Perspectives

I'm sure you would have heard before that the same quality would elicit different responses or views, and this phenomenon is seen both spatially (i.e. different views formed by different people at the same time) and temporally (i.e. the same person would revise an earlier opinion). One of the NIE lecturers gave an example to explain this point - a girl may fancy a guy's generosity before marriage, but this very same virtue of generosity becomes a vice of profligacy after marriage.


I said this because I have known a colleague who has presented to me different perspectives, and I must say that it has affected my moral compass by a great deal. I'm not sure if you have this experience in your life when you talk to some people and realise that they are immensely principled. You walk away after the talk feeling extremely ruffled, and somewhat disconcerted. Well, that was what happened to me when I got to know Mr O, my colleague.

Mr O teaches Biology and Physics, and as a pre-NIE trainee teacher, we got posted to the same school together with other fun-loving temporary and contemporary teachers, a motley of contract, relief, ESE and practicum teachers. As part of the lunch kakis, we usually lounge in the canteen and chat about mundane stuffs as and when the bell and classes would limit us. One day, Mr O shared with us how he forgot about a test that constituted 20% of the module marks in NUS. Frantic, he emailed the professor, and the professor requested Mr O to call him.

Over the phone, the professor urged Mr O to get an MC. Mr O simply refused as he felt that he had no moral grounds to absolve himself from his foible of forgetfulness. My other colleagues and I were shocked. Trying to stretch him further, I posed him another hypothestical question - Had it been an exam, would you get an MC? His reply - No.

There was something about Mr O and his tone that you knew that he meant what he said. I felt really humbled.... as a man of weaknesses and kiasi-ness, I was brought down by this Monsieur O, who had stood by his principles and practised it. Perhaps, it was because he's a pastor's son, and so he had quite a formidable level of principles. When I asked in another incident, if he would print some school resources for his tuition kids (assuming he has some which hitherto he has none), he replied that it was unethical, and that he wouldn't do it.

It has been a long time since my moral compass has been adjusted. The last I remembered was when I met SL LLG in the army, who with his logical rationcination and religious devoutness, influenced me the way I have lived for the next few years of my life - in dealing with situations, b**chy people and scheming colleagues. Monsieur O really impressed me.

But no, I am still going to take MCs if I need to despite the emulation of the titan. As I argued, it is all a matter of perspectives. SL LLG and I believe in MCs if there are greater utilitarian values to the society, and we don't abuse the system flagrantly, but only at the most urgent state of affairs. But surely, Monsieur O has left me in awe in all sense.

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It is Mr Y's last day today as he had to report for reservist. Some of us xinjiao teachers decided that we should head to Sakae Sushi for a good buffet. With the exception of one, all of us were ready to flash that NUS/NIE student card to enjoy the discount.

Apparently, Sakae has changed its policy to discriminating the price by age. Alas, we had to pay the "adult" fare, but we gleefully tucked into our food nevertheless. After 3 hours of chatting and crapping, I left the place saying that I need to go jogging to burn off all the food dumped into that bag called stomach.

At 6+ and with quite a bit of a wind, I convinced myself that a short pre-run nap would be sublime. And a "short" one it was. When I woke up, groggy and lethargic, it was 9.15. At this time, I'm supposed to be meeting ZM MMG for the "Red Cliff" movie. Shooting out of bed, I dashed all the way down with that unkempt look, and certainly an apologetic demeanour. We decided to switch to Hellboy 2 as it was scheduled later. Thank goodness I made it on time. The punishing morning schedules of a teacher have begun to crept up onto me these three weeks.

That's Mr P for me.