Saturday, May 29, 2010

So it's my fault

Dad: Why is the (styrofoam) box broken?

Me: I fell on it when I slipped from the wet cloth.

Dad: How can it be so broken?

Me: With my size of course it will break?

Dad: (Gave me a one kind look)

Me: You put a wet floormat on the marble flooring there is definitely a chance I will fall.

Dad: That's the domestic helper's problem, it's not my fault.

Me: Ya but the floormat is wet and it's slippery on this flooring.

Dad: The mats are dirty of course she has to wash it!

Me: Then after she washed she could dry it outside first than to leave a wet floormat here.

So me falling down is wrong because it broke his box. I walked off after saying the last sentence. Not even a word of concern asked. If it was him who fell, it would be a different story.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Like that lor...

Just finished a week long of graduation with me scheduled for first and last day duties. 3 sessions a day, I "sang"/lip-synced the national anthem 6 times this week. Usually I would look forward to every year this time as we get to see students who have been working in line with me after a long time since they left school. This year, it just feels like part of my work routine.

This year's graduation has its significance on me. I am witnessing the 1st batch of students whom I first taught back in 2007. Now, they have graduated. Time have really flown. So fast, so furious. I could recognise a few of them and one of them, a scholar even remembered me though I can't really remember him, haha. Can't blame me as I teach almost 200 students a year. Even those who were under my CCA Clubs' care, I can't remember their names but can recognise their face though.

Congratulations graduands!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Heavy

Today we had the 2nd casualty for the module. The first was a head injury requiring to be warded, today was a finger dislocation.

On my way back from the hospital I was stuck in a very slow moving traffic back to school. I felt very thankful that the injury was not very serious. And then it dawned upon me that my job is quite a thankless job. I don't earn a high paying salary even when I have to undertake more risk in my work.

It's this time of the year again and I have to students overseas soon. Without fail, the trip organisers would surely go through a tug of war over various issues that were raised year after year. To them, it is the fun and excitement in the activities that they would like to offer. To me, I always have to plead them to think from the school point of view as well.

It's not because it's tougher or more demanding terrain that I don't want to do. On each trip, I have the duty of care over each of them. I can lose my job for nuts if something were to happen, but I know it will never get through my conscience that a serious or fatal accident occured due to my negligence. A few years ago, when I first took over this adventure club, the President had the cheek to even tell me that he was willing to undertake all responsibilities. I threw a question back at him, "Who are you to undertake such responsibilities? Can you ever repay somebody else's son / daughter?" In the name of tradition, they were willing to put so much at risk.

If an engineer can get a few hundred dollars by just signing on a piece of paper, why shouldn't we be treated similarly when I have duty of care over people's lives? What is the difference? When will the organisation ever see the amount of responsibilities doesn't equate with the remunerations?

Wisdom, I need. Graces even more to see me through it all. But how long more?