My Collection of Creative Writing Pieces

Piece 1

Name: A. Aykan Rajan

Title: The Story Of A Sports Medicine Specialist (not a true story)

Write your story or poem here: 

Doctor Lily Tuffin is one of the most famous sports medicine specialists in the US. I will be telling you her story. It all began 34 years ago…

Lily was like any other schoolgirl. She did all the usual things, ate all the usual food and wore all the usual clothes. However, she stood out from her friends due to one reason: she had no talent. Her friends had some kind of talent and often represented her school in various competitions, Football, Dance, Singing, Drawing- you name it, but poor Lily had not discovered her true talent and did not get to participate in competitions at all!

Lily knew that she had to do something about it but she was at a total loss. Lily’s mother always used to tell her that her talent was buried deep inside her and that she would find it someday. “ When is that someday?’’ young Lily pondered but her mother would always say, “ Just wait and watch. Good things will happen.”

And Lily’s mother was right. That “ someday ‘’ soon arrived. Lily entered a new phase of her life when she attended the try-outs session for enrolment in the Track and Field Club. She was so excited for the tryouts and fervently hoped that she would be able to join the Track and Field Club. She did well during the try-outs by running fast and actively participating in the warmups and cooldowns. She was enthusiastic and so her coach, Coach Paul, told her that she had talent in Track and Field.

Lily was over the moon that she had finally found her innate talent and told her mother and her father the good news with a perpetual smile plastered on her face. Both her parents were happy for her too. Her parents instantaneously enrolled Lily in the Track and Field Club in her school.

Lily was pretty excited as she set off on the running track in her school for her first Track and Field session. She was off to a flying start as she immensely enjoyed herself in this field. She somehow always felt a sense of excitement and joy whenever she ran on any track and even anywhere else. Running just elevated Lily to a whole new level.

However, soon the End Of Year exams were nearing but there were little signs of Lily studying as she was much too immersed in running. Lily’s father scolded her for doing so much running on the track but not keeping track of her studies.

After receiving her father’s scolding, Lily realised the price that she would have to pay if she wanted to work in a white-collar occupation and earn a substantial amount of money, striking the balance between her passion and her duty.

However, she was undeterred despite this new obstacle. She decided to focus on her studies, but she still continued to pursue Track and Field during her free time.

Years flew by. Lily studied well and received a scholarship to study Sports medicine at Harvard University, one of the top universities in the world. Lily was overjoyed and so were her parents and friends. Lily had also been pursuing her passion of running during her free time all these years and decided to study Sports Medicine as she yearned to pursue her sports-related passion in the medical field.

After her graduation with a First Class Honours, Lily continued to pursue running during her free time and went on to work as a Sports Medicine specialist in Mayo Clinic (Minnesota), one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world.

Doctor Lily is admired today by many due to the fact that she lives up to the example of healthy living through running while providing some of the best healthcare services in America in terms of Sports Medicine.

Doctor Lily has also participated in an array of Track and Field competitions in America. Due to all these reasons. Doctor Lily Tuffin is admired by many and continues to be admired by many as a role model in the world of Track and Field and the world of Sports medicine to this very day.

Reflection for Portfolio Piece 1: My English teacher told me that besides a‘’ running’’, track could also come in the context of losing track of time. I thought of “ losing track of studies ‘’ and intertwined the idea with the plot of “ running “, which formed a unique sequel that gave birth to my story. This piece of work focuses on the theme “ Track “. When I received the topic of  “ Track “, I thought of ‘ running ‘ ( Track and Field ) and a runner pursuing her passion.

Piece 2

Title: Aykan’s visit to Chennai

Aykan is an Indian man who lives in Singapore. It has always been his heart’s desire to go back to his roots, to find out where his ancestors came from. However, work and life got in the way and he never had a chance until one day …

One fine evening, Aykan was in his office and it was almost lunchtime. He was only a junior-level employee but he was a guy with big dreams and a big appetite to match. Anyway, it was almost lunch break and he was suffering from the Monday blues like anyone else. He cursorily scanned through his paperwork and headed off to the nearby hawker centre to satisfy his grumbling stomach. 

You see, Aykan was a bit eccentric in the sense that he had a lot of things on his mind and sometimes, he forgets to do the little but crucial things due to the clutter that filled his brain. He had left no paperweight on his paperwork and while he was enjoying his delicious meal, his paperwork was flying everywhere.

After eating a sumptuous bowl of Laksa noodles, Aykan, the goofy guy he was, went to the nearby investment place to play stocks. He was a jolly guy who told jokes to all the investors but importantly he also exposed crafty financial crooks who did under-the-table dealings. 

He came back to his office, whistling while strolling in a relaxed but focused manner as he jovially greeted all his colleagues. Little did he know that he would be in for a bad surprise when he entered his room. When he finally did enter his room, Aykan was taken aback by the unsightly mess of papers strewn all over the floor, and their order messed up. He chided himself for messing up and picked up all the papers one by one and arranged them. 

Just as Aykan was about to sit down and get his important task of the day done, there came the shrill ringing of his handphone, which was totally unwanted at the moment. However, he knew that he had to answer the phone. He did not want to ignore the call, lest it be something important. To his pleasant surprise, the person on the receiving end was one of his relatives in Chennai, India. Aykan was delighted to be speaking to his relative from India and listened attentively for the purpose of the call. 

To his immense joy, Aykan learnt that his beloved niece, Devika, was getting married to a fine businessman in Chennai. The wedding was happening in a week, so Aykan quickly went on leave and took a flight to Chennai to carry out the Hindu religious procedures as the bride’s uncle before and during the wedding. 

Aykan, who had no prior experience in India, was elated. He salivated in anticipation of the rich South Indian food of India as he was onboard the flight. Soon, Aykan reached Chennai Airport. He was astonished by the fascinating murals and sculptures in terminal 4 of the airport. Aykan was famished as he had been standing in the long and snaking queue to collect his luggage for such a long time.

When he was queuing, he had tried to access his company’s private portal on his computer so that he could possibly do officework to occupy himself but unfortunately, the free wifi did not work since he could not log in with an Indian mobile phone number. 

After retrieving his luggage, Aykan exchanged his Singapore Dollars for Indian Rupees since he had had too much clutter in his mind and had forgotten to exchange his money in a Singapore money changer itself. ( He forgot again! )

Finally, when it was time to eat lunch, Aykan decided to eat at a famous speciality South Indian restaurant to try the South Indian food of India. Aykan enjoyed the different food varieties --- Sambar ( lentils), Curry, Yoghurt, Masala ( spice mix ), Pickle, Spicy Chettinad Chicken, papadams and moringa stir fry. The food was a feast for the soul and Aykan felt like a million dollars.

After Aykan had finished his meal, he saw two familiar faces in the crowd of people at the airport. He recognised them as Devika and Murugan, Devika’s father. He immediately waved and walked up to them before he exchanged hugs with his newfound relatives. They rejoiced and were over the moon to see each other.

Soon it was time for Aykan to begin his religious duties for the wedding. For this, Aykan, Devika and Murugan travelled to Murugan’s house through an Indian auto rickshaw. The ride was fun. Aykan reached the house and completed all the pre-wedding duties dutifully.

Soon, it was time for dinner and Aykan, Devika and Murugan ate at a nearby vegetarian food shop where the trio ate Thosai, Idli and Appam. Aykan ate Thosai, Murugan ate Idli and Devika ate Appam.

Murugan had made arrangements for Aykan to stay in his house and so Aykan spent his first night in Chennai at Murugan’s house.

The next morning, Aykan was awoken by the loud cock-a-doodle-doo of Murugan’s neighbour’s rooster. The wedding was in the evening and so Aykan had time to do some exploration before the wedding. After a quick breakfast of tasty Idiyappam, Aykan left for Mylapore, the birthplace of Thiruvalluvar, Tamil's most acclaimed poet and philosopher. Aykan decided to visit the famous Kapaleeshwarar Temple as he had heard of its fascinating architecture.

Aykan enjoyed a 17 min Metro ride to the Metro station beside Kapaleeshwarar temple through the Southern Railway Line. The Chennai Metro reminded Aykan of the MRT in Singapore.

Before entering the temple, Aykan had to take off his shoes outside the temple gate. He also had to wash his legs at the entrance of the temple. Aykan was fascinated by the breathtaking architecture and colourful depictions of Hindu gods. He also witnessed the interesting rituals and decorations---- since it was only a week to Pongal ( the Tamil harvest festival ). Soon, it was time for Aykan to go as he had to keep to his tight schedule. Aykan quickly said his own silent prayers and left the temple.

After having left Mylapore, Aykan realised that he had been in Central Chennai and

left for South Chennai to reach the lush T. Nagar shopping district through a 27 min Metro ride in the Southern Railway and Suburban Lines.

Aykan enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the area. He thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and decided to purchase a worthy souvenir to commemorate his wonderful trip. Aykan decided to buy an expensive clay idol of Ganesha, the Hindu elephant god.

Aykan loved the statue immensely and bought it as Ganesha was his favourite of the Hindu gods. He then had a great lunch at a famous Indian restaurant selling all kinds of foods and he had a feast yet again.

Soon, it was time for the wedding. Aykan sat by Devika as the procedures commenced during the hour-long ceremony which went smoothly.

Soon, Aykan was called by his boss after the wedding, who told him to come to Singapore as soon as possible as something urgent had turned up. Aykan packed up all his things, rushed to Chennai Airport and took the earliest possible flight after saying a sad and rushed goodbye to his relatives. He really enjoyed his time in Chennai.

Reflection:  The inspiration for this story came when I was told that I could write about my culture. I am passionate about anthropology and I wrote in Aykan’s shoes since I have never been to India before. This story was based on my imagination and knowledge of India.

Piece 3

Title: Parrots in the Amazon

I was a parrot from the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. I was a pet who was born in Australia and raised in a pet shop. I had never seen the outside world until I was bought one day. My owner is a lovely, young girl who takes very good care of all my needs and I love her very much. 

However, I had always felt a pull towards the wild and I could not help but long for a chance to be out.  I always felt the wonderful breeze, the leaves rustling and the serenity of the lush greenery and colourful flowers around me but I did not have a chance to be out in the wild to experience these sights in its full measure. Sometimes, I can also hear the chirping of birds and crickets, the soft sounds of sea waves gently touching the coastline and washing over the rocks. 

My opportunity to escape came in the form of Skipper and Dave.

Skipper and Dave were parrots captured from the Amazon rainforest who brought me a new influence— an influence that amplified the call of the wild in my heart. Skipper and Dave told me about the wild and how it gave rise to freedom, rather than being locked up in a cage.

A month after Skipper and Dave had arrived in my owner’s house, I was completely for the idea of leaving my owner, to fly to Tijuca Forest, Brazil with my newfound friends. 

I waited for the opportune moment to escape with Skipper and Dave. Then, it came, after a long wait of anticipation. The day to escape. My owner had irresponsibly left Skipper’s cage unlocked. Skipper flung out of the cage without effort and unlocked the locks of our cages using his wings. 

Skipper and Dave told me that I would be brought to Tijuca Forest, a tropical, vibrant, mellow and sprawling rainforest near the city of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Tijuca Forest

is the birthplace of Skipper and Dave. After a week of extensive flying over the Pacific Ocean, I finally reached Tijuca Forest with Skipper and Dave.

‘“This is a new phase of my life”, I thought as I glanced around my new home in anticipation of the future that was laid ahead of me. 

Skipper and Dave enrolled me in the Rainforest Skills Training Programme for Adults, where I learned all sorts of skills of rainforest survival— from eating to dodging attacks and catching prey. 

I soon grew to enjoy life in the rainforest but deep in my heart, I reminisced about the times I spent with my owner. We watched television together, she fed me lovingly and most importantly she took care of me well and brought me to the vet when I was sick.

I cried for several days. My sorrow soon turned to melancholy but yet in my heart, thoughts of freedom engulfed me.

I decided that I would stay. It was the heartbreaking decision that I had made but now, there was nothing I could do about it. 

Reflection: I received the inspiration for this piece after I watched this video clip Opening Scene Song "Real in Rio" - RIO (1080p). That was  how I got the idea of having the Amazon Rainforest as one of my main settings. The idea of speaking from an Australian Great Sandy Desert parrot’s perspective came from one of my journal entries, “ If I were an animal, I would be…’’. I was inspired by the story of Blu, the protagonist in Rio but somehow, I cannot help but imagine what it would be like to fly like a bird, exploring every nook and cranny of the world. 

Piece 4

Title: My World Through My American Friend’s Eyes

Dear Diary, 

In this age of digital technology, most people correspond by email or texts but I believe in the soothing power of letters and so, I got myself a penpal. His name is Tommy Brown and he lives on the opposite side of the globe, in the windy city of Chicago. We met through a chat channel on the multi-player game, “Dungeons and Dragons” and hit it off right away. 

I guess the reason why we could connect so well was because of our love for the written word. We both loved reading and letter-writing and it was not long before we exchanged our first letters. We had been writing to each other for about six months when he told me he was going to come visit me in Singapore.  I was dumbstruck and could not believe that I was finally going to meet my penpal.

Tommy arrived in Singapore on 8 June and he stayed with his aunt and uncle in Serangoon. While he spent his nights with his relatives, he spent most days with me and I think it is safe to say that we had the time of our lives! 

The first thing that Tommy was eager to explore was food. My parents did not have to accompany us since I was old enough and I was only going to a place near my house. Tommy had heard that Singapore is famous for the variety of food and he was eager to experiment.  I brought Tommy to the coffee shop near my place in Jurong West for breakfast.  The fried rice and roti prata there is to die for. I have had my fair share of roti pratas but none can compare to the one in that Jurong West coffee shop. 

When I think back about the smile on Tommy’s face when he ate his first piece of crispy prata dipped in thick curry, I cannot help but feel happy for him to have such a nice experience. What was not good though was that after that, Tommy said that he wanted me to sit with him and eat roti prata and chicken curry with him every day that he would be in Singapore.

Before we left the coffee shop, Tommy and I had a good look at the live crabs and frogs that were kept in tanks. I explained to Tommy that 

Frog legs are a popular in Chinese cuisine

and that these frogs were domesticated to be cooked in the Chinese fried rice stall nearby, which also offered frog legs in their menu. I told him that the crabs were also cooked in the coffeeshop and were domesticated in one of the tanks as a result. Tommy was squeamish at the sight of the frogs.

Next, it was time for Tommy and I to go to the Singapore Discovery Centre. For this, we had to embark on a 39 minute journey with my mom, since my dad was at work.

“Where are we going?”Tommy asked me excitedly. “ Singapore Discovery Centre”, I answered in a matter-of-factly tone. “Will I discover something new?’, he asked me inquisitively, with the most innocent look such that I couldn’t shut him off. I sighed to myself. “ Well, you’ll see”, was all I told poor Tommy, who suffered in doubt for the next 37 min of the journey.

In another 20 min, we reached Pioneer MRT Station. “ What’s this place?’’ Tommy asked inquisitively, yet again, with his classic look. Is it a subway station”, Tommy asked, trailing on in his curious tone. 

“ Pretty much it is like a subway station, I guess”, I answered nonchalantly.

We took a 2 min ride to Joo Koon MRT Station, which both Tommy and I enjoyed thoroughly. Tommy particularly enjoyed the train’s travelling speed. 

“Next, we are going to embark on a 15 min walk to reach our destination”, I droned happily, waiting in anticipation for Tommy’s distressed reaction.

Then it came.

“Huh? I thought we'd already reached our destination!”, Tommy whined.

“Nope. I never said that we would be immediately reaching our destination”, I said, happy that Tommy was now restrained in terms of his rattling on. 

In little time, we reached our destination, the Singapore Discovery Centre.

Tommy was elated to have finally reached his destination, after 39 mins of endless journeying that passed as slow as a tortoise.

I informed Tommy, without droning, that we would be rowing in the beautiful lake outside the main building (Black Lake), playing at the gaming arcade-like facility in the main building and taking a bus ride into the SAFTI military facility. 

Tommy was over the moon and somehow knew that these 3 experiences would be the highlight of his trip to Singapore, of course, including the crispy roti prata with chicken curry at the Jurong West coffeeshop.

First, Tommy, my mum and I went rowing in the Black lake. We had fun and we took in the serene surroundings and foliage as we happily rowed.Tommy said that rowing in the Black Lake reminded him of rowing in the Chicago River around Goose Island. He shared that he would sometimes row to Goose Island in his family canoe and dismount on Goose Island to see the fascinating gaggles of geese living on the island. 

Second, it was time to go to the gaming arcade-like facility. 

There, Tommy and I played all sorts of games under my mum’s supervision. 

The game that we enjoyed most though, was the game that we played in the Situation Room, which involves the two exciting elements of Battle and Emergency management. We both felt adventurous and got that chills-going-down-our-spine feeling.

Lastly, it was time for us to take the bus ride into the military camp. 

Tommy and I were very excited about it.

The registration, which my mother did, went smoothly.

We boarded the bus and while waiting for the bus to start, Tommy and I chatted animatedly. Everyone in the bus heard Tommy’s American accent.

Some people shouted, just as the bus was about to start, “ Hey! You American traitor! How dare you enter a foreign military camp to spy on our country! Get out of the bus before I report you to the police! “.

Embarrassed, Tommy and I fled the bus with our mom. Red cheeks were plastered on all 3 of our faces. 

I was so shocked by my fellow Singaporeans’ hostility and xenophobic attitude towards Tommy just because of his nationality. I felt that they had been so mean to him and apologised to him for the rude behaviour and  of the bus passengers. 

Tommy was crestfallen that he had been accused of being a traitor in a foreign land. He had not been expecting such an experience with Singaporeans other than me.

I tried to make it up to Tommy by bringing him to other attractions in Singapore and Tommy was happy but yet, the incident was etched in his mind and he would grow to remember it for the rest of his life as a sequel.

A few days after the trip to Singapore Discovery Centre, it was time for Tommy to leave Singapore and my mom dropped him off at the airport, where he met his American parents.

At the airport, Tommy told me that he had had an enjoyable and unique experience in Singapore. He also said that eating at and visiting the Jurong coffeeshop was the first main highlight in his trip and that his second highlight was rowing in the Black Lake and playing in the Situation Room.

Just like how Tommy had thoroughly enjoyed himself in Singapore, I hoped that I would be able to visit Chicago one day with Tommy and < chuckles> hopefully visit Goose Island.

Reflection: I received the inspiration for this piece because I wanted to write about Singapore. The part in my story about the Singapore Discovery Centre was inspired by my journal entry,” My Favourite Places”, in which I wrote about the Singapore Discovery Centre.