So I started the academic year at a new school after working in the last six years. It's almost first time in my working life that I joined everyone in commuting to work. It takes me an hour from door to door to work and then there's this stairs that's more than 150 steps to climb once I get out of the train station. In the beginning, I tried taking the train and then climbing the steps like everyone else and then, I gave up! These days, I cab it to work. The students that I teach now, more than two thirds in every class come from broken families. Less than ten percent has ever been in a airplane. And when my students find out that my lunch costs more than HK50, they give me a disapproving look. Sure, the class discipline is worse than what I was used to. The reality, the first two months was a nightmare! I often looked out of my window into my old school and wonder what have I done to myself?
But now, at the end of the academic year, how do I feel? Every day, I'm beginning to see why God has brought me to this school. Sure it is hard work. I'm not going to deny it. I spend more time repeating myself, dealing with discipline and more money in buying and baking stuff for the kids. Are these things worth it? Yes, because I see the changes in the students. Even some of the naughtiest boys are changing for the better. There's more effort from them to speak to me in English. They are more motivated than before and they seem to put in more effort in English. And the truth is that, I'm really going to miss my first batch of p6 students even though I've known them only for such a short time.
On the home front, it's been a trying year for Babe and me. Babe's been traveling a lot more and I was still getting adjusted to the new school and there were times that we butt heads. But at the end of the day, we knew that we're in for the long run and so we need to compromise and stop bringing home stress and to work as a united front. Babe being the sweetheart, gave me one of the best presents ever. I'll talk about it later.
With little Baba, he's grown so much. So much that I can't stress how proud am I of him. Last year, little Baba failed an interview with a kindy near our home and I was fine with it. Our thoughts were, if he can't get into a kindy then, he'll stay at home for another year. It's not going to kill him or anything like that. Thank God, a friend told me about a kindy that's in Sheung Wan. So I went to have a look, I liked it, and then brought Babe there and he liked it and so I registered little Baba. The first two weeks, it was a nightmare. He cried every day but we persisted and now, he totally loves school. He's learnt lots and he's picked up quite a fair bit of Mandarin as well. He would often come home singing songs he learnt at school be it in English or Mandarin. It's really endearing hearing him sing. He's also made friends in school and we went on a couple play dates this week. I enjoyed the company of other mummies. Overall, it's been great with little Baba. He loves school so much that he's going to summer school!
So Babe decided that he would give me a really superb present. Can't really complain because he's the best husband ever. He decided gift me a trip to Italy to meet Eve! Woohoo!!!! He knew that I've not seen Eve for close to two years and I'm really missing her and so he generously told me that I could go on a trip with her and that he'll take care of little Baba. So I'll be leaving in about twenty-four hours to fly to London to meet Eve and then we'll be off to Italy exploring different places. Can't bloody wait! After Italy, we'll be off to Spore to celebrate little Baba's birthday and also to hang out with Jo Meimei and Babe being always so wonderful decided that we should have a short family holiday with just the three of us, we're going to Taipei. So this is just going to be a wonderful summer! Totally blessed and am humbled.
Meanwhile, enjoy these photos and my fav video from little Baba's graduation party. He's moving from Little Casa to Casa, well, I don't really know what does that mean anyway!
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