Bad Memories

Sometimes you just don't know what hit you. It is so unexpected, and after that, you are left reeling...

I was asked by Tuan PPD to do the 2009 performance appraisal for the staff of SMK Munshi Sulaiman because I was the principal there until August 2009.

For the ten years I was principal, I never once did any appraisal alone - I always called for a meeting with my Senior Assistants and Heads of Departments. We would discuss the performance of every staff and only then will I grade them.

For example, teacher X :

• How is his work as a form teacher ? (For GPK HEM and GPK Petang to comment)
• Does he mark his students' books regularly ?
• What about his students' kerja kursus ? (For Heads of Departments to comment)
• How's the performance of the club under his guidance ? (For GPK Kokurikulum to comment)
• etc....

Then, and only then, will I grade the teacher X.

And also, during that meeting, all of us will come to an agreement on who's to get the Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang...

I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM. I AM NO LONGER PRINCIPAL. HOW DO I GET FEEDBACK FROM THE ADMINISTRATORS???

So I requested to meet up with them - to get some feedback from them. I also told Tuan PPD that without feedback from the school administrators, I can't and won't do the 2009 appraisal.

I was wondering why it took so long for the school's administrators to call me. I requested to meet with them before the long holiday started.

Anyway, yesterday I received a call from school to attend a meeting at 12.30 pm today. So I happily went to school this afternoon.

Only then did I realize that I was not welcome!!!!

I waited a long time for the meeting to start. Where was the GPK 1? She should be chairing the meeting. Someone mentioned that she has to attend a meeting outside school this afternoon. So, why ask me to come today ?

Then I was told that two Heads of Departments refused to attend the meeting, and that they cannot be contacted. They had switched off their mobile phones.

I cornered one of them. She then told me that she cannot understand why I still wanted to do the performance appraisal. After all, I have retired. She also questioned what right I have to chair the meeting since I am no longer principal !

I WANT TO CLARIFY:

• I DID NOT ASK TO DO THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL. I WAS ASKED TO DO IT.
• THIS AFTERNOON, THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF SMK MUNSHI SULAIMAN CONFIRMED THAT HE WILL BE DOING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FOR HIS PREVIOUS SCHOOL.
• THERE WAS NO INTENTION ON MY PART TO CHAIR THE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON. I WAS WAITING FOR THE GPK1 TO DO IT.

After a small confrontation inside the principal's office, the GPK 1 said that there was a "miscommunication". My question to the GPK 1 is "Did you try to communicate with me? How come there was no attempt to contact me, to ask me why I wanted to meet up with you all?"

To the two Heads of Departments, I thought we worked so well together. What happened? What made you think that I pandai-pandai want to do the penilaian prestasi? Whoever gave you the idea that I wanted to chair the meeting?

It is very unbecoming for a newly-retired principal to be treated in this manner, especially by fellow administrators. One thing for sure, I won't be going back to SMK Munshi Sulaiman.

10th Year Priesthood of Reverand Father Peter Ng

On Sunday, 3 January 2010, my church celebrated the 10th Year Priesthood Anniversary of Rev Fr Peter Ng. It was a very special occasion for us, parishioners of the Church of St Henry (located opposite Sekolah Tinggi Batu Pahat), because Fr Peter grew up in Batu Pahat and was ordained a priest in Batu Pahat.

It was a special occasion for me, too. I taught Fr Peter when he was in Form 4 and 5, Sekolah Menengah Dato Bentara Luar. I was his Chemistry teacher.

I watched this fine young man finish his Form 5, went for further studies, started working and then.......gave up everything and studied to become a priest.



It is God who chooses certain young men to serve Him by becoming priests. He..he.. God certainly didn't choose my son, Matthew. When he was very young, I remember him telling Peter "I don't want to be a priest. I want to have lots and lots of girlfriends." :)

Though a vocation (or divine call) is something personal between that young man and God, it must be allowed to grow. And vocations can only grow out of happy homes where children are taught a true sense of values, holy homes where children learn reverence for religion.

I am told that there is a special place in heaven for parents who have given a child to God in religion. Even so, would I have protested if Matthew expressed interest in becoming a priest? ;p

Fr Peter is presently studying for his Masters in Theology. I pray for his success and wish him well in all his future undertakings.

Two More Days to January 2010

Wow.... time flies when one is having fun and I haven't written a single word this whole month.

What have I been doing the whole of December?

Well, I was in China the first two weeks. This year I toured Guilin and its surrounding areas (Nanning, Yang Shuo and Xing An). Beautiful scenery, lots of things to do and lots of things to buy. I just loved the cold weather but a number of toilets I was forced to visit were nightmares!! Here are some of the photographs that I took while in China (Remind me to take some photographs of those horrendous toilets next time I go to China again, hehe...):

GUILIN PHOTOS (CLICK HERE)

Come to think of it, I was in Xiamen exactly one year ago. Some photos that I took way back in December 2008:

XIAMEN PHOTOS (CLICK HERE)

Upon reaching home, it was time to get ready for Christmas. And lots of wedding luncheons and dinners to attend. And the Winter Solstice Festival. Busy time indeed! New clothes to be bought, new hairdo (but I always come out looking the same!!), the much-needed facial at the beauty salon, the fruit cakes and gingerbread cookies to be baked, etc....

Well, Christmas is over and tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I was in Kuala Lumpur with my children for the countdown to 2008. It was a bit too hectic for my liking. So I stayed in Batu Pahat to welcome in 2009. I will be in Batu Pahat to usher in 2010.

As usual, I shall attend the Year-End Thanksgiving Mass in Church, celebrated at night - to thank God for all the blessings He has given me this year. It will be followed by fellowship and light refreshment. I am sure there'll be the usual fireworks at midnight.

The New Year, 2010.
Still an unspoiled page in my book of time.
An opportunity for me to practise what I have learnt about life during the last 12 months.

I found this in a magazine. 5 simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

These are Dharma Master Cheng Yen's New Year's Resolutions (Dharma Master Cheng Yen is a Taiwanese Buddhist Nun and the founder of Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation):

1. I will not seek to have everything go as I want. I only wish for enough courage to face reality.
2. I will not pray for health. I only hope to have a spirit filled with wisdom and a love that will never fade.
3. I will not look for fewer responsibilities. I only ask for even greater strength to do all the things that must be done in this world.

Pretty awesome, huh ?

WISHING ALL OF YOU A HAPPY AND BLESSED 2010.

A Beautiful Story

I came across this short story while waiting for my turn at the dental clinic. (Sorry, but I forgot the name of the small booklet):

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.

The father told his daughter,"Hold my hand so that you won't fall into the river." The little girl replied, "No, papa. You hold my hand."

"What's the difference?" asked the puzzled father. "There's a big difference," replied the little girl.

"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let go of your hand. But if you hold my hand, I am very sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

Beautiful, huh?

And so it is with God, we need to allow Him to hold on to our hand as we journey along this world. On reflection, I remember the many times I let go of His hand .....

• when my husband passed away and my heart was in anguish,
• when I was tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts,
• when I've tried everything and nothing seemed to work,
• when nothing made sense and I felt frustrated, etc.

Now that I have retired, I am trying my best to reach out and let God hold my hand. Through reading the Bible and prayer.

After being a Sunday Catholic for so many years (ie. praying in Church only on Sundays), setting aside some time - everyday - for reading and prayer requires a lot of effort and discipline...

Then I think of my Muslim friends who pray 5 times a day. They show such good examples.

And so I tell myself, "God willing, I can."

Cheers! :)

Stories From My Childhood Days

Aesop's Fables, Grimm's Fairy Tales and Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales were all part of the stories of my childhood. In her desire to pass on her love of reading to my brothers and me, my mother read to us classic tales every night. It worked!! As time went by, my brothers and I graduated from being eager listeners to being avid readers.

Looking back, I realized that my mother's bedtime stories also helped to shape my character because a lot of her stories showed consequences of actions. I can still remember her story on "Selfishness". The story goes like this...

A bad old woman died. In her whole life she had not done one good deed. So Satan grabbed her and threw her into the sea of flames. But her guardian angel did not give up. "Can't I recall a single good thing that she had done?" he thought hard and long. Then he brightened up and said to God, "I distinctly remember one time that she dug a small potato out of her garden and gave it to a beggar."

"All right," said God. "Take that same small potato and hold it down to her in the sea of fire and try to lift her up with it. If you succeed, she will go to heaven."

So the angel began to pull her up very carefully. But when the others saw what was happening and she began to go up, they all began to hang onto her. The woman started kicking them off, shouting, "I'm the only one supposed to be rescued by this little potato. It belongs to me alone; it's not yours."

At that, the potato tore apart and she fell right back down into the sea of fire, where she still is. The angel wept.

When adults want to impart important things - like faith, belief, values - to children, it's often best related in the form of stories. Stories are more easily understood and enjoyed.

The character of your children tomorrow depends on what you put into their hearts today. So, tell them bedtime stories!! :)

I Am A Water Snake

I am at present reading a book on Chinese Astrology.

Chinese astrology uses twelve zodiacal signs with which to try to define basic human characteristics. Unlike Western astrology, the signs are all animals. And while each Western zodiacal sign governs a month (and thus the month of birth), each Chinese animal sign rules a year ( and consequently the year of birth).

This cycle of animals governs a twelve-year period, starting with Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and ending with Pig. I was born in the year 1953 and that makes me a Snake.

So, what did the book have to say about Snakes??? Hehe... I quote, " The Snake is associated with beauty and wisdom. In China, the Snake is believed to be the guardian of buried treasure, and is therefore a symbol of good luck." :) :) :) I am still grinning...

Do you know, there are different kinds of Snakes???

• Wood Snake - born in the year 1905 or 1965
• Fire Snake - 1917 or 1977
• Earth Snake - 1929 or 1989
• Metal Snake - 1941 or 2001
• Water Snake - 1953

Guess that makes me a Water Snake, together with people like Thomas Jefferson, Mao Tse-Tung and Oprah Winfrey, "who slink through the corridors of power." Me? Power? Nah, no way!

According to this book, I am supposed to be astute, intelligent and practical, but with a creative view of the world. I am also supposed to be gifted with great powers of concentration and can block out all distractions. Having studied until university, I guess I must have a reasonable amount of intelligence and concentration power.

Like other Water Snakes, I am supposed to be ambitious, elegant, charming and very lucky. The book goes on to say that "Snakes are unmatched in physical beauty: they are the original femmes (and hommes) fatales!" Omigosh, was I a femme fatale during my younger years? And that Snakes want everything to be perfect. Yup, that's absolutely correct - I am a perfectionist!

Not everything about the Snake is good. There are also negative things - like Snake is not very sociable, but makes sure she is at the right place at the right time, and with the right people. Snakes are masters of timing! That's me; I don't like to socialize unless it is necessary.

The book also says, beware of the Snake whose anger is aroused, for she can be venomous. Furthermore, Snake will wait patiently until the time is right for her to strike at her enemies. Me? Waiting patiently to strike back?? Those of you who have worked with me will know - when I get angry, I voice it out immediately (very direct, no pretence) and then I put everything behind me.

I read about Monkey (my son), Pig (my daughter), Rabbit (my late husband), Horse (my brother), Ox (a very good friend), Rat (another good friend), etc.... and my conclusion is that the book is interesting, but whatever is written inside - hmmmm, take it with a pinch of salt!

Cheers! (^_^)

My Sister's Keeper

A beautifully written novel by Jodi Picoult. It was given to me by the students of Lower Six Science.

The story revolves around the Fitzgerald family. Sara Fitzgerald's daughter Kate is just two years old when she is diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Kate has to undergo a bone marrow transplant in the hope of getting well but no one in her family is a suitable donor.

To save Kate, Sara has another baby - a baby genetically engineered to match Kate. Anna Fitzgerald is an allogeneic donor - a perfect sibling match - specifically designed to save her sister Kate.

When Kate needs leukocytes or stem cells or bone marrow, Anna provides them. Nearly everytime Kate is hospitalized, Anna winds up there, too.

Sara wants Anna to donate one of her kidneys to Kate. Anna, now aged thirteen, decides that she does not want to help Kate live anymore. She hires a lawyer to sue her parents for the rights to her own body.

How does the story end ? Actually the ending of My Sister's Keeper is surprising and terribly sad.

Read the book!!! :)

Anyway, after finishing the novel, I did something that I have always wanted to do but kept on postponing. Yes, I signed up as an organ and tissue donor.

Have you signed up as a donor ? You can download the National Organ Donor Registration Form at http://rayma.com.my/giftoflife/signup.html and post the completed form to :

National Transplant Resource Centre,
Main Lobby, Hospital Kuala Lumpur,
Jalan Pahang,
50586 Kuala Lumpur.

Remember, "Organ Donation is a Gift of Life".