I am back...again

My apologies for being away for so long. I had problem signing in to the blog because I forgot I had actually deactivate the email account that I used to create this blog. Well, here I am again.  

ごぶさたしております。。。本当に申し訳ありませんでした。

I am glad that while I was away, my blog has been constantly viewed and downloaded. Glad that it helped in any way. I shall share more quizzes and tests soon. Can't wait to share what I've learned these few years.


じゃ、またね。。。

Will I get an 'otoshidama' ? （ お年玉もらえるかな？）

Duit Raya packet

angpow packet

As Malaysians, we are so used to receiving 'angpow' (red packets with money) or 'duit raya' during festivals such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali. Even now, as a working adult, I still receive angpows from my parents and elder siblings and sometimes from relatives ! That's the advantage of being single....receive but not required to give. (HAHA !) That's the chinese culture..the belief is that the more you give away your fortune, the more you will receive in the new year. As for the Malays, some of my students told me that they stopped receiving duit raya as soon as they entered university or started working. Duit Raya is only meant for the little ones :D.  The same goes for Deepavali celebration. Well, the main purpose of giving out angpow or duit raya is actually to make the 'little ones' happy. My family's custom is just exceptional, I must admit.

otoshidama packet

Now, how about the Japanese custom, you might want to know. The Japanese give out otoshidama to their own children and little children of relatives and friends. Do find out more from this wonderful website I found. I am not sure what is the age limit in receiving otoshidama but I received my first otoshidama from my foster family when I was studying in Japan at the age of 25... :)  It was from my obaasan (grandmother). Otoosan and okaasan (dad and mum) did not give me one..I guess it must be that obaasan 'represented' the family to bestow the good fortune on me :D I won't tell you how much I received cos it would make you green with envy !! Besides the otoshidama, I received lots of foodstuff and my train fare fully paid by otoosan and okaasan ! They were such generous and nice people ! And they surely did make my 5 years stay in Japan a memorable one. Not only that, they showed me ( a foreign student ) what unconditional love is... accepting me into their family and taking care of me all those years. I watched their children grow up, enter university and got married. Otoosan finally gave up smoking (or else he wouldn't be allowed to go near his grandson !) and obaasan passed on... I promised to myself that I will pass on the kindness they showed me to others. Also, to share my culture and what little I know of others' that had made my life so rich and colorful.  :) Teaching is not only about finishing the syllabus and fabulous exam results, the biggest part is to educate young ones how to understand other's cultures while appreciating their own even more in the process.
Cheers ! Happy 2011 ! May the new year bring more joy, success and everything nice to each and everyone of you who read this ! :) So, do you think you will get an otoshidama this year ?

5S methodology

A new year is around the corner...yet I've gone back to not a very new methodology for the future use. Maybe most have heard of the 5S methodology in efficient working. It came from 5 japanese words starting with S.
Seiri (Sorting), Seiton (Setting in order), Seiso (Systematic cleaning/ Shining), Seiketsu (Standardizing) and Shitsuke ( Sustaining the self-discipline). Perhaps the last one is the hardest to keep. Gambarimasu !
がんばります～～

For more details, have a look at this link. :) Cheers ! Siew2 Sensei goes 5S....

では、よいお年を。。

JLPT 2010 : N5/N4 compared to L4/L3

Less than one week to prepare for the exam ! All the very best to everyone ! As I see it, N5 is a little bit easier than the old L4 and N4 has a mixture of some L4 and L3 grammar structures. The changes in format are also minimal. Paper 2 (Grammar-Reading) has the new 'word-arranging' item to find out what the 'star' slot is. I find that fun ! I am sure less people will be falling asleep this year, during the exam. :)

I also find  the Q&A section in Paper 3 - Listening, refreshing and quite interesting. This can really test if you are familiar with the usage of common expressions and phrases.

では、みなさん、さいごまで　がんばってください。

しけん （試験） Exam

４年生の　とういつ（統一）　しけん（試験）は　あと　わずかの　一ヶ月ぐらいですね。今年の　４年生の　生とは　どうかしら？　まだ　まだ　べんきょう（勉強）してないですね。。　先生は　とても　しんぱい（心配）していますよ。このあいだ（間）の　もぎしけん（模擬試験）の　せいせき（成績）が　悪かったですが、　みんな　これから　なにか　しているのですか？　もっと　がんばってくださいね。　４年間　日本語の　勉強を　してきましたね。　だから、　さいご（最後）まで　ファイトしましょうよ！アズリンさん、　イディンさん、　アジムさん。。。。あきらめないでね！　：）いっしょに　勉強して、　いちばん　いい　成績を　めざしましょう！先生は　おうえん（応援）していますよ。

The F4 Examination is just about 1 month away. How are this year's F4 students doing ? They don't seem to be studying ... I am actually quite worried. The result of the Trial exam wasn't good. So, are you doing anything about that now ? You have studied for four years..that's why I think you should 'fight' till the end ! Asrin, Iddin, Azim (to name a few)...don't give up ! Lets study together and aim for the best ! We the teachers will be here to support and guide you. :)