On Thursday, the Odac people got invited to Skee's place to have steamboat dinner, and I got Emily out early to Kinokuniya to get books at 20% discount. Kundera's The Curtain was the only one I really wanted, since I have got so much stuff at home waiting for my time. It was good for us to meet up and talk again after such a long while, about things in the classrooms and out in the wilderness. I felt much more at ease with myself after relating my plight at having to teach 2 normal tech classes, and realised that my apprehension about it might stem from the fact that teaching these people gets me really depressed. The school gives up on these kids (that's probably why I ended up teaching them), and they probably give up on themselves too; no one can exactly pinpoint the reason why they ended up so weak academically, and to all it seems that hopes on them to do better have already dried up.
On Wednesday, I witnessed 4 of the kids from the 2 classes arguing with the DM, who threatened to sack them for their insolence. They threw up their arms and went "sack sack lah!" and cycled off angrily. The DM had seriously hope that a punch came his way so that he could get them expelled immediately, and the kids probably find no reason to want to stay in school (or do anything while he is in) either. Angry and upset about their attitude towards school and life, how can I change things around? If only I can shout at them to seriously consider their reality and effect a transformation via an revelatory moment - if only it was that easy.
Anyway, here are some pictures of the glorious view of the city from Skee's balcony. I'll take things as they come, in any case. A week at a time.
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