Language for reaching out


August 25th, 2007

The Straits Times

http://news.asiaone.com/News/The+Straits+Times/Story/Language+for+reaching+out.html

As always, the Annual National Day Rally by our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long has resulted in many major changes in our country, one of which is our third language policy. Before dismissing the issue at hand as something that is talked about every year, I feel that we should take a closer look into the racial issues that were discussed in the article.



Our Prime Minister has offered various incentives to students to encourage them to take up Malay or Chinese as a third language, in an conscientious effort to allow the younger generation of Singaporeans to be better equipped to communicate with those of a different ethnic group. And through effective communication will then friendships be forged, and a cultural understanding between each ethnic group is able to be established.



I believe that reaching out to the neighboring countries in their own language, is as important as when doing business. When we are able to communicate well with the other party when doing business, we are able to impress him, reduce miscommunications from arising and also, most importantly, gain an upper hand with the party itself. When we are able to communicate efficiently with our neighboring countries, diplomatic relationships would then definitely improve and everyone will be, to put it in simple terms, happy. International cohesion is now all the more important in the light of the terrorist attacks and by forging good ties with other countries, we will then be able to tackle the problem together as a strong unit.



The article mentioned that statistics from surveys show that 80% of Chinese students and 70% of Malay students do not mix with students from other races. This certainly is worrying as in today's society, acts of terrorism can and will break the bonds that ensures the bonding between different races. An inability to communicate when crisis strikes will certainly prove to be the downfall of any great nation. Improving relationships with our neighbours can start by initiating a simple conversation with a Malay classmate or playing a game of basketball with a Chinese scholar.



When I was filling out the form for the selection of schools to go to after receiving my PSLE results, I was given a list of third languages that I could opt to study. I rejected it, then thinking that it would be useless and would only be a burden to an already busy secondary school life, despite my parents stressing to me the importance of learning a third language. But now, in Secondary Three I finally realised the mistake I made then. By learning a third language, an exponential growth of knowledge is acquired. With that linguistically ability, one could explore the world that was closed before due to the lack of command of the language. One would be open to more business opportunities and would make communication with other races simple and efficient. If only I had chosen the path of knowledge to study a third language, then I could better serve my country and bring glory to the nation. If only.

Too Thin Teens


ANOREXIA SUFFERER Michelle started rejecting food and missing meals last yearin order to stop the taunting from her sisters and friends. The 1.5m-tall teen weighed just 29.5kg when she checked into SGH.

August 12th, 2007

http://enewslink.asia1.com.sg/brsweb/read_1.brsw?this=result&QDT=1&QFLST=HD%3AHG%3APD&DB=ST%4007-07&QSTR=%28%28Too+Thin+Teens%29%29.HD.&DTSTR=%28%28PD+%3E=+20070812%29+and+%28PD+%3C=+20070812%29%29&PSZ=10&MAXL=200&SUMY=2&HLT=0&LSTN=0&ID=000037694@ST07


In schools nowadays, who are the people who are deemed unhealthy? They are mostly students that are more obese than their fellow peers. However, can skinny people be unhealthy? Well there are people, who choose to either starve themselves or eat a lot of food at one go and force their body to puke it all out. This would be the symptoms of someone who is suffering from anorexia and these people are extremely skinny. From the article, anorexia sufferer Michelle, 15, weighed 29.5kg when she checked into SPH. This is really a scary statistic, to think that I weighed 30kg when I was in primary 1 and still be heavier than this anorexia sufferer! Furthermore, the number of anorexic patients has increased tremendously over the past few years, and most of them are teenagers.

We live in a world where starvation is a prevalent issue. Millions of people around the globe who suffer from starvation are fighting for survival. On the other hand, these anorexic patients choose to starve themselves. Many think that these patients are crazy to do so, however, like those who are suffering from starvation, anorexic sufferers are fighting for ACCEPTANCE. Well the bulk of anorexic sufferers are teenagers and this is very worrying especially since they are the future generation of Singapore.

I believe that there are a few key causes of anorexia. Media. Images of slim and beautiful models printed on magazines, would greatly influence the thinking of teenagers. Teenagers would often make comparisons of famous celebrities such as Nicole Richie who is promoting waiflike looks to be deemed trendy and "beautiful". Because of this influence, teenagers would then think that being skinny is indeed trendy and cool, and they would do their best to follow their idols' footsteps. However, I feel the main reason they do this is for social acceptance. By looking "trendy and cool", they would be more respected and accepted by their peers and can have a better social life.

Well the most common places where you can find the causes of anorexia is at the place where teenagers spend the most time at: school. At school, students are affected greatly by peer pressure. Obese students would be teased freely and is deemed "ok" to their peers. However, incessant teasing would have a great impact on the victim. The obese student would be affected psychologically, and anorexia is a form of psychological brain disorder. Victims unable to take the psychological torture would try to very best to slim down in order to stop their friends from ostracizing them. Thus, teasing is seen as a catalyst to spark psychological disorder, which may lead to anorexia.

However, in the past, students also tease their peers who are plump and media influence is also prevalent. Why then are the numbers only rising in the recent years? I believe that anorexia is a clear, stark sign of low self esteem and an increase in self consciousness among Singaporean teens. Teenagers want to be acknowledged of their existence. To do that, they look, speak and think based on how they want people to perceive them. They constantly “change” themselves by chasing the different trends in order to fit into society. After a while, they don’t even realise who they really are inside. This is also due to a lack of self confidence. They think that by being themselves, they will be despised. Low self esteem and feeling insecure is also clearly shown by the latest “emo” trend. Whereby teenagers feel that no one understands them, they are all alone and they will lose.

These trends may actually be caused by the fierce competition in Singapore’s education where everyone is afraid to LOSE OUT, as those who do not do well are often not acknowledged by their teachers, students or even parents. Therefore, some may seek for acknowledgment in non academic areas like sports or by being in the “cool” group. This causes them to be more self-conscious. The need for acknowledgement makes them do whatever it takes to stay in the “cool” group even if it means becoming anorexic. Also as teenagers have a mindset of "being afraid to LOSE OUT", it would make it more difficult to "win" because of the competition present. This will result in teenagers having a low self esteem. They would start to idolize and long to be like the actors and actresses they see on media. If their idol does not set a good example, teenagers will follow suit.

Anorexia is preventable if parents instill the right values into their children at an early age and constantly remind them. Teachers should look out for those who are often bullied in school and council them when necessary. Parents should also always encourage their teenage children to speak up. Only then can parents find out what is going on in school, the group of friends they mix with and whether they are being bullied. This way, we can better tackle the problem of the rising number of anorexic patients.

Warning: Asia may see more quakes

Thai disaster agency says earth's fault lines are more active since 2004 tsunami

http://news.asiaone.com.sg/st/st_20070519_121393.html

May 19, 2007
The Straits Times


'Thailand's National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) has said people living near geological fault lines in Asia should be prepared for more earthquakes, as many fault zones had become more active following the huge quake that caused the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.' This warning came after powerful tremor occured in Laos that was felt around the region, causing much fear to the people. 'NDWC chairman Smith Dharmmasaroj said the Mae Chan fault, which caused the Laos earthquake on Wednesday, had become more active since the 2004 earthquake off Sumatra' and he 'urged people to take part in evacuation drills and to make sure their houses are strong enough to withstand an earthquake'. To deal with the possibility of more earthquakes, Meteorological Department director-general Suparerk Tansriratanawong said his department was planning to open 30 more earthquake-measuring stations by the end of the year. 'If earthquakes occur, we plan to alert people within five minutes through the mass media like television and radio,' he said.

The plan of opening earthquake-measuring stations would definitely help in informing the people about possible earthquakes that would happen and they would probably have the necessary time to evacuate from the danger site. Smith Dharmmasaroj is doing the right thing by urging the people to take part in eavcuation drills and making sure their houses are strong nough to withstand an earthquake. As a person of high authority, he is setting a very good example by encouraging the people and sets a standard for other leaders to follow. Moreover, people would probably listen to him as he is of a high authority and treat his words with respect.

However, there is a very important factor that Thailand has to consider when she builds these earthquake-measuring stations. Thailand is assuming that the people are aware of the danger of a possible natural disaster that would happpen in the future. However, in reality, many people are not actually aware of the danger. What the government has to do is to use various forms of advertisements, albeit brochures or even television advertisements, to INFORM the people about the danger. Only when the people are INFORMED, will this whole plan of opening earthquake-measuring stations to warn people about approaching earthquakes work.

Asia has experienced it's own share of natural disaster. An example would be the Boxing Day Tsunami that took away thousands of lives. However, if you remember there was a young girl who saw approaching waves from the far horizon. She remembered about learning this in school and knew that a catastrophe was about to happen - a tsunami was approaching. She quickly warned the people around and managed to save hundreds of lives. And why is this so? It is because of education, which is another key factor. Elementary schools in Thailand should educate students about this unavoidable predicament of earthquakes happening in the region and teach them about the things that would normally happen before earthquakes occur, this way they will be more INFORMED about this problem and spread the word to their family and relatives. Hence, when an earthquake really do occur, students and families would know what to do and evacuate to a safe place immediately.

In conclusion, I feel Thailand is doing a really good job in opening earthquake-measuring stations to warn the people. However, my main statement would be that they should focus more on the social aspect of the situation, which is INFORMING and EDUCATING the people about earthquakes and the dangers of it.

Be informed,
Be educated,
Be safe.

Polluted cities taking initiative to tackle global warming

Mayors tell climate summit they cannot wait for national policies to be enacted

http://news.asiaone.com.sg/st/st_20070517_120779.html

May 17, 2007
The Straits Times


'Mayors from more than 40 of the world's most polluted cities have declared at a climate summit here that cities must take the lead in the campaign to reverse global warming.' These countries are carrying out national policies in hope to reduce carbon emissions and develop more energy-efficient infrastructure. 'As cities produce three-fourths of the carbon emissions, we must act,' London Mayor Ken Livingstone told delegates, describing climate change as 'the single biggest threat to the future of humanity'. During the meeting, there was a 'pledge by 514 US mayors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Kyoto Protocol, a move which signals their objections to the environmental policies of US President George W. Bush.' Governer Shintaro Ishihara felt that it was ridiculous that the US did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Mr Ishihara also implemented tough regulations on diesel vehicles in Tokyo. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also criticised governmental inaction on climate change, telling delegates: 'We need no new technology, we need no new invention, all that is required is political will.'

I have to say that i entirely agree with what Michael Bloomberg said. We can have the best technology and inventions to lower carbon emissions around the world, however without the political will of the governments of cities, it would be of no use at all. The mayors of the other US cities have all signed an accord to slash pollutants to below 1990 levels by 2012. It is probably because of his personal pride, George Bush is unwilling to ratify the Kyoto Protocol as it was against his own environmental policies. As the president of the United States, he should have the people and the country's future in mind when making any decisions, however this time he is defending his own personal pride and sacrificing probably the future of the entire planet.

Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore planned to ask other cities to follow Sydney by implementing an 'Earth Hour', during which businesses and homes turn off their lights for one hour to reduce energy consumption. The city's first 'Earth Hour', on March 31, was hailed as a success. It cut normal energy use by 10 per cent. I feel this idea implemented by Lord Mayor Clover Moore is very innovative and an effective way to cut down energy consumption. This is because he is using this 'Earth Hour' to challenge the people to do what is right for environment and the world they are living in, and this method is very efficient.

Forget about fancy hybrid cars that claim to reduce gas emissions and other technologies that claim to reduce harm to environment. The most important is the people. If the leaders of the world can think of a way to encourage the people to save power and have a 'greener' lifestyle, then that would probably be the best way to tackle this problem of global warming. Well, not only the leaders can influence the people. Everybody, you and I can do our part by spreading the word of maintaining a clean and green society! As students, we can try to turn the lights off when they are not in use and encourage our parents to use cleaner and greener car petrol. We can all do our part to save the Earth.

The future is all in our hands, it's just whether we want to make a difference.

N Korea agrees disarmament steps





article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6356481.stm

After so many years, North Korea has finally promised to shut down its main nuclear reactor in return for fuel aid. This is the first steps of nuclear disarmament which is a good sign for the entire world. When Pyongyang held an atomic test last October, it caused much uproar to countries such as the United States and many more. Now, US and Japan have pledged to begin talks with North Korea on building closer ties.

There are two main factors of this article that I would like to discuss. Firstly, this nuclear disarmament is only the FIRST phase of denuclearization. North Korea only agreed to shut down its nuclear reactor (located in Yongbyon) in return for 50,000 metric tons of fuel aid or economic aid of equal value. Thus, they have not reached the discussion of what will happen to the nuclear weapons that North Korea already possess. Despite this, the US has agreed to remove North Korea from its list of terror states and establish diplomatic relations. Also, Japan will discuss normalizing relations with North Korea. However, I feel that the trade of shutting down the nuclear reactor for 50,000 tons of fuel is too much to exchange. North Korea has not even talked about shutting down nuclear weapons which is the main target that the US wants to achieve. Although I agree that shutting down North Korea’s nuclear reactor would be the first steps to success, “North Korea should not be rewarded with massive shipments of heavy fuel oil for only partially dismantling its nuclear arsenal”, said by John Bolton, former US ambassador to the United Nations.

Secondly, North Korea would have to follow all the terms in the deal, which they are not very good in doing by looking at the history books. The previous deal which was agreed in September 2005, collapsed because of differences between North Korea and the US over the implementation of the deal. Prominent US figures voiced their views. Mr Snow hailed the deal but sounded a note of caution. "If they don't abide by the terms, they don't get the benefits they desire," he said. Hence, if North Korea do not carry out the processes written in the deal, the deal would collapse, again. And all the three years of talks would all come down to nothing.

In conclusion, I feel that this is a good sign of progress towards denuclearizing North Korea and would definitely help bring relationships between various countries closer. However, the huge amount of fuel exchanged for shutting down the Yongbyon reactor is too much to ask for and if North Korea do not fulfill the terms of the deal, it would all come back to square one, where nothing is achieved. Right now, all the US can do is try to persuade the North Korea delegates and hope that the deal would go smoothly and result in great success in the future.