Dear diary, today was a really bad day. Firstly, I had to study in school for around five hours. That was not too bad. Then, I had to quickly eat lunch, and then revise my homework. After that 2 hours of torture, I finally could take a break. But the break only lasted ten short minutes. I only had time to eat a packet of biscuits before I had to finish my leftover homework. Sometimes, I feel that my teacher is too strict and gives too much homework, but we can't complain. Unless we want to be sent to the principal. At least I have my "cheerleaders," Percy and Oreo, to cheer me up. That's it for now, and farewell until next time!

Afternoon sunny 31 August 19
Phewww! The sound of airplanes woke me up. It's Merdeka day! "Merdeka" day is our national day, which means we got our independence on that day. Our first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, made the declaration at Merdeka Square. Today marked the 62nd year independent day. We are a multi racial country that formed by three different races. They are Chinese, Malay and Indian. Today I saw all races gathered at Merdeka Square for the celebration. I am happy to be a Malaysian.

Dear Diary,
It was our last day of school. The Standard 5 students were having a gotong-royong in our lovely school overlooking the Shah Alam mosque. Our tasks were to replant the flowers, repaint the walls and rake the lawn. Suddenly, an orange bird landed on top of our teacher, Miss Lien's hat. She was so nervous trying to chase the bird away. Miss Rozita who was standing beside her, tried to help. The teachers and us had a good laugh!

As a Muslim, I have to pray 5 times a day. Sometimes I go to the mosque to pray. The muezzin calls for prayer by reciting azan. Men and women pray separately. A wooden panel separates the women and men. I like being in the mosque. The sound of the Quran makes me relax. The dome is very beautiful. It makes me feel like I'm in a kaleidoscope. Sometimes, beads from the ladies' scarves drop on the carpet. I collect them. It's like a treasure hunt. I love how the beads shine.

"Daddy, you see the birds are very big?" "Yes dear, those birds are called rhinoceros hornbills. They are the state bird of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The hornbills nestle in holes high up in old trees. They are the largest birds in the forest."

Tuesday, August 31, 2010, sunny
Today is Independence Day. My family and I went to Kuala Lumpur to see the celebrations. The Merdeka celebrations were great! The presentations of all races, armed forces, and other groups were executed in perfect synchronization with one another. The most glamorous parts of the celebrations were the fireworks display at night and the video clips of Malaysia's history displayed on the Petronas Twin Towers.

Sunday, July 6, Sunny
After eating dinner, I go out and chat with my family. We always share our fun time. I have a cat and a bird. My cat called Kitty. It's cute and playful. I am very happy because I have a nice and kind family.

4:00 p.m., Saturday, September 2, 2006
I took a karate test today to move up from brown belt level 4 to brown belt level 3. The test was really hard. I was nervous while waiting for my turn, but I worked up my courage and strength. With support from my mother and father, I passed the test.

April 3, 2004
Today is the first anniversary of my grandfather's death. Two days before Qing Ming, ancestors' day, was a Saturday, and my parents had the day off. My father decided that we should all go visit Grandfather's grave. My mother made our lunches. Getting to the cemetery took about 30 minutes. A lot of weeds were growing around the grave. We cleared away the weeds and said our prayers.

I took two visitors from Japan to Bendera Hill. The air was cool, and the wind was strong. The trees were beautiful, and their leaves were falling. The sight was wonderful. The leaves were like falling stars.

Monday, 8 June. Cloudy.
I went to the pasar malam (a local night street market selling mainly food). I saw a Malay lady wearing a batik sarong (a piece of cloth with ethnic printing on it). It had flowers and butterflies painted on it. So I tried to do a batik painting. This is my painting.

On Sunday, my parents took me sightseeing on a sampan (a Malay canoe). I felt scared, but very happy.

<My Best Friend>
My name is Yap Ying Chieh. I have many friends. My best friend is called Mazlina. She is a Malay girl. We first met when we were both studying in SRK Raja Perempuan. Ipoh Perak Malaysia. In class, she is always among the top ten girls in study. We play badminton and table tennis together. It is good to have a friend who shares other's ideas.