It is with a deep sense of loss that I share with
you this tragic fact: My memory isn’t what it once was. I used to be able to
read a novel in an afternoon and regurgitate even the smallest details months
later. Now I read twelve e-mails in the morning and I’ve forgotten them all by
noon. That may be a subconscious avoidance mechanism, since some of those
e-mails probably contained tasks I was supposed to do; nevertheless, I can no
longer rely on my memory alone to safeguard the information that is most
important to me. With that in mind, and with the end of my year in Singapore
looming just ahead, I have decided to dredge my uncooperative mind for the
memories I am not willing to let dissipate and fade over time.
These are just some of the moments that kept me
going through homesickness, frustration, and tedium; the moments that made me
appreciate my blessings and feel affirmed in my choice of job; these are the
moments that matter. Here are ten of the highlights from my year of teaching
abroad.
1) Less than a month after I arrived in Singapore (October
2013), I was invited to join my colleagues in a soccer tournament pitting
teachers from different Junior Colleges against each other. This was the first
time I really felt a sense of camaraderie and acceptance in Singapore, although
I realized a little too late that shouting at my superiors like I would my
teammates in the States was kind of stupid. Thankfully Catholic Junior College
placed fourth overall, for the first time in the school’s history, so in the
general euphoria my gaffe was forgiven. That tournament was only the first of
many mornings spent kicking a soccer ball around with my colleagues, and the
year would have been a lot worse without them. I won’t be taking much luggage
back to America from Singapore, but I wouldn’t dream of leaving behind my 4th-place
trophy and the memories attached to it.
2) It took quite a bit of administrative sleight of hand,
but the Literature department was able to organize a trip for the students to
see Shakespeare in the Park. We saw a wonderful performance of The Merchant of Venice, with the setting
updated to resemble modern Singapore (complete with tablets and iPhones and clubs
playing techno). Along with some of the other teachers, I was invited to stand
on stage during Shylock’s courtroom scene. Afterwards one of the students
exclaimed “Mr. O, you rock!” I know, the purpose was to convince them that
Shakespeare rocks… but I count it as a win anyway (full disclosure: they no
longer thought I ‘rocked’ after receiving their first essays backs. You can’t
win ‘em all…). Also, life-long dream of acting in a Shakespeare play? Realized.
3) One of my goals for the year was to stay in shape, which
I knew would be a challenge with the long hours required of teachers in
Singaporean Junior Colleges. But I had more opportunities to exercise than many
of my colleagues, since I was assigned as one of the Teachers-In-Charge (a
Singaporean title) of the Track & Field team. Halfway through the year
there was a big Cross Country race, one for students and one for faculty, and I
was eager to establish my bona fides. My rival was the head Teacher-In-Charge,
a former Singaporean National Champion, who ran regularly but was about a
decade older than me. I kept assuring people that I couldn’t beat him, while
thinking to myself: “Just maybe…” Long story short, he kicked my ass. But that
remains my first full-length cross-country race, and I’ll wear my silver medal
with (slightly bruised) pride.
4) When I arrived at Incheon Airport in December 2013, freezing
and bleary-eyed, my friend Sang Hwan was there to meet me, even though he’d had
to wake up around 3am and travel a few hours to the airport. From that moment
until the day I left Seoul two weeks later, I was surrounded by the greatest
friends anybody could imagine (Sungik, thanks again to you and your father for
taking me in on Christmas day!). Some people travel for new experiences – food
or adventure or scenery – but I think I will always plan my future travels
around the friends I can meet at my destination.
5) Every now and again I would bring a few beers over to my
neighbor’s apartment, who also worked at Catholic Junior College and shared my
interest in sci-fi, fantasy, and the inestimable Joss Whedon. We would make
some popcorn and watch Firefly, trying really hard not to complain about our students
(we didn’t try that hard). Living alone in a new country while trying to
navigate an unfamiliar job was neither straightforward nor stress-free, and I
was very lucky to be able to rely on the best neighbor, colleague, and friend a
guy could ask for. Thanks for everything, Jess!
6) Somehow or other I came to know a group of expat teachers
(and one Australian dentist). They became some of my best friends in Singapore,
and we would often hang out on the weekends and play poker – they welcomed me
into the group and took my money. No teacher can survive without a space to
relieve stress, and pizza, beer, and cards with Imran, Matt, Chris, James and
(sometimes) Kelsey was the best way I ever found of ending a rough week.
7) My Friday nights weren’t always cards and beer – sometimes
they were singing (and beer). Sometimes the Poker Crowd, plus the ladies who
more often than not seemed to pass on poker, would go to a karaoke joint
downtown and belt out tunes until the wee hours. I learned about a few Scottish
bands, dusted off my repertoire of 90s R&B, and rediscovered my
middle-school years by crooning along with the Backstreet Boys. Clarke Quay
Society, I will miss you guys.
8) From my previous highlights, it may seem that my
brightest moments in Singapore all happened when I wasn’t teaching – but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
There was a great deal of frustration involved (as I think is true for any
teacher who truly cares about improving his or her craft), but the successes
more than make up for everything else. I discovered this after delivering my
first lecture to the entire Literature cohort (maybe 120 students) on the
similarities between Heath Ledger’s Joker and Iago from Othello. It was the product of most of a weekend spent hashing out
my thoughts and trying to express them in a way that would be accessible to the
students, yet of practical use to them. I was beyond gratified when they stayed
awake (watching the Joker mess with Batman is a good attention-getter, I
found), and some even took notes! Even
better was when a student approached me after the lecture to ask if it was
symbolically significant that, in the final scene of Othello, Othello strangles Desdemona instead of killing her some
other way. “Yes!” I practically yelled, a little carried away by the fact that
a student had been generating questions while
paying attention. “It IS significant! He silences
her! Do you see? Do you see the symbolic beauty of this murder? Do you?!” And
she really did, even if she was also backing away slowly from the crazy teacher.
9) Umar, my roommate for most of 2013, had to leave
Singapore at the end of the year. He is an amazing guy who went out of his way
to help me get used to a new place, and I was really sad to see him go. In
order to make the most of our last few days together, we embarked on an epic
journey of discovery around Singapore. First we had a Swedish brunch (not
entirely sure why, but it was delicious), and then visited Universal Studios on
Sentosa. We were also able to take a day trip to the beautiful island of Pulau
Ubin, where you can rent bicycles and see a bit of what Singapore looked like
before it became the ever-developing city it is now. We saw wild boars and
raced wild dogs, then wandered along a raised wooden path over the bay in time
to catch the sunset. Was it a little too much like a date weekend? Maybe. Was
it awesome? Yes, it was. Keep doing what you’re doing, Umar, and I hope to see
you in the UK some day!
