The Infamous Gap

The Resonance Factor

How much more does he need to disagree? This was a question put forward to me as I visited the wet market a couple of days ago.

It's a privilege to walk around the market and meet many vendors... be it the fishmonger, butcher, vegetable or beef sellers for they are the parents of present and past students of the school. They acknowledge you with much respect and tell you if the fish is not fresh and won't even allow you to purchase it. They are afraid that you may come back to them to complain or maybe as a gesture of genuine gratitude for having taught their children.

Sometimes I do meet my students helping out in the sales and it gives you a good feeling to see them lending their parents a hand.

I stopped at a particular fish stall and asked for the price of squid and after I had chosen a couple I persuaded him to clean and cut neatly for me. As usual, I started a conversation and asked about his children. He told me he has a problem with the eldest boy. Oh why?

He lamented that he does not understand his boy's sleeping habits and reiterated that for sure his son would still be in bed when he gets home after business by noon. He further said that when he comes back each night around midnight, his son would make his way out and be in bed only in the wee hours of the morning. Why oh why ? Can't he son sleep normally?

Next when I asked him what his boy was studying at the moment, he in a disappointed tone replied, " Japanese cartoon drawings" ( he must mean manga). "What future can one have in this kind of career? How is he going to raise a family with such a vocation? I would be happy if he could just take a skill-based vocation like being a car mechanic. My son is sensitive and thinks the world of his friends ; right or wrong. Now he wants to go to Japan to further his studies on his drawings. I hope he won't turn out to be like his artist uncle who has the oddest behaviour and is an anti-social !"

I could only comfort him by saying that drawing is also skill-based and many bosses look for such talents. He may just one day find his niche and make it. He laughed cynically and asked me how many artists make it in life ? He has resigned to the fact that his son is adamant about the drawing vocation and that he could only try to save as much as he could should he fail to get any financial aid from the government. He still loves his son dearly despite the differences and disagreements.

I left the stall feeling the plight of the father and only to be told ..." Are you a teacher from Seafield? My son is from your school..." Aha ; food for thought indeed.

I came home to notice the shoes worn so frivolously by the girls...heels of umpteen inches which could probably cause the worst knee and ankle aches. How does one wear those things?

The girls have at least half a dozen each of shoes of high-heeled nature...I squirm each time I imagine myself in them.

I go for flats like that... so how to resonate?

Indeed, the infamous gaps do exist .