Back with a vengeance?

 If you know a bit of SG politics, you should know what does this got to do with DPP

The Democratic Progressive Party is back (with a vengeance). The long forgotten opposition party has officially made former Singapore People's Party member Benjamin Pwee their new secretary-general. The party has not contested since the 2001 general election. Pwee is targeting to contest in two GRCs and two SMCs in the next election.

On paper, it looks as if DPP is preparing for a comeback with the aid of a scholar who has contested in the previous election. However, DPP is just a carbon copy (CC) of SPP. Like Pwee, many DPP members are former members of SPP which is led by opposition veteran Chiam See Tong.

This reminds us of the infamous Reform Party exodus a couple of years ago. Many RP members including Nicole Seah, Hazel Poa and Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss left the Kenneth Jeyaretnam-led party for the National Solidarity Party. RP faced a shortage of candidates before GE2011 and even had to loan SPP members to contest under their banner.

Hence, it is not surprisingly that people suspect the management of Chiam and his wife Lina at the SPP which resulted in so many members leaving together for another party. Anyway, these ex-SPP members have hardly anywhere to go except DPP. WP wouldn't want them, SDP's ideology differs from SPP while NSP is not lacking in manpower currently.

Thus, the most predictable thing (which really happened) to do was to follow Benjamin Pwee to a "new" party and consider joining the Singapore Democratic Alliance. SDA is the sole opposition alliance in the country and has only ywo parties left in it, the Singapore Justice Party and Singapore Malay National Organisation.

But I believe that becoming part of the SDA would be a wrong move for DPP. Do not forget that Desmond Lim, SDA's secretary-general, contested in the Punggol East by-election in January and received a magnificent 0.57 per cent of the valid votes.

Desmond contested in the same constituency in 2011 and garnered a whopping 4.45 per cent then. Yeah, he lost his election deposit not once but twice. So is DPP really serious on forming an alliance with political jokers like Desmond? I bet Benjamin Pwee, who is a Cambridge alumni, has enough wisdom to think properly.

Anyway, with the emergence of another alternative party, the political landscape of Singapore just got more interesting. More parties means more entertainment. Now, who said local politics was dull and boring?

Keep Calm and Carry On

The pathetic North Korea and its fat kid leader Kim Jong Un should stop becoming the jokes of 2013.

The state media in North Korea has broadcasted a government statement declaring that the country is entering a state of war with its richer and more successful Southern neighbour. The move comes only a day after Bad Korea (that's what I call it) staged a massive military rally on its streets.

Good Korea ('cause it's obviously the good one), the United States and the rest of the world should take it easy. Bad Korea's threats are nothing more than verbal missiles which are hardly strong enough to penetrate anything. It's like having your little brother screaming in your ear.

Plus, which country except for Bad Korea is so dumb/retarded/stupid to announce to the entire world that it is going to attack its enemy? You are warning the enemy that you are going to attack him? That is a very bad strategy that even my primary school cousin will not consider.

If possible but probably will not happen, America should just do it once and for all and give Bad Korea a good spanking. Fatty little Kim still looks years and decades away from having an army that it capable of matching the strengths of the US.

So how should we respond to this declaration by Bad Korea? Sit back and relax. Let's see what kind of negotiations the most backward country in the world wants this time.

A Drop of Water

 It's been a long time since I last wrote a story so if you are craving for one by me, here's my latest work of art.

***

I entered the study room. The darkness prompted me to switch on the lights. I waited for two seconds before heading towards the study table.

That study table. That familiar study table. Plus, that wooden chair which I always felt was a little too low for me. My study table was the place where I experienced joy and pain.

From solving chemistry questions to playing computer games to writing my first résumé. The study table was my bed, my punching bag but more importantly, it was a place for me to distance myself away from everyone and everything.

I took three books out from the drawer and slammed them on the table before taking in a deep breath. Just as I flip open the Strategic Marketing book, my handphone exploded to ruin the tranquility which I was enjoying.

"Hello? Yeah John?"

"Choi, I got something to ask you."

"Maths?"

"Yeah, this question...I've problems..."

"Erm, my phone is running out of batt"

I ended the call and switched off the device. I turned my head left to observe the ant which was crawling on my book before closing my eyes.

A minute had passed when I decided to stop wasting time by shutting my eyelids. The tranquility was gone. I felt that the mood to study was disappearing. After looking at the ant crawling down the book, I powered on my laptop.

I was thinking of what to do with my laptop when the doorbell rang.

"Anybody at home? We're here to promote our new product.."

I ignored them and decided to edit some photos which I took in California last month. I enjoyed the feeling of being all alone in front of my laptop editing photos. I loved to explore the functions and boundaries of the photo editing software.

I browsed the pictures and decided to edit one which was a close-up of John, Suzy and I. Suzy has known me for five years and is always my best friend whenever she needs my help.

My brain stopped working for a nanosecond. I wondered if the three of us were really best friends. Whenever I am alone, I always believed that my best friend was myself. However, John and Suzy never fail to make me change my mind when they are present.

Sometimes, I do feel lonely. Sometimes, I do feel unappreciated. Most of the time, I wonder if validation or freedom is more important?

I looked for the ant. It was now crawling down the table, probably heading somewhere to meet its friends.

It was getting warm. I got up to switch the fan on. When I turned back, I realized that the ceiling was leaking. And I needed help. From who?

Plunging down from the crack on the ceiling was.

A drop of water.

Lucker

Friend M was checking out the 4D results the other day when he started to whine, sigh and curse just like a punter who lost his money to the lottery operator. The only difference was that he did not crush that piece of paper which now officially worthless. He, plus all the punters out there, failed to realize that luck is never a constant thing.

Just look at Silviu Ionescu, the former Romanian diplomat, who earned himself a three-year stay in prison. Until this day, Ionescu still claims that he is innocent just like how the media claim that Najib's popularity is at an all-time high.

Mr Ion was a lucker (DOTA players will understand although I am not one) for almost four years ever since that unfortunate event took place. However, luck will never last forever although we have to agree that it lasted quite long for him. I wish him good luck in jail, better not be caged with some psychopath.

Some people have poorer luck though. Samantha Lo, better known as Sticker Lady by most but looks more like Sticker Boy in that court attire, was charged this week. He erm, I mean she allegedly spray-painted words on roads and pasted stickers on traffic lights. And it's not even the cute Pokemon stickers, it's something like "Press Until Shiok".

Vandalize until shiok, now it's time for him erm, sorry it's her to face the music. I still don't comprehend why some people are on her side. So it's alright for a man or a woman or a combo of both to enter your house, paste some stupid stickers around it and claim that it belongs to her father's father by using a stencil to paint the floor?

Someone should have educated Miss Samantha that Haji Lane was the spot for her, not Maxwell Road or Robinson Road. No luck this time, Singapore hates vandalism, just ask Bill Clinton.

However, another lady, and I am very sure it's a lady this time, managed to luck her way through. "Luck his/her/my/your way through" is a new phrase I have coined approximately three seconds ago in order to write this post. Enter Amy Cheong, the racist who got sacked by NTUC for degrading the Malay community.

The fact that Amy managed to run away with only a "stern warning" from the police is as puzzling as why NTUC opted to employ a foreigner for a job that can be easily filled by many locals.

Amy is now back Australia, probably enjoying the kangaroos and kiwi fruits there. I reckon that locals, like poor Samantha, wouldn't be let off so easily. More foreign talents for the win please!

And just before you reach the end of this post, let's go a little further to another part of the world. David Beckham has lots of charm, talent and tattoos but luck seemed to be missing during his recent visit to China to promote football.

Many women have fallen for him and this time, Golden Balls is falling as well, literally. Photos of the footballer in mid-fall after slipping from a kick went viral on the internet. But who cares? The man is still as suave as before and Chinese football is still well, Chinese football.

Kimchi eliminates wrinkles?

When we get older, the chances of wrinkles appearing on our skin increases. This is due to years and years of stretching. In this world, there is a kind of workout called facial exercise, which is believed to help you tone your face and get rid of the fat around your chin and cheeks. Please do it if you would like to have more wrinkles as these facial exercises do nothing but decrease your skin's elasticity.

Everyone including your great-grandmother hates wrinkles, especially those which appear around the eyes. The vain view wrinkles as the icon of deteriorating skin health while the optimists think that it signifies wisdom that one has accumulated after years of experience. Whatever it is, you definitely wouldn't want to have one.

With the Hallyu wave still going strong in Asia as well as in the West, people are becoming more familiar with Korean actors and singers. At the same time, Korean food has also seen its popularity rise over the last few years and the national food, kimchi is one that no K-fan doesn't know about.

It is said that eating kimchi helps to eliminate wrinkles, allowing you to be youthful and pretty like that sharp-nosed actress or metrosexual boy. No offence.

Kimchi is a marinated food and the process of making it does not require heat or any complicated preparation methods. Thus, nutrients are hardly lost allowing the body to receive more benefits from eating this humble dish.

The process of fermentation produces lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and other organic acids which are the main reasons why kimchi is an anti-wrinkle food. Lactic acid bacteria promotes the proliferation of subcutaneous collagen, something which loose skin lacks of. Also, LAB get rids of the reactive oxygen species in the cells, allowing you to look young for a longer time.

The making of kimchi produces many metabolites (the intermediates and products of metabolism) and most of them are able to regulate biological functions, particularly those of the group B vitamins. Many foods are unable to be synthesized hence the group B vitamins in kimchi are said to be gems as they maintain cell viability.

If you are thinking of shopping for ready-made kimchi in supermarkets, why not go the extra mile and prepare it by yourself? Most "commercial kimchi" are high in salt. Excessive salt intake will result in rapid aging where the skin starts to loosen, making wrinkles more visible.

So, do the right thing, do it yourself. Plus, if you are a K-drama or K-pop fan, you get to immerse yourself into the (complete Korean) experience.

Then and Now

 

Surprises

Life is full of surprises. Just when you thought the financial world started to lack entertainment, up came Cyprus (not Gangnam Style Psy) looking desperate to avoid a financial collapse.

In case you are wondering what or where is Cyprus, it is an island country in Europe whose most famous person was Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. But that's not the main point. Love can't buy you money and Cyprus is the biggest evidence at the moment.

Anyway, Cyprus lawmakers will probably find a way to solve this huge problem of theirs before the so-called deadline set by the European Central Bank. In the meantime, ATM machines will see long queues of desperate people just like in Singapore when McDonald's gives away free Egg McMuffins to celebrate National Breakfast Day.

Just when you thought Cyprus, euro zone and bailouts started to get a little boring, here comes another shock, one that is closer to home. A video claiming that Sarawak state chief Taib Mahmud is a corrupted man with Singapore being part of the cast went viral a few days ago.

Rule number 23 of surprises, extracted from the Law of Surprises. With every surprise comes a few predictable events.

After the video was uploaded, a wave of comments calling for Taib Mahmud's resignation appeared. The main character of this furore denied the allegations and the Monetary Authority of Singapore screamed for innocence after being accused of being haven for tax cheats.

By the way, if you are thinking what the heck is the Law of Surprises, let me tell you that it doesn't exist at all. Surprise! Ok maybe not. The next predictable events after the surprise are you being slightly angry at me and scrolling down to read the remainder of this post.

Australian prime minister Julia Gillard enjoyed a Singapore-style walkover this week thanks to Kevin Rudd who was unwilling (and probably afraid) to challenge her. She was re-elected unopposed but there was a price to pay. Surprise. Three ministers have called it quits.

But the most surprising thing did not come from that woman with a bob hairstyle. Kevin Rudd announced that he will never run for the leadership again. So red hair beats blondie this time, again and for good.

On a sidenote since we are drifting into fashion for no reason, Lindsay Lohan appeared for her latest court date in a 3.1 Phillip Lim top with matching sheer pants. She looks great but too bad it was a journey to the courtroom and not down the red carpet.

Over at sports, look who's got a new girlfriend? Cristiano Ronaldo? Nah, that happens as frequent as he scores a goal. It's Tiger Woods! The once and still mighty Tiger has revealed his relationship with Lindsey Vonn, an alpine ski racer. You probably only know the other Lindsay since Singapore doesn't have winter.

And it only gets better. Cyprus and Taib Mahmud must be so jealous. Tiger Woods, currently the world no. 2, might reclaim the top spot in golf this week if he wins the upcoming Arnold Palmer Invitational where he is the defending champion.

Back in Singapore, it has been reported or you can say exposed that Tampines Junior College is hiring English tutors to help its international scholars. Two tenders, looking for General Paper (GP) and O Level tutors, were called by TJC on Gebiz, the government procurement portal site.

No prizes for guessing but we all know the motive of this. The so-called international scholars whom I suspect are from a populous country with lots of history are so weak in the English language that they require additional help outside of the classroom.

So why are these zhuang yua...I mean scholars here in our country? Why is the government providing such foreign scholars a place in our schools? So Singaporean students are so bright that they do not require any tuition for GP?

Life is full of surprises. This must apply to the next general election.

The fall of the English giants?

 Messi: What do you see down there?

Ronaldo: Haha, just a couple of fallen English teams!

Champions League quarter-finals: Barcelona versus Paris Saint-Germain the most glamorous one, Real Madrid will take on Galatasaray, Bayern Munich face Juventus and a spirited Malaga is drawn with the disappointing Borussia Dortmund.

Malaga and Galatasaray may not look like quarter-finalists of Europe's elite competition. But that is not the main point. What is surprising is that none of the eight teams are English. This is in stark contrast to 2011 when Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur occupied three spots at the same stage of the competition.

We can even go back a little more to the 07-08 and 08-09 seasons when three Premier League clubs were in the semi-finals. The English Premier League had at least one representative in all but one final (2010 saw Inter Milan defeating Bayern Munich) since 2005.

In recent years, with the decline of Liverpool and the emergence of Tottenham and the mega-rich Manchester City, the English contingent has been given a new look. The traditional Big Four has become history while Spain's Big Two still continue to make an impact every year.

The ironic thing about the absence of English clubs in this season's Champions League is that the final will be held at the Wembley Stadium in London.

Well, to be fair, the two surviving Premier League sides in the last 16, Arsenal and Man United, were simply unlucky. Despite being level on aggregate, Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League due to the away goals rule. They came back from a 1-3 defeat to beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the second leg.

The same can be said of Manchester United, currently having a massive 15-point lead in the title race, where they got trumped by old boy Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid. Plus, a controversial red card for their midfielder Nani in the second leg allowed Real to fire two quick successive goals which proved to be the crucial.

Manchester City played really badly during the group stages. They failed to win a single match then and finished bottom of Group D with only three pathetic points, courtesy of three pathetic stalemates at their own stadium.

The fourth and last representative, Chelsea were unfortunate not to advance to the knockout round. They were tied at 10 points with Shakhtar Donetsk but placed at third because the Ukrainian side enjoyed a better head-to-head record.

Are English teams really losing their shine in the continent's most prestigious club competition? Probably not. If haters argue that three English semi-finalists in 2008 and 2009 was a coincidence, then 2013 is another coincidence whereby all English teams got eliminated before the last eight.

England will bounce back next year with Manchester United leading the charge. And no, we need no Manchester City. A Tottenham is fine but good old Liverpool is what we are lacking. Do note that a certain Liverpool bias may have inflicted the above comment.

Rude Cats

Here's a random thought for the day. I really hate it when I meow at cats and they do not bother to meow back. So rude. Well, there are cats who are polite enough to reply a meow but they belong to a minority.

An era of being normal

The era of MSN-ing will finally come an end soon. In fact, it has already started to retire with the emergence of smartphone apps like Whatsapp and Wechat which make people stand, sit and move with their heads down. Heads will only go up when these people want to take photos of food, themselves, their pets and anything else that can make it to STOMP.

Windows Live Messenger, which is the messaging service's actual name that nobody really uses in casual talk, was slated to become history today, March 15. But the date has been pushed back a few weeks to April 8. Probably for some who still cannot come to terms with the impending cessation of their beloved tool for gossiping.

Gone are the days where you irritate the hell out of a friend with continuous nudges only to see him offline for the next day because he decided to block you. And gone are the days when you rather not email colleagues to communicate so that more spice can be added. And and and gone are the days when you were an expert in high-speed multi-tasking, be it in school or at the workplace.

Microsoft announced in January that existing MSN acconuts will be migrated to Skype. The long-time rival and loggerhead of Apple Inc. gobbled up Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion. This means that MSN and Skype accounts will be merged together. It's like having an Adobe Flash player with an operating system, something which iPhones don't.

Nowadays, people prefer to switch between two different screens (one big one small) instead of focusing on one because the smartphone addiction has gotten the better of them. For me, I personally think that it is more convenient to do work on your computer and MSN simultaneously than moving your head and hands towards your mobile device every ten seconds.

MSN has certainly gave us many memories. Whether it is good ones, not so good ones or just stupid nudges, they have become part and parcel of our interaction with technology. That interaction might not necessarily be a positive one but it definitely made life easier and looked perfectly normal to do it every day.

The same cannot be said for using smartphones.

Here's a quote by Gertrude Stein all my readers out there (who are most likely reading this on a device which you hold in your hand(s) to think about. "Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense."

By the way, Gertrude Stein was a writer (heck, nothing do with science or tech) who lived through the 1800s and 1900s and did not know about iPads, Twitter and Instagram then. What a far-sighted man.

Pictures of the bizzare world

 

Gilbraltar Airport: One of the most unique in the world. The runway intersects the main road. No point driving a Ferrari there.

 

 

 Magdeburg Water Bridge: A river above another river in Germany

 Banpo Bridge: Fountain highway in Seoul, South Korea

In the Indian Ocean, there lies Isle of Lamu and a utopia.

And here we have another airport from Maldives. On a man-made island in the Indian Ocean.

The physics of productivity

According to the Economic Survey of Singapore 2012 recently released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore's labour productivity plunged by 2.6 per cent last year. The drop pales in comparison to the 1.3 per cent increase which it enjoyed in 2011.

In fact, productivity growth has been on a decline for the last three years. The republic’s achievement of 11.1 per cent in 2010 is easily forgotten when one looks at its humble score of 1 per cent in the following year. In 2012, productivity went down by 2.4 per cent on average for the first three quarters.

It has been three years since the government started the productivity drive but the outcome has, to this point, not been positive. It is evident that firms and manufacturers have heeded the call to boost productivity. Nevertheless, it is a vicious cycle. Plans to increase productivity are countered by the challenges faced while the latter can only be solved by outlining more plans.

The conventional and most predictable method to raise output and workforce efficiency is automation. Automation allows companies to reduce manpower and time. This, in turn, is effective in countering the labour crunch. Management of manpower is especially crucial now as foreign workers will be harder to come by after the government announced plans to moderate the inflow of foreigners.

Although sectors like furniture, where majority have shifted their operations overseas, have nothing much to progress from; others such as food manufacturing still possess lots of room for improvement in the area of automation.

Industries where automation is still lacking in basically have two problems which are standing in their way. Space constraint s and budget limitations. The addition of machinery means more room is required for accommodation and they come with a hefty price tag.

Micro companies, those with revenue of less than 1 million, do not have the financial capabilities to purchase machinery. That is not to mention that these companies occupy considerably smaller areas compared to the big boys.

Moreover, these small firms only cater to the local market so there is little incentive for them to alter the way they operate. Also, they do not have many employees so there is barely any economic need to cut down the amount of staff.

There are also certain jobs which are unable to be replaced by machines. Most of these hail from the food and beverage industry where signature dishes can only be perfected with a human touch.

A feasible alternative to automation is through training and education. In the area of logistics, skills upgrading has been a common thing among companies. Numerous Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses in the field of logistics and transportation have sprung up over the years.

In the furniture industry, there are programmes like the Furniture Industry Capability Programme which was introduced a decade ago to deal with the rising obligations of talent development to make sure that the sector continues to be viable in the long run.

Elsewhere in food manufacturing, the Singapore Food Manufacturers Association conducts cost control courses every three months in an effort to educate firms on how to increase efficiency.

However, some do need to think twice before opting to put the focus on improving the skills of their workers. Restaurants may not be able to send employees to courses on a regular basis as most are usually short-handed. The F&B circle suffered an average monthly resignation rate of 4.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2012.

For those who are fortunate to have adequate staff, there is the concern that they may end up on the losing end as workers might call it quits after receiving training. Plus, it is natural that people demand for a pay rise after their employability has been enhanced.

In recent years, another viable choice has emerged from various industries. Creativity and innovation.

In the unglamorous construction sector which suffers from an image problem, most are still not utilizing the software called Building Information Management (BIM). It is a 3D modelling programme that aids in clash verification plus construction sequencing as well as planning. If it is put to good use, the BIM will no doubt raise output in the building industry.

As for the F&B industry which experiences high amounts of job vacancies (up to 5500 in September 2012), a creative approach is to abolish service charge. Restaurants and eateries are able to boast more competitive prices and cut down on the wage bill if they move towards tipping.

A more forward-thinking proposal is to make the entire dining experience a self-serving one. Patrons place their orders electronically, take their drinks, collect utensils and crockery, get their food and clear their own tables.

In this case, the only necessary labour would be the cooks in the kitchen who receive orders electronically and the manager who is in charge of the dining area and doubles up as the sole point of contact for customers.

Although creative suggestions may sound enticing, they can only become a reality if fundamental problems are first cracked. First, there is the problem of necessary labour, jobs which must be done with a human hand or brain. Then, the reorganization of infrastructure may cause more problems than it is supposed to solve. Lastly, the lack of a dedicated human resources (HR) team to systemize processes may end up as the bottom line of low productivity.

As we can see, the goal towards increasing productivity without negatively affecting resources, workers’ welfare, clients’ interests, space etc. is a tough and enduring one. The solving of one problem may result in the emergence of a new setback. The best possible solution may be forgotten if it is deemed as too costly from (but not just) an economical point of view).

The drive to expanding productivity can be likened to Newton’s first law (Law of Inertia).

If an object experiences no net force, then its velocity is constant: the object is either at rest (if its velocity is zero), or it moves in a straight line with constant speed (if its velocity is nonzero).

Increasing efficiency is a continuous process as firms constantly face new challenges or it can be a stationary one if they choose to cross their arms and make no effort. The “net force” is ultimately what everybody is looking for. Striking a balance.

*This article was a microeconomics project of the blogger

Video sharing

This is a fantastic song performed by a fantastic singer with a fantastic voice. Sarah Cheng-De Winne proves that Singapore does have quality singers. Her unique low-pitched voice is quite rare and not many who sing with a low-pitch can handle it as well as Sarah. Project Superstar finalists, please step aside.

By the way, here's another awesome Youtube video. You just have to watch it once to understand.



Oh yeah, and hail the new Oscar Queen. Jennifer Lawrence.

"You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that's really embarrassing but thank you," - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/lifestyle/story/everybody-loves-jennifer-lawrence-whose-uncensored-mouth-blast-2013030#sthash.NXemGOgV.dpuf

"You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that's really embarrassing but thank you."

"You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that's really embarrassing but thank you," - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/lifestyle/story/everybody-loves-jennifer-lawrence-whose-uncensored-mouth-blast-2013030#sthash.NXemGOgV.dpuf

"You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that's really embarrassing but thank you," - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/lifestyle/story/everybody-loves-jennifer-lawrence-whose-uncensored-mouth-blast-2013030#sthash.NXemGOgV.dpuf

Literature, literally

What's the latest talk about Singapore education? Literature. Pure literature. When one mentions the word "pure" in front of literature, one is not trying to imply that the subject is high-class, swanky or elitist. In fact, the "word" pure here means independent and self-supporting.

It was reported that more and more students are abstaining from studying pure literature during their upper secondary years. With the introduction of combined humanities, where students take social studies with either literature, history or geography, pure literature has become less popular these days.

There has been quite a bit of action about the tissue in the Straits Times forum this week. Most of those letter hint at the writer's disappointment at the decreasing amount of pure literature students. Some state that literature should continue to be enjoyed but is learning the subject really worth the effort when one sits for its exam at the O Levels?

During my secondary school days, the school made it mandatory for all of us to study literature. Because of that rule, I am now a former literature student who had undergone the rigours of the pure literature paper during the O Levels examinations. My score? A humble but respectable C5 in my opinion.

During those uniformed days and even up till now where I am wearing a different uniform, my perception of answering a literature question is to write as much as you can, regardless of what you know and what you don't. A question may consist of 15 words but because it is worth 20 marks, I would pen an answer that occupies an entire page of foolscap paper.

But even then, a full page flooded with words, may not guarantee you a pass. There seems to be certain "standard answers" which candidates must state in order to score better at the exams. Sometimes you may have an alternative opinion to what the book states but as that thought of yours is not printed in the book, you will be taking a risk if you were to write that as your answer.

The "template answer" concept of literature may be the reason why an increasing number of students choose not to pick it. Literature should be full of debate, where students and the teacher share their views and engage in meaningful discussions. If the teachers were to provide students with straightforward points to ace in tests, then what is the point of testing them?

Another theory as to why pure literature is losing its popularity is that the subject is viewed as atas by many. Students who come from non-English speaking families may already struggle with English, hence their mentality is that they cannot afford to spend time on another "language" subject.

Some, like those from neighbourhood schools, believe that literature is a burden. Its sole purpose is to expose us to more stories by famous authors. But then, because most of these stories are written by an eloquent hand, it may be difficult for the average student to comprehend.

Many think that literature is like studying English but the only difference is that you have comprehension. The comprehension can be prose or poetry and the questions are there to make you list out everything which was taught in the classroom. The killer is always poetry as it short yet deep in meaning. Two hours in the exam hall may be insufficient for students to digest the underlying meaning.

In order to make literature hip and attract more students, the Ministry of Education should promote the subject in a light and casual way. Teachers should not "teach", they should have DADA, discussions, arguments, debates and analysis, in the classroom. Only then will the study of literature be useful and worthwhile.