School and Fasting

I was so grouchy and grumpy waking up at slightly before 7.00am this morning. Makes me wonder how I'm going to be able to wake up at 5.00am every weekday morning to go to school. >.<


I was absolutely delighted that the Officer at the Putrajaya Education Department, Pn. Khairul Bariyah gave a pretty simple briefing that did not last for hours and revolved around the same darn thing which could have been said and done with in 15 minutes.


I like her. She was warm and had a friendly face, and had a knack for putting people at ease :) Unfortunately, the only advice she wanted to give us was to "be careful". Why? Because many of the children who go to these schools in Putrajaya are sons/daughters of Somebodies. Maybe not the Menteri's kids, but possibly the Menteri's driver's kids--okay, maybe they're sons/daughters of People-who-think-they-are-Somebodies.


Anyway, she kept trying to make us feel better--which makes me wonder if things aren't worse than they appear. She'd say something bad, then quickly add, "But don't worry, it'll be okay," accompanied by a huge smile. For example, she told us we have to be careful because some of the parents of the kids we'll be teaching can very easily make trouble for us trainee teachers on the most trivial of things. That there were even cases of sexual harassment complaints when the teacher merely patted the student's shoulder, or something. :O But don't worry, it'll be okay. She told us that most of the Putrajaya schools have a ton of programs and activities that are carried out throughout the year, and being trainee teachers, we'd most likely be given the most 'donkey work'. We'll be extremely busy, being in charge of this and that. :O But don't worry, it'll be okay.


Are you sure? @.@


It is a strange sensation: to be somewhat excited to finally put everything that you've learned for the past four years to the test, to meet the kids, to get to know them, to find out if you can really do this--teach. To learn new things, to love your students and have them love you back. And yet, simultaneously, to be utterly terrified, wondering if you'll screw up on the first day, mess up your first impression, forget the right words for a vocab lesson, teach the wrong thing, or if your students will hate you and you'll have no choice but to admit that you're just not cut out to be a teacher.


I can only pray and hope for the best. Really.


Fasted lunch today, since it's already the Lent season. I was supposed to start yesterday, Ash Wednesday, but now that you've seen the food at Zest Cafe & Restaurant, you tell me, how on earth could I have given up on a chance to taste that?!


Had to battle hunger pangs today, even by 3.00pm. Which is normal, seeing as it's the first day I'm fasting. I know that eventually, it'll get better, and I won't feel it so much. 1 down, 39 more days to go. @.@


But I enjoyed this lovely mango juice smoothie at KTAMS today for only--can you believe it?--RM 2.00! Elsewhere, at cafes and such, it'd most like cost you at least RM 4.50. Nothing better than a sweet mango-ey cold drink on a hot day!

The mango smoothie is really a little bit of heaven!

And sometimes I feel that, having fasted, I appreciate my dinner more, and the fact that I can have something nice for dinner. :D

Yee mee pork noodles + egg :)

Driving home tomorrow, alone. Hope Q will be all right for the journey. And I'll definitely be praying for calm, and courage.


See you on the other side! :)