Do you give up your seat to the elderly?

If your answer is 'no', then I guess it's time to do so. Inconsiderate commuters, beware!

Distance Fares: Do you benefit?

I think I'm getting all the days of the week mixed up, but it doesn't matter. Just ignore the "unday" in the banner above. Only recently, in fact just three days ago on Saturday, the Land Transport Authority rolled out the Distance Fares scheme as an improvement to the current system.

The Passion to Teach

Miss Tong popped in during Current Affairs to give us our weekend homework and packets of jellybeans each for Youth Day. Everyone was elated and we ate the jellybeans in class, fighting for the extra packets and sharing them with classmates.

It reminded me of the past, when the occasion we looked forward to most wasn't Youth Day, but Children's Day.
I fondly remember how we always remarked,
"Miss Lee is a good teacher because she gives us lollipops!"
"Mr Tan is a good teacher because he gives us stickers!"
Small incentives like these were necessary for a teacher to get into the good books of a student.

When the occasion we dreaded coming wasn't SA2, but PSLE, and homework quickly piled up, the remarks changed to,
"Miss Lim is a good teacher because she doesn't give homework!"
No longer did we hanker after sweets and stickers and stamps. Instead, homework was a bigger deal.

But as we head on to the next stop of our education, we grow and mature.
Now, a good teacher is a teacher that really cares.
Really concerns. Really teaches. Really understands.
Really communicates. Really learns.
Really lives with the passion to teach.

Very few teachers meet the requirements today.
I would like to acknowledge that Mrs Teo Chin Chew was a great teacher.

Truer than true

What is your definition of a true friend?

Joel says it would be someone who really understands you. He also says that he is not very sure.
Denzyl says it would be someone who sticks by you even when he might face consequences too. He also says that they who won't forsake you for any other reasons.
Yihan says it would be someone whom he can lend money to and not expect it to be returned.

Clarissa says it would be someone that is always there for you no matter what happens, good or bad.
Sean says it would be someone who will stick with you through whatever, will be there for you to cheer you up when you're sad and just care for you.
Hui Jia says it would be someone whom you can say anything to them and act like a retard in front of them without any worry. She also says that it they can tell whether you're upset, even through the Internet.

I am very honoured to have Trevor's opinions on this.

"Oh... A true friend is there who shows the adequate amount of concern every day...
A true friend is someone who speaks to you, whether or not reasonable talk or unreasonable talk, whether or not crap talk or true, real heart to heart talk, whether or not a rush-out talk or calm and cool talk...
A true friend is someone who remembers you everytime he goes overseas and gets you a souvenir, whether or not it costs a few bucks or a few hundred bucks...
A true friend is someone whom you never get tired of meeting, and both of you do not have any envy for each other for you two are equal in both minds.
A true friend is someone whom you will choose to consistently keep in touch with, although you two have broke towards both different institutions."

The definition of a true friend is subjective.

A true friend? Not easy to come by.
I'm fortunate to have found him.

A friend, truer than true? One in a million.
I haven't met mine yet.

But when I do, I will definitely treasure him.

Expectations

A friend in need is a friend indeed.
But the friend I know has become a friend I knew.
And he was a friend indeed.

Why?
Why go?
Why go away?
It might have been better if you could stay.

Parents. Society. Life.
Expectations.
Worry. Worry of reaching expectations.
Worry of being not up to standards.

With the high standards of living comes high costs.
And you had to move away. To another foreign land.

It's always nice when a stranger becomes a friend.
But not the other way round.

How much I wish that I could be with you in Australia.
But expectations.
And even more expectations.
I'll have to stay.

I no longer know your heart.
But you will always be in mine.

The basket

Grandfather was old and seriously ill.
The medical expenses totaled up to an extravagant amount.
Dad decided that there was no longer any use keeping Grandfather in the house as his condition has not improve much since he started treatment.
He was no help to the family, in fact even a burden.

One fine day, Dad put Grandfather into a basket and headed for the forests to feed him to the wolves.
Just as he was about to leave, his son called out from in the house.

"Dad, after feeding Grandfather to the wolves, can you bring the basket back?"
"What for?" Dad replied irritably.
"So that when you're old, I can feed you to the wolves."

Just in case

This is the last book review for the mid-year break and this time, it's on a Monday. This is "Just in Case" by Meg Rosoff.