My Blog

Collected my blood test result a couple of days ago.
As usual, everything was fine except my cholesterol level.
“WHAT?
So skinny, but has high cholesterol?”
That’s what most people react when I told them that.
Yeah, I knew about it since 1993 or 1994.
Previously, everything was normal. Age is indeed catching up, I guess (READ: Getting old)
Anyway, my LDL and total cholesterol has reduced by a tiny margin compared to last year.

So, what did the fei chai doctor recommend?
Cut down or eliminate red meat & animal products from diet, take more vege (EEW!) and fruits.
Anyway, I don’t often take pork, so it’s okay with me.
Beef and mutton are rare in my diet, so no problem with that too.
Is Fish & Chips okay?
No more fast food…
That’s kind’a difficult…

In fact, I’ve been watching my diet since last year, albeit feebly But I love ice-cream…
Do I need to eliminate it as well?
God…Help the Kitty Kat! =..=

Complications?
Well, he said that since my family has a history of stroke (both my maternal grandpa & grandma suffered from stroke), and my mom has high cholesterol level, it could be partially genetic/hereditary, partially consumed, partially produced by my body.
Stress also plays a factor in it.
Blame it on my students! hahaha…
If I don’t reduce it now, I might also suffer from various ailments in future:
stroke, high-blood, heart attack, etc.
In short, I might not live to a ripe old age (READ: Die young)
(Psst! My dear friends, I might be the 1st to leave you all, so that I won’t have to bear the sorrow of seeing my dear ones leave me one by one to travel to the Netherworld)
With all the festivities and merry-making all year round, it’s indeed hard to watch what I eat.
But try, I must…
Won’t want to be a burden to people, would I?
BTW, don’t tempt me with all the good food, okay?
I might succumb to the temptation My will-power melts at the sight of delicious cakes/desserts and yummy ice-cream…
A poor man’s diet for me now…
AH!
And exercise…
Swimming, anyone?

Saturday, 17th December 2005, marked my last day at Claris Music, Setapak Branch.
I’ve been teaching here since 1997, after graduating from Yamaha’s New Teachers’ Training Programme.
I’ve given the school executive, Mrs Thiang, 6 months’ notice in advance, so that she could make arrangements for another teacher to take over my students. I’m glad they’ll be in the good hands of Mr P.Y. Wong come January 2006. (but I’m still teaching at Claris Music Tmn Midah and Ampang)
6 months… Feels like eternity when I first told her that I would like to stop teaching there.
Somehow, it breezed by and here I am, a few hundred ringgit poorer come next year!
Saturday, 17th December 2005…
I wore a short, sleeveless white and blue dress to work. Wanted to look nice for my students Did up my eyes too Was a Santarina for a day too Took pix with some staff and teachers, those who have seen me “mature” (”grow old”?) these 8 years…

After bidding “sayonara” to my last student of the day, I sat down and recollected my thoughts.
The past few months has been pretty hectic for me, juggling two jobs, with hardly any time for myself.
A mixture of emotions churning inside me. I can’t describe in words…
Yeah, a sentimental fool, am I!
Relieved that I could get more “me” time, and to bid farewell to students who don’t practise or put in the effort at all(yet still come for lesson, because,”Mommy wanted me to learn music” - Parents, don’t dump YOUR dreams on your kids!);
a twinge of sadness ( saying farewell to students whom I’ve been teaching since JMC and whom I’ve seen them grow up) and to some wonderful colleagues - Mrs Thiang, Sam, Ms Poh Chuan, Ms Chew, Jade, etc…
So many memories, good and bad…

I thought I might cry, but I didn’t, thank goodness!
Wouldn’t look pretty with messy mascara, would I? Hahaha…
Better to leave with a smile, right?
So, I went off smiling after bidding them goodbye, said my thanks ( and nice working with them, hope to be able to work with them again, in the far future- can foresee that I won’t be teaching there anymore in the near future), apologised for the mistakes I’ve done and troubles I’ve caused them.
Mrs Thiang gave me a nice Yamaha tote bag, you’re gonna see me use it soon Poh Chuan suggested a farewell party, how sweet of her! But will wait for their good news Will be seeing them during annual dinner and concerts, so… it’s not a “farewell” actually…
Ya, everything must come to an end, but this sentimental fool is just well….
so sentimental!

It was something I had to do, and I know if I don’t do it, I’ll be unhappy and it would be unfair to my students if I went there to teach just for the sake of $$$ and not passion. Dragging myself there and counting the minutes till the next studemt…
After all, I would like to take some time off on Saturday to meet up with friends for lunch or tea sometimes. And that’s how my working schedule will be like in 2006, with a long break for lunch/tea
Flashbacks…
I remembered when I first went there as a freshie, didn’t know what to expect at all…
Taking over another teacher’s classes, it was really hard…Difficult… I suffered…
Then again, even though it was “hellish” at that time, I gained alot through this experience…

Taking the LRT early in the morning from my house (was staying near the Maluri LRT station) to Sogo, before taking another bus there and same thing back. That was the bi-weekly routine I went through the first four years of my teaching life. Every Saturday and Sunday… rain or shine…Sometimes, Ansgar was nice enough to give William ( colleague -guitar teacher, who was renting a room a few blocks away from my place) and I a lift home on Sunday (yeah, we were all teaching there on Sunday too) and it’d save us all the hassle of taking public transport. I would reach home, totally drained and plonk down on the sofa in front of the TV, waiting for the X-Files…and my granny to come home from her weekly mahjong sessions Those were the days…

Then, I decided to stop my Sunday classes in October 2004.
Ah… How nice, having my Sunday off to sleep till the sun shines on my b*cks*d* But my “joy” was short-lived ’cause when I embarked on my new job as a translator in June 2005, I had to transfer some students to Sunday ( in Cheras and some private students nearby) and had to work till 1 pm again So, it’s back to square one.. Aw…

Hopefully, I will be able to take my Sundays off again after Chinese New Year 2006…
Looking forward to it, and counting the days too!
I really am exhausted, working 6 1/2 days a week (sometimes 7 days).
However, I’ll be much poorer then…
Ah.. win some, lose some…
That’s life, huh?

It’s the end of the year and time to reflect on everything that has happened.
Maybe age is catching up… I’m feeling more contented with my job compared to the previous years…
Mellowed? Probably…
Getting old? Guess so…

My the bosses at the music school trust us and I’ve learned not to be too calculative either.
Anakin has certainly influenced me a lot-to be thankful and you’ll feel happier…
So far, i dun have much problems with my school (maybe they’ve seen me grown up gua - Ms Cheong was my JEC teacher all the way till higher grade-electone ) and Mr Ng was teaching my cousins (and my mom), so they sort of watched me grow up
I’ve also learned to stay away fr “politics” ’cause I learned a good lesson a year ago, some a**hole put words in my mouth and accused me of bad-mouthing another colleague, when i did not do it at all! She was the one who started saying bad things about this colleague, and i said something to “defend” this colleague.Luckily, the colleague was understanding and she knows me well enough to know that I won’t say such degrading things about her and even advised me to be careful of ‘that’ colleague.
Now, I’m very careful of what I say in front of her, and also I say it in front of every one else, so that there’ll be witnesses. And she can’t make me the scapegoat of her ‘loose tongue’ and only talk “fai wah” (nonsense) in front of her
I’ve learned not to be calculative with the school as well, unlike last time ( I was “influenced” by others)
Even if the school cuts my EPF (no EPF for teachers teaching less than 15 hours per week), I don’t really mind anymore.
Am I mad? No lah… I’ve reached a stage where I think I should remember people’s kindness towards me. The school was kind to take me in as a teacher, my teacher recommended me to be JMC examiner, my teacher told me what to do in the NTTP audition, she guided me, Ms Lillian always shared teaching tips and ways to handle parents, ect. and most of all, they gave me so many chances and continued giving me new classes even though my drop-out rate was high the first few years of my teaching carreer.
That’s also a reason i didn’t go elsewhere to teach even though many fellow teachers urged me to try my luck at other Yamaha franchisees.

Now that I’m doing this translation thing, I don’t want to give up teaching completely either ’cause I still love music and some of my ‘kuai-kuai” students And now, my teaching hours are less than 15 hours and they’re still giving me EPF. What else could I ask for?
My teaching hours will be cut down to about 10 hours next year, so if they want to cut my EPF, I don’t mind. It’s the school policy and I know they can’t make any exception or othr people will use it as a precedent. So, just be contented I feel better to think this way After all, they’ve really nice, right?

Yea, the students and their parents aren’t easy to handle these days.
That’s why I get so sick and stressed out…
And could you imagine, everytime before the Lower Grade exams, I’d talk in my sleep, asking my students, “WHAT IS THE KEY SIGNATURE OF G MAJOR?” Hahaha…
And that’s the reason I got another job, so that I won’t feel dependent on teaching and feel more in control of my finances, rather than let the fluctuating income affect me Thus, I feel more at peace now, not worrying about the varying monthly commission

I didn’t look for another job before this, all these years since I left school, cause I didn’t want my grandma to be home alone whole day - worried she might fall or hurt herself while doing housework, so better to stay at home with her till late afternoon when I need to teach. After her stroke, I am left all alone at home for a year and I started planning (scheming? ;-p)
I have no more worries. Johnny Boy can take good care of himself, he doesn’t need me yelling at him whenever he starts scratching himself or barking himself hoarse So I started to look for other jobs.
No, I’m not complaining nor do I have any regrets. I’d gladly stay at home with her and accompany her and know that she’s well and healthy.
GOD! I miss her so much! Psst… I still get teary-eyed when I think about my grandma, the feeling gets worse during family reunions, like the Winter Solstice festival, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Mooncake festival and the Chinese All-Souls’ Day (Qing-Ming)… Miss her, her voice, her presence, the food that she prepares… :’(

Christmas… time to count my blessings and be thankful and contented…
I’ll be happier this way, I guess Peace to all
HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS and MAY 2006 SHOWERS UPON YOU ALL GOOD THINGS IN LIFE!
Love ya, people! MUAKS…