The Blogging that you do when you have nothing much to say...

yeah...that's exactly what I am doing now. It's been more than a week since my last post. The weeks pass by very fast. The part time teaching job really keeps me busy.

At times I manage to pause for a while and let my mind wonder.... wonder what my friends are doing right now. Wonder how my boys are coping in the hostels.. and many times I wonder how much longer will I get to enjoy this life..

After over 20 years of teaching, I notice that in general (I said, IN GENERAL) studetns are less committed in their work than students 20 years ago. I notice that my current students are not too keen to think a bit further than what they are accustomed to.

For the past 2 days, I've locked the lab and the lecture room. I was just tooo annoyed with students who come late to class- they would just walk casually, with no sign of guilt or hurriedness. The fact that I told then ON THE FIRST day of class that I am very particular with punctuality didn't help much. I hope my action on these last few days eventually relayed some message to them...

In the mean time, I'll be kept busy with the exam papers that I have to prepare...

What a Day....

Today was a busy day despite not having my car around (the car had some problem and had to be sent to the workshop last night). Luckily it was ready by this afternoon.

Tonight I had my first Tupperware (from now on to be known as TPW) manager's meeting. This is my first month as an MIT (manager in Training). Some people ask me, why am I crazy to go for Tupperware manager's level when I held better managerial post before. Honestly, it is just for pure pleasure and for the passion for TPW. And also it's been quite a while since I was last thrown an almost impossible challenge. In This case, I need to have a group sale of RM20000 for the months of Jan, Feb and March!! And I start with only 2 inactive downlines.

I joined TPW because I enjoy owning their products. I started using TPW products as early as 1986 when I started working. All this while I have been buying from different dealers, depending on wher I was attached to (from Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and last was when in UiTM). Since then I hardly had the time to find the right person to replace my worn out covers.

The chance meeting with K Huda late last year sparked the current interest. Without me realising, in Dec I qualified to be an MIT. So this month I am starting the MIT thingy.

My focus now is the accumulate the volume of sales (not so much by selling). I would prefer people to join TPW, and reap the numerous benefits from it rather than buy from me, though I sometimes give discounts to great buyers :-)

Membership fee is only RM50, and ther is no renewal fee to think off- it's a once off type of fee. You are not obliged to purchase every month, but you are expected to purchase something every now and then to keep your membership active.. When u join, you get TPW goodies that are worth more than RM80!! If you purchase to the value of RM150 (at least for now), you'll get an additional gift! If you make a total purchase of RM1000 in the first 5 months of your sign up, you get another gift worth over RM100!! TPW is about getting gifts!!! To make good money you have to really work hard - that indicates that the money you pay is actually for the cost of the product, and not so much for funding your uplines! ;-)

Sorry to have to bore you with TPW stories - but that's exactly what is on my mind now!!!

Mount Kinabalu - so near and yet so far....

Late last night we got back from our weekend outing to Kota Kinabalu. We visited Kinabalu Park, one of World's Heritage Site, (of course) with no intetion to climb Mt Kinabalu. However, we were hoping to be able to see the peak from the nearest site, but alas, it was misty and drizzling....

However it was very nice to be able to meet one of my former students (from UNISEL's days), Rusina at her new home in Bundusan. She also served us a very delicious lunch (icluding the fresh prawns)!!

Pix to come later.... to be continued.
No... on second thought, please go to part1, part2 and (part3 (final) at DH's blog.

Visit Kota Kinabalu Weekend

Later today I am going to Kota Kinabalu for a cuti-cuti Malaysia outing.

I will only be back very late on Sunday night.

I know I am so behind with my blogging, but I just can't find the time :-(

BTW, I heard that Ai Lian has just given birth today!! Congratulations, Ai Lian. I am sorry I can't visit you as planned, since I will be away for a few days! I hope you and baby will do well.

Another Jejak Kasih Outing..

We left home at 9.15am, and only managed to get back just before 9pm - almost 12 hours out of the house!

First the destination was Nordin's abode in Kg Juasseh, N Sembilan. He's DH's old school friend. DH has not met him since form 5 (1977!!).

Next, we decided to cross the border to go to Felda Tebangau (in Pahang, but closer to Bahau than to any other town in Pahang) to meet Za (or Kak Za to my kids). Za was our maid from 1986 - 1997, and intermittenly until 2000. My no.2 and no.3 learnt to read and write from her, and also mengaji with her. Za is now married and lives with her husband (who works for Felda Estate) in Felda Tembangau.

On the way back, we could not make pitstops to 2 places that initially I wanted to, since it was very late and we had to send no.3 back to his college.


Pix will come in much later.... or better still, wait for DH's blog at http://travel.smz8.com/


*DH= Dearest Hubby

Breakfast with Friends

This morning I managed to meet up with good friends A & S at Hotel UiTM for breakfast. They were my collegues when I was teaching A-Level at PPP (now known as InTEC), UiTM. Now only A is still in UiTM, though no longer with InTEC. She's attached to the Faculty of Accountancy and is busy doing her PhD now. S had opted to be a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mum) long before me.

WE normally try to have this breakfast "outing" on the first Saturday of the month. However there are times when we are too busy that one month would pass by without us having the chance to meet.

The buffet breakfast was from 8am to 10.30am, but even after that we adjourned to the hotel lounge to continue with our chat.

We always have common topics to talk about because we are of about the same age and we have kids of also the same age range.

Such outing is nothing to shout about, but it certainly helps us to relax and unwind a bit :-)

Note: I've put up some of the Melor wedding pix but I have yet to put in more remark :-(
Tomorrow we are going to Juaseh, N Sembilan for an outing - this time it's DH's turn to meet up with old school friends and we just tag along. We were told that the guy DH and gang are visiting tomorrow owns an orchard and the fruits are in season now! Good night to all!!

The Wedding in Melor (2)

Weddings are always a good place and time for re-union with some family members :-)

SMSTMFP - Some views from the Boys Hostel (Block A)

The school blocks - the one with the new orange roof is the dining hall. Wanna see how it looked like in the mid-1970s? Click here.

Hostel Block A on the LHS and B on the RHS

The School Field

Part of the girls Block

The Dining Hall

The Wedding in Melor

I can hardly find the time to edit this post, so I'd like to invite you to read a better composition on the same even at http://travel.smz8.com/?page_id=96

The venue was in fornt of this clinic

A very happy uncle giving his speech

I spotted my former boss with the bride and groom! :-)

The venue was Laman Klinik Dr Ziad (Dr Ziah is DH's 2nd cousin)
The bride is Dr Ziad's niece, daughter to Prof Dr Che Husna and Prof Dr Mokhtar

The Dining Hall

The high Table

More pix of "Veterans" of the school :-)

Zuhdi said it's been almost 30 years since he last ate at the high table!

Nasri said this is the first time he eats at the high table!

A chat with Pengetua Wan Hamzah and Norzaini(with niece)

The High Table from another angle

2nd from right is the current YDP PIBG, who's the Pengarah HUSM, with his wife next to him, chatting with Ezani, Ariff & Cikgu Zainuddin (PK HEA)

Meeting Shazwan

Note: My blog may not be well-composed as (like most mum) I am very busy today, but I just need to write this "report" ASAP, as promised to my gang who couldn't physically be with me yesterday.

Picture taken after we settled his school fees!

As for me, apart from the Majlis Qurban, my other mission was to meet up with Shazwan.

We met in the dining hall at about 12.30pm. When asked how he came to school yesterday, Shazwan said he came alone. I told him my friends (uncles and aunties) sent their salam and best wishes. They also congratulated him for his excellent PMR results. We were so happy with his achievement - from a mere 3A trial results (when we met him in Aug), to 8As in the real PMR exam!

We talked for quite a while. I managed to gather that his father was 39 years old when he died, and having served as a government servant for less than 10 years, his pension is only about RM100 per month. He told us that his mum received the first pension payment only recently.

When I asked him if he had paid his school fees (a total of RM534.50),his answer was negative. What he didn't know was that by then, I've collected enough money to settle the fees from my ever supportive friends (farisians 1979). .

Even the Alumni President (standing between Shazwan and me) congratulated him.

After informing him about the zakat money from my gang for him, we decided to make the payment promptly. I personally went to pay his main school fees of RM364.50 followed by RM140 for tabung PIBG.

Shazwan paying for his exercise books (Cikgu Razuki in red t-shirt, Cikgu Zainuddin in yellow shirt, Hasamudin standing next to me)

I then gave him a RM50 note to pay for the "exercise book' package (RM30), after which he tried to return the change of RM20 to me. When I told him to keep the money since it was his, he looked very surprised and touched. On top of that, I surrendered to him the remaining cash that was meant for him. In total, he received abt RM130 cash.

Everybody was happy for Shazwan

Zuhdi, Hasamudin & Nasri adviced him to stay focused in his studies, and warned him that form 4 is actually a critical year, and not a "honey moon" year as generally perceived.

Before I left, the principal told Shazwan to salam the "uncles" who has helped him pay the fees, and we managed to capture this picture:

Shazwan with Zuhdi & Nasri (Kojak not in the pix)

I left at about 1.30pm, as I had to attend to a wedding do in Melor, before heading back to Shah Alam. I however managed to meet Cikgu Hamdi briefly, as he arrived moments before I left. When I was on the way back to Ketereh, I received a call from Cikgu Ashaari who had just arrived in school. He apologised for being late, saying that Azlan (Farisian 1977) came to visit him. Well, Cikgu, it's ok, since he is also an x-student who values you - all is not lost... and I think it must have been a good day for you too, as much as it was for me!

To all my friends (SMSKel 75-79) who have contributed and supported me in this mission, I would like to extend my gratitude again. You guys/gals are a hell of a bunch!! Some of you are so far away (as far as Saudi!) and yet I can always count on you!! Terima kasih daun keladi....

Note: Due to heavy traffic on the trunk road (KB-KL), we postponed our "departure" to after maghrib. While we were stuck in Machang, I got a call from Yasmin. She has just just heard about Shazwan and is so happy too to hear the good news (actually she received my sms about Shazwan getting 8As, but she forgot the name of the boy we met last Aug, and thought that Shazwan is just one of our kids! LOL!!). Knowing Yasmin, I know she'll give Shazwan a surprise too. My batch has decided to "adopt" Shazwan all the way until he finishes his secondary school.

Majlis Qurban 1 Jan 2007

Draft (to edit later):

Yesterday, my alma-mater, SMSTMFP carried out the Qurban (sacrificing the cows) ceremony.

The slaughtering was done at 7am, so that the dining hall people would have be able to cook the beef for lunch as soon as possible. Yesterday too was the day students come back to school to start the near academic year.

I did not attend the ceremony. However, I was told that Helmie (Farisian 1996) was there, together with Dr Wan Azman (Farisian 1975) and Wan Hasamudin (Farisian 1979).

I only arrived at about 11 am. The lunch was ready at about 12 noon. It was nice to see parents having lunch in the dining hall with the students. There was no formal event - it was just a "walk-in" type of function. Most students who arrived went straight to pay their fees, after which they and their families were invited to have lunch in the dining hall.

Inside the dining hall: