Remodeling and "Talk More Slowly Please"

1/29/11

When I woke up I didn't think that I would be exhausted at the end of  the day. Saying our work was cut out for us was a major understatement. The three in this apt. started the morning off with a breakfast and decided to continue cleaning and organizing. Before we knew it, the sun was setting and we needed to eat and prepare for tomorrow. A couple of us went to the library and other's stayed in the apts. By the time we looked up it was 10 pm and we decided that we all needed to take it down because the next day was our first day! I don't think any of the guys were worried about it, just ready to get it started. The last month's preparation has been geared to the first day. IT was finally here. Goodnight!!

1/30/11

One thing that I see I will have to get used to is the Azan. The morning prayer goes off on the KT loud speakers every morning at approx. 5:45-6 and 6:15-6:30. Now this wouldn't be so bad but I set my alarm clock for 6 am so I'm not able to get my extra 15 mins of IMPERATIVE sleep. So it's something I'm going to have to get used to. Now since I don't have transportation yet, Madam Zalina, a teacher/co-curricular leader at SMAASZA, volunteered to pick me up until I got the wheels. I was told that I was to address the entire student and teacher/admin. body that morning so I needed to be ready.
"Selamat Pagiiiiiiiiiiii" I chanted as the kids looked at me in awe. The students answered faintly. "Selamat PAGIIIIIIIIIIIIIII" I repeated. " PAGI!!!" they responded. I continued to greet them in a upbeat manner and what I was sure to be met with laughs and cheers!
" Talk slower" I heard from Madam Zalina. " The children cannot understand you". It all made sense, surely my sense of humor and jokes wern't dull. I just needed to slow down. I slowed down to a pace of which I equated to a backwards walk pace of . When I slowed down I then started to see their reactions and they were all positive. One of my tasks at hand was to work with the kids on their conversational skills so throughout my first day I made it a point to greet everyone possible for two reasons: to get the students and teachers responding to me and to see what level of conversational skills they possesed. In all my classes I heard "Sir, talk more slowly please." I honestly believe that this will be good not only for the kids but for myself also. The kids are so friendly. Everyone smiles and even greets you as a class when you enter and exit. I asked one of the students why do you do that? Her response, "sir, we do it out of respect for the teacher." So polite and respectful. No matter what the class, I was never responded to with a "yes, yea, or no." Before I left, I decided to explore the school and its many different levels. One side of the third floor overlooked the beach and the other overlooked the front of the school. As I was walking around that side of the building, I looked down and saw a huge purple sign. It had my name on it and was a greeting from the school to me. THANK YOU SMAASZA!! I was brought home and prepared for the next day.

1/31/11

Waking up before 7 so far has not proven beneficial in my sleep time; however, it does require you to change your mindset. Upon arrival to school today I was still greeted by the students with the "hello sir, how are you?". This makes my job easy. Them demonstrating this type of initiation of contact and communication with a foreigner is a good sign. My classes today had all seen me at the assembly the morning before so they all knew what type of energy that I present. While in class, I first introduce myself then ask them to introduce themselves by stating there name, age/birthday, what they want to be in life, and what are some of their favorite things to do? This is also a measure of what level kids I will be working with. Most of the students while introducing themselves looked down or away while talking and barely above a whisper. I also noticed differences in the way they pronunce letters and words. Also, spelling in some words was a little different becuase they are under the British system. Words like favorite were turned into favourite. Not wrong, just different. The evening once the ETAs all arrived back at home was spent sharing our first day stories and experiences. What a blessing to be welcomed by such a wonderful group of people.

2/1/11

Once again, the Azan was right on time at 5:45 am. Today at school, I was assigned 4 classes. The classes were great. As with yesterday, I started off the class by introducing myself and then having the students introduce theirselves to me. I can see now that it is going to be hard learning all the students name because they all have similar names. Each student different in personality, I am learning so much about each and every one of them. The teachers at the school are always smiling and very friendly! That makes any job easier. I feel as if I have been put in the right place, SMAASZA, to influence and be influenced. I tell my students at the end of their introductions that I'm not the only teacher in the room. We all are teachers and the interactions that we conduct for the next 9 months will prove to be beneficial in our growth as people and as students/educators.

2/2/11

The last day of the week this week is Kejohanan Sukan Antara Rumah SMAASZA or Championship of the House SMAASZA day. The school's activities run in blocks throughout the year. So right now, this week is interhouse competition. The only thing I can equate it to would be Harry Potter. SMAASZA is composed of 4 different houses each represented by a color. Red(Merah), Blue(Biru), Yellow(Kuning), and Green(Hijau) represent the different houses and they compete against each other. The championship day contested Ping Pong, Soccer, Takraw, Jaring, Volleyball, Petang, and Badminton. I was chosen to referee the soccer matches. It was an honor because usually they get a outside referee or top school official to do the job. The game brought me back to my "glory days" of playing soccer when I was younger. As I blew the whistle to start the game, it didn't take me long to realize two things: how good these young players were( some represent the state of Terengganu on a national level) AND how much fun I was having with the kids. I also realized that even though the sport and competition level is competitive it still revolved around a team. There was no showboating, arguing calls, confrontations amongst athletes just FUN. I have been any many situations where I have witnessed a call become confrontational or two players start arguing or fighting at ALL levels of a sport. But not here; times when I was sure that after two players inadvertently ran into each other that there was definetely going to be some type of face-to-face meeting, the other rushed over along with the rest of the team to check on the other person regardless of team. Two great games were played and I was honored to be apart of them both. Congrats lower Green and upper Red. Now the sport that Malaysia is internationally known for is Badminton. I was not surprised to see the athleticism displayed by these student athletes of ALL-ages. A couple of them also represented the state of Terengganu on a national level. They were on hand to display their talent and won their respective games. They contested single and doubles matches. Both matches were a spectacle of what SMAASZA has represented to me: a complete event in which there is respect for all on a competitive level but also being competitive and great while doing it. Congrats to Ya Walad(Blue) and the Yellow team. At the end of the competition they held an awards ceremony in which they crowned a runner up and champion as well as individual sport champions for both boys and girls. Congrats to all participants!! In the midst of all the excitement, there was a special award for the Best Referee of the Day. I was asked to join the principal and the rest of the championships' organizers on stage and then was presented with a official SMAASZA shirt!! I was soooooo happy because I was going to ask for anyway so this def helped me out. I really feel apart of this network of family and friends here at SMAASZA. THANK YOU SMAASZA

2/3/11

Myself and 5 other ETAs decided that we didn't want to go to Penang so we stayed here in KT. We were going to go to the Chemerung Waterfalls in Dungun, Terengganu in the southern region of Terengganu. We were invited by Megan and some of her school officials. We met the official and about 30 kids from the school at the school early that morning. The trip was about an hour and a half on the bus but along the way I talked with ShaSha and Mariam, two Form 3 students from the school. We bounced ideas back and forth and asked each other questions concerning grammatical and sentence structure questions! This way of learning I found to be much more beneficial for myself because I can apply what Im learning right then and there. When we got there, I was expecting a walkway laid path up this mountain to the waterfall. NO SIR, for most of the walk I felt like this was Man vs Wild. There was no clear and distinct path except for the roots that had been uprooted to show some faint sense of direction to the waterfall. It was FUN! All I could think about was the "jungle" that Kuba refered to when Kadari and I were kids. He used to take us in the backyard behind the fence and have us all throughout the woods calling it the "jungle". The walk was over a mile and tiresome. The only thing that kept us going(well two things) were the fact that we were in a unfamiliar place so the quicker we arrived there the quicker we would get back and the fact that we were having fun regardless of how tired we were. Once we got there it was all worth it. It was breathtaking; the water was white and flowing down the jagged rock and forest walls. This waterfall is the tallest in Southeast Asia so it was a sense of accomplishment to have climbed that far safely to see this. One thing that baffled me was the fact that some of the students all under 17 went hiking in sandals. I mean this was no easy terrain and these kids were carrying backpacks and jumping, hopping, and climbing in SANDALS. On the way back to the apt. we stopped at Ani's mentor house because it was Chinese New Year and it is tradititon to have "open house" and welcome walk-ins. Her and her family were very nice people and we ate great. We learned some Chinese traditions and customs while there and had a great time. THANK YOU That night at about 12am as I was watching TV, I heard a knock on the door and answered it. Here stood the foreman and a couple of his workers to continue working on the apt. I was like......its midnight and their response was "but you don't want to get bit by mosquitoes in the night." Couldn't argue with them on that one. THANK YOU God for all that you have bestowed upon me, I pray that I will embrace it all in and learn as much as possible, goodnight

Handing Over Ceremony and Apts

1/27/11

LAST DAY of orientation!! It does not seem like it has been almost a month in Malaysia. THANK YOU God for all my opportunities! I thank you for allowing me to continue to wake up every morning and do this. I thank you for the people that I have met since embarking on this trip. I thank you for my family and friends. I thank you for everyone who has made this possible. I thank you for MACEE, the Terengganu State Govt. and all its officers and employees who continue to work hard EVERY day for our group and for the success of this program!

After our orientation meeting, we had the rest of the day to ourselves. Most of us tried to book these elaborate vacation packages to surrounding areas.  Some of these deals are amazing: Korea, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, India, and Australia. Sooooooooo I think I want to go to all of them.

That night the director at MACEE, Dr. Jim Coffman, arrived into town for our Handing-Over Ceremony the next day.  He treated us out to dinner and dessert at two very nice restaurants.  When we arrived back to the hotel, I think it hit everyone that it was our last night together and it was a very mellow mood. Goodnight

1/28/10

The DAY has arrived!!! What a beautiful spectical of outfits!! There were all sorts of traditional dressed individuals. The wide variety of colors were beautiful and stood out amongst one another.  I was happy to be there as it was a long time coming. This was the culmination of our orientation and we were now "given" to your schools to start our journey. The ceremony went smooth and we we all saw each other off until the next time we got together.

After the ceremony, my mentors drove me to my school and I arrived at the school at the tail end of there break. Now because it was Thursday it is customary for the males to wear Batik's. All the males wore a burgundy batik with a blue design on the side. BEAUTIFUL. The Form 6(Pre-university) students wore Sea blue Batik's and Baju Kurung's(traditional malay women's dress). The school is huge and beautiful. Many of the classrooms's offer a view of the beach that is less than a minute in walking distance from the school. This could be a problem due to my beach affinity.I met much of the staff and a lot of the students who warmly and welcomed me to the school. I am the first male ETA here so I was told that they were expecting big things from me and that they were happy to have me and for me to be the first. 

We received a call informing us that the apt was ready and that we could finally move in. Upon arrival, a brigade of mentors, officials, and other "friends" were in attendance to watch us make that move into our place.  FIRST IMPRESSION: this is going to be a work in progress but one that I welcome and could be fun. There were minor things that needed to be addressed but manageable....UNTIL I started cleaning the bathroom and one of the shower faucets sprung a MAJOR leak. I mean I looked for wood to build an ark. While the water continued to flow, we decided to go the the supermarkets to kick off our Home Makeover: KT edition. We ate in the supermarket, spent the rest of the night cleaning the apt and organizing our rooms and went to sleep.

New Alias: NBA basketball player

1/25/11

Woke up, briefing, then trip to Batu Rakit Integrated Boarding School in Marang. The trip was about 30 mins away so on the way I was able to see a lot of the more rural area of Terengganu that was surrounding the more developed area I would be living in. Once we arrived at the school, we were greeted by many administrators and teachers. As usual we were ushered into a room but this time the school had a powerpoint presentation. Presentation is half of the game because this carries over into how you are perceived amongst your peers and mentors. After the presentation we were brought to a room where there were a host of students waiting for us ALONG with a buffet meal of a variety of food. At my table I had a future, doctor, pilot, two engineers, and a teacher. We discussed life here at the school, favorite subjects, advice on being a great teacher, and then I was asked the question, "Are you a basketball player?".
"I play a little basketball here and there" I replied. That's one. As we traveled to different classrooms to hear the students in discussion and act out scenes of real life situations, "Do you play bball? You look like your in the NBA", the head official of the school said. LOL That's two.
"Well I played in high school and now i just play for fun." We continued to walk around the school and I noticed that by almost every door, there was a print out of a inspirational message and also specific subject tables(periodic, conversions, diagrams of human anatomy). What a positive and smart way of learning and retaining information. There were also big banners that lined the courtyard with the same type of messages, all that can be applied to everyday life and it's challenges. THANK YOU Batu Rakit Integrated Boarding School or BRIBS

We then traveled to the The Terengganu Resouce Center in Marang, Terengganu about 20 mins away. On the way we passed my school which is only 5 mins away from the hotel. It was a huge school with many different buildings spanning out and even had a water tower with the big bold letters SMAASZA! The technology center was nice and we were greeted by the director of the center who was very nice and informed us of our resources that we had access to at our respective schools. One thing that I am noticing is the emphasis that is put on students here. When we visited the school above, students are REQUIRED to take English, Arabic and either French or Japanese. Along with the other "core classes" and co-curricular activities. When I was in school, I def took for granted the OPTION to take a foreign language. It's just goes to show how different cultures are amongst different countries. Ok back to the technology center, the orientation went well. We were told that they had a surprise there for us and they we were to follow the director and his staff. The director fell back to where I was walking and asked "Were ever a basketball player in the NBA?". So this time I decided to take it and run with it.
"I used to play with the Chicago Bulls but I wanted to teach so I dropped out the league and applied for the ETA position." That's THREE!! in one day!! At first his face lit up and then I HOPE he realized that I was just joking and there was no possible way that I could've done that. We just laughed about it and kept walking. I think now I am just going to have a different response every time somebody asks me. THANK YOU Terengganu Technology and Resource Center

That evening we walked to Chinatown in KT and stopped at a shop to ask for some advice. There was a group older men outside the shop who looked like they were just shooting the breeze. Now because we had gone to the school and resource center I dressed up. "Obama" one of them yelled. So not knowing what was going on I turned around trying to see if the brotha was really behind me. Nope nope wasn't behind me. I saw that the guy was laughing so I assumed that he was talking about me. I laughed too, it must've been because I was looking sharp, carried myself in such a professional manner, and held intellectual and thought provoking conversations that he equated me to President Obama.
"I love Obama, he's a good man."
"He's a great man, watch the State of the Union tonight" I replied. I ended up talking to him about the program I was here on and he told me that he didn't understand why his government were hiring "teachers" with no teaching experience to teach "our" children and often pay them more than "our" teachers get paid now. Very good points and it was interesting to here his perspective on the subject. What a valuable learning experience. He and I thanked each other for that learning experience and went our separate ways. THANK YOU

PICS extended

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081093&id=11104806&l=67c2578493

 

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Those are WHAT?1?!?!?!?!? you sure??

1/23/11

 Today as a part of our Bahasa lessons we did a scavenger hunt in the Central Market. The Central Market is right down the street from our hotel which is in walking distance; however, they insisted that we "travel in style" so we have our own bus and driver(VVIP). On the way to the market, we stopped at a outdoor strip of shops which sold the traditional garb of Malaysia. This we needed for our Handing Over Ceremony. There were all types of beautiful materials and shirts/dresses that were presented to us. What they should've done was presented us a better price. I think since they knew we were foreigners they tried to get us with the okie-doke. It wasn't happening! The scavenger hunt went well and we found everything we needed and things that we didnt including eels and bats. Now, upon first sight they looked like snakes which as you can imagine was quite alarming to the foreigners who are not used to seeing live eels in a bucket. We all thought they were snakes. "Those are what?!!?! You sure??" we asked as if the guy who was selling them didn't know. "Yea man, I'm sure. They taste great with Nasi Goreng(fried rice)" he replied. "No suuuuuuuuuuuuh" I answered.

Once we arrived back at the hotel, we met our mentors!! FINALLY, some clarification on just what the heck was going on and more specific details. Mrs. Zurina or Teacher Zurina was very nice and sweet. We talked about everything that pertained to my school day, transportation, and living accommodations. I will be teaching in the oldest school in the whole state of Terengganu and I am the first male ETA in the school's 6 year history of ETA's so I am a pioneer in a respect. She told me of her expectations of me and my influence on the school and I did also. We were on the same page. I could tell right off back that we were going to get along well and work great together. She also informed me of a wedding that I was invited to. Get out the Batik(traditional shirt for Malaysian men)!! We had a very productive meeting and both walked away pleased with the other!!

1/24/11

Teacher Zurina came to visit and discuss missed topics yesterday today and we got some other important things clarified pertaining to my experience. I showed her some pics of family and friends for most of the time and we just laughed and shared experiences. It was mayhem in the conference room for a while because there needed to be clarification on our expenses and living arrangements BUT we got it straight. Teacher Zurina told me that she would take me to get a Batik for our ceremony  so I'm looking foward to that; it'll be good to hang out with her outside of a formal setting.
Afterwords, I decided to go look at our apartments where myself and a couple other ETAs will be staying and I was craving a pizza and Mckie D's. We stopped there and Pizza hut in the Giant supermarket and ate good. THANK YOU

Knowledge is not power, the sharing of knowledge is power

1/19-1/22

 EFL, EFL, EFL!!! The WHOLE day....EFL EFL EFL(English as a Foreign Language)!!! If there was one day that was drilled and drilled it was today. EFL...We are learning some valuable information and tips from our officers and advisers. One of our officers had mentioned to us that we are all able to change somebody life through this program and touch many indirectly.
"Knowledge is not power, the sharing of knowledge is power" he told us. This is a powerful statement with a lot of truth to it. He challenged us to challenge our students and get the best out of them. Now this is nothing I'm sure that teachers back home don't feel or have instilled in them but it's different when you are in that position to do so. The night ended with a ETA gathering at the beach where we met some local professional surfers and kids from the area. This was good because I got to ask questions to both groups about life here in KT and things that I should know. Good company, good conversation, great scenery...THANK YOU

Today was constructive for a many reasons: I woke up and productive orientation material and strategies We came up with different activities to present the kids with. Tasks included interactive activities along with field trips and collaboration projects. This just might have been one of the most productive days as of yet just because we organized the activities ourselves. This helped because its one thing to hear someone talk about it and it's a total different thing actually performing and experiencing it yourself. Our instructors are learning from us just as we are learning from them. This is how it should be for optimal learning and performance.

Friday=weekend!!! Went bowling today and had the highest score. Somebody tried to sign me to a contract to join the PBA circuit after my 164 score. We had a great time and it was a great change of pace. After coming back and relaxing for a little bit, a couple of us walked to the Jumaat Malam Payang or Friday Night Market. Now, since I was there last weekend I already knew the stopping points: the bbq chicken stand(8 wings), the donut stand(6 donuts), the fried rice and chicken with egg stand AND a nice cold laichi drink(all for about 4 dollars)!! I ate sooooooo good that I forgot that later in the night we were going to go play Futsal(indoor soccer with a smaller ball). Good fun and once again, a good change of pace from the work. THANK YOU Heman and Ms. Jaja!!!

Saturday started off with breakfast and then a trip to the State Library of Terengganu. This library was huge with many floors and sections. The staff was very nice and fed us "light refreshments" after our tour. I figured since I would be in KT that it would make since that I get a library card. The rest of the group also applied and received there library card as well. After that we came back to the hotel for a quick power nap before going to the State Museum of Terengganu and Taman Tamadum Islam. This was a beautiful collection of artwork which displayed the history of Terengganu including many theories of the origin of the name Terengganu( river that splits and then branches off in the region). Behind the museum were a series of showboats, rowhouses, and lush and vast gardens with fruit, flowers, spiders, and trees.
Once we left there, we were all pretty tired but went to the Taman Tamadum Islam. A park which was the home of 21 replicas of mosque's from around the world. We then traveled to the Crystal Mosque, which is the only floating mosque in KT. The mosque is partially constructed of mirrors on the outside which when illuminated with different color lights at night, reflect off the water and is a sight to see!! Goodnight!!!

THANK YOU

People are so Kind

1/18/11
As we get closer to our Handing Over Ceremony to our respective schools, the anticipation builds as I don't really know what to expect. I think that this is going to be a good thing in the long run because I have heard so many different experiences amongst the officers and advisors. Once I am able to meet with my personal advisor and school officials, I belive that a lot of the questions will be answered. The biggest thing for me is to meet with the person who I will be doing the most interacting and consulting with before I start. This won't happen for another week when our ceremony commences. As a group I think we've reached a consensus. Most of the other ETA's feel the same way and just want to get started. It's so much positive hype around the ETA program and us that we are ready to do it. Our advisors and instructors have all been very nice. I expected nothing less but it's a good feeling knowing that your needed and met with such a supportive network of individuals.

While being instructed on some of the finer points of "TEFL" by one of the advisors, we got a surprise from T-Best Events. T-Best Events is a organization who works primarily with the Monsoon Cup from a sponsorship platform. While introducing themselves, the questioned was asked jokingly, "Can we go out on the boat with you all and sail?" Not expecting a group of experienced sailors to take a group of ETA's out on the mean water's of the Terengganu waterways, the reply was much to my disbelief.
"We actually have an event planned in May where we'll be coming back and that was something that we had planned for you all!" Well.....guess I better get the ol' Skipper hat out the closet! lol

 Our scheduled was changed earlier in the week to accomodate some of the presenters or hosts. One of the events planned was a trip to the science museum here in Terengganu. The time it was switched to was 8 pm. I dont think anybody in the group wanted to go at that time of the night, but.....we all went and ended up having a great time. The museum director and his staff showed us a discovery film about space in the Planetarium and afterwords as if we wern't full enough, fed us a big dinner! Now, im NEVER one to turn down any food but I was full. I mean that dinner at the hotel was spectacular: baked lemon fish, home fries, mixed vegetables, curry chicken, rice, salad, and dessert. One of the best meals I've had in a while! So when presented with the food that was served, I was a little reluctant to mix that with what I had earlier. BUT when I saw that satay on the buffet line, I would've felt bad leaving that up there. Little did I know, everyone else in the room felt the same way. LOL THANK YOU Science Museum of Terengganu

1/19/11

It's getting harder and harder to roll out of the bed in the morning. I find myself waking up, watching the sunrise of the water, and going back to sleep. But hey, "somebody has to make the donuts!" After breakfast we had another briefing from the State Dept of Terengganu about classroom expectations. We then boarded a bus and got to see first-hand a primary and secondary school. The school was not very far away and we very well could've walked. THANK YOU State Dept for facilitating our program. Half the group went to the primary school and the other half went to the secondary school. If I ever felt like a star, today was that day. As soon as we arrived to the secondary school we were greeted by teachers, administrators and students. The 10 of us were ushered into the room where we were met with ANOTHER buffet line. We eat here like meals will dissapear if not eaten. After the meal, split into groups and walked into some classrooms. The students were on their break so we mingled. Somehow we got on the subject of singing(no I didn't start singing) and the song Hotel California by The Eagles was brought up. Before I knew it, a teacher had gotten his guitar and tuning it. He soon picked 5 boys(all boy's school) to accompany him in the singing. When I tell you that he sounded better than Joe Walsh and the rest of the Eagles your going to have to believe me. I'm not lying!!! He sounded GREAT!! After the performance, we walked around some more and met some of the other students, all quite impressive in their English language skills. When it was time to go we walked back to the primary school to meet up with the other group. Once there, we heard a lot of noise and figured the Americans wern't too far away from it. We walked in on a Form 1(6-7 yr old) class, excited and curious about just who these 17 odd looking people were. They were just the cutest little kids,so smart and innocent. So THEN we left the classroom and were directed down the stairs, through the courtyard and up the stairs again to ANOTHER ROOM FILLED WITH FOOD!! (I can't thank you enough) I'm NOT WASTING NO FOOD! So with that being said I grabbed a plate and shuffled down the line! We had a great time at BOTH schools and it was good to finally see what we were to face.  THANK YOU SMA Sultan Zainal Abidin Ladang and primary school!

1/14-1/17

Good afternoon,

  I hope this message reaches all of you in the best of health. I'm going to clump these days together. Saturday was a "free-day". That morning we had a short meeting on the upcoming week and after that we didn't do anything except relax. So you know what that meant....another day at the beach and exploring! Today was one of those days where you just make picnic lunches to a park and just relax. Well I did except for the lunch and park. lol 

On Sunday, one of our advisors from the State Dept of Education here in Terengganu took all of us to go to apply for an account at the local bank. It took a while for 17 ETAs to go through the process of receiving the card, setting up the account and paperwork. While waiting we were told that we had a couple of hours to wait so we could go to the nearby store and shop. I really wasn't trying to shop so instead myself and two others who were living in KT decided to go to the apts which we thought we would be living in. We saw three different apt complexes and soon decided in unison that it was the one that we saw with the new paint job and nicer looking parking area. lol When I got back to the hotel, I went on a run up the beach coastline(beautiful). Along the run I noticed a big assortment of different colored and sized kites. Malaysia and Terengganu specifically are known for their kite making skills. At the end of the run, it was such a nice day I decided to walk back along the beach(mainly because I was tired) and talk to some of he locals. A older guy came up and asked me where I was from and why I was in M'asia. I told him that I was selected to teach Emglish to secondary students at a local school. He smiled and said thank you. This is great; however, I realize that this is not the consensus here in Terengganu. I was told that we could face opposition from some who wanted a different educational system in place. Success is not without struggle!(reasonably speaking of course)

Monday Monday Monday...what a looooooooong day. We had presenters the whooooooooole day! It was very "informal" as they kept stating and that they wanted the discussions to be more interactive than anything. It worked out well. Later, I went out to the beach to play ball(soccer) and ultimate frisbee with the fellas. I forgot how tiresome it is to run in that sand. I don't think Dr. Scholls could've helped my feet after that. I rested up enough to walk to Chinatown here that night and took some beautiful pictures of the bridge and other side of the bank. Wonderful night!!

PICS!!!!

you can go to my facebook page and look at the photos. If you don't have a facebook account......im working on that...nvm....here's the link

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2080887&id=11104806&l=af22a2cbce

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The Small Things in Life

1/12/11

One thing that I am learning as I get older is that its the small things in life that make it enjoyable. This was not more evident than in today's trip to the Suasana Cultural Centre in Selangor, Malaysia. The owner and founder, Mrs. Datin Azanin Dato' Ahmad, was a beautiful lady who was equally within. The center was located in a little quaint town right next to a river which complemented the backdrop of the mountains. To top it off, she had constructed a beautiful garden that was built to inhance peace and tranquility. It worked very well; it was nice and peaceful! We learned so much from her and it was good to hear a different perspective on life in Kuala Terengganu.

 After lunch we made our way back to KL so that we could start our last Bahasa language class. Our instructor, Mary, had done a wonderful job teaching us some essential words and phrases. I really appreciate her for that. Most of the class had not studied the language prior to these lessons; however, after three short lessons we all felt confident in our ability to hold a somewhat decent conversation with someone. THANK YOU

1/13/11

 Today, our LAST DAY in KL started off with a talk from Dr. Saadiah Mohamad, a professor at the Asian Institiute of Finance. As with the other instructors and lecturer's, she did not dissapoint in her message and how beneficial she was. I found this especially helpful as I will be teaching in a Muslim school in KT. THANK YOU

THANK YOU MACEE, Mr. James Coffman, Meena Ponnusamy, Kriesler and the whole MACEE staff for EVERYTHING!!

The trip to the airport was the last one that we would have with our driver Joe. (long sigh) If there was ever a guy who didn't waste ANY time getting to and from it was him. lol THANK YOU. As we boarded the plane I suddenly felt like I was watching the scene from Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child when he was on the plane with the multicolor seats and everybody busy doing something different. LOL...BUT the worst part is how I think the pilot fell asleep at the wheel while we were in the air. We dipped a couple of times that had the most "stable" of passengers gripping the arm rests'. THANK YOU God we arrived safely. When we arrived and walked to the terminal we were greeted by Elises' school and some of her students! What a wonderful sight to be greeted by these kids and some school officials. We were equally as excited as they were to greet each other. We quickly took pics, answered a couple of questions(politicked lol), and boarded our VVIP(yes VVIP) bus to our hotel. As we rode on the way to our hotel we passed the crystal mosque, markets, and houses. There were free roaming cattle, boys playing soccer, and markets ALL right next to businesses and other places of work or foundations. Upon arriving at the hotel, there was a sign that read "Welcome ETAs to Terengganu". Again, what a wonderful way to be greeted. We soon realized that our hotel was sitting right on the beach so instead of going directly inside to check in, some(including me) tried to make our way around the side and to the beach. Can't put the cart before the horse, right? After checking in our rooms, the KT State Education dept and the KT State officials presented to us a small briefing to inform us of the upcoming weeks' schedule. NOW, as soon as we finished eating this immaculate dinner, we all made our way out the side door to the beach! IT....IS......SOOOOOOOOOOO.....BEA-U-TIFUL!!! THANK YOU GOD!!! (small things) It's things like this that make life soooo wonderful. I'm so blessed to be able to experience this! The group as a whole was happy to finally be on the beach! Some walked down the beach, some watched Billy play soccer with the locals, me....I found a lawn chair that folded all the way down and relaxed! The sky and the ocean were majestic with the orange's mixing with the purple's and yellow's. After almost dozing off in the suttle winds of the beach I decided to make a move towards the pier. Like a poppyseed in the wind I was off aimlessly to spectate from a different location and perspective. The pier was made of concrete with one side descending with rocks that lead to the beach and small inlet. The other another concrete wall and rocks leading to the water. There were fisherman all up and down the pier on both sides. I almost felt out of place as I didnt have a pole or motorbike. What a wonderful day! THANK YOU God for the small things!

1/14/11

 One thing that I am quickly getting used to here in KT are the stares. lol...I kind of feel like a ghost the way people look at us. I embrace it as I realize that they more than likely only see westerners a couple times of year. Breakfast was GREAT; there was a wide variety of food ranging from fruit, cakes, rice, seafood, and eggs! Nou, Andrea, Kelley, Lynn, and myself decided to go looking around. As we walked down the street, we saw that we were the topic of conversation amongst everybody. We even saw a older guy on a bike who dropped his jaw liked he saw a ghost! lol...On the walk we passed the biggest screen this side of the of KL. I can see it now: Super Bowl, NBA Playoffs, Martin, and Skype sessions. AND its right on the beach so I wouldn't have to move from my spot. We also passed the Sultan of Terengganu's house, well more like palace. It was a beautiful structure with many different extensions, a garage that looked like it would lead to the bat cave, and security cameras that would rival security Fort Knox. We were only a short walk away from the Pasar Payang or Central Market. Anything that you wanted to get food or clothing wise was there. So big it housed 4 levels and covered 4 blocks!

 One of our contacts/mentors here in KT is Faziouh, who we were instructed will be very helpful and work with the ETA's staying here in KT. She took the whole group to the Jumaat Pasar or Friday Market. Across from the big screen sat a barage of different food, clothes, electronics, shoes, and health care product stalls. The food.....AMAZING, well besides the eel (kekpok). I had some chicken wings and donuts that were great. I can see now that I'll keep most of those vendors in business myself. lol  I needed to get some more clippers as I still don't know exactly to mine. I used the converter and everything and STILL nothing. That's ok, got one at the store right next to the market for a whoooooooooole lot cheaper than what the guy at the outdoor market was trying to play me for.

 Live everyday with a positive outlook as no day is promised so have fun and be appreciative for what you have!! THANK YOU

Jan 11- MALAKA

1/11/11

 We went to Malaka today. Malaka was at one point one of the greatest ports in southeast Asia. It was the center of trade amongst the Dutch, Portuguese and English with the native Malaysians. It is a gorgeous port town with the European influence and also Chinese influence represented in the architecture and colors ( I apologize for the pics not showing up). We were able to see the oldest church, the oldest building, and some original cobblestones and bricks in Malaka. The landscape was beautiful and we took a boatride through the town. Along the ride we saw Monitor lizards that were big enough to pay rent there. They were fast creatures weaving in and out of the marsh along the banks. Beautiful day outside and it was a lot of great information.

 Since arriving here in KL, I have met a lot of wonderful people. Tonight I was able to hang with some of them. We went to KLCC (Kuala Terengganu Convention Center) which houses a massive park and also went walking around the surrounding area. They are mostly from Africa and Malaysia: Zimbabwe, Boatswana, Nigeria, Sudan, and other parts of Malaysia. I had a wonderful time! THANK YOU

Pics??

Does ANYBODY know where my pics are??

Jan 10

Being away from the states for so long you really do lose touch with "common place" things or topics that you would normally be up on. So you could imagine my reaction when I found out today that the Seahawks beat the World Champion Saints. Wooooooooow.....that was just a wake-up call that I need to have a place to watch the national championship game. It should be the best game since Vince and Texas beat Reggie. Im really looking foward to it. Today was a wonderful day. This morning the group went to the National Mosque and the National Museum on Islamic History and Culture. Two marvels of architectural design, both yielded jaw dropping and in awe expressions. The mosque was built during the country's independence over 45 years ago and the museum exhibits offered many beautiful pieces. A learning experience for us but especially for me. I will be teaching in a Muslim school and all information on the Islamic and Muslim nation will prove to be beneficial. THANK YOU!!

  After we drove back to the MACEE office, had lunch and panel discussion with high school Malaysian students who through scholarship were going to the U.S. to live with a American family. This also proved to be beneficial and rewarding. The students were sooooooo bright and it was a pleasure to hear them speak about their country and home. They also spoke on what they expected and were leary about while in the U.S. The student placement in the states in included Wisconsin, California, Washington, Ohio, Iowa, Wyoming, North Carolina, Georgia, Oregon, and Indiana. Why not Va? Many of the students had not received their placement yet so i'm still hopeful! Later, we were invited to the U.S. Ambassador's house which was right around the corner from our hotel. We were in good company as the media was there to document the whole event. The party was to acknowledge and congratulate the YES(Youth Exchange and Study Program) and to introduce us the ETAs. Paul Jones, the ambassador, was a nice guy. I didnt have a chance to ask him questions like I wanted to but I was able to take a picture with him and get his contact information. NETWORKING!!!!! There were alumni of the program who were there to endorse the new students and speak on it's behalf. One particulary, Chee, was the host of the event and is a international TV personality and actor. By the time the party was winding to a end, the kids were just as excited to interact with us as we were with them. What started as a question and answer period ended up as a contemporary version of Soul Train or American Bandstand. Both groups began to sing and dance and show the other "traditional" dances or songs relevant to their country or location. We had a great time!! The kids leave tomorrow as they embark on their journey to the states so please keep the Y.E.S. 49 in your prayers!

TESL TESL TESL TESL

Selamat Datang...

Mrs. Mary, our Bahasa instructor, is also our TESL teacher. She is a wonderful lady who has taught us well in the last week. If her career as a teacher doesn't pan out she will be very successful as an actor. So went the whole week believing that she speaks little to no English. Here we were struggling to understand simple verb tenses and correct pronounciation of the language and she's putting on this act as if she doesn't understand. Come to find out, she's a SUPERB English speaker. She teaches English at a local university to high school students. She told us she had to turn around to keep from laughing so hard when we misprounounced words incorrectly or were unsuccessful in guessing what she was trying to say. We were then informed that this was GREAT practice for us because this was how are students were going to react to us when we tried to communicate with them. It had come full circle; we realized that she was actually helping us by preparing us for what was to come. THANK YOU.

  Teaching is being able to convey a principle or thought to someone else in such a way that whoever you are instructing can comprehend and possibly teach someone else. One method of facilitating this is to have interactive activities to better suit your method of explanation. Mrs. Mary had us organizing games and playing them so that we could implement them in our own instruction. We spent the rest of the day engaging in the games that she had set aside.

1/9/10

 Today was our off day to the Muslim culture and weekend schedule. Rebecca, Olivia, Kelsey, and I decided to travel to the Batu Caves right outside KL to see the Hindu temple and shrines. It was a wonderful experience. The first thing that you notice is this massively tall gold structure standing at the base of what looks like the "Stairway to Heaven", towering over the mountainside. As you arrive closer, the stairs look even more daunting due to the steepness and short length of the stairs. One thing is clear, these stairs were clearly not made for me. lol. MONKEYS MONKEYS MONKEYS There were soooooooooo many monkeys it felt like the Jungle Book. I mean monkeys were everywhere: monkeys in the trees, monkeys on the stairs, monkeys on people, and monkeys on the wires!! The monkeys were DEF the kings of that hill and on those stairs, there were no human objections!!

We left the caves and traveled to Merdeka Square, the site where Malaysia had gained it's independence from the English rule. A vast and beautiful lawn decorated with Malaysian flags, the tallest free-standing flagpole in the world and beautiful architecture surrounding. The walk over to Central Market was equally as fun as there were a was a pleuthra of stands and shops. The main attraction was the fish and foot reflexology. You've all seen it; you put your feet in the water and the fish eat the dead skin off. Check the video out!! I know it's been a while since I've received a pedicure but the fish ATTACKED my feet. I felt bad because I had taken all the fish away from the other paying customers. lol...well I got my monies worth and it was a "tickling" experience. It was a short walk to Chinatown from Central Market. Once we arrived we found a stall and had a quick meal: sweet rolls with bbq meat and sticky rice. We figured while we were there we minus well experience a massage also and would have got them had the business not wanted a finger and a leg from each of us. 

  On the walk back to a cab, the only place that offered free internet was the McDonalds. Everybody else who had a laptop or PDA also knew this as it was very difficult to find a place to sit and enjoy the ammenties of wireless and phone services. I also got a chance to meet up with my boy(friend) Nigel who works for a engineering company in KL. What a smaaaaaaaaaall world. We hung out and he gave me the lay of the land. It's good to see someone else that looks like you and can offer some imperative advice on how to get around and be successful in a foreign place.

  Selamat malam, terimah kesih!!

A blessing.....

1/6

Today was a long day as we continue to cram Bahasa Malayisa lessons into repeated hour long sessions. It is however proving to be successful as the group improves in its conversational skills. The main highlight of the day came when we found out our placement. The time had finally came and we were all excited to find out what are of Terengganu we were teaching in and the school. Mr. Coffman had held off and finally caved in. I have been placed in Kuala Terengganu and I will be teaching at SMA (A) Sultan Zainal Abidin. Now, Kuala Terengganu is the capitol of the state and the heaviest populated. It is also the location with the most accessible amenities. Other areas of placement included Seitu and Besut in the North, Kemanan and Dungun in the South, Marang which is right below Kuala Terengganu, and Hulu Terengganu which is more central. The school where I’ll be teaching is one of two religious assigned schools. This will no doubt prove to be interesting because it is a Muslim school as 98% of Malays are Muslim. How would I cope with a new religion influence? How would this influence my teaching experience and strategy? I’m just thankful for this experience. THANK YOU. One of the things that I wanted was to live by a beach or have the school be by a beach. I’M ON THE BEACH in BOTH CASES!!!! THANK YOU. My school is located right on the beach with only a row of trees as the divide. Can you imagine my class lessons and group outings? Lol

                I decided that I needed to go to the Petronas Towers to see them at night. Elizabeths and I walked over which took about an hour because of a misunderstanding amongst us. When I asked her if she wanted to go she thought I asked if she wanted to go eat (KFC). I wanted to go to the towers and the park (KLCC). Lol Nevertheless, we made it and had a great time on the playground at the park, exploring the area, and just enjoying the ambience of the towers and the presence that they brought! It is a truly majestic sight to behold.

1/7

THANK YOU God for allowing me to wake up this morning! It is truly a blessing to wake up and in good health.

Today are Bahasa Malaysia/TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) teacher instructed the group in different activities that we could introduce to our students. I think these activities were more fun to us and sure that they proved beneficial to the group in that we were able to “break-ice” amongst each of us. They were interactive games which included group activities, games, and teaching opportunities.

                I haven’t really spoke on the food or makun yet but it is AMAZING and CHEAP! This is one thing that truly is consistent. I have not had a bad or distasteful meal. I have had traditional and authentic Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Chinese, and Indian food. All have proven to be very tasty and delicious. The Indian food and the Thai food so far have been the best! I’ve found that no matter how full I am I still return to those same stands or restaurants to get more. Most of the dishes have been spicy which I like because it’s a different type of spicy that I’m used to in the states. The spices and herbs are a little different and I think hotter than what I receive in the states. The minum or drinks are equally as tasteful. My favorite is called Blackcurrant and is similar to a cranberry and grapefruit mix. The water I do not trust because many times it is not filtered so I stick with the bottled water.  My roommate Anirudh or Ani, is from India and has been my expert when it comes to Indian or Malay cuisine and so far he has not let me down.

 I was also told today that there was another ETA who taught at my school a couple of years ago. Upon contacting her I was informed that it was the biggest school of the schools assigned and that she had a wonderful experience there. The kids and the staff were all very friendly and very supportive. She told me that they went out there way to make the ETA feel comfortable and worked very well in unison. THANK YOU.  She also informed me that the school got her a car so that she could drive around town and to other neighboring areas of KT (Kuala Terengganu). THANK YOU

First couple of days cont.....

down and hit the half-court shot at halftime which he missed by the smallest of margin! Had he made the shot, we would all have been sitting on some beach in Thailand with all expenses paid! The KL Dragons lost but we had a great time and took pics with the stars of the KL team.

12/06

Today was a looooooooong day! We had to be at the embassy’s office here at 8. The briefing at the office was very informative and productive. We met the Public Affairs Officer, Deputy Political Counselor, Deputy Economic Counselor, Consular Officer, Foreign Service Health Practitioner, and the Regional Security Officer all of whom which had very valuable information. We learned about the government, policy, political groups, economic ties with the U.S. and civil trade, health concerns, and productive didactic techniques. I believe that this formal education on the embassy’s purpose in Malaysia was great. Not every day do you hear about the smaller countries and their governing bodies from someone who deals directly with them on a consultant basis.

Lunch was served back at the MACEE office where we were introduced to some government officials from Terengganu, the state where I’ll be teaching, and a little bit about what they expect from us. I couldn’t help but think to myself that this is going to be great as we are able to influence such a large number of individuals in a positive way. THANK YOU GOD

Bahasa Malaysia lesson again today from our instructor. The language is really not hard and I’ve really been able to pick up on a lot of it from TV and other forms of media i.e. newspaper. This jet lag is nooooooooo joke. As the guru or teacher continued with instruction the look of complete lack of sleep had settled on our faces. There was more bobbin’ in that room than in an Ali fight. We were informed through our cultural expectation segment that Malaysia is racially divided as well as ethnically. Scary right…..I mean what would that mean for me, an African-American Christian male traveling and teaching in a 96% predominantly Muslim territory? Something to think about; gotta stay on my toes!

First couple of days

We were just glad to finally get to the hotel after the long trip.

After the majority of us had greeted each other we walked to the Pavilion. There are 13 of us together now as 4 of the ETAs have not yet arrived yet due to flights. Now this is not anything in the sense of a traditional pavilion but a gigantic mall. When I say mall I mean a colossal foundation with multiple levels (6 to be exact) with a food court that would make any mall I’ve seen whimper in comparison.  It boasts over 40 different eateries including KFC, Wendy’s, Subway and a Pizza Hut! I however ate some Thai food: BBQ chicken with white rice and vegetables, egg, soup, and something to drink all for about 19 ringgit or about $6.

The first night here in KL was one of curiosity and joy as my roommate Anirudh I discussed. Anirudh(pronounced A-knee-Rude), 2010 graduate of Amherst College, native of Singapore and former inhabitant of India, had many valuable tips to share on how to live here in Southeast Asia. We talked for about an hour comparing backgrounds and what we thought was in store for us the next day at the first orientation. Before we knew it, we were both yawning more than sharing stories so we decided to call it a night. Goodnight, or as the locals say, Selamat malam!

12/5

It was an early start this morning as we were to meet downstairs in the hotel at 8 for a meeting.  The lady we had all been in contact with who we confided in her our EVERY concern was to meet us downstairs and from there we would walk over to the MACEE building. Luckily for us, the building was right down the street; otherwise, we would have continued to lose weight due to the extreme heat. On the walk over to the office, I soon found out why there are so many deaths due to traffic accidents. If you’re not trying to stay cool you’re trying to dodge near death brushes with the motorists. There are no speed limits which are enforced which means NASCAR in the streets. When we arrived to the building, the first thing that strikes you is the height of it. You would have to lye on your back and look up to keep from falling. Meena ushered the group into the conference room, the breathtaking view of the city and twin towers were first to catch your eye. We were then introduced to the Director of MACEE, Dr. James Coffman, who with his daughter introduced them to the group and vice versa. Three others joined us as the orientation preceded with our Bahasa Malaysia lessons. Her methods we a little bit unorthodox in her teaching but effective nonetheless. 

                After the orientation that day a couple of the guys in the group and I met up.  Blair, one of three guys on the trip, an international traveler and previous resident of Malaysia the year before, had got some tickets for the KL Dragon basketball game. Not knowing what to expect, I was game! I never saw international basketball played before and figured this would be a great experience just to see something new and have fun. We met up with one of his local friends, Gho (pronounced Go) who also had a ticket. Billy was another guy from our group who went and we all were in for a shock! The gym where the game was being held couldn’t have been more than that the size of a high school gym. As we walked in to the arena, we were shocked at the amount of supporters that the KL team had and that the visiting team, the Singapore Slingers, had brought. The gym was PACKED. I mean it HAD to be about 1000 people in attendance. As the game drew to an end, there was standing room only. The game was so exciting: fans, coaches, players, and media. The game was televised on ESPN Asia and Blair got a call from one of his boy’s saying that he saw us on the tube! To make it better, Blair was selected to go