Reminisce on the Good Ol' Schooling Years

Got tagged to do this meme by Wee Shiong. It is my first meme! Ooh weeee! LOL!

Lulu's To Sir With Love keep getting into my head while I tried to remember back those schooling years. That song is just so melancholic, sad but yet there are happy memories. Hehe! One thing that stuck out the most in my memory when I was in school, either in primary or secondary was my inherent shyness. I was so shy and timid. Partly due to my low self-esteem as I was fat and chubby. Another was the feeling of helplessness I had because I felt like my physical self was constricting me from doing all the things I wanna do. In fact, after slimming down considerably, I think I am still a shy guy. ;p

Now, let get this meme started.

How many schools did you go to?

Eight. Yes, eight! Just because I moved a lot. All the schools I've been to were co-ed. Four of them were "sekolah agama". Those religious schools that were held before or after regular school. However, this was only during my primary school years. It was really tiring though. Nearly half a day spent at the regular school, arrived at home for lunch, washed up, get dressed (they have a dress code; you have to wear baju melayu complete with a green "sampin" and "songkok") and off I went to religious school. When I got home, I was beat.


Was I the studious nerd or the last minute hero?

Definitely the last minute hero. I was not that studious. I was just an average student, where I only excelled in a couple of subjects I love. And old habits die hard, to this day, I still do my work in the last minute. I so need to work on that.

Was I the class 'taiko' or the teachers' pet?

Considering that I was fat and chubby, you would expect me to be the class "taiko", right?!!. Nope! You know what they say, size does matter. When you're big, people think you're tough. Add to that fact, I already had facial hair when I was in Form Four, I look fierce and somewhat mature. Friends started callling me by the name of a WWF wrestler (I'm so not a fan of WWF or wrestling for that matter) which I can't for goodness sake recalled what it is. But, I'm not tough. I was soft-spoken. Always trying to avoid confrontations. Always play by the rules. Even when I was hassled by an Indian dude who for some unknown reasons, seemed annoyed with my presence, I would just walked away and remained calm. I hoped it would stop. But, it kept going on for nearly a year, every time our paths crossed each other.

Was I a teacher's pet? Hhmm, not really. Although, like Wee Shiong, there was a few teachers who would compliment how nice my handwriting is. "So neat like a girl", they said. LOL!! However, I did like to endear myself to teachers who taught my favourite subjects. Doing the homework on time and as nice as possible. When the time comes for exams or tests, I strive to do well in those subjects and usually got an A. My appearance during my schooling years was that of a typical NERD. Generally, the teachers have this perception of me being a good student. They were sometimes surprised when I did badly in my exams and tests. My friends didn't help that much either further perpetuating that I am this "budak pandai", asking me a lot of questions when they didn't understand a particular subject. Normally, I would try and help them if I can. If not, I would say to them nicely to go ask another "budak pandai". ;p

What was the biggest rule I broke in school?

Being a NERD, the biggest rule I ever broke was coming to school late. Lame, right?! Yet, that was really it. But, the punishment I got was ridiculous and too harsh, I think. I got myself a big wallop on the ass. Fortunately, due to my big, fleshy ass, the pain was bearable.

Three subjects I enjoyed the most?

English: It was and always will be my favourite subject all throughout my schooling years. My English teacher would encourage me to join all those English-related competitions. I got my first exposure in public speaking when I entered the state's English debate competition. As I was in a secondary school where the majority of its students are Chinese, I was really flattered because the competition requires the participation of at least one bumiputera student and my teacher deemed I was good enough to represent my school. We aced the first round but lost the second round as our opponents were all students of mixed-parentage with posh-sounding accents.

Chemistry: I really struggled with this subject. Only managed to get a P6 in my SPM. Nonetheless, the subject is very fascinating to me. The labs and the practical exercises were a lot of fun, pretending to be a scientist. Though, it can be frustrating when the outcome of your experiment is way off than your classmates. Then, you wrecked your brain trying to figure out what went wrong. :D

I just could not think of another subject that I love but I sure know which subject I hated the most!! Maths. I was so bad. I nearly flunked Add. Math in my SPM.

Three teachers that inspired me?

It is sad that none of my teachers managed to inspire me. All the teachers I've encountered are mostly concerned about relaying information. Regurgitating knowledge without caring about whether you are able to apply the knowledge given. All they are concerned with is good result. I've never met a teacher who is passionate about teaching, the process of teaching and to make learning enjoyable. So, I can't really say.

All in all, honestly if I were given the chance to change anything, I would seriously go back to my schooling years and do things differently. I felt like I missed out a lot. Oh, well!

*singing*

Those schoolgirl days of telling tales and biting nails are gone
But in my mind I know they will still live on and on
But how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume?
It isn't easy, but I'll try

Sigh!