♥ Saturday, November 27, 2010 ♥
Rest in Peace, Puan Chia
27 November 2010
I used to dread her classes so much.
I used to think she was fierce.
I used to think her behaviour was outrageous, sometimes.
I used to grumble and complain about having to memorise words and short passages.
Whatever I thought of her when I was in primary school, it changed after I graduated and started high school.
I started to miss her a lot then.
I started to miss the effective ways she taught us things.
I even missed having to have Malay spelling bees and dictation and stuff, onerous though they were.
Honestly, she was one of the best teachers who taught Malay that I have ever met, and that's quite saying something, since, well, I have been studying Malay since I was in Standard One, when I was a mere, immature seven-year-old.
She taught us for ... how many years was it? Three. Or Four. I think it was three. Since Standard Four, until Standard Six.
She had been teaching at my primary school since a long long time ago, since she taught my brother too, who is 6 years older than me, and had taught some of my juniors now.
I remember my brother complaining about how she threw his bag out of the class, and stuff.
They are not exactly good memories, as in, not memories about good things, like birthdays or Christmas. But they ARE good memories.
Whenever I think of primary school, I think of her and running. (I used to be a kind-of athlete when I was young)
I have never realised it until now, but every time (not many, though) I went back to my primary school, the first person I would search for in the staff room, was her. We would ask around about her whereabouts, and would wait to speak to her.
Recently, around the early days of November, my sister went back to our primary school. When she came back, the first question I asked was, "did you see Puan Chia?".
Even Hsieh Ying is like that, I think.
Not that we don't like the other teachers, we really like all of them, and our affection for them probably increased after we graduated, but somehow, Puan Chia seemed to be the most important one, the one we wanted to see the most. Like I said, I didn't realise until now.
The last time I saw her was on the 10th of October last year. How time flies. I never even noticed that I haven't been back to my primary school this year. Sigh.
Then, on the day I finished my English paper, I received a text message saying that she had passed away. I was so shocked, my jaw literally fell open. I almost couldn't believe it. It was ... so unexpected. No one saw it coming. We didn't even know she was admitted into the hospital days before.
Sigh. She was an excellent teacher. Fierce, but excellent. I still have her many "Kosa Kata"s in my drawer. I remember, I took them out and read them too, I think it was last year, when I hadn't started attending Malay tuition classes. You may think it's weird for me to study the Malay vocabulary that I studied way back when I was in primary school, but what she taught was really good, and I have forgotten the meaning of many of those words.
I can't really remember lots of things about her, but there are a few images that are particularly vivid. Last year, when HY and I went back, and chatted to her. I remember she was wearing a cute fuchsia and purple slightly form-fitting, striped dress with some colourful buttons. Her hair was long (I think) and red. I remember thinking how modern and trendy she was.
And I remember her saying that she liked to watch Astro, and would watch until late at night. But after she came out from the hospital, she said she was "scared already", and would sleep earlier every night.
I remember her throwing chalk at people who weren't paying attention to what she was saying. I remember her punishing us because we didn't do well in our Ejaan or Rencana. I remember her using our Art classes to teach Malay, so we had ... three or four successive Malay periods.
I remember how she always called my sister Tan Juan and called me Tan Wan. Actually, most of the teachers made that mistake, they would say "ah! Tan W - uh, no, Tan Juan!" and vice versa.
I remember I always thought how slim she was every time I saw her. She was always wearing very nice clothes and shoes and always looked immaculate, pretty. Yeah, I always notice these kind of things.
Anyway.
Thank you for everything, Puan Chia!
I may not remember everything you said, do, or wear, but I will never forget you.
Rest in Peace.
* Tomorrow is my birthday. And I have exams on Monday until Thursday. That's really awesome.
♥ craving chocolate kisses ..
12:28 AM
12:28 AM
♥ Friday, November 05, 2010 ♥
Helloooo
5 November 2010
SPM is in 18 days. And I haven't really studied much. Oh God.
I hope I can still remember what I studied for the trials. Eeek.
Anyhoo. Had great fun with all the S5B leng luis yesterday! Probably won't update until after SPM, by which I'd probably have forgotten all about it. As usual.
Sigh. I have graduated, but I still have to go to school. Sucks to be me. Hahaha.
I should study, but I have to upload the photos of our party last night on Facebook first. Grrr.
♥ craving chocolate kisses ..
12:50 PM
12:50 PM