ATTENDING MR. SANJEEV'S WEDDING RECEPTION

29th November 2015 ~ I attended the wedding reception of another ex-student of SMKTUN, Mr. Sanjeev Balakrishnan, from SPM batch 2005. The reception was held at the Community Hall of Taman Bukit Indah at about 8:00 p.m. When I arrived there, many people were already present and there was a very colourful ambience in the hall, with disco balls, and there were also people singing and dancing on the stage.

I met a few ex-students there but could not stay long for the dancing event which I was to told would be held later in the evening. 

Thanks Sanjeev for inviting and I wish you and your soulmate a blessed and happy married life ahead.

ONE DAY IN MY LIFE...

First, there was this so-called professional briefing for the district's principals held at SMK Desa Skudai by PPD Johor Bahru. Since my principal is retiring real soon, and the Senior Assistant of the Administration is not around, I was asked to tag along. The briefing started at 8:00 a.m.

Then, all the participants adjourned to SMK Taman Universiti because the school principal who has retired was giving free lunch to all the other principals of the Johor Bahru district. Believe it or not, this was the third retirement event of the same principal I had already attended. Unfortunately, we had to make our way back to SMK Desa Skudai to continue with the briefing.

The whole thing ended at 4:00 p.m. By that time, I was already having a headache which means, very long briefing is definitely not good for me. In fact, at this moment while I am updating the blog, my head is still throbbing.

Right after that, I rushed to Dataran Bandaraya to meet our angklung guru from Jogjakarta who is here in Johor Bahru. We decided to have tea at Chamek Kopitiam at Plaza Kotaraya, and had a short talk - definitely about angklung related matters. Then I had to take him back to Dataran, said our "goodbyes" and hopefully I will be seeing him in Jogjakarta one day.

There was one more event I attended after that but I will post about it later.

ATTENDING A WEDDING RECEPTION OF AN EX-STAFF OF SMKTUN

I saw a clown

Puan Maniseh, which is informally known by many as Kak Yam, held a wedding reception for his son at Taman Universiti Sports Complex. Puan Maniseh was one of the lab assistants of the school and has now retired. 

It is indeed an honour that she still remembered to invite me for the reception. I guess there will be more invitations from the family in the future.

SPOT THE ERROR 82

found on a school wall *sigh*

DINNER FOR FIVE - FOR A REASON

24th November 2015 ~ I was asked to have dinner outside with a group of SMKTUN's ex-students from SPM batch 2005. We all met at Bigfood Restaurant at about 8:30 p.m.

One of the main agenda why the meeting was called is because someone wanted to personally hand over his wedding invitation card. So I guess I would have to consider attending after the (literally) big meals and great company. Hope to see all of you again next week.

SAMPLE ESSAY FOR SPM CONTINUOUS WRITING - "PEACE"

*If I am not mistaken, one word question is no longer in existence for the present SPM exam paper. Nevertheless, this piece of essay is something worth reading.

** I could not even remember when was the last time I posted a sample essay in my blog.

*** Sample essays are meant to provide students with an example of how a good essay should be written. Please never ever memorize any essay for your upcoming exam. And plagiarism is a sin.

PEACE

[WRITER UNKNOWN]

        Peace: a simple word that is easy to pronounce, yet difficult to define because of its extreme complexity. It is undeniable that the word "Peace" has spawned many books, magazines and articles by a range of different authors. However, when I was a young girl, I used to believe that the word "Peace" referred to to white, flying birds! Be honest! Almost every poster with the word "Peace" has pictures of birds and happy, smiling children. As I grew older, I soon realized that the birds were actually doves. But what does the word mean to me now?

          I believe that peace is right here, in Malaysia. People of different races and religions celebrate a variety of cultures and festivals. We are in sync with each other, we do not fight, and we live in harmony every day. I find that amazing and I am thankful for the tranquility we have in Malaysia. Look at the less fortunate countries such as Iraq and Palestine. The children and women spend their days dodging bombs and bullets while the men fight wars. They ride on with faith, praying that it is not their last, and believe that there will be peace in their country one day. To them, peace is as simple as having a meal on the table a happy family gathered together. Some people say some men are wise and some are otherwise. Well, I think these not-so-wise men should stop wars for the sake of mankind.

          My maternal grandmother used to frighten me when I was a child. She was old, wrinkled woman with sparse, grey hair. Her fingers were long and bony and I used to flinch when she reached out for me. But it wasn't her physical appearance that scared me; it was her frequent emotional outbursts. She would fling the things around her and cry for no reason. Later on, the doctor diagnosed her with paranoid. schizophernia. She was probably mentally scarred during the Japanese occupation.

          My grandmother passed away seven years ago after her final catharsis. I was still afraid of her at that time. But looking back now, I think my grandmother finally found peace. I like to believe that she is in a peaceful place now with my grandfather and they are both laughing at me for being very, very stupid when I was young. Right now, I think that peace is a paradox. While the people in Iraq are fighting for peace in life, my grandmother found hers in death. It is ironic but it does not amuse me.

          As a teenager, I find peace at home. If a man's house is a castle, then the invaders are surely the forces of stress and expectations. After a long day at school, I rush home to read my comics. Reading comics does not only give ,e a peace of mind, it also allows my imagination to run free. But if I am too tired to read or study, I flee. I run to my room and tuck myself into bed. I escape to dreamland and run away from all my troubles. A good night's sleep calms down my mind and puts me at ease.

         To put it in a nutshell, I believe that peace is more than a word. It is a complex emotion that we feel even for the strangest of reasons. They say that "Happiness in life is a journey, not a destination." I believe that it is the same for peace. Every day I learn a little bit more about peace and the definitions of peace grow continuously in my heart. I think that peace is an exciting discovery I experience in my daily life. What about you? What does peace mean to you?

MOVIE REVIEW - "SPECTRE"

It was time to see James Bond in action again. The alpha male is invincible and immortal is back - the good person who could always overcome any evil deeds. What I miss most from a Bond movie would definitely be the multi-functions gadgets a Bond should have. This time round, he only has his fast car and a watch that could be used as a time bomb.

Is this movie suitable for young viewers? I should say, it is OK. I have seen more violent movies and furthermore, the lovemaking scenes are already censored. :)

The original soundtrack performed by Sam Smith for the movie is I must say, very theatrical - more theatrical from the previous one sung by Adele. Wonder will there be another Bond movie soon, or will there be another Bond hero replacing Daniel Craig? But for one thing, every time I enter the public toilet and see the writings on the wall, I will always remember this song. 

ATTENDING AFIQAH'S WEDDING RECEPTION

21st November 2015 ~ I attended the wedding reception of Ms. Afiqah Zahuri, another ex-SMKTUN student from SPM batch 2009. The father is no stranger to me as he is also one of the longest-serving committee members of the  school's PTA. The reception was held at the Community Hall in Taman Desa Skudai.

managed to get myself photographed with
the newly-wedded

the bride's eldest brother and an ex-student

an ice-cream booth

Congratulations to the bride and groom and wishing both you a happy life ahead. I should be expecting two more wedding invitations from the family in the future.

THE MUSEUM IN THE AIRPORT

There was a mini museum in Incheon International Airport. This was an example how people could spend their time beneficially at the airport. There was a place where people could learn new things inside the airport building. Even though the museum was small, it was very informative and was done like a real museum.

Incheon International Airport is one of the best airports in the world. I guess one of the factors which has put it in a high rank is because of the museum.