Before sec3, i didn't particularly like any teacher.

But now Mr. Joseph Toh is my favourite teacher (: I don't know.. Don't ask why, i just like the way he teaches. And he's so nice (:

Today, he came in class talking about this guy who gave his speech (about abortion-- choice or sin?) starting with (or something like that,)

"If James Bond were to go on a mission, and halfway through the mission he met with enemies that he could not overcome, he would have to get rid of the plan and shout Abort! Abort!. Now that is a choice."

Mr Toh: If James Bond abort a mission, he didn't MAKE AN ABORTION he only aborted.

The guy ended his speech with:
"So! Next time when you see a pregnant lady walking around the hospital, please go up to her and tell her DONT ABORT."

=__________=

The lesson was about appropriacy, context and whether or not people are in tune with the language enough to "get it".

For example, for appropriacy, whether or not we can go up to someone who just had a miscarriage, and say "Better luck next time!"
And Leican thought it was alright and practical. Lol.

Everybody else Mr. Toh called on to answer thought it was pretty insensitive. Then he tried to call..

Toh: Yes Ailin? -gesturing at Xinying-
Xinying: huh?
Toh: -stone- OH Ailin is the other cute one. Where...oh THERE.
and he turns back to Xinying: "well then WHAT Are You."

He mentioned that dunnowhatRatnam, and we said that not all Native English speakers spoke well.

Toh: David Beckham, for example. He doesn't know how to pronounce his own name.
Us: huh?
Toh: Oh, my, Gosh you UNINFORMED people. David Beckham can't speak properly! David Beck'am.. Right, Righ'..
Us: huh?
Toh: He pronounces his name David Beck'am!
Yinfei(i think): What does he call himself?
Toh: I just said! David Beck'am.
Leican: Then what does he call himself?
Toh: I JUST SAID.

Haha.. He called Australians England convicts, and did some wild gesturing with his hands and Wala! Forms Australia!

Haha, Mr. Toh used to study Malay but couldnt speak a word of it.
Leican: So is your race Malay or what?
-LAUGHTER-
Toh: May we look at PAGE TWO.
Jnanee to me: Did she just ask his race?

Leican do ask the most amazing questions. Another example:

(we were reading this paragraph that came in the form of principal's letter to parents)
Leican: As in why are they required to carry their lunch in small bagpacks?
-laughter-
Toh: Well then we make it more specific. 'Children are required to carry their lunch in small yellow black bagpacks with polka dots."


to describe the paragraph, Mr. Toh wrote on the board:
XnXl,
with X representing the same letter.

the class was like Ooohh!, then Latha said ANAL.
Toh: Why did u say it out!

Some people were checking up on the dictionary.
Toh: It means..
Leican: -reading from dictionary- Giving too much attention to details in a way such that it annoys..
Toh: Yes.
Latha: Eh i thought it referred to the anus.
And we laugh at her.

then it went on, and as Mr. Toh explained to us how some people don't "get it", he raised an example.

Toh: When i watch a movie and someone says something really funny -- its there, words full of puns and everything, but the cinema around me is silent.

He pauses for a while to look at us and allow time to laugh.

Toh: Its true! I am down there going crazy and the Ah Lian next is -makes Ah Lian face-

HAHAHA. We concluded that some people are wired in the wrong way.

Toh: Go mrbrown.com
Us: oohhh..
Me: exprain!
Toh: Go listen to the podcasts.. They are really funny. But maybe this here -gestures to Leican- might find them really really practical
Leican: -jaw drop, Again- (there was this thing about "Leican's jaw ALWAYS drops")
Toh: So after you listen to a funny podcast, let her have a listen too, and you find that she might react differently.

Well that pretty much summarized english lesson (: