MY PERSONAL PICK....let's go Japan

it's been awhile since i last made my personal pick...

but this time, i have something great for y'all.

look at this guy...

this is KEN HIRAI

i'm sharing just a bit of the lyrics...translated in English...hehehe

I love you more than anyone in the world 

I've never felt this way before in my life 

I'm really working myself up over it 

I want to prove how deep my love is 

For example, if you were in a horrible accident 

And were unconscious from blood loss 

I'd race to the hospital 

At 300km per hour in my 246 

And seeing you asleep in the bed 

I'd yell at the doctor, saying 

"Give her my blood" 

"Give her my blood" 

"Give her all of my blood" 

I love you more than anyone in the world 

I love you more than anyone in the world 

I love you more than anyone in the world 

I love you more than anyone in the world 

I love you more than anyone in the world 

I love you more than anyone or anything in the world 

But if I'm a B and you're an O 

A transfusion won't work 

A FOODIE'S TAKE ON....the journey back to Kapit.

hmmm...it's almost Chinese New Year, 
but still i have to return early to Kapit; 
the reason because only some schools 
got their holiday early,ours..no! 
so, back to Kapit to teach on Monday and Tuesday.


okay, let's get back to business.


i think i never shared anything 
about the journey that i had to take 
from Sarikei to Kapit, right? 
well, now i'm going to share just a little....
let start with my journey today....


starting point - HOME, 
precisely Kampung Selalang, 
about 40 kilometers from Sarikei town.

Then, arrived in Sarikei;
and took another bus ride to Sibu.

in the bus...bla..bla..bla..

Sarikei municipal hall..bla..bla..bla..

one part of Sarikei....

another part of Sarikei...

Then, arrived in Sibu. 
a very busy city...
quite crowded today though. 
seems like everyone's 
doing their Chinese New Year shopping.

Next, the journey  to Kapit. 
There's no other way of going to Kapit from Sibu, 
just take an express boat ride, 
pay RM30, RM25 or RM20, sit back, 
and enjoy the view. 
unless you slept all the way to Kapit then.... 


as for me, 
I usually take the RM30 (1st class) seat, 
just to spoil myself, and the extra legroom, of course. 
on board movie...forget it, 
you might have watched the movie..
like hundreds of times already! 
hehehehe...

in the express boat..bla..bla..bla..

oopsss..when am i getting to the food part?

well, just this afternoon, 
i had a great lunch with two of my friends, 
Mr.WK and Mr. Awie. 
we had the famous MEE KOLOK. 
yumm..yum...

mee kolok (or some might spell it mee golok, mee kolo, kolo mien) is originally a Chinese style dish, but nowadays, mee kolok is enjoying a reputation of being Halal at some Malay food court. mee kolok usually served with some pieces of chicken, beef or tripe. depending on one's preference; ground pepper, chilli in vinegar, sweet or salty soy sauce maybe added. but, i usually just have it as it is.


hehehe...Mr. WK and Mr. Awie are quoted for saying mee kolok tasted like some kind of instant noodles. chehhh....! sorry, i'm not posting their pictures here (although..yes, i took their photo). hmm...or am i..?

do i have to? + an idea....

hahaha...sudddenly i had an idea of re-creating this scene for our school play. i'm thinking of several names...like Louis, Joannes, Anai Jambol, Raymond and Olliver...maybe i will invite Miss Nasyiha to co-direct the play, and RGM to do the video recording, and hopefully, i will produce the video. hopefully...



what do you guys think....should i get a new digitcam with HD video recording capabilities? it's not that expensive though......hmm, decisions...decisions...

fun facts.....

Fun Facts!

There are about five thousand languages in the world, and the one with the most speakers is Mandarin, with about six hundred and fifty million speakers. English has around three hundred and fifty million speakers.

The most common surname in the world is Chang of whom there are about three hundred and fifty million. Smith is the most common English surname: there are around eighty thousand in England and Wales, and an estimated two million, three hundred and eighty two thousand five hundred and nine in the United States.

Some languages are more complex than others. Tillamook, the North American Indian language has the most prefixes with thirty. Eskimo uses sixty three forms of the present tense and simple nouns have as many as two hundred and fifty inflections. English has between one hundred and ninety four and two hundred and fourteen irregular verbs depending on what you define as an irregular verb.

The largest dictionary in the worlds is the Oxford English Dictionary, which has twenty volumes, twenty one thousand seven hundred and twenty eight pages, two hundred and ninety thousand five hundred main entries, and around fifty nine million words. It lists the definitions of around six hundred and fifteen thousand words. The Webster’s International Dictionary, the American equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary, list four hundred and fifty thousand words. Though in both cases, technical and scientific terms would add millions more. Altogether about two hundred thousand English words are in common use.

my answer and reason

  When I did this test, I answered.....

1. If your car breaks down do you …? B) flag someone down

- i'm rubbish when it came to engines/automotive..hehehe

2. A man and a woman go to the restaurant. Who pay? A) the man

- well, actually...either party should! but, it's better for a man to pay!

3. What would your ideal house be? A) easy to clean

- the bigger the house, the harder to keep clean. 

4. On holiday where do you keep the money? B) in a bag tied around your neck

- big, bulky wallet? no way.....

5. What is your motto? A) If you don’t take risks you don’t get anywhere.

- life's meaningless without risks!

6. Are your friends…? B) better looking than you

- due to low self esteem, i think other people looked better! hehehehe

7. Do you understand people better who communicate using…?  B) the written word

- straight-forward answers are easily understood if written in ink, or in this case, digital codes.

8. What animal frightens you the most? B) a shark

- post-traumatic experience, after watching JAWS....( this is sooooo lame. ) 

9. In a war would you…? B) leave for a neutral country

- typical hippie answer, PEACE!

10. Which do you prefer reading? A) books

- books are better......

A typical man would say that the woman’s answer would be:

1b, 2a, 3a, 4b, 5b, 6b, 7a, 8a, 9b, 10b. A typical woman might think otherwise!

test yourself: Are You A Woman Or A Man?

The test is designed to be deliberately provocative.

Note to teachers:

Students do the test individually and then compare their answer in groups. They should then redo the test, trying to decide which are the stereotypical female answers. Get class feedback, and find out which male students initially gave female answers, and vice versa. The conclusion should be that we all have both female and male characteristics.

p/s: Actually, anyone can do this test!

Okay, here are the questions!

1. If your car breaks down do you …?

a)       open the bonnet and have a look inside

b)       flag someone down

2. A man and a woman go to the restaurant. Who pay?

a)       the man

b)       the woman

3. What would your ideal house be?

a)       easy to clean

b)       big and impressive

4. On holiday where do you keep the money?

a)       in your back pocket

b)       in a bag tied around your neck

5. What is your motto?

a)       If you don’t take risks you don’t get anywhere.

b)       Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

6. Are your friends…?

a)       more intelligent than you

b)       better looking than you

7. Do you understand people better who communicate using…?

a)       body language

b)       the written word

8. What animal frightens you the most?

a)       a mouse

b)       a shark

9. In a war would you…?

a)       fight for your country

b)       leave for a neutral country

10. Which do you prefer reading?

a)       books

b)       magazines

Score

A typical man would say that the woman’s answer would be:

1b, 2a, 3a, 4b, 5b, 6b, 7a, 8a, 9b, 10b. A typical woman might think otherwise!

Adapted and taken from:

DISCUSSIONS A-Z (Advanced)

A Resource Book of Speaking Activity

By Adrian Wallwork

Published by

The Press Syndicate of the University Of Cambridge

© Cambridge University Press 1997

masculine/feminine...

in linguistics, 

GENDER

‘Gender’ was originally used to classify nouns. Gender is now also used to distinguish between male and female behavior: ‘gender identity’ (self awareness that one is either a male or a female), ‘gender role’ (the image that an individual presents to others based on culturally defined concepts of masculinity and femininity), ‘gender specific’ (of or limited to either males or females, e.g. eyes and hair colour are not gender specific), and ‘gender gap’ (the apparent disparity between men and women in values, attitudes, voting patterns, etc.).

it's rainy season....

i woke up early this morning; made a cup of warm coffee; and had three small pieces of TOBLERONE (courtesy of a dear friend of mine Ms. RGM). 

It was freezing; and also raining. It’s been raining these last few days, and if you guys have been following, usually the heavy rain would only mean one thing, F.L.O.O.D.

but, luckily today, it’s evident enough that it’s not going to happen. So, what did I do?

There’s only one thing left to do…ambil gambar (taking photos)!

Then, suddenly, I remembered  this one song. Hmm, suitable enough for this time. 

Today Is No Sunday

It’s rainy season and the grey clouds

complete the theme

The rusty fence, the noisy thunder

creepy storm and the falling trees.

Television, tea and coffee

all the books are getting dusty.

If there is a way I will catch up for you

visit the spring.

Where the ices are melting

and the new plants are growing

flower is blooming

and lovers are kissing.

[Lagu & Lirik: Aprilia Apsari, 2006]

[Aransemen Musik: White Shoes & The Couples Company]

what would you do when you're bored?

i just want to know....

what would you do when you're bored?

do you eat more? 
( yup..i will do this! )

sleep like a log?


group up a few friends and then gossip?


watch stupid things on telly? 


you know, you don't have to answer this here, right now....but, if you do, please..please...please...be courteous and polite. this is a friendly blog. hehehe...

your true colors...

Your Favourite Colour Can Tell You A Lot About Your Personality

Read through the list below. Then, choose which personality best describes you. It might not be accurate, but still, it’s a fun way to know a little something about you according to your favourite colour. Enjoy…..

1.       Want to give impression of mystery; sophisticated, dignified and impressive; always wearing this colour indicates protest.

2.       Deliberation, introspection, conservatism, duty; like to be part of a group; good mixer, affectionate and faithful; loyal friends; sometimes inflexible beliefs, worrier.

3.       Solid, substantial, good worker; patient, conscientious, dutiful, dependable, responsible, not impulsive, obstinate in habits; don’t like change.

4.       Frank, community-minded, hopeful, a little moralistic; too self-effacing, modest and patient thus easily exploited; too much of this colour indicates high level of anxiety.

5.       Cautious, searches for composure and peace, dedicated; may turn away from worldly things but have business ability, works too hard; compromises.  

6.       Colour of luxury and pleasure; flamboyant and fun-loving; inclined to dramatized; generally good-natured and popular; curious, maybe superficial.

7.       Love and affection without passion; charming and gentle; a little indefinite; extreme fondness of this colour indicates desire for protection, special treatment and a sheltered life.

8.       For those who are or want to be out-going; vigorous and impulsive, determined and optimistic; not very objective or aware of shortcomings.

9.       Pure, innocent, naïve but lively and well-balanced personality; worn continuously suggests immaturity and idealism.

10.   Happy, wise, imaginative, mentally adventurous; good in business, intellectual, clear-thinker; can be rather stubborn and opinionated.  

Well, here’s the answer, and I hoped you match your personality-to-colour well.

1 black       2 blue                   3 brown      4 green       5 grey

6 orange     7 pink                   8 red                    9 white       10 yellow

Taken from : DISCUSSIONS A-Z INTERMEDIATE

                        A Resource Of Speaking Activities

                        By Adrian Wallwork

Published by The Press Syndicate of the University Of Cambridge

© Cambridge University Press 1997

banjir again...haiiyaaa!

banjir lagi......
hmm...
our school was hit 
by the flood...again!


the flood first struck 
our school at 7.30 a.m. 
on Tuesday and worsened
until 10.00 p.m. 


The pictures here 
will give you the idea 
of how our school 
looked like during 
the early hours of flooding.

hehehe....
i've endured 
(and survived) 
the many floodings 
throughout the 11 years 
i've been here. 
so, it's kinda like 
i gotten used to this.

here are some of the survivors...no matter how bad the banjir was, they kept on smiling

RISK

to laugh is to risk appearing the fool

to weep is to risk appearing sentimental

to reach out for another is to risk involvement

to expose your feelings is to risk exposing your true self

to place your ideas, your dreams,

          before a crowd is to risk their loss

to love is to risk not being loved in return

to live is to risk dying

to hope is to risk despair

to try is to risk failure

but risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life

            is to risk nothing

persons who risk nothing do nothing, have nothing,

and are nothing

they may avoid suffering and sorrow

            but they cannot learn, feel, change and grow, love,

or live

chained by their attitude, they are slaves,

            for they have forfeited their freedom

Only a person who risks is free.

taken from : Onward Effective Teachers

                   by Harry K. Wong

                   of Harry K. Wong Publications

Thank You….for reading this.

You really cannot use “please” without using “thank you”. The two just go together. Not using the two together would be like having a knife without a fork, a belt without a buckle, yin without a yang.

“thank you” says to the other person that you appreciate his/her effort and kindness. If you have expectations that students will work hard and will learn to be kind, then saying “thank you” I your way of acknowledging that you know they have been kind and diligent and that you appreciate what they have done for you.

End a statement of gratitude and appreciation for someone respecting your wishes with “thank you”.

“thank you” is the perfect transition; it paves the way to the next request, lesson, or task in class. It makes whatever you want done next so much better.

The most effective way to use “thank you” is to follow the person’s name:

          “I truly appreciate what you did. Thank you, George.”

                             or

          “George, I truly appreciate what you did. Thank you.”

Strongly consider adding the words “Thank you” to your worksheets, assignments, and other papers that you distribute in class.

taken from : Onward Effective Teachers

                   by Harry K. Wong

                   of Harry K. Wong Publications

say "PLEASE", please.....

cultured, polite people can be identified by their manners. of course, we all like well-mannered people because we know that they will treat us politely. we like it whn service-oriented people treat us kindly at the shopping centre, amusement park, office, or restaurant or on public transport.

at the same time, business people know taht continued customer business and satisfaction is based on how the customers are treated. the customer who is treated politely will return. just how do people learn to treat others with politeness and courtesy? from how they were treated by others primarily during their formative years, such as at school and at home. 

a child's behaviour is learned and modeled after the expectations of the significant people in that child' life - and the most significant people in a child' life are parents and teachers. 

if you abuse a child, the child will grow up with the expectation to abuse others. if you treat a child with kindness, the child will grow up with the expectation to treat others with kindness. 

* Kindness begins with the word "please".

* Cultured, polite, and well-maqnnered people know and automatically use the word "please". It has become a learned behaviour.  

* Repetitive us eof the word "please'" is important if a child is to learn to use the word "please" in his/her life.

* "please" is usually used when you ask someone do something for you. thus the most effective way to use "please" is to couple the word with the person's name to whom you are addressing the request, as in "John, please...." 

* Strongly consider adding the word "please" to your worksheet, assignments, and other papers that you distribute in class.


taken from :
Onward Effective Teachers 
by Harry K. Wong;
of Harry K. Wong Publications

these little darlings!

i'm teaching a new group of students this year. but, since this is the first time i'm teaching them, i think i'm going to start it slow. so, the for the first week, I set up a few rules for the students.  Let’s see :

Rule #1

No textbooks, exercise books, no pencils or erasers..or sharpeners, or ruler, or anything…is to be on the desks; before I enter the class.

Rule #2

No mess! Absolutely….not even on the floor. Hehehehehe.

Rule #3

Clean blackboard, otherwise I’ll just simply write over what the previous teacher left on the blackboard.

Rule #4

Be courteous and polite, for every granted requests (going to the toilet and entering the class) should be followed with a THANK YOU.

Rule #5

Be ready for more rules….

Rule #6

TRY, TRY, TRY and TRY AGAIN….do not give up! Teacher (that’s me!) will guide you!

i know...i know... it  might sound diva-ish, but, i'm trying to get the best out of these students. i know, they can cope with my rules and regulations, and i know they are going to do well in their studies....so help me God!

..and the world smiles with you!

smile.......

Smile….if you truly want to achieve maximum effectiveness when you use a person’s name and say “please” and thank you“, you SMILE. It requires no effort and is easier than frowning, as almost everyone knows.

Smiling is like placing extra garnish on a plate, the extra pat on the back when a job has been done well, or the extra hug that says “I really love you.” IT’S THE FROSTING ON THE CAKE.

A smile communicates three things:

1. You are a person who knows the ultimate of hospitality and graciousness.
2. You have that extra polish or panache that marks you as a cultured person.
3. You feel good about yourself and want others to feel good about themselves.

A smile is the most effective way to create a positive climate, to disarm an angry person, and to convey the message “Do not be afraid of me; I am here to help you.”

A smile is a universal language of understanding, peace and harmony. If indeed, we want the next generation to have a world of peace and understanding, we need to teach its sign, a smile.

what's my resolution?

what yours?

i've heard so many resolutions made. some people made new resolutions specifically for the year. that made sense....and even some forward-looking people even made resolutions for the next decade...sensible, although almost bordering to psychotic (heheheheh....), and there are a few who said the most silliest thing, and i heard this during the celebration of the Y2K..

"my resolution for the next millennium is to ..."

i asked them, "come on...do you actually think you are going to be around for the next one thousand year?" of course, i was joking with them. 

here are some of the most famous resolutions that people make every year:

1. quit smoking.....
2. loose some weight...
3. get married....
4. pay-off credit card/mortgage/student loan
5. learn to drive...

here are some resolutions that people secretly make: 

1. quit smoking....after a few puffs...and a few more puffs...and a few more puffs again....
2. loose some weight..only after breaking the world record of eating 100 slices of cheese cakes in 15 minutes. 
3. get married...after the approval of the first wife. 
4. pay-off debts...of own's and spouse's...
5. learn to drive...after learning to cope with the fear of driving...

well, i'm bored of making resolutions for this year...but i'd still have to. so, my resolutions for this years is

NOT TO MAKE ANY NEW RESOLUTIONS...until i'm done with last year's resolutions! hehehehe