I have a dream!

It is not the Abba song. But it is one of the most memorable speeches ever presented to the human kind. Martin Luther King Jr was known as The Peaceful Warrior for his courageous movement in fighting for African-American people in United States.
His speeches was filled with great imageries and symbolism. The man knows who his people are and what is the best way to get what they need as a whole.Martin Luther King Jr was a man with much pride for his people fight with no violence only with his words.
We were able to watch the actually footage of his speech on Youtube, and I can feel my deep inside my heart how his speeches effects the others.It was ashamed that we can’t really find the actual footage of Malaya Declaration of Independence. Maybe then we will actually learns how it must have felt being Malaysian.

p/s:happy eid mubarak!

There was an old man with beard.

We had soo much fun today in class..We were asked to do a limericks.As it was assigned as a group work, we manage to create this limericks which we think is quite funny.

There was a boy from Troy.
All the while he hoped to be someone’s toy.
So he put on his shortest skirt.
And he started to flirt.
That naughty boy from Troy.

Little that we know we were then asked to present it.What a shame..hehe..
Later, Dr.Edwin explains why he didn’t tell us at the beginning that we were supposed to present it. It was to lower our anxiety level and to make us enjoy with what we are doing.
It was such a simple task, yet could be very fun if we’ll able to do it the classroom.
I definitely will be trying this activity during my practical.

Drama,Drama, Drama...

Almost half of the class were late today..It was not really their fault, I felt soo bad for them.I also feel very sad cause our discussion about George Orwell essay “ Shooting an Elephant” was interrupted by a lady named Miss Malini. I’ve been to her session only once, I couldn’t stand her.She wants us to help her yet she was very rude and pushy too.
I really like the essay though I cried like a baby reading the part where they killed the elephant. It was a horrible reading it, I can’t even imagine being in the actual scene.I really hope that maybe we could have the discussion about the essay as I really like to know more about it.

Starry,starry night....

I’ve learn the song before in my English class in high school.Little that I know it was actually about the world famous painter, Vincent van Gough. I still remember the melody and how sad the song was.Later, after reading his letter to his brother I started to know more about who Van Gough really are. On how he perceive his life and how he sees others. In his letters he wrote to his brother, I learn that he was back then a poor artist and an unpopular among the artist at his time. We asked to find out his famous painting which named “Lust for life” which I failed to find. It was basically symbolized his impression on life. Van Gough was a modern artist at his time..His life was turn into a book entitled “Lust for Life” was then made into a motion picture. I hope I’ll be able to watch it one day.

Love letters??

We look at few of the most beautiful letters. My personal favorite would be John Keats letters to his fiancée, Fanny Brawne. I guess she was lucky to be his neighbour..I can not help my self wishing that somebody could have written me such a beautiful words..
Too bad my fiancé are really not into literature…Did you ever write love letters?
I still do, believe it or not. Once in a while when I feel I want write something to him. Corny again? Maybe..Like I said before, maybe I just like to write..hehehe..
Keats letter to Shelley was sad though.How different the man writes in a different stage of his life..The way he perceives his life was devastating. I felt my heart wrenched as I learn that he was suffering from TB when he wrote the letter….

p/s:May you rest in peace Mr.John Keats.

I am the scuptor..

We did a discussion on the movie Road Home in class.Dr. Edwin mentioned how many teachers may not realize how they affect the student’s life. And he asked every one of us to tell him how we perceive ourselves as a teacher. I like to think of myself as a sculptor, who molds the sculpture. In my case, me as a teacher molds the way my students think and act. The sense of responsibility is there as the sculptor is responsible to build a strong foundation on its sculpture to make it able to stands out. Same as how teacher need to give enough knowledge to the students so that they will be able to be a good human with the knowledge that have been given. I know I sounds ambitious, but I think it’s important for me to understand that I do have a big responsibility as a teacher one day..
p/s: most memorable answers:ATM machine-Nalini (all the best!)* wink*

Presentation: position paper.

It was nerve wrecking. It’s funny since its not really my first time presenting my work in front of the class. My actual power-points presentation was quite lengthy, luckily my turn was dragged to the next week since some of us took extra time presenting their position paper. I manage to change a few of my slides as I seen some of my classmates presenting most of their position in the slides. I think I did quite a good job in presenting my position paper. As much as I may dislikes my tutorial session, I have to give him a credit for be able to be patience with some of my classmates who just do not understand the meaning of sending assignment on time and appreciating others time.

The Road Home

A love story…A young girl and a young teacher, sounds a bit corny but watching this movie really brings back the classics stories that I’ve heard from the elders. When a young teacher comes to a village to educate the children then fallen in love with the most beautiful maiden in the village…Aww… sweet…
But then, life is life. Not everyone has their happy ending; we will face death when the time comes. And then when it comes you’ll realize how much you have gone through with the ones that you are loosing. I remember, how my grandfather passed away very shortly after my grandmother died. I saw him slowly rejecting to life..It was sad, but we knew that it was never easy for him to loose her after 55 years together..
Got me thinking how much I like take my love ones for granted…

Glimpses: Cameos of the Malaysian Life.

I finally got my second book for my research paper. Thanks to Cik Sharifah who suggested the book. It’s written by Adibah Amin, who is an ex-English teacher and actress. She also writes a few books which basically consist of collection of anecdotes of her experiences and thoughts.
I think this book would made a good read to our high school as it is rich with the life of Malaysian in Amin’s point of view. I bought the book last week and finished reading it after a day ‘cause it’s a fun reading and I really love how Amin’s writes.
I’ll be drafting my research after I finish with my position paper.

I am Muslim

I read this book last semester break and started to think how important it is that Malaysians young readers read this book.( Upper Forms)Written by a Malaysian writer, Dina Zaman is known for his provocative writings. Why is that? Well, maybe because she talks openly on certain issues that some Malaysians think is inappropriate. What are these issues? For a start, she discusses on how confuse she think of Muslim in Malaysia are, the sex education and so on. Then why do I think why our young readers need to read Zaman’s work? Simple:
She’s a Malaysian, familiar background to them.
She discusses issues that are closed to students especially as a Muslim and also for non- Muslims in Malaysia.
She talks on relevant issues on sex, HIV, and AIDS in Malaysia which is important for Malaysians readers as they are growing and experiencing this for them.
She uses simple and understandable sentences as these were actually taken from her blogs.
I have decided that this is the book that I would like to use in my research paper, but I am not very sure what the other book that may be compatible with it. I’m quite sure that I’ll be focusing on the theme but I really need to find the second book..I’ll be having a short meeting with my supervisor later on, hope Cik Pah has a suggestions.

Mr. Nelson Mandela

Reading a piece of Mandela’s autobiography was a memorable experience. His spirit represents the true meaning of perseverance for his people and for humankind as a whole.
I’ve watched a few documentaries about his fight for justice before but little that I knew that’s soo much more story that the man has to go through. He was a man with dignity not only for him but also for his people. Reading about Mandela’s makes me think about how we Malaysians like to stereotypes other races. Though we keep saying that we are one nation with multi-cultural people, we can’t denied the fact that we are all used to think badly if not highly to the other races. I am not trying to put the blame on anyone, but I really wished that we would be able to put our differences aside in able to make this country have “ bangsa Malaysia”. As this is the Independence Month, lets join our hands together and work for a better future as Malaysians..Merdeka!
p/s: Happy birthday Mr.Mandela! :)

Who educates you?

Who educates you?
We read a piece of Kafka’s diaries entries in class. Dr. Edwin asked if anyone of us keeps a dairy. Surprisingly only three of us in the class still kept a diary and I am one of them. Why do I choose to keep a diary? For a start, I was asked to keep a journal in my English class since I was in high school. That basically starts me writing diaries..I do have a personal blog, but I also believe in putting in some of my thoughts and experience in my diaries. I guess I just love writing.
Anyway, in the particular diary entries Kafka mentioned about how his education has done great harm on him, he mentioned some names and people that left an impact on him. Then we were asked who our best teacher is?

My family
My religion
Experiences
Friends
Books

And the list could go on, including my Chemical teacher,my English teacher and so on.But I really think that my family educates me in soo many ways that can never been describes with words. Will I be able to educate my students one day? I’ll try my very best…

An extraordinary artist.

Today we were asked to watch a short documentary about a man named Andy Warhol. I think I did come across the name a few time but wasn’t really sure who he really are…But as we started to watched the documentary I’ve started to recognized some of his very much famous picture of Marilyn Monroe with different colors background.
I find it amusing how ever paint that he created was somehow closely connected to his faith. The element of Christianity is emerges in most of his work especially the paint of “The Last Supper”. Even though he like to used the same painting for different advertisement campaign, I find it interesting that he manage to tell a different message on every different campaign even using the same painting with slight changes.
Warhol was a true multi-talented artist he did not only paint; he was a musician, a writer, and also an interior designer. Reminds me of the great Sudirman and P.Ramlee who does not did not only excel in one field only, but in others too.

Tutorial: Thesis statements and more theses statements!!

I normally would prevent myself from bad-mouthing people who teaches me. But, I seriously cannot stands my tutorial lesson with you know who..I hardly understands what he said but why do all of us need to read every 60 persons in the class thesis statements. Why don’t put us in groups and discuss it? Then maybe he may check it in a group?It was the longest 3 hours that we all have to undure..We were very sad it was not Dr.Edwin who actually handling this tutorial session. I know I’m whining here, but it’s our final year..We need as much guidance as possible with our LECTURERS! I don’t understand why the faculty made it compulsory for them to tutor us. :(

Tales..

Reading the tales of The Son of the Turtle Spirit, I felt that I was taken back to my childhood. Thought this story may not be very suitable for a kid to read as Dr Edwin said that this story is really about sex..:) But the massage was clear, that tales and old folklore are really one of the medium for older generation to educate their young children.
In my opinion, tales are not just something that you read and learn what the moral in it is.
Tales is also something that should be well preserved as it represents the value of ones cultures. This may not seem as important as it is, but living in this fast globalize world, who knows that new generation would not even heard of Bawang Putih,Bawang Merah or Si Tanggang story.Would it be such a shame that they will not be able to enjoy what we felt when Putih finally married the Prince, and how Tanggang was cursed for disowning his own mother? I leave that questions for you to give it a thought? I always think that it would be great if teacher used tales like Deadelus and Icarus to the classroom. Not only it opened our students experience in reading and studying different type of text, they actually learn to respect other cultural difference in values and so on..

The fall of Icarus...

It's the classic story...Innocent man was a victim of bad old king,man wants to escape,man have son who is stupid,man mange to escape but looses his son..as lame as it may sounds, I actually enjoyed Ovid's tale of Deadalus and Icarus.It makes me think of myself, on how sometimes when we are in the top of things suddenly we find ourselves back at square one again.

I think Deadelus was a tragic hero. Though he might be able to set himself free but the end of the day he lost the most important thing in his life..his son.Using the painting also help me in understanding the story better.I think using it in as part of set induction will surely makes the learning interesting to students.

The starting of a happy ending...

Greetings to all, as we all knew this semester is our 7th.Which means we are in our final years...

Time flies soo fast that we might forgotten what we have missed in our years in this beautiful university..Anyway, my previous seniors used to share story about this particular course.There are the fun and not so fun stuff that we have to do..With great joy on starting this final years, I only hope for the best to come to all of us..Cheers!