Oh, I've been a bad bad girl! Had not been replying my mails, smses, or even updating my blog. A million things have transpired in the short span of time (or was it long?!) since my last entry here. Things have gone from a bumpy ride to a smoother sail now..
My Mongolian students have all gone back to Mongolia for good and that kind of teared me up a bit as to me, they were more than just students. After all, I saw them for a good five hours each day (except at weekends) for classes for the nine months that they were here. Sometimes, they would follow me home after classes for a swim and then dinner. At weekends sometimes they'd call me up and ask me to take them somewhere as they were new to Penang. I was somewhat the teacher cum 'tourist' guide.
Many a time in the past two months of their departure had I wanted to write but I reckoned I was better off not writing. Being the very emotional and sentimental person that I am, and considering the rawness of it all, the very mention of them would have crumbled me.
I still remember when I was told by my then supervisor that I would be expecting five students from Mongolia and I was to teach them English. The language. I was also furnished matter-of-factly by him that their english language ability was bordering zero. And true to his 'warning', that was exactly what or how they turned out to be when I first entered class. At first their wide-eyed, puzzled looks whenever I opened my mouth to speak just made me even more nervous as I had never handled students from Mongolia before. When I was told about them, in my mind, I somewhat had painted a very bias picture of what to expect of people from Mongolia. I pictured them in their furry traditional costumes living in tents of the mountaneous Ulaan Bataar. The closest thing or should I say person I could relate back then to Mongolia was Genghis Khan. Now I don't blame the Aussies when they thought we were still living on trees!
Well, they certainly proved me wrong of everything I'd imagined them to be. They were very fashionable and way more advanced than many of us in terms of mentality and technology. They were very open and assertive about issues deemed taboo here. And it was these qualities together with their un-inhibition that struck me as the direct contrast of our local students here. True, they were playful at times but they made up for it through their diligence and eagerness to learn. I had never come across students who would ask for more exercises and assignments except for them. In no time, they started to speak in a more coherent manner in english. What really touched and shocked me at the same time was their very very expressive and aggressive ways. They were not afraid to express their feelings and stands. Things I had taught them during classes would be used to SMS to me later on. I would normally receive SMSes that read "Hi teacher! How are you? What r u doing?" or "Good night, my dearest teacher. We love you."
There was once in class when I was teaching them on the weather and Jimsee looked out of the window and exclaimed confidently, "Teeecher, now many water come down!" And there I was wondering what the heck that was just being said. A quick look out the window explained it all. Sure enough there was 'many water' from the sky. It was a rainy day that day.
It was the first time after my grandma's passing that i felt a marked sense of loss.. They came here without a word of english and I had been entrusted to impart the language onto them from scratch. There I was using all the means possible just to make them understand me. I had resorted to using sign language, acting things out and even nursery rhymes to make learning and understanding easier and more interesting. I took them on many field-trips too, with many being 'unofficial'. Looking back, I guess their short presence here has helped me a lot in many ways as their larger-than-life personalities have helped me recognise myself better.
We still keep in touch via e-mails and online messenger services. Each time I hear from them is a reminder of the many lessons that we had together. Although they have all returned to Mongolia, they have, in a way brought a part of me with them that is the things I had taught them.
The girls and me..
End of the road.. Shalhaan Burenbayar, Oyuntsetseg Suvd-Erdene, myself, Bayaraa Jimsee and Erdechimeg Mainbayr.. Yeah, their names sound almost Russian...
Well, said The Beatles; Life Goes On. And true to that, my life is still going on. And going on it is. I have new things to look forward to now. New job, new environment, new friends, new colleagues and new responsibilities including my studies. A new chapter is unfolding in my life while I'm sitting here typing this... But, hey! I'm still doing what I do and like best!
For some reason, the song 'bounce' by Sarah Connor is blaring in my head right now. I guess that's me now, bouncing back into life! Hello once again...
