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Slide Show
Jan
22
Finally, baby JE
January 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Here are some early pics of baby Jia Ern at 3.27kg adding to the latest bunch of us as a family, looks like WH, delivered like WH but it’s not WH:
Jan
6
Why our scholars failed abroad?
January 6, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Article by Dr. Hsu
I was told that one of the girls with the most number of A’s, 17 A1’s, in SPM and who is currently on a scholarship in UK to study medicine failed in her second year examination.
While passing and failing examination is part and parcel of a student’s life, this case is particularly alarming, as this is supposed to be our cream of the cream. There may be other reasons why she failed , but this case typifies the trend of many of our so-called ‘top scholars’ failing in overseas universities.
I have mentioned before that among my daughter ’s year doing medicine in University of Auckland, there were many JPA’s scholars (more than 10). Only one graduated with the class. The rest have failed along the way and have to repeat the year which they have failed. Some have failed one year, passed on second attempt and then failed again in another year. It is not uncommon to have someone who failed a few times along the way.
These scholars are supposed to represent the cream of our students, and yet they struggled to get through the course.
We must find out the reasons why so many of these scholars fail when hey are supposed to be the our top students.
Granted that in an examination, even a good student can do badly sometimes, but to have a disproportional high failure rate among the so called top students is alarming and cannot be attributed to ‘luck’ or the lack of it. Compare this with those on their fathers’ scholarship, very few of the latter group failed.
Is it because our marking system is at fault? Is there any differential markings of papers? Is our education system at fault?
I think the time has come to have a thorough re-examination of the whole education as well as the examination system.
It really reflects badly on our country when scholarship holders fail in their examinations at an alarming rate.
When a scholarship holder fails and has to repeat a year, it would cost the Country a lot of money which can actually be used to finance more students for study. Scholarship holders also live a life of relative luxury, compared to self-financed students, and they normally stay in the best hostels and many of them have cars and so on. SO the whole system of warding scholarship should be reviewed too.
If the students scores an exemplary number of distinctions (A’s in Malaysia) in a public exam, they are considered the pinnacle of what the Country’s education system is capable of producing. They are expected to go through tertiary education anywhere in the world with flushing success. So what could possibly have happened if they fail abroad?
Malaysia’s education system has always been a laughing stock. Based purely on numeric superiority and mindless rote learning methods that even the British has long abandoned decades earlier, Malaysia continues to believe that the more A’s the students attain, the better equipped they are. It doesn’t matter how they get the A’s so long as the aim is to get them and get as many in the process. So if the students were to labour over numerous
past year exam papers in the library, memorise the answers and focus only on hat the teacher ’suggests’ are likely to come out for the exam, that’s all right by everyone. The education system doesn’t teach the students to NDERSTAND the material. It doesn’t encourage proactive teaching methods that encourage students to discover knowledge but to merely be taught.
When a student with 17 Distinctions fail in the real world, it is not a surprise. Perhaps it is to many Malaysians, but it’s a system that is waiting to reward its students with spectacular failure when they leave the shores and compete overseas or when they enter the workforce. Many organisations in the private sector have continued to be horrified at the performance of such students during interviews. Communication skills are absent. Standard ethics are absent. Common courtesy codes are absent. Presentation skills as well as personal grooming are absent. What has the education system taught them?
If Malaysia continue to embark on the road of plain numeric superiority instead of to challenge the students to think, provoke them to create their own opinions and to communicate expressively, to eloquently define their standing in the world, there can never be an international leader in any field or industry emanating from Malaysia. It never produced one in the last 20 years. It never will for the next 100 years.
Jan
2
Chong Kok in Klang?
January 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Yup, good place for morning cofee and nasi lemak + Hainam roti…check it out just next to KTM train station, Klang.
Jan
1
Lucky Strike
January 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Happy New Year everyone. Here’s something to feel lucky about…an actual F1 Lucky Strike team at COE in Puchong…now you know where did the cars go after races (just like J.Villenuve’s)…
Dec
31
Hokkien, are you?
December 31, 2009 | Leave a Comment
You’ll be Surprised. You have heard it. You, your parents, or grandparents may still be speaking this ancient, archaic language!
Yes, it’s
HOKKIEN (Fujian/Minnan Hua)
Hokkien is:
1. The surviving language of the
Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), China’s Golden Age of Culture.
Note: The Hokkien we hear today may have “evolved” from its original form 2,000 years ago, but it still retains the main elements of the Tang Dynasty Language.
2. Hokkiens are the surviving descendants of the Tang Dynasty — When the Tang Dynasty collapsed, the people of the Tang Dynasty fled South and sought refuge in the Hokkien (Fujian) province. Hence, Hokkien called themselves Tng-lang (Tang Ren or People of the Tang Dynasty) instead of Hua Lang (Hua Ren).
3. Hokkien has 8 tones instead of Mandarin’s 4. Linguists claim that ancient languages tend to have more complex tones.
4. Hokkien retains the ancient Chinese pronunciation of “K-sounding” endings (for instance, Hak Seng (student),
Tua Ok (university), Thak Chek (read a book/study) — the “k” sounding ending is not found in Mandarin.
5. The collection of the famous “Three Hundred Tang Dynasty Poems” sound better when recited in Hokkien/Teochew if compared to Mandarin.
6. Consider this for a moment: Today, the Hokkien Nam Yim ochestral performance still has its roots in ancient Tang dynasty music. Here’s the proof: The formation of today Nam Yim ensemble is typically seen in ancient Tang dynasty paintings of musicians.
More Astonishingly:
Although not genetically-related, Hokkiens, Koreans and Japanese share many similar words (which are different from Mandarin).
That’s because Hokkien was the official language of the powerful Tang Dynasty whose influence and language spread to Japan and Korea (just like Latin – where many words were borrowed by the English, French, Italian, etc). Here are just a few words in Hokkien, Japanese & Korean for your comparison:
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To all 49 Million Hokkien Speakers:
Be Proud of Your Ancient Hokkien Heritage & Language! Speak it Loud and Clear. Teach Your Future Generation this Imperial Language, Less it Fades Away.
Be Proud Children of the Tang Emperors.
To all Mandarin-speaking friends out there — do not look down on your other Chinese friends who do not speak Mandarin – whom you guys fondly refer to as “Bananas”. In fact, they are speaking a language which is much more ancient & linguistically complicated than Mandarin.
Keep in mind that Mandarin is just:
1. A Northern Chinese dialect (heavily influenced by non-Han Chinese) that was elevated to the status of National Language by Sun Yat Sen for the sake of China’s national unity.
2. Mandarin was never spoken by your proud, imperial Tang Dynasty ancestors. It was probably spoken by the Northern (Non-Han) Jurchen, Mongols and Manchu minority.
Dec
29
No, it’s not scratched on purpose-lah
December 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment
My mother was nagging that sis car was purposely scratched by someone at work but after investigating closer, it’s not. High possibility of the car took a sharp left turn, ended up scratching side curb, what say you?
Dec
28
Rainbow, again?
December 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Oh, not again. Rain and sunshine = rainbow. Taken outside our car porch in the evening, just after a shower…
Dec
27
Di-che’s Tea Ceremony
December 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Hmmm…my recent 2nd sis’s wedding tea ceremony and we didn’t miss her lovely wedding cake. Congratulations to both Fred and Mei…and happy birthday, Di-che. Both of you make a lovely and wonderful couple.
Dec
26
Monkeying around…
December 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Pics taken from professional photographer during my sis’s tea ceremony…
Dec
25
Merry Christmas, again.
December 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Folks, its time of the year again where we take 2 weeks off, thinking of work only after a bottle of champagne next year. Gosh, i wish I had that luxury. Jia Ern is due anytime now. We’re on code RED now. The hospital bag is on standby mode now. Everyone’s biting their own nails now. Is she coming out early? To be same date as her Di-ku-ma? We’ll just have to wait and see. Anyhow, here’s a lady bug Christmas cake to all of you and please do have a Safe (on the road and …) and Merry Christmas. Happy New Year too!
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