Title: In the lion's den
I was a fool, I know. The memory is still raw inside me, and whenever I see a lion, whether in the television, newspaper or in the Zoo, I will start shivering uncontrollably. A cold sweat will start, as I remember that fateful day...
It was a pleasant morning, the crickets creaked and the birds chirped merrily. My family and I had decided to take a day off that day, to go to the Zoo. We were all in high spirits, and everyone's face wore a happy grin. In our minds, there was room for only one thing "We are going to the Zoo!"
I imagined all the things I could do there, like feeding the elephants, riding a horse, seeing the stately emperor penguins. And best of all, seeing the king of beasts, the lion. I thought of how magnificent it looked, with its' mane of rusty gold hair. How wonderful it would be to see it!
At the Zoo, people milled around, going here, going there. I would have become hopelessly lost if it had not been for my father's strong grip on my shoulders, steering me through the crowds of tourists and visitors, to the ticket booth.
Our family bought a ticket on special offer, and then started to walk towards the enclosures where the animals were kept. My parents asked me which animal I would like to see first and I promptly answered, " The lions, please."
As we neared the lion's enclosure, I became more and more excited. Walking with a spring in my step, I plastered a grin on my face and jostled my way through the crowd to the railings that kept the lions in the enclosure.
I stood there for a while, enjoying my close view of the golden-furred lion, then everything went wrong.
First of all, I leaned over the railings, craning my neck and straining my eyes for a closer look. Suddenly, a man clad in a simple white cotton shirt and khaki pants pushed past me, causing me to lose my balance. I toppled into the enclosure.
I rolled down the slope helplessly, finally landing on solid ground with a loud thud. The first thing I saw when I looked up was the lion, who, strangely, did not look kingly any more, but menacing. I let out a strangled scream, and scrambled up the hill.
All of a sudden, I heard a menacing growl behind me, and the lions hot breath on my cheeks.. I twisted round suddenly, but my foot got caught in a small hole, probably scratched out by the lion. I yelped in agony, and felt the stabs of pain in my leg. I had twisted my ankle.
I screamed in terror, "Help! Somebody help me! Save me!"
Luckily for me, my mother had quickly alerted the zoo keepers once I had fallen in, and they had, by this time, arrived at the lions enclosure. One of them distracted the lion with succulent roast chicken, while another aimed a tranquiliser gun at the lion to make it fall asleep. When that was finished, I felt a pair of strong arms around me, carrying me out of the lions den,telling me I was okay, comforting me as I started sobbing in shock, the tears running down my face, making dark blue blotches on my light blue shirt. Then I felt my mother hugging me, pulling me close to her as she sobbed in relief. I also felt my fathers hand on my shoulder, not a steely grip this time, but a comforting one, telling me everything was alright.
I was then rushed to the hospital, and tended to my injuries. Thankfully, I was alright, apart from a twisted ankle and in a state of shock.
From that day on, I developed a phobia to lions. Whenever I saw them, I would remember the hot breath on my cheeks, the cruel, menacing eyes, the terror that struck me. However, I was grateful to the zoo keepers for saving my life, and to my mother who alerted them. I also started to be more thankful for my life, and that it was not over yet. But the memory of that day would forever be with m, like a bloddy stain on the cloth of my life. I would never forget thta fateful day.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Posting 3
Hello again. I must be boring you to bits with the stuff I wrote earlier, so this time, instead of writing about humans(which in my opinion, are very BORING!), I have decided to let you in to the wonderful world of ANIMALS. Oh, and not just any old wishy-washy boring pet animals, I am going to tell you about wild, free, interesting animals. Hang on tight!
Hedgehogs:
Hedgehogs have many sharp spines on their back.Have you ever seen what you took to be a ball of prickles? No? Yes? Well, that 'ball of prickles' was probably a... hedgehog! Yes, hedgehogs can curl themselves up into tight balls to cover up the parts of their body that is not covered by sharp spines, and thus scaring away any enemy that would, in any other case, try to eat it. Who would want to eat something that sharp? Definitely not me! If you were wondering how the hedgehog got it's spines, let me explain. When a hedgehog is born, it's spines are soft and short, but, as they get older, their spines harden and become longer and (Ouch!) sharper. The hedgehog is then able to go out into the big wide world! Hedgehogs eat snails, insects,mice,lizards, frogs, eggs, and other common garden pests. Some even go after snakes! They make good pets, and they live for about 7 years. Sadly, they love going into gardens when they hibernate during autumn. Hence, when a gardener sweeps up the fallen leaves to put in a bonfire, he or she sometimes sweeps up a slumbering hedgehog. What a painful end.
Praying mantis:
Well, time to move on. The next animal I amd going to write about is...yes, you guessed it, the amazing praying mantis! These incredible creatures hold their front legs before them, which gives people the impression that they are praying! They eat insects, spiders, frogs, lizards, and even small birds!( I know you are thinking WOW! INCREDIBLE!)When they catch their prey, they do it so fast, that you probably would not even see it happening! Praying mantis's have long green bodies, which help them blend in with their surroundings.Some even have bodies that look like leaves! Another stupendous fact about them is that they can turn their head 180 degrees. They are disgusting when they eat their prey as they eat it head first.And when they are 'married',the females sometimes chomp off the male's head! Some of the scientists think that this gives her the energy for her to lay her eggs.The baby mantis that come from the females eggs also eat their siblings! They live for about 1 year. What fascinating creatures! A chimpazee:
Hedgehogs:
Hedgehogs have many sharp spines on their back.Have you ever seen what you took to be a ball of prickles? No? Yes? Well, that 'ball of prickles' was probably a... hedgehog! Yes, hedgehogs can curl themselves up into tight balls to cover up the parts of their body that is not covered by sharp spines, and thus scaring away any enemy that would, in any other case, try to eat it. Who would want to eat something that sharp? Definitely not me! If you were wondering how the hedgehog got it's spines, let me explain. When a hedgehog is born, it's spines are soft and short, but, as they get older, their spines harden and become longer and (Ouch!) sharper. The hedgehog is then able to go out into the big wide world! Hedgehogs eat snails, insects,mice,lizards, frogs, eggs, and other common garden pests. Some even go after snakes! They make good pets, and they live for about 7 years. Sadly, they love going into gardens when they hibernate during autumn. Hence, when a gardener sweeps up the fallen leaves to put in a bonfire, he or she sometimes sweeps up a slumbering hedgehog. What a painful end.
Praying mantis:
Well, time to move on. The next animal I amd going to write about is...yes, you guessed it, the amazing praying mantis! These incredible creatures hold their front legs before them, which gives people the impression that they are praying! They eat insects, spiders, frogs, lizards, and even small birds!( I know you are thinking WOW! INCREDIBLE!)When they catch their prey, they do it so fast, that you probably would not even see it happening! Praying mantis's have long green bodies, which help them blend in with their surroundings.Some even have bodies that look like leaves! Another stupendous fact about them is that they can turn their head 180 degrees. They are disgusting when they eat their prey as they eat it head first.And when they are 'married',the females sometimes chomp off the male's head! Some of the scientists think that this gives her the energy for her to lay her eggs.The baby mantis that come from the females eggs also eat their siblings! They live for about 1 year. What fascinating creatures! A chimpazee:
The chimpanzees are found in tropical Africa and are the second most intelligent creature in the world(the first most intelligent creatures are, surprisingly, humans!) They usually walk on all fours, but they can rise and walk upright on two feet.Chimpanzees are mainly vegetarians, but the also kill and eat other animals like pigs, monkeys, baboons, antelopes, and insects. These clever animals use sticks and stoes to crack open nuts and fruit shells that are too hard for them to crack. They also have learnt the sign language for hearing-impaired people and have one of the most expressive faces of all primates! The chimpanzees live in groups which can consist of up to 120 animals! They use various sounds(like grunts) and hand signals to 'talk' to each other, cool, huh? They live to about 50 years old. I'd love to have one as a pet.
Barn owls:
Now that we have seen those amazing other animals, lets move on to another one! This time, its a bird. Not a mammal, not a insect, a bird.These winged wonders are found in every continent except Antartica.They, like most species of owls, are nocturnal, and when catching prey(mice and other small rodents), make hardly a sound in their flight. They breed in the spring, and lay from 2-6 eggs. They are able to breed when they are about 10 months old, and usually live too around one to two years of age. They have very good sense of hearing as their ears are placed asymmetrically.
Eagle:
Yet another bird I shall talk about is the eagle.These sensational birds have many amazing qualities. Their eyeball length is 35mm, which is 11mm longer than a human's eyeball. This majestic creature visual acuity is 2.0 to 3.6 better than a humans(though it depends on what kind of eagle is). They can also turn their heads backwards, and all the way upside down! They can even swim! Eagles eat dead animals, fish, rodents, ducks, rabbits, frogs, snails and snakes. The largest eagle, the Harpy eagle, also eats sloths, monkeys and parrots(shiver!)
Well, since you have read my posting, I hope you come to appreciate what wonderful creatures animals are. Bye for now...
Credits: Pictures from Google.com
Monday, February 4, 2008
Posting 2
If you look at me now, you might wonder how I looked like when I was little. Well, I can assure you it is nothing like how I look now.
I was born at the NUH hospital on the 28th July 1996, though I was almost born in the car! Thats true, my mum only went into the car to be driven to the hospital when she was sure I was going to be born very soon. My dad was driving my mum, when my mum told him to "HURRY UP!" as she knew that I was going to be born in the car if he did not step on it.(or so my parents tell me.)
When i was three days old, I was weighed, and recorded to be 3060 grams! I first walked when i was ten to eleven months old and first talked understandable words when I was around 11 months old.
When I was 4 years old, I started to attend St. James Church Kindergarten . (Thats the school that Crystal attended too!) My mum says that I was a lively little toddler that loved to read.(Well, thats one similarity between me and my baby self!) I would look at picture books and even take one to read when I had to go to the toilet!!! I was very happy that year as my baby brother was born! During my time in kindergarten, I made many friends, some who even followed me into Henry Park Primary school where I am now.
I was put into class one flexibility. The first few days there were hard as I was still feeling awkward among new people. By the time I was primary two though, I had made many good friends. I had great fun in primary two, and I really liked the teacher.At the end of the year, I won the conduct award. I remember being over the moon with joy as I walked onto the stage to collect my prize.
When I reached primary three, I met my most favourite teacher, Miss Kwok. She also managed to teach me when I was primary four. My highlight for those two years were that I won the conduct award yet again for both years.
When I was primary three, I can also remember going to New Zealand during the june holidays. There, I met my cousin, Eva, for the very first time. I can still remember how she kept blaming "Curious george" for all the bad things she did. After a few weeks in Wellington(The place where my relatives stayed), my family and I took a trip to the south island where we rented a car and drove around. The place that I remember most is lake Wanaka. There, we went "water cycling" and had HUGE ice creams. Then my dad and sister decided to go jet-skiing. I remember being in two minds whether or not to join them. Later, I decided to join them, against the reasonings of my mum and brother "It's DANGEROUS Miriam!".
It started of very fun, with the driver allowing my sister to drive at some times, at others(when the driver was driving), the driver would suddenly stop, or do a "twist".Then, the driver asked my sister if she wanted to do a "twist". She agreed and let the boat go straight for a while, before turning sharply. I was not expecting the sudden change, and bashed my left collar bone against a metal bar that you were meant to hold. I almost cried, but managed to stop by digging my thumbnail into my index finger. I then could not enjoy the ride any more. My father saw the change in my attitude, and asked me if i was okay. I said that I was fine, but I was lying.
We reached the shore, then I told my parents that i had hurt myself, and they brought me to the nearest clinic that they could find. There, I had to take off my top(EWWW!) in front of the doctor( thank god it was a female doctor!) so that she could examine my collar bone, and prod it so that I could tell her where it was painful. Later, she told me that I had fractured my collar bone. I wore a sling but that was all. I was OKAY!
When I went into primary five, I started to feel the strain of homework. However, our English teacher, Mrs Janet Ng, was able to reveal the fun of writing to me, and I then started to develop real passion for writing stories. I enjoyed Mrs Janet Ng's lessons, and thus she became one of my favourite teachers. I also managed to take part in my first skating competition, and I nabbed the fourth place. I also came first in my ballet exam, and in the SA2 English Exam, so I was feeling pretty GOOD!
Now I am in primary six, I feel the pressure of the primary school leaving Examination(PSLE)I hope to do well and enter my dream school, SCGS. This year is going to be tough, but, well, I am going to let what is going to come, come, and hope for the best, study hard, and ......remember to find time for LEISURE!
I was born at the NUH hospital on the 28th July 1996, though I was almost born in the car! Thats true, my mum only went into the car to be driven to the hospital when she was sure I was going to be born very soon. My dad was driving my mum, when my mum told him to "HURRY UP!" as she knew that I was going to be born in the car if he did not step on it.(or so my parents tell me.)
When i was three days old, I was weighed, and recorded to be 3060 grams! I first walked when i was ten to eleven months old and first talked understandable words when I was around 11 months old.
When I was 4 years old, I started to attend St. James Church Kindergarten . (Thats the school that Crystal attended too!) My mum says that I was a lively little toddler that loved to read.(Well, thats one similarity between me and my baby self!) I would look at picture books and even take one to read when I had to go to the toilet!!! I was very happy that year as my baby brother was born! During my time in kindergarten, I made many friends, some who even followed me into Henry Park Primary school where I am now.
I was put into class one flexibility. The first few days there were hard as I was still feeling awkward among new people. By the time I was primary two though, I had made many good friends. I had great fun in primary two, and I really liked the teacher.At the end of the year, I won the conduct award. I remember being over the moon with joy as I walked onto the stage to collect my prize.
When I reached primary three, I met my most favourite teacher, Miss Kwok. She also managed to teach me when I was primary four. My highlight for those two years were that I won the conduct award yet again for both years.
When I was primary three, I can also remember going to New Zealand during the june holidays. There, I met my cousin, Eva, for the very first time. I can still remember how she kept blaming "Curious george" for all the bad things she did. After a few weeks in Wellington(The place where my relatives stayed), my family and I took a trip to the south island where we rented a car and drove around. The place that I remember most is lake Wanaka. There, we went "water cycling" and had HUGE ice creams. Then my dad and sister decided to go jet-skiing. I remember being in two minds whether or not to join them. Later, I decided to join them, against the reasonings of my mum and brother "It's DANGEROUS Miriam!".
It started of very fun, with the driver allowing my sister to drive at some times, at others(when the driver was driving), the driver would suddenly stop, or do a "twist".Then, the driver asked my sister if she wanted to do a "twist". She agreed and let the boat go straight for a while, before turning sharply. I was not expecting the sudden change, and bashed my left collar bone against a metal bar that you were meant to hold. I almost cried, but managed to stop by digging my thumbnail into my index finger. I then could not enjoy the ride any more. My father saw the change in my attitude, and asked me if i was okay. I said that I was fine, but I was lying.
We reached the shore, then I told my parents that i had hurt myself, and they brought me to the nearest clinic that they could find. There, I had to take off my top(EWWW!) in front of the doctor( thank god it was a female doctor!) so that she could examine my collar bone, and prod it so that I could tell her where it was painful. Later, she told me that I had fractured my collar bone. I wore a sling but that was all. I was OKAY!
When I went into primary five, I started to feel the strain of homework. However, our English teacher, Mrs Janet Ng, was able to reveal the fun of writing to me, and I then started to develop real passion for writing stories. I enjoyed Mrs Janet Ng's lessons, and thus she became one of my favourite teachers. I also managed to take part in my first skating competition, and I nabbed the fourth place. I also came first in my ballet exam, and in the SA2 English Exam, so I was feeling pretty GOOD!
Now I am in primary six, I feel the pressure of the primary school leaving Examination(PSLE)I hope to do well and enter my dream school, SCGS. This year is going to be tough, but, well, I am going to let what is going to come, come, and hope for the best, study hard, and ......remember to find time for LEISURE!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Posting 1
Elizabeth Choy was a brave war heroine. She risked her life supplying medicine, money, and messages to British civilians interned in Singapore's Changi Jail during World War II. Elizabeth Choy and her husband, Choy Khun Heng (d. 1973), incurred further risk by sending in radio parts for hidden receivers on a daily ambulance run until the Japanese instituted a crackdown in September 1943. Elizabeth Choy died of pancreatic cancer in Singapore on September 14, 2006.
I think that Elizabeth Choy was a very good person. She was a Christian who tried to help as many people as possible, despite the danger that she herself could be killed.She had outstanding character and stopped her education to work, so that she could use the money to support her younger siblings. She taught at two schools( St. Magarets and St. Andrews). Even though she had had an arranged marrige, she still loved her husband dearly, perhaps, this was what led to her being captured by the japanease soldiers.
When the japanease soldiers occupied Singapore, she and her husband ran a canteen stall in the Miyako hospital, now known as the Woodbridge Hospital, so that they could provide essential needs to those around them.After a while, their stall became a central place for the exchange of messages, medicines and food tho the prisoners in Changi prison.
Then, Elizabeth's, good husband was arrested by the japanease soldiers, as he had passed radio parts and money to the prisoners in Changi.Elizabeth was worried, and went to the YMCA building, where her husband was kept, to see him, and perhaps comfort him and encourage him, but she was turned away, and told to go home.Then, one day a japanease soldier came to her house and told her that she was allowed to see her husband. She followed him to the YMCA building, where her valuables were taken away, and she was put into a prison cell.She stayed there for 193 days, with little food, little clean water, and not much ventilation.There she learnt sign language from one of the other prisoners, so that she could communicate with everybody, as they were not allowed to talk.
During her prison days, she was brutally beaten by the japanease soldiers, and even electrocuted on her bare body in front of her husband. She even developed a phobia of electricity because of this, and was scared of even turning on a electric switch.
The japanease did this as they thought she was anti-japanease, and had the names of informants.
Though Elizabeth was released after 193 days, her husband was not, and was sentenced to 12 years of hard labour.When the war ended, Elizabeth Choy traced her husband and freed him, together with the help of a british soldier.She was given several medals for her bravery, and also several for her contribution to society.
Elizabeth Choy was asked to give the names of the japanease who had tortured her, but, she would not, as she did not blame them. She did not condemn the people who had tortured her, her husband and many other people. She only condemned war.
Elizabeth Choy will be fondly remembered by all who knew her, and she will be deeply respected by her country, for helping it, as well as all the other war heroes and heroines.I hope that her testimonies will touch other people's hearts as they have done to me.
I think that Elizabeth Choy was a very good person. She was a Christian who tried to help as many people as possible, despite the danger that she herself could be killed.She had outstanding character and stopped her education to work, so that she could use the money to support her younger siblings. She taught at two schools( St. Magarets and St. Andrews). Even though she had had an arranged marrige, she still loved her husband dearly, perhaps, this was what led to her being captured by the japanease soldiers.
When the japanease soldiers occupied Singapore, she and her husband ran a canteen stall in the Miyako hospital, now known as the Woodbridge Hospital, so that they could provide essential needs to those around them.After a while, their stall became a central place for the exchange of messages, medicines and food tho the prisoners in Changi prison.
Then, Elizabeth's, good husband was arrested by the japanease soldiers, as he had passed radio parts and money to the prisoners in Changi.Elizabeth was worried, and went to the YMCA building, where her husband was kept, to see him, and perhaps comfort him and encourage him, but she was turned away, and told to go home.Then, one day a japanease soldier came to her house and told her that she was allowed to see her husband. She followed him to the YMCA building, where her valuables were taken away, and she was put into a prison cell.She stayed there for 193 days, with little food, little clean water, and not much ventilation.There she learnt sign language from one of the other prisoners, so that she could communicate with everybody, as they were not allowed to talk.
During her prison days, she was brutally beaten by the japanease soldiers, and even electrocuted on her bare body in front of her husband. She even developed a phobia of electricity because of this, and was scared of even turning on a electric switch.
The japanease did this as they thought she was anti-japanease, and had the names of informants.
Though Elizabeth was released after 193 days, her husband was not, and was sentenced to 12 years of hard labour.When the war ended, Elizabeth Choy traced her husband and freed him, together with the help of a british soldier.She was given several medals for her bravery, and also several for her contribution to society.
Elizabeth Choy was asked to give the names of the japanease who had tortured her, but, she would not, as she did not blame them. She did not condemn the people who had tortured her, her husband and many other people. She only condemned war.
Elizabeth Choy will be fondly remembered by all who knew her, and she will be deeply respected by her country, for helping it, as well as all the other war heroes and heroines.I hope that her testimonies will touch other people's hearts as they have done to me.
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