Earlier this week, a letter arrived for me. I've been getting lots of letters as of late. Offer letters from colleges I have never even heard of (how did they even get my address?). But this letter was different because it actually had a stamp in the top right hand corner instead of the words "Bayaran Pos Jelas" or "Postage Paid". I teared open the envelope. Jemputan Sebagai Penerima Anugerah Hari Kecemerlangan SPM/STAM dan STPM Dun Bangi 2012. Kata orang, rezeki jangan ditolak. So while I was flattered and embarrassed and didn't really want to go, I called the number listed and told them I would be attending.
I did not expect to see people I knew there - I don't know, because they seem like they're too busy to go to these things? - so I was surprised to see quite a few familiar faces. Some Murni girls, Amanah girls, Ali and, if you remember, Fikri. Yang pindah lepas PMR tu. It was worth waking up early to go to PKNS and sitting through a motivational talk, which wasn't boring and actually fun and would have been more enjoyable were it not for the stomachache I was having (perut ni memang tak boleh makan awal pagi sangat) for RM100 and making friends with Visha who sat next to me, who laughed at my name and didn't know what STAM is.
But that is not the bulk of this entry. If this entry was to be likened to a full course meal, the two paragraphs above are only the appetizer. The main course is Thomas Edison. Pn. Sharifah, who gave the motivational talk, talked about him and I found him interesting.
Who doesn't know Thomas Edison, hereby referred to as Tom, the inventor of the light bulb, right? But did you know that he had a hearing difficulty that progressed until he was almost completely deaf? That he only learned to talk at the age of four? That some modern medical authorities speculate he might have had a learning disability?
Tom only went to school for three months. It was all his teacher could take. Tom asked too many questions and the teacher thought him self-centred. The teacher also said, due to his unusually large head, that there was obviously something wrong with Tom's brain. Luckily, Tom had an educated mother who quickly noticed her son's genius and decided to home-school him. His father, too, encouraged him to read the great classics and gave him ten cents for each one he completed. By age 11, Tom was reading works on practical chemistry and world history.
He was 32 when he invented the light bulb, although to be specific, he didn't invent the light bulb. The idea of the light bulb had existed for 50 years. What Tom did was improve upon it to create a practical light bulb, that could actually be used commercially. The time consuming part of this endeavour was finding just the right material for the filament that would work, and I will get to that in a bit, but it's also worth mentioning that to create practical electric lights, he also had to develop several other elements like a durable light bulb, the parallel circuit (hey, we learned that in school!), safety fuses and insulating materials, and light sockets with on-off switches.
Now on to that filament. Tom tried many many times to find the right material. Some say he tried 3000 times. Some 5000. Others even 10 000. There are so many different opinions that it's almost a myth but for sure it took a lot of attempts before he finally succeeded. How did he find the determination, the strength, to not give up after so many failures? Tom said, "Why would I feel like a failure? Why would I ever give up? I now know definitely over 9000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp."
I have no words to counter him. I can only salute him, take my hat off to him if I were wearing one. Thank you, Tom!
Sunday 29 April 2012
Friday 20 April 2012
JADYPM Interview
I had set my phone to wake me up at 5.45am so I would have plenty of time to prepare but it was only when my dad came in at 6.30 that I woke up. Worried that I would be late, I'm supposed to be there by 8.00am, I got ready within 30 minutes. Good thing I had already prepared my bag and baju kurung last night. We arrived at Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA Beranang, my dad and I, just on time. I was then ushered into the waiting hall. After everyone had arrived, we moved to another hall where we would take the written exam.
The papers were already put on the tables. There were three different sets of questions so no one could cheat. I got Set 2. The written exam is 20 objective questions: 5 English questions, 5 add maths questions, 5 chemistry and 5 physics. Alhamdulillah, the English, chemistry and physics questions were easy. But add maths was hard. Dah lah tak boleh guna kalkulator :( We were given 30 minutes to answer. Aku tawakkal.
Then was the interview. There were 9 panels and around 10 people were assigned to each. I got Panel 8. I came to Beranang fully prepared to wait a long time for my turn because my name is usually last on the list - huruf U kan. I don't know how they sorted us but I turned out being the second person to be interviewed by Panel 8. I had just started to sit down when I was told to go out of the hall, walk down the corridor and climb the stairs all the way to the top floor. Kenapa perlu buat dekat tingkat atas? Penat aku panjat. I feel sorry for the boy before me. He had no time to relax after the written exam, going straight to the interview. I waited outside. The top floor was an open space so there was no air conditioning. There wasn't even a fan but my hands were so cold.
I was worried that I wasn't wearing proper shoes. I don't have formal footwear. But we had to take our shoes off; the classrooms where the interviews were being held are carpeted. Everyone leaves their shoes outside the door. I noticed that the interviewers' shoes were all positioned neatly side by side facing away from the door, just like in Japan.
I heard the door swing open and I knew that it was my turn next. I recited a quick Al-Fatihah. My first interview ever. My hands were freezing. My lower jaw was quivering. My mouth was dry. I was hungry. And I just want to go home already.
My panel were two men; one in a blazer and the other in a white shirt. I never asked for their names, neither did they introduce themselves so I only know of them as Mr Blazer and Sensei. Mr Blazer spoke a lot. He asked me why I want to do electrical engineering. I had prepared for this question so I answered that it is a field that is evolving right now and will continue to increase in demand in the next 10 years, thus, ensuring a job for me when I finish studying. He then asked me what I would do if they offered me mechanical engineering. Would I accept? So I said that I am interested in robotics and mechanical engineering is used in robotics so I would accept. Hearing me mention robotics, Sensei said something but he spoke so quietly that I didn't hear it but it didn't seem to be important so I pretended I heard him and nodded.
Then Mr Blazer asked me if I had applied with any other agencies. I said MARA. Then he asked me what course I applied for with MARA. I knew I shouldn't have said it but I couldn't lie so I truthfully answered that I applied for Medicine. I knew I should have lied. I should have just lied. He came onto me with very tough questions then. We want only the very best and most focused students for this program, he said. We don't want students who think they want to be a doctor. Decide right now if you want to be a doctor or an engineer. If we offer you this scholarship and MARA also offers you to do medicine, which would you choose?
At that time, while I answered I was thinking that I wasn't going to get this scholarship. They had ruled me out the moment I mentioned medicine for sure.
Sensei then asked me about my co-curricular activities. I didn't have very much to say on that topic. Then Sensei asked me two physics questions, one about Fleming's left-hand rule and the other on Ohm's Law. He also asked if I knew about the Look East Policy but I don't. Then Mr Blazer warned me that this program is very tough. That I will have to work very hard under a lot of stress. He asked if I would be able to handle it. Itu soalan yang aku rasa agak bodoh. Takkan nak jawab tak boleh. I said that I am confident. He then asked if I had learned Japanese before. I said that not formally, no, but I did try to teach myself Japanese and I can read hiragana and katakana but kanji is too difficult. I believe here my appeal went up :)
Mr Blazer then asked me about my school. He thought I went to Jalan 4. Then he asked how many other students from SMK BBB applied for this scholarship. I'm the only one, right? Then he said, so we can choose you to be the representative of your school in this program. I froze. What? He quickly said that nothing's for definite. They still have to look at my written exam results and talk it over. I asked him when the results would be released. He didn't give me an exact date but he said that selected students will begin studying in the middle of May. That's next month so I'm guessing it will be very soon after this. Maybe a week or two.
And just like that the interview ended. It was very quick. I didn't look at the watch before I went in but I don't think it was even 30 minutes.
This Japanese Associate Degree program is a full scholarship unlike MARA's pinjaman boleh ubah. I'm trying to put myself in their perspectives to evaluate my own potential but it's difficult. I had ups and downs in that interview. The Medicine thing. They're going to think that I'm going to reject their offer if I get offered by MARA. The Japanese thing. I made it obvious that I'm very interested in learning the language. The school representative thing. Was he joking?
I can only be hopeful. The program consists of 3 years doing matriculation and Diploma in Malaysia and 2 years doing a Degree in Japan. Two years in Japan. I might be able to go to an Arashi concert~
The papers were already put on the tables. There were three different sets of questions so no one could cheat. I got Set 2. The written exam is 20 objective questions: 5 English questions, 5 add maths questions, 5 chemistry and 5 physics. Alhamdulillah, the English, chemistry and physics questions were easy. But add maths was hard. Dah lah tak boleh guna kalkulator :( We were given 30 minutes to answer. Aku tawakkal.
Then was the interview. There were 9 panels and around 10 people were assigned to each. I got Panel 8. I came to Beranang fully prepared to wait a long time for my turn because my name is usually last on the list - huruf U kan. I don't know how they sorted us but I turned out being the second person to be interviewed by Panel 8. I had just started to sit down when I was told to go out of the hall, walk down the corridor and climb the stairs all the way to the top floor. Kenapa perlu buat dekat tingkat atas? Penat aku panjat. I feel sorry for the boy before me. He had no time to relax after the written exam, going straight to the interview. I waited outside. The top floor was an open space so there was no air conditioning. There wasn't even a fan but my hands were so cold.
I was worried that I wasn't wearing proper shoes. I don't have formal footwear. But we had to take our shoes off; the classrooms where the interviews were being held are carpeted. Everyone leaves their shoes outside the door. I noticed that the interviewers' shoes were all positioned neatly side by side facing away from the door, just like in Japan.
I heard the door swing open and I knew that it was my turn next. I recited a quick Al-Fatihah. My first interview ever. My hands were freezing. My lower jaw was quivering. My mouth was dry. I was hungry. And I just want to go home already.
My panel were two men; one in a blazer and the other in a white shirt. I never asked for their names, neither did they introduce themselves so I only know of them as Mr Blazer and Sensei. Mr Blazer spoke a lot. He asked me why I want to do electrical engineering. I had prepared for this question so I answered that it is a field that is evolving right now and will continue to increase in demand in the next 10 years, thus, ensuring a job for me when I finish studying. He then asked me what I would do if they offered me mechanical engineering. Would I accept? So I said that I am interested in robotics and mechanical engineering is used in robotics so I would accept. Hearing me mention robotics, Sensei said something but he spoke so quietly that I didn't hear it but it didn't seem to be important so I pretended I heard him and nodded.
Then Mr Blazer asked me if I had applied with any other agencies. I said MARA. Then he asked me what course I applied for with MARA. I knew I shouldn't have said it but I couldn't lie so I truthfully answered that I applied for Medicine. I knew I should have lied. I should have just lied. He came onto me with very tough questions then. We want only the very best and most focused students for this program, he said. We don't want students who think they want to be a doctor. Decide right now if you want to be a doctor or an engineer. If we offer you this scholarship and MARA also offers you to do medicine, which would you choose?
At that time, while I answered I was thinking that I wasn't going to get this scholarship. They had ruled me out the moment I mentioned medicine for sure.
Sensei then asked me about my co-curricular activities. I didn't have very much to say on that topic. Then Sensei asked me two physics questions, one about Fleming's left-hand rule and the other on Ohm's Law. He also asked if I knew about the Look East Policy but I don't. Then Mr Blazer warned me that this program is very tough. That I will have to work very hard under a lot of stress. He asked if I would be able to handle it. Itu soalan yang aku rasa agak bodoh. Takkan nak jawab tak boleh. I said that I am confident. He then asked if I had learned Japanese before. I said that not formally, no, but I did try to teach myself Japanese and I can read hiragana and katakana but kanji is too difficult. I believe here my appeal went up :)
Mr Blazer then asked me about my school. He thought I went to Jalan 4. Then he asked how many other students from SMK BBB applied for this scholarship. I'm the only one, right? Then he said, so we can choose you to be the representative of your school in this program. I froze. What? He quickly said that nothing's for definite. They still have to look at my written exam results and talk it over. I asked him when the results would be released. He didn't give me an exact date but he said that selected students will begin studying in the middle of May. That's next month so I'm guessing it will be very soon after this. Maybe a week or two.
And just like that the interview ended. It was very quick. I didn't look at the watch before I went in but I don't think it was even 30 minutes.
This Japanese Associate Degree program is a full scholarship unlike MARA's pinjaman boleh ubah. I'm trying to put myself in their perspectives to evaluate my own potential but it's difficult. I had ups and downs in that interview. The Medicine thing. They're going to think that I'm going to reject their offer if I get offered by MARA. The Japanese thing. I made it obvious that I'm very interested in learning the language. The school representative thing. Was he joking?
I can only be hopeful. The program consists of 3 years doing matriculation and Diploma in Malaysia and 2 years doing a Degree in Japan. Two years in Japan. I might be able to go to an Arashi concert~
Sunday 15 April 2012
Is This The Way To Amarillo?
For me, there are two types of songs. There are songs that I hear on the radio and like the sound of every now and then. These songs I will quickly download and after listening to them a number of times I will just as quickly tire of them. They will randomly play on my iPod and I will choose to either turn up the volume or press next according to my mood. Then there are songs that, no matter what mood I'm in, the moment I register its familiar melody a smile will spread across my face and it will feel as if I'm being swept back in time. Back to a memory with which that song is strongly associated. One such song is Is This The Way To Amarillo.
I don't know if it was a particular tradition of the primary school I went to or something done in every other primary school in the country, but upon their graduation, the Year 6s of Rendell Primary School would put on a performance for the entire school. I was a Year 5, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the hall. The lights dimmed and the music came on. I vaguely remember spotlights directed to the back entrance. Then the Year 6s entered one by one, walking, skipping, running to the front of the hall, clapping along to the music, throwing their hats in the air. It was awesome. I couldn't wait to be a Year 6 the next year and do something like that. (Foolishly, I thought we would sing the same song as our seniors, but that is a story for another post.)
The other day when I was in a reminiscing mood, I recalled this memory and I knew there was a song that came with it but I couldn't, for the life of me, remember the song. I was kept up all night trying to figure it out. Then I had the clever idea (I should have thought of it sooner, really) to ask my friends and -bingo!- one of them remembers!
It is a terribly catchy song. Already I've lost count of how many times I've hit replay. It's an old song, first released in the UK in 1971 and then re-released in 2005 when it was sang for the year's Comic Relief. As far as I can remember, Comic Relief is a charity. Once a year on Red Nose Day, people would be allowed to do silly things for the purpose of raising funds. Silly things like wearing a red nose, dying your hair red, not speaking for a whole day (in which case you would be given a small whiteboard and a marker pen for the purpose of communication), being handcuffed to a friend for a whole day, sometimes teachers would even agree to let kids throw wet sponges at them. The most I ever did was wear red to school.
It was a really popular song in 2005 so it makes sense that the Year 6s that year sang it for their graduation. I can't say the same for the song I sang for my graduation though.
I don't know if it was a particular tradition of the primary school I went to or something done in every other primary school in the country, but upon their graduation, the Year 6s of Rendell Primary School would put on a performance for the entire school. I was a Year 5, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the hall. The lights dimmed and the music came on. I vaguely remember spotlights directed to the back entrance. Then the Year 6s entered one by one, walking, skipping, running to the front of the hall, clapping along to the music, throwing their hats in the air. It was awesome. I couldn't wait to be a Year 6 the next year and do something like that. (Foolishly, I thought we would sing the same song as our seniors, but that is a story for another post.)
The other day when I was in a reminiscing mood, I recalled this memory and I knew there was a song that came with it but I couldn't, for the life of me, remember the song. I was kept up all night trying to figure it out. Then I had the clever idea (I should have thought of it sooner, really) to ask my friends and -bingo!- one of them remembers!
It is a terribly catchy song. Already I've lost count of how many times I've hit replay. It's an old song, first released in the UK in 1971 and then re-released in 2005 when it was sang for the year's Comic Relief. As far as I can remember, Comic Relief is a charity. Once a year on Red Nose Day, people would be allowed to do silly things for the purpose of raising funds. Silly things like wearing a red nose, dying your hair red, not speaking for a whole day (in which case you would be given a small whiteboard and a marker pen for the purpose of communication), being handcuffed to a friend for a whole day, sometimes teachers would even agree to let kids throw wet sponges at them. The most I ever did was wear red to school.
It was a really popular song in 2005 so it makes sense that the Year 6s that year sang it for their graduation. I can't say the same for the song I sang for my graduation though.
Sha la la~
Sha la la~
Sha la la~
When the day is dawning
On a Texas Sunday morning
How I long to be there
With Marie who's waiting for me there
Every lonely city
Where I hang my hat
Ain't as half as pretty
As where my baby's at
Chorus
Is this the way to Amarillo?
Every night I've been hugging my pillow
Dreaming dreams of Amarillo
And sweet Marie who waits for me
Show me the way to Amarillo
I've been weeping like a willow
Crying over Amarillo
And sweet Marie who waits for me
Sha la la~
Sha la la~
Sha la la~
And Marie who waits for me
There's a church bell ringing
Hear the song of joy that it's singing
For the sweet Maria
And the guy who's coming to see her
Just beyond the highway
There's an open plain
And it keeps me going
Through the wind and rain
Repeat chorus
Sha la la~
Sha la la~
Sha la la~
Thursday 12 April 2012
This way? That way?
He taps the ballpoint pen on the application form repeatedly. The room is silent and I am scared. Finally, he meets my eyes and says, "So, Ummu Habibah, why do you want to study in Japan?"
The question is simple but I know that it's more than that. What he is really asking me to do is prove my worth, prove that I deserve this scholarship. I take a breath and with all the confidence and sincerity that I can muster I say, "Because I love Arashi."
No. No. Of course, I wouldn't answer like that. "Because I love Arashi" is as bad a response as Mija's "Sebab mak saya suruh" and would get me rejected in no time.
I have an interview next week for a scholarship to study electrical engineering in Japan. Truth is, I would much rather do medicine. In fact, just days ago I was certain I was going to be a doctor and was already daydreaming about life as a doctor. Wearing a clean white coat, a stethoscope around my neck, nurses complaining that they can't read my handwriting.
Now I am truly at the crossroad of my life. I have always been a doctor at heart, but now this new path has opened up and maybe that's where I'm supposed to go? I don't know. My internal compass is pretty messed up right now.
An opportunity like this probably only comes once in a lifetime so this is my only chance. I'm going to go to that interview with the full intention of making it to the selected few. It's going to be hard. I have to study up on current issues both in Malaysia and Japan. I have to prepare an essay explaining why I want to do electrical engineering. During the interview, I must not stammer, stutter or show nervousness in any form whatsoever. This is going to be. So. Hard. Urgh.
I won't ask you to pray for me but I know you will anyway, right? :P
The question is simple but I know that it's more than that. What he is really asking me to do is prove my worth, prove that I deserve this scholarship. I take a breath and with all the confidence and sincerity that I can muster I say, "Because I love Arashi."
No. No. Of course, I wouldn't answer like that. "Because I love Arashi" is as bad a response as Mija's "Sebab mak saya suruh" and would get me rejected in no time.
I have an interview next week for a scholarship to study electrical engineering in Japan. Truth is, I would much rather do medicine. In fact, just days ago I was certain I was going to be a doctor and was already daydreaming about life as a doctor. Wearing a clean white coat, a stethoscope around my neck, nurses complaining that they can't read my handwriting.
Now I am truly at the crossroad of my life. I have always been a doctor at heart, but now this new path has opened up and maybe that's where I'm supposed to go? I don't know. My internal compass is pretty messed up right now.
An opportunity like this probably only comes once in a lifetime so this is my only chance. I'm going to go to that interview with the full intention of making it to the selected few. It's going to be hard. I have to study up on current issues both in Malaysia and Japan. I have to prepare an essay explaining why I want to do electrical engineering. During the interview, I must not stammer, stutter or show nervousness in any form whatsoever. This is going to be. So. Hard. Urgh.
I won't ask you to pray for me but I know you will anyway, right? :P
Tuesday 10 April 2012
Bottling up happy feelings is detrimental to health
I haven't talked Arashi in a long time. I haven't been able to because my sole Arashi friend has been inaccessible for a long time now. And I can only go so long without telling someone of all these happy feelings. Happy feelings aren't meant to be bottled up. They're meant to be shared with the world. So today, I'm going to talk Arashi. Please indulge me.
So here I am, to this day, always and forever a fan of Arashi.
But if I start gushing about how good Ohno looks now that he's dyed his hair black again, how good he looks in black hair and geeky glasses, I'm sure I'm going to scare you away. So I'll start with something less crazy fangirl-y. I'll start from the very beginning. This is how I fell in love with Arashi.
I was, as many Arashi fans were, what we fans call Jun-baited (Jun is known for pulling in fans through his roles in various dramas. They watch the drama. They like him. They end up liking Arashi too). Some were baited in by the silent, brooding Sawada Shin from Gokusen. Some by the cute pet Momo from Kimi wa Petto. Others still, were baited by the at-first-utterly-hateful-but-later-on-oh-so-baka-and-adorable Domyouji from Hana Yori Dango (HanaDan. There was a Korean remake titled Boys Over Flowers). I fall in the third category.
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| From the left: Sawada Shin, Momo and Domyouji. |
After I finished watching HanaDan, I was so completely taken with Domyouji that I did a bit of research with the help of Google on the actor. I think this was sometime late 2007 so I must have been 13. A 13-year old girl who had never shown any interest in the opposite sex unless he was an anime character, and even then it was never like that because it's an anime character. Eventually, I found out that Domyouji was played by an actor named Matsumoto Jun, affectionately called Matsujun (although I call him just Jun because Matsujun has too many syllables), and that Matsujun is in a group and that this group called Arashi was actually the ones who sang HanaDan's opening song. He acts and he sings! He's perfect!
So I went on YouTube immediately to check out this "Arashi" and I thought they were all ugly except for Jun. YouTube used to be full of Arashi videos (most of them, sadly, are no longer available) and I spent hours watching video after video, all the time focused on Jun like the others didn't even exist. Slowly though, I began learning their names. Sho. Aiba. Nino. And Ohno. Then I began noticing things about them. Like how Sho's muscles are ridiculously hard it's ridiculous. How Aiba laughs in an oddly infectious "ehehehe" way (I don't know how else to describe it. It's a bizarre sound. Like he's trying to laugh and breath in at the same time). How Nino is a brat. And how Ohno......umm......I don't remember if I had any impressions of him.
Anyway, one day I was watching an Arashi video on YouTube and I was laughing so much. I don't even remember what it was but it was hilarious and I don't think I had ever laughed that much before. It was then, as I wiped a tear from my eye, that I realised that I love these guys. Probably, from the moment I Googled Matsumoto Jun it was inevitable that it would eventually come to this.
Alas, none of my friends were into boybands, much less Japanese boybands, so I was forced to keep my newfound love a secret. And then we started packing because we were moving back to Malaysia. In the midst of the busy preparation and the tiring journey, where I was both excited and nervous, and then the awkwardness of trying to fit in and the struggle of relearning a language I had almost forgotten, Arashi kind of got pushed aside to a far, far corner of my brain. It wasn't until nearly 2 years later that I remembered again.
It was when Diana casually brought up Super Junior in a conversation. I had no idea of this Super Junior but upon hearing that they are a Korean group, my mind instantly made the connection to Arashi. I went home and I went online and I rediscovered Arashi and I honestly don't know how I lived for almost 2 years without them. They were just as entertaining and just as adorable as they were when I first found them.
So although Super Junior are not Japanese I figured, them also being a singing and dancing group, that it was close enough and therefore grounds enough for me to bring up Arashi. Finally, I could tell someone! Unfortunately, no one was interested in J-pop and I was mostly laughed at.
 |
| There are no words to describe just how sad I was to find out I was a lone fangirl in my class. |
But 2009 turned out to be a great year to fall back into Arashi fandom because it was their 10th anniversary. They had tons of activities to celebrate the occasion so there was never a shortage of things to fangirl about. I went to Singapore that year and in the Kinokuniya store there ALL the magazines had Arashi on the front cover. For the first time, my family saw my true nature; jumping in the store, begging to buy a magazine even though it was all in Japanese and I couldn't hope to understand a thing except that Arashi is awesome.
Wow, almost 900 words and this is just how I came to know Arashi. It would take thousands more words to explain why I like them because there are so many reasons. Besides, Arashi can't really be explained in words. They have to be experienced.
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| From the left: Jun, Nino, Aiba, Sho and Ohno. |
 |
| "But when I looked at my watch it was still 10am," says Nino and everyone bursts into laughter. |
So here I am, to this day, always and forever a fan of Arashi.
And here I lament the lack of Arashi videos on YouTube to put at the end of this post. A music video will have to do, although they don't nearly convey even a portion of what makes Arashi so incredible. Mija, aku harap kau cam lagu ni. :) Korang tak kisah kan walaupun tak faham? Dengar lagu Korea pun sama. ^^
Wednesday 4 April 2012
How to wake my brothers up and get them ready for school
1. Turn the fan off.
Slowly, the room will get warmer.
2. Tell them to wake up.
No reaction.
3. Tell them to wake up. Jump on the bed lightly if needed.
They move slightly but their eyes are still closed.
4. Again, tell them to wake up.
Farhan sits up and gets angry because it's hot (see step no. 1) but his eyes are still closed.
5. Tell them to go shower.
Farhan is still angry because it's hot. Farris rolls over.
6. Tell them to go shower. Shake them slightly if needed.
Farris sits up. Farhan is still angry.
7. Again, tell them to go shower.
They stand up and walk over to their respective bathrooms.
8. Get their towels and drop them on the floor by the doors of their respective bathrooms. Avoid looking at them as they begin to undress.
9. Relax while they shower.
10. Once in a while, remind Farhan to not space out in the bathroom.
They finish showering and get dressed in their school uniforms.
11. Tell them to eat breakfast.
Farhan walks around slowly gathering his things.
12. Tell them to eat breakfast.
Farris turns on the television. Farhan is still walking slowly here and there.
13. Again, tell them to eat breakfast.
Farhan finally heads to the kitchen, slowly. Farris is watching television.
14. Ask Farris to eat breakfast like his brother.
Farris ignores me.
15. Again, ask Farris to eat breakfast.
Farris gets angry.
16. Give up asking Farris to eat breakfast.
Farhan finishes his breakfast. He begins counting his money. Maksu looks like she's starting to leave.
17. Tell Farhan to sort out his schoolbag.
Farhan is still engrossed in counting his money. Farris never sorts out his bag. I wonder how he manages it... Maksu is already out the door. Farris follows.
18. Urge Farhan to hurry up.
Slowly, Farhan begins putting books in his bag. He then walks around, slowly, looking for his belt, socks and songkok. Maksu has started the car.
19. If Farhan can't find his belt or songkok, look for it. Be glad if they're not lost.
Maksu is waiting in the car. Farhan puts on his shoes, barefooted, sloppily and gets into the car.
20. Lock the gates. Watch TV/Arashi. Eat. Relax.
Slowly, the room will get warmer.
2. Tell them to wake up.
No reaction.
3. Tell them to wake up. Jump on the bed lightly if needed.
They move slightly but their eyes are still closed.
4. Again, tell them to wake up.
Farhan sits up and gets angry because it's hot (see step no. 1) but his eyes are still closed.
5. Tell them to go shower.
Farhan is still angry because it's hot. Farris rolls over.
6. Tell them to go shower. Shake them slightly if needed.
Farris sits up. Farhan is still angry.
7. Again, tell them to go shower.
They stand up and walk over to their respective bathrooms.
8. Get their towels and drop them on the floor by the doors of their respective bathrooms. Avoid looking at them as they begin to undress.
9. Relax while they shower.
10. Once in a while, remind Farhan to not space out in the bathroom.
They finish showering and get dressed in their school uniforms.
11. Tell them to eat breakfast.
Farhan walks around slowly gathering his things.
12. Tell them to eat breakfast.
Farris turns on the television. Farhan is still walking slowly here and there.
13. Again, tell them to eat breakfast.
Farhan finally heads to the kitchen, slowly. Farris is watching television.
14. Ask Farris to eat breakfast like his brother.
Farris ignores me.
15. Again, ask Farris to eat breakfast.
Farris gets angry.
16. Give up asking Farris to eat breakfast.
Farhan finishes his breakfast. He begins counting his money. Maksu looks like she's starting to leave.
17. Tell Farhan to sort out his schoolbag.
Farhan is still engrossed in counting his money. Farris never sorts out his bag. I wonder how he manages it... Maksu is already out the door. Farris follows.
18. Urge Farhan to hurry up.
Slowly, Farhan begins putting books in his bag. He then walks around, slowly, looking for his belt, socks and songkok. Maksu has started the car.
19. If Farhan can't find his belt or songkok, look for it. Be glad if they're not lost.
Maksu is waiting in the car. Farhan puts on his shoes, barefooted, sloppily and gets into the car.
20. Lock the gates. Watch TV/Arashi. Eat. Relax.
Sunday 1 April 2012
Third, the one with the hairy chest
I seem to have an affinity for the number 3.
The other day as my dad was giving me one of his lectures, something he's been doing frequently ever since I finished SPM, imparting words of wisdom on the hardships of life I will surely encounter from here on, he mentioned this almost as an afterthought. "I've noticed, Bibah, wherever you are, whatever school you go to, you are always in third place. Never second or first place. Do you like that number or something?" he said. I was left speechless for a few seconds because I know. I've noticed it too.
At the first school I attended, I managed to rank third in my school year in the final exams for three consecutive years. The top student, a friend of mine who was tall and wore glasses, also came in first for three consecutive years. The number two student, however, was never the same person in all those three years. At least, not as I remember it. Then we moved to England where I enrolled at a nearby primary school. There are no rankings in English schools. The same in the high school I moved up to. No rankings. Then we came back and I went to the SMK in town furthest from my house, where, in my last two years there, I placed third.
I'm sorry, Umi, Abi, that I never made you proud by being the top student. I'm also sorry to say that placing first had never been my goal. My goal was always to not embarrass myself. And then when I realised I shouldn't care what other people think of me, it became to surpass myself. To continually improve on my current self.
Thinking it through though, there are some perks to placing third. I never specifically aimed for third place but it turned out to be the perfect place for me. Knowing that there are people doing better than me gives me the motivation to work harder. If they can do it then so can I. Also, although number 3 gets some spotlight, the top two obviously steal the show. Which is a great thing because it lets the awkward, clumsy number 3 relax most of the time. Oh I don't think I could handle all the attention directed towards the top student. Not to mention the pressure of maintaining that first place.
Forgive me, dear parents. Your daughter is not ambitious enough.
But all throughout my learning life I shall hold on to these words:
The other day as my dad was giving me one of his lectures, something he's been doing frequently ever since I finished SPM, imparting words of wisdom on the hardships of life I will surely encounter from here on, he mentioned this almost as an afterthought. "I've noticed, Bibah, wherever you are, whatever school you go to, you are always in third place. Never second or first place. Do you like that number or something?" he said. I was left speechless for a few seconds because I know. I've noticed it too.
At the first school I attended, I managed to rank third in my school year in the final exams for three consecutive years. The top student, a friend of mine who was tall and wore glasses, also came in first for three consecutive years. The number two student, however, was never the same person in all those three years. At least, not as I remember it. Then we moved to England where I enrolled at a nearby primary school. There are no rankings in English schools. The same in the high school I moved up to. No rankings. Then we came back and I went to the SMK in town furthest from my house, where, in my last two years there, I placed third.
I'm sorry, Umi, Abi, that I never made you proud by being the top student. I'm also sorry to say that placing first had never been my goal. My goal was always to not embarrass myself. And then when I realised I shouldn't care what other people think of me, it became to surpass myself. To continually improve on my current self.
Thinking it through though, there are some perks to placing third. I never specifically aimed for third place but it turned out to be the perfect place for me. Knowing that there are people doing better than me gives me the motivation to work harder. If they can do it then so can I. Also, although number 3 gets some spotlight, the top two obviously steal the show. Which is a great thing because it lets the awkward, clumsy number 3 relax most of the time. Oh I don't think I could handle all the attention directed towards the top student. Not to mention the pressure of maintaining that first place.
Forgive me, dear parents. Your daughter is not ambitious enough.
But all throughout my learning life I shall hold on to these words:
I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else.
I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.
P.S. I'll explain the title because I'm sure you laughed when you read it and can see no relevance to the post now that you've read through it. In England, there was a funny children's rhyme the kids used to recite almost like a song. Zero, the hero. First, the worst. Second, the best. Third, the one with the hairy chest... And it goes on but that's all I can remember.
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