Reading enriches the mind, which indirectly enriches the soul. It is a way of feeding knowledge into your brain. For someone who grew up with strict and conservative parents, there was literally nothing else to do besides reading. While my friends were having the time of their lives watching TV, going to the movies, listening to CDs and clubbing, I was stuck at home reading. The joy of reading comes with the soothing effect of the words and the flowy language. I love to be absorbed into the story world, where I would pretend to be one of the heroines or being rescued by my handsome knight. Perhaps this was where I got my dramatic flair and romantic notions.
Whatever I know now comes from books. Trust me - schools and teachers can only do so much to feed you knowledge. The rest depends on yourself. It is so interesting and useful to realise that historical events shape the world today, and our economy depends on the effects of natural disasters. In school, I spent such a long time finding the difference between Differentiation and Integration, or how to solve Trigonometry and Quadratic Equations, or how to balance Chemistry equations, or how sound waves can be travelled under the sea. Yet now, more than 10 years after my 'O' Levels, I have never utilised a single bit. Yet it is reading and writing that I have been utilising. Needless to say, my favourite subjects in school has always been Literature and History.
The decisions I made in life also stems from my love for the printed word. When I was accepted into law studies, I was so happy as I thought I could read throughout. However, that proved to be too much for me. It is one thing reading novels and magazines and newspapers, but it is another thing altogether reading 100-page law reports filled with nothing but the droning of the judges. When I gave up law, people scolded me for wasting the opportunity. But so what? There are so many more interesting things to do. So when I entered NIE, I took the subjects I have always loved - Music, English Literature and History. Even when I was a teacher, I encouraged my students to read, as cultivating their interests in reading will ultimately enable them to write good compositions and improve their language abilities.
It is an irony that I still ended up working in a law firm. But there was just so much a teacher could do. I have given the best years of my life to children, I feel it is time to start living my own life. Thus, I enrolled in another degree programme - BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature conducted by University of London through SIM. It is a dream come true for me - I get to learn about Humanities of Philosophy, History, etc, and I get to major in Classics, Shakespeare and Novels! It is pure reading for this course, but that is just what I love to do!
I would strongly encourage all of you out there to pick up a novel to read. You can be amazed at how interesting a book is if you only give it a chance. So did I make a convert out of you? Feel free to drop me a line!
Whatever I know now comes from books. Trust me - schools and teachers can only do so much to feed you knowledge. The rest depends on yourself. It is so interesting and useful to realise that historical events shape the world today, and our economy depends on the effects of natural disasters. In school, I spent such a long time finding the difference between Differentiation and Integration, or how to solve Trigonometry and Quadratic Equations, or how to balance Chemistry equations, or how sound waves can be travelled under the sea. Yet now, more than 10 years after my 'O' Levels, I have never utilised a single bit. Yet it is reading and writing that I have been utilising. Needless to say, my favourite subjects in school has always been Literature and History.
The decisions I made in life also stems from my love for the printed word. When I was accepted into law studies, I was so happy as I thought I could read throughout. However, that proved to be too much for me. It is one thing reading novels and magazines and newspapers, but it is another thing altogether reading 100-page law reports filled with nothing but the droning of the judges. When I gave up law, people scolded me for wasting the opportunity. But so what? There are so many more interesting things to do. So when I entered NIE, I took the subjects I have always loved - Music, English Literature and History. Even when I was a teacher, I encouraged my students to read, as cultivating their interests in reading will ultimately enable them to write good compositions and improve their language abilities.
It is an irony that I still ended up working in a law firm. But there was just so much a teacher could do. I have given the best years of my life to children, I feel it is time to start living my own life. Thus, I enrolled in another degree programme - BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature conducted by University of London through SIM. It is a dream come true for me - I get to learn about Humanities of Philosophy, History, etc, and I get to major in Classics, Shakespeare and Novels! It is pure reading for this course, but that is just what I love to do!
I would strongly encourage all of you out there to pick up a novel to read. You can be amazed at how interesting a book is if you only give it a chance. So did I make a convert out of you? Feel free to drop me a line!
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