A Random Act of Kindness

Describe the situation of a random act of kindness that you have seen or done. What happened? Why do you think the person (or you) did what he/she (or you) did? What was the motivation?

• During my trip to Singapore just last week, on Friday, November 23, I did a very random act of kindness. I was walking on Orchard Road, one of the main streets in Singapore, with my classmate, Vivien. The two of us had went shopping and were very hyper and excited (though we didn't buy anything, I must add). On our way back to our hotel, we were suddenly stopped by two young males who were holding a clipboard and several works of art. One of them stepped forward to us and immediately started talking about how they were gathering money for the those who had lost their hands. He described to us that those people are now working hard and creating art works through other means, and showed us a few of the sample works. Because of their accent, Vivien and I didn't understood them very well. When the two young males learned that we spoke Chinese, they started to communicate with us using Chinese. I guess I was too caught up by the fact that we were in Singapore, that we just had a great time shopping, and that I still had some extra money to spare; I agreed to donate money for these people without thinking much about it. Vivien was reluctant at first, since she was low on cash, but in the end, she relented. We both donated 10 SGD. After we did the act of kindness and the two males had left, I realized that I regretted it. I had no idea whether they were really going to give the money to those who need it, or if they were just people cheating money from oblivious tourists. The act was just to make me feel good, but I realized it was not worth it. I feel sorry for making Vivien donate with me when she didn't have that much money to spare.

Haven't I Seen You Before?

Think of a popular movie, TV characters, or singer. Then without naming that person you're describing write a paragraph or two of about 250 words in your writing notebook, detailing their personality and their physical appearance. Once you are done, get at least three people in the class who aren't that familiar with your musical or viewing habits to try to guess who that person is that you're describing. Have them write their guess on the comments page.

• She is from a good and well off family. Her behavior can be described as proper and ladylike, as these characteristics are that of her time. However, she is a bit rash and impulsive, and is quick to come to conclusions, especially when it concerns her family and herself, and a specific "gentleman" that she doesn't particularly like. To further elaborate her rash and impulsive behavior that results her to conclude quickly, here is an example. When her sisters romance met an obstacle, she immediately thought that it was the gentleman's fault. The reason for her dislike of the gentleman is another one of her personality characteristics: she takes first impressions seriously. The gentleman had offended her  by insulting her appearance, resulting in her being upset, and this implanted a negative impression of the gentleman into her mind. On a side note, even though the gentleman had insulted her appearance, she actually has classic face features that give her a feeling of nobility. It is a trait shared by her siblings, who are all girls. Though she is proper and ladylike, she is considered to have a boyish trait in her compared to her siblings. She is not that mindful of her appearance, and frequently gets her dress dirty. This can be attributed to her carefree attitude towards life, and this is why her father loves her so much.