AGAR PUASA TETAP BUGAR DAN SEHAT

NIAT PUASA
Motivasi yang kuat untuk berpuasa menyebabkan fisik kita siap untuk menghadapi sesuatu yang diakibatkan oleh puasa tersebut. Diketahui bahwa kadar asam lambung orang yang niat puasa lebih rendah dari orang yang kelaparan. Hal ini karena niat(motivasi) puasa menyebabkan penekanan pusat lapar di otak sehingga kita siap menahan lapar sampai waktu berbuka.

TETAP MAKAN SAHUR
Makan sahur penting bagi kita untuk memperoleh cadangan energi dalam melakukan aktifitas keseharian. Bila tidak sahur seseorang akan mudah menjadi hipoglikimia dimana kadar gula dalam darah turun. Hal ini menyebabkan tubuh cepat menjadi lesu, loyo dan mengantuk, bahkan mudah marah.

HINDARI MAKANAN DAN MINUMAN YANG BANYAK MENGANDUNG GULA SAAT SAHUR
Makanan dan minuman yang terlalu banyak mengandung gula akan memacu tubuh memproduksi insulin untuk segera menetralkan kadar gula dalam darah. Akibatnya rasa lapar akan cepat timbul dan badanpun menjadi cepat lemas danlesu. Perbanyak makanan yang mengandung protein tinggi karena protein akan diolah lebih lambat disbanding jenis makanan lain.

SEGERA BERBUKA PUASA PADA WAKTUNYA
Segeralah berbuka dengan makanan yang manis (korma) dan secukupnya, makanan yang manis lebih baik untuk usus yang kosong dan lebih cepat diubah menjadi energi. “Makan dan minumlah kamu jangan berlebihan….”QS 7:31

BEROLAHRAGA DI BULAN RAMADHAN
Salah satu penyabab cepat lelah ketika puasa adalah kebiasaan yang salah ramai-ramai berolahraga sehabis sahur. Waktu yang tepat untuk berolahraga di bulan Ramadhan adalah beberapa jam (1-2 jam) menjelang berbuka puasa dan dianjurkan tidak melakukan olahraga yang terlalu berat.

MENJAGA KEBERSIHAN GIGI DAN MULUT SELAMA BERPUASA
Ketika puasa semua kegiatan makan dan minum berhenti total sehingga produksi kelenjar air liur mulut berkurang dan mulut menjadi cepat asam dan berbau. Karena itu dianjurkan untuk segera menggosok gigi sehabis makan sahur agar sisa-sisa makanan tidak membusuk di rongga mulut.

Semoga bermanfaat…
Diambil dari leaflet DPD Partai Keadilan Sejahtera Kota Bekasi.

New Tips for Memorizing Foreign Language Vocabulary

Learning a foreign language -- particularly as an adult -- can be frustrating. Learning the vocabulary is half the battle, which means improving your memory. There are plenty of memory tricks you can use, but repetition is hands-down the most popular method. If you can consistently see,
hear and write a word, it will eventually become ingrained in your memory. Following are some unique tips for memorizing foreign language vocabulary.

Use Post-It Notes
One of the best ways to memorize foreign language vocabulary is to start with the objects you see and use every day. Grab your vocabulary textbook and a packet of Post-It notes and start sticking them on various objects in your home. The desk, a mirror, your refrigerator, a potted plant, the bed and everything else can serve as your study buddies. Just write the word in the foreign language on your Post-It and you'll see it each time you use or see that object. It won't feel like studying, but it will be far more effective.

Read Children's Books
Another great way to memorize foreign language vocabulary is by reading children's books. You can find them online or even in your local library written in multiple languages, and they use sufficiently simple vocabulary that you won't have trouble reading most of the words. When you run across a word you don't know or can't remember, have a foreign language dictionary handy to look it up.

Watch Foreign Films
Often, hearing words spoken in a foreign language will help you memorize vocabulary. Most film stores and rental shops have a foreign film section from which you can choose multiple titles. Take them home and watch them over and over again, looking for context clues to help you figure out what's being said. If you're trying to learn Spanish, you can also watch the Spanish channel on television. I've found that talk shows in Spanish are often more entertaining and it is usually easy to figure out the gist of what people are saying.

10 TIPS TO IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING

Many deserving candidates lose out on job opportunities because of their vernacular accent.

Can it be fixed?

Surely, yes. All you need to do is train yourself to speak English as comfortably and perfectly as you speak your mother tongue.

How do you train yourself? By inculcating certain practices in your daily lifestyle. These will get you closer to sounding like a native English speaker and equip you with a global accent -- and you will speak not American or British English, but correct English.

This is the first step to learn any other accent, be it American or British or Australian.

Lisa Mojsin, head trainer, director and founder of the Accurate English Training Company in Los Angeles, offers these tips to help 'neutralise' your accent or rather do away with the local twang, as you speak.

i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.

When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.

ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.

If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you.

Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the 'music' of English.

Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'.

iv. Use the dictionary.

Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.

v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.

Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.

vi. Buy books on tape.

Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.

vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.

Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day.

Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.

ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.

Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

x. Be patient.

You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.

Quick tips

Various versions of the English language exist. Begin by identifying the category you fall into and start by improving the clarity of your speech.

~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and the 'Indianisms' that creep into your English conversations.

~ Watch the English news on television channels like Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies and HBO.

~ Listen to and sing English songs. We'd recommend Westlife, Robbie Williams [Images], Abba, Skeeter Davis and Connie Francis among others.

Books to help you improve your English

* Essential English Grammar by Murphy (Cambridge)
* Spoken English by R K Bansal and J B Harrison
* Pronounce It Perfectly In English (book and three audio cassettes) by Jean Yates, Barrons Educational Series
* English Pronunciation For International Students by Paulette Wainless Dale, Lillian Poms

TIPS FROM THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

To be rich is the dream of most people in this world. To share with the richest person in the world is uncountable experiences.

There was an one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity Here are some very
interesting aspects of his life:

1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he
needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world’s largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year.
He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO’s only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder’s money.
Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
8. Bill Gates, the world’s richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had
scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates
became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

His advice to young people: “Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and
Remember:
A. Money doesn’t create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don’t do what others say, just listen them, but do what you feel good.
D. Don’t go on brand name; just wear those things in which u feel comfortable.
E. Don’t waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on them who really in need rather.
F. After all it’s your life then why give chance to others to rule our life.”

In addition, he is a philanthropist — he wants to give away 83% of his fortune to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Add all together, you can see how low profile he is despite his fortune! Money doesn’t rule him, instead he rules it! He and Bill Gates have one thing in common (well, or, maybe more than one) — they both are generous with money. What goes around indeed comes around

TIPS TO SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY AND ACCURATELY

Speaking is the most prominent skill that need to be mastered by any English interlocutors. This is caused by speaking is the most frequently used method to share human's idea in communication. Here are some tips to speak fluently and accurately. It is mostly taken from www.musicalenglish.org/

HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH MORE FLUENTLY

In order to imprint words on your memory and also to feel comfortable about pronouncing them at a moment's notice, it is necessary to practice vocabulary a number of times.

1. Decide which constructions and vocabulary are ideal for you to learn. (Be discerning, because you cannot learn everything.) Choose about ten new words per day to practice.

2. Practice them until you are word-perfect. Then use them in real situations by incorporating them into conversations with as many people as possible (at least six times each word or construction, but more if possible). The more you manage to use them in conversation, the more readily you will be able to say them fluently in the future.

REMEMBER: Fluency in English is accuracy with good pronunciation - not speed.

HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH MORE ACCURATELY

From a learner's point of view, the problem with English is that it is too rich in constructions and vocabulary, i.e.: There are numerous words and constructions, which have similar meanings. Mistakes occur when students remember half of one construction and half of another; they end up with a hotchpotch which is at best "incorrect but understandable" and at worst "nonsense".

1.Choosing English for Use or Recognition Purposes only

English people do not use every phrase and word in the English language. They have favorite phrases, which they use time and time again. I recommend that when you are taught more than one way of saying the same thing; choose only one version to learn accurately for future use. Then store the other one(s) vaguely in your mind for future recognition purposes only.

2. Pitfalls to Avoid

Native English speakers modify their language according to their situation, just as you would do in your own language. Unless you have constant exposure to English over many years, you cannot expect to do this. The trick therefore is to choose the best English for universal speaking purposes and to recognize other versions of English, so you are not at a disadvantage. By doing so, you will avoid misunderstandings and you will be able to judge the quality of another person's English.

Although a knowledge of the following is essential for understanding English (and possibly for some exams), I recommend you avoid them as much as possible when speaking in normal situations:-

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Slang (which can sound insolent when used at the wrong time)

3.Avoiding grammatical errors when speaking

Many students experience difficulties with the use of the present perfect, because the use of it does not correspond with a similar-looking tense in their own language. If it helps you, it is possible to avoid the present perfect altogether by using:-

SIMPLE PAST + SPECIFIC TIME

eg: I have been to Tunisia. (Time unknown)

I went to Tunisia some time ago. (Exact time unknown)

I have just finished my homework. (Recent, but time unknown)

I finished my homework a short while ago (Recent, but exact time unknown)

English is such a rich and versatile language, it is possible to say what you want to say in more than one way.

IMPORTANT REGIONAL DIFFERENCES

In spoken American English, the use of the Simple Past and Present Perfect are often used contrary to the rules of grammar, particularly where the words 'yet' and 'yesterday' are concerned.

In South West England, the following regional errors can be heard: I be, he be, we be, they be, etc.

In Yorkshire, the definite article is often omitted in speech.

PRONUNCIATION

GENERAL

Non-native speakers of English experience different pronunciation problems according to their native language. This is due to:

1. Different pronunciation of some letters

2. No equivalent sound in their own language

If students cannot hear whether they are pronouncing a sound correctly, then the only alternative is to "feel" and "see" whether they are pronouncing it properly.

English is a language that depends upon: -

AIRFLOW, LIP SHAPE, TONGUE POSITION, TEETH POSITION, JAW MOVEMENT

COMMON DIFFICULT SOUNDS

TH: (long, soft, as in TEETH) Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth and blow gently. It is a long sound and should last about 5 seconds.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 12 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a good flow of cool air halfway down your arm and your teeth and lips are in the right position, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. Do not forget to check the length of time you are allowing for the sound. You must produce this amount of air whenever you say a word with a soft TH in it.

TH: (short, hard, as in THE) Put the tip of your tongue between your teeth and make a voice sound from your throat. It is a short sound with a sudden burst of air.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 6 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a sudden burst of air on your hand, you are making the sound from your throat and your teeth and lips are in the right position, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. You must produce this sound whenever you say a word with a hard TH in it.

V: Put your top front teeth onto your bottom lip and make a voice sound in your throat. Your lips should be more or less closed.

If you are making this sound correctly, you will feel an uncomfortable vibration. You must feel this vibration every time you say a word with V in it, otherwise you are not pronouncing it properly. The listener must hear the vibration to be sure of what you are saying.

ST: Make a long, soft 'S' sound like a snake, then suddenly add an abrupt 'T+schwa' sound by pushing your tongue against the back of your top front teeth, then suddenly taking it away. (Practice the 's' sound first, then the 'schwa' sound alone before adding the abrupt 'T' sound.)

PH: Pronounce PH as F (not P)

F: Put your top front teeth onto your bottom lip and blow gently. Your lips should be more or less closed.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 12 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a good flow of cool air onto your hand and your teeth and lips are in the right position, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. You must produce this amount of air whenever you say a word with F in it.

H: To make this sound, you need a lot of air and your mouth should be open. Stand or sit up straight and take a deep breath, open your mouth, then let out the air quickly as if you are disappointed about something. Allow your body to slump at the same time.

To test whether you are making this sound properly, place your hand approximately 12 cm from your mouth. If you can feel a good flow of hot air onto your hand and your mouth and body are in the right positions, your pronunciation of this sound will be OK. You must produce this amount of air whenever you say a word with H in it.

L: When making the L sounds, you tongue must temporarily go up to the roof of your mouth and come down again. It must not touch your teeth unless the next sound is TH.

To check your tongue is in the right position, use a mirror. Practice saying La, La, La, so you can see what your tongue is doing.

R: When making the R sound, your tongue does very little; it just stays at the bottom of your mouth. However, your lower jaw quickly moves forward, down and back as you say the sound.

Use a mirror to check that your tongue is not moving up to the roof of your mouth and that your jaw is moving properly. If you do not have this sound in your language, you will need to practice moving your jaw. At first, it will be painful, because you will be flexing unused muscles just as you would if you attempting a new sport. If you persevere the discomfort will eventually subside.

W: When making the W sound, you must pucker your lips as if you are going to kiss your favorite film star. Use a mirror to achieve the correct lip shape. To make the sound, you must push a sound out through the lip 'funnel' as if you have hurt yourself a little BEFORE saying the word, then at the end of this strained sound you open your lips a little and make a different sound as if you are saying the number ONE (but stop before you stay the N sound). Only after all this can you say the rest of the word.

Therefore, for the word WAR, follow these instructions:-

* Decide which film star or singer you would enjoy kissing.
* Think of this film star or singer and pucker lips into a kissing shape (check in the mirror)
* Make a strained sound through puckered lips for 1-2 seconds
* Open your lips and begin to say the number ONE (without the N)
* Then complete the word by adding an OR sounds. Make it a long sound (3-4 seconds). Better to make the word too long than not long enough.
* by following these instructions, you should have completed the word WAR

Read the above instructions for L and R, then practice saying:- WAR, LAW, RAW

CONSONANTS

In order to speak English well you must make all your consonants (except silent ones) sound loud and clear. Many English parents reprimand their children with "Sound the ends of your words!", because many children swallow the last consonant sound in their words, particularly if the last consonant is a 'T' (as in the word 'BUT'). When English children do this, it is poor quality pronunciation, but when non-native speakers do this, it is often impossible to understand what they are saying.

LONG SOUNDS v SHORT SOUNDS

The long sounds in English are extremely important. Throughout England, Australia, Canada, America, there are fluent native speakers of English. The accents vary enormously, yet we are all capable of understanding each other. This is because the consonant sounds change very little and there is a uniformity of long and short sounds.

When studying English you may feel it is very strange to say long sounds, because they do not exist in your own language; however, unless you do use long sounds, your English will be difficult to understand. In fact, it is better to make your long sound too long, rather than not long enough.

INTONATION
Improve your intonation by listening to and singing along to songs. Most songs in English maintain similar intonation to normal speech. Rap songs are often close to normal intonation .

PLEASE NOTE: The following pop songs do not use the same intonation as normal speech.

BLUE by Eiffel 64

NEVER EVER by All Saints

Most/all songs by Destiny's Chil