Miss Chan

Not been updating lately... coz i'm bz with other matters. But of course laziness plays a big part too! hehehehe...

Now the updates...

"Good morning, Miss Chan...." I'm a school teacher now!

Such a sudden career switch... even i'm surprised by it! Since my uni days, I've thought that i'll be a successful HR manager, earning lots of $$. After I started working as a HR personnel, I lowered my ambition to that of a HR Exec earning enough $$ coz I didn't want to end up like my bosses. It seems like the higher you get, the more "attitude" you become. It's sad but true, judging from my ex-bosses whom i admire for their work but not character. Maybe i've not come across a nice but powerful boss...

Anyway, as my contract HR job was driving me crazy (boss + jobscope), I started looking out for better offers. I was thinking of another HR job.... or if I go into teaching, a full-time English teaching job in some language schools... Then this job came along. Nevermind that it's a part-time position. The jobscope, the environment, the "brand-name".... it's the perfect stepping stone for me to find a teaching job in Japan more easily. They didn't mind that I'm inexperienced. And they pay pretty well per hour, almost double of what I've been earning. But this being a part-time job means my monthly take-home pay is quite low. However I've about 3 months of school vacation & I'm allowed to take up another part-time position.

My boyfriend was very excited. We both saw it as a good opportunity for me. My close friends & my sis were quite supportive. As usual, it's my parents who were giving me problems. They're so practical. "You're suffering a pay-cut? Do you think it's so easy to get another part-time job to supplement this? What happens if u dislike teaching and want to switch again? You'll forever be stuck at the lowest jobs... etc etc..."

Haiz....haven't they realised that I'm not the typical Singaporean who wants to climb the career ladder, buy a condo, buy a car and live life happily ever after in safe, clean & green Singapore? Ever since I lived in Japan, I know it's gona be difficult for me to settle down in Singapore. The world is so much more exciting out there. No doubt it's stressful & tough sometimes, but that's what makes us grow up!

Even if my bf isn't a Japanese, I'll still try to find opportunities to work in Japan as a teacher. It's something I want to try out. Now because I want to settle down with him in Japan, it's something I have to do. I don't want to be a financial burden on him. And I don't wana be bored to tears as a housewife in Japan. This teaching job is perfect. I die die must excel in it, get a good testimonial & find teaching opportunities in Japan.

So here I am.... every morning greeting students from ages 6 - 9. There're little angels & little devils. If you think that the Japanese are well-mannered, please go to the busiest subway in any major city in Japan to convince yourself otherwise. If you think that Japanese children are well-behaved, please relief one of my classes. Hahaha....

Formal lessons have not started yet. I'm now playing games with them to kill lesson time before they get their textbooks. It's amazing how tired I am at the end of my half-day of work. And my mind is constantly working, thinking of things to do, games to play, ways to keep their focus/interest. My supervisor told me not to feel stressed and to enjoy teaching. There are no tests and preferably no homework for the students, so we don't really have to push them. But I can't relax. It's my first teaching job!! I want to be a friend to my students. I've succeeded with some of them, but i still have a long way to go in winning the hearts of the rest...

I've only been teaching for abt 2 weeks... long way to go! I'm still excited by it, esp since I've not started on formal lessons like teaching grammer.... more updates on this new chapter of my life in future!