End of the Tunnel ( Pt 21 ) – Proton and Electron

Sixteen years ago a skinny little boy, living in a wooden house in an undeveloped area called Bukit Bucu, joined Almanar wiith a group of Form One children. Unlike other boys he was not one who made Pakcik shout for silence, nor was Nazran one of those kids whose behaviour in class had any reasons to be reprimanded by Pakcik. Over the following years our relationship could only move closer. 

Five years later I found the two of us sitting in Nuri (Pakcik’s home) to discuss what university courses he should consider. I still remember he was the very first person I suggested a course related to geology, and he pursue along that route, giving me a hope that one day, working for an exploration company, he would be mapping the sea bed off the coast of Terengganu studying earth samples for black gold.

No, how often in life one reaches ‘two roads diverged in a wood’ ( from Robert Frost’s poem ). At one point of his early working life Nazran took a path less travelled by – an employment related to atomic energy. Well, he now knows more than Pakcik on this subject but I know I can liken him to a lonely proton of an atom only to be neutralised by an electron. There he found his match.

Events moved very fast and before I knew it  Pakcik and Makcik found ourselves sitting at a table with two ladies who happened to be colleagues of the wedding couple.

Once a lonely proton and a lonely electron, finally neutralised in harmoniously beautiful blue

Makcik with bride and her two colleagues

  

Our congratulations go to this lovely couple. Perhaps, before long Nazran will not be alone visiting us but as a couple walking hand-in-hand with a baby to support as well.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Book to keep, not read (Pt 1) - Norman Hunter

___________________________


Norman Hunter and his brain storm

Norman Hunter's The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawn

The cover picture looks humorously funny. The man is Norman Hunter's absent-minded professor. Way back in 1977 ( was it really 35 years ago now ?) I stumbled on two of Hunter's books in a London store; two as far as I have so far discovered in my junk library, but, hopefully, I could find more.

Look at the first two paragraphs of the book, introducing this great Prof - please lick on the picture to enlarge it a shade more. (Alas, I wish I could ask this great professor some of the techniques in blogging, and make the writing larger !)

It is hard to wipe off the grins on my face revisiting this book.

I am sorry if you, like the Prof, cannot find your reading glasses to enlarge the writing

If I can remember, unlike the absent-minded Prof, I will post a picture of Professor Branestawn's Dictionary some time in future.  Branestawn is the professor's way of writing 'brain storm', the cause of his absent-mindedness.

I wonder how many of my visitors have read the humours of Norman Hunter



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They get what they deserve

Did I get it right that around 17,000 children managed to get straight A’s in the recent SPM examination?  Is it really as simple as that, and that a world record as well, perhaps?

That being the scenario I have every reason to be depressed because when I was of that age I did not achieve that distinction, nor did any of my three children at their respective ages. If that is not enough, I have not yet seen one of my grandchildren able to ‘break that record’, or should I say ‘create a record’. Well, isn’t there a saying that goes - ‘like grandfather like father like grandson’?

No, we have not done that badly, though.

_______________________ 

The first call Pakcik received that day was from that girl I wrote about on 30.10.12, click “Do we have a winner?”

Just do it with a smile

“Pakcik, I’ve got straight A’s,” came her soft voice over the phone. Later she turned up at our house to show her examination result slip, and to discuss her likely courses. What an irony it is when good results create a problem of choice. I never had that when what I desparately needed was just one chance.

A few others turned up to express, “Thank you Pakcik.” That was reward enough, the one I have been enjoying over the last many years.

Yes, the 8, 7, 6, 5 and the rset of A's are all there.

There is nothing to complain about

So what if we get a couple of A's less?

So, another year has passed and more children are taking a big step into the increasingly more challenging world. We can look back and smile at how we managed our days. It is now their turns.

__________________________  

Whilst I am gratified to see more ex-Almanar pupils successfully getting through their SPM examination, and more completing their further studies,

I cannot help thinking of the despair in the few unfortunate families when the inevitable happens. My postings on 23^rd April 2012 and 16^th Nov 2013 ( End of tunnel series Pt 17 and Pt 20 ) give short accounts of the demise of two of Pakcik’s ‘children’ when all seemed to signal a brighter future for the families.

Luqman - 34

That is from the concluding verse of Surah Luqman which I understand to mean, “And no one knows what tomorrow has in store. And no one knows what land he is to die. Verily HE has full knowledge of everything.”

 I think of that to bring home my limitations in life – a sobering thought. But we strive hard, nonetheless, as a prerequisite. And I advise all my 'children' to bear this in mind.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Fly high, my boy

Syami, the boy I featured in the End of the tunnel ( Pt 15 ) on

21^st Feb 2012, called on us yesterday to say goodbye. Today

he is leaving home on his longest journey ever. In a couple of days he will be in Germany practicing and enriching whatever German language he has learned in Kuala Lumpur.

With a final glance at Almanar he left; and I knew what he felt about the years he and his group frequented that lowly looking building. He has had excellent academic records  so far. He will one day, insya Allah, graduate in mechanical engineering, and I am certain he will not forget his root. I am optimistic that Almanar has given him, like to many others, the value of gratitude and humility.

Syami

Fly high , my boy, and come back to be of service.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.



Pakcik reminisces ( Pt 30 ) – My two cousins

A recent sad event took Pakcik way, way back in time. Let for a start talk about three cousins, all boys, who were born within months of each other in three different parts of Malaya over 70 years ago. One was born in Teluk Anson ( now Teluk Intan ), one in Kuala Kangsar and Pakcik and the oldest of three, in K Trengganu ( now K Terengganu).

Many would not believe how far apart these places were; K Trengganu in particularly Today I can drive my old jalopy all the way from K Terengganu to those two places within hours. On the other hand, 56 years ago Pakcik’s first road trip to Kuala Lumpur, much nearer than Teluk Intan and K Kangsar, took two whole days, having to cross seven rivers by ferry and putting up one night in a lodging house in Temerloh. I described this in my ‘Pakcik reminisces (Pt 11)’ on 9th Sept 2010 – click here.

My late father made many trips to Teluk Anson and K Kangsar about the time those three cousins were born. A sure route to reach those two places was on board a slow wooden sailing vessel (the wind-powered ‘perahu besar’ - the big boat ). The vessel would crawl southwards along the coast down to Endau, Mersing and Johor Baru from where he would take a train up north or another boat journey to Teluk Anson, from there to K Kangsar. Each of his business trips would take weeks.

So, during those years the three cousins were born at considerable distances apart. It was that distance which justified my old Trengganu family to venture to Perak and set up small batek-making centres in those towns, and there they settled down.

As the land communication improved the small batik-making centres became less important, coming to a close around mid 1900’s. On the positive side, the shorter and easier journey by road helped to bring the isolated family members closer again. My Teluk Anson cousin was sent to K Terengganu for his early schooling. But the wooden houses by the river-side in Teluk Anson and Kuala Kangsar are now mere memories.

 _________________________

a) From K Kangsar

Zamri is my cousin from K Kangsar. He went to Clifford School in K Kangsar and then to Anderson in Ipoh. His career began as a teacher but that was a brief one before he had to make a choice to work with Telekom Malaysia or Lands and Survey Department. With Telekom he would have to work in K Lumpur. Lands and Survey had an office in Taiping. All his three successful children are working in Klang Valley, but my poor cousin would not get his mother’s blessing to go to KL, a place considered too far from home in Kuala Kangsar. Taiping was not near but was certainly not as far. That was the sense of distance then.

So Lands and Survey it was where this cousin worked for. Twenty years later, in 1981, an experienced person, he was seconded to a team involved in a joint project between Thailand and Malaysia to improve identification and demarcation of South Thailand-Kelantan border. The job required him and team to spend on alternate basis, one whole month working in the deep jungle, living in make-shift tents followed by one month back at their base camp.

Travel in and out of the jungle was by helicopters which were used to carry to sites heavy loads of cement, stone, sand and two-metre long concrete boundary posts. After about twenty trips by helicopter, my cousin Zamri, now in his mid forty came to face with a situation that we would shudder to think of – a helicopter crash.

On the fateful day Zamri and three others boarded a Nuri helicopter which was taking its normal heavy load to another site. Imagine the gigantic jungle trees with large umbrella tops and rough terrains and ravines below. The machine with two experienced pilots and an assistant began to take off, ascending and maneuvering its way through the gaps between the tall trees. Disaster struck when a branch caught the blades of its tail rotor. Immediately the machine went into an uncontrollable spin and crashed in a ravine. One friend was crushed to death by the heavy load carried by the machine , two others injured and Zamri himself was pinned down and unconscious.

“I was momentarily awake when a voice called my name and asked me to move away quickly from the burning helicopter,” related Zamri to Pakcik of the only instance he was vaguely conscious.

“Of course I could not move at all. Then I lost consciousness again” he continued.

When he regained consciousness several hours later he was lying in the General Hospital in Kota Bharu. He had a severe spine injury which prevented him from being transported to KL for treatment. Pakcik can still remember how we all in the family prayed that he would pull through. Of course he did .

It was a case of ‘pantang mati sebelum ajal’

The fateful incident hit the headline no doubt.

Today, Alhamdulillah, he is as well as he could be, only needing a walking stick for support, his permanent feature. He and wife can still enjoy shuttling between Kuala Kangsar, his home, and Klang Valley where his three children and grand-children are.

 ___________________________________


b) From Teluk Intan .

That brings Pakcik to the other cousin who started life in Teluk Anson, and because of whom I am reminiscing. Apart from his stay in K Trengganu during his early days in school, we became very close when as a bachelor I was posted in Teluk Anson (now Teluk Intan) for six months; and he was then a young teacher. Having nothing to do in that sleepy town I spent much of my time with him and the family. It was then I learnt to enjoy the large fresh water prawns (udang galah) caught by his father from the big Perak River running behind their wooden house.

During his school days Abdul Aziz was exceptionally active in sports. Possessing a heavy frame he took up rugby very seriously. As a pupil of form 4 and 5 he achieved the distinction of being a player in the Malayan (before independence) rugby team. It was a feat considering the participation of heavily built European players prior to Independence. Somehow I cannot help feeling that the heavy falls and tumbles he received during his young days took their tolls in his later years when his health began to fail and had to undergo frequent medical treatments. I made it a point to ring him at regular intervals apart from our meetings at family weddings.

About three months ago, when I visied him in Teluk Intan, he expressed to me his desire to pay his ‘last’ visit to K Terengganu. Last week, however, I received the sad news of his demise in hospital. Later I learnt from his wife and a younger brother that he again mentioned of a ‘must’ trip to K Terengganu when he was out of hospital.

No, his meeting with the Creator took precedence.

And I will live to remember him with a prayer. _______________________________________

The following all-in-the-family picture was taken last year at a wedding of a family member held in Masjid Wilayah, Kuala Lumpur.  Four of us sitting on the right in the picture were cousins.

R to L - 4 Cousins -  Zamri (K Kangsar), Hussein (KT),arwah A Aziz (T Intan)  sitting  on  Pakcik's left

 

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

Pakcik reminisces ( Pt 29 ) – A very special family

A belated posting

_____________________  

When I passed my Cambridge School Certificate in Terengganu in 1955 and had a chance to join the Higher School Certificate in 1956 I thought I was quite good. At the same time another boy in Perak did the same and had a similar chance. He and I were born in the month of September, the same month but not of the same year. He was born TWO YEARS  later – making him two years younger, a plus point. Adding to his credit he beat me by two years in getting married.

That was where the comparison ended. The rest is history as the divergence in the rate of achievement between us has simply been phenomenal. Today, nevertheless, members of my family enjoy the pleasure of the privilege of having known this very man and his family for forty years. 

He was then an MCS (Malaysian Civil Service, now the PTD) officer, and I an employee in the private sector; our wives were full time domestic managers. I do not remember how exactly we came to know each other. I suspect the normal ladies’ network brought us together. Living in the same vicinity of Damansara Heights/Bukit Damansara area and frequenting the same mosque could be a factor that brought us closer. At one point our homes were on the same road and were separated by a mere couple of houses. That was long before they moved to their new home perched on a cliff overlooking the residential area. Our home was also on a cliff, but half the height.

This gentleman has built a successful family - charity begins at home. That is probably one of the secrets that have enabled him to contribute towards nation building. Over the years we have seen how they raise their children. Their first daughter, for instance, has her own family and is herself a respected medical professor at a premier university. For knowing her since her childhood days we still address her simply ‘Yong’, leaving aside her Datinship, Dr,  professor etc.

Thirty years ago, when we were having a holiday in UK and our Yong had just sat for her SPM examination, we took her along driving around the country, including a trip into the depth of a slate mine in North Wales.

Yong on holiday with us in North Wales (1981)

 

Yong waiting with us for the memorable ' Journey to the Center of the Earth' -

A slate mine in North Wales ( i981 )

Our visit to see the 'Royal Family' in London ( 1981 )

    

Two years after their first, the couple had another two daughters, a pair of twins. Only then we had our first, a girl as well - but our one and the only one, Ainun. Naturally, being girls of the same age, they became friends. Making the bond be tween us closer was the years when one of the twins, called Nana, and our daughter attended the same A-Level school in UK. As chance would have it, I was posted to work in London, allowing the two of us to keep an eye on whatever mischief the two girls were up to during their A-Level years. Nana did law and is now a very successful lawyer with her own practice. And now she has a daughter who is studying law in UK, following her foot-steps.

Nana (reclining in front) with housemates of A-level Malaysian students

( 1982/3 )

Nana smiling broadly on her father's , and  housemates in Bletchley

On far left is our Ainun 

Nana’s twin sister, just ‘Jaja’ to us, is the principle, of a well-established private school in KL, and she herself has successful children, one of whom has just graduated in Australia.

                                                                 Jaja with Ainun and Makcik

Lake Toba (1981)

Their fourth daughter, ‘Opi’ to us, is a capable business lady.

Opi with Ainun and Makcik-

Hyde Park Speakers' Corner (1983)

Opi ushered the arrival of the only boy in the family, Ariff, a handsome and very eligible bachelor businessman, and also an accomplished golfer. The talent he showed during his young days earned him a trip overseas, sponsored by his father, for a short golfing course. I would not challenge the father and son even at my best golfing days. I lost many a drink and golf ball to the father. And the son Ariff is in the Professional Golfers' class, one up on his father.

Ariff (sitting) with Amran, our third

Family outing - Mimaland (Gombak) during its hey-day

1975

Ariff and mother (last) and Makcik and Amran

Mimaland ( 1975 )

. __________________________________  

Who among us has not heard of Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid?

That is the head of the family I have very briefly outlined above. His contributions and achievements are public knowledge and have been very well documented. I remember the challenge he faced when he was made to organise and head Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang by the then our Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak.  That was way back in 1973. To me that was where he began to stamp his footmarks. Thence it was leaps and bounds.

Who would not associate this very special personality with the growth of such important bodies as IKIM and PNB?

The greatest privilege for me and my family is that we know every member of his family and have had the opportunity, as friends, to offer our congratulations for his numerous awards, from his first Datukship to Tan Sri and Tun.  

8th December 1962 - 8th December 2012

    

In December, 2012, the wonderful and successful couple celebrated their GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY, yet again beating me to it with no gurantee for us. An exclusive surprise party awaited the celebrating couple on their arrival from an overseas trip. It was amazing to see what the enlarged members of this family could come up with to entertain the special couple and close friends; playing the role of the Master of Ceremony, giving speeches, handling of musical instruments and rendering of songs, with emphasis onTun’s personal P Ramlee’s favourites. I know it too well the time when Tun started collecting P Ramlee’s tapes from the era of VHS and Betamex taping machines in the eighties. It was not a surprise to med when he began to write his book on P Ramlee.

That evening, while we watched the couple being congratulated by relatives and close friends, we were proud to be among them.

Tun - Pakcik  &  Toh Puan - Makcik

So far and yet so close

To me there is no greater value in a man than his uncompromised integrity and dedication. Perhaps, here, in a very small way, I can hope to detect some room for me to share his values.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

_____________________  

Just for the fun of it - Subject YES

A friend sent this to Pakcik. A fun it is, a good excercise nevertheless.
_______________________________

Subject: Yes : If you can read this OUT LOUD you have a strong mind.And better than that: Alzheimer's is a long, long, ways down the road before it ever gets anywhere near you.To my "selected" strange-minded friends:If you can read the following paragraph, forward it on to your friends and the person that sent it to you with 'yes' in the subject line. Only very good minds can read this. This is weird, but interesting!

7H15 M3554G3
53RV35 7O PR0V3
H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N
D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5!
1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5!
1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG
17 WA5 H4RD BU7
N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3
Y0UR M1ND 1S
R34D1NG 17
4U70M471C4LLY
W17H 0U7 3V3N
7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17,
B3 PROUD! 0NLY
C3R741N P30PL3 C4N
R3AD 7H15.
PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F
U C4N R34D 7H15.

If you can read this, you have a strange mind, too. Only 55 people out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseaethe huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed this forwrad it

FORWARD ONLY IF YOU CAN READ IT
Forward it & put 'YES' in the Subject Line

Even if you are not old, you will find this interesting...

 

This is a TEST----------------------------------------- Good Luck!!! I don't know about the wishes but we can all use some brain exercise!!
How old are your eyes?

The Eye Test 

Can you find the B
(there are 2 B's) DON'T skip, or your wish won't come True...


RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Once you've found the B

Find the 1
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1III
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Once you found the 1................

Find the 6


9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999699999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
Once you've found the 6...

Find the N (it's hard!!)
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM

Once you've found the N...

Find the Q..

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Make 2 wishes!

>
>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> ;> >>>>>>>>>> > >
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>> >>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

OK, NOW THAT YOU HAVE MADE A WISH, IT WILL COME TRUE.....ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FORWARD
TO THREE PEOPLE BUT IF YOU FORWARD TO MORE IT WILL HAPPEN SOONER!! 


Do send this message on. It is great fun and good for the Brain!!!

_____________________________________________ 

p/s
       Thank you Pauline

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan 

All in the family ( Pt 8 ) – He earns his keep

Fifty years ago I began to earn my keep soon after graduation. Thirty years later it was my children’s turn. This month it is my first grandson’s turn. There is one big difference, though; this boy has not even passed his SPM. It is true that he sat for it but is still waiting for his fate. But his parents cannot afford to maintain an unemployed individual nesting at home. Realising this he, without as much as a word of permission from anyone, went job hunting!

It is fortunate for this young man that his place of work is at a pizza something, just a walking distance from home at Damansara Heights,. What I cannot understand is why, with his uncertain school qualification, he has been promised a monthly earning of almost the same as my monthly salary with a multinational fifty years ago and with my scroll and all. Have the financial pundits coined the term ‘cost of living’ to explain this?

So, ladies and gentleman, if you happen to be eating pizza around there and see this boy, give him a generous tip. He needs to save as much as possible in case he does well enough in his SPM to continue his studies.

Ready, willing and able to serve with pleasure

I assure you that he has been well trained to serve. His father was there as customer and his grandfather will be there, too, insya Allah, to check on his performance.     

Yes Sir - err Dad- what would you have?

( Tapi Abah bayar lah !)

                                     

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan



With a sigh ( Pt 14 ) – Teacher, oh, teacher

Awang  Goneng  (Wan A Hulaimi) came around to leave a possible explanation to the ‘Active Eye’ of my last posting. Obviously he had done some research and suggested further reading – http://www.cvcny.org/index.php?s=1&b=4&p=4  

On a number of occasions his appearance was timely. This time I was planning to write about my uncalled-for poor impression of certain teachers around me. I must make it very clear that I am not in any way generalising my view of teachers, the one group I like to befriend. I sigh when, in my occasional depressed moods, I see weaknesses where they ought not to be.

 

The New Sunday Times - 20th Jan.2013

I was in that mood when I read W A Hulaimi’s weekly column in New Sunday Times of 20^th January, ‘To teach, you have to know’, as usual a well-researched piece of writing. On this subject he quoted Art Markman, a professor of psychology. I will now copy-and-paste a few lines from that column.

- If you want to learn, teach.

- You cannot teach what you do not know, and to know, you must look up the subject, and the more you look it up, the more you’ll see.

 - We often ask of each other, “Are you familiar with the subject?” as opposed to “Do you know?”.

- Before I started teaching, I did not believe that I would be the one learning.

-  If you look at a house from a distance, you are looking at it abstractly, but when you move in close you’ll see it specifically, in greater detail – how it is structured, what kind of windows and pillars and which architectural genre.

               _________________________________  

When I started Almanar and thought of helping needy children in English, mathematics and science subjects, I did not realise how hard it would be for me to do it after having left school more than fifty years. It was not so difficult with English but with additional mathematics, physics and chemistry it was self study all over again. I was not facing a few questions in an examination but odd questions, some from thick-headed children. I had to dig out whatever old books I still had stowed away in boxes, and had to buy more.   

It was then I realised the superiority of old imported books over those being flooded in local bookshops. For a start hardly a local school reference book has index at the back, making it virtually impossible to check at a glance the presence of certain topics.

         

Then at one point a teacher came around and had a glance at the few reference books at Almanar, and declared that those books, being about five years old, were ‘out of date’! No wonder book publishers keep revising school books not less than once a year to keep the contents up-to-date (or create new market?). The catch phrase is ‘format baru’.  

To teach I have to learn.

Stubborn as I am, I have been doing it my way. Newton’s laws of motion  have not changed. The concept of chemical bonds between elements has never changed. Do we need to change the way we teach because of changes in examination format?  So today I still make reference to my old books.

I teach, and I learn.

Now I must relate what I did some ten years ago. I had just taught coordinate geometry to a group of Form 2 children. When the children had grasped it I ventured to explain its application in geography; in the formation of longitudes and the latitudes on earth. It was such a revelation to them to know why the range of longitudes is from 0 degree (at Greenwich) to 180 degree east and 180 degree west, but of latitudes, on the other hand, are from 0 degree at the equator to 90 degree north and 90 degree south.

It was then I learnt that a globe, like the one I used to illustrate my explanation, had never been used by their geography teacher. So I was naïve enough to ask a couple of the children to ask their geography teacher to explain why latitudes and longitudes were not simplified by having 180 degrees east, 180 degrees west for longitudes,  and  180 degrees north, 180 degrees south for latitudes.   

A few days later we had a good laugh in class when the two children came back to report. The first geography teacher they approached asked them to ask a second geography teacher who happened to be around. The second teacher asked them to refer yet to another teacher. To her surpridse a terse reply, a kind of rebuke, came from the third teacher.

“ Apa nak Tanya lagi? Memang dah macam itu. Ingat saja sudah lah! ( Why do you need to ask? It has been like that. Just take and remember it!)” The teacher was obviously annoyed with such a frivolous question.

If you do not want to learn, don’t teach.

I laughed but I drew a long sigh. I am an old fashioned and inquisitive fool, wasting time teaching what is not needed to get ‘Aces’ in an examinnation. I will never know how to use such ‘Malay’ words as, produk, ilusi, emosi, kompelikasi etc. Dewan Bahasa’s dictionary is probably the only dictionary in the whole world that needs to be purchased every year to enable one to acquire the fast expanding Bahasa 1 Malaysia ‘moden’.

I will go on learning and I will go on teaching; but I will go on doing it my way.  

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaaan

   

Active Eye?

No longer needed

Last week Pakcik had a new group of Form 1 at Almanar. They are from the centre of less privileged children I have made reference to before. In general, children from this home are difficult to handle. This has been a real challenge for me.

As I was moving around, allowing time for the children to copy what was on the white board, one girl whispered if I could write more clearly as she found difficulty to read my writing and had to resort to copying from one friend besides her. This not being the first time, I knew we were facing another of the normal eyesight problems quite easily resolved several times in the past. So, at the end of the class I was happily driving THREE of them to the normal optometrist, expecting, with a bit of luck, to see them with glasses a couple of days later. This time we had a problem with one of the girls. The optometrist could not determine the power of a lens suitable for her. She suffers from ‘active eye’ problem possibly something to do with her optical nerves, resulting in unsettled focusing power. An eye specialist’s help is needed in this case.

Perhaps, someone would care to enlighten Pakcik what this ‘active eye’ problem is.

________________________________________________

P/s:

Pakcik used to wear glasses for many,many years. At one stage I needed one for reading as well.  Strange enough my problem has gradually improved during the last few years such that  I need no glasses for reading or driving on long distance journey from KT to KL and back. Probably, HE has returned me my eyesight after years of writing on the white board and glaring at misbehaving children and scolding them! About half a dozen glasses of different power and models lie around in my drawers – on stand-by or for sale! Or do I have the 'active eye' of different kind ?

 

 Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan