Saturday, April 14

TEACHER, ARE YOU CHINESE OR MALAY?

"Teacher, do you understand Tamil?" asked Revathi.
I was with a small group of Indian students,on relief duty for an absent teacher.
"No, I don't understand Tamil," I smiled. I knew they just wanted an assurance that I would not eavesdrop on their conversation.
" Would you understand if I speak Chinese?" I asked.
Revathi's turn to smile.
"Teacher, you can speak Chinese?"
"Teacher is Chinese la," Ramanan answered for me.
"Really? I thought you're a Malay."
"I am a Chinese," my smile grew wider.
She looked puzzled.
"But... you are wearing tudung?'
"I am a Chinese Muslim... born in Malaysia. I grew up as a Chinese and later.."
"You converted?" Shanti chipped in.
"That's right. I wear the tudung because I am a Muslim woman. But I am still a Chinese and I can speak and understand Chinese." I explained slowly.
"Ohhh..." Revathi nodded slowly.

Ahhh... I've been in the school since 2010.
Taught the same students two years ago and strangely, they had not realise that I am a Chinese lady. The reason? I am wearing a hijab, or tudung.
Students, like most Malaysians, associate this garb with Islam and Malay. In many minds, if you wear a tudung, then you must be a Malay.
And in their minds, if you happen to wear a long tudung, then you must be specially religious Malay.  [ see how they associate our clothing to religion]
Tudung = religious Malay woman = Islam

It's bad enough that Muslim and non-Muslim students are always separated during religious activities.
It'd be a havoc among other nonMuslim teachers if a nonMuslim student were to sit in the hall with other Muslim students, listening to a ceramah by an ustaz.
So I can't blame them for their lack of understanding of Islam.
They don't know much because we, the Muslims, don't do much. Sometimes we, the adults are not allowed to.
Students learn best when they mix with their own friends. Which is why our teenagers need to be exposed to doing Islamic dakwah work, and not be scolded nor discouraged just because they 'lack knowledge'.
I won't be surprised if the nonMuslim students think that China is made up of only Buddhist people. I used to think that way too, when in reality there are more Chinese Muslims in China than there are Malay Muslims in Malaysia.
I was told [in whispers] that there's a Chinese student who is interested in Islam. The ustazah doesn't know what to do. Till today, I'm still waiting for her to approach me.

It's always fun watching how Chinese students react when I speak Chinese dialects or Mandarin to them.
One day when I scolded a sleepy Chinese lad in his mother-tongue, Hokkien, and he was so surprised that he actually sat up straight.
And the Malay students?
They might suddenly realise that it's a fact that there are other Muslims in this country who are not Malay or Mamak. That there are other once-kafir people who have embraced Islam and are now their brothers and sisters in Islam. Because I'm a living and walking proof among them.

"So teacher, are you a Malay or a Chinese now?"
"I am a Chinese.. and my religion is Islam.There are more than 60 thousand Chinese Muslims in Malaysia today, do you know? "
Ahhh, life is never boring as a Chinese Muslim.

Xie xie, wa ai ni, Allah.

Thursday, April 12

CUTI REHAT YANG BUKAN UNTUK REHAT

"Banyak dah kanak-kanak sini yang kena campak, kak," kata pengasuh Ihsan pada bulan lalu.
"Ihsan seorang yang tak kena lagi ni dalam bilik dia."
"Yakah? Oooo..'"saya terdiam. Menghitung hari, dengan harapan jikalau terkena jangkitan campak pun biarlah pada musim cuti sekolah.
Bulan Mac tiba, dan lalu begitu saja. Alhamdulillah Ihsan tak dijangkiti demam campak. Saya lega.Nampaknya Allah belum mahu menguji kami melaluinya.

Sehinggalah pada hari Jumaat 6hb April. Ihsan demam. Ikram pula demam secara tiba-tiba. Saya dan suami bergilir-gilir mengelap badan mereka.
Hampir tengah malam itu, badan Ikram mula naik bintik-bintik merah.
Arrrgghhh... rupa-rupanya demam campak. Chickenpox.
Pada Sabtu pagi, seluruh muka dan badannya dah penuh dengan bintik-bintik merah. Syukurlah jatuh pada hari Sabtu yang saya tak bekerja.
Ubat demam dan tahan gatal segera diberi. Doktor turut memberikan antibiotik.
Alhamdulillah, Ikram anak yang baik, tak banyak meragam melainkan cuba menggaru badannya yang gatal.
Adiknya Ihsan pula dah sihat, dan semakin aktif. Bukan mudah nak asingkan mereka berdua yang sudah semakin mesra dan suka bermain bersama. Akhirnya saya mengalah; jikalau ditakdirkan Ihsan turut dijangkiti, terima sajalah nanti. Lagipun ada kebaikan juga jika anak kena campak semasa kecil. Tak pening lagi ketika mereka bersekolah kelak.

Setiap hari, saya rendamkan Ikram dalam larutan serbuk oat dan tekap badannya sehingga kering selepas itu. Alhamdulillah rawatan ini lebih mujarab daripada calamine lotion yang perlu disapu selepas mandi. Ikram tak garu-garu lagi selepas mandian itu. Daun semambu yang menjadi amalan biasa untuk pesakit demam campak juga kurang berkesan baginya. Hancur daun-daun itu dicarik-cariknya atas katil; terpaksalah saya juga yang bersihkan bilik.

Kini dia dah ok, cuma masih belum boleh dibawa ke taska sebab masih ada bekas lagi di badannya. Takut nanti berjangkit kepada anak-anak lain; lagipun saya tak percaya taskanya mahu terima dia dalam keadaan begini, hahaha..Maka saya dan suami terpaksa bergilir bercuti rehat untuk menemaninya di rumah.
Kasihan lihat wajahnya yang penuh dengan bintik-bintik campak yang belum tanggal. Saya juga risau, tkut-takut nanti berparut pula wajah sebab dia suka garu. Harap-harap losyen vitamin E dapat menyembuhkan parut-parut nanti.
Ahhhh... nama saja cuti rehat, tapi sebenarnya bukan untuk berehat. Itupun atas budi bicara ketua jabatan, jika dia tak ok, tak dapat juga cuti itu.
Itulah masalah bila anak sakit dan tiada bibik di rumah untuk tolong jaga.
Bersabar sajalah... sekurang-kurangnya lega Ikram dah terkena measles serta chickenpox sebelum usianya 2 tahun lagi. Ujian Allah padanya seawal ini tentu ada hikmahnya. InsyaAllah Ikram sihat walafiat hendaknya selepas ini, ameen.

Alhamdulillah... pada mulanya pening bila memikirkan bahawa Sabtu 14hb April in hari sekolah ganti, siapa nak jaga Ikram di rumah...rupa-rupanya hari sekolah ganti itu telah ditunda ke minggu depan 21hb April.. hooorey, selamat kami semua.