“What audacity! How insolent!”
That was my response to a little ignoramus who chirpily hopped into my Physics class one day descrying my rounded abdominal showing under my slim-fit shirt. I was thrown off guard by this totally unexpected exclamation to a class of 40 of how out of shape I was. My ego suffered an immediate dégringolade. Needless to say, the perpetrator of this crime, namely the public insult of a self-dignified government servant, was not aware of my sanguineous thirst for vengeance that ensued from this ignorant act. She went on with her life that day as if nothing was wrong. She was still as happy as before she brutally murdered my pride and self-image. That was four months ago.
Now, I have been a changed man. Thanks to that negative reinforcement from someone less than half my age, I have made alteration to my dietary habits, amount of food intake, and tweaked my weekly exercise regime to incorporate more reps that increased my metabolism. Now, I took the trouble to read the nutritional information on each packaging before dropping them into the shopping cart. Before, I simply stretched my hand into the shelves, and swept everything into the trolley as I walked down the aisle of the super-mart. In 12-16 weeks, I lost 4 kg! I was happy to be able to fit in comfortably into a size-32 pair of jeans two weeks ago without having to suck in my stomach too much. I was a happy man!
Four months later, I was wearing the same slim-fitting shirt and there hopped the same pony-tailed little criminal. She dumped herself onto a seat right where I was standing in front of the class. Surely, she must have noticed the flattened abs. She uttered nothing that day throughout the lesson that was remotely related to my improved image.
“What audacity! How insolent!”
All that for nothing! I could use some encouragement there, didn’t anyone care? Indeed, nobody did.
I surprised myself with how I had been allowing the opinion of others to affect my life, my self-image and the way I conduct my life. While it was not a bad thing to get a little more physically fit, the real issue was that my sense of identity was partially pivoted upon what others thought of me. I did not realize that the clothes in my wardrobe had been refreshing itself mainly because of the comments my students had been giving me for past decade. Even the color and length of the socks I wore was not spared.
Finally, I, hereby, express my gratitude to my wife who also doubled-up as my fashion consultant. She had been successful in transforming me from someone who cared less about the denier cri to someone who submissively looked upon her as the ex cathedral authority of fashion design at home. Also, I will not forget the lovely little ‘criminals’ who dared to challenge authority by expressing their views freely without any utter regard or fear for consequences. Thankfully for these, I am now a changed man- both my wardrobe and my waist line are also changed.
Just for the record, I have never exceeded the BMI all my life. All that effort was purely for vanity and poor self-image.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The average Singaporean Motorist’s Guide to Road Safety for Emerging Pedestrian and other Motorist Behavior
(Experiences compiled by various drivers)
Cyclist and pedestrian traveling by the side of the road against traffic flow
Unknown to this group of road warriors, it appears to be more difficult for motorists to maneuver safely away from objects traveling against traffic flow while still keeping within the same lane as much as possible. There has to be some Physics or psychology behind this but the same is easier for objects traveling along traffic direction though the pedestrian/cyclist’s back is against the traffic from behind.
This group of people are truly warriors because they comfortably embrace dangers face-to-face and they continue their course of movement without getting deterred by the perils of on-coming traffic. Moreover, cyclists seem to be able to maintain a calm composure whenever they wobble their bikes or steer themselves near to the middle of the lane. It was I who always skipped a heartbeat or two for them. I have always wondered where they got all that courage from.
As I live in the midst of a heartland neighborhood in Singapore, there can be quite an army of people walking in this manner by the road side when, many times, the pavement can be quite empty. This is another mystery I will attempt to solve the next time I spend a good 20 minute in the washroom cubicle during office hour.
Slow moving vehicles driving under 60 km/h on second and third lanes from the left of an expressway
These are the days when ‘hoggers’ rule the road here, not speedsters. (Chongster in Singaporean terms) I am always amused when see a rare few Porches and Aston Martins getting stuck along a congested Bukit Timah road during peak hours. What are they going to do with all that horse-power? I could easily manage that kind of road jams any day with my previous Hyundai Getz 1.3l with strong air-condition and a few nice CDs in the audio system. In case you are wondering, I am definitely not driving anything close to a Porche or Aston Martin now, though I am terribly thankful with what I have now. Of course, the real reason why I am amused is because I couldn’t afford one of these mean machines anytime now or in the distant future. So, I indulge in my own sour-grape attitude if that’s alright with some of you.
With the increased speed limits for big vehicles, they tend to graduate from the left-most lane for slower vehicles to those for vehicles traveling at higher speeds. Joining the fête are also the rest of the cars whose drivers conscientiously ensure that they are constantly 20 to 30 km/h under the speed limit while traveling away from the left-most lanes. As I overtook them on the right, my natural reflexes involuntarily turned my head to peek at what they were doing, often with some frowning and grumbling. Usually, it was the one-hand driving stunt while using the mobile phone. Occasionally, there were also a few drivers who were so intensely engaged in conversations with their passengers that they became almost totally oblivious to the traffic slow down caused by them.
I have been taking constructive steps to fixing this problem and my poor anger management especially when I am behind the wheels. My wife and I have gotten tickets to the F1 race this year end so as to learn a lesson or two on evasive driving. With some self-taught advanced driving techniques by pure observation, I hope to be able to imagine myself over-taking these slow-moving roadblocks with impressive stunts and maneuvers.
There are other hard-to-explain behaviors on the road. Since most of my young readers don’t get pass the second and third paragraphs, I shall list them here with the false hope that I may one day get to write about them. Not that my students can learn anything from my driving experience, I just need to write something to build up some traffic here to sell advertisement space.
Other annoying road behaviors:
1. Pedestrians crossing roads while totally ignoring traffic. Of course, I failed to check if the roads actually belong to them so they reserve every right to do as they like. My bad.
2. Pedestrians walking in car parks and roads in residential areas as if they are window-shopping at the malls. Upon flashing the headlights and gently honking to get their attention, some of them were still capable of unleashing their lethal power via verbal abuse or by fingers arranged in the right combination to indicate unfriendly gestures.
3. The return of the one-hand driving and the other hand using the mobile phone
4. Stopping at double-yellow lines
5. Crossing of double-white lines despite vehicles approaching from the left
6. Unexpected, sudden illegal U-turns executed by fast moving-vehicles in front
Cyclist and pedestrian traveling by the side of the road against traffic flow
Unknown to this group of road warriors, it appears to be more difficult for motorists to maneuver safely away from objects traveling against traffic flow while still keeping within the same lane as much as possible. There has to be some Physics or psychology behind this but the same is easier for objects traveling along traffic direction though the pedestrian/cyclist’s back is against the traffic from behind.
This group of people are truly warriors because they comfortably embrace dangers face-to-face and they continue their course of movement without getting deterred by the perils of on-coming traffic. Moreover, cyclists seem to be able to maintain a calm composure whenever they wobble their bikes or steer themselves near to the middle of the lane. It was I who always skipped a heartbeat or two for them. I have always wondered where they got all that courage from.
As I live in the midst of a heartland neighborhood in Singapore, there can be quite an army of people walking in this manner by the road side when, many times, the pavement can be quite empty. This is another mystery I will attempt to solve the next time I spend a good 20 minute in the washroom cubicle during office hour.
Slow moving vehicles driving under 60 km/h on second and third lanes from the left of an expressway
These are the days when ‘hoggers’ rule the road here, not speedsters. (Chongster in Singaporean terms) I am always amused when see a rare few Porches and Aston Martins getting stuck along a congested Bukit Timah road during peak hours. What are they going to do with all that horse-power? I could easily manage that kind of road jams any day with my previous Hyundai Getz 1.3l with strong air-condition and a few nice CDs in the audio system. In case you are wondering, I am definitely not driving anything close to a Porche or Aston Martin now, though I am terribly thankful with what I have now. Of course, the real reason why I am amused is because I couldn’t afford one of these mean machines anytime now or in the distant future. So, I indulge in my own sour-grape attitude if that’s alright with some of you.
With the increased speed limits for big vehicles, they tend to graduate from the left-most lane for slower vehicles to those for vehicles traveling at higher speeds. Joining the fête are also the rest of the cars whose drivers conscientiously ensure that they are constantly 20 to 30 km/h under the speed limit while traveling away from the left-most lanes. As I overtook them on the right, my natural reflexes involuntarily turned my head to peek at what they were doing, often with some frowning and grumbling. Usually, it was the one-hand driving stunt while using the mobile phone. Occasionally, there were also a few drivers who were so intensely engaged in conversations with their passengers that they became almost totally oblivious to the traffic slow down caused by them.
I have been taking constructive steps to fixing this problem and my poor anger management especially when I am behind the wheels. My wife and I have gotten tickets to the F1 race this year end so as to learn a lesson or two on evasive driving. With some self-taught advanced driving techniques by pure observation, I hope to be able to imagine myself over-taking these slow-moving roadblocks with impressive stunts and maneuvers.
There are other hard-to-explain behaviors on the road. Since most of my young readers don’t get pass the second and third paragraphs, I shall list them here with the false hope that I may one day get to write about them. Not that my students can learn anything from my driving experience, I just need to write something to build up some traffic here to sell advertisement space.
Other annoying road behaviors:
1. Pedestrians crossing roads while totally ignoring traffic. Of course, I failed to check if the roads actually belong to them so they reserve every right to do as they like. My bad.
2. Pedestrians walking in car parks and roads in residential areas as if they are window-shopping at the malls. Upon flashing the headlights and gently honking to get their attention, some of them were still capable of unleashing their lethal power via verbal abuse or by fingers arranged in the right combination to indicate unfriendly gestures.
3. The return of the one-hand driving and the other hand using the mobile phone
4. Stopping at double-yellow lines
5. Crossing of double-white lines despite vehicles approaching from the left
6. Unexpected, sudden illegal U-turns executed by fast moving-vehicles in front
4 Ways to turn a Child into a Criminal
1. Don't give a child any chores so they won't learn
the value of responsibility
2. Don't set house rules so that they won't know what
it means to have consequences for wrong-doing
3. Give them a big allowance and don't demand
responsibility for what they do with what they have
4. Give in to their tantrums
Heard this over the pulpit last week. I could not help but reflect upon the outcome of my students as teachers like me don't get my students to take responsibility over the cleanliness of their learning environment, shelter them from the consequences of misdeeds, don't teach students to be responsible for what they have and also by simply giving in their tantrums all the time. Some of my pupils may grow up to contribute substantially to social problems and I become the greater culprit.
the value of responsibility
2. Don't set house rules so that they won't know what
it means to have consequences for wrong-doing
3. Give them a big allowance and don't demand
responsibility for what they do with what they have
4. Give in to their tantrums
Heard this over the pulpit last week. I could not help but reflect upon the outcome of my students as teachers like me don't get my students to take responsibility over the cleanliness of their learning environment, shelter them from the consequences of misdeeds, don't teach students to be responsible for what they have and also by simply giving in their tantrums all the time. Some of my pupils may grow up to contribute substantially to social problems and I become the greater culprit.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Teachers' Day for me
In retrospect, most of my Teachers' Day celebrations in the past decade had been mostly of the nothing-too-unusual sort. I never volunteered to sing a song or played music with a band during one of those concerts. I shun the things popular teachers usually do. However, I did spent a couple of Teachers' Day prowling through the forest in my green. Once, I had a comrade wishing me "...and oh, by the way....Happy Teachers' Day" through his thick camouflage painting on his face. His row of white teeth in the dark left the most lasting impression on me. So, that's Teachers' Day for me for the longest time - dark forest and white teeth.
This year, I got to read most of the students' cards over Shirley Temple and a flab of choice baby-back rib at the Black Angus. I am the sentimental sort that keep the cards people write me. I even have a special compartment in my HDB-equipped bomb shelter for this purpose. Once a while, I will still pull them out to read before deciding if the country still needs me to teach. But I do have a few particularly good ones stuck to my office cubicle wall to keep me going when the going gets tough.
This year in particular, I realised that one student told me that I was like a friend and a father to her. Sincerely, I prefer the "...you are like the big brother I never have" I used to have many years ago. I may just call up the father of this child for a meet-the-fathers session before her Preliminary Exam. Another creative student from a different class put white cotton wool on the head of my picture to give the card a daedal touch of 3D effect. I totally appreciated the attempt except that the tiny ball of white wool was an inaccurate representation of the black hair most Asian men have. The more important point is, the ball of wool was a tiny one. Now, this is going to be personal and get a little uglier. I shall leave out the rest of the details here.
Despite the desperate attempts on my students' part to put together little things to be presented during the school celebration, I am appreciative of their effort. Like the rest of the cards, I will store them in my vault along with the cookies and chocolates I received this year. I promise to bring them out and eat them before the expiry dates.
This year, I got to read most of the students' cards over Shirley Temple and a flab of choice baby-back rib at the Black Angus. I am the sentimental sort that keep the cards people write me. I even have a special compartment in my HDB-equipped bomb shelter for this purpose. Once a while, I will still pull them out to read before deciding if the country still needs me to teach. But I do have a few particularly good ones stuck to my office cubicle wall to keep me going when the going gets tough.
This year in particular, I realised that one student told me that I was like a friend and a father to her. Sincerely, I prefer the "...you are like the big brother I never have" I used to have many years ago. I may just call up the father of this child for a meet-the-fathers session before her Preliminary Exam. Another creative student from a different class put white cotton wool on the head of my picture to give the card a daedal touch of 3D effect. I totally appreciated the attempt except that the tiny ball of white wool was an inaccurate representation of the black hair most Asian men have. The more important point is, the ball of wool was a tiny one. Now, this is going to be personal and get a little uglier. I shall leave out the rest of the details here.
Despite the desperate attempts on my students' part to put together little things to be presented during the school celebration, I am appreciative of their effort. Like the rest of the cards, I will store them in my vault along with the cookies and chocolates I received this year. I promise to bring them out and eat them before the expiry dates.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Treasure Hunt
"When you hit rock bottom, the only other way is up!", said someone to me when I was still a depressed young kid.
I realized that this is not entirely correct. I have recently discovered new depth for myself as I hit rock bottom. I can actually dig! I am truly thankful for this new-found ability for it was under that bedrock that I found new treasures! New friends who stood by me, new strength and courage for each new day, and new limits of acceptance and forbearance.
I have also discovered that one can find treasures by reaching up as well. Only difference is that this kind of treasures is everlasting. It's heaven's will that we need both.
I realized that this is not entirely correct. I have recently discovered new depth for myself as I hit rock bottom. I can actually dig! I am truly thankful for this new-found ability for it was under that bedrock that I found new treasures! New friends who stood by me, new strength and courage for each new day, and new limits of acceptance and forbearance.
I have also discovered that one can find treasures by reaching up as well. Only difference is that this kind of treasures is everlasting. It's heaven's will that we need both.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Promises, promises, promises
I love promises, especially those which I can draw some benefits from. And it is also critical that these pledges don't bounce like empty cheques. It really doesn't matter who made these promises as long as they cash in.
I have observed more men than women making promises that don't quite live up to the hyperbole that was used to convince people. While I cannot prove that women are better promise-keepers than men for now, I, for one, was among those serial non-promise keepers. My unfulfilled promises to my wife were often met with disastrous and sometimes catastrophic outcomes. The price of unfulfilled promises is one I cannot afford to pay. I have, since, learned to make few promises and make sure that I keep the few ones I make. Also, don't sensationalize them. Just declare the things I would do plainly, and do it! It is more important to demonstrate integrity by performing the things I said I would than to be able to charm the world like President Obama. Well, as of now, I still believe in the ability of his administration to follow through with his inspirational pledges. And I digress.
The bottom line is, don't talk loud. Be humble, make promises you intend to keep. Be a promise-keeper of a few promises rather than a promise-maker of many promises that will not be kept. (This post is inspired by my continuous effort to stay out of trouble and the frustration I feel because of other compulsive promise-breakers in my social circle)
I have observed more men than women making promises that don't quite live up to the hyperbole that was used to convince people. While I cannot prove that women are better promise-keepers than men for now, I, for one, was among those serial non-promise keepers. My unfulfilled promises to my wife were often met with disastrous and sometimes catastrophic outcomes. The price of unfulfilled promises is one I cannot afford to pay. I have, since, learned to make few promises and make sure that I keep the few ones I make. Also, don't sensationalize them. Just declare the things I would do plainly, and do it! It is more important to demonstrate integrity by performing the things I said I would than to be able to charm the world like President Obama. Well, as of now, I still believe in the ability of his administration to follow through with his inspirational pledges. And I digress.
The bottom line is, don't talk loud. Be humble, make promises you intend to keep. Be a promise-keeper of a few promises rather than a promise-maker of many promises that will not be kept. (This post is inspired by my continuous effort to stay out of trouble and the frustration I feel because of other compulsive promise-breakers in my social circle)
Sunday, July 19, 2009
You teacher or I teacher?
I was assigned to stand guard at the school gate last week to sieve out students who displayed symptoms of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) early in the morning. I liked it so much that I volunteered to do it the following day with a colleague. Yes, you heard me. I actually volunteered for an "extra sentry duty". Someone should give me a medal for the act of noble commitment to counter the spread of a pandemic in Toa Payoh and Bishan. I wouldn't think it's too much to ask for a 21-gun salute and a helicopter fly-pass, would I?
I enjoyed everything from the fresh morning air to breaking my usual morning mad-rush of answering emails and lesson preparation. I especially love greeting students coming through the gate by offering them a smile and a warm "Good Morning!", sending a few unsuspecting ones into a spade of confusion. Some appeared to be lost when they were greeted by teachers and others simply walked away ignoring us altogether. Then, they were a few who nodded and smiled as they moved along. We were made to feel as if we were students paying compliment to a teacher instead. Even my school Principal (aka my boss) would stop, wave, smile and exchange some small talk as I greet him most of the time.
It's easy to put all the responsiblities on family upbringing or the shift of value system held by the younger folks in their twenties or younger. To me, teachers should also form part of the solution to this predicament. It has always been in the distant past and why should it be different now? As for me, I will not let any of my students come up with convenient excuses like "my teacher never teach".
I enjoyed everything from the fresh morning air to breaking my usual morning mad-rush of answering emails and lesson preparation. I especially love greeting students coming through the gate by offering them a smile and a warm "Good Morning!", sending a few unsuspecting ones into a spade of confusion. Some appeared to be lost when they were greeted by teachers and others simply walked away ignoring us altogether. Then, they were a few who nodded and smiled as they moved along. We were made to feel as if we were students paying compliment to a teacher instead. Even my school Principal (aka my boss) would stop, wave, smile and exchange some small talk as I greet him most of the time.
It's easy to put all the responsiblities on family upbringing or the shift of value system held by the younger folks in their twenties or younger. To me, teachers should also form part of the solution to this predicament. It has always been in the distant past and why should it be different now? As for me, I will not let any of my students come up with convenient excuses like "my teacher never teach".
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