This morning I said bye-bye to my black JGQ 388 Proton Perdana. I really see no point in keeping two cars when I am about to retire. The Perdana had been a 'back-up' car - just in case my Vios ran into any problems (flat tyres, unable to start, etc.). Surprisingly, I did not feel sad at all, even though I've had it with me for 7 years.
And... I shall be saying sayonara to my baju kurungs as well. A lot of friends have asked me to give them my baju kurungs after I retire. They like the cutting of my baju kurungs. Hehehe...of course the cutting is nice - they're all made by my trusted tailor Mei Hwa. FYI, her workmanship is more expensive than the cost of the material! Yes, I have a lot of baju kurungs - I shall keep a few & give away the rest. ;-)
I am really looking forward to my retirement - to be able to go for jogs every morning, watch movies until late at night, read all the books that I have bought but did not have the time to read, solve my Sudoku puzzles, learn Mandarin, learn more about religion, learn to cook & bake, stay a few weeks with my daughter who's working in Melbourne, visit my son who's working in KL, etc... As you can see, I've left out a lot of stuff due to my superbly busy schedule.
Oh yes... I'll be so happy to say farewell to SKPM, Kajian Tindakan, Perancangan Strategik, Kepimpinan Instruksional, Blue Ocean Strategy, Six Sigma, etc. You see, I'm a teacher, a very good Chemistry teacher for that matter & I have enjoyed teaching SPM & STPM Chemistry. Pity I cannot say that I am enjoying myself as a Principal...
Ah well, two more months of blogging as Pengetua of Munshi. After that, maybe I shall start twittering as a retiree????
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
My Teachers' Day Yesterday
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was indeed looking forward to having a great celebration of Teachers' Day with both the teachers and students of SMKMS.
However, when I arrived in school on Monday morning, there wasn't any feeling of excitedness or happiness. Could it be because I've had one too many Teachers' Day celebration in my entire career? Or, more likely, was it because Monday was the day the funeral for a dear family friend of mine, Anthony Pious, was held?
Anthony was a great friend of my late husband, and he was always there to help whenever we needed help. He was one of the kind souls who helped to find people to donate blood to my late husband when it was urgently needed, and when my late husband eventually passed away, Anthony was one of the more active ones in helping around with the funeral preparations and proceedings.
I needed to pay my last respects. I sneaked out from school, halfway during the Teachers' Day celebration, to attend Anthony's funeral. When I look at his grieving family, all the sadness that befell my own family during my late husband's funeral - 5 years ago - came back to me. Actually, this sadness did not really go away. It has only been locked up and stored within a body-shaped container that always puts up a brave and cheerful front - which is me. Everytime I hear my late husband's favourite song, there'll be this twinge in my heart. When I eat his favourite dishes, such as his "mee hoon kuih", there'll be this lumpy feeling down my throat. And I miss him terribly during family birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year... all those celebrations.
As I looked at Kim, Anthony's widow, I pray that she will have the courage and strength to get through these trying times for her and her family; that she will have many good friends who will help her through this period, just as many good friends helped my family through 5 years ago.
I remember these beautiful words in a condolence card that I received back then:
"God in his great mercy,
knew when loved ones had to part,
Something special would be needed
to bring comfort to the heart,
So he gave us each a precious gift,
not even time can fade,
Of reliving tender moments
through the memories we've made"
Emily Matthews
So teachers, please forgive me for being slightly "off form" and moody on Monday. I promise you all that you'll see a cheerful Pengetua again today. Hey, it's a promise! :P
However, when I arrived in school on Monday morning, there wasn't any feeling of excitedness or happiness. Could it be because I've had one too many Teachers' Day celebration in my entire career? Or, more likely, was it because Monday was the day the funeral for a dear family friend of mine, Anthony Pious, was held?
Anthony was a great friend of my late husband, and he was always there to help whenever we needed help. He was one of the kind souls who helped to find people to donate blood to my late husband when it was urgently needed, and when my late husband eventually passed away, Anthony was one of the more active ones in helping around with the funeral preparations and proceedings.
I needed to pay my last respects. I sneaked out from school, halfway during the Teachers' Day celebration, to attend Anthony's funeral. When I look at his grieving family, all the sadness that befell my own family during my late husband's funeral - 5 years ago - came back to me. Actually, this sadness did not really go away. It has only been locked up and stored within a body-shaped container that always puts up a brave and cheerful front - which is me. Everytime I hear my late husband's favourite song, there'll be this twinge in my heart. When I eat his favourite dishes, such as his "mee hoon kuih", there'll be this lumpy feeling down my throat. And I miss him terribly during family birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year... all those celebrations.
As I looked at Kim, Anthony's widow, I pray that she will have the courage and strength to get through these trying times for her and her family; that she will have many good friends who will help her through this period, just as many good friends helped my family through 5 years ago.
I remember these beautiful words in a condolence card that I received back then:
"God in his great mercy,
knew when loved ones had to part,
Something special would be needed
to bring comfort to the heart,
So he gave us each a precious gift,
not even time can fade,
Of reliving tender moments
through the memories we've made"
Emily Matthews
So teachers, please forgive me for being slightly "off form" and moody on Monday. I promise you all that you'll see a cheerful Pengetua again today. Hey, it's a promise! :P
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Teachers' Day
We have Mothers' Day, we have Fathers' Day... surely teachers deserve something too? That's why we have the "also equally widely celebrated" Teachers' Day!
On Friday night (15 May), SMSes started pouring in for me, wishing me Happy Teachers' Day. Boy oh boy did that feel good... and that didn't stop there! These messages continued to pour in the whole of the next day as well!
I would really like to thank Pn Siti Aniza - yours was the first SMS that I received (lucky number ONE!). Also, in his sms, Tuan PPD laid out a really strong message: "Jadilah seorang guru, jangan bekerja sebagai guru". I was also touched by a certain young teacher's message, "Semoga kita semua dapat melaksanakan tugas dengan penuh amanah". Bottomline? It's not just about the act of teaching, but being a REAL teacher, guiding the future generations of our nation to achieve greater and greater heights.
I received messages from ex-colleagues, retired principals, PPD officers, teachers who have been transferred to other schools, present teachers, and even ex-students. Some of these messages are funny, some could really make you shed a tear, some with flowers, and some that are just drop dead serious... haha. Thank you all for your messages! Feels good to know that at least there are people who remember me. :p
Schools throughout Johor will be celebrating Teachers' Day on Monday. I hope and pray for good weather so that all the activities that we have planned will be carried out smoothly. And I also hope that the attendance of the students will be good!
So, as we all celebrate Teachers' Day, let us all ponder on this year's theme - Guru Pembina Negara Bangsa. Have we all really played our roles as teachers?
SELAMAT HARI GURU
TERIMA KASIH CIKGU
On Friday night (15 May), SMSes started pouring in for me, wishing me Happy Teachers' Day. Boy oh boy did that feel good... and that didn't stop there! These messages continued to pour in the whole of the next day as well!
I would really like to thank Pn Siti Aniza - yours was the first SMS that I received (lucky number ONE!). Also, in his sms, Tuan PPD laid out a really strong message: "Jadilah seorang guru, jangan bekerja sebagai guru". I was also touched by a certain young teacher's message, "Semoga kita semua dapat melaksanakan tugas dengan penuh amanah". Bottomline? It's not just about the act of teaching, but being a REAL teacher, guiding the future generations of our nation to achieve greater and greater heights.
I received messages from ex-colleagues, retired principals, PPD officers, teachers who have been transferred to other schools, present teachers, and even ex-students. Some of these messages are funny, some could really make you shed a tear, some with flowers, and some that are just drop dead serious... haha. Thank you all for your messages! Feels good to know that at least there are people who remember me. :p
Schools throughout Johor will be celebrating Teachers' Day on Monday. I hope and pray for good weather so that all the activities that we have planned will be carried out smoothly. And I also hope that the attendance of the students will be good!
So, as we all celebrate Teachers' Day, let us all ponder on this year's theme - Guru Pembina Negara Bangsa. Have we all really played our roles as teachers?
SELAMAT HARI GURU
TERIMA KASIH CIKGU
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Ledang, oh ledang...
Oh how I wish I could join you all for that trip up Gunung Ledang... but it's Mothers' Day this weekend, and my son's back to celebrate it with me. I couldn't bring myself to let him down, I guess. Or, more likely, I can't resist a good dinner *snigger*.
However, my heart and prayers are with all of you, wishing you all an enjoyable and successful trip to conquer where we all think Hang Tuah last went... (Hang Tuah, did I get that right?...)
Anyway, here are some photos I took with some of the team members before they set off:
That's me with Cikgu Bahri and part of the team.
That's our flag that they'll be putting up at the peak.
Besides this exciting trip, I also received good news from Cikgu Musa that our boys Handball team achieved second place in the district tournament. Congrats to both players and trainers. The job paid off pretty well there. MUNSHI BOLEH!!
Okay, see you all again... when I feel like writing... :p
However, my heart and prayers are with all of you, wishing you all an enjoyable and successful trip to conquer where we all think Hang Tuah last went... (Hang Tuah, did I get that right?...)
Anyway, here are some photos I took with some of the team members before they set off:
That's me with Cikgu Bahri and part of the team.
That's our flag that they'll be putting up at the peak.
Besides this exciting trip, I also received good news from Cikgu Musa that our boys Handball team achieved second place in the district tournament. Congrats to both players and trainers. The job paid off pretty well there. MUNSHI BOLEH!!
Okay, see you all again... when I feel like writing... :p
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