Cherish the past.....

The rain has just stopped. It had been raining almost every afternoon in Shah Alam. It rained cats and dogs! Flash flood happened here and there and caused massive traffic jam. A friend whom I met this morning told me that he missed his Zohor because of the jam and the water that filled the road was as high as his waisteline! 

Last few days, people in Selangor and partly from Wilayah Persekutuan faced water shortage . Everyone were so worried.  Without water, life will be miserable! But Alhamdulillah, Syabas did a very good job. We were told that it would take them quite sometime to clear the oil spill in   Selangor River  and the earliest that they could do will be two days, but they managed it within 24 hours!  I salute Syabas. Jolly good job!!

That is the power of water. At one point it is needed badly in our daily life but at the same time Allah pours down heavy rain and then we have problems of excess water! Flash flood here and there.  Funny but it is true! 

Our favourite food.... keropok lekor and pisang goreng

Representatives from 3 TESL C...
Akhtar Zaiti, Zuraidah  and  I

I was scrolling through the internet just now, and suddenly an old friend of mine from the same teachers' training college appeared in my facebook. Suddenly, I miss my old days...my salad days with all my friends in Maktab Perguruan Kuala Terengganu Batu Rakit!  Wow! that was 30 years ago. How we all have grown and bloomed.  We were as young as 20 years old and so naive! 

MPKTBR was built in 1977. It took them 3 years to finished and on 4th May 1981 ( happened to be my birthday), the first batch of trainees  for 3 years course, session 1981-1983 registered and I was one of those lucky ones!  Some were overjoyed, some came with long face and some simply blur!  There were 189 of us and we all came from all over Malaysia but because it is in Terengganu, so many came from the east coast including the locals,  Pahang and Kelantan! 

It was a full board college. We were given  twin sharing rooms. The girls blocks were separated from the boys by a common room and the canteen.  Everything was new because we were the pioneer. Even the trees were not planted yet and we have to walk under the hot sun from the hostel to the classrooms with our hels... no flat shoes allowed!  The girls warden was Cik Saadiah bt. Mohd Noor and the boys were taken care by Encik Abdullah bin Mesba. Both of them were very strict but at the same time very friendly and kind hearted. They were our parents throughout the years there. May Allah bless both of them where ever they are!

The trainees were taken care by 5 amazing lecturers who were stationed for one year at Maktab Perguruan Pasir Panjang Kuala Terengganu before 1981! Because we were the eldest , we did not know what to expect nor what to do and how to behave! We acted like the secondary school children but the fantastic five led by Allahyarham Haji Abdullah bin Bakri , managed to groom us and we grew and bloomed  from ugly ducklings into beautiful swans! We were very thankful to all of them. 

Because of the small amount, we became very close to one another. We got to know each other and just in a matter of time, we were like brothers and sisters. Everybody knew everybody! Even if you were yards away, but by the way you walked, talked, dressed,  laughed and so on, people would recognize you instantly!  No way out! And in sports or any activities like stage shows held by the college, all of us had to take part! We were the actors, dancers, singers or sportsman and we were the audience and spectators too. We cheered for our friends and foe... hahhahahha! Funny isn't it but we loved it. 

In Mach 2011, an initiative was made for our first reunion after 28 years! Our friends from Terengganu hosted and it was purely nostalgic. We were in tears to see our old friends again whom are now much older and wiser. Happy with their achievements and sad with their losts.  Nostalgic to see our old faithful bus which took us everywhere, as far as Kuala Lumpur , up north and down south where we took part in Pestarama. Those magical moments of our lives! 

Some of us came with their family, some with their spouse and some came alone. It was nice to know that some of our friends did very well in their career by pursuing their Masters in UK and some managed to do their PhD. I honestly am very proud of their achievements and maybe a little bit of jealousy.... hehehehhe.  As for me and few others, we left teaching early due to many reasons........ but deep inside us we are still teachers!  Once a teacher, always a teacher!

 

To all my friends, the pioneer of MPKTBR, session 1981-1983, whom we call ourselves TURTLES, be proud of yourselves! We must try to get together more often. We should visit one another when ever we pass through places where our comrade TURTLES are staying.  In a few more years to come, some will be retiring. Do not stop there my friends, life is beutiful. Be fair to yourselves. Treat yourselves for holidays with your spouse. Most of our children are big enough to take care of themselves..... just go and spoil yourselves a bit. Just go. Should any of you happened to pass Shah Alam, do call me. Get me on my facebook . 

Long live TURTLES!!!!! 

psssstttt...... I wanted to post this write up yesterday but I was so busy hosting lunch and tea at my place for friends and families. Then Noraini Hamzah called and told me that our sweet Norlila A.Samad passed away at Batu Pahat Hospital before Asar. I was so sad but I had around 20 guests at that time. Helpless.  When they left, it was too late to visit. She was buried right after Asar.  My husband and I will visit her husband Raden and their children tomorrow morning. InsyaAllah. 

Arwah Norlila bt A. Samad.