Free Topic. Write Freely! O ne of the most difficult topics to ever write about is a free topic. The freedom given is enormous. The guarantees given are nonexistent. The inspiration it gives is clouded. One does not know where one stands with a free topic. It is a question mark. It is a pathless wood. One tries to please – but does not know how to please. One tries to excel – but does not know how to excel. The free topic is one of the most frightening topics ever given to a student. Yet, on the other hand, it is one of the most coveted, at least when not in exam setting. The freedom it gives is exhilarating, enticing but bloodcurdling. Is it not strange? The student spends half the year longing for the chance to write a “free topic” composition but when the “free topic” assignment is given, the student hopes for the good old conventional composition prompts once more. The nestling spends most of the time in the nest longing for a chance to fly. Yet, when his mother mercilessly banishes him from the nest, or when he is falling down, accelerating towards the ground at ten ms- 2, he wants the safety of his nest. At the moment the ground gets closer, he longs for the monotonous life in the nest. However, what is life for when one sitting in the nest and waiting for food to be stuffed into your beak? All through childhood, children long for adolescence. When they are about to reach adolescence, they realize that they miss their childhood yet there is no way to gain that back. So all through adolescence, the teenagers put their hope on adulthood. Once reaching adulthood, ironically, the young adults long for experiencing adolescence again. Is that not the greatest tragedy of growing up? That one is never satisfied with his or her current state? Yet, what is the meaning of life if one spends it all by just sitting on a ledge? What is the meaning of life if one goes nowhere and does nothing with it? What is the use of freedom if one fears it? What is the use of a blank page if one does not dare to start the first stroke of the brush? Falls are created to be embraced. “Free topic” compositions are invented to be written, and written well. In falling, there is a meaning: daring to live to the fullest. To embrace the unknown is to embrace life. To live is to embrace the fall and dare to dream. So I sit down and write my “free topic” composition and hope to write it well. I will sit down and write it without a second thought, without doubt, without lingering on the edge of the ledge: for this is the only way to write, and the only way to live. Lai Wun Chi 5P The Story of Earth A little boy found some plasticine, Brown, unattractive and raw. For some reason that he couldn’t define, He shaped it into a ball. Manifold tinctures of the crayons the boy owns, Trapped him in shilly-shally deeply. The embodiment of his negligence Squashed the ball rashly. The sorrow borrowed the crayons, And embraced the ball with blue. The little boy daubed it with his favourite green, Like ingraining a tattoo. Being was bestowed. The ball was then named earth. The little boy fell into raptures with his masterpiece, Until there comes his evil baby brother’s birth. The devilkin smudged the ball with his mind, The blackness instantly snaked down the ball, Which reared the seed of devilry in disguise, Covering up the luminous times of yore. The little boy is hear tbroken, None of the beauty he created ever purified the hear ts. He cried and cried, But no one ever heard his voice. Cheung Venetia 4S T he term “ravishing” is not being exaggerated when it is used to describe the beauty of Russia. With the magnificent Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the grandiose Hermitage and the superlative St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Russia is undoubtedly one of the most captivating places on Earth. My family and I went to Moscow in late July and visited many magnificent Eastern Orthodox Churches, including the illustrious Saint Basil’s Cathedral. The Eastern Orthodox Churches stored many religious paintings and sculptures of the Medieval Times, including the famous painting of Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Coffins containing archpriests dating back to the fifteenth century could also be found there, which I found them creepy. While we were being captivated by the stunning beauty of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral, this masterpiece had a terrible history behind it. The tyrannical king Ivan IV ordered two architects, Barma and Postnik Yakovlev to build this church. Although it pleased the Russian king immensely as he beheld the beauty of the church after its construction, the poor architects were not spared from the cruel clutch of the terrible king. They were blinded so they could not re-create this masterpiece. I pitied the architects and felt saddened for the people under the tyranny in Russia during the reign of Ivan IV and other ruthless tyrants. We flew to St. Petersburg by plane on the fourth day and visited the superlative St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the grandiose Hermitage. It was the most astounding when I first beheld the beauty of the interior of the St. Isaac’s Cathedral. It was very colourful, contradicting the dim exterior. Unlike the other Eastern Orthodox Churches, St. Isaac’s Cathedral was constructed in Renaissance architecture style. With gigantic marble pillars, effulgent sculptures and exquisite paintings, St. Isaac’s Cathedral was my favourite church. Although I have seen many of the paintings in my history book, it was nevertheless a breathtaking sight to behold these awe- inspiring paintings. With a realistic circular painting and portraits of the divinity, the interior of the central dome was the most marvelous. I finally understood the over excessive wealth of the imperial family when I first stepped into the imposing Hermitage, which was a palace reconstructed as a museum. The Hermitage has stored masterpieces all over the world, including exquisite mosaics, realistic sculptures and renaissance paintings. The floors, doors and ceilings were decorated with gold carvings and there were gigantic lamps hanging from the ceilings. As a result, many rooms were basically covered in resplendent gold. There were rooms storing the portraits of the royal family, famous artworks and sculptures. There was a marble sculpture of the almighty Jupiter, the Roman God of sky and thunder. There were also realistic sculptures of animals, including goats and dolphins. However, most of the sculptures were focused on the beauty of the human body. Therefore, most sculptures were naked in which I dislike. Meanwhile, the effulgent golden Peacock Clock left a great impression on my mind. The majestic peacock stood on a tree stump accompanied by an adorable baby owl and a delicate chicken. The museum also stored many splendid cutlery used by the royalties. However, what I least expected to see in this golden museum were the Egyptian mummies. The mummies were brown, thin and in my opinion extremely unpleasant to look at. Although Russia was indeed a very captivating and ravishing place, there were undoubtedly many tyrannical kings. The horrendous history of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral and the excessive money used in constructing the great palaces are both witnesses in the past tyranny of the imperial family. On a final note, this trip truly enhanced my knowledge in Russian culture, arts and history. My family and I had a lot of fun there and enjoyed the sightseeing very much. Russia is indeed a ravishing place! Lo Wing Fung Abbie 3P BELILIOS PATCHWORK Illustrated by Tam Wai Ka Vanessa 3P A trip to Russia Illustrated by Tam Wai Ka Vanessa 3P A Warning Letter From A Cockroach Dear humankind, Since I am in charge of the Great Cockroach Kingdom, I would like to express our feelings on behalf of all my nationals. First of all, we know that our appearance do not please you, but we are born this way. Who'd like to be endowed with a bad-looking appearance that scares everyone off? Do not be prejudiced against cockroaches simply due to our appearance. Do not trample our self-respect. There must be something that is as important as beauty. Have you ever tried to understand our feelings? You may think that we are sinful because we always disturb you, make a mess at your homes and eat the food that you've paid. Listen. We do this because we are starving. Everyone evicts us. We cannot even get a mouthful of food. We've been hungry for a long period. Every species has their own domains and their rights of living. It seems to you that our living environment is awful and disgusting, but for us, nothing can be better. This is our habitat. We do not want to scare you, so we come out to work at night as far as possible. However, you still use those cruel means to kill us. You do not even try to understand us. Since we cockroaches are enlightened, we prefer to use words to persuade you first. I do not want cockroaches and humankind to be sworn enemies. I hope that the enmity between us can be eradicated. That's the limit of our patience. Do try to understand us. If you do not want to do so, we swear not to stop. We will keep sight of you everywhere at every moment. We will use any possible and unexpected ways to scare you. I hope you can understand us. If not, beware of us. Today is 21st December, 2012. It may be the end of your world. Yours faithfully, Bill Chan President of the Great Cockroach Kingdom Tsui Yuen Ying 2S Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan If someone told you that you were supernatural, how would you react? Percy Jackson, who regards himself as a mundane teenager, with ADHD and stepfather issue like many others, faces similar problems. One day, he defensively “vaporized” his monster mathematics teacher, Mrs. Dodds. It marks the beginning of all the craze: Percy is accused by the God of Olympus, Zeus, for stealing a lightning bolt which has devastating power. Dispute among gods is ranging and an imminent war is ahead. Percy has no time to register the fact that his father is the all-powerful God of the Sea, Poseidon, before he has to set off with Annabeth and Grover as a trio to battle all kinds of monsters: Furies, Medusa; enter the intimidating Underworld to confront his uncle, Hades. The boy is standing with his body half-submerged in water, clutching a dazzling bolt in one hand and aiming it somewhere ahead; the night is dark, a huge thunderstorm swirling and threatening to strike- it was the quirky book cover that drew my attention. Who could have predicted an action-packed, innovative fantasy mingled with Greek mythology? Who could have expected the mundane boy in a blue T-shirt to be a powerful half-blood who is capable of manipulating the fate of the world? The book certainly opens the doors to a world of magic and fantasy. Rick Riordan’s vivid description of the supernatural world with creatures, such as stayrs, centaurs, ten-feet- tall gods, and weapons including Riptide- a ball pen which can transform into a lethal sword, flying shoes and Yankees cap that gives wearer invisibility lead readers to the daring imagination and quest with the characters. It is the way that Riordan meticulously sculpts the fantasy world blended into mysterious Greek myth that can be successfully visualized by the readers. Riordan’s writing techniques make the book such a captivating read. Friendship is an important theme in the book. Being a new “half-blood” (half-god, half- human), Percy is bewildered and flustered. He is uncertain of his identity and unfamiliar with the new world. To make things worse, he was assigned a quest that could tear the world apart if it goes wrong. Fortunately, Annabeth and Grover offer him support and assistance. Together, the trio travels widely to uncover the lost lightning bolt and the conspiracy lying beneath. “Unity is strength”. They could not have won over Medusa, a snake-headed demon, and got out of the Underworld, alive, without collaborating with one another. The mutual understanding and precious friendship between them can never be replaced. “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” True friends, like the trio, stands hand in hand in times of difficulties and help each other out. One of the most impressive plots is when Grover, Annabeth and Percy are evacuating the Underworld. Under the unfortunate circumstances, one of them must stay behind. It is touching to see three of them are willing to sacrifice in order to protect the others. Finally, Grover reminds them that it is his position of a “protector” of a half-blood to fulfill the duty. “If life is a stage, everyone has its own role to play”. The book urges readers to bear in mind that in reality, there are only few protagonists, while others play supporting roles. All roles are equally important and interdependent. The relationship between all-powerful Olympus gods and half-bloods is fresh and intriguing. Being rulers of the world, the Olympus gods are bust with the important matters such as power struggle, battling the evil, etc. Consequently, they have little time to spend with their mortal children. On the other hand, half-bloods do not enjoy quiet and peaceful lives. They are forced to learn to fight against monsters and survive parlous missions at a very young age. Some heroes, like Annabeth Chase, are considerate enough to understand their parents’ position and embrace the unchangeable reality. Others, like Luke Crestfallen, work off their resentment and grievances towards the gods by joining the evil force and tearing down Olympus. When in the same condition facing similar problems, different people resort to distinct solutions. Which should be the mature, wise and appropriate resolution? As the old saying goes, “one false step brings everlasting grief”. It is indeed crucial to consider thoroughly before making decisions. The story also guides readers to reflect upon their responsibilities. Percy hasn’t even stolen the lightning bolt but he is liable for finding it in order to prevent the eruption of the war of the gods. No one enjoys precarious quests with numerous near-death experiences, but Percy understands his position and responsibility in making things right. In real life, it is also true that sometimes, we have to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. Being a member of the society, we are granted responsibilities together with rights. We should learn from Percy’s selfless act in contributing to the society. Being an outcast means not being accepted in a community. Percy Jackson can be qualified as an outcast in the Camp Half-Blood. This is mainly due to the fact that his father, Poseidon, made an oath many years ago about not giving birth to mortal children. According to Poseidon, Percy’s existence is a “mistake”. When Percy first arrives at the camp, he is made fun of and not respected. However, people’s attitude towards him is changed after his completion of the quest. This shows that respect is earned and should not be taken for granted. Should we ever feel unaccepted in a society, we should not be discouraged. Time and effort will be able to alter others’ perception towards us. “Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes” is one of Riordan’s quotes in the book. At some point, Percy is dubious about his ability and dwells on his lack of skills and strength in battle. However, Annabeth reminds him to utilize his tactics to win over brute strength. This is how Percy survives his disastrous duel with the War God, Ares. Not only is this moral applicable in war, but also in our daily lives. A thought-out plot allows us to achieve our goals more efficiently and effectively. It allows us to divide up effor t and multiply effects. The book also introduces the idea of the “fatal flaw”. When crafting the personality trait of his characters, Rick Riordan meticulously included one great weakness in each of his heroes. These weaknesses are dangerous weapons that may be taken advantage of by the enemy. These weaknesses can bring about the fall of a hero if not attended to. Percy Jackson’s fatal flaw, as revealed in the later episodes, is exorbitant personal loyalty. He would sacrifice himself or the world to save his loved ones. In Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Percy’s loyalty towards his mother becomes his strength and motivation in his dangerous quest. How would this nobility become a “shortcoming” that hinders him in the future? How would the desire of saving people he cares about raze the world? Never theless, the story leads readers to reflect upon their moral blemishes. Will we be daring enough to admit our weaknesses? Will we be able to avoid making lethal mistakes bring about by our fatal flaw? These questions are certainly worthy of pondering. In Greek mythology, Apollo is the God of Prophecy and Healing. Rick Riordan tactfully included prophecies in his stories. "You shall go west, and face the god who has turned, You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned, You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end." The element of prophecy creates suspense in the story and paves ways for twists and turns. It is entertaining to see how heroes bravely deal with prophecies which foretell doomed fates. In fact, modern technology and science results in the decline in number of people who believe in fortune-telling, augury, omens, etc. Nevertheless, it is difficult for us to image how our ancestors lived in a world of foretold future, which is where superstitious beliefs told many of them about. Some say that knowing the future allows people to prepare themselves, while others panic for things that have not yet happened! So, would you rather live in a world with or without prophecies? Why can’t people turn invisible with a cap? Why should the use of shoes be confined to the ground, but not the sky? Why can’t a ball pen transform into a sword? In my opinion, Rick Riordan is no less than a scientist who is full of novel ideas and is daring enough to experiment with them. Constantly asking why things are always the way they allow him to create, but not dwell on regularities. This is Rick Riordan’s key to success and explains why Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is capable of standing out among its kind as well. Not only is the adventure overwhelmed with unexpectedness, but also inspires readers in a creative way. Thrilling, breathtaking and yet sobering, the book is recommended to all fantasy lovers and devotees. Lee Ka Sen Florence 4P CONTRIBUTORS Stories, Quotes and Essays Chan Oi Yan Michelle 4H Chan Hoi Kiu 6P Lai Wun Chi 5P Lee Ka Sen Florence 4P Lo Wing Fung Abbie 3P Tam Wai Chung 3P Tsui Yuen Ying 2S Art Attack Lam Tze Ching Clarice 5K Tang Hong Ting 5K Editor-in-chief Yu Wei-yi, Winnie Editors Chan Hai Ming, Margaret Chan Hoi Kei Lau Chung Tat Wong Man Wing Anna Poems Chan Sze Wing 1P Chan Ying Chi 3K Cheung Venetia 4S Koh Wing Ching 1S Lam Tin Yan Grace 1S Lee Sze Ngo 1S Mok Yui Hay 1P Ng Cheuk Ying 1P Poon Suen Yee 1P Wong Kelley Suet Yau 1S Wong Nga Lam 1S Header Designer Sze Yik Ying 6S Illustrators Ho Yui Sum Haylie 3P Tam Wai Ka Vanessa 3P