Friday, August 28, 2009

Press Freedom

Here's our tutorial question for today. We are going to talk about media agenda setting theory. Let's read the article below:

Foreign hands in blockades

Foreigners caught on camera mingling with and instigating Penans at Long Nen and Long Bangan blockades

MIRI: It’s confirmed! Foreigners are behind many of the blockades set up by Penans in timber camps in the state.

It has long been suspected that many foreign environmentalists and socalled conservationists had been instigating and encouraging the natives to erect blockades and disrupt logging activities, though they had always denied their involvement.
But yesterday four foreigners, including two women, were seen among protesters manning blockades in Ulu Baram.

This contradicts claims by local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that foreigners have never meddled in the internal affairs of the state.

The foreign nationals, believed to be an Australian, an Indian and two Dutch women, were seen at an access road at Long Bangan and Long Nen in Ulu Baram, orchestrating the protesters with signboards for pictures to be taken.

They were also seen mingling freely among the natives and giving out instructions.
The blockade at Long Nen erected about 6am was followed by another blockade about 2pm at Long Bangan, with the foreign nationals present at both places in an apparently coordinated arrangement and timing.

The wooden blockade structures were simple but the message was clear as the camps set up at the respective sites were manned by Penan men, women and children with the aim of disrupting logging and reforestation activities in the area.

Three major logging companies are operating in the area.

A logging camp manager yesterday lodged a report at the Long Lama police station about the activities of the four foreigners.

The report said they were seen together with the natives at the blockade sites. Marudi police chief DSP Jonathan Jalin, when contacted, said police were aware of a few foreigners at the blockade sites.

“They were also seen with the Penans in Long Lama and we are interested to find out who they are and what they are doing in the jungle with the Penans,” he said.

The protesters yesterday handed an unsigned written list of demands and notice to stop all lorries from passing through to a logging camp manager, to the foreigners and two journalists from The Borneo Post and See Hua Daily News who were at the scene. The group also handed out copies of a news clipping on about 3,000 Penans in Belaga facing starvation due to crop failure as claimed by Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Joseph Entulu recently. ( article taken from Borneo Post )

Media are good at using framing technique to set the agenda. They never told us how to think, but what to think about by designing, editing and using the other angle of the message to tell the fantasy kind of story.

Who on earth is going to care about the minority and supressed group in the country?

Obviously, nobody.

Rareness

That's rare.

For some reasons, I have A LOT of students who are very hardworking. Their impetuous spirit, passion and enthusiasm in acquiring knowledge stroke me.

When I was being nice and offered to just cancel the coming classes since I have nothing else to share anymore. They still insisted that they want to have the last class with me next week. I emphasized for millions times that I won't have any 'tips' or 'insider information' about the final exam already, they still determined to attend my class next week. I am totally done with the revision and so far they haven't raise any question cause they won't begin their revision within these few days until the study week really kick off. Though, they still want me to hold the classes next week.

I really wonder why. I have absolutely nothing to teach anymore next week so I decided to give them a chance to get lazy or going back to their hometown earlier and if they have ANY questions during study week, they can e-mail me anytime and make appointment with me; though, they were very persistent in having the class, still.

What's wrong with them? I am really curious. Is it because they admire me too much so they couldn't bear to say goodbye to me? Am I really that charming? I apologise for my narcissism.

I really don't know what's wrong with kiddoes today anymore. I do not belong to their generation so I will never understand what's playing in their mind.

All I know is that - I still have a lot of classes to hold next week, the classes, which I have nothing left to teach. My original plan of taking a little break and start marking the piles of assignment gone.

However, I am thankful that I have students who are actually born with certain amount of initiative; that's the only element that keeps me going in teaching career.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

生活

这是一个一直下雨的周末。雨水滴答滴答的响着,我觉得这种声音真的很悦耳。

近几个星期,我过得有些自闭,朋友们的邀约,我一律拒绝;静静的自己一个人抱着一叠叠的学生作业埋头苦改,更要为最后的几个星期做准备。大家一样是教书的,他们却可在周末大玩特玩, 我呢却永远有做不完的事情,薪金又是最低的。没办法,谁叫我不多读一点书。学历低的人永远都是要多做很多事情的。也好啦,就从中学习、提升自己,当做为未来的一种准备。不知不觉,我就这样慢慢被日常工作蹭得麻木了。

很多次,我都在愕然间觉得自己在快速的老去。虽然在学校里很多人都一致认为我是个学生; 尽管我在换上牛仔裤后去食堂买午餐时老板娘总是唤我‘girl girl’,我的心真的不断在迅速衰老。我像个老人般每天很早就起床, 在天很黑的时候开始嚼着面包、喝着咖啡。 随之就是梳洗打扮上班去。然后上课、工作、回家。每天都一样,静静实实的过着属于自己的日子。

很久才可以回一次家,这似乎并没有对我造成什么困扰。我平静的在这个小乡村过日子。向来无肉不欢的我倒也可以吃了几个月的净素,并乐在其中。 有时候想一下,我真的变了很多。似乎成长完毕,无欲无求、正式迈向老年。

回头看看踩过的旅程,突然觉得生命是一个大圈圈,很多时候我们奋力跑向终点,忽略了其实终点和起点都是相接的。人总需要经过一个大圈来理解这个道理。

鱼与熊掌不能兼得。很老的一句话却带出了最实在的道理。要得到这,必定得牺牲那。自然界的定义讲究公平。

人生真的还是简简单单的好。平凡是福。

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Professional help needed

Please tell me the ways to cope with my frustrastion. I mean, the efficient way. What you do when you are really angry until you feel like you couldn't take it no more?

I have fire burning inside me. What's wrong with the so-called university students today? What's wrong with our family structure and education system today? How parents raise their kids today?

Sheesh.

As quoted from my friends, "Let them be, ignore it." But how to ignore it when I am the one who is dealing with their attitudes and marking their tests papers and assignments?"

I need anger management classes before I burst out and kill somebody accidentally.

No wonder, many teachers die of cancer.