Theodore's Blog :)

Sandy My Golden Retriver

2009-01-28T20:44:00.013+08:00

Well, its been 3 months since being surprised by my parents while I was having tuition on a Saturday afternoon. Well, since moving to a bigger house in October, we were contemplating buying a dog. My sister was really all for the idea. Me? I wasn't that sure that I was ready for such a huge responsibility. We went to a few dog shops, but none of the dog really caught our eye. I was told by my mother that when they were choosing a dog in the shop, when I was not there, there was this cute but not so little Golden Retriver, she was on her hind leg, tongue flapping all over the place, and pawing as them, as if to say: Bring me home! Bring me home! And so they did. The past months have been hectic since juggling school and CCA for my sister and I and work for my parents. But no matter what , we ensure that Sandy is well taken care of, and well groomed. It was filled with ups and downs, the main problem being her discipline, and toilet training. Well, I am now proud to day, that my sister and I have conqured that obstacle, except for maybe when accidents happen! Well here is an email my mother sent me about dogs.

She writes:

Dear son

If a dog were your teacher
These are some of the lessons you might learn...

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your
face
to be pure ecstasy

When it's in your best interest
practice obedience
Let others know when they've invaded your territory
Take naps and stretch before rising
Run romp and play daily

Thrive on attention and let people touch you
Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do
On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass
On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady
tree
When you're happy dance around and wag your entire
body

No matter how often you're scolded
don't buy into the guilt thing and pout
run right back and make friends

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm
Stop when you have had enough
Be loyal
Never pretend to be something you're not

If what you want lies buried
dig until you find it
When someone is having a bad day
be silent .....
...sit close by.

...and nuzzle them gently.


I Love You Son

Also, here is a video my sister and I made , with pictures of Sandy:

The Great Australian Heat Wave

2009-01-28T20:00:00.005+08:00

In Mebourne, Australia, emergency services went on high alert in southeast Australia on Wednesday as the region's worst heatwave in a century sent temperatures soaring and residents scurrying for cover.

Authorities warned elderly, sick and infant residents of the states of Victoria and South Australia to stay home and keep cool as the mercury was tipped to hit 44 degrees Celsius (112 Fahrenheit), raising the spectre of heatstroke and wildfires.

The heatwave in Victoria, which was expected to last several days and be the region's worst since 1908, raised fears of heat-related deaths and wildfires following years of drought, authorities said.

In Australia heat wave is a real risk. In Australia during the 20th Century, heat waves caused more deaths than any other natural hazard except disease, yet remains one of the least-studied and most underrated hazards.

Wow thank God that there are no such heatwaves in Singapore! The weather may be hot on some days, but at least we don't have such severe heatwaves, and droughts

Inauguration of President Obama

2009-01-28T17:32:00.006+08:00

Wow! Can you believe it? It's already week 3 of term 1! Sigh. How time flies. Well, today is a day surely to be retold to many worldwide in years to come!

Today, Mr Barack Obama took the Oath of Office, as the 44th President of the United States. He was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts during the inauguration ceremony in Washington. In his much-waited inauguration speech, he called on Americans to choose I quote :

"Hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord"

Wow what a profound statement! Basically, what Obama, or rather President Obama is trying to say it this: We should keep our hope, to drive out the fear, and unite in this time of crisis instead of fight and sow discord among one another!

After turning a new page in the U.S history, by becoming the first African-American President, all eyes are now on how exactly he would lead a superpower weary of war and recession. The answer he gave was this:

"Bold and swift action on the economic front, decisive steps to restore America's standing in a world disillusioned with its power and a call to a new era of American responsibility."

Amazing. This is truly a display of moral courage, as so say that he (President Obama) will be "bold and swift" to take decisive actions, to usher in a new era of American responsibility.

-All quotes were taken from the 21 January edition of the Straits Times

Primary School Education System

2009-01-28T16:58:00.008+08:00

An ambitious overhaul is being planned for primary education, to nurture pupils who love learning, are exposed to a wide variety of experiences and equipped with the skills to tackle life's challenges.

Changes recommended by a panel tasked to review the system include doing away with semestral assessments for Primary 1 and 2 pupils.

At a press conference last Friday to release the Primary Education Review preliminary report, Senior Minister of State for Education Grace Fu laid out her committee's key recommendations, which will cost about $4.5 billion to implement over 10 years. I quote:

'We believe that by giving children the opportunity to be exposed to learn new skills, it will shape their character. They will become more confident and resilient, and better learners at the end of the education system.'

How could this affect us in the near future? It would mean that we would have artistic yet smart, students coming out of primary school, and entering better secondary schools. This in turn will increase the demands of the "higher class" secondary school such as Victoria School, to take in smarter and smarter students. It will come a point whereby the school will be forced to deny hundreds of students who are trying to apply, and yet were rejected. Does this mean a younger, smarter population? You can decide for yourself!

Lunar New Year!

2009-01-28T16:45:00.005+08:00

Whooh, the Lunar New Year is finally here. Time to collect ang paos , and sweet and tasty Chinese New goodies! On Sunday, my father's sister family came over, together with my paternal grandfather. My family is a considerably small one, my father only having 1 sibling, and my mother only having 2. I can say for sure, that I'm closer to my mother's side cousins. Well, back to Sunday. After an awkward silence, we decided to sit down to start having dinner. Dinner consisted of steamboat, full of meat, fish and other boiled food. Other than that, we had abalone, which I have no idea why, but people like to eat. I take one bite of it and go , tastes like flavourless gum. My dad was like, then don't eat it! We also had shark's fin soup, which was made specially by my father. Later , we sat down as a family, and played with my dog, Sandy, a 6 month-old Golden Retriver! My cousins don't really like dogs... We watch Rush Hour 2, and after about an hour of just chatting with my cousins, 17, and 21, they decided that it was late, and then left after a brief goodbye. Here Are Some Pictures