Oligopoly

There was controversy in the latest game of Oligopoly at the Wisma Bahasa English Division. Oligopoly is a brilliant business strategy game in which players try to amass the most assets from buying and selling property and exercising political power. It was designed and developed by Wisma Bahasa's teachers and every time it is played it is quite a big event for all involved. The latest game saw native speaker Adrian Coen destroy his opponents with a comfortable win while at the same time acting as the students' mentor, teacher and business advisor.


Yuan finished with $10,400,000

It is rumoured that the controversy may result in the Wisma Bahasa moving to a different building in the near future. Oligopoly commentators have pointed out that Adrian wasn't facing heavyweight Oligopolists Prima and Fajar, who have many big wins under their belts, and so his victory last night against students Erdi and Diana, and Wisma teacher Yuan. "This doesn't really count for much in the real world," said one Wisma insider close to Prima.


Erdi finished with $11,650,000

Adrian dismissed these comments. "We played 33 Rounds in two and a half hours. I had the game sewn up by Round 20 or 22. Nobody realized I had so many silver balls in my soup bowl. I was awesome. Prima and Fajar's publicity people are just playing mind games ahead of the big teachers' game which will take place sometime in the next fortnight."


Diana finished with $13,900,000


Adrian finished with $17,970,000

Have YOU played Oligopoly yet?

Ask your teacher about it.

Happy Birthday to....

Sunardi, S. Pd 16th June

T. Khairil Azmi 16th June

Mukti Heliyati, S.E 18th June

Many Happy Returns of The Day!

Happy Birthday to Wisma student Arnold A. Mangalik!

This is INTERNET FRAUD No.3

Oh! I seem to have won the lottery...

The Desk of Foreign International Remittance Department HSBC Bank Of London Remittance/Credit Manager: Mr. Van Bruce

Attention: Mr.Sanjay Khosla

How are you today?. Note that your total prize claim of £1,350,000.00{One Million Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds Only). has been insured to the real value and as such cannot be deducted from. This is in accordance with section 13(1)(n) of the national gambling act as adopted in 1993 and amended on 3RD July 1996 by the constitutional assembly.

Your transfer has been processed and we are only waiting confirmation of the payment, but due to the fact that we would keep your money on hold for more than 24 hours, I advice you that you can pay to an agent’s account in India so as to facilitate the immediate transfer of the fund before the end of the day.

The account is thus:

BANK NAME: ICICI BANK INDIA,
S/B ACCOUNT NAME:J.LAL MAL SAWMI
ACCOUNT NUMBERS: 007101522406
BRANCE CODE: NEW DELHI

We hope to make the transfer as soon as we have confirm the receipt of the payment within 48 hours time frame. Send to us the proof of payment as soon as the payment has been made so that we shall make your transfer.

Accept of modest congratulations.

Yours faithfully,
Mr.Van Bruce
(Remittance/Credit Manager)

Just about everybody's received one of these, right? How can you tell it's a fraud? Thoughts and opinions in the COMMENTS below please.

This is INTERNET FRAUD No.2

Take a look at this one.

Dear Friend,

URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL

It is my great pleasure in writing you this letter on behalf of my colleagues. Your particulars were given to me by a member of the South Africa Export Promotion Council (S.E.P.C) [NOTE 1] who was with the federal government delegation to your country during a trade exhibition. I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as top secret [NOTE 2] because of the nature of this business.

I am ENGR. PAUL MABUZA [NOTE 3]. Director Of Project Implementation, South Africa Department of Minerals & Energy I am making this contact with you, based on the committee's need for an individual/company who is willing to assist us in the execution of this business. Within the Department of Minerals & Energy, where I work as a Director of the Project Implementation and with the good co-operation of four other top officials, we have in our possession as over due payment bills, totaling Twenty One Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$21,500,000) [NOTE 4]. Which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and co-operation of A Foreign Company/individual to receive the said funds on our behalf. More so, we are handicap in these circumstances, as the South African Civil Services code of conduct does not allow us to operate an offshore account. Hence your importance in this transaction.

This amount $21.5Million represents the balance of the total contract value executed on behalf of my ministry by a Foreign Contracting Firm, which we the Officials over invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost has been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the tune of the said amount, which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key Tested Telegraphic Transfer (K.T.T). to any Foreign Bank Account you will provide by filing an Application through the Ministry Of Justice here in South Africa, for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former contractor to you. [NOTE 5]

I have the Authority of my partners involved to propose that you should be willing to assist us in this transaction, your share of the sum is 30% of the $21.5Million, 60% for us and 5% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses and remaining 5% will be for charity organization. The transaction itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treats it with utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also, your area of specialization is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction. I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me. I want to assure you that my partner and myself are in the position to make the payment of this claim possible, provided that you can give us a very strong assurance and guarantee that the funds will be secured and please, remember to treat this matter very confidential, because we will not comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government service.

Please, reply me on my confidential email address: mabuza_p07adb@yanoo.com [NOTE 6] or call / fax your response directly to my. Tel: 27-73-714080 OR Fax No.:27-11-507 6944.
Once again, remember that time is of great essence in this transaction . I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Thank you for your co-operation.
Yours Faithfully, ENGR. PAUL MABUZA

• NOTE 1: They seem to think that these bracketed initials will impress, and use them often.

• NOTE 2: He does not want you to talk to a friend who might know all about these scams.

• NOTE 3: They like to give themselves a title! Engr., Barrister, Pastor, Dr., are favourites.

• NOTE 4: About average for a fraud e-mail.

• NOTE 5: It all sounds very straightforward, but once the bait is taken the scam becomes more convoluted and the victim will be asked to send money for "legal fees" or "insurance" to a newly introduced fictitious firm. This is the advance fee, hence "the Advance Fee Scam". Western Union will be the criminal's money transfer agency of choic

• NOTE 6: So confidential that he has mailed it to potential victims around the world!

Have you ever received an e-mail like this one? Tell us about it in the COMMENTS below.

This is INTERNET FRAUD No.1

I got this in my e-mail InBox today...

Dear Customer,

Due to recent account takeovers and unauthorized listings, St.George is requesting a new account verification procedure. From time to time, randomly selected accounts (seller and/or buyer) are placed under an advanced updating process based on merchant relationsand on-file credit cards. St.George may also request in an email message scanned/faxed copies of one or more photo ID's. Your account confirmation may go wrong if your credit card has expired, or if you have changed/replaced your credit card without letting us know about the change.

Your account is not suspended, but if in 36 hours after you receive this message your account is not confirmed we reserve the right to terminate your St.George subscription.

If you received this notice and you are not an authorized St.George account holder, please be aware that it is in violation of St.George policy to represent oneself as an St.George user. Such action may also be in violation of local, national, and/or international law.

To confirm your identity with us click HERE … http://xxx

This mail is generated by an automated service.
St.George Limited ABN 92 055 513 070 AFS Licence No. 240997

St.George sent this e-mail to you because your Notification Preferences indicate that you want to receive information about Special Events & Promotions.St.George will request personal data (password, credit card numbers) only on our home site, wich is securely incrypted with SLL.

Replies to this mail are not read by St.George customer service or technical support.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you ever received something like this? What did you do?

Use the COMMENTS below to share your experience.

Happy Birthday to Jhon and Marjunita

Hvae a very hpapy bhiatdry ever to thsee hppay-gettnig oledr-pelope :)

Marjunita 12th June

Jhon Ikiak Tebai 12th June

=Many happy returns of the day=

Logic on the Planet Wong: Chapter 1

After our spaceship landed on Planet Wong, we got out, climbed down the ladder and stood on the dusty planet's surface. We scanned the surrounding landscape for a few moments.

Then we started walking towards the two moons that were close together and low down near the horizon, one noodle coloured and the other one the same colour as gudeg.

After walking for a few minutes we saw a native of the planet - a Wong - and we approached her. "Are we going in the right direction for the Planet Wong Tourist Information Office?" we asked.

The Wong thought about our question, looked around for a moment, and then she rubbed her stomach.

Now we knew that the Wongs could understand some English, but were unable to speak it. And we, like everybody else back on Earth, could neither speak Wongish nor understand Wongish hand signals or gestures.

And we had a problem. We didn't know whether rubbing the stomach meant yes or no. But by asking one additional question, we were able to find out.

What was that question?

Do you know?


Answers in the COMMENTS please.

Received Wisdom - Father & Son

Moral Dilemma #3

A friend of yours called Prunella starts to tell you a story about a man she knows. She doesn't mention his name. She obviously dislikes this man very much. The story is full of ugly details. She mentions how she thinks he has stolen money. She mentions how he has cheated on his fiancee. And she has more things to tell. Terrible things. Lots of details. This is truly hot gossip you are hearing. And you suddenly realize she's talking about your brother. What do you do next?

Thoughts and theories in the COMMENTS below.

Mastering the English (Texting) Language! No.1

Here is a text message from one American to another.

Can you understand it?

My smmr hols wr CWO T. B4, we used 2go 2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 :-@ kids FTF. ILNY , it’s a gr8 plc.

Answers in the COMMENTS below.

Spot The Error #4

Can you see the mistake on this cafe's roadside sign board?



Answers in the COMMENTS below if you please!

Cartoon - Fussy Eater

What is the Green Map organisation?

This is a follow up on the article below about the Borobudur Green Map programme which could have an impact on up to 20 villages in the vicinity of the old Buddhist temple and famous tourist attraction.



You can find out about Green Map here.

This is their mission statement...

Engaging communities worldwide to chart a sustainable future - for all of us!

Green Map System empowers a diverse global movement mapping green living, nature, social and cultural resources in cities, villages and neighborhoods in over 50 countries.

Developing local sustainability networks, we expand the demand for healthier, more vibrant communities with our adaptable mapmaking tools and universal icons, multi-lingual participatory websites, workshops and regional hubs.

Working collaboratively since 1995, Green Maps bring people of all ages together to discover, share and care for their communities. Get involved and support this award-winning perspective-changing movement.

Miss Indonesia 2009 promises "I will learn Indonesian"

Beauty pageant winner’s answer in English has caused controversy in her "native" Indonesia.

The winner of the Miss Indonesia beauty contest has pledged to brush up on her Indonesian language skills after raising eyebrows for answering the pageant judges' questions in English.

Kerenina Sunny Halim, a 22-year-old teacher who has an American mother and an Indonesian father, beat 32 other contestants to be crowned Miss Indonesia last week.
Her brother, TV star Yusuf Iman, told reporters that she could not speak Bahasa Indonesia fluently because she was schooled at home and had few chances to practice.

"Weird, how come Miss Indonesia missed Indonesian?" said a blogger named Coro on Kompas.com, the website of one of the country's biggest newspapers.

"This is truly a tasteless joke!" wrote another blogger on the Web site of the Jakarta Post newspaper. "How on earth do the pitiful judges of this laughable beauty pageant justify their foolish decision? Imagine a Chinese beauty contestant who does not speak Chinese... Shame on the judges!"

Halim has promised to improve her Indonesian, saying it was an easy language to learn for those who are willing.

"It's been hard for me to speak Indonesian, because I use English every day," she was quoted by the Jakarta Post newspaper as saying. "But I will learn."

In 2006, the winner of the Indonesian leg of the Miss Universe contest, Nadine Chandrawinata, an Indonesian of German descent, was lambasted by the public and the media after struggling to answer the judges' questions in English.

Liliana Tanoesoedibjo, head of the judges panel, said Halim's English language skills would help Indonesia's chances in the Miss World contest in Johannesberg. "She can speak Indonesian, but has a bit of an American accent. But her Indonesian is good enough," Tanoesoedibjo said.

In the last decade, many Indonesians have been trying to improve their English skills and many English words have seeped into the local language.

Some bloggers expressed sympathy with Halim, saying foreign language skills were key to succeeding in today's world.

"For Bahasa Indonesia you need enough to get by. But these days, you need to be fluent in a foreign language, English at least," Memen Suprietmen said on a posting on Kompas.com.

Various versions of this story, or comments about it, can be found...

here at this news site, [click with your mouse]

here on a blog by a disappointed Indonesian man,

and here on this blog by an Indonesian woman.

What do YOU feel about this? Tell us in the COMMENTS below.

Yogyakarta in the national eye... part 3

Borobudur Green Map Launched

Wed, 06/10/2009 1:01 PM

YOGYAKARTA: Borobudur Green Map was launched Monday in an effort to preserve the old Buddhist temple and its surrounding area.

Green Map program coordinator Kristanti Wisnu Aji Wardani revealed the map described the geographical site of the temple and social conditions around the tourist destination.

"So far tourists only visit the temple and back home. Actually, there are so many interesting things in villages around the temple," Kristanti said after the launch ceremony at Ngaran hamlet, Borobudur village, Magelang regency.

She said 20 hamlets around the temple had tourism potential.

"Many of the tourists don't know about the hamlets."

Any thoughts from anyone?

A Friend's Gritty Grammar Problems Solved

Hey there! A thousand sincere apologies for taking so long to get back to you about this. Better late than never - at least I hope that's true in this case!

Four interesting problems.

1. During free fall, ______ up to a full minute, a skydriver will fall at a constant speed.

a. it is
b. which is
c. being
d. is



You said: My answer is B. However, actually, I'm a little bit confused. What is the meaning of "up to a full minute". And what does the "up to a full minute" explain? the "free fall" or the "skydriver"? If skydriver, can we use the connector "which"?

You are correct. The answer is B. "Up to a full minute" is an amount of time. It is a description of the duration of the "free fall". If it referred to the skydiver (which it doesn't - and couldn't!) we couldn't use "which".

2. Radioactive ______ provides a powerful way to easure geologic time.

a. it
b. dates
c. dating
d. can



You said: My answer is C. Can an adjective stand by itself? I mean the radioactive here as the subject and it's explained by the word "dating"?

You are correct. The answer is C. An adjective cannot stand by itself and cannot act as the subject.

3. Until _____ incorrect, astronomers had assumed that the insides of white dwarfs were uniform.

a. they
b. their proof
c. the astronomers recently proven
d. recently proven



You said: My answer is D, and I'm really sure of it.. But, I can't get the meaning. What is the meaning of "the insides of white dwarfs were uniform"? What is uniform in this sentence?

You are correct. The answer is D. What is "uniform" in this sentence? It's clear: "the insides of white dwarfs" are uniform (only they're not, because that theory has been disproven!) If you have difficulty because of the technical words like "white dwarfs" and "uniform", just replace them with other words, like this: "[the bathroom walls in all the guest rooms] were [painted the same colour]".

4. In Hailey, the best known lecturer was women's rights activist Abigail Scott Duniway of Portland, Oregon, who could usually be persuaded to speak ______ town visiting her son.

a. she was in
b. while in
c. while she was in
d. was in



You said: My answer is B. Not sure, though. What is the main subject and verb in this sentence? the best known lecturer and was???? Why isn't there comma in front of Abigail Scott Duniway? I mean, it is an appositive.

You are correct. The answer is B. "The best known lecturer" is the main subject in this sentence. Let's strip away some 'unnecessary' words and paraphrase others and see what the sentence then looks like:

The lecturer was Abigail, who usually spoke when in town.

A comma before "Abigail Scott Duniway" would make a mess! It would mean we ought to be able to remove "Abigail Scott Duniway of Portland, Oregon" from the sentence and still be left with something that made (less detailed) sense. But would we? "The best known lecturer was women's rights activist who could usually be persuaded to speak". But "activist" has no article - neither indefinite nor definite. This is because "activist" is, here, part of a three word phrase that descibes Abigail.

Phew!

Happy Birthday to you, you and you!

Here are some recently celebrated Birthdays amongst the members of the Wisma Bahasa EnglishDivision Family.

Monday 1st June 2009 (White Rabbits!!!)

Sri Daryati, S.Pd 
S. Adi Hutomo P. 
Harry Andriyanto N, S. Pd, Amd, Arch 

Tuesday 2ndJune 2009
Nazario De Carvalho Guterres

Wednesday 3rd June 2009
Kristian Hanafi 

Thursday 4th June 2009

Dra. Kartimah

Saturday 6th June 2009

Dewi Tika Sari
Amalia Faradina

Tuesday 9th June 2009

Resiyama Patrick Oratmangun

Wednesday 10th June 2009

Siti Solikhah S. Pd.
Windu Utami Surya Dewi

Congratulations to all of you! Many (belated) happy returns of the day!

The Most Famous Verbal Slip Of All Time?

It's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind.



These are the famous words spoken by Neil Armstrong in 1969 as he climbed out of the lunar module and onto the moon's surface.

But... he got his "famous words" wrong.

Do you know why?

Answers in the COMMENTS below.

The Nine Apples Puzzle

You have nine apples which all look identical.

One of them is slightly heavier than the rest.

You have a pair of weighing scales.

What is the LEAST number of times you would have to use the scales to guarantee that you will identify the heavier apple?

Answers and explanations in the COMMENTS below please.

Today's Top Stories - according to the BBC

BBC NEWS
02:16 GMT, Wednesday, 10 June 2009 03:16 UK

Suicide attack on Pakistani hotel
At least 11 people are reported to have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a luxury hotel in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

Court opens way for Chrysler sale
The US Supreme Court removes a stay on Fiat's plan to buy up part of the bankrupt carmaker Chrysler.

UK to consider new voting system
PM Gordon Brown is set to announce plans to examine a new system of voting MPs to the House of Commons.

Spot The Error #3

Can you spot the rather unfortunate error in the tattoo below?



Answers in COMMENTS below please.

Do you have a tattoo? Why not send it to us here at http://wbed.blogspot.com/ so that we can check it for spelling mistakes. But remember, as Yuan has told us, the olny impotrant tihng is taht the fisrt and lsat letetr be in the rhgit pcale. So don't worry too much.

Google Earth - technology creates opportunities

Can you find the Wisma Bahasa on this satellite photograph?



Why not give Google Earth a try?

It will blow your hair back.

1. Go here.

2. Download the software.

3. Install.

4. Find where you live on the satellite photograph. Add a "placemark".

5. Open the placemark 'properties'.

6. Cut and paste the exact coordinates into a COMMENT below.

7. Send it to us so we can see exactly where you live.

8. Give your Wisma teacher a copy of your front door key and a copy of the keys to any locked rooms in which you keep your valuables.

9. Enjoy your life and work hard on your English.

10 If someone burgles your house, report it to the police but there is no need to say anything to them about Google Earth.

Cartoon - New Teacher

Idioms Ahoy! Why's he talking about Clouds?

Always on the lookout for those puzzling - but useful - idioms! It's a never ending task!

Here are three idiomatic expressions which mention 'cloud'.

• Every cloud has a silver lining

• To be under a cloud

• To have your head in the clouds

Have you ever heard any of these? If not, see if you can work out what they mean by reading the text below.

What a dreamer Mbak Tatik is! She daydreams about this, she imagines that. Sometimes the things she talks about are real. Sometimes they are not. When you see her staring out the window at nothing in particular, you know she has her head in the clouds. But actually some people at the Wisma are a little unhappy with her. Ari Wibowo came to the front office and asked about studying at the Wisma but Tatik had her head in the clouds and didn't persuade him to take the General Course. Yuan, Prima, Siwi - they were all angry with her. But she wasn't under a cloud for long. 'Mas' Ari came back the next day and asked for more information and Yuan, Prima and Siwi just so happened to be hanging out in the front office. So... every cloud has a silver lining!

Can you figure out what the expressions mean?

Try ... before you look at the explanations below!

Here are the definitions:

Every cloud has a silver lining - there are good things even in seemingly bad situations
To be under a cloud - to be under suspicion or to be out of favour
To have your head in the clouds - to daydream or to be unrealistic

Today's Top Stories - according to the BBC

BBC NEWS
11:47 GMT, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 12:47 UK

Guantanamo detainee sent to NY for trial
The first Guantanamo detainee to face a US civilian trial arrives in New York and is to appear in court later.

Shell settles Nigeria deaths case
Oil firm Shell agrees to pay $15.5m to families of a group of Nigerian activists executed in 1995, but accepts no liability.

France 'freezer baby' case begins
The trial begins in France of a woman accused of killing three of her babies and hiding two of them in a freezer.

To read any of the stories in full, click on the blue text headlines.

Can you read this?

Accdroing to a resraech at Caibrmdge Urivensity, it dosen't mettar in waht oedrr the letters in a wrod are. The olny impotrant tihng is taht the fisrt and lsat letetr be in the rhgit pcale. The rset can be a tatol mses and you can slitl raed it wiohtut prlboem. Tihs is becasue the hamun mnid deos not raed evrey lteter by itslef, but the wrod as a whloe.

It is a fun fact about the human mind, isn't it?

Write any words/sentences and scramble them here.

News From The Wisma

Whatever is causing the trafiic jams, the fully booked hotels and general feeling of ecstasy and rejoice in Yogyakarta, one thing for sure is Demangan Baru is rocking with the news that veteran native speaker, Adrian B. Coen, has started using his brand new handmade leather shoes to work.

Speaking to a shoving, shrieking, shouting group of journalists, Mr Coen explained that the new shoes, made by his personal cobbler, KRT Hardjo Wikromo MSc, were size 44. He plans to use them every day and will teach a wide selection of Indonesians and other nationalities while wearing them on his feet.

As in the past, Mr Coen, 29 years old (always), angrily denied accusations of acute bromidrosis. He insisted that his sudden exits from countries like the U.K., Japan and Australia had nothing whatsoever to do with the deadly odours coming out of his last pair of shoes which he wore all the way around the world for a period of fourteen years.

His old shoes can now be viewed at the WB-ED. please make an appointment with Mr Coen's personal Shoe manager, mBak tatik.



















Detailed shot of one of the new shoes. When not being worn the two shoes are never allowed to be in the same place at once for security reasons.

Cartoon - Breakfast at the Grammar Cafe

So? What is the right answer?

The Day's Top Stories - according to the BBC

BBC NEWS
02:02 GMT, Monday, 8 June 2009 03:02 UK

European voters punish the left
Centre-right parties have done well in EU elections at the expense of the left, with far-right groups also making gains.

US-backed bloc 'wins Lebanon poll'
The leader of Lebanon's governing pro-Western coalition claims victory over the Hezbollah-led bloc in a tight election.

'More bodies found' from lost jet
A total of 17 bodies from the crashed Air France flight have now been recovered from the Atlantic, officials say.

Click on the headlines to read the story in full on the BBC web site.

What is Esperanto?

Following up on Brian's comment on the Disappearing Languages post...

What is Esperanto?

Esperanto is a language, but not of any country or ethnic group: it is a neutral, international language.

Origins

The basic rules and words of Esperanto were proposed by L. L. Zamenhof at the end of the 19th century. Within a few years, people started learning it and formed a worldwide community. Since then, Esperanto has been in use (and freely evolving) just like any other language.

Characteristics

Esperanto has a very regular structure. Words are often made from many other roots, and in this way the number of words which one must memorise is made much smaller. The language is phonetic, and the rules of pronunciation are very simple, so that everyone knows how to pronounce a written worde and vice-versa. All this make the learning of the language relatively easy.

Most Esperanto roots are similar to words from Romance, Germanic or Slavic languages. However, Esperanto is not merely a "pot-pourri" of those languages, but a true and independent language in itself - structurally more similar, furthermore, to non-European languages than to European ones.

Using Esperanto

Esperanto is most useful for neutral communication. That means that communication through Esperanto does not give advantages to the members of any particular people or culture, but provides an ethos of equality of rights, tolerance and true internationalism. This can be seen in many diverse situations: international meetings, books, magazines, music, the Internet of course, and often also in private and family life.

Young people can have very meaningful experiences through Esperanto: being hosted free of charge in the homes of people in other countries and making contact with their culture without barriers; enjoying international festivals and training at interesting seminars; becoming acquainted with and learning more foreign languages; and becoming active and taking an interest in TEJO, as the case should arise.

An extract from the Christian Bible translated into Esperanto.

This article has been 'taken' from here. Check out the rest of that web site.

Please also check out those links provided by Brian.

Vocabulary Book - 100 Everyday Idioms

Here's a useful book explaining 100 commonly used metaphors (i.e. idioms)

What did you say?
What do you mean?

The metaphors are arranged alphabetically, based on the first noun – if there is one. If there is no noun, then the order is taken from the main word that doesn’t change, such as “backwards” in “bend over backwards” (people sometimes say “lean over backwards”).

I each case there is an explanation of what the idiom means, why or when people use it, plus examples.

Download it here. Slightly bigger file than usual (almost 6MB), hope it's ok for you.

Here's an example from the book:




Any reactions to this book? Was it useful? Write your thoughts or requests for other kinds of book in the COMMENTS section below.

Yogyakarta in the national eye... part 2

NGO Claims Orangutans Stressed, Neglected in Zoos

The Center for Orangutan Protection, citing a three-day survey conducted in April, claimed on Wednesday that orangutans in zoos across Java were suffering from unabashed neglect and severe depression.

The nongovernmental organization, blaming an overall failure by local zookeepers to properly operate institutions established to provide sanctuary to the endangered primates, said they had observed 28 orangutans in five local zoos — Bandung, Jakarta, Surabaya, Solo and Yogyakarta.

“The result shows that the orangutans live in poor conditions; most of them are living in stressful conditions and display abnormal behavior,” said Luki Wardhani, the center’s captivity researcher. “We urge the government to immediately follow up our findings.”

She said the animals were stressed out to the point that they were drinking their own urine, banging their heads, eating their own vomit, circling restlessly and masturbating.

“These are symptoms of depression, just the same as in humans,” Luki said. “These are only the ones seen by the public, those put on show. What about the others not on display?”

The complete article is here.

Any thoughts?

Write them in the COMMENTS below.

Spot The Error #2

Can you spot the mistakes on this sign board? How many mistakes can you find?



What do you think "P.P.P.N." means?

Answers in the COMMENTS below please!

Tricky Words

Some people have trouble using the words SEE, LOOK and WATCH correctly.



Try these. Can you fill the gaps with the word SEE, LOOK or WATCH (or some other form of them)? Sometimes more than one answer is possible.


1) You can't ____ far in this heavy rain.

2) Anton and Jack ____ good tonight.

3) Did you ____ Empat Mata last night?

4) ____ out for pickpockets!

5) Can you ____ the blue car on the left?

6) ____ you tomorrow after work, ok?

7) It ____ like rain, doesn't it?

8) Oh yes, I ____ what you mean.

9) What's wrong? You ____ really unhappy.

10) I'm afraid Linda has to ____ the doctor.


Some of these are a little tricky, don't you think?

Give us your answers to the 10 questions above in the COMMENTS below.

See if this guideline helps:

look -to pay attention, to try to see what is there (if look is followed by an object, you must use a preposition which is usually 'at'); to seem or appear - examples: Look at the board, please; this assignment looks unfinished; Have you looked in the drawer?

see - to notice people and things with your eyes; visual impression; to understand; to visit - examples: Can you see the the blue car over there?; I see what you mean; It was so dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face.

watch - to look at something for a period of time, usually something which moves or changes - examples: He watches TV in the evenings; Adrian has been watching his weight recently; watch what happens when I turn the volume control all the way up!

'Look', 'see' and 'watch' are very similar. They are all ways of using our eyes. However, there are two very important differences. It depends on how you intend to look or watch and how intense the looking is.

When we say 'see' we are normally talking about things we can't avoid – so for example, "I opened the curtains and saw some birds outside." - I didn't intend to see them, it just happened.

However, when we use the verb 'look', we're talking about seeing something with an intention. So, "this morning I looked at the newspaper" – I intended to see the newspaper.

When we watch something, we intend to look at it but we're also looking at it quite intensely, usually because it's moving. So, for example, "I watched the bus go through the traffic lights." "I watched the movie." We want to see it, we're looking at it intensely and it's normally moving.

Yogyakarta in the national eye... part 1

10,000 seeds planted to green Yogyakarta

Mon, 06/01/2009

YOGYAKARTA: To make Yogyakarta a greener city, Mayor Herry Zudianto started to cultivate 10,000 seeds of various plants in the city, on Sunday.

Herry symbolically handed over the seeds to 45 subdistrict heads who would plant the seeds with residents.

"Hopefully, the additional 10,000 trees will make the city greener. The residents were asked to get involved to keep the trees from dying," Herry said.

The seeds will be planted along the city's main roads, such as Jl. Parangtritis, Jl. Gondomanan and Jl. Mataram.

Can anyone tell where the photograph was taken?