Tari Tualang Tiga

It's a shame when we are Malay (or any other races), but we don't know our own traditional dance. 

I was a dancer danced before in school, from Tarian Ulik Mayang (I was the puteri ke-empat ok, LOL), some Joget and Zapin for a prize giving ceremony and some charity dinner , and I did some contemporary dance in uni before when Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical was a big hit. 

I missed it so much. After watching my students rehearsed for Malam Kebudayaan Melayu 2011 just now, old sparks with Malay cultural dances lit again. Especially after watching this: 

How rich is that?! Malay Evolution! 

So friends, any ideas where I can get classes that teach the dance using this particular song?

Well Wishes for 26

Terima kasih daun keladi kerana menge-wish saya happy birthday.

For this year,I'm not expecting anything from anyone, even from my parents. Usually, weeks before birthdays, sisters will ask me in private on the things that I want and they would tell the dad, and dad would get it for me. Same goes to my other sisters. But for this year, I said to myself, those are materials and I think, as a 26 years old girl (cehceh gegirl lagi tu), and soon to be married (Insya Allah), enough with daddy's gift. Instead of asking and bearing gifts from them, why not do something beneficial or fruitful, like creating a business project that I may be interested in? 

Dad, you can provide me with some capital. *grins*

Aku memamg cakap tak serupa bikin. 

But dad, janji akan kasi balik capital tu when untung sudah dapat.

Yelah tu.

But belom cuba belom tahu kan?

Amin.

Thank you friends for the well wishes. God bless.

Teacher Diaries 1: It Ain't Easy

As most of my friends (and maybe you) would already know, the one thing that I do for living is I teach. Hence, the title lecturer was given to me when I stepped my foot at an instituition that I am currently serving.

Being a lecturer is a title if you teach at a University or college, but at the end of the day you are still a teacher. Some people might think being a teacher is not a glamorous job. Trust me, I have 'friends' who thinks that way. But we, teachers fret not, because we know we have nothing to lose. In every sense.

Lecturing Teaching is not easy. The content of the subjects MIGHT be easy; for example, teaching grammar - past tense, nouns/verbs and all the makneneks, but how do take the subjects and incorporate it effectively to your students? Just lecture? Showing the powerpoint slides?

" Ok class, today's lesson is on grammar. So, our chapter for today is past tense. Ok, what is past tense? Past tense is a grammatical tense that places an action or situation in the past of the current moment or prior to.... Simple past is formed for regular verbs by adding -d or -ed to the root of a word. For example class, 'He walked to the shop', or 'They danced all night at the club'....." and bla bla bla.

Sigh. The most boring lesson ever. I've to admit it, it's pretty dry isn't it? Probably the lecturer copies it from Wikipedia and paste it to the powerpoint slides. Any below-average students also can do that right?

Lecturing on GRAMMAR: Simple Past Tense. 

BUT who in the world LECTURES on grammar? Grammar is like mathematics. Who the hell lectures on maths? You teach maths, drill the students on the formulas and ask them to practise practise and practise. Same as grammar.

So, the point here it's not about grammar or mathematics. It's about the the patience and me being a lecturer as a title, but at the end of the day, I'm a teacher. I teach and I guide and I'll make sure students PASS (not by giving them FREE marks, but making sure that they understand the subject), and NOT by making sure that they just PASS but ensuring they can fully utilize the knowledge in their daily life as well as future undertakings.

Just like parents eh? Except that I don't give money.

Membebel like parents? Totally.

Come and be in my shoes, and you'll know how it feel.

You got NO patience and tolerance?
Emotional outbursts out of the blue? 

Like seriously, don't bother trying.

Let Go, Push Away

Towards the end of 2010, I faced a whirlwind trauma friendship drama with some people whom I used to be really good friends with, but now, we are not anymore. How do I deal with it? How do I feel about it then and now?

I was hurt. Obviously I was. They were my friends. Good friends pulak tu. But I seriously am not sure what went wrong, the whole 'we're-buddies-I-love-you' kinda thing went down the drain. All these happened because of the lack of ability in controlling emotions and to think rationally. I believe so. We are adults right, why can't talk like adults? If one is scared of confronting, there are always emails right? Why must we use FB in portraying your dissatisfaction and hatred? Your emotional outburst in public, is it really worth it?

 

So, to cut the story short, I learnt a lot from this. At first, I was so angry and I will blame everybody. I still do though, but I'm letting it go now. Not being the best friend that I used to be to them, but accepting the fact that we're no longer 'friends' that we used to be and things won't be the same anymore. Why this happened? Waallahualam, I don't have the answer for it. Blaming others won't do justice, blaming diri sendiri pulak unfair? Nay? Mungkin ini semua ada hikmah nye tersendiri. Remember that God has determined everything that was/were/going to happened in our lives.

 

A wise friend of mine used to remind me this whenever dugaan-dugaan kecil ini berlaku:

1) We can't force people to be friends with us. We can't make people love us all the time. That makes us human. 

2) What can we gain by not being their friends? Are they the ones who gave you shelter, food and money? Or even jobs? So, what do you have to lose? Nothing right?

3) Sabar. Ini benda kecil aja.

 

It's true right?

So, let go. Stop analyzing. Stop complaining. Life is short for this. There's more to life than bickering with people who is not worth your time, so why sweat over it?

Self reminder that is.