Patriotic teacher decks home in style
Kindergarten teacher Normala Md Esa goes out of her way to decorate her home in Kampung Perlis here each year when National Day approaches.
The 57-year-old certainly makes a grand effort to portray her patriotism.
“I started decorating for Merdeka many years ago. However, since moving to Balik Pulau in 2017, I was able to expand my creativity with the extra land we have here.
“In previous years, I created replicas from different attractions and landmarks in Malaysia, like the Bukit Bendera funicular train and Petronas Twin Towers.
“This year, I made a new replica of the Penang Bridge and added toy cars on it. There are other national elements as well, such as our national flower, the bunga raya, which I put together using ribbon-like cloth,” she said.
Normala, who started working on the decorations on July 16, said she spent nearly RM5,000 on the materials used to decorate her house.
“I bought a lot of flags, cloth, PVC pipes and water bottles. On the Twin Towers alone, I used 945 new water bottles as I had to ensure the replica was sturdy and well-balanced.
“The PVC pipes are used to create the Penang Bridge. I am planning to add more decorations which are symbolic to Malaysians, like wau bulan, durian and nutmeg fruit replica when Aug 31 nears,” she said.
Normala said that each year, when her house was bedecked in Merdeka-themed decorations, many visitors would stop by and snap photos.
“Our house here sits along a road which is popular with cyclists and joggers. The view attracts a lot of cyclists.
“This makes me very happy, and I am always willing to share my work with others. To me, when they stop to take photos, it feels like we are all sharing the spirit of unity and love for our country.
“It is an opportunity for us to share our proud and happy moments as Malaysians, and to
make new friends,” she said, adding that more than 50 cyclists had stopped by her house this year.
Cyclists Kelvin Kong, 38, and his wife Kelly Teh, 37, both insurance agents who were seen cycling along the route, said they were impressed with the decorations at Normala’s house.
“They are eye-catching and they just stand out. So much time and work have evidently gone into the decorations. When we look and admire them, they make us feel patriotic and proud.
“They really give us a strong spirit of belonging seeing the efforts put in by such a dedicated fellow Malaysian,” Kong said when met at the house.