Maidless

Okay, what's the big deal about being maidless? Well, I'm having maid withdrawal symphtom. Can't go anywhere without all 3 kids. Have to do MY own things and things my maid used to do for me. My house is less clean, and all the clothes ar chucked into the machine. No one is doing the ironing for now. Am planning to either send the clothes to the laundry for ironing or get someone to come and do cleaning. It has been only 2 days and I'm tired. Mainly because Joel is unwell and has lost his appetite, I guess. I'm thankful that mum is taking care of all things kitchen-wise, and hubby's aunty is here trying to help. But she's leaving soon. I'm glad tomorrow isa holiday (Happy birthday to the Sultan of Selangor), and hubby will be around to take over the kids while I do some chores. Putt says to not turn into Cruella. I think I am turning to Cruella. Sigh!

Next visit to Shemariah Home

We have scheduled our next visit to Shemariah Home (refer a very much earlier post) for this coming Sunday. We'll be spending some time with the children. I think I will have all my kids with me this time. So, those of you who want to give Christmas prezzies to them children, let me know. I'll need to collect by Saturday. And for those of you who had promised used items, please call me.

Tribute to Dr Yogeswary

Yesterday I attended a funeral. It was a very sad day, not just for the family, but for those who know the family. This post is dedicated to Dr N Yogeswary, one of the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide victims.

My husband and I were just getting ready to leave for Malacca on Saturday when I heard about the landslide tragedy. He had an sms that told him his friend was one of the those confirmed dead. All the way to Malacca we were very quiet because Yoges was a friend of ours, more of his friend than mine, really, but we were there when she got married and had her first child. Hubby last met her about a month ago.

So we had an unsettling night in Malacca and rushed back to attend Yoges's funeral. We were there just as the funeral rites began. Many people were there, mostly relatives. Then more and more friends appeared. Wreathes were everywhere. I was reading the newspaper about how Yoges protected her children and pretty much died in the process. I cried. And I couldn't stop. As a mother of 3, I cannot imagine anything so devastating happening to my children the way her 3 children experienced the tragedy. I cannot imagine my children living without their mother should anything happen to me. And so, I cried, for Yoges, who loved and protected her children; for the three children (Avinesh, Thivesh and Priyankka) who will be motherless, for Thanarajah who has become a widower, for the relatives who have lost a person so dear, for Yoges's sister who looked so lost. I thought I was ok, after some time, but when I saw the wreathe with words from the 3 kids to their mum, I cried again. I realised how lost they will be. And I also acknowledge how real that tragedy was. We went in to pay our last respects and viewed the body of Yoges. She looked nothing like she did in life. She was bruised and swollen. Even with all the make up and touch up, she looked severely injured. And I cried.

I mingled around outside the house, and I heard some people talking. Everyone agreed that Yoges was "such a nice person", and "such a pretty woman". I also heard someone saying in a very upset manner that the government should bear the cost of the children's education.

At 2:30, they were ready to send her off to the crematorium. I watched and was saddened to see Thanarajah climbing into the car, his face ashened, his right hand fractured and legs still in pain due to sprains. He had a dazed look on his face, as if he was just going through the motion without fully understanding what it all meant. His sister (I assumed) hugged him and cried unashamedly. Thivesh, sitting on a wheelchair looking lost, was wheeled to a car and lifted into it. He would be the one to be fully involved in the cremation ceremony. Avinesh, a picture of call and anxiety at the same time shouted a few instructions that he wanted the daddy in the car that carried the coffin, and that his brother had to be helped to another car. I was amazed at this 11 year old, who somehow, took charge. I did not see Priyankka. As the hearse left, I looked back at the house and saw the grief in the faces of the relatives.

After that we left. My eyes were swollen from all those crying. I never realised I could grief for someone I did not know too well this much. My heart still aches as I type these words. I know my husband will want to visit the family when everything is more settled. I hope we will be able to speak some words of comfort to them. So to Yoges, you will be missed, not only by those who love you and loved by you, but also by those whose lives you have touched and those who have often admired you and will continue to remember your cheerful and pleasant personality. Farewell, Yoges.

For further reading about Yoges, go to :

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/12/8/nation/2748212&sec=nation

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Frontpage/2421982/Article/index_html

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Frontpage/2422681/Article/index_html

Culture

I am not talking about how cultured we all should be. Nor am I talking about milk culture ... Vitagen or Yakult kind of thing. I am talking about school culture. Specifically the school spirit. The last two years I have been mourning the death of the school culture / school spirit among students. There is little pride in the school among most of my students. Yes, they cheer and and shout when the school team does well in a competition. That's as far as the school spirit goes. They do not think that they are part of the school spirit, contributors of the school pride and feel that sense of belonging to the sisterhood of SMKPSA. Why do I suddenly go into this? The last few weeks have been a series of disappointments to me. I see how a lot of students do not bother and care about integrity. A lot of them have the kind of apathy that we all do not hope to see in the future generation. Every time a question is asked of them if they would like to be part of something organised by the school, the kind of answers I get are "What for?, Why?, Lazy-lah, My parents don't let"! What's wrong with that? Absolutely nothing and everything. Nothing because some things ARE beyond your control. But the answers also show how interested and enthusiatic you are (NOT) in the programmes. Let me give examples :

The Monsoon Cup performances - This is one very disappointing topic. We were approached to perform for the Opening and Closing of the event. Also to cheer the teams that were competing. It would have pretty much paid for all the Cheer 2009 expenses. A total of up to RM8500 would have changed hands and not to mention the exposure the girls would have. Plus a PAID holiday in Terengganu for a week. Even if we were to go for only the Opening or only the Closing, we would have been paid about half of that. A very big sigh here. The money could have been used for various things, not just cheer uniform and coaching. Could have used the money for Cheer Jam!

Conditioning Camp - It is sad that only 11 students turned up. The school paid for everything, from instructors to food to VCDs. There were so many who just brushed off the camp. None of my cheer girls went, none of my QMs went to help. None of the girls who had potential in athletics went. The only ones who were there were a few netball girls and a few softball girls.

Cheer Jam - I just found out today about this event called Cheer Jam. No one bothered to tell me about it. How many are going? I don't know.

The post-PMR trips - Many signed up ealry, How many went? Everything is on a hangat-hangat tahi ayam spirit. I was disappointed with the way things were going.

These are just some examples. There are more. I wonder why there is so little pride in the school among the students, and among the parents. It would be nice to have a few more parents who actually become involved in part of the school programmes. We could do with a few more Mr Madis.

Disappointment

Tomorrow the school will be having a 4 day conditoning camp. The purpose is to condition the school athletes physically so that they are better prepared for sports season come January. In addition, there will be team building activities to get them all in the right frame of mind for competition. It's a good thing, isn't it?
However, sad to say, response from the students is lukewarm. Some are not even interested. This is sad, esp since the school is paying for everything, and Ms Liew is organising everything, right down to food. I'll be there tomorrow morning. We'll see what the response is really like. Some of my QMs will be there to help. I hope my cheer girls will be there although I have not heard anything from Mag.