It's sad but true - we don't have a wit amongst us

2009-09-08T23:45:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone!

Time Traveler's Wife on Thursday how does that sound?
Ms Lee said so. Then probably @ West Mall.
1.30 Meet up.
Cause she doesn't want to lose face by babysitting us in town.

Get back on the tagboard :)

W

BLOG REVAMPED!

2009-09-07T20:51:00.006+08:00

HI THERE! (゜▽゜)
The blogskin has been changed, hope its alright. Downside: Polls gone, awwwww. But we can still have polls from somewhere else, just a little more tedious.... or we could revert back to the old template..

P.S. Any photos posted up can't exceed the width of 400px est. for now!
P.S.S. Put titles whenever possible, (looks nicer), hur hur hur hur~

PS in letters stands for post scriptum :O

2009-08-27T21:59:00.002+08:00

September holidays, you guys :D
(This was pretty much how I imagined Clare to look like so Im happy!)

Wanyi!

2009-06-29T00:06:00.002+08:00

Question : If you were Clare, would u prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would u prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

My reply:-
If I were Clare, I would prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time. By knowing his death ahead of time, I feel that I have a chance to plan my time ahead and spend more time with him before he dies . In this way, I'll be mentally and emotionally prepared to accept his death. Yes, he disappears while time-travelling but when he reappears, I think I'll want to be together with him most of the time, such that I won't have any regrets when he dies and cry mournfully over his death. If I don't know about it beforehand, I think I'll grieve over his death as there may be things that I have not told him or even ask for his forgiveness over my mistakes or even take him to places where we always dream of. So, I feel that knowing about Henry's death ahead of time is a better choice.

Music video:-
I have chosen a Korean song entitled "Parrot" by a singer called "Howl" .
It's the OST of Korean drama, Goong (Princess Hours) .
ENJOY :D

I miss you again like yesterday.
Won't this feeling of missing you, lessen any?
You just keep appearing in my mind.
The more I try to sort through it all, the more the tears come.
Even when I try to steal it, the memories spread into different memories through the tears that I shed.
It makes me cry so painfully.
All I can do is regret, because all I ever did was receive.
But I'm afraid you'll forget me because I've never given you anything.

(chorus)
I love you, I.. I love you.
These words have become a habit
and these words are among the many I've learned from you.
I sit around alone mumbling to myself like a fool.
I'm sorry truly, truly, I'm sorry.
I'm even sorry that these words are too late.
But I'm waiting here for you shamlessly.
Will you by chance come back tomorrow?

Even if the birdcage that represented you was narrow.
I still liked it, I was still happy.
I'm returning to the day, to my dreams when I believe in forever without seperation

If I could go back.
I'd gather my heart.
I'd take everything from it and give it to you.

(Repeat chorus)

My heart.
In the end even if you can't come
and you've changed and
I'm not the one for you any longer
I'll call and call out to you again.
Like a parrot calling only your name.
Wishing for only your love like this

I choose this song as I feel that the lyrics represents how Clare feels whenever Henry passed away. When Henry died, Clare missed him greatly and could never forget her memories with him. Her feelings for Henry will never lessen anyday eventhough Henry's gone and she still loves him deeply. And, no matter how hard she'll try to forget him, Henry will always appear in her mind. Clare will always reminisce about her past memories with Henry and shed over it. It may affect her emotionally but eventually, she'll get over it and move on to life but in her heart, she'll always remember the man who she loves deeply, Henry.

xoxo,
najiha :)

2009-06-28T20:21:00.005+08:00

Farrah Fawcett
Michael Jackson .

iloveyoubothsomuch . :( May you both rest in peace .
heartfelt grievances ~farah

2009-06-28T19:49:00.005+08:00

If you were Clare, would you have agreed to alba being subjected to taking drugs like Henry in order to cure the illness/disease?

The purpose of our poll is to find out whether our classmates would drug Alba in order to cure her if they were in Clare's shoes . We wanted to know whether our classmates could make a decision as if they are really Alba's mother . We also hope that this question could help our classmates understand better Clare's feelings as a mother .

Our options consist of :
Agree - 5 votes
Disagree - 7 votes
I would be indecisive . -15 votes

According to the poll's findings , most of our classmates( 55%) have voted for the option " I would be indecisive " . It is obvious that our classmates would be in dilemma when they are given the choice of having to decide between curing Alba by drugging her or letting her stay as she is - a time traveller , just like Henry . At least now , we are confident that our classmates have fully understood how Clare felt when she was offered by Kendrick to cure Alba .
The mother loves her child most divinely, not when she surrounds him with comfort and anticipates his wants, but when she resolutely holds him to the highest standards and is content with nothing less than his best.
Hamilton Wright

[ Farah , Huling , Huiqi :D ]

Natalie's music video

2009-06-28T19:39:00.002+08:00

Every day I wake up
I hope Im dreamin
I cant believe this shit
Cant believe you aint here
Sometimes its just hard for a nigga to wake up
Its hard to just keep goin
Its like I feel empty inside without you bein here
I would do anything man, to bring you back
Id give all this shit, shit the whole knot
I saw your son today
He look just like you
You was the greatest
Youll always be the greatest
I miss you big
Cant wait til that day, when I see your face again
I cant wait til that day, when I see your face again...

Yeah... this right here (tell me why)
Goes out, to everyone, that has lost someone
That they truly loved (cmon, check it out)

Verse one: puff daddy

Seems like yesterday we used to rock the show
I laced the track, you locked the flow
So far from hangin on the block for dough
Notorious, they got to know that
Life aint always what it seem to be (uh-uh)
Words cant express what you mean to me
Even though youre gone, we still a team
Through your family, Ill fulfill your dream (thats right)
In the future, cant wait to see
If you open up the gates for me
Reminisce some time, the night they took my friend (uh-huh)
Try to black it out, but it plays again
When its real, feelings hard to conceal
Cant imagine all the pain I feel
Give anything to hear half your breath (half your breath)
I know you still living your life, after death

Chorus: faith evans

Every step I take, every move I make
Every single day, every time I pray
Ill be missing you
Thinkin of the day, when you went away
What a life to take, what a bond to break
Ill be missing you

[puff] I miss you big

Verse two: puff daddy

Its kinda hard with you not around (yeah)
Know you in heaven smilin down (eheh)
Watchin us while we pray for you
Every day we pray for you
Til the day we meet again
In my heart is where Ill keep you friend
Memories give me the strength I need (uh-huh) to proceed
Strength I need to believe
My thoughts big I just cant define (cant define)
Wish I could turn back the hands of time
Us in the 6, shop for new clothes and kicks
You and me taking flicks
Makin hits, stages they receive you on
I still cant believe youre gone (cant believe youre gone)
Give anything to hear half your breath (half your breath)
I know you still living youre life, after death

Chorus

[faith evans] somebody tell me why

Interlude: faith evans

On that morning
When this life is over
I know
Ill see your face

Outro: 112

Every night I pray, every step I take
Every move I make, every single day
Every night I pray, every step I take
[puff] every day that passes
Every move I make, every single day
[puff] is a day that I get closer
[puff] to seeing you again
Every night I pray, every step I take
[puff] we miss you big... and we wont stop
Every move I make, every single day
[puff] cause we cant stop... thats right
Every night I pray, every step I take
Every move I make, every single day
[puff] we miss you big

I feel that this song has diplayed Clare's feelings when she was waiting fo Henry. Like the phrases in the lyrics "cant believe you aint here","i'll do anything man, to bring you back","i miss you big", "can wait till that day , when i see your face again"etc.

Clare do love Henry , a lot.
As a girl , i don't think i'll wait for someone i don't love.
After Clare's 18th birthday , she waited for Henry for two years. She didn't have a steady boyfriend although she did had sex with Gomez.
She was guilty after that and felt that she was dirty.
This shows that she really love Henry.
Like the book mentioned , Clare does love someimes that she's alone. She could do stuffs that she likes and canalso listen to the music that Henry hates. But she's always happy and glad to see Henry when he's back.
She do misses him alot when he wasn't there too. Thus, i felt that this song really does suit Clare. And when Henry passes away , yes , she was sad. No one wouldn't be. But yet she liveson together with Alba. There was once Henry time travlled(just before Alba was born). He saw Alba and Alba recognises him.Although they did not spend much time together, Henry knows that Alba was a great kid. She was confident , intelligent and has a mind of her own.It shows 2 things. 1st, Alba was well brought up by Clare. 2nd , both of them are brave.

The lyrics say that"i know you still living you're life , after death".
it's the same as the story. Although Henry is dead. He does live in the past and time travel into the future.I feel that this song really has lots of significance for the story therefore i chose it.

DO enjoy :)

Jingyi, Rebecca and Shamimah's Poll Evaluation

2009-06-28T13:13:00.007+08:00

Jingyi, Rebecca and Shamimah's poll:
Who are you more sympathetic of, Henry or Clare?

Purpose of Poll:
The purpose of our poll is to not only find out if our classmates are more sympathetic of Henry or Clare but also to observe if they feel that the one time-travelling or the one waiting deserves more sympathy. Through this poll we can also raise awareness of the unfortunate roles Henry and Clare has to take on in this bitter sweet relationship.

Poll Options:
Our poll only had 2 choices which is either Henry or Clare. This is as Henry and Clare are ultimately the main characters of this love story and the story also revolves around them.

Evaluation Findings:
Henry - 11 votes (34%)
Clare - 21 votes (65%)

Evidently, majority of our classmates' hearts go out to Clare. From this finding, we can conclude that most of us are more sympathetic of Clare. When the dangers of time travelling, being away from your loved ones and not having a choice where and when you have to go is put next to the torture of having to wait for your loved one till who knows when, our classmates feel the wait is much more painful.

"It's hard being left behind. I wait for Henry, not knowing where he is, wondering if he's okay. It's hard to be the one who stays."
- Clare, Time Traveler's Wife

Poll Evaluation

2009-06-28T00:02:00.002+08:00

By : Vanessa, Natalie, Najiha , Jin Wei

What we wanted to find out : Do you think henry is worthy of clare's love?

The purpose of our question is that we wanted to find out if our classmates really felt that Henry was worthy of Clare's love. We wanted to know if anyone felt what Clare was experiencing was unfair due to her undying love for him.
One of the main topics that the book revolved around was Clare's love for Henry. A classic example from the book was ,due to Clare's passionate love for Henry, she put up with his constant time-travelling and waited patiently for his return each time he disappeared.

We came up with 3 options, bring "Yes","No" and "Maybe". "Yes" was for those who felt that Henry was worthy of Clare's love. "No" was for those who felt unjust for what Clare was going through. " Maybe" was for those who were uncertain and unsure about Clare's love.

Evaluating Results ... ...

People who voted : 28
"Yes" : 17 (60%)
"No" : 5 ( 17%)
"Maybe" : 6 (21%)

Majority of the class voted "Yes", therefore they felt that Henry is worthy of her love and Clare should put up with his "disappearing acts" as an act of love. For people who voted "No", they felt it was unfair that Clare had to go through all the heartbreak just to be with Henry. 6 doubtful people voted for "Maybe" as they could not make a decision on Henry's worthiness towards Clare's love.

Poll Evaluation

2009-06-27T19:32:00.002+08:00

Group: Jamie, Jing Wen, Leona, Rui Ting

Question: Do you think Clare has made the right decision in marrying Henry?

The purpose of our question was to find out if any of our classmates were not satisfied with the storyline and thought the story should have ended up differently. We picked out one of the major events that had changed the course of the story, Clare and Henry getting married. If Clare and Henry did not ended up getting married, everything in the story would change.

There are only two options offered. Yes or No. Yes is for those who thought the marriage was a good thing and were quite happy with how things turned out in the end. No is for those that things should have ended up differently.

In the poll, 81%(18 people) voted yes, while the remaining 18%(4 people) voted no. Most of our classmates were quite satisfied with the story and thought Clare was right about marrying Henry. While the other 18% seem to have thought differently and wanted, perhaps, a different storyline or ending.

.My tribute to the late King of Pop.

2009-06-27T08:57:00.003+08:00

Many interviews have described Michael Jackson as a "gentle" soul. I will always remember this song, "Heal the World" because when I was in Primary 6, my class and I performed it during our "graduation night". I remember learning the words by heart and thinking about how beautiful the lyrics really were.

Perhaps Michael Jackson's life has been overwrought with many personal identity issues and he will infamously be remembered forever as the celebrity that underwent multiple plastic surgery, bleached his skin and had run-ins with boys who claimed he molested them in his personal fantasy land, Neverland Ranch. However, this song evidently shows that his heart still beat for a world that has long forsaken its fellow men, and which had forgotten to love.

When I was in Secondary School, I remember my same Primary school classmates getting very excited about his concert they attended the night before. The tickets cost about $400 I think and they were narrating to the rest of us, in no less than animated gestures and intermittent screams, that MJ had pointed to them and done a crotch-grab. They were indefinitely in love with him then!

It's a little hard to imagine that someone who rose from obscurity could have influenced and shaped the music industry so much - shaped and molded the lives of young teenagers all over the world for decades. It truly is sad to lose a, perhaps misguided child-at-heart music icon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_jackson

Adieu Michael Jackson, legendary for controversy and your legacy to the music world.

POLL EVALUATION (GROUP WORK)

2009-06-26T21:34:00.004+08:00

by Adeline, Pui Mun, Gina

The purpose of the poll
The purpose of our question is to see if our classmates feel that Clare should know that Henry is going to die and from the poll, we can gather their feelings on whether Clare ought to know.

The poll option

The reason why we put
'YES' as one of the options is because we want to see if the class feels that it is right for Henry to keep his death as a secret from Clare as this news might hurt her and she might not be able to take it

‘no’ as another option is because we want to know if the class feels that Clare has the right to know so that she would better accept Henry’s death when he dies

‘drop the hint’ as the other option is because we want to know if the class feels that Henry should tell Clare, but that Henry should not just tell her the whole hard fact as it might hurt her. However, by dropping hints, it might perhaps prepare her and give her a clue on what might be going to happen.

Evaluation of findings

yes 7 (29%)
A portion of the class voted this might be because they felt that Clare might not be able to accept the cruel fact that Henry will eventually leave her if she were to be told of Henry's death.

no 2 (8%)
Only a few in the class voted this, perhaps because they think that Henry should tell Clare about what will happen to him as afterall, she is his husband and thus, has the right to know.

drop hints to Clare 15 (62%)
Majority voted this, which means that they think Henry is not a direct person, who will tell Clare this sorrowful fact, but he wanted Clare to be prepared for it.

♠ ~.: My Answer :.~ ♠

2009-06-26T17:49:00.006+08:00

Qn by: Amirul & Matthew & Jasmine & Sheena

Would you want to be a time traveller? Why?

If time travelling is like what Henry is experiencing, I would not want to be a time traveller.

Henry does not know when he will go 'poof' and disappear.
Henry has totally no idea where he will end up in.
Henry cannot bring anything with him when he time travels.

Henry is constantly in danger of being beaten up and ending up in places where he cannot escape etc. and he is always defenseless when he encounters these situations. Given a choice, I would prefer to stay at home, away from all these dangers.

Also, time travel allows Henry to know the future and understand the past, leaving him 'trapped' as time travel does not allow him to be able to alter either of it. Henry knows very well what is going to happen, who is going to die etc. and yet, he can do totally nothing to help. This leaves Henry feeling miserable. I do not want to experience that.

In my opinion, life is like a story, a book. Time travel equals to finishing the book in advance, already knowing the whole story, and re-reading it again. Time travel makes everything pure boring! However, when you do not know what to expect, everything comes as a surprise. Every day (every page) is full of wonders, excitement, happiness, sadness, everything is new.

In conclusion, I do not want to be a time traveller as firstly, I do not want to face the dangers that time travellers like Henry faces. Secondly, I do not want to feel sad and helpless like Henry when I know what is going to happen and yet can do nothing to help. Thirdly, I do not want to make my life boring.

Why meddle with time when you can stay at home and do normal and safe but yet fun things (eg. playing computer :D) ??

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Qn by: HuiQi & HuiLing & Farah

If you were Clare, would you prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would you prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

If I were Clare, I would prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time.

Firstly, I want to get myself mentally prepared for Henry's death. If I know about Henry's death beforehand, I think that I would not feel as depressed as I will if Henry's death came as a surprise. I will be able to continue with my life as it is rather that feeling very sad and not really doing anything else like the Clare in the book.

Secondly, I want to be able to cherish the time that I have left with Henry. The time that I have with Henry is very minimal as he is a time traveller. I am forever waiting for him to come back from his journey which I cannot follow, the road that is only known to him. I do not want to feel regret after Henry's death because I did not cherish the time that I had together with him.

Lastly, I want some time to be able to prepare for Henry's death and I feel that I should plan about what I should do in order to cope with life along with Alba after Henry's death. Should I get a job etc.

In conclusion, I feel that if I am Clare, it will be better for me to know about Henry's death ahead of time. Even though there will be sadness and tears, I feel that everything will end better this way.

It is good to plan ahead of time!! :D

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This song is [[ Towa no Hana ]] by Ishida Youko.
It's in Japanese so here are the English translations. :D

The seasons move on, leaving
The scent of the flowers blooming pale
The rain has stopped too, clouds in the sky
Are blown gently by the blue breeze

Both today and tomorrow
Alongside the times we walk
Our trembling thoughts will be there
Unchanging

Forever Forever
It blooms but never dies
The pounding of my heart never ceases
More than anyone, More than anyone
I gaze at you
With this feeling that never ends

That day, when we met
How many times in the world
has a miracle like this happen?
Whom shall I thank?

Ah, I know your future
will be perfect for me
There will be nights when I can't say it
Although I may cry

Forever Forever
It may pass, but it will not fade
In the wind, under the sky, I wait
If I believe, If I believe
Then your smile
Will surely become my flower

Forever Forever
It blooms but never dies
The pounding of my heart never ceases
More than anyone, More than anyone
I gaze at you
With this never ending feeling

In my opinion, this song fits into the story of [[ The Time Traveller's Wife ]].

From the start of the story, when Clare meets Henry, her future husband, in the Medow. " That day when we met, how many times in the world, has a miracle like this happened? " It is a ' miracle ' as not every little girl gets to meet their future husband when they are ot playing.

After Clare and Henry gets married, " In the wind, under the sky, I wait. " Due to the fact that Henry is a time traveller, Clare is forever waiting for him, worrying about his safety etc.

And Henry and Clare's love for each other. Their love is ' Forever ' ' It blooms but never dies ' ' This feeling that never ends '.

-- ♫ yuhui

2009-06-26T16:46:00.002+08:00

The video is a little soft, sorry but there is no official video

I wake up all alone
Somewhere unfamiliar
Been gone so many days I'm losing count
When I think of home I see your face
Though I have to wait

[Chorus]
You're so close yet so far
It's tearing me apart
What I would do to be there with you
You're so close yet so far
It's tearing me apart
What I would do to be back with you

I miss hearing your laughter
All the little things
Forgotten what it's like to hold you
Cuz where I am right now
So unforgiving
It's numbing everything

[Chorus]
You're so close yet so far
It's tearing me apart
What I would do to be there with you
You're so close yet so far
It's tearing me apart
What I would do to be back with you

(So promise)
No matter how long it takes for me to get back to you
You'll wait for me
(I promise)
No matter how far away I go I'll come back for you
Just wait and see

I miss being at home
I miss your face
Don't think I can wait

You're so close, yet so far
It's tearing me apart
What I would do to be there with you
So close, yet so far
It's tearing me apart
What I would do to be back with you

I think this song would suit, because of Clare's yearning for Henry after he left. From the song, the lyrics 'Been gone so many days I'm losing count' shows that Clare is waiting for so long till she cant keep track, and the chorus, depicts whats going through Clare's mind. It also shows Henry promise to Clare, 'No matter how long it takes for me to get back to you You'll wait for me' and Clare continues to wait despite knowing Henry is gone. From 'I miss hearing your laughter All the little things Forgotten what it's like to hold you' it also shows how much Clare is wanting to see Henry just one more time.

Poll Evaluation

2009-06-25T20:27:00.002+08:00

by Jia Ning, Yu Hui and Jia Hui

Our Question: Do you think that marriage has improved Clare and Henry"s relationship?

Purpose of our question: We wanted to find out if our classmates felt that marriage is capable of improving a relationship or that it is just a first step to getting divorce.

Chioces we offered:
-Yes: We wanted to see if people felt that marriage is capable of drawing two people closer.
-No: We wanted to see if people felt that marriage is just a ceremony and not at all helpful in drawing two people closer.

Findings:
-Yes(96%): Majority voted 'Yes' and this shows that they felt that marriage is indeed capable of improving existing relationships and that they look forward to walking down the aisle in the future.
-No(4%): Minority voted 'No' and this shows that they may not have confidence in marriage so don't even think of recieving an invite to their weddings in the future.

2009-06-25T20:00:00.008+08:00

KHOOCHIEN'S Choice of Song : I Can Wait Forever-SimplePlan

You look so beautiful today
When you're sitting there it's hard for me to look away
So I try to find the words that I could say
I know distance doesn't matter but you feel so far away
And I can't lie every time I leave my heart turns gray
And I want to come back home to see your face tonight
'Cause I just can't take it [Chorus]
Another day without you with me
Is like a blade that cuts right through me
But I can wait, I can wait forever
When you call my heart stops beating
When you're gone it won´t stop bleeding
But I can wait, I can wait forever
You look so beautiful today
It's like every time I turn around I see your face
The thing I miss the most is waking up next to you
When I look into your eyes, man I wish that I could stay
And I can't lie every time I leave my heart turns gray
And I want to come back home to see your face tonight
'Cause I just can't take it[Chorus]
Another day without you with me
Is like a blade that cuts right through me
But I can wait, I can wait forever
When you call my heart stops beating
When you're gone it won´t stop bleeding
But I can wait, I can wait, I can wait forever
I know it feels like "forever"
I guess that's just the price I gotta pay
But when I come back home to feel your touch makes it better
Until that day there's nothing else that I can do
And I just can't take it(I just can't take it)
[Chorus]Another day without you with me
Is like a blade that cuts right through me
But I can wait, I can wait forever
When you call my heart stops beating
When you're gone it won´t stop bleeding
But I can wait, I can wait, I can wait forever
I can wait forever I can wait forever
I can wait forever I can wait forever
I can wait forever

I chose this song as i feel that the lyrics match the whole idea of the book . In this book , it is all about waiting & leaving . Clare , waiting for Henry to return from his time-travelling . Henry, leaving , or rather , disappearing all of a sudden , god knows for how long . When Henry leaves Clare , Clare's heart will "stop beating" , as she doesn't really lead her happy life when he's gone . & until Henry's back , "[her heart] won't stop bleeding" . She feels that "it's hard to be the one who stays" . But no matter what , Clare will always be there , waiting for Henry . Especially in the last chapter of the book , where Clare is in her eightys , she still wait for him , believing he will return for her . Even if it means , she has to wait for him forever . Also , this song is also illustrating from Henry's point of view that he could not take it when he time-travels , as his "heart [will turn] grey" . Henry in the earlier part of the book , knows exactly when he is going to time-travel , but "till the day , there's nothing else I can do" , meaning that he cannot do anything to stop himself from time-travelling . However , despite all these , both Clare & Henry knows that their love for each other will not change no matter how far apart they were . Which is why, their love can withstand all obstacles , & are able to get this far .

`& I know distance doesn't matter .

Jamie's song choice (Come Back to Me, by David Cook)

2009-06-25T12:08:00.003+08:00

Come back to me, David Cook

Lyrics:
You say you got to go and find yourself
You say that you've become someone else
Don't recognize the face in the mirror looking back at you

You say you're leaving as you look away
I know there's really nothing left to say
Just know I'm there whenever you need me, I'll wait for you

So I'll let you go I'll set you free
And when you see what you need to see
When you find you
Come back to me

Take your time I won't go anywhere
Picture you with the wind in your hair
I keep your things right where you left them I'll be here for you

And I'll let you go I'll set you free
And when you see what you need to see
When you find you
Come back to me

I hope you find everything that you need
I'll be right here waiting to see
When you find you
Come back to me

I can't get close if you're not there
I can't get inside if there's no soul to bare
I can't fix you, I can't save you
It's something you have to do

So I'll let you go I'll set you free
And when you see what you need to see
When you find you
Come back to me

I hope you find everything that you need
I'll be right here waiting to see
When you find you
Come back to me
___________________________________________________
I chose this song because the song really reminded me of how Clare would feel while waiting for Henry to come back from time traveling.
When David Cook sings the part "Just know I'm there whenever you need me, I'll wait for you", it reminds me of when Clare is waiting for Henry to come back. When he comes back from time traveling, she'll always be there waiting for him and helping him get his clothes.
In these few lines, "So I'll let you go I'll set you free/ And when you see what you need to see/ When you find you/ Come back to me", I feel that this few lines are talking about Henry. To me, it's like Clare accepting Henry's 'disorder' and just letting him take his time to time travel, knowing that no matter what happens, he'll always return to her.
In the next verse, the first line "Take your time I won't go anywhere", links to the last chapter, where Clare actually waits for Henry for 47 years. This shows how much devotion she has to him.
In the next few lines, "I can't get close if you're not there/ I can't get inside if there's no soul to bare/ I can't fix you, I can't save you/ It's something you have to do", I feel that these lines is closely linked to the story, as it seems to show Clare's frustrations at times. Like, she cannot help but worry feel as if they have drifted apart because he's not there. I think that the next three lines seem to be referring to the part where Henry lost his legs(pages 459-464). Henry was very irritable and distant during that period of time. And Kimy is helping him to wash up. She cannot save his legs or help him get them back, she can only support him when he needs to move around. But to gather his courage back and stand up again, is something Henry has to do own his own.
As I listen to the song everytime, I am also reminded of The Time Traveler's Wife, and how Clare patiently waits for Henry, no matter what.

Done by,
Jamie. 3C

2009-06-24T21:20:00.001+08:00

2009-06-24T20:49:00.006+08:00

Somewhere only we know

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing where have you gone

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree

I felt the branches of it looking at me

Is this the place we used to love?

Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing where have you gone

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don't we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go

Somewhere only we know?

Oh simple thing where have you gone

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don't we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go

Somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go

Somewhere only we know

I chose this song because it best portrays how Clare feels after losing Henry(Henry's death). "I walked across an empty land" describes the emptiness in Clare's heart after losing her love, Henry. The loss of Henry made her disconsolate. "Oh simple thing where have you gone" says that Clare is crying out to Henry, asking him where is he now. Clare is depressed about Henry's death and still believes that she will get to meet Henry again one day. "So why don't we go somewhere only we know?" suggests that Clare hopes to meet Henry in a place where they only know which is the place that they first met- the meadow. Clare's desperation in seeing Henry again shows that she loves Henry deeply. "I'm getting old and I need something to rely on" depicts the number of years that Clare had waited for Henry. She had waited till her hair turns white. I feel that all the waiting was worthwhile as Clare eventually gets to see Henry for the one last time in her whole life.

2009-06-24T15:46:00.002+08:00

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveler like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

Leona:

I would choose to be a time traveler like my dad.

I think that this is the only way that i can see my dad, although he had already passed away when i was five years old. Being a time traveler, i can spend more time with my dad and get to know more about him. I can also share these experiences with my mum, assuring my mum that dad always exist. Dad died when i was young. As a child, I would definitely yearn for a father's love and care. The ability of time travelling enables me to bond with my dad and improve our relationship too. Hence, I would be able to experience my father's love despite the fact that he had passed away.

2009-06-24T07:03:00.002+08:00

Farah's Individual Task

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling ?

I'd rather be the one waiting , seriously , unless there's an option where i can time travel when my parents are nagging at me (: Time travelling can be quite an adventure but it can be quite aggravating to those enjoying precious moments with their loved ones . In case some of you guys are wondering why Henry had to make love with Clare so much each time they met , it's because he feels a sense of connection while doing so . He loved Clare so much and i believe from what i've read that he wouldn't want to time travel if he had the choice . Waiting can be a torment to some , especially weaker women with a fragile heart. Okay , here's a scenario . If i marry a time-traveller in future ( So not happening ! ) , if i'm pregnant and the father of my child is no where to be found , how am i going to explain to my relatives ? My friends ? They'll have adverse thoughts towards my husband . & For all you know , he drops from the sky beside my bed, stark naked ! Haha . Patience is a virtue and i want to lead a normal life . I wouldn't want people to think that i'm a freak or physco . Chilling out with friends & boom ! I vanish ! Oh not to forget , in this book , it did mention at the very first few chapters that Henry actually forgotten who Clare was . & They had to start afresh again . Get to know each other again . I mean for those who are time travelling , they really have no clue to what's going on . But to us who have been waiting for their return , it can be quite piercing to know that they can't recall a single thing about us .
It's hard being left behind. I wait for Henry, not knowing where he is, wondering if he's okay. It's hard to be the one who stays."
— Clare

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

If i were Alba , i'd rather Doctor Kendrick cure me so that i can be just like every normal kid in school . Though i might enjoy time travelling while i'm still young , hyper and active , i reckon that i'll regret having bestowed that " hereditary trait" from my father sooner or later. My mother , Clare , would have a hard time looking after me if i keep on time-travelling. I'm positive that as a Mother , she'll want to have someone to talk to . If not her husband , the least is the product of her marriage . Her child , me . I'm sure she would want to explain all the things i want to know as i drift into teenage life .How my Father looked like ? How they met ? How he died ? What was so special about him ? And so on . I want to be there for my mother . She'll have no one else but me . I am very sure that she had enough of waiting . It's very antogonizing .

Journey - When you love a woman

In my life I see where I've been
I said that I'd never fall again
Within myself I was wrong
My searchin' ain't over... over
I know that ;

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
You know she's standin' by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There's a band of gold that shines waiting
Somewhere... oh oh yeah

If I can't believe that someone is true
To fall in love is so hard to do
I hope and pray tonight
Somewhere you're thinking of me girl
Yes I know I... I know that

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
You know she's standin' by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There's a band of gold that shines, waiting
Somewhere... oh..oh

It's enough to make you cry.
When you see her walkin' by
And you look into her eyes
Oh...oh...oh

When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes

When you love a woman
Well you know she's standin' by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There's a band of gold that shines... whoa
When you love a woman...
When you love, love, love
When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes.

Rockwell - Knife

You touched my life With your softness in the night My wish was your command Until you ran out of love

I tell myself I’m free Got the chance of livin’ just for me No need to hurry home Now that you’re gone

Knife
Cuts like a knife
How will I ever heal
I’m so deeply wounded
Knife
Cuts like a knife
You cut away the heart of my life

When I pretend
Wear a smile to fool my dearest friends
I wonder if they know
It’s just a show
I’m on a stage
Day and night
I go through my charades
But how can I disguise
What’s in my eyes

Oh, ohOh,
oh, oh, ohOh, oh,
oh, ohOh…

I’ve tried and tried
Blocking out the pain I feel inside
The pain of wanting you
Wanting you

Knife
Cuts like a knife
How will I ever heal
I’m so deeply wounded

You cut away the heart Of my life ;

These two songs just happened to be two of the greatest classics during my parents' time . The song " When you love a woman " sung by Journey really describes how deeply enamoured Henry is by Clare. Even though he might forget her while time time travelling , he will fall in love with her again and again . " When you love a woman , you see the world inside her eyes ". That's exactly how he feels & i'm sure that if given the opportunity , he wants to be normal just to be by Clare's side . She's the only one who understands him and has been waiting for him . He thank her for that yet he could never express how much he love her because most of the time he would be time travelling and so each time they met, they are bound to make love because they feel that through sexual intercourse , they'll feel more closer to each other . The song "Knife " sung by Rockwell on the other hand touches more on deception and betrayal . This song best reflects on the part where Clare had sex with Gomez while Henry was away . She was in a state of depression and out of her mind . She was too overhwhelmed by grief but Gomez , shouldn't have taken advantage of her because from what i've read, Clare is a very weak person deep inside her . She's very vulnerable too. " I was waiting very patiently ... but then i can't go on" I'm sure Henry felt dissapointed at her revelation but her love for her surpassed anything in this world . & i reckon he forgave her and forgotten the incident .

Our group's poll evaluation

2009-06-23T22:20:00.004+08:00

by jiamin, yujing, iffah

Our question

If you were Clare, would you have forgone your love life of 47 years just to see Henry again for only a few minutes?

The purpose of our question is to know whether the readers support Clare's decision in staying faithful towards Henry by giving up her love life just to see Henry again.

Explain each of the options you offered:

Yes

We want to see if people were really willing to give up their love life just to wait for one person.

We want to see how many people out there are not patient and would not go through the tough times, which is waiting for a loved one, of being in a relationship

Maybe

We want to know if there is a need for people to be indecisive when it comes to choosing between two choices which are waiting for someone they truly love or giving up their love life and not waiting for him.

Explain findings:

Yes - 14 (63%)

Majority voted 'Yes' and that shows that many believe in true love. :>

No - 4 (18%)

The people who voted 'No' do not want to go through the pain of waiting.

Maybe - 4 (18%)

The people who voted 'maybe' shows that they are sitting on fences. However, this is understandable as they are in a tough position of choosing between two choices that lead to life-changing consequences.

Jiahui's Reading Tasks

2009-06-23T14:37:00.001+08:00

This song “like a knife” best describes how Clare feels after Henry died. The line “Goodbyes are meant for lonely people standing in the rain, and no matter where l go it is always pouring all the same” would have described the loneliness Clare feels after Henry is gone. This song also describes Clare’s emotions. The line ”But promise that you’ll stay. Cause if l watch you go, you’ll see me wasting ”in the lyrics describes Clare’s hope for Henry to stay. This song also shows that waiting would be a painful process. Which was what Clare has been doing all her life. It’s really hard for her. The lyrics “these streets are filled with memories both perfect and pain. ”reminds me of the meadow where they first met and where Henry died. It is really been hard for Clare. She would have gave up for a better mate. However, she persists. Their love has indeed been the thread through has been the labyrinth, the net under the high-wire walker.

If you were alba, would you have choose to be a time traveler like your dad , or would you let doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else?
If l were Alba, I would not choose to be a time traveler. I would be happy if Doctor Kendrick could try to cure me so I could be a normal person. Mum[Clare] is already waiting for Dad[Henry]for such a long time already! l know that waiting could be really painful. What if I got caught? What if I end up like my dad, die or lost my foot because of time travelling to a cold place? I do not want Mum to keep worrying about me .She doesn’t deserve to be the one waiting and worrying all the time. I don’t want her to be lonely. I just wish to be a normal person and take care of her for my whole life.
I you were Clare, would you prefer to know about Henry’s death ahead of time, or would you prefer not to know about it beforehand?
If I were Clare, I would like to know about Henry’s death ahead of time. At least I would be mentally prepared. I would be able to spend his last few days with him. We could go to places where we had fun, like the meadow. I would have enough time to say whatever I wanted to say. I do not wish to have any regrets. I could also try to ask my father not to go out and hunt on that day. I know I might not be able to change Henry’s future, but at least I have tried. I have tried to protect him, to let him stay by my side for a longer time.

Jayne's Reading Task

2009-06-23T14:29:00.001+08:00

I feel that this song “Stanger” by Secondhand Serenade describes how Henry felt when he met six-year-old Clare for the first time. Clare was in the meadow colouring when she found out that Henry was hiding in the bushes. Her first instinct was to throw her own shoe at him. Just like the chorus of “Stranger”, Henry was a stranger to her then. Clare did not know why Henry knew her name, and why Henry was naked. Anyone in their right mind would think Henry is dangerous and would want to stay away from him. Moreover, Henry claimed to be a time traveler. As for Henry, meeting Clare way before the time they are supposed to meet is somehow terrifying to him. He was hesitating if he should make himself known to her, and even gave himself a nickname called Stranger Danger. The two verses of “Stranger” shows Henry’s struggle to prevent himself from scaring Clare away. Overall, “Stranger” shows many of the emotions both of them portrayed in the meadow.

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?
I would rather be the one waiting. By being a time traveler, I will risk changing the past and future. If I happen to change something and cause my loved one to be lost, I could never forgive myself. Knowing that I was the one who made the mistake would fill me with the utmost remorse. On the other hand, by being the one who is waiting, I will not feel any guilt. If the past or future is changed, I will most probably not even have known the time traveler, and so, I will just continue with my life as the way it is. However, if I do know the time traveler even after the past or future is changed, the heartache that I will feel would be nothing compared to the agony the time traveler feels. Ultimately, is something goes wrong, the one suffering lesser would be the one waiting.

On page 11, Clare shows Henry a blue child’s dairy filled with 152 dates when she goes out on a date with him for the first time. Why is it significant that Clare treasures her relationship with Henry?
Seeing that Clare remembered to bring the dairy to show Henry on their supposed first date, I can tell that she does not want to lose Henry and would take any opportunity to be with him. When Clare met Henry for the supposed first time in the library, she wasted no time in getting a date with Henry. At dinner, she took the opportunity to show Henry the diary so that he knows of their previous meetings together. Clare needs Henry to believe her, before she can finally spend time with him. Having already fallen deeply in love with Henry, it is without a doubt that Clare would give anything up just to be with him.

2009-06-23T11:53:00.005+08:00

Jingyi's individual task:

He broke your heart
He took your soul
You're hurt inside
Because there's a hole
You need some time
To be alone
Then you will find
What you always know

I'm the one who really loves you baby
I've been knocking at your door

As long as I'm living,
I'll be waiting
As long as I'm breathing,
I'll be there
Whenever you call me,
I'll be waiting
Whenever you need me,
I'll be there

I've seen you cry
Into the night
I feel your pain
Can I make it right
I realized there's no end inside

Yet still I'll wait
For you to see the light

I'm the one who really loves you baby
I can't take it anymore

As long as I'm living,
I'll be waiting
As long as I'm breathing,
I'll be there
Whenever you call me, I
'll be waiting
Whenever you need me,
I'll be there

You are my only I've ever known
That makes me feel this way
Couldn't on my own
I want to be with you until we're old

You have the love you need right in front of you
Please come home

As long as I'm living,
I'll be waiting
As long as I'm breathing,
I'll be there
Whenever you call me,
I'll be waiting
Whenever you need me,
I'll be there
I chose this song because it portrays Clare's feelings of having to wait for Henry to appear by her side again whenever he disappears. Clare is willing to wait for Henry although she never knows when he will ever come back. Similarly, in the song, the person is willing to wait as long as he is living, for the one he loves and will always be there for that special someone. Clare is deeply in love with Henry and waits for him till the day Henry dies.

Chin SIong's Music video

2009-06-23T11:01:00.003+08:00

Lyrics:

I'll approach you and wait, it's been several weeks coming,
And I'd give it up, give it away,
To be able to tell you how I really feel,
And how I'd give it up to hear you say,
Cause were counting the seconds and minutes we’ve spent here,
Can't seem to just throw you away,
When it's all said and done dear and were packing our things,
Will the memories keep me thinking?

So where do we go when it's all over,
And will you be coming back, coming to me?

Cause I've been waiting here to declare a new meaning,
To feel the way I do and it just happens to be,
One of the things that I'd like pretend,
Cause I know you can't stand,
When I wake up, hold on to your hand and I'm sorry I'm not strong enough,
To let go of the things that I love way too much

Come to me and I'll tell you the story,
Of how I became the way that I became,
Set aside all the things that you've heard in the past,
I have reasons but I'm still the same,
Light my way back home cause I'm feeling so alone

Then there's you, I'm tired of waiting,
When are you coming back, coming to me?

Cause I've been waiting here to declare a new meaning,
To feel the way I do and it just happens to be,
One of the things that I'd like pretend,
Cause I know you can't stand,
When I wake up, hold on to your hand and I'm sorry I'm not strong enough,
To let go of the things that I love way too much

Light my way back home cause I'm feeling so alone
Light my way back home cause I'm feeling so alone

Cause I've been waiting here to declare a new meaning,
To feel the way I do and it just happens to be,
One of the things that I'd like pretend,
Cause I know you can't stand,
When I wake up, hold on to your hand and I'm sorry I'm not strong enough,
To let go of the things that I love way too much

I chose this song, Dear Time Traveler by The Scene Aesthetic, as I feel it relates to how Clare feels when she is always waiting for Henry to come back to her and how Henry feels when he has time traveled to some unknown place and is feeling alone. The lyrics “And will you be coming back, coming to me?” shows how Clare feels when Henry is gone for a very long time and how she wonders whether he would go back to her. The lyrics “Light my way back home cause I'm feeling so alone” shows how Henry feels when he is stuck in someplace and waiting for Clare to arrive with some of his clothes and to bring him back home.

2009-06-23T10:53:00.003+08:00

JingYi's reply to the Questions:

If you were Clare, and you had a choice
whether to wait for Henry,
would you wait? Why?

I would not wait. It is a painful exprience of having to worry if my fiance is going to disappear miraculously during my wedding, having me to deal with the awkwardness of facing the other hundreds of guests alone. The problems and pain that the waitings and the worries cause are too much for me to handle. I would rather marry a normal man, who is unable to tell of the lottery numbers, who is unable to tell me when he will die, and who is ABLE to be by my side all the time. Having my partner disappearing repeatedly, I will feel insecure. I would not know when he is going to come back to my side, or when he is going to. It will feel like a game of patience and luck. Henry may time travel to another place, completely different mine, and get stuck there if he is unlucky and probably falls in love with another woman there. Then, I would be waiting for a man who will never return.

If you were Clare, would u prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would u prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

I would prefer to know about Henry's death beforehand. It is just like having a packet of milk that expires in a week. I would try to finish it as soon as possible before it expires. And like Henry, whom I know is going to die, probably in a few months time, I would grab each and every opportunity, hour and minute, just to be with him before he dies. Even if I would be there to watch him die, the both of us would not bear any regrets about not loving each other enough. It is always before death that one knows how much the other party truly loves him. If I do not know his death beforehand, I might probably have a tiff with him in the following month, and ignore him for days. The number of hours and minutes that I have wasted not being with him, could become my worst regret after he dies.

RUI TING's Response

2009-06-23T10:43:00.002+08:00

If you were Clare, would u prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would u prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

I would prefer to know beforehand.

Why?

If I was Clare, I would definitely like to know about Henry's death beforehand. Knowing about his death beforehand would give me time to mentally prepare myself and also know how to treasure the time left with him as i would know exactly how much time i had left with him.

Not having prior knowledge about Henry’s death would leave me in a state of shock and devastation. I would regret not treasuring the time I had with him before his death and other things like that. That is why I would like to know about Henry’s death beforehand.

Chin Siong's response to questions

2009-06-23T10:13:00.004+08:00

Would you want to be a time traveler? Why?

My reply would be that I would not want to be a time traveler as it appears that time travelers have a very short life Expectancy as Henry dies when he is only 43. Time travelling also has many risks and dangers. For example, I would appear out of nowhere in a place I am unfamiliar with and not knowing whether I would be beaten up by people or chased by the police like what happens to Henry in the book. Furthermore people who have discovered that I can time travel may feel that I am a
freak of nature and will shun me and me being the only person in the world that can time Travel; I would be used as a test subject for many experiments like what Dr. Kendrick Does to Henry, giving him medication to test if they work in preventing
him from time travelling often.

If I am Clare would I want to know of Henry’s death beforehand?

Yes I would want to know about henrys death beforehand as knowing his death would lead me to appreciating the time he has left more and I would be able to help achieve his goals that he would like to do when he is still alive. I would also treasure the time we have left together and not waste anymore time. Knowing his death will also make me more mentally prepared and I would be able to control my emotions for when the time comes, I would be able to let him go without any regrets.

music video

2009-06-22T22:13:00.002+08:00

Lyrics

I'm so tired of being here，suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave
Your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real,
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light
Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me

I’ve tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone.
But though you're still with me, I’ve been alone all along

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears,
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me, me, me

I chose this song, My Immortal by Evanescence, as I feel that it relates a lot to how Clare felt after Henry’s death. When a person who is very close to you dies, it always feel as if they are not dead yet and that they will always live on in our hearts. It is just like how Henry is never really dead to Clare and that her mind often drifts off to him, as expressed by the line, ‘‘And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave. Your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone. ’’ The death of Henry had also been a very painful thing to Clare and this is reflected by the line ‘‘these wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real, there’s just too much that time cannot erase. ’’ So when they say ‘‘Time heals all wounds’’, I really have to disagree.

2009-06-22T07:55:00.004+08:00

Complicated Heart by Michael Learns To Rock

Don't know what to say now
Don't know where to start
I don't know how to handle
a complicated heart
You tell me you are leaving
but I just have to say
before you throw it all away

Even if you want to go alone
I will be waiting when you're coming home
if you need someone to ease the pain
you can lean on me, my love will still remain

Don't know what you're thinking
to me it seems quite tough
to hold a conversation
when words are not enough
so this is your decision
and there's nothing I can do
I can only say to you

Even if you want to go alone
I will be waiting when you're coming home
if you need someone to ease the pain
you can lean on me, my love will still remain

This song best describes Clare's wait for Henry's return. The lyrics "I will be waiting when you're coming home" depicts her love and concern for Henry when he is time travelling. She is always worrying about his safety and wondering when they will be able to meet again. However, Clare understands Henry's fear and constant worry and offers him a shoulder he can lean on. Henry's impairment is the cause of their unstable and rocky relationship as their meetings can be short-lived and Clare is constantly worrying and hoping Henry would not leave when he is by her side. The fear and helplessness grows and Henry learns of his death yet Clare's love for Henry "will still remain"-undying and she will always be waiting for Henry to come home even when she's already 82.

Posted by Yu Liang (3B)

Emmanuel response to questions

2009-06-21T23:24:00.010+08:00

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveler like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

i would want to be cured by Doctor Kendrick and lead a normal life. It may be fun starting but in the long run it will cause alot of problems, imagine a female appearing naked out of nowhere, the troubles you will get. If people know u can time travel, they will treat you as the freak of the week, they will shun you, ostracising you. If u are time travelling half the time, your loved ones will also be constantly worrying for you. No doubt u will know the future, but what good is it when u cannot control or change it. I think that time travelling is a liability rather then a gift. You cannot benefit anyone, it only brings on more burden. In conclusion if i was Alba i would want to be cured and lead a normal life with my love one without any problems.

If you were Clare, would you prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would you prefer not to know about it beforehand?

I would prefer not to know about Henry's death, knowing his death would only constantly put my mind that Henry is dying, like a patient with terminal illness and there was no chance of recovery. Knowing that Henry will die may make me cherish him more but you will be mostly giving up on hope him, knowing when he will die. I prefer to let nature takes it course, if he is fated to die then die. Knowing when he will die is like when u are in a movie and there is a person beside you telling what will happen next and i will feel very irritated because there is no more element of suspense. When the time of Henry's death is approaching, I would feel very helpless, because i cannot change anything but just watch him depart

My music Video

2009-06-20T11:48:00.006+08:00

truly madly deeply -Cascada

I choose this song as i feel that the lyrics represents what Clare's love to Henry throughout the book. Even from young, Clare have always wanted to be with Henry. Even when Henry was gone, she is still waiting for him to time travel and visit her. Although Henry has constantly made Clare worry about him, she still doesn't give up on him. When she knew that Henry could time travel and anything could happen to him when he reaches another destination, she still continued worrying for him and praying that he will return home safely. Having to meet Henry is like Clare's fortune as she will never meet a guy like Henry who has given her a different life from other people. Clare is willing to sacrifice her life for Henry and no matter what happens to Henry, Clare will always be there for him.

Jingwen

MUSIC VIDEO

2009-06-19T16:42:00.005+08:00

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything seems like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know your alive

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am

I feel that Iris by Goo Goo Dolls describes Henry's point of view in this story. From this book, we can clearly see Henry's undying and sacrificing love for Clare, be it the younger or the present Clare. From the song, the lyrics "And all I can breathe is your life" plainly depicts the devotion of the love Henry had for Clare. "You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be" says that Clare is some sort of an angel to Henry. For instance, whenever Henry feels stressed out in his present, he would travel back to the Meadow, where he would meet the younger Clare and relax together with her. This means Clare is a solace to Henry. "Cause sooner or later it's over / I just don't want to miss you tonight " describes the part where Henry pulls Clare into the room just before the New Year's Eve party. Henry knows that his life would be over soon and he would leave Clare in a couple of hours time, and so wanted to have sex with Clare for one last time. The song states the extent of the love that Henry had for Clare, which, to some point, is immensely touching.

Reply to QN of the Week

2009-06-19T14:38:00.005+08:00

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?

In my opinion, I would rather be the one waiting. Time travelling is a dangerous affair as you have no control over where you might end up and you are left vulnerable without any clothing or money with you. Worse still, you have to resort to criminal measures such as stealing or pickpocketing to fend for yourself , which I'm strongly against. Furthermore, Henry cannot alter his past or future as it would impact the present which means we can't change fate. No man can. We have to accept what is in store for us. The memories can be troubling and leave you miserable as in Henry's case when he learns of his imminent death but yet he could not do anything to alleviate the situation. Waiting is an emotionally draining thing to do but as the old saying goes, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" , this sense of separation fuels their longing and love for each other which is what makes this relationship everlasting despite Henry's death.

If you were Clare, would you prefer to know about Henry's death beforehand or remain clueless about it?

If I were Clare, I would rather not be bothered by Henry's death and cherish each day we meet. I wouldn't want to make myself feel miserable and live life to the fullest. Since Clare has been the one waiting for Henry, I strongly doubt their separation would cause Clare much grief and she would be able to take it in her own stride. If I were to trouble myself incessantly about Henry's death, it would only sour our relationship as I would wonder when is he going to leave me. I would choose to spend his remaining days enjoying his company while it lasts and treasure it in my heart forever. As the saying goes, "ignorance is bliss", I believe Clare would be a much happier person as she would not have to suffer the trauma of Henry's death.

Posted by Yu Liang (3B)

2009-06-18T21:57:00.003+08:00

No Surprise lyrics

I've practiced this for hours, gone round and round
And now I think that I've got it all down
And as I say it louder, I love how it sounds
Cause I'm not taking the easy way out
Not wrappin' this in ribbons
Shouldn't have to give a reason why

Chorus
It's no surprise I won't be here tomorrow
I can't believe that I stayed till today
Yeah you and I will be a tough act to follow
But I know in time we'll find this was no surprise

It came out like a river once I let it out
When I thought that I wouldn't know how
Held onto it forever, just pushing it down
Felt so good to let go of it now
Not wrapping this in ribbons
Shouldn't have to give a reason why

Chorus
It's no surprise I won't be here tomorrow
I can't believe that I stayed till today
There's nothing here in this heart left to borrow
There's nothing here in this soul left to say

Don't be surprised when we hate this tomorrow
God knows we tried to find an easier way
Yeah you and I will be a tough act to follow
But I know in time we'll find this was no surprise

Our favorite place we used to go
The warm embrace that no one knows
The loving look that's left your eyes
That's why this comes as no,
As no surprise

If I could see the future and how this plays out
I bet it's better than where we are now
But after going through this
It's easier to see the reason why

Chorus
It's no surprise I won't be here tomorrow
I can't believe that I stayed till today
(stayed till today)
Yeah you and I will be a tough act to follow
But I know in time we'll find this was no surprise

Our favorite place we used to go
The warm embrace that no one knows
The loving look that's left your eyes
But I know in time we'll find this was no surprise.

KAILING:
This song depicts the frequent disappearance of Henry.
"It's no surprise I won't be here tomorrow"
At times, Henry would disappear without notice for days. At the beginning when Clare was little when she first met Henry, she would be puzzled and intrigued at how and why Henry comes and goes without her ever knowing. However as time went by, and as Henry would tell her the dates of his going and coming, Henry's time-traveling was no long something that was surprising.
"There's nothing here in this heart left to borrow
There's nothing here in this soul left to say."
In Henry's last days, days which were a step nearer to his death, something that Clare knew not, Henry gave his all and though he was struggling as an amputee and as his soul was slowly leaving him, Henry still spent time with Clare and Alba, and kept his death well from Clare. He loved Clare so deeply that in his last days he would bestow all his love he had onto both Clare and Alba.
"Don't be surprised when we hate this tomorrow
God knows we tried to find an easier way
Yeah you and I will be a tough act to follow
But I know in time we'll find this was no surprise"
When Clare found out about Henry's death, it was something that both of them hated and would never hope for. But though, it did happen. "We'll find this was no surprise" shows that both Alba and Henry knew of his death long before it occurred but decided in keeping it from Clare. Henry died in the arms on Clare, in the arms of the one he loved. There was an ongoing party, who'd have expected the host, Henry to depart from earth?
Only Henry and Alba knew, and it was no surprise....

My Music Video ;D

2009-06-18T21:38:00.002+08:00

Far in the distance
This is the view from the other side
How did I let this pass me by?

You took me for granted
Planted thorns in this garden of mine
What are the chances?
My hope has died

Please have mercy
You've unnerved me
I don't deserve this pain

[Chorus}
So don't break my heart,
I ain't never done nothing to deserve this
And I'm torn apart
You've had your fun, do you suppose I earned it?
Do you not see how I'm begging on my knees?
Don't speak, don't breathe,
You bring out the devil in me

Thinking it over
Those were days dark as ebony nights
The end of October felt like a lifetime

I had a suspicion
But I didn't want to believe you a liar
You had a mission to prove me right

You took my trust
Ground it to dust
Found out I know better

[Chorus]

And I don't wanna feel the pain
And I don't want another day
Shackled to your ball and chain, no
You're entirely to blame
In a quiet misery
All I can do is wait...
All I can do is wait oh.. oh..

So I don't have a prayer if
There is no charity in your heart
Couldn't you spare me?
I've done my part

[Chorus x2]

I choose this song because it depicts thoughts from Clare’s perspective on Henry constant disappearance. I feel that Clare does not deserve any of the unfair treatment that she has to undergo while waiting for Henry. From every chapter in the book, I can really feel the undying love given by Clare to Henry but time after time he keeps breaking her heart. “So don't break my heart,” Through time travellling, he can relieve old memories and it serves as an escape for him from reality. For example, when he experiences stress, he time travelles to The Meadow where he can relax in the serene environment with the younger Clare while in the present she is worrying about him. “You've had your fun, do you suppose I earned it?” In the book, Clare has to wait constantly, sometimes an hour, a day even a week. However, the yearning for a love one to return is a long and slow process. “Those were days dark as ebony night. The end of October felt like a lifetime” Clare cannot do anything about it but just wait as she loves Henry so much and cannot leave him. “Shackled to your ball and chain. You're entirely to blame. In a quiet misery. All I can do is wait....All I can do is wait oh.. oh..”

2009-06-18T13:17:00.004+08:00

If you were Alba, would you have choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else?

I would definitely want to be a time traveller like my dad. It's sad but true that my dad frequently went missing and had made my mum worried and his death had caused her to become miserable but being able to time travel is a wonderful thing. In this way, i would be able to meet my dad. I have lost my dad at the age of five, but i have yet to know my dad. Time travelling would enable me to continue understand my dad better. Moreover, both my parents have had a hard time before they finally had me. I am sure both my parents would want to be able to watch me grow up. Therefore it is not fair that only my mum can watch me grow up. Time travelling would allow me to travel back into the past and visit my dad no matter at what age. In this way, my dad would also be able to watch me grow up. Although time travelling will cause my mum to worry about me but i am positive that she will also forgive me for letting her worry. I am sure she will also have hope that my dad would be able to watch as i grow up everyday.

JingWen

Music Video

2009-06-18T11:25:00.008+08:00

Wei Chun

For the song,i have decided to choose Goodbye,by Air Supply.

I can see the pain living in your eyes
And I know how hard you try
You deserve to have so much more
I can feel your heart and I sympathize
And I'll never criticize
All you've ever meant to my life

I don't want to let you down
I don't want to lead you on
i don't want to hold you back
From where you might belong

You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to say but goodbye

You deserve the chance at the kind of love
I'm not sure i'm worthy of
Losing you is painful to me

I don't want to let you down
I don't want to lead you on
i don't want to hold you back
From where you might belong

You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to say but goodbye

You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to try
Though it's gonna hurt us both
There's no other way than to say goodbye

I chose this song because it shows how Henry feels towards Clare when he disappears.When Henry time-travel or died,Clare shows a feeling of sorrow and sadness.As shown in the lyrics,"I can see the pain living in your eyes",this shows that Henry knows Clare is very sad when he disappears."And I know how hard you try" shows how hard Clare tried to overcome the state of loneliness and misery when Henry disappears.On the later part,the lyrics are 'I would rather hurt myself' and 'Than to ever make you cry'.This shows that Henry is guilty of what he has caused to Clare.Also,there is 'There's nothing left to say but goodbye',which shows that he has no other choices left but to time-travel or simply 'go to heaven'.At the last paragraph,the last few sentences are 'There's nothing left to try' and 'Though it's gonna hurt us both'.This means that time-traveling is gonna hurt both Clare's and Henry's heart.

There is no other methods of avoiding the truth other than facing it.
Thus,i feel that this song best describe the book as it clearly conveys how Henry feels towards Clare when he disappears.

2009-06-17T14:47:00.002+08:00

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveler like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

If i were Alba i would definitely choose to be a time traveller. Since this time travelling sickness is hereditary and cannot be cured i would treasure it. This might be the only way of getting to know my father or getting to see him when i miss him. This is the only thing that bonds us together. I can travel back or to the future and even get to see Henry. I believe it would be a comfort to see my father when i am unhappy. Though my mother will be worried for me because she fears that something bad might happen, but i get to see my father one more time. Like my father i hope that i can go to a place that i will feel peaceful especially when I feel stressed. Time travelling is not so bad after all.

2009-06-17T13:35:00.007+08:00

Response to Week 3 Question:
If you were Clare, would u prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would u prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

If i were Clare,i would want to know Henry's death ahead of time. To know a person's death beforehand would allow you to feel that u mean something to the person,and it would also give you a chance to mentally prepare yourself for his upcoming death. However, knowing his death after he has deceased would put you in a state of tradegy due to the fact you were caught unprepared .Since knowing when he would die, I will take this time to spend more time with Henry and cherish him even more. I want Henry to feel that he is still loved, that he will still be remembered even after he passed away. I want him to enjoy his last few moments, and then allowing him to go away in peace,with no worries, no regrets.Also, I have a lot of things to say to him before he passes on. I want to tell him everything that i want to tell him,so that i will have no regrets later on.

Reply to Qn of the week(2nd blog entry)

2009-06-17T10:35:00.003+08:00

Wei Chun

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveler like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

If i were Alba,i would choose to be a time traveler just like my dad.
I lost my father at the age of only 5.From that five years of period,the image of my father is blur.I wouldn't be able recall any memories with my father at all!
But,if I were to be a time traveler,I would be able to time travel back to the past and see my father.I'm sure i will cherish my moments with my father.Although there may be many ill-effects of time traveling such as having to let my mother worry or getting hurt, i am willing to face all of it.Time-traveling may seem like a disease or illness to others,but to me,it is a bless in disguise as i am able to recall all my memories and cherish all my moments with my father.In the present,he may be gone and up in heaven,but with time traveling i am able to see him in the past and i think that it is worth it.

Adeline's Indivisual Task

2009-06-17T09:47:00.002+08:00

Response to Week 3 Question:
If you were Clare, would u prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would u prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

I would prefer to know Henry's death ahead of time. In that way, I would treasure the time we spent together more. If Henry died without me knowing, I would definitely regret it and feel even worse. For me, I would also definitely have a lot of things to say to Henry, I would want him to know my feelings before he died. Therefore, I would prefer to know his death beforehand. I would be able to set my heart at rest knowing that Henry have heard what I wanted to say before he died. Even though when at first I find out that Henry might die soon and I would definitely be overcome with sadness, but I know that I have to face this reality sooner or later and before I can regret it, I would be able to do something so when the time to separate comes, I would know how to handle it too and would not be as sad as I would be if I first knew. It would also hurt me to know that Henry died without knowingly how I felt and all the things that I would want to say to him.

Music video: MY LOVE

LYRICS:
An empty street, an empty house
A hole inside my heart
I'm all alone, the rooms are getting smaller.
I wonder how, I wonder why, I wonder where they are
The days we had, the songs we sang together.(oh yeah)

And ohh... my love, I'm holding on forever
Reaching for a love that seems soo far

Chorus:
So I say a little prayer
And hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue, to see you once again... my love.
Overseas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green, to see you once again... my love.

I try to read, I go to work, I'm laughing with my friends
But I can't stop to keep myself from thinking. (oh no)
I wonder how, I wonder why, I wonder where they are
The days we had, the songs we sang together.(oh yeah)

And ohh... my love, I'm holding on forever
Reaching for the love that seems soo far

So I say a little prayer
And hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue, to see you once again... my love.
Overseas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green, to see you once again...

To hold you in my arms
To promise you my love
To tell you from the heart
You're all I'm thinking of

Reaching for the love that seems soo far

So I say a little prayer
And hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue, to see you once again... my love.
Overseas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green, to see you once again... my love.

Say a little prayer (my sweet love)
Dreams will take it there
Where the skies are blue (woah yeah), to see you once again my love. (oh my love)
Overseas from coast to coast
To find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green, to see you once again.....
My love

I chose this song because it symbolises Clare love for Henry. Even though Henry died, she still love him and did not stopped thinking of him. It reflects how she feel after he died and what she had done to forget about him and move on. For example, the lyrics "I try to read, I go to work, I'm laughing with my friends. But I can't stop to keep myself from thinking." This proves that her love for Henry is really deep and no matter what she does to keep herself busy, she can't help but think of Henry once in a while. Furthermore, she keeps wishing to meet him in his dreams. This is implied with the lyrics "So I say a little prayer, And hope my dreams will take me there. Where the skies are blue, to see you once again... my love. Overseas from coast to coast, To find the place I love the most, Where the fields are green, to see you once again... my love." This implies that she hopes to see him in the meadow in her dreams and this is proof of her love to him. It also symbolises how lonely she is when Henry is gone, but she still loves him. The song really brings out the sadness Clare felt when Henry was gone and her forever love for him.

2009-06-17T00:46:00.004+08:00

Response to week three's qn( 2nd individual)

If you were Clare, would u prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would u prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

I would want to know about Henry's death ahead of time because I could prepare for Henry's death mentally thus I will not grief over his death so badly. I would treasure our precious moment together and make life more fulfilling and meaningful. Therefore, even if he died, I would still remember the happy times spent with Henry. I feel that after knowing about Henry’s death beforehand, both of us can forge a closer bond together because a couple should stand together in such times to overcome the obstacles of true love. After sometimes, once both of us have accepted the truth about his death, we can look at the matter in a more optimistic light because life and death are a part and parcel of life, thus I would not take Henry’s death so heavy to heart.

Music video (Individual entry)

Title: Byeolbinnoonmool / starlight tears
Singer: Kim Yoo Kung
The song is in korean, but i found the translated english lyrics.

The bright white star light shields my tears
In the warm wind, my tears fall
Can you feel it?
Quietly whispering facing you, this quivering feeling...

On a white piece of paper, I draw you
You warm smile embraces me
Perhaps this is love?
Even though I try to close my two eyes, I can only see you

I"ll be waiting for you
I will wait for you
No matter what, I won't show my painful tears
You let me know, a lie-like love
I won't let go, because it's simply you

I'm walking in the memories of bring with you
My heart is brimming with tears
What should I do?
Even in my dreams, I miss you

I"ll be waitng for you
I will wait for you
No matter what, I won't show my painful tears
You let me know, a lie-like love
I won't let go, because it's simply you

Please look at me, like those stars
Can't you be in my heart?

I'll be waiting for you
I will wait for you
No matter what, I won't show my painful tears
You let me know, a lie-like love
I won't let go, because it's simply you

I choose this song because this song is about two lovers that is separated and the overall tone is sorrowful. It clearly reflects how Clare feels when Henry died. From the lyrics," I'll will be waing for you. I will wait for you" shows that even after henry died, she is willing to wait for decades, just to see Henry again. From the lyrics " Even though I try to close my two eyes, I can only see you" Clare misses Henry so much that she can only think of him in whatever she do. Clare is always remembering about the time spent with Henry in the past. Clare can still remarry after Henry died because she is still young, but she can never let go of Henry. This song shows the sacrifice that Clare had done to wait for Henry to come back and the sadness in her.

Chia pui Mun (3C)

Yujing's individual task

2009-06-16T22:00:00.006+08:00

Q: If you were Henry, and Clare had already 5 miscarriages, would you still let her try once more or stop her? If you would try again, elaborate why. If you would stop her, explain what you would do and why.

If I was Henry, I would let Clare try once more. Looking from Henry's perspective, this idea is definitely selfish to Clare as she is the one who goes through the painful experience of waking up in a pool of her son's or daughter’s blood. However, it is expected that one day I would die while time-travelling and I would want to have a child so that Clare would not feel lonely when I’m gone. The last thing I would want is to see her crying her heart out for me and not eating at all. I also want to have a child as the child would be the result of our love. Our love for each other is so deep and producing nothing would be wasteless. However, I think the most important reason for me to have a child with Clare is so that Clare would never forget me and the love we had for each other. Having a child would also be my last "gift" to Clare.

Q: Would you want to be a time traveler? Why?

I would want to be a time traveler. Considering the bad points of time-traveling, the consequences are definitely serious and a time-traveler could even die from it. A time-traveler is always on the run from the cops. Living such a life would be tiresome. However, I feel that running away from the cops could be thrilling. I could experience the excitement pumping through my veins as I run away from the cops. If I get caught, I would vanish under tremendous pressure of thorough questioning from the police and I would escape from prison and at the same time, I would leave behind much bewilderment. It is exhilarating that I, alone, could cause such chaos. Furthermore, looking at the bright side, being a time-traveler allows me the ability to go back to the past where I could look back at my childhood or become a child again. Compared to a normal human being, once he reached the age of adulthood, he could no longer experience the joy of being a carefree child. Time-traveling to the future would also answer all my doubts and being an indecisive person, I could spare myself from the agony of choosing between two life choices as by then, I would have known which choice I would pick by going to the future. Although being a time-traveler has a price to pay, my life would be more exciting. After all, such a chance rarely comes so why not take it for the fun and experience?

"Thinking of You" - Katy Perry

Comparisons are easily done
Once you've had a taste of perfection
Like an apple hanging from a tree
I picked the ripest one
I still got the seed

You said move on
Where do I go
I guess second best
Is all I will know

Cause when I'm with him
I am thinking of you
Thinking of you
What you would do if
You were the one
Who was spending the night
Oh I wish that I
Was looking into your eyes

You're like an Indian summer
In the middle of winter
Like a hard candy
With a surprise center
How do I get better
Once I've had the best
You said there's
Tons of fish in the water
So the waters I will test

He kissed my lips
I taste your mouth
He pulled me in
I was disgusted with myself

Cause when I'm with him
I am thinking of you
Thinking of you
What you would do if
You were the one
Who was spending the night
Oh I wish that I
Was looking into...

You're the best
And yes I do regret
How I could let myself
Let you go
Now the lesson's learned
I touched it I was burned
Oh I think you should know

Cause when I'm with him
I am thinking of you
Thinking of you
What you would do if
You were the one
Who was spending the night
Oh I wish that I
Was looking into your eyes
Looking into your eyes
Looking into your eyes

Oh won't you walk through
And bust in the door
And take me away
Oh no more mistakes
Cause in your eyes I'd like to stay...

---

I feel that Katy Perry's Thinking of You best describes the time when after Henry died, Clare and Gomez had sex and almost went all the way. I believe that Clare had sex with Gomez is because she miss Henry and cannot get over his death. It may be because of his sudden death that caused her unable to think properly and agreed to have sex with Gomez.

The lyrics 'He kissed my lips / I taste your mouth' reflect that Clare must have thought of Henry when she was kissing Gomez and because of this, she called out Henry's name. The lyrics also highlight that Clare missed Henry a lot to the point that even though she is kissing another guy, she can imagine the taste of his mouth.

Furthermore, the lyrics 'Cause when I'm with him / I am thinking of you' further supports my point that Clare missed Henry a lot as even though she is having sex with Gomez, Henry is on her mind all the time.

The lyrics 'He pulled me in / I was disgusted with myself' reflect that Clare might have feel guilty after realising that she almost had sex with another guy other than Henry.

The lyrics 'You said there's / Tons of fish in the water / So the waters I will test' tells me that Henry's death could have two interpretations to Clare. Firstly, she might interpret his death as a test of true love as before Henry dies, he said that they will meet again in the future. After all, the course of true love never did run smooth. Secondly, she might interpret his death as a sign to move on and find another guy. Even if she interpret his death as the latter, Clare will test the 'waters' which is equivalent to nothing instead of testing 'tons of fishes in the water' which also means the other guys out there in the world. This further indicates that no other guy in this world can replace Henry's place in her heart.

Also, in the video itself, from 1:56 to 2:08, in between the sex, Katy Perry has a flashback of the good times she had with her lover who is now dead and then later pushes the other guy away. This scene resembles the scene when Clare almost had sex with Gomez all the way and this is possibly what she was thinking throughout, the good times with Henry.

Music video (Individual task)

2009-06-16T18:16:00.002+08:00

GINA

I chose this song because a particular paragraph of lyrics in the song shows relation to particular issues in the text.
The whole chunk of the lyrics,
“Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
There's nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through”
shows repetition in this song. It could have been used to emphasize that whatever it takes, by keep holding on which brings in the value of persistence, “we” would be able to go through the whole procedure even if it’s tough.
Henry suffers from this rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force, they can neither prevent nor control. Therefore, Henry and Clare have no choice but to struggle to lead normal lives. Perhaps because both of them keep holding on by staying strong, for they knew they’ll be able to make it through, they managed to fight against all odds and live up to the fact throughout all these years they’ve lived.

(NOTE: This is another song I’ve found to use as a backup just in case, since the previous song, has already been used.)

I chose this song because certain parts of the song lyrics show relation to particular issues in the text.
The lyrics,
“I feel like I am all alone
All by myself I need to get around this”
portrays of how Clare might have felt when Henry time traveled, leaving her all alone, which could have been for days, weeks, months or even years. She would definitely be ‘overwhelmed’ with loneliness. This could have suggested why Clare sometimes feels that solitude is much better than having Henry around after Henry time traveled for a period of time, since she has got used to being alone so much.

Next, the lyrics,
“My words are cold, I don't want them to hurt you
If I show you, I don't think you'd understand
Cause no one understands”
reflects the hidden thoughts and feelings of Clare deep in the bottom of her heart. Clare has spent the entire life waiting for her love one-Henry, and this could not have been possible without a lot of emotional strength and patience. Therefore, there could be times when Clare would be totally freaked out for she had to do the heart-wrenching and tiring waiting that could last for years (depending on the period of time for which Henry time travels). Furthermore, she has to be constantly worried about Henry’s safety since she knows time traveling is risky. She knows she may just break down anytime, spout some words that could hurt Henry’s feelings. At the same time however, she knows that even if she does so, she thinks that Henry will not be able to understand how she feels for he himself is not her, and therefore does not know the pain of waiting and constant anxiety she had gone through.

Lastly, the lyrics,
“Take me away
Break me away
Take me away”
suggests clearly of Clare’s yearn to be taken away by Henry so that she could break herself away from her real world, that is where she had to go through the pain of waiting and constant anxiety. This also shows of how deep her love is towards Henry for she is willing to time travel with Henry just to stay by his side even though she knows she would been struggling to lead normal lives as the others if she time traveled.

2009-06-16T18:12:00.001+08:00

Reply to Qn of the week(1st blog entry)

2009-06-16T13:59:00.005+08:00

Wei Chun

Do you think Clare yearns to be a time traveler,so that she could time travel with Henry and never leave him?

I think that Clare would yearns to be a time traveler so that she could time travel with Henry and never leave him.

Since Henry appeared the first time,Clare has been very kind and friendly to him. As Henry appears more and more times,Clare become smitten with Henry.From what i have seen,Clare has been constantly taking note of the "List".This shows that she is very concerned about Henry,waiting for him to appear.As Clare grows older,she becomes more mature and begins to love Henry.She is devoted to Henry and does everything with him,from sharing secrets to having 'sex'.This shows that she is obsessed with him and from my point of view,Clare would certainly want to be a time traveler so that she could always accompany Henry and not always waiting for him to appear.Having to wait is a torture,and i am sure that Clare didn't like it,so she might have wanted every possible way to be with him forever.

WEEK #3 QUESTION

2009-06-16T02:59:00.004+08:00

If you were Clare, and you had a choice

whether to wait for Henry,

would you wait? Why?

Love,
Wanyi, Halima, Jayne, Shazlin.

2009-06-16T02:29:00.005+08:00

Anyway, just sharing with you..

The Time Traveler's Wife - Official Trailer !

Can't wait for the release of this movie! yey. 8)

Halima's individual task.

2009-06-15T23:34:00.004+08:00

FIRST QUESTION:
(from week 1)

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?
State why and elaborate.

I would rather be the one waiting.

Though waiting can be tough, time travelling involves a lot of risks like ending up in places you barely know where, or even in dangerous places where you are totally vulnerable and powerless. To make matters worse, one who is time travelling will also end up naked, without any money to oneself and will therefore resort to taking what is not his. One will also most definitely feel absolutely embarrassed if he were to suddenly end up in a public place - naked.

Waiting can be undoubtedly excruciating, but it surely beats appearing in public naked and not having any penny with you. Personally, waiting will also make one a stronger person. I would also not want to be a time traveler as I do not want to know my fate in the future. The interesting part of life is not knowing what the future holds for you, and for you to anticipate and fight for a better future like any normal person would do.

SECOND QUESTION:
(from week 3)

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

If I were Alba, I would choose to be a time traveler just like my dad.

Clare lost her father when she was as young as 5 years old, thus she obviously did not have much chance to really feel the love her father showered her when he was alive, and she would also not remember much of the memories she had had with her father when she was little. I would therefore use my time-travelling gift as an opportunity to travel through time to be with my father time and time again and also build new memories with him so that the memories would not be lost as I grow older, though technically he’s already gone.

Even though my time-travelling gift may come off as an unfair treatment to my mother as she have to go through the same pain she went through when Henry was still alive and time-travelling, I still have no choice but to do it. This is only because time-travelling is the one and only way for me to keep in touch with my father, who is already gone.

MUSIC VIDEO:
(when you're gone by avril lavigne)

I always needed time on my own
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry
And the days feel like years when I'm alone
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side

When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now

[Chorus]
When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it okay
I miss you

I've never felt this way before
Everything that I do reminds me of you
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do

When you walk away I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now

[Chorus]

We were made for each other
Out here forever
I know we were, yeah
All I ever wanted was for you to know
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah

[Chorus]

-

I chose this song as I feel that it really reveals Clare’s feeling when Henry had passed away.

The lyrics, “and the days feel like years when I'm alone/the pieces of my heart are missing you” shows Clare longing for Henry to be back by her side and yearning for him to come home. Clare, without a doubt, misses Henry terribly. Time also seems to be flying slower when she is alone, hoping for a miracle to happen and anticipating very much for Henry to somehow return back in her arms.

From the lyrics, “the face I came to know is missing too/ the words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok” portrays that Clare craves to see, touch and feel Henry's face again. Clare also misses the simplest things that Henry did when they are together that will always get Clare “through the day” as everything seems to be fine when she is with Henry.

From the lyrics, “everything that I do reminds me of you” perfectly shows that Henry is in Clare’s everyday thoughts. Clare thinks of Henry when she chauffeurs Alba around, when she is with her friends, when she is in the studio, before she goes to sleep. She also goes for walks at two in the morning, when Alba is safe in her bed, to tire herself out enough to sleep. She even conducts conversation with Henry as though he was there with her. Basically, Henry was in Clare’s mind for as long as she was still breathing.

Lastly, the lyrics, “and the clothes you left, they lie on the floor
and they smell just like you” once again shows Clare’s strong desire for Henry’s presence in her life again.

-

With love,
Halima. ♥

2009-06-15T22:13:00.004+08:00

Would you want to be a time traveler? Why?

I will not want to be a time traveler if given a choice.
Time travelling is dangerous as you would not know where you are going to end up in and worst of all,you are going to end up naked in that place,without any money or item with you.Besides,you may end up travelling to your future,which in my opinion,is not a very pleasant feeling especially when you get to know of when you are going to die,like in Henry's case.Besides,I would also not be able to change anything in my life when I either travel to my future or to my past.Everything is already planned out for me and I will have no choice but to accept my fate.
Given my character,if come to know of when I am going to die,I will probably be very sad and tend to start looking at things negatively.Therefore,I would rather be a normal person like everyone else and live life to the fullest and in anticipation of what is going to happen to me next instead of dwelling on something which i know is going to happen to me in my future.

If you were Clare, would you prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would you prefer not to know about it beforehand?

If I were Clare,I would prefer to not know about Henry's death ahead of time,mainly because if I find out when Henry is going to die or leave me,I will become very miserable and sad.If I find out about Henry's death ahead of time,I will definitely spend the remaining of his days with him,living life to the fullest and doing all the things he longed to do but still,the fact that he is going to leave me soon will keep on appearing in my mind and make me afraid to lose him forever.Instead,if I do not know about Henry's death beforehand,I can live in bliss and happiness together with him till his time on earth is up instead of being miserable everyday because of the fact that he is going to die very soon.Besides,ignorance is bliss.I believe that I will be happier if I do not know about Henry's death ahead of time as I will not have to experience the excruciating pain of losing Henry when the time for him to go is drawing near.

This song reflects Claré's feelings after Henry has left her.
After Henry died,it was hard for Clare to deal with the pain of losing him even though she knows she will meet him again someday.
Clare was very hurt and miserable when Henry died and I am sure she would have much words to say to Henry should they meet again.
This song depicts Clare's feelings as the lyrics speak of how hard it is to smile when you see your old friends but you're all alone,how hard it is to deal with the pain and misery of losing someone you love and crying over him/her.
"I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again
I pretend I'm ok, but that's not what gets me"
I am sure Clare would have felt this way a couple of times when Henry is no longer with her.I think Clare would probably feel blessed to have met Henry as it is not easy to have someone you love be part of your childhood as well as your life.It was as though Henry was Clare's guardian angel,always watching over her,wherever he is.

by JIAMIN.

Qn of the week

2009-06-15T19:58:00.004+08:00

QUESTION OF THE WEEK!
Week3

Do you think Clare yearns to be a time traveler,

so that she could time travel with Henry

and never leave him?

xoxo, Farron, Kailing, Chien & Alaina.

Individual Task

2009-06-15T12:53:00.011+08:00

1ST Question: If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

I would choose to be a time traveller like my
dad. It would probably be the only link that i
have with my dad. Otherwise, there would be nothing to
remind me of him, other than my memories of him.
Only if I am a time traveller, would i be able
to see my dad. It is for this, I believe,
that my father equipped me with the skills needed for
being a time traveller. My mother i am sure, would
be in a dilemma. She would not want me to
go, for fear of my safety, and yet she would
want me to be able to meet up with Dad.
However, I am sure that if I put to good
use what my father has learnt through time travelling, i would be save. I know that it is very selfish of me, to let Mom experience the same anxiety
as when she was waiting for dad, but i hope
that she will understand that, this is the only way
i can see dad again.

2ND Question: If you were Henry, and Clare had already 5 miscarriages, would you still let her try once more or stop her? If you would try again, elaborate why. If you would stop her, explain what you would do and why.

I would not stop her, as the decision ultimately lies with
her. I have worried her too much, and she deserves
to have someone to love, someone who will stay
there beside her, and not mysteriously disappear. As her husband,
i should be supporting her, not trying to dissuade her
at a time like this. Yes, she may hurt herself
in the process, but if she is willing, and there
is a chance for success, however slim, why should i
not support her? Although the baby most probably have the
same traits as me, he/she will be more well equipped
for time travelling, for i will teach her the skills
she needs to survive. Therefore if she is willing, i will support her through the whole ordeal, wherever and whenever i am.

Music Video (Avril Lavigne -- Keep Holding On)

I find that this song really reflects what Clare thinks.
Ever since Henry and Clare first met, whenever he time
travelled to her house, she would be there for him.
Even when they were older, when Henry had taken
the drug that he asked Ben to make, and went
in to a comatose state, she still stood by him.
However, the most significant event i find, that relates to
this song the most, is after Henry lost his legs.
Clare did not think of him as a burden, even making an art piece just for him. She also learnt to cook from him, something which she probably never thought she would be able to do before. Also, when he just returned from the time when he saw Ingrid kill herself, she comforted him, telling him that it is not his fault that she died. She never look down on Henry, nor find it a hassle to help him when needed. She always stood by him, supporting him, and whenever he is gone, worrying for him and waiting for him to come back.

------Done By: Hui Qi

Respond to Week 3's Qns

2009-06-14T21:23:00.004+08:00

Qns: If you were Clare, would you prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would you prefer not to know about it beforehand?

I would prefer not to know about Henry's death ahead of time. I have to agree that ignorance is bliss and that knowledge is danderous. If we were to know when someone is going to die, we would probably be moping about and our days would be, in a sense, numbered as well. we would be counting down the days to this person's death and might even feel like dying with this person, especially if this person is extremely close to us, just like how close Henry is to Clare. It would be harder to let things go and in trying to preserve, hurt the person who is going to die. It would also hurt them to see us so sad and I am sure that the last thing we want is for them to die unhappily. Things like this are better left unknown or it might lead to self-destruction.

Response to week 3's qn (2nd individual blog entry)

2009-06-14T12:11:00.002+08:00

Gina

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveler like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

If I were Alba, I would choose to be a time traveler like my dad. He died when I was only 5, which makes the time I spent with him limited and me, deprived of fatherly love at such a young age. Being able to time travel means I could travel back into the past, which gives me the opportunity to see him in the past again, again and again.
Despite the fact that in the real world, my family seems now and here incomplete, I could ‘change’ this fact by traveling back into the past (when dad is still alive). Think about this, wouldn't it be great and pleasant if you could not only be reminisced of the happy times you spent with your family together, but let it 'happen' over again?
Suffering from such rare disease/illness may mean that leading a normal life will be a struggle for me, but this (somehow in a sense) is an unordinary “gift” I received from my deceased father (for I inherited his disorder genes), and therefore, the more I should “treasure” it.

My reply to the qn: If i'm clare would i wanna know henry's death ahead of time.

2009-06-13T20:44:00.002+08:00

If I'm Clare , I would rather know it beforehand. In this way,I would have time too settle my feelings and also prepare for his death. In this way , I would not be too sad when he dies. If it's the other way round , I might not be able to take it when he suddenly dies.I might even have regrets. I personally think that , Clare have the right to know the truth too as they are together. This is also a way of respecting Clare. Clare is already quite pathetic as she always waits for Henry. So I feel that Henry should tell her about his death. Knowing this , they can spend time together more and not wasting anymore time. :)

My reply to WEEK 3's Qns.

2009-06-13T15:04:00.003+08:00

Q:If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

If I were Alba, I would choose to be a time-traveller like my dad. My dad died when I was only five, just when I started to get to know this world better. In other words, this is a very tender age for a child to stop experiencing any fatherly love. Time travelling may be selfish towards my mother as her only beloved child has taken on the footsteps of her deceased husband. Once more, she has to wait in anticipation and yearn for her daughter to come home safely. She has to worry like before, on how I am getting on in the place that I’ve travelled to. Although she has to be faced with such unfair treatment, this is the only way that I can come into contact with my father. Losing my father at such a young age, some memories of him may be lost as I grow up over the years. Time travelling allows me to refresh my memories of him and create new ones even though he is not there anymore. My “disease” is also a “gift” from my father as it was he who passed his genes to me, one that I can use to stay connected with him when I time travel back into the past.

Vanessa :DD

Wanyi's Individual Task

2009-06-13T14:59:00.003+08:00

For the music video task, I have suffered from much indecisiveness but I ended up narrowing down all my song choices to the following two songs, Against All Odds by Phil Collins, and It Is You by Dana Glover.

How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me, when all I can do is watch you leave
Cos we've shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now, cos there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face
Just take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against the odds and that's what I've got to face.

I wish I could just make you turn around, turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you, so many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all

Just take a look at me now.

I chose this song as it really brings up the part of the book, where, towards the end, Clare knew of Henry's imminent death. She also got the news from Henry that she would have another opportunity to see him again after his death. But this opportunity would be only granted to her after decades of waiting. She obviously does not want to see him die, especially so soon, and after being through so much together which runs parallel to the lyrics, "How can you just walk away from me, when all I can do is watch you leave / Cos we've shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears". The lyrics "And you coming back to me is against the odds and that's what I've got to face" also expresses her frustration and bravery in the face of the knowledge that the wait may be fruitless, but she has to trust Henry to come back to her.

This song on the other hand, would represent Henry and Clare's love for each other. Throughout the book, Clare has lived in the insecurity of not knowing when Henry would return, and always worrying if he was hurt from his travels while Henry has always been left helpless due to his genetic disorder, pulling him away even when he least wants to. But both of them have always managed to stay together. From the time that Clare was young, and she was always suspicious of the strange man that pops into her life from time to time, to the moment where they meet after a long two years, their love has changed from an unknown to something they are certain of, and that is portrayed in the song where it goes, "But now I know just who you are / And I know you hold my heart / Finally this is where I belong / It is you I have loved all along / It's no more mystery / It is finally clear to me / You're the home my heart searched for so long / And it is you I have loved all along".

Enjoy the two songs :)

WEEK 3 :D

2009-06-12T21:50:00.006+08:00

If you were Clare, would u prefer to know about Henry's death ahead of time, or would u prefer not to know about it beforehand? Why?

- HuiQi, HuiLing, Farah

Response to Week 3's Question

2009-06-12T19:20:00.007+08:00

Q:If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

I would want to be cured and live like a normal human being. My dad, Henry has caused much heartache to my mom, as he would unknowingly disappear for days, weeks and even months. My mom had gone through so much anxiety and anguish waiting and worrying for his safety and for him to come back to her side. Why would I want her to go through the same misery she did before? Having had so many miscarriages, I would surely be her precious and dearest baby, something of her own that she would hold dearly and never want to lose. My dad's demise is already tragic and has saddened her deep enough. If I were to time travel and not be back for weeks, Mom would live in fear, guilt, sadness, misery and desolation. She would be worrying her nights away and even wondering, "Where is my dear child? Is she safe? Is she cold? Is she hungry?" I have a choice to choose, and I choose to spare Mom all the pain and fretting. I want my mom to enjoy the blissful years of parenthood and make her feel all the love that my dad Henry has bestowed upon her through her child, I, Alba. Mom should be living her years in merriment and joy to make up for her decades of waiting in distress. I would never want Mom to live a life plagued by the grief of waiting.

With Luv, Kailing.

My last reply to Question of the Week :)

2009-06-12T08:38:00.003+08:00

Q:If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?

Answer: If I were Alba, I would want to be a time traveler just like my father. I think it is the only thing that will remind me time and time again, as I am time traveling, that my father will always be with me, in my heart, even though he died. I think it is also the closest connection that I will have with Henry. Whatever hardships or ordeals that I have gone through, my father may have gone through them as well. I will also be strongly against curing my "illness" just because I'm "different" from everyone else. My "illness" is the only way that enables me to see my father in the past, so I would definitely make full use of it and travel back to see my father. My only haven from the real world.

Posted by,
Jamie~

2nd blog entry in response to week 2 ques

2009-06-11T09:56:00.002+08:00

Hui Ling:

If you were Henry, and Clare had already 5 miscarriages, would you still let her try once more or stop her? If you would try again, elaborate why. If you would stop her, explain what you would do and why.

Personally, if I were Henry, I would NOT let Clare have another go at having a baby. 5 miscarriages is enough to greatly weaken Clare, not to mention her becoming pregnant again. Henry already made it a point in the story that he cannot live without Clare; what if Clare had died in this 6th attempt? Without giving birth to any babies at all? Then this attempt would be in vain. I'm positive that Clare does not want to leave Henry too. If Clare really wants a baby, I would suggest adoption. True, it might not be their very own offspring, and Clare may not be in favour of this decision, but it will still be theirs and they would still dote on him/her. Nevertheless, this is a more safe way compared to losing Clare.

week 3 !

2009-06-10T23:26:00.002+08:00

If you were Alba, would you choose to be a time traveller like your dad or would you want Doctor Kendrick to cure you and let you be a normal person like everyone else? Why?
- Jiamin, Yujing, Iffah

Rebecca's Individual Task

2009-06-10T18:45:00.004+08:00

"Long ago, men went to sea, and women waited for them, standing on the edge of the water, scanning the horizon for the tiny ship. Now I wait for Henry." - Clare

If you were Henry, and Clare had already 5 miscarriages, would you still let her try once more or stop her? If you would try again, elaborate why. If you would stop her, explain what you would do and why?:

I would definitely not allow Clare to try once more. Clare becoming pregnant again would mean that her health might be at risk and she might even die, which I obviously do not want. Clare, compared to this child that might not even survive, is immensely important. Clare might find this action selfish and might hate me for this but still, I cannot afford to lose her, what would I do without her! Henry evidently really loves Clare a lot as though she makes up his whole life. They can always adopt another child. Even though it is not their flesh and blood, I believe they'd still love their adopted child a lot. So why take the risk?

If you're Henry, would you blame yourself for the deaths of your children?:

I think it is only natural that I would blame myself for the deaths of my children. The main cause of their deaths is contributed by the fact that they have inherited my illness and became 'chrono-displaced person' even as a foetus. If not for me, they might have successfully came to this world and not have to face their early death. The worse thing is that I've not only killed one of my own child but many of them. In the process, not only I feel the pain but Clare is also suffering, probably much more than me and her health is deteriorating at the same time. Whose fault is this but mine?

Next is the individual task to embed a song that describes the text. I found Lost My Music by Aya Hirano, first but since it's Japanese so, just in case, I found another song, Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx. So don't get confused, hehe.

Lost My Music by Aya Hirano, lyrics in English:

Look up at the starry sky and tell me about my own light
Where are you now? And who are you with?

If I think about enjoying things, I feel sad
I play the movie that we saw together all alone

The person who I love is faraway
Too faraway and I feel like crying
When I wake up tomorrow
Look, hope just might be born, Good night!

I still I still I love you!
I’m waiting waiting forever
I still I still I love you!
I won’t stop, Hi!!

In the depths of my slumber, my dream gives my memories a ‘One day’
And there were some lies in your words

Even though you embraced me
Saying, “I won’t let go” and “I’m only yours”
The promise softly disappeared in the dark night

I’m forever searching for
The person who I love
I’m sure that even when I wake up
I’ll still want to feel the illusion, Morning

I lost I lost I lost you!
You’re making making my music
I lost I lost I lost you!
Can’t we meet anymore? No!

The person who I love is faraway
Too faraway and I feel like crying
When I wake up tomorrow
Look, hope just might be born, Good night!

I’m forever searching for
The person who I love
I’m sure that even when I wake up
I’ll still want to feel the illusion, Morning

I still I still I love you!
I’m waiting waiting forever
I still I still I love you!
I won’t stop
I still I still I love you!
I’m waiting waiting forever
I still I still I love you!
We can meet again, right? Right!!
This song depicts Clare's wait for Henry's return. The lyrics, "I’m waiting waiting forever" relates to Clare's situation as she never knows when Henry might return, it might be in a minute, in an hour or even months and years. Yet she is willing to wait for Henry forever, no matter how long it takes. This is further emphasised especially after Henry's death as the only time she'd get to see him is many many years later when she is already an old woman. This song is also very upbeat, like Clare living life after Henry's death positively till the day they meet again.

Right Here Waiting For You - Richard Marx lyrics:

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times
That I though would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me goin' CrAzY

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I wonder how we can survive
This romance
But in the end if I'm with you
I'll take the chance

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me goin' cRaZy

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you
Likewise, in this song, Clare's endless waiting for Henry and her feelings are depicted. The lyrics "And I slowly go insane" is like how Clare feels, the extreme of her worry, pain and loneliness whenever Henry time travels. She has to worry about Henry's safety and when he'd be back, passing the time alone fretting and trying to get on with her life. Not only that but Clare also doesn't know how to cook, so her life is quite dependent on Henry and when Henry is missing she doesn't have it easy. Yet she'd always be here waiting for him, always having Henry in her mind.

SHAMIMAH'S WORK!

2009-06-10T18:32:00.002+08:00

Don't Let Me Fall - Lenka

Why this song this song relates alot to Clare's situation in this story. She is unsure and a bit doubtful of what to do when she first met Henry but is kept strong with Henry's existance in her life. In this song, the lines "but if i should break, or friendship falls away, what am i to do?" shows her uncertainty together with the lines "i need someone to take a little of the weight or i'll fall through". Apart from that, this song also illustrates how Clare feels towards Henry through the selective lines of "you're just the one that i've been waiting for", "i'll give you all that i have to give and more", and how Clare's love for Henry is very deep "you'll be the one taht i love forever more", "i'll give you all and hold you high above it all". There are also words in the song itself that makes me think of Henry, such as the word TIME. And the title itself reminded me of Clare, perhaps this is what that always goes through Clare's mind everytime Henry goes away, missing from her.

Response to Week 2 Question:

With reference to the question posted, "if you are henry and clare had already had 5 miscarriages, will you let her try once or would you stop her?" or something like that, well here gous my say..

I would personally let clare do what she deems right, in this case, to have one more try. Though yes, the possibility of Clare being greatly weakened is there, which might also lead to an awesomely painful death, if we succeed, it will mean the creation of another being. And if Clare is willing to go through all the pain and suffering, who am i to stop it. How safe am i to say that if i stop her, its for her own good? I can never be sure because i didn't try the other radical option. Instead of bringing her down, i will give her encouragement, even if that leaves me hanging on, praying on and on that she will her safety is secured. Just like how in this story, a time-travelling henry gave clare the will to push on and persevere, in which actually made the thing super sweet!! And this actually was the salvation of their marriage. However the main focus is whether or not i will let clare have yet another try. I surely will if she herself is willing to risk it all..

Response to Week 3 Question:

With reference to the question posted, "if you were henry, would you blame yourself for your childrens death?" or something like that, well here goes my say..

Yes, i definately would, as my children died due to the abnormality that they face, which is later on known as the 'chrono-displaced person'(CDP) syndrom. And this is a heriditary trait. As you can see, if only i(henry) do not time travel, then my children will not have to face time-travelling too, and they would not have died. The reason why they died was because while still in clare, they time-travelled into the future, causing thier unready body to be exposed to the world. As they are unborns, their system(respiratory) is not used to the air pressure and thus, causing them to die. So obviously, i will blame me. I blame myself for their deaths as, if only they didn't take after my time-travelling trait, they would have survived through the pregnancy and birth ritual.

Note: This is Shamimah's work! Helping her to post this up ^^

If you're Henry,would you blame yourself for the deaths of your children?

2009-06-08T22:17:00.000+08:00

by Natalie , najiha , vanessa and jingwei

2009-06-07T17:02:00.005+08:00

WEEK 1

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?
State why and elaborate.

I would rather be the one waiting.

Though waiting can be tough, time travelling involves a lot of risks like ending up in places you barely know where, or even in dangerous places where you are totally vulnerable and powerless. To make matters worse, one who is time travelling will also end up naked, without any money to oneself and will therefore resort to taking what is not his. One will also most definitely feel absolutely embarrassed if he were to suddenly end up in a public place - naked.

Waiting can be undoubtedly excruciating, but it surely beats appearing in public naked and not having any penny with you. Personally, waiting will also make one a stronger person. I would also not want to know my fate in the future. The interesting part of life is not knowing what the future holds for you, and for you to anticipate and fight for a better future like any normal person would do. :D

With love,
Halima.

2009-06-03T16:59:00.003+08:00

Would you want to be a time traveler? Why?

Leona:

I would not want to be a time traveler.

I think that it is too dangerous as you will find yourself appearing naked in a place that you
might not even know. I think it is quite embarrassing for a girl to appear naked in public
places and you might even get arrested by the police for being naked in public. It will also
cause one to commit crimes. For instance, Henry stole clothes, money and commit many
other crimes. However, this is not entirely Henry's fault as he needs to keep himself dressed
even if he does not have any money with him. There is also a high chance that you might be arrested by the police due to the countless crimes that you had commited in order to save yourself from embarrassment. Futhermore, it is mainly due to my character. I am quite a timid person. I feel that I am not brave enough to be a time traveler. Being a time traveler needs courage to experience adventures in life. Besides that, one must be able to adapt to the changes
in the environment. Due to my timid nature, I am afraid of changes in my life and I cannot adapt to new surroundings in a short period of time. In addition, a time traveler is able to travel to the future and knows what will happen in the future. By knowing the outcome of everything you do seems meaningless to me. Life will be boring as I will not have any anticipation for my future.
Frankly speaking, I would rather be a normal person and live my life to the fullest.

WEEK 2 - QUESTION OF THE WEEK [GINA, ADELINE, PUIMUN & YU LIANG]

2009-06-03T16:49:00.002+08:00

HERE IS THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK BY PUIMUN, ADELINE, GINA AND YU LIANG:
IF YOU ARE HENRY AND YOU ARE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PAST OR THE FUTURE, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

WEEK 2 QNS!!!

2009-06-02T20:36:00.003+08:00

2009-06-02T19:51:00.003+08:00

Jingwen's Answer

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?
State why and elaborate.

I would rather be the one waiting.

Life may be short but it has already been planned carefully for us. The problems that we face are challenges that make us improve our self to become a better person and the lucky things that we come across are like rewards to our improvements. We have no idea what is going to happen. Time travelling will make our life meaningless as we will know what is going to happen to us before we even experience it. When we know that we are going to encounter something bad, most people will sit around and waste their time since they know they cannot change their fate. Sadly to say, i will be one of them.

Although waiting will make me miserable. It will also make me ponder what Henry is doing now? Is he fine? Or has he time traveled again? If he did is he okay now? Did he find clothes to keep himself warm? Or has he been catch by the police for being naked? However this will give me a more realistic feeling. It will make me wonder what is going to happen the next second. Is he going to reappear out of nowhere into the present? Waiting would give me a sense of suspense and would make me want to find out more of my future.

It sure beats knowing what is being lined up for me.

Week ll Question~ ♥

2009-06-01T21:49:00.006+08:00

By: JiaHui & JiaNing & YuHui
Question:
Do u think clare and henry should have adopted instead of trying to have a child by themselves? Why?? ~☺

Ruiting's Response

2009-06-01T11:45:00.001+08:00

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?
State why and elaborate.

I would rather be the one time travelling.

Why?

Although there is no such thing as time travelling i think that it would be a fun and interesting experience to go travel through time. It would be interesting to see my old self and remember what it was like to be at that age and being able to give my ownself advice and 'lessons in survival'.

Another reason why i would rather be the time traveller is because I would not like the feeling of being away from my spouse and not knowing where they are. Being the time traveller would not only allow me to see my younger or older self but also my spouse in a different time. I feel that even though time travelling would mean that my spouse would see less of me in the present time, I would still be able to see my spouse in a different time. I am sure that I would miss my spouse when I time travel but being able to meet up with her whenever i time traveller be it when she is 6 years old or 20 years old, I think that it would still make me happy.

Also, I believe that if my spouse truly loves me they would wait patiently for me... even if they had to wait a century.(:

MY REPONSE(:

2009-05-31T21:58:00.003+08:00

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?

State why and elaborate.

I would rather be the one who wait for my loved one than time travel. Even though waiting for someone is torturous, but when you see them coming back safe and sound, you will find that all the sacrifices and the time spend on waiting for them are worth it. When love exists, it does not matter who is the one waiting, as long as the other can feel the love and appreciates it. This is called the power of love. Love is irrational as it is a waste of time to wait for someone who comes at no destined time and instead they can do something more meaningful with the time spend on waiting for that person.

puimun(:

Response to week 1's qn (1st individual blog entry)

2009-05-31T21:11:00.003+08:00

Gina
Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?State why and elaborate.
I would rather be the one waiting.

Time travelling is too risky. The concern: One never knows where one will end up and what the dangers are lurking out there. One may end up stark naked, get caught by the police; get ravenous and had to bear with the hunger pang; resort to pick pocketing when one is penniless. In worst case of all, one might travel to the wrong place and time and get hit by a car or beat up.
Besides, for the time traveler, his future is just like a paper unrolled in front of him. His future has already been modeled and known to him, and that he cannot do or change anything. In that case, life will definitely be monotonous and meaningless.

Waiting can be agonizing especially since I know and have to wait for the ‘someone’for weeks, months, or even years, and each day will certainly seemed to be never-ending. However, since the ‘someone’ is not any other person, but whom I truly love, I think I will still be able to put up with it and persist on no matter what. And when the ‘someone’ makes his appear, I believe my wait is worthwhile after all.

my post :D

2009-05-31T20:17:00.004+08:00

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? State why and elaborate.

I would rather be the one waiting.
Yes,waiting can be tough, especially knowing that your loved one vanishes to another era without you by his side to know his state and, to also wonder when he will be back.
I, too, would not be fond of waiting aimlessly for someone but it is definitely better than appearing naked during the time-travelling period. What if you time-travel to a certain gathering and appear naked infront of the public? Would not it be embarrassing? I'd rather not face that humiliation!

If I know my future too soon, I will know my destiny and it will be unfair to other people who does not time-travel and know their future. Also, what if our destiny's a painful one for us to accept? So, I would rather wait and live normally and wonder like everyone else, about our fate in the future.

xoxo,
najiha.

La mia risposta (It means my answer, duh)

2009-05-30T17:11:00.008+08:00

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?
State why and elaborate.

I'd rather be the time-traveller.

If I were to be the one waiting, I'd have to agonize every minute of every day over my loved one, wondering, worrying, and having that perpetual ache in my heart just because I don't know where he could be, when he could be, what situation he's in, what he's discovering. And like Clare, I would feel defensive and uncomfortable if he suddenly started telling me what my interests are in my future. It would probably work like reverse psychology--it would make me impulsively want to have interest in something else, but I know I can't because it might create a paradox and ruin my entire future. Until then I'd wonder how I could possibly have that interest if I'd never considered it before. I'd have to live through my life until the time comes, and given that I'm a naturally impatient person, it would be unbearable to wait for something that I already know would happen eventually.

If I were a time-traveller, I would also obtain the knowledge of my interests in the future, but at least I would have the opportunity sometime or another to know at the same time the how, the why and the when of its happening, and I wouldn't have to wait 'countless' years till that moment. Also, although I'd be leaving my loved one behind, I'd always be able to see him, albeit at a different age and appearance. I might worry about my loved one in the present, but because I'm preoccupied with making sure of my safety in the time I'm in and that loved one is guaranteed to be in our present time and will surely not vanish like I do, the pain of wondering what he's doing and how he's coping with life without me will lessen. Maybe it's selfish because he'd be worrying more about me like stated in the first paragraph, but the one thing I can do to lessen his paranoia and fears is to come back to him safe and sound, which is what I would be fighting to accomplish whilst I'm away.

NILZAHS LURUN :D

In response to Week 1's question.

2009-05-29T15:48:00.002+08:00

Jing Yi, Rebecca and Shamimah asks:
Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling?
State why and elaborate.

Personally, after reading the book, I would prefer to be Clare, the one waiting.

I find Henry's adventures rather scary. You never know where you end up in, and never know when you'd be pulled away by time. You may end up in front of a car, smashing a funeral or even drop in a war torn country and get killed by strangers! Sure, the experience is a thrill and how many other people can time travel like you can? But I shudder to think of myself ending up without a dollar to my name, nude and bare to the public passing by, and having to resort to taking what is not mine.. Having the ability to time travel would mean two things : The awesome power of defying the common rules of time and space, and the helplessness of being trapped forever in something you never signed up for. It's freedom at its worst.

To be the one waiting is indefinitely harder, having to suffer from constant anxiety, and always worrying about my loved one's well-being. After all, for all I knew, he could be dead the next time he travels. Also, his repeated travels would leave me to fend for myself, and having to pick up after him. I guess I can imagine the stress and frustration of waiting for him. However, the amount of things I would learn and gain through waiting is staggering! I would learn to be patient, forgiving and persistent although life is hard.

After all, waiting for someone you truly love is a blissful thing.

(PS :This is for the insufferable romantics like me :P)

Wanyi wanyi wanyi wanyi wanyi!

Answer to the question.

2009-05-28T19:13:00.004+08:00

Hui Ling:

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? State why and elaborate.

Personally, I would rather be the one who is time travelling. To me, waiting for a loved one to return by my side, not knowing whether he/she is injured or seriously hurt in any state, is a painful ordeal. I will never be able to wait enduringly, while at the same time not knowing when he/she is coming back, not knowing whether I have to wait till the end of time for that person to come back.

The time traveller, albeit having the risk of being naked every time he has travelled in time, will always be with the ones they love. They would not need to go through the pain of yearning for their loved one to be by their side, and would be constantly able to be with their loved one, unlike the one waiting who would have to suffer the torment of not having their partners by their side from time to time. Therefore, I would choose to be the one travelling through time.

Question of the Week

2009-05-28T17:19:00.002+08:00

Question by: Hong Wei, Emmanuel, Chin Siong and Wei Chun

On page 11, Clare shows Henry a blue child's diary filled with 152
dates when she goes out on a date with him for the first time.

Why is is significant that Clare treasures her relationship with Henry?

.From the dark recesses of Techno Hub 3.

2009-05-28T13:05:00.003+08:00

Good work on the posts so far everyone! Keep it up!

A warm welcome back to the few individuals who attended the creative writing course!

A gentle reminder to everyone:
Do not be too lazy to read. (AHEM Eman!) Keep us posted on what you are reading.

Upcoming posts / events:
1. Currently, Iffah, Shaz, Wan Yi and I are embarking on reading the mystery/ thriller, The Historian. Join us if you like!

2. Farah to post on The Pillars of the Earth (RECOMMENDED BY OPRAH WINFREY!! *scream*)

3. Hui Qi to post on your favourite Agatha Christie book.

4. Shaz to post on Life of Pi (I'm going to read this this June too!!)

5. Eman to post on WarCraft...

.Read - it's good for you! Muahaha!.

2009-05-28T12:25:00.006+08:00

I would rather be the one time-travelling. To go back in time and look again at the things that has happened would be nostalgic and yet again painful. If I can go back in time, to a place where i can forget my troubles I believe it will be worthwhile. Though I cannot change anything that happens to me or any of my close friends and family at least I have already prepared myself mentally.

However if I was the one to be waiting for my loved one, I would be constantly worried sick not knowing how is he coping, whether is he dead or alive. I can't get things done well because of my anxiety. It will affect me in many ways as all i want to know is what is happening to him. I would want to be in his adventure and not left in present time, feeling lost.

2009-05-28T12:24:00.012+08:00

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? State why and elaborate.
CHIEN--
For me,i would choose waiting over time-travelling.
Waiting for someone can be worthwhile if that person you are waiting for, is the one you love and cherish alot. Albeit you are always yearning for his returns, but seeing your loved one materializing infront of you out of a sudden, the first reaction of yours would be relief. Relief,because he has come back alive and well. Relief,because you know he is there with you again.Though you are always filled with paranoia,always worrying for the person , it beats than having to time-travel.
To me,i think time-travelling limits to most of the things you do. For instance,you cannot watch television, for you will experience severe headaches. When you time-travel, it doesn't leave you any choice at all. You can time-travel at anytime of the present day,and you either fast-forward to your future,or backtrack to your past. It can be rather exhilarating,but imagine, you might see or experience some things that you never ever want to. Also,when you are about to time-travel,you will feel nauseous,and later end up stark naked in some place,infront of the public,probably getting a beating in the end. You will also end up commiting crimes that you never want to,in order to survive. Most of all, you have to see the reluctant expressions on the faces of your loved ones , as you are about to time-travel. That moment can be rather painful as you cannot bear to leave them too.
Therefore,i would rather wait for my loved one to return than time-travel as you don't know when you are coming back. You don't even know if you will end up in the middle of the road. While waiting, you probably can lead a much normal life.

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? - my point of view...

2009-05-28T12:13:00.002+08:00

I would rather be the one who is waiting.
With reference to the book , time travelling seems to be a very dangerous thing. You wake up finding yourself nude. You don't even know which era it is that you are in. You will have to steal to keep yourself alive.When you are discovered , people think that you are some weirdo and even fear you. I would not want that to happen to me.

And, I don't think I would want to know what will happen in the future. I think that one part about being alive that is interesting is that you don't know what the future holds and you will fight for a better future. Once you know your future I guess you would not find living meaningful anymore. You will just keep travelling around. Like Henry , he can't decide on what he wants to do. He is there for a moment then gone by the next and he finds himself naked. I don't think I want a life like that. Although waiting is a tiring job and think it is better than travelling around and losing the meaning of life.

Answer to Qns 1.

2009-05-28T12:12:00.002+08:00

Vanessa:

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? State why and elaborate.

I would rather be the one time travelling. Although there is a price to pay for time travelling, the feeling of waiting for a love one to come back is very heart-wrenching and tiring for me. I have to stay worried constantly on how he coping with the challenges he will be faced when he has travelled to another place. I will always be living in suspense when he is not by my side, wondering where he has travelled to and when he will be back. An hour? A day ? I will never know.

Unfortunately, time travelling comes with disadvantages. I will appear stark naked in unknown surroundings, with nothing on me, no money or clothes with me. I am defenseless towards my surroundings and is very much susceptible to physical harm. However, through time travelling, I am able to reminisce some parts of my past and remember that an event actually did took place. I do not have to go through the agonizing wait for my love one to come back.

Thus, as selfish as it seems, I would want to be a time traveller.

Reply to Question 1 :)

2009-05-28T12:06:00.004+08:00

If I time travel and end up butt naked, hungry, sick and penniless, I'd rather be the one waiting than time travelling. Although waiting for your loved one to come back from where ever he went is really stressful and mentally and physically tiring, it is much better than ending up somewhere unknown and vulnerable to the public.

To me, waiting is about patience and inner strength. To wait for your loved one to come home from time travelling, it takes a lot of emotional strength and patience. As you will never know whether he is harmed or when will he be back, you will have to wait endlessly, trying to prevent your imagination to run wild. In the end, the person who most probably would turn out stronger(emotionally speaking) is the one waiting.

To me, time traveling is too risky and dangerous. What if you end up murdering your grandfather or something? Wouldn't that become like the grandfather paradox??? So I rather leave time alone and lead a normal life. :)

By,
Jamie, 3C

2009-05-28T12:05:00.011+08:00

I would rather be the one waiting .To me, waiting is perhaps one of the hardest things in the world but it does helps us to cultivate virtues such as patience. Just like how the saying " Absence makes the heart grows fonder " goes, I think it is actually the waiting part in this story that helped Clare and Henry maintain the level of closeness they shared. From the story, we understand that Clare is always looking forward to meeting Henry again and will always be waiting at the meadow for Henry on the date he had given her without fail. If there wasn't any waiting, I don't think that they will be able to maintain this relationship as they would not treasure this relationship as much as they do. Not being together means that there will always be a sense of longing for each other. If they were to be able to see each other everyday, they would take their meetings for granted. When people take things for granted, they no longer appreciate it as much and would soon lose interest in one another. Being able to see each other everyday would also mean that their meetings are quite predictable. There would no longer be any surprises in their meetings and they would probably get tired of each other soon.

ADELINE - answer to the question

2009-05-28T12:05:00.008+08:00

ADELINE:

Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? State why and elaborate.

I would choose to be the one travelling as I feel that if I were the one waiting for the other person to come back, I would definitely find it unbearable as I have to constantly worry about the other safety and whether he will come back again. I would defnitely be upset and restless all the time.
If I was the one time travelling, i would feel better as at least I know that the other is safe and also, I would be able to take care of myself. Even though in the story, time travelling is constantly illustrated as a very painful experience as the person who time travels always ended up nake or vomitting, I feel that it is much better than waiting for the other to appear.
Therefore, to me, being the one to time traveller is a much better choice then being the one waiting patiently. In my perspective, I would definitely not be able to wait patiently for the one travelling.

2009-05-28T12:05:00.005+08:00

Question by : Amirul, Matthew, Jasmine, Sheena
Would you want to be a time traveller? Why?

2009-05-28T12:01:00.002+08:00

KAILING:
Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? State why and elaborate.

I'd rather be the one time travelling. At least, I am not aimlessly waiting and not knowing the outcome of my long wait. Though dates might be revealed as to when the arrival of the time traveler, I would still live being lost in my own world.
Waiting can be rather painful, because I would never be aware of when that 'someone' would appear. Communication would definitely be really tough as well. The want to be a time traveller might too be a part to play due to my selfish nature, in which I would be doing something as moving about. In a way, I am to the advantage as someone has to be waiting for me instead of me having the wait. However, apart from the fact of selfishness, I would want to be the time traveler to find out the true feelings and act of love from the wait of the other party. It is so called the "test of trust and love". So to say, it is just to find out the sheer truth.

Question of The Week

2009-05-27T21:55:00.006+08:00

Jing Yi, Rebecca and Shamimah asks:
Would you rather be the one waiting or time travelling? State why and elaborate.

.READ ME!.

2009-05-27T06:59:00.001+08:00

I'm out for the count on the count of a fever. Nonetheless, if you're reading this, it must mean that the relief teacher has brought you to ITC5 and you can (actually) follow instructions - good job everyone! Give yourself a round of applause!!

Okay, now simmer down and read on for the instructions for today's lesson:

Week 1 questions are to be posted by the groups during this lesson - if you can, within the next 5 minutes of reading this. If your group's question is not ready yet, put up a poll first OR discuss and decide on the question. (I will check.)

Once any of the Week 1 groups have posted their question, the rest of the class should start work on responding to them. If you need time to think and type, remember to hit the "SAVE NOW" button in blue. You may continue to work on it at home or tomorrow if you like.

Meanwhile, while the Week 1 groups may need to discuss, the rest of the class is expected to work on your entry for any issue which interests you and relate this to a relevant music video or file.

Right, I've said all I have to. Enjoy your day without me!

.free entrapment.

.lessons in survival.

2009-05-27T06:53:00.001+08:00

After shelving the book since my first read of it a couple of years ago, I've since forgotten that the book showcases Henry and his self meeting at times as well as Henry and Clare meeting as vastly different ages. In my read, I especially enjoyed the insight the adult Henry has on how the young Henry felt during his first attempts at theft. The ability to project and recall at the same time the emotions of what it was like for the young Henry to meet adult Henry and so on must make one feel almost in control and yet on the vortex of spinning out of control.

.drive me crazy.

.reading schedule.

2009-05-22T11:50:00.002+08:00

Week 1 (25 May - 31 May 2009)
Prologue to Christmas Eve, Three (Pg 1- 211)

Week 2 (1 June - 7 June 2009)
Home is anywhere you hang your head to Birthday (Pg 212 - 394)

Week 3 (8 June - 14 June 2009)
Secret to end. (Pg 395 - end)

I'm planning to start reading today. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do!!

.happy reading!.

.let's kickstart the bookclub!.

2009-05-19T19:56:00.008+08:00

Allo Allo! Yes, I know you're basking in the afterglow of your comprehension marks!

Good job to those who have exceeded expectations (>35) and keep it up to those who are on plodding towards our goal!

I would like to discuss our bookclub options today. This is my pick:

The Time Traveller's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife, published in 2003, is Audrey Niffenegger's debut novel. It is a love story centering on a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to unpredictably time travel, and his wife, an artist who has to cope with his frequent absences and dangerous experiences. The story is a metaphor for the failed relationships of Niffeneger herself, who was frustrated in love when she began it. It has been classified as both science fiction and romance, in addition to a combination of the two, and explores issues of love, loss, and free will. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Traveler's_Wife)

I read this book in 2007 and I enjoyed it immensely, its fluid story line and unpredictability makes for a page turner. The whole idea of "Where would he appear next? How old would he be?" is mysterious and exciting. I think science fiction buffs, die-hard romantics and lovers of mystery will enjoy this book alot! I'm of the 2nd category and I enjoyed the other features a lot!

Other books I enjoyed last year are titled, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" and "Marley" - what a tear-jerker!!

---------

My suggestion is either we all read the same book or we read books written by the same author eg. Jodi Picoult, who I understand is a very popular author amongst the youths like you. Or I thought we could do something really fun and bimbotic like Confessions of a Shopaholic or any of the The Shopaholics series. Right up my alley!

My idea is to pose a series of 3 open-ended questions each week and have you respond via the blog. We could also cross-comment. :)

Well, we have to come to a consensus this week because Miss Foo has a 30% + 10 % Borders voucher which is valid this week only so I'm hoping to place an order.

click to go to BORDERS

.Let's come to a head!.

Hee :D

2009-05-16T12:29:00.004+08:00

So, Ms. Lee told me to update the blog with my recommendation of a book so here it goes.

I found this book at the MPH book fair that just ended.

Glad I did.

By The Time You Read This by Lola Jaye

This story is about how a daughter, Lois Bates (yes, the Superman Lois) copes with life after being given The Manual. It was written by her late father, Kevin Bates, after being diagnosed with a terminal disease to help her while she's growing up and to be there for her where he cannot. He gives her advice for everything she's going through from her first love to her first interview. She can only read one new entry on her birthday for every year from when she's twelve until she's thirty.

It's interesting to see how her life actually revolves around The Manual and how it affects her relationships with people especially men and also how it influences her life choices. You can see the father's love jump out of the page for every new entry and it brought tears to my eyes. There are also instances of humour in this book which makes it a really nice read.

This book would really make you appreciate your parents more and more as you see how Lois wishes for her father every time she hits an obstacle, which gets you thinking, "Can I really live without my parents?". And quoting from the book,

Where There Is Life, There Is Hope

So happy reading people! :D

Current Listen: Perfect Time by We Shot The Moon :D

.Diary of A Wimpy Kid.

2009-05-10T22:24:00.003+08:00

I was at Harbour Front today when I walked past a young girl with "Diary of A Wimpy Kid - The Last Straw". I've read installments 1 (own)

and 2 - Rodrick Rules (borrowed)

and these books, if you can get your hands on them are a laugh a minute! If anyone has heard of them, please lend me the remaining installments!! I'm dying to read them once I finish marking, which by the way is swamping me and taking up all my waking hours! Nonetheless, I shall presevere.

So listen up everyone! If you are up for some light-hearted teenage angst comic strip (easy reading)

and diary entries, grab yourselves a copy of any installment of the series, "Diary of A Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney.

Heads up! This June holiday, I expect everyone to check in here every week and to update us on a NOVEL you're reading. I shall recommend a couple of good books some time at the end of the week and welcome anyone's 2 cents worth of what's worth reading!

I'm going to set up a list of books we're currently reading and you may update the list with what YOU are reading. I'd love to know!!

.enjoy your long weekend while it lasts, babes!.

2009-05-04T16:39:00.004+08:00

FARAH ~
( Missing piece from Halima , Ruiting & Rebecca's group)

"AIDS does not inevitably lead to death...It is very important to tell this to people. Psychological factors are critical in supporting immune function. If you suppress this psychological support by telling someone he is condemned to die, your words alone will have condemned him. [Dr. Luc Montagniet, discoverer of HIV]
No doubt , IRIS VERGHESE deserves the Singapore Woman Award 2009 . She was very passionate in helping the patients suffering from HIV( Sexually Transmitted Disease) overcome their struggle by visiting AIDs patients at their homes by treating them with dignity and respect like any normal person. More importantly when Mrs Verghese shakes their hands, pat their backs or gives them a consoling hug, she is actually indirectly spreading the message to everyone out there that HIV is not contagious and direct contact wouldn't cause the disease . I understand how she felt as she related the stories of some of her patients who got kicked out of their houses by their own family members who were too embarrassed to regard them as their own . These patients are going through a hard time , with friends avoiding them and life partners leaving them . Madam IRIS took the initiative to talk to them about it and give them comfort , unlike other stereotypes who will just look down at these patients and discriminate them in our society. Madam IRIS tried her level best to spread the message that AIDs cannot be contacted through causal social contact. She even went to the extent of visiting prostitutes at brothels to remind them of safe sex and to convey to them the dangerous consq\equences of HIV . Although she had been through a hard time trying to convince these people that prevention is better than cure , she had support from her family that keeps her going . I would like to acknowledge the fact that she abhorred publicity and she enjoyed working silently . This really proves that her contributions to these patients came from her pure heart , and not for the fame . A woman like her is hard to find these days and not many would dare to go beyond the limits just to spread awareness in the country .

credits:http://www.whale.to/w/quotes.html
http://www.cgh.com.sg/caring/issue65/life.html

Iris Verghese

2009-05-03T21:31:00.002+08:00

#1 Group work - Iffah (3B), Yujing (3C), Jing Wen (3C), Jiamin (3C), Leona (3C)

Mrs Iris Verghese is happy to be nominated as Singapore Woman 2009 as she wanted to take this opportunity not to gain any fame, but to speak up for the victims of AIDS and make a bigger difference. Throughout her 24 years of being an AIDS counselor, she encountered all kinds of obstacles such as having to face discrimination by the society. She also found herself struggling to juggle her work and family issues. Fortunately, the support and encouragement from her husband became her source of motivation. During her 15 years of prowling Singapore's red-light districts, prostitutes often hurled "abuse and obscenities" at her but she was not discouraged by all these. She used reverse psychology on them, in hope of raising awareness of AIDS. To change people's perception of AIDS victims, she went on to touching, hugging and eating with the HIV patients. She also went to the extent of slowly explaining to everyone how AIDS is passed from one person to another. In the end, her hard work and dedication paid off. Not only did she manage to earn the "gratitude of HIV patients and their families, but also numerous invitations to overseas conferences".

#2 Reflections

Leona

I feel that Iris Vergheseis an extraordinary woman. Her courage is beyond our imagination. Although AIDS is a sensitive topic that most people will avoid, Iris Verghese is the only woman who is willing to step out and help people who are contracted with AIDS. Besides that, she even risked her life to get close to people contracted with AIDS and help them unconditionally, not afraid of contracting the disease. She shows care for them and support them through the most difficult stages of their lives. Her strong-willed and brave character makes her the perfect woman to deserve this

Jia Min

I feel that Iris Verghese deserves to win the award. In the modern society, people would flee upon hearing the word “AIDS” but Iris Verghese did not. Instead, she even went to “red-light” districts to spread her message of contracting AIDS to the prostitutes, warning them about the disease. Iris met the first AIDS patient 20 years ago, when Singapore was not yet that familiar to the term AIDS. Iris was not afraid of the patient. She did not ostracize them and neither was she afraid of contracting the disease. Instead, Iris hugged the patient. She empathized with him. Throughout the years of Iris Verghese’s work, she lived by example. She ate together with AIDS patients, hugged and shook hands with them to show others that we will not contract the disease just by touching the patients. Her actions of offering a helping hand to the AIDS patients created awareness in today’s society against those people who unfortunately contracted this disease. Therefore, as an affirmation to her countless sacrifices for the AIDS patients throughout all these years, Iris Verghese truly deserves this prestigious award.

Iffah

Iris Verghese is an amazing woman as she took herself out of her comfort zone and went to the extent of going around the red district to raise awareness about HIV/Aids. She took it upon herself to be there for the Aids patients when they needed someone there to support them, when they were ostracised from the society and when even the doctors avoided them just because they thought that the patients would infect them. She puts herself at risk or in danger everytime she walks through the dark alleys of Geylang just so less people would be infected by this incurable disease. She does not care about what people think of her job or how people react to it either. She does it because she knows she can make a difference if she wants to. She does it despite knowing the amount of social stigma, she and her family would face, if and when she tells people what she does. She has been doing more than her job requires for the past 24 years. Her determination, her courage, her loving and selfless nature and the fact that she puts in so much time and effort makes her perfect for the role of "Singapore Woman Of The Year 2009". Personally, I feel that eventhough many of us would claim that we would not ostracise and discriminate the sufferer if he/she happens to be a friend or a relative, but would we really know how to react if it really happened to us? I think that if it did, not many us could claim that we could do what Iris Verghese did, which is to lend a shoulder to cry on and also support that particular person through that trying time and that is why she desreves that award.

Jing Wen

I feel that Iris Verghese is someone that we can look up to. She is very brave as she dares to take the first step to understand the AIDs patients and be friends with them. I think she truly deserves the award as she is willing to help the AIDs patients even though she knows that she will get discriminated by the others who don’t understand AIDs or have the wrong information about AIDs. Iris has given the AIDs patients hope and let them feel that people around them still care about them even though they have contacted with this disease. Iris has done a good job of balancing her job and her family. I think that if she wins the award, she would be able to bring the understanding of AIDs among the society to a higher level and more people will accept the people with AIDs and this would give the patients a chance to stand on their feet and return to the society.

Yujing

I feel that Mrs Iris Verghese fulfills all the criteria of winning the Singapore Woman award 2009. Firstly, her gestures, such as touching, talking and eating with the HIV patients gave them hope that they are not ostracized by the society and that there are people in this world who cares for them. Secondly, after facing numerous setbacks, Iris Verghese still has the strength to persist on in raising awareness of HIV. What amazes me the most is that she was brave enough to roam the red-light districts and put her marriage at risk for hiding it from her husband. If I was her, I would not be able to find the courage to do that. Lastly, Iris Verghese was always there for the HIV patients, providing them with utmost care and concern when most needed. I believe that if she wins the award, she would be a good role model for women of all ages as her persistence and bravery is truly admirable. Not only will her gestures inspire the people around her to help those in trouble, but also instill persistence and bravery in many. When I grow up, I would want to be like her, an admirable figure, as what she had done for the HIV patients is not many can do and like her, I would also want to do something for the sickly.