Funny but true...

Read this in an e-mail and couldn't help smiling. :) Jimmy, study this carefully!

NINE WORDS THAT WOMEN USE:
1. FINE: Used to end an argument and cue for you to shut up.

2.5 MINUTES: Depending on situation. If she wants you to wait for 5 minutes, it could mean 5 minutes or half an hour. If she tells you that you have 5 minutes, it means 5 minutes.

3.NOTHING: The calm before the storm. You should be on your toes. (Arguments normally start with NOTHING and ends with FINE)

4.GO AHEAD: It is a dare, not a permission. DON'T DO IT!

5.LOUD SIGH: In women's vocabulary, it is a word full of meanings but often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means that she thinks you are an idiot and she wonders why she is wasting her time and effort arguing with you about NOTHING (Refer No.3).

6.THAT's OK: The most dangerous phrase a woman can say to a man. She is thinking long and hard how to make you pay for what you have done.

7. THANKS: Just accept it. Don't question it. Reply with a courteous "You're Welcome"

8. WHATEVER: A woman's way of saying FU** YOU!!!

9.DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, I'LL DO IT: Another dangerous statement, meaning there is something that she has asked you to do several times but is now doing it herself. This will normally result in you asking her "What's wrong?" for which she will respong NOTHING. THEN YOU SHOULD RUN!

Blur me...

I was determined to try the famous fish ball noodles today. I walked purposefully to the stall and asked if they had "lou shu fan". When the lady said they did not have it, I said then just give me the fish ball koay teow soup. She said okay and then asked, fish ball? I said yes, and she turned to the old man next to her stall and shouted, "UNCLE, FISH BALL LOU SHU FAN!"

Yup, I walked to the lonely stall next to the stall I intended to go to and ordered something that her rival sells. -.-"

Malu-nyer....and the best part is the aunty whom I always go to for economical rice was staring and smiling at me. Sigh...I think I need to bury my head somewhere...or get thicker glasses. :P

Complaints of a teacher

What would you do if students whom you used to like do not do your work? What would you do if the child of a gangster did not do your work and you have punished all the others who did the same thing? What would you do if a child has no manners and is in your class? What would you do if a child does not want to learn and wastes your time and his time and all his other friends' time?

These are some of the things that make a teacher's life miserable. Of course, there are also some things that make teachers enthusiastic about teaching. But, more often than not, these cases of stubborn learners make a teacher's blood boil and make the teacher want to squeeze those scrawny necks of theirs (in the teachers' minds only-lah)!

It's sad that these people would grow up being rude and remain uneducated even after 11 years in the school system. In fact, I actually feel that the uneducated people of the past actually behave better than these people we forced into schools.

The government blames the teachers for not producing quality manpower. The secondary school teachers blame the primary school teachers and the primary school teachers blame the parents who in turn blame the teachers. So, who is at fault? I believe all of us are at fault. Don't think that primary school teachers don't make an effort to teach individual pupils. But when they are younger, most of the time is spent on controlling their discipline rather than teaching. And even with teaching, demands from the parents and society require the teachers to teach at bullet train speed so that they can move on to bigger and better things in the next year. How are the pupils supposed to cope when they can't even understand the basic?

I have 3 Year 6 pupils who can't even pronounce the BM "ba", "be", "bi", "bo" and "bu". 2 of whom I have subjected them to writing 3 to 5 lines of words daily. The other child told me that s/he doesn't want to do that as s/he thinks that his/her tuition teacher can do that for him/her. Of the 2, only one has progressed to a vocabulary of almost 50 words. The other child is still stuck at Ahad, Isnin, Selasa, Rabu, Khamis, Jumaat, Sabtu, Januari, Februari, Mac, April.

Today, I had asked the pupils to copy a piece of karangan from a book and then use the points to write a Laporan. I explained, written the draft, showed them, reminded them that although the points are similar, the format is different. Yet, only the usual 6 handed in both pieces of karangan to me. I gave them 45 minutes and 3 pupils were still unable to finish COPYing.

Stupid? I don't think they are. Lazy? Perhaps. My fault because I did not make sure that they copy? Maybe but mind you, I have 33 pupils and only 6 to 10 rather dependent learners. What can I do? I am very afraid. Afraid that I would have ruined it for these Year 6 kids because I did not do enough. Because I was not strict enough. But how much can I do if the parents and more importantly the learners are not willing to pull their weight?

This is only my second year of teaching and I get so frustrated. So angry. The school administration is not helping by giving me all sort of donkey work. Sports team leader, secretary for this and that, Advisor for a club, RIMUP leader...SIGH...and you people thought that teaching is easy. It is easy if you don't care for the children. At this point, I still care for some of the children. I just hope that I will continue caring for them and that they will respond to the effort that I have put in.

Just another day of a teacher's life...

Jumbled thoughts

Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned.- Buddha

Phew..the past two weeks had been horrible. With 3 assignments due, exam in school, teaching and clerical job...I was in a wreck. The worst part of it is that your hard work is not appreciated. This year, I got a heck lot of responsibility. And my direct superior has not been helpful at all by asking me to do a lot of nonsensical or small stuff that she could have done herself. Is this her way of showing her superiority? While doing what she has asked of me, she would be constantly at my back saying that what she had wanted me to do, she needed urgently. When I have given her what she had wanted, she scrunched up her face and said that it was not good enough! Dang!

On top of that, I was starving myself like no body's business. One, because I was on a diet; two because I didn't have the mood to eat; and three because I didn't have much of a choice. The shops that are walking distance from my place has been exhausted. I can tell you that I am super sick of old town white coffee and almost completely sick of McD. To drive out for food is also another headache because of parking and the fact that I don't know what to eat. I suppose it's the syndrome for having too much to choose from. Ironic, right? :)

So, with all the stress of work, studies and no food, I've been picking fights with people around me, namely Jimmy. Poor fellow had been taking nonsense from me for the entire 3 months now. Which reminds me, working and studying part time is really difficult. I kind of regret taking up masters now, but then again, it has been great experience (enjoyable too) to be able to learn new things and know that I am improving myself in some way. :)

Phew, am I glad that it is the holidays now. Maybe now I can practise to be a forgiving person now. I just hope that I don't see the woman when I get back to school tomorrow. Hahaha...