Doyenne of Writers
Catherine Lim, 66, has published more than 10 collections of short stories, five novels, two poetry collections, as well as numerous political commentaries. She has received local and regional prizes, including three National Book Development Council awards, the Montblanc-NUS Centre For The Arts Literary Award and the Southeast Asian Write Award. Her short stories have also been used as literature texts for the O levels.
She was made a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2003, and in 2005 was appointed an ambassador of the Hans Christian Andersen Foundation in Copenhagen.
Born in 1942 in the town of Kulim in Malaysia, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Malaya in 1963. She received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from the National University of Singapore in 1988, and also attended Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1990 as part of the Fulbright programme.
She immigrated to Singapore in 1967 at the age of 26, where she has lived ever since. Originally a teacher, she later became a project director with the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore and a specialist lecturer with the Regional Language Centre, teaching socio-linguistics and literature. She resigned to become a full-time writer in 1992.
She is divorced and has two grown children.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Little Ironies: Short Stories of Singapore
In the eighth of a monthly column featuring groundbreaking works of local literature, we look at Little Ironies, which exposes the cruel streak in human nature with humour and compassion
As the doyenne of Singapore writers, Catherine Lim’s trademark wit and keen observation is apparent in Little Ironies (1978), her first collection of short stories. Poignant and dark, they tend to focus on a single character’s thoughts and actions, with the full repercussions of the character’s decisions revealed in a surprising, but never outlandish, twist only at the end.
About the everyday life of adolescent Singapore, the book portrays a people who are just beginning to learn to straddle East and West, tradition and modernity. A lot of the colour and drama in the stories centres on the practice of Chinese traditions, and how these ancient rituals reflect eternal elements of human behaviour.
In The Father, a dissolute man buys food for the grave of the young daughter he has beaten to death, even as his still-living children starve.
In Lottery, a woman becomes obsessed with drawing 4-D numbers from random occurrences at the expense of practicality and propriety.
In Paper, one of the most heart-rendingly ironic stories, a man plays the stock market with the aim of buying his dream house, which he lovingly envisions ‘from the aluminium sliding doors to the actual shade of the dining room carpet to the shape of the swimming pool. Kidney. He rather liked the shape’.
When the stock market crashes and his hard-earned cash and ‘paper gains’ go up in smoke, he dies of despair. For his funeral, his aged mother buys him a paper version of the house he had died for: ’seven feet tall, a delicate framework of wire and thin bamboo strips… There was a paper swimming pool (round, as the man had not understood ‘kidney’) which had to be fitted inside the house itself, as there was no provision for a garden or surrounding grounds.’ She sends it to him in the afterlife by burning it.
In Lim’s stories, the best-made plans of mice and men are foiled by fate, as well as people’s own hypocrisy, selfishness or foolishness.
Teachers are portrayed particularly badly in The Teacher and Adeline Ng Ai Choo, both stories about students who commit suicide, the warning signs all but ignored by their narrow-minded teachers who prefer to pick on their students’ shoddy grammar and poor marks.
And there is the age-old conflict between the old and the young. In Monster, an old woman clings to her ancestral furniture even as her daughter-in-law complains of the bugs they attract. The daughter-in- law shows the old woman some respect in her dying days only when she realises that the monstrous bed the old woman sleeps on could be worth a fortune as an antique.
Not that this depressing book makes you give up hope entirely on humankind. Lim’s humour and compassion shine through, especially in the stories which have an element of comeuppance or redemption.
In The Journey, a man who has risen from his ‘ulu’ village in Malaysia to become a prosperous businessman in Singapore discovers he has cancer. He ends up eschewing expensive treatment overseas to go back to his village, much to the horror of his Westernised wife.
The effectiveness of traditional medicine might be questionable but the love of the women who raised him is not.
Though Lim’s short story collection could be seen to represent Singapore at a significant juncture of its development, it is more than a comment on a particular society at a particular time. It is also a timeless portrayal of human nature: the self-centred actions that govern us, the easy cruelties we inflict upon one another.
As the doyenne of Singapore writers, Catherine Lim’s trademark wit and keen observation is apparent in Little Ironies (1978), her first collection of short stories. Poignant and dark, they tend to focus on a single character’s thoughts and actions, with the full repercussions of the character’s decisions revealed in a surprising, but never outlandish, twist only at the end.
About the everyday life of adolescent Singapore, the book portrays a people who are just beginning to learn to straddle East and West, tradition and modernity. A lot of the colour and drama in the stories centres on the practice of Chinese traditions, and how these ancient rituals reflect eternal elements of human behaviour.
In The Father, a dissolute man buys food for the grave of the young daughter he has beaten to death, even as his still-living children starve.
In Lottery, a woman becomes obsessed with drawing 4-D numbers from random occurrences at the expense of practicality and propriety.
In Paper, one of the most heart-rendingly ironic stories, a man plays the stock market with the aim of buying his dream house, which he lovingly envisions ‘from the aluminium sliding doors to the actual shade of the dining room carpet to the shape of the swimming pool. Kidney. He rather liked the shape’.
When the stock market crashes and his hard-earned cash and ‘paper gains’ go up in smoke, he dies of despair. For his funeral, his aged mother buys him a paper version of the house he had died for: ’seven feet tall, a delicate framework of wire and thin bamboo strips… There was a paper swimming pool (round, as the man had not understood ‘kidney’) which had to be fitted inside the house itself, as there was no provision for a garden or surrounding grounds.’ She sends it to him in the afterlife by burning it.
In Lim’s stories, the best-made plans of mice and men are foiled by fate, as well as people’s own hypocrisy, selfishness or foolishness.
Teachers are portrayed particularly badly in The Teacher and Adeline Ng Ai Choo, both stories about students who commit suicide, the warning signs all but ignored by their narrow-minded teachers who prefer to pick on their students’ shoddy grammar and poor marks.
And there is the age-old conflict between the old and the young. In Monster, an old woman clings to her ancestral furniture even as her daughter-in-law complains of the bugs they attract. The daughter-in- law shows the old woman some respect in her dying days only when she realises that the monstrous bed the old woman sleeps on could be worth a fortune as an antique.
Not that this depressing book makes you give up hope entirely on humankind. Lim’s humour and compassion shine through, especially in the stories which have an element of comeuppance or redemption.
In The Journey, a man who has risen from his ‘ulu’ village in Malaysia to become a prosperous businessman in Singapore discovers he has cancer. He ends up eschewing expensive treatment overseas to go back to his village, much to the horror of his Westernised wife.
The effectiveness of traditional medicine might be questionable but the love of the women who raised him is not.
Though Lim’s short story collection could be seen to represent Singapore at a significant juncture of its development, it is more than a comment on a particular society at a particular time. It is also a timeless portrayal of human nature: the self-centred actions that govern us, the easy cruelties we inflict upon one another.
Village by the Sea
Anita Desai’s Village by the Sea is set in a small village called Thul, which is 14 kilometres from Bombay.Lila, the eldest child among four siblings, is but thirteen years of age, yet she already has the outlook and maturity of an adult. Her brother Hari, twelve is the only person with whom she can share her troubles . Their mother is an invalid and needs constant care and nursing. Nobody knows what exactly is wrong with her but she grows weaker and weaker with every passing day.
Their father, who has been out of work for months, is in a permanent drunken stupor, from which he arises occasionally to shout at his family. What with two younger sisters to take care of as well as their mother, life for Lila and Hari is not easy. Their father is most useful when he is away at the local toddy shop, getting drunk. There is a constant need for money as the family is almost always in debt. Then one day, Hari decides he’s had just about enough and leaves for Bombay – the Bombay where dreams come true and ambitions grow into reality.
Lila is left alone, to manage her sisters Bela and Kamal and her mother and somehow keep the family strings together. Help comes from an unexpected source, the rich DeSilva’s. Meanwhile, Hari is new in the great city of Bombay, and all alone. A kind restaurant proprietor, Jagu, takes pity on him and welcomes him to work in his restaurant. There, Hari builds a strong friendship with Mr. Panwallah, the lovable watch repairer whose shop is just beside Jagu’s.
Set against the backdrop of a typical Indian fishing village, The Village by the Sea will leave a lasting impression on the mind of the reader. Anita Desai’s vivid imagery and appropriate settings and a good plot make this, a book well worth reading.
Anita Desai was born in 1937 in Mussoorie to a German mother and Bengali father. She spent much of her time in Delhi. Desai is among the well known Indian writers in English and is at present in the United States, where she is the John E. Burchard Professor of Writing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Her other novels include Fire on the Mountain (1977), which won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize, and Clear Light of Day (1980), In Custody (1984) and Fasting, Feasting (1999), each of which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In Custody was made into a film by Merchant Ivory productions. Her children's book The Village by the Sea (1982), won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award.
Excerpt: Hari who had bought neither tea nor fruit at the pier nor food from home in the night, sat very quietly on the floor of the boat and no one paid him any attention at all. There was no one else from Thul in his boat, it was full of strangers from other villages along the coast, and he sat listening to them, feeling very hot and thirsty, and very afraid of the journey he had undertaken without thinking at all, simply because he had been upset and angry and simply could not bear to live another day in Thul in the old way. The time for change had come, he had felt that. He had to make the break he had been thinking about for so long. Had he done wrong?
Pages: 160
Published by: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Price: Rs 55/- Format: Hardbound.
Their father, who has been out of work for months, is in a permanent drunken stupor, from which he arises occasionally to shout at his family. What with two younger sisters to take care of as well as their mother, life for Lila and Hari is not easy. Their father is most useful when he is away at the local toddy shop, getting drunk. There is a constant need for money as the family is almost always in debt. Then one day, Hari decides he’s had just about enough and leaves for Bombay – the Bombay where dreams come true and ambitions grow into reality.
Lila is left alone, to manage her sisters Bela and Kamal and her mother and somehow keep the family strings together. Help comes from an unexpected source, the rich DeSilva’s. Meanwhile, Hari is new in the great city of Bombay, and all alone. A kind restaurant proprietor, Jagu, takes pity on him and welcomes him to work in his restaurant. There, Hari builds a strong friendship with Mr. Panwallah, the lovable watch repairer whose shop is just beside Jagu’s.
Set against the backdrop of a typical Indian fishing village, The Village by the Sea will leave a lasting impression on the mind of the reader. Anita Desai’s vivid imagery and appropriate settings and a good plot make this, a book well worth reading.
Anita Desai was born in 1937 in Mussoorie to a German mother and Bengali father. She spent much of her time in Delhi. Desai is among the well known Indian writers in English and is at present in the United States, where she is the John E. Burchard Professor of Writing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Her other novels include Fire on the Mountain (1977), which won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize, and Clear Light of Day (1980), In Custody (1984) and Fasting, Feasting (1999), each of which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In Custody was made into a film by Merchant Ivory productions. Her children's book The Village by the Sea (1982), won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award.
Excerpt: Hari who had bought neither tea nor fruit at the pier nor food from home in the night, sat very quietly on the floor of the boat and no one paid him any attention at all. There was no one else from Thul in his boat, it was full of strangers from other villages along the coast, and he sat listening to them, feeling very hot and thirsty, and very afraid of the journey he had undertaken without thinking at all, simply because he had been upset and angry and simply could not bear to live another day in Thul in the old way. The time for change had come, he had felt that. He had to make the break he had been thinking about for so long. Had he done wrong?
Pages: 160
Published by: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Price: Rs 55/- Format: Hardbound.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Economic Growth Will Always Be More Important Than Environmental Protection
I think that economic growth is just as important as environmental protection. Now, many people were jobless and even homeless, if we boost the economy by providing more schemes to the people that will benefit them, they could survive the financial crisis. The government should also spend more money into bailouting companies and saving the economy. We should not think that economic growth is more important than environmental protection. For example, Singapore is constructing the Integrated Resort (IR) at Sentosa now and should be open in 2012, some may think that reclaiming land to build the IR will cost a lot of money and will harm the environment. But that's not true, when the IR is done, it will attract a lot of tourists to come to Singapore and this will boost the economy, it will also create many jobs for the people and they will have salary to pay their water and electricity bills. The goverment will also earn money from the IR and it will be far more than the cost, with the money, we could build more flats for the poor to provide them with a place to live in. The construting of IR will not harm our environment, as we could use the money earned to build more solar panels, a wind farm, a hydroelectricity dam, more sea-water disalination plant and build the country's first Ecopark to turn Singapore into the first Ecopolis. Also, reclaimation of land will not destroy marine life as we could use huge steel poles as foundation and use coral reefs and huge rocks so as not to hurt marine life. So, now we know that economic growth is just as important as environmental protection.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Legal Disclaimer
DISCLAIMER
PLEASE DON'T POST RUBBISH COMMENTS AND BULLSHITS ON THIS BLOG! IF YOU DID, WE WILL PUNISH YOU BY PROBABLY FORCING YOU TO EAT SHIT, GADDIT?!
THE BLOG IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY POSTS ON THE BLOG, PLEASE SEEK COMPENSATION FROM THE WRITER INSTEAD OF US. OH YAH, IF YOU SUFFERED FROM HEART ATTACK , TUBERCULOSIS, BRAIN TUMOR, MENTAL DISORDER, NEUROTOXIN OR HEMATOXIN ATTACK OR BLAH BLAH... ETC. THAT IS NON OF OUR BUSINESS, OK?
WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW THE RULES AND REGULATIONS!
2009, ORTUS THREE ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE All rights reserved 1O3.com
PLEASE DON'T POST RUBBISH COMMENTS AND BULLSHITS ON THIS BLOG! IF YOU DID, WE WILL PUNISH YOU BY PROBABLY FORCING YOU TO EAT SHIT, GADDIT?!
THE BLOG IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY POSTS ON THE BLOG, PLEASE SEEK COMPENSATION FROM THE WRITER INSTEAD OF US. OH YAH, IF YOU SUFFERED FROM HEART ATTACK , TUBERCULOSIS, BRAIN TUMOR, MENTAL DISORDER, NEUROTOXIN OR HEMATOXIN ATTACK OR BLAH BLAH... ETC. THAT IS NON OF OUR BUSINESS, OK?
WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW THE RULES AND REGULATIONS!
2009, ORTUS THREE ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE All rights reserved 1O3.com
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Muttons At Midnight
This podcast is brought u by Mediacorp and PODCASTS4NERDS.sg
恭喜发财！ 牛年行大运！ HIPEE NEW YEAR!!!!
2009!!!!
Friday, January 9, 2009
This video is for those innocent kids who were bullied in school and wanted to protect themselves. This is more powerful than TASER and 50 times more deadly than a nuclear bomb! ( Seriously, I mean no offense to anyone and it's not offensive and racist and just don't blame me if u suffered from Nonsense Ento Retarded Disease after watching this video...)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Mike the headless chicken
The Amazing, true story of this famous fowl dates back to September 10, 1945 when Mike, a young Wyandotte rooster, was about to become the dinner of Fruita, Colorado, farmer Lloyd Olsen.
With a sharp ax in hand, Mr. Olsen firmly held Mike, preparing to make the bird ready for his wife Clara's cooking pot. Mr. Olsen swung the implement, thereby lopping off poor Mike's head. Mike shook off the event, then continued trying to peck for food.
Mike's will to live remains an inspiration. It is a great comfort to know you can live a normal life, even after you have lost your mind.
Thanks, Mike!
September 10th, 1945 finds a strapping (but tender) five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of Fruita, Colorado. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. Husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out, on a very routine mission, to prepare the designated fryer for the pan. Nothing about this task turned out to be routine. Lloyd knew his Mother in Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. He positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone.
"It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40's as it is today." A skillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like most freshly terminated poultry.
Then the determined bird shook off the traumatic event and never looked back. Mike (it is unclear when the famous rooster took on the name) returned to his job of being a chicken. He pecked for food and preened his feathers just like the rest of his barnyard buddies.
When Olsen found Mike the next morning, sleeping with his "head" under his wing, he decided that if Mike had that much will to live, he would figure out a way to feed and water him. With an eyedropper Mike was given grain and water. It was becoming obvious that Mike was special. A week into Mike's new life Olsen packed him up and took him 250 miles to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City . The skeptical scientists were eager to answer all the questions regarding Mike's amazing ability to survive with no head. It was determined that ax blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was in a jar, most of his brain stem and one ear was left on his body. Since most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem Mike was able to remain quite healthy.
In the 18 MONTHS that Mike lived as "The Headless Wonder Chicken" he grew from a mere 2 1/2 lbs. to nearly 8 lbs. In a Gayle Meyer interview Olsen said Mike was a "robust chicken - a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head." Some longtime Fruita residents, gathered at the Monument Cafe for coffee, also remember Mike - "he was a big fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head" - "he seemed as happy as any other chicken." Mike's excellent state of health made it difficult for animal-rights activists to garner much of a following. Even now the town of Fruita celebrates Mike's impressive will to live, not the nature of his handicap.
Miracle Mike took on a manager, and with the Olsens in tow, set out on a national tour. Curious sideshow patrons in New York , Atlantic City , Los Angeles , and San Diego lined up to pay 25 cents to see Mike. The "Wonder Chicken" was valued at $10,000.00 and insured for the same. His fame and fortune would earn him recognition in Life and Time Magazines. It goes without saying there was a Guinness World Record in all this. While returning from one of these road trips the Olsens stopped at a motel in the Arizona desert. In the middle of the night Mike began to choke. Unable to find the eyedropper used to clear Mike's open esophagus Miracle Mike passed on.
Now, Mike's spirit is celebrated the third weekend in May.
With a sharp ax in hand, Mr. Olsen firmly held Mike, preparing to make the bird ready for his wife Clara's cooking pot. Mr. Olsen swung the implement, thereby lopping off poor Mike's head. Mike shook off the event, then continued trying to peck for food.
Mike's will to live remains an inspiration. It is a great comfort to know you can live a normal life, even after you have lost your mind.
Thanks, Mike!
September 10th, 1945 finds a strapping (but tender) five and a half month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of Fruita, Colorado. The unsuspecting bird had never looked so delicious as he did that, now famous, day. Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. Husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out, on a very routine mission, to prepare the designated fryer for the pan. Nothing about this task turned out to be routine. Lloyd knew his Mother in Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. He positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances, to leave a generous neck bone.
"It was as important to Suck-Up to your Mother in Law in the 40's as it is today." A skillful blow was executed and the chicken staggered around like most freshly terminated poultry.
Then the determined bird shook off the traumatic event and never looked back. Mike (it is unclear when the famous rooster took on the name) returned to his job of being a chicken. He pecked for food and preened his feathers just like the rest of his barnyard buddies.
When Olsen found Mike the next morning, sleeping with his "head" under his wing, he decided that if Mike had that much will to live, he would figure out a way to feed and water him. With an eyedropper Mike was given grain and water. It was becoming obvious that Mike was special. A week into Mike's new life Olsen packed him up and took him 250 miles to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City . The skeptical scientists were eager to answer all the questions regarding Mike's amazing ability to survive with no head. It was determined that ax blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although most of his head was in a jar, most of his brain stem and one ear was left on his body. Since most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem Mike was able to remain quite healthy.
In the 18 MONTHS that Mike lived as "The Headless Wonder Chicken" he grew from a mere 2 1/2 lbs. to nearly 8 lbs. In a Gayle Meyer interview Olsen said Mike was a "robust chicken - a fine specimen of a chicken except for not having a head." Some longtime Fruita residents, gathered at the Monument Cafe for coffee, also remember Mike - "he was a big fat chicken who didn't know he didn't have a head" - "he seemed as happy as any other chicken." Mike's excellent state of health made it difficult for animal-rights activists to garner much of a following. Even now the town of Fruita celebrates Mike's impressive will to live, not the nature of his handicap.
Miracle Mike took on a manager, and with the Olsens in tow, set out on a national tour. Curious sideshow patrons in New York , Atlantic City , Los Angeles , and San Diego lined up to pay 25 cents to see Mike. The "Wonder Chicken" was valued at $10,000.00 and insured for the same. His fame and fortune would earn him recognition in Life and Time Magazines. It goes without saying there was a Guinness World Record in all this. While returning from one of these road trips the Olsens stopped at a motel in the Arizona desert. In the middle of the night Mike began to choke. Unable to find the eyedropper used to clear Mike's open esophagus Miracle Mike passed on.
Now, Mike's spirit is celebrated the third weekend in May.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Ortus
In line with the school’s values and mission, Ortus aims to provide a holistic education to our students, with much emphasis on the areas of Academic, Character and Leadership development.
We are committed to help our students develop their Intelligence Quotient, Moral Quotient, Emotional Quotient, Cultural Quotient and Adversity Quotient. Central to the concept of Intelligence Quotient, the focus is on developing and harnessing our students’ cognitive skills, problem solving skills and other abilities.
All Ortus students shall be guided by the moral values and the spirit of Yin Shui Si Yuan 饮水思源. These values can be attained through our equally rigorous and enriching affective education -- Pastoral Care Moral Education Programme, Experiential Learning and Community Involvement Programme.
Ortus provides many leadership opportunities for our students to engage in a wide range of leadership roles, and in the process learn to contribute meaningfully to society as a leader. Ortus Council and Class Management Committee are actively involved in the running of many consortium and school based activities
We are committed to help our students develop their Intelligence Quotient, Moral Quotient, Emotional Quotient, Cultural Quotient and Adversity Quotient. Central to the concept of Intelligence Quotient, the focus is on developing and harnessing our students’ cognitive skills, problem solving skills and other abilities.
All Ortus students shall be guided by the moral values and the spirit of Yin Shui Si Yuan 饮水思源. These values can be attained through our equally rigorous and enriching affective education -- Pastoral Care Moral Education Programme, Experiential Learning and Community Involvement Programme.
Ortus provides many leadership opportunities for our students to engage in a wide range of leadership roles, and in the process learn to contribute meaningfully to society as a leader. Ortus Council and Class Management Committee are actively involved in the running of many consortium and school based activities
HCIBS
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School (HCIBS), consist of 7 six-storey Halls of Residence (Halls A-G), providing accommodation for 1,000 boarders and 56 cluster mentors.
Each level of every hall consists of two clusters, where a cluster mentor acts as parent to a group of 18-24 boarders. Each cluster has 3 four-bedded rooms and 3 two-bedded rooms. The creation of the clusters provides various levels of "community", starting from communication between individual boarders, to cluster of boarders and their hall mates, and to the entire boarding population of the Hall. Communal facilities within each cluster include lift access on every level, air-conditioned study room, shower and rest rooms as well as a pantry.
The circular block located next to the curved block offers a multi-purpose and a dining hall. The V-shape courtyard between the curved block and the straight block enclosed a recreation centre and a festive garden with a koi pond for boarders to gather and to have social functions. A small amphitheatre and BBQ pits are included in the garden, offering an open area for the boarders to organise activities.
The boarders share a variety of facilities like a music room, a computer room, a fitness centre, laundry facilities and a convenience store. All boarders may also make use of the recreational facilities within Hwa CHong Institution. These include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, gymnasium, running track, tennis, basketball, squash and badminton courts.
Access to the residential blocks and rooms is managed by a smart card system. A team of full-time security professionals maintain round-the-clock security of the boarding complex.
Each level of every hall consists of two clusters, where a cluster mentor acts as parent to a group of 18-24 boarders. Each cluster has 3 four-bedded rooms and 3 two-bedded rooms. The creation of the clusters provides various levels of "community", starting from communication between individual boarders, to cluster of boarders and their hall mates, and to the entire boarding population of the Hall. Communal facilities within each cluster include lift access on every level, air-conditioned study room, shower and rest rooms as well as a pantry.
The circular block located next to the curved block offers a multi-purpose and a dining hall. The V-shape courtyard between the curved block and the straight block enclosed a recreation centre and a festive garden with a koi pond for boarders to gather and to have social functions. A small amphitheatre and BBQ pits are included in the garden, offering an open area for the boarders to organise activities.
The boarders share a variety of facilities like a music room, a computer room, a fitness centre, laundry facilities and a convenience store. All boarders may also make use of the recreational facilities within Hwa CHong Institution. These include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, gymnasium, running track, tennis, basketball, squash and badminton courts.
Access to the residential blocks and rooms is managed by a smart card system. A team of full-time security professionals maintain round-the-clock security of the boarding complex.
Sabbaticals
A unique feature of the Hwa Chong Integrated Programme, Hwa Chong Sabbatical Programme allows students from Sec. 1 to Sec. 4 to go on sabbatical courses for one week, from Term 1 to Term 3. The school organizes Sabbaticals with the aim of creating space for students to develop passion for what they do. During Sabbaticals, formal lessons are replaced by enrichment programmes.
There are six areas of programmes for students to select from each term: Aesthetics Programme, China Programme, Entrepreneurship Programme, Leadership Programme, Research Programme, Technology Programme. All students are engaged in activities outside the classroom during term time to further broaden their educational experience. This allows them to explore their diverse interests and have fun all at once.
There are six areas of programmes for students to select from each term: Aesthetics Programme, China Programme, Entrepreneurship Programme, Leadership Programme, Research Programme, Technology Programme. All students are engaged in activities outside the classroom during term time to further broaden their educational experience. This allows them to explore their diverse interests and have fun all at once.
Geography
The approach to Geography teaching and learning in Hwa Chong, whether in the Mainstream or under the Humanities Scheme, has all along been actively field-oriented. This is in line with the syllabus and examination requirements as well as to bring home the practical relevance of the discipline to students. Local field studies and overseas field trips are conducted each year in connection with topics covered during the course. Currently, the Geography students and staff are embarking on intense application of the College multimedia facilities, both for classroom teaching and interactive learning, as well as project work, newsletter publication and web page maintenance.
Economics
The Economics Unit in Hwa Chong comprises a team of dynamic professionals dedicated to the teaching of Economics as a life subject. Economics is not just a collection of facts but a unified approach to thinking about the world. The theory of Economics is an apparatus of the mind or a technique of thinking which helps us make rational decisions. With these requirements in mind, the Economics Unit provides a rigorous course to equip students with the skills necessary for economics awareness and competence. This course imparts both intellectual as well as citizenship training through a well-planned syllabus to promote understanding of the very processes and issues that affect their lives as citizens and students. In addition, Net2Work Society was set up to expose students to a range of enriching experiences such as participation in nation-wide competitions, publication of newsletters and trips to overseas universities for summer programmes. The greatest reward of this course is a better understanding of how the world works.
Mathematics and Science
The Hwa Chong Integrated Programme for Science is implemented across 6 years. Our integrated framework provides a dynamic learning environment for students with an aptitude and interest in Mathematics and Science. Special emphasis is placed on the mastery of fundamental knowledge and experimental skills. Our plan is to further integrate the Mathematics and Science disciplines to foster an appreciation of how they work together and form a whole.
In a tripartite collaboration with A*STAR and NTU, Hwa Chong also offers research electives based on the H3 module to encourage new and independent modes of learning and exploration. Each JC student is matched with a mentor depending on interest, and engages in collaborative research with leading scientists and researchers working on real-world scientific problems. The aim of our Science programme is to broaden students' interests in Science by providing a stimulating environment that will enrich their basic Science training. Besides exposure to major advances in the life sciences and new technologies, students will be trained to think critically and independently.
Please view the following websites for more information:
Science Faculty Website (High School)
In a tripartite collaboration with A*STAR and NTU, Hwa Chong also offers research electives based on the H3 module to encourage new and independent modes of learning and exploration. Each JC student is matched with a mentor depending on interest, and engages in collaborative research with leading scientists and researchers working on real-world scientific problems. The aim of our Science programme is to broaden students' interests in Science by providing a stimulating environment that will enrich their basic Science training. Besides exposure to major advances in the life sciences and new technologies, students will be trained to think critically and independently.
Please view the following websites for more information:
Science Faculty Website (High School)
Literature in English
With our seamless 6-year Integrated Programme, the Literature course in Hwa Chong covers 3 major phases: the Sec 1 & 2 Exploration phase; Sec 3 & 4 Development phase, and the JC1 & 2 Consolidation phase. In each phase, students are exposed to a wide variety of texts, genre exposition, and diverse methodologies. Adopting a differentiated approach to learning that goes beyond the classroom, the course provides students with opportunities to experience Literature through activities like symposiums, debates, mock conferences, field studies, project work, independent study and drama. Such activities not only expand students?horizons, but also help them look at issues from a broader perspective, apply knowledge, and contest the arbitrary divisions that separate subjects.
View their website for more information:
Literature Homepage (High School)
View their website for more information:
Literature Homepage (High School)
English Language/General Paper/Knowledge & Inquiry
The High School English Language (EL) programme encompasses elements modelled on the domains of 'Myself', 'My Society' and 'My World'. The core modules cover all the key components of language and literary skills that students must master to function effectively in the social dimension spelled out in the school mission. In addition, there are special non-compulsory electives to challenge the more able students. Where the core elements embody the rigour and breadth of the skills, knowledge and concepts that students need to know, the electives are intended to offer students the opportunity to go in-depth into specific areas of the English Language and Literature curricula. An important feature of the EL curriculum is its emphasis on the development of cognitive processes. Students acquire thinking skills through processes like comprehension, application analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Adopting a multi-pronged approach, the Hwa Chong General Paper curriculum comprises a broad variety of stimulating modules designed to develop all-round individuals. A theme-based reading and writing programme offered at the College level, the topics covered include the mass media, environment, science and technology, culture and tradition, religion, crime and punishment and citizenship in Singapore. Knowledge & Inquiry (KI) is a multi-disciplinary H2 A-Level subject that explores the different fields of knowledge and applies various modes of inquiry to a range of issues and ideas. The subject aims to develop students' ability to critically evaluate arguments and engage in independent research. Students can offer KI as a contrasting subject. As the 4th H2 subject, KI will be offered by students who are academically able to cope with 4 H2 subjects on top of other H1 subjects. KI is also taken in lieu of General Paper. In Hwa Chong, we are looking for bright students who are linguistically competent and have an inquiring mind. KI students are expected to read widely and they must be highly proficient in written English as well as independent learners.
For more information, please visit the following websites:
English Faculty Homepage (High School) English Faculty Homepage (College)
For more information, please visit the following websites:
English Faculty Homepage (High School) English Faculty Homepage (College)
The HCI IP
The strength of the Hwa Chong Integrated Programme (IP) is in our ability to combine academic excellence with an outstanding range of opportunities beyond the classroom. Our innovative and customized curriculum caters to students' passions and interest. The seamless and broad-based 6-year IP is organized into 3 stages:
At Stage 1, students are exposed to a general curriculum that allows them to explore various fields of studies.
At Stage 2, students embark on a sustained and in-depth study of their chosen area of specialization.
At Stage 3, students consolidate their knowledge and sit for the Cambridge GCE Advanced Level Examinations.
The Hwa Chong IP is designed by our own teachers who have years of experience teaching high ability students. Preliminary consultative work on our IP was done with help from a 34-member International Advisory Panel comprising 2 Nobel Laureates,distinguished professors from Harvard, Princeton and Cambridge as well as eminent industry captains.
At Stage 1, students are exposed to a general curriculum that allows them to explore various fields of studies.
At Stage 2, students embark on a sustained and in-depth study of their chosen area of specialization.
At Stage 3, students consolidate their knowledge and sit for the Cambridge GCE Advanced Level Examinations.
The Hwa Chong IP is designed by our own teachers who have years of experience teaching high ability students. Preliminary consultative work on our IP was done with help from a 34-member International Advisory Panel comprising 2 Nobel Laureates,distinguished professors from Harvard, Princeton and Cambridge as well as eminent industry captains.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Yin's
Monday, January 06, 2009
More glorious and more dread than from no fall
Mee though just right, and the fixt Laws of Heav'n Did first create your Leader, next, free choice, With what besides, in Counsel or in Fight, Hath bin achievd of merit, yet this loss Thus farr at least recover'd, hath much more Establisht in a safe unenvied Throne Yeilded with full consent.
Labels: literature
More glorious and more dread than from no fall
Mee though just right, and the fixt Laws of Heav'n Did first create your Leader, next, free choice, With what besides, in Counsel or in Fight, Hath bin achievd of merit, yet this loss Thus farr at least recover'd, hath much more Establisht in a safe unenvied Throne Yeilded with full consent.
Labels: literature
imaginations thus displayed
Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n, For since no deep within her gulf can hold Immortal vigor, though opprest and fall'n, I will never fall to dark.
Labels: literature
And with persuasive accent thus began
I should be much for open war, O Peers, As not behind in hate, if what was urged Main reason to persuade immediate war Did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast Ominous conjecture on the whole success; When he who most excels in fact of arms, In what he counsels and in what excels Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair And utter dissolution, as the scope Of all his aim, after some dire revenge.
Book I
High on a Throne of Royal State, which far Outshon the wealth of ORMUS and of IND, Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand Showrs on her Kings BARBARIC Pearl and Gold, Satan exalted sat, by merit rais'd To that bad eminence; and from despair Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue Vain Warr with Heav'n, and by success untaught His proud imaginations thus displaid.
posted by me at 15:44
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
