KPTM Staff Day 2008: Malam Gala Flora

The ever cheerful Ms Yanie n Ms Yaya

Red Carpet moment... Ms Elly... thanx again for the photos!! (Most of the photos here are from her camera)

Hi KPTM Kuantan...remember me?? - Special pose from Mr. Islah

Can you spot our Director?

My table; I'm the only one from KPTM Kuantan. The idea is for us to get to know each other. The girl on the right won 2nd place for Best Dress (the theme is floral;hence the big sunflowers)

Visiting other table...

Special performance from Dato' Dr. Razali Agus. He serenade us with 2 songs.

the table behind me... the guy with the hat won the 1st place for Best Dress (male)




KPTM Kemumin performing Chicken Dance. The lady in green with flowers all over her won 1st place for Best Dress (female) and the 3rd place goes to the one in black pants with hat (far right)

No...no... this lady did not win the Best Dress! hehee.... She is accepting the prize for Best Performance!!! Congratss!!

more photos from Mr. Abd. Rahman DSLR's will be uploaded soon at http://kptmkuantan.blogspot.com/

We Won!!!

Wouuhuuuu...!!!

Congratulations to all of the performers!

KPTM Kuantan won the first place for the Best Performance of Malam Gala Flora in conjunction with KPTM Staff Day 2008

KPTM Staff Day 2008: The Arrival

Thanx to Miss Elly for the photos

KPTM Staff Day 2008: The Journey

Phrasal Verb

Most of the time, I found my students having difficulties understanding a text due to the phrasal verbs used in the text.

So... hope this will help...

What is phrasal verb?

It's a verb + a particle (preposition or adverb) that changes the meaning to make a new verb.

defination from: phrasal verb demon

Here is a list of common phrasal verb;

Calm down.- Relax: Don't get so angry! Just calm down.

Carry out.- Do a task: According to a survey carried out in 1999 one in five Britons are now opting for alternative medicine.

Catch up.- Reach somebody or reach certain level: She tried to catch up with the other competitors, but they were just too fast.

Check in.- Report that you have arrived at a hotel or airport: We checked into the hotel a little after midnight.

Now you get the idea?

Here is more...

Give away.- Give something for free: I had a lot of books I didn't want to keep so I gave them away to a friend.

Look after.- Take care: She's looking after the child.

Give up.- Stop trying to do something or stop using something: Eating healthfully does not mean you have to give up everything that you enjoy

You might think that a dictionary would solve this problem, well.. not actually.. Only a few dictionaries would give you meanings for phrasal verb... so... you might opt for this

An example of phrasal verb in a dialogue...

The old doctor

An old doctor in a small town finally took a vacation. He asked his daughter, who had just graduated from medical school, to sit in for him.
When he returned home from his vacation, he asked her if anything unusual had happened.
“I cured Mrs Nathan’s chronic indigestion,” she boasted.
He blew up. “My dear, that indigestion put you through secondary school and university!”

Sit in for: To temporarily perform the duties of.

Blow up: To lose one’s temper.

Put someone through: To pay for one’s child to attend school, college or university

p/s: Did you get the joke??? :)

That's all for now...

More of phrasal verb n its meaning... from time to time...

Glory Beach Resort, Port Dickson

I'm going to PD today... wouuuhuuu....!!

This would be my third time going there since December last year!

That's the place (Glory Beach Resort) for our (KPTM) Staff Day. This would be the first, and I am really excited to be there. I just can't wait to see a special performance from KPTM Kuantan. It's going to be a traditional dance routine by... surprise...surprise... our multi-talented female lecturers, 8 of them, new n not so new lecturers led by Mdm Asz (also the choreographer). The other thing that make it more special to me is because they are using the song - "Menghilir Di Sungai Pahang" by Roslan Madun as the background music and that of course brought back fond memories of MINJAROES 2006!

Enough of that.... here is a short history of Port Dickson I got from wikipedia.org

PORT DICKSON, MALAYSIA

This small town used to produce charcoal, but it was later developed as a small port by the British during the Strait Settlement period. Port Dickson was also known as Tanjung. In Malay language that means "cape". The oldest shophouses were the four situated presently at Jalan Lama. There was also a carbon mine at the first mile of the coast road (Jalan Pantai), and therefore Port Dickson was also called "Arang" (charcoal) in the Malay language.

Tin ore was plentiful in Lukut, an area within the Port Dickson district, during the 1820's, and it attracted Chinese immigrant miners. The British considered the area to have great potential as a harbour. It was intended to supersede the port in Pengkalan Kempas. The in-charge officer's name was Dickson, and thereafter the town was named Port Dickson. Others claim that Sir John Frederick Dickson founded Port Dickson and Pulau Arang in 1889.

KPTM Staff Day!! Woowwhuu..!!

KPTM Kuantan will be presenting a very special performance...

something that is Authentically Pahang!! woowwhuu....

New Students

These two photos were taken during the Oath Taking Ceremony for the new students on 11 Dec 2008

Photo Book

The photographer that we (the college) hired for the Jubli Perak event sent us this...

Just like a pizza box right?

A photo book....

One of my favourite photos of the event

Paddington Bear

I am collecting Paddington Bear stamps.... if you have any extra stamps... you know who to give it to.. hehe...

Guessing Game: Strange Looking Fruit

What is the name of this fruit?

Is it Buah Nona ??

From my little research here

I found that....

There are so many types of Buah Nona or Annona. This one for example is called Sugar Apple with the scientific name Annona Squamosa

This one is Custard Apple or Annona Reticulata.

Anyway... the question that I posed earlier has not been answered....

Do you have the answer?

.

Updated - 16 dec 2008

Yess.. it's Nona Filipina... hehe...

From Annona's family, dunno its scientific name...

Anglophobia

Thanx to Mr. K.A for suggesting me to come up with this entry.

What is Anglophobia?

It is the fear of the English or English culture.

"English" here does not mean English Language, but it is referring to the English people;
ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English

Here are more of 'interesting' phobias


Ablutophobia — fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning.
Acrophobia, Altophobia — fear of heights.
Agoraphobia, without Panic Disorder — fear of places or events where escape is impossible or when help is unavailable.
Agraphobia — fear of sexual abuse.
Algophobia — fear of pain.
Anglophobia — fear of the English or English culture.
Anthropophobia — fear of people or being in a company, a form of social phobia.
Anthrophobia — fear of flowers.
Aquaphobia, Hydrophobia — fear of water.
Astraphobia, Astrapophobia, Brontophobia, Keraunophobia — fear of thunder, lightning and storms; especially common in young children.
Autophobia — fear of being alone.
Aviophobia, Aviatophobia — fear of flying.
Bacillophobia, Bacteriophobia, Microbiophobia — fear of microbes and bacteria.
Blood-injection-injury type phobia — a DSM-IV subtype of specific phobias
Cibophobia, Sitophobia — aversion to food, synonymous to Anorexia nervosa.
Claustrophobia — fear of confined spaces.
Coulrophobia — fear of clowns (not restricted to evil clowns).
Decidophobia — fear of making decisions.
Dental phobia, Dentophobia, Odontophobia — fear of dentists and dental procedures.
Dysmorphophobia, or body dysmorphic disorder — a phobic obsession with a real or imaginary body defect.
Emetophobia — fear of vomiting.
Ergasiophobia, Ergophobia — fear of work or functioning, or a surgeon's fear of operating.
Ergophobia — fear of work or functioning.
Erotophobia — fear of sexual love or sexual questions.
Erythrophobia — pathological blushing.
Gephyrophobia — fear of bridges.
Genophobia, Coitophobia — fear of sexual intercourse.
Glossophobia — fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.
Gymnophobia — fear of nudity.
Gynophobia — fear of women.
Haptephobia — fear of being touched.
Heliophobia — fear of sunlight.
Hemophobia, Haemophobia — fear of blood.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia — fear of the number 666.
Hoplophobia — fear of weapons, specifically firearms (Generally a political term but the clinical phobia is also documented).
Ligyrophobia — fear of loud noises.
Lipophobia — fear/avoidance of fats in food.
Mysophobia — fear of germs, contamination or dirt.
Necrophobia — fear of death, the dead.
Neophobia, Cainophobia, Cainotophobia, Cenophobia, Centophobia, Kainolophobia, Kainophobia — fear of newness, novelty.
Nomophobia — fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
Nosophobia — fear of contracting a disease.
Nyctophobia, Achluophobia, Lygophobia, Scotophobia — fear of darkness.
Osmophobia, Olfactophobia — fear of smells.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia, Paraskevidekatriaphobia, Friggatriskaidekaphobia — fear of Friday the 13th.
Panphobia — fear of everything or constantly afraid without knowing what is causing it.
Phagophobia — fear of swallowing.
Phonophobia — fear of loud sounds.
Pyrophobia — fear of fire.
Radiophobia — fear of radioactivity or X-rays.
Sociophobia — fear/dislike of society or people in general (see also "sociopath").
Scopophobia — fear of being looked at or stared at.
Somniphobia — fear of sleep.
Spectrophobia — fear of mirrors and one's own reflections.
Spheksophobia — fear of wasps.
Taphophobia — fear of the grave, or fear of being placed in a grave while still alive.
Technophobia — fear of technology (see also Luddite).
Tetraphobia — fear of the number 4.
Tokophobia — fear of childbirth.
Tomophobia — fear or anxiety of surgeries/surgical operations.
Traumatophobia — a synonym for injury phobia, a fear of having an injury
Trichophobia — fear caused of loose hairs on clothing or elsewhere.
Triskaidekaphobia, Terdekaphobia — fear of the number 13.
Trypanophobia, Aichmophobia, Belonephobia, Enetophobia — fear of needles or injections.
Xenophobia — fear of strangers, foreigners, or aliens.

copy&paste from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/-phobia

English As A Second Language

I'm thinking of getting myself this book... but at home... I already have a full shelf of newly pruchased books on queue...

In this wickedly funny first novel—think Legally Blonde in Oxford—a young New York woman exchanges her corporate job for a year of books, blokes, beers, and new best friends in graduate school in England.
Alexandra Brennan is fed up with her dead end New York City job—and even more fed up of running into her smug ex-boyfriend. So when he crosses the line by telling her that she'll never get into graduate school in the United Kingdom, that's precisely what she does. ----

by Megan Crane

It's Not Always Black and White

Let’s take a brief look at just some of the references to colour in English:

Red
Red (Communism or Socialism).
Red faced (Embarrassed).
In the red (Owing money).
A red rag to a bull (Something which makes a person angry).
Caught-red handed (Caught in the act of doing something wrong).
Red herring (Something that takes attention away from the main subject or event).
Redskins (A slightly derogatory term for native American “Indians”).
Red tape (Bureaucracy and officialdom).
Red letter day (A day to remember an important event).
Paint the town red (Go out and have fun).

Blue

Feeling blue (Depressed).
The Blues (Music reflecting human hardship, poverty and broken-down relationships).
Blue movie/joke (Sexually explicit movie/joke).
Blue sky thinking (Open to new ideas and suggestions).
Blue-blooded (Royal or aristocratic).
True blue (Loyal, faithful, staunch).
Once in a blue moon (Very seldom).
Out of the blue (Unexpected).
Blue collar (Working-class person).

Green

Greenhorn (Naïve, inexperienced person).
Green belt (The undeveloped area surrounding a city).
Greenhouse gases (Pollutants and emissions which are causing an atmospheric temperature rise).
Green-fingered (Skilled at gardening).
Give the green light (Give approval).

Brown

Brown nose (A “yes man”, a boot licker, a sycophant).
Browned off (Annoyed).

Pink (Yeah I know...this is not pink.. )

In the pink (A now unused and old-fashioned term for being in good health).

Yellow

Yellow (Cowardly).
Yellow skin (A slightly derogatory term for an East Asian person, usually Chinese).

Orange

Orange (A supporter of the Orange Lodge, or Protestantism).

Grey

A grey day (Cloudy or wet weather).
A grey area (Not clear, not legally defined).
Grey matter (Referring to one’s intelligence).

Black

Black Power (A power struggle against white supremacy).
Black eye (A bruised eye).
Black tie (Formal dress, in evening wear).
Black magic (Evil magic).
Black market (Illegal trading).
Black Maria (A vehicle for transporting prisoners).
A black day (A bad day, a financial loss).
The Black Death (Disease in Mediaeval times spread by rats, similar to the bubonic plague).
Black-hearted (Mean-spirited, cruel and unmerciful).
Pitch black/Jet black (Very black in colour).
Blackmail (To procure money, or favours, by means of intimidation and threatening to expose a secret).
Blackout (No electricity, no lights, a loss of consciousness).
Black sheep of the family (Someone who does not meet the expectations or standards of the rest of the family).
Black and blue (Badly bruised).

White

White elephant (Something expensive yet unused).
White lie (A slight untruth told to avoid trouble).
White collar (Management or office personnel, professional middle class).
White magic (Magic used for good purposes).


There we have it, a rainbow of English expressions which can delight or disgust, amuse or annoy. So if you show your “true colours” and let others see how good your language skills can be, I’m sure you’ll bring colour to future conversations or successfully pass an English exam with “flying colours”.


Vance Carson currently teaches in Libya and has previously taught English at SMAPK, Kajang.

copy&paste from here

CD

Nice ay...... it's a cd of still photos from the event...

click here to see photos from that cd

Filler Entry: Mistakes In Advertising

Here are some silly English mistakes from people who really should know better:-

COCA COLA

When Coca Cola was first introduced into China they named it Ke-Kou-Ke-La. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax", depending on the dialect.

Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent: Ko-Kou-Ko-Le, which can be roughly translated as "happiness in the mouth." (have you seen what it can do to teeth?).


PEPSI

Not to be outdone by Coke when Pepsi started a marketing campaign in Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."


copy&paste from here

Salam Aidil Adha

Just want to wish all of you out there.... Selamat Hari Raya Qurban...

Yam Cake anyone? RM14 only!!

KPTM Kuantan Blog

In conjunction with KPTM Silver Jubilee celebration, I've created a blog to commemorate the event.

http://kptmkuantan.blogspot.com

Books: English Fast & Easy

I saw this book at Popular Bookstore the other day....

It opens up like a table calendar...

one phrasel verb a day...

the price? erkkk... that you have to find it out yourself....