I&S: Constitutional Monarchy Essay

Should We Keep or Abolish Constitutional Monarchies?

This essay also contributes to the investigation mark. We were provided with 6 sources where opinions and supporting facts, details, and examples are available. We were not required to look at other sites or sources. I read all the sites and decided what information justifies why or not we should abolish constitutional monarchies. Then, I take those points down in my research notes. We were supposed to have different sections for the research notes from each source. I completed my research part without asking a question or checking if I was on the right track.

My high-lighted research notes and my essay planner

What I then do was chose my side by deciding which side of the argument was more convincing. I decided we should keep constitutional monarchies. Next, I picked out all the points that convinced me, making sure I not only had the reasons, but also the facts. I categorised the points into three for my three main body paragraphs. Afterwards, I picked out some reasons we should abolish constitutional monarchies. The ones I picked out were relevant to my main points. This way, I was looking at both sides and using my reasons and facts to blow their point. Once again, I went through this process without any help. All I did was the process I mentioned.

The day the essay was due, we were to write the essay from start-to-finish in an 80-minute class.

   

I got 8/8 for Investigating, 7/8 for Communicating, and 7/8 for Thinking Critically. I thought it was a really good grade for an essay to be researched and planned in a week and written in a class. I am not a very quick person, but I completed it well all by myself. My self-confidence once again increased.

Arts: Modigliani-Style Self Portriat

Modigliani-Style - Rexican Italian Detective Rex

of Another Timeline in His 30s

In this project, we did the bibliography of three artists. They were Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, and Amedeo Modigliani. All of them has their own special style with their own elements.

Along with each bibliography, we were asked to copy one drawing / painting of the artist.

Afterwards, we were to pick one artist and draw 3 self-portraits draw a sketch modifying a painting of his and using his style. I chose to modify Amedeo Modigliani's drawing. It might have been interesting, fun, and creative to modify one of Picasso's drawings. However, I thought I wanted to do something different from what many of the others have chosen. Perhaps risk-taking is about trying something new instead of something different. Perhaps I will try something new the next time. Though it was still fun to modify Modigliani's drawing with the long necks of his style.

Then, we pick one of the three sketches and use it for our final drawing. I first carefully outlined the body from my sketch to the A3 sized paper with care and detail to the proportions. Then, I outlined the shape of the head and went on to the hat. I went back later to finish my face with some changes from my sketch. With many tries and erasing, I finished it. Next, I used crayons to colour the self-portrait in with sharp colours, with multiple blending of colours (yellow, peach, white for skin. Blue brown for moustache).

This was a fun project, which not only involved modifying the drawing, but the general style of an artist.

I&S: Religion Research Project

Zoroastrian Religion Research Project - Self Confidence

   

The Zoroastrian Religion Research project was a big project. My partner was Umair and we had 17 pages of research notes and a 20-page (with bigger fonts and spaces) report for Zoroastrianism. The whole process really tested and challenged my self-confidence.

We had to go through processes of searching for sources. One of which we chose to have an interview with a Zoroastrian man from the Parsi Zoroastrian Association of Singapore. Umair arranged the meetings and I planned some questions of what I wanted to know more or clarify. It was a nervous interview since it was face to face and it was only me and the man. And I knew it would be nervous for me. However, I thought it was a more reliable source of information, with the convenience of asking and getting a direct answer. Therefore, I took the risk. It turned out I learnt from the experience of preparing and interviewing someone for the first time. A different type of source also made our research more interesting. Thus, it had a great effect and encourage me to take more risks.

Also, it was a long process of researching. Just reading all our sources and taking down important notes took up ~2 weeks at least. I asked about skipping repeated information, the approximate length of our research. But otherwise, I listened to the instructions in class and was mostly researching by myself, trusting myself the rest of the time.

In the end, we had to write it up. I listened to instructions about how it should be arranged into sections (history, beliefs, rituals...). But then, I wrote it up without help. I picked out the most important points and information, arranged them into even smaller categories and paragraphs. Wrote it in a fluent and understandable format, and added in a couple of pictures with captions. I also constantly reminded my partner. So it was a very individual process that relied on my ability, concentration, and also my self-confidence.

In the end, I received 7/8 for knowing and understanding, 8/8 for investigating, 7.5 for communicating. It was a very good grade, and I realized how well I can do something on my own. Therefore, my self-confidence increased in the end of this Religion Research Project for Zoroastrianism.

Report:
https://docs.google.com/a/huskymail.cis.edu.sg/document/d/1wWHAfakqs-mCpWeIUtzKrPtiD3iFHmTIHj6rY_N1QY4/edit?usp=sharing

Research:
https://docs.google.com/a/huskymail.cis.edu.sg/document/d/1VFbF-3sJtCRoz5f-1Z8eh6J-4FJ7zcGjutx2Z4ETo8U/edit?usp=sharing

Action plan:
https://docs.google.com/a/huskymail.cis.edu.sg/document/d/13eRtTihFsX8Sg7rsYZgPXc13UCwydSUx6KeCS6KEuiU/edit?usp=sharing

Excursion - Telunas Indonesia

Before that, who is the "me" I have become this year:

I think the ME leaving CIS TK Singapore compared to the one that came two years ago is a much more risk-taking, confident (balanced & socializing). I joined more teams and activities like student council, ACSIS badminton team, MUN. Also, compared to last year, I did big projects more individually instead of often asking to see if I am on track. Those projects include the science waves investigation video, science solar cooker lab, I&S religion research project.

Onto Excursion:

This excursion has one of those moments where my eyes opened up and my view of the world widened.

Firstly, I was enjoying the moments themselves during excursion. Even simple moments that weren't very thrilling. I experienced days away from busy life with electronics, days with almost everything, to days without much. Together with my friends, in houses on stilts, with great sunrises and sunsets. In the islands where the view of the ocean extends so far. I saw myself compared to nature. I felt like a tiny piece of salt, easily and quickly dissolving into a big cup of water with other dissolved salts. That feeling was provided by the surroundings of nature and being away from busy life.

Secondly, I experienced many new, exciting, interesting things. I have never jumped off a jetty into the ocean; I have never mixed cement; I have never stayed in houses, simply built, on a quiet island; I have never swum in a lake, not that I remember of; I have never spent time to observe the sea or sunset. Some of those in which I learnt.

Thirdly, I saw the simple lives of the villagers, experienced the heat and the bugs. I knew before, but I experienced and was reminded how in many places people don't have as much as we do. I was in their shoes, but even that was only for two three days. However, I observed that they can be just as satisfied. I realized that perhaps how lucky we are and how we should treasure what we have, and also share it by donations or voluntary work.

L&L Debate - Is the Community or Earth More Preferable

L&L Debate

This debate was to see if Earth or the community from the Giver is a better place to live in. The community has no colours (only shades), has no deep feelings (no love, no pain), has all you need... It is a utopian society.

I believed that enjoying the moment is the element to life, with ups and downs is what life is, not boring steady life where you don't even know what the purpose of your existence is except for contributing to a society without a purpose of existence. It's living like animals, survive and pass on. But it is taking away the survive part, and the pass-on part, leaving behind live and die.

I wanted to be honest so I chose the harder way instead of going with statistics and facts. But what I learnt is that facts are efficient and feelings are effective. But it is hard to fight with a sword and hammer. And sometimes, perhaps we should do it the easy way if our choice doesn't make a difference except for the difference on ourselves.

I was also in charge of my group. It was difficult to manage others work while you have your own, and they don't always listen. So that was a challenge, and a training. Next time, I would check with my group more regularly because shorter work time and more small deadlines do help time management according to an experiment on university students.

Below is the script for my speech.

Is the Community or Earth More Preferable Speech Script

The community is not more preferable than earth. It is because to live with no experience, and no purpose, is not the best life. It is because the purpose of life is supposed to be all about the ideas in your head, the feelings in your heart, and the experience with your body… I mean experience with your sense. The life of the people in the community is not experience in depth like real fun, real friends, real colours, real experience, real happiness, real sorrows, real families, and real love. The life of the people in the community is extremely about fulfilling the duties. The community is exactly as what Oscar Wilde with an “e” said, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” Why is the community not the ideas in your head, the feelings in your heart, and the experience of your senses?

First, their education is pointless because it does not spark the ideas in their heads. Perfection and flawlessness are all the community is. Brené Brown said, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” Without vulnerability, which is what the community lacks, there is no opportunity for innovation, creativity, and change. New ideas do not spark in their heads. It is because innovative ideas are basically creative solutions, which require problems. And if problems do not exist, true innovativeness and ideas does not exist. One may argue “Innovativeness is not necessary when you do not need it. Perfection is in turn the purpose of innovativeness.”

One may argue. However, I will say innovative solutions can also lead to entertainment like television. Peter F. Drucker said, “If you want something new, stop doing something old.” Entertainment form experiences. And speaking of experience, they don’t have experiences like vacations, theme parks, TV, Internet, books, movies, music… New experiences are necessary. One may argue “if you have never experienced or knew about something, like X-box, then you won’t wish for the experience.” But I believe that the enjoyment of an enjoyment is the best enjoyment. For example, why would you pity people with allergies to some food. It doesn’t matter to them! But that is what is sad about it. Entertainment forms experience, which adds colours and meanings to life. When the people in the community become adults, they do not have much entertainment - no books, no TVs, no Internet, no travelling, no vacations. They have nothing to do when they have time. Why do they need things to do? It is like people in prisons or monkeys in the zoos without anything to do. But do you know what happens to those prisoners and animals? They go crazy because they are so bored. Okay, maybe the people in the community do not go crazy, but how meaningless and boring life is. But yes, perhaps they do not even have spare time. Now, imagine a person who goes to work, have meals, come home, and sleep, and yeah, use the toilet for 365 days each year, and for 70 years. That’s going to make them crazy too. It is like people in prisons or monkeys in the zoos without anything to do. The life and experience of the people in the community is ignored because they are busy fulfilling their duties and they have a schedule, and they will be released and dishonored if they do not do it the way they are “suppose to”.

Last but not least, life is what happens to you when you are busy fulfilling your duties and keeping up work. He who does not experience with his heart does not live, he exists. I remember at the beginning of the year we were discussing stereotypes. Under the picture of the Asian (which looked like me according to Paul) with glasses and a book was “No life”. The stereotype was that people think that only working and not spending enough time on other things is “no life”. I remember, when I was in Hong Kong, it indeed was not quite “life”. When I was in Hong Kong, I studied, and go to extracurricular activities and lessons, and learn extra skills and talents. In some ways it wasn’t completely my own will, sometimes you need this to do better in school and get a better job. But yes, it is interesting, useful and satisfying. Or maybe just for me. However, when I look back, I realized it made my life too busy, fulfilling my duties and catching up with the environment that I was actually lost and trapped in the business I don’t really pull back and take a serious look at my life in general. Moreover, it doesn’t allow spare time. You don’t have many time for curiosity, fun. And I think it is the same case for the people in the community. They are too busy fulfilling their duties in order to be part of the community, that they don’t have spare time to do multiple interests; or to look at life in a big picture, and enjoy the moment; plus their same schedule every day and no regular or frequent holidays, they might as well lived 24 years and yet it felt like 24 weeks, or hours.

In the community, no experiences, no purpose, not the best life. It's because it is too perfect and have no space for problems, so it doesn’t provide opportunities for innovation. There is not much entertainment; and no spare time to reflect, or have fun, making life meaningless and purposeless. They are so busy and their schedule is so identical their life pass away too quickly, and seems pointless. Therefore, no experiences, no purpose, no the best life. Thank you.

I know that Earth has hunger and everything. But there are help being offered. People have a choice, at least the slightest choice to change their lives. But in the community, you don’t have a choice to decide change. And unless you are Jonas, change would never be a word to you.

Community & Service Project - Recycling

Community & Service Project - Recycling

My commmunity and service project was about improving the recycling programme in the school itself.

I chose this project because I thought that the environment is for all animals and it affects the generations that come after us, it affects the future globally. I found that many people at school just throw plastic bottles and tin cans into the canteen's or the classroom's rubbish bins.

I put bins around the school, but the one that was useful was only the one in math class. So I collected and clear that bin along with paper recycling bins from other classes so they aren't full the whole time. I posted some facts and statistics on the canteen wall for attention and awareness.

It wasn't the most successful project. I problems with changing the statistics regularly, starting the project itself was hard as I couldn't decide my project and I was busy at the beginning of 2015 (interviews, tests, MUN...). I also encountered challenges where people just don't notice the posters or the bins even if they were right in front of them.

Though I learnt a lot. This was one of my reminders to start earlier and plan my time wisely. It also changed my opinions that partners are more helpful than I thought they were. I also learnt that action should be done and less time should be put on decisions.

On the presentation day, I had a slide that introduced what I do, why I did it, how I did it, what I learnt, and what I will do next time (improvements). Moreover, I had a video to alert people the situations we have today, combined with some facts, seriousness of pollution today, music for self-reflection, with some habits we can change to make a change. I also had a slide people can scroll through with their own will for more details of daily habits that we often don't realize is harmful to the environment.

Habits slide:
https://www.haikudeck.com/hgo-uncategorized-presentation-c3UfDEpARJ

Introduction slide:
https://www.haikudeck.com/i-thought-for-a-while-uncategorized-presentation-b1w1pW5MA7

Video

L&L Limerick - Honey, I'm Home Early

Honey, I'm Home Early

APOLOGIES, NO PICTURE RELATED TO THIS LIMERICK SHOULD BE SHOWN

There once was a woman called Julie,

Who one day went home from work early.

She looked for her husband,

And found him unbuttoned -

With all parts bare but one part barely!

What is this:

This was the limerick I wrote for my L&L. Since we learnt that funny limericks are often dirty, and clean ones are seldom funny, I tried to go the dirty way.

The "Risk":

It was hard for me to come up with something really dirty, especially when it's not a topic I often discuss. It also conflicts against my "reputation" a little. However, I thought I might as well try something different, and actually write an interesting poem.

Brief process of writing & crafting:

It was really hard to come up with something dirty. So I decided to look up some dirty limericks. Look at what they mention, their style, their punchline. And I brainstormed a couple of ideas based on those ones, and came up with what my limerick would be based on (last line). Then, I decided to add some suspense and the atmosphere of trouble in it, and so I came up with this setting and theme. Afterwards, I wrote out the arrangement of sentences structure. Then, I tried thinking and researching rhyming words and names. I picked and tested different ones. And in the end, I fixed some words for clarity, especially the last line. I also tried play with words, for example, the last line has similar words but very different meanings, giving more flow and significance to the punch line.

/\ My Drafts for my limerick.