Pollyana Cowgirl

I am my Parents

What do you do when you realise that you ARE your parents?

Not becoming like your parents...
I am in a crisis of sorts. I realised today that I have become Mummy and Papa.

Yes yes, I studied Biology and Chemistry, so I am aware that some of their traits will inherently be evident in me and I will thus have some resemblance to them in both the personality and physical look-alike departments of the Tan Family Co. Pte Ltd.

I am not embarassed to be an offspring of the Tan Co., let me qualify, I adore and love the Tans to bits. But but...

I think I am becoming a bit of an information hound. I have been in Jakarta for a week now, and I was having the sure signs of "The Straits Times" withdrawal symptoms. I thought it must be an occupational hazard of being a GP teacher. Right? "Read the newspapers" being my oft quoted refrain.

Imagine the sheer joy when I went up to the school's library yesterday and read THE Straits Times.

*no tears of joy.. but.. I swear my heart skipped a beat*

The school I am teaching in subscribes to THE Straits Times. Joy, sheer joy.

Now what has this got to do with my parents? Papa, is a fellow newspaper afficiando. In fact, he inculcated in me the love for reading and watching the news. Papa abhores all programmes except for the news (in all languages) programme. Lately, I realised that I am becoming more and more like him. Fret not, I am subscribing to the Jakarta Post and a daily dose of The Straits Times will rid me of the news withdrawal symptoms. I guess in this globalised world, being out of touch with the happenings around us will render one obsolete in a few days. Uh-huh.. T T Durai's civil suit... Maia is a pansexual (bwhahahahaha... that article got me rolling on the floor!).

Let me move on to Mummy dearest and me. Now, Mummy is my best friend and I love her (more than I love chocolates with peanuts) so so much. Mummy and me share some admirable traits. We love shopping, we are both vain, we love eating desserts and Italian food, we cry easily and we are both corny.

Sorry Mummy.
Despite my love and admiration of all of you, I really do not want to be a compulsive hygiene and neat-always-in-order... erm... freak. I am starting to pick up single strands of hair on the floor, noticing a single speck of dust and making sure that my bedsheets and pillowcases are crease-free when I make the bed every morning. Ah!

The moment I start hanging my clothes on hangers that are seperated equally (to a decimal point accuracy) on the clothes pole with a fiery passion, I know I should start being hysterical.

Not a bad thing actually...
Doing things that reminds me of home and my family helps me to stay sane, stay rooted and never forget what they taught me.

I told my classes today when I met them for the first time my list of expectations. I ended the list with something that I believe will get us through the year, sane.

Be kind. Be kind to one another and be kind to me (very important! I still refuse to be wrinkled by my students a.k.a my JOB. ahahaha...).

Mummy always said to 'Be Kind'.
I guess being alone and looking out into the nightsky here gives me all the space and inspiration to be so dramatic. Singaporean lingo for 'drama-mama'.

posted by Poot @ 6:59 PM