What I am expecting from the BPL

            Football is something that not everyone loves, but is sometimes all that is worth living for, for some of those who do like it. I am a football fan and the Barclays Premier League has just started and as a fan of one of the league’s bigger clubs, Liverpool FC, I am very exited for the season. For once I am quite optimistic of Liverpool’s chances of challenging for the league title this season. Liverpool have bought many new players for quite a big sum of money in total, almost totaling 100 million pounds. I am particularly exited to see Christan Benteke and Roberto Firmino playing for Liverpool this season.

         











           
         After seeing Liverpool play a few games this season already, I am optimistic this season because I can see glimpses of the old Liverpool, that played good fun attacking football which instilled fear in the hearts of other teams. I think Benteke can form a formidable partnership with Liverpool’s other striker, Daniel Sturridge. 

          As a Liverpool fan I am not always celebrating when Liverpool play. This was never more obvious then last season when Liverpool played horribly. I could not wait for it to end so that I could look forward to the future, because we couldn’t fall much further. Even with many star players leaving the club, I think Liverpool have replaced them sufficiently. Fan favourite Steven Gerrard has left to go to Los Angeles. He was one of the best players I had ever seen play and it  will be strange to see him play anywhere else because he had played for Liverpool for 17 years! He is a true legend and will be missed.

            One player that won’t really be missed is Raheem Sterling, who left Liverpool because he wanted more money. I am very glad I do not have to see his face as much anymore because I feel like punching him very badly.

            I honestly think this is Liverpool’s season to actually start challenging for the top spots once again and I will be supporting them all the way.

SPM 2009 Literature question - Difficult Decision Made by a Character

In the novel that I have read, “Step by Wicked Step” by Anne Fine, there were a few difficult decisions that have been made by the characters of the story. Out of all the difficult decisions that have been made, I have decided to write about the decision for Richard to run away of home as it is unique and special, and of course of I disapprove of his actions to take flight from hardship and proper education that was given to him from his step dad, Reverend Coldstone.

            One of the reasons why I think I think it was a bad decision for him to run away from home is because it took a toll for his mother, Lilith's life. As stated in page 27 of the book, on the second paragraph, Richard's mom used most of her fortune to look for him, and that Reverend Coldstone was opposing the idea of using her money in such a fashion as it was only a waste of money, as quoted in the book, “Lilith! Waste more money of your dwindling fortune on this folly and I will make you pay for it twice over!” With no one to turn to and without knowing which side to lean on, she soon passed away from too much stress gathered from Reverend Coldstone for being too strict and Richard for being childish and naive. This is one of the reasons why I think Richard's decision to run away from home is a bad decision.

            Another reason why I think it was a bad choice for him to run away and not face the challenges ahead of him is because he also caused the death of his step dad, Reverend Coldstone. As stated in page 27 of the book, in the letter that Charlotte, Richard's sister, wrote to Richard, Reverend Coldstone was clinging on to their mother so that he could obtain the large amount of wealth that their biological father owned. He persuaded Richard's mother to not spend all the money on Richard so that he could keep the rest for himself. As it turns out, he wasn't even entitled to receive the family inheritance and that only Richard can claim the large amount of cash. After realising that, he got filled with so much wrath and anger, he passed away, as stated in the book, on page 27, on the first paragraph, “My mother died of heartbreak, my stepfather of fury when he realised that no trick of his could keep the house from me.” Therefore, I think that Richard running away from home is a bad choice.

            The last reason why I think that it was a bad decision for Richard to escape from his mother and stepfather is because his decision even ended up killing his own beloved sister, Charlotte. As stated in page 28, first paragraph, “And so, last year, upon my sixteenth birthday, I married Charles Devere. I do not love him as I know as I know I should, and he cannot make me happy. But he is prosperous, and he has promised to keep up the search,” she married Charles Devere so that she could use his money to look for Richard. Riddle and Flook, his solicitors, also put up notices in papers inquiring Richard's disappearance and humongous wealth. In the end, she died after she got a fever from childbirth from such a young age, as quoted from the book in the second paragraph, “But if I die in fever of childbirth, as so many do, then Charles will send this letter to our old home, to tell you why you return to cold, cold silence.” Again, this made me think that Richard running away from home is a bad idea.

            In conclusion, Richard should have faced his challenges instead of running away with his tail between his legs. He should confront his step father head on, using any way possible. Either listen to him and act as he is told, or just beat the living hell out of him. If he actually concentrated on his studies and thought about his decisions in a more mature way, his mother wouldn't then have to spend most of her money into searching for him, and his sister wouldn't have to marry someone for the purpose of obtaining wealth instead of marrying someone out of pure love.

After SPM?

I know this is quite a bit into the future, but what are we going to do after SPM? I know most people are going straight to college or university, but what about everyone else. Some people don’t even know what they are going to study in the future. There are many things I would love to do once SPM is done.

            One thing I will be doing is catching up on television and movies. I have a long list of stuff that will have to be watched by me eventually. I cannot wait to catch up on shows like Sherlock and start watching shows like Breaking Bad and Daredevil. There are also many exiting movies coming out around SPM that I might not get to watch, so I will have to catch up on those and also have movies that have come out after SPM as well.

            Besides movies and TV, I could always try and get some money by getting a job. Getting a job would not only get me more money to watch all those movies, but it would get me some work experience which will be very important in the future. If you are very sure of what you want to do career-wise, an internship is something you could try and get. It would be very hard to get one without a degree, but not impossible.

            People always say that the time period in between SPM and the start of college is a waste of time. Well, I don’t think so. I think there is no such thing as a waste of time if you know what to do with it.

Causes of Stress in Teenagers

          

In today’s society, teenagers go through a lot of stress. In my opinion, some teenagers today have even more stress than the generations before. I feel this way because even though the expectations are still the same, there is less room to fail as there is much more competition for places in college and work place. We are expected to succeed academically and athletically and this could be too much for some people. The stress that teenagers face can be attributed to a few factors, which we will be looking at today.

         

One of those factors is problems among the family. In many cases, a divorce will hurt the children more than the parents. They might think they are the root of the problems the parents are facing which could lead to depression and a feeling of being unwanted. These deep-seeded problems will affect the children’s personal life and schooling. The child will not be able to pay attention to their lessons which will directly affect their academic future.

Besides that, the academic performances of one’s predecessor or the high levels expected of a teenager are underlining causes of stress among teens. Even if you are incredibly bright and talented in your own right, you could still pale in comparison to your siblings, cousins or even friends in the eyes of everyone else. This need to not be referred to as the dimmest bulb in the room is eating away at some teenagers now a days. This could also implant the feeling that you are never good enough if you are always being compared to others.

Finally, stress among teenagers can be sourced back to financial difficulties. It is undeniable that the world is cruel at times. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting the shorter end of the stick. A teenager who is not very financially well off may feel it is their responsibility to do well, not only for themselves, but for their parents and in some cases, their younger siblings and extended family. People like this, generally work really hard and deserve the rewards they get. There are a few that cannot cope with the stress. The undeniable pressure to succeed because if they fail, they are taking their whole family down with them must get to them.

In conclusion, everyone goes through stress, some more than others, but everyone will experience it. The important thing is to handle the stress head on and overcome it as well as we can. 

Movie Review - Kingsman: The Secret Service

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

          Another movie review? Yes, because nothing interesting happens in my life and all I do is watch movies. So, Kingsman was amazing. There are no other words to describe it. It is such a fun movie with some great action, comedy and some stellar acting. Leading the all-star cast is Colin Firth, who very uncharacteristically in this movie is a total bad-ass! Colin Firth did not feel out of place in this movie at all. He can now kick it with even the biggest action heroes.

         

Other than Colin Firth, Samuel Jackson provided a sinister yet hilarious villain. He is the only villain I have ever heard with a lisp, and yet was still awesome. His hench woman was a woman with blades for legs. I will repeat myself, A LADY WITH BLADES FOR LEGS! She has now reached the highest level of bad-ass as well. Joel Edgerton, the main actor of the movie also did really well. It was the first time I have seen him, but I hope not the last. The whole movie was over the top and very much like a comic book, which is great because it is based on a comic book by the same name.

         

Even with the farfetched plot that by the climax gets incredibly ridiculous, the movie never seemed too unbelievable that I thought it was stupid. When I heard about this movie in the beginning, I was very skeptical. I thought it would try and be too serious and resemble James Bond as much as possible. Luckily, that is not the case for this movie. I do hope Kingsman eventually becomes a multi-film franchise because it is one of the most original movies I have seen in quite a while.

What else can I say but watch this movie, which is by far the best movie of the year so far. If you still need convincing however, here is the trailer for the movie.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH CNY & VALENTINE’S DAY

WHAT’S WRONG WITH CNY & VALENTINE’S DAY

        I am not sure how to approach this question as neither of these holidays really apply to me. I am and have always been single, so I don’t care for Valentine’s Day at all and I don’t celebrate Chinese New Year (because I am not Chinese).

         

            I guess I will start with Valentine’s Day. It is the epitome of love and affection, for one day. From all I know and have heard of, couples do everything they can to prove their love for each other until the day is over and then just wait until one of their birthdays to do anything nice again. I always felt Valentine’s Day was a way for Chocolate and Flower shops to make some more money. It is entirely a corporate sell-out. I can only imagine St. Valentine himself looking over us shaking his head thinking “what is wrong with these idiots?”.

        

            I know not everyone is like this but, the majority is. Why not do small gestures everyday instead of big gestures on a day where everything is overpriced?

        

            As I said, Chinese New Year really isn’t my forte. Every Chinese New Year, I go on holiday with my family and get about RM20 of ang-pau from my neighbours, so, I am indifferent about the subject. The only thing I don’t like about it is the ongoing fire works every night for about two weeks. My dog seems to think they are the devil coming to kill her, so she barks the night away, which is very fun for everyone.

          

           All in all, Valentine’s Day isn’t my cup of tea but that doesn’t matter since I am sad and alone anyway. Chinese New Year offers a chance for some people to celebrate a new year with their family, so it can’t be that bad. Plus, I get a week off school!

Mood in Writing

MOOD

         

          What distinguishes a good writer and a bad writer? It can come down to many reasons but the most likely reason for me personally is if a writer can make me care about what is going on, and how would he or she do that? They can, by adding a distinct mood into a part of that story. All books have a general plot that takes the reader on an adventure. It is then up to the writer to make us invested in that story and want to continue on this quest. I know you are thinking, how does creating a mood make a story better?

          

            In my opinion, mood in a story is the writer’s interpretation of the situation. This mood helps us understand what the writer is trying to convey the gravity of the situation and how it affects the characters in the story. It is not very interesting to read a story that just tells you what is happening. The best part of a book is definitely how a writer makes the pain or even joy of the characters accessible to the reader. When I try to use different moods in a story, I try to imagine myself as the characters and really understand what they are going through.

          

            In conclusion, creating a suitable mood is what makes a good story in my opinion. It provides so much for the reader to further their understanding of the situation.