People that I meet at my workplace

1. The ‘So-Called-Happily Ever After Husband & Wife Team’ Type – every school must have at least ONE husband & wife team. My school has 3, can u imagine??? Only one couple is fine. The other two are such nightmare. Double the couple, double the trouble!!!

2. The ‘Army Women of The Golden Arms & Legs’ Type - ( or anywhere in the body that the gold fits!) – they think that gold is what makes a woman & instantly give them beauty. I beg to differ. If you’re beautiful, you are beautiful and if u are not, do not victimized the gold please. 3. The ‘Never Close The Mouth At All Time’ Type – every inch of the latest gossips will be from this person. Do not ever reveal what brand of bra you’re wearing or the coffee that u drink ‘coz even that will be the ultimate story of this person. (in other word, stay clear from this one!) 4. The ‘My Son/Daughter Is So Good/Cute/Smart’ Type - jeez. They must be the ONLY person in this world that reproduced. Other children must be so stupid. 5. The ‘Ignorant One’ Type – "what duty? When? I don’t know….." (this person is seriously acting and deserve 3 Golden Globes for best reality imitating art award) 6. The ‘Old Is Not Wise And Always Tired’ Type – “just give the work to the young ones, they are more energetic. We already work hard in our younger days. Now let us relax”. (ummmm, does ‘laziness’ rings a bell here?) 7. The ‘My Baby-Hubby-Maid-Grandpa-Uncle-Buffalo-Goat is Unwell’ Type – please refer to no. 6. They are not blood related but they share almost the same excuse most of the time. 8. The ‘My Work Is Better Than Yours’ a.k.a. “You All Are Not In My Level” Type – the know-it-all; from the oldest circular, pedagogy & teaching technique but never shares the knowledge. (plus never enter classes & spends time in front of the computer perfecting every files….and then complains of other teachers who can’t control discipline and don’t know how to teach…) 9. The ‘Yes Boss’ Type – ass-kissing all the time. Will accept every work & later load the others with his unfinished or inefficient work. Only smiles at you at certain times (that means during the time when this person needs u to do his work) 10. The ‘Forever Bullied’ Type – stop complaining and have the guts to say no. Help yourself. 11. The ‘Envy Squad’ Type – don’t ever wear or use anything more expensive than this person or u will unwillingly gain a sworn enemy for life. Or just pretend that you only use cheap things. Be safe. 12. The ‘Stink Like Hell’ Type – oh gosh, that armpit smell….haven't they heard of a deodorant??? 13. The ‘Catalogue Queen’ Type – heavenly shopping is never achieved at shopping malls but through the pages of colorful catalogue…the more catalogue the better the shopping…(typical dialogue will be can’t go out, the hubby & the kids need them all the time…..yeah right!) 14. The ‘I Don’t Want To’ Type – “no, I don’t want to do it, get someone else”. (this person is a disgrace to the profession a.k.a. “I have another business that is more lucrative so I really don’t want to waste my time doing irrelevant work after the bell rings”) 15. The ‘Looking Up And Down’-Type – always together with No. 11. Can’t stand other people who are better- off. 16. The ‘Gossip Mongers’ Type – normally mix well with No. 3. 17. The ‘Religious One Holier Than Thou’ Type – ha ha ha. What a joke this one! 18. The ‘TAPAU’ Type – tapau all food. No need to remember those who haven’t eaten yet. Just tapau for the many children at home and the Indon maid. Oh, the cats too. 19. The ‘Diseased’ Type high-blood, diabetes, irregular heart beat, hypertension, arthritis, etc….(don’t ever give this person any work. Not even the simple one. At any time this person can be hospitalized or dead. Oh no, u really don’t want to be the murderer. Favourite sentence is “Too much stress. Too much work”… – in my language, too much excuse. Get along well with No. 14, no surprise here. 20. The ‘My Husband Is Better Than Yours’ Type/My ‘Marriage Is Heaven’ Type/My ‘I’m-So-Lucky-I-Got-A-Man’ Type – yeah, yeah...we hear u loud and clear. Your hubby is sooooo good & loving & romantic & caring & soft & loyal & means the world & everything.... So what? Who’s asking?

I’m sure there are more characters in the workplace other than these 20 that I managed to think of. As of speaking, the number could be increasing. Then again, of course there are others who are great to work with; although their existence is always marginalized by the above characters. Well, this calls for another session of 20 good characters at workplace, don't u think?

do i need to be married?

do i need to be married?

Today, as I was waiting for my students to finish their work, a boy named H asked me this ‘sacred’ question out of nowhere;

“Teacher why are you not getting married?”

I never thought that an illiterate student of 16 years old would ask me such question. I kept my cool composure as usual and smiled as I answered him;

“Maybe never.”

The whole class started to ask WHY.

And I answered, NO REASON. Probably it’s because I’m not interested in it anymore…

Then I asked them back, why is there such as concern? Do they think I need to be married?

And again they said, YES. So that you have someone to take care of you when you’re getting older and when you are sick.

I was so amused of their answer. So sincere and pure; as all marriages should be.

Well, then. As I turned towards H direction’s; I spoke to him and looked at his innocent eyes. I told him that even parents with a dozen children sometimes do not take care of their parents and send them straight to the old folks’ home. At least, if one day I end up there – the pain is lesser coz I know there were no children in the picture. I cannot imagine the pain of parents whose children simply refuse to care for them and toss them aside without a feeling of guilt at all.

H replied that he will never leave his parents’ side. I smiled at him and told him to remember his promise to me always.

And then I started to remember their question in the first place. Why am I still single? I have been asked a lot of this over the years. The funny thing is that by now I should be savvy enough to answer this kind of question but somehow, I really can’t. It’s something that is out of my control and beyond my knowledge. When will I get married? How will I know? Would I want to know? Geez. Still no answer.

If I don’t think of that special someone who would one day come and sweep me off my feet then I would be lying. I do think about how I would be if I am married with children? Will I still be the same me? Will I be happy? Or happier married? Or sad and lonely? I really, really want to know but then again, these notions easily died out as fast as they appeared.