Group 1 Members:
Xiaohui (25)
Miichiang (9)
Nuanlin (19)
Yueenn (14)
Mavis (18)
What makes a hero?
To provide an accurate definition of the word 'hero', our group have found three different types of definition for the word.
-Hero refers to a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
-These are a definition from (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hero).
In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
-A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.
-And these, from (http://www.yourdictionary.com/hero).
A hero is a man of great strength and courage, favored by the gods and in part descended from them, often regarded as a half-god and worshiped after his death
-A hero is a man, admired for courage, nobility, or exploits, especially in war
-A hero is the central figure in any important event or period, honored for outstanding qualities.
Are heroes only those who have achieved what they want to achieve or did they arise from some 'special' circumstances?
Some heroes are great people who achieved what they wanted to not only for themselves, also for the people. They dont arise from any 'special' circumstances. While other heroes arise from 'special' circumstances, these circumstances are merely just coincidence that occurred to aid the heroes to achieve what they want. Therefore, in different point of views, heroes can be people who achieved what they wanted to and people who arose from 'special' circumstances.
What challenges does a hero face and how does his/her qualities enable him/her to overcome challenges? Describe at least one challenge and how the hero overcomes the challenge.
A hero will face difficulties on saving people. They will have to find the savest and the best way to save those who are in danger. Sometimes, they will have a lot of pressure, as people know that when they themselves' in danger, the hero will appear on time and save their lives, people count on them which made them feel stress.
Their own confidence lead them to the victories they made till today. Their high self-esteem enable them to overcome all the obstacles and twist and turn in life.
Lim was the 11th child but the first son of Lim Chee Gee. At the age of 16, he came to Singapore and studied at Raffles Institution. He discontinued his education at the University of Hong Kong in 1929 when, upon his father's death, he inherited senior Lim's businesses which included the Hock Ann Biscuits and factories for brick manufacturing. In 1930, he married Gan Choo Neo, a Straits-born Nonya with whom he had seven children. Their's was a love marriage, unusal in those days.
Lim Bo Seng is a national hero in Singapore for his resistance to Japanese forces during World War II. A native Chinese who moved to Singapore as a child, Lim led efforts to raise funds to help China fight Japanese invasion in the late 1930s. When the Japanese captured Singapore, Lim escaped to India and joined Force 136, a group of resistance fighters organized by the British. He was captured after infiltrating Japanese territory in 1944; despite punishment and torture, he refused to reveal the names of other resistance fighters. He died in captivity, becoming a martyr to the cause of Singapore.
During the Japanese Occupation, in the 1930s, Lim Bo Seng under the alias Tan Choon Lim participated in anti-Japanese activities in Singapore, particularly in supporting the China Relief Fund. Upon the request of Sir Shenton Thomas, the Governor, he also formed the Chinese Liason Committee to assist in civil defence. With the fall of Kota Bahru in Malaya in 1942, Lim, as head of the Labour Services of the Overseas Chinese Mobilization Council, and Tan Kah Kee organised more than 10,000 men for the British Government to man essential services and to construct defences around the island. As the Japanese troops decended upon Singapore, his men helped dynamite the Causeway.
He escaped to India before Singapore's fall where he was joined by the British resistance group, Force 136, and was trained by the British for intelligence work. In 1943, he went to China to recruit Kuomintang colleagues for Force 136 - a special operations force formed by the British and the Chinese governments in June 1942 to support resistance groups behind enemy lines and to coordinate guerilla operations in support of the eventual British invasion of Malaya. With a group of fellow Force 136 members, he landed in Japanese-occupied Malaya by submarine in 1943 and set up an intelligence network in the urban areas in Pangkor, Lumut, Tapah and Ipoh. The intelligence network - Operation Zipper - was targetted at recapturing Malaya with British support by 1945. While on a mission in Ipoh on 27 March 1944, Lim was betrayed by Lai Teck, the Malayan Communist Party leader, and was caught by the Japanese at a road checkpoint. He died in Batu Gajah Jail on 29 June 1944 under torture. Lim was posthumously awarded the rank of Major-General by the Chinese Nationalist Government and his remains reburied in Singapore at the MacRitchie Reservoir.
Well, Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The organisation was established to encourage and supply resistance movements in enemy-occupied territory, and occasionally mount clandestine sabotage operations. Force 136 operated in the regions of the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II which were occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945.
During the Second Sino-Japanese war, he participated actively in activities organised by the Nanyang Federation to boycott Japanese goods and raise funds for the Chinese army. During that time, Singapore was in need of money. In order to keep the army going, he had to think of strategies to overcome this problem. He had to do all he means to raise funds. And also, at that time, the government is bias towards the English and Malays, instead of Chinese. So, there was very little money provided to the Chinese army and Lim Bo Seng had to raise funds to help continue and managing the army. Lim Bo Seng is a very thoughful person. He is willing to do everything to help the Chinese army, which could protect the people’s life.
He was captured by the Japanese soldiers, and he was forced to spit everything regarding Singapore. At this moment, he could only choose between him and his country. Being a very devoted citizen, Lim Bo Seng refused to reveal any information about Singapore and thus he was tortured. In this case, the challenge he was facing was the pain and torture he had. He overcome the fear in his heart and stood strong on his ground, protecting his country. Not everyone would be like Lim Bo Seng, who puts Singapore infront of himself. For the sake of his country’s welfare and safety, he sacrificed his life for it. This is something we should be proud of, and honour him.
Videos
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
group 6
The challenge to the predominance of Gandhi and Gandhian tactics in Indian nationalism came from within the Congress. It came from a man named Subhas Chandra Bose, who, at the height of his political influence, was one of the two or three most powerful leaders in the Congress. Gandhi certainly saw Bose as a rival and a dangerous upstart, and did his best to destroy him politically. I want to focus on Bose today not because I think his battles with Gandhi are particularly fascinating, but because Bose held up an alternative vision, not only of political tactics, but also of political objectives.
Whereas Gandhi sought compromises with the British, Bose sought absolute victories. Gandhi was willing to wait a long time for independence, Bose wanted immediate action, if not immediate results. Gandhi was anti-materialistic and hostile to modern technology, Bose saw technology and mass production as essential to survival and dignity. Gandhi wanted a decentralized society and disliked the modern state; Bose wanted a strong central government and saw the modern state as the only solution to India's problems. And finally, Bose did not share Gandhi's dedication to non-violence.
The challenge to the predominance of Gandhi and Gandhian tactics in Indian nationalism came from within the Congress. It came from a man named Subhas Chandra Bose, who, at the height of his political influence, was one of the two or three most powerful leaders in the Congress. Gandhi certainly saw Bose as a rival and a dangerous upstart, and did his best to destroy him politically. I want to focus on Bose today not because I think his battles with Gandhi are particularly fascinating, but because Bose held up an alternative vision, not only of political tactics, but also of political objectives.
Whereas Gandhi sought compromises with the British, Bose sought absolute victories. Gandhi was willing to wait a long time for independence, Bose wanted immediate action, if not immediate results. Gandhi was anti-materialistic and hostile to modern technology, Bose saw technology and mass production as essential to survival and dignity. Gandhi wanted a decentralized society and disliked the modern state; Bose wanted a strong central government and saw the modern state as the only solution to India's problems. And finally, Bose did not share Gandhi's dedication to non-violence.
Group 4 : elizabeth choy
Heroes rise from many different circumstances out of bravery, capabilities and an iron will. A common trait among all heroes is that all of them have the determination to strive towards a goal, and none of them give up knowing that their efforts were futile. Instead, they make progression against all odds and impossibilities they face, and carve a name for themselves. Heroes fight for the rights of the people and the world out of purity and good-will. Heroes fight for the interest of the public.
A hero arises under special circumstances, as they stand out from the crowd because they are daring and they take action against any decisions they make. Heroes do not just protest, but they make promises and take action and responsibility for all that they do. They can think in different perspectives, taking alternative solutions to solving problems. Heroes make use of their creativity, and act in the best interest of the public. Heroes stand out from the crowd in that they represent the public for their passion and determination for the greater good. Heroes are selfless.
An example of a hero known throughout the Marines who served in Iraq is Sgt. Rafael Peralta USMC Semper Fi. Peralta was a platoon scout who was selflessly volunteering to be on the frontline of clearing the streets and houses of terrorists, despite being not obliged to do so. Peralta got shot 3 times while raiding a room, and he blocked his juniors from a grenade despite his dying moments. Peralta took the full impact of the grenade by pulling the grenade that landed near him towards his body. As a result, 4 marines were saved and suffered minor injuries. Peralta’s selflessness and passion towards his job is truly heroic, and the fact that he wanted to be on the frontline means that he wanted to protect others by sacrificing himself.
Another example is Capt. Louis L. Millett. He dropped out of school at the age of 17 to server the army to fight for liberty. As America refused to take part in war, Millett deserted America and went to Canada to fight for liberation. Millett fought with bravery in war against the Chinese and Korean despite being wounded by a grenade attack, charging forth with bravery. Millett’s charge managed to subdue the Chinese and Korean and they fled.
Elizabeth Choy campaigned for the development of social services and family planning. She served as a second lieutenant in the women’s auxiliary arm of the Singapore Volunteer Corps. Elizabeth Choy continued with social work and school visits into her nineties, impressing young Singaporeans with the need to maintain strong national defence. She was also the first principal of the Singapore School for the Blind. She also smuggled medicine into the Changi Prison for the prisoners of war. This shows her selflessness for the people around her, as she risked her life to save the prisoners of war. She also educated people on the futileness of war and measures to protect Singapore in times of war. Elizabeth Choy’s selflessness towards the unfortunate people around her and her efforts towards the education of protection against war is a true act of heroism, as she has a greater interest in mind – protecting the innocent, standing for justice.
By weihock, wangbo, wangjie, sean chai, sean tay
Friday, July 2, 2010
Group 5: Mr Lim Chin Siong (Belicia, Gladys, Li-Jun, Linda)
The definition of a hero as provided by http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hero is as follows: A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.”Selflessness is one of the key qualities of a hero.
Another definition is that a hero must be able to influence people, be a leader. He has to be a figure that people can look up to, a leading and shining example. Most of all, he has to be humble and not desire for power.
If he is in power, he must not come to power due to selfish motives, but be selected by the common people. Here is an excerpt of the obituary note on Mr Lim Chin Siong by Mr Lee Kuan Yew (The Straits Times, Feb 9, 1996), “I liked and respected him for his simple lifestyle and his selflessness… They were prepared to sacrifice everything for their cause, and many did.”
A major challenge faced by Mr Lim Chin Siong is that he faced many major setbacks by our esteemed Minister Mentor in politics. He was detained many times but after he came out, he still continued to fight for what he believed was right in politics. He was very determined to stand up for his beliefs and he led his group to fight against what he saw was wrong. This quality of his enabled him to persevere throughout his political career.
Though he was insulted and defamed throughout his career by his political rivals, Mr Lim Chin Siong has never stopped or hesitated in fighting for his cause, what he believed in. He was a charismatic person and was introduced by Mr Lee Kuan Yew as "future Prime Minister", though his reputation was later smeared by lies and accusations, next to none of them being true.
While this has led to many people thinking of Mr Lim Chin Siong as an anarchist or a Communist, he continued fighting for Singapore and its citizens, even though he was maligned. Most people would just give up, seeing that the people whom they fight for hates them, but Mr Lim perservered.
This has led to people who knew him to call him a hero.
Comment on Group 6 (General Aung San):
Group 6's post on General Aung San is well done as they have stated out points like how or what makes a hero and show how General Aung San fits the requisites of a hero. An example is that Group 6 says that a hero must always think of others first. Group 6 then shows that General Aung San thought for his people first as he became the prime minister and was willing to sacrifice himself for his country as evidenced by his assasination.
However, there is a problem in their statement, "Aung San displayed perseverance, courage and wisdom while he fights for the independency of his country.", as while they demonstrated his wisdom in foreseeing possible consequences his choices might cause, they did not show how General Aung San had perserverance and courage.
Overall, their post is well written and expresses their reasons as to why General Aung San deserves to be called a hero clearly and with little misunderstanding.
General Aung San (group 6)
Group 6: Pearlyn, Yen Ting, Fung Tein, Zhi Yun, Hue Kyee
General Aung San
What makes a hero?
From the dictionary, a hero is someone of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. To us, a hero is a leader. A hero must always think of others first. A true hero is always searching for a way to help others. A hero is a person that has applies the ability to change the world and contribute a lot to the society. Contribution can be helping out the needy people in the society. A simple gesture or a simple act of kindness can make a difference. There is also a Chinese saying, ‘The time produces their heroes’. It means that heroes are produced in times of trouble, and in our opinion, they do arise from special circumstances. Most importantly, a hero is a person that everyone can look up to. General Aung San is definitely one of them.
So what makes General Aung San a hero? Here is little information about him, General Aung San was the Myanmar nationalist leader and assassinated hero who was involved in securing Myanmar’s independence from Great Britain. Aung San had joined forces with the Japanese previously as they had promised to help him in gaining Myanmar’s independence. However, after being skeptical of Japanese promises of Myanmar independence, he switched allies and joined the Allied cause. After World War 2, Aung san was given a post in the military, but he declined it and became a civilian official instead. After some time, he became the prime minister in Myanmar even though he knew of the possible threats that are present. However, he pursued on, not for his sake, but for his country. He wanted independence for his country so much that he is willing to sacrifice himself for it, and had worked very hard for it.
Through his acts, we could say that General Aung San is a hero. He exhibits the values of courage and gallantry, thus we conclude that he is a true hero.
Challenges a hero face
A hero usually faces challenges that are nerve wrecking and dangerous, to test for their abilities and see if they are fit to be called a hero and earn people’s respect. Heroes have to be able to overcome their fear and obstacles with wisdom and courage. Without able to overcome their fears, they won’t be able to face the difficulties ahead, and might just cower and surrender to enemies. A true hero would face whatever challenges they are having and never give up. Without the right character, a person will not be called a hero, as they are no better than cowards.
Aung San is a good example of such a hero. He endured all the sufferings to help Myanmar gain independence. Aung San had difficult decisions to make when he allied himself with Japan, as he cannot ensure that joining the Japanese truly help in gaining the freedom of his country. From this, we can see that for one to make tough decisions, one need to have the wisdom and must be able to foresee the possible risks in the decision he makes. Although time proves to Aung San that joining the Japanese is a failure, he did not give up, but switched his allies instead. He did this for the freedom and happiness of his people, thus we can say that he is truly heroic.
Aung San displayed perseverance, courage and wisdom while he fights for the independency of his country. However, Aung San was assassinated by his political rival, U Saw, together with his colleagues, including his brother, putting a tragic end to the legacy of this hero. Although Aung San had died long ago, his selfless, gallantry, perseverance and courage had thrive on, and people of Myanmar will never forget him, and by the others.
Sources: www.dictionary.com
: http://www.myanmars.net/myanmar-history/general- aungsan.htm
Comments on Group 5 (Lim Chin Siong) post.
About Group 5's post, we learn who Lim Chin Siong was, and all his notable deeds to Singapore. Lim Chin Siong is a determined person with a strong mind. Group 5 did quite a good job in explaining how some people were objecting to his reign of authority, and how some others looked him as a hero.
From some personal research, it was known to us that Lim Chin Siong was accused being a Communist, and had led the Chinese Middle School riots. Though he was insulted by many, he fought for what he believed and that was courageous of him, even though it meant defying the wishes of many higher ranking officials which was stated quite clearly by Group 5 why others looked up to him as a hero.
Though Group 5 did not answer the question on ' Do heroes arise from special circumstances?', it was overall quite well done, and we are convinced that Mr. Lim Chin Siong was a hero with many values that we must learn from.
General Aung San
What makes a hero?
From the dictionary, a hero is someone of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. To us, a hero is a leader. A hero must always think of others first. A true hero is always searching for a way to help others. A hero is a person that has applies the ability to change the world and contribute a lot to the society. Contribution can be helping out the needy people in the society. A simple gesture or a simple act of kindness can make a difference. There is also a Chinese saying, ‘The time produces their heroes’. It means that heroes are produced in times of trouble, and in our opinion, they do arise from special circumstances. Most importantly, a hero is a person that everyone can look up to. General Aung San is definitely one of them.
So what makes General Aung San a hero? Here is little information about him, General Aung San was the Myanmar nationalist leader and assassinated hero who was involved in securing Myanmar’s independence from Great Britain. Aung San had joined forces with the Japanese previously as they had promised to help him in gaining Myanmar’s independence. However, after being skeptical of Japanese promises of Myanmar independence, he switched allies and joined the Allied cause. After World War 2, Aung san was given a post in the military, but he declined it and became a civilian official instead. After some time, he became the prime minister in Myanmar even though he knew of the possible threats that are present. However, he pursued on, not for his sake, but for his country. He wanted independence for his country so much that he is willing to sacrifice himself for it, and had worked very hard for it.
Through his acts, we could say that General Aung San is a hero. He exhibits the values of courage and gallantry, thus we conclude that he is a true hero.
Challenges a hero face
A hero usually faces challenges that are nerve wrecking and dangerous, to test for their abilities and see if they are fit to be called a hero and earn people’s respect. Heroes have to be able to overcome their fear and obstacles with wisdom and courage. Without able to overcome their fears, they won’t be able to face the difficulties ahead, and might just cower and surrender to enemies. A true hero would face whatever challenges they are having and never give up. Without the right character, a person will not be called a hero, as they are no better than cowards.
Aung San is a good example of such a hero. He endured all the sufferings to help Myanmar gain independence. Aung San had difficult decisions to make when he allied himself with Japan, as he cannot ensure that joining the Japanese truly help in gaining the freedom of his country. From this, we can see that for one to make tough decisions, one need to have the wisdom and must be able to foresee the possible risks in the decision he makes. Although time proves to Aung San that joining the Japanese is a failure, he did not give up, but switched his allies instead. He did this for the freedom and happiness of his people, thus we can say that he is truly heroic.
Aung San displayed perseverance, courage and wisdom while he fights for the independency of his country. However, Aung San was assassinated by his political rival, U Saw, together with his colleagues, including his brother, putting a tragic end to the legacy of this hero. Although Aung San had died long ago, his selfless, gallantry, perseverance and courage had thrive on, and people of Myanmar will never forget him, and by the others.
Sources: www.dictionary.com
: http://www.myanmars.net/myanmar-history/general- aungsan.htm
Comments on Group 5 (Lim Chin Siong) post.
About Group 5's post, we learn who Lim Chin Siong was, and all his notable deeds to Singapore. Lim Chin Siong is a determined person with a strong mind. Group 5 did quite a good job in explaining how some people were objecting to his reign of authority, and how some others looked him as a hero.
From some personal research, it was known to us that Lim Chin Siong was accused being a Communist, and had led the Chinese Middle School riots. Though he was insulted by many, he fought for what he believed and that was courageous of him, even though it meant defying the wishes of many higher ranking officials which was stated quite clearly by Group 5 why others looked up to him as a hero.
Though Group 5 did not answer the question on ' Do heroes arise from special circumstances?', it was overall quite well done, and we are convinced that Mr. Lim Chin Siong was a hero with many values that we must learn from.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
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