Taking a Step Back

I am currently facing a challenge in teaching 2 particular classes. One class consists of cocky brats who think that they're so good that I have nothing to teach them.. while the other is just plain noisy. How I wish that there could be a moment of silence for some information to be transmitted to them, without interruptions and NOISE! These are students in university for god's sake, I would think that these people know how to shut up and listen.

What I will do is I will try different approaches to control the class. It is a bit ridicilous to keep nagging every other minute. I am not their mother, nor am I running a zoo full of monkeys! And at the end of the day, I have to learn to let it go. I may come to the point when someone will get a scolding.. a little juvenile (scolding is..) but if it's what it takes, I might just have to do it. Either that, or I'll just lecture till everyone turns blue and faint.. haha.. that's a thought!

Why the World Need Idiots

• We can't all be clever- where's the balance?
• Being reminded of how smart we are in comparison improves our confidence
• It encourages us to be thankful for our brains
• Humour is a necessity in life- it is amusing to watch members of this species function
• We need an avenue to vent our frustrations
• Because repeating yourself slowly may improve your enunciation

Ego Trip to Mars

Part of our duties is to liaise with other lecturers teaching the same subject at other branches. Sometime last week I received an e-mail from an administrator (on behalf of the subject lecturer) requesting guidance on how to approach a particular assignment question for a law paper.

I gave my opinion as requested- lo and behold I received an e-mail from the lecturer to dispute my suggestion, with explanation on why my opinion can't be used. The e-mail was signed off with her title: Barrister at Law.

Fascinating! To begin with, why didn't this human being just e-mail me directly? Why go through an administrator? She couldn't e-mail me to ask the question yet she was able to take time off from her busy schedule to reply to my e-mail to prove me wrong. My conscience is clear- an opinion was asked, I gave it. The administrator asked a general question- I gave an opinion that fits the general nature of the query.

Anyway, my opinion can be proved or disproved- do either one if you have to but it's not necessary to be rude. By the way, you're welcome- Ms Barrister at Law! I decided to be nonchalant with my reply to her, setting the facts straight. There's indeed no point in entertaining negative energy sources.

This one's another classic. Last 2 years a similar incident happened. I gave an opinion why some questions may be unsuitable for certain subjects, supported with justifications that are purely academic-related. I received a reply which underlying tone spoke volumes about the writer's dislike of my response. It was signed off with a name, followed by a string of academic & professional qualifications. Dude, do you need help removing the chip off your shoulder?

I come away from these experiences humbled. I am who I am and I don't have to exert myself to prove might or importance. Sometimes it is crucial to remember that we are servants to a higher power and live our lives accordingly.

Speaking in the Abstract

I attended a talk this morning- about character building & ethics. It reminded me of my jurispudence class with Prof Derek Beyleveld & Roger Brownsword, where everything is relative and we have to make the arguments to justify each standpoint.

I'm surprised that I still remember the lecturers' names after so long. They were the bane of our existence, then. I think if I were to do the subject now, I might be able to look at it more perceptively. Maturity is wonderful that way. I have the confidence to speak my mind or admit that I don't know everything after all.

Anyway, back to the lecture, I had thought that at the end of it there'll be a long debate on the virtues of ethics and the sphere of influence etc. but it did not happen (according to a colleague that stayed till the end). I left early to attend to students in a particular class, who ended up coming late. What's the point of this blog? I don't have one. So sue me.

Display of Brute Force

Speaking of bullies (yes, we're still on the same topic).. I have a story to tell.

Our staff team won the Netball challenge last month at the Sports Carnival. Although there are no objections to men playing this game, it's primarily played by women. Understand that we won this year, after repeated thrashing by the students' team in the Sports Carnivals of yore.

Our win created an interest and a male colleague issued a 'challenge', disguised in a polite e-mail containing a request for a match against the women's team. We agreed and this game was played last Friday evening. In my mind, the acceptance was on the understanding that it will be a friendly game, with nothing at stake. I took it in good faith that the men will review the rules (or at least find out what the rules are).

My sixth sense was tingling just before the match that I shouldnt play it.

It turned out that there was a prize at stake. And the men didn't know the rules.. at all.

The game was far from friendly- we were tripped and elbowed (rules say that this is a non-contact sport & they have to stay 3 feet away at all times), some of us were rammed into, somebody knocked my nose. I seriously didn't know what possessed us to keep playing. I stopped after the 1st half & decided to play basketball in the next court.. by myself.

I went home and told hubby about it, and he called us stupid. No sympathy there.

Never again will I allow this to happen. While the game was proposed in the pretext of good faith, it projected bad faith when the men came to the netball court not knowing any of the rules. Their justification is that there will be a referee who know the rules. We should've cancelled the game and postponed it to the day when the men have learnt up the rules (if ever).

What saddens me more is the underlying message. It appeared, with hindsight, that the men may have thought that our win was a fluke. Why can't they leave us be with our moment in the sun? Sports Carnival was not more than 2 weeks ago. Can't they just let us have our title for one bloody year without disputing it?

However, to be fair, some members of their team did maintain their integrity. But a good lesson was learnt. Did the men prove that they were stronger? Yes. Did they prove that they were a better team? Maybe. Do they deserve my respect? No. The game, to me, brought out some loathsome characteristics that I won't care to mention.

From now on, I'll stick to Taekwondo. Despite having to do sparring with a male partner (in some occasions), I've never had anyone hit my nose. And taekwondo IS a contact sport. Ironic, isn't it? Chivalry is indeed dead.

Well, another lesson learnt- another key is earned to unlock other experiences. I'm good for now.

Brush with a Mini Bully

Tell me how this appears to you.. 2 bigger children nudged 1 tiny child under an old table behind school property, away from everyone else. Big Kid 1 is about 10 or 11, Big Kid 2 maybe 9. And Tiny Kid is really small, maybe 7 or 8 (or a 9-year old who's small for his age).

Big Kid 1 is empty-handed. Big Kid 2 is holding a long branch against the table. I stopped the car just outside to the school property and asked Big Kid 1 what they're doing. He said "We're just sitting around..". Tiny Kid started running towards the school canteen, followed by Big Kid 2. Big Kid 1 remained in the same area & was looking at a tree as I drove away.

Questions:
What were they doing there? Just playing or just about to do something sinister?
Why are the Big Kids standing when they're just 'sitting around'?
What happened? Did I just stop 2 bullies from exerting their power?

I left feeling dumbfounded. Bullies are alive and well, in our schools.. on the roads and in the offices (more of this later...).

Good Luck & Bad Luck in the Wired World

An e-mail was circulated earlier this week by a colleague.. about some "chinese proverbs that originated from Netherlands" (...not sure what that means myself :p). The content went something along the lines of "with money... you can buy a bed, but not sleep; you can afford to see a doctor, but you can't buy health; you can buy a house but not a home; you can buy sex but not love".. and so on.. (by the way, I beg to differ with the last one- in certain Asian countries, you can buy love).

What follows was a long request, the gist of which is that I must forward the e-mail to 20 people or suffer bad luck. Maybe it's time to charge people for e-mails, then they will think a bit harder before deciding to spam everyone with good luck or bad luck messages.

I like this saying "Luck is a dividend of sweat- the harder I work, the luckier I get"- it was probably by the late Ray Kroc, but don't quote me on it.

What did I do? I deleted the message. I'm personally not a fan of spam. Let's see how my luck holds out- I've got an assignment to pass up on Monday & I'm still doing it!