TASK: Write an essay describing yourself, in a third person point of view.

The sounds of laborious panting sliced through the otherwise silent room, rapidly increasing in shortness, ending in a scream, a testimony to the burst of strength released from the slight frame of the woman lying on the narrow bed. Breaths were held, until the mewling cry of a newborn was heard, and the taut tension in the room snapped, as would a tightly wound string. It was then that the air blossomed into one of pure joy and bliss, for the insistent squalling of the child signaled a safe delivery, and a healthy, robust baby. ‘My first-born shall be known as Raphael!’ exclaimed an overjoyed father, whom went by the name of Robert. Thus, on that rather auspicious Wednesday of the 4th of December 1991, the young infant, draped in a cloth and safely cuddled in gentle hands of a relieved mother, embarked on life’s journey.

Raphael is a typical lively boy, whose traits are somewhat balanced; active and sporting material with a touch of diligence and assiduousness, owing to paternal and maternal genes respectively. For him, friends are easy to come by, but he wasn’t socially adept. Notorious for his loquaciousness and being mischievous at times, misbehavior was – and still is, I daresay – a concern and he often got into a series of troubles. In view of this, perhaps he had a blend of wits and charm, for he got out of any mess almost as fast as he got into it. Over the years, he did learn, however, never to cross the line and behaved more appropriately; though one should never rule out of the sporadic tomfoolery from time to time. Besides that, he is recognized by his friends for being bold and, to some extent, brash; more often than not being used and handled like an errand boy. Lastly, although he gives the impression of being tough, he isn't afraid to admit that he was once prone to crying, as he is a rather soft-hearted person by nature, especially when it had to do with losing and bad relationships.

He started off at a kindergarten at the age of 4, which specialized in abacus-mental arithmetic and the Chinese medium was used. Two years later, he was enrolled at SRK Chung Hwa No.4, where he spent 6 years studying the prerequisite syllabus aside from brushing up his command of the Chinese language. Upon ending his term there, he made a rather crucial decision by deciding not to further his studies of the Chinese language, which he regretted few years later. Moving on nonetheless, he decided upon registering at the prestigious SMB St. Joseph Kuching School – renowned for the school’s predecessors, the Missionary Brothers from Ireland. This particular decision was significantly influenced by the fact that his father was an ex-Josephian. A total of 5 years were spent there, with him excelling in studies and achieving admirable results in official examinations. Apart from being a prefect, he was also moderately active in co-curriculum activities, ranging from the occasional scout meetings to the fully-operational Lasallian society. Beginning of the year 2009, he relocated himself to the capital of his country and began his college life in Taylors University College. Six months later, luck was shining down upon him as he was selected by the government to receive a full scholarship. Currently, he is undergoing the Australian Matriculation course.

Sports and exercise is, undoubtedly, a fundamental aspect in Raphael’s life. This resulted from many factors, mainly due to his father. Frankly speaking, his father was more of an athlete than a studious person, and as the saying goes ‘a chip off the old block’, inheritance played its role. Therefore he jogs, plays badminton, table-tennis or basketball during sport hours. As for the selection of a suitable main sport, his father had experience a traumatizing encounter with near-death during childhood when he was out swimming with his brothers. This fueled his resolve in teaching his son the art of swimming, as stated by him. Therefore, at the age of 6, swimming was duly inaugurated into Raphael’s daily schedule – average 4 hours of training a day, 6 days a week – and lasted until he was 18. Downright committed and unrelenting, he vowed to represent his country at least once in his lifetime. The dream came true and at the peak of performance he qualified in an international competition known as BIMP EAGA, involving Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. He also fittingly qualified for SUKMA XI 2006. In 2008, his glory days in sport were over; a younger and stronger generation was emerging. As a result, he willingly decided to ‘call it a day’ and ‘retire’ from the competitive life of swimming.

Behind every successful child, stands a supportive family – closely knitted and constantly caring for one another. In my perspective, Raphael is fortunate: with a stalwart and supportive father at the helm, alongside a caring and steadfast mother plus an equally mischievous little brother (following his footsteps), in his mindset his family is the best ever – priceless and irreplaceable, and he has all the right to believe so. I was once told that a lot of his life is based on numerous fundamental principles and philosophies passed down from his father, namely “Never do things in halves” and “Put your heart and soul into doing something”. With these in hand, his father had prepared him to walk on the road of success and it was up to him to stay in track. His mother, on the hand, nourished him with motherly care, love and (last but not least) food! Finally, his little brother was equally important; provided him companionship, brotherly love and unfortunately – or fortunately – a medium to vent frustration on.

With things all said and done, Raphael has yet to face his greatest challenge of life – becoming a successful engineer. This is an ultimate test of mettle, will and resolve in a world where only the strong will survive. Life is riddled with obstacles and impediments, and he will have to endure these hard times to emerge victorious in life’s journey. William Goldman, an American novelist, playwright, and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter, once cited ‘Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all.’

The advertisements above were put up to promote movie-viewing by a group of cinemas.

[The oversimplified image of wild animals in captivity as shown in films is that a friendship bond would be formed between the wild animal and a human, where mutual acceptance and assistance exist. This, in fact, is rare in reality and a wild animal needs to undergo vigorous taming programmes to be eligible as a domestic pet. As for love cruises - the name says it all - people are tricked into believing that one can find his or her lifetime partner on board these cruise. Therefore, if the setting of the movie is as such, a typical romance story is expected. However, given a dose of reality, love is such an abstract feeling - that no one can fully explains it - that love cruises are just a sham.]

Questions to ponder upon throughout the reading of the text.

1. Discuss Alice’s treatment by the different characters she encounters in the books. Why do you think they act they way they do, and what does their behavior say about Alice?
[Alice's first encounter is with the White Rabbit, whom was constantly too busy with time to bother about Alice. However, when the rabbit finally payed attention to her, it mistook her for the housemaid Mary Ann. This only stands to assert the fact that Alice portrays a rather mediocre image of a housemaid. Moving on, the Mouse and the birds generally regard Alice rather inquisitively. The Mouse willingly told stories to Alice and the whole lot had a race to dry themselves. The Mouse eventually got fed up and insulted at Alice's consistent nonsense, whereas the birds were terrified when Alice mentioned her cat Dinah. On the other hand, the Pigeon mistook Alice for a serpent and expressed it's contempt for her. Besides that, the Caterpillar treated Alice like an innocent child; it acts as a sage-figure, whose mysterious silences and terse responses provide a sharp contrast to Alice's exasperation and confused replies.]

2. What is the significance of Alice’s fluctuations in size and shape in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?
[Closely connected to growth into adulthood, size change is another recurring concept in the text. These dramatic changes in size point out at the radical changes the body undergoes during adolescence. It also symbolized her gradual emotional growth throughout the book. For instance, when she met the giant caterpillar, he told her that by eating one side of the nearby mushroom, she could grow taller. Eaten from the other side, the mushroom would make her reduce in size. She cleverly used this advantage to aid her in getting what she wanted and also to get where she wanted to go. Alice's size changes also bring about a change in perspective, and she begins to see the world from a very different view. As shown in the last trial scene, her growth into a giant reflects a much stronger, self-possessed person. She is then able to speak out against the unruly proceedings of the trial.]

3. Throughout the story, there are occasional oblique references to death. What purpose do these references serve in the stories, and why might Carroll include them?
[In his stories, Alice goes through moments where she faces death - narrowly missing it in some cases. This is exemplified during her encounter with the enormous puppy, where Alice was nearly trampled over. Another example of the recurring theme of death is, when the melancholy and pessimistic Mock Turtle is singing a song about turtle soup: “Though a real turtle need not be eaten, a Mock Turtle probably knows how he will end up.” This aspect of death is its inevitability. As growth is concerned, Carroll probably wanted to portray that mortality is inescapable and death is the final step of this process. Besides that, there’s the Queen of Hearts and her obsession with ordering beheadings. Overall, Alice's survival and growth from conflicts might reflect how Carroll escapes embarrassing situations by “laying low” and becoming skilled in avoiding confrontation.]

4. What role does the garden play in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?
[Initially, the garden in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland serves as a place of longing for Alice. The sight of the garden draws Alice in with its “beds of bright flowers” and “cool fountains”. In Alice's mindset, she perceives the garden as a place of childlike grace and innocence. Alice’s desire to enter the garden corresponds to her desire to remain a child indefinitely. When she finally enters the garden, Alice discovers that the garden is a complete bogus. The garden turns out to be an imitation of childhood paradise, and in truth the inhabitants are irrational and ill tempered. In my opinion, the garden in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland acts as world of adults viewed in the eyes of a child.]

5. Discuss the significance of the Queen of Hearts in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
[As the clear ruler of Wonderland - the King seems to acknowledge the Queen's power - the Queen of Hearts functions as the primary antagonist, opposing Alice at every turn. She is, in fact, the heart or cause of Alice’s conflict with Wonderland. At the end, when Alice exposes the Queen as a fraud, claiming 'You're nothing but a pack of cards!', the dream of Wonderland ends abruptly. Many times in the book, Alice hesitates to reveal that fact, demonstrating the power of authority that the Queen of Hearts has in Wonderland. The Queen’s role was also to instill fear in her subjects and Alice with threats of decapitation - in which she was successful, though her threats were indeed hollow and nobody was ever executed.]