Dear Tom,
Hey pal, how’s it going? It’s been nine months since you left Hong Kong. I really miss you so much!
I bet you’re having so much fun in the US. Well, I’ve got to tell you that you’ve missed something awesome in the S4 syllabus! As you know, we’ve to study the Short Stories module in English for the HKDSE. It turns out that it’s much more interesting than I thought!
Well, the first point. As short stories are short, I can practically finish one in several minutes. Unlike novels, I’ve to spend a few weeks to finish one. Although they’re short, the good ones can be abundant and brilliant in both contents and skills.
I’ve learnt a lot of useful skills for short stories writing in the previous lessons. Could you imagine that there are actually so many ways to describe a person, like writing about his appearance, his relationships with others, his behaviour, dialogue of the person and others’…There are tons of them! Now I won’t have to stick to the dull method ─ narrating everything ─ anymore! Don’t you laugh at me. I know my writings have always been ridiculously lousy.
But guess what? That’s not the most exciting thing. Instead, I enjoy reading famous short stories. Meanwhile, I learn from them the most. I remember that you’re a fan of Roald Dahl, and we’ve read one of his short stories, “The Leg of Lamb” a few weeks ago. I must say he’s really a freak. How could he possibly write such a brilliant piece in just a couple of pages?
I’m sure you’ve read this doozy piece. The tense atmosphere is perfectly set, along with the changes of the mood, and the struggles of the woman. I love the ending, which shows how dumb the policemen were. It’s so sarcastic that they EAT the weapon which was used to kill the man themselves! You know they’d never find the weapon! I was so nervous and was willing to know if the woman would be caught. Somehow I felt relieved in the end, just like the woman… Quite creepy, right?
Aside from that, I’m in love with humorous stories. They’re mostly shorter than other kinds of stories, but never fail to make me laugh! The characters are always witty to make fun of others, or just simply being hilarious. No doubt, they give me a better school life while facing mountains of assignments and endless deadlines.
So, how’s your school life in the US? Are there more fun ways to learn English? I hope you don’t have to read Shakespeare, haha! By the way, I’ve picked up Whatsapp recently, feel free to contact me by Whatsapp if you’re using it too! Please write back.
Love,
Katy