GOING WESTERN, GOING BIG

26th August 2014 ~ The original plan was ex-students visiting the teacher's house but it was changed to a meeting at Bigfood Cafe. It was alright with me and it was good in a way that I got to know a new eating place in town. Someone just came back from India for HIS semester break while the other three had also not met me for quite some time. We ordered western food which came in large servings but surprisingly we managed to gobble everything down. 

It was just a brief date but gossiping was still the main agenda. We should do this more frequently and hopefully we could get some sari materials later from that someone. It was a combination of good food and good company - thanks a lot Haran, Amalina, Fatihah and Rabiatul(from SPM batch 2010). Until we meet again in the next gossiping session.

THE 29TH DAY OF EID

25th August 2014 ~ A group of friends came visiting this evening. Someone was kind enough to bring dinner so there was more food other than Eid cookies this time.

Thanks for coming everybody and thanks for the food too. Hope we will see each other again next year even though we are not in the same school anymore. :(

THE 27TH DAY OF EID

I have totally stopped visiting people and people also have stopped visiting me. The current situation has actually dampened my spirit to celebrate Eid to the fullest. But when an ex-student from my English tuition class (from SMK Kempas) invited me for his annual Eid open house, I decided to go. Mr. Shafiq Suhaimi is now working in Kuala Lumpur so the chance to get to meet him is something that doesn't happen everyday. Thanks Shafiq for the kind thought, hopefully we can chat longer next time we meet up.

CHESS TOURNAMENT FOR TEACHERS

23rd August 2014 ~ I was asked to take part in a chess competition organized by PSKPP for state level, a body which was in-charge of sports and cultural activities for the academic and non-academic staff. The event was held in Kota Tinggi, Johor. Initially the three games namely chess, dart and carom were meant for administrators but there were not many administrators who were there to play chess especially so in the end any Tom, Dick or Harry could take part.

For the chess competition, there should be 4 people for one team (it was team category) but there were only 3 players for Johor Bahru district (and the third played was actually the team manager) but we just played for the fun of it, knowing that the chance of winning was very slim. We simply gave the fourth winning point away freely to the opponents.

an ex-colleague, Ustaz Rosli Puteh,
who is at PPD Segamat

Despite the fact we had less one player, we managed to win the third place of the competition. You could imagine what could happen if we had a fourth chess player for our team.

I guess I should start practising to hone my skills for next year's competition.

ENGLISH WORKSHOP FOR FORM 3 STUDENTS OF SMK PASIR PUTIH

Friday, 22nd August 2014 ~ This workshop had been planned much earlier with the teacher from SMK Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, so I could not simply cancel it even though I wish I could. In fact, when I get myself occupied, I would not feel sad. 

My session started at 8:00 p.m. and ended at 10:00 p.m. The workshop was held at Selesa Hotel, Pasir Gudang, and the students would be spending two nights there. Young people nowadays are much luckier - they are always provided with such luxury and comfort that people of my generation would never dream of having at their age.

Hopefully I have helped the students learn new things after the end of the session and get good grades for their upcoming examination, particularly for their English paper.

GOODBYE MY ROOM

With the help of a few male teachers and a female teacher (who is the wife of one of the male colleagues), my room was finally cleared for the next Senior Assistant of the Afternoon Session to reside. It was not an easy task as there was so much treasure (or rubbish) accumulated throughout my 20 years of service here.

This is the room where I have spent my time on weekdays and weekends. And I used to sleep here the night before the registration day for new students to make sure everything was ready and for the fear of not waking up early the next morning. (My house is 25 kilometres away from school).

Perhaps, there will no more Chess Club members coming in and out to get and to keep the chess sets; or the Angklung group members getting the instruments before practice and storing them back in the big cupboard inside afterwards.

This place is going to change, no more will it be for people, especially the men teachers, to sit down and gossip, or stop by just to perform the afternoon prayers.

I have seen my room at the new school and things will never be the same, ever. I will sure miss this place, a lot. :(