2013 So Far

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You must be guessing why I haven't posted a new blog for so long. Well, it's because there is no more Internet at school.
The contract with TM ended in November & the school admin decided against renewing it in light of 1BestariNet which is free! The best part is I will only have to wait... until.... March.
I'm hoping that we'll get a connection sooner but I'm betting good money that there might be delays due to the remote location of my school & city-folk's apparent fear of boats & crocodiles.
So, I can only access Internet when I come down in Sibu for the weekend.

Sadly, when I do have a weekend in Sibu, I only have 1.25 days: Friday afternoon to Sibu. Sunday 7am back.
Factor in time for grocery/supplies shopping from various sources, banking, maybe a movie, catching up with great friends & loads of walking (coz I've got no car), I have very little left for the net. When I do get online, I'm reading the news, emails & catching up on FB/Whatsapp/SMS.

I'm currently wrestling with a fever, sore eyes & runny nose to stay up & write. Hopefully, I don't finish too late. This will be just a simple post.
Next week, I'll try to write about my plans for the year & it's gonna be BIG (you'll get a sense of what I'm talking about if you've been following my FB page).

So, how has your year been?

You know, I do wish it was easier to get to school.
     I actually began my journey to school on the 30th of December. With my brother on tow, I took a flight to Sibu & spent the night at a hotel before making our way to the wharf early the next day for the 7am boat to Song.

A long boat filled from end to end. Typical at such times of the year.
     We got most of our groceries & supplies from Sibu. In the end, we carted 9 bags/boxes of stuff to school. Not an easy task, mind you!
     And that my friend was how I spent my 27th birthday & New Year's Eve, carting stuff on & off 2 boats on my way to school & doing housework.

We cleared a room, rearranged the furniture, swept away cobwebs, swept the floor, wiped down everything, cleaned  the fridge & unpacked. We only mopped the next day. There was just so much to do for the both of us!
But, let me tell you now that it was worth it.
I'll take some pictures of my flat & share it once I get a few things up.
     Once we got to my 3-bedroom flat at school, we immediately started clearing the spare room for my brother. That room had been a store for 4 years. It was filled with all sorts of nonsense & forgotten stuff. Eventually, most of it went to the landfill. LOADS of it. Sorry, Captain Planet.

     My brother has been sleeping without a pillow (I didn't want him to use the hostel pillows) & a fan (which was out of service long ago). Fortunately, he can sleep with the windows wide open & enjoy the cool virgin jungle air. Bloodthirsty mozzies are kept away by Ridsect Goodnight.

My brother helped out with the chores & have been helping out every day since.
     My brother has been really helpful around the house & he helps out with our (we live with another teacher) chores. I do find that he is not used to housework or doing his own laundry but this is a good experience for him & I'm glad that he is willing to learn.
     He has been coping well with the new environment & I guess the novelty of having a big city boy / brother of a teacher studying in the same school really excites my students. They were very welcoming to him &, hopefully, they will influence each other for the better.
     He has also detected slips & errs in the lessons of a few of my colleagues. I do not blame them because many of them are new & inexperienced. But, I will have to find a way to compensate if I want my brother to do well in SPM. I've already got a plan in mind.

Haven't cooked for the 2 years I was Chief Warden.
The first meal was the worst. I threw away a dish because I added too much salt!
The rest were slightly less saltier.
     Since I am no longer a warden, I started cooking again. It's actually quite challenging to cook for 2 people. When I was cooking for myself, I couldn't care less what I prepared. Now that I have to cook for my brother, I am more careful about flavour & nutrition.
     I am really rusty at cooking. Fortunately, my brother eats up everything I prepared without a comment. hahaha~~~ I have since improved & will continue to improve as time goes by.

Here's a picture of breakfast: Wheatbix + fresh fruits + jam + milk
I make it a point to eat healthy.
     School is the same old same old. Sometimes I feel like I don't fit in. I found out a long time ago that I am not a conformer. I am a reformer. So I guess such a situation is the best situation for me to shine & lead other like-minded big-hearted people. This year is going to be exciting. I'm going to try many new things & I expect them to be nothing short of spectacular.

Until next time, have a great week!

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