I wanted to top-up my EZlink card so I paid 80 cents to take the feeder bus to the interchange. When I got the card done, I felt so stranded there. My heels were biting onto my feet and I was like in the middle of nowhere...not near enough to the bus-stop that has direct buses to my home, no buses at the interchange that will take me to any busstop near my home, the only feeder bus that I can take just left, taxi-stand at West Mall is equally far away, nothing I want to do at West Mall....I felt so stranded!
Anyway, I went to West Mall, bought a facial cleanser and some nail polish, then went to Breadtalk and bought some buns to have for dinner. Munching on a Firefloss now.
Can anything in school be more important than an appointment to see the gynae for a baby that is due in about a week's time? He did not allow her to go to see her gynae!! He asked her to push her appointment to another date!! All for a stupid meeting about discipline in the NT stream! WTF??
By the way, the Nan Chiau High principal's case is a sad one. I am 100% sure the student is no angel. Sometimes I wonder why we teachers have to go through all the shit for students who do not deserve it.
Monday, April 19, 2004
I scolded them today. They were simply sitting there like 39 big huge rocks. Yes, that was how I felt. They were like rocks. No response. Let me explain what happened :
"Let's go through Paper 2 now. Take out your solutions and the question paper."
*takes out paper
"Ok....any problems with this paper?"
*no answer....everyone looking down at their own work, or staring at me, or scribbling stuff...
"No problems at all? Really?"
*no answer
"Ok let's do this page by page...Page 1...Questions 1 to 4...any problems?"
*no answer
"All ok? No problems at all?"
*no answer
"everyone got it correct?"
*no answer
"How about Question 5 to 8 on the next page...any problems?"
*no answer
"Really so good ah? You can do every question and get all the correct answers?"
*One boy asked for Qn 7C to be discussed.
"OK Question 7C, everyone.....(discuss 7C on the board, completes explaining the question)"
"Any other problems?"
*no answer. Some copying the solution for 7C from the board
"Or you have not even tried the paper yet...I think some have not even tried yet...am I right?"
*no answer. Some shuffling their papers, pretending to look busy. Others sit and stare at me.
"Would you like more time to complete this paper?"
*no answer
"......." (blood beginning to BOIL)
What the f***??? If they CANNOT do the paper, they would not tell me. If they CAN do the paper, they also would not tell me. If they have not done the paper, they would not tell me. If they have completed the paper with no problems at all, they would still not tell me. This class just would not respond at all! And it's not like they are defiant or naughty. They are just quiet. They are a bunch of quiet people who are not-so-quiet when they are on their own. But once they sit down in the classroom and on thier own chair, it's almost like some switch button turns off their voice box. I've met them in the canteen and we sit down and chat and trust me, majority of them are quite chatty when they're not in class. Put them in the classroom and voila!! -- no more voice....
I was so frustrated that I gave them a piece of my mind today. If these people are going to go out to the working world, or to JC or poly for that matter, they will NOT survive. If they don't want to learn to open their golden mouth and get over that stupid Asian-Singaporean "scare pai say" mentality, they will be left behind.
That's all. That was it. I left the class without another word, after the 10 minute lecture that I delivered.
I left because I was so agitated that I was close to tears.
"Let's go through Paper 2 now. Take out your solutions and the question paper."
*takes out paper
"Ok....any problems with this paper?"
*no answer....everyone looking down at their own work, or staring at me, or scribbling stuff...
"No problems at all? Really?"
*no answer
"Ok let's do this page by page...Page 1...Questions 1 to 4...any problems?"
*no answer
"All ok? No problems at all?"
*no answer
"everyone got it correct?"
*no answer
"How about Question 5 to 8 on the next page...any problems?"
*no answer
"Really so good ah? You can do every question and get all the correct answers?"
*One boy asked for Qn 7C to be discussed.
"OK Question 7C, everyone.....(discuss 7C on the board, completes explaining the question)"
"Any other problems?"
*no answer. Some copying the solution for 7C from the board
"Or you have not even tried the paper yet...I think some have not even tried yet...am I right?"
*no answer. Some shuffling their papers, pretending to look busy. Others sit and stare at me.
"Would you like more time to complete this paper?"
*no answer
"......." (blood beginning to BOIL)
What the f***??? If they CANNOT do the paper, they would not tell me. If they CAN do the paper, they also would not tell me. If they have not done the paper, they would not tell me. If they have completed the paper with no problems at all, they would still not tell me. This class just would not respond at all! And it's not like they are defiant or naughty. They are just quiet. They are a bunch of quiet people who are not-so-quiet when they are on their own. But once they sit down in the classroom and on thier own chair, it's almost like some switch button turns off their voice box. I've met them in the canteen and we sit down and chat and trust me, majority of them are quite chatty when they're not in class. Put them in the classroom and voila!! -- no more voice....
I was so frustrated that I gave them a piece of my mind today. If these people are going to go out to the working world, or to JC or poly for that matter, they will NOT survive. If they don't want to learn to open their golden mouth and get over that stupid Asian-Singaporean "scare pai say" mentality, they will be left behind.
That's all. That was it. I left the class without another word, after the 10 minute lecture that I delivered.
I left because I was so agitated that I was close to tears.
Monday, April 12, 2004
Wenwen bit me!! I did not realise that I was actually bleeding rather profusely until I settled her securely in a container. All the fingers on my right hand were bloody and there were spots of blood all over the floor. Then I noticed that I was actually trembling - I don't know why. The wound was quite deep. I have 7 different "bite-holes" in both my hands.
She was trying to escape when I caught her and was holding her rather tightly cos I did not want her to scoot off under the cupboard. She was eithr very frightened or very angry because she really bit me hard. There was this bite where she refused to let go and I was actually trying to pull her off my left hand!
Now the middle finger on my right hand is slightly swollen around the area where she sank her teeth into me. Even as I am typing this now, my right hand feels kind of painful.
Honestly, I am quite scared of her now. This fear extends to hamham a little too and I have to constantly tell myself that hamham is very good-natured and very well-behaved. Hamham has never ever bitten me, much less to show any form of aggression towards me or towards Mimi or Wenwen. He's such a gentleman! THis Wenwen certainly has a very bad temper!
Ouch.
She was trying to escape when I caught her and was holding her rather tightly cos I did not want her to scoot off under the cupboard. She was eithr very frightened or very angry because she really bit me hard. There was this bite where she refused to let go and I was actually trying to pull her off my left hand!
Now the middle finger on my right hand is slightly swollen around the area where she sank her teeth into me. Even as I am typing this now, my right hand feels kind of painful.
Honestly, I am quite scared of her now. This fear extends to hamham a little too and I have to constantly tell myself that hamham is very good-natured and very well-behaved. Hamham has never ever bitten me, much less to show any form of aggression towards me or towards Mimi or Wenwen. He's such a gentleman! THis Wenwen certainly has a very bad temper!
Ouch.
Sunday, April 11, 2004
Funny how you have the ultimate downloading software to get all the stuff you want, but then you just can't think of what to download.
My weekend's been good so far because I have not thought about work at all. Been having a very good mental getaway from it all. I wish I was studying or something. SL is doing her masters at NUS now and things look pretty stressful for her but its school life. No worries about work, no heavy responsiblities, no politics. A student's life is defintely better. (that is, if you got the money)
Maybe I will do my masters one day. Maybe we will fly away to another place to continue our studies and have our babies there.
Why is money so important? Would we be able to lead a fulfilling life with less money - in Singapore? Would it be possible to not stress out our kids in their schoolwork and let them enjoy their childhood - in Singapore?
I'm trying very very hard to clear my room and to have a minimalistic life, but it's really not easy. I threw lots away but I still have lots.
My weekend's been good so far because I have not thought about work at all. Been having a very good mental getaway from it all. I wish I was studying or something. SL is doing her masters at NUS now and things look pretty stressful for her but its school life. No worries about work, no heavy responsiblities, no politics. A student's life is defintely better. (that is, if you got the money)
Maybe I will do my masters one day. Maybe we will fly away to another place to continue our studies and have our babies there.
Why is money so important? Would we be able to lead a fulfilling life with less money - in Singapore? Would it be possible to not stress out our kids in their schoolwork and let them enjoy their childhood - in Singapore?
I'm trying very very hard to clear my room and to have a minimalistic life, but it's really not easy. I threw lots away but I still have lots.
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Had lots to blog but have no mood right now. In fact, I have alot of things to do to prepare for tomorrow morning, so what am I doing here?
My room is in a mess and I need to pack. I don't have enough space! Saw in "Monster" this rental of storeroom space where you can put all your barang barang and lock up. I wish we had such services here.
Dammit...not enough time....
My room is in a mess and I need to pack. I don't have enough space! Saw in "Monster" this rental of storeroom space where you can put all your barang barang and lock up. I wish we had such services here.
Dammit...not enough time....
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