The graduates would all assemble in front of the historical Old Government Building, the biggest and oldest wooden building in the Southern hemisphere. Families and friends gather, mingle with the members of the academia, picture taking is a must, flower bouquets, hugs and congratulatory wishes are in abundance.The sun decided to come out today, adding a merrier atmosphere to the surroundings.
For the past 2 years, these parades in May were wet occasions. Vic U has graduation ceremonies in May and November. Most would choose the November session, as it is nearer summer time, but then again, Wellington has a fickle weather. I went to the parade just now, not that I know anyone in the parade except for my supervisor, but just to get the feel of it, sharing the happy feelings of people there, feeling the happiness in the faces of the family members, and the relieve in the faces of the students too after gaining the fruit of their labor. Then I start to wonder whether I will get to experience this too in a year or two? Will I be able to come for my graduation? Unlike other levels of academic achievements, the conferment of PhD is not that straight forward after you submit your thesis. There are PhD cohort members that were conferred after a year of submission. If, for whatever reason I am not able to come for my graduation, I would want at least one of my children to get the scroll for me, hear the recitation of my research, and absorb the gratitude of Allah Almighty for His Blessings, that that part of my journey in life, difficult, frustrating at times, challenging and exciting, has finally come. InsyaAllah.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Vic U Graduations
Friends...
Today is my friend, Negara's birthday. We fondly call her Arot.She was my closest frriend in my secondary school years, and has been ever since then. We cycled to school together, through the red earth road in Matang, then walked on the Jambatan Gantung, then cycled all the way from there to St Teresa Secondary.Though we have gone through life, have our families, we are still bonded by our humble beginnings. Amongst the things I love about her, she is one of the best cooks in the world, and she chose to get married on my birthdate, as I was not able to attend her wedding then.Happy Birthday Arot!!
Safety and kindness
As usual, at this time of the year, Wellington's weather is much to be desired, raining, windy and cold. Today, I was assigned to supervise an exam session for two special needs students, one girl, with diabetes, and another guy who is in wheel chair. The exam, at School of Law, was held at the Old Government Building, situated next to my office.The session was from 5.30 to 7.50pm. The session went well, each student has different needs, rest time, extra time, facility set up, etc. My bus home was scheduled to arrive at 8pm, and after clearing all the administratives with the school administrator, i dashed to the bus stand, just about 150m outside the Government Building. At this time of the night,the bus stand is eerily quiet .There was just me and another guy at the bus stand. People in Wellington go home for dinner as soon as office closes and peak hours at the bus stand are between 5-6pm.The drizzle has not stopped since morning and as the Grand Clock on Old Government Building striked 8pm, my bus approached.Traffic was light, so the bus ride was breezy to the next bus terminal at the suburb near where I live. School boys back from their games alight the bus at this terminal. The last of them was searching frantically in his bag for his money, i supposed. He called out to his friend that he forgot to bring his money, and he said he'll just walk home,and went down from the bus. The Driver closed the door, and slowly moved, but then he stopped, slide open his window, and called out to the boy" Hey Buddy! come on board!" The boy was so relieved, as the rain was getting heavy then. We moved on with the journey, and when the boy stopped at his destination, he took out the money that he managed to find in his bag, and wanted to give to the Driver, but the Driver just waved him off. The boy was just so thankful to him as he said " You saved my day, Driver!" Such acts of kindness just melt your heart, and for his kindness, I gave the driver a piece of chocolate, which I make a point to have in my school bag everytime, in case of hunger attacks.
Providing facilities for people with special needs gives them equal opportunities for their right to education. Knowing kindness abound, such as what the university provides to those who need it, and by such acts of kindness by the people around, in a not so familiar land, makes you feel safe.
The sad situation...
Quoting from Dr Jeniri Amir in Pengalaman menganalisis perlakuan pengundi by Sarawak Update
"Menyusuri sungai dan meredah denai
Pada satu peringkat saya menggunakan khidmat lebih 50 pembanci untuk menemui pengundi yang terpaksa menjelajah penduduk kampung di pesisiran dan penghuni rumah panjang di pedalaman. Mereka menyusuri sungai dan meredah denai untuk menemui pengundi.
Mata saya semakin terbuka apabila melihat sendiri keadaan hidup mereka, kedaifan dan kemiskinan yang masih membelenggu di sesetengah kawasan. Selepas hampir 50 tahun merdeka dan dengan kekayaan yang bukan sedikit, saya kadangkala terkedu.
Apakah yang sudah berlaku kepada negeriku ini? Ke manakah mengalir sebahagian kekayaan dan sumber asli negeri? Mengapakah masih ada masyarakatku terpinggir? "
If elected politicians have still a long way to improve this situation, what can social activists do to "purge or ambulate" this matter? Or even the people themselves?
MY NZ Lemon Cake
Cake
250-300grm butter, beat with 1/2cup sugar till soft.Add, one by one, 5-6 eggs, depending on size.Then add rind and juice of 2 lemons. I like to use potato peeler to peel the lemon skin, then chop them finely.Fold in 1 1/2 cups self raising flour, which has been mixed with 1/2 cup powdered milk. Bake 150C for about 40-50 mins or till it is cooked.
once baked, leave it to cool before transferring on plate. Then drizzle with warm lemon glaze.
Glaze
put in a pot 2-3 tablespns of brown sugar, with juice of abt 2-3 lemons, and thin slices of another 2 lemons. Simmer till sugar dissolves. Arrange slices on cake then drizzle the syrup over the cake. Serve. Enjoy!!!
Our Beloved YBs, we request for a Swimming pool in Petra Jaya area
Every morning I send my son off to the train station at 6.30am. This morning, after dropping him off, my daughter and I proceeded to the community swimming pool, and we reached there just before 7am. The pool's swimming lanes were already full, and at the diving pool, which is 3.4m deep, I saw three elderly ladies already in there, doing their aqua jog.I have a really bad phobia of the water but I like to exercise in it, as the bouyancy of the water helps with my hurting feet. I refuse to go in at first as it is really deep, and I was looking for shallow waters, which left me with the kids pool. There was this kind lady, who encouraged me to go in the diving pool, BUT i need to put on a float belt first. I did just that, and joined her in the water but I was not ready to let my hands off the edge. She then told me that she has a phobia too, as her sister and brother always pulled her down into the water when they were younger. After much confidence boosting from her, I managed to get on with my aqua jog for about 45 minutes! I wouldn't exert myself yet as that is the first time in 2 solid years I took out my swimming suit. What I noticed at this pool in Johnsonville, is that it is part of the Local authority initiatives. You do have to pay, but there are discounts for school going children, students like me and the golden age groups of people.Complete with shower facilities and locker rooms, it also has a sauna and spa facilities. Equipment like floats, dumbbell floats, and all that are needed for swimmers and non-swimmers are available. They also have lifeguards on duty too, young college age kids looking after the facility.
It is high time Kuching, especially Petra jaya area to have a public swimming pool of its own, where the ladies,for example, after their subuh prayers, can go and exercise in the water befoer they go to work.Children from nearby school can come for swimming lessons, as part of their curricula. Elderly men can go for exercise in there as well, and others can swim for their exercise too. As it is, swimming, to an extend, is accessible to the affluent and advantaged groups, ie, those who have subscribed membership to the golf clubs, or those who attend the international school.My children were introduced to swimming when they attended Tadika Sri Keria, which offers swimming as part of their lessons. Sarawak is a powerhouse for swimming or water sports events, surely we can have one for our community there. For a population that is reaching almost 600,000, we need more public pools, and there is only one PUBLIC pool in a city like Kuching! Former YB Puan Dona Babel did request for one in the 1990s when she served as an ADUN member, but it never saw the light of day. I hope this is a reality soon, not having to wait the next Malaysia Plan.
Museum of Wellington City and Sea
This three-storeyed building is situated at Wellington's Waterfront, and the displays and contents tell the stories of and about Wellington, the making of the city from the end of the 19th Century till the present. Display techniques range from the conventional to contemporary, with a multi-mix of media used. My favourite of all is the show on Maori legends "A Millennium Ago", which uses the 19th Century theatrical technique called a "Pepper's Ghost, named after 'Professor' Henry Pepper. At first I thought it uses the hologram technique, but it is not.Namali, my office mate and I asked the Museum staff, and they explained the techniques used. It is created with mirrors and a projected image.This Museum is a MUST see for visitors to Wellington.I rate it the best Museum I have ever been to. The clever use and mix of content display is refreshing, both educating as well as entertaining, stimulating your thinking senses.
Exam Time II
Exam time is a stressful time for all, not just students, but also the whole University community. The Students' Association kindly provides free breakfast at the Library courtyard, simply, by putting hot water, Milo, hot chocolate,tea, coffee, sugar, milk, bread, butter, jams, cereals, paper cups, plastic bowls, spoons and knives on the table, and the students help themselves to the food! The peak exam week would have this breakfast, open to all students. It is FUN! And the students clean as they go, as trash bags and bins are provided nearby.
Customer feedback
Victoria University Library in Rankine Brown Building is undergoing some refurbishment. They have added the Kiwiana corner, with a beautiful view of Wellington Harbor, complete with a masterpiece Kiwi-designed carpet center piece, which students, tutors/lecturers often use for group study on the floor (at one time I saw the whole group lying down on the floor - yes, group study session!)near the check out desk, quiet areas and "noise" areas have been provided for, to meet different 'lifestyles' of the students in Vic Uni.
While the physical refurbishment is still an ongoing process, the services are also being reviewed. Posters and emails were sent to students, inviting them, on a volunteer basis, to participate in what they termed as "Library Services Review Panel". There were several undergraduate groups, as well as postgraduate groups. The groups will have their say regarding the library services and the physical environment, what they want to be improved, what we can do away with etc etc. It is an open session, with the Librarians facilitating/asking the Panel members.The session took 40 minutes. The motivation to encourage participation from students,was a lucky draw for an iPod worth abt $350. During the session, on the table was bowls of mini chocolates, and each panel member received a paperbag full of goodies, chocolates, energy bars, a small bag of chips, a bottle of water, post it notes.
"Openess" & Accessibility
This morning, as I was sending some documents to the School of Law, housed in the Government Building, I noticed a group of tourists, busy taking pictures of the beauty of the building's interiors. Government Building is a heritage building, apparently the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere. The School of Law is there, so are some government departments, though some of the judges and the members NZ's judiciary have moved to the new High Court next door ( grand opening of the High Court was by HRH Prince William earlier this year :)) ).
The Beehive, NZ's parliament is just opposite Government Building. But, I don't see any sentry post, or guards at all. The building is under electronic surveillance, of course, as members of the public are allowed into government buildings. Victoria University's buildings and facilities are open to the public. Members of the public are allowed to go in and use the University Libraries, except for borrowing materials. Most of the public universities I went to back home, have sentry posts, where you have to leave certain kind of IDs before you can set a foot into the University grounds. When can an ordinary member of the public be able to use the facilities developed from tax payers' money, such as a public university, without feeling as if you are under heavy observation?
favourite foods in exam halls
the favourite food students bring into exam halls are, chocolates, energy bars. favourite fruit is banana as it is also an energy booster, and you don't make much noise when you eat it. :)
favorite drinks are the energy drinks and water. for a 3-hr exam, you need to sustain your energy while you 'pour' your mind onto paper.
Cultural Fests in Wellington
Wellington is an artsy city. All around the year, there are arts festival, cultural events, performances organised, and being the capital City, Wellington has the advantage of Embassies and High Commissions based here. Recently, the Embassy of Brazil launched the Brazilian Festival, with The Ambassador launching it with a musical performance by musicians from Brazil, performed at the Wellington City Hall, followed by a series of Brazilian events the entire week. The Italian Fest was launched with an Italian food fair, and a series of Italian movies. I went to one movie " The wind blows around"yesterday with my university colleagues, and we enjoyed the movie, though by comparison, Yasmeen Ahmad's movies are way better! I am positive our Malaysian High Commission can organise one Malaysian Fest par excellent, with support from Malaysia's Tourism Ministry and Malaysia's corporate sector, as well as the Malaysian coommunities in New Zealand. The Malaysian students here are already making headways in introducing Malaysia to their colleagues, especially using Malaysian food as the major "channel".
Exam time
You wouldn't hear grumbling tummies during exam time here, as students are allowed to bring food and drinks into the exam halls. Food wrappers are to be the 'noiseless' types, and students are not to make noise while eating to respect other students. I had a discussion with some of my PhD friends from Malaysia, who are mostly academicians, on this matter. I asked whether this is practiced in our universities. The answer was a complete "Not at all!" The reasons being, our students in Malaysia will write the answers on the bottle labels, food labels etc.How can we build trust in our future leaders if trust is not build early on during their studying years? And to think that Malaysia is an Islamic, as well as religious-based society? I hope my fellow friends here can observe this and bring back these values in their academe, besides achieving flying colors in their studies.
Eaton Mess , Ambrosia, Pavlovas
Spring is in the air, and fruits associated with it are in the supermarket. Simple summery desserts are definitely ontop of the menu! :) The common ingredients in these desserst are cream and fruits! so, balance up the calories.
Eaton Mess: meringue pieces, crushed brandy snaps ( it is the name of a biscuit, no brandy it it! something like the waffle icecream cone, except it is crunchier and sweeter) canned mandarin segments or fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced or quartered, whipped cream. Mix all together. Viola!
Ambosia: cream, mixed berries and marshmallows. Mix all together. Frozen mixed berries can also be used.Defrost first before mixing.
Pavlova: the essential Kiwi dessert (there's always a tussle here, according to my Kiwi friends, where this recipe originated from, or rather who 'owns' this dessert, the Kiwis or Ozzies? Of course the Kiwis always claimed that it is theirs, much to the chagrin of the Ozzies! I stand by my Kiwi friends!). pavs are made of egg whites, beat with sugar till stiff, and put into the cold oven. Then switch it on and bake till lght brown. switch off the oven, an dit has to be left to cool in the oven until the oven is cold. Best done at night time, as you need to leave it in the oven until it is really cold, only then you can take the pav out. If this is not followed, disaster to the pav!
Whip cream, spread on the pav, and arrange fruits to your liking, which can range from sliced kiwis, strawberries, and sometimes i used canned peaches. stawberries' are the best!
Pulang
Sarawak's cultural artifacts travel the world. Most are in the collections of those who appreciate the value, as well as the memories associated with them. Iif the family of the collectors do not understand the meaning of the artifacts, some can be seen at car boot or garage sales, hoping the artifacts can go into new 'homes'. I have the opportunity to meet one gentleman who took the trouble to return some artifacts he acquired during his younger years when he served as a volunteer teacher in Three Rivers School in Mukah in early 60's. He intended to repartriate the artifacts so that they will go to where they belong, where they came from.We hope to see these artifacts 'pulang' to where they belong.
Kindness came, out of no where...the gracious bounty of Allah swt
Now, why am I driving home this point on kindness?
Yesterday, unplanned, we (my family, [without Afiqh, as he was in Auckland playing rugby at the UMNO RUGBY CUP], Shah's family and Syahaneim's family) went for an impromptu trip, to Wanganui. Why Wanganui, I also did not know, just that Shah mentioned it one day to me, and I got to know that the last of Sarawak's White Rajah is currently residing here. There's not much to see there, except that Wanganui is situated at a river mouth, just like Kuching. It was just for drive, just to destress our minds from our studies and writings, as Shah said. It was a two and a half hour leisurely drive, stopping at farm fruit shops, a honey shop,pee stops for all. We had lunch in Foxton, at a park with the only windmill (so the man there claimed) in New Zealand. This community has a Dutch population, thus the windmill. Lunch was in the cold weather, so the warm nasi lemak I brought got cold immediately when we were putting the food on our plates.
It was almost Asar, and we went to look for an Islamic center for solat, as Shah found the address on his mobile. When we arrived at the small mosque, it was locked, and we were about to leave, when a car screeched by and stopped. out came two young guys, whom we thought were Maori, but it puzzled me when one of them had a kain pelikat on his shoulder.
Apparently these two guys are Malays from Johor, whose family now resides in Wanganui, working in the halal meat industry here. After we exchanged introductions, they brought us around a couple of interesting places in Wanganui, and then, invited us to their house, as well as for dinner. We planned to drive home by 4pm before it gets dark, but we only managed to at about 8pm.
Now, where did that come from? Out of nowhere, an unplanned visit, unexpected kindness...
A Dental appointment with a difference.
Today I HAVE to seek dental treatment for one of my upper molars, which broke while I was enjoying caramel glazed almonds at a movie.Boy, enjoying that luxury of watching the movie was cut short by that episode.
I was treated by a very groovy Dentist, who has red streaks in her hair. The practice here is the Doctors themselves will invite you for your treatment, not the nurse or the receptionist,. Dr. Wixon came up to welcome me and introduced herself. She led me to her room, or rather, I'll call it a suite, minus the view.The suite is tastefully decorated, and with live plants too! As she sat me on the dental lounge chair and preparing me for the treatment, I noticed there is a TV screen mounted on the ceiling, for my viewing pleasure while she does her repair job. That, to me, is quite an innovative way of minimising a patient's anxiety when undergoing dental treatments.
I enjoyed the day at the Dentist!
My Bus Episode
This morning, I managed to take the 8am bus, and with 5 dollar coins in hand (I don't carry much cash), I gave it to Mr. Driver to top up my bus card as I only have $1.60 value in there, not enough for a $3.20 one way fare. Mr. Driver said,"you need a minimum $10 to top up, dear." I didn't know that but I gave him my $5 worth of coins to pay for my fare. He refused the coins, took my bus card from my hand, charge my fare from all the balance in there, gave back my bus card and the receipt. "Cheers!" he said! That happened so fast that all I can say was a meek "Thank you!" as that was really UNEXPECTED!
So, that is the start for my day...and Mr. Driver got an orange as a token of THANKS!! :)
Merit , Democracy and Transparency
These informal sessions are part of my metacognitive learning processes, beyond the learning curve in preparing for my proposal. I wonder how the processes of selection is done in our universities in Malaysia?
Warisan Global Amongst Giants...
"The presence or absence, the very life or decay of a people, does not depend on the biological survival of an ethnic group, but on the survival of shared cultural memory." Agnes Heller, 2001 Thank you to Warisan Global, its founders and CEO, Dash and Vani, for helping the survival of shared cultural memory of Sarawak's folktales. Congrats WG, on winning the PM's CSR Award for that project with Pustaka Negeri Sarawak. Dash, you stand tall 'amongst the towering giants' the likes of Petronas. though vani said it is a small project, but it has an impact, a surely lasting one...
Thanks again for thinking of us and Pustaka as your partner for this...
Another bus episode...
An Asian Lady boarded the bus I was in on my way home. She then told the driver "ticket for two pls." The bus driver was taken aback, " for two?!" he asked in a puzzling manner. "Yes, Sir, as I was not able to pay for my fare this morning." Honesty...
Acts of Kindness
Everyday I take the bus to school. It is a great way to observe people, and I use the journey time to catch up on my reading. I normally take the 7.45am bus trip, and yes, the buses here are on time. I like to sit behind the bus driver, to have a good view of the journey we are taking into the City.The Bus culture here is a refresher to sanity, passengers say thank you as they disembark, and drivers greet you genuinlely as you board, asking about your day.
For the past 2 weeks, the bus driver taking the route from my house, is the same guy, a mature gentleman, and I have been observing his acts of kindness to his passengers.
The bus that I take uses a card system, where you load money on it and the fare will be deducted from the card, and using the card gives you discounts for your bus trips. The driver can reload the monetary value on your card when you board the bus.
Episode One.
One morning last week, a Lady boarded the bus, and did not realised the money on her card has run low.And she was fumbling in her handbag to get the cash, but the Driver said, "nahhh..you can pay me next time." The lady just looked at him, in disbelieve, but went ahead to get a seat as there were other passengers waiting to board.When it was time for her to disembark, she gave her money to the Driver, but he said "You just go ahead. Don't worry about it. "
Episode Two. This morning a school Boy got on the bus, and asked him whether our bus gets to the destination of his school, and the Driver said, "Not this bus, but it is the bus behind me that gets there." So the boy got off the bus, and the Driver closed the door. But just as he was about to drive on, the Bus that he meant for the Boy, drove pass our bus. Our Driver stopped, and open the door and call out to the Boy and ask him to board our bus. He took the bus fare from the Boy (they have a much subsidised bus fare for school children). And he continued to drive, trying to get as close as possible with the Bus in front, which goes to the Boy's destination.
He walkie-talkied the Bus in front to stop at the next bus stand, telling the Bus driver in front that he has this Boy who needs to get on that bus to reach his school. The Bus in front got the message and both agreed to stop at the next bus stand. Our Driver called out to the Boy, and told him to go into the Bus in front, and told him not to worry about the bus fare.
Such random acts of kindness touch your feelings, that this value is still ,strongly, there in people around us.
It dawn on me that today is a Friday morning. I took one of my pears for lunch, and as I was about to disembark the Bus, I gave our kind Driver the pear, thanking him for his kindness.
When appreciation was shown...
Tutoring seems a natural thing to do when you want to immerse yourself in the academia, and when you need to earn the extra bucks...and that's just what I did. Taking this bold step, especially in a challenging environment - foreign students, English not your first language, etc etc..i just took the risk. For the past 12 weeks, I tutored two classes for strategic information management 300 level. Students, regardless of their origins, color, language, age, are here to learn, and I learn from them as well. Their participation and interaction provide fresh perspectives, not provided for in the text.Preparation is your best bet, and the satisfaction of being able to help them in their journey to acquire knowledge was indeed a blast! And yesterday,...the unexpected applause they gave at the end of the class says it all...