Last week, Aisyah's school handed out notes to parents regarding the various extra-curricular activities they offer the children, including prices for each activity (they vary). I am one proud mummy when Aisyah told me that she has thought things through, and she wanted to join the Design, Arts and Technology Club (Kelab Rekabentuk, Seni dan Teknologi). It's not the choice she has made that made me proud (she could've chosen the Chess Club, or the Arabic Language Club, it wouldn't have made a difference to me to be honest), but the fact that she made her own decisions - already understanding her strength and passion at the age of nine - that's what's made me filled with pride inside.
In Year 1, she took up Swimming. Her school didn't have a swimming pool, so they had to transport the children by bus at 2.30 pm, had the swim lesson, finished by 5 p.m. and headed back to school by bus once more, only to be stuck in the rush hour jam, before finally arriving back at school around 6.15 pm. It was tiring, but she loved every single second in the pool. It was a pricier option as it had to cover the cost of the school hiring an outside swim instructor as well as the bus. This option was discontinued by the school the following year.
In Year 2, she took up Nisa' (Girls' Club where they do girlish activities. I don't want to be stereotypical, but the club did cooking, baking, flower arrangements, bookmark making, some small momentos etc - your typical domestic sciences stuff - as well as talks about female body changes, handling menstruation, and introduction to several Muslim female icons in the history, etc. Aisyah chose this club herself, mainly because most of her friends signed up for it too. It was one of the cheaper options as far as fees went.
I hope she'll be happy with her choice this year. It's good to see that she's willing to try something new every year, and that this time, she didn't choose to follow the crowd like last year. In terms of fees, it's in the medium range. More expensive ones include Taekwando, Badminton and Archery. If I were a student at her school, I'd probably be intrigued to try Archery, but Aisyah flat out refused this. 'Nanti org lain tercucuk kepala Kakak' (other people might spear me in the head). And it is her genuine fear, ok people? She was not being funny at all. We might just have to accept that this one ain't ever going to be an athlete (not that it's a bad thing). It just means she doesn't inherit her Ayah's sports genes. Her dad was once a college hockey player, and has a slightly deviated nosebridge as a proof of his athletism. But fret not, we still have Zayd, the boy, and he's energetic plenty, so we'll just wait and see for now if he follows in his Ayah's footsteps (but Lord, please don't let it be hockey. Hubs' once told me how he blacked out from the pain of having another player's hockey stick struck him smack in the middle of his nose, and the blood that soaked his shirt after, is too much for this faint hearted Mama to take in).
PS: I knew Aisyah was gonna pick some sort of arts club to begin with, but it's good to hear it from herself without me meddling).