Journey Through Sungei Buloh

It was the 22nd of May. Our class went to Sungei Buloh as an enrichment for our Biology and Geography. Sungei Buloh was by no means a foreign place to me, having been there twice in kindergarten and at least three times in primary school. This trip however, was a lot more enriching, probably due to the wonderful guides the school requested for. I had never noticed much during my previous trips except the birds and monitor lizards.

We arrived at the carpark outside the nature reserve and waited for our guides. Unfortunately, due to some miscommunication, one hour of our precious time there was wasted as the guides were waiting for us in the gallery while we stood in the carpark.

The guide was highly observant and pointed out many things to us. For example, what appeared to be a wilted flower to us, he explained it to be the flower of the sea poison plant. The fruit of this plant was crushed and released into the water, causing the fish to be poisoned and paralysed temporarily, the fishermen would then easily pick the fish from the surface of the water. These toxins would disintegrate upon cooking, thus making it the fishermen's choice method of fishing in the past.

We were also introduced to the mangroves and its ecosystem. Life in the mangroves was not easy for us to spot. We had mistaken much of the living organisms for other non living beings. We saw crabs with a large claw, causing us to mistake them for snails and lobster mounds but could not find any lobsters.

Blogging or Flogging?

Blogging is a word derived from the word web log or in other words a diary which is posted for everyone to see. Flogging is sometimes incidently included into a person's blog post as the person discusses his or her unhappiness about what happened during the day.

So, here's the big question. Is it ok to flog a person through blogging?

The aftermath of flogging someone may sometimes be different from what we expect. Often, bloggers just wish to vent their frustrations on their blogs forgetting about its consequences.

I believe that as it is a blog, we should be given the freedom to vent our frustrations. However, venting our frustrations does not mean that we have to flog the person we are unhappy with. I believe that as the blog is being made public and also made known to the world, we should try to restrain our words and try not let our anger overwhelm us. Flogging can cause terrible consequences such as defamation and lack of friends to the victim. One might also be charged with slandering if he makes false accuses to someone in a fit of anger.

I believe that bloggers can be more discreet about their anger when venting it through their blogs. Names should be kept confidential and the person's nickname or initials should not be used, lest other's recognise the other party.

My Name is Discipline

Matt is my owner or handler which is his job and I met Matt when I was one year old. He named me Discipline, hoping that I would live up to my name. I am trained to search for the source of the smells and differentiate objects with similar smells. Matt treats me with great care and I really enjoy the times we spend training and playing together.

I soon graduated from the training school and joined the force. Matt would call me to work everyday and we would patrol the area together. There wasn't much work to be done other than chasing snatch thieves but Matt told me that we had to be disciplined and stay vigilant. I loved Matt and so obeyed his commands with pride. We continued to go back to the training centre where I was taught more skills on taking down a criminal and revised what I had learnt.

I was sleeping soundly in a kennel Matt had built for me outside his house. That was my first time in Matt's house as I usually slept in the police station. It was dawn when Matt woke me up but being used to such scenarios, I restrained myself from barking at him. Instead, I pricked up my ears and awaited his command.

Signalling for me to get into the car, Matt grabbed his keys and drove the car. We were not headed for the station, my regular training included remembering the routes I take and I knew for sure that we were not headed in the direction we came from. Matt's expression was intense. I knew something serious had happened. We arrived in the heart of the city which was bustling with energy. I saw a few fellow dogs with their handlers.

I sat beside Matt. Practising my self-discipline which I have trained since young. My nose picked up a familiar scent which was uncommon in that area and let out a soft growl to seek attention from Matt and inform him of what I detected.

I remained on my hinds until Matt finally gave me the go-ahead sign. I ran into a huge room with flashing lights and deafening music. Flattening my ears, I tried to block out the music as I followed the smell. Repeated training in the school proved useful as I allowed instincts to take over my movements.

My nose brought me to a smaller room where the smell was strongest. I leapt at the person holding the white packet and bit his arm. Matt was close behind me and the other dogs brought down other people in the room. I ceased wrestling with the teenage boy as soon as I heard Matt's command.

Everyone in the room was brought back to the station and I retired to the police kennel, too tired to travel back to Matt's house. I was well-rewarded the next day with more snacks from Matt. Through this, I learnt how important discipline is. Had I rushed into the room too early, we would not be able to catch them in the act of handing over the substance, thus not being able to prove all of them guilty.

Discipline is important no matter how tough it is to train for it. It is only through discipline that we are able to achieve our goals.