The Swing ... with love ...

It's the last week of Ramadhan 1437H. I had been so busy with whatever that I did not realise how fast time flew. I thought that since I was no longer attached to specific working hours, I would be more free. I realised that I was not free but busy with other things which I had the pleasure of doing it in my own sweet time. Thus, time flew by without me doing anything specific.

The first week of fasting was busy with the house for sale and the windows. Since I had left over paint from there, I used it to touch up the swing outside my house. The swing shared a lot of memories with the boys when they were young -  happy, carefree, nostalgic, melancholic, sad and dreamy days .... The boys and I used to spend a lot of our time on this swing. Singing, feeding them, talking, telling stories or just sat quietly and enjoyed the up and down sway of the swing ... It used to be at the porch but since we did our extension, I put it outside between my house and my neighbour's so their children could also share the swing. The boys were all grown up and went off to boarding school, thus the neighbour's young girls spent a lot of time on it. I was so pleased that others shared the simple joy of the swing too. Creating memories of their own.

As it was left outside, it had become rusty over the years with the rain and sun. Thus, I painted the rusty swing with anti-rust. Then, it started to rain for days that the swing project was on hold. Once the birds started singing their melodious tunes, I knew the rain had stopped. I started to paint it with its white colour with total, loving care. I enjoyed painting it as it soothed the soul and gave me a peace of mind. It was time for me to be alone with my thoughts and be nostalgic. Each stroke was given with much care and regard that others would also enjoy it. I could not stand the smell of paint or chemical smell thus, after all my effort, I was down with migraine for a few days. It was bad enough to take me to the doctor for medication when Panadol Activfast did not work after two days.

The swing coated with anti-rust ... even the neighbour's cats like the swing

Finally given a double coating of white paint to restore to its former self .. 

I discovered painting is actually good for the mind, body and soul. No wonder there is art therapy - just colouring patterns and designs. My sister and niece are doing it. I just do not have the time yet. Between fasting and all the prayers, good deeds that come with it, I have not read my books and my writings have been put on hold. I wrote these few articles because it was in my head and needed to let out.

Thus, I hope many more children and others will continue to sit on the swing. Singing, dreaming, observing the many species of birds as they are fed daily by my neighbour and I. The cats which think they are the permanent resident of my house. The wild monkeys which dropped by to scavenge for food and the occasional snakes or monitor lizards, small and large. It is a happy place to build memories ...

I Am Humbled ... ;-()

How does one measure success in one's career? Is it through all the awards, accolades and appreciation? Is it through the promotion and rewards? If one is in the education field where there is no physical yardstick to measure the successes one has achieved ... then how does one rate himself as being a success in his field? Can one say through the percentage of passes or whatever data the institution gives out? I suppose so since successes in education is achieved through the targets set. The number of As. The number of top scorers.

I consider my occupation as an educator a success when I have touched my students' lives and made a difference. It may not be much but when students make it a point to look you up after umpteen years ... to prove that they have done something in their lives because you are,  once upon a time in their lives, one of the people who has come into their lives and touched them. However they labelled you as firm, serious, disciplined, strict, fierce or even funny ... they know that I care. I hear and I listen. I am compassionate and more often than not, I emphatise.

I met a group of students from the 1990 batch of BBGS, KL last month. One of them tracked me via my blog on one of my postings. I had always wondered what had become of them since they were the best, intellectually-challenged batch I had ever had in my long career. We arranged for a meet-up and it was wonderful. The 25 years gap was nothing compared to the ease, warmth and affectionate lunch we had. There was no awkwardness or discomfort which was always present after a long absence. I still enjoyed their company. Loud, lively, gregarious, outgoing and open ... I looked at them and I wondered how others coped with them ! Hahaha ... !!!! They were much higher up the echelon of society in their career. I am very pleased and proud that they have proved they were much better than me, a simple educator. Yet, the courtesy, respect and regard for me is such an honour that I feel so lucky and fortunate that I have, once upon a time, given the opportunity to have known them.

Once I had a student who came a few times to look me up for a few years as I was not around in school then. I had gone for further studies for three years. He came again when he heard that I was back. I taught him when he was in Form 2 and 3 back in the 90's after which he continued in one of the boarding schools, He had graduated and would be going for an overseas posting as an engineer. He said if he was a she, he would have hugged me. He stayed the whole day catching up and all he wanted was my blessings and prayers. I felt so touched and honoured.

So many students over the years who still maintained the relationship and would meet-up whenever they came back here during holidays or festivals. Whenever they saw me or met me anywhere ... they would call out to say hello. If they had their family with them, they would introduce them to me. I suppose they were my "children" and now extended to "grandchildren" ... 31 years of teaching thus I have touched thousands of impressionable, gullible and young lives ... somehow I know I have done something right.

This is how I measure success - not by their position in their careers but through the courtesy, warm regard and respect bestow upon me. Respect is earned and not given. I am content and proud to claim that they have become better people because at one point in their lives, we were fated to meet and I had touched their lives ... Thus, never stop doing the small things for others for to them it could be the biggest thing someone has done for them ... Alhamdulillah.

Restored To Its Former Glory ...

I have been neglecting my blog for quite some weeks. I have been very busy repairing and repainting and putting my house back in its former state. I have rented out this house for six years before the tenant moved out as she was transferred to another district. She had been regular with the rent thus I did not check on the house for that duration of time. When she handed the house keys back to me, I was in for a disappointment. That would be an understatement !!!! 

One of the room's doors. All the doors were drawn and messed up ..

Same goes to the walls ... full of graffiti in every room

The windows, the toilets, the floors ... this was the third tenant in a space of 10 years. The first five years, the house was there for friends and families who visited and needed a place to stay. I decided to rent it out when a friend asked a favour as his friend needed to find a place to rent urgently. His friend was transferred from KL and did not have time to find a house. Since then, I had three tenants. This third one was the longest and .... most upsetting. I decided to sell off the house but not in this condition. So, with my brother's and son's help and our hard, diligent and manual labour - we repaired the house, gave it a new coat of paint and finally washed the house ... this is the end result.

The bathroom - sparkling clean after a wash with soda for tiles ...

The master bedroom with its new windows

The kitchen which was the worst affected floor and walls - a new sink

Part of the living room - clean of graffiti

The living room - sparkling floors ...

The house in all its newly painted glory ... now its ready for sale

Besides that, the delay in putting up the "For Sale" sign was due to the windows and getting a person to change it. The old ones were badly infected with white ants. This took almost another week.

It was badly infected that when my brother tried to take out the panel, it crumbled and broke.

Replaced with steel panels.

It is just a simple single storey semi-D house with no renovations or extensions. Whether I can get a buyer with the price offered, only Allah knows. In the meantime, we are satisfied and happy with the house as it is in its best condition. It was done with total loving care. Now, we wait and hope we will get a buyer who will turn the house into a home ...