Where GiLoCatur Had Been?

It has been a while for the last update. Almost a week.

Where GiLoCatur had been? Been very busy? LOL ... Actually, it is right to say that GiLoCatur had been busy with work commitment, family commitment and etc etc Since it was a public holiday last Sunday, GiLoCatur had been busy going back to hometown in Sabak Bernam.

Normally, when going back home town, GiLoCatur and wife will be busy with our plantation farms. It is very challenging in fact to manage plantation farms especially to manage the hired workers. But GiLoCatur gets to do what GiLoCatur has to do. Enough with that.

While at hometown during the long weekend, GiLoCatur and wife had visited our elder kids - Fikri and Anis, who are attending the centralized training for the MSS Selangor. The training which started on Friday, 28th May is held in Sabak Bernam, a two-hour drive from Shah Alam. It will end today. It is pity to most of them because while having training they also need to study and do revision since it is an exam week. When they get back to their schools they have to sit for the exams as well as the papers they miss to sit. What a sacrifice actually for them.

True enough, in order for the Malaysian youngsters to succeed and excel in their respective sports they need to sacrifice a lot. Unlike their peers, they have to sacrifice their weekends and public holidays either for training or participating in tournaments. Sometime GiLoCatur feels pity on them especially to both Fikri and Anis. Am I as a parent pushing them too hard to excel? Am I as a parent taking their childhood joy and freedom? But as the common saying, "NO PAIN, NO GAIN".

MSS Selangor State Chess Championship

GiLoCatur has very limited time at this moment due to some personal commitments and matters to take care of. Furthermore, MSS Selangor state chess championship is currently ongoing. Today will be the second day and very critical and important last three rounds. Two of GiLoCatur's children are participating. Fikri played well yesterday and scored 4/4 points. He needs to continue his winning momentum today. Anis, on the other hand, also played very well up to the third round. In her final round yesterday, she lost a crucial 1 point to her own team mate. Before Round 5 today, she has accumulated 3/4 points. Hopefully, both of them will have good results today. Surely, GiLoCatur is nervous while they are battling on the chess boards.

By the way, check out http://mssm2010.blogspot.com/ for the latest updates.

What A Hectic Week for GiLoCatur

This week is a very hectic one for GiLoCatur. All three of GiLoCatur's children participate in the district scholastic chess tournament called MSSD. Luckily, all of them are in one district which is PETALING PERDANA. For information, Selangor has 10 districts based on PPD which is the District Education Office.

Especially yesterday which was also GiLoCatur's birthday, GiLoCatur had to juggle between work and family matters. Furthermore, few relatives from Sumatera including an aunty are coming to visit us in Malaysia. Therefore, the birthday celebration within the family is put on hold.

The eldest son had participated in the secondary school. Alhamdulillah, he managed to win the silver medal or second place in the Under 15 Boys category. He will represent the district in the state level championship next week in Sungai Besar in Sabak Bernam district the home town of both GiLoCatur and wife.

Today is the important day for the other GiLoCatur's two kids - Anis and Fahim. The former has accumulated 5 points in the Under 12 Girls category while his younger brother has 2.5 points. Surely, as a parent, GiLoCatur is very nervous and concern about them participating in the tournament.

To those who want to get the latest updates on MSSD Petaling Perdana, please go to http://mssm2010.blogspot.com/, a dedicated blog for MSSM Chess Championship.

2010 Chinese New Year (CNY) Holiday

Just got back home in Shah Alam from "kampung" in Sungai Besar for Chinese New Year holidays. For Chinese New Year this year, Malaysia is on public holidays on last Monday and Tuesday. GiLoCatur and family went back to hometown on Saturday morning. We had not gone back for "balik kampung" for about two months. Thus, it's time for GiLoCatur to check on the palm tree farm that GiLoCatur and wife is working on. Surely, it is very "bushy with long grass" that the farm needs to be cleared. The process to do that is called "meracun". GiLoCatur hires someone to perform the task.

Fahim, GiLoCatur's youngest son, decided to be with his father on the second day to supervise the work he he he ... In the above picture, wearing a hat bought while GiLoCatur was in Nairobi, Kenya, Fahim is standing next to the machine used during the "meracun" activity.

A small palm tree in GiLoCatur's farm in Sabak Bernam. The palm trees are still growing and have yet producing.

While awaiting the worker doing his job, GiLoCatur took the opportunity to exercise by "menebas" the grass around several palm trees in front of the land lot. The land lot is about 4 acres in size. Exercising is very important for a chess player.

While busy with the farm and the CNY holiday, GiLoCatur and Fikri still managed to have a chess sparring session on one night. It is very important for a chess player to keep practising since lots of chess tournaments to be played especially for Fikri.

Therefore, after finish unloading the car when arrived at home, without delay GiLoCatur checked on the local chess blogs to know the latest updates on MAS vs SIN friendly chess battle that is ongoing today. It's a good news when Malaysia is leading 22 to 16 in the first round. Hopefully, Malaysian players keep up the winning edge to win this year edition.

My Elementary School - SKST

Last weekend I got the opportunity to visit my old school at my home town, Sabak Benam. I snapped few pictures and share them here with others. During that time the most popular transport for us to go to school is by bicycle. There was no school bus at that time. For the younger ones, they were sent by parents using bicycle or motorcycle.

I was studying at SKST or Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Tengar for my elementary education from 1976 to 1980. It had just 313 students in 1980 while I was in Standard (Year) Six. Most of the Years / Standards only had two classes. I forgot already who was the headmaster. I had very fun memory of my final year at the school. I was the assistant head prefect. I played for my school in most sports especially football where we represented our zone to the district tournament held in Sungai Besar.  I was the striker along with my friend, Saudi Fakeh. During the "kalah mati" district tournament, my school lost to SK Lubuk Pusing in the morning. In the afternoon, we played againts SK Batu 38 who lost to SK Simpang Lima earlier. We won and thus we were third. And I still remember we got just "white singlet" for that. 

The above school building was basically new during my years. There was a "papan" building in front of the court where I noticed had been demolished. From Standards 1 until Standards 4, my classes were in the then "papan" building. Let's see if I can remember my teachers. Cikgu Zainab, Cikgu Mad Bashir, Cikgu Ghani, Cikgu Norsiah, Cikgu Zailani, Cikgu Mohd Noh, and Cikgu Mohd Noor Kundor. My classes were in the above building when I was in Standards 5 and 6. The teachers? Cikgu Shamsiah, the English teacher who had motivated me to improve and make me the best student for English subject in my Penilaian Darjah 5. I got B. Then Cikgu Mahfud, Cikgu Fatimah, Cikgu Jaimah(?), and Ustazah Rohani. Our footbal coaches? Not other than Cikgu Ku Ahmad and Cikgu Abdul Rahman. Do I miss some names?

We used to play football on the above field. Even we would play during the hot afternoon at around 2:00 o'clock 6-players a side while waiting for the Scouts activities. The scouts member was only 12 persons - 6 of my batch, and the other 6 of my senior batch. I was the scout leader for my batch. My other gang were Rozaini, Hasrin, Bahrain, Zulkifli and mmm ? forgot one. As I remember, my batch won more games than our senior batch. 

The canteen seems not much change. Just the color. My pocket money during those days was only 30 cents. Do you believe it? 

I don't recall whether we had a "surau" then like the above picture. I don't think so. Also the below computer lab and "wakaf".

Maybe my old classmates can chip in. Mokhzir, Zul Wahijan, Saudi, Cikgu Rozaini and others.  

Gejubus

Mungkin ramai yang tidak pernah mendengar perkataan 'gejubus'. Bagi aku yang membesar di kampung berjirankan orang-orang Jawa perkataan ini sememangnya sudah sinonim. Gejubus bermaksud menyediakan makanan secara bergotong royong. Sewaktu aku di kampung dahulu terutamanya semasa remaja, aku memang selalu bersama-sama jiran sekampung bergejubus bila ada kenduri-kendara. 

Kenapa aku bercerita pasal gejubus hari ini? Sebab aku baru saja terbaca di Sinar Harian tentang aktiviti tersebut di Bagan Nakhoda Omar (BNO), Sabak Bernam. BNO merupakan sebuah pekan kecil dan perkampungan yang tidak jauh dari kampungku Sungai Tengar. Masih segar dalam ingatan ketika aku masih bersekolah rendah dan berumur 11 tahun, aku dan beberapa rakan sekampung pergi ke pantai BNO dengan berbasikal. Kami berbasikal sejauh kira-kira 5 kilometer. 10 kilometer untuk pergi dan balik.  Pada ketika itu, di hujung tahun 1970an, memang tidak banyak kereta di jalanraya. Apatah lagi kampungku itu berada di penghujung sebelah utara negeri Selangor.

Yang menariknya ialah apa aktiviti kami di pantai BNO itu. Sebenarnya kami ke sana untuk mencari kerang. Ya, memang betul mencari kerang. Di zaman kanak-kanakku aku selalu berbasikal berbatu-batu dan mencari kerang. Di pantai BNO yang berlumpur itu memang banyak kerang. Seharian aku dan rakan-rakan mencari kerang. Bila balik ke rumah pada sebelah petangnya, ibubapaku sungguh marah kepada aku. Jenuh aku menerima leteran mereka.

Begitulah di antara cebisan memori zaman kanak-kanakku di kampung. Berbasikal sejauh 10 kilometer sudah menjadi lumrah bagi kami. Selain ke pantai mencari kerang, selalunya aku dan rakan-rakan sekampung atau sepersekolahan akan ke kampung-kampung jiran seperti Kampung Jawa, Sungai Ayer Tawar dan Parit Baharu untuk berlawan bola sepak.