PTK Again..

Hols = Exam = 40 objective questions...

I finished round one in 13 minutes and took another 15 minutes to check my answers. They told us we could go out from the 30th min to the 50th min. I scooted on the dot! And I wasn't alone! There are 2 papers. I've already a 4 for one component on my first try. This is my 3rd retake for the other component... I must be dumb! I've managed to pass all with a 3 but I need the 4 to get my salary jump.

No matter how good of a teacher one may be, without this written qualifications, you'd never get your jump. So, you may be an awe inspiring teacher or one who gives your mind and soul to your job but if you don't get a 4-4 for your PTK, no pay jump for you. But if you are able to ace the written exam but do not really inspire or you do just the minimum, you'd still get your jump. A fair measure?? Go figure!!! This system has a big hole and many good teachers are lost through that hole! Assessment! It's hard to give and make fair assessments. We are often bought over by our prejudices... again and again, I am reminded of our fallen nature.

How much does it cost to get a driving license?

I didn't realize that the cost of driving license has become so exorbitantly high these days. Over the news recently, I heard that they are incorporating another new module which will further drive up the cost. But they say it'll produce better drivers. I wonder... cos our road fatalities statistics don't seem to be getting less....

Son just went through the whole rigmarole... and here's the breakdown.

1. Kursus KPP and Ujian Komputer - RM129
2. 6 hours of Theory and Practical - RM 230
3. L - RM34
4. Renewal of L (delayed his exam because of NS) - RM32
5. 8 hours of driving - RM200
6. Another 2 hours refresher's cos of NS - RM50
7. QTI & JPJ Test - RM131
8. Retake of JPJ Test (he flunked his bukit) - RM63
9. P Stickers (new drivers must be labeled) - RM5
10. License - RM35

A grand total of RM909 to get his license... that can be a month's salary or more for many average Malaysians. I am told that it's even more expensive in KL; somewhere in the region of RM1500. And mind you, the cost is set to increase again.

During my time, getting a license was way cheaper. But the problem back then was you keep flunking unless you are willing to pay extra (coffee money, we call it)... I had to go many times for my motorbike and car license.... a total of 5 times, I think! 8( Either way, we are twisted into parting with our $$$.

Like everything else that is inflated, getting a license has seen a bigger inflationary rise I think. So, my boy better appreciate our generosity with him.... that is not inclusive of the car, the fuel he's going to burn, the maintenance of the car which we'll be forking out, plus and plus and plus....... he's got a spoon going into his mouth all the time and he doesn't seem to realize it.

When Food Comes A-Calling

Another one of those days with a pleasant surprise in store. Been a busy time these last few days... ferrying my gal for her tuition and running errands. I was on one of those rounds when a friend called. She had cooked a 'hor-liao' lunch for us, she said!

So after picking my gal from tuition, Ma and Daughter went. Lunch was waiting when we arrived about 45 minutes later. Salted chicken came from Ipoh from another friend...

Asparagus in bacon, grilled! We had it with nasi tomato... talk about fusion! LOL! Food was good... the kids had their fun too.

And colourful desserts to go with the main meal... am thankful for such friends who make the day brighter. The Ma(s) sembang while the kids busied themselves with their things. We rushed back cos my gal had another tuition but she was happy despite being tired.... 8)

Holidays Again....

Gembira! That's one apt word for my current status. Happy because I don't have to go to school.... it's a relief to the ears not to have to school related stuff for a change. We were told that we could have the first week to prepare ourselves for our PTK exam and the school would leave the second week alone. Well, apparently extra classes were scheduled for us! Empty promise! I am cancelling..... I need a break from my students. They need a break from me. Else we'll start breaking each other! Absence is supposed to make the heart grow a little fonder.... and we'll look forward to the new term!

Happy also cos I managed to finished this before school closed for the term. Took me 3 intense days of facing these papers. I didn't want to have unfinished work hanging over my head during my break. Left me with 'sore' eyes and a tired mind for 2 days after that! Such kinds of task saps the energy from the brain and leaves you listless after that.

Pork ribs! Karyn came home and her ma did a makan on Friday night! These ribs were nice! We had nice company to go with the nice food. These ribs are as good as the ones we had at Chicago Rib House. We had other stuff too... buffalo wings done with a local flavour. Pork ribs are the craze now... I did a round of it at home on Sunday too! 8)

The main course was noodles soup, my gal's absolute favourite whenever she goes to Aunty Chua's. Having spent 4 years eating it, she always relishes every opportunity she gets to eat it. And she is not along in missing this dish... many of the kids who went there do too!

But we had all these other things to go along; including chang! These are nyonya dumplings.... they call it pua-kiam-ti (that's Hookiean for half salty and sweet). It's a fusion food night.... LOL!

This is what's under all those wraps.... the blue colour is from the bunga telang. I usually prefer the meat dumplings but these were very nice. We had another session of chang on Saturday... the day the meat dumplings came out fresh from the pot! 8)

We had fun mixing and making our own drink concoctions - bacardi, kahlua, coffee, bailey, ice-cream, mango....

Blogging has taken a back seat these last few days cos I've not had much time to sit down at my computer. It's holiday season; which also means it's kenduri season. Attended my first one over the weekend. Have a couple more invitations to go.

The blessings in life; not so much of the activities but because of the people... Also one night when Thomas dropped by with mantou from the Bedong restaurant to share his (and his Better Half's) joy of being able to locate the restaurant and try them.... that's super duper nice! Sometimes we forget and allow the trivial matters to get in between relationships....

So this hols.... so far it's been nice to be able to reconnect with friends... that apart from the unending and unceasing toiling of clearing that must take place every hols at home too!

Solar... by Ian McEwan

This is absolutely the most difficult book to finish to date. It took me so long. It's satire-like and it has no ending. It's a book about doing vague and gray things and getting away with it.... I actually wanted to put the book down at many points but because I had started on it, I finished it; but I did read through some segments without actually registering.

This is a novel about a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Prof Michael Beard past his glory days, gives the impression of a man lazy to think out of the box any more (don't we all as we grow older), a womanizer with countless marriages behind him, a man who couldn't seem to stop chasing skirts despite the failed marriages, and one whose life seems to be only for himself. There is also the issue of moral ambiguity; it mines its way into our minds the subtlety of one being able to get away with a crime, in the case of this novel - for framing another person for murder.

Science is laid down in a way that doesn't make it difficult for the layman to understand; with its underlining theme of climate change and the lobby of the fossil fuel industries. The idea of artificial photosynthesis is kinda interesting. There are some interesting sections, one being the main character relieving himself out in the cold biting temperatures of the Artic. Imagine what unzipping would do to one's genital in such bitingly cold weather! LOL! McEwan's description of the incident was downright hillarious!

But there seems to be an underlying theme that beneath the fame of Michael Beard lies the hubris of a man with with sexual weakness, irresponsible streak, plagiarist who took the work of his dead subordinate, a man greedy for accolades derived from work not done by him.... And he still succeeded to a great extent though at the end of the novel, when his whole world seems to be crashing onto him, it is implied that he may have been released from 'further punishments' as the writer gives the impression that he may be suffering from a heart attack. Justice served??? I don't know. But I didn't quite like the ending.

I'm glad I finished this book cos there were many moments when I thought it might not have been possible. I'm done with Book 24.... and the countdown for World Cup 2010 in South Africa begins too..... LOL!

Seafood in Tanjung Dawai...

This is a catch-of-the-day lunch I had with my friends in Tanjung Dawai, a small, quaint fishing hamlet, 50 minutes by car from Alor Setar. This was on Sunday. We had an extended weekend because of Wesak which fell on Friday. The group was made up of 3 Ma(s), each with a kid in tow. It's one of the crazier things that we did to fill our stomachs. LOL! Some of the landmarks we passed - Merbok Archeology Museum, UITM and AIMST.

Our first stop was the fishing boats' landing jetties for our supply of the 'catch-of-the-day'. Can't miss them cos the jetties are in town.

Just take any of the alleys like the one above near the mamak restaurant or the goldsmith in the pic above and you will find yourself on the jetties.

And at the jetties, you will also find holding tanks for these.... this seems to be the specialty here. Fresh mantis prawns.

This was part of our lunch. Humongous mantis prawns, deep fried! The enterprising fishermen keep them in their holding tanks till they're bigger... premium size! 8 of these huge flers cost us RM120! But I guess this is what the town is known for. Cos I noticed other tables too had these huge fried mantis prawns for lunch.

Getting to the yummy part is an art as well as a messy task! Definitely a finger food! But I had fun cutting through the shell to get to the flesh. One of these is quite enough to half-fill your stomach. The meat was extremely tasty and sweet; the flesh really firm. It reminds me of lobster meat. Friend and I were just thinking out aloud how easy it is for restaurants to replace real lobster with these in those cold salads.... and then charge patrons lobster prices!

We also had this crabs or ketam batu (stone crab). They were small but every single one of them had eggs. I think I must have gotten an overdose of cholesterol in one afternoon at this place.

Fish was also from the jetty. Super fresh fish when steamed is always nice.

Also had this soft shelled crab fried in batter. Very juicy and delicious. It was attacked before I remembered to take shots of it.

Where did we have our lunch? Not your air-con restaurant but this open shed! With trees as part of the restaurant, it was comfortable enough despite the burning sun. We were the first customers. Friend had to call the proprietor to check whether he was opening as the shop was closed when we got there. He said was on his way! So we drove round town a bit while waiting for him to come. 8).... which wasn't much cos the town is really small.

For me, a big part of the fun of this makan trip is the restaurant itself; the eating in a shed. LOL! Rustic, don't you think? 8) ... and friends to share the moment. With seafood, as long as they are fresh, you can't go very wrong! So, while the cooking may not have that sort of flair and presentation associated with big restaurants, it was nice enough.

We also had their yin yong which was very nice. A must try if you go there, I would say.

On our way home, we stopped by this restaurant in Bedong for mantou or chinese steamed plain bread rolls... but these aren't your usual plain ones. It's located not too far from the junction to Merbok/Tanjung Dawai. It you are coming from Alor Setar, it should be on your right. We had to wait a while for them to prepare the filling for the mantou.

And yup! The mantou was worth the wait. Unlike the ones that we usually see, these are thin and has these slices of fried fritters wedged between. And if you want to enjoy it in its complete yummy-ness, order a cup of coffee and have it straight from the steamer, wok at the kopitiam.... it's a taste to be savoured.

We enjoyed this food adventure... the 3 ma(s) and their brood. 8)

In-house....

In-house courses/training.... they're meant for us to upgrade ourselves. It usually means staying back after school to be 'talked to'. After a good part of the day spent in classes, the ability to stay focus is somewhat diminished, especially in a room with poor ventilation. Carbon dioxide concentration seems to dull the brain and numb the senses. Add that to piles of papers which need to be graded.... it's mid term now.

Anyway, we seldom get inspiring speakers these days, that despite they being highly qualified. But these are also times where qualification does not mean ability to convince.. neither does qualification seem to indicate possession of adequate knowledge.

Experience, I have observed also does not necessarily translate into the ability to conduct an engaging presentation. At this age and time, I would think the ability to convince verbally in a setting like of an in-house training session would be important to spur and encourage the listeners to improve themselves. Information is readily available and easily accessible.. the ability to sell an idea is the key to better productivity. Changing attitudes.... but then again, how do you change attitudes when invited speakers are so boring, uninspiring, monotonous...

Tis the same for courses which we are asked to attend.... a lot of hoo-hah! Very often very little substance... maybe I am just being overly critical. Twice I've been forced to attend them this year... a waste of time! I could learn more by googling...