by curri58987@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg | Nov 8, 2018 | Grade 9, IGCSE Archive, Me
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Grade 9 Targets
8th November 2018
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This year, I’ve definitely been working on setting goals. (In some places, I actually question such an excess, since it doesn’t seem like a lot of goals will really help me as much as just focusing on one goal, but I’ll try it out.) For now, I’ll reveal my three goals for Grade 9 and High School, and what I’m planning to do to achieve them.
Goal 1: To reduce and find better ways to deal with stress through music.
This goal is one of my goals for NYAA. I feel very strongly about this goal, and I’ve fully explained it in this post right here.
Have I worked towards this goal in any way?
Further progress will be documented in the ‘Youth Achievements‘ category of my portfolio, and some updates are already posted. I will be posting monthly.
Goal 2: To strengthen organisational skills through service.
I want to become more responsible and develop my self-management and group-management skills. In Ladakh GC this year, we’re looking to hold some sort of event, or be a part of an event, and I think that I can really improve my organisational skills. I can not only learn more about self-management, but also collaboration, as events take a lot of time to work out, and it takes teamwork to deliver a successful experience to the rest of the student body.
A success indicator would definitely be actually having participated or created an event this year, and a promise of future involvement. I also want to review on how successful the event actually was, and what impact it created. At the end of the year, I also want to feel like I have used skills that apply in an academic context in a service context.
Have I worked towards this goal in any way?
Ladakh GC has already been thinking about being a part of one of the school events this year rather than creating our own. Personally, I think that it would be better to invest our efforts in a Ladakhi cultural event, because of our goal. I’ve talked about Ladakh GC and my first impressions here, and I think that it would be worthwhile looking into Ladakhi culture and organising an event that coordinates with a cultural festival of some sort. This not only would spread awareness of our cause, but also teach people of Ladakhi culture.
However, it seems as if we’re going to try and participate in one of the already existing school events, like ‘Run for Rights’. I have no objection towards this, and hopefully there will be a chance for teamwork and some chance to improve my logistics skills.
Goal 3 (Long-term): Finding a passion or cause in which I feel very strongly about.
For me, I’ve always wanted to find a passion or some sort of cause that I can dedicate my life to. There are so many issues in the world right now, whether environmental, social or political, and I think that more people need to work towards these goals. However, I’ve been finding a lot of trouble finding one thing that I am passionate about, so I’ve been trying lots of different things. However, nothing’s seemed to stick, and I don’t think I’ve found the right people yet. So, I want to focus my high school career into finding something that I am truly passionate about.
It’s a career aim for me to get a degree in science, and use it for good. In an ideal future, I’ll use my knowledge of the natural world to explore it even further while working for a social enterprise of some kind. However, that means I need to find a cause, and passions aren’t always that easy to find. This is a built-in success indicator.
Have I worked towards this goal in any way?
Well, I’ve watched this TED Talk, and I’ve tried a LOT of different cause groups at school.
Firstly, I’ve joined Ladakh GC since I’ve worked with humanitarian groups a lot in the past (Children’s Shelter Foundation and Moving Mountains), and I think that this could definitely be something that I could work towards. However, work there is difficult, and it is also important to keep my options open.
Last year, I participated in an event called COP21, learning more about sustainability in an event that brought students from lots of different schools together to learn about the SDGs and what we can do to improve our lifestyle to become more sustainable. I feel strongly for the environment, and I know that there are lots of options in science to work towards this, so I think that this is probably my most feasible option.
However, I’ve also joined a focus group: Voices for Refugees. Someday, I’d like to volunteer in a refugee camp, because this issue is pressing the globe right now, and in alignment with the Human Rights, I feel that this issue needs to be solved as soon as possible. So, I’ve joined this focus group, and hopefully I will continue with it to build a passion.
I think that from a starting point, I’ve picked things that I am interested in, but I want to have consistency throughout my high school experience, and I think that consistency and dedication is what’s going to build my passions.
Thanks for reading!
by curri58987@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg | Sep 4, 2018 | Grade 9, IGCSE Archive, Me
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4th September 2018
classic literature that i love
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This is my current list of classic literature favourites and recommendations. However, I know that I’ll read a lot more literature over the course of the next few years, and new books will definitely be added to the list. But for now, please enjoy the prematurity of my classics list, and I hope that you choose to read a few in the future!
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Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
DESCRIPTION:
Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Here are talented tomboy and author-to-be Jo, tragically frail Beth, beautiful Meg, and romantic, spoiled Amy, united in their devotion to each other and their struggles to survive in New England during the Civil War.
Why I love this book:
I read this book at a very young age – and I loved the long-winding story, it wasn’t boring at all to me. It was an easy read, and I fell in love with all of the characters and all their escapades. This book kept me hooked right until the very end.
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Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
DESCRIPTION:
‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’
Why I love this book:
I’m not usually a fan of romance, but when I read this book I didn’t mind it at all. I found the book funny and enthralling, and the ending was extremely satisfying. It remains one of my favourite classics to this day.
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Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
DESCRIPTION:
In a future dystopian society, all printed materials have been banned. Enforced by the fire department – whose role it is to burn books – the attempt to create an emotionless, egalitarian society has been taken to an extreme. Guy Montag is a senior fireman who is much respected by his superiors and is in line for a promotion. He doesn’t question what he does or why he does it until he meets Clarisse. As his doubts grow, he begins to steal some of the books he is meant to burn.
Why I love this book:
It’s a delightfully speculative and philosophical piece of fiction, albeit short, it encapsulates bigger topics than would be expected from such a short book. It’s fast-paced and provides thought-material all the way through. You’re constantly thinking and adding meaning and it’s just one of those books that speaks out about humanity in an introspective and interesting way. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I push it onto anyone who hasn’t read it already.
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Kindred – Octavia Butler
DESCRIPTION:
Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.
Why I love this book:
The description above has a little bit of a spoiler, but it doesn’t reveal much about the escapades Dana has while she’s transported back in time. This book is a classic piece of black literature, and it combines the element of science with the heavy topics of oppression and the segregation of black people in America, making it an interesting book that keeps you in it’s hold all the way to the end. I love it because it compares today’s world where black people have more rights with the time in which they were slaves, and it does so extremely well – you can really see the difference properly. It’s an amazing book, by an amazing writer. Read it!
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Recommendations
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Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
DESCRIPTION:
Brave New World is a dystopian novel written in 1931 by English author Aldous Huxley, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State of genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and classical conditioning that are combined to make a utopian society that goes challenged only by a single outsider.
Why I love this book:
I love this book because of the dystopian/utopian theme. It’s all about control of the population and conformity, which I think was very well explored, especially with the addition of the character of the savage, a character that we could compare others to. I think I definitely enjoyed the characters more than any other aspect of the book, probably because of how interesting they were and how well Huxley had shaped their minds. It’s definitely a must-read for science-fiction or dystopia fans.
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The Colour Purple – Alice Walker
DESCRIPTION:
Set in the deep American South between the wars, it is the tale of Celie, a young black girl born into poverty and segregation. Raped repeatedly by the man she calls ‘father’, she has two children taken away from her, is separated from her beloved sister Nettie and is trapped into an ugly marriage. But then she meets the glamorous Shug Avery, singer and magic-maker – a woman who has taken charge of her own destiny. Gradually, Celie discovers the power and joy of her own spirit, freeing her from her past and reuniting her with those she loves.
Why I love this book:
This book is heavy. I’m not going to lie, it deals with mature topics and can be overwhelming at first – but it’s a beautiful story and if you’re comfortable with topics such as explicit language, sexuality and society, race relations, religion and African history then I recommend it. I loved it for it’s explicitness, though. There was a lot of truth hidden within those pages, and I thoroughly enjoyed combing through it all. It’s one of those books that has built my perspective on race relations and segregation. It’s also definitely a good book to talk about with other people (all of these are, to be honest) – and provides a lot of interesting topics up for discussion. Make sure to read it!
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I‘m going to end this on a slightly different note than usual. I haven’t read a lot of literature, so this list is looking more empty than I would like it to be. I’d like to open up this little section to talk about my to-read list, especially for literature, and to open up the comments section for more books that I should look at.
I also might want to do reviews and little writes on classic literature in the future – I can see my ‘classics’ section developing already!
Anyway, here are the plans for the next set of books I’m looking to read – and feel free to recommend more in the comments!
TO-READ:
↬ Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
↬ Native Son – Richard Wright
↬ We – Yevgeny Zamayatin
↬ The Grapes of Wrath: John Steinbeck
JUST FINISHED:
↬ The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood (I absolutely LOVED this, comment if you want a little book review)
↬ The Lord of the Rings (the whole trilogy) – J. R. R. Tolkien
That’s all for now. Happy reading!
by curri58987@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg | Aug 21, 2018 | Grade 9, IGCSE Archive, Me
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21st August 2018
books that were my childhood
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The Magic Faraway Tree – Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was my favourite author as a child. I adored her Malory Towers series, and all the collections of stories she wrote. However, my ultimate favourite was (and still is) The Faraway Tree. My mother gave this book to me when I was 6 years old (she’s had her copy of the book for over 25 years) and I had loved it all through primary school. I even used it when I was being interviewed for new schools at the 11+ exams, as my favourite book and as a book that shaped me.
I think that ‘The Faraway Tree’ is where I got my sense of excitement and adventure, and it’s where my imagination got to grow. It’s the book that shoved me face-first into the world of reading, and I’ve been happy ever since.
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Little Lord Fauntleroy – Frances Hodgson Burnett
Burnett was also one of my favourite authors as a child. I reread ‘The Secret Garden’ countless amounts of times (I still reread it today) and I was obsessed with ‘The Little Princess’ for a good couple of months. However, my favourite story from her has always been Little Lord Fauntleroy.
I borrowed the book from the library, not expecting much as I was already very impressed by ‘The Secret Garden’. But when I read the book, I realised how much I loved the story and the characters within the story. I was extremely sad to return it to the library, and when I couldn’t find another copy of the book in bookstores, I got very upset. I’m still sad that I don’t have a copy today, it needs a reread. The only memory I have of it is feeling extremely satisfied when finishing it, which is the most important criteria for me when judging whether I like a book or not.
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Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo
DESCRIPTION:
When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parent’s yacht, the Peggy Sue, he struggles to survive on his own. But he soon realises there is someone close by, someone who is watching over him and helping him to stay alive. Following a close-run battle between life and death after being stung by a poisonous jelly fish, the mysterious someone–Kensuke–allows Michael into his world and they become friends, teaching and learning from each other, until the day of separation becomes inevitable.
MY OPINION:
In my opinion, this book is the one that has shaped me most. I read this book early, just when I was starting to get into reading. The reason why this book is so important to me is because it was the first book I had properly cried at. Even though my favourite Michael Morpurgo book is ‘Running Wild’, Kensuke’s Kingdom holds a place in my heart that no other book could take.
I even hated this book at first because it made me cry, but then I realised how important that was – I had finally cried at a book. It increased my love for reading tenfold, which was something I didn’t think would happen. I enjoy crying at books, because books rarely make me cry, and when that swell of emotion builds up, I feel satisfied.
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Goodnight Mr Tom – Michelle Magorian
DESCRIPTION:
London is poised on the brink of World War II. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech — the abused child of a single mother — is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place. Then a telegram comes. Willie must return to his mother in London. When weeks pass by with no word from Willie, Mr. Tom sets out for London to look for the young boy he has come to love as a son.
MY OPINION:
This books is my favourite of the World War Two books that I read as a child. I found it the most interesting out of all of them, I enjoyed the long storyline and the emotions hidden within. This book is a bit of a rollercoaster as well, and I loved the way Magorian wrote the characters and the experiences that the protagonist had. I thought she portrayed his character extremely well, and even though this book didn’t make me cry, I still found it very moving.
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some recommendations
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When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Judith Kerr
DESCRIPTION:
Anna is not sure who Hitler is, but she sees his face on posters all over Berlin. Then one morning, Anna and her brother awake to find her father gone! Her mother explains that their father has had to leave and soon they will secretly join him. Anna just doesn’t understand. Why do their parents keep insisting that Germany is no longer safe for Jews like them? Because of Hitler, Anna must leave everything behind.
Why do I recommend this book?
It’s an interesting book for children, and it has a simple story and plotline. It encourages thinking, and the language poses exactly the right amount of challenge for those who aren’t avid readers. It is engaging, well-written and relatable for children, since the protagonist of the story is also a child. It was one of my favourite World War Two books as a child too, so I definitely recommend you read it, if you haven’t already.
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Skellig – David Almond
DESCRIPTION:
Unhappy about his baby sister’s illness and the chaos of moving into a dilapidated old house, Michael retreats to the garage and finds a mysterious stranger who is something like a bird and something like an angel…
Why do I recommend this book?
This book is beautifully written and extremely thought provoking – I push this book onto anyone who hasn’t read it already. It’s a book that really makes you try to read between the lines, and it really helps you develop skills as a reader. It has a beautiful story and plot within it, and even though the book is short, it’ll leave you with the best feeling of satisfaction. Well, that’s what it did for me.
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The Witches – Roald Dahl
DESCRIPTION:
This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don’t ride around on broomsticks. They don’t even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you’re face to face with one? Well, if you don’t know yet you’d better find out quickly-because there’s nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she’ll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.
Why do I recommend this book?
I’ll always recommend Roald Dahl, especially to children – his books are funny and simple. This book is simply my favourite Roald Dahl story. I know it’s not as popular as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the BFG, but I still think that this book was the most enjoyable to read out of all of the stories. I found it witty and exciting, it really possessed that feel of mystery and adventure that I enjoy the most.
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The Railway Children – E. Nesbit
DESCRIPTION:
In this much-loved children’s classic first published in 1906, the comfortable lives of three well-mannered siblings are greatly altered when, one evening, two men arrive at the house and take their father away. With the family’s fortunes considerably reduced in his absence, the children and their mother are forced to live in a simple country cottage near a railway station. There the young trio — Roberta, Peter, and young Phyllis — befriend the porter and station master.
The youngsters’ days are filled with adventure and excitement, including their successful attempt to avert a horrible train disaster; but the mysterious disappearance of their father continues to haunt them.
Why do I recommend this book?
I love this book, and all of E. Nesbit’s work, because for a girl like me (growing up in England) these books were describing my home and my country. They’re still classics too, and her books are a must-read for everyone. Some of her best include ‘Five Children and It’ and ‘The Phoenix and the Carpet’. But the reason why I picked ‘The Railway Children’ over them is because it was the first E. Nesbit I read, and also because I thought the writing was best here. I enjoyed this story the most, and I found the whole book enchanting and wonderful.
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So, that’s the list of books that captivated me as a child – I’ll make sure to make a classics list too, of all the classic literature I love and why, plus some more recommendations!
Happy reading!
by curri58987@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg | Aug 17, 2018 | Grade 9, IGCSE Archive, Me
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17th August, 2018
the start of grade 9 – science fiction
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Scythe – Neil Shusterman
DESCRIPTION:
“A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.
Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.”
Why I enjoyed this book:
I enjoyed this book because of the deep philosophy within it, and the discussion of morals and ethics between the pages. This is a book that truly bends the view of the reader, and it makes you question who’s right and who’s wrong. The book’s antagonist is one of the most interesting characters because of his worldview, because of his perspective and throughout the book Shusterman explicitly reveals the underlying motives of the antagonist, and it really makes you think and see the world from another perspective. It truly does make you question your morals and ethics, and that’s why I enjoyed this book.
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The Illuminae Files Trilogy – Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
DESCRIPTION:
“This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.”
Why I enjoyed this book:
This book is exciting and full of action, it really drags you in and holds you there. I love this book purely because of one character, the AI, nicknamed AIDAN in the book. The character of the AI was wrought with emotion, despite the fact that it was a computer. This character pushed my view of human emotion, human relationships, morals and ethics. The metaphors used when AIDAN was narrating were complex. One of my favourite quotes from this book, the last book – “Would you kill one to save five? If yes, then why would you not kill two thousand to save two thousand and one?” This blend of logic, maths and ethics is what I love to read, and I thoroughly loved reading through this book.
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A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness
DESCRIPTION:
“At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting – he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.”
Why I enjoyed this book:
This book is an eye opening story about grief, love and loss, and it’s extremely cleverly and beautifully written. It’s definitely a book that could make you cry, and it also exposes new insights and perspectives into issues. It warps the idea of good and evil, and the stories that the monster tells Conor are insightful and thought-provoking. It’s a beautifully crafted story.
I also adore Patrick Ness’s writing, as I admire his style and I love his plotlines and the characters he creates. I love the universes he makes, and the people he puts inside those universes, and I adore all the hidden meaning he slides underneath his words. He’s definitely one of my favourite authors.
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some recommendations
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More Than This – Patrick Ness
DESCRIPTION:
“A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies. Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive. How can this be? And what is this strange deserted place?
As he struggles to understand what is happening, the boy dares to hope. Might this not be the end? Might there be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?”
Why I recommend this book:
This book is eye-opening and well-written, and I think that the realisations and the thought process you go through as you read the book is amazing. Definitely a Patrick Ness must-read.
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The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman
DESCRIPTION:
“Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.
Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.”
Why I recommend this book:
This book is wonderfully descriptive, and it’s a brilliant piece of fantasy. It truly exercises your imagination, which is what I love about it. It’s fantastical and new, and I think that whether you’re looking to find deeper meaning or just to read for fun, this book is always good to pick up.
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That’s the end of this list.
I hope you read some of these books (they’re pretty much all science fiction, but I do promise other genres) and this list will be continued in the future! I might also do a ‘favourite classics list’ and other things, so stay tuned 🙂
Happy reading!
