Citizens were fighting each other. Innocent people were killed. Many people lay dead on the street. Kumar and his family were running for their lives. Kumar thought back to the time when there was a peaceful Sri Lanka…
When Kumar was young, the country was peaceful with no conflicts. There was almost no violence and the people usually got along well. Kumar was part of a family of English-educated Tamils who were very talented in their field of work. They were merchants who owned a shop at Colombo. However, it was not to last.
After the British left, the new government, made up of mostly Sinhalese, enacted a policy which stated that whoever was born in Sri Lanka would be able to apply for citizenship. The act did not affect Kumar’s family, who were born in Sri Lanka, but it affected some of his friends’ parents, who emigrated from India. Kumar heard complaints from some of the Tamils when he was walking to school.
“The act is just an excuse for the Sinhalese to chase away most of us!” One Tamil shouted, angry with the government.
Most of the others agreed. Kumar noticed something in his race. That feeling would cause violence between his race and the Sinhalese. That feeling was resentment.
In 1950, the government decided to resettle the Sinhalese peasants. They were transferred from the south-western and central areas to the northern and eastern areas, where Kumar and his family were living. Kumar, then 28, was unhappy with the decision. Many Tamils complained about the policy. Kumar also complained about it, although he was still living in Colombo.
In 1956, the government declared that henceforth, Sinhala would be the only official language of Sri Lanka. Many Tamils complained about the policy and wanted Tamil to also be an official language. Kumar and his family had to resign from their jobs since they did not speak Sinhala. Kumar decided to join the protest against the act. Unfortunately, when the police forces broke up the demonstration, the peaceful protest turned into a riot. Kumar had to flee for his life, or else the police would beat him to death. Eventually, Tamil was declared an official language. Kumar, however, was still worried that his country would fall due to racial riots.
“I’m scared,” Kumar’s son, Muthu, said to him that night, shaking in fear. “What happens if they kill us?”
“Don’t worry,” Kumar comforted his son, despite his worry. “They would never be able to kill us.”
In 1972, the university admission criteria were changed to benefit the Sinhalese. Many of the Tamils complained about the policy, saying that it was discriminating against them. Kumar was worried about the country, fearing that one day, it would descend into chaos.
In 1976, the Tamil United Liberation Front was formed, contesting for an independent Tamil state. Kumar did not join the party, still believing in a united Sri Lanka. At the same time, an organization known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was formed. The organization used violence to try to convince the government to give them a separate state. Kumar was horrified, shocked that his race would even think about using violence.
“Look out!” Kumar’s wife, Fatima shouted.
“Huh? What?” Kumar woke from his trance, dazed.
A bottle was hurtling towards Kumar. He narrowly dodged the bottle. Left and right, Sinhalese were throwing anything they could find at the Tamils. The family decided that escaping overseas was the best choice, as they had family there. They tried to run to a friend's house, but there were people blocking the way. When they finally reached a safehouse, Kumar contacted his friend to meet his family the next morning.
That morning just when Kumar woke up, a loud banging was heard from the door. When he opened the door, a mob of Sinhalese was waiting for him. Kumar sighed, resigned to his fate, and knelt before them, getting ready for his 'reward'...
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Narrative Draft 2
Citizens were fighting each other. Innocent people were killed. Many people lay dead on the street. Kumar and his family were running for their lives. Kumar thought back to the time when there was a peaceful Sri Lanka…
When Kumar was young, the country was peaceful with no conflicts. There was almost no violence and the people usually got along well. Kumar was part of a family of English-educated Tamils who were very talented in their field of work. They were merchants who owned a shop at Colombo. However, it was not to last.
After the British left, the new government, made up of mostly Sinhalese, enacted a policy which stated that whoever was born in Sri Lanka would be able to apply for citizenship. The act did not affect Kumar’s family, who were born in Sri Lanka, but it affected some of his friends’ parents, who emigrated from India. Kumar heard complaints from some of the Tamils when he was walking to school.
“The act is just an excuse for the Sinhalese to chase away most of us!” One Tamil shouted, angry with the government.
Most of the others agreed. Kumar noticed something in his race. That feeling would cause violence between his race and the Sinhalese. That feeling was resentment.
In 1950, the government decided to resettle the Sinhalese peasants. They were transferred from the south-western and central areas to the northern and eastern areas, where Kumar and his family were living. Kumar, then 28, was unhappy with the decision. Many Tamils complained about the policy. Kumar also complained about it, although he was still living in Colombo.
In 1956, the government declared that henceforth, Sinhala would be the only official language of Sri Lanka. Many Tamils complained about the policy and wanted Tamil to also be an official language. Kumar and his family had to resign from their jobs since they did not speak Sinhala. Kumar decided to join the protest against the act. Unfortunately, when the police forces broke up the demonstration, the peaceful protest turned into a riot. Kumar had to flee for his life, or else the police would beat him to death. Eventually, Tamil was declared an official language. Kumar, however, was still worried that his country would fall due to racial riots.
“I’m scared,” Kumar’s son, Muthu, said to him that night. “What happens if they kill us?”
“Don’t worry,” Kumar comforted his son, despite his worry. “They would never be able to kill us.”
In 1972, the university admission criteria were changed to benefit the Sinhalese. Many of the Tamils complained about the policy, saying that it was discriminating against them. Kumar was worried about the country, fearing that one day, it would descend into chaos.
In 1976, the Tamil United Liberation Front was formed, contesting for an independent Tamil state. Kumar did not join the party, still believing in a united Sri Lanka. At the same time, an organization known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was formed. The organization used violence to try to convince the government to give them a separate state. Kumar was horrified, shocked that his race would even think about using violence.
“Look out!” Kumar’s wife, Fatima shouted.
“Huh? What?” Kumar woke from his trance, dazed.
A bottle was hurtling towards Kumar. He narrowly dodged the bottle. Left and right, Sinhalese were throwing anything they could find at the Tamils. The family decided that escaping overseas was the best choice, as they had family there. They sneaked into a friend’s house, asked him for help, and were brought to the airport. Then they got their airline tickets and fled to India.
When Kumar was young, the country was peaceful with no conflicts. There was almost no violence and the people usually got along well. Kumar was part of a family of English-educated Tamils who were very talented in their field of work. They were merchants who owned a shop at Colombo. However, it was not to last.
After the British left, the new government, made up of mostly Sinhalese, enacted a policy which stated that whoever was born in Sri Lanka would be able to apply for citizenship. The act did not affect Kumar’s family, who were born in Sri Lanka, but it affected some of his friends’ parents, who emigrated from India. Kumar heard complaints from some of the Tamils when he was walking to school.
“The act is just an excuse for the Sinhalese to chase away most of us!” One Tamil shouted, angry with the government.
Most of the others agreed. Kumar noticed something in his race. That feeling would cause violence between his race and the Sinhalese. That feeling was resentment.
In 1950, the government decided to resettle the Sinhalese peasants. They were transferred from the south-western and central areas to the northern and eastern areas, where Kumar and his family were living. Kumar, then 28, was unhappy with the decision. Many Tamils complained about the policy. Kumar also complained about it, although he was still living in Colombo.
In 1956, the government declared that henceforth, Sinhala would be the only official language of Sri Lanka. Many Tamils complained about the policy and wanted Tamil to also be an official language. Kumar and his family had to resign from their jobs since they did not speak Sinhala. Kumar decided to join the protest against the act. Unfortunately, when the police forces broke up the demonstration, the peaceful protest turned into a riot. Kumar had to flee for his life, or else the police would beat him to death. Eventually, Tamil was declared an official language. Kumar, however, was still worried that his country would fall due to racial riots.
“I’m scared,” Kumar’s son, Muthu, said to him that night. “What happens if they kill us?”
“Don’t worry,” Kumar comforted his son, despite his worry. “They would never be able to kill us.”
In 1972, the university admission criteria were changed to benefit the Sinhalese. Many of the Tamils complained about the policy, saying that it was discriminating against them. Kumar was worried about the country, fearing that one day, it would descend into chaos.
In 1976, the Tamil United Liberation Front was formed, contesting for an independent Tamil state. Kumar did not join the party, still believing in a united Sri Lanka. At the same time, an organization known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was formed. The organization used violence to try to convince the government to give them a separate state. Kumar was horrified, shocked that his race would even think about using violence.
“Look out!” Kumar’s wife, Fatima shouted.
“Huh? What?” Kumar woke from his trance, dazed.
A bottle was hurtling towards Kumar. He narrowly dodged the bottle. Left and right, Sinhalese were throwing anything they could find at the Tamils. The family decided that escaping overseas was the best choice, as they had family there. They sneaked into a friend’s house, asked him for help, and were brought to the airport. Then they got their airline tickets and fled to India.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Draft 1 Narrative
When Kumar was young, the country was peaceful with no conflicts. There was almost no violence and the people usually got along well. Kumar was part of a family of English-educated Tamils who were very talented in their field of work. They were merchants who owned a shop at Colombo. However, it was not to last.
After the British left, the new government, made up of mostly Sinhalese, enacted a policy which stated that whoever was born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers were born in Sri Lanka could apply for citizenship. The act did not after Kumar’s family, who were descended from Sri Lankan Tamils, but it affected some of his friends’ parents, who emigrated from India. Kumar heard complaints from some of the Tamils when he was walking to school.
“The act is just an excuse for the Sinhalese to chase away some of us!” One Tamil shouted, angry with the government.
Most of the others agreed. However, there was still no violence. Kumar did notice something in his race. That feeling would cause violence between his race and the Sinhalese. That feeling was resentment.
In 1950, the government decided to resettle the Sinhalese peasants. They were transferred from the south-western and central areas to the northern and eastern areas, where Kumar and his family were living. Kumar, then 28, was unhappy with the decision. Many Tamils complained about the policy, saying that they had been forced out of their homes by the Sri Lankan Army, which was made up of mostly Sinhalese. Kumar also complained about it, although he was still living in Colombo.
In 1956, the government declared that henceforth, Sinhala would be the only official language of Sri Lanka. Many Tamils complained about the policy and wanted Tamil to also be an official language. Kumar and his family had to resign from their jobs since they had to either learn Sinhala in three years or be forced to resign. Kumar decided to join the protest against the act. Unfortunately, when the police forces broke up the demonstration, the peaceful protest turned into a riot. Kumar had to flee for his life, or else the police would beat him to death. Eventually, Tamil was declared an official language. Kumar, however, was still worried that his country would fall due to racial riots.
“I’m scared,” Kumar’s son, Muthu , said to him that night. “What happens if they kill us?”
“Don’t worry,” Kumar comforted his son, despite his worry. “They would never be able to kill us.”
In 1972, the university admission criteria were changed to benefit the Sinhalese at the cost of less Tamils being admitted into university. Many of the Tamils complained about the government, saying that they were discriminating against them. Kumar was worried about the country, fearing that one day, it would descend into chaos.
In 1976, the Tamil United Liberation Front was formed, contesting for an independent Tamil state. Kumar did not join the party, still believing in a united Sri Lanka. At the same time, an organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was formed. The organisation used violence to try to convince the government to give them a separate state. Kumar was horrified, shocked that his race would even think about using violence.
In July 1983, Kumar and his family were going to their relatives’ house, when chaos erupted. Sinhalese and Tamil were fighting against each other. Kumar and his family had to cut short their trip in order to help the injured. Unfortunately, before that could happen, some Sinhalese start to attack them. The family ran away, looking for a place to hide. Luckily, a Sinhalese friend took pity on them and hid them inside his house. After the riot, the family decided to run away to India, where they had friends to help them.
After the British left, the new government, made up of mostly Sinhalese, enacted a policy which stated that whoever was born in Sri Lanka or whose forefathers were born in Sri Lanka could apply for citizenship. The act did not after Kumar’s family, who were descended from Sri Lankan Tamils, but it affected some of his friends’ parents, who emigrated from India. Kumar heard complaints from some of the Tamils when he was walking to school.
“The act is just an excuse for the Sinhalese to chase away some of us!” One Tamil shouted, angry with the government.
Most of the others agreed. However, there was still no violence. Kumar did notice something in his race. That feeling would cause violence between his race and the Sinhalese. That feeling was resentment.
In 1950, the government decided to resettle the Sinhalese peasants. They were transferred from the south-western and central areas to the northern and eastern areas, where Kumar and his family were living. Kumar, then 28, was unhappy with the decision. Many Tamils complained about the policy, saying that they had been forced out of their homes by the Sri Lankan Army, which was made up of mostly Sinhalese. Kumar also complained about it, although he was still living in Colombo.
In 1956, the government declared that henceforth, Sinhala would be the only official language of Sri Lanka. Many Tamils complained about the policy and wanted Tamil to also be an official language. Kumar and his family had to resign from their jobs since they had to either learn Sinhala in three years or be forced to resign. Kumar decided to join the protest against the act. Unfortunately, when the police forces broke up the demonstration, the peaceful protest turned into a riot. Kumar had to flee for his life, or else the police would beat him to death. Eventually, Tamil was declared an official language. Kumar, however, was still worried that his country would fall due to racial riots.
“I’m scared,” Kumar’s son, Muthu , said to him that night. “What happens if they kill us?”
“Don’t worry,” Kumar comforted his son, despite his worry. “They would never be able to kill us.”
In 1972, the university admission criteria were changed to benefit the Sinhalese at the cost of less Tamils being admitted into university. Many of the Tamils complained about the government, saying that they were discriminating against them. Kumar was worried about the country, fearing that one day, it would descend into chaos.
In 1976, the Tamil United Liberation Front was formed, contesting for an independent Tamil state. Kumar did not join the party, still believing in a united Sri Lanka. At the same time, an organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was formed. The organisation used violence to try to convince the government to give them a separate state. Kumar was horrified, shocked that his race would even think about using violence.
In July 1983, Kumar and his family were going to their relatives’ house, when chaos erupted. Sinhalese and Tamil were fighting against each other. Kumar and his family had to cut short their trip in order to help the injured. Unfortunately, before that could happen, some Sinhalese start to attack them. The family ran away, looking for a place to hide. Luckily, a Sinhalese friend took pity on them and hid them inside his house. After the riot, the family decided to run away to India, where they had friends to help them.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
My dream job
My hobby is playing computer games. I usually play games on Saturday and Sunday. I like to solve problems because some of them are interesting. I also like to eat rice and noodles.I dislike people who irritate me and annoying sounds.
My school life is normal and I usually have good grades in my studies. I play the bass clarinet in band and I have some friends in school. I usually do my homework at home. My home life is normal with my mother working.
My dream is to be a chemist. I want to be a chemist because it is a very interesting job and I could help the world by discovering useful compounds. A chemist is a scientist trained in chemistry. Chemists study the composition of an substance and its properties. You must get at least a Diploma in Chemistry before you can get the job
I would experiment with chemicals and write essays on my research. I would also try to discover useful compounds that might help the world. I like to solve problems and help others. I also like to work in a team. A chemist can produce medicine for curing diseases and organic compounds for use as plastics and fuel. I hope that, one day, I will get the job.
My school life is normal and I usually have good grades in my studies. I play the bass clarinet in band and I have some friends in school. I usually do my homework at home. My home life is normal with my mother working.
My dream is to be a chemist. I want to be a chemist because it is a very interesting job and I could help the world by discovering useful compounds. A chemist is a scientist trained in chemistry. Chemists study the composition of an substance and its properties. You must get at least a Diploma in Chemistry before you can get the job
I would experiment with chemicals and write essays on my research. I would also try to discover useful compounds that might help the world. I like to solve problems and help others. I also like to work in a team. A chemist can produce medicine for curing diseases and organic compounds for use as plastics and fuel. I hope that, one day, I will get the job.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
How I spent my Chinese New Year 2009
I look forward to Chinese New Year every year because of the "hong bao" money. My teacher says it is not right because it is not the meaning of Chinese New Year. The true meaning of Chinese New Year is to celebrate the New Year of the Chinese calendar. We usually celebrate it with our families during the two days in Chinese New Year.
We visit our relatives each Chinese New Year. This year, we visited my aunt's house, my father's house, and my mother's boss' house. I was lucky to have a family as some people are suffering because they have no family. Usually, I play with my cousins during Chinese New Year. We ate dinner at my relatives' home in both days. I usually receive "hong baos" from my relatives, my parents and my mother's boss.
One of the most interesting things we have done is "Lo Hei". "Lo Hei" is tossing the "yu sheng", which is a kind of fish salad. We usually put in the ingredients on the "yu sheng", then toss it high in the air with our friends and families while saying "jixiang hua", which means auspicious wishes. The higher we toss, the greater our fortunes.
To me, kinship means a relationship with family members. It is very important to maintain a relationship with our parents, siblings and relatives. We should celebrate our holidays with our family as we may not be able to spend more time with each other. Celebrating our holidays with our families is usually better than with friends as it is important to maintain relationships with our families.
Therefore, we should celebrate Chinese New Year as we must spend time with our relatives once a year. We should also make Chinese New Year a joyous occasion for all. In conclusion, Chinese New Year is not just a way of making money. It is a holiday for families to bond together.
We visit our relatives each Chinese New Year. This year, we visited my aunt's house, my father's house, and my mother's boss' house. I was lucky to have a family as some people are suffering because they have no family. Usually, I play with my cousins during Chinese New Year. We ate dinner at my relatives' home in both days. I usually receive "hong baos" from my relatives, my parents and my mother's boss.
One of the most interesting things we have done is "Lo Hei". "Lo Hei" is tossing the "yu sheng", which is a kind of fish salad. We usually put in the ingredients on the "yu sheng", then toss it high in the air with our friends and families while saying "jixiang hua", which means auspicious wishes. The higher we toss, the greater our fortunes.
To me, kinship means a relationship with family members. It is very important to maintain a relationship with our parents, siblings and relatives. We should celebrate our holidays with our family as we may not be able to spend more time with each other. Celebrating our holidays with our families is usually better than with friends as it is important to maintain relationships with our families.
Therefore, we should celebrate Chinese New Year as we must spend time with our relatives once a year. We should also make Chinese New Year a joyous occasion for all. In conclusion, Chinese New Year is not just a way of making money. It is a holiday for families to bond together.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I can make a difference in energy conservation
I learnt about energy conservation from Primary School. It mean consuming less energy for use. Now, I will tell you about what I have learnt.
Energy is produced by fossil fuels like methane, oil & coal. If the fossil fuels are used up, there would be no sure or cheap way to operate our appliances. Ther are many alternate ways of making electricity, but it involves huge amounts of money, which in turn is costly for people and inefficent.
Electricity is consumed in four ways : transportation, industrial, commercial and residential. The industrial sector consumes the most energy while the residential sector consumes the least energy. However, we must still conserve energy as we may face an energy crisis in the coming future and as Singapore has no natural resources, we should also take that into heart.
How efficient are we in conserving energy? Although most of us are saving electricity, some of us are still unaware of what is energy conservation. Therefore, we should introduce to them what is energy conservation and how can they participate in energy saving.
I can help in energy saving by using energy-saving light bulbs and turning off lights whenever they are not in use. I could also help to promote energy saving in our school by putting up attractive posters.
I suggest that we should focus more on saving energy and using alternate resources of energy. That way, not only will the world not run out of energy, the use of fossil fuels will be prolonged.
Energy is produced by fossil fuels like methane, oil & coal. If the fossil fuels are used up, there would be no sure or cheap way to operate our appliances. Ther are many alternate ways of making electricity, but it involves huge amounts of money, which in turn is costly for people and inefficent.
Electricity is consumed in four ways : transportation, industrial, commercial and residential. The industrial sector consumes the most energy while the residential sector consumes the least energy. However, we must still conserve energy as we may face an energy crisis in the coming future and as Singapore has no natural resources, we should also take that into heart.
How efficient are we in conserving energy? Although most of us are saving electricity, some of us are still unaware of what is energy conservation. Therefore, we should introduce to them what is energy conservation and how can they participate in energy saving.
I can help in energy saving by using energy-saving light bulbs and turning off lights whenever they are not in use. I could also help to promote energy saving in our school by putting up attractive posters.
I suggest that we should focus more on saving energy and using alternate resources of energy. That way, not only will the world not run out of energy, the use of fossil fuels will be prolonged.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Confessions of a kakorrhaphiophobic
Do you ever have kakorrhaphiophoia, which is fear of failure? I do and this is why.......
I failed anyway, but I never recovered from it. I was so scarred that when I went home, I hid myself in my bed, shivering over my grades. I feared the reaction from my parents. They were angry and punished me.
Now that I looked back, it was stupid of me to fear failure. I should have gotten over my fear for years now, but I am, admittedly, still afraid of failure
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