hari pertama

This was typed on the first day I reported to the school for duty. It may be posted god knows when but it is going on the net baybahs.

So I reported for duty on the 21^st since we gerak from kuantan the day after reporting to the JPN. And man I was excited to go to my school since I’ve been hearing how lucky I was to be posted to one of model khas schools and how we only have like 4 of the kind in Pahang. I was also told that I was way more lucky than Grace and Mardhibum since I don’t have to travel so far in and out if I were to go back to Kuantan, or berlibur in KL. The school is super near the highway and its only 2 hours away from Kuantan and an hour away from KL.

The first call made to the pengetua shook me a little, she did not sound the most polite-est then. But she did become nicer afterwards.

And my first day was overshadowed by her rudeness more than anything. Never in my life I experienced such ridiculous treatment coming from a person who was called a principal. I mean, that sort of behavior was definitely what I have seen from people who are supposedly educated and cultured.

As soon as I reached school, I gave her a call. Apparently she was at the canteen at the time I called her. The conversation went pretty much like this

Me: Assalamualaikum puan. Saya guru baru yang sepatutnya lapor diri hari nit u. Saya dah sampai ke sekolah sekarang.

Her: awak tunggu la kat pejabat tu.

Me: okay puan J

I came with my mother and youngest brother. And we still need to settle matters on my accommodation since I volunteered to her that I’ll do warden chores and she agreed on letting me stay in the warden room. Mind you none of us had our breakfast yet at the time. But I still waited on for like an hour.

She came in an hour later, only to brush me off to go straight to her room, and coming out to spray me on the face. She went ‘ada ka patut awak cikgu baru nak melapor diri hari ni dah mengarah saya, pengetua suruh jumpa awak. Awak ingat awak siapa?’ and then belah without letting me explain or speak.

Now don’t tell me to understand her situation.  I do not find such rudeness necessary. There was no need for you to show me who was in power, we’re not doing some S&M foreplay and I know who I am. I am a novice teacher who was ready to learn everything I need about education from you. I came here to your school because I want to be here and I have all the right drive and I do not need you, who were supposed to show me the ropes to ridicule and accuse me of things I never had even thought about.

For one, I called her because the PPD people had told me that it was what I needed to do as soon as I reach school as a courtesy. By calling her, I was respecting her, to show her that I am already in her grounds and I was by no means intruding. Apparently she didn’t think so. I have no idea why. Maybe I am not used to the cultures yet.

I was very close to tears then because I had never thought I would be put down so much. The people in the office tried to comfort me by saying it wasn’t really my fault and told me to go down to have a drink or something because she has a class until 10.10am. So I went down to find my mother and brother waiting for me and I told them what happened. I was swearing a lot then, sumpah terslip because I was too mad. And then when I calmed down a little, a kind soul came into the room and welcomed me to the school. That was the last straw and unfortunately and a bit embarrassingly,

I cried. thank god for the waterproof mascara

Then i waited again in the office, still headstrong. Still in my head i was trampling down all thoughts of transferring to Kuantan immediately. Another kind soul came in in the form of PK1. He spoke to me in English, which immediately put me in a very very relaxed mood. He was very nice, very helpful and he explained a lot abt the school. He asked me what was my first impression of the school, and i told him before today, I have heard nothing but nice things said about the school. well of course its true.

then the PK requested the pengetua if its a good time for me to see her. she invited me in, and first thing i did was to apologize for calling her. it was something like this

Me: Saya mintak maaf sangat2 puan, saya xde niat nak buat puan rasa mcm saya mengarah puan. Saya cuma call puan sbb PPD suruh saya call puan first thing bila sampai ke sekolah. Saya sendiri pun cuma nak memberitahu. 

Her: Awak xpatut telefon saya mcmtu. Kalau saya xde dalam bilik syaya maknanya saya ada urusan lain yang penting. 

Me: ya, saya faham

Her: Awak dah dapatlah pengajaran awak yang pertama harini

Me: smiles and nods, still forcing the smile on my face

Her: mcmane awak dapat number telefon saya?

Me: Tuan Haji **** yang bagi, dia cakap saya boleh mintak tolong puan kalau ada apape masalah

and she only went 'oh' and be silent. 

and afterwards i learned a lot of things from others as well ;p