I Love My Job!

I’m currently undergoing training for my new job and I love every minute of it.

I am going to be a teacher at this place (I don’t want to name the place for fear of parents being wrongly directed here). The main characteristic of this teaching method is the concentration of its right brain education. Not neglecting the left-brain, which is developed in traditional academic settings, this teaching method promotes whole-brain education by developing the right brain and connecting it to the left, thus allowing both sides of the brain to work together in balance. It also trains young children to develop their brain potential including photographic memory, speed-reading, lightning math ability, multiple language mastery, perfect pitch etc.

Since the optimal time for development of right brain faculties is between the ages zero to six, all the kids enrolled here are young kids: babies, toddlers, preschoolers. And I absolutely adore kids!!

I faced objections from my mother initially, after the first interview, after the second interview and before signing the contract. Even after I’ve signed, she still constantly harps on the lower salary as compare to MOE teaching. However, at this very moment, the person most supportive of my job is actually my mum and I am really thankful for that.

I’ve also received many puzzled looks from the older generation, asking me why don’t I sign up with MOE and be a “proper” teacher instead. “Since you are going to be a teacher, why not be an MOE one? “The prospects are better. The salary is better.” “It is a government job.” “It is more prestigious.” “This one you are teaching, don’t know whether it’s proper education or not.” “How many years proven track record?” “Must be some shady business”.

I get very tired of explaining when these people don’t understand and I don’t even have the chance to explain to some of them and did not bother to, as it was a conversation between my parents and them.

I did not even tell my friends (unless they asked) that I’ve gotten a job too, as it is quite difficult to explain what my job is about and to let them understand why I chose this job. Most have not heard if it before and were skeptical when they heard that I’m going to teach kids from 0-6 years old. “What? So young also want to enroll the child for classes?” Want to pressure the child huh? Xiao!” “1 year old can learn what???” “Aren’t they babies?!”

Fortunately, Evan heard of this teaching method before and even thought that the prospect of being a teacher here is good. “Go for your training and let me know if they need more teachers ya? Then I’ll go send my resume too.” she joked. It was such a relief to hear such kind words from a friend when all along before that I was greeted with skepticism. I was glad I told her about it. Haha… but I had no choice coz I had to ask her a favour to finish up my unethical assignment since I would be too busy to complete it.

Some people dislike teaching. These people wouldn’t value the joys of being in this line. Some people have no affinity with young children. These people all the more wouldn’t understand anything.

Since one of the concentrations of this teaching method is also the education of the heart, we believe in parent-child bonding in order for the child to open his/her heart before unlocking the right brain. Thus, for every class, every child has to be accompanied by one parent.

On my first day of training, I attended a lecture by the principal herself. The days after that, I was to sit in some classes to do observation and was assigned to a buddy who will show me the ropes. I observed all the classes ranging from 1-6 years old. Every child has a certain kind of cuteness and intelligence in him or her. And I was so drawn to the love and bond between most of the Mummies and their children... hugging and kissing them, praising them even when their answers are wrong. The Daddies were quite loving to their kids too. I always find it a cute to see Daddies attending classes with their children. All these sweet sights simply melt my heart.

Some of the children are so cute and pretty and handsome. Even those who are not cute and pretty and handsome physically, they are cute from their actions and behaviours. And I really enjoy spotting the similarities between parent and child. Some children look just like photocopies of their parents and that is a good thing if the mummy is a pretty lady!

There are also the intelligent ones. This 3 or 4-year-old boy handed in his lion with only few patches of colours here and there.

His mummy asked, “Boy, why you never finish colouring your lion?”

Boy said, “My lion is white.”

Mum said, “But even if it is white, you still got to use white colour pencil to colour it you know?”

“Haiya, no need la. The paper is white mah.”

“So if your lion is white, why are there small patches of colours all over him?”

“Because my lion got stain.”

That mummy told us that she couldn’t argue with him because there really is such a thing as a white lion.

On another occasion, I was helping my colleague to mark some of her students’ worksheets. There was this question that requires them to list down ten edible things. Paper after paper I marked, the answers were all correct. And then I came to this paper which has answers like sweets, chocolates, hamburger… … and the last two answers were flies and beetles! I asked my colleague if I should mark it wrong. She flipped the paper to see who it was and asked me to mark the answers as correct. Marking this boy’s answers as wrong would only elicit questions from him that leave you stumped and wished you had never argued with him. “Teacher, you never watch documentary is it? People eat flies you know? People eat beetles you know?” And every teacher knows who he is although they do not teach him, as he would ask every teacher if Tweety bird is a male or a female.

I do not really know how should the intellect of a 1 year old be but I thought there was this baby who was quite smart too. He found a white teddy bear from the toys room and was hugging and kissing it, refusing to let it go even when Daddy wanted to carry him home. We tried very hard to coax him in returning the toy to no avail. Each time we tried to take the toy away, he would have the want-to-cry-look. So at last my colleague showed him a sticker full of teddy bears, She asked which he liked and he pointed to the white teddy on the sticker. So she pasted on him and attempted to remove the teddy bear from his grasp. He immediately peeled off the sticker from his shirt and returned to my colleague. It seems like he understood this concept of exchanging and refused to have the sticker if we are going to take the bear away from him. As I said, I thought that was really smart.

There are so many instances of cute and intelligent kids. There are simply too many to write them all down.

From my few days of training, I feel that this job is really meaningful and rewarding. It is not merely formal education you are imparting to the children but drawing out the potentials and capabilities in them in them as well. And when you see the happy faces on both parent and child and the bond between them, you will feel a sense of fulfillment.

I am happy everyday and didn’t mind staying back longer to help out with my buddy for some event the last weekend although there wasn’t any OT pay. In fact, I’m enjoying myself so much that I wouldn’t even mind if I’m not paid. But of course I’m paid la. It seems too good to be true that I could hardly believe I’ve gotten myself a great job. Probably because I’m only undergoing training and have not experienced the real essence of the job yet. I hope I’ll continue to feel this way, as I’ve never had so much passion for any job before.

To my friends… …

When I started my blog, I had no intention for it to be an online journal.

Really, before that, I told people it is stupid to parade your life for all to see online. I could recall the faces of my friends after I said that, quietly muttering under their breaths that they have a blog too. It was then I realized so many people around me blog, albeit not consistently. I also cleared this misconception of blogs being “diaries”.

At that time, what I had in my mind were blogs functioning as daily journal entries where the authors tell you about what they did that particular day, all their ranting and criticizing of others etc.

I have said before in my first entry that I do not really know how to write or style this blog but it certainly endeavours to not be a live journal. It will be more of my daily jumbled thoughts penned down. JUMBLED since I do not really understand myself well at times and since my opinion of issues sometimes no longer hold true by the time some people get wind of my entry. I had plan for it to be more of a place and space where I unleash my comments and views on certain topics. However, I'm also a sentimental person who likes to record memorable happenings in my life.

Lately, I have been harbouring thoughts to use this as an avenue for updating my friends and have finally decided to do so. I’ve no longer the zest and time to write about my views and opinions of things.

Recently, I found a job which I really like. I work office hours during the day and give tuition almost every night after work. And I find that I no longer have the time and energy to keep up with friends anymore. I’m too busy to reply sms-es during the day, reading and deleting them and making a mental note to reply after work, but I would forget as I rush off to find dinner kakis before heading for tuition. By the time I get home, bathe and relax, it would be way past midnight. I sms people at unearthly hours as I couldn’t possibly call them. I also lost touch with friends with no free sms-es as they would seldom reply. I find this kinda communication quite one-way and almost non-existent, for the replies on both sides would come only after several hours have passed. Also, it is rather difficult to keep up with the many different groups of friends this way. Since it already feels so one sided and tedious to message and chat with all of you individually, I think blogging would be a better way to communicate.

Only a handful of you have my blog’s url. I thought I could control readership this way. I was wrong. (Read the entry before this)

So after typing this, I would be giving my url to more friends. Since it is meant to update, please at least give me some acknowledgement if you have been reading my blog by leaving comments (leave your names please.. too many anonymous-es around), mentioning in emails, sms-es… whatever. I’m getting really confused as to who’s reading what. And my tracker sometimes confuses me even more. Also, if you have a blog you don’t mind sharing, do let me know too. We’ll probably understand each other more this way.

I will be updating on my job real soon. It is so fun, so fulfilling that I suppose my next entry would be dreadfully long and I’ll have to leave it for tomorrow to write.

To my un-friends…

the random people who view my blog every now and then… the various anonymous-es, some who left comments… the poor Fiona Xie’s enthusiasts who are misled to my blog while searching for her pictures, boob size, hairstyle, fingernails, bikinis… (BTW, it started off from this entry. If you are a big fan of hers, you may click here too.)

I would like to extend a big hello to you people out there!

I only gave a handful of my buddies this url. Yes, I could count the number of friends with my fingers… literally a handful.. ok make that two. I thought this blog would be hidden in some obscure little corner of the vast Internet realm where only my good friends could view it.

I was so naïve and so so wrong. I’ve often tell people how we cannot control readership as long as the material is available online. And here I am trying in vain to control by not giving my url to too many people.

I am not some Xiaxue whose blog everyone is reading and viewership madly jumping. I am just plain Jolene. A simple girl (lady?) trying to come to terms with her readers. I did not expect so many strangers to view my blog. I did not check the settings and my blog was probably made available for the public. Since what’s done has been done, I’ll not bother to change it. So feel free to voyeur as it pleases you, while I slowly try to overcome my uneasiness.

I feel I must raise this concern as we live in a small country where many social contacts may intersect at various nodes. There will definitely be some implications when I talk about certain issues. You are free to leave any comments. However, I hope that when you leave a comment, you could let me know how you stumble upon my blog, whether you are a local and at the same time leave your name or initials or something I could identify you with as an online acquaintance. Oh yes, and do share your blog too if possible. Also, If you happen to know me or my friends mentioned in my entries so far, please let me know too. It is always good to know what kind of trouble I’ve gotten my friends into by mentioning them or posting their pictures… =)

In the meantime, enjoy perusing!

Little kids, little gestures…

A few weeks ago, I was getting really sick and tired of traveling and giving tuition. I’m just sick of teaching. It doesn’t help when you have a mother constantly buzzing at your ears to sign up to be a teacher since “[I] have been teaching kids for so many years and have the relevant experience”. Giving tuition to a kid and teaching a class of 30 or 40 brats are two different issues, something she can’t perceive no matter how I explain to her.

And back to the topic of being sick of tuition…

Sometimes I feel really unappreciated.

Sometimes when other than plain teaching, I try to impart moral values into them, I’m told to mind my own business because I’m in no position to lecture them.

Sometimes when I try to be a role model and talk about my past experiences and achievements (Hey don’t snort, I was really a great achiever in primary school) to try to motivate them, I’m asked not to be too good because only God and angels can be good.

Sometimes when I try to explain right from wrong, I’m told to shut up.

Sometimes I’m treated very nastily and lashed with a lot of unkind words.

Sometimes I get accused for things I did not do.

Sometimes I teach them over time for far too many times that when I calculate the minutes every month, they would add up to two or more sessions. And you will feel the pinch especially if you are as poor as I am.

Actually, majority of the above feelings emanated from only one student, but it is enough to make me feel dejected at times. However, when this boy is in his well-behaved mode, he is really an angel.

Other than these, all the traveling and my state of joblessness amidst the tuition were really draining me. I have no time for my friends who are available only after office hours-- the time when I would be teaching. I’ve not kept in contact with so many friends and I even developed the penchant for going solo in public: window shopping alone, buying things alone, running errands alone and even eating alone… something which I can never come to terms with until I realized how peaceful it is to eat alone with a good book in your hands. I even contemplated watching a show alone. I know some people can easily do all the above things alone, but I’m not a solitary kind of person.

And so again I got tired of teaching.

That weariness soon died off and I became unprejudiced against it. I began to enjoy my carefree life, earning enough for my own use as well as to give my parents. At the same time, on those days without daytime tuition, I have my own free time to do those unethical assignments which pay handsomely. All these made me busy. But I love to be busier than that and even thought of signing up with MOE by the end of this year.

And yesterday being Teachers’ Day, I got pleasant little surprises.

Two days ago, I stepped into cute little C’s house with all his family members staring at me, hiding their smiles and stifling their laughter. I did not suspect a thing, as I lost all conceptions of dates and had no knowledge that Teachers’ Day was the next day. C ran around the house as if in search for something and upon entering the room, requested for me to close my eyes.

When I opened them a few seconds later, I saw a pack of Ferrero Rocher in front of me.

“Happy Teachers’ Day! Teacher, this is for you. Thank you for teaching me.”

I wondered if he bought it on his own and enquired.

“My mother asked me to empty all the money in my wallet and she will help me buy something for teacher.”

Cute cute little C. And for those of you who saw his photo in my handphone, you have to agree that he is really cute. My whole family has grown quite affectionate towards him just from my description of him and all his little “adventures”, which I would never fail to update them each time I return from his place.

Yesterday, A presented me with a purple package, wrapped simply. She was too shy to give me in the face so she left it on my side of the table so I could see it. Unfortunately I did not notice it till half the lesson was gone.

I unwrapped it when I got home. It was a bookmark in the shape of a golden paperclip with a dove at the top. Looks like those you get from Christian bookshops. She, knowing that I love to read, has chosen to give me a bookmark. I thought that was quite sweet too.

At night, I went to teach J. He asked his mum to give it to me, as he was too shy to do so. He claimed it is disgusting and only boyfriend would give his girlfriend such stuff. But at last he gave it to me with his own hands, concealing the pink rose behind his back till the very last moment. And his behaviour was excellent, almost like an angel. He completed so much work, more than what he could complete in 3 sessions combined.

Little kids, little gestures… but they mean so much to me.

I remembered all those little gifts and notes I received from some of my “tuitees” back then. Envelopes in the form of stapled foolscap paper addressing to “Tuition Teacher” (after the umpteenth time I reminded them that a tuition teacher is a tutor!!), filled with drawings, stickers, pencils, photographs of them without their parents’ knowledge, little notes with juvenile language and innocence.

This morning, I went to that little drawer to fish out those notes. It was really heart-warming to read them that I am feeling all so sentimental now.

The Evolution and De-evolution of Human Beings: An excerpt from The Water Babies

This entry looks really long but it would not take 3 minutes of your time.

Taken from chapter 6 of The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley, this excerpt tells of the evolution/ de-evolution of the species of Doasyoulikes (human beings of course) into ape-like creatures. A novel theory of evolution…


And on the title-page was written, "The History of the great and famous nation of the Doasyoulikes, who came away from the country of Hardwork, because they wanted to play on the Jews' harp all day long."

In the first picture they saw these Doasyoulikes living in the land of Readymade, at the foot of the Happy-go-lucky Mountains, where flapdoodle grows wild; and if you want to know what that is, you must read Peter Simple.

They lived very much such a life as those jolly old Greeks in Sicily, whom you may see painted on the ancient vases, and really there seemed to be great excuses for them, for they had no need to work.

Instead of houses they lived in the beautiful caves of tufa, and bathed in the warm springs three times a day; and, as for clothes, it was so warm there that the gentlemen walked about in little beside a cocked hat and a pair of straps, or some light summer tackle of that kind; and the ladies all gathered gossamer in autumn (when they were not too lazy) to make their winter dresses.

They were very fond of music, but it was too much trouble to learn the piano or the violin; and as for dancing, that would have been too great an exertion. So they sat on ant-hills all day long, and played on the Jews' harp; and, if the ants bit them, why they just got up and went to the next ant-hill, till they were bitten there likewise.

And they sat under the flapdoodle-trees, and let the flapdoodle drop into their mouths; and under the vines, and squeezed the grape-juice down their throats; and, if any little pigs ran about ready roasted, crying, "Come and eat me," as was their fashion in that country, they waited till the pigs ran against their mouths, and then took a bite, and were content, just as so many oysters would have been.

They needed no weapons, for no enemies ever came near their land; and no tools, for everything was readymade to their hand; and the stern old fairy Necessity never came near them to hunt them up, and make them use their wits, or die.

And so on, and so on, and so on, till there were never such comfortable, easy-going, happy-go-lucky people in the world.

"Well, that is a jolly life," said Tom.

"You think so?" said the fairy. "Do you see that great peaked mountain there behind," said the fairy, "with smoke coming out of its top?"

"Yes."

"And do you see all those ashes, and slag, and cinders lying about?"

"Yes."

"Then turn over the next five hundred years, and you will see what happens next."

And behold the mountain had blown up like a barrel of gunpowder, and then boiled over like a kettle; whereby one-third of the Doasyoulikes were blown into the air, and another third were smothered in ashes; so that there was only one-third left.

"You see," said the fairy, "what comes of living on a burning mountain."

"Oh, why did you not warn them?" said little Ellie.

"I did warn them all that I could. I let the smoke come out of the mountain; and wherever there is smoke there is fire. And I laid the ashes and cinders all about; and wherever there are cinders, cinders may be again. But they did not like to face facts, my dears, as very few people do; and so they invented a cock-and-bull story, which, I am sure, I never told them, that the smoke was the breath of a giant, whom some gods or other had buried under the mountain; and that the cinders were what the dwarfs roasted the little pigs whole with; and other nonsense of that kind. And, when folks are in that humour, I cannot teach them, save by the good old birch-rod."

And then she turned over the next five hundred years: and there were the remnant of the Doasyoulikes, doing as they liked, as before. They were too lazy to move away from the mountain; so they said, If it has blown up once, that is all the more reason that it should not blow up again. And they were few in number: but they only said, The more the merrier, but the fewer the better fare. However, that was not quite true; for all the flapdoodle-trees were killed by the volcano, and they had eaten all the roast pigs, who, of course, could not be expected to have little ones. So they had to live very hard, on nuts and roots which they scratched out of the ground with sticks. Some of them talked of sowing corn, as their ancestors used to do, before they came into the land of Readymade; but they had forgotten how to make ploughs (they had forgotten even how to make Jews' harps by this time), and had eaten all the seed-corn which they brought out of the land of Hardwork years since; and of course it was too much trouble to go away and find more. So they lived miserably on roots and nuts, and all the weakly little children had great stomachs, and then died.

"Why," said Tom, "they are growing no better than savages."

"And look how ugly they are all getting," said Ellie.

"Yes; when people live on poor vegetables instead of roast beef and plum-pudding, their jaws grow large, and their lips grow coarse, like the poor Paddies who eat potatoes."

And she turned over the next five hundred years. And there they were all living up in trees, and making nests to keep off the rain. And underneath the trees lions were prowling about.

"Why," said Ellie, "the lions seem to have eaten a good many of them, for there are very few left now."

"Yes," said the fairy; "you see it was only the strongest and most active ones who could climb the trees, and so escape."

"But what great, hulking, broad-shouldered chaps they are," said Tom; "they are a rough lot as ever I saw."

"Yes, they are getting very strong now; for the ladies will not marry any but the very strongest and fiercest gentlemen, who can help them up the trees out of the lions' way."
And she turned over the next five hundred years. And in that they were fewer still, and stronger, and fiercer; but their feet had changed shape very oddly, for they laid hold of the branches with their great toes, as if they had been thumbs, just as a Hindoo tailor uses his toes to thread his needle.

The children were very much surprised, and asked the fairy whether that was her doing.

"Yes, and no," she said, smiling. "It was only those who could use their feet as well as their hands who could get a good living: or, indeed, get married; so that they got the best of everything, and starved out all the rest; and those who are left keep up a regular breed of toe-thumb-men, as a breed of short-horns, or are skye-terriers, or fancy pigeons is kept up."

"But there is a hairy one among them," said Ellie.

"Ah!" said the fairy, "that will be a great man in his time, and chief of all the tribe."

And, when she turned over the next five hundred years, it was true.

For this hairy chief had had hairy children, and they hairier children still; and every one wished to marry hairy husbands, and have hairy children too; for the climate was growing so damp that none but the hairy ones could live: all the rest coughed and sneezed, and had sore throats, and went into consumptions, before they could grow up to be men and women.
Then the fairy turned over the next five hundred years. And they were fewer still.

"Why, there is one on the ground picking up roots," said Ellie, "and he cannot walk upright."
No more he could; for in the same way that the shape of their feet had altered, the shape of their backs had altered also.

"Why," cried Tom, "I declare they are all apes."

"Something fearfully like it, poor foolish creatures," said the fairy. "They are grown so stupid now, that they can hardly think: for none of them have used their wits for many hundred years. They have almost forgotten, too, how to talk. For each stupid child forgot some of the words it heard from its stupid parents, and had not wits enough to make fresh words for itself. Beside, they are grown so fierce and suspicious and brutal that they keep out of each other's way, and mope and sulk in the dark forests, never hearing each other's voice, till they have forgotten almost what speech is like. I am afraid they will all be apes very soon, and all by doing only what they liked."

And in the next five hundred years they were all dead and gone, by bad food and wild beasts and hunters; all except one tremendous old fellow with jaws like a jack, who stood full seven feet high; and M. Du Chaillu came up to him, and shot him, as he stood roaring and thumping his breast. And he remembered that his ancestors had once been men, and tried to say, "Am I not a man and a brother?" but had forgotten how to use his tongue; and then he had tried to call for a doctor, but he had forgotten the word for one. So all he said was "Ubboboo!" and died.

And that was the end of the great and jolly nation of the Doasyoulikes. And, when Tom and Ellie came to the end of the book, they looked very sad and solemn; and they had good reason so to do, for they really fancied that the men were apes, and never thought, in their simplicity, of asking whether the creatures had hippopotamus majors in their brains or not; in which case, as you have been told already, they could not possibly have been apes, though they were more apish than the apes of all aperies.

"But could you not have saved them from becoming apes?" said little Ellie, at last.

"At first, my dear; if only they would have behaved like men, and set to work to do what they did not like. But the longer they waited, and behaved like the dumb beasts, who only do what they like, the stupider and clumsier they grew; till at last they were past all cure, for they had thrown their own wits away. It is such things as this that help to make me so ugly, that I know not when I shall grow fair."

"And where are they all now?" asked Ellie.

"Exactly where they ought to be, my dear."

"Yes!" said the fairy, solemnly, half to herself, as she closed the wonderful book. "Folks say now that I can make beasts into men, by circumstance, and selection, and competition, and so forth. Well, perhaps they are right; and perhaps, again, they are wrong. That is one of the seven things which I am forbidden to tell, till the coming of the Cocqcigrues; and, at all events, it is no concern of theirs. Whatever their ancestors were, men they are; and I advise them to behave as such, and act accordingly. But let them recollect this, that there are two sides to every question, and a downhill as well as an uphill road; and, if I can turn beasts into men, I can, by the same laws of circumstance, and selection, and competition, turn men into beasts… …


How many of you have actually read till this line? This is the book I’m currently reading now. For a summary of this novel, please click here.

Written in the 19th century and intended as a fairy tale for children, I personally feel that a child reading The Water Babies is akin to a child reading the original version of Alice in Wonderland (another book which I have planned to read when I have the time.)

A pleasant and stimulating read for all adults, do let me know if any of you wants to borrow the book from me. Alternatively, there are hypertext versions available online.

Disclaimer: This entry is an excuse for not writing a review on Fahrenheit 911 which I caught on Wednesday. There are already tons of reviews available online and I really could not do a good one as I was half suffocating from the stench of athletes’ foot, shit, fish and other disgusting odour in the cinema; and half enduring my knee-ache and backache caused by Lido’s sucky seats. All I could say about the movie is that Moore made a complete asshole outta Bush.