Today, I went to a school in Keramat to give talk on how to prepare a resume as well as to attend a job interview. In that talk, my boss and I stressed on that the students must behaved in an orderly manner so as to gain respect from the others.
Well, after what has happened in Perak, it makes one wonder.....
Well, the final day is here and what a way to start of the day with raining heavily. The fellas upstairs must have known that it's going to be very hot in KL that they allow rains throughout the day. Well, I've to cancel the trip to Cable Car, sure made some teachers gone mad.
Instead I stick to the original plan of spending 1 hour in Underwater World which the teachers don't like at all. Ayoyoyo, how to please them la....
And to make matter worst, the seats in the ferry which were reserved by me were taken by some other groups which made our trip back to Kuala Perlis late by 30 minutes. Fuuhhhh, were the teachers beaming mad and it's not even my fault.
Anyway to cut the matter short, reached home by 1am..
What an unforgetable trip.... one bad experience. Professionally, really hated it. Personally, I felt happy as I get to meet new people and I got close with one of them.
Adon, a Malay boy with cancer. He was 16. Adon came from a rural family. It took him four hours’ drive and a boat ride, across a river, each time they came to see us.
“Adon’s father had left the family when Adon was small. But Adon and his mother scraped together their savings for the fare for every trip to hospital, and they kept on coming - for months. The national cancer council, Makna, helped them a little with the travel costs.
“Adon was a charismatic boy. The nurses loved his sense of humour and cheeky smile. He was patient with his mother, and with us nurses and doctors. Everyone liked him and his mother. There was one time, when Adon was allowed home, he fell off his bicycle, and we told him off when his wounds got infected. His mother begged him not to cycle again and he listened.”
My friend said, “One day, we couldn’t find any blood of his type to transfuse him with. Stanley, an Iban-Chinese boy, a little older than Adon, was in the next bed. Stanley offered to let Adon have the blood that Stanley’s own family had donated for Stanley. We were all really moved. Stanley had cancer too, but we cured him in the end.
“Over a few months, after a lot of chemotherapy, it became clear to everyone that Adon’s cancer was getting worse and would never be cured. He asked us how the treatment was going, and we explained things to him and his mother. Adon became weaker and kept having fever. He was a little breathless because of some lung infection that his body couldn’t clear, but he could walk around slowly.
‘I don’t want mom to carry my dead body’
“One day,” the doctor said slowly, “Adon asked for permission to go home. He said he knew he wasn’t getting any better. He thanked us. He told us he knew more treatment wouldn’t help. He tried to persuade his mother to allow him to leave hospital.
“I asked him why,” the doctor said, “and I was shaken, when he told me, ‘I want to go home while I’m still alive. It’s much easier for my mother to take me home now, instead of trying to carry a dead body. The cemetery is just beside our house in the village. It’ll be better, and less expensive, for my family.’
“His mother did as he wished, and they went home together for the last time. He became more breathless over the next day, and his mother called us for help. The hospital nurses did their best. We sent an oxygen tank to the small rural clinic near his village, to try to make him more comfortable.
“But the medical assistant at the clinic wasn’t particularly helpful. He didn’t even go to Adon’s house to see him when Adon was dying. And after all that, the oxygen arrived too late anyway - Adon was already dead.
“His mother called us after his funeral to thank us. Can you imagine that?” my friend said. “I’ll never forget Adon, as long as I live,” the doctor finished.
We may live in two separate worlds, but we share a common humanity.
KERUAH USIT is a human rights activist - anak Sarawak, bangsa Malaysia. His ‘The Antidote’ column, which appears in Malaysiakini every Wednesday, is an attempt to allow the voices of marginalised people to be heard all over Malaysia. The writer can be contacted at keruah_usit@yahoo.com.
After breakfast, we went to the Cheese factory and Buffalo Farm. The cheese factory is where they are making mozzarella cheese. I tried a piece of cheese made from goat milk and it's sure not to my liking.... and until now I can't forget the smell and the taste. Next we went to the buffalo farm... as can be seen on the right hand side. The teachers have no experience in seeing the buffaloes close up hehehehe..which is quite amusing.
Next stop, the batik factory. While they were amusing themselves at the batik factory, I went back to hotel to fetch Jo. He sure drive crazy. While we were at the telaga harbour port, the sky opened up and it rained heavily, thus making our trip to the cable car unattainable. As such, we went to Langkawi Budaya Craft Centre which I met a bunch of bikers who are travelling to see Langkawi on bikes being escorted by police... COOL
Next, one of the teacher wanted to go back to cable car and off we went. Still the weather did not permit them to go on the cable car. They just had their lunch and did some shopping. As usual, whenever I set the time, the teachers would always be the one who won't be punctual and this case early. My colleagues had gone for prayers and one of the malay teacher had the nerve in front of me asking are they going for sembahyang cina??? That's clearly an insult on me coz I'm a chinese and on my 3 collegues as well. He can go for prayers but not my colleagues. The principal requested to go to Makam Mahsuri but there is also one teacher who requested to go to Galleria Perdana. Hence I had to turn down the Principal's request as Makam Mahsuri is way in the middle of Langkawi and is not on our way to Kuah. Luckily Jo was there to explain.
So off we went to Galleria Perdana and to my surprise, they didn't want to go in. Huh???? What the heck??? The students are unhappy because they didn't get to do what they want.. as we had to listen to the teachers 'orders'
Next stop Idaman Suri which is the main intention for them. Again, one teacher requested extra time another said no. So, made my head spin.....
Finally we reached Kuah and I made a 3 hour stop there for them to take dinner and shopping. It started to rain in Kuah when we reached there. There we all walked in the rain. It would be a romantic walk had I walked with someone special but alas..... At one juncture, I had to stand at one corner waiting Az, Azam, Adil and Jo, my colleagues to come to me. I created a song which went like this...1 orang giler tunggu tepi jalan, tunggu 4 kawan datang dalam hujan. When Azam came, it went like this 2 orang giler tunggu tepi jalan, tunggu 3 kawan datang dalam hujan. When Jo came, it went 3 orang giler tunggu tepi jalan, tunggu 2 kawan datang dalam hujant. When Az came, it went 4 orang giler tunggu tepi jalan, tunggu 1 kawan datang dalam hujan. And lastly when Adil came, it went 5 orang giler tunggu tepi jalan, tunggu punya tunggu hujan tambah lebat.
It was fun waiting for the time to arrive to fetch them back to hotel. We talked our previous experience until we laughed our head off... but it was spoiled when the teacher requested us to to move early to send them off to a wedding feast which in not in the itinerary. We had a little discussion and at the end we went anyway as the teacher willingly accept responsibility should anyding bad happened while going there.
Off we went. I was surprised to see that when we reached the place, they were clearing out the place.. so... looked to me like we're uninvited... I didn't go coz I have my principles of not going to a feast held by a person which I don't know at all.
I left them there for one hour and the five of us went for a ride with Joe behind the wheel.
The final stop hotel.... Before going back, my guys have promised to take all 12 female students and 3 male students out for supper out of pity. However the teacher can said that my guys are going to do something bad to them. For their information, Adil has a title called Haji Mohd Adil thus he won's do and won's allow another to do this kind of thing...The teacher has the nerve of accusing people before checking... Huh *&&()#$T
Anyway, when all of them went up to their room, I sat in front of hotel for few hours chatting with Jo talked abt his ambition and his work. If not for the calling of the nature, we wld have continue talking...
I woke up around 530. Couldn't sleep as I was worried whether my colleague would be able to wake up in time to catch the bus. Luckily he did. As for me, I did nothing during the morning hours, just lying around waiting for time to meet up with Jo.
12 noon I went to his house to fetch him. He looked very relaxed in his shorts and simple tshirt. What surprised me was that when he went out he would carry a bottle of water with him. We went searcing for cheese farm with me behind the wheel. It didn't occur to me that the cheese farm is located way inside the woods and is very isolated. The first thing taht came into my mind while driving along the road is that it is very isolated and should anything hapen to me, nobody would know. Jo reassured me that he would be there to protect me should anything happen to me.Well, at that instance it felt like I'm a damsel in distress and he's my knight in shining armor although he didn't look like one.
Once at the cheese farm, we had a fun time playing with a calf. it would chase after us while we driving of. Next we went to search for Mahsuri tomb. En route he showed his favourite place in Langkawi, a place where there's a lot of padi field with the mountains as its background. It is beautiful and words just can't express it. I wish I had a camera to capture all down. He said we do have, our mind... this is our camera. I can see the sparkle in his eyes when he told me that the place is his favourite place and he would come here to see the sunrise whenever possible. A true romantic guy and he's only 24 and available... Anybody who's interested, pls contact me...Everyone who saw us think that we are a couple but we are definitely not.
Going back to Kuah, we passed a place where it rained only in the middle of the yellow box which is situated in between 2 traffic lights. GOD had shown me 2 miracles that day, one is the beautiful landscape which is too overwhelming and secondly the rain in the middle of the yellow box. At Kuah, he showed MRSM and Sports Complex where he taught taekwando to youngster at night. He told me he's a instructor and a international umpire.
Later in the evening, when my group arrived, I faced a crisis. 2 vans are not in working condition. One of it, without oil, the second is worst still, it's gear is not working properly. I am in a state of panic because the agent did not wish to change as there's no more van available. My group consist of teachers and students became very anxious and angry. Most of the teachers started to blame the non working condition of the vans on me. What can I do as I only receive the van around 10 minutes before they arrived. I did not have time to check the condition. Luckily, Jo was there to take care of things. He's a born leader, taking care of things when there's a crisis arises.
The teachers who did not know the head and toe of the situation began to question to me especially the Indian muslim lady. She's really a pain the neck always complaining and complaining. Like she has paid a lot to come for this trip. She should have done some research of how much a hotel room would cost on 1st ans 2nd of May. 2 nights cost abt RM 300 which is the cost she has to pay for this trip. Her package included bus and ferry back and from Kuala Perlis, transport in Langkawi and 2 nights in Helang Hotel a four star hotel. She should have check her facts before started to complain.
Anyway, at 845 we went to Cenang for their dinner. My gang didn't have time to rest and change and we had to start work. We promised to come back at 1130 as we knew that they would be delayed. In fact, we we went earlier and the teacher had complained we should have come earlier. What a nerve #&@$$)%%@#
Hehehe I was lucky to escape their wrath as I 'lepak' happily and contently at Jo's restaurant until 2 am. Had a lot of cold water and a pina colada, which I could't digest as it contain to much of alcohol. I don't want to drink and drive as my fren had 2 many... During that time, I had a wonderful conversation with Jo. I met his mum, his step dad, his bro Iskandar and Daniel...
Boy, does Jo has charisma................................
April 30th, I went to Langkawi by Mas Airlines. Want to change the routine of going to Langkawi by Airasia. My flight was at 2.15pm. In the morning, I thought I would help my boss out my bringing him to Taman Melati in Setapak. I thought that it would be a short journey to KLIA. Boy...I was wrong. It was. raining heavily at the Sungai Besi Toll at the Nilai exit and the KLIA exit. I reached KLIA at 1.15pm. I rushed to check in and I rushed to gate B9. All this while I was thinking, I am going to miss the flight. Lucky for me I had a few minutes to spare...fuhhhhhhh!!! The flight to Langkawi was not that good, mayb because I didn't bring a book to read. However I had my PSP to play hehehehehe Once in Langkawi, I met up with Joe my new found fren and Sahil, a long time fren. I also met a new fren by the name of Kenny. I had a fun time with Joe and tomorrow I am going on a working date with Joe... He's going to take me to a cheese factory in Langkawi... Wonder would I get to taste some fresh cheese...... YUMMMMMMMY!!!!!!!!
“Adon was a charismatic boy. The nurses loved his sense of humour and cheeky smile. He was patient with his mother, and with us nurses and doctors. Everyone liked him and his mother. There was one time, when Adon was allowed home, he fell off his bicycle, and we told him off when his wounds got infected. His mother begged him not to cycle again and he listened.” 
“I asked him why,” the doctor said, “and I was shaken, when he told me, ‘I want to go home while I’m still alive. It’s much easier for my mother to take me home now, instead of trying to carry a dead body. The cemetery is just beside our house in the village. It’ll be better, and less expensive, for my family.’ 
Next we went to the buffalo farm... as can be seen on the right hand side. The teachers have no experience in seeing the buffaloes close up hehehehe..which is quite amusing.
