An accident I have witnessed

One rainy day last year, while I was returning home from Mersing, a town in the east coast of Malaysia, I witnessed an accident which I shall never forget.

I was returning home in my father's car. It was raining heavily and the road could not be seen clearly. My father, an old man, was driving slowly to avoid an accident. The journey, therefore, seemed unusually long, and I began to feel tired. Then, suddenly, a small car, running at great speed, overtook our car. My father was shocked at the recklessness of the driver of that car. We could not count the number of persons in that car, but were sure that there were at least five, including two children. My father at once predicted that tragedy would befall the occupants of the car. After this prediction I began to grow impatient. I did not wish to see any ugly scene resulting from an accident. Though the car had gone quite far its rear lights would still be seen.

In the distance there was a narrow bridge. Looking at the way the car was being driven, I too was now sure that an accident would occur, and sure enough it did occur. This is how it happened.

A lorry was coming from the opposite direction. It was already on the bridge.  The driver of the small car, however, could not slow down in good time. He lost control of the car which skidded and plunged into the swollen ver. Somehow, the driver managed to slip out of the car, but the others were doomed. When we arrived at the bridge, we were touched deeply by what we saw. Two children were struggling in the river and we could do nothing to save them. Their mother, as we came to know later, was at the bottom of the river, trapped in the car, and they were swept away by the rush of the current and drowned. The driver, and father of the children, began to cry piteously for the wife and children he had lost so suddenly.

It was indeed a very touching scene, and I shall never forget this day.

A frightening experience

I am not one when is frightened easily; but I must admit that one night I saw a figure that struck: terror into my heart.

It was a moon-lit-night. I was returning home on foot from a town a few miles away. That was the first night in my life that I was out alone. The read along which I was walking was not used much at night.  Even during the day, it was used only by these who worked in the rubber and banana plantation along that road. As I was walking, I could hear the noises made by squirrels, insects and owls. Creatures that love the night world such as bats were very active, and there were hundreds of shadows. All these did not, however, frighten me. I held a stick in my hand and moved rapidly towards home for my dinner. Then, suddenly, I caught sight of an old lady, a short distance away. Her head was covered with a white cloth, and she was waving to me.

Curious to know why she was there at that time of the night, I stopped for a while. As I stood there, however, vague memories of stories about ghosts began to come back to my mind. I was soon gripped with fear and took to my heels. I ran as fast as I could, and when I reached home I could hardly speak.

On the next day, however, I visited that place again to make sure that the woman was indeed a real person and not a ghost. But I could find no footprints there. Only a banana plant stood there with its leaves moving in the breeze realised then that it was the banana plant with its leaves moving in the breeze that looked like a woman waving her hand. I had indeed made a tool of myself; but after the previous night's experience, this discovery was small relief to me.

The advantages and disadvantages of the cinema

Cinemas are a common sight nowadays. They are found in every town. The existence of so many cinemas reflects their popularity. They have indeed become the most popular places of entertainment.

The cinema attracts large numbers of people everyday. It is the magnet of the town. It sometimes attracts even those who do not wish to see a film.

As it is so popular, the cinema exerts a profound influence on the minds of many people, young and old. The influence is sometimes good, and sometimes it is bad. Films showing criminal activities and the sensual desires of man have caused much harm to many youths. Some youths have become criminals themselves though almost every film shows how the good always triumphs over the evil. The cinema has also caused many people to waste money. Such people have become so addicted to visiting the cinema that they see almost every film, good or bad. In this way money is wasted not only on purchasing tickets for admittance to the cinema but also on travelling and many other things.

Often, however, the cinema helps to spread knowledge. There are many films which show the activities of the various races of people living in the remote regions of the earth. Some films show how man has struggled through the centuries to make the world a better place to live in. There are also films which show the events that led to some of the important battles in the past. They are shown with so much realism that one remembers them for a long time. Such films are indeed invaluable, especially to those who are illiterate. In this respect the cinema could be regarded as a school. Even the dullest student learns many things if he sees an educational film in the cinema, though he may learn nothing from his teacher or his books. Such is the effect of the film, and in many countries, educational authorities are trying to make the best u.se of the cinema to spread knowledge and information.

It is therefore clear that the cinema has many advantages as well as disadvantages. Often the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Those who visit the cinema with the purpose of learning something good are sure to benefit from almost every visit to the cinema.

The importance of examinations

Life today has become so complex that examinations have come to play an important part in one's educational career. Examinations are considered so important that most students are afraid of them.

The ability to pass an examination is indeed a valuable quality. It shows that the student is able to express his thought and ideas to a manner others can understand. It also shows that the student has acquired a certain amount of knowledge in some branches of study. Besides, the mind of a student, even if he is dull, receives good exercise when he prepares for an examination. A student's success in an examination, therefore, helps employers and others to assess' his mental or general ability.

Some people, however, argue that examinations test only a certain kind of skill. They say that many people have a good memory and a special ability to pass examinations and achieve brilliant results, though they have no capacity for original thought or imagination. But it should be realised that today the syllabuses are so extensive that a student cannot expect to pass an examination by relying entirely on his memory. The student of today must not only have a fair knowledge of the subject matter but also be able to show his intelligence and power of reasoning, especially if he is sitting for a higher examination. Therefore, a student’s ability to pass an examination must indicate some of his mental powers as well as his grasp of the subjects that he has studied.

If there were no examinations, most scholars would have been less informed than they are today. Examinations compel students to read as much as they can, and as they do so, they absorb knowledge unconsciously.  Further, because of examinations; teachers have to confine themselves to the syllabuses which are aimed at imparting knowledge in a systematic manner, and thus develop mental discipline.

Examinations are therefore an important part of academic studies.

A week in hospital

I had always dreaded the thought of being admitted to hospital.  The peculiar smell of the hospital, the sight of deformed and critically ill persons and dead bodies in the hospital are things that had always wished to avoid. But a serious illness sometime ago necessitated my admission to the General Hospital in Malacca.

Though I was seriously ill and required special attention, yet the knowledge that I was in the hospital made me feel miserable during the first few days. The clothes that I had to wear in the hospital were uncomfortable and the food was tasteless. At night, when all the patients were asleep, I used to wake up and think of what might map if the dead bodies in the mortuary near by came back to life. I alert thought of the patients who might die at anytime. Sometimes I thought that I myself might not wake up from my sleep; that I might have to leave my dear parents, brothers and sisters and never return. Team would then flow from my eyes.

From the fourth day, however, my spirits were high. The doctors and nurses assured me that I would recover completely in a few days and that I could move about in the hospital as I wished.

I now began to think of the good work that was being done in the hospital to reduce pain and suffering. Hundreds of sick people were coming to the hospital, many with serious injuries caused by various kinds of accidents, with the last hope of survival. And while many were dying, many more were returning home with smiles on their faces. Working every minute and sacrificing their own pleasures and pastimes, the doctors, nurses, hospital assistants and all the other staffs were doing their utmost to save another life. Their humanity impressed me deeply. I now realised what an important role the hospitals were playing in our daily and the disgust that I fell on the first few days was gone.

After being in the hospital for a week, I returned home with a better knowledge of human misery and san sacrifice.

The importance of the newspaper

The newspaper, today, plays a vital role in human affairs. Its importance has not been diminished by the appearance of the radio or the television. Men no longer have travel to get information. The newspaper has become the main source of information about local and foreign affairs.

Though the radio and television convey important news and messages quicker than the newspaper, they seldom give the details of an incident. The newspaper, on the other hand, gives not only more detail about a particular incident but it also contains more new items. This is of great importance today when political changes occur with a rapidity unknown before. Besides, the newspaper is easier to carry and it could be read at any time during the day. Further, the permanence of the printed word helps one to refresh one's memory of certain facts and incidents reported in the past.

The importance of the newspaper has been increased greatly by the spread of education. Education sharpens one's curiosity about events in distant lands and also makes one conscious of the necessity to maintain one's reading habits. In both respects the newspaper appeals most, especially if one finds little time to read books.

The newspaper should, however, be read with caution, for its capacity to do harm is great. Most people believe everything that is reported by the newspaper. As a result, the newspaper exerts a profound influence on the minds of its reader. Therefore, when some news is reported wrongly either by mistake or design, it may cause a lot of harm. On the other hand, if the policy of the newspaper is to promote the welfare of the people, it could do a lot of good. For example, it could exercise its influence to persuade the government of a country to do many things for the benefit of the people. In a country like Malaysia, where there are many races of people, the newspaper could also use its influence to promote good-will and harmony among the people. It is therefore important to know the policy of the newspaper that one reads.

In general, however, the newspaper tries to report as accurately as possible, for there are various magazines and periodicals competing with the newspaper to provide accurate information on world developments, and it is the newspaper that links us with the outside world.

Visit to a zoo

The zoo is an artificial forest created by man. Though there are few trees compared  with the natural forest, the animals, birds and other creatures found  in the zoo must always remind us of the forest. It is indeed an interesting place to visit.

Even in the natural forest such a variety of animals, birds and other creatures cannot be found as are found in a big zoo. Animals which are not found in the forests of one country are caught in other parts or the world and brought to the zoo. The lion, for example, is not found in Malaysia; but one may see an African lion in the zoo at Johote Bahru.

Until I visited the zoo at Johore Bahru, a few months ago, I had ao idea how informative a visit to a zoo might be. Though the zoo at Johort Bahru is not big, I found many kinds of interesting animals and other creatures there. Lions, tigers and other animals were moving about lazily in their cages. Some of the animals appeared to be bored, and they took little interest in the visitors. The monkeys, however, showed their natural agility. Whenever they saw a visitor, they ran towards him and begged for something to eat. I was indeed amused at their behaviour. Most or them were caught in Malaysia and their variety was amazing.

Some of the birds too were very interesting to see. Their beautiful feathers and looks fascinated me. Birds are indeed one of the loveliest creations of God. A few birds are larger than many animals.

The lions and the tigers in this zoo were so docile that I could not but treat them as domestic animals like the dog and the cat. I went very close to them, but they showed little interest in me. I then began to think of how the animal or even human spirit could be broken by confinement. Confined to their cages, these animals had become spiritless. Even the sight of food did not seem to excite them much.

Then, there was the crocodile with its usual pretence ct innocence. It refused to be disturbed. Heaven knows how it might have reacted if a child had fallen into its pit. However, my visit to the zoo had increased my knowledge of animals.