Blog Writing Prompt #6 ( 10 min)

What is your favourite memory of Chinese New Year?
Provide details with the 5 senses.




My favourite time and memory I had during Chinese New Year was when I spent time with my family and relatives; I always spent the first day of Chinese New Year at my grandmother's house, however last year was different- we spend Chinese New Year at my uncle's house and he was determined to make it exciting-he did to a great extent.


Firstly the great array of food and goodies, such as the red eggs, the buns, the "Yu Sheng", the pineapple tarts, and much more, were arranged exquisitely on a luxury table in the centre of attraction. Just the mere sight of it sent jolts down my tastebuds, and played around with my eyes; as my eyes followed the goodies with intense precision, knowing I could have them.


The decorations put up were beautifully arranged and amazingly set up ; perfection was the key to such sculptures. The spacing in between them was so exact; you might think you're in an illusion for staring at it for too long. The festive music reverberated in my ears with such distinct pleasure, which enhanced and amplified the festive ambience.


My relatives would be sitting on the dining table, gambling-I was not encouraged to, but went against it-, and the clinking and clonking of the tiles would stir excitement and exhilaration within me; conjuring an stereotypical urge for my participation in gambling- simply put it, I wanted to join them so badly.


No longer had I deviated my attention, than succumbed to the dark temptations of the attractive goodies lying in wait for my pounce. The red eggs, symbolises, in Chinese tradition, a calling for celebration and prosperity in the months to come. Surely will I eat that! The "Yu Sheng", is usually done with the whole assembly of the family together  to start to "Yu Sheng" . It usually consists of strips of raw fish ( most commonly salmon), mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients. Yu Sheng,( lo hei in cantonese ) literally means " raw fish", but since fish is commonly conflated with its homophone " abundance" , Yu Sheng is interpreted to be a symbol of abundance, prosperity, and vigor. 









I started munching away on the delicacies, which produced a all-so-familiar aroma, charming my olfactory sense with ease. After much feasting on the sumptuous goodies, it was time for us to " Lo Hei", in which  we would use our chopsticks and mix all these ingredients around, and blessing one another with new year wishes like " I wish you a healthy body in the year to come" (身体健康). I think it would have been better if the Yu Sheng I had last year had more salmon !


Anyway, after the "Yu Sheng", came the long awaited, much anticipated, routine of.....the distribution of " ang paos"! Ang paos, are a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions. Ang Paos are mainly presented at social and family gatherings such as weddings or on holidays such as the New Year The red colour of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits.A married person would not turn down such request as it would mean that he or she would be "out of luck" in the new year. In keeping with Chinese customs, newly wedded couples are also usually expected to be extremely generous with the amount offered in the red packets, so as to receive blessings for a blissful marriage. 


Normally I would say "恭喜发财“ which means to wish the person who gives me the angpaos, to strike rich as soon as possible :) Or, I would wish them a healthy life, or bless them for babies- however, deep inside my main motive is to get more pocket money ! I would not move on to the amount I collected but I just wanted to show that this ang pao giving tradition is part of our Chinese Tradition. 


Last year Chinese New Year was simply AWESOME, considering the fact the the decorations were just exquisite, and the food and goodies were just too sumptuous, and the money collected in the angpaos were increased( its a secret) , and the total ambience was perfect. But the most important point I would like to raise is not about getting more pocket money or eating till I get fat, but it is the pride and liberty to boast my love for the Chinese Tradition. I find in it, my identity, as I enjoy it so much and feel so proud showing off to other races on the Chinese tradition. I think that the Chinese culture and tradition is unique and I feel blessed to be a Chinese, and take immense pride in being one; so much till it can be merged with my identity. 


I love Chinese New Year every time, especially last year, and I hope this year Chinese New Year  will be much much better and I will find more identity in the Chinese tradition till one day I can proudly announce " I am proud to be a Chinese and nobody or anything can change that as it is my identity!" 


That is about it, and noticed I put it as LA-ACE, I feel that my identity for the Chinese should be acknowledged :) 


-Benedict 

Blog Writing Prompt #5 ( 10 min)

-Describe a situation in which you collaborated intensely and at length with another person ( Project's Day, CIP, Consortium event, creative product, etc).

Hello guys, I am here to describe a situation whereby high intensified collaboration with my classmates took place!
I participated in the Project's day  competition, of which was completely compulsory- providing you want your Independent Studies marks. This is the special system of Hwa Chong Institution, as there are many different ways of learning, such as independent studies, and even including a major project as a part of academics.
Well, my group, consisting of Jia Wang, Damien, and Shin Chang, decided to create an invention, for our project. At first we were completely confused with the project's day marking scheme and stuff; it was new, however, we still tried our best to brainstorm. We thought of a cucumber cutter- pretty practical and common, doesn't it seem? Well, thats the truth. It was plain, surface levelled, and not a quality piece of work ( at all.)
But our ignorance continued to reign as we did not meet our mentor Dr. Chew, often, plus the fact that we lack a prototype. We thought that it wouldn't matter if we fail as it was just a project- we did not know about the grave importance of the project.

Hence, we just did it like an ordinary project, very lacking in quality. We did not even meet up to do; we just pushed the effort to one another, and hope that someone would do it.  But our mentality changed when we were kicked out of the preliminary rounds. It was a setback and we were then onwards, determined to do well for this project. ( I have no idea what motivated us - a 180 degree turn).

Thus, we started making arrangements with our mentor and he told us to change our category to resource development. It was our last straw, as we really could not think of any invention creative enough. So why not try resource development? We started to design a science website-as a note based webpage for primary school students to take notes from it- with videos and many learning points.

We met up a lot, bearing the thought of the urgency to pass our preliminary round 2, we tried our very best, to rush- with precision- our work, and collaborated intensely, brainstormed productively, through the next 2 weeks. That was tough but all was rewarded when we managed to pass our preliminary round 2 ! Despite our lousy first invention we managed to complete such a webpage within such a short period of time, I think it was a great accomplishment.


-What did you learn about your own abilities to cooperate and work together during your collaboration?

I learnt that I am a person who wants to get things done, and over with. I want to do things fast, swift, precise,and perfect. I think my friends are motivative, as when we feel like we're succumbing to the temptation of gaming, they would encourage one another and shift their focuses. All of us wanted to accomplish our project with perfection, hence the amount of effort put in- we had a hard time meeting up, some of us were not free, some of our parents did not agree. Well, I think I work well with my teammates , and have bonded with them more.This collaboration did indeed brought us 4 closer together and also dawned upon me my abilities as an individual to complete assignments. Overall I think I would want to work with them again and the work would be doubly productive with the sufficient time frame.

Home Learning Reflection

The home learning was very interesting and it was my first time doing comic strips Upon sight of toondoo, I became engaged more with the graphical and cool characters that were given. There was also a chance to customize the characters and I feel that this way of learning is a very creative, and unique way of teaching. Learning through comic strips is a very creative and IT savvy, modern, in-time way of teaching, and I advocate it.
The way to write and emphasise on the theme is required for us to write on.

I think I would like to have more of such home learning, or maybe some other methods of learning through creative ways, overall I enjoyed this assignment. 

I would like to create more comic strips in the future as it is simple and easy yet fun and enjoyable to complete. I think that it is pretty unique for one to learn different themes and how they connect to daily life through comics, or even poems; basically literature. 

However the home learning time frame for LA alone, which is one hour, is too little for the assignment ; although we do not use one hour ; all the work overwhelms many hours. I would then suggest that maybe a simple one comic script is sufficient for us, and maybe find an even better comic creator webpage, one which would save time, and yet productive and efficient. 

Essentially I do like the home learning given to us, as it is relatively simple and easy and not so difficult to brainstorm; and yet productive for our learning. I would like to do more comic strips as they can expand our creativity and base our connections between themes and literature ( maybe art ! )

Despite the big commotion on the difficulty to start creating comics at start, whereby everyone complains and stuff, I think that was just a temporary problem as the real benefits of learning through comics will come to light through time, as they would accustom and adapt to the seemingly difficult assignment, hence I would propose we continue doing comic strips. 

-Benedict  :)

Identity

1. Think about how an individual's identity is shaped. What factors have led to the formation of your own identity?

Basically I think that an individual's identity is shaped from one's background, how he conditions and adapts to the surroundings. The social environments, with the hobbies he take up, and maybe his genes. 

I think that my own identity is formed by my background, my social environment as I grow up, and maybe my genes. My identity can be classified as maybe rather quiet, and well English spoken. From young, I have been speaking English to everyone, including my relatives and mostly to my parents, hence English becomes of first tongue to me. Some other people are well Mandarin spoken or other dialects. I think my identity is that I speak good English and have a moderately good foundation of the English grasp. 

As I grew up, I was rather a quiet person, an introvert, less outgoing, less social. That was because my pre-school friends  all were shy and did not speak up nor converse with one another, causing everyone to be reserved and alone. In primary school, I met a new batch of friends and we did not converse, and hence the cycle repeats again till it is implemented in me. Hence, forming a more quieter, more self reserved Benedict.

And maybe my parents genes has got something to do with my soft-spoken and well English foundation characteristics. Probably either my father or my mother had a strong English foundation ; loves books and literature. ( The chances are my mother.)

And my father is a rather reserved man, less sociable. And coming to think about it, genes do play a role in carving the identity of the offspring. 

I think that my parents' genes and the environment I was put into had slowly, gradually carved a gentle, quiet me.

Abstract factors form identities and not simple and meaningless factors. 

2.Search for three images ( that are not a photograph of you) that you feel represent your identity .

Responsibility of Margot's treatment.

Hello Everyone ! I have read " All Summer In A Day". Here, I would like to identify who should be held responsible for Margot's unfair treatment.
Firstly, I think her parents, who were rocket men, had brought her to this raining world - Venus- to set up civilization and live lives, should be held responsible too. For selfish means of discovery and investigation they allowed their child, Margot, to come to Venus- a raining world- , a harsh condition to endure.  Terrible disasters and concussions of storms led to the unfathomable belief that Venus is a horrible place to stay in, despite the cries of Earth's rocket men's plea of discovery.
Thus they put her in a condition whereby the natural environment was extremely tough to endure.

Secondly, I think that the classmates in the schoolroom in Venus, played another huge role in Margot's harsh treatment. "'Speak when you're spoken to.' He gave her a shove" William, one of the classmates, had laid such an enormously negative impact on her, which weaved the personality of Margot into a frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years. This is definitely prejudice as observed from his tone, whereby he puts himself far above Margot, lacking respect, and mostly, giving her a shove. A shove may mean a tiny tug or a strong push. In this case, judging by the disrespect and  prejudicial treatment on Margot, I would conclude William did it out of purpose and motive- to inflict fear and harm, so as to abide to what he says.

Thirdly, all the boys and girls in the class play a part by participating in the locking of her in the closet. " They all blinked at him and then, understanding, laughed  and shook their heads." This sentence indicates distrust in Margot's statement that the sun will appear like a penny. Laughing at someone after she tries to tell you upon her memory, is just unacceptable as laughing would put someone down, and despise her. These mischievous and very unthoughtful children laughed, then blinked,and shook their heads. It would then go with the assumption that they were supportive of William. Margot's loneliness and ill-treatment rooted from a" gang" - the school children.

I think that William should be held the main responsible bully for Margot's treatment. This is because he was the one who did the action, example pushing and shoving her, blasting her off rudely, as a result, signs of disrespect and prejudicial harm were inflicted on poor Margot. Along with the other children, despite the fact that they were supportive of William's wrongdoings , but did not carry out anything mean or harsh, it is still partly considered in bullying.

This social prejudice amongst them would make Margot feel worse and indignant, maybe scarring her dignity. As such, I agree that William and the children were responsible for carving the harshness of the treatment Margot received.

LA-ACE.
Imagine yourself as one of the school children; what might you have chosen to do which would have led to a positive outcome?

Define positive outcome. Positive outcome in this term here would probably be associated with a declination of the ill-treatment Margot received, and maybe abolishing prejudice . What exactly could have lightened this negative treatment?

Probably, if I were one of the school children, I would  not have chosen to play along with the others, plus William, to purposely bully Margot -be it physical or psychological . With one less person blaming her, and shoving her, and pushing all the responsibility and poor judgement to her, she would feel much better; at least one person bothered, cared, for her, hence it may change her morale a bit, and cheer her up.

In addition to not associating with the naughty children, I would stand on Margot's side, and stand up for her. I would  have chosen to block off, any assumed prejudicial harm on Margot, by defending her against all means - physical or physiological-, and talk back for her, to shake off any lingering mean , harsh hurting sentences meant to put her down as a motive of prejudice.

When Margot is alone, I would accompany her to abolish her loneliness, and try to make friends with her. Friendship, is essentially important in one, as friends can confide in one another ; hence she wouldn't have to bottle up her feelings, and that would remove the frailties in her heart. Not for the sake of friendship would I be her friend, but for love and kindness that would propel me forward despite all the predicted hatred, or intolerance,  I will be receiving from the other school mates.

If I was there, at that moment where the tiny part of " All Summer In a Day" was written, I would never have allowed Margot to be shouted at and shoved by, let alone be closed up in the closet. I would firmly reject all unnecessary prejudicial treatment towards her, despite the chances of them listening to me. If I were to allow such to occur, I would not be considered a friend at all.

And when Margot was sharing her memory- in which she tried hard to recall-, I would listen to her attentively and trust that what she had said is true despite all the environmental odds that circumstance against me. With one more person trusting her, definitely she would feel much better.

In conclusion, friendship is very important in one, as it is essentially potent for a halt in prejudice. Hence I would make friends with Margot, and try my best to assure that no harm can be inflicted unto her, as such risking my friendship with the others. But it would be my choice to befriend Margot than them, as of explained earlier, and thus conjuring up a positive outcome; a clear declination of the mistreatment of Margot.

Online lesson Home Learning.

Today on 24th January, we have home learning as the teachers have meetings. Thus this is my LA homework assigned: comic straps indicating special themes.

I will be posting two comics on racial prejudice, one on the way the blacks are treated, and how it is now in modern times.

In my first comic strip, the first picture background shows a rich man's house, which will emphasize, the racial prejudice, as even a rich white man is unwilling, or should I say, uncouthly reluctant to spare the black beggar. Stressing the rich man, he has, in abundance, of how much he can give , but is still stingy and reluctant to give food to a black man, just because he is black. The background does show a rich man's house as the window is refurbished, and his lawn is very well kept. So, the background chose stresses racial discrimination and prejudice. 

I made the white man make very uncouth and rude remarks to the black beggar, so much till no respect is shown. And I even wrote that the black beggar tried to request for food, and still  got rejected blankly. That does not only show that the whites despise and show no respect to the blacks, but shows, ironically, that the black man was willing, on his part, to beg from a white. It does not stress desperateness but stresses the respect the blacks even give the whites. So if the black beggar respect the white man, it is definitely prejudice for the white man to discriminate the black- yet so rudely. 

The black man I chose had very torn and tattered clothing, so it would bring out to the readers that he has no money, no food, and describe to the readers that he is a beggar. After gaining sympathy from the readers, I purposely put in a well polished, neat, ( with a tie, if you noticed), high classed, white man, who sputtered very rude words to him. Sympathy and pity would work its way into enhancing the theme of racial prejudice with such choices. 

Later on the beggar has no choice but to go to the rubbish dump to forage for food. 

Below the beggar and the white man shows a scene whereby a black woman performs in front of a booing crowd. The crowd immediately boos, and show signs of disapproval and discontent. 

After that the picture shows the manager shouting to the black woman that she is sacked, and shows no respect at all. The picture whereby all the crowd boos at her portrays a sign of disrespect and despise. This links to racial prejudice, the theme, as the crowd is putting themselves above the black woman , who is trying hard to perform and entertain them. These images show that the manager is using her to earn money and then dispose of her- treating her as a tool. The image where the manager is  shouting at her does not indicate anger of fury but instead disrespect and prejudice as he thinks he is much more worthy than her and is always  at liberty to lash her. 

My second comic strip shows the American President now, Mr Barack Obama, ever so willingly allowing a white beggar to enter his presidential house. In direct contrast, Mr Obama allows a white beggar to even enter his house to have  a seat in his posh house, and have quality food. Does this seem ironic? The white rich man uncouthly rejected a black beggar's plea, but Mr Obama, ever so respectably allowed a white beggar in his house. This shows the gradual progression of racial prejudice abolishing. And supports the theme that racial prejudice must stop. 

I have used a metaphor in my first comic strip when the white man called the poor black beggar filth. This obviously would indicate disrespect and intrusion of one's dignity, leading to a clear link of racial prejudice. 

Yes, this is about everything I have done for today's home learning. I hope you enjoy my comics and see the way I weave the theme out from this comic and interpret racial prejudice well :) Enjoy my comics everyone!! 

-Benedict Chin

What Are My Learning Goals In LA This Year.

Firstly, in LA this year, I have a good teacher, who speaks pretty fast, but I am able to receive it quite capably. This year I want to polish up my writing skills, hence improving on creative sentence structures. Only then can I manage to write very well and maybe write books :D 

Next I would like to have a more profound understanding on literature, which I also want to learn to appreciate as literature is said to be a beautiful subject by some, and learning to appreciate it would  be of great benefits. Then again I would want to learn more on poems, and the ability to comprehend them. 

I would love to improvise on my limited range of vocabulary, and the priceless knowledge of how to apply them when needed. This application is rather difficult to achieve, but this year it is my goal to conquer it. 

Yes, These are my learning goals for LA this year, and I hope my LA teacher can help me with it. ( of course I would work towards it! )