Pictures Of My House In The Jungle

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Even in remote areas, you have these standard JKR quarters
so it's really not that bad if the living quarters are well maintained.

If you want to be a teacher in Malaysia, you can expect to be placed in a rural or remote school for your first posting just like I was. But it doesn't have to be a complete torture. It's actually a wonderful opportunity to experience the best part of being a teacher = changing lives & making a real difference. Believe me, there is no greater sense of satisfaction than when you see a child you've worked with so hard & so long excel in their examinations. There are no tuition centres here so you can go to bed with a smile knowing that the achievement has it's roots in you. Let's not forget the beauty of nature & the fresh smog-less air.

When I arrived here many years ago, I knew that I had to root myself at the school for at least 4 years in order to see the change that I can make in the school. That's exactly what I did. I didn't run off home every weekend like some of my colleagues did. I stayed back some weekends to spend time with the children. It's a better use of my time anyway because my school is very far away from home.

Every year, I spend 300 days out of 365 days at school. Since I live here most of my days, I invested heavily in turning this bare quarters into a swinging bachelor's pad. I bought thousands worth of furniture & household items from places like IKEA in KL & furniture/lamp shops in Sibu to make the place reflect my ideal evil-genius HQ. My home is a reflection of my personality. I needed a place which feels like home & just being there recharges my batteries.

Without further ado, I present to you the pictures of my house in the jungle:

This is where I write my blogs & entertain myself.



My housemate's workstation.
Notice the Pua Kumbu. It was a gift from a student's mom. She made it herself & I proudly had it framed.

My kitchen.
I have an coffee machine for those mornings where extra motivation is required.
I grind the coffee beans myself too for the best aroma.

Dining area.
I have a bread maker for the best wholemeal bread ever.
It's way better than anything you can get at the bakery. Trust me.

My bedroom.
I bought & carried a Dunlopillo mattress to school so that I could get better sleep at night.
I've also decorated it with personal photographs & newspaper cuttings.

Even if you are placed in the middle of the jungle, your living conditions do not need to resemble that of a jungle hermit. Don't let your environment change you. You can change your environment.

As teachers, we are rarely placed in comfortable situations. Often, to do what is right & what is best for our students, we need to juggle with politics, red tape & protocol before we execute the actual task itself. It's not easy. It can get really exhausting & discouraging. But, every time I come home, I feel revived as I soak in the ambience of my home just like how Superman flies up into the stratosphere to absorb the warmth of the sun. Soon, I am ready to tackle wicked problems again.

What to make a difference? To me, it all starts at home. Put in some effort to make your living quarters an extension of yourself. Once your home away from home is in order, you have a great starting point from which to spread the change you want to see outwards into the whole school & beyond. You might just begin to see a whole new level of breakthrough & sense of satisfaction once you begin to do so.

Have you put in effort to make your quarters more comfortable? I would love to see the pictures! Share them in the comments!

**I wrote this blog post many months ago but I seem to have deleted it accidentally. GRRR!!!**

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