Who is he? He is a student of mine and studying in one of the international college in Malaysia. Yesterday, he told me about his life while he's growing up. He told me that he was a slow learner and then I asked "what do you mean by slow?" and he said he could only read and write at the of 12. He didn't go to kindergarten so, his first exposure to formal education was in standard 1. He was a quiet boy because he said he couldn't speak even his mother tongue, so he got mocked by people around him. He just passed the tests and exams but never succeed. Came from a very notable family background, made even tougher for him. He knew how to speak English when he went to Sols camp in Trolak for a few weeks. He felt ashamed of himself and often cry alone. But with the help of Sols and Yayasan, his self-esteem was built, he learned English on his own every night before going to bed and listen to English songs just to be exposed with English vocabulary. He faced difficulties when entering college but now, he manage to speak and write well. He now can spot the grammar mistakes and corrected his friends even though while speaking, his grammar was all over the place but, it is normal for a second language speaker, we tend not to think of the grammar, just the message is able to be conveyed or not.
I am very proud of him, of what he has achieved today. He is determined, hardworking and clever. While he's telling me his life story, I felt like there's a toad in the throat, felt like to cry but, I do not want to see me crying, so, i cried in the car lah.
Why the society is so mean? Why mock? Just because he is different than other people? What did the teachers do while he was a kid?
P/s : Everybody in this world is special and each of every person is brilliant in their own way.
Anything that came across my mind. But basically, it's all about me!