STEP

I choose the novel Step by Wicked Step written by Anne Fine.  Love is important in a family. This is shown through Claudia, one of the characters in the novel (responding to the question).

First of all, it is clearly shown in the novel that Claudia loves her mother (stating point 1). She is loyal to her mother, and cares so much about her feelings especially after the divorce (elaborating point 1). For instance, she tries not to sound too happy when speaking to her father on the phone because she does not want to hurt her mother’s feelings. Besides, she also rejects Stella and refuses to enjoy her time with her father because she is loyal to her mother (giving examples to support point 1).

Apart from that, we can see that Claudia loves her father too (stating point 2). Even though her father has moved out of their house, leaving Claudia with her mother, they always keep in touch (elaborating point 2).  For example, Claudia’s father would call her on the phone to talk to her. Besides, Claudia would sometimes spend time with her father on weekends as well as on special days like Boxing Day (giving examples to support point 2).

Last but not least, this novel also shows that love is important in a family, when Claudia is finally able to accept stella as a step mother (stating point 3). Claudia is fair and sensible. She does not blame Stella for her parents’ divorce (elaborating point 3). At the dinner party, Claudia thinks that the guests are rude because they do not appreciate Stella’s hard work. She realizes that ignoring Stella would not help to solve the problem between her parents. Therefore, she tries to help Stella get accepted by showing off the green pyjamas that Stella has given to her, to the guests. This incident marks a new beginning in their relationship as a family (giving examples to support point 3).

In a nutshell, it is clearly shown in this novel that love is important in a family. Even though parents are separated, they have to make sure that the love between them and their children will last forever.

SALT

Why is common salt so important?

In its mineral form sodium chloride, NaCl, is known as common salt. It is important because it is essential to the health of human beings and of animals. For domestic use it is fined down to what is known as table-salt, and small quantities of other chemicals are added to it to keep it free-flowing when in contact with the atmosphere.

Salt and potassium are combined to produce iodised salt, used when iodine is lacking in diet. Its absence causes goitre, the swelling of the thyroid gland.

Livestock as well as humans need salt, and this provided in the form of solid blocks, known as 'salt-licks'. Salt is also crucial to the food industry. It is used in meat-packing sausage-making and fish-curing both for seasoning and as a preservative. It is also used in the curing and preserving of hides and in the form of brine for refrigeration purposes.

Salt is extensively used in the chemical industry; in the manufacture of baking soda, sodium bicorbonate; of caustic soda, sodium hydroxide; of hydrochloric acid, of chlorine etc. It is also used in soap-making, and in the manufacture of glaze and porcelain enamel. It also enters metallurgic processes as flux, a compound used to assist the fusing of metals.

Salt lowers the melting point of water, so in combination with grit, it is used for clearing roads of snow and ice. It is also used for water-softening by means of removing calcium and magnesium compounds from tap water.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF YOUTH

"The Golden Age of Youth"? Who coined up that expression?  Many of my friends' complaints seem to attest that their experiences of youth roughly match up with mine, that is, life as a youth is tough!

Firstly, being young automatically means that I have limited knowledge and no job skills, which means that no one will employ me for any worthwhile job. This means, clearly and simply, "No Independent Income". Obviously, this is a problem for me.

Unable to function without cash, I have to rely on my parents financially. Unable to buy a car, I have to rely on them for transport. Unable to buy a house, I have to rely on them for accommodation. This means, theoretically, that my parents are my Supreme Commanders. When they tell me to jump, I have to jump. In such a situation, I am deprived of the vital human right - Freedom.

Secondly, as long as you are not too old or too ill to walk, people will always be measuring you by your achievements. This is especially true for people in their youth. Parents, teachers, society and the government love to gauge us scholastically, physically, socially, morally and in whatever means they can think of. Thus, school examinations become so important that many of us will study hours on end to perform well in them.

Actually the pressure on us to perform well at all times is great. The pressure from our family gets stronger the older we grow. Since we started schooling, our parents have been comparing our test results with those of the children of their friends', who happen to be equally goal-orientated parents.

Then, there is the question of romance. Practically speaking, youth is the worst time to get romantically attached, because, as was earlier explained, we lack the time and money to maintain a special boy-girl relationship.

Yet, during our youth, we are at our peak; physically, we are at our most attractive. Furthermore, our hormones are swinging about wildly as we mature sexually. Unfortunately, this causes us to be more prone to getting involved in romantic relationships, which leads to heartache and causes us to perform badly in our examinations. I think that the government should have chosen a better time to set all the major examinations than at this time, don't you?

So, youth is a traumatic time. It is definitely not "golden". In my opinion, the idea of "The Golden Age of Youth" must have been an illusion dreamt up by someone foolhardy!                         

PASAR MALAM

One of the most interesting places in Malaysia is the night market. This is our very own ‘pasar malam’ in Malay. Both locals and foreigners agree that the night market is the most common feature in the local society.

The night market begins in the late afternoon. Vendors arrive in their vans and busily set up their stalls respectively in order to get ready for a brisk night of business. The sun gradually sets and the night market picks up momentum. More cars and vans are arriving. By now, the stalls are neatly and strategically arranged to entice their customers. There is an assortment of goods sold ranging from food, toys and clothes, to name a few. Most of the goods are sold at low and reasonable prices.

Large rainbow-coloured parasols are used to shade the people from rain and shine. A concoction of blaring music can be heard in the night market background amidst the constant shouting. It is an amazing kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells and colours.

The night market is known as a haven by local ‘gourmets’ who can enjoy various kinds of mouth-watering local cuisine. Still more people arrive, they come from all walks of life, mingling freely and harmoniously. Crowds are walking up and down in an endless stream. Some of them are stopping by the stalls and haggling before making purchases. Little children tag along, amused and excited. Sprinklings of tourists join in to experience the lifestyle of typical Malaysian folks. The night wears on and the traffic of people recedes. Vendors get a chance to rest their weary legs besides bantering with each other.

By 10.00 pm, all the stalls call it a day. The vendors pack up and close the van doors. One by one, they leave, leaving behind pieces of papers, plastic bags and discarded boxes. It is an eyesore! Finally, the night market disappears. The place becomes quiet and still once more.

FLYING IN THE AIR

My first flight in the air was the most exciting experience in my life. I took a journey  by air when I was 12 years old. It was an eleventh hour decision to go for the holiday and I count myself very lucky.

I was travelling form Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne by air. I entered the aeroplane in the morning. At first it was no better than getting into a car or bus. The noise of the machine made me feel that it was different. Soon the plane took off and rose in the air higher and higher. The buzzing sound which had fascinated me from ground now belonged to me. The things below looked so tiny.

The plane flew very fast rushing through the air without a bump or a jolt when all of a sudden bad weather overtook us. The plane began to swing from side to side but I felt happy like a bird swigging in the air. Some of the passengers moved about and felt sick. Some slept in their seats but I sat still with grave attention. I took the greatest pleasure in looking at the scenery of the different places as we passed over. Even the fluffy clouds and blue sky was fascinating!

After an hour’s flight we were told that we were passing over Indian Ocean which looked like a meadow from high in the air. It was a lovely sight. The ships below looked like toys which float in a tub of water. The blue sea on the right and left was simply enchanting.

My mum showed me how to use the remote for movies and games. Wow free unlimited usage! I found is as easy as a pie and was hooked. We had our dinner at our seats and we were introduced to the members of the plane crew. I was all ears. There was the chief pilot who commanded the plane. Then there was a co-pilot, a navigator and three belonging to the plane. One of them was an engineer, another radio expert and the third radioman. There were also pursers and air hostesses to look after the passengers.

I do not know when I fell asleep. My father woke me up. It seemed to be a big dash through the air. I was very anxious to get a glimpse of main land. But when we were approaching the landing zone, strong winds overtook us. Fog blinded our view. I was disappointed. Our plane finally touched down at the airport from where we drove off to our hotel. The whole flight had taken us nearly eight hours. It was a very interesting and exciting one indeed.

IF I HAD A TREASURE

If I had a lot of money, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in a quiet town. My mother would have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. I would also get a maid to help her with the household chores. My dad will have his very own T V room equipped with the latest technology. I will ensure that my family is comfortably settled in this house.

The second thing I would do is to go on a world tour with my parents. To date, my parents have taken me on holiday trips. It has always been my dream to take them around instead. First, I would like to visit Europe, especially Italy, the city of romance. I would visit all the museums and buildings I have heard so much about. My next stop would be Hong Kong or China. There is something mystical about China and her people.

Apart from that, I could finally go on a shopping spree, which is my favourite pastime. Just imagine that for once in my life, I do not need to look at the prices of the items that I like. I could just shop till I literally drop. The salesgirls would be hovering near me with their latest outfits and my wish would be their command. Ah, I would not be ignored anymore as I walk into their stores!

Besides shopping, I would also remember the poor and the less fortunate. First, I would certainly build a better home for the orphans in my town. In fact, I would like to  sponsor their education till they could stand on their own.

Finally, I would not forget to take the opportunity to further my education as far as I can go.

They say that a fool and his money are soon parted. Thus, I would be very careful with how I spend my money. I would invest my money with my parents’ advice and keep some for rainy days.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

This proverb advises that it is better to do a thing belatedly than regretting for having failed to do it in time, thinking that it can’t be done again. Many times in life we either don’t get the opportunity or we miss the opportunity. During such times we should not worry about the lost opportunities but instead we should try to continue doing the job. Thus this proverb tells that noone should feel failure in doing something in time. Though it is late when he acts with all the vigor he can reap the success, for time is not a barrier for a talented man.

We should not think that youth is the appropriate time to achieve anything. It is not correct. It is foolish to think that one will have no capability to do something extraordinary in grown up age. Life is ceaseless and lots of opportunities would come in the way of life. Many people take up jobs very early in life. Such people do not have much scope for promotion since they may not have the correct educational qualification. But nowadays there are many schemes for this like distance education and Open University system education where they can join and get their required qualification. The most important thing is the person should have willingness to do certain thing. If he has the willingness even time will not be a constraint for him.

READING IN SCHOOLS

Instilling the culture of Reading in schools

As a form five student studying at a local school, I have found that most students only focus on studying and preparing for important examinations. Their reading is limited to schools books and hence, they possess restricted knowledge.

Although the ministry of education had introduced the English literature component at the secondary level, the standard of English leaves much to be desired. I personally feel the prescribed novels and short stories are inadequate to increase the standard of English among students. Thus, I propose that schools allocate more time for reading English books, especially non-academic books such as novels and short stories which have literary values and merits. Books that can enhance one's general knowledge are plenty and should be suggested as part of a regular reading campaign.

The reading culture must be instilled at a young age. Admittedly some students speak and write well in English largely due to their parents encouragement who are either highly educated or encourage their children to read widely and extensively. A large number of students are not that lucky and those who come from poor background do not have the advantage of reading and improving their language skills. Thus, schools play a very important role in encouraging the reading habit among students. Merely emphasizing on reading is not enough. Schools must set the trend.

At least two free periods must be allocated for reading. Each classroom should be well stocked with books and students instructed to read at least three books in a week. An English language teacher or the existing English teacher should be appointed to discuss the books that students have read. The school library should also be well stocked. Currently, school libraries mostly stock academic books. Very few acclaimed works of fictions by great writers such as VS Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, Timothy Mo and even classical writers such as Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, RL Stevenson, John Steinback, Vladimir Nabakov and local writers are stocked.

Students should also be given assignments related to the books they have been assigned to read, and not merely confined to the prescribed novels in the examinations. In this way, they would strengthen their writing skills and would not feel intimidated when they enter university and having to research books mainly written and available in English.

It is my believe that if the above suggestions are taken seriously and incorporated by the schools as part of the curriculum or even extra curriculum, the low esteem that overwhelming number of students feel regarding their English language ability will be a thing of the past. in fact, students themselves would eventually develop an interest in the language and would try their best to improve themselves without the prompting of school authorities and their teachers.

                                 

HAZE AN ENVIRONMENT HAZARD

The haze has become a constant phenomenon faced by Malaysia and her neighboring countries. The haze is basically pollution of the atmosphere, which is clogged with pollutants and other substances from forest fires.

            The haze is a direct effect of forest fires  in Kalimantan and other parts of Indonesia. The Indonesian authorities appear to have no power to control farmers from practicing the slash and burn method of farming. The haze is further worsened by open burning practised by most Malaysians. Open-field burning of rice straw by the rice planters and open burning of dried leaves and garbage done by the public are a few examples that done by Malaysian.

           A direct result of the haze is the dramatic increase in respiratory problems, lung infections and asthma attack. The Air Pollution Index (API) usually indicates the hazardous and dangerous levels of pollution during this period. The haze has long-term side effects. Prolonged inhalation of polluted air will result in serious lung infection which particularly affects the elderly.

            The government must play its role to reduce the haze treat. It has to cooperate with the Indonesian authorities to stamp out forest fires. The culprits must be brought to justice, either through healthy fine or prison sentence. Constant vigilance would ensure the perpetrators do not repeat their offence. The government should also raise the public awareness of the dangers of forest fire. Continuous campaign of the cause, solutions and steps-need-to-be-taken to reduce the haze need to be promoted through all types of social media like television, radio, newspaper and even via internet. The authorities should also provide assistance to farmers and introduce more sophisticated forest clearing methods.

            In Malaysia, strict laws must be imposed to penalise those who practise open burning. On-going campaigns on the dangers of open burning should be intensified. Individuals too have a role to play. They must participate in every campaign and stop burning. Students can advise their parents not to practice open burning.

            Every individual has to remember that we do not own the world, but instead we lent it from our future generations. We must protect our world so that our grandchildren would have a healthy earth to live.

MALAYSIA OUR COUNTRY

Malaysia is a multiracial country with a population of 23.27 million consisting of 61 percent Malays, 30 percent Chinese, 8 percent Indians and 1 percent of other ethnic groups. Malaysia is unique because of its diversity of races, religions and cultures, the stability of the country and many places of interests. 

A significant characteristic of our nation is its diversity of races, religions and cultures. Unique to Malaysia is the 'Open House' concept where during festivals like Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Gawai Day and others, friends and families and even strangers would visit the homes of those who are celebrating the festival, to wish them well and enjoy the feast prepared by the hosts.This practice ingrained into Malaysians from childhood has strengthened the ties of unity among themselves.

Furthermore, the stability and peacefulness of Malaysia is also a uniqueness of us. We live harmoniously in a country where there are no wars and conflicts among Malaysians.  Besides, our country is freed from natural disasters such as earthquakes. Earthquakes may bring death and destroy many buildings. 

On top of that, there are many places of interests in the country such as beaches, islands and rain forest. Malaysia's rain forest is considered as the oldest in the world. The diverse species of animals and plant life continue to excite a great deal of scientific research. Many believe that some undiscovered plant may hold cures to many currently incurable human diseases. There are many islands in our country such as Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Redang, Pulau Ketam and many others. Pulau Langkawi has a lot of historitical informations. Those who are in favour of history can go there to explore the history of that place. All the beaches in those islands are beautiful. The sand is soft and white. The accommodation is well-established and that makes those islands ideal places to visit.

Following this, our country has also achieved international recognition. Those achievements include the existence of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Formula One (F1) racing circuit and the Petronas Twin Towers. KLIA is unique because it has all that is needed for business, entertainment and relaxation within its boundaries. The airport is part and parcel of the Multimedia Super Corridor where high technology industries are being actively developed. Nevertheless, there is a Formula One Race Track near the airport, so foreign car racing enthusiasts from all over the world can come for a visit to gather here. Besides that, Petronas Twin Towers which is a building that soars 452 metres into the sky is once upon a time, the tallest building in the world and yet it is a national pride to the people of Malaysia.

In short, Malaysia is unique in that it has diversity of races, religions and cultures, a stable and peaceful environment, places of interest and some internal achievements. These are important characteristic of our nation which makes it a vibrant and interesting country to visitors from other countries. 

GANDHI - THE MOVIE

Gandhi is the eighth-highest Oscar winning film of all time – claiming eight awards from 11 nominations. It was produced and directed in 1982 by Richard Attenborough and starred Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, and Roshan Seth. The movie brought about standing ovations in theatres all over the world.

The movie depicts one of the 20th-century's most remarkable stories, that of the Indian lawyer who returned from racially segregated South Africa to drive the British out of his home country through successive acts of non-violent protests, The film is in every sense of the word an epic and Ben Kingsley is superb as Mahatma Ghandi, ageing as he does 50 years during the three-hour film, and transforming from dapper young lawyer to loin-cloth wearing ascetic. It's recognised now, years after his brutal assassination on January 30 1948, that Gandhi’s amazing achievement as a political leader in India was to create a new form of peaceful protest that could change history.

The bloodshed between the Hindu and Muslim populations of liberated India is addressed, as is the partition of India and Pakistan. You can almost hear Gandhi's heart breaking.

As he says in the film: "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

RECYCLE  RECYCLE  RECYCLE

Malaysia has already started encouraging the people to recycle waste products. There is still some antipathy towards this especially from the older generation. However, we as a nation must still prevail and make an effort to ensure that recycling is carried out at home, in schools, at the workplace and in public areas.

The following list of recycling facts are among some of the most thought provoking ones that I have found and would like to share. The list is not exhaustive but the few here do relate to our everyday life.

Aluminum Recycling Facts

A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That's closed loop recycling at its finest!

Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours -- or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.

 

More aluminum goes into beverage cans than any other product.

An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled. We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year. Paper Recycling Facts To produce each week's Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down. If you had a 15-year-old tree and made it into paper grocery bags, you'd get about 700 of them. A busy supermarket could use all of them in under an hour! This means in one year, one supermarket can go through over 6 million paper bags! The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most is packaging and junk mail. Plastic Recycling Facts Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year! Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator. Glass Recycling Facts A modern glass bottle would take 4000 years or more to decompose -- and even longer if it's in the landfill. Every month, we throw out enough glass bottles and jars to fill up a giant skyscraper. All of these jars are recyclable!

environmentally friendly travel

A visitor can leave as much an impression to a country as a country does to its visitors. Not only does the destination leave you with happy (or sad in some cases) memories, it also leaves you with a better understanding of its culture, its people and its natural surroundings. So why not do what you can to ensure that other visitors are given the same privilege. Here are some of the things you can do to preserve your destination’s environment for both the locals and the future visitors.

o      Do not leave souvenirs behind: Littering is never encouraged in any culture or society. Nobody likes a litterbug and most of the time, they get away with it. But by littering, you are only harming and ruining the environment. People assume that there’s always someone to pick up after them but what happens when you’re in a natural environment? Who takes care of the forests and the beaches?  Remember that you can play a role in maintaining the beauty and cleanliness of nature.

o      Be an informed traveler: It is always good to learn more about your destination before embarking on your journey. It doesn’t spoil the surprise, it will only prepare you for the unexpected. Look out for information that will help you understand the culture and practices of the locals. It would be useful if you have information on the regulations and restrictions as well. For example, many countries have restricted smoking to certain areas and it would be good to know where you can smoke without getting those nasty looks from people.

o      Protect the species: Many countries offer products made out of endangered species such as turtles, ivory, feathers, animal fur and other products made out of wood. By purchasing these items, you are only encouraging these illegal traders. Like a certain community service announcement in Malaysia always says, “when the buying stops, the killing stops too”.

o      Be nature friendly: When participating in nature activities such as hiking or rock climbing, always make sure you don’t spoil the natural habitat of the flora and fauna. Follow the trails that have been set in place instead of trampling on the greens and keep your distance from the animals. Never provoke them if you want to keep your mental and physical health in tact. Do not litter especially in parks and forests because chances are there won’t be anyone to pick up after you.

o      Support the locals: The best way to learn about the culture of your destination is to put yourself in it. Support the local industry by trying their food and using locally made products. Hire local guides as they will be the best source of information. If you’re purchasing souvenirs, try to purchase those that are produced locally. Nobody wants a souvenir fromMalaysia that says “made in Taiwan”.

o      Spread the word: Encourage your fellow friends and tourists to conduct themselves in a respectable manner. Although one person can make a small difference, it would be nice to have many people doing the same.

o      Report abuse: Do your part and make a report when you notice someone being uncouth. If you witness the abuse of animals in the zoo or any nature park, do report it so that others won’t be witness to such cruel behaviour. If you come across touting taxi drivers or con men trying to rip you off because you are a tourist, make a report at the state tourism office. You might not be able to rid the world of these kind of behaviour but you might be able to help someone else from falling prey to it.

You can make a difference even if it is just a short trip. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be an environmentally savvy traveler.

how to overcome barriers of tourism in malaysia

How to Overcome Barriers of Tourism in Malaysia

Malaysia is ranked as the 9th most visited place in the world.[ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]. In an effort to diversify the economy and make Malaysia’s economy less dependent on exports the government has pushed to increase tourism in Malaysia. As a result tourism has become Malaysia’s third largest source of income from foreign exchange. The tourism industry has indeed to grown by leaps and bound and in the process, it has overcomed many obstacles and barriers .

One major barrier is language. The national language is of course Bahasa Melayu but English is widely used amongst the educated locals as well as those working in the service industry. Other languages spoken include Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, Hokkien and many more. Signboards and directions in the main cities and at major tourists points, are in Malay and English. Malaysians have recognized that the English language is an important tool for both business and tourism.

 The sun is strong throughout the year in Malaysia. Tourists must be adviced to take proper care against sunburn constantly . Dehydration and loss of salt through perspiration are two other common problems for the unprepared traveler. They must drink plenty of fluids and pack clothings suitable for a humid and hot weather.

Malaysia unfortunately has a reputation for its dishonest cabbies especially with tourists. Some of them are smartly dressed and even go as far as to make badges that indicate that they are a part of a licensed agent sanctioned by a local tourism association. The authorities have tried to solve this problem by having stiff fines on tout taxis, encouraging tourists to use the Airport Limo service or  KLIA Express to get to or from the airport, and advising tourists of their rights via notices clearly placed in taxis.

Snatch thieves and robbers roaming the streets in search of their next victim is another unfortunate barrier of tourism and unfortunately, there is not enough man power in the law enforcement to curb that. Even so, more patrols and police mobile booths can be seen at night spots and areas frequented by tourists in an attempt to provide a safe haven for their holiday.

To summarise, it is good to be prepared before embarking on a journey anywhere. Tourists to Malaysia face the same rule. In order to ensure our hospitable spirit is remembered rather than the embarrassing acts of a few, the Tourist Board of Malaysia has advertised widely and printed pamplets and booklets giving handy tips and advice to tourists to Malaysia. This move itself is a big step to admitting that barriers may exist, but Malaysia has taken a bold step forward to overcome the barriers.

ways to solve discipline problems

Ways to Solve Discipline Problems

Discipline is a learning process wherein parents teach children how to make good choices. In the form of positive parenting, children freely express themselves while learning how to behave appropriately, be considerate of others, and respect rules and regulations. Discipline can effectively improve the child’s behavior, but you need to understand the discipline issues in order to cope with them.

Hitting, swearing, and failing to follow important rules, are common examples of behaviors that parents need to take action to stop. Parents can ignore certain behaviors, but those that place the safety of the child, or others, at risk cannot be ignored. Three approaches that parents can rely on to help decrease negative behavior include:

Natural Consequences: The easiest way to decrease an undesirable behavior is to allow it to be followed by a natural consequence. Natural consequences can be used when the natural consequence is not harmful to the child, can be tolerated by the parent and is clearly related to the undesirable behavior.

Punishment: Punishment involves imposing a consequence for undesirable behavior, in order to decrease the chance that the behavior will be repeated. Parents commonly punish by removing privileges in response to an undesirable behavior, e.g., loss of T.V. or videogames for failing to do homework or chores.

Time Out: Removing the child from a situation is another way to decrease the chances that a negative behavior will be repeated, and is particularly effective in defusing conflict In some instances, parents can remove themselves from a situation, to give themselves and the child “a time out,” not as a punishment, but as a way to cool down and help avoid conflict.

It is important at all times that parents respect each other, and support each other's rules and authority. When parents disagree about discipline, especially when disagreement is expressed in front of children, each parent’s efforts will be compromised and discipline will be far less effective. Thus, regardless of the strategies used, parents need to work on working together. 

floods in kelantan

Floods in Kelantan

In December 2014, Kelantan was hit by the worst floods in the history of the State. Water levels of the recent floods superseded the floods of 1967. According to the National Security Council, the water level of Sungai Kelantan at Tambatan DiRaja, which has a danger level of 25 metres, reached 34.17 metres compared to 29.70 metres in 2004 and 33.61 metres in 1967. The levels at Tangga Krai, which has a danger level of 5 metres, reached 7.03 metres compared to 6.70 metres in 2004 and 6.22 metres in 1967.

The council identified two main reasons for the unprecedented magnitude of the floods in January. One is the changing climatic patterns and the adverse weather effects and second was  the result of uncontrolled land management and the swelling number of trees and exploitation of land resources.

 Kelantan was only accessible via the Kuala Terengganu-Kota Baru trunk road and by air.The other route to Kelantan through the East West Highway was closed to all traffic after part of the highway at the 65th kilometre near Puncak Titiwangsa collapsed. The Gua Musang-Kuala Krai road was also closed to all traffic while the route from Padang Besar through Haadyai was also impassable due to the floods.

The government was using helicopters and boats to send food supplies to places where flood victims were trapped as roads were submerged in water.

who can motivate a person to study

Who can Motivate a Person to Study

Learning requires motivation. Student learning will occur in proportion to the effort that a student puts into learning. Therefore, a key task for the teacher is to encourage and promote student effort. This can be a challenge, even if the teacher creates a supportive learning environment, because many of the factors that influence student learning are affected by the student’s overall attitude, likes and dislikes, feelings about a subject, activity or school in general, and personality.

A student might also be motivated by having one good friend who is also learning, and will often be motivated to do well in areas that involve that other student, or where the friend is doing well. This is healthy competition, where each one motivates and helps the other to study and do well.

The most important source of motivation is finally the parents. They would have sowed the seeds for success in the child’s mind. Home is the haven where the child is most of the time. In order to foster a positive environment to study, parents have a crucial role in motivating their child to study.

 Students themselves can sometimes set their own standards and rate of working. By doing this they are issuing a challenge to themselves and thus providing the incentive to study. They may also measure their success by comparing their achievements or progress to others.

A motivated student will find it easier to go the extra mile and do all the necessary tasks that need to be done to assure success. The right motivation will allow students to study a lot more, be focused and with more concentration. 

appropriate form of punishment for road bullies

Appropriate form of Punishment for Road Bullies

Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior by a driver of an automobile or other road vehicle. Such behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats. Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions that result in injuries and even deaths. It can be thought of as an extreme case of aggressive driving and from here the term road bullies arises.

The act of a road bully may be seen as an endangerment of public safety. You see it every day on our roads: people speeding past; changing lanes with no signal; weaving dangerously across three and four lanes; passing too closely on either side of your car; speeding up to block you out; not allowing you to change lanes or merge on or off the highway and many others.  Whatever the reason, the road bully has no total rights over use of the roads and definitely has no right causing harm to others. Their actions have to be punished by law in order to ensure the safety of other users .

A road bully must be punished by a jail term or fine or both. Although this punishment sounds harsh, it will act as a deterrent to other road bullies on the road. The length of the jail term will be determined by the level of aggressiveness shown by the road bully.

Compulsory counseling for the road bully should also be enforced. Where the actions of the road bully do not harm any individual and appear mild, counseling can help and prevent road rage from escalating into a deeper problem.

Their driving licences should be confiscated and the road bully be forced to attend driving lessons all over again in order to obtain a new licence. The actions of a road bully endangers the other users. He has to learn that aggressiveness has no place on the roads.

In a nutshell, a road bully should be removed from the roads to prevent accidents and harm to other road users. Drivers have a legal duty to take reasonable care to avoid endangerment of human life when operating a vehicle. If drivers divert from this duty, then the law must come into play to protect the other road users.

things to prepare for a job interview

Things to Prepare for a Job Interview

Even if you have less than a day before your job interview, you can outshine the competition with a little interview preparation. Preparation ensures that you can hold your head high and walk into the interview room with confidence.

Your first step is to conduct some basic research on the company you are going to. Find out as much as you can beforehand. Call the person who scheduled your interview and ask simple questions such as : Who will you be talking to? Will you meet the manager you'd work for, or will you just talk to HR? What are the interviewer's expectations? If you don't have a detailed job description, ask for one. Most human resource divisions will have this available.

What's the dress code? It’s best to wear a professional suit in neutral colours. Get your suit ironed and ready for use in advance. Check the directions to the office. Plan to leave early and keep a phone number to call if you get stuck on the bus or in traffic. If you arrive late and stressed, the interview will not go well.

Remember a lot of information can be obtained online. Hence, learn about the company and search for information relating to annual sales, number of employees, its products or services, any recent developments, etc.

Always, be ready to answer typical interview questions with a story about yourself. Talk about your achievement at work or school. These stories demonstrate all those hard-to-measure qualities like judgment, initiative, teamwork or leadership. Nonwork achievement stories are good too; if you volunteer for the local food pantry, write down a time you overcame a big challenge or a crisis there.

Finally, go to bed early the night before. You will want to be up early, feeling fresh and optimistic about attending that interview.

major cause of stress to teens

Major Cause of Stress to Teens

Stress is the uncomfortable feeling you get when you’re worried, scared, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed. It is caused by emotions, but it also affects your mood and body. The Simple English Wikipedia describes  teenager, or teen, as a young person whose age falls within the range from 13–19. They are called teenagers because their age number ends with "teen". Someone aged 18 or 19 is also considered a young adult.

Being young does not prevent the teenager from experiencing stress. They may feel anxious about body changes, friendships, grades, tests, family issues, homework, work, lack of sleep, health, extra-curricular activities or even love life. Stress is a normal part of life and the teenager together with parents, teachers and loved ones around can learn how to reduce stress and to cope with it.

What are some of the triggers, or stressors as they are called, that make us feel stressed? There is a myriad of situations but a few common ones include:

Worries over school and homework         

Family demands.

Romantic relationships

Health concerns

Puberty

Physical danger

For the majority of teens, stress starts at school where a large part of their daily life is spent.  There is a range of academic pressure derived from a need for perfection, worry over grades, parental pressure, competition, sports, or a tough class load. The nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, burnouts, and depression are also apparent in many younger students. The same situation is not always stressful for all people.

 Friends can be the best people to relieve stress and provide a strong support network to fall back on when times get tough at school. However, the wrong group of friends will only add to troubles. Choose the friends that will be positive and supportive when the going gets tough. Having a good group of friends will help maintain a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle.

At the home front, parents expectations of grades and ambition can stress the teenager. Further, demands from siblings, house/room chores, tv,etc all add to the list of “to do” things. Here, time management becomes important. Decide what is most important and prioritize what needs to be done early in the week, and what can be done later. If focusing on a few projects a night rather than worrying about all of them every night a better job will be done on each assignment.

On attaining puberty, body changes, hormones and emotions can cause uncertainty and stress. Every teenager goes through it. This is the time for romantic relationships as well. The love followed by the attention, long chats, alertness to personal looks, even jealousy and anger, all contribute to tension and stress.

The teen should never feel alone with their problem – chances are good that other people feel the same way, too. They should  talk with parents, siblings, a friend, or a counselor. Positive relationships are the building blocks of mental health. The teen should also learn to manage and reduce stress. Physical activity and exercise helps relax muscles and reduce stress. Get enough sleep as one of the biggest causes of stress in teenagers is not getting enough sleep. Eat good food and aim for a family diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegies, lean meat, dairy foods and wholegrains. Relax and unwind: this might be going for a walk, reading a book, having a relaxing bath or listening to some music.

Finally, much stress can be avoided with relaxation and and good time management. To summarise, one of the most important factors in teen stress is expectations of themselves. Therefore, set reasonable goals that you can reach within the time that you have to complete certain activities. Parents and teachers can help set goals and prioritize activities.

opinions on single session schools

In single session schools, school starts as usual in the morning, that is either 7.30am or 7.45am. Formal classes will end usually by 2.30pm.  Students then attend co-curricular activities, sports and extra classes until about 4pm. Single-session systems are already popular in cluster and private schools in the country.

Schools that have converted to a single-session structure have found it a better environment to teach and develop students. Afternoon are just a bad time to study as the weather is too hot.  Some have extended the teaching period to 45minutes instead of 30 minutes. Hence, more time and attention can be given to the specific topic or chapter being taught. There is more quality teacher-student interactions and the use of more engaging pedagogies such as group work and presentations exercises. In some schools, the break between lessons has also been lengthened, a move valued by both students and teachers.

Where more curriculum time is needed for both formal and informal programs, single session gives the school the flexibility to lengthen their school day slightly, or have extended school days once or twice a week to have additional co-curriculum activities. Hence, there is more common time for professional development and sharing among teachers and students. With all students in school at the same time, it is also easier to organise sports and team building activities

From the parents point of view, especially families with more than one child, parents find it easier to send and pick them at the same time. Furthermore, students can go home earlier, relax and enjoy more family time together.

On the other side of the coin, single session schools should guard against becoming full day schools with a heavier workload for students. The core aim of single session is to allow for more time and space to develop the child more fully. However, the school too has to be able to cater for a larger intake of students – students from two sessions now come together under a single session. The school also needs more facilities for effective programs under their co-curriculum activities. A single-session system may also cause greater traffic congestion in the mornings and late afternoons, especially in urban areas.

In conclusion, there is great merit in a single session school. To make it a success, all parties involved, from the school to home , must work together to ensure the student reaps the benefits of being in a single session school.

what is life

What is life ? Life, a four letter word which starts with L and ends with an E. What is life all about? Have you ever wondered why we are here? Have you wondered why there are many planets and stars ? Have you ever imagined another race living in this universe ? Ever wondered why the Sun continues shining every single day brightly without fail ? Ever thought of who put us here? Ever thought of what was God's motive when he landed us here ? Was it to do something ? Was it to achive something ? a mission ? As a child I always wondered, what if we were all just a chess game ? A long long complicated chess game ? One dies, and another one comes on board, why ? When does this cycle stop ? Does it ever stop ? Will the world come to an end one day ? Will the human race face extinction ? What happens when the Sun stops shining ? What happens when we die ? If we live till the end, wait is that even possible ? These are the questions none has ever thought of... in fact we are all too busy living our lives pointless, one may be studying, one may be working, one may be doing homewrok... what is life? Remember to enjoy your life as you will never know when the time comes, the time when the King finally dies... 

my best friend

So, you wanna know more about my man ? My one and only true brother from another mother, my shoulder to lean on and my one true soul who I could always rely and count on when something comes up. My buddy who is always there for me through thick and thin, all the way down the roaad... the never ending road, the road which has no end, the only endless road in our lives. who is he ? do you want to know ? Well, lets not push this further and without delay, he is Satish Kumar. my best friend. In fact, he is my brother. And this isnt just what Im saying but its what everyone has been saying ever since young. The first thing that comes up when they hear Sathesha, is Satish. This is because we always do things together just like a family. Without Satish, there is no Sathesha and without Sathesha, there is no Satish. One will only realise the through meaning of friendship when they realise the things a person would do, the things they would do to keep you by their side, and never let go no matter how hard the situation is. Everyone in the world needs a best friend, however a best friend like mine ? Its impossible for you to find someone as close as we are. No matter how long it takes you. Bros will always be bros. Well, Satish is indeed the same age as me and he was introduced to planet Earth on the 21st of September 1998. On that very day, true friendship was born ! He's helped me in so many things really, many of them which I could not have done without his help, like I said we're one. If he says no, then I'm a no. If he says yes, then I'm all in, and trust me, you hurt him, and I will make your life a living hell :) This is what real friendship is all about. You may be the most famous person in the world, or you may even have a million friends, but whats the point, if you cant count on ONE person. just ONE person whom you trust, confidence, honesty and every other thing falls on. I would rather have ONE bestie then to have a million friends :) friendship is key to success. and without friendship... I dont even know what is success ?

birthday plans ?

 Ever since Nov 27 1998, the day a beast, a warrior, a man with courage and confidence stepped into planet Earth, the day a hero was born. Well, the sad part about having your birthday at the end of the year is that not many people remember it ! Perhaps, a few ? However it is definite for our close friends, our best friends to remember it. Let me amaze you with something, I have had a match of futsal for 7 years in a row on my birthday without fail. However, last year, 2014, I tried something new, instead of continuing my streak of futsal matches, I went out with my buddies !!

the sky is blue

the sky is blue,
the grass is green.
these are the two sentences I tell myself everyday literally it's become like a quote to me. Why was the sky even blue in the first place ? why was the grass green ? it doesn't make sense at all. wanna know why ? well I have no clear definition but according to many people, the colour blue relieves stress :) And I'm sure God's idea was so when we look at the sky, hopefully our stress and pressure and every negative thought that roams our mind will go away.

idek

Recently, everything has been a mess and my life feels upside down. It's like I'm going in a reverse and I have no idea how to turn around. It's pretty hard coping with many things at once like hey I'm human too. the only thing many form 5 students fear at this stage is SPM. well, the exams are late in october nearing the start of november. However the studies have to be ongoing and not nearing SPM am I right? It definitely isn't easy to cope and all but I've been gearing myself and let's hope it all works out as per planned.

mooodsssss

A mood is an emotional state. Moods differ from emotions in that they are less specific, less intense, and less likely to be triggered by a particular stimulus or event. Moods generally have either a positive or negative valence. In other words, people typically speak of being in a good mood or a bad mood.

Mood also differs from temperament or personality traits which are even longer lasting. Nevertheless, personality traits such as optimism and neuroticism predispose certain types of moods. Long term disturbances of mood such as clinical depression and bipolar disorder are considered mood disorders. Mood is an internal, subjective state but it often can be inferred from posture and other behaviors.

well well, let's talk about my mood, indeed I'm a moody person at times but hey I'm sathesha. we all have our moods. one day, we're on top of the world and the next day we're sad. anger, depression,stress and also pressure are the common moods I face daily. Honestly speaking, having to face SPM this year has really boosted my emotions up high. the pressure mounted on me and the stress that is building up is unbearable. Lucky for me, I have my own ways of cheering up and talking to the right crowd truly plays a role.

floods in malaysia

Neighborhoods turned into islands surrounded by a sea of murky brown water. Streets doubling as rivers. Cars swept away and toppled over.The flooding has forced more than 132,000 people to evacuate, 

Strong currents and interrupted power supply are adding to the chaos, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told reporters."Clean water supply too cannot be delivered, and flood victims at the temporary relief centers had to endure darkness without electric supply," he said.The flooding ravaging Malaysia started more than a week ago. While the region is accustomed to monsoons, the "northeast monsoon" that has gripped Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Thailand is particularly harsh.

Here's how it worked, on Saturday:

Strong high pressure develops over Eastern Europe and China and strengthens northeasterly winds from the South China Sea, bringing heavier rainfall over Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Thailand.

And it's going to get worse. Another 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain could fall over the next two days near the Malaysia-Thailand border, he said."That leaves open all kinds of possibilities -- more flooding, and the possibility of landslides and mudslides," 

Across the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka has been hit hard, too.

Kandy, in the center of the island nation, received more than twice the average monthly rainfall in just the past eight days.