Kesal

Selalunya kalau orang tanya, pernah tak aku menyesal kerana tinggalkan kerja sebagai guru sekolah dulu, aku akan jawab "tidak", kerana aku seronok menerokai pelbagai pengalaman baru semenjak meninggalkan "bangku cikgu sekolah". Mengajar di kolej atau di universiti juga kepuasannya berbeza sedikit - lebih banyak kemudahan dan kurang kekangan untuk berkreatif dalam kelas berbanding di sekolah.

Tapi di saat-saat begini, ketika anak-anak terpaksa kutinggalkan sendirian di rumah sempena cuti sekolah yang mana tak kena pula dengan cutiku... terdetik juga sekelumit rasa kesal... Masa aku meletak jawatan dulu, anak baru seorang dan masih kecil pula. Bila ditanya ibuku, "Tak sayang ke cuti panjang yang ada tu?", kubilang aku tak betah bercuti lama-lama, bisa mati kebosanan aku di rumah. Balas ibuku, "Esok bila anak dah besar, dan waktu cuti sekolah... baru nak menyesal." Dan benarlah apa yang dikatanya...

Nasib baiklah aku suka berkali2 suka kerjaku sekarang berbanding di sekolah dulu. Maka tidaklah aku sampai rasa terkilan atau rasa tersilap membuat keputusan.

Cyberworld and The Matrix

A conversation with a colleague yesterday had actually triggered this thought... when we live actively in the cyberworld, i.e. the facebook - responding to friends' messages, chatting in our photo albums or the messenger, play Cafe World or MyFarm for hours and hours without care for the real world other than for our basic needs like eating, it's so similar to the humans' life in The Matrix, the movie. Our bodies are elsewhere, while our minds are creating an illusional life for ourselves. What do you think?

Superman for modals of ability and probability

INSTRUCTION: FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE MODALS YOU HEAR


Five For Fighting
Superman (It’s not easy)


I _________ stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird...I'm more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
It's not easy to be me

Wish that I __________ cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
About a home I'________ never see

It _________ sound absurd...but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I ________ be disturbed...but won't you concede
Even Heroes have the right to dream
It's not easy to be me

Up, up and away... away from me
Well, it's all right... You _________ all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy... or anything...

I ________ stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
inside of me.. inside of me.. inside of me.. inside of me.

I'm only a man in a funny red sheet
I'm only a man looking for a dream
I'm only a man in a funny red sheet
It's not easy, oh..oh..oh
It's not easy to be me.

Practising the future simple

I usually use this song after teaching the future simple 'will + infinitive'.

We use this structure when we make predictions based on our thoughts and experience, and when we make spontaneous decisions, such as when we make offers, refusals or promises.

After teaching the students all of these, I would do a reading text "Promises, promises" from a textbook, New English File, and follow it up with this song as an enrichment activity.

First, the students would listen to the song. This would also be a practice of listening to the main ideas:


I'll Be There For You
Bon Jovi

I guess this time you're really leaving
I heard your suitcase say goodbye
Well as my broken heart lies bleeding
You say true love, it's suicide

You say you've cried a thousand rivers
And now you're swimming for the shore
You left me drowning in my tears
And you won't save me anymore

I pray to God you'll give me one more chance, girl

I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can do
I'll be there for you

I know you know we're had some good times
Now they have their own hiding place
I can't promise you tomorrow
But I can't buy back yesterday

And Baby you know my hands are dirty
But I wanted to be your valentine
I'll be the water when you get thirsty, baby
When you get drunk, I'll be the wine

I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can do
I'll be there for you

Solo

And I wasn't there when you were happy
I wasn't there when you were down
I didn't mean to miss your birthday, baby
I wish I'd seen you blow those candles out

I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can do
I'll be there for you


Then, I would ask them some display questions to deduce the main ideas from them. For example:
1. Who sings this song? (Naturally, some would answer Bon Jovi, but I would wait until someone answers: a man)
2. Who does he sing this song for? (Expected answer: a girl, or his girlfriend, or his wife)
3. What is happening in this song? (Expected answer: the girl is leaving him)
4. How do you know? (Expected answer: I heard your suitcase say goodbye. (Here, I would usually introduce them a bit to the literature stuff like 'personification' - can a suitcase really say goodbye?))
5. Why is she leaving him? (Expected answer: He's never been there for her)
6. How do you know? (Expected answer: I wasn't there when you were happy, I wasn't there when you were down, I didn't mean to miss your birthday...")
7. What is he trying to do? (Expected answer: to stop her from leaving/to give him a second chance)
8. What are the five words that he promises her? (Expected answer: I'll be there for you)
9. What are his other promises? Are they logical? (Eg. When you breathe, I wanna be the air for you - open discussion)
10. What do you predict will happen next? Will she stay with him? Would you? (Open discussion)

Remember to be really patient and allow your students some time to derive their thoughts.

Finally, after they have understood the song, allow them to have some fun - singing the song with you! :)

Bon Jovi to practice listening to mixed tenses

This worksheet is designed for students to listen to three different forms of tenses - the present simple, the present continuous or the past simple. It also tests the students' knowledge on the infinitives - which should come after modals like 'can' or 'will' and the auxiliary 'don't'. It would be especially suitable for the upper elementary or lower pre-intermediate adult students of English.


ALWAYS

This romeo (bleeds/ is bleeding/ bled)
But you can't (see/ be seeing/ saw) his blood
It's nothing but some feelings
That this old dog (kicks/ is kicking/ kicked) up

It's been raining since you (leave/ are leaving/ left) me
Now I (drown/ 'm drowning/ drowned) in the flood
You (see/ are seeing/ saw) I've always been a fighter
But without you I (give/ 'm giving/ gave) up

Now I can't (sing/ be singing/ sang) a love song
Like the way it's meant to be
Well, I (guess/ 'm guessing/ guessed) I'm not that good anymore
But baby, that's just me

And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't (shine/ be shining/ shone)
Till the heavens (burst/ are bursting) and
The words don't rhyme
And I (know/ 'm knowing/ knew)
when I (die/ 'm dying/ died), you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always

Now your pictures that you (leave/ are leaving/ left) behind
Are just memories of a different life
Some that (make/ are making/ made) us laugh,
some that (make/ are making/ made) us cry
One that (make/ are making/ made)you have to say goodbye

What I'd give to run my fingers through your hair
To touch your lips, to hold you near
When you (say/ are saying/ said) your prayers try to understand
I've made mistakes, I'm just a man

When he (holds/ is holding/ held) you close,
When he (pulls/ is pulling/ pulled) you near
When he (says/ is saying/ said) the words you've been needing to hear
I'll wish I (am/ was/ were) him 'cause those words are mine
To say to you till the end of time

Yeah, I will love you baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always

If you (tell/ are telling/ told) me to cry for you
I (can/ could)
If you (tell/ are telling/ told) me to die for you
I (will/ would)
Take a look at my face
There's no price I won't pay
To say these words to you

Well, there ain't no luck
In these loaded dice
But baby if you (give/ are giving/ gave) me just one more try
We can pack up our old dreams
And our old lives
We'll find a place where the sun still (shines/ is shining/ shone)

And I will love you, baby - Always
And I'll be there forever and a day - Always
I'll be there till the stars don't (shine/ be shining/ shone)
Till the heavens (burst/ are bursting) and
The words don't rhyme
And I (know/ knew) when I (die/ 'm dying/ died), you'll be on my mind
And I'll love you - Always

Corporate look

Love this new layout of the office in Bangsar. So much different than the first time I stepped into it 5-6 years ago.

Breakfast old style

Steamed curry pao - a set of 3 for RM6.50 and a cup of white tea for RM2.50. Location: PappaRich Cyberjaya. A real diversion from my coco crunch or roti kaya, n dutch lady milk breakfast every morning at home.

Demi pembangunan

Agaknya brp lama lagikah dpt aku nikmati pemandangan sebegini sebelum bukit itu digondolkan?

Black n White

Our favourite teatime restaurant, located in Bandar Baru Nilai, right across th clock tower that is still being built. Nice range of local n western dishes. The kids' favourite ones are black n white burger, and mexican burger - RM3 and RM4 each. Mine is the local char kuey teow, at RM3.50. Wanna try?

NEGATIF

Berapa kali dah aku kata
tapi kau tak faham-faham juga.

Biar orang tak pandang kita
biar orang tak kesah nak sapa
tapi aku tetap tak suka
kau berburuk sangka
mengata-ngata orang di sekeliling kira
umpat dan cerca jangan dijadikan budaya.

Usah ditelah hati manusia
ikhlas tak ikhlas biarkan saja
ia di luar bidang kuasa kita
biarlah Allah saja yang menilaiNya
apa salahnya kita serah padaNya?

Hidup di dunia sementara saja
dunia ini Allah yang punya
miskin kaya itu ketentuanNya
dugaan Allah pada hambaNya
lihat manusia pada budinya
bukan pada harta bendanya
kalau pun kita ni batu loncatan cuma
apa ruginya kita biarkan saja
dari berkecil-hati tak tentu hala?

Biarlah orang tak ampu
asalkan kita tak menipu
biarlah orang tak kenang jasa
asal kita tidak meminta-minta
biarlah orang pandang sebelah mata
asalkan kita tak buta.

Esok lusa tiba masanya
ke liang lahat juga kita akhirnya
tak usahlah kita nak keluh kesah
resah gelisah tak tentu arah
memikirkan benda-benda yang tak berfaedah
yang tak sepatutnya pun menjadi masalah.

Bukankah lebih baik kita berusaha
gunakan seluruh masa dan tenaga yang ada
untuk mencari keredhaan Allah yang Esa?

Sikap negatif buruk padahnya
kelak hanya memakan jiwa
silap haribulan menempah neraka
minta dijauhkan kita semua
dari kesesatan seumpamanya.

Amin.

Mimpi

Sesekali terusik juga perasaan
oleh kenangan
dan angan tak kesampaian

Sesekali keliru juga mindaku
terusik jiwa melihat dia
ilusi dan realiti kelam kelabu

Sesekali terlerai juga rindu
pada insan-insan yang lama tak ketemu
pada masa yang telah berlalu

Mimpi
hadirnya sedetik cuma
manisnya menggetar sukma

Mima Zohds

Breakfast haven

In the sleepy old town of Bangi, lies this special stall that sells great variety of food for breakfast. There are nasi lemak and its many options of 'sambal' - just name it, nasi kerabu with fried meat, fried noodles, fried rice as well as nasi himpit (rice cubes) with a choice between kuah (gravy) lontong or kuah kacang (peanut sauce). I especially love the kuah kacang - the best you can get in Bangi area. So, mark this spot if you ever come to the Bangi old town in the morning. The business starts at 7.30 a.m., unfortunately it's not open on Sundays.

Lontong Klang

Lokasinya di bawah Emporium Makan (nama lama, nama baru aku tak tau) di seberang jalan bertentangan dgn Pasar Jawa di Kelang.

Masa aku mengajar di sebuah SMJK(C) yg berhampiran lebih kurang 14 tahun dulu, di sinilah tempat aku membeli sarapan pada waktu rehat setiap hari. Kadang-kadang lebih drp 10 bungkusan akan ku bawa pulang ke sekolah dikirim oleh kawan2, juga anak murid.

Nasi lemak dan lontongnya memang sedap tiada bandingannya. Masa dulu2 nasi lemaknya disertakan sayur kangkung. Sekarang cuma timun. Lontongnya paling sedap, ditambah dgn sambal sotong, tempe goreng dan pegedel.

Lambat sikit datang waktu pagi pasti kempunan. Yg bagusnya kalau terdesak, boleh datang di sebelah malam. Sekarang, yg empunya gerai ini sudah memiliki restorannya sendiri di Seksyen 7 Shah Alam, jadi jika lontong klang di Kelang habis, tuju saja ke Shah Alam, pasti dapat.

Sampai ke hari ini, bila2 dan di mana saja aku makan lontong, pasti aku teringatkan Lontong Klang yg masih belum ku jumpa tandingannya.

A new landmark in my hometown

The view of Masjid Klang from my favourite eating place - Lontong Klang.

Bercucuran airmata

Begini rupanya perasaan ibu yang kehilangan anaknya. Tidurku tak lena, mandi pun tak basah - lebih teruk daripada orang bercinta. Siang malam berjuraian airmataku mencurah. Kalau ditadah, dah bercawan-cawan gamaknya. Tak mengapalah...

Antara airmata dan cita, biarlah airmataku yang tumpah asalkan citaku dan citamu tercapai. Antara ilmu dan rindu, biarlah kupendamkan saja rindu yang membuak-buak ini asalkan dadamu sarat dipenuhi ilmu.

Ingatlah anakku, setiap titis airmata dan setiap hela nafas rinduku diiringi dengan do'a agar kau mampu menjadi insan yang mulia di dunia dan di akhirat. Amin...

Selamat jalan

Telah banyak yg kita tempuhi bersama, suka duka, tangis dan tawa. Dari putih ke mocha silver, kau menemaniku ke LKW, PM, Amway, Avail, MFI dan USIM, meneroka pengalaman, menimba ilmu, mengejar impian dan mengenalpasti bakat terpendam juga kelemahan diri. Bersamamu siang dan malam kutemui manusia2 hebat lagi mengkagumkan.

Kau seumpama tangan yg memimpinku untuk menjadi lebih dewasa, seumpama sayap yang membawaku terbang demi melihat dunia yang lebih luas dan akhirnya seumpama kaki yang mengembalikanku berpijak di bumi nyata. Bersamamu akhirnya kutemui jati diri, siapa aku sebenarnya dan apa mahuku.

Sungguh sedih melepaskan kau pergi jauh dari pandangan mata ini buat selama2nya. Jasamu terlalu banyak sungguhpun kadang-kala kau meragam dan terpaksa kupujuk menggunakan wang! Dengan hati yang berat akhirnya kurelakan kau pergi - semoga kau mampu terus berbakti - menemani seorang lagi manusia mengenali erti dewasa. Pergilah satria - sungguhpun kau hanya Iswara, kaulah satria hidupku.

Sapa la punya kerja...?

Ini kes langgar lari. Masa nak balik dr tempat kerja semalam, aku tengok kereta ni dah macam ni pulak rupanya kat tempat parking. Parking space kat sebelahnya dah kosong. Sah le, aku kena niaya. Dah hentam, tinggal gitu je. Sapa2 yg buat kerja macam ni bertaubat le. Takut2 lepas ni dia pulak yang kena hentam dan bukan setakat body kereta dia yang melengkung - body dia sekali melengkung. Terbang lagi RM250...

The car's gone crazy

I had a tough time driving home today. Imagine the car honking all the way for more than 20 kms on its own. People didn't know that though, so all the other motorists and people at the roadside stared at me angrily. How embarassing! They must have thought of me as someone who's having this manic depression or something. The mechanic told me that this whole part inside the steering needs to be changed - and it's going to cost me RM300-400 - and it can only be done tomorrow. Oh, what a day!

Kafe Che Tom, Menu Cendawan Segar

Somewhere in Batu 4 3/4 in Gombak - between Jatikraf furniture shop and Seng Hock Metal Engineering workshop, opposite Masjid Sg. Mulia - there's a cool restaurant by the roadside named Kafe Che Tom.

The interior design is very simple but neat, and what's great is it's very clean. It offers great choices of food, both western and local. Our favourite is the mushroom soup - at only RM2.50, it's none like the instant powdered soup that we get elsewhere. It's originally homemade and comes with a piece of garlic bread. The restaurant's mushroom fried rice which is priced at RM3.50, are also worth given a try.

The mushrooms are homegrown, right behind the restaurant. If you are nearby, why don't you look for this particular spot?

Banding Lake, Perak.

The gateway to the Royal Belum Rainforests. One day, I would come back to explore this place.

The top of Titiwangsa, Perak.

The view from Amiza Titiwangsa Restaurant alongside the East-West Highway.

Keropok Batang Merbau

Terlepas peluang 'shopping' keropok lekor di Kuala Terengganu dan Kuala Besut. Nasib baiklah ada pulak gerai keropok ni di Jeli. Nampaknya tempat ni memang popular. Sentiasa ada yang menunggu keropok siap di rebus. Angkat habis, angkat habis.

Zul ikan bakar, Kuala Besut

Tiap kali pulang ke Besut, mesti abah belanja makan ikan bakar. Selalunya abah akan berpesan, jangan makan apa2 sebelah petang - abah nak kami makan ikan bakar puas-puas, kenyang-kenyang. Ikan fresh lagi, memanglah memuaskan.

Medan Selera Buluh Kubu, Kota Bharu

Variety of delicious food available especially with the food night market going on but the dirty surrounding would kill anybody's appetite. One can see big rats dead, and alive, here.

Surau Sri Jerus, Kelantan

All petrol stations should follow the example set by Caltex at Sri Jerus. The surau it has built for the public is so different than other surau's' that travellers would usually come across. The exterior and the interior furnishing has been designed with such care as if it's a personal home. Such a joy praying in it. The petrol station's public toilet is nice too. I hope the management of this place will maintain both facilities well, and may Allah bless the effort made by the owner. Amin...

Pantai Bisikan Bayu, Kuala Besut, Terengganu

In the map, this place is also marked as the "Beach of Whispering Breeze". It looked like a deserted beach visited by only by the local folks, with rubbish everywhere. Could be a nice attraction should the local authority pay some attention to it.

The best satah n otak-otak

We bought these at the roadside in Kuala Besut, right at the place where they were made and grilled. So much cheaper than the one we used to get in the Klang valley - satah is only 25 sen per piece, and so much tastier. The fish tasted so much fresher and sweeter, especially when eaten under the tree near the "Beach of Whispering Breeze".

Dataran Shahbandar, Kuala Terengganu.

Awesome place with awesome view.

Goodbye Kenyir

The lake is still as impressive as I remember it from my first visit 15 years ago. We enjoyed watching the sunset and the view from our balcony was awesome. We had fun soaking ourselves at the Saok Waterfall for an hour at noon. However, we decided to pack our bags and leave right after that 'coz we couldn't put up with the craps we received from the place that uses the tagline 'You get what you deserve at Kenyir S... Resort'.

Masuk sekolah baru - sekolah oh sekolah!

Tahun ini merupakan bab baru dlm hidup anak2ku. Irsyad ke sekolah menengah dan Naufal pula ke sekolah rendah. Gambar di atas diambil ketika mereka seronok mencuba pakaian sekolah masing2 sebelum menyertai program orientasi di sekolah masing2 keesokannya.

Malangnya awal2 sekolah dah bermacam2 malang menimpa yg menumpulkan keterujaan mereka. Naufal telah ditukarkan kelas selepas seminggu selesa dgn kawan2 barunya di Tahun 1 Jupiter. Alasannya, bagi mengimbangkan bilangan pelajar setiap kelas. "Depressed" sungguh Naufal masa tu. Terbang semangatnya nak ke sekolah.

Dua tiga hari kemudian berlaku kemalangan di kantin akibat kecuaian pihak pentadbir sekolah di mana palang yg dibuat dari bata sbg pengadang kantin telah runtuh dan menimpa tangan kanan Naufal. Nasib baiklah Naufal kidal.

Irsyad pula sentiasa menjadi ancaman pelajar2 samseng di sekolah menengah dan terpaksa berikhtiar sendiri untuk "survive" memandangkan guru2 pun tak dapat berbuat apa2 sekiranya peristiwa diugut dan dibelasah diadukan; malah pelajar2 yg mengadu bakal kena belasah dgn lebih teruk lagi. Apatah lagi kalau ibu bapa yang datang mengadu atau laporan polis dibuat.

Fikir2 dan kenang2 semula memang tak seronok jadi pelajar. Politiknya adakala lebih hebat dari politik di tempat kerja. Patutlah ramai yang memilih "homeschooling" sekarang - "at least for the peace of mind'. Apa agaknya komen Kementerian Pendidikan ya?

Aku memang minat sangat dengan konsep "homeschooling" ni. Masalahnya, kalau aku jadi cikgu di rumah, siapa pula nak mengambil-alih bayaran hutang2 bank dsbnya? Tambahan pula aku fikir, anak-anak perlu ada ruang keluar dari bawah ketiak mak-bapak dan belajar bergaul dan berdikari dalam masyarakat, dan sekolah merupakan wadahnya. Sekolah juga merupakan tempat terhimpunnya minda2 intelek yang majoritinya amat dedikasi dalam penyebaran ilmu yang membolehkan anak-anak berguru dan menimba serta mengumpulkan ilmu yang terbaik daripada setiap minda ini.

Harapan aku, pihak sekolah dan kementerian, tolong-tolonglah ambil-berat isu keselamatan pelajar di dalam dan di sekitar kawasan sekolah. Pihak polis pula janganlah pandang laporan2 yang berkaitan dengan gangsterism di sekolah dengan sebelah mata saja... Masing-masing janganlah tunggu sehingga berlaku kematian baru nak bertindak.

Kembalikanlah kuasa merotan guru-guru agar mereka kembali "bertaring" dan mampu mengawal kerenah pelajar. Aku sendiri pernah meggunakan rotan ketika bertugas sebagai guru di sekolah dulu, tetapi dipanggil pula oleh Pengetua.

"Cikgu," katanya. "Sekarang ni kita di sekolah mengamalkan budaya penyayang. Dah tak boleh rotan-rotan budak ni..." Jawabku, "Puan, sebab saya sayangkan diorang lah saya rotan... Kalau tak, buat apa saya nak kisah, nak tertungging ke, nak terlangkup ke, bukannya ada kena-mengena dengan saya...Lagipun, anak-anak murid saya siap cakap lagi "Eleh cikgu, tak sakit pun cikgu rotan?" Saya bagitau mereka, saya rotan bukan nak bagi diorang sakit, cuma nak bagi diorang ingat..."

Bagi para guru, bila merotan, perlulah dimulakan dengan Bismillah dan disertakandengan niat yang ikhlas - untuk membetulkan, untuk mendidik dan bukannya untuk melepas geram seperti yang dilaporkan dalam akhbar baru-baru ini - tentang guru yang merotan muridnya berkali-kali di bahu hingga cedera... Kalau gitu namanya, cikgu tu le pulak yang jadi kaki buli di sekolah...

Hai, sekolah oh sekolah...