Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Napping: My School Time


School! I’m pretty much done with school (because I’ve graduated). Anyway I don’t think that I’ve spent much time in school because I always absence. Well, I categorized absence here into three different things:
1- Skipping class, and sometimes school too.
2- Daydreaming
3- Taking a nap

Among these, I like number 3 the most. I don’t really know why I like it. But I do know why I took a nap in almost 75% of my school life.

Let me list them down, see if you and I have anything in common.

1. I don’t like the teacher (but I’m not scared by him/her)

This is my top reason. I mean, if you don’t like someone, if there any better way to tell him/her? I’m not being rude, just being honest.

2. I’m all exhausted
This could happen. Honestly. When I was in Form 4, I always complaint of the timetable. Whoever arranges that bloody timetable should be more understanding. The trouble is on Beta Mondays (we got 2 different week-Alpha and Beta) my class got Biology in lecture hall for 1st and 2nd period. Then we go straight to P.E for 3rd and 4th. Then we got recess, which we can hardly get something to eat because we need to change to our school uniforms and the P.E coach always let us leave at the very last minute. After recess is Add Math double period, and after that is Physics (also double period). And so on until 2.05 p.m.

One day, we got this test (I don’t even remember what the name for this test is). It required us to do different sort of things including push-up, sit-up, a few rounds of 400 m and lots more. I could still survive add math class, because I always love math. But then, at physics lab, I can’t open my eyes. So, I sleep (it is no longer a nap if you sleep the entire period, is it?)

3. There is no teacher, neither a substitute
This is what I called free time. Yeah, usually excellent student would use this time to finish their homework and do extra revision, but I choose a nap over that boring task (which I can do later, when my grades aren’t impressive enough).

4. I’m in holiday mood
I should blame the Ministry of Education for this. Who said they can make us substitute our leave on the weekends? Well, of course they can because they are the government. But, the teachers aren’t in the mood too, why should I?

5. It is afternoon (damn hot atmosphere)
I love my country, and the weather. But sometimes I wish I live in the artic. And I do hope there is someone brilliant enough to stop global warming.

6. It is in the lecture hall (and I’m in the most strategic seat)
Lecture, as we all know, BORING! I must let my mind have a good rest, mustn’t I?

I've got lots more good reason as why to take a nap in class, but I couldn't think of it right now. Maybe I'll continue someday. Who knows?

Thursday, April 3, 2008

How a TV ad influence me

Credits for my friend, Murali who talks about “How are the stories around you influencing you?” in his blog, Lifetime Learning.



I just want to share just a minor (not major) story of one of the PETRONAS ads. All of PETRONAS ads have been known as touching and always meaningful by people in my country. And I’m going to talk about this particular one:

You can watch it for free at

THIS LINK

If you can’t understand the language, I guess I can give a picture of it. The ad starts with the male doctor release the old man to rest in his daughter’s house. But then, the man insisted to get back to his own home.

Anyway, his daughter asks him to come and live with her family. She even promises him to take a good care of him until he really is healthy again. As soon as he heard this, her husband ask her can’t he stay in the hospital at least until after Raya (this is a celebration by muslims, commonly known as Eid ul Fitr). Unfortunately for the husband, the public hospital is always full, so there is no way that his father-in-law should be allowed to stay once he is stable.

Then, they show several scenes of the family having dinner (actually at first it is them breaking fast, so we can say it is dinner too) and the old man keep breaking glasses and making messes and things like that.

He husband and wife have finally had it and they isolated the old man, providing him with his own table, and his own dining set, which is made of plastics. And they let him to eat alone.

And the couple finally realized their mistakes when their own children are imitating their unfair treat to the old man by saying that when they grow up, they will let their parent to eat alone while they are enjoying their meals inside of the house. Obviously they have sent the wrong message to the little children.

And now I’m telling you how this ad has influence me in a way. I do have parents, who are apparently old and they often get sick and being admitted into hospital every now and then. When I saw this ad, I made a resolution that when I’ve fully grown up (apparently I still didn’t finish my tertiary education and I’m jobless) I won’t treat them like that. I mean, that is far beyond humanity, isn’t it? I will take a good care of them.

Well, maybe that is too early to say anything ambitious like that. But then, right now, I try my best to fulfill my parents’ wishes. For example, once I was too busy with my study and I’ve been busy for weeks, and I’ve been away from home for quite a long period, I simply don’t have time for anyone. But then, my mom calls me and asks me to sit right by her side and just accompany her. Not much to ask. I mean, she didn’t ask me to hike up Mount Everest, did she? I was just going to say no but when I remember this ad, I couldn’t say no. What would I feel when my children do the same to me in the future?