Reflection

I think I did learn a lot by taking this course plus I had an absolutely great lecturer. I was so surprised that Mukhriz Mahadhir was one of his students and I bet he even still respects and remember my lecturer until today! Through this blog activity too, I found out that I do change from time to time. Actually this is not the first time we were given this kind of task. I still remember the first time I was doing this task. I do not even know what I should write. Most of the time, I tend to look for the information in the internet and give some opinions before publish it and that’s all. In contrast to what I am doing right now, I often do not realize that I have written much more than what I used to even though this time my lecturer did not give to us the specific topics to write.

However, I sometimes do not know am that I doing the right thing or not because some of my friends told me that they write critically in their blog. On the other hand, I do not really know whether mine is as critical as theirs or not. What would others think of me when they read my blog….I hope I am on the right track. Plus, all the things that I write in my blog are in fact what I think, felt and understand from this course and not other people’s ideas or writing.

Yet, I think by involving in this kind of activity does encourage me to write. It has been a quite time that I do not write a diary. I guessed this blogging stuff at least help me write something that had happened in my life. In addition, I think it does sounds great when telling people that you have to write blog in your course. It is not just like writing a journal in the book where not many people can view or read it. Again, I think this activity is absolutely a great experience to me.

Martin Luther’s speech

Any normal man in his world can speak but not all of us can really deliver a speech and be a god speaker. Some of the not so good speakers that I have seen tend to just read the texts that they have prepared rather than speak and face the audience. In some of their speech too always have hesitations, pauses, and some like to do some sort of things that I do not think an appropriate one to do when we are giving speeches. Well, the main aim for us to give speech is to let the audience know what we are trying to say and most probably let them influence by what we said, right? I think Martin Luther’s speech is absolutely an inspiring one.

Personally, I think I might cry if I were at the time he was giving the speech because I just read his speech today and I can feel the aura that it brings. His speech even seemed to be like an art in its own way. For example in the register he used in his speech like cash a check, promissory note, bank of justice is bankrupt and insufficient funds. There are parts in his speech that have words that have opposites and it looks like a poem. Some of the lines are it came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity and symbolic shadow…light of hope. These lines definitely shows to me how creative he is because when I write a speech, I tend to just write what it needs, the information needed and not ever I thought of making the information in such ways. It would be so interesting if someone can gives speech like Martin Luther no matter what are the issues that they want to highlight.

What would you image yourself as a literature teacher?

To me, it was quite difficult to answer that question. Well, I am not a real teacher yet. I do not think I can describe what could I image as before I experience it first. Plus, I do not really like when people think that I talk more than what I did or, my description is so much like fairy tales where in reality, I never were the same person as I imagine I am.
I guessed Dr Edwin asked us this question so that we can have an aim to achieve, to struggle to be. At least there are images that we want to be in our job and not just doing it blindly. When we discussed about this issue, some of my friends described themselves as being clown, ironed shirt, bulb light and many more in teaching literature. I myself imaged me as a director in a movie or drama series. It is where my students would be the actors and actresses and they are the product of the learning since people will see their acting in that story while I as the director, works at the back of the screen but still I am very important for them to be successful.

Yet, I have slightly disagreement when one of my friends described herself as a doctor. It is because not all the students want to see ‘doctor’ even though they are sick; I mean their English are weak. Doctors absolutely can give any medicine that is suitable for the patient but if the patients are reluctant to see them, how can the medicine gat in hands?

Nevertheless, it is definitely no matter what we describe ourselves as literature teachers because I think as long as our students get what we are teaching them and they enjoy the lesson, it would just be fine.

Freedom Writer Movie

I am so glad that Dr Edwin assigned us to watch this movie. I think this movie is so inspiring me as a teacher going to be. However, I am not so sure that I am going to be as good as Miss G. Sometimes I felt quite scared that I would spoil everything. The story and her character are so inspiring that I think a part of me wants to be like her.

I do believe that teaching is not an easy job to be done and involve in. It is in fact, something important because it deals with human, not a toy plus their future. Teachers are the one that going to give the needed input for the students. In Freedom Writer, I tend to understand that we cannot do too many things in one time. As what had happened to Miss G, she has to give in her marriage since she had been given more attention to her students compared to her husband. Perhaps may be it happened due to the reason that her husband is not from the same line as her; I mean a teacher like her. Probably if he is a teacher like her, he would better or may be he himself get involve directly or help her in teaching the students. However, I think she gets paid off when almost all of her students are succeed and I can see that they respect and appreciate her so much. In the story too, I get to understand that not all teachers have the same goal and expectations on their students. I guessed it depends on individual goal. May be some of them are just looking for names, raised pay check and others.

Again, I do not know whether I can be like her. Personally, even if I can, I would be very pleased and glad if I can be a teacher like Dr Edwin.
Here, I include the picture of the movie 'Freedom Writer' where you can see the picture of Hillary Swank. You can also visit the website of the movie: http://www.freedomwriters.com/
since this movie is based on true story, you can also visit the website at this address: http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/

History Boys

This movie is absolutely different from Freedom Writers. To me, this movie is more complicated compared to Freedom Writer. I think it is because it is indeed quite difficult for me to understand their language since the way they speak and talk are not the same as us or even the American. Plus, I get more expose to the Hollywood, American movies and dramas. So, I tend to understand them better. Luckily there were subtitle to help.

I think the issues in History Boys and Freedom Writers are not same. History Boys is about clever and excellent students that are called to study to prepare them for the examination to enter Oxford.
I can see that the teachers in the story have different style of approaches in teaching. The old teacher, Hector prefers to teach the students to memorize everything of the literature elements like poems or plays. As a result, I can see that the students are so skilful in memorizing. The can mentioned any lines that were asked to them. To me, Hectors’ styles of teaching are quite fun and interesting even though the students are memorizing it. He asked the students to do activities like role play and singing during his class. Meanwhile, Irwin tends to teach the students beyond the texts that they have learnt. It is more appropriate I guessed since they tend to give their own opinion on the texts that they learn. It also gives them space to get personally involve in the texts.

Still, History Boys should be watch by students like me because it helps me to open my mind to different styles of teaching besides how it can works on students. Perhaps, I can take it as model in my teaching line in the future.

Elizabeth the Golden Age

It was one of my friends’ ideas to watch this movie. At first I was wondering why we must watch this kind of movie. Plus, I do not really like to watch movies that contain war or fighting or violence elements. However, as I watch this movie, I kept thinking of literature. I do not know why I felt that way.

Personally, I think this movie is not just a simple movie. In a way, I am glad to watch this movie because I tend to understand the history of Elizabeth I. I get to understand why she is called the Virgin Queen. I really salute her for being so strong. Well, it is not easy to be a woman on her own who leads a big country like England at that time. I think the death of her cousin Mary was not her fault at all. As a leader, she needs to listen to her advisor and ministers’ opinion in making any decisions. I also respect her when she can accept the child of Raleigh even though it hurts her so much at first. Well, the baby is not guilty.

Another thing that I realize in the movie is how prophecy plays a role at that time. Almost everything that they did, they tend to refer to the ‘fortune teller’ so much. Anything that they want to do, what should they do, what will happened if one is taken are referred to him. I guessed when we believe so much in something, it become true. What do you think? Again, this movie is a good movie to watch.

Malaysian Celebrations

Before this, I never thought that there are so many festivals that were celebrated in Malaysia. Am I being ignorant? Em… I do not think so. It is because some of the celebrations are only some of people that were in certain religions and races. Lucky me to have Dr Edwin as my lecturer since it was him that wants us to list down all the celebrations.

At first, all the celebrations that are listed down seem to be relevant and I do know them. However, after Dr Edwin asked for more celebrations, some of my classmates have listed down a whole lot more celebrations that a few of them are rarely heard or really celebrated. In the end, there are about 32 of them! These celebrations then are put into three categories; religion, cultural practices and races, and others. It was fun listing down and discussing about these different celebrations. Yet, it turned to be the other way round when we were assigned to do research on each of the celebrations. It is definitely be an easy task for common celebrations like Hari Raya Eid Fitri, Chinese New Year, Christmas and Deepavali but it would be in contrast to celebrations such as Vasakhi, Nuzul Quran and Cheng Beng (Honouring Ancestors).

Nevertheless, we managed to give information on each of the 32 celebrations through the end of the task! Dr Edwin said that he would compile all of the celebrations and put it in CDs before publish them. I would wait for the day it is publish. I hope it is not a dream! It would be the happiest one to see our work publish!

5 points of Position Paper

After our thesis statement has been approved by Dr Edwin, we have to come out with five supporting details. This is when my problems started. To be honest, I really hate it. It is due to the reason that there is not much to talk about Lear’s blindness. I get stuck when I only have two thesis statements. Just after I thought I can get released by having all five statements, most of them are rejected by Dr Edwin and only two that he thinks are the right one to be use. I tend to be repeating or redundancy in my points. I kept thinking of giving up with my thesis statement and plan for a new thesis statement. However, when I think for a few times, I think I would just be repeating the same situation. I might probably face the same problem now. It would only waste my time to think and think again of the thesis statement and come out with another five supporting details. I guessed what most people said about there is no use of running away of problems is indeed true.

So, my five thesis statements are:

1. Use silly games of life to judge his daughters

2. Irrational in giving punishments and judging his daughters actions.

3. Failed to understand Kent’s judgment or advise about his daughters

4. Failed to distinguish his daughters’ love from flattery

5. Go against God’s law by handing his kingdom to his daughters

I think I am so lucky to have Dr Edwin as my lecturer because he really helps us a lot in making this assignment. I do not think I can make it on my own since it is in fact not an easy assignment to do.

presentation of my position paper

Just like what have I expected. I would not be the so lucky one in Dr Edwin’s class in doing presentation. Yes and I am the third one among the 52 of my classmates to present my position paper. I still remember being the first one to do the simulated teaching in his class last two semesters. So, this time I tried to take away all the nerves in me. Yet, I love to take it positively as if I go first, I’ll finish first and there’s no turning back.

When my time of presentation takes turn, I was so nervous and panic that I have mistaken my turn with one of my friends. Plus, Dr Edwin has praised him and mentioned that his presentation is a good one and he even gets 4.5 marks. All of these stuffs make me go more nervous. As I do my presentation, I then realize that are some silly mistakes that I should have not done. I seemed to see that I should and the fact that I could do better actually, but I did not because I have always just want to finish and I would rarely think of the effects or consequences of the actions taken. Luckily, I managed to stand on my opinions and Dr Edwin accepted them. Yet, it was absolutely untrue when he said that I was giving him a high pitch because I hardly heard what he said from the back side of the class. Here, we can see that having a crystal clear communication is indeed a good thing to have in a presentation.

Through the end of everyone’s presentations, Dr Edwin mentioned that there is immaturity in most of our discussions. We are dealing with adult issues but unable to articulate well. For example; people may marry for various reasons and love is not the only one that matters and as a matter of fact, it is a reality. Yet, most of us said that people have to marry due to love and not any other reasons. Perhaps, we are lack of experiences as this is indeed our first time doing the position paper. Luckily Dr Edwin had given us time to rework on it.

Letters

Before this, I never thought that letters are one of the literature stuffs that we need to learn and examine. As we learned letters of John Keats and Vincent Van Gough, I tend to understand why their letters are studied by literature students, educators and others. When Dr Edwin read the letters to us, I can see that their letters are so beautiful. I would be very happy if someone sent me letters like that! Erm… I wish so.

Von Gough’s letters are so incredible. As I read them, it sounds like a poem which has rhymes and others that are definitely beautiful. One of the lines in his letters is and above all have patience. He who believes, does not hasten. For Keat’s letters, it was my first time to read someone’s letters that writes at the bottom of the letters like this one;

…..In the hope of soon seeing you (I) remain

most sincerely yours,

John Keats.

The sentences seemed to be one even though they are written separately. I think it is a creative one. I am sure the next time I am writing letters informally, I would do the same because it is so nice to read someone written like that and who knows my letters would be like Keats one day! :p

However, I do not think I would keep all my letters…I hope I can burn them all before I die. It would not be so fun and interesting when people read my letters because they will know everything. I still remember when I was in Form 2. I used to burn all of my best friend’s letters when we had misunderstandings and had a small argument. At that time, I did that because I was influence by drama or movie that I can hardly remember now. When someone was so mad and hate a person or they are no longer are friends, he or she would tear off or burn all their letters. At that time, I think it was so dramatic and that is why I tend to do what was in the drama or movie. It was so cool. But then sometimes I felt regret to burn all of the letters because I could not read them anymore. Well, what’s is done right?

Hands and Day of The Butterfly

After thinking and looking at all the previous literature stuffs that I have learnt before, I decided to do the short stories Hands by Xiao Hong and Day of the butterfly by Alice Munro. I am going to examine on how peer pressures can affect a child’s life especially in their growing up years.

I like both short stories because they deal with children’s issues and even the narrators of both stories are children. I tend to see right away from their point of view. I can also see how their peers influenced each other. These influences can at a stand hurt a person so much. Here, we get to understand some of the children’s world. Although there are so small and innocent, they can be so cruel to their friends. It could be worse when it involve bullies.

However, some of these peer pressures are not so obvious and adult most of the time did not realize it. I think it is quite dangerous for certain core cases because the peer pressures may turn to be a phobia. The children involved can brought it to their adulthood.

Back to ‘Hands’ and ‘Day of the Butterfly’, I think both stories are suitable for students to study besides the values that they can learn from them. These stories are more or less equivalent to the schooling-hood. They perhaps can relate the stories to their live. Both short stories are indeed authentic materials even though they are not the recent publish short stories. I think students can make the lesson as a meaningful one.

Research Paper

When I first time met my advisor, he asked on the topics that we were thinking of doing for our research paper. We were to do the outline of the research first so that he know what we are going to do.

There are many short stories and novels that came to my mind. The first thing that I was thinking is the novels by Jane Austen; Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibilities. It is because they are merely about women and how Jane Austen treats her heroes of both stories besides the issues of women and man’s treatment that are obvious in both novels trigger me most. However, I found that there are some of my classmates are going to do Jane Austen’s works. So, I decided to find other stories that may be not so many people that would do. Well, I do not want them to think that I am influenced by others’ ideas. As a matter of fact, this is my research paper and I absolutely do not want people to have such thoughts of my works.

For this assignment, we can choose to do whatever literature elements that we want whether it is novel, play, drama, short stories, poem or speech. However, we need to deal at least with two texts and it also depends on our advisor as there lecturer that wants us to use at least three texts. Perhaps, he or she do not want us to stuck in the middle of our work and have nothing to argue or discuss more.

To me, research paper is something we want to do because of the ideas or issues in the texts trigger us most and we want to highlight them and make it as something significant may be us or others. It is definitely something that we give all of our thoughts and ideas in it. Well, I hope my research paper will be a good one!

diaries

I still remember the first time when my mom bought me a diary. I was nine years old. She said that I can write any events, anything that have I done or happened each day on that diary. At that time, I do not really know what to write. What I wrote was what my homework was and whether I went to school or tuitions or not. Sometimes, I just ask my mom to write what have happened on that day for me. Isn’t it funny? Asking someone else to write in your diary? But I take it differently and I think my mom cares so much of me that she knows everything that I have done each day…may be I was so innocent that days. Yet, when I grew up, I tend to hide my diaries and I extremely do not want her to read any of the stuffs that I have written in them. It was the time when I think my mom loves my younger sisters more than me and the time when I had boyfriends and what I shared with my best friends. It’s not that I have making something behind her back. It’s only the place for secrets to be kept. Yes! That’s what I called my diaries.

Nonetheless, when I take this course, I have to read other people’s diaries like Andy Warhol and many other famous people. Before this, I never thought that diaries can be one of elements in literature. Through these diaries, we tend to understand how they think, their way of life and we certainly can see how passion and genius they are. I guessed that is why we still read, use and learnt these people’s diaries.

On the other hand, until today, I still kept all my diaries and there are about ten or more of them. However, I think I’ll better burn all my diaries some days…because I definitely do not want other people to read them. Aren’t they supposed to be private and confidential?

autobiographies

Autobiographies are totally different from diaries. Autobiographies are written works that people publish and want to share with others while diaries most of the times are kept for personal reading, views and only sometimes are given to other people to read. When we had discussions about autobiographies, there was one person in my class that cannot differentiate between autobiographies and novels. Well, obviously autobiographies are printed in a novel way. In what way could it be compiled if is not using that way? When Dr Edwin asked who have ever read autobiographies in the class, some of my friends mentioned that they have read autobiographies about Princess Diana and the Sultan of Kelantan. I myself have read some autobiographies.

However, I chose to chicken out and not to mention them to Dr Edwin as I was afraid that he would laugh or tease e and considered them as not literature. As a matter of fact, some of the autobiographies that I have read are ‘My Side’ by David Beckham, Victoria Beckham’s autobiography of heels, hair and fashion, something about Christiano Ronaldo and Manchester United Football Club. Erm…obviously they are not literature at all! It is because they are merely about my field of interests which are football, Beckham and definitely not literature. I enjoyed reading these autobiographies as I can and tend to understand what the person’s feelings, opinions, emotions, why they chose to do certain actions and others. For example, before I read ‘My Side’, I tend to blame Alex Ferguson for selling Beckham to Real Madrid but after I read the autobiography, I tend to understand that are certain things that have encourage Beckham to play with Real. If I did not read this autobiography, I would not know what really happened and my judgment is absolutely going to be a bias one. Nevertheless, they are still not literature at all and I guessed I should seek more advices from Dr Edwin to choose the right autobiographies to read as a soon to be teacher like me.

Education as burden and harm?

I believe nowadays education is absolutely an important element in order to have a complete life as a person for everyone in this whole world. No matter what stage of educations that we learnt, have or acquire but still, we do need it undoubted. Most of us definitely think that we need education to improve our life, the way we think and many other reasons.

Yet, have you ever thought that education can bring harm and burden to our life? I myself have never thought so. Nevertheless, when we were introduce the poem Only the Moon written by Wang May by Dr Edwin, I realized that there differences between the way we perceive things when we were child and young and when we have grown up, be an adult with educations.

As what I understand from that poem, education seemed to kill a person’s imagination as the persona at first can see whatever she imagine and it’s so unpredictable because most of the predictions that we made did not match with what the writer had. The writer first mentioned that I only saw what I wanted to see and it then change to only the moon, nothing but the moon. It is obvious that she can see what see used to see anymore as a child.

Here, I think as the persona grows older with education, she seemed to lose what she used to have when she was young. May be we were too restricted by the rules and regulations as have educations. But isn’t that the truth? We learn about facts and not imaginations or fairy tales at schools, right? However, I think it depends on how serious we see something. I think we can still have imaginations like a child if we give a room to ourselves and do not be so stress.

Nevertheless, I also think that the poem Only the Moon really have an issue that everyone should read it even though it only have few lines with simple words. Here I put in the poem. Enjoy!

Only the Moon

When I was a child I thought

The new moon was a cradle

The full moon was granny’s face

The new moon was a banana

The full moon was a bi round cake

When I was a child

I never saw the moon

I only saw what I wanted to see

And now I see the moon

It’s the moon

Only the moon, and nothing but the moon.

Wong May

Research Paper

When I first time met my advisor, he asked on the topics that we were thinking of doing for our research paper. We were to do the outline of the research first so that he know what we are going to do.

There are many short stories and novels that came to my mind. The first thing that I was thinking is the novels by Jane Austen; Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibilities. It is because they are merely about women and how Jane Austen treats her heroes of both stories besides the issues of women and man’s treatment that are obvious in both novels trigger me most. However, I found that there are some of my classmates are going to do Jane Austen’s works. So, I decided to find other stories that may be not so many people that would do. Well, I do not want them to think that I am influenced by others’ ideas. As a matter of fact, this is my research paper and I absolutely do not want people to have such thoughts of my works.

For this assignment, we can choose to do whatever literature elements that we want whether it is novel, play, drama, short stories, poem or speech. However, we need to deal at least with two texts and it also depends on our advisor as there lecturer that wants us to use at least three texts. Perhaps, he or she do not want us to stuck in the middle of our work and have nothing to argue or discuss more.

To me, research paper is something we want to do because of the ideas or issues in the texts trigger us most and we want to highlight them and make it as something significant may be us or others. It is definitely something that we give all of our thoughts and ideas in it. Well, I hope my research paper will be a good one!

Thesis Statement

Making a thesis statement is not that simply as what I have ever thought. Looking at the guidance that given by Dr Edwin, a thesis statement has to be in one sentence and it must be an arguable one.

Actually, before this, I think I have taken a writing course which teaches how to come out with thesis statement. We were acquired to attend the course when we were in college. I think it was my 2nd semester of year one. However, after a few semesters, I think I almost forgot what and how to deal with it.

Personally, I think that coming out with a thesis statement is indeed a difficult task to do. I have some thesis statements before I come out with the right one. Some of them are about Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and about Pip’s changes in becoming a gentleman in Great Expectation by Charles Dickens. I have prepared them so that if Dr Edwin rejects one of it, I still have another one.

Unlucky me, I have forgotten to bring the book that I write my thesis statement. So, on the day that Dr Edwin wants us to write our thesis statement on the board, I have to think of something else immediately! All that I can think at that time was King Lear! I was so glad that my thesis statement was accepted after the first rejection! Huhuhuhu……

My thesis statement was: Lear’s moral blindness made him a failed father

Making Position Paper

I get the feeling that position paper is not an easy assignment to handle right from the beginning at the first time I get this assignment. For this assignment, we need to have a thesis statement first and five main supporting details before we can do a position paper.

As what Dr Edwin have said in his class, I tend to understand that position paper actually help to stand with what you believe in. It provides appropriate evidences to support all the thesis statements and stands that we have made earlier about any types of literature text like play, drama, novel or short stories.

Is not that easy to make a position paper as what have I experienced, when we have the thesis statement, the next difficult thing is to come out with five supporting details. Sometimes I felt that there is nothing that I can find anymore to be supporting details. I also tend to making supporting details that are merely the same. I just felt to change other thesis statement but when thinking back on how difficult to come out with the right thesis statement, I tried my best to come out with those supporting details.

As we have got the supporting details, we have to look for the right evidences in the text. For me, it is not that hard to find them because I am doing King Lear and most of the evidences can be found in the first scene. After that, we need to elaborate and make stand for our position paper.

I think position paper makes me understand the literature text more. Besides that, I can relate the issues with what had happened nowadays. It seemed that even though those texts might be old and ancient, still it can be used and in fact suitable to be used today.

Ovid’s Metamorphosis “Pyramus and Thisbe”

Even though Dr Edwin could not make it to class today, we were still assigned by him to do some work. Today, we were assigned to read Ovid’s Metamorphosis “Pyramus and Thisbe.” However, we were not just to read it. We then have to summarize the story and prepare a set induction and pre-reading activity. Luckily, I kind of have some idea of this story since we used to read and watch Midsummer Night’s Dream and there are some part of the play that tells about Pyramus and Thisbe. We were assigned to do this task in pairs. I think the trilling part in doing this task is when summarising the story. My partner, Adibah and I have miscounted the words. So, instead of completing the task earlier, we have taken a longer time compared to others. Moreover, as this story is not a modern type, the words and descriptions seems to be more and I need to read carefully to get the right points of the story. Yet, I think Pyramus and Thisbe is an interesting story and can be introduce to the secondary school level students. Students might find it interesting since it talks about the love line between Pyramus and Thisbe, how their love survived and resolved. I think students will enjoy this story.

Deadalus and Icarus

Honestly, I hardly understand Deadalus and Icarus when I read it at the first time. I read this story for about twice plus some discussions and information from my friends, I finally get what the story was about.

During Dr Edwin’s class, when some of my classmates were assigned to write the plot of Deadalus and Icarus on the board, I then realized that I missed one part of the story! Luckily I was not asked to write on the board. I missed the part on Minos’ illegitimate daughter and how she managed to escape from the maze. All that I set in my mind was a creature! Gosh! I think I should be more alert next time.

Besides that, we were also assigned to print out the drawing of the ‘Fall of Icarus’. When we discussed with Dr Edwin, most of my friend got the wrong picture. As a matter of fact, the right picture of ‘The Fall of Icarus’ do not really shows the falling of Icarus. There was just small Icarus’ leg and he seems drowning plus, there is nothing flying in the picture at all.

However, when I look back at the picture and read again the story, I can see that the details like shepherd and fisher in the picture does exist in the story. I am absolute agree that using pictures does helping in studying the story a lot. I tend to see it more clear than just reading itself alone.

Here, I pin up the right picture of the Fall of Icarus which Dr Edwin said that can be found in London.