In Motion

Teaching is something I've always known I wanted to do. I went through a rigorous teacher training course - well, it was rigorous in the way it took me out of my comfort zone, even if not rigorous in an academic sense - and had practicums in 3 different schools for a total of 6 months, so I thought I was prepared for the world of teaching. Make no mistake, I was about 70% prepared, but there were still some things that took me by surprise. Here's a list of what I've discovered over the past 10 months of being in an international school. #1 How physically and mentally tired I am every single working day I usually get off earlier than JW does because school lets out at 4pm. When I get back home, though, I'm so drained from the day that I don't want to do anything that requires physical or mental resources. JW, on the other hand, is relatively fresh at the end of the work day. We've figured out that teaching in the primary school is more physically taxing tha...

As most of you know, I'm all about practicality, minimizing input and maximizing output, and getting the best value for money. As I've discovered recently, though, this trait of mine has its drawbacks. Case in point, as a proper grownup living in Malaysia, I have social obligations to fulfill, i.e. attending formal dinners. While they can be fun, they also go against every fibre in my practical being. Here are some of the challenges I've faced: Problem #1 - I tend to have nothing to wear for fancy functions As mentioned earlier, I'm practical. I like to buy items that I know I'll use at least 3 times a month to get my money's worth out of the purchase. I've always been a minimalist, even before I knew minimalism was a thing, way back before it was cool. In fact, I took minimalism so far that I probably gave it a bad name. =P Evening wear, unfortunately, go against everything that practicality advocates. You can't recycle them too much (because socia...

Right now, I'm enjoying my year-end break after a grueling 4 months of work. Perks of being a teacher, but don't envy us unless you'd like to bring work home and work weekends throughout the year. =P I've been meaning to blog for the longest time, but as much as I love writing, it's not the first thing that comes to mind when I want to take a break. The same goes for reading. Nowadays, I find myself scrolling aimlessly through Facebook or watching Youtube videos during my downtime - you know, stuff that doesn't require too much brainpower. Blogging is reserved for times when I have more energy and enthusiasm, like long holidays. Yes, work demands my soul, sucks it dry and spits out an empty shell of my former self. =P I was talking to JW about switching jobs just last night, and he pointed out that no matter what job I was in, I'd probably feel the same way about it. Because I'm just wired that way, to be fully invested in whatever I'm doing. *sigh...

Right now, every bedroom in our home is occupied. It's a bit of a change, but not necessarily in a bad way. The house is definitely more lively now, and it helps that both tenants are friendly, considerate and helpful. It's also super nice to be living with my best friend under the same roof. =P Amy's one of the tenants, and she's been here for about two weeks now. Over the past couple of weeks, we've caught up a lot on each other's lives and then some. It's great that I don't have to WhatsApp her if there's something I need to talk about. Talk about instant gratification! Typing on a QWERTY keypad as opposed to just verbal diarrhoea -verbal diarrhoea wins hands down. =P Coming home to good company is really not something I should take for granted. Before this, it was mostly just me and JW, and while JW is great company, female company is rather different. Conversations between me and Amy can go on for hours and we'll still find something t...

Throughout the week, I get inspirations for blog posts through all the things that happen at school. Then I wonder if it's safe/wise to blog about them, because, you know, what if someone from work/a parent eventually discovers my blog? I don't know if I'm ready to deal with the consequences of potentially controversial topics, especially if my job is on the line. Not that anything I have to say is THAT controversial, imo, but who knows - one man's harmless comment may be another man's hate speech. I've also found myself posting less on Facebook, because perhaps it's safer that young professionals are seen as not having either a personality or a personal life. To date, I haven't added any of my colleagues on Facebook. Should I keep my work friends and other friends separate? What's the wise move? I don't mean to sound suspicious of my colleagues, but mixing friendship and work is not always the best idea. I've only been at my workplace ...

Y esterday, I got my first payslip ever! #milestone I know I’m a little behind in all these milestones because of the topsy-turvy way I went about my life. Instead of the standard Malaysian protocol of “Get a job, get a car, get a house and THEN a spouse”, I got a spouse first, gave up my job and am only now beginning my career – at the tender young age of 26.  =P On the bright side, while my peers are already getting disillusioned with life and burnt out at their jobs, I’m still bouncing with excitement at my first pay check. How very grown up, I know. Anyway, today’s post will be about some interesting observations I’ve made about teaching life. I’m sure most of my teacher friends know these already, but not many of them blog so I was unable to glean all these insights before my foray into the Jurassic Park that is teaching. So here goes: #1 If you’re asked to teach a subject on the spot, there will be (many) times you’ll have to apologize for being unsure of som...