feeling good

Today has got to be the best day of the week, I suppose. The new timetable has allowed me to breathe a little. I now teach 24 periods per week with only 4 teaching periods today.

Yippee!!

I got so many things done. I can now focus on my headcount. And I have my own room to do all that. Air-conditioned, may I add :)

Apart from that, I'm feeling just happy. Happy happy happy happy. Alhamdulillah :)

I guess it's true what they say. When you start the day with the right foot, good things will ensue later of the day. And I have only Him to praise :)

Peking

Beijing, 2010

Beijing is not the usual place a couple would normally go for a honeymoon. So it's no surprise when many seemed to raise an eyebrow in curiosity (eyeballs bulging, even) when they were told of our honeymoon spot.

Honestly, it wasn't our ultimate choice of honeymoon-ing either. Come to think of it, we didn't really have a specific place that we really wanted to go for our honeymoon. Bali was definitely not in the list. Thailand didn't seem to appeal much. We almost booked ourselves in one secluded island in Sabah, but decided to cancel the plan.

After much discussion and research online, it sort of decided that Beijing would be our destination. We thought a taste of winter would do us good. Since it would be my husband's first trip overseas (and our first as a married couple, obviously), the trip was very much looked forward to.

We traveled there in a tour group (PotoTravel, we love Poto!), much to everybody's protest. I get what they mean, it wouldn't be so much of a honeymoon then would it? But, we didn't seem to mind.

All I can say is Beijing was an eye-opener and a total fun - in - the - cold experience. I'm glad we went there. I will update more on our trip in the upcoming posts.

the usual syndrome

And work starts tomorrow!

work that body

I have never felt so certain in my life (except for the time when I decided to get married, obviously). This decision is something that I am very sure of, made not so much after long consideration in fact. It sort of just hit me right away.

I got the support from mum although my husband is still not saying yes or no.

I have decided to .......
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..... get myself a treadmill!!!!



Oh yes I do!

You see, after I got married, I hardly go to the gym. In the course of 3 months, I have set foot only twice. In fact, a month before I got married, I have slowed down my visits because I was too tied up with the preparation. Now after, everyday I vowed to go to the gym but after an exhausting day at school, I would normally take the route back home.

My life after marriage pretty much changed my daily routine. While I could easily go to the gym anytime I want before, it's not so easy anymore now. I used to go for my favourite classes, BodyStep and BodyAttack twice a week but those classes normally end at 7.30pm. Being single should not be a problem as I would then take my shower and pray there. So coming home at 8pm is not an issue. Although some would argue "what seems to be the problem now?", I say I have bigger commitments. Going to the gym is not my priority anymore.

I personally do not want my husband to be coming home without me around and without someone to greet him at the door. Oh yes, I do that everyday. I want to be able to prepare him dinner and not for him to just heat the food I've left. Besides, dad has, on numerous occasions 'advised' me to stop going if all I do is pay the bill every month but never go. Very true isn't it?

This ultimate decision of wanting to buy a treadmill is something that I think would be a very good long-term investment. I could continue working out in the comfort of our home, anytime that I want to. It's quite sad thinking that I would have to end my 4 year-membership with the gym, where I have come to know a few nice souls. The thought of leaving those classes I love is definitely sad, but I'll be okay. There's always Astro Lifestyle :)

So, the hunt for the perfect treadmill has begun!

Stress issue

I try not to be too stressed out for it's only the second month of the year. But I have a whole lot of reasons to be. Of course, as many of you could have guessed, it's school-related. What else.

I'd like to think that my school (although many refer to it as one at its comfort zone) is neglected. We are short of more than ten teachers and every year this seems to be the case. What more quite a number of teachers were granted their transfers last year (all of them teaching critical subjects), the school is pretty much...lost. I don't know what is the issue, but every other secondary school in the Klang district seems to be getting new teachers (GSST not GSTT) but us. It's really frustrating because for one, teachers (read : we) are getting more reliefs despite the already suffocating timetable, and second, classes are left with no subject teachers, still. It's really worrying because part of our performance in the public examinations is a result of not having enough teachers, especially for critical subjects like Mathematics, BM, and Science. While I should be thankful with the number of GSTTs coming in and out every year, I cannot help but have this tinge of pessimism in me. Thinking about it is quite stressful, really.

Because there are shortage of teachers, then there is the work which comes in abundance. Don't even get me started on this. We can't avoid the workload because no matter how much we complain, how much we try to avoid, we still have to embrace it because at the end of the day, there is no one else, but you. Posts are being thrown to teachers to fill in the "vacancy". Some teachers who are holding important posts in school still have to be class teachers. You see, being a class teacher is very demanding on its own. To have other posts combined, you're winner if you manage to keep yourself together all the time. I know I've lost it some time ago, but that was when I was just a class teacher. And right now, I have to deal with it on my own. Stressful, much?

To make it even "tragic", our Headmistress just retired last year so the school had lost its wing, if you could call it that way. The first month, to me,was quite chaotic. I think all of us took the blame because it's a team effort. We cannot blame solely on the administration. Despite the scars our previous HM left us with, I still think she's a great HM. An iron lady that she was, we got used to her way of working that our performance in the previous PMR increased notches than before and the school got its revamp of some kind. No matter how hard she's been to me and the rest, there's this fondness that I've developed for her. And because she's also my first 'Big Boss', she's set that benchmark for the next HM to come, which, is my nex tstress-issue.

Ever since the new HM set foot to our school, I have never once been able to really meet her. I've been away quite a lot and on days when she decided to have meetings with the teachers, I won't be around. So I've heard a lot about her. Everybody is grateful that she is nothing like our previous HM (kebajikan akan terjaga, alhamdulillah), but I personally think when you are being really nice to people and you don't show you're the boss, people will absolutely take you for granted. I noticed that more and more teachers are simply taking CRKs for reasons unbeknown to me and MCs. Not that I am a nosy person, but if you are really a responsible person (teacher) you would think twice to do so since the school is already having shortage of teachers. Now that some teachers decided to take leave, the remaining teachers in school are the relief coolies, who else. Quite stressful, don't you think?

If there's one thing my previous HM had taught me well, it is not to be selfish and no matter what happens, we have to serve our clients well. And the clients being our students. So my point is, I'm stressed out thinking that my current HM won't be as strict and effective as the one before, especially in terms of attendance and teaching.

I think too much ke? Over concern kot. Am I the only one? At least I've let it out. I write more when I'm stressed.

Despite that all, I'm thankful that I have great colleagues who have never stopped helping each other. I'm thankful that my students can light up my day with their silly jokes. And I'm thankful that I am still alive to serve my students in humility and torch their hearts with knowledge that Allah has given me.

Thank you for reading :)


The Writer

The Writer
I am a wife, a mother, and a teacher by profession. At times a pessimist and one who is easily amused. I find comfort once entering the threshold of my bedroom. I write because I want to and it makes me feel good :)