Another Job: Should I give it a shot?

Aaaahhhhhh!!!

I had a ‘nightmare’ on October 23rd! A ‘frightening’ call from Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah (PPD), Kuala Terengganu branch REALLY GOT ME UP last Sunday. The PPD rep informed that my application for Guru KGSK was successfully approved and I was required to come to the office ASAP to collect my appointment letter. He said, “Your teaching duty will be starting tomorrow morning. Congratulations!”

OH MY GOD!

Ironically, the good news was in fact bad news for me. I didn’t even feel thrilled as I was supposed to be. To be honest… I wasn’t fascinated to accept it. It’s all because I had already made up my mind, just wanted to keep staying at home for the rest of this year, may I? Urgh! Please stop whining Khairul Anuar.

Well… I think I’ve worked enough, haven’t I?

1^st – English Relief Tutor at a tutorial centre

2^nd – Front Office Assistant a.k.a Receptionist at a 3-star hotel, and

3^rd – a Sales Assistant at a sundry shop.

This didn’t cause me to reject the offer, nonetheless. I had to say ‘OK’. No choice, actually. Hmm… more fascinatingly, this simply means I’ve got the chance to be a relief teacher twice. Wait! A chance? Come on, this isn’t a chance for me. But why? Erm… doesn’t matter. I’m gonna tell you soon. Just keep reading!

The previous school I taught was Sek. Keb. Pulau Bahagia in Manir and presently at Sek. Keb. Seri Budiman – a primary school I had never dreamt of teaching in my life, ever!

On the first day I stepped into the school compound, I walked as usual {Ala.. baik tak payah cakap}. Not the least bit scared, nervous, anxious or anything. So very confident. School, you know, has been something quite ordinary for me. By the way, according to the Senior Assistant, the school is now lacking of English teachers and sorry, that one I can’t help. It’s kinda good news for primary school teachers-to-be, regrettably I’m only gonna be a secondary school teacher even though she recommended that I apply to be one of the school staff {Sape cakap guru dah cukup kat sekolah bandar?}.

FYI…

I’m taking over Mrs Halina Ibrahim, an English as well as Pendidikan Jasmani dan Kesihatan teacher. She is also a class teacher for Year 3 Takwa – oh my, another bad news for me! Besides teaching English for Year 3 and 2, I’ve to teach PJK for Year 2 as well. I used to teach English for Year 2 previously, so not a big problem. 

However this is the first time I’m teaching English for Year 3. Anyways, no big deal. I can still live with that. Year 3 Takwa, 2 Siddiq and 2 Istiqamah – these are the only classes I’m teaching at the school. Year 3 is a bit fine for me whilst Year 2 Siddiq is the first class. Oh, I’m really very lucky. Nevertheless, Year 2 Istiqamah is, so sad to say, the most terrible class. I mean the last one. In other words, the methodology I need to utilize is sure distinct for both classes. Alright, scratch that!

Just like most schools in the country, the school mistress usually monopolizes the staff room. Do I care? Seriously NAY! The number of school masters if I’m not mistaken is no more than 15. No teachers as young as me there whom I can speak to. Hence, my communication turns a little bit limited and the interaction seems like no more than between a son and parents. What a life! I’m unable to converse with them that much and our topics are more into school matters or something like that. You know that.

What’s the school like for me?

So far, I so dislike going to the school. Neither has the reason got something to do with the school environment, for sure, nor the teachers or pupils. I’m just not prepared. That’s all. I intended to spend much more time at home. At least, it could make me feel more comfortable than being at the school, really.

I realize the school days for this year are only few weeks off. The pupils will be sitting their Final Year exams next week. Whoopee! After that, I will feel dizzy no more. No need to think about daily lesson plans and teaching methodologies anymore. Ah, so nice! 

YET… STILL…

No more teaching is gonna take place doesn’t mean I’ll be idling away. Definitely, not really! I’m good only if had I to mark pupils’ English and PJK exam papers, but the worst thing is I’m a class teacher too. Shoot! I’m gonna deal with anything related to Year 3 Takwa pupils’ marks, textbooks to be returned, etc. Urgh! I loathe this so much! I wished I could escape, you know.

I’m not such a great motivator like Dr Fadilah Kamsah on TV, but I do motivate myself sometimes, “Why not give it a shot and it’s likely to be something better to do. Trust me.” Think positive! Ya, I know I never had experience as a class teacher, hope this might be such a golden opportunity for me to get learning and exploring. Hope so.

The class teacher is the busiest annually especially at the end of year, to my mind. Hey, maybe it’s merely my ridiculous assumption.

But… what if this position will burden me too much soon?

Cos it seems it really does.

Oh, no way!

Do wish me luck, guys.

Staff are like stuff?

I feel as if I’m called to question a circumstance which has been a phenomenon in our today’s society. I’m quite unsure whether it’s been happening for a long time. What’s on my mind is that it’s thoroughly a truth and a reality. I got this from my observation and little experience.

I don’t think that some employers do CARE about his or her staff. Let me narrow the scope of my perception.  To illustrate my point, it’s just like a father doesn’t care about his wife and children. Neither does he bother thinking what’s going on nor asking them after.

I dare to say that these employers are selfish and they’re best called the irresponsible. What’s on their mind is, “…profits oh…a lot more profits… please come to Papa… I’m gonna be rich! Aku kaya! Aku kaya!”. Shit! This would be even much trickier when the poor have changed to be amongst the rich. Kami dah lupa diri. They totally forget their accountability towards their staff whom have helped them a lot making him well-to-do. They might simply say, “Ada aku kesah?” Even worse when the employers most regularly ignore their staff’s health condition and tiredness ‘cause to them, these are none of their business!

What actually makes someone a good employer? Aha, nice question, isn’t it?

Personally, a good employer is somebody who:

ü  Knows their staff well and origins.

ü  Treats staff like friends but is still firm at times.

ü  Cares his staff’s health, predicament and problems.

ü  Has a very good friendship with the staff.

ü  Never nags and scolds staff but advices them more.

ü  Never makes up stories which ‘smells’ like a slander.

ü  Dislikes insulting and cursing at staff.

ü  Is always supportive.

ü  Is considerable with staff whenever possible.

I don’t know. But, I don’t think my employers, be it at the hotel or at the sundry shop, possess those characteristics listed above. It’s too impolite to say so but I’m just being outspoken anyways which is much better. And, MAYBE many employers just assume their staff like S-T-U-F-F… hmm, what if it’s true? Have a think, then.

In Dilemma: The Almighty or The Job

What if you’re presently in the following situation?

‘You’re a male Muslim. You already attended an interview session the other week & you’re just lucky for getting the job you applied recently at a 3-star hotel as a Front Office Assistant (FOA) a.k.a Receptionist. Your off day only falls on Mondays (They determine it themselves NOT you) cos you work 6 days a week. That also means you work every day but Monday. 

Surprisingly you hafta be at your workplace on Eidul Fitr & a few other Muslim festivals. It's still fine to me cos you may be on the morning shift ( 7am sharp until 3:00 pm) or afternoon shift (3pm sharp until 11pm) or maybe the night shift (11pm sharp - 7am). You'll still have enough time to celebrate Eidul Fitr, right? The total of your daily working hours will be 8 hours per day. They only pay you RM23 a day with a bachelor's degree qualification (exclusive the extra allowance approx. RM80 a month) while the Ministry of Education paid me RM50 a day as a supply teacher (Americans call 'substitute teacher' and Malays call 'Guru Ganti') with only an SPM qualification! I was too paid with RM60 per day for teaching a two-hour and thirty-minute tuition class! How different!'

That still sounds alright to me & thousands of people out there hafta sacrifice for such festivals annually - but, what do you say when...

It’s on Friday, as a male Muslim, you must go perform Friday prayer (Jumaat prayer) at the mosque and certainly need to ask permission from your head first (Baru sopan sikit kann... tak gitu?). What if your head DOESN’T let you go & she argues that your job entails you to be available all the time at the FOA desk? 

Even if, say, it’s Friday prayer time & your hotel is receiving many guests at that time, can be Mat Sallehs or musafirs perhaps, you MAYN’T go due to your duty as a 'loyal' employee (Undang-undang ala orang Kafir taat perlu la aku taat setia kann...)

It’s too crucial to highlight something here, YOUR DUTY TO YOUR FUCKING JOB.

What about YOUR DUTY TO ALLAH S.W.T?

Which one is the more important? You choose, then!

I wonder… a company belongs to Muslims, however they don’t prioritize their obligations toward Allah! The employees are all Muslims, I'm pretty sure! (Aku sendiri x pasti sama ada staff kat sini semua solat atau tak sebab... tak perlu la cerita eh!) 

Only do the fucking bastard prioritize their job more than God, in this case Allah The Almighty. This is because the more PROFIT a company makes, the more MONEY you’ll be paid as bonus in the form of monthly income. But a one-day income can NEVER be higher than a supply teacher with an SPM qualification. Shoot! S'okay if you're a non-Muslim, however.

GUESS WHAT?

“I WAS THE VICTIM”

And, that’s actually what happened to me. I ‘wrote’ this post right after I quitted/quit. That’s why the content looks still extremely hot & spicy like a box of KFC fried chickens! The job I was offered really entails a very committed & dedicated employee. Briefly, the job comes FIRST prior to your family members & even worse, before your RELIGION!

Since I wasn’t as BRAINLESS as they might be thinking when making this fucking decision, I definitely got my own arguments which I didn’t think I needed to argue with them. I know who I am & I'm clear about my main aims on this planet. I dare to defend what He commands. And, I’m NOT scared.

Sounds very odd to me when talking about this female Muslim who’s allegedly ever so dedicated to her job acted as if she’s a non-Muslim. She's the Head of the Front Office Department. As I worked on Fridays too, I was bewildered when she said,

“If I've already gone perform Friday prayer this week, next week NO MORE!!!”

In short, I’m able to only perform Friday prayer twice a month. So terrible! Seems like I were somewhere in Sarawak or Sabah where Muslims are the minority. I’ve been to Sarawak FYI. Churches are everywhere, seriously! 

She pointed out that a male Muslim MAYN'T go perform Friday prayer not exceed than 3 times in a row only. It's OK to her if I go this week & the following week, I don't. Deep in my heart I grumbled alone, “Oh, really?” or I'd better say, "Kepala hotak kau!"

I feel damn stupid for working at the so-called prestigious workplace. I’m freaking regretful for willing to work there. I therefore decided to quit. I chose the religion, sorry babe! Although it's too tricky to get a job currently, God NEVER asks me to apply such a fucking job that will keep me away of Him.

Moreover, I know

“Rezeki saya di tangan Tuhan, bukan di tangan syarikat.”

This is one of the scripts I can still bear in mind in ‘Nur Kasih The Movie’. Have you seen the movie? Highly recommended.

I got very confused when reading the hotel rules & regulations book, it states that:

'If you resign over your trial (It generally takes 6 months prior to your job confirmation), you've to pay a two-week salary before you officially quit. I think this isn’t legalized by the Islamic teaching & is it possible to classify it as RIBA? Sorry for my poor religious knowledge. 

In addition, I very much detested when she blamed me for not being a fast learner. She wanted whatever she’d already taught me within 5 minutes could be well mastered. She scolded me for promising that I was a fast learner & could do any tasks assigned. The fact was I never promised so! I said I'd be trying my best, the deaf!. Imagine you gotta deal with a terribly complex data you’ve never seen with indescribably lots of jargon! Can you? Of course you need much practice! PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, & you know that!

I’ve got an easier example here. Just imagine school children in school. The teacher CAN'T ever teach one topic in less than a 40-minute lesson & then expect their students are all fast learners who’re able to catch as well as understand it very quickly? NOT all students are gifted learners. As an experienced teacher although not a permanent teacher yet, I know they SURE CAN'T! Even the 1^st class in which intelligent students are most typically classed, THEY CAN'T EITHER! This doesn’t make sense to me at all.

On Friday afternoon, a big number of staff there busily asked me whereabouts I performed my Friday prayer just barely. Why was I too late to get back to work, whereas other male staff could make it ASAP? Plus, the Head was NUTS for blaming me not really serious towards my job & lying to her. The question is: Did I ever lie? I don't think I was guilty for spending a bit long time in the mosque only for Allah’s commands, was I? I just waited for the dua' & shortly after that I whereupon got back to work. I didn't even go anywhere else. I didn't stop by at a Mamak stall for lunch or something. Bloody hell!

Whatever it is, I don’t wanna open my mouth. I don’t wanna frankly tell why I dislike the job. I just don’t feel supportive, really. I might fall in love with the job only if did she teach me well & only if did she really know how to teach. Personally, she just DIDN'T! 

What get me more perplexed is that being a Front Office Assistant or Receptionist DOESN'T make you more talkative as I always thought previously. It’s totally incorrect. Standing in front of the PC every time, answering non-stop internal & external calls plus answering questions from local or international guests pertaining to something I didn’t know yet really made me a headache, EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Honestly, I’m not pleased. I feel unhappy all the time. Why am I to keep working, then?

I got a bachelor’s degree & can apply many more jobs out there that permit me perform solat in tranquility.

I don’t care what the staff there wanna gossip afterwards ‘cause I believe they’ve known already that the job is risky & full of pressure. 

So, I quit! Easy!

Better quit before going bananas! 

Nevertheless, there’ve been many things I’ve learnt too including how:

a)      to make room booking/ reservation,

b)     to photocopy

c)      to activate key card

d)     to punch card 

e)      to update guest profiles from a check-in pocket file

f)       the rule of elevator use for hotel staff, etc.

But yeah there’s a lot more one must know to be a better FOA. I didn't chance to learn how to check guests in & check them out. Well...I don't mind!

Gotta tell you that there’s something I enjoy working as a FOA. At least I’ve learnt something new, something I never knew before. I’ve understood about types of rooms & how to do business i.e. offering much more expensive rooms with higher price first to guests! I like it. I know what it means by 'nett'. It’s still called KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE which is, in fact, my actual aim to work there. I’ve got to know many staff too, so enjoyable. They're friendly & kind. Hope they won't have any negative perception on me after I quit unless a Satan-like human has slandered me. 

BUT,

I got to apologize for having to leave you guys. I've no choice anymore because…

Between Allah & Job,

I HAVE CHOSEN ALLAH FOREVER!