Empathy

(JL would have guessed that I am sure to blog about this and yes you couldn't have been more right!)

Empathy, an ability to understand other people's feelings and problems, a word with simple meanings but yet a word so hard to verbalise my personal feelings on. Was asked to share my teaching expriences last evening. Had the game plan all set the night before and thought it will be smooth but alas my emotions got the better of me during the part about how empathy was practised on me and how I am doing likewise to my herd, the weaker one.

All I wanted to relate was how a teacher changed my life through his "extraordinary" ways, how he taught me perseverance when he never once gave up on me even though I was the weakest in the team, how he empathise with my family situation then by keeping me under his wings and gave me an outlet to expense my endless energy instead of getting into trouble and how he gave me lasting friendships through his seemingly "morbid" ways of team punishment.

Perhaps the email below sent out during his last hours speak more of what I meant:

"Dear friends, I managed to sneak or barge in last evening to talk to him. And yes old habits die hard, my tears began to drop the moment I went in. He was still very alert, recognised me after I said my name, second sentence was "you the cry baby lah, how is your mum?" My mum teared when I told her that last night when I was back at home.

He was still trying very hard to act tough, could speak, quite well, but could see with much difficulty as he was breathing through the respirator and not his nose. Nick was with me, introduced him and then he started to talk about the Navy collision????

I held his hand, and I said, "We are here to thank you for all that you have taught us out of the classrooms, those lessons have served all of us well even till now" and nick added, "they are all very grateful to you". Then I started waterfalling, sorry really couldn't control myself seeing him so skinny except for the stomach.

He looked away and with pride said "yah back then you all dislike those days but I was very sure that sometime down the road, I will be appreciated". He then went on to give us tribute, told Nick that "they are much tougher back then compared to the students now. Back then quadrangle was wet, made them run upteen rounds, no accidents happened, now students break their arms and legs just climbing dry stairs, dunno whether I am lucky or wat. I am sure you sense the declining standard in the military too right?". Obviously Nick agreed.

We then talked about my student who was his latest batch of grads. Ended with "I am very glad to see that you are happily married with kids and mum. Dun worry I will rest well and be back soon". From the way he described about his condition, he is either not aware or he does not want to reveal. He thanked us for the flowers.

So for those of you who can, sneak in about 6-630 in the evening, that what I did. It seems like he's better in the evening. I felt sad but equally happy after the visit that I have managed to convey our thanks and gratitude to a teacher who have really had such a great impact in my life, he gave me my friends, he gave me my confidence, he changed my life. He would be very very happy to see us, really we just have to get past his wife and relatives, I beg for my way in last evening. So well go try again this evening."

Most of my friends didn't make it to see him for the last time.

So back to empathy, an ability to understand other people's feelings and problems, an irony in itself, did I not understand my very own feelings last evening or did I understand them too well?

Podcasting Trial

My First Podcast, on accounting of course.

Alternatively, tune in to my podcast channel at http://www.garageband.com/user/ccf2/podcast/main.xml using iTunes from apple.com.

Enjoy......

Signing off,

the deejay wannabe

Graduation

Nope not mine, wish it was though, my students'. After three years of hard work and sweat, they truly deserved the celebbration.

Mr F.K.

Students whom I had sweat hard with

My hip hop dance instructress in the centre

All pretty girls......

Matching Principle

Writing overdrive currently.

A couple of years back, when asked "Should boys be matched to girls, or girls to boys?", the male gender would shout out the latter whilst the feminine tribe would giggle the former. I do not teach social development, but accounting, in case you are wondering.

When asked recently, the answer I got was "Like poles attract now cher, boys to boys and girls to girls, where were you?"

Last evening, MY ONE asked if I would like to go to a new club opening tomorrow as first 500 ladies get free membership. When asked why not the men and why no men's nite (as opposed to ladies' nite), his reply was ladies draw men but he wasn't sure what a men's nite would draw.

Will we come a full cycle soon to revert back to the good old days of Adam & Eve?

Shrink Shrunk?

There is this onsite shrink that I see in office. Not that she's qualified but whenever I need a listening ear, frank feedback or just a hug, her cubicle will be my place of solace. My shrink never fails to warm my heart and give it another pump to face life's challenges again. Recently, she has been seeing more "patients" than usual. I was just kidding the other day that I could be her counter "nurse" to collect fees and dispense "medicine".

The day came when my shrink reacted quite strangely. The "shrinkness" that she has rubbed off me sensed something was amiss. I hesitated to help coz' I am neither good with words nor qualified. My proscrastination left me guilt-ridden. The beans split the next day. Not that my shrink has "shrunk" but she's a human being afterall. All human beings need affirmation and love, just like my shrink.

I hope my hug helped, don't think my words did, as usual. But I am really glad that my shrink has bounced back today.

Teaching Philosophy

Was stunned when asked for one recently. What philosophy? I am just a teacher!

"I am not a teacher but a learner in this journey."

Legend (in Reflections)

"I am here to make that difference, even if it is only one."

Legend (in Empathy)

"You have the gift of enthusiasm, use it wisely."

A teacher who once taught Legend... ...

"Do unto others what one wants others to do unto you."

Legend (in Clicks and Cliché)

"A stagnant mind brings about a walking corpse."

Legend (in The End)

After weeks of searching, indeed I have one, although still progressing very slowly towards the ideal state. What's yours?

No prizes for guessing who the Legend wannabe was.

Tiring Fun

Tried an exercise on treasure hunt with a class of mine last tues and well the photos speak for themselves......

Seemingly uninterested at the beginning, with whines like "can we just complete the worksheets and not walk out to search for the clues". What is a hunt without the hunting? Of course there were exceptions like JXXX, who came very prepared for the hunt, albeit getting the day wrong to be the tues before last. And so he came, last last tues, with his sandals, cap, etc....all prepared for the hunt, on a wrong day unfortunately.

Enough about JXXX, the joker, the hunt picked up momentum at about 2p.m. with the hunters working in herds in search for the clue slips. And by 215p.m. the winning tribe triumphantly ran into base station, Ben, Jeremy, Zuo Yang, Jia Hao, although sweating profusely and panting as well. What's with the sports and wellness programme? It seemingly didn't do much to their fitness hah?

Whilst the winning tribe danced away with $20 worth of starbucks vouchers, the runner-up tribe, Si Wei, Si Hua, Wee Seng & Francis could only busy their brain cells with how 2 movie tickets could be shared amongst four people.

That's why the dejected look, maybe?

Although I am some bucks poorer by the hunt, I am bountifully rewarded knowing that they had some fun whilst learning. Some were so keen, not sure if sincere or not, to ask for more hunts, or was it the prizes they are up to?

Anyway, cheers to all you good people......