Volunteer orientation

When I was asked to share my experience as volunteer in GS, I started to count the years. This year is my 5th year working as volunteer tutor in GS. However, it’s only my first orientation last Saturday. Hehe! Although I have attended many events before, it’s the first time such orientation for volunteers was being held. Not many had come though but good enough to start off the first step.

Volunteers in GS are divided into few groups: academic/tutors, counsellor, home visit and school visit. The biggest group of volunteers, of course, is the academic/tutors group. In this big group, it’s further divided into different subjects. Unfortunately, I’m the only one in the Malay subject group. Many tutors are in the English subject and a few are in the Maths subject. Many I have met before during events and some I have known for years as long as I have been a volunteer. There’s also a new volunteer who tutors Account and hopefully another volunteer would join soon, I heard. The most wonderful was my first ever student was sitting next to me, joining us as volunteer as a way for her to give back to the home that she lived for years before finishing SPM. Hehe!

The purpose of this orientation was to get to know each other more and share experience. It’s going to be more like a support group for each other. I think it’s a great idea. We shouldn’t work alone on our own. We should work together to achieve better results with the girls. The best thing about this orientation was I got to meet the volunteers that pay home and school visits. Their experiences really gave me the sight on the other side of the coin. These volunteers share their experience of what they saw during home visits to the girls’ families. Some stories were so sad that make me feel grateful for the life I have so far.

I just feel that my decision 5 years ago to become a volunteer was the right one. I have never regretted my first step. Of course, it took me a lot of efforts to help in whatever way I can. However, I’m truly glad that I have at least made some difference, no matter how small, in someone’s life. Especially when that someone turns to you one day and tells you that she’s thankful for the help and time spent all these years. That’s what keeping me forward…

 

It’s time to retire

I’m not talking about my career or that I want to retire early. I’m still young, not yet reaching 30 (but near, sigh), so no way to retire so early. Hehe! However, I’m going to retire from my tuition jobs. For the time being. My tuition with these 2 kids for 5 years has finally come to an end this month. It was quite a sudden decision by the mum. Financial limitation, she said. I totally understand. I was going to reschedule this tuition anyway when my master classes start soon, so now I don’t have to worry about it. I can still get my weekends. Hehe! Of course, the first person who takes this as good news is my darling. He said he’s happy that he finally gets back my time for him. Haha! Finally he gets to see me more often after work during weekdays, he said. Hehe!

Honestly, I’m a bit sad that I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to my 2 students. As I said, it was a last minute decision. However, I’m proud of my students of so many years. I could really see progress over the years and I’m hoping the one in Form 5 is going to score well in her SPM. Time really passes by so fast. 5 years with them. I still remember the time when I had to shout at them just to get their attention. After years, I could finally got them to be interested in their studies and they would start asking questions. I’m extremely happy to answer questions, you see. When they question, it means they take note of their lessons.

Anyway, it’s time for me to take a break from tuition jobs. I’m getting ready to start my master degree soon and I want to pay more attention to my own study for the near future. I’m still doing my volunteer tuition with PKGS but it’s definitely needed to be rescheduled when my class timetable is out. I can’t retire totally yet I guess. I just love to teach and share knowledge. Hu hu!

 

Lay Partners

I have learnt a new term “Lay Partners” since yesterday when I attended a Good Shepherd Partnership gathering. For the first time, I visited their other establishment other than the one they have in Hulu Kelang. Our gathering was at Villamaria Kindergarten in Medan Damansara.

It was my first time attending such gathering too where it involved a lot of parties that made up the Asia Pacific Good Shepherd Sisters ministries. There were the Good Shepherd Sisters who came all the way from Sabah, Ipoh, Singapore and Philippines, the lay associates (those volunteers who are truly committed to serve), volunteers and staff.

Our agenda for the day was quite pack which scheduled to end around 3 p.m. We started at 9.30 a.m. with a morning prayer. Of course I didn’t actually join the praying coz I’m not Christian but I observed during the praying as respect. Our representative for lay associates started the first session with the history and introduction of the foundress of Good Shepherd Sisters, St. Mary Euphrasia. It’s not the first time I heard about St. Mary Euphrasia as her name has been mentioned all the time during other gathering. However, it’s my first time hearing her history and how everything began some 200 years ago. It’s amazing to know her great works during the difficult time of French revolution yet she had achieved far more than expected. She’s the one who started the Sisters of Good Shepherd where the motherhouse is still in Angers, France, and until today the Good Shepherd Sisters have a presence in over 68 countries.

We also had presentation from a Good Shepherd Sister about the great works and challenges St. Mary faced during her time. She further explained that during that time, St. Mary wouldn’t be able to achieve so much if not for her good friends and partners, a Count and a Countess (which I forgot the names). That’s how the Good Shepherd Partnership started and until now this partnership is still ongoing with us, the lay associates. After that, we were tested in a quiz about all that we had learnt in that session. It was all fun and laugh. My group excelled in full marks. Thanks to the Sister who were sitting in our table. Hehe! Then we took a break for lunch and we continued for another session after that about the works that the Good Shepherd Partnership has achieved so far.

I have never thought that with my joining as a volunteer tutor in PKGS, I’m now a part (even very small in my opinion) of a bigger foundation who does great community work around the world. I’m amazed with the whole thing and the amount of work being done by so many great individuals. It was really an eye-opener.

 

It’s back to work

for my tuition.

My tuition works start late this year. My first class only starts today. I’m taking everything slow and steady. No new classes but just remain all those classes that I had last year. However I have one class less and no longer work on Friday. Hehe! For the time being, I will have classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I still reserve Wednesday and Thursday for my volunteer tuition at PKGS. I just received call yesterday to confirm my volunteer classes this week. This year I have more students at PKGS, I heard. Eight for SPM and four for PMR. I don’t know yet how many new girls and will the old girls miss me? Hehe! I will probably know more tomorrow.

Futhermore, I have been invited by the PKGS Sisters to attend a meeting this Sunday. The primary objective is to discuss our volunteer role and probably how to take it to higher level and see how best I can contribute. Although I have been working as volunteer for 4 years now, it will be my first time to meet all the volunteers that have been working for years in PKGS. I’m totally excited about it.

I’m happy to start work too. I have rested enough for two months though I truly need to refresh all my ‘tatabahasa’ before my classes start. Hehe!

 

Thank you

I had an eventful Sunday. We woke up around 8 a.m. to have breakfast with the family. It had been quite some time since we had breakfast together with the family. It was a simple breakfast but I appreciate the quality time we spent with my darling’s father, his sister and family. Our nephew was happy to see us of course. He even got hold of me to play UNO with him and he won. A six years old won over me. Haha! We had a great morning.

Then in the late afternoon around 4 p.m., I had appointment with PKGS. Remember the invitation I got. It’s on last Sunday. I had great time there being entertained by the girls’ performance. They danced, performed a skit entitled “Our Inner Journey at PKGS”, played piano and presented us the volunteers wonderful gifts of their own made cookies. And we played a lot of games with the girls’ families and other volunteers plus the Sisters. It was a lot of fun.

  Here is the backdrop…I bet it must be the artwork from the girls…

 This is part of their skit. To show us how much they have benefited from joining this center.

 The piano performance is done here. Two of the girls performed. Both of them had never learnt piano before they came here. They played beautifully. They are quite talented.

 Meaningful vision and mission of the center that guide us all…

I’m truly honoured to be there. I could see the girls had put a lot of efforts into the whole event. They had improved a lot since they first came. Some who couldn’t speak English can now speak a few complete sentences. I’m amazed how much they have changed. I’m glad that I’m part of their lives as the Sisters continuously telling us the volunteers. No matter how small is my role, I’m honoured to have a small part in their lives, hoping to make changes. For some who are leaving the center soon, I truly wish they will bring whatever they have learned at the center with them in the outside world.

 And here is the gift I got…nicely wrapped by the girls…I still haven’t tried the cookies yet…I bet they must be yummy because they made them from the hearts…

 A message with the gift: “Gratitude to the memory of the Heart”, St Mary Euphrasia (the founder of the center). “You have touched our lives in a special way and we are grateful, Thank you, PKGS Staff & Girls”…

You are welcomed. Hehe!

 

I’m invited

It’s the time of the year again. I’m invited to Volunteers cum Family Day by PKGS, the place where I work as the volunteer tutor.

 A special made invitation card. It’s simple yet it’s lovely. I like the phrase “Give thanks with a grateful heart”…it truly touches my heart.

This will be my fourth year with this center and my third year attending such event. It’s really a good event where all the volunteers and family of the girls meet up once a year. The girls will have performances either singing, dancing or/and playing the piano. Then they will provide us (the volunteers) lovely gifts as token of thanks. It’s really heart-warming to be the receiving end once a year where I don’t have to stand in front of the whiteboard and talk. I would be part of the audience where the girls do all the talking (or rather it’s singing). Once a year, I will enjoy a show instead of giving one. Hehe!

Some of the girls will be leaving the center soon as they finished their SPM. This will be my last chance to see them and send farewell. Hopefully I will still have chance to see them in the future. By then, they will be all grown up and hopefully I can still recognise them. Hehe!

 

End of tuition days

As of beginning of this month, I’m officially on holiday for all my tuition jobs. No more class until probably next year January. As I’m holidaying, I found myself getting real lazy. I spend my time watching movies at home after work every night. I didn’t read anymore on the SPM and PMR Malay. I practically put all the reference books away. I know it’s bad of me. I need to do more homework and brush up my skill instead of lazing around like that. I’m actually feeling guilty here. Hehe!

However, on the bright side, my darling doesn’t complain at all because I have all the time for him and him only at home after work. No more rushing for my tuition class on Fridays, so we enjoy eating nice dinner out on Fridays. Hehe!

 

Crucial teens

I normally don’t chat in my tuition class. I don’t ask questions that are not related to my subject. However, don’t know what came over me, I was chatting up with my students last night. I recently got these few new students that came to the welfare home, where I am the Malay language tutor. In the middle of the school terms. I have never asked them their backgrounds or the reason they are sent over to the home before. But I got curious last night.

Their reasons are not unusual. They ran away from their home and after that the parents have no other way to reform them, they sent them to the welfare home in the hope that the Sisters and staff can reform them one way or another. What surprised me was the way they were telling me the reason. One of them could just laugh and smile while telling me that her mum always beats her, that’s why she ran away three times before she came to the home. I was HUH??? Why did she think it’s funny? I’m totally shocked by her way of telling her story. Another told me that she ran away from her home too. But not because of family, it’s because of her boyfriend. Yet she told me her boyfriend has another girlfriend and he admitted it the other day. Sigh! What kind of life my students have? It keeps me wondering. And worried.

What is happening to our teenagers nowadays? Broken family. Uncaring parents. Wrong circle of friends. Too doted on one’s child is ’killing’ the child too. I have seen the effect on one of the girls before when the mum just gives whatever her daugther wants. Right now, she’s not studying and keeps on asking for money to go out and enjoy. What kind of life will she have later? Apparently, no life if this continues. And we cannot do anything as the mum does not want her to stay in the welfare home anymore. So that’s the end of the story…on our part anyway.

As a tutor, I cannot do much to make a difference in their life other than focusing on the subject I tutor. I’m trying hard to make them understand the importance of education in their life. I can see some of them are getting my message and trying to make a change in their life. I’m glad and proud of them. Unfortunately, I feel I have failed to reach some others. Sigh!

Working as a tutor in a welfare home really opens my eyes. It keeps me wondering too. Can I be a good parent to my children in the future? Can I guide my children to the right path? Will I still have all the patience I have now with my children? I’m not so sure now and seeing the teenagers nowadays, it definitely makes me scared. Sigh!

 

Common comment

It has become a very common comment in my class that they can easily use up a few exercise books in less than a year. They said so because they have never done so in their life before my class or even in school. Surprise? Initially, yes. But after a few years tutoring, I have grown used to such comment. Not sure whether this comment has actually scared my new students or not but I feel it’s rather an indication to them that it’s never idle in my class. There’s always ‘homework’ or exercise for them to do. There’s always some ‘karangan’, ‘tatabahasa’ or ’sastera’. The SPM students run out of exercise books the fastest as their exam format is all subjective questions. Hehe!

My SPM class last night has started whining. I gave them ‘bina ayat’, ‘menyambung ayat’ and ‘kesalahan istilah dan kata’. Normally, they just hate the last one. Identify ‘kesalahan istilah dan kata’ is the hardest part, according to them. They have no choice as this is part of the compulsory question 3 in SPM BM Paper 2. Question 3(d) to be exact, which carries 6 marks. Although it’s not much marks, but it’s still important to determine the As and Bs or even Cs. Hehe! Another question that normally makes them whine is ‘karangan’. They have this kind of mindset that ‘karangan’ is very hard or ‘I have no idea what to write’. I practically force them to write. Of course, I have to guide them somehow. Never give them the answer right away as they will not learn that way. Always ask them to give their answer and then correct their answer for them.

That’s only my theory as I believe in learning from own mistake and spoon-feeding will make a person dumb. Hehe! So, there’s no spoon-feeding in my class. Even learning vocabulary too they have to find the meaning themselves. Dictionary is your best friend in class. There’s no easy way out. Not in my class anyway. Hahaha!

 

Walk to work

Since we started to carpool to work, I have changed my schedule and the journey to my tuition classes. For three Tuesdays in a month, I will have to drive to work myself because my tuition class on Tuesdays is at Bandar Utama from 6 to 8 p.m. So, no point for my darling to wait for me.

For every Wednesday and Thursday, I will have to walk to work. Hehe! Not to work as in my day job but walk to work for my tuition classes. Haha! You see, I have been working with this welfare home in Hulu Kelang since 2005 as a volunteer tutor. For twice a week, I have my classes there for the teenage girls who live there. All these years, I was driving to my classes. For the first time in my life since last week, I have started to walk to my classes. It’s not easy to walk, I tell you as this home is situated on top of a hill. And yes, I walk up the hill twice weekly now.

See the red Kancil? That’s my car. My darling will drop me off and I will use the overpass to cross over the main road. My darling would wait until I have safely arrived at the other side, hence that’s where I took this photo.

This is the overpass in Hulung Kelang before the Ampang exit. Luckily, there’s this overpass otherwise my walk-to-work will not materialise.

See, this is the road up the hill that I have to take. It was not easy the first two times but I was feeling better walking yesterday.

This is only half way. Still more to go.

This is the hardest part. The stairs. The first time I walked it, my legs were in pain. Clearly, it meant that I was not fit. But I was feeling alright walking it yesterday. Just have to remind myself to breathe. Hehe!

At last, at the top. Phew!

Lastly, another short distance I have arrived.

So, for twice weekly, that’s how I walk to my tuition classes here. After my classes, my darling will come to fetch me. Of course, he will drive up the hill to fetch me by that time. Haha! No way walking down the hill in the dark. Then we will go straight to my in-law’s house for dinner and bath just to save the time and the journey back and forth to our house.

Honestly, I think my new schedule is brilliant. We get to save more petrol with me walking more. I get to exercise and hopefully burn more fats. Haha! According to my darling, the best part is we get to save more electricity and water by bathing at my in-law’s. Haha! Definitely the cunning one, my darling.