Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 11:37 PM
A Great Leader in History
I think that Abraham Lincoln is a great leader in history. He was the 16th president of the United States and is known for his campaigns against slavery.I admire him because he was an outspoken and courageous president who did not just meekly follow what others say. At that time, many people supported slavery and persisted that they wanted slavery to continue. Under normal circumstance, a good leader would give in to the public so as to please them. However, Lincoln was a great leader. Instead, he insisted on his own ideals, refusing to give in to what he thought was unright.
Nevertheless, persistance alone is not enough, especially when your target audience happens to be the garantuan population of the United States. He was under immense criticism by his political opponents because he did not compromise on the slavery issue and even his own faction complained that the time taken to aboilsh slavery took too long. Even with these obstacles, Lincoln managed to overcome them and he successfully reduced slavery with his emanicipation proclaimation, which helped free numerous(not all) slaves.
He had also led his country through the devastating American Civil War, caused by unagreement about whether or not slavery should be abolished.
Overall, Lincoln is a man worth learning from. I believe that even now, whenever people think about him, they would definitely remember him as a person who campaigned persistantly fo the equality of all men and regard him as a person who helped shape the world we live in now.
When we trip onto the floor or fail our examinations, many of us are ridiculed. Some may cover their amusement under a shade of false sincerity. Even if we look up at them with miserable eyes, some just say thickly that "Well, at least it's not me". However, when the tables are turned, it is the "bullies" that are pleading miserably for help and the previous victims have the last laugh. This is not a rare occurence. We face hypocrisy in the face everyday.
The story also displays our inability to question certain beliefs. When rules are set, no matter how harsh or unreasonable they seem, nobody opens their mouth to challenge them. We follow the status quo because we are afraid to stand out from the crowd, awkwardly rebelling what has already been decided. To be frank, I have this problem to. Sometimes, I had found certain rules and regulations as being draconian, but I never had the courage to stand up for mayself and voice my opinions. In the end, I(and maybe certain pals who supported my views) did not have an enjoyable time as I had to comply to the rules reluctantly.
So maybe we can change. We can try to be sympathetic and state our opinions. Some people can be real hypocrites but we must try our best not to be like them. Maybe the world will not agree with you. But of course! The world is a unfair place. However, at least you have tried.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - 6:06 AM
Movie
Today, I had the rare opportunity to go to the movies. It was some sort of a custom to rent movie CDs rather than have the first hand experience. A long, long time ago, I always complained that it was unfair that I had to rent CDs while my friends could all visit the cinemas. That childish spite I held vanished as I grew up. Frankly speaking, I was not exactly thrilled when my parents decided to break the household tradition.I entered the cinema with mixed feelings. On one hand, I was appreciative of my parents' thoughtfulness but I just had this unsettling feeling that somethng was amiss. I did not like spending money for things that I could get at a cheaper bargain.
Dragonball Evolution kicked off with a very eye-opening introduction. My attention and spirit was raised instantly. The movie described a boy searching for magical objects, which when gathered together would grant him a single wish. He is opposed only by a demon who wants the wish for himself. I am not going to reveal all the spoilers though.
After the credits rolled, I felt very blissful that I had come for the movie. Not only was the movie enjoyable, but I learnt to enjoy the little delights of life too. And like my Mom said, "If you are happy in the end, how much it costs doesn't matter."
Sunday, March 8, 2009 - 5:07 AM
My first Judo Competition
Today was the first time I participated in an inter-school Judo competition. After registering myself at the counter, I had butterflies in my stomach. I was afraid that I might be matched up against a Secondary 2 student in my weight category. I consider myself quite lucky to be facing someone I recognized. He (Not named for privacy purposes)was a batch mate of mine and my earlier anxieties started to lighten. However, I knew that if I did not keep my guard up, I would be eliminated.My opponent was a tough cookie. He struggled valiantly, causing me to lose my balance. People usually said he was a difficult opponent and now I knew it was true. To my delight, I found a loophole in his attack. I pinned him to the ground and after about 25 seconds, I won.
I was both blissful and frightened at my win. On one hand, this was my first official victory, but this also meant that I would be facing a Secondary 2 student next.
As expected, my greatest fears came true and I met my intimidating opponent. He was swift and overwhelming. I shuddered at the thought of being slammed. Maybe it was a beginner's primevial instinct. In a blink of an eye, I was at my opponents mercy, squirming about in defeat.
I was disappointed but then again I did learn something. Fear was a boundary that hindered my actions, something I needed to learn to control.
Well, I guess you cannot win if you do not practise. "Practice makes perfect". Next time I take part in the tournament, I would not be taken down so easily!
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