It's time to say 'goodbye'....

After two(some of you, three) long years of sweat, blood, tears and laughter, it is time to release my 'baby turtles' to the sea..
Firstly, I want to thank each and everyone of you in 5 Zuhrah, for allowing me to come into your life, to share your ups and downs...thank you also for listening to my 'two-cents' worth of advice, thanks for listening to my nonsense too and laughing at the correct moments. Through my years with you, I have also grown (older), learn and unlearn and overall, tried to be a better teacher.
I will remember.......

Prevena, the ever vigilant and hardworking one, thanks for your help in running the English Society and all the other little projects.
Patrick, another gem of the class, who is never tardy in helping teachers, thanks for your support.
Yih Soon, the quiet one who will one day blossom into all you are meant to be, thanks for being you and for always trying to improve...
Syifa, another talented one, I marvel at how you have grown, both in English as well as in maturity and I hope you will continue to stay open-minded and be strong at whatever life throws at you....you gonna make it....
Thamayanthy, the ever hardworking and determined gem....who smiles sweetly even if she disagrees with me...hee hee...
Kit Yin, another sweet and fun girl...your determination will get you to the top
Saidatul, the ever sweet talented and helpful girl who is just waiting to be free.....
Najihah, the helpful one who can be very sensible sometimes but sometimes...
Izzatul, the thoughtful one who has a lot to say but never got around to voicing it in class, I hear you and Iunderstand...
Hidayah, the newbie who quickly adjusted to life in DZ...
Hannah, the one who has 'verbal diarrhoea' all the time...thanks for being part of us even tho you drive us up the wall at times....
amirah zul, so glad you are back and well again...
maizatul, lacking in confidence sometimes but never lacking in ideas and ambitions...
hafiz, the handsome one who drives the girls crazy....i am glad you got over your shyness
amir, the ever-smiling, obliging one....don't worry about the grammar, keep trying...
syami....the catching-up one....sorry for coming after you all the time, if only you were around more...
syamira, the faithful monitor, quiet and unassuming but ever-talented....will miss your quiet strength and support
amalina, the unassuming and gentle friend, and asni, the sweet athlete, you have been great supporters
rubaa , the obliging and sweet thing, be more confident and have faith that you are going to make it...
manimala, your humility will take you far, and you will make a good teacher if you ever want it...
khoasheliya....what can i say? sorry for making you the butt of my jokes sometimes, but you took it all in stride...it has been great to see you grow and change into a lovely young woman...
sharmini, you have tried hard to belong and i think you have succeeded...work hard
amira rahim, get healthy and work hard, husna, your quiet and unassuming ways are not a weakness but a strength....
khairani and effa, the ever sweet and obliging ones....work harder and be more focussed...
and zulaikha...to think that you could not write well in form 3 and now, look at you...how you have grown....

To all of you, thank you and i am sure we will meet again....be strong and 'carpe diem'..

GLOBAL CITIZEN DAY by Form Three students

After two weeks of hard work, the Form Three students successfully staged their exhibition, Global Citizen Day.... It started out as just an idea to keep the students coming back to school after PMR but it has blossomed into something very meaningful and beneficial to the students....
The students have to do research on their own, write their brochures, prepare their speech, do their materials and decorations, daily at school. They learn to cooperate, to be daring, to try new things, and to be creative....

I reproduce some of the happening photos here....

visitors from SMKA, 30 of them....

the crew who made it all happened...thanks guys for the hard work, sweat and tears..

some visitors to our booths...



My friends from Khir Jo, Puan Zalina and SMKA, Pn Rozita


trying out the games....snake and ladder on foot.



numerology...what is your lucky colour????


guess the name of the songs???

your favourite ghost.........

body boggle...say it with your body...


one more frightening ghost...


having fun with snake and ladder....

It's all in the mind!

Watching the US Open has reminded me again of the important lesson that I have learnt which I never got around to writing about it. When a player is winning, the body language is positive. Obviously, he is happy about his performance and his mind is urging him on. He would be the first to sprint out from his seat after a break. But when he is losing, perhaps one set down, facing a breakpoint, one look at his body language will let you know the state of his mind. His face looks resigned even though he knows he should not give up....shoulders are down, walks slowly out onto the court and starts having conversation with himself..or starts cursing or swearing at the crowd or himself. His coach and supporters are yelling 'come on' but his face tells everyone he is in trouble..
Basically, the difference between the top players and the thousands of wannabes is not the skills..most qualifiers can beat any seeded player on a good day..It is all in the mind...Watch when a qualifier is winning and having to serve the last set to take the match, all of a sudden, he starts to crumble...he suddenly realises the enormous thing he is about to do and his mind starts to go haywire...Notice the difference in a great champion like Roger Federer..when he is losing, he tries to stay positive, change a few things, tries something new and take it one point at a time. He keeps telling himself to stay positive and when the opportunity strikes, he would be ready to grab it and fight back...It is all in the mind...
We can learn a lot from tennis or any other sports. You cannot get to the top or be successful in what you do unless you are willing to train yourself mentally.
When I was asked to play squash for my college, I was a little afraid as I only knew badminton, tennis and ping pong. The opponent thrashed me 7-0 in the first set. The spectators were so quiet. I told myself that I got nothing to lose since everyone knows that I was going to lose anyway. So, I started hitting harder, served big shots and that surprised her. The crowd started cheering and that encouraged me to beat her. In the third match, I was beginning to tire but I saw she was also struggling and I hung in there mentally....I won and my college became the champion too.
In another ping pong competition, I was partnering a national player in the university championship. However, we were playing against the top national doubles pair from USM...I was serving for the match in the championship and if we won, my team would be going to Bangkok..my hands shook and I thot, maybe this was not going to work..I served into the net and there was a loud sigh....Luckily, we managed to get back the service and eventually, I managed to get a hold of myself and served it out. My partner smashed her way through...the crowd got wild and we all hugged each
other....Sweet memories.

I have always been an underdog in most of my life..not really good in studies nor popular with the guys as I was not pretty enough...Yet, having discovered my talents in games and music, I had become stronger and more positive...

And this is the same with life...if we cave in during difficult times, choosing to do what is easier, or choosing to run away or escape...we cannot be successful in what we do. It is easier to give up then to rough it out. It is easier to watch TV instead of reading or tackling our assignments or studies. It is easier to hang out with friends then sit on our table alone and write that book. Tough times will always come and go, but the ones who are successful are those that are strong mentally, and hang in there...I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me (phil 4:13)...It is all in the mind.

Of pain, prayers and doing His will

I was reading my prayer journal and something struck me. A year ago, at a very dark and frustrating period of my life, I had asked God what He wanted me to do. What can I do that would be inspiring and helpful to others? Little did I know that He would spark this fire in me to start the library and now that it is a success, I cannot help but be amazed at His power and touch. I am also amazed at the way I feel about community work. A few years ago, if someone were to ask me to do it, I would not have been ready to commit because I had too much personal hurdles and dreams. Yet, when God calls, He would also give you the strength to do it. When we submit to His will, He is able to use us in a powerful way. And you would enjoy every minute of it knowing that you are in His will. I am not saying that there were no heartaches in setting up of the library. There are many hurdles to cross but God just eases it along the way,the right people to donate, the right books, the right members...the right time....

A year ago, I also gave to God my broken dreams. Having applied for Guru Cemerlang for a few times and failed due to one thing or another, I was at the end of the rope, hanging on for dear life. Having won so many awards and done so many things, what else do I need to do? Everyone was also disappointed. A stint as the acting Head of Dept also did not materialise into anything. Truly a dark and disappointing time. My friends sympathised with me, some look upon me as a victim of the system, of biasness. Dare I asked what was God thinking? I had to regroup, rethink about my career and get new directions from God. I told the Lord that if it is not for me, then He would just have to help me move on and continue to do what I do best. It finally dawned on me that all things work together for good to them that love God (Rom 8:28) and it meant that my disappointments are meant for my good. It will work out. I finally told Him that it is okay with me if I do not get my promotions. But, I told Him that I still would want to be able to share with other teachers and people, to do what I am good at. At that time, I did not know that He would provide me with plenty of opportunities to run courses again in 2010. He is truly amazing. Offers to speak and run courses continue to flow, till I have to say 'no'. And the most amazing thing is, I have the peace that passes all understanding. A year ago, I was struggling and kicking, today, I am resting in my Saviour's arms, knowing that He has my future in His hands and I do not need to be afraid. What can man do to me?

Library is launched

After months of praying, working and dreaming of the impossible, the mini library was launched on 24.4.2010 with the help of my friends. For 15 years, the people of Slim River did not have any library. We make do with whatever we have in the school library which was often filled with old and useless books. As an English teacher, I personally have invested in a lot of books for my children as well as my students. So, I always dreamed of having my own reading room where my students could hang out, read the latest New York bestsellers or just simply a place to go to see me if they wanted to. Finally, the venue was provided by Tadika ST Paul and the seed was sown. We have 30 members from schools and kindergarten and more to come...I need more books for the Indian children.
During the launch, I had organised a colouring contest for the children. A total of 63 children turned up in full force. 25 signed up as members, paying RM10 as library fee for a year. I plan to organise English camps and reading classes in the future.
I want to thank all the parents who have donated their books, the kindergarten teachers for their help and my students who came to support this project.

Getting over disappointments

Some of us get so deeply hurt and disappointed at some point of our lives. Some manage to snap out of it after a mourning period but some carry the hurt for years. Just a mention of the incident, a song, some words can trigger a flood of tears. How do you help a person let go of that hurt? Maybe some of us hang on to the pain and hurt because once you take that away, we may have to take action and face our fears...It is easier to sit back and play the victim..it is almost like a wound which is about to heal, a bit itchy and you need to scratch it and it bleeds again...a vicious cycle..it never gets heal.
Last week I shared in church about being an overcomer. You got to have faith in God to help you rise above your difficult circumstances. Yes, it is painful. Yes, that person who hurt you was wrong but you have to come out of that hole. In Hebrews, it says that for without faith, it is impossible to please God. That is the way He works. He sees and rewards our faith.
Then, you got to have hope. Jeremiah 29:11 says that 'For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, to give you a future and a hope....' Know that whatever problems and difficulties you are facing is only a transition. This too shall pass. Have hope that you will come out of this.
Lastly, you got to have love. Stop being a burden to others with your self-pity. After the mourning period, you got to snap out of it. Be a blessing instead of being a bitter person, making everyone around you miserable as well. Show love and you find that before long, your situation will improve.
1 Cor 13:13 says three things remain, faith, hope and love and of these, love is the greatest.

Trainer's thots

Stephen Covey says in his book, The 8th Habit, 'When you engage in work that taps your talent, that fuels your passion that rises out of a great need in the world that you feel drawn by conscience to meet, therein lies your voice , your calling , your soul's code'.
That is what I did today...training a group of English teachers who are also panel head themselves. I enjoyed every minute of it...I would not say that the training ran smoothly..There were lots of hiccups but we managed to overcome the shortcomings...and even though I felt so tired and worn out, I know that this is where I long to be and this is what I long to do. This is my calling and this is what I do best. And although i am not financially richer, i come out a better person, knowing that i have enriched someone's life, perhaps, even motivate and change someone's life.