A Day to Celebrate Educators

it is kind of disappointing that in KL the teachers had to undergo a whole day of training (as required by the JPA that all govt officers should fulfill the requirement of 7 days of training a year) on the day that teachers are supposed to be appreciated.

and it is unfortunate that our society forgets the noble deed that we have done for their children, so some are not bothered at all to celebrate the ones who shaped their lives and also their children's future.

the primary school teachers are appreciated by their pupils. but then, we're talking about pre-puberty kids here, who easily like their teachers.

it's not so in the secondary school level.

teachers are not only expected to teach and make sure the students perform in the exams, they are also the ones who have to mould the students' characters - which is difficult, imagine trying to mould more than 100 students.

i feel the sacrifice the teachers have to make so keenly this year because i find it hard to educate my students. it's a big challenge. it's even a big challenge to ask them to bring their exercise books to school, or for them to answer exercises on handouts given. the biggest challenge is to jolt them up from their fantasyland or stop them before they ruin themselves (through drugtaking, playing truant or mixing with the wrong crowd) because you pity them and wonder what's to become of them in 5 years time.

that is something the society doesn't know- that teachers worry about their students as if the students are their own children.

however, having said that, there are some students who sincerely appreciate their teachers - their role models.

these are the ones who wished their teachers today.

and these are the ones who we have succeeded in moulding - not to shower us with gifts, but to appreciate us in just mere words by thanking us for what we have done for them. yes, and i also would like to thank all my former teachers and lecturers -
Miss Norsham, my favourite English teacher who could put up with the arrogance of the Set A girls,
Cikgu Fauziah Ali - all Seri Puterians' favourite bubbly teacher and warden,
Miss Jamaliah Hamid - who told us to do more than 100 squats under the hot sun for not speaking in English on English Day (now teaching in UPM),
Dr Habibah - my first ever Literature lecturer who increased my passion in Literature with her enthusiasm and love for life,
Mr Hazidi Abdul Hamid - for guiding me throughout my TESL degree dissertation and for teaching me about life, writing and reading serious literature,
my M.A. lecturers -
Dr Carol Leon, whose gentleness made my 3 hellish and migrainish years of dissertation bearable,
Prof Lim Chee Seng - for inspiring me whenever he opens his mouth to quote Shakespeare or Donne or Milton (and for passing my M.A. dissertation so i could graduate).

i salute all of you.

while the rest of Malaysia spend their Saturday, oblivious to the significance of 16th May.

Happy Mother's Day, Mak

i miss my mother. right now i miss her nagging more than anything else. i miss her smile, i miss the way she scolded me and then said "mengerti?" in that p ramlee style of language on silver screen.

i know i can't bring my mother back to life, and i don't want to tell sad stories. but i want to celebrate her life as a mother, by telling the readers of her legacy, of which now i'm continuing.

my mother loved fragrant flowers - we used to have the cempaka telur and the cempaka keling trees, we still have the ylang ylang tree (kenanga) and gardenia (bunga cina), we used to have tikar seladang covering the orchid house (am not sure what it's called actually, but the small off white flowers bloom in clusters), bunga melati and there are 3 types of jasmines at home. she used to go into the garden in the morning and search for cempaka telur by using a galah (it's a tall tree) because she said she could "smell" its fragrance from far away. now, i have a pot of jasmine plant at my house. i plan to have more plants, but since i'm going to travel next month, i dare not add to my collection.

for the family tahlil yesterday, i made puding buih, which my late mother always made during fasting month. despite the migraine it gave me (because at 11pm i was still beating the meringue and the jelly), i'm happy to report that the jelly is a nostalgic food for my siblings as they reminisced eating the jelly during their childhood.

the other legacy is the briyani recipe which she learned some 40 years ago from a penangite. the recipe is the one that my family lovingly keeps and cherishes, and my sister made the briyani during the 4th tahlil at her house.

but food and flowers are not only her legacy. whenever i do something, sometimes i can hear her voice in my head, admonishing me for my mistakes.

my late mother should have won the award for the best mother. she gave birth to my eldest brother during the Japanese Occupation and ran for shelter to Setiu when the bombing started. she had 9 children, and fed us well. all her children are doing very well in life, and i know she was very happy with our successes. and we owe it to her.

The Biggest Loser

i'm hooked to the show. every single day i'll watch those fat people (okay okay i've to admit, i'm fat too) lose their weight and have those sexy bodies.

i was once like them way back in 2003, when a doctor told me to lose weight in order to balance my hormones. which i did, and i lost 17kgs. every morning i would briskwalk at KDE and in the evening i would do aerobic exercise. i was on study leave back then, so i could concentrate on the diet and the workout.

so what happened?

well, in the name of socialising and bonding, i would eat. SS teachers love to have feasts, sometimes we have 3 feasts in a week. and after my spiritual journey, i ballooned.

the biggest loser inspires me. okay, so i cry when one of the contestants is sent home. sometimes i jog when i see they jog on their treadmill. and i also exercise my jaw, because it's my dinner time. hehehe... and the fact that i usually cook what i want to eat makes it even harder for me to diet, since my menus can differ from one meal to the next.

but i try to eat wholesome food as much as possible. this means not eating food with preservatives (but i do eat maggi from time to time - my weakness). hopefully the next step is to actually go back to dieting. and working out.

in the meantime, i'll keep on watching the biggest loser.

My Bleating Voice

my voice sounds pathetic today. i can't shout, so that means i can't really teach in class. plus, i didn't get enough sleep last night, so this morning was like a sombre day, and even when my friend zai told me to escort the PK 1 to give away the prizes, i stood there like a zombie - i knew i did something wrong, i should stand on her right, but i couldn't care less. as i said - i just zombied.

my first class was with the hooligans. 3/4 of the class did their work earnestly, while the liat ones are just, liat. but at least they're nicer now, especially when they knew that i couldnt shout. however, some cheeky ones had been going through my handbag. i put in some hacks sweets to lessen my coughing fit in class. imagine my shock when i found a lot of sweet wrappers - and not hacks.

i feel so tired now, i should turn in early tonight and hopefully tomorrow this cough will just disappear so that i can shout in class again.

KL is just a migraine away

i was shocked to see that after a few months working in KL, i've taken 3 mcs already. usually i only took 1 mc annually in terengganu.

2 weeks ago i called my KT neighbour, Kak Yah the neurologist, to consult on some medication for my migraine.

she laughed when i told her i've been getting migraines frequently nowadays. not to mention that at the time i'm writing this, i've flu - for the 2nd time of the year.

her comment? "well, you came to work in KL with both eyes open"

that's true. life is a lot less hectic in KT and you see the calming blue sea everyday. in KL, you start to feel the pressure the moment you leave house in the early morning for the mad dash. KL schools like to have activities on saturdays, and because now i'm the AJK sambutan, i'll be standing at the gate to usher the guests and also to welcome the VIPs - under the hot sun! that leaves only sundays for me to rest which is not enough.

during this long weekend, i just love the fact that i can just relax and rejuvenate.

peace.

To Inspire: A Journey

i must admit that before i became a teacher, i thought of so many ways to avoid teaching. my passion was in writing, and during my teaching practice, i went for an interview to become an NST journalist. that was like eons ago.

however, Allah has decreed that i teach, and despite my sulking and rebellion, i had to turn down NST offer to become a journalist and became a teacher on 1st June 1997. it was very hard at first, because it seemed mundane and my heart wasnt into it. but after awhile, grouses turned into words of inspiration as my passion grew when i sincerely felt that it was my duty to enlighten them and bring them out of their safe cocoons (here i meant my students in SMKA Tok Jiring). they were a decent lot, but i had to bring them out of their safety net because they thought that being in a good school was enough. i know that being a teacher means i have to be able to build a rapport with them, to be a friend and not an enemy so that imparting knowledge will be easier. as a result, some of my ex-students still keep in touch with me, one of them took up Literature in UIA and another took up TESL and only recently called me up to tell me she's a lecturer in UITM Dungun (and i, with my MA, still teach in school *sigh*).

My years in SS are the best in my professional life, simply because the students are of good background, they know that they have to achieve academic excellence - but all the while they had a lot of fun, in a school full of tradition that churned out distinguished elites and also royal personages, like the school song goes "tradisi kekal abadi". i felt the sense of tradition because most of my siblings studied there, and had i not studied at my beloved Seri Puteri, i would have become a Sulaimanian myself. although, i must say that whenever i started my "lecture", i would start with "when i was in Seri Puteri..." and the students would groan and roll their eyes. however, i was satisfied teaching there, because the effort put in was worth it, despite the teachers being pushed to produce more A students. i'm proud of my LCDS students, especially the committee members because it was the students who ran the society, not the teacher. by running the society they learnt something about leadership and responsibility - something that is a valuable experience for their future. and there were my tuition girls - the 1119 group and also the Literature girls, who i hope i had helped mould in becoming good young adults.

out of this, one student from my first Literature class, Sharmyn, had scored 2A and is now taking TESL in New Zealand. she reported that her lecturers told her to do MA in Literature. i'm ecstatic! SS best student (and also Terengganu best student) Khairina also told me that she's planning to take Literature in English as an elective when she goes to Lembah Beringin, and today i received the word that her Literature classmates Umi and Maryam have been accepted into TESL programme.

i'm happy to have inspired my students and hopefully they will become better people and good educators.

i may not be a guru pakar or a superteacher, but my passion speaks for myself.

Mahsuri the theatre

back when i was in bangkok in march, i received an sms from sharon who asked if i wanted to watch Mahsuri the Theatre at Istana Budaya. and, being a theatre goer myself, i said yes.

last night, we made our way to Istana Budaya to watch the theatre - with Vanida Imran as Mahsuri. of course, after watching Puteri Gunung Ledang, it is hard for any other local theatre to come close to it in terms of excellence, but it was a commendable show. except that i wish they had shown what became of Wan Darus and the baby.

i think Wan Darus' and Mahsuri's dialogues are too short and therefore, their courting and also their personalities are not highlighted and do not leave an impression on the audience. however, one character stands out. one can easily hate the evil sister in law - Wan Mahura - played by Sabera Shaik, which shows that she acts her part brilliantly. i just love to hate her - from the way she walks to her blazing eyes, and that haughty look of hers.

the setting is wonderfully done, if PGL only used limited props, Mahsuri the theatre makes use of Malay kampung element to highlight the story - the house with intricate carving, the courtyard with coconut trees etc.

an ok performance.

The Aftermath of the Outburst

it can be said that the hooligans have changed a little bit. it's not a 180 degree change, but there's a slight improvement.

my friend told me not to trust them because they are good actors. but i dont like playing games. it's too wearisome.

this week i decided that my other form 4 class was ready to start the journal writing (which all my ex students had to do, and which they never kept up, unfortunately). it was supposed to be a 10 minute writing, but it was extended to the whole double periods. they enjoyed it tremendously, i could see their eagerness as they came to the hooligans class (where i was at at that time) to take back their journals. the hooligans were eyeing the papers and wanted to write journals too. it was a sight to behold to see 3/4 of the class sitting down writing with full concentration! i realised that anything to do with their wanting to learn is good enough, and that's what i'm doing.

this is beginning to sound like one of those movies with exceptional teachers like in Dangerous Minds, and i really hope they will change for the better.

The Day I Cried

in my whole 12 years of teaching, never did i once cry in class. never. but today, after 2 months of teaching the hooligans, i cried. cried not because i was timid. no, i'm not timid. i cried because although i wanted to feel noble by teaching these kids, they didn't seem to care. i was just a tree stump there, talking to the wall like an idiot.

i was about to break down and ask them if they knew how difficult it was to teach them and that they left me frustrated. at that time i remembered my ex students' comments in facebook : "come back to SS la teacher" where i was appreciated.

and remembering those wonderful times and how satisfied i was when teaching them, that made me cry.

i turned my back on them and kept my head down. i could hear them blaming each other " kau la ni yang buat teacher nangis"

slowly a few boys and girls came to comfort me.

i eventually turned around and faced them with my tear-stained eyes.

the class was quiet and sober for awhile.

on my way home i felt so emotionally drained, and so empty.

does this mean it's time to make changes?

Living in the Fast Lane

okay so i may be exaggerating. but in KL, life is like that. i'm so used to the laidback life in KT that it's hard for me to adapt. it's funny that when i first graduated for my 1st degree i was so into working in KL.

of course, i've to leave house early in the morning which is at 6.45 and take the highway and pay the toll, something that is an alien concept in KT. in KT i would take my own sweet time and then drove like a madwoman at 7.20am hehehe...

i don't know whether it's because i'm getting older (yes, i've to accept the cold harsh reality that i'm ageing) or it's a normal thing that KLites go through everyday. all i know is i don't have enough rest, because now it takes longer for me to 'recharge'. unlucky for me though, the past 3 saturdays i was working, which left only Sunday free. and only a day of rest isnt enough.

my friend shidah said KL doesnt agree with me. well i dont know. there are too many things in my mind right now. i wish i can slow down things a bit.

The Tale of the Wanderer:Bangkok Trip, 16th-20th march 2009

my long time seri puteri friend, Anne, was gracious enough to extend an invitation to join her in Bangkok where she periodically has meetings. she extended the invitation in Dec, when we were on our way to our 5 ilmu gathering in JB. last 2 months, Anne reminded me of her invitation - and after mulling it over, i decided to give Bangkok a try and booked a flight - with MAS! and it's only RM451 for to and return tickets. i didnt have that sense of anticipation, because i was so busy that i didn't have the time or luxury to plan. there was the teachers debate (which i hated) and the tuition classes (i hate the SAT classes) and also Zek's grand wedding reception (this i love because it involved eating! hehehe). i didnt even check the list of halal restaurants that Anne's colleague in Bangkok sent. but come monday, i was excited to be on my way to Bangkok. Anne has been there countless of times and advised me on the dos and don'ts. the Suvarnabhumi airport is huge - it resembles a giant worm. the hotel car was waiting for us, and we were whisked to the centre of Bangkok and there i caught my first glimpse of Bangkok life. the roads are narrower, and the traffic is even worse than KL's. i saw tuk tuk, and also saw a man selling ironing board cover in the middle of the road. just to show you that the impoverished are really poor. we stayed at Silom area, and the hotel is just beside Anne's office. after checking in, she brought me to Lailai Sap, a street market almost like Petaling Street or Chow Kit, which is just a few metres away from the hotel. that meant i could shop like mad if i wanted to.

that evening, Anne's colleague, Nazmi, brought us around Silom area, and i saw that the Thais love street food. there were stalls everywhere - selling grape tomatoes, sweet and sour unripened mangoes eaten with chilli salt, and other meat stuff. the thais could eat anywhere, even amidst the fumes and smoke of the traffic. we dined at Deen, a halal restaurant, and i got my first taste of authentic Thai tom yam - and for my sensitive tummy's benefit,Nazmi told the tauke to make it less spicy and sour. it was divine. in fact, for all the dinners in Bangkok i sampled 3 types of tomyam - the clear tom yam, the red tom yam and the milky tom yam.

on the first day, i shopped at Lailai Sap with anne's colleague's wife. anyone can go crazy here, with all the cheap stuff (including the imitations). wafts of sweet scented jasmines can be smelled almost everywhere, as the Thais use them for their prayers. the sellers will weave the jasmines and roses into wreaths, almost similar to the ones we see here, the ones the Hindus use in their prayers. the roses are different than the ones sold in Malaysia, in fact i prefer theirs. i must say that even until the last day i was in Bangkok, i still couldnt get used to the big denominations of Baht. 500 Baht might seem a lot but it's roughly around RM50, and i was so confused that sometimes the sellers helped me by telling me which notes is which. even Nazmi sensed my confusion that he told me the colour of the notes that i was supposed to give to the seller.

anyway, after feeling hot and tired bargaining, we decided to take a tuk tuk and find a halal restaurant. that's when i met Nui, the ever so friendly tuk tuk driver. his English is dismal, and yet this friendly guy managed to bring us to wherever we asked him to, and on that first day, he was telling a lot of stuff to us, most of the time in Siamese. it's like hens and ducks talking together. he brought us to the Indian Muslim quarter, and was sweet enough to wait for us while we ate. we went to the first shop, and was informed by a sullen lady that they didnt cater halal food (even though the signboard did state they have halal food). we then went to another shop not far away. out of hunger, we ate whatever was available (because most of the food and the drinks that we asked for weren't available). i was very dissatisfied with my lunch. me with the tuk tuk and Nui the tuk tuk driver

we then went to MBK, Bangkok's biggest shopping mall. by then, the mall lost its attraction to me, because they only sell the same thing. i prefer to discover "hidden jewels" at the street market and bargain. with unsatisfied hunger still gnawing, i went into a supermarket and found pulut with sweet mango and santan, and also dried mangoes and cranberries and bought those. on the second day, Nui promised to bring us sightseeing and also places for more serious shopping. he brought us to Chao Phraya, which i had been on the previous night when Nazmi brought Anne, Herbie and me for dinner at Klong San, which is next to Hilton. Chao Phraya at dusk, waiting for a boat to take us across

anyway, we wanted to see the famous water market, but that is 100km outside Bangkok, and obviously Nui couldnt take us there in his tuk tuk. the lady in charge of the chartered boats gave us time to discuss, and so we decided to take a laidback cruise along the Chao Phraya. the boat was very slow, so slow that all the other boats carrying tourists overtook us. no this wasnt the boat that we took

there were temples everywhere on both sides of the banks. occasionally, we saw a barge carrying cargo. one or two catamarans could be seen, feeding on fish, which from time to time emerged to the surface. after almost an hour and when we were almost lulled to sleep, the boat made a turn into the water village, and that's when we saw a few sellers selling wares on their sampans. i bought some souvenirs from one of them, and because they sell wares on sampans, they overcharge the wares. after the cruise, Nui took us to Pratunam Market, where he claimed all Thais love to shop because everything's cheap. Pratunam Market is bigger than Lailai Sap, but definitely smaller than Chatuchak (the market i didnt go to because it only opens on the weekends). you can find just about anything here, from bellydancing costumes to kinky lingeries. it was a hot day, and after walking and walking at the market, i was definitely tired. again, Nui waited for us as we lunched at a halal African shop. then Nui took us to see the sleeping Buddha at one of the temples. we were supposed to go to another temple with a bigger sleeping Buddha, but because of a pressing business, Nui brought us to another place. we met with the caretaker of the temple who said that he supplies thai silk to KL. we then went back to our hotel, and bid farewell to our favourite tuk tuk driver, who was clearly sad to see us go. the next day, i did my last shopping at Lailai Sap. while walking to the bank, i was mesmerised by the simple beauty of the lotus flower, just as i was mesmerised by the red poppies grown wild in profusion across the English and French countryside. i then went to have lunch by myself at Cilipadi Restaurant, a Malaysian restaurant, and it was a relief to be able to slide into the seat, watching Astro, talking Malay to a fellow countryman and eating Malaysian food. that night, Nazmi brought Anne, Herbie and me to Suan Lam market, a tourist haven. the four of us then had a foot and shoulder massage session that lasted an hour. it cost only RM25 or 250 Baht plus some tip for the masseuse. the next day, i left Bangkok. i was recounting the friendly faces of Thai people, the customary bowing and the way they put together their hands in greeting, when suddenly the ugly part of Bangkok came flooding in front of my eyes - old mat sallehs with long haired and long legged Siamese girls.

nevertheless, every time i return to Malaysia, i always feel relieved to be back home, and i always cherish the fact that i'm a malaysian.

always.

The Battle with the Hooligans

i've written enough about the hooligans in my facebook. though it's a one-liner comment, my friends and my ex students know what i've to go through whenever i teach them.

in defence of the hooligans, i must say that not all of the students i teach in the current school are such. there are some nice and good students - those who listen to my instructions and obey them. however, there's one particular class which gave me (and still do) migraines whenever i think about them (okay that's an exaggeration).

i was just talking to my fren shima yesterday, and though at first it didn't seem hilarious, it tickled my funny bone when i remembered the students' antics.

to control the class is a challenge. let alone teach. they may have the physical attributes of a 16 year old, but their mentality is not so. not that i want to insult them, it's just i get frustrated whenever i teach them. in class, there'll be a buzz because there'll be a few groups talking. some will become nomads and start changing places every few minutes. someone suddenly bursts into singing. and one boy will be walking on the ledge outside the class (where there's no corridor) because some of the window panes broke. there's one boy who, whenever he wears songkok, will start finding ways to suddenly "disappear" from class. he's better when not wearing songkok.

so you can just imagine that this is a nightmare for me, after being in a good school, and also teaching good schools.

in an attempt to appease them, and turn them into obedient students, i decided to bake a chocolate cake. of course, they finished the cake, but minutes after that, sugar rush started to have its effect, especially since my class is during the last period, so instead of taming them, they start chasing each other in class!! disappointed, i went back to the staffroom, and saw the counsellor there. i immediately asked him how to tackle these kids. the answer?

"akak, budak-budak sekolah ni tak sesuai la kalau nak bagi chocolate cake"

i asked a few teachers on what to do. they told me to divide the class - those who want to learn and those who dont. the former must not make noise, but they can choose not to listen.

in desperation, i used the tactic, and surprisingly, there were only 3 students who chose not to listen. even those who usually made noise did not want to be the odd ones out and joined the large group (although i suspect the intention wasnt' so much to learn, but just to join the crowd). needless to say, it was the quietest time for me - "quiet" here means a few buzz, but at least i did not have to shout.

it's a victory, and i came out smiling.

i dont know whether they can do well in English, but all i know is they're taking tiny steps to listening to me, and that's good enough.

the wedding banquet at istana kuda-kuda emas

one of my nephews, my late brother datuk dr abdul aziz b. muhammad's son, had his akad nikah on friday night and had the wedding reception last night. i still cant believe that Zek is married now. he still looked like a 10 year old boy as he sat on the pelamin last night. i know my late brother would be so happy to see his son married, he would be giving the wedding speech in the tone of a wise lecturer, as he often did when talking to anyone.

i still had my SAT tuition classes that lasted until 5.45, and then i dashed home to bathe and change. when i was out on the road i was dismayed to find that there was a congestion on the MRR2, but it only lasted until i entered the seremban highway. i gave a sigh of relief when i spotted the palace of the golden horses sign, but when i reached the small roundabout there was no sign anywhere, and before i knew it, i made a wrong turn and was on a small road to UPM. had to make a big turn, and after asking the girl at the toll booth, i finally reached the hotel - at 7.45pm. and when i was peering at the board looking for the venue of the reception, i heard abg zaki's voice and there was my siblings. we were seated earlier in the ballroom, and there abg mi started showing me off his iPhone, which he bought in NZ for rm2k (after being converted from NZ d). i called farah, who was unable to attend because of her pregnancy condition who asked me about the cake, the pelamin bla bla bla... then kak mah's family arrived - her mother, toh puan nik maimunah (whom i called mak cik nah) and my nephews and nieces - nana, looking ever so slim now that he's a gym freak, didi - ever so friendly, who says that he's expanding, the girls and yaya. the food was nice, although they really rationed the nasi impit in the soto ayam. i never thought anyone could cut nasi impit that small. having said that however, we enjoyed the food, partly because we're too hungry already.

the next reception (on our side) will be held next sunday night in bangsar.

And the winner is...

i tried to lie to myself that today's debate wouldnt rattle me. on the contrary, i kept waking every now and then to check my alarm clock - a sure sign that i was nervous.

it was a sunny morning. i kept thinking of the debate as the pail of water that cooled my excitement of going to bangkok. as promised, i met my teammates at puteri titiwangsa, from where we the english and the bm debaters trudged our way amidst the jam to PPD Bangsar-Pudu, situated next to Victoria Institution.

it was stated in the programme that the debate would start at 7.30am. as if!

it was a blessing that my team comprised of zany teachers, because at this time i needed their zaniness to keep me sane, after seeing the serious faced debaters - the sentul team even wore lawyer styled attire - in white tops and black skirts. i'm sure my fren elison the lawyer would be very much amused if she knew this.

and so, amidst the seriousness, farid's peals of laughter were refreshing, and that helped me to relax a bit and while the other teams were talking about strategies (including our BM counterpart) we were busy posing for pictures.

when the 1st round of debates were going on, we were ushered into a meeting room and - just moments after farid said "i hope we get the opposition", the lots were drawn, and we were the Opposition! that was enough to guarrantee our loss, because we were not really prepared for it, and we were hoping to lose anyway.

in the quarantine room, i was nervous, but i kept thinking, these ladies were with me and we wanted to get this over and done with.

at 11 ish, we started our debate, and i must say that at first we kept quiet and let the PM of the Govt had her day as we didnt want to POI even though i could detect a lot of flaws in her arguments and was itching to POI so badly. you have no idea how much i suffered, trying to bottle up my POIs and sitting there silently, giving the picture to the adjudicators that we're a bunch of idiots.

they tried to POI us lots of time. we kept denying the POIs - not because we couldnt answer them, but because we desperately wanted to lose. strange, huh? when the DPM started delivering her speech, i thought, what the heck, let's POI this lady. which i did. which she didnt reply. which i commented later in my rebuttals.

later, i told their third speaker that i had a lot to POI, but i was there to lose.

the results were obvious.

we could win if we wanted to. not to say that we're incompetent speakers. we could have smashed the govt team with our wit if we wanted to, but we purposely lost. if we had won, this means missing school, and wasting a lot of precious time. besides, if winning the debate means a pay raise, i won't mind. but my pay will still be the same.

Gema dan Rasa

the teachers at my school usually have outings together and last night we attended a dance show at petronas philharmonic hall.

despite being late (since most of them are not familiar with the strict regulations of the hall) we were able to be seated and watched the show, performed by the Petronas Cultural Group. i enjoyed the malay traditional dances, however i cant say the same when they started dancing the sabahan and sarawakian tribal dances. or the chinese and the indian dances. one can trace soft undulating hand movements of the malay dances in all the other dances, and no wonder, because the choreographers are too young and i think they should have done some research and kept to the authenticity of the dances. well, having said that, i dont mean to be a sour grape because i enjoyed the malay dances. only the malay dances.

The Unwilling Participant

right now i'm listening to Jason Mraz's Lucky, trying to calm my nerves and pretend that tomorrow isnt a big deal.

i've been chosen (cekup is more like it) to represent Zon Keramat for the Teachers' Debate. yes, you heard it right. The teachers debate. as if we dont have enough talking to do in class.

i was fuming last monday when i had to attend the briefing, just because i had already prepared the teaching materials for my Form 5 tuition at school. i do not like the idea of wasting time doing something that is pointless.

the teachers in my team are of the same sentiment. beside us is the BM team who, shall we say, very enthusiastic to win? while we are debating only for the sake of participating, we don't want to win. don't get me wrong. it's not that we're that bad. we just don't want to waste our precious time discussing points at some other school when we can be teaching in class.

and so tomorrow morning i've to plaster a plastic smile on my face and try not to do the best.

DanSing Through Broadway

yes, because i love the theatre, i've again shown my support by attending a musical show, in which my tesl friend fara (tria) is involved. i went with my other tesl friend kak nan, and after a whole day of activities, we made our way to DBKL (no, not about the thrash) and screaming in the process of doing so as we (that means I) realised that there are roads that i cant just turn to the right or left.

the show started with a clueless guy who is educated by a theatre manager on the musicals that have been staged throughout the twentieth century. to my delight, the first performance was taken from Hello, Dolly which, as a movie, has Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levi. the song "Put on your sunday clothes" was nostalgic to me, and i was still humming the song until this evening. the rest of the snippets were taken from other world-renowned musicals such as The Westside Story, Oklahoma!, Chicago, Miss Saigon, Oliver, Grease and others which i cant recall offhand right now. yes, i had fun. the performers are all good, because it's a challenge to be able to dance and sing at the same time.

hats off to you, fara.

Why You Should Watch Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical

part of my Literature background is a love for the theatre, which was first planted by my Seri Puteri English teachers when i acted in various English dramas which included Wizard of Oz, The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night's Dream. because of this too, i had the chance to attend some Shakespearean plays, and when i was doing my TESL, we acted in slapstick comedy dramas and also watched plays which included Lloyd Fernando's The Scorpion Orchid (starring Zahim Al Bakry and Hans Isaac) and Instant Cafe Theatre's production of Macbeth and Actor's Studio's The Tempest.

and so, it was no surprise that i went to watch PGL the musical last wednesday night. thanx to another colleague who purchased the tickets in October, i was able to enjoy the show with the other teachers. it's nice to see the celebrities up close - AC Mizal is good, although i wish he didnt have to rasp, Tiara is the best, Adlin is such a natural on stage that he can act so selamba and Stephen Rahman Hughes *sigh dreamily* yup....the macho and handsome Hang Tuah who made me wish i was up there on the stage with him.

it is a good move to stage a play on such historical figures, and i like the way they blend the cultural aspects into the dance and the javanese as well as malay accents in speeches - for example, in the scenes set in Majapahit, one can instantly recognise the Indian influence as well as the Malay folk dance when they feature the Melakan port scene. one can also recognise the Broadway influence in some of the dances, which makes this play a postmodern play - a marriage of the old and the new.

kudos to the actors and the dancers, for a job well done - i marvelled the way they can act without a hitch. it's no joke when you're performing a play live along with live singing.

a money well-spent.

The Dance class

sounds interesting, isnt it?

i came across the event to be held in the metro section of the star. i dont know why, but suddenly i felt like going and see whether it's just like in the movies - you know, those dancers in those dance leotards and tops and leg warmers.

i went with sazi to join in the open day of the Dance Space, the name of the dance studio at plaza damas. they featured a dance for a 20 mins, giving the public a taste of what's coming should they decide to join. when we arrived, we saw the actual dance class, with seasoned dancers learning a move which i recognised from movies. of course, i was a bit alarmed, since the public who came were mostly teenagers and young adults! i told sazi " i feel old". then when i spotted some senior citizens, i quickly corrected myself "now i feel young."

the first on the list was tap dancing. although i pride myself for not having 2 left feet, i must admit that tap dancing is a challenge. up until the end of the 20 mins, i didnt know where i was heading, colliding into a guy next to me to stepping on sazi's toe. next was my favourite, which is samba. there're 2 brazillian dancers to teach us, and i liked it so much that i never cease to grin during the entire 20 mins!

after samba, there's cha cha. although cha cha is something that i like, the dance requires a couple, and partnering with a girl friend is very awkward, since it's a sensual dance. and so, not even half into the 20 mins session, sazi and i decided to stop. she waited for belly dancing, which i used to do, so i wasnt so keen on joining.

well, i signed up for samba class. although on my way back, i have second thoughts... hmmm....

Migrating to the morning session and some personal issues

i received a call from the principal when i was about to pray asar 2 days ago. she first asked me where i stay. then she proceeded to ask me if it's okay if she transfers me to the morning session. okay? i've been teaching in the morning session for 11 years, of course it's okay! i'm supposed to start the morning session next tuesday.

words quickly spread in the community. now that i got my wish, i realised that i'm going to miss teaching in the afternoon. i sincerely want to help the weak students (there are students who can barely read in English) and to prepare them for PMR. the life in the afternoon session is easygoing, with no hassles (something that is considered an alien concept in the Blok Premier at SS, because we're always busy, busy, busy from Day 1 until the end of the year) but i guess i've to go back to the old life of being busy. when i was in SS, i'd rather teach at Blok Premier than being "exiled" to Blok Bestari, because in SS (in certain cases) problematic teachers are sent to the latter, while teachers who perform well teach the exam classes. of course, i made noise and complained when we had too much on our hands like the district camp and the also the school level camp all at once, or handling debates and annual LCDS summer camp in the same week, but in the end, i realised that i thrive in this mayhem. haha talk about being mad.

but because of that, my confidence of being in the morning session at the new school probably irked a friend of mine. to my friend, i'm sorry. i guess i've the knack of becoming obnoxious (which is a family trait) and after discussing with my close friends, i hope i can tone down and become "humble" as told by my Lit Chief.

back at home

i spent the weekend at kak dah's house in bukit mahkota. i appreciate her inviting me to the house, as i m glad to be surrounded by people. it's like a retreat there, because of the quiet tranquility (well, it is in the middle of nowhere) and the breeze.

we had a family tahlil yesterday at my bro's house. i ordered some creampuffs from the teacher at my school, and as i was about to open my purse to pay her, she said "tak payah, it's free." i couldn't believe my ears, and this is a true testimony that we cant be cynics as kindness can be found anywhere.

so up to sg buluh we went, and waited for the rest of the family members to arrive. we then started our tahlil before zohor, with lil adam to entertain us as we were reciting yaasin. i missed lil adam, and was looking forward to seeing him yesterday. he was the apple of my mother's eye in the last of her days, and so when i asked him where "boyang" was, he answered "boyang kat rumah cokelat". which was quite strange and a bit disconcerting, because we figured out that rumah cokelat is the coffin, but nobody told the 2 year old that his boyang isnt around anymore.

well, after the tahlil was the great feast, and i m happy to report that the creampuffs were the first to finish.

abang najib told me to stay on at bukit mahkota but i realised that i need to face my demon and start living on my own again. yesterday i had sazi coming over to the house, and we talked about life until 10.30 pm.

yes, life goes on as usual. but now i celebrate the human compassion that we all have in us. it is the one thing that makes life bearable when you're grieving (aside from prayers, tasbih and doa).

thank you, my friends

in my hour of need, my friends are the ones who give their support. there have been smses, calls, visits, and because i cant bear to be alone, As invited me to sleep at her place last night. and today, Shidah came to fetch me and talked, and later i met Mozie and Kak Nan. thank you to all.

i really appreciate it, and i don't think i could have done it by myself, cooped in the house alone. at this time communicating with other people is really what i need, lest i plunge into great bereavement.

i'm thankful for the empathy that we're capable of - care, sympathy, concern, as they are the ones that help to cement our relationships with other people.

there is a lesson here. this is no time to be selfish nor time to be proud, because there will be a time when you need help from the others. this is the time to be a kind person, because we will be rewarded tenfold.

Life without my mother

most of you already know that after my last entry, my mother had passed away, at 6.29pm 25th january, to be exact.

i had psyched myself that my mother wouldnt be around much longer, especially after i saw her suffering, gasping for air. i was surprised at myself too, because i was calm, and not like when i was 18 and i lost my father.

my frens commented that i sounded strong on the phone. probably because i felt satisfied i had spent time taking care of her during her last few days. i had asked for her forgiveness, although i didnt know whether she heard or understood amidst her halucination after scores of morphin patches were put and after she had the minor stroke. i had, as some of my frens put it, redha her passing on.

we went back to KT on that night itself, and everybody was tired since we didnt sleep the whole night waiting at the ICU waiting hall. but we arrived safely in the wee hours. i had told my neighbour to tell the neighbourhood, but it was still a pleasant surprise to see neighbours and my SS colleagues turning up.

in times of need, my friends are around to lend me their shoulder, even ina who is far away in Sudan. ina, thanks for the call. i really appreciate it.

today i went to visit my parents grave before returning to KL. i cried, the cry of a child so loved by the parents, and who finally, in adulthood, began to realise the love she has, and the love and the sacrifice the parents made for her.

islam teaches us to accept qada and qadar. and that's what i'm doing.

i do feel lonely though, but my frens are here to cheer me up.

may allah bless your soul, mother.

Losing My Mother

as i'm writing this, my family members are huddled together, as my mother has gone into comma since 4am.

i miss my mother so much now. it's hard to see her laboured breathing, knowing full well she's suffering. i spent the last 3 days with my mother at the hospital, and although i got a scolding from a sibling for wasting my precious 7 day leave (i took 2 days), i considered that as my filial duty to my mother, something that is natural, to show my love for her.

i must say that before i was a selfish brat. i admit that. being the youngest, i always thought about myself, and not about others. my parents love me so much, they catered to my every need. but after my mother was diagnosed with cancer, after going through some life-changing experiences such as going for umrah, i 've become a better person and muslim. i appreciate my mother now, and regret my selfish past actions and words. i didnt mean to hurt her feelings, and that's why i wanted to atone my mistakes by being with her in her last few days.

it's painful to see her suffer. she has to undergo a lot of examinations and treatments. but my mother is a fighter, right even before she lapsed into comma, she was still fighting, trying to pull off the oxygen mask as she hated it.

we have a family joke that if my mother scolds people (eg. me, the maid or the nurses) that means she's ok. we would sigh in relief and laugh if she does that, because we know she's ok. she's still with us.

but we're not laughing anymore, she's not talking, and i hate seeing my mother suffer. i miss her so much now - her soothing touch when i had dengue fever, her willingness to cook my favourite dishes, and her patience for enduring my selfishness.

i love you, mother. so much. and i miss you.

Losing It

i thought that everything would be well once i figured out why God has put me in this school. but i was wrong. the teachers in the school must have been amused with my enthusiasm, because i was very emotional when i told my head of panel that 7 of my form 1 students are barely literate. i promised to have intensive grammar class with my form 2 students. yes, it's a noble job and i felt good.

but yesterday i was given 4 periods in a row from 1.40-3.40pm. when i was in SS, i complained to the master timetable maker when i had 3 periods in a row! that paled in comparison to what i had to go through yesterday. 4 periods in a row, teaching the 2 form 2 classes, and i was actually screaming, yes, screaming! even that didnt guarrantee the students' attention. i pity them actually. i pity them because, because of their ignorance, they don't know that without education they'll be reduced to being blue-collar workers. that ignorance and idleness is their enemy and not their friend. and so i screamed to compete with their voices, and in the end i had chest pains (i was wondering if this is the start of a heart attack)

i had another set of double periods at 5.20 - my form 1 class. being form 1 students, all came to me like little children, complaining about everything from not having a copy of a timetable to having their correction fluid broken by a classmate. *sigh* i'm not used to being a form 1 form teacher, having taught the upper forms for years.

come 6.45, i was drained emotionally and physically.

i honestly don't know what to do now.

the invasion of the ants

i ve a big problem in the kitchen - the big army of ants that seem to invade and infest every single edible thing. in the past, i resorted to keeping my food in the oven. but that didnt seem to work with these verocious small pests. oh no, they climbed my oven and successfully ravaged my homemade white bread! arghh!! i feel like a madwoman now, i've been reading some articles on how to destroy the ants. just pray that i can demolish the whole colony because they're really driving me up the wall!

the pink and the roses

those who know me know that i love pink. and those who know me also know that i love floral prints. so my love for these two are incorporated in my blouses, my bedsheets, my comforters, my bags, and god knows what else.

yesterday, after the cross country race at school, i stopped to have lunch at ampang point, and returned home with a new set of bedsheet and comforter - yes, you guess it, in pink and and in floral prints, which is a typical english country design.

while i was excitedly showing it off to my sister, my bro in law grinned and made a remark

"sama je dengan baju".
to my dismay, the shirt i was wearing was also in pink, and has floral prints!

this pic on the left is taken from my shirt.

The Mission

i believe that in life, everything happens to us for a reason.

when i was first posted to tok jiring, my sister in-law poked fun at me "haa you're going to be an ustazah!". back then i was young, and with all my rebellion (because i had to turn down the offer of being a journalist) i didn't see what i was supposed to have learned until much later. but now i know that a religious school was what i needed for my first posting, so that some of the islamic culture would be ingrained in me.

when i was in SS, i was exposed to a new set of students, and a very different atmosphere. tok jiring was quite relaxed in the sense that they only focused on academic achievement, but in SS, extra curricular activities and academic excellence are equally important. i was overwhelmed during my first year there, because there were so many activities and i just couldn't keep up. but after my 1st year, it went smoothly, and i embraced the "business" of being an SS teacher. SS taught me to be confident, especially being confident in teaching good students. and i'm proud of being an SS teacher, despite my incessant "when i was in Seri Puteri..." lecture.

now, being at the new school, i'm beginning to feel relaxed, although i know that i can't expect life there to be a bed of roses. as i blogged earlier, the students are weak, that i can't help but feel pity for them - for their ignorance, that i feel a moral obligation towards them to teach them so that they can break free from the chains and feel liberated. seven students from my own form 1 class are almost illiterate. it's painful for me to see a boy struggling to spell his father's name or my form 2 girl who doesnt know the word "kick" or simple present tense and simple past tense.

yes, i realised that God has put me in this school so that i can help to change these students' lives. this is the toughest task for me so far. believe me, it's easier to teach good students, just because they're already good and you're there just to polish them; it's the weak students who really test your capability as a teacher.

i don't know if i can help to improve their literacy, but i'll try my best to do so. a just cause.

longing for the familiar

every one finds it hard to adapt. unless of course, if you live a nomadic life all your life that it has become a routine to re-adjust.

it was horrible at first to be at my new school. the first meeting of the year lasted for 2 days, something that is an alien concept in SS.

the school is small, although the number of student enrollment is as big as SS. i miss the 'leisurely' walk to class, greeted by the warm sea breeze all year round. in the new school, where there's no space, you go up. so there are many stairs to be climbed, one of my form 2 classes is on the 4th floor!

ok grumble, grumble, grumble. in truth, i hate being a nobody. nobody likes being a nobody. i like routine because there's something so comforting and established about it. you belong to a society, and you have a say in everything. being a nobody means a loss of identity. of course, i keep remembering my literature fraternity's lecture "you must be humble at the new school." yes, it's hard when people see you as a newbie - they don't know your achievements or triumphs - they know you as "cikgu baru". i resent that. and though inside i feel like bursting, i keep telling myself that arrogance will lead to nowhere, and humility is a ticket to every where. well, it's easier said than done.

(okay, i know that what i'm going through is the process of dislocation or displacement, something Homi Bhabha and Salman Rushdie love to talk in their books).

but it's getting easier every day, the students are weak academically, but they are a nice bunch. i had a talk with one of the math teachers there, and when i told him i'm "slowly adapting" to the environment, he said "of course they are different from your students, they are different because they need your love since they are neglected at home, and some rely solely on our teaching in school." that gave me a new perspective. a new set of students. they might not be as rich and priviledged or as bright as my SS students, but they appeal to me because of their candour and naivete'. i've only been in their class probably once or twice, but they keep calling me "teacher" or "miss nora" whenever i walk past. if there's one thing that can melt my grouchiness, it's camaraderie and friendliness.

well, that's a start.

The Flu

one of the negative effects of being cooped up in a hotel for so long is that you have a weak immune system. my teammates told me to take a walk, but i didnt want to venture out as there were too many unsavoury foreigners lurking around. i first suspected i was going to have flu when, after celebrating at a teh tarik stall past midnight, i felt the first signs of a sore throat. didnt go to the doctor, but i just bought OTC med. worked for awhile, until after i returned from JB. and still i didnt go to the clinic.

and so, after a long arduous fight with flu, my weak immune system finally succumbed to its conqueror. i normally didnt get fever when i'm down with flu, so much so that i had to ask As how it feels like to have a fever. i knew immediately i had fever when i was feeling so cold and i was shivering. then i felt too warm. when i walked it felt like there's a tonne of bricks on my head, and felt like i was going to fall down any minute.

finally this morning i was issued with an MC for the first time of the year, on the 1st day of school. great, huh?

life isnt peachy, and it aint a bed of roses

it's been a few weeks since i last blogged. unlike some people who love their lives because it's a mundane life, mine is everything that is not mundane.

i was happy to come out of seclusion of the hotel. i celebrated my freedom by going to JB for my , where we seri puteri 5 ilmu gathering - in a train! we arrived in kluang first, in the wee hours, and slept at shidah's sister's house. in the morning, after listening to ella screaming on the phone, we finally got on the road with my chocolate cake and anne's satay. it was a happy affair - imagine, we still see each other even though it's been 19 years since we left seri puteri. there's much pregnant zana, ever gracious hostess ella, boisterous ina, gayah, shidah, anne and me. the feasting started amidst all the gaiety and the children's screaming and laughter. until, suddenly...when i checked my hp and saw there's been 13 missed calls from kak sham. it seems that my mother has developed an ovarian cyst (caused by the cancer cells) and the cyst broke. my mother was bleeding profusely. of course i thought of the worst case scenario. the friends saw my glum look and some offered a lift back to KL with them. i cut my vacation short and the next day returned to KL, dreading the worst after talking to my doctor friends As and Mas. but my mother was okay, because she could still be angry with me. she was sulking that i left her, although the day before i already came to see her to tell her that i was going to JB. i try to spend time with my mother whenever i have the time.

next, i attended the first meeting at the new school. okay, granted, it's totally different from SS, but i cant complain. the other bummer is that i've to teach in the afternoon session. the worst? they gave me 2 classes of sejarah for form 2!!!!! geez.....

yes, i was furious. because when i was in SS they gave me form 3 english classes. i remember the joy i felt when i was about to enter the class...i remember the lecture i gave them...i remember the lessons...in short, i miss SS.

kak sham said that the whole family is a family of complainers, and i'm the worst whiner. well... probably i am. but then, i'm being myself.

Things I Learned

i've been spending time with a lively and nice group of people for the last 11 days. being the baby of the group, they taught me a lot in terms of of being a teacher, being professional, and being a good person.

of course, it is hard when you're 1 year corn (setahun jagung) but it helps when your colleagues are very understanding and are helpful. i also learned that it helps when you give them reason to respect. because respect has to be earned.

yes, i'm lucky to be in the group - a small group comprising a selected few.

but they are also my friends and my mentor.

my raya haji

it is universally accepted that food is central to family and friend bonding activities. my family thrives in these eating activities and will come up with delicious concoctions, often than not they are concoctions that will make cardiologists sigh.

although in the past, we could expect a certain dish from a certain house, for this raya, it was something unplanned - all my siblings (except for my favourite brother) decided to have nasi dagang as the main dish on the table.

i groaned.

to eat nasi dagang once a year is okay. but to eat the pulut based dish more than once in a day is another. of course, the only consolation is that we ate tuna to go with the rice, but you can well imagine how you will feel like after feasting on such a rich meal - you will experience mid-day slump soon enough, or you can happily snooze, happy with the thought that your tummy is well-fed (and snug).

i ate the nasi dagang 3 times yesterday. oh lazy lazy days!

life in KL (for me)

i've almost settled in now. except for my boxes of literary theories and novels and my paintings and pics, that is. otherwise, i'm doing ok. i'm happy to say that the existence of the supermarket just across the road really is a convenience, a big convenience and i know that anytime i've run out of fresh ginger or need fresh meat i can count on the supermarket.

since this is a school holiday, i've been spending my time meeting my friends and also at my sister's house in PJ, being "summoned" by my mother. i spend my nights here just like when i was in trg, until my bro in-law asked me 2 nights in a row if i was going out. i think the fact that i said i prefer to stay in surprised him, because when i was staying here while doing masters, i was always out almost every night. i guess this has something to do with maturing up. of course, if i can attend MPO concert or go to the theatre, i won't miss the chance; but i'm content to be at home, as i told my bro in-law, those days are gone. it's a bid strange isnt it? you crave and crave for something then when you finally have it, you just dont want it anymore.

now i understand how my favourite brother feels when he flies to other international cities. yes, granted, i'm an avid traveller, and at first i couldnt understand my brother who spends his time in all these exciting cities cooped up in a hotel instead of discovering the novelty of the cities. just last 2 weeks he went to paris and did not leave his hotel - which was at the airport.

yes, i'm staying at one of the most 'alive' places in KL. 5 years back i would be out watching movies or attending MPO concert or going out for a dinner at chilli's or just to revel in the KL night life. now i'm comfortable to be at home. getting older, perhaps? haha.

Uprooting myself : the fatigue

it was raining in terengganu. i was worried, wondering if i could drive safely to KL. and while it was raining, i was cooped up in the house, packing stuff into cardboard boxes. at the last count, there were 30 boxes. on the hijrah day, i was sleepy as i there was a morning drizzle. but by the time the lorry arrived, it had stopped raining, and i was hopeful that my drive would be a pleasant one. well, aside from the sleepiness (was too excited the night before) it was ok. the lorry arrived the next morning, and the unloading started. it was a very overwhelming task, to unpack everything, but my sister kak sham came over with apit, who promised to extend the astro wire himself. but he changed his mind when he got to the house: "apit mana boleh drill-drill ni. mak nora call astro la" yeah right. so in the end, i called the astro technical line and they promised to send a techie within 48 hours. that was yesterday. the techie came today when i was so groggy because of fatigue, and that took only 10 minutes.

oh by the way. today i used the new oven for the first time, and i baked bread, something i hadnt done in the last 1 year. it's good to be baking again.

in the afternoon, i thought of going to TM Point to transfer ayi's streamyx line from the house in trg to ampang. the guy told me they couldnt do it, as they have "copper problem", thus connection is really bad. i listened to the news in horror. that's when i realised how much my life depends on the net. seeing my horrified look, the manager gently suggested that i find another ISP such as celcom or maxis broadband. and so, i decided to pay maxis centre in klcc a visit. 2 hours later i was happily surfing the net with my maxis.

sighed a relieved sigh

yesterday my students sat for literature in english paper. i was nervous, because i felt that i've done better this time than the previous years, and this was the test for me.

the girls came to my house for the last tuition class 2 nights ago. we discussed solely on techniques and poetic devices found in the poems. and while i was reading the scanty and vague teaching notes given, trying to figure out the meaning of the mindboggling malaysian poems (you'll be surprised to know that some malaysian poets thrive on crypticism); the girls were happily chatting among themselves. this time though, i had to "harness" them back to the class.

the paper was at 2pm. the SS hall is small, if compared to other newer schools, and yet there were only 3 students taking the paper. for 2 1/2 hours i sat outside the hall, trying to read White Tiger. at 4.30 pm the paper ended. the girls were grinning at me, and showed me the questions that came out. alhamdulillah, they were able to answer it and i was glad that we had discussed the important issues in all literary texts studied.

all in all, i was satisfied.

countdown to moving day

my siblings and my friend shima have told me to hire some help to pack all my things. being on my own for a year taught me to be independent - and damn stubborn.

but of course, because of my stubbornness, the process of packing up is slow, as i'm also busy settling other matters. my car service was due next month, but because i'll be quarantined with the team at one of the hotels for 2 weeks, i decided to do my last car service here. then i was off to JPJ to renew my driving licence. i've also been keeping 2 paintings - one of red poppies and another is a chinese watercolour painting of chrysanthemums, and only now i decided to have them framed. i've been calling the agencies/companies to advise them of my change of address and later today i'll send my cpu to have the new graphic card installed.

as you can see, i've a lot on my hands. but as i said. i'm damn stubborn.

so what have i packed?

i'm done with packing all my books. as you can see, i'm in the phase of packing all the kitchen stuff. in fact, if you see the picture below, you can see boxes of my recipe books (2 of them) and my chinaware.

i havent even started on my clothes, shoes and handbags yet. so you can see that i prioritise more on books and kitchen stuff.

hope i'll be done on saturday. my literature girls are thinking of coming over to celebrate but i told them that it's best we meet outside as i can foresee that the house will be like a shipwreck soon.

Hooked

it's official. i'm hooked on facebook.

when i first joined facebook early this year, i thought that it's silly. who would want to send a virtual LV bag or a virtual cupcake? i couldnt understand the craze and besides i was still into friendster, as it's something i'm familiar with.

last 2 months i noticed that i began to log into facebook daily. i even spend more time there than blogging now. i haven't even visited friendster...oh, like eons ago. i guess i like the idea of commenting on friend's photos or statements and vice versa. and besides i can even get in touch with my primary schoolmates.

so shidah, you're right. it's about friendship.

the quest for a good oven

since my childhood, the oven has formed an integral part in our family. my earliest memory was of my brother and sister working hand in hand making kuih raya, baking them in my mother's now old and unused cooking stove and oven. in went some uncooked, unappetising and unattractive dough and out came crunchy, tantalising smelling cookies. since then, i have much respect for ovens.

my first oven is my trusted sharp microwave convection oven. i love my oven so much, it's such a delight when i baked batches of cakes and breads. until one day, when my turntable just wouldnt turn. and the motor makes such horrible sounds.

and so i was in despair. i only have a very small oven, which i got for free. baking cakes using the small oven is a disaster, as the temperature tends to get very high. my cakes were usually burnt or uncooked. when i lamented to my friends at school, they said they use the small oven, and they're okay with it. well, if it means i've to be on my toes for nearly an hour, then i guess i've to find another oven. a good one.

finding the right oven isnt easy. originally, i wanted to find an industrial use electric oven. i found one, a solid steel oven. before i made any purchase i decide to make a phonecall to intan my chef niece. despite it's "cheffy looking", intan told me to buy europa oven. my sister in laws use the europa, so i decided to be the 4th in the family to buy one.

yes, i got my europa today. i was ecstatic. if i wasnt about to move, i would have been in a baking frenzy now. i decided to save the frenzy when i move to KL.

next on the list: to buy a Kitchen aid mixer.

the infamous KL traffic

now that i'm going to stay in ampang, i have to go there often in order to make mental measurement, as well as to see how much space i have to "decorate".

yesterday i was supposed to meet my friend shidah to buy the train tickets (for our 5ilmu reunion in JB) after i went to hang my work clothes in the closet in ampang.

to go there (or in other words, to meredah) from PJ on a friday afternoon was crazy. suicidal. i don't know how i could survive and enjoy driving when i was doing my masters here a few years ago. i thought that jln tun razak was going to be congested so i decided to take federal highway. the problem started near masjid negara, because the men parked their vehicles everywhere. worst, up ahead, the road beside the colonial bangunan sultan abdul samad was closed!!! arghh!! i had to make a detour - a long, arduous ordeal which tested my patience as a driver, as we inched bit by bit. yes, i made a stupid mistake of being caught in the jam...at the most congested area in KL!!! to make it worse, motorcylists made dangerous swerves here and there, and sorry to say, it really made me serabut.

and today, just because my car has a T registration, cars bullied me, even though it wasnt my fault! life isnt peachy when it comes to driving in KL, and sad to say, i was swearing in the car. probably my BP will shoot up next month... *sigh*

the day out

yesterday my niece farah took an mc and we had lunch together. you would have thought that when a pregnant woman takes an mc she'll be unwell, but not farah hehehe. so we went to have lunch at charms, a kopitiam at OU. and as usual i couldnt resist buying a handbag. i bought myself a liz clairborne and wondered how many handbags i have so far. dont think i want to count.

we then went to my bro's house to meet with my other niece intan the chef, who s looking very much pregnant. we arrived just in time for tea, so she served us with apple crumble with homemade custard and brownie with chocolate ganache.



the apple crumble with custard


the brownie with ganache...note the trace of custard after i finished the crumble

suffice to say that after eating, the most perfect way of ending a day was to have a nap because there was a thunderstorm yesterday. but we had to weather it through to return home *sigh*

the new school

i called the posting officer at jpnwp yesterday, and he informed me that "tentatively" i'm posted at smk jln padang tembak, which is in zon keramat, and not that far from my sister house. yay!!! i know where that is, it's near to mindef and pulapol. that means i'll be teaching a lot of the police and army kids.

so my problems are all settled. i've a place to stay, and a school. and my tesl friend is also teaching there!!! alhamdulillah.

house hunting

this morning i decided to go house hunting. well, to be exact, apartment hunting. since i asked for zon keramat, i thought that it's best i started scouring the community message boards of 7-11 to find a suitable apartment. so there i was, at 7-11. i even called one of the landlords, who has a flat behind mpaj for rm400 and a unit at bandar baru ampang form rm700. then i decided to call my bro in law, to drop the stuff i have in my car boot. and my prayers were answered! my bro in law said he and my sister discussed that i can stay at the house. yup, this is good news indeed.