BBC News, August 5 2007
See article here
I attended violin lessons since the age of seven. I stopped five years later. The reason: I could not curve my little finger while pressing on the fingerboard, and thus cannot advance to a higher level. The teacher was from China, and told me that in this world, there are only two ways to master the skill, either through talent or hard work. He believed that talent came from karma, from chance. If you were born with fingers that hiss, you have gotten your ticket for the easy route to enlightenment. My fingers didn’t hiss, and so I had to go through the second route – hard work. However, “hard work” wasn’t just practicing three times a week. It required the fullest commitment, an eight days a week, forty-eight hours a day schedule.
After reading through this article, I asked myself two questions. Firstly, what motivates people to work hard? Secondly, can talent guarantee success? (which will be elaborated in the next response)
What makes people work so hard? Hidden in this article are two sources of motivations which encourage the “sports children” in China to work hard.
Some people work hard for a better future. The “sports children” in China are looking up to the established sports stars that have become rich and famous, like Yao Ming, for their inspiration. This spurs them on, making them train hard, hoping that they will one day they will have a better future. Working hard for a better future is also relevant in the meritocratic and forward looking society today. Working hard gains competence and trust to employers, and thus gaining success. Many in poorer countries work hard to get out of the poverty cycle.
In many communist countries, working hard is for the greater common good or common goal. Helping China rise to the pole position of the Olympics medal tally, bringing glory to the country that brought you up, is one of the motivations of the “sports children”. In North Korea, rehearsing for the late Great Leader Kim II Sung birthday 2 years before the event is often made a media joke. However, we do not revere the effort put in by these people, their commitment to their country; their loyalty to a leader. Many of times we overlook the aspects of bonding and teamwork in these societies, which can be hardly found in our “oh-so-good” democratic worlds.
However, both motivations mentioned above are motivations from a higher authority, the country, the parents or even the medal. Hard training leads to unhappy stretched out children, as seen in the case of the Beijing training school.
So what is the healthy way of working hard? In my opinion, the highest stage of motivation of working hard is when you yourself drive your own self into working hard. Passion is a very good example, doing something for the joy of doing it. I have found being motivated by oneself as the most rousing factor to work hard. I play the snare drum in my CCA, something which you don’t need hissing fingers. During the peak competition period, I attend daily training sessions after school, and practice after trainings at home. These trainings, I admit, are being motivated by the goal of winning a medal. However, they cannot be compared to what I call the 25th hour trainings, where I hide my sticks in the pillowcase (not to exchange with fairy god mother for a penny), but to practice late into the night without my parent’s objection. These late night trainings were definitely from my passion for what I was doing.
To master any skill or achieve any goals in our lives, we must work hard for it. With passion, working hard will be very much easier. We ourselves are the third ticket to enlightenment.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Part 2 - SAA chief blasts Zhang and Du
TODAYonline, 14 August 2007
See article here
“They are just like maids!” was my first reaction on seeing this article. However, I soon realized I was wrong. Coming to a foreign land to take up jobs, the throwers have become citizens of Singapore through the foreign talent scheme, whereas the maids work on work permit through the foreign manpower scheme. The throwers earn a monthly income of $4000 (not including allowances and bonuses), ten times more than our maids. Though receiving fewer benefits, Maria doesn’t disappear all of a sudden, she doesn’t “balik kampong”(go home) without informing mum, and she doesn’t throw a temper at her employers. On the other hand, Maria and the throwers though worlds apart, have one common asset with them – that is they have their talents! The throwers are a talented breed of athletes who are able to throw their weights around, whereas Maria can cook real great “cheng teng”.
Du came in 2nd during the World Junior Championship. This meant that she was one of the front few runners amongst her contemporaries worldwide, a world-class talent indeed. She had the karma with her, the easy route to enlightenment. However, the best results both throwers have brought home over the past 8 years are only 4 South East Asian Games gold medals. What’s the point of cultivating “Kampung” champions, while both have the potential to become world-beaters?
This incident proves to us yet again that talent is definitely not the pathway to success (answering to the question from the previous response). There are just too many contributing factors that prevent ones talents shape a person.
No one is perfect; talents too have their weaknesses and soft spots. The throwers have destroyed their own credibility through their knack of leaving the country on a contract without informing, burning down bridges between them and their employers. History has duly proven that talents can’t make it far if they let their weaknesses have the better out of them. In soccer, there were Diego Maradona and Paul Gascoigne, talented players scouted at the age of 8. Maradona went on to become a unhealthy cannabis addict, while Paul Gascoigne love for drinking and media attention went on to play in a Sunday League in his most prime years.
Everyone faces problems; talents too have their troubles. I the case for the throwers, there is a high possibility of being homesick being in a foreign land. Underperforming when all hopes are on them is rather stressful too. In my opinion, being a talent might be a problem by itself. Having a talent means hands one the social responsibility to make full use of his/her gifts. In the movies, we have Uncle Ben telling Peter Parker “with great power comes great responsibility”. In India, we have the 5-year-old marathon prodigy Budhia Singh, allegedly being exploited and abused by his trainer.
In conclusion to my above response, we can find two kinds of talents in a bowl of “cheng teng” – the dried longans and the pandan leaf. Both of these ingredients started out sweet and fragrant. The dried longan, when cooked in the soup, grew bigger and sweeter, becoming the sweetest ingredient in the whole bowl of dessert. The pandan leaf, on the other hand, let off all its fragrance, and ended up in the bottom of the pot, not being eaten. Talents can be either the longans or the pandan leaf. If they have the right attitude and mindset to overcome their adversities, they would be able to develop their talents and become world-renowned. However, they can also let their weaknesses and problems get the better of them, hindering their progress and ending up as a failure.
The Singapore Sports Council envision Singapore of being in the top 10 of the Asian games by 2010. However, do we have what it takes to make it great? If sports in Singapore remain to be the uncurvy little finger, we will be unable to progress to a higher stage. It’s down to either hard work (with passion) or karma (sans troubles) again. The high standard of living in Singapore today and the many other easier pathways to success prevents many parents from sending their children for real hard training, even if they are passionate about it. With a small population of 4.5 million, and an average birth rate of 30,000, talents hardly come by. Thus, to reach our goals, Singapore will have to look elsewhere, for stressed out foreign talents from the China Olympics School with a good attitude.
See article here
“They are just like maids!” was my first reaction on seeing this article. However, I soon realized I was wrong. Coming to a foreign land to take up jobs, the throwers have become citizens of Singapore through the foreign talent scheme, whereas the maids work on work permit through the foreign manpower scheme. The throwers earn a monthly income of $4000 (not including allowances and bonuses), ten times more than our maids. Though receiving fewer benefits, Maria doesn’t disappear all of a sudden, she doesn’t “balik kampong”(go home) without informing mum, and she doesn’t throw a temper at her employers. On the other hand, Maria and the throwers though worlds apart, have one common asset with them – that is they have their talents! The throwers are a talented breed of athletes who are able to throw their weights around, whereas Maria can cook real great “cheng teng”.
Du came in 2nd during the World Junior Championship. This meant that she was one of the front few runners amongst her contemporaries worldwide, a world-class talent indeed. She had the karma with her, the easy route to enlightenment. However, the best results both throwers have brought home over the past 8 years are only 4 South East Asian Games gold medals. What’s the point of cultivating “Kampung” champions, while both have the potential to become world-beaters?
This incident proves to us yet again that talent is definitely not the pathway to success (answering to the question from the previous response). There are just too many contributing factors that prevent ones talents shape a person.
No one is perfect; talents too have their weaknesses and soft spots. The throwers have destroyed their own credibility through their knack of leaving the country on a contract without informing, burning down bridges between them and their employers. History has duly proven that talents can’t make it far if they let their weaknesses have the better out of them. In soccer, there were Diego Maradona and Paul Gascoigne, talented players scouted at the age of 8. Maradona went on to become a unhealthy cannabis addict, while Paul Gascoigne love for drinking and media attention went on to play in a Sunday League in his most prime years.
Everyone faces problems; talents too have their troubles. I the case for the throwers, there is a high possibility of being homesick being in a foreign land. Underperforming when all hopes are on them is rather stressful too. In my opinion, being a talent might be a problem by itself. Having a talent means hands one the social responsibility to make full use of his/her gifts. In the movies, we have Uncle Ben telling Peter Parker “with great power comes great responsibility”. In India, we have the 5-year-old marathon prodigy Budhia Singh, allegedly being exploited and abused by his trainer.
In conclusion to my above response, we can find two kinds of talents in a bowl of “cheng teng” – the dried longans and the pandan leaf. Both of these ingredients started out sweet and fragrant. The dried longan, when cooked in the soup, grew bigger and sweeter, becoming the sweetest ingredient in the whole bowl of dessert. The pandan leaf, on the other hand, let off all its fragrance, and ended up in the bottom of the pot, not being eaten. Talents can be either the longans or the pandan leaf. If they have the right attitude and mindset to overcome their adversities, they would be able to develop their talents and become world-renowned. However, they can also let their weaknesses and problems get the better of them, hindering their progress and ending up as a failure.
The Singapore Sports Council envision Singapore of being in the top 10 of the Asian games by 2010. However, do we have what it takes to make it great? If sports in Singapore remain to be the uncurvy little finger, we will be unable to progress to a higher stage. It’s down to either hard work (with passion) or karma (sans troubles) again. The high standard of living in Singapore today and the many other easier pathways to success prevents many parents from sending their children for real hard training, even if they are passionate about it. With a small population of 4.5 million, and an average birth rate of 30,000, talents hardly come by. Thus, to reach our goals, Singapore will have to look elsewhere, for stressed out foreign talents from the China Olympics School with a good attitude.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Virginia Tech Shootings
TIME, 19 April 2007
See article here
My mother was flabbergasted and almost deafened me when she found a pen knife in my pocket one day in primary 3. I was going to hack the guy who hacked my “Neopets” account.
Just like her, I was as astounded to hear about the Virginia Tech shootings, the biggest of all school massacres. As the story goes, South Korean Cho Seung-Hui, a mentally ill student equipped with two handguns, went on a wild rampage in his school ground that ended up killing 33 people including him, and injuring many others.
In my opinion, this incident is a resulted by three major problems of today’s world.
Firstly, it is the stress education these days bring. Education these days are tied with many other problems. Peer pressure, an example being the pursuit of expensive branded items, has left those who are not as affluent to feel the pinch. Cho himself mentioned about the “rich brats” in his school which he wanted to get even with.
Secondly, it is the social disparity still common in today’s world. Cho Seung-Hui, though already an American Green Card holder, is still widely referred to as a “South Korean”. This shows how the ethnic group of a person, rather than his/her nationality, is used to gauge who a person really is. Social disparity can still be found in a multi-racial country like Singapore. Students who are born in China are still widely referred as “Cheena men”, though they have already Permanent Residents of Singapore. Living in a foreign land is already a headache, having stereotypes only adds on to the burden.
Lastly, it is the gun rights issue in America.
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitutions reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the rights of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
As Singapore is a gun-free society, I might not be able to comprehend the importance of owning guns. However, in my opinion, giving the people rights to own guns then charging them for murder is just like a dog chasing its own tail, an enstrangement of oneself. Having guns in the citizen population is leaving the door open for problems to surface. The government will have a greater duty and responsibility to ensure the citizens safety.
In Switzerland, men who have finished their military training are issued rifles to act as a deterrent to aggressors and enable the country to always have a combat-ready citizen army. Even so, the gun crime there is low. The tradition of responsible gun ownership is passed down from father to son. This is an area which can be looked into by the US.
Gun rights in America are an ongoing debate for many years. The right to own a gun and defend oneself is considered to be the central American identity. In the past, guns were used to enable settlers to guard themselves from Indians, animals and foreign armies, and citizens assumed much responsibility for self-protection. Just this month, a 10-month old in America was issued a Firearm Owner's Identification Card (link). In this time and age where there are widespread peace, are guns still required to protect oneself, what's more a baby?
High-profile shooting cases like V-tech shootings have lent ammunition to the anti-gun lobby. Is gun ownership a part of the American Dream, or rather a nightmare when it comes to such school massacres?
Is this something that the Americans cannot without?
Have they the will to change it?
I think not.
See article here
My mother was flabbergasted and almost deafened me when she found a pen knife in my pocket one day in primary 3. I was going to hack the guy who hacked my “Neopets” account.
Just like her, I was as astounded to hear about the Virginia Tech shootings, the biggest of all school massacres. As the story goes, South Korean Cho Seung-Hui, a mentally ill student equipped with two handguns, went on a wild rampage in his school ground that ended up killing 33 people including him, and injuring many others.
In my opinion, this incident is a resulted by three major problems of today’s world.
Firstly, it is the stress education these days bring. Education these days are tied with many other problems. Peer pressure, an example being the pursuit of expensive branded items, has left those who are not as affluent to feel the pinch. Cho himself mentioned about the “rich brats” in his school which he wanted to get even with.
Secondly, it is the social disparity still common in today’s world. Cho Seung-Hui, though already an American Green Card holder, is still widely referred to as a “South Korean”. This shows how the ethnic group of a person, rather than his/her nationality, is used to gauge who a person really is. Social disparity can still be found in a multi-racial country like Singapore. Students who are born in China are still widely referred as “Cheena men”, though they have already Permanent Residents of Singapore. Living in a foreign land is already a headache, having stereotypes only adds on to the burden.
Lastly, it is the gun rights issue in America.
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitutions reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the rights of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
As Singapore is a gun-free society, I might not be able to comprehend the importance of owning guns. However, in my opinion, giving the people rights to own guns then charging them for murder is just like a dog chasing its own tail, an enstrangement of oneself. Having guns in the citizen population is leaving the door open for problems to surface. The government will have a greater duty and responsibility to ensure the citizens safety.
In Switzerland, men who have finished their military training are issued rifles to act as a deterrent to aggressors and enable the country to always have a combat-ready citizen army. Even so, the gun crime there is low. The tradition of responsible gun ownership is passed down from father to son. This is an area which can be looked into by the US.
Gun rights in America are an ongoing debate for many years. The right to own a gun and defend oneself is considered to be the central American identity. In the past, guns were used to enable settlers to guard themselves from Indians, animals and foreign armies, and citizens assumed much responsibility for self-protection. Just this month, a 10-month old in America was issued a Firearm Owner's Identification Card (link). In this time and age where there are widespread peace, are guns still required to protect oneself, what's more a baby?
High-profile shooting cases like V-tech shootings have lent ammunition to the anti-gun lobby. Is gun ownership a part of the American Dream, or rather a nightmare when it comes to such school massacres?
Is this something that the Americans cannot without?
Have they the will to change it?
I think not.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Singapore to host F1 Grand Prix next year
Channel NewsAsia, 11 May 2007
See article here
At around 5.30 pm every Tuesday afternoon, she will be seen running along Bishan Street 11. Oh, what a beauty! “Grrr…Grr”, she gave off deep throaty growls, as her fine delicate Bridgestone legs rubbed against the coarse gravel road. It just ache my heart. At a top speed of 327 km/h, and equipped with a double throttle V-10 engine, this Lamborghini Gallardo shouldn’t be strolling on the 90km/h Singapore roads. She was meant for the real thing, the Formula One.
The long-awaited chequered flag of a Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix is finally is sight, signaling an end to months of on-and-off media speculation. Singapore will be hosting the world’s first Formula 1 night race in September or October next year, with the proposed site a street circuit at the Marina Area.
For the F1 fanatic, having the Grand Prix at their doorsteps will mean that they would not need to go on expensive overseas trips to watch races. However, for most Singaporeans, purchasing the hundred of dollars for a gallery ticket or a costly hotel room along the circuit just to see cars zooming pass them will be a major turnoff.
Malaysia will not be impressed with the Singapore Grand Prix, having their Sepang race circuit just 300km away from the causeway. Though a war of words is expected, I doubt any real cross-fires to occur. On the other hand, I feel that this will lead to a more competitive environment for both countries to seek improvements on their service sectors to draw tourists.
From a bigger perspective, the Grand Prix is a prized event for the country. Just like the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, the immediate benefits from hosting the Formula One would be more tourists during the racing period, bringing in hotel, retail, entertainment and service revenues of at least $100 million. There are also other secondary rewards that Singapore stands to gain. Through publicity and media, Singapore can be brought to eyes abroad, thus raising her profile as a vibrant global city with high-quality entertainment and events. With more than 500 million viewers worldwide, F1 will definitely make Singapore leap to global recognition.
However, there are downsides of hosting Formula One racing in Singapore. F1 is likely to be legalized as a form of betting here. Expect to see more people and their families drown tragically in the murky Singapore Pools. Teenagers might develop a penchant for speeding, and might be more likely to sneak out in their parents car for a spin, like the recent case when a 15 year-old boy was arrested by police, for taking his father’s car for a joyride.
In my opinion, more can be done to curb the problem of unsafe and inconsiderate driving, which have been on the rise over the pass few months. Formula One racing can be used to advocate road-safety. For example, the likes Fernando Alonso can appear on “Drink Driving is not cool!” traffic advertisements. Traffic police can also join in the fun during F1 races, by issuing “samans” (fine tickets) during the race to drivers who exceed the speed limit or did not put on their safety belts.
Just like the Lamborghini Gallardo, I feel that Singapore is now ready and prepared for the real deal, the Formula One Grand Prix.
See article here
At around 5.30 pm every Tuesday afternoon, she will be seen running along Bishan Street 11. Oh, what a beauty! “Grrr…Grr”, she gave off deep throaty growls, as her fine delicate Bridgestone legs rubbed against the coarse gravel road. It just ache my heart. At a top speed of 327 km/h, and equipped with a double throttle V-10 engine, this Lamborghini Gallardo shouldn’t be strolling on the 90km/h Singapore roads. She was meant for the real thing, the Formula One.
The long-awaited chequered flag of a Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix is finally is sight, signaling an end to months of on-and-off media speculation. Singapore will be hosting the world’s first Formula 1 night race in September or October next year, with the proposed site a street circuit at the Marina Area.
For the F1 fanatic, having the Grand Prix at their doorsteps will mean that they would not need to go on expensive overseas trips to watch races. However, for most Singaporeans, purchasing the hundred of dollars for a gallery ticket or a costly hotel room along the circuit just to see cars zooming pass them will be a major turnoff.
Malaysia will not be impressed with the Singapore Grand Prix, having their Sepang race circuit just 300km away from the causeway. Though a war of words is expected, I doubt any real cross-fires to occur. On the other hand, I feel that this will lead to a more competitive environment for both countries to seek improvements on their service sectors to draw tourists.
From a bigger perspective, the Grand Prix is a prized event for the country. Just like the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, the immediate benefits from hosting the Formula One would be more tourists during the racing period, bringing in hotel, retail, entertainment and service revenues of at least $100 million. There are also other secondary rewards that Singapore stands to gain. Through publicity and media, Singapore can be brought to eyes abroad, thus raising her profile as a vibrant global city with high-quality entertainment and events. With more than 500 million viewers worldwide, F1 will definitely make Singapore leap to global recognition.
However, there are downsides of hosting Formula One racing in Singapore. F1 is likely to be legalized as a form of betting here. Expect to see more people and their families drown tragically in the murky Singapore Pools. Teenagers might develop a penchant for speeding, and might be more likely to sneak out in their parents car for a spin, like the recent case when a 15 year-old boy was arrested by police, for taking his father’s car for a joyride.
In my opinion, more can be done to curb the problem of unsafe and inconsiderate driving, which have been on the rise over the pass few months. Formula One racing can be used to advocate road-safety. For example, the likes Fernando Alonso can appear on “Drink Driving is not cool!” traffic advertisements. Traffic police can also join in the fun during F1 races, by issuing “samans” (fine tickets) during the race to drivers who exceed the speed limit or did not put on their safety belts.
Just like the Lamborghini Gallardo, I feel that Singapore is now ready and prepared for the real deal, the Formula One Grand Prix.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Girl Awarded Macau Casino Jackpot
BBC News, 24 February 2007
See article here
I feel that the main issue of this article was why the parent allowed the girl to enter the casino, and was even given money to gamble, rather than if the casino should pay up. In my opinion, it is wrong to teach a child to gamble. This incident also tells me that many parents are also doing what this mother did, but went unnoticed.
This incident would lead to further problems. This teenage girl would have the misconception of gambling as an easy method for earning quick money. In the future, she might become a gambling addict and end up losing much more money than what she had received this time round. In addition, her peers might also get this misconception and start sneaking into casinos, hoping to emulate her feat. Furthermore, parents might start bringing their children into the casino hoping to add to their chances of winning.
Gambling during Chinese New Year had become common not only among adults but also teenagers and children these days. I for once can testify this phenomenon. After reunion dinner at my grandparents’ place this year, the adults would gather in groups of four, producing scary blasts at each other. “Peng! Peng!” one auntie would start the shootings. “Gun!” exclaimed another uncle, and “HU!” my grandmother would yell, ending another game of majong in style. To shelter ourselves from these bombings, we cousins would gather in a room, and just like our parents, gather into groups of four, this time playing a game of “dai-ti” (dialect for 2 of spades, the highest scoring card in this game) or “bridge”, with the stakes of peanut shells. And look over there, my baby cousin gleefully playing with her mini-size slot-machine, “Chzzz…Chzzz”.
Gambling is a social problem for many centuries even until today. It has led to countless cases of broken families and illegal borrowing of money from loan sharks. Addiction to gambling causes people to turn into slaves of their own freedom. Perhaps gambling can and will never be extinguished. This is due to two factors. Firstly, it is the trill and temptation of gaining vast wealth straight away. Secondly, it is the vicious cycle of parents who gamble in front of their children’s innocent eyes, laying stacks of money on their children’s untainted hands into the slot machines. This pollutes many gullible minds. These children grow up, become parents themselves, and continue this vicious cycle.
Education against gambling can discontinue this vicious cycle. Education should start from a family. Parents should stop imparting the wrong set of values to their young, and also teach them about the many ills of gambling. Parents are role models in their children’s eyes, and they themselves should also stop gambling.
Education of the society as a whole should be done. With two integrated resorts (IR) set to come in year 2009, perhaps Singapore should build just one more IR. In this IR, peanut shells are used as stakes. Parents would be strongly encouraged to bring their children in, to see how high the odds are against one in gambling, as the most one would get for hitting the jackpot would only be a hundred thousand peanut shells.
See article here
I feel that the main issue of this article was why the parent allowed the girl to enter the casino, and was even given money to gamble, rather than if the casino should pay up. In my opinion, it is wrong to teach a child to gamble. This incident also tells me that many parents are also doing what this mother did, but went unnoticed.
This incident would lead to further problems. This teenage girl would have the misconception of gambling as an easy method for earning quick money. In the future, she might become a gambling addict and end up losing much more money than what she had received this time round. In addition, her peers might also get this misconception and start sneaking into casinos, hoping to emulate her feat. Furthermore, parents might start bringing their children into the casino hoping to add to their chances of winning.
Gambling during Chinese New Year had become common not only among adults but also teenagers and children these days. I for once can testify this phenomenon. After reunion dinner at my grandparents’ place this year, the adults would gather in groups of four, producing scary blasts at each other. “Peng! Peng!” one auntie would start the shootings. “Gun!” exclaimed another uncle, and “HU!” my grandmother would yell, ending another game of majong in style. To shelter ourselves from these bombings, we cousins would gather in a room, and just like our parents, gather into groups of four, this time playing a game of “dai-ti” (dialect for 2 of spades, the highest scoring card in this game) or “bridge”, with the stakes of peanut shells. And look over there, my baby cousin gleefully playing with her mini-size slot-machine, “Chzzz…Chzzz”.
Gambling is a social problem for many centuries even until today. It has led to countless cases of broken families and illegal borrowing of money from loan sharks. Addiction to gambling causes people to turn into slaves of their own freedom. Perhaps gambling can and will never be extinguished. This is due to two factors. Firstly, it is the trill and temptation of gaining vast wealth straight away. Secondly, it is the vicious cycle of parents who gamble in front of their children’s innocent eyes, laying stacks of money on their children’s untainted hands into the slot machines. This pollutes many gullible minds. These children grow up, become parents themselves, and continue this vicious cycle.
Education against gambling can discontinue this vicious cycle. Education should start from a family. Parents should stop imparting the wrong set of values to their young, and also teach them about the many ills of gambling. Parents are role models in their children’s eyes, and they themselves should also stop gambling.
Education of the society as a whole should be done. With two integrated resorts (IR) set to come in year 2009, perhaps Singapore should build just one more IR. In this IR, peanut shells are used as stakes. Parents would be strongly encouraged to bring their children in, to see how high the odds are against one in gambling, as the most one would get for hitting the jackpot would only be a hundred thousand peanut shells.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Schools To Teach Net Safety Lessons
The Straits Times, Feb 06, 2007
By Chua Hian Hou
See article here.
It is with great anticipation as I read this article on teaching the “tech-savvy but not so cyberspace-smart” student population in Singapore on cyber-wellness and Internet safety. Many problems have arisen since the boom of the internet. Students in Singapore use the internet everyday, as they discover the world at their doorsteps, with just a click of the mouse away. We students exploit the many applications the internet can provide: for communication, gaming, researching, leisure, study, and also blogging for leisure and schoolwork.
The internet is a double-edged sword. While it has many brilliant functions, the irony is that there are as many ills. Gaming addiction, pornography, piracy, slander etc, are just few of the many other evils the internet offers. Back in Primary school, I was already a victim of gaming addiction. Hooked to a multiplayer internet role playing game “Diablo 2”, I would play the game for hours and forgo all my homework. It was only after my father broke the disk that I reflected. I discovered the truth behind why people are hooked to internet games. It was the trill of rising up the ranks for all to see, giving them a sense of self-confidence which they hoped to achieve in the real world. This is therefore why I believe that teaching us, the first generation of internet-savvy students on steering clear from the harms of the internet can be very beneficial.
From a student’s point of view, the internet is an exclusive portal to explore the world virtually. However, from a parent’s point of view, the internet is where their children are uncontrolled. They worry that their children will be under the bad influences of the internet, causing them to do badly in their studies. Thus, I feel that further improvement to the programme is needed. Parents should also attend internet safety classes together with their children. This would allow both parents and children to learn about the ills of the internet and how to avoid them. It will also allow parents to be on a lookout for their children’s activity on the internet, at the same time fostering better relationship and understanding between parents and children.
The internet is a double-edged sword. While it has many brilliant functions, the irony is that there are as many ills. Gaming addiction, pornography, piracy, slander etc, are just few of the many other evils the internet offers. Back in Primary school, I was already a victim of gaming addiction. Hooked to a multiplayer internet role playing game “Diablo 2”, I would play the game for hours and forgo all my homework. It was only after my father broke the disk that I reflected. I discovered the truth behind why people are hooked to internet games. It was the trill of rising up the ranks for all to see, giving them a sense of self-confidence which they hoped to achieve in the real world. This is therefore why I believe that teaching us, the first generation of internet-savvy students on steering clear from the harms of the internet can be very beneficial.
From a student’s point of view, the internet is an exclusive portal to explore the world virtually. However, from a parent’s point of view, the internet is where their children are uncontrolled. They worry that their children will be under the bad influences of the internet, causing them to do badly in their studies. Thus, I feel that further improvement to the programme is needed. Parents should also attend internet safety classes together with their children. This would allow both parents and children to learn about the ills of the internet and how to avoid them. It will also allow parents to be on a lookout for their children’s activity on the internet, at the same time fostering better relationship and understanding between parents and children.
A result of this improvement might turn out like this:
Father: Ah boy, playing Diablo 3 again?
Luke: I have only played an hour a day of Diablo 3 since attending the internet safety lessons. On the other hand, don’t think I am not aware of what you have been doing on the internet, chatting with Auntie Lucy on MSN. Amend your misdeeds before I tell Ma all your atrocities.
Father: Luke, I am your Father. Blame your Ma for going to her slim-wrap sessions instead of the internet safety lessons. I can always use the “boss code” function your school taught me, erasing all the evidence. What’s more, I have been checking on your chat log. Seems that someone have been using the codename “Little Flower” on the ICU to disguise his identity, getting the girls to chat with him. Still telling Ma my secrets?
Luke: No. No. How can this be true! I surrender!
Father: Ah boy, playing Diablo 3 again?
Luke: I have only played an hour a day of Diablo 3 since attending the internet safety lessons. On the other hand, don’t think I am not aware of what you have been doing on the internet, chatting with Auntie Lucy on MSN. Amend your misdeeds before I tell Ma all your atrocities.
Father: Luke, I am your Father. Blame your Ma for going to her slim-wrap sessions instead of the internet safety lessons. I can always use the “boss code” function your school taught me, erasing all the evidence. What’s more, I have been checking on your chat log. Seems that someone have been using the codename “Little Flower” on the ICU to disguise his identity, getting the girls to chat with him. Still telling Ma my secrets?
Luke: No. No. How can this be true! I surrender!
This post addresses to societal issues, educational issues and issues regarding teenagers.
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