AMALIA, NOW A SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT

Amalia, in her brand new secondary school uniform of white baju and turqoise baju kurung, was jittery about going to the secondary school for the first time.

She chose SMK Sultan Ismail as her school of choice despite of offers from a Sports school in Setiu and from SMK Chukai, a Premier school.

She was steadfast in her decision. Though many of her classmates who were supposed to be in SMKSI have left for greener pastures in other more prestigious schools, she sticks to her decision.

The registration process was fast - except for the rather long speech by the school's PTA Chairman.

She was placed in Form 1A1. My hope of getting her in a more multi-ethnic class was dashed when I saw all her classmates will be Malays.

Now there is one big problem looming ion her way. Just like her sister and brothers before her, SMKSI is out of the way from our house.

There is not many school vans ferrying students from our area to that school. Sending her to school is not a problem, but fetching her back from school is.

I had to go from one van to another in front of the school searching for one that would take her. I found none, but a van driver told me that there was a van from Binjai that takes student from our area to SMKSI.

Only at eleven that we finally get one. She, the van's driver, agreed to send her back from school. Amalia was all smiling hearing the good news.

During the orientation day, she overheard a Fiver telling her friends that she, a Form one student, was taller than most of them!

Good luck Amalia. May you continue the tradition of excellence set by your elder sister and brother.