Hi, again!

Unlike previous years, I am writing from my new work place: a secondary school in Muar. In 1994 I started my teaching career by teaching in a secondary school in Mukah, Sarawak. I wasn't long there. I came to the school in May 1994 and left in Nov 1995 after getting married to a Muarian. I was transferred to another secondary school. This time it was in Muar. I taught there for seven years and I got tired (ya. Sort of!). My Senior Assistant 1 insisted that I apply for a lecturing post in a teaching college in Melaka. I was accepted in Jan 2003 and started teaching there from Feb 2003. I was excited to be there because I had always wanted to teach what I learnt in the uni. From May 2005 - May 2008 I was pursuing my Masters degree in English as a Second Language. AlhamdulilLah I convocated in Aug 2008. From then on I was turned down in numerous applications to pursue my PhD. Undeterred, I registered as a part time student in Jul 2010. It was ok in the beginning. Running to lectures on weekends was a 'norm' then. Then in Oct 2010 my FIL passed away after an accident two weeks prior. There were many other minor things that somehow affected me. At the end of 2011 I decided to defer from my studies for a year. I performed my umrah Feb - Mar 2012. In Jan 2013 to my surprise, I found out I was pregnant! At almost 43! After much contemplation we decided to keep the baby. In Aug 2013 alhamdulilLah I gave birth to a healthy, bouncing baby girl. Being busy with a baby, I forgot to return to UKM to pursue my PhD. Come 2015 I was having doubts about continuing to work in the college. The system started changing and I found myself struggling to keep up. There were also those who tried to back bite me at every chance they got. I sent in a transfer application but was rejected. In 2016 rumours about the teaching colleges started going round. Thus in 2017 I sent in another application. 2017 passed by with no news about the application. In 2018 suddenly I was asked to move to ELTC in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. I couldn't go there! I cannot afford to even rent a house in that area! I appealed to stay in Melaka but was turned down. Desperate, I sought for help from different parties. The Minister of Education and Melaka Chief Minister were among those I sought help from. The college authority blamed me for the steps I took. In July 2018 I went back to KB to celebrate Raya there but on the Raya Eve, my mother was admitted at the General Hospital for food poisoning-like symptoms. We celebrated Raya in HRPZII Observation Ward. In Oct Ma was admitted again and I went back by bus with my youngest. I went back to Muar the day she was discharged on 8 Oct. That was the last time I saw her TT. In Nov she was admitted again but I couldn't go back. On Dec 2018 she passed away TT. I stayed in KB for about a week. Then I went back to Muar as my third daughter had tuition classes. On 26 Dec we went back to KB again. On our way there, I received messages and calls to inform me that I was transferred to Muar. AlhamdulilLah. We were in KB until 29 Dec. Then we left for Jitra. On 31 Dec we went back to Muar. On 1 Jan 2019 I started working in Muar again after 16 years in Melaka.