The Freshies!

Remember when we were the new batch of students in the secondary school, especially in the U, they call us the freshies! Do you still remember how excited you were? So now I have 30 new faces whom we adopted at one go as our new brood of children. Yes they are fresh innocent faces with expectant wide eyed expressions. Oh! don't we all love to see them, eager to learn the new knowlege, excited to have new friends, jumping about with activities, chattering to the dozen during resting time and most important, full of optimism for the future!

As I was telling you, after the tearful goobyes with the parents, their attention were soon diverted to the taaruf week activities ( in English its called orientation week ) Boys are boys and girls are girls, soon they made friends with the new schoolmates and by the third day when I asked who has found new friends, all raised their hands. Then I asked further, who has found a close or best friend, most raised their hands and hook an arm at the one sitting next to them. Isnt it wonderful? Children can make friends very fast because they do not have that kind of researve that we adults have.

As you would have guessed, by the second day and third day most mothers have called me eager to know how their children are faring. Well I was very pleased to let them know that all the children are doing fine and enjoying themselves with all the activities. They are really a healthy and hungry lot who ate all their rations and asked for extra helpings!

Today we are going to the tailor to collect the uniforms for the girls. The girls' uniform is a blue grey jubah dress with white tudung. The boys uniform is the white jubah with white cap. They also have their archery uniform, the marching uniform, outing clothings and their swimming suit costume. Our girls will wear the specially made swimming costume that cover their aurat. Parents nee not worry swimming days for boys and girls are on different days. Other activities are combined with strict code of conduct observed.

A Few Days of the New Year

These few days of the New Year, my husband and I were very busy. We woke up on 1st January, expectant of many happenings. All preparations were made to the best that we could. We were quite prepared for the influx of new students to our school. At 9 am we went to the boys hostel where the registration of new students were to take place. When we arrived, there were already a queue waiting to be attended to. So we promptly did our duties as the sun's heat was starting to get stronger. There were 30new students that came from all over, 8 girls and 22 boys.

By 10.30 am students and parents were gathered in the school surau. We had a Welcome Speech by the Pengetua, a taklimat by the Registrar cum Students' Welfare Officer (yours truly)explaining the fees and charges and facilities provided by the school. Then we had Q&A session and after that we had a speech by Ustaz Nizam the Imam (thank you ustaz Nizam for a very moving and insightful speech). As usual the session ended with some makan-makan and getting to know each other. Some mothers were in tears when they came to me. ( thank you mothers for you trust in us to take care of your precious children!)

After the students have been accommodated, the parents said thier tearful good byes, we were left to handle the new boys and girls. To my husband and me its like getting a new brood of children and there's a feeling of warmth and happiness and being blessed to be entrusted with such a special job as to take care, educate and to ingrain good values to these 'specially chosen' children.

As you can imagine our hectic schedule, 2nd and 3rd January saw us running around to purchase necessary items and essential kitchen requirements. 3 kitchen helpers and a caterer were kept busy feeding the students 5 times a day. The contractors are also around to do some neccessary renovations and the electricians to do the wiring for extra lightings.

Our population will be 50 Insya-Allah, when all the seniors and new students come in. We will have 7 full time teachers and 3 part-time teachers. We also have an archery instructor, an instructor for marching, an ex-army officer, and a swimming instructor when the co-curriculum starts. We have 3 live in teachers and a warden.

At the same time more applicants and enquiries are coming (from overseas as well). We are quite overwhelmed! We are still lacking in facilities like a bus for transportation. We need a bus to transport students to and fro Masjid Negeri, the state library, the club swimming pool and going for outings etc. We need more beds, students lockers, tables and chairs. Donations are welcome!

Going To The North Again

Assalamualaikum! To night in the wee hours of the morning we are going to the North (Kedah) by car. In Arabic we say, " Nahnu sanazhab ila Khodah bissayaroh fi haza lail" He, he, he. Itulah bahasa arab yang saya dah belajar sikit-sikit.

The main reason we are going north this time is to visit the family of my husband's distant cousins who had passed away last week. When we heard that somebody passed away we will say, " Innalillahi wainnailaihi rojiuun!" which means " From Allah we come and to Him we go back!"

So tonight we are going just the two of us ie my husband and I. We could not take the others because we are also going to fetch an extra helper who's giong to help us in the kitchen preparing food for the students. The two maids that I have now would not be able to cope with the workload. This is part of the preparation to accommodate the increasing number of intake for year 08 for our school.

The other preparation is that we have rennovated the present hostel for the boys and we have rented another building for the girls' hostel. I could forsee that I would be busy helping my husband to manage the school. So I have decided to teach the students English only. New teachers will be joining us, including maths and science teacher, Bahasa Melayu and History teacher and an Ustazah for the Quranic subjects. At the moment we already have three ustaz and 1 ustazah full time, and 4 part-time teachers. We hope to give the best to our students in every aspect.

Kami Mula Bercuti

Assalamualaikum! Hari ini barulah aku dan Pak Haji dan anak-anak yang membantu MTAQSA mula bercuti. Pelajar-pelajar kami telah pulang untuk cuti akhir tahun pada 6 disember lalu. Kemudian pada 8 disember hingga 12 disember(semalam) kami telah mengendalikan KEM TAHFIZ untuk anak-anak berumur 10 hingga 12 tahun. Bayangkanlah kepenatan yang telah kami lalui selama setahun. Jadi hari ini terasa lapang, lega dan ada sedikit perasaan sayu. Mungkin perasaan lain itu anda akan faham tetapi perasaan sayu itu kami saja yang faham. Selama 2 tahun kami bergelut menghidupkan MTAQSA dengan tujuan memberi peluang kepada anak-anak kita mempelajari Al Quran dan Agama serta akedamik suatu pembelajaran yang berqualiti. Pelbagai kepenatan dan dugaan yang telah kami lalui termasuk kerenah, guru-guru, pelajar-pelajar, ibu-bapa kepada pelajar-pelajar dan juga pekerja sampingan. Allah sahaja yang mengetahui termasuk gangguan makhluk yang musuh manusia itu sekiranya kita buat kerja di jalan Allah!Alhamdulillah setahun lagi telah berlalu dengan penuh kejayaan (sedaya yang boleh kami lakukan) di jalan NYA. Sekarang debaran kami menunggu tahun baru dengan kemasukkan pelajar-pelajar baru di harapkan lebih dar 30 orang!

Hari Raya Puasa Enam

Alhamdulillah hari ini kami dan pelajar-pelajar sekolah kami merayakan Hari Raya Puasa Enam. Maka tamatlah enam hari mereka berpuasa sunat dibulan syawal ini setelah kembali keasrama selepas pulang dari cuti berhari raya. Nampaknya pelajar-pelajar kami amatlah tabah dan suka berpuasa. Sepatutnya mereka selesai berpuasa enam padahari ahad kerana kami telah mula puasa hari selasa iaitu hari ketiga mereka belajar semula. Alkisah ada orang telah menjemput kami makan kenduri pada hari sabtu, jadi kamipun taklah berpuasa hari itu. Jadi hari inilah baru kami beraya. Pelajar-pelajar diberi makanan agak istemewa sewaktu rehat jam 10.30 pagi tadi iaitu kek, ice-cream, coklat dan bihun bersama minuman teh tarik istimewa. Pelajar-pelajar kami telah diberi tahu keistimewaan puasa enam iaitu Sesiapa yang berpuasa sebulan bulan ramadhan ditambah pula dengan berpuasa sunat 6 hari dibulan syawal akan mendapat ganjaran pahala seolah-olah telah berpuasa setahun. Oleh itu sewajarnya lah Hari Raya puasa Enam ini mereka diraikan seadanya. Segala amalan sunat seperti berpuasa sunat, bersolat tarawih, bertadarus serta majlis khatam al-Quran, bersolat jamaah subuh hari jumaat di masjid Negeri untuk sujud sajaddah, bersolat sunat yang pelbagai, adalah amalan warga sekolah kami sepanjang masa. Untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut mengenai sekolah kami sila layari www.mtaqsa.com. Terima Kasih.

English Again?

It is Thursday again and Thursday means I have an English class to teach. Yes, today I will teach my class grammar (tenses), just the way my teacher, old Miss Lee had taught me when I was in lower secondary school. This method of teaching will ensure that you will never forget your table of tenses. The table will have coloums of present tense, present continous, past tense, past continous, future tense and future continous and past perfect. He, he, I will have fun grilling them and making sure they will never forget the correct tenses when making their sentences! To some people this may sound boring but to me it is very interesting. Learning to use the correct tenses is the foundation of good English. A lot of reading, some writing, and the frequent use of the language in daily conversations will make you at par with the English speaking people.
Ok, now it's time for me to get ready for my English class, interested? You are welcome to join me in the class. Then my students will be able to practise their English by asking you questions or answering yours! Maassalamah! Illaliqo' (Arabic for good bye)

Setiap Sabtu

Sabtu merupakan hari yang Mak teh boleh relax sedikit. Hari ini pelajar-pelajar disajikan dengan sarapan roti, telor cincang dan baked beans. Menu yang macam ini maid boleh sediakan tanpa ganggu tidur mak teh. Maka bangun pun tak perlu terlalu awal. Mak teh bangun sarapan tersedia, selepas sarapan boleh buat apa saja, nak ngaji ke, baca buku ke, nak blogging ke. Kadang-kadang pada pagi hari sabtu mak teh and pak Haji pergi dengar tazkirah/ceramah di masjid Negeri (depends on mood, tajuk and penceramahnya)
Pukul 8.30 pergi pasar, hari ini kena siap makanan untuk minum pagi. Tadi dah masak koay teow untuk semua pelajar-pelajar dan murid-murid junior dari sekolah lain yang join kelab memanah kita. Mereka ada pertandingan memanah tadi tu dah berpeluh-peluh kat padang sekolah. Dengar khabar ada yang menang 'bulls eye' ada yang menagis tak menang, kecewa!. Kasihan ! Budak-budak macam tu lah!
Seronok juga membena sekolah istemewa ni 'pembelajaran ilmu dunia dan akhirat'yang kita tekankan. Kita ada ko-kurikulum seperti memanah, berenang, berkawad, tae kwando, bertani, dan menunggang kuda! He, he, kalau semua orang tahu keistimewaan sekolah kita ini tentu akan buat booking awal-awal untuk anak-anak mereka dimasa hadapan! Kami mendidik pelajar-pelajar ini seperti kami mendidik anak-anak kami malahan lebih baik lagi sebab dah berpengalaman (jadi minus the mistakes that we have done when bringing up our children)(Sila lihat majallah Anis September 2007)
Petang nanti ibu-bapa akan datang menjenguk anak-anak mereka, (mereka boleh buat demikian 2 minggu sekali sahaja)Jadi nampaknya kalau mak teh keluar pun nanti nak kemana-mana, kenalah pulang sebelum jam 5 petang.
Kalau ada sesiapa yang ingin datang nak menjenguk sekolah kita ni, silalah tetapi kenalah buat appointment dahulu.

Setiap Jumaat

Assalamualaikum! Apa khabar anak-anak bloggers sakalian ? Alhamdulillah hari ini mak teh rasa bahagia, tertanya-tanya juga kenapa. Bila difikirkan mungkin kerana banyak perkara rahmat Allah limpahkan kepada saya dan keluarga. Syukur, Alhamdulillah!
Hari Jumaat seperti ini walaupun sekolah kami cuti hujung minggu mak teh, Pak Haji dan anak-anak sekolah serta anak-anak sendiri yang membantu, agak sibuk juga. Pertama kami bangun awal untuk ke masjid Negri solat subuh ( berjemaah kerana subuh jumaat ada sujud sajaddah) Lepas itu mak teh balik rumah masak sarapan untuk semua orang. Setelah sarapan pelajar-pelajar akan menghafal Al-Quran hingga 9.30 pagi. Kemudian saya ke pasar, sedangkan anak-anak semua mengemas rumah dan asrama. Anak-anak di asrama akan diberi minum pagi jam 10.30. Selalunya kami sediakan tetapi hari ini, sesekali kami beli roti canai sahaja.Selepas itu kami bolehlah rehat sedikit kerana makanan tengah hari disediakan oleh katerer, mak cik Maria. (mana boleh saya buat semua, tak terbuatlah!) Minum petang dan makan malam mak teh dan pembantu akan sediakan. Begitu lah setiap hari, cuma kadang-kadang ada orang dermawan datang menghantar makanan bersedekah untuk pelajar-pelajar tahfiz ni. Kalau dermawan tu telah telefon sehari sebelum hantar makanan itu, 'save' lah kita sedikit belanja.
Alhamdulillah mak teh, Pak haji dan anak-anak seronok buat kerja yang 'orang tak suroh ni' tak tahu nak cerita tetapi terasa juga nikmatnya! Semua yang baik datang dari Allah (SWT). Syukur kita masih hidup dan ditemukan dengan hari Jumaat ini.

Cooking, My Style !

Today I have to start planning to cook the famous 'Acar Buah Utara' which I have to promised to give as gifts to the entry winner in my blog. Remember I promised those entry which is number 50th, 75th and 100th will receive a bottle of my home made 'Acar Buah Utara'. I havent counted who are the winners yet, but I was thinking before I do that I have to cook the Acar Buah first!
Now I am excited about the cooking. You see I am not a good cook like Mak Lang, I have never been a good cook! Then how come I can cook and claim to be able to cook delicious dishes?(You may ask ) I will let you into my secret, actually I only started to cook seriouly less than 10 years back. However I am gifted with the imagination of the good taste for good and delicious food. Eventhough I did not do the cooking during my younger days, I know what went wrong when the food tasted lowsy. And I am very particular that the taste should come out perfect.My first maid was very much aware of that, that she had complained to my mother " Kak Cik doesn't know how to cook but she knows how to complain about my cooking!" (That was when I was young just married at age of 23 and the maid was local more like a sister).
So my cooking of this dish start with me asking the maid whether all the ingridients needed are available. I had listed the ingridients to her and she is to make sure all are availble. Then I told her that I want to cook this dish tomorrow afternoon. So now it is her duty to do the neccessay things ie make sure ingridients are are available and ready for the big Chef to cook by 2 pm tomorrow! Easy isn't it? He, he,he. (jangan marah mak lang! Esok saya cerita macam mana saya masak)