Nel's first day at school

Nel officially started standard 1 last Monday. So far smooth sailing…so I thought. Well, she’s in Chinese school and doesn’t understand most words. She can barely speak or understand that language.

So the first few days she just went by dreaming n ignoring most instructions coz she didn’t understand anything. She didn’t even raise her hands when her name was called. They probably pronounced her English name all wrong, and she probably didn’t recognize her own Chinese name.

2nd day she desperately needed to go to the toilet and didn’t even dare to ask for fear she’d mention the wrong Chinese word. Thank God my sis-in-law was peeping in and noticed Nel’s desperate face.

She comes home and says “no homework” coz the homework notices are written in Chinese.

Most of all, I told myself, they’re gonna turn our daughter into a communist. Hahaha…. They’re told- How to stand, heads up, finger always on mouth when walking to toilet, no talking, bangs above eyebrows etc etc….and they’ve been warned that if homework is not done, they’ll be given the cane. (one or 2 strokes on the palm!) *shudder*

She carries a tonne of books to school everyday…really, it’s heavy for me too! So I’ve bought her a trolley bag or whatever you call it. Comes with wheels.

Ok, perhaps I’m being pessimistic…. Coz, c’mon, thousands and thousands of kids have been through this system, but survived. Well, bottom line, I’m watching her closely.

Imagine, just 4 days of school, over roti canai yesterday… she said in desperation “Mum, school is so BORING! All you do is SIT SIT SIT SIT! And write and listen. The boy sitting next to me is so naughty. He keeps saying the bad word mum. And the 2 boys in front of me like to tease me. Mum, I prefer my kindy, I don’t like this school.”

I told her “Nel, hang on…just a year….And everytime they start the teasing, you ignore them and do your work quietly. Think about how when you come home each day, mum and Jo will be waiting for you and we can play.”

Nel replied “one year mum??? but it’s too long………… too long. I don’t even get to play anymore, I come home so late…I’ve not been to the playground at all this week! ”

She sounded like she’s been given a prison sentence. And there were tears welling in her eyes as she spoke.

Before going to school I said “Nel…let’s pray.”

I prayed “God…help Nel settle in school and to enjoy her learning. Most of all, I pray that either the boys become nice to her, or you change her seat and put her next to a nice girl.”

Before going to school we sat on the swing for a while, us and our idiotic dog.

Time passed and in the evening she came home and said “guess what mum??? remember you prayed for me today?? Mum, teacher changed my seat! God didn’t make the boys nicer, so He changed where I sit and now I’m sitting next to a nice girl! God answered our prayer mum!”
I was happy for her. Well…we’ll see how it goes in the months to come. I’m still kinda pro home-schooling…I really wanna do that…but we’ll wait a few months

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As for my SVT, I went to see a specialist. He said that the episodes I had were too frequent....and suggested that I may want to undergo a catheter ablation where the catheters are inserted into the veins in the groin and into the heart. They do some tests and zap some nerves. That's as far as I understand. I've opted for medication for now, and see how it goes.