Teachers' Day 2006

Trance is blasting through my Bose speakers and I am at my usual haven. I love my comfortable cubicle - it is now lined with teachers' day gifts aplenty. The crevices of my partition is slotted with greeting cards, both handmade and bought ones; the top of the partition is adorned with an assortment of penholders, musical boxes and model cars.

It's amazing how students forget about concepts meant to be learnt in class but they remember the passing remarks made. I must have mentioned in class how I love chocolates (especially dark ones), cooking and Superman. I can't really remember when I made those comments, but the other before the students left school, I was overwhelmed by, apart from little trinkets, an assortment of chocolates - Hawaiian Host; Delfi; M&Ms; Kit Kat; chocolate fruitcake, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate muffins; etc. I even got a cookbook and a Superman action figure from the boys in my class. It's really amazing - and very endearing for the boys to remember these little details I mentioned in passing. Who says Singapore males aren't romantic and sensitive?

The celebration was like a cry-fest for me. I was crying at the slightest provocation. When one primary boy sang a Mandarin song - 童话 or Fairytales - I cried. It must have been the lyrics:

You turned to me

And told me in your tears

Fairytales aren't real

That I can't be your knight in shining armour.

You'll never know

From the moment you told me

That you love me

All the stars in the night sky

Took on a meaning

I want to become

That angel you love

In the fairytale

With my arms and wings

Spread to hold you

And keep you safe in its warm embrace.

I was tearing so profusely my shirt was spotted with damp marks from the tears dripping off my cheeks. And I am still waiting...

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There was a teachers' day lunch on the actual teachers' day. I was nominated to represent my English department to take part in the ACS Idol Contest. Dressed up in a traditional baju kurung of songket, samping and complete with a bejeweled songkok, I sang “Fly Me to the Moon” from the American Songbook. It was all good fun - at least I managed to pull it off. Unfortunately, I missed out on the first prize of a return ticket for two to Phuket by three votes. Sigh...

In any case, even if it just to prove that I have a life and to maintain my sanity, I am going to Phuket or somewhere tropical and islandsy this December holiday. I have to give myself a good break; I have to go. But the question is, where...? If not Phuket, then? Krabi? Or... maybe Australia? A budget flight to Darwin...?

Is there anyone out there interested in a tropical vacation this December? Let's form a group and go, shall we? Contact me! Really!!