One Little, Two Little Things That Matter

Little Thing Number 1: Don't forget to reset the dial on your washing machine when you fill it up.

     I decided to do my laundry, so I turned on the water pump and tried to fill up my cute 6kg 'mini' washing machine, filled to the brim with one-week's worth of dirty clothes. ( Water pump? Yeah, yeah. We have water problem here in Kunak, along with a long list of other problems like Internet access, telephone lines, mobile phones coverage and etc, etc). The water trickled (rather than flowed) through the super large hose (somehow I thought the larger the hose, the greater the water speed, so I bought it - I was wrong), and I was yawning and yawning, waiting for the tub to fill up. I thought I might have pumped half a tank of water, but the machine tub was still not full. Not even half full. I checked and double-checked. It turned out I had forgotten to reset the program selector. The dial was set to 'drain'. There went my precious water, all flowed (trickled) into the drain.
     As a teacher, sometimes I feel the same way. I teach and teach and teach and teach and teach and teach and teach, but teach as I may, I never seem to be able to fill up the 'tub'. Is there something wrong with the 'machine'? Is it broken? Does it need repairing? Perhaps the water is too slow. Or maybe my large amount of 'clothes' absorb the 'water' too much, so it does not have enough capacity to fill the whole tub. Maybe? Oftentimes it turns out that the problem lies in the control dial. Reset the control dial, Cindy, reset, reset, reset! If you set it to 'drain', all the water will go into the drain. No doubt about it.

Little Thing Number 2: Pets have feelings, too. Food is NEVER a substitute for TLC.

 


     I have rat problem (Yeah, yeah, I know. It is in the 'list'). A very kind friend of mine tried to help by letting me adopt one of her kittens. She called her Miss Fifi. I called her Fifi, or sometimes Gigi, Didi, and even Cindy. Why the many names? Well, my best friend's daughter is named Fifi, so to avoid confusion, I tried to change the kitty's name, but couldn't decide on which name. I love Fifi/Gigi/Didi/Cindy. She had been a doll. Cute, adorable and naughty. She didn't solve my rat's problem (she's afraid of rats!), but she had given me so much joy.
    However, I was always busy. I only had time to play with her early in the morning before I went to school and in the evening when I got back, in between completing school work in front of the TV and surfing the Internet, till I collapse on the sofa in exhaustion. Many times, Cindy/Gigi/Didi/Fifi/Zizi would bite and pounce on my feet or my face (ouch!) to get my attention, but I just ignored her. I was always either too tired, or too busy for her.
   One sad day, when I got back home, she was nowhere to be seen. I called and called her many names, but she failed to show up. Lili/Mimi/Kiki/Riri/Nini was gone.
   Why would she go away? I have fed her enough. I have loved her enough (or so I thought). (As I am typing this, the rat runs across the floor, wagging its long, ugly tail. It even has the gut to stop for a while and look at me! Do I sense mockery in its eyes? Eeeew...!!!)
    I have been a very bad pet owner. I have not given Gigi/Lili/Didi/Mimi the love that she deserves. I couldn't even give her a proper name! I have been sinful, please forgive me. ;-(

Little Thing Number Three: I am not a Robot.


     I go to work before 7 am and go back home from work before 7 pm, almost every day. At home, the work continues, albeit Facebook and Starworld in between, I rarely get to go to bed ('go to couch' would be more accurate, I sleep on the couch in front of the TV) before 2 am. And people say teachers are lucky because we only work half day. ;-(
    
     School - Teaching - Planning Lessons - Making Teaching Aids - Completing Reports - Updating Files - Attending Meetings - Hosting Workshops - Organizing School Programs - Training Action Songs - Kelab Doktor Muda Mini Convention - Item Building Workshop - Preparing Materials for Pintar Saga Program - Editing Question Papers - Monthly Tests - Marking, Marking, Marking - Extra Classes - Cleaning My House - Doing the Laundry - Worrying about Money - Worrying about my Family - Studying during the Weekend - Assignments - Flights - Delayed Flights - Worrying about Delayed Flights - Chores - Helping People with Chores - Worrying - Worrying - Worrying - Working - Working - Working - Worrying about Working - Working about Worrying - Worrying about Worrying -
   
     I collapsed face down due to extreme exhaustion in the staffroom last week. It was not a pretty sight, I am sure of it.

Little Thing Number Four: There is nothing that LOVE cannot solve

     Need I elaborate? Heheh! Go figure! ;-)