Learning English is Fun

Many students studying English as a second language find grammar difficult. One reason is because every language has different set of rules. The rules of English grammar is definitely DIFFERENT!In Malay Language, the verb used to show past action or event does not change as it does in English.To the first speaker of Malay language, the change in the verb form is puzzling. To most of them, English is a CRAZY language. 

RUN IS RAN IN PAST TENSE

WHILE WALK IS WALKED IN PAST TENSE

WHY CAN'T WE PUT 'ED' AFTER EVERY WORD?

IS IT BECAUSE ENGLISH IS A CRAZY LANGUAGE?

Go to the website below for more quotes:
www.edulang.com/5-quotes-to-share-with-language-learners

This is my personal view on the poem " In The Midst of Hardship".

For more information about flood in Malaysia,please visit this link.

In The Midst of Hardship is a beautiful poem written by Latiff Mohidin. He describes the hardship which the family from a village has to endure. Nature is chosen by Mohidin to represent the hardship. He specifically chooses the flood as a natural phenomenon that has disturbed the family’s peacefulness.
Flood which should have been the cause of grief and sorrow, however, does not seem to have affected the family. Despite losing their son’s albino buffalo and suffering from the loss incurred by the flood, the family remains optimist about life. They are still able to resume doing their normal activities like cooking, eating, smoking and making jokes.
This family shows an example of poor people who can still gain happiness even though they do not own much and has lost their son’s albino buffalo. They seem grateful with what they have because they do not sigh nor complain. They do not let themselves immerse in deep sorrow but enjoy the little pleasure they still have with each other.

Learning quote

In The Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin

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 ciggarete leaves

"Writing A Short Story Using a Poem". Let's take the challenge!

Dear readers,
Please read this poem and write a short story based on it. Post your short story to my email or this blog (post comment) and you will get a surprise gift from me.:)


Poem: “My Friend, Farah”

We consumed six meals a day
Tons of ice-cream
Tons of chocolate
Yet we remained skinny
Friends called us the Bony F.

Cruel age caught up with me
I began to put weight around my middle
Farah called my fat “love handles”
I was now pleasantly plump
But Farah remained pencil slim.

Then one day Farah called
She wanted to help me lose weight
By dieting with me
But I wasn’t convinced ……
She wasn’t the sacrificing kind.

Farah had put on five kilos
She started a liquid diet
Enrolled for aerobics and yoga classes
And lost two kilos after a week
Yet she was weak and dizzy.

Soon, she lost five kilos
But she did not stop
She was a woman obsessed
No more regular meals
She threw up all the food she ate.

Her eyes were all bloodshot
Her spine was sticking out
She was definitely shrinking
She no longer had the stamina to exercise
She looked like a war or famine victim.

One day I received a call
She had a heart attack
I saw her on hospital bed
With all the tubes in her
What a pitiful sight!

More on The Curse

Greeting to all
If any of you really need the reference book for The Curse, you may get it from me via email. Leave your contact number.

Do you like the ending of the novel,The Curse?

One of the bloggers, Vera Anne R.R says:

“The ending of the story is bittersweet. It's tragic that Azreen lost everyone that she loved but I guess that makes it easier for her to go on with her life. I mean now that she's alone, she will only have her own problem to think of.

If I was in Azreen's place, I think I can go through it all. I think I can go on with my life though I don't know how long will I take to do that.”

What about you? Do share your opinion with us?


Here is my answer:

No. I dislike such a sad and tragic ending. I wish that the Old Lady did not die in the fire. She should always be there for Azreen. I hope that Salleh was imprisoned for a period of time, was released and repented.

I also dislike the ending because Azreen was depicted in the story as an incredibly strong courageous young girl despite of the deaths of so many people who were close to her. At this point the character, Azreen appeared to be unrealistic. In reality, such a person might go into depression and recover after a while. Yes, unless she received tremendous support from her foster parents, Datin Sharifah and Datuk Zulkifli.

SPM? Again????

SPM is coming nearer. For me .....again? Though I don't sit for SPM paper, I feel as if I am sitting for the exam every year. If you kids don't perform, I am the one who will be blamed.
It's crazy right?What to do? So please study hard and smart.