SPM Sample Essay - Report (charity run)

SPM Sample Essay - Report (charity run)

QUESTION 1

Your school recently organised a charity run. As the Secretary of the organising committee, write a report for the Principal about the event.
Write your report based on the notes below:

Charity Run

• Date
• Time
• Location
• Purpose - to raise funds for the local orphanage
• Length / Duration of run
• Number of participants
• Winners
• Incidents - some participants lost their belongings during the event
                - some participants sustained minor injuries

When writing the report, you should remember to:

• address your report to the Principal
• provide a title
• use all the information given
• provide two suggestions for next year's event

SAMPLE ANSWER:

To   :   Encik Abdullah Bakri,
Principal, SMK Bukit Tinggi
   
Title   :   Charily Run 2013
SMK Bukit Tinggi annual Charity Run for 2013 was held on 18th September. The event was originally scheduled to start at 6.30 a.m. but the flag-off only took place at 7 a.m. due to the rain. Like the past years, the run started and ended at the school field.

The purpose of this year's Charity Run is to raise funds for the local orphanage. Participants were charged a RM15 registration fee that includes some mineral water and a t-shirt.

The entire route of the run was 10.5 kilometres. A total of 578 students throughout the school took part in the event. Nur Amalina from Form 5B came out first, followed by Boon Keat from 5A, second and Ganesh Lingam from 4D, third. The winners were presented with medals and hampers by the President of the Parent – Teacher Association, Datuk Rahim Mahmud.

While the event was successfully completed, there were some incidents that occurred during the run. Two participants lost their belongings. Both of them left their bags at the side of the field despite being repeatedly reminded by the organisers not to do so. Participants were advised to leave their belongings in the hall next to the field where there were students on duty. Fortunately, they only lost small amounts of money and some snacks.

Apart from that, some participants also sustained minor injuries. This was due to the fact that they did not do warm-up exercise before running. As a result, they suffered cramps halfway through the run. They were immediately attended to by the medical team on standby and recovered after a short rest.
From this year's event, it is clear that there are still room for improvement in the organisation of this event. For example, more refreshment stands should be made available throughout the course of the run. This will ensure that participants are well hydrated while running. Besides, more volunteers should be brought in to control and direct traffic where the route meets with the main street. This will ensure the safety of the participants as well as the safety of road users passing by the area.


Reported by,



ADRIAN YOUNG,
The Secretary.
Organising Committee,
Charity Run 2013,
SMK Bukit Tinggi.

DEAR MR. KILMER

EVENT........ THE ENDING

Question 2 (SPM 2008)

Using the details from the novel that you have studied,

•      Describe what happens at the end of the novel.

•      Explain why you find the ending either happy or sad.

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. At the end of the story, Richard’s father finally supported  his passion in writing poetry. This was a happy ending. Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry. In conclusion, the ending of this story was truly heartwarming when a father and a son finally got along through the love of poetry.

Question 4 (SPM 2012)

Based on the novel you have studied, write about an event that makes you angry?

With close reference to the text, give reasons why the event makes you feel this way.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I studied was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. An event that made me angry was when the Schermers’ tavern was vandalised. I was angry because of two reasons. Firstly, I was angry because some Turtle Lake people were being unfair to the Schermers. They vandalized the Schermers tavern. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. They said that the Schermers were Huns. Some Turtle Lake people believed that Huns were a barbaric clan originated from Germany. They said that the Schermers were unpatriotic because they spoke German and served Hun food at their tavern while a war was going on against Germany. Secondly, I was angry because Richard’s classmates were being unkind to the Schermers after the Schermers’s tavern was vandalised. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had happened Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign the card. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah. Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the beginning of their friendship. In conclusion, the event where the Schermers was being mistreated infuriated me. I truly believed that discrimination was unjust.

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Question 5 (SPM 2015 à Similar to SPM 2007)

Suggest one character in the novel you have read who you think is a good role model for teenagers.

Briefly describe the character and give reasons for your choice with close reference to the text.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A good role model for teenagers was Richard. Richard was 15 years old. He was tall, pale and slender. Richard was Mr Knight’s son. He was Angie and Gus’s younger brother. He was Mr Kilmer’s penpal and Hannah’s best friend. He loved poetry. There were three reasons why I chose Richard. Firstly, he was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card for the Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah’s parents. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had happened. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah. Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the beginning of their friendship. Secondly, Richard was brave. This was shown when Richard told his family he wrote poetry. Before telling his secret to his family, Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was Richard’s penpal. Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too. However, he kept this as a secret from everyone. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. One day, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. Gus advised Richard not tell anyone he wrote poetry. He wanted Richard to fit in with other people. Everyone called him a Hun Lover after he signed the card for Hannah. Thirdly, he was supportive. Hannah and Richard won the roles of Lady Liberty and the Doughboy respectively because they wrote the best essays. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role. They regarded Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah. Therefore, Richard declined his part as the Doughboy. His family, his schoolmates and the Turtle Lake People criticized him for turning down his role. They called him unpatriotic and a traitor. These criticisms never stopped Richard from standing up for what was right. In conclusion, Richard was a good role model for teenagers because he had good personalities.

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Continuous Writing

FRIENDSHIP

Close friendships are hard to come by these days. In an ever-changing world with people striving to achieve their interpretation of preordained success, it is hard to know who your true friends are. Fortunately, I found my best pal early at the tender age of seven. We were both enrolled at the same school and were at wits’ ends as we searched tirelessly for our designated classes.

Samantha and I got acquainted as both of us were in the same class and sat next to each other. Samantha was a happy-go-lucky girl who always managed to breathe fresh air into the sometimes arid classroom. She always knew what to say and would voice them at the best possible moments. Both pupils and teachers alike enjoyed her company and liveliness. There was hardly ever a dull moment when she was around with her funny quips and expressions.

Samantha was born with a silver spoon. Her father was a businessman and her mother owned and ran a boutique. Both her parents were very caring towards her as she, just like I, was the only child of the family. Samantha came to school each day with a perpetual smile. She was a very nice person to be around with. She and I used to go everywhere together and both of us were rarely seen apart. We used to talk about so many things as we walked, thoroughly enjoying our time together.

One day, I went to school and forgot to ask my parents for lunch money. At first, I was not hungry and thought I could bear going without a meal but soon, my stomach began to growl. Without asking, Samantha generously paid for my meal and drinks during recess. The incident revealed to me how lucky I was to have such a caring and compassionate friend.

As time went on, people started teasing us as we were spending more and more time together. We seemed to know what each other thought and we cared for each other deeply. Was I in love with her? I did not know then and we both knew we were too young for all that emotional roller coaster.

Currently, Samantha and I are studying at different schools. It was hard to be apart at first, but technology in the form of instant messaging and e-mails have helped to bridge the gap in our friendship. I sincerely wish our friendship will never end as it would be equivalent to waking up from a beautiful dream.

AN AFTERNOON AT A BUS STATION

It was two o’clock in the afternoon. I was heading towards the bus station with Mohan after Mrs Wong’s extra class. The sun was beating mercilessly on my back and I could feel my sweat trickling down my spine. I have often wished that my mother would allow me to ride a motorcycle to school. She says that I am not ready but we both know that she is terrified that a car would knock me down.

When I reached the bus station, it was nearly empty except for a handful of boys. Mohan and I strode to a bench near the stationmaster’s office. I could feel the tension on my shoulders as the straps of my school bag ate into my shoulder. “Where is the bus?” I sighed to myself. An elderly woman came and asked me where I was going. She started a conversation but gave up after my monosyllable answers.

Suddenly, someone shouted and I saw a bus swerved into the station. I got up, thankful for the chance to escape from the woman. . It was Mohan’s bus. The group of boys were jostling each other to get into the bus. “Masuk! Masuk!” shouted the conductor but nobody seemed to be moving. The black fumes made me nauseous. All of a sudden, people started appearing from all directions to board their bus. In no time, the passengers were packed like sardines in the bus. It started to move, leaving some unfortunate passengers behind. I waved at Mohan when I noticed him dangling on the steps of the bus. The bus swerved out of the station again. It left another trail of black smoke.

I decided to go to Panjang’s ice stall. The iced sugar cane juice soothed my parched throat as I sipped slowly, all the while keeping an eye on the bus. Then I saw the bus heading towards the station. I paid for my drinks. “See you tomorrow,” I waved to Panjang.

Once more, the crowd began to swell near the bus. I noticed that the elderly woman was being shoved around by the boys. She started hitting them with her umbrella. Then, I saw Raja, my classmate at the back of the bus. I hurled my bag through the window and he caught it. By the time I got into the bus, it had already started moving. I got into my seat and told myself that I must really try to convince my mother about the motorcycle again.

Source: By Jenny Tan

MALAYSIA, A UNIQUE COUNTRY

Malaysia is a multiracial country. Malaysia has a population of 23.27 million consisting of 61 percent Malays, 30 percent Chinese, 8 percent Indians and 1 percent of other ethnic groups. Malaysia is unique because of its diversity of races, religions and cultures, the stability of the country and many places of interests. Besides, there are many international achievements which are the pride of our nation.

Diversity of races, religions and cultures is a significant characteristic of our nation. Malaysia is a multiracial country with a rich cultural heritage. Unique to Malaysia is the 'Open House' concept where during the various cultural and religious festival like Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Gawai Day and others, friends and families and even strangers would visit the homes of those who are celebrating the festival, to wish them well and enjoy the feast prepared by the hosts. Although the visitors may be from different races, they still can tolerate with each other and live under the same roof where they celebrate the festival together. This will help to strengthen the ties among themselves.

Moreover, the stability and peacefulness of Malaysia is also a uniqueness of us. We live harmoniously in a country where there are no wars and conflicts among Malaysians. War is dreadful and it may deteriorate humans' lives. We are fortunate that our country is safe and runs off the war. So, people can live safely here. Somehow, Malaysia is a paradise for those Iraqis or Pakistanis. Besides, our country is freed from natural disasters such as earthquakes. Earthquakes may bring death and destroy many buildings. Therefore, Malaysia is unique because of the stability and peaceful environment.

On top of that, there are many places of interests in country such as beaches, islands and rain forest. Malaysia's rain forest is considered as the oldest in the world. The diverse species of animals and plant life continue to excite a great deal of scientific research. Many believe that some undiscovered plant may hold cures to many currently incurable human diseases. There are many islands in our country such as Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Redang, Pulau Ketam and many others. Pulau Langkawi has a lot of historitical informations. Those who are in favour of history can go there to explore the history of that place. All the beaches in those islands are beautiful. The sand is soft and white. The accommodation is well-established and that makes those islands ideal places to visit.

Following this, there are also international achievements of our country. Those achievements include the existence of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Formula One (F1) racing circuit and the Petronas Twin Towers. KLIA is unique because it has all that is needed for business, entertainment and relaxation within its boundaries. The airport is part and parcel of the Multimedia Super Corridor where high technology industries are being actively developed. Nevertheless, there is a Formula One Race Track near the airport, so foreign car racing enthusiasts from all over the world can come for a visit to gather here. Besides that, Petronas Twin Towers which is a building that soars 452 metres into the sky is once upon a time, the tallest building in the world and yet it is a national pride to the people of Malaysia.

In short, Malaysia is unique that it has diversity of races, religions and cultures, a stable and peaceful environment, places of interest and some internal achievements. Those are important characteristic of our nation. It is rich of cultural heritage; it would be worth to play a visit here.

Corrections made in the essay above:
Do not put an extra hyphen - multiracial is correct, multi-racial and multi racial are wrong
Use noun instead of adjective - diversity of races, religious and cultures is wrong; it should be diversity of races, religions and cultures; a unique of us is wrong, a uniqueness of us is correct
This sentence is wrong because there should be two phrases in the sentence where you use the conjunction although - Although the visitors may be from different races. However… It should be ‘Although the visitors may be from different races, they…’
Article – an unique is wrong, a unique is correct
Subject-verb agreement - the stability and peacefulness of Malaysia is should be the stability and peacefulness of Malaysia are – Wrong: there is no wars and conflicts. Correct: there are no wars and conflicts
Use adverb instead of noun – we live in a harmony country should be we live harmoniously in a country or we live in harmony.
Singular or plural - humans' life is wrong, humans’ lives is correct, human beings is more appropriate
No plural form – Wrong: historitical informations. Correct: historical information
Avoid using informal word - has lots of is informal, has a lot of is formal

Essay Rating: 3.5
Good points and examples are discussed in the essay. However, there are some gross and minor grammatical and spelling errors. Gross errors include subject-verb agreement errors and wrong use of nouns and adjectives. All in all, there is still room for improvement. Keep up your writing effort!

Finally, A Voice Message

    [PLEASE LEAVE A VOICE MESSAGE AFTER THE TONE...BEEP!]

    [Hello...How do I start this? Err, it’s Pippy here. So, how was school? I’ve tried reaching your phone but I was always answered by a robot-voice woman. Your Uncle Tom said you might be too busy, but I knew my grandson was just being a good boy who wouldn’t break the school regulations. How are you?]

    Amongst hundreds of scholars scattered dot-like in front of the brick-red edifices of an elite boarding school, were two friends deeply absorbed in their conversation.

    Mick, a bright student, was bargaining his friend to stay with him during the holiday. With little reluctance, his friend said yes, so much for the 3DVC* Mick owned and so that they could discuss the ‘Passive Cigarette Filter’ project.

    [Here’s the truth about your mother, Diana. When it came time you were born, not a glimpse of disgust had she shown despite your condition. There was only one regret...]

    True, as they say, life isn’t all beer and skittles. His fantastic blueprints of childhood dreams, hardship borne – flying suit, smart robot maid, and fountain of youth – were sold by his associate, Mick, out of the trust and friendship they had been through for so long. In fact, there was a story about a man’s-best-friend terrier biting its master.

    [...her chicken boyfriend. She besought me to be strict with you, and soon she died of AIDS. By God’s will, you were alive! Don’t play fool with lust, believe me He won’t save you twice.]

    Somehow, somewhere in the midst of glory, he was dragged back to where he began assembling, bit by bit, the ingredients to bake a cake of success. He felt for and found an old luggage.

    Strewn inside were a Bible, an iPhone, and a forgotten photo capturing a grinning boy clasping the eyes of an old man – picture perfect. From this place in an old apartment, through the windowpane, as he started combining the pieces of nostalgic puzzle, he caught a forlorn view of the boarding school, his ‘alma mater’. Then it dawned on him; his friend wasn’t just a biting terrier, he was an evil obscured beyond the look of an angel.

    [Once, you asked why there were still bad people if really God is almighty. You see, on a rainy day, some cursed, but in truth, farmers, trees, and starving African all gave their thanks. He is fair...simple answer for simple question. Now stop questioning and read the Bible.]

    Soon the decelerating car halted to a rest, floating aloft the electromagnetic roadway. Hence he set forth all he could an effort to run, with an anxiety that just grew stronger, almost staggeringly so.

    He dashed his way inside the house, all the rush only to witness a humorous hanging banner: WELCOME HOME, CITY BOY. His sight improved to a wider angle. At once he was dumbfounded as he realized the dust in place everywhere; the unwanted but the logic had happened.

    [No one can travel to the past but it’s never not alright to make mistakes. Upon every breath, give your best; cherish every chapter of life. If on your way the road gets harsh, step into a carriage of faith and it will escort you to the triumphant sky. One of these days when your feet crumble, flip the Bible and inside it you’ll find wisdom, with little or no searching. Sometimes even the slightest failure can shut the voice of a fighter, that’s when others’ advices can guide you, but above all, bow your head and pray...]

    Gone were the days of storm and chillness, and after came the warmth of the sun and comfort of the breeze, which blew a pale gold leaf pass three figures, already loud in a lunatic burlesque. While one busied himself fixing the camera, the other was persuading his cheeky grandson not to stand on the bench. The way it defied the world, the grandson’s synthetic leg wasn’t something that brought him slumping. But that is how it goes with young children: the more you prevent them, the more rebellious they will be.
 
    The old man gave in and sat beside his grandson. Just a split second before the cameraman (whose name was Tom) flashed his camera, the bolt-quick hands of the grandson had closed the eyes of his grandfather – picture perfect.

    [I know it’s busy life there but...I really miss my boy. I can still kick a ball you know...I need a tissue, Tom...Why in the world am I crying like a sissy? Maybe my boy has turned handsome and gentleman now, but if you need a Grandpa, Pippy’s not going anywhere –]

    [YOU HAVE ZERO TALK-TIME LEFT ON...]

    [...I hate that robot woman, for real...]

Write story ending with: "...That is the reward for my patience and hardwork."

        No guts no glory. No pain no gain. Those are my life mottos. I feel that nothing can be achieved by simply sitting and doing absolutely nothing to make dreams come true. Life can be so hard especially when you are not born with silver spoon in yuor mouth. It is also the time when true friends are hard to comeby just because you do not much money to treat them at Kentucky Fried Chicken or Burger King. That is something that I have experienced ever since my family moves to this metropilitan city and I study in the new school.

        In my new school I study hard to complete with all my fellow classmates who come from all walks of life but most are from rich background. They have all that I have ever wanted in my life but fail to get. They can buy branded shoes and clothes, unlike my worn out Bata. They afford the latest handphones brands with the latest technology but me? There is nothing I could do to be on par with them. So, I just let them show off their fancy gadgets without feeling remorse with the fact that I am only an ordinary student coming from a family clerk. I just feel sad that they act as if I do not have feelings. I do not feel the least discourage since I know that I can also be like them one day if I work hard enough to score in my SPM exam.

        Day after day, night after night, I do not to do anything else but concentrate on my studies. Spm examination is just around the corner and I have no other wish apart from wanting to pass Spm with Flying colours. My parents are my inspirations. They always remind me to work hard and hange our fate, make them proud as well as prove to everybody that a son of a plain clerk can also succeed in life and deserve some respect. At times, I feel so stressed out that I almost give up and cry. Nevertheless, thinking of my parent's hope and wishes, I would never surrender and that is my final decision. I engage myseld in group discussion, have consultations with my Physics and Chemistry teachers, the two subjects that I am weak at as well as burn as much midnight oil as possible to atain my ultimate goal-10A+ in the exam. Sometimes, I feel overworked myself but I know I have to muster every single once of my strength to pull through this ordeal and pray that it will end soon.

        The most awaited moment has arrived. With prayers and good luck wishes from my father and mother, I step into my examination hall with full awareness that I have to do really well in the exam to realize all my parent's dreams and mine. The torturous moments last for three weeks and as far as I am concerned time really flies but I trust myself that I have given my very best for each paper.

        March 2015 comes I heard on the television that the SPM 2014 result will be out today. With anticipation and nervousness I walk to school with my good friend Samah. I cannot imagine getting less than 8A+ because according to my conselor, only getting 8A+ will I be able to secure any scholarship, something which is very important to me due to my parent's incapability to pay for my tertiary education. The moment Ms. Asiah, my form teacher hands me the result slip, my heart skips a bea. i am cold from feet to toe from the suspense. Then the moment arrives! It is the most unforgettable time of my life. I mange to get 10A+ and my prayer has been answered. Thank God for giving me apportunity to succeed and make my parents proud. That is the reward for my patience and harwork.

Source: By Roshini Bala

My Most Embarrassing Situation

            Everyone has been embarrassed at one time or another. It is that moment in time when you wish the earth would open up and swallow you. The anxiety and discomfort felt during that time which may only last a few seconds feels like time has stood still.

            I remember so well when I had my most embarrassing moment. I was in Form 4 and it was during the school recess. The minute the bell rang for recess, I rushed to the toilet because I had been controlling my urges since class started. I didn’t want to miss class because the lesson taught that morning was to include tips for the forthcoming examination.

            Without realising, I had rushed to the girls’ toilet. The prolonged control and an upset stomach made worse by two glasses of cold milk in the morning made me grunt and groan in what I thought in what I thought was the privacy of the cubicle. I thought I heard giggling outside and wondered why the giggles sounded unusually near. A few minutes later I came out the cubicle and discovered my horror that I had entered the girls’ toilet. To make matters worse, the few girls standing outside didn’t even turn away when I came out. Instead they looked down at me, then only they turned quickly away. Horror of horrors, I had forgotten to zip up! No beetroot could have matched the colour of my face at this point in time!

            They news of my predicament spread like wild fire throughout school. I was truly the talk of the town. I felt like I could either walk around feeling perpetually self-conscious and embarrassed or I could turn the situation round, perhaps even to my advantage. I remembered my mother’s words that ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. So I decided to make fun of myself, to laugh at myself too. It works. Everyone got bored after a while and nobody teased me after that.

            It was indeed an eye-opening experience for me. I have learnt that when people laugh at you, you should laugh along. You must not take yourself seriously. Learn to look at yourself through other people’s eyes and you will realise that most of the time when they laugh at you, they just want to have some fun. They mean no harm. If you can make people laugh, it’s like bringing sunshine into their lives and as someone said, ‘those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.’

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