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And because I feel like cheating, the last entry I wrote around the fifth of September and shouldn't publish because I haven't got round to publishing it for so long...
Actually, while I don't have an internet connection is a good time for me to write for my blog, isn't it? I also have commitments to my personal diary - a betrayal to any online readers, I know - and my 'teaching journal' which I do actually write to substantially.
Maybe it's all wrong; maybe I should be publishing what's in my books and restricting this blog to myself!?! I know... I'll start publishing samples from my personal diary, and might make either a new blog or publish samples from my teaching journal here. That's if I get round to it. I promised to get all my photos up over a year ago!
Well, there is good news: My 'netbook' computer, the ASUS eeepc 1000HE ---..................... ..... ........ ........... is finally ready to be picked up from the shop in KL. I was using it for only three weeks before discovering the left click was stuck - but I think it was still working with the mouse. Anyway, It's been well over a month since I took it back, and almost wish I hadn't, and had instead waited till I go to UK and got it done on the international warranty there. There were taking so long to have it ready and hadn't contacted me before the end of August so my friend phoned them and spoke to them bluntly in Malay. On the same day they phoned me back and told me it was ready for pick-up! They told me that was the "good news," and that the "bad news" was they wanted me to tell my Malay friend not to be so pushy and not to "try to f*ck with [them]" because they had warned us not to when we first returned it! They were mistakenly referring to the friend who took me to KL; My friend who spoke with them is Javanese. Anyway, I'll be seeing the cheeky bugger again soon (for 'laptop comel')...
That was "well interesting."
The bad news is that the existentially themed wiki page I published as "WikiWhy - A Nihilist Bible of Nonsense" after a certain person and I wrote philosophical prose in her school art book and titled it "The Book of Why" has probably been packed in along with the whole website I used to publish it, Seedwiki.com.
There is also tragic news, which you are aware of if you have any connection to the community of Mullumbimby or the high school there. It's not the headline of my entry because it's not really something I want to discuss here in detail - only acknowledge. Also, I'm in Malaysia now so I'm not real first-hand experiencing the atmosphere of my home-town right now. I know that my mum will be attending a funeral today though, which is not something she often obliges to.
I'm here in PD, trying to warm myself up to brainstorm ideas for a meeting I'm having later, after teaching classes, with a company employee from KL who wishes to prepare and market a short English course for the local hospitality and tourism service industries. There are lots of hotels, resorts and spas in the range of this new language centre branch.
I'm generally feeling quite sleepy these days because I'm trying to follow some muslim friends with their fasting program, 'puasa' in this month of 'Ramadan.' Many of my friends don't know yet, so this might be a surprise for them. Actually, I've learnt that I'm still quite capable to teach - even though my working circumstances haven't been reformed as they would be for most muslim businesses - as long as I stay relaxed, despite the mostly mild feelings of hunger, thirst and fatigue. My main worry now is my nutrition, because I haven't really been in the mood to eat much after 'buka puasa,' which means 'to break fast' and takes place after sunset. This means I also haven't really been thinking about what I eat, and I've hardly eaten fruit for days (or nights - rather).
One of the best things about this time are the 'bazaar Ramadan,' markets selling all sorts of food, drinks, snacks and meals, in the afternoon in every part of town.
Written by choben at 05:56 PM.
I've been told I'm a very lucky guy. I've also been told I'm "so unlucky." I certainly feel guided by whatever force you would call my intuition. I do notice those recurring problems but regard them only as trivia, lessons suited to my life experience. Doesn't sound very funny yet?
Last week on Monday night, I was locked into the stairwell and upstairs section of my workplace in Seremban by newly transferred staff from KL. I had no phone credit and very little battery, so I turned off my mobile 'in case of emergerncy.' I also realised that in many buildings, including this one, the fire escape is always locked by key; There is a very low likelyhood of someone escaping a fire that way, even if they were granted responsibility for the one-use key. I threw a minimal tantrum after confirming the only way out to be by leaping onto the roof of the lower floor of the building across the lane. I then went to sleep on the floor in the corner of a classroom, away from the windows and mosquitoes...
I was woken up in the morning by a fellow teacher who switched on the light in curiosity. I was then given an apology by the jolly new admin manager. The previous night I had, of course, planned my exit in the morning to be let known with a blunt "Tell Singapore I'm on PAID leave today." I realised the futility of this idea after a nap in the staff hostel and simply accepted a lift with a student to the new language centre in PD to teach my lessons.
The following Friday, I opened the same centre myself to find the electricity had been cut. So with no light in the window-less classrooms and no air-conditioning, my class eventually relocated to the terribly hot and dusty (from renovations and uncovered concrete) unprepared front room for the first two lessons until the bill was paid and electricity reconnected.
I am also expected to put my (new) passport back into the hands of my campany again to be restamped and processed! With the help of my knowledgeable friends I investigated the alternatives and found few others, but will insist on keeping my passport on me in the future.
Plenty more has been going on but I'll leave it here, and suggest that I'm lucky there was no fire on Monday night (and that I managed to sleep in the morning hours rather than wait in a craze), that I didn't have to pay the bill, and that I do actually have a passport again! Hey, my friend smashed the front of his car last night; the poor bugger rather depends on it too!
I won't mention the other unfortunate details of my employmet with this company here, but you'll be further intrigued to know that I've agreed to stay until March now before going to UK. Personally, I don't have alot more room for patience though, so 'who knows?'
{ mood } content
Written by choben at 12:56 PM.
