I am proud of my country

Essay topic: I am proud of my country

In his poem of patriotism Scott says If a man is not proud of his country, he will be burried without honor. When a man returns after a travel to his country he must be bubbling with enthusiasm and his heart must be pulsating with joy to land on his native soil. We have heard of great martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the sake of their country. So it is only proper and fair that one should love one's country.

To love one's country one need not have taken part in the liberation movements. One need not have carried the flag, shouted slogans and stood in the front line of agitators. His ancestors need not have shed blood for the sake of the land, nor there is any need for any material sacrifice. Still one may be proud of one's country.

There are many things why one must be proud of one's country. It may be due to the climate, natural regions, its people and the government, its tradition and culture and manufactures. The relation which the country has with other countries is also a point to be considered.

Considering the above norms let me say why I am proud of my country. My country has an equable climate. We are having bright sunshine throughout the year and plenty of rain. There are virgin evergreen forests. There are some good rivers, and the hills and valleys make the country beautiful. The sea coast is not straight but has bays so there are some good harbors.

Our people are quiet, hard-working and peace loving. They know their land gives them plenty in the form of grains and fruits and so one need not be hungry. The forests have natural wealth and the plantations are rich producing money spinning rubber. Our mines produce valuable tin making the country rich. We are a developing nation and a lot of good things will have to be done.

We have a good government which is democratic in set up. We have had a succession of enlightened rulers who have taken measures for improvement. The upheavals we see in some countries are practically absent in our country and the people are law-abiding .

Our country has had a long history of several centuries. Several cultures have flowed in here and so there we see a mixed culture. This is reflected in the way people dress and eat; the buildings show the effect of these over-riding cultures. Our country has very friendly relation with neighboring countries and we are held in high esteem. Considering all these I am proud of my country.

Library

Essay topic: Library

Books cost a fortune and this means that not everybody can afford to buy many useful reference books. There are many people who crave for knowledge but are unable to satisfy their needs due to lack of money. Libraries can help solve this problem.

Libraries are important to people whether it is a developed or developing country. Well-maintained libraries in each town are gift to the people. It is very much a basic need for students ranging form the primary school children to the college students. The public too can make use of the library for a leisure reading and to gain more knowledge thereby making good use of their free time.

A well maintained library should have a wide selection of books. They should have books on almost all subjects such as science, literature, English, art, history, philosophy, engineering, medicine, technology, etc. In addition, newspaper, magazines and periodicals should be available. Hard cover story books, paperback novels, plays should also be available in abundance. They should be neatly arranged by sections and labeled easy access.

Singapore is a model country where everything is properly planned. Each town has its own library which is in turn controlled by the National Library of Singapore. In addition professional bodies and councils have their own libraries catering to their own need. The National Library of Singapore serves the people of all age groups. Ranging from children to senior citizens, separate facilities are provided. The current best sellers, periodicals, magazines from local and oversea publishers are also available in the National Library. Hence the people should make use of the library to gain more knowledge.

Old age and youth

Essay topic: Old age and youth

Everything that begins will surely end. That is an indisputable fact of living. All of us were born into our bodies some time ago, and some time ahead our bodies will surely die. In between birth and death we go through many periods where our bodies change slowly but imperceptibly. Youth and old age are but two of the distinct periods that many of us go through, the exceptions being the ones who die before they can complete the normal course of living.

The differences between youth and old age are obvious. A young man is usually full of vigor and energy. His body is in its prime and he can do anything that requires physical strength easily. Usually youth is the time when young men and women look the most attractive. Their skin shines with the glow of life. They are drawn to each other and eventually pair off to produce children of their own. They are full of hope for a wonderful life together. They laugh, sing and seek all sorts of things to enjoy themselves with.

Old age is a totally different matter. An old person no longer possesses the vigor and energy of youth. Physical exertion is out of the question. Even climbing the stairs can be impossible. Wrinkles and age-spots ravage the once-smooth skin. The glow of life is gone and the body is no longer attractive. In fact it can even appear repulsive. The magnetic attraction for the opposite sex fades, memory fails, and possibly senility sets in. For most old people laughter is rare and hopes are dashed. The future is only the grave.

Examples of these vast different between youth and old age are my grandparents. I had, on occasions, gone through the family album. Inside the album, in black and white prints are photographs of my grandparents. My grandfather was a handsome young man and my grandmother was not unlike the many pretty girls I meet on the street. I am sure my grandfather was a strong man judging by his considerable muscles in the photographs. Grandmother’s skin was smooth and fair.

That was many years ago. My grandfather is already in his grave and my grandmother is in her late seventies. I remember just before he died a few years back, he was a bent old man withered with age. He could not walk after having a stroke. He either lay in bed or had to be pushed around in a wheelchair. It was quite unbelievable that the handsome young man in the photograph became helpless cripple. Time really changes everything.

My grandmother is still living, but what a hellish life it is for her. She has become what we might call senile. She cannot remember simple things like where she left her comb. Also she gets upset because she knows she cannot remember and keep saying how useless she is now. We, the younger ones, try to help her as much as we can, but she, despite being old, is very stubborn. Sometimes she does remember bits and pieces of things but she cannot put them in any logical order. This adds to her confusion. All we can do is to attend to her daily needs and keep an eye on her so that she does not endanger herself. Sometimes I wonder how such a pretty young lady could turn into such a helpless old woman. Again time changes everything.

In my youth then, I see that I am headed for old age. If I live to see my old age, I would not like to end up like my grandparents. However I do not know if this is for me to choose or not. Only time will tell.

I choose a career

Essay topic: I choose a career

Soon I will be joining the hundreds of school leavers to enter the world of the adults. Childhood seems to have lasted such a short time and I wish that it could last longer, but it cannot be.

The next phase of my life will require that I choose a career, or at least some kind of employment so that I can become a useful member of society. This presents some difficulties.

I am not inclined towards any career in particular. Some of my friends know exactly what they want to do in the future, but most of us do not. I actually have no idea what sort of job I would like to do. Any job seems all right to me. However I have to consider my parents and I try not to displease them.

It is their wish that I become a doctor, or a lawyer at the least. I suppose those are the dreams of most parents. A doctor or a lawyer is highly respected and makes lots of money. So they are the aspirations of many young people. I have to be realistic though. I cannot become a doctor because I am not in science class. So becoming a doctor is out of the question. I could study to become a lawyer, but I have absolutely no interest in law. So becoming a lawyer seems remote too.

What else could I do? I have to list the possibilities down: teacher, banker, businessman, soldier, policeman, politician, artist, writer, journalist, sailor, interior decorator, farmer, race-driver – the list seems endless. Unfortunately the hippies seem to have faded from the scene. It would be an experience if I could join them for a year or two. That would make my father’s blood pressure shoot up for sure. Come to think of it, my father grew up during the time when the hippies were a rage, so he might not mind.

Anyway hippies and bumming around are definitely not suitable. I have to earn some money in order to live.

If narrow down the list I find that the greatest possibilities lie in journalism, writing or being a commercial artist. These three thins are what I would not mind doing for a living. The other professions contain too many things I do not like. So unless I have no choice, I probably would not do them.

To become a writer or an artist means that I will have to take up a course for these things. I will have to start finding out what sort of courses are available locally. I definitely cannot go overseas to do them. My parents will not be able to afford it. So immediately after leaving school, I will have to make efforts to see whether these possibilities can be realized. If not then I will have to look for other possibilities.

Anyhow I feel better now after having some idea of what I can do in the future. It is still not definite what career I will take up. At least I know where to begin.

What career would you like to choose after leaving school

Essay topic: What career would you like to choose after leaving school

Today, it is not easy to choose a career. Hundreds of students pass various examinations every year and compete with one another for positions in the various professions which are not so many as there are applicants. I would, however, like to choose teaching as my career.

Teaching is an interesting career for several reasons. As a teacher I can learn many things, especially if I teach to an udder-secondary school. If I teach History or English, for example, I have to read many books to make my teaching lessons more interesting to my pupils. Thus, I can acquire more knowledge of the subjects that I teach than what I can learn from the class text books. It is indeed a fact that a teacher learns a lot from the class text books; but that is hardly enough to make the teacher's lessons interesting to pupils. A good teacher must therefore read many other books.

Again, as a teacher, I have to speak well so that my pupils will be able to understand my instructions well. In this way I can improve my powers of expression. Even my pronunciation of words will improve to great extent.

Further, as a teacher, I shall have enough leisure to read and prepare for various examinations. It is possible today to sit for many important examinations by studying entirely at home. Thus, I can acquire important qualifications.

Finally, as a teacher I will be respected as an educated person. People will assume that I have certain qualifications and show their regard for me and the opinions that I express. Thus, I shall be able to live a happy life.

The advantages and disadvantages of co-education

Essay topic: The advantages and disadvantages of co-education

I study in a co-education school. In my class there are about twenty boys and twelve girls. We learn many things one another in the course of being in the same class everyday. Sometimes the interaction is pleasant and sometimes not. In other words co-education has its good points and bad points, that is, its advantages and disadvantages.

The main advantage that I can see is that we learn that boys are different from girls in many ways. In short, we learn how to handle each other. Boys tend to be more physical, while girls are far gentler. However this is not a universal rule, for tom-boys do exist in our class and they pack a harder wallop than some sissies who also exist in our class. Anyhow I learn that the two sexes behave generally in fixed manners although there are exceptions.

I suppose this sort of interaction will come in useful in the future when boys and girls become men and women who will produce the next generations. I am a boy and I have to admit that I learn a lot about how to handle both boys and girls. I have a friend who studies in an all-boys’ school. He always asks me how I handle the girls. He is quite ignorant about girls, for I have seen him being tongue-tied in front of girls. None of my classmates have such a problem.

The one big disadvantage about having boys and girls in the same class is when we go for physical education. Boys and girls just cannot do the same type of exercise or play the same game together. So we need to have two teachers, one for the boys and one for the girls. Our headmaster has come up with the ingenious solution of having two classes doing P.E. at the same time so that the boys and girls from each class combine together under one teacher each.

Another advantage of a co-education school becomes obvious when the school holds the school sports, concerts and other functions. In sports a co-education school can see full participation from both sexes. Also the harder physical work of preparing for a sports meet can be done by the boys while the gentler tasks of preparing food and drinks as well as serving guests are best left to the girls. The boys and girls get to learn their social roles.

In concerts and other functions it is undoubted that both boys and girls are needed. In a co-education school there is no problem of finding the persons to take part. However in an all-boys’ or an all-girls’ school, they will have to “borrow” the necessary boys or girls in order to run their functions. I myself and other boys have had to go and serve our all-girls neighbor for some of their functions. I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed my duties there, for the girls there really appreciate our help thus lavishing their attention on us. I suspect that they enjoy our being there too.

Our girls too get to go and help out at an all-boys’ school. I am sure they enjoy themselves too.

I have not studied in an all-boys’ school before so I do not really know what sort of situation exists there. However I would not change my place here for anything else. It is definitely better to have girls around than to see only boys everyday.

What opportunities have you had at school or elsewhere of listening teacher and speaking English?

Essay topic: What opportunities have you had at school or elsewhere of listening teacher and speaking English? How far have they been helpful? What changes would you suggest?

All the subjects in school are taught in Bahasa Malaysia except for English Language. Thus the opportunity for using English in school is very limited. I do converse in English with some of my friends, but only with a few of them. This is because most of the others cannot converse in English.

Some of these others do not have ample command of the English Language. Yet there are other who are either too shy to speak English or they simply refuse to do so. The teachers are not much help either for some of them can hardly speak English. It is only outside school hours that I get to speak English to teachers who can do so. Such opportunities only come when we have to return to school for games or other activities.

It would be beneficial if the school could have special periods or days each weak where the students and teachers are encouraged to converse in English. In that way both sides benefit and we do not have to be at a disadvantage because of our poor command of English. My father’s generations are proficient in English because English was the medium of instruction then. I am not saying we should go back to their time. I am just saying that we should not lose our proficiency in English and thus become handicapped when we face the outside world.

However the mass media provide much opportunity for listening to English. Television especially is very helpful. Most of my favorite programs are in English and we hear it being spoken although mostly by Americans. I cannot complain though for I do learn a lot from them. In fact I can see how different spoken English can be in the U.S.A, England, Australia, India, Malaysia and other countries. Though it is basically English each speaks, the pronunciation, accent and local flavor are plainly discernible. I can, quite accurately, tell where a person is from by listening to the English he speaks.

Unfortunately while I can hear English being spoken via television or radio, I cannot speak back. So again the opportunity to speak English is limited.

I suppose I have to live with the fact that the number of opportunities for listening and speaking English is limited. That does not mean that I give up using English. I realize that English is a very important language in the world and it is definitely important that I become proficient in it. We all should be proficient in it because most of the important discoveries and advances in science, technology and other fields are available in English. So if our command of English is lacking, we lose out and always are left behind.

Is family planning necessary?

Essay topic: Is family planning necessary?

My answer to this question is a definite Yes! My reasons are as follows.

When a man and a woman settle down and start having children without considering what sort of life they and the children will have, they are behaving very irresponsibly. Often the result of such irresponsibility is a family that will undergo a lot of hardship. I give an example of this.

An uncle of mine works as fishmonger. In the eight years of his marriage, he already has eight children and more seem to be on the way. He can hardly make enough to feed himself and his wife. With eight more young mouths to feed it is not surprising that he simply cannot cope.

His children do not have decent clothes to wear or sufficient food to eat. They live in a squalid squatter shack near the edge of town. My mother, who is his sister, does what she can to help. However the amount of help she can give is limited for she is a housewife and my father is not too keen on giving unending assistance to someone (my uncle) who is so irresponsible. So my uncle moans about his misfortune and complains that no one wants to help him. What he will not admit is that he is the cause of his own misery. He suffers the consequences of not planning his family.

There are hundred of families that live the way my uncle does I the squatter settlement. I have visited them on numerous occasions and have to say that they live in miserable conditions. They do not have piped water or proper drains. Basic hygiene is not observed. As a result the people living there are not healthy. The children are especially prone to all sorts of illness. My cousins seem to have perpetual runny noses and smelly bodies.

The future of these children is not bright. Without proper upbringing many of them will end up on the wrong side of the law. I know that some of the residents of this area are thugs and gangsters. Some of them have already been arrested for crimes such as drug trafficking and armed robbery. What hope is there for children brought up here?

On the other hand one of my father’s cousins is careful about his children. He only has three, all of which are given a good home to grow up in. he is by no means rich. He earns his living as a van salesman. The difference is that he is concerned with the quality of the children he has, not quantity. He makes sure they have enough food to eat and their well-being is looked after. The result of such care is so obvious. The children live in much better conditions. They are a joy to be with. At least there is less risk in getting some kind of sickness from them, as in the case with my less fortunate cousins.

On the whole I will say that a planned family of about two or three children is best. The children have a chance of a happy childhood. The likelihood is that they will grow up to be good responsible citizens too. In a large unplanned family, the parents have not enough time to bring the children up properly. Besides having a difficult childhood, the chances of growing up into wrong company is very real indeed. Consequently, they suffer the rest of their lives.

The signs are obvious. A planned family has a much better chance of being a happy one. An unplanned one has virtually no chance at all.

What I dislike most in people

Essay topic: What I dislike most in people

What I dislike most in people is when they do not keep their words. I have had many encounters with people who do this and I must say I find it most unpleasant.

I usually keep my word. If I find that I am not able to because of extraordinary circumstances, I make it a point to tell the person involved so that he or she will not feel let down. For example if I were to tell a friend that I will come to her house at 9 a.m. but cannot do so, I will make sure I let her know before that time so that she will not have to wait for me in vain.

However, I know from experience that many people do not keep their word. I have been kept waiting a number of times by friends who said they will meet me at certain time but come later or do not show up at all. What is worse is that they do not even apologize or say why they did not keep their word. These people then become less of a friend and more of just an acquaintance. I do not feel sorry for it. I am definitely better off without having to endure further disappointments.

It seems to me that some people simply say things without meaning what they say. They just utter words out of convenience. There is a man who replies “no problem” to any request made to him. He works as an electrician-cum-plumber. When we require his services we would ring him up and invariably his answer will be “no problem”. He always promises to come the next day but almost always he fails to show up. So we ring again and he will again say “no problem” but again he will fail to keep his words. Perhaps after a week or so he will appear to render his services. Sometimes we can wait, but more often now we get someone else to do the job. This someone else also does not usually keep his words but at least he does not say “no problem”.

Then there is an uncle of mine who is just as bad. Once he borrowed my father’s crash-helmet promising to return it the same evening. He never did return the helmet. When asked he denied that he ever borrowed the helmet. My father decided to let the matter rest as it was an old helmet not worth arguing over. It goes to show how untrustworthy a man can become. His words mean nothing. It has no value at all.

I always go by the saying “say what you mean, and mean what you say”. It seems many people can not be bothered about saying what they mean and meaning what they say. They just say anything they like and do something else. It is impossible to trust people like this. They will let you down.

It is best that we keep away from such people. However this is almost impossible to do because the whole world is filled with them. It seems to me there are more people who do not keep their words than people who do. Perhaps this is the result of living in the modern world where people are more concerned about making money than keeping their words. Money can kept in the bank, words cannot. Money can be used to buy things, words can’t.

As for me, I would rather keep my words. At least I also keep my integrity and honesty. If I do not have these two so important things, then whatever I do in the world will only make things worse, for I will have cheated and lied. I will become just another untrustworthy person that I dislike. I cannot allow myself to dislike myself.

A nightmare

Essay topic: A nightmare

I was seriously preparing for my school examination. Normally people call it exam fever and I believe I was haunted by the feeling of falling ill while the examination was on. But I was able to banish such fears and concentrate on my studies. But this fear crept into my subconscious mind and it played havoc on me. I have now the consolation that it was all a dream.

On November 16, my birthday was arranged to be celebrated in a colorful manner. There was a small party that my father arranged for my friends. I spent the whole evening enjoying myself while my parents were busy watching television. I pretexted as though I had to prepare for the examination, but I was cheating myself with the thought that I would wake up early in the morning and make up the lost time. While in bed, sleep seemed to elude me and the bug of falling ill during the examination began to harass me. However after sometime I slept.

If Alice’s experiences in the wonderland were bizarre, mine was shocking. To my subconscious mind the bogey of illness during the examination was true. I felt a sudden irritation in both my eyes and what started as an irritation became an unbearable pain. I started shouting and my parents rushing into my room. They consoled me, more than that they could do nothing. It was ten at night. My mind became agitated that, I thought that I might not be able to sit for my English and Mathematics examinations.

My father soon realized the problem I was facing, “The Exam Fever”. He made me stand against the wall and by understanding my agony, he carried me downstairs. He then put me in his car and drove me to a nearby hospital. On the way he was consoling me about the examination and trying his level best to make me relax. I explained that I was having an irritation in my eyes as though thousands of needles had pricked. On arrival at the hospital, the doctor performed many tests and finally told my father that, due to nervous feeling of examination, I had spoiled my brain which had affected my eyes. I could not sit for the examination, and he would issue a medical certificate to be produced to the authorities.

My father was undaunted by the doctors’ decision. In total desperation he put me back in his car and drove to another hospital. He explained to a doctor about my case but not the real situation. The doctor had diagnosed correctly at the first sight itself. Before he applied ay medicine he asked me to open my eyes slowly. I said that I could open, but the doctor insisted. By the time tears started rolling down my cheeks and, with the tears forming between my eyelids, I could open my eyes. The room was dark but for a small lamp. There was no doctor. Where had my father gone? I still felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. All I saw was the clock on the wall opposite my bed. Now I realized! Oh! It’s a dream. Soon I overcame myself and was happy to realize my folly. I am really happy because it was just a dream.

Storm caught

Essay topic: Storm caught

It does not happen to everybody to come face to face with a storm. I had had such a bitter experience. Even today I wonder how I kept alive in that storm.

It happened this way. The afternoon was just pleasant and I took my bicycle and was on my way to a village some six kilometers away where a relative of mine lived. The path lies through an avenue of trees with fields on either side as far as the eyes can see. But for one or two stray cottages here and there, there is nothing to shelter one on the road. When I was about half way, dark clouds gathered in the sky. It was threatening and I pedaled hard but before I had gone a few hundred meters, there was a sudden burst of thunder and a blinding lightning. It began to rain cats and dogs and the rain came down in big drops. The light was very poor and the road was bad. As the rain was lashing on my face I could not pedal at my bicycle. I knew it was dangerous to go and take shelter under a tree in such a heavy rain because lightning would strike green trees, so with great effort I kept to the middle of the road. Suddenly the wind rose and gained momentum. It grew wild and before its force the trees simply danced. One could hear the howling noise of the stormy wind.

I was soaked to the skin. My fingers were benumbed. I could not push hard. Now and then I could see the heavenly rage in the lightning flashes which appeared to hiss almost by my side. To add to my fear, there was a sudden thunderclap and a big tree crashed to the ground. In this situation the will to live alone goaded me on. As the road was soaked with flood water, I could not ride the bicycle. There were pot holes and swirling water. But it was not a question of abandoning. I prayed to God to conduct me safely.

At long last, the flickering light from the village was seen and I was in my relative’s house after a few minutes. What a relief to be under a roof behind closed doors in such weather! My relative gave me a change of warm clothing and I had never enjoyed a warm cup of tea as I did that day.

No room for true craftsmanship in the modern world of mass production

Essay topic: There is no room for true craftsmanship in the modern world of mass production.

To a larger extent than not, I agree with this statement.

I say this based on my experiences with hand-made and mass-produced things.

In my house there is a set of furniture handed down by my great-grandparents. In spite of more than a hundred years old, the one table and four chairs of this set are in immaculate condition. It is obvious a lot of care had been given in making these beautiful pieces. I cannot detect a single nail in them. The wood used is teak and the table and chairs are still sturdy. In fact I would say that they are sturdier than some new ones. They are products of real craftsmanship.

In my house too are some tables and chairs break after a few months. The wooden ones show signs of slip-shod workmanship and judging by the rate of wear and tear, they will be useless long before the hand-made ones.

The craftsmen of yesteryears made things of high quality. Also they made them to last a long time. Mass-produced things cannot have such high quality and they do not last long. I suspect that manufacturers of mass-produced thing purposely make things not to last so that the consumers will be forced to keep buying new ones. It is good business for them, not so for the consumers though.

Another thing about mass production is that the workers are generally not skilled craftsmen. They are merely employed to operate machines or do some routine work. No creativity is necessary or encouraged. They just do as they are told, and that is to produce as much as possible as cheaply as possible. On the other hand a craftsman is usually not very much concerned about how much profit he will make. He is more concerned about how well he makes something. He has to be creative and skillful. Thus the product of his work is what we admire as craftsmanship. He may not get much for his work, but for him satisfaction is not so much in money but in a job well done.

Modern radios, tape recorders, cars, furniture, computers and other goods are made only to attract buyers. They last only until the manufacturers come out with newer ones with more gimmicks and features. It is an on-going game played by manufacturer on gullible consumers. Their advertisements are basically: “buy, buy, keep buying our products.” So the consumers keep buying and buying. The craftsmen and their laboriously slow ways are forgotten.