Financial literacy among youths

Financial literacy and financial management are very important life skills that all youths should have, in order to successful plan for their future and manage their money well.

Nowadays, many students spend a lot more than they save, and sometimes even exceeding their pocket money. Youths are easily tempted by the latest tech devices or fashion, and would spare none of their money in getting them. They do not care about how much they spend, as long as there is always more pouring into their pockets. Youth nowadays do not appreciate the value of money and do no know how to treasure it. They are extravagant, and spare no thoughts for the hard work of their parents to bring in money for the household. Many do not even know the virtue of saving. After all, they feel like they can spend all they like as long as there is more coming to fill their wallets.

Managing your money is especially critical in society today. There are just so many ways which money is spent today: bills, loans, fees, education, mortgages, insurance are just the many necessities which require the spending of money. Inflation runs at 3% annually and the cost of everything is just rising. However, there is only one main source of income, from salaries. Hence, youth should get to know the importance of saving.

Money management should be a skill cultivated from young. Youth should target to set aside a portion of their pocket money every week and start a savings account. If they start saving from young, they would grow up with this habit. Good management of money would be rewarded with a comfortable and carefree life in future. Extravagance and poor management of money would lead to loans and debts. Sadly, due to a lack of financial knowledge, many youths are starting to have debts after graduation.

With society becoming ever so materialistic, I think that financial education is all the more important. With good management of money, life would be much smoother. Hence, I think that schools should educate their students with financial literacy.

Dialect in Singapore

"Ay ah seng, le jia pah buay?"

"Jia pah liao."

"Le kia lit hoh boh?"

"Wa kia lit jin hoh!"

This might be the typical sort of conversation that you may hear at your local coffee shop. Today, I am going to discuss the topic of dialect in Singapore.

Many people feel that dialect is something of the "old world" which is spoken mainly by the older generation in Singapore. Of course, it is typical to see the older generation conversing in dialect. However, dialect is dying out among the younger generation of Singaporeans, who are mainly English-speaking. Many of our youth do not understand their own dialect at all, and some don't even know their dialect group.

I recall an incident which my uncle told me about:

He was conversing with his friend in Hokkien and they laughed at a joke. His friend's son happened to hear the whole conversation. Mystified by the laughter, he asked my uncle, "What are you talking about? What language are you speaking?" My uncle was puzzled and replied, "I'm speaking in Hokkien. Don't you know it?" The boy shook his head. When asked what dialect group he was from, he could not reply.

This is especially saddening to see that many youth nowadays do not even know their roots. Most youth today disregard dialect as old fashioned and spoken only by the older generation of "uncles and aunties". However, my views are not with them.

I think that dialect is especially important. It gives us a sense of belonging and culture. It also tells us of our roots. Even if someone does not know how to speak it, they should at least know of their own dialect group. Dialect makes us unique in many ways. It tells us of our diversity of culture among Han Chinese. It helps us to appreciate our roots and how we came about.

Different dialect groups have different cultures. An example can be seen in cousines originating from different dialect groups. Hokkien mee, Teochew porridge, Cantonese dim sum and Hainanese chicken rice are just examples of the diversity of cultures.

Even the dialect spoken has its own beauty in it. It makes Han Chinese characters more meaningful and interesting as they have many different pronounciations. For example, the character " 人" is pronounced as "ren" in chinese but it has a totally different pronounciation in Hokkien as "lang" and in Cantonese as "yan". Each of the dialects are unique in their own way.

My dialect group is Hokkien and I love the dialect. Although Hokkien is stereotypically thought of as "choh loh" (rough) compared to other dialects and sometimes even uncought and impolite (many swear words in Singlish are from Hokkien), I think it is a beautiful dialect and unique in its own way. I like Hokkien songs as well as shows. It is interesting as the meaning of sentences in Hokkien is usually understood by sound rather than words. I think Hokkien is very meaningful as it is the language of my family and it is commonly used at home. My relatives also converse in Hokkien.

In conclusion, I think that Chinese youths nowadays should at least know their dialect groups and understand their own cultures. Nevermind if they do not understand it, at least they know of their roots.

Just for fun:

E-learning Task 2: Children in the Darnkess

Complete the template provided in Annex A, focusing on (1) Point of View; (2) Situation and Setting; (3) Language/Diction; and (4) Personal Response, and post your response to Task 2 on your blog. This template is based on John Lye’s ‘Critical Analysis of Poetry’, and you can make reference to this in Annex B when in doubt.

Steps in Analysis
	Point	Evidence	Elaboration
1.	Point of View	- 3rd Person POV - Hopeful tone: repetition of “could”	- Shows that the speaker is not directly involved in the situation but rather is reporting about the matter - As if he is trying to help them, hoping that they have a better future
2.	Situation and Setting	- Children fighting in wars as child soldiers: “would someone teach them to fight” - These children have no choice and are forced into it as they “are not free” - Some of them are killed in wars: “Will a war consume them” - Children living in a bleak world: “there shines no light” - Speaker feels compassionate toward them and wants to give them a chance	- These children are forced into fighting wars against their will - They cannot escape this life of theirs - Some of them are killed in wars - Children are indeed in a hopeless situation with no hope of freedom - Speaker hopes that we could educate them and give them a chance
3.	Language/Diction	Figurative language used - “darkness” and “light”: metaphors used to contrast their lives with other free children - “darkness” : the bleak lives of the children where there is no hope of escape - “chalk and blackboards”: metaphor for education - “door”: symbolises the children’s freedom - “key”: the struggle for freedom - “light a candle”: brighten up their lives, give them a new chance and education - “no flight”, “no light”: children cannot escape; light represents hope, shows that there is no hope	- Use of metaphors helps reader sympathise with these children who are less fortunate than them and are going through suffering - Lets readers empathise with these children in their struggle for freedom - “simply light a candle” - Poet wants us to help brighten up their lives
4.	Personal Response	This poem evokes a sense of bitterness and hardship through its good use of figurative language. It helps the reader to understand in clear detail the suffering of the child soldiers. It also reaches out to the readers for them to take action to help these children. This poem has enlightened me on the suffering of child soldiers and helped raised my awareness for them. This poem also evokes my sympathy through its bleak descriptions of hardships faced. I feel that these children are treated brutally as they are forced to become child soldiers, much against their will. They evoke my sympathy as they are not given a chance and have no childhood. They do not even receive education and some even die in wars. I think that humanity has to do something about this to stop forcing children into child soldiers as every child has his own right and dignity to live the life that he wants. This poem touches on the brutality of mankind in this world. We dominate over our weaker ones and force them to do things at our command. The ugliness of mankind is also portrayed as innocent children are sent to fight in wars, in which many of them perish brutally.

E-learning: Task 1 Children in the Darkness

Based on your understanding of the selected poem, perform extensive web research and write a report detailing the conflict represented in the poem(s) of your choice. Bear in mind that this piece of background information will allow your blog audience to further understand the poem as well as your analysis of the poem in Task 2.

The poet was in Vietnam in 1967 - 68 and again in 1969. He had witnessed part of the Vietnam War. He goes back often because he feels that his soul lives in Vietnam and he goes back to visit it from time to time.

He was sitting in his hotel room in Saigon just before Christmas 2009. At that time, he looked at the TV and the news was on. He could not understand what the news reader was saying but in the background there was a photo of a small boy with a helmet and an automatic rifle. This poem flowed out of him in an instant and he typed it down.

This poem shows the plight of child soldiers who are forced into fighting a war. These child soldiers have no freedom and they have no childhood. Their life is bleak and many lose their lives fighting in wars. The poem shows how cruelly these children are treated. They are not given education but instead are used as weapons of war. These children hate their lives, but there is no escape for them.

The second "Black Thursday"?

Well, it has been a horrible week for investors. The US markets plunged and ended the week horribly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid over 5.5% for the week. This huge plunge sheds all the gains so far this year.

Especially on Thursday, where the Dow lost over 900 points in a matter of minutes. This is the largest drop in the history of the Dow in a single day. The reason(s) for the huge fall are still being debated. The Greek crisis? A trader's mistake? Or a computer glitch? The market slide then caused investors to lose confidence and this sparked a huge sell-off in the markets.

I do indeed feel rather shocked by this sudden event. Although it is probably not a single person's fault or the fault of anyone, many people have been severely affected by this. Investors and traders would have lost a lot of money in the sell-off and this would affect them greatly financially. Therefore, I sympathize with them and I hope that the markets would recover soon.

2nd Insight Series 2010

Democracy in a brave new world

A summary of the event:

I attended the seminar entitled “Democracy in a brave new world” some time ago. It was a seminar about democracy in our world and how different political parties campaign for support to govern a country. Mr Baey, the MP for Tanjong Pagar gave his speech first, followed by Dr Cherian George. Both talked about their views and perspectives about politics and democracy in governing a country. Mr Baey stated that a government should be fair to all citizens and treat everyone equally. Minorities should also be represented in parliament so as for them to have a say in a country. A government should also promote racial harmony in a country so as to avoid social segregation but instead forge unity between peoples of different races. Dr George stated that politics is not as simple as it seems, but rather the government has to do a lot to govern a people well. One of these ways would be to have a revolution. Another would be justice and democracy. The event was interesting and it finally came to a close when the guests of -honors left.

My personal views and reflections:

I feel that democracy is very important in today’s modern and fast-changing world. In order for a nation to progress, change must take place. And in order for change to take place, there must be democracy. In a capitalist and materialistic world today, we constantly seek to improve and progress forward. In order for a country to progress, new people must have new ideas on how to lead it. Democracy is something rather new to the 21^st century. In the past, there were monarchies and dictators who wielded absolute power in a country. Although they were not entirely bad, an autocratic ruler would not let as country progress like a democracy would. For new initiatives to be passed, the ruler must first accept it. This means that the country would only improve if the ruler puts plans into actions. Everyone relies on a single person or a small group of people to make decisions for the country. In contrary, democracy offers an equal chance for all to suggest their ideas to improve a country. The country would not only be ruled by a single person or a royal family, but by a parliament of people elected by the common people. This therefore gives a chance for the common citizens to express their views by supporting a political party. If a particular party is ineffective, it would most probably be out-voted in the next elections and therefore change in a country will occur. In conclusion, democracy is important for change to take place.

I felt that it was a meaningful experience for me to attend the seminar. I have indeed gained a lot more knowledge about politics and the idea of democracy from this experience. This seminar has also broadened by views on politics and the importance of democracy in order for a country to progress. Overall, I feel that it was indeed an eye-opening experience.

Casinos - Boon or bane?

2 casinos, namely Resorts World Sentosa and Las Vegas Sands have recently opened their doors for business in Singapore. This is the first time that Casinos have opened in Singapore. Many were excited by the openings and flocked to the casinos, others were skeptical. Overall, theses casinos have a great impact on Singapore. But the question is - are they boon or bane?

The biggest effect the casinos have on Singapore is undoubtedly its economic effects. The prime reasons for the building of these casinos were intended as a source of income as well as to create more jobs for the economy. However, these effects are not 100% pro, there are its flipsides.

Let me start with the positive factors first. These casinos are going to be a good source of income for the economy. The opening of the casinos here would attract more tourists to Singapore. This would help to boost the tourism industry. The casinos would also be a source of income for Singapore's economy. This could help boost the economy and spur more growth. The creation of jobs would also benefit the population.

Now to the negative factors. Though this would boost the economy, there are certain drawbacks. People could become addicted to gambling and hence incur huge losses from it. This would drive them into debt and perhaps even crime. They would use up their hard-earned savings on gambling. This could lead to problems with their family members and also have a great effect on their jobs.

In conclusion, considering the economic gains and social problems that the casinos would bring, my judgement on the casinos is that they have both pros and cons. I think that the casinos would be a good thing for Singapore if people can control themselves and gamble in moderation. Despite the social problems, these casinos would greatly benefit Singapore economically.

Reflection on Term 1

At last, the first term of year 2010 is drawing to a close. Tests completed. Homework mostly completed. Eventful? Certainly.

Term one started with a bang. The first day of school signalled the end of the nearly-10-week-long year end holidays, as well as the start of the new school year. And of course, the frantic day of school where people were rushing to find their new classrooms, adapting to new timetables, as well as catch up with friends.

And then, basically, the weeks following sped by unknowingly. Lessons attended, homework done, as well as some fun. Right till the test weeks, then time slowed to a halt. Stress mounting, pressure rising. Right till the last test, then everyone took a deep breadth.

Reflecting and looking back, I realise the fun we had, as well as how much we have learnt. How we have benefitted, and how we have grown (intellectually). What lessons we learnt. The mood of term 1 fluctuates, just like the stock market. Rainy days come and go, sunny days don't stay long. But it was all part of term 1, happy or sad, good or bad, the past cannot be changed. The first term was meaningful in its own way- in a way that words cannot describe. The first term of Sec 2 has left its mark, an impression on us all. No term is perfect, but every term is unique. So I believe that we treasued our time, and hopefully made the best use of it.

As for the next term ahead, we hope for the best. Hopefully, it will be a meaningful and enriching term. And I think we'll make thy best of it we can.

E-learning - Task B - Musical

b. Write a poem on the Tom Robinson Trial / life in Maycomb/ any other incident.

Maycomb, Maycomb
The tired old town
Struck by Depression
Stuck with racism
Some people nice
Some people bad
Majority with racism
Few with equallity
Life in Maycomb
is full of discrimination
and inequality
Racial segregation
Racial discrimination
The Blacks with no rights
The Whites who dominate
Follow convention
Be racist
and you are safe
Differ convention
Be the miniority
and get mocked
But the courageous miniority
Are always brave
Stick to their virtues
and moral values
Believe in equality for all
And hence
Maycomb is in this state today
Town torn with racial segregation
Society divided by Whites and Blacks
People seperated by skin colour
Morals ripped apart by discrimination
This must end
Mindsets must change
People must change
Untill this happens
Maycomb will stay the same
The tired old town

E-learning - Task B - Intrapersonal

a. Who would you want to be friends with in the novel?

I would like to be friends with Atticus. I feel that Atticus is a man of virtue and moral and he is also a very capable man. He stands up to defend Tom Robinson despite pressure and criticism. He stands up to what he believes in and does not give in to pressure. Atticus is also righteous. He is not racist and he treats everyone equally regardless of their skin colour. He believes in racial equallity and racial harmony. Atticus is courageous. He took up Tom Robinson's case even though he knew he was bound to lose. Therefore, I feel that Atticus is a man of virtue and moral. He has many good values about him and also a lot of influence. I want to be friends with Atticus as I want to learn from his virtues and values. Also, I know that Atticus would be a good friend as he would help me in a time of need as he is dependable and reliable. Hence, I think that Atticus would be a good friend and therefore i would like to be friends with him.

E-leaning - Multiple Intelligence Test

I feel that the multiple intelligence test is an interesting thing. It can tell the personalities of a person by just asking some questions. However, I also feel that the results are not entirely accurate. For example, a person may rate himself higher in an aspect than he actually is. Also, the test results also rely on a persons mood on the day he takes the test. I feel that my results are unique as it describes my personality. Also, through the results, I now know more about myself and hence can understand myself better. Therefore, I now can choose the right question to do in Task B.

The CNY incident

I am writing to express my feelings over an incident that happened over the CNY weekend. I think that this incident illustrates the attitudes and values of certain people in society.

On the first day of Lunar New Year, my family went to visit relatives in Malaysia. As expected, there was a huge jam at the causeway. We took more than an hour just to cross both customs. However, I also got to see the bad side of human nature.

As we approached the Malaysian checkpoint, the road was split into three lanes. We took right lane - what a mistake that was! We joined a queue behind a custom booth, waiting to have our passports stamped. The cars cleared rather quickly, until disaster struck. The car in front of us was right beside the booth counter. However, after five minutes, it still had not moved an inch, while cars from the lanes beside quickly got pass. Much to our dismay, the people in the car in front did not fill in their white cards before entering the customs. In fact, they they did not even have white cards. Someone was sent to get them. Upon getting their white cards, they did not even bother to hasten to fill them up. To our anger, they took their own sweet time. Some were even laughing and joking while they filled their cards! Their inconsiderate behavior delayed us by 15 mins, and also caused blood to boil in anger.

What inconsiderate and selfish people! At least, they should have known that they needed to submit white cards upon entering the Malaysian customs. They could have stopped their car at the white cards distribution booth along the wider parts of the causeway, instead of getting them from the customs officers! They could also have stopped their car somewhere else to fill up the cards! And above all that, none of them even seemed to bother about other people waiting in the queue. They selfishly held up the whole queue. Time was wasted. Fuel was wasted. And unnessary heat was generated, from the car engines, and from blood boiling with rage.

Not even a word of apology. Not even a guesture. Not even a sign of urgency. No guilt. No remorse. No stress. What selfish people! And just for information, the car was an 'S' plate, Singapore registered car.

What kind of attitude was that? Where are the moral values? What has happended to the sense of urgency? I feel that these road-hoggers should be given a penalty or some form of punishment. Everyone should do their part to contribute to a more gracious society. Or at least, have the initiative to give way.

My first post - A Book Review

Hi readers, and welcome to my first formal post on this blog. For this post, I shall share with you an interesting book that I read over the holidays and I am rather impacted by it. Let me introduce you to Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, which I am sure that many of you have heard of before.

The story is set in the year 1984 and the protagonist of the story is Winston Smith. Winston Smith lives in a society where everyone is a slave to a tyrannical totalitarian regime. The Party rules over the citizens of Oceania with total control over them. They have to abide by the party laws and have no freedom at all. In fact, they are brainwashed by the party to become citizens loyal to the regime. The citizens of Oceania are treated like slaves. They have to abide by what the party demands of them and they cannot defy orders or rebel against it. They lives are controlled by their Party.

Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, the chief city of Airstrip One, which is actually Great Britan in real life. In his world, the surface of the Earth had been divided into three parts or three superstates, namely Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Oceania comprises of the British Isles, the Ameraicas and the south tip of Africa. Eurasia comprises of Europe, Russia and the top of Africa. Eastasia is made up of China, Southeast Asia and other parts of asia. The three superstates are always at war with one another. For example, if Oceania were at war with Eastasia, it would be generally be at peace with Eurasia. This constant war is fought not because of different ideas or for expansion, but rather to use up any extra surpluses from the manufacturing of goods and also as a reason not to provide the masses with comforts. Since the three powers were unconquerable, this never ending war would never be won and hence it will go on forever.

The common citizens of Oceania are constantly brainwashed by propaganda blasting from the telescreens( a type of televison with a camera, like a modern day televison with a webcam) everywhere. They are required to have complete loyalty to the Party. Any crime that they commit, be it small or big, against the party was tracked down and punished. Even Thoughtcrime (which was mainly thinking bad of the Party in your brain) was punishable by death. Hence, the citizens in Oceania are oppressed and live in constant fear.

There was obviously, no democracy in Oceania. The government was headed by a mysterious character, named Big Brother, whom no one has ever seen before in real life. He was constantly depicted in posters pasted all over London and his voice was contantly heard over the telescreen. He was actually just simply a character created by the government as people tend to have more feelings toward an individual, rather than an organisation. The people had to follow and accept what the government said without any questions.

Winston Smith is just an ordinary citizen of Oceania, and a member of the Party. He feels that life under the rule of the Party is dull and deadening. He begins to question himself wheather life was better before the rule of the Party or at present. When he finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and he awakes to new possibilities. Winston and Julia soon begin to question the Party and they are drawn toward conspiracy. They wanted a world of democracy, where every individual has his own right and say. However, their acts are soon uncovered and they are caught and punished.

My feelings after reading this book was that we are lucky to be living in a free and democratic world, where every individual has his own right and say. We should preserve this democracy in the world. We should also have our own thoughts and opinions about things and not follow what another says nor let others influence our views. We should do what we believe in and not subject to being ruled over by others.

Welcome!

Hello visitor, and welcome to my all new blog!

I will be posting soon so be sure to watch out for my posts!