Runme Shaw Cup 2007 blues

Due to my tutor's persuasion for me and my classmate to join the Runme Shaw Cup 2007 (also known as the Alliance Francaise Best Student Award), I reluctantly participated in the event. This competion has 2 kinds of tests: one written and the other, an interview session.

Last year when I participated for the fist time, the written test was just a personal essay (of about 500 words or so) and it's quite easy (provided you write it in a coherent and grammatically correct manner). I managed to get third for the written test and fourth for the overall competition (after adding up the scores for both tests).

This year however, I was caught off-guard in the written tests. Firstly it comprises of a 4 mini tests marathon starting with a dictation test, cloze passage, written essay and a 50 questions quiz on French trivia. All these is written in the rules and regulation form but I just simply took it for granted. After a not so good start for the dictation test, I was simply blown away in the other tests due to its difficulty level (more in terms of comprehension and vocabulary skills). In the written essay section, I could not understand a particular instruction such that I left the whole section blank!! Argh!!! Then the 50 questions French trivia quiz, I just whacked out the answers by randomly selecting the choices in the given multiple choice answers. Who would remember quotes from Molière, Dantes, Voltaire, etc or who would watch French classical comedies, plays, operas, etc... Those things do not interest me as the level of difficulty is extremely high. Like what my wife Azlina told me, these extremely technical details killed the joy of learning a foreign language. To me, I learn French so that I could communicate well in that language when I go to France or other Francophone countries. I know that to learn a foreign language, you will have to be immersed in it's culture, literature, history, etc. But certain things just don't interest me...

Looks like my chaces of winning a prize in this year's Runme Shaw Cup is going down the drains.

PS: I didn't go for the interview test on Saturday after a bad day for the written tests on Friday.

Happy 2nd Birthday Iffah!!

We had Iffah's first birthday celebration at our new home on Saturday. Our daughter dearest turned 2 this year and she does look lovely and cute as the days go by. Ordered a Barney cake at Prima Deli's. Barney is one of the children's TV characters which she adores the longest period previously (currently now it's Dora).

A family pic on our new sofa

Interestingly, just the Friday before her birthday, she managed to say her name in full (Iffah Aqila Binte Tasha) and I'm very proud of her saying that. Also we managed to catch a video of her singing a Happy Birthday song.. She looked pretty on that day with her new dress (and always be) thanks to wife dearest Azlina..

Iffah gleefully holding on to a present

Here's the videos which we took using our digicam:

AIM screen name and Iffah's birthday present

I'm joining the AIM bandwagon.. So hit me up at the following screen name tashaabubakar .. Tried various other screen names like Taz, tasha_abu_bakar, etc but all were taken up (don't know why)

As for Iffah's birthday present, I manage to get a solid wood study desk at Mother Garden (in Vivocity)..

Our dear Iffah can now sit and write, draw, doodle or play imaginary cooking games on the table.. And I reckon it can last a few years as the size is still a little bit big for her.

On Leave

Appraisal's just over today and frankly speaking, it sucks. Gotto start all over again to prove to the management that I'm very much capable of doing things. Well basically they're quite upset that I did not perform well as a team leader. What can I do when I'm practically covering up holes in my team by doing shift work.. Can't seem to find the motivation to do extra things during my shift work nowadays. Maybe when I get transfered to the software design team then things can get better. And hopefully my pay packet can increase accordingly after another mid-year appraisal.

Anyway, I'm almost on leave now for the whole week until this Saturday. And this coming Saturday is Iffah's birthday. What shall I get for her birthday present? A dress? Books? Toys? Fisher Price turntables like this one? Haha..

Hmm.. have to get something fast this week. Also need to spruce up the house fast to get ready for the party at home this Saturday..







Iffah had grown up fast. From the time she came into our world 2 years ago, we managed to see her progress from a tiny baby to a cute toddler. She had brought lots of joys to us and is pretty smart and artistic toddler too (something I'm proud of). Well as a father I do hope that she will turn out to be an all-rounded child, teenager, adult later on. And I'm going to provide that support to her as much as I can.