Sunday, November 27, 2005
to start off , one of the most inspiring and best teachers in the history of assumption english school passed away on the 24th of nov . i happened to be at ACJC during the band's tune in session . (so happens that i already felt like crap having forgotten how to play many things that day) . anyways , brendon was helping me with the chinese spring overture timpani part when i felt my phone vibrate several times . when Dr lee stopped conducting to teach certain stuff , i took out my hand phone to check my messages . i was half expecting to see a report from shi ying about the planning or one of my friends asking me to go out . but , of all the messages i recieved , they carried the message :
Miss Tan just passed away this morning . Please check the newspapers for details of her wake .Please pass this message around .
i was ... speechless .i didn't know wad to reply.i sat there on the timpani chair momentarily stunned . so i put on a mask , masking my saddness through out the whole tune in and even the barbeque that night laughing along with everyone pretending nothing's wrong . it was only on the bus on the way back that i felt the impact . i really didn't expect it so soon . and i was hoping to pass her my gift some time next week after the ACJC band camp . but ..
it was too late ..
i didn't attend her wake . for that i regretted it . the school has suffered a great lost . miss tan is a VERY dedicated teacher . one that i respect and look up to . i always listened to all her nagging during her lessons . although they were nagging , it was for our own good . as a result i passed all my science papers in sec 2 with flying colours . YES even the physics part that i suck badly at . i took down every note she flashed on the ohp and remembered all her classroon demonstrations vivdly . about the time she used the scent of perfume spreading around the class as a demonstration of diffusion and using me to selectively allow students into the class to demonstrate osmosis and all the stories regarding interesting science facts . in fact . i will burn these demonstrations into my memory forever .
then came sec three when i found out she had cancer . was stunned . what stunned me even more was that when she taught all the sec 2 classes she was already diagnosed with cancer of the first stage . but .. she just carried on teaching us . then came the stories of how the other classes would anger her until she walked out on them during lessons . all that while she was suffering from cervical cancer . that enraged me , always did when i recall these accounts .
but what is done is done ...
then during my sec three year as band major , on teacher's day , miss tan came back to visit her friends . many students went to see her whilst i was being debriefed for a VERY long time . by the time i finished , i ran back to the band room from vincent hall to dump my stuff before seeing miss tan . but i was greeted by teary eyed juniors . i ran to the office only to meet more downcast students telling me that she have already left the school to rest . i was very disappointted that day .
then this year i went to see her on the day i got back my last prelim result . she was in so much pain . we sang hymns with her , prayed for her . i felt helpless but i prayed for her asking the lord to ease her pain.the next day mrs koor told us that miss tan went for almost a whole day without morphine . i rejoiced . god has heard my prayer .
then came the news
sorry miss tan i did not pay my last respects . i am so sorry may you rest in piece in paradise with the lord
well the tune in was .. errr... loads to say la . all i have to say is that looking at ACJC made me feel like crap that i still have loads to learn . that AES needs to very hard for our dream of gold and even anything beyond that . the section was fun . they were a nice bunch . very united . brendon made life there always entertaining with his jokes . Arthur ,Crystal ,both eunice(s) and brendon never cease to amaze me with their skills . i'm looking forward to working under them learning from them to improve on myself and maybe helping my section in AES improve . ( for whoever ho wanna learn, so if certain ppl dun wanna learn anything when i go back should piss off when i'm teaching . you should know who you are ).
the practices were no doubt grueling yet so professional with everyone becoming serious during combines like for example fidi (hope i spelt it correctly) turning super serious . becoming very different from the person i know outside band . the musical theory lessons amazes me for back at AES we never had lessons like these and of course Dr Lee's unique conducting style and er you know the plural and singular words mix up which is different from what Mr Goh and Mr Yiong do in band . all which i need getting used to . i really need to improve my self , my sticking , my sight reading . plenty of catching up to do . but for now let's just hope i dun have to appeal .
and yes i'm still feeling the drain from the demands of the practices . no doubt that ex major from our school(forgot the name) who came back to visit the band when i was in sec one said ACJC band will be an eye opener was right .it is . i also have to catch up on my musical standards .
well anyways after church yesterday , i went off with kelvin and on the way back i was sharing my experience with shi ying . preparing her for grueling sessions if AES is to improve . after which while changing buses , i met jason , a J2 oboeist from ACJC band and we had a nice chat and judging from what he tells me , mike still has chance in it .
mike , if your reading this , dun give up!!! there is still a chance , call me when you're back . i'll fill you in !
alrite i think i sorta lamented or nagged too much
take care everyone
GOD BLESS !
` slamdunk-ed at
11:48 AM
