I'm Going to Publish A Book...
I am currently in the middle of polishing a draft of a book I have been wanting to write for quite a while — Why Your Kid Hates School. It is basically an account of Malaysian school life from the perspective of students today. A lot of the incidents in it may be foreign to even someone who has just left school, so, yes, it is very up to date. And now, I am making a chapter from it available online.
Those of you who have been missing my frequent bloggings should be informed that there is a currently a lot of activity on the forums. We have 31 registered users who have made (as of this writing) 764 posts. So, what're you waiting for? Get that number into the quadruple-digits!
As for the book, you'll find the preview at the forums. This is a very small sliver of the juicy material I have prepared, but I hope it's but a tiny drop in the ocean. You see, I'm looking for your experiences.
If I publish this book based solely on my own anecdotes, I am one voice. With your help, there can and will be evidence that this is not an isolated incident. I will have proof that Malaysian schools are not just a torture chamber for me, but for millions of school-going children every weekday.
So, what're you waiting for? Sign up and get cracking at writing your recount of your school life! (If you would not like the incident to be made public, you can send the account to me via email (johnleemk@gmail.com) and request that I not credit you publicly in the book's acknowledgements.
What are you still doing here? Stop reading and stop writing! (I reserve the right to edit these accounts however I feel like doing. You will be credited, however, for relating the incident concerned.)
(Infernal Ramblings is a Malaysian website focusing on current events and sociopolitical issues. Its articles run the gamut from economics to society to education.
Infernal Ramblings is run by John Lee. For more, see the About section. If you have any questions or comments, do drop him a line.
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| Related comments from forum thread "Preview of a book on Malaysian schools": | |
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johnleemk
Infernally Rambling Thoughtless Mind Head Administrator Posts: 948 IP Logged | Posted at 12:01:56 pm Sep 10, 2005
Hey y'all...as some of you may or may not know, I have been writing a book about Malaysian schools, tentatively titled Why Your Kid Hates School. I've completed the first draft already, which I will not be making public (duh) as of this time. However, I do have a preview of the fourth chapter online. I am particularly seeking feedback for this book, as it is very much anecdote-based. This means...I want you to send me your stories about your school life. Anything that sticks out in your memory may just be worth including in the book. If I do decide to include your story in the book, you will be given credit in the acknowledgements, so get cracking!  Edit: So I don't lose my mind keeping track of pertinent writings, I've decided to use this post to list helpful articles that I plan (or hope) to incorporate into my manuscript.
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Vamp
Flamer Administrator Posts: 456 IP Logged | Posted at 4:40:16 am Sep 24, 2005
I wouldn't be surprised |
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bentmw
Gamemaster Member Posts: 219 IP Logged | Posted at 1:07:39 am Sep 28, 2005
haha! |
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natalinasmpf
Member Posts: 39 IP Logged | Posted at 3:30:54 am Jan 10, 2006
Say, ask me to copyedit your book when you're done. Or let us give you input (you can delete the files later). Because for one, there needs to be more buildup in the punchlines (although it seems mainly an reform advocacy book, of couse). I suppose Singaporean school experiences can't contribute much. |
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whodhellknew
Member Posts: 17 IP Logged | Posted at 11:38:48 pm Apr 14, 2007
Your kids hate school probably for nearly the same reason you hate your office. Although I must say, where western unis are concerned, with all the drinking and shagging, isn't really a hated institution. Anyway, here's an anecdote: Three dudes (well a dude and two girls) were real devout SDA(Sevent Day Adventists. They WILL freak liberals out with their clean, Mormonish, caffeine-less, alcohol-less existence) adherents. They probably are so devouted as a reaction against the oppressive environment of the traditional Malay boarding school Islamisation. I was there and I clearly remember how I was just as motivated to go to church every week and sing my heart out during gatherings. But that's not the point. See we had a paper on a saturday, and the SDA dudes revere saturday as the Sabbath like the Jews, and observe them in the same manner as well, that is weighing your a** down on a chair without manual labour for the whole day. Okay that was potentially offensive. So they objected to taking the said exam on that day and voiced their concerns with The Man. The Man's reaction: to go over their heads and ask their parents, who subsequently gave consent. They stood their ground and didn't graduate, which was a big deal, because the boarding school in question is given privileges where government sponsorships are concerned (wonder not why I'm 18,000 miles away from our fair land). Now, apart from the very fact of religious non-accommodation, the biggest gripe I have with this event was the weight given to parental consent. Parents, with all due respect (I love you mom), do not own us and for issues such as these I think the student should be given full authority to exercise their own judgement. We keep being told that "when you get to university, you'll have all the freedom to do <<insert activity here>>", and this can be extrapolated simply by substituting "university" with some other stage in life. Hence the sense of invidualism and responsibilty keeps getting postponed, and Malaysians essentially turn up to be adult-sized children. And that's it. I also have an anecdote about a teacher who likes to knee our balls (we reciprocate) and tell of alleged dalliances with your mom (we reciprocate) if that helps. cheers |
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johnleemk
Infernally Rambling Thoughtless Mind Head Administrator Posts: 948 IP Logged | Posted at 5:31:33 am Apr 15, 2007
Hence the sense of invidualism and responsibilty keeps getting postponed, and Malaysians essentially turn up to be adult-sized children. Indeed. When we grow up, our parent becomes the state - and unlike Singapore, our government isn't even competent at being a nanny state. I also have an anecdote about a teacher who likes to knee our balls (we reciprocate) and tell of alleged dalliances with your mom (we reciprocate) if that helps. Sure. I haven't been doing much work on this for a long while, but I've been filing away relevant items for when I plan to start writing again. Feel free to email me or post a comment here. |
