Spastic Old Man

Despite rushing for my projects, I was having a rather enjoyable Saturday and Sunday last weekend. I went out on Saturday evening for late dinner with General, Princess & Obi Wan. Had a wondrous time listening to them "updating" me about the events that had happened &/or are happening in YPS. Got a lot of gossip to share with TT the next time we meet up.

Unfortunately, all the nice feeling was destroyed / mired / tainted on Sunday afternoon by this one SPASTIC OLD NINCOMPOOP landlord of my China tuition kid from Bedok. The incident went something like this. I had 2 China kids' tuition appointments that afternoon. One was in Tampines West (1pm - 2.30pm), another was in Bedok (3pm - 4.30pm). As Tampines kid was his 1st session, I stayed back after the tuition with his mum to discuss the rates. So when I left his house it was already 2.40pm. I tried to flag-down a cab but all the cabs were occupied, so I had no choice but to take the bus down to Bedok. While in the bus, I tried calling the Bedok kid to inform him that I'll be late but his mobile was not turned on. As a result, I was 30 minutes late for my Bedok tuition. When I went in the house, his landlord immediately stop me and scolded me. Here a verbatim of his scolding and my reply. (My personal comments are in italic.)

Old Spastic Man
"Hey! You're late!"

(In my head)
Wah! The kid's mum is not in, he must be scolding me on behalf of the mum. Better apologise.

Me
"Sorry. Sorry."

Old Man
"Hey! You are late! Do you know I have to cook my dinner at 5 o'clock!" (For the readers' info, our session is in the kitchen using the dining table.)

(In my head)
"Erm......I'm confused......Since I'm 30 minutes late, won't my session be 3.30pm - 5pm? If I end at 5pm, how can I affected you? You are cooking at 5pm, not eating at 5pm!

Me
"Sorry! I didn't know........"

Old Man
"Hey! I have to cook my dinner at 5 o'clock! This time never mind! Next time, you come late! I don't let you come in my house! This is my house! You must follow my rules!"

(In my head)
(The last 3 sentences really got on my nerves! Pardon me for using "colourful language") KNNNBCCB! I follow your rules!!!!!! Don't let me come in! You think just because you are the landlord, you damn big ah! Lan jia lang! You think I need your pig-sty to teach ah! I'm a professional teacher leh! As long as I have a place for my kid to sit down, I can teach my lessons liao! Who need your house!

Me (Trying very hard not to show my emotion)
"Ok."

Fortunately, I maintained my composure, kept my tone down and didn't get into a "shouting match" with that old fool. Not that I would lose if we had a shouting match lah. My ex-students can vouch for me that, in terms of sound volume, my competitors are by far very few lor. Didn't want that old man to start crying because he can't out-shout me and he is scared by my fierce "scold people" look lah. I got heart wan ok. Anyway, 10 minutes before 5pm I ended the lesson lor. Didn't want to get into that LCL to make noise. And speaking of noise. Did you know that landlord is the one who is making the most noise for the past sessions before last Sunday? Every session, he will comes into the adjoined living-room, turned on his TV or Hi-Fi at nuisance volume level and enjoyed himself lying in his armchair. Chow Turtle! Can't he see we are having lessons!?? So loud, he's disturbing us leh! PLUS he is a damn heavy chain smoker! I'm not against smoker but as I have respiratory problem (i.e. asthma) I never like people to smoke in front of me. But I kept quiet during all those sessions as I didn't want to make a fuzz as he was still ultimately the landlord of my kid and his mum. But last Sunday's episode was really too much liao. So before I left the house, I told my kid, from next session onwards, he is to meet me at the void deck. We will have our lessons using the void deck tables and chairs. I don't need to use that old man's unconducive apartment as a classroom. Then this morning, I received a call from the kid's mum, apologising profusely about what had happened and asking me to conduct the lesson in their room, i.e. not in the void deck. Wah, I felt so bad man! Like I'm a evil person, forcing the innocent mum to make amendments for the OLD FAG's inconsiderate actions and words.