All About School

All About School

( -) Louise Jane Cher

All About School was created and published non commercially.

All the articles and pictures are own creations of the artists and if any of the articles and pictures
are wanted to be used for any other purposes,
please kindly contact the artists directly to request for the permission.

O
U

C
H

T
S

All About School

A
B

All About School was edited by Khine Soe Lung and illustrated with Ma Lay Mays paintings.

O
U
T

(the contents)

A
B
O

007

011

Soldier

Louise Jane Cher

016

018

( -)

022

U
T
S
C
H
O
O
L
A
L
L
A
B
O
U

025

U
T
S
C

L
A
L
L

030

032

No One Wants To Play With Me

Ko Ko Thett

041

045

048

T
S
C

(the contents)

L
A
B
O
U

056

060

C
H
O
O
L
A
L
L
A
B
O

067

070

A Dispute

Awe Myine

074

080

097

099

108

110

High Up Into The Sky

Khine Soe Lung

114

T
S

C
H
O
O

L
A
B
O
U
T
S

O
U

C
H
O
O

C
H

O
U
T
S

L
A

L
L

H
O

U
T
S

A
L

C
8

O
O
L
A
L

H
O

O
U
T

A
L

C
10

O
U
T
S

S
C
H

O
O

C
H

11

S
C

L
L
A

""

.....

H
O
O

L
A

..

12

O
U
T
S

H
O

O
L

...

...

L
A

U
T
S
C

B
O

...

..

13

C
H

........

L
L

....

T
S
C
H
O

....

C
H
O

14

........

U
T

H
O

A
L
L

B
O
U
T

15

soldier

O
U

C
H

louise jane cher

S
C
H

16

O
O
L

A
L

Soldier

U
T

L
A

Meiji milk in the morning. Enough to make her merry.

She packed her bag with her favourite things

Then off to school to study. It's never this easy.

H
O

U
T

Proximity: acquaintance. Their eyes she rarely met.

Blindness and beer got them quicker than her,

C
H

Till she was camouflaged in black. Easy to forget.

O
L
A
L
L

O
O

No sleep, no direction. Gossip, satisfaction.

You shoot me down, I shoot you down,

Endless competition. All in preparation.

O
U

L
L
A
B
O

For a never-ending sick cycle. A relentless fight.

Would she gain or accomplish much
In a place where wrong is right?

S
C
H
O

U
T

Louise Jane Cher

17

U
T

S
C
H

18

C
H
O
O
L

B
O

A
L
L

H
O

A
L
L

A
B
O

C
H

19

S
C

L
A

B
O

A
L
L
A

20

U
T
S
C
H

O
L
A
L
L

O
O

21

O
U
T
S

C
H

( -)

O
O

C
H

22

T
S

A
B

C
H
O
O

A
L

H
O

B
O
U
T

L
A

23

---

O
O
L

U
T

S
C
H

O
U
T

A
L

( - )

24

A
B
O
U
T
S
C

O
O
L

25

H
O
O

()

U
T

( )

( -

O
U

- )

( )

L
L
A

B
O

26

()

( - )

( )

( )

( )

( )

L
A
L

( )

( )

(( ))

()

B
O
U

T
S
C

27

()

U
T

Bee Cheng Hiang

28

()

B
O

A
L
L

U
T

H
O
O

L
A
L

A
B

L
A

(-)

( )

( )

T
S
C

29

H
O

L
A

30

O
U

L
L

S
C

B
O

H
O

L
A

L
A
B

C
H

O
U

31

O
U
T
S

S
C
H

O
O

C
H

32

S
C

A
B

U
T
S
C
H

O
U

*******

O
O

33

S
C

U
T

James Dean

T
S

B
O

34

U
T
S
C

C
H

A
L
L

T
S

B
O

Mid Term

O
L

O
O

35

S
C
H

L
L
A
B

L
A
L

()

36

L
A

T
S

O
O

L
L

L
A
B

L
A

...

O
U
T

...

*******

O
O

37

U
T

L
L

O
L
A
L
L

O
O
L

C
H

38

T
S

C
H
O

L
L

O
O

L
A

U
T
S

O
O

39

H
O

U
T

L
A
B

40

U
T

no one wants to play with me

ko ko thett

S
C
H

41

C
H
O
O
L

no one wants to play with me

T
S
C
H
O
O
L
A

a. zebras

the school is sick with smallpox, the school is shut

shall we hopscotch, shall we skip rope, shall we skip the skips

shall we miss school and play house for about five years
lets run about in the drizzle, seek to hide, hide to seek

L
L
A
B
O

S
C
H

lets swim along the downstream, figs floating by

can you show me your shiny new marbles, i have some apples
you mustnt think outside the sandbox, you must not cheat

L
A
L

you mustnt invoke our village headghost, your dead grandpa

little zonja has lazy eyes, she never cries, you be her eye doctor
pupils in zigzag vision, pupils in peripheral vision, pupils in conned vision

H
O

L
A
L
L

B
O
U
T
S

pupils in colourless vision, depth perception problem, metamorphosia

tiger, you and your kalashnikov, how funny

my uncle will get me an uzzi

L
A

O
O

U
T

L
42

A
B
O

a + b = algebra

hed like to hear your heart beat from half a mile

why is it always him when the bell tolls

H
O

in times of deluge, even dogs end up on rooftops

in times of drought, even dogs end up on rooftops

both sides of the equation are the non-negotiables

lectures the schoolmaster in his mother tongue

home work again horrid routine

L
A

psst.

pure mathematics, will i ever understand them

why is there just one answer to each question

A
B
O

U
T
S

multiply, divide, add, subtract, constants and variables

numbers disguised as letters

O
O

43

c. i can

hands off the handlebar, i can ride my bicycle

blind-folded, i can squiggle a one-line drawing of a nest of earthworms

in just one minute, i can recite the eight times table

T
S
C
H

in no time, i can squeeze a beer can beyond shape

if need be, i can make fire and fetch water

L
A

why should i bother

a starling and a tiger, my dreams and yours differ

zebras, striped or spotty, arouse no appetite in me

U
T

whenever our paths overlap, youll never catch me

A
B

unless i feign my surrender

of course, i can

ko ko thett

44

U
T
S
C
H

C
H
O

O
45

O
O

....

.....

....

O
U

...

...

L
A
L

....

L
A

L
46

H
O

U
T
S
C

...

O
L
A

L
A

O
L

O
U

L
L
A

....

S
C

B
O

H
O

U
T

( )

O
O

47

U
T
S
C
H

48

C
H
O
O
L

O
O

A
L
L
A
B

L
A

O
U
T

C
H

O
O

49

O
L

U
T

B
O
U
T

C
H

50

()

T
S
C

L
A
B
O
U
T

H
O
O

51

L
A
L
L

B
O
U

O
O

O
U

L
A

52

L
A

S
C
H

L
A

L
A
B
O

T
S
C

O
O
L
A
L

H
O
O

53

B
O

L
L

L
A

O
O

C
H
O

T
S

O
L

A
B

C
H

L
L
A

U
T

L
54

C
H

O
U
T

O
O

L
L

O
U
T

O
O

T
S

O
O

55

O
U
T
S

C
H

O
O

C
H

56

U
T

L
A

...

...

T
S

O
O
L

...

...

L
A

O
L

L
L

B
O

U
T

...

...

...

H
O
O

57

A
L
L

...

...

O
O

U
T

H
O

...

A
B

58

A
B

S
C

...

O
O

L
L
A

...

...

O
U

O
O

59

O
U
T

C
H
O
O

C
H

60

O
L
A
L

B
O
U

S
C

O
O

61

C
H
O
O

S
C
H
O
O

T
S
C
H

O
O

L
A

L
62

S
C

O
L
A

A
B

L
A

S
C
H

Royal Myanmar

O
O

63

C
H

U
T
S
C
H

B
O
U

L
A

64

B
O
U

S
C
H
O

A
B
O
U

U
T
S
C
H

O
O
L

O
O

65

O
O
L
A

T
S

C
H
O
O
L
A

..

66

C
H

T
S

O
O

C
H

67

T
S

A
L

T
S
C

B
O

T
S

68

..

B
O

T
S
C

H
O
O

A
L

H
O

L
L

O
U
T

S
C
H
O
O

L
A

L
69

S
C
H

70

O
O
L

O
L

T
S
C
H
O

"..."

A
L

A
B

O
L

A
B

S
C
H

O
O

71

L
L

O
L

72

H
O

L
A
L
L
A
B
O

O
O

73

a dispute

C
H

T
S
C
H

awe myine

O
O
74

a dispute

S
C

A
B

After taking a sip of coffee from the cup which I had been holding in my hand for a while, I asked him,

What is your ultimate goal in life?

O
O

U
T
S
C

And he answered, To be the best of myself.

L
A
L

I desperately wanted to know what his opinion on this matter was as he graduated from the same university

which I got my degree in our country, got a job here, abroad, and, I would say, he is living a good life. He

has his passion at work, and quite dedicated. I asked,

B
O

L
A

Can you please be specific?

He gave me the long version of answer;

C
H

B
O

As a Theravada Buddhist, Nirvana, a state of perfect blisses wherein the person is liberated from the

repeated cycle of birth, illness, aging and death. On my path to Nirvana, I would like to contribute to the

community I live in, provide helps to the friends I have a chance to get to know, while, I am trying to

improve myself from time to time.

A
L

C
H
O
O
L

Oh, sounds so noble!

A
75

Well, you asked, and I answered.

H
O
O
L

I was not really sure if I should share him my thoughts. I felt like I really needed to let it all out, and
words just slipped out of my mouth;

T
S
C

I want to tell you about something which really is bothering me, my educational background, you see, we

are..

A
B
O
U
T

Excuse me? he interrupted, What is it bothering you with your Educational background? We came from
the same university, same class, what kind of problem could you have with the educational background
while I dont have one?

A
L
L
A

He could be quite aggressive sometimes, especially on occasions like this, however, I ignored his dirty look

and continued;

Well, you know, our education system, which was being deteriorated, and we had very short time to

study. Whenever I meet a local graduate here, I really feel bad because we did not have a chance to

L
A

experience a good educational system like them. They have better facilities, better course structures,

C
H

supervisors and professors who would guide the final year projects with care, and the system is pushing

them in every possible way to be the best of what they are. Look back at what you had and look at what

they have, dont you have this sad feeling? I am not saying that I am jealous but I am really not satisfied

with this."

O
U

L
76

It might have provoked him to some extent, his voice grew stronger as he said;

T
S

L
A

I dont have any judgement over our educational system as I am not good at it, but let me tell you, in my

opinion, I dont really care. Going to school or any new situation in life, it was natural for us to assume

that everything would run smoothly and that the overall experience would offer what we hoped for; in our

case, an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. But, on the other hand, we all know that

it does not always happen that way. For me, I would simply take any problem in life as a challenge where

our strengths would be tested and our weakness would be identified. Even if we were born on a Sinking

C
H
O

our way out?

A
B

Now we have our differences in our views, I would suggest that we should stop here.

It is your choice

L
A
B

O
U

A
L

ship, would we just weep and let ourselves die gradually? Or would we try to take the challenge and find

O
L

Silence was there for a while until we heard a jazz tune coming from a place nearby. My attention had

C
H

shifted to the tune of music while he seemed to be still thinking hard on the topic. We would always argue

on stuffs like this, and it would always end this way. Blame the system or just be a better person? A

question came to my mind but I dared not provoke him further. I just kept quiet. The Jazz tune faded

away after a while. We were still playing the silence game until we heard a pleasant human voice asking,

"Hey guys, what are u doing?". There came the third person, a life saver!

O
O

77

He did not seem to hear that, or it might be that he was still overwhelmed by his serious thoughts, he kept

quiet.

I could not help but explained our point of argument to the third person.

A
L

Then I asked, What is your opinion on this matter? to the third person.

L
A
B

O
O

I am not so sure about this either. I know that you are not happy with your educational background. But

L
A

there will always be things which make us unhappy. Unhappiness, in my opinion, is nothing but just a

feeling. You want things to happen in your favoured way, but it turns out that most of the time you cannot

do anything but to accept the reality, said the third person.

S
C

I feel that it is not fair. It is like growing plants in a deserted land," I insisted.

H
O
O

O
U

The third person then sighed deeply, pointed to the white blank wall nearby with the index finger,

T
S

waved the finger up,

down, and up,

and down, and up,

and, to my surprise, lines and lines of words appeared on the wall!

78

A
B
O

The Green Field and The Grains

Every time I look at the photograph

I see the green field and the fresh grains

S
C
H
O
O

Since then, step by step I climbed

And, to make myself work, I tried
Say I have all grown up!

L
A
L
L

Those grains last year

Wont be these grains this year
But the green field is still there

A
B
O

L
A
L
L

Some would say it is not green enough

or the grains are not healthy enough
However, there will be grains every year
And the green field will always be there

O
U
T

Whenever I look at the photograph

I see a fresh me, the little grain
dancing and singing with the breeze of wind in the green field
forever and ever
forever and ever.

T
S

H
O
O
L
A

S
C

A
B

O
O

U
T

Awe Myine

O
O

79

C
H
O
O

O
L
A

L
L

L
A
L

A
B

80

H
O

O
U

Education?

H
O

L
L

We don't need no education

C
H
O

O
O

81

C
H
O
O

U
T
S

... ..

..

..

..

B
O
U

L
L
A

..

O
L

.. ..

..

... ...

C
H
O
O
L

82

L
A
B

H
O

O
U

.. ..

O
L

T
S

.. Literature review

A
L

Capacity Building

L
A

--------------------

O
O

83

C
H
O

O
L

O
U
T
S

..

B
O
U

A
L

T
S

L
A

C
H

O
U

L
84

L
A

O
U

..

H
O
O

..

A
B

O
L
A

--------------------

U
T

L
L

..

C
H
O

O
U

S
C
H
O
O
L

O
L
A
L
L
A

85

beach

L
A

T
S
C
H

B
O
U

A
L
L
A
B

.. ..

..

O
U

O
O
L
A
L

86

A
B

O
O
L

T
S

L
A

O
O

B
O

O
O

U
T

O
O

87

..

L
A
L

L
A

L
A

.. ..

U
T
S
C

A
B

H
O

O
O

B
O

T
S

C
H
O

--------------------

O
U

L
88

S
C

A
B

U
T
S

H
O
O

C
H

...

A
L
L

O
U

S
C

A
B

()

O
O

89

. ..

O
O
L

A
L

T
S
C
H

O
U

L
L

O
L
A

formal

C
H
O
O
L

90

S
C

A
B
O
U
T

L
A

--------------------

L
L

S
C

A
B
O
U

H
O

O
U

O
O

91

O
O

C
H

L
A

L
L
A
B
O

O
O

O
L

C
H

C
H

92

S
C

A
B
O
U

A
L
L

..

O
O
L
A

C
H

T
S

.. ...

O
U

S
C

A
B

O
U

O
O
L

L
L
A

93

C
H
O

O
U

...

..

..

B
O
U

T
S

C
H

O
O
L
A
L

U
T

..

L
A

S
C
H
O
O

94

S
C

A
B

O
U
T

O
L

H
O

O
U

O
L

O
O

95

L
L
A

O
L

C
H

96

L
A

97

A
L

S
C

U
T

(
)

98

U
T

C
H

99

C
H
O
O
L

story Fill in the blank.

.. ... Answer

... ..

L
A

..

Direct & Indirect ..

.. ..

.. .. ..

..

H
O
O

A
L

..

..

T
S

.. .

..

..

..

..

100

.. ..

..

..

..

A
L
L

..

..
..

.. ..

..

L
L

..

..

B
O

... ..

..

..

S
C
H
O
O
L
A

O
O

101

H
O

U
T

..

.. ..

/ ..

..

L
A
B
O

..

..

O
O
L

..
..

...

..

L
A
L
L

...

..

S
C

102

.. ..

.. .. ..

..

..

C
H
O

..

..

..

..

..

L
A

O
O
L
A

..
..

B
O
U
T

L
L

..

..

.. ..

..

T
S

..

..

O
O
L

O
L
A
L
L
A

103

..

.. ..

..

..

L
L

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

.. ..

.. ...

.. .. ..

..
..

.. ..

A
B
O
U

..

A
L

104

.. ..

..

..

..

C
H
O

.. ..

..

..

..

O
O
L
A

...

()

..

..

...

..

..

U
T

O
O

O
L
A
L
L
A

105

T
S
C

..

..

L
A

..

..

..

U
T

..

..

O
O
L

..

H
O

..

..

T
S
C

.. ..

O
O

106

..
..

S
C
H

.. ..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

O
O

107

T
S
C
H

H
O

O
108

U
T

C
H

A
B
O
U
T
S

A
B

O
O

C
H

O
O

109

U
T

S
C
H

110

C
H
O
O
L

T
S

L
A
B
O
U

...

B
O
U
T

L
L

Building

S
C
H
O
O
L

O
L
A
L
L
A

111

L
L

O
O
L
A
L

C
H

()

112

L
L
A
B
O
U

T
S

C
H
O
O
L

T
S

L
A

B
O

S
C

O
O

113

high up into the sky

C
H

T
S
C
H

khine soe lung

O
O
114

high up into the sky

'you need to use please whenever you request somebody to do something.' the teacher said. 'why do we

need to say please?,' the student asked. 'to show politeness,' the teacher answered. 'why do we need to

show politeness?,' the student asked. the teacher had a stun look at the student and said 'so that we are

not taken we are rude'. 'why don't we want ourselves to be taken we are rude?,' the student asked. 'do

you want to be remarked that you are rude?' the teacher asked. 'do words exactly measure the attitude?'

the student asked. the teacher was silent for quite a while and said, 'you are very rude'. 'isn't it very rude

to comment somebody is rude?,' the student asked. 'are you telling me that i am rude?' the teacher raised

B
O
U

C
H

the voice. 'no, i am just asking.' the student answered, paid a bow to the teacher and the class, said

'excuse me, please kindly let me go,' then, walked out of the class.

O
O

115

C
H
O

it was a beautiful day. there was a garden near the school. the sun was shining and birds were singing.

some leaves were scattering on the ground. the student headed for a bench under a tree and lied down

U
T

there. the sky was seen very beautifully blue. there was no cloud at all as if the sky never ever had any

cloud in its life. the student thought he was alone in the garden as no other people were seen there. what

a lovely garden, he murmured. he hated classes. he did not like teachers. to him, they were like reading

writing robots. he did not really know why he was sent to school. he was very much sure that he did not

request it. and he did not even know or did not even had enough knowledge that he should have known,

the reason why he was sent there by the time he found himself sitting with some other children of the

same age and listening to an adult he had not known before and doing unconsciously what he was asked

O
U
T

to do by that adult stranger. later the adult stranger became a used to. so like other kids, he did whatever
he was ordered by the adult stranger.

L
L
A

he spent a few years in the same routine. he needed to wake up early in the morning, to rush to the same

building where he would be left the whole day, accompanied by his mother who always would like to ask

what he learnt everyday, and to follow the adult stranger's orders. he knew it was called schooling but he

did not know why he was supposed to do it. well, he did not even know that he did not know. he was

L
A

taught abc, he was taught 123, he was taught algebra, vectors, chemistry, physics. he learnt some adult

C
H

strangers were very nice and some very abnormal, he learnt some classmates were very hard working and

some playful, he learnt some exaggerated and some didn't talk. but he did not find any intimate friend

there. once he came to love asking questions, all the classmates, who seemed to be his friends abandoned

him and all the teachers avoided him.

O
U

L
116

'why i need to show my politeness' he asked himself. he could get some smell of the flowers blossoming in

the tree he was lying underneath. he liked the smell. each time he found himself very exhausted, he would

come to the bench, which all the time was not occupied, lie down there and enjoy the rest of the school

day until he heard the school bell ring for off service. he took out his lunch, which his mother packed for

him as a daily habit, he changed his position from reclining to the sitting and had lunch. suddenly a flower

H
O
O

dropped into his lunch box. it was obviously the flower from the tree, which was emitting the smell he

liked, and which he always visited after his hard time at school. sort of strange emotion came across in his

mind. he stopped eating and pick the small flower had a look at it carefully and said, 'poor thing, you don't

seem to know why you are blossoming.'

O
O

then he was having the lunch holding the flower in one hand. he bit the lunch, chewed for a while and

swallowed and bit again chewed again and swallowed again. his eyes were meditating on the flower, he

B
O
U

was looking at it as if he was scared it would disappear. he felt his bag without moving the eyes from the

flower and took out a water bottle and drank the water and wiped his mouth and said 'but you are luckier

than me. you don't need to study. you don't need to know why the minus one minus one become plus

two. you don't need to know why you need to seem smart and polite. you don't need to know the

columbus or marcopolo, who really do not matter in your life whether you know or not. you don't need to

know differentiate and integrate. you don't need to know equator and greenish standard times.' his voice

became louder and louder as if he were giving speech in front of the audience. but he was not heard. he

S
C
H
O
O
L

was not stopped. he was all alone in the big garden, under the shady tree which yielded flowers, which
had the smell he liked and which dropped the flower he was holding.

L
A
L
L
A

117

he smashed the flower and looked very regret for what he had done. his eyes were full of tears and he

murmured, looking at the flower paste, 'sorry, i didn't mean it. but happy you no longer need to emit the

beauty and the fragrance. RIP, little one.' then, he lied down again on the bench, looked up into the sky,

U
T
S

which he could see among the spaces where the leaves of the tree did not cover, and closed his eyes. he

could hear birds singing and smell flowers still blossoming. 'well, i am lucky anyways, after all i could be

lying here without anyone disturbing me.' he said.

A
B
O
U

khine soe lung

118


All About School