Literature notes , pg 24
1. " However, China had nothing to say to my spirit, if indeed land speaks to spirit. My spirit was an alien here as I was. It inclined towards a diamond city of trees and meaningful occupation, efficiently sparkling in the modern world. That was where I truely belonged, among skyscrapers with glass fronts and gold-encrusted orchids."Do you think the reference to Singapore as a " diamond city " is apt?
Why or why not? How would you describe your feelings towards Singapore, using imagery you feel suitable?
I think the reference to Singapore as a " diamond city " is apt.
It is trying to say that Singapore is filled with expensive things and that Singapore is a relatively modern country. It can be proven from the above reference. Quote from the the above is " skyscrapers with glass fronts and gold-encrusted orchids.". It is evidence for my answer as skyscrapers with glass fronts and glod-encrusted orchids are really expensive and not many people in Singapore is even able to afford them other than the Singapore government. But it does not mean that not a single person can't afford it at all. Therefore, I think that the reference to Singapore as a " diamond city " is apt.
Firstly, I feel that Singapore is like a bee as it is small in size. However, Singapore may be small but it provides with useful products from factories like new inventions that may be useful in our daily lives, just like how bees provides us with their honeys.They are also hardworking and are loyal to the Singapore's government, just like how the bees are loyal to the queen bee.
Secondly, I feel that Singapore is like a ball. Whenever Singapore comes face to face with a problem, it will be as if the ball is falling down. However, the ball will bounce back up even higher and stronger, meaning to say that Singapore will overcome the problem and find a way to make things better than before.
2. " With great grandness, my uncle ordered orange drinks from the waiter. He criticized the glasses as dirty when the drinks arrived and insisted on new ones.....I kept buying him the orange drinks he swallowed with such relish."
Why do you think her uncle behaves in this manner? Do you feel sory for him or do you regard him with distaste, as his niece does?
I think that her uncle behaved in that manner as he wanted to act like a high class person who would not drink from a dirty glass even though he was not of high class statue. I do not feel sorry for him but regard him with distaste, as his niece does.
3. "I returned to Singapore alienated from the China I saw, but no less egar to listen to my father's stories of the most beautiful of beautiful lands."
Do you find this a contradiction? Why or why not?
I do not find this a contradiction. The China which the author had alienated from was the present China. However, the China which her father tells story about was the China in the past and from his memories. They are not exactly the same China which the author had heard about and seen with her own eyes. Therefore, it is not a contradiction.
4. "A country is only as good as its men. My father is a good man....whichever country can claim him as its own."
What do you think the narrator means by the first statement?
To what extent would you agree that her father is a good man? Give reasons for your answers. Which country, do you think, should claim him for its own?
I think the narrator meant by the first statement that for a country to be as good as it is, its citizens first have to be as good as they want their country to be.
I agree to a large extent that her father is a good man.
Reasons are that although he was living in Singapore, he still thought of his brother in China and even sent money to him. He had not returned to China in the past in interest of his family eventhough he wanted to as he felt ashamed ashame that his younger brother would serve family interests far better than he could, and resolved not to displace such a duitful son by returning himself.
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Comments on 3 other blogs
Denise:
Her post with the title ' LITERATURE =] ' has in dept discreption about the chinese and their believes and how the authors uses them in their story. She says that the authors uses them for more profound purposes which could be true and she even gives a reason as to why she thinks so. Thus, showing that she is actually thinking in the author's perspective on how they us it in their story. Therefore, the post is useful to read.
Pei Shuan:
Her post on weather the authors uses the traditional chinese rituals for irony or profound purposes are very easy to understand eventhough it is relatively long. She provides lots of quotes as evidence to prove what she thinks of the question and her answer from 2 different stories just to answer one question which shows that she really thinks about how the authors uses the rituals in their story before posting them in her blog. The quotes shows that her answer to the question is that they use them for irony purposes. The quotes provided are very helpful and other people can all use the quotes in their exams. Thus, she did a really good job in her posts.
Xuan Jie:
His answers for questions are short but they do answer the questions. However, he does not provide any evidence in his answer which shows that he might not know much about the stories and thus, answering questions with only a few sentences. On the other hand, the quotes which he provides are easy to memorize which will be of great help to others who might not find evidence easily in stories to back up their answers. Therefore, he should try to improve on how he answers the questions with more evidences.
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Island Voices Notes
Island Voices
Questions: 1, 2, 3 & 4 (pg 13 & 14 on notes)
1. Do the respective authors use these traditional Chinese rituals ( eating paper dissolved in drink, burning of paper money and houses, lighting joss-sticks and praying to dead ancestors ) just for irony or for more profound purposes? What are these purposes?I think that the respective authors used those traditional Chinese rituals for more profound purposes. The authors could be trying to present the tradition of Chinese people to people of other races to show that even after out ancestors pass away, we still pay our respects to them by doing things such as burning paper money and houses and lighting joss-sticks to pray to them. They are also trying to show to others that Chinese believe that by eating paper dissolved in drinks, it will help to improve our health.
2. Would you yourself, as a modern young Singaporean, see the relevance of such cultural rituals in your society as necessary still, or are a hindrance to progress and enlightened thinking?
Being a modern young Singaporean, I do find such cultural rituals a little bit of a hindrance as we may have to wake up earlier just to carry out the rituals but I do believe that it is necessary as it is our tradition which we have to pass on down to the future generations so as to keep the cultural ritual alive and it also helps to comfort the older generations as some rituals could be for protection for the ones that they love.
3. Do you think the elderly in Singapore are out of touch with the contemporary world? How far is it a virtue to remain contented like old Mrs Li and think that there is nothing more that a person, especially an elderly one, can want?
I think that a minority of elderly in Singapore are out of touch with the contemporary world but a majority of them in touch with the contemporary world. Everyday, we can see a number of elderly using things like handphones which proves that they are in touch with the contemporary world unlike those that do not own and handphones at all. It is not far a virtue to remain contented like old Mrs Li and think that there is nothing more that a person can want as anyone can achieve that just by not being too vain as to always want to buy new things like clothes even though they already have a lot in their closet.
4. Is looking back at the past necessarily a good thing? This particular story uses the past to affirm strong ties, emotion and sentiment, but when can it become a negative habit?
Looking back at the past is not necessarily a good thing but it is also not necessarily a bad thing. Looking back at the past allows us to remember happy moments that we have been through before and will make our day wonderful but it also reminds us of our sadness from before which may cause us to become emotional and may even start crying and that is when it can become a negative habit.
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