iThink...thereFore, iAm
"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates
In my time in Imperial so far, i’ve had the priviledge of having a supervisor (albeit a secondary one) that is eager to go through each of my works with me. From data summary to poster making, he takes the time to sit down with each of the students he supervises and walks them through the parts to be corrected and the rationale behind it. I once offered for him to just leave comments on the document and i’ll get it done, without him having to spend so much time personally, but he replied “if i go through it properly with you then you’ll know what i’m thinking about it, and we can work it out together without having to do it so many times.”
Patience, and diligence.
It reminded me of a teacher not so long ago (hurhur) who took the time to take care of us, not just academically, but as individuals. As of now i’m not so sure if some of the things he did were calculated and intentional as they were subtle beyond imagination, but knowing him i find it hard to believe it was anything but. Even if it was, then that would mean it would have come naturally, which is even more commendable than the former option. It’s been over ten years, closer to fifteen, and still I remember his remarks of “being a man is not a thing of the brawn, the balls, or the brain, but of the heart” and how “I will address you as gentlemen because that is what i believe you will be, instead of boys”. He commanded respect, and on all fronts he earned it, much like my supervisor now.
This is not the first mention of him on my blog, and I think it will not be the last. But all the same, thank you Mr (or has your title changed since?) Alistair Chew, for teaching the class of 3.7 and 4.7 in the years 1998 and 1999, in ACS (I). You are part of the reason i still respect my school, and part of the reason why i still remember it and its Founders’ Day, along with your unmistakable shirt and tie combination and your perfectly illegible signature which we often joked about to you and you good-naturedly laughed along with us. You were a teacher back then, a gentleman once we knew you, a model thereafter, and now you are a friend - God bless you. :)
