A superior American School System?

Why the American Education System is superior to the smartest of our Smart School System



(FIrst posted in April 2007)

Lately there have been a lot of talks about smart school or making our school smarter (pembestarian sekolah), and not the kids I guess! I guess this is due to the so-called smart school conference that is going in KL right now. In the news last week (Thu nite 19/4) was one of the directors of the smart school program (most likely of the Education Ministry) blowing her own trumpet; on how when she was in Philadelphia on a similar conference, the authority there in the US was amazed about our smart school program and all the facilities that we have here in Malaysia. “Things they don’t even have in the US,” she said, condescendingly. 


Wow, I am so proud, our schools are better than schools in the US. Tabik Puan. Yeah right! Typical Malaysia Boleh attitude. I have heard on too many occasions how we keep on telling ourselves that people from another planet think so highly of us! We love making statements like that, especially when it is good for our ego. You go to a conference in the US for 3 days and that gives you an authority to speak on behalf of the American government and people.

I smiled wryly. Assuming that she is correct, I think this another thing that is bad about us. We only think of the physical facilities and never of the human aspect of it - of the planning, the training and the commitment and to be honest, on how we, in general, view the education process of our children (i.e education is not a burden to the government but an investment, education is not about making money from school and unversity fees etc etc). Oh, and don’t forget our (exam-oriented) syllabi. Call it by any other name, but bunga tahi ayam will always have a stinking smell! (Sorry...but on the other hand, the Kemboja is still as sweet especially if planted in the graveyards!)

In 1998 Arif, my eldest went to primary school for the first time for his standard 1. For a couple of days I was there in the school in Kuala Ampang. On the very first day, the teacher was already shouting at her students (basically to keep them quiet), and within a week, the kids were starting to memorize the multiplication tables.

Three months later we left for the US, and my two sons had the opportunity to go to the US school (Arif at Lloyd R Ferguson Elementary in League City, TX (near NASA) and Akmal at League City Elementary for pre-schoolers).

Caption: The location of LR Ferguson Elementary school in Clear Creek and League City (near Houston). It is only a few miles from NASA HQ and is located near the scenic Kemah. The picture was taken during a visit I made during the school hour in 1999. Note the classroom arrangements compared to ours. Ferguson elementary has a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1 while Akmal's League City Elementary has a ratio of 14:1. Compare that with Hussein Onn secondary school of ~35-45:1. Our schools are better? You be the judge. (MRSM KB during my time has a student ratio of 24:1 while MRSM Merbok has a ratio of 23:1. Not bad eh MARA?)

Let me relate this story. One day, Arif came back with a note from his teacher requesting that he brings a hose and a wire hanger. I was puzzled with the instruction, went to K-Mart looking for the garden hose. Well, at US$25, I was not willing to spend on it. So I took the note to the department secretary, Jane, and asked her about the hose. She was puzzled herself, but told me she will find out.

An hour later, she came to my room looking very pleased that she had solved the mystery. “Panty hose, Rahman,” she told me, “Your son should be bringing a panty hose to school!” Ah well, I should have known better. Panty hose is only 99 cents a set.

The next day, my son brought back – guess what! – fish made up from the panty hose, and the wire hanger. What will the school and teacher think of next? To me this is the creative side that education system in America is trying to impart to their students, while we in Malaysia are too regimented with memorizing multiplication tables. 


On the very first week, mind you! 


Every week Arif and Akmal would be bringing back some work of art that I would never have thought of doing with my kids. No wonder American engineers are more creative than their Malaysian counterparts! They were taught lateral and creative thinking from elementary level. If you ask me, the wire hanger is for hanging the panty hose!

Because of that, I think very highly of the American education system – it is worthy to be emulated in Malaysia. You know when I think about this, I think this was what En Wahab Alwi had envisaged for MRSM when he chose to emulate the American system as a model for MRSM (amongst others The Bronx School for the Gifted in Science in New York City). We were nearly there, my friends, we were nearly there, I must admit, but for the curriculum and the SRP and SPM exams that we still have to sit for! (The American system was dismantled after a few years; we are not known for having the willpower to stick with anything!)

Caption: Arif and Mrs Lancaster in their classroom. I was very impressed with her patience and the facilities in the class, unlike the bare minimum we have in our classrooms in primary schools. Trust me when I say what they have there is so much better than the best of our best primary schools. Oh, and the red t-shirt he was wearing in this picture, that was part of the class projects. The pic on the right is the birth cert of a 'scarecrow' they did as a class project. Unfortunately we lost the 'fish' project a few years ago, so can't post them here.

I once had an opportunity to talk to his class teacher, Mrs Lancaster. While we were chatting in her class, one student of Vietnamese descent went to her. Now, if we were in Malaysia, I am sure the teacher would shout at him or at the very least told him to sit down and do his work while the teacher is talking to a parent. Instead, she went down on her knees (to be at the same level with the child), and said, “Yes, dear, what do you need?” I was astonished by her very friendly response to her student. And for a full minute, she gave him her full attention. If only teachers in Malaysia can be more attentive and supportive to each student in the manner Mrs Lancaster had for her students. Don’t get me wrong, I am not blaming entirely to the teachers – they had too many students in the first place (read the captions above). I think we simply need to change our outlook at how we educate our children. 


This whole system need to be revamped. Parents included!

Caption: Akmal and his new found friend on the very first day at school and with his teacher Mrs Wolff. This class is for pre-K and it is part of the League City Elementary School (i.e. not a private kindergarten. Yes, they have pre-school session of 4 hours a day for a child 4-5 years old. Here in Malaysia, the government takes no responsibility for children in that age group and we had to rely on private kindergarten to do the job for us). Everything was free and so was the bus (you know the yellow American school bus). We didn't have to fork out anything - no school fees, no uniform to buy, no coop fee and other miscellaneous fees to be paid. Education is free - the way it should be. Food is given to those entitled for it (and that includes Arif and Akmal). Here the government just went back on their words on a free text books from next year!

As for Akmal, then a four-year old, I was at school on the first day towards the end of his pre-school (pre-K) session in League City just to ensure he would take the right bus home So I waited at the side of the school, watching Akmal from afar, i.e. basically out of his sight. Soon a teacher would come over to me, inquiring about my presence there in the school compound (which was not fenced). She was very polite though. But that basically tells you on how alert the teachers and staff were on the schoolchildren safety.

Two teachers for a preschool class of less than 20 students. Mind you they were not rookie teachers.

When we arrived at KLIA (we left using Subang Airport) for the first time, while I was admiring the marble interior of KLIA, what my son said will forever etch in my mind. “Abah, why KL has such a nice airport but has lousy school, while Houston has such a lousy airport but has very nice school?”he asked me.

Ah well, what can I say? I didn’t teach him to be to be so critical, but how right he was. It is all about priority my son, and obviously currently education is not a priority. We are putting on the emphasis on the wrong things - biggest this, longest that. (I must admit tho in the 70s and early 80s, the government of the day had their priority right.) But that my sons, is for another blog!

(Arif was so observant. Houston’s Bush International Airport (IAH) was in a perennial state of construction when we were there. I think even in 2005 it still was still in the same state.)

Epilogue

I don’t claim everything is perfect in the States and I don’t claim I know everything either. I am not a product of the American education system, nor do I work for an American company, so I know I am not biased towards their education system. I do know that one swallow doesn't make a summer either. As with any system, you do have faults here and there. But seeing what Arif and Akmal went through in elementary schools there and here in KL and from my own experience (and I don't believe smart school will lead to the dismantling of of our exam-oriented syllabi) led me to my conclusion as articulated in this piece. But this piece is not meant to be a PhD thesis!

I have read the paper titled The Malaysian Smart School - An MSC Flagship Application. I think even the title is too much about technology, and it is too idealistic. As with any Malaysian project, I worry about how long it will last and its maintenance.

Jejak Kasih - Kampung Haraban, Bukittinggi

ProLOGUE

This article was originally written by Latif at izzuddinjanaton.blogspot.com on Monday about the trip he and yours truly made more than 12 years ago.

I thought I should give my two cents here, eventhough I have to admit that he remembers a lot more than I do. I am not modifying his, but would try to make the transition smooth to my two cents so that it becomes a conversation.

MONDAY, 26 JULY 2010

SARIAH - BULAN - FATIMAH ZAITON - ABDUL LATIFF JANATON

Latif:

Seawal usia 5 tahun, saya sudah meminati lagu lagu piring hitam yang dimiliki Emak/Bapak. Sering, emak akan memainkan piring hitam bila kelapangan. Antara piring piring hitam simpanan Emak : Tety Kadi, Orkes El-Suraya, Lilis Suryani, Titiek Sandhora dan Muschin, Tiar Ramon,Titiek Puspha, Rafeah Buang, Kak Pah, Andre Goh, Sarena Hashim, Habibah Yaakob, Hasnah Harun, A Ramli, J Sham.

Ya, banyak koleksi Emak/Bapak ni.

Rahman:

Hey, you forgot my fav Uji Rashid and Julie Remie.

How could you! ;-)

Actually there are over 300 vinyls in my collection right now, the bulk of them, of course, are mak's and bapak's. All of them are in working condition including those mentioned above by you. Of course they are all priceless collections, but I think the ones I coveted the most are the 78 (rpm) vinyls. Typically they are PRamlee's and by others, so they are all rare. You are looking at vinyls dated the 50s and earlier. My most treasured Indonesian album would be the one that contains songs like Fadjar Menyinsing, Babendi-Bendi, Gadih Minang etc. I have looked around at Jalan Surabaya, Jakarta for a replacement since a small part of it is broken, but could not find it anymore.

I guess with no TV around then (in our household), the vinyls were our only source of entertainment. We had no complaints before and to me I appreciate it more (that we have no TV then) as we would be able to remember those special nights when Mak and/or bapak would play the vinyls.

Those were the truly special nights.

Latif:

Ingat lagu J Sham tak? 'No 66, Jalan Tampin, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan ..." Kelakar lagu ni, sebab beri alamat rumahnya sekali. Bila remaja, baru saya kenal siapa J Sham. Pensyarah Muzik disalah sebuah IPTA .

Rahman:

Yes, for sure, in fact according to J Sham, this is the only song in the world with the lyric being entirely the content of a letter. I am not sure though if the address existed then, and especially now. We have that album, but nowadays for me it would be lagu Di Pinggir Kali.

Latif:

Tapi, mengapa emak dan Bapak begitu meminati lagu lagu dari Indonesia ni? Saya tidak tahu hubungkait lagu dan keluarga saya. Sahingga memasuki alam persekolahan, darjah 1 dan 2 di Lenggong. Mungkin suasana persekolahan di daerah pendalaman, anak anaknya lebih bertata tertib dalam perhubungan. Bila memasuki darjah 3 di SR KIng Edward VII-1, baru timbul pertaanyaan mengapa nama saya ada Janaton seiring dengan Abdul Latiff.

Kata emak, itu nama keluarga. Saya tak ambil pusing dari mana nama itu datang, tapi katanya, dari Indonesia jugak.

Rahman:

Well, back then I guess Indonesian songs were a bit more classier than ours, and as the big bro in our (Malaysia-Indonesia) relationship, we tend to look up to them quite a bit. Then too, Bapak has a lot of Indonesian novels especially of Bung HAMKA. In my mind, they set the standards back then, and we were playing catching up. Anyway, I thought I remember that conversation of yours with Mak at our Balai Polis Aulong house. But back then I guess, there were more important bread and butter issue than family roots.

Latif:

Apa yang saya mahu ceritakan ini, adalah perjalanan saya dan Rahman, dalam menjejaki salasilah keluarga keturunan Emak, dan bukannya keluarga Janaton.

Sebenarnya , saya takut untuk sendirian ke Indonesia. Pertamakali menjejakkan kaki ke Indonesia pada tahun 1995 ke daerah Kerinchi, lewat Dumai-Pekan Baru-Bengkulu. Waktu itu baru lepas kejadian gempa bumi yang meragut berpuloh nyawa di daerah ini.

Nanti akan saya rekodkan kisah perjalanan pertama saya ke Sumatera.

Dari sini, saya tekadkan , saya mesti menjelajah ke Sumatera Barat lagi untuk menyusuri Nenek Sariah.

Seharusnya sesuatu perjalanan itu dirancang, tetapi, kalau dirancang sangat, selalunya tak menjadi. Jadi, bila Rahman mencadangkan, 'kita ke Bukit Tinggi minggu depan, tapi, kena tunggu I siapkan kerja di Loksemawe , Acheh dulu , nak tak?' Itu cadangan Rahman di awal tahun 1998, 3 tahun selepas saya ke Kerinchi,

Rahman:

My work had taken me to most part of Indonesia, if not all; to the most remote part that you can think off, so I would not bat an eyelid going anywhere. I had been on a boat filled up to the brim with illegals being deported back, and I would have to say the whole boat smell, so I thought going on a social trip on a decent express bus would be something I would cherish. I had a teaching assignment at one petrochemical facilities at Lhoksemumawe, Aceh the week before. By the time I finished the assignment, it was already the weekend, so I thought it was the perfect arrangement. I was shown, while at Lhokseumawe, kampung PRamlee's, but I guess that was the first time I ever took leave continue post assignment and stay on to venture in Indonesia (or anywhere else).

Latif:

Saya setuju aje. Setelah siap atur janji kami, saya ke Medan melalui Kuala Lumpur dengan MAS. Masa tu tambang RM500++ duahala. Rahman dah sedia menunggu di Bandara Polonia. Pertamakali menjejakkan kaki ke Medan ni. Kami berjalan kaki di kota Medan mencari Stesyen Bas Ekspress . Dan dihari yang sama, kami mendapat bas ekspres ALS (Antar Langsung Sumatera) Kira sama taraf bas Transnasional lah. Tapi, istimewa kerana mereka sudah ada Bas 2 + 1, serta dibekalkan 2 bun roti & segelas air mineral. Bas bergerak mengikut waktu, tapi katanya Bas akan terus ke Jakarta, dan masa perjalanan 3 hari 2 malam. Dan kami dijangka tiba di Bukit Tinggi jam 1100 pagi keesokkan harinya. Wah!! 18 jam perjalanan!! Kusut masai ni!

Rahman:

I think it is called Antar Lintas Sumatra. But that's all I can remember, to be honest. I don't remember the bread and the aqua, nor do I remember much of the journey, except in hindsight, how dangerous that that had been. But I guess then we had no inkling on what we had bargained for, for we can't see anything in the pitch dark Sumatran night. I guess you are definitely right about us not being able to sleep. The swaying and the rocking was just terrible.

I think you have better recollection of the journey we took to menjejak kasih, which in hindsight should have been done much earlier.

View Larger Map

Peta ini dapat menceritakan bagaimana jauhnya pejalanan yang kami lakukan, dengan menaiki bas dari Medan - Bukit Tinggi - Padang - Medan .

Rahman:

Yeah the journey was far. I am quite sure there was no flight to Padang then, even by Pelangi. But I guess, then, we were much younger, and I would not bat an eyelid to be doing that journey then. Most likely I would not do it again, to be honest and would chose a shorter and more convenient route. I probably would not mind doing it in a private car.

Latif:

Saya dan Rahman dapat seat paling belakang sekali, tak tidur lena akibat hentakkan dan goyangan badan bas bila menyusuri gunung, lurah dan bukit, yang hanya boleh saya bayangkan saja dimalam itu.

Rahman:

I don't think I have any picture in the bus, so I am glad you have one. If you look carefully at my seat, you would see a novel by HAMKA, a famous one at that - Tenggelamnya Kapal van der Wijck, other than, of course Sitti Nurbaya. I was really getting into the culture and trying to understand the psyche of the Minangs and their culture, by re-reading those novels, for the hundredth time, I presume. No doubt on both sides of the family we are budak Minang - so that made us close to 100% Minang, but I guess we were more like the lost generation Minangs!

Latif:

Bas jenis Mitsubshi dengan pemandu utama, seta 3 orang pembantu. Ramainya!! Ya, mekanik dan kelindan bas, dan saorang pembantu pemandu. Jarak melebehi 2000km mengarah dari Sumatera Utara ke Barat, Selatan terus ke Jakarta, menaiki fery melintasi Selat Sunda. Tapi kami hanya ke Sumatera Barat.

Rahman:

They have 200 Million people and can afford to have all the crew they had, and I guess it is a long drive, practically the length of the Sumatra island.

Latif:

Dah berada di dalam bas dan melewati setiap bandar/pekan di daerah Sumatera ini, baru saya tahu mengapa perjalanan begitu lama. Semuanya kerana hubungan jalan antara bandar /pekan, boleh diibaratkan saya menggunakan laluan Lenggong - Gerik tahun 1960 dulu!!

Rahman:

To be honest, I think it may be a bit worse than those roads you mentioned. At least our were meant as two-way road with ample of space on the shoulder, but the road in Sumatra then would barely fit in two cars.

Latif:

Jalanraya hanya mula elok/cantik bila memasuki Sumatera Barat. Itupun satelah menjelang subuh. Yang sangat saya kagum, pemandu bas begitu berhati hati mengambil selekoh dan curam. Waktu solat pun dijaga sepenuhnya.Tiba subuh disatu daerah terpencil, kami berhenti mandi dan solat. Ternyata penumpang sudah bersedia dengan tuala dan berus gigi, serta kain pelekat untuk mandi/wuduk dimasjid. Dan air yang digunakan adalah dari kali/anak anak sungai, atau buluh yang disambung terus memasuki kesetiap kamar mandi . Ini satu pengalaman yang sudah lama saya tinggalkan sejak keluar dari daerah kenangan, Lenggong .

Rahman:

I think we called in Air Palong in Lenggong, which we could find at the end of Kampung Sira. We can only reminisce now I guess for it is gone forever.

Latif:

Selesai sarapan kuih muih kampung, kami bergerak, dan bila melepasi kota kecil ,Lubok Sikaping, kami terus memberitahu tujuan kami kepada pemandu, bersama peta yang kami bawa. Pemandu yang sudah faham dengan selok belok jalan, mengangguk , tanda faham arahan kami supaya berhenti di Kampung Haraban.

Rahman:

I think we did tell the driver prior to the journey that we would be stopping at Haraban. I believe I remember the driver (Pak Supir) being aware of the of this kampung and was told that we would be arriving there very early in the morning. I am amazed that he knew Haraban, and I must say that Haraban is such a small kampung that I would not bat an eyelid if I were to pass through it and not knowing that it is our kampung.

Latif:

Bas berhenti betul betul dihadapn Masjid kg Haraban tepat jam 815 pagi.

Ada saorang tua, yang berdiri disisi Masjid, terus kami memberi salam. Tak pasti siapa orangnya, Rahman dan saya mula bercerita tujuan kami memasuki Desa tersebut. Mulanya agak susah memahami, kerana bahasa Minangnya agak pekat!!

Yang pasti Pak Makmum mengerti tujuan kami, terus dia mengajak kami memasuki kampung. Saya tak pasti kemana arah tujuan. Tapi kerap jugak bertanya, jauh lagi tak Pak? Memang jauh, kalau mahu diulang lagi kenangan itu, saya lebih rela naik motor aje menuju ketempat yang ditujui Pak Makmun.

Rahman:

Yalah, I was lugging my computer with me and computer in 1998 is nothing like what we have currently. It surely felt like carrying bricks in my bag. Beyond that I was also carrying my one-week worth of laundry coming back from the Lhokseumawe trip, but I guess we were all taking it in stride (sort of). Can't be telling that old man (supposedly he was 80 years old in 1998) that we, the orang muda, could not keep up with him! ;-)

Alfatihah for Pak Makmun.

Latif:

Saya hanya memberi nama nenek saya, Bulan binti Tamat(Datuk Junjung, nama gelarannya. Tamat adalah suami kepada Moyang Sariah), dan Pak Larah terus melakar salasilah keluar disebelah emak saya ini.

Kami rupanya harus melapur diri ke rumah Pak Lurah (ketua kampung). Pak Lurah dan isteri menyambut kami dengan senang hati walaupun beliau dan isteri sedang bersiap untuk ke Kota atas urusan keluarga. Tak sangka pulak, dia boleh siapkan carta salasilah keluarga dengan hanya memberi nama moyang kami, Sariah yang mempunyai empat anak, dua darinya Bulan dan Osman , terus di lakar cabang cabang keluarga di Desa Haraban, dan kami membetulkan cabang keluarga di Malaysia. Wah , besarnya cabang di Malaysia, terus membiak melata ke pelusuk Semenanjung dan melangkau ke Kota London dan benua Australia!! Tapi, yang di Desa Haraban cabangnya agak perlahan, tidak seramai kami di Malaysia. Lama jugak kami dilayan, sedangkan saya dah tak sabar mahu melihat Rumah Gadang milik emak kepada moyang Sariah.

Rahman:

Yalah, i was bored when I found out that we were heading to rumah Pak Lurah. Can we not just go to the kampung without having to report to him? Well, I guess, this was not Malaysia and this is the Indonesian way of doing things.

But amazingly, he could list down the family tree at one go, and without much thinking. Everything is already in his head. Amazing. I think the culture calls for close family ties and it is reflected in the attitude of the people. Up till today, I still have difficulty recognizing everybody and following every branch of the trees.

Latif:

Kami menyusuri batas bendang di lereng bukit , tak ubah seperti filem lama P Ramlee dimana mereka menuruni kali dan sawah yang melata dikelilingi bukit dan lurah.

Rahman:

The view was simply breathtaking.

Sawah all over the place - the whole hill was terraced for that purpose; not a single area left for the lalang to grow - every single space is utilized for crops. I loved it then, and I could still remember them vividly - of coursewith the help of the pictures we took!

Di Pinggir Kali - This is Kampung Haraban with this cooling kali streaming through the kampung. This could be the 60s Malaysia, but it was close to the new millennium Indonesia. Best viewed with the song Di Pinggir Kali in mind.

But you can imagine what I was lugging that day. That heavy bag and another two you did not see - the computer bag and the camera/camcorder bag.

Latif:

Akhirnya , kami tiba di rumah ini.Inilah Rumah Gadang kelahiran ibu kepada ibu ibu kami,Nenek Sariah. Rumah ini terlalu usang, berdindingkan anyaman kulit kayu dan tiang yang hampir reput. Masih berpenghuni, saya kira 3 pupu kepada saya, ya lah, cicit-cicit saudara kepada Nenek Sariah jugak!!

Sebak bila mengenangkan betapa susahnya sejarah kehidupan Nenek Sariah serta Nenek Bulan, yang saya kira dilahirkan disini juga. Saya mendapat tahu setiap kali Nenek Sariah akan melahirkan zuriatnya, beliau akan pulang ke sini dari daerah Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan, kira kira di awal tahun 1900. Tiada sempadan masa itu, semuanya satu nusantara dan serumpun.

Bersama angkatan kepada emak saya, serta sebahagian

angkatan sepupu dengan saya, serta anak anak buah. Pada mulanya mereka agak kebingungan, kerana tanpa angin ribut, selepas hampir 80-90 tahun, tetiba aje muncul cicit Sariah dihalaman rumah mereka.

Lalu foto ini mereka keluarkan dari simpanan mereka untuk pengesahan bersama.

Ya!! Foto kiriman tahun 1940an, yang masih tersimpan didalam almari cermin di ruang

tamu rumah mereka. Dari kanan, Mcik Midah (Bandar THO) , Gamber beramai2,

Nenek Sariah, dan anaknya, Osman (Polis SC) .

Dan dalam sekelip mata, heboh satu kampung tentang kehadiran kami berdua, dan tak henti henti tetamu tetamu dekat, yang datang bersalaman sambil bertanya khabar, dan memberitahu mereka dari salasilah yang mana, untuk panduan saya.

Rahman:

Actually if I remember correctly, practically the whole kampung was with us. I think the news spread like wild fires - ada orang Malaysia mencari saudara. We were like

the pipers then, and they were following us, from one person to the whole kampung.

The piper - these two ladies were walking too fast for the then not-so-old engineer. He was taking his breath at the back there and simply could not keep up. Ini lah orang bandar - kununnya.

Latif: Di kampung Air Kijang, kira kira 1.5 km dr Kg Haraban, dihadapan rumah Mak Sawi.

Jalan kaki aje kami petang tu, ulang alik dah 3 km.

Rahman:

It's only 3 km? I surely felt like 10 that day! I don't have this picture. I guess the only person I can recognize and remember the name is Mak Sawi.

(Latif: Untuk rekod, anak Mak Sawi -Syafirman, adalah saorang Guru di Kota Lubuk Sikaping, dan juga Ketua Adat dari suku Ciniago. Beliau juga adalah Imam dan Pengerusi Masjid Haraban. Memalui beliau saya bertanya khabar dan mengirim pelbagai bentuk bantuan untuk anak anak Kg Haraban. Syafirman senior 2 tahun, dan merupakan 3 pupu saya)

Kami bermalam di sini. Bertemankan lampu gaselin era Lenggong tahun 60-70 dulu, serta bermandikan air pancur dari buluh, kami kembali kepada asalnya.

Ternyata, wajah wajah kehampaan bila kami memberitahu yang kami akan berangkat ke Bukit Tinggi keesokan pagi. Memang saya sendiri dapat merasakan, sesaorang yang datang dari jauh, hanya bertandang untuk satu malam di rumah kita. Kita akan merasakan, mengapa tergesa gesa, belum puas bercerita dan berkenal mesra.

Beginilah. Yang penting kami sudah membuka jalan untuk seluruh anak cucu cicit Sariah, sekarang yang pertama, dan pasti akan ada yang kedua dan seterusnya. Itu janji saya dan Rahman sebelum kami berangkat ke Kota Bukit Tinggi, yang mengambil masa perjalanan dengan bas (disini disebut bis) kira kira satu setengah jam.

Ya, kami bermalam untuk semalam di Kota Bukit Tinggi ini. Saya merasa selamat berjalan dengan Rahman, kerana beliau sering ke Indonesia, dan pandai berbahasa Melayu dengan lentok dan nahu Indonesia. Serta buku rujukan setiap kota kota di Indonesia sentiasa didalam tangan beliau.

Rahman:

Well, it took me a couple of trips to the small room (read: interrogation room) of the Immigration dept of Indonesia to really get acquainted with them. Obvious my Indonesian is not perfect, but good enough to get me out of jail, so to speak. I think I can easily say I am one of them, especially if I were to say I am from Riau. Most likely they would not be able to detect my Malaysian slang, but sometimes they do wonder about my peculiar slang. Only once I was caught in my charade, but that's another story.

Like everywhere else, they will loosen up to you if you speak their language.

Latif:

Pertama kali ke sini, teruja jugak bila melihat Jam Gadang dan Istana Pagarruyungnya.

Di Istana Pagarruyung. (Istana inu sudah terbakar keseluruhannya 2-3 tahun yg lalu)

The new generation of anak-anak Minang pondering on the past. Pagarruyung is the place where bapak side of the family came from - the Jenatons that is.

Bersambung

EPILOGUE

Honestly looking back, I am glad our great grandparents made the journey back then to Lenggeng. Had they stayed back, I guess we would not have the lives that we currently enjoyed, if at least in material wealth. Life in Haraban is difficult. No electricity - and we were only a couple of years to the new millennium. No piped water either. No television, though we experienced this ourselves in Lenggong.

But the Haraban folks are the most humble and big-hearted people I have ever met. They treated us like one of them, even when we should have been strangers to them. They may not be rich in material wealth but certainly they are rich in budi bahasa.

In fact they treated us like we were kings, when we should have been just like one of them.

Confused? I am.

To be continued.

Makan Bola, Minum Bola, Tidor Bola

A friend texted me yesterday about a ex-classmate of ours (UIA MBA Batch 10 2000-03) getting married this Sunday in my wife's hometown of Batu Kurau.

But instead rejoicing, I was lamenting to her, telling her what a shame that this friend of ours is getting married in the midst of World Cup fever. I thought it is not conducive to get married during this clash of school holidays and world cup, since the husband would probably be sitting in front of the idiot box all night long, instead of his new bride!

Sorry, mischievous me. ;-)

I am not too great a fan anymore - I can't take the stress of watching Manchester United after supporting them since my childhood days, and since I have removed Astro from the luxury items that I would have in my home, I have not been watching football at all.

But this time around, thanks to RTM, my telly would have world cup football match streaming in, and it has been ages since we last saw it in my living room.

We have no TV in 1974, so watching anything including world cup games would be impossible for us. But I do know Gerd Mueller scored the winning goal from what I could read in the NST.

I am not sure if in 1978 we have the privilege of watching the games on our telly or just reading about it in the newspaper. I remember though Argentina losing their opening game. I thought that would be the end of the host - that they would not be able to emulate the previous host's achievement in winning the tournament on home ground.

In 1982, when we had the privilege of watching live games on telly in Melbourne Australia, I was in the middle of mid-year exam, and since I was a struggling student trying to decipher the Ozzie slang and understanding engineering principles, I missed a lot of the games. I don't remember much of the 1982 World Cup, beyond Paolo Rossi that is.

So when I returned in 1986, and I was not working yet when the WC in Mexico started, so I guess I would have the opportunity to watch and I believe I did, if my memory serves me right. I remember the game England-Argentina game very well and of course who would not remember the Hands of God incident! Until today, due to WC '86, I still think Maradona is the greatest soccer player ever.

But to be honest, of all World Cup, the 1998 was the saddest one. For me, at least. This is one world cup where the game is played in daylight, and I would not have to bother burning the midnight oil, so to speak. I would have to, instead, watch it during office hours and for me to do that, I just have to make sure the bosses would not know.

And chances were, they would not even know that world cup was taking place in France that year, for for sure they were not soccer fans. Secondly everybody have their own office, and we were normally seated facing the door, so no one would be able to see exactly what we were doing.

I could have a fun day watching soccer in my office.

The catch is that I was in Houston Texas and there was no live telecast of the match whatsoever. The cable I had in my apartment did not offer such privilege either.

In the office, I was the only Malaysian and another Brit, Paul, would be my partner in crime in as far as soccer is concerned. We were the only two engineers at the office who would be exasperated in our inability to watch the actions.

There was one solution though.

Soccernet!

Soccernet offer live telecast in 1998 and Paul and I would be feeding each other on the status of each game. Every five minutes, I would drop by at his office and he would do the same at mine.

The problem with that is that it was not live video streaming into our computers. It was live commentary - minute by minute, blow by blow.

It was like in the olden days listening to Merdeka tournament on radio.

"..dan Mokhtar mendapat bola, pemain pertahanan Korea menghalang, Mokhtar berjaya menggelecek dua pemain Korea. Cantik. Dari arah kiri pintu gol, Mokhtar.... menendang bola ketengah kotak, Isa Bakar berada di sana...dan peluang untuk Malaysia menjaring kan gol.."

"Dan Isa Bakar....terlepas!"

Actually it should be read "Terlambat". I am sorry, En Isa Bakar. I think despite my perception, we would probably be in the World Cup in South Africa if we ever have a striker half your stature again.

Sorry, I digress. That was what I can remember from the 70s Lenggong at Kampung Sira.

Beyond 1998, with the advent of Astro, I have missed it. I hate to have to pay to watch World Cup. I in fact had taken out AStro from things to have at my home, so it had been quite for me as far as WC in the new millennium is concerned.

I do remember reading in the news how Malaysians would set up the funds so that we could have soccer on the telly. Every Malaysian was required to donate RM1, if I am not mistaken. Was that in 1982?

Until this year, when RTM won the right to broadcast the game on terrestrial TV.

Thanks RTM for bringing back the game to the masses. I think you can all unsubscribe Astro this month. ;-)

Make that for good, please!