small to BIG

It is always good to dream big and be successful. Just need to bear in mind that big things always start with small things...

The tallest building in the earth started with a small brick, RM1 000000 started with 10cents and big comfy pillow started with a little small feather.

It is really fine to achieve something small first in order to get something bigger. I know that sometimes on the way to being big, the journey is not going to be that easy. People laugh at small things...people make fun of it...people do not even notice! You know what? that is totally fine.

The most important thing to learn is to experience the feeling through the tough journey. So that in the future when we become big, or not or whatever happens...we do not have to become like the people who laugh, make fun and do not notice the small thing. We become better than that and appreciate people around us :)

PS: always enjoy playing jigsaw puzzles

second book teaser #3

OK. This is the final preview and teaser for the second book of Life through my Eyes. Soon enough, you can see the full version of the book! :) 

This is exciting. Malaysia, United Kingdom and Ghana! 3 countries in one book. There will be so many stories that can make us think about life and education and actually beyond that. 

I believe that this book is important for this time being, important message for us :)

PS: I love the colour of the book and how it matches the first book! 

The Perks of being ICT Literate

Yesterday I went for a conference - Digital Education Show Asia 2014. There are many things for me to learn and share. It is amazing to hear about what is happening out there and in Malaysia itself in education through technology. This kind of event brings people from many sectors, mostly ICT and education, to sit together and discuss.

One interesting part that grabbed my attention was about the usage of ICT in schools in Asia and in Malaysia. Mainly about the acceptance of teachers and pupils of the usage of ICT in schools. Questions that came to my mind: if it is not now, then when? if it is now, then why?

I think whether we like it or not, it is now already - the time for us to make our new generation of pupils and students to get involve with virtual learning environments. It is already time to prepare them with ICT literacy. We all need to be open to this. Technology will keep developing, so will education...we cannot expect technology to develop but we want to stay in the same place, the same work, with the same expectations, trying to ignore all the developments in technology around us. We use it all the time in our daily life, but when we are in the school, we suddenly take technology as a burden...hm...

It is very important for the next generation to be prepared and equipped with technology literacy. It is important to make sure that we are open to the benefits and perks of the virtual learning environment.

We cannot expect people to develop technology in education and at the end of the day we turn back to the traditional way only. I think that sacrifices need to be made in order to let something new to start and change this situation... What do you think?

PS: no more excuses maybe?

super power!!! :D

                                         Superhero name: apistakkisah

                                          Age                  : 20+

                                         Superpower      : ability to see own/other people's true colour

                                         Origin               : Hijau Kuning Land

When I was young, (probably even now...sometimes) I always dreamt of having some kind of super power. You know when you watched too many cartoons or read too many comic books then your imagination started to go wild. I always had this craziness about having the power to fly like Superman or the sharp strong claws like Wolverine or a spider web to jump here and there like Spiderman!

I don't have that kind of super power. But I still feel like I have my own super power. The power to see my own true colour or other people's true colours! ahaha....how? through reflection!!! I think it is great to learn through reflection. Even though sometimes too much reflection can bring out negativity...like depression or sadness... but let's focus on the bright side. Even having the power like Superman, Wolverine or Spiderman there will be a negative part as well - the villains that hate them and always give trouble for them to settle. Think and imagine the same! :D

OK me and my super power. You and your super power. Have you recognised your super power?

PS: in the mood of Superheroes because too many Superhero movies coming to the cinema!!! :D

treat opinions and ideas well

You know that I'm not always right. You should also know that you are not always right as well. opinions are just opinions. It does not mean you need to agree and it also does not mean you need to disagree. You can have your opinion about something and so can others.

It is very important to appreciate an opinion and treat it well. Or you might shut people off from giving their opinions and ideas. Sometimes we tend to forget about this. We tend to think that only one thing will be right and the other thing will be wrong (at least by the way we treat it). The next day, we realise that actually the opinion and the idea that we thought were wrong are the right ones and the other way around.

I like to see that ideas and opinions should be wide and free. To be open minded. To be treated equally. How many great stories are there about opinions and ideas that were initially turned down suddenly becoming big? (For example: Harry Potter, Facebook, the earth orbits around the sun). An idea that was once impossible and unimaginable suddenly becomes real and big!!!

Let's now started to appreciate ideas and treat them properly. No harm to have a think about ideas and opinions from others and put them aside nicely when not right yet. Who knows what will happen in the next seconds, the next minutes, the next hours and the next days!!!

PS: keep thinking :D

weather = feelings

sunny to happy ; rain to sad ; cloudy to moody and so on...

We see the weather changing all the time. In a day, sometimes we see it has changed three or four times, and sometimes it stays for a long time...for example sunny and dry for a long time... If we reflect on our life, there are so many similarities with the weather that we can learn from..that we can make sense of. If we feel so up, tomorrow we might feel down...sometimes we are so sad that we cry. Tomorrow might be something good waiting...

We can use this as a way to calm down and to remind us. We are so close to the nature. Nature always reminds us of who we are if we take some time to think about it and reflect :)

PS: It's raining here and I have canceled my plan to go out! :D

Feeling settled

I have found that feeling settled is really important. What I mean by settled here not just about being environmentally settled when you move to a new place, but also being socially settled.

I think that people can only perform well when they feel settled where they are and who they are dealing with. It's very different when you meet a new person, for example, for just a moment when you present something, compared with when you meet a person and know that you will be with them longer such as when working with them. These are two very different circumstances.

A person can be very confident to give new ideas once they feel settled. They can come up with good reasoning and also clear answers when they been asked by anyone that doubt with their ideas. Settled means feeling comfortable to share new ideas and opinion. This is similar to children in school. I still remember teaching year 1 class where the kids are in their first year of schooling. In the beginning month, some of the kids were very shy. It took some time for them to feel settled and confident to give responses. There were some kids who settled straight away on the first day; at the same time there were kids who took more time...even to the end of year. I think all teachers can relate to this.

That was an example from children and I do believe that it is similar with adults in some sort of way. Not everything, but we are human beings and, whether we like it or not, we act similarly to children in certain ways (I hope this is not too complicated to understand)

Allow people time to feel settled. Allow people time to feel confident. You do not have to push. The more you push, the more you push people far away from what you want them to achieve.


PS: Keep trying...!!! ;)

#PrayforMH370

The flight MH370 is still missing. This is a very sad news to hear. There is not much we can do but to pray for the best... Hopefully with all the efforts of searching and investigating, the issue will come to a conclusion. The supports are needed and negativity should be hindered at this point. Glad to see other countries gave supports and helps.

MH370 we are all waiting for you! 

Let's us all pray for MH307!!!

materials matter most to you?

It is so weird that sometimes people react negatively to positive energy. Feeling threaten probably? It is so weird that sometimes people tend to underestimate something straight away just because of the way it looks. Is the world today made of appearances only? So, if you are not up to a certain level and don't look the same way as people around you, then you are not good enough? So sad to be in the world where materials matter most.

In the education world, especially being a teacher, this attitude is overrated. Or else, pity the children; the students. They can never be able to develop their confidence or feel appreciated if the teacher judges them in favour of materialism or appearance. What matters most should be the individuality. To accept and support the person in whatever ways we can. Yes, that is what a teacher should do. Support the students to the fullest!!!

I hope that teachers all over the world have this attitude in mind. So that the message will spread and hopefully will inculcate all human beings in this world. Let's celebrate and appreciate everyone around us and make sure that we do not underestimate any. ;)

PS: Avoid bullies! Check out this awesome entry about preventing bullying in  Frog - The Pond

Second book teaser #1

I am now working on my second book. It has been edited a few times back and forth between my editor and me. I am really excited with this second book. I will only announce the title near the time when it will be released.

The same publisher, MPH and it still about my journey in the education world. Probably you should started to read the first book again to get the idea and the tone of my writing style. Life through my eyes: A teacher's Little Steps towards Perfection.

I am now sitting in a cafe, doing more editing for the last stage. Then, it's all about deciding the cover  and so on. I am very excited and I hope that you guys are excited for the second book as well!


PS: I Enjoy reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green! 

Just go with it!

Believe it or not, my one year studying International development and education changed a lot of my perceptions and beliefs of this world. especially towards society and education. The experiences that I have been through, living, studying and making friends from all over the world, experiencing new cultures and adapting, are experiences that can never be exchanged by anything! Priceless!

It was a very different experience from when I went to the UK on a visit, with a group of students, compared to going there all by myself. There, on my own, my survival skills were at the edge and the push factor made me try to adapt my thinking to fit in with my friends. I'm so glad and happy that I chose to do this course! 

Some people might think that they understand what I experienced. They assume they know about it but they have never used the same road that I chose. They have never experienced the difficulties and challenges. All they can do is to just assume and then throw out their opinions. I always appreciate others' opinions, but then again we can never push people to think the same as what we are thinking right? Or else there will be no variety in people's behaviour.... We might think we understand and have experience of studying overseas, but we have not experienced the same situations, the same friends, the same thinking or the same environment. 

When I was in Ghana, I experienced the feeling of respecting each other. Whatever colour you are, whatever your race and your beliefs, you work together to achieve something without having any doubts. In Malaysia, the problem of negative feelings towards other races is quite big, even though it is often unspoken. I guess we need to find a way to be more tolerant so that we can move forward. The differences that we have should be celebrated, not condemned. The different backgrounds of my course mates who went together with me to Ghana made me learn so much more! China, Australia, UK, US, Greece and Nigeria... such a great group! 

I have made a big decision in my life... Yeah, I believe some people agree and some disagree with my choice. Still, no one knows better than yourself. Whatever happens happens and it's time to take some risks. It is easy to stay in the same comfort zone, but then you can never know how much more you can go and achieve...

I am not sure where my decision will lead me. Maybe good, maybe bad...but if I do not make this decision, I guess I will never know at all... The process of learning has not ended yet and I want to take this chance and learn more. No one will understand this probably, but we live just once and I choose not to live by others' opinions of what I should do. Probably some want to see me fly higher and are honest with me; but some probabaly can't wait to clap when they see I am falling and fail. Still, I want to make my own choice even though it might be the worse choice ever in other people's minds...I want to make the biggest contribution that I can to other people, to education, to society. That is what drives my decision, my choice, my life.  ;) 

Better to regret doing rather than to regret not doing it at all...

Video Games!

Do you like to play video games?

I enjoyed play video games sometimes. A long time ago, when I was a boy, playing video games was not that popular, but because of my family background, it became exclusive. My parents' views of video games was that they were something bad and a waste of time and so on.

Now that I am an adult (enough...ahaha) and technology has developed so fast, video games are usual things. People play anywhere, anytime; any age. You do not need a particular device anymore, as you can even play using your phone or tablet or what ever things applicable now. Ahhh... what is not lucky to be growing up in this era! ahaha

But do we learn something from video games? I found that everytime I play a video game, definitely I want to progress. Yeah, from one stage, I want to go to the next stage. I want to win the battle, the fight or whatever is needed. I tend to feel bored if I stay on the same stage and then I start to find a new video game to play.

Isn't that what life is all about as well? Finding the next stage and doing as well as we can. Try and try but if it does not suit us, try something new. If only everyone could adapt this to real life right? ahaha...I also hope for the same. Sometimes the eagerness to play the game (fantasy) is much better than the reality (life)! Something to think about maybe?

PS: Suggest me some video games please :P

underestimate??? whyyy????

Do you realise that sometimes when you tell people something, or give some advice to them, actually you are also wanting to advise yourself ?

 I love to see when other people start to underestimate me. I do not know why people like to do that. Probably I do the same sometimes. But I will try not to. Why would you want to underestimate other people's capability when you do not know the person yet? Should we just see the appearance and think that the person is a good person? 

I do believe that appearance is very important. If you are smart and confident, you attract people as soon as people see you. However, it still does not represent every part of you.

I prefer to know people more. Learn about them. Know them. Appreciate them. Do not think that you are better than someone else just because some one else does not wear fancy clothes and is.shy. We learnt and know about multiple intelligences, about the difference in people's behaviour. Sometimes other people take time to shine but when they shine, no one else can beat their shine!

So, let's us not underestimate anyone!  

PS: think twice (or triple) before you speak

listen and observe

The best way is just to listen and observe. Learn from the observations, learn from what you have listen. Sometimes that what you can only do. Think about stuff that happens around you... Find the opportunity to contribute. Listen and observe does not mean you are not clever enough to contribute. It just a way to find the opportunity... If we too rush, probably the opportunity is a bit slow and if we too slow probably the opportunity is fast!

So, better listen and observe and catch the opportunity straight away when it comes!!!


PS: Miss teaching!

how do you measure your success?

I'm not sure why I want to write about this... I don't even know it is right or not to say this. But as per usuaL, I just write what I feel I should write...probably something that keep coming to my mind or probably just some kind of reminder to myself...or probably both! 

I'm quite lucky that some interesting things seems to happen in my life and career. I guess there are more people luckier than me out there. I also think that everybody are lucky in their own way. Everyone can be lucky if they think they are lucky ;) Even negative things that happened to us can become lucky if you turn it around and think differently...but I guess no one can be that positive. Life is always up and down...

Success??? How to measure it? Do we need to measure it? Or will it just create negative feeling inside our heart like feeling "too proud" and "show-off". Feel like we are the best one and no one else can be right or better than us? Can success be measured when people started to back stabbing each other to achieve the goal? Is that consider success?

Hm... but still, It is important to note our achievement... to realise the potential that we have...cause sometimes we never really know what people see in ourselves. Only by looking at ourselve through other people's eyes...

Egh... too tired already to keep writing tonight. Like I said before, I don't really know what I am saying here. Let just think about it together k! ahahaha...

PS: rilex-rilex sudah...

who should you listen to?

be a part of the community or not to be?

People will always tell you their opinion: do this, follow that, trust this and opinion towards everything. Sometimes it is so difficult to make a decision because all the opinion and suggestion that people tell you sounds interesting and nice and really good! So who actually should you listen too?

I have been on this experience for so many times (not trying to show off here...ahaha read the next sentence k). I guess it is the same with you. Even when you were just a kid, you already need to decide or follow what your parents think what is the best for you. But that was when you were a kid. Believe it or not, it is easier to follow rather than to decide...even at that time you feel stuck and rebel of your parent's choice!!! ahaha

I guess being a grown up is tougher...now it's time for you to decide!!! Decide everything... I mean everything!!! From small thing to big thing!!! Still whatever the decision there will be pros and cons...so, I think there are no right or wrong when you decided...It's all about walking through the decision that you have already made...

Who should you listen to? I think its you yourself! Listen to your heart and your mind...consider all the opinion and advise given by all people around you... and go with it! You know what you want...

ps: adapting to traffic jam!!!

advice from an old lady

When there is a lot of stress and problems, what will you do? Going through or giving up?

I met with an old lady in a coffee shop. She sat next to my table and started to talk to me. She was a very friendly, warm and easy going person while busy treating herself to a cup of tea and a bowl of soup.

She told me about how nice Cardiff was, especially the village community where she lives now. But I was really interested to listen to one story about how good her memory is. She is 85 years old this year. All of her friends started to forget a lot of things but not her.

It is the power of reading! Yeah, that is what she told me. She reads lots of books and still continues to do so. She said to me that she visits the library all the time and join a reading group there. The most important place in her life since she was a small girl! So good her!

I wish I love to read as much as her as she said to me "Reading books takes you to all part sof the world".

By the way, I already selected 5 persons to receive postcards. I  already posted them! I hope you will like the postcards :) Thank you for your emails and support ;) Visit their blog here:

Atiqah (www.umealong.blogspot.com)

Syafiyah (www.sedetikdenyutannadi.blogspot.com)

Nizam (www.iwritetheblog.blogspot.com)

Syakila(www.syakilahisam.blogspot.com)

Kong Suk Ching (www.cassiewonderland90.blogspot.com)


p/s: obsess with jigsaw now!

it takes some time

In order to achieve our dream, we need to have a lot of patient. I think it is very important to have a strong and concrete base to build up the dreams. Sometimes, our desire to achive something or to get something make us feel upset and then resulted dissappointment.

This is the problem that we wanted to avoid. So I suggest that build the dream in the level that you can bit by bit. To achive the big goal, target the small goal first. Once the small goals done, you will find that you will be much motivated to go further.

In the same time, open and make sure all your senses are ready to sense any apportunity around you. While you try to achive the small target, who knows that there will be surprised opportunity comes across for you to hit! But, as I told earlier, do not focus on this opportunity but focus on the small target. Only if the opportunity come accross then you can hit it!

Ahaha...OK, enough of talking. I hope you will understand what I am trying to say here. I am still in Hari raya mood at the moment. I have an amazing Raya celebration this year. everything happened just make me happy. If you near to Alor Star, come by and visit me and my family ;)

ps: positive, negative both important and both are life! :D

Just teach!

Something that I learnt from teaching in this school is about 'just teach'! OK what I mean here is that sometimes we care or worry too much about the condition of the environments, the lack of resources, the ability of the kids and some other stuff that comes in and is a problem to us.


I think after a while teaching, I found that sometimes we just need to ignore all the stuff that can make us feel disappointed or less motivated. We just keep teaching and keep doing what we can. Even sometimes I do feel it is really difficult to handle slower learner kids when I teach some complicated mathematics formula, but I just keep teaching it to them. Even though I realise that maybe they do not get it at all yet but I just want to include them in the learning and teaching process!

One important thing that I put in my mind is that I cannot expect all of my kids will get what I teach them. Even I do not know when they will get it. Maybe the mathematics element that I teach today will only get to them in the next 10 years!

If I put so many barriers or worry, I don't think it will help me, neither will it help them. The class is mixed with high achievers, middle and lower achievers which sometimes it makes situation real difficult. The different abilities of my kids to one another is because they are at very different levels where some of them can read, some of them are struggling to understand BM, some of them still do not know numbers and there are 25 to 40 in a class! :D

I believe that when a teacher goes into the class, and has the spirit to teach and learn from the kids, they will find a way! There will always be a way!

p/s: Just do what you can do even some people not get it! :D

we see what we want to see when we want to see

Have you ever experienced a situation where you just realised that a place that you search for and want to go is situated just near the road that you regularly use? Or, have you ever realised that there's a scratch on your car yesterday but you don't know when it happened? (don't go check your car yet! :D)


We see everything we want to see using the beautiful eyes that we have. but sometimes, we just see the surface. We always refuse to see deeper. We only go deeply when something happens or something triggers.

I think, sometimes when we have time to pay attention to what we see, we will discover much more. We will appreciate things around us much more. We will realise that a tree is not just a tree, but it is a complex living thing. The more we see and appreciate things around us, the more we teach our heart to care. The more we care the more we feel better!

p/s: I'm attending a sports course at the moment. The practical session made me remember the old times in the teaching institute with my friends! I miss those times so much!