My first day at school

My mother accompanied me to school on the first day. Other parents accompanied their children as
well. We all waited in front of the school office.

Soon a teacher came and led us to some classrooms. There we were put into four separate classes. This
was when some children began to cry as the parents were not allowed into the classrooms. I did not cry
because I had been to kindergarten before. Actually my mother went home soon after for she knew I
would be all right.

It was an enjoyable time for me as I got to know my new classmates. The teacher was very busy
writing down our particulars so we had plenty of time to ourselves.

Meantime some children continued to sob while their parents looked in anxiously through the
windows.

Soon recess came. Some of us headed for the tuck-shop while the rest headed for their parents. I
bought a drink with the money my mother gave me. Getting to know my new friends had made me
thirsty.

After recess we went back to out classroom and my new friends and I managed to coax two boys to
stop crying. In fact, soon we were laughing and playing together. Once in a while the teacher had to tell
us to keep quiet as we were making too much noise.

Still some parents looked in anxiously through the windows.

Finally the bell rang for us to go home. Some of us were very relieved to be reunited with our parents. I
too was glad to see my mother waiting for me at the school gate. I had made many friends. It had been
a wonderful first day at school.
    
sob  to cry noisily
    
tuck-shop  A shop where candy and other sweets are sold
    
coax to persuade someone gently to do something
 Road  safety
 

Everyday many people are involved in road accidents. Some are killed. Many more are injured or
maimed. So it is important for us to learn to use the roads properly and safely. No sane person would
like to be involved in an accident.

As the roads are very busy nowadays, we should be very careful when crossing one. It is safer to use a
pedestrian crossing or an overhead bridge whenever one is available. Never cross a road by dashing
across it. That is inviting trouble. If there are no crossings, then we must look carefully right and left
and cross only when it is safe to do so.

Some of us take the bus to school. It is important that we do not try to get on or off a bus while it is still
moving. I tried to get on a moving bus once. It dragged me a short distance and nearly ran over me. I
was lucky to escape with only some scratches on my legs. Also we must not fool around while in the
bus. A suddenly lurch can send us knocking our heads against something hard.

Using a bicycle can be dangerous too. We must pay attention on the road and never cycle too far out to
the middle of the road. We must obey all traffic rules. Also we must make sure our bicycles are in good
condition with working brakes, lights etc.

These are some things we can do to avoid accidents. However there is no guarantee that we will never
be involved in one. The important thing is to stay alert at all times while using the roads. We must
know what is happening around us. In that way we can take necessary action to avoid danger whenever
we see one. Road safety is very much up to how we use the roads. Use them carefully and we may be
able to use them for a long time. Use them carelessly and we may never be able to use them again.
    
maim to injure a person so severely that a part of their body will no longer
 
work as it should
    
dash  move quickly
    
lurch to move in an irregular way, especially making sudden movements
backwards or forwards or from side to side
    
 A visit to the dentist
 

My tooth hurt through the night. I had to take a painkiller to lessen the pain. Worst of all I did not get a
wink of sleep the whole night through.

The next morning. I told my mother about my toothache. It was obvious I could not go to school. So
instead she took me to the dentist. I was horrified, but I had no choice.

At nine o'clock we waited outside the dentist's office. The nurse came and opened the door. I was the
first patient. She wrote down my particulars and told me to wait a moment. The dentist had not arrived
yet. Meanwhile the tooth still ached like mad.

The burly dentist arrived and I was ushered to the dentist's chair. Normally I would run away from the
frightening surgery with all its horrible drills and pliers, but I did not. I had to get the offending tooth
out.

So I sat down on the reclining chair while the dentist kept saying some reassuring words. I relaxed
somewhat. He asked me to open my mouth. I did so. He said that the tooth had to come out. I nodded
dumbly in reply.

I felt a slight prick of pain when he gave me an injection, but that was nothing compared to the
toothache. Soon, miraculously, all pain disappeared. The anaesthetic definitely worked very quickly.
Then before I knew it, the dentist told me that I could go. I looked at him quizzedly and he told me he
had already pull the tooth out. What wonder, I did not even feel it.

The dentist put a wad of cotton over the wound and he told me to keep my mouth shut for a while. I
nodded, smiled and went out into the waiting room where my mother was waiting for me. The visit to
the dentist was not too bad after all.
    
not get a wink of sleep  not sleep at all
    
usher  to show someone where they should go
    
anaesthetic a drug which is used to make you unconscious when you have an
operation so that you do not feel any pain
    
 Caught in a storm
 

Black clouds gathered above us, but we were too intent on playing football. We hoped that the clouds
would go away so that we could continue playing.

Our hopes were dashed when suddenly heavy rain began to pour. In a few seconds we were all soaked
to the skin. To make matters worst, lightning flashed dangerously close to us. The deafening thunder
and howling wind did not help either.

We ran towards a large tree under which we had parked our bicycles. The tree provided some shelter
from the rain and we were tempted to remain under it. However we knew that it was dangerous to stay
under a tree during a thunderstorm. So we got on our bicycles and pedalled off.

There was no other shelter available nearby. So I, for one, decided to go home. Since I was already
completely wet, I might was well to go home instead to seeking shelter.

It was just about the fiercest storm I had ever been in. The driving rain made cycling difficult as I could
not see more that a couple of metres in front of me. A car flashed past me. It was too close for comfort.
Perhaps the driver did not even see me. So I thought it was better to stop somewhere before I got hit by
another car.

Luckily I found a bus-stop with a roof. I hurried gladly under the roof even though I had to share it with
a dozen other people who were also soaked to the skin. It was a bit of a squeeze but no one complained.

For an hour the storm lashed everything around us. We were silent spectators to an awesome display of
power by nature. I felt very small and vulnerable, even afraid; but I could do nothing but watch.

Finally the rain slowed down to a drizzle and the wind died down. I could still hear distant thunder but
the worst of the storm was over. So happily I got on my bicycle and pedalled home.
    
dash sb's hopes  to destroy someone's hopes
    
vulnerable able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt,
 
influenced or attacked
    
drizzle rain in very small light drops
 An  unforgettable  experience
 

Carrying a passenger on a bicycle is an offence punishable by law. Everyone knows that but still some
of us do it.

I had done it many times before until something happened to teach me never to do it again. It was not
the police. Rather it was an unforgettable, and unpleasant, experience.

It happened one evening when my friend Segaran and I wanted to go and visit another friend who lived
some distance away. I had a bicycle. Segaran did not. So, as usual, he sat side-saddle on the horizontal
bar of the bicycle while I pedalled. We had done it many times before, so it should not be any problem.

Near my friend's house, we got onto a gravel path made slippery by the recent rain. Still we managed
to wobble along, thoroughly enjoying the rough ride.

As we passed by a stream, I made the mistake of going too near the bank. The rain had softened the soil
and it could not hold our combined weight. One moment we were going along merrily, the next we
were tumbling head over heels into the stream as the bank gave way beneath us.

Splash! Splash! Splash! We plunged into the river bicycle first, followed by Segaran, then me.
Normally the stream is only a few centimetres deep with clear water. When we fell in, it was a metre
deep with foul black water. The water prevented us from getting badly injured but we also had to pay
the price of gulping some of it. It tasted horrible. Segaran got the worst of it for being sandwiched
between the bicycle and me, but it was not too bad. We had only a few cuts and bruises. Our pride was
far more hurt.

We retrieved ourselves and the bicycle from the stream. We were both dirty and soaking wet.
Obviously we were in no condition to visit anyone. So we decided to go home.

We walked all the way home. I had to push the bicycle because its front wheel was bent out of shape.
From that moment I vowed never to carry anyone on a bicycle again. Never again do I want to be dirty
and wet with cuts and bruises all over my body. Once was enough.
    
gravel  small rounded stones, often mixed with sand
    
wobble shake or move from side to side in a way that shows a lack of
 
balance
    
tumble to fall quickly without control
    
 My  neighbours
 

Many of us live in housing estates. I live in one myself. The one thing about living in a housing estate
is that we have many neighbours.

Next to my house on the right lives a family whose parents seem to be always scolding the children. I
do not know them very well because they always appear angry. Never a day passes without hearing the
children crying and the parents shouting at the top of their voices.

On the other side of my house, however, lives a very quiet and polite family. Mr. Verghese is a quiet
man who seems to manage his family very well. Though he has four children, which is one more than
the other family, I never hear him scold his children. So his children never cry. What a wonderful
family they are.

Further down the road is a family whose radio is switched on most of the time, except late at night. His
immediate neighbours must have a tough time putting up with the noise of the radio.

Then there is a family whose members seem to live in a world of their own. Many times we have met
along the road and not once has any of them even nod his or her head in acknowledgement. They are
not blind or deaf. Yet they can walk straight past as if I am not there at all. I would not say that they are
unfriendly. I guess they are simply not interested in knowing their neighbours.

On the opposite side of the road live Mr. Lim and his family. Mr. Lim is a bird-collector. So everyday a
dozen or more birds sing melodious tunes right beneath his front porch. It is preferable to the blare of
the other neighbour's radio. However the bird droppings can give off an awful stench.

These are some of the neighbours living near me. There are others that I have yet to meet. However I
am careful not to intrude on their privacy. The friendly ones smile or raise their hands. The not-so-
friendly ones look away. I have to live among them, friendly or not.
    
put up with  to accept an unpleasant situation or experience
    
stench  a strong unpleasant smell
    
intrude to go into a place or situation in which you are not wanted or not
expected to be
    
 My favourite time of the day
 

My favourite time of the day is between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. This is the time when the sun is setting and
the air is cooling down. At this time I either go for a stroll, play some games or sit quietly watching the
activities around me.

Sitting quietly doing nothing in particular is what I like most.

The compound surrounding my house is a fairly large one. So my father has planted many trees in it.
Birds of all sorts come to the trees in the evening to sing their sweet songs. I just sit under my favourite
rambutan tree and listen to these lovely songs.

However I cannot just sit quietly all the time. My parents sometimes ask me to mow the lawn or help
them in some gardening tasks. These I do gladly for the air is nice and cool. Working under a hot sun is
one thing I do not like. In the evening the sun is soft and gentle. It is pleasant to potter around the
garden then.

Other times I might go out for a stroll or play games with my friends.

Again it is pleasant to stroll around or play games when the sun is not hot in the evening. In fact many
people come out of their houses to breathe in the cool evening air and to relax a bit, unless it is raining.
This is the time of the day when the playing fields, parks and other recreational areas are filled with
people. I guess it is not only my favourite time of the day. It is many people's favourite time as well.
    
mow  to cut plants
    
potter  to move about without hurrying and in a relaxed and pleasant way
    
stroll to walk in a slow relaxed manner
    
 A Journey by Car
 

My father bought a new car one day. We were all very excited. He promised to take us to Melaka to
visit my grandparents the coming Sunday.

Sunday morning was bright and breezy. We hopped into the brand new car and soon we were heading
out of Petaling Jaya towards the expressway. My mother sat in the front passenger seat while my father
drove. I sat behind with my younger sister.

As it was Sunday the roads were not very busy. Soon we were on the expressway travelling at a
leisurely pace. My father is a careful driver and he does not drive too fast or dangerously. This proved
to be good for there was a speed-trap manned by the police along the expressway. I saw some cars
stopped by the police. They had obviously been speeding.

Driving along the expressway tend to be monotonous. I actually fell asleep once we passed Seremban.

When I awoke, we were already at the Ayer Keroh toll gate. My father paid the toll and steered the car
towards Melaka Town. On the way we passed many interesting sights. My father promised to stop by
on our way home. We had to visit our grandparents first.

We left Ayer Keroh and all its factories behind as we journeyed into the town itself. Like all towns,
there were many cars and other vehicles. Also there were many tourists. Melaka has many places of
historical interest and thus this was not surprising.

Finally we arrived at my grandparents' house in Klebang Besar. The journey had taken about two hours.
We stepped out of the car. My grandparents greeted us happily.
    
expressway a wide road built for fast moving traffic travelling long distances, with
 
a limited number of points at which drivers can enter and leave it
    
monotonous  staying the same and not changing and therefore boring
    
stop by to visit someone brief, usually on the way to another place
 A  Picnic by the Sea
 

Teluk Kemang is about 12 kilometres from Port Dickson town in Negeri Sembilan. It is a popular
beach where many people go to and relax on.

It was on one of the days of the Chinese New Year holidays that we had a picnic at Teluk Kemang. I
went there with my uncle and his family. There were five of us, my uncle, his wife, their two young
children and me. My uncle drove us there in his car.

We arrived there at about ten in the morning. The beach was already crowded with other holiday-
makers. Anyhow we managed to get a place in the shade of a large tree and we put our things there. My
aunt laid out a mat for us to sit on.

In double-quick time we were enjoying ourselves in the sea, except my aunt. She just sat on the mat
watching us.

The water was cool and refreshing and I loved splashing it on my cousins. However the hot sun above
can be quite uncomfortable. So after about an hour or so, my uncle told us to sit in the shade for a
while. The sun was getting increasingly hot. So we reluctantly came out of the sea.

In the shade of some trees we built some sandcastles.

Time passed so quickly. Soon we heard my aunt calling us to have lunch. We ran to her and helped
ourselves to the delicious curry she had brought. Then we had several glasses of ice-cold drink from the
Thermos flask.

After lunch we played a while more in the sea. The sun was just too hot. So we walked over to one of
the hotels nearby and washed ourselves with clean freshwater.

When we returned, my aunt had already packed everything in the car. So all of us got into the car and
my uncle drove us back home to Seremban.
    
lay out  to arrange something on a flat surface
    
mat  a small piece of cloth
    
In double quick time very quickly
    
 A  Nightmare
 

"Don't eat just before going to bed !" my mother used to tell me. "You might get a nightmare." How
right she was. I never believed her until it happened to me.

It was on a night when I felt hungry just as I was about to go to bed. So I made myself a peanut-butter
sandwich and a large cold glass of milk. After consuming them I went to bed.

Soon I drifted off into a troubled sleep. I dreamt that I was with a group of people looking for an old
woman. I was not sure why we were looking for her but we all seemed afraid of her. Somehow we had
to find her. So there I was, searching high and low for her in frightful places I had never been before.
Sometimes I seemed to be flying while at other times I seemed unable to move. The whole atmosphere
was one of fear, like a dreadful horror-movie in which I was a victim.

After some searching I entered a darkened room and saw a figure sleeping on a bed. As I got nearer the
figure suddenly threw away the blanket, got up and stared at me. It was an ugly old woman with shiny
golden teeth. She raised her claw-like fingers and walked towards me.

I wanted to run but was unable to. I tried to scream but found that I could not. In horror I struggled and
struggled to get away from the frightful woman.

The next moment I gave a muffled yell and found myself panting on my bed. My goodness, what a
horrible nightmare it was! For a minute or so I lay on my bed not daring to close my eyes for fear of
falling asleep again and continuing the nightmare. Then I sat up on my bed until the horrible feeling
passed. From then on I never eat just before going to sleep.
    
drift off  to gradually start to sleep
    
search high and low  search everywhere for something
    
muffled a quiet and less clear sound
    
 My  Hobby
 

My hobby is reading. I read story books, magazines, newspapers and any kind of material that I find
interesting.

This hobby got started when I was a little boy. I had always wanted my parents to read fairy tales and
other stories to me. Soon they got fed up and tired of having to read to me continually. So as soon as I
could, I learned to read. I started with simple ABC books. Soon I could read simple fairy tales and other
stories. Now I read just about anything that is available.

Reading enables me to learn about so many things that I would otherwise not know. I learned about
how people lived in bygone days of magic and mystery. I learned about the wonders of the world,
space travel, human achievements, gigantic whales, tiny viruses and other fascinating things of our
world.

The wonderful thing about reading is that I do not have to learn things the hard way. For example, I do
not have to catch a disease to know that it can kill me. I know the danger so I can avoid it. Also I do not
have to go deep into the jungle to learn about the tiger. I can read all about it in a book.

Books provide the reader with so much information and facts. They have certainly helped me in my
daily life. I am better equipped to cope with living. Otherwise I would go about ignorantly learning
things the hard way.

So I continue to read. Besides being more informed about the world, I also spend my time profitably.
It is indeed a good hobby.
    
bygone  happening in a past time
    
cope with  to deal successfully with a difficult situation
    
informed having a lot of knowledge
 A  birthday  party
 

Fiona is my neighbor. She turned twelve recently and her parents held a birthday party for her. I was
one of those invited.

The party began at about three in the afternoon. There were about twenty of us children gathered in
Fiona's house. We were all dressed in our best clothes. Everyone, especially Fiona, wore a happy
smile.

We gave our presents to Fiona and she happily opened them. It must really be exciting to receive all
those presents.

After that Fiona's mother served us soft drinks and delicious tidbits. We then played some games like
"Musical Chairs" and "Treasure Hunt". The winners were given prizes.

At about four-thirty Fiona's mother brought out the birthday cake. It was beautifully decorated with
pink and white icing. Twelve colorful candles sat in the middle of the cake. We all sang "Happy
Birthday" to Fiona after which she blew out the candles and cut the cake. We clapped out hands
eagerly.

We helped ourselves to slices of the delicious cake. Then we continued our games.

Finally at about six in the evening the party came to an end. We were all tired but happy. The parents of
the other children came to collect them. I helped Fiona and her mother clean up the mess we made.
After that I walked home which was only two doors away. 
    
dressed  wearing clothing of a particular type
    
titbit / tidbit  small item of pleasant-tasting food
    
clean up to make a person or place clean and tidy
 Things I like to do
 

I like playing the guitar. Though I am not very good at it and am still learning, I can play some tunes. I
spend quite a lot of time playing the guitar so much so I get scolded sometimes by my mother. I
suppose I do tend to spend a bit too much time with it. Anyhow, playing the guitar is very enjoyable.

I also like taking evening walks around my neighborhood. In the evening the air is cool and refreshing.
The children are busy playing and the neighbors are friendlier. So I take leisurely strolls, sometimes
stopping to play with other children and sometimes stopping to chat with the neighbors.

Another thing that I like doing is getting up late in the morning. During weekdays I have to get up early
or I will not get to school on time. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, it is so pleasurable to just lie in
bed in the morning without having to get up and hurry to school. Again I tend to lie too long in bed and
my mother has to come and tell me to get up.

Listening to the radio and watching television are also things I like to do. Of course I do not listen and
watch everything. I only tune in to my favorite programmes and enjoy myself while seated on my
favorite chair.

There are other things that I enjoy doing too but there seems to be not enough time to do them all. So I
generally just stick to doing those I mentioned plus any others that I have time for. 
    
stroll  to walk in a slow, relaxed manner
    
stick to  to limit yourself to doing one particular thing
    
 Fruits  of  Malaysia
 

Malaysia lies in the tropics and is blessed with plenty of rain and sunshine. Many types of trees and
plants grow here. Among them are those that bear delicious fruits.

The "King of Fruits" is without doubt the durian. It is an oval-shaped fruit about the size of a rugby
ball. Its skin is green or yellow and covered with many sharp thorns. Inside, however, the yellow flesh
is soft and sweet. Its smell is very strong. The locals love the durian, but foreigners find the smell hard
to bear.

The durian is a seasonal fruit. It normally is in season twice a year. So are other fruits like the
mangosteen, langsat, duku, rambutan and mango. We consume these fruits in great quantities.

Other fruits like the papaya, pineapple, banana and star fruit are not seasonal. They are obtainable at all
times. Again we consume these fruits in large quantities. In a hot country like Malaysia, fruits provide
us with much needed water and other nutrients that are vital for health. Often the fruit-stalls are
crowded with people waiting to buy a slice of papaya, pineapple or watermelon to quench their thirst.

We are lucky to have such a huge variety of fruits. In addition to that we get imported fruits like apples
and grapes, but they are usually more expensive. So we spend our money mainly on local fruits. I
would say that it is money well-spent.
    
the tropics  the hottest area of the Earth
    
langsat  East Indian tree bearing an edible yellow berry
    
quench to satisfy your thirst by having a drink
    
 An  Accident
 

The road in front of my school is a narrow one. It is also very busy. Every afternoon when school is
dismissed the road becomes almost impassable as children, bicycles, cars and buses jostle and struggle
to use it. Sometimes a policeman is there to help things out, but generally chaos reigns and we have to
be careful not to get involved in an accident.

A few accidents had already occurred. I was a witness to one.

If happened just after school. As usual the road was an utter mad house. Children were running across
the road to get to their cars and buses. Cars and buses honked angrily at them.

Just then I saw a young boy make a dash across the road. There was a loud blare of horn, a squeal of
brakes and I saw a car knock into the boy. He fell as though his feet were swept from under him.

Fortunately the car was not moving very fast and the driver managed to stop the car before a wheel
could run over the fallen boy.

All traffic stopped. I ran over to the boy and saw blood on the road. He was bleeding from a cut on his
head. A man came and examined the boy. Then he lifted the boy and carried him to a car. They sped
off, presumably to the hospital.

Many people surrounded the driver who looked dazed and bewildered. A policeman came to calm
things down.

As there was nothing I could do, I turned and walked down the road carefully. It was terrible to witness
an accident. I certainly would not like to be involved in one.
    
jostle  to knock or push roughly against someone in order to move past them
    
dazed  very confused, unable to think clearly
    
bewildered confused
 A  Fire
 

It was twilight time. I was watching television in my house when I heard an explosion. More followed.
So I went outside to see what the matter was.

A column of dark billowing smoke told me the story. There was a fire raging a short distance away.

I got onto my bicycle and pedalled in the direction of the smoke. A couple of kilometres later I came
upon the fire. It was a row of motor-workshops and they were burning furiously.

The police and fire department had already cordoned off the area. I watched from a distance. A crowd
had already gathered and we gaped with amazement at the spectacle presented by the burning shops.

The fire rose to about twenty metres and it lit up the whole area even though the sky was already dark.
The firemen desperately sprayed streams of water into the fire to control it. Now and then explosions
can be heard as gas cylinders blew up in the intense heat.

For more than an hour the fire raged. I could see anxious people trying to get near the workshops only
to be held back by the police. They were obviously the shop-owners trying to save their shops. Actually
they could do nothing but wait for the fire to be extinguished.

Finally the blaze died down and darkness enveloped us. The workshops were totally razed. Only red-
hot embers remained where they once stood. The crowd thinned and I too got onto my bicycle and
cycled home.
    
cordone off If people in authority, such as the police, cordon off a building or area, they
 
put something around it in order to stop people from entering it
    
gape to look in great surprise at someone or something, especially with an open
 
mouth
    
ember a piece of wood or coal, etc. which continues to burn after a fire has no more
flames
 A  Busy  Street
 

Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur has got to be one of the busiest street, if not the busiest, in Malaysia.
To be in it just once is to know the meaning of the word "busy".

I happened to be in it a few days before the Chinese New Year. On both sides of the street were
hawkers with all sorts of goods for sale. Fruits, cakes, fireworks, food and other things were displayed
openly for people to come and buy. The five-foot ways were not big enough, so the hawkers and their
customers actually spilled into the narrow street itself making it a hazardous place for drivers and
motorcyclists. Every few seconds a horn sounded as the vehicles crawled cautiously among the throng.

There were so many people there that if I had not been with my father I would probably have got lost.
My father knew his way around. So I held on tightly to his hand as he led me through the crowd. A
number of times I nearly knocked into someone, or rather, someone nearly knocked into me. Everyone
seemed to be in a rush and nobody seemed to care whether they trampled on another.

We were there to buy some cakes for the New Year. At the shop we had to wait a long time before we
could pay for what we wanted. The shop was crowded with other shoppers.

After our purchase, we made our way carefully out of the street. Once outside, the air felt so much
fresher. Though we had to walk some distance to our car, it was so much more pleasant than walking
among the crowd of frenzied shoppers along the busy street.
    
hazardous  dangerous
    
throng  a crowd or large group of people
    
trample to step heavily on something or someone, causing damage or
injury
 My favorite subject in school
 

My favorite subject in school is Mathematics. It is my favorite because I never have difficulty with it
and always get good marks in tests.

I suppose I am lucky to be born with a clear-thinking brain. So ever since young, manipulating
numbers and figures came easy to me.

The wonderful thing about Mathematics is that, besides some formulae, there is nothing else to
remember. Every step in solving a problem is done logically. Other subjects like History and
Geography require a lot of memory work. Remembering dates and other facts is hard work compared
with the ease and simplicity of mathematical reasoning.

While Mathematics is simple to me, some of my friends have great difficulty with it. I do not really
understand why. They get stuck with simple problems and often give up. So I help them out when I
can.

The one advantage I have in being good in Mathematics is that I do not have to spend a lot of time on
it. Homework and tests are a breeze. So I have plenty of time left over to study other subjects.
Sometimes I feel sorry for my less fortunate classmates who get scolded in class for not completing
their Mathematics homework.

Anyhow I have come to realize that human beings can be so different in their abilities while they look
similar otherwise. Some of us are lucky to be good in some things. Others may not be so lucky.
    
manipulate  to control or influence skillfully
    
reasoning the process of thinking about something in order to make a
 
decision
    
breeze something which is easy to achieve
 The  haunted  house
 

Everyone says that the old house at the end of the road is haunted. It used to be the residence of a rich
family but now none of them would stay there. So the house is vacant and uncared for. The compound
is filled with over-grown weed and grass.

My friend Jack and I decided to find out once and for all if what people said was true. So one evening,
we bravely entered the house and prepared to spend the night there. We brought along a powerful
torchlight, two sleeping-bags, some food and drinks, and a portable stereo set.

The early part of the night was no trouble at all. We sat on our sleeping-bags and listened to our
favourite music.

Twelve midnight came. We felt a bit sleepy. So we switched off the stereo set and crawled into our
sleeping-bags. However sleep was impossible. There seemed to be a heavy atmosphere hanging around
us. The darkness was oppressive and there was a strange soft whining noise coming from upstairs.

We dared not go up to investigate the noise. So we lay quietly in our sleeping-bags and hoped that the
noise would go away. But it would not go away.

Actually it got louder and louder. Then it sounded like someone moaning. Jack hurried out of his
sleeping-bags and switched on the torchlight. We could see nothing except the walls of the empty living
room we were in.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from upstairs and the moans turned to screams. We screamed too and
ran out of the house as fast as we could, leaving behind everything that we had brought. The hair on the
back of my head stood on end for hours afterwards.

We never dared to go back into the house, not even in the daytime. My uncle had to go and retrieve the
things we had left behind there.

So, is the house haunted ? All I can say is that if you want to know, go and find out for yourself.
    
whining  long, high, sad sound
    
make sb's hair stand on end  to make someone very frightened
    
retrieve to find and bring back something
 The  Newspaperman
 

The newspaperman delivers newspapers to us and many other houses in the neighborhood. I hear his
motorcycle every morning when he comes to deliver the daily paper. He comes promptly at 6.30 a.m.
every morning, rain or shine, unless something extraordinary prevents him from doing so.

He is so regular and prompt that I do not need any alarm clock to wake up. At six-thirty, the neighbors'
dogs start barking as he arrives and I know it is almost time to get up for school.

Though he comes every day, I do not get to see him. I only pick up and read the newspaper he had left
at the door. I only see him once a month when he comes to collect the bill.

Promptly on the first of each month, at six-thirty in the evening, he shows up with his bills. This time
he rings the door bell and I usually have to go and pay him. My mother will have got the money ready
one day earlier and instructed me to pay him.

He never smiles. He merely gives me the change, put the "PAID" chop on the bill and goes off to the
next house. It appears that his regular, almost regimental, rounds of newspaper delivery has made him
behave like a robot. He is very efficient, very prompt and does not smile. That is certainly very robot-
like.

Nevertheless, I appreciate his reliable service. For one thing, I am never without the daily paper. Some
of my friends complain that their newspapermen are very unreliable. Not so with mine, he is the best.
    
rain or shine  no matter what the circumstances
    
regimental  like the act of a group of soldiers
 Danger  at  home
 

Our home is usually our favorite place to spend time in. However many accidents occur at home. There
are dangerous things in the house and we should be aware of them. Thus we can avoid unnecessary
pain or injury.

Electricity runs many of our home appliances. It is a very useful thing. It is also a very dangerous thing
if used carelessly, for it can kill. Electrical sockets and power points are to be handled with utmost care.
Young children should never be allowed to go near them. Unless we are very sure of what we are
doing, repairs should only be done by a competent electrician. It is only too easy to get electrocuted.
Old or faulty appliances should be discarded. If used, they are likely to start a fire somewhere or kill
someone who touches it.

The kitchen has many dangerous things. Sharp knives can draw blood, mishandled gas-cylinders can
explode, hot water can scald and stoves can cause nasty burns. Flies and rats can contaminate food.
Thus the kitchen is not a place to be careless in. If we are careful and know how to handle things there,
then the chance of an accident occurring is lessened.

The biggest danger in a bathroom is when the floor is slippery with water or soap. I have heard of many
incidents of people, especially old folks, falling in the bathroom. Sometimes the fall is fatal. Often it
leaves the victim bedridden. Utmost care is needed here.

Finally the medicine cabinet should be inaccessible to young children. Dangerous drugs and pills can
look like sweets to these young ones. If taken, the consequences can be disastrous.

Other dangers do exist. It is up to us to watch out for them.

    
electrocute  to kill someone by causing electricity to flow through their body
    
scald  to burn the skin with boiling liquid or steam
    
bedridden Confined to bed because of illness or infirmity
 The importance of physical exercise
 

Each of us has a physical body made of muscles, blood, bones and various other living tissue. When
any of these are injured or not working properly then we get ill. Nobody likes to be ill. So it is
important that we keep our body healthy.

Exercising the body is one way of keeping it healthy. If we do not exercise then our muscles become
weaker and we are less able to do things properly. Also the bones can become weaker and thus break
easily.

There are many types of exercises that we may participate in. We may play badminton, football, netball
or whatever games that we prefer. We may also jog, walk, swim or climb a mountain. Older folks
prefer less strenuous exercises like Tai Chi, Yoga or a leisurely stroll in the park. For the really fit
young people, there are rock-climbing, gymnastics and other physically demanding activities.

We exercise to keep the body healthy. However there are some who overdo things and end up injuring
themselves. It is fine to jog for a few kilometres. It is madness to jog until we are exhausted. Also they
are people who become addicted to their exercises. They become unhappy when they are unable to
exercise or when they lose to someone in a competition.

Exercise is important. No exercise may result in a weak body. Too much exercise may result in injury.
Neither extremes are good. It is up to us to be sensible in exercising.
    
strenuous  using a lot of physical or mental effort or energy
    
stroll  to walk in a slow relaxed manner
    
sensible having an awareness or understanding of a situation
 A  visit  to  the  market
 

I accompanied my mother to the central market to buy some groceries that she needed for the coming
New Year.

When we arrived at the market we could not find a place to park the car. So we waited patiently for
about ten minutes before someone vacated a parking space and we moved in.

Coming to the market just before a festive season was not a pleasant experience. The whole town
seemed to be there. Everyone had things to buy. So the prices of things shot up. Worst of all, we had to
struggle to get these things.

So we made our way carefully through the various sections buying vegetables, meat, fish, noodles,
spices and other food stuffs. We had wanted to buy some prawns too but they were all sold out, despite
their sky-high price.

The bags got heavier and heavier. The crowd got thicker and thicker. The noise and heat was
overwhelming. As we had nearly done all the shopping, I told my mother that I would wait for her at
the car. I could not stand being among hundreds of aggressive shoppers anymore.

I lugged the bags wearily to the car and breathed a sigh of relief when I reached it. The air smelled
sweet and cool. I was glad to be outside.

Fifteen minutes later my mother emerged from the market. She looked exhausted. We put the groceries
in the boot, got into the car and drove off with the air-conditioner at full blast.
    
sky-high  describes a price or charge that is very high
    
overwhelming  so strong as to be irresistible
    
at full blast at full power
 Grandma
 

Grandma is 88 years old. Her hair is snowy-white, skin wrinkled and teeth all but gone. She is also
quite deaf. Otherwise she is strong and active, often arguing with my mother over who should mop the
floor.

The doctor said she has Alzheimer's disease. In other words, she is senile. It is a sad fact but true.

The one glaring symptom of her disease is that her memory is very bad. She cannot remember things or
gets them all mixed up. So she forgets where she has kept things and often will frantically search for
them. Then she forgets what she is searching for, which adds to her frustration. When she misplaces her
spectacles, she will don someone else's pair and happily go about the house. How she manages to see
with the wrong spectacles baffles me.

As much as she cannot remember recent things, she can recall her younger days vividly. She rattles off
the names of people she knew then and get my name and other family members' wrong. She cannot
remember whether she just had dinner but can remember an event that happened fifty years ago.
Sometimes she can be very difficult. Her being almost deaf does not help matters either. We have to
speak loudly for her to hear.

Sometimes she says we are scolding her. We shout to say we are not scolding her, which makes things
worse. We got her a hearing-aid. She would not wear it.

In between bouts of crankiness, she sometimes seems normal. But this seems to get lesser as her
disease progresses. So we do our best to keep her out of harm's way. We lock the medicine cabinet and
doors and hide dangerous things from her. It would be disastrous if she swallowed a bottle of pills or
got lost while wandering in the streets. The latter has happened before. A kind neighbour brought her
home.

It is unfortunate the last years of her life has to be like this, but it is so. We can do nothing but to help
her along as much as we can.
    
senile showing a lack of mental ability because of old age, especially a lack
 
of ability to think clearly and make decisions
    
don  to put on
    
rattle off to say or read aloud very quickly a list of names or items
    
 An unpleasant experience
 

The evening was very pleasant as we strolled to the "Glutton's Square" where we intended to have our
dinner. The sun was setting and the air was cool.

John, Aileen and I sat down at a table. The stall-owner came and we ordered some fried mee.

Soon the large plate of piping-hot mee arrived and we happily put some into our bowls and began
eating.

It was delicious.

John, the talkative one, still managed to say an unintelligible word or two between gulps of food.

Suddenly John winced as his teeth came against something unchewable. Cursing, he spat out the
contents of his mouth onto the table. "What the heck!" he cursed again.

Much to my disgust, John ran a finger through the half-chewed food. Then, uttering a cry of triumph,
he picked up a staple from the food.

Aileen and I immediately stopped chewing and expelled the food from our mouths. The thought of
eating staples was revulsive. I wondered if I had already swallowed some staples.

With a fork, Aileen searched through the rest of the mee on the plate. She found two more staples and a
short length of raffia string!

Goodness, I thought, what other rubbish was there in the food?

We summoned the stall-owner to our table. His smile vanished when we showed him the staples and
string. Then he apologized for the matter, said that we did not have to pay and furthermore would make
a fresh plate of mee for us, free of charge.

We got up, showed him our sour faces and walked off. I, for one, seemed to have lost my appetite.
    
piping hot  very hot
    
wince to show pain briefly and suddenly in the face, often moving the head
 
back at the same time
    
revulsive A sudden strong change or reaction in feeling, especially a feeling of
violent disgust or loathing
    
 Something unexpected
 

The routine of following lesson after lesson can be very tiring. Recess time always seems so far away.
The bell rings. One teacher leaves, another appears. What we need is a break from the monotony.

One morning, we were a lesson into the routine when I felt that it was going to be just another day of
endless studying. After what seemed a long time the bell rang for the second period. The Mathematics
teacher left. Next would be Geography with Mrs. Singham.

The short break between the going of one teacher and the coming of the next was when we had the
opportunity to talk and have some fun. It usually lasted a minute or two, sometimes more.

This time no teacher appeared even after five minutes. We were having a great time. Ten minutes --
Mrs. Singham still did not appear. Our monitor went out in search of her. A few minutes later, he
returned to announce that Mrs. Singham was absent. We cheered. This was unexpected, but it was
welcome.

So for forty minutes we literally fooled around. The monitor could do nothing. What a good time we
had. The bell rang again. Forty minutes of fun seemed so short, but it was great while it lasted.

Again no teacher appeared. It was another case of an absent teacher. We cheered even louder because it
was ,a double-period which meant we were free until recess.

Altogether we had one hundred and twenty minutes -- two hours, of no lesson. It was unexpected of
course and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. I would not mind having more of this unexpected
thing.  
    
routine  a habitual or fixed way of doing things
    
recess ( US ) in school, a period of time between classes when children do
 
not study
    
monotony staying the same and not changing and therefore boring
 Ways of improving my English
 

Today, English is used widely. It has become the most popular language of communication between
countries and in many fields of human endeavor. So it is important that we learn to use English.
Otherwise we will be at a disadvantage.

The only effective way of improving my English is to use it, as often as possible.

In school, the only time when English is used is during English lessons. That certainly is not enough.
So wherever possible I speak English with some friends and teachers who will or can speak English
with me.

Reading book, magazines and newspapers are good ways of improving my English. On the whole they
are grammatically correct. We may speak incorrect English and get away with it. Not so with printed
words, they have to be correct. Through reading, I learned how to use correct English in writing and
speaking, though at times I still speak the broken English that many of us speak here.

Watching television and listening to the radio are two more ways of improving my English. English as
it is spoken by the English, Americans, Malaysians and others are distinctly different.

So I continue to use English, that is, hear, read, speak and write it. Some of my friends only hear and
read it. They can hardly speak or write it, but I will not be like them. I will try my best to master it.   
    
endeavor  an attempt to do something
    
get away with  escape the consequences
    
distinctly clearly noticeable
 Places I like to visit
 

First of all, I would like to visit the moon. By the time ordinary people can visit the moon, I will
probably be very old or dead. Anyhow it would be quite an experience to walk on the moon. It is said
that there is no air or water there and our weight is many times less. I certainly would like to see how
high I can jump and how fast I can run on the moon. These are all wishful thinking, of course.

To be realistic I can only visit places on earth. There are the Seven, and other, Wonders of the Earth and
I like to visit them all, if possible. After hearing about the marvels of The Pyramids Of Egypt, The
Great Wall Of China, The Taj Mahal, The Leaning Tower Of Pisa, The Colosseum Of Rome,
Stonehenge in England and others, it would be great to actually be there and experience these things
first-hand.

However, before all these places, I would like to visit Disneyland first. Which kid would not like to?
There are so many things to see and do. It would be great fun.

Right now I cannot visit any of these places. The first reason is the lack of money. The second is I am
too young to go on my own and I do not know anyone rich enough to take me there.

So they remain places I like to visit. Who knows, I might get to visit some or all of them in future, or
not at all. Only time will tell.   
    
wishful thinking the imagining or discussion of a very unlikely future event or situation
 
as if it were possible and might one day happen
 Some funny people I have met
 

The first funny person that comes to mind is a man who sits on the branch of a tree by a road and
shouts at the cars that pass by. He is mad of course but it still is strange that a madman should shout at
passing cars. He never seems to notice me somehow when I pass by on my bicycle. For him it is only
cars. He shouts with such gusto and pleasure. I always laugh when I see him at it.

Then there is this man in baggy snorts and Japanese slippers who rides his motorcycle with only the
right side of his buttocks on the seat. The left side hangs out. This makes his motorcycle lean at an
awkward angle as though he is about to fall, but he does not. Perhaps he has a large boil on the left side
of his buttocks. Whatever the reason, I have seen him ride the way he does many times. He looks so
funny, but dangerous.

Running a sundry shop near my house is a short and stout man whose body shape and movements
resemble that of a penguin. I do not mean to be derogatory but he always reminds me of that bird.
However he runs his shop well and I get a lot of things from him.

Finally there is a dandy who dresses in the most outrageous outfits I have ever seen. The colour
combination he chooses for his clothes are, to say the least, horrible. Only he dares to wear a purple
shirt with green trousers and a pink tie. Often I see running around on his motorcycle wearing those
loud clothes. He works as a salesman for some company. Perhaps those clothes help him to get, or
maybe shock, customers.   
    
gusto great energy, enthusiasm and enjoyment that is experienced by someone
 
taking part in an activity, especially a performance
    
derogatory  showing strong disapproval and not showing respect
    
dandy a man, especially in the past, who dressed in expensive, fashionable clothes
 
and was very interested in his own appearance
 The way we eat
 

The way we eat our food is habitual. This means that we are usually not aware of it. I have noticed
some of the ways people eat and they range from elegance to gluttony.

My father slurps his soup. It is disgusting but we dare not say anything. He will be sorely offended if
we did. On the other hand my mother is so gracefully in her ways. It is a pleasure to watch her daintily
scoop the food up into her mouth and then chew it slowly and gently.

A fat friend of mine literally gobbles up his food. He eats at least three times as much as I do in about
half the time that I take. While he is eating, he is totally oblivious to his surroundings. He puts the food
into his mouth as fast as he can, chews a couple of times and then swallows. It does not matter whether
he is using a spoon, chopsticks or his hands. He is skilled with all. After finishing, he sits up, gives a
couple of burps and rubs his belly. It is all very disgusting, but at the same time it is very amusing.

Another friend of mine, a thin one this time, hardly, eats at all. He sits at the table and, half-heartedly
picks up the food with a fork. He says he has no appetite. No wonder he is so thin.

Then there are many who talk while they eat. So little pieces of food and drops of saliva start flying.
Only a sharp "Shut up and eat!" can silence these talkers. They usually shut up but only for a while.

How do you eat your food? Do you eat quickly, slowly, like a glutton, sparingly, daintily or noisily? Do
you lick your fingers, spoon or plate? Are you aware of how you eat?   
    
gluttony  when people eat and drink more than they need to
    
slurp to drink a liquid noisily as a result of sucking air into the mouth at
 
the same time as the liquid
    
oblivious   not aware of something, especially what is happening around you
    
 The garbage collectors
 

It is incredible how much rubbish we throw into the garbage bin. It always seems to be full. A garbage
bin is never nice to look at and get near to. The smell can be quite strong. So we are very thankful to
the garbage collectors who come and remove the garbage.

They normally come thrice a week. If they miss a day or two, then the garbage bins in my
neighborhood overflow onto the road. This invites stray dogs and other scavengers. Only when the
garbage truck comes again is the problem taken care of. So we can see how important these garbage
collectors are.

When they come, they usually make a lot of noise. Often they are moody. We bear with them because
theirs is not a very pleasant job. It is dirty and smelly. Besides, God knows what sort of rubbish they
have to handle every day. How they can stand the filth and stench I do not know. Perhaps they are used
to it. I know for sure that they do not love their jobs. Who would?

Nevertheless, they do come regularly to perform an important job. On festive occasions we give them
gifts, usually small amounts of money, as a token of appreciation for a job well done. Granted they are
noisy, dirty and sometimes cranky, but how else can they behave when they have to do work that most
people would not touch? Nobody would like to work as a garbage collector.

Anyhow someone has to do the dirty job. The least we can do is make their job easier by keeping our
garbage in proper bins and showing them a little appreciation now and then.    
    
scavenger a bird or animal which feeds on dead animals which it has not
 
killed itself
    
stench  strong and unpleasant smell
    
cranky  easily irritated or annoyed
    
 A close brush with death
 

It was raining cats and dogs. Fortunately we were in a car and my uncle, who was driving, had the
situation under control.

We passed slowly by an oil-palm estate. The driving rain made visibility poor. So my uncle drove very
carefully. He had all the lights on. So did the other drivers. I could make out little blobs of light on the
other cars through the white sheet of rain.

Overhead, black clouds hovered ominously. It felt as though they were about to fall on us at any
moment. Lightning streaked across the sky and onto the distant hills. The ensuing thunder rumbled
unceasingly. Some flashes of lightning came uncomfortably close and the resulting thunderclap was
deafening, even with all our windows up.

All of a sudden a bright flash of light blinded us and a very loud crack made me lose my bearings. The
next thing I knew was that my uncle had stopped the car and his face was pale with shock. I too was in
shock. What had happened?

For a long agonising moment I struggled to collect my scattered wits. Then my uncle pointed a
trembling finger at something outside the car. I looked in the direction and saw an oil-palm some ten
metres away literally split in half through the middle. It was scorched black and smoking. I then
realised that it had just been struck by lightning.

If the lightning had struck us instead, we would be scorched black and smoking too. Still trembling, my
uncle quickly drove away from the danger zone. We had just had a close brush with death. It was close,
too close for comfort.    
    
rain cats and dogs  rain very heavily
    
ominously  suggesting that something unpleasant is likely to happen
    
lose one's bearings  lose one's position or situation relative to one's surroundings
 Preparing for an examination
 

The Final Examination are just a couple of months away. It is important that I do well. So I shall have
to prepare for it. In other words I need to revise and study what I have learned through the year.

First of all I have to prepare a time-table of study so that I can divide my time properly to the various
subjects. I shall have to devote more time to the subjects I am not so good at.

I shall have two study periods a day, one from three to four in the afternoon and the other from seven to
nine in the evening. I cannot study all the time for my mind will not be able to cope with it. So I must
have some time to indulge in games and other forms of recreation. Then I can return to my studies with
renewed vigor.

I am not very good in Geography and History. So I have to spend more time with them. These two
subjects require memorizing of many facts. In order that I remember the facts I need to do a lot of
reading. Only then the facts will remain in my head. Also I need to read attentively or the facts will
tend to be forgotten quickly.

Other subjects require less memorizing. So I am all right with them. I only have to keep in touch with
them and I should pass without any problem.

One last thing is necessary. I shall have to cut out time-consuming activities like socialising with
friends, window shopping, watching videos and listening to pop-songs. I can do these things again once
the examinations are over. Meanwhile it is 'action stations'! There is a battle to be won.    
    
devote  to give all of something, especially your time
    
indulge to allow yourself to have something enjoyable, especially more
 
than is good for you
    
vigor  strength, energy or enthusiasm