Gossips of Semester Break

Phew! Semester break that lasting for two months have started... By the moment, heard out quite a lot gossips about my school though.

1. Language gossip of my school
It seems that starting next semester, the TESL batch will head out with some problem on the linguistics. How to say that? PPIB has decreased the foreign language learning time, which is 4 semesters (2-2-2-3 CHs) into 3 semesters (3-3-3 CHs). So that, the newer batch of TESL's rule now: you need to study a foreign language like other students, whilst you need to take another 2 semester about English (probably about grammar). It seems that they will learn and repair their language problem at the same time. I wonder that do the older batch need to do so? (so I can avoid the TT courses)

2. Dr. Syok Sendiri
Well. I mention dr. syok sendiri, you know it if you are 1st year TESLian. It is the new rumor: he has been rejected (or either reject) the offer of UPSI and next semester he will be teaching us DA - Discourse Analysis. DA is a tough course, and now under this lecturer, it will be surely we need to suffer more. Why? Seems that this is a 3 CHs course, if under him, will become into 6 CHs indirectly. (normal lecture + tutorials + extra tution which at least 3 hours, around twice a month or more + ......) Just hope that this is not the real thing. LOL.

3. CH matter
Started to wonder how is the BPA doing. Crash all of the TT and TE course time (both of them appears at the same time, different venue) and require us to take 131 CHs before we graduate. Since we have 1 semester is practical teaching, therefore we only have 7 semesters, and we need to 'settle' these CHs by taking 19 to 20 CHs per semester. Thanks to BPA, crashing the time tables, so we will need to suffer the TT burden in the rest of the semester. (They should know that school subjects are a killing subject, mostly.)

4. Semester break
28 weeks of study a year, for a bachelor degree, it seems that the holiday is more if compared to the studies. what are we going to learn if they put so many semester breaks (15-17 weeks a year)? No idea what we are study for.

5. Next semester enrollment
We need to register our course in conjunction to register and settle our hostel matter (most of the students live in hostel). Thanks to BPA (again), gives us so much trouble at the moment because at the same date, too, we already start our first week lecture (even though most of the time at first week there will be no lecture). A messing system that they are using, I can say. They can conduct the MSM (orientation) a day or two earlier before the semester break finish so that we will no need to face so much mischiefs...

These are the moment what I knew from my friends through MSN by a few days ago. Who said that university life is really enjoying? I don't know about other university, at least mine... my answer is "we are here to see how poor of the system they have"...

*CH = Credit Hours...

2007/2008 Mosts

Finally finished my last ‘final exam’ paper, and there goes for my first year in the university. At here, I will going to show out what I have and some of my friend’s opinion about the 2007 and 2008’s most in my first year’s university life regarding to my own experience on the lectures that I have.

1^st: Most respective lecturer(s) (not in order)

1. Mr. Kasim

As a dean of a school, yet his teaching style is fairly into an extremely fee method. Not controlling the rules and also no ego sensed from him (he is Prof. Madya). It is hard to find such sporting lecturer at his education level, as y’ can see.

2. Mr. Lourdes

One of my TESL lecturers that teaches two of my subject (I am into those subject too). Having a special way of teaching, as a teacher’s trainer and also a numerous Master certificate holder, his personality and the way we tolerate is unusually special. Both courses that have well-known to be hard seem to be not so hard under his lecture.

3. Mdm. Junaidah

Previously is a Phonology lecturer of TESL courses. Now she is undergoing for her PHD. The way she treats of the students and her fairness, as well as the slow-and steady way (even though I cannot catch it) and her strictness makes me have a respect on her.

4. Prof. Consuelo

She is a Spanish lecturer of my school. Another sporting lecturer – I can say, with using of psychological way to teach us. Even though I did laughed on her because she cannot speak English well, but now it seems that I have changed my mind – she still learning English regardless of the age, and yet I am still young, there should be a way for me to get my Spanish better…

2^nd: Most disappointed lecturer

Only one: my dean. As seen in the respective lecturer’s list he is not deserved on it on my place – the way he teaches and assessing homework can be say is too strict and his lectures are mainly ‘syok-sendiri’. Having his 14 lectures in the previous semester still doesn’t get what is the thing he is going to talk about. The way of assessing assignments either you got an acceptable (but not good) mark or in 0. That’s all.

Another one which I heard from my friends: the current replacement lecturer for 07/08 Sem-2 of Phonology after Madam Junaidah leaves for further study. It seems that this guy has a kind of bad reputation as he also loves to boast himself with the quote:

“You can find my article anywhere in the website.”

Well… Yeah, it seems that we can also found it in the rubbish dump as my opinion… You can also find my blog in the website too, include Friendster, duh.

3^rd: Course Rating (main):

Quite a number of courses that I have taken in this year, and I will list out all of them with some of the course name are simplified so that it will not showing that I am insulting.

1. Phonology

Toughness: D

Ruthlessly tough! I am unable to follow the correct pronunciation of English and now I need to study the syllables!

Lecture: B

Since the tutorial helps me, so it helps me at least a bit in the later of this course so I no need to suffer from knowing nothing in this course as the later thing in this course no need memorizing a lot.

Respect: S

Madam Jun is the lecturer; she is extremely fair and never loves flattery. Like the ways of judging of her.

2. Education Philosophy

Toughness: E

I don’t know what the point on studying this is. It is not possible that we going to talk about philosophy to our students in the future, eh? This is not only tough but also boring. The slides divided into around 5 parts with each part around 20-60 slides, and the final is 100 questions consisting of 13*5*20=1200 slides to study. Assignment is also not easy to score as you only have a week to find out all the things – you have done it does not mean you have got your marks.

Lecture: D

Not even understand a thing from what he says, and I did fell asleep one on the lecture. Mainly is on ‘syok sendiri’.

Respect: C

Nah... Because he is the dean so I should show at least a little respect at him. I am wondering if it compares to the dean of another school about this…

3. Listening/ Speaking Skills

Toughness: B

LS studied once in a semester, luckily the thing not too tough and not a lot of theories need to be memorized. Variability of assignment at here helps too.

Lecture: C

Hard to understand my lecturer talking about, as she is teaching something that is too obvious and not special thing.

Respect: B

Respectable, I think. At least she did helps us a lot and gives us a lot of time to settle with our assignment, though I don’t like the way she commence the lecture, but not the tutorial.

4. Reading Skills

Toughness: B

Seems this is quite easy as it is mainly about reading skills. Not a lot of theories need to be used and mostly based on the experience and common sense of ours when we are students in the earlier age.

Lecture: A

Enjoy it! No tutorial and all of the things are managed to be finished in time.

Respect: S

Never judge a person from outside. This is what I have experienced from the way of the lecturer and his personality – Mr Lourdes. Because of him, the lectures that we have is seems to be easier to understand as he uses different way to teach us.

5. SLA

Toughness: B

I heard that it is quite tough among the TESL course. Maybe the lecturer is different (in the Sem-1 is another lecturer, then is Mr. Lourdes) The theories is quite difficult to understand but thanks to him, it seems that we can understand on the theories easier than before. Phew!

Lecture: A

The reason is same as above.

Respect: S

The reason is same as above. (Read the Section 4)

6. Economic Thought

Toughness: B

This might not be too hard for me, as I have studied economics in Form 6, so it does not pose a threat for me. The way of his marking will make your life easier – just the homework is quite a lot.

Lecture: A

Mr. Kasim is the lecturer and he is one of my respectable lists. The way he teaches is really hard to be said that “is he really the dean?” and I did leave early due to some of the reason and he simply accepts it.

Respect: S

Again, cannot judge a person from outside. He is the second lecturer proves this theory.

Below are the special listed courses of mine…

7. Literature, Gender

My disappointing lecture. This has caused my pointer of my result in previous semester has dropped. The lecture is not too tough, but the thing – I missed my final. This is the fact and of course a C+ for me deservable. But the thing is why I am still taking the retake of the final exam and wasted my RM50 to let the lecturers furious about this if the beginning that you let me know the marks of my retake paper is no count. It seems that is no sense for I am studying and strive for the resit of this paper and my money if you let me know this earlier (what is the point for the retake paper then?). Sigh.

8. Literature, Language Learning

This is my most surprising lecture for the year. She started the first lecture with

“Literature… is an art.”

Instead of greeting, the appearance of this lecturer is so surprising too.

9. Spanish

I love the lecturer and the way she teaches, but since that the grammar is the main point here, it makes the way for me to study this is extremely tough. I need to focus on grammar and ended up with less vocabulary and that is the reason I fails in this subject. As the verbs changed according to pronunciation, it makes me to confuse on the words that I am going to use for the answer.

10. TITAS and Malaysia Studies

Seems as an important course, but I don’t know what I have studied in these two courses as the lecturer always mention different things. Y’ know the two popular lecturers of these courses, they always taking nonsense rather than the lecture. After all, these papers are not so tough. No need to worry so much on that.

11. Internet Networking

This is the course that how I get into the creation of my blog in here. I need to thanks to her anyway – even I don’t know that how many readers have actually read through this. Anyway, thanks. Madam Siti Hasnah.

I guess that’s it, and I will continue on this and thinking on the next material since this has already cost too much words here.

P/S: As mentioned (again), this is the opinion ONLY and nothing to do with the flaming or insulting as I never intended to put someone's name that I dislike directly as I am just expressing my thought and opinion (later I will be said as insult). Since I have the hint inside, so up to you to guess who is the lecturer, and I guess you can figure out.

Finally Finished!

Whew! A lot of up-and-down happened recently. And I have managed to finish my two-in-a-row major today. (Stupid BPA again... by making such time table)

The part of both Reading and SLA's essay surely give me a tough time. And due to these day I am suffering insomnia, I cannot focus on my paper today, sigh... It took more than the time I should finish for both paper caused of distraction and also fatigue... missed a lot of parts that I supposed to be correct. Cannot imagine how will my result for these two papers.

Recently also have a lot of gossips about the hostel. Such as ghost stories (orang minyak and soul in the hostels) and also the hostel application form. It seems that the pointer that determines you to be the key for them to accept or reject you for living in the hostel in the future semester. Seems that activity is also included as the criteria on that.

A lot of people in College E and CD was kicked out due to this reason. Wonder that do they did consider about the family background of the students before they kick them out? What will the student should do in case he is from a poor background (y' know, not all of the students in UMS are rich)?

It is not easy to gain a good pointer as both effort and the lecturer is the key for it. Activity is also a problem as the activity that enable you to get a 'guarantee' in the hostel is just actually talking nonsense, or that activity will costs money, the payment of the activity is also not cheap just in order to make sure that you can still live in the hostel.

The case is... does the student that got kicked out able to find a rented room or house in such moments? They are facing for finals and soon is holiday, now they are also troubled on this matter. The authorities should let the students know earlier (supposed to be 3 days after 10th) if they wanted to reject someone out.

No wonder some of my friends said that they hate this...

Final Paper - SLA VS TRS

Whew... tomorrow will become one of my pathetic day for my final.

Second Language Acquisition + Teaching Reading Skills popped out at the same time. And today I still got Malaysian Studies need to be 'banged' on (by golly, not studied finished yet...)

Confused and also annoyed with the BPA at my school. How 'good' are they to fixed on such schedule. In the beginning of the semester, course time crashed a lot in my school's course with certain majors, and then during the final timetable, the timetable of the majors crashed on the same day... Oh gosh...

Now I start to worry that if I am able to cope up with the 3.33 pointer for this semester as I mentioned to my friend in the beginning of the semester?

Yup, yup... will try to score the best as I able for the courses, hopefully that I still remember the thing from the mid term then and try my best shot on this final (then I am done with my works, horray!)

Anyway, to my friends who are also in the same situation as me, good luck to you and wish for the best.

Huge Blackout

Approximately 6.30p.m...
seems that the whole Sabah (what I heard from it)
has a huge blackout.
Blackout... lasted for 5 hours.

Ice cream sold out...
Candles sold out, burst to 50 sen for one...
The whole cafe is in bombastic state,
some are even suffered,
because tomorrow still got to exam.

Responses?
"WTH?! I want to study but no electric!"
"Walaowe... tomorrow I got a lot papers leR!"
"Yah! No electric! tomorrow no exam!"

Yeah... As usual, not a big deal though.
Just do nothing and then try to enjoy yourself during the blackout.

Second 'fantastic' blackout since I am in the hostel.
Seems that the importance of electric is also the same as the water.

Hmm... Hopefully that I can still managed to get the hinge for Wednesday's Final.
Not fully prepared yet.

Blackout huh... guess who is behind the scene that caused such poor work till whole Sabah are involved.

Movie Review - The Forbidden Kingdom

Wanna to watch a great movie recently? Well... This will one of the great movie you should add, even though this is from the Hollywood.One of the advertisement boards that can found in my area.

As you can see, this movie is features about Jei Li and also Jackie Chan. A simple lineup just as below.

Genre: Action/ Comedy
Director: Rob Minkoff
Actors:

Jet Li
One of the main character in the movie play the role as Sun Wu Kong and also as a monk (the substitute of Sun Wu Kong). Prefer to call it as silent monk maybe...

Jackie Chan
Another main character (called Lan Cai He). Appears firstly as a pawn shop owner and then when the time changes to Ancient China, he acts as a drunk/beggar (called Lu Yan) that good in drunken fist. A wine lover too.
Quote from him: "Wine is my savior. I can be immortal with wine".

Collin Chou
Act as the antagonist. Inside the movie, he is the Jade Warlord of Ancient China. A little bit feminine as well as a evil warlord. Defeated Sun Wu Kong earlier by cheating.

Michael Angarano
As the main protagonist in the movie (called Jason) and the Western actor. In the movie, he lives at Boston. A person that loved in Hong Kong Kung Fu movies. received the prophecy as the staff holder to give the staff back to Sun Wu Kong into Ancient China. Called as a weakling in the beginning of the movie, but after that he defeated the gangster.

Liu Yi Fei
A female main character acts as Sparrow in the movie. Adept in sword and range weapons (like some sort of shuriken) from her Pi Pa (Chinese instrument).

Li Bing Bing
An antagonist in the movie, acts as the Bai Fa Mo Nuu (The whitehair witch).


The story is just simple, the main character (Jason) needs to bring back the staff get from Lu Yan Pawn Shop, which is from Lan Cai He when the gangster raid his shop, to Sun Wu Kong. Through the movie, it seems a bit confusing when Jason go back to the Ancient China, since he don't know to speak Mandarin. At there, he meets Lu Yan and the thing that shattered me for a while when I heard the first English dialog in the time of Ancient China from Lu Yan:

"This is because you are not listening!"

All of the movie is mainly about fighting as well as mention about the staff of Sun Wu Kong, and Jason need to get the staff back to him if he wants to go back to the future. Along the movie, he meets with the silent monk and the monk tell him that the way he should go.

The great funny thing is when they cross through the desert. Since they need water, so Lu Yan tries to summon the rain, and he thinks he has succeed (actually is the monk peeing). Another part is when they are fighting for the elixir, the small monk (children) uses his shirt to grab the falling elixir bottle and then passed through another monk, and the monk passes again to Lu Yan by heading (Imagine that they use the steel bottle, how pain it was if you perform heading and it seems that this is the real stunt).

There seems to be no romance in the movie. If considered to have one, then it might be the romance between Sparrow and Jason.

Overall, this is a great movie even though it might have not able to become as the legend of Sun Wu Kong (Monkey King) but the battling effect, as well as the storyline is not messed up (clear and simple), as well as good effect too.

It is rare to see someone will clapping in the cinema after the movie ends (you should know the meaning if they clapped hands). But at least I heard it when the movie finished. A great movie that you should not missed of.

You can visit the official site to see the trailer too. It might take some time to load since the website is using Flash. If you want to view on the posters, this is another great site for movie posters for you to view at too.

Thumbs up for me. How do you think?

UMS Student Kidnapped.

A Unofficial news that get from the UMS Campus Zone - Kingfisher Area.

Yesterday night (roughly at 7PM of 15th April 2008), an UMS girl was kidnapped at Kingfisher, in front of the Giant Hypermarket by a blue Kancil (SAA4558N).

The whole incident started when she and two of her friends went to KF and for the religious service at the church at there. Before they started they stopped on Giant Hypermarket.

You can see the profile at here. (Gosh, so busy body...)

At the second day, she was bought by the kidnappers towards Keningau area, but safe (got some story behind this, this should be the most fortunate thing for her case). Now she is in the Hospital of Keningau and I think that it is not good to disclose everything here though.

BTW... There is no proof on saying that she has meet other circumstances or not, so please don't put something silly when you are going to comment on that girl. No one wants to have this kind of accident happens too... Unless you want to jeopardizing her life and future then.

The most shocking news during the study week for this semester.

Updates: Both of the criminals has been arrested (the second one in around 50 hours after this case happens). This is a good thing to hear from too.

You can read the news here :
in Chinese (Source:Sin Chew Daily)
in Chinese (Source: Nanyang Shang Bau)
in English (Source: The Star Daily)

The updates on the news:
Traumatised kidnapped student can sit for exams at home
University sets up police station
Hong Kong movies inspired student kidnapping
(Source: NST Online)
Residents want better security
Cops: Movies and alcohol influenced duo

Residents’ rep says area is crime-prone

(Source: The Star Daily)
阿兹莎：非治安不好‧沙大女生被掳属个案
(Source: Sin Chew Daily)

These are updated at 20th April.