Blog Prompt 4 - My favourite part in Village by the Sea

My favourite part in the story would be the ending. Not surprisingly, this is again a happy ending, not unlike from most stories, if not all.

Firstly, it was Diwali and Hari had come back from Bombay. His mother and sisters missed him a lot, and were certainly glad to have him back. Hari had become more independent and grown-up, and went to Alibagh to fetch his mother, who had recovered from her illness, which brings me to my next point. The mother had suffered a bad case anemia and was extremely severe, but the de Silvas brought her to the hospital, and she was finally cured. She would be able to fulfill her role as a mother then.

Furthermore, the father had given up drinking and turned over a new leaf, when he found out that the mother was in the hospital. He realized his mistake, and the impact of it on his family. I believed he was truly sorry for what he had done. Therefore, he would start performing his duty as a father of four children.

Besides that, the future of the family is bright. Hari’ watch mending skill would bring a steady income for the family, when lots of townspeople came to Thul to work in the factories. Meantime, they could set up a poultry farm, which would be the first and successful too. Hari’s father could also find himself a job. In a nutshell, they did not have to worry about financial difficulties.

Well, the ending is close to perfect, thus it is my favourite part in Village by the Sea. What about you?

Blog Prompt 3 - My favourite character in Village by the Sea

I believe everyone has his or her own favourite character in any book. In Village by the Sea, I encountered difficulties in choosing my most favourite character. In other words, I had no definite favourites in the book. I pondered over this for quite a while, and came up with Mr Panwallah.

Most of the time, the favourite character will be the protagonist, which in this case, is Hari. Nevertheless, I admired Mr Panwallah for many reasons. He is Hari's most significant benefactor. Besides teaching him how to mend watches, he also looked upon him as a close friend. He was the one who suggested Hari to sleep in the park, which made his life a lot easier. His generosity could not be denied. He taught Hari watch mending skills without charging him a cent. When Hari started mending watches, he made customers pay Hari, though the money should be rightfully his. He also bring Hari out on Coconut Day, and buy him things.

Most importantly, it was Mr Panwallah who changed Hari's mindset. "The wheel turns and turns and turns, it never stops and stands still." This made a great impact on Hari. Mr Panwallah told him that change is inevitable, and we should embrace it, instead of evading it. He also suggested to Hari of opening a poultry farm back in Thul, thus making him more confident and assured of his future.

Furthermore, Mr Panwallah had garnered much respect and made a good impression on everyone, particularly his neighbours. This can be seen when he was sick. Everyone was concerned and took turn to care for him.

In conclusion, Mr Panwallah is my favourite character in Village by the Sea. Frankly, he simply had no faults at all, thus could be described as perfect, and I had learned a lot from him. Therefore, he is worthy of the place of my favourite character.

Blog Prompt 2 - I rather be the city rat than the country rat

Being a city rat has its advantages and disadvantages, so does a country rat. Thus, I decided to compare the pros and cons of living in the city and the country.

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City Rat

Firstly, the technology is more progressive. The standard of living is definitely higher compared to the countryside. This is partly because the city is close to all amenities, hence life is more convenient. A city rat has the advantage of having better access to shops, food, internet, etc. Besides that, getting from one place from another is easier, since there are more means of transport. The city rat will have better accommodation too. A city rat will also receive better education, as the level of education is significantly higher, and people will consistently improve because of the competitive community. There are also more jobs opportunities in the city too.

However, pollution is severe in the city. Air pollution, water pollution, sound pollution and land pollution caused by irresponsible acts deteriorate our health. In addition, crimes occurred frequently. People lived in a constant fear of being robbed, kidnapped, etc. Most importantly, city rats lead fast-paced and stressful lives, resulting in many affected by mental illness.

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Country Rat

In contrast, pollution and crimes rarely occurred in the city. People lead a peaceful, relaxed and healthier life. Furthermore, relationships between people are much better. For instance, country rats recognise almost everyone in the village, unlike city rats who are too occupied with their respective responsibilities.

The technology in the country is not so advanced. Life is not so convenient compared to country rats as they have limited access to shops, hospitals, etc. They also face the problem of lack of resources. The education received in the country is not as good as the city. There are also limited jobs available.

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In conclusion, I prefer to be a city rat as being one is more beneficial as compared to a country rat. What about you? Please comment.

Blog Prompt 1 - The book that impacted on my father the most

Recently, I interviewed my father about the book that made an impact on his life the most. According to him, the family condition during his childhood days were bad, thus he could hardly afford any books. However, there was one book which intrigued and affected him a lot -- Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Letcher.

Below is a picture of the book :

In the book, there were two dads. One dad was highly educated and intelligent; he had completed four years of undergraduate work in less than two years. He then went to universities to do his advanced studies on full financial scholarships. Meanwhile, 'my' other dad never finished his eighth grade. Both were successful in their careers, working hard and diligently, and earned substantial incomes.

However, one dad struggled financially all his life and the other dad would become one of the richest men in Hawaii. One died leaving tens of millions of dollars to his family, charities, etc. On the other hand, the other left a legacy of unpaid bills. Both men were strong, charismatic, and influential. Both offered 'me' advice, but they were very different. Both had extremely different perspective on the subject of money. For instance, one would say, "The love of money is the root of all evil," while the other, "The lack of money is the root of all evil."

The book touches on/state that :

• the value of financial intelligence
• corporations spend first before paying taxes, while individuals must pay taxes first
• that corporations are artificial entities that everyone is able to use, but most of the time the poor don't know how

"The poor and middle class work hard for their money. The Rich have their money work hard for them." This is one of my father's favourite quote in the book. Through this book, he realises the importance of money and how to "make money work" for him. Therefore, the book Rich Dad Poor Dad made a great impact in my father's live.

Below are some links which I find relevant to Rich Dad Poor Dad :

• Rich Dad Poor Dad - Wikipedia
• Quotations in Rich Dad Poor Dad - Wikipedia
• Google Search - Rich Dad Poor Dad
• Sharon Lechter - Wikipedia
• Robert Kiyosaki - Wikipedia
• Rich Dad website
• Download Rich Dad Poor Dad!