A Day in the Life of an Orphan

JY

“Ring, Ring, Ring!” the alarm bell goes off.

I let out a loud yawn and stretch lazily. Although I am still only half awake, I get up to shower. I head to the bathroom and as usual, it is crowded with other orphans. However, after waiting patiently, I take a shower and change into a clean set of clothes; I am ready for the day ahead.

Soon, Nanny calls us to the dining hall to have breakfast. Today’s menu is thick and gloopy porridge. It does not sound nor taste the best, but since we are all famished, we quickly collect our bowls and spoons, and line up to get our breakfast.

Once all our tummies are satisfied, it is time for school. I get my bag and set off to school. When I reach my classroom, I am greeted by my friends.

The first lesson soon starts, and it is the English lesson. After the lesson has finish, we go to the Science Lab to begin our new class. Soon, the bell rings which means it is lunch time, my favourite time of the day. We are having rice with kidney beans and sweet corn soup. Since everyone is starving, we gobble up our food greedily. 30 minutes later, the bell rings and we trot back to class.

After a tiring day at school, we go back to the orphanage. When we reach the orphanage, Nanny assigns each one a chore to do. My task is to clean the bathrooms.

“Ugh!” I think to myself. It is not my favourite chore to do since the bathrooms are always extremely dirty. However, I know I have to do them, otherwise I won’t be having any dinner in the evening. I gather all the cleaning supplies that I need and start cleaning away.

After two long gruelling hours, each bathroom cubicle is sparkling clean. Although I am exhausted, at least I am now free for the rest of the day. I go into the yard and play with my best friend, Mary. We run around and play tag. Shortly, the dinner bell rings, and we head eagerly to the dining hall for dinner. The dinner’s menu is much better than the lunch’s. We are having chicken curry with rice, my favourite dish.

When we finish eating, we take a shower and change into our pyjamas. Then, we play Monopoly for an hour. At 9 pm, the lights go off and it’s bedtime and sweet dreams for all. I lie on the bed and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, hoping that tomorrow will be a better day than today.

One morning, you woke up and looked in the mirror. Horror of horrors! You were bald!

Max

I woke up one morning and got ready for school like any other day, but something felt weird, and as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my heart sank as I realised that I had gone completely bald. It was a horrifying sight, one that I had never imagined I would have to see as a teen.

I blinked, and blinked again, hoping that it was just a dream. I leaned closer to the mirror, hoping to find at least some hair left, but my head was smooth and shiny without a single strand in sight. I panicked and rubbed my hands vigorously over my head, hoping that hair would magically reappear, but of course, it didn’t.

I forced myself to calm down before seeking out my parents for advice as I didn’t know what to do. Poker faced, they told me to get ready for school and wear a cap; there was no commiseration whatsoever. Since the school didn’t allow caps to be worn in the classroom, my parents had to talk to the headmaster about my condition.

After school, my parents took me to a doctor who told us that it was a medical condition. I had to live the rest of my life without any hair. As weeks passed by, I slowly began to accept my new look. I realised that having hair did not affect anything in my life, but it actually made me stand out as the most mature guy among my friends.

I have stopped worrying about outward appearances and what other people are thinking and focus on what makes me happy. In the end, my happiness is all that matters. I have learnt that it’s not about how I look on the outside, but who I am on the inside.

A Day in the Life of an Orphan

Kim

I am an orphan, living in an orphanage, just like most orphans around the globe.  I have been living in this orphanage for as long as I can remember.  According to one of the nannies who looks after us, I was found in the streets when I was only a baby and was dropped off here.  What happened to my biological parents?  I don’t know.  Why was I abandoned in the streets?  I don’t know either. 

Life in this orphanage is quite repetitive.  Every day, I am woken up by one of the nannies, eat breakfast and then attend school where I am taught life skills and get a chance to turn my life around once I become of age.  I quite enjoy my time in school because I get to meet new friends and play with them.  The teachers there are also very nice and patient with students who cannot keep up with the rest of the class.

Around noon, I have lunch.  After feasting on whatever scrumptious meal is served, I get to play with the other orphans.  The nannies set up games or activities for us to do in the afternoon, such as playing in the playground, finger painting, singing and dancing.  If you pass by this orphanage in the afternoon, you can hear the sound of children’s laughter resonating through the air.

Sometimes, there are volunteers helping out around the orphanage.  Whenever they come around, they tell us stories about their life experiences and help out around the orphanage.  Some of them play with us and even bring along delicious food when they come over.  I look forward to their visits as I always get to learn something new about the outside world.

Dinner time rolls around not long after and after a whole afternoon of playing in the backyard, I am famished.  After gobbling up dinner, I do my homework for the day, usually with the help of one of the caregivers there, and go to bed in a room with other orphans whom I have become good friends with over the years.  

This cycle repeats itself day in, day out.  Life in the orphanage is definitely fun and not really that stereotyped, but I cannot help but hope for the day a kind couple walk through the front door and takes me home with them.

How do you feel about sitting for examinations?

Eth

Whenever examinations are round the corner, I feel awfully stressed and nervous.

Exams cause me to doubt my own capabilities; what if I haven’t been keeping up with my studies? What if I can’t remember all the historical facts and chemistry formulas? What if I freak out in the exam hall or my mind goes totally blank?

The easiest subject for me is English because I can write essays without having to struggle to think about the words that I want to use. I am already familiar with all the grammar rules and a good grasp of vocabulary, which allows me to express my thoughts effectively.  Although sometimes I make mistakes, I am always able to answer all the questions. 

Chemistry has always been a challenging subject, especially with the formulas and concepts that never seem to stick in my mind. I am unable to remember the periodic table of elements or understand the chemical reactions clearly no matter how much I study or review the teacher’s notes, and as a result, I second guess myself while working on the test paper, and end up wasting a lot of time and also doubting my intelligence.

As I prepare for my upcoming exams, I have to constantly remind myself that everyone experiences stress and nerves, and I am not alone. I have found that what works best for me is personalising my study methods. I feel more confident and prepared by using my own approach to learning and breaking down contents in a way that makes sense to me. I also make sure to take breaks and take part in activities that I enjoy to help relieve stress and maintain a positive attitude.

At the end of the day, exams are put in place to assess how well students have learnt. Examinations make me feel awfully stressed and nervous, but these feelings are normal and can be managed.

How do you feel about sitting for examinations?

A considerable percentage of students are a bundle of nerves when exams approach, but not me; I belong to the lucky minority who think completing test papers is a breeze.

I would like to brag that I don’t have to do any revision at all or burn the midnight oil, but that would be deceitful. I do stay up until the wee hours for last minute revision on certain subjects.

Mercifully, I don’t need to prepare for every single test paper, for example, English. It puzzles me to no end whenever I spot my mates hugging the English textbook to their chests, trying to memorise… yes, memorise… but what? What’s there to memorise? There are only 50 objective questions to answer, two comprehension passages to read and several questions to complete and two writings to compose.

So barring the English papers, there are a few more papers to sit for in the course of seven to ten days. I don’t sweat over the Bahasa Malaysia papers as well – no point as I usually don’t understand what the teacher is talking about. So it’s no surprise that I always flunk both BM papers. I am okay with one failing grade. Win some, lose some; is there any absolute rule that I have to impress myself or others by scoring straight As?

I find History and Bible easy-breezy. One just has to learn by rote, but in order to do that, one must have a good mental faculty to retain and revive facts. I simply think of both subjects as two big storybooks with many short stories.

Geography requires little effort if one enjoys travelling, which I do. I simply think of the places I would like to visit and ask Miss Google about them, plus there are so many video clips introducing places and countries on YouTube.

In short, I don’t stress over examinations. Life is too short to spend it at war with myself. I am a student who chooses to enjoy school rather than agonise over imperfect grades.

Is it better to go the extra mile or just do the bare minimum?

Kim

I believe that it is better to just do the bare minimum.  When it comes to assignments or projects, I will only complete what is necessary to get a passing grade.  Never will I ever put in extra effort to add more details to my projects to improve my score.  My goal is to pass, not to be the top of the class.

Doing the bare minimum means that I will have less work on my hands.  With less work comes less stress, and more time for me to complete the tasks at hand.  I can take my sweet time finishing my assignments and not have to worry about it piling up.  The extra time that I have saved can be used to do a plethora of other things such as doing chores, tidying up or lying down on my bed to read.  

Furthermore, less work piling up means that I will have adequate time to sit back, relax and indulge in hobbies.  I can take the spare time to go out with my friends, take up a new hobby or just have a relaxing stroll in the park.  I don’t have to sit at a desk all day and have my eyes glued to workbooks.  There is more to life than just working until I drop.  

I have never strived to push myself to put in 110 percent each time I receive a new assignment, and I don’t see myself doing it in the future either.  I intend to continue with my way of just doing the bare minimum, doing enough to keep myself from failing my grades.  

What is something that you have been taking for granted?

Kim

Water is fundamental to our daily lives, yet it is something that I have been taking for granted all my life, as I have easy access to it just by turning on the tap.  However, access to clean water is a luxury that not all parts of the world can experience; and for that matter, not even all Malaysians have access to piped water.

Water keeps us alive, and we can’t survive without it for more than three days.  However, some parts of the world still do not have access to clean water.  Take for example, the rural parts of Africa, where the people do not have reliable access to a clean water source.  For them, the best source of water is groundwater, which causes a wide range of illnesses.  Yet, as someone who does have access to clean, filtered water,  I do not appreciate it as much as I should.  

Water plays a key role in my daily life.  I use it to wash the dishes, do the laundry, mop the floor, cook food and have a shower.  I can’t bear the thought of not being able to shower after a long day under the sun.  But for the people who do not have access to clean water, this is a luxury they cannot enjoy.  However, I do tend to leave the sink running, especially when I brush my teeth, which is a bad habit I need to break.  

I am lucky that I have access to a clean and abundant water source from the comfort of my own home.  However, I will never know when I will end up in a situation without clean water.  So with that being said, I will definitely cherish the accessibility to clean water and be grateful for it.  

What are the things you are fed up with?

Joey

I feel unhappy when I fail a subject in the exams, and yet I am still scolded by my mother. I work late into the night, revising the weak subjects, but I still fail to score a passing grade. I have already tried my best, but my best seems to be pointless, and I am fed up with my mother when she nags at me for flunking my exams.

I am fed up with myself when the ballet teacher scolds me because I don’t dance well enough. I always seem to forget some of the steps. As the grade moves up, the dance moves become more complicated and difficult to master.

I am fed up and bored when I cannot play games on the handphones. My mother takes away my handphone during the school day.

I wish I don’t have any troubles in life. I wish I could have a carefree life. I wish I don’t have to feel fed up with anything or anyone, but wishes never come true for me, so I guess I shall continue each day with frustration.

Transforming into a Kitty

One day, you noticed that cats kept following you home from school. You eventually found out that you were slowly turning into a cat yourself. Continue the story, be sure to make it interesting and give it a suitable title.

The last period is finally, finally over. Yay, yay, yay!

I grab my schoolbag and hie out the door without a backward glance at my mates; I simply can’t wait to get out of the school gates.

I don’t like going to school at all. Why bother going to school when I can learn from Miss Google in the comfort of my own home? Plus, Miss Google never dishes out any homework or tests. Surely learning from Miss Google is way better than having to walk two kilometres to and fro school, rain or shine. It’s a no-brainer, but my over-achieving mum just doesn’t understand this sheer logic at all.

Out the school gates and down along the path home. The air is crisp after a downpour earlier. It’s going to be a nice stroll home this afternoon.

As usual, strays and pedestrians pound the pavement. I pass by random dogs and cats before realising that a clowder of cats is stalking me. Now that is highly unusual. Why are they tailing me? Hey, meow meow friends, what’s up?

Meow, meow, meow is the only reply I get. The kitties continue to trail behind me and I let them be. I’m okay as they are pretty harmless anyway. Or are they?

In two shakes of a cat’s tail, I suddenly lose my balance and fall flat on my face. Time to perform a push-up, eh? But try as I might, I fail to stand upright. I am on all fours! What’s going on? Have the cats put a jinx on me?

I blink, and blink again several times. Why do I only see shades of blue and green? There are blue and green cats instead of the white, black and brown cats! Why has my complexion changed into blue? I am jinxed! I am cursed!

Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow. To my surprise, I can understand all that meowing. The cats are saying, “Meow, bro. Welcome to the feline family, bro!” Erm, I am a feline bro to them cats?

“Meow, bro. Look into the puddle,” meows a green cat.

Obligingly, I do as it says, and right away, my mouth falls open in shock. I am staring at a blue cat! I can’t believe my eyes; I have transformed into a cat! I am indeed… jinxed!

When I get over the momentary dismay, a big smirk appears on my kitty face. It’s not so bad to become a cat as I can understand both the animal and human language. Goodbye, homework and exams. Goodbye, Miss Siaw Siaw the dragon of a Maths teacher who loves shoving complicated algebras and formulas into my overworked brain. Goodbye, school. Yep, I can get used to being a kitty. It’s not a bad idea at all. I am coming home, Mama!

Mama is an animal lover who is forever picking up strays. She has created quite a mini zoo in the backyard. She feeds them, bathes them and drives them to the vet when they are sick. In truth, she loves those strays more than she loves me who is her only offspring.

I can now jump onto the sofas and scratch the covers to my heart’s content. Hehehe, Mama. Meow, meow, meow, Mama. You are welcome to stroke my belly and neck, and I shall purr ever so contentedly for you.

Holding my tail high, I head for home eagerly. Here I come, Mama! I can’t wait to be the cat that you serve hand and foot!

I Had Turned into a Cat!

JY

One day, you noticed that cats kept following you home from school. You eventually found out that you were slowly turning into a cat yourself. Continue the story, be sure to make it interesting and give it a suitable title.

I was walking home from school after a long, tiring day. All I wanted was to get home and have a nice dinner. All of a sudden, I noticed a strange cat following me. It had black fur and bright purple eyes. I had never seen a cat with purplish eyes before, but I did not think much of it.

A few minutes later, I noticed something strange happening to me. White fur started to grow everywhere on my body and the surroundings seemed to look bigger. I quickly ran to a glass window to look at my reflection to find out what was happening to me. I had turned into a cat!  Oh meow!  

Many questions began running through my mind. How did this happen? Was my transformation caused by that strange cat? Why had it specially chosen me? Why me? Why? Why?

Soon, the sound of my stomach rumbling interrupted my thoughts. I had to find food. I ran towards a nearby cafe and went in. I could smell the delicious meals served to the customers. Shortly, I spotted a waiter but before I could even react, he chased me out the door. How rude of him!

I walked down the street, unsure what to do. I decided to follow some stray cats in order to find food. Eventually, I was led to a dark alley that was filled with rubbish. The cats rummaged through the rubbish to find food. It was disgusting, but I was starving, so I did the same thing – digging through trash to find a meal. A few hours later, night fell, so I slept at a bus shelter.

Hopefully, I would turn back into my normal self quickly. Rummaging through rubbish bins to find food and sleeping at bus shelters were definitely not my thing.