My Longkang

I arrived home to see Benghui beaming. I was wondering what had happened? Was Benghui to get another sibling soon? I looked around and Mrs BB was not around.

” I am a bicycle,” Benghui shouted. Then I remembered. I had spotted the essay Saya sebuah Motokar ( I am a motorcar ) . He was glad a similar question came out but a bicycle instead of a motor car. He was pleased. So was I.

It is this way in my son’s school , in tuition schools and in many Malaysian homes. We try to spot the questions most likely to come out in the examinations. At first when I first started tutoring Benghui, I bought many reference books and concentrated on increasing his vocabulary and improving his grammar. At the same time, I tried to make Mathematics relevant to him by using as many concrete examples as possible. This method is not wrong but will bring forth fruit when he enters secondary school.

I found that at primary three level, this doesn’t help much when it comes to the school based system. In his school, a lot of memory work is involved. They memorize lots of stuff and regurgitate it out during examinations. So the scope of learning is limited to what is immediately relevant in the examinations. There is very little room for creativity.

Sometimes he brings home a list of essays to memorize. When I try to write new essays together with him with the same topics, he gets worried. For example if in an essay, it is written my mother is a housewife he dares not change the script. In the end, all the essays come out looking almost all the same.

He is pleased as punch. But I am getting discouraged as I can’t read Mandarin and his grades in subjects taught in Mandain are really beginning to suffer. I have heard in primary four they are going to be streamed according to their performance in school.

On a lighter vein a lady friend made this remark about the 2008 Olympics :

I enjoy the Olympics so much. I spend all my time watching tv now. I enjoy all sports. I don’t really care who wins or loses. I just enjoy looking at the men. They are all so fit and healthy. Handsome
The American basket ballers are so tall. How are they going to sleep in our Malaysian bed? I wonder what my mother would say if I were to marry some one as tall as that. For one, she will have to get used to the color. It will be such a culture change.

A matron in her forties commented :

A tall guy? Do you know there is such a thing as too much of a good thing? You are so petite, in bed you may not be compatible. It is not the accessory that counts but how the guy utilizes it that counts. My lao kung is still very active I like to look at good looking men too. It is only natural. But it is ok to watch but not to touch hahahaha. I have heard there are male masseurs in town. If I can gather my courage, I will go see him one day. hahahahha
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