Ms Quek quacks...

A word a day.

2009-08-24T21:23:00.001+08:00

flout \FLOWT\, transitive verb:
1. To treat with contempt and disregard; to show contempt for.
2. To mock, to scoff.
3. Mockery, scoffing.

The thorough training in the fine points of lyric writing that he has received from Hammerstein has made Sondheim highly critical of those lyricists who flout the basic techniques of the craft.-- "Sondheim: Lyricist and Composer", New York Times, March 6, 1966

Seth and Dorothy were completely mystified by Janis's determination to flout as many social conventions as she could.-- Alice Echols, Scars of Sweet Paradise

A word a day.

2009-08-23T17:35:00.001+08:00

reticent \RET-ih-suhnt\, adjective:
1. Inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative.
2. Restrained or reserved in style.
3. Reluctant; unwilling.

His wispy eyebrows sit above eyes undimmed by more than forty years of serious scholarship; a tight-lipped smile suggests that there are many things he will not say about himself or his accomplishments. Indeed, he is almost painfully reticent about what most scholars now consider to be a monumental achievement in the field.
-- Marc K. Stengel, "The Diffusionists Have Landed", The Atlantic, January 2000

Within a circle of intimate friends, he's a very sociable person, says Russell Banks, another novelist, who has known Auster since 1977. "Outside of that circle, he's fairly shy and reticent."
-- "Case of the Brooklyn Symbolist", New York Times, August 30, 1992

A new book.

2009-08-23T15:30:00.002+08:00

There's this book that's written by a senior ST reporter or something... sounds interesting. You can read excerpts of the interview in The Straits Times. But I guess if you want to know the full works, you gotta read the book itself. If I'm not wrong, it's $14 for the book. The content is more for people who will like to know more about criminal minds. I just find the whole thing rather psycho! The talks with the criminals can be chilling sometimes. This interview with the internet predator is quite disturbing, in my terms. Be careful of what kind of friends you make on the internet!!! SUCH TERRORS DO EXIST!!!

Aug 22, 2009
The Internet PREDATOR
Alan Tan is one of Singapore's most diabolical Internet sex predators. Between 1999 and 2002, he baited dozens of young girls with money, later raping or filming them in compromising positions. His youngest victim was just 13 years old.
By Wong Kim Hoh
ALAN Tan (not his real name) shakes his head slowly and lets out an exaggerated sigh. Feigning resignation, he says: 'What goes around comes around.'
'I needed to come in here. I was going mad,' adds the short, slight man who, although only 33, is already greying at the temples. 'Here' is Changi's prison complex, in the maximum-security section housing inmates serving long jail terms.
He has a euphemism to describe what landed him behind bars. 'I was messing with other people's minds,' he says.
What he did, however, was a lot more diabolical. He was a sex fiend who used the Internet to prey on young girls by offering money as bait. Many of those who fell for his ruse were raped or captured on film in compromising positions.
Alan began his infernal online exploits in 1999. By the time he was arrested in 2002, he had claimed several victims, the youngest of whom was just 13 years old.
Convicted of several charges including rape, statutory rape and unnatural sex, the former assistant engineer was sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment and given 36 strokes of the cane.
On more than one occasion during this interview, Alan pronounces gravely that he has got his just deserts. But there is also no mistaking the smugness in his voice or the perverse smile on his face when he describes the suffering he inflicted on 'the greedy bitches' who fell for his trap.
Perhaps the contradictions are in keeping with a man described in press reports as complex and disordered. In fact, colleagues at the factory where he worked at the time of his arrest were stunned to learn about this unsavoury side of him. They described him as 'very shy and quiet' and a hard-working 'model employee'.
Alan, who has one elder and one younger sister, grew up in Bukit Merah. He says he was an 'introverted child who didn't talk much'. He describes his bus driver father and production operator mother as strict parents who made him kneel in the kitchen if he fared poorly in his studies.
Bullied in school, he found solace in the computer, and became quite conversant with systems and computer languages.
Alan, who has a diploma in electronics, computer and control engineering, was a frequent visitor to IRC (Internet Relay Chat) rooms while studying at the polytechnic.
'I made friends online. We used to go on social outings. It was all very proper and innocent,' he says.
'Proper' and 'innocent', however, are not adjectives he could use to describe himself when he was serving his national service. In 2001, he was court-martialled for attempting to peep into a woman's toilet as well as searching a woman officer's locker for undergarments.
With a greasy grin, he tries to explain the peeping incident: 'I didn't open the door of the toilet. I was outside the toilet when it opened.'
His forays into chatrooms took an equally sleazy turn when an army mate told him it was easy hooking up with girls online.
'One day, he told me that he once offered money to a girl he was chatting with, and the girl came over and had sex with him,' he says.
Intrigued, he went to an online chatroom for teens and dangled $200 as payment for sexual services.
'Some people responded to my offer but they were not genuine. I was about to give up when I started chatting with this girl,' he says.
'Angie' was a 14-year-old Secondary 3 student. After a few chat sessions, they exchanged phone numbers and decided to meet at a shopping mall.
'I arrived earlier and saw that she was quite chio,' he says, using the Hokkien term for 'hot'. They walked around the mall, engaging in awkward conversation and ended up having sex in a multi-storey carpark.
'We both didn't know what to do, but she started it and things got too hot. We went overboard. Oh my God!' he exclaims melodramatically, slapping his forehead with his right palm.
He found out Angie was a virgin. When it was over, he took her home in a taxi. During the ride, she asked to be paid more than double the $200 they had agreed on.
Over the next two hours, Alan enthusiastically takes my questions, often dropping salacious details which he knows will pique my curiosity.
He tells the bizarre tale of how he and Angie became an item when she tried to overdose on Panadol after their tryst.
'I felt guilty so I became closer to her, and we had sex again,' he says.
By then, the Internet had become his second home. He gleefully describes girls he bedded, boasting that he would also engage in threesomes with some of them.
But when he found out that Angie had been equally promiscuous, he went berserk. Unable to get over the 'betrayal', he resolved to exact revenge by making 'bitches' like his erstwhile girlfriend suffer.
He decided he would dangle money to lure them but not pay them. He also planned to film them in bed and use the tapes to blackmail them into doing his bidding.
He does not believe, he tells me airily, in baiting victims with sweet talk. He would just offer money, sometimes up to $2,000.
'Money talks and money would lure out bitches like my ex-girlfriend. If they were so good, they would not fall for my trap,' he says, using the derogatory term very liberally.
'For oral sex, I said I would pay them $200. But they would get $2,000 if they agreed to the whole package.'
The whole package, he explains, meant having sex with him, as well as allowing him to film them.
He beams animatedly as he patiently describes the nuts and bolts of his traps, and the care he exercised in luring girls to carparks or hotels where he performed his dastardly deeds.
For instance, he never gave out his phone number and only called from his mobile phone which had an unlisted number. He always carried a bag containing a video camera, blank tapes and fake $50 notes, which he printed from his computer and stuffed into a red packet.
'This was to make them think I really had the money. I would just flash it so they would not be able to tell that the money was fake,' he says.
All in all, he claims to have met at least 50 girls this way.
Some of the girls allowed him to film them. For those who did not, he would try to do so secretly.
'The smart ones would always ask for their tape after the session. But I would swop it with a blank one,' he boasts.
Alan would bolt when his victims were busy cleaning themselves up after sex. 'They wouldn't make a police report because they were doing something illegal too,' he says smugly.
He bristles when asked if he used the tapes to blackmail for money. 'I wouldn't stoop so low,' he hisses contemptuously.
'I wanted revenge. You can feel my anger, right?' he asks earnestly. 'If you're not happy, you want to spread the misery.'
He turns philosophical. 'When you go up the mountain often enough, you will soon run into a tiger,' he quips, using a Chinese proverb to explain that it was only a matter of time before his exploits caught up with him.
Alan was nabbed in a dramatic arrest when one of his victims set up a trap with the police.
Doing time, he says, has been a sobering experience.
He says: 'I'm actually scared of leaving this place. I don't know if I will do the same things again if I'm out there.'

In The Straits Times yesterday...

2009-08-18T08:33:00.001+08:00

Aug 17, 2009

MY LIFE OVERSEAS: CHENNAI

Trying to stand out, yet fit in

By Zack He

INDIA is a land of profound contradictions, not least because of its vast land mass and its multitude of cultures.

The land of spiritual ashrams and the great Ganges is also that of smog-filled, over-populated cities that propel one of the world's fastest growing economies.

Against that backdrop, all manner of events were going on in India from April to July - also, when I chose to begin my internship in Chennai as a journalist with a local newspaper called The Hindu.

I could not imagine a better time to be there. It was at an ill-advised time of the year. Still, it was there I witnessed first-hand some of the contradictions I'd previously heard of.

Temperatures hit 40 deg C nearly every day, yet, as I found out, the preferred Chennian dress code in that heat was 'formal shirt and pants, footwear optional', the latter especially applicable for the street hawkers.

The well-constructed pavements on which these hawkers stood contrasted acutely with the bare-boned family of four just metres away, who'd made it their home.

My own dwelling was a no-frills hostel near the pavement, where bathing was a matter of washing oneself in cold water collected in buckets.

Then there was transport.

My office, although just a short distance from my hostel, was a challenge to reach. I had to fight off throngs of sweaty bodies and skilfully navigate past traffic that always seemed to be coming at me.

But through this, I inevitably acquired the toughness that allows the locals to get around unscathed - and for me to adequately go about my job.

At the time, elections were in full swing and tensions were high where I was because of the Sri Lankan army's assault on the Tamil Tigers - Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu.

Once, when I was interviewing supporters of Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran at a street rally a couple of days after his reported demise, someone suddenly shouted: 'He's from China, don't tell him anything!'

China is one of the parties they blame for allegedly selling weapons to the Sri Lankan government to fight the Tamil Tigers.

The situation intensified, as murmurs of 'Chinese spy' echoed through the crowd. It wasn't until a policeman came along, and assured them that I was a journalist and from Singapore that tensions eased.

Witnessing the world's largest democracy at work, I visited polling stations too, where, in surprisingly orderly lines, voters arrived in chauffeur-driven Mercedes or barefoot, baby in tow.

An American colleague of mine observed that India was dealing with the socio-political issues America did some 30 years ago - feminism, minority rights, environmentalism.

Chennai even saw its first gay pride march through the city in June this year, while the New Delhi High Court decriminalised homosexuality.

I saw a country in transition, grappling with issues of modernisation and cultural identity, trying to stand out, yet fit in.

There, I also saw a people possessed of the hunger and drive that many of my generation, basked in the comforts and security of our relative affluence, lamentably lack.

The writer, 24, recently graduated from SMU with a degree in business management. He was in India from April to July this year. This is part of a series of YouthInk contributions from those who have studied or worked abroad.

3-on-3 basketball

2009-08-16T09:08:00.001+08:00

This is none English related.... Hahs.

Well, I was playing some street netball league at Velocity, Novena Square yesterday, and I happened to come across this poster. This is for all basketball enthusiasts out there, if you want to compete in some street basketball, here's the chance to do it. Check this out for more information. You can treat this like a destress event, if it doesn't clash with your examinations. Sorry girls, this one is only for boys/ men.

Cheers.

Of preliminary examinations.

2009-08-10T10:04:00.004+08:00

Study hard k. This is almost the final dash for the 'N' levels... work hard!!!

Guess what, on Sunday night, i saw a certain student, let's call her J. J was walking in a mall in the East with her bf. Not to be judgmental, but perhaps this is not really the time to go pak-toh right... especially when you know that you have 1 1/2 weeks of examinations awaiting you, starting from Tuesday! Sometimes, you just need to have the discipline to know what you should do and what you should not do. Hhmmm...

ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR PRELIMS!!!

HK Sec Paper 2 Answer Scheme

2009-07-28T18:49:00.003+08:00

This is continued from where we left off. Please check your answers, as I will not be referring to this passage again. You can ask me questions on another day, if you still have doubts after marking. Thanks!

PASSAGE A
Q11b) The repetition of the word reiterates / emphasises the fact (1m) that everything in the universe revolves (1m).

Q12a) The government banned them out of fear that their religious roots would lead them to revolt against the new secular government.

Q12b) Firstly, it has become a major tourist attraction. (big draw for visitors from abroad - no mark)
Secondly, they have been allowed to perform in other countries / overseas (have also travelled abroad to England, Germany, Belgium, the United States and Tunisia, all under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism - no mark)

PASSAGE B
Q13a) They are "exploded across the world", "overwhelming force", "crashed against the world with such outrage". (Any 2 of the points)

Q13b) They are swing jazz and rock and roll.

Q14) Firstly, in Brazil, rap rivals samba in popularity (1m)
Secondly, in China, teens spray-paint graffiti on the Great Wall. (1m)

Q15) It was about the painful journey of the slaves who survived across the vast oceans.

Q16) As a result of the drastic budget cut in the arts, school children had no access to music (1m). This prompted a creative teenager to think of an alternative way to play music in the neighbourhood (1m).

Q17) It was because the Bronz attracted many musicians of different nationalities living in the neighbouring areas.

Q18) It is the feeling of embarrassment / shame.

Q19) The group's debut recording sold 400,000 records in three months without any advertisements.

Q20) They have violent/ sexually explicit lyrics / lyrics that debase women and gays / glorifying crimes. (Accept any two points)

Q21) They fantasise about succeeding in the hip-hop business and becoming millionaires.

Q22a) defiant: refusing to obey
Q22b) enigma: mystery
Q22c) demise: death
Q22d) affluent: wealthy
Q22e) unabashedly: shamelessly

Q23) Summary (Any 15 points)
The origins of hip-hop music can be traced to ......
1. the slave ships from West Africa that made its way to America centuries ago.
2. They had the roots to the dance, drum and song of West African griots.
3. Their songs were mainly about the painful journey of slaves who survived the voyage across the oceans.
4. Speech-song has been part of black culture for a long time.
5. The verbal duelling, rhyming, self-deprecating tales and stories of blacks outsmarting whites were defensive, empowering strategies used by black Americans.
6. The drastic cut in the funding for public schools in New York City in the mid 1970s
7. deprived the youngsters of music.
8. The teens of the South Bronx and Harlem came up with an alternative way to enjoy music
9. which set the housing project of 3000 people alight with party music.
10. The Bronx became a music magnet for people of different nationalities from the surrounding areas.
11. A master of ceremonies named Lovebug Starski was said to utter the phrase "hip-hop" between breaks to keep time.
12. Jazz musicians and blues greats can easily find the foreshadowing of rap music in the verbal play of their work.
13. Black performers have put spoken political lyrics to music which elevated spoken word to a new level.
14. It was performance art, delivered in step with the anger of a bold and sometimes frightening nationalistic black movement.
15. The group Last Poet's demise coincided with hip-hop's birth in the 1970s.
16. Hip-hop music which was once the purview of black America has gone white and commercial all at once.
17. The music was not only enjoyed by working class whites
18. but also by affluent suburban white teennagers.
19. White teens are attracted to the violent and sexually explicit lyrics,
20. life on the other side of the tracks; its "cool" or illicit factor, which black Americans are always perceived to possess.
21. Hip-hop has evolved from party music to social commentary.
22. But today, most commercial rappers spout violent lyrics that debase women and gays.
23. Most rap songs also function as walking advertisements for luxury items.

Grammar

2009-07-27T18:22:00.002+08:00

Try these grammar exercises that can be completed at ease, in front of your computer!!!! All you need to do is to read and click.

TRY IT NOW. CLICK HERE!!!

Please please please... this is the final lap for this year. Try harder ok?!! You people can do way better than a pass.

The Countdown Widget.

2009-07-16T18:26:00.003+08:00

It's cool, isn't it??!!! If you mouse over, you can see the exact date of the written paper!!! Now I hope to get your minds ticking, perhaps flustering a little, so that you can start to buck up and work more.

With the oral examination behind, for half of your lot, pick up your pace and drill yourself with comprehensions and compositions for the next 6 and a 1/2 weeks! I don't think you need me to keep nagging you that just attending English lessons alone is not enough. Practice, practice, practice!

Tips on WHAT to study: 1 to 2 comprehension(s) a week + planning for EL essays (ideas & brainstorming) + grammar practice

This is the final lap... YOU CAN DO IT!!!

In the news...

2009-07-07T12:42:00.002+08:00

In case you didn't manage to read this in the news, I just want to highlight how some st*pid youths get exploited to do this for illegal lenders, and all for just a meagre sum of money!!!

This amount you can jolly well earn, in the span of an hour or less, when you graduate and get a decent job in an office next time. And you definitely do not run the risk of getting caught and being thrown behind bars!!!

I only pity them, because they may not have proper guidance and concern from individuals to bring them back to the "correct side". Otherwise, they deserve every ounce of punishment being inflicted upon them.

July 6, 2009
Loan shark runners are getting younger
Some seduced into making an easy buck, others paying off their debts
By Teh Joo Lin & Ben Nadarajan

IF THE 'O$P$' scrawls on the walls look more childish nowadays, it may be because they are the handiwork of loan shark runners barely out of their teens.

Those caught harassing debtors to pay up seem to be getting younger, with at least one as young as 12.

Police nabbed 63 youth last year for doing the dirty work for loan sharks when debtors default on repayment. In 2007, 59 youth were arrested.

Police did not release figures for this year, but The Straits Times did its own count based on police releases. Of 124 loan sharks and runners arrested, 31 - or one in four - were aged 19 and below. The youngest was a 12-year-old boy caught last month as part of a group of five youth who were harassing debtors in Bedok and Ang Mo Kio.

Rather surprisingly, there were seven girls among the young people arrested.

In May, four girls aged 15 and 16 were caught in the act with the help of a Hougang resident. Two of them were spotted at a corridor armed with a blue marker and bags of paint. The girls fled but were pursued by the resident and his father, who caught one of them at the void deck of a nearby block. The other three were later arrested by the police.

The cases have led the police to warn youngsters against being made used of by loan sharks.

A police spokesman said many young people were referred by friends to work for these syndicates for a quick buck.

Youth recruitment reflects the changing modus operandi of loan shark syndicates, according to those familiar with their operations.

To reduce the risk of getting busted, syndicate members are staying behind the scenes, preferring to hire runners to harass debtors for small fees.

Those taken on board have included debtors unable to pay off their loans, foreign workers and youth who know too little to yield any leads about the masterminds if they are nabbed.

A loan shark said he used youth because they are more daring. Harassment is a ready outlet for them to vent their teenage angst and pent-up frustrations.

But since they can get out of hand, these youngsters are often 'teamed' with older runners who guide them along, he added.

Counsellors such as Ain Society's Mohd Yusof Ismail, who has counselled a few such youth, compared it to when youth were used to hawk pirated VCDs in public. 'But these kids don't realise what they're getting into and they're biting off more than they can chew.'

The police have been clamping down hard on loan shark activities, with harsher penalties added in late 2005.

But the youth, lured by what they see as easy money for deceptively simple work, seldom think that far, said counsellors. They can get paid about $50 per job by just splashing paint on doors and scribbling threatening notes on walls.

Lawyer Amolat Singh recently handled a case involving a 17-year-old boy who was promised $100 for delivering a letter at 2am to a debtor. But he never got to pick up his pay because he was caught. He is now under probation.

In addition to vandalism, youth have also been known to lock gates with bicycle chains and smash flowerpots and windows before running away.

A teenage boy and girl, among four youth caught in June, allegedly even set fire to items outside units in Hougang, Woodlands and West Coast.

Interviews with some youth revealed two ways in which they fall in with loan sharks: while they are trying to secure loans and when they join gangs.

A 17-year-old boy said a friend introduced him to an 'Ah Long' at a Geylang coffee shop when he had to pay off $800 in soccer-betting debts.

He was offered a job on the spot: Work for the syndicate rather than borrow money and be saddled with a 20 per cent interest rate. He would earn $800 upfront for 20 assignments. 'I thought this would be much better than owing them because what if I can't pay and they beat me?'

Now midway through his 'bond', he said his first job at a Lengkok Bahru flat was 'quite easy'. All he did was shout loudly, bang on the door and ring the doorbell for 10 minutes, with two 'seniors' look-outs. He said he has pushed debtors around but never beaten anyone.

Mr Yusof reckons these youth are being exploited. 'They've to continue working until they pay off their loan or until they are caught. That's why they are being exploited.'

While some youth are hired while trying to borrow money, others are told to become runners after they join gangs.

New gang members find it hard to turn down assignments as they feel the need to prove their allegiance. 'It isn't a must, but they 'bully' new people into doing it,' said a source close to such gangs.

While they are supposed to just knock on doors, deliver warnings and spray on walls, they may do 'additionals' on their own such as smashing flowerpots.

If the debtor pays up, the youth get a cut of between 3 per cent and 5 per cent of the debt, which is typically about $2,000.But over time, many runners drop out of the job after it dawns on them that the risks outweigh the spoils.

Apart from the fear of being caught by the police, some find themselves getting beaten up by irritated debtors, who can turn out to be gangsters themselves.

The source said: 'A friend got bashed up and was bleeding all over. They're afraid of getting beaten up because if they have to go to the hospital, the police will know.'

Revision Paper Answers.

2009-06-22T14:06:00.000+08:00

Side note: Isn't it scary, the way the number of H1N1 flu cases in Singapore is increasing??!!!

Anyway, the answers to the revision paper are below, do the marking alright!

********
Section 1 [15m]

in
gained
activities
around
make
form
before
good
chance
out
getting
prestigious
importantly
allow
rugby

Passage A [25m]

Q1: - take the push-bar off the scooter
- replace its single wheel with two pairs of roller skate wheels
- screw the wheels to the wooden plank base

Q2: 'riding a wave'

Q3: not really certified as safety experts

Q4: - shops were not urged to sell skateboards
- parents were told not to buy them

Q5: a period when there is a sharp decline in popularity

Q6: - improved speed and roadholding
-revolutionised the sport

Q7a: one of the most basic manoeuvres in modern-day skateboarding

Q7b: the invention of the 'ollie'

Q8: - construction of numerous concrete skateparks
- emergence of professional skaters
- emergence of magazines
- and movies on skateboarding

Q9: very strong supporters of skateboarding

Q10: great influence on our daily lives

Q11: religion

Q12: - loose
- to allow easy movement

Q13: -appeared
- widely

Q14: - they criticise skateboarders
- yet they are actually the ones that created skateboarding

Q15: - skateboarding will never die
- as it will survive the challenges over time

Passage B [40m]
Q16: - popular/ has a huge appeal
- has a large number of fans

Q17: almost immediately
- as the incident happens

Q18: background

Q19: - rapid
- widespread

Q20: Ning

Q21: (a) strong
(b) other
(c) access
(d) increasing
(e) join

Q22: - Friendster provides information for its members
- but at other sites, users have to search for information themselves

Q23: (a) earliest
(b) extremely full
(c) biography
(d) modify
(e) taking advantage

Q24. Summary

Facing an increasing competition from other websites, Friendster

invites big-name brands and celebrities to set up profiles
in order to generate traffic to its website.
It asks models and non-profit organisations
to sign up as its members.
It allows members to customise their homepages
and share videos
and music through their profiles.
Members can put up real-time updates of birthdays and photos
and other updates of friends.
Friendster has sponsored skins
to let users control the image of their homepages
and give big brands another avenue to advertise.
It has made a deal with Google
to take advantage of Google's powerful search technologies
and targeted advertising.
A Google search bar has been added
to allow users to use the search engine easily.
Advertisers can also gain access to Friendster easily.

June Hols.

2009-06-19T23:27:00.002+08:00

Wah... seems like many of you had fun. Class outings... BBQs... birthday celebrations!!! HHmmm... why never call me along??!!! Hahs.

Okies, I will give you another weekend of rest. Come Monday, please start doing some work on your own!!! Singapore is in some sort of 'health crisis' now, what if I can't teach you in the first week of school... HOWWWW????

REMINDER: Your oral examination may start in the 2nd week of school!!!

PS: I will post the answers to the practice paper on Monday. Sorry for the delay, but I've been enjoying my holiday too!!! Hees.

Holiday Revision

2009-06-08T23:33:00.005+08:00

I know it's been stressful on you, and that you are looking forward to having a complete rest. Yes, you should!!! Take a couple of days (not weeks!) off work, go out and simply have some crazy fun with your pals.

After you had your fun, time to come back to reality ok??!!! You can cross this hurdle, expect a grade 3 or 4 for yourself for 'N' level English, alright??? You CAN do this... Believe.

To kickstart your oral revision, start by reading aloud newspaper articles or some sections of a magazine you are reading. Do it religiously, day to day, so that you get the hang of it and the confidence in reading. REMEMBER: Reading a passage is a little like singing - vary the tone, pitch and intonation!

I'll continue with the revision advice in a couple of days. I'm heading off to my Sailing course tomorrow, you people enjoy yourselves, doing what you like yeah!!!

IMPT!!!! 'N' Level Examination - English Language

2009-06-03T22:44:00.005+08:00

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER!!!

Oral Examination: 7 to 20 July 2009 (Term 3, 2nd week onwards)
Written Examination (Paper 1 & 2): 9 September 2009 (Note: You have Mother Tongue & Basic Mother Tongue papers on 7 & 8 Sep)

I don't think I really need to remind you how short a time we have!!! Stay focused and work hard during this period ok??!!!

You should buy some assessment books and keep practicing comprehension and grammar work throughout the holidays.

If you need any clarifications about your 'N' level examinations or if you want to check the timetable, you can click here to find out.

Your compositions...

2009-05-18T21:14:00.002+08:00

It's not your writing that will KILL me, but rather, it's your handwriting that will BLIND me!!! Congrats to the majority who passed and to those who failed, work harder. The 'N' level examination is your goal!!!

A word a day.

2009-05-17T21:02:00.001+08:00

querulous \KWER-uh-luhs; -yuh\, adjective:
1. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining.
2. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining.

Querulous Oscar rattles on, never more or less than himself, but never much more than the content of his grumpy rattling.-- Sven Birkerts, "A Frolic of His Own", New Republic, February 7, 1994

Mam is a tragic figure when transported to New York by her successful sons -- querulous, unable to get a decent cup of tea.-- Maureen Howard, "McCourt's New World", New York Times, September 19, 1999

Men who feel strong in the justice of their cause, or confident in their powers, do not waste breath in childish boasts of their own superiority and querulous depreciation of their antagonists.-- James Russell Lowell, "The Pickens-and-Stealin's Rebellion", The Atlantic, June 1861

On your mid-year examination...

2009-05-14T11:04:00.003+08:00

I'm halfway done with marking your free writing.

Just one thing to say: if you don't pay attention to me for a particular module, then don't attempt that text type. Since when did I mention that introductory & concluding paragraphs only consist of ONE SENTENCE??? These people should be slaughtered, you know who you are.

If I'm marking a Primary School student's essay, then I will expect to see only 3/4 page. I don't understand why you can't write beyond that.

Some of you buggers - PUT MORE EFFORT INTO YOUR HANDWRITING!!! I'm going blind by the end of the week. Let me say this: if I can't decipher what the word is, then IT IS WRONG. No arguments on that.

Correction tape/ fluid used!!! I think you need me to paint your face white with correction tape!

Now for the good part: Some of you have improved, in the sense that you do take extra care in the way you write. It shows in your essay. For a few of you who constantly fail your free writing, I could tell that you did write with more care, and I think that helps your language a bit more. Keep it up, yo!!!

All I can say is, it takes practice and hard work to do well in English. Don't be complacent and rest on your laurels. Work harder - your final 'destination' for this year is the N Levels Paper!!!

Overworked.

2009-05-14T08:54:00.003+08:00

Think you are overworked??? It's time to reflect again. I don't think you are on the brink of death... Read the news below.

May 14, 2009
Girl 'overworked to death'

DHAKA - A BANGLADESHI teenager who died in a garment factory that supplies cheap jeans for export to Europe was 'overworked to death', a rights group said.

Fatema Akter, an 18-year-old garment worker in the port city of Chittagong, died during her shift in December last year, according to the US-based National Labour Committee (NCL).

'Forced to work 13 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, Fatema was sick and exhausted, with pains in her chest and arms,' the report said, adding that her job was to clean 90 to 100 pairs of finished jeans per hour.

'Rather than grant her a sick day (her supervisor) slapped her face very hard and ordered her to continue working.'

The committee said an investigation showed that 14-hour shifts with few breaks were common at the factory, overtime was compulsory and workers were regularly beaten by their superiors.

The report, released earlier this week, said 80 per cent of garments produced at the factory were supplied to German-based retail giant Metro Group.

NCL has called on Metro Group, which sells bargain jeans across Europe, to guarantee the legal rights of the workers.

A statement issued by Metro Group said the company was 'deeply saddened' by the death and had immediately terminated its contract with the Bangladeshi supplier that used the factory.

Rights groups have long questioned the working conditions in Bangladesh's thousands of garment 'sweatshops', which provide some the cheapest labour in the world.

Last year Spanish fashion firm Zara forced the closure of a supplier's factory in the capital Dhaka after workers said they were being abused. -- AFP

A word a day.

2009-05-12T08:35:00.001+08:00

iridescent
adj.

Producing a display of lustrous, rainbowlike colors: an iridescent oil slick; iridescent plumage.
Brilliant, lustrous, or colorful in effect or appearance: "The prelude was as iridescent as a prism in a morning room" (Carson McCullers).

ir'i·des'cent·ly adv

Mid-Year Examination 2009

2009-05-03T21:23:00.003+08:00

Ladies & gentlemen,

Kindly treat this examination seriously. It models after the real N-level examination very closely. Use this as a gauge to see how you would fare in the actual thing. Don't think of this as NOTHING... because every 'formal practice' counts towards your N-level examination, alright?!!

Revision: It's good to do some practice from the N level trial examination beforehand. If you need some answers, let me know which passage you intend to try, and I will photocopy the answer scheme for you.

Your N level is a marathon run. Keep your stamina up. You don't have to sprint, just make sure you keep running till the end!

ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR MID-YEAR EXAMINATION!!!

cheers
Ms Q

Flawless

2009-04-27T19:41:00.003+08:00

Which School Do You Come From?

2009-04-27T19:36:00.002+08:00

Since many of you would be graduating in less than two years' time, I thought this article may be useful to you.

April 27, 2009
School's a journey, not an end in itself
By Jessica Jaganathan

I KNEW I was from a different school of thought when my colleague, with a perplexed look, asked me what the word gatal meant.

I tried my best to put across an explanation in proper English. I told her gatal, literally 'itchy' in Malay, is also slang for being perverted or lewd. Offended that someone had used the word to describe her, she angrily declared she was no such thing.

It was now my turn to be confounded.

Singlish is second nature to me. I went to a neighbourhood school where my classmates and I exchanged jokes that would have probably made little sense to those who hail from the more 'elite' schools. I had assumed everyone else was as well versed in everyday patois.

Which leads me to the elite and non-elite divide, or as I like to call it, the atas versus the non-atas. (That plain enough for you?) In fact, I was oblivious to this distinction until I joined my current company, where the majority of workers are Singaporeans.

One of the first conversation starters was always, 'Which school did you go to?', and never 'What work experience do you have?'. That second question comes only after I reply to the first: Commonwealth Secondary School.

You see, it was an unfamiliar name to the alumni of schools like Raffles Girls', Methodist Girls' and River Valley High. They have, so to speak, brand recognition, sparking an entire debate I did not quite get.

In my previous workplace, a multinational firm, it did not matter if you were from ABC secondary or XYZ college. What my colleagues and employers, mainly foreigners, were interested in was my work experience.

Is it a Singaporean phenomenon then to have an elitist mentality? Would one rather be considered average in an atas school or above average in a neighbourhood school?

According to a Facebook quiz, I belong to Singapore Chinese Girls' School, and like to bake and dream about boarding schools, British aristocrats and American high society. Yeah, right.

The closest I have come to a British aristocrat was walking past Buckingham Palace.

Does it matter which school you went to if the destination is the same? I am doing the same kind of work and trying to meet the same deadlines as my colleagues who have a company scholarship.

In fact, if anything, my neighbourhood school background has given me the social skills to relate to more people on the ground.

Instead of a homogenous environment where everyone speaks the same colloquial English, I come from a school where your mother tongue prevails, whether you are speaking or cursing.
I would never ask someone, 'Which school did you go to?' because, as the atas person would say: 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.'

On Teen Smoking.

2009-04-27T19:30:00.002+08:00

Read this article from The Straits Times today. Honestly, I think it's quite silly to be addicted to smoking, you know. You know what's the new cool: To have been that, done that. Try it once and be done with it. What's so nice about stained teeth & black lungs??!!!

April 27, 2009
Lighting up in the open

BARELY 5m away from his school in Tampines, the 15-year-old in his uniform brazenly lit up and started puffing on his cigarette - in full view of schoolmates at a nearby coffee shop. He was typical of underage smokers caught by the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) enforcement officers in a recent raid in Tampines.

The Straits Times accompanied the 12-man team on the five-hour search that rounded up 12 teenagers found smoking at the void decks, staircase landings and corridors of Housing Board blocks, and in multi-storey carparks.

The common excuse: They did not know that it is illegal for underage youths to smoke and were just experimenting with one stick.

But one 15-year-old was defiant: 'Why can't I smoke? It's my right to smoke and I will continue to buy a lot of cigarettes.'

'Some of those caught can be very uncooperative and aggressive, hurling vulgarities and threatening our officers,' said Mr Norman Chong, a deputy director in the HSA tobacco regulation unit's enforcement division.

But enforcement officers kept their cool in the face of outbursts, searching bags for cigarette packs and taking down the particulars of the teenagers, some of whom were repeat offenders.
Those under 18 who are caught smoking more than once must attend mandatory counselling sessions and pay a $30 fine. Otherwise, they will need to appear in court and can be fined up to $300.

While schools often act as the 'eyes and ears' on the ground and tip off enforcement officers, Mr Chong said parents may not be as supportive.

He said: 'After we send out the notices to notify parents of their children's offence, some of them call us up to complain and insist that their children were not in the wrong.'

To ensure that youths do not get easy access to cigarettes, the HSA's enforcement officers also go after the outlets selling smokes to youths.

Last year, 63 retailers were caught selling cigarettes to those under the age of 18.
Retailers can be fined up to $5,000 for the first conviction, and up to $10,000 for subsequent convictions. Repeat offenders may also have their tobacco retail licences suspended or revoked.

At the theatre.

2009-04-24T23:32:00.002+08:00

Miss Q is truly thankful to ALL to attempted to help me search for my mobile after the show. Clumsy Ms Q actually dropped it on the metal plank-like thing beneath the seat. My iPhone could have almost suffered its demise there!!!

Anyway, I think I will attempt to do something regarding the movie outing. Yes. I will try writing a composition, text type narrative/ personal recount... yet to be decided. But that's provided I have the time. Hees.

I'm sorry I did not get to take a group picture with ALL OF YOU, because I was in a flurry searching for my phone. I wasn't in time to stop you from leaving. Bleah!!! Means... we shall have to do this again!!! I enjoyed watching the show with you guys and gals. Yes, even with Binghui's corny remarks. You people look very presentable!

School Days with a Pig

2009-04-20T21:07:00.004+08:00

MOVIE OUTING IS CONFIRMED!!!

Date: 24 April 2009 (Fri)
Time: 5.45pm (Let's meet at 5.30pm)
Venue: Orchard Cineleisure

Please bring along $6 for payment during one of the EL lessons. You can bring an extra $3.50 on the actual day itself if you will like to enjoy popcorn and a drink during the show.

Points to note:
I hope i don't have to raise my voice outside, so long as you behave 'normally' (Hahs!). But this is a casual outing among classmates + me... so it's purely social yeah!

Qing Ming

2009-04-20T21:00:00.002+08:00

Check out the article below. No fancy language, nothing that you can't understand. But the writing is fluent and smooth, with drips & draps of nice vocabulary to stimulate the reader's senses. I'm sure you can pick up a point or two from this.

********
April 20, 2009
MY THOUGHTS
QING MING: More than just a ritual
By Nikki Chan

IT IS that time of the year again. I am falling asleep in my parents' car. The inside smells vaguely of incense and home-cooked food. Drizzle dots the car windows. It is not yet bright enough for me to spot the ink-dark blots on the tar paving the long road.

Finally, we reach our destination. Torches out. Orders in whispers. We trek down rows of sleeping graves. After a few wrong turns and stumbles in the dark, we find my great-grandmother's grave. Next to her lies my beloved grandfather, whom I have come to miss every year on this special day. We were never close, though. It was not possible, with such a big extended family.

But somehow, today, just like on the same day last year and the year before that, I can feel him smile at us, the same way he used to smile from the top of the table at reunion dinners. It is as if he is still bringing us all together.

The food is unwrapped. We place it in front of him, complete with chopsticks. Surely he will enjoy this home- cooked meal like before. And then we light our joss sticks, hold them tightly and shake them gently against our chests with silent murmurs.

'I miss you,' I whisper. 'I miss what it was like with you among us.' The joss sticks are placed together and left to burn - our lighthouse signalling to him across worlds as though to say, 'Come join us, we're here'.

This happens every year. And every year I go, taking pleasure in the memory of my grandfather. But all these rituals turn meaningless when I turn to face my great-grandmother's grave.

It is sad, I know. But I never knew her - I have nothing to say, nothing to reminisce upon.
I have always thought sadly about the day when my generation passes on. Nobody else will know grandfather. Will they still keep coming? Will they still come and sweep his grave, offer him food, and gather our family to him? As it is, fewer and fewer people I know take part in this tradition.

Those who do so partake with a huge sense of obligation and sometimes, dread. I cannot blame them entirely though. I would find it difficult to put my heart into waking in the wee hours to offer joss sticks to someone I have never met, especially when I do not subscribe fully to these Taoist beliefs of connecting across worlds through incense and prayer.

What keeps Qing Ming going? Is it tradition and respect for the ancestors, or a chance to indulge in fond memories of loved ones? Surprisingly, overseas Chinese communities have been reported to take this more seriously than our mainland counterparts. Some people would even travel back to the mainland. But there is more than filial piety to this.

After ancestral worship, the whole family would gather nearby and feast on the food just offered to their ancestors. This happens to be one of my favourite parts. With our hectic work schedules, it is hard enough nowadays to meet up with the whole extended family.

So it seems that Qing Ming is more than just ancestral worship. It is family bonding, reminiscing, and paying respects all rolled into one. More than just reliving fond memories of my grandfather, it is a hearty and boisterous lunch with my extended family with our ancestors at the backs of our minds. Even if I never knew my great-grandmother personally, there is always someone there to reminisce aloud fond incidents involving her while we go about the rituals.

Every year I hear the same stories. And strangely, I never grow sick of them. Perhaps I find comfort in learning of my identity, my 'roots', by listening to my uncles' stories of my grandfather's childhood in a village outside of Guangzhou, where my great-grandfather went to work, and how my great-grandmother brought her children up, insisting they go to school and get an English education, and so on.

Memories of my grandfather will be lost with time, my great-grandmother's lost in my generation already. Perhaps this is why people look to leaving a legacy so much, at least in a family name - to keep the memories going in the form of heritage and hand-me-down family values. Ancestral lineage keeps at least respects coming. Like how I have my great-grandmother to thank for the endearing person I had in my grandfather.

The writer, 22, is a fourth-year law student at the National University of Singapore.

Internalisation

2009-04-18T07:55:00.002+08:00

in⋅ter⋅nal⋅ise
–verb (used with object), -ized, -iz⋅ing.
1. to incorporate (the cultural values, mores, motives, etc., of another or of a group), as through learning, socialization, or identification.
2. to make subjective or give a subjective character to.
3. Linguistics. to acquire (a linguistic rule, structure, etc.) as part of one's language competence.

See the word above??? Well, i need you to internalise what you have learnt. It means not forgetting what I've mentioned before and adding on new knowledge. A good way to internalise is when you try it yourself after we have gone through something. Practise one or two times... You will get better. For example, you don't have to write a full expository essay. Just practise and run through the planning part, adhering to the principles of the essay structure I've taught + the development of each body paragraph.

Try it. You'll do better each time.

A word a day.

2009-04-17T21:30:00.000+08:00

ephemeral \ih-FEM-er-ul\, adjective:
1. Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; as, an ephemeral flower.
2. Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only.

Success is very ephemeral. You depend entirely on the desire of others, which makes it difficult to relax.-- Eva Green

In "Mississippi Mermaid," the planter character played by Belmondo, a fellow who has sought a safe, permanent love, is liberated when he chooses to follow the ephemeral.-- Vincent Canby, "Truffaut's Clear-Eyed Quest.", New York Times, September 14, 1975

Rather, we must separate what is ephemeral... from the things that are of lasting importance.-- Patrick Smith, Japan: A Reinterpretation

IMPORTANT REMINDER

2009-04-15T22:54:00.004+08:00

Mid-Year Examinations Paper 1 has been changed to 30 April (Thu).
{My bday *wahahaahaaa*}

Take note of text types for Section 1:

Narrative
Personal recount
Descriptive
Exposition

Please memorise the format for each type. Section 2:

Informal letter
Formal letter (IMPT! Likely to come out for N levels)
Information sheet (We did this in Sec 3!)
Report

I will be conducting a Remedial lesson on Writing. More information on that later!

Do you want to Twitter???

2009-04-15T22:47:00.001+08:00

A Straits Times article to share...

April 15, 2009
Schoolboy is top Twitterer here
His popularity seems to be due to his young age and his tech knowledge
By Tan Weizhen

FEW people are likely to be too interested in the one-liners a 15-year-old Singapore schoolboy posts online about his life, his interests or his thoughts, except perhaps his parents, family and friends.
But Xavier Lur, in Secondary 3 at Maris Stella High, has corralled 54,567 netizens from the world over into following the updates he broadcasts on Twitter, a free social-networking utility big in the online world since last year.
With that number of 'followers' or friends, he is the top local Twitterer.
Irish rock star Bono has only a third as many.
Many politicians, showbiz people, athletes and ordinary netizens get on Twitter to offer updates on their lives; people become followers to get these updates, to stalk celebrities or simply to make friends the world over.
But why are almost 55,000 people 'following' the updates or 'tweets' put out by this Singapore schoolboy?
Xavier's popularity appears to stem from his knowledge about things tech and his tender years.
This self-described technology blogger puts out tweets on the latest tech trends, for example, the latest mobile phone applications.
His close friend Zhou Tong, 14, noted that Xavier has also put out tweets about the social networking site Facebook - ranging from tech tips on how to make one's profile more visually presentable to comments on Facebook's design revamp.
One tweet Xavier sent out announced that he and Zhou Tong were developing a 'social asking platform', which whipped up a flurry of excitement, say his followers. People were just intrigued that a 15-year-old could write a computer program for this.
Xavier said adults overseas are a big part of his audience, many keen on a peek into school life here.
Like any schoolboy, he has views on his teachers - some flattering, others less so, laced with some humour.
He describes his life as a Singapore student, including days he stays home from school for 'e-learning', his class trips and about creating class blogs.
Sometimes, his tweets are more personal, about his father's business trips.
Other days, he is plain mischievous, if also resourceful, and willing to share his ideas on how to save labour: 'Too lazy to write a Chinese composition titled Health Is More Important Than Wealth, so I used Google Translate to translate it from English.'
He is helpful, too, with tips like 'How to insert images in a word document without embedding', accompanied by a link to the actual method.
He has, in turn, used Twitter as a 24/7 helpdesk for getting answers to his own tech questions 'within a minute or so', and stirred debate among netizens with questions like 'Which programming language is the easiest to learn?'
He said that vitally, using Twitter has improved his communication skills and taught him about other cultures and 'the outside world'.
He grew his network of Twitter friends when he had time on his hands during a school break.
He now spends an hour online daily, sending out about 20 tweets, but still makes time for soccer, badminton, his friends, or even helping his mother with 'adult' tasks like submitting online passport applications.
Interestingly, his ambition has little to do with the tech world. He said that when he grows up, he wants to become a financial investor 'just like Warren Buffett, and maybe a psychologist'.
He has a younger brother who is keen on online computer games.
Fellow Twitterer Eric Chua, who follows Xavier for his tips, said the teen stands out for his useful tips, for example, on blogging and how to run online businesses.
Mr Chua, 27, and the owner of a start-up involved in video production and online publishing, is himself among the top five Twitterers here.
A distant second to Xavier, with 13,147 followers, he got on Twitter mainly to recruit suitably skilled people to join his start-up.
But Twittering is also about social networking. He has met chief executives, former politicians and authors online.
'The world is now flat,' he declared.
Of the other three top Twitterers, one is a social worker and two, Internet marketers.
Social worker and avid blogger John Yeo, with 5,676 followers, said he joined Twitter mainly to share blogging tips.

REMINDER

2009-04-13T22:10:00.003+08:00

Just a GENTLE REMINDER (yah right!!!) to complete this HW by Wed (15 Apr):
Trial Examination 3 - Section 1 + Section 2(Passage A)

Hang in there!!! Mid-year examinations is only a couple of weeks away!!!

Voca People

2009-04-13T22:07:00.000+08:00

Revival.

2009-04-08T19:38:00.004+08:00

Alrightey... I thought I should revive this. Think it may work for the stuff that I do not want/ may not have time to bring up in class. So... keep tracking this blog yeah?!!

********
MOVIE OUTING: SCHOOL DAYS WITH A PIG

Date: 24 April 2009 (Fri)
Time: Evening (So that you have time to head home for a change of clothes!)
Venue: Either Cathay Cineleisure or AMK Hub

Some background of the movie...
Introduction:
In 1993, a documentary of a controversial teaching method of a rookie teacher was broadcasted in Japan, evoking strong reactions from the audience.

The rookie teacher proposed the idea of raising a pig and eating it when it is fully grown to his 32 students. After raising the pig for two and a half years, they have to decide whether to eat it or let it live. Through this problem-based learning experience, the students learn about life and food.

Director Tetsu Maeda feels positive about the award winning TV documentary and a decade later, decides to film a movie based on this extraordinary effort of the rookie teacher. To capture the realistic reactions of the 26 young casts, the script given to them is blank for their part and has no ending. 180 days after the audition, the 26 young casts were given the task of raising a pig the same way the original 32 students did. During filming, the young casts were given the freedom to express their true feelings about the pig that they have raised for 180 days.

Synopsis:
This film is an emotional masterpiece based on a true controversial story that swept across Japan.

A rookie primary school teacher (Satoshi Tsumabuki) suggests his students raise a pig as a way to teach them “the real connection between life and food.” He further proposes to eat the pig when it is fully grown. The deadline will be their graduation. The class gets a piglet together, and takes turn to care for it. It wasn’t long before the students decide to name the piglet “P-chan”, making the teacher uncomfortable as he understands that that creates an emotional bond between the children and the pig which makes the original intention of breeding the piglet for food uncomfortable.

Hesitant to take care of the P-chan at first, it wasn’t long before the students begin to cherish it. As time passes, the rookie teacher starts facing displeasures from his colleagues and the parents of his students. The children themselves begin to quarrel over the P-chan. However teacher and students manage to overcome the problems and learn a lot from the experiences.

As things starts to work out, the class has to face an even bigger dilemma a year later. 365 days of love and devotion showered on P-chan has made it full grown and big. The deadline of the project is drawing near. They have to decide the fate of P-chan. Will they follow the initial objective of this project or otherwise?

****

Anyway, we never had opportunities to go out together, and I figure this is a terrific opportunity, to just head out and chill, instead of facing the books all the time. AND the BEST part is, you still get to hone your English reading skills!!! *wink*wink* I hope many of you are turning up. Cheers.

A Word a Day.

2009-02-04T23:10:00.003+08:00

We thought this word would never come from an English dictionary... but hey, it does exists!!! In Singapore context, some of us unknowingly use this word as a local type of food, a form of meat dumpling. I've included this just so you know that you may use this word in your writing!

wanton \WON-tn\, adjective;The plural is faunas or faunae.:
1. reckless, heartless, or malicious; without reason or excuse
2. not moral; lewd, lascivious

"Such (a) stand and attitude are leading to the grave, wanton violation of all the north-south agreements," the report said.-- Kwang-Tae Kim, Denver Post, 2008-11-11

Ram raiders have smashed through the main admissions area of Royal North Shore Hospital, stealing the contents of an ATM and assaulting a man, in a rampage police have called "wanton bloody destruction".-- Dylan Welch, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2008-11-11

A Few Words a Day.

2009-02-04T23:06:00.001+08:00

sallow \SAL-oh\, adjective:
having a sickly, yellowish color

"After several days of flying in space, the astronauts may look wan and sallow, so medical staff will put make-up on them to make them look ruddy," the newspaper said.-- The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005-10-17

Actually, Thompson looked old and sallow, as he faced the cameras for a few seconds before hopping into a waiting GMC Envoy.-- The Washington Post, 2007-04-19

********
vacuous \VAK-yoo-uhs\, adjective:
1. showing no intelligence or thought
2. having no meaning or direction; empty

The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.-- Don Frederick, LA Times

McCain's campaign has been mocking Obama on television and in speeches for weeks, attacking him personally as a vacuous celebrity.-- Ben Smith, Denver Post, 2008-08-29

********
acclaim \uh-KLEYM\, verb:
1. to welcome with loud approval; praise highly
2. a shout or show of approval

A day after abandoning his proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Gov. Eliot Spitzer won the kind of wide acclaim from elected officials that he could not win for the proposal itself.-- Nicholas Confessore and Raymond Hernandez, New York Times, 2007-11-15

H. Igor Ansoff, a retired educator and author whose visionary theories on strategic business manage-ment inspired worldwide acclaim died Sunday in Escondido.-- Jack Williams, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2002-07-16

********
defalcate \di-FAL-keyt\, verb:
to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care

The stockbroker defalcated millions from investment clients.

A word a day.

2009-01-18T20:44:00.000+08:00

magnanimous \mag-NAN-uh-muhs\, adjective:
1. noble in mind or soul; free from mean or petty feelings or acts
2. showing a generous spirit; generous in forgiving

But an even greater responsibility falls on Obama as the nominee. Losers have to be gracious, but winners have to be magnanimous.-- Michael Tomasky, The Guardian, 2008-06-02

From the architect's point of view, the ideal project is not one with a magnanimous absent client. It is one with a magnanimous thoughtful client.-- Witold Rybczynski, The Atlantic, 2002-09-01

A word a day.

2009-01-12T19:53:00.001+08:00

daunt \dawnt, dahnt\, verb:
1. to frighten; overcome with fear
2. to discourage; lesson the courage of

"The huge size of a vessel does not seem to daunt the pirates," he said. "It shows their high degree of audacity and resources."-- Xan Rice, The Guardian, 2008-11-18

It's a job that can daunt grieving relatives or anyone who hasn't had experience digging through federal files.-- Jack Forgy, Miami Herald, 2008-10-22

********
fastidious \fa-STID-ee-uhs\, adjective:
hard to please; extremely refined or critical

For months, his tall, fastidious figure had prowled around the old city hall on Wall Street, examining its eighty-year-old brickwork, muttering to himself in French, or his syntactically challenged English, imagining-where others saw merely a tired old workhorse of a building-a blank canvas upon which to paint an architectural epic.-- Fergus M. Bordewich, The Making of the American Capital, 2008-05-16

Penske cannot say for sure that being fastidious off the racetrack results in being fast on it. What he can say, though, is that he has created a culture that has fostered loyalty.-- Dave Caldwell, New York Times, 2006-05-28

********
hapless \HAP-lis\, adjective:
unlucky; unfortunate

It might explain how, on consecutive Sundays, quarterback Jay Cutler and Co. could be crushed by the hapless Oakland Raiders, only to pick up the pieces and dominate a New York Jets team that looked unbeatable.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 2008-12-07

Matthew Broderick has gone from playing a hapless Broadway producer in the hit musical "The Producers" to a hapless movie writer-director in the new comedy "The Last Shot," which opens Friday.-- Susan King, LA Times, 2004-09-20

A word a day.

2009-01-07T19:55:00.000+08:00

candor \KAN-der\, noun:
1. honesty in giving one's view or opinion; frankness and sincerity
2. fairness; impartiality

What remains to be seen is whether the candor he offered in his early memoir will be greeted with a new-style acceptance by voters.-- Lois Romano, The Washington Post, 2007-01-03

But we know that real leadership is about candor and judgment and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose, a higher purpose.-- The Guardian, 2008-01-27

2009-01-04T22:20:00.000+08:00

zealous \ZEL-uhs\, adjective:
full of zeal; actively enthusiastic

To remain obdurate before authority, to display one's loyalty to the collective, to be a zealous student wholeheartedly eager to deepen one's grasp of doctrine--these were qualities that bore witness precisely to the personal, to the individual.-- Milovan Djilas, Fall of the New Class

No one is more zealous than James Watt, 43, the lanky, brusque Secretary of the Interior.-- Time, 1981-03-30

A word a day.

2008-12-28T22:07:00.000+08:00

ramble \RAM-buhl\, verb, noun:
1. to wander about
2. a walk for pleasure without predetermined destination
3. to talk or write about one thing and then another without useful connection

As you ramble along them, it is difficult not to feel something of a peeping-tom; this is Surrey at its most intimate, with arches over garden gates framing views of tile-hanging and leaded lights.-- Clive Aslet, Telegraph.co.uk, 11/17/2008

Pierce and Carmen were on a northward walk markedly better organized than our own: having rambled throughout Europe, they had entrusted a local company to plan their trip.-- Gregory Dicum, New York Times, 2/3/2008

A word a day.

2008-12-27T09:17:00.001+08:00

paltry \PAWL-tree\, adjective:
1. almost worthless; trifling
2. of no worth; contemptible, despicable

The Denver defense is in tatters, ranking among the worst in the league, surrendering 31 points to a Raiders team that had been averaging a paltry 12.8 per game.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 11/24/2008

It has long been acknowledged, for instance, that the British Secret Intelligence Service has compensated for its paltry size - it has about one-tenth the manpower of the CIA - by leveraging the reputation of its most famous fictional spy, James Bond.-- Kelly M. Greenhill, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/2007

Almost everything on the vastly unimaginative happy hour menu contains pico de gallo and sour cream, including small, wizened potato skins containing a few paltry crumbles of bacon.-- Nikki Buchanan, The Arizona Republic, 11/25/2008

A word a day.

2008-12-21T22:56:00.001+08:00

jaded \JEY-did\, adjective:
worn out; tired, weary

The bad guys were potential Islamic extremists. But anywhere, at this jaded stage in the global war on terror, was literally and metaphorically off the map: a remote African laboratory for the long anti-terror struggles of the future.-- Paul Salopek, Chicago Tribune, 11/18/2008

The dynamism of this U.S. election will have important ripple effects elsewhere. Voters in much of the developing world have become jaded about elections, especially those heavily promoted by the United States.-- Trudy Rubin, Miami Herald, 11/9/2008

A word a day.

2008-12-16T20:03:00.000+08:00

fabricate \FAB-ri-keyt\, verb:
1. to make, build, or construct
2. to make up, invent
3. to fake or forge a document or signature

"I've had more people tell me that throughout my career: 'Man, we love to watch you play. Your enthusiasm and stuff like that.' I mean, it's not fabricated. I love to play the game …"-- Dennis Waszak Jr., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/19/2008

At the same time, Mr. Heinonen acknowledged that the agency "did not have sufficient information at this stage to conclude whether the allegations are groundless or the data fabricated."-- Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 10/9/2008

The complex-shaped crystals of calcite were fabricated using a technique that involves depositing the mineral in a way that creates intricate microscopic patterns.-- Sandeep Junnarkar, CNET News, 2/21/2003

Cambodia

2008-12-08T19:01:00.004+08:00

I've been away to Cambodia, and hence, a lack of posts in my domain.

In general, it is always more convincing if you see it for yourself, rather than me telling you. Therefore if you have the chance, go TRAVEL. Widen your horizons!

I don't mean to preach, but I've decided to post this, just so you know how fortunate you people are in Singapore. While you may be busy spending your time playing your PSP (which by the way, in your official English composition is Playstation Portable game) or XBox 360 or Wii. Guess what an average kid in Cambodia is busy doing???
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A girl stationed by the tree, waiting for passing tourists...

She came up to me, asking me to make a purchase...

AND THERE ARE MANY LIKE HER IN THEIR COUNTRY.
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Let's just be thankful you are born in Singapore huh.

A word a day.

2008-12-08T19:00:00.000+08:00

eminent \EM-uh-nuhnt\, adjective:
1. high in station, rank, or repute; prominent, distinguished
2. conspicuous; noteworthy
3. high; lofty
4. standing out above other things; prominent

Several others of the most eminent artists of our country had urgently requested Mr. Dickens to sit to them for his picture and bust, but, having consented to do so to Alexander and Dexter, he was obliged to refuse all others for want of time.-- G.W. Putnam, The Atlantic, October 1, 1870

Children who are to become eminent do not like schools or schoolteachers. Many famed men found their own homes more stimulating, preferred to skip school and read books omnivorously. Today's "regimented schools" would not consider them college material.-- Victor Goertzel, The Gifted Child Quarterly, December 1, 1960

********
incursion \in-KUR-zhuhn; -shuhn\, noun:
1. a sudden attack; invasion, raid
2. a running or flowing in

Jerina's bulwarks failed to protect Bosnia from the last great incursion against Europe from the East, the invasions of Ottoman Turk armies into the southeastern corner of the continent beginning in the fourteenth century.-- Chuck Sudetic, Blood and Vengeance

A word a day.

2008-11-18T19:49:00.000+08:00

adulterate \uh-DUHL-tuh-rayt\, verb:
1. to add an inferior, impure, or improper substance to; lower the quality or purity of a food or other substance without greatly altering the appearance; corrupt
2. debased by adulteration; adulterated

It would seem as if some men considered it a sin ever to sell a pure article, if it be possible to adulterate it with something cheaper.-- Adulterated Drugs, Drinks, and Diet, New York Times, October 23, 1949

Industrial plant directors bent upon fulfilling the Plan adulterate their products to increase quantity.-- Lance Morrow, The Inscrutable Soviets, Time, May 9, 1972

The disciples also promised not to adulterate milk with water, or flour with powdered stone.-- Atomic Vows, Time, May 14, 1946

Engrish

2008-11-17T15:14:00.003+08:00

If you write like this, I will shake my head non-stop for the next three years.

A word a day.

2008-11-16T21:23:00.001+08:00

frowzy \FROW-zee\, adjective:
1. dirty and untidy; slovenly
2. smelling bad; musty

"Lady," said a frowzy, spiritless panhandler, "c'n ya lemmee have a quarter to buy my little boy some milk?"-- The Bleatniks, Time, August 10, 1957

Based on an old apartment building in Spokane, Wash., it is complete with frowzy lobby and stains on the wall that you wouldn't want to analyze too closely.-- Jerry V. Haines, Minneapolis mind expansion, Los Angeles Times, August 13, 2001

The chief of staff's normally impeccable office had become a frowsy litter of coffee cups, cigarette butts, carbines and musette bags.-- Frank Gibney, Help Seemed Far Away, Time, July 9, 1946

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ensconced \en-SKONST\, adjective:
1. sheltered comfortably and firmly
2. sheltered safely; hidden

Determined to make the continental crossing in style, Reed ensconced his wife and four children in an enormous, custom-built, two-story wagon, complete with sleeping bunks, upholstered seats and a built-in stove.-- Bruce Barcott, Meals on Wheels: A novel of the Donner Party," review of Snow Mountain Passage, by James D. Houston, New York Times, April 7, 1997

Hamish is our puppet millionaire: an aged plant-tub tycoon, ensconced in a country house of sprawling vulgarity, he remains the befuddled pawn of his wife Gemma.-- Martin Amis, Prose Is the Leading Lady," review of Words of Advice, by Fay Weldon, New York Times, October 1, 1973

Only when he was firmly ensconced in the prime minister's office, with the reins of power in his hands, did Atsuko Abe began to discuss his true agenda with his closest allies.-- Stephen Coonts, Fortunes of War

Hot off the press!!!

2008-11-15T08:02:00.002+08:00

Sometimes, I wonder... is life that worthless??? Or did this guy want to create a HUGE bang before he leaves this world??!!! I think I'm more horrified by the fact that a tiger can actually claw/ pound a person to death. I would never have imagined their viciousness, as the only form I have ever witnessed were these, which were caged up in the zoo. So yah, tigers in captivity kills too - it's their natural instinct. I forgot, they are not Alex, the dancing tiger in the New York Zoo in Madagascar, the movie. Anyway, the news had me dumbfounded for a while. Any thoughts from your side?

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The Straits Times
14 November 2008, Friday
Cleaner killed by zoo tigers
By Khushwant Singh

A CLEANER at the Singapore Zoo who jumped into the white tiger enclosure yesterday was killed by the animals as a horrified crowd looked on helplessly.

Malaysian Nordin Montong, 32, was set upon by two of the three big cats in the enclosure at around noon.

According to eyewitnesses, Mr Nordin, who was seen shouting and flinging items about shortly before the incident, vaulted a low wall and landed in a moat in the enclosure, four metres below.
Carrying a yellow pail and a broom, he then crossed the 1.75m-deep moat, walked up to a rocky ledge near where the animals were and began agitating them by swinging the broom.

As two of the tigers approached him, he covered his head with the pail, lay down on the ground, and curled himself into a foetal position, two eyewitnesses, an Australian couple, told police. Their identities were withheld pending investigations.

In a flash, two of the extremely rare white tigers were on him. One took a swipe at him with its paw - which is about the size of a softball glove - and he began screaming in pain, said another eyewitness, Dutch tourist W. R. de Boer.

He said many in the crowd of 30 or so onlookers at the enclosure initially thought the intrusion was part of a show.

But when Mr Nordin began screaming, they reacted with horror.

'Some were screaming: 'Go away' to the tigers and others were shouting to scare the tigers,' he said.

The cries alerted zoo staff, and the alarm was raised.

About 20 keepers arrived within minutes. Some tried to prevent the attack from continuing by throwing brooms and dustbin covers, while the rest ushered the shocked onlookers away.

Also deployed were two zookeepers armed with rifles and live ammunition, but these were not used, said the zoo's assistant director of zoology, Mr Biswajit Guha.

Despite the efforts of the keepers, one tiger continued attacking Mr Nordin for several minutes, the zoo said in a statement yesterday.

It only relented after a door to the tigers' feeding area was opened. The animals retreated to it, leaving the cleaner motionless on the ground.

Once the tigers were in the feeding area, the door separating it from the rest of the enclosure was closed, and keepers were able to reach the cleaner.

It was too late, however. Mr Nordin, who hails from Sarawak, had been bitten on the neck and suffered a fractured skull. He died before police arrived.

His colleagues later told zoo staff that the contract worker, who had been working at the zoo for about 41/2 months, had been behaving strangely minutes before the incident.

He had thrown his cutters and meal coupons about before telling them in Malay: 'Goodbye, you won't be seeing me again.'

He then rode off on his bicycle.

The Australian tourists also said they saw him shouting and throwing some things as he walked by the crocodile exhibit, just 10 minutes from the tiger enclosure.

Yesterday's incident was the first time a person had been killed by an animal at the zoo since it opened in 1973.

Before this, the most serious incident occurred in 2001, when Chawang, a bull elephant, gored his keeper of 18 years, Mr Gopal Krishnan.

The keeper suffered fractured ribs and a punctured lung, and was in hospital for close to two months before he eventually recovered.

The zoo, which had to stop the tram ride and prevent visitors from entering during the incident, said yesterday that it would close the white tiger exhibit temporarily as a precautionary measure. It did not say how long the closure would last.

It said the tigers, which are nine years old and were brought in from Sumatra in 2001, would not be put down as they had acted naturally.

A word a day.

2008-11-12T20:10:00.000+08:00

soiree \swah-RAY\, noun:
an evening party or social gathering

Rose was reminiscing at a soiree I hosted on a recent sultry evening on Chicago's North Side.-- Laura Washington, World still watching -- but now it's a love fest, Chicago Sun-Times, August 10, 2004

The couple will be honoured guests at this week's soiree and the evening's success will matter more to them than anyone.-- Someone is saving your bacon, Daily Telegraph, April 5, 1998

A word a day.

2008-11-11T22:05:00.000+08:00

resplendent \rih-SPLEN-duhnt\, adjective:

very bright or shining; splendid

A green and gold locomotive, resplendent with nickel-plated cylinder heads and carrying a brass plate reading "The Flying Yankee" at her front, will, some time this week, add to the distinctiveness of the Boston & Maine Railroad's crack, non-stop express as it races through Massachusetts.

-- 'Flying Yankee,' Resplendent in Green and Gold Colors, Ready for Business, Christian Science Monitor, June 29, 1926

All around the Pope glittered the gorgeous papal court, resplendent in a variety of colors.

-- Arnaldo Cortesi, 300,000 Hail Pope at Easter Service, New York Times, April 16, 1929

Queen Elizabeth II, amid the resplendent banners and bejeweled miters of ecclesiastical pageantry, came to Westminster Abbey today on its 900th anniversary and laid a bouquet of red roses at the shrine of its founder, Edward the Confessor.

-- Clyde H. Farnsworth, Queen Honors Westminster Abbey, 900 Years Old, New York Times, December 28, 1961

The Straits Times

2008-11-11T19:30:00.001+08:00

Nov 11, 2008
Failed robbery attempt
Man in disguise tried to rob the United Overseas Bank (UOB) branch in City Plaza on Geylang Road, but failed.
By Esther Tan

AT FIRST, bank teller Ow Soon Hock thought he had one of those pesky customers when the woman walked past the queue of waiting people and approached his counter.
He told her to get back in line. But the tudung-clad customer, who had on a coat and gloves, placed a green paper bag on the counter and told him there was a bomb in it.
Despite the lipstick, the voice was clearly that of a man's.
He ordered Mr Ow to fill up a plastic bag with cash in three minutes, or he would activate the bomb with his cellphone.
In the tense 25 minutes which followed yesterday, gutsy staff at the United Overseas Bank (UOB) branch in City Plaza on Geylang Road overpowered the would-be bank robber, and held him down until the police arrived.
A man in his mid-40s was arrested for attempted robbery.
Mr Ow recalled that moment in an otherwise ordinary afternoon: 'He told me: 'Don't be a hero, I'm desperate'.'
The bank's Certis Cisco officer, Mr Rosli Mohamad Sa'ad, 45, came up beside the man, as the small crowd slowly began to realise what was happening.
'I followed him the moment he came in. He looked suspicious wearing a black tudung, black gloves and a long coat,' said Mr Rosli, who has 20 years of experience as a security officer.
Mr Ow, who was barely four months into his job, got up and went to the back room to tell the branch manager what was happening.
'I had to stay calm. If not the other staff might panic and all would be chaos,' said the 46-year-old teller.
While he was gone, the man again warned the security officer not to be a hero.
'We stared at each other, then he showed me his watch and told me one minute had gone by,' said Mr Rosli.
The guard got his chance to act when the man looked away for a moment to fumble with his cellphone.
Mr Rosli hit him on the arm and wrestled him to the ground. Five UOB male employees, including Mr Ow, helped pin him down until the police arrived.
While this was happening, the customers in the bank retreated into a corner to watch.
Outside the bank, security guards were cordoning off the area to secure it.
'While we were holding him down, he shouted that he was in pain and asked us to let go of him,' said Mr Rosli.
The police said they received a call for help at about 3.40pm, and arrived 10 minutes later. They would not disclose the contents of the bag while investigations are going on.
Mr Ow said: 'I didn't fear for my life at that time. Everything happened so fast there was no time to be scared.'
In 2004, there was an attempted robbery on a Maybank branch in Upper Bukit Timah. The suspect was seriously injured after being shot by a Cisco officer but survived.
In 2003, an attempt was made to rob the Hong Leong Finance branch in Holland Drive. The masked robber was nabbed later the same day.

Results

2008-11-11T19:25:00.003+08:00

To my students getting your report books tomorrow...

GOOD LUCK PEOPLE!!! Whatever the results, take it in your stride. If you think you have not performed as well as expected, then you have to work harder next year. If you are satisfied with your results, then I definitely happy for you.

Whatever the case, after this week, have a good rest and recharge during the holidays, and get ready to start work next year, because we have a REAL short time frame to work with!!!

cheers
Ms Q

What are most diamonds used for?

2008-11-11T19:24:00.001+08:00

Only about 20 percent of diamonds are made into jewels. Because they are so hard, most diamonds are used to make tools such as dental drills and metal cutters.

Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa

2008-11-10T20:01:00.004+08:00

Do you know that watching movies can help improve your English too??!!! Well, you gotta pay attention to what the story is about & understand what the characters are saying, of course.

Anyway, this movie is hilarious and definitely worth you spending your limited allowance on! Go catch Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa soon!!!

Proverbs

2008-11-10T19:45:00.005+08:00

God knows where you people learn your proverbs from. But it's definitely not from the EL teachers!!!
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A Singaporean first grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first graders (6-year-olds) because the last one is a classic!

No First half of proverb Answer of first grader
1 Don't change horses until they stop running.
2 Strike while the bug is close.
3 It's always darkest before Daylight Saving Time.
4 Never underestimate the power of termites.
5 You can lead a horse to water but how?
6 Don't bite the hand that looks dirty.
7 No news is impossible.
8 A miss is as good as a Mr.
9 You can't teach an old dog new math.
10 If you lie down with dogs, you'll stink in the morning.
11 Love all, trust me.
12 The pen is mightier than the pigs.
13 An idle mind is the best way to relax.
14 Where there's smoke there's pollution.
15 Happy the bride who gets all the presents.
16 A penny saved is not much.
17 Two's company, three's the Musketeers.
18 Don't put off till tomorrow what you put on to go to bed.
19 Laugh and the whole world you have to blow your nose.
laughs with you, cry and
20 There are none so blind as Stevie Wonder.
21 Children should be seen and not spanked or grounded.
22 If at first you don't succeed get new batteries.
23 You get out of something see in the picture on the box.
only what you
24 When the blind lead the blind get out of the way.
25 A bird in the hand is going to poop on you.
26 Better late than pregnant.

A word a day.

2008-11-10T19:45:00.001+08:00

intimation \in-tuh-MAY-shuhn\, noun:
an indirect or slight suggestion; hint

She had always had an intimation of her destiny: all her senses would go on the alert, as if bracing her for a blow-a terrible, crushing, powerful blow-of luck, whether good or bad.-- Nina Berberova, Cape of Storms (translated by Marian Schwartz)

As it drew nearer he recognized it as a police car and some intimation of drama touched him, the prelude to some story, and he seated himself to watch.-- William Gay, The Long Home

Jake Hersh, like Mordecai Richler himself a Canadian, is a television and film director living in London and struggling against that awful time in life when possibilities suddenly close and a dire intimation of finality sets in.-- Jonathan Yardley, review of St. Urbain's Horseman, by Mordecai Richler, New York Times, June 26, 1967

A word a day.

2008-11-09T22:35:00.000+08:00

olfactory \ol-FAK-tuh-ree; -tree; ohl-\, adjective:
of smell; having to do with smelling

What stirred this olfactory reminiscence was the confession of a Philadelphia newsman that the situation in his home town was "stinking."-- Stinking, Time, October 26, 1937

Mr. Lichter's visitor inhaled the rich sour aroma of the establishement and remarked upon its olfactory munificence.-- Richard F. Shepard, Pickles, Peppers and Other Puckery Palate-Pleasers, New York Times, March 30, 1971

Current Affairs

2008-11-04T19:35:00.002+08:00

I held a current affairs quiz for the Sec 3s today. I hope they found the topics interesting and relevant to their current lifestyles.

Topics broached on:
1. Sanlu tainted milk scandal
2. Youth Olympic Games 2010
3. Marina Barrage
4. Formula1 Race

More pictures to follow soon!!!

A word a day.

2008-11-04T19:32:00.001+08:00

I'm sorry that I've been tardy in my posts. A list of words for your reference.

abate \uh-BAYT\, verb:
1. to make or become less in force or intensity; decrease or diminish2. to be at an end; become null and void3. to deduct from something; reduce

Chicago law requires the landlord to abate lead paint hazards and provides fines up to $500 for each violation.-- Ed Sacks, Lead and asbestos worry mom, Chicago Sun-Times, July 14, 2004

Still, behind the scenes, he was desperately trying to cajole support from colleagues warily assessing whether the perfect storm that had engulfed him would abate--or sweep him into oblivion.-- Howard Fineman, Ghosts Of The Past, Newsweek, December 22, 1998

addle \AD-'l\, verb:
1. to make or become muddled or confused2. to make or become rotten or putrid

As TV audiences saw, it was enough to addle Fellow Oscar Winner Jon Voight's brain for the rest of the night.-- Frank Rich, Pros at Play, Time, May 6, 1975

United Nations troops waited to take up their posts as guards to ensure that no liquor, women or bribe money was smuggled in to addle the judgment of the Deputies.-- Empty Campus, Time, July 13, 1957

You'd think you'd have to be seriously dumb to be fooled in this way but there's undeniably something about residential property, whether an investment or simply a family home, that can addle the brains of otherwise quite sensible people.-- Liz Dolan, Money surgery: keep property out of pensions, Daily Telegraph, May 17, 2001

epicure \EP-ih-kyur\, noun:
1. a person who enjoys eating and drinking and who is very particular in choosing fine foods and beverages; gourmet 2. a person who is fond of luxury and pleasure

The journalists, bloggers, chefs and others who make up the Fat Pack combine an epicure's appreciation for skillful cooking with a glutton's bottomless-pit approach.-- Kim Severson, The Fat Pack Wonders if the Party's Over, New York Times, March 18, 2004

While taking courses at City College in the late 1930's, he became active in its Young Communist League, where he stood out as the only black person, as a talented organizer and as an epicure who introduced his comrades to good wines, cheeses and pates.-- Alan Brinkley, One Was a Multitude, New York Times, March 1, 1993

As a confirmed epicure, I have eaten just about every meat acceptable in the Western world.-- Robert V. Camuto, My Verona, Washington Post, May 3, 2004

Happy Halloween, students!!!

2008-10-31T21:05:00.002+08:00

I know, it's dampening that we do not celebrate Halloween in Singapore. Anyhow, this is an amusing picture, a scenario which you students may not get to experience till you are older. Enjoy. Hehs.

A word a day.

2008-10-31T21:04:00.001+08:00

gloaming \GLOH-ming\, noun:
Twilight; dusk.

The children squealed and waved and smiled, their teeth flashing white in the gloaming.-- Evan Thomas, Robert Kennedy: His Life

It was the gloaming, when a man cannot make out if the nebulous figure he glimpses in the shadows is angel or demon, when the face of evening is stained by red clouds and wounded by lights.-- Homero Aridjis, 1492: The Life and Times of Juan Cabezon of Castile (translated by Betty Ferber)

Arrived at the village station on a wintry evening, when the gloaming is punctuated by the cheery household lamps, shining here and there like golden stars, through the leafless trees.-- Margaret Sangster

A word a day.

2008-10-30T22:39:00.000+08:00

hubris \HYOO-bruhs\, noun:
Overbearing pride or presumption.

During his long tenure in the financial world, Friedman has watched dozens of his competitors' businesses killed by hubris born of success rather than by unsound business decisions or adverse market conditions.-- Lisa Endlich, Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success

This is the actor's hubris, to imagine the world possessed of a single, avid eye fixed solely and always on him.-- John Banville, Eclipse

With dizzying hubris, Shelley elevated the vocation of the poet above that of priest and statesman.-- Peter Gay, Pleasure Wars

A word a day.

2008-10-29T22:00:00.002+08:00

bivouac \BIV-wak, BIV-uh-wak\, noun:

1. An encampment for the night, usually under little or no shelter.2. To encamp for the night, usually under little or no shelter.

Rob had made his emergency bivouac just below the South Summit.-- David Breashears, "Death on the mountain", The Observer, March 30, 2003

They were stopped by savage winds and forced to bivouac 153 m below the day's goal.-- Erik Weihenmayer, "Men of the Mountain", Time Pacific, February 4, 2002

A Word a Day.

2008-10-29T12:22:00.001+08:00

execrable \EK-sih-kruh-buhl\, adjective:

1. Deserving to be execrated; detestable; abominable.
2. Extremely bad; of very poor quality; very inferior.

His human-rights record was abysmal. His relations with Washington were adversarial. He rivaled Zimbabwe's execrable Robert Mugabe for the title "Africa's Saddam."
-- James S. Robbins, "The Liberian Opportunity", National Review, July 8, 2003

For while agents and editors often misunderstand their market and sometimes reject good or even great works, they do prevent a vast quantity of truly execrable writing from being published.
-- Laura Miller, "Slush, slush, sweet Stephen", Salon, July 25, 2000

Any theatergoer who has ever felt the urge to murder an actor for an execrable performance should get a kick out of two backstage mysteries that do the deed with a nice theatrical flourish.
-- Marilyn Stasio, review of The Gold Gamble, by Herbert Resnicow and Death Mask, by Jane Dentinger, New York Times, October 30, 1988

The decision to level the ancient cathedral is described candidly by one latter-day authoritative guidebook as having demonstrated "execrable taste."
-- Dick Grogan, "Pillars speak out to save cathedral", Irish Times, June 11, 1997