Zimbabwe 'seeks jail crisis aid

A TV documentary was shot over months recently in South Africa. It reveals a shocking secret that how lots of inmates in Zimbabwe die of hunger and disease. Moreover, this film also showed countless graves in the jails. Because everything was open wide to public, I think maybe the government can not cover up its embarrassment any more. But the new government did not make any comments on the film. They shifted the blame to the previous government. Only the prime minister explained they had urged donors and trading partners to back the government and he said the government had made a significant progress even though it is small within the following six weeks.

The news also describes the atrocious conditions in the jail. As what a prisoner said, the sick and healthy had to sleep side by side in an overcrowded and extremely dirty cell. As what the film showed, the prison stuff had already changed the cells to “hospital wards”.
Worse still, a mortuary had built with the prison’s grounds and you can see many rotted bodies on the ground and there are many maggots moving on the bodies.

According to the film, there are 55 prisons in Zimbabwe. To my astonishment, they only have a capacity to hold 17,000, but over 35,000 lives in these prisons.

I think the prime minister really can not cope with these problems. He can just tell the world this is a good opportunity for the west to invest.

However, even though they appeal to the west to give them help, the countries like UK can impossibly help them, because they can benefit nothing from Zimbabwe. Maybe China can do something because for such a developing country like China, at least the international advocate can help establish a good status. Actually, that is just what China is doing now.

Progress

I think I have changed a lot during my bridging course. Most of the people around me now are new friends who may not notice the change, however, I myself cannot pretend. I used to prefer silence and loneliness -- had my lunch, waited the school bus, slept in the library after lunch and woke up to fearfully look at the darkness outside-- all by myself. I did enjoy it.

However, coming to Singapore, I was pushed to make a change, otherwise, I might feel that I could not match the blazing sunshine and the bright sky here. If I kept donging things by myself in this strange environment, I always found that great stress was put on me, as if I was going to make a big mistake the next minute and had to repeat to say sorry. On the contrary, staying among all my sincere friends made me feel carefree and secure. They are sunny and smart, sometimes they like to act like spoiled children with exaggerating expression. Life is on its way to be simple and happy, which makes me believe that life loves the liver of it.

I wrote a letter to my old friend to tell her that I had changed and was very confused if changes were always good. She said that I used to sit on a hard rock in the deep sea, like a log, and now I got into a large bubble and could float, so I should walk around and sun myself. I think she is right again.

I am still leaning to satisfy, and I have made slow progress. I know I am showing progress, so I feel quite satisfied-- then I progress again.

Thanks, my dear new friends.

If I should see you，after long year.
How should I greet, with tears, with silence.
　　——George Gordon Byron
　　

The Legendary Bridging Course and Group 3

Actually, I had over-finished my blog writing two weeks ago. This week, because of the variety show and post-test, I decided to give up the last blog entry. But after reading Liusi’s blog, I have a strong desire to make a summary, or just write down some feelings about the whole intensive English training course and the relationship we have built up with cooperation and sincerity.
Frankly speaking, I had high expectations about improving my English for this course at the beginning of it. Gradually, it is a pity that I found my progress in English was not as fast as I expected. But soon I also found that I have learnt a lot which I cannot get access to through books, video tapes or, generally speaking, academic studying. I came to know many new friends who have distinctive talents, including Chinese students and Singaporeans. I learnt how to cooperate with partners and how to share your genuine feelings with others. At the beginning of the bridging course, I always tended to keep silent in class and listen carefully to what the tutor is teaching, as what I did in high school. Soon I realised that if one never speak up in class, no one would know what is in his or her mind and others will not be concerned with the person. So I began to try my best to express myself clearly and with a strong stand in class. I felt very satisfied to talk or discuss with everyone in class.
Then I began to know the purpose of this bridging course deeper and deeper gradually. It is called Bridging Course and the subtitle is intensive English course for PRC students. So either officials of MOE of the coordinators in NUS focus their concentration on how to make us assimilate into this new environment as soon as possible. We need to be familiar with people here, the agenda of daily life, the ideology of the whole society and especially, to make ourselves at home. So I think we should still appreciate this bridging course as much as we can, although it failed some of us’s expectation. Through the course, we knew more about Singapore and its people. Once we have mingled quite well with the locals and adapted in to the system here, we can find a lot of opportunities to improve our language. It is a long way to go, but the effect in the long run will be a big surprise for us.
Incidentally, it is really a wonderful experience to have studied in Group 3. We have a lot of talented people here and it is not exaggerated that we are one of the most excellent groups. The legendary group 3 is the stuff of legend in the history of CELC.
Hope to keep in touch with all of you after matriculating in NUS.

Bookworm, me?

On Monday, our dear vice principal Ms. Nora gave me a astonishing comment. She said,"You are a bookworm, rather than a sporty guy". I said:"Do not judge a person by his appearence", whereas she replied,"I am just telling the truth".

How could it be? Why have I made such an impression on her? What is worse, maybe there is not only her who think I am a bookworm! I think it is quite necessary to make a clarification for myself.

According to the Merriam-Webster's 11th Collegiate Dictionary, bookworm means the person who devotes all himself to reading. To be honest, I am not that reject to the word. However, what I want to shed light on here is that I do not dedicate myself to reading. My motive of reading is not finding joy or comfort, and why I want to read is somehow out of utilitarianism. In order to make me more competent in the challenging university life, I have to equipe myself with some special knowledge. Due to this reason, I often read some books that some of you think is too difficult. Judging from this, I cannot be a bookworm.

Besides, I often exercise after school, especially playing basketball. As a result, I have a relatively robust body. Thus, it is hard to say that I am a bookworm.

Anyway, what Ms. Nora said at least has proved one thing, that is, I am not that lazy during the bridging course. This is a reward to me, and I do appreciate that she said this!