Plaza Damas

What do you do when you have a nice upcoming area with lots of people? You build a shopping mall, and charge so high parking prices that no one wants to come. The outcome? Ghost town a.k.a. Plaza Damas.

Plaza Damas is all but happening, it’s quiet and empty. The only thing happening thing is high prices. Oh, and (the infamous) mosquitoes. Apparently the mall was so expensive, there’s no money left to get rid of the little bloodthursty bastards.

But the mosquitoes isn’t the big problem. It's the parking and overall prices that scare people away. It's like some kind of luxury tax and this tax permeates the whole area and it seems like everything is more expensive here then anywhere else.

Because Plaza Damas is so apparently "posh" and "popular" (this is the general opinion), it doesn’t surprise me if they create a toll around the area as well. Plaza Damas is a bad name; it should be Plaza Dumb Ass. It's much more suitable.

The new parking prices is a joke. The free 15 minutes isn't enough and discourages people to come. For instance, taxi drivers are always complaining they had to re-enter the premises because time was up.

No one is willing to spend as much as RM3 an hour on parking. Sure, it’s cheaper in the garage (RM1/day) but if you come to see friends and socialize, and have only a teh tarek (worth RM1.50) or something, I really doubt you bother to park there.

Because of the parking prices, some restaurants owners are threaten to close down. Others are so damn stupid thay charge RM25+ for a pizza. Sorry, I mean a super-duper Italian pizza. This is Malaysia, people eat roti for RM2.50 (or something) and pizzas are NOT that expensive to make.

Anyway, there are just not enough people around. Before the new mall, so cute called HSC (Hartamas Shopping Center) and the hyped up parking prices, the area was lively and happening. People came to eat, drink, and socialize. Cars were parked everywhere. Hmmm, even used to be more cats running around...

Strangely less mosquitoes though.

Now, on the other hand it's empty. Sure, the mall is open and the area is still under construction. Partly anyway.

But HSC is far from crowded and many shops, stores, and boutiques have yet to open. The mall is quite small in size and isn't exactly a new Midvalley Megamall. The space for each outlet seems very small. It's very cold in HSC, maybe that’s why there are not many people around.

That’s probably why McDonalds hasn’t shown up yet. McDonald’s absence can naturally be a good or bad thing depending on how health consciousness you are. That can be discussed. But not there. I just want a Big Mac, with or without Plaza Damas tax!

And I hear rumors that a cinema is gonna open in HSC, but doubt it will happen. There’s just no space around. And who would go there? I see more mall employes then shoppers. So for the moment, Plaza Damas and the mall is more or less dead.

But still, all ain’t bad. The area is really comfortable and it feels good to live here (must be the luxury tax feeling). Sure, it's expensive like hell but very convenient. The rent sucks big-time though (RM1000/month).

Anyway, Plaza Damas got potential and can be the happening area everybody wants it to be. But then these ridiculously high prices must be lowered. Until then, the area will remain to be Plaza Dumb Ass.

Teachers

Teachers, lecturers, instructors, and etc. Some are good, some are less then good, and some are bad. And then we have some that are totally hopeless and lost forever.

I thought I had seen it all // the worst teachers on earth that is // but discovered (to my surprise) that I was wrong. Very wrong.

It’s amazing that some people get to teach even though they can’t do the job properly; even though they are totally incompetent: even though they don’t have the students respect.

These people really need HELP but HELP don’t need them.

In Malaysia, in order to teach, all you need is a master’s degree in chosen area. Say you have a MBA and want to earn some money when in between jobs. What do you do? Teach for a year or two. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to teach, you are automatically qualified!

Is this a sensible system? No. Does that make someone a good teacher? No.

When one buys a subject for RM1000 (US $265) one expects the teachers to possess a certain level of knowledge. One also expects them to know how to share this knowledge.

It’s embarrassing that people with say a masters in Journalism teaches Public Speaking or Human Comm. What do these subjects have to do with Journalism? Are they related in some twisted way?

Just because one is entitled to call him or herself a journalist doesn’t mean the person in question can actually teach journalism or any other subject. Teaching in that sense, has nothing to do with education.

In Europe, and in Sweden particularly, one needs a teacher’s degree to teach (officially anyway). That means you have to study and work as a trainee for a couple of years, before you get your actual degree.

According to dictionary.com a teacher is the following: “One who teaches, especially one hired to teach.”

Not very detailed and specific. So what exactly is a teacher (or should be)? Is it someone who is talking to him or herself in front of the class, pretending students is listening? Is it someone who is giving the highest grade to everybody?

No.

In order to teach, a person should have or needs certain characteristics. Everyone can’t teach it’s that simple, yet a lot of people teach when they shouldn’t.

For instance, teachers should be reasonable, tolerating, and understanding; they should enjoy their work and see the big picture. Also, they should feel and show empathy. And of course, they should know how to teach.

Sadly, some teachers have none of the mentioned. It appears a lot are teaching only for the paycheck. Not that the average teacher’s wage are that high, but at least it puts food on the table.

Maybe that’s why some of the teachers behave like they do.

For instance, the so called teacher I know. This guy is young and completely fresh as a teacher. He doesn’t really know what he’s talking about and is the type that reads straight from the book and acts like he knows everything.

Acts is the keyword here.

As a group project, he gives the assignment to interview someone and put it on tape. He wants the video clip computer edited. He expects everybody to have a video camera, the needed software, and a computer to edit on. Also, he initially doesn’t provide any equipment; first when being asked about it (several times) he hands it out. And then it’s broken!

When the group falls apart he says: “Oh well not much to do… You guys got one week to do everything on your own…” (Still without equipment.)

WTF!? How serious is that? Not very helpful this guy.

And then after a while he decides he needs to spend more time on his production company and chose to only teach one hour a week, and leaves the other two hours to someone else.

The good thing is someone else replaces him. The sad thing is that he’s still setting the grades. He advises the class to send cheerful emails and letters to a very large TV network, so his show can be aired. Higher grades will be given as a bonus, he says.

WTF!? This guy is clearly abusing his power as a teacher over the students to his own benefits.

And what has that so called bonus to do with anything!? What kind of bonus is that anyway? Is it related to education? Nope. But to personal gaining.

Finally, he leaves out names from the attendance sheet the whole semester. The result? Someone is barred. And then unbarred. The teacher apparently made a mistake in the first place.

So, the story ends happily? No, he still fails this someone. The group assignment that was never made was counted in the final grade. There goes 30% of the total grade right there.

So much for reasonable, tolerating, and understanding teachers who see's the big picture.

“ARE YOU HAPPY” is the name of one of his documentary films. No, goddamn it. I am certainly not happy. Go f*** yourself.