Miss Tay, can I go to the toilet?

The past week has been sort of busy for me again. Thanks to M in church, I got to go to her primary school to do relief teaching for her primary 2 class. So, on Monday and Tuesday I went to DZ’s school for Chinese Conversation classes, Wednesday and Thursday at M’s school for relief teaching and Friday to DZ’s school again for Chinese Conversation.

I didn’t realise that I takes so much to relate and ‘take care’ of thirty or so of 8 year olds. They are so full of energy and never shuts their mouths! There’s always someone who comes to me to complain of someone else bad-mouthing him/her, or someone coming to complain of me not calling them to answer questions and the winner of it all, is as the title says. I’m sick of hearing, ‘Miss Tay, can I go to the toilet?’ What’s wrong with their bladder anyway? They’re still so young! And I thought I go to the toilet often enough! I don’t remember going to the toilet so often during my primary school days. In fact, I don’t even dare to ask my teacher permission to go toilet. I would always try to hold till I really can’t bear with it anymore. Such was my respect and fear towards my teachers. However, the children these days are so daring. They openly criticise you, complain about you, and even talk back to you in such a way that it’s almost rude!

Of course, it doesn’t help that I pulled a nerve/muscle again on my right shoulder blade. Was so stiff on Wednesday when I woke up. I couldn’t lift my hands, turn my head to the right side or even look down. All this and I still had to keep up with a bunch of energetic kids! I had no choice but to go down to ‘Chien Chi Tow’ at Yishun on Wednesday evening after school to have my back massaged. It was such a torture, I tell you. The fact that I was already in pain already makes my back untouchable. The person had to use like all her strength on me. It was like being in a torture chamber. When I complained, she said she didn’t use much strength. Oh my. It was excruciating pain. But because I had to go through another day with the children the next day, I clenched my fist, grit my teeth and bore with the pain. I can feel my whole back having blue-black all over when I came back. At least I think it worked. I can turn and move my head now. I just cannot sit without moment for long or my back will cramp up and any movement will be painful.

So glad that another week has passed. I will be really jobless from next week on. The job I had hope to get didn’t go through, so I have to start all over again. Pray….