Beauty Behind A Past
093245Y (Group 4)
Kites flap over the shoulders of children as if giving chase. Fishermen sit facing the sunset, enjoying the view as they wait for a tug at the end of the line. The occasional ferry passes by. If you’re lucky enough, you’d see a cruise ship. Flowers sit perched next to fresh grass and the winds pause for a second, as if to take in the beauty, before going on their way again.This tiny piece of heaven is actually Labrador Nature Reserve. A landmark in our country due to its rich history. It used to be called Fort Pasir Panjang. The reason for this is because it used to be an old British fort, in the years before Singapore gained its independence. Machine gun posts and barbed wires lined the cliffs along the shore. 2 six-inch 37-tonne guns were also installed in 1938, by the British to combat infiltrating Japanese ships.
When it all ended and the British surrendered, the place was left abandoned until years later when a refinery was built. In late 2001, two underground tunnels were discovered, and parts of them were opened for viewing to the general public.
Now, as family picnics and barbeque pits start to replace the haunting silence of the past, the reserve is a great escape during the weekend. Its beach is also nothing to overlook, with a beauty that could compare to that of other beaches like those at East Coast Park as well as Sentosa Palawan Beach.
In fact, many Singaporeans pass on visits to such famous beaches for the one at Labrador. 25 year old Mohammad Shaik is one such example. “East Coast is more crowded and I like it here because there are very little patrons which makes it ideal for chilling out”, he says. He also enjoys the unique view and rich heritage that it possesses.
However, it’s not only people who dislike crowded places that choose to visit the park. Local fishermen also enjoy the variety of marine life available. This is because there are as many as 21 major habitat types. “I come here once a month, but if it’s fishing season, sometimes I come twice because the fishes are much bigger”, says Muhammad Rusyadi.
Over the years, the park has also undergone several upgrades, particularly, the jetty. This makes fishermen like Mr. Rusyadi more intent on casting their lines in the waters here.
Lawyer, Bahtiar Affendy also enjoys coming to the reserve with his family to fly kites and have the occasional picnic during public holidays or weekends. However, as much as he enjoys the beauty of the reserve and its light breezy feel, he makes sure not to ignore its grave past. He educates his son on the history and even shows him some of the secret passages which were used in the Second World War. “I make it a point for my son to know what his forefathers fought for and to do his best to serve the nation when he is a responsible adult”.
(509 words)
One Day To Quit
094335X (Group 4)
“I managed to quit smoking within a day,” said Charmaine Lam, NYP student second year student who used to be an intermittent smoker.
Lam picked up the habit at the age of 13. As a young teenager, she took up cigarettes due to peer pressure. It all started with a group of friends she met during a school orientation programme. She began to hang out with them ever since the start of her secondary school life.
School life with the clique had been totally fine until the day when Lam discovered a box of cigarettes in one of their bags. Eventually, she found out that most of them were smokers. She was afraid that the clique would leave her out, as most of the time they would be hiding in the campus’s toilet to smoke.
Lam felt that the only way to bond with her friends was to do what they always do together, it was to smoke together. As an underage, Lam knew that it was illegal to purchase cigarettes. However, she managed to get them from a provision shop opposite her school. “Sometimes, the uncle at the provision shop allowed me to buy them,” she said.Lam stopped smoking at secondary three, she said that smoking was both time and money consuming as she had to return to the same provision shop in order to get cigarettes form the uncle.
Lam was not an addictive smoker, she smoked discontinuously and she started the habit again when she entered Polytechnic. She had a hectic life under the course she was studying in and smoking was one of the ways she uses to distress. At the same time, she could make friends with her new classmates.
She continued until the next semester and finally realised that she should stop, “I felt that I had to quit it once and for all and not carry on anymore,” Lam said. She decided positively that she wanted to quit and avoided negative thoughts about how difficult the process might be.
Many smokers successfully give up cigarettes by replacing them with new habits. Lam was able to find a hobby that she enjoys and it was dancing. She joined the school’s street dance club and realised that it was indeed a good distraction to make smoking impossible.
“My friends and family supported and encouraged me,” said Lam.
Studies by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service National Institutes of Health have shown that smokers actually find it difficult to quit smoking. This is mainly due to the development of strong physical addictions resulting from habitual use.
As for Lam, she succeeded as she could control herself from the temptation. “I had to really control myself,” she said.
Although it was only one day, the entire process of quitting was after a few attempts as she had been smoking from time to time. Her perseverance, support from friends and family also led her to quit smoking successfully.
(495 words)