the champs

Here they are!

This was right after their 4x200 gold finish.

Notice the now happy faces!

It was a thrilling win after all.

The kids have been watching the footage over and over again; but it's too big to put up on youtube and my video editing know-how is currently non-existent.


(and notice the muddy clothes!)

sports day pix

some pictures from the sports day 2007.





listening to the umpire's instruction. the last event for them that day, notice the tired and tanned faces.







waiting at the starting line. Amjad is first runner, and Syazmi is second runner.

Sports Day -- the report

Annual Sports Day 25 March 2007.

The condition of the field was horrendous! It had been raining a lot the past few days, the kids were happily sloshing around in the mud, some like Amjad chose to go barefoot all the way.

But the weather itself that day was very cooperative, alhamdulillah. Sunny without being too hot. Perfect if the events had gone on schedule and finished by 12; as it was, they dragged on a bit that it all ended at 1:30, and it was sweltering hot.

The organization, whatever there was of it, was bad. We're probably pros at attending sports days what tagging along with mummy and daddy all over segamat in addition to our own school experiences, and this one by far was the most disorganized that we went to. We've never been to the school's sports day before as so this was quite a shock.

Get all the bad things out of the way first so that Ibu can really Brag :) :) :)

(warning -- big time bragging ahead!)

Amjad participated in 3 events -- 100m; 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 (all the events were organized by year and gender).

His first event was 100m. After a false start (duh! teacher who was responsible for the flag signal didn't know what he was supposed to do and was given a crash course there and then by the sports' secretary), he dashed up to finish 3rd.


Their Blue House had the same team for both relay events. Amjad was first runner, next was Syazmi, then Azim and then Faris. Poor Syazmi was still so confused not quite sure whether he was in the team, so when they called for the students to go to the middle of the field, he was still going around looking for his friend. (where was the house teacher who was supposed to manage the team???)

4x100. Amjad faltered at the start, but managed to keep up with the rest of the pack, passed over to Syazmi, who really ran and narrowed the gap with the other two teams, passed over to Azim, who went like the wind and luck was with them when the red team runner slipped, passed over to Faris who kept the second position until the finishing line -- he was only one step behind the green team!

The close silver finish got them -- and everyone else -- excited. After all, blue has traditionally been the worst team, now there was even a glimmer of hope of getting a gold medal.

And won the gold medal they did, and with such excitement! They were already pretty tired by then. The house teacher/manager did a good job trying to keep the students motivated (finally!). It was blazing hot by then, he patted water down their face, put in some encouraging words etc etc. Amjad was ahead of the pack pretty much most of the way but lost the lead in the last 50 m. Syazmi started out forgetting to go into the inner lane, and most some time there, but made up for it in the last 50 m and kept the second position. Azim again went like the wind, and managed to close the gap with the red team. Faris kept up with the lead, but stayed a little behind, until the last stretch. He somehow got a second wind and dashed the last 15 m to clinch the lead -- much to the blue supporters' excitement.

The kids' achievement made up for the disorganization of the event :).

Amjad and Syazmi, I take back all my thoughts about you guys being 'kaki bangku.' In addition to talent, the spirit that you both showed was just awesome!

WONDERFUL WONDERFUL JOB BOYS!!!!

p/s will post the pictures here later.

sports day

for the boys, the current flavor is not the pkbs scores, but the sports' day that will be held this sunday.

they're not having classes this week, instead, it's all sports practise.

both of them are taking part in the same events -- 4x400, 4x200. We're lucky they're in the same team, so there's no need for split loyalty.

as a 'tempias', I had to iron Syazmi's sports clothes this morning. Sahrim washed them last night and didn't take them out to dry so the boy woke up, started looking for his clothes and realized oops, they're wet. So he put it in the spinner, and then I had to iron them dry. but luckliky, it was syazmi and not amjad. He was simply matter-of-fact about it -- amjad would have thrown a fit and pouted and ibu reacting to that would be screaming in my head while ironing the clothes -- which wouldn't be a good start for the day! So with Syazmi, it was simply a matter of -- uh oh, we have a problem, let's just solve it, no need to get upset about it.

we'll cry ourselves hoarse this sunday :).

pkbs1 results

the results are partially in.

the others are not satisfied that Hania, in her 'dazed' studying habits, managed to pull in all A's -- even her Jawi! This year, her class teacher teaches English, and she likes her, so it shouldn't have been such a surprise that she aced both English and Spelling - 100!

Syakira so far is reporting in all A's, but they could've been stronger ones.

Syazmi and Amjad, came back with mainly B's --ack!

Syakira's teacher miscalculated one paper -- her 82 came back as 78, and that was duly changed by the teacher when it was pointed out to her -- and the girl was so happy that instead of a B, it was upped to an A.

Syazmi's teacher also did a miscalculation, although there was no grade change, but it was a mistake and was duly changed when he went back to the teacher.

So now you can see the kids getting out the calculator as soon as they got home and started adding up all the points again, and again, and again -- for all papers, regardless.

We seem to be very result-oriented here, but it's just the flavor of the day.

School holidays

someone clueless would've realised that this week is the school holidays -- the morning traffic is so much less.

my usual hot spots are just so lukewarm, it was like -- heh, dah sampai ofis dah... wow!

not complaining since the mayhem at home will be dealt with by mummy today :)

school holidays...

are just around the corner, but in the meantime, this week, the kids are taking their pkbs1.

syakira came home saying 'i got 90 for penulisan,' and the parents went 'hah? 90 only?' hmmm... if syazmi were to come home and said that, the parents would go '90? wow!' talk about expectations. but syakira did not seem stressed out about it, like she would have before.

syira broke down when she called home. after a glowing first week report, the stress -- the adjustment, the catching up, making new friends etc etc -- has gotten to her. but mummy kept her cool, not going to school and called up the school instead (ibu sees herself freaking out in her shoes!!! cutting off the umbilical cord seems so much harder the nearer the time comes). but just a few more days, and she'll be home.

her pesan to abah, 12:30 be in school ok. and I thought I had it made when I could head off for home at 2 pm.