the bells will go ringing

I miss the finnish alien.

I hardly see him around nowadays. Partly because I have no computer to use, partly because I teach until 9 pm and partly because he's having his exams. I think.

Do you know what it means to be enthralled? You could go away for a week or more and find your attention turning else where only to be drawn back by a sentence or two.

And finding you can do nothing for him but to pray every morning... I know it's the best I can do, but I still wish I could do something more. Like cook for him. And sing for him.

Today I fed my colleagues dinner. Somehow... I wish I could have had the alien there too.

Nevermind. For now, it's practice. Sorry, my dear colleagues. But at least I take practice seriously too you know?

Anyway. I shouldn't be so fixated on an alien miles and miles away.

Tomorrow I got to teach the kids English. And tomorrow Jessica is leaving me on my own. Wah.

Let's look for my Danish pastry recipes for now ^^




P.S. Oops. The alien says my birthday card to him caused trouble. >.<>.<""!

Work.

Here, I can't help but put up some of the conversations I've had with the children I work with over these last few weeks...

So here goes. Just for laughs. In ranking of entertainment value.

#1
Gina, out of the blue: Teacher Jane! I know who your boyfriend is!
Me, trying not to smile: Who?
Gina: It's Teacher Ming Hui! (My colleague)
Me, putting on a wry smile to avoid laughing out loud: Silly girl, I don't have a boyfriend.
Gina: Yes you do! Admit it, or I'll go tell Teacher Ming Hui!
Me, turning my attention to another girl to stop aforementioned laughter: Go ahead. It's not true.
Gina: ....

Wow. That must have been the singularly most embarrassing, most hilarious moment and most effective answer I have given to any of the children. All thanks to that XYZ$#^&@ Gina. I laughed hard and loud when I got home. Now I know how Anne of Green Gables felt like.

#2
Le Ye (a boy), to Ming Hui: Teacher Ming Hui, I know who you love! (Funny how all these kids are only interested in these kinds of stupid things.)
Le Ye: It's Regina (one of the girls with a really la princessa attitude), because you spend so much time with her!

Which was true because Regina is an attention seeker. Still. Ironic really. Boys and girls their age can't stand one another, but are obsessively interested in such things. Sigh.

#3 (This one competes with #1 in embarrasment value)

Some of the girls were practicing a dance in one of the counselling rooms. I was sitting in there supervising them when suddenly...
N (I shall refrain from real names here) pointing at one of the walls: Did you know, Teacher Jane, last time there was a boy who liked to pretend he was having sex with this wall?
Me, speechless: What?
U, another girl: Yes, and you know sometimes we can see teenage couples having sex at the block downstairs.
Me, still speechless: What?

I still don't know how I managed to get out of that, but I know from that day onwards the girls were never allowed to use a room to practice anything again. Now they have to do it in the lobby, where everybody can see them.

#4 (We're in safe territory now)
Xiu Ling, in Chinese: Teacher Jane, how long will you be staying with us?
Me, also in Chinese: Hmm, my school starts in July so I should be here with you until June.
Xiu Ling: Oh good, because Teacher Ming Hui will leave after March. *Pause* But you won't be here during Teachers' Day or Children's Day! Will you come back to see us?
Me: Of course, if I can.
Xiu Ling, 10 mins later: Here Teacher Jane, this is for you, but you can't open it till Teachers' Day.

Of course when I went home I peeked into the "folder" she made using two pieces of paper and lots of scotch tape, and found a "Happy Teachers' Day!" written on the inside. Awww... so cute! Now I have tons and tons of those folders at home because she gives me at least 3 a week. Lol.

#5 (Which happens on a regular basis by different children)
Child: Teacher Jane, aren't you eating?
Me, usually busy with marking books: Ah, afterwards.
Response from certain children: Here Teacher Jane, I feed you mine.

Lol. If I ever went on a diet I don't know how I'd ever lose weight.

And I can't exactly remember how it happened, but I ended up promising to cook for both my colleagues and the children. >.> Well I have lots of people to test food on then. :D

Even as I sit and remember these things I can't help but smile like a cracked loony.

It may seem all nice and rosy but lately I've been feeling that I'm not doing enough. Like I'm the slackest intern around (which is not actually such a bad thing except for my strong sense of guilt), and the constant feeling that I'm making bad decisions and not handling the children well.

Ah what the hey. It's the weekend, and if I don't relax know, when will I?




P.S. Thanks for telling me about the scholarship application thing Shooee. Yes it's open, and yes, I am getting ready to apply.

jane + reading or jane + science?

Nice equation Shooee: I like. Allow me to add more to it.



jane-literature-reading + jane-is-working + generous-parents + possesive-tendencies = BUY.



Lol. But thanks to Shooee I found my much wanted Helsinki travel guide! Yay!



Next on wishlist: Kuopio travel guide. Or at least an entire book on Finland that includes said region.



I visited Pei Rong on Saturday with Yokie. Our hearts sank when we saw her, but we were also glad to see that she was already on the mend. When she is well enough to transfer out of ICU I'll make time to go see her again...



It's really hard to swallow the fact that your onetime two years lab partner is the pathetic figure lying swaddled in cloths with tubes everywhere. I can't believe it really, except that I've seen it myself.



I still remember...

Rongie: Ok, that's ten seconds

Me: 39, 40 bubbles. *scribbles* Ok, once again.



And all the expressions she used to make with her pretty, striking face.



But I know, I believe I'll see all that again.


Funny how much it takes for people to get in touch again. We always think that those we've parted ways with are ok. Until they're not. Then we can't believe it.



Elainey has returned to a hot and crazy melb. Take care Elainey. Don't let the heat get to you.


To forget the science or to forget the words? But does it have to be that way? What to do what to choose? Feels like I really am going to chicken out after all. At times like this I really wish I didn't have to grow up.

Ugh.

be my alien

if someone is constantly in his own little world on his own planet, does that make him an alien?

hmm.

alien also means foreigner anyway, so i'm correct either way :)

oh i do love being correct.

hearing peili jiejie's sharing last night was encouraging. i was telling God sometime ago that i was getting discouraged, but i shall pray harder now. not just for my pet alien. but mainly for him. i'm well aware that one size doesn't fit all, but it's a good example to follow. i think.

realize i have a bad habit of thinking of him as "mine". do forgive the wishful thinking. i do take pains to remind myself that he will possibly never be mine. setting myself up for a hard fall aren't i?

chotto akogareteru no kono serifu:

dots. to0 embarrassed to say it after all.

ha. anyway. last week was pretty eventful. cny. baked. ate. got fat. refused the internship. wiggled out of the camp. taught. scolded. played. nursed a cut. supervised a dance.

my life is too crowded over. is there some way i can back out now or is it too late?

yari tai koto wa ippai, kini naru wa shyoganai wa. i can't help worrying about everything i want to do, even though i know i should.

oh look who just appeared. shuo alien, alien jiu dao.

by some severe twist of fate though, mom also just called me to help her make dumplings too.

duty calls.

denwa denwa shitete mainichi. oikakete ne, darling?