Friday, July 8, 2011

Chapter 1 Extensive reading

All these feelings are very useless and only happened when are not self confident or not achieving. For example a person who is jobless would be depressed because he is a burden on his family and has a lot of free time to ponder over these useless feelings. Loneliness also happens when you are not involved in many activities, meeting new people is very important for a race such as ours. As it is said before humans are social animals. We cannot live alone unlike owls and worms. Loneliness is also easy to overcome by going into sports and watching movies with friends. Also social platforms like Facebook, and MySpace helps in these. However this is not recommended as some teenagers start to lie about themselves as someone better. This causes them to get addicted to the social platform and escape their true self. I cannot say much about heartbreak as I have not experienced it. Caused it but not experienced it. But I would like to say that heartbreaks area a part of life. To overcome is not caring. Of course the best way to overcome is to cuss the other person. Being different is more like an advantage. Usually when you are different you have an ability to express yourself and everybody would listen. What you say matters more. Of course if you are different by having a disease. You should also embrace it. You should try to get rid of it but do not ignore it. You would realize after a little embarrassment the disease help you realize who you are true friends are. Putting up a front has never happened to me because I talk so much so I usually say everything about myself. 

Monday, July 4, 2011

English Reflection - Shawn Tan (18)

What are your thoughts and feelings about being depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues.


To be frank, I feel rather depressed when reading this book because it made me feel that I was something I didn’t know I was, like suffering from depression. I always thought that there were nothing wrong with being sad for a period of time about some things as long as you get back on your feet afterwards. But according to the advice that this book provided, the symptoms of having depression, it makes realize that what I thought was right might be wrong and it horrifies me, I might have depression?!

I don’t like the feeling of being alone to begin with, much less loneliness. But the sad fact of life is that what you hate or dislike may still happen to you regardless of what, and loneliness did caught up with me and even gave me a smack in my face. I felt betrayed, angry and even feeling I never had — empty. It all happened because I tried to expect the un-expectable, or rather try to find out the little secrets which people whom I considered best friends forever hid from me between themselves. So to deal with it, I learned to let go and not hold it to dearly to myself or else it would affect me too much.

Nobody likes heartbreaks, literally or emotionally, including me myself. Reasons being, it just hurts too much often being unbearable to the victim. You don’t have to experience heartbreak to be able to feel it because the impact is so overbearing that as long as you see people around you experiencing it, you mood would automatically tune dull because it’s just human nature. This is so much I can describe about heartbreaks because I don’t know what to say anymore...

Actually being different from my peers doesn’t really affect me that much, probably because I am pretty much another normal kid and I cannot understand the pain of being different. But, at the same time, I also don’t understand why people hate being different. Because, to me, I find it rather cool being different, it’s being unique. Let me state an example — Peter Parker, Spiderman, is different from his peers. It doesn’t mean he is inferior or cannot do the same things his peers does. although he is different from his peers, he still managed to date mary jane and even save the world. Because he is different, he is special, he is a superhero. So, it doesn’t matter if you are different from your peers. It’s just being unique and I don’t think I mind being different... I guess?

The first and the last thing you would probably do is probably putting up a front. Why? Reason simply being you hate the feeling of being weak, inferior or feeble and putting up a front allows you to seem strong, powerful and all-mighty. Putting up a front comforts your soul, somehow, someway. Hence, everyone puts up a front. But the different thing is that different people puts up different degree of act. Some is just so flimsy that it would collapse whereas others deceives even the keenest eyes. I feel that the only way to remove these layers of acts is acceptance. We need to feel accepted for who we are to be comfortable. Only comfort can diminishes the battle cry within you, and once your battle spirit drops, you cover would be blown. So the root of all emotions is actually the Society...

Questions for Blogging - Tan Jian Hui


What are your thoughts and feelings about being depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues.
Being depressed is a seemingly common part of teenager's life. This could be due to trauma from an accident or when the teenager doubts himself or herself. When doubts starts to appear, teenagers start to discover flaws in themselves. This, in turn, cause a lack of confidence and could lead to a chain of events such as loneliness. Suffering from these emotional distress, teenagers are rarely comfortable sharing it with others. I personally am not comfortable just sharing personal things too easily. Therefore I seldom speak to others if I am depressed as I know I can overcome it. I learnt ways to not just overcome, but to learn from obstacles when I was younger. I know I can handle things well and work out in the end. I share my thoughts with myself and think of three perspectives, all in a positive way. Some close friends of mine know that after initial frustration or irritation, I can always get over it, by hook or by crook. Of course no violence should occur, and I try to take it out on beneficial ways (such as using anger as motivation to study). Also some close friends will know that I cannot stay angry at people, even if I try to stay away from them I will still end up talking to them. So I think that my ways of reducing stress is good for me as it all comes down to discipline. At times, accepting a simple fact is all it takes to take out all the depression. After that, move on and continue living life fruitfully.

With greater obstacles, comes greater learning.

EL Blogging Homework - 09 Chan Jing Jie

What are your thoughts and feelings about being depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues.







Teenagers often face many different problems, with respect to physical changes, psychological and mental well-being and personal relations with people. 

Talking about being depressed, this relates to the psychological and mental well-being of a person. Depression is the state whereby one is under extreme pressures from the surroundings with severe conditions, resulting in mental breakdowns. The state of depression usually lasts for a certain period of time, causing the person to have negative feelings, eg. hopelessness, dejected. People suffering from depression tend to close themselves up, which makes it hard for their friends and family to help them.

Depression can trigger due to the current problems that teenagers are facing. A wide range of factors, from heartbreaks to loneliness. Heartbreaks happens, with regards to tangling issues among teenagers. Usually, this issue arises, relevant to the emotional well-being of teens. Heartbreaks among teenage couples, heartbreaks among friendships, heartbreaks among family members. It covers a wide variety of relationships and interaction among people.

Those heartbreaks that leads to depressions are commonly the ones between teenage couples. Actually, Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. Hence, when teenage couples experience a rocky relationship, both parties would be greatly affected. These set-backs are times where couples would think, if they have made the right choice in going into a relationship. The person who can make you the happiest, can hurt you most deeply too. This is the irony.

Couples are meant to meet challenges. When the circumstances are too great for them to handle, there are only two options. If their relationship is strong enough, they will hold each other tightly to brave through the hurricanes, droughts. However if they are not, that would be the time their relationship ends. One may be thinking "Let's go back, back to the beginning, back to when the earth, the sun, the stars are all aligned." But then again, is it worth it? At such a young age, going into a relationship may not just be the right choice.

In this point of time, heartbreaks are then inevitable. Therefore, it is time to take a break, and let time heal the pain. Don’t hover on the relationship. When it is time to move on, just do. Time will make you strong, so just let the rain fall down, and wash all the memories away, although you want to hold the memories of the past tightly in your arms. “True Love burns the brightest, But the brightest flames leave the deepest scars.” So, if you are afraid being hurt, don’t go into a relationship. It can lead you to a depression.

Loneliness, is another psychological issue. Walking alone down an endless pathway, with only pain and emotional suffering as you continue the search for happiness and comfort that you hope to find with friends. There are many people in this world that are outcast, meaning that they are often left out, unwanted. Hence, this group of teenagers becomes emotionally affected. When they witness their peers hanging out together, loneliness made them depressed as they were jealous of the people around them who weren’t lonely, and therefore, affecting their own personal confidence. Which is why, Loneliness could lead to depressions too.

There are often times, when you are needed to put up a front, around your friends. But the question posed is, why is there a need to? Often, there are things that are meant to be kept a secret, kept concealed. Hence, teenagers put a painted mask, trying to cover their feelings and emotions. No one will know how you feel inside, and as time moves along the mask becomes a part of you. The artificial, and fake you. That is no pleasant feeling. Most people think that they are able to master the art of masking, and learn to control their feelings. But there is always one thing to remember. One day, everything will break down inside.

With reference to Sue Lun’s statement “Hiding behind a delicately painted mask is a sign of weakness and lack of self-assurance. Within these shadows of quivering souls lies a common belief- that they have failed in life.” Sometimes you have to show your bad side so that you can sort out who can accept you at your worst. Hiding behind a mask is a bad thing indeed, but it gives you a form of protection around yourself. Inside the delicately painted mask, is a fragile person. Being afraid to be hurt, having a fear of betrayal, may just be the reasons of having a mask. In conclusion, having a flawless facade that masks emotions is not a bad thing afterall. However, it shouldn’t reach to an extent that it becomes a masquerade, a disguise, that is fake and pretense.

Dealing with these issues, the main person is you. People around you could provide you with moral support and cheer you on, giving you advices here and then, providing you with guidance. At the end, it is still up to the person, himself/herself. Overcome all odds, as long as you have the willpower. Delete the negative, Accentuate the positive. Never bow down to the challenges met, keep going strong but level-headed. Only then, the brighter days would be seen and a bright future awaits.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

English homework - 12 Loh Ching Wei, Joshua

Today, many teenagers face such issues and have trouble getting over it. Depression can arise from cases such as child abuse or the death of a loved one. It is natural for people to feel like that under these circumstances. However, some people feel depressed because they cannot let certain things go and this burdens them. I do not think I have felt depressed before as I very quickly forget about bad things that happened. There is no need to let something that happened in past affect you by constantly thinking about it as the past will not change. The best thing you could do is to just let it go and forget about it.

Some people feel that no-one understands their feelings and that they are left behind so they feel lonely. I do not feel lonely as I believe that everyone is capable of feeling what I feel and that there will always be some people who have gone through what I have felt or even worse.

Heartbreak can arise from someone who has been betrayed by someone whom they held dearly or never expected would do such a thing. It could even be someone who is involved in a boy-girl relationship. I have not felt heartbreak before as I have never felt betrayed by anyone and I definitely am not involved in BGR. However, I feel that for heartbreak, you just let it go and forget about what happened as the best thing you can do is to move on.

Being different from others to me is not a big deal. Difference is also good as if everyone were the same, this world would be quite dull. It also gives meaning to certain things. For example, if there were only rich people, then people will not have the chance to realise that they already have such good lives and appreciate it.

Having to put up a front is not good as the truth will not change even if you hide your feelings. It may cause more problems as well. It can be better to let someone know so as to not keep your feelings inside, only to have it burst out one day. For me, I talk to my parents a lot so they can easily understand my feelings.

Generally, I deal with these problems by just not thinking about it. Sometimes, I do not even have to do anything as I naturally just forget about it. If that does not work, I just think of how big this universe is and how many beings are there so when I do not have to, I will not take unimportant things to hard.

Happiness, Truthfulness Vs Distance -Lai Ziying (3)






Well, we do learn the different ways to protect ourselves from various types of attacks as we go along in life. However, what I uphold is that no denials of facts and escapism from reality should be present while I protect myself; and when I treat someone nicely, I treat that person whole-heartedly. In fact, we do not have to be hypocritical in order to protect ourselves. When it comes to self-protection, there are certain values which we will want to keep and those values will determine how we modify our ways of protection to suit ourselves and the environment which we are in. 
At certain times, what teaches us the most valuable things is what hurts us the most. At certain phases of our lives, things which seem ridiculous and extremely unbelievable happen. For instance, the last person or friend on earth whom we think will hurt us does it one way or the other. After which, painful yet valuable lessons are picked up and life moves on. 
In fact, from my personal experience, I am very close to that one friend whom had betrayed my faith and trust and, yes, that person was the last person whom I thought would do that to me. This may seem to be an unrealistic friendship, however, both of us grew together through that experience and certainly, some of the misunderstandings were cleared up months later before we became friends again. Both of us have become more mature and we are closer to each other since then. 
From that painful experience of mine, I have learnt to let go of the many things which I was previously unable to. Therefore, with what I have gone through and who I am today, I am not as easily affected  by minor things in life as before;  let it be rumors and so on. In Chinese, there’s a saying, “谣言止于智者” (Rumors stop when they come to a wise person). Therefore,  life’s too short to care about the unimportant things instead of putting in more time to care for the people and things that are truly important and worth our attention.
There’s one primary lesson in life which we all can’t deny and that is “nothing endures but change”. Thus, be strong, and uphold a gentle and righteous heart as you go along. Cry it out loud when you need to; laugh your head off when you want to. And with this, happiness will follow you.


Thank you for reading.
2 July 2011
Lai Ziying

Saturday, July 2, 2011

EL blogging - Soh Fan


Depression, is terrifying. It can completely change a person, whether it is mentally or physically. Depression can make one tough to function properly and enjoy life like one once did. It is hard to recover from depression, but with enough will anyone can fight depression. Theres nothing in this world that cannot be done. One way is to lead a healthy lifestyle and push away all negative thoughts. Although it might be hard for some, making it a habit can help to regulate their lifestyle and slowly recover from their past.

Being lonely can be a good thing, can also be a bad thing. Why do I say that? There are two type of loneliness. One is being lonely, while the other is being alone. When one is being lonely, that means that theres nobody that care for you, or nobody can understand what you are feeling. You are unable to express or share your thoughts with your friends or family. When being lonely, one can feel left out, and if it persist it might lead to the development of depression. Personally I think because one has no friends to talk to and maybe because of some particular personalities and physical features that might set one apart from the others, resulting in being lonely. In contrast to that, being alone can be a good thing as some people prefer to be solitary while doing their things as they might prefer the peace and tranquility when being alone.

Relationships, do you love them or do you hate them? I kind of hate them. Don’t you hate them when you get involve with somebody and you trip, you fall in love but you don’t anticipate doing. Don’t you ever get jealous, and don’t jealousy make one do some silly stuff? Things happen when one get into relationships, and you never know when you might break up. Heartbreaking, isn’t it. Here, I am only talking about relationships. There are so many things that can make someone heartbroken. Parents passing away, bankruptcy , losing a leg? Its not everyday that you get a heartbreak. I am talking about the extreme cases. Its is the feeling of sorrow and grief, where theres a really large boulder in your heart, and you just cannot take it off. Tackling heartbreak is simple yet hard. Get over it and move on with your life.

To be different from your peers is not a bad thing. Its being yourself, being unique, its what stands out from the rest of the crowd!

Do not put up a front. It may conceal the secret or hide your real self, but in the long run it may all be slowly revealed. Putting up a front only helps temporary, not permanently.

English Post Luke

I have had those feeling before, especially the first and last few weeks I joined this school. It is hard. But you get over it.

I never put up a front, if I am sad, my friends will know, if I am angry, my friends will know, if I want to be alone, my friends will know. I try not to take out my frustration on friends and should probably not show my frustration so much, but I can't help it.

Talk. Talking helps me think, let go and move on. Just confiding with someone or just talking to someone who will listen helps me get my act together.

I also try to keep my natural frustration and self pity to a minimum by sometimes scolding myself and showing myself how lucky I am.

Friday, July 1, 2011

EL blogging-Lim Zhi Qi

I would feel very depressed because I have problems and yet I am unable to share with my friends who are precious to me. I would want to somebody to help me but I am scared that the person would even attempt to hurt the already fragile me. Putting up a front is easy but the pain comes in whenever you see your close friends trying to care for you and you have to push them away. That heart-wrenching feeling that is stuck in your heart is unable to erased away. 
You are lonely and you cannot seek any help. 
Your close ones are beside you and yet your heart is far away from their reach.
You want to trust them but your heart tells you to not trust anyone else. 
It is a fight between the painful reality or the peaceful escape to the fortress you had build up. 
The choice is always difficult.

EL Homework 17-Shamus Seng


I feel that depression and loneliness are linked, and depression is usually caused when a person is being left out, or ignored on purpose. However, at times the person may be ignored accidentally, for example when the party’s peers or family is busy. Depression gradually happens over a period of time, and has a long time effect on the person, accompanied by feelings of hopelessness. When depression occurs, the person is emotionally unstable, and may attempt to commit silly things. In order to avoid depression, the party should often communicate with his or her peers and relatives. I do not suffer from depression, but when I am feeling down, I will talk to my soft toys or consult my peers if necessary.
Heartbreaks happen when the closest peer, or rather the other party in the same relationship, did something awfully bad to the person. Or the person is being bombarded with work all day. In other words, the person suffers overwhelming distress, either from peers, or in some cases, studies. When a heartbreak occurs, the person is extremely depressed and will tend to isolate himself or herself. If a heartbreak is consistent, it will result in depression and loneliness. I only had heartbreaks once or twice in my life, and I face them by asking my parents for advise, because I think that they understand me best.
Being different from your peers leads to the person needing to put up a front in front of others. In my opinion, being different is being special, so up till now I still do not know why others will tend to put up a front. However, from what I know, others will feel different when their peers are “better” than them, for example when his or her peers achieve better academic results, or look physically more appealing. The party will then feel different. When he or she puts up a front, he or she will usually mingle with the people whom they think have a higher status among the rest. I have never felt different because I believe that everybody is special. Even if others say that I am not as good as them, I will tell them that nobody is perfect.

English Blog Post - 10 Cheng Zhi Chao

What are your thoughts and feelings about being depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues.

"One problem shared is another person's day slightly ruined."

Many teens these days have a different attitude than those in the past, or when they were younger. In Primary School, everyone's daily routine was just to listen to hour after hour of lecture by their teachers, looking forward to playing football with friends at the end of the day, and to finish up their homework with an equally heavy sigh at the end of the day. In fact, when I myself was in Primary school, the word "Love" or "Emo" did not even cross my mind nor affect me in the slightest. Most of whom have faced these problems for the first time, do not know how to resolve them and thus keep it to themselves.

This predicament of one being a teenager slowly enters our lives. First, a trickle, then a few drops, and then out of the blue, it just gushes out of the tap and hits us hard in the face. Most teenagers find it hard to manage their lives in the short amount of time that they are given. In secondary school, everyone is under the constant and heavy pressure of homework and relationship issues with friends, or even relationships between those of the opposite sex. Emotions become harder to control, sometimes leading to one feeling lonely and in solitude, or feeling left out or different, or awkward, or maybe just angry about life.

Homework seems to be a very integral part of our school lives. Poor management of it can lead to varying emotional issues. Some just feel that they are getting too much work and have no time to finish them all. Sometimes it's just laziness, sometimes it's the fact that there is much more to do in secondary school than back in primary school. Relationships are also common amongst teens. It's not really uncommon to see youngsters of the opposite sex holding hands in the public. However, getting together is easy, but a break-up can be hard to handle. Many teens, usually girls, always have their portrayal of their "knight in shiny armour", but when their crush leaves them or "dump", as it is commonly recognised, they cannot bear the thought of separation and it takes a toll on their daily life.

How just do these teenagers cope? Although there are positive ways to cope with stress, many teenagers have taken the other alternative. Most of the teenagers who are bound by homework often resort to gaming online to escape the mountains of requirements and deadlines they have to meet. Some of those who are plagued with more serious relationship issues often go into a state of depression or they try to inflict physical pain on themselves, sometimes leading to an inevitable case of suicide of self-mutilation. For those who are not on these extreme ends of the continuum, the victims often isolate themselves and not engage in activities with those who used to be their friends.

Mayur_15

Introduction video - Seng Hong Ming Shamus 17


01 English Blog Post Hw—Grace Tan Soo Woon


What are your thoughts and feelings about being depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues.

Personally, I think that depression is a state of mind where a person is dealing with tremendous pressure and stress and sadness which all builds up and leads to a breakdown, and even afterward the person is not able to move on and still remains trapped in negative thoughts and feelings and becomes a long term mental state of mind. Loneliness is on the other hand, "easier" to deal with in a way that the person thinks that she/he is alone, anywhere and everywhere. even when in crowds, one feels like he/she is in a barrier, separated from everyone else, awaiting someone willing to step in and hopefully stay in. Heartbreaks are usually a result of taking premature relationships too seriously and being unable to handle separation due to a break up. This usually happens when young teens are curious in relationships and are too eager to get into one.

Regarding the issue on being different from peers and having to put up a strong front, most students feel that they are inferior to the rest of their class or friends when they compare results often and came to a consensus that their results will always be considerably lower then their friend's or classmate's. There are also cases where students feel like "outcasts" because they are not accepted into any cliques or groups willingly and are usually rejected by classmates and friends, just because they have buck teeth or have a more unique hairstyle or voice. Having to put up a strong front may not be a very big issue from my point of view as there are times that a "strong front" is needed to be able to enjoy precious moments of life with friends before returning to darkness and hell at home, from abusive parents or just thinking negatively.

Usually, to be able to deal with such issues, the person needs someone to confide in, someone who wouldn't laugh at him/her, someone who is willing to comfort her/him in times of need and to "shine some light in his/her darkness", or to "lend her/him a shoulder to lean on". If I were the person with such serious problems, I would try to find someone I can trust to talk to to share my burdens and to get some good advise. I would also keep a mental or physical note on some of the enjoyable things that have happened during the day in case I think negatively at night.

"For a barrier can be broken, sadness that has made way into a young heart would have a way of coming out, there is no need for a bottle inside one's heart, seek and you shall find."
—Anonymous 

Introductory Video—Grace

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Introductory Video - Chong Guang Jun(11)

This is my Introductory Video:

English Blog Post_08_Calvin Heng

What are your thoughts and feelings about being depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues?

Loneliness is a plant, creeping through the darkness yearning for light; for love; for comfort. The crack in the surface of the land is evident, yet the plant refuses to face reality and lives in denial that the light is not there. Sidling through the shadows the plant always feels rejected and condemned, the plant puts everything against itself. Until one day, the plant withers and dies. The light in the cracks of the darkness is actually love, in real life, love is evident. You know that your parents love you, you know that your teachers love you, you know that your friends care about you. Yet you live in denial and lurk in the shadows. These actions of being unable to face reality lead to the loneliness in their hearts. The vacant space in your heart filled with tears of despair and cries of agony.

Depression is a tidal wave, blowing towards you. Standing on the boat facing the tidal wave, you broke for a turn and ran into the shadows of the other direction. Thinking that the other side acts as a natural barrier for you, you continued in that direction. However the tidal wave morphed into a Tsunami and tore the ship apart washing you into a maelstrom of despair and sadness. This tidal wave is depression. In actual fact, the only way to survive a tidal wave is to go against it, once you reach the top of the Tsunami, you will go with the flow and be safe. Likewise in this case, we should stand up a front and go against the tidal wave, take action and bring the courage out of yourself.

Heartbreak? No break no make. Everyone experiences heart breaks, the only difference is how you act towards it. Some people would face the situation and make the best out of the worst. Clinging to the cliff of hopelessness, some people are willing to let go and let their body drop into the waters below. Yet, some people continue to hold on to the edge, attempting to do the impossible and get back up; When in actual fact, they can't. Relationship problems between parents and piers are the culprits to this problem. But always remember, even if you experience a heartbreak, get over with it and get back on your feet. Treat it as an experience and life goes on.

Introductry Video - Shawn Tan

Introduction video - Loh Ching Wei, Joshua 12

EL Homework 05 Loh Cheng Ngee

Depression is an issue that needs to be resolved, and resolved by means of eliminating the root of the problem. It is extremely difficult to even figure out the root of the problem, what with the different factors affecting each individual being different. People suffering from depression would tend to shun away from help, thus making it even harder to help them. 
Teenages also tend to suffer from depression due to heartbreaks, and factors such as being different from their peers, and having to put up a front. Usually it is the stress that gets to them, and when they finally cannot handle it, they tend to lose themselves in a different reality in which they are in control of themselves when they are not. 
Heartbreaks deal with the emotional part of teenagers, and though most have an ideal situation where they would move on from a heartbreak, experiencing one may be very different, and when that ideal is broken, it becomes even harder to handle heartbreak. 
I believe that being different is not the same as being singled out and bullied, but rather it is something to be proud of as it makes you unique, makes you you. It is not a bad thing, and as long as you are confident and appear so, stand up for yourself, then being different is something that other people would admire you for.
Putting up a front has various reasons, though I see no point in acting as if you were someone else. By doing that, you are just deceiving yourself, and will just make things worse. If friends and family were to understand you, and support you, they would not be able to bear seeing you acting like you’re fine. It causes pain to everyone, and thus there is no point putting up a front.
If I were to have these issues, I would most likely let myself loose, along with my emotions while listening to music. I feel that music, even in different languages other than the ones I know, are able to express my feelings in a way that I cannot. That helps me to relieve stress, or I may just concentrate on other things, such as playing badminton, or writing.

English Homework- (20) Jonathan Soh Wei Ping

What are your thoughts and feelings about being depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues.

My first thoughts on these are that its part and parcel of a teenager’s life. It is inescapable. However, many people would find their own ways to solve these problems, be it good or bad.

First, depression. Depression to me is like a sink hole. Everyday a person lets it be on it own, it would start gnawing at a person’s soul, sucking out all emotions until he/she would be “emo”. Personally, I have not experienced depression yet so I can’t say much on it. However, I have found some people who are seem to be having this problem. My only advice that I can give is that the person first has to find the source of depression and plug it, preventing its reappearance. The person may finally become the person who is a better person than being under depression.

Next, loneliness. I feel that most people would have experienced at one time at another. To me, loneliness is just secondary thoughts which would hinder my progress against something. So, I would often find time with my friends to do meaningful activities like going out, doing sports, playing computer games etc...

Next, a rather well talked about topic, heartbreaks. As a teenager, I myself do not have much of an experience to talk about. But personally that I think I can give is that just sit down, find out what is causing all this pain and start healing a broken heart despite the scars  before it is too late and no “repairs” or “healing” can be done.

Another well-known topic is being different from your peers. Everyone is unique and special in their own way. To me, I am unique and special as I am rather “talented” while playing most computer games. My advice is that each and every person has to find the thing that he/she is unique and special in and not let being unique and special drag you down as other people would constantly make fun off.

Finally, putting up a front. To me, I tried this and believe me it is tiring. It will emotionally drain a
person. In turn, a person would have less of a willpower to do anything. Like I said, being unique and special and being proactive in activities will bring like-minded people to you.

Having a resilient attitude, making yourself feel unique and special, forgetting all bad problems like heartbreaks, are all an essential part in having a healthy soul. Having a healthy soul, one will then have a healthy mind, one will finally then have a healthy body. All it rests on is having the right mindset and attitude and also having friends who will listen to your problems and taking the emotional stone of burden one may carry...

Introduction Video (Calvin Heng, 08)

Introduction Video- 02 Khit Sue Lun

Introduction Video - 09 Chan Jing Jie

EL Homework- 02 Khit Sue Lun

She clung to the cliff, tossed in the wailing storms. Closing her dreary eyes, agony resides, and pain withdraws. For all she knew it was all taken away, all in that one moment of deception. The lurking shadows had buried it deep in her heart, grounding her weary soul in the looming silence of the night, eroding all the hopes of once before. Tears unravel in the dark murkiness of denial, as she plunges into a pit of never ending confusion and fury. If only she could let go, and face the roughened sides. If only she could gather that tiny morsel of determination to face the tides, crashing heavily into the shores. If only she believed, in herself and her beloved ones, and she would have succeed. Succeed in walking out of this thing called depression.

Dealing with loneliness, heartbreaks and being different from your peers is not a hard thing after all. Everyday, we dodge precariously from the challenges in our world, masking all our feelings from the people around us. It is all about letting go and stopping yourself from brooding about the past and moving on to the future. Master the art of forgiving and forgetting, carry this skill with you throughout your life, and you will slowly realise that fitting in is not the most important thing in your life which you will have to be stuck dwelling about. Be yourself, let your true feelings show, and you will discover the wonders of friendship and family relationships.

Before plunging yourself into a ‘self-concocted’ depression, think about those who are much more unfortunate and relish every single day of life. Most importantly, discover the immense joy of bringing a smile to everyone’s faces. With that notion, you will be alright.

Hiding behind a delicately painted mask is a sign of weakness and lack of self-assurance. Within these shadows of quivering souls lies a common belief- that they have failed in life.

What actually is a failure in life? Getting low grades? Losing in a competition? The real failures are those who fail to harness and treasure what they already have, and moan on their shortcomings instead of trying to improve. These people will be caught in a standstill, hidden in their worries and pain, in hope of someone to get them out of this tempest of a storm.

However, it is a clear fact that no one can bring in help except yourself. Words of comfort drowns in your misery, continuous support taken for granted, time spent buried in the fading dreams of yours. This is all the help wasted if you do not make a change and put in effort to struggle out depression. It is a cold battle against yourself, and only the one with the strongest willpower will live to see the brighter days.

Introduction video - SohFan

EL Homework - 06 Oh Sher Li



I feel that most of these are stages in life that most teenagers will have to go through. We should accept ourselves for who we are, and relieve our feelings the right way, by telling someone or writing them down. Usually, someone else will understand and offer advice, and just by listening, they can serve as a great help to lessen the burden. If I am really unhappy with the situation I am in, I would try my best to change myself or my attitude to adapt to these situations, and continue living my life as per normal. The most important thing is not what has happened, but how we choose to face it and overcome it.

Teenagers may feel depressed if their friends are not treating them right, or they feel that the world is caving in on them. It is different from feeling sad or down, as it is a medical condition that has to be cured with clinical methods. The environment that a child grows up in, or what he is exposed to, may trigger off depression. Often, the best way to overcome depression is to talk to someone who understands and open up to people who care.

Loneliness is derived when people feel betrayed, unloved, or when they are drifting apart from friends and family. It may not appear serious at first, but it holds consequences worse than we think of. There is also a chance that loneliness may lead to depression. Some people who are lonely may put up a false front to hide their pain, and to mask their disappointment. I think that the best cure for loneliness is a good friend, who is willing to encourage and motivate, and also to distract the person.
Heartbreaks result when teenagers or adults are involved in relationships, and face problems with their partners. To me, prevention is key, so there is no point of even going a relationship, but to a person that is heartbroken, it is probably best to distract oneself by taking part actively in healthy activities and carrying on with living.

If someone feels different from his or her peers, they may feel inferior and lack self-esteem. They will try to change themselves, whether in appearance or personality, just to fit in, and when all else fails, they may even fall into depression. Some people are unable to feel accepted and unique, and may develop eating disorders or serious illnesses. This is a very common problem in society. The best way to counter this is by speaking to someone and feeling accepted, then going through encouragement to make them feel unique.

Some people put up a front in order to hide their feelings or the pain they feel inside. They may not want others to see their weaknesses, and thus shut out themselves and their feelings. Although they may appear normal and unperturbed, they may be feeling emotional distress on the inside, and need someone to truly care about them. They may be confused at times, about whether they want assistance or not, but essentially they appreciate others’ concern. These people need to open up to their friends and family in order to be eased of the pain, instead of keeping their feelings cooped up.
Some people may be facing these problems without the knowledge of friends or family. If I were them, I would follow the advice that people give me, as feeling negative will affect not only my schoolwork, but the feelings and attitudes of others towards me.

EL Homework_14 - Joshua Ma

What are your thoughts and feelings about depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues?

Firstly, I feel that many people suffer from depression, and that it has been the cause of many a death. One factor I believe leads to depression is loneliness as one of the main causes of depression is being lonely, without friends to talk to for help with a problem, although sometimes it is also maybe from lack of attention from anyone such as parents/guardians. Another reason would be the expectations of friends and family, putting one under a great deal of pressure.

Secondly, I find that loneliness is not as great a problem as depression. I believe it to be one of the main factors that leads to depression as well. This is as, I find that loneliness is mainly due to lack of friends if one isolates himself/herself from others maybe due to problems which has caused him/her to be depressed, not wanting to admit them and refusing help from the rest.

Thirdly, I believe heartbreaks are very serious and have actually caused many to become depressed, mostly adolescents. Though I do not know much about heartbreaks, I feel that most should try their best to get over it. Also, I really find that most adolescents should not start relationships too young and early as they might not be mature enough to actually fathom a break-up, or to understand the commitments of a relationship.

Another opinion of mine is that being different from your peers is not such a bad thing although many would get depressed over the whole "fitting in with the society" thing. This is as everyone is unique and should try to find their own good friends who actually accept them for their own characters and who they are, rather than trying to fit in with supposed 'cool' kids.

Lastly, I strongly believe that putting up a front is indeed a bad way to cope with depression as the main root of the problem is not being tackled at all, though some find it necessary to do so for maybe their own pride. Therefore, with their pride in mind, they might refuse to let others know about what is bothering them, maybe feeling embarrassed about it, and thus, covering it up by living a lie.

If I were to face these issues, I would likely try to stop putting on a front first, then go to a counsellor or a teacher for help. I would try to get advice on what to do in my current situation and also what to do to prevent myself from becoming depressed again.

Introduction Video - 10 Cheng Zhi Chao

Introduction Video - Loh Cheng Ngee

Introduction Video - Tan Jian Hui

EL Homework_22-Tor Ming En

What are your thoughts and feelings about depression, loneliness, heartbreaks, being different from your peers, and having to put up a front? How do/would you deal with some of these issues?

Depression, as a whole, is a really serious issue in our society right now. Generally, most teenagers will feel depressed if they are betrayed or shunned by their friends. Some of them will also feel dejected if there is too much stress to handle, and it often comes from their friends or even the parents themselves.

There are also some teenagers who get depressed due to other serious issues like loneliness and heartbreaks. Sadly, many teenagers will feel lonely and insecure despite being in the company of others. Those teenagers will feel doubtful many a times and they will feel upset with themselves for being unable to fit in. However, most of time, they are actually just paranoid and what they are thinking might not necessarily be true.

Heartbreaks, on the other hand, is another issue that needs to be addressed. Teenagers nowadays like to go into relationships; however, as we all know, relationships are never rosy and smooth sailing. Sometimes, it will lead to endings like break ups, and this might lead to even more dire consequences. For example, teenagers who cannot handle things properly might find themselves in a severe state of depression.

I feel that being different from others is a privilege, something which must be embraced and appreciated. Everyone should take pride in their uniqueness, and not feel bad about it just because it is uncommon. Also, I feel that putting up a front is nothing but a lie to escape from reality. It is terrible to live a life in denial, so we must face the music instead of trying to hide from it.

If I were to face such problems, I will consult a trusted adult for advice. I will also try to do things to release the emotions bottled up within me, so as to prevent myself from being depressed.

EL Oral Recording_14 - Joshua Ma

Introduction Video - 06 Oh Sher Li


Introduction Video (Lai Ziying)

Introduction Video- Jonathan Soh Wei Ping

EL Oral Recording_22-Tor Ming En

EL self intro video-Lim Zhi Qi

My Video (Luke)

MY Video [Bryan Goh]

sorry, there was quite some noise in the background and i couldn't take a full body video as the noise will cover up my voice. 

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Thesis Statement

Please upload your thesis statement to the earlier task on Topic Sentences and Supporting Statements as a comment to this post. Thanks!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Topic Sentence and Supporting Statements

Please upload your paragraphs as comment to this post. Do remember the structure that you were taught in class: Topic Sentence --> Supporting Statement 1--> Specific eg --> Supporting Statement 2-->> Specific eg --> Concluding statement.

Have fun with your paragraphs!!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Activity 3: Analysis of Letter by Grace Tan Soo Woon (01)


The sample letter used Ethos in a way that he mentioned the F.B.I records and studies done by doctors. The F.B.I are very reliable as they know how many murders are committed by guns and the study done by the doctors were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The writer then proceeded to use Logos, the numbers and statics found in the passage stated by the experts and respectable people, to support his reason to have stricter laws on owning guns. Lastly, he used Pathos in such that he talked about an experience he went through, that his own son was killed due to letting a chile handle a gun by mistake, so that the Congressman would be touched and feel how much John Simmons really wants to have stricter laws. With all the evidence and statistics to support the reason, the letter becomes very persuasive.

Activity 3: Analysis of Letter by Shawn Tan Wen Bin (18)

The writer is knowledgeable about the topic he was presenting on. He presented a lot of facts and research (mainly made up of statistic data) to back up his claim which made him seems professional. He credited his source to make the letter and persuasion more accurate.The writer is thoughtful, fair and respectful of alternative points of view as he covered both views of pros and cons of gun ownership.


The writer appealed to the emotions, values and beliefs of an audience; he said "I have been so impressed with your past voting record, and I am hoping that you will continue to make excellent decisions on behalf of your state". The writer also have excellent word choice including vivid examples and details which affects the emotional responses of the audience; "As a concerned parent who lost a child to a gun accident, I am writing to urge you to support the gun control legislation that will be on the November ballot." His letter is persuasive because it's crafted so fittingly with his own words and his research and is interesting to the audience.


The most persuasive part of the letter is the Involvement of strong information & flow of logic. The speech is consistent and clear. The writer made a claim & backed it up with quality reason and evidence.

Activity 3: Analysis of Letter by Chong Guang Jun (11)

The writer has made use of all three persuasion methods, ethos, pathos and logos.

For ethos, the writer stated 'As a concerned parent' which defined his position is this matter, as his has the rights to claim that guns should not be allowed, since his child was killed by a gun. He also saw what happened exactly, so he knows what is needed to be done and why. He ended his letter with 'especially the right to LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness', a strong phrase which also made his stand to the matter.

As for pathos, the writer started with 'I am hoping that you will continue to make excellent decisions on behalf of your state', which was aimed at appealing to the Congressman's emotions, so that there would be a better chance of persuading him. The writer also mentioned that the murderer was a child, whose gun belonged to his or her father, shot the gun. This is trying to tell the Congressman that if he does not support the gun control legislation, he would be responsible for the deaths by gun.

For logos, the writer gave statistics to support his claim, 'according to the F.B.I, approximately 60 percent of all murder victims in the United States in 1994 (about 16,000 people) were killed with firearms? According to estimates, firearm attacks injured another 70,000 victims, some of whom were left permanently disabled'. This helped to convince the Congressman that there are already many cases of people killed by guns, thus they should be controlled, even if they are children, who might misuse the gun by accident.

Activity 3: Analysis of Letter by Tor Ming En (22)

The writer has used ethos by elaborating on the perils of possessing guns in his country to persuade the congressman to support the gun control legistration. He also seemed very professional in his letter by taking his stance as someone who was strongly against the possession of firearms, thus the letter would appeal to the congressman.

He has also used pathos, or emotional appeal, by complimenting the congressman himself, before stating that he has a personal experience of losing his own son due to guns and firearms. The writer also had some rhetorical questions in the letter to set the reader thinking, and he also wrote how the buying of guns in America could affect the nation itself, so as to convince the congressman to support the gun control legistration.

Logos, however, is the most commonly used form of persuasion in the letter. The writer stated a lot of statistics in the letter to convince the reader to change his mind. He wrote the percentage of murder cases caused by a gun, number of disabilities caused by a gun, total cost of injuries cost by shootings, and that the possession of guns increase the risk of killing a household member or friend, rather than an intruder.

Activity 3: Analysis of Letter by Joshua Ma (14)

Firstly, the writer appeals to the Congressman's emotions by complimenting him, where the write is using Pathos, in the first paragraph. The writer then goes on to appeal to the Congressman's logic, using the motivational appeal Logos, by stating many of the facts related to guns, such as statistics, numbers and even using a study by doctors as an example. which all comes down to one thing in the end which is death. Finally, the writer uses the motivational appeal Ethos, by trying to look from the Congressman's point of view, trying to give the citizens more liberty and happiness, and also looking from citizen's point of view, stating and using the rights of Americans, the rights of LIFE, to appeal to him to make stricter laws against the common citizen being able to buy a gun, saying that these threatens their rights.

Activity 3: Analysis of Letter by Bryan Goh (7)

In the first paragraph,  the writer immediately started by saying all the good things of him before moving on to the main topic. This is effective as someone would help someone who has praised him then compared to one that didn't.
He later moved on to show the reasons of why it's not good to have a gun. Giving different reasons and also evidences and scenarios. And while doing so, he kept on linking the scenarios with his son, which i felt was also a kind of emotional appeal. In all, i felt that the most evident theory he used was Logos

Activity 3: Analysis of Letter by Chan Jing Jie (09)

The writer effectively used the three types of persuasion techniques. Firstly, the writer used “Pathos” by stating how he lost his son, his personal experience after losing a child to an accidental gunshot incident, and hence, leading to the reason for the appeal to the congressman to vote for stricter laws in the gun control legislation. He boosted his appeal, by stating that he wants such accident in households to be prevented, and persuaded by asking a question, “Do you want to be responsible for supporting legislation that would make more such incidents occur?” Moving on, the writer used “Logos and Ethos” by stating all the statistical data in the letter, regarding how many people have been killed by gunshots, and the other harmful effects of having a gun, however, during the process, he still remains strong in the reason of writing the letter that gives a sense of professionalism, increasing the credibility of the letter.