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Last post for term 3 Blog

Its the last post of term 3, and the last for this blog probably. I would like to end with my reflection on my LA performance for the whole year.

Here is my progress
B4-C5- ?
It doesn't look good, does it?

I really need to buck up.
I really need to pay attention in class.
I really need to do better in R&R.

Some things I have improved in (probably)
Vocabulary and Grammer.
Expository and Narrative writing.

Hope I will continue to improve in the next 2 years.

Interestingly, my strong point in LA is actually poetry. I had top in class last year, with 21/25. Amazing isn't it, considering my weakness in LA. Well, there is poetry in EOY, so ...

Akira! ALL THE BEST!

Standing Broad Jump

NOTE: The below article is copied from yahoo.com.sg. for my comments see below...

"One week ago, I presented a talk at the "Defence Science and Research Conference 2011". This was a gathering of military, civil defence, and physical education experts who wanted to learn about how they could improve the performance of their students and trainees.

My topic was "How to prepare for standardised physical tests in minimal time". Given that the standardised tests of NAPFA or IPPT are common in Singapore schools and the armed forces/civil defense, getting better and faster results for trainees is a key element in the success of these institutions.

The main topic of discussion and Q & A, of course, was the standing broad jump. The "most failed" and "hardest to improve" part of most standardised physical tests.

Here is part one about how my staff and I have helped hundreds of people boost their standing broad jump (SBJ) results at our Singapore gym.

Firstly, the average time given to us by a client, to help boost their IPPT/NAPFA results is only about 4-6 weeks. This means 2 things.

1. We can't use methods that don't work. This means we have to throw out "fancy" but useless exercises which include...

• Large amounts of specialised "core" training
• Unstable surface training like balancing on Swiss balls or vibrating surfaces
• Excessive cardiovascular exercise
• Any form of training that is "random" and has no particular plan or structure other than making the trainee "exhausted".

Those methods are nice and "cute" and may attract the client who wants an entertaining workout session, but when we have 4-6 weeks to make a big jump in progress (usually 20-40cm improvement), and where results are measurable there is no place for "cute", there is only time for effective!

My job is to train champions, not to entertain clients. Gyms are for training and results. Entertainment is done at movies and theatres.

2. We have to spend a majority of time working on the areas that are hardest to improve

This means that the top area to focus on is the standing broad jump, because, it is an indicator of strength and power. Strength and power are the slowest and most difficult areas of fitness to improve.

As all Singapore men will realise, in the 8-12 weeks of basic military training, there are many trainees who start off running about 13 minutes for the 2.4km run. 8-12 weeks later, they often run about 10 minutes for the same distance. An improvement of about 30 percent. This is common and has probably happened to many of you guys.

However the number of people who improve their standing broad jump from 200cm to 260cm (also a 30 percent improvement) is about the same as the number of Singaporeans in history who have played basketball in the NBA... i.e. zero.

As you can see from this real-life example that many of us have experienced, strength and power (SBJ) is much much harder to improve than endurance (2.4km run).

So what do we do about it?

Get stronger!

When we want to do well in an event like the SBJ, we look for what is known as predictor lifts. This concept was taught to me by my mentor in strength training, Olympic Coach Charles Poliquin.

It means, that by understanding how a sport or activity is performed, there can be exercises in the gym that can accurately predict your improvement in that sport or activity. If you get stronger in that exercise (and you didn't get heavier!), your sport or activity performance will improve.

The predictor lifts that I have found for the Standing Broad Jump are the Stiff Leg Dead-lift and the Front Squat. If a trainee improves these lifts, they will improve their standing broad jump performance.

From my experience, for a person of average genetics the requirements for these lifts to get a silver standard in the SBJ are as follows.

• Stiff Leg Deadlift their own body weight for 6 reps
• Front squat their own body weight for 3 reps

That means that if you weigh 70kg, you need to do the front squat with a weight of 70kg, 3 times with a slow lowering of 4 seconds while lifting as fast as you can.

Yes, there will be some people who can jump like kangaroos even without these strength requirements, however, they are the genetically-gifted ones who have no need for this article!

So here is a sample training program for an athlete who wants to improve their SBJ. Below is a video of how to perform these exercises. Demonstrated by Jen, 2010 Singapore's Strongest Man and one of the excellent coaches at our gym.

SBJ Training

4 sets each of A and B

A1 — Front Squat 4-6 reps, 4010 tempo, rest 90 sec

A2 — Lying Leg Curl, Feet Neutral, Toes Down 4-6 reps, 4011 tempo, rest 90 sec

B1 — Dumbbell Split Squat 6-8 reps, 3010, 60 sec

B2 — Stiff Leg Deadlift 6-8 reps, 3010, 60 sec

Perform this workout once every 5-7 days with good technique for the next 6 weeks. And each time, try to either increase the reps of each exercise by 1 or increase the weight used by at least 2 percent. You will find yourself jumping better within 4-6 weeks!

This new strength will transfer into better broad jumping because these exercises train the muscles that are used in the broad jump.

In Part 2 next week, we will look at how to turn this strength into results by using the right jumping technique. Think of strength as the size of your cup and technique as the amount of water in the cup. Today I have taught you how to get a bigger cup; next week I will explain how to fill the cup.

NOTE: This article assumes a few things

• You are not fat. If you can't see your abs, you are too fat for maximum jumping performance. Change your carbohydrate intake as I explain in this article, and stick to unprocessed foods.
• You are not injured, especially in the knees. If you have any history of knee issues, do 4-6 weeks of the exercises in the knee injury articles I wrote. Here is part 1 and here is part 2.
• The Video is a guide to the exercises, but as you might imagine, it is almost impossible to teach/learn perfect technique from a video. (Nobody learns martial arts by watching Kung Fu Panda or even Bruce Lee movies right!) If you have any doubts please get a good coach to assist you."

True, I hate the fact that I cannot get above a C for Standing Broad Jump. But I am not sure that these tips can improve my skills quick enough. Any quick tricks and tips? Anybody?
I heard that we should never do multiple swings. Just one would do. Also, we are to bend as low as possible, jump out, stretch our legs forward, and upon touching ground, squeeze our body inward. Tried it, but failed. Guess I have to practice.

PARALLEL PARKING!

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/man-amazing-parallel-parking-job-024805296.html
Oh my gosh this is so cool :D
I wonder if I can do this next time...

Music

I love music.
Why? I have no idea. But I guess it's just that connection that I can identify with.
Ever since young, I have been exposed to various types of music. I was learning piano from my preschool days, and now I am a Grade 8 pianist. I have been listening to "The Beatles" ever since I knew of my own existence. I have been in the school band since P3 till now, and have been playing the saxophone. Other than that, I have also been exposed to many different genre's of music. Rock, Pop, Classical, Jazz... Anything! And I like all these music.
I particularly like band music alot. I find it very "catchy" (not a very apt description... but still... ). For example the "war scene" in Jericho, or the "sinister answer" (insider joke... insider joke...) in Gloriosa. Even the School Song is very fun to play, with running notes which are of a certain difficulty for the Saxophone part.
I also like Party Rock Anthem. I have no idea why, but it's just that obsession. And this obsession seems to change by year. Last year, it was K-Pop. 2 years ago it was Michael Jackson stuff. And it continues on till around P3.
Obviously, my life isn't worth living without music.

Being a counciller is fun!

Recently, there has been many comments on council made by Tsai Ming Chin which suggests that he is an absolute council hater. I have no idea why, but he just is. I guess it's not surprising, considering the fact that we are talking about the guy who holds controversial views about certain topics.
Contrastingly, instead of feeling that "Council is a waste of time" -Tsai ming chin, I feel that council work is fun, fun and more fun!

One important aspect of council is organising events. My first experience of organising events came from Sec One Orientation 2011. It was a huge success and we deserved it for all the hard work we put in. True, it was a gruelling process, but the OT members and I all managed to bond together, albeit differences in ideas and nevertheless, consortium.

From then on, I developed a keen liking for organising events. I went on to take up jobs such as the OS for March Camp, and AOS for June Camp. Also, I am now the AOS for iSpark Nite. Oh! And I forgot to say, I was a Logs team member for SOO OT 2011. As such, my major experience is in Logistics, and I would like to be a Logs I/C for SOO OT 2012.

Have I mentioned that it is a great honour to be chosen as SOO OT? Out of the 100 odd councillers in high school, only 16 are chosen. 8 sec ones, 8 sec twos. 4 from each consortium. This reflects that these councillers are the best amongst the best of the council population. That is why I have been spending alot of time in council this year. To get into SOO OT 2012 -- My passion.

Furthermore, a councillor gets to serve the school and the community. Other than the added bonus of CIP, the joy in giving has really made me happy to be a councillor.

Council has also given me experience in organising things, so I am more able to lead the class in organising events such as RHD and iSpark Nite.

What's more, there is a council retreat to malaysia every end of year! (This is of least importance though. Ahem ahem.)

Anyway, overall, council is really beneficial. So I don't see and reason *cough* for people to be against council. We helped them so much, is this their definition of yin sui si yuan? :D

Goodbye Sec 4s

Today was the last day and official step down for sec 4s in our band. From now on, no more sec 4s will be doing flag-raising, concerts with us etc. It's kind of sad and I would like to extend my gratitute to all of them for their hard work, getting us that gold award this year (and the gold with honours two years ago XP) Gold for last year's NBC, leading us for NDP and many many more. We will miss you!

As of now, the band exco has been replaced by a new batch of capable leaders!

Drum Major: Dany Kang

Band Major: Chua Cong Yang

Student Conductor: Pending

Quartermaster: Chan De Quan

Librarian: Jarrett Yeo

Treasurer: Wen Xianda

Uniform Master: Darryl Chai

Welfare & CIP: Khoo Yihan

Courtesy of HCIMB

You probably do not know any of them, but still...

Here's to an awesome 2011/2012! :D

iSpark Nite

What are we going to do for iSpark Nite?!

Here is our tentative proposal
Dance
1. Dynamite
2. Party Rock Anthem
3. Champagne Showers
4. Down
5. Lucifer

It's a mash up of these songs. Looking forward to party rock champagne showers and lucifer! :D

National Day Parade 2011 (HCI VERSION)

Some general observations:
1. SJAB person fainted. (The irony...)

Yes, that's all! Everything else went well (for the parade section: excluding our performance). Except for the fact that from the waiting time from 7:20, alot of flies landed on my mouthpiece. That is really disgusting, and worse still, I am not allowed to fidget! (In other words I have to see those flies eating off the stuff on my mouthpiece) Anyway, I felt quite tired by the end of the parade section, and I was quite worried that I would faint halfway... but I didn't anyway, so congratulations to myself for managing to stand it!

The performance was not really awesome in my opinion. See for yourself!:



1. It's really messy (the movements)
2. It's really messy (the song)
3. Our marching isn't good...

Outdoors for HCIMB leave much to be desired.

Some interesting news articles

I have found some interesting news, so have a look! :D
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/nasa-finds-evidence-liquid-water-mars-030133793.html
It would be quite interesting if life existed on Mars...
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rowan-atkinson-survives-supercar-crash-010000878.html
Mr... bean?

NDP!

Tomorrow is NDP! And our band is part of it!
So here is the flow...

1. March in of supporting contingents. 3-beat roll, and the band (us) starts playing "Anchors Aweigh" and the NPCC NCC St Johns and Scouts supporting contingents march in.

2. March in of GOH contingents. 3-beat roll, and the band plays "Matrix March".

3. Not really sure, I think its the salute to Dr Hon?

4. National anthem, pledge and school song.

5. Inspection. Band plays slow march "Pomp and Circumstance"

6. March out: Glasgow fair & Anchors aweigh

7. BAND PERFORMANCE: SINGAPORE FLYER

The whole thing should last about 40 minutes. Oh my gosh, this is so exciting!
I like Anchor's aweigh and Glasgow fair. They sound so happy and lively... Matrix march is kind of plain...

Obnoxious people

Recently, I went for my first Singapore International Maths Olympiad training. It was quite an experience and an honour to be surrounded by the best of the best. I had quite a good impression of everyone, until someone weird came along.
And then I remembered him. He was that super random person who walked up to Guan Hong before SMO invitationals started and said this: Lets test your knowledge. If x+x = x/x what's x?
Oh how irritating he was! And obnoxious on top of that.
And just yesterday, I met him. A bespectacled, tall boy clad in NUSH uniform. I remember him asking the trainer, "When can we get our curry puffs?" Weird. Absolutely weird.
I start to remember some weird people I met along my life.
In P6, I had a classmate, Cherly Lim. (NOTE: This is a real person, and not a parody of Mdm Shirley Lim, form teacher of our class last year. Its CHErly Lim not Shirley Lim. I cannot emphasise this enough, in fear of getting myself into trouble) She was slightly autistic, I think. Everyone in our class shunned her, calling her Medusa and refusing to look at her. I found it amusing at first, but I felt that its pure cruelty after sometime. Since I can't change the whole class' point of view, I just had to keep quiet and keep my hands off the matter.
Having said that, I realised that weird, strange, abnormal people have always been shunned by the society. Why not think of them as unique, special and interesting instead of being weird?

Should we shun obnoxious people? What do you think? Feel free to comment below!

R&R is driving me mad

That's it. It's all out mugging for R&R, (ie, answering techniques and Merchant of Venice). Because R&R is driving me mad.
I got 6/20 for R&R Ex 2, and its counted into my final term 3 score! Its a F9! How could this be? Anyway, R&R Test is just round the corner, and so I must do well for it. Its 60% of term 3 grade! I cannot and will not flunk it!
Anyway, these are some stuff I realised about my R&R.

My application questions are too short!
I don't answer to the point.
I do well for Merchant of Venice question.
I CAN'T UNDERSTAND SOME PARTS OF THE PASSAGE
(the most annoying part)

Thinking of how to ensure an A for the test...

Party rock anthem and shuffling

I have no idea why, but Party Rock Anthem is so addictive. I heard it once, and I could not stop listening to it.

The story

First, two people awaken from their 28 days of coma (due to excessive party rocking), and go out of the building they are in. They are shocked to find that the street is totally devoid of people. Just at that time, a guy with a turtle-bag comes in shuffling to "Party Rock Anthem" on his iPod Touch. The two people contemplates on this scene when another joins them and pulls them behind a car. He explains that ever since that single came out, people started shuffling. The shuffling was like an infection which spreaded like diseases. At that moment, the single started playing, and the two people were given "Beats" By Dr Dre earphone, and asked to play along. However, soon the two people also succumb to the infection and starts shuffling along with them...

The Shuffle

There are two main types of shuffling in the video.
1. Forward shuffling (i.e. running man)

step 1: Lift right leg up, pushing left leg backwards.

step 2: Right leg down, pushing left leg back more.

Repeat for left leg and continue.

Simple isn't it!
There are some variations though, like pushing the leg outwards-back instead of back. And there is also a "reverse running man" variation.

I can do this quite efficiently! :D

2. Side shuffle (i.e. T-step)
This is quite complicated.

Step 1: Turn your right ankle inwards such that your feet points in, at the same time, lift your left leg up.

Step 2: Turn your ankle outwards, and at the same time stomp your left feet down.

Repeat.
I can do this too!

Shuffling is quite fun actually, you all should try it! We might even do it for iSpark Nite! :D

The Game

The rules of the game:
1) Everyone is playing the game

2) Once you think about the game, you lose it.

3) Once you lost the game, you have to announce it to the rest of the people around you, in turn making them lose the game.

So... lost it yet?

What I feel about Merchant of Venice

Merchant of Venice is actually quite an interesting story. For once, I actually read a LA book thoroughly! (I admit, my mum forced me to.) Anyway, the story revolves around two main themes: The bond, and the Bassanio-Portia love thingy.
I find the love theme quite cheesy though. Is that how the people in those days act when they are in love? Thank goodness I'm here now and not then.
Of course, for now, I feel Shylock's the bad guy and Antonio is the good guy. However, Antonio has insulted Shylock , so Shylock might have had his reasons for his hatred... But is it justified? I will just leave it to Miss Huang to explain then...
Anyway, its about religious prejudice (prejudice again...). Some of my first impressions of the characters:
Antonio : excessively gloomy.
Bassanio: a mushy person?
Salerio and Solanio: Talkative and kind of irritating
Gratiano: Not really sure
Portia: Impressed
Nerissa: She should be honoured
Shylock: Evil....
Jessica: Unfilial child
Launcelot: very very funny

I don't really understand the text 100% though.... I need ms huang's help

June Holidays

My June holidays are quite boring actually.
Due to some weird thing that I did (I will not elaborate), I have been grounded for the whole of June holidays. No school activities, no outings, nothing. Well, maybe except for tuition classes...
I have been forced to attend two weeks worth of English tuition for British council. I needed it of course, my English grade was a miserable C5.
Actually, British Council lessons were quite fun! But I didn't really see much improvement in myself. Maybe I unknowingly improved? I don't know, but I hope I did. I guess it will show in my Term 3 results.
Praying for an A1 or A2 now...

What if the world ends tomorrow?

Some of you might have read the news about the preacher predicting the end of the world for tomorrow. Although I do not believe about this nonsense, this has prompted me into thinking.
What if the world ends tomorrow?
The question is quite ambiguous, and would be quite hard to answer without further clarification, so I shall change the question.
What if you know the world ends tomorrow? What are you going to do today?
I have a simple answer to this question. Of course, I will spend time with my family and friends! They are the ones who have supported my life all the way, and it is only appropriate that I spend the last hours of my life with them. Additionally, I would love to die playing my piano! I want to spend my last minutes enjoying, not suffering. However, suppose I would like to challenge myself a bit, and ask myself the following question:
What if you know the world ends tomorrow, and you can only choose between your friends and family? Who would you choose?
I can't live without my family! They brought me up to be who I am now! My mother gave life to me, taught me Chinese, taught me exam skills. She thought me algebra in P3, which helped me do the last question for that years' End of Year exam. I owe her too much. But I can't live without my friends! We had fun together, shared experiences, I can't just throw them away! So who should I choose. Halfway through considering this question, I realised something. Who cares about who I choose? The world is ending tomorrow anyway, so why don't I just spend my time doing what I like: piano? Say my last words to them, and spend my last hours doing what I like, and doing what I do best.
Yes, that is what I would do with if the world ends tomorrow.

Now I ask you: What if the world ends tomorrow? Feel free to comment below!

my favourite character

My favourite character is Atticus.
Atticus is a very caring father, and a very idealistic person at the same time. He is very fair and is not swayed by the town's common hate for Negro's. He is totally impartial and is fair to every person.
Atticus cares for the poor the rich the blacks and the whites, and do not neglect them. I feel that this kind of person would be someone I would really like to know, but considering that fact that he is too good a person to actually exist, I think I would never get to know someone as nice as Atticus.

Responding 3

The ending surprised me AND did not surprise me.
It surprised me in the way that Boo actually spoke for the first time, and they way that Boo suddenly becomes a nice person after he was depicted to be a monster from the beginning of the book.
It however, did not surprise me as Bob Ewell died. All stories end like this. In fact, it was a little too expected. If I were the writer I would have made the ending more special and unique

Responding 2

I emphasized most with Tom Robinson as I followed the action in the courtroom. This is because the book basically had been written in a style that creates the most empathy with him. The book makes Bob Ewell appear rude and unlikeable. The book does so for Mayella also, but also generates some pity for her as she has "no friends". I do not believe however, that she deserves any pity as she lied in court for her own sake. We should never discriminate anyone based on their skin colour. They did nothing wrong except for being black.

Term 1 LA test

I wasnt very happy with my test results. It was my first B4 in my life.
The topic was "compromise", which means mutual agreement on something. I have to admit, I dont really know anything about compromise that had happened in real life. In the end I had to resort to writing something I was unfamiliar with. I failed horribly.
I really have to change my attitude in LA. I have to admit, i was just lazy and didnt really care about LA. This post is also a rushed one just for ACE points I have to admit. But maybe its not only my laziness. Maybe its my time management too.
Nowadays Im getting really busy. I have SYF, March Camp, Music Exam... and alot of things on top of that. At least now my music exam is out of the way, I hope that I'm able to manage my time well.
And how am I going to do that?
Firstly to improve LA I want to read more books, get exposed to more historically significant events, get exposed to more values... get exposed to more of the problems in the world. I must also be more organised in my thoughts. Only if I do that would I be able to do well in not only LA, but everything in life.

Leaving people out of a group...

Although now I hate people who make fun of others or leave them out on some important things, i know reflect that I was once like that too.
In my old class 1i2 there was someone who was, you can say, different from all of us. He always did stupid things and scored very badly for results causing our class MSG to drop. Truthfully we all hated him. Even me. But know, thinking back about it , i shouldnt have done all the things that we did to irritate him. We always called his name wrongly, we would make fun of him behind his back, we would do a lot of things that are very irritating. But he managed to keep calm. Truthfully, I trust that he didnt mean to do that... that he was a nice guy deep deep down. Anyone who sees this post probably would know who I am talking about.
He's not in our class anymore.
He has left our life forever.
There is no more chance for us to seek forgiveness...
It's all just too late...

Responding... post 1

As I read Scout's experiences in TKAM, I remembered some things that I have done as a small little child which I think is quite childish to me now. I remembered that I used to go down to the play ground and play a game my friends and I called 'mission'. I don't really remember what it was like, but what I know was that it was basically going around the area, not touching things of a certain colour, or only touching things of a certain colour, or, we might also be playing catching under a certain theme, like a murder, or theft and we would assume one of us to be the "bad guy". I remembered this as in TKAM, there was the scene where the three kids would act out some stories, and make stories about Boo Radley and act them out.

Analyzing Literature
1. The three of them tested their courage by trying to touch Boo's door. This tested their courage as they pictured Boo as a monster whom will kill them all if they got to near, and they would die if they touched Boo and a lot of stuff like that.
2. They find a sculpture of they themselves, and some bubble gum. Apparently whoever put things into the knothole knew that they were taking stuff from it and wanted to give them things. This was probably Boo as after a while Nathan Radley sealed up that tree. This shows that Boo wasn't the monster that everyone thought him to be. Also, during the fire, Boo had put a blanket on Scout. He had also found Jem's pants for him.
3.They had insulted her father as a nigger-lover. I can thus see that Maycomb is actually a very discriminative place, where Negros and everyone who did not hate them were outlawed and hated.

Mississippi Burning

Today, Ms Huang finished showing a movie "Mississippi Burning". Personally, I don't really like the show as there are many sensitive issues of racism in the movie. I personally find some parts quite disturbing.
Basically, the story is revolves around the lynching of three civil rights workers. I have learnt alot about the history of racism in Mississippi and also about the Ku Klux Klan and all their evil deeds.
There were some disturbing scenes like the Negro FBI's interrogation on the Mayor.. I found it really disturbing as many disgusting scenes were described such as "cut his scrotum" and "dipped into a pool of blood bottom down." I was really scared of what the Negro man would do to the Mayor, luckily for me, the scene cut off at that point. But was re-enacted by showing the scene of the Mayor hanging from a rope. He probably felt guilty and killed himself.

Personally, I don't really like these kind of shows which shows racism because it gives a constant reminder to the past Singapore had to go through... whats more is that I'm half Japanese, and that peers would always make fun of me/disturb me when I was in primary school.

Essay draft 2

My second draft for the essay, I dont think its pretty well done, I'm not good at writing... comments? anyone?

Akira Makino (1) 8^th Feb 2011

Narrative essay draft 2

The sound of the war planes soaring through the night sky was heard from every corner of the small little town. Curious heads poked out of windows, looking up into that vast stretch of darkness filled with little white spots questioningly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a loud boom could be hear. Within a split second, everything changed. Mangled bodies lay everywhere. Babies wailed, women cried, dogs howled, birds screeched, the whole town was in a mess.

The bombing marked the start of the period of time in Singapore history when so much was lost, and when so many suffered.

I stood near my window looking out to the disastrous scene. I was only a small little boy then, and I did not understand much about what was happening around me. But somehow, I could feel danger creeping up on me. I felt that something was seriously wrong. I started crying.

Then, I felt a pair of warm hands gripping tightly around me, and a small, gentle and soothing voice spoke to me, “Its okay, everything would be fine. We would be fine.” It was my mother, I felt calm almost immediately. If she said so, I would believe her, but how I wished that what she said was true.

Through the next few months, the atmosphere became very tense. There was a scent of danger lurking around everywhere. Nobody, at anytime, anywhere was safe. My mother strictly disallowed me to go out and play. I did not understand why, and after a while of enduring the torturous curfew, I decided to rebel and go against her words. The moment I stepped out of the door, I saw a soldier marching along the road. A young Chinese man came over and started shouting vulgarities at him. Immediately, the soldier cornered him, and stabbed him with a bayonet over and over and over again. Blood spilled everywhere, and the screamed of the man echoed everywhere. Suddenly I heard someone calling my name. It was my mother again. She dragged me in and slapped my face once.

“I told you not to go out!” She said, crying.

I thought I finally understood the meaning of the curfew.

Within the next few months, we had no inkling of what tragedy was going to hit our family. It was like any other day. News of more and more murders spread. That day, it was a fine sunny morning. Somebody started knocking on the door, more and more persistently. It was a Japanese soldier. He started talking to my father in a strong Japanese accent.

“You come with me to beach. I talk to you about work.”

My father obliged, as disobedience meant death. We waited all day. He never came back. My mother cried when she heard the news. She almost resorted to suicide. That was what started my profound hate for wars.

A few years later, the Japanese had finally lost, and things started to get normal. However, I would never ever forget the suffering people faced, the losses we all incurred. But I guess the experience strengthens us for further adversities in time to come.

I think my sentences sound awkward and my plot isnt good enough... PLEASE COMMENT EVERYONE

Description on the picture

It was a hot and sultry afternoon. The waves rushed towards the shoreline and slowed down just before reaching it, hitting the shore gently, and pulling back. The beach was full of people in their swimsuits, some on land, while some were wading in the shallow water. There were two people looking as though they were having fun in the wet sand, a father and a son, both wearing matching swimming trunks, both hunched, concentrating on building something out of the mud that they had dug out from the surroundings. It was a place of fun and excitement, and accompanied by the beautiful scenery, it was the perfect place to be.

Comic Strip for Home Learning

I chose this topic because I observed an increasing number of racist jokes amongst my friends. It appears that around the world, there is always this form of discrimination against anyone whos skin is black. Not necessarily indian, which shows that this is only discrimination against black skined people, although its worse if you're an Indian/African American.
However, I do not understand the reason behind these prejudicial thoughts. Because we all are humans after all, and I have put across my idea in this comic strip, that we are all equal, regardless of race or religion

Brainstorming mindmap

Prejudice - Learnt

What I learnt
Types of prejudice -- Racial Prejudice
Related concepts -- Bias, Steorotype, Racism

First lesson - Know and Want (PREJUDICE)

Prejudice

KNOW

• being biased towards a certain group of people/thing

• pre = before ; judice = judging?

• Judging something before you have seen what it is like?

WANT

• The exact meaning of the word as I am not sure about the meaning

• How it applies in everyday life