Topic Sentence oh Topic Sentence!

Although my thesis statement had been accepted, there is another problem that I have to face which is to prepare the topic sentence. Topic sentence is like supporting points which is needed to complete our position paper.
Why it is so difficult? Well, the main reason is because Han is a just supporting character. The whole novelette is about Ayu, since she was small until present (when she is studying at University Malaya, Singapore during pre independence).
If it is so difficult, why at the first place I choose Han as a character to be analyze? For me, Han is a very interesting character. As his nickname is ‘The Cynic’, he is actually not a very cynical person. It is just that he just love to question his ‘freshie’ about their beliefs and attitude towards interracial relationship. Furthermore, Han is a special character who makes Ayu to think again and again about interracial relationship and how to live harmoniously with each other.
Oppss, maybe you don’t know what I am talking about. Well, actually I am preparing my position paper for the subject that I learn this semester and the text that I choose is ‘This End of the Rainbow’ by Adibah Amin.
Till now, see you in the next journal!!!

Finally, it is accepted!!!

After struggling now and then, after spending sleepless nights, now I can have a good sleep. Wanna know why? Well, let me tell you, my thesis statement was approved! Hurray!! Well, I have to give this token of appreciation to our tutor, Miss Siti Norbaiti who helped me a lot to construct a good thesis statement. I’m not trying to please her, but to be frank; she is very patient in handling my class while most of us have the experience their thesis statement being rejected again and again. Redo, reconstruct, cracking their head and put it together back- it is not an easy job.
Well, we leave the topic about my-had-been-approved-thesis-statement. This week, we had been divided into small groups and each group will have a supervisor who will help us to do our research paper. Guess whom I get??? She is Sharifah Zainab binti Said Abdul Rahman! Aka Cik Pah. Hopefully she will help me and my friends (Fyd, Haiyu, Che Yah, Awienn, Pari and Puspa) to make a good research paper… get A for this subject!

Chaiyok! Chaiyok!

Thesis Statement: A Writer’s Point of View

Creating a good thesis statement is not as easy as what I think. Watching my friends’ thesis statement being rejected again and again, make me wonder why it is so difficult to come out with a sentence. According to Barnet and Cain (2003), thesis statement is:

“a sentence summarizing, as specifically as possible, the writer’s chief point (argument and perhaps purpose)”

Therefore, what makes it so difficult is to put the gist of the essay in just a sentence.
It is already the third week of lecture and I have to admit that I don’t know weather I can make a good one. Some of the thesis statement that I read (which belongs to my friends), seem good but rejected because the quality of the sentence is not there. Maybe it is our own mistake for not paying attention while studying Expository Writing (the subject which thought us to do thesis statement for the whole semester). Somehow, I take it as a challenge, because in education we do not face problems but challenge.

First Step: Preparing the Thesis Statement

Although at first I actually thinking of doing a Malaysian writer’s work, Adibah Amin, later I find that it will not help me much in my second assignment, which is research paper. Doing a Malaysian writer is a challenge, but it means that I will have to do more work.
Therefore, I decided to work on A Streetcar Named Desire, one of those dramas that we have learnt in the previous semester. I don’t know why, themes that relates to men and women relationship always attract my attention. I’m not a sexist, nevertheless, I think this topic does relate in our daily lives.
As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, making a thesis statement is the crucial thing before we can start our position paper and how ‘senseless’ topic statement to me. However, when our tutor asked us to come out with a thesis statement, I finally managed to come out with a thesis statement. Hopefully this thesis statement will guide we to move on to the next phase in writing a position paper.

Here Comes Again… THESIS STATEMENT

Having learnt that we are supposed to make a thesis statement for our first assignment, one thing came across my mind- Expository Writing. Yes, I’ve learnt that subject years ago at IPTI (formerly known as MPTI). Yes, that subject, the subject that doesn’t make any sense for me. We had been drilled by our lecturer to make thesis statement again and again. However, I actually did not understand what the purpose of it, why we need to learn how to write thesis statement for the whole semester. It doesn’t make any sense for me, but now it does.
Writing a good thesis statement is the most important thing before we start to write our position. Frankly, when Dr. Edwin briefed us about the course outline, I’ve already have in mind what I want to do for the research paper. Something related to Tennessee Williams, but not for position paper. Never mind, I’m sure I’ll find the suitable text to be discuss in my position paper. Maybe I’ll write about ‘This End of the Rainbow’ a novel which was released last year by Adibah Amin… in conjunction of 50 years of independence…

Pameran Kegemilangan Sains dalam Tamadun Islam

Last Monday, I went to Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC). Although this is not the first time I go there, but it is a special trip for me because the purpose of going there is to see an exhibition held at the convention centre. The exhibition is about the glory of science in Islam. This exhibition is organized by MOSTI and Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. Although the items being display is not that much, but at least you have the opportunity to look at the relics being left by Islam scientist and creator. Especially for form four students (if they are still using the same textbook that I used), they should take this opportunity to come and see this exhibition because it is very useful. Instead of looking in the dull (but highly informative) textbook, they will have opportunity to see the replicas of certain items such as astrolabe and windmill.
However, what makes this exhibition very meaningful to me is that, I come across one of the hosts of Malaysia Hari Ini (MHI), Nuraffenda Ibrahim. Well, I don’t miss out this opportunity to get her autograph and in return, she interviewed us, me and my roommate. Maybe we will appear in MHI too! We also come across, Mohd. Noor Sulaiman (another host cum producer at TV3), Mahathir Lokman (former host of Majalah 3 at TV3), Che Amran (Raihan) and Zamil (Malaysian Idol). Well, I hope that this is not the last time for me to see more public figures!
p/s: I also have met the Sunsilk model, Nik Faredah and her husband, the handsome doctor (August 2006) at Ikano and Anita (a model) last December 2006 at 1 Utama hehehe…

Happy New Year!!!

New Year had just left us several days back. Well, nothing much that I can say except that this new year will promise you all good things and good luck.
New year resolution... well, I think that we do not need to make that, because we are suppose to make it everyday, everytime we wake up from bed.
Anyway, for this new year, I hope that everybody will be happy. Forget all the past, sad memories. Open new book. (That's why human are created to forget, so that we will not remember anything that make us sad, upset...)
This new year also means new semester to me. And what I like the most is, because I have two classes with DR. EDWIN!!! I just love his class.
Therefore, for the next four months, this blog will discuss about my feelings about this subject:

EDU 3234: Reading and Project Work for Teaching Literature in ESL Contex

I think it is enough for now, as thi sis just the beginning of it. Keep on reading this blog and all the best for you out there!