I wonder how many people want to erase all their memories and start over again. Cancel their mistakes and re-write their past. But what makes us think we'll do better the second time round, right?

And I've realised, people generally like to say that "they've been hurt". Hurt. What's hurt? Is your hurt the same as my hurt? If I say I've been hurt am I self-pitying? And is there even some selfish interest involved in voicing that out? Coz we want love and comfort and empathy?

I think so.

But anyway, that aside. Today's lit class was really inspiring. Relief teacher, Miss Cheryl, used to teach at ITE and she told us stories from there. Though given my background and the kind of work my dad does, I should be familiar with stories of delinquents etc. However, it was still inspiring and really allowed me to see the world from a different POV. Miss Cheryl told us of how this guy had to skip school to go to work to support his family. From a teacher's POV, of course you'd ask that student to stop working and come to school. But really, Family vs Education. How can you possibly ask him to choose education? That'd be selfish, ain't it? They say that education is the key to the "vicious poverty cycle", the answer to a bright future, but it's really just not feasible in some situations. Look at us, when we've the chance, we pon school. Other people can't even come even if they wanted to. Miss Cheryl also said that in VJ, supposedly "top 20%", we were never made to feel like we were unwanted, uncapable and worthless, but for her students they face that kinda treatment everyday. Plus the stigma they face from society just from going to ITE. LIfe's really different for them. Come to think of it, I really can't imagine how life is life for them. All my problems and all are so...negligible. She told us other stuff too and I was so inspired, I really wanna be like her next time.

Oh, and today for cca we went to this primary school to tutor the p6 kids. They don't care about their studies at all. And I really mean AT ALL. They smoke, are in gangs, use vulgarities, don't go home till 12am (mind you - p6...) and think being retained/expelled from school is "cool". When I first went there I really had sort of a culture shock. It's so hard to relate to the kids, get them to listen to you. My tutee didn't know how to pronounce the word "wild", another didn't know what this -> ? was called.

How do you help them? PSLE is in how many days?