Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
TIBDC pt 2
The month of August offers way more than high temperatures and students returning to school. Living in a predominant Muslim state, Ramadhan is a way of life. Ramadhan is the month long period that Muslims fast for spiritual and mental cleansing and healing. Traditionally, Muslim Malays start fasting at age 7 and fast from 5:30 in the morning until about 7:30pm. When Ramadhan first began on Aug. 1, I could see an immediate change in my students, the teachers, and the way life was conducted here in KT. Firstly, everything sloooooooowed down. The schedule at school was cut by about 15 mins, teachers left early, there is less traffic during the day, restaurants are closed throughout the day, and businesses have more of a laid back attitude. (Just thinking: I wonder if crime increases or decreases during Ramadhan. You might think that because people aren’t eating throughout the day, who would have energy to commit a crime? Or adversely, because things are slower criminals might think they can get away with more because police are not out as much). My students have been falling asleep more in class than ever! They have no energy therefore trying to get them to focus on certain tasks is a task. I cut back on all my outside activities and many of the activities where I have them moving around. Amazingly so, I have had no students who have complained of a sickness. Extreme fatigue has been the only culprit in addressing the students in class. “Sir, I am very tired today.”
“Why are you so tired?” I ask.
“I didn’t eat breakfast this morning” or “ I’m hungry and thirsty” they always reply.
What I don’t understand is WHY would you fast while sitting for exams that determine class and school placement. There is no doubt that consuming food is beneficial for many nutritious reasons and is imperative for any healthy brain. Just goes to show you that I don’t know and understand everything. If I propose a scientific fact or theory as to why food is helpful for brain power, I am met with stories from the Quran-an about how Allah said that all should fast for reasons pertaining to being a Muslim. How do I argue with someone about their religion and beliefs? I am then asked “Why don’t you fast?”
“I have fasted before(not for long) for mental and spiritual connection with myself and God” I reply. I also explain how I don’t always fast on just food. It is possible to fast on other daily routines. “Sometimes if I fast, I turn off the TV and read a book. I might stop eating a certain food for a while or instead of driving the car I ride a bike or walk.”
“But sir, that’s not the same. “ The most interesting question and response is if I am talking to a student, teacher, or local and they ask “are you fasting today” and if I say “no not today”, the response is “Ohhhh, well try tomorrow.” When they say it they look so disappointed in me as if I had let them down somehow.
Secondly, I have never seen so many markets at 5pm. On any given day the Bazaar Ramadhan can see as much as a couple thousand people pass through its entrance way. It seems like on every corner there is a market for all those who wish to buy food for the berbuka puasa or “breaking the fast” meal. With this many people out I raised the question how do the restaurants and food stalls compete with the markets. The students and teachers told me that the restaurants and food stall owners close the shops and serve food at the market. So essentially they are not losing money but making money in the end. I thought that sense these places aren’t open during the day and well into the evening that they would end up losing money. A very interesting concept as food is in high demand in the evening and it’s guaranteed that people will buy food at night.
Earlier I mentioned that the students and teachers will ask me if I am fasting. If I say yes it is like it’s a major breakthrough for them. Their reaction is of such jubilation and surprise that often it catches me off guard. Once when I fasted for a good part of the day I told a student and teacher who had asked and they almost in sync replied “very good very good, I am so proud of you.” Now, if my reply is no then I can see their cheek bones lower almost to their feet. “That’s ok, maybe you can try tomorrow.” I ask them is it something wrong with me not fasting and they say no because I am not a Muslim. I then explain that Christians(me) fast as well while at home. “Fasting is mentioned in the Bible” I say. “ Fasting is mentioned in the Bible as a way to receive God’s authority in His kingdom. Fasting is beneficial for many things: we receive spiritual cleansing, our spiritual eyes are opened, and it builds our faith, just to name a few.
“Ohh, but sir you are drinking water, so how is that fasting?”
“The Bible says that when Jesus fasted he drank water but did not eat food.”
Their whole expression changes as if I am making excuses. It’s hard not to be just like you all are being influenced beyond belief and you need to be more open minded. Instead, it’s another moment used for teaching. See this is how I know I am growing as a person. At one point, I might’ve made a remark in retaliation against that type of ignorance. Personal satisfaction from “educating” the person would’ve been more than enough to get my point across. Now, I look at it like “wow, be the positive influence on somebody that changes the world.” As my man Wale stated “I’m not saying I will change the world, but I guarantee I will spark the brain that will change the world.” I truly believe that because these kids are going places. I can tell just from my conversations with them on life. They are very motivated and ambitious and they are focused. Many of them come from very poor households and its hunger that drives them-hunger to be the best, hunger to get away, hunger to succeed. I like to think that I am having that type of influence on them. Today, when I was leaving school there were a group of students huddled around a bench and I went over and sat with them. A teacher came over, greeted me and asked “puasa hari ini?”(Fasting today?)
I told him that today I had not eaten anything so essentially that’s a type of fast but not intentionally fasting. He thanked me for “respecting his religion and fasting.” Initially I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic or not. The students didn’t start laughing so I took that as him being serious. Usually, if the teacher says something sarcastic to me, then the kids will react to it in some way. I told him(respectfully of course) that I respecting religion doesn’t have to do necessarily with complying with what everyone who is Muslim is doing(fasting) and that it comes from understanding. I can respect and disrespect religion in many ways and me fasting doesn’t necessarily mean I would be respecting it. Respecting it comes from me understanding why you all fast, why you pray, why you believe its haram to eat pork not participating in religious activities. So then I posed the question to him “would it be disrespectful if I asked you to come to church with me? I would just want to offer you another religious perspective with no intentions of trying to convert you.”
“ No, I don’t think so but I don’t think I would go.”
“Why not? This would be a chance for you to gain knowledge about a certain experience.”
“Well Muslims can go to the church but.......”
I left it alone because I could see that this would turn out to be a going back and forth battle with him Now I’m not sure what the Quran-an says about going to other religions houses of prayer so I questioned them. . I asked the students was it wrong for him to go to a church and they also said that there are different accounts on whether or not this is permissible. Besides that I asked them can they read the Bible and they replied only to validate the Quran-an. Basically, they were comparing its teachings against the Bible and if the stories match then that part of the Bible is true and if not then it is false.
I told them that was fine if that’s what they believed but don’t read it to validate another book. Read it to see how different or the same the two are. Read it to be able to have an intelligent discussion with someone regarding the subject matter.
The 2011 English Camp at Semarak Aruni was a HUGE SUCCESS! Each year, ETAs are required to host a joint English camp with another ETA’s school. I decided to host mine with SMK Dato Razali Ismail(Billy’s school) at Semarak Aruni Beach Resort in Marang. We were told to submit a working proposal back in April and that would serve the purpose of receiving the necessary funds in time. Well even with meeting that deadline we were still not able to secure all necessary funds on time. While we were planning the camp we decided to cut out all the conventional writing, reading, and other rote learning techniques used and to just simply, have fun. That turned out to be the best decision in the long run as we received positive feedback from our mentors and more importantly, the students.
Lynn hosted a Muslim fashion show at her school in July. It was the biggest event in Terengganu since Independence Day in 1957(just joking) BUT it was a huge event! I believe she wanted to show people that Muslim women all over the world can be beautiful people with different types of styles. The girls looked very confident as I think she showed them a different concept of fashion. Not just Muslim fashion but fashion. That is when I think we are at our best as teachers. We are able to show the students and teachers what we are passionate about i.e. teaching, talking, listening, being proactive in their lives. Mrs. Elharake, you are an angel. I had so much fun with you and glad that I had a chance to finally meet you. Everybody she flew from the states to help her daughter, Lynn, with the show and it was a HIT!!! THANK YOU
The first weekend of Ramadhan I was invited to one of my students’ house for Berbuka Puasa in Dungun which is about one and a half hours away. I ended bringing to other ETA’s and a friend of ours with me. The student, “Mat”, is one of my favorite people that I’ve met here for many reasons. He is a Form 5 student(18 yrs.) who used to live in school. Talking to him is many ways a refreshing change of pace. He is very open minded in terms of other cultures, religions, and many social aspects of life. Many times I talk to him about his take on why students at SMAASZA are so shy, why girls and boys separate themselves, and why integrating social dynamics in class is a must for anyone’s success. We met his mother and father at their homestay-like-house. His father recently suffered a stroke so he doesn’t have full mobility of his left side. Talking to him you would never be able to tell. He is a very determined person and a part-time comedian on the side. His mother speaks English very well as she was a teacher in Kuala Lumpur. Mat walked us to his father’s orchard behind their house. They had many fruit trees that unfortunately weren’t in bloom because of the season. The only things that were more abundant than the trees were the mosquitoes. MY GOSH, at some points I’m sure it looked as if I was dancing. After we finished giving blood at the free clinic, we rode to the Bazaar Ramadhan. It was HUGE, about a football field long and wide full of food stalls. Needless to say, we brought enough food back to feed us for a couple of days. It was so much food in fact there were bowls of buffalo meat, squid, fish, chicken, rice, vegetables and many other delicious types of foods. I must’ve eaten 4 plates. As they finished eating they looked at me in awe. I told them I have a weight problem. They didn’t believe me and I said “yea I do, I can’t wait to eat”. We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company! THANK YOU MAT AND FAMILY
I don’t think that I’ve mentioned this but I only have 2 months left!
I don’t think that I’ve mentioned this but I only have 2 months left!
I don’t think that I’ve mentioned this but I only have 2 months left!
I don’t think that I’ve mentioned this but I only have 2 months left!
I mean where did the year go. A couple of months ago I was telling you about how I’m halfway there and that I was sure this was going to go fast. I didn’t think that fast was going to be that fast though. So currently, I am looking for a job, going to Korea in 3 days!!!!, planning a career fair, trip to Gambang Waterpark, applying to school next fall, and praying that I can will continue to be blessed to be able to write blog posts. As one of the smooooooooothest rhythm plays, the song SpottieOttieDopaliscious, I can’t help but to think about what the last two remaining months will have in store. What’s next? I don’t know but this teaching thing is cool. I enjoy it a lot. Each student offers something different which is a reward in itself. Keep me in your prayers!
Toni is the Bomb.com
OK, since June 24(last entry) I have been involved in soooo much. From playing in a basketball tournament and conducting my second English Extravaganza Week to Berbuka Puasa (breaking fast) with a student and my mentor I have been through a lot. I feel these last couple of months have been the quintessential culture exchanging months. The month of June was concluded with a trip to the most famous island and beach in Terengganu, Pulau (island) Redang. This was the last of our three trips with SUK (Education Dept. of Terengganu). What I thought was going to be a weekend bogged down with meetings reiterating activities that we had conducted actually turned out to be nothing but fun. We went snorkeling, did karaoke, jungle trekking, and just enjoyed each other’s company. The beach was as beautiful as the stories I’ve heard. The resort, boasted a magnificent buffet and dinner. To me, the dinner was the best part of the trip. They gave us plates, they gave us forks and spoons and they gave us an open fire bbq. There were steaks, lamb, corn, squid, chicken, rice, fruit, shrimp and countless other bbq favorites. The food was delicious and afterwards we went out and experienced some of the nightlife that Redang has to offer.
As I continue to pursue communication improvements amongst the students I conducted another English week. This time for my English Extravaganza Week #2 implemented new activities that promoted confidence, speaking skills, vocab, critical thinking, teamwork and most important FUN. The theme was Sports, Hollywood, and Food. To promote the week’s activity I held a drawing contest where students competed for a cash prize by drawing their own depiction of the theme. The students are very talented as some of these drawings drew interest from teachers and me alike. They were so good in fact that I awarded two participants as the joint winners. They were both creative and colorful. Their concept of integrating all three together worked very well. There were three activities: Sticky Situations, Losing Your Marbles, and Lights, Camera, Action. Each focusing on a different skill and interactive method. The first, Sticky Situations, involved the students answering timed questions about vocab, trivial facts, or parts of speech. In their groups of 3, each student had a different task. The first student would be the only person that could communicate to me. The second person was the “middle man” in that he/she could only think of answers and help the first. The third person, the sampler, was the person who ate the food. So if the 1st and 2nd person did not the answer the question correctly, the 3rd would have to eat a combination of marshmallows and peanut butter, hence Sticky Situations. Also, if the group did not answer the question the fastest then the 2nd person would also have to eat the peanut butter and marshmallows. It goes without saying that this was definitely a funny event. After the first or second dose of the sticky combination I constantly heard, “sir….no more, please.” The second activity, Losing Your Marbles was a scavenger hunt. I gave each group of 5 a set of clues that correlated with a puzzle piece. Once the groups solved the clues they were instructed to report back to me and fill in the blanks to the clue. I picked locations around the school to hide the pieces. The answer to the clue was where was it was hidden. For example:
Serves many many things
Like nasi and daging
You can find these foods and more
In your school’s .
The answer is canteen. So once they figured out the clue, they rushed to the location completed the question or task associated with it. For example: identify the part of speech, create your own alliterative poem, name words that rhyme with…, or kick these three soccer balls into the goal then run a lap(just for laughs). Once the groups returned with the correct response to the clue and all correct answers they participated in a ping pong ball race. The team had to perform a relay where they transported a ping pong ball back and forth. Needless to say this was the funniest moment of the whole activity. Groups were dropping the balls, cheating by carrying the balls, worrying about other groups, and tried to distract the other participants. One group tried kicking the ping pong ball on the ground once they dropped it as oppose to starting over which is what they were instructed to do. It was SO much uproar about who cheated that I was going to cancel the whole activity because at one point EVERYBODY was cheating. Man, I tell you….tell the kids that the prize is a trip to Gambang Waterpark and they lose it!! Eventually, I had to stop and talk to them about sportsmanship also. It got through because I gave them a second chance and it was like it wasn’t even a competition anymore. I was like, I never said you couldn’t cheer on your team or have fun but just don’t kick the other team’s ball if they dropped it. The last activity, Lights, Camera, Action!, initially saw over 40 contestants sign up for the acting activity. I’m not sure if they thought agents from Hollywood were going to be there but the pressure got to them. When I opened the doors I only had 12 people show up. Groups consisted of 4 students and they had to come up with their own creative skit. There were 3 groups and 2 of them did similar acts. I think it was because a lack of planning on their part because once I said “Lights, Camera, Action” they were in the corner delegating parts of the act. The winning group was late(they had class) but after the first two groups went I was willing to let anybody try. Not only were they prepared but they were great. FORM 3!!!!! They did a skit on world peace and the environment. It was well thought out, great acting, and entertaining. It was so good a member from another group came and said “Sir, they won didn’t they”. I couldn’t do anything but laugh.
One problem that I am facing now is funding. I have a lot planned for my students and the school but I’m coming to realize that I will not be able to do half of them. I have written proposals, asked for help, and spoke with administrators and committee councils for funding. They just don’t have it. The winners of my two EEW(Engl. Extravaganza week) activities have asked me when were they going on the trip. When we first briefed about funding and asking for money we were told that there is separate monies allotted for the program and its activities. I was banking on that to come through for these end of the year trips and activities with my students instead I have to cut back on what I plan. I have found myself partially paying for many of the activities. I don’t mind doing that at all because we are having fun and we are learning from each other. I just wish that some of the other more pertinent tasks could get completed and money was not a limiting factor. I guess everywhere you go has potential or already is being subjugated to fiscal spending.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Making It Count
I recently made the paper for my influence on teachers in OTHER STATES!! THANK YOU GOD!!
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/24clss/Article/
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/MAKEENGLISHFUN/Article/
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/24clss/Article/
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/MAKEENGLISHFUN/Article/
Right On Time
Reading the paper and came across this article that parallels with my thoughts
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2011082101430120110821014301/Article/
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/2011082101430120110821014301/Article/
Friday, August 19, 2011
Let's Get It Together
When I first started writing in the blog back in January (wow, January…I have been here since January!!) I had an entry for every day. Soon that was reduced to every other day to once a week. My last couple of entries have come rather sporadically. My last entry in the blog being almost two months ago, I it has been an event filled last couple of months. I have not lost my motivation for writing or my passion for telling my story-instead I have become almost at once, busy. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Nada ElHarake (Lynn’s mother) 3 weeks ago. She was here visiting her daughter and to help her with her fashion show. As one of my most avid readers, she told me that I had not posted a blog in a while and that she enjoys reading them. I actually started composing my next entry; however, was side tracked by the daily demands of school and other projects I have going on. So….I apologize. It’s amazing how you can write something and so many people or so little people can read it. While I’m at school I read the local newspaper and almost every day there is an article about the how Malaysia wants to be a “major power” in education and economy by 2020. There are many articles about how English needs to be taught more efficiently within the schools at all levels. Then I flip the page and read about how a transsexual who recently passed was not granted the right to change his name to a female name. Syrian troops move in and kill more rebels, Mubarak is awaiting trial, London riots because a man was shot and they are unhappy with the government and a serial killer kills over 70 people in a massacre in Norway. Controversies, scandal, violence, hate-all of which are monopolizing the headlines. I wonder how many people read this paper or any news media outlet. Many times what people read is taken, considered and analyzed and then acted upon prematurely because there is only one source that they are considering. I have touched on this before and how it can lead to being closed minded or miss-educated. Therein lays a problem-a problem that is just not indicative of Malaysia but the entire world. Every time I turn on the TV, there is some story about a major financial, civil, environmental issue that is changing the world for the worse. I have come to the realization that the world is in trouble. The U.S., Syria, Libya, East Africa, Norway, Korea, parts of the UK, Brazil of late, Mexico, Chile and the middle East have all recently been in the headlines for having civil, financial crisis and/or environmental issues surrounding them. The world is………TRIPPIN!!!! Seriously, we as human beings have got to find a peace because where we are heading now we will all be in trouble.
Being in Malaysia has certainly allowed me to get a different perspective on the world. Since arriving in January (again I’ve been here for 7+ months….wow) there has been an increasing amount of knowledge gained about the world solely because here perspective and reason is different from that of mine or that I hear back at home . With that being said, I have learned that no matter what media outlets are available to people the best source of understanding information is yourself. And not just understanding one source but MULTIPLE SOURCES. Sometimes, I will hear about an event from a student or local while I’m “shooting the breeze” and go back and watch the story on the news or read it in the paper. The majority of the time the stories do contrast in great detail. This is how information is wrongly transitioned from media outlet to person, vice versa or person to person. Educate yourself!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Follow the Signs pt. 2
READ POST BELOW FIRST
Since I have been back in Terengganu the last couple of weeks I have been seriously working on trying to find a job. I'm in the process now of studying for the MCATs but I don't think I'll be ready by September to take them. I'm not sure what I'll be doing when I return to the states. The other day I received a email from the networking site LinkedIn. I had set up an account last year sometime but really have not kept up with it so I decided to update it and send my resume out to a couple of employers. I took the email as a sign that this is a opportunity. God willing, with some more hard work something will come through. Pray for me.
Being here in Malaysia has been a blessing. BUT one thing that I wish I could change would be the concept of communication. Something that I think every ETA has experienced is the lack of communication amongst Malaysians and then affecting us. There have been countless occasions where I have had activities planned and at the last minute have had to cancel them because of something "coming up". Last week I had a camping trip planned for some student's who won my English Week activity back in MARCH and two days before we were supposed to leave I was told that we could not go because the students at the school could not leave the school. Now this activity was planned over 3 months ago but everytime there had been a last minute change in the schedule that would not permit me to carry out the trip. I have shown up to class multiple times and found out from the students that there is no class because they had a speaker come or the teacher has taken the class on a field trip. I have had 6 different schedules within the last 4 months. This makes it hard to get to know the students in a classroom setting and really have them get used to me and my teaching style.Sometimes we do not find out about competitions until the last minute or business transactions do not go through properly because there is a break down in communication somewhere. It's interesting because the Malaysians seem used to this type of procrastination or "lack" of preparation. And you know what, it's probably on like this because WE'RE not used to it. Life still goes on efficiently for them and it had been before we even arrived back in January. As good as the Fulbright officials have been to us sometimes I think we forget that the world does not revolve around us. When things like communication break down it is a reminder that we are "small fish in a big pond" sort of speak and that even though we want to know what's going on we need to continue to adjust to this lifestyle. Life here in Terenggnau will go on without us once we leave. Because of this, my resiliency skills and time management skills have definitely improved. Sometimes I find myself slowing down and thinking situations out more clearly and that has helped me in planning and recruiting.
Well because my trip was cancelled, a couple of ETAs and I decided to go to Pulau Perhentian last weekend. It ended up being one of the best trips that I've ever taken. For a couple of reasons:the water was crystal clear, the weather was beautiful, and the atmosphere was very relaxing. When I got into the water, I walked to it was about waist high and I could still see my feet. Never have I been in a natural body of water where I could walk that far out and see my feet. Check out the pics! The sand was white, WHITE SAND! I mean I'm talking about scenery you only see in movies or unless you're rich and take weekend excursions to remote islands. When we left Besut(the jeti) the water was dirty. The boat was surrounded trash and immersed in murky dark water. About 5 mins into the 30 mins transfer to the island the water turned a gorgeous blue. You could see the two islands, Perhentian Kecil and Besar, in the distance on the horizon. As we drew closer to the islands we noticed that the water started becoming a lighter blue and the water was a lot calmer. Once we pulled in the island's lagoon, you could look down off the boat and see the coral on the sea floor some 3m below. I decided to go to snorkeling. We were told that my group was going to see turtles, sharks, and all different types of colored fish. They did not lie. I saw Little Nemo, Sharkbite, Dorry and all the other sea creatures from Finding Nemo along with the coral. On the way back from the designated snorkel points, we stopped because we saw some turtles coming up for air. We quickly put on our gear and got out of the boat. I was less than 3 feet from 1 meter long turtles. They were sooooo BIG. The turtle that I got to swim with had just come up for air and it took another 15 minutes for it to come up again. Next we saw the sharks. The sharks were a little to big for my comfort so after seeing one in the water while snorkeling I decided that was enough for the day. Now I'm not too much of a "lay out on the beach all day and work on my tan" person but I definitely enjoyed being out there amongst the other ETAs and in the environment. If I had gone on my camping trip with the kids I might'veFinding Nemo cast! Well maybe not but I had a great time. THANK YOU
I tell all the other ETAs and officials that I am very happy to be teaching at my school, SMAASZA. Since being there, I have made many friends, learned from students and teachers, enjoyed teaching, and been a part of their success! The students participated in the Uniform Body Camp. Each organization participated in different team skill building competitions. Once I arrived on Friday the students had already cooked, pitched there tents, built there camps, and erected forts and statues out of bamboo. Once again amazing how resourceful these kids are. Another example of these kids intellect was illustrated at the SEM competition. The science, engineering, and mathematics fair was held right down the street from our apartment so it was easy to attend. Our students entered 2 products in the fair. The first being a light bulb changer. Picture a "trash picker-upper" with the hydraulic handle pump but at the end two grippers used to delicately grasp a bulb and unscrew it. The second which was more impressive was called " Fruity Easy Machine". It was a mechanical system that cored, peeled, ejected, and juiced fruits. Basically making it easier to make fruit juices, shakes,or to just eat fruit without the hassle of peeling and cutting. A magnificent invention all made from scrap metal and recyclable parts. The machine was also came with an electrical board used to rotate the fruit during the peeling process giving you an even cut. AMAZING!!! To see them turn it on and actually do all of this was....wow. Well we ended up earning 1st place honors in all the 4 individual categories and being GRAND CHAMPS!!! 11 of the 12 students who participated in the fair were my students and I was proud to say that I taught them. Not that I had anything to do with their success in that realm but I'm glad they were so successful. WELL.....they DIDDDDD actually have to explain their inventions to the judges in English so hopefully I helped them be more confident in speaking and conveying their message. :)
THANK YOU SMAASZA STUDENTS
Since I have been back in Terengganu the last couple of weeks I have been seriously working on trying to find a job. I'm in the process now of studying for the MCATs but I don't think I'll be ready by September to take them. I'm not sure what I'll be doing when I return to the states. The other day I received a email from the networking site LinkedIn. I had set up an account last year sometime but really have not kept up with it so I decided to update it and send my resume out to a couple of employers. I took the email as a sign that this is a opportunity. God willing, with some more hard work something will come through. Pray for me.
Being here in Malaysia has been a blessing. BUT one thing that I wish I could change would be the concept of communication. Something that I think every ETA has experienced is the lack of communication amongst Malaysians and then affecting us. There have been countless occasions where I have had activities planned and at the last minute have had to cancel them because of something "coming up". Last week I had a camping trip planned for some student's who won my English Week activity back in MARCH and two days before we were supposed to leave I was told that we could not go because the students at the school could not leave the school. Now this activity was planned over 3 months ago but everytime there had been a last minute change in the schedule that would not permit me to carry out the trip. I have shown up to class multiple times and found out from the students that there is no class because they had a speaker come or the teacher has taken the class on a field trip. I have had 6 different schedules within the last 4 months. This makes it hard to get to know the students in a classroom setting and really have them get used to me and my teaching style.Sometimes we do not find out about competitions until the last minute or business transactions do not go through properly because there is a break down in communication somewhere. It's interesting because the Malaysians seem used to this type of procrastination or "lack" of preparation. And you know what, it's probably on like this because WE'RE not used to it. Life still goes on efficiently for them and it had been before we even arrived back in January. As good as the Fulbright officials have been to us sometimes I think we forget that the world does not revolve around us. When things like communication break down it is a reminder that we are "small fish in a big pond" sort of speak and that even though we want to know what's going on we need to continue to adjust to this lifestyle. Life here in Terenggnau will go on without us once we leave. Because of this, my resiliency skills and time management skills have definitely improved. Sometimes I find myself slowing down and thinking situations out more clearly and that has helped me in planning and recruiting.
Well because my trip was cancelled, a couple of ETAs and I decided to go to Pulau Perhentian last weekend. It ended up being one of the best trips that I've ever taken. For a couple of reasons:the water was crystal clear, the weather was beautiful, and the atmosphere was very relaxing. When I got into the water, I walked to it was about waist high and I could still see my feet. Never have I been in a natural body of water where I could walk that far out and see my feet. Check out the pics! The sand was white, WHITE SAND! I mean I'm talking about scenery you only see in movies or unless you're rich and take weekend excursions to remote islands. When we left Besut(the jeti) the water was dirty. The boat was surrounded trash and immersed in murky dark water. About 5 mins into the 30 mins transfer to the island the water turned a gorgeous blue. You could see the two islands, Perhentian Kecil and Besar, in the distance on the horizon. As we drew closer to the islands we noticed that the water started becoming a lighter blue and the water was a lot calmer. Once we pulled in the island's lagoon, you could look down off the boat and see the coral on the sea floor some 3m below. I decided to go to snorkeling. We were told that my group was going to see turtles, sharks, and all different types of colored fish. They did not lie. I saw Little Nemo, Sharkbite, Dorry and all the other sea creatures from Finding Nemo along with the coral. On the way back from the designated snorkel points, we stopped because we saw some turtles coming up for air. We quickly put on our gear and got out of the boat. I was less than 3 feet from 1 meter long turtles. They were sooooo BIG. The turtle that I got to swim with had just come up for air and it took another 15 minutes for it to come up again. Next we saw the sharks. The sharks were a little to big for my comfort so after seeing one in the water while snorkeling I decided that was enough for the day. Now I'm not too much of a "lay out on the beach all day and work on my tan" person but I definitely enjoyed being out there amongst the other ETAs and in the environment. If I had gone on my camping trip with the kids I might'veFinding Nemo cast! Well maybe not but I had a great time. THANK YOU
I tell all the other ETAs and officials that I am very happy to be teaching at my school, SMAASZA. Since being there, I have made many friends, learned from students and teachers, enjoyed teaching, and been a part of their success! The students participated in the Uniform Body Camp. Each organization participated in different team skill building competitions. Once I arrived on Friday the students had already cooked, pitched there tents, built there camps, and erected forts and statues out of bamboo. Once again amazing how resourceful these kids are. Another example of these kids intellect was illustrated at the SEM competition. The science, engineering, and mathematics fair was held right down the street from our apartment so it was easy to attend. Our students entered 2 products in the fair. The first being a light bulb changer. Picture a "trash picker-upper" with the hydraulic handle pump but at the end two grippers used to delicately grasp a bulb and unscrew it. The second which was more impressive was called " Fruity Easy Machine". It was a mechanical system that cored, peeled, ejected, and juiced fruits. Basically making it easier to make fruit juices, shakes,or to just eat fruit without the hassle of peeling and cutting. A magnificent invention all made from scrap metal and recyclable parts. The machine was also came with an electrical board used to rotate the fruit during the peeling process giving you an even cut. AMAZING!!! To see them turn it on and actually do all of this was....wow. Well we ended up earning 1st place honors in all the 4 individual categories and being GRAND CHAMPS!!! 11 of the 12 students who participated in the fair were my students and I was proud to say that I taught them. Not that I had anything to do with their success in that realm but I'm glad they were so successful. WELL.....they DIDDDDD actually have to explain their inventions to the judges in English so hopefully I helped them be more confident in speaking and conveying their message. :)
THANK YOU SMAASZA STUDENTS
Follow the Signs pt. 1
The last month of class, traveling, learning, and living has gone by soooooo fast. Many things have happened since I last wrote in the blog. All have turned out to be a blessing in the end. As I sat on the beach at the Perhentian Islands off the coast of Terengganu, I thought about what I would be doing if I was back home. Not that I don't think I would be successful but this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Throughout my life I have been exposed to a great amount. Sometimes it is hard to grasp the amount of opportunities I have had to succeed. It's easy to become complacent in blessings that are bestowed on you and take them for granite. Blessings can come in all forms,shapes, and sizes. There are many signs that indicate favor. Within the last month, I have seen many signs in which I think....no no no....in which I know were blessings in disguise.
I have made many friends here in Kuala Terengganu. People from all different backgrounds with different expertise and knowledge. These are relationships with people that I highly value because of the social aspect that is essential for growth. At the end of May, I met two people in particular that proved to be wonderful, caring, and thoughtful. I go to a laundry mat to get some delicate clothes cleaned and ended up meeting a young lady, Sakina, who offered me a vision. I told her that I would like to hear about it more in depth. She then introduced me to another,Kee, who shared her vision. They invited me to Kuala Lumpur to attend a conference with them. QNET is the biggest network marketing company in Asia. I had never heard about it so I was unaware of its vision and purpose. I'm always cautious of network marketing strategists and companies because sometimes you end up spending more money investing in them then you get out. Once we arrived in KL, we were greeted with representatives from over 70 countries including Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Nigeria, Hungary, Norway, Great Britain, India, and of course Malaysia. What a environment to be in at the time. Here I am in all this diversity as an individual and as a member of the Terengganu reps. More importantly, I found it amazing that all these countries with civil warring and disputes here for a common purpose. While waiting, for the conference to start, I shared a great conversation with a young man from Egypt. We talked about life, the economy, the difference in people and QNET. He was only 22 years old but talking to him made you enlightened because he was so knowledgeable about all that we discussed. His approach to life was to make the best of it. His life had been impacted, it seemed, by so many negative influences that he had every reason to give up. As we both agreed, because of those influences he had every reason to keep moving forward. He was a very intelligent guy and it was great to talk to and learn from him. The theme of the conference was BELIEVE. I thought it was a very appropriate theme solely because of the adversity that these different countries have faced. Everyone that I talked to was under that notion belief is one of the most important factors in improving themselves and their country. I had a great time.
At one time before the break, I really contemplated not going anywhere and just relaxing at home. This option would def save money and I could do some traveling locally. One night the week before the break I was watching TV and a commercial came on about the beautiful places that Air Asia could take you for cheap. I started thinking why would I not take full advantage of those deals and this opportunity. I'm so glad that I thought against staying home. I planned my trip much later than everyone else so I wasn't able to travel for the full two weeks like the other ETA's. I left the Friday of the second week of the break and decided to travel to Laos and Vietnam. At the airport, I was approached by two women who claimed that they had saw me a month before in Singapore on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino. I initially thought it was a joke but then I started doing the math and placing the dates and everything matched up. They were from Canada and teachers at a international school in Kuala Lumpur. One of them, Tanya, had finished her contract and was traveling for 3 months before she returned back to Canada. The other, Katie, had six more months and was going to travel for a month before returning to finish out her contract. The three of us ended up hanging out everyday together while in Laos. While in Laos we stayed in the capital of Vientiane for one night and went to Luang Prabang the other. In Vientiane I visited the Laos History Museum where it was very interesting to see and hear the writer's perspective of Americans and French soldiers during the Vietnam War. Later I travelled to the Buddha Park where the giant Sleeping Buddha along with many other Buddhist temples and statues reside. On the way I saw the craziest signs. Some made perfect sense and others would've confused the locals(figuratively speaking). The most rewarding experience of the whole vacation was the visit to COPE. Cooperative Orthoticsinternet! That is remarkable! It was a very humbling experience. To listen to him tell his story about his life and the retell the bomb accident was very moving. I am so glad that I had a chance to talk to him about his life. He was so apologetic about his "poor" English when really he spoke clearer and more precise than most we ran across in all of Asia. How could a kid who was 19 experience so much hardship and still be so positive and a role model to his friends and to me? It was very moving to hear the kids' stories about their accidents and lives. One thing that I think we as people without injuries or disabilities tend to think is that we should feel sorry for them and that they feel sorry for themselves. While this may be the sympathetic way it is sometimes viewed this was definitely not the case here. There was no "pity party" there was no grief. There was only affirmations and support within their group and us. They were very positive and had such a progressive mindset it sent chills through my body.The next day I took a night bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. I don't usually say I will never do something but I will never take another night bus in Laos again. Everything that could've gone wrong did. People were throwing up, the bus had a flat tire, we stopped 6 times, the bus driver sped through the windy hills, people were smoking on the bus, there were 8 to a seat and it was 10 hours long. On the other hand, we got there safely after all that. I spent a day in Luang Prabang, a World Heritage Site, in north Laos. It was rainy and an overcast for most of the day but that added a mysterious feel to the town. I walked around and saw many temples and even got a chance to talk to some monks who were living at a temple. We talked about their way of life and about their childhood. Afterwords Rebecca, Ani, Olivia and I(all whom I randomly ran into in Vientiane) met up with two of the ETAs in Vietnam Heidi and Jens. We ate lunch at local stalls, I sampled the local donut shop, and we hung out until I had to leave. THANK YOU Tanya, Katie, Patrick and COPE, Heidi and Jens
VIETNAM!!
The FIRST thing that comes to mind when I think of Vietnam now will forever be TRAFFIC. Last year, between January and November there were 10,800 accidents in Hanoi alone. Out of those, 10,180 resulted in deaths. That number is staggering. Now you would think that with numbers like those there were be some new laws implemented. Nope, none!! I found out firsthand how crazy the driving in Hanoi can be. Walking 5 meters across the street has proved to be one of the most mentally challenging tasks EVER! I say mentally because seeing a speeding car or motorbike coming straight at you is unnerving. There is an understanding in Vietnam between drivers and pedestrians that if you keep just walk they will DODGE and drive around you. I have never been anywhere where the traffic is sooooo "unorganized". I can't tell you how many near accidents I was almost involved in or saw. One in particular, we were on a bus. There was a 18-wheeler in front of us and a van in front of it. Like a high speed chase scene from a movie we all tried to pass one another.......AT THE SAME TIME!!! To make matters worse, a lady was pushing a cart in front of the van and didn't know that this was unfolding behind her and veered out into the street. All at once, each car rearrange position and swerved on both sides of her while narrowly missed hitting her. My heart was left about 800m back from where we started because the whole thing was crazy!
Since I was in Vietnam for so short of time I wanted to see as much as possible in Hanoi and Northern Vietnam. The second day I was there I walked what seemed the whole city of Hanoi. It was so humid. Reminded me of home and how humid it gets in the summer months. I met a guy on the plane named Simon who was 19 and going to start college after he travelled in Asia for 2 months. We reserved the same hostel and hung out in Hanoi together along with three girls from Denmark. Simon and I visited Hao Lo Prison, the Vietnam War Museum, and the Vietnam History Museum. The next day I reserved a tour to Halong Bay. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been, the bay hosted over 3,000 islands. I booked the tour through my hostel, Hanoi Backpackers, which is nothing but a party waiting to happen. I was on board with a bunch of college students who partied partied partied. Not quite what I was expecting but I had to roll with the punches. I met a guy named Mark(who ended up being my roommate) from the UK who was in Virginia last year and visited Busch Gardens. Small world. The island were beautiful and big. While there, I JUMPED OFF A BOAT(seems small but it took a lot of nerve), went kayaking, and cave exploring. It was a great experience. When I returned to Hanoi, the three girls from Denmark and I all went out to eat and spent the night on the town. We had soooo much fun. They were students in Vietnam and were vacationing until they had to return to Denmark. On most streets of Hanoi, there were vendors selling everything from bookmarks to full dining sets. I was overwhelmed at the amount of vendors along the street. I was even more amazed that some how the motorists did not hit any pedestrians or vendors. We stopped to eat at a BBQ restaurant where we bbq'ed goat and beef udders(stomach). Now it might sound nasty BUT I'm here to tell you I haven't had any meals that were too much tastier. In fact it was so good that we returned the next night. The food is very good and cheap as the exchange rate is $1=20,000 Dong. An average meal cost about 15,000 Dong.
I had a great time in Laos and Vietnam. It's funny because I keep saying everything happens for a reason and am constantly reminded that after those situations. If I had not booked at Hanoi Backpacker, I would not have met Simon, Maria, Kristine, Millie, and Mark. These are people who I enjoyed talking to because of what they were able to share. Each had a different story and you never know what they've been through until you cross paths. THANK YOU GOD
I have made many friends here in Kuala Terengganu. People from all different backgrounds with different expertise and knowledge. These are relationships with people that I highly value because of the social aspect that is essential for growth. At the end of May, I met two people in particular that proved to be wonderful, caring, and thoughtful. I go to a laundry mat to get some delicate clothes cleaned and ended up meeting a young lady, Sakina, who offered me a vision. I told her that I would like to hear about it more in depth. She then introduced me to another,Kee, who shared her vision. They invited me to Kuala Lumpur to attend a conference with them. QNET is the biggest network marketing company in Asia. I had never heard about it so I was unaware of its vision and purpose. I'm always cautious of network marketing strategists and companies because sometimes you end up spending more money investing in them then you get out. Once we arrived in KL, we were greeted with representatives from over 70 countries including Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, Nigeria, Hungary, Norway, Great Britain, India, and of course Malaysia. What a environment to be in at the time. Here I am in all this diversity as an individual and as a member of the Terengganu reps. More importantly, I found it amazing that all these countries with civil warring and disputes here for a common purpose. While waiting, for the conference to start, I shared a great conversation with a young man from Egypt. We talked about life, the economy, the difference in people and QNET. He was only 22 years old but talking to him made you enlightened because he was so knowledgeable about all that we discussed. His approach to life was to make the best of it. His life had been impacted, it seemed, by so many negative influences that he had every reason to give up. As we both agreed, because of those influences he had every reason to keep moving forward. He was a very intelligent guy and it was great to talk to and learn from him. The theme of the conference was BELIEVE. I thought it was a very appropriate theme solely because of the adversity that these different countries have faced. Everyone that I talked to was under that notion belief is one of the most important factors in improving themselves and their country. I had a great time.
At one time before the break, I really contemplated not going anywhere and just relaxing at home. This option would def save money and I could do some traveling locally. One night the week before the break I was watching TV and a commercial came on about the beautiful places that Air Asia could take you for cheap. I started thinking why would I not take full advantage of those deals and this opportunity. I'm so glad that I thought against staying home. I planned my trip much later than everyone else so I wasn't able to travel for the full two weeks like the other ETA's. I left the Friday of the second week of the break and decided to travel to Laos and Vietnam. At the airport, I was approached by two women who claimed that they had saw me a month before in Singapore on top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino. I initially thought it was a joke but then I started doing the math and placing the dates and everything matched up. They were from Canada and teachers at a international school in Kuala Lumpur. One of them, Tanya, had finished her contract and was traveling for 3 months before she returned back to Canada. The other, Katie, had six more months and was going to travel for a month before returning to finish out her contract. The three of us ended up hanging out everyday together while in Laos. While in Laos we stayed in the capital of Vientiane for one night and went to Luang Prabang the other. In Vientiane I visited the Laos History Museum where it was very interesting to see and hear the writer's perspective of Americans and French soldiers during the Vietnam War. Later I travelled to the Buddha Park where the giant Sleeping Buddha along with many other Buddhist temples and statues reside. On the way I saw the craziest signs. Some made perfect sense and others would've confused the locals(figuratively speaking). The most rewarding experience of the whole vacation was the visit to COPE. Cooperative Orthoticsinternet! That is remarkable! It was a very humbling experience. To listen to him tell his story about his life and the retell the bomb accident was very moving. I am so glad that I had a chance to talk to him about his life. He was so apologetic about his "poor" English when really he spoke clearer and more precise than most we ran across in all of Asia. How could a kid who was 19 experience so much hardship and still be so positive and a role model to his friends and to me? It was very moving to hear the kids' stories about their accidents and lives. One thing that I think we as people without injuries or disabilities tend to think is that we should feel sorry for them and that they feel sorry for themselves. While this may be the sympathetic way it is sometimes viewed this was definitely not the case here. There was no "pity party" there was no grief. There was only affirmations and support within their group and us. They were very positive and had such a progressive mindset it sent chills through my body.The next day I took a night bus from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. I don't usually say I will never do something but I will never take another night bus in Laos again. Everything that could've gone wrong did. People were throwing up, the bus had a flat tire, we stopped 6 times, the bus driver sped through the windy hills, people were smoking on the bus, there were 8 to a seat and it was 10 hours long. On the other hand, we got there safely after all that. I spent a day in Luang Prabang, a World Heritage Site, in north Laos. It was rainy and an overcast for most of the day but that added a mysterious feel to the town. I walked around and saw many temples and even got a chance to talk to some monks who were living at a temple. We talked about their way of life and about their childhood. Afterwords Rebecca, Ani, Olivia and I(all whom I randomly ran into in Vientiane) met up with two of the ETAs in Vietnam Heidi and Jens. We ate lunch at local stalls, I sampled the local donut shop, and we hung out until I had to leave. THANK YOU Tanya, Katie, Patrick and COPE, Heidi and Jens
VIETNAM!!
The FIRST thing that comes to mind when I think of Vietnam now will forever be TRAFFIC. Last year, between January and November there were 10,800 accidents in Hanoi alone. Out of those, 10,180 resulted in deaths. That number is staggering. Now you would think that with numbers like those there were be some new laws implemented. Nope, none!! I found out firsthand how crazy the driving in Hanoi can be. Walking 5 meters across the street has proved to be one of the most mentally challenging tasks EVER! I say mentally because seeing a speeding car or motorbike coming straight at you is unnerving. There is an understanding in Vietnam between drivers and pedestrians that if you keep just walk they will DODGE and drive around you. I have never been anywhere where the traffic is sooooo "unorganized". I can't tell you how many near accidents I was almost involved in or saw. One in particular, we were on a bus. There was a 18-wheeler in front of us and a van in front of it. Like a high speed chase scene from a movie we all tried to pass one another.......AT THE SAME TIME!!! To make matters worse, a lady was pushing a cart in front of the van and didn't know that this was unfolding behind her and veered out into the street. All at once, each car rearrange position and swerved on both sides of her while narrowly missed hitting her. My heart was left about 800m back from where we started because the whole thing was crazy!
Since I was in Vietnam for so short of time I wanted to see as much as possible in Hanoi and Northern Vietnam. The second day I was there I walked what seemed the whole city of Hanoi. It was so humid. Reminded me of home and how humid it gets in the summer months. I met a guy on the plane named Simon who was 19 and going to start college after he travelled in Asia for 2 months. We reserved the same hostel and hung out in Hanoi together along with three girls from Denmark. Simon and I visited Hao Lo Prison, the Vietnam War Museum, and the Vietnam History Museum. The next day I reserved a tour to Halong Bay. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been, the bay hosted over 3,000 islands. I booked the tour through my hostel, Hanoi Backpackers, which is nothing but a party waiting to happen. I was on board with a bunch of college students who partied partied partied. Not quite what I was expecting but I had to roll with the punches. I met a guy named Mark(who ended up being my roommate) from the UK who was in Virginia last year and visited Busch Gardens. Small world. The island were beautiful and big. While there, I JUMPED OFF A BOAT(seems small but it took a lot of nerve), went kayaking, and cave exploring. It was a great experience. When I returned to Hanoi, the three girls from Denmark and I all went out to eat and spent the night on the town. We had soooo much fun. They were students in Vietnam and were vacationing until they had to return to Denmark. On most streets of Hanoi, there were vendors selling everything from bookmarks to full dining sets. I was overwhelmed at the amount of vendors along the street. I was even more amazed that some how the motorists did not hit any pedestrians or vendors. We stopped to eat at a BBQ restaurant where we bbq'ed goat and beef udders(stomach). Now it might sound nasty BUT I'm here to tell you I haven't had any meals that were too much tastier. In fact it was so good that we returned the next night. The food is very good and cheap as the exchange rate is $1=20,000 Dong. An average meal cost about 15,000 Dong.
I had a great time in Laos and Vietnam. It's funny because I keep saying everything happens for a reason and am constantly reminded that after those situations. If I had not booked at Hanoi Backpacker, I would not have met Simon, Maria, Kristine, Millie, and Mark. These are people who I enjoyed talking to because of what they were able to share. Each had a different story and you never know what they've been through until you cross paths. THANK YOU GOD
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Air to Our Lungs/What's Next?
READ THE POST BELOW THIS FIRST 5/18
5/19
Two weeks ago, the weekend of May 13 and 14th could not have come fast enough. I think the general consensus amongst the ETAs was that we were ready to go back to KL. We were told that midyear meeting amongst MACEE officials was to be held that weekend and that we were going to share presentations about our first half of the year and also be briefed on any other pertinent information. Yea all that "yadi yadi" sounded nice but what we wanted more than anything were hot showers, free buffets, plush pillows and sheets, soft beds, and AIRCON!! Boy we were in luck. We left there that Wednesday night from Terengganu and arrived in KL about 40 mins later. I think, and I could be wrong, but I'm willing to bet that everybody's first move was to lay in the bed for about 30 mins and just get acclimated to not having to worry about your feet hanging off the bed(me), not having to turn every 10 mins(me), and being able to spread your legs without hitting the wall or swinging off the bed(also me). This was much needed R & R time for us and we were going to take full advantage of it while it was there. I decided to take a shower before we went anywhere and ended up taking a 30 min shower while doing nothing but standing there. It was air to our lungs, light to our path, ground to our journey. The next day we went downstairs to the exquisite breakfast we had all grown accustomed to while there are first two weeks. I think everybody was there earlier than usual to let the first round of food digest then go back up for the next. Once we arrived at MACEE, we were greeted by welcoming and familiar faces. Mrs. Ponnusamy met us in the room with all the answers to our immediate questions, as usual on the ball, and Mr. Coffman followed with his comical personality which soon proved to have everyone laughing. A breath of fresh air to us all to see and be able to share our concerns and experiences with them. We were given a full schedule of events that we were to be involved in for the day. Mrs. Mary Chan(our Bahasa Melayu cikgu), walked in and it was wonderful to see her also. We spent 30 mins of the lesson talking in nothing but Bahasa Melayu. Now even though I didn't understand everything that she said, I understood enough to be able to answer questions. At the end of that period, she informed us that she had superlative awards for us. Yourrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Boi(me) received the Overall Best Bahasa Malaysia Speaker Award!!!!! All those mornings of talking to Qistina and Syafiqah, conversing with the students and teachers, and "shooting the breeze" with the locals paid off. Even though I didn't do it for the award, I am glad that my progress has been noticed and recognized. THANK YOU Mrs. Chan, Mr. Coffman, Mrs. Ponnusamy, Qistina and Syafiqah, students and teachers, and locals!!
That night we went to a theatre production where we supported a fellow Fulbrighter Jaki, who is in KL studying theatre and dance. Initially, I must admit, I didn't want to go being that we were in the city for the first time in months and wanted to take full advantage of its "resources". The production was held at the Publika Gallery in Kuala Lumpur and was the headliner for the gallery exhibit. It turned out to be a great event, I met some people, and I got a chance "jam" with the companies drummers. At first when I talked to the guy and told him that I play, he kind of looked me up and down and I could tell that he was reluctant to believe it.He asked me I wanted to play and I said how about we all play. So I picked the Djembe, put the strap around my shoulder, locked the drum in between my knees and proceeded to play. What I'm sure he thought was going to be a quick 2 or 3 minute lesson to me, turned out to be one of the "most intriguing jam sessions" he had ever been involved with. Never judge a book by its cover.
That next day I shared my presentation, in which of course, I had technical difficulties. I thought besides that it went smoothly. Our task was to create a presentation about our experiences in our schools, Terengganu, and Malaysia have been like so far. In my presentation, I made a movie where I had students and teachers asking me questions about my experiences. I even put music to the movie and set it up so where it looked like I was being interviewed but I also interacted with the students and teachers as they were a large part in the making and completion. * I'm going to try and load it on here also. Throughout our stay in KL, MACEE so graciously paid for our lunches and breafkasts'. That only means onnnnnnnnnne thing(well not really but it sounds good).....we ate gooooooooooood!!! There was sooooo much food at some points we were close to turning it down. We ate at TGIF and the most elaborate buffets, and often felt bad for letting some of the food go to waste. Our last day in KL proved to be equally relaxing as I got my favorite, KRISPY KREME donuts and saw The Furious 5. Maybe it's because I had not gone to a movie in over a month but that movie was GREAT!!! Non-stop action, surprises, and clutch punch lines kept me intrigued. I also got watch the M16 competition. The M16 is a B-Boy(break dance) competition where you dance for the right to represent Malaysia in Korea for the world championships of break dancing. While watching them dance I couldn't help but think, " You know what, I can do this." I decided to go down and dance as a independent in the competition. Since I had never break danced before, I just thought what would Turbo do?(reference from the movie Breakin') Soooooooooooooo....I started pop lockin' and....ok ok ok, just joking. I didn't really go and start dancing BUT I think I could've done alright in the competition lol We had a great weekend and looking forward to the return!! THANK YOU MACEE
Selamat Hari Guru or Happy Teacher's Day. Whoever heard of a day where they celebrate teacher's the whole day by playing activities, giving them food, and presenting information about them. Well I haven't until I arrived at SMAASZA. I was told that Selamat Hari Guru was a national holiday and that all teacher's are celebrated. I participated in COCONUT Field Bowling, Apple Eating Contest, Tug-o-War, musical chairs, and helped DJ the event at school. I was unaware how competitive the teachers were with the games but soon made aware. I was told by a teacher "you are in 6th place and I am in 1st, you lose!" as a participant in COCONUT Field Bowling. I was pushed out of a seat while playing musical chairs twice. I even almost choked in astonishment on a apple, because of the teacher next to me SWALLOWING the apple to try to beat everyone else. Ohhhhh but I know now...I know now..There had to be a reason why these teachers were so competitive in these friendly games with nothing to win. I couldn't have been more wrong. While in the presentation, the announcement was made for the winners and 2nd place participants to come up to the stage. As their names were called one by one, the winners and runners-up received these GIANT gift baskets with fruit, chips, cookies, office utensils, and sometimes money inside. I couldn't believe it. If I had known that we were playing for such lucrative prizes I might have pushed a little harder or rolled a little more accurate. As we sitting down one of the teacher's who at this point had three 1-meter high baskets looked back and winked. All I could do was laugh. At the end of the presentations, I walked back to my office to find my own 1-meter high basket along with a slew of other goodies that students had bought or made for me. THANK YOU SMAASZA I tell you what though, next time I know lol
Ohh yea, how could I forget...at the ceremony one of the prizes that were being handed out were COMFORTERS!!! Can you believe that??!?!?!?! It's 98 at night and the prize.... is....a.........COMFORTER!! How?? WHY????
As the mid year date comes and soon will pass, looking back on past experiences have only brought about two thoughts: 1. Where did the first 5 months go? and 2. Looking forward to the next 5! I look at my progression as a person here in Malaysia and I can honestly say that my perspective on life has not changed. I still look at people with an open mind. I still approach most situations with an inquisitive platform. I hope that these qualities continue to make me a better person. Each day, something new, but with that a new level of understanding of life and not only how I fit into that puzzle but how can I improve on it. THANK YOU GOD
5/19
Two weeks ago, the weekend of May 13 and 14th could not have come fast enough. I think the general consensus amongst the ETAs was that we were ready to go back to KL. We were told that midyear meeting amongst MACEE officials was to be held that weekend and that we were going to share presentations about our first half of the year and also be briefed on any other pertinent information. Yea all that "yadi yadi" sounded nice but what we wanted more than anything were hot showers, free buffets, plush pillows and sheets, soft beds, and AIRCON!! Boy we were in luck. We left there that Wednesday night from Terengganu and arrived in KL about 40 mins later. I think, and I could be wrong, but I'm willing to bet that everybody's first move was to lay in the bed for about 30 mins and just get acclimated to not having to worry about your feet hanging off the bed(me), not having to turn every 10 mins(me), and being able to spread your legs without hitting the wall or swinging off the bed(also me). This was much needed R & R time for us and we were going to take full advantage of it while it was there. I decided to take a shower before we went anywhere and ended up taking a 30 min shower while doing nothing but standing there. It was air to our lungs, light to our path, ground to our journey. The next day we went downstairs to the exquisite breakfast we had all grown accustomed to while there are first two weeks. I think everybody was there earlier than usual to let the first round of food digest then go back up for the next. Once we arrived at MACEE, we were greeted by welcoming and familiar faces. Mrs. Ponnusamy met us in the room with all the answers to our immediate questions, as usual on the ball, and Mr. Coffman followed with his comical personality which soon proved to have everyone laughing. A breath of fresh air to us all to see and be able to share our concerns and experiences with them. We were given a full schedule of events that we were to be involved in for the day. Mrs. Mary Chan(our Bahasa Melayu cikgu), walked in and it was wonderful to see her also. We spent 30 mins of the lesson talking in nothing but Bahasa Melayu. Now even though I didn't understand everything that she said, I understood enough to be able to answer questions. At the end of that period, she informed us that she had superlative awards for us. Yourrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Boi(me) received the Overall Best Bahasa Malaysia Speaker Award!!!!! All those mornings of talking to Qistina and Syafiqah, conversing with the students and teachers, and "shooting the breeze" with the locals paid off. Even though I didn't do it for the award, I am glad that my progress has been noticed and recognized. THANK YOU Mrs. Chan, Mr. Coffman, Mrs. Ponnusamy, Qistina and Syafiqah, students and teachers, and locals!!
That night we went to a theatre production where we supported a fellow Fulbrighter Jaki, who is in KL studying theatre and dance. Initially, I must admit, I didn't want to go being that we were in the city for the first time in months and wanted to take full advantage of its "resources". The production was held at the Publika Gallery in Kuala Lumpur and was the headliner for the gallery exhibit. It turned out to be a great event, I met some people, and I got a chance "jam" with the companies drummers. At first when I talked to the guy and told him that I play, he kind of looked me up and down and I could tell that he was reluctant to believe it.He asked me I wanted to play and I said how about we all play. So I picked the Djembe, put the strap around my shoulder, locked the drum in between my knees and proceeded to play. What I'm sure he thought was going to be a quick 2 or 3 minute lesson to me, turned out to be one of the "most intriguing jam sessions" he had ever been involved with. Never judge a book by its cover.
That next day I shared my presentation, in which of course, I had technical difficulties. I thought besides that it went smoothly. Our task was to create a presentation about our experiences in our schools, Terengganu, and Malaysia have been like so far. In my presentation, I made a movie where I had students and teachers asking me questions about my experiences. I even put music to the movie and set it up so where it looked like I was being interviewed but I also interacted with the students and teachers as they were a large part in the making and completion. * I'm going to try and load it on here also. Throughout our stay in KL, MACEE so graciously paid for our lunches and breafkasts'. That only means onnnnnnnnnne thing(well not really but it sounds good).....we ate gooooooooooood!!! There was sooooo much food at some points we were close to turning it down. We ate at TGIF and the most elaborate buffets, and often felt bad for letting some of the food go to waste. Our last day in KL proved to be equally relaxing as I got my favorite, KRISPY KREME donuts and saw The Furious 5. Maybe it's because I had not gone to a movie in over a month but that movie was GREAT!!! Non-stop action, surprises, and clutch punch lines kept me intrigued. I also got watch the M16 competition. The M16 is a B-Boy(break dance) competition where you dance for the right to represent Malaysia in Korea for the world championships of break dancing. While watching them dance I couldn't help but think, " You know what, I can do this." I decided to go down and dance as a independent in the competition. Since I had never break danced before, I just thought what would Turbo do?(reference from the movie Breakin') Soooooooooooooo....I started pop lockin' and....ok ok ok, just joking. I didn't really go and start dancing BUT I think I could've done alright in the competition lol We had a great weekend and looking forward to the return!! THANK YOU MACEE
Selamat Hari Guru or Happy Teacher's Day. Whoever heard of a day where they celebrate teacher's the whole day by playing activities, giving them food, and presenting information about them. Well I haven't until I arrived at SMAASZA. I was told that Selamat Hari Guru was a national holiday and that all teacher's are celebrated. I participated in COCONUT Field Bowling, Apple Eating Contest, Tug-o-War, musical chairs, and helped DJ the event at school. I was unaware how competitive the teachers were with the games but soon made aware. I was told by a teacher "you are in 6th place and I am in 1st, you lose!" as a participant in COCONUT Field Bowling. I was pushed out of a seat while playing musical chairs twice. I even almost choked in astonishment on a apple, because of the teacher next to me SWALLOWING the apple to try to beat everyone else. Ohhhhh but I know now...I know now..There had to be a reason why these teachers were so competitive in these friendly games with nothing to win. I couldn't have been more wrong. While in the presentation, the announcement was made for the winners and 2nd place participants to come up to the stage. As their names were called one by one, the winners and runners-up received these GIANT gift baskets with fruit, chips, cookies, office utensils, and sometimes money inside. I couldn't believe it. If I had known that we were playing for such lucrative prizes I might have pushed a little harder or rolled a little more accurate. As we sitting down one of the teacher's who at this point had three 1-meter high baskets looked back and winked. All I could do was laugh. At the end of the presentations, I walked back to my office to find my own 1-meter high basket along with a slew of other goodies that students had bought or made for me. THANK YOU SMAASZA I tell you what though, next time I know lol
Ohh yea, how could I forget...at the ceremony one of the prizes that were being handed out were COMFORTERS!!! Can you believe that??!?!?!?! It's 98 at night and the prize.... is....a.........COMFORTER!! How?? WHY????
As the mid year date comes and soon will pass, looking back on past experiences have only brought about two thoughts: 1. Where did the first 5 months go? and 2. Looking forward to the next 5! I look at my progression as a person here in Malaysia and I can honestly say that my perspective on life has not changed. I still look at people with an open mind. I still approach most situations with an inquisitive platform. I hope that these qualities continue to make me a better person. Each day, something new, but with that a new level of understanding of life and not only how I fit into that puzzle but how can I improve on it. THANK YOU GOD
Where did the first 5 go??
May 18, 2011
As we returned back to Terengganu last Saturday from our weekend in KL, it hit me that we are halfway through this trip. HALFWAY!?!?!?!! Whoa whoa whoa....that can't be right. I mean we got here January 2 and today is May 18; one, two, three, four months and some change have passed. We have been in Malaysia for 5 months already! This can't be real! Where did the time go As we near our 2 week midterm break, I think about the experiences that have led me to where I am now in my stay here. When I first arrived, I was introduced to Bahasa Malaysia in a quick 2 week course and then "thrown into the fire". We were unsure of our living arrangements and all had questions concerning Internet and phones. How would we get around? What if someone had fell ill and needed medical attention? What were going to be our biggest obstacles here in a new place? These were just some of the questions that we all had and discussed amongst each other. It seems that
Ahhhhh ok, let's see. The last time I wrote on the blog, I had discussed how Taman Negara at one point seemed like a scene from Jumanji(i'll probably show that for my next movie night). Well the last couple of weeks also proved to not disappoint. I have had a couple activities at school and was able to travel to Singapore and KL. As a part of my English Extravaganza Week #1 prize for the second place participant, I promised that I would have a BBQ Malaysian style. Initially, when I said a BBQ I thought of the traditional BBQ where we cook some hot dogs, hamburgers, maybe some corn, and chips. Little did I know that this was not going to be the case. Now because I live in a Muslim state here there is no pork which means chicken hot dogs. Chicken hot dogs aren't bad but I was salivating for at least a beef hot dog. There is beef to make hamburgers BUT its not ground beef. Its minced meat which makes it soooooooo difficult for it to stick together. I tried everything to make them stick including adding a egg to the mix. Did....not....work...wait wait wait...I'm jumping the gun. FIRST, I decided to take the kids to Kuala Ibai, a local beach area with trees for shade.Once we arrived, we had to get the fire started. One of the groups that I took had members from the Bomba uniform body or fire brigade. You would think these guys could get a fire started with the materials we had. I think paint takes longer to dry lol. I let them continue to try until one of the students said "I'll get some gasoline!" Two things came to mine: Why can't they start a fire as members of the fire uniform body and was he serious about using gasoline to start the fire? Before this experiment turned into a scene from Die Hard I decided to step in and try. We got it working together after a while and had the meet cooking. As we were cooking I couldn't help but notice the different roles the kids were playing. The boys were all cooking the food and the girls were preparing the plates and buns. I stopped everybody and switched roles. I made the girls cook the hot dogs and the boys had to get the condiments and plates ready. You could tell the boys were not subjected to these tasks because many of them were making a mess. Interesting. We had a great rest of the afternoon playing games and eating.
That week I also participated in a speech choir contest. My school and I traveled to Dungun to SMK Kuala Abang where Olivia is a ETA. There were about 8 other schools in competition. I was so surprised that students sang and talked in English on certain subjects. The teachers who accompanied the students were even more surprised that this did not happen in America. I told them that I had no account of this happening and wasn't sure where they came up with this idea. They told me they modeled it from the U.S. Guess you learn something new everyday.
As a part of my in-class activities I decided to show the students American commercials then instructed them to create their own. I THOUGHT I was very clear when I stated the criteria for this project including: groups of 3-5, everybody in the group must talk, must clearly indicate a theme or market a product, no more than 2 mins, and the most important, BE CREATIVE!! Now out of my 16 classes and about 50 groups only 8 of the groups were ready to present on the designated day. When I confronted the students about them not doing the task assigned the overwhelming response was "Sir, I did not understand the project" or "Sir, we were very busy with our extra classes(classes held after regular school hours and weekends) and didn't have time to prepare". I gave the student's two weeks two prepare a less than 2 minute skit and these were their excuses. At first, I told them this was not an excuse because they had ample time to complete this project. I was disappointed in them. Not so much for them not doing it but for the fact that I asked the classes numerous times "What questions do you have?" and "If you have any questions please come talk to me." This was suppose to be a fun activity. After hearing their reasons, I decided that I was going to tackle this a different way . I sat each class down separately and explained to them that I can't read their minds and that they need to talk to me to let me know things. I would have even been inclined to dismiss the project or postpone it to a later date if they had come and talked to me beforehand. "Communication is the key guys, we have to communicate with each other. Now I understand that you all are very busy but if you feel like it's too much TELL ME. I would rather you come and say "Sir, we have a lot going on at this time,may we not do it or do it at a later time?", than to show up unprepared." I explained that I wasn't mad at them just disappointed that they didn't tell me in advance. I could see that this really hit home because after I left the classes, groups of students came by my office and brought candy, cookies, cards, and small gifts to make up for them not being prepared. It was the sweetest thing as many students came and told me that they would start speaking up in class if they did not understand and that they would not do it again. NOW, this is very important because not only may this have been poor communication on their part but it very well could have been even poorer communication on my part. Many times in class, I find myself repeating myself and talking very slow so that the students will understand. Maybe I was talking to fast or just rambling and they didn't understand what had been said. I went back to the classes and apologized to them for my "lack of communication" and they all at once would say "ohhh no no no no sir, it's our fault. We won't do it again." We all laughed and smiled and promised to communicate more efficiently and frequently. Since that day there has definitely been a change for the positive in their communication in class and probably mine also. Improvement comes from learning and amending. We just got better!
Traveling is a wonderful thing...BUT....when you are stuck on a bus for over 12 hours because the bus driver takes leisure stops every couple of hours there's nothing else that you want to think about except getting off. The last weekend in April I traveled to Singapore. Ok, imagine all the futuristic movies that you've ever seen that take place in a city. The first one that comes to mind is Demolition Man(I know not the happy-go-lucky movie but...). Cars that fly, seashells in the bathroom(toilet paper), virtual reality platforms...all things that come to mind when I think of Singapore. Well it wasn't that futuristic(not yet anyway) but the city was not far from it. It definitely is a city of the future. Singapore has one of the best economies in the world and that is evident through all walks of life there. The city is blossoming with skyscrapers, innovative new designs, and state of the art technological advances. My favorite part of the trip actually happened by mistake on my part. I had a couple in the airport earlier in March and they told me that they lived in Singapore. We swapped contact information and I told them that I was coming to visit Singapore soon and would inform them. Once I arrived, we set up a lunch for myself, them and the other ETAs who had come on the trip. Well once we got to the "meet-up" location, we found out that the location was actually two stops back on the train. Crunched for time we decided that we should just stay where we were and eat lunch there. I would miss seeing him that time. This turned out to be the best decision of the whole trip. The area was called Marina and it hosted the Marina Bay Sands Casino and Resort and the Marina Bay Sands Shopping Gallery. First, we ate lunch in the gallery mall where there was a river running though it where they had small boats that would pick you up at various stops and take you around to other stores. Secondly, they had a food court that overlooked a ice skating rink inside the mall. Thirdly, the building was constructed to look like a giant rippling wave so the architecture was one-of-a-kind. Leading out of the gallery mall was a "double helix" bridge that spiraled and wound about a 100m. Once out on the bridge and looking up to your left, you were struck by the Marina Bay Sands Casino and Resort. A SHIP ON TOP OF A BUILDING!! 197m tall, 2,561 rooms(57 floors), 340m long sky deck, the world's largest public cantilevered platform, 2 theatres, 2 floating pavilions, AND(if the construction bill was not high enough) a 150m infinity swimming pool that overlooks Singapore. When the elevator opened up its doors and that breeze from being that high up hit your face, your hear starts racing. IT...WAS...BEAUTIFUL!!! ohhh man let's not even talk about how it looks at night with it illuminating all of Singapore. The top of this grand hotel offered nothing but scenic and majestic views .THANK YOU GOD
Continue to the next blog entry...
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Shukran, Selamat Hari Jadi, English Extravaganza Week #1 activities 2 and 3, Hujan!
4/1/11
Last week when asked on my birthday what I wanted for it, the first thing that popped into my head were two things: a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts or 4 orders of Roti Tisu. Either way I figured I would be eating goooooood. Well....I got the Roti Tisu and a whole lot more! When I arrived at school, I was confronted with all type of birthday greetings! "Sir, Happy Birthday" and "Happy Birthday, I want to take you out to lunch or dinner" or "Happy Birthday and many more, Sir!". Boy, they know how to make a person feel good! Every class that I taught that day sung Happy Birthday to me and danced. I was given treats, gifts, and food by the students of all my classes. I was even offered money by some students. It felt bad taking my students money but hey, it was my birthday!! APRIL FOOLS!!!! The English teachers chipped in and bought me a cake with my name on it(delicious) and a Batik shirt. The thought was so nice and they also sung happy birthday and celebrated with me. The head of the different academic departments bought bowls of bua or fruit. I tried Cat's Eyes(soft shell with juicy seed inside) and what I call "snake fruit". The actual name starts with a "s" but I can't think of it now. I call it snake fruit because the outside skin resembles that of snake skin. A bitter taste upon first bite but mellows out to a sweet taste. It kind of looked like a pear now I think of it. On my way back from my last class, I arrived back at the room to find my desk SWAMPED with b-day cards and gifts from the students. One gift in particular, some students bought a picture frame and decorated it with the words "Our Favourite ETA, Happy Birthday and Thank You for making a difference in our lives!" I almost cried when I read that. It feels good to know that you are appreciated in such a positive light.
I felt bad because I had to turn down so many offers to take me out for lunch or dinner that day because it seemed like everyone wanted to and I hate to turn down a free meal! That night, the SMAASZA ETA "mother" and head of the ko-korrikulum, Madam Zalina, offered to take me out with her family to dinner to celebrate the day. We went to a newly opened restaurant not far from where I live and tried about 5 different dishes! Now I say try but I should say finished! They were all so good. Even dishes that didn't look appealing oddly enough were delicious or sedap! The restaurant had a history of Kuala Terengganu motif and theme and had pictures from the major development era of KT during the 50s-70s. One of the teachers at the school who had recommended the restaurant told us that her aunt and uncle was a part of the picture gallery that laid on the wall. Sure enough the picture was there and was surrounded by which now a heavily populated area. The owner of the restaurant happened to be the teacher's nephew in-law. Small world or dunia cecil. I told him that I was a teacher and that I really liked KT and he offered to take me to an island for the weekend. I went to the island, Redang, and it was an all expense paid trip! I went snorkeling, deep sea diving....no no no no April Fools(ok that's the last one). I really did meet the owner and talk to him though.
The second and third of my English activities were that week also. The second activity, Camera Through MY Eyes, included me issuing out disposable cameras to students. The students would pick a theme and then create a presentation on the pics that they took. I instructed the participants that I wanted them to be as creative as possible in presenting. Some of the themes included nature, friendship and the elements. A total of 50 students participated in made it fun and educational. The task was to promote creativity and to build upon English conversational skills. What a success! The winning group decided to pick friendship as their theme. With their pics they decided to make a cardboard cutout of a TV and paste the pics on a pinwheel that could be seen through the screen when you turned the dial. They staged a argument amongst the 5 members of the group. When they realized that the argument wasn't going anywhere they decided to sit down and "watch TV". As they "watched", the photos that they had pasted served as reminders as why they were friends. There were pics of them at the beach, at school, and around town. Once they "flipped through the 5 channels" they decided that friendship was more important than a silly argument. I was so proud them! It was well put together and you could tell there had obviously been a lot of thought that had been put in it.
The third activity, Get To Know Me, required the students to interview a teacher and do a presentation on the material collected. Once again, the goal was to promote conversational skills and creativity. This exercise worked great because it gave students a opportunity to meet their teachers as people. There were 30 students who participated and the groups were amazing!! Groups were so enthusiastic and fun. They even through in a birthday shoutout for me as the presentations were given on my birthday. The winning groups delivered their information clearly and concisely and incorporated role playing, speeches, dancing, singing, and even PowerPoint's. I was equally proud of the groups who participated in these activities. As a reward to the groups that won, I will be taking them on a trip to Taman Negara where we can engage in many outdoor activities including the world famous skywalk. It is the world's longest rope bridge at over 500m long and 50m high. I know if they aren't excited I am. My activities I believe are working great. I have noticed a increase in the amount of students that come and talk to me or ask me questions in my office or around school. They are getting more comfortable with me and my teaching style and I believe they are enjoying it. I also enjoy and recognize that students at first were reserved in the aspect of not being open in talking or communicating with me in English because they were shy or "afraid [their] English is not good enough" but now openly will talk on a more frequent basis and ask me about differences in life in America. "Sir, what is your opinion on the man who wanted to burn the Qu'ran? Sir, how is racism in your country? What about life, what do you believe?" I welcome these questions and let them know that even though I am from America I do not represent the thought process and I am not the voice of all Americans. I tell them in many circumstances that there are many ignorant people in the world and many times that's why irrational decisions are made. I tell them one reason that I am here is to increase my knowledge about a culture and to grow as a person. One way that you can grow is by learning about others and asking questions. It allows you to hear things from their perspective and from that you cultivate a understanding and respect for them. They smile!!
As a ETA at a religious school I have also been exposed to Bahasa Arab. I am learning Arabic! So far I have a very basic 8 words down but I am picking it up pretty fast. Shukran means thank you and the response would be afwan which means your welcome. I also have learned "how are you?", "I'm fine" and the numbers 1-7 along with a couple of arbitrary words due to being in a situation. As I stated in an earlier blog post one of the things I enjoy the most is the look on the locals face when I conversate with them in Bahasa Melayu or Arab. I was eating dinner the other night at a food stall that's not to far away from my school and a man who was eating dinner next to me spoke in English. "Where are you from?" he asked continuing to eat. "Dari mana America, tetapi saya tinggal sini untuk 3 bulan" I replied. You...should've..seen this guy almost choke on his food in amazement. Now it wasn't funny that he almost choked but it his face was priceless. "Apa ajar?"(what do you teach?) he muttered. "Saya cikgu dalam Bahasa Inggeris". We talked the rest of the conversation in English. Probably because he believed initially that I could hold a conversation with him in Bahasa and that there was no reason of trying to test my ability anymore. I welcomed him to continue talking in Bahasa Melayu so I could learn and become more fluent in the language. He didn't listen. lol When the conversation was over he offered to pay for my food and but I politely declined and hit him with the "shukran". That's when his eyes got big. "Awak cakap Bahasa Arab juga?!?!?!?!" he asked surprised. "No no no" I chuckled, "But I am learning". We ended the conversation and we went our separate ways. I'm sure he left thinking I wonder how this westerner is picking up on these languages and he's not from here. I've actually had the question asked to me in many circumstances. The answer remains the same, "I am in a new place and learning a lot of new things. The culture is very interesting and the people are willing to speak to me in Malay and Arabic. I want to learn as much as possible while I'm here. Plus, I need to know how to ask for Roti Tisu!"
When we were in Bali 3 weeks ago we walked past a restaurant and overheard the breaking news report that Japan had just suffered a earthquake. Some time later we were informed that it had also been hit by a tsunami. WOW....there were sooo many people that were killed, injured, missing, and without family member, loved ones and their homes. Living in this area of the world there were many immediate questions about how this would affect us in Malaysia. When we returned to KT we arrived to sunny days and hot temps. The next two weeks would prove to be different however. It's raining NOW. I def believe that this has something to do with the tsunami. It has not only rained but rained heavily. All areas of KT were flooded but because of the infrastructure of the houses and buildings here, drainage is not a major problem. Most places were clear of 3 or 4 inches of rain in less than 2 days. My school was partially flooded in large part because we are right on the water but I came back the next day and the rain had dried up. It will rain hard in the morning and into the afternoon but by night it will slow but continue steady. Throughout the week, I thought a way to raise and donate money to Japan relief efforts. I am a member of the PBSM uniform body at SMAASZA which is a program run through the Red Cross. The club duties include promoting health awareness, learning basic medical procedures(CPR), and serving the school as the medical trainers for sporting events. I am collaborating with the Red Cross headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, PBSM, and the students and teachers at SMAASZA to raise money for the relief efforts. The kids and teachers are all excited about the opportunity to help out the people in that region of the world and are working hard to raise money. I have had many experiences here in Malaysia and the other places that I have visited and all have been learning lessons. This fundraiser has been a wonderful reminder of how kind the people I am surrounded by are. THANK YOU! Have a wonderful week!
PICS
Last week when asked on my birthday what I wanted for it, the first thing that popped into my head were two things: a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts or 4 orders of Roti Tisu. Either way I figured I would be eating goooooood. Well....I got the Roti Tisu and a whole lot more! When I arrived at school, I was confronted with all type of birthday greetings! "Sir, Happy Birthday" and "Happy Birthday, I want to take you out to lunch or dinner" or "Happy Birthday and many more, Sir!". Boy, they know how to make a person feel good! Every class that I taught that day sung Happy Birthday to me and danced. I was given treats, gifts, and food by the students of all my classes. I was even offered money by some students. It felt bad taking my students money but hey, it was my birthday!! APRIL FOOLS!!!! The English teachers chipped in and bought me a cake with my name on it(delicious) and a Batik shirt. The thought was so nice and they also sung happy birthday and celebrated with me. The head of the different academic departments bought bowls of bua or fruit. I tried Cat's Eyes(soft shell with juicy seed inside) and what I call "snake fruit". The actual name starts with a "s" but I can't think of it now. I call it snake fruit because the outside skin resembles that of snake skin. A bitter taste upon first bite but mellows out to a sweet taste. It kind of looked like a pear now I think of it. On my way back from my last class, I arrived back at the room to find my desk SWAMPED with b-day cards and gifts from the students. One gift in particular, some students bought a picture frame and decorated it with the words "Our Favourite ETA, Happy Birthday and Thank You for making a difference in our lives!" I almost cried when I read that. It feels good to know that you are appreciated in such a positive light.
I felt bad because I had to turn down so many offers to take me out for lunch or dinner that day because it seemed like everyone wanted to and I hate to turn down a free meal! That night, the SMAASZA ETA "mother" and head of the ko-korrikulum, Madam Zalina, offered to take me out with her family to dinner to celebrate the day. We went to a newly opened restaurant not far from where I live and tried about 5 different dishes! Now I say try but I should say finished! They were all so good. Even dishes that didn't look appealing oddly enough were delicious or sedap! The restaurant had a history of Kuala Terengganu motif and theme and had pictures from the major development era of KT during the 50s-70s. One of the teachers at the school who had recommended the restaurant told us that her aunt and uncle was a part of the picture gallery that laid on the wall. Sure enough the picture was there and was surrounded by which now a heavily populated area. The owner of the restaurant happened to be the teacher's nephew in-law. Small world or dunia cecil. I told him that I was a teacher and that I really liked KT and he offered to take me to an island for the weekend. I went to the island, Redang, and it was an all expense paid trip! I went snorkeling, deep sea diving....no no no no April Fools(ok that's the last one). I really did meet the owner and talk to him though.
The second and third of my English activities were that week also. The second activity, Camera Through MY Eyes, included me issuing out disposable cameras to students. The students would pick a theme and then create a presentation on the pics that they took. I instructed the participants that I wanted them to be as creative as possible in presenting. Some of the themes included nature, friendship and the elements. A total of 50 students participated in made it fun and educational. The task was to promote creativity and to build upon English conversational skills. What a success! The winning group decided to pick friendship as their theme. With their pics they decided to make a cardboard cutout of a TV and paste the pics on a pinwheel that could be seen through the screen when you turned the dial. They staged a argument amongst the 5 members of the group. When they realized that the argument wasn't going anywhere they decided to sit down and "watch TV". As they "watched", the photos that they had pasted served as reminders as why they were friends. There were pics of them at the beach, at school, and around town. Once they "flipped through the 5 channels" they decided that friendship was more important than a silly argument. I was so proud them! It was well put together and you could tell there had obviously been a lot of thought that had been put in it.
The third activity, Get To Know Me, required the students to interview a teacher and do a presentation on the material collected. Once again, the goal was to promote conversational skills and creativity. This exercise worked great because it gave students a opportunity to meet their teachers as people. There were 30 students who participated and the groups were amazing!! Groups were so enthusiastic and fun. They even through in a birthday shoutout for me as the presentations were given on my birthday. The winning groups delivered their information clearly and concisely and incorporated role playing, speeches, dancing, singing, and even PowerPoint's. I was equally proud of the groups who participated in these activities. As a reward to the groups that won, I will be taking them on a trip to Taman Negara where we can engage in many outdoor activities including the world famous skywalk. It is the world's longest rope bridge at over 500m long and 50m high. I know if they aren't excited I am. My activities I believe are working great. I have noticed a increase in the amount of students that come and talk to me or ask me questions in my office or around school. They are getting more comfortable with me and my teaching style and I believe they are enjoying it. I also enjoy and recognize that students at first were reserved in the aspect of not being open in talking or communicating with me in English because they were shy or "afraid [their] English is not good enough" but now openly will talk on a more frequent basis and ask me about differences in life in America. "Sir, what is your opinion on the man who wanted to burn the Qu'ran? Sir, how is racism in your country? What about life, what do you believe?" I welcome these questions and let them know that even though I am from America I do not represent the thought process and I am not the voice of all Americans. I tell them in many circumstances that there are many ignorant people in the world and many times that's why irrational decisions are made. I tell them one reason that I am here is to increase my knowledge about a culture and to grow as a person. One way that you can grow is by learning about others and asking questions. It allows you to hear things from their perspective and from that you cultivate a understanding and respect for them. They smile!!
As a ETA at a religious school I have also been exposed to Bahasa Arab. I am learning Arabic! So far I have a very basic 8 words down but I am picking it up pretty fast. Shukran means thank you and the response would be afwan which means your welcome. I also have learned "how are you?", "I'm fine" and the numbers 1-7 along with a couple of arbitrary words due to being in a situation. As I stated in an earlier blog post one of the things I enjoy the most is the look on the locals face when I conversate with them in Bahasa Melayu or Arab. I was eating dinner the other night at a food stall that's not to far away from my school and a man who was eating dinner next to me spoke in English. "Where are you from?" he asked continuing to eat. "Dari mana America, tetapi saya tinggal sini untuk 3 bulan" I replied. You...should've..seen this guy almost choke on his food in amazement. Now it wasn't funny that he almost choked but it his face was priceless. "Apa ajar?"(what do you teach?) he muttered. "Saya cikgu dalam Bahasa Inggeris". We talked the rest of the conversation in English. Probably because he believed initially that I could hold a conversation with him in Bahasa and that there was no reason of trying to test my ability anymore. I welcomed him to continue talking in Bahasa Melayu so I could learn and become more fluent in the language. He didn't listen. lol When the conversation was over he offered to pay for my food and but I politely declined and hit him with the "shukran". That's when his eyes got big. "Awak cakap Bahasa Arab juga?!?!?!?!" he asked surprised. "No no no" I chuckled, "But I am learning". We ended the conversation and we went our separate ways. I'm sure he left thinking I wonder how this westerner is picking up on these languages and he's not from here. I've actually had the question asked to me in many circumstances. The answer remains the same, "I am in a new place and learning a lot of new things. The culture is very interesting and the people are willing to speak to me in Malay and Arabic. I want to learn as much as possible while I'm here. Plus, I need to know how to ask for Roti Tisu!"
When we were in Bali 3 weeks ago we walked past a restaurant and overheard the breaking news report that Japan had just suffered a earthquake. Some time later we were informed that it had also been hit by a tsunami. WOW....there were sooo many people that were killed, injured, missing, and without family member, loved ones and their homes. Living in this area of the world there were many immediate questions about how this would affect us in Malaysia. When we returned to KT we arrived to sunny days and hot temps. The next two weeks would prove to be different however. It's raining NOW. I def believe that this has something to do with the tsunami. It has not only rained but rained heavily. All areas of KT were flooded but because of the infrastructure of the houses and buildings here, drainage is not a major problem. Most places were clear of 3 or 4 inches of rain in less than 2 days. My school was partially flooded in large part because we are right on the water but I came back the next day and the rain had dried up. It will rain hard in the morning and into the afternoon but by night it will slow but continue steady. Throughout the week, I thought a way to raise and donate money to Japan relief efforts. I am a member of the PBSM uniform body at SMAASZA which is a program run through the Red Cross. The club duties include promoting health awareness, learning basic medical procedures(CPR), and serving the school as the medical trainers for sporting events. I am collaborating with the Red Cross headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, PBSM, and the students and teachers at SMAASZA to raise money for the relief efforts. The kids and teachers are all excited about the opportunity to help out the people in that region of the world and are working hard to raise money. I have had many experiences here in Malaysia and the other places that I have visited and all have been learning lessons. This fundraiser has been a wonderful reminder of how kind the people I am surrounded by are. THANK YOU! Have a wonderful week!
PICS
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2083153&id=11104806&l=a129bf66ec
Monday, March 21, 2011
"Introspect for Retrospect":A couple of days makes a world of difference!
3/19
I first want to start off by thanking everyone who has been keeping up with my blog. I realize that I have not been writing in it as frequently as I would like or as I was when I first started but thank you. As I am traveling to these beautiful locations around southeast Asia and engaging in activities with my school, I often think about what I would be doing had I not 3 years ago walked into Dr. Legget's office or even gone to Morgan. How would things be different had I not played sports in college or if I had moved to North Carolina after graduating? What would I be doing right now if I had not just returned from Bali, Indonesia for a week long vacation? How would my life be different if our mother had not passed away? What would have happened if my father, family and community were not there to raise my two sisters and I? I recently returned from Tanah Lot temple outside of Ubud, Bali. While amazed at the majestic sunset in the background of this pristine and setting, I realized that without those things happening or not happening maybe I wouldn't be here to appreciate this. Everything happens for a reason and I those different circumstances shaped me to who I am today. THANK YOU
The last two weeks have been veeeeeeeeery interesting to say the least. Sometimes I feel like I live in a animal clinic with the animals or lizards that pass through the apartment. I've seen sooooooo many different types of new species of animals and heard so many different bird calls that I feel like I could be a Zoologist and have a second degree. The ETA's and mentors had a meeting at Sekayu waterfalls. Sekayu is amongst the heavy tourist attractions in the state of Terengganu. I went fishing for the first time in a long time and made my own pole. That's probably why I didn't catch any fish. The next week would prove to be even more of an adventure.
When I booked my ticket to go to Bali almost two months ago, I would never have thought that I would have the experiences that I have been through. I set out Wednesday night on the trip with the "intentions" that everything would go as planned. Firstly, the bus ride was about 7 hrs to KL which was not bad because we got to sleep on the ride. Once we arrived at PWTC at 5 am, we met up with my friend who agreed to pick us up and take us around before taking us to the airport before our flight. We arrived in Surabaya, Indonesia at midnight and decided to take a van to the ferry in Banyuwangi, Indonesia. What we did not anticipate was the ride to the point. We fell asleep shortly after renting the van. When we woke up that next morning, we still had 3 hours to go at 8 am. Our driver, who knew no English, and had been driving all night decided to stop 2 hours out at his friend's house to take a break and so we could eat. After that we drove 2 hours to the ferry point whee we would catch it to the Bali island. Once we got to the island, we caught a bus that promised the ride would only be 30 mins to Denpasar where we would then catch a taxi another hour down the road to Ubud. WELL.....it actually turned out to be one of the longest, most beautiful, scenery enriched, non air-conditioned, and tightest traveling trip of all time. The trip lasted 4 hours but we drove along the coast, passed rice patties, and passed through lush jungles! When we arrived in Ubud, we checked into our hostel and was elated at how nice it was. The group couldn't wait to go out as that's something that is not as readily accessible here in KT. The spot to be at was called The Laughing Buddha. Jazz, Funk, Salsa, and Groove all were being played by a multitude of different musicians. The next day we decided to take a tour around Ubud and surrounding areas so we visited The Elephant Caves, 4 different temples and saw Mount Kintamani. All were spectacular. My favorite being the last temple, Tanah Lot, about 20 mins out of Ubud. When we pulled up to the temple it was about 6 pm so the sun was just over the cliff that we were now approaching. As we walked to the edge of the cliff, we embraced a sunset over the water and reflected off this temple that stretched out on a inlet. This has to be one of the top 10 most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was simply......a blessing. The way the orange, yellow, pink, and reds reflected off the water was undoubtedly gorgeous. We spent most of our time at the temple taking pictures and reflecting. The next day we traveled to Kuta, Bali.
Kuta was only about an 30 mins away from our first 3 nights in Ubud but it was night and day compared to Ubud. Kuta is the more touristy area as oppose to Ubud which is more cultural relevant. Beaches, beaches, reggae music, parasailing, interesting hostel, AND lost itouch just about sums it alllll up. When we arrived it was afternoon and our first order of business was to get a hotel or hostel for the night. We found this spot close to the beach and soon realized what we were paying for was location not quality. The only thing that worked there was the price. Nevertheless, we got the room then decided to go to the beach and enjoy the sun and water. That night we met up with two other ETAs who were also on the trip and we all went out to a Reggae spot and had a BALL!!! It's nothing like reggae music. It changes your whole perspective on everything. One of the things that I decide I wanted to do even before i went on the trip was that I wanted to go parasailing. I went to Tanjung Benoa Beach which is known for its watersport activities and went parasailing. What a experience! Scary at first but you get used to it. I had a wonderful time. That night we went BACK to the reggae spot and again had a wonderful time. The next day I woke up and looked around for my itouch to charge it. I couldn't find it...."ok think think think...where did I have it last???!?!" I must've went through the hostel 4 times looking for it. Last night, after I came back from being out I went back to the mart to use the itouch there and remember walking back with it. NOW, I don't have it. The logical explanation is that I dropped along the way of only about 100 m from the mart to our hostel. BUT I know better to be that careless with an electronic. Where could it have been? I retraced my steps that next morning atleast 5 times hoping that it fell on the ground or grass and that all of Bali that night walked right past it unnoticed. BUT I know better than that also. I always try to look at the positive side of things so I keep telling myself that atleast it wasn't my wallet or passport because then THAT would be a problem. It could always be worse. The next couple of days I met a lot of wonderful people who were from Bali and surrounding islands and we had long talks about everything. That night not to break suite, Kelley, Elizabeth and I went back to the reggae spot. I saw some of those same people I met at the beach earlier and we all had a great time.
Even though I lost the itouch, it was times like this past week that make life that much better. Good food, interesting adventures, beautiful scenery, and great company! THANK YOU
PICS!!!
I first want to start off by thanking everyone who has been keeping up with my blog. I realize that I have not been writing in it as frequently as I would like or as I was when I first started but thank you. As I am traveling to these beautiful locations around southeast Asia and engaging in activities with my school, I often think about what I would be doing had I not 3 years ago walked into Dr. Legget's office or even gone to Morgan. How would things be different had I not played sports in college or if I had moved to North Carolina after graduating? What would I be doing right now if I had not just returned from Bali, Indonesia for a week long vacation? How would my life be different if our mother had not passed away? What would have happened if my father, family and community were not there to raise my two sisters and I? I recently returned from Tanah Lot temple outside of Ubud, Bali. While amazed at the majestic sunset in the background of this pristine and setting, I realized that without those things happening or not happening maybe I wouldn't be here to appreciate this. Everything happens for a reason and I those different circumstances shaped me to who I am today. THANK YOU
The last two weeks have been veeeeeeeeery interesting to say the least. Sometimes I feel like I live in a animal clinic with the animals or lizards that pass through the apartment. I've seen sooooooo many different types of new species of animals and heard so many different bird calls that I feel like I could be a Zoologist and have a second degree. The ETA's and mentors had a meeting at Sekayu waterfalls. Sekayu is amongst the heavy tourist attractions in the state of Terengganu. I went fishing for the first time in a long time and made my own pole. That's probably why I didn't catch any fish. The next week would prove to be even more of an adventure.
When I booked my ticket to go to Bali almost two months ago, I would never have thought that I would have the experiences that I have been through. I set out Wednesday night on the trip with the "intentions" that everything would go as planned. Firstly, the bus ride was about 7 hrs to KL which was not bad because we got to sleep on the ride. Once we arrived at PWTC at 5 am, we met up with my friend who agreed to pick us up and take us around before taking us to the airport before our flight. We arrived in Surabaya, Indonesia at midnight and decided to take a van to the ferry in Banyuwangi, Indonesia. What we did not anticipate was the ride to the point. We fell asleep shortly after renting the van. When we woke up that next morning, we still had 3 hours to go at 8 am. Our driver, who knew no English, and had been driving all night decided to stop 2 hours out at his friend's house to take a break and so we could eat. After that we drove 2 hours to the ferry point whee we would catch it to the Bali island. Once we got to the island, we caught a bus that promised the ride would only be 30 mins to Denpasar where we would then catch a taxi another hour down the road to Ubud. WELL.....it actually turned out to be one of the longest, most beautiful, scenery enriched, non air-conditioned, and tightest traveling trip of all time. The trip lasted 4 hours but we drove along the coast, passed rice patties, and passed through lush jungles! When we arrived in Ubud, we checked into our hostel and was elated at how nice it was. The group couldn't wait to go out as that's something that is not as readily accessible here in KT. The spot to be at was called The Laughing Buddha. Jazz, Funk, Salsa, and Groove all were being played by a multitude of different musicians. The next day we decided to take a tour around Ubud and surrounding areas so we visited The Elephant Caves, 4 different temples and saw Mount Kintamani. All were spectacular. My favorite being the last temple, Tanah Lot, about 20 mins out of Ubud. When we pulled up to the temple it was about 6 pm so the sun was just over the cliff that we were now approaching. As we walked to the edge of the cliff, we embraced a sunset over the water and reflected off this temple that stretched out on a inlet. This has to be one of the top 10 most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It was simply......a blessing. The way the orange, yellow, pink, and reds reflected off the water was undoubtedly gorgeous. We spent most of our time at the temple taking pictures and reflecting. The next day we traveled to Kuta, Bali.
Kuta was only about an 30 mins away from our first 3 nights in Ubud but it was night and day compared to Ubud. Kuta is the more touristy area as oppose to Ubud which is more cultural relevant. Beaches, beaches, reggae music, parasailing, interesting hostel, AND lost itouch just about sums it alllll up. When we arrived it was afternoon and our first order of business was to get a hotel or hostel for the night. We found this spot close to the beach and soon realized what we were paying for was location not quality. The only thing that worked there was the price. Nevertheless, we got the room then decided to go to the beach and enjoy the sun and water. That night we met up with two other ETAs who were also on the trip and we all went out to a Reggae spot and had a BALL!!! It's nothing like reggae music. It changes your whole perspective on everything. One of the things that I decide I wanted to do even before i went on the trip was that I wanted to go parasailing. I went to Tanjung Benoa Beach which is known for its watersport activities and went parasailing. What a experience! Scary at first but you get used to it. I had a wonderful time. That night we went BACK to the reggae spot and again had a wonderful time. The next day I woke up and looked around for my itouch to charge it. I couldn't find it...."ok think think think...where did I have it last???!?!" I must've went through the hostel 4 times looking for it. Last night, after I came back from being out I went back to the mart to use the itouch there and remember walking back with it. NOW, I don't have it. The logical explanation is that I dropped along the way of only about 100 m from the mart to our hostel. BUT I know better to be that careless with an electronic. Where could it have been? I retraced my steps that next morning atleast 5 times hoping that it fell on the ground or grass and that all of Bali that night walked right past it unnoticed. BUT I know better than that also. I always try to look at the positive side of things so I keep telling myself that atleast it wasn't my wallet or passport because then THAT would be a problem. It could always be worse. The next couple of days I met a lot of wonderful people who were from Bali and surrounding islands and we had long talks about everything. That night not to break suite, Kelley, Elizabeth and I went back to the reggae spot. I saw some of those same people I met at the beach earlier and we all had a great time.
Even though I lost the itouch, it was times like this past week that make life that much better. Good food, interesting adventures, beautiful scenery, and great company! THANK YOU
PICS!!!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2083068&id=11104806&l=262b326ca7
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