IATSS Forum

Salam sejahtera and well wishes to you all! Frankly speaking, I still can’t believe I am one of the participants for 50th IATSS Forum! This is so surreal because of two reasons. Looking down memory lane 15 years ago, I was a finalist for the Monbusho Scholarship but I couldn’t get through due to economic reasons. Secondly, 32 years ago, when I was five years old, my mum told me that when people asked me where I went to school, I always answered ‘Sekolah Epun = Japanese School’. Thank God! Better late than never and Hey Japan! Watch out! Azman Sahrom is coming this September. Thinking and Learning Together is an interesting motto of IATSS. When 18 participants come together in a foreign land, surely the forum will become a place of much intense, mind opening, cultural sharing, knowledge acquiring, self-enrichment, etc. This opportunity will surely have a great impact to my life, not only as Asian but to further extend, as a world citizen. I can’t wait to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible in order for me to share them with my colleagues and pupils back home. This Japan experience will be a wholesome experience as this is where my fellow participants and I will be constantly surprised about the things we see, hear, taste, smell, touch and learn as these will be much more different and interesting than we thought! I, Azman Sahrom will never be the same come this September. Just wait and see!

I, Azman Sahrom will never be the same come this September. Just wait and see! – That was the last sentence I wrote before coming to IATSS Forum. It is just a little bit over 3 months now since IATSS ended but many changes have happened to me. I am still an English teacher but with new passion and spirit. Now I see the world in different angle. Personally, time management and hungry for knowledge have become major part of me now. During IATSS, I felt chokingly occupied sometimes and yearned to go back. As time goes by, it was totally a reversal. I yearned to stay longer and learn more. Professionally, I enjoyed teaching more nowadays. I have many things to share about IATSS and Japan to my pupils, colleagues and school. A few things had happened like I am now enrolling in professional Japanese Language course and also had set up a Japanese theme monthly bulletin board at school recently. A few more interesting things are underway such as Japan Corner in the school library and launching of Reading and Japanese Language Month. Need to say more I guess? I, Azman Sahrom have changed a lot post IATSS. Dozo arigatou gozaimasu and love you all!