A Letter Home - A way to Creative Writing

Alhamdulillah..saya bersyukur kerana hasil ilham dari Allah untuk menulis essay ini, maka ia membuahkan kejayaan yang langsung tidak pernah diimpikan dalam hidup saya... Sungguh ianya adalah aturan Allah..

Sejak dari mula saya mendaftar untuk Creative Writing, sehinggalah memasuki pelbagai pertandingan menulis dalam bahasa Inggeris dan bahasa Melayu..walaupun tak menang, namun saya menulis bukan kerana mahu menang atau mahu anugerah... Ianya kerana 'PASSION'..seperti nama blog saya ini...

Tulisan saya juga bukanlah baik pun kerana kadang-kadang ianya lahir daripada idea merapu dan merepek yang di'post' di blog ini..

Sebenarnya saya memegang kata-kata guru Creative Writing saya iaitu, Susan Richardson, seorang penulis bebas di UK... Beliau berkata..

"in order to be a good writer...you have to write..doesnt matter how good or how bad is your writing...carry on and let it be..it comes from your thinking, knowledge, emotions and passion.. if people doesnt like your writing, it is not your problem...it is their problem... Your writing is your style.. it is your mirror..your image.. "

Oh saya memang sangat ingat kata-kata ini...semangat inilah yang membuatkan saya terus menulis walaupun saya tahu banyak kesalahan yang saya lakukan ketika menulis.. contohnya grammar yang sangat teruk... even dalam bahasa Melayu pun begitu..

Untuk mula menulis, jangan fikir kita perlu tunggu ada skills menulis... as long as anda tahu menaip..thats it!! teruskan langkah!! Banyakkan membaca kaedah-kaedah menulis... Try it out.. banyak caranya..dari internet pun boleh..Duniakan di hujung jari anda..!! Manfaatkan peluang~~~


Dearest Umi

How are you? How was the Eid celebration back home? I really missed our Malaysian dishes ‘ketupat’ and ‘rendang’ that synonym with Eid celebration in Malaysia!

This is my second letter after the first one I wrote last year! And this is my final year being a student in the UK. Throughout 3-year being away from family was the biggest challenge for me and in a positive way, it brought up my mind to a degree of maturity.

Since my last letter, I am enjoying my life as a student and participating in many events hosted by university societies throughout UK. I took part in the Nottingham Malaysian Games in a traditional Malay game called ‘Congkak’ and surprisingly, I hit the first place! I was amazed that my ‘congkak’ skills still intense after about 13 years I stopped playing ‘congkak’ at home with you. And I also won second place in a Photography Competition hosted by Leeds Malaysian Society. I didn’t expect this at all as I am still new in photography arena.

As you know Umi, pursuing my ambition to be a teacher is the best dream ever! I got a job, being a primary teacher for schoolchildren teaching English during last summer in Malaysia! That was my 4th school since I started getting teaching experience since I finished school. Teaching English was a great opportunity for me to boost up my English proficiency as English is not my first language.

As my passion towards being a teacher is great, in the UK, I volunteered myself to be part of Keen Iluvislam Teachers’s crew. It is a platform for Malaysian-UK students to share successful tips and experiences with school students in Malaysia. We collaborated with the school organising motivational programme at school level and I found it was fabulous!

I want to let you know that I had just finished my practical placement at a special school in Cardiff. It was a wonderful 3-month placement as I worked with children with range of learning difficulties. Having had this placement was a preparation for my future career to be a special education teacher in Malaysia. During my placement, I sharpened my therapeutic skills leading several weekly cooking sessions to promote independence skills among these special children to prepare their own meal. I also worked with other healthcare professionals like physiotherapist and speech therapist to do a joined therapy session for a Cerebral Palsy child. I realized that there is big potential for children with disabilities to be as independent as possible in their life if they are given opportunities to do so. I enjoyed my placement very much and I promised myself to bring back all the skills I’ve acquired in the UK to improved Special Education practice in my country. Many want to be a teacher but not many want to take this ‘special’ challenge. And I will carry this challenge in my heart!

The meaning of life is giving. Having to live in the UK, I learned to give and share what I have with others. I did charity work as well as contributing my skills. I volunteered to be part of Cycle for GAZA Challenge in raising money for Gaza people who strive for a living in Palestine. My friends and I managed to collect more than hundred pounds and we cycled up to Coch Castle, about 15 km from the start-point. It was truly an achievement!

With the saying, ‘love grows by giving’, there are great opportunities for me to give in the context of being a Malaysian student in the UK. I participated to be one of the winter gathering’s committee for Malaysian students in the UK. I was the Head of Chef in the Kitchen Department for the event. I enjoyed sharing my cooking skills as well practicing leadership skills for other committees in my department. It was an honour when all the participants during the event praised the food we cooked! Well Umi, I can challenge your cooking skills now!

Being in this non-Muslim community was a challenge for me to practicing Islam as my way of life. I am so pleased with the freedom to keep my faith, wear hijjab, perform my 5 times-a-day prayer and eat Halal meat in this country. It is a pleasure when I have the rights to express my beliefs without worries! I regard myself as one of the little ambassador for Islam in this peaceful country.

Before I end this letter, I want you to know that I still remember your saying, ‘the love we give away is the love we keep’. I believe this and I have my special way to give away my love to the world! With my passion towards being a special education teacher, I hope that I can change the world in a beautiful way.

Last but not least, I miss your hugs and kisses, Umi. I am looking forward to my graduation day with first class honour this coming July. Hope to hear from you soon.

Love,
Mahfuzah




Sebenarnya saya mahu mencuba bidang menulis cerpen dalam bahasa Melayu..adeih..besar sungguh cita-cita ini... Okay..okay..saya perlu lagi banyak belajar ni... Hidup ni tidak statik.. Betapa Allah ciptakan dunia untuk dimanfaatkan supaya sahamnya dapat di akhirat...

Jika anda minat menulis, gunakan peluang untuk menulis perkara-perkara kebaikan supaya menjadi semangat dan dorongan untuk orang di sekeliling anda..

Sekecil-kecil perkara akan membuahkan perubahan yang besar...

Yeah!!! Semangat final year sudah datang!!!!!!!