Parroting...

Assalamualaikum...

Ok, it's officially has been sooo long since i last write in here.
Since Obama's win... i just realized now.

The last couple of weeks has been quite eventful and hectic for me, although i do not blame that as the reason i can't write anything in here. Not in the slightest.
For me if you want to write, you can absolutely write. It's that simple.
Either you do... or you don't.

So, since i just un-block my 'no-writing' mode - at least for today - i want to share about something very light here with you.

I got this yesterday, during a writing workshop near Wangsa Maju. Just so you know, it's not the main lesson. This thing i wanna share is actually from an article that we have to read and then were asked to do it all over again in our own word.

The title of the article: How To Never Need To Wonder, "What Do I Say Next?"

Nice title, isn't it?

In summary, The article discussed about what to do when you're at lost of anything to say in the middle of conversation. Especially, when the person is someone you just met, or a long-lost friend that you still need time to get familiar again. Hmm, on the other hand, maybe you can include anybody that you distaste or even despise, but you know you need to make good impressions on him/her! (Hmm, your boss, maybe? hehe)

So, the author introduced a rather nice word - PARROTING - inspired by parrots that will repeat other people's word.

In the article, he gave a quite hillarious example of him using the paroting tecnique to coverse with his friend. But i'm not gonna copy that down here.
Instead, i realized i also happened to be in the same position this morning with my housemate, in which i used the technique without i realized it.

One advice beforehand, especially if you're known as a 'good listener' among your friends and peers, this technique will help you greatly.

So this morning, as usual, i was sitting in front of my laptop in the living room, and tried very hard to do my writings.
And then one of my housemate came and sat beside me. For the sake of this entry, i will call him B and just so you know, lately he just developed an interest in Music and has actually been searching for Piano class...

The conversation was something like this:

B: Abg Zahar, yesterday i went to One Utama and there are two Music Shops there, selling musical instrumens.
Me: Music Shops?
B: Yup. But i only went to one of the shop because the salesgirl is really cute.
Me: Huh? Cute salesgirl? Hehe.
B: Yes, really! Anyway i asked if there's piano lesson offered there.
Me: Piano lesson... there, in the shop?
B: Aah. She said yes. And she told me the fee is blah...blah...blah... Really expensive.
Me: Expensive? (Then somehow i remembered about his other survey)
Me: Compared to before?
B: Expensive. (He confirmed)

Then things got quite for several seconds. In case you're wondering, i still struggle with my writings at the time, which made me quite annoyed when he continued talking.

B: But if i take the piano lesson, i need to buy a piano, maybe a classic piano. To practice...
Me: Classic piano?
B: Yeah, classic piano. It differed from 'Keyboard' and 'Organ'
Me: Keyboard? Organ?
(Patiently, he explained to me the difference between those three. I've to admit i can't remember a thing of what he told me. In fact, what i remember was me and my friend, Amir, made a joke out of it until my stomach hurt) Then,
Me: Go buylah. (I suggest, rather uninterestedly)
B: Expensive!

(And at that time, somehow the topic shifted away and although i was still required to be in the conversation, i can't recall any of it.)

Later, i was thinking about something, when suddenly i remember about the 'Parroting' technique i read yesterday and the conversation i had this morning.

At the time, i realized... Wow! I've been using this technique for so long without i realized it. I've survived long and boring conversations with this technique, and i am known as 'the best listener' among the lot!!

Hu, then everybody can be a good listener, right?
Just repeat what your friend is saying, stress the last word to indicate that you want explanation or you're asking question, and believe me he/she will gladly comply and do all the talking.

And while you 'listen', you can do other things also, such as, thinking about what you want to eat after that, perhaps?

(Hehe, But please, never, never do this technique to play-play with people's heart ok...!)

TQ


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Barack Obama - The 44th President of USA

Assalamualaikum...

It's confirm now!

Barack Obama, 47 is the new President of United States of America!

A son of a black man from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, Obama is the first black president in the US history.
As now (1345) , he leads John McCain, 72 of Republican with insurmountable lead of 338 Electoral Collage compared to McCain's 141, far surpassed the 270 needed to be the president.
Other than traditional Democrat-leaning State such as California (55 AP), New York (31 AP), Obama managed to snatch almost all the swing states that are tightly contested between the two candidate.
Ohio (20), Pennsylvania(21), Virginia(13), Florida(27) and Colorado(9), all tilted towards the Democrat, giving him the decisive victory over McCain.
The landslide victory is as predicted as the Americans facing their worst economy crisis since 1980, which many pundits put the blame on the failed policies - foreign and domestic - of President Bush's government.

The peril journey of this remarkable man from Chicago is nearing it's end as the next challenge as the president of the most powerful nation in the world, looming ahead of him.

Said Obama, "Yes, We Can!"



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Autism dan Anda

Telah lama penulis tidak menulis dalam blog Aidan ini. Dalam entry pada kali ini, penulis akan membicarakan tentang sebuah buku yang ditulis oleh Jenny McCarthy yang bertajuk 'Louder Than Words'. Buku setebal 200 muka surat ini adalah berkenaan tentang anak Jenny McCarthy iaitu Evan yang menghidapi penyakit autism dan pengalaman Jenny apabila berhadapan dengan masalah ini


Apakah itu autism? Autism, mengikut pandangan peribadi penulis, ialah sejenis penyakit mental atau dengan lebih tepat lagi penyakit 'neuroimmune' dan adalah hasil daripada gabungan genetik dan persekitaran. Mengikut buku tersebut, pada tahun 1970-an, 1 daripada 10,000 orang menghidapi penyakit autism dan meningkat kepada 1 dalam 150 orang pada kurun ke 20. Walau pun penyakit ini merebak dengan cepatnya di Amerika Syarikat, penyakit autism ini semakin dikenali di Malaysia walau pun jumlahnya kecil. Buku ini merupakan buku bukan fiksyen kedua yang penulis baca yang ditulis oleh seorang wanita. Buku pertama bukan fiksyen yang pertama dibaca oleh penulis yang ditulis oleh seorang perempuan ialah buku 'I am Muslim' oleh Dina Zaman.
Jenny McCarthy menceritakan bagaimana dalam menghadapi krisis ini, beliau telah dilanda masalah emosi dan kekeluargaan yang dahsyat. Bayangkan, dalam usaha mendiagnos penyakit yang dihidapi oleh Evan ini, Evan telah mengalami 'seizure' sebanyak 8 kali. Doktor demi doktor dan hospital demi hospital gagal memberi keputusan yang tepat berkenaan tentang penyakit Evan ini. Sehinggalah apabila Jenny membawa anaknya bertemu dengan seorang doktor di Texas, Amerika Syarikat. Baharulah diketahui bahawa anaknya mempunyai penyakit autism.
Untuk maklumat yang lebih lanjut tentang bagaimana Jenny McCarthy menghadapi masalah autism ini dengan jayanya, capailah buku ini di kedai buku yang berhampiran......Jumpa lagi.....

US Presidential Election 2008

Assalamualaikum...

The US presidential election is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, once in every 4 years, .

Which means, this Tuesday, on 4th of November. And no matter what the outcome this Tuesday, it will create history of either the first black man ever to hold the presidency in the form of Barack Obama, 47, or the oldest US President ever in the form of John McCain, 72.

I've followed this election since February this year, when Obama first made a huge surprise by upsetting the clear favorite at the time, Hillary Clinton, 60, in the first presidential primary in Iowa - to determine who's going to be the candidate for their party.
Then, in early August, i cheered heartily when Obama finally clinched the nomination for Democrat Party to face McCain of Republican, in November election.

Many pundits say, this election is for Obama to lose, meaning he's supposed to win -and with a big margin at that. Why? It's simply because the Americans are sick of George Bush, the Republican who has steered US into almost-complete chaos, mainly because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also because of the Economic recession.

Some even said, IF - and it really is a big if - Obama lose, there will be blood in the cities. America will be divided, Democrat and Republican will clash as never seen before, and worst of all, racial crisis will once again arised.

Foreign Polls conducted by International newspaper all around the world showed overwhelming support for Obama. They said Bush presidency has managed to alienate the world with wars and harsh foreign affairs, especially in the middle east. Obama, they said will exercise more diplomatic foreign affairs, which is what the world needs. More than ever now.

Personally, i believe- i hope, Obama will win. He is the epitome of younger generation, educated, and most importantly, fresh from the old politics of Washington that has been there for so long now. His motto of 'Change' echoed across the America. He managed to rally 100,000, 75,000 people wherever he goes to campaign. He amass hundreds of millon dollars from his supporters and run the most expensive election campaign the world ever see.

And with just i day to go, the world is holding it's breath to see if the young, black, first term Senator from Illinois, who came from nowhere suddenly on the verge of becoming the most powerful man in the world.




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