SATU Hari di Hari Raya…
This year must be one of the most ‘no-mood’ raya’s I’ve seen before. It’s midweek to begin with,and on top of that, school-going kids are in the midst of end-of-year exams and national exams (N, O level and PSLE). The kids in school have pretty much resigned to their fate; for most of them Syawal tomorrow means just the obligatory visit to grandparents’ or VIP relatives, and that’s just about it. Then it’s back to the books. Poor things.
It isn’t any better for me either because I’m now working out a ’schedule’ in my head of how I’m going to complete my exam marking with all the raya visiting. Bummer.
In my school, the OM made an announcement this morning in the spirit of spreading Syawal joy- on Thursday, kids are encouraged to come in their raya best (AND sit for the exams). Such an announcement would normally be well received with loud cheering and applause, but this time round- the kids responded in one resonating LAUGHTER. One of ridicule, of you-gotta-be-kidding-us. Obviously, the kids think this is no season to be merry.
Despite the fact that more than a third of the teaching population are Malays, I was quite surprised to be one of the only TWO teachers who wore a traditional outfit to school today. I remember in FH, there was an unspoken understanding that the day before raya, we’d be wearing baju kurungs and kebayas. Even the non-Malays would make an effort and dress up, just to get into the mood. As I looked at the whole school in the parade square and making a mental note of how MANY Malays there are in TW, it dawned upon me that in this school, you don’t have to make an effort to be seen. To be noticed you are Malay. In FH, perhaps it was just our way to make our presence felt.
I can’t decide now which one is sadder.
In the homefront, the house is pretty much ready for visitors. All nicely cleaned up and decorated. I spent the whole of last night, all the way till the time I leave for school, making my kek kukus. Despite the grogginess and well-steamed hands, it was well worth it cos this seems to be my best batch of kek kukus ever. Now all I’m left with to do is to sew the hemline of Ooyah’s baju kurung and also alter mine.
To all my Muslim friends, here’s wishing you Salam Aidifitri, Minal Aidil wal-Faizin.
LET’S GET BACK TO HANGIN’ OUT, Y’ALL!!!!
Under the Knife
I went under the knife (again!) on Friday, after suffering an agonizing pain that made me leave school on impulse- I couldn’t bear with the pain, not a minute more! The appointment was initially made at 2.30pm, but since I couldn’t take it anymore, I left school at 11am and rushed to the doc’s.
This time it was less painful, although I immediately started tearing when the doctor said he’s gonna cut it. And I KNEW he was gonna say that, even half-hoping that he would CUT IT to alleviate the pain. Probably the last experience traumatised me so much, the horrifying flashback brought me to tears. The doctor must be thinking- what a big wimp, this one!!!!
“Nurse, prepare the BLADE and iodine….(then muttering of medical stuff I can’t quite make out but it all sounded BAAAADDDD…)”
As I lay on the surgery table (yes, this clinic had one), my tears rolled down my cheeks. I HAD to ask, “Is it going to hurt real bad?”. The stoic-faced doctor actually said in a ‘duhh!’ way- ‘yesss…. the jab is the more painful one’. Gee, thanks. That really helped.
Then he said,”okay… I’m gonna use the tiniest needle, don’t worry…”
What? You could actually choose to torment me and pick a thick one instead, is it?
I thanked him nonetheless… being very careful not to offend him and make him change his mind about the needle size. Somehow these doctors are scalpel-happy… they just lurve going a-prickin’ and a-slicing way, don’t they?
Anyway, the doctor’s real nice and caring nurse hushed me like a baby (I was one indeed) and held my hand tight. She even stroked my hair to calm me down. Well she could have given me a pacifier to suckle and still it wouldn’t calm my frayed nerves. As the jab was being administered, the doctor tried to distract me by asking (stupid) questions like ‘where are you teaching?’, ‘what cca are you in?’, ‘what time does school finish’ et cetera and I answered him wondering if had already given me the jab. Wishful thinking of course. The nurse held my hand extra tight at one point and I knew it- The Jab is coming.
I let out a whimper- and then it was over…the jab, that is. Again, the same scrape-scrape procedure, but less painful because this one was not hardened like the last, although I did yelp out somewhere while he was doing it, “I CAN FEEEEL THAT!!!!!” and he said “sorry sorry!”
This time round, I parted with 300 bucks. It was no wonder before the doctor did the procedure, the nurse asked me softly “you got try to burst it yourself or not?”
Hmm. Perhaps I should have.
Since this problem seems to be a recurring one (and all the doctors don’t seem to have an explanation as to how I can PREVENT IT… afterall it is a money-making procedure, right?), I shall bear in mind that the next time I go under the knife, I WILL get someone to accompany me. No point staggering and holding on to pillars and walls to find my way back, sobbing like a baby, everytime. 
Breaking the Baking Tradition
Normally around this time of Ramadhan, I would be busy making cookies and what-not for Hari Raya. I always aim to do five, but usually I end up with more. However, this year will be different. I WILL NOT be making any kuih because my mum has already bought MANY kinds of kuih for my house (9 kinds, to be precise!)(GULP!), on top of that, my MIL has also ordered 2 more kinds. Wow. Do I even have enough containers for all the kuih?
I think it’s better that I’m breaking the baking tradition this year, because there’s a lot of wastage involved when you make your own kuih. I’ve realized over the years that people are generally not very interested in eating kuih anymore. It could be due to the fact that I try as best as possible to cook for my guests so they don’t leave hungry, and when you’re faced with chicken wings and gado-gado, who wants to eat kuih, right? Not meeee…..
So, I’m just going to bake the cakes, the kek kukus of course (I have to bake/steam about 6 cakes this time round), brownies and mayyyybeeee kek lapis. The kek kukus and brownies are a must because I’ve promised a few relatives and friends that I will bake ‘em. And of course I can’t do without them either!
But the BIG DRAG is that the day after raya is a workday and a school day. The poor kiddos are mugging for the exams though, cos raya is smack in the N-levels. And I can imagine their poor parents will be stressed out as well… sigh… I’ll just be stressed out about waking up in the ‘morning after’ heheheh… I’m just hoping I won’t doze off while invigilating the N-level exams or burping the rendang away!
To those who are baking cookies, kudos to you! *salute*
Have fun weighing and measuring and stirring and whisking!
Beginning of The End
One of the benefits of teaching in secondary school (or in my school, at least) is that the exams begin much earlier, thus HOLIDAYS start earlier (yippee!). And this is all for a very good excuse reason, that is, to make way for the national exams. The Sec 1 to 3 kids begin their glorious hols, making the school a quieter and more conducive place for exams…
I’m using this last one and a half weeks to recap whatever I have thought in the last 3-4 months, giving them mock tests, revising their peribahasa’s or proverbs (my personal favourite) and et cetera, et cetera. I shall spare you, and not BORE you with details of my lessons to convince you that I am Singapore’s Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds.
I cannot tell you enough how much I long for the holidays. Too much. I yearn for the holidays plus rainy season, because holidays in blistering hot weather doesn’t do much good (for me). I yearn to play masak-masak with Ooyah’s spanking new kitchen set (it’s amazing I tell ya) , play with her pony (it chews on things fed into its mouth!!!), and most of all, play with HER. 
This is the sweeeeeet beginning of the end (of SCHOOL, at least!)
In the meantime,
Whoa. Like reeeaaallll.
Fall from Grace
It could be the lethargy, or the flu, or perhaps just a spate of klutziness. Maybe it’s my hari bodoh.
It all started last night, upon exiting my bedroom to go to the kitchen, when I first fell. Usually I’m very careful when walking past the common bathroom in that same passage – somehow the mat doesn’t seem to be absorbing wet footsteps very well, and also because toys are carelessly strewn around in that area by you -know-who. But yesterday one of those wet footsteps got me, I slipped, and I actually did a split (yes, a REAL SPLIT) right smack in front of my in-laws’ door.
Pretty much like this, complete with the hand-action, but minus the trophy.
Oh and I wasn’t wearing a leotard lah of course. That would be too much for the old folks now, wouldn’t it?
I’ve always been amazed when I see people do splits on tv, and always wonder HOW ON EARTH they do it.
But I tell ya, after yesterday, I’m not amazed anymore. And YOU don’t have to be amazed anymore too because I can do a split, dammit. And ANYONE can.
It’s just how much pain you’re willing to endure, that’s all. So try it sometime!
I think the in-laws were quite shocked (more like traumatised) to see me do that split, and my MIL could only make out a feeble “be careful” a few whole seconds after the split. It was so shocking that they didn’t know how to react. Muakakakka.
And whaddya know? Even before the friction burnmarks I suffered can say “YEOWCHH”, today I fell again. I was happily skipping along the path leading towards school – ok not really happily skipping, but I was happy enough because I was listening to the cute Uncle Hussein singing “jahanamlah dengan dirinya…dapatkah kau beza…cinta ataupun nafsu semataaa…” (lagu apa siak aku dengar pagi-pagi posa ni tak senonoh betol…)-
and suddenly…OPOCOTTT!
I fell again lah. Stepped on a loose rock or something, but luckily this time not a split. Thank god because my pants would surely have split as well and THAT would totally ruin my day (even though I’ve got nice undies on). It was a side-fall thingy; I glamourously fell to my side, on my right (like duduk bersimpuh liddat lah) and my bag was flung off my shoulder.
And you know, the first thing I did was to grab my fallen earphones and plugged them back in (and I was STILL sitting down on the ground). That just shows how keen I was to NOT miss the chorus of that song (it’s called Halusinasi). Meet Uncle Hussain should be proud of me.
I then looked around to see who saw me fall. Phew thank god not many. A whole PACK of students were walking ahead of me so they missed the show. (Or so I thought…) ONE student from my school who was walking behind me kindly grabbed my hands (in an attempt to pull me up, but she totally underestimated my weight muakakakka) and asked me if was okay. I had to pull myself up holding on to a truck parked next to the path laaa… so uncool. I whimpered a bit, brushed off the dirt from the whole right leg and butt of my pants and realized I had scraped my foot quite badly. Ouch.
Lucky lucky lucky that I got up in time because right after that came a whole BIGGER PACK of students behind me. That would be so embarrasing…
After my first ML lesson ended, I walked down the stairs to the staff room. Then out of nowhere, I heard a voice looming in the stairwell:
“Cikgu, lain kali jalan baik-baik sket, nanti jatuhhhhh lagi…”
Followed by the cackling of male hyenas. Muaakakakkakakakkakaka.
I couldn’t help but laugh as well, it was so funny. kwangggg asam punya budak…
So now my right leg totally hurts, from yesterday and today. Not to mention my bruised ego….
NO MORE walking briskly on tempo to Meet Uncle Hussain songs- they are so good my mind is warped-
and NO MORE short nightgowns at home – I’m pretty sure Ramli’s parents saw my thighs and a leeeeetle bit more…ouhhh…how traumatic…(for them)
And please God- no more falls… at least not in front of in-laws and STUDENTS!
*buries face in pillow*
Hop on over…
Well it’s about TIME an entry is posted here. She REALLY IS excited about her BIRD-DAY!
The Good Day
I was given the chance to plan an overseas trip for our department and 30 students to Indonesia, specifically Jakarta and Yogyakarta. This trip is set for the March holidays next year. This is a big project for me (one of the MANY BIG PLANS and IDEAS the school has ’in the pipeline’ for me since the newspaper article incident) and screwing up is NOT an option. (read: head on chopping block)
Eh Fad, cepatlah sikit. Dah lama aku tunggu tau, sampai jadi batu ko tau tak?
This morning I had the chance to meet the directors of the International Student Service centre who are responsible for educational trips and exchange programmes, mainly between Indonesia and Singapore. It was a fruitful meeting, and I see the whole trip sort of materialising before me, with the tentative itineraries and plans.
Amongst others, we will be visiting the Borobodur, Candi Prambanan, the Keraton, and in Jakarta, we will be visiting Taman Mini Indonesia, Ancol, and many many many other interesting places that got me all edgy with excitement. Yes, that’s how travel-deprived I am… :)
The director for the Singapore centre did warn me of a few things, though. One, that the Indonesian elections will take place around that period, so expect ‘colourful’ rallies and demonstrations. I was quite apprehensive about it at first and was quick to suggest another date (for fear of my students being caught in a mob or actually, being the cause of a riot there hehhe) but I was assured by the kind men that the rallies and marches are very controlled and purely tactical. And I would have to be alert to the political scene then, just in case things get a big dangerous (as it is in Thailand now).
Secondly, well this is a bit frightening and morbid I feel, to be ‘aware’ that Yogyakarta did suffer from an earthquake a few years ago, AND a volcanic eruption. Well, nothing much I can do about that, I guess, but pray for the quakes and volcanoes to… lie dormant for a while? *cross fingers*
Other than that, things look mighty dandy and I really hope to do a recce trip at the end of this year with Han Wak (Jawa) Solo himself, who is hopeful that he may just find out that his ancestors may have descended from the Keraton itself (and will that make us RICH, I ask?).
But of course, there is that nagging, irritating PASSPORT ISSUE again. Sigh.
Well that can be arranged, I hope. I just have to be prepared to write long letters of appeal and go for interviews and not to mention, WAITING at ICA lor. What to do.
On a lighter note, today is indeed a wonderful day. I FINALLY received a letter confirming my emplacement onto the new graduate payscale after 3 blardy long months of anguish (yippee!) and that Mr Moe will back-pay me from MAY onwards! (yippee yippee yippee) I hate to get my yippees up, but I am really looking forward to a bigger paycheck this 12th…
I also found a big card left on my desk (from my students lahhh) who must have left it there on Friday. I thought about something that they wrote in there, that made me smile. In short, they thanked me for not boring them to death (as some teachers do) and that they appreciate my sense of humour. Pshawwww. How sweet.
Kids, the reality is, some people, not just teachers okay, are simply B-O-R-I-N-G to the bone. Talk and write so much, and yet the true effect is not understood. Some try to be sarcastic, but, longwindedness and a PSEUDO-philosophical (*read: macam reaaaalllll jer!!!!*) stance just kills the intended effect. In the end jadi lame and bleaurrgghhhhh. Sigh.
Kids, the knack for communicating effectively are just not there for some people (not all of us are Obamas, correct?) and for teachers, sadly, it is our livelihood. It pays to be succint. So, kids, I do try NOT to bore you to death. No one is perfect you know, least of all, teachers.
So that’s all for now, until I find the time to write again (say…3 weeks’ time?)
to wrap up,
1. selamat menjalani ibadah puasa to fellow Muslims.
2. a very happy belated teachers’ day to all teachers. Do take the FREE ride on the Singapore Flyer this week!
