Last couple days were rainy and cloudy, the temperature went down. I was experiencing the painful first week of NCEA exams. Two more weeks to finish, I think. Although there is still one month to Chrismas, security in Manukau city is bringing locals concern. Within last couple of days, two incidents of murder happened, and one of them was in Botany Town. I wish this Killer Rain would not land on Eastern Auckland, as it used to be one of the safest place in my opinions. But I started to change this attitude when I knew the news about a group of theives broke into houses and used rope to tide 8 hostages at Highland Park a month ago. I also remember the morning when my mother told me that our neighboor's home was been searched and lost some money. Eastern Auckland safe no more. I think it is important to ensure this last piece of unstolen land being under supervised by police, or Manukau city would now have both trouble South and trouble East.

NCEA, the examination system, still becomes the headline before Chrismas as it used to. Personalily I think this system does not provide enough and accurate information to employers. Even if you fail you tests they won't show up in the result sheet. The some generals from NCEA said it was because they cared only the students could do, and not what they couldn't. But as a employer, it is important for them to know both the strenghs and weaknesses of their employees. What that man said was not enough to explain why this happens. On the other hand, some schools' internal assessments were provided to students before they had that tests. For example, Penrose High School's some internal assessments are same with questions those students have been practising. The fact is the external assessments are always surprising some students, especially for the school I said above. I think the person who looks after the exams at the school has huge responsibility for that. As they give wrong messages to students that internal assessments are always easier and better chances to pass (as there is re-assessments as well) than externals. So that's why some schools focus on the rate of achieve in the internal assessments rather focusing of teaching or providing sufficient resources for actual basic knowledge involved in those subjects.

Apart from school, yesterday at Highland Park library I was doing revision for Geography with my friends. We saw groups intermediate "kids" abusing each other at slangs. Some even said something about others' parents. I never think such junior students could produce such smooth phrases of slangs in public place, at least I couldn't when I was that little. Does slang give personality to an individual? This question raised as I always watched television (DON'T LEARN THAT KIDS), and as a second languagers I am amazed on the amount of slangs that being put in those programs. Those slangs of course give some meaning to the characteristics of the one who say it. But when little kids watch that, will they be given a wrong message that slang = special? But slang is special no more as there is too much around. It becomes part of the communication for many people including myself. But I think it is important that we do not use slangs in front of kids, to giving them wrong messages.