this year we gave 356 scholarships, one for every day of the year...
this afternoon i attended the teaching scholarship presentation ceremony at suntec. it's your standard formal event where big-shot ministers come down, give a short speech at the beginning, shake hundreds of hands while they give out certs, get entertained by some performance ending most thankfully with a tea ceremony, which is probably the highlight of the whole event.
to be honest, i was just waiting for the whole thing to be over. i (regretfully) didnt even stay behind to join in the discussion with prominent members of the education ministry that attended the ceremony.
along the way home, my mother (my parent attended the ceremony) and i had this infuriating conversation. the reproduction below is not in verbatim:
mother: who were the people that went on stage after you all?
me: the overseas scholars.
mother: so they're going overseas?
me: yes, they are all studying overseas. going to places like usa and london.
mother: wah, they must be really clever ah?
me: hmmmm.... (annoyed because i have a feeling i know where this is going)
mother: so the gahmen pay everything for them is it?
me: yes. it's a scholarship.
mother: so good ah? yours is only the fees right? why you never apply for that one?
me: i didnt get it because you need two s papers. i only took one. i told you this before. (irritated)
mother: oh...they're very lucky ah. they must be very good.
me: (tries to walk ahead of her to avoid anymore of this)
mother: a lot of people taking maths in the uni ah.
me: ----
mother: why didnt you do math?
me: (because i want a future) are you crazy? i dont want to deal with math. maths is not like secondary or jc maths anymore. it's not something i want to handle.
mother: you must study very hard when you go into the university okay?
me: (oh thank you mum for telling me this. obviously my good results in both the o and a levels are not enough to show that i indeed know where my priorities lie and that i am in fact capable of not only studying, but achieving. oh and in case you didnt realise, i just received a scholarship) right.
by the end of this frustrating conversation i was fuming. not even a word of congratulation or anything positive to say. instead i get compared to people who are academically more adept than me and all my shortcomings are laid out on the table.
just what i need.
this afternoon i attended the teaching scholarship presentation ceremony at suntec. it's your standard formal event where big-shot ministers come down, give a short speech at the beginning, shake hundreds of hands while they give out certs, get entertained by some performance ending most thankfully with a tea ceremony, which is probably the highlight of the whole event.
to be honest, i was just waiting for the whole thing to be over. i (regretfully) didnt even stay behind to join in the discussion with prominent members of the education ministry that attended the ceremony.
along the way home, my mother (my parent attended the ceremony) and i had this infuriating conversation. the reproduction below is not in verbatim:
mother: who were the people that went on stage after you all?
me: the overseas scholars.
mother: so they're going overseas?
me: yes, they are all studying overseas. going to places like usa and london.
mother: wah, they must be really clever ah?
me: hmmmm.... (annoyed because i have a feeling i know where this is going)
mother: so the gahmen pay everything for them is it?
me: yes. it's a scholarship.
mother: so good ah? yours is only the fees right? why you never apply for that one?
me: i didnt get it because you need two s papers. i only took one. i told you this before. (irritated)
mother: oh...they're very lucky ah. they must be very good.
me: (tries to walk ahead of her to avoid anymore of this)
mother: a lot of people taking maths in the uni ah.
me: ----
mother: why didnt you do math?
me: (because i want a future) are you crazy? i dont want to deal with math. maths is not like secondary or jc maths anymore. it's not something i want to handle.
mother: you must study very hard when you go into the university okay?
me: (oh thank you mum for telling me this. obviously my good results in both the o and a levels are not enough to show that i indeed know where my priorities lie and that i am in fact capable of not only studying, but achieving. oh and in case you didnt realise, i just received a scholarship) right.
by the end of this frustrating conversation i was fuming. not even a word of congratulation or anything positive to say. instead i get compared to people who are academically more adept than me and all my shortcomings are laid out on the table.
just what i need.
