Literature - The part that you like the most

On the recent novel that I have read, "Step By Wicked Step", I found that the story contains good story plots and scenes that are almost found non-existent in most books or novels that I have read. Written by Anne Fine, this novel has numerous parts worth mentioning and sharing, but there were just too many. Therefore, I have decided to take my time and pick out two of my most favorite parts in the entire story to save you - or whoever that's reading this - some time and just read those parts and think whether they are nice or not. These are just my own personal preferences, and they change based on the reader's characteristics.

First and foremost, is the part when Richard runs away from his home. His stepfather, Reverend Coldstone, is always being a prick, always tormenting and implying ridiculous rules on Richard. For example, in page 19 of the book, Reverend Coldstone said "...He must in any case be sent to school. And then perhaps his sister, free from his influence, will be less giddy herself." Basically what he's trying to say is that Richard should be sent far far away where he won't be able to claim his father's inheritance and humongous wealth, since Richard is the only one who is worthy of obtaining all the money and assets his father left behind after he died. He was sent to Mordanger School, where he was always picked and bullied by the other kids. He was forced to starve, and almost died of hypothermia. Which is why, when he had the balls to run away from his stepfathers grasps, I salute him. I mean, how many preteen kids have you seen running away from their houses due to abusive parents? Next to none. This is why this part is one of my most favorite parts in the entire novel.

Next, is the part when Ralph's third stepmom, Flora, did all sorts of cool activities with Ralph. Unlike his previous two stepmoms, Flora was a little bit more casual and cool. She's like a very modernized person, and she does things that most moms would think twice before actually doing the things she did with Ralph. First off, when Ralph's brother, Edward, went back home, Flora was sun bathing outside in the patio with bare minimum clothing. Most mothers wouldn't do that. Next, when Flora first met Ralph, she wasn't informed that Ralph's father had a third son. She got so mad, she took Ralph on a wild trip. First, they had Chinese food together, then they watched a film together. They even had some coffee before they reached home at around eleven-thirty. She just has this very urban lifestyle, unlike most mothers do.

In conclusion, these are my two favorite parts about the entire story. I liked the part when Richard runs away from home because it was just too much for him to tolerate his stepfather's intolerable attitude due to his greed for wealth. I also liked the part when Flora was frst introduced as Ralph's third stepmom since she has a really good vibe.

My allergies towards alcohol.

Man this sucks. When I was a kid, back when my allergies weren't back, I would often drink alcoholic beverages. My parents allow me as long as I don't go overboard, you see. Beer, wine, spirits, anything. I wasn't addicted or anything, I just loved alcoholic beverages. I don't drink them frequently, just once a year, during Chinese New Year when everybody loves getting drunk. I know my stuff around famous wines like Gallo Chardonnays and Chianti Sangioveses. I hated strong liquors, but margaritas were an exception. When I went to Korea, I tried their famous Soju, and it tasted like shit. Literally. Never liked it. And then when I went to a Japanese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, they served proper hot sake. Some might hate it, but I loved it. It's very bitter at first, but  it hits you with a taste of Japanese rice after the bitterness goes away. The lingering fragrance of rice stays in your mouth, and the after taste just makes you want to eat cool or chilled food like soba or sushi. But I hated the actual smell of sake. Reminds me of a can of paint.

So anyways, I was happy I was able to try all sorts of alcoholic drinks when I was a kid. But one day, when I was 15, I was on my plane back from Shanghai to Malaysia, when my aunt ordered a can of beer. As most of you may know, oriental countries like China, Shanghai and Hong Kong are famous for their canned beers since their alcoholic content is much higher when compared to canned beers from America. Tsingtao, you name it. So when I heard that my auntie decided to order a can of Chinese beer, I had to try it. I asked for a Dixie cup, and poured some out of the can. I then drank the contents of the cup without any worry since I must have done it so many times already with other beverages. I then proceed back to my place and continue watching my movie.

A few hours later, I noticed something strange. First off, my heartbeat started increasing rapidly. I started to sweat profusely, as if I had just stopped running a full marathon. Next, my back gets really itchy and turns red. I also get huge patches of welts, which means I can't scratch it or else it'll fucking blister and it'll hurt. Like REALLY hurt. Damn thing hurts even just by LOOKING at it. And whenever I sweat, more welts come up and it'll start hurting and itching again. I searched the symptoms online, and found out apparently I was allergic to alcohol. For fuck's sake.

But you know what? I'm rebellious as ever, and I'll probably still drink alcohol. Because why not. Hey, you only live once. And to be honest, alcohol tastes good. Who hates alcohol? I mean it tastes good (varies on different people) and it makes you feel less stressed. So why not.

Difficult decisions made by characters.

SPM 2009 Literature question

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 anyway 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.

How to smoke Marijuana & Weed and why should you.

People say that weed addicts deserve to die, but I think they are awesome. For those who don't know what weed is, I didn't mean weed as in pest plants who steal food and water from your other plants. I'm talking about marijuana. Also commonly known as green grass, the shit or the bomb, stress relief option and also the most common name, boost juice, marijuana is a drug that makes you feel high as f***. Like literally. That shit is so powerful, you will be flying high in the sky. I ain't kidding. I'm not promoting the use of drug, I'm just saying people nowadays need a stress relief option (the reason why it's called "the stress relief option") from all the hustling and bustling around them. Some people prefer vaping, some like jogging. But for those who want to #yolo it and feel the adrenaline rush of weed, I am here to teach you how to roll a joint (with marijuana as its filling) and why you should.

First off, how to roll a blunt. There are many variations of joints, ranging from sizes to types of buds to the types of paper (never use money like what most movies show you - it smells like pubes when you burn it) people use. Start off by buying yourself some post-it notes. These are quite durable, and these will be the paper layer of a normal cigarette. Next, grab a bunch of marijuana and just dump that shit on the post it notes, roll it together, and just smoke that shit raw because we do whatever we want. We raw as f***. People might make a filter from another post-it note so that they don't inhale like all of the smoke since it's kinda strong and might minus 20 years of your lifespan for every puff you take, but since we tough and ain't no pussy, we do things our own way. In the end, we are going to die anyway, so why not die faster.

Now you must be thinking in your mind right now,"What are the good uses of marijuana?" To me, one of the main pros and benefits from smoking weed is because it makes you hallucinate. Who in their right mind hates being high?  It makes all your dreams come true. Imagine you in a world filled with pizza, ice cream, kittens, puppies and pornography. I mean, nothing beats a land filled with them. Or imagine you just spending time with your crush who is clearly out of your league. You know it's impossible, but that doesn't mean you can't IMAGINE it, right? Exactly. So go smoke some more and never stop.

Next, people who start smoking marijuana because it's good to be an anarchist once in awhile. As humans, rebellion runs in our blood. Going against rules once in awhile makes you feel good since you are doing something normal and average people have probably never done before. And on the upside, you aren't really affecting anyone else are you? There's a reason why the police catch murderers and terrorists, and that's because they are harming innocent people. When you smoke weed, the only person you are harming is probably you. (Unless you smoke so much you get so high you actually go out and start a massacre without you knowing) This is why it's okay for you to smoke. I mean, you know it's bad for you and you still smoke it right? It's like saying you know it's bad for you to do unsafe sex yet you still do it right? Same goes for abusive consumption of alcoholic beverages.

To top it all of, weed should be legalised, just smoke it on your own risk. Since we all live only once, why not end it in a dramatic way. Imagine the newspaper headlines. "Retarded smart ass dies from overdose of marijuana." You will be so popular, people might start a new trend about it on social medias, since that's how social medias work. But that's another story.

The benefits of having #swag

Most internet users should have probably seen the word "swag" without having much conscious or have probably seen the word many times but they don't know the meaning of the word. As explained in Google, a swag is actually a curtain or a piece of cloth or fabric that has one side stuck to a curve or a piece of metal. But due to unknown causes and unknown reasons, the internet has decided to change the word's original meaning into something irrelevant, which occurs all the time. Currently, swag is used as a noun to describe "a type of style or presence that exudes confidence and is sometimes interpreted as arrogance", as stated in knowyourmeme.com. To shorten it, it pretty much means that people who love to boast have swag. Some might think that having swag is a bad thing, as it means you love to boast, but are there REALLY any bad points when someone has swag?

One of the reasons why I think that having swag is a good thing is because -like I already said- it means that you do everything with a tad bit of boasting. You might think, "Hey isn't boasting a bad-" And I'll barge in and be like "Bitch I do whatever I want." Welcome to the real world losers. Bam smack in your face. Now I know what you're thinking now, "Isn't boasting and being a total jerk to all your peers a bad thing?" Let me tell you something. What year is it? It's 2015. I want to be an arrogant fag and show off all my gear and crew, let me be. Haters gonna hate. I want to stroll around with my hoodies and snapbacks, let me do it.

Another reason why people should be have more swag is because you look cool. The current generations just can't live their lives without having points for looking good. Public appearances make up for everything nowadays. Walk on the streets with tattered or cheap looking clothes, you automatically label yourself as either a peasant or a beggar. Which is why people need that Gucci bag. Buy yourself a pair of Js or Kobes. Tissot? Enter my cart. HUF panel caps? I'll take some. Burberry, Vans, DC, Zara, SSENCE, G2K? I'll buy everything. Stock your wardrobe with all the newest and most hipster-looking wear, and you'll be on your way out as the hottest person out there. I'm serious. Don't forget pomade and wax and cosmetic products. Dressing yourself with clothes that look nice and then hanging out with your friends with your face and hair looking like a used old rug just decreases your reputation dramatically.

Swag should also be emphasized and used more often as it makes you feel good. Imagine you hanging out with your roll out squad and the people around wearing clothes that cost 5$. And then everybody from your group wore brands like Burton and Louis Vuitton. It just gives you a sense of hype. Ray ban glasses and of course Versace shoes. And then everybody else wore cheap plastic glasses and of course slippers. You just feel get the urge to brag to everybody about the new clothes you just bought, and make everybody walk pass you feel bad about themselves for not buying clothes. This is why people should have swag.

So far, I have yet found a single con for having tons of swag. Which is why we should earn ourselves more swag. Now live the rest of your lives with as much swag as possible. Stroll your way with your nose up high, and look down on everybody else who wore clothes and only wore clothes as a form of protection and nudity censorship. And remember to use hashtags to increase your #swag.

ULBS Topic 5

Everybody has this one thing that had always been on their minds which they always wanted to learn in their life. In the end, they couldn't achieve what they wanted to do as it just wasn't within their capabilities. They either don't have the money or time to do so. Some of their wishes are so absurd it is almost impossible to make them happen. I mean, in the end, we are still humans. We have limits. There are bound to be things that we can and cannot handle unless we go through many years of tedious and tiring training, repeating over and over again to get used to the movements that are required to learn a specific skill. But if we were granted the chance to learn one skill free of charge perfectly mastered, what would that skill be? In my own personal opinion, I would want to gain the skill to perfectly do parkour.

One of the reasons why I would choose parkour as my skill of preference is because I can feel the adrenaline rush in my body when doing it. People tend to do drugs or drink alcoholic beverages or just do whatever it is that gives them a hormonal rush, but for me it's parkour. I mean, the gust of wind as you swing from a bar onto a platform is just so cool. It gives you a sensation of being free, like as if you have a pair of wings attached to your body.

Another reason why I would choose parkour as my skill of preference is because I can look cool. I mean come on, who wouldn't look cool when doing parkour? Seriously. The creative and imaginable way of moving one's own body to travel from one point to another is so cool. And it's out of the ordinary, which is why it attracts so much attention. Imagine people just walking normally, and you will be the only one doing vaults over hand rails, or doing precision jumps from one railing to another. The crowd would stare at you with awe, wishing that one day they too will be able to do the thing you were doing.

I can also use parkour as an easy fat burning sport as it is as intense as high intensive training interval workouts. It's like trying to do a 5 kilometer run in like 10 minutes. It wears down our body quite a lot, which is why people tend to not do parkour. It takes months and months of working out just to get your body the correct shape you want it, and with the daily routine most people have these days, it's almost impossible to fit in any time for gym visits or even a 1 hour jog in the nearest park. But as a student, I can always do a few exercises after school time to keep my body in check and up to par. This is another reason why this exercise is up my alley and suitable for me.

As a side point, I also love parkouring because I can pick girls up easier than most people. As stated in my second paragraph, parkouring makes me look cool, which in turn directs more attention from girls onto me. Guys need girls, so it's normal for me to do things that can attract a girl's attention. Don't judge me.

The conclusion is that I love parkouring, and that no one else can stop me from doing what I love. Haters gonna hate, parkour is my fate. 

ULBS topic - 1

Many teenagers today are stressed out because of various factors. During our adolescent stage, our body tends to add more stress by giving us more problems such as puberty and hormone rushes, which just gives us more trouble, like adding oil to the fire. Some might disagree on me, saying adults are the ones that suffer the most as they not only have to feed their selves, but also their family members and they also have to pay bills. But then again, teenagers are forced to do work involuntarily, and of course without pay. Unless you count education as a form of payment.

One of the main reasons why teenagers stress out a lot is because the presence of exams. Schools tend to be very serious when it comes to exams, as it shows status and popularity, depending on the grades of students. Basically, if most of the students did well in an exam, that school will become popular, which leads to a higher paycheck for teachers. This is the main point as to why schools emphasize a lot when it comes to a students grade. Exams can also be used as a form of punishment to torture students both mentally and physically. Students will be forced to do mandatory labor, working all day long with little rest. After exams, they become physically weak and mentally traumatized due to them over working themselves while receiving too little rest. And if they achieve very low marks, the teachers will then make a phone call to the parents of the student, telling them how their child did an absolutely wonderful job on failing his or her exam. When the kids go back, after barely alive from all that work, their parents physically and verbally abuse them. Therefore, exams are probablly the main cause of stress.

Peer pressure can also brew stress and uneasiness amongst the students hearts. Lets say that this one kid bragged to the entire school that he just laid the schools hottest boy, and that this boy also sent her a spanking brand new phone that came out like 2 days ago. By doing so, her bragging has planted seeds of jealousy within each and every other girl that studied in the school. They then tell their parents to let them hang out and do dates with boys, and some would persuade their parents to buy new phones for them since their old phones aren't the new "chic". This is another reason why teenagers face a lot of stress. They think that it is necessary for them to obtain new items even though they aren't even finished with the things they were given with in the beginning.

Another reason why teenagers face a lot of stress is because they have of things to do in general. They need to spend time and energy for their extra school sessions, they also have co curriculum activities they have to partake to improve their chances of entering a better university when they graduate. They also need more time for their extra tuitions outside since sometimes school teachers cannot be trusted, and that also puts more stress into a teenagers life. They have just have a lot of things to do. Reports to type, experiments to conduct, homework to do. The amount of work is just so massive, and they have to do all that within one day, which is almost impossible unless you break your body's limits, which in doing so causes even more stress.

In conclusion, teenagers lead a very stressful and busy life. They have so many things to do, which makes them unable to de-stress themselves by doing things that they want to do. And as I write this post, I myself am also stressed from all the typing and thinking. Therefore, I shall stop writing and rest.