Dear Diary,
Shout out to all the teachers out there on their special day.
The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly changed the way teachers teach and students learn with online lessons now the norm instead of the exception. Some have struggled to adapt but many are thriving under these difficult conditions.
Some schools have embraced e-learning – Global Oak Tree Scholars, an international school in Shah Alam is one of them. It conducts full-day lessons each weekday, so kudos to them.
However, spare a thought for teachers of autistic children as they need to find new ways of interacting with them when they get back to school.
There are also other kinds of teachers and golfing legend V. Nellan is one of them.
The 70-year-old former professional – he would have been 71 on Sept 30 – has been passing on his knowledge to the younger generation for over 30 years and despite his age, was still travelling around Asia until recently.
Sadly, Nellan died of natural causes early this morning.
I had the pleasure of speaking to him a couple of times and his stories never ceased to amaze those around him. He has met the who’s who not just of golf but many other important people too.
Veteran journalists Bob Holmes and P.C. Shivadas have just completed Nellan’s biography which is now with the printers. Having listened in to some of his stories, it is sure to be a captivating read.
Anyway, here’s how Day 60 of the Movement Control Order (MCO) unfolded.
8am: HOMEWORK – Saw this on Facebook. Perfect timing for Teachers Day!
9.03am: BAD IN THE U.S. – The United States records 1,680 more deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its fatalities to 87,493 from 1,442,924 confirmed cases.
10.17am: SPAGHETTI WESTERN – My penchant for Western movies continues as I watch Once Upon A Time In The West, a 1968 Sergio Leone film. The dialogue which always gets me is this by Charles Bronson: “I saw three of these dusters a short time ago, they were waiting for a train. Inside the dusters, there were three men. Inside the men, there were three bullets!”
There are several more classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the Magnificent Seven and its sequel still in the PVR.
11.07am: PASSING OF A LEGEND – Former Golf Digest editor Patrick Ho gives the sad news Nellan has passed away. Holmes, who spoke to Nellan last night, is shocked as the golfer was recently given the all-clear by his doctors.
Noon: FAMILY FUN – Here are several easy delicious recipes you can try with your children.
1.30pm: WAITING FOR BARBER – Wanted to go for the clean-shaven look but a rusty blade means I just trim my unruly beard.
2pm: NO PRICE HIKE – Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob says public transport operators, including ferry and bus operators, must not raise their prices as fuel prices are still low. He also wished teachers Happy Teachers Day, whose theme this year is ‘Teaching for Knowledge, Shaping a New Generation’.
Other announcements:
- Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) participants stranded abroad can return to Malaysia provided they are free of Covid-19. They, however, need to undergo health screening at KLIA and bear the cost of the 14-day mandatory quarantine.
- Tour agencies can open for administrative, finance, management and sales purposes but tourism activities are still prohibited.
- Those whose names are not in the list of the congregation for prayers at mosques are not allowed to pray outside the mosque.
3.17pm: LAUNDRY BLUES – After two months, finally went to the self-service laundry. Been washing clothes at home since MCO but nothing beats using the huge washing machines and more importantly, the dryers for the bedsheets, quilts and comforters. Seating is prohibited to encourage physical distancing.
4.45pm: PILOT CLEARED – Pilot in fatal Kobe Bryant crash had no alcohol or drugs in his system.
5.13pm: SECOND LOWEST – Only 17 new cases today brings the total to 6,872. This is the second lowest since the 16 recorded on Tuesday. Another 73 patients were discharged, meaning 5,512 have been cured. Sadly, one death takes fatalities to 113.
6pm: TEACHER APPRECIATION SONG – Happy Teachers Day.
