First in Tunisia and Now in Egypt. (Understanding why they are protesting)

Salam,

I have read from the newspapers, watch the new on tv, read from the other blogs and also find out more information from Al-Jazeera about what's happening in Egypt now. While most Malaysian bloggers wrote about the appeal and the hope that all Malaysians are going to be safe during this dangerous time, I want to share something that some of us might not realize why they have no other means of expressing their anger and frustration. I'm also concern about the safety of those who are residing in Egypt now and I pray that they'll be okay.

When there are high unemployment, soaring food price and politic repression, will you do something about it? If there's one person who control everything in the country for so.....long and somehow don't really try to help his people to have a comfortable life, will you be angry? Now, let's see the deadly demonstrations in photos:

source: http://english.aljazeera.net

As for me, I won't judge their actions now if we don't understand the causes to their actions. From what I've read (Al-Jazeera is a more trustful news source compared to C**), I reckon they have no other choice but to do the series of demonstrations to end the autocratic government under the president Hosni Mubarak. I suggest if you also want to know more, read THIS and THIS before you decide your stand on this issue.

EU labeled their actions as "extremism" but when they can only understand what is happening if they are in these people's shoes. This is what Italian foreign minister said:

"I am sure Egyptians will be in a position to choose democracy and civil rights, not extremism, not radicalism," (Franco Frattini) (Source: HERE)

Now, I would like to know what's your opinion or your stand about this issue? What do you reckon the best way for them to voice out their anger and frustrations?

Cold & Cough Medications are not suitable for the kids under 6?

Salam,

Is is normal for your kids to be down with cold, flu or fever at least once a month? Do they have to stay in their kindy and then nursery during the weekdays? Do you always worry about their condition when they are down with flu, cold or cough? How many of you realize that it's better not to give any cold, cough or flu medications for children under 6 years old?

I know I just asked too many questions. But today I want to share what I just found out. Well......maybe some of you already know about this. Health Canada is warning parents not to give the over-the-counter cough and cold medicine to kids under the age of 6. Here are the excerpt from the article that I read:


"Cough and cold medicines offer only temporary relief of symptoms such as runny nose, cough, or nasal congestion," says the release. "Symptoms can also be managed using a variety of non-medicinal measures such as adequate rest, increased fluid intake and a comfortable environment with adequate humidity." 

(to read more, click on HERE)


Both my daughters (age 3 years 7 months and 6) are frequently down with cold, cough or flu. These sickness which come from viruses, are hard to be cured as viruses are getting so advance and keep changing. They are still in the stage where they need to build up their immune system. In a simple way of explanation, this condition is like a house that as been equipped with the-state-of-art security system but still any clever or more advance robbers can always find their way to break in the house.

So, what I normally do:

• to take 2 teaspoons of  honey, squeeze some lemons in a warm water and give them the drink. 
• apply VICKS Vaporub on their chests and backs. 
• give them plenty of fluid (can be water, warm milk or any drink they prefer)
• switch off the fan when they go to bed at night.
• avoid from giving any cold drinks or ice cream until they are better.

Do you have any other natural remedies or ways of reducing cough, flu or cold? I would love to hear from you too!

Interlok: Why make a big fuss over a creative piece of writing?

Salam,

I have been closely following the news and the controversy about the novel "Interlok" by National Laureate Abdullah Hussein. This book has been suggested to be used by Form Five students starting from this year. Today this is the excerpt from the news that I read from The New Straits Times:

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin gave his assurance that the amendments to the novel Interlok would be completed before it is scheduled to be used in the Form Five syllabus in March. Muhyiddin, who is education minister, said the line-up for the independent panel would be announced soon and would comprise representatives from various literary organisations, including those from the Indian community and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

Read more: 'We'll make changes to novel first' http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/09telok/Article#ixzz1CRUpkDwm

Then, I went to find more information from MI (Malaysian Insiders). I found this:

‘Interlok’ novel not racist, says scholar

January 10, 2011

BESUT, Jan 10 — The portrayal of the caste system in the novel “Interlok” by national laureate Abdullah Hussein reflects the social reality during the period depicted in the novel, and not a form of insult to any community, an academician said today.
Prof Dr Awang Sariyan, the Malay studies chair at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, said the National Laureate had based his work on the social reality of the era depicted in the novel.
“The novel reflects the social reality at that time and it tells the stories of migrations of workers, including from India,” he told Bernama via email.
Awang Sariyan was asked to comment on the controversy surrounding the novel which was made the literature textbook for Form Five studies starting this year.
Several groups claimed that the novel contains elements deemed offensive to the Indian community.
He called for a rational discourse when discussing the text, saying making it a political issue would complicate matters.
Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur, Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Nik Hassan Shuhaimi Nik Abdul Rahman, the deputy director of University Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation urged politicians and academicians to sit together and discuss the content of novel to dispel any negative perceptions towards it. — Bernama

My reaction to this:

I have never read this novel yet though it has been written almost 40 years ago! But the controversy has intrigued me to try and get my hand on this novel and read it to find out. As I love literature so much, it's good to read this kind of novel because it depicted the true historical background and social reality. Thus, using this book as the textbook for SPM is not wrong because the issue is purely political. Any work of literature can be viewed positively or negatively based on our own interpretation. The author just shared his own view but the rest is up to the readers. I bet those who are opposing and claimed this novel has racism element haven't really read this novel. Why don't we just study and really look at this novel objectively instead of reading the bit and pieces.

Dan jawapannya teka teki loyar buruk (Malay entry again)

Salam,

Lewat mlm smlm saya ada buat satu entri pasal teka teki loyar buruk. Ada beberapa soalan yg diberikan. Ada yg cuba jawab tak? Nak tahu jawapan sebenar? Tapi kalau dah tahu jawapan nanti jangan pulak cakap jawapan2 tu tak logik sbb mmg tak ikut logik pun. Sebab itulah saya panggil "Teka Teki Loyar Buruk" :P

Jawapan-jawapannya ialah (*dgn iringan bunyi drum untuk muzik berdebar2*)

1-  Makan apa yang buat kita tak kenyang?

 
     Makan apa lagi kalau bukan "Makan Angin". hehe


2- Mangkuk apa yg bodoh?


     Jawapannya bukan mangkuk kaca, mangkuk tingkat, mangkuk tandas tetapi..............    "Mangkuk Ayun".





3- Kaki apa yang tak boleh digunakan untuk berjalan?


    Kaki lembu, kaki ayam semua boleh digunakan untuk berjalan kan. Ni ada satu kaki istimewa ye......."Kaki Bangku".



4- Muka apa yang keras macam batu?



    Mungkin soalan ni senang sikit kot. Kalau ada yg teka "Muka Tembok" maknanya anda bijak2.

Akhir sekali................................................................................................................................................

5- Lidah apa yang tajam dan bergigi?

    Bukan lidah manusia atau lidah binatang tetapi lidah dari pokok. HAa........DAh tahu?
    Kalau ada yg teka daun"Lidah Buaya", maka jawapan itu memang tepat. 10 markah untuk
    ANDA!

Teka Teki Loyar Buruk (Malay entry)

Salam,

Hari ini ada beberapa teka teki yg hendak sy kongsikan di sini untuk menghilangkan tekanan perasaan selepas pent bekerja tak kirala kerja di pejabat atau pun rumah. Saya dapat teka teki ni dari kawan2 di tempat kerja yg bila waktu rehat kami, mcm2 cerita lawak atau teka-teki loyar buruk yg keluar.

1-  Makan apa yang buat kita tak kenyang?

2- Mangkuk apa yg bodoh?

3- Kaki apa yang tak boleh digunakan untuk berjalan?

4- Muka apa yang keras macam batu?

5- Lidah apa yang tajam dan bergigi?

Cubalah teka jawapan2 pada soalan2 tadi. Mintak mahapla sbb tak de hadiah untuk setiap tekaan yg betul. Ni untuk suka2 je. Kalau anda tahu dan bijaksana, sudi-sudikanla jawab yea..........

Esok saya bagi jawapan2nya. Nanti saya tekan "Auto publish" untuk entri jawapan2 teka teki loyar buruk ni.

Fighting that leads to killing is on the rise?

Salam,

I reckon most of you have realized that nowadays when you open a newspaper or read the online newspaper, there'll be one or two stories about a homicide case. Recently, it's the murder of three teenagers in Paya Menkuang, Malacca. To read the latest story, click HERE. There were other cases as well that have shocked and terrified us.

The terrifying pattern here is if you are having a dispute over something, the easiest way to solve is by killing each other. SERIOUSLY! I'm one of the people who feel threatened with this phenomenon. Is discussing over a dispute something in the past? Why couldn't they think before they did it? What's happening now?

I feel that Malaysia is not really a safe country anymore. We need t be careful 24-7 even in our own HOUSE! The morale is dwindling and I myself is worried about the safety of my daughters. WHAT DO YOU RECKON? ANY COMMENTS ON THIS?

Do you *&%^$#@* when you are angry? What is your cursing language?

Salam,

People are getting so stressful nowadays because of so many factors. The stresses at work plus the stresses at home will get accumulated if we don't try to reduce or get rid of all of those stresses. Are you one of those people who get stressed up easily? Do you normally curse (*&%^$#*) when you are at your wits end?

Today, I'm interested to know about your cursing language especially those who have small children. Do you try to replace the words with other words like, instead of "Shit" you say "Shoot"? Or instead of saying "What the f***", you say "What the fruit". There was one time, I heard somebody said "Oh Motherboard" for well.....I think you know what,(Motherf*****).

All right....Now ladies and gentlemen......it's your time to share about your cursing language.

P/S: I know it's not good to curse but sometimes I can't help it after the long day at work. Huhu

Don't play, play?- The more suitable sentences(Use English Correctly Series)

Salam,

At 6 p.m., I shared some sentences that I came across from my daughters' sand art plastic wrap. The sentences were the instructions on how to do the sand art.

Here were the sentences:
MAKING METHOD:
1- PICK UP THE PART WHEN YOU WANT TO PAINTING.
2- SPRINKLING COLOR SAND ON THE PART.
3- SPRINKLING DEEP COLOR SAND FIRST, THEN THE SHALLOW COLOR SAND.


And here are the more suitable sentences:
Making method:
1- Tear up the part when you want to paint.
2- Sprinkle the specific color sand on the specific part.
3- Sprinkle the dark color sand first, then the light color sand.

Note:
Pick up- only suitable to use to lift up, improve, find, call for socially or arrest for crime.
Deep color? & Shallow color? - Deep and shallow are definitely not for colors but more for depth of water. 


Thanks to Yan and Idayu who tried to give me the correct sentences. Maybe next time we'll try with other sentences or you can even provide the sentences that you have come across somewhere.

Don't play, play?- How to correct these sentences? (Use English Correctly Series)

Salam,

Have you ever come across weird sentences or even funny sentences on any signboard, manuals, newspapers or magazines? Do you normally try to correct the sentences or words? I myself just can't help myself not to as I was trained to spot any mistakes or errors because as an English teacher, I need the skill to help me teaching my students.

So, I'm launching (yup- without any ribbons or formal ceremony-hehe) a series of "Use English Correctly" as part of compulsory entries every month. This idea came after I realized that teaching how to use correct English can be my niche in this blog.

To kick off this series, I want to share some sentences that I have found on my daughters' sand art plastic wrap. These instructions are written on top of the wrap to assist the kids on how to do the sand art. I'm going to share the sentences here and for those who happen to  read this entry, you are encourage to try to correct them. HOWEVER.......there's no prize what-so-ever for those who manage to give the correct answers. This is just a kind of free English tutorial for you. *wink*wink.


MAKING METHOD:
1- PICK UP THE PART WHEN YOU WANT TO PAINTING.
2- SPRINKLING COLOR SAND ON THE PART.
3- SPRINKLING DEEP COLOR SAND FIRST, THEN THE SHALLOW COLOR SAND.

So, what do you think? Can you tell me how to correct these sentences? Are you able to comprehend the sentences at the first glance?

The beauty of online contests & giveways.

Salam,

    I started to join online contests and giveaways after my sister, Yatie Chomeyl (ye selalu bg glamer nama dia kat sini. hehe) gave a lot encouragement and even helped me with the coding because I didn't really know how to put up the banner of contests and giveaways and then link them to the specific entry in the blogs. I've won some prizes and gained a lot of friends throughout the process. Some of the blogger friends are those who always visit my blog too. (You know who you are*wink*wink*).

Now, "My hardworking child/children contest" is still on until 10th Jan. 2011. I myself just realized some of the participants are also the organizers of the giveaways and contests that I've joined too like Mama Amana & Arief's giveaway "Kids and Kindergarden by Siapa Saya?Sayalah and Nad's giveaway "Aku rindu sayang kamu Giveaway".

That has made me think of the beauty of having the contests and giveaways even though I realize some bloggers have discussed this issue before. I just want to share my point of view regarding this too.

The beauty of online contests and giveaways:
1- It's totally free except that you must pay your internet bill every month.
2- If you are the organizer, it's the best chance to get to know other bloggers that you never heard before.
3- It makes you thinking on how to construct a more creative entry to stand out from others.
4- If you win, you'll get nice prizes for you or for your kid.
5- You can be the organizer and at the same time you are also one of the participants in other people's contests or giveaways. (like what I've told you just now.hehe)
6- It's also will force you on finding the time to enter as many contests and giveaways as possible to have a greater chance of winning. That's why I chose the name Crazy abt contests for my contest and giveway blog..

Now, what say you? Care to enlighten me with your view on this?

I thought I heard firecrackers BUT I was so wrong when............

Salam,

12.00 p.m.(last night) - My daughters and I were sleeping soundlessly (well, almost.. when Fathini and Hafizah snored for a while) when suddenly the air conditioner turned off on its own. At first I thought it was the timer but then I heard like small explosions of firecrackers from one of the neighbour's houses. So, I woke up and got up from the bed to investigate further. What I saw was some small explosions from one of the electrical pole outside of our neighbour's house. Basically it was an electrical short circuit problem that caused explosions and then flames in front of the house (about 4 houses away from our house). My parents-in-law went to the scene to check out and so were the other people from the other houses. Luckily, two police patrol cars and also a fire engine truck arrived shortly to the scene and about 1 hour later, the electricity supply was back to normal. I couldn't really sleep last night because I was thinking about the worst case scenario. My PIL were quite calm and when they came back from the scene, they said, "Everything is under control". 

 Photo source: GOOGLE

HAVE ANY OF YOU EXPERIENCED THIS? WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID IT START? WHAT DID YOU DO?

I found this information from this SITE that might be useful if any of us experience the electrical short circuit.

Here's how to check where the problem lies:

• Turn off all light fixtures on the circuit.
• Unplug everything from the outlets.
• Go the the electrical service panel and reset the breaker.
• If it trips again immediately,the short lies in the house wiring (outlets or switches).
• If the breaker does not trip, proceed back to the area and turn on each light fixture not plugged into the wall (i.e., fixed lighting).
• If the breaker still has not tripped, the short circuit lies in something you are plugging into the outlet.
• Systematically plug each item into the outlet until you find the faulty appliance or lamp and then have it repaired.

Perempuan suka berkain batik makin pupus? Iye ke? (BM entry)

Salam,

Alamak tajuk bukan main lagi. hehehe. Ni sebenarnya pendapat saya sendiri berdasarkan pemerhatian semasa. Bukannya saya ada buat kajian terperinci pasal hal ni. Kalau saya sambung pengajian ke peringkat Master dlm Pengajian Kebudayaan Melayu (eh ada ke MA ni?), mungkin ini satu topik yg agak menarik untuk dikaji. Yelah, kalaula di tahun 50-an dulu, perempuan2 Melayu (bukan terakhir :P) suka berkain batik dan berkebaya pendek. Malah pada masa itu, ia merupakan satu fesyen terkini sia dengan rambut tinggi macam sarang tebuan. Menurut arwah nenek saya, kalau dah pakai macam tu, cukup punya seksa nak berjalan sbb kena terkepit2 untuk nampak ayu. huhu. Malangnya saya tak dapat mewarisi baju2 kebaya dan kani batik sarung nenek kerana arwah tak suka anak2 & cucu2 berpakaian sebegitu. Menurut arwah itu pakaian di zaman jahiliah.

Jadinya sekarang ni, apa yg masih kekal ialah imej berkain batik di rumah. Cuma saya taklah pakai dengan baju kurung Kedah. Saya pakai kain batik dengan t-shirt. Ada yg tak pandai nak ikat kain batik ke ni? Saya bukannya pakar tapi masih bolehla pakai di depan mak mertua. hehe. Sebenarnya teori di atas tu saya buat kerana generasi yg muda sekarang tak ramai yg masih mahu dan pandai berkain batik di rumah. Mereka lebih selesa memakai t-shirt dan seluar. Sayang rasanya kalau tradisi memakai kain batik di rumah ni hilang sebab ini adalah salah satu identiti bangsa Melayu. Ada yg pakai sewaktu berpantang saja. Ada yg tak pernah lansung cuba pakai.

Sewaktu hendak bersalin anak kedua saya (Hafizah), saya memakai kain batik sewaktu hendak ke hospital biar pun pada masa itu musim sejuk (Winter) di Hamilton, New Zealand. Memang tak tahan sejuk tapi saya fikir saya memang lebih selesa ada kain batik dan doktor, bidan dan jururawat di sana pun memang hairan melihat saya memakai kain batik. Memang mencatatkan sejarah betul di Waikato Hospital bila saya bersalin dengan memakai kain batik! hehe.

Saya rasa saya nak ajar anak2 dara saya nanti memakai kain batik sbb ini memang salah satu budaya Melayu yg cantik. Kalau tidak, hampir setiap hari kita memakai pakaian seperti orang2 barat. Apa salahnya kita kekalkan budaya2 kita yg indah dna cantik ni. Betul tak?

Choosing and buying the presents for "My Hardworking Child/Children Contest".

Salam,

My daughters and I are going out later this afternoon to choose and buy 3 special presents for 3future winners for my contest which is still going on now. If any of you haven't join yet, this is the time to choose the best photo of your hardworking child/children/nephew/niece/cousin/younger brother/sister. Fathini will help me to choose the presents and hopefully the mummies and of course the children will like them.

FB management people are selling information about us to other companies?

Salam,

I received an e-mail from my hubby warning me about what is wrong with FB these days. It started of by being a usual social networking site. Then, after it become so famous, they have done a lot of changes and amendments to the site. The latest announcement that this site will be close by March this year has stirred up a lot of reactions among the FB fans. I'm not really a huge fan anymore. (yup- used to be a huge fan in the beginning especially after being able to contact most of my x-course mates & school mates)However, after looking at and I myself have experienced some negative experiences using FB, I'm considering my hubby's suggestion to deactivate my FB account. I can't really give support or any assurance about my hubby's claim but if any of you who are reading this entry care enough to enlighten us about this issue, you are most welcome to.

RM100 for your groceries is not enough!

Salam,

How much do you spend to buy groceries every week? How about every month?  Lately, I notice that after the prices of many important things hike up, RM100 per week is not enough even after you follow your shopping list. I've tried to stick to my shopping list every time I go out to a supermarket. However, with every thing is not getting so cheap, we somehow have to adjust to cut down on some unnecessary things. I admit that sometimes we tend to buy things that we don't really need like some unhealthy snacks. Doing the budget now is not easy because we need to readjust and reconsider our priorities. At the end, if we don't try to readjust, we will end up spending more than we should. huhu.

So, my questions today:
How much do you normally spend for groceries every week?
How do readjust your budget?
Is there any other ideas on how to cut on certain expenses?

Please Take a Bath & Don't Come Near Me, PLEASE!

Salam,

I've been teaching for about 7 years now. During my first class of the semester or session, I love to tell my students about the university or now the school's rules. I also tell them my own rules. The rules are the basic things like:
* Don't talk at the back when I'm teaching.
*Use only English in the classroom even when they need to speak to their friends.
*Only person talking at a time.
*Ask questions when they don't understand.

Apart from those rules, I actually have 2 additional rules which are not related to the school's rules. These unwritten rules have existed due to the fact that I have a sensitive nose especially after the age of 30. SERIOUSLY! Since I'm teaching students that come from different countries all around Asia and Africa, not all of them are aware or maybe they are just so lazy to take care of their hygiene. Some of them who come from the 4 seasons countries, are not so used to Malaysia's weather of hot and humid. So, some of them go to class without taking a bath in the morning and some even wear the same clothes almost everyday.

Thus, my unwritten rules now that I made sure to tell my students are:
1- Please take a bath in the morning.
2- Please don't come near me to ask questions unless you have taken a bath or spray some perfumes on your body.
3- Please don't come near me also after you just finished smoking because I hate the after smell.
4- Please invest your money in buying some clothes.

I KNOW SOME MIGHT THINK THAT I'M TOO MUCH BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO IMAGINE YOURSELF TEACHING THEM FOR 2 HOURS AND I HAVE TO ENDURE THE "NICE" SMELL OR BODY ODOR. HEADACHE IS THE LAST THING THAT I NEED TO GET THROUGH MY DAY AT WORK. HAVE YOU COME ACROSS OR EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO JUST REFUSE TO TAKE A BATH WHEN THEY ARE STAYING HERE IN MALAYSIA?

Ben Ashaari! Masihkah kau ingat?? (BM entry)

Salam,

LINK SINI

Saya mula kenal Enc. Ben ni dari beberapa blog lain. Dia memang rajin sbb selalu je blog dia ada entri baru. Saya ada juga buat entry 500 blog baru-baru ini tapi lps tu  tak sempat nak jawab soalan2 kuiz dia. Kali ni nak cuba dgn segmen ni sbb mcm menarik.

Macammana nak mula ye? Hmmmmmm................................................................................................................(panjang tul hmmm ni)

Saya mula menulis blog semasa saya berada di Hamilton, New Zealand pada bulan April 2009. Sebelum tu dah lama dah adik saya Yatie Chomeyl yg skrg berada di Fukuoka, Jepun menyuruh saya menulis di dalam blog. Saya selalu mengadu padanya yg saya kesunyian bila berada di sana selama 3 1/2 tahun dan juga bila dah habis buat kerja rumah dan anak2 tidur, saya tak tahu nak buat apa. Yelah, saya seorang ibu yg bekerjaya tiba2 je terpaksa menjadi surirumah kerana mengikut suami yg menyambung pelajaran (phd), mmg saya jadi tak keruan pada tahun pertama -2007.

Mac 2007-April 2009: saya masih sibuk dgn baby baru dan saya menyibukkan diri dgn menjadi ahli di sebuah tempat yg dipanggil "playcentre". jd masa saya dihabiskan dgn membawa anak2 ke tempat tu utk bersosial dgn org2 tempatan. 

April 2009 hinggaa skrg: Saya menjinakkan diri dlm dunia blogging. Sblm tu selalu terdengar dan baca pasal blogging ni. Anak2 murid masa di Kampus Kejuruteraan USM selalu juga bercerita pasal ni. Entri pertama mmg tak tahu nak tulis pasal apa. Kebetulan masa tu musim luruh, jd saya tulis pasal tu menggunakan tajuk "Autumn". Kebanyakan entri saya mmg berbahasa inggeris kerana saya seorang guru BHS INGGERIS. Jd bila mulaa menulis blog pun, tujuan utama ialah tak nak BI saya jd berkarat walaupun bila di Peachgrove Playcentre mmg terpaksa guna BI tapi dr segi penulisan, blog adalah media terbaik utk sy gunakan. Blogger pertama yg memberi komen ialah semestinya adik saya Yatie. Selepas tu adala beberapa blogger yg baru saya kenal. Tapi antara yg sya tak boleh lupa ialah K.Ijan. Dia adalah blogger yg rajin meninggalkan komen. Malah dari K.Ijan juga saya banyak belajar pasal widgets, mcmmana nak buat header (tapi header skrg pun dpt hadiah sbenarnya. hehe), dan lain2 lagi. 

Kutukan& Kejian: ni mungkin banyak dtg dari anonymous dan juga blogger luar negara yg terjump blog saya apabila saya menulis beberapa entri yg agak kontroversi seperti "Waybuloo: Not a suitable program for Muslim kids (Warning)". Niat saya hanyalah berkingsi apa yg saya takutkan akan memesongkan akidah anak2 kita. Kdg2 kita ambil ringan rancangan2 kartun atau program TV. Mmg nampak mcm tak de apa2 tapi kalau dah ada sampai ajak bermeditasi tu, apa ke halnya. Nampaak mcm Yoga je tapi mcm ada dok sebut2 bacaan tertentu dan kanak2 senang sgt nak terikut. Macammana saya dapat semangat nak bangkit kembali? Ermmm. Mungkin saya mmg jenis yg tak peduli sgt apa org cakap, mmg saya buat tak tahu dan teruskan menulis mcm biasa. Bila saya semakin rajin masuk contest dan Giveaway, barulah follower bertambah dan semakin banyak komen. Saya pun mula2 tak rajin BW. Tapi bila merajinkan diri jd follower org2 lain, barulah suka tinggalkan komen dan org2 lain pun semakin kenal dgn blog ni.

Mereka yg sering memotivasikan saya?  Ramai juga nii kalau nak sebut. Tapi takpela, saya kena sebut selain dari adik saya, K.Yong, Mummy Yen (antara yg mula2 selalu tinggalkan komen), Lyna, Isabelle, Molly, Ummi Hanie, Nadiah, dan Wan Anie. 

Kalau ada yg tak biasa dgn blog saya, mesti ada yg tertanya2 "Kenapa minah ni suka sgt guna BI. Dah tak reti cakap Melayu ke?" Jawapan saya- bukan tak reti dan tak sayangkan Bahasa Melayu tetapi mmg tujuan asal saya berblog ialah untuk membiasakan diri semula menulis dlm BI supaya saya tak terlupa bila nak mengajar semula. Dan skrg slps 8 bulan dan kembali semula ke Malaysia dan mula mengajar balik, saya tak kekok sgt utk mengajar BI dan memang blogging dan banyak membantu saya memahirkan lagi kemahiran bahasa saya. Belajar bahasa (bermacam2 bhs) adaah salah satu minat saya.

Rasanya entri ni dah meleret sangat2. Harap2 Enc. Ben tak tersenggguk2 nak membaca ni. hehe.

Another baby now? Hmmmm...............

Salam,

I kind of have some urging feeling lately about having another baby/child. BUT.......with so many unsettled things at hands now like we are still living in my in-laws house, my hubby is still struggling in finishing his PHD, Hafizah is still refuse to be toilet trained and I'm planning to do my Masters this year. I feel that I can't juggle too much on my plate. Thus, the urge that I'm having has to be put aside or actually has to be postponed at the moment.

I don't want to do injustice or abuse my baby if I can't provide a nice environment for him(yup- I want to have a son if possible), I can't really take care of him or I can't give everything that a baby needs. Having a baby requires such a BIG responsibility and I don't want to deny his rights just because I feel that I want to have a son. I always feel that when we as the parents are not able to provide our children needs, we are actually abusing them by denying their rights to get the best from us. It's not cheap to raise a child nowadays and YES some people think that why did our parents were able to raise us even with limited source of income? Well...........if we want to just provide the basic needs of shelter, food, clothes and love, we might be able to meet their needs. But if we expect more like we want them to succeed and finish their education at the highest level possible, we should have consider about that even BEFORE we conceive them!

I know that you will give your mixed reaction to this topic. I'm just trying to channel my frustrations and anger to parents who are denying their children rights. YES.....I know sometimes they say that they just can't help it BUT .....shouldn't we at least try our best to provide the needs for our children and not letting them suffer? Why do we want to run away from our responsibilities as parents when we ourselves chose to be PARENTS???

P/S:   Tie(Yatie Chomeyl).....I think you can understand and try to guess why am I writing about this. Hope that you know somehow what is still happening here.

Wrong song for the wrong group of people.

Salam,

I want to share what happened in my conversation class yesterday. This January session, I'm teaching Level 100 students (the lowest level) in ELS. The students basically have a very basic knowledge in English with a very limited vocabulary. So, teaching conversation to them is always a challenge as I have to use a lot of sign language, pictures and easy examples and explanation.

As the day before, I gave them the mid term test, yesterday I wanted them to relax. So, I decided to use a song to teach the pronunciation and also the listening skill. I chose "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Hailey and the Comets. The song is a fast song but I had to use the song since it was the most convenient song for me. I could use the lyrics and the cassette that I've had used for teaching Grammar. Plus, I didn't want to use other songs like R&B or Pop song because they might think it's boring.

The class contains Arabs, Iranians and Yemenis and all of them is male students. When I played the song, they smiled but they were quite lost with the lyrics and they found it very difficult to sing along. I had to explain some words in the lyrics and I ended up singing along the song all by myself. huhu. (macam syok sendiri je) Even  after I asked them to stand up and move around the class, they still didn't show any enthusiasm what-so-ever. After few attempts, I got so fed-up. So, I just stopped the activity just about 5 minutes before the class was supposed to end. During the last 5 minutes, I just asked them their favorite songs. Their answers didn't really surprise me because they said "We love Muhammad Abduh or Amr Diab teacher!".

Here is a video of the song "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Hailey and the Comets. Hope you can enjoy yourselves *wink*wink*

The Fruitful (like Tuty Fruity) ECE Seminar at GBOB.

Salam,

Last Sunday Jan. 9th, I attended the ECE Seminar which was conducted at GBOB office. I brought along my daughters as it was not really a formal seminar. It was kind of semi-formal seminar (I reckon) because the participants kids were allowed to stay there and played in the next room.

We arrived very early because I was so excited to attend it. This is also because it had been a while since I attended any kind of seminar or workshop. (except for the workshops in my workplace which normally a must) The second participant to arrive was JIEY. I felt so happy to be able to meet her in person because I've been one of the loyal readers in her blog. She's one of super mom who believe her son's potentials to defy all the odds. The participants then also arrived including Lyna. I didn't really get to know the other participants because the seminar started from 9.30 until 3.30. We only had a short break in between to have lunch and look after our kids' need.

I actually can't really share what have I learned from the seminar because I've signed the paper that says I can't reveal the content of the seminar. What I can say is it was really fruitful and Watie managed to influence us to change our perception towards ECE for the sake of our children.If you want to know more, you have to contact Watie to find out when is the next seminar as I reckon she has planned to organize more seminars. Before I went back home, I managed to snap some photos with Jiey, Watie and Lyna.

The lazy and fatigue language.

Salam,

Not sure if I should share how fatigue and lazy am I these days. There's too much things going on with so little time. YES....I know and I've heard of a good time management BUT......when I've tried my best to do all the things I need to know YET there's still not enough time for me. I know and you know.....this is a normal cycle for almost everybody. I shouldn't complain here BUT *&%*%$#2* (bukan mencarut ye). I'm just feeling I'm not myself. HUhUHUHUHUHUHUH.

Please don't try to understand this entry because I myself can't understand what am I babbling about. arghh.....hmmm.....huh.........waa.........................

Amusing Literal Translation- Fathini & Hafizah's style

Salam,

My daughters; Fathini & Hafizah are still in the process of acquiring Bahasa Melayu after they have been introduced to English first. This is due to fact that they need to use English when we were in New Zealand in order for them to socialize with their Kiwi friends in Peachgrove Playcentre.

So now, they always come out with some amusing translation of certain words when they are not sure what are the correct terms. Let's see some words that I'm able to recall today. 

1.   No hand t-shirt. (FOR SLEEVELESS T-SHIRT)

      I reckon you can guess why they use the term "no hand" RIGHT? It's the literal translation from BM of   "baju tanpa lengan". hehe

2.  I don't want to friend you! (FOR I HATE YOU, I DON'T WANT TO BECOME YOUR FRIEND ANYMORE)


     Again this is quite normal and this sentence is what kids like to use whenever there are some arguments or they are having misunderstanding. No matter how many times I want to correct them, my daughters just refuse to use the correct sentence just because they hear their friends use it everyday.

All right. Since today is SATURDAY.....I reckon I better keep this entry short and simple. SO, till next time. BYE.

Let's support FAME KIDS by GBOB & MY SUPER KIDS.

Salam,

I'm one of  the loyal readers of GBOB and MSK. I admire both of the owner of the two blogs because they are the examples of very tough mummy with special kids. They have a very positive attitude in life and until now, they never stop trying to succeed either in business or even in their personal life.

Their latest segment is FAME KIDS. If you would like to know more, please click the words FAME KIDS just now. From what I've understood, their plan is to create an active support group for families that have special kids. This entry is just a way of showing my support to them as I understand how does it feel to have someone in your family who is "SPECIAL" for us BUT "physically or mentally disable" for other people. I've experienced this first hand because one of my brothers is also SPECIAL. He has defied all the odds and proved that the doctors predictions that he would be bed ridden or has limited physical abilities. Now, he is a grown-up man who can take care of himself even with some minimal problems.

SO, HERE IS MY PLEDGE TO SUPPORT THIS GROUP. I HOPE FOR THE OTHERS OUT THERE, DON'T HESITATE TO SUPPORT OR EVEN BETTER JOIN THE GROUP OR WRITE AN ENTRY TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TOO!

 

Tak payah beli kuih DAH! (BM Entry)

Salam,

Hari ini, saya dah dapat amaran keras dari Perdana Menteri rumah saya, "Tak payah beli kuih dah!". Ini kerana setiap kali balik kerja, saya akan singgah ke gerai menjual kuih untuk membeli beberapa jenis kuih untuk minum petang. Padahal bila ada kuih, anak2 kami akan bermasalah nak habiskan makan malam mereka. Hari ini memang terkejut BADAK, BERUK, URAT SARAF sebab SEMUA HARGA KUIH DAH NAIK SAMPAI HAMPIR 50%! SENANG CERITA, SEBIJI KUIH SKRG BERHARGA RM0.50! Jadi, mulai esok, memang dah tobat tak nak beli kuih dah kalau mahal sangat. Kalau adaa angin kus2 rajin, lebih baik saya buat kuih sendiri macam masa kami kat NZ dulu. Jimat sikit belanja.

ADA YG LAIN PERASAN TAK TENTANG KENAIKAN MENDADAK HARGA2 MAKANAN? BOLEH TAK KONGSI APA LAGI  BARANGAN YG NAIK HARGA? 

P/S: baru hr ni dapat tambahan kelas untuk 2 jam lagi yg bermakna gaji lebih sikitla bulan ni. tapi kalau brg2 semua naik, hmmmm tak de maknanya sangat gaji naik kan. huhu

5 MAGIC WORDS (Not the HOCUS POCUS BLAH BLAH BLAH)

Salam,

When I asked Fathini what has she learned in her kindy today, she told me about the 5 MAGIC WORDS that her teacher has taught her. I was so interested to know what are those words since the words sound so important. Can any of you guess the words?

5 MAGIC WORDS

SORRY
EXCUSE ME
THANK YOU
MAY I
PLEASE

The teachers in her kindy teach those words to the students everyday to remind them about good manners. I really like the approach of teaching those magic words as we need to instill good manners since the young age. Sometimes some of us forget to introduce these words to our children but YET we want them to behave. I guess it's time to practice teaching the words to your kids too if you haven't teach them or forget to teach them. 

No accent is the BEST ACCENT. SO, BE PROUD OF YOUR MANGLISH ACCENT.

Salam,

Have you ever listen to some accents and you are amazed when you listen or you have had hard time to understand certain accent? What about slang? What's the difference between slang and accent? Do they refer to the same thing?

Accent:
is the pronunciation characteristic of a certain locality. (source: WIKIPEDIA)
Or the simplest way to explain it, accent is the way certain group of people from the same place talk in English. (by the way, even in other languages it's also called accent as long as they use the same language).

Slang:
is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's dialect or language. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo (see euphemism). It is often used to identify with one's peers and, although it may be common among young people, it is used by people of all ages and social groups. (source: WIKIPEDIA)

Most of the time, young generation has their own kind of language that we call "slang". Again this is not restricted only to English but also in other languages as well.


Why do I brought this issue up? Well, for one thing, most of us Malaysians are not confident with our own unique Manglish accent that we want to emulate either British, American or sometimes Australian accent. Some of my ex-students (either when I taught Msians in USM or in ELS), look down on my capability of teaching them English just because I don't really have the strong accent in British, American or any other accents except for Malaysian English accent.

I don't really see what's the problem with the accent as long as they can understand what I'm teaching them. PLUS.............if they really want to learn from teachers who are native speakers, they will face a lot of problem to understand those teachers especially if the students' level of English is not really good. I had some ex-lecturers from USA, UK and one from Ireland. The most difficult accent for me is the IRISH ENGLISH accent. My ex-coursemates and I had to learn LITERATURE from that particular IRISH lecturer. So, just imagine the combination of difficult accent and difficult subject!

MY SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS HERE ARE JUST SIMPLE:
1- DON'T BE ASHAMED OF YOUR MANGLISH ACCENT.

2- THERE'S NO ACCENT IS MORE SPECIAL THAN THE OTHERS. THEY ARE JUST DIFFERENT.

3- PLEASE DON'T LOOK DOWN ON YOUR QUALIFIED ENGLISH TEACHER JUST BECAUSE HE/SHE IS MALAYSIAN AND NOT THE NATIVE SPEAKER.

4- SLANG IS SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM ACCENT.

Going to view our future house.

Salam,

We are going to view a new housing area somewhere in Nilai today. This is one of our wish for last year but only this year. we are able to fulfill it due to certain constraints. Hopefully we'll be able to find a house that can fit our needs and of course our budget. Our original plan was to find a house around Bangi or Kajang. However, those place have become so crowded and the traffic jam is something you can't really avoid, we have decided to find in other places. My MIL was the one who suggested we should find one in Nilai.

Owning a house is a must for a family right? I would like to hear some of your experiences when you first bought your own house. How was it? And I would like to know if there's  any tips that you can share with me. Thanks.

What kind of contests do prefer? GA, contest with photo or brain teaser contest?

Salam,

Just a short entry for today. I'm wondering what kind of contests would you prefer? GA, contest with photo or brain teaser contest? And what kind of prizes would you prefer? Products for your children, products for mummies, top up or cash

WHY AM I ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS? WELL.............I'm thinking of launching a new contest here starting from 10th Jan. 2011 since it's my eldest daughter's birthday. This year, Fathini is turning to 6 years old. Your answers will help me to decide the contest and also the prizes. So, please give me some feedback here in the comment box to help me in making my decision. THANK YOU.