A Prayer of MH370

A poem specially written for missing MH370

Calligraphy - An Art for Chinese

   After four days of learning Chinese calligraphy, we have to come an end of the lesson. We have invited Mr Soo Hua Gui, a retired teacher from SJK(C) Cheng Siu, Batu Pahat to our college to impart his knowledge and skills in writing calligraphy. He is 74 years old but he still has his passion in teaching calligraphy. He is very patient in teaching us. We really learnt a lot from him.
   Chinese calligraphy is an art. I feel that as Chinese we should learn it. We may not be able to master it but we must know about it. When I adopted my two sons from China for one week. I am sad to find out that calligraphy is not part of the school syllabus in China. So my two adopted sons said they had never written any calligraphy before. They had not even used the brush and ink in writing it.
   As a Malaysian, I'm proud that we still have Chinese calligraphy in our Chinese school syllabus. I hope that our students will continue on their practice in the art of calligraphy.

Form 5 Poem "Nature" with Mandarin Translation

Poem: Nature By H.D. Carberry We have neither Summer nor Winter Neither Autumn nor Spring. We have instead the days When the gold sun shines on the lush green canefields- Magnificently. The days when the rain beats like bullets on the roofs And there is no sound but the swish of water in the gullies And trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds. Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango trees And the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun. But best of all there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom When the bushes are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey, When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air, When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.

大自然 我们没有夏天和冬天 也没有秋天和春天 我们有的是白天 有时太阳照在青翠的蔗园上 美丽壮观 有时大雨如子弹打在屋顶上 有时听不到声音只听到山谷的水声 有时树木在牙买加的大风下挣扎 有时落叶从光果树飘下 有时收割好的蔗园在太阳底下空旷着 最好的时候是当芒果树和紫心树开花 有时矮林中充满蜜蜂的鸣声和蜜糖的香味 有时高草随着微风飘扬和颤抖 有时金凤花如黄色的星星铺满整个大地 当美丽突然来到，雨就走了

Form 5 Poem "Are You Still Playing The Flute?" with Mandarin Translation

Poem: Are You Still Playing Your Flute? By Zurinah Hassan Are you still playing your flute? When there is hardly time for our love I am feeling guilty To be longing for your song The melody concealed in the slim hollow of the bamboo Uncovered by the breath of an artist Composed by his fingers Blown by the wind To the depth of my heart. Are you still playing your flute? In the village so quiet and deserted Amidst the sick rice fields While here it has become a luxury To spend time watching the rain Gazing at the evening rays Collecting dew drops Or enjoying the fragrance of flowers. Are you still playing your flute? The more it disturbs my conscience to be thinking of you in the hazard of you my younger brothers unemployed and desperate my people disunited by politics my friend slaughtered mercilessly this world is too old and bleeding. * Is this the end of our love time is forcing us, as artists to live outside ourselves

你还在吹笛子吗？ 你还在吹笛子吗？ 当我们很少有相爱的时间 我感到很内疚 想念听你的歌 藏在竹里细小空隙的旋律 由音乐家所创作 由他的手所作曲 由风吹出 渗入我的内心深处 你还在吹笛子吗？ 在那安静和荒凉的村子里 在那生病的稻田中 它已变成一种奢侈 拨出时间看着下雨 望着夕阳西下 收取露珠 或享受着花香 你还在吹笛子吗？ 我的良心受到责备 我一直想念你 想念你是危险的 我的兄弟失业和绝望 我的人民被政治分散 我的朋友被无情杀害 这个世界太旧和流了很多血 *我们的爱就此结束 我们被时间所逼迫，身为音乐家 不为自己而活

Form 4 Poem "He Had Such Quiet Eyes" with Mandarin translation

Poem: He Had Such Quiet Eyes By Bibsy Soenharjo He had such quiet eyes She did not realise They were two pools of lies Layered with thinnest ice To her, those quiet eyes Were breathing desolate sighs Imploring her to be nice And to render him paradise If only she’d been wise And had listened to the advice Never to compromise With pleasure-seeking guys She’d be free from “the hows and whys” Now here’s a bit of advice Be sure that nice really means nice Then you’ll never be losing at dice Though you may lose your heart once or twice

他有一双文静的眼神 他有一双文静的眼神 她不知道 它们充满两湖谎话 被薄冰所遮盖 对她来说，他那文静的眼神 发出凄苦的叹息 求她对他好 给予他快乐 如果她聪明 就会听从劝告 不会妥协于 爱享乐的男子 她就能避免种种难题 现在这里有一点劝告 要记得好就是真的好 你就不会在爱情游戏里失落 虽然你有时会失恋一次或两次

Form 4 Poem "In The Midst of Hardship" with Mandarin translation

Poem: In the Midst of Hardship By Latiff Mohidin Translated by Salleh Ben Joned At dawn they returned home their soaky clothes torn and approached the stove their limbs marked by scratches their legs full of wounds but on their brows there was not a sign of despair The whole day and night just passed they had to brave the horrendous flood in the water all the time between bloated carcasses and tiny chips of tree barks desperately looking for their son’s albino buffalo that was never found They were born amidst hardship and grew up without a sigh or a complaint now they are in the kitchen, making jokes while rolling their cigarette leaves

在困苦当中 天一亮，他们就回家 他们的衣服湿了和破了 所以走近火炉 他们的手有伤痕 他们的脚有伤口 但是他们的额头上 却没有任何失望    一整天和一整夜已过去了 他们要面对可怕的水灾 在水里一整天 在浮肿的屍体中 在树皮的细枝中 拼命地寻找他们儿子的 白色水牛但却也找不着 他们出生在困苦当中 在成长的过程他们从不叹息或发怨言 现在他们在厨房里， 一面开着玩笑，一面卷着烟草

SPM Novel "Catch Us If You Can" Moral Value of Determination

Based on the novel you have read, write about the most important lesson you have learnt from the novel. Give evidence from the text.

            Based on the novel “Catch Us If You Can” by Catherine MacPhail, the most important lesson is to be persistent when facing challenges. Often, persistence achieves better results than losing hope easily. The characters that show persistence are Rory and Granda.
            Rory knows that he must be strong and persistent in order to withstand the rigours of the escape. There is never a time he feels like giving up and turning in to the police. It is this strong sense of perseverance that helps him bear all the hardships.
            It is the same with Granda. When things get difficult, he is even more persevering even though being on the run is hard for an old man like him. He knows he needs to be strong so that they can be together.
            The escape gets very arduous and tough at times. The police are always after Rory and Granda. There is wide television coverage on them. But Rory and Granda are determined to pull through. They know they will not be separated as long as they continue to run.
            From the way they go though their escape, I learnt that challenges should be dealt with persistent. One must not give up hope and accept defeat. As long as one has the chance, one must keep on going till success is met.

SPM Novel "Catch us If You Can" Setting

Using details from the novel you have studied,  describe the setting,  explain why you find the setting suitable for the novel. Support your answer with close reference to the text.

            Based on the novel “Catch Us If You Can” by Catherine MacPhail, the story tells of Rory and Granda’s escape adventure from their hometown (Scotland) until they reach Liverpool. They have been living together looking after each other and are not prepared to be separated. When they are placed in separate homes, that is, Rory is sent to Castle Street while Granda is sent to Rachnadar, they make their escape in order to be together.
                The story is set in the present time in a small town in Scotland. Rory and Granda live in a flat and Rory attend a nearby school. From here, they make their escape along country roads to a caravan site and then through small quiet towns like Forfar, the Dundee Train Station and Perth Train Station. They travel towards Lake District and finally end up in Liverpool. Along the way they are helped by strangers who take them along in their caravans. They travel by train and cars later on. The mood for the story changes from free and easy to suspense and fear and ends on a happy note.
                I find the setting suitable for the mood. As it is an escape adventure, the country roads and small towns are most suitable to avoid being recognized. Rory and Granda are happy and carefree in their own flat doing what they feel they should, taking care of each other. When they are placed in the homes, the mood changes to one of sadness and despair especially when Granda is slowly dying inside while Rory is bullied by Tess. At the caravan site and in the other places, Granda recovers and becomes his happy, normal self although he is exhausted at times. They enjoy their freedom and being together. Along the way they are given shelter and help by strangers.
                At the train station, there are some anxious moments when they are in danger of being recognized. The mood becomes light when Granda drives a car he hotwires, unsteadily along the roads. At the bus shelter in the cold night, Granda almost loses his life, the mood is full of anxiety and fear when Rory runs to get help. Then, they are taken to Liverpool and the story ends on a happy note. Rory and Granda are united with Jeff McIntosh, Rory’s father and his family.
                Based on the evidences above, I find the setting suitable for the mood of the story.

SPM Novel "Catch Us If You Can" Theme of Family Relationship

Using details from the novel you have studied,  write on the main theme you have studied,  why you feel the theme that you have written on is the main theme. Support your answer with close reference to the text.

            Based on the novel “Catch Us If You Can” by Catherine MacPhail, the story tells of Rory and Granda’s escape adventure from their hometown to Liverpool. They have been living together looking after each other and are not prepared to be separated. When they are placed in separate homes, they make their escape in order to be together.

            The main theme in the story is family relationships. Rory and Grand have a close relationship as Granda has looked after Rory since he was a baby. Now, as Granda is getting on in years, Rory feels it is his turn to look after Granda. Granda has a sour relationship with his son, Jeff because Jeff runs away from home. Granda does not understand Jeff’s feeling of inadequacy of being a father at a young age. This leads to their estrangement.

            The family relationship in Sammy’s family is easy and carefree. Sammy and Ruby will tell each other off but one can sense the strength of their relationship. They have a good and loving relationship with their son, Tyrone. The relationship seems easy going but they treat each other with respect.

Sammy and his brother, Bernie also show a strong family relationship. Sammy brings Rory and Granda to Forfar to meet Bernie to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. All have a good time in singing and playing music. There is enjoyable conversation and laughter.  So their relationship is very close.

            Based on the evidences above, the theme of family relationship runs throughout the story and this is why I feel it is the main theme.

SPM Novel "Catch Us If You Can" Theme of Courage

Based on the novel you have read, write about the novel’s theme of handling one’s challenges with courage. Give evidence from the text.

            Based on the novel “Catch Us If You Can” by Catherine MacPhail, the novel highlights the theme of handling one’s challenges with courage. Rory and Granda show courage in dealing with the problems they face in their daily life.

                Granda has been looking after Rory and now that Granda is getting on in years and unwell. Rory takes over the responsibility of looking after Granda. This is a challenge for Rory as he is just a schoolboy. He has to have a schedule which is suitable for him to carry out his duties at home and be in school on time. He even has to forfeit playing football in school.

                Another challenge Rory faces is to make sure nobody suspects that he and Granda are able to survive without outside help. He has to make sure that  there will not be any untoward incident at home. On the Parent’s Night, Granda is forgetful and has left his pipe in his coat pocket which caused his coat to be on fire. This is something Rory has to make sure such a thing does not happen again.

Rory and Granda handle challenges when they are running away from the authorities. They have to risk the dangers of being caught or recognized by the people. They are helped by strangers along the way and they have to be careful about their motives.

Granda shows courage when he steals a car and drives it away. He shows a side of him Rory has not seen for a long while. It is the lively and brave Granda. Of course, there are times Rory fears of being sent to jail when he thinks that they have become criminals. This is after Granda hits the boy from the train with a bottle. But this fear does not deter him from continuing the Great Escape.

Even when Granda is very exhausted, he does not give up. He faces his adventures with strength and courage. When Granda fails to wake up on top of the hill, Rory bravely goes to look for help. He knocks on a stranger’s door and begs for help. The two of them face all the challenges with courage.

                Based on the evidences above, the theme of handling one’s challenges with courage is clearly portrayed throughout the story as Rory and Granda go through hardships during their escape journey.

SPM Novel "Catch Us If You Can" A Disliked Character

Based on the novel you have read, choose a character that you dislike. Give reasons for your choice with close reference to the text.

           Based on the novel “Catch Us If You Can” by Catherine MacPhail, the character I dislike is Tess, a violent girl who lives in the children’s home at Castle Street.

I dislike her because of her violent deeds. She has violent bouts of anger and temper tantrums. Though she has a sad life, her mother is in prison and her relatives have all rejected her. Being homeless and unwanted, she is sent to Castle Street. But instead of making the best of her life there, she worsens it by becoming bitter, angry and violent.

Tess is her own worst enemy. Her anger and violence scare all the children. Unlike other children who are nice, she fails to make friends and so remains lonely and friendless. She cannot overcome her loneliness and sense of rejection.

Her violent outbursts become so bad that she loses control of herself and her actions. She injures others. Others keep away from her. Rory tries to keep his distance from her when he sits for breakfast. Once, she becomes very worse that causes Rory to lose his patience and shouts at her. She retaliates by punching Rory on the nose. They have a fight in the children’s home.

Therefore, I dislike Tess because of her violence. If she has chosen to have good behaviour, she would probably have made some friends who can help her instead of feeling rejected.

SPM Novel "Catch Us If You Can" A Character Who Derserves Sympathy

Using details from the novel you have studied,  describe a character who deserves our sympathy, explain why you think he or she deserves our sympathy. Support your answer with close reference to the text.

Based on the novel “Catch Us If You Can” by Catherine MacPhail, the character who deserves our sympathy is Rory McIntosh.

Although Rory is only a young boy, he is given the heavy job of looking after his grandfather who is ill. It is not easy to look after an old man who is sick and has lapses of memory. Rory’s time is divided between going to school, running home to get lunch ready for Granda, reminding him to take his pills and so on. He even gives up playing football to make sure Granda has his meals and takes his medicine on time.

I sympathise with Rory because he is a very young boy doing a man’s job with no one to help him. He cannot join his friends at play nor join the football team because he has to take care of his grandfather. Rory seems to be letting his childhood pass by.

I do not, also, see Rory behaving as a young child should. He does not laugh like children of his age do even in situations that are supposed to be funny. Darren and his friends find Granda’s actions hilarious but Rory knows the seriousness of the situation. Thus I feel that Rory cannot let his hair down and behave like a child. He has always to be alert and watchful over his Granda so that no harm comes to him.

Therefore, I feel that Rory deserves the greatest sympathy considering the type of responsibilities he has to shoulder and that he has to lose out on his childhood.

SPM Novel "Catch Us If You Can" An Admired Character

Based on the novel you have read, write about a character that you admire. Support your answer by citing examples from the text.

Based on the novel “Catch Us If You Can” by Catherine MacPhail, the character I admire the most is Rory McIntosh. I admire him because he is responsible, understanding and brave.

Rory takes on the responsibility of looking after Granda on his own initiative. He makes sure Granda has everything he requires before he leaves for school. Rory’s time is divided between going to school, running home to get lunch ready for Granda, reminding him to take his pills and so on. He even gives up playing football to make sure Granda has his meals and takes his medicine on time. 

Rory also shows that he is understanding when he understands Granda’s needs. He knows that Granda will not be able to survive in Rachnadar. He can see Granda dying slowly inside from the confinement and being separated from Rory. He makes an escape plan and they run away from the homes. It does not matter where they are going because as long as they are together, Granda feels alive and happy.

Rory has also shown his bravery because Granda depends on him for moral and physical support and encouragement. He has to make decisions about placing their trust in strangers and more importantly he has to decide about going to Liverpool. Granda is very much against the idea while Rory hopes that his father can take over the responsibility to look after Granda.

Based on the evidences above, I admire Rory because he is responsible, understanding and brave.

Poem "Rain" by Muhammad Haji Salleh Vs "I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth

     The poem "Rain" by Muhammad Haji Salleh is a local poem by Malaysian poet while "I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud" is a classic poem written by William Wordsworth. Both poems have their own beauty when it comes to nature.

http://www.slideshare.net/YeeBeeChoo/poem-rain-by-muhammad-haji-salleh-portrays-the-theme-of-hope-of-people-for-the-rain-to-come-so-that-their-crops-will-grow-especially-during-droughts-they-have-been-praying-very-hard-and-finally-god-answers-their-prayers

http://www.slideshare.net/YeeBeeChoo/poem-i-wondered-lonely-as-a-cloud

Drama Workshop

   On 8 March 2014, we organised a drama workshop for all TESL students at IPGKTHO. We invited Puan Munirah and Puan Rusmanizah from IPG Teknik, Seremban to conduct the workshop. It was 100% hands-on and the students really enjoyed it very much.
   First, we did exercise and pata-pata dance as a warm up. Then, we learnt some drama techniques such as finding a focal point, vocalisation, movements, facial expressions and stage directions. In the afternoon, we had drama performance by 10 groups. Before we ended the drama workshop, our head of department, Puan Jayanthi gave the souvenirs to the two speakers.