satirical elitism

(taken from talkingcock. com, columns: a gifted student, june 2001)

woke up this morning at 6.00 am, and as usual, was filled with the urge to study.

so like i do every day, I propped my science textbook up against the bathroom cabinet as i brushed my teeth. occurred to me that because of this, i haven't seen my face in the past two years. intend to write a letter to the ministry of education urging them to print pictures of students in the margins of all textbooks so that this doesn't happen to future generations.

it's great to be a gifted kid, because you think of innovative solutions like this.

ahmad drove me to school again today. reflected on the multi-racial society in which we live, and the progress of malays in our society. isn't our country wonderful, that ahmad gets to drive a luxury car everyday? clearly, we are a prosperous nation.

school was typical: got top marks in maths again. most gep kids are great in maths. it's because we're intellectually gifted, you see. the maths problems are just so easy to us. i wonder why other kids find it tough? well, they have only themselves to blame!

it's all so easy to become intellectually gifted at maths! just hire tuition teachers. they must be cheap, because daddy got me one for every subject. sometimes i think we're gifted because we have tuition teachers. after all, despite what the school teaches us or says they want to teach us, we're ultimately graded on the basis of standardised tests, and it's the tuition teachers who drill us for that. i think we should replace all the regular teachers with tuition teachers. i mean, why waste time? let's just focus on what counts!

they say the gep was set up so we faster kids don't get held back. but i must admit, i feel held back even with the gep. i guess i'm really light years ahead. maybe to slow things down, i'll ask my tuition teachers not to teach me so far ahead of my school, and also to ease up on the drilling a bit. as it is, i can pass the 'o' levels, but dad said i should do it next year instead. he said, "what's the rush? enjoy your childhood. anyway, you're already taking your SATs."

when ahmad drove me back from school, i saw some kids running around in a field, kicking a spherical object. it saddened me to think that even though they appeared to be my age, they were indulging in such primitive hobbies. i mean, why aren't they splitting atoms like we gep kids? Surely their parents can afford particle accelerators too! but I guess this is why we're gifted and they're not.

sad, but true.


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the satire above is very potent but i cant help feeling that beyond the stereotypical jibes and the slapstick, there exists very valid points.

says alot about us singaporeans dont you think?

and here is an example of creative backlash. it's amazing what people can make from a whole load of trouble.

sturm und drang

carolling has been extremely fun, but definitely not without its tumultuous moments and lethargy. practice frequency went up a notch as the dates got closer and it just became more and more taxing though strangely enjoyable and invigorating.

we sang at tampines safra last saturday and even though i would like to say that we did well and were in tune and in perfect harmony and synchrony with one another, i have to admit that the performance was bodering on terrible. we were totally off in so many songs that it was amazing that people were still there.

thankfully though, life usually compensates.

on the following monday, we were to perform for a poolside christmas function catered for a large amount of guests at the swissotel. thankfully/unfortunately (i couldnt decide), only 20-30 people were present and it was raining. but we sang much much much better than we did at safra. we actually sounded kinda nice and the audience was throughly appreciative. plus, due to the measly turn out for the christmas reception, there was food left over which was promptly siphoned over to us.

work also has been picking up in pace though ironically, i'm getting used to the lifestyle. time seems to go by really quickly when i'm at work and classes seem to end almost as soon as i begin. i'm also starting to get the hang of teaching english, though i'd be more than happy to take on a few science classes.

i cant wait for christmas. it's gonna be so much fun. i never realised how much i missed all this. all the stess and turmoil of life and deadlines, all the drama at work and everywhere else. i think i'm one of those people that probably thrive when pushed. i cant wait for the semester to begin.

free hugs

watch this. it put a smile on my face. singaporean arent that bad. i hope this happens again. i would love to be a part of this.

cher

that's what i go by now. i've been christened a lot of things in my life, some of them downright rude and totally senseless, but for now i can add 'cher' to this queer list.

and just to clear the possible mix up: it's pronounced cher as in tea-cher, not cher as in the amazingly youthful-looking 60 year old diva whom is believed to be able to survive a nuclear holocaust with her not so youthful-looking counterparts, the cockroaches. i mean that woman has been around since 1946 and she looks like britney spears.

since i started my new job as a teaching assistant at a tuition centre, life has been pretty busy. from 2 in the afternoon to half past 9 in the evening on weekdays and 9:30 till 4 in the afternoon on sundays, i'm at the centre, either hammering away on the keyboard preparing notes, sorting out worksheets and files, preparing for a class or, of course, teaching.

this teaching gig is really tiring. and i mean exhausting. it's not one of those things that you feel bit by bit, gradually reaching its climax after some time; it hits you right at the end, when you're signing out for the day and making your way to the lift. kinda feels like a sandbag just landed on your shoulders and you want to drop with its weight.

plus i'm teaching subjects that i'm not totally comfortable with: english to primary and secondary school kids. when i was first given this god awful news i was totally disheartened. i was all geared up to spew knowledge on algebra, differentiation, radian measure, the alimentary canal, homeostasis, ions, chemical balancing, alkanes, alkenes, forces, radiation, electricity onto those kids so fast and quick, that they wouldnt know what hit them. instead, i had to fish out an english book and hurriedly had to research the use of past participles in sentences. it was a drag at first.

my first english class was a bunch of primary 6 kids and i have to say that i really enjoyed myself. it was really fun teaching those kids new words and skills and all that jazz. i also have a secondary writing class, a secondary two english comprehension class and a secondary one english comprehension class which, in fact, i just had earlier this evening. teaching these kids and these subjects are actually not so bad and pretty fun. i can actually have a decent discussion with them about the day's topic. and to be re-introduced to their level of thinking, from my perspective, is really eye-opening. i really look forward to these classes.

of course, life is not all primrose paint and daisy fields. i do have two primary three english classes (i know... primary three...) that are extremely draining. the kids are like energiser bunnies; they start but it's anybody's guess when they'll stop. you really have to keep up with them and yet, still ensure that you dont fall behind the schedule.

in class there is no time to feel tired. it's always go go go, and that's probably why the fatigue comes in one blow at the end of the day, after all the adrenaline that keeps you going breaks down. but i have to say, that teaching is really entertaining (i wanted to say satisfying, but then i realised that i have nothing to be satisfied about... yet), and this is only english. can you imagine if i start teaching biology or science in a school? it's gonna be so (tiring) much fun.