Monthly Archives: July 2008

Malaysian Taxi Drivers

Posted on by under Daily Scribbles, Emotions Revealed

(Open door) Jalan Pantai Baru? Dekat UM, Stadium Hoki.

(Shake head) Tak pegilah.

And after almost 10 taxi drivers that were asked the same question and gave us the same reply, we got fed up. Seriously, we were doing our best to keep cool. Then, when this particular taxi had finally agreed to send us back to IPBA (then to KL Sentral), he scolded us for not lining up at the queue. We explained that we did queued but it seemed that no taxi would take us to where we want to go, that we ended up somewhere near Dome after asking one taxi after another. We were at the South Court of Mid Valley, by the way. And so he told us why.

“MId Valley and Jalan Pantai Baru sangat dekat, tak berbaloi nak amik penumpang. Saya sendiri pon kadang-kadang tak ambik sebab saya tunggu untuk passengers lama, kalau yang nak pegi dekat-dekat ni rugi saja.”

Errrrrrr, and you call yourself a taxi driver? I told him that ‘dekat pon duit juga’. Why on earth you have to be so particular about the distance? That is how you gain money for living. Just take us where we want to go. As simple as that. It does not mean that if we live nearby we are not going to pay you. Yes, it is considered less money as compared to other people who needs to go somewhere further. But we need a ride in the taxi too.

Currently, taxi is my everyday ride. I took a taxi through and fro school. Each morning, I stood at the taxi stand, sticked my hand out at the risk of being hit by other vehicle, opened the door only to know that they won’t take any passengers to Taman Tun. Like, what? You can simply get RM10 from us for each ride, but you choose not to.

As far as I’m concerned, as told by one particular taxi driver, taxi drivers are supposed to take you anywhere, yes, ANYwhere you want to go. They not supposed to reject you or that kind of things. Once you opened the door, that’s it. If it is Jalan Pantai Baru, Jalan Pantai Baru is where you are going. If it is Taman Tun, then Taman Tun is where you are heading. No giving excuses that it is too near or the traffic is congested. Hey, we are going to pay you after all.

Their attitude really, really turned me off. But, current situation disallowed me from not using their service. Seems that this is the only thing I could do. Brag and brag about it.

And to some taxi drivers, ‘You Sucks!’

*UPDATED*

And to add to the suckiness of yesterday’s taxi drivers, as usual I took a taxi back home from school. Normally, we would either take the PJ-Federal Highway/UM route or the Bangsar-Jalan Bukit Pantai route. This normal route has cost us RM6.80 (the least) and RM10.00 (the most, usually when traffic is congested). However, this particular taxi driver thought that we are stupid enough and used the Damansara-KL Sentral-Jalan Bangsar route instead. We paid RM12.00 for today’s ride back to IPBA. Almost twice the cheapest price we have ever paid. Eh hello, you think this is our first trip from Taman Tun to IPBA eh? Simply using the long route instead of the normal route. You suck la Uncle. I don’t mean to be rude, but yeah, you suck.

Puhlease lah.

There were more stories about the suckiness of taxi drivers, one who used his own way of charging us instead of the meter and another one who said he doesn’t know the route to Taman Tun and simply charged us RM20.00 (again without meter) because of the traffic jam. But hey, don’t let me start on that one. Enough swearing for today.

Some people are just mean.

Read more about the suckiness of Malaysian public transport here.

Beginning of the end.

Posted on by under World of Teaching

Hi.

The well deserved break is coming to an end. I will be back in school next week. Back to the hectic days, full of lesson planning and reflections that to one extend I simply don’t know what to reflect about anymore. Sometimes, there are two reflections to write in a day, and to top it of, a weekly reflection at the end of the week. So that makes it eight reflections that I have to write in a single week.  As a result, the lack of blog updates since I poured all my thinking into those reflections.

Anyway, I have something to ask and I hope that you are willing to share your opinion on this. Every Monday, I will have three Year 6 pupils under my care for some remedial class. The purpose of this remedial class is to give them the support that they need in preparing them for the coming UPSR in September. For your information, these pupils are from the weak class, some maybe dyslexic and at times, they can’t even spell. They are creative, they know how to make sentences but what stopping them is that they do not know the word in English as a result of lack of vocabulary. In order to help them, I usually gave the meaning of the words in BM and asked them to write it down next to the word, or label the picture. My purpose for doing so is to enable them to refer back, look at the words and know the meaning of the words, at least, in BM. I would not want them to look at the words and then not sure of the meaning. However, my supervisor questioned whether is this the best method to teach them, using their first language and this is the second time that she questioned about this. Well, during the class, I did used English, but they gave me a blank look, I know they find it difficult to understand. So I guess that I have to use BM to guide them through the task. The same thing is happening in my class of Year 5. Some of them are dyslexic and some can’t even read. At times, they can’t even understand simple instructions which were given in English. There was once when they did not understand what fold means even though I have demonstrated it a few times. Well, in my mind, why waste time explaining things in English, knowing that it will be hard for the pupils when you can explain something in just seconds, right? I know my supervisor have valid theoretical reasons for questioning my actions and I do not want to be that defensive either, thinking that my action is the best thing to do, practically. So, I really need your opinion on this. Throw in your thoughts, please do. I would really appreciate that.

Although I wished that this week will never end, I kinda miss my pupils. They are always on my mind. I was just wondering what were they doing during English lessons since I am not around for the whole week. Hurm.

Alright then, see you later. Bye.

Tetel lah.

Posted on by under Daily Scribbles

Bukan totis lah. Itu tetel. Nak ulang lagi? Itu tetel. Bukan totis.

Lagi sekali. What is this? This is penyu. Tetel lah. What is this? This is…totis. NOOOOOO! What is this? This is tetel. Very good!

Here’s to the Kiddos: Debut

Posted on by under World of Teaching

Have you ever reminisced about your past when were you a primary school kid? Yes, you have.

Do you remember the cheerful songs in Music lessons? Yes, you do.

Very good.

Have you ever wanted to sing all the songs that you have learnt back in Year One but can’t seem to remember the lyrics? Yes, it happened all the time.

Now, here’s your chance to go back to your young and naive era. Miss Fazlin, the English teacher who happens to also teach Music to a group of Year Ones, will now have a new category in her blog entitled ‘Here’s to the Kiddos’. Each entry in this category will consist of the song Miss Fazlin is teaching in that particular week, including the lyrics. Cool, eh. What’s more, this category will be updated every fortnight, so stay tuned.

Here’s the song for this week, entitled Satu Dua Tiga. Enjoy.

[audio:http://alinyussuff.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/25-track-25.mp3]

Satu dua tiga empat lima

Boleh kita jalan sama-sama

Enam tujuh lapan dan sembilan

Siapa lambat ketinggalan

Satu dua tiga empat lima

Cuba lihat itu rama-rama

Enam tujuh lapan dan sembilan

Ia sedang berterbangan

Two weeks in an entry.

Posted on by under Food Galore, Out and About, World of Teaching

Hype! Sorry for the long hiatus. Been busy and just have no idea what to write about. Hehe.

*****

I’ve been in school for three weeks now and so far, I have enjoyed myself. Well, there’s always Monday blues but not to the extent of dragging myself to school. I love my Year 4 students. They are cool and smart but naughty at times, well, which kid doesn’t la kan? I have this one girl who really knows her stuff, which sometimes I don’t know myself. I have this one boy who has ‘puss in boots’ kind of eyes, especially when he’s requesting for something. Then, another boy whose wishes caught my attention. When everyone else wish to have something (usually a material), he wishes for the ozone layers to be thicker. Alah lah. And then this one boy, who sometimes bashed me in front of the classroom, like what he did during this one literature session.

Me: Do you know what I wish to have?

Boy: A husband.

Me: ……

Okay, that is true. But you can’t show your excitement in front of ten-year olds kan. Gedik pulak ticer ni karang. Haha.

*****

There was one day which the four of us had to attend to all students while the teachers were having their photograph taken. I was standing by the side when this one boy came to me and said,

‘Cikgu… dia geletek saya…’

I didn’t know what to respond. I simply said ok and asked him to sit down. I turned my head to the back to smile, told Wani about it and laughed hard. Hahahaha.

*****

On the same day, I realised that Tan Hong Ming is a student in the very same school. Yes, the famous boy in the Petronas advertisement. Can’t remember which one?

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAKPwjBd4uM]

Then, there’s another Petronas advertisement which also featured classmates of Tan Hong Ming.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2icFax4ncI&feature=related]

Cool, eh, when you have famous kids running around in your school. Not to forget, daughters and sons of some famous people which I shall not mention who for the sake of their safety.

*****

Just yesterday and the day before (Friday and Saturday) held perkemahan asas for uniform bodies. I was sitting in front of all the students who participated when I noticed something right in front of my eyes. Immediately, I asked the few boys in front of me.

‘Sapa punya ni? Baik ngaku cepat!’

Obviously, no one will admit. Mind you, it was Mark and Spencer. They already wear Mark and Spencer at the age of 10 and 11. I have to wait for 22 years before I can afford Mark and Spencer, and that’s because they are cheap in UK. Huks. Oh, ya, that was a boy’s brief I found on the floor. Mark and Spencer. Huks.

*****

I woke up in a panic at 5 am this morning. Damn, I have not done my weekly reflection let alone any lesson plans for the whole week or at least Monday. Then only I realised it’s not Monday yet. It’s only Sunday. Phew. Look at what teaching has done to me. Tsk tsk tsk.

*****

Ok enough of school. Now back to my life.

I had a food galore last weekend. A good feast to pay back those I-had-no-appetite-to-eat or I-was-too- tired-to-eat or i’m-just-eating-so-that-I-won’t-feel-hungry days.

The first five pictures are Island Breeze, complementary bread, stuffed mushrooms, salmon fettuccine and roasted chicken from Italiannies. Then, it’s Chocolate Indulgence from Secret Recipe and finally, waffle with Mint Chocolate Chip and World of Chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robbins. And there’s Nasi Kerabu from Laksa Shack which I didn’t took any picture. Heaven, kan.

*****

I have just managed to watch Sepi last Sunday. Not bad, but not too good either. I prefer Cinta to Sepi. Cinematography is definitely beautiful, no doubt. But, there’s something lacking. Not enough kick or umphh, shall I say. There were not many beautiful words like what you had in Cinta. I don’t know. Maybe I expected too much. Anyhow, I love, love Vee’s pink and yellow kebaya. Chantek amat. Azwan said it’s purple and not pink. It’s pink lah, not purple.

*****

So, that’s me and my life in the past two weeks. Now, let’s get back to reflections and lesson plannings. Huks. Or maybe a shower first. Lalala. Zas.

Bye.