masterwordsmith-unplugged

Eight years - that's how long I taught Eugene Huang (in green t-shirt). He survived Tuesdays with Masterwordsmith for about 400 odd Tuesdays. Incredible!!! And what a coincidence with Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays with Morrie" which used to be compulsory reading for my classes :-).

When he first came to me, he was in Year 4 at Dalat International School after which he switched to St. Christopher's International School and then progressed to Uplands International School. In all those years, I have only scolded him ONCE when he was nine years old and he copied the answers from the back of the book for one exercise :-) and yours truly found out because he copied the wrong answers :-). Since that time, I had NO PROBLEM whatsoever with Eugene, a model student - conscientious, respectful, diligent, teachable, intelligent, honest etc. - a living testimony of Mrs Lily Huang's highly commendable parenting skills (his dad works in another country and comes back often to be with the lovely family).

The only other student like this is Jackson Phoon, whom I taught for eleven solid years, now on a full scholarship in a top Taiwanese university majoring in economics.

I know I'll never be able to find another student like Jackson, Eugene or Tony or Franco or Kevin which is why I have retired and do not want to teach any more, because to be honest, teaching these days is a nightmare and not a pleasure with the current state of critical thinking skills, poor grasp of English, weak general knowledge and the poor reading habits of many students.

My greatest achievement with Eugene would imparting critical analysis skills of poetry - something which he hated from the start but yet, he acquiesced and completed all his assignments..The other achievement would be the development of his writing style and creative writing and he has produced many wonderful creative pieces for me - from sci-fic to fantasy to futuristic to argumentative, persuasive, compare and contrast etc...Just like a sponge, Eugene was always ready to learn new things and also from his mistakes. I just had to correct him ONCE and I knew that he would never repeat that mistake ever again.

The following excerpt is from his last assignment - I asked him to practise writing five different introductions for any essay, using different techniques before his IGCSE English paper and this is what he wrote...I am so proud of Eugene - that the last piece of work he handed up to me is testimony of the worthwhile hours he spent with me over the last eight years...Thanks for the great times, dear Eugene.

TASK: Describe the characteristics of a grandparent (real or imaginary) whose company you enjoy.

His answer:

The old antique shop across Langdivet Street holds many valuable great treasures unknown to the world. You can say my grandfather was one of them. The word 'grand' does not describe his age but his qualities. Every beautiful Sunday, I would find myself creaking open the wooden door of his shop to find a deep voice greeting me, if not awakening me. My grandfather commanded a booming voice - deep and strong. Each time he spoke, his words were filled with fire and flares. In a way, he brought my adventure and fantasies to life.

Each visit was met with an unknown and mysterious surprise, later followed by the most captivating stories that I had ever heard before. His white hair was scruffy and wild, each strand flying in a different direction. He resembled a porcupine to say the least. Just below were his oval eyes, both distinct with dark black pupils that were often open wide, giving the impression that he would spring to liveliness at any moment. Once again, 'old' does not describe his age, for he was more active than me. .....

In all the eight years I have taught him, he always completed every single task I had given me except for maybe three or four pieces of work which were a week late due to the demands of school homework. His focus, determination, attention, respect for me is something that I will bring with me to my grave. He has never ever raised his voice at me to object about the many tasks I would give him...Along the way, I became more human and reduced the workload, especially this year and even though I posed formidable tasks for him to accomplish, every single obstacle was bulldozed to the ground and he completed everything with so much dedication, in the best handwriting, always neatly written. Thanks for allowing me to impart my knowledge and skills to you and for letting me watch you grow up into a fine teenager. Thanks also for the lovely HILLY wallet. Love it!

Tony first came when he was in Year 8 and in a short space of time improved considerably. He is the most lively teenager that I have ever taught and his brilliance can be seen in the unending intelligent questions he would ask and witty remarks he would make. A very caring and kind boy, he was always the first one to sms/call me on my birthday/X'mas, New Year, Chinese New Year or Valentine's Day and the only downside was his distaste for tedious written work. His essays were usually bizarre, funny and adventurous, reflecting his unending zest for excitement.

Surprisingly, Tony taught me many things in the past four years. He is not like Eugene at all but both of them are great friends, guitarists and gamers :-). Not one to keep quiet about anything, Tony was always frank and ever ready to object. It was so amazing that despite his reluctance to do economics homework, he managed to grasp the principles of the syllabus and I sincerely hope that both of them will do well in their exam. Tony is a very sensitive young man with a deep capacity to love, and I can see how much he loves his mom. Certainly, he will make a very husband and father one day. I will miss him dearly for classes with him were always very noisy, filled with rebuttals, jokes, sarcastic retorts from both of us - never a dull moment indeed but learning moments filled with laughter, sometimes tears when we shared from our hearts.

Sigh ...I will miss both of them VERY MUCH but I know a new chapter of their lives awaits them in Taylor's College and I wish them the best in all their future undertakings. I am very proud of you BOTH and am thankful for the years that I could share with you.

This afternoon, I took them for lunch at Salsa's and they were on their best behaviour. I think it must have been the makeover they both had for the graduation dinner last night. Tony restyled and colored his hair while Eugene had a funky new hairstyle. It was most unusual for Tony to be so quiet :-) - maybe it was because Eugene was there :-) but it was lovely to have a meal with the boys. After our soup, our entre came. The boys had beef on buttered rice...



I enjoyed grilled chicken and had a tough time finishing it because it was a very big portion indeed. Unlike in other restaurants which tend to use a basic sauce plus other seasoning, I could not detect the ingredients for the marinade.


Dessert was lovely - finely cut assorted fruits, pineapple cheese cake and ice-cream. The iced lemon tea was just the right combination - not too sweet or sour with the right burst of flavors that stayed to the end despite the melting ice.

After lunch, I dropped the boys and after writing this post halfway in the afternoon, I went shopping at Gurney with a friend. Where else would I be but at MPH bookstore and then Popular and then at PDA Gadzet World.

I spent hours in MPH choosing books for my girlfriend who received 150RM of gift vouchers so happily I chose Tash Aw's latest book "MAP OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD", Preeta Samarasan's "EVENING IS THE WHOLE DAY", Robin Sharma's "THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI" and Spencer Johnson's "PEAKS AND VALLEYS". And you may ask why I had to choose the books for her - simple. I choose, she pays and I also get to read it :-) when she is done or sometimes, before she reads them (rare though).

While she was queueing up to pay for her purchases, I made my way to Popular and bought three books - Wally Lamb's "THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED", Jeffrey Archer's "A PRISONER OF BIRTH" and Robin Sharma's "FAMILY WISDOM - Nurturing the Leader Within Your Child". Sigh. I know I promised not to buy any more books but these were on 20% discount :-). See - very good justification to buy books even though there is no more space in my study or family room. My kitchen area has also become a library because I seldom cook now. My long dining table is no longer used for dining but for stacks of books :-( and soon, I will have to annex new territory for my books - ah my older boy's room perhaps ...

And then - the highlight of the evening, my purchase at PDA Gadzet World. I doubt I will be able to sleep tonight.

:-)

My blood pressure is up, I am so excited, heart is palpitating and hubby and son are grumbling because I have been asking them to massage my shoulders and neck which are so tense from too much excitement.

:-)

As you know, next Sunday is Father's Day and I bought my hubby a HTC Touch Cruise phone :-).

The following is taken from THIS LINK.

HTC Touch Cruise 09 is a form factor Candy bar slim phone supports GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 on the 2G network and HSDPA 900 / 2100 on the 3G network, which means you can use this phone anywhere in the world. HTC Touch Cruise is compatible with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system and this device is powered by a 528-MHz processor.

HTC Touch Cruise 09 comes with 256 MB of RAM and 512 MB of internal memory with microSD memory card expansion added. The HTC Touch Cruise 09 has a 2.8-inch TFT touch screen with a TouchFlo finger swipe and handwriting and navigation waterways for more control you surf.

Please click HERE and OVER HERE and HERE FOR A VIDEO REVIEW. I was going to get him a Blackberry Storm but I reckon the Touch Cruise is a great bargain for its price, specs and functions and ooooohhhhhh I am so excited as I will pick it up tomorrow and will have to learn how to use it, attend the classes and aha - become his HTC sifu from tomorrow onwards. :-)

My dear better half is the best dad my boys can have. I know not of any other man who is as patient, calm, wise, emotionally strong, positive etc...as him. Certainly, my boys are blessed to have him as their dad and if I had not married him, I would not have married any one else!!! This is a small price to pay for the immeasurable value he has given to my life and that of my son!!!

After making a reservation for the phone, my girlfriend and I had dinner at Winter Warmers and then did our groceries (to justify our long absence from our homes haha) and made our way to our respective homes.

What a lovely Sunday this has been...Unforgettable memories are made of these....

Here's wishing you a great week ahead! I know mine will be tough :-). I promised my hubby that I will go running with him tomorrow morning and I really hope I can wake up :-(. Good night!!!