From the Eyes of koko'

Photography Is Such A Lonely Affair

2009-11-07T02:51:00.002+08:00

Ever since I got my SLR, I've been the designated photographer for my school.
I have been called upon to take photos of almost every person & literally every event.
It's as if a whole new world of imagery has opened up for the residents of my school.
Another probable motivating factor is... I snap for a zero fee!

Every time I look through the pictures taken after a photo-shoot or after an event, I cant help but notice that I do not exist in any of them.
Then, I'd pause & feel my heart break over the thought that I would never ever have a recorded memory of the event with my face in it.
Everybody would be exclaiming with glee & discussing excitedly how ridiculous they looked in the photos but they'd still copy the photos & cherish then.

As for me, I have nothing to cherish.
It's only me & the fleeting memories I have difficulty retaining.

Often I'd be having dinner or taking a nap & then a photograph would pop into my head...
or I might be thinking of my next blog post & an awesome idea for an accompanying picture appears.
More often that it should, most of these moments are forgotten because, for me, photography is such a lonely affair.

I wish that God would give me a buddy who shares a mutual love for all things beautiful.
Someone who desires to cause a reaction in the hearts & minds of every picture viewer.
Someone who would drop everything to brave rain or shine at a mind-boggling hour just to get the picture done 'perfectly'.

To every photographer living as an island...
Let us remember each other in our prayers.
Now that my buddies are far away... I miss their artful contributions to my expressions.
I miss you, Nas, Mien & Manan.

What Sets My Blog Apart

2009-10-31T01:55:00.001+08:00

I've been seriously considering lately whether I should follow the blogger's cliche of blogging about every darn restaurant they've been to.
You know, the ones where they take insanely close-up pictures of the food to show how 'yummy' it looks & share their experiences with the world (be it good, bad or so-so).

I eat out quite often but I do not find a need to blog about every single shop or stall that I visit.
Mainly because I only blog about things that have touched or impacted me in some way.
I've written posts about a few priviledged establishments because they have something there that sets them apart from the others.

This doesn't mean that I wont write about food establishments.
I'm planning to blog about my favorite places for food in Kuching simply out of my overflowing love for them.
I want to expose my love affair with Kuching food to the whole wide world!
p/s: I've got really good taste (oh, I'm so vain) so be sure to check these places out when you're in town!

I write what I want to write.
But sometimes I am clueless as to what I should put in my next blog post...
And I'm tempted to imitate the recipe of the famous ones.
hmmm~~

Nah, I dont think I should put in half-hearted pirated posts.
I'll only post something on my blog because I really want it to be there.
Either that or someone has paid me to do it... **hint** **hint**

I think that is what sets my blog apart. I blog for love. I blog for me.
I don't care to much about attracting more readers or being popular.
I don't go around leaving out-of-context comments on random blogs.
I don't want to be the next KennySia.

I want to be me.
This blog is an extension of my psyche on display for those who care.

I think I've attracted a group of readers with a similar disposition.

I've attracted people who actually care instead of those who are blindly following a trend.

And I am thankful for them.

They... No, YOU motivate me to be a better writer / blogger.

I will do my best to be sincere & truthful on my blog for you.

In this day & age, where information is at one's fingertips & almost every tom dick & kumar has a blog, it's time people started blogging with a difference.

So It's A Small Bonus

2009-10-23T21:47:00.001+08:00

The Budget for 2010 was just announced today & a bonus of RM500 will be given to all mid-level civil servants from the rank of 41 to 52. (I hear that even retirees are getting it.)
Previously a bonus of RM500 was given to lower level civil servants to help with festivity costs.

Only a few hours after the announcement of the new budget, some of my fellow civil servants are already complaining that the bonus is too little.
True enough. Compared to the yesteryears, this new bonus is a midget dwarf.
This really got me thinking...

The first question I asked myself was:
Do civil servants deserve a bonus?
In the private sector, employees are given a bonus based on individual performance as well as the organisation's performance as a whole.
I personally think that I deserve a bonus because I waded through a whole load of sheet this year.
I gave my school 100 & 10 percent.
However, I dare not make the same assurances for my fellow servants.
How much have you done this year to deserve a better bonus?

The next question on my mind was:
Can our country afford to give away large sums of money in exchange for nothing?
Do civil servants realise that there is currently a global economic crisis going on?
Malaysia is NOT excluded.
Just take a look at the numbers from the National Statistics Department (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia).
The Malaysian budget has already been in a deficit for many many years...
but this year, we've got a super 7.6% deficit.
(A deficit is the excess of national expenditure over revenue. Our deficits were usually below 4%)
Civil servants already cost RM38 billion in salaries this year (& ever increasing each year!)
RM500 is already a lot of money to hand out to so many of us.

taken from qizinklaziva.wordpress.com

Does money fall from the sky or maybe they grow on trees?

Let me end with my last question:
What is a bonus?
A bonus is a gift.
Accept it with grace & carry on.
You'll still get your salary every month.
Plus you will never get fired even if you are a lazy worker!
Oh, the perks of being a servant of the people...
Sometimes you don't feel like a servant at all!
**HIGH FIVE**

p/s: I'm a proactive patriotic idealistic citizen. I'm gonna take my RM500 & I'm gonna put it back into the economy by spending it on something for my Datin. =)

Minah Gedik SMS Saya

2009-10-17T14:41:00.001+08:00

taken from peperonity.com

Malam Khamis yang lepas, ada seseorang hantar sms kepada nombor telefon bimbit saya.
Hi
Sepuluh minit kemudian, dia hantar satu lagi.
Alo0. . .

Pada masa itu saya dekat ulu sana mana ada line?
Saya terima lah dua sms tu pada petang Jumaat.
Masa tu saya baru keluar dari hutan nak berimam dan sembahyang la nih.

Saya pun hairan la. Siapa pula dia?
014-955XXXX

Takde dalam fonbook.

Macam nombor semenanjung aje...
Terfikirlah mungkin member saye kat sana kot.

Oleh tu, saye pun balas pula.
Yes? How can I help you?
Tapi tak da pun reply.
Saya pun lupakan aje la.
Tak kan la nak call. Bazir kredit aje.

Pastu, malam Jumaat pula sampailah sms die.
B0leh t0l0ng i tak?
Konfirm minah semenanjung la ini!
Siapa lagi yang guna gelaran glamer 'I' kan?
Mungkin juga kawan saye so saye play along aje lah.
Tolong buat apa?

Menyamar jd max,bf aku??
Ape nih?
Masa tu saye sudah dapat konfirm.
Ni bukan kawan saye ni.
Saye pun tanye la dia...
Who are you?

Aku main dail2 je number kw,.. aku shar0n atau pngil cher0n jax.
Minah gedik gatal mane nih?
Saye tak de nafsu nak main benda macam ini la.
Kan saya suda ada ger-fren?
Sorry. Saya tak main benda benda macam ini.

Sekejap lagi die pun reply...
K s0ry m'gngu..k,bye

Ape lah minah ni?
Nak main gedik dengan saye ke ni?
Buat kacau saja lah!

Jelas die tidak baca apa yang saye pernah tulis dulu bertajuk "To Girls who Want to Make Friends with Men".
Kalau ade baca pandailah sikit approach saye.
Saye bukannye mat rempit kan?

Happy Deepavali

2009-10-15T11:00:00.000+08:00

taken from singaporelearning.com

Shout Out to Nesa, Guna, Diren, Guna 2, Vimal & everyone out there who celebrates the festival of lights!
Happy Deepavali!

According to Wikipedia, Deepavali or Divali has a spiritual meaning of "the awareness of the inner light".
Just as there are celebrations for the birthday of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of our inner light.
The light which outshines all darkness & awakens the individual to one's true nature.
Deepavali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship.
There are varying stories behind Deepavali but the essence is the same: to rejoice in the inner light.

Enjoy the festivities with your friends & family!

Most significantly, enjoy the long weekend!!!

Oh, and do think of me fondly...
because I dont get a holiday tomorrow...
**sob**

An Awkward Moment

2009-10-09T21:25:00.003+08:00

After 12 days of teaching (I didn't have a weekend last weekend),
I'm now in Sibu for a long-awaited weekend of rest & relaxation...

Well, not quite.
I'm currently working on the school magazine (finishing touches) & will submit it to the printing press tomorrow morning at 8am together with my Big Boss aka. Mr Principal.

Earlier today, I spent the afternoon registering the Police Cadets of my school with the IPD so I had to take the last express to Sibu at 4pm.
There were no seats left & I had to sit on the roof of the boat.
Great.
No, not really.

I arrived in Sibu at 6pm.
I went straight to my budget hotel
(Yes, I'm a poor guy without a sugar momma.)
Immediately, I jumped into the shower for a long relaxing warm water wash.

After I was done, it struck me.
Shit! No towel!
I opened the bathroom door, looked around & true enough.
NO TOWEL!!!
(I don't bring towels with me. I don't mind using towels from 'reputable' budget hotels. I wont get STDs from towels la, okay~~)

Then, I realised that I had 2 options.
ONE: Go down to reception to get one.
TWO: I could sit there in the cold air-conditioned room & 'air dry'.
It was a no brainer.
I put on a pair of shorts & jumped out the door.

"Ada tuala tak?" I asked.
Lo & behold... There I was at reception.
Dripping wet from head to toe.
Naked except for a piece of cloth covering my 'shy' parts.
It was then that I realised how awkward I looked.

There were 3 guys there.
They stopped & looked at me silently.
One was staring at my manly chest & smiling to himself.

Before the receptionist said anything.
He eyed me from head to toe.
He didn't even hand me a towel, he had to say:
"Ada deposit 5 Ringgit untuk tuala tau."

Do I look like I have RM5 conveniently tucked between my butt cheeks?
"Ya la. Saya pakai dulu nanti bayar la."
He eyed me again before making me walk over to him for my towel.

The question of the day is:

What do you do when you see a wet naked guy.

Wouldn't you give him a towel?

I remember someone from Australia who might.

hahaha~~

What an awkward moment.

taken from gymaddicts.com

My body looks like this!

Well, not quite...

My 6 pack is more like a 6 pack in 1.

PMR is Tomorrow

2009-10-06T12:00:00.002+08:00

As a dutiful & loving teacher, I will perform the compulsory cliché of wishing you (students) good luck.
Then, I will hide in a secret corner to snicker at the thought of the long awaited vacation time away from you after you go off for the exams.
Oh, the thought of it makes me so...
kihehehehe~~~

To PMR students all over Malaysia...

Do your best!!

taken from riggsfamilyblog.com

Be sure to say a prayer before you start each test!

4 - Season 1: The SPP Interview

2009-10-03T09:07:00.001+08:00

This is the first & last episode of the hit TV series, 4 - Season 1: The SPP Interview.

The following takes places between 7am-11am.
*imagine a clock ticking... tick... tick... tick...*

7-8am
*imagine a husky voice narrating*
My alarm clock rings. It's 7am.
I wake up to find myself covered in sweat.
It was a long & sleepless night.
I look beside me & she's still here.
I hate her. But I need her.
She kept me awake all night.
I reach over to crush her, but I resist the temptation.
Bloody interview notes! I'm hooked on you now, but once I'm done with you, you'll be my toilet paper!

I head to the bathroom.
I cant bear the sight of the ghost that's staring back at me.
The heavy bags under my eyes are a reminder of the hell that I went through the past weeks.
I was given a desperate case to solve.
I gave it all I've got.
I fought with the PIPP.
I roughed up the NEP.
I even got high on 1Malaysia.

As I put my toothbrush in my mouth, I stared at myself deep & determined.
I have been waiting.
Today, I redeem myself.
Today, I face my demons.
Finally, I have my chance at the SPP Interview.

I check my wristwatch. It's 7.30am.
I look around me to see if I have everything.

white long-sleeved shirt: check!
black lounge coat, dark-coloured slacks, black socks & back leather shoes: check!
black tie: check!
government issue name-tag: check!
shiny Parker pen clearly visible: check!
important documents arranged in a clear folder: check!
ridiculously short haircut especially done for this day: check!
passport-sized photo taken the day before in a bloody rush: check!

Everything seems to be in place.
But why can't I shake of this feeling in my gut that something might go really wrong today.
I say a silent prayer as the door shuts behind me.
First things first, breakfast.

Exhibit A: Passport-Sized Photo

8-9am
The sunlight hurts my eye.
There are no clouds in the sky.
It's stuffy & bloody baskets it is warm.
As I listen to the cool purr of the soothing air-conditioner inside, I feel the sweat between my skin & my clothes.
I was pursuing an anonymous tip at the local government building when I got abushed.
This organisation is more cunning than I thought.

Now, I find myself sitting on a bench.
I am chained & bound. I cannot leave.
"He will be questioned", I heard one of the guards say with a sly smile.
I can't help but think of questioned with apostrophes.
Painful ones.

I look to my left & to my right
The other captives have the same nervous look on their faces.
They seem to be murmuring while staring intensely at pieces of paper.
They're probably chanting or praying in fear of the torture that they are about to face.

Can't blame them.
I myself am shaking in my boots.
My heart is beating nerves all over my body.
It's funny.
This feels just like the time I was about to meet my girlfriend's parents.

taken from www.supsrwk.gov.my

Exhibit B: Local Government Building (Kapit, Sarawak)

9-10am
It took some time before I was escorted into a fluorescent lit room.
A petite young lady was seated behind a large table.
I could see my personal documents on her table.
They were stripped off me when I got captured.
She looks a little too young to be questioning hardened officers like myself.

I was right.
She's the secretary of the Chairman.
Or in my case, as I found out, the Chairwoman.
Oh, the sound of that name sends shivers down my spine.

The secretary goes through my documents with great diligence.
She carefully eyes every one while pondering their authenticity.
She had never seen some of my certificates before.
Indeed, I am unique in the service.

After about half an hour, I was sweating again on sunshine bench.
To my surprise, the lady in the room was sympathetic to my cause.
She told me that I will be evaluated by the Chairwoman on several grounds.
I will have to do well in every one if I were to survive the 'interview'.

I didn't work hard for the past 2 weeks for nothing.
I was ready for any question.
The 5 grounds were: possessing the required documents, professional outward appearance, communicative skills, pedagogic/content knowledge & current domestic/international events.
I was branded #10 & the Chairwoman was currently with #5.
I had a long tormenting wait ahead of me.

10-11am
I've waited a long time.
The wait was uncomfortable but it was also enlightening.
It gave me an idea of who this Chairwoman was.
Whatever tiny clues I could get from those who came out were invaluable for my preparation.

Some people came out with smiles.
Some people came out with tears.
Clearly they were shaken & unable to answer the Chairwoman's twisted questions.
However, I learned that the Chairwoman was somehow coldly professional.
She never raised her voice nor does she ever make clear what she wants to do with you.

Extended Edition: 11am-12pm
I'm beginning to feel faint & fatigued.
This is not the condition I wanted to be interviewed in.
But I have to keep myself steady & not let weariness get the better of me.
I must stay sharp.
I cannot fail!

Special Edition: 12pm-1pm
It is time.
#9 walks out & gives me a knowing eye.
Without saying anything, he's wishing me luck.
He survived.
Now, it's my turn.

I knocked, opened & walked into a large cold room.
At the far end of the room is a well-aged lady behind a condescendingly huge desk.
She's flipping through my documents. Scrutinising.
She looks at me & firstly asks me a simple question.
I had to tell her about myself.

It was just the warm-up.
She asked many perplexing questions after that.
Her questions were calculated, factual & designed to push my limits.
If there was a mentally straining moment in my life, that was one of them.

She asked me about one memorable experience I had during my studies in NZ.
Then, she asked me how I applied it to my teaching at school.
She moved on to asking what the significance of the National Education Philosophy was to a teacher.
Soon, she asked me what I understood about KBSR & KBSM.
Next, I was asked the purpose of Pelan Induk Pembangunan Pendidikan.
Later, she asked me about Wawasan 2020 & what would our country be like if it were already advanced.
Finally, she asked me if I thought that the teaching profession was suitable for me.
After I answered her, she was not satisfied. She asked me the same question again.
I gave her the same answer... again.

Before I knew it, I was released with all my documents.
From the reaction of the Chairwoman to my answers, I believe I passed.
I live to fight another day!

p/s:
Thank you for your prayers, emotional support & well-wishes!
I have the greatest friends!
=)

Look out for the new season of 4!

Season 2: The PTK Exam

Coming Soon on TV koko'!

How To Stay Loyal To Your Woman

2009-09-26T10:00:00.017+08:00

Every man has got a favourite food, a favourite sport or a favourite band.
The same can be said about their taste in women.
Look at a man's dating history & you will see that he has a preference for one certain type of woman.
That’s his favourite type.

Some men will go goo goo over girls with big boobies or a tight ass.
Some collect life-sized Barbies.
While I prefer smart girls...
Thinking back, I realise that I have a soft spot for slim, chic, adorably nerdy-looking girls in glasses.
These girls are hard to find in the right combination but once I see one, I'm just not myself!
hahaha~~

These girls compel you to step over & make a fool of yourself by saying hi.
Oh, hello. There’s one right there!
Okay, take 3 deep breaths first to calm your nerves & slow your thumping heart.
Now all I have to do is leave my seat & don’t look too awkward as I walk over…
WAIT A MINUTE! I’m already in a relationship!
OH NO!!

So what can I do to stay loyal?
What can I do to pacify this fluttering of my heart?
What can I do the quench this fire in my pants?
Especially when my woman is not immediately available?

The answer is simple.
Immediately, give your woman a call.
Pour out your love to her. SINCERELY.
Tell her how much you miss her.
Tell her all the things that you like about her.
After that, I’m sure she’ll have several sweet things to say to you too.

While you’re talking on the phone, move as far away from the new girl as possible!
After the phone call, your desires should subside somewhat.
However, that’s not the end of the story.
Do not feed your thoughts with the other girl.
Busy yourself with something.
An idle mind is the devil’s playground!

Sounds like a lot of work, eh?
Well guys, the truth is staying loyal is NEVER easy…
It takes a lot of commitment & sacrifice.
But let me say that anything you do for your woman is definitely worth it!
=)

taken from 90210insiders.com
Cheating Doesn't Pay! (Especially When She Finds Out!)

What's The Deal With Taylor Swift & Kanye West?

2009-09-22T12:00:00.001+08:00

2 weeks ago, when I noticed a headline in the newspaper of Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift's speech during the MTV Video Music Awards 2009, I didn't really bother to read about it & thought that it would be a passing thing.
As the days went by, the people of America would not let it pass.
Americans started criticising Kanye West on blogs & even on youtube.

I couldn't be bothered about what's going on in America because the hype always dies down when the next in thing comes up.
However, the Kanye West hating fever has spread all over the world.
Now, even Malaysians are criticising Kanye West for his rude interruption, albeit with more restraint than the Americans.
That's when I realised that I've really got to check this out.

For the record, Kanye West is my favourite R&B artist of all time so I felt compelled to find out what was really going on.
From my investigation, let me just say one thing...
NEVER LOOK ON YOUTUBE!!
You'll end up wasting you time & bandwidth watching stupid commentaries or lame as videos of American teens high on hormones.
I had to endure a video of a skinny pimple-faced white guy screaming (like a little girl) words that even I would be shy to use with my buddies.

I did however, manage to find the video of what happened on Myspace.
For those of you who are clueless, read about what happened from RollingStone.
Take note that everything that is reported in the media is sympathetic towards Taylor Swift. Without watching what happened, you (as I was) wouldn't understand why.

The next day, Kanye posted a haphazard apology on his blog.
That night, he made an impromptu apology before a live performance on the Jay Leno show.
A day later, Kanye called to apologise & Taylor accepted it.
Yet the rage goes on & on & on...

I concur that Kanye shouldn't have done such a rude thing to a sweet little lady like Taylor Swift.
This proves that alcohol makes people do stupid things.
Now kids, that's something that you should never do at home!

~~~~~
Why did Kanye have to get on stage to interrupt Taylor?
It was over the "Best Female Video" award.
Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" beat Beyoncé's "Single Ladies".
However, later in the show, Beyoncé's video did go on to win "Best Video of the Year".

Here are the two videos. Watch them & decide for yourself which on is the best.

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me

Beyoncé - Single Ladies

Looking at the videos, I'd agree with Kanye.
Everyone was thinking it.
But he had the balls to go up & say it.
It was rude but it was the truth!

Anyway, Kanye did Taylor Swift a BIG favour.
Look at the publicity & all the love she's getting!
Now she has the power to dip her hands into the hearts of the whole world!
Her talents + sympathy + publicity = a whole lot of potential!
She better milk this cow before the milk goes bad!

taken from Mafia Wars

No matter how stupid you are, you're still a genius.
I love your work, Kanye!
hahaha~~

Salam Aidilfitri

2009-09-20T01:00:00.003+08:00

taken from nizam83.wordpress.com

Eid ul-Fitr is Arabic for 'festivity for the breaking of fasting'.
Those of you who have no idea should really click to read about it from Wikipedia.
Any Malaysians who have no idea what I'm talking about should really go & jump from the tallest building you can find. Seriously.

Shoutout to my IPBA-rian dudes & dudettes!
Shoutout to my Kuching futsal kakis & buddies & buddettes!
Shoutout to my fellow bloggers!
Shoutout to all you Malayisans studying overseas!
Finally, a shoutout to the Muslims in Malaysia!

You guys, enjoy the festivities!
Being the inspirational & influential & responsible & great teacher I am, I'll be here in the middle of nowhere watching over my wide-eyed & innocent students as they study for SPM & PMR.

Sorry for not sending any SMSes, ya?
No line mah!
Can save money oso!
hehehe~~

I'll be back at home on Monday evening & will be visiting my Muslim friends in Kuching with a vengeance the next day!

Here's a special message to the 3 hotties I've been thinking about these few days...
To Beef Rendang, Ketupat & Kek Lapis...
I shall be back to satisfy my carnal desires on you very soon!

P/S: Maaf Zahir & Batin!

A Malaysian Sponsored Team in F1?

2009-09-18T11:00:00.005+08:00

I don't usually write about these issues but this one really ticks me off.
I read about this here & here.

taken from themalaysianinsider.com

After reading about this in the news, I noticed that "The 1Malaysia F1 team will be a partnership between the Government and the private sector, including investors led by Datuk Kamarudin Meranun (AirAsia Deputy CEO), Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes (AirAsia CEO) and SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin (Naza Group CEO)."

All I could think about was...
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$DUIT$$$$RAKYAT$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Who is going to pay for this expensive publicity stunt?
I'm flabbergasted!
I'm sure there are better ways to publicise the country.
I'm sure the money is better spent elsewhere.
This just reminds me of the Malaysian angkasawan stunt.

Anyway, since they have already set their minds to do this, I sincerely hope that their best efforts will be put into this.
I do not wish to see billions of ringgit spent just so that an F1 team with our country's face on it will merely 'participate'.
The team has to do well for it's circumstance so that it does not fall flat on the face of our country.

argh~~
The laments of a concerned citizen.

School Schedule for 2010

2009-09-16T12:00:00.002+08:00

Here is the school schedule for 2010 from Kementrian Pelajaran Malaysia.
Get your holiday air-tickets now while it's still cheap!!

Semester 1
Sekolah: 4/1 - 12/3 (10 Minggu)
Cuti: 13/3 - 21/3
Sekolah: 22/3 - 4/6 (11 Minggu)
Cuti: 5/6 - 20/6

Semester 2
Sekolah: 21/6 - 3/9 (11 Minggu)
Cuti: 4/9 - 12/9
Sekolah: 13/9-19/11 (10 Minggu)
Cuti: 20/11 - 2/1

I ♥ Ramadhan Bazaars!

2009-09-11T20:45:00.001+08:00

from kampungboycitygal.blogspot.com

I absolutely love Ramadhan Bazaars!
Every year I look forward to visiting one of these daily glorious Malay food fairs!
The best of Malay cuisine are not to be found in exquisite exclusive expensive boutique diners.
The best of the best is always born out of years of trial & error in the humble kitchens of everyday makciks!
And just for 30 days a year, these sweaty chubby golden girls share their works with you at a token price of what these priceless creations are worth!

Step into one of these carnivals that can be found all over Malaysia (even in Sibu, Sarawak!) during the Holy month of Ramadhan & breathe in the festivities.
Watch as families, teenagers in school uniforms & senior citizens walk from stall to stall counting their money & wondering what delights they will find in the next stall.
Sample the stalls yourself & you'll find Roti Jala, Kek Lapis, Kari Paf, Tempeh, Agar-Agar, Leko, Ayam Masak Merah, Kari Ayam & Sambal Ikan Billis just to name a few!

However, the beauty of a Ramadhan Bazaar is not found only in the food.
It can also be found in the people.
People of every skin colour, language & social background are welcome to the same location & pay the same price for the same food.
Nobody is special there. Everyone is treated as Malaysians.
Even though we are different in so many ways...
We gather together for the one love that each & every Malaysian shares...
The love for food.

Salam Satu Malaysia!

My Nationalistic Awakening

2009-08-31T08:00:00.002+08:00

Kepada Semua Warganegara Malaysia...
Selamat Menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan!
To all Malaysians, happy Independence Day!

I look upon this year's Independence Day with great patriotic fervour.
I am grateful that every Malaysian citizen still has some say in how the country is to be run & I am glad that Malaysia is currently experiencing the teething struggles of a truly democratic country.

I used to be a neutral I-don't-mess-with-you you-don't-mess-with-me jaded indifferent uninterested inhabitant of this country.
As long as I can make a living & enjoy life, I don't care who wins the elections.
The only politicians I could name were merely Mahathir, Badawi & (recently) Najib.
Heck, I wouldn't even bother to register to vote.
Neither would I read about current events.. I'd just go straight to the comics or football news!
But all that has changed since my nationalistic awakening.

I would prefer not to comment much on the current political situation of the country lest I draw unwanted affection from certain parties.
But I will say that the political fuss & muss of controversies & allegations occurring this year has held my interest captive.
I love a good story with a good twist.
All the complexities & ulterior motives in the latest season of the Malaysian political drama has given me a lot of excitement!
I cannot wait to see what unfolds in the next episode!

Soon, I started paying more attention to current events in the mainstream media.
Then, I started reading about the same current events from the alternative media.
Currently, I have already registered to vote.
In the future, when the time comes for me to put my patriotism into action, I will do so without hesitation.

For patriotism is not in back-biting, arguments, protests, bloodshed or war but in the pen & paper during balloting day.
That is where every citizen's true power lies.

The highest level of patriotism is displayed when we use our power to choose representatives that will serve the best interests of our country.
Have you registered to vote yet?

Information on Victoria University of Wellington by a Malaysian Alumnus for Prospective Malaysian Students

2009-08-27T11:00:00.003+08:00

I have recently received an email from a prospective Malaysian student of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
In this email were relevant questions that any student should ask to better prepare themselves before flying all the way there.

I have decided to share my reply here because I think that there are many other people in the world who may be seeking similar information...
This is written specifically for middle-class students from Malaysia who will study on Victoria University of Wellington's Kelburn campus.

Any past or present student of VUW are welcome to comment & add to this post!

The University

**click to see a larger image**

On the satelite map from google maps, I've highlighted Kelburn campus in blue & Wellington CBD in red.
Ask you can see, the university is very close to the city centre so you dont have to worry about transportation or food when you get hungry.
They are about 10-15 mins walk from each other.

Be aware however, that it is a steep uphill walk from the city towards the campus.
Do make sure you have comfortable walking shoes or flip-flops (Both cheaper in Malaysia).
Having climbed the Kelburn campus slopes every day to get to class, climbing stairs or walking long distances in Malaysia will be nothing but a breeze!
Consider the 10-15 min walk your daily exercise!
=)

The People

taken from totaltravel.co.nz

I've visited other parts of NZ but I still think that Wellington is the best.
When I was in other parts of NZ, I felt like I was in Asia. It was all hustle & bustle. There were also many people of Asian origins moving up & down the streets & inhabiting the buildings. I didn't pay an arm & a leg to fly all the way here just to get back into Asia!

Wellington has a diverse & wondrous blend of people groups. There is an equal majority of Maori (the indigenous people) & Pakeha (white foreigners). There is also a minority of other ethnicities like Indians, Koreans, Japanese & Chinese. It is only in Wellington that you get to experience New Zealand's melting pot of culture. Get to know the different people groups & be fascinated as you learn about their cultures.

The people in Wellington are amiable & very approachable. New Zealand is probably one of the friendliest countries in the world!
Usually the person sitting next to you on in class or waiting at the same bus stop will greet you with a customary "How's it going?". Please don't look confused & answer what's going where. It's a question that enquires on how your day has been.
The question is a polite gesture & sometimes people will get back to what they are doing.
Those who want a chat will carry on by talking about the weather or asking you where you're from.
Be brave. Enjoy the people. You don't have to speak perfect English. You're not expected to.

Clothings

taken from guardian.co.uk

The weather in Wellington is divided into 3 seasons: windy cold, rainy cold & sunny warm.
You will experience sunny warm the most during summer (around Nov-Feb).
The rest of the year will be a combination of the three but mostly windy & igloo cold.
You should prepare clothings suitable for the weather.

Umbrellas are a waste of money. The winds will make sure that you get wet.
Besides, you'll either ruin it or get blown all the way back to Malaysia.
I kid you not. The winds are that strong.

Bring your summer-wear from Malaysia.
Bring your best tops, skirts, dresses, shirts, t-shirts, shorts, a fashionable hoodie & a good pair of jeans.
These things are cheaper in Malaysia.

Never buy your warm clothing from Malaysia.
You can find more suitable ones at discount prices here in Wellington.
One of my favourites is Kathmandu along Willis St.
They make awesome thermals (warm underwear), rain coats & sleeping bags.
They have massive discounts twice a year in Feb & Aug.

Don't be miserly when spending on warm clothing.
Remember: Save now... freeze later!
Be prepared to spend $200-300 on a good jacket & $100-200 on a good raincoat.
Instead of a 2-in-1 waterproof tramping jacket, I would recommend that you get a jacket & a one-size-larger raincoat that can fit over the jacket. This will give you more variety in the clothes you have to wear.

Part-Time Jobs

taken from hr.wayne.edu

Wellington is a student city.
Most of the workers in the city are students & employers are more than happy to hire students because they're cheap, they work hard & they don't complain much.
Therefore, if you have the time & think that you can manage, I strongly suggest that you get a part-time job to open up other possibilities to your lifestyle like travel & extra money.

Jobs come in 3 lengths: long-term, short-term & one-off.
The names are pretty much self-explanatory.

The best place to seek student jobs is Student Job Search.
Register with them & visit their branches for the latest jobs.
You can also look them up online but by the time it gets up on the website, someone may have already taken it.

You can also look in newspapers, bulletin boards or online agencies.
Some establishments will put up a notice at their front door if they're hiring.
Keep your eyes open & you might just land a great job!

I have worked several different types of jobs in the city.
I've been a promoter, typist, chef, barista, waiter, cashier, labourer, surveyor & etc.
I have found that, generally, Wellington employers are very generous & considerate. They are willing to provide encouragement & listen to feedback.
If you're happy, they get extra money!

However, be careful when you seek employment with an Asian employer.
I don't mean to be racist but there are many incidents where employers with an Asian background have cheated employees.
If you are not happy at your workplace or if you are underpaid, quit.
There are many other better jobs out there waiting for you!

Keep in mind that you are there to study.
So, if your work is affecting your grades, make the necessary adjustments!

Student Accommodation

taken from victoria.ac.nz

The student halls with Victoria University of Wellington are generally commendable.
Find a list here.
Halls may be more expensive but they are a stepping stone for every new student.

The first few months is when everybody makes friends, so make as many of them as you can. Student halls are full of new students, so you'll have a higher chance of making friends there.
Halls will also organise games, events & get-togethers throughout the year.
They are doing it with your money so make sure that you do attend them.
While you're there be friendly, have fun & make some new friends!

Here are a student's categorisation for the halls:
Quiet halls: Education House & Stafford House & Te Kotahinga.
These are halls where students are known to be quiet & private people.
Happening halls: McKenzies Apartments, Cumberland House & Victoria House.
These are halls where students are known to be more lively & nocturnal.

After your first year, I would recommend that you move on to private housing.
This is because renting a house or apartment with a few close friends is WAAAAAAAY cheaper than staying in a student hostel!

Houses or apartments usually free up during summer time so that'll be the best time to arrange for a viewing.
Be sure to act quick because good places usually get taken up really quickly.

Try to deal directly with the owners.
Avoid having to deal with real estate agencies because they usually ignore students.
Students have got a bad reputation among realtors.

Look in local newspapers, online or the VUW Accommodation Service bulletin board for advertisements.
A good listing website would be TradeMe.co.nz.
Also, use these tips from the Accommodation Service to make your stay a pleasant one.

Groceries

taken from broadband-finder.co.uk

In the Wellington CBD, there are 3 supermarkets from the New World supermarket chain (just like our Carrefour supermarkets).
The biggest one is on Wakefield St, the New World Wellington City.
There are two smaller New World Metros on Willis St & at the railway station.

New World is not the cheapest.
The cheapest would be Pak'nSave.
But the closest one is in Kilbirnie.
You'll have to take a 10-15 min bus ride. Hardly worth it if you don't have a car.

There are also 24hr mini convenience stores called 'dairies' (just like our 7-Eleven stores).
There is a list of them here.
Diaries are where you get snacks & necessities when you can't be bothered to walk all the way to the supermarket or if it's late at night.
Btw, they serve delicious warm pies. They're awesome but they'll make you fat!

List of necessities that are cheaper in Malaysia:
- toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap & etc)
- electronics (computers, laptops, cables & etc)
- condoms / tampons / sanitary napkins

Food

taken from rajukofoto.com

Sad to say, there are no 24hr Mamaks in Wellington.
Most stores close by 5pm. Restaurants close by 10pm.
If you get the munchies at 12am, you're out of luck!
Remember to stock up some food at home!

It is of course cheaper to eat at home but if you ever have the desire to dine out, there's no better place to do it than Wellington!
There are plenty of restaurants in the city. You will be spoilt for choice.
Turkish, Western, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Korean, Malaysian. You name it, you got it!

It's not cheap to dine out though. Be prepared to spend $20++ for a meal.
Drinking water is free & it's fine to just have water in a restaurant as long as you order something to eat.

To ensure that you do not spend your hard-earned money at a horrible restaurant, check out dineout.co.nz for restaurant reviews by every day people like you & me. (I used to write some reviews under the pseudonym 'koko')

For the students on a budget, there are also lots of takeaways that serve cheap awesome food!
My favourite budget places are an Indian takeaway on Willis St (around #248), Korean Country House in Manners Mall & KC Cafe in Courtney Place.

Malaysian restaurants I recommend are Satay Kampong & Istana Malaysia (the bosses there know me!)
Other places you must try: exquisite Japanese food @ Kazu Japanese Restaurant, pizzas @ Piccolo Italian Pizzeria, yam char @ Regal Chinese Restaurant, steaks @ Crazy Horse Steakhouse, Curry Laksa @ Satay Kampong, Lamb Curry @ Istana Malaysia, fruit gelato @ Kaffe Eis, crepes @ Crêpes à Go-Go & croissants @ Le Moulin Bakery.

Wellington is also the espresso capital of the world!
This city has the highest concentration of cafes than anywhere in the world!
Walk down any street or turn a corner & you'll definitely find a place that peddles fresh steaming espresso coffee!
When in Wellington, YOU MUST TRY THE COFFEE!!
Take your pick of flat white, latte, cappuccino or mocha.
My favourite is a latte made with Illy Coffee.
Most of the cafes prepare great coffee. Stay away from Starbucks or Coffee Bean.

New Zealand is a wine producing country & you will find that wines are very cheap in Wellington.
Go to any supermarket & you can get a bottle of decent wine for $20.
NZ produces really good white wine while the reds are just decent. Australia produces more flavourful reds.
My favourite NZ winemakers are Church Road, Matua, Kim Crawford, CJ Pask & Lawsons Dry Hills.
Take your time to give the different wines a try. Then, you can choose your favourites!
Look out for 2007 & 2008 wines. I hear that the grapes are at their best during those years.

Healthcare

taken from canadorec.on.ca

If you fall sick, there is a student clinic on campus that you can go to for free.
The cost of your medical consultations will be covered by your student insurance (which is compulsory for international students).
However, the place is very busy. Do call first to make a booking.
There is also physiotherapy, counselling & other healthcare services available with the Student Health Service.

The Wellington hospital is free too but it is very far away in a suburb, Newtown. You'll need to take a bus.
Keep in mind that medical fees are very high in New Zealand so go to a private establishment only when there no better options.

Conclusion

Remember that International Students are as valuable as gold to the university.
We pay exuberant fees which are exuberantly accepted by the university.
If you have any problems or issues, don't ever be shy to seek help.
For anything & everything you may need help with, there is a department in the university that is specially formed to assist you.
All you have to do is just ask.

Finally, let me say congratulations on being accepted.
Not only will you experience quality education provided by some of the most professional educators in the world, you will also be in a place where your minds will be broadened & your experiences diversified.
Wellington as well as New Zealand as a whole have got a lot to offer you.
Go out and grab hold of every opportunity!
All the best!

Air Travel During the H1N1 Season

2009-08-22T17:00:00.001+08:00

It's the holidays!
Since it's the holidays, there will be unquestionably more people travelling on planes, buses, boats, taxies, trains as well as spaceships.

Just like it was today when I took a ride on the bus back home to Kuching.
The Air Bus station was full of domestic & international travellers who (just like me) can't wait to get the hell out of this H1N1 sharing heaven!

adapted from here

Being the well-read highly-educated quality citizen I am...
actually, it's because I am kia-si (takut mati / scared of death) la ok...
I read up on the precautions I should take before I embark on this brave journey through virus land.
Besides referring to the website of the Malaysian Ministry of Health, I studied other websites on H1N1. For example, websites from the CDC & Wikipedia.
I wanted a more complete picture of what to do & what not to do during my adventure.

As I was waiting impatiently for the far from punctual Airasia plane to unload, be cleaned & refuel, I noticed that there were many doctors & nurses waiting in line.
Was there some kind of emergency?
Oh, wait! They're not doctors! Oh, hahahahaha!
How silly of me!

I just smiled as I saw Uncle, Auntie, Ah Tong, Ahmad, Apu, Ah Lian & Asmah putting on surgical masks as if their lives depended on it.
Well, whatever gives them peace of mind...
Because that's all that they're going to get.
Putting on masks does nothing more to protect you from H1N1 than me trying to pinch my nose to protect my dinner when someone farts in the room.

Face masks only provide a placebo effect.
(BANG! Big word right there! I bet many of you need to refer to a dictionary!)
Only respirators can completely shield & protect you.
Face masks will not be able to keep the micro aerosols which contain H1N1 from getting into your respiratory system if you are actually exposed to it.
I suddenly feel sorry for all those fools who bought 20 cent face masks at 1 ringgit each!

Learn from this Chinaman. Work smart. Save money.
See what I do. You do oso, ma! Okay?
Good!

The #1 thing I reminded myself constantly was do NOT touch anything.
If I don't have to touch it, I won't!
I didn't touch any chairs or doorknobs or windows. Not even the hot air-hostess that's giving me the eye!
Gosh, I wouldn't even touch myself!
Especially not my eyes, nose, mouth or face!

I also washed my hands as often as I could.
I would pop into the toilet before I got on the plane & after I got off the plane.
I don't have hairy or sweaty hands, my hands are actually quite supple & soft.
I don't have H1N1 neither & washing my hands will prevent any of those little buggers, that got onto my hands from something that I touched, from getting into my body.

This is a video from the CDC on proper hand-washing.
When you wash your hands, wash it like your life depends on it.
It does.
Wash it thoroughly. Wet your hands. Rub with soap for at least 20 seconds.
Finally, dry with a paper towel or blow dryer.

REMEMBER DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!!!!

Once you get home, shower & put all the clothes you were wearing into the washing machine.
After that, you can finally satisfy that itch you've been having to dig that waxy stuff out of your nose.

Now, if you don't mind...
I'm going to quarantine myself from work for 1 week.
Happy Holidays!!

Can't Wait For This Week To Be Over

2009-08-19T10:00:00.002+08:00

HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!
Holidays! Holidays! Holidays!
Futsal! Sleeping! Chilling! Movies! Shopping! Lazing!
No students! No duties! No cooking! No cleaning!
I can't wait for this week to be over!

All my life, I've looked forward to the holidays.
OMG!
From childhood until adulthood I'm still in school!
Should I be ashamed of myself for not moving on to an office or courtroom?
That's a question for another blog post.
Right now, I'm all for the holidays!

It's the joy of doing whatever you want whenever you want.
The sweetness of freedom.
The freedom of choice.
It's all just a few days away!
I can't wait for this week to be over!

It's even more awesome that this 1 week holiday is adjacent to Merdeka day.
I get one extra day off! WOO!
I can foresee many teachers happily celebrating Merdeka day this year.
Everybody celebrates it in their own way.
As for me, I will celebrate it sleeping in bed.

After living on my own for half a year, I finally understand why some grown men still choose to live with their parents...
Because everything is provided!
The house is clean. The food is cooked. Everything is free!
I'm taken cared of when I go home...
HOME SWEET HOME!

To all the students & teachers out there, Happy Holidays!
To all my Muslim friends, Selamat Berpuasa!

taken from testi.iluvislam.com

How To Make Your Examinor Adore You

2009-08-13T09:10:00.002+08:00

Today, as I was marking Form 2 exam papers, I noticed that this particular girl had written something different on her answer sheet.
Everything else was written with a blue pen but one particular sentence at the bottom of the first page was written with a pencil.

"I'm sorry teacher because I cannot write this letter."

I couldn't help but imagine the look on this adorable adolescent girl's smooth face as she was writing this.
She was probably hiding her face in bashful embarrassment!

awwwww~~~
At that moment, I couldn't help but adore her & wish that I could hug her.

At the end of the day, I wrote an encouraging reply.

"At least you tried!"

When I evaluated her letter, I wanted to give her extra marks to further encourage her.
Then, I realised that I should actually be a cold professional...
So I gave her the measly 7 out of 30 marks that she deserved for a letter with the correct format but little substance.

For all the hard work I put in trying to educate her, her apology was actually quite apt.

hmmm...
Maybe it's time to penalise students who have not apologised!

Race: Time For A New Beginning

2009-08-10T13:25:00.000+08:00

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is a man I deeply respect for being a rational reflector.
He is also unashamed of his views even though they differ from the norm.
But the best part is: he is capable of giving difficult opinions in a gentle & palatable manner yet maintain the pinch & precision of the message.

Having such a man in UMNO really gives me a lot hope.
Many people accuse him of being a hypocrite for not leaving UMNO but I think that it will do a lot more good for him to stay.
Any aspiring politician would do no wrong in citing him as an inspiration.

His latest speech caught my eye & reflects most of my personal thoughts.
I read this first on themalaysianinsider.com but I decided to lift the speech from his blog, razaleigh.com.
It is a speech made on Sunday (9 Aug) in Melbourne for a Kelab Umno Melbourne seminar.
Read & be inspired.
~~~~~

Distance, home and reflection

1) The opportunity to study abroad is gift. I remember my days as a student in Belfast so long ago. Now as then, overseas study gives us the chance to be educated at some of the finest, best established institutions of higher learning anywhere, and to be exposed to the best that has been thought and done, and to measure ourselves against the highest standards. It is an opportunity to see the world.

2) Travel and living abroad takes us far away from home, but in doing so it also brings us closer to ourselves, and closer to home. Have you experienced this? Have you felt time and distance making you more conscious of how unique and precious the places, relationships, colours, smells and yes, tastes, of home are? Distance can help us see things more clearly. Home is such an immediate, dense and total experience that we often need to go away to see its contours. Home is such an emotional experience that we often understand it better in the coolness of distance. We sometimes need the elevation of distance to see the map of our own country.

3) I want to use this privileged distance that we now share, here in Melbourne, to speak frankly with you today about a matter that is usually so tightly wound up, so emotional, that at a national level we have not been able to have a rational discussion about it.

4) I want to invite you to look across this distance at the map of the life in common that we call our country. I want to look across the distance of fifty two years of independence, across changes over my own lifetime, to understand where we have come from as a nation and where we are going. My topic is race and racial consciousness in Malaysian life, and especially in our politics.

Race in the political life of Malaysia

5) Our social and political life is racialised to a degree seen in few other countries in the world. There are historical reasons for this. Malaysia was, at its birth, a country deeply divided along communal lines. We negotiated and attained independence with a power-sharing arrangement between the leaders of the three major racial communities as represented by the Alliance coalition. The agreement and cooperation of these leaders ensured peace and stability while we modernised our economy. The skill and integrity of these leaders, and their clear authority among their own communities was key to the success of this model, which is sometimes described by political scientists as consociational democracy.

6) This arrangement lasted only twelve years. After the traumatic riots of May 1969, we underwent a period of rule under the National Operations Council before Parliament was restored. The New Economic Policy was drafted and put into action. A new coalition, the Barisan Nasional, was put together to ensure that every community had a place at the table. Once more, the idea was to resolve conflict within a consociational power-sharing arrangement. Each community was to have a place at the table. Conflicts were to be solved between the leaders of these communities, behind closed doors. This arrangement was useful and effective for its time, but we have to wake up to the fact that it no longer works.

It is important to understand why:

7) It was never meant to be a permanent solution. Our method of racial power-sharing is primarily a system for resolving conflict in a deeply divided society. It was designed as an interim work-around, an early stage on the way to “a more perfect union” and not as the desired end-state. Over the years, however, we have put up barricades around our system as if it were a fore-ordained and permanent ideal. In doing so, we have turned a half-way house into our destination, as if we must forever remain a racially divided and racially governed society.

8.) Instead, our ideal must be to become a free and united society in which individuals can express their ethnic and religious identities without being imprisoned in them. We must aim for a society in which public reasoning and not backroom dealing determines our collective decisions.

9) The power-sharing model that we started life with is an elite style of government justified by the virtue and competence of natural leaders of their communities. It needs special conditions. It does not work when political parties are led by the ignorant and the corrupt who have no standing in the communities they claim to represent.

10) It needs genuine agreement and cooperation between leaders who command support in their own communities and are universally respected. It will not work if the power-sharing coalition is overly dominated by one person and the others are there as token representatives. Our founding fathers negotiated, cooperated and shared responsibility as equals and as friends within a power-sharing framework. The communal interests they represented were articulated within the overarching vision of a united Malaysia. In the intervening years, as power came to be concentrated in the Executive, we preserved only the outward appearance of power-sharing. In reality we have had top-down rule and power has become increasingly unaccountable. Each of our political parties has also become more top-down, ruled by eternal incumbents who protect their position with elaborate restrictions on contests. Umno itself has become beholden to the Executive.

11) Our decades under highly-centralised government undermined our power-sharing formula, just as it undermined key institutions such as the judiciary, the police and the rule of law. Our major institutions have survived in appearance while their substance has eroded. Seen in this light, the election results of March 8, which saw the Barisan Nasional handed its worst defeat since 1969, was just the beginning of the collapse of a structure which has long been hollowed out.

The end of the old, but not quite the new

12) The racial power-sharing model now practiced by Barisan is broken. It takes more honesty than we are used to in public life to observe that this is not a temporary but a terminal crisis. An old order is ending. Our problem is that while this past winds down, smoothly or otherwise, the future is not yet here. We are caught in between. Despite our having become a more economically advanced society, with many opportunities for our citizens to express richly plural identities, our races have become increasingly polarised. Large numbers of our electorate still vote along ethnic and religious lines. Much of our political ground is still racially demarcated. Although we have made some progress towards truly multiracial politics, both the Government and the Opposition are largely mobilised along racial lines. It is not yet time to herald a new dawn. Instead, we are in a transition full of perils and possibilities.

13) You are this generation caught between. You are the generation of transition. You will play a key role in determining its outcome. However well a certain kind of politics of racial identity may have served to reduce conflict in the past, it has come to the end of its useful life. We need a new beginning to racial relations in Malaysia, and you must pioneer that beginning. We need to re-design race relations in Malaysia, and you must be the architects and builders of that design.

14) In coming to that new design I hope you take advantage of the perspective of distance that your overseas education has given you to not take as your starting point the tired answers that are passed on as conventional wisdom. You must reformulate the questions and come up with your own answers. When it is clear that one generation may have run out of steam, it is time to generate your own. Where do you begin? May I suggest some perspectives and principles. Whatever the answers we come up with, I think the following elements are important:

a) Begin with our common humanity. Respect our common humanity must override all lesser affiliations, including race. One of Islam’s most powerful contributions to human civilisation has been its insistence on the equality of all human beings. Islam tolerates no notions of racial superiority or inferiority. All human beings are equal before God. That same principle of equality is absolutely fundamental to democracy, and democracy is a foundational principle of our Constitution. Democracy is part of what makes us who we are as a nation. Even if we might still gravitate towards racial groupings, our allegiance to these groups must never overshadow our allegiance to the Constitution, and to the claims of equal dignity that it establishes firmly and permanently. Political parties based on race or religion must never be allowed to do or say anything contrary to justice and equality.

b) We must anchor ourselves in the Constitution and restore its primacy. This founding document of our country establishes definitively the equality of citizenship that is the bedrock of democracy. It gives us the framework of law and order within which we become a nation. It establishes the primacy of the rule of law, the sovereignty of Parliament, the independence of the judiciary and civil service and of our law enforcement agencies. These are the institutions which guarantee the freedom and sovereignty of the people.

c) We should acknowledge that while race is a category that unites people in common feeling, it can also divide, and divide disastrously. While it unites people who possess a set of social markers it often divides the same people from other communities. We should appreciate not just the fact that we are diverse but diverse in different ways. What I mean by this is that we are not diverse in the sense of being merely Malay, a Chinese, an Indian, a Kadazan, Iban and so forth. Each of us inhabits these particular identities in different ways. Each of us is not just a member of a race. There are other classifications which matter to us, such as location, class, social status, occupation, language, politics and others.   We would be terribly impoverished as persons if our identity was given ahead of time and once and for all merely by our membership of a fixed racial category. I would be a very dull person if you could tell who I was simply by looking up my race. We would never have unity if that is primarily how we regard one another. If you reflect on yourselves, you might find that all kinds of identity matter to you: that you are a graduate of such and such a university, that you speak these languages, support this football team, enjoy certain food or music, love to travel, can write computer code, have read such and such books, and have so-and-so as friends. Just reflect on how you identify yourselves in your facebook profiles. Is race the only thing you regard as important about yourselves? Is it the most important thing?    To expect our politics to be given by our race is to make cardboard images of ourselves, it is to retard our growth as individuals and hence as a society. Similarly to see no more of others than their race is to turn them into stereotypes and maintain a view of the world bordering on racist. I want to urge you, as the makers of the new social landscape we need in Malaysia, to reject taking race to be a unique and fixed categorisation, to reject race as a central category of social and political life.

i) Race is a constructed category, in the sense that people shape what they count as a “race” according to time, place and purpose. There is no unique and rigid concept of it the way there is a rigid concept of buoyancy, double-entry book-keeping, equilateral triangles and photosynthesis. I would be offended if you tried to measure and determine my racial identity, and it would tell me that there was something deeply wrong with your worldview. I am not Malay in the sense in which water is H2O.

ii) Race is merely one among many identities we take up in life. We may not have much choice over how others categorise us, but we certainly have a choice about the relative importance to place on our own and therefore on the others’ racial identity. We have a choice in how much weight we put on it, and in how high in our scheme of values we put it. The contrast I want to draw is between the view that makes race out to be a unique and fundamental category, and a view that sees race as one out of many kinds of identification we could prioritise. If we see race as a watertight category, then you are either of race X or not, and everything else: your habits, thought-patterns, loyalties and politics must all follow from that. Then race becomes destiny. The politics of this kind of conception of race will always divide, and the ultimate solution to intra-racial problems it leads us to is, in the end, violence. It is easy to identify the practitioners of this kind of racial politics. They will rely on veiled threats of communal violence even as they take part in democratic politics.   However, if we understand that racial identity is just one of many identities we have to balance, then it becomes our duty as thinking persons to set relative priorities on all these identifications. We need to ask ourselves whether we want to draw our moral values and perspective from our common humanity or from our racial identity. As educated, reasoning people, we cannot but find our common humanity the more fundamental value. We cannot but find rationally chosen universal values more important than inherited tribal affiliations.

iii) The ability to root ourselves in our common humanity first and foremost is the prerequisite for the development of a democratic society in which policies are decided by public reasoning rather than determined by violence and manipulation. This is because open public reasoning can only be carried out where there is equal respect for the dignity and rights of all citizens, and such respect must be firmly rooted in an understanding that despite sometimes clashing interests and identities, we are united by a more fundamental common identity: that of a shared humanity created by God. Our common humanity gives us moral obligations to one another, regardless of our lesser affiliations in a way that racial identity does not. 

d) We need to arrive at new ways of mediating conflicting claims between the races, new ways of bringing people to the table, of including everyone in the decisionmaking process.

e) These new ways must be based on more open conceptions of who we are. Malaysia’s major races have lived together not just for decades but for centuries. Their cultures have interacted for millenia. In that time there has been mutual influence, admixture and cross-pollination at a depth and on a scale that our politics, popular culture and educational curriculum has largely pretended does not exist.   In my own parliamentary constituency, jungle covered, far inland and one of the most remote in the peninsula (it used to be known as Ulu Kelantan and covered half the state, and when I started there I had to travel to it by boat), is a six hundred year old Chinese community, perhaps the oldest in the peninsula, living in peace with their Malay and Orang Asli neighbours. Why pretend that we do not owe so much to each other that we would not be ourselves without each other? At the level at which people actually live we are already inextricably linked to each other.   It is time to embrace this real diversity in our political and personal lives. Our racial identities are not silos in a cornfield, forever separate, encased in steel, but trees in our rainforest: standing distinct but inexplicable without each other and constantly co-evolving.

16) While giving room to whoever wants to organise and advocate political interests according to our ethnic and religious affinities, we must now, very firmly, assert that such affinities must always recognise the priority and primacy of our common citizenship, our equal dignity, and above all, our common humanity before each other and before God. First we are human beings who are open to one another.

17) My young friends, I am not recommending anything novel. These are cardinal principle of our Constitution and the faiths we profess, most especially of Islam, and of reason itself. Let us have the sense of perspective to see our ethnic identities against these cornerstone principles of religion and ethics, and let us now educate our young, apprentice our youth, and conduct ourselves according to these principles. And then let us have a new beginning for Malaysia.

Can You Not Be Quiet?

2009-08-07T07:05:00.002+08:00

Today, I gave my students some exercises.
They were quite restless & were pretty chatty.

After several individual rebukes & prompts for silence,
I resorted to addressing the whole class...

Can you not be quiet?!!

To my surprise, they answered...

YES, TEACHER!!

And then the whole class went on to obediently do their work in complete silence.

I stood there for a moment... dazed & utterly confused at their rude answer.

..................................

It took me a moment to realise that they did not understand the rhetoric of my question.
All they probably heard was...

CAN YOU #@*&$% BE QUIET?!!!

I love my students...
They're just so adorable!
=)

When Urban Meets Rural

2009-08-03T08:00:00.003+08:00

***LOW BANDWIDTH WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS A LOT OF PICTURES***

Urban met Rural this weekend...
And they fell in love.

Top Form 5 students & senior teachers from SMB Tiong Hin visited SMK Katibas last weekend.
They were very fortunate to arrive at a time when rain was scarce so the water was shallow.
Besides getting to ride an express boat & a long boat for the first time, they also had the opportunity of getting off the longboat boat at shallow places to continue on foot until the water gets deeper.
Some of them had to push the longboats when it got too shallow.

Upon arrival, they were given the Katibas trademark welcome.
Who wouldn't feel welcome when every member of the school was lined up to greet you?

The principal of SMB Tiong Hin, Stephen Tan, gave the academic staff of SMK Katibas an in-house training on the attitudes of a teacher & he encouraging us to go the extra mile with our students.
The students from SMB Tiong Hin spoke to our prefects about their school & how they help run it.

There was also a sharing session between teachers as well as PMR & SPM students from both schools.
The teachers exchanged tips & techniques for the classroom while students exchanged tips & techniques for the exams!

Every morning, the principal of SMB Tiong Hin, being an experienced athletics coach, would coach our coaches on high jumps, hurdles & javelin throws.
His expertise helped clear some misconceptions & polish the techniques of our athletes.

On Saturday night, we put on a show for them.
Obviously, there were cultural performances by our dance troupe.
They have gone a long way since the first time I saw them at the beginning of this year.
This was the best performance I've seen so far.
They have managed to go from height to height in polishing their presentation & coordination every time!

The school aerobics team also performed a really entertaining rendition of the ever so popular Poco-Poco dance.
The girls & boys looked so pretty with the make-up on.
It's the prettiest I've seen of all of them.

Of course, the students from SMB Tiong Hin were not left out.
They taught our students several chants & claps, sang a sweet Chinese song & performed a few magic card tricks.
They had something different to bring to the table & our students lapped it all up!

On Saturday morning, our guests were taken for a visit to an actual Iban longhouse.
As you can see, the longhouse has recently been reconstructed to incorporate both concrete & wood.
I was surprised to see such a modern & neat longhouse.

The longhouse isn't the only thing that caught my eye.
The natural scenery from the longhouse was just breathtaking.
I stood there for hours just taking in the fresh air & greenery.
Simply magnificent!

This is Galau the Tuai Rumah (head of the longhouse).
He is very friendly, hospitable & responsible.
His is always happy when foreigners come to visit.
He really made everyone feel at home.

Every visitor had to scoop a mixture of egg & clear liquid from one bowl to another.
I do not know the significance of this ritual.
Anyone care to enlighten me & my readers?

Fortunate for us, there were durian trees nearby & durians were in season!
Many amongst us were durian fanatics. Not me.
You can see it in the way they sucked, licked, scraped & gobbled up all the durians gathered for them.
Considering their love for the fruit, there were obviously pictures that were too obscene to be shown on my blog.

When everyone had their fill, we set off for a long trek through a virgin forest!
It's my first time trekking in a virgin forest.
And it's the first time the 'virgins' from SMB Tiong Hin had ever ventured into a virgin forest too. (Actually, it might have been the first time they've been in any kind of forest.)
Oh, that 'virgin' word has got such an appeal!

We followed a river & had to constantly wade through water.
I did the whole 3 hour trek barefoot!
The stones did hurt my feet but I think it's good therapy.
'Go Barefoot' achievement unlocked!

We also had to do some climbing & descending.
Some were steep, like really really steep, but it was not a problem for the Iban climbers who moved like mountain goats.

What was the trek for? Here is your answer.
No pain, no gain.
We walked & walked to get to a small waterfall & to have some slurpy wet free-fall fun!
It was low tide so the waterfall was reduced to a mini-fall at the left side of the stone wall.

It was wonderful. I leaped twice.
With a life-jacket on of course... coz I cant swim but still want to play, mah!

On the final morning, the whole school did some aerobics with our guests from SMB Tiong Hin.

Look at these SMB Tiong Hin teachers.
100% concentration. 100% coordination.

The students from SMB Tiong Hin clearly had a blast!
As you can see, our aerobics team was quite the entertainer...
We had our guests jumping for joy!

Our school is along the Katibas river & it is a must to have a dip in the river when you visit!
There is a perfect spot behind the school where teachers occasionally have picnics & barbecues.
The backdrop of greenery & clear skies also make for a sanctified healing place for the troubled urban sole.

There was a little bit of everything for everyone.
From treasure hunters looking for dinosaur eggs to girlfriends playing group games to the laid-back lazing in the currents to the avid reader looking for a serene reading to the amateur photographer looking to polish his skills.

In pursuit of thrills & spills, many of the students (and teachers) attempted the flip.
But I think this guy has perfected it.
I bet you do too.

The only reason I put up this picture is because I am in it.
After taking photographs of everybody, I finally appear in one of them!
haha~~

From my observations, this visit has achieved its desired effect.
Both urban & rural students needed to have their minds & hearts opened up to the infinite possibilities & differences in life.
The rural students learned a lot about academics.
The urban students learned a lot about heart.

Both sides were crying when one had to leave.
A large majority of our students (without any kind of prompting) escorted & carried the bags of their guests to the boats.
The Ibans learned Mandrin.
The Chinese learned Bahasa Iban.

It was heart-warming to see two groups of people from different backgrounds feeling so intimate & concerned for each other.
This is true integration. A rare display of unity regardless of race.
The children have shown me the way.
Adults should follow suit.

Any schools or corporate bodies looking for an out of this world experience?
Just drop me a comment or email!
Our school would be more than happy to have you because it would be just as enriching for us too!

Is Cold Water Safe For Drinking?

2009-07-30T17:05:00.002+08:00

taken from wallpapers.free-review.net

Have you ever been given advice from your mother who got her advice from her mother who got her advice from her mother who got her advice from her mom?
Age old wisdom passed down from one generation to another seems pretty convincing.
Especially when the person giving this advice is someone who's been nurturing you during your early days & would give her life for you.
However, sometimes they can lovingly give the wrong advice.

I have been told since a very young age to stay away from drinking cold water or iced water.
I have been told that room temperature or warm water is the best.
Cold water can even harm me.
Especially right after exercising.

It seems that drinking cold water when your body is hot is like pouring cold water onto a hot wok.
The insides of your body would go...
***ssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh***
OH NO!!! WE WOULDN'T WANT THAT NOW, DO WE?!!

According to this article, that's not such a bad thing after all.

It's actually cold water that's recommended when exercising vigorously.
During intense physical activity, the body's core temperature rises above the normal 37°C.
Drinking cool water lowers the body's temperature and helps it settle back to its normal range.

Studies have also shown that cold water (5°C) is absorbed more quickly from the stomach than warm, abating dehydration and allowing you to play harder and enjoy your game even more.
Sweating also helps to lower the body's temperature, but through sweating we lose a lot of water, so it's important to keep drinking.

That said, if the only water around is warm, or if some prefer it warm, that's ok too.

In a hot climate like Malaysia, it's sheer pleasure to slip a class of iced water.
Now, I've got double reason to enjoy something wet & cold.
Feels good to know that something that feels so good is actually so good for you!

Extra Reason To ROFL

2009-07-25T08:00:00.000+08:00

Guessing from my other ROFL posts here & here,
I'm sure you know what I'm going to talk about!

There's extra reason for me to ROFL because:
English teachers in rural areas will get extra incentives!
What extra incentives?
Here's a clue...
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

These incentives would be over and above those already accorded to English language teachers currently serving in rural areas!
There is no indication as to how much this incentive will be but I'm guessing it's probably going to be at least as much as what ETeMS teachers are currently getting & will probably stop getting after 2012.

~~~~~
The first question is what makes rural English teachers so great that they should be given an extra allowance? Aren't teachers in the urban schools working just as hard?

In the opinion of this rural school English language teacher...
Two things: exposure & relevance.
These are what urban students have plenty of & what rural students have close to none.

Why is exposure important?
Because exposure gives a student more language options to use for different situations & functions.
It diversifies their knowledge & facilitates indirect/self learning.

Exposure can come from TV shows, movies, the Internet, newspapers, books & etc.
Rural teachers are at a great disadvantage because the availability of English language media is questionable especially when you have to travel a long distance via boat or 4WD to your school.
This means that they will have to go out of their way to find necessary materials & media to give their students enough exposure.

I myself delve through the Internet (with an unreliable & unstable schoolnet connection), textbooks, reference books, magazines & newspapers (all of which I have to carry on my back from the city onto 2 different boat rides to get to school) for resources.

Why is relevance important?
Because relevance gives the students a purpose or function for what they are learning.
It is directly linked to their motivation to learn the language.

Relevance comes from personal ambition, parental pressure, prospective career requirements, societal norms, usefulness of the language in society & etc.
Rural teachers are at a great disadvantage because the English language will not find much use outside of the classroom in the immediate society.
Furthermore, the career ambitions of the students (exp: fishermen, farmers, labourers, bumming & etc) & the limited interest that many parents show in their children's education further reduces the relevance of English.
This means that teachers will have to MAKE learning English relevant.

Personally, I am an iron fist ruler of the classroom.
Do the work or you will be punished.
Do it well & you may (or not) be rewarded.
I MAKE students use & learn the language in the classroom.
I do encourage them to use it outside of the classroom & I have developed several meaningful classroom activities for it but I still don't see any changes.
The English language continues to be of limited use.

In conclusion, English teachers in rural areas face greater obstacles & have more on their plate compared to English teachers in urban areas.
Their methods have to be different.
It will be found that the preparation & implementation of these methods are often very taxing on the individual teacher.

~~~~~
The second question is why should English language teachers be singled out for an extra allowance? Aren't other subjects being taught in rural schools too?

Our education ministry emphasises on the Malay language (BM), the English language (BI) & the sciences (Math, Science, Physics & etc).
Among all these subjects, I believe that English is the hardest to teach.

The Malay language is similar to many vernacular languages spoken in rural areas.
It is also the national language, the language of government administration &, not to mention, a subject that students are required to pass in SPM.
It is very relevant and exposure to it is easily obtained.
Therefore, there should not be as many problems teaching Malay as there would be teaching English.

Science subjects were fondly referred to as a 'dead' subject by my teachers.
It is black or white. There is no way to dispute it.
1+1=2. There is no question about that.
Acid+Alkaline=Salt+Water. No question there neither.
Therefore, science subjects can be observed, practised and mastered.

The challenge that exists for science subjects is the medium of deliverance.
If science subjects were to be taught in English, then all science subject teachers should be given the extra incentive too.
They might even deserve a higher allowance because they are exposing the students to both content knowledge & scientific vocabulary in an unfamiliar language.
A double learning burden. Science + English at the same time.
However, this will not be a problem anymore because science subjects will be taught in the Malay language soon.

Now, why is English the hardest to teach?
English is like a foreign language in the rural areas.
It is even scoffed at as a 'Bahasa Orang Putih' (white man language).
It has little use. Nobody speaks it but the teachers. You don't need it at the market. You don't need it at the clinic. You don't need it at the government office. You don't even need it for work.
This language is not required for anything in their lives except the early grueling 11-13 years in school.
This leads to little motivation to learn & perhaps even some resistance to learning.
Even then, we rural teachers still have to teach & get students to learn it.

In my opinion, English teachers in rural areas experience more difficulties than the teachers of other subjects.
The extra incentives are more than deserved.

~~~~~
Just to make those of you who are reading this with great bitterness feel better...
I know our government very well.
I know them so well that I know that if they were to give someone extra money, I know for sure that they will also give that someone extra 'meaningful' work to do.

I can guarantee you one!
Sure got some farnie thing we have to do one!
So don't be so jealous la...
Got come, got go ma!

Oral Test Bloopers - Part 2

2009-07-21T08:45:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, the 'pentaksir bahagian' paid a visit to my school.
As was customary, he wanted to evaluate some students with the teachers to see if there was much difference between our evaluations & the kementrian's evaluations.

Today, you have the privilege of being there with me as I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
Remember that these students are still in the process of perfecting their English so we smile because they are just adorable. Not because of anything else.

#1
This wondrously sweet-looking girl walks in & manages to recite everything she has memorised about the dangers of smoking.
It's obvious she worked hard for this evaluation.
After she finished reciting, came the question & answer part.

Do you smoke?
No, teacher.
Do you like it when people smoke around you?
No, teacher.
Why?
Because it smell bad and it is bad for my health.
Good. Good answer!
Suddenly, tears started welling up in her eyes.
Don't cry, your answers were very good!
She nodded & managed to hold the tears.

A female teacher asked her...
Does anyone in your family smoke?
Yes, my father.
Then, the tears started flowing.

Everyone was taken aback. Speechless.
I turned to the female teacher next to me & asked her in a concerned tone...
Don't you want to... go over there and give her a hug?
As I asked the question, I could hear the other teachers gasping in held laughter.

The female teacher asked her another question & she answered it well but her sobs were increasingly uncontrollable.
We decided to end the evaluation there.

As the student left & closed the door behind her, I said to the teachers...
Don't be deceived! Maybe that's her tactic to get extra marks!
Everyone burst out laughing.
Then, one teacher uttered...
You're right! I did give her extra marks!

#2
A boy came in & briefly spoke about his hobby which was reading.
When he had nothing more to say, I prompted him with a question...
You said that reading is good because it can help you improve your English. And you say that English is important outside the country. Can you tell me why English is important outside the country?
He answered...
Yes, English is important outside the country because outside the country everybody speaks English.

And the he went on to add in a completely honest & innocent manner.
Many people outside the country speak English... compared to Bahasa... Iban.
Everyone in the room burst out laughing as he sat there looking at us with a confused blur face.
Sorry, it's just that... that was such a good answer!
Everyone actually expected him to say Bahasa... Malaysia.

Aren't students just adorable?
Teaching does have it's moments, eh?