LOS TEROPONG: TEACHERS DAY 2005

Today we honour the 'Teachers' in our life. Although the focus is on teachers in the Schools, I would like to include teachers in all walks of life. Otherwise, we will have to have Lecturer's Day, Ustaz's Day, Trainers' Day, Mentor's Day, and so on. Tak habis celebration nanti. Everyone is a learner as much as being a teacher at the very same time. Levels and roles interchange, and we celebrate that 'teachership' as the part that we all play, at one time or another and in one form or another.

[Photo by Nudin from Berita Harian, Malaysia - kalu tak bagi guna gambaq, habaq mai, kita boleh delete. Terima Kasih. Promote local artist]

A teacher who played a major role in my life was Cikgu Mat Nor from the Technical Institute (TI) Penang (1976), as can be seen in the photo taken in his room in the hostel.

He was our Engineering Workshop Practice (EWP) teacher when he was offered to pursue his further studies for a Bachelors Degree in Engineering in Sunderland, England in 1976. That was a major motivating factor for me and he was an equally caring and attentive teacher, but with a Kelantanese slang. Gets hilarious sometimes as most students are from the 'North'. That's him in the horizontal stripe T-shirt with chest showing and me on his left. Hensem tak? Well, it worked, for me at least. In September 1977, I too was on my way to Grimsby, England to do my 'A' Levels and I subsequently returned to Malaysia in May 1986 with a Ph.D in Physics. However, I have not been able to locate him until today. Maybe our paths will cross one day.

The schools I attended were:

Stowell Primary School, Bukit Mertajam
St. George's Primary School, Balik Pulau
St. George's Secondary School, Balik Pulau
Kepala Batas Secondary School, Kepala Batas, and
Technical Institute, Penang

Anyway, HAPPY TECHER'S DAY - SELAMAT HARI GURU 2005 TO ALL MY TEACHERS - Jasa mu dikenang selamanya.

LOS TEROPONG

Los Teropong (Teropong means binoculars) comments on current issues in Malaysia, and sometimes the world, and put forth another opinion and perspective. BY THE WAY - THEY HUNG THE WRONG GUY ...