Experience as teacher, tour with pupils to Miri, Sarawak

It happened in 2009, I believed in September and it is a month of fasting for Muslim. It is my first year of me being a teacher. I've been posted at a rural area in Sarawak. I've been chosen to accompany my students to visit Miri Town, one of major city in Sarawak. For us teachers there, we always came to Miri to buy necessary items. But, I was so surprised to find out that some of my students have never been to Miri. For me, I am grateful for this memory, the memory able to be with them during the whole journey.

At first, I was hesitate to go, but it turned to be a blessing, which has become a memory that I will keep on treasure until now.

We move from the school around 9am. We are required to be at the hotel around 2pm. Usually the journey will take around four hours. Even the parents sent their children off. It is a huge responsibility for me to take care of these pupils during the whole journey. I believe there will also others schools involved in the tour. It is one of the Malaysian government initiatives to help the poor children to experience life outside their village.

Seeing their happy faces, they really were very happy to go on this trip. Even though they have to sit tightly with each other, but never once I heard they complained about the journey. The road isn't smooth and the journey was long, but we all gald to take part in the trip.

Around 1pm, we arrived at the Miri town. As the schedule time for registration is at 2pm, we ahve one hour to kill. So the driver drove us to a mall. Then, I asked my pupils, what they want for lunch? All of them answer KFC. I guess, it because they always saw KFC advertisemnt at the TV and would like to try some. So, i said yes.

During that time was a fasting month for Muslim. As a Muslim myself, I was fasting too on that day. But because my students are Christian, so, I just bring them to KFC restaurant. That is my first time entering a restaurant during lunch hour on month of Ramadhan. But no one sees me differently/. The people of Miri understand who I brought with me during that time. So, I managed to buy foods without problems.

My students understand my situation saying that they are sorry to see me sitting without eating the food. Wow, my students are indeed are considerate people. I am lucky.

I remember one incident where before I'm taking them to a lunch, I've took them around the mall and enter a lift. A few of my studnets never using a lift before in tehir entire lives, and they are screaming while in it. They are afraid when the lift is moving. Hahahaha,.

The tour will take Four Days and three night. We are being placed at a luxurious hotel as our accommodation. (I am sorry, I forgot the name of the hotel). It is located near a beach with a swimming pool. Girls and boys are separated and the bathroom has a bathtub. It is indeed luxury and the foods are provided. Even me surprised that we are being treated so nicely and very well.

Quite Hard to believe, isn't? For my pupils, seeing river, swimming in it is somethng normal, but someone from my pupils told me that she never see a beach and sea before. That's why, as soon as we put our bags at the room, they urged me to bring them to the beach. They are really happy. I'm pity and at same time I'm glad I'm able to experience this with pupils. Bring new experiences to them.

Look at the picture, and see that they really are happy.

At RTM radio station

The first place that the pupils have been brought to is to RTM radio station. The pupils also have been allowed to enter the radio konti to see the DJs conducted the programmes. We also have been briefed about the radio station operated. One of the teachers also has been interviewed about the visitation. The pupils were happy. it also my first time seeing the DJs conducted programs.

RTM stands for Radio Television Malaysia.

I don't remember the exact name of the place, and the reason I called it farm, because there are so many really many crocodiles there. And it really really is big. the place is huge and big and the entrance is only RM5, but of course for all of us who joining the tour, it is free of charge. We got the opportunity to see how the instructor there giving food during lunch. It was a really a great show. Seeing how the crocodiles become rushy just to grab their food. nd let me warning you it is scary too and yet entertaining. So if you visit Miri, that is a place to go.

At the crocodiles farm, there are also many other animals. I've took the picture of my studnets with a bear. It is an opportunity for these students to see all sorts of animals right in front of their eyes. It is life lesson and hopefully able to expand their knowledge too.

At the tour, we also had a chance to see how an Industrial Training Institution operates. It was a really eye opening to these pupils to see what kind of things they will able to do at the institutions. Students were being exposed about lesson in designing cars, manufacturing electrics and electronics and they even able to enter to computer lab and experience how it work.

It was indeed a memorable experiences as it become much easier for me to explain what exactly engineer, do. It also to tell them that they too can enter the institution to further their studies. They talked what the students from the institutions can become and what other benefits in learning there. After listening to the briefing, my students have become more determined to study hard so that they would able to enter the institution and achieve their target.

The worker at the institutions also were kind enough to show us forst hand knowledge what kind of things that the students there were studying. They talked about what the students at the institutions are learning and the example of their lessons. It was indeed great experiences to all of us.

There are other places that we visited, and we also did some shopping at the mall. It was indeed memorable. But during the final day for the tour, the pupils have a chance to swim at the hotel swimming pool. My pupils kept asking me to join them, but as their teacher unable to swim, I just stay there and watched them swimming.

For years swimming at the river, to able swim in man made pool is a different feeling. But the most important thing is that they enjoy it and having fun. For me seeing them having is also makes me having fun.

Well, as much as my pupils learn many things from the tour, me as their teacher, also learnt a great deal of lesson. I learn to live with them, to understand their lives better. It was their first time eats at the luxury hotel, buffet style. They only took a very little food and me, of course get up and asked them to take more. And this what they said: “Never eat this before”. That’s it. The reason they do not want to eat because they never eat that before. It is white watermelon and some new dishes. Hmmm, then I said “ Even me never eat it, but just try it. Maybe it delicious. You’ll be wasting if you do not eat it. Do not worry, we can eat as much as possible. We do not have to pay.”. Me telling them with a smirking and a little force, so they will eat more and it succeed. Maybe they eat it because afraid that I might angry at them. 

Then I learnt, that even though this whole thing is new to them, and yet they face it brightly and never once said they afraid or complaining about the whole trip. They enjoyed, and they having fun. Yes, they are shy and reserved most of the time, but never once I heard them whining or complaining. And they kept saying how happy and thankful they are for the whole trip. If not for them, I would never see this trip as that memorable, and now, even after two years has passed, I am glad I’m participated the tour. From these pupils I learnt tolerance, and thankfulness.