13 - YEAR - OLD - DAD??

Man, I thought i was pretty screwed up for slacking away all my times in this very-mid-term until i came across this a while ago: (mind me for being a little out-dated)

13-year-old DAD and 15-year-old MOM??

(this is pretty messed up)

I was shocked when I saw the news about this 13-year-old boy, that practically looks like he is still an 8-year-old kid, and his 15-year-old girlfriend that became parents to this baby girl Maisie earlier this year.

Alright, on top of the indictment on Britain’s hugely expensive sex education programme in schools, I guess things still doesnt work out that way for this young couple.


Quote from Daily Telegraph:

He told The Sun: "Other stupid boys are lying, saying bad things, like they have slept with Chantelle too.

"But I am the only boyfriend she has had and we've been together for two years, so I must be the dad.

"When she found out she was having a baby, I asked her 'Am I the dad?' and she went 'Yeah' so I believe her.

"I didn't know about DNA tests before, but Mum explained it's when they do a swab in your mouth and it tells you if you're the dad.

"So, if I have that, they can all shut up. But I don't really care what people say. And I don't like them being bad about Chantelle."


errrrr? is that supposed to be.....sweet?
or......naive?

The couple,

Alfie, who is just 4ft tall, added: “When my mum found out, I thought I was going to get in trouble. We wanted to have the baby but were worried how people would react.

“I didn’t know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it.”

And.....I really wondered if things will worked out fine for them? afterall, they are still in their early teenage, enjoying their youth. Having a baby to play ps3 along with you, somehow, it's not really a good idea eh?

Still, i salute and respect the courage they have in not choosing abortion.
Let's all hope they will do just fine...
with the help of their families ofcourse

awwww, sweet?
no?

@posted by....Grace Chan (B0800335)

Beauty of Life

Just found out this simple yet wonderful video:



This is a short movie written on a script based on the true story of Encik Shahrul's family, or more specifically, of his youngest child, Adlan.

Adlan was an extreme autistic who, for 7 years, behaved like he was trapped in a bubble, unable to communicate with the outside world, and vice versa.

What finally brought him out of that state is shown in the commercial you see here.

The dog is the most misunderstood animal in this country. Its haters, I'm sad to say, are largely Malays who often don't even know the difference between "haram" and "najis", let alone the finer points and different degrees of najis.

The message from this movie is actually to urge those who are against dogs to read more about the true Islamic rules concerning this beautiful creature of God, and to please refrain from being cruel to it.


Btw, this is a short film by Yasmin (:

My malay buddy just showed me this, and went on telling me all his thoughts.
Somehows i find this interesting and true.










@posted by, Grace Chan (B0800335)

CHAPTER 3: LANGUAGE

The definition of LANGUAGE according to our textbook says that LANGUAGE: A collection of symbols governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals. Language is a verbal symbol system that allows us to take messages and utterances, in the form of words, and translate them into meaning.

In class Mr.Murali stressed on the power of language. I believe it's so true that our language reflects our attitude. Bearing that in mind, it is really important for us to watch our language when speaking to another. This is because once something is said regardless if it's the truth or not, our very own language might seem appealing to us, but maybe not to others. We might just be hurting the other party by saying something that may seem appropriate to us but not to that person. Everyone is different, we all come from different backgrounds but one thing that brings us together is language and communication. The way we shape our language and communicate with people tells a lot about us.

The tone of our voice brings out the power in our language, our affiliation with the other; CONVERGENCE ( the way we approach society, the ability to speak in a common language) and DIVERGENCE ( the ego in us thinking we're better than the other and would like to speak in an opposite manner, thus often causes misunderstandings) aids in portraying our image to the other party. Therefore it is always best and important for us to think before we say something. We must be able to consider the feelings of the other person, if what we're about to say may hurt the person or not. A cut on our body would heal in time to come, but once hurt emotionally with words, that can sting for the rest of our lives. With that, we should always listen, heed what others have to say and speak in an appropriate language to avoid conflicts. :)

Haylena. xx
(p/s: I know I haven't been updating my posts and I understand that no marks will be given for this and the rest of the delayed ones but I just feel a need to complete my undone work. After midterms, I promise to post up the minimum requirement of 2 posts per week based on our class lectures on a regular basis. Sorry and thanks Mr. Murali!)

It's okay Beckham, we understand...

I guess I should stop looking at conflicts only on it's negative sides. In fact, conflict has it good and bad side. On the positive side, conflict actually helps you to learn to gain a better understanding on each other and eventually, it'll form a better bond with each other.

Here's something i found lately, and i thought it's pretty interesting :D



Here, David Beckham was obviously caught looking at something he shouldn't. There we go, typical conflict between spouses :D catching your spouse in peeking some hot guys or chicks
And I thought Victoria was pretty smart to choose not to embarrass herself in the public. Instead of arguing in the public, she briliantly chose to ignore David by applying passive aggression of guiltmakers.
Bingo, ignoring him will do as it will make him feels guilty. As seen in the last picture, his expression totally shows how speechless he was :D Sometimes de-escalatory conflict spirals really does wonder just like what Victoria did.


And this why The BECKHAMS are still standing strong today (: brilliant conflict management they have there. *claps claps*




@posted by, Grace (B0800335)

You know you're an ASIAN when you....

Recently i've learnt about the cultural influences on conflict where Mr.Murali mentioned something that we asians are more to collectivist which means that asians prefer to have people around them rather than being an individualistic. I personally think we Asians, in fact are really more cultural rooted. It seems that we still treasure the practices by our ancestors. Well, at least some of them.

And all this suddenly reminded me of the listings of" what Asians mostly do" that my friends and I always talked about back then


I really find this interesting, even until today (:
somehow, i think these are really some typical Asians' do's and dont's



You know you're Asian (mostly chinese) when....

-You get a B+ and you are categorized as a failure

-You unwrap Christmas gifts very carefully, so you can save and reuse the wrapping (and especially those bows) next year.

-When there is a sale on toilet paper, you buy 100 rolls and store them in your closet or in the bedroom of an adult child who has moved out.

-You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times.

-You eat all meals in the kitchen.

-You save grocery bags, tin foil, and tin containers.

-You use grocery bags to hold garbage.

-You can twirl your pen around your fingers.

-Even if you're totally full, if someone says they're going to throw away the leftovers on the table, you'll finish them.

-You don't own any real Tupperware -- only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, takeout containers, and jam jars.

-You've eaten a red bean Popsicle.

-You bring oranges (or other produce) with you as a gift when you visit people's homes.

-You have a collection of miniature shampoo bottles that you take every time you stay in a hotel.

-You never order room service.

-Your dad thinks he can fix everything himself.

-You majored in something practical like engineering, medicine or law.

-When you go to a dance party, there are a wall of guys surrounding the dance floor trying to look cool.

-You live with your parents and you are 30 years old (and they prefer it that way). Or if you're married and 30 years old, you live in the apartment next door to your parents, or at least in the same neighborhood.

-You don't use measuring cups.

-You feel like you've gotten a good deal if you didn't pay tax.

-You beat eggs with chopsticks.

-You have a teacup with a cover on it.

-You reuse teabags.

-Your mom drives her Mercedes to the Price Club.

-You're a wok user. (wok = "kuali")

-You like Chinese films in their original undubbed versions.

-You have acquired a taste for bittermelon.

-You like congee with thousand year old eggs.

-You prefer your shrimp with the heads and legs still attached -- it means they're fresh.

-You never call your parents just to say hi.

-If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten rice, even if it's midnight. ( this is true, so true )

-Your parents tell you to boil herbs and stay inside when you get sick. They also tell you not to eat fried foods or baked goods because they produce hot air.

-You eat every last grain of rice in your bowl, but don't eat the last piece of food on the table.

-You never discuss your love life with your parents.

-Your parents are never happy with your grades.

-You keep most of your money in a savings account.

-Your toothpaste tubes are all squeezed paper-thin.

-You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing.

-Someone in your family drives a Honda... with custom rims.

-You like to eat chicken feet.

-You suck on fish heads and fish fins.

-You leave the plastic on the lampshade for ten years or more.

-You can't bear to throw things away.

-Your unassisted vision is worse than 20/500.

-You've worn glasses at least since the fifth grade.

-You add twice the amount of water recommended when making orange juice from concentrate.

-You've never seen your parents hug.

-Your grandmother lives with you and your family.

-You say "aiya!" and "wah!" frequently.

-Your mother is strangely obsessed with plants.

-You notice the main topic at family get-togethers is food.

-You have an lonely unmarried relative who frequently drops by during dinner time.

-You received little red envelopes containing money on special occasions.

-You know at least three people named Alan Wong. (or Peter Wong or David Wong :D)

-You sing Karaoke.

-You have about 12-20 uncles and aunts.

-You tip 15% or less.

-You don't mind squeezing 20 people into one motel room.

-You want your dollar back from the friend who borrowed it right away

-You always hear about how great so-and-so's son or daughter is.

-Your childhood is filled with painful memories of the long feather duster ("Guy Mo So" a.k.a "bulu ayam stick" )

-You spit bones and other food scraps on the table. (That's why you need the vinyl tablecloth).

-You have stuff in the freezer since the beginning of time.

-You wash your rice at least 2-3 times before cooking it.

-You only make long distance calls after 11pm.

-You know what moon cakes are.

-You fight over who pays the dinner bill.

-You know why 4 is a bad number, and 14's are even worse. ( 4 sounds like the word "die" in cantonese, and 1 4 means absoultely dying)

-You love the number 8. ( 8 stands for the word prosper)

-You're always late. ( kind of true for me ><, bad bad)

-You steam something on top of your rice while its cooking. (that's what my mom does :D)

-Your parents constantly complain you use too much toilet paper when you go to the bathroom or use too much shampoo when taking a shower.

-Your mother has a short-haired, curly perm. (typical asians women)

-You've had to eat parts of animals that they don't even put in hotdogs.

-You have piles of shoes and slippers blocking the entrances to your home.

-You call all your parents friends "auntie or uncle".

-You get nothing if you do well in school, but get in big trouble if you don't.

-Your parents buy you clothes and shoes many sizes too big so you can "grow" into them and wear them for years to come.

Funny but somehow, some of them are really true :D

I guess Asians are just different from the others in some terms. I believe they do handle their conflicts differently from us.







@posted by Grace, (B0800335)

Songs Mean More Than Words

Songs....yeah they're more than just melodic rhythms and beats. They actually have a meaning to them....if you would just take some time off and listen to a song while enjoying it's music and understanding it's lyrics, they actually are very meaning full.

Some songs even portray the real world around us......

I'd bet most people would agree with this statement. Music is also considered a form of communicate, as artists convey messages in their music. This can either be to express their feelings, give advise and many more. There also can be various messages in a song for example the song is sorrow but at the same time has a message that gives advise.

We all have our very own songs that connect and portray how we actually feel.

So......I'd like to share with everyone a song which i think has much meaning in it.

The title of the song Blackbird by Alter Bridge........




This song sounds like it's talking about someone who has suffered and is finally finding freedom. Blackbird is this person and the words "fly away" symbolizes freedom from this world as the fact remains that the world can be cruel. It summarizes that the world and it's people aren't nice.

The chorus "Let the wind carry you home, blackbird fly away, may you never be broke again" is the peace the blackbird will have when it fly's away.


By,
N.Arvind

Persuasive Speaking

i'm pretty sure the week before everyone was enjoying the presentations of products or service which was based on persuasive speaking by our friends.

Well, i found out that according to the psychologists, they have found that successful speakers and basically, salespeople use several persuasion techniques:

• Yes-yes. Start with points with which the audience agrees to develop a pattern of "yes" answeres. Getting agreement to a basic premise often means that the receiver will agree to the logically developed conclusion.

• Offer structure choice. Give choices that force the audience to choose between A and B. College officials may ask audiences, "Do you want to raise taxes or raise tuition?" Political candidates ask, "Do you want more free enterprise or government telling you what to do?"
  

• Seek partial commitment. Get a commitment for some action on the part of the receiver. This leaves the door open for commitment to other parts of the proposal at a later date. "You don't need to decide on the new insurance plan now, but please attend the employee orientation program on Thursday."

• Ask for more, settle for less. Submit a complete public relations program to management, but be prepared to compromise by dropping certain parts of the program. It has become almost a cliche' that a department asks for a larger budget than it expects to receive.
  

A persuasive speech can either be one-sided, or offer servceral sides of an issue, depending on the audience. A series of 1950s studies by Carl hovland and his associates at Yale determined the one-sided speeches were most effective with persons favorable to the message, whereas two-sided speeches were most effective with audiences that might be opposed to the message.

credit to: Public Relations (Stragegies and Tactics / 9th edition) by Dennis L.Wilcos & Glen T. Cameron

I personally think the facts above are straight foward, realistic and amazingly true.




@ posted by, grace (B0800335)

Let's go for a drink? (PART 2)

okay, so i'll take this as a conclusion for my previous post.

MEN ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah .
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel ..
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!


I'm a female and i think everything up there are absolutely true. Totally show us the difference in thinking between male and female.
and yes, generally, i do think men are just happy people.

credit goes to hannah.







@posted by, grace. (B0800335)