Chronicles of life

Our department is joined by a heart-throb today, and guess where he sits - right in front of me! Welcome to London English Academy, Aaron gorgeous. You are such a major distraction, the gals are all going ga-ga over you. Our beloved Yang and Herni are leaving at the end of the month, what’s left of LEA? Majority are native - speakers and we are the only few locals, young ones left. I wonder if we could safe guard the title "The department with best looking female staff" in the near future.
It’s really fun working with these people:

Yang, Deb, Thom and Nana

(Alia, Sylvia, Nana, Herni and Thom)

Alia - My course mate turned colleague. Am so attached to her coz she’s adorable, she’s of course my bitching partner.
Yang - My EEP Level 10 partner that I could relate my soul and problems to…will sure miss her.
Shoba - A mentor gone wacky…as wacky as i do…and i would call her "shobby dooby doo". We go all wacky on Fridays…
Herni - Hmm, she’s returning to Poland. Thanks for introducing me to AIESEC.
Sylvia - A fellow Sarawakian, someone i could practise my bahasa sarawak with…
Nana - She too, we both love char sew and kolo mee. The bustiest staff of LEA who isn’t too happy with her assets.
Van - Motherly, a caring advice from her everyday makes my day.
Thom - He’s probably the eldest - but he’s all young in heart. Still charming, our LEA version of George Clooney with a zest of Robbin WIlliams.
Jordan - Canadian # 1 of LEA. He always has a story to share. It’s real fun having him during lunch.
Jonathan - The good boy, our coordinator’s pet coz he’s oh-so-nice. Wonder why his chewing gums always gone missing…sorry Jon, i have an unconfessed guilt!
James - The dirty - talk expert, he could relate everything and anything to it…once he starts, he won’t stop! But trust me, everyone enjoys his company - never fail to make me laugh.
Neil - American # 1 - He double speaks, and prefers to be with his own kind. Serious at work but fun to be with off work.
Diane - Canadian # 2 - Nicknamed "Teacher Grandma" by the students…she would approach me and complements my clothes often.
Beverly - The only Aussie in LEA, the only few things we could talk about are manicure, manicure, and manicure.
Adeline - Our Assistant Head of Department who has the loudest, most hysterical laugh. Love her laughter, love her too.
Deborah - EEP coordinator who feels "powerless"…she tried fitting in the picture or we have tried fitting her into the picture but it just doesn’t belong.
Mabel - EAP coordinator of mine, she’s always on MC - hence the nickname MCQ (MC Queen)
Fahmy - Our beloved and respected Head of Department. He is always proud of us, apparently he claims to have the most efficient and good looking staff in UCSI. Nicknamed Abang Bon.
Philip - A jovial part- timer, is effortlessly convincing me to convert. I love him coz he has good sense of humour - i like people who could amuse me.
Aaron - American # 2 of LEA - The most good looking "Mat Salleh" we have. Wish my baby could have his looks…can’t take my eyes off him…

I’m off from EEP this semester and am glad. It’s hard to juggle both EEP and EAP…i love to be able to focus. Kinda miss the international students, am having mostly Malaysian students in EAP. I must be a favourite that i got the largest class of all. It’s not proportionate - 26 students in mine and only 4 - 6 students in my colleague’s. Flattering but it also means more work for me! But it’s all good…

Love this job, I have every reason to smile and to be blissful…wonderful students, great colleagues, cool bosses, and everything adds up…

Recently, I received a call from a guy who identified himself as a telebanker of my credit card company. He sounded pretty convincing but he flawed. He called to inform that I have been selected for a platinum card upgrade, which I thought was kinda bogus. He began asking for the type of card I’m holding – Visa or Master, before further asking for my card number. That million-dollar question made me hang up the call. I have been very suspicious the moment I picked up the call. Rationally, why did he call from a hand phone and not the call centre?
Why would he need my card number if he genuinely has my particulars – just do the upgrades damn it! I called the credit card call centre immediately to justify, and my suspicion was confirmed. It was a fraud. Phew, glad that I didn’t buy him. I must be extra cautious lest I will receive a million ringgit expenditure billed to me.

Why is it when a woman is depressed, she binges? And likewise, when she is overjoyed, she binges too? Women surviving a break up are most likely to binge. It just doesn’t make sense to me, i mean, they could have lost their appetite over a break up but it seems that the depression is resulting a reversed effect.

I wonder if men do the same?

"At the end of the lesson, students are able to… " is teaching mainly to achieve the objectives of a lesson? If otherwise, a lesson is deemed a failure? Due to this mis-perception, lessons are often rushed through to meet all objectives targeted.

Educators have to be passionate with what they are meant / hired for - - to educate. The current curriculum contradicts this purpose, hence, classes/lessons are exam oriented. The scenario of most language classrooms is that students are drilled exam questions and formulated forms of the language. They are unable to relate to the lesson lean rt, meaning they cant apply what they have learned outside the classroom.  A large number of A1s are produced but the quantity facades the quality of the students’ real language proficiency. It’s really sad…

Upon completion of an English course, the students’ language proficiency must improve, and they must be able to apply language in their everyday life, being able to use the language accurately. This is what i define as a success. I am passionate with what i am doing. initially i had no idea why i am doing what i am doing - i hated it. Going to class, seeing the ‘i -want-to-learn-’ faces made me feel so bad about not playing my role well…it’s a challenging task, and it’s certainly not easy but the achievement is very very rewarding. I love the "i -know-now" looks, i love how their faces would glow with enlightenment.I love how appreciative and thankful they are at then end of the day.I guess that’s how Ann Sullivan felt when Helen Keller spelled her first word. It’s a sense of great achievement!

Today, some Chinese students from China asked why i have never spoken a word in Chinese with them. At times, i was almost tempted to do so, especially when defining meaning of words. I am happy i dint do so - - because i want them to USE the language.

My EEP students are completing their one month course in a week’s time…and some of them will leave for their country…will miss them so much and it’s my hope to see improved proficiency.

I am generally very experimental and adventurous when it comes to food, particularly exotic food. There is nothing EDIBLE i would not eat (except beef of course), and I value authentic ethnic cuisine.

Having the opportunity to taste some African - Nigerian - cuisine excited my taste bud. Never had I tasted such perfectly marinated BBQ. The lamb was so squishy, generously spiced (imported herbs & spices), inviting aroma, and not to mention the taste that dances and lingers on your tongue. A good white wine would be a perfect accompaniment to that ambrosia, also served with jollof rice (similar to briyani / nasi tomato). I could feast on the suya (meat kebab) and meat pie forever.

It would be really wonderful if i have a stomach that could expand like my ham-ham’s cheek pouch…i love eating but my food consumption capacity is so limited….

Once I told him I would not marry him and even if i would, I would not want a baby. I just wanted to stay like how we are now, and things to be the same for years to come. He was sad, he didn’t understand the metaphor I must say.

I wanted not marriage, as I want him to be wanting me forever… always wanting me.
I wanted not baby, as I want to be his baby forever, his only baby always.

I love him, I am not sharing his love and affection with others, not even with our own kids. I want him to call me baby even at my aging years, I want him to always love me and pamper me like a baby, no matter how aged I would be then.

This Saturday is our 4th Anniversary…I dont have to wait till then to be ’surprised’…It was so unexpected! We were out in Sg Wang last Sat…
He asked me to look at the phones on display and asked which one do I like and he got the phone (MTRLA RZR V3i) for me - said it’s for our anniversary. It was only last weekend that he got me a moonstone pendant that I have always wanted - he’s showering me with gifts. I rather have all his time as luxury is earned with the sacrifice of time.

I am anticipating more weekends or even more nights without him around with his elevation in career. It makes me think if i should make myself busy too. I am considering the offer to work in China / Jakarta. It would be hard, it’s far and it would be long - a  year. But on the flip side of that, a promotion entails my return.

Many things are supposed, scheduled to happen this year, and early next year. It’s scary how time flies and yet so many things are still undone. Gee, it’s high time now…

I’m in grief…i lost a part of me…a part of me i have nurtured and groomed so long.

Only 2 inches, but a "grown" french - pink lacquered, buffered, and manicured nail!

ARGH….I broke one of my beautifully manicured nails…I’m deeply emotional over the lost, it will take a month at least for me to get over this…

I gave my EAP students an oral presentation assignment. They were given ample time to prepare and yes, do expect STEWPIT excuses on the day of presentation. Don’t you just feel like strangling them alive? It gets into my nerve, without fail. Yeah, as if I was never a student before - been there done that - so i know their tricks well.

Some students did great job, especially the Nigerians - perfect and charismatic speakers. Almost Martin Luther King liked. I was so impressed, not to mention those who put in effort and tried their best.

The one and only student I could never forgive is this particular boy, a Malaysian, YES, a MALAYSIAN. Why the stress? We’ll see. He gave wonderful presentation, interesting information, well organized, everything went on well till…he came to introduce the attractions in Sarawak and Sabah. When defining the word "orangutan", he made a terminal mistake…he’s never pardoned. Here goes:

" In Sabah and Sarawak, the people are living on trees and jungles, these people are called the orangutans."

I jerked and halted the presentation, which i shouldn’t. I questioned him and asked if he knows what orangutan means, he confirmed his definition. At that point, i was furious i almost threw a chair at him. Of course he could rationalize me correcting his mistakes but he must have never knew why the big reaction - coz none of them knew I am a fellow Sarawakian… (mestilah, have to defend my tanah tumpah…). This was what i said: "How could you feed wrong information to the students? And you could have double - checked. It’s fine with that but it’s a sin to plant wrong impression to the others, what would people think of the sabahans and sarawakians? And what you said is absolutely not true.It’s a highly sensitive issue. For that reason, i am gonna minus 5 marks from you."
He was so sorry for making that statement but it’s been said and done. He has anger me and i feel really sorry for his ignorant…how could he be so IGNORANT! Even the Nigerians knew what orangutans are, in fact all his friends knew…sigh…

What has happened to my gargantuan temper…i am losing it. They would anger you with petty stuff but they will come with their muka dua puluh sen and butter you and beg you and make you all cool…i couldnt remember what happened and why i was angry. Perhaps it’s my age, most of them are around my age, some older. Despite trying to be mean, i often blew it…I love all my students, in fact.

What was i saying about feeling great with what you do and feeling heartening with how much your students love you…
Came back from my class to find a gift on my table…it’s from my student…and it’s a complete suit from Pakistan. How sweet…

Whether you are a teacher, a tutor, or a lecturer, you impart knowledge and you educate values at the same time. The greatest reward a teacher/lecturer could get in the end of the day is not the handsome pay or increment….but simply the love and respect he/she earned from the students. It’s really heartening to have students telling other lecturers how much they love you, and misses you when you are not around. Nigerian students are the group whom i thought is the toughest to handle, at certain point, i nearly gave up trying. But i do realize that students are flesh and blood too, as such, they have emotions and feelings just like i do…i know sincerity is the essence; to teach with a sincere heart, to want to help them improve. Eventually, they felt it and naturally, as emotional human, they walk your lead. I love all my students, regardless of who they are - My KUSESS students, Cempakans, and now, international students - Chinese, Iraqis, Nigerians, Vietnamese, Indonesians, and of course local students.