What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. ~Karl Menninger
I'll be leaving for Melbourne, Australia in the middle of December this year...and I have already made a list of the things I needed to do before I leave...among them are...
Not only is she my sixth form teacher, she is unfortunately my chemistry teacher as well...as for me, while Additional Maths and Biology makes perfect sense to me, Chemistry does not...well, actually it does...its just that, I am so used to photographic memory (thank God for them)...it makes Biology and History a complete breeze for me...and well...its just difficult/almost impossible, to picture different kinds of molecules bonding together...double bond/triple bond...well, you get my drift...
Credit given to her, she does know her stuff well...she can drone on and on about concepts of quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics and kinetics without breaking a sweat, like the Energizer Bunny we all loved......(wow, amazing that I still do remember a couple of chemistry terms till now)...boring us till our ears bleed...
What is wrong with this whole thing, was how obsessive she was about this subject!!!...I still remember, how she would go about lamenting (she complains more then she teaches) about the lack of seriousness in us students, in taking this subject...I mean...how serious would you want us to be, man!!...we are already up to our necks, preparing for our major STPM exams...it doesn't hurt to have a chuckle once in a while, would it??...she really did sound as if she wanted us kill our sense of humour...the saviour of our insanity....
I also recall...how in her venting her frustrations, she would be slamming her hand, on the whiteboard...the door...her table...the wall...whatever she can find...shouting ever so dramatically...she would have made a good pastor, I assure you...then she would go back to her own past, telling us...how perfect her imperfect life has been...the kind of commando discipline she has instilled for herself...how she wakes up at 4am in the morning to jog for an hour and the half....and goes straight to school right after...(that, I am inclined to believe...as I always find her car parked on the same spot, at the same time...on the dot...and not a second earlier not later)...and how, by someone NOT owning a pencil box, builds character....
There was even an episode when she caught us laughing, after having pulled a prank at one of our class-mates...she bellowed her contra-alto voice across the room...and ranted like a beast, foaming in her mouth...then she threw herself into such a prima donna state...slamming on doors with much frequencies...then said...that we needed a good shake up...and asked us...
"WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING, IF YOU KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO DIE THE NEXT DAY??!!"
...I've got to admit, that was one of the few times, I actually paid attention to her...for she finally said something, that I felt was worth reflecting upon...then I was awoken when I heard her continue...
"If I knew I were to die the next day, I would spend the night before, writing all the chemical equations, comb-bined it into a book, so that I can bring it into the coffin with me!!"....
*???????????????*
I was so stunned, that for a moment there, I wasn't even sure if I heard her right...it was only when my friends started snorting, struggling to supress their laughter...then I confirmed that I did get her right after all...
I mean, what the h*ll???....
If someone told me that I would only have 24 hours to live, I would be drowning myself in boozes, walking down beaches...soaking in every beautiful scenery I can take...spending time with my loved ones...
But WRITING CHEMICAL EQUATIONS on my death bed????!!!!.....
Who in their right mind would have thought of that??...ah, well...obviously my sixth form teacher isn't...in my opinion, anyway...I mean...is WRITING chemical equations going to buy her more time underground?...my brain is just unable to logic-fy (I am aware there is no such word) that act...and refuse to waste any more time doing so...
But that is just to share the extend of her enthusiasm she has, of the subject that she is so proud to teach...
Well, anyway...
Since I was generally weaker in Chemistry, compared to the rest of my subjects...we are understandably not the best of friends...and since I hate pretence, I didn't even attempt to suck up to her, for extra classes...My first mid-term results for Chemistry was a plain C...and while she would have jumped off London bridge, if she ever were to have a result like mine...I was genuinely quite ecstatic...
Plus the fact that I was quite busy, with other presidential responsibilities as well, competitions and theater rehearsals...she actually thought that I was just an empty shell taking up space and wasting oxygen...and she made a point of reminding me so each and every time she sees me...which is quite a lot, considering that she was my form teacher after all...
So, after all her taunts about me failing in life...just because I have decided that I would not be want to be found muttering H20 = H + 02, with my dying breath...I have emerged to become a musician...and am loving every inch of my life right now...
Sure, my life isn't a bed of roses...but I choose to believe that Experience is the my best teacher...though it ain't the most pleasant...
And even though I barely passed my Chemistry exam in my STPM (A Levels equivalent)...I am still standing tall...and not thinking of bending anytime soon...
Actually, I just want to visit her....just to show her that I've proved her wrong...that there is more to life than just basic Chemistry...at that she really has got to let herself go a bit...
And no, I have not a wee bit intention to keep in touch...as ungrateful as I may sound...in fact, with complete honesty, she is one of the teachers would contributed nothing into my life...except for psychological damages...and detrimental demoralization...
But I guess...it was thanks to all these mental anguish...that I have been forced to whip myself into shape...or I would have already fallen apart...
- catching up with my old mates for the last time
- settle my visa and passport
- get rid of my wardrobe, or at least...update them
- MEET UP WITH MY SIXTH FORM TEACHER!!!....
Not only is she my sixth form teacher, she is unfortunately my chemistry teacher as well...as for me, while Additional Maths and Biology makes perfect sense to me, Chemistry does not...well, actually it does...its just that, I am so used to photographic memory (thank God for them)...it makes Biology and History a complete breeze for me...and well...its just difficult/almost impossible, to picture different kinds of molecules bonding together...double bond/triple bond...well, you get my drift...
Credit given to her, she does know her stuff well...she can drone on and on about concepts of quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics and kinetics without breaking a sweat, like the Energizer Bunny we all loved......(wow, amazing that I still do remember a couple of chemistry terms till now)...boring us till our ears bleed...
What is wrong with this whole thing, was how obsessive she was about this subject!!!...I still remember, how she would go about lamenting (she complains more then she teaches) about the lack of seriousness in us students, in taking this subject...I mean...how serious would you want us to be, man!!...we are already up to our necks, preparing for our major STPM exams...it doesn't hurt to have a chuckle once in a while, would it??...she really did sound as if she wanted us kill our sense of humour...the saviour of our insanity....
I also recall...how in her venting her frustrations, she would be slamming her hand, on the whiteboard...the door...her table...the wall...whatever she can find...shouting ever so dramatically...she would have made a good pastor, I assure you...then she would go back to her own past, telling us...how perfect her imperfect life has been...the kind of commando discipline she has instilled for herself...how she wakes up at 4am in the morning to jog for an hour and the half....and goes straight to school right after...(that, I am inclined to believe...as I always find her car parked on the same spot, at the same time...on the dot...and not a second earlier not later)...and how, by someone NOT owning a pencil box, builds character....
There was even an episode when she caught us laughing, after having pulled a prank at one of our class-mates...she bellowed her contra-alto voice across the room...and ranted like a beast, foaming in her mouth...then she threw herself into such a prima donna state...slamming on doors with much frequencies...then said...that we needed a good shake up...and asked us...
"WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING, IF YOU KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO DIE THE NEXT DAY??!!"
...I've got to admit, that was one of the few times, I actually paid attention to her...for she finally said something, that I felt was worth reflecting upon...then I was awoken when I heard her continue...
"If I knew I were to die the next day, I would spend the night before, writing all the chemical equations, comb-bined it into a book, so that I can bring it into the coffin with me!!"....
*???????????????*
I was so stunned, that for a moment there, I wasn't even sure if I heard her right...it was only when my friends started snorting, struggling to supress their laughter...then I confirmed that I did get her right after all...
I mean, what the h*ll???....
If someone told me that I would only have 24 hours to live, I would be drowning myself in boozes, walking down beaches...soaking in every beautiful scenery I can take...spending time with my loved ones...
But WRITING CHEMICAL EQUATIONS on my death bed????!!!!.....
Who in their right mind would have thought of that??...ah, well...obviously my sixth form teacher isn't...in my opinion, anyway...I mean...is WRITING chemical equations going to buy her more time underground?...my brain is just unable to logic-fy (I am aware there is no such word) that act...and refuse to waste any more time doing so...
But that is just to share the extend of her enthusiasm she has, of the subject that she is so proud to teach...
Well, anyway...
Since I was generally weaker in Chemistry, compared to the rest of my subjects...we are understandably not the best of friends...and since I hate pretence, I didn't even attempt to suck up to her, for extra classes...My first mid-term results for Chemistry was a plain C...and while she would have jumped off London bridge, if she ever were to have a result like mine...I was genuinely quite ecstatic...
Plus the fact that I was quite busy, with other presidential responsibilities as well, competitions and theater rehearsals...she actually thought that I was just an empty shell taking up space and wasting oxygen...and she made a point of reminding me so each and every time she sees me...which is quite a lot, considering that she was my form teacher after all...
So, after all her taunts about me failing in life...just because I have decided that I would not be want to be found muttering H20 = H + 02, with my dying breath...I have emerged to become a musician...and am loving every inch of my life right now...
Sure, my life isn't a bed of roses...but I choose to believe that Experience is the my best teacher...though it ain't the most pleasant...
And even though I barely passed my Chemistry exam in my STPM (A Levels equivalent)...I am still standing tall...and not thinking of bending anytime soon...
Actually, I just want to visit her....just to show her that I've proved her wrong...that there is more to life than just basic Chemistry...at that she really has got to let herself go a bit...
And no, I have not a wee bit intention to keep in touch...as ungrateful as I may sound...in fact, with complete honesty, she is one of the teachers would contributed nothing into my life...except for psychological damages...and detrimental demoralization...
But I guess...it was thanks to all these mental anguish...that I have been forced to whip myself into shape...or I would have already fallen apart...
1 comment:
Wow, Emily...going to Melbourne? For further studies? Best of luck, and keep up the blogging!
P/S Missed seeing you in Piano World.
Philip
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