Teacher’s Real Face

1One day, I walked in the classroom and found two of the girls in my elementary class wearing pink eyeliner which they made from clay.

“Wow, you girls look prettier today,” I said, trying so hard not to burst into laughter as the girls gingerly walked to their seats with their heads up, so that their clay eyeliner would not fall.

“Teacher, we wear eyeliner like you,” one of the girls, Mary, who was barely blinking, mouthed.

“I can see that, but mine is black and yours is pink.”

“Pink is pretty. I like pink.”

“I like pink, too, so sometimes I wear pink lipstick, but I have never worn pink eyeliner.”

“Sometimes teacher eyeliner is blue,” the other girl, Tiffany, was now putting back her clay eyeliner that fell as she was speaking. “Yesterday yesterday (the other day), teacher dress is blue, teacher eyeliner is blue.” 

I was flattered that these kids remember.

There is one boy in that class, and I didn’t want him to feel out of place with all the girlie talk, so I began asking the class about the weather and what day and date it was (which they all answered well), but to my surprise, the boy was also interested in eyeliners… not that he wants to wear make up, too, but he was obviously curious. In fact, he was the next one to mention eyeliner again just as we were about to start with our warm-up activity.

“Teacher, you have pink eyeliner?”

“No, Eugene, I don’t have a pink eyeliner. I use only black or blue.”

“Teacher, you buy pink eyeliner and next time wear.”

“Uhm, do you think I will look prettier with pink eyeliner?’

“I don’t know.”

I shouldn’t have asked Eugene that question. ^^

That time, the girls were busy putting back their clay eyeliner, which fell everytime they moved or spoke or giggled. Tiffany gave up, but Mary was persistent… and Eugene just would not let up interrogating me.

“Teacher, why you wear eyeliner?”

“I want to look prettier. Doesn’t your Mommy use eyeliner?”

“Sometimes.”

“I want teacher next time not wear eyeliner.”

“Why?”

“I want see teacher real face.”

Okay, an anvil just dropped on my head.

“But… this is my real face.”

Eugene and the girls took turns in skinning me alive with words.

“Next time teacher come here and wear no make up,” this time it’s Tiffany making the request.

“Sorry, guys, but I can’t do that. I never go to work without make up.”

“We want see teacher real face! Teacher real face! Teacher real face!”

Ugh, the kids were relentless!

“How about I just wear pink eyeliner next time I come to class?”

Of course I was kidding!

“No, teacher… we want see you not wear eyeliner.”

“No make up, teacher.”

“Only real face.”

“I told you, this is my real face. Do you think there is a monster beneath this make up?”

“No.”

“Does teacher wear too much make up?”

“No.”

“Okay, maybe next time I will wear less make up to make you happy. Shall we begin with our activity now?”

“Yes.”

Kids… ^^ (sigh)

 

From Korea with Love
Chrissantosra.wordpress.com


RSS

 

 

Join 473 other followers