Category: Other

IELTS or MUET? What’s the difference?

One of my former students asked me if I had taken IELTS before.  Well, I took IELTS long time ago in 2006 because it was one of the requirement to apply to any UK university.  So, I took it once and it costs RM600 (if I am not mistaken).  But I did lots of “practices” online and using one of my senior’s IELTS book.  

Was it difficult than MUET?  I never took MUET so I can’t make comparison.  But, teaching MUET last year gave me a glimpse on what MUET is all about.  The 4 assessment type are similar like IELTS: Speaking, Reading, Writing and Listening.  Both have all of the four types of assessment.  The differences might be minute in terms of the content and duration (how long it will be conducted).  All in all, both assessments are challenging in itself with its unique features.  

Let go of your ego

It is not easy to let our ego/pride go.  As what Rick Rigsby in his moving talk “Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity“.   Don’t be stupid to let our ego control our lives.   In Islam, pride or arrogance is considered as one of the biggest sins.  This can be referred to various verses in Al-Quran

In Surah az-Zumar (Verse 60)

وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ تَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌ ۚ أَلَيْسَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْمُتَكَبِّرِي  ﴿٦٠ ﴾

“Is there not in Hell an abode for the proud?” (Surah az-Zumar 39:60)

In another verse from the same surah,

قِيلَ ٱدْخُلُوٓا۟ أَبْوَٰبَ جَهَنَّمَ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

“It shall be said: Enter the gates of hell to abide therein; so evil is the abode of the proud.” (Surah az-Zumar 39:72)

In Surah Ghafīr (Verse 35) Allah Almighty remarks,

الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعِندَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ قَلْبِ مُتَكَبِّرٍ جَبَّارٍ

“Thus does Allah set a seal over the heart of every proud, haughty one.” (Surah Ghafīr 40: 35)

In another surah, Surah Al-Baqarah: 34, due to arrogance, Iblis was regarded as the accursed one.

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِءَادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

May Allah safeguard us from the feeling of arrogance and prideful.  

Academic Camp April 2019

I had the first round of Academic Camp for MUET last April (29 – 30 April 2019).  There are 21 form 6 students who would take MUET this year (a few weeks after the Academic Camp, several students opt to withdraw and only 12 left as today).  I created a simple module last year which I use for this year’s camp.  I just did minor editing.  This is a continuation of the things that I did last year when I underwent Latihan Ikhtisas.  

 

Fees increased?

Fees increased at UTM?  It causes major uproar among students, ex-students and alike who posts “angry” comments about the issue.  How I wish the students have the same motivation and enthusiasm when they are in class doing their reflective discussion.

Jering [Archidendron pauciflorum]

Jering or its scientific name, Archidendron pauciflorum is a popular side dish in Southeast Asian region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma and Brunei).  Personally, I don’t eat any food with unique smell like durian, petai, and jering (included).  It is just personal preference, not related to health condition.   My late dad planted this jering tree more than 30 years ago on the border between his land and the neighbour’s land.  This tree is far from my house but nearer to the neighbour’s house.  So, without fail, whenever there are jering seeds, my neighbour will give us some of the jering.  

I brought some to give to my colleagues last two weeks ago, but not many eat jering.  Today, I got a message from K Im asking me if I still have jering.  Well, my neighbour just gave us some yesterday.  In sha Allah I will bring it to UTM this coming Sunday.  K Im said that she is craving to eat jering with sambal.  There are some recipes that I find which use jering as its ingredient.   But, I never tried any of this recipe.  

There are many medicinal benefits of eating jering, but I find one article stating eating is could cause djenkolism,   There are studies have been done to explore its effect on health.   For those with kidney problem, it is advised not to eat raw/ uncooked jering.