Farewell...
張老師 passed away in Makay Hospital today. We were sitting in SOGO when KL first brought the sad news. It came as a surprise. I was so thankful that I was able to see her one last time yesterday night. She was a strong, dedicated teacher who expected nothing but the best from her students - and never did I believe that such a day would come.
She taught me Chinese during 4th and 8th grade. My most vivid memory was that she gave us an assignment once to build a 亭子 for a class play. Our first model was a disaster, and frankly, I didn't think we put much effort into it. 張老師 gave us a harsh scolding and told us to remake the prop. We then went home and spent 5 hours - the whole evening - making it, and in the end, we produced a work of art that we were proud of. I used to think that she liked to pick on us, but now, I can understand why. A half-finished job is a job undone. That was her philosophy. She not only wanted her students to make their best effort, but also be confident of themselves. Yes, she was a strict teacher (sometimes even overly, I thought) - but moreover, she was a good one.
May she rest in peace. Her suffering is now over. We shall miss her dearly...
Frank is leaving tomorrow for America. Goodbye, old rascal. I'll miss your pranks and quirks and perverted jokes. Ange, Jerry, and David are also departing soon for their colleges.
I guess I agree with Ange. Maybe I'll wake up someday and find out this is all a dream. Everyone is still together at NEHS, just as they were 12 months ago, happy, carefree... and together...
She taught me Chinese during 4th and 8th grade. My most vivid memory was that she gave us an assignment once to build a 亭子 for a class play. Our first model was a disaster, and frankly, I didn't think we put much effort into it. 張老師 gave us a harsh scolding and told us to remake the prop. We then went home and spent 5 hours - the whole evening - making it, and in the end, we produced a work of art that we were proud of. I used to think that she liked to pick on us, but now, I can understand why. A half-finished job is a job undone. That was her philosophy. She not only wanted her students to make their best effort, but also be confident of themselves. Yes, she was a strict teacher (sometimes even overly, I thought) - but moreover, she was a good one.
May she rest in peace. Her suffering is now over. We shall miss her dearly...
Frank is leaving tomorrow for America. Goodbye, old rascal. I'll miss your pranks and quirks and perverted jokes. Ange, Jerry, and David are also departing soon for their colleges.
I guess I agree with Ange. Maybe I'll wake up someday and find out this is all a dream. Everyone is still together at NEHS, just as they were 12 months ago, happy, carefree... and together...