remembering mr lee kuan yew (1923 - 2015)

May I share my own personal experience. I don't exactly lack interest in political matters, I mean I read the news but I don't dabble too much in politics, of any kind. I also refrain from making comments unless I know a subject matter somewhat well. So, I have to admit, I didn't pay too much attention to national day speeches, rallies and world happenings until in recent years. If I were to really reflect deeply, I probably belong to the group that Mr Lee mentioned in one of his speeches, the complacent group that thinks Singapore will always remain stable and takes it for granted. For someone who is rather apolitical, what I have seen, heard and felt at Mr Lee's passing during this week of mourning caught me off guard totally. I knew that Mr Lee did a lot for us but I did not know it was that tremendous. He devoted his entire life to Singapore, even to the very last day of his life. 

Since the passing of Mr Lee, a lot of resources about him have been shared with the schools so that we could share them with the children. As I read about Mr Lee's work and watched his speeches in preparation for the lesson, before I could even start to share with the children, a rush of emotions and gratitude washed over me. I choked with tears. My colleague had to take over for a while. It was not something I expected. What an irony to discover that I was prepared and yet, in a big way, I was not. On retrospect, I realised that I had cried for various reasons : I was deeply moved by Mr Lee's love for Singapore and I felt a wave of regret that I did not show my appreciation to him when he was still alive.

I was touched to the core by his strong passion and unflinching conviction for what he has set out to do for our country, for our future. Whether one knows him personally or not, I would like to believe it would be hard for anyone who have heard of his life story to remain untouched and uninspired. In one of the pictures in the slides, Mr Lee was holding a broom and sweeping the streets of Singapore, literally, with a vision of a cleaner and greener home for everyone. A humble leader who will do absolutely anything for his country. Make no mistake about it. 

Along with my colleagues, the school bookshop auntie, a primary two child who was her grandchild, and the vegetarian canteen stall auntie who was half limping, I joined the queue yesterday from about 3.45pm to about 9pm. While I can also show my appreciation and pay my respect  to Mr Lee in other ways without joining the long queue under the blazing sun, something inside me pushed away the deterring thoughts and my determination took over. I was glad that I went. The long wait would be peanuts compared to the 52 years Mr Lee had put in for Singapore. In fact, there was no basis for comparison.

What I have experienced along the way would always be etched deep in my mind. The crowd was orderly. There were officers pointing out the priority route to those who needed it. At the tentage area, beverages and fans were offered. And mind you, it wasn't just plain mineral water, cold herbal drinks were offered too. Every now and then, a soldier would come and share with us the approximate length of waiting and informed us that it would be a long walk thereafter; so we were advised to sit in order to rest our feet in preparation for the journey ahead. I thought about how it would be like if it was a queue for an emergency situation instead? Would we still be as calm and patient and congenial as this? A sense of pride swelled in me. I think we would respond in the best way we can. 

As we moved on, while there were some chitchats, most of us were just quietly waiting and moving along when the queue moved. Good Samaritans were giving out umbrellas, food, drinks, wet tissue. It was obvious some of them bought them out of their own pocket. There was this lady holding a Watson's plastic bag and she took out a big pack of wet tissue and started distributing. One other man was giving out black ribbons and safety pins so that people could choose to wear them as a sign of mourning. As we passed the Cenotaph, a few guys were literally sprinkling water at the people to cool them down. It was really innovative what they did to the bottles. I looked closely and saw there were many many holes, poked throughout, in the middle of the bottle; and they bent it so that water spewed out. I imagined us to be parched but happy plants to be sprinkled with water like this. Another guy who was distributing water with a smile sang, as if he was performing in a musical, "Would you take some water?" Despite my heavy heart, I couldn't help but be touched and I smiled. As it was getting darker and nearer to dinnertime as we moved along, we saw something rather interesting; two ladies were eating fishball noodles, straight out of a take-away tupperware. We marvel at their logistical ingenuity. However, we were not exactly hungry.  

May I also mention that my principal was very kind. He carried my heavy bag of worksheets for a big part of the way. I didn't ask him for permission to share this and he probably would not know about this but I suppose it doesn't matter, appreciation, as long as it's heartfelt, should cut across ranks and situations. 

The little girl was getting tired but she tried her best to move along with us. She found ways to entertain herself and I was amused at her antics. Every now and then, at brief or prolonged stops, as we moved closer to our intended destination, she would find a comfortable spot and sit down. That was how she spurred herself on. At one point when London Choco Roll was being distributed, her whole body became alive. According to her grandma, she loved chocolate. No wonder. It was a lifesaver. Whoever bought those, thank you for knowing just what the kids needed! 

Her gandma also shared some of her life experiences as a child during the earlier eras of Singapore. She shared about how scared she was during one of the riots, when she was just 4, she was brought to the police station and everyone was seeking shelter there. She also shared about what used to be a stretch of waters along Beach road and she strolled on the banks. We were truly privileged to be in her company and it made the walk all the more meaningful as we thought about how far Mr Lee has brought us. 

Through it all, I felt it deeply for myself; Mr Lee's love for Singapore has reached deep into the hearts of the people. This is his legacy. Mr Lee, thank you for having the courage to march forward despite the dark times, for keeping to your promises, for forging friendships with other countries, for being such an astute leader that many other leaders were influenced positively by you, for always referring to 'we' and not 'I' when talking about the work done and for envisioning Singapore to be what it is today, but most of all, thank you for thinking of how to make Singapore beautiful and better, every single day of your life. You have given so much for us and for our future generations. For that, I am truly grateful and would build on your legacy by educating our young to be responsible citizens who love their country.  

bedak sejuk

Somehow, the topic switched to SKII and finally to a particular rice paste mask, something my granny calls 'shui fen', loosely translated as watery powder. It's something I have been using                                       since my teenage years but I never knew that it's also known as 'Bedak Sejuk'. All I knew was that it felt good on my face. It's easy to apply, absorbs all my facial oil and feels cool on my face. Apparently, if you check it out, it has been termed a traditional mask with many beauty benefits. My granny used to make them. I remember jars and jars of them. Just uncooked rice with water. After about 3 months or more, they become watery pastes ready to be baked in the sun. Once they are dried, they are broken into small pieces ready to be used. Apparently, you can get it in Penang or Ipoh, my granny says. According to the label on this bottle which my aunt bought, the main ingredient is rice and pandan leaf is added for a touch of fragrance. As for details on how to use them, I found this interesting blog site and I think she has done a great job describing the process. http://pinkyplue.com/skincare/old-school-heard-of-bedak-sejuk/#.UtaJ8Tl3taU. Happy masking, the traditional way!

memorable moments with 5D

Memories are made up of the good and the bad. However, when we talk about something memorable, I would like to think of the nice and wonderful things although sometimes, I really do not know whether to laugh or to cry. It has been half a year with you and there are many memorable moments indeed.

In the beginning…

I lost my voice and I had to type in order to communicate with you. I was impressed that you did not take advantage of the situation. Instead, you were quiet and paid full attention to every instruction. I felt cared for and respected. That was really how I felt.

I also love how you are so enthusiastic about decorating the class. Ideas poured in. The effort that you put in just to beautify our second home is tremendous. There are many budding talents among you. However, more and above that artistic talent, I see something beautiful that is happening, you are beginning to learn to work with others who may be different from you to achieve the same goal. It was just the beginning.

Then…

There was the ‘Nemo’ voice-over project. Yes, it took a lot of time and some squabbles among some groups. Some groups did better than others but ultimately, what turned out well was that every one gave it a shot no matter how unprepared they were. The three musketeers were of course the most persevering of all. They fought all the way to the end and displayed the never-say-die spirit.

Showing concern for Nicole

The show of concern towards your classmate touched my heart. The letters and notes of encouragement showed me what a nice, loving and caring class you are.

Prepared speech

It was really nice to be listening to you instead of hearing my own voice every day =j All of you have the ability to speak. Just speak from your heart and you will do fine. I am looking forward to the impromptu speech.

Inspirational corner

I realise that many of you are wiser than you think. You have contributed so many quotes of wisdom that serve as wonderful reminders of the positive attitudes and the mindsets that we should have. Many times when I was in the empty classroom at the end of a day, I looked at the wall and my heart smiled.  I hope that we will live up to at least one or two of these wise quotes. May I share one quote that I live by – People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. This quote is by John C Maxwell and it reminds me to always care about how others feel.

Little angels

From term 2 onwards and even from the end of term 1, I noticed that there were things that quite a lot of you did for the class without me asking. They are simply countless – putting up the roster, cleaning the whiteboard, sweeping the floor, tidying things up, and so on. Wow! I feel very blessed indeed to be your teacher and I am so very proud of you. Many of you did not do it for the reward. You did it because it is the right and nice thing to do and that you enjoy it. I like that.

Improvements

One thing that really makes me happy is when you show the determination to improve either in your behaviour or in your work or both! When you put your promises into actions, it shows that you are someone who mean just what you say.

Appreciation

Every time you show your sincere appreciation, whether verbally or with a written note, it makes me glad that I am teaching children who know how to be thankful. A heart full of gratitude will always be a happy one.

Fun

Of course, I also enjoy the times when we laughed together! Cheeky class. Well, sometimes =j Like I said before, I like happy children and I aspire to be a happy teacher. You can help me to be one by being nice, obedient and thoughtful.  Won't you? =j

There you go. I hope you have enjoyed reading my journal. Just to let you know, I have always enjoyed reading yours and that’s the highlight for me on days when I feel really tired. After reading, I don’t feel so tired any more =j

p/s : I believe there are more chapters I can add to my journal about 5D =j

Ms Jermaine Tan

July 2013

dad's culinary treats

fast forward

Subconsciously, I fast forwarded the week. I lived my Tuesday as if it was Wednesday.

Morning. Lesson would be in 10 mins, I thought to myself. Next came a call. "Ms Tan, it's your lesson now." The voice belonged to my class prefect. Shucks! I was looking at the wrong day on the timetable. Missed a period. (Just when I was actually having one. Pun intended.) I rushed up. Snapped back to reality.

Evening. Home. Stopped surfing on the Internet and switched on the TV for the usual 8pm wednesday show I catch. 5 mins passed and no sign of it. Shucks! It's Tues. I guess reality didn't hit me hard enough.

comfort food

Whenever I'm home for the weekend, I can always expect to find my comfort food on the table when I wake up in the morning. Nice. Thanks Dad. I tell him.

granny's chicken soup for the soul

1st post for the 1st day of the new year.

piping hot from the pot.

granny says there's soup for me.

chicken soup for the soul.

bittersweet.

it tasted herby bitter but

sweetened by my granny's care.