(: ☆ My New Years Resolutions ☆ :)

Well to tell you the the truth I haven't made any new years resolutions yet so I guess this is a good time to start. It is quite hard coming with two resolutions because I am just so incredibly perfect, :P But really, one of my resolutions most probably, actually would definitely be to stop eating so much junk. My second would be to start dancing a lot more.

Let's face it most of the food in ISKL's canteen is very good, but definitely isn't the healthiest around... and almost everyday of the week we eat it all. Some of the favorites, "Rocky",deep fried chicken, plain rice, and popsicle's. I am not going to lie eat I eat these foods as well and I've noticed it's gotten really bad. Everyday I probably consume lots of fat, salt, and sugar. And I'm just guessing that these are not one of the top three things you want to let your body have everyday in fact these are definitely one of the three things you really want to avoid when trying to eat healthy. So that is why I am changing my diet to a more "sane" one. Im hoping all the "temptations" around me will not affect my resolution. Hopefully with effort I'll be able, and willing to complete my promise to myself, and this will be quite hard....

I love dancing, most probably because of the huge influence my sister had on me "Ileana"and when I say influence, I sort of mean she forced to dance my whole life which I am definitely not mad at, in fact I'm really grateful because some people say dance is the funnest and best way to exercise. And I just love doing it :) Besides practicing for the showcase I haven't really been dancing, and the reason I think this is such a big deal is just because of personal I really want to be a good dancer, (maybe to get into IASAS dance a little too) But really, I hope that Ile will be able to help me when I try to accomplish this new year resolution.

All in all I hope I achieve all my goals for 2011 and I hope that this will be a great yea for me and everyone else!

I spent my Christmas at the beach and I went to Bali and it was amazing. I will tell you about one of the sights that most impacted me on our visit.

First item on the agenda was the Uluwatu Temple. It was absolutely amazing! It was a temple perched on top of a high mountain surrounded by crashing waves about 250 feet below. It was breathtaking, literally, this is the trip when I found out I was afraid of extreme heights. I love looking down from towers and building maybe the same height but there was something about the atmosphere of the winds and sprinkles of sea water from below that just made my brain react much differently. Unfortunately for me, my family did not feel the same way. " Let's take a picture while i'm precariously perched on top of the railing!" I was freaking out I grabbed on to the nearest tree and din't let go, I shut my eyes tight and held my breath until everything was over I even startled when seeing other people just look down from the peak.

Monkeys getting a little too friendly!

Uluwatu Temple, Bali

Iva right after they took her earring!

Finally we went to sit down at a rather popular place, under a nice shady tree for monkeys! They started to draw attention when finally all the tourists had come over. We were all sitting there and watching their playful fights with one another when suddenly from behind I heard a yelp. "It's stolen my glasses, my glasses!"Everybody jumped up at the sound and turned to look at what had happened. The keepers of the Temple came rushing over with small plastic bags full of food. Amazingly, they used these bags to barter with the monkeys and managed to recover the glasses after a little negotiation. My sister turned and said to me, "this is a vicious cycle" - "what?" I replied. She explained to me that the monkey not only was never interested in the glasses but that he was smart enough to know that if he stole something from the tourists, they in turn would give him food to get the items back. Suddenly I heard another scream come from right next to me, it was my sister, Iva, clutching at her ear. A monkey had run up behind her and bit the earring right off her ear, all in a split second. The monkey played with the earring in its mouth for a good fifteen minutes, while my sister fretted about getting her favourite pearl back. Finally, another keeper came over and noticed the problem. He passed the monkey a hairnet and a fruit but apparently this was not enough to persuade him. Knowing the earrings were shiny and probably worth more than one single fruit, the monkey held onto the pearl which he had already placed inside the hairnet, as if negotiation for a little more. After tossing him another bag of fruit, the keeper finally managed to recover the earring and hand it back to my sister, covered in monkey saliva. Thus ended one of the more entertaining days in Bali.

Zeitgeist!

My First Trimester Zeitgeist!

~ ☆ My Learning Profile ☆ ~

     Profile L! Thought to be the profile of Einstein, and thought to be my profile as well!

     Lets start with the positives of my profile. I learn best through movement. Apparently, I have to fidget around to listen and comprehend better. For example, doodling, playing with something under the desk, or just playing with my hands. Another good thing about us is that we tend to relate more to emotional aspects, especially in books since we are the most Gestalt profile this also makes us one of the best readers! Finally, I see things in a big picture, This means, for example if i'm working on a art project, and something that includes making something, "L Profiles" usually only see the finished product and I don't really know how to break it down. Which brings me to some of the things i need to work on....


     When I am under stress apparently I can not function very well. Because if my brain shuts down my eyes, ears, hands and legs do to.So I have to try to keep my emotions to a normal state whenever to function properly in class. Another thing thats "Ls" have to work on is being more logical. Earlier I had written that we were good at seeing the whole picture. But the truth is were not so good at breaking the steps down to get there. We don't know how to put things in an orderly manner. We just know how we want it finished. So thats most probably one of our main things. Second of all we have some little exercises that help our mind when we our stressed or can't think. Some think drawing lazy eights our practicing putting things in order.  Since profile "Ls" do not have such a logical brain.

    One very important thing that I would like my teachers to know is i am very surprised at my results. As I do not suffer any of these "symptoms" of not being able to break big things down  into little pieces or not being being able to focus on the details. Or not having the urge to fiddle around with things and doodle. I say this because when I come into a classroom I would very much rather have the schedule planned out rather than going and and just seeing what happens. And I do know how to break big things into little pieces, as I do it all the time with no hesitation. I guess in conclusion you could say I might be more of a "L" learner outside of school, but in classroom hours I might be more of an "A".

Collaborating Constructively With Lit. Circles

Lit. Circles, I have to admit it they are not so much fun to do. I know everyone else would rather slouch on the couch and watch  T.V. But it is part of our education, and (for Alex) a big concept on our grade. But since we made 'The Twist" Lit circles are now not half bad!Working with people is great, well at least for me it is. The greatest thing about it, (for me) is getting to hear other peoples opinions and ideas, I always like a having a wide range of creativity in whatever I am working on. It can lead to many benefits, challenges,(good or bad) and finally new understanding, about the project and the person.


We probably all or saying inside our heads, that we absolutely love Lit. Circles now, and I know why most of us do. Half the work! Instead of doing everything doubled, with a partner its only one. So this is definitely a benefit for me. But there is more, with a partner you get more feed back, and more feedback means a better Lit. Circle, and a better Lit. Circle obviously means a better grade. So again this is a huge benefit. And the last partner benefit, comes from him or herself, and it is help. Like I said your partner can help you with peer editing, but thats not the only way. Lets say you don't understand a part in the book that you and your partner are reading Well all you have to do is ask them, and I'm sure they'll have the answer. Or maybe you really cant  think of a question, or the one you have isn't good enough? You can look it over with your partner, because two heads are better than one! But then again I can not promise you the road for working together will be smooth you'll definitely have some challenges along the way.


Everybody will come to a day where they don't agree with someone. It's happens to everyone all the time, especially in groups. Lets say you had just finished writing your response to your question, and your partner wants to change it up a little, you don't like it so you change it back and so on. I always try to avoid these things and try to come to an agreement so the whole group is happy. Not so one is fighting with another. Besides I know  that when I grow up I might have to work with people I absolutely hate! So I would take the time now to learn how to cooperate with others well. So that in the future it is not so bad.


Finally and I think the best and most important thing you gain from collaborative Lit. Circles is, not only as I said before how if you do not understand something you can go back and discuss it with her/him. There is just one more way of understanding the novel. And that is from your partners opinions. For example your partner has just finished reading their passage, connection, question and response. You not only have gained understanding from the information on what they wrote. You have also gained understanding from their opinions. With this, you can uncover more "secrets" about the book and about your partner. So I think this is the best way to understand to novel.


So all in all, I think Collaborating Constructively With Lit. Circles is the best way to go!

Lit Circle Blogpost

  

     Every week we have a literature circle due, (lit. circle) and every when that lit. circle is due, we have a discussion with a group who as well reading and doing the assignment on the same book. But for the first time we are told to write a blog post to reflect upon the discussion, and this is what I am writing to you now.

     The book I am currently is Called The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, and it is the most challenging book out of the four. Personally I think it is challenging, the vocabulary is much more advanced than the one I normally use so having a discussion was very helpful to helping me comprehend the book a little better. When we are having the disscusion, and hearing everyone's ideas and opinions, helps me recap and understand bits I didn't in the book, this is why I think discussions are important, you will always hear "different sides to a story" when having a discussion, and there is never any right or wrong.

     Which brings me to my next topic, familiarities in the discussions. For example, my latest discussion between my group (and my first) was only based on two chapters and the introduction, so obviously we had many passages, and questions alike. And this I think is bad. The reasons to support this state are simple, I think having the same opinions are bad mainly because this shows that either the book has no meaning and no value, or the readers are just not paying attention or putting ant effort into their discussions about the book. But besides these negative statements, I enjoy discussions with book club members because of the predictions and estimate we debate on.

    After every discussion my group and I discuss and like I said, debate on what the following events are going to contain. This I think is the most enjoyable part of Lit. Circle because it is interesting to hear other peoples ideas, interpret them and then possibly make your own prediction about the novel.


     All in all I must admit that the discussions in Lit. circle are fun. I hope that this idea of teaching and learning is appreciated and is used for many more years to come.

What Role did Geographic Location and Natural Resources Play in the the Development of Malaysia?

What role did geographic location and natural resources play in the the development of Malaysia? 


     


     Geographic location plays from my point of view, the biggest role in human development. There is one main reasons why.Geographic location determines which natural resources will be available or not.


    Geographic location determined the natural resources of a tribe. For example Malaysia is located near to the equator and surrounded by several rivers. This was an immense advantage to their agriculture. For these reasons, first of all being near river, sea or water source meant food. They could use this water (mainly rivers) for irrigation purposes to grow plants. Which sustained the food supply. But also being close to the sea gave them fish, which was again very important since it kept the food supply stable. On the other hand, unlike in other parts of the world, Malaysia had very little animals hat came to good use. For example in North America, this problem did not occur because of their amount of grass, and conditions of whether. North America were very fortunate to have cattle,(for milk, hides and other purposes) Oxen (to carry burden and drag the plow) Goats (also for milk) But for the Malaysians the main animal they could domesticate for it's goods was the goat. Although this was a loss. It was just a quite small one compared to the advanced agriculture they could have.


    So from this evidence you can know see that geographic location was extremely important to the development of Malaysia. Compared to something like Papa New Guinea that is still today, living in the past were everything is done the same. From the Paleolithic times to today, a lot has changed and certainly developed, all thanks to those back then.

From My Point of View

     It's a lazy Friday morning, i'm forcing my way up to the surface of the mud to feel that nice fresh air with that warm sun here at Kuala Selangor. Ahh, what a beautiful sight. Oh, by the way, i'm a mud skipper, and i'm definitely proud to be one, with all these predators lurking around,and those annoying crabs, I usually stay hidden in the dark mud, but today words on the street that a couple of kids are going to try to plant mangroves, humph, amateurs! I've seen so many kids planting those little saplings, but i'm the only one who watches them grow! The kids never come back, they have no passion. Well i' m still excited, those kids are so helpless in the mud every single one of the falls face flat, it hilarious! Well better get front row seats and enjoy the show!

     Oh here they come, look at them, all clean and good smelling. He he he well not for long, i've seen what these bigger ones make them do, they make them run into the mud and they basically pock a stick in there while they fight for their life out of the mud, it's always funny to see them covered in mud. Anyways, there goes the first kid,wow look at the kid sprint she sure doesn't want to get muddy.... Not bad she's still doing well, oh she better watch out for that deep par... Ohhhh! There we go, flat on her face just like I said, I don't think anyone has survived this challenge clean. It's practically close to impossible!

     Wait! What this girl doing? Oh, oh wow! I've never seen anything like this in my day! She, she's sliding on the mud! It's like she doesn't even care! Ha ha! now this is comedy, Hahahaha! Oh oh no. no no no no no. She's looking at me, she's getting closer, this is my worst nightmare, I knew i should have listened to mother, look at what happened to grandpa Joe, he got taken away to a science lab, probably split right open to check all of his insides, and now, now I have the same fate. There is no where to hide, no where to go. Oh no, here it comes, onto her hand, oh it's so cold, I can't jump off I am too high, there is no escape! I'm doomed!

    What was that?! Just a pat? No harm done at all?  Wow she put me back down. Humans are sweet?! I've never thought of it this way! All these years of hate, when i've seen some of them cut down our beautiful trees ruin our environment, ruin our way of life. But I was wrong, some of them are actually, nice. I will never look at them the same ever again. I must tell mother, father, and all of my brothers and sisters, to not be afraid! These beings are nice and considerate. From my point of view, they are..... nice.