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author, Chong Pang, Eric Alagan, fiction, growing up, lca, Naval Base School, poetry, Sembawang, Singapore
As I mentioned, besides PE, story time on Tuesdays was also the high point in our school week. It was such fun, two enjoyable ‘lessons’ and in two days in a row!
The teacher from Class 1D would take this session. Miss Alvis (the Ms. has not been invented yet) was British and very good at story telling. The children would gather at the front of the classroom, sit crossed legged on the floor and listen to her in rapt silence, broken by giggles and squeals as the story unfolded.
One Tuesday, Miss Alvis took ill and the class fell sullen. Then, a flicker of hope – Miss Alvis had apparently told my teacher (what’s his name?) that Leigh was a good story teller and perhaps he could tell all his friends a story.
<<<<< Leigh?
Yes, that’s me. Like all budding authors, I thought to gain inspiration, I needed to take long walks in the forests, climb mountains, sit at the Dalai Lama’s feet and…
In Singapore, they uprooted forests to build factories and roads, flattened hills to reclaim land from the sea, and as for the Dalai Lama – already too many authors crowding around his feet – so, I took this shot in a studio – looks real huh?
You must have guessed by now, that I showed the first signs of a love for words even back then. Now, for the story…
So, there I was at six years old, on my very first stage performance. I sat on Miss Alvis’ chair, in front, facing the entire class gathered around my feet. I read out a particularly fun collection that included Puss in Boots, Humpty Dumpty and The Three Bears. Consummate star that I was, I mimicked and acted and spoke with flailing arms and legs. The children laughed, squealed and clapped. What great fun! It was a memorable day for all of us.
Many years later, when I met one of my classmates, Mabel, she recounted that day. I was pleased a million and thanked her. I too remembered how everyone laughed and clapped.
“Do you know why we all laughed so loud?” asked Mabel.
Of course, I knew but I wanted to hear it from her. We show-people have such huge egos that required constant stoking.
“Because you did not wear any underwear and we all saw.”
********** Copyright @ Eric Alagan, 2012 **********
Embarrassing, truthful yet entertaining. A feeling of nostalgia of the good old days.
More than the story – I love that photo – thought it was taken by the beach at sunset until Leigh confided that it was a studio backdrop. I simply had to add it into the story.
Wah, you expose all huh ! Next time don’t be too excited to ask but anyway thiis is very funny.
Mmmm…. that’s rather embarrassing
When Mechanic Leigh related the episode, I thought it was rather hilarious.
One summer, I jumped into the pool and when I pulled myself out of the water, my shorts were gone! I never did live that down!
You have my sympathies – but life would be so dull without such episodes
My primary school days story time was listening over the radio.
Already embracing technology.
Oh, poor Mechanic Leigh! But haha, it made me laugh
Glad you liked it.
Bob, I just posted a comment in your Poem of the Day – swallowed by your spam guards
I didn’t know I had spam guards… is their armor shiny? I will have to check my email, I’m new to this, do you know if I can see the comment even though they didn’t let it past?
You will not see it in your emails but if you go to your Comments page, you’ll see a Spam folder on the top header…
BTW, I posted your comment on your latest Poem of the Day – the one about black and white. Incidentally, I also touched on this same topic in my post Shadow > http://wp.me/s1YE83-shadow
I will check it out
I approved both comments. Don’t know why they went under spam… thanks for your feedback. yes, people will always find something to fight over, unfortunately…
So embarrassing, but it would have been much worse for you if they had told you at the time. Much better to hear of it years afterward. I may have had experiences like this, but no one has told me about them yet. I did not do any such performance though. I was painfully shy as a child and became more so as I grew. What cured me finally was going to graduate school and being assigned to teach a calculus section. It was horrifying, but it did me much good. Now when I teach, I do it much like a performance and when it goes well, when I can feel the connection with the students it is such a wonderful thing.
You’re very right – it would have been worse if they had pointed and laughed at that time.
As adults, we looked back and had a real good laugh. Of course by the time we left school, we boys had messed around with some of the girls and in later years, they had more to be shy about, I reckon…
Even seasoned speakers get butterflies in their stomachs. I suppose it gets worse for people who are naturally retiring and shy…