Welcome May, Welcome Happiness (^_^)

1st MAY. Finally my favourite month approached~! Today is going to be a great SPECIAL day to start off the wonderful month, and also to a new happier me~! Went Stampark Swimming Pool with Florence and friends as early as 8am, visited Kinesis Wellness @ Stampark. A cool fitness centre, but kinda costly to be member. Anyway, just to introduce to you guys (West Msia friends, who are reading) that kuching too, have great and beautiful places~ So, faster grab the cheapest air ticket and visit Kuching~!




An oasis of calm and serenity, a perfect blend of luxury and nature where even time pauses for a break... Waterpark is part of the extensive integrated leisure and recreational hub featuring sports, recreational and entertainment facilities to promote a wholesome lifestyle for the family.



Discover your 'chi' of life at Waterpark. Relax at our Leisure Pool or challenge yourself at our Olympic cum Diving Pool, while your kids wade and splash around at the Kids' Pool.




Operating Hours
Monday 1.30pm to 8.00pm
Tuesday to Friday 9.00am to 8.00pm
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday 9.00am to 9.00pm


Entry Fee
Above 12 years old RM5.50 per entry
Below 12 years old RM3.00 per entry


Season Pass
Category Above 12 years old Below 12 years old
1 Month RM70 RM29
3 Months RM165 RM74
6 Months RM295 RM125
1 Year RM495 RM225


* Operating hours and rates quoted may be changed without prior notice.

For more details, Tel: 082-463869, Fax: 082-464536

H1N1 Swine Flu

Swine Flu! Gosh, the frigtful SARS was over just few years ago, now this. What is Swine Flu? From what I learnt from mum, it is the fourth serious influenza that causes human death. SARS was one pandemic all of us knew. The first sudden outbreak caused 5000 deaths in Germany, which happened decade ago, somewhere at 1930. Scary! For now, thousands have been infected, the 23-months old baby was reported as the first death in US. It is aa respeiratory diesease of pigs caused by a type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. People dealing with pigs are at a higher risk of being infected compared to the public. This virus causes high levels of illness but low death rates in pigs. (do correct me if i got the facts wrong)

Ciri-ciri H1N1?
Kinda of similar to regular human seasonal influenza :
1) fever
2) lethargy
3) lack of appetite
4) coughing.
5) runny nose
6) sore throat
7) nausea
8) vomiting
9) diarrhea.

Latest update:
As of 17:00 GMT, 30 April 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 257 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.

The United States Government has reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 97 confirmed human cases of infection, including seven deaths.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (19), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).



The streak of sunlight in the deep dark cold cave:
There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products. Guys, be rajin, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis. P/s seek medical attention if saw any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

5 Highly Recommended Classics to Indulge In

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter (1850) is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.


Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's only novel. It was first published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, and a posthumous second edition was edited by her sister Charlotte.

The name of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors on which the story centres (as an adjective, wuthering is a Yorkshire word referring to turbulent weather). The narrative tells the tale of the all-encompassing and passionate, yet thwarted, love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys them and many around them.


The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Awakening is a short novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. It is widely considered to be a proto-feminist precursor to American modernism. The novel chronicles the life of Edna Pontellier, the book’s protagonist, as she examines her happiness, role as a mother, and place in society. The novel is commonly studied to review feminist issues, and discover underlying controversies, as well as the reasons why Chopin chose to include these issues in her novel. It has also been condemned for its overwhelming use of complex sexual themes, which caused a major uproar when the novel was first published.



Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility is a novel by the English novelist Jane Austen. Published in 1811, it was the first of Austen's novels to be published, under the pseudonym "A Lady".

The story revolves around Elinor and Marianne, two daughters of Mr. Dashwood by his second wife. They have a younger sister, Margaret, and an older half-brother named John. When their father dies, the family estate passes to John, and the Dashwood women are left in reduced circumstances. The novel follows the Dashwood sisters to their new home, a cottage on a distant relative's property, where they experience both romance and heartbreak. The contrast between the sisters' characters is eventually resolved as they each find love and lasting happiness. This leads some to believe that the book's title describes how Elinor and Marianne find a balance between sense and sensibility in life and love.



Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens first serialised in All the Year Round[1] from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It is regarded as one of his greatest and most sophisticated novels, and is one of his most enduringly popular, having been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times.[2]

Great Expectations is written in a semi-autobiographical style and is the story of the orphan Pip, writing his life from his early days of childhood until adulthood and trying to be a gentleman along the way. The story can also be considered semi-autobiographical of Dickens, like much of his work, drawing on his experiences of life and people.

The action of the story takes place from Christmas Eve, 1812, when the protagonist is about seven years old, to the winter of 1840.[3]

Each installment in All the Year Round contained two chapters and was written in a way that kept readers interested from week to week, while still satisfying their curiosity at the end of each one.

p/s happy reading my dear classmates~!

Talentime

4 hours before sitting for Teknologi Maklumat final paper, four chinese girls under the 'protection' of Topek went to catch the last screening of 'Talentime' at GSC, Alamanda Putrajaya.


This Yassin Ahmad's local Malay-English-Indian-Chinese movie simply caught my breath away, make me cry for three times, laugh the heart out and think critically of the issues portrayed in the movie. Forgive me for my shallow knowledge of Malaysia's local movies, what more to say the artists. Adibah Noor, the teacher-in-charge of the Talentime Night acts very well, thumbs up! As for Pamela Chong, a.k.a. Melur in that movie, i didn't even know she's a Chinese until the characters list came up at the end of the movie. Met her personally at Sarawak's Cultural Village when buddy Pamela was modeling for 'Cuti-cuti Malaysia' advertisment (sth like that). Pamela Chong was in the Amazing Race programme, well, this lady is surely someone i look up upon. So full of energy, humor and talents! Yes, she can dance well =) Last week, while the 46 of us TESLians were watching the theatre 'The Madman's Diary' at KLPAC, we got the golden opportunity to meet one of the actress who played the character as Melur' sister. She appeared much more prettier in real person! Then again, movie Talentime was shot 2 years ago! I wonder why they took such a long time to make it on air, the penapisan? Surely, there were alot of discrimination issues inside the movie.
Btw, Jaclyn Victor was in this movie too! Whoot! Not forgetting, the handsome chinese boy, by the name KaHoe! This boy reflects the typical chinese family, that prioritize academic excellence in order to achieve recognition in this country. He made a strong statement which astonished me, which goes sth like this "You people doesnt have to work hard also they will feed you." Ahem.. Is this really the case here in our country? Anyway, the story ended beautifully, when KaHoe shook hands with Hafiz and even played his chinese musical instrument (pipa?) while Hafiz played the guitar and sang a meaningfully beautiful song, especially dedicated for his mother who just passed away.

The death-bed scene is the most touching for it reminds me of my beloved grandmother who just passed away last November. May she rests in peace and know that we still remember and love her. Life, what is actually the purpose of life? We were born, went through laughters and tears, happiness and hardship, and at the end, we all leave this world? Is that all what life is about? I believe there is more to that. We are all here for a purpose. Different people have different goals and purposes in lives. It's your choice how you choose to live your life. May those who has yet to find their purpose in life found the answer soon, and for those who are clear with what you want, may you achieve your dreams! Happy Belated Easter Sunday!

In Memorial of Ed's Father

Life is so unpredictable
When Dr Edwin says your father must be a good man
I immediately agree with a strong 'YES'
Yes, i remember his sorrowful eyes when saw your hurt hand
I remember you telling me how wonderful your dad was
That he was the only person who can solve the MAS aeroplane's problem
His trip to UK was memorable
The Levi's he bought for you will be treasured right
The good old times you father-son played football and badminton too
You are considered lucky to have such memorable good times with your dad
Yes, he must be a good man
That is why GOD takes him to HIS kingdom earlier
As for now
I truly wish you the best in life
To excel in all your future undertakings
To achieve the dreams you sore..
Remember
We ALL love you, no matter what.

In memorial of Ed's father, who passes away peacefully at his home on 14 April 2009, 10:30am..

The fire continues to burn...

"All good things must come to an end." This is my exact feelings now. This entry will be the last post for this academic blog. We were to print out this blog and hand in on Monday. Somehow, I begin to feel a bit sad while writing this post. Why? Because, Dr. Edwin will be leaving us, very soon! After sitting for EDU 3217 final paper this Monday, we might not be able to see you again, as rumors spread that you will be migrating to UK soon. This entry is dedicated especially for you! Haha. Seriously, it is our blessings to have you as our lecturer. Your sense of humour, way of teaching, seriousness and dedication in teaching will forever be remembered in our little minds.

What do i think about this blog? One word - BRILLIANT! Believe it or not, I fell in love with this academic blog. This blog serves as a platform for me express my thoughts and when I looked back at my past entries, I was awed "Did I write all these?" Not to brag that I did a great job here, but when you mentioned my blog was one of those considered 'reflective', I felt so happy! The sense of achievement remains till this very moment! Everyone love to be praise, but getting a praise from you is not easy, therefore, I truly want to express my utmost gratitude because you created this golden opportunity for us to blog. Since it is compulsory for us to blog, now everyone of us own at least one blog, hopefully we will all continue blogging and this might be one of the rare means for us to keep in touch when we graduated, and walked into different paths in lives.

This blog is the best activity for this semester! You have no idea how I hate exams, and when I know this blog will carry marks to our finals, I smiled. Updating this blog has never occurred to me as a chore, though some of friends see it as a huge burden. In fact, I just love spending the lazy afternoon here at the resource centre to update my blogs. It is a way to recollect my thoughts and reflect on the plays, dramas etc I have learnt throughout this subject with you.

My fingers just don't want to stop typing, most likely they are afraid to face the reality that 'All good things must come to an end'. The good thing about this blogging is that there is no right or wrong in your postings, all you have to do is draw out your thoughts and feelings. But of course, you need to have content, not merely bragging about nothing! Another interesting part would be writing comments and reading comments from my peers. 'Someone out there is reading my blog!' What a satisfying feeling that is! May the fire to blog continue to burn...

P/s Dr Edwin, thank you so much for your guidance all this while. I hope to apply this 'blogging' idea in my future class, hopefully my students will be enthusiastic in blogging. Just hopefully by then, I would be able to manage my time as well as you so I have to time to update my blog, yours, as well as checking on my students' blog. God bless you, Sir!

Overview of Simulated Teaching

Like what I have mentioned in my previous posts on Set Induction, Pre-reading and While-reading, I think this simulated teaching is successful in the way that it opens the eyes for us teacher trainees that we actually have to be so creative in designing worksheets and activities for our students. Especially when we talk about literature, students have the mind set that literature IS Shakespeare, and Shakespeare is BORING! Well, that was my first impression on literature, I always assumed I will never get the hold of what literature is all about until I enter TESL and started to fall in love with this teaching course. Literature, which includes Theatre, drama, plays and short stories have trigger my excitement about the world of English literature. There are so many things to explore and being a future teacher, my responsibility to make my students fall in love with literature is extremely big.

Thankfully, this semester, we were given the golden opportunity to do lots of micro-teachings. At first, when Tutor Herald assigned us to do the simulated teaching, I was thinking "what? again? How many simulated teachings do we have to do in this course?! I'm dry of ideas! " However, when I opened my laptop and clicked on the powerpoint, ideas came flooding into my mind. Thanks to my classmates suggestions, I have so many interesting activities in mind for my students. The show begins!

One of my 'bestest' buddy once told me, to treat workplace as playground. Well, for a playful student like me, I take that advice seriously. I want my students to enjoy my class, therefore, I decided to create games for them to anticipate instead of the boring worksheets and exercises. When there is competition to win the games, students will automatically perform their very best and participate actively in class. This is what I like to see in my class - active classroom participation!

As for my own performance, Tutor Herald suggested us to prepare a procedure which serves as a guideline for us to teach in class. I find this rather useful because sometimes, even when you are so well-prepared, you might came across some butterflies in your stomach. This is when the procedures or lesson plan comes in useful; it serves lika a life-jacket for you if your mind suddenly went blank in front of your students.

There are so many things to write regarding my experience for this simulate teaching. Overall, I would think my performance rather satisfactory because I seriously put in alot of effort in this. The sad part would be we lack time! We have to rush to finish our presentation and some teachers just fail to present their very best though they're well-prepared. This reminds us of the importance of time management. Given a 40minutes class, by nook or crook, you have to finish your lesson and leave the class when the school bell rings.

In short, this simulated teaching activity has bring me nearer to the reality that one day, I would stand before my real class, and teach as a real teacher. Right this moment, I have to admit that I am not so ready to enter the teaching world. There seems so many things to prepare, we just couldn't enter the class empty handed; though i remembered some of my secondary school teachers did so. He leaves a very bad impression to me - irresponsible! Hopefully, two years later, this batch of teacher trainees will emerge as capable teachers like Dr. Edwin!

Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Legend comes Alive!

"They are the legends that every Malaysian child knows by heart: Hang Tuah, the greatest Malay warrior, and Puteri Gunung Ledang, mystical keeper of the mists. And now Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical brings to life the beloved tale that is as old as time with a burst of theatrical magic." - www.pglthemusical.com.my

Few weeks back, my classmates and I have the golden opportunity to indulge the musical theatre of 'Puteri Gunung Ledang' at Istana Budaya. We experienced the enchantment of an unforgettable performance that excite our souls and senses!

This musical spectacularly portrays the majestic kings, dazzling damsels, heroic warriors. We can actually see the glory of 15th Century Melaka unfold before our very own eyes. Breathtaking sets, resounding chorus lines, pulsating rhythms and spirited contemporary choreography combine in a fury of staggering imagination to bring us all to an evening to be remembered.

I was deeply immersed in the soaring love story between an invincible warrior and the beauty who tamed his heart. I can actually feel the pain of two yearning souls. And then wonder at the dilemma tearing them apart between loyalty and desire as the sweeping award-winning epic is stunningly adapted live on stage.

The music just moved us with an unforgettable score composed by Dick Lee, the Andrew Lloyd Webber of the East, and Roslan Aziz, Malaysia’s magical maestro. Together, they have produced a beguiling soundscape that is at once traditional and modern. We were marvelled by the magnificent sets that rumble into place. Also, we were thrilled by the intricate choreography that weaves more than 50 actors on stage in perfect coordination. With clockwork precision, the elements come together to bring us a truly immersive experience.

Catching this breath-taking 'Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical' really opened my eyes to the world of theatre! I believed all their hard work were paid off by the tremendous applause we audience gave whole-heartedly. Since that theatre, my friends and I have developed the love for theatre, and we would all be attending another theatre this coming Wednesday. Hope it will be another valuable experience for us all!

Reflection on Pre & While-reading Simulated Teaching

Finally, all of us finished out simulated teaching for pre and while-reading activities. Though its over, but i find we all rush through this simulated teaching, like racing agaist time. Therefore, I can see not many of us can present our very best during the presentation even though the activities are interesting. Sad case.

Nevertheless, I would still reflect on my pre and while reading activities. I focus on the literary element regarding the settings in the play 'The Swordfish, then the Concubine' by Kee Thuan Chye. I chose to do this literary element because most of my peers have touch on themes and characterizations. Also, I think settings in a play is very important because it allows readers to have a clearer picture of the whole story, as if they can picture themselves in the situation, that location, at the precise time. A successful story can't rid off settings!

Back to my simulated teaching, I prepared worksheets, games and powerpoint slide for my students. First of all, I refresh students previous knowledge regarding settings and let them guess where and when did the story take place. Then I let them play a game which is to match the appropriate events to the related settings of time and place. Each group is given an envelope and a coloured paper. Inside the envelopes are cuttings of settings and the related events. Students are to take off the double-sided tape and match the answers on the coloured paper. The fastest group to finish the game will eventually win a prize! I believe giving rewards will make the students more excited and thus they will more eager to accomplish the task. No one hopes to be loosers in life, right? Also, group activities allow my students to cooperate and brainstorm for the correct answers. Thanks to my classmates for 'acting' as my students and they really participated actively in class. To me, having active classroom participation means the class is a success! I hate classes which are exercises-oriented. How many students like to do exercises over and over again? Therefore, I am satisfied with the activities I designed for my students.

What about my weakness? I can't wait to look at my friends evaluation on my presentation. So far, I've receive positive remarks saying I am actually presenting like a real teacher in class. Well, I think I was abit too rush when presenting. It's like there is a dog behind chasing after me! Luckily I am not the last few to present because by then, most students have already felt tired and the exercises seemed repetitive. On the bright side, some of the students did wonderful activities which I believe will be useful for us as future reference. Another two more years to go, then we will all be stepping into the real world of teaching. Are you ready?