Weekend

Last sunday Aisyah participate in the Teak won do Sparring Competition District level. She lost the first round but still I am proud of her for trying. Her competitor is very much taller then her and keep aiming for her head. Her brother Amir passed his test and now wearing green belt.
OK I am ready ( nervously smilling)

The girls is waiting for their turn because there is a problem with the diff in height, but the competition is on. dispite the diff.

Cannot say it is fair fight, one girl is taller and with red belt while Aisyah is shorter with only blue belt. This is the problem with such competition the children might weight the same but their height is so different.
Woa! the taller girl keep aiming for the head

Last sunday, Omar my youngest son's kindergarten PASTI DARULULUM had their sport's day.

What am I suppose to do here, should I just stand here


Would someone tell me what game are we playing

Oh oh I need to go to the toilet

Ok boys run as fast as you can don't look back

Mom I'm too fast for you to catch

We are number one , green house is number one

We are the champion my friends

Computer Problem

It's been a week I didn't post any entry in this blog. My computer is having problem, I cannot even enter google. So I had to send my computer to the repair shop and they reformatted it. To bad, because I had so many stories to tell and the most unfortunate is all my old software is gone, all of it, my dictionary software I bought, my spss software, my mathematica sofware all cannot be saved arrrgh sob,sob. Now I have to buy it again. Hmmm. Ok now I need to calculate the cost I have to pay for my new software.

mother and sister

My sister isn't she a doll

my mother still looking young

Last saturday my mother and my sister had a fight, so I was called up to be the moderator. When I was talking to my mother I would be on my sister's side and when I was talking to my sister I would be on my mother's side. It is a bit tiring though. My mother and sister is very much a like both are very sensitive, highly emotional and very strong headed. As for me, I am more like my father I presumed quiet, patient, and not sensitive at all. My mother had gone home after the fight I failed to persuade her to stay and she gave me rational reason so I let her go.

I would like to ask your opinion, if you are in my situation what would you do.

Teacher's day

Jika hari ini seorang Perdana Menteri berkuasa,
Jika hari ini seorang Raja menaiki takhta
Jika hari ini seorang Presiden sebuah negara
Jika hari ini seorang ulama yang mulia
Jika hari ini seorang peguam menang bicara
Jika hari ini seorang penulis terkemuka
Sejarahnya dimulakan oleh seorang guru biasa
Dengan lembut sabarnya mengajar tulis-baca.

(Dipetik dari sajak GURU OH GURU karya Allahyarham Usman Awang)

If today a powerful prime minister
If today a king is crowned
If today a President of a nation
If today a noble Ulama'
If today a lawyer wins a trial
If today a prominent writer
The history is started by an ordinary teacher
with tenderness and patient teaching to write and to read

by the late Usman Awang 1979

I would like to wish Happy Teacher's Day , especially to Kak Zainab, Amirahsyuhada, Fizah and all teachers in Malaysia. We've met many teachers in our life journey some just pass by but some leave a mark in our life. I want to be the teacher who make a difference in my student's life, that is my dream.

I remember when I was in form three I had a BM teacher whom I really like. Pn Ena she is a teacher like no other and there is also another teacher Pn Norliza who teaches me math very soft spoken and pretty to.There is also Pn Ramlah, Pn Fatimah and in form two Pn Aminah my friend and I used to call her (mak penyu) turtle mother I can't remember why.

Then in form four I went to SMS Muar met many good teachers however It's hard to remember their names I don't know why. I remember in form five I always had an argument with my Bahasa Malaysia teacher and he even ask me to stand outside the classroom or was it another teacher hmm I don't remember.

I wish I there is a way for me to ask for forgiveness from all my teachers for all the wrongdoing I've done to them. I Ritalaily Ishak ex-student of SK Nong Chik (1978-1983),SK Sri Skudai (1984) SMRK Sri Skudai(1985-1987), SMS Muar(1988-1989) would like to ask for forgiveness from all my ex teachers, maafkan saya cikgu di atas semua kesalahan saya dan halalkan ilmu yang dicurahkan selama ini.

So what about you who do you remember right now?

berita pada kawan-m.nasir ebiet

A song I really enjoy listening to and the lyrics to me are very touching.

15 of 1 questions

I was tagged by izzo
15 of 1

1) What i did for the past one minute?
I was sitting in front of my lap top visiting my friends blog

2)What I did for the past one hour?
cooking

3) What am i going to do the next one hour?
Cleaning the house

4) What I did yesterday?
I went to Tg Malim to submit my proposal

5) What I am going to do tomorrow?
The usual thing I did everyday, cleaning the house, cooking, prepare the children for school, and the list goes on.

6) One last person sms me?
My friend Fiza informing me she is in the hospital due to dengue( I going to visit her this evening).

7) One last person who phone me?
My sister asking me to sms her

8) One type of food I just bought?
I would say Bakso

9) One thing I lost recently
a pen

10) One movie I watch recently
Water horse

11) One recent gossip?
I don't remember, if I'm not mistaken it is about termite

12) One word I would like to express?
Love

13) One book I read
Thinking skill and Problem solving an Inclusive Approach

14) One type of sickness I usually get?
Headache

15) One dream?
To be a better muslim, wife, mother and teacher

I am tagging mother and daughter

Kak Zainab and Kuey-san

The first time.

Talking about mother's day bring me back to the day I entered motherhood. The first time I knew that I was pregnant I was happy but afraid at the same time. Happy because I will become a mother and afraid because i don't know anything about becoming a mother. I was lucky , I did not have morning sickness I can eat anything in fact i ate everything and I gained 20 extra kg. I was very worried, thinking a lot of what if, what if the baby did not survive, what if I rolled in my stomach when I sleep, and many other what if. On the due date I delivered a healthy 3.5 kg baby girl. (wonder where the extra 16 kg goes, ops there it is , in my hip, my tummy and almost every inch of my body)

When my husband iqamat the baby, I can hear his voice trembling, oh his first daughter Alhamdulillah. The nurse let me take a look at the baby and let me kiss her. I did not feel the love for my own baby and I was afraid to be left alone with her. My mother took care of me for the whole 40 confinement days. When my mother went out to send my father to work in the morning, I was afraid that my baby would wake up and cry. I was helpless, I didn't know what to do when my daughter cries. I never bath my baby during my confinement. I tried to breast feed her however I failed I was very frustrated. Having my mother handling everything for me does not help either. When my baby cried my mother will came to the rescue. My daughter is her first grand child. My mother even want me to let her take care of my daughter, the problem is she live 300 km away from me, so I decide take care of my own baby and I never regret it.

When my daughter is four months old I found out that I was pregnant again. I was not prepared for it. However I accept reluctantly. There are times I felt guilty to my daughter because I did not gave her the love she deserved but deep inside of me she is my first baby. Now my daughter is 11 the love grew everyday but sometimes I do feel there is a distance between us. I hope that my daughter would forgive me for being less a mother that she hope me would be and Aisyah mak do love you very very much.

Mother's Day

Mother's day is approaching. After my father's death my mother have been living alone. Me and my sister fail to persuade her to live with us. she'll come and visit us for a few days, after that she'll insist on going back home. My mother is staying at my sister's house now because my sister just got a job. What should I give my mother for mother's day. When I was fifteen, I remember giving her a vase. Still thinking, still thinking, still thinking any ideas my friends

Old friend

Alhamdullilah my daughter is going to school today. Thanks for all your support. An old friend of mine visited me yesterday (in my blog). I always wonder why it is called old friend because we are not so old after all he,he. I am happy that we are able to stay connected through the net. We use to be the best of friend and still is, however since she moved to Tronoh we nearly lost contact. So I would like to shout out to Fiza and Oja, Huda is on the net. Insyaallah all of us can meet together sometime to catch up on each others life.

Sick daughter

My schedule is a bit tight these few days, the dateline to submit my proposal is approaching and my daughter is sick, she is suffering from a severe headache . We took her to two different doctors the first doctor we went to, is a GP who says it is due to indigestion ( I was not very confident with her explanation but I didn't say anything).

The next day my daughter became worse she is lethargic, sleepy and the headache is stronger. I was panicked and start thinking of the worse, could this be meningitis because I thought small kids don't get headache. I checked info on meningitis through the net. The symptom is similar to what she is having. So I took her to a pediatrician since she is 11. It was my husband who took her there so I didn't know exactly what is the diagnosis ( The doctor gave my daughter a pain killer and an antibiotic) but he wanted to see her again today, hopefully it is nothing serious. However I am relief because she looks better today, the headache is reducing, she is able to move around.

I don't like it when my children is sick, kept thinking what is wrong , what if it is life threatening and my heart will start beating faster. Am I being paranoia, but I guess all mothers feel the same way I do, don't you think ?

English or Bahasa Malaysia

I received another comment last night delivered through my friend. Again the comment is why I write my blog in English, why don't I write it in Bahasa Malaysia. My friend defended me and next he said that if I want to improve English, blogging is not the way, I should improve through my thoughts and other way I don't remember. He said I should promote Bahasa Malaysia, not bring down the language by using English. It's a bit to much I think.

Here is what I would like to say to him, blogging to me is my media to express my thought. I only use English in two occasion, one when I am teaching and the other is when I am blogging. I converse in Bahasa Malaysia all the time, at home, at the market and many other times. To me blogging really help my English as you see my English is not so good with grammar mistake here and there but when blogging I am forcing my self to practice my language. I even have to check the dictionary when I didn't know the words because I am thinking in BM but writing in English. When I write, my brain have more time to process the word, it give me time to checked. It is different in conversation you must process the words very fast and you cannot take back what you have said.

When I write my blog in English I am not bringing down Bahasa Malaysia, in english more people can read my thought, I can reach to more people because more people understand English than Bahasa Malaysia. The blog I read and refer especially in education is not only from Malaysia but from all over the world so if I write my blog in Bahasa Malaysia they will not understand what I am trying to deliver.

In the paper today, many politician wanted the government to change Math and science medium from to english back to Bahasa malaysia. To me why do we need to change the language, just because some students cannot understand english, it doesn't means that we have to stop using english for math and science. Try look at the students who learn math and science in english started from standard one, most of them can understand what the teacher is teaching because they started from the very beginning even those who lived in the rural area.

Malaysia is a developing nation, I think there is nothing wrong if the students learn math and science in english because as we can see how many math and science books are in Bahasa Malaysia. Not many isn't it. How can we tap the knowledge if there is language barrier. What more the students still learn other subjects in Bahasa Malaysia, we are not whipping of Bahasa Malaysia in school. I think we should try to helped the rural students who can't cope with English to improve it, rather than abolishing english from math and science.

What is your comment?

Why you blog

The true reason why I blog is to be close to my friends. Actually is a friend in particular, an old friend from my college year. She have been blogging for many years I reckon. The first time I visited her blog she had an accident if I am not mistaken.

Another friend of mine ask me to join her IM and I did, however when I ask this particular friend of mine she said, she has no time. So, here I am, I make my own blog just to share her interest and somehow I got hook to it. Things we do for a friendship Nani don't get mad this is a true story but now I understand why you are so hooked up with blogging.

Talking about old friend, I received a phone call from someone I haven't met for a very long time 12 years to be exact. Really make my day, don't you love hearing a voice you haven't heard for a long time. She is married to a police officer and have 3 little kids. I am going to give her a visit some day.

So I have a question to you, why do you blog? I 've told you my story now it's your turn

When I can't shut my eyes

Here I am 1.15 in the morning staring at the screen of my laptop. I should be asleep by now, somehow I am not sleepy. I cannot figure it, why aren't I sleepy. I am the type of person who will easily doze off when my head hit the pillow but not tonight. Actually I also have nothing to write here however the least I can do is to wish all Happy Labour Day. What so happy about labour day, it is only a day off but come to think of it, if it is a day off that I am still employed when many people are jobless. I should be thankful of that. So to all employees out there Happy Labour Day. I would like to ask you a question what did you do when you can't sleep?

He is not alone

Yesterday I helped out at my son's kindergarten , they are short of teacher because one teacher is sick. Well what to do I am a teacher so I just can help it. At first I was just helping them doing some wall decoration but when I saw a class without a teacher so I entered the class. There are 10 students in the class. The students was writing numbers, a task given by another teacher before I entered the class.

I introduced my self and ask them to continue with what they were doing. One boy came to me and show his writing I commented " very good you're a clever boy" the boy smiles, I asked him to sit at his place. After that everyone wanted to show me their work, I helped the them to write. I told the class I will give them smiley face is they finished their work.

Then I saw this boy, he is sitting in a small chair. He cannot write and he struggle to hold the pencil. His hand is short with fingers that cannot function well. He is physically challenge and sits quietly in front of the class. I go to him and ask, can you write, he nodded and tries to hold his pencil and scribble on the paper. I hold his fragile hand and guide him to write no 3. I asked him his name and I told him he is a clever boy and helped him finish his work and gave him a smiley face. His face lit up and he smiles.

He told me he wanted to be a doctor when he grow up, it breaks my heart. I told him to study hard. After that the boy can't stop talking, he told me where his mother is working, how many cars he have, he is cheerful,but I have to leave his table to look at his friends work. I saw him sit quietly at his table, he cannot walk his hand and feet are very small hardly functioning, but I also saw he have a big heart. I wish he will succeed in his live and be brave enough to face this cruel world. Not long after that his caregiver came and took him back and we all said good bye to him.

Little League

Last Sunday my youngest son represent his kindergarden, PASTI Darululum to a soccer match for Shah Alam level.  

We are in white and we manage to get to the semi finals,unfortunately we lost 2-0.

For the 3rd and 4th placing we lost 2-1 by penalty kick.

Addicted

Blogging is addictive. I guess those who is hooked to it can really understand what i meant. Today I went to buy my household stock for the week and I came across an arrangement of plants for sale at the hypermarket. Thinking that it might be a good material for my blog immediately I took out my hand phone and started to snap some pic. Just didn't care if anybody is staring.


This flower really caught my eyes. Unfortunately I didn't know what type of flower it is


The flowers are actually red in colour. I guess this is what you get when taking pictures using camera. what to do I am cheap.

I am not into flowers but this beautiful chrysanthemum make me wish I planted it home.

There are also some cactus , this one looks like a flower

World through my handphone

Handphones are now no longer use as a telephone, we use it for many different uses. May be in the future it can also be use as a remote key for our car. Here is what my hand phone was used, as a camera here are what my weekend was like.
On saturday we went to a health carnival in Shah Alam. Guess what was on displayed, cars, there was an autoshow . Eventhough we couldn't make any connection between health carnival and autoshow we sure enjoy ourselves.



my son's teak wan do grading on sunday.
This was actually not during the weekend. It's the journey I took to Tg Malim today


Reach home after maghrib.

Down the memory lane

I've invited my alumni group to visit my blog and the respond is overwhelming. I received many good comments. Thanks to all of you.Did anyone of you recognize this, Its the library of our alma mater USM Penang.

These are the pic I manage to grab from the net


Still remember this moment? Precious


Desa Harapan



Tasik USM, good times

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

Some of you may have read this, it's from my alumni group and i really like it. So this is what i want to share with teachers out there.

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

To stress his point he said to another guest;
"You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"


Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

''I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life."

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE . What do you make Mr. CEO?"

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

They call me cikgu

My students always ask me how to study physics, do they have to memorize all the formulas and I always told them " no you don't have to memorize all the formulas, what you need to do is to understand the concepts" The question next is how to understand the concepts. Physics concept are very abstract. you cannot see force, you can only feel and see the result of force. I try to make the concept as concrete as possible. I even open my car bonnet to show my students the radiator, sorry girls that all I can do, you cannot take it out because i still need to drive it to school. I encourage my girls to do experiments.

In my schooling years I loved doing experiments. When I was in standard 6, I nearly burn down my house because I was doing a so called experiment. When I looked at my mother's dried flower I make a hypothesis that the flower will catch fire if I put a lit up match near it. Trying to prove my hypothesis I took a match and lit it up, put it near my mother's dried flower and straight away the fire spread to the wall, panicked I go to the kitchen and get a jug of water and pour it to the fire. Lucky for me I was able to put off the fire, otherwise I won't be here to tell you the story. However I was unlucky because my mother reached home a few minutes later so I don't have time to hide the evidence . Come to think of it even if I can hid the flowers the wall is still black of soot.

Back to our topic, students need to experience the enjoyment of doing science especially physics. Encourage them to do experiments with stuff they can find at home, like ask them to bring their roller blade when you are teaching force and motion. let them feel the momentum when they move and the impulsive force when they hit the wall ( Please safety first). I tried this with my girls and some of them enjoy it but some prefer to stay in class and get as much knowledge as they can. I cannot blame them, because here in Malaysia it is not how the students enjoy the class but how many "A" they can get in their exams that matters. I understand the dilemma faced by teachers here, by august we must finished our syllabus and by September the students will be drilled with past years questions. Then when SPM result came out the students with good result are celebrated whereas students how fails are forgotten. Students are competing on who can get the most "A's" The record now is 21A's. My question to you is how can we help our students understand that getting so many "A's" will not means anything if they don't have good thinking skills, creativity and problem solving skills.