A sense of place

A sense of place – either from long-term belonging or from having just arrived, it doesn’t matter – becomes meaningful as I seek to know and understand it, be accountable to it, make it mine. By appropriating the world in this way, place by place, it becomes part of my culture and identity.

-- Alastair Hulbert, The Gift Half Understood

On fear and faith

My father says that life is about searching for certainties. He is right. Yet there are moments when one must give up the certainties provided that he or she strives for spiritual growth. Scott Peck argues in his The Road Less Traveled that the ultimate certainty one must surrender is the life itself. However, any of the previous moments when we voluntarily opt to set out for the unknown may be liken to a death of a kind.

And there comes life after death. It seemed to me therefore symbolic that prior to my arrival to Malaysia the TN manager sent me an email with this subject ‘Tentative revival date in Malaysia’. She really meant that the date of my arrival was not certain, yet she hit the nail on the head twice. Not only did she touch on the afterlife but also what precedes – struggle with the existential fear of death. It is obvious that this fight is closely linked with faith. Thus it comes as no surprise that after a few days in Malaysia I was invited to come to a buddhist funeral. No one cried, they feared nothing, they were aware of the afterlife.

Most importantly,
they had their faith,
I buried my fear.

A letter to myself

Dear Jiri

I am soon going to Malaysia to become an English teacher there. I am well aware it is going to be a challenge that stands high above all of what I have been through so far as it is something of a leap into the unknown. Yet my faith, hope and love will, I believe, surely guide me further on the journey of my life.

I do not regard teaching primarily as a job but rather a role which is of particular meaning in both personal and professional life. As a would-be parent and a would-be leader alike I need to be a good teacher. Therefore, the major reason why I decided to take up this challenging opportunity is to learn how to perform the role to the benefit of my children, my family, my work colleagues, my company and eventually, society as a whole.

Secondly, I appreciate the importance of the English language as a means of communication in this increasingly globalised world. Those who cannot speak the global language will be inevitably left behind. This world is divided enough in all too many ways and so we cannot let yet another gap grow deeper. In this respect, English teaching makes perfect sense to me. It is a way to bridge some of the gaps.

The objective I am ardently determined to pursue during the traineeship is to learn and practise the teaching skills necessary to perform the role as outlined above with particular consideration for my students and their needs. Ideally, this means to be able to lead the students while at the same time manage the class. The task also requires me to raise intercultural awareness in the local community and equally deepen my knowledge of Malaysia and its peoples. My ability to learn and speak Bahasa Melayu should enable me to relate to the local people and understand them in a way unthinkable otherwise.

To ensure the objective there are two prerequisites I can envisage now. Firstly, it is my professional commitment to the students. Secondly, it is the mutual collaboration of all sides involved in the traineeship (me, TBC, AIESEC). From my point of view, it is however somewhat difficult to define any end results. Once the traineeship comes to its end I need to be prepared to bring the skills, knowledge and experience back to my country and make a difference there. My journey has no end.

Come to think of it after all, the unknown is becoming less of unknown as it is increasingly obvious what it is. Manhood.

Good luck!

Jiri

Motto

Those who are in love with learning are in love with life.
-- Charles Handy, The Age of Unreason