The little boy I teach wants to be
a Train Driver when he grows up.
This is vastly charming and amusing
to both myself and his parents, as it is highly unlikely a Hong Kong child whose parents are able to pay for weekly English
lessons will be directed towards a career in KCR train driving, which is what his heart is presently set up.
Bring me books on trains, he says,
as I ask him what illustrated books he prefers from the library.
Thomas The Train is a favourite though
the text and vocabulary are a little bulky for a 5 year old.
He knows the names and personalities
of each train by heart, though Thomas is the perennial hero of the series created in Great Britain and a very loved children's
series.
His eyes fill with excitement as he
recounts time spent on the local trains, and he even imitates the voices of announcers as they speak both in Cantonese and
English, and he uses these blurbs of English to pick up a sing-song authoritative tone, amusing me intentionally.
Dear little Chinese boy, what were
you in another life that you are so drawn to the life of a train driver? Your dream will be slowly and very soon taken
away from you by chastising teachers and ambiitious parents.
Did you know that Fireman and Ballerina
are the Top Career Picks of children in Canada? Would a world run by the dreams of young children, a world full of KCR
Train Drivers and Fireman and Ballerinas be so very harsh?
Chuga chuga chuga chug.
