I wanted to write a good deal on my trip to Saudi Arabia to perform umrah several weeks ago, I really did. I had envisioned myself writing two or three posts on the matter; such was the volume of words in my head that were just begging to be typed out. After all, the ten-day experience was the longest time I'd ever been on foreign soil, if you'll exclude my two months in America after I was born, of course.
But then some things turned up and I had to put off my writing about the trip. Information tends to gradually detach itself from your memory after a while, and it was no different here. As time passed and still nothing got written down, the numerous details that I'd planned on reproducing here got lost in the recesses of my mind.
However, I do still intend on writing at least something. Eventually. It's just after eleven at night as I'm writing this, and I don't intend on forcing my mind to cough up details of Saudi Arabia right about now. I've decided that I'll write it out slowly, bit by bit, and post it once I'm done. Yes, that sounds like a reasonable plan. I am midway through my month-and-a-half-long semester break after all, and currently at home in Ampang rather than in Nilai this whole week.
One thing I would like to write about at the moment, though, is my first visit to Rembau this year a couple of days ago. Note that I used the word 'first' because I expect to be going there again at several other junctures this year, and most definitely at least one more time this month.
Anyway, there were three other guys with me this time around (their names, in the context of this post, don't matter, and it's not like I normally use names on this blog anyway). The purpose of this trip, as far as I knew prior to that day, was to give a talk to the current Form 5 students (i.e. students in their senior year, for those of you unfamiliar with the Malaysian education system) to "share our experiences".
I'd been wondering just which part of my unconventional journey through tertiary education I would be talking about when I was told by the guys who'd come along with me that it was actually supposed to be some sort of motivational talk to get the kids fired up for The Big Exam in November - they'd even prepared a slideshow for the occasion.
Ignoring the fact that it was still only January and that November was ten months away and that any motivation we'd manage to build up would very likely mostly dissipate by the end of the week, I figured I'd just go along with it and give it my best shot.
Before we could talk to the Fivers, though, we were asked to speak to the Form One students (freshmen) first. They'd only been in the school for one week and, according to the teacher who'd asked us to speak to them in the first place, they weren't exactly having the time of their lives there. One kid had even left the same day he came.
The talk was, of course, impromptu, but I think it went well. The four of us talked about why being in an SBP (fully-residential school) was such a great opportunity for them, and why it would be a shame if any of them were to turn it down. I didn't do much talking myself, mostly because I really had no idea what to say and the other guys were already doing pretty well talking about their own SBP experiences, but when I was given the microphone, pretty much all I could talk about was how much I enjoyed playing football during my two years in Rembau.
After that was over, it was time to move on to the main event. We went to the school surau for the talk, where we found our audience already waiting for us. Not an ideal situation, personally speaking, as I usually prefer to get anywhere early so as to not keep others waiting.
So then the talk began and I was first up. The topic I'd been given was something about the competitiveness of the SPM scene, and how more and more people were getting straight A's every year. Sounded simple enough, as all I had to do was tell the kids that they weren't as smart as they thought they were and that there were, in fact, plenty of others out there who were better than them. Or something like that.
I wasn't provided with feedback on my slot afterwards, so I don't know for sure how well I spoke, or to which extent my message got across. What I do know is that if someone had recorded my speech, and I were to watch that recording, I would have hardly recognized myself. I was enthusiastic, I was animated, and I got the crowd going on several occasions. Quite a far cry from my usual monotonous, expressionless, deadpan demeanour.
The two guys who spoke after me (the third was the emcee) were a bit more reserved during their parts of the presentation, as they focused more on substance rather than style. Their approach was more in line with how everyone expected them to talk, rather than my blow-expectations-out-of-the-water effort, and I suppose more fitting with their respective topics.
Hopefully, our little talks with the two batches of students that day were fruitful, especially from their perspective. The results, though, won't be able to be clearly observed until later in the future.
From my own perspective, however, I do believe that I was positively affected by the whole affair. My unexpected performance in the school surau that day has led me to realize that, yes, I am capable of pulling such a thing off. I'd always imagined myself as a charismatic, occasionally funny speaker only for things to ultimately not quite turn out that way, but this time they really did. Sure, I could have done better content-wise, but other than that it was great.
And there I was, thinking that I knew myself. Turns out that you find out new things about yourself all the time, and I certainly did on this occasion. Here's hoping than I can put my newfound speaking capabilities to good use in the future.
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