What I remember about Mr Boey, our teacher-in-charge, was his "Big Wood". Ok it doesn't sound right after translation so I'm just going to stick to its original Mandarin pronunciation of "Da Mu", which literally means, big wood. It was a nasty thing. Instead of the usual rattan, Mr Boey has opted for a thick bamboo stem of about 30cm in length as his caning device of choice. Naughty boys would get spanking on their butts while defiant girls got them on their palms, for not so convincing physiological reasons.
Poor test results, being late for classes, daydreaming, failure to hand in homework, fights etc would all be promptly dealt with using Da Mu. I wasn't a particularly bad student (as a matter of fact, I was a TEACHERS' pet) but I've had my fair share of Da Mu, mainly because of very miserably executed left-handed Chinese calligraphy, if I remember it correctly.
One day, during primary four I believe, I was so fed up with Da Mu I chucked it into a dried up fountain overgrown with weed next to our classroom after everyone's gone home (Da Mu was kept in Mr Boey's unlocked drawer in our classroom). It was only recovered the next year when we decided to clear up the space next to our classroom and turn it into a mini garden.
No one missed Da Mu as Mr Boey brought Da Mu's brother, Da Da Mu the next day after he realised that it's gone missing.
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