Luckily, she was very prompt in handing me the money and my books.
Shiling commented that she had a mean face. Like those you will see in a "Bad Neighbour" programme on TV (like the Everitt Road saga).
What can I say?
I'm just happy to get my pay and my books.
The Heavens paused.
A wayfarer took the bright branch from his lips, conferred it on the darkness of the sands, pointed with his finger to a poplar tree and said,
"Just before that tree there is a garden path greener than God's dreams.
In it there is love as wide as the blue wings of true friendship.
You go on to the end of the path that takes up again just beyond maturity, then turn toward the flower of loneliness.
Two steps before the flower, stop at the eternal fountain of earthly myth.
There a transparent terror will seize you, and in the sincerity of the streaming heavens you will hear a rustling.
High up in a pine tree, you will see a child who will lift a chick out of a nest of light.
Ask him, 'Where is the friend's house?'
The next cartoon strip is not related to Christmas but has special significance to me. Last semester, I used it to start off my Health Economics presentation. I was presenting a paper on "Lighting Up and Slimming Down" - the economics of smoking. It seems that smoking is a weight loss strategy for females - which translated into economic slang; means that they are price insensitive. In contrast, males smoke for the "cool" factor so they are price sensitive and cut on smoking when prices increase.
Think the lecturer liked my comic because he praised my presentation privately to me later.
Here's another comic I used in school. A comic on math as a religion. This is personally revelant to me when I was taking Econometrics. Nothing made sense to me. I just have to accept everything in blind faith that Woolsworth wrote in his book. Till today, I'm still a believer because I passed Econometrics!
To my surprise (or perhaps it was my good luck and divine intervention), her mother answered my call.
"Hi Mrs XXX, I need to speak to you about YY."
"Is this urgent?"
"Yes, it is urgent. I can't continue to give YY tuition anymore."
"Ok."
Hmm... Interesting. Her answer was just a simple OK in an unfriendly tone. Didn't even have the courtesy to pretend and ask me why I'm quitting.
"I've been messaging YY to contact you. I'm sorry that I have to stop."
"I've been very busy. I had also wanted to contact you about this matter."
This matter? So she had already harboured thoughts of letting me go! Why can't she just tell me earlier? I was beginning to feel irritated.
"So what's your address? I'll post you a cheque for the 3.5h tuition you gave."
"It's 4h. Not 3.5h, Mrs XXX."
"No. It's 3.5h. The last lesson was 1.5h. YY told you the last lesson was 1.5h."
"No, the last lesson was 2h. YY told me the next lesson would be 1.5h. We never had the next lesson."
"No, I checked the clock. It was 1.5h."
"No, it's 2h. I came for tuition for 2h."
"No, it's 1.5h. You purposely stretched the lesson to 2h."
At this point, I was exasperated and wanted to give up. It was all going in circles. The mother insisting that it was 1.5h and me insisting it was 2h. After a quick thought, I decided I should not give in. It was my hard-earned money. I earned it the right way and I should not give in to overbearing and rude people like her. Moreover to people who call me a cheat. So I insisted my way.
"No, Mrs XXX. The last lesson was 2h."
"You didn't stay for 2h. You stayed for less than 2h. Maybe about 1h 45 minutes."
Aha! See? Now she admits. I definitely stayed longer than 1.5h.
"No, I stayed for 2h. Do you remember you had to rush YY for lunch? I gave tuition for 2h."
"Ok. I'll pay you for 4h. What's your address?"
"I have to collect the pay from you personally. I have two books still with YY."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. One is a Sloman Economics textbook. Another is a Math 10-year series. You can check with YY."
"Call me again to arrange a time to drop by."
"Can we arrange now? Then I won't have to bother you again."
"No, call me after Christmas to arrange a time. I'm very busy now."
"But it won't take long. Why don't we just fix a time now?"
"I'm very busy and rushing for an appointment now. Call me after Christmas to arrange."
"So I'll call you on 27th? Is that ok?"
"Yah, yah, call me then."
The student and mother from hell.
Minyi wishes them happy holidays. Merry Christmas and a Happy Hot Year.
I've always believed that if you are kind, kindness reciprocates twice as much.
Which is why I'm sorry to say now, my faith has been shaken.
It takes alot to make me irritated but once you achieve it, it takes alot to humour me. Honestly, I would say that it's a feat to be able to irritate me because I'm ok with most things, give in most of the time during arguments and don't bear a grudge. In a nutshell, I forgive and truly forget.
So when I say that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, you know I really MEAN BUSINESS. I have never felt so irritated by a single person in my life. I have never thought it was even possible to be so angry and disappointed with a younger female.
But it has happened.
I should have seen it coming.
She stayed in the Republic of Jurong West (sorry to folks living in Jurong West - I always feel like I'm leaving Singapore whenever I go Jurong West), the mother was a witch and they blatantly spoke Hokkien in front of ME about ME; not even caring if I could possible understand Hokkien (I can).
Yes, to be frank - I have been late for tuition. But it takes me a long walk to take bus 200 to Buona Vista MRT, ride all the way to Boon Lay and then take a shuttle bus ride of 15 minutes to reach her house. See? I bet you felt tired too reading the last sentence. Plus, she wants tuition only on Saturday or Sunday mornings at 10am which means I have to wake up at 8am just to reach her house at 10:30am. To me, this is a huge sacrifice - weekend mornings are reserved for my bed.
The only draw for me to get out of bed was the $45/h pay. I know that is a very good rate, but hey, she lives very far away in Republic of Jurong West and I'm teaching her Economics and Math-C.
The early warning signs were there but I chose to ignore them and believed in the goodness of people.
"I'm sorry, but I have to cancel tonight's tuition. I'll arrange with you soon ok?"
This was sent the day of the tuition itself - about 1/2 day before I was supposed to give her tuition.
Once, twice, even thrice I can forgive. But cancelling tuition with me CONSECUTIVELY for more than 5 times in a row. It takes a big whack on my head to make me forget.
It got so bad - I had to message her on the day before tuition to make sure it was still on and she was not going to cancel me last minute again.
I know... Minyi is pathetic for $45/h.
Then came the holidays.
"Can we have tuition once every two weeks during the holidays? You can teach me the new syllabus for next year."
She actually requested for tuition during the holidays. I felt a surge of happiness. Perhaps there was still goodness in people.
"I was thinking can we have tuition instead 1.5h every week during the holidays?"
There's only two weeks left to the holidays. I have NEVER had a single session.
First she used herself - "I'm sick"
Then came her school - "I have a school OGL camp"
Third came her Dad - "My Dad got a free hotel stay over the weekend"
Fourth was her family - "We are going to Penang for a holiday"
Fifth she never came back.
I told her before her Penang trip that we should scrap the 1.5h idea because there was much time left and I won't be able to teach her much.
I decided when she did not call me after she returned from the Penang trip, I would drop her.
You know something irritating about her? She never picks up my call. Even her mother does not pick up my call when I ring their home. It's a big conspiracy against the female tutor.
As I predicted, she did not pick up my call so I left her a voice message. She replied me almost instantly that her mobile was low in battery and she would like to have tuition this coming Saturday (17 December 2005) at 10:30am.
Hmmm... I thought to myself. Perhaps there was really some good left in her. I decided she should have a second chance.
Yesterday night, her dreaded message arrived.
"I can only have tuition for 1.5h tomorrow so it will end at 12pm."
Half a chance gone. She had half left. I decided to call her and check if she can make it for tuition at 10am so we can end at 12pm still. Guess what? She didn't pick up so I left 2 voice messages for her to call me back.
"It's not convenient for me to pick up the phone now. I have to cancel tomorrow's tuition. Will get back to you assap. Thanks!"
This was the message that broke Minyi's spirit.
As if one slap in the face is not enough, she had to make sure she slapped my other cheek at 7:51 am this morning:
"I hope you have received my message. I won't be able to have tuition today. Will get back to you asap. Thanks and see you!"
I didn't reply to her message that broke my spirit. I didn't like wasting my messages on a stupid "OK" reply.
"Would appreciate if you can get your mother to call me ASAP. Preferably by this coming Wednesday. I've urgent things to discuss with her. Thanks."
MINYI IS NO PUSHOVER FOR $45/H.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
I got my employment letter.
There will be no pay revision or bonuses for 2006.
Scheduled to begin on JPMorgan payroll January 2006.
My pay was worth the wait.