It was fun while it lasted :)

We ended our ECS class last week and it was public speaking. The most difficult part of this task was actually the preparation. I had a hard time choosing a title. It had to be good and long enough to last 6 minutes. My first choice was actually about money problems among university students and I just couldn't come up with a solid text after an hour of brainstorming. It was then that I decided to talk about my grandfather. Practiced and rehearsed in front of the mirror a few times and then, D-day! Went to the classroom and my heart started beating really fast. I was never calm and collected when it comes to presentations but overall I think I did okay. I stuttered and paused a few times during my speech but I'm happy I completed it :D

Really sad though that ECS has ended. It was definitely one of the most unique english classes I've had. The activities were creative and I had an awesome time. Thank you Ms. Sheba & Ms. Morais for being lovely lecturers :) and to all of my Group C classmates, thank you for all the fun moments <3 See you guys around when Semester 1 begins! :D

Tennewwords - Week 5 [FINALE]

1. fiddly

fid·dly\ˈfi-dəl-ē\
adjective
chiefly British
: requiring close attention to detail : fussy; especially : requiring an annoying amount of close attention



2. conspicuous


con·spic·u·ous\kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs, -kyü-əs\
adjective
1 : obvious to the eye or mind
2 : attracting attention : striking
3 : marked by a noticeable violation of good taste



3. leeway

lee·way\ˈlē-ˌwā\

noun
1 a : off-course lateral movement of a ship when under way
b : the angle between the heading and the track of an airplane
2 : an allowable margin of freedom or variation : tolerance



4. brassy 

brassy\ˈbra-sē\
adjective
1 a : shamelessly bold
b : obstreperous
2 : resembling brass especially in color
3 : resembling the sound of a brass instrument



5. blatant

bla·tant\ˈblā-tənt\
adjective
1 : noisy especially in a vulgar or offensive manner : clamorous
2 : completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusive especially in a crass or offensive manner : brazen



6. enigmatic

enig·mat·ic\ˌe-(ˌ)nig-ˈma-tik also ˌē-(ˌ)nig-\
adjective
: of, relating to, or resembling an enigma : mysterious



7. vigilant

vig·i·lant\ˈvi-jə-lənt\
adjective
: alertly watchful especially to avoid danger



8. rhetorical

rhe·tor·i·cal\ri-ˈtȯr-i-kəl, -ˈtär-\
adjective
1 a : of, relating to, or concerned with rhetoric
b : employed for rhetorical effect; especially : asked merely for effect with no answer expected
2 a : given to rhetoric : grandiloquent
b : verbal



9. cavern

cav·ern\ˈka-vərn also -vrən\
noun
: cave; especially : one of large or indefinite extent



10. portmanteau

port·man·teau\pȯrt-ˈman-(ˌ)tō\
noun
1 : a large suitcase
2 : a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (as smog from smoke and fog)

Tennewwords - Week 4

1. plague

plague\ˈplāg\
noun
1 a : a disastrous evil or affliction : calamity
b : a destructively numerous influx
2 a : an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality : pestilence
b : a virulent contagious febrile disease that is caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) and that occurs in bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic forms —called also black death
3 a : a cause of irritation : nuisance
b : a sudden unwelcome outbreak



2. belligerent

bel·lig·er·ent\bə-ˈlij-rənt, -ˈli-jə-\
adjective
1 : waging war; specifically : belonging to or recognized as a state at war and protected by and subject to the laws of war
2 : inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness



3. veneer

ve·neer\və-ˈnir\
noun
1 : a thin sheet of a material: as
a : a layer of wood of superior value or excellent grain to be glued to an inferior wood
b : any of the thin layers bonded together to form plywood
c : a plastic or porcelain coating bonded to the surface of a cosmetically imperfect tooth
2 : a protective or ornamental facing (as of brick or stone)
3 : a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, display, or effect : facade, gloss



4. leonine

le·o·nine\ˈlē-ə-ˌnīn\
adjective
: of, relating to, suggestive of, or resembling a lion



5. antecedent

an·te·ced·ent\ˌan-tə-ˈsē-dənt\
noun
1 : a substantive word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun (as John in “Mary saw John and called to him”); broadly : a word or phrase replaced by a substitute
2 : the conditional element in a proposition (as if A in “if A, then B”)
3 : the first term of a mathematical ratio
4 a : a preceding event, condition, or cause
b plural : the significant events, conditions, and traits of one's earlier life
5 a : predecessor; especially : a model or stimulus for later developments
b plural : ancestors, parents



6. phellem

phel·lem\ˈfe-ˌlem\
noun
: a layer of usually suberized cells produced outwardly by a phellogen



7. demure
de·mure\di-ˈmyu̇r\
adjective
1 : reserved, modest
2 : affectedly modest, reserved, or serious : coy



8. hypodermic
hy·po·der·mic\-mik\
adjective
1 : adapted for use in or administered by injection beneath the skin
2 : of or relating to the parts beneath the skin
3 : resembling a hypodermic injection in effect : stimulating



9. tenure

ten·ure\ˈten-yər also -ˌyu̇r\
noun
1 : the act, right, manner, or term of holding something (as a landed property, a position, or an office); especially : a status granted after a trial period to a teacher that gives protection from summary dismissal
2 : grasp, hold



10. chunter

chun·ter\ˈchən-tər\
intransitive verb British
: to talk in a low inarticulate way : mutter

Read & Act

It was selective reading on the 31st of July :D Ms.Morais gave all of us a script of a play entitled 'Tape' by Jose Rivera. In the beginning, it was hard to identify the plot of the story. The enclosed setting and restricted number of characters didn't help. However, it got clearer when the story begin to unfold and I was surprised at how it turned out.

It tells a story about an encounter between a 'Person' and his 'Attendant'. The Person is trapped in a small room and his Attendant comes in and starts asking him questions. At this point, it looked as if the play was revolved around a prisoner but as soon as the Person became inquisitive, the Attendant slowly begun to reveal the reason behind his presence. This was when it started to become interesting. The Person was actually a dead man, in the enclosed room to reflect on his wrongdoings. He has to hear every lie he has told from a large reel-to-reel tape recorder and the Attendant was there to guide him through the process.

The twist in the end was probably the only reason I found the play mysterious and thus, worth reading. :)

After the Tape, Ms.Morais gave us another script entitled 'The Incompatibles'. It's a typical romance play about a divorcee who has a boyfriend but she isn't over her ex-husband. This play was acted out by Maathinii, Man Ling & Terry. They did an awesome job portraying the characters and we all enjoyed their comical performance. 

2 days later on the 2nd of August, we had enactment of scenes from short stories! My group chose 'The Magic Brocade : A Tale of China' by Aaron Shepard. It was certainly a very fun session! Although we only had a day to prepare, I'm proud of my group's performance. I had to play Narrator 2 and my group members took up the other 7 characters. It felt nice to be involved in acting again after high school. Oh, there was a particular scene in this play where I couldn't control my laughter and I tried really hard to keep a straight face during our performance. All thanks to Xiang Yin! Who played the old lady in her -very funny- old lady voice.

Abrupt end to this blog post! Hehe and I'm really going to miss ECS :(

Tennewwords - Week 3

1. bereft

be·reft\bi-ˈreft\
adjective
1 a : deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something — usually used with of
b : lacking something needed, wanted, or expected — used with of
2 : suffering the death of a loved one : bereaved



2. prim

adjective
1 a : stiffly formal and proper : decorous
b : prudish
2 : neat, trim



3. imminent

im·mi·nent\ˈi-mə-nənt\
adjective
: ready to take place; especially : hanging threateningly over one's head



4. exuberant

ex·u·ber·ant\ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rənt\
adjective
1 : extreme or excessive in degree, size, or extent
2 a : joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic
b : unrestrained or elaborate especially in style : flamboyant
3 : produced in extreme abundance : plentiful



5. demographic

de·mo·graph·ic\ˌde-mə-ˈgra-fik, ˌdē-mə-\
adjective
1 : of or relating to demography or demographics
2 : relating to the dynamic balance of a population especially with regard to density and capacity for expansion or decline



6. hoard

noun
: a supply or fund stored up and often hidden away



7. agnostic
ag·nos·tic\ag-ˈnäs-tik, əg-\
noun
1 : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god
2 : a person who is unwilling to commit to an opinion about something



8. diligence

dil·i·gence\ˈdi-lə-jən(t)s\
noun
1 a : persevering application : assiduity
b obsolete : speed, haste
2 : the attention and care legally expected or required of a person (as a party to a contract)



9. solidarity

sol·i·dar·i·ty\ˌsä-lə-ˈda-rə-tē\
noun
: unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards



10. hedoism

he·do·nism\ˈhē-də-ˌni-zəm\
noun
1 : the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life
2 : a way of life based on or suggesting the principles of hedonism

It's always a good time!

We had an introductory class about public speaking today. I personally find public speaking a difficult task. It is definitely not for everyone. I guess people who are good at it are those who possess enough courage to stand before a crowd and not only that, but to have the knowledge and capabilities to confidently present their speech. I can vaguely recall participating in a storytelling competition, not public speaking (hehe), when I was 12 and it was already a very scary experience although I only stood before the judges. So when it finally came to the public speaking activity in ECS, I have to admit, it was nerve wracking. We had a practice to prepare ourselves for the real (assessed) one on August 6th and what we had to do was to prepare a speech about our characteristics or any life changing experience we've encountered.

I talked mainly about myself. How I was raised in a Nyonya Baba family and thus, why it was difficult for me to speak in chinese. Also of course, the hopeless romantic side of me, which I don't think will go away anytime soon. Last year was pretty tough, I had to make a choice between Medicine & Pharmacy and I've always wanted to be a paediatrician. I guess life experiences help you to decide which path you should take and I chose a future in Pharmacy.




Hearing my classmates' stories also felt really good. Some I could relate to and some taught me a little about life. Now I kinda have mixed feelings about the public speaking on August 6th. Keeping my fingers crossed everything will be fine!

Okay, I shall sign off with one song I absolutely adore. Favourite of the week!

It gives such a positive vibe! Like no matter where you are or what you're doing, hear this and it's all good :D

Shape Poetry :D

I came into this class with no knowledge about shape poetry haha. Turned out to be the best class so far! Loved how Ms.Sheba got our creative juices out. One of the things she did was to get us to form a circle and mimic our classmates' actions as we took turns. Love the background music played that day! 'I'm Alive' by Celine Dion. Listening to it as I type :D *her voice gives me goosebumps*

The highlight of the day would probably be the guessing game where we had to act out the beginning of a situation and freeze at the count of '1..2..3'. Then we'll act out the ending after a few seconds in freeze mode haha. My group came up with the idea of 2 girls showering and one naughty guy, Kim Eik [:P], would be peeping. Two wardens will pass by and scold him for it then *freeze* the two girls invites him to join them in the shower and he was even pushed into the cubicle by the two wardens hahaha.




Wait, getting carried away here. Back to shape poetry! After Ms.Sheba explained what it's all about, we started writing and shaping our poem. I did one about my grandfather. He had an operation a few days ago and is now recuperating in the hospital. Hope he'll come home healthy soon! :)


Oh and here's what I came up with :

Shape poetry is really interesting! Love how a descriptive poem can be shaped into it's subject. Never knew or seen something quite like it. English class has been fun!! :D

Debate!

One of the best debate experiences ever :D

We had it 2 days after the movie review class with Ms. Morais and it was so much fun! Everyone was very committed and I certainly learned a lot from this experience. Having to make new friends in my group was a great start!  They were bubbly and adorable people!

The motion was 'War is a necessity in the pursuit of peace'. Good thing we were the opposition! I was the second speaker, together with Xiang Yin & Terry for Debate 1. The rest prepared themselves for Debate 3 so we HAD to win. And we DID :D Although we only had a day to prepare, we certainly made good use of the time we had :D

The proposing team did a great job in presenting their ideas. It was a friendly fight :) Something that brought all of us together. I guess having this debate helps one to come out from their shell and learn how to express themselves better. I certainly did. Though I'm still pretty nervous about public speaking........ *fingers crossed*

Hopeless romantic :)

This blog is getting too serious haha. To lighten things up a bit, I would like to recommend a few novels. Absolutely LOVE them!

First off, 

This is the first book I've read since I dumped my reading habit a few years ago. My mom's favourite! Can never go wrong with your mother's favourite book :D The story is so beautiful. I can still remember vividly how it made me....cry. Too touching!

Rating : 5/5

This one got me glued from page 1 till the end. It was such a good read, I finished it in 3 hours. The movie's great too! And extremely sad.....

Rating : 5/5

Another great book! Too bad Lavyrle Spencer didn't write very much. This was one of her best :)

Rating : 5/5

Hehe I know I kinda gave all 3 books a 5/5 rating. Cause it was THAT good. Currently I'm into novels by Mitch Albom. Not romantic at all but they're certainly life changing stories. 'Tuesdays with Morrie' has been very interesting so far :)

Tennewwords - Week 2!

1. rife

rife\ˈrīf\
adjective
1 : prevalent especially to an increasing degree
2 : abundant, common
3 : copiously supplied : abounding — usually used with with



2. convalesce

con·va·lesce\ˌkän-və-ˈles\
intransitive verb
: to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness



3. discrepancy

dis·crep·an·cy\dis-ˈkre-pən-sē\
noun
1 : the quality or state of disagreeing or being at variance
2 : an instance of disagreeing or being at variance



4. mnemonics

mne·mon·ics\ni-ˈmä-niks\
noun plural but singular in construction
: a technique of improving the memory




5. insidious

in·sid·i·ous\in-ˈsi-dē-əs\
adjective
1 a : awaiting a chance to entrap : treacherous
b : harmful but enticing : seductive
2 a : having a gradual and cumulative effect : subtle
b of a disease : developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent



6. qualm

qualm\ˈkwäm also ˈkwȯm or ˈkwälm\
noun
1 : a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea
2 : a sudden access of usually disturbing emotion (as doubt or fear)
3 : a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety



7. medieval


me·di·e·val
adjective
1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of the Middle Ages
2 : having a quality (as cruelty) associated with the Middle Ages
3 : extremely outmoded or antiquated



8. nimbus

nim·bus\ˈnim-bəs\
noun
1 a : a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth
b : a cloud or atmosphere (as of romance) about a person or thing
2 : an indication (as a circle) of radiant light or glory about the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign
3 a : a rain cloud
b : thunderhead;
Other forms: plural nim·bi \-ˌbī, -ˌbē\ or nim·bus·es



9. nymph

nymph\ˈnim(p)f\
noun
1 : any of the minor divinities of nature in classical mythology represented as beautiful maidens dwelling in the mountains, forests, trees, and waters
2 : girl
3 : any of various immature insects; especially : a larva of an insect (as a grasshopper, true bug, or mayfly) with incomplete metamorphosis that differs from the imago especially in size and in its incompletely developed wings and genitalia



10. ire

ire\ˈī(-ə)r\
noun
: intense and usually openly displayed anger
synonyms : anger

Movie review : Buddha Collapse Out of Shame

Buddha Collapse Out of Shame is an independent movie directed by Pashto Hana Makmalbhaf, the youngest of the Makmalbhaf clan of Iranian filmmakers. It focuses on the heartbreaking attempts of a six-year-old girl in Afghanistan to obtain education in the face of war.

Hana Makmalbhaf decided to cast citizens of Afghanistan themselves in this film and they portrayed their characters rather well.  The leading character, Bakhtay, is played by Nikbakht Noruz. In the movie, she dreams to take herself to school but her desire is not easily attained in the absence of her mother. She struggled to find money to buy a schoolbook and throughout all her obstacles, Abbas was there for her. Abbas is Bakhtay's best friend, played by Abbas Alijome. He values their friendship strongly and this is advocated by the sacrifices he made to save Bakhtay in her attempt to go to school. Both characters play on the audience's emotions throughout the film and every time you sympathize them more and more.

One of the main themes of the movie revolves around the war in Afghanistan. It has a slow pace to signify the pain and suffering of the children in times of war. Each incident also carries a certain meaning. This is particularly evident when pages of Bakhtay's notebook were torn at every obstacle she encounters to get to school. It speaks volume about the plight of woman in her country. One event that stood out the most in this film will be Bakhtay's ordeal with the boys in her village. They put a hood over her head, threaten to stone her, and dig her grave which symbolizes male dominance in Afghanistan. However, Bakhtay was able to turn one of the punishments into a game of hopscotch and used her mother's lipstick to entertain her peers in school. These incidents tell us about Bakhtay's positive character where she is still able to find life in things amidst all the dramas surrounding her.

There are no random and non-belonging film frames. The director has certainly put much thought into cinematography and lighting. It portrays the situation in Bahmia well enough to understand the lifestyle of the villagers and how they struggle to survive day by day. The beginning and the ending of the film also had a unique twist which would certainly keep the viewers guessing.

It was a waste that the movie had only one background music to stress on the actions played by the characters. It also lacked music soundtracks to help convey their many differing emotions - pain, suffering, frustration and bitterness. However, the message that Hana Makmalbhaf was trying to convey in her film is still relevant today. Children still suffer in times of war but gender discrimination has generally begin to fade in the current society.




Taking all of this into account, the movie can be categorized as blend and certainly requires some patience. It is however substantial enough for viewers who has an interest in non-fiction storylines. With that, I would like to add that the director, Hana Makmalbhaf, certainly deserves the highest recognition and attention from viewers and movie critics for her remarkable work at the age of 19.

(529 words)

Tennewwords

Head title for the 10 new words I'll learn every week. :)


Starting off with 'perverse'.


per·verse\(ˌ)pər-ˈvərs, ˈpər-ˌ\
adjective

1 a : turned away from what is right or good : corrupt
b : improper, incorrect
c : contrary to the evidence or the direction of the judge on a point of law
2 a : obstinate in opposing what is right, reasonable, or accepted : wrongheaded
b : arising from or indicative of stubbornness or obstinacy
3 : marked by peevishness or petulance : cranky
4 : marked by perversion

synonyms : contrary



2. obscure


ob·scure\äb-ˈskyu̇r, əb-\
adjective

1 a : dark, dim
b : shrouded in or hidden by darkness
c : not clearly seen or easily distinguished : faint
2 : not readily understood or clearly expressed; also : mysterious
3 : relatively unknown: as
a : remote, secluded
b : not prominent or famous
4 : constituting the unstressed vowel \ə\ or having unstressed \ə\ as its value



3. cordial

cor·dial\ˈkȯr-jəl\
adjective

1 obsolete : of or relating to the heart : vital
2 : tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate
3 a : sincerely or deeply felt b : warmly and genially affable

synonyms : gracious



4. iridescence

ir·i·des·cence\ˌir-ə-ˈde-sən(t)s\
noun

1 : a lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes
2 : a lustrous or attractive quality or effect



5. truncate

trun·cate\ˈtrəŋ-ˌkāt, ˈtrən-\
adjective

: having the end square or even



6. profligate

prof·li·gate\ˈprä-fli-gət, -ˌgāt\
adjective

1 : wildly extravagant
2 : completely given up to dissipation and licentiousness



7. dally

intransitive verb

1 a : to act playfully; especially : to play amorously
b : to deal lightly : toy
2 a : to waste time
b : linger, dawdle

synonyms :trifle, delay



8. abstinence

ab·sti·nence\ˈab-stə-nən(t)s\
noun

1 : voluntary forbearance especially from indulgence of an appetite or craving or from eating some foods
2 a : habitual abstaining from intoxicating beverages
b : abstention from sexual intercourse



9. decipher

de·ci·pher\dē-ˈsī-fər\
transitive verb

1 : decode 1a
2 obsolete : depict
3 a : to make out the meaning of despite indistinctness or obscurity
b : to interpret the meaning of



10. feasible


fea·si·ble\ˈfē-zə-bəl\
adjective

1 : capable of being done or carried out
2 : capable of being used or dealt with successfully : suitable
3 : reasonable, likely

synonyms : possible

Hi! :D

Was cracking my head trying to think how should i begin my first blog post. Then i decided to write exactly that.


Had my first English Composition Skills (ECS) class last week. This post was meant to be written after it ended but I kinda-accidentally-forgot about it till today. (Sorry Ms.Sheba :P)


First off, I'm in Group C. I have 28 classmates and a personal (tough) journey. In the beginning, I actually preferred to be in other groups when Ms. Sheba told us about our own 'adventure' but now I've honestly begun to think that all of it will be worth the effort. Debate, public speaking, film & poetry skills will definitely come in handy, someday :D


I have weaknesses. Till this day, I've never been very good with words. Feelings and expressions just don't flow very easily on paper. I can take hours writing a six paragraph essay and it still won't be a very long story. That I think, is my biggest weakness. Aside from all the other things.


Hopefully through all the activities & exercises, I will be able to improve myself. Looking forward to a fun and enjoyable English class :)