English Worksheet

I bought some english worksheet book for Sya and Jack the last time I went back during summer. It was Building writing skill workbook, Singap0re syllabus.

We did the first exercise. It was a picture story where you need to describe the pictures ad make it into a story. It was a picture of an accident between two cars. One of the driver looks like she fainted or maybe dead (I suppose up to you whichever way you want to write). So you need to describe the story.

I didn't think much of it until I read the following exercise.



And I thought how gory the description is.

Then we proceeded to the next exercise. Here is teh picture




OMG! What picture is this? Someone fell from an HDB flat? Or or or suicide? Are those suppose to blood splattering on the floor? And you are suppose to describe this story. Oh sorry, an eight year old suppose to describe the story? Blood and all?

Another picture. Less gory but still on subject of mishaps or series of unfortunate events.



A boy tripped on the stairs carrying a big bag.

That's it! I think, I had enough of these examples and very likely not proceed with the book.

Look, it's not that I am protective much. I read them stories of battles and so forth and the kids had their doses of Gaza and Syria. Those are real and heroic. While these story builders are just odd and not suitable to be in a child's exercise book.

It's probably a one off case. I am sure other publishers fare much better.

I'll just stick with online stuff after this.

________________________

I found this interesting STORY STARTER. Cute and simple and you can be imaginative as well. and no gory stuff also.

Our Lost Honour

As we watch in despair the happenings of the world, we can't help to note that most of the headline news revolve around the Muslims.

Where has our honour gone?

Sayidina Umar r.a. said
"We were the most humiliated people on earth and Allah gave us honor through Islam. If we ever seek honor through anything else, Allah will humiliate us again.”

We are now humiliated at the cost of massacre of Muslim's life in the view of the whole world to see.

Allah said in

Munafiqoon 63: 8
But honour, power and glory belong to Allâh, and to His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not. 

I fear reading this. Are we not mu'mineen as how Allah describe that we are now being humiliated?  Ya Rabb.

I cringe in agony, each time people mention the glory of our past Muslim scholars coming up with wonderful innovations be it in medicine, inventions, engineering, astrology, maritime, pharmacy, mathematics and so forth. But where are we now? At least from my limited scope of perspective, Muslims are one lazy lot. This is generalisation of course because I have seen really good ones. 

I have nothing to offer to what we can do about this but hope is not at lost Insya Allah, for Allah promises us us this

Fatir 35: 10
Whosoever desires honour, (power and glory) then to Allâh belong all honour, power and glory

And thus, what is left for us to do, is to turn to Him. To do what he pleases. These entails many things because it is not just a saying of the mouth. It should translate into actions, choices of course in life made, direction for the children, Quran, ilm, leaving sins, discipline and and and...

Allah Mustaan. To You Ya Rabb, I seek help to what capacity I can do.

Smart Stuff

I remember when I first came here, among  the changes I enforced in the family is to have an all together sit down dinner. No eating in front of the tv, on the couch, upstairs, in front of the tv. Even though we cant do it everyday with lover because of his odd timing, but I insist the rest must come down and be there.

I personally feel that there is so much bonding during this family get together. And since I am not working, I should make the best of the time I have.

But something evil is creeping in lately. This doesn't happen much at home though. It is mostly when we have our dinner outside. Enter the restaurant  Myself, lover, haziq and the kids will take out our respective Iphone, S3 (TRAITOR!), ipod and ipad. We will check the wifi, and our eyes are glued on the phone or tablet whatever.

Look we are not talking to each other. Sometimes even if we do, we wont be concentrating on the convo. Evil indeed this whatsapp that makes me pay attention to others more than my own family at this hour. And all these smart gadgets became so addictive that my heart yearns for it almost all the time.

Do you not see this happening almost to all. Sitting together but all are quiet staring at the gadget? I am a believer in a good old conversation. Jack, is in his talkative phase. He talks non stop and can go from one topic to another. Haziq, less talkative, but I enjoy the convo I have with him. Sya talks less but play alot with jack (oh by the way she must stop reading at dinner table too). I don't think I want to miss all of these.

Time to take action! No more smartphones, tablets and even story books at dinner table. I must stop this before this evil become permanently stuck on our hands and we lose the ability to talk to our loved ones, and only LOL and emoticon faces with those far away from us.

Who is with me?