Withdrawal Symptoms
Student: Cher, boring ah, three days computer class, some more no girls to see..
Teacher: What no girls, recess time got girls what, then go and see till you satisfied ah..
Student: (Raising voice) Recess time?? Cher, where got fun, all those girls expired already lar!!
The last time I stepped out of that school, I was a student there. This time, i stepped in not as a student but as a trainer. It’s been long, probably about 5 years since I last went back. There were some changes; the school is not as colorfully painted as before, where the walls were once painted with bright yellow and orange, now it resumes it’s original color white. The blue chicken rice stall, the snack stall and the drink stall are managed by a different person. The school badge that students once wore on their top left side pocket, lays an ironed on badge which looks terribly awful. The staff room corridor which was once a short cut to the hall is sealed and the staff room now requires a entry pass to enter. Other than that, I think everything is pretty much similar. The canteen chair is still the same. The painting on the wall along the corridors (done by LaSalle students) that leads to the teaching block is pretty much intact. Everything in the classroom and computer labs is the same.
In between the many new faces, I see many familiar faces. It was very heart whelming that some still recognize me although they can’t figure out my name. Mrs Yeoh, Miss Pillay, Mdm Jamilla and Mr Malek, how I truly miss them, but the one teacher that took me by complete surprise was Mr Singgam. As compared to the other teachers who taught me for at least 2 years, he only taught me math in sec 1. He was definitely the last teacher I thought who remember me. Imagine my shock when he came to me and offered a handshake and said so loudly that everyone in the class could hear “You’re an ex-greenviewan and I taught you in Sec 1 before rite”. He continued with “It’s so good to see all of you coming back”.
Mr Singgam, I can’t barely remember anything about his lessons except his favourite line which goes “That boy over there” or “You at the back there” in his indian accent. I only remembered how the boys in my class loved teasing and making fun of him by imitating his favourite line behind his back. And I still remembered how we girls encouraged the mimicking with our laughter. Things hadn’t change much though, even with the current generation; he is still at the expense of the student’s mockery.
I was assigned to teach digital imaging using flash 8. Get this right; already teaching flash is not as simple as teaching Microsoft word or PowerPoint. Getting students to understand the theory behind why we do certain things in flash is hard. To make them understand how to go about doing the animation (despite showing them step by step) was already so tough. What more, teaching to a bunch of 37 sec 2 (mixed normal academic and technical) boys with raging hormones were truly a test of my patience. It surely didn’t help that there wasn’t any girls in my class and it surely didn’t help that most of the students was Malay. I am certainly not trying to stereotype but putting Malay boys together in a class with a female Malay teacher, they can get VERY naughty and cheeky. But behind that loud, naughty and cheeky exterior, never once were they rude to me. Thank god for that.
In fact, they treated me like one of their friends and by the end of the second day, they started showing me their girlfriend picture lar, their baby photo lar, their blister on their thigh, their hand phone models, current popular music they listen to, their friendster lar and whatever not to be showed to a teacher. Some even ask me for my hp number, my age and joked around that they wanted to be my close fren. Haha. Looking at them, just reminded me what it feels like to be a student back. That innocence (maybe not so innocent lar) and care-free spirit that they posses.
Now, I kinda of miss all of my frens from my primary school, secondary school and poly. Sometimes, I wish I was still a student and not an adult who will turn 22 this year. Working life is so unpredictable and full of evil. The more you sink in, the more you get involve and the more it robs you of your innocence. You sometimes have to go against your certain principles in life to save your butt and your company. You just become this someone to survive. It’s really saddening but that’s the reality of the working world, so full of hypocrisy and contradiction. And it is truly sad because I know, no matter where I try to run unless I am planning to idle around or be a housewife or a student forever (which is totally impossible), there’s no way except to run towards that world.
Teacher: (accidentally, slams water bottle on the table after drinking)
Student: Wah, cher, so fierce ah..
Teacher: Where got fierce…If fierce, all of you will be scared and when I scold you will keep quiet
Student: Cher, you fierce what, I want your number and be your close fren but you don’t want to give me.
Teacher: Haiyo…You boys ah, come here to learn flash and not about other things. Besides you are only sec 2 and still very young..
Student: Cher, where got young, I taking my ic soon you know..
The boys, despite driving me crazy, I feel much attached to them and somehow I kinda of miss them. The last few days I have been ranting non–stop to everyone what happened in school and I am ranting in here again.
I think I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Both from teaching and football. Speaking about football, my trip to kallang stadium, first on sat where Singapore beat Malaysia and second on wed where Singapore beat Thailand was indescribable. I will never forget the view (after all that shoving and ho-haa trying to find the correct entrance to find my cousins) when I took my first step into the stadium. The crazy pawang guy. The powerful kallang wave, roar and stamping. The controversy. All that laughter looking at how the fans (men, boys, pakcik, makcik, girls and ladies) screaming, scolding and getting so passionate about the game. I will never forget that it was there I joined the crowd and shouted my first bad word and actually found out what it means. Hah. I promise I will not do it again.
Anyway, I just got the results on the survey that the boys did and I feel very happy and satisfied with the review they have given me. =) If only happy moments would last forever and not be interrupted by anything especially work cause for now, I got to get down finishing my two online tutorial projects, marking of test papers before administering it to Cambridge and to collate all the flash project together by next week. And good news is, I am nowhere close to done. Well done Yana!! =)
P.S: Teaching has improved my skills tremendously. If I started 9 months ago, not even knowing how to use flash, I can safely say, I can create something using flash.
Student: Cher, you how old ah?
Teacher: Just know that I am very old…
Student: Cher you lie ah…If you old how come you look young, then you are a Miss and not yet married..
Teacher: Well, because I am an “Anak dara tua”…(Old spinsters)
Student: Cher, cannot you know, if not later very hard to get children and not good.
And instead of getting angry and scolding, I stood there laughing my heart out.
Teacher: What no girls, recess time got girls what, then go and see till you satisfied ah..
Student: (Raising voice) Recess time?? Cher, where got fun, all those girls expired already lar!!
The last time I stepped out of that school, I was a student there. This time, i stepped in not as a student but as a trainer. It’s been long, probably about 5 years since I last went back. There were some changes; the school is not as colorfully painted as before, where the walls were once painted with bright yellow and orange, now it resumes it’s original color white. The blue chicken rice stall, the snack stall and the drink stall are managed by a different person. The school badge that students once wore on their top left side pocket, lays an ironed on badge which looks terribly awful. The staff room corridor which was once a short cut to the hall is sealed and the staff room now requires a entry pass to enter. Other than that, I think everything is pretty much similar. The canteen chair is still the same. The painting on the wall along the corridors (done by LaSalle students) that leads to the teaching block is pretty much intact. Everything in the classroom and computer labs is the same.
In between the many new faces, I see many familiar faces. It was very heart whelming that some still recognize me although they can’t figure out my name. Mrs Yeoh, Miss Pillay, Mdm Jamilla and Mr Malek, how I truly miss them, but the one teacher that took me by complete surprise was Mr Singgam. As compared to the other teachers who taught me for at least 2 years, he only taught me math in sec 1. He was definitely the last teacher I thought who remember me. Imagine my shock when he came to me and offered a handshake and said so loudly that everyone in the class could hear “You’re an ex-greenviewan and I taught you in Sec 1 before rite”. He continued with “It’s so good to see all of you coming back”.
Mr Singgam, I can’t barely remember anything about his lessons except his favourite line which goes “That boy over there” or “You at the back there” in his indian accent. I only remembered how the boys in my class loved teasing and making fun of him by imitating his favourite line behind his back. And I still remembered how we girls encouraged the mimicking with our laughter. Things hadn’t change much though, even with the current generation; he is still at the expense of the student’s mockery.
I was assigned to teach digital imaging using flash 8. Get this right; already teaching flash is not as simple as teaching Microsoft word or PowerPoint. Getting students to understand the theory behind why we do certain things in flash is hard. To make them understand how to go about doing the animation (despite showing them step by step) was already so tough. What more, teaching to a bunch of 37 sec 2 (mixed normal academic and technical) boys with raging hormones were truly a test of my patience. It surely didn’t help that there wasn’t any girls in my class and it surely didn’t help that most of the students was Malay. I am certainly not trying to stereotype but putting Malay boys together in a class with a female Malay teacher, they can get VERY naughty and cheeky. But behind that loud, naughty and cheeky exterior, never once were they rude to me. Thank god for that.
In fact, they treated me like one of their friends and by the end of the second day, they started showing me their girlfriend picture lar, their baby photo lar, their blister on their thigh, their hand phone models, current popular music they listen to, their friendster lar and whatever not to be showed to a teacher. Some even ask me for my hp number, my age and joked around that they wanted to be my close fren. Haha. Looking at them, just reminded me what it feels like to be a student back. That innocence (maybe not so innocent lar) and care-free spirit that they posses.
Now, I kinda of miss all of my frens from my primary school, secondary school and poly. Sometimes, I wish I was still a student and not an adult who will turn 22 this year. Working life is so unpredictable and full of evil. The more you sink in, the more you get involve and the more it robs you of your innocence. You sometimes have to go against your certain principles in life to save your butt and your company. You just become this someone to survive. It’s really saddening but that’s the reality of the working world, so full of hypocrisy and contradiction. And it is truly sad because I know, no matter where I try to run unless I am planning to idle around or be a housewife or a student forever (which is totally impossible), there’s no way except to run towards that world.
Teacher: (accidentally, slams water bottle on the table after drinking)
Student: Wah, cher, so fierce ah..
Teacher: Where got fierce…If fierce, all of you will be scared and when I scold you will keep quiet
Student: Cher, you fierce what, I want your number and be your close fren but you don’t want to give me.
Teacher: Haiyo…You boys ah, come here to learn flash and not about other things. Besides you are only sec 2 and still very young..
Student: Cher, where got young, I taking my ic soon you know..
The boys, despite driving me crazy, I feel much attached to them and somehow I kinda of miss them. The last few days I have been ranting non–stop to everyone what happened in school and I am ranting in here again.
I think I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Both from teaching and football. Speaking about football, my trip to kallang stadium, first on sat where Singapore beat Malaysia and second on wed where Singapore beat Thailand was indescribable. I will never forget the view (after all that shoving and ho-haa trying to find the correct entrance to find my cousins) when I took my first step into the stadium. The crazy pawang guy. The powerful kallang wave, roar and stamping. The controversy. All that laughter looking at how the fans (men, boys, pakcik, makcik, girls and ladies) screaming, scolding and getting so passionate about the game. I will never forget that it was there I joined the crowd and shouted my first bad word and actually found out what it means. Hah. I promise I will not do it again.
Anyway, I just got the results on the survey that the boys did and I feel very happy and satisfied with the review they have given me. =) If only happy moments would last forever and not be interrupted by anything especially work cause for now, I got to get down finishing my two online tutorial projects, marking of test papers before administering it to Cambridge and to collate all the flash project together by next week. And good news is, I am nowhere close to done. Well done Yana!! =)
P.S: Teaching has improved my skills tremendously. If I started 9 months ago, not even knowing how to use flash, I can safely say, I can create something using flash.
Student: Cher, you how old ah?
Teacher: Just know that I am very old…
Student: Cher you lie ah…If you old how come you look young, then you are a Miss and not yet married..
Teacher: Well, because I am an “Anak dara tua”…(Old spinsters)
Student: Cher, cannot you know, if not later very hard to get children and not good.
And instead of getting angry and scolding, I stood there laughing my heart out.
posted by Yana at 12:49 PM
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