Counting Out 2009..

In a couple of hours 2009 will be totally history. The year is not yet over and already I've gone back to school twice to supposedly prepare for the coming year. One for Staff Meeting and the other to register the students. Somehow, it now seems fashionable to 'register' all the students before the school starts. School starts almost a week before the hols end. Add that to some schools (Chinese ones) who run 2 weeks of the hols with extra classes, the kids actually get very little time off. Kiasu-sism is very much alive! The 2 days at school... let's put it this way. No difference if we didn't do it.

And next year they have some rather quirky 'rules'. We cannot mark the students' exercise books in the classroom unless they are marked on the students' tables. Teachers cannot wear slippers (agreed)! and T-shirts to school in the afternoons. No exceptions seemed to have been given. Sports? All I can say is the first rule will make it more difficult for some of us to make sure students do their work. I for one will not go round the class and mark the books at the students' tables cos that will break my back! Moreover, many of the students smell awful by mid day, especially the girls. It's enough to nauseate anyone!

I went back to school to find a promise on one of my duties renegaded. Reason given? In the words uttered to me??? ... We just need to tell you 'A' and you'll see that it's done to 'Z'. I don't take that as a compliment. Increasingly I find that it does not pay to be efficient. You get buried and suffocate. A 'problem' teacher is less likely to be given more responsibilities.

2010.... I told myself that I wasn't going to let things like this get me overworked. I am still going to try.... well that's one of the things that I've listed down for the coming year.

New years are there so that we can a chance to start over.... new leaf. But it seems like we've degenerated! I wonder whether this state of decay will only stop when there is nothing left to decay. So I wonder.... is this decay only uniquely happening at my work place... or it's a universal Bolehland malaise!

On a lighter note... we and some friends ushered in the last day 2009 early this morning with coffee, Irish Kiss, yu-char-kway, cheese and ham, yam kuih.... sat and bantered till the wee hours of the morning. Priceless, some of the remarks made and looks on the faces of the kids. The way we used to eat our food.. ever heard of using straw to drink the laksa soup and then eat the laksa straight from the plastic bags? Or holding ice balls in our hands and sucking away all the syrup? They actually found it 'yucky' from the looks on their faces... LOL! Son got some pointers on how to pack his things for his upcoming trip 'round' and out of the country too! My yu-char-kway coffee and Irish Kiss kept me awake till 3 a.m. cos Karyn put in 3 tablespoon of Nescafe instead of 3 teaspoons into it!

Anyway, here's to another year of rat race....