The end of a beginning...

Alhamdulillah...home sweet home...I left Perkampungan Orang asli Kuala Boh, Cameron Highlands at 5.00 pm, and arrived at my house in Pekan at 11.00 pm...it was raining all the way.

My team and I managed to finalise the final arrangements and preparations for our programme next weekend. Ibu Noor, the owner of Sri Pahang Rest House entertained us with delicious nasi lemak and lemang for breakfast. A brief meeting was held after breakfast and Cik Hamimah, the KEMAS Supervisor for Cameron Highlands, who happened to be Ibu Noor's eldest daughter was also present.

We left Sri Pahang Rest House at 2.10 pm, heading to Perkampungan Orang Asli Kuala Boh using the muddy Bertam Valley - Pos Menson route. The distance between the former and the latter is about 13 km, but the journey took about an hour due to the bad condition of the road. I salute my driver Nazri for his driving skill! Even my clerk Darolhisham who worked in construction business and often travelled off-road prior joining the University said the ride today was his most challenging off-road experience so far!

We met Tok Batin Nordin, the headman of Orang Asli settlement in Kuala Boh to update him about our programme....and before we left the village, we visited Cikgu Jeffry who was a retired teacher at his house. Two of his daughters work as KEMAS teachers, and Ibu Noor had asked us to meet Cikgu Jeffry and his two daughters and asked for their assistance. Alhamdulillah, we didn't face any problem so far...

May Allah Taala hear our prayers...

Call of duty...

Though still on leave, i'm obliged when the call of duty comes. I just arrived in Cameron Highlands at 5.30 this evening. I share the exhaustion with my driver Nazri, my clerk Darolhisham and my student, Fairul, the President of Insmartive Club. I was made adviser for a community service project with the Orang Asli community of Cameron Highlands, organised by Insmartive Club next weekend. The students came to see me and asked me for my assistance. We'll be meeting the representatives of KEMAS and JHEOA tomorrow morning to finalise the arrangement and preparation for the programme.

Having served the University for almost 4 years, student development remains as my major interest. I'm grateful to be posted in the Student & Alumni Affairs Department on the early days of my service and I totally enjoyed the job.

When one is hired to work for the University, whether he likes it or not, serving the students' needs will always be the top priority, whatever his position or designation, be it gardener or Vice Chancellor. If one wanted to join the University just for the sake of money (...or crony!), that would be the beginning of a disaster!

Our students need members of staff who're committed to guide and counsel them. Those who would facilitate, not complicate. Our students need to be guided and grooomed as future leaders, and thus the staff should serve them profesionally and treat the students as adults. Many are still confused between dictating and guiding. Some of us thought that we've done enough to guide the students, but in reality we're dictating them! In the "Myth of a University", Guy Fitch Little explains that a university should be the cradle where future leaders are generated. The question is, have we done enough?

So, facilitate, don't complicate...as for me, the students will always be in my heart. Dear students, you're just like my own brothers and sisters! ;-)

My kind hosts...

At last...here I am in the world of blogs.

Still on my Eidul Fitri leave...i'll be working back on October 13th...the longest leave I ever take so far.

For the past 7 days, I spent my leave visiting various places in Perak, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu...a practice that I started since last year's Eidul Fitri.

I'm grateful that Allah Taala granted me the strength and courage to finish the 7-day trip of 1,700 kilometres from October 3rd to October 9th, driving my Kenari alone...an experience that I'll never forget.

I'm much indebted to the kindness of my hosts throughout the trip...my ex-student, Shamir Adnan in Bukit Mertajam on October 3rd and 4th; from October 5th and 6th in Sungai Petani with my colleagues Zulhelmey (Law lecturer at UiTM Kedah) and Syaharsani (Advocate & Solicitor in Butterworth), both were my roommates in UIAM and Syaharsani's wife, Jamiza (J-QAF teacher in Penang), who was also my coursemate in UIAM.

I spent the final days of my trip with my keluarga angkat at Villa Rahmat, Pasir Mas from October 6th to 8th.

The final night was spent in Kuala Terengganu, a plan which was not originally on the itinerary...but thanks to Muhammad A Zamani, my coursemate in UIAM and my roommate in UIAM's Matriculation Centre in Petaling Jaya wayback in 1999 for the splendid dinner on October 8th...a mini reunion actually, the last time we met was during our convocation day on August 2004.

One thing for sure...you're not losing anything by being kind and friendly to other people, be it older or younger than you. A friend in need is a friend indeed. I'm grateful that Allah Taala has blessed my life with these good and kind people as my friends and companions.

People might say that I had wasted few hundred dollars 'unnecessarily' for this trip. I don't mind. For me, life is not all about money. I always believe that apabila kita tidak berkira sangat tentang harta dan wang ringgit untuk kepentingan peribadi, Allah Taala juga tidak akan berkira melimpahkan rezeki-Nya pada kita. Think about it...