:: just another day ::

The morning saw me dragging myself out of bed to attend a talk by one of our local politician.
Normally political discussions will bore me to death but the three-hour discussion today was engaging as interesting issues were brought up and the speakers' outright frankness on the reality of the local political scene somehow turn our inquisitive minds on as series of questions were then raised in the later part of the session.

While he was highlighting on the rise of successful Malays here, I was thinking of the other extreme; something I learn during my experience with my lower-end students.
So the itchy mouth me raised the question on how in our eagerness to celebrate these budding successes, can we bring the notion of collectivism across to the group who are still trapped in the poverty cycle - who while we are having our discussion in the comfort of an air-conditioned lecture theater, are slogging their butt off to provide for a family of maybe five?

Before my teaching stint, I had in mind all my students' family are like mine.
But I was humbled by my students' open honesty (especially coming from the lower primary), that some of them are raised single-handedly by either parent and parents who exist yet are absent at the same time because they are juggling different jobs.
The detrimental effect on these young minds' are that they were brought up to think they are stupid because report books say fail & the word fail has become a new synonym for stupid in the eyes of our society.
It's hypocritical if I say I understand how they feel because I don't have the slightest clue of how its like to live in a dysfunctional family. This emotional wreck has always been moved by such recounts & know she can only listen with sympathy.

The politician gave me a good insight. Efforts & funds have been channeled to tap on this rising problem. But instant change may prove to be too ideal for progress is often a long-awaited process that requires constant experimentation and awareness that every one of us has a role to play especially when it comes to building a family.

Because sometimes adults flaws & mistakes can victimized our young by robbing their potential, dreams & hopes.





On a lighter note, the man brought me to his temptation Island a.k.a Queensway & yes, this is the second pair of Nike Shoes he got for this month!
Boys and men. The difference? The cost of their toys.