Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Mengenal Nombor

Jr can't read n write well yet. His EQ and verbal are far more developed. He recognizes numbers, letters and can pronounce open and close syllables in BM. Language interference could be one of the cause too. His vocabulary is mostly in English. Now, I start a home training to reinforce his BM reading and writing. This was our activity during last semester break using Mathematics for content.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Proverbs: Still waters runs deep

The monsoon is here.

It's been raining everyday.

I really enjoy the rain this time around.

I usually would be affected and feel a bit depressed when it rain continuously for days non stop but somehow this year, I've felt a sense of enjoyment.

I'm sorry that our friends in the state of Kedah and Perlis have been experiencing uncharacteristically unusual flood this year.


IMG_9363



With rain and water in my mind, I've been preoccupied with an English proverb: Still waters runs deep.

The proverbs has the following meaning:

"Still waters run deep."


Some rivers have rough surfaces with waves. That's usually because the water is shallow and there are rocks near the surface. But deep rivers have no rocks near the surface and the water is smooth and still. "Still waters run deep" means that people who are calm and tranquil on the outside, often have a strong, "deep" personality.


* still (adjective) = calm, motionless
* deep (adjective) = going far down






Source: http://www.englishclub.com/reading/proverbs-meaning.htm



When thinking and searching for equivalent proverbs in Bahasa Melayu, the first one that came to mind was "Air yang tenang,jangan disangka tiada buaya".

Off course, my parallel thinking mind was still on water track! LOL

Even though the subject is the same, that is "still water", however the meaning are not the same.

The Bahasa Melayu proverbs can be directly translated as "when the water is still, don't think that there aren't crocodiles around". ==> Don't assume that there aren't any crocodiles around, even if there appear to be no ripples on the surface of the water.



An explanation from a blogger:


"Air yang tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya"


Merujuk lebih kepada sifat seseorang. Yang mana seseorang yang kita lihat baik dari segalanya, itu yang kita nampak. Tetapi sifat sebenar orang tersebut kita tidak ketahui.


Selalunya bidalan ini digunakan sebagai amaran kepada seseorang terhadap seseorang yang lain.




Source: http://bidalan.blogspot.com/2009/03/air-yang-tenang-jangan-disangka-tiada.html




Essentially, it serves as a warning of a person's character. Even though a person appear to be nice or well mannered but he or she might be an unscrupulous person.

The English proverbs however alludes that a quiet person or a person who normally doesn't have much to say doesn't mean that he has nothing to say but he may know more than the rest.

In conclusion, while the English proverbs refers to a person's intelect, the Bahasa Melayu proverbs refers to a person's character or behaviour.



So, what is the equivalent proverbs in Bahasa Melayu for the English proverbs "Still waters runs deep"?

In my opinion, the Bahasa Melayu proverbs that says "Diam Ubi tapi berisi" can aptly explain the meaning of the English proverb, "Still waters runs deep".


IMG_0790


IMG_0789


Direct translation of the Bahasa Melayu proverbs would be "A yam doesn't make any sound but yields lots of flesh"

The word "Ubi" can means yam, potatoes, tapioca or the type of tuber plants the yield fleshy roots.


Literally, it means a person who keeps a low profile has much to contribute.



Meanwhile the English proverbs: "Don't judge a book by its' cover" is more closely related to the Bahasa Melayu proverbs "Air yang tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya".

still have time for more books?

Instead of just one equivalent proverbs, now we have two!




As I've always stressed to students in the writing class, try your best to make use of proverbs in your writing, especially in the conclusion paragraph. The normal words of caution that goes with it ...Just make sure you are using appropriate proverbs! Too often, unappropriately used proverbs would make the paragraph or essay less effective.



ummabdrahmaan
14:19 pm
Saturday
3rd day of Tashriek 1431H

Friday, September 17, 2010

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Monday, July 12, 2010

SAMPLE EMCEE SCRIPT


At the beginning, they just needed me to help and I cannot say no when someone ask me or help. Without any training or prior knowledge of how to handle event, I became an emcee for a sporting event. I was surprised how natural it was to be an emcee and I felt guilty accepting money for having lots of fun the whole morning.

Then I was asked to be the emcee for a formal function - an award giving ceremony. I felt awkward since it was to be done in Bahasa Malaysia. I was self-conscious of my own Bahasa pronunciation. I grew up speaking a local dialect and likened the formal Bahasa Malaysia to be a second language to me. To top that, I did not know much about the address system used mostly in Bahasa speeches. Yes, I'm talking about when to use the term Yang Berusaha, Yang Berhormat, Yang Berbahagia as such. That event went successfully but my lack of mastery in address system was glaring.

After a few years and many events, we've now become a faculty from just a language centre, I was sent for a course in emceeing. That was a great help really. I learned the arts of the trade in emceeing.

One thing I realise is that everyone has a potential to be an emcee. For many, the fear of facing the audience stop the from venturing any further. Then everyone has to deal with nervousness, but only those who can successfully controlling and managing it can do it. External factors such as the audience, formality of the function, the size of the room or hall, the location of the function, all of it play part in how well one can manage his or her nervousness.

Sadly to say that when searching for emcee script on the internet,I didn't find many. I also had calls from junior colleagues asking for a sample of emcee script since they were asked to be an emcee for some events. I did tell the Dean to pass the emcee job to newcomers as everyone benefits from the exposure. But I still get appointed to be emcee for national or international conferences, especially when an emcee to handle event in English language is needed.

So, my intention for this entry is really to share some of the emcee scripts that are in my collection through out the years.

For starters, I upload one from last weekend.



EVENT: UniSZA and INCEIF MOA Signing Ceremony
VENUE: Primula Hotel
DATE: July 10, 2010
DAY: Friday
TIME: 10:30 – 11:30 A.M.
THEME: -

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME:

10:30 a.m. UniSZA, INCEIF and MEDIA Registration
11:00 a.m. Welcome and short introducton by emcee
11:05 a.m. Speech by Y. Bhg Dato’ Prof. Dr. Alias Daud, Vice Chancelor,
University Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)
10:15 a.m. Speech by Y. Bhg. Dato’ Agil Natt, President / CEO
The International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF)
11:25 a.m. MOU Signing Ceremony
Signees:
1) Y. Bhg Dato’ Prof. Dr. Alias Daud
2) Y. Bhg. Dato’ Agil Natt
Witnesses:
1) Prof. Dr. Mohd Afandi bin Muhamad, TNCAA, UniSZA
2) Prof Madya Dr. Shahul Hameed Haji Mohamad Ibrahim,
Head of CIFP Deptartment INCEIF
11:30 a.m. Press Conference
11:45 a.m. Lunch
12:30 p.m. end


VIP LIST:


UniSZA:

1. Y. Bhg Dato’ Prof. Dr. Alias Daud, Vice Chancelor
2. Y. Bhg. Prof. Dr. Mohd Afandi Muhamad
Deputy Vice Chancelor for Academic and Internationalization
3. Abdul Manaf Ali
Deputy Vice Chancelor for Academic and Internationalization
4. Prof Madya Dr. Nik Wan Omar, Registrar of UniSZA
5. Prof. Madya Dr. Ahmad Syukri Yazid,
Dean The Faculty of Bussiness, Management and Accounting
6. Deputy Dean,
Head of Departments,
Coordinators,
Assistant Registrar,
Media representatives

INCEIF:
1. Y. Bhg. Dato’ Agil Natt, President/CEO INCEIF
2. Y. Bhg. Datuk Syed Othman AlHabsi,
CEO Academic INCEIF
3. Prof. Madya Dr. Shahul Hameed Haji Mohamad Ibrahim,
Head of CIFP Department INCEIF

EMCEE SCRIPT


Prepared By: Puan Hajjah Mahani Binti Mohamad

(1)
Pre - announcement
1. ASSALAMU’ALAYKOM WRT WBT

2. GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

3. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ALL THE GUESTS TO BE SEATED AS OUR Memorandum of Agreement Signing CEREMONY WILL BEGIN SHORTLY.

4. ALSO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT OUR HANDPHONES ARE IN SILENT MODE OR BE TURNED OFF


(2)
Greetings

Doa/salam pertemuan dan ucap selamat
BISMILLAHIRAHMANIRAHIM

ALHAMDULILLAHI RABB AL-ALAMIIN

WASSOLATU WASALA MU ‘ALA ‘ASROFIL ANBIYAA E WALMURSALIN, WA’ALAA AAA LIHI WASOHBIHI AJMAEEEN.

RABBISSROHLI SODRI, WAYSSIRLI AMRI, WAHLUL UQDATAN MINLISAANI YAFQOHUU QAULI…

ASSALAMU’ALAYKOM WRT WBT AND

GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN


(3)
Protocol Honourable mentions


Y. Bhg Dato’ Prof. Dr. Alias Daud, VICE CHANCELOR of UNIVERSITY SULTAN ZAINAL ABIDIN

Y. Bhg. Dato’ Agil Natt,
PRESIDENT
of INTRNATIONAL CTR FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE

Y. BHG. PROF. DR. MOHD AFANDI MUHAMAD
DEPUTY VICE CHANCELOR FOR ACADEMIC AND INTERNATIONALIZATION

Prof. Madya Dr. Shahul Hameed Haji Mohamad Ibrahim,
Head of CHARTERED of ISLAMIC FINANCE PROFESIONAL DEPARTMENT
(or CIFP Department ) at INCEIF


DEAR RESPECTED DEPUTY VICE CHANCELOR OF UniZSA,

REGISTRAR,

DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF BUSSINESS, MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING

DEPUTY DEAN,

HEAD OF DEPARTMENTS,

COORDINATORS,

ASSISTANT REGISTRARS,

AND GUESTS FROM MEDIA



(4)
Welcome guests / Participants



WELCOME TO THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT SIGNING CEREMONY
BETWEEN UNIVERSITY SULTAN ZAINAL ABIDIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE.




(6)
Background



USUALLY, MOA IS ENTERED INTO BY AND BETWEEN PARTIES WITH THE DESIRE TO WORK TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE FOR MUTUAL BENEFITS.

THIS COLLABORATION BETWEEN UNISZA AND INCEIF WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO OFFER 8 COURSES UNDER THE CHARTERED ISLAMIC FINANCE PROFESSIONAL (CIFP) WHICH WOULD QUALIFY THE STUDENTS TO RECEIVE 2 DIFFERENT CERTIFICATES – THE BACHELOR DEGREE IN FINANCE MANAGEMENT WITH HONOURS AND CIFP CERTIFICATE PART 1. WITH THE ADDED VALUE, UNISZA GRADUATES WILL QUALIFY TO SIT FOR CIFP PART 2 CERTIFICATES, WHICH IS RECOGNIZED BY PUBLIC SERVICE DEPARTMENT AS EQUIVALENT TO A BACHELOR’S DEGREE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME EVER INCEIF HAS ENTERED INTO MOU WITH A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN MALAYSIA.


7)
Speech by VC



NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE
Y. BHG DATO’ PROF. DR. ALIAS DAUD,
VICE CHANCELOR of UNIVERSITY SULTAN ZAINAL ABIDIN FOR A SPEECH

PLEASE WELCOME!


THANK YOU VERY MUCH Y. BHG. DATO’



9)
Speech by President /CEO of INCEIF



NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE
Y. BHG. DATO’ AGIL NATT,
PRESIDENT /CEO
of INTRNATIONAL CTR FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE

PLEASE WELCOME!

****************************************
THANK YOU VERY MUCH Y. BHG. DATO’


10)
MOU Signing Ceremony



NOW WE HAVE COME TO THE MAIN PART; THE REASON WE ARE HERE FOR: THE MOA SIGNING CEREMONY.

The Signee Representing UniSZA is …

Y. Bhg Dato’ Prof. Dr. Alias Daud, VICE CHANCELOR of UNIVERSITY SULTAN ZAINAL ABIDIN

And representing INCEIF is …

Y. Bhg. Dato’ Agil Natt,
PRESIDENT
of INTRNATIONAL CTR FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE

and the Memorandum of Agreement is to be witnessed by :

Y. Bhg. Prof. Dr. Mohd Afandi Muhamad
Deputy Vice Chancelor for Academic and Internationalization

And

PROF. MADYA DR. SHAHUL HAMEED HAJI MOHAMAD IBRAHIM,
Head of CHARTER of ISLAMIC FINANCE PROFESIONAL DEPARTMENT
(or CIFP Department ) at INCEIF

PLEASE WECOME

A PRESS CONFERENCE IS TO FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SIGNING CEREMONY.


(11)
Closing




AS A SAYING GOES, “TO EVERY BEGINNING, THERE IS AN ENDING.”

AND NOW, THE MOA CEREMONY HAS COME TO ITS’ END.


ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR GRACING OUR MOA CEREMONY WITH YOUR PRESENCE AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT!


EVERYONE IS INVITED FOR LUNCH DOWNSTAIRS AT BAYU RESTAURANT.



THIS IS THE END OF THE MOASigning CEREMONY between University Sultan Zainal Abidin, UniSZA and International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance, INCEIF.



WASSALAM.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Common Mistakes Revisited

First class of semester 1 for 2010/2011 session has just ended.

As usual, I started the class with ice-breaking activity.

I asked the to grab a partner and take turn to interview one another. Later, they have to introduce their partner to the whole class.

As they were introducing their partner, I was listening for common mistakes committed during the oral presentation.

Typical mistakes are off course, the missing "s" in verbs for singular subject and tenses.

i.e. He like(s)
She come(s)
He have (has)...


Tenses:
She came.. ==> She comes
or He came from... ==> He comes from...
I was have to introduce ==> I am going to introduce...
He was graduated ==> he graduated...

Inappropriate use of preposition:

He lives at Sik. ==> He lives in Sik.

Use of preposition "at" is normally use for a specific location, such as
He lives at 123, Jalan Abc, Sik, Kedah.


The Use of ordinal and cardinal numbers:
He is twenty first years old ==> He is twenty one years old.
He has siblings a fifth ==> He has five siblings?
or He has many sibling and he is the fifth?

Use of Pronoun:
She hobby is...
Your name is...
She name is ...

Expressions:
I and my friend ==> My friend and I
Let we hear ==> Let us hear
Let's i tell you ==> Let me tell you

Now, I'm off to my next class... another first class meeting for this new semester.

:)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

New PBL - H1N1

The third group has just left for a PBL course at Rumbia.

As we are already in week 6 of semester 1 for 2009/2010 session, I have started another PBL with the students.

As usual, they are divided into group and are set on different task. Each group has supposedly to create a forum in the kelip to help them keep track of the progress. But so far, only 2 groups has been regularly updating the progress of their group work. Many groups have yet to create a forum for their group.

Since the students will be away for the semester break next week, I do hope that they will keep in touch and update the progress regularly.

We will keep in touch, InshaAllah :)

Friday, February 13, 2009

Doing PBL on Campus Election

2nd PBL The Campus Election



We just completed a reading and did an exercise on differentiating between facts and opinions. I thought that the students need extra practice in differentiating facts and opinion.

Just the night before I was thinking that I haven't done any PBL with my semester 2 students. This particular group is made of accounting, management, marketing, banking, trade and manufacturing finance and banking students namely the faculty of Accounting, Banking and Management's students.

Perhaps I can kill two birds with a stone, so I thought.



Campus Election




It seems that a hot topic on campus this week is the campus election. The election of faculty representative to the Student Representative Council (SRC) is to be held on Thursday that week before the students leave for the mid semester break.

There has been a few controversy regarding the campus election mainly because there haven't been one for the past 3 years. This year's election has been postponed to this semester and the Dean of Student Affair Office has declared that there will not be a campus wide election since there were only 22 candidates bought the form and returned it to the office by the due date and there are only 22 posts vacated thus all have won without contested. Thus the election is only to vote for the faculty representative. There is even a post in a students' forum on the subject on UDM e-learning site, kelip ( http://www.kelip.udm.edu.my/ )

Upon searching the article on the internet, I've come across a newpaper article posted back in October last year about the postponement of the campus election in all university in Malaysia. The article looks good for looking for facts and opinion exercise thus filling up the FILA table.




Campus elections to be postponed until year’s end
By KAREN CHAPMAN and TAN EE LOO
Saturday October 11, 2008
PETALING JAYA: Campus elections in several public universities will be postponed to the end of this year or early next year. This is because the elections coincided with the Hari Raya and Deepavali festivals, semester break and examinations. Sources said at least four universities, including Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia intend to delay the campus elections. It is believed that existing regulations prohibit some universities from holding activities too near the examination period. Campus elections are usually held in October to elect members of the student representative council for the next academic year.
UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Nik Mustapha Raja Abdullah said the university decided to postpone the campus elections as the period coincided with the Hari Raya break, convocation, the final examinations and semester holidays. He said the elections would probably be held in January.
UKM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin said the university was also postponing the campus elections as it was near the final term exams.
UM student representative council president Afandy Sutrisno Tanjung said there has been no announcement of the postponement of campus elections.
Meanwhile, in Putrajaya some 300 university students, led by Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), a coalition of several student bodies, held a demonstration in front of the Higher Education Ministry.
SMM chairman Haafizuddin Abi- rerah said they were protesting against the delay in announcing the date for the campus elections.
Pro Mahasiswa Nasional chairman Nor Razali Zainuddin questioned why campus elections could not be held at all public universities simultaneously.
Haafizuddin later handed over a 17-page memorandum which contained, among others, a request for the abolishment of the e-voting system, to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin’s special officer Mohd Arif Adenan.
Additional source: http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/530198




First activity was a facts gathering based on the reading passage as a trigger done as a group work.


Doing PBL




Then, all groups share with the class of what they thought as fact based on the passage that serve as a trigger. The whole class then got involved to determine if what the other groups have added onto the board is really a fact or just an opinion.

One group listed more than 10 facts but their facts are such as such is this and that universities vice-chancellors thus the opportunity to explain about the raw fact or generic fact versus facts that are related to the problems that we have to solve.

Then all agreed that there are four facts to base our PBL on and localized the issue to our university.


A Letter to dear Minister

FILA Table Scriber




FILA table then was completed as the whole class discussion but facilitated by their lecturer. All of the students save one have not done any PBL last semester. The lone student was from my class last semester. Thus, it was more like introducing FILA table to the students as a problem solving tool. The students were guided to form the ideas, learning issues and many have ideas to offer when it comes to action.

The students were divided into 6 groups for 6 different tasks.

1) Group Name: We are the Best

We are the Best on E-Voting System




2) Group Name: Underworld

The Underworld




3) Group Name: Duyong Vs Dugong

Duyong Vs Dugong on


4) Group Name: Gaza Incredible

Gaza Incredible on the Faculty Repressentative to SRC Election




5) Group Name: Commando

The Commando




6) Group Name: Infinity

The Infinity on the interviewing the Dean of Student Welfare Office