Memories - First Punishment in School!

My First Punishment in school was meted for failure to understand the teacher's instructions. I had to thank this teacher, her punishment made my command of English good. I can read and write well but pronounciation of words is still a long way to go!

My dad is a super leftist! Meaning his idol is Chairman Mao and he is a SUPER TRADITIONAL CHINESE MAN! We spoke Cantonese & Mandarin at home, he DOES NOT even speak to us in English.

To him, we should boycott Japanese goods, speak Mandarin & dialects, no English (for fear of us being Bananas)... All thanks to his NO SPEAK ENGLISH campaign. I dun understand English at all when i was in Primary One!

This English teacher of mine, Mrs Hazra is an Indian lady. While she was teaching, I simply dun understand a single word of hers. So being a kid, i tuned her off by talking to my classmate. She gave me quite a few warnings which I DUN UNDERSTAND at all. In the end, I was being punished by standing outside the classroom for being TALKATIVE.

Somehow, i dunno how long this situation lasts and in the end, Dad is being summoned to the school for my behaviour. That was when the truth dawned on her that I dun understand English well enough to listen to her instructions. On her recommendation, Dad has no choice but to buy those Ladybird books for me to learn English.

Thanks to her, I cultivated the love for reading and I simply love to read! This love of reading made me appreciate Literature well especially poetry. Now, I will pass on my love for reading to Piglet and at the same time, speak to Piglet in dialects, English & Mandarin as I dun want her to endure those unnecessary punishments as I got in the past!