My trip to the North

Alhamdulillah, I have a speedy recovery. A few friends called to ask after reading my last post. Glad to know that my blog is being read by a number of friends although I noticed there are very few comments on my posts. I was down with fever and to make it worse, had a bad headache. It all started with too much to eat and I really had appetite with the Northern food including the famous Laksa Kedah. Admitted it was my own doing as I did not take my regular diet (that's oat and my Herbalife Shape Works Soy Powder) and really enjoyed my meals. Well, due to that, I had stomach upset; and one thing leads to another. Anyway, the trip was very interesting. My meeting was held at Regency Hotel, which is located in the heart of Alor Setar town and so, so near to a number of shopping complexes and Pekan Rabu. I did not go to the complexes as I feel they are more or less the same elsewhere. However, Pekan Rabu really attracted me as it has lots of stalls selling local cookies and ikan pekasam, a kind of preserved salty fish(did not buy any). I only bought kerepek and some local cookies for my friends in the office and of course, for my dear students. We also went to Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus Perlis for a benchmarking visit. The institute is the only two intitutes (another is IPGM Kampus Darul Aman) which has Guidance and Counselling Department. As for the rest (including mine), we come under the Education Studies Department as a small unit. What more, IPGM Kampus Perlis has already established a Counselling Clinic, which later on , will be set up in all campus of IPGM and schools. Its a new development for the counselling service offers in the education setting in Malaysia. Personally, this is like a dream comes true. Children in present school system need a more focused, systematic and holistic counselling and also fits our local culture. Most of the counselling theories we learn and apply originated from the West and definitely, they need to be adjusted to conform to our children's needs. Qudos to Dr Kamaruzaman (Pensyarah Kanan DG52) in IPGM Kampus Perlis for leading the way for a new perspective in counselling. I am really supportive of his own theory; Teori Bina Insan Jiwa which is a new theoritical counseling perspective which suits our Asian values and is closer to our settings. Shall upload the photos later. Anyway, the visit was very benefial to me as I learnt many new things related to my field. Thank you to IPGM Kampus Perlis especially Tuan Haji Othman , Head of Guidance and Counseling Department , fellow lecturers there and KSPK Bimbingan and Kaunseling for making our visit a fruitful one.

I reached KK at 11.30 pm on Friday, feeling very sick and tired. But, I went to the office on the next day,although it was a Saturday to replace my classes. It was a long day for me as I got to finish class at 3 in the afternoon. Suprisingly, I did not feel that sick when I gave my lecture and was so glad to see my students. The minute I reached home, felt like all my joints were aching all over again. Am back to my usual diet and feel so much better now. Thank God.