i don’t want to wax lyrical about the noble job of the teacher or the long lasting impact a teacher’s influence on the student can be because that’s all been done before.

what is less talked or realised is that teacher’s positivity and inspiration will either perish or thrive under tyranny or benevolence. a teacher fronts the battle field and we’re attacked on all sides. if we don’t have a supporting and understanding superior then sapped of hope, we wilt in no time. and the stark reality is, in result orientated singapore, we don’t stop and count the causalities.

when the press releases statistics or percentages or ranks, i see the body count that no one else does. i take a minute to mourn and be grateful for my healing wounds.

i am so glad that the management of my new workplace is interested in nurturing the individual teacher for his or her sake and not extrinsically for the potential that the teacher can for the school, the cluster, or the policy makers or the next AFI. we get affirmed and trusted to manage our own resources trusting that no one will be found in breach of this trust. paradigm shift.

this is the first time since returning from melbourne that i’m celebrating teacher’s day because the previous ship wreck didn’t.

so to all the co-laborers and warriors standing guard, happy teacher’s day. on my watch, you will not fall if i can help it.

work is personal fullstop. no matter how you might try and compartmentalise work or rationalise work, it gets to the core of you and will in someway or other shape and define you.

its never “just” work. its personal and it had better be worth it.

i’ve never really spelled it out here that i was going through a change of job.

the job description is the same, the difference is that i’m much happier now because 1) this new place is not pretending to be an intelligent work force, it really is. 2) its mission and vision is not propaganda and it in fact goes against the grain of popular opinion. 3) the management operates on the basis of trust and good faith and people actually respond positively to expectations. 4) they care about you as an individual and your growth in the long run.

i.e. this place is a miracle.

every day i challenge myself to be a better version of myself. these days i feel that i want to read more, think more, process more so that i can be more equipped and worthy of the role i play in organisation.

i did take on that approach under my previous employer, the problem is, they exploited you till there was really nothing else that you could give. add that to the contradictory messaging and what you get is disillusioned depressed people told to make bricks out of straw.

i hope those dark ages are left behind for good. i’ll never want to subject myself to such truma again.

the most important update from my previous post is that the sty from my right eye is gradually shrinking. it does not even hurt anymore.

the next important update is that the march hols have come and is slipping through my fingers like sand. at least i have a few days breather before the madness starts again.

a related update is that i’ll be whisked away on a (as chiche as it sounds) romantic getaway for an extended weekend. the past few weeks was really crazy, i hardly even had time to talk to the geek on the phone in the evenings. this trip will be a well deserved one.

we live for the holidays, the toil in between term breaks takes 110% of our time, energy, sweat and blood. so, dt and i have booked our flight and accomodation in bali for june. brillant! we are so pleased with ourselves.

i spent a good part of the day spring cleaning my room. that involves changing the sheet, wiping the mirror, washing the floor, disinfecting the surfaces and recateogorising my numerous compartmentalised storage spaces.

it was therapeutic and worth it.

the neat freak in me sent my heart racing at the sight of this online – a good idea if i live in a dust free environment.

other than that, i spent the other good part of the day watching the rain clouds pour. apparently, the street down the road has been the worst hit area by the storm on sunday, 5 trees were uprooted not too far from here.

morbid alert:

such overcast skies also makes for good somber visits to the kranji war

memorial.

i’m quite pleased with myself that i managed to see this field trip through, with wreath laying ceremony plus a bulger to boot.

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we hold the fort all day

only to have our world crumble around us by night

with a little more we give

a little more of us disintegrates.