Survivor story 1

As the blog's url is misssurvive, I have one survivor story today. I woke up late today...around 6.50 am...usually I wake up at 530..Luckily my husband managed to wake up from our deep slumber and he said 'honey, you're late, rite? my shirt, have u ironed it?' I was like 'ok...blame it to my mobile phone...out of battery' ( so yeah..it was my fault. I didn't charge my phone battery last night). Then I said 'it's ok...u go and take your shower first..i'll settle your shirts, socks, pants everything'. While ironing, i kept thinking about my class which shall start at 830..but I have not prepared the materials yet! which I have promised my students yesterday to have a reading class.

Last night, I told myself, it's ok..I'll wake up early the next morning and go to office early to do the xerox process. But look who's talking!!!! Then.. I was done with ironing and went to take my shower as quick as I can (people know me as a miss-forever-in-a-bathroom). Then I performed my Subuh and quickly running down stairs to kiss my MIL and FIL's hands and headed to office. Duhhhh! It was a bad crawling today from Kota Kemuning toll all the way to LKSA..The route which usually takes only 15 minutes to arrive Section 9, has gotten me 35 minutes today.

I reached office at 8.10 am... and was hoping the photocopy machine will not give me hard time today as it did yesterday. I have 15 minutes left to go to class...I had so many plans in my mind as alternatives if the photocopy machine won't cooperate with me today.

Plan B: Give each student a copy of newspaper cutting (which I bought last month). Risk and disadvantage: they will not have a same text to read. It's going to be out of control. The lesson objective won't be achieved.

Plan C: Bring them to the lab and provide them a link to a website where they can read one particular text. Risk and disadvantage: Most of labs are fulled and occupied at level 14. and I know this lab at level 8 but I am not sure about the condition of the internet connection, the pcs, etc. I need extra time to prepare for it. And I know my students. They will have other better things to do if I let them use the pc- facebook, twitter etc..

Thus, I went to the machine, recited bismillah for few times together with akak cleaner (she always knows I am having this love-hate relationship with the machine) and the miracle begins. It worked! I managed to make copies of the reading text and exercises (around 90 pages in total) in amazingly 3 minutes! I am in love again with the machine! mwah mwah mwah (over plak). Then 8.25 am, without wasting time, I headed to level 14, went to the classroom and of course I was the first to enter (as usual, my students loooveeee to come late to class). I smiled and knew it, I am a survivor.

As a happy ending it may sound, I managed to get a very good piece of reading text and exercise. It is not too difficult, not too easy. They love it. I am sure they did learn so much today on the comprehension, vocabulary, giving solutions and opinions, critical thinking skill and a lil juice of subject verb agreement towards the end. And, most importantly, out of the rush-hour I had this morning, I managed to put on a very comfortable and lovely outfit (in my eyes, at least) ;)

Long Hiatus

Alhamdulillah, it has been two weeks that I am here – working with a new organization, somewhere closer to home (10 mins closer i guess haha), in fact closer to a lot of places that I usually go to, and guess what, it is located inside my favorite mall where I usually hunt for dresses and hijabs!

Allow me to tell you that I am now working with an international university, a Malaysian branch.  specifically is surrounded with Middle East environment which its nature of work seemed more or less the same than what I have done before. The only, perhaps the main difference is that, the areas of English language are confined to a more specific purpose. Oh, and guess what, I am loving it! It has been a long time since I felt happy waking up in the morning to go to work!

Did I mention that I had an agreement with my husband that I ought to find a new job within a month or two post-resigning? Yes, the process begins here.

After I resigned, I listed say, about 10 possible institutions for me to apply. I did it regularly. They included a wide range of organizations – universities (of course), learning centre, editing, you name it. I even applied for some positions via Job Street. But deep in my heart, this place where I’m in right now is the place that I had my interest most. Not only that it is located in Shah Alam (yes this was my primary concern) but also the career progression that I am able to obtain here is wider or greater, in my humble opinion. It required me to apply online, then to show my keen interest in joining this organization, I sent a hard copy resumé coupled with a cover letter. I remembered I sent my application online twice.

The next thing I know, I received a call, asking me to come for an interview for the position that I wanted.  I actually received numbers of calls asking for interview and I did attend all the interviews scheduled and I could declare myself as 'Ratu Interview'. Just imagine, in those 3 months hybernating jobless, I did attend almost 20 interviews haha... and out of that number, I got 3 job offers only haha! but those 3 calls were either for the position that I was not interested in, or it is too far or the pay offered was too low. . So when I finally got ‘that’ call, I was excited yet so nervous.

Then the interview day came.The first interview began before a panel of 2. It was not that formal because they were really looking for a lecturer so particularly they were asking me 'when can I start'. It went well, if I may say, Alhamdulillah. So I was hoping to get through to the next stage.

Little did I know that the second interview was as soon as the following day.  2^nd stage interview was done by an internal management panels. There were 4 of them, one Malay man (the vice academic), the other three men are from Sudan, Iran and Nigeria.  As easy as that, I called them two days after the interview to know the result (being me, i am so impatient type of person) and the hr lady said 'yes, I was about to call you and asking you when can you start?' Then, here I am, already two weeks here, teaching and experiencing new environment with different academic ambience.

I reported duty on 17th September 2013 and so far, I’m loving this place. The place is beautiful, the people here are so friendly, no senior-junior shiz, more respects etc. The work is do-able, though I may have to do a lot of reading still. I’ve never felt this ‘useful’ day in day out for a long time and though it has only been two weeks, I have been exposed to a lot of things.

What do I like about this uni:

1) it's office-hours starts from 8.30 to 5.30. So, i do not really have to crawl in a massive traffic jam as most of working people in Shah Alam go back at 6 pm

2) Honestly, I have always prayed and wanted to become a better muslimah and Alhamdulillah Allah is answering my prayer by placing me here. Here, the dresscode is totally different from what I used to wear in my previous workplace. Here, the working attire is influenced and guided by Middle East Culture. You have to cover your aurat. But, as usual, I'll wear what I feel most comfortable with, I don't really wear abaya, I wear somethings those I used to wear before, but added with inners, wider shawl and a pair of socks! And Alhamdulillah... I hope this will be my attire till jannah :) InsyaAllah

3) I just need to teach, teach, teach and doing a lecturer's works! Full stop. No more admin, event, marketing, outstation, weekend tasks like I used to have. Yippeeee

4) I am teaching proficiency subjects which I feel more competent and confident with.

5) Parking is very easy because usually I reach office very early.

6) Most of the teaching materials are ready. You just need to go to class and teach!

7) Since it is an international university and 60% of people (staff and students) here are foreigners, English is a must. I love it. Definitelly I have to converse using this language and keep improving my accent and structure. Remember, practice makes perfect.

8) So far, I don't really have so many works sto do. Thus, i rarely feel tired when I reach home and I even can entertain my kids up until midnight!

9) I always love my colleagues in previous place and they are like my sisters and can not live without them. However, my new colleagues are the people that are so close to Islam and Alhamdulillah, I am so blessed.

This place challenges me to better myself. I can feel it. Let’s just hope that this feeling will last long cause I may have spoken too soon haha!