Yogyakarta in My Mind Eps 6

GURU, diGUgu lan ditiRU( Javanesse philosopy)

Teachers - To be respected and be emulated

Debby Zunta

           When I was younger, a teacher was someone who was very clever. I never heard of any   bad teachers. They all were committed to make the students great. I was then a conformist  student.. I was very obedient; always listened to what my teachers said. I didn’t have any initiative to get on, on my own; obviously I was lazy or overwhelmed by my naivety.

            When I came to STERO, I met many teachers. They had different attitudes; I meant different from my junior high school teachers.

In this episode, I intend  to tell you what I remembered about my teachers in STERO. I am telling you from my point of view.

            The first was Mrs. Beautiful. She was indeed beautiful.. She had a good figure even though she already had two childreen. She was my English teacher in grade ten and was also my  class form teacher. I liked the way she talked. She talked a lot, especially on the religious thoughts on Saturday prayer day. I was amazed that she always had something to talk. In the English class she would talked in English, I always loved my English teacher.  No matter what she taught, I was always interested because I wanted to be fluent in English.

            I was also tauhgt by a tall teacher. Mr Tall was a very good in teaching. Everyone called him the ‘killer;’ because he gave us tasks every week without fail. The biggest project was translating the English book.  I was killed. . The first time I met him, I was actually confused. My English was bad and I was afraid. He claimed to know me before I met him in the class. I ever attended a talkshow in TVRI Jogja.

 “ Damn, I was a celebrity”. Hahaha I was proud of myself. I told you I was a cheers captain. Everyboby knew me.. hahaha I am sorry for feeling so proud.

            Ahh… another killer teacher was Mr Formula. I regarded him so because I didn’t understand what he had talked actually . I pretended to understand by saying okay and yes as often as I could. I liked the subject but my brain could not catch what he said.. Maybe he thought that I was the most attention seeking girl, because I always asked what I didn’t understand.

            All teachers knew me because I was a questioner. Hahaha. The worst moment was when I wanted to join a cheers competition. I really hated  my headmistress. She forbade me to join it. She could not give convincing reasons. I was a rebel and could not simply accept a no. She talked about the rules of administration. I tried to understand the situation but failed. During that time, I sensed like everyone talked ‘bullshit’ to me, including my coach. I was feeling stupid. I was angry, I couldn’t control myself. I was the type of temperamental girl. I wouldn’t care about who she was or who he was.  If I could not get what I wanted with the right reason,  I will fight on.  How absurd those rules were? They were all bullshit. Had you ever thought that adults always wanted to be right as though they knew everything? Was I a fool? That was what swirling in my head. It happened when I was in grade eleven.

            When Mr. Right became the chair of the committee for students, I told him my opinions. He changed the rules and told me to participate in every competition and to win. Every student loved Mr. Right, Why? He was one of two single men.  Yes, there were only two bachelors in my school;  the other was Mr.Confident, over-confident about his handsome face, not really.

              From the gossips I heard,  Mr. Right  actually had a wife but they were divorced. You knew the monogamy Catholic rule:  one man, one wife. I thought he was trapped with that rule. Anyway, that was not the main point actually.  My point was he was not consistent with what he said. I fought with my headmistress because I too believed his words. Yes I also believed and expected no others.

             Mr. Right was my chemistry teacher. I loved chemistry because of him. There was an event in which I get perfect score. Many students were envy with me because I was close with Mr. Right. Mr. Right was about 40 yo, but still look like 30 yo. I regarded him as my father.

            The other unique teacher was Mr.Fortune Teller. You can not keep your biggest secret from him. He know everything about what I thought. He kept to notice at me like know everything. I was worry to see her eyes because I knew, eyes is the window of the hearth. He often talking about some mystic, I don’t like it. I mean I was scared. He also talk about my boyfriend, I was having a boy, it was. He talk that I must break up with my bae, otherwise I will not pass in my exam. I was scared but try to not listen him.

 Teachers are for us to respect and be emulate. Through them, I understand what the meaning of being an adult is.  I am now an adult  and I   know how to survive in this milkyway of life.