New Preschool Teacher in Town: Me!

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone, they said.
.
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I don't like children. I don't like teaching. And I don't like pink.
Here I am teaching preschoolers in my pink uniform 5 days a week, and here is how that life begins. :)

My first month was all like, dear God save me...these weird little ducklings are chaos!

They could cry so hard they puked or peed or both. You may sing and dance all you want they will just stare blankly at you (and that was the most crickety 20 minutes of my life, btw). However, after that, they could came out of nowhere running to you to give you boogie or try to lick your toe or pull your arm off -but sometimes got distracted by the urge to smell your armpit. They like to climb up your back, then your legs and before you know it, they were all over you. I think they were trying to kill me by burying me alive with their little bodies.

I learned that sometimes I can make them go away with a quick hug, a little lift up and down, high-five or ten, some tickling, or compliment. Even though there are times when none of them works. I mean, like, who would know "Wiwing" means "Piring" (plate) and "Badu" means "Sepatu" (shoes)? There is this kid kept saying "Wiwing" and I said "Good job" and he didn't go away until he got his plate, haha. Oh, I also learned that now my name could be Ms. Pyona or Syonah at its best. It's hard for them to sound "Fiona".

With this second month still on going, I realized one thing..that I have a laugh issue.
I am so easy to laugh, especially at their mistakes or misery. There is this kid playing with his plastic bag by repeatedly slipping his right hand in and out of it during snack time. Then one of the teachers, saw the kid's been tricky all day, caught him and asked him to finish his meal with his hand in a plastic bag. I needed to run to a toilet just so no one can see me laughing. I came back to the class only to see the teacher had put a rubber band around the kid's hand with the plastic bag, and the kid just had to continue eating that way, and he did.. I just had to run to the toilet again. I swear it's funnier seen than told.

September is the month for Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, and Fish as topics. On each week we brought in some samples for the kids to try, like banana, papaya, fruit soup, salad with mayo, "otak-otak" (made of fish) and sausages. There is kid who doesn't like fruits, veggies, or sausages. Every single time he saw a teacher brought in a bowl or two to taste, he would immediately raise his hand saying, "I wanna pee..." with sweats and tears all over his face. That wide eyes and rapid nodding movement obviously saying, "LET ME GO! PLEASEE!! NOW!!!" histerically. Well..This month is surely traumatic to him.

It's funny how these kids always ask for me when they need help on something that scares them instead of other senior teachers. I guess they know I'm not as strict as them. I smiles a lot, compliment small details, and not forcing their limits in the first try. Easy target, am I not? haha.

As much as I think I will enjoy this eventually, I don't think I will stay more than a year. Let this be the only group of preschoolers that I might grow affection for.

A Keloid Story of My Life (written in mostly Indonesian)

Chapter 1

Pembicaraan antara om dan tante di mobil:

"Jadi tadi dokternya bilang..keloid itu bisa muncul kalo orangnya punya bakat keloid."

"Jadi Yona ini punya bakat keloid."

"Iya dia ternyata ada bakat keloid."

"Bakat keloid ya dia ternyata."

"Betul. Bakat keloid ternyata dia."

"Keloid ternyata dia bakat."

Intinya gitu, diulang-ulang beda kalimat aja terus sepanjang jalan. Aku jadi mikir,

"Bakat keloid ya. Hmm.. Baru kali ini ada bakatku yang diakui secara verbal sama mereka. Tapi memang sih itu bakat yang menonjol (pun intended haha..they literally are "standing out"). Mungkin ini harus ditulis di CV juga. BAKAT: KELOID.

Chapter 2

Check-up kedua: "Anda baru? Sakit apa? Sebentar saya cek riwayat...

OH! Yang keloid itu ya!"

 

Check-up ketiga: "Fiona..hmm...baru ya.sebentar saya cek riwayat anda..

OH! Yang keloid ya!"

 

Check-up keempat: "Fiona ya..yang mana ya.. Sebentar saya cek di...

OH! Yang keloidd!"

 

Check-up kelima mulai malesin nih kayaknya: "Sore dok, saya Fiona yang keloid."

"Fiona? Hmm sebentar.. Eh bilang apa tadi? Yang keloid? OH! Ya ya ya gimana gimana?"

 

Check-up keenam udah mulai biasa: "Sore dok, saya yang keloid."

"Ohh! Baik baik baik. Gimana perkembangannya?"

 

Selanjut-selanjutnya: "Sore dok! Saya si keloid! Hahaha!"

"Ah! Sini sini dengkulnya" *ambil lampu meja*

Interesting semi agak sialan emang dokter kulit satu ini..

A letter to the 2017 Fiona I sent via FutureMe.org

Dear FutureMe,
Uh..hey there! Is this letter comes in a good timing? Are you surprised? Have you forgotten about this? Hehehe.. I really want to poke you! somehow! *poke*

How have you been? Do you enjoy your job position? I hope you make more money than I do today (Asian. *rolling eyes* I know. hihihi) I wonder if you have been able to travel abroad yet! Did you write about your trips? Don't forget you have that themed journal for travelling I bought last year. I moved it from the drawer to the cabinet above your desk.Anyway, I wish you make your way achieving your dreams step by step.

Err..hope this is not crossing the sensitive line, but do you have some guy you proudly call as your boyfriend now? What is he like? Are you guys super clicking to one another that you can finish each other's sentences? Is he reliable and treat you equal? But also someone you can't help to be feminine/a bit childish when you're around him? and most importantly, are you feeling at home with him? I'm sorry I have only been demanding and asking here and that based on my level now, because of course I don't know what is happening with and around you now..which I'm dying to know. I would kill for that muhuhahah..

Just a little flashback for you that I just passed the tormenting days with Bell's Palsy. The last therapy was yesterday.. and yeah, you might also remember huge things that came along with this disease. All the depression of becoming very dependent. Anyway, if this is three years from now, it means that Mariana has been married for almost 2 years, isn't it? wow. Do they have children already? What about Lizveth and Dwik? Veth must've been back to Jakarta for, like, 2 years too! and Dwik should be graduating July 2014. *squinting* Are you still in touch with Manda and Diane? I hope all of them are now living the life they wanted just as much as I hope you are too. :)
I wonder who else's been married and how many invited you..did you manage to make it to all of the invitations and if there were dramas along the line..things like that. I'm afraid to ask this, but are you now bear the weight of your family? How is everybody going? I do wish Oma is still there and no one else is leaving already.

Whoa, it'd be awesome if you could reply to this, you know. to the 2014 me. Just..well you don't have to answer all of that bluntly..simply give me some prophetic sentence would be super cool, like maybe..I will meet 'the guy' under a peach tree and crescent moon when the breeze blows twice and I'm wearing a white dress or something. trololol.. Yeah I know I know. You like being silly too, okay!

Okay, I think that's it for now.
Love and hugs from the past for whatever you're going through right now. You know you're always that strong, independent, kind at heart, and it's your nature to laugh by making other people laugh. You're as awesome as ever as a life coach, not to mention that you're also a good listener. I hope you're getting what you deserve because..Lady! You are precious! God made you that way. So pull yourself together when life tries to break you down. ;)

Love you!

Fiona 2014