Someone casually asked if I wish to submit the application for Citra Karisma this year under the Teaching category. I told her that I am not interested to do so. But then she posed this question “What if there is no one from our faculty submitted the application?” I looked at her in disbelief. There will always be someone who will submit his or her application.
For the Webometrics category, I decided to submit my application this year. Someone said “Hantar je la. Bukan nak menang kan?” My intention is, I just want to be one of the representatives of the faculty even though I know we are never short of applicants. I do not think too much after that. Let it be! After all, I would never dream to be a finalist again second time around.
I was contacted by the PIC to give a brief biography about myself on 11 July 2023 (Tuesday). It was nearly 5pm at that time. I was preparing myself to go back. The last thing I want is to write something about myself which people can read from the programme book.
I know that writing something about myself is good for letting others to know about me. But my stance has remained largely unchanged. I don’t take pleasure in being well-known. After discussing with few more people (you know who you are), they gave me lots of suggestions of writing a biography. One even volunteered to proofread my biography. “Oh come on! They have better things to do at this moment than to proofread my biography” I told myself.
I came a bit early the next day (12 July 2023, Wednesday). So, this is what I wrote.
Dr Hadijah Jaffri adalah pensyarah kanan di Sekolah Pendidikan, Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan. Berlatar belakangkan psikologi pendidikan, minatnya terhadap penulisan secara santai adalah salah satu cara terapi kendiri. Dengan sokongan berterusan dan padu dari rakan-rakan khasnya Dr Norah Md Noor yang tanpa jemu dan tidak lokek berkongsi tips dan pandangan dalam penulisan blog di pautan platform https://people.utm.my/hadijahjaffri, Dr Hadijah giat menulis dengan niat berkongsi ilmu, pandangan dan maklumat yang mungkin bermanfaat kepada pembaca.
I told Norah. I can imagine her reaction when she replied to my Whatsapp message “Oit, jangan masuk nama aku dalam biografi yang kau nak bagi kat Citra Karisma tu. Rakan-rakan sudah“. Well, it is too late, Norah. I gave her two choices of wording: seperti atau khasnya. I know she does not favor either one. But it seems I leave her with no option at all (tongue in cheek!).
I asked Norah for her opinion as I was contemplating withdrawing from the nomination. She advised me to stay put. I told her that there is another finalist who is also from FSSH. So, FSSH has a representative already. I am just an extra. She told me that she is the OTHER person who is also the finalist! What a joy to hear that! She told me “Nanti kita dok meja sama ye. Kali ni sure ada makan. hahahaha Baru best experience kau masuk Citra Karisma“. This is her hint to make sure that I come to the event, not withdrawing (as I wish).
It is done. I already submitted it to the PIC. I want to express my joy and appreciation for her unwavering support in the greatest way possible. So, I will attend Citra Karisma again this year to eat. Like Norah said long time ago “Bukan senang nak dapat UTM belanja makan sedap“.
Note: Norah and I were not seated at the same table. So, her wish to sit and eat at the same table as me did not come true. This post was prepared earlier as a draft but I nearly forgot about it to publish it.