An event that has shaped your life and the person you have become.

For many years, I had lived a pampered life. I did not have to worry about myself because everything was prepared for me. Come to think of it, I was always taking things for granted, not appreciating what I had in my possession. In fact, I did not see myself as being fortunate. However, things changed after my first overseas community involvement programme (OCIP) in Batam. It was truly an unbelievable experience for me.

My OCIP mission was to build fence for a primary school. When I first heard about the project, I was shocked as I could not imagine a school without this basic protection. I thought fence was the least schools should have. However, this was not the case for the schools in Batam as many of them could not afford the high cost.  It was then that I felt really privileged to be living in Singapore.

You may think that not having fence is bad but it is definitely not the worst. I had to prepare myself for more shocks. I was stunned when I first set foot in the school. Everything looked so old and run-down. I had expected things to be bad but not to that extent. Many of the students did not even have the proper stationery to use. It was unbelievable. At that point in time, I felt really ashamed. I knew I was so much fortunate than the kids in Batam. From then on, I started to become more conscious and appreciative of the people and things around me.  

(256 words)

My English Language Learning Journey

English language was never my favorite subject in school. In fact, I disliked everything that was associated with the subject whether it was essay writing or comprehension. It may be unbelievable but there was truly nothing that could arouse my interest in it. Perhaps a major factor came from the fact that I was from a mandarin-speaking family. To be honest, I believe that English language is rather complicated, especially in the usage of grammar. I am not afraid to admit that my weakest area has always been grammar. As you are reading through my post, I am certain that you would be able to pick up some grammatical errors. However, this is just me. No matter how hard I tried, it would never be perfect.

That is why I am here in this module, trying my best to improve on my control of grammar. To some, this module may seem burdensome or even a waste of time. However, I see it as an opportunity to strengthen my language foundation. It was not until recently that I realized the importance of English language; how important it is to write an error free report. Though I may be a decade late, it is better late than never. Attending this module will definitely be a worthwhile investment for me in the future.

(220 words)

Edited on 3 Feb 2014