Snowie~~ The new version of Snow White

Once upon a time in a great castle, a King's daughter grew up pamper, in spite of the feelings of other people. She was very pretty when she was born, with big blue eyes and black hair. Her skin was delicate and fair, and so she was named Snowie. As she grew up, she became ugly as she was cursed by people she had bullied. Her eyes became small, her long black hair became gray, and her skin became dark. Snowie was already 18 years old. The King and the queen were worried about Snowie’s marriage because there was no any Prince from other land had proposed Snowie. The Princes knew about Snowie’s bad attitude.

Snowie’s mother was a beautiful and kind warlock. She had a magic mirror which could tell her everything whatever she asked it. She locked the magic mirror in a magic cupboard since she married the King. She had promised the King not to use magic anymore because the King worried that his people could not accept a warlock as their queen. The queen decided to ask the magic mirror for the sake of her lovely daughter. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, how would my lovely Snowie find her true love?” The magic mirror replied, “Seek for the kindness from her deepest heart.”

The queen decided to send her lovely daughter to the “Love Forest”. She hoped that Snowie would learn the way to care and love others. Calling one of her servants, she asked him to take Snowie into the forest, which was far away from the castle. He was ordered to leave Snowie in the forest. While Snowie was sitting beside a tree, he mumbled an excuse and ran off. Snowie was thus left all alone in the forest. 

Night came, but the servant did not return. Being alone in the dark forest, Snowie began to cry bitterly. She thought she could feel terrible eyes spying on her, and she heard strange sounds and rustlings that made her felt scared. At last, she fell asleep curled under a tree as she was too tired. 

The next morning, dawn woke the forest and Snowie. However, the trees were like a wall surrounding her, and as she tried to find out where she was, she came upon a path. She walked along it and she came to a clearing. There was a lake. Besides the lake, there was a small cottage, with a tiny door, tiny windows and a tiny chimney pot. Everything about the cottage was much smaller than it supposed to be. Snowie pushed the door open. 

“Who lives here in this stupid forest?" she said to herself, peeping round the kitchen. "Wow! Tiny plates and spoons! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! There must be seven of them, and the table is laid for seven people too." Upstairs was a bedroom with seven neat little beds. Suddenly, Snowie had an idea. 

"I'll take good nap first. When they come home, I’ll ask them to cook a meal for me." Snowie dragged all the small little beds together and she slept on them. Towards dusk, seven tiny men marched homewards singing. When they opened the door, to their surprise, they found out that all their utensils had been moved and Snowie was sleeping on their beds. The chief dwarf prodded her gently. 

"Who are you?" he asked. Snowie scolded them immediately. “Who am I? I’m the Princess Snowie from the land called Condragon. I’m hungry now. Serve me some food! Now! Then one of them said, as he noisily blew his nose, “We never heard before about what Princess Snowie. Please get out of our house!”

"Yes! Get out! We do not welcome you!" they shouted loudly to Snowie. The dwarfs said to Snow White, "You can’t live here. Go back to your Condragon castle! No one will serve you here!” Snowie ignored them and slept on their beds again. The dwarfs hate Snowie and they were thinking an idea for a whole night to get rid of Snowie. But they had no idea at all. The next morning, the dwarfs set off for work. Snowie was sick and the dwarfs did not know about it. 

While mining the gems, the dwarfs met Prince Edward from the land called Mysrain. Prince Edward was finding his lovely hushpuppies that get its way lost. The dwarfs told Prince Edward about Snowie and the prince decided to help them to drive Snowie away from their house. Prince Edward was once humiliated by Snowie and he decided to take revenge for what Snowie was done to him. Prince Edward took an apple from his pocket and said, “This apple can make Snowie sleep for 3 days and nights. Then I’ll carry her back to the dark forest again.” The dwarfs agreed.

When the dwarfs and Prince Edward were back to the house, they saw Snowie lying down weakly on the bed. The prince touched Snowie’s forehead and he realized that she had a fever. Snowie saw the apple and she wanted to have it. She said, “Please give me some food to eat. I had been starving for the whole day.”  Prince Edward handed the apple for Snowie. When Snowie was to bite the apple, he stopped her. Prince Edward did not have the heart to give her the apple after listening to Snowie. He turned back and told the dwarfs, “Let us prepare some other food for her.” The seven dwarfs agreed as they sympathised Snowie too.

All of them took turn to take care of Snowie the whole night. The next morning, Snowie had fully recovered. But the seven dwarfs and Prince Edward were sick because lack of sleep. Snowie felt conscience-stricken as they felled sick because of her. She carried the seven dwarfs to their own beds and helped Prince Edward to lie down comfortably on the floor. She went to the kitchen and wanted to cook something for them. She suddenly realized that she did not know how to cook. At this moment, Prince Edward woke up and helped her at the kitchen. Snowie fed the seven dwarfs the soup she cooked. However, the soup was not enough for Prince Edward. Prince Edward was starving yet he did not tell Snowie.

The next day, the seven dwarfs had recovered and they wanted to go out to pick some vegetables and mushrooms for their meals. While Snowie and Prince Edward were waving hands to them, Prince Edward was fainted and he fell into the lake beside the house. Without thinking much, Snowie jumped into the lake and saved the prince.

When Snowie saved Prince Edward to the shore, the prince was lying still and lifeless. She did her best to bring him alive, but her effort was useless. Snowie and the seven dwarfs wept and wept for a long time. Then they laid him on a bed of rose petals, carried him into the forest and put him in a crystal coffin. Each day they laid a flower there. 

Snowie kept on blaming herself. “I’m sorry. I did not realize that you were still sick. I’m sorry.” She cried. Her tears dropped into Prince Edward’s eyes. Suddenly, to everyone's astonishment, Prince Edward opened his eyes. He had amazingly come back to life. Prince Edward thanked Snowie for her kindness and he proposed to her. Snowie agreed and the prince kissed her.

Suddenly, Snowie became pretty just as when she was born. Her small eyes became big crystal clear blue eyes, her gray hair turned black, and her dark skin became delicate and fair. The curse was broken by the kiss.

Prince Edward brought Snowie back to his land and the seven dwarfs bid good bye reluctantly to Snow White. The relationship of the Condragon and Mysrain became closer after the marriage of Prince Edward and Snowie. From that day on, Snowie lived happily in the great castle. However, from time to time, she was drawn back with Prince Edward to visit the little cottage down in the forest, to their seven dwarf friends. 

Mooncake Festival

Today is mooncake festival. Without the accompaniment of family, this mooncake festival isn’t perfect for me. Although for over 21 years of my life, my family did not celebrate much for this festival. We did not purposely take all the mooncake and tea to outside our house, enjoy the food and look at the bright full moon. We would just have our tea and mooncake inside our house. So nothing special was done for the celebration. Thus, I do not have lots of memory about it except for when I was still a small girl.

10 years back, I would play lantern with my sister. My dad and mom would help us to lighten the candle. I liked to play candle more instead of lantern. Looking at the fire waving following the wind was one of the enjoyments for me. When I was bored with it, I would blow out the candle and try to lighten it again myself. It is about 10 years I do not play lantern and candles anymore.

At this moment, I wish to have a time machine. I want to back to my childhood. Be a child who free with worries, homework, and stress. Mooncake festival is actually a festival of reunion within family members. At this particular festival, I miss my parents and my sister so much. I look at the bright full moon, thinking that far in Selangor, will they miss me too?

The past, present, and future

My friend, Lucas had organized a birthday party at his house on 16^th September night. Originally he wanted to organize it on 17^th. He invited the entire secondary school classmate. At first, I declined his invitation as I had to go back Kelantan for my study on the same date. I was quite disappointed because I could not attend his birthday party. I had already missed many friends’ 21^st birthday party as I’m trapped in university. Luckily, he realized that 16^th was public holiday and he changed the date to 16^th. The changing of date enables me to attend his birthday party.

Our class had 45 people. However, those who attended had only 20 people. Before our secondary school graduation, our teacher told us that it would be difficult to meet everyone in our class after we graduated. It is true. Some of them were having exam and some of them were abroad. We did gather with our classmate but just often with a few of them who are more familiar with us. Some of them I only able to meet them at this birthday party 4 years after our graduation.

We had a great time of gathering as Lucas had purposely arranged a table for us in his house instead of sitting outside his house with other guests. His house was full of laughter and noises after we entered. We were so excited to meet each other. Even after years, we still have topic to chat with each other. We talk about the past, present, and future.

We remembered how we walk to tuition centre from our school. It is really a terrible experience for us. After the school bell rang, we had to rush to the tuition centre as fast as possible because the time in between was just 30 minutes before the tuition class started. 15 minutes was used to walk there and another 15 minutes was for our lunch. There were no much choices for our lunch as we need to eat fast and usually we ended up with economy rice because no waiting was needed. We were carrying the heavy bags and exercise books all along the way, sweating like rain, and crossing the road just like little chicks. We all laughed when we talked about this. All these could be saved if we were lucky enough. There was a school van which fetched students to the tuition centre. But all these depended on our luck. If there were students absent and empty seats were still available, then we could get on the van. We still remembered it cost us 50 cents for the ride.

We also remembered the seats of our classroom. Who was whose neighbour and who had done childish and crazy things in the class. Those entire scenes were still clear in our memories. When talking about childish, everyone will remember the childish Yew Chang as he always ate bread in front everyone of us purposely when teacher was not in the classroom. He would just stop in front of us and eat his bread until we noticed him. Then he would chew his bread, smile to us and proceed to another person. Although he only did this childish action during Form 3, we still remembered and always reminded him about this.

I was really happy to meet my classmate. Besides the past, we talk about our current life. Some of them are going to graduate soon and some of them still have few more years to go, just like me. We discussed a lot of things, from studies to water of hostel. Water of hostel? Yes! We talked about it. I was complaining for the yellowish pipe water and others were complaining that there was often no water provided from the pipe. I realized that I should appreciate what I had now and stop comparing my campus life with others as different campus might have different problem. But when they heard that Kelantan had no cinema, they get shocked. “No cinema in Kelantan? Then what entertainment do you have in Kelantan? Oh! What a boring life!”

Last but not least, we talk about our future. We discussed about what carrier will we pursue, who will get married first and how would our life be after 5 years, 10 years and even longer. We had reminded those who are in a relationship do remember to invite the entire classmate to their wedding dinner. We also sighed as we had already 21 years old and we still do not have any achievement. We chatted until 12am even after other guests leaved. We were just too long did not meet each other.

After the gathering, I was thinking about the past. All the memories flooded in my mind. When I was in primary school, I hoped I was still a kindergarten student. When I was in secondary school, I wished that I was still in primary school. Now I’m a university student. I no longer hope I was a secondary school student but I wish I would graduate faster. It isn’t show that I do not like secondary school but it is because my mind keeps on telling me that we could not back to the past. Therefore I can only look forward. Perhaps I should appreciate my current life as after university graduation, I would miss university life one day because working life might be more stressful than study life.

We would often be unsatisfied with our current life but as time goes by, we would realize that the life that we unsatisfied before was actually a great time for us now. After SPM, there was a 6 months holiday for me before entering Form 6. I was so bored that time and did not appreciate the holiday much. After years, I am longing for the long holiday now. When we are holding something in our hand, we do not know how to appreciate it. When we lost it, then only we will regret. I really wish that I can appreciate the present so that there will be no regret for me in the future.   

Kindergarten

Primary school

Secondary school

University

Working

Being a primary school temporary teacher

After sitting my STPM, I decided to find a temporary job because there is a 6 months holiday before entering university. Actually, I did not know what job I should do. However, I will definitely not to be a waitress or promoter as I had taken these two jobs before and I felt that it was boring. A sudden think flashed through my mind. Why don’t I try to be a temporary teacher? I had already had a SPM certificate which fulfilled the minimum requirement. Furthermore, my friend promised me to be teaching in the same primary school with me. The last and the most important thing that convinced me to be a temporary teacher is that I am quite satisfied with the salary paid.

I was so regret in making this decision started from the first week I taught. I think I was too nice to those students when I first entered the class. Perhaps I should be fiercer when we first met. There might be people saying that “Oh, kids are so cute. How would you have the heart to be fierce to them?” Yes, before being a temporary teacher, I would say so too. Regret save nothing actually. Because of my kindness to them, I had been suffering for 6 months. What made me happy were the school holidays.

Students nowadays are really smart. They know which teacher is fierce and which is not. They will pretend obedient in front of those teachers who are fierce and they dare not to miss their homework given by that particular teacher. Well, my students pretended really well in the first class I entered. However, as days goes by, they showed their real attitude in my class as I did not bring any cane into the class. They started to be not concentrate and playing their own things while I was teaching. I remembered there was once I found out one of my student was not listening to what I taught and he was rubbing his eraser on the table and collected all the traces into a container. Then, he threw the traces to other students and thus causing others couldn’t be concentrate too due to the disturbance.

I approached him and I asked “What are you doing?” What he answered really made me angry. “I’m producing pepper with eraser.” He seemed wanted to continue his process of producing his “pepper” instead of concentrating in his study. I took his container which was full with those “pepper” and threw them into the rubbish bin and I returned him the empty container. His face turned black and stared at me. I stared him back and told him if he continued to do so I would repeat what I had done just now. Then he told other students that “This teacher no good.” He did something wrong and he dared to blame me. If I could, I really want to slap him. But as a teacher, I know I shouldn’t do that.

Besides, the guys in my class always created problems for me. They would bully each other or even bullying girls who are same class with them. This had caused the girls crying when I was teaching and I had to stop my teaching to solve the problem. At last, I decided to bring a cane to the class. They seemed more obedient after I brought the cane into the classroom. Perhaps it is the thing they were afraid of. But they revealed their real pattern after once I had punished a student with the cane. I had just caned him lightly as I did not want to hurt him. I really could not imagine what he had told me after I caned him. “Not pain at all. XXX teacher’s cane gives much more pain than yours.”

I really don’t know how to handle those students. I really don’t understand what those students thinking nowadays. I was not like that when I was a primary student. Undeniable, there are also smart and obedient students. I did enjoy teaching those students from other classes especially Standard 1 students. I think I was unlucky and had chosen as the class teacher of the naughty students. As a class teacher of them, I had to teach them most of the time and this really made me mad.

From these 6 months experiences, I realized that being a teacher is not that easy. They have to ensure that students will get the knowledge and learn to be a better person. I really appreciate all my teachers who had taught me. Without them, I would not be who I am today.

I miss her

My sister - the one wearing green t-shirt
Is she cute? Yes, when she is not arguing with me.. XD

Having a facebook chat with my sister this morning. After a short chat with her, I realized how much I miss her. All the memories with her suddenly emerged.  All the scenes appear distinct in my mind. Doing some crazy things together, singing “syok sendiri”ly at home, and laughing loudly together. Of course we did arguing with each other, fighting with each other. But everything returns to normal after a very short period just as we didn’t argue and fight before. Anyone of us will apologize and try to mediate the settlement. I think this is because we are sister. The closest person besides our parents. We would never want to undermine our destined relationship.

I think I’m not a good sister. Although I love her deep from my heart, but I never tell her. She is really childish. To me, she is still like a primary school girl. She loves toys and magic. She would buy toys that you will never thought that a form 5 girl would buy. She is easily to be satisfied. An ice-cream would make her happy. I have never thought that I’ll miss her that much. I have no regret to have her as my sister and I’m proud of her. 

Being a daughter

Being a daughter of my parents for 21 years, there are many events happened between me and them. As a naughty daughter of them, I remembered there was once my parents brought me to hypermarket when I was a child and I was suddenly disappeared from their sight. They were so tensed to search me out. They kept calling my name and there was no response from me. After a few minutes, I jumped out from the clothes displayed. My parents asked me where had I been and I told them I was playing hide and seek with them. They warned me not to play such game with them again as they thought I was missing.

I also remembered when I am about 3 years old, I had asked my parents to buy me a book named “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” as I was attracted by the colourful pictures in the story book. My parents refused to buy that book for me as that book is actually quite abstruse for me that time. I kept persuading my parents to buy that book for me. Finally, I got what I wanted. The book always reminds me that I have parents that love me so much. They don’t have the heart to see me disappointed.

I am proud to be my parents’ daughter. Today, tomorrow, or the days after tomorrow, it will still be the same.

It’s just a dream

It is a dream

A sweet dream

Refuse to back to reality

Staying in the dream makes me happy

It is a dream

A bad dream

Run as fast as I can

To avoid being caught under the devil’s claws

It is a dream

It’s time to wake up

No matter how sweet or bad the dream is

It’s just a dream