http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=290122508142&ref=ts

:) Gavyn has finally created the FB group! Basically, it serves as a platform between us and our target audience. By establishing a group on facebook, we can reach out to a wider range of people, and it can be helpful in many ways. For example, we can advertise and update the latest happenings of our group.
Don't forget to join!

Sad to say, the old bustling me is a thing of the past. Nowadays, I have been feeling restless, and the usual routine of watching animes have turned to a demeaning and stressing task... The inactive and quiet life I’m leading now leaves a hollow emptiness in my spirit, and the things that used to have a positive impact on me now reminds me of hopelessness. To tell the truth, I’m going through a tough part of my life right now.
Although there are many tasks out there waiting for me to complete, I cannot help but procrastinate at the very thought of working. For a start, I have to work on improving my Chinese, which has always been my weakness. I find it especially hard, to express myself in Chinese, mainly due to the words being confusing and ... hard to grasp. You see, the very idea of picking up my Chinese idiom book gives me the creeps. As someone who seeks enjoyment in whatever I do, I simply cannot stand the long hours of learning chinese, which seems so mundane and boring. I believe that it’s my own fault mainly, for never putting in an effort to memorise and learn more chinese words. At this rate, I’ll simply rot away at home, both physically and mentally.
Signing off..

Well, pretty much dead huh? Compared to the past, decimomush ( This blog) has been rather quiet, mostly due to the fact that I have been slacking off. It’s a pity really, to think that I have done nothing meaningful throughout this long and restless holiday. Thinking back, the notion of having a long break isn’t so attractive after all...

1a. what are the persona's feelings described in the first three stanzas of this poem? Explain how the poet described these feelings through the use of alliteration, metaphor and pun.

In the poem, the author was able to express his thoughts and feelings through the creative use of pun, alliteration and metaphor. In the first stanza, the author made use of metaphors such as tugged the leash and pack of unruly hounds. By using the metaphor tugged the leash; the author was trying to say that the students were all rather rebellious and refused to listen to his instructions. Also, the author wrote his students as a pack of unruly hounds, depicting them as turbulent animals. Other than that, the author also made use of pun. One good example would be quarry of knowledge. Quarry refers to the prey that the hunter is hunting and in this case, it meant hunting for knowledge. To further express his feelings, the author used choice of words. In the first line of the stanza, he wrote weariness. Basically, it refers to how tired and sick the teacher was of teaching his students.

In the second stanza, the author made good use of choice of words. For example, he wrote brunt, which means stress. In this case, the author probably trying to say that he could no longer stand the pressure and stress from teaching the students. Other than that, the author used alliteration such as “of”. In the second to fourth sentence in the stanza, the author wrote “of” to link the sentences together and express his feelings. Furthermore, the use of pun can also be seen in the second stanza. The author used sick which means ill. However, I can infer that he was trying to say that he was annoyed and tired of his work.

In the third stanza, the author wrote fuel of life. The author used the metaphor, fuel of life, to describe life as fuel. In this case, he probably meant his energy and will. To add on, the author also used the metaphor, kindle my will to a flame. I can infer that he probably meant to express his will and persuade his students. Lastly, the author used the pun “and take the toll of their insults in punishment?—I will not! --- ”. Toll refers to a tax or tribute. However, in the poem, the author was trying to say that he was not going to take the hardship and burden exacted on him by his students.


1b. How is the tone of anger in this poem illustrated?

In the poem, the author made use of many literacy devices, metaphors and puns to express his anger towards his students. The first stanza of the poem used metaphors and puns such as tugged the leash and quarry of knowledge to show how rebellious the students were. Also, the author wrote “I can haul and urge them no more” to show that he could no long bring himself to persuade and get his students to be interested in their work. Furthermore, he was also trying to say that he was tired of his work. Also, the word haul and no more means pull with force while no more means no longer. It means that the author had tried very hard in vain to get his students to work and pursue knowledge.

In the second stanza, the author wrote brunt, slovenly work and blotted pages. From that, I can see that the students gave the author sloppy work, resulting in the author being unable to face the prospect of marking their work. Also, the author used the pun sick to describe how tired he is of teaching the students. Hence, I can infer that this stanza was probably trying to say that the author has run out of patience and is tired of his student’s messy work. Also, he feels hopeless and was unable to see the point of teaching his students.

Later on, in the third stanza, the author was probably trying to say that he will not muster up his energy to teach his students as those students are indifferent towards his teaching and does not want to learn. Hence, I can infer that the author was trying to say that the teacher is unable to face their insults and lack of interest. Also, the author wanted to express the fact that the teacher had given up on his students as they do not seem interested in his teachings.

Lastly, in the last three stanzas, the author said that he will not waste his energy teaching the students. He finds that there is no point in him teaching and their learning, as it all goes down into the same abyss. Also, the author said that it does not matter to him, whether his students could read or write. In the last stanza, the author decided not to teach them anymore and keep his strength for himself.
In conclusion, I find this poem rather interesting, as it shows the life of teachers nowadays. The author was also able to fully describe and bring to its reader the message that it wants to express.

According to a news report, a bear has apparently forced its way into a home into the Rocky Mountain ski resort town of Aspen and attacked the homeowner. As a result, it has been suspected of other break-ins this summer, due to the similarity in the method in which they break into the house. Although the woman suffered injuries to her back and chest, there was no need for her to be hospitalized. According to Mr Hampton, it is believed that the bear has forced its way into the resort. The descriptions of the attack lead the citizens to believe that the bear may possibly be behind a few recent break-ins.
Bears are normally tagged when they are spotted or prove to be a nuisance of any kind. Also, if the bears were to attack or strike humans, they are put down by the wildlife officers.
To counter this problem, wild life officers have strongly advised the citizens to lock their doors at night. This is to ensure that bears will not be able to break into these houses. Also, the food or trash can possibly lead the bears to break into houses, in an attempt to obtain more food.
In my opinion, bears are normally gentle creatures, and are only stirred up when irritated. Hence, it is possible that humans can get along with these creatures. For example, when a bear comes into town for food, the citizens can be cooperative and hand out food to them. Also, to prevent injuries and break ins, the citizens should lock their doors.

No doubt a favourite in seafood restaurants, chilli crab is made with hard shell crabs, and cooked in a thick gravy with a tomato chilli base. Chilli crab is celebrated as the official national dish in Singapore, and comes in many different forms, ranging from some that are packed fresh with spices like ginger, while others are ribboned with beaten egg. While the chilli crab sauce is sweet and savoury, some are served watery. However, that does not affect the taste one bit. All are meant to be attacked with gusto – and a nutcracker to tackle thick shells, plus a few slices of French bread or mantou (Chinese buns) to help you soak up every last drop of delicious sauce. Of course, the meat of the chilli crab is one of a kind, and is extremely tender. At the first bite, one might think of it as rather soft and silky. However, when you take consecutive bites, you will find it amazingly tasty, especially when topped with sauce. Furthermore, the chilli crab normally gives off an aroma which smells spicy and sweet at the same time.

Well, for me, I was first introduced to chilli crab when I was around the age of 6. Then, my dad enjoyed buying chilli crab home. However, as I was still young at that time, I could only eat steam crab. Like any other child, I was curious as to how the chilli crab actually tasted. Hence, I took a slight piece of it and ate it. Surprisingly, the meat was tender to a point and warm. When mixed with chilli, it gives me a sweet yet spicy taste. From that day on, I was hooked. Whenever possible, I and my family visit the Jumbo sea food restaurant to enjoy the sweet and spicy chilli crab.

Done by: Lim Jing Yu(14) and Lionell Loh(17)


Nothing but the truth…
But is it the whole truth?
A Sequel to the novel, "Nothing but the truth".
Meanwhile, Philip Malloy had just started to get use to his new school. To Philip, it was a new start, and he intended to make the very best out of it. Although Washington academy had no track and field team, he joined the choir, having been commended on his ability to sing well. However, little did he know something bad is going to befall him… It was just another day; Philip was getting ready to go to school.
[1 May 11:25A.M.]
[Short Conversation between Philip and his Mother]
Mrs. Malloy: Bye Phil, remember, your dad and I will be out for a wedding dinner tonight! Take care!
Philip: Bye Mum!
(Clad in his new uniform, Philip ambled towards his school, he happened to pass the Newspaper Booth)
[1 May 11:30A.M.]
[Conversation between Philip and the Newspaper man]
Newspaper man: Hi Philip, how’re you coping with your life? Your feud with Miss Narwin caused a stir, but I heard you’re facing a new problem…
Philip was stunned when he heard the newspaper man mentioned a new problem. As far as he was concerned, he was coping quite well. Curious, he snatched up one copy and read out aloud.
Philip Malloy: Patriotic boy gets harassed again… What?
A confused Philip was shocked to see the headline of the "News for You" paper, he reads on.
Philip Malloy: Philip Malloy, the patriotic boy who is now in his new school, Washington Academy, however, to everyone’s horror, his old school teacher, Miss Narwin harassed him again. She…
Unable to read on, he ran home in mixed feelings of anger and confusion
[1 May 7:15P.M].
[Phone Conversation between Philip and Allison Dorette]
Allison: May I speak to Philip?
Philip: I’m on the line.
Allison: Philip! Why are you doing this?
Philip: What do you mean?
Allison: You know it yourself! The article…
Philip: Hey! You mean you believed the article? I really don’t know, I didn’t do anything!
Allison: How could it be? But the article said that…
Philip: Allison! Do you believe in me?
Allison: …
Philip: I wouldn’t have committed the same mistake! I will ask my parents when they reach home!
‐Few moments of silence‐
Allison: Philip?
Philip: Hmmm?
Allison: I just want to tell you that I believe in you.
Philip: Thank you.
Allison: Good night.
Philip: Good Night
That night, Philip had an uneasy feeling. Someone was hatching a plot and only he himself knew it. Pondering over the problem, Philip patiently waits for his parents.
[1 May 10.30P.M.]
[Conversation between Philip and his Mum]
Philip: Mum! You’re finally back!
Mrs. Malloy: What happened, my dear? You looked so flustered.
Philip: It’s a long story. Just today, on my way to school, I chanced upon a piece of article which says that Miss Narwin has been harassing me once again! It’s not true and many people must be thinking that’s my problem!
Mrs. Malloy: I was too busy I didn’t read the newspaper today…May I have a look at the article please?
(Reaches out her hands to receive it from Philip)
Philip: Here it is. It’s even on the cover page! Doesn’t the press have better things to do nowadays?
(Hands the newspaper over)
Mrs. Malloy: Mmm…Certainly, something’s odd. Let’s contact Miss Narwin and seek her help. I’m certain the press is up to something again.
[2 May 8.30 A.M.]
Mrs. Malloy: Hello, may I speak to Narwin?
Miss Narwin: She is me.
Mrs. Malloy: Miss Narwin, recently, the newspaper company ,"Dogos" published an article accusing you have harassing Philip! We know that it isn’t true and thus would like to seek your cooperation in resolving the matter.
Miss Narwin: Isn’t Dogos the company that is on the verge of closing down? What’re they up to now? Alright, I’ll go over to your house in a minute. I’ll bring along a reporter to assist in our investigation.
[2 May 8.00A.M.]
Philip: *Yawns* Mom, have you contacted Miss Narwin?
Mrs Malloy: Why, Philip! She’s right here, along with the reporter, Mr Darwin!
Philip: Ah, I see. By the way, Allison offered her help for investigation. She’s coming later.
[2 May 11:00 A.M.]
[ Mass Conversation between Allison, Philip, Mrs. Malloy and Miss Narwin]
Mrs. Malloy: Sorry my husband couldn’t make it today.
Miss Narwin: It’s okay. Everyone, this is Mr. Darwin, a helpful reporter who is here to help. Mr. Darwin, this is Allison, my student, Philips and this is his mother.
Mr. Darwin: Hi all, look. As a professional journalist, I had analyzed the report thoroughly, I think it’s dubious. Usually, there should be pictures if the report makes it to the headline, adding on, there are not much quotes from both Miss Narwin and Philip. The report is made up of mainly general comments and not many details are included. Look, not even the name of the journalists is here, here, it is written that the Dogos Committee was the one who wrote it, a committee is too big, they won’t work on an article altogether.
Philips: So what are you inferring, could it be a mistake they made?
Mr. Darwin: Not likely, they should have cleared the misunderstanding by now.
Miss Narwin: So how do you think we can find out the root of the problem.
Mr. Darwin: It’s not hard, I will have a few friends check that for me, rest assured.
Allison: I am glad I believed in you Philip, you didn’t do it after all.
Philip: Yeah…y the way, what should we do in the meantime?
Miss Narwin: Concentrate on your own studies, if anyone asks you, just tell them the truth. I think I will not go out today, there must be a crowd of reporters outside my house by now.
Mrs Malloy: Dear me! Look at the time now, Philip, Allison, Don’t both of you need to go to school, hurry up!
[3 May 1P.M.]
Mr. Darwin: Alright, based on the report that my friends had given me, I found out that Dogos has been facing financial problems and is on the verge of collapsing. I have also noticed that
Dogos has took several desperate actions in order to regain fame. Hence, I believe that the article regarding Narwin and Philip is nothing but a hoax.
Philip: Mr. Darwin, how do you think we should go about solving the problem then? Should we make a police report?
Mr. Darwin: Ah…That’s what I plan to do. Other than that, I’ll contact someone to write an article about the Dogos’s plan. From there, we can exploit their lies and hopefully, resolve everything.
Philip: Could you perhaps deal with the crowd outside too?
[4 May 1.00P.M.]
Inspector: *Knocks on the door*
Philip: *Opens the door* I’m Philip. You are?
Inspector: I’m inspector Harrison and we have received a report from a man named Mr Darwin, saying that the newspaper company, Dogos, have fabricated tales about Miss Narwin harassing you. Is that true?
Philip: Yeah, come on in and have a seat.
Philip: Mum! Inspector Harrison is here.
Mrs. Malloy: Oh! Hi inspector, how may we help you?
Inspector: I am here to enquire something from Philip, as a third person that is not directly involved in this case, I am sorry but Mrs Malloy, you can’t accompany Philip, we will have to record his statements with Mrs. Margaret Narwin’s to serve as evidence before we can take any action against the Dogos Cooperation.
Mrs. Malloy: Alright, I guess that should be it.
[Recording of statements, Conversation between Inspector and Philip]
[4 May 2:00P.M.]
Inspector: Okay, Philip let’s begin with the swearing ceremony, are you familiar with it?
Philip: Never heard of it.
Inspector: Ok then, repeat after me.
Philip: Repeat after me.
Inspector: You do not have to say that, never mind. Strike up the three fingers of your left hand, that’s right. Here goes, I solemnly swear I will speak all that I know, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Philip: I solemnly swear I will speak all that I know, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
A few moments of silence
Philip: That’s all?
Inspector: That’s all.
The swearing statements somehow made Philip guilty for the rest of the day, thinking if he had done the right thing the last time…
After a few days…ith the help of the media and the police force…he truth come to light. Turn out that Dogos
[7 May 9:00A.M.]
[Phone conversation between Philip and Mr. Dawson]
Philip: Is this Mr. Dawson?
Mr. Dawson: Yes, I am.
Philip: I am Philip and I don’t know how I could ever thank you for all this.
Mr. Dawson: Oh, I was just looking for you, could you give a few comments about the incident.
Philip: I… don’t know.
Mr. Dawson: Did you mention about thanking me just now? Well, I got an idea.
Philip: What is it? I will do my best to help.
Mr. Dawson: This incident is a lesson for you, that we must always speak of the truth, nothing but the truth, get it?
Philip: I know, but‐
Mr. Dawson: No buts! Do you know that it is every unfair to Mrs Narwin when she is blamed for all that? I hope you can allow me to write about what actually happen, this is really unfair to Miss Narwin…
Philip: Ok then…
Mr. Dawson: Okay, I will come to your house tomorrow at around 10:00A.M., is that okay.
Philip: I guess so…
Mr. Dawson: That’s my boy! Goodbye and good day to you!
Philip realizes how important it was to speak of the truth at all times from then on.
And so, the sequel ends here with two articles that make it to the headline which are nothing but the truth!

Keeping up to date with the news is fairly important, as it allows us to know what’s currently happening around the world. In this blog post, I will stress the importance of keeping up to date with the news and tips as to how we can do that. This might appear to be boorishly boring to you, but in a way, it can also be fun if you cooperate. To start off, I will be elaborating on the importance of keeping up to date with the news. Firstly, when you are reading news sources, you get to inevitably improve your reading skills as well as learn new words. You might think that is insignificant, but you never know whether it can be useful to you. Secondly, by keeping up to date with the news, you know what is happening and thus, know what to do in case a crisis occurs. Other than that, the news warns us about disasters and how to avoid them, etc. If you were to miss them out, I believe you will be the unlucky one. Furthermore, with the recent H1N1 flu about, it is important that we read the newspaper regularly, in case there might be a new development such as a vaccine.
Next, I will be sharing with you on ways that we can keep up to date with the news. Although there are numerous ways to doing so, I will be sharing with you three main sources which are most widely used. The first one that I will be writing on is Newspaper. Newspapers contain information locally as well as global news. They are very important as they are constantly updated with information that we should know. Furthermore, we can easily get them, at the usual coffee shop, 7- Eleven stores, etc. Even better, they are delivered to us every morning for us to read.
Next, I will be talking on the television broadcast. This is an extremely relaxing way of absorbing news and information. While sitting on the sofa and sipping soda, you get to absorb information in a leisure way. However, the time is limited and thus, only a certain bit of information can be broadcasted.
Lastly, the source I will be elaborating on is what you are using now! The internet! The internet is the most widely used application in the world, be it in work, school or other areas. It contains information that can be easily accessed, unlike newspaper or Television broadcast. Furthermore, information is constantly updated and reliable. Now, with all these sources of information that can be easily accessed, we can read obtain information with just a click or two!

At times like this, when H1N1 is spreading on a large scale, it is important for us to keep healthy. The problem is that many people tend to think that they are invulnerable and not prone to illness. Like them, I am no exceptional, until I myself got infected with flu, cough, etc. It was painful and tedious, and cost me a few days of sleep and pangs of headaches tortured me day by day. That is why, like some of us always say, it is better to be safe than sorry. In this blog prompt, tips to stay healthy will be introduced and elaborated upon.

To start off, I will start sharing tips with those who are currently sick. Although it is not related to my topic, it is essential as these people will inevitably spread the germs around if they do not accord to these guidelines. First of all, the human diagnosed with illness should not visit public places, so as to minimize the amount of contact between them and other people and thus, prevent the spread of diseases. Likewise, students should also not visit the school when they are sick. If they continue to attend school, there is an extremely high risk that students will get the illness. Instead, they should visit a doctor and get medicine for their illness. Other than that, they should have sufficient rest at home so as to ensure that they will get well quickly. Although it might be true that he/she will miss out on a lot of concepts taught, they could perhaps do home learning or even take the initiative to catch up.

Next, I will be touching on tips to stay healthy. This section is for those who are currently healthy. If one is not ill, it is important that he keeps a clean standard of living. It can be easily done through these tips and guides. Firstly, all of us must have a nutritious breakfast. It is important to refuel after a long night of sleep and also, it will help us do better in school. Some examples of healthy breakfast would be peanut butter on toasted whole-grain bread, etc. Next, we must eat a variety of food. The body needs nutrients and many different vitamins and minerals from a variety of food. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid will help you keep healthy. Thirdly, one must exercise in order to keep fit and healthy. For example, walking, cycling or jogging can help you body. While doing so, we must also drink plenty of water in order not to be dehydrated. Other than that, we must always ensure that we get plentiful sleep, varying from 8 to 9 hours a night. Also, we can take vitamin pills to ensure that our body does not lack in vitamins.

Here, I will be talking on the daily practices that everyone should carry out. Cleaning hands is one of the most useful steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. When washing hands, it is best to wash it thoroughly with soap and clean running water for about 25 seconds. It is important that we wash our hands before preparing or eating food, after going to the bathroom, etc. Next, Cleaning removes germs from surfaces and disinfecting destroys germs from surfaces. Disinfecting after cleaning gives an extra level of protection from germs. Areas with the largest amounts of germs and frequently used areas, such as the kitchen and bathroom, should be disinfected with a bleach solution or another disinfectant as often as possible to avoid the spread of germs.

Home Learning, when compared to learning in school, is definitely inferior. However, if we take into consideration a few other factors, home learning can also be useful and fun. Home learning can prove to be handy in many scenarios, such as when the school is faced by epidemic, students and teachers can communicate through the internet. This way, learning will not be hindered and students can still learn effectively. During health crisis such as the H1N1 illness, Home Learning is extremely important for students and teachers alike. Personally, I feel that Home Learning is an essential part of our School life.

Home learning allows us to learn at our own pace, which is fairly important. For example, in schools, students who are weak at a certain subject tend to learn slower than other students as they do not have sufficient time to absorb the information taught by teachers. As a result, they score badly for their exams. However, Home Learning will be able to prevent such cases from occurring. As information is accessible at all times, students can revise on the topic as long as they want. As a result, they will be able to catch up with the students who are generally better at the subject. Other than that, Home Learning does not require one to carry heavy school bags, as everything is done online. For example, when learning in school, students are to pack their bag according to the topics taught. Hence, they might need to bring in books which will cause their bag to be a whole lot heavier. Furthermore, Students do not have to wake up so early in order to attend school. Hence, one can get ample rest before they start studying and thus, improve their concentration. One very important thing to note is that, Home Learning does not require physical contact. As a result, Diseases are not easily transmitted from one to another. This is vital, especially in times like this when people get ill easily.

On the contrary, Home Learning might not be as good as learning in school and has it own share of faults. When learning in school, queries posted by the students will be answered immediately. As a result, students will not have doubts and hence, have more confidence when doing tests. However, home learning does not allow “ Live “ Support from the teacher. Questions posted would have to wait for a few hours before being answered. Also, when doing Home Learning, students tend to be distracted by games and other things, just to name a few. Thus, they will open another browser and play games, instead of studying. On the other hand, learning in school does not allow that at all.

Doesn’t the heading remind you of something everyone always say? When you feel down or upset, you’ll almost immediately hear someone say, “Don’t worry. Everyone is unique, and hence, you’ll succeed next time.” But, for now, let’s sit back and think about it. If everyone is unique, that’s more of suggesting that no one’s unique! For example, when your teacher tells you to highlight a whole paragraph of details, won’t you wonder why we should highlight when everything is so important to us? Of course, if the phrase is seen from another point of view, it can mean a completely different thing. When this phrase is taken literally, it has a more reasonable meaning. For example, if boy A specializes in math, and boy B specializes in science, we can say that both of them are unique in their own ways. But the question remains, is everyone really unique? There are many aspects in life for us to excel in, but it’s inevitable that someone else is as good, or if not better than us. What do you think?

The sky is vast and endless… Think back…
When was the last time you stared up at the sky?
I had almost forgotten the peaceful and calm feeling that staring at the sky gave me, until I peered up at it today. The clouds were drifting along, taking on various shapes. They moved at such a leisurely pace, such that it causes the person staring at it to feel strangely calm, and detached from the reality. To me, staring up at the sky was a break from the usual bustling life of the city, as well as stress from homework and other aspects. Indeed, the sky might just be made up of gas, but it seems to possess a strange aura to it. The light reflected gave it a strange and warm glow, and the clouds moving along the sky made one feel so at peace. In fact, staring at it during sunset gave me a nostalgic feeling. Watching the light from the sun light up the surrounding sky, I had a sudden yearning for my child hood.
Now, stare up at the sky, what are your feelings?

“Be great in act, as you have been in thought.”
- William Shakespeare
My favorite poet is William Shakespeare, a distinguished poet and playwright. I was intrigued by his creativeness from the poems and stories he wrote during his life. For example, poems like Venus and Adonis, the Passionate Pilgrim are all very interesting poems he came up with. The poems are written in such a way that the feelings of the characters are clearly expressed which makes the poem very interesting and captivating. In one of his poem, All the World’s a Stage, it expressed his love for performing on a stage. The poem was mainly describing the life of a man, starting from which the man was still a baby, till the end whereby he was an old man. The poem caught my attention as it correctly describes a man when he is young, or old. For example, he wrote that the child did not dare go to school, since the child felt uncertain about feeling his protected environment. In the later stage, he wrote about the man, now middle aged, having gained wisdom through his experiences. That is true, as everyone of us, be it a scholar or a beggar, gains new experience as they live and experience new things. Furthermore, his poems were extremely expressive, as they showed his friendship for another man, as suggested in the poems he wrote.
William Shakespeare
Here, I’ll write about the history of William Shakespeare, a poet and a playwright, Shakespeare surviving works include 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two narrative poems and several other poems. Born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children. He began a successful career in London, as an actor, writer as well as a part owner of a playing company. He was well enough known in London by then to be attacked in print by the playwright Robert Greene:
...there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tiger's heart wrapped in a Player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country.
Scholars differ on the exact meaning of these words, but most agree that Greene is accusing Shakespeare of reaching above his rank in trying to match university-educated writers, such as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Nashe and Greene himself. The italicised phrase parodying the line "Oh, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide" from Shakespeare’s Henry VI, part 3, along with the pun "Shake-scene", identifies Shakespeare as Greene’s target.
Few evidence about his private life were left and thus, people speculated about his appearance, sexuality, etc. Most of his works were created between 1589 and 1613, mostly of the genre comedy and history. After which, he then wrote tragedies such as Macbeth, Hamlet, etc. Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 and was survived by his wife and two daughters. Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death. The stone slab covering his grave is inscribed with a curse against moving his bones:
Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare,
To digg the dvst encloased heare.
Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones,
And cvrst be he yt moves my bones.
Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world.
(Wikipedia)
The poems includes
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun by William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
The Blossom by William Shakespeare
ON a day--alack the day!--
Love, whose month is ever May,
Spied a blossom passing fair
Playing in the wanton air:
Through the velvet leaves the wind
All unseen 'gan passage find;
That the lover, sick to death,
Wish'd himself the heaven's breath.
Air, quoth he, thy cheeks may blow;
Air, would I might triumph so!
But, alack, my hand is sworn
Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn:
Vow, alack, for youth unmeet;
Youth so apt to pluck a sweet!
Do not call it sin in me
That I am forsworn for thee;
Thou for whom e'en Jove would swear
Juno but an Ethiop were;
And deny himself for Jove,
Turning mortal for thy love.

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind by William Shakespeare
Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most freindship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

All the World's a Stage by William Shakespeare
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.
Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth.
And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.
The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.
Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Figurative language refers to words, and groups of words, that exaggerate or alter the usual meanings of the component words.
“All the world's a stage" A metaphor is used. The author compared the world to the stage.
“And all the men and women merely players;” A metaphor is used. Here, it compares Man and Women to players on the stage.
“Creeping like a snail” A simile is used. In this case, it is used to show that the boy is reluctant to go to school, and thus walked as slow as a snail.
“Bearded like the pard” A simile is used. A pard is a creature and here, the author used the simile to compare the solider’s beard with the pard’s.
“And then the justice,In fair round belly with good capon lined,With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;”
A metaphor is used. It shows the stage when the man has gained wisdom through experiences in life, as well as social status.
“And then the lover,Sighing like furnace, with a woeful balladMade to his mistress' eyebrow.” A simile is used. The lover cannot sigh like a furnace, but figuratively, it is used to compare the lover’s sighing to that’s of a furnace.
In conclusion, this is an extremely interesting poem. It describes the journey of a man, from being an infant to an old man. The first stage was when he was a baby and the second stage being his childhood. In the poem, it states that he was reluctant to go to school, probably due to his anxiety and leave his house. The third stage shows him being a lover, sad and grieved due to loss of love. The next stage is the man being a solder. He aims to seek a reputation and wants to be recognized. After that, the stage is justice, when he acquired wisdom and have a social status. Then, it is the old man, when he loses his mental and physical charm. All in all, this poem is very meaningful and has taught me a lot of things.

Everyone should have goals, to allow us to feel motivated and work towards achieving them. Of course, the goals that we make should be achievable and not something that is impossible for us( Flying to the moon, etc) As for my goals this year, I do have a few
l Score well for the next Chinese test and get a high A1, that applies to other subjects as well
l Get an MSG of 1.9 or below
l Get to grand finals in Project’s competition
l Invent an addictive game known as “ Colouring Lionell”
l Get a nice book to read

Everyone has their most horrible day, accident and illness, etc. As for me, I had a serious accident which almost caused me to drown. It occurred ages ago, when I was around 4. My family and I went to Genting on a holiday and like any other kid, I was extremely excited. Immediately after we reached, I demanded to visit the hotel’s swimming pool, as I wanted to try out my diving skills which I learnt (They’re just some basic stuff). Much to my pleasure, my dad brought me and my sister down, after I changed to my swim suit. Before long, we arrived and I was told to wade around in the baby pool, which wasn’t really deep. However, my dad had to go back up to take something that I needed. It might not seem much, but that meant I could sneak into the adult pool and dive away! I left my sister as she was and leapt into the pool. To my surprise, it wasn’t really deep and thus I ventured further by kicking against the water. That was when disaster struck. As I went up for a fresh intake of air, I found myself to be unable to stand up, as my legs were unable to reach the floor. Gasping for air, I forced myself to swim to the corner, which was probably a step away. There, I tried to grip onto the drainage thing. However, I was unsuccessful. Everything I tried, I was “pulled down” once again. By then, I was almost suffocating and decided to make a final try. That was when a strong hand pulled me out of the water, as I gasped for air. Later on, I then realized that the floor of the pool go lower by the distance.
That’s my most serious accident. What’s yours?

Speaking of hobbies, I would say everyone has one, varying from playing computer games to cycling. As for me, I enjoy playing computer games and table tennis. Although many parents nowadays think that playing computer games is harmful to us, I beg to differ. On the contrary, playing computer games might be good for us. For example, as long as we are not too addicted to playing computer games, it can help us relieve our stress from homework and projects. Furthermore, playing games such as Join 4 might actually benefit our brain in a long run, helping us think more logically and improve our skills.
Other hobbies such as cycling, playing table tennis can also improve our physical health. Having such hobbies allow us to train our body on a daily basis, thus increasing our stamina and improve our grades as a healthier body allows us to better concentrate on our studies. Other than that, hobbies like playing board games are beneficial to our brain as it improves our logical think skills. For example, when playing a game against another opponent, we might need to think critically about our next move. By doing this, we’ll improve our thinking skills without ourselves knowing it.

To all the audiences out there,
Today, I would like to make a very important speech, namely, a solution to traffic jams during peak hours. Through this speech, I will highlight and bring to your attention two main points, which are the solution and how it will benefit us. Basically, the solution is to increase the traffic charges during peak hours, in order to avoid traffic congestion. This way, traffic will move more smoothly and time will be saved. Now, I will elaborate on how this solutions works.
During peak hours, when the traffic will be congested, the traffic charges will increase. This will discourage others from taking that road and instead, some will take another route home. This way, the amount of cars on the same road will be significantly reduced and thus, prevent traffic jams.
Thank you

Age and experience has been proven to be one of the most important factors to the workforce in any country or industry, be it engineering, mining or trading. Experience comes from the mistakes we had undergone, such that we do not repeat them again. It plays an important role in our daily lives. For example, in order to supervise others, one would have to be experienced in that area and thus, ensure that mistakes will not occur, at least, those that can be prevented. Another example would be Singapore itself. In the year 1942 till 1945, Japanese invaded Singapore, conquering us. However, at that time, the British, instead of focusing their attention to protecting us, they seemed more concerned with their own safety. From this, we have since learnt not to leave the safety of our own nation to others. Now, I will elaborate on age. Age is crucial to us, in attaining jobs, or earning money. However, bear in mind that age does not come along with experience, perhaps more wrinkles, yes but certainly not wisdom or experience. Thus, instead of being old, being young has its advantages. For example, a salesperson would have to be charming in order to attract more customers. Furthermore, as one goes older, his movements are much slower and restricted, unlike the younger people.

Philip Malloy, undaunted by his past, soon forgets about the unfortunate incident. Once again, now brimming with confidence, he amazes his new school, Washington academy, with his superb sportsmanship and running. As a result, in order to fully foster Philip’s talent, the Washington academy soon created a track team meant for this purpose. Philip then represented his school for numerous competitions, each time attaining the best result possible. Thus, he soon rises to fame and his name was known all over the world. But alas, all seemed too good for him, until a nosey reporter decides to investigate his past. Unfortunately, the case regarding Miss Narwin came to light and after a more research into that case, it was revealed that Philip, at that time, was indeed lying. The news soon spread across the nation like bush fire, changing others opinion of Philip. Philip was depressed over this matter and decided to atone for his crimes by making a public apology which goes like this:“ I, Philip Malloy, has always been wrong about my teacher, Miss Narwin and hence, through this speech, I would like to repent by apologizing to her and clear her name. I have also done much harm to the reputation of my previous high school and would like to say that my action, humming the national anthem, was in fact, to annoy Miss Narwin, rather than being patriotic. For that, I am sincerely apologetic and hope I can be forgived.

Does anyone want to challenge me to join 4? If you are interested, just post a comment on the cbox.
Ps: I am a new player

Dear Sir,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to the syllabus of the history subject that you are reviewing. I believe, as you do well know, that there is a distinctive similarity between the primary school and secondary school syllabus. The similarity, without doubt, is that we are still studying the topic of Singapore history, just that for secondary schools, it is more integrated and complex.
With this said, I don’t mean that studying Singapore history is bad and unadvisable. In my opinion, I feel the Ministry of education should actually just try to put the whole of Singapore history in our primary school years. For example, we could start with something easy, such as the founding of Singapore for primary one and two. After that, we will start with the more important parts of Singapore history and allow students to have a short debate once a week during Primary 3 and 4. Lastly, during primary 5 and 6, the MOE should allow us to start on more complex things and explain to us the rest of Singapore history by Primary 5 and 6.
To ensure the system work out, we could perhaps extend school hours by an hour or above, at the same time increasing the amount of history lessons. Also, we could have a 10 minutes interval between history lessons to allow the students to relax and let loose.
After that, in our later years, the MOE can probably allow us to study the history of ancient countries such as Greece or Egypt. I would like to stress that this system is, in my opinion, extremely efficient as in secondary schools, we have a lot more topics as compared to primary school. By using this system, we can reduce the stress we experience as well as know more about the history of other countries and as such, increase our general knowledge.
Your truly,
Lim Jing Yu

To all the audiences out there,
My group, commonly known as Mystic, has invented an all rounded device, one that is sure to get rid of all the troubles faced by students nowadays. The device comes in a package, and it comprises of 4 main touch screen whiteboard, a headphone and 4 G-Pens. All the whiteboards will have built in speakers so as to ensure that the teacher’s voice get programmed outwards to everyone in class. The 4 touch screen white board will be built on the four walls of the class. In case you are wondering, the headphone is worn by the teacher, and everything she says will be transmitted to the speakers and be amplified. Other than that, the touch screen white board is sensitive to both fingers and the G-Pens and is made through the latest technology and proven to be both tough and long lasting. Furthermore, everything the teacher writes on the board will be recorded and sent to the other 3 white boards. This information can be referred to after school and thus, students need not be distracted in class copying notes. On the other hand, students can also pose questions to the teacher by writing on the board nearest to them.
Please do show your support by purchasing them.

Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for attending this speech. It’s my honour to be standing here, giving all of you a talk on behalf of the other older workers. Basically, I will now list the advantages of hiring us in point form.

1. 
   
   Firstly, we have experience, unlike the younger generations who have just started work. Imagine your company being put in hands of those who do not have experience. Your company, very possibly, with soon collapse without supervision from us.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Secondly, our salaries are lower than the younger generations. Hence, your company can then save more money or perhaps even hire more people.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   We are more hard working and helpful. For example, when we see someone in need, we will certainly help out, as much as we can. Also, you do not rest frequently and finishes our work on time. Other than that, we do not grumble or complain about tedious work as our level of endurance is much higher.
   
   
   

In my opinion, the advantages of hiring us are much higher as compared to hiring the younger generations. Of course, this doesn’t mean that hiring the younger generation is bad. Although we are older than them, we still have much more things to learn from them. In conclusion, a merge of older generation and younger generation would be the best. Thank you for listening to my speech.

A picture of the Earth plates there. By the way, plates are actually slabs of rock that float on the mantle which is the layer under the crust. The earth structure goes like this - The inner core is the one that's in the middle of the earth and it's flaming hot( around 4,500 degrees). It's 2,500km wide and consists of mainly iron and nickel. the metal doesn't melt due to the pressure exerted on it. Surrounding it is the outer core, a great sea of liquid metal and again, it consists of nickel and iron. Followed next is the mantle , the layer below the crust( plates) and it's around 2,000 degrees, so hot that some stones melt to form magma. Imagine yourself getting engulf by the magma>.<> I am going to post a post about science tomorrow. So please do look forward to it

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Alright, it's about time i created a new post , after much persuasion from my class mates. Basically, the topic i will be writing about is my new school and stuff . Let's start off with a bit about myself. I am 13, studying in Hwa Chong Institution and in class 1P2. My form teacher is Mrs Priyah Ray, a caring but fierce( a bit) teacher who teaches us English. As for my friends, i got lots of new ones such as lionell and mickey, etc. Oh yes, just today, i met a few of my old friends from NJC. They look fine to me , i suppose. Anyway, my favourite subject is Maths, which i find easiest to understand. I love science as well, though not as much as math. We have also got a few assignments such as my literature project-lamb to slaughter. It's mainly bout a storyboard and stuff. My drawings are bad, but i tried my best>.< For science, we would have to research on the scientists fabricating data and sew a bag( i think it's called tools bag or something) to store our test tubes. As for my EP3( CCA) , I, personally, would like to join the library club although it's a bit "slack".
That's about all. Happy New Year to you guys!

Hi, and welcome to my blog