peklynn O peklynn what have thou done!

I can't believe myself sometimes! How can I be so dumb and yet so smart? Of all the people in the world, I honestly thought better of you! Geez.... ><

Well, for those of you who knew me for a long time (with the exception of one who have developed that ability to understand me within just 2 years, or so, phetpet you know who you are la)...anyway, my parents stared introducing a new language to me when I was in kindergarten and then being parents they must have thought it funny to send me - the ONLY daughter and the youngest in the family to a Chinese School names Lick Hung in Subang Jaya - where I spent most of of life there.

So, a normal person would say - Pek Lynn has studied Mandarin for 9 years (1 year for kindergarten, 6 years in primary school and 2 years in high school), hence, it would be fair to say that I was exposed to Mandarin for a fairly long period of time and thus should have the capability to read, write and speak fluently.

However, NO ONE ever asks OR takes into account the torture that I went through, the daunting experience of my childhood revolved around going to a Chinese school...For those who are studying to be a teacher, you should know that without a proper environment conducive to learning, without good and positive motivation, and being the only one in the family speaking a foreign language in the house...I should not be fully blamed for my lack of interest in my studies during that period of time. Perhaps "lack of interest" is an understatement...heck, my class teacher even laughed at me and called me names when something fell on me which needed 9 stitches on my forehead to seal the hole!! I mean, my primary school experience was one that scared me...one that would never fade.

Hence, bringing me to my final say that my Mandarin reading and writing skills have all been given back to my teachers as soon as a step foot out of primary school and into utter freedom!

So, now to my actual purpose as to why I tend to surprise myself sometimes...

A friend of mine found out I knew Mandarin, thanks to my beloved mother, and has asked if I could teach him. Honestly, I was flattered and all but...Me? Mandarin? I would if I could I say...but I guess part of me wanted to help out because he did continued dropping hints about me teaching Mandarin.

I do not know what came over me because I AGREED to help him. I even went to Dymocks - a book store in Australia - and bought a book called "Mandarin Chinese in 30 days".

Sigh...I can't believe I did that!

I mean, I do not doubt that I can re-learn Mandarin again. I'm just surprised that even with my horrid past, I am willing to accept it into my life again. Needless to say, its going be a challenge to teach it at the same time!