Justice and Mercy in MOV

1. Is there true justice? Why?

Yes. Because, Antonio was not killed. Shylock's bond was to take a pound of Antonio flesh if he could not return his debt in time. During the trial scene, Shylock kept insisting on obtaining the flesh of Antonio's but in the end, just before Shylock was about to kill Antonio, (because as we all know, ripping a pound of flesh from a person will only result in death) Portia stepped in a raised the fact that the bond did not mention anything about blood, which in this case means that Shylock could not, would not be able to kill Antonio. Therefore, there is true justice as what was in the bond was fulfilled.

2. Is there true mercy, as expounded by Portia? Why?

In my opinion, there is true mercy expounded by Portia as although Portia knew how to deal with Shyl0ck beforehand, she actually gave him a chance to stop insisting that he wanted Antonio's life before he falls into her trap.

3. Justice and Law can be manipulated by people in power. Comment on this with reference to the text and other real-life cases and examples.

Based on the text, Justice and Laws was manipulated by Portia. Portia used her status as the lawyer to manipulate the law into dealing with Shylock, he was given justice by Portia, but instead, she used the Law to counter the fact that Shylock was given justice, allowing him to receive punishment instead of the justice he O so wanted, thus proving the point of view that Justice and Law can be manipulated by people in power.

In real life, I feel that Justice and Law can be manipulated by people in power, one example would have to be Mr Dominique Strauss Kahn, he paid a large some of money to be released out of custody.

Thanks for reading!
Please comment!
Wei Jin

An open letter to the Education Minister from a Secondary 4 student

1. To what extent do you agree with the issues that the student has raised here? Point out some issues of agreement and possible contention

Ans: I agree with her to a certain extent. Firstly, I would like to point out that not all subjects require "factual memorisation" some like maths require loads of practice, however subjects like Science, Integrated Humanities do, in my opinion, require memorising. Why don't you look at a different point of view? Why can't you say that factual memorisation is a test of who wants it more, who is more persistent, who is the best? In my opinion, I believe that Janelle is just unhappy with the fact that she was unable to score well, if not why would she complaining instead of learning how others cope with their work? On another point, that "students are often not taught to ask ‘Why?’", I feel that it is a matter of the parents in this case, teachers are paid to teach, to be able to produce excellent students, "virtues" such as the asking 'why' is something that the parents should have instilled in their children before adoloscence.

2. Examine her tone and attitude in this letter. Do you think it’s a well-crafted letter with the appropriate tone?

In my opinion, it is indeed a well-crafted letter in terms of grammatical, fluency. However, I feel that her tone is a bit inappropiate, it seems to me like she thinks she's the only person who is facing the problem, that no one else has the problem. But in fact, thousands of other out there are facing the problem but the only thing different is that they are ACTUALLY trying to do something about it. I feel that the education system is set this why to sieve out the ones with the real potential, as by being able to score extremely well in a national exam such as A level, goes to show that that person has a high level of patience, persistence, very good at time management.

3. If you should write a letter to Minister of Education, what are some issues you would raise? Remember- your intention is to make the system better for society’s betterment via CONSTRUCTIVE ideas.

I would raise that fact that teacher should not judge a student based on how they good they are in a certain subject and to reduce the importance of test marks in students.

Thank you!
Wei Jin

Is money important in a relationship?

1. In your opinion, is money important in a relationship?

2. Consider the 'transactional' element observed in the relationships between the couples. Do you think there is an upward trend of relationships and marriages valuing money over other qualities? Provide examples for your responses.

Okay, firstly for question 1. In my opinion, I feel that money IS important in a relationship to a certain extent. I believe that money DOES play a part, but a minimal one. When someone is truly in love, it will be because he/she loves that person for who he/she is, not because of her money or background. However, when a couple takes it to the next level, marriage, this is when money plays a part. Marriage is a life long commitment which requires a certain amount of money to sustain. But I feel that the only reason why money would be of a great importance in a relationship is when children come into play. All parents want their children to have the best life they could ever have. In conclusion, I feel that money is important in a relationship to a certain extent.

Now onto the second question. Yes, I do agree that there is an upward trend of relationships or marriages valuing money over other qualities. In our modernised world, the only way to survive is with money. In the past, yes I do agree that money was not that important but now... its a whole different story. Money can basically do anything. A very common example would have to the celebrities. In my experience most renowned actors or even musician, get relationships with people in the same "social class" as them, they can't bare dating a person of a lower class than them. To add on, the people the marry must of course be earning big bucks starring in movies or even releasing albums.

There is only one happiness in life—to love and be loved. George Sands

Thank you for reading!!!
Wei Jin

Term 2 HBL

Difficulty Rating: * * *We Slept With Our Boots On

They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyesThey washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skiesOver the mountains, villages, and valleys we flewWhere we would land we had not a clueBullets are flying, the LZ is hot We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit Get ready to go and make it quickMy heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veinsI run as fast as I can through the lead rainThe noise is tremendous, terror I can’t defineThe only reason I survived that day was divineI kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some moreYou do what you have to do, with that I will say no moreWe fought from the valleys to the mountain peaksFrom house to cave, to car to creekDirty and tired and hungry and scaredWe slept with our boots on so we were always preparedThose majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skiesThe Hindu Kush has changed so many livesUp the mountains with heavy loads we trodWho knew hell was so close to GodBeauty and terror are a strong mixed drinkSo we drank it like drunkards and tried not to thinkGood men and bad men, Mothers lost son’sEveryone loses their innocence when they carry gunsWashed in the blood, and baptized by fireI will never forget those who were called higherThey say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than bloodBrothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mudAnd when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tellAnother Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hellSteve Carlsen Task 1: Someone once said, "War is a delight only to those who have not experienced it". Indeed, when we are young and innocent, we may find war a fun subject of play, something we always look forward to be involved in. However, it does not take long for us to open our eyes to the reality of war and witness the cruelty of it. And that is exactly what Steve Carlsen is trying to bring out in his poem "We Slept with our Boots on". Steve Carlson is an ordinary soldier who has experienced 3 years of war. He joined the United States Army in October 2000 and went to Infantry Basic Training, and Airborne School in Ft. Benning Georgia. He then reported to D Company 1st battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 82nd Airborne Division in Ft. Bragg North Carolina. He deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He Deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003. Well, he may seem like an ordinary soldier, but it is exactly, being an ordinary soldier that allowed him to experience the worse of war, and the cruelty of fighting your own kind. The theme and central idea Steve is trying to bring out in his poem is that once you are involved in war, you are eternally scarred, and will lose your innocence forever. This was clearly brought out in the line "Everyone loses their innocence when they carry gun". Steve Carlsen is a experienced poem, as can be seen through the techniques he used to bring out the theme he wants to convey to his readers. Firstly, let us look at the structure of the poem. Steve's poem is seemingly untidy, with no clear structure at all. Also, the clauses are very short in the poem, most are just 3 words: "30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit". This creates a extremely fast paced poem, and Steve uses this to show fast paced war is - you are either fighting for your life, and running for your life. It is just so terrifying that you can't settle down. The moment you have settled, something suddenly pops up, and you have to defend your life again. This is also brought out through the story line of the poem - the poet and his comrades running and fighting for their lives. They were so afraid and unsettled, that they don't even dare to take off their boots when sleeping. This, being put as the title, further emphasizes the terror of war. The setting is in a battlefield, somewhere between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as the poet wrote "Hindu Kush". The first line also shows how "They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes".They probably referred to the enemy, and the enemy might be miaming their dead comrades to make sure they are dead. Therefore, this setting may be one of a lost battle on the poet's side, and he and a few comrades were probably the few who survived. Hence, they had to fight and run away, for their lives. The POV is mainly 1st person POV "I" with occasional switches to "We". First, the poet would show his own personal feelings, emotions and actions, and then he would proceed to show a collective action by using "We". This is probably to link "We" and "I" together, to show that his terror, his feeling of injustice is also shared by everyone who is involved in war, and they experience exactly the same thing as him. Hence, this poem may be representing the emotions and feelings of all involved in the war, and gaining our sympathy for them. The use of language is smart. For example, the writer uses the line "baptized in fire" to show the hopelessness and cruelty of war. As we all know, baptism is a tradition whereby all Christian have to be submerged in water before being saved. This is a symbolism of being washed of our sins and having hope for the future. However, in war, there is no water, so it symbolizes that the poets sins of killing accumulated in war can never be washed and forgived. This brings out the cruelty and sinfulness of war. Also, instead of having hope, the writer is "baptized in fire". This shows how hopeless, cruel and torturing war is, to the point where it defies convention. Another possible interpretation: baptism is a tradition for Christian to gain a new life by washing away their old sins. However, in war, the only thing the poet can do is to defend his own life through "fire", which is fighting with guns, but not water. This illuminates the terror war brings to soldiers, especially ordinary soldiers like Steve Carlsen. Other techniques being used include the repitition of the word "and". "I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more ... Dirty and tired and hungry and scared". The constant use of "and", show how never-ending, dreary and tiring war is. The soldiers have to constantly do something in order to save their own lives. In conclusion, I think Steve Carlsen is a great poet. He uses much technique such as repition of certain words, symbolism and vivid imagery. His poems are always open to many interpretations like the phrase "baptized in fire". Furthermore, he experienced the most basic of war itself, and this story shown through the poem is a very true and honest depiction of war. Indeed, war is a cruel and terrifying thing. It is also meaningless terror - after all, it is just human vs human. In the end, nothing is gained, only precious lives are lost, and families separated. I can only summarize my personal response in this one quote, "Older men declare war. But it's the youth who must fight and die! Mankind has to put an end to war, or war would put an end to mankind". Task 2: Point of view The persona in the poem is probably a war veteran, someone who has survived a war. The speaker is in a resigned state and he does not care very much anymore, as can be seen from the lines "30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit " and "You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more". Situation and setting The poem is located in a chaotic setting with war going on in the Hindu Kush. The term Hindu Kush on first sight, seems like some religion, but after some research, it was found to be actually a series of mountains. Language/ Diction The language and diction used in the poem portrayed a panic state, which seems realistic. Since the first few lines, real terms are used like LZ which stands for landing zone, and lock N load which is a term soldiers use. With these, a realistic atmosphere is created, bringing the reader closer to the action. The language used also suggest the carefree attitude of the soldier, who does not care much after experiencing the war. From the lines "And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell" and "Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell", we can see that is does not really matter to the soldier anymore if he was sent to hell, as he just came from a war which was equivalent to hell. Saint Peter, who is the guardian to the gates of haven also appears in the poem, bringing some religious references. Besides that, the line "hell was so close to god" also brings that. This line shows that on the battle field, which is referred to as hell, is so close to god, as one could get killed easily here and sent to god right away, through "hell" one get get closer to god. Personal response I feel that this poem carries many lessons on the horror war could bring to not only those fighting it, but also those around the soldiers. It shows that although there are good and bad in this world, everyone is somebody son and no one should deserve the sufferings caused by war.

Evolution of war.

In your opinion, how has war evolved from the past to present? Please use examples to justify your opinions.

The 2 ways war has evolved is the reason for the war and the technology used in the war. An example of a olden reason for a war is the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945. The Japanese at that time wanted to be the master of Asia and the Pacific region, the reason for war then was over territorial differences. Now, for example the Iraq War that has been ongoing since 2003, was sparked because of the potential war sparker that Iraq had in possession, they were working on creating nuclear weapons to start wars.
For technology, its just the drastic change in weapons and artilleries used in wars in the past. Now more powerful and destructive tools for mass destructions are being used compared to the olden weapons that were used in the past.

Book Review #2 The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick

If you are interested in startups, or how marketing and advertising are evolving, or just how Facebook is changing the world, buy this book. It’s very readable and gives great insights into how Facebook grew from a dorm room to a huge company. There’s no other book out there that gives such a complete history of the company and of Mark Zuckerberg.

But if you’re looking for an objective and true history of Facebook, this isn’t it. Kirkpatrick really, really loves Facebook. So much so that I’m not sure he’s even close to capable of being objective about the company.

The result is a book that not only celebrates Facebook’s truly amazing accomplishments, but it’s also a book that makes excuses for, or denies, Facebook’s stumbles along the way. And that’s fine. But it isn’t really the truth. What we need is a book that tells the absolute, brutal truth about Facebook.

Facebook isn’t just a social network or a potentially huge business, says Kirkpatrick. It might also bring world peace.

The two famous lawsuits that fell out of Facebook’s early days – ConnectU and houseSYSTEM – were characterized more as nuisance lawsuits than real questions about the integrity of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

We don’t need Kirkpatrick to shy away from the ugly details about the early days of Facebook. But he gives such a one-sided view of the story that it leaves me wondering what details are being left out.

“Zuckerberg clearly stole from the Winkelvoss brothers,” Kirkpatrick said this evening, “but the Winkelvoss brothers clearly stole from everybody else.”

That’s a great conclusion. I think most readers are intelligent enough to look at both sides of the story and draw the right conclusions.

They say that history is written by the victors. In the end The Facebook Effect reads more like an authorized biography than anything else. It’s the story of Facebook as Facebook wants the story told. It is a wonderful, if flawed, story about the creation of a company that half a billion people interact with regularly. I highly recommend you read it, and then wait for the book that will tell the whole story.

Thanks for reading!

Wei Jin

Post reflection on "The Soldier"

This is the poem "The Soldier" for your reference:

If I should die, think only this of me:   
That there's some corner of a foreign field
 That is for ever England.  There shall be
  In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
 A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
 Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
 A body of England's, breathing English air,
 Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,  
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less     
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
 Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
  And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
 In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

Young men in Singapore, including you, will have to do National Serivce. Why do you think National Service is compulsory in Singapore and why is it important? In the poem, the speaker expresses his love for his country, England. Do you find this same spirit of passion and patriotism Singaporeans have for our country? Why? Do you have this same spirit of patriotism for Singapore? Why?

Consider your loyalty to Hwa Chong. Are you proud to be a Hwa Chongian? How have you shown your loyalty and pride as a student of Hwa Chong?

1)Why do you think National Service is compulsory in Singapore and why is it important?

My Answer: I think it is compulsory as Singapore is a small but rapidly growing country and she needs all the help she can get if we were ever thinking of sustaining any attack from other countries. National Service is also a platform for people from all walks of life to come together and serve the nation. It also promotes racial harmony and a sense of belonging to our country. National Service is important as it has been an integral part of Singapore's defence, providing peace and prosperity for the nation for more than 30 years. Apart from fulfilling military requirements, National Service has also played an important role in nation building. By bringing young Singapore from diverse backgrounds together, it helps to forge unity and cohesion among Singaporeans.

2)Do you find this same spirit of passion and patriotism Singaporeans have for our country? Why?

My Answer: To be honest, I don't really think I'm at that level of passion and patriotism for Singapore. Maybe its because I'm of a rather young age and the pride for our country has not completely settled in. Although, during times like NDP when I see over tens and thousands of people standing up and taking the pledge simultaneously, I have that "proud adrenaline" that slides down my body.

3)Are you proud to be a Hwa Chongian? How have you shown your loyalty and pride as a student of Hwa Chong?

My Answer: Of course, I'm proud to be a Hwa Chongian. Hwa Chong is one of the best schools in Singapore and the WORLD. To even be able to study here, I already feel lucky and privileged. Whenever, be it on my way home, making my way to tuition, I never I mean never forget that I'm a student of the world class institution. Giving seats up to those that need it, helping the elderly...Name it, I've done it.

Well, thats the end of my blog post
You'll hear from me soon :)
Wei Jin