He's So Lucky...

I’ve stopped teaching at St. Xavier’s Institution for 2 weeks already. The reason I stopped is because I believe my posting will come by mid September. I think I have solid reasons for believing so:

1, the Education Ministry has been giving out standard answers to everyone that the posting will come by mid September (My course mate’s friend called in every day, got the same answer every time, plus a scolding as a bonus). 2, I am a Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia scholarship holder. So it will be foolish for the government to let me off the hook without paying off my 4-year bond after having spent RM26 000 on me. 3, even if not everyone from my batch will get posted by mid September, I have solid reasons to believe that I will be the privileged few to get it, because of the money that the government has invested on me.

However, my father has a different theory. He thinks that I may not get a posting at all! He thinks that even if I do get a posting, it will probably come by January next year. He thinks he has solid reasons for believing so:

1, a lot of teachers who have graduated many years ago still have not got their posting up to today. 2, the current hoo-ha with the Education Ministry is “all over the news” (according to him). About people who have not got a posting for the umpteenth year, walking straight up to the Education Minister and demanding an answer, but the Minister is unable to comment. 3, even if the government dishes out the posting, those who have been jobless for more years than 1 will get a higher priority than fresh graduates. 4, they will probably post us by next year, because the school term is already ending.

So, my father got me hooked up with Convent Green Lane, to temp there until I get my posting. Starting immediately.

Waaaait a minute… 1, If I really do get my posting by September, why is there such a hurry for me to work? The remaining few days I have to rest will be important to me. 2, If I stop working in less than 20 days, I won’t even get paid. 3, if I share the belief that I wouldn’t be posted until next year, I could’ve just continued at SXI! 4, I haven’t finished missing SXI yet :)

Everyone is throwing their theories around, and I’m caught in the brunt of it. “You can’t be living on sunshine!” My exasperated father said. Well, I AM living on sunshine, regardless of whether or not I temp. Because the pay for temporary teachers will not come in after a few months. So the sunshine is still my source of food, thanks to photosynthesis (I think you can see why I like to argue with my father sometimes).

Today, I went straight up to the Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah to see Mr. Toh. I am a diplomatic person. I don’t want to lose a window of opportunity at CGL, and I also don’t want to lose my holiday in a gamble. Therefore, I think the best course of action will be to negotiate for a delay in the contract, without losing it to someone else. If I get my posting before 18th September, I’ll kiss CGL goodbye. If I don’t get my posting by 18th September, I'll take up the job at CGL. Sounds reasonable, rite?

So I went to see Mr Toh. And something happened that I couldn’t believe it. He gave me this:







He handed to me the contract, with all its documents, and asked me to take it home. “Everything in the forms is already filled,” he said, “Except for the date. When you decide on the date you want to start working, just fill in the date, come to the office and hand it back to me, and you can start.”

See the highlighted part in the contract, where the date is supposed to be? He highlighted it himself.

WOW!! How often do you get breaks at government departments like this? He is like… Handing to me a blank check! How often do you get such kind treatment, from a place that has a stigma of red tape and bureaucratic idiosyncrasies?

It’s so wonderful... Now, whether or not I get a posting is not a problem at all! If I get posted by September, then I'll go. If I don’t get my posting by September, I have a job waiting for me in CGL.

The coolest part is… I even get to choose what I want to do, and when I want to do it! In view of the huge unemployment rate of education graduates all over the country, how likely is this to happen? Maybe it’s because I’m getting famous in the District Office. Maybe it’s because of my bald head. Or maybe it’s because I’m just born to be lucky! Man… I can’t believe what luck I have!

No, no… I shouldn’t call it luck... I should call it unfair. Yes! God is “unfairly good” to me!

Oh, can I just add? With my scroll, now I get paid RM1653.73 a month, which is a RM700 jump from my previous STPM pay!

Wait till my course mates find out about this. “GOD IS NOT FAAAAAAIR!” They will bewail.

“God is not fair. But God is just” – Thomas Chung, National Conference 2005.