Storm Warriors....what a letdown....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Storm_Warriors

When the movie was about to be released, I told myself I must go and watch. But then the Star review was bad. It got 2 stars only. I wasn't about to let a review from stopping me watch this wuxia movie. I grew up watching a lot of cantonese wuxia stories, most of which were based on the books and comics which were also popular those days, like 六指琴魔 by 倪匡 and also 金庸 books. Those days the fantasy shown on the screen were very ridiculous even during those days, but we loved them anyhow. Flying swords and gushing winds from the palms were also shown but the technology wasn't that advance. They also had the characters sending their swords up in the sky to fight (remote controlled battle) and when their sword loses the battle, the owner will cough blood.
I have always loved fantasy movies, swordplay movies and also very impressed with the modern day computer graphics which fuel the fantasy movies. So when they said the movie is all CGI, I said never mind..it is CGI plus sword play stuff..should be nice. I loved Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 卧虎藏龙 Hero 英雄, and House of Flying Daggers Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou did a fantastic job. The balancing on the bamboo trees, the roof jumping, water skimming ...I just loved them.

So, bad review or not, I went for the show. I told myself I shouldn't compare this with the earlier epics, this is suppose to be acomic turned CGImovie, ok. But still its a disappointment. You suffer from an overdose of computer graphics. I'm not against these special effects, in fact I love to see special effects. The kungfu ballet in the Matrix wowed me. The way Keanu Reeves dodged the bullet in the "bullet time scene" was really cool. I also love Harry Porter movies, Patronus, death eaters and stuff. Lord of the Rings was also fantastic. But here you actually get sick of it. There is 90% special effects and 10% acting , story and fighting action. I know we shouldn't compare Aaron Kwok with Donnie Yen

http://www.newsgd.com/pictures/ent_pic/200608040001_64578.jpg

in Ip Man

http://www.hongkonghustle.com/wp-content/photos/Donnie_Yen_Ip_Man_movie.jpg

or Tony Jaa, www.siamfoundation.org/wellworthwatching/?p=190

but Rain the pop star could also do a good job in Ninja Assasin.Photos from http://screenrant.com and http://www.crunchyroll.com
When you watch Red Cliff, adapted from a Chinese classic, it makes your heart go boom boom with the movies music and tempo. The actors made the show so engrossing. You walk out of the cinema thinking, wow!
The story line in the Storm Warriors is so shallow. The battle between Wind and Cloud was so long I kept looking at the watch. When the battle ended and you see the GSC attendant opening the back-door, you wonder "Eh? What happened to Heart and the dragon bone? Cloud died ar?" And when the credits come up, you walk out thinking "Ha? finished d ar?"

What does it take to be a teacher?

This year I celebrated my birthday in the Upper 6 classroom. Their warm thoughts melted not only my heart but also the Haagen Daz cake they ordered! Melted cake or not, I was deeply touched by their intentions. They took the trouble to arrange for someone to bring the cake just after my lesson which was their recess. It is during moments like this that you are reminded that the students can feel your love for them.
Just after their graduation ceremony this year, a Form 5 student brought a bouquet of flowers for me. I totally didn't expect it, so I asked him whether it was one of the bouquets used in the competition the previous day and used for decorating the hall. But he told me it was specially ordered from a florist. Silly me. The tag on the bouquet clearly shows its from a florist. I was really touched as I noticed his form teacher and other subject teachers sitting near me didn't receive any flowers from him.
Last year I celebrated my birthday with more than a hundred of students. On the birthday cake, they wrote" Happy Birthday Daddy". These are my St John Ambulance members. Another St John teacher adviser, Madam SK like to comment that I am like their father. Another teacher Madam BWW also commented that she can sense my relationship with the students is closer than teacher and students..its like father and children. Maybe its my grey hair! But more likely is that they can sense that I mean well. What does it take to be a loved teacher? Well, first you have to love children..especially the students. Sometimes they disappoint you, sometimes they make you angry. Sometimes you have to scold them, sometimes you have to punish them. But we always remember they are our "children". Some teachers bond very well with the students but some do not. But it doesn't mean they don't care. Each and every teacher is different in his own way.
Just before the holidays started, one of the temporary teachers came over to say goodbye. She is a biotech graduate. I asked her what were her plans and she told me she will try to apply to train as a permanent teacher. Out of curiosity, I asked her the reason for doing so. She told me she didn't like the working atmosphere in the private sector..too competitive and too demanding. So I said the work of a teacher can also be demanding..it depends on how you take it. Here the HM's two eyes are not the only ones watching you. Hundreds of eyes are watching you. You can avoid the HM's scrutiny but ultimately the students are the best judges. They can sense the teachers' heart.
So, again, what does it take to be a teacher? Basically you have to be academically qualified but on top of that you must have the passion for it. Just like other professions like doctors and nurses..you cannot just learn up to be a good teacher. If your mind is not into it, you can never be a good teacher. Besides these, do you know a teacher also needs to be multi-skilled (sports, co-curiculum, computer....) multi-talented ( a teacher is actually an actor in class sometimes) compassionate and disciplined. Once we take up the profession, there are certain things we cannot do in public anymore. And yes, one more thing...whether you are married or not...you have to take on a fatherly or motherly role because your anak murid sometimes look on you as their "parents".

My Life As A Teacher- Part 8- the past 18 years

Out of my 33 years as a trained teacher, 18 years have been spent in my present school. Looking back at the photos, I can see I've aged a lot through these 18 years. I came as a 38 year old, now I'm 56. The hair is a lot more grey now and the hairline receded. I've changed a lot..the school has also changed a lot. 1993
2009

When I first came the school had a very bad reputation. I was told some teachers even cried when they are sent to the school. I was offered a place here and I eagerly accepted because that meant I would not have to drive to Balik Pulau everyday. At first I was always given the last classes to teach. The Form 5 boys were quite ok. It was the Form 3 last class which was really terrible. Sometimes you get so angry you just feel like slapping them. Those days the school adminstration asked you to handle the discipline yourself, otherwise you just ask for a transfer. I didn't even think about that but some teachers did leave for other schools.
In some classes, the boys would just get up and leave in the midst of your teaching. There was a certain class which I had to bolt one of the doors from the outside so that they won't sneak off from the back door! You wouldn't believe how I manage to maintain discipline in class. If I say I used to slap them, nobody can imagine Casey the gentle well-mannered, patient teacher can do such a thing. The students usually try to test you. And they were shocked at my reaction. When one of the senior teachers saw me catching hold of a student by the collar and pushing him against the wall, she was shocked..so were the other students. Once I went inside a lab to go to the prep room to do something and a student jeered at me in Hokkien. I went over, looked at him and before he knew what happened gave him a tight slap and walked away. The teacher teaching was shocked and the whole class fell silent. Of course that was 18 years ago. Teachers don't do this sort of things nowadays. If you touch them now, you'll be in trouble. But the best thing is the students who were slapped do not grudge you. Once I met a couple at Macdonald's and the boy called me "Sir! Do you remember me?" I said" Of course I remember you" And he told his girl friend I remember him because I slapped him. And we both laughed. Actually they may be naughty but can be fun to be with, too. Whatever type of students, they can still be Casey's friends.
I remember Mr G mentioned to me when he first came to the school. "You are not fierce what, how come the students run into the class when they see you coming". So I said maybe they respect me. Actually its true, I don't always raise my hand....in fact I only did that a few times. But they sort of respect me and know I mean business and I can also get very angry sometimes.
Anyway after Mr G came, the school underwent changes slowly but surely. As the academic performance improved, Mr G pulled me up to front classes. I was asked to teach both Chemistry and Add Maths. This is the group which I taught Chemistry from form 4 to Upper 6. 4 of them are now doctors.And when Form 6 started, I moved up to teach Form 6 Chemistry only. The boy (4th from right) in the picture above will graduate as doctor this year. This batch is the 2006 batch. Two of them are doing education degrees.some of them are my facebook friends also. The 2007 batch, one of the largest group...dragon babies all of themThese photos are taken at the 2008 form 6 dinner..And these are the 2009 batch of students...facebook family photo!

My Life As A Teacher- Part 7- social life

I once posted a remark on Facebook that one of the best things about being a teacher is that you get to enjoy the holidays. Some students responded by saying that they also intended to take up teaching. One of them asked whether it would be odd when you have a long holiday and your friends are all working. Jokingly I answered, "No, my friends are also having holidays because my friends are my students"
Reading between the lines, the answer indicated that either I am very friendly with the students or I have very few friends. Actually both are also correct. If I were to list my so-called friends, besides the students, it would be just the school colleagues which we meet everyday and seldom would meet outside the school except when there is a function. So actually if you take me as an example there is not much of a social life as a teacher. But I don't think I'm the only one in this situation. I've spoken to other teachers as well and they share the same opinion. Except for people who have a circle of church friends, or fellow Buddhist group members or Yoga class maybe Taichi or line-dancing friends, we do not hang out with our so-called gang anymore. Actually this pattern is not only for teachers. The boy who asked this question (he reads my blog, too) doesn't need to worry. He would welcome each holiday with glee. As he grows older he would realise that you do not always hang out with friends.
During school days your friends are your school mates or tuition friends. Next year when he enters university slowly the ties will weaken as he makes new friends in the university. Of course some of them would continue to be good friends for many years. When he graduates from the university his friends will be mostly colleagues as his university mates might be working in other towns. After a few years of working life he would probably get married. After that his life would evolve around his wife and children. He would love the holidays to be with his loved ones. He would not be hanging out with his friends anymore. Even if he remains single, most of his friends would get married one after the other. The pattern of social life of each and every person changes from the school life as we grow older. This is true for everyone. You might have some friends for life but things will never be the same. Nothing stays the same forever. Later he will realise that. Personally I don't think being a teacher stifles your social life. Maybe its because I am not a very sociable person in the first place. I don't really need to go out with friends all the time. I'm happy to have the time to spend with my family.
If I observe the change in my own social pattern, I notice changes in my circle of friends due to changing of the place we root. (Our orbital..if you understand chemistry) From Penang I went to JB for training...had lots of friends but we were sent all over the country, me to Perak. In USM, the same thing happened..I was sent to Johor again. ( I have a certain yuan with Johor) From the 1990's to 2000's I wasn't very close with students because I didn't teach form 6. And also my children were growing up and I was kept busy bringing them up, chauffering them around and establishing the family. Now that both my children are studying elsewhere, I have time again. That's why I'm closer with the 2008 and 2009 groups. Another reason is of course MSN and Facebook. Especially Facebook..its really a wonderful social networking facility. In my next post I will post some photos of my early years in my present school and also describe some changes in my workplace during these 18 years.

My Life As A Teacher- Part 6- the middle years

The time (8 years) I spent in Johor was quite memorable, I made many new friends. And I had a wonderful time with the students. During my first 6 years in Perak, I only taught Malay students between 13 to 15. Here in Johor, I taught Form 6. I was already 29 then.ven though I was about 12 years older than the students, we got along very well. That was the time I started bonding with the students. We would swim, play tennis, badminton and squash together. I would even go out for shows with them. Sometimes they would even book the tickets then inform me. I was like a part of them. We would get together and have singing sessions. Those days, there wasn't karaoke yet. We would figure out the chords and strum the guitar our own way. It was still a lot of fun.
I also made a lot of new friends through the Buddhist Society there. In my school, we also have frequent get-togethers among the staff. Maybe small town people are more warm and friendly. Here in Penang, we only meet in school during work only. Back then in Johor, we had pot-luck, more trips and social gatherings. Maybe nowadays people are too busy for that anymore, even in small towns. In my next post I will talk about the social life of a teacher.

My Life As A Teacher- Part 5- the Secret

No, there is no secret. I have no secrets to tell here. This post is named this way as a comparison to the widely publicized book. The Secret is a book that presents what is claimed to be a centuries-old idea, the pseudo-scientific Law of Attraction, which in essence is the power of an individual's positive thinking to change and influence outcomes in their lives. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_(book) . I never read the book, and I only about it from some of my students a couple of years.
I will write more on this subject in another post. For now, the quest for first class honours was essentially a case of mind over matter. If your mind is up to it, there is a lot you can achieve. Back then, I didn't know about any "secrets" but by Buddhist training thought me the power of the mind. At times, the going could be tough. To do well, we need a lot of discipline and proper time management. That's why I still remind the students to focus on their goals, have self discipline and manage their time well. Sadly, the message doesn't seem to get to them. Later maybe they'll know what I mean.
At times, it was not only the mental effort we need for the study. Sometimes we are physically drained too rushing to work and rushing to attend tutorials. Nowadays the students complain a lot when they have to study for the STPM in the comfort of their homes. I remember I had to brave the rain on a motorcycle so that I won't miss classes. These were the times I told myself, one day I'll be able to afford my own car. Even now, when I drive in the rain, my heart goes out to those on motorcycles...and I feel so thankful I am in a car.
During my final year, my routine would be to arrive at the campus by 8am whether I had lectures or not. Usually I'll stay until night. Between classes I would be in the library. To take my shower I would head to the swimming pool every evening, for exercise as well as to freshen up. That's when I picked up the finer points of swimming, a skill I made good use of as a teacher. For most of the courses I would make my own notes and make compilations of answers to past year questions. I was told some of the notes were still in circulation a few years after I graduated. To make sure my average grade did not drop below par, I also put in extra effort in the non-core subjects we had to take. I even got A's for the music and sociology papers I took. The effort was rewarding..not only did I secure my first clss honours, I even manage to win the Best BSc student that year. And later I was even awarded the Chemistry Graduate Medal 1983 by the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry IKM. But luck was not always on our side. After I graduated, instead of getting a school near home, I was sent further away.to Johor. This is one of the things you have to bear with as a teacher...they can send you anywhere they like. But it wasn't all that bad. In my next post I will recall the 8 years in Johor where I taught after graduating from USM

My Life As A Teacher- Part 4- the pursuit

As I mentioned in the previous post, initially it was just a matter of getting that degree. More important is the pay rise that will come with it, the boosted income that will continue many years after. With that in mind, I set off to balance work and study, to move forward towards a better future. The minimum time frame for finishing the degree is 5 years...4 part-time and 1 full-time final year. The maximum is 9 years! I told myself I'll finish in 5 years because each extra year actually worked out to quite a substantial difference in terms of $$$$ eventually.
At that time I was staying in Penang but working in Perak. It took about an hour's drive from Butterworth. Each day I needed to leave home by 11am to catch the ferry and then meet the car-poolers on the mainland. (No Penang Bridge, no highways yet) By the time I reached home after work it would be 8pm. After dinner and a bath, by 9pm I'll bury myself in the lecture notes. That would probably be for 2 hours at most because I was not a late night person. The next day I would wake up for a light breakfast and continue studying till about 10am. Then I had to have early lunch and get ready to leave for work. All in it is 4 hours a day on weekdays except on certain days when we had to leave the house at 5 am to be in time for co-curricula activities in the morning and stay until evening. On certain nights I'd have a quick dinner in school and go straight to USM for tutorials from 8pm to 10pm. On Saturdays we would attend practicals at the USM labs. In November each year we would attend 3 weeks of intensive lectures. So if you guys think your university life is tough, think again. If you think preparing for STPM is hell, think again. I always tell my students, nothing is easy, everything is tough. However I also remind them nothing is too difficult if you set your mind for it. After one year of part-time studies, the results were released. As I said earlier, I desperately wanted to finish in 5 years. And to do that we had to take slightly more than the usual recommended units. I couldn't afford to fail any paper. If I had to repeat any paper gone will be my hopes of finishing in 5 years. I opened my results envelope telling myself, no F's no F's! What shocked me was a string of almost all A's. My colleague in school, a Malay lady, shared my joy because she admired the way I struggled between work and study. After I finish my school chores, I would bring out my notes to study during free periods. She gave me a lot of encouragement.....go for first class! It seemed like an impossible task. I didn't do that well in HSC, and having to work and study...passing would already be an achievement. But deep in my heart I know it is possible. From the second year onwards it was not only about finishing in 5 years. It was about finishing in 5 years with a first class honours. It was not about $$$$$ anymore (you get the same pay whatever class degree) but it was about pushing yourself to the limit. In the next post I will talk a bit about the strive for excellence.