Football in Malaysia

The Champions League final was a smashing thriller. We'd been watching with Andy some of the previous games only to be always let down as we hadn't seen a single goal. Now we were stupendously rewarded!

In the half time, however, there was a moment when I couldn't but burst out in laughter. The local TV3 showed a short report from a place where local fans were watching the match. Back in the studio the commentator grinned and remarked that everyone's there was enjoying the football the Malaysian way, ie. with Teh Ais and Roti Canai. I could laugh my head off as that single remark alone proved I am half Malaysian.

I'm manly

I observed that when I fall asleep while sitting my head always drops on one side only - the right. I assume it has something to do with the capacity of my right brain hemisphere which I'm, as an average man, supposed to use more often than the left one.

Confirmed. I'm manly.

The gift half understood

This was an amazing day. I clearly remember when I first (and last) used my French. It was back in Prague, some three years ago in the underground where a group of tourists was asking for directions. I said simply "C'est à gauche." and it was enough. Such moments, little though they may be, have particular importance for all language learners as they provide a sense of meaning to the learning grind.

After a mere week of learning Chinese it happened to me again. I went out for dinner to my favourite 'economy rice' hawker stall and there were, among other people, a man and his wife. When the man saw me, he somewhat excitedly started talking to his wife and I noticed one word – 'gāu', or 'tall' in English...

Life to me is definitely "the gift half understood" (T.S. Eliot) as it "can only be understood backwards" (Soren Kierkegaard) and...

Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone, therefore we must be saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint; therefore we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness.

-- Reinhold Niebuhr, via Daily Dig

Yes, I feel I'm a tiny part of something beautiful. It only sometimes doesn't make sense...

Meditation

... there are two reasons why you must be content with what happens to you: first because it was for you it came to pass, for you it was ordered and to you it was related, a thread of destiny stretching back to the most ancient causes; secondly because that which has come to each individually is a cause of the welfare and the completion and in very truth of the actual continuance of that which governs the Whole.

-- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: V, 8

Happy Resigning

Little had I known that teachers are so eager to write resignation letters until I posted up my own. Now I get so much incoming traffic through Google from people looking for something like "Malaysia resignation letter" or "teacher resignation letter"...

Well it helped me a great deal to resign, the sense of relief and re-gained freedom is tremendous. So, happy resigning!

At last, I've taken up Chinese

I've just finished my first Chinese class and it was just hilarious. I could never get my tongue round the four different tones.

The original idea came from Blinger who once noted that every language teacher should learn a foreign language so that she can better relate to her students and what they go through in their language classes. Furthermore, better understanding of Chinese is definitely beneficial as most of my students are ethnic Chinese.

As far as the language itself is concerned, I don't set my expectations too high because I've got only 3 months to go here in Malaysia. My goal is esentially to get to grips with the pronunciation which means (if I understand it correctly):

1) the 4 tones so that I'm comprehensible to native Chinese speakers,
2) the Hanyu Pinyin system so that I can learn on my own and use various learning tools

Czech Republic - Canada 3:0

There's definitely something about seasons and so as spring takes the reign over from winter Czech ice-hockey players do so from Canada :)

See ya next year!

Life x career v.2

I find it weird that I could ever claim that I was in control of my life, but wasn't in control of my career.

Now I think it's the other way round as I increasingly often feel there is someone else in charge.

In this life we are like stubborn horses put into harnesses and shafts. At first, we kick. We want to live according to our will. We break the shafts, snap the harness, do not go anywhere, and become exhausted. Finally when we are at the end and we are not thinking about getting our own way anymore, we give in to the Higher Will, and things move forward. This is when we find peace and happiness.

-- Leo Tolstoy (via Daily Dig)

Tongue Twister - Cop Bob

I've been often disappointed by the tongue twisters that are freely available on the internet as they tend to be more fun than any serious pronunciation practice. So I put together my very first tongue twister. It is clear the two sounds in question here are /b/ and /p/ in their end positions. I'm going to have my intermediate students dictate it to each other and then focus on minimal pairs, or whatever crops up as necessary to deal with on the spot.

Cop Bob was always a snob. He wanted to rob the new Pope of his old robe and so he dropped on his friend Rob to get some rope. But Bob saw Rob sob over his mop.

“Nope,” said Rob. “I can't cope with this mop, Bob. I really hope to get a new job.”

What do you think?

Persistence in spring

Your persistent longing is your persistent voice. But when love grows cold, the heart grows silent. Burning love is the outcry of the heart! If you are filled with longing all the time, you will keep crying out, and if your love perseveres, your cry will be heard without fail.

-- Augustine (via Daily Dig)

I've played the following telephone game, where one end sends the questions one by one and the other end chooses the most suitable answer and sends it back, twice so far and it was always good fun:

1. When was Jiri born?
2. What time does Jiri get up?
3. When does Jiri play badminton?
4. When did Jiri go back home last year?
5. When does Jiri get lots of presents?
6. When does Jiri usually send text messages?
7. When does Jiri usually fall in love?
8. What time does the class start?

In December, 1979.
Usually at 10 o'clock.
On Tuesdays.
On 20th December.
At Christmas.
At midnight.
In spring.
At 11 o'clock.

Funnily enough, I don't fall in love on Tuesdays as some students were trying to suggest.