Occupational Hazard

It's a Wednesday. I am supposed to wrap-up all my classes by this week. Yup, it's week 14 in the course outline people, and many uni students are nervously waiting for exam week to begin. To me, what the week signify is that time sure zooms past! Tonnes (that's British metric system) of work are still left idle, serenely untouched, propped up at various corners in my office. the office is not as dingy as maktam's, it must be said, but all sorts of work-related papers are lying around miserably still. This week I was confronted with a few issues, like trying to decide whether to go to Bangkok or Penang for urgent meetings (of course work-related! I mean, hello...). For some the choice is rather obvious. I checked the valid date on my passport. Yup, we're good. Then again, Bangkok is currently bedlam, at least in some parts of the city. Protesters are taking to the streets, proof that democracy is alive and well but since I don't speak Thai, I am thinking..hmm..maybe NOW is not such a good time? So, that leave the option to drive up to Penang open...

All this made me think. I thought being in the teaching profession is a relatively mild sort of job, you know. the type of work people won't die in...but I am looking at things a little differently, now. We teachers are exposed to all kinds of occupational hazard. Well, I suppose all professions have their own sort of inherent or in-built risk factors but don't you go write us teachers off just yet. It's a no brainer that stress is a major cause for all sorts of diseases. In my line, we have stress for breakfast!! I mean, try teaching your child something good for them? Tricky? Well, now try teaching other people's child? Education is hard work. Then somebody said, teachers have all these spare time and holidays they could take. Itu pun hazardous. Don't get me started on travelling on local roads. Nk g meeting abroad pun, cam nak g Bangkok misalnya...susah jugak bila ada internal issues cam tu..so you see...life is hard. For everybody.

Tapi, really.Don't get me wrong. I am forever thankful for everything that I have. Syukur Alhamdulillah. We tend to only look inwardly kalau ada masalah. Trying comparing yourself to mereka yang lebih memerlukan. Muhasabah diri sikit. Memanglah manusia, mana ada yang cukup. I want to be mereka yang dah merasa cukup. Very tricky. Jangan stress out too much. Stress boleh, cikit2. Just know your limits lah kot...senyum, be brave and the rest, they say is biology!

1 Syawal 1429

It is actually the 8th of Syawal. Moi is back at work after a lo-o-ong raya break (at least it felt like it). Feeling moody and cranky today, the flu is setting in I think..been reading the sibling's postings and felt like a new post is called for. As per maktam's and maksu's postings, raya in my household is all about food, drink and be merry. And fireworks on the takbir night (where we do not have any tarawikh to perform). We have more ammo than we usually do the last two years. No 'KLCC" type extravaganza, but fun all the same. No police this year peeps, so that's an improvement! Were waiting for hadi the bilal to finish his rounds of takbir so we started quite late. The encore was almost midnight, I think.

This is the first year of raya without my late mother-in-law for my hubby. After much discussion, it is decided that he would spend two days of ramadhan and two days of syawal at Talang. He was accompanied by Afiq and Achap so Anchaq and I will spend raya in Sungai Ramal Dalam. Maybe this week Anchaq and I will go back to Talang pulak. Tukor shift gitu. More importantly, tengok my dearest father-in-law and everybody back at Talang.

Pagi Syawal, the usual drill. Masjid Hasanah is THE place to go. Baba went to pray somewhere else, Desa Surada and ended up jadi Imam (hmmm?). Back at home after prayers, start balik with the food. This year is a tad different. No nasi2, it's laksa time..scrumptious as usual maktam...hurrah!! the gateau du jour is sponsored by mak ngah. Secret Recipe's of course - chocolate strawberry (pls refer to maktam's blog for pix) - yes, start drooling!! And then off to umah Paman sebelah makan soto lak..kak mal and kak ipah's family on tow. I think we are seeing a pattern here people! Pastu g SA umah bangmim tgk my aunty. She looked well. Another round of assault on the ketupat-rendang. yum.

The next day, for lack of nothing better to do, I just casually cook for the household. Nothing fancy (really maktam! especially if it comes out of the packet)..just leftover urat yang we braised for hours and turn it into 'gulai ceghoi'. No pix of it which is sad, but it sure taste nice!! My hubby said so!! Oh speaking of which, die balik on the eve of the second raya to pick us up at my mom's. Lepas makan the biryani-wannabe, we head home. Anchaq tinggal umah ambah. Malam tu, Kema lak sampai dari KK, dengan Yong and hubby. All in all, that is Syawal this year. A time for family. It has been been a subtle one for me, but it did not lose any of the excitement. So, here's wishing everybody "alfun mubarrak, kullu 'am wa antum bikhair" from anchaq dan co ! I miss Ramadhan though..