The Journey

" So, you are a little subdued now?" My friend asked me.

"Yeah, I guess." I said.

The new semester has just started, it is in its third week now. So while going to the classes, you tend to bump into students who you have not met for a while. Of course, they would say hi, we had a chat for a while before we move on to our classes. Some of them said that they are already in their last semester, which surprises me actually. I still remember going into their class when they were in their first semester, which just shows how time passes by so quickly.

Some of my students from the previous semester also gave me a thank you card because they have passed their exam. Not that I crave for it, but it is a good gesture, being shown some appreciation after all those months of hard work. Of course, in teaching, you are not supposed to expect any rewards from the students, enough that they do well in their studies. But still, I like it. They are my good students anyway, I have always known that they would pass.

Which also reminds me to how I was when I was still a student, doing my degree. I just can't imagine how naive and easy-going life was back then. And also all the wild experiences that you had when you are a student. Surely beats working life, any time of the day. I have always enjoyed my study years and I just hope that my students enjoy theirs too. Some people are too affixed to what you can get from your studies; the degree, the scroll and all that, while forgetting the most important part, the journey in getting those things, which I won't trade for anything in this world.

Simplified Life

I have just started using Twitter a couple of months ago. It was not exactly planned, just to update the Dramatic Durian website actually. But it led me to using the Twitter now, though it is just an occasional thing. Not that I am going to tweet non stop like what I see some other people are doing.

 The most obvious thing that I realize from using Twitter is that its limited words is not something that I really prefer. Hence mostly what I do is just reading other people's tweet rather than writing my own. Being someone who teaches language, writing in point forms or not elaborating my points is not something that I would want my students to do. There have been instances where my students would write their academic writing essays in point forms, which is just downright blasphemy for me. Might as well use SMS language for their essays then. Somehow I feel like due to the technology, we tend to simplify everything, that we have become too lazy to even read a book, thinking that it would take so much of our time.Technology also plays a part where it makes us having a short attention span, especially towards doing something like reading. We are so attached to technology that we can't seem to get enough of it, which I feel I am kinda guilty for that part too. My friends and I even have an agreement not to use the phone at all during the lunch sessions but to talk to each other. Like a normal person. Like what we used to do back in the good 'ol days.

 We are so caught up in all these stuffs that we might have forgotten that we should be the one controlling the technology, not the other way around.

That Small Deeds

Field Trip USA was on the tv last night. It is that tv show where they bring some Malaysian students to the US as exchange students. It is quite good that they offer some kind of different perspective to our local students as they can learn a lot about the culture of the people there. One of the exchange student even said that he likes the teachers there as they are different in their approach compared to Malaysian teachers. His favourite teacher there is a Social Studies teacher because the teacher likes to crack jokes and is like a friend to him. That is not actually surprising as even I, who is teaching right now, would like to have a teacher who understands me, rather than dictating what should and should not be done. Then I also read an article which discusses the impact that a teacher has on the students. The encouraging teachers who always say the right thing at the right time, who do not condescend the students whatever their capabilities might be, who have that little sprinkle of trust dust which would help the students to be confident of themselves, no matter how insignificant they might seem. So I tried to recall those teachers who have shaped me to be who I am today

Primary School : Cikgu Badariah - my Mathematics teacher who was very fierce but actually meant well. Teachers nowadays don't do things like she did back then. You don't do your work, be prepared to be pinched until it leaves a mark. Haha. Though I am not exactly a fan of Mathematics, I somehow realized that I like being calculative and technical even in my language works.

Secondary School : Miss Umi Kelsom - When you only have one English teacher for that 5 years of secondary school, you know that somehow, sooner or later, you would bond with that teacher. And I did, I have always liked being in her class as I would sometime escape some sort of punishments while my friends did not. Haha. She managed to make me love English and trusted me when other teachers did not. You surely can't ask more than that.

University : Madam Sri Hariaty - There was this time when we had a group work and have to write articles. For my article, I wrote something about the elements in water. Once the work was submitted, one of my friend from another class told me that she complimented my work in front of the other class and said that my work was good and I could be a writer for a magazine or something like that. Though I am not exactly a writer now, I feel that that recognition motivated me to write more and not to give up on writing. Though she did not say it directly to me, I will always remember how it affects me in my writing.

To have these teachers who have influenced you and helping you to be who you are right now is really a blessing. So last week when a student of mine gave me a letter, I was not expecting the things that she wrote in it.



Yes, she spelled my name as Sayfiq. Haha. I can't exactly remember when I said this to her but I am almost certain that I was joking. I was not expecting this letter at all as I would just say something without trying to preach or nag them. But I am honoured that at least what I said has some impact on them. At least she likes going to my class and enjoyed it. That is one thing done right by me. Haha. So being an educator is more than just teaching, it is leaving an impact on the students and helping them to improve. It is more than helping them to learn what is in the syllabus but to learn about life as well. That is not exactly an easy ride but that is something that I am willing to do.

Two in One.

My eldest sister just got married early this month. It has taken her quite some time to get married. Suffice to say, it could not get any sooner.

She had gone through some ups and downs in her relationship, from the best of time, having men 'jostling' to get her hands, to the worst of times, watching her burning her ex's love letters and asking me not to treat my lady badly. Well, that is one advice that I dont have to reminded of, just ask those who have been with me.haha. Jokes aside, she deserves to get married, to be with someone who she loves. After what she had gone through, this is the least that she should get.



As loud as she is, as tough looking she is, she is one fragile lady inside. Just wait for her to be in her occasional breakdowns and you know what I mean. Luckily she has someone as patient as her husband, who could keep up with her tantrums and mood swings. Patience should be his middle name as I dont even think I have his level of patience. If I were him, I would have walked out a long time ago. But no, he was persistent for the past 6 years or so, being her long time boyfriend before finally marrying her. That is one great guy and my sister is lucky to have him as her boyfriend and now as her husband. And no one can deny that.

Have I told you that she is a devious scammer? Maybe I already have but I am still going to say about it here. I was in my primary school years when I was duped into parting with my money, in the context of sharing, so that 'we' could buy a No Doubt's album. Though I could not really understand why I let her dupe me into doing that, I am glad that she did that because, hell, No Doubt is one good band. She influenced me since then into liking many great female singers. Maybe she likes women who are tough and independent and you can really see her in that mould once you know her. And I have no regrets whatsoever liking these great female singers.

To Along, a great sister, hopefully you are happy with the man of your choice because I know that he is happy to have you too. Both of you are great together and that is a No Doubt.

While We Celebrate.

Today is Raya Aidilfitri. Selamat Hari Raya to everyone. It is also a day to celebrate and do good deeds. But while we have fun and visit our loved ones, just remember that there are those who are not able to indulge in the lavish activities that we are used to. Some people even have to resort to living in toilets.

Early this year, the night before Chinese New Year, I was sipping my teh tarik at the usual mamak stall in front of my house when I saw a Chinese family, a mother with her two daughters, eating roti canai when they should be having their big dinner.The mom just watched her daughters sharing a cup of water with one roti canai. It made me realise that poverty is not restricted to certain people when actually it covers some percentage of people in Malaysia, no matter who they are. There are always some people who need help from us, you just need to watch Bersamamu on TV3.

So for this Raya, help those who are in need. Who knows, maybe someday you would need some help too.

Chances.

I was involved in a CSR programme that was organised by my workplace. As I am used to being involved with programmes like this when I was studying, I figured that I might as well lend a hand in helping my colleagues. It was a CSR programme that was held at a primary school nearby where we had some language games and book donations. While we were playing the language games with the students, some students, even the weak ones were very participative. Though they can hardly understand English, they tried their best to give the answers. Partly because we offered some prizes to entice them, I guess. But that is not the point. What the students need is motivation. Some of them see English as something that is so alien, so foreign to them that they can't seem to see themselves to be involved with it. What makes matters worse is when teachers label the students as incompetent thus demotivating the students. Some teachers need to know their students better because that is how we can motivate the students. For example, there are students who like to be praised for them to work hard. While some students prefer to be challenged for them to give their best. But when teachers do not even take their time to engage the students, that is when the problem comes. Sure, some teachers are recognised as the best teacher when they are able to help the students to get as many As as possible. But what is untold is that most of these students are already bright students, teachers do not need to do much to help these students. Meanwhile, students from the remedial classes are ignored because they do not have much hope to score as many As as their more intelligent friends. Sadly, that is the situation nowadays, those who seem to have less are ignored.

I was talking to some of my seniors colleagues when the topic of their younger days suddenly cropped out. Those were days, they said, when it was in the 80s up until the early 90s, when people don't really wear hijab, even for some of the ustazah. Both of them have almost the same story. One of them said that she was not wearing any hijab at that time but she wanted to know more about Islam. But the problem was, the Muslim bodies in her university shunned her because she was not wearing hijab at that time. As she did not have anyone to guide her, she did not wear hijab until few years later. The other one said that her friends who wear hijab also shunned her because she did not wear hijab. But one of the now-outlawed Muslim bodies (it was not outlawed at that time) accepted her and helped her to know Islam and others things related to it. They lamented how easy it was to judge people and have negative perception just because they do not conform to the same set of standards that other people have. They said it would be better to help them rather than making them feel like an outcast. Sure, it is easy to give sermons to those who always come to the mosque everyday. But what about those who do not, should they be left out? Maybe this is why some people gave up and went to other bodies in request for help as even some Muslim bodies prefer to wash their hands of difficult things and concentrate to things that are easier.

Chances. It is very easy to be said but not very easy to be given to those who need them.


Nur Kasih The Movie 2011 PPVRip 01 by daniNor15

I like this scene from Nur Kasih The Movie, watch from minute 25 onwards. It is very much related to what I'm writing today.

The Fish That is Fed

Life is not a bed of roses, no one can deny that. It is a very materialistic world now, that sometimes people are divided between the haves and the havenots.

Funding

I went to Singapore last week, with a hope that I could enjoy myself there. Instead, I had to follow a group for visits to mosque around there. The committee of the mosques explained that they did not get any direct funding from the government. What they got were money from Mosque Building Fund (MBF) and discounts in buying plots of lands for their mosque. MBF is a fund where Muslims in Singapore would have their salary to be deducted and put into the fund. The minimum is 5 Dollar while others can opt for more. This is the fund that is used to buy the lands, build the mosque and for the upkeeps of the mosque. While some mosques received fundings from MBF, there are also those that do not receive them. What these mosques did was they organized programmes, such as selling food and selling items that have been donated to the mosque. What impresses me the most, for them, mosques are more than a place for you to pray five times a day. For them, it is a community centre, where it is not limited to praying only. They have programmes where they engage the community and the youths in liking the mosques. They worked for it as they know that if they do not work for it, then no one else will. In the midst of that monetary hardships, they persevered and did not whine hoping for assistance from the government. Of course, as the minorities, they had to compromise such as they cant use the loudspeakers for azan but they did not see that as a problem as everyone knows that they can still listen to the azan in the radio. These are the examples where you have to persevere and not let the problems to get you down.

Tourist spots.

While the Singaporean Malays persevered, Malaysian Malays prefer to wait for everything to come to them. Very well known for being lazy, all the fundings should come from the government, that is what the Malays have always thought. Thus, they did not actually work for the fundings, they just have to apply, contact some YBs and they will get the fundings. Not only that the mosques are used for praying only, sometimes the main purpose that they are actually built are for tourism. Yes, we can show to the people that we have alot of mosques, but who actually use them? Maybe what should be done is we have something similar like MBF, so that the Muslims here actually feel some sense of entitlement to the mosques because they actually contributed their money to the mosques. Maybe only then, we will work hard with what we have and not being ignorant just because we already have our day jobs and we can put food on our table.

The fault here is when we feel comfortable with our life that we tend to ignore hardships that other people had been through and not to work hard to achieve something that we actually want . Like the saying, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. "