Long Time No See....

Goodness me. It has been ages since I peeked into my own blog. Some of you might have thought that I died or something.... It's ok, it's my own fault neglecting my online friends.
So life goes on for this averagely-paid civil servant... Only three interesting things happened since my last post;

1.  My Kia was sent to the workshop thrice. Three different cooling tubes leaked and sprayed for three consecutive weeks. I did some minor repairs of my own but they weren't good enough and I was afraid that my car would explode if I didn't send it to the workshop. Strangely, I was not really worried for these series of unfortunate events, and I cannot even explain why I felt so.

2.  After posting my email address at one obscure site, I began to receive a tremendous amount of junk mails and fake proposals from around the planet. I got VERY FEW emails which arrived from people who genuinely seeking friendship. I say, the age of internet KILLED a lot of innocence and well intentions.

3.  I traded two of my handphones (an Acer beTouch and a Nokia C3) for a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro. A cute smartphone, but it can drain a lot of battery before midday! I still have my LG Cookie and it is now used to replace my now not-reliable alarm clock.

And now.... the political fires in school were burning high again and this time I didn't start them. This happened when many teachers realized that they didn't get enough appreciation from the administrators as they thought they should (low marks in performance score). Many teachers were angered and started to question the powers-above and as I expected it to happen, they were not satisfied by the answer.

Dirty politics. When the undeserving got a lot more advantages than honest working dudes....

I Made Her Cry and Am Proud About It.

Once upon a time there was an elder lady in my school who taught Arts and language. She had a very high opinion of herself and was very insensitive to the feelings of other teachers around her.

She refused to see her faults, and thought that everyone else adored her and her antics. Her colleagues, most of them younger, had to endure her - meaning trying not to create friction by ignoring and never talked back in front of her face. She was the Head of the Language Department after all, and the lack of retaliation made her believe that she was invincible.

Last month, she made a huge mistake. She woke up some of the worst traits in me - psywar artist and ruthless avenger. It all started when she hit a fellow teacher, in my name.

It happened like this; She was angry at me and a few teachers for not completing the attendance list for our extra classes. A few teachers were there, in the staffroom, carefully ignoring her rants, and continued their various work at the common table. 

Maybe she got angry being ignored, or maybe she had a momentary lapse of judgment... she picked up a rolled up newspaper and hit a teacher next to her in the face, hard! The teacher was surprised, more than hurt and she cried there and then. As for the vicious offender, she just stood looking and didn't say sorry at all. Yes, that kind of b****.

I was duly noted of the incidence later by a few friends. It angered me so much; partly because she hit a friend while being angry at me but mostly, I hate her inconsiderate gut. I was miserable for 2 months for a couple of years ago because of her and it is high time to pay her back.

So I turned to Facebook for war - the Truth will hurt. I wrote two very scathing status updates for the entire world to see, aiming at her behavior and criticizing her power hungry and in arrogant disposition. I even used some bad language to point the matter, but that's more of a personal view. (the FB status updates were in Malay, and I wouldn't want to ruin your day by translating them). 

As I expected, she saw the Facebook updates (a few remaining minions alerted her) and was raving like crazy because of it. She accused EVERYBODY who commented on my updates as traitors and backstabbers. She cried in her office, cried on many not-really-sympathetic shoulders (who had to endure her) and cried everywhere. She was miserable... and we don't even care. She even met me at last, telling me that she will never forget this as long as she lives. Good, I want it that way.

And last Tuesday, we had a farewell ceremony at school, for this very woman was promoted and will transfer to a new school. During her farewell speech, she RANTED and ACCUSED many people again, for all to hear - teachers and students (who knows nothing of this). The ceremony, her ceremony was greatly marred by her own hands. The star of the show, me, was noticeably absent at the assembly, because I do not wish to see her face and prefer to lounge in the Physics lab instead. While listening, I was laughing hysterically and I guessed correctly that the rest of the teachers had no sympathy at all for her for this extraordinary feat of hers. She did mention my name personally in her speech, for being someone she will never forget  :P

She is no longer in school now. And the school was much quieter, oh and yes, happier! Some students did ask the teachers about what happened during the ceremony, but most teachers preferred not to talk about it. But not me, I tell my students what really happen because they should learn that one day they might meet people like that.

Yes, Facebook can be a weapon too  :)

I've Gone Beyond Anger With You

What would you do if some students decided it is very OK to disobey the school rules? What would you say to a couple of students who always arrived late to school without any plausible reason? What action can you take if a boy refused to tuck-in his school uniform in class?


The challenges of modern teachers today.... it's not about teaching young minds to their best limit. It is to discipline these rowdy buggers and not having them broken (well mostly) at the end of the day.


As volatile and draconian I can be, I DO love my students - but not all. I love those who obeys, who finishes his / her homework on time, who keeps silence on cue (e.g. Mount Teacher about to go boom), who always greet their elderly well, who dresses well to school, who has their workplace tidy etc.


I hope I wasn't asking for too much.


Children will behave as children... but those kids who can think beyond their age will go far.


Yesterday, as I was teaching a class of 16 year olds about the principle of thermodynamics, I've noticed three boys who sat by the window had their faces down on the desk, sleeping or pretending to be.


I had enough. And usually I would lash out some rather degrading remarks on such ignorant youngsters.... Then I remembered that I had dished TOO many advice, TOO many scoldings, TOO much love on these particular boys. So I told the rest of the attentive students;


"Now, I've gone beyond anger with you. I just cannot be mad with you anymore."
"But why sir? What do you mean?"
"I realized that while most of you do care for your future, it is not so for a few friends of yours. I've spent too much energy scolding people, and as I do not wish to have high blood pressure at my age, I think I'll just let you be, and do as you please."
"But they are only a few...." (the boys were still immobile)
"That is why, my fondest regards and wishes go to those who LISTENS to me. As you are not my children and you know my stand against disobedient students; it is imperative for you to be on my good side for your own good. For example, as I have no interest to scream at you now, that does not mean I will not slash a huge chunk off your marks from this coming test. An eye for an eye. Keep on sleeping."


And they woke up....


Tell me if I do wrong. Or do you prefer physical punishment? Oh, and the school counselor is a friend of mine and I do sent a lot of problematic kids her way. 


I've gone beyond anger...... to the calm seas of I-Don't-Care....

I Used To Look Up To Matured People...

Earlier this morning, as I drove along a rather narrow stretch of road, in a part of rural area, Mr Accident suddenly decided to come knocking again. He came in the form of a senior citizen behind the wheel of an old red salon.


I moved my car to the left, with a few inches of my tires from the storm drain, waiting for the red car to pass. But it didn't.... Oh ok, this might be a lady, who is not sure about her driving skills... I thought.
So graciously, I reversed my Kia back, some 30 metres away to the front gate of a house. The road was wider and I hoped the red car's driver will have more confidence to manoeuvre there.


There was smoke raising from the engine of the red car. I heard gears clashing and the car moved forward and backward in front of me. Not wanting to be late to school, I raised my right hand out of the driver's window, beckoning the opposite driver to drive past - because the road was SIGNIFICANTLY wider and safer now. But what happened  next etched this day into my 'Special Day To Remember 2011' memory.


The red car lurched to the front and hit my right front bumper!!!!!!!


Did I scream? Cussed the dark morning blue with my colourful words? Went out of the car with a meat cleaver?

No, I didn't. Actually I am a veteran of many car accidents.... People hit ME on the road, not the OTHER way around. Seriously, my Kia was quite an accident magnet, and she still rolls on. FYI (1 van, 2 motorcycles, and now 2 cars). Before you people pointed out that I might be a dangerous driver.... happily you are wrong. I drive VERY defensively, even some people who knew me was surprised at this!

So (back to the story), I closed my eyes and sighed. The red car reversed and at last it managed to move next to me. But another surprise. Yippy ka yay.


The driver rolled down the window (oh, he's an old man, with very white hair), and as I expected him to apologize.... the guy suddenly cussed and cursed me for being an arrogant ba*****. He said I should know to give him more way. He said he lived around there, and he has more right. He said I am an arrogant bas**** (again). He said I was a terrible person and so on.


I heard these all with utter disbelief. And he berated me for more than 2 minutes (I checked my watch) and now four cars were queuing behind his red car, waiting. 

You wanna know why I waited for more than 2 minutes listening to his tirade? I wanted to see how silly people can be, and my late father once told me; No matter how an older person is wrong, DO NOT retaliate back just yet, wait for your chance. If it was a younger guy, I'd stepped out of my car and punched him in the face.

And I had to yell to stop him cursing, telling him that people have to go to work and have a nice day. I drove past (remembering his license plate MAA 9402) and I had no problem with the cars behind him, where the road was narrower. This speaks VOLUMES!

Reached school 10 minutes later than usual, and checked my front bumper for damage. As I predicted, only scratches.... (you should see the damage done to the car which hit my Kia hard at the back last year, it was a total wreck, and my car had a dented back bumper only. Korean cars rock!)

I told a few colleagues about this incident, not for pity, but just releasing steam because I couldn't believe an older person was capable of doing such act. More mature, and you should be wiser. Oh, anyway, the guy who hit my car from the back WAS ALSO an older guy!

Now tell me what you think.

p.s.

- I returned very late from school this evening... as I drove VERY slowly along that narrow stretch, I looked up for the red car at the several homes along the way. What you expect me to do? Yes, Daddy told me to take my time, right?

But the car wasn't there. The senile guy might live deeper from the road... 

Nevermind, I have your plate number  :P 

Post Midnight Musings....

It's 12.26 am in a hot and balmy night.
A tea candle burning in an IKEA glass thingy next to me.... just because I enjoy the flame.
Why I was absent for 4 months?
Was it the infamous writer's block? Swallowed by the dastardly Void? Or just plain lazy?
I don't know, but I gave a reason like 'bad internet connection' to some friends / people.
Which is COMPLETELY true.

I did a lot of interesting things these past few months....
Might talk about it here, if people are still interested. If not? Ah, that's so metaphysical.

Am now watching several guppies swimming in a Japanese-made aquarium (small, yet very functional).
Love guppies, as they are so interesting to watch - colours and dynamics.
My love set this up for me this afternoon. :)

I am bored....
I'll wake my ferrets up to accompany me for a while.
By poking at their tummies, really.
They sleep like logs.
Oh, and I have another ferret, a female.
Will post their pic soon. :)

I might be back soon enough.

Wait for it.

My 'Cute' Bungalow (2 km away from Mom's bad ass abode)

My house from the front. I used a double dose of herbicide to kill the weed one month ago. Whosale slaughter of the grassy kind! My housemate piled the stones he collected around the house under the palm tree in front. Hey, doesn't my Kia looks like a Porsche from here?

The front sliding glass doors with grills. Look carefully (click the pic for the HUGE picture). Those are not curtains, but colourful wrappers taped to the glass. Too lazy to get curtain railings.... And this makes the house cooler with the shade.  

Home theater system, on top of a hardwood low cabinet. Look at the miniature ships! (from students for last year's Teacher's Day) I might wanna start a collection of them soon :)

Sofa set in front of the tv. I bought the coffee table recently, because it matches the black hardwood tv cabinet and dining table. You can see my collection of deadly weapons canes I used on students in the brown vase on the right. That vase was made out of rolled paper, and then painted with syellac. My housemate made it when he was in secondary school.

The dining table with the stolen table cloth. My cat, Kiki can be seen here, wasting the space :) The small palm plant on the table is real. We will move it outside when it gets too big.

A part of the kitchen. We like the kitchen to be spacious (both housemate and me love cooking) so every furniture was moved accordingly to the side. I stole the yellow egg boiler from my mom two days ago :P  And lookie! Another palm plant!

We have three rooms in the house. I put my ferrets inside the middle room, cages and all. I let them out to play once in a while. Disco and Kaos in the right big cage. Jewels, the new ferret on the left. Kiki is seen here visiting her cousins.

The front, again. You can see six patches of grass, planted experimentally by my housemate. He volunteered to do the landscaping around the house. Moral of the story; Find someone who you can use extensively as a housemate. [The lower outside wall was rain stained and a bit mossy - 3 years worth of neglect. I might paint it bright red soon] 

 p.s. - I cannot show my bedroom; it was messy and I was not in a mood to clean it up. I am sorry if I cannot update my blog as frequently as before, but I will try soon enough.

Mobile blogging... Still no broadband in sight... *sigh*

The Chinese New Year holiday just passed. What you all doing were doing?
New house is gorgeous. Had a road trip 600 km to get the spare refrigerator from my housemate's late mom's house. She passed away last Dec, of cancer.
The school office was burgled during the holiday. They emptied the safe and wrote stuff on the principal's room walls. The adminstrators have a huge headache. Am happy not being one.
Is wondering when he can afford to buy the huge black cabinet for his books and toys....
Is still missing you guys.... Ha!