Brian Tracy

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking. "What's in it for me?"

- Brian Tracy -

the best way to learn a language is through constant exposure to its sound patterns

Ground-breaking research by Dr Sulzberger of Victoria University, New Zealand has found that the best way to learn a language is through constant exposure to its sound patterns — even if you do not know the meaning of the words.

His main hypothesis is that new structures are set up in the brain to learn the words when we constantly immerse ourselves in that language. In short, the importance of aural exposure cannot be underoverstated.

Going by the same argument, that is how babies learn their mother tongue and how children pick up other dialects or languages easily by playing with neighboursing children. who do not speak the same mother tongue.

Six-month intensive Mandarin courses offered by several language institutes in Beijing are also testament to this.

People with absolutely no knowledge of Mandarin are able to converse relatively well in the target language after six months.

This is because they have no choice but to study and speak the language in practical situations as determined by the course.

The amount of money the students have to pay in order to speak reasonably well after the programme is added motivation.

Dr Sulzberger also says people trying to learn a foreign language in their home country are at a disadvantage compared to with those who travel to another country land and immerse themselves in its sounds and culture.

My students come to me, eager to learn but are faced with untold obstacles.
Many lament that the only time they actually speak English is in the classroom.
The brave souls who dare converse in a foreign tongue face insurmountable discrimination in their own clan. The battle can become personal indeed.
Indeed Learning a language is a skill, not a content subject with facts you can memorise.

We will need to grow the appropriate “brain tissue” to learn the language. We cannot grow the brain tissue do so without feeding the brain with reading, listening, speaking and writing constantly in the target language.
We cannot grow the brain tissue if are must not be too frightened to break the mould of convention, familiarity and prejudice.

We may have diverse hang-ups about learning a language. But if we have the determination and resilience, then there is unity in focus.
Just like fasting, we may have different reasons but we are focused on what we want to achieve. The same but different.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
an excerpt from - Language learning: Unity in focus - NST

written by:
Associate Professor Koh Soo Ling is with the Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA. Email her at kohsl@salam.uitm.edu.my

Dear Marianna Pascal

Miss Pascal,
I've been wanting to contact you, but I do not have your email address, could you please email me instead?

Thank you.


miszsensei@yahoo.com

English Fast n Easy: At Least 21

Stephen Covey

Don't argue for other people's weaknesses. Don't argue for your own. When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it - immediately.

-Stephen Covey-

Anthony Robbins

The path to success is to take massive, determined action. - Anthony Robbins

Nasi Dagang For Breakfast

My uncle invited me to his house for a breakfast today. I excitedly accepted the offer and had theseeeee.....! yummmeahhh...








I had theseee tooo... hehe...

Buy Experiences As Gifts

I found this article in The Star, this is so cool!

If you found yourself tired of giving the same boring gifts to your loved ones, you might want to try this out...

Signed, sealed, delivered

By ALLAN KOAY

Looking for a gift that’s truly special? RedRibbon may have something in store for you.

HERE’S the idea: a physical gift, a tangible present, is nice to have, but as we all know, nothing lasts forever. But an experience, a memory, is something a person can carry with them all their lives.

Timothy Tiah wanted to give his girlfriend something really special on her birthday. He knew a nicely-wrapped gift just wouldn’t be enough. He came across a company named RedRibbon Days, called them and set up an arrangement. The surprised girlfriend found herself in a shoe store in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, except that the store had been closed especially for her, so that she could shop and enjoy champagne with Tiah, and made to feel like a princess for a day.

Time to fly: Captain Anselm Francis of the Subang Jaya Flying Club taking Khairil M. Bahar through the pre-flight check of the aircraft, a Cessna 150.

Then there was Charlene Wong, who wanted to do something special for her father Henry’s birthday. Since she was in the United States and couldn’t be home for the occasion, she called RedRibbon Days and arranged for her parents to have high tea at Carcosa Seri Negara. It all worked like a charm, and the senior Wong had a pleasant surprise when the RedRibbon staff turned up at his doorstep to deliver the special gift complete with red balloons.

Don’t beat yourself up for not knowing that such a company exists in Malaysia. RedRibbon Days is still pretty new, having been created only in 2007 and launched in the middle of last year. But they’ve been giving a lot of people happy memories ever since.

It all started when RedRibbon Days founder and “chief experience officer” Sherin Wong was working in the corporate sector in Australia and found herself constantly sending cliched and obvious gifts to her mother on special occasions.

“It was always about hampers and flowers!” said Wong. “Imagine me having to send flowers to my mother for Mother’s Day and flowers again for her birthday and flowers yet again for Christmas! The novelty wasn’t there, and even my mum implored me to stop sending her flowers!”

Worst of all, she bought a hamper for her mother through a renowned online gifts company, and found that the bird’s nest delicacy in the hamper was fake.

Upon her return to Malaysia, Wong began work on setting up an online gifts business. She consciously avoided providing tangible gifts after what her own experience had taught her. By sheer luck, she stumbled upon a concept in Britain where people could buy experiences as gifts.

“I believe the concept of experiential gifting is unique, different and most important of all, convenient and hassle-free for Malaysians dwelling overseas,” said Wong. “We have so many Malaysians living and working around the world, with their family and friends back in Malaysia.”

She called up her friend, Nik Hidayati Nik Ramli, with whom she was always talking business ideas. Nik Hidayati had been back and working in Malaysia a good few years before Wong decided to come home. They brainstormed over latte.

“When I mentioned the idea of RedRibbon Days to her, she was immediately sold to the idea and decided to quit her full-time job to do this with me,” said Wong.

Thus RedRibbon Days was born, and when the business started growing, they brought in a third partner, Tan Ming Nu.

RedRibbon Days was officially inaugurated on June 19 last year. The name was chosen because Wong used to receive gifts that were wrapped and tied with a red ribbon, thus she always associates “red ribbon” with gifts and happy things.

There are literally hundreds of experiences from which to choose, so it’s easy to get bleary-eyed from checking out the website (www.redribbondays.com.my) or the brochure booklet. Prices range from something like RM30 for a Dry Sphereing Ride For Two (rolling around in an inflatable 3m-diameter ball) to RM16,100 for a Private Luxury Yacht Charter. There’s literally something for everyone – individuals, couples, families, kids.

Some of the more interesting experiences include a helicopter ride across Kuala Lumpur (RM2,000), Personal Chef Private Dining For Eight (RM2,600), Tandem Paramotor Adventure (RM800), Total Make-Over (RM700), Easy Peasy Cupcakes 101 (RM85), Pregnancy Photography (RM600), and Kids’ Cooking And Baking (RM85).

“Customers can also personalise their chosen experience, based on their preference,” said Nik Hidayati. “If they’d like to add champagne, flowers or chocolates, we can do that.”

“To date, we have over 500 members in our database and over 1,000 people who have experienced a RedRibbon Day,” said Wong. “So far, the response has been very positive. We have buyers from all around the world – China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, Britain, the United States and Singapore.”

She said Malaysians are taking to this concept relatively well. They’ve had much return business. Her personal target is to have 10% of Malaysians experience a RedRibbon Day.

“We’ve had many customers who told us how convenient it was for them to choose an experience, buy it online and have the experience delivered to the recipient on the preferred date and time,” said Wong.

Rock star for a day

Nik Hannani Nik Ramli’s Rock Star For A Day experience turned out more surprises than anyone had expected. Not even the RedRibbon staff anticipated what would happen.

Nik Hannani, or Nikki, 16, promptly arrived at Purple Houz in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, in the late afternoon, with her very own entourage in tow – four of her schoolmates and friends.

The first thing on the itinerary was a make-up session with Becky Wong of Starlight Concepts. You see, the Rock Star For A Day experience comes with not just a professional recording session but also a photoshoot for the album cover that will be used on the CD.

After the album cover shoot with photographer Olivia Oon was over, it was off to the recording rooms upstairs. Prior to the actual recording, preparations turned into an impromptu jam session for Nikki, who had brought along her own acoustic guitar, and her entourage, with production engineer Collin Chin accompanying her on electric guitar.

The album cover for Nik Hannani’s Rock Star For A Day experience.

There was a moment of slight pressure (which rock star doesn’t face such moments?) when another production engineer Harvinder “Harvey” Singh came into the room and asked for Nikki’s song list. She had a hard time choosing the songs to record. In the end, her entourage helped her to settle for a medley of songs by Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Then it was off to the recording proper, and armed with her guitar, Nikki launched into her medley. Nice first take, but a guitar string was slightly out of tune. That was quickly fixed, and it was off into second take, as Nikki grew more confident and comfortable despite a slight cold. Then asked what she would like to try next, Nikki chose an unplugged version of The Jackson 5’s I Want You Back.

It was at that moment that a surprise celebrity guest, Malaysian Idol runner-up Dina, came in to listen to Nikki. Here, it should be noted that a celebrity guest is not part of the RedRibbon Rock Star experience package. Dina’s appearance was completely unexpected and a bonus for Nikki who got some pointers from Dina on breathing techniques and phrasing. Moral of the story? You never know who might turn up at a recording studio.

“It was everything I imagined it to be,” Nikki said after it was all over. “It was fascinating. I didn’t know anything about being in a recording studio, so everything surprised me.”

Pilot for a day

Not since 1783, when the first human beings left the safety of the ground in a hot-air balloon in Paris, France, had human imagination about flying been so fired up.

In Khairil M. Bahar’s case, it was the prospect of getting to handle the controls of a plane without ever attending flying school.

It was a nice day for flying. Khairil, musician and filmmaker, was ready and raring to head for the wild blue yonder, visibly excited. Never mind that the sun was scorchingly hot, or that Captain Anselm Francis of the Subang Flying Club in Selangor informed us that crosswinds were becoming a common occurrence. The clear blue skies dappled with cotton-white clouds were so inviting.

Khairil, well-known for his independent film Ciplak some years ago and who is now directing TV shows, had opted for the Pilot For A Day experience. All one had to do was turn up at Terminal 3 of the Subang Jaya Airport, and the professional pilot of the day, in this case Captain Francis, would take care of everything.

After a pre-flight check of the aircraft, a Cessna 150, the captain explained the functions of all the various exterior parts of the aircraft, and Khairil had the chance to ask questions about everything he’d ever wanted to know about a plane.

Then it was time to fly.

The first surprise for our pilot for a day? The cockpit turned out to be a squeeze-space, with both pilot and “co-pilot” barely having any space to move.

Some minutes later, the Cessna sped along the runway, and lifted off into the big sky.

The second surprise was the take-off. It was nothing like what Khairil had experienced on commercial flights. He said the feeling was like “getting into a car with a driver who’s drunk.” The plane literally swung left and right upon take-off, but settled into a smooth ride after that.

The plane flew a circuit for about 45 minutes, and during the short flight, Khairil got to fly the plane himself, all under the observation and guidance of Captain Francis, of course.

When the plane finally landed, Khairil stepped out of it with an even wider smile on his face.

“We flew past the Shah Alam stadium,” he said. “Looking at everything from so high up, with everything so tiny below you, you just forget about all the stress in your life. Stress? What stress?” he laughed.

Model for a day

Anyone who’s seen an episode of America’s Next Top Model or Janice Dickinson’s Modelling Agency knows modelling isn’t all about easy glamour. It’s really hard work, and tough mentally and physically for those who choose this career.

Christine Loo, 32, isn’t a professional model and has no modelling experience whatsoever but she was interested enough to try being a Model For A Day.

The experience started at 10.30am, and Loo was there at Real Pixel Studio, in Petaling Jaya, promptly, getting cosy in no time, settling into the chair in front of the mirror for her make-up session.

Razzle dazzle: Personal assistant Christine Loo is transformed into a Model For A Day by the RedRibbon experience.

But if you think modelling is a breezy affair – come in, sit down, get make-up done, and then pose – you’re in for a rude shock. Loo spent a good 45 minutes to an hour just doing nothing but letting Becky Wong of Starlight Concepts do her hair and make-up. But of course, one can always strike up an interesting conversation with the make-up artist, and that’s what Loo did, while the rest of us ... erm, went to an early lunch.

Wong’s make-up and her years of experience transformed Loo’s already good looks into something stunning.

“It was fun to have a different look,” said Loo later. “I felt like a star after that.”

Then it was time to get on the tiny “stage” in the studio and pose under the direction and instruction of photographer C.Y. Wong, who has photographed celebrities for entertainment and fashion magazines.

Loo discovered it was not easy to pose. What you see done effortlessly by models in magazines are sometimes awkward and difficult stances and positions, but look good in photos.

And then came the inevitable – facial muscle cramps. Even smiling too much can be punishing.

“Trying to smile for more than 10 shots wasn’t a field trip as it almost gave me lock jaw,” Loo laughed.

But the results were worth all the trouble. The photos were gorgeous, sleek and stylish. Loo admitted that after the experience, she now knows that modelling isn’t as easy as it seems.

“Posing for the camera is nothing like learning your ABCs,” she said. “You have to angle and position yourself to portray different types of looks. I had to move around a lot and strike different poses. And I completely ran out of poses after a few clicks.”

She said she was glad to have taken up the challenge, and now looks at models with more respect.

RedRibbon Days can be contacted via 03-2093 5973, fax: 03-2093 5943, or e-mail: info@redribbondays.com.my.

Titbits? Tidbits?

Titbits or tidbits?

Your questions answered by Fadzilah Amin

WHICH word is correct when referring to snack foods, “tidbits” or “titbits”? I am almost certain that tidbits is correct, however when a famous company has a section called “titbits” at a supermarket chain, it does cast a shadow of doubt. – Ong Swee Pie

The term is “titbits” in British English and “tidbits” in American English. So the supermarket is using the British English term.

thestaronline

Mutton of Lamb?

Mutton or lamb

IS it true that mutton chops come from matured sheep and lamb chops come from young sheep? – Belallang

Yes, it is true, but in Malaysia we refer to goat’s meat as “mutton” as well, as found in “mutton curry” and “mutton briyani”.

by Fadzilah Amin

Malaysian English: Send & Take

Send
If you send something, you do not go yourself;
I sent an e-mail to India

Take
If you take something, you go with it;
I took a cake to my neighbour

Happy Eid Mubarak

To all of my readers, I wish you Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri...

What Is Aidilfitri/Eid ul-Fitr/Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr‎), often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "to break fast"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal.
Eid ul-Fitr is a day long celebration and is sometimes also known as the "Smaller Eid" (Arabic: العيد الصغير al-‘īdu ṣ-ṣaghīr‎) as compared to the Eid ul-Adha that lasts four days and is called the "Greater Eid" (Arabic: العيد الكبير al-‘īdu l-kabīr‎).
Muslims are commanded by the Qur'an to complete their fast on the last day of Ramadan and then recite the Takbirall throughout the period of Eid


The Takbir and other Rituals

The Takbir is recited after having confirmation that the moon of Syawalis sighted on the eve of the last day of Ramadan. It continues until the start of the Eid prayer. Before the Eid prayer begins, every Muslim who is able must pay Zakat al-fitr, an alms for the month of Ramadan. This equates to about 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) of a basic foodstuff (wheat, barley, dates, raisins, etc.), or its cash equivalent, and is typically collected at the mosque. This is distributed to needy local Muslims prior to the start of the Eid prayer. It can be given at any time during the month of Ramadan and is often given early, so the recipient can use it for Eid purchases. This is distinct from Zakat based on wealth, which must be paid to a worthy charity.

The Takbir consists of:

Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar
الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر

laa ilaaha illAllaah
لا إله إلا الله

Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar
الله أكبر الله أكبر

wa li-illaahil-hamd
ولله الحمد

God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest,

There is no deity but God

God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest

and to God goes all praise

Variation

Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar
الله أكبر الله أكبر

laa ilaaha illAllaah
لا إله إلا الله

wAllaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar
والله أكبر الله أكبر

wa li-illaahil-hamd
ولله الحمد

alhamdulillaah `alaa maa hadaanaa, wa lahul-shukru `ala maa awlaanaa
الحمدلله على ما هدانا و له الشكر على ما اولانا

God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest,

There is no deity but God

and God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest

and to God goes all praise, (We) sing the praises of God because He has shown us the Right Path. (We) gratefully thank Him because He takes care of us and looks after our interests. Islamic tradition

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the fasting of Ramadan. This has to do with the communal aspects of the fast, which expresses many of the basic values of the Muslim community. Fasting is believed by some scholars to extol fundamental distinctions, lauding the power of the spiritual realm, while acknowledging the subordination of the physical realm.



source:wikipedia.org

Miszsensei in Redmummy

http://redmummy.com/2009/09/15/bingkisan-salam-syawal-28/

English Punctuation: Usage of Comma

Commas are used for in the following situations:

Commas are used with lists.

Commas in English Grammar are a very common part English Punctuation. Commas are used to separate a list of nouns, including names), 2 or more adjectives , a list of independent clauses or any other kind of lists.

Rules For Using Commas With List

Commas are used when there are 2 or more nouns in a list (example: cats, dogs and mice).

It is common for "and" or "or" to separate the last 2 words in a list.

A comma is optional before the word "and" or "or".

Examples:

Tomorrow is going to be hot, sunny and dry.

I have to buy tomatoes, beans, peppers and a lot of onions.

Do you want to listen to rock music, Jazz or pop music?

Commas are used with addresses, dates and Titles.

Titles, Dates & Addresses

There are special puncation rules for date, names and addresses, Titles.

Rules for using commas with dates, names and addresses:

Dates - a comma is placed, between the day and the year, when the writing according to American English (Month, Day, Year - September 15, 2005.

Note: If the date is written the according to Europe (Day, Month, Year), then there is no comma.

Days and Dates - When writing the day and the date a comma is placed after the day, and follow the rules for dates (see above).

Example: Monday, July 15, 2008

Titles - A comma is place after a name followed by a title.

Example: John Brown, Ph.D.

Tim Lee, Jr.

Addresses - A comma is placed between a street and a town or city, State, and Country.

Example: 15 Fifth Avenue, Houston, England.

Commas are used with Independent and Dependent Clauses.

Independent clauses and dependent/Subordinate clauses made easy so everyone can understand!

Independent and Dependent /Subordinate Clauses

Independent Clauses	Dependent/Subordinate Clauses
A complete thought contains a subject and a predicate(object). is a complete sentence	not a complete thought contains a subject and a predicate(object). is not a complete sentence
Examples: I like to go to the store. We are going to the movies. The teachers at schools are really nice.	Examples: I like to go We are going The teacher at school

Commas are used with nonessential clauses.

Comma use with nonessential clauses, phrases and words

1. Clauses that are not sentences.

2. Clauses that provide extra information.

3. The sentence makes sense with out the nonessential clause.

Comma usage with nonessential clauses:

Commas are placed before the nonessential clause, and at the end of the nonessential clause.

Examples:

1. My English teacher, is really nice, is going to give me a letter for college.

2. The boy, that was playing in the street, that got hit by a car was my brother.

3. My neighbor, that lives on the 2nd floor, is going to take me to school tomorrow.

Commas are ued for introductry cluases, phrases and word/s.

Introductory clauses, phrases and words are:

1. Clauses, phrases or words that are not sentences.

2. Clauses, phrases or words that provide extra information.

3. The sentence makes sense with out the clause, phrase or words.

4. Clauses, phrases or words that come at the beginning of the sentence.

5. They are used as background information, extra information.

6. There can be more than one introductory clause, phrase or word in a sentences.

Commas are placed after the introductory clause, phase or words. If there is more than one introductory clause, phase or words a comma is placed after each introductory clause, phase or words.

Examples:

Wow, that was a great movie.

While I got dressed, The radio was playing a great song.

Excellent job, everyone did a really good job.

copy&paste from:

http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Punctuation_English/Introductory_Clauses_Commas.htm

What Is A Blog?

In the resent years blogs are becoming more and more popular, company's are writing blogs, famous people are writing blogs, politics of course are writing them, so what are blogs?

There are different kinds of blogs, there are:

Personal Blogs: Personal Blog's are used in different ways. There are personal blogs that are used as a diary, for family photos, personal information, infomration to family & friends, updates about personal events, such as wedding, parties etc.

Travel Blogs: Travel Blogs is a diary about someone's trip, they write entoryes about there trip, they put pictures and photos, and this is a great way to keep in touch with people far away, and let everyone know how your trip is going, what you are doing, where you are staying, without have to write letters to everyone, telling them basicly the same thing, this makes it easy for the traveller and also for the friends & family to keep people closer and more involved as to what is going on? and of course for the travel, it's a great way to keep a diary of your trip.

Bussiness Blogs: is a way for a company to keep in contact with it's client's/custermer's updated and iformed of any new infomation, ideas or company changes that will be takeing place.

Political Blogs: Well I not sure this type of blog is clear from the tittle.

School/Communtiy Blog: This is a really great way for communtiy's and schools to keep in contact with the students, parents, teachers, community with easy & quick updates, which don't cost money as mailing out updates, (mailing - I mean via post office), and of course it save money & paper which is a good thing for the everment. it is also a good way to see what people are thinking & feeling about the updates, since there is a way to leave comments.

source: http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Writing_English_ESL/Blogs/What_Are_Blogs.html

Why Do We Fast?

Fasting - Key to Good Health
Dr. Abdul-Hamid Diyan and Dr. Ahmad Qara Quz

Fasting has its advantages from the point of view of health and hygiene. Islam wants a Muslim to be healthy, clean, alert, agile and energetic.

"Fast to be healthy," had said the Prophet (s.a.w.). And physicians today acknowledge the many benefits of fasting that ensure health and the soundness of one's body and mind. Some of these positive points have a direct influence on psychology and physique of the fasting individual.

Fasting has been found to be an effective treatment for psychological and emotional disorders. It helps a person to firm up his will, cultivate and refine his taste and manners, strengthen his conviction of doing good, avoid controversy, petulance and rashness, which all contribute towards a sane and healthy personality. Besides nurturing resistance and ability to face hardships and endurance, fasting reflects on outward physical appearance by cutting out gluttony and getting rid of excess fat.

The benefits of fasting on health do not stop there but are instrumental in alleviating a number of physical diseases, including those of the digestive systems, such as chronic stomachache, inflammation of the colon, liver diseases, indigestion, and conditions such as obesity, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, asthma, diphtheria and many other maladies.

A Swiss physician Dr. Barsilus noted that: The advantages of hunger as a remedy exceed those ingesting medicine several times.

As readers are well aware, several physicians advise patients to skip meals, sometimes for a few days, before prescribing them a controlled diet.

Generally speaking, fasting hastens the destruction of the decaying tissues of the body by means of hunger, and then builds new tissues through nutrition. This is why some scientists suggest that fasting should be regarded as an effective means of restoring youthfulness and longevity. However, Islam exempts from fasting sick and old people whose health is bound to deter.

But fasting should have its regulations too, and not simply the inorderly skipping meals, that is bound to harm health and stamina, rather than improving them. Here again Islam provides the answer, and in order to realize the benefits of fasting, it recommends the late midnight meals called 'Sahar' (before the formal start of a fast) and the breaking of the fast at the time prescribed. Of course, to ensure good health one should abstain from gluttony after breaking fast.

The Glorious Month of Ramadan

The holy month of Ramazan enjoys a special importance in the Islamic calendar. As the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "It is Allah's Own month." It is the chief of all months and the most glorious one. As we already know, 'Fasting' is one of the important pillars of Islam and it is the very month of Ramazan during which fasting has been made obligatory for all adults and sane Muslims. By fasting during Ramazan, a Muslim besides discharging an obligation imposed upon him by Allah, becomes entitled to great reward in the Hereafter. On the other hand, any lapse in the matter amounts to a great sin. Fasting is an article of worship, the knowledge about the performance or otherwise whereof rests only with Allah and the person concerned. Hence, it is Allah alone who will reward that person for it, on the Day of Judgement.

The blessings of Ramazan are not limited to fasting alone, because the performance of all sorts of worship and good deeds during this month, is also a source of great Divine favor. The revelation of the Holy Qur'an commenced during this very month and it is therefore the duty of every Muslim to read and try to understand the meaning of the Holy Qur'an and thereby gain an insight into the Divine secrets enshrined therein. It brings peace and illumination to the mind and imparts purity to the soul.

Ramazan is the month of fasting, intensive prayer, sacrifice and Divine worship. Throughout this month a devout Muslim fasts during the day in the true sense of the word, that is, he had merely denies himself food and water, but as explained by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), exercises strict control over his tongue, eyes, ears, thoughts and deeds and does everything possible to seek the pleasure of Allah.

Devout supplications to Allah and repentance of one's sins during Ramazan are the sources of Divine blessings and mercy. Some nights, among the last ten nights of Ramazan, are called the 'Nights of Glory' (Layalih-al-Qadr). These are the 19th, 21st, and 23rd nights. Muslims keep awake during these nights and offer special prayers. Even among these nights, the 23rd enjoys excellence over all the others. It is accompanied by great blessings, and the supplications made to Allah during this night are usually granted by Him.

The holy month of Ramazan, besides being the month of worship and Divine blessings, carries a historical importance as well. As already mentioned above, the revelations of the Holy Qur'an commenced in this month. The epoch-making 'Battle of Badr' and the 'Conquest of Mecca' also took place during the holy month of Ramazan.

Source:
Dr. Abdul-Hamid Diyan and Dr. Ahmad Qara Quz:
"Medicine in the Glorious Qur'an."
http://www.ezsoftech.com/ramadan/Ramadan32.htm


Copy&paste from: http://www.muslimdiary.com/articles.php?article_id=1754

Yesterday's Iftar

My friends and I were invited for an iftar ....

enjoy the photos...

I had two servings of these... huhu! yummy!

September 11: Reach You

When To Use Has and Had

Has and had

“Has” and “had” can be main verbs or auxiliary (helping) verbs. “Has” is the singular simple present tense form of the verb “have” and “had” is the simple past tense and also past participle of the verb “have”. You use “has” in a sentence when the subject is a singular noun or pronoun (except for “I” and “you”) and the sentence is in the simple present tense. “Had” is used with both singular and plural subjects.


As a main verb, “have” means “to own”, but it has other meanings as well, among them “to eat”. You will have to consult a dictionary for the other meanings. Here are some examples of the use of “has” and “had” as main verbs:

“He has a cat that he is very fond of.” (has=owns)

“Shalini has breakfast at 7.30 every morning.” (has=eats)

He had a cat last year, but the cat died. (had=owned)

The students had dinner late last night. (had=ate)

“Has” is also used as an auxiliary verb in a sentence using the present perfect tense, which talks about an action that was done in the past, without giving the time when it was done. A present perfect tense verb consists of “has” or “have” + the past participle of the main verb. “Has” is used with singular subjects and “have” with plural subjects. Here are some examples:

“She has seen the film.” (has + past participle of “see”, which is “seen” and no time is given)

“My friend has gone to Egypt to study medicine.” (has + past participle of “go”, which is “gone” – no time given)

“Had” is used as an auxiliary verb in a sentence using the past perfect tense, which talks about two actions or events, one of which was completed before the other happened. A past perfect tense verb consists of “had” + the past participle of the main verb. The earlier action/event is expressed in the past perfect tense, and the later action/event in the simple past tense. Here are some examples:

“We had eaten our dinner when our friends came.”

“Ahmad had given up hope of going to a university when a letter arrived offering him a place in the university of his second choice.”

090909

Thanx to Razif n Mai - a yearly occurrence :)



Thanx to my students - it was very surprising to receive this at 11:30pm!

Iftar @ De Palma Hotel Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

For the past three days (since Thursday), we (my colleagues and I) had been staying at De Palma Hotel, Ampang for a workshop.

The best thing for having the worshop here at De Palma Hotel is their spread of food for iftar (breaking of fast).

Well.. let's have these photos do the talking (err..typing?)

Rojak Buah

RM58 for adults

RM30 for kids

eat all you want...

When To Use Says and Said

Says and said

“Says” is the singular simple present tense of the verb “say” and “said” is the simple past tense and also past participle of the verb “say”. You use “says” in a sentence when the subject is a singular noun or pronoun (except for “I” and “you”) and the sentence is in the simple present tense. “Said” is used with both singular and plural subjects. Here are some examples of their usage:

“She often says she is not pretty, but I think she is.”
“My grandma always says she is not ill, but only old.”
“Many people said hello to me at school yesterday.” (simple past tense)
“She is said to be very rich.” (past participle used with “is” to form a passive verb)



source: The Star Online - Mind Our English - Fadzillah Amin

Grammar: Verbs

VERBS

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Definition: Verbs are a class of words used to show the performance of an action (do, throw, run), existence (be), possession (have), or state (know, love) of a subject. To put it simply a verb shows what something or someone does.

For example:

• Paul rides a bicycle.
  * Here, the verb rides certainly denotes an action which Paul performs - the action of riding a bicycle.
• We buy some books to learn English verbs.
  * In this example, the action word is "to buy". It tells us that the subject "we", that is the person who performs the action of the verb is "buying some books".

The verb tense shows the time of the action or state. Aspect shows whether the action or state is completed or not. Voice is used to show relationships between the action and the people affected by it. Mood shows the attitude of the speaker about the verb, whether it is a declaration or an order. Verbs can be affected by person and number to show agreement with the subject.

Most statements in speech and writing have a main verb. These verbs are expressed in "tenses" which place everything in a point in time.

Verbs are conjugated (inflected) to reflect how they are used. There are two general areas in which conjugation occurs; for person and for tense.

Conjugation for tense
Conjugation for tense is carried out on all verbs. All conjugations start with the infinitive form of the verb.
The infinitive is simply the to form of the verb For example, to begin.
The present participle form (the -ing form), is formed by adding ing to the bare infinitive. For example, to begin - beginning.
There are two other forms that the verb can take, depending on the tense type and time, the simple past form and the past participle.

The form of the verb or its tense can tell when events take place.
For example, the verb kiss:

Present Simple kiss/kisses	Past Simple kissed	Future Simple will kiss
Present Perfect has/have kissed	Past Perfect had kissed	Future Perfect will have kissed
Present Continuous (Progressive) is/am/are kissing	Past Continuous (Progressive) was kissing	Future Continuous (Progressive) will be kissing
Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) has/have been kissing	Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive) had been kissing	Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive) will have been kissing

Conjugation for person
Conjugation for person occurs when the verb changes form, depending on whether it is governed by a first, second, or third person subject. This gives three conjugations for any verb depending on who is acting as the subject of the verb. For example: we have I begin, you begin , and he begins. Note that only the third conjunction really shows a difference.

In English, we distinguish between regular and irregular verbs. Regular verbs are those ones which form their past simple and past participle just by adding "-ed" to the base of the verb. The rest are irregular.

Examples:

• Dracula bites his victims on the neck.
• In early October, Giselle will plant twenty tulip bulbs.
• She travels to work by train.
• We walked five miles to a garage.

What Is Preposition?

PREPOSITION

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Definition: Prepositions are a class of words that indicate relationships between nouns, pronouns and other words in a sentence. Most often they come before a noun. They never change their form, regardless of the case, gender etc. of the word they are referring to.

Some common prepositions are:

about above across after against along among around at before behind below beneath beside between beyond but

by despite down during except for from in inside into like near of off on onto out

outside over past since through throughout till to toward under underneath until up upon with within without.

Prepositions typically come before a noun:

For example:

• after class
• at home
• before Tuesday
• in London
• on fire
• with pleasure

A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence.

For example:

• The book is on the table.
• The book is beside the table.
• She read the book during class.


In each of the preceding sentences, a preposition locates the noun "book" in space or in time.

Prepositions are classified as simple or compound.

Simple prepositions
Simple prepositions are single word prepositions. These are all showed above.

For example:

• The book is on the table.

Compound prepositions
Compound prepositions are more than one word. in between and because of are prepositions made up of two words - in front of, on behalf of are prepositions made up of three words.

For example:

• The book is in between War and Peace and The Lord of the Rings.
• The book is in front of the clock.

Examples:

• The children climbed the mountain without fear.
• There was rejoicing throughout the land when the government was defeated.
• The spider crawled slowly along the banister.

The following table contains rules for some of the most frequently used prepositions in English:

Prepositions of Time:

English	Usage	Example
on	days of the week	on Monday
in	months / seasons time of day year after a certain period of time (when?)	in August / in winter in the morning in 2006 in an hour
at	for night for weekend a certain point of time (when?)	at night at the weekend at half past nine
since	from a certain point of time (past till now)	since 1980
for	over a certain period of time (past till now)	for 2 years
ago	a certain time in the past	2 years ago
before	earlier than a certain point of time	before 2004
to	telling the time	ten to six (5:50)
past	telling the time	ten past six (6:10)
to / till / until	marking the beginning and end of a period of time	from Monday to/till Friday
till / until	in the sense of how long something is going to last	He is on holiday until Friday.
by	in the sense of at the latest up to a certain time	I will be back by 6 o’clock. By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.

Prepositions of Place:

English	Usage	Example
in	room, building, street, town, country book, paper etc. car, taxi picture, world	in the kitchen, in London in the book in the car, in a taxi in the picture, in the world
at	meaning next to, by an object for table for events place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)	at the door, at the station at the table at a concert, at the party at the cinema, at school, at work
on	attached for a place with a river being on a surface for a certain side (left, right) for a floor in a house for public transport for television, radio	the picture on the wall London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on the bus, on a plane on TV, on the radio
by, next to, beside	left or right of somebody or something	Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
under	on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else	the bag is under the table
below	lower than something else but above ground	the fish are below the surface
over	covered by something else meaning more than getting to the other side (also across) overcoming an obstacle	put a jacket over your shirt over 16 years of age walk over the bridge climb over the wall
above	higher than something else, but not directly over it	a path above the lake
across	getting to the other side (also over) getting to the other side	walk across the bridge swim across the lake
through	something with limits on top, bottom and the sides	drive through the tunnel
to	movement to person or building movement to a place or country for bed	go to the cinema go to London / Ireland go to bed
into	enter a room / a building	go into the kitchen / the house
towards	movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it)	go 5 steps towards the house
onto	movement to the top of something	jump onto the table
from	in the sense of where from	a flower from the garden

copy&paste from:

http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/grammar/preposition.asp

Pre-Dawn Meal

Honey Nut Delight



accompanied with this yummylicious Coco Lover


Q: What is SAHUR in English?

A: Pre-Dawn Meal