19 April 1994 to 20 May 1994

Modules like Developing Linguistic Competence which was supposed to last ten weeks ended after five weeks. Similarly other modules like Language Testing and Research Methodology also lasted five weeks. This was due to the fact that the grades had to be handed in by early June 1994. Lecturers were busy with the tasks as external examiners.

As for me this was a relief because for one, I hated boring lectures and sitting in the class for hours. I preferred doing my tasks alone either in the library or in the computer rooms. The second half of the third term allowed more free time. After handing in the assignments I went shopping for clothes, souvenirs and chocolate which I planned to take home during the summer break.

Due to the encouragement from my colleagues and friends, I applied for the post of student warden in the halls. I got the necessary forms, filled them and handed them in and waited for the outcome. Two weeks later I was called for an interview; on 16 May 1994. At the interview, a lot of questions were asked by four ladies; Miss Marjory McCallum, Miss Carter, Miss Catherine Walker and Miss Christine Gordon. I answered them as far as possible and left the room after about fifteen minutes.

Come Friday and I received a reply informing me that I was unsuccessful. I was not disappointed but relieved because if I had been selected, I would have to sacrifice a lot of my free time at the halls especially in the office, working and helping out. Now that I was tied down, I had more free time and I could do my own leisure stuff.

On the other hand I should and had thanked Lee Leng Song, my senior who recommended me to Mike Quickfall for the post of Open Access Supervisor. This was a post where I was in charge of the computers after office hours that is from 5 pm till 8.45 pm.

I worked on rotation that is once a week or the most twice a week. I had the opportunity to help others and at the same time practice and perfect my computer skills. At the end of the day at 8.45 pm I had to shut off all the computers, lights and lock the rooms. It was not a difficult job and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Finally bidding goodnight to the janitor, I would walk back to the halls. The dinner would be packed and left in the kitchen for me. I would inform the guard and get my dinner; usually a piece of chicken, fries, potatoes and salad. There would also be a fruit; an apple or an orange. After a warm shower, my dinner would be ready in the microwave oven. The late dinner was most welcomed.

Upon reflection, I feel a great sense of achievement because I have achieved something which I had wanted to do back in Malaysia, for many years. Back then in 1993, I even enrolled for a course that is Computer Programming in Ipoh. I asked and enquired the cost of the whole course, the duration and the time table. It was to be held between 7.00 pm till 9.00 pm. This was very inconvenient as school was only over at 6.45 pm; meaning that I had to rush to attend the course.

The blessing came in Moray House where one of the modules or requirements was efficiency and use of the computers. It was also free; meaning I do not even have to burn a hole in my pocket.

During the two months of pre-sessional course in MPIK (Maktab Perguruan Ilmu Khas in Kuala Lumpur, prior to leaving for Scotland, I felt rather out of place and nervous too. I had no knowledge of computers and I was totally naïve. Many of the other course mates had some knowledge of computer language and usage. Some of them even went for a two weeks crash course in Kuala Lumpur; at one of the computer schools. I also signed up but due to the limited places, I was left out. This made me even more afraid; as I thought I would be left out and may even not be able to catch up with the others over in Scotland.

Luckily and I would like to thank Moray House and the staff of the Maths and Computing Department for helping me acquire this level of computer competence. In fact I may even boast that I was far ahead of others in this aspect. Many would come to me for advice and to get help in computers.

A Bad Case of Flu

Right on the night of the video session, I had a bad feeling. It was partly due to the fact that I did not take the daily dosage of Vitamin C as I had to rush to college each morning. The lack of water was also a cause. Secondly I had the misfortune to consume wine because it was Steve’s birthday that very night. We drank too much and that that was the cause.

The following morning I had a terrible sore throat, dry and full of phlegm. It was unbearable. I coughed and coughed and each morning I threw out thick yellow mucus. The cough persisted right until the first week of the third term. I should have gone to get some medication from the pharmacy but I was hoping that it would go away. But it did not. Out of sheer frustration I went, in the middle of the second week to get a bottle pf cough syrup.

After two days of constant consuming the medication, the cough disappeared. I was relieved of the constant coughing and the dry and irritating throat.

During the dew days of the break I visited the library  regularly to get material and books for the assignment. I finished all the tasks as usual and had them typed, word-processed and printed.

The three week break went by so fast and it was back to college for the third term. The final term was only for five weeks due to several reasons.

Easter Holiday

Second Term Break (27 March to 18 April 1994)

This was a long break of three  weeks but I was rather happy because I could use the time usefully to finish all the assignments where were to be handed in after the break.

At times I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I would finish all my work earlier than the others and I enjoyed my nights watching videos. Talking about the videos, this time I headed a committee in choosing videos to be screened, get the TV and the video from the TV room, switched them on and at the end of the session, get the equipment back to the TV room.

Initially it was team work but as the days went by it was a one man or just two man job. Luckily I had a good friend, Steve Lisik from Slovak Republic who was kind enough to help me each night. The others in the team either came late or retired early to work on their assignments.

This was not about complaining but as a team I would prefer a fair share of duty. I tolerated their excuses because I did not want to make an issue of this matter. Anyway there and then I made up my mind not to volunteer in such matters in the next academic year. I would leave it to the others so that I could do my own stuff.

Post School Placement Work

After the school experience or placement, came the rather tedious task of putting all the information into a neat and tidy package which had to be handed in to Patricia Ahrens, the course coordinator. There were data collections, with charts, handouts, photographs and with a written assignment. Everything was to be put into a file with proper sections.

When I came back to college after the placement, lectures continued and the usual assignments was the talk of the class. The rush for books in the library was on again.

Everyone was practically searching for books frantically for the next few weeks. Two of the assignments; School Experience and Understanding Organisation were to be handed in before the term ended. Luckily with the understanding and consent of Patricia, the date due for her assignment was extended another week, thus giving us more time to complete it.

SCHOOL PLACEMENT: SECONDARY SCHOOL

The secondary that I had to go to for the placement was in Dumfries a three hour train journey from Edinburgh. The school was Dumfries Academy, a well know school in Dumfries the town where Robert Burns was buried.

Because of the distance I could not travel daily so I had to spend two nights in Dumfries. I left on Wednesday morning by taking two train journeys; Edinburgh to Glasgow and from Glasgow to Dumfries. Upon reaching, the first thing was to look for accommodation; a B & B was most convenient. Together with Bala, a colleague, we wandered from one lodging to another. As we had not made any prior reservation, we had great difficulty finding one. Finally with the kind and friendly owner of a hotel, we managed to locate a room in a B & B; the name was Galowa’ View which overlooked the Dumfries River.

Dumfries River

Dumfries River

Mrs Cameron, the owner was really kind and helpful indeed. After checking in, we dressed and reported at the academy. It was a ten-minute walk from the B & B. we met the assistant head teacher Mr. Douglas and he directed us to Mr Howard Kelly, the head of the English department. We were given the time table for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. After the day was over, we returned to the B&B, changed and wandered around the town, looking at the various shops and to decide the place for dinner. We decided to have a Chinese meal for the first night and an Indian dinner for the second and final night in Dumfries.

The visit to Dumfries Academy was a hectic one as two days were not enough to gather so much information that was required of the module or assignment. I collected a lot of handouts, asked around for facts and information, took plenty of photographs, and observed classes; English and modern languages like French and German. It was a wonderful experience and if I had the opportunity I would definitely spend more time here.

The Town Centre

Friday finally arrived and we left Dumfries after a lunch paid for by Mr. Kelly. We boarded the 3.30 pm train at Dumfries and reached Edinburgh at 6.30 pm.

The Bridge over Dumfries River to Robert Burns Centre

Just for information, the Robert Burns Centre is located in Dumfries. Robert Burns was a famous Scottish writer who penned many patriotic poems and stories about the struggles of the Scottish then. This was where he spent his last few years and he was buried at the mausoleum not far away. At the centre one can see artifacts and a fine display of his famous works like poems, and short stories.

The only disappointment was the rather bad weather; not the snow but the rain and sleet that made our tour of the town rather uncomfortable. Life in Dumfries ended around 6.30 pm and we had to retire to bed early after watching some TV programmes in the room.

On the other hand breakfast provided by Mrs Cameron was sumptuous and delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality. There was tea and coffee in the room itself so I had plenty of refreshment.

SCHOOL PLACEMENT: PRIMARY SCHOOL

Apart from the lectures, I had to spend one week or five days at a primary school as part of the course requirement. The primary school was Balgreen Primary which was a 30 minute bus ride from the halls.

The first day at the school was rather exciting and I was also uncertain as to what should be done and how to go about gathering data and information that was specified in a booklet given to me.

Initially I carried out casual observation and taking notes of whatever I could find in the class. The class that I was given was P5A under the guidance of the class teacher Ms Lesley Reid. She was always busy and in total control of the class. I was sure she was a good teacher; dedicated and successful too, as she planned her lessons well. This was reflected in the pupils in the class as they knew what to do and how to go about doing the tasks given.

The greatest difference between this class and that of schools in Malaysia was lessons were or are integrated around a central theme. When I was there, the theme was “Vikings – life in the middle ages”. Other subjects like language, Maths, History, Arts and Environmental Studies were integrated around the theme.

Teaching aids and reading materials were readily available either found in the resource centre of the school or on loan from the resource centre in Edinburgh. This enabled learning and teaching to progress well.

By the second day till Friday, the last day of the placement, I had adapted and got to know the staff and most of the pupils.

I was happy that my presence was welcomed and was in no way an obstacle to their daily chore of teaching and learning. The pupils were a delighted lot. I really liked them although I did not have a lot of time to spend there as the lessons were packed with work and short recess.

School hours were from 8.50 am till 3.30 pm except on Wednesday from 8.50 am till 12.45 pm because of the weekly staff meetings.

Honestly I was really happy to be placed here because of the casual and friendly atmosphere. I had come to know the head teacher, Miss Catherine Douglas, Deputy head teacher, Mrs Jalloway, Assistant head teacher, Mr. Head and Mrs McDonald who at one time spent quite a number of years in Malaya before independence. She had toured and stayed in Ipoh, Kota Bahru and several places due to the nature of her belated husband’s work as a geologist.

Then there was Mrs Allen, a learning support teacher who was most helpful and gentle to her pupils; being slow in academic subjects like English and Mathematics.

In a nutshell, I had no regrets being placed in Balgreen Primary as I loved the school, staff and especially the pupils.

See the following photographs as testimony.

THE SECOND TERM 1994

10 January 1994 to 25 March 1994

During the first term, life was free and less hectic. There was plenty of free time to dwell in leisure activities and assignments were few. I finished all the assignments long before the due date as I went to college as usual during the term break and worked on them either in the library or at the computer room

The others always wondered how I could manage to find time to finish my work and relax every night during the movies in the halls. It was just my determination and inspiration to finish work earlier and not to procrastinate. I hate last minute work when I have to rush and frantically search for time to complete any task.

The quality of my work may not be up to the highest level but what I believe is to be able to complete and hand in the work required. Gaining knowledge without sacrificing other aspects of life is more important. I prefer an all round development rather than enclosing and restricting myself to only one aspect.

Since having been given the chance to be there, I intended to make full use of everything to the best of my knowledge and learn as much as possible. I truly believe the saying ‘all work and no play make Jack a dull boy’.

Now, into the second term, lectures and assignments were built to the maximum

WINTER PARTIES

There were:

1.    Christmas Eve party

2.    Christmas Party (Malaysians only)

3.    New Year Party

4.    Last Party of the term holiday

During all these parties, there were lots of food, drinks and good music. At most of these parties, Jayan, Zainuddin and I would end up clearing and cleaning up until 4 am. I had my share of food and drinks and a few dances to while away the loneliness being away from the family.

MOVIES IN THE HALLS

Apart from the tours and visits, there were also video screening in the Conference Room in Darroch Hall and a few parties. The videos were screened every night except Saturdays and Sundays and when there were parties. There were two movies each night, all chosen by the entertainment committee. There were also refreshment like coffee, tea and biscuits. I was always there during the sessions preparing hot water for the drinks and after the shows had ended I would lend a hand cleaning up the place, switching off the TV and the video player.

In fact I had already seen the movies prior to going to Scotland so I just passed the time watching the re-runs. I also had the opportunity of having coffee, biscuits and chatting with friends. I remember very clearly two guys who were practically there every night. They were Mariozzo and Wang. Mariozzo was from Italy and Wang was from China. They were doing a short English course at the Language Institute. I can still picture Mariozzo because he had a bad case of flu and he was taking all sorts of medication. Wang was more reserved and spoke very little.

The Malaysian ladies were always absent except on two occasions where the movies involved love and sad stories.

I would say that I totally enjoyed the sessions and I would have a hand later in the second year. I shall come to that later.

3. Newcastle

This third trip was a lucky one as one of the participants pulled out the day before.She was Zainab; my senior. There was some fuss about some people who could not go. As she wanted to avoid being criticised, she asked me to take her place and enjoy the trip. Together with Zainuddin and Jayan, we boarded the mini bus; courtesy of Moray House, and left for Newcastle.

On the way we stopped at Holy Island. The narrow road connecting the place to the main road reminded me of Bagan Pasir Laut and Sungai Burung in Perak, where it would be flooded during high tide. The same happens here. We went to an old building up a hill overlooking the calm sea. Then we visited the small town on Hold Island which sold souvenirs and foodstuff. I did not buy anything because there was nothing special to me.

As we were crossing the narrow road to reach the main road, the tide was coming up and certain stretches were covered with water. We were lucky in fact or else we could have been stranded on Holy Island.

We reached Newcastle, parked the van in town and we went wandering around. Like any other town in the United Kingdom, the buildings are old and gray. Apart from the more modern shops and shopping complexes, everything was the same. Incidentally Newcastle is in England and not in Scotland. This means we had crossed the border into England.

At the shopping centre I had my lunch of hot soup, pie and salad. It was nice to fill the cold and empty stomach. After that we wandered around the shopping centre. It was huge and there were many people milling around various departments.

Next we wandered around town and took some photographs. We then visited a castle or part of what was left of it. We left Newcastle at 4.00 pm and reached the halls at 7.00 pm.

After a nice warm shower and a cold late dinner, I slept due to tiredness.

2. The Borders

During this break each student was only allowed two outings. The second trip was to the borders; the area around the border between Scotland and England. This time I joined 12 others in a van or rather mini bus provided by the college. It was another long journey. There was snow everywhere, along the sides of the roads, on the fields, farms and even the trees. It was a sight to remember, as everything was white. The drive was smooth except for the snow that slowed us. We managed to visit Peebles, and Melrose. Unfortunately as it was winter, many of the tourists spots like castles and farms were closed. I bought a Scottish cap and took a few photographs with the snow capped mountains as the background.

1. Aviemore

It is a hill resort in Northern Scotland. The journey was a three hour trip by bus. On the way we stopped to visit a factory that produces paper weights and glasses of all kinds; wine and ordinary glasses. The paper weights were beautiful and of various sizes. The glasses too were beautiful and hand crafted. All these were rather expensive so I did not buy anything. Anyway I was not really interested in them but I was more attracted in the skill of the craftsmen going about in the process

of making their products. It was a real experience watching them handling equipment and producing paper weights of real quality. I took a few photographs there.

The journey up the hill to reach the resort in Aviemore was terrible, with turns and windings, snow bellowing down due to the wind, thus making the coaches crawling up the way. There were two coaches because everyone from the two campuses were allowed to go along this trip.

At the hill resort we were only allowed about an hour to enjoy ourselves. I walked about in the thick snow covered ground. We watched people skiing along the slope. Some of my friends wanted to try the skis but due to the time limit, they gave up the idea.

I had my lunch of packed breakfast cum lunch, with a flask of hot chocolate. I had bought the thermos flask the day earlier. The restaurant was packed with skiers and visitors. Anyway I enjoyed my meal and left. Later I took more photographs to remind me of this visit.

I met many Chinese tourists, probably from Hong Kong because I recognised the Cantonese accent and Malaysians who were from London.

Leaving the resort, we went to the town of Aviemore, a small town at the foot of the hill. There were some shops and pubs and B and B along the one road that goes right through it. I bought a few postcards of the beautiful scenery around Aviemore. We left the town at 3.30 pm and reached the halls at 6.30 pm just in time for a nice dinner.

18 December 1993 to 9 January 1994

This was the first term break of three weeks. It was also the winter break. The local students have gone home. Parents and guardians came to fetch their children. It was fun to see them carrying everything; books, clothes, shoes, boxes and other stuff and loading them into cars and vans.

The foreign students were left on their own in the halls. I went to college as usual to work and to read in the library. It was lonely and quiet as there were very few students. The only ones left were the foreign students who could not afford to go home or go travelling.

Anyway, the college with the collaboration of the Halls of Residence (Newington and Crammond) organized a few visits to various places in and around Scotland.

Walking on Snow

From that day onwards, snow fell regularly and I had to walk to college in the snow. There were patches of snow here and there but in the city centre, there was none, probably due to the heat from the buildings and the vehicles.

The fields along the road to college was covered with a thin layer. The bushes were also covered too. From my observation, the layer of snow was thicker in the outskirts of the city. The field at the halls of residence was frequently covered with a thin layer of snow.

Each morning the pavements were covered with a thin layer of grit or sand so that the pedestrians would not slip while walking to and fro. The workers would sprinkle grit or sand early in the morning. The sand provided grip or friction when walking on the pavements.

If there was no snow, there would be frost; a thin layer of solid ice which was hard and slippery. I had to be very careful while walking on the pavements. It was fine on level ground and uphill paths but was very risky and dangerous while going downhill or on slopes.

I could still remember once when I nearly slipped while going downhill at the slopes alone the Pleasance near college. Luckily the pair of boots; Dr. Martens was new and provided me some grip. From that day onwards I avoided the pavements when there was snow or frost. I walked on the road which was rougher.

The Lessons in Detail

1. Phonology of English

In the Phonology of English lessons, I was able to learn more about the correct pronunciation of English. I was corrected and praised at times and I felt that I had learned a lot under Dorothea.

Each time we met, there would be a short lecture on the different aspect of phonology. It would be followed by group work based on a handout. We would practice as a group before having individual practices on the self-recording and monitoring system. Dorothea would listen to me practicing the dialogue or sentences or phrases. We would also listen to our own recording on the tapes.

2. Systems of English

After years of using and learning, Rosemary Douglas really made us dig deep into our thoughts, ideas and books into understanding the various aspects of grammar of English. Now I come to understand that there is no such thing as future tense. It is just a term to express events that will happen in the future. I believe that there are still many things to learn.

3. Information Technology

During the Study Skills, I had the opportunity to use the computers in Demonstration School Room 11. The computers there were the Elonox which were based on the IBM format. At that time, I was really getting into the feel of computers and its usefulness.

During the first term in 1993, I had to attend tutorials and workshops so that I could handle and use other computers like the Apple Macintosh. These were the better and up-to-date versions. They were easier to work with because they have been installed with Claris Work; a software similar to Microsoft Office now. I did not have any problem switching between these computers. Mike Quickfall was indeed a nice and helpful lecturer. He was ever ready to give us a hand when we needed help. I really had a wonderful time attending the lessons.

4. Reflections on Classroom Practice

This was another topic or module that really brought me out of my shell, of assumptions and ideas to the world of reflecting upon all those ideas and make criticisms. From here I was guided to evaluate ideas, hypotheses and views of others.

5. Understanding Organisations

Bob McNie, the lecturer of this module provided us with a lot of facts, figures and information about schools in Scotland; both primary and secondary. All these information were given to prepare us to meet and accept the system of education here. Besides that it wa also to help us in assignments based on facts and information gathered during the visit to the schools.

7. Sports Elective

Every Friday mornings and Monday evenings I chose to attend sports as en elective.

On Monday there was a session on badminton from 3.00 pm till 5.00 pm; usually ending at 4.30 pm. It was really fun knowledgeable learning and experiencing coaching techniques and skills under Alistair Wilson. It was tiring though but it was worth it as a form of exercise/

The Friday session of basketball under Bill; another lecturer was another hectic and tiring session. Skills were imparted and we practiced and played games with the local Scottish students. Chasing, marking and competing with these young local students was really exhausting. But they were always friendly and nice to us. During rest time and in the changing room, there were always chats and friendly exchanges. We would be looking forward to meeting one another in the next session.

The worst part after a module; usually after 4 to 5 weeks was a written assignment or folio. We had to put our ideas about coaching techniques and skills into these assignments. It was a totally new experience. Anyway we created quite an impression by producing wonderful essays with lots of graphics. Here scanning and pasting pictures with the aid of computers were a breeze.

ROOM 130 DARROCH HALLS

ROOM 130

NEWINGTON CAMPUS IN EDINBURGH

This is the photograph of the halls that I “stayed; for two years; 1993 to 1995. I used the word stayed because it was not my permanent home but I would still consider it a home because I still have fond memories of it.

When I reported at the halls of residence like all the others, I was given an envelope with 2 keys (one for the front door of the halls and the other to my room). My room was 128 and I happily carried my luggage to went to explore my room. It was a room with a bed, a writing table, a book shelf fixed to the wall and a table lamp. There was also a window with curtains. The only problem was it was small, with little space to move around for example to stretch or exercise. It was the size of a store room. It was still a room and I had to be contented for the time being.

Two weeks later, I manage to find out that there was another room; bigger than my present one. It was about three times the size of the one I had. I made up my mind to get it before others do. I went to the office and they told me to write a letter expressing my request. I immediately type a letter and stated my request. I was worried that others had beaten me for the room.

Surprisingly, two days later, the office staff informed me that my request was approved. I was told to vacate Room 128 and move into Room 130. I was thrilled beyond words and packed my things. I got the key to Room 130 and move my stuff in.

The sight of the room gave a sense of a relief. I could invite my friends to share drinks and chat or even discuss homework or assignments. I was very happy that I did not have to bump my head at the corner of the shelf or the writing table which I had done for the past two weeks.

This room, Room 130 was big with two heaters (one water-heated and the other, an electrical one). I could dry my clothes quicker then. I would even feel warmer especially in winter. There was even a big closet where I could keep all my clothes, jackets, shoes and other stuff.

Something happened there; I mean in the room and I think it is time to tell the world. Up until today, I still cannot explain what I saw or felt. Was it a dream or was it my imagination or was it just my loneliness that created what I saw.

It was a cold winter night and it was cold. I remember it was quite quiet and lonely as the local students had returned home to celebrate Christmas and New Year. The only students left were from overseas; like Malaysia, Africa, Hungary, France, Slovak Republic, Germany, and Indonesia and so on.

After my dinner in the halls, I read and wrote a letter to be sent home the next day. It was past midnight and I was quite exhausted. I fell asleep immediately and slept soundly as usual. I was and still am a sound sleeper.

It must have been in the early morning when I suddenly awoke or rather half awake. My eyes were heavy as you can imagine when you were sound asleep and suddenly asked to get up.

I was not afraid or nervous but rather surprised to see a shadowy figure beside me. She, yes, she was sitting on my bed just as if your mum would have done when you were sick. The figure did not move or spoke. She just sat and stared at me. I did not feel her weight on the bed. I could not make out the type of clothes that she was wearing nor her facial features. Everything was blurry and fuzzy. All that I saw was the long flowing robe that was grey.

I was unable to move. I was frozen because I knew that I tried to move my hands and legs but it was in vain. I also tried to say, utter or ask her but I could not. I just looked through my half closed eyes. My heart started to pound and I became quite frightened when I realized that it was something not natural.

It was impossible for other students or friends to enter my room as I would always lock the door before going to bed. My friends would not have the chance to pull a prank on me.
The realization that the figure was unnatural sent shivers down my spine. I only heard my breathing and I kept very still. I could not open my eyes wide. From the slits and the corner of my eyes, I saw the figure still seated there. She looked concerned and worried. I had no idea why she acted that way.

After quite a while, I realised that I could move my hands. I tried to wave her away but she had disappeared from my sight. I felt a sense of warmth but a little scared. I then checked my alarm clock on the study table. It was 4 in the wee hours of the morning. I tried to sleep but it was very difficult indeed with the incident still fresh in my mind.

By the time I awoke, it was already time to get ready for breakfast. At the dining hall, I met my usual group of friends and had my meal as usual. I did not dare tell anyone of them what I had encountered fearing that they would not believe me. They would even have laughed at me. It would be my secret until now.

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

Steady, I shall use my kungfu...

Building a snowman

Our cute snowman

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

The first term was quickly over. The weather was turning colder. We expected snow to fall early but I did not expect it to fall in November. I vividly remember the night of November 20th. I woke up at about 2.00 am because I had the urge to go to the toilet. At that time, my room was no. 127. I saw something queer as I looked through the window. There was something floating down slowly towards the ground. It was a beautiful sight. Rain? No! I immediately realized that it was snow. The pale yellow light form the street lamps added to the already beautiful sight. I was so happy because I finally got the chance to see snow which I wanted so badly to see since I was here.

Being unable to control my excitement, I ran to the first floor of the halls. I woke up Augustine (Jayan) and told him about the snow. As we came out of the room to the corridor, we saw Gilbert and Ganesh already at the window. We peered out of the window and exclaimed at the wonderful sight. It was like a heavenly shower of rain except that it floated down slowly. Ganesh who was too happy put on his jacket, shoes and gloves and went out onto the field. He danced, ran about and drew patterns on the road which by then was quite covered with snow.

We, the three of us made a lot of noise. I hoped that the other students were not annoyed by our commotion. The roof of the halls and the trees were already white with the snow. The scene was typical of what I saw on TV programmes and in the postcards back home. And now I had the chance to see the real thing; it was indeed a wonderful experience.

The next morning, Sunday 21st November 1993, after breakfast, we (the Malaysians, Africans and other foreign students) were on the field. We walked, threaded, and kicked the snow on the field and on the road. It was a thin layer but it was our first experience with snow. Suddenly, someone started scooping up snow and throwing snow balls at me. I could remember that it was Jens Handest, a German student who stayed in Room 128. At once we started a snow ball throwing session. It was painful when hit by a ball of snow. The local students looked and smiled at the fun we had. I could picture all the scenes and stories I have read prior to coming here.

After some time we stopped and went to the car booth sales. I wanted to show Jens where it was.

GREENSIDE CAR PARK

Greenside Car Park.

In the days and weeks that passed we came to know of another car boot sale at the Greenside Car Park. The place was enormous and could easily accommodate more than 300 cars. The sale was conducted in Level 2 of this underground car park.

It was a nice experience wandering around and getting to see all kinds of things; antique, furniture, books; tons of them from stories, novels, DIY, comics and magazines, electrical appliances, clothes, shoes, cups, glasses, toys, cassette recorders, CDs, tools and bags.
These CBS or car boot sales start from 10.00 am and end at 2.00 pm. The crowd was fantastic. By the time the sales started, it would be crowded. People would be milling around, touching, looking and asking about the prices but most of the time, the people would be doing window shopping. Some take the opportunity to bring the family for an outing and enjoy the atmosphere.
On most Sundays, I would leave with my friends after breakfast and walk for about 30 minutes to reach this Greenside Car Park. After spending some time, we would return or leave the place at 12.00 noon to the halls to have our lunch.

This Greenside Car Park is enormous because it has 4 levels and the car boot sale is held in Level 2. We had to use a lift to get to Level 2 and just as we enter the area, the air suddenly turns cold. So everyone would be wearing jackets, coats and woolen clothes to keep warm.
During the first two visits I bought 6 CDs at 50p and 2 cassettes (Disco hits) at £1 and some story books; Reader’s Digest Condensed version and some Enid Blyton story books. These are good books especially to learn more about the way of life of the English.
These books would definitely help Florence, Irene and Jensen to inculcate an interest in reading especially in English.

LESSONS IN DETAIL

Phonology of English was conducted in Room C3/4 of Charteris Land.
The Lessons in Detail
1. Phonology of English
In the Phonology of English lessons, I was able to learn more about the correct pronunciation of English. I was corrected and praised at times and I felt that I had learned a lot under Dorothea.
Each time we met, there would be a short lecture on the different aspect of phonology. It would be followed by group work based on a handout. We would practice as a group before having individual practices on the self-recording and monitoring system. Dorothea would listen to me practicing the dialogue or sentences or phrases. We would also listen to our own recording on the tapes.

2. Systems of English
After years of using and learning, Rosemary Douglas really made us dig deep into our thoughts, ideas and books into understanding the various aspects of grammar of English. Now I come to understand that there is no such thing as future tense. It is just a term to express events that will happen in the future. I believe that there are still many things to learn.

3. Information Technology
During the Study Skills, I had the opportunity to use the computers in Demonstration School Room 11. The computers there were the Elonox which were based on the IBM format. At that time, I was really getting into the feel of computers and its usefulness.
During the first term in 1993, I had to attend tutorials and workshops so that I could handle and use other computers like the Apple MacIntosh. These were the better and up-to-date versions. They were easier to work with because they have been installed with Claris Work; a software similar to Microsoft Office now. I did not have any problem switching between these computers. Mike Quickfall was indeed a nice and helpful lecturer. He was ever ready to give us a hand when we needed help. I really had a wonderful time attending the lessons.

4. Reflections on Classroom Practice
This was another topic or module that really brought me out of my shell of assumptions and ideas to the world of reflecting upon all those ideas and make criticisms. From here I was guided to evaluate ideas, hypotheses and views of others.

5. Understanding Organisations
Bob McNie, the lecturer of this module provided us with a lot of facts, figures and information about schools in Scotland; both primary and secondary. All these information were given to prepare us to meet and accept the system of education here. Besides that it wa also to help us in assignments based on facts and information gathered during the visit to the schools.

7. Sports Elective
Every Friday mornings and Monday evenings I chose to attend sports as en elective.
On Monday there was a session on badminton from 3.00 pm till 5.00 pm; usually ending at 4.30 pm. It was really fun knowledgeable learning and experiencing coaching techniques and skills under Alistair Wilson. It was tiring though but it was worth it as a form of exercise.
The Friday session of basketball under Bill; another lecturer was another hectic and tiring session. Skills were imparted and we practiced and played games with the local Scottish students. Chasing, marking and competing with these young local students was really exhausting. But they were always friendly and nice to us. During rest time and in the changing room, there were always chats and friendly exchanges. We would be looking forward to meeting one another in the next session.

The worst part after a module; usually after 4 to 5 weeks was a written assignment or folio. We had to put our ideas about coaching techniques and skills into these assignments. It was a totally new experience. Anyway we created quite an impression by producing wonderful essays with lots of graphics. Here scanning and pasting pictures with the aid of computers were a breeze.

THE CAR BOOT SALES IN EDINBURGH

Apart from all the assignments, lectures, reading and workshops, I still could find time to relax and do my usual visits and shopping.
The one memorable and interesting thing I have seen, witnessed and gone to several times is the talk among the Malaysian students and probably the others too. I mean the car boot sales; or CBS. These are usually held at specific places like a car park. There are several of these in and around Edinburgh.
I could still remember the first one that I went to. It was early one Sunday morning during September. I and several others; in fact the twenty of us boarded a bus and went to an open air car park called Morrison Car Park in Haymarket.
It was early; probably at 9.30 am when we reached the spot after asking around. It was a sight to remember. There were about 10 cars all lined up with things arranged beside them. The Malaysian contingent gave the locals an eye opener. Well, we wandered around from one car to another or rather from one lot to another looking at the goods on displayed. There were clothes for men, women, and children. There were coats, jackets, pants, dresses and others. There were also furniture, lamps, electrical items like kettles, toasters, electrical clocks, radios, TVs, antiques, shoes, bags, books and all sorts of things that the locals wanted to get rid of.
Some were in very good condition but some were rather old and in dire need of repair. Our Malaysian contingent bought bags full of clothes as they needed them for winter. They bought clothes of all kinds, shoes and others.
As for me, I wandered around, touching and examining various articles. I finally settles for an old antique camera; a Kodak that was made in England and which uses a no. 126 film. It is unique in the sense that Kodak is now produced in Australia. It shall be a reminder of my first visit to a car boot sale.
Later as we found out that there were not much to offer, we walked and wandered along Princess Street. It was crowded with people walking along the street or rather the wide pavement. They were just enjoying the walk along the street.