New school, new friends, new badge.

The days are back again, but with slight modification.

Korkor is now in a new school with a new badge on a new shirt, otherwise, everything else he took with him are still old ones. Time to make new boyfriends and girlfriends, polish new teachers' shoes and make new contracts with the black societies again. I guess he's taking it coolly, while I am the one running about worrying over every little details for him. Sweats.

This time round, the school is much closer to home. On the first day, both papa and mommy accompanied him, like he just started schooling. Well, not meant to show overly concern, but since it's new for him, just can't bear to dump him off and let him ji-san-ji-meat, right? We didn't even know which class he's to go to, as the PIC told me during the school holidays to come and ask only on today.

So, off we went to seek for his class after meeting his class teacher, who has the same surname as him (I hope this factor alone can pull some strings a bit), and then took him to the book shop to get the books this school uses. Both dad and son are so happy to find a lift and happily go in, only to get an irresponsive lift. Sure la, where so good, students can take lift woh! Meant only for teachers, I'm sure. Malunya..

We hang around for a little while longer. Papa bets the food in the canteen is very cheap and fill stomach first, don't care. OK la, many parents hanging around too, so we weren't the only one, we were just there for the cheap breakfast (suen-pin) only.

Then came back home to settle the other two. We still haven't decide which kindy to send them to, between
(1) the previous one where everything is neat and tidy, warm and cosy, used to the teachers and friends, but slightly far off..
or
(2) another kindy much nearer, but not so neat and tidy, not so warm and cosy and everything else we are unfamiliar with.

I took them to the 2nd one first to look see look see. They were just having an assembly while the kancheong parents stood at the doorway to observe them. All of the children are without shoes and I was waiting for them to go back to their classroom to see if any changes were done compared to the last time I was there for the inquiry during the school holidays.

After what seemed like an eternity, songs after songs they sang together, they finally disperse and I sneaked up to have a look. The kids shoes were placed outside the classroom, which only meant that they walked into the house with their shoes on and placed it there when they reach the class, right? And I remember seeing these kids without their shoes during assembly. Does it give a rather unpleasant feeling?

Then the rooms just look ngap ngap tap tap, like quite rundown. That's it! I took their little hands and just walked away, back to the previous school. They are so darn happy!

It's almost time to go home when we reach there, as the first 2 days are shorter. So I just hang around and chat with the principal, hoping that she will give me some discounts for the school fees, on what grounds, I don't know. But sigh, to no avail it was. But as long as the kids are happy and the environment is good enough, just close an eye la.

It was about time to go back to korkor's school very soon too, and boy! the traffic there is real pening kepala. I inquired about some school vans, bas sekolah or carpooling with parents. Eventually, I decided it's time to leave some space for him to learn about independence. (Actually, I am really tired of being a driver, and the traffic there is really hopeless)

Carefully selecting the choices available, we decided on a lady who uses her own personal car to transport few other students in the same school. I asked her to give her some information about herself, and she was shocked. She said it's the first time she heard of such request! Am I just being paranoid? But I was only asking where she stays, I haven't even open my mouth to ask her for a photocopy of her IC, passport, BC and a form to fill in yet.

I wonder if I'm just being abnormal or other parents who are too nonchalant about these details. Don't they want to know what sort of a person he/she is who's driving their kids to and fro from school? I really do not know. Anyway, I did apologize profusely about my too-concern attitude and kept reasoning and begging for her understanding in this. But I really do not feel I am asking too much, after all, she knows where I am staying too, right?

At the end of the day, after settling down and looking over the past 2 days, I do feel like I'm more kancheong than my son on all these new arrangements. Sort of not used to it in the beginning. But it does give me lots of free time in the morning now, and there seemed to be so much I'm looking forward to do in this year.