Treats

Ask me if I regret being a teacher.

The answer is no.

Why?

Today was one different day from the norm; a public holiday. So I did not have to get up at the wee hours of the morning and I could sleep till 7.44am. Imagine I have been through the routine of getting up between 5 - 6 am each day for the last how many years? A good 45 years including school going time and of course working time. Many a time I had wished that I could laze on the bed and not get up early. So today was one such day.

But I know soon my wish will come true in due time when I call it a day as a teacher...

Today we had to decide where to go for breakfast. It was not bread and butter again. I have that everyday in school. My dear house help will make it point to pack them for me to bring to school. I may sound nerdy but it's the truth. I eat bread everyday for breakfast and lunch. So, today no bread.

We landed up at a small neighbour hood coffee shop called the "Sisters" where it served simple local cuisines like yong tau foo, fried kway teow,vegetarian noodles and nasi lemak. I took chee cheong fun with curry sauce while daddy took fried kway teow. But...but...but...I also took the liberty to order toasted bread and butter; oh no I am addicted. I cannot live a day without bread !

Besides the consumption part I had a surprise...met an ex-student , Tracy. She belonged to the 2001 SPM batch. It's a long time ago but she was my children's contemporary and we had much to talk about. She provides data for important people and shuttles between Singapore and KL and she still looked the same; skinny and alert. "Come visit me. Pn Chong..." Sure.

We left each other and I waited for the bill to be paid. I did not expect but it happened. She gave me a breakfast treat. Thank you girl.

That brought me to remember a couple of months ago when I was at the Saloon. Arsha, now a medical lady screamed when she saw me. "Pn Chong, how come you still look the same after all those years?"

That is because she did not look closely.

After sharing a little of the past and how I squeezed her during English lessons, she finally admitted that school was the platform for where she is now. She was grateful. She asked if she looked funny in her dyed yellow hair. I told her to go have fun and bring colors to her patients. We left at that and of course when it was footing bill time; I got it free again.

Then it was dinner at Jalan Petaling in town. The mother of a student saw me and called  out 

"Pn Chong!"

After some usual exchanges, we went back to our simple meals and ate.
 Jalan Petaling is famous for local cuisines too; ate tadpoles and frogs !
People long for such delicacies. It was a good meal. 

I suppose you already know what I have to share.

It was a fully paid meal again.

That's what you get when you have so many people along your life. What other greater profession than teaching ? We meet all sorts; the good, the bad and the ugly. But everyone has a story to their life. Some are really heart breaking ones; others may be fairy tale ones. But it's most rewarding when you see them make a way out of life but most of all when they are wholesome characters.

You may forget some of them; but they will most likely remember you just as I do to my teachers. You tend to recall that little connection. I dropped a card to my primary school teacher Pn Shamsiah when I went to varsity and she went to my mother's shop and told her that she was delighted to receive it. I remember Caroline Chua for her strictness but love her for that. Hyacinth Gaudart was remembered for her bubbly and loving nature. Many more.

So, more to tell as I recall; maybe to be told when I retire.

But today I remember the wonderful treats I received; because I was once their teacher.