Marvelous Earthworms

What has no eyes and is blind, no ears and cannot hear, breathes through its skin and has the strength to dig tunnels throughout its life? Well, it is earth's best friend, the earthworm.

There are approximately 50,000 earthworms per acre of moist soil. They live in deep, dark, long, and narrow tunnels or burrows under the ground, away from the Sun and the heat. If they want to get a breath of fresh air, then night time will be the best time for them to surface. Many will leave their burrows when it rains as they might drown if their tunnels are overflooded.

Although many children will squirm at the sight of the wriggly creatures, earthworms are friends of gardeners and farmers. Earthworms help them grow better flowers, crops and plants by bringing organic debris into their burrows from the surface and by eating their way through the soil.

The leaf litter that can be found on the surface of the ground are comprised of dead leaves and animals. These will be digested by the earthworms as they are excellent sources of nutrients made by plants during photosynthesis. Calcium, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and organic minerals are found in dead leaves. Nutrients from dead animals contribute to the earthworms' diet too.

It may come to a surprise to you but it is actually the earthworms' excrement or waste product, called castings, that is deposited on the surface of the ground, that is rich in nutrients. These castings provide food for other animals and microorganisms. This organic material is then further broken down by microorganisms of the soil, releasing nutrients in a farm available for absorption by plants.

In this way, earthworms help produce fertile soil that is essential for the growth of plants. Isn't that a fantastic way of recycling? Nothing goes to waste! Even when earthworms die, they continue to contribute to the fertility of the soil by decomposing and releasing additional nutrients for plants.

Earthworms move by lengthening and shortening their bodies. Their mouths are at the pointy end in front. And though they have no eyes, they possess light-sensitive cells and can 'sense' light. Even though they cannot hear, they can fell vibrations of animals moving nearby.

Have you seen a bird trying to pull an earthworm out of the ground? The earthworm will try to hold on tight to the wall of its home using bristles found on the underside of its body. However, if the bird's pull is really strong, then the earthworm will be torn into two. The bird gets half and the hind end will wriggle back into its burrow and the lost part is regenerated. In fact, if a worm is pulled in half, the head end will grow back.

In this way, we will never have to worry about earthworms becoming extinct!

A Family Reunion

T'was the morning before New Year, when someone got out of the house.

Not a single one in the family, not even a mouse,

Knew that someone was in need of concern,

A fact too late to be learnt.

The parents were snug in their bed,

While Grandmother was nodding her head.

A note was stuck on the wall,

Bidding farewell as the last call,

Because he wants to see his life better,

And that was the core of the matter.

T'was not a while before the sun shone strong,

Did the family learnt something was wrong.

Why did not Tom at the breakfast table appear,

This in the parents' heart struck a chord of fear.

With a little quick thinking,

Mr Chin in a quicksand was sinking,

Remembering what Tom had asked of them a fortnight before,

Why must we live in poverty and more.

"Now, Tom, Father is trying his best,

Four jobs in all, without a day's rest,

To put food on the table each meal,

What more could you ask for, it is the best deal!"

Tom's lips turned down,

With his head bowed, he felt like a clown.

And just as the parents were about to call the police,

The sound of a lock and the door was released.

"Tom! My dear son,

Where have you been, on a cold Mon?"

He was wrapped in a sheet from his head to his foot,

And his face was covered with ashes and soot.

A haversack of clothing fell from his back,

And with a look of regret, he confessed his lack

Of understanding for his father,

His parents gave him a big hug, telling him that it ain't no big matter.

An Animation In The Making

Certainly, Ugly and the Beast is a tale as old as time. With a seemingly complex message that beauty is only skin deep, this animation really is about loving one another – even if one looks and has a character that is unlovable. Director Lewis Charles has it in his blood to present the tale in such a way that it can be easily understood by even the youngest child.

The story unfolds with a fair young lady who was unkind to an enchantress disguised as a starving beggar. Seeing how ugly her character was, the enchantress cast a spell on her, putting a hideous scar which ran across her face. The lady was told she would for the rest of her lifetime remain ugly until she learnt what true beauty was and another could see beauty from within her. The lady’s fate seemed sealed, until one day, when she met a creature more hideous than her – the Beast. Ugly, as many in her village called her, had chanced upon the injured Beast when she ran to the woods in a bid to avoid the mockery of her fellow villagers. Her friendship with the Beast became her only hope of getting back the face she once had.

With the clever twists in the plot and the inclusion of many lively supporting characters, Kevin Langhorne sculptures a cast of characters who offer a sincere heart – something that animation films before it lacked. Together with Steve Mack’s moving music score, Ugly and the Beast brings to light how love can overcome darkness and how true beauty is above physical appearance. The magic in this animation draws its audience into the heart of the story and the sadness and joy experienced by the characters dive deep into their minds, letting the audience forget that they are watching an animation and not a non-animated film. Indeed, it is a film that is moving and takes the audience where they want to go and not where it wants them to go.

Flawlessly rendered, this animation has landed itself a nomination in this year’s Wildcard Film Award. The talented voice cast includes Jasmine Bernard (Ugly), Bobby Williams (The Beast), and many other celebrities from Hollywood. Perhaps, the secret of the film’s success lies in the therapeutically beautiful theme song Ugly and the Beast. Stay for the credits to listen to Ewan Nelson and Jaime Swazi perform the theme song, making the closing experience of the animation show completely surreal and satisfying.

Connecting With An Elderly

As nuclear families become the trend in the establishment of family units in our society today, the interaction between grandparents and grandchildren is reduced. This further widens the generations in a family. The following is an extract of a conversation among teenagers who have had trouble communicating with grandparents whom they do not see often.

“There I was,” Mabel told his friends, Siti and Marian, “Sitting with this ‘ancient’ elderly whom I call ‘Grandmother’. I didn’t know what to say to her! My parents and John had left earlier for his school’s parents-teacher meeting, so I was supposed to keep her company till they returned with dinner. What do you talk about with someone that old?”

“Well, I can understand. I’ve been in similar situations. I can hardly hold up a decent conversation when I see my grandparents at family celebrations or birthday dinners. I mean, what can a 21st century teenager talk about with someone who remembers the Japanese invasion and surrender in World War II?” Siti nodded her head as she gave Mabel a sympathetic look.

Marian shot up her right hand, “This is because we don’t live with our grandparents and are not familiar with them. The elderly do understand us as they have been teenagers like us once. A good way to break the ice is to ask them a question. They have to give a reply and in a matter of time, you have a conversation!”

“But what kind of questions do we ask? We certainly do not want to sound silly or rude,” Mabel quipped as her eyes widened with curiosity.

Marian took a few tips from the fizzy drink she was holding and said, “Most elderly people enjoy talking about the ‘good old days’. Ask about their past, what they dud and where they lived. However, be prepared for some melancholic answers. At that age, they must have had some loved ones whom they’ve lost along the way.”

“On yes, I remember Aunt Fatimah once told us that the elderly do not think of themselves as ‘old’ but just slower in movements and not as agile. It would be quite interesting to ask them the same type of questions you’d ask a friend and hear about their views. There must be some common issues between us,” Siti added, delighted at what she had shared.

“Talking to the elderly isn’t hard once you get started. Start talking, and soon they’ll be telling their friends what a nice young grandchild she had,” Marian encouraged as she stood up and walked to the nearest bin to throw her empty drink can.

TTSH History

In the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, Tan Tock Seng Hospital became a 'household name' as the hosptial and centre which housed numerous SARS patients. If its founder, Tan Tock Seng, were still alive today, he would have been proud to be greatly associated with this institution that saw to the care of many sick and dying SARS patients.

Tan Tock Seng was born in Malacca in 1798. There were three other boys in the family, two in China and one in Malacca. Tock Seng's father, Tan Whay Teck, could barely make ends meet for the family and poverty drove the young and ambitious Tock Seng to Singapore, seeking his fortune. Tock Seng was a survivor who had no qualms about trying out new things. Not long after settling in a foreign land, he kept his living by purchasing fruits, vegetables and fowl in the rural community and selling them in the town. With hard work and much favor, Tock Seng oepned a small shop along the Boat Quay riverside. He did this all on his own, with savings he had from selling fruits and vegetables.

According to Tan Tock Seng's great grandson, Tan Hoong Siang, his great grandfather was fluent in English and thus could communicate effectively with the Governor of his times, J.H. Whitehead. It was believed that this close-knit relation unlocked a chain of favors that led to Tock Seng's fortune-yielding speculative ventures, making him one of the richest Chinese in Singapore.

Tan Tock Seng was not merely famous for being one of the richest Chinese but also for being a philanthropist. His generosity towards the poor did not go unnoticed. Many Chinese immigrants were particularly grateful to Tock Seng for burying their deceased loved ones as a proper burial was of importance to the Chinese and life was too difficult for poor people then to afford burials. This quality of Tock Seng made him the first Asian to be made Justice of Peace by Governor Butterworth.

It was Tock Seng's generous donation of $5000 to the Chinese Paupers' Hospital that made him an honorable founders. Continued support from his wife and son for the hospital saw the day when the management of the hospital decide to rename the hospital after its great contributor, Tan Tock Seng.

Tan Tock Seng passed away in 1850, leaving behind wa wife, three daughters and three sons. Each child received a substantial sum of money and property and continued to build on the legacy that their father, Tan Tock Seng, had established.

Examinations And Education

In this fast-paced technological society, mainstream modern education still depends on the 'old-fashioned' method - the examination system of testing and evaluation of learning. In fact, it has become more indispensable, being a tool which evaluates pupils' abilities without the presence of textbooks and other 'help buttons'. Every one who has had some form of formal education would have undergone an examination. The result of the examination would then be used the key to assessing the pupil's understanding of a subject. Although its growing importance is recognized by many, the examination system is also subjected to increasing criticism for being an inadequate and unfair tool to measure a pupil's success.

Individuals who want to do away with the examination system reason that its existence encourages the wrong behavior of pupils who focus on getting high grades rather than acquiring knowledge. These pupils will not be motivated to innovate nor strive for creativity. Instead, they become bookworms who regurgitate facts and concepts without knowledge of applying them to work and improving life for humanity. Education is more than a tool that enables pupils to make a livelihood in their later years. It also shapes their characters and the way they live their lives. However, it is believed the present examination system has drawn pupils further away from these sacred purposes.

If there is any regret a pupil should have, it would have to be this: memorizing chunks of information of a subject in preparation for an examination and then forgetting them once the examination is over. Certainly, what can be a greater waste than this?

On the flip side of the coin, examinations must have its set of benefits; even famous scientists of our times such as Marie Curie and Thomas Edison have taken examinations in the course of schooling.

Evidently, what makes people successful is not the examination system but the attitude one has towards learning. There is a temptation for some students to embrace a nonchalant attitude towards the examination system as they are the group of pupils who fare better in practicum than written theory. Of this lot of students, there could be a Marie Curie or Thomas Edison - one who is not apt at scoring in an examination.

A fair suggestion would be for the examination system to be further improved instead of removing it altogether. After all, removing a stone in one's path does not take away the possibility of an accident.

Cancer Is Alive And Active

The term 'cancer' just about instills the greatest fear in people as it is very much associated with the notion of 'no cure' and hence, death. Cancel is a complex group of over 100 different diseases and the formidable aspect of it lies in the fact that it can encroach on any and every organ in the human body. The human body is made up of cells and these cells divide and multiply to keep the body functioning properly. When this multiplication of cells escalates beyond its normal growth rate, growths are formed. These growths, more commonly known as tumors, can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

The oldest recorded case of cancer to date was made in ancient Egypt, about 1500 BC. According to the eight documented cases written on papyrus, the tumors were found in the breast. Treatment for cancer in those times was by cauterization. Cauterization, a method requiring the use of a hot drill, was employed by the ancient Egyptians to kill tissues. Besides this treatment, there was no other medical aid for cancer. Cancer, in the olden days, was feared as much as it is today.

Surprisingly, although medical advances and technology were absent in ancient times, there were recorded evidence that the Egyptians know how to differentiate the benign tumors from malignant ones. The inscriptions on the Egyptian walls tells us that growths which appeared near the surface of the skin were surgically removed with sharp knives.

People living in earlier times than the ancient Egyptians were less fortunate. The Greek doctors, for example, had little knowledge of the human body and could only treat common ailments. The general belief was the body was made up of four substances: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. For many years, the black bile was thought to be the main cause of cancer. This belief was embraced for thousands of years. Of course, in superstitious societies of those times, the supernatural was the other primary cause. Even in ancient Egypt where treatments were available, many attributed cancer to God's wrath upon the people.

Cancer grew to be a notorious disease, killing millions each year and topping the ranks as the primary killers. The greatest advancements in the treatment of cancer took place in the 20th century. Oncologists have identified carcinogens as the cause of cancer and administered treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation to destroy cancer cells. No doubt cancer continues to prevail today, but man is not about to give up on researching to find a cure for sufferers.

The Surprize

Beyond the edge of the mangrove swamp and a plot of grassland was a most breathtaking pond. It was flanked by neat rows of frangipani trees. Situated on the west of the island, the orange sun set behind the pond's calm green horizon each day. The chirping of sparrows and the shiny clear waters made the pond a heavenly place to relax in. Fishing, in fact, would be the best activity for the environment was peaceful and the waters were home to much marine life.

Unfortunately, something as magnificent as the pond was often exclusive. It belonged to Mr Tan, an old farmer who owned the piece of land right up to the borders of the mangrove swamp. Mr Tan was protective of his pond and put a barbed wire fence around it to stop trespassers from entering it. He had even forbade his own children to go near it.

"Children and nature do not go well. They will dirty the place with litter and their brawling will scare the fish and birds away. No way am I going to let them near it," declared Mr Tan from the first time he set his eyes on the pond.

Thus, for the longest time, no one could enjoy the tranquil surrounding of the pond. Mr Tan himself found the pond too precious to spend time there. He merely patrolled the place from time to time, making sure that no one dared venture into his property.

It was not long before little Peter, an eight-year-old who had just moved to that place, heard about the pond. His curiosity was as great as an elephant and his favorite past time was fishing, The pond was the perfect hideaway for him! Peter had lived beside a pond all his life and such environments were no stranger to him. So one fine morning, Peter grabbed his rod and bait and climbed under the barbed wire fence.

"Hey! How dare you! What're you doing at my pond?" Mr Tan bellowed when he caught sight of Peter in the waters.

In a panic, Peter let go of his rod and ran like lightning, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. As Mr Tan was getting on in his years and was no match for Peter, he stood guard where Peter's fishing rod was. He was afraid the little rascal might return to get his belongings.

Suddenly, the fishing line jerked and the water near it bubbled. Mr Tan went into the water and tried to make out the creature in the water. Grabbing hold of the rod, he drew the line in with all his might. The task was arduous as the creature fought to break free. Mr Tan's delight became horror when the big 'fish' which he thought had caught the bait turned out to be a gigantic crocodile.

The Jalalpa Bus Accident

A serious road accident took place in Jalapa, Mexico, on 5 July 2005. The main street - the only point of entry to the town of Jalapa - has a blind bend on a sharp slope at the turning into the town centre. This stretch of road is notorious for being responsible for the deaths of many people in accidents which had taken place on it.

That Monday morning, a bus load of passengers were enjoying the morning breeze through the windows as the vehicle made a descent down the Jalalpa slope. The driver of the bus was a young driver who had just obtained his license. Music was blaring as he drove the vehicle as though manoeuvring a roller coaster. A momentary loss of control and the overturning of the bus left passengers seriously hurt and traumatised. Passengers standing near the doorway of the bus were flung out of the vehicle and the very unfortunate ones of these were caught beneath the bus as it overturned. The overturned bus trapped more than 30 passengers, including young children. Passers-by rushed to the overturned bus, calming the passengers down and assuring them of help which was on the way. Some passers-by, on seeing the crushed victims under the bus, became hysterical and had to be pulled aside by the stronger men.

A young witness of the accident, a boy of seven years, sought help at the Armonia Centre where the Transformation Course rescue team was. Members of the team rushed to the scene of the accident and while some formed a human chain to cordon off the area, others got on the bus to pull the trapped passengers to safety. It was a difficult task as the bus had landed on the side on which the doors were. Rescuers had to break the larger windows and roof ventilations to get into the bus. On top of that, many of the passengers were seriously injured, with many of them bleeding and some concussed. The most disheartening part of it was that the reckless driver, who had survived the crash and was among the first people to be rescued, took off for fear that he would be charged for negligence.

The police and ambulance sirens resounded in the streets shortly after the rescue team arrived on the scene. Woefully, these authorities were ill-equipped and were not trained to deal with situations like the one which had happened. Bed sheets from nearby residences were used in place of bandages while discarded planks were used as stretchers. It was hours before all of the injured were taken to the various hospitals. A shocking fact here was that in Jalalpa, a hospital could house no more than ten patients at a time!

Green Speech

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the annual Community Issues Seminar. The topic for today is 'waste'. The definition of waste to Singaporeans today is no longer merely 'garbage' or 'trash'; it now encompasses objects regarded or discarded as worthless and unwanted. These objects include clothes worn no more than 10 times, good furniture which has gone out of fashion and electrical appliances which have some minor faults.

The last three decades have seen a climbing amount of solid waste generated by industries and homes up to as much as six times than 30 years ago. The Singapore Government, in its best efforts to overcome this problem, has increased the number of landfill facilities nationwide where waste can be incinerated. Incineration has helped to greatly reduce the volume of waste by the society. The by-product of incineration, ash, takes up landfill space and a continual increase in the number of landfills is not a permanent solution. The size of an average landfill is about that of Sentosa Island and the scarcity of land in itself is another major concern faced by the government. This problem of escalating amounts of waste spills over onto another problem and the concern is ballooned overnight. Moreover, the construction of incineration plants and landfills runs into the billions - an investment that sees no promising future.

This draws us back to the community. It is obvious at this point that Singaporeans must go beyond incineration. How can we as a community or as individuals, help to ease the burden of this waste problem? The answer is simple - recycle and reuse! By stepping up efforts in recycling and reusing, we can cut down the amount of waste and as such, reduce the amount of incineration ash.

Recycling and reusing not only reduce the amount of waste; they are also earth friendly measures. The recent national update on the progress made in promoting recycling and reusing in industries and communities reported that since its launch in 2001, the number of organizations and households which participated in the program has since doubled in the recent years. If our coming Save by Recycling Campaign were to successfully triple this number, it would mean that the number who recycle and reuse will outshine that of those who do not. This is most encouraging and I urge you to become a part of the former.

Thank you!

Ambassador of Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Replant.

Working Memory

I was born in my family home on 20 October 1942. Singapore was engaged in World War II then and my birth was hardly a joyous occasion. My parents were more concerned for survival than a new birth in the family. I was fortunate that my father was a merchant and had, through means of a black market, obtained cans of expired condensed milk which became my main source of diet in my early years.

My earliest memory of my tender years dated back to when I was a little over two years old, when my family went to a distant relative's estate home to escape the hardships of war. It was a decision my father made after my grandfather and uncle were taken away by the Japanese soldiers in a raid. I recollected some events at the estate home with little distinctness.

My father died in January 1945. To my regret, I could hardly remember anything about it except my mother's uncontrollable sobbing and Father, lying on the wooden bed in his singlet and black pants. In that same year, I was sent away by my mother to a village in Malacca. There, I went to school. The classroom was no more than a makeshift tent with a few splinter-filled tables and chairs. Learning, however, was enjoyable and it took my mind off my family back home in Singapore.

By the time I completed 'school', I already had a good knowledge of herbs and spices for I worked in a provision shop on weekends. The passion for learning the uses and nutrition in herbs and spices was very strong in me, and was clearly innate, as I could tell which was which by just taking a whiff of them.

One even that I remember clearly took place just after I had begun work formally at the provision shop. The afternoons there were relaxed as hardly anyone bothered to come out in the scorching sun just to buy an item or two. Even the stray dog which loitered around the shop took naps beside the ice boxes for some relief from the unbearable heat. One such afternoon, as I was packing some herbs into smaller bags, a man came into the shop. He took out a few paper packets and laid them out neatly on the counter.

"Tell me, what are the herbs in the packets," demanded the tall, bespectacled man.

At once, I reached out, in a bid to open the packets, but was promptly stopped by him.

"Tell me what they are. Smell them," came the response from the man who appeared to be getting impatient.

Nature Played A Cruel Joke

Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was hit by the nation's worst flood on 1 June 1889. This devastation took the lives of more than 2000 Americans and left thousands more homeless and in a state of loss and shock. Once again, nature played a cruel joke on humanity.

Johnstown, with a growing population of about 30000 Germans and Welsh had an optimistic future with steel as its 'oil well'.

A small town founded in 1794, Johnstown was built upon humble beginnings with the construction of Pennsylvania Mainline Canal in 1834, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Cambria Iron Company in the 1850s. However, little known to many, the design of this town had a flaw. Johnstown was actually built on a flood plain, at the intersection of Little Conemaugh and Stony Creek rivers. As the river banks had been narrowed to create more land for new infrastructures, flooding due to heavy downpours became a familiar occurrence in the 1870s. In addition to this problem, Lake Conemaugh was situated 1607 meters above South Fork Dam. The dam was old and ill-maintained and even the townsfolk themselves recognized that it might give way any time. Unfortunately, no one took this seriously and thus, the dam was left to hold out for as long as it could.

In the cold late afternoon of 31 May 1889, a low rumble which became a loud thunderous roar over time was heard by some townsfolk. By that time, the suspicion of many that the heavy rains had brought down South Fork Dam became evident. The dam broke under the pressure of great waters from the rains and sent about 20 million tons of waters gushing down narrow valleys, carrying with it debris and sediments. Flood waters rose over 200 meters and gushed down the hill at great speed. Everything in its path was washed away or destroyed.

Panic, confusion and fear arose as people tried to escape from imminent death. Those who were swept up were thrown about in a torrent of murky and debris-filled water. The fortunate ones caught hold of pieces of debris and were kept buoyant; the less fortunate ones became victims of debris. The disaster took no more than 10 minutes. However, the trail of destruction that it left behind was indescribable and left Johnstown robbed of its sunshine.

Man When Are We Going To Stop

Man is the world's greatest friend and also its greatest enemy. Many scientists have pointed to man's excessive cutting down and burning of trees and fossils fuels as the primary contributor to global warming. Global warming is the increase in the earth's average temperature caused by the build up of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases are the result of man's activities.

Although the earth has braved and survived Ice Age, droughts, hails, and other weather related disasters, it does not necessarily mean it is resistant to the effects of global warming. Man's complacency has put earth in a dangerous predicament: the increase in the amount of heat trapping gases is likely to warm the earth to a point whereby life cannot go on. Unless large scale measures are being implemented to curb the increase in the heat trapping gases in the atmosphere, man will soon witness the slow destruction of earth due to man's selfish nature.

Looking at the current rate of global warming, the consequences man has to face are likely to be dire. Climatic shifts resulting from global warming render densely populated coastal areas extremely vulnerable. This is especially so if they are situated in low-lying areas. Established scientific institutes have projected that floods occurring in these places will affect between 13 and 88 million people on a global basis annually from 2080s. If this projection were to come to pass, many developing countries and island nations will be the hardest hit as the cost of restoration works and re-housing the homeless will run into the millions.

The first people forced to evacuate to another region because of the threat of a great flood were residents of Tegua Island in the Pacific Ocean. The government of Tegua feared that the island;s eventual fate was permanent submergence due to rising waters attributed by climatic changes. A survey conducted recently showed that more than 2000 islanders all over the world fear facing a similar situation and are prepared to move at any costs.

Floods are just the first wave of consequences brought about by global warming. The immediate concern following a flood is the scarcity of clean drinking water and food. Starvation and the shortage of clean water are serious threats faced by the government and aid agency. This inability to adapt is not specific to man only. Plants and animals too may likely not survive the many changes taking place. All hope lies with mankind. Otherwise, these plants and animals will be eventually wiped out, leaving generation and the generations to come with a sad tomorrow.

I Saw Fire Burning At My Feet

Would you believe your eyes if you were to witness a man catch fire with no flame or spark source and then burning completely without causing damage to anything he comes into contact with? This scenario sounds utterly absurd but it has occurred in various contexts - homes, schools, offices and playgrounds and witnesses are more puzzled than horrified.

The question screaming to be answered is this: can man spontaneously burst into flames without being set alight by an external source? Scientists who studies this strange phenomenon have termed in the 'Spontaneous Human Combustion'. Spontaneous human combustion takes place when a person bursts into flames without an external heat source. This happens due to a chemical reaction within the human body. Although there is no concrete evidence to prove this phenomenon, many people believe that this occurrence is as real as the air that we breathe. However, most scientist are not convinced.

The first reported account of spontaneous human combustion came from France. In 1663, Thomas Bartholin, an anatomist, witnessed a woman in Paris who has for no apparent reason burst into flames and became charred in less than half an hour. Apparently, the woman was asleep when the burning took place. Many were dumbfounded by the fact that the straw mattress on which the woman lay was not damaged by the great fire which took place.

Besides spontaneous human combustion, there are no other convincing explanations behind these occurrences. Furthermore, many of the burnings took place in the presence of witnesses which rules out the possibility of murder. Scientists, in a bid to put down this theory, explain these occurrences using the 'wick effect'. This theory suggests that the body, when lit by a cigarette or putting out a heat source, acts like a candle. The only difference is that the body becomes the 'wick' of a candle.

Till today, the fact remains that no one has been able to ever conclusively prove the truth about spontaneous human combustion. Scientists today still disregard the theory and now, attribute it to the smoking habits of individuals. Many victims of the spontaneous human combustion were discovered to be smokers who have fallen asleep with a lit cigarette or cigar. And a great number of these people were believed to have consumed alcohol or have medical conditions that stopped them from attempting to put out the fire on their bodies.

From Book Review To Life Review

Jarry Fisher has recently been awarded The Pen Point's highest honor, 'Gold Point', for his eclectic picture book Outside In. I went straight to the 'New Arrivals' shelf in the library and settled on the nearest cushioned sofa, curious about the much talked about simple yet enchanting plot. Before I could open the book, the watercolor and ink illustrations captured five minutes of my attention. Award-worthy illustrator, James Jacobs, did Fisher's story justice. The clean ink over brushes of pastel watercolor brought out the liveliness of the characters and the peaceful surroundings of nature.

A young boy is pictured on the titled page coming out of a house. Then on the next two pages, the boy is picking flowers and plucking tall grasses from the field outside his house. As the pages turn, the boy is hard at work, transferring plants into pots and tying up the flowers with pretty red ribbons. After that, he goes to the edge of the woods and chases squirrels and birds. One by one he catches them with his bare hands and puts them in a big cage in his lawn. As soon as he is done, he gets a wheelbarrow from the backyard and wheels in the plants and little animals into the house. The last two pages of the book are the most delightful, with the boy holding his ailing grandmother's hands as she looks at the room with joy. The boy has decorated it with plants, flowers and all, and the room looks just like the field outside.

Fisher is a new grandfather and this book tells of his love for and relationship with his baby granddaughter. What Outside In does best is to show how young children understand what it means to make someone happy, in this case a grandmother. The love the young boy has for his ailing grandmother is encased in the simple act of bringing to her what she cannot have in her illness. A good picture book can say so much more than a novel. At one point, the young boy stops to rest on a stone after transferring the plants into pots. This, I feel, is the most touching part of the story. A tired child with little strength left continues work in the field for only one reason - to make his grandmother happy. Such is the love that even stubborn adults like me shed a tear or two.

Outside In is a book that is to be enjoyed by both the young and old, particularly grandparents and grandchildren. Family love and care shine through with Fisher's clever twist in his plot at the end and Jacobs' refreshing illustrations. This book is a definite must-read!

Writing Reading Reflecting

I have a mental block. What should I write next? I realize I need to get some proper writing resources. A pen and writing pad will do well. Without them, I find it very difficult to pen down my thoughts. Writing a letter home is more arduous than I think. Maybe I should take a break from writing and get back to it after a warm cup of coffee.

Putting away the piece of charcoal and onion pulp pressed paper, I walked to the window. The wind is howling outside and I am feeling all warm in my office. Things feel a little different when the weather changes. Although I am back at work, something just does not feel right. Perhaps it is because my mother has gone home, for a period called 'Eternity'. I miss her cooking and constant nagging for me to eat a good portion of vegetables and fruits. I wish I had spent more time with her. At least I could have learned how to boil a pot of potato soup.

Exciting times are ahead of me. My company is going to send me back to Singapore to oversee a business project. It looks like I will get to see my brothers, their wives and my nieces very soon. I am looking forward to it. At the same time, I feel sad having to leave London. Mother and I have spent more than half a decade here and even the grocery shop assistant has become like family.

The uniformed old man hands me a parcel, interrupting my train of thoughts, tips his hat and walks out of my office. He reminds me of my father, a short and stout man who walks with a shuffle. My father was a taxi driver. In my younger years, I hardly see him around. We had opposing time tables. My waking time was his sleeping time and the weekends boasted only of his presence in the bedroom. Taxi drivers could earn more in the nights on weekends and thus, my father slept in throughout the day on those days. Mother was often the only person who spoke more than ten lines to him in a week.

Tearing open the parcel, I find a velvet black with my name embossed on its cover. Who can it be from? Dozens of names flashed in my mind but I stop at none. I have no idea. At this point, opening the box perhaps will give me the best idea.

I lift the lid without much effort. There it is, catching light from all directions. My mother's favorite crystal pendant. It had been lost since World War II.