Tahun Baru Azam Baru

Long school holiday with my 3 kids passed by. We send Amir off at around 11:45pm on the nite of 31st Dec 2007 to MRSM Kubang Pasu, via PLUS highway on board Transnasional bus together with 2 other of his friends. He reached Alor Star at 4:30am. Check-in to a cheap motel that charge RM15 for about 4 hours awaiting daylight at Shahab Bus Station. After a nap, nice bath, put on the batik uniform, good breakfast, they took a taxi to MRSM with RM20 fee shared by 3. The registration day started at around 10am. The fee RM540 and pocket money of RM60 for him. Needs to spend RM165 for text books at later stage as MRSM was not eligible for the free text books provided to all schools under Education Ministry. Pitty isn't it. MRSM is under Kementerian Keusahawanan.

On the 31st Dec, earlier in the morning took care of our youngest kid Iman entering form 1 Dinamik at SMK Bukit Sentosa. Attended the briefing and informed that about 800 students for form 1 enrollment this year with 22 new classes. Thats right 22 classes. She is in the 6th best class based on her UPSR result of 3A 2B. They do the filtering up to 3As and the first 5 classes were mean for 4As and 5As. The total student population of the school is 2,800. She got the free text books. We spend RM65 at the koperasi shop & another RM78 on various fee. Throughout the school briefing I cannot help but noticed the majority of the teachers are voicing their problems especially on the infrastructure and highlighting their hardworks for some attention. But the parents such as me also have tons of problems to deal with and sometime we don't want to here another problem but to focus on the solution to the problem. Hmmmm.. another word we have enough headache already. But anyway I very much agree that we as a parent need to pay full attention to the kids especially teenagers. They are in a transition period that need to be guided and put in a good direction and proper perspective.

On Wed 2nd Jan 2008, I got to take half a day off to send my daughter Nur Farihin in a rush before 4pm to check-in at her hostel at SAMT KKB, her current school. I first thought form 4 students will start the schooling at a later stage and not at the same time as the rest of the students. My call to the school office around 11am proof otherwise. She got 4A 4B 1C in her PMR, way below her expectation of 8As. As a result she is not eligible to enroll in Science stream. We apply for a transfer to another school, SAMER that have Science stream earlier as well as to get a new environment for her. But based on the result, even if the application for the transfer was approved by Jais, the best class possible for her is in Account Principle class. Yesterday, she called and told us that at SAMT she is in the top class of 4.1, which is the Account Principle class anyway and sound quite happy about it. SAMT-KKB do not have Science stream. So my wife and I are thinking, probably she should just stay put at SAMT-KKB. Her ambition all this while is to be a doctor and enroll in medic school in Russia most probably will not materialize. She is afraid of blood and most things associated with doctor operational works anyway unlike her sister Iman. So we advise her to become an accountant instead inline with her qualifacation and line of study now. She bought the idea. May this be a new beginning for her.

With those things settle down I am back to office. Put aside those holiday moods where I managed to take up quite a few days off utilising my annual leaves. It bring me closer to my kids by doing things together such as gardening, riding the scooter, play badminton, go to movies, go to malls, and solat berjemaah. With 2 out of 3 kids staying away then the noisy situation for the past 2 months in the house has gone back to quite pace. When they are around sometime we wish they go back to their hostel, but when they are gone how we wish they will be back home. Normal isn't it? Anyway kids growing up. Physically they will be going away but spiritually they always be close to us no matter what. My wish is Amir to learn from experience and surrounding himself with positive friends and value. Hope he realize sooner the significance of this year especially when SPM will be about 300 days around the corner. I pray to Allah for Amir to get 10A in his SPM and have a chance to study at one of the good college overseas or locally under MARA scholarship. I hope to personally guide Iman to be better. And as for Farihin we will giving her our attention and aligning her back to the right direction in the big picture.

My azam baru for this year is to try seriously on writing a book. Tunku Halim's creative seminar at MPH on 20 Jan 08 can be a good start. I also want to read more books this year. My target at least 2 books a month. Or better still a book a week. Hmmm at least 30 good books this year...yapp. Read Qur'an everyday without miss. And those personal debts, hope to somehow find a solution to manage it and finally make it gone. Help me Allah. I pray for good health. I want to have healthy living and peaceful life. Istiqamah in every little good things that I can possibly do. And to my wife, all the way with our FZ Frozen Food business.

Happy New Year To All !!