Finally some breather...

A busy week... and I'm happy for the break from work. Been a 'maddening' year at work. And I learned this also, all you need to do is be difficult a couple of times and it'll negate whatever positive things that you've done.

Also, we have very short memories. Short memories are good and bad. The word 'merapu' took on its true meaning for me too this year! At work there seems even more of this now. One merapu when one tries to show that one is 'very good'. But the more you merapu, the more you show your ignorance. It's maddening that this seems the norm now. And oh yes! Confirmed!. The rot indeed starts from the head and can spread to the rest of the body.

Also a brief respite from in-house training. To go for a course only to come back with an empty folder... it happened. We were given a folder and after sitting through 4 hours of listening and listening, our folder remained empty. That was how prepared each of the 4 speakers was. Or to have courses, where we only to sit and yak, then come back with a certificate of participation; that's the level of integrity we're exposed to. So, a resounding yes... break means no need to attend such shams.

And also a respite from the paper push. The teaching fraternity does a lot of that now. Count heads (Headcount), updating countless files (which incidentally are dotted with false information), beautifying the school which actually hides the lack of everything else that is supposed to matter. In the mean time, I see more of all sort of prayers and ceramah keagamaan going on at school. More of what is supposed to be good but no better results. I see more ustaz (and ustazah too) with less than exemplary lives, more teachers who keep saying that we need to make sure our deeds are halal but seem to me like they condone a lot of haram behaviours themselves.... yup, people need God. Now if only God can come down and give us a ceramah about what hypocrites we've all been... wouldn't that be good? It's good to have movies like 2012 to remind us that. And it was also discouraging to read that the rot which has set in the MOE has finally hit MOH.... from Berita MMA Oct 2009 Issue, go read pg 26. I've been hearing some of such things. But to read about the level it has gone to.... makes me reevaluate many things. I always thought the medical fraternity would tahan longer....

Oh yes! Exams are on. Flood victims are still camped at the school. Day before the Meteorological Dept declared the Orange Status, one notch up from Yellow. But today, things seem slightly better. Candidates are maddening this year too. And we are reminded that we are responsible for the candidates' absence for their exams. It's crazy! What are their parents for? Somebody even wanted to suggest that the students call the schools if they need transportation. Doubly crazy! Like that might as well tell people to go beranak more since the cikgu-cikgu will also double up as their parents. At some point, we must draw the line between the jobs of parents and teachers!

So, hols again.. I know many drool at the fact that we get so many weeks off but I think we need that break. Next year when we walk into our classrooms... at least we'll be charged rather than drained as it is now. But most of us still have to go back to school for a day or two; some more. There will also be those of us who are invigilating... Some of us will be spending a couple of weeks grading the exam papers. And there'll be those who will be jet setting around. Ah yes! The kenduri season is back on too...

But a break... that is still welcomed. I'm looking forward to working on my tennis this hols.... and also for the exam to end..... and also some time to clear out some stuff... and also moving on! Games is in Sabah this year but I'm not going. Volleyball not in the list. I mean I'd probably be called under badminton but the friends are not there!