game and soon others were playing them as well. This is peer pressure and if you do not follow the trend, you would be left out in a sense. This devil called temptation has been trapping many teenagers under its spell, ruining their grades and conduct in school. I may not be my school but I am sure there are others suffering the effects of addiction. There is always an urge to get and play these games and the feeling has been increasing in intensity since at the start of this year. I know addiction is bad so I have denied myself from playing. Some have said I should play since everyone is doing it or it would relieve stress since I am usually uptight. However, I know what addiction can do to me if I lack self-control. Therefore, I do not even try to get the game as temptation will sooner or later lure me into playing. I just hope it will remain that way.
I do play some games at my friends' house and we do have fun. I guess it is to occasionally release stress. However as students we need to get our priorities straight. I think our studies still comes before having fun. There is a thin line between fun and addiction. Gaming can be an enjoyable and relaxing experience. We just need our self-control and willpower before it turns into gaming addiction.
If you think you lack self-control, do not try it.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Effects of war
Before the holidays had started,our Language Arts teacher started on the new topic of war poetry.That was why she gave us a list of books and movies to read or watch to help us understand the cruelty of war and feel the pain for all who went through war such as the ones in 1914 and 1940.
I watched two movies since I did not like to read and was perhaps a bit lazy to borrow them.They were Saving Private Ryan and Letters of Iwo Jima.Amazingly,I found Saving Private Ryan on youtube and told my friend about it took.I wonder why youtube did not take it down due to copyright issues... Anyway,I woulds tell you a short summary on these two films to show that I actually had watched these films.
Okay,so I will start will Saving Private Ryan.The main star of the film is Tom Hanks and is named Miller.He is the captain for the mission of finding Ryan.So the first 30 mins of the film is intense combat on the shores of Normandy on D-Day which is June 6, 1944 if some are unaware of.So the first assault shown on screen was the landing of Allied forces on Omaha Beach where the Americans got bogged down my machine gun fire from the Germans.Many people died and seriously really a huge lot of people got shot.I was puking by then(exaggerated)as the spurt of blood and the bloody red water that approached the shore was all too obvious and gory.As many wade through the water,many get killed in the water before they even reach land.Those on land could also have been shot in the head at any moment and nobody would know or cared.However,the enormous invasion of Normandy,France had overcame the German forces along the beach and the allied took the beach and established camp.In this attack alone,3 Ryan Brothers were killed in action.I am not sure how many Ryan brothers died in that attack but in all, 3 of the 4 Ryan Brothers were killed in the movie at that time.The general decided to called back the last Ryan which was a paratrooper and had landed before the invasion had begun. So Miller the captain had a group consisting of 8 soldiers including himself had the task of finding the last Ryan.There was one time when the team came into a destroyed town and they were French civilians.One father begged the Americans to take his daughter to the beach.One of the American soldiers was kind to help them but the next minute,he got shot by a German sniper.The whole landscape was devastated by bombing and combat.After a whole lot of trouble,they found the Ryan they were looking for after losing two soldiers(one by the sniper)However,the Ryan refused to go back home as he did not want to abandon his friends when an approaching counterattack on the city they had captured was imminent.So Miller and his team stayed with Ryan and his team to face more than 50 German soldiers with heavy artillery such as tanks.Only 2 out of 8 of Miller's team had survived.Miller himself got fatally wounded by a gunshot.Luckily,air support and reinforcements arrived in time to fend off the German forces.In the end,Miller had died and Ryan had survived and returned home safely.
Letters of Iwo Jima is a Japanese film and almost the whole movie was spoken in Japanese.Lucky for me,,there was subtitles.This film is shown in the Japanese soldiers point of view near the end of the war when the Japanese was losing the war.The Japanese forces were in Iwo Jima protecting the island which would be the Allies main air fleet base to attack mainland Japan.The small numbers of Japanese were on the island preparing,digging trenches and tunnels for the battle with the Americans.They had no air support,naval support and could rely on limited ammunition and medical support.The small Japanese forces went against the force of 50 warships which bombarded the coast of Iwo Jima for the allied forces to invade.The Japanese fought bravely but was unable to hold the Americans back.They lasted five days before the Allied took the island.The Japanese was forced into desperation and many had committed suicide in the tunnels as it was the honorable way to die.They fought hard but they had lost in the end and the whole film was very sad as all except 2 Japanese soldiers had survived the invasion.
Seeing the films,I am suppose to create a mind-map of the short term and long term effects of war.I had gather some information from the films I watched but most of them was from common knowledge and websites. So here it is....
I hope this will do.
I watched two movies since I did not like to read and was perhaps a bit lazy to borrow them.They were Saving Private Ryan and Letters of Iwo Jima.Amazingly,I found Saving Private Ryan on youtube and told my friend about it took.I wonder why youtube did not take it down due to copyright issues... Anyway,I woulds tell you a short summary on these two films to show that I actually had watched these films.
Okay,so I will start will Saving Private Ryan.The main star of the film is Tom Hanks and is named Miller.He is the captain for the mission of finding Ryan.So the first 30 mins of the film is intense combat on the shores of Normandy on D-Day which is June 6, 1944 if some are unaware of.So the first assault shown on screen was the landing of Allied forces on Omaha Beach where the Americans got bogged down my machine gun fire from the Germans.Many people died and seriously really a huge lot of people got shot.I was puking by then(exaggerated)as the spurt of blood and the bloody red water that approached the shore was all too obvious and gory.As many wade through the water,many get killed in the water before they even reach land.Those on land could also have been shot in the head at any moment and nobody would know or cared.However,the enormous invasion of Normandy,France had overcame the German forces along the beach and the allied took the beach and established camp.In this attack alone,3 Ryan Brothers were killed in action.I am not sure how many Ryan brothers died in that attack but in all, 3 of the 4 Ryan Brothers were killed in the movie at that time.The general decided to called back the last Ryan which was a paratrooper and had landed before the invasion had begun. So Miller the captain had a group consisting of 8 soldiers including himself had the task of finding the last Ryan.There was one time when the team came into a destroyed town and they were French civilians.One father begged the Americans to take his daughter to the beach.One of the American soldiers was kind to help them but the next minute,he got shot by a German sniper.The whole landscape was devastated by bombing and combat.After a whole lot of trouble,they found the Ryan they were looking for after losing two soldiers(one by the sniper)However,the Ryan refused to go back home as he did not want to abandon his friends when an approaching counterattack on the city they had captured was imminent.So Miller and his team stayed with Ryan and his team to face more than 50 German soldiers with heavy artillery such as tanks.Only 2 out of 8 of Miller's team had survived.Miller himself got fatally wounded by a gunshot.Luckily,air support and reinforcements arrived in time to fend off the German forces.In the end,Miller had died and Ryan had survived and returned home safely.
Letters of Iwo Jima is a Japanese film and almost the whole movie was spoken in Japanese.Lucky for me,,there was subtitles.This film is shown in the Japanese soldiers point of view near the end of the war when the Japanese was losing the war.The Japanese forces were in Iwo Jima protecting the island which would be the Allies main air fleet base to attack mainland Japan.The small numbers of Japanese were on the island preparing,digging trenches and tunnels for the battle with the Americans.They had no air support,naval support and could rely on limited ammunition and medical support.The small Japanese forces went against the force of 50 warships which bombarded the coast of Iwo Jima for the allied forces to invade.The Japanese fought bravely but was unable to hold the Americans back.They lasted five days before the Allied took the island.The Japanese was forced into desperation and many had committed suicide in the tunnels as it was the honorable way to die.They fought hard but they had lost in the end and the whole film was very sad as all except 2 Japanese soldiers had survived the invasion.
Seeing the films,I am suppose to create a mind-map of the short term and long term effects of war.I had gather some information from the films I watched but most of them was from common knowledge and websites. So here it is....
I hope this will do.
The Merchant of Venice
Wow,I haven't written a blog post in ages... Okay, sorry about that.I guess I got caught up in the holiday spirit.Though that is not really a good excuse but it will have to do.
Our Language Arts teacher had made it compulsory to read up a book,the Merchant of Venice,much to the dismay to my classmates.It is actually a play not a book but the publisher compiled all the scenes,the summary,the glossary etc into one convenient book.You may be thinking reading the book will be a snap. Well,no,it is not that simple.The play was written by William Shakespeare during the 16th century in England. Yes,it is written in Ancient English.I do not call it "Old English".If not for the glossary at the side of each page,I would not understand 3 quarters of the book.The first time I picked up the book, I got so put off that after reading the first page and not understanding a word of it,I put down the book and walked away.It is that hard.I wonder how is this going to be a Secondary 2 Literature book?
So I soon got on will my Secondary 2 life and in a few days,I read finish the book.It was an accomplishment I must say.Our teacher had requested us to do a mind map on the plot of the story and put it on the blog.I was stumped.Do a plot on a mind-map.How am I suppose to do that.Wouldn't it be easier writing the summary of the plot on the blog itself.Did she meant otherwise?Sadly,she did not really be specific and I guess I follow my own interpretation of the instructions.I just write the plot summary and everything I know about the book onto the mind-map.I believe I won't go so far of from there.
Here it is!
I have to do another mind-map soon on war and the effects of it on soldiers and civilians.Sigh,another mind-map.I rather do it straight on the blog.This blog post is much shorter than the usual terribly long one so I shall end it of with...Goodnight.
Our Language Arts teacher had made it compulsory to read up a book,the Merchant of Venice,much to the dismay to my classmates.It is actually a play not a book but the publisher compiled all the scenes,the summary,the glossary etc into one convenient book.You may be thinking reading the book will be a snap. Well,no,it is not that simple.The play was written by William Shakespeare during the 16th century in England. Yes,it is written in Ancient English.I do not call it "Old English".If not for the glossary at the side of each page,I would not understand 3 quarters of the book.The first time I picked up the book, I got so put off that after reading the first page and not understanding a word of it,I put down the book and walked away.It is that hard.I wonder how is this going to be a Secondary 2 Literature book?
So I soon got on will my Secondary 2 life and in a few days,I read finish the book.It was an accomplishment I must say.Our teacher had requested us to do a mind map on the plot of the story and put it on the blog.I was stumped.Do a plot on a mind-map.How am I suppose to do that.Wouldn't it be easier writing the summary of the plot on the blog itself.Did she meant otherwise?Sadly,she did not really be specific and I guess I follow my own interpretation of the instructions.I just write the plot summary and everything I know about the book onto the mind-map.I believe I won't go so far of from there.
Here it is!
I have to do another mind-map soon on war and the effects of it on soldiers and civilians.Sigh,another mind-map.I rather do it straight on the blog.This blog post is much shorter than the usual terribly long one so I shall end it of with...Goodnight.
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