Who said that English language is easy?

Taken from : http://blog.grammarly.com/post/30539700792/another-one-that-is-often-confusing-is-do-you

Eid-Ul-Fitr 2012

Eid-Ul-Fitr came and went and the children (including Mama) have enjoyed celebrating it with Atuk, Nenek, and cousins. Only Uncle Sham and Mama were there on the 1st day of Eid since Aunt Ya (and her family) only reached KB at about 7pm on the 2nd day. Uncle Himi (and his family) arrived on the 3rd day at about 9 am. Mama could see Mama's parents' faces glowed with happiness when all their 4 children were finally there under one roof.

Atuk, Nenek and their 5 grandchildren

All in the family 

Nenek's younger sister's place (Pulai Chondong)

Bro H enjoying the sparklers

Aunt Ya (as usual the supplier for the sparklers and firecrackers) had brought a lot of them this year.

The children enjoying the bubbles. Armijn (in black t-shirt) is the first grandchild. His sister, Lyla, was sitting next to Bro H and behind them were Izzat, Atuk and Nenek.

Can't wait to gobble up the cake. Uncle Sham celebrated his 45th birthday.

 Bro H and Sis A on the 1st Syawal

 Bro H still found the time to play computer games

 One of the rare moments when Sis A 'bonded' with a young visitor. Usually it takes quite a while for her to be 'warm' with people.

In front of the house, with Mama's childhood friend who is also Nenek's former student.

Sis A also sneaked into the room to play games once in a while. 

Sis A and Bro H with Mama's friend's nephews and nieces

 Sharing is caring. Sis A, Bro H and cousin Izzat were playing some Angry Birds game on the Tab.

Cousin Armijn

Cousin Lyla

Posing on Atuk's 'vintage' car : MG Midget

Sis A and Cousin Lyla

Cheeky Zebra

With Aunt Ya, cousin Izzat at the Land Office

The old family home of Nenek

The children jumping on the wooden floor at the balcony. They were not used to the sounds they made when they walked / ran/ jumped on the wooden floor and were excited by them (the sounds). 

Tok Baso means Tok Bahasa or Juru Bahasa (the translator). It is believed that Nenek's ancestor came from China and used to work at the palace working as a translator for the king or palace officials. 

The boys letting off their steam by playing football at a nearby field

Uncle Sham treated all of us at a local hotel. Bro H ate a lot that night.

Sis A 

Bro H

Playing games on the Tab (again)

 Uncle Himi supervising the over-excited children

Uncle Himi went back on Saturday, Uncle Sham on Sunday and finally Aunt Ya on Monday.
Happy Eid, everyone.

The Dolphin Test

The Dolphin Test

Scientists do not yet fully understand how this test works, but it is amazingly accurate.  Read the full  description before looking at the picture.

The photo below shows two almost completely identical dolphins.  It is used at St. Mary's Hospital in London to test patient stress levels.

Look carefully at the two dolphins leaping out of the water.  To most normal people, they are identical in almost every detail.

A closely  monitored scientific study at St. Mary's revealed that, in spite of the fact that the two dolphins are almost completely identical, a person under stress is able to perceive even very minor differences between them.

The study showed that the more differences a person finds between the two dolphins, the more stress that  person is experiencing.

Now, look closely at the  photograph below.  According to the study, if you find more than one or two differences you probably need to take a holiday and get some rest, or get some professional help.

 

Fortunately, I did not find any differences,

so I am okay.

Taken from : An email from a cousin

FB Status Vs School Essay

Punctuation changes everything

Taken from: http://blog.grammarly.com/post/29709439249/punctuation-matters

Traffic Jam That Lasts Forever

Let's hope our families and friends who are on the 'exodus' home for Eid-Ul-Fitr celebration tomorrow (Sunday 19th August)  would not face this problem.

Eid-Ul-Fitr Greeting From Us

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims observe a strict fast and participate in pious activities such as charitable giving and peace-making. It is a time of intense spiritual renewal for those who observe it. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the world observe a joyous three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr (the Festival of Fast-Breaking).

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is a time to give in charity to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy.

Before the day of Eid, during the last few days of Ramadan, each Muslim family gives a determined amount as a donation to the poor. This donation is of actual food -- rice, barley, dates, rice, etc. -- to ensure that the needy can have a holiday meal and participate in the celebration. This donation is known as sadaqah al-fitr (charity of fast-breaking).

On the day of Eid, Muslims gather early in the morning in outdoor locations or mosques to perform the Eid prayer. This consists of a sermon followed by a short congregational prayer.

After the Eid prayer, Muslims usually scatter to visit various family and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and make phone calls to distant relatives to give well-wishes for the holiday. These activities traditionally continue for three days. In most Muslim countries, the entire 3-day period is an official government/school holiday.

Taken from : http://islam.about.com/od/ramadan/f/eid_fitr.htm

Silent Saturday

Hari Raya 2012 - The Journey

A heart-touching tv commercial about two special children in an orphanage and their journey home on the eve of Eid-ul- Fitr. Through perseverance and determination, they overcome the odds.

This video clip made Mama cry and Mama realized that a HOME is not necessarily a HOUSE.

Snooze Class

Why do I keep dozing off in class?

We are going to be talking about what makes a good student, and what makes a bad student. In my personal experience, I believe a student who is full of energy and well attentive will do their best. Here is how to pay the most attention during class during your school career.

So many people I know aren't able to stay up for long periods of time during a class session at school, whether it be high school, or college. They just don't seem like they are able to stay focused, or just end up falling asleep during a lecture, or note taking. So I was thinking to myself what makes people stay awake, and what makes those other people in class fall asleep, so I came upon a short list of things that will help you stay more attentive during class.

First thing you want to do is stay well hydrated. When you drink water, it fuels you throughout the day. Make sure to drink not when you actually are thirsty, but before then. Sometimes, even though I don't like to say it, coffee in the morning helps people stay focused. But that normally causes people to just crash later because of the caffeine. So make sure if you have coffee, that you only have a class or two, and don't have to pay attention all day long. Otherwise your last classes will suffer.

So the day before did you get a good nights rest? If you didn't, and can't stay focused the next day, maybe that might be one of your problems. The body regularly go through R.E.M. sleep, (rapid eye movement), you go through phases of this throughout the night, which science had lead us to believe it is a step in recovering our lost energy, and charging our bodies up for the next days activities.

If you only get 4 or 5 hours of sleep, as opposed to someone who gets 8 or 9 hours of sleep, guaranteed that person will be more attentive in class than you are, unless of course that other person doesn't care about education, then that is an exception.

Eating breakfast is another big issue. Too many teenagers and young adults do not have breakfast, which will speed up your metabolism, which will make you have more energy, which will ultimately lead to you being able to focus better with your school work.

Sitting up straight is also one of my big ones. If I end up slouching through half the class, I get drowsy and sleepy and don't really retain information, even though I do watch what the professor does and I take notes. Make sure to sit up straight, and it will really make you force yourself to pay more attention, and retain more information.

Taken from : http://voices.yahoo.com/how-stop-dozing-off-during-class-3083460.html?cat=7

Wordless Wednesday