round and round we go...

Did I mention before that I work in a circus??? Once again, we have been asked to apply for our teaching permits. I have been filling out teaching permit application forms every year, making copies of all of my relevant documents, going to the doctor for medical check-ups, turning in my mug shots, basically doing the whole works and to date, NO teaching permit in sight (not even its shadow!!!).

So...I decided that enough is enough and to the hell with the company and I'll just go ahead and make my teaching permit application as an individual. Made a few phone calls and finally was put in touch with the officer in charge (who, by the way, was super nice) of approving teaching permits.

This is what I learned --- only ONE application form is needed (my office asked me to fill out TWO application forms), only TWO mug shot pics are required (my officed asked for SIX --- God know whatever for...perhaps they are planning of putting up our mug shots on the bathroom wall???), only ONE copy of certified relevant higher learning certificates are required (my office insisted on TWO copies of everything), on top of it, only certificates of Bachelors degrees and above are required (my officed insisted on EVERY cert since the day you stepped in school --- again, who are these clowns???) and a doctor's letter to declare that we are fit for work (don't know if my office got that right since I don't get to see the letter --- it goes straight to the HR dept from the doctor's). Sadly, this teaching permit thingy cannot be applied individually, only the institution can make the application :( ... I can see many more years of making applications for what seems like the elusive teaching permit if I stick around longer.

Interestingly, I was informed by the officer that she had returned a pile of over a hundred teaching permit application forms to the company somewhere in April this year. She asked me where I was attached to, and when i told her, she was not surprised. It seems that our HR dept rang her up to ask for a copy for the approved teaching permit applications (apparently, they didn't have their own copy in the office --- why am I not surprised). She also knew what the mad rush for the application for teaching permits is about --- she told me about the upcoming MOHE audit that was about to happen in a few days' time. To top it all off, she suggested that I leave the company --- need I to say more about how MOHE perceive my employers???

doc martin

Martin Clunes as Doc Martin Ellingham

the sleepy unhappening village of Portwenn

who would think that i would actually enjoy british humour. martin ellingham is a grumpy london surgeon who relocated to this small unhappening fishing village, Portwenn, in the country to become the village's GP. this is one doctor who although is really good at what he does, is also seriously lacking people skills and quite often offends the people in the village.

Raya

this is something i remember...putting up the kerosene lamps on the fence around our home a week or so before raya with my father when i was a child. the compound of our home would look so pretty lighted up with those lamps at night...sigh...i miss those days...