My favourite place

I have three favourite places. I would list them from the bottom up.

3) Home sweet home. This should be ranked 'one', but I'm not exactly a very family person, and I know that if I could live in the place ranked 'one', I'll be on Cloud Nine! I chose home as that is where all the love comes from, and you feel accepted and comfortable. One of the best reasons is that I can boss my younger cousin around, just by siding with the adults! Also, I am always playing with Sofia as a lot of people from HPPS live in my condo.

2) The basketball court. This is definitely one of my favourite places. I often play basketball by myself, or if I'm lucky, with my cousins. I like to take small children by suprise; I always throw the ball to them and then catch it before they do. Then I shoot. This technique always makes them clap, whether the ball goes into the net or not. Basketball is my favourite sport, (yes, suprisingly not soccer) I like it because I'm good at it. My long legs and long torso (is that the right word?) allow me to shoot with ease.

1) Okay. You should have guessed anyway. My all-time favourite place is Old Trafford, as it is the 'home' of my the best club in the world- Manchester United Football Club! I went there when I was four. I still have some merchandise which I gave my little sister, as it obviously doesn't fit me anymore. There is something that still fits me, though. A snow cap, you know those that keep your head warm. It has a Man U crest sewn on. It used to be my father's, but he said he'll give it to me and let me grow into it. Although, as I mentioned earlier, I like playing basketball more than soccer, I like watching soccer more than BB.

To clarify things, my favourite football club is MUFC, and my favourite player Wayne Rooney. However, my favourite basketball teams are the Los Angeles Lakers and The Cleaveland Cavaliers, as I like these players - Kobe Bean Bryant and LeBron Raymone James.

Oh! Look at the time - I've got to play basketball!

Courtesy

I feel courtesy is important. A familliar scene would be that parents are scolding their children for lets say, shoving their sibling. Then the parent would tell the child, "If he shoved you, would you like it?" This is a question which gets me thinking: Yes, would you?

When in the toilet, especially for the boys, and you don't 'aim' properly, the urine is all over the floor. The person who goes into that cubicle or uses the urinal wouldn't like it. Would you? If you reserve seats for yourself with tissue in crowded hawker centre and everyone else can't get a seat, they wouldn't like it. Would you?

I heard this funny incident on Gold 90 f.m. that if someone in a crowded place reserves seats with tissue, take the tissue, put it in your pocket, and have your meal there. When the person comes back, explain the situation and tell him/her that they are in the wrong. And as a finishing touch, take a tissue out of the packet and wipe your mouth, saying, "Thanks for the tissue, by the way."

My dear friends, this is a post that is similar to the one about family, because I am very serious about courtesy. Our world has a lack of it, and we need to buck up, especially Singaporeans with their uncouth habits.

Just remember, a simple act of courtesy can change the person you are helping's mood for the day.

As a signing off, I would like to remind you of the phrase we often use: Laughing is contagious. If we start courtesy, it can spread.

Courtesy is contagious, my friends, believe me. It is.

Creativity

It is a very subjective matter to ask whether it is inborn or not. My mother is an art teacher but my art isn't good at all. I feel it can be nurtured, the 'art' of creativity. Creativity can range from a 3 year old drawing a face (or a 'smelly tofu' as my sis calls it cause my dad told her to) to a professional artist painting a picture of a dragonfly.

It is possible to be nurtured with enthusiasm and encouragement, as long as the right attitude is present.

That was the problem......I didn't know.

When I read the post I felt really nervous. I couldn't imagine Mrs Tay reading that. It sounded so serious, and Mrs Tay is quite nice, so it doesn't comprehend in my mind that well.

I feel it isn't going to happen. I will never love an object more than my family. It will be cruel, even a bit sadistic to lose your family members for an inanimate object. This is a cruel world. The world does not have a lot of kindness and happiness. There is terrorism, kidnapping, murder. The only people whom will always support you is your family.

Everytime I walk past an old folk's home, or see an old lady crossing the street alone, I feel as if an arrow has just stabbed my heart. Does the old lady's family really have no time to watch her? It may be her fault, yes, but the family could at least follow her. Not dump her with a careless helper.

We should treasure what we have for now. We will never live forever, and it is very comforting to know that those who read this post are not poor or anything. We must treasure our life and the people next to us well before we lose them. I know this topic is on family but I mean everybody, from family to friends.

There is a story about a boy whom had a bad temper. His father gave him some nails and a hammer and told him to nail a nail in the fence whenever he cursed or sweared at someone. Gradually, the nails grew smaller and smaller and soon, he was able to tell his father he did not curse or swear at all on that day. His father told him to take out a nail. He found it was hard to, but finally, after many days, he was able to tell his father there were no more nails on the fence.

His father led him to the fence, now scarred with holes. He told his son, "My dear son, look at the fence. No matter how hard you try, you cannot remove the hole you have left on the fence. Imagine the fence is someone's heart. Think about how many people you have hurt emotionally. Treasure your friends and the people around you well and stop leaving holes."

To my dear friends: I am sorry if I have ever left a hole.

What I have been dreaming about...

I love to dream about ambitions! Recently I've been put next to a boy and so life is 'hard'. Still, that doesn't stop my imagination RUNNING wild!

I have always dreamt to be a famous author, because I think, although the actual dream was about being a part time author and lawyer, I can't be one. That is why I lose to Rika in debating. All the time. I think I'm only better than her in art...


Coming back to the subject, I like to wish. Like wishing I'm not sitting next to someone of the opposite gender, for example. Or wishing that my friends would stop shoving me everytime I score a basket with the netball. It's a form of happiness, but sometimes I'm not too sure. I think they're exaggerating.

Our math teacher gives us math speed tests occasionally, and on the last speed test, I scored 10 points for my ex-group. I hope I can do that now I am in Group 4, so that I can earn the points for them so they'll remain at the top.

I sometimes have this crazy wish that I was a footballer for Manchester United and that I am good. Sir Alex will appreciate me even though I am a girl who is 10+ (11 on 7th). I will train and work as a goalkeeper with the back four, like Vidic, Brown, Ferdinand and Neville. My favourite player, Wayne Rooney, is cool and reliable so I can train with him! Yeah!

I love dreaming. It's so cool just entering this imaginary world, a fantasy of my own desire, a perfect empire. Then, someone shouts in my ear for me to stop daydreaming.

*Sigh...* I absolutely hate pulling out of my dream.

Stress

It's quite okay, I mean some students are better yet some are worse under stress. For example, A and B are twins. They are put under the exact same amount of pressure. But A can cope and B can't. What does this show? If that happens, it's not the authorities' fault right?

It also isn't very smart of teachers to give their students LOADS of stress, but when it is still considered just, some students like to complain and I hate that. It's so annoying.

So could those complain kings and queens out there PLEASE stop?

Manchester United

Today I'm going to tell you guys about my favourite football club, MANCHESTER UNITED!! Manchester United is a very old club compared to Chelsea, a club WAY younger than United. They have won 17 premier league titles and a LOT of silverware, so you can imagine. Sir Alex Ferguson, who has taken United to 'glory' many times, and United, after putting up a great fight are 5 points ahead of title rivals Liverpool, and 13 points ahead of Arsenal.

1998's issue should not appear again, when United, who were 12 points ahead of Arsenal, had so many injuries that they 'led' Arsenal to the title. This was major grief to United. This year, there were also many injuies, but they are a very big club and can cope with such things now that they have matured. I hope United will strive this season. They may even have a chance to win four titles! Edwin Van Der Sar only needs one more game to beat the European world record of 14 clean sheets. (If he wins, he'll have 15)

United is a strong club and they WILL survive. All the fans of the big four, inclusing Aston Villa, watch out.