My name is Samantha.My co-curriculum activity(cca) is floorball.I chose that cca as i enjoy kinaesthetic activities,such as sports and other outdoor activities .However i do not enjoy being out in the sun for a long period of time ,thus i choose an indoor sport that i enjoy.Besides floorball,i also appreciate music ,thus i learn to play the piano and am still learning.One thing i like about music is that it allows one to express oneself in any way .There are no limits and restrictions to it.Other than my hobbies and preferences,my favourite subject is mathematics. The reason is that i feel that is one subject that is easier to understand compared to the other subjects.I enjoy exploring new things and places as Singapore is a really small country .Pretty much everywhere we go looks the same-buildings ,roads, buildings and housings .It's like a legoland. Thus i really like travelling .I hope this trip can be an eye-opener to me
RV60 REFLECTION
I remember the several rv 60 practises we had over the holidays and even when school reopened.One practise lasted about 4 hours and occasionally 2 hours,repeatedly doing the same wushu routine over and over again in the hall and on the field under the scorching sun where our skin felt like it was going to peel off any moment.Well, honestly i think you already know it was not the most enjoyable experience but it was pretty enriching and i felt i had grown a lot through it. What many of us had to go through was committing our time to this and also learning how to endure the hard times we had to go through. Sometimes we even wondered why we must celebrate this year's anniversary in such a way .Then 2 words came to my mind-honour and appreciation. Even though i did not enjoy doing wushu,i knew i gave my all during the actual performance not because i wanted to look good( not to mention i was already so bad at wushu) but because i knew how i wanted to carry myself in front of others- my friends and the spectators ,which was by knowing the purpose of why i wanted to carry myself that way.I know that many of my other friends were made to put in so much effort into this and i wanted to honour them.I wanted them to know that i cared and i knew that giving a crappy performance would put their hard work to waste.After all,what kind of an rv 60 celebration we wanted was up to us.Thus,i also liked the fact that the fate of rv 60 depended mainly on us and that we mattered and that we were being appreciated.Also i felt that rv 60 was more of like an appreciation than celebration as rv would not have been where it is if it were not for the pioneer generation.Some people enjoyed it due to the new friendships made and ending classes early but i chose to look at it more like as a growing process.I saw rv 60 as a difficulty as i did not enjoy it much but i learned how to endure instead of feeling unhappy.A famous chinese quote is "一份耕耘，一份收获“
平凡中的不平凡
I chose this picture of the school track as I believe I can tell something extraordinary about it.Firstly I find it extraordinary for a government-aided school to have an entire track to itself.I mean how many schools in Singapore has a track to themselves?It's not just a track where people run on.What is the school's motive of having a track in the school?I believe it's not just to provide convenience but also to promote healthy living.I am often forced to run there often due to cca.Sometimes schools give talks on how to keep fit and remain healthy but it's obviously not convincing at all.Actions often speak louder than words.I find it extraordinary how a track can bring about much impact amongst the students.When we see our friends running on the track we feel encouraged to run together with them.When we see our classmates running their heads off during the NAPHA test ,we feel motivated . The uniform groups march around the track with pride and honour.Some much life and spirit can be seen on a track so much that it becomes part of school life.Sometimes we lament that if there was no track , we would not have to run like headless chickens during Pe.However, as we look at things from a different perspective,there is so much more value in this track then we can ever imagine.It is cliche when people say look at the good not the bad.It tends to be real in our lives only when we really experience it.That is how extraordinary a track can be,if you choose to look at it that way.
Happiness and poverty
Based on data,Singapore has a happiness index of about 39 which is pretty average in the world.I also found out that more developed countries have high happiness index at about 45 ,for example,USA.However,there are also less developed countries like Columbia which happiness index is also one of the highest in the world ,which is around 58.South Africa which is also a less developed country on the other hand has one of the lowest happiness index at about 28.Thus,i have come to the conclusion that rich people can be happy or sad and poor people on the other hand can also be happy or sad too.I feel that it is a stereotype that rich people are often unhappy.I believe happiness depends on how we choose to see things.For example,rich people can be happy as they are able to live a more luxurious life or when they are able to understand that money is hard-earned and they should learn how to appreciate the luxurious life they are living.One way to appreciate a luxurious life is by sympathising with the poor .Happiness can always come about by giving to the poor.On the other hand,rich people can also be unhappy as money no longer means anything to them.By money i mean having the opportunity to live a more comfortable life.Even the most branded bags would mean nothing to them what more even the most basic needs like clothes and food.Poor people can be sad when they often find no hope and meaning in life anymore.Imagine living in South Africa where you are fighting death every day.If one who is living in poverty chooses to accept his or her own fate while then he or she will definitely find no hope or meaning in life anymore.However,if one chooses to look on the bright side,he or she will most probably be motivated to bring he or herself out of the situation,thus there is hope.When one is poor,i feel that they find more things to appreciate .Even in the worst of the worst situations,for example having to fight death everyday,one can be thankful to have survived a day when each day passes.When the poor has hope,they look forward to good things which makes one happier.Going back to what i said previously,rich people may be sad as the don't see the true meaning of life so obviously nothing they have or experience would mean anything to them.I remember watching a movie based on a true story about gabby douglas's life.In one part of her life when her family was going through a financial crisis,gabby said she wanted to stop pursuing her passion for gymnastics because her family was too poor to afford her gymnastic classes.Her mother then replied to her saying,"Poor is when all hope is gone."What her mother meant was not that they still have a little but very little money left,but that hope isn't based on how much money one has.
3 THINGS I HAVE LEARNT,2 PERCEPTIONS I HAVE GAINED,1 QUESTION I HAVE
Firstly ,i learnt that a trade -off is choosing what to go for because as choosing one thing may not allow us to choose another option.For example,when the GDP of a country increases ,the cost of living also increases.it is important to know what trade -offs there are when the GDP of a country increases as it affects us,such as the trade off in education.
Secondly,i learnt that an increase in GDP of a country results in a bigger rich poor divide because of factors such as globalisation.
Lastly i learnt that policies made with short term goals may have long term implications just like how china and Singapore are experiencing the after effect ,that is an ageing population,of having the one child/2 children policy being too successful .
The first perception that i have gained is that even China,with the highest population in the world of about 1.3 billion people,which then made me suppose they had a high birth rate,is experiencing the effects of an ageing population such as having the economy slow down as the demand for products is greater than the supply.
The second perception that i have gained is on the effects of an ageing population.I always thought the only problem with an ageing population is that there would not be enough people to replace the number of deaths,however, i never thought there would be consequences on the further generations of people such as greater tax burdens on the younger generations to make up for the insufficient amount of profit earned.
1 question i have is that how successful has Singapore's attempts to encourage singaporeans to give birth been.If its not effective,in desperate times where the issue of ageing population becomes too severe maybe in the future,what would the Singapore government do?
2016 CHINGAY POST
Firstly,i think the purpose of chingay 2016 is to celebrate how far Singapore has gone through its first
fifty years and also to remind Singaporeans that if Singapore continues to display its core values (in chinese known as 社会和谐，互相关爱，拼搏及坚韧精神)as one nation,we would be able to move on towards its next fifty years ,only getting brighter.Just like its theme said "lights of legacy ,Brighter Singapore".These core values are what make up Singapore.What our founding prime minister ,Mr lee Kuan Yew ,has left for Singapore is a legacy because he did not give up on Singapore and had given all that he could give for this nation.I definitely remember the atmosphere being very bright because of all the LED lights from the performers and the floats and also because of the fact that chingay was held at night .All these beautiful sights i saw during chingay was because of what Mr Lee Kuan Yew has done for Singapore.After all,he was the one who started the idea of having chingay.I believe survival is what singapore values.It is just like how a small fish is going to face the big world.Mr Lee Kuan Yew has given his all for Singapore to survive and we mustn't take this survival for granted.
Secondly,a lot has changed from the first chingay in 1972.The first chingay was started to bring back some cheer to the public after the ban on firecrackers as the public thought the ban on firecrackers dampened the chinese new year atmosphere.The first chingay only involved the chinese.The purpose of chingay has definitely changed over the years with the introduction of new ideas such as having chingay at night to change the overall feel of chingay and introducing international flavour such as having Japan participate for the first time in singapore in 1985 and chingay also became multicultural in 1977 when malay and indian groups started joining in the performance .All of these new additions since the first chingay in singpore can still be seen during present day chingay,just only more spectacular.I believe chingay became multicultural as one of the core values of Singapore is racial harmony.It became international in order for singapore to foster better relationships with other countries which leads to my next point that the organisers have successfully fulfilled the purpose of Chingay 2016.Having racial harmony is one of Singapore's core values and the organizers have inculcated this value into the performance.I remember everyone continuously cheering loudly when the floats of the four different races in Singapore(the chinese,indian,malay and eurasian) appear one by one.This is evidently racial harmony .It was not as if the mcs had to encourage the audience to cheer,the students did it themselves.I also remember having different races performing in another race's performance,just like how i saw malays performing in the chinese performance.Inviting people from other countries to perform such as japan ,malaysia ,china etc. shows how much we value them in our society to have them perform at such an important event .Fostering good relationships with other countries is essential for a successful Singapore.Introducing the People's association youth movement (paym) has encouraged the youth to be a part of chingay.I remember seeing children my age or even younger performing.Exposing the younger generations to the core values of singapore at a young age allows the values to be more easily inculcated into them ,after all we are going to be the ones running Singapore in the future and sg 100 and onward will most likely lie in our hands so its essential we Singaporeans keep these core values engraved in our hearts.Thus, i feel the organisers have done a good job in involving the youths.
Lastly,i remember the electrifying atmosphere.Everyone was cheering so loudly and enthusiastically ,i could feel the ground below me vibrating.Eveyone ,including those primary schools students frantically waving their pom poms in the air just made everyone feel like doing the same even if you are just those kind of stand there quietly while everyone cheered loudly kind of people.This is the spirit Singapore needs for a bright future .This may sound cliche but how can you have some fishes doing there own things while there are only a few looking for food. Spirit leads to synergy,a larger crowd with one spirit will lead to a stronger Singapore and a brighter future.Chingay is being known around the world ,it has become a part of Singapore.Chingay has progressed just like how Singapore has progressed, it only gets better after each year.
Why Singapore cannot be complacent in her achievements
Just last year,Singapore celebrated its 50th birthday and the progress it has made through the past 50 years.Indeed Singapore has achieved a lot,such as being a distribution hub,our education system which has been proven successful over the previous years.However,i don't know whether to be happy or sad that Singapore could not have been where it is today without depending on other countries.Up till today 40% of our water comes from Malaysia which was previously reduced from 50%. We hardly grow any of our crops.Firstly Singapore has no natural resources.It would not be surprising that we would have a depletion in resources including even basic necessities such as food and water if we stop trading with other countries thus Singapore is in a vulnerable position.In order to continue our trade,we must maintain good relationships with our trading partners from other countries..If Singapore was too complacent,it would probably cut off certain trades.It is like always looking up like proud person then tripping over a rock.Singapore is just a like a fish in a sea and we must think about how we can let this fish survive and grow.Just last year, the Indonesian government said they should not apologise for the haze.I feel that Singapore is somewhat being "bullied"but i do not think we could have retaliated strongly against them as this could have provoked a dispute between Singapore and Indonesia .Despite being small ,we must not let others bully us ,however, at the same times we must make sure we are still friends with other countries. It would be easy for a country as big as Indonesia to destroy our country.
Secondly,seven out of the top 10 ports in the world were in China in 2013.China ,being the second largest economy in the world is quickly catching up with Singapore. Just like Dr Tan said, "we would be irrelevant if we do nothing." I strongly agree with that as many countries has been progressing over the years and if Singapore stops at where it is now ,we would soon be behind them,just like the tortoise and the hare story.It would be a pity if we throw away the handwork and effort put into the Singapore we have now . Everyday we are very comfortable with what we have-a phone, an iPad ,a laptop a lot of the latest technology that we forget we still need to continue progressing as a country.As much as Singapore can be happy about its achievements ,we must remember no matter how far we can go ,we are still a small fish .
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