My dad won big in his move. He gained two years for me. These two years was my big arsenal in life for beating the system until I graduate as a doctor. He gambled and he won. Throughout my school days, I have been always two steps ahead in my own poker game.
I did not fail, because I associate learning with fun. I remember vividly when I passed my Standard Three examinations, the school board wanted me to jump class to Standard Five along with at least another four students. My dad intervened and disagreed. The reason being I was already two years younger than everybody, jumping another class would make me three years younger. My dad thought that this situation would be a disadvantage to me. Again, he was gambling. This time, instead of putting the beat, he retracted and played wait and see. He was right. If that happened I cannot imagine myself being surrounded by the all the physically giants in my class. Not to mention the problems I would have in PE and competitive sports. I thank my dad again for his wise thinking at that time. He once again played like a master in the game.
From Standard Three to Six, my dad was transferred to a school nearer to our village (kampong). Needless to mention, I followed. The environment became even more fun, with friends from the same kampong. Sometimes I went to school in a car and at another time on a motorbike or just walked to school (depending on the economic status of my dad). The school was about three miles from my kampong. We had fun walking to school with platoon of friends. On the way back, we could always find something fun to do. Sometime we floated on a bamboo raft along the river (the school was located upstream from our kampong), doing white water rafting almost on daily basis. Sometimes we detoured to fruit farms and enjoy fresh harvest. But most of the time we just sang and laughed and yes sometimes having little wars of our own on the way home. Whatever they were, those memories are the sweetest I could remember up to my present age.
I must say, during this time I have never put an effort to study too hard, other than doing the allocated homework (which we finished before walking home, so that we would not be carrying our book home), I definitely cannot remember studying for exams or anything of that short. Somehow though, I always ended up being among the best student in my class. Situation must have changed now, because in the same school that I went, kids in standard one or two are celebrated like champions if they become the best student. The pressure must be on them, or at least on their parents. How sweet were our times, no pressure! Probably that is why I remember very little of major indiscipline and abuses during our good old days. To put into perspective, this is the time when you do not have to worry about beating the school system. Primary school was supposed for fun. It should be an environment with the absence of gamble, pressure and stress. Time has changed; students in Primary School now are force to learn as if their death is just around the corner. Not mentioning the endless tuition class, music class and lots of other extra class. Something is really wrong with the society now!
I did not fail, because I associate learning with fun. I remember vividly when I passed my Standard Three examinations, the school board wanted me to jump class to Standard Five along with at least another four students. My dad intervened and disagreed. The reason being I was already two years younger than everybody, jumping another class would make me three years younger. My dad thought that this situation would be a disadvantage to me. Again, he was gambling. This time, instead of putting the beat, he retracted and played wait and see. He was right. If that happened I cannot imagine myself being surrounded by the all the physically giants in my class. Not to mention the problems I would have in PE and competitive sports. I thank my dad again for his wise thinking at that time. He once again played like a master in the game.
From Standard Three to Six, my dad was transferred to a school nearer to our village (kampong). Needless to mention, I followed. The environment became even more fun, with friends from the same kampong. Sometimes I went to school in a car and at another time on a motorbike or just walked to school (depending on the economic status of my dad). The school was about three miles from my kampong. We had fun walking to school with platoon of friends. On the way back, we could always find something fun to do. Sometime we floated on a bamboo raft along the river (the school was located upstream from our kampong), doing white water rafting almost on daily basis. Sometimes we detoured to fruit farms and enjoy fresh harvest. But most of the time we just sang and laughed and yes sometimes having little wars of our own on the way home. Whatever they were, those memories are the sweetest I could remember up to my present age.
I must say, during this time I have never put an effort to study too hard, other than doing the allocated homework (which we finished before walking home, so that we would not be carrying our book home), I definitely cannot remember studying for exams or anything of that short. Somehow though, I always ended up being among the best student in my class. Situation must have changed now, because in the same school that I went, kids in standard one or two are celebrated like champions if they become the best student. The pressure must be on them, or at least on their parents. How sweet were our times, no pressure! Probably that is why I remember very little of major indiscipline and abuses during our good old days. To put into perspective, this is the time when you do not have to worry about beating the school system. Primary school was supposed for fun. It should be an environment with the absence of gamble, pressure and stress. Time has changed; students in Primary School now are force to learn as if their death is just around the corner. Not mentioning the endless tuition class, music class and lots of other extra class. Something is really wrong with the society now!
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