Work Blab

I am an educator. I love my job. I’m helping the young generation to achieve their dreams and contribute a lot to my country. The usual sentences that go with the word educator. But now I’m saddened.
I just finished a typical lesson with my students. After giving them the routine homework, I dismissed them. Many of them poured out of the class, leaving a few students that decided to linger for a while and engaged themselves in something shown on a laptop brought to my class for no apparent reason. On the other hand, I suddenly faced a whiteboard filled with my own writings. I didn’t even realize I had written so much. According to one senior colleague, a good educator must never leave a class without clearing the board.
With a big sigh, I started to rub off the whiteboard. While I was on it, a thought struck me. Here I am in a class after yelling my voice off teaching and left to rub off two big whiteboards. Behind me, there is a bunch of students minding their own business, not paying any attention to me as if I was never there in the first place. Deep down in my heart I have this nagging feeling- won’t anybody help? Needless to say, nobody offered any help. I just refilled the ‘markers’ before the class started, making it more difficult to rub off. I finished with aching and blackened hands.
I remembered back then. When I proudly offered to dirty my hands. When I was so thankful I was given a chance to learn. When I went into classes expecting to learn. When I respected the person facing me, yelling to be heard. When I didn’t have a hand phone to use in class. When I didn’t have to decide whether to listen to MP3 player or the lesson. When I can skip my breakfast in order not to be late. When I knew my morning class is more important than my favourite telecast tonight. When homework meant deeper understanding. When overslept is not an option for excuse. When I was afraid to offend for fear of not ‘grasping’ the knowledge. Back then, when I appreciated God’s gift to me. Back then.

Fever

It’s the Election Day fever. Everywhere people can see banners, posters even balloons being put up by the different parties to campaign for their candidates. I think it’s quite annoying sometimes because some of the things they put up can be harmful to other people. There were many incidents where I saw that the posters, banners etc obstruct traffic view, litters the ground or became tools for vandalism. I have nothing against campaigning during election because people need to know who they’re voting for but I think the ones putting up the posters and all to be more careful on where they put or set it up. Don’t just simply put or set it up without considering the safety of others. In Japan and I think Taiwan, they don’t allow candidate sor parties to put up all those stuffs. Instead, the candidates can go around neighbourhoods and use speakers to campaign themselves. I think that kinda add a more personal touch to the campaigning. I mean people can actually see and interact with the candidates face to face instead of just staring at their mugshot. But then again, maybe it’ll be more annoying to hear all the shouts of election campaigns going through your neighborhood compared to just seeing them at the sides of the roads. Well, just hope all this fuss will be over soon and the Election Day goes on smoothly.

Yong Tau Fu

‘Yong Tau Fu’ (YTF) is a must each time I go to pasar malam. My foodie family adores ‘YTF ‘. After a few weeks been MIA from the pasar malam scene, my favourite YTF vendor has resumed their business. I don’t know what happened to them but this week seems like they’re back at the usual place like nothing happened. The sad thing is that while they were missing, I found a better (read: delicious) vendor to supply my dose of YTF. I felt really bad when I passed their stall carrying a plastic full of YTF from another stall. I get this guilty feeling because my family has been buying YTF at that particular stall since forever. Adding to my guilt, I saw that there was not many people at their store. As for the recently found vendor, I practically have to queue like forever for my turn of YTF to finish ‘swimming’ in the delicious pool of soupy water. Call me stupid or anything but I have this sense of ‘loyalty’ towards particular places that I’m familiar with even though I know there are better places. I don’t know why. I think I’m programmed to be like that. I guess I’ll be back buying our YTF at the usual stall next week. Some psychologist may be saying I need therapy or something because of my weird notion but I don’t care. The new vendor can afford to lose me. (^_^)

The Cool You

Best thing that happened on earth
God’s gift for all of human kind
Worshipped the ground you walked upon
Used to..

Words came out like precious diamond
Never before as mesmerizing
Everything made possible
Used to..

Knight in shining armor
Cloud’s silver lining
Dream came true
Used to..

The cool you is still the same, I guess
Just the magic cloud is blown away