WORKING TO BE THE BEST OF MYSELF!

I was born in a kampung where people are close to each other. My mother, father and other villagers are those people who love to meet and talk to each other. In the ‘kampung’, they always go to surau and join all their friend’s ‘kenduri’ and ‘kejobos’.

Oh ya, the people in my village speak ‘jawa’. I only knew how to speak Malay when

I entered Standard 1 and learnt English at the same time. Furthermore, my mother did not send me to any ‘tadika’ at that time, though many were sending their children. Most of the time, I accompanied my mother to go to the ‘kebun’.

Being the number 4 in the family of five, I am considered lucky as I have 2 sisters, 1 elder brother and 1 younger brother. Well, life was not that easy. We had to wake up as early as 5 am to get ready and help our mother to clean the house before going to school. We had ‘rice’ for breakfast which normally came with ‘sambal ikan bilis’ or ‘sambal udang gabok’ (tiny shrimp) and sometime with fried egg, which later will be packed for our ‘bekal’ to school too.

We always had to share our lunch among the 5 of us especially during weekends and school holidays. We fight for our ‘ikan masin’ as that was among the best ‘ikan’ that we can have at that time. The real ‘ikan’ will be a special menu as we could only have it once or twice in a month.Well, chicken and meat only available during ‘kenduri’ and ‘hari raya’.

I was lucky to get a place in a boarding school after my UPSR. I did well in school, but only as a ‘jaguh kampung’. I always get the first place in class every year until a girl from KL move in when I was in Standard 5 and I always get 2nd place ever since. Sending me to a boarding school was my parents 2nd experience as they experienced that before with my elder brother. However, this time was different as I went quite far. I went to Ipoh.

There, I was only an above average student. After all the ‘smart brain’ left for another school, I and some were continuing our study at the same school. However, as I move on to form 4 after my SRP, I was among the students who had an impressive leadership.

I was elected as the head of students when I was in Form 5. The teachers there, did not even know me. As much as I remember, I was the only ‘Ketua Umum’ who did not get the best student award in that year!

I knew that most teachers were labelling me as ‘keras kepala’ and ‘degil’. I was not so excellent in my study. However, with my SPM result I entered Pusat Asasi UM. It was among the most popular and ‘prestigious’ course for SPM leavers which will only be offered to Malay and bumiputra students at that time.

Again, I was only an above average student. I was not that smart…and I always had to work 10 times harder to achieve the same result as other smart guys!

Lucky, that I was still got the chance to enter Engineering Faculty, which also another ‘prestigious’ course for many Malay students at that time.

Again, I was an above average student. I was not that smart…and I always need to work 10 times harder to achieve the same result as other smart guys!

At that time, people told me that I could speak well in public. I could be a great leader. That was when I involved actively in the campus politic at that time. Though I was not very well verse in English, among all others, I considered as ‘good’. Well, I guess it is just because I was the best among the worst at that time. (>_

 During my campus life, my parents complaint about how I always spend my holidays elsewhere. Attending camps, courses and other activities during holidays made me busy and have less time to go back to my ‘kampung’.  I love so much of being involved in such activities that I was willingly and happily chosen to take less credit hour in my 3rd year of study that I have to extend another additional year to graduate. At the same time, I had to repeat my Engineering Maths paper! As all my friends left the university, I was still there for another year…

During my 3rd year of study, it was a challenging experience as I had to earn my pocket money by doing some part-time job. Well, JPA scholarship was just enough to pay all the tuition fee and the residential college fee. In order to save, I decided to move out and rent a house with a group of friends. That is another reason why I had to take lesser subjects in my 3rd year study and extend another year — a part-time job!

Again, after graduation, it was not easy to get job. Yes, interviews were many. Offered to work in a local engineering company but somehow I ended in an IT learning centre. After that, life continues with all strange paths and stories which I describe it as a “miracle”.

The experience of working with other races and in education industry, I found that my passion in life is about being with people. There, I was looking for an inner strenght to continue doing what I love doing and making it different with my technical education background. Somehow, I found the experience being a technical students help me a lot in planning and execution. Still, I am an above average achiever.

I built my self-confidence when I was teaching the young adults in school. I made mistakes and continuously learn from them. I learnt self-respect, patience, friendship, love and saw life from a different perspective and many angle as I worked with children.

Later, I really made myself stick to the profession of being an educator and extend the experience with other by providing more job opportunities by venturing into education business industry.

Today, I, as a daughter, sister, wife and mother… continuously thanking ALLAH for all great opportunities and chances of meeting people.

I am struggling in life just like any other people out there.

I am fighting for life just like you.

I am working hard to live life just like any working mother out there.

I am juggling between parenting and earning a living just like you.

I am gearing emotions for spouse, kids and family like any other men.

I am willing to take the challenge to be better just like any other women.

I am doing the best for the people…the children, parents, family and for my family too.

I cry, laugh, get angry and make mistakes just like you!

I am an ordinary person just exactly like you.

…a daughter, sister, mother and wife who is WORKING TO BE THE BEST OF MYSELF!