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.