So Many Differences/Taman Negara

4/21/11

"All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything"

 Swami Vivekananda

Sometimes when you are engaged in a conversation with someone that speaks a different language, has a different belief system, and has a different perspective it is expected for the two sides to have contradicting opinions on how life should be carried out. The hard part about hearing these difference of opinions is that you want to superimpose your beliefs on that contradicting opinion. I mean you've been raised to think a certain way is "correct" or "proper", so why should you not try to "educate" the opposing party and bring him or her to the "light"? The thought process when this happens can take one of resentment, anger, and often superiority. (Don't worry this didn't happen to me, I'm just laying the backdrop) Many times conversations, jokes, and nuances are lost in translation. Those can potentially alter the whole dynamic of the conversation and lead to an altogether different conversation. Differences are natural; however, I believe it is education and understanding which bridges those cultural gaps. Recently, I have been a part of conversations where there was definitely a difference in beliefs and ways procedures should be carried out. While in these types of conversations I have been confronted with questions about my faith, war, habits, love, and any other personal topic you can think of. The reaction of the person is always funny because its with a reluctant tone. It is often followed with a " I don't want to be rude or you don't have to answer." I understand the reasoning behind that behavior. My student's (who I receive the bulk of these inquiries from) are really opening up to me and letting their curious minds pose a host of questions to me. I showed the school Cool Runnings a couple of weeks ago and there were parts where I was certain the kids would find funny and I was the only one in the room laughing. After the movie, we had a discussion about some of the lessons and values that were portrayed throughout the movie. At first, I thought maybe because the movie's characters talked in an accent it would make it hard for them to follow and understand the jokes. I was wrong, not only were they able to understand the movie but they picked up on somethings that I didn't. I asked them about some of the parts and if they thought they were funny or not and their overwhelming response was that it just wasn't funny. WOW...here I was cracking up at some parts and they did so much as to not crack a smirk. Stone cold.


 Last weekend I decided that it would be good to get out the house and take a road trip. I mean hey, I have a car, why not get my monies worth? I decided to go to Taman Negara in Pahang. Taman Negara which means National Park, is the oldest rain forest in the world dating back more than 150 million years old. Leigh and I set out early Friday morning intending to beat most of the weekend traffic. It was a beautiful scenic trip. Seeing the sun over the mountains and bounce off the mountains and valleys is simply gorgeous. Now I don't want this to seem like a sob story but when you are in the presence of God's creations, you can really reflect on what life is really about. The trip was a little over 5 hours long but I had to stop and admire the "small things". I thank my parents for that mindset. I can remember on multiple accounts traveling somewhere as a family and hearing" Hey, yall wake up and learn something. See something new and turn off that music or game". Now at the time I was not trying to hear that but as you get older you really can reflect on and apply those memories and words to life. Now every time I take a trip somewhere, if there is something that I see or is interesting , I make it a point to stop and learn and appreciate. THANK YOU Mama and Daddy
 Once we arrived there, we realized that it had progressively got hotter outside the air conditioned car. As soon as we stopped we could see the car sweating! It was at least 97 deg at about 2:30 pm; at 2:32 pm it had rose to 100 deg!! We ate lunch and checked into our hotel. The park information desk attendant was cool. He was only 20 yrs old and very relaxed. He looked like the Malaysian version of Will Smith! Before I could tell him who I thought he looked like he interrupted me and said " I know I know, Will Smith right?" I figured because of his promptness and tone that he had heard it before. We just laughed and joked as we booked our reservation for the night safari. The night safari all but promised that we would see lions, tigers, and bears.....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my. We checked in the hotel after and relaxed in the first air conditioned bedroom that I had stayed in since arriving at my school and departing from the Tanjung Vista Hotel. The room also boasted warm water, HBO, HBO, HBO, and HBO. I was so excited that I took a picture(check out the pics). Our night safari started at 8:30 so we at around 7:30 and took the jeti(boat ride) to the other side of the river where our safari would start. Our safari guide was very nice and said that we probably wouldn't see too many animals because of the amount of people in our group. I think I was the only person in the group that did not necessarily think that was a bad thing. SO MY first question was do you think we are going to see any snakes? It didn't matter whether poisonous or not I just wanted to know. As we started on our safari it became apparent that there were no lights along this trail except for the small lights we were expected to bring. All I could think about was Jurassic Park and how the Velociraptors attacked the crew from the sides. Now I wasn't expecting a dinosaur to come rumbling out the woods but I def made up my mind that if need be I would the quickest and fastest in my group if confronted with a hungry animal. Along the walk we saw spiders, centipedes, scorpions, and caterpillars all that were poisonous. A couple times I mistook a hanging branch or unearthed roots for a Anaconda. I tell you my footwork was so quick I should've tried out for Dancing with the Stars. I even yelled to a guy that there was a snake above his head but it turned out to be a dangling branch(check the pics). I'm sure they got tired of me "crying wolf" but hey I'd rather be safe then anybody sorry. That night I wore long sleeve clothes because of the potential dangers that could have contact with your arms and legs. Well my intentions were to protect me against the living things but I def paid for it with the heat. IT WAS SOOOOOOOO HOTT!!!!! By the time that we finished all my clothes were soaking wet with sweat. We walked back to the hotel and got ready for bed. I have been talking about going to med school now for over 3 years. I think that it time to seriously act on that dream and stop talking about it. I did some reading from a Kaplan book(thanks Ana) and fell asleep reading. Good night


 The next day we woke early to beat the morning flock of tourists to the canopy walk. Our efforts didn't help. Being that this particular canopy walk is the longest and tallest of its kind in the world, many people were out and ready early. It was a 30 minute walk to the canopy's entrance and once we arrived it was worth every step. The views from the canopy walk were of lush rain forest and offered many sounds of the rainforest's birds and animals. As we were scaling this canopy walk and came to the end of one segment, I noticed that the segment was partially held in place by hanger wire's.......I SAID HANGER WIRES!!!! (check the pics)  If that wasn't enough there was a lady behind who was so scared that she kept yelling hysterically. I almost stopped and said if you are that scared then why come up and CONTINUE! Then I figure each has his reason for doing something so I supported and encouraged her to continue and be positive. At the end she thanked me and we laughed about it. Our next stop was Bukit Teresek, the highest point in peninsular Malaysia. What a gorgeous sight to see. There were a lot of people who trekked to the summit and all were talking along the way. As soon as we arrived it was one of the moments where we all just relaxed, sat down, and appreciated what we were experiencing. I met a guy from Kelantan(neighboring state) who was soooo surprised that I could hold a conversation with in Malay. Leigh and Seth(NYer who was on vacation) caught up with us and we took pics. Before we parted, I asked the tour guide from the night before what would be the fastest way back to the jeti. She told me to go down the path we came and take a right at the break point where the canopy walk ended. We did just that and ended up walking for an hour in the jungle. I SAID WE GOT LOST IN A JUNGLE. While stuck in Jumanji, Leigh and I trekked for an hour deeper and deeper in the jungle with only our spit to keep us hydrated. Luckily, there was a beaten path that we followed into and back out. The whole time I thought, "What would Bear Grylls do?"(reference to Man v Wild). To make matters worse, Leigh was severely dehydrated and was very tired. With teamwork and dedication, we made it out safely. A potential dangerous situation turned out for the positive and we both walked out unscathed. Our first item of business, replenishing what we lost. We found the FIRST food stall on the water and ATE!! I ordered 4 drinks(non-alcholic of course) and a big BIG meal. After we recovered from our hike, we walked back to our hotel changed clothes and drove back home. THANK YOU GOD


 There are some wonderful people in this world who are put in your life to make you a better person. Many times its just knowing that you have somebody there who cares. Knowing you are supported by someone who reads your blog,sends you care packages, or sends emails means a lot when you are on the other side of the world. Sometimes they do small things, sometimes they do big things but regardless of what the size of the "gift"is the important thing is the thought. Continue to keep me in your prayers. THANK YOU Family, Friends, and Mrs. ElHarake


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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!

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