火球

Hey

I'm back blogging after a semi-not-so-long hiatus today mainly because of 王姑娘, my beloved tuition kid, my boy Samuel. You see, today is our official last lesson, sigh~

The feeling was both a mix of relief and sadness. Those of you close friends who read this blog and those whom I talked about Sam to, would know that as angry as this kid makes me sometimes, mostly I really like him. He brightens up my day somehow, keeps me entertained (Though that is on purely, a personal level of enjoyment not to be mixed up with the main job of tutoring), and frankly, I'm seeing him like a would-be younger brother if I ever had one.

I've always maintained the view that Sam is a clever, semi-mature-thinking child, yet lazy kid. He has all the potential, with his ideas and wits. Just can be a little more sociable, and less attached to the games. But again, what was I doing back when I was 12? Oh wait, yea playing my Playstation.

Being a primary school kid, his now immediate concern would be how to best spend the vast amount of time he'd have after the next 2 days. Well, comes as no surprise that the tutor, me, is actually quite conscious about this last lesson than him. Since he couldn't wait for it to all end. I know it's not a comment to be taken personally though, he likes me (Ok I hope he genuinely does) but hates the lessons.

Today he read one last time for me, recited a passage before the comprehension questions. And although I do not dare say I've been a great teacher (Most of our lessons were filled with mindless banter, chit-chat about his school life, which bullying incidents he witnessed and chose to keep quiet), but he did make quite good progress compared to when I first taught him. Again, I wouldn't say it's entirely my doing, but somewhere some point along this journey I should have contributed, no?

Before his last spelling I was recounting to him how shocked I was when I first read his 火球 essay. And then the subsequent one with the child killing his mother just because she commented that he was fat. I thought back then that I'd surely be dead, teaching this kid would be a definite challenge. He laughed with me, it was pretty funny thinking back.

His mother asked me if I want to continue through secondary school, I declined the request. I'd love to, but I don't think tuition for language is anymore effective in secondary school. That is the time where personal interest and drive should take over. PR reasons aside, I myself do not have the time to do it anymore. It started out as a part time job to earn some money, I was never meant to be a teacher.

So yea, that concludes my journey together with my first, last and only tuition kid. He asked me to add him on Facebook, but he doesn't have a face picture uploaded! What irony!

- Domon