Dear Malaysia, Walk With Me In NYC

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New York City is such an inspiring place. Countless movies have been made here. Famous celebrities like Godzilla have been here. It's so amazing that jealous alien races, like the Chitauri, want to destroy it. I've learned & grown so much as a human being immersed in its culture & living amongst its people. I want to share those benefits with all students in Malaysia & inspire them to be global citizens, as well as motivate them to constantly improve their English language proficiency. So come, Malaysia, walk with me in NYC.

Being able to live in NYC has been a tremendous privilege & throughout my time here, I have been looking for engaging & meaningful ways to leverage my position for the benefit of my colleagues & students in Malaysia. Some of my more notable initiatives include a US-Msia Video Exchange Project, sending postcards to 160+ schools in Malaysia, video conferencing with a school in Sarawak, & making a video for a special ed. secondary school in Johor. After significantly investing on video equipment & know-how, I thought to myself... why not do a video for the rest of Malaysia?

Honestly, I've had this idea for a while. I've been holding back because of nightmares of people trolling me because I'm not young, I've gained weight, & I'm just a teacher. But, I've only got 2 more months left. Why not put the idea out there & see if Malaysians are interested? What have I got to lose? Like a famous philosopher once said... Just do it. So come, Malaysia, walk with me in NYC!

Wait a second... What am I thinking?

I'm a one-man-show (if you'd like to pitch in, contact me!) so I won't be able to make 1 video for every school that says hello. The best I can do is 1 video for 1 state = 16 videos. KL, Labuan & Putrajaya are included! New York City has plenty of landmarks so I'm not going to do 16 videos on the same landmark. 1 state = 1 different landmark.

How will I know if Malaysians are interested?

The first state to get 1000 votes on a landmark will have that landmark featured in the video dedicated to the state. Also, the top 3 schools with the highest participation in the voting process will get a shoutout in the video.



How do I choose a landmark?

  • Follow this link to the voting form: https://goo.gl/forms/SMvckCMr7Xw8huNk2
  • Only Malaysian school teachers, students, or parents can vote. No undi haram please.
  • I've listed several landmarks, but you can also make suggestions.
  • You can change your vote at any time. You can also see the latest results at any time.
  • I will shoot a video for the first state to get 1000 votes on one landmark. At that point, other states will have to choose another landmark.
  • For each state, the 3 schools with the highest participation in the voting process will get a shoutout in their video

What's in the video?

  • My double-chin-chin. Oh, you want more?
  • I'll take you on a walk at the landmark: show you the scenery & focus on key parts.
  • I'll talk about the history of the place / parts.
  • I'll share my thoughts about the place / parts.
  • I'll end with 3 questions for discussion & thought.
  • Here's an example video that I made for SMPKVIP: https://youtu.be/G2PnD-q--JY

Teachers! You can use it for:

  • Pre-video Lessons: Ss research the different landmarks + presentation + campaign for their favorite one + vote as a collective
  • During-video Lessons: Dictation / Close Text / Comprehension Questions
  • Post-video Lessons: Group presentation on the 3 questions / a meaningful writing assignment / a video response / haiku writing
  • English Assembly
  • English Week

Let me know your thoughts & questions in the comments!

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