Of Courses and Styles

So as an English teacher, I've to go to all sorts of courses. In fact, I believe I'm the teacher with most courses attended in a year. How can I substantiate this claim? When the time comes to submit SKT (a performance report in which teachers fill up the info of our activities and contributions annually to be evaluated by our bosses), I have to print out extra papers to list all the courses I've gone to in that particular year.

Whenever I go to these courses, one thing that I can observe is how every teachers, especially females, dress up in their Sunday's best (though the course might be held any other weekdays). If they wore Batik, you can guarantee the batik will be littered with diamonds all over. And their tudung? Elaborated with all sorts of motifs and of course, a big ass brooch to complement the look. If they wore normal kurung, you can even see the pleats where you can detect that the kurung has just been sewn; probably just for this auspicious occasion to get out of school filled with snotty-nosed kids to someplace else where nobody knows you ( sometimes that's not the case as courses are great opportunity to meet up and chat with old friends from other schools) and play dress up for the day.

Bein Kelantanese, these women would take out every jewellery from the hiding place to be worn for these courses. During these times, you can see walking Christmas trees. Christmas trees huddling together in a corner and as the Malaysians say it 'anyam ketupat'. Christmas trees walking in files to get the refreshment and also Christmas trees promoting products.

As for the guys, I don't think they think too much of what to wear. Because I've never seen male teachers dress up like Adam Lambert or Lady Gaga when going on a course.

As for me, I wear the school batik today just because after this course, I'll be going back to the school for PIBG meeting. Yes, that's how much I 'love' my school.. Pooh.. And when I go for courses, I make sure I bring along all sorts of notes, a story book and my tablet so I can fill up my time with beneficial activities like reading and posting on Blogger while waiting for the course to start. Yes, we are not living in Japan. Where everybody respects time and shows up on time. This is Malaysia!!!!!