Inspiring Words to Myself

About 1 more week to my STPM... Sigh, stressful, man! My first paper, Pengajian Am Kertas 2, will be on 23rd of November. And this exam will end on 10th of December.

Teh Yi Shyue, fight, fight, fight! Fight to enter U! Fight for your future! This will be the last battle for you! Go!

Root of Sorrow

ROOT OF SORROW

You are a devil,
Destroy my happiness,
Make my life dull,
And full of anxiety.
How could you!

You are a monster,
Swallow my freedom,
Make my life gloomy,
And full of darkness.
How dare you!

You are a tracker,
Follow me wherever I go,
Make my life stressful,
And full of fear.
How can you!

You are a mosquito,
Bite me cruelly,
Make my life painful,
And full of hatred.
How dare you!

You bring me sadness
And terror,
Thinking of you,
Makes me quake in fright.
Oh, exam, please go away!

Vincent Teh Yi Shyue

The Publication of the 2nd Issue of ESN

After a few months of hard work, on 12th of October, my second and also the last issue of ESN (English Society Newsletter) was finally published! Hooray!

To my joy, the response from the community of SMK Sg. Besar was even greater than that during the time when the 1st issue of the newsletter was being published-a total of 150 copies of ESN were sold out! Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for your support! I, as the chief editor, really appreciate it.

Of course, I would also love to thank my friend, Christopher Lee, who helped me to design an interesting and attractive front page for my newsletter. I believe, the great response was simply becausemany students were lured by the amazing front page. Thanks, my friend!

Happy Mooncake Festival

Last Saturday, which was 3rd of October, was Mooncake Festival. It should be a happy day for me because I would be having chafing dish with my friends at the house of a friend of mine. However, something happened on that day, that had slightly altered my mood during the celebration. That thing had finally been settled, anyway. Allow me to keep it as a secret. In this blog, I won't describe much about the Mooncake Festival celebration in words. Instead, I will share some pictures that I took on that day, because a picture paints a thousand words...

Note: To my dear readers, more pictures were uploaded in my Facebook. If you are interested, go to my profile to have a look! ^^

Form 6, What a Heavy Load I Have to Carry!

1 more week for me to prepare for my STPM trial, but I still have a lot of things to cover. Sigh...

4 subjects seem only a little to those SPM students, but the number of chapters for each subject is about 2 times more than that of the corresponding SPM subject! For instance, you have a total of 14 chapters for your SPM chemistry syllabus; I have 31 chapters for mine! Even worse, each chapter still has so many concepts that need to be learnt and understood. In organic chemistry, for an organic compound like alcohol, I have to remember a lot of reactions that it can undergo, and also the reagents and conditions that are required to make the alcohol undergo a certain reaction. For example:

Reactions of alcohol with PCl3, PCl5 and SOCl2:

r.t.

3CH3CH2OH + PCl3 -------> 3CH3CH2Cl + H3PO3

r.t.

CH3CH2OH + PCl5 -------> CH3CH2Cl + POCl3 + HCl

r.t.

CH3CH2OH + SOCl2 --------> CH3CH2Cl + SO4 +HCl

This part of reactions is just 1/4 the reactions of alcohols that I need to know and remember. From the reactions shown above, I still have to know that the 2nd and 3rd reactions are the ways to determine the presence of -OH group because of the liberation of the HCl gas.

I am glad that when I was writing this blog, I did not refer to my notes but I still could write out the reactions of alcohols. All these really need extremely hard work to remember and understand. But the STPM chemistry syllabus is really a huge and heavy burden and so the syllabi for the other subjects.

I really wonder how the people out there could get 4 As in STPM? How can they remember all the things in such a thick "telephone book"? Sorry, not one, but 4 "telephone books"!

Help Me!!!

STPM trial is coming! Just after the approaching holidays of August! Stress and pressure are getting extremely intense... My palms are sweating...

Arghhhhhh, help me!

My Predicament

STPM is around the corner. My heart pounds even quicker. Stress and pressure are getting more intense.

I have no way to escape. I could only choose to face the tough challenge that approaches me, but this challenge is too big for me. It only gives me two options - hell or heaven.

I know many people do not prefer to take Form 6 course because it is a really difficult alternative to most SPM graduates. Like many of my friends, most of them would rather choose to go to colleges instead of Form 6. I can understand their rationales for doing that.

STPM is actually the toughest challenge among the other challenges like colleges and matriculations. If you really decide to take this course, you have to really struggle to perform well in the examination. Dilligence is the key to survive in this challenge. Excellent results in STPM might leave your options open and better. You could apply for better universities and best of all, you could apply for foreign scholarships, and you would stand a higher chance to get that scholarship. More importantly, I was told that an STPM certificate would guarantee a higher salary as compared to an SPM certificate. Well, STPM could really lead us to heaven!

However, if you fail in STPM, well, you would not die. You still can go to colleges to study. But, it is a waste of money as well as precious time. After two years of studying in Form 6, failure in STPM gives you nothing, and yet you have to spend another 4 years and a huge amount of money to continue your study in the colleges. You are wasting your parents' time and their hard-earned money!

Therefore, if one really wants to take Form 6, he/she has to struggle and be really hardworking to score well in STPM.

Honestly, I am not really doing that. I am still like usual, a procrastinator, but this time, I think I am much more hardworking than before. I know it is not enough to reap better results, but I am trying. Studying in Nanyang University of Singapore (NUS) is always my dream.

Notwithstanding, can my dream come true? This will depend on my results...

Friendship Forever

I learnt a very valuable lesson during the trip to Genting Highland - we have to cherish and appreciate friendship. The moment that friends gather together would not last forever. All good things must come to an end.

The trip to Genting involved most Form 4 students. All of them were close friends who know each other since primary school. On the way to Genting, they talked, joked and laughed together in the bus. A sense of happiness filled the air.
The scene made me envy, and it also made me reminisce the good old days of the primary school trip. We were a big group of friends, who were close to each other. We talked, laughed, joked, played and sang together in the bus. I can still remember we sang a classic song by Teresa Teng - "tian mi mi" (甜蜜蜜) together in the bus. The atmosphere was filled with joy. Every moment during the trip was sweet and memorable, but all those remain as memory now. I do hope that time could revert to that time, when I could feel the atmosphere that all friends gathered and played together.

Time flies... Everyone has grown up now. Each of them has his or her own new chapter in life. All of us are in different places now. Some are studying in colleges; some are taking matriculation; some are taking Form 6 and some are working. It is hard for us to meet each other again. Sigh...

Well, all these are what we must experience in our life. Although we can rarely meet each other, we could reminisce the sweet moment that we had when we were still in our primary school. Like the song goes,

别管以后将如何结束，

至少我们曾经相聚过，

不必费心地彼此约束，

更不需要言语的承諾，

只要我们曾经拥有过，

对你我来讲已经足够，

人的一生有许多回忆，

只愿你的追忆有个我。

Translating the lyrics into English, the song is likely to go like this:

No matter how the future ends,

what we really care is that we used to be with each other.

We do not need any promises.

As long as we used to be with each other,

for you and me, it is enough.

In one's life, there are a lot of memories,

hope I am always in your memory.

This song is named as "ping ju"(萍聚). It mentions that no matter how the future ends, what we really care is that at least we used to be with each other and we always think of one another.

Though we cannot be with each other forever, friendship stays forever!

Aye, Genting Highland!

After a long and tiring work, last Saturday, that was on 25th of July, my school trip to Genting Highland finally came to reality. Hooray! Although many obstacles kept cropping up when I was handling the trip till the trip was nearly cancelled, I felt the organizing of the trip was worth my efforts because I learnt a lot of valuable experiences on how to have a trip, how to communicate. etc. Most of all, I could go to Genting Highland where I always dreamed to go to.

It has been a long time since I first stepped foot in the vicinity of Genting Highland and tried the exciting games available there, till I could barely remember when did I go to that place. Hence, I was very excited for I could go to Genting Highland again.Thunderstruck, the day before our departure to Genting Highland on Saturday, I received a shocking news from the advisor, Mr. Thamlarason - the principal urged us to cancel the trip if possible due to H1N1, which has spread widely in our country and killed a few lives. I was irritated. All my efforts might have gone to waste.

Luckily, because we had paid the deposit and the money could not be refunded, we had no choice and we had to go to Genting Highland, and this was what I badly wished to happen. Still, we had to take care of our own safety as a result of the dreadful H1N1, all of us had to wear masks during the trip for proctection.

Well, I had a great time in Genting Highland. We went to the Snow House, experiencing the white snow and the extremely cold temperature in the room. I finally experienced to emit steam from my mouth, which I always wanted to try! We also had a scrumptious buffet there. Best of all, I tried various types of exciting games in the Theme Park, where I hadn't gone for a very long time.

Overall, the trip was a success although the time given was too limited. I would particularly wish to thank Miss Nanthini, who had taken great pains to deal with the staffs of Genting Highland to give the best to us, and I have to stress here, RM 30 per student (the exact price was RM 37 but RM 7 was subsidised by the school) for a package that included Snow House, buffet and Theme Park was really cheap. Every student who went for the trip also said so. Thank you very much, Miss Nanthini! Of course, I also want to thank Mr. Thamlarason who gave me the opportunity to handle this trip and I did learn a lot of things from that. I learnt how to organise a trip, how to communicate with the school authorities to ask for their helps and approvals, how to deal with obstacles, and how to control a group of people. Thanks, sir!

A Frightening School Open Day

Today must be a nervous and frightening moment for every student at my school - it was an open day for all parents to receive their children's report cards. Oh, no! Every student was shivering and biting their nails in fear, not knowing what their class teachers would tell their parents. They were also busy looking outside of their classes to see whether their parents had arrived or not. They badly wished their parents could reach the school earlier in order to make an end on the pain and distress they were having. Even I kept having such a feeling before my mum arrived.

God, why should we, the school students, suffer like this?

A Special and Unique Library

A library is where we study and make reference. In such a place, we use our eyes to read and use our brains to analyse and understand what we read. When we want to speak, we could only whisper in order not to distract others who are studying. Thus, a library always gives us an impression that we must be quiet there. In fact, we must be so.

Alas, there is an extremely unique public library at the town in my living place where it is totally different from a classic library. It has transformed into...a "playground"!

Well, this phenomenon does not commonly happen. I was told that it only occurred during the holidays. The problem has occurred for almost two weeks since the beginning of the semi-semester holiday, and it really pissed me off.

A lot of Malay wee kids were sent by their parents to the public library. Perchance, their parents wished their children could spend their vacation on beneficial activities, and by letting their children to be surrounded by books is the best way to prevent them from wasting time on hanging around. I compliment them for doing this.

The kids were overjoyed when they went to the library. The place was big and spacious, and there were multitudinous story books available. They curiously browsed every book and when they found their ideal story book, they would sit down and dive into a sea of attractive pictures.

The library might have a nice and homey atmosphere to some kids. They chased each other and yelled there! Oh, goodness, how could they! Surprisingly, the librarians shut their eyes to that chaos. I was completely distracted by those mischievous brats.

I really could not believe that there is such a special and unique library in Malaysia. Malaysia, boleh?

A Well First Attempt

I am glad to hear the current proposal to make English a "must pass" subject in order to qualify for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certicate. This proposal is indeed a great beginning stage to improve the command of English among Malaysian students. I laud the attempt of the Education Ministry.

It is always claimed that the standard of English today has gone to the dogs. Many young generations de-emphasize English and are unable to speak proper English. Little priority is given to English is probably due to a fail in English, so far, does not give any impact to the students to get their SPM certificates. This case would, in turn, make them treat English in-seriously.

This proposal will be a big advantage to the students in both the rural and the urban areas. Especially the rural-area students, they are in a place where English is an unusual language to many of them, so they may not be aware of the importance of the language. The launching of the blueprint will be a wake-up call to them and they will try their hardest to brush up on their English.

In fact, this proposal should have been spearheaded long time ago. If we must get a pass in our national language - Bahasa Malaysia, why must we not get a pass in English, the lingua franca? However, it is better late than never. I sincerely hope that the Education Ministry could make more attempts to raise the standard of English in our country to a greater height.

Mum, Happy Father's Day!

Yesterday night (5th of June, 2009), I asked my mum a question that sounded silly but for me, that was food for thought, actually.

"Mum, how am I going to celebrate Father's Day for you?" "Don't be silly!" she briefly replied. I rebut, "You are taking up the responsibility as a father as well, it's not wrong to celebrate Father's Day for you." "Not need, not need." was another brief reply from her. Then, I went off to my bedroom.

My mum took on the role as a single mother when I was three. Her love one died in an accident. As a little woman who just had the qualification that was equivalent to Form 3 today, she had to support the whole family on her own. There were my grandparents, a 1-year-old younger brother, and a youngest one in my mum's warm worm, in the family, then. That was an extremely tough task for the little woman.

Luckily, one of my uncles came to our help. My mum became a clerk in his company. That was indeed a great help for my mum, although her salary was not high. At least she had some money to support her family.

My mum used to be in a considerably rich family and to lead a luxurious life before she was married. Even after she married my dad, she could have led a good life as well, because I was told that my dad was diligent and managed to run a business of repairing motorcycles. His business was good. My mum could probably stay at home and take good care of her parents-in-law and children.

However, everything changed after my father had passed away.

Apart from taking care of the house, she still had to go to work outside by a motorcycle. Every time when it rained, it was so heart-breaking to see her soaked with rain water when she came back from work in the evening. What could she do? For her family, she had to endure that and get back to work as a housewife to cook for us.

Due to give her children a better life and a better education, she had to be thrifty. Most of the times, she only had a cup of MILO as her breakfast. Moreover, she was willing to work for her friend to sell vegetables under a hot sun simply to get some income. She got darker and her hands got rougher and rougher then. She has turned from a little woman to a tough one. She could bear whatever hardships for the sake of her children.

My mum has done a great job. Even though she has had a difficult time, she still can send us for private tuitions and also give us everthing a normal child can have. Every year, I still can go to Singapore for trip! It really does not seem like I come from a single-parent family. It is obvious that all her sacrifices have given us good life and pleasures.

Mum, you have done very well as a single mother. You act as a good mother as well as a good father. Whether you like it or not, allow me to wish you Happy Father's Day. You deserve it.

Reading Makes Men Charming

I read with interest about Abby Wong's column on "Read, man!" (starmag, 24th of May, 2009 on Sunday) and she has sent a huge doubt to me. She mentioned that a man who reads in public is attractive. Well, I rarely read in public so I do not know that such a man could give this kind of impression to a lady like Abby Wong.

In her column, she narrated that she happened to see a man sitting on a bench in a shopping arcade, legs crossed, one hand holding a book in his lap, the other propping up his chin. The man was reading quietly and intently, deeply engrossed. To Abby Wong, that man was painfully attractive. She could even walk back and forth in front of the man simply because she was unable to pull herself away from the beautiful sight of a man with a book in his hand!

After reading the article, I tried to imagine, a man who was reading in public... Well, she was right. The man might be delicious to watch.

One of the reasons that provoked Abby Wong's indulgence was this, and I am particularly fond of this part:

"I imagined what must be going on in his head. Each word and line he read would send a signal to his brain, making him think, connect, judge, react, and opine. As he turned the last page, all those lines would have added up, and he would have gained new knowledge, perspectives, ideas, inspiration, or even hope - none of which would have emerged had he gone for a drink or two instead of reading."

How accurate the perspective of Abby Wong was towards reading!

Reading is indeed a habit that is strongly recommended to be taken up by everyone. Reading make us learn, mature, and better ones. More importantly, reading makes us charming! None of these would we get by going for tea, hanging out, and playing online games.

Maybe it is hard to believe that women would find a man, who reads publicly, charming, but if Abby Wong does, there must be many other women who feel the same as her. Read, man!

I suggest all men should read Abby Wong's column on "Read, man!" Go to the web www.thestar.com.my to check it out.

1Malaysia, boleh!

Joy does not last long.
After the happy moment at my school that my baby, ESN had finally been published yesterday(29th of May), I had to say goodbye to my classmate, Hafizuddin (I always call him Hafiz), who has decided to study in SPA (Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam), instead of STPM. I was sad as we have studied together for nearly one year. We might not be close friends, but we are good friends!
That would be the last time we met, so Hafiz decided to treat all his classmates from 6 A SAINS for lunch at the KFC restaurant at 3 p.m.
Well, we had a great time when we were at the restaurant. We enjoyed our lunch very much. We chatted and joked, a sense of joy filled the air. It seemed that we almost forgot Hafiz was leaving us.
Honestly, I was quite happy when we could mix together so well although we were of different races, because we were doing our part to achieve 1Malaysia.
Let us get to the point, we can easily observe that many young Malaysians nowadays are mixing with friends who are of the same races. They discriminate those who are of different colours. In fact, this is not a healthy phenomenon in this multi-ethnic country, as it will make the bond of unity among the young generations more vulnerable. Probably, the tragedy of 513 race riot may recur (of course I don't wish it might, but I just state the probable results). Why must they discriminate each other? We are all humans, and best of all, Malaysians! We have so many things in common - we have a pair of eyes and of ears, a nose, a mouth; and we can speak, walk and think as well! What we are slightly different are our skin colours, cultures and mother tongues. How can we let these kinds of distinctions to stop us from befriending with other races, who just have some very slight differences from us, but still, they are humans and Malaysians? This is pretty irrational!
We are born in this land and we are equal. We should share our cultures and beliefs with each other to deepen the understanding among us, in order to cultivate a sense of tolerance. Therefore, there are no longer Malays, Chinese and Indians, we are all Malaysians! We must play our role to accomplish 1Malaysia!
Well, at the KFC restaurant, I could see there were 14 Malaysians, who were enjoying their lunch, and bidding farewell to their friend, who was leaving. Thus, 1Malaysia, boleh!

Hey, show your guts, man!

The Birth of ESN

I am a chief editor of the editorial board of an English newsletter under the English Society. ESN (English Society Newsletter) is the name of the newsletter. I had been painstakingly working on the newsletter, in the hope to publish it as well as to help our schoolmates improve their command of English, and most of all, to create an awareness of the importance of English among them.
After two months of hard work since the April, the publication of the first issue of ESN has finally seen the light of day. Yesterday, that was 29th of May, was a historic moment when my baby was brought to SMK SG. BESAR. Aye!
To be honest, the publication of the English newsletter is a great effort that had never been done before. Thus, I can proudly and confidently say that I am the one, who come up with this idea, and the brainchild of mine was greatly complimented by my school principal, Madam Zuraidah and my advisor, Mr. Thamlarason. My idea was a trademark, and hopefully, the publication of ESN would not die a death.
I sincerely hope that my coming successors of the President of the English Society and also the chief editor of ESN could continue my effort to publish ESN. More importantly, I hope they can be as dedicated as me to raise the standard of English in SMK SG. BESAR to a greater height.

Leave Off the Drama, Get Back to the Reality

Teacher’s Day is the time when all the students must take the opportunity to appreciate and be thankful to their teachers for teaching, guiding, and moulding them to be better ones.
As Teacher’s Day approached, many students started to busily think of what kind of gift was best for their teachers; many were also busy preparing for a great and memorable ceremony for all the teachers in conjunction with the very special day to every teacher. I believe many teachers were busy “preparing” for the big day, too – “Which kind of clothes should I wear to attend that ceremony?”; “Oh, I need to go shopping to buy an attractive outfit for that function.”, etc., were lingering around their minds.
Before the ceremony, the students were busy rehearsing KOMPANG, NASYID, DIKIR BARAT, and other performances; some were painstakingly decorating the hall; and the emcees were cudgeling their brains to write a speech and creating some poems to praise the teachers. I believe all of them felt those were worth their efforts, as those were for their beloved teachers.
During the ceremony, like the usual custom, there were speeches from the powers that be from the Education Department and the school authorities; then followed by singing our national anthem; and came the performances from the students. I bet all the teachers enjoyed themselves very much and had a good day.
However, the joy was not permanent…
On the following days, everything goes as usual. All those students, who begged their teachers’ pardon and who thanked and gave adorable gifts to their teachers during the Teacher’s Day, are found snoring and chatting in the class as if the teachers are transparent. The teachers’ temper is pricked as the students do not complete their homework or assignments, yet they are not guilty, and are fooling around. The discipline teachers still have to hold a cane, patrolling all over the school to search for smokers, loafing students and other trouble-makers, and chasing the lawbreakers when they find some.
The appreciations and the forgiveness the students had besought from their teachers were all gone. Everything we had during the Teacher’s Day was just akin to a heart-warming drama – it was not genuine.
Many students who performed during the Teacher’s Day were “wearing masks”. They performed to entertain the teachers, in the intention to appreciate their teachers for teaching them. Behind the stage, with their masks off, they do not even greet their teachers properly when the teachers enter their class; some do not greet the teachers when they see the teachers outside the class; and some are being rude to the teachers. Even worse, some students secretly swear at the teachers they hate by writing on the wall in the toilets. Gratitude and respect do not exist any longer.
Don’t you think it is totally meaningless to celebrate the Teacher’s Day, which is claimed as the day when all the students must thank their teachers, but which is just a drama?
What a teacher needs is a truly polite, obedient and diligent student, who always respects the teachers and studies hard, and in turn, they can pass their examinations with flying colours. Only those students will truly make the teachers happy and proud and that pleasure will last throughout the lifespan of the teachers. The teachers gain nothing but only a sense of pride. Only the students themselves get the compliment and they are the only ones, who would go far. However, the teachers are still tirelessly pounding knowledge through our thick skulls. That’s why a teacher is always said as a noble profession. The teachers are the unsung heroes, who yield those students, and the teachers have done a great job in the development of our country by producing more and more talents. Aye, teachers!
Therefore, a teacher does not need any drama or gift that intends to entertain him/her temporarily. What he/she needs is a life-long-lasting satisfaction that he/she has produced many humble and talented students, who can help to develop our country. If the students want to be thankful to their teachers, they just need to study hard and score well in their examinations. That is the way to repay our teachers who have struggled to bestow everything they know upon us. Most of all, the students must always be polite and humble to their teachers to show their respect.
Since Teacher’s Day is a day when we show our gratitude to our teachers, and if every student studies hard and respects their teachers every time and everywhere, then shouldn’t everyday be Teacher’s Day, when there is no any drama? Thus, hereby, I, from the bottom of my heart, wish all the teachers – Happy Teacher’s Day!

Hygience is important

Never judge a book by its cover.
I was quite impressed when I set foot in the canteen during the first day I was in a new school I had transferred to. The canteen was comparatively cleaner and neater than that of my previous school. However, I was disappointed when I saw the canteen operators, they looked untidy. I wondered, did they look after the canteen? Besides, the spoons and plates were oily and sometimes, I could see some food fragments stuck on the spoons! That was disgusting!
Not long ago, something even worse happened till I could not stand to buy food at the canteen. During the recess, I bought a bowl of noodles and while I was ready to sip the soup, oh goodness, a dead fly was in my soup! I was lucky to discover the dead fly earlier, or else I would probably be hospitalized. I immediately rushed to a canteen staff to show them the contaminated soup noodles and asked them to give me a plate of "nasi lemak" instead, as I did not want that dish anymore. Imagine my shock when the staff coolly told me,"lalat tu baru masuk aje (that fly has just dropped into the soup)!" Gosh, didn't she know that a fly can cause diseases?
There had been some cases of food poisoning that happened in some schools. Therefore, the hygiene in a canteen should be given much concern as about thousands of students are having their breakfast there. All of them might be the victims of food poisoning if the food sold is not hygienic. In my opinion, the powers that be should demand all the canteen operators to look after the hygiene of canteens and food as well.
Early measures must be taken to prevent tragedies, not to take actions after something bad has happened.