(2 mothers in a HDB playground

1.What expectation do my parents have for me ?
2.What expectation would i have as a Singaporean for my children?
3.Would the expectations of the two generations differ?

1.My Parents have high expectations of me .They want me to be independent so that i can be useful in someway in the cooperate world. Other than that, they want me to know that success is a journey, not a destination.The process of working has become somewhat routine and they want me to enjoy the process of learning.Nevertheless, i do not always feel so .Hours and hours of work, especially on the same subject, can be torturous .
In todays fast moving life style and competitive environment the parents have a lot of expectations from their kids even without considering their capabilities and interests and harming the natural self of their kids.Sometimes my parents care too much and become a source of irritation.Of course, my parents do still care about me.


2.In my opinion,all kids are in a state of Monkey see, monkey do up to a certain age.Therefore, i stress that all children must start learning at a young age, and me must set good examples of them.As we all know, children are extremely influential and easily influenced at the same time. a child must know who to mix around with, as mixing around with the wrong people can bring about bad results.I am saying this through true experience, from not me, but my old friends who i no longer keep in contact with. During primary one, this is a critical stage, most of my friends formed so called gangs (immature) and tried to be hero.In the end , their grades suffer as i was the only one who survived into a good class while the rest jumped from top class to bottom .Within one year.As they were in bad classes, more bad company and all the stuff, they soon became unruly children.Thats why i cut off all contact with them.To sum it all up,i would like my children to ace their academic grades before thinking of anything else during their youth .

3.Well, i must say the expectations must differ, only in an uphill manner.I used to hear my parents complain that due to poverty , both of their parents had to work and no one even cared about their grades at all,Since the island that we lie in now is far more advanced in technology and less people suffer from poverty, we are able to afford good education and therefore, expectations naturally rise.

Book review -Barry Trotter and the unnecessary sequel

Barry Trotter and the unnecessary sequel by Michael Gerber is a facinating
and yet oh so dumb parody of Harry Potter. Unlike
the first book, Barry is 38, has kids, and is
balding. The main characters are basically twisted
versions of Harry and co. For instance, Barry is
mean spirited, hot tempered, and other things I
shouldn't say. Ermine,(to some Hermione) Barry's
wife, is kind yet destructive, has a tendency to
show the faults in Barry and other things an average
wife would do. Their kids Nigel, a non-magical 11-year
old going to hogwash, and Fiona, a magical genius, are
somehow unscathed. There is also Lon, a dog brained
man-child that has a dog brain. You might be thinking
"What about Voldemort!?", well, this time, Valumart is
now a family friend. On to the actual story.

The true plot is of Barry and co. going to Hogwash for
a class reunion. But as tragedy (not really) would have it
the headmister, Dorco Malfesance dies. So, Barry and Ermine
become the new headmister. Then Barry somehow contracts
youthniasia and will die soon. I don't want to give away the story, so, I won't. The book has a lot of jokes and satire
that will entertain the ages of 13-27. Although the book
is good, the ending of the series so prematurely is
bad. Lets just hope Michael Gerber writes more books.


Names that were altered
1.Harry potter -Barry Trotter
2.Ron -Lon Measly
3.Hermione- Erminie
4.Lord Voldemort- Lord Valumart
5.Draco Malfoy - Dorco Malfesance
6.Gilderoy Lockhart- Girlrboy Rockhard
7.Quidditch- Quidit

I also really liked the way that they wrote out the (still) Obligatory Legal Mumbo Jumbo, and the disclaimers at the beginning of the book.

The lesson"modified"

Silence ruled heavenly in the staff room
as loudly the student walked in
with tears to the brim
His teachers stared at him

"The theme for today is silence
and homework will still be set
"Dont think just because theres a retest,
you can go home and rest"


Then red pen in hand
he crossed out all his answers.
"im going to place you in third band
you better go repent"


He flung his stamp at the paper
it struck with deadly aim
with the big words"parents signature"
he continued with his game



"please can i go now, sir?"
"no yet, i prefer"
the student felt trapped
and wished he could give his teacher a zap


The Head popped a head round the doorway
to see why a din was being made
nodded understandingly
then tossed in a grenade


The student surveyed the carnage
and waggled a finger severely
"now let that be a lesson he said"
or us students give you dread

Roger McGough--->modded by me

Shel Silverstein

The background by poets.org

Shel Silverstein was born on September 25, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois and began writing and drawing at a young age. He became a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter.

Silverstein is best known as the author of iconic books of prose and poetry for young readers. His works include such modern classics asLafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back(1963), The Giving Tree (1964), A Giraffe and a Half (1964), The Missing Piece (1976), and The Missing Piece Meets the Big O (1981). His immensely popular poetry collections are Where the Sidewalk Ends, a 1974 Michigan Young Readers Award winner; A Light in the Attic, recipient of the School Library Journal Best Books Award in 1982;Falling Up (1996); and Don’t Bump the Glump! And Other Fantasies, which was originally published in 1963 and reissued in 2008.Runny Babbit, a posthumous poetry collection of spoonerisms, was conceived and completed before his death.

Silverstein’s books, which he also illustrated, are characterized by a deft mixing of the sly and the serious, the macabre, and the just plain silly. His unique imagination and bold brand of humor is beloved by countless adults and children throughout the world. He died in May 1999.

Now for my own review:

I like this poet very much and also many others because i have a special admiration to those who can sketch/draw children cartoon books.an example is this This image can also be found at the website provided at the bottom I find his language quite cute , example like his famous story a girraffe and a half

"if you have a giraffe and it was stretched another half,

you get a giraffe and a half,

if he put on a hat, and inside lived a rat,

you would have a giraffe and a half and a rat in his hat

if you dressed him in a suite and he looked very cute,

you would have a giraffe and a half with a rat in his hat looking cute in a suit."

To me , this poet aims to taget children 13 or below,which still applies for me .

three poems by him.

Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends. Mr. Grumpledump's Song by Shel Silverstein If the World Was Crazy by Shel Silverstein If the world was crazy, you know what I'd eat? A big slice of soup and a whole quart of meat, A lemonade sandwich, and then I might try Some roasted ice cream or a bicycle pie, A nice notebook salad, an underwear roast, An omelet of hats and some crisp cardboard toast, A thick malted milk made from pencils and daisies, And that's what I'd eat if the world was crazy. If the world was crazy, you know what I'd wear? A chocolate suit and a tie of eclair, Some marshmallow earmuffs, some licorice shoes, And I'd read a paper of peppermint news. I'd call the boys "Suzy" and I'd call the girls "Harry," I'd talk through my ears, and I always would carry A paper umbrella for when it grew hazy To keep in the rain, if the world was crazy. If the world was crazy, you know what I'd do? I'd walk on the ocean and swim in my shoe, I'd fly through the ground and I'd skip through the air, I'd run down the bathtub and bathe on the stair. When I met somebody I'd say "G'bye, Joe," And when I was leaving--then I'd say "Hello." And the greatest of men would be silly and lazy So I would be king...if the world was crazy. http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16737 Mr. Grumpledump's Song by Shel Silverstein Everything's wrong, Days are too long, Sunshine's too hot, Wind is too strong. Clouds are too fluffy, Grass is too green, Ground is too dusty, Sheets are too clean. Stars are too twinkly, Moon is too high, Water's too drippy, Sand is too dry. Rocks are too heavy, Feathers too light, Kids are too noisy, Shoes are too tight. Folks are too happy, Singin' their songs. Why can't they see it? Everything's wrong! http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20542

more can be found at this highly animated website
Shel silverstein

Whatif by Shel Silverstein

Last night, while I lay thinking here,
some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
and pranced and partied all night long
and sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif I'm dumb in school?
Whatif they've closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif I get sick and die?
Whatif I flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightning strikes me?
Whatif I don't grow talle?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish won't bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth don't grow in straight?
Whatif I tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems well, and then
the nighttime Whatifs strike again!

The type of figurative language used here is personification,the words are: Crawl, Party,Prance,or strike. The poet chose this language because "whatifs"they are not really nouns, maybe abstract nouns or not even nouns, so they cannot Crawl, party, prance or strike.



i like this poem because the title causes curiosity and the poem is structured in a very repetitive way.

hit count

counter

4th book review

I really liked Outernet because it tells of aliens(called FOE) that want to take a server from the earthlings Jack, Merle, and Loaf. A server is a high-tech computer that can transport you to another galaxy and you can send o-mail to other people or aliens anywhere. The FOES are the bad aliens who want to take the last server and rule the galaxy. The FRIENDS are the good guys who try to stop the foes. Jack, Merle, and Loaf as well as Janus the alien FRIEND, Bitz who is the talking alien dog, and Googie the talking alien cat try to stop the foes on their quest. They have to return the server to an alien called Weaver to stop the FOES from taking over. I also liked this book because it has a lot of action like when Jack, Merle, and Loaf get taken to the FOE'S prison planet. Janus sets off an alarm so all the prison doors open and then they can all escape. They nearly get caught bu they escape by the skin of their teeth. In the end the FRIENDS still have the server but in the next book you will find out more on what happens to the FRIENDS and what the FOE'S next move are.

Flaws:the font is too big
the concepts were not linked to real life but it was ok