"Ugh." I heard the sound of a slap as I went down the dark, gloomy stairs. My parents and a few of their friends were talking as we went down the stairs. I clutched my blue water bottle in my hand as I went down the stairs. I hope everything's OK down there. I thought in my brain.
I was in the headquarters (or at least I think it's their HQ in Malaysia).When we went down, I saw a young man in a blue shirt sitting on a chair outside the toilets. He was reading something, but made sudden movements in the process. He also produced sour sounds, and everyone didn't dare to go close to him. My parents met a old friend, and they started talking together. After 3 minutes of talking, we started talking about the young man that was sitting outside the toilets. She said that she would always come and read. When we went down to the carpark, we talked about him in the car. We decided to go up and talk to him for once.
Uncertainty flew around in my mind. How would he react? What would he do?
"Is there anything we can help you with?" My dad asked.
"No, I'm fine." He smiled.
"We were just wondering why you're still reading here. It's real dark here. Do you want to go in?"
"No, thanks."
"Do you live close by?"
"No."
"Well, feel free to go in if you need to."
"Ok."
After talking to him, we found out that he was a normal person. My dad told me that the man suffered from a disease called 'Ticks' (That how you spell it?). I felt really bad for him. He probably didn't have many friends because of this disease, but he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't control the sudden movement he made.
We went in and met a guard (well, not really a guard, but a person that walked around the building with a flashlight every night making sure everyone was safe). When we asked him about it, we found out that the man would stay in the store room in the guard house. He stayed 1 hour away from the building, and his parents would come and pick him up every now and then. His dad was old, while his mom suffered from Alzheimer (which is a disease where you can't remember things. I also think that that's how you spell Alzheimer.), and his brother was working. When he tried to help mop the floor, his hand made a sudden jerk, and all the water splashed on the floor. I felt bad for him because I knew that he wanted to help in the community, but there weren't many ways for him to do so.
There are a lot of diseases these days, and I hope that as we progress into the future, we will be able to fight them and win the battle so all of mankind is free of fear and know that we got the cure.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Slice Of Life #135 - ISA Testing - Tuesday, 2/10/2018
Boy, am I relieved know that ISA testing is over. Over the past 2 days, we had the International Schools Assessment (ISA). Over the past couple of weeks, kids just like me in international schools were going to be doing a test just like this, according to their grade. In our school, grades 3-10 would do the ISA test, while grades 11 and 12 would be studying for their IB exams, which was way more important than the ISA test. Yesterday, we had 2 math tests and 1 narrative writing test.
In my opinion, the math tests weren't too hard, but the narrative writing test took a lot of creativity. They gave us a topic, which was A COMPUTER IN A RUBBISH BIN, WHICH I THINK IS A PRETTY BAD TOPIC. Ok, it was a good topic, but it would be considered 'a weird topic'. In the end, I decided to write about how the computer belonged to a undercover CIA agent, and the CIA agent had to go and get his computer back. Another thing I was concerned about was the time limit. We were given 30 minutes, and with a topic like this, I think we really should have longer time to write the story.
Today, we had a reading test and a opinion writing test. I found a few of the questions in the reading test challenging, but in the end I think I managed to find the correct answer. Well, I'm pretty confident with my answer.
After lunch, we had the writing test. Now came another topic. Music is not just fun, but is also good for you. I knew that music was good for you, but I was only able to come up with 2 reasons. Music can brighten someone's day and reduce stress and help with depression. Playing a musical instrument may help you to make new friends, and may also improve their motor and cognitive skills and build new connections between your neurons. I would usually write 5 paragraphs, but because I didn't have enough reasons, I had to stick with 4. I think I did pretty well in this test, and I hope to see some good results (well, everyone does).
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Slice Of Life #134 - Johnny English Strikes Again - Tuesday, September 25th, 2018 - Happened on Sunday, 16/9/2018
The metal doors of the elevator opened. People filled out of the elevator, most of them holding jackets or something to keep them warm. It was 10:00 at night, and I was watching a movie. We had wanted to watch a movie about Malaysia's 14th general election, and how we made our voices heard (post coming up on that movie in a few weeks!) Because there we could not watch that movie, we decided to watch Johnny English Strikes Again.
At first, I wasn't really interested in the movie because of it's name. No offense, but that movie really needed a better name for kids that don't know how to differentiate the good movies from the bad ones.
After buying our tickets, we decided to go home so I could take a bath and bring a jacket so it wouldn't be so cold. When we got home, I quickly took a bath and my mom helped me take my jacket out from the closet.
As we went back into the cinema, I could feel the icy cold air-cond gush outside the room as we opened the door. We went to find our seats, and sat down to enjoy a nice movie.
Before the movie, Rowan Atkinson, the person acting Johnny English had a gun and shot it in the air with no bullet to tell us to silent our phones, and some kids started laughing. I didn't get how that was funny, but the movie got me laughing like crazy. I literally couldn't stop laughing. The only sad part of the story was the time when Johnny English got fired, but the rest of the movie was HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite part of the story was the part where Johnny English wore Virtual Reality (VR) glasses. It doesn't really make sense, but it is really funny. And by really funny, I mean - you can't stop laughing.
The reason I like the movie Johnny English Strikes again is because of the creativity of the people who wrote the script. There were some parts that probably would not be possible with the technology we have now or would probably not be happening in real life, but they thought of all that and decided to add it into the movie. There are also some really "common sense things" in the movie, but even though they were "common sense things", if I was stuck in a similar situation, I would probably not be doing what Johnny English was doing.
When the movie was finished, I was really satisfied with the decision we made as a family to watch this movie. We were all talking about the movie, making it a great, fun, day.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Slice Of Life #133 - When A Car Meets A Motorcycle - Tuesday, September 18th, 2018 - Happened on Sunday, September 16th, 2018`
The car wheels screeched as the car made a stop. "Woah..." My dad said. I sat up. Staring out the window, I could see that a car had crashed into a motorcycle, but it wasn't any normal crash. The bumpers of the car were ripped into 2 pieces, and the motorcycle was reduced to shreds.
My dad stopped the car at the side of a restaurant. My dad rushed to help. I could clearly see that the people helping the seriously-injured-covered-with-blood-man were asking for more tissues from the neighboring restaurant, which probably meant that the man was losing blood quick.
When I was finally able to get a closer view of the person, I could see that his white shirt was smeared with blood. A few men were using packs of tissues to try and stop his blood loss.
I was wondering why nobody was going to the nearby hospital, which was literally less than 100 meters away. After about 1 minute, me, my mom, and my dad went to the nearby hospital to seek help. Apparently we had to wait for a freaking ambulance, so me and my mom stood there on standby while my dad rushed back to help.
Not long after, he called my mom. He told her to tell the hospital to bring a wheelchair over so they could send the patient over to the hospital. The nurses told us that there was no such service, which I thought was ignorant, because life was obviously more important than the services they provided. Why couldn't we just use the wheelchair to go save someone's life? Plus, if the wheelchair broke, I would be willing to pay for it.
I found a brochure of theirs, which had their motto. I forgot the exact words of the motto, but it basically meant "we try to give our customers the best service we can". But now, it basically meant "we don't care about our customers".
Because we didn't have a wheelchair, we had to help the injured person walk over to the hospital. They shoved the emergency door open. He was put on a hospital bed with his shoes taken off. Because there were too many people inside the emergency room, we had to go out.
We went back to the site and told the driver of the car that she had to be present of the hospital. We were scared that if she was not present, they would not help the injured man. After that, we left. Our mission was complete.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Melati Wijisen (Wy-sen) - Wednesday, 12/9/2018 - Happened on Friday, 7/9/2018
5th grade is really a special grade. For one thing, it's the last grade of elementary school. But in my school, 5th grade is the grade known for its best unit, a unit that covers lots of things, and a unit that changes who you are. A change makers unit. And because of that, we get to meet lots of notable people.
Last Friday, we had Melati Wijsen, the 17 year old co-founder of Bye-Bye Plastic Bags come to our school to talk to us. She first arrived on Thursday to talk to the high school students for their Global Action Program (GAP). Next, she went to middle school, and then came to our grade, 5th grade.
5th grade was lucky because in the whole elementary school, only our grade got to meet Melati. She talked to us regarding how she started Bye-Bye Plastic Bags, which happened on a day in 2013, when they were learning about notable people that helped change the world. Walking home that day, she and her sister, Isabel, said that they didn't want to wait until they were adults to make a difference. They wanted to get started immediately.
They found an interesting subject, garbage. But garbage was too big of a subject for them, they thought. So, they focused on a realistic subject for them kids that fell under garbage, plastic bags.
After a long time of persistence and determination, the two sisters were able to get contact with the governor, where they negotiated and managed to get the governor to sign a contract banning plastic bags from their home, Bali, by 2018.
She also told us about some of the problems she was facing. She told us that the plastic industry made about 40 million per annum. It's hard to tell someone to stop earning 40 million (I don't know what currency), and the plastic industry didn't want to stop.
She said that she was planning to start a pilot project to empower children to chase their dreams, because maybe, because of one of them, the world will be changed.
Other than that, she thought us 3 lessons she learned because of Bye-Bye Plastic Bags.
Last Friday, we had Melati Wijsen, the 17 year old co-founder of Bye-Bye Plastic Bags come to our school to talk to us. She first arrived on Thursday to talk to the high school students for their Global Action Program (GAP). Next, she went to middle school, and then came to our grade, 5th grade.
5th grade was lucky because in the whole elementary school, only our grade got to meet Melati. She talked to us regarding how she started Bye-Bye Plastic Bags, which happened on a day in 2013, when they were learning about notable people that helped change the world. Walking home that day, she and her sister, Isabel, said that they didn't want to wait until they were adults to make a difference. They wanted to get started immediately.
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| Us with Melati Wijisen |
After a long time of persistence and determination, the two sisters were able to get contact with the governor, where they negotiated and managed to get the governor to sign a contract banning plastic bags from their home, Bali, by 2018.
She also told us about some of the problems she was facing. She told us that the plastic industry made about 40 million per annum. It's hard to tell someone to stop earning 40 million (I don't know what currency), and the plastic industry didn't want to stop.
She said that she was planning to start a pilot project to empower children to chase their dreams, because maybe, because of one of them, the world will be changed.
Other than that, she thought us 3 lessons she learned because of Bye-Bye Plastic Bags.
- Lesson #1 - Teamwork - Teamwork makes the dream work!
- Lesson #2 - Think outside the box!
- Lesson #3 - Persistence & Commitment.
She ended with one of her quotes - "We kids may only be 25 percent of the world's population, but we are 100 percent of the future!"
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Slice Of Life #132 - 999 - Tuesday, 11/9/2018 - Happened on 2/9/2018
Our car sped down the highway and slowed down as we reached the Subang toll near the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE). We took out our SmartTag and scanned it to pass. Our car then picked up speed again as we moved into wider space. I was in the car heading home from dinner with my mom, dad, and uncle.
After a few minutes, we saw some white smoke ahead. My dad steered the car over to the right, where there were lesser smoke. As we passed, I got up on my knees and looked back. I saw what I think was a lorry. I couldn't catch a good glimpse of the "thing", but judging by looking at the front of the car, I think it was a lorry. Surrounding the lorry was all white smoke, so white that you couldn't see anything that was behind it.
Lights from above illuminated the smoke, but that didn't help. Nobody was able to see whatever was was happening inside the smoke.
I really wish that everyone's safe there. I thought. What I saw was an very unusual sight to see here in Malaysia. Smoke puffing out of a lorry? That was common. But the amount of smoke we saw was very unusual. After all the things I've ever saw in my life, I don't think I have ever saw that much smoke from a lorry. It was literally the amount of smoke you would see from a rocket blasting into outer space, except for the fact that it was a little bit lesser.
After a few minutes, my dad decided to call 999. Because he was driving, my mom helped him call 999. Her hands trembled as she pressed the number 9 continuously 3 times.
When the operator picked up the phone from the other end, my dad explained the situation. After my dad explained the situation, the operator asked a bunch of questions. He asked so many questions using so many sophisticated words that I'm sure he probably was reading the questions from a piece of paper. I'm also pretty sure that the operator was able to check our destination by checking the destination of the phone, because he asked if we were present at the scene, because he asked that question and questions similar to that about 5 times.
After a while, he transferred our call to the fire department, who told us that they were already on the scene and told us that it was a fire. I breathed a sigh of relief and sank down in my seat.
After a few minutes, we saw some white smoke ahead. My dad steered the car over to the right, where there were lesser smoke. As we passed, I got up on my knees and looked back. I saw what I think was a lorry. I couldn't catch a good glimpse of the "thing", but judging by looking at the front of the car, I think it was a lorry. Surrounding the lorry was all white smoke, so white that you couldn't see anything that was behind it.
Lights from above illuminated the smoke, but that didn't help. Nobody was able to see whatever was was happening inside the smoke.
I really wish that everyone's safe there. I thought. What I saw was an very unusual sight to see here in Malaysia. Smoke puffing out of a lorry? That was common. But the amount of smoke we saw was very unusual. After all the things I've ever saw in my life, I don't think I have ever saw that much smoke from a lorry. It was literally the amount of smoke you would see from a rocket blasting into outer space, except for the fact that it was a little bit lesser.
After a few minutes, my dad decided to call 999. Because he was driving, my mom helped him call 999. Her hands trembled as she pressed the number 9 continuously 3 times.
When the operator picked up the phone from the other end, my dad explained the situation. After my dad explained the situation, the operator asked a bunch of questions. He asked so many questions using so many sophisticated words that I'm sure he probably was reading the questions from a piece of paper. I'm also pretty sure that the operator was able to check our destination by checking the destination of the phone, because he asked if we were present at the scene, because he asked that question and questions similar to that about 5 times.
After a while, he transferred our call to the fire department, who told us that they were already on the scene and told us that it was a fire. I breathed a sigh of relief and sank down in my seat.
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Slice Of Life #131 - Sent Home - Happened on 4/9/2018 - Tuesday, August 4th, 2018
Ok. Some of you may be wondering why I am posting this post earlier than usual. Well, it's because I was sent home. Here's how it began. I was in class, and my eyes were itching like crazy. My teacher, Mr. Herbert, suggested that I go to the nurse. Because our school followed a strict buddy system, I had to go down to the nurse with a friend.
Usually I avoid the nurse, because I realized that there isn't much meaning (not that there's no point) in going to the nurse, because you body just goes back to functioning like usual at the end of the school day. But because my eye was itching like crazy, I would have gone anyways, even if my teacher didn't ask me to go to the nurse.
After about 20 minutes in the nurse's office, he told me that I would have to go home. He called my mom to tell her that I would have to go home. My mom told the nurse that she would reach the school within one hour.
During my time at the nurse, I did hear about some funny incidents, but I'm not going to talk about them in this post because I don't think they are appropriate to post here. Anyways, I grabbed a book and started reading. Problem was, all of the books in the nurse's office were all books below my reading level, so I was basically stuck with pictures.
After a while, the nurse went up with me to grab my bag and all my belongings so I could bring them home. In the process, my eye started to itch again, I think because of the environment.
Every once in a while, the nurse would put some normal saline. according to my dad. According to my dad (again), he says that the amount of salt in normal saline is equal to the amount in our blood.
Because I went up to my class to get my belongings, I was finally able to read books that were my level, specifically One Half From the East.
I feel pretty unlucky to have to miss PE/Phys Ed/ Physical Education because today was the day we were going to use the new artificial field in our new school. Plus, we were going to play capture the flag, which I think is fun. Other than that, today was library day, which was the day we would go to the library to borrow, read, and return books. Since today was day 7, a odd day, my grade, grade 5, was allowed to the library for recess. I wanted to go to the library for recess because the new library is SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO COMFORTABLE, especially the pillows in there.
Other than that, today was the second day of ASAs (After School Activities), and I had photography, which I think is really fun.
I wish that I can go to school tomorrow, because tomorrow I have really fun activities, and I hope my conjunctivitis (red eye) recovers by then.
P.S.: I am very proud of myself for typing most of this post without looking at the keyboard because I had some ointment in my eyes, which blinded me from being able to see. Now, I can see clearly now, so all is fine.
Usually I avoid the nurse, because I realized that there isn't much meaning (not that there's no point) in going to the nurse, because you body just goes back to functioning like usual at the end of the school day. But because my eye was itching like crazy, I would have gone anyways, even if my teacher didn't ask me to go to the nurse.
After about 20 minutes in the nurse's office, he told me that I would have to go home. He called my mom to tell her that I would have to go home. My mom told the nurse that she would reach the school within one hour.
During my time at the nurse, I did hear about some funny incidents, but I'm not going to talk about them in this post because I don't think they are appropriate to post here. Anyways, I grabbed a book and started reading. Problem was, all of the books in the nurse's office were all books below my reading level, so I was basically stuck with pictures.
After a while, the nurse went up with me to grab my bag and all my belongings so I could bring them home. In the process, my eye started to itch again, I think because of the environment.
Every once in a while, the nurse would put some normal saline. according to my dad. According to my dad (again), he says that the amount of salt in normal saline is equal to the amount in our blood.
Because I went up to my class to get my belongings, I was finally able to read books that were my level, specifically One Half From the East.
I feel pretty unlucky to have to miss PE/Phys Ed/ Physical Education because today was the day we were going to use the new artificial field in our new school. Plus, we were going to play capture the flag, which I think is fun. Other than that, today was library day, which was the day we would go to the library to borrow, read, and return books. Since today was day 7, a odd day, my grade, grade 5, was allowed to the library for recess. I wanted to go to the library for recess because the new library is SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO COMFORTABLE, especially the pillows in there.
Other than that, today was the second day of ASAs (After School Activities), and I had photography, which I think is really fun.
I wish that I can go to school tomorrow, because tomorrow I have really fun activities, and I hope my conjunctivitis (red eye) recovers by then.
P.S.: I am very proud of myself for typing most of this post without looking at the keyboard because I had some ointment in my eyes, which blinded me from being able to see. Now, I can see clearly now, so all is fine.
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