Wednesday, June 29, 2005
It's been a hard day night
This is going to be a long post so forgive me. I may even break it up into a few different posts just to organise my thoughts. Too many things have been happening today and the feelings have been running the gamut to perplexity, joy, sadness and worry.
Went back to my alma mater in the morning with two of my ex-classmates,E and EN. Both of them have just recently graduated and it was probably the last chance we have to visit our teacher together before we start work. They were late as usual. E is probably the only person I know who never arrives on time. I once turned up late fifteen minutes late deliberately for an appointment only for him to trump me and appear half an hour after. Seriously.
Anyway, most of our teachers have either transferred out or retired already. Now, half the teacher population are under twenty. Some of them are around our age which would make them the batch of NIE graduates that joined due to the intense recruiting conducted by MOE a few years back in conjunction with the pay revisions for teachers. I even discovered a former primary school classmate teaching here when I came back a year ago but turns out she had recently left the service to become an air stewardess.
That got me thinking about how many of these new teachers would actually stay on for the long haul. Most of them probably joined the service due to the weak economy back then and teaching offered one of the higher pay available to graduates back then. One wonders if their heart is really into it. It brings to mind memories of my sec 3 English teacher, Mr. IA. Suffice to say that he was not the best teacher I have seen although his form class idolised him (probably something to do with his Eurasian looks)
Contrast this with my maths teacher, Mr. NA. He will be retiring this Thursday after more than forty years of service. In the same school. That itself speaks volumes about dedication to the profession and the school. As a matter of fact, my father was his students back then. Let me tell you, that led to several interesting situations in maths classes, especially in those times when he was giving test results back to us. His maths tests were legendary in the school. Nobody could pass them. Nobody, not even the resident class genius from India. Had a shock when we got back our first paper and the highest score was 56 overall. But that was just his method of pushing us to study harder for our exams. Truth be told, if it wasn't for him, I'm not so sure I could have done as well as I did for maths back then. Not that I would have failed but I certainly performed way above expectations when finals came along. For that, thanks you Mr. NA. I'm sorry we never talk that much after leaving school but I wish you all the best in your retirement. No more chasing after errant students!
Anyway, my old chemistry teacher was about to go to class when she hits upon the idea of asking us to come along and talk to the class. Now they just had their mid-terms and the 'O' levels was approaching. She figured that we could go see the class, talk to them and show the class that graduates from my school do go out into the world and became successful (*ahem*, her words, not mine). Now anyone who knew me would know that youth empowerment is one of my pet subjects, in the sense that I try to actively work towards that in my projects. But talking to the class, it really made me wonder a lot. Despite being in the best class of one of the better performing neighborhood schools in Singapore, these kids were remarkably lacking in self-esteem.
Case in point. English was a perpetual worry for some of these kids, having grown up in an environment where parents spoke mostly dialet or Chinese if they were lucky. So passing language one is a genuine concern for many of them. I mean, EN understood that. He was barely passing until the 'O' prelims and final paper where he scrapped through with a B3. I had the same problem with Chemistry myself. Well, I have some with the abovementioned Mr. IA but that's another post. So EN was talking to them, giving advice about reading newspapers and practicing beast that you can before the exams. But all the students could retort was how difficult it is, how you can't just pass english by doing that, DESPITE a real life case standing in front of them. Then I talk a bit about attitude and mindset change. Now don't expect a Dead Poets Society moment and the whole class standing up and applauding my inspirational speech but surely you don't just go repeating your point about it being impossible? It really got me thinking about why these kids grew up with so little self esteem. Like I said, this was the best class out of the whole school. Don't they have any pride? Maybe I'm too harsh on sixteen year old kids. But It's just that I don't recall my classmates being so whiney back then. We complain when Mr. NA fails us but we picked ourselves right off the floor and resolved to work harder next time.
I want to help them. I really do. I don't mind giving tuition if they need it, talking to them, offering a listening ear for their problems if they need to talk. But don't they see that they have to want to help themselves first before we can step in?
Next, it was off to school for more biking training with the team. What can I say? It rained, we took shelter, decide to cut short training and went back to school. Though the two of them seemed quite happy. Because someone was absent? Couldn't be bothered; promised myself to keep my nose out of it. I mean, I care for my friends, but this scenario is way out of my league.
Akademisches Orchester Zurich (AOZ)
Tonight was also the night of the concert performance at the University Cultural Center. I was invited to the concert courtesy of the Swiss House Singapore as an alumni of the HSG term in Singapore. It was fun meeting the other alumni there as well, catching up on old times (and Swiss wine and chocolates). Some of the other fellow interns were there as well, N having invited R along, a Canadian interning with them now. The AOZ is more than a hundred years old and made up of about 70 undergraduates and graduates studying in Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich and Zurich University. It was my first live symphonic performance and I must say the experience was certainly worth it. The clarinet soloist was impeccable in his performance. N thought he was cute but then again, a lot of the girls thought he was cute.
Discovered a new composer! Darius Milhaud. They played his Sacramouche for Clarinet and Orchestra. Never knew a symphonic orchestra could play such jazzy and delightful tunes. It reminds me of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. A hop and skip here and there, while the strings were running all over the place. Probably have to look out for his recordings the next time I visit Gramophone.
After the concert, a group of us made our way to Fong Seng for some nasi lemak. I haven't had dinner and was looking forward to some food. Then the phone rang. Sms alert. Jaw dropped when I saw the message. II, a very close and dear friend of mine, was currently in NUH A&E. I have known her since we worked together in sec 3 on the school musical. She knew me since sec 1 when I apparently refused to lend her my gameboy. I swear, that never happened. I'm too nice for that. When I heard her voice over the phone, I was shocked by how weak and terrible she sounded. To tell the truth, it was quite scary. II had a history of illness so I was getting kind of worried there for a while. Her brother was already there accompanying her so she refused to let me go down and see her despite the proximity. So what was I to do? Just sms her all night, keeping her company while she waits to take a blood test and for the results to be released. Didn't really get to sleep much too after she was discharged; too hyped up for one day. I was in school anyway and didn't return home till about five thirty in the morning when the first bus came along. Didn't even get to sleep till seven thirty. Fine...
And thus ends one of the craziest day in my life. ¶ 1:15:00 am
Went back to my alma mater in the morning with two of my ex-classmates,E and EN. Both of them have just recently graduated and it was probably the last chance we have to visit our teacher together before we start work. They were late as usual. E is probably the only person I know who never arrives on time. I once turned up late fifteen minutes late deliberately for an appointment only for him to trump me and appear half an hour after. Seriously.
Anyway, most of our teachers have either transferred out or retired already. Now, half the teacher population are under twenty. Some of them are around our age which would make them the batch of NIE graduates that joined due to the intense recruiting conducted by MOE a few years back in conjunction with the pay revisions for teachers. I even discovered a former primary school classmate teaching here when I came back a year ago but turns out she had recently left the service to become an air stewardess.
That got me thinking about how many of these new teachers would actually stay on for the long haul. Most of them probably joined the service due to the weak economy back then and teaching offered one of the higher pay available to graduates back then. One wonders if their heart is really into it. It brings to mind memories of my sec 3 English teacher, Mr. IA. Suffice to say that he was not the best teacher I have seen although his form class idolised him (probably something to do with his Eurasian looks)
Contrast this with my maths teacher, Mr. NA. He will be retiring this Thursday after more than forty years of service. In the same school. That itself speaks volumes about dedication to the profession and the school. As a matter of fact, my father was his students back then. Let me tell you, that led to several interesting situations in maths classes, especially in those times when he was giving test results back to us. His maths tests were legendary in the school. Nobody could pass them. Nobody, not even the resident class genius from India. Had a shock when we got back our first paper and the highest score was 56 overall. But that was just his method of pushing us to study harder for our exams. Truth be told, if it wasn't for him, I'm not so sure I could have done as well as I did for maths back then. Not that I would have failed but I certainly performed way above expectations when finals came along. For that, thanks you Mr. NA. I'm sorry we never talk that much after leaving school but I wish you all the best in your retirement. No more chasing after errant students!
Anyway, my old chemistry teacher was about to go to class when she hits upon the idea of asking us to come along and talk to the class. Now they just had their mid-terms and the 'O' levels was approaching. She figured that we could go see the class, talk to them and show the class that graduates from my school do go out into the world and became successful (*ahem*, her words, not mine). Now anyone who knew me would know that youth empowerment is one of my pet subjects, in the sense that I try to actively work towards that in my projects. But talking to the class, it really made me wonder a lot. Despite being in the best class of one of the better performing neighborhood schools in Singapore, these kids were remarkably lacking in self-esteem.
Case in point. English was a perpetual worry for some of these kids, having grown up in an environment where parents spoke mostly dialet or Chinese if they were lucky. So passing language one is a genuine concern for many of them. I mean, EN understood that. He was barely passing until the 'O' prelims and final paper where he scrapped through with a B3. I had the same problem with Chemistry myself. Well, I have some with the abovementioned Mr. IA but that's another post. So EN was talking to them, giving advice about reading newspapers and practicing beast that you can before the exams. But all the students could retort was how difficult it is, how you can't just pass english by doing that, DESPITE a real life case standing in front of them. Then I talk a bit about attitude and mindset change. Now don't expect a Dead Poets Society moment and the whole class standing up and applauding my inspirational speech but surely you don't just go repeating your point about it being impossible? It really got me thinking about why these kids grew up with so little self esteem. Like I said, this was the best class out of the whole school. Don't they have any pride? Maybe I'm too harsh on sixteen year old kids. But It's just that I don't recall my classmates being so whiney back then. We complain when Mr. NA fails us but we picked ourselves right off the floor and resolved to work harder next time.
I want to help them. I really do. I don't mind giving tuition if they need it, talking to them, offering a listening ear for their problems if they need to talk. But don't they see that they have to want to help themselves first before we can step in?
Next, it was off to school for more biking training with the team. What can I say? It rained, we took shelter, decide to cut short training and went back to school. Though the two of them seemed quite happy. Because someone was absent? Couldn't be bothered; promised myself to keep my nose out of it. I mean, I care for my friends, but this scenario is way out of my league.
Akademisches Orchester Zurich (AOZ)
Tonight was also the night of the concert performance at the University Cultural Center. I was invited to the concert courtesy of the Swiss House Singapore as an alumni of the HSG term in Singapore. It was fun meeting the other alumni there as well, catching up on old times (and Swiss wine and chocolates). Some of the other fellow interns were there as well, N having invited R along, a Canadian interning with them now. The AOZ is more than a hundred years old and made up of about 70 undergraduates and graduates studying in Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich and Zurich University. It was my first live symphonic performance and I must say the experience was certainly worth it. The clarinet soloist was impeccable in his performance. N thought he was cute but then again, a lot of the girls thought he was cute.
Discovered a new composer! Darius Milhaud. They played his Sacramouche for Clarinet and Orchestra. Never knew a symphonic orchestra could play such jazzy and delightful tunes. It reminds me of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. A hop and skip here and there, while the strings were running all over the place. Probably have to look out for his recordings the next time I visit Gramophone.
After the concert, a group of us made our way to Fong Seng for some nasi lemak. I haven't had dinner and was looking forward to some food. Then the phone rang. Sms alert. Jaw dropped when I saw the message. II, a very close and dear friend of mine, was currently in NUH A&E. I have known her since we worked together in sec 3 on the school musical. She knew me since sec 1 when I apparently refused to lend her my gameboy. I swear, that never happened. I'm too nice for that. When I heard her voice over the phone, I was shocked by how weak and terrible she sounded. To tell the truth, it was quite scary. II had a history of illness so I was getting kind of worried there for a while. Her brother was already there accompanying her so she refused to let me go down and see her despite the proximity. So what was I to do? Just sms her all night, keeping her company while she waits to take a blood test and for the results to be released. Didn't really get to sleep much too after she was discharged; too hyped up for one day. I was in school anyway and didn't return home till about five thirty in the morning when the first bus came along. Didn't even get to sleep till seven thirty. Fine...
And thus ends one of the craziest day in my life. ¶ 1:15:00 am
