The Dawn of a New Year

The first day of 2012 dawned just like any other day for the last fifty years of my life.  I woke up before the sun even got up, did my Suboh prayer, took my bath and by 7.30 I was out of the house, searching for shops to buy breakfast for my family.  Unfortunately here in this town, shops, in particular restaurants, surprisingly don't open on weekends even though it is during this time food business would usually be booming!  I managed to chance upon one shop, bought some Roti Canai and was about to leave when, as a second thought for my girl who is very picky about her food, I decided to buy Fried Koay Teow specially for her!

Good-bye 2011

Over here in Malaysia, today is the last day for the year 2011.  For me, it has been a tremendous year in many senses of the word be they from the aspect of myself as an individual, a family man and even professionally.  As an individual, I think I have managed to do good for my own being by avoiding things that would have otherwise made me regret doing albeit the many opportunities that came knocking on my door.  I know I have made some people hate me for the decisions that I made, but those decisions were for my own betterment and they were not meant to hurt anyone.

Sayonara Samura!

After two years of travelling up and down along the many Gemas - Muar roads, I can now finally say au revoir, to the all those scenes and sights that I have encountered throughout my many journeys; the quaint little villages, the lush greenery and the hustle and bustle of city traffic!  Ever since early 2011, after a choice that was made by my daughter herself to enrol in that school, I have made countless (at least that's how I felt) trips from Gemas to the school in Muar, and back, which usually took up a total of three hours or 200 kilometers in distance each time.


I would have very much preferred her to be in her old boarding school which was just about half a hour trip from my house, but seeing that she was persistent in going to a better school (at least that's how she felt!) and also not wanting her to blame me for not letting her go to a school that she felt would offer her a greater chance for better achievement, I gave in to her wish.  I knew, that once I said yes, it meant long trips to visit her come rain or shine.  And did I mention I hate driving long distance!


Well, anyway, 2011 school year has finally come to an end and she has sat for her last SPM paper.  Did I say  that the trip fetching her home was the last?  Actually, the last and final trip there will be when I take her there to collect her SPM results next year somewhere in late February or early March.  But, compared to all the previous trips, that particular trip will be one that all of us will be looking forward to.

The Right to Write

I have noticed a positive trend among students nowadays and that is the interest to write especially in blogs.  This is especially true with some of my students (former students to be exact!) whom I have taught in the past years, whose blogs I have silently followed with much anticipation.

Of course being teenagers and young adults, most of their entries are affairs of the hearts and things that go on with them and their friends, which include the things they do and the things they share.  It is always enjoyable to read about their feelings!

Some have even included a few new things inside the blogs some of which are worth more than skimming and scanning through.  One of my former students have included short stories inside her blog; whether or not they are based on the writer's real life experiences, is not for me to judge.

Another interesting development is where another of my former student has decided to include recipes inside her blog, which bloggers call a foodie blog, just like one of my blogs (I actually have three active blogs!)  I notice that she has a creative way of getting the reader to read her blog and try out her recipe.

In essence, the main thing here is, the interest to write no matter what the material or subject as long as you don't hurt other people's feelings or get in trouble with the law with what you write!  So, these two students plus a few more that I have not mentioned, I hope you continue to express yourselves positively (a few English entries please!) and hopefully more of your friends (including my present students, please!) will find it just to follow in your foot steps!