Something Tragic

When I got home last night... I found this scene at my door...



That's Ibu, our cat...




and she is enjoying her dinner!



euuwww....!



sorry..... hhehe... I didn't ruin your breakfast...right? hehe.. huhu...

MUET: Writing Questions

MUET: Listening Questions

I hope this is not against the law... hehe... If it's a No.. No... do let me know ok...


it clearly stated that after the exam is over this document is no longer CONFIDENTIAL..



click photo to enlarge...

Mock Meeting For PPB 244 - Business Communication Class

My PPB 244 class had a mock meeting session last week. This is actually part of the class evaluation.



The first group... well prepared... they even had mineral water...



very serious... huhu



the second group... deep in a discussion


the only male group... they had quite a relax meeting... hehe


say senseiiiii... hehe...

English Fast n Easy: Get By

Good English Magazine For Students

It's Friday! Yey! (But I still have to come to work on Sunday... pheww..)

Anyway.... when I attended this event, I was seated next to a guy from BERNAMA, upon knowing that I am a sensei teaching English to diploma level students... he had this to ask..

What is the best English Magazine for students?

Reader's Digest of course!

But, for lower level students, to encourage them to read and enjoy what there are reading...

I would like to suggest this magazine....









Lots of interesting articles featured in this magazine.

Complimentary vs Complementary

Happy Thursday people! One more day today before we hit the weekend.. hehe..

I've received an email from Pearson Brown talking about complimentary and complementary.


Complimentary and complementary are two different words

One comes from compliment - "saying nice things".

For example:

Aleya complimented him on his drama performance.
Many people paid him compliments.
She was very complimentary about his work.


One comes from complement - "goes well together".

This new system complements the existing system, it doesn't replace it.
The jewellery complemented her dress beautifully.
We make a great team. Our skills complement each other perfectly.


So which form is better to use to mean a *free* drink?

In American English, the answer is clear. It's a complimentary drink.

In British English, I've seen both forms used. Look, for example, at this Web page from a language school in Oxford.

http://www.oxfordenglishexperience.co.uk/index.php/courses-and-pricing

According to Brown; I think I was wrong to write 'complementary drink'. The expression certainly started in the United States and I think that we should use the US form. I've checked up in the new Macmillan online dictionary and it says the correct term is 'complimentary drink'.



source: an excerpt from an email sent from Pearson Brown

My Sunday

Epsilon Babies

Damia - Along



Haziq - Angah




Wardiah - Acu (not for long though.. she's gonna be ateh/achik soon)

Boyzone : Stephen Gately Passed Away

Stephen Gately has died aged 33

Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, has died at the of age 33.

The Irish pop singer and writer appeared on the West End stage as 'Joseph' in "Joseph and the Amazing Technocolor Dreamcoat" at the New London Theatre in 2003, and the Child Catcher in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" at the London Palladium in 2004.

It is reported that Stephen Gately had been on holiday with his long-term partner Andy Cowles when he died on Saturday.

The News of the World's showbusiness editor Dan Wootton told BBC News Gately had gone out for drinks, returned to his accommodation and gone to sleep, but never woke up.

source: http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/news/oc09/stephengately333208.htm

MUET: Writing (90minutes)

This paper comprises two writing tasks: transfering information from a non-linear source to a linear text and a piece of extended writing. The stimulus may take the form of linear and/or non-linear texts.

MUET:Listening Paper

For this paper, candidates will be required to listen to recorded texts twice and answer questions on them.

There is a total of 20 questions consisting of information transfer, short answer question, 3-option multiple-choice questions and 4-option multiple-choice questions.

MUET: Reading

MUET - Paper 3: Reading (90 minutes)

This paper comprises 45 multiple-choice questions based on passages from texts which may be taken from journals, newpapers, magazines, and academic and electronic sources. Questions are in the form of 3 -option multiple-choice and 4 option multiple-choice questions.

MUET Speaking

To those who are taking MUET, here is a brief explanation on MUET - Speaking component.

MUET Speaking component is divided into two parts; Task A (Individual Presentation) and Task B (Group Interaction).

For the individual presentation (task A) Candidates will be given 2 minutes to prepare for the given task and 2 minutes to present. Candidates will also listen to the other candidates while they are making their presentations and take down notes for the group interaction.

For the group interaction (4 to a group - 10minutes), candidates will be given 2 minutes to prepare points to support or oppose the other candidates' views. After listening to everyone in the group, candidates will try to come to a consensus (agreement).

30mins
weightage 15%
maximum score 45

100th Follower: The Search Continues

On Monday I made an announcement that I am looking for the 100th follower for this blog.

You might ask, why

Well... it is just for fun.. to spice up this blog...

so... 7 more followers to go...


the search continues.....



p/s: the 100th follower will get a mystery gift? hahaha... maybe...

MUET

It's the time of the year again... the most famous keyword that leads to this blog is MUET, 100 of readers got here by searching 'MUET'. I hope they do get whatever the are searching for from this blog.

The reason why many of the hits from the keyword 'MUET' simply because today is the first day of MUET Speaking!



All the best with your MUET

100th Follower

I am looking for the 100th follower....

Loving It.... lalalala....

Handsome boy...



flowers from PICC now on our dining table...




this is IBU, her kitten just died few days ago... got hit n run... by.... opsss... huhu

Essay Writing

Essay writing



Narrative Essay

E.g “Write a story beginning with: I never knew what happiness was until….” or “Write a story ending with: Finally, he walked away without saying a word.”

Descriptive Essay

E.g. “The worst day in my life”

factual/expository

E.g. “The Effects of Pollution” or “Ways to Make School Interesting”

Argumentative Essay

E.g. “Students should be allowed to wear casual clothes to school. Do you agree?”

one-word essays

E.g. “Freedom”

General guidelines for continuous writing:

Read and consider all the questions given.

Do not make the mistake of selecting the first question that you read or a question which you think is manageable. You might realise later that you could have handled another question with much more ease.

Choose a topic that you are familiar or comfortable with.

Select a topic which is within your experience so that you will not have to struggle with the content.

Opt for a topic which is within your linguistic ability.

Do not select a topic just because you think it is challenging. This is not the time for experimentation.

For weak students, it is always advisable to write a narrative.

Plan your essay – the outline/organisation, points/ideas/thoughts, and supporting points (if you are writing an argumentative or factual essay).

Write out your essay in neat and legible handwriting. Small or untidy handwriting, or a combination of both, can be very annoying as the reader has to spend valuable time deciphering what you have written.

Write in paragraphs.

You may leave a line between paragraphs as it is easier on the examiner’s eye.

Edit and revise language if necessary.

Allocate 10 minutes for this, and make sure spelling and punctuation are accurate.

Narrative Essays

This week we will focus on narrative essays, which are a favourite among students. As mentioned earlier, narrative writing is a better option for weak students.

Guidelines to remember when writing a narrative essay:

You have to decide whether to write your essay from your own perspective or someone else’s.

The first person or third person singular is the most popular voice. If you choose to write from your own perspective, then use the first person singular i.e. ‘I’. If you choose to write from someone else’s perspective, use third person pronouns (he, she, it). Be consistent in your choice of pronouns. Do not switch perspectives mid-way through the essay.

The choice of pronoun also depends on the question. In the question “Write a story beginning with: I was tired and…”, you have to use the first person singular ‘I’.

Engage your reader. Make the story real for him. Make him involved in your experience.

Have a simple plot. You will be better off using the chronological order. Flashbacks are a wonderful device where you merge the past with the present. But be careful; only engage in this method if you can carry it off.

Use only the simple past tense if you cannot handle the past perfect tense.

However, you will need to use the past perfect tense if you are referring to more than one action in the past.

Bring your characters to life. Make them real. Make them memorable. It is always more interesting to read about flawed characters.

Use nouns, verbs and adjectives to evoke your reader’s senses.

You may use dialogue, but use it sparingly and effectively. Remember you are writing a narrative, not a script.

Before you write your essay, it is a good idea to plan what you are going to write.

A good narrative should have:

An introduction

This is to set the scene and present the character/characters

Complications or problems

In your story, the character/characters might have a problem to overcome.

A climax

A good story should have a climax which is the most exciting part of the story

A resolution (end)

Never leave your story hanging although accomplished writers use this technique (which is called an open ending) to get their readers to confront certain issues the writer may have raised in his story.

A resolution tells how the complications/problems were resolved or how they (the problems) affected the characters.

Specific guidelines for continuous writing:

Make sure your essay is longer than 350 words.

This means that you need to develop your essay/ideas to a considerable degree.

Avoid lengthy essays.

Some students believe that they will obtain more marks if they write a lengthy piece. This is definitely not true, especially if your essay has considerable grammatical errors.

Do not waste time counting the number of words.

By now you should be able to gauge how many words you write on one page, so do not waste precious time counting the number of words in your essay.

Pay attention to language.

As in directed writing, avoid informal language, clichés, contractions and slang words.

Avoid using unnecessary idiomatic expressions/proverbs.

Some students have this notion that they will obtain more marks if they use idiomatic expressions/proverbs, and so, they memorise as many idiomatic expressions/proverbs as they can.

Reading an essay littered with idiomatic expressions/proverbs can be a pain. Also, not all idiomatic expressions are formal.

Use a variety of sentences (simple, compound, complex and compound-complex) of varying lengths.

We will look at these in the next article.

Use precise vocabulary.

E.g. He told me to be careful as there were crocodiles in the river.

He warned me to be careful as there were crocodiles in the river.

The word ‘warned’ is more precise.

Do not use spoken language.

These days, it is quite common to come across the usage of spoken language not only in newspaper articles, but also in magazines and novels.

Remember, there are differences between spoken and written language.

If you are unsure whether a phrase is spoken or written, ask your teachers.

Do not leave your sentences hanging.

Remember, every English sentence must have a subject and a verb.

E.g. “I saw many types of marine life. For example, seahorses and starfish.” (The second sentence is hanging.)

Do not use repetitive words, phrases or structures.

a) Examples of repetitive words:

i. It was a very hot day. I was feeling very thirsty.

(You could replace the word ‘very’ with ‘extremely’ in the second sentence.)

ii. My mother scolded me for coming home late. My father, who was just as angry, scolded me for not listening to his advice.

(You could use ‘admonished’ instead of ‘scolded’ in the second sentence.)

b) Examples of repetitive phrases:

i. Murni and I were best friends. We had been best friends since kindergarten. We had promised to remain best friends till the end of our lives.

(You could rewrite it this way: Murni and I were best friends. We had been close since kindergarten. We had pledged to maintain our friendship till the end of our lives.)

ii. It was the end of the year. My father had promised to take us on a holiday. He had promised to take us to Perth.

(There are several ways to rewrite this:

It was the end of the year. My father had promised to take us on a holiday. He told us that we would be going to Perth that year.

It was the end of the year. My father had promised to take us on a holiday to Perth.)

c) Examples of repetitive sentences:

My mother is one person who is admired by many people. She is a strong and determined person. She does not let problems stop her from doing what she wants. She sees problems as challenges.

(As you can see the structure ‘She…’ is repeated as in ‘She is… She does not… She sees…’

Learn to use other structures to overcome this problem.

‘My mother is one person who is admired by many people. She is strong and determined. Problems do not stop her from doing what she wants. According to her, problems are challenges.’)

*You may, however, use repetitive structures for emphasis.

Avoid redundancy,

E.g. “In my opinion, I think…”

‘In my opinion’ and ‘I think’ have the same meaning.

E.g. “It was a happy and merry occasion. I felt satisfied and contented.”

The words ‘happy and merry’ mean the same thing, so does ‘satisfied and contented’.

Here is a sample question:

Write an essay ending with “... with tears in her eyes, she hugged me tightly.”

Sample answer

It was the wettest December I had ever experienced. The torrential rains had ruined my holiday plans as floods continued to wreak havoc in several states. I had pleaded with dad to allow me to go to the east coast with my friends but he had been unyielding. The thought of having to stay indoors for the next two weeks was not only depressing but also unbearable. Television did not excite me anymore. I was fed up of watching the same old movies on cable television. Even the other channels had nothing exciting to offer. Finally, I decided to go into the attic to retrieve some books which I had not read for a long time.

The attic was surprisingly clean - a sign that mum had finally completed the chore that she had kept putting off. I looked around and noticed a teak chest that I had never seen before. Curiosity got the better of me and I walked towards it. I lifted the lid slowly and was pleasantly surprised to see a variety of things in it – all of them reminders of my childhood. I looked nostalgically at the clothes I had worn as a child and the toys I had played with. ‘Bobo’ the teddy bear, which I had slept with until I was ten, had been dry-cleaned and kept in a box which also contained the first Mother’s Day card I had made myself. I was not prepared for what I saw next. Lying at the bottom of the cardboard box was an old black and white photograph of a young woman. I stared at it incredulously. It was as if I was looking at a female version of myself. All sorts of questions and dreadful thoughts flooded my mind. I held the photograph tightly in my hand and dashed out of the attic, only to bump into my mother.

“Mum....who is this?” I asked in a quivering voice.

From the look on her face, I knew it was a question she did not want to answer. Quietly, she held my hand and led me towards the study where dad had been working all morning. She knocked on the door once before opening it. Dad looked up, and his expression of annoyance disappeared when he saw the photograph in my hand.

What I heard that day is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. The woman in the photograph was my mother, my biological mother — Lily Lee.

“Son, Lily loved you very much; just as much as Janet here loves you.”

Dad’s use of the past tense made me uncomfortable. It took a great deal of effort on his part to narrate the painful past.

My biological mother was six months pregnant when the incident happened. She had been walking towards her office when a motorcyclist came from behind and grabbed her handbag before speeding off. As a result of the sudden assault, she had lost her balance and fallen on the kerb. The head injuries she had sustained had a devastating effect on her health. The only option was to perform surgery, but due to her condition, this option was risky. The doctors had wanted to terminate her pregnancy to save her life but she had refused. A month later she fell into a coma. Although the doctors had given up hope, Lily continued to live, though in a comatose state. It was as if she was not giving up on life till her baby was born. When the doctors deemed it safe, they performed an emergency C-section. Lily breathed her last the moment I was born into this world.

Dad sobbed softly as he finished relating the heart-wrenching story. All sorts of emotions consumed me. I was sad, confused and angry. Was I adopted? What about my father? Who was he? Had he abandoned me? After a while, I braved myself and stated what I thought was obvious.

“So, that means you are not my real parents. I am adopted!”

“No, son. You are not adopted. I am your father. Lily was my first wife. She made me promise her that I would marry her younger sister, Janet, so that you would not grow up motherless.”

The sense of relief that I felt at that moment was indescribable. I looked at mum and I saw the pain and anguish in her eyes, as though she was anticipating rejection. Quickly, she looked down.

Slowly, I got up from my chair and walked towards her. I went down on my knees and held her hands in mine. Her eyes remained downcast, fearful of rejection.

“Mum, I know I am only seventeen but I am more mature than you think. You might not have given birth to me but you are and will always be my mother.” I comforted her as much as I comforted myself.

She looked up slowly, her eyes searching my face for sincerity. Then with tears in her eyes, she hugged me tightly.



source: the star

Wishin' and Hopin' - Ani DiFranco

Wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin',
Planning and dreamin' each night of his charms.
That won't get you into his arms

So if your're looking for love you can share
All you gotta to is hold him, and kiss him, and love him,
And show him that you care.

Show him that you care, just for him.
Do the things that he likes to do.
Wear your hair just for him, 'cause,
You won't get him, thinkin' and a prayin',
Wishin' and hopin'.

'Cause wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin',
Planning and dreamin' his kisses will start.
That won't get you into his heart!

So if you're thinking how great true love is
All you gotta to is hold him, and kiss him, and squeeze him, and love him.
Yeah, just do it!
And after you do, you will be his.

You gotta show him that you care just for him.
Do the things that he likes to do.
Wear your hair just for him, 'cause,
You won't get him, thinkin' and a prayin',
Wishin' and a hopin'.

'Cause wishin', and hopin', and thinkin', and prayin',
Planning and dreamin' his kisses will start.
That won't get you into his heart!

So if you're thinking how great true love is!

All you gotta to is hold him, and kiss him, and squeeze him, and love him.
Yeah, just do it!
And after you do, you will be his.

You will be his.

You will be his!


or rather IT WILL BE MINE.... huhu



Canon EOS 1000D Kit with 18-55mm IS Lens



owhhh.. he took my breath away..... huhu

Specifications

Canon EOS 1000D digital SLR camera review : With the introduction of the new EOS 1000D, Canon move into the 'thousand' series for the first time, that is: with digital SLR cameras. If you can still picture the analogue EOS SLR cameras, you will probably recall the entry level EOS 5000 model. Canon follow the same strategy for the digital EOS, and seem to have opened the door completely in order to ensure that the D-SLR camera can become a reality for every consumer. It is quite obvious that the Canon EOS 1000D is meant to be the first one in a new series of future models.

Canon EOS 1000D entry-level DSLR
Although it may seem as if Canon are forcing a breakthrough similar to that of 2003; when they did so splendidly with the introduction of the EOS 300D, the tables seemed to have turned somewhat. The competition has not been resting over the past few years, and various bodies have appeared on the market with comparable specifications to Canon's showpiece of the entry level DSLRs segment. In addition, slightly stripped-down bodies started to appear, which were able to conquer a market share thanks to their sharp price as a marketing weapon. The Canon EOS 1000D has to consolidate Canon’s grip on the entry level segment, whilst at the same time making sure not to undermine the position of the EOS 450. Therefore, it is a deliberate move.

Canon EOS 1000D features
The Canon EOS 1000D has a small size and features a 10 Megapixel sensor, a 2.5 inch sized monitor, 7 points auto focus and Live View with contrast as well as phase detection. Our first acquaintance with the camera was accompanied by comparable sayings. Notably; the Canon 1000D looks exactly like an EOS 450D and; the EOS 1000D is the offspring of the EOS 400D. Whatever you say; the Canon EOS 1000D is a most interesting camera for the beginning DSLR photographer, and at this time and moment it is Canon's answer to the competition in a time where the digital SLR camera is blooming.

Canon 1000D review; test in practise & Technical DIWA test
Prior to the Photokina 2008, which will be held in Cologne, Germany and can't be missed by a single photo enthusiast, the Canon EOS 1000D stands at the cradle of a new generation of EOS cameras. At least, that is the expectation of many of us. Built around the famous DIGIC III processor, the new EOS DSLR is supposed to fully engage in battle with the current assortment of the competition, and with what it still to come in the near future. An extremely interesting time for us and for the photography enthusiast. We had the Canon EOS 1000D in the office for a short period of time to examine it thoroughly. Additionally, the EOS 1000D has been carefully tested in our DIWA Lab.

• 10.1 MP CMOS sensor
• Up to 3fps
• 7-point wide-area AF
• Self-Cleaning Image Sensor
• 2.5” LCD with Live View mode
• DIGIC III processor
• SD/SDHC card slot
• Picture Styles processing
• Compact and lightweight
• Compatible with EF/EF-S lenses and EX Speedlites

Can You Answer This?

What belongs to you, but is used more by other?

Futsal

I signed up to participate in a futsal match this saturday night (what was I thinking? Me playing Futsal?? haha)

So, let's educate ourselves on the history and rules of the futsal game.

Futsal is a variant of association football that is mainly played indoors. Its name is derived from the Portuguese fut ebol de sal ão and the Spanish fút bol sal a/de sal ón, which can be translated as 'salon football'. In Madrid 1985 the name fútbol de saló and all other names the game was called were changed officially and internationally into FUTSAL.

Futsal is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper, and up to seven substitutes per team. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regulation football.The rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces

History

Futsal was started in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930 when Juan Carlos Ceriani created a version of football for competition in YMCAs.^[3] In Brazil, this version developed on the streets of Sao Paulo, and eventually a rule book was published. The sport began to spread across South America, and its popularity ensured that a governing body was formed under the name of FIFUSA (Federación Internacional de Fútbol de Salón) in 1971, along with the World Championships. The first FIFUSA World Championships were held in São Paulo, with hosts Brazil crowned champions ahead of Paraguay and Uruguay. Even more countries participated in the second World Championships held in Madrid in 1985.^[4] Due to a dispute between FIFA and FIFUSA over the administration of fútbol, FIFUSA coined the word fut-sal in 1985.

FIFA took control of the World Championships in 1989. Under new rules made by FIFA, the technical aspects of the game for players and spectators were improved. The linesmen were replaced with a second referee and there were unlimited substitutions.^[5] It also introduced a size 4 football, which was weighted to reduce bounce by 30% compared to a conventional ball, which enabled faster play and, for the first time, scoring goals with the head.

As international governing bodies of futsal, FIFA and AMF are responsible for maintaining and promulgating the official rules of their respective versions of futsal. Like football, futsal has 'laws' that define all aspects of the game, including what may be changed to suit local competitions and leagues. There are seventeen laws in the Futsal Laws of the Game.^[8]

Players, equipment and officials

The Brazil futsal team line up before a match.

There are five players on each team, one of whom is the goalkeeper. The maximum number of substitutes allowed is seven, with unlimited substitutions during the match. Substitutes can come on even when the ball is in play.^[9] If a team has fewer than three players in the team, the match is abandoned.^[10]

The kit is made up of a jersey or shirt with sleeves, shorts, socks, shinguards made out of rubber or plastic and shoes with rubber soles. The goalkeeper is allowed to wear long trousers and a different coloured kit, to distinguish himself from the other players in the team and the referee. Jewellery is not allowed, as are other items that could be dangerous to themselves or other players.^[11]

The match is controlled by a referee who enforce the Laws of the Game, and the first referee is the only one who can abandon the match because of interference from outside the pitch. This referee is also assisted by a second referee. The decisions made by the referees are final, and can only be changed if the referees think it is necessary and play has not restarted.^[12] There is also a third referee and a timekeeper, who are provided with equipment to keep a record of fouls in the match. In the event of injury to the referee or second referee, the third referee will replace the second referee. ^[13]

The pitch

The pitch is a made up of wood or artificial material, although any flat, smooth and non-abrasive material may be used. The length of the pitch is in the range 38–42 m (42-46 yd) and the width is in the range 18-25m in international matches. For other matches, it can be from 25-42m (27-46 yd)in length, while the width can be 15-25m (16-27 yd), as long as the length of the longer boundary lines (touchlines) are greater than the shorter boundaries where the goals are placed (goal lines)^[14]. The ceiling must be at least 4 m (4 yd) high.^[15] A rectangular goal is positioned at the middle of each goal line. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 3 m (3 yd) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2m (2 yd) above the ground. Nets made of hemp, jute or nylon are attached to the back of the goalposts and crossbar. The lower part of the nets shall be attached to curved tubing or another suitable means of support. The depth of the goal is 80 cm at the top and 1m at the bottom.^[16]

A futsal arena in Tokyo.

In front of each goal is an area known as the penalty area. This area is created by drawing quarter circles with a 6 m (7 yd) radius from the goal line, centred on the goalposts. The upper part of each quarter circle is then joined by a 3.16m (3.46 yd) line running parallel to the goal line between the goalposts. The line marking the edge of the penalty area is known as the penalty area line. The penalty area marks where the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball with his hands. The penalty mark is six metres from the goal line when it reaches the middle of the goalposts. The second penalty mark is 10 metres (11 yd) from the goal line when it reaches the middle of the goalposts. A penalty kick from the penalty spot is awarded if a player commits a foul inside the penalty area.The second penalty spot is used if a player commits his team’s sixth foul in the opposing team’s half or in his own half in the area bordered by the halfway line and an imaginary line parallel to the halfway line passing through the second penalty mark, the free kick shall be taken from the second penalty mark.



source: wikipedia

Here Is A Little Something To Cheer Up A Good Friend

If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me. ~Author Unknown

English Fast n Easy: Get Back To Someone