I'm very sick. Not the chronic type lah. Flu, slight fever and a sorethroat. The complete package. I've been sick since Saturday but it became worse day by day. I hope today (Tuesday) there will be some improvements.
Anyhows, yesterday I had my KPLI interview. Me & Dad started our journey from Limbang on a Sunday evening around 4.30pm. The timing was a big mistake. When we arrived at the Tedungan-Kuala Lurah border around 5pm, the queue was about a kilometer long and very slow moving! We got held up for almost 2 1/2 hours at the border. Brunei Immigration sucks!
So we arrived in Miri city just before 10pm. My interview was supposed to start at 8 the next morning, but I still had to complete my Borang Pernyataan Hasrat. There are 3 questions: 1) Why do you choose teaching as a profession. 2) State your experience in teaching. 3) If chosen, what will you contribute to the teaching field. I finally went to bed after 12.30am. Supposed to wake up at 6 but i didn't hear my alarm, and my Dad's alarm did not go off too. So we were up 20 mins late.
So I finally arrived at Maktab Perguruan Sarawak 10 minutes before 8am. When I got there, they were just starting to prepare the place for the interview, dammit! All the rush for nothing. There were supposed to be 6 candidates for the 8am slot, but 1 didn't turn up. So the 5 of us then sat for a table test, 30mins essay writing. After that we were told to wait in the hall while the interviewers do their stuff in the room. I thank God those 4 other candidates were the nice types. We got to know each other, joking etc. Alu sik nervous agik lekak ya. The next activity, we were to go through a group discussion, on the lack of civic-consciousness among students in schools for 30mins. No problems, nobody monopolized the discussion, everyone got their fair share. Perhaps the "bonding" thing worked haha.
Later on came the final stage, the individual interview. And I was the last one. The interview was pleasant to say the least. Formal of course but in a very relaxed atmosphere. I wasn't asked any general knowledge questions, which is cool. They mainly asked about my experience in teaching, the challenges I faced, the best moment etc. They then excused me, my hand was already holding the door knob when the chief interviewer called me again.
Chief: Benjamin, I must say that I'm impressed. Your English is very good!
Me: Oh, thank you madam.
Chief: So tell me Benjamin, how does a boy, born & raised in Limbang (i specifically said "born & raised" at the beginning of the interview when they asked me about myself) have a very good command of English?
Me: *still standing at the door* Well...
2nd Interviewer: Sit down Benjamin
Chief: Yes, come take a seat again. So, tell us...
Me: Television
Of course I mentioned other stuff like reading etc, not to mention both my parents are English teachers. It went on for a couple more minutes and then I was excused, but somehow I had forgotten to showed them my original IC, and they too forgot to ask me for that. So again my exit was delayed. I gave the chief my IC, she took a look and told me to state my IC number. With the birthdate, state code and 4 unique numbers. I did so, and remarked "Teacher's Day" at the end. Yes I was born on May 16. She smiled. Her smile was, I dunno. It was like a sign. Unless she was just mucking around with me haha. Will just have to wait til December 19.
I'll be teaching again tomorrow, at a secondary school. I hope i feel much better later today. Else might ask for MC.
Anyhows, yesterday I had my KPLI interview. Me & Dad started our journey from Limbang on a Sunday evening around 4.30pm. The timing was a big mistake. When we arrived at the Tedungan-Kuala Lurah border around 5pm, the queue was about a kilometer long and very slow moving! We got held up for almost 2 1/2 hours at the border. Brunei Immigration sucks!
So we arrived in Miri city just before 10pm. My interview was supposed to start at 8 the next morning, but I still had to complete my Borang Pernyataan Hasrat. There are 3 questions: 1) Why do you choose teaching as a profession. 2) State your experience in teaching. 3) If chosen, what will you contribute to the teaching field. I finally went to bed after 12.30am. Supposed to wake up at 6 but i didn't hear my alarm, and my Dad's alarm did not go off too. So we were up 20 mins late.
So I finally arrived at Maktab Perguruan Sarawak 10 minutes before 8am. When I got there, they were just starting to prepare the place for the interview, dammit! All the rush for nothing. There were supposed to be 6 candidates for the 8am slot, but 1 didn't turn up. So the 5 of us then sat for a table test, 30mins essay writing. After that we were told to wait in the hall while the interviewers do their stuff in the room. I thank God those 4 other candidates were the nice types. We got to know each other, joking etc. Alu sik nervous agik lekak ya. The next activity, we were to go through a group discussion, on the lack of civic-consciousness among students in schools for 30mins. No problems, nobody monopolized the discussion, everyone got their fair share. Perhaps the "bonding" thing worked haha.
Later on came the final stage, the individual interview. And I was the last one. The interview was pleasant to say the least. Formal of course but in a very relaxed atmosphere. I wasn't asked any general knowledge questions, which is cool. They mainly asked about my experience in teaching, the challenges I faced, the best moment etc. They then excused me, my hand was already holding the door knob when the chief interviewer called me again.
Chief: Benjamin, I must say that I'm impressed. Your English is very good!
Me: Oh, thank you madam.
Chief: So tell me Benjamin, how does a boy, born & raised in Limbang (i specifically said "born & raised" at the beginning of the interview when they asked me about myself) have a very good command of English?
Me: *still standing at the door* Well...
2nd Interviewer: Sit down Benjamin
Chief: Yes, come take a seat again. So, tell us...
Me: Television
Of course I mentioned other stuff like reading etc, not to mention both my parents are English teachers. It went on for a couple more minutes and then I was excused, but somehow I had forgotten to showed them my original IC, and they too forgot to ask me for that. So again my exit was delayed. I gave the chief my IC, she took a look and told me to state my IC number. With the birthdate, state code and 4 unique numbers. I did so, and remarked "Teacher's Day" at the end. Yes I was born on May 16. She smiled. Her smile was, I dunno. It was like a sign. Unless she was just mucking around with me haha. Will just have to wait til December 19.
I'll be teaching again tomorrow, at a secondary school. I hope i feel much better later today. Else might ask for MC.
You ROCK bro!!!
ReplyDeleteGod bless ya.