day 3 everyone

Day 3 of RELC class-it's barely a week yet I feel i have been there for months.I've got acquainted with that chinese aunties who keep my room clean and the one mending the cafe.I started to get into the vibe of being a student , again (trust me it's not easy to sit there digesting newest information, or even information that is long forgotten).I've learnt how to be an independent learner, learning all nook and cranny of s'pore roads and places and still got lost :)

We have 3 different lecturers covering 3 different areas of the subject matter, and I am then given Mr Brian Pettit as the supervisor.He is the one who is going to supervise my work, which is the graded assignment.Scary I know.I am not exactly prepared to be graded:P.So basically, my course is about training to be the oral communication specialist, and our subject caters mostly on the aspect on speaking, listening and also the historical background of the language.About how English pidgin and creole are much different from the global English.It is actually fun to have some debates and discussions among the group members as my group consists of the language teachers from Thailand, Laos and Singapore.We have different ideas of the ideal ways incorporating the subject matter in our lesson.And my group is really a supercool group.The guys in the group are really nice, and so does the singaporean girl.

The only problem here is that the class ends at 5 .EVERYDAY.so I am free to do anything i want, providing the fact that it is not raining and i know what to shop for in Orchard road which is just a 20 mins walking from the hotel.why is that a problem you ask?Because i wont be going to Orchard everyday, and it's no fun walking in the rain.So, sleeping time after 5 then.boohoooo..

back to square one

I better start with the post or i end up dreading not updating any single update about my work trip.

First of 21 days in Singapore has run breezily.Too bad that 21 days are not all about Christmas shopping along the stretch of Orchard Road:).I am here for what deemed as specialist for oral communication and the course is under Regional English Language Centre and my 21 days in Singapore would be fulled of classes, assignments, and more classes.

Plus those eezy breezy shopping trip everyday.yeah if you have the money:)

There are 23 participants in my course, and 2 of us are from Malaysia.The rest of them are Indonesian, Bruneian, Singaporean, Myanmar, Vietnamese, Thais, and Laotian. Most of the things we did on the first day were the orientation, getting to know the places, the subject matters, the lecturers, the assessment.Oh god, now i know the feeling of being a student, again, after so many years:).Took picture for the ID, and the dispensed of pocket money.Yey, but that is not for the 'jolly good time' moment.The pocket money is basically to be used for your daily food purchase and other supposedly important needs.

The class officially started with Dr Chan's subject-testing speaking and listening.Being in his class reminded how much I need to recall the memory of all the terms and jargon in teaching speaking and listening, and how embarrassing to know that certain terms are awkwardly unfamiliar to me.Hmmm..that's what we call relearning, I reckon.The Thai guy in my group, he beat me lots in term of knowledge * sheepish grin*.Dr Chan's 3 hour lesson has been nothing but amazing.

On the other note, I hope my ID card won't look hideous!

girlies

Phewwwww...what a week!Now that we are no longer being confined in a hotel room doing a very confidential exam and now I could finally put my mind in one goal, getting ready for a work trip to Singapore (neways, don't really want to talk bout it, im still waiting for the e-ticket, and i am on my nerve wreck!).So, let's get to something more fun,

like meeting up the bestie and clan!Last day of my confinement in the hotel (5 days, mind you.I just can't see hotel food anymore!), Zar gave me a call and said the plan was on, she wanted to give a visit.My other clan was supposed to be there too, but unfortunately, she drove herself to an incident, literally.:(Syida was supposed to be there, since we hardly, like hardly met after both of those 2 geng pacak bendera moved to Selangor, so when nyah and i got a chance to be in Kl for work purpose, meeting up was then put in the agenda.Let's plan this again sometimes in the future okay, Dutdut.

And so we catched up stories, had laugh, so much people might think we owned Tarbush, bartered hot gossips on people we didn't like, and yes, it's like the old time.Life might make us choose our own path, but the path that we all choose does not make us come apart.It's all about the distance, but it's not about the feeling you have for your closest friends.It stays no matter what.:)

so what's next for the girls?Let's 'flying' everyone!:)

sacrifice

So the pictures above represented how I celebrated my aidiladha this year. Just me and the girls, whipping up simple chicken rendang, sambal tumis udang and nothing-to-be-shouted about lemang.Since the girls couldn't make it home, and I miss-look the date of raya hajj, and managed to grab the ticket home only after the first raya.How enticing. Woke up when the prayer being called, had an early shower when the girls were still sleeping, took wudhu' and performed my raya prayer, alone with the guidance from the nearby mosque.

And with that I couldn't stop the tears from welling down my cheek, thinking of all the sacrifices that I should have done but I haven't because I am so selfish that way.Thinking of what other sacrifices could I do for the sake of the Above, without asking Him to pity me and require something in return.Thinking why I couldn't still sacrifice my usual self for what He has asked me do, praying that He won't take my life so soon so I could go back to Him.Thinking of why hesitation always got into my way everytime I wanted to do and be good.Thinking of what in the world I could do to both of the old ones at home, so they will stop worry about me.

Thinking and thinking.

So yes, my raya is somber, but it does make me more humble.

Selamat Hari Raya Haji everyone, albeit being the fourth day of raya when this post is published.