March 22, 2004

As the day draws nearer to 31st March, I begin to wonder, increasingly, if I should really go take up teaching as a career. Everyone I know thinks I should be a teacher, because I look so like a teacher, and some hold great faith in my character and my attributes in being a teacher. I guess I can't really argue with that, even though I, too, feel that my personality often betray my looks. But, let's not go into that.

What really prompted me today, to give this option another serious thought, is the never-seem-to-end debate over the importance of M.T in Singapore and how the goverment is making ostensible efforts at saving the last few graces of M.T in Singapore. Actually, it's only Chinese. I do not think Malay or Tamil is a cause for their worry. Shame on us.

I read (sorry, couldn't resist a topic so close at heart even though every read just effect into more anguish, but there too were occasional uplifting reads) from the Zaobao. One Chinese teacher wrote in to say how chinese teachers have already been fighting a losing battle for the past few years and the recent decision of MOE did their morale no more harm that what was already done. However, as long as there is still a count of students, regardless how miserable, who appreciate the language, chinese teachers are going to stay in their profession and be the phial of Galadriel (my nic today!) in Frodo's dark journey (LOTR fans SHOULD know what I'm talking about).

I'm inspired.

I never thought my Chinese is that fantastic. 'Cos I know of many in the Chinese department (NUS) who double majored in Chinese, i.e. C.Lang (the more technical aspects of the language itself) and C.Studies (meaning inclusive of history and literature). I'm like not quite bad, but not quite good too. I find myself often in this kinda halfway-there situations, by the way.

So, that served to keep me back from being a teacher. I mean, to be honest, some chinese idioms in my kids' textbooks, I had to double confirm what it means before I dare explain. Ya, that's the truth.

Before I digress further... I was really quite inspired by the article. What's holding me back now is the NHB. It's almost like the only place left where I wanna try my hands at. Maybe a few other non profit organizations. But, since they haven't been recruiting and I haven't sent any applications, I'm only left with the NHB thingy as an alternative route. Hence, as I before mentioned, I'm gonna just let nature take its course for these 2 weeks before I reach the point when decisions have to be made.

Just like I was telling Wenn yesterday... I believe that life has something exciting in store for me. Just that it's not time to reveal yet. And when it reveals itself, I'm sure it would be at a right time. Just that now is not.

Posted by 杏 cy （Jancy） at 14:21