The Encounter

After 27 years leaving my school (and its dorms), it is heartening to be able to make connections again through Facebook.

My seniors might remember me as a quiet girl whereas the juniors think that I am still 'athletic'. Well, people do change over time.

I am who I am now, still energetic and jovial ...... and still the same 'Has', laced with maturity and experience.

Mr L Chai Kok

The only time this name was mentioned again, (after 32 years) , was in December last year when I bumped into one primary schoolmate of mine.

Mr L was the most tiger-like teacher I had ever known. However, I do come across other 'tigers' during my adult life. Perhaps, I was once a tigress myself, until I was mellowed over the years of climbing up the stairs to the classes...............

The tiger I know has probably passed on.......... but he will always be remembered for his fierce disposition, but yet, responsible, caring and a real sifu of the English Language. He even liked to hug us when we felt downhearted (you know 12 year-old girls).

Whatever it is, this is one tiger (apart from my own pa) whom I like very much.

But You Are!

It was quite dark and I was awakened to the sound of television. "What time is it?", "Am I late for school?". I looked at the clock. "God! 6 o'clock!"

I tried to figure out where I was. Slowly, everything came back to my mind. I had slept for one and a half hours, starting from 4.30 pm, the time I reached home from the debate practice.

This time my head was spinning and I felt knocked-out! I almost had to drag my feet to the bathroom! Oh no, this was disaster. My body was telling me to rest and rest and rest.

With a thick skin, I went to the clinic to get the drugs and to ask for a 'medical chit' for tomorrow. I knew that it would be quite the same when I was at home (because I would still contact a few teachers regarding work that had to be completed but this time round I surrendered to the demands of my body (and my soul) , which was to get a good sleep in the morning of Tuesday 24 February, instead of stubbornly entering the classes to teach. I ain't that young anymore.....

Hot... Is A Word Of Many Meanings

"Be careful, it's hot", gently your mum reminded you when we were small. Be it a hot cup of milo or the dish was hot sambal. Ah, anything! Mum would try to protect us from anything hot.

Lately, the sweltering afternoons are not helping me recover from my 'minor headaches' or bouts of 'uneasy tummy'. Come to think of it, the weather is not to be blamed, it's all in the mind.

My attempts to avoid any hot news are in vain. I particularly dislike believing stories narrated / created by some people whose intention is dubious (or misleading). At one point in time, I felt like throwing 'something' at his/her face to show just how tired I was of listening to his/her less than truthful story/claims. (Pardon me for sounding rude).

Well, all's well that ends well. The truth always prevails......sooner or later. To those who are liars out there, please do us a favour by putting a stop to all the lies, check back your facts! It could be you are the problem here when your anger has clouded your mind.

Anyway, on another note: those who have just started to get the first taste of real life, remember - hot things may hurt you, ...still.

The Romance of Belfast

If you had not known, Belfast is in Northern Ireland.

Today I attended two wedding receptions. The first one was in Sungai Buloh and the second one was in Shah Alam, and this was where I had to endure moments of truth with a number of my husband's old buddies.

After 20 years, they met again , bringing their family, reminiscing about Belfast, the place they were completing their tertiary studies.

I sat beside my husband, listening attentively to their stories, nodding politely if necessary, determined to let my husband enjoy this beautiful moment. The camaraderie of these old friends should not be ruined.....

My Sister and I

Kak Gee and I on 151108

With my husband's young auntie 231108

Last Saturday, just after breakfast, the whole family (except for Hasif) went to the Kelana Jaya Complex to send off my sister and brother-in-law to Mecca. She looked quite exhausted, most probably by the preparation and careful planning of the little things which needed attention at her home before they left for the Holy Land to perform Haj.

My nieces: Geronimo, Jepun and Yah , and my nephews: Afifi and Nazmi must be having quite a lonely time at home without the presence of their parents. Nevertheless, grandma and Pak Utih are keeping an eye on them , hence their safety is guaranteed, at least they won't die out of hunger. To Jepun: "Hi, good luck for your Biology paper tomorrow!"

Today my hubby and I attended a kenduri held by his auntie (but she's only 43) , who was also going to Mecca with her husband, in a week's time. She was as cheerful as always, as seen in the picture above. My mind raced back to my beloved sister, wondering how she was doing in Mecca. She might not contact me, I would be least surprised at that , but I could bet that she had me too in her mind.

We grew up together only for the first 10 years of my life, before she went to MRSM Seremban. The two-year gap between us was a hurdle to our relationship. She was always the mature, big-sized girl and I was the skinny, quiet but mischievous girl (at least to her). As soon as I went to TKC, my growth rate was suddenly upsurged to the extent that people thought I was the elder sister. We studied at two different secondary schools which had different school systems. At that time, MRSM followed the American semester system, so both of us hardly met, 'coz she had her school holidays in different months.

Even my first 10 years together were not a bed of roses either, 'coz we were not easily recognised as sisters. Don't ask me why....unless you figure it out yourself, by looking at our colour(s). Anyway, we , or rather, I, survived the ordeal and now I look forward to a wonderful life ahead because I have discovered my strengths, and I have my own family, my own passion for life and most importantly, I am mature enough to understand the value of our relationship. Sis, do take care!

Speechless

With Dr Johdi Mohd Salleh from UIA

Aaron delivering his speech.

Who's hot?

LChai Meh, Amira, Kasturi and Naqiyuddin (back row,2nd from left) from 5KJ, eagerly waiting for their turn.

On a bright and sunny day, the whole academic staff and all the form 5 students of SEMEKAR took an important ride to the International Islamic University Malaysia.... The ride was smooth and the event, which was The Graduation Day for all our SPM candidates who would be sitting for their exams next month (what! Next month?) ; was indeed a very important event of the year.

Wow! How time flies!

It was yesterday when I first entered my form 2 class in 2005. The students were really cute and innocent (baby-face,ma!). Well, that was in 2005.

I was ONLY 39 plus at that time, still energetic and fierce. I remember screaming(?? shy only) in class, apart from whacking them when they failed to submit their assignments. (None of them would complain or argue with me).These are the things I stopped doing in 2007, much to the relief of the students.

Anyway, don't try to do the same again now, the situation is reversed. Most of them are much taller than I am , and they really know how to debate an issue. Don't try lay a finger on them, nor should you raise your voice just because you have nothing else to do AND don't enter class unless you are well-prepared.

But, business is business, I shall still guide them and test them and reprimand them (tactfully), 'coz it is my duty....(as mentioned before, who am I without you?) and most importantly it is because I care , ........and caring means loving.

So, girls , no more make-up, and boys, no more flirting; there is a very important battle ahead after the graduation. Stay focused, move on with life, OUR priority is SPM now.

But today , at the graduation ceremony, I was speechless.....

My Young Man, You Da Man!

It must be cold and lonely being the only boy in this house.

I am blessed with 2 boys and 4 girls (among other gifts and blessings which God has showered me with).

Since my second boy is studying elsewhere, the other young man has to bear the costs of loneliness. He didn't want to leave this house 4 years ago even though he had the opportunity to do so. My husband and I found his preference to be wise, hence there was no interference from us in his decision-making. Keeping an open mind helps develop a child to take up responsibility for his choice.

Every now and then, my husband goes out with him (or sometimes it is done in our living room), just to let him enjoy the 'man-to-man' talk. Mum must be kept out of the way, at these times, since she has her own private time with each of her children.

Whenever he is down, (mum can sense it best), we let him tell us every thing, yeah, I repeat, every thing, .........no matter how ridiculous it is. Of course, being a young man who is macho (and handsome, ehem, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder), he knows his limits, and if it is none of my business, he has every right to keep it to himself.

I know, what my prof mentioned in the lecture room , is certainly true , that is :

"...One day, a young man/lady will find solace in some other form (could be a thing/ a person) , no parent is able to provide him with the comforts which he/she needs...then."

But before that happens, my husband and I would like to be the ones he needs most.....

Time Flies and That Sacrifice

A Sacrifice?

With Aaron on 29 August 2007

A Year Later on 27 August 2008

T Mei Jun, the Sweet 17, with yours truly.

I sang a birthday song on 29 August 2007 and it seemed as though it happened only yesterday.........

T Mei Jun and H Carl Choon are a pair of twins , who were born two days before Merdeka in 1991. What a wonderful event to commemorate the Independence Day!

Of course, if you analyse the photos above, you will notice that time simply flies!

Just hope that they will be :
- not just a pretty face,
- able to think on their feet,
- a bright spark,
- a whizz-kid,
- able to keep their head(s), and last but not least,
I also hope that they will each have a good head for figures, like Mr T, their A Math teacher.

Then, what about the sacrifice? Only Carl Choon knows what it means........

My Ex-student and Being Responsible

What a quiet Tuesday morning. It was 11 in the morning and I just got up from my morning nap...actually the new medicine given by the doctor yesterday was only making me sleepy. It made me sleep early, hence I could not reply to the messages which I received last night.

About four hours ago, before 7 am, I had to make (frantic) calls to the school to inform them that I would be on leave for the next two days. My arms and tummy still hurt. However, my efforts were in vain. I had to call the person doing relief today...who? me? No, no, the other person, Pn Noor Anisah. Fortunately, even though she was also not in school (she had to go to Kuala Lumpur), the relief duties were already prepared by her. But I knew I had to let Cik Rahimah know about this.

Before taking a bath, I also replied to a message received last night.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The familiar sound of rain trickling down could be heard faintly. Oh no! My laundry! Hey! I couldn't run!

I made a dash (?!) out of my house , oh Thank God it was only drizzling! No need for me to hurt my body by making fast movements. But as I looked through the gates of my house, I saw a young man riding a motorcycle, obviously he was performing his duties . In a split second, I was able to recall his name, R, a former student of mine, a form 5 student in 1997.

Yes, everything suddenly flashed before me. How I first entered his class, how he was able to influence his friends, how he enjoyed being the big boy (not in size, mind you) compared with the other fifth formers.... as he was already 19 when he sat for SPM, how he talked about his house in Rawang, how he said "Teacher, you are really brilliant" because I got to find his genuine address ....(you see, he had been using another person's address all his life in that school to avoid receiving letters from school), how I heard from another teacher that he had kicked the big dustbin outside a class because he was angry and also how frustrated he was not being able to take part in athletic events as he was already past 18 years of age.

That was one h@#$ of an ex-student of mine!

I must be quite young to be able to recognise my ex-student easily.

Yes, they come in different sizes, bringing with them their own problems and not to forget, their own dignity. Yes! (Again), I wish to emphasize that in a way, I did respect this boy, despite his cranky behaviour.

One good thing about him was that he was a responsible person as he took responsibility for what he did and for what he said. (That can't really explain why he acted foolishly, at times) Strangely, this guy did not like to talk bad about others, not even about his teachers. If he had to say something bad, he would say it sincerely, it may sound rude at that time, but he was speaking the truth.

Will I be telling the same thing about my other ex-students? Or my future ex-students?

The moral of the story is : take pride in your school , your friends, your family and your teachers. When you meet others, don't make any sweeping statement about them (above). Instead, re-evaluate what you have now, take responsibility of what you tell others about your school, your teachers etc.

What you say can hurt other people. Even when you did not mean it.

A Real Progress

Judging from the above photo, one might think that I am as fit as a fiddle. Actually, it was taken two days ago when I had no choice but to reverse the car a few centimeters .

Progress? The car was safely parked. On the other hand, the action that took up 5 seconds to complete resulted in the doer being treated to a light massage on both arms. I felt pain but the caring treatment from my children had soothed the pain.

On a lighter note, my second daughter, Naimah, who is sitting for UPSR tries to break the dull routine of this holiday by baking a cake for us, especially for her brother , Mukhlis, who is going back to his school on Sunday.

Checking through the ingredients, she realizes that we have only one egg...that's not enough to bake one decent cake. Eventually, after a discussion with Aisyah and me ( I suggest mayonnaisse in place of eggs), she puts all the ingredients in a bowl and starts whipping the batter.

Progress? The cake is ready after one hour and before every body in the house knows about its existence, the cake is only a quarter left.

Finally, it is Sunday and it is time to say bye2 to the wonderful holiday. Even though my movements are very restricted, I would like to take Mukhlis back to his school. However, his handset needs to be replaced first.

So, in the morning I went to Parkson Ria with him and we were chauffered by my husband. I did not really scrutinize every handset on display. Instead, I let him choose one which he liked. My husband suggested he get a simple one as the more sophisticated ones have become the targets of those 'thieves'.

Being a typical man he was, (I'm referring to my young man), it took him less than 10 minutes to decide that he only wanted the cheap one which the salesman mentioned to have 'just the bare necessities'. I looked at the brand and design...Hmmm, not bad. Just that, it was cheap.

Progress?

I looked at him, looking for any signs of satisfaction, or otherwise. Yes, indeed he was satisfied and completely sure of his decision (did I ever mention about my sixth-sense?). So, without wasting time, I settled everything and slowly we left the booth , in order to make our next purchase which was 'Essence of Fish With American Ginseng' at a nearby pharmacy.

I was almost dragged by him ( 'cos I was slow and I had to hold on to him) . I whispered to him "I am sorry that I could only get you this handset today, but I am glad you like it". He turned to me and replied, "It's ok, thank you mum. I'll get 10 A1s, I'll try my best, I promise!"

Well, I call that A REAL PROGRESS!!

"Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy I played with?"

'A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.'

These are the words of wisdom which you can find written on the white board when you are eating in the canteen ( in the teachers' dining area, that is).

I don't object to it, since I am the person who is always expected to scribble something on the white board. Psst..if you have any idea, please share it with me. I might consider it, serious!

When my second boy mentioned about going to a boarding school before sitting for his UPSR, I didn't wish to object, fearing that it might cause an adverse effect on his performance. Alas, the offer letter to the boarding school came in early December 2004. By then, I knew without doubt that I had to let him go.

He took it in his stride , whereas mum had mixed feelings which could only be consoled by the fact that communication was quite easy (the school is not far from our town, actually). Furthermore, handsets were and are still secretly allowed. Obviously, it is an open secret which every Tom, Dick and Harry in the school knows. On the other hand, the impact of thefts or losses is supposed to be born by the owner of the handset. Well, I guess it is fair enough since the onus is always on the owner to take good care of their belongings.

The last sentence above holds true in other schools too. Remarks like "Why are you so careless?!" are the norm when you lose something.

OK back to the words of wisdom, now I might 'lose' more children because I have a daughter who is leaving primary school ; not to mention a son who is leaving school after SPM. He has already shown me an advertisement to further studies in Australia!

The moment of truth will come one day when I might live long enough to experience the empty-nest-syndrome. I can't imagine it yet.