Month: January 2018

Writer’s Fortnight 2018: Mukul Deva

Published by liew48863@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg on January 29, 2018

Shape of whom? (for when you meet writers and artists)

Today’s writer’s fortnight talk was given by the man known as ‘The Change Maker’ (according to his biography on his website), and a writer of 16 books, Mukul Deva. I felt like I got to know him due to his personality and language but also not so much as besides his brief introduction of his background, he did not explicitly state anything else.

So comparing with theEd Sheeran’s process of Shape of You, the talk about how to write stories is a more foreign territory despite previous lessons in English class for the past 4 years (Looking back, I feel quite dumb…). “Everybody is a storyteller,” he reasoned as he walks us through the process of how he writes his story “(and) I believe the best way to learn is by doing it”

He split the process into two: the art part and science part of how to write a story. The art part is where you have the plot, settings, characters and incident imagined into your head. I was expecting a session that leaves me with confusions of how to implement what has just be learned just before into my own writing. I was not expecting to have ideas filling my head.

I really enjoyed his explanation and how he had chosen to answer when questions are asked. Like when someone asks who he admires in the writing world, he had answered with “Other than myself?”. That had got me laughing all the way. And in other times, he is as wise as an owl, stating that from his 16 and a half years of military, “(He was) taught that the gun does not solve any problems.”, that it hurts as much as the victim in front of him each time he pulls the trigger.

Headlines

The Art and Science of a story: Mukul Deva

“Everybody is a storyteller.” Mukul Deva begins as he introduced us to the art and science of writing a book whilst adding some humour to it.

How a boy dropped out at 16 became one of the best-selling authors

When Mukul Deva dropped out of school at the age of 16, one cannot have predicted that after his 16 and a half years of military service, he would rise and become one of the best-selling authors for thrillers and military action.

Inquiry Factory

As you have experience dropping out of school first-hand, would you encourage others to follow your footsteps too?
Who was there to support you as you advance through the stages in your life decisions?
When writing stories, what is the fine line between writing stories and getting yourself into a messy political situation?
How did you feel when you were quitting your 16 years of military service after rising up to a high position to start a company?
How did it feel when you had dropped out of school at the young age of 16?

Writer’s Fortnight 2018: Danny Raven Tan

Published by liew48863@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg on January 25, 2018

I used to think…but now I think… OR I was expecting…but came to learn that…

When I saw the words building estate manager, artist and cancer, I was expecting a talk about how the illness has encouraged a new form of inspiration and bravery to pursue a dream ambition like Steve Dawson, except a more what I’d say heartfelt and motive made sensed one. But it was much deeper, with him talking about how he loves his parents, about how he was trying to find a job which he could love, that he had once fallen into depression, about his dementia mother and his battle with cancer.

I now think that when you are faced with death, you can become a little cynical, but I believe that it can also make people wiser and more insightful than ever while making people go for their dreams. “If I were to have a backup plan, I don’t think I will succeed.”

Headlines

How a small pep talk from Danny Raven Tan changed my views

When faced with death, people can become either pessimistic, cynical, wiser or have courage. And Danny Raven Tan has them all as he shares some of his experience with us.

The push that he needed to be who he is today

In 2010 when Danny Raven Tan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, cancer that is normally only detected at its final stages, he was devastated and had fallen into depression. But sometimes, it’s when you are at the darkest that you become the brightest.

Inquiry Factory

What advice do you have for budding artists?
Do you think that there will be a day when you can finally keep no more secrets with your parents?
If you didn’t contract pancreatic cancer or any diseases, where do you think you would be?
You have mentioned that your mother was more ‘fun’ now as she takes selfies with you, but do you miss the times before she acquires dementia?
Some children/students are facing pressure from their parents to study subjects such as accounting like when you were younger. What advice would you have for them?

Writer’s Fortnight 2018: Human Library

Published by liew48863@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg on January 25, 2018

I used to think…but now I think… OR I was expecting…but came to learn that…

Truth to be told, when Mr Watson had asked the three students from my class to step out of the class to talk, I already knew who was talking what based on certain information I had once been told of.

I was expecting the first speaker, Calum, to talk about how scared he had felt, only to learn that he was only one year old at the time of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami incident. The moment he had mentioned his age at that time, I suddenly wasn’t that excited anymore. What else could he talk about? And of course, there were lots. He talked about the locals, the unexisting guilt that makes sense as he has said ‘There’s not much we could have done’ and the fact that he was just one. Another thing that had surprised me was that Calum had voiced that if he was to experience the incident again at his current age, it would probably be much more chaotic. Normally people would think the opposite, but he had reasoned that when he was younger, there wouldn’t much complain nor add to the stress and tension the family was feeling at that time.

Headlines

Venture into the past when superstitions saved lives

Victoria’s great-grandmother, a Russian survivor of the horrific World War II manages to get her paralyzed husband back into shape when doctors claim there was no cure.

A natural disaster that did not have me, but my family scared

Calum was once involved in the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in Malaysia. Despite having only certain memories of the event, he tells us about how he felt looking back.

Inquiry Factory

Most of the questions I have is directed to our third speaker, Zoe, whose headline was that ‘As a baby, I was abandoned in a box wrapped in a red blanket, a sign of good luck’, which I don’t really dare to ask despite her lax attitude when being asked questions about her past.

How did you feel when you found out you were adopted?
How do you feel about the recent abolishment of the one-child policy in China? (Following up with) Do you feel that it was unfair to you?
What do you think about the other children out there that haven’t been adopted yet?
How do you feel when one of your superstitions failed or did not work?
Do you think superstitions are just hopes?

Writer’s Fortnight 2018: Steve Dawson

Published by liew48863@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg on January 18, 2018

On the 16th of January, Steve Dawson, a Fox Sports presenter, came to our school to talk about how to give a good interview. Despite giving us extremely useful tips, our main purpose was to ask questions to write about him.

So first, some basic information from researching about him:

His first writing break was in London for weekly paper Boxing News, where he introduced future world featherweight champion Colin McMillan

He was a Chartered Tax Accountant with 10 years of experience in the field but decided to go for a career change in 1999.

He had spent 2 years as The Straits Times correspondent before moving to Channel iNews bulletin.

He was then headhunted to become the ESPN Star sports as a writer and presenter.

Currently, he is the face of football, mixed martial arts and general sports news throughout Asia having anchored the premium content at ESPN, Star Sports and Fox Sports since 2004.

He has written a couple of sports biographies, Alex Yoong: The Driver’s Line (2010) and How To Be The Greatest Like Muhammad Ali (2012), both published by Marshall Cavendish.

When reading about the fact that he had a career change, I thought that it must have taken a lot of courage to have quit his 10 years long accounting career. How did he feel about the change? How did his family react to it? I was really curious due to a relative of mine who had gone through one to pursue and experience a change in careers. It was quite hard for him as there were worries of whether he would succeed or not and whether the family was financially stable enough to support the change.

But it had turned out that he didn’t really liked the job of an accountant and had had a career change due to seeing a notice from the Straits Times that they needed a correspondent urgently. His wife was a little nonchalant and that as long as his salaries were the same, it was fine. He had actually had an exposure to the career when he was in university which he had written his thesis about the boxing economy due to being a huge fan of boxing and had forward to the newspaper.

I totally wasn’t expecting this due to a second-hand source of the experience of changing jobs. There is usually a long state of unemployment and it normally comes in when you have the free time to start properly planning and taking action for their new jobs. There may be support from their family, but there may also be worries from them as it is almost like a make it or break it thing. His experience just seems too smooth.

If I could ask him another question, I would ask: Is that really it?

I mean like there is bound to be some conflict. Were you really just all chill and lax when submitting your application to the Straits Times despite the fact that you don’t really have a degree for journalism (According to the information I received as he had studied for accounting/economics before working as an accountant)? Is there really no worry from your wife with being able to support your family as there is a chance of you being rejected?

I am aware I sound really rude and pessimistic but I just don’t really like how he was a little too vague with his career change.

But despite all those that I have (rudely) commented, I do believe that his actions were admirable. After all, it does take courage to quit a well-paid job to achieve your dream occupation. He although dislike the job accounting, he at least admitted it had help, something I don’t believe that I would say if I was in his shoes (based on what he has vaguely said). I guess that was why one of my two only favourite lines from him was “I’m quite pleased with my decision” when he was asked what advice he would give to his younger self.

Conclusion of the night (actually afternoon), is that despite unsatisfied with full story of career change, I have wholeheartedly admired his courage to change his career and that he is doing something he is passionate about.

Life to me is like a road with so many possible paths ahead and left behind. Everybody, at some point, may look over their shoulder and ask themselves: ‘Why didn’t I do that?’, ‘If only I knew…’ But we don’t actually know what the actual outcome is if we take that path, all we can do is to make a decision to look forward before falling inside a ditch.

THE END

the Three Gorges Dam: was it worth the cost

Published by liew48863@gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg on January 10, 2018

As the title has suggested, this post is going to be about the controversial project of China’s Three Gorges Dam. Honestly, I was split into two sides of the project as in all 3 factors of social, environmental, and economic. Some people might argue that it wasn’t worth it due to a large amount of social and environmental disadvantage while some support the project due to the economic advantage it brings. Maybe I’ll make up my mind when I finish my post so let’s just list down all the pros and cons.

Let’s first talk about the social side of the project. One of the main priority and purpose of the Three Gorges Dam was to control the disastrous flooding that has once claimed 30000 lives in 1953. Due to being able to control flooding, the dam is able to protect 25000 hectares of farmland. Job opportunities are created from the construction to the maintenance of the dam. The Three Gorges Dam is also said to be able to provide 10% of China’s electricity needs.

But you can counter that as China’s demand for energy is increasing as its population increase together with its economy, thus unlikely to be able to achieve the figure there. Another problem was that although the dam does control flooding, it is unable to control the flooding on the other side where 632 km² of land home to 400 million people of China, which is also equivalent to 1/3 of China’s population and 1/12 of the world population. Already 1.4 million were forcibly moved. The amount of landslide has also increased, causing cracks in the walls of houses. People living under those roofs are in constant fear of the house collapsing and is having trouble keeping warm especially during winter when cold air seeps through the cracks. The villagers do want help from the government, but there is not only a long waiting list but also a distrust as it was reported that RMB30 million that was meant for relocation has been used for personal wants by corrupted local officials. So as we can see, on the social side, disadvantages overpowered the advantages by a lot.

Next up is the environmental effects this project has brought. I can only provide one environmental advantage of this project which is that it is a renewable energy. Done. Now here comes the bombard of disadvantages.

As we have mentioned before, the number of landslides has increased, and this is due to the water level fluctuating in a great number of 30m. Not only that. The decrease of silt and sediment heading downstream has also contributed to the increase of river and coastal erosion. The water quality of the famous Yangtze River has gone due to the accumulation of rubbish in the river and pollution. This has caused species to go extinct and be endangered. Not only did Yangtze river dolphin in 2006 extinct, the wetland home to around 95% of the endangered Siberian crane is shrinking at an alarming rate of 4km2/year. Fish stock and phytoplankton in the river have also decreased. Deforestation is also occurring for relocation for the people affected by the flooding. It was kinda funny to me as it was contradicting as many people believe that China should turn to a renewable energy source due to its extensive use of coal. But at the same time, turning to this project as an alternative is also bad despite being a renewable energy. Contradicting, isn’t it?

The economic advantages the Three Gorges Dam is one of the major reasons for turnovers from being against the project to supporting it. As mentioned before, jobs are created. It is said to have generated 100 billion KW an hour, which is as much energy as using 50 million tons of coal does annually. It has a controlled system which allows larger ships to transport and trade goods.

Now here’s the returning blow from the disadvantage side. Despite being said to be able to generate a large figure of energy, it actually depends on the water level, which is greatly fluctuating from time to time.There is actually longer delay caused in the trades due to long queues, which reduces the number of transactions. The amount of energy is actually reduced due to the dam blocking and collecting a ton of silt, ≤50% of the 500 million ton is deposited behind the dam which reduces the storage capacity.

So in conclusion, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea due to the overwhelming amount of disadvantages listed. But who knows whether it will be actually better for a longer term.