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Translation is not an easy task
2008-01-16 17:11:00
Translation is not as easy as it seems. When we translate one language into another, we need to know both languages well. This is because: a. the grammar of the two languages differ. b the culture of the people who speak the two languages is not the same. Hence when we render Malay into English, we have to observe correct grammar in the translated text and vice versa. The following examples of translation between Malay and English will illustrate the above points. Example 1 English to Malay English: He made a beeline for the food. Malay: Dia menuju ke arah makananan itu. [Don't translate it as 'Dia membuat garisan lebah untuk makanan itu.] Example 2: Malay to English Malay: Akhirnya, bujang itu mendirikan masjid pada hari Ahad yang lalu. English: Finally, the bachelor got married last Sunday. [Translating the above sentence as 'Finally, the bachelor built a mosque last Sunday.' is wrong.] Hence you see, doing translation is not an easy task.
More About: Easy , Translation , Task

Wrong pronunciation of 'their'
2008-01-15 17:11:00
Malaysian students will usually pronounce the pronoun 'their' as 'di ar'. When I had not delved deeper into English, I also pronounced it the same way. However, my exposure to BBC audio files and my reference to the correct pronunciation in the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries show that the word 'their' should be pronounced exactly like the word 'there'. The next time you see the sentence 'It's all their own doing.', you should pronounce it as if it is written 'It's all there own doing.' Happy studying English.
More About: Wrong , Pronunciation

The Missing 4th Floor.
2008-01-14 23:37:00
I took my wife for medical examination in a private hospital. We were told to go to fifth floor to have her blood taken. As we entered the lift, I noticed that 4th floor was missing on the display panel in the lift. I suddenly realised that Penang is predominantly a city where Chinese who speak Hokkien live. The number '4' sounds like 'see' which means 'dead' in the Chinese dialect. Hence it is considered unlucky to be staying in 4th floor - 'si lau', the 'floor where the dead are'. That may explain why the hospital management got rid of 4th floor and replaced it with 5th floor electronically while physically 4th floor still exists.
More About: Missing , Floor , Missi

How I Learnt Cantonese
2008-01-13 17:15:00
I was born a Hokkien, a Chinese who speaks Penang Hokkien. Then how did I learn Cantonese ? Well, I learnt the Chinese dialect through my aunt - the ‘sister’ of my late father. She had no place to stay and my kind-hearted dad allowed her to live with us and soon she became my aunt. She was a Cantonese by birth but she could speak Hokkien. At that time, Redifusion - a cabled radio was very popular in Penang. I was attracted to Cantonese because of the story-telling slot by Lei Tai Sor. In order to understand these stories, I needed to know Cantonese. As fate had it, my aunt became my Cantonese teacher. I would be listening to the story and asked her some words a day. Some of the initial words I learnt from her are as follows: 1 hai [yes] 2 hm hai [no] 3 tim k'ai [why] 4 Lei ku hai mat ye? [What do you guess it is?] 5 hm kwoi sai [thank you] 6 hou sa chan [very proud] 7 yi kar [now] 8 t'ng yet [tomorrow] 9 kay hou t'ai [how beautiful] 10 hou c...

Chinese New Year Mood in the Air
2008-01-13 03:06:00
As I was walking down Ipoh Lane today, I could feel the Chinese New Year (CNY) approaching. Stalls selling VCD’s were blaring out New Year songs to entertain visitors to the Jelutong marketplace. Many stalls were selling decorative items for the CNY which is less than a month away. Biscuits for the festive occasion met the eye too. They were put in plastic bottles or used MILO tins, each costing between RM15 to RM18. I recommend ribbon biscuits. They are actually made of Wan Tan wrappings stacked up and cut into small rectangles. With two slits cut lengthwise on these rectangles and having twisted the sliced dough, they are ready to be fried. Very tasty Wan Tan wrappings for these biscuits come from Sungai Petani. Seafood is a must for Chinese New Year Eve Renunion Dinner. This include sea cucumber, crab meat, prawns and fish. Sea cucumber can be bought even as early as today. It costs RM58 per kilogram. The price can go up as CNY draws nearer. Today the crowd seem...
More About: Mood

Doing Business on the Net
2008-01-13 02:46:00
Doing business on the net can be rewarding as the market is very large. The problem is the collection of money. Luckily, there is such a thing as Internet Credit Card Processor to help you. The company will help you process the money collected so that it will be in your hands finally. To access this service, you have to set up credit card processing with the company. You have to give details of your credit card so that money can be channeled to your account. By having the above service set up you will be able to accept credit cards on website where you set up your store to sell you ware. More and more people are doing business on the net as it is the trend nowadays.
More About: Business , Doing business

Students Exchange Programme
2008-01-11 23:37:00
Have you ever taken part in a students exchange programme? Well, I have. I took part in the programme when I was studying in Form 3. It was so memorable that I can still recall the activities organised by the Ministry of Education vividly. It was so memorable that I can still recall the activities organised by the Ministry of Education vividly. There were 40 students from Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor who participated in this programme. They were Malays, Chinese and Indians. One of the aims of the programme was to foster racial integration as solidarity is vital for a multiracial country like Malaysia. We stayed at a few bungalows at Penang Hill. We sang, played games and talked about our different cultures through group discussions. Each group also put up a sketch on talent time night. Some of the sketches had us in stitches and we had a very enjoyable night. After staying for four days our friendship really grew and when we sang 'Au Lang Syne’ to bid ...
More About: Students , Exchange , Programme

Spring Cleaning
2008-01-11 02:05:00
When I walked down Ipoh Lane this morning, I could see stalls selling bamboo leaves. It reminds me of the Spring cleaning done by the Chinese to usher in Chinese New Year which falls on 7 February. When I was still in the primary school, I used to help my mother clean the house with bamboo leaves tied to the end of a long bamboo pole. I used the leaves to get rid of cobweb on the inner side of the nipah roof. At that time, the roofs of houses consisted of nipah leaves. The use of bamboo leaves was suitable then. However, modern houses have asbestos ceilings which are usually cleaned with feather dusters or wiped with damp cloth. The use of bamboo leaves is just something traditional. During Spring cleaning, all other old and unwanted things are discarded in the spirit "old out, new in". In this respect, houses and gates are repainted and new clothes are bought. Spring cleaning symbolizes leaving the old year with all its old things and bad habits to beckon the new year ...
More About: Cleaning

Let us pass on the links
2008-01-10 05:04:00
Viral links, as I was told, could increase the traffic flow to our blog and increases the ranking with technocrati. I hope those who are tagged will pass on the link list so that it can keep increasing to the multiples of five. If you happen to read this post, you can also add five new names at the back of No 12 and inform those who are tagged through their shout boxes or comments to continue adding to the list. CUT AND PASTE THE FOLLOWINGS, TAG ANOTHER 5 FELLOW BLOGGERS AND ADD TO THE LISTI have been tagged by K.S.Lye of The Strategist Notebook and I am passing the viral link to you.I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly cut and publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other new fellows and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)It's real easy and it has a multiplying effect of 5s…i.e first layer 5, then 25, then 125 etc. Tag others and see your tec...
More About: Links , Pass

The "Very Enjoy" Show
2008-01-09 17:40:00
I do not watch television very often. The other day, I tuned in to a local television station and watched an entertaining show. It was quite interesting as some senior citizens were showing off their talent in singing, dancing and playing musical instruments. Then it was interval for commercial ads. Before that the male and the female comperes said, "Very Enjoy " in unison. This could be the tagline of the show. I was shocked at the blatant violation of English grammar when they uttered these two words. According to English grammar, the words that can be placed after 'very' is an adjective or an adverb except for specific phrases such as 'at this very moment' . Hence the following sentences are wrong: 1 It was a very enjoy show. 2 It was very enjoy watching the show. 3 This is a very excite game. 4 I very love you. 5 She very hates maths. The above sentences can be corrected as follows: 1 It was a very enjoyable show.[enjoy is a verb whereas enjoyable ...
More About: Show

Acquiring Communicative Skills
2008-01-08 17:18:00
Students nowadays can learn how to communicate with others in school. They can do so through talking to friends, getting involved in co-curricular activities and taking part in debates. There is one subject that enables students to acquire communicative skills to the fullest. It is MUET which stands for Malaysian University English Test. I enjoy teaching this subject because the teacher is the facilitator and the students do all the talking to express themselves as one of the test items. You get to listen to creative thoughts presented by good students. At times, heated arguments liven up the dull classroom situation. In the Speaking test, each candidate is given 2 minutes to prepare his points to speak with regarding his opinion on a certain issue presented to him. After that he will talk for two minutes. Meanwhile the other three candidates will take note of what has been said in order to agree or disgree with the idea or suggestion put forward by one of the speaker...
More About: Skills