When: Saturday, 12 July 2008
Where: Computertots, Bangsar Shopping Complex
I was still wrapped up under my blanket when the alarm started to ring at 8.00 a.m. It was soo comforting I even pulled it up even higher covering my head when my dad went into my room and shouted "Bangun, bangun!!!" Alaaaaaaaaa..... I stretched, quickly got up and went to the bathroom; brushing my teeth with my eyes shut. "Urgh...Ari sabtu pun kena keje..." Yeah, yeah. I was supposed to be curling up in my bed hugging my huge teddy Bubub last Saturday if it wasn't for my part time job. I work as a part time teacher at Computertots Great Eastern Mall Jln Ampang on Sundays only but since I got a call to replace one teacher at Bangsar branch, I had to agree, I'm doing it for money ;) Even if I didn't go to Bangsar I still had to get up early since I was required to attend a stupid Anti-Money Laundering Act training at office last Saturday. No way, I rather go teaching and earn money than attending a stupid course which I have already attended last December. Bluek.
I arrived BSC around 9.05 a.m. and straight away went to the 2nd floor where the centre is located. Met Lyn, a very nice lady (am not sure whether she is Chinese or Malay 'cause she was wearing a red cheong sam but speaks very fluent Malay) who takes care of Bangsar centre and did my review for the class. 30 minutes gone and I let out a huge yawn already. From the schedule given earlier by Lyn, I had to teach a level 2 and level 3 students which means kids aged 5-8. I didn't know what to expect by teaching these kids from Bangsar but all I know is that they are the kids of the rich and famous. And from my colleague Aiena said, we don't need to give feedback to the parents at the end of every class since most of the students will be picked up by their drivers or 'kakak' aka maids. Okay, that's cool, what a relief. It's not that I hate to see their parents it's just that parents from Ampang centre were very particular I even got a student who brings his own mouse as instructed by his mom for 'hygienic purpose'? Was wondering why not bring his own keyboard, monitor and CPU as well? Not to mention that she stormed into the class station every now and then and told me not to let her son stare into the monitor too close claiming it will ruin his son's eyes. Hello!!! We're using LCD monitor okay?? And she even told us that our syllabus is too easy for his 7 year old son that she can teach on her own at home; but when we did assesment on his son, it shows that his son is not even eligible to be placed under level 3, should be in level 2 instead! She just kept quiet about it. And she's the director in one of the mobile operators in Malaysia.
Anyways, back to my day at Bangsar centre last Saturday, my first class was with 3 students of level 2 - 5 and 6 year old kids. First, a chinese boy came in with 'Honda steering' made of paper plate in both of his hands. While 'driving' his Honda, he straight away sat on the left side, facing the computer and asked; "Teacher, what are we going to learn today?" Then I replied; "We're going to do Merriweather Farm". And suddenly he let out a big sigh saying "AGAIN?" with a smirk. I just put on my sweetest smile and waited for another student which was a very cute Malay boy. Unfortunately I don't remember both of these boys' names. Sorry. Soon after we started the class, a last student of mine, a pretty girl with very thick eyebrows (reminds me of the cartoon, Thundercat) and looking great in pink joined our class. Her older sister sat next to our station wearing the same pink Barbie tee and matching pink coloured pants. And her name is Jeanna Leia Alis. I won't forget her name for the rest of my life.
As I started the first session, Jeanna didn't seem to be interested in the software at all eventhough the programme was very interactive, with games and colourful cartoon characters. She prefers to poke her partner (the cute Malay boy) and peeked her sister on the next station. Once a while when I was focusing on the Chinese boy on my left, she jumped around in the classroom or went to her sister's place and kacau her. I had to yell and call out her name sooo many times in order for her to sit at her place and finish her session. And as I pointed something to her on the screen, asking her to go to that particular spot, she said something that really got on my nerves. She was giving me 'the look' and said "I know I know I can see I'm not blind!" I kept cool and just monitored her going through the programme. Then her partner did the same thing I did and she shouted, right on her partner's face, "I know, I'm NOT STUPID!! You're STUPID!!" The moment she finished the last word, my jaw dropped open, not impressed, but more of disbelief. I think my heart was thumping even faster than the tube in Japan. And they both started fighting cause the boy felt intimidated being treated like that. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and calmed them down. But what happen was, Jeanna turned to my face with her tongue sticking out and 'showered' my face with her saliva. If only there was a camera, you could see my face turned bloody red and almost wanted to give her a slap right on her face when she gave me a menacing smile showing off her teeth and ran away. (Dah la gigi depan dua takde! Tu yg tersembur liur di celah-celahan tu!)
Nasib baik la aku ni kerja tau tak, I think if I found her somewhere on the street and I know I won't be seeing her again I wouldn't hesitate giving her a backhand. And when the class almost ended, she kept telling her partner offensive words such as "So stupid, that simple thing also cannot do" and "Honda? Eww I don't like Honda. It's cheap and small" Seriously, I'm not lying. And yeap, she's only 5. FIVE. I wonder how she speaks to her parent. I think she copies whatever she heard from the parent. One hour later, I was ready to send her off, expecting to see her parent or at least one of them but I got disappointed to see her driver came to pick her and her sister up. That's the lifestyle of the Rich kids nowadays. The parents are just too busy to spend time with their own kids, never teach them about manners and politeness and leaving it to their 'kakaks' and uncle driver. So, that was what they learn from their 'kakaks' about manners and politeness.
Next class was with another stuck up kid. Aged 7. He refused to take part in the class claiming he has done the session before but when I checked with Lyn, she said he was just making it up. He was so snobbish he just sat there in front of the pc and said "I don't wanna do this. I have done this before. Ask them to do, I don't care I don't wanna do," with his smug face. Oh god.
At the end of the day I told myself, man, I rather face that lady from Ampang than these bunch of spoiled kids in Bangsar. At least kids in Ampang are cooler. Yeah, Ampang people have always been cooler, moderate and rock!
