Take 5 – 23 January 2017 by Mr Neo Hock Kheng

Good morning Mdm Tan, Mr Lee, Mr Chung, fellow Colleagues and Gessians!

This Friday we will be celebrating Chinese New Year to usher in Year of the Rooster. There are many lessons we can learn from the Rooster. Let me share with you some of my thoughts:

Lesson #1: Self-discipline Is The Key To Success

The rooster symbolizes discipline and energy. When I was a child, I lived in a village. Every morning, I will receive morning calls from the roosters. The rooster will show up every morning as a time-keeper to wake up the whole village.

What the rooster has inspired me was his Self-Discipline.  Every morning without fail, he will do the right thing at the right time without any reminder. Also, he reminds us the importance of punctuality in daily life. If we want to achieve our goals, we must do our best to complete the required task on time and never offer an excuse for the late submission of our work.

There is a Chinese proverb called 闻鸡起舞，like dancing with the chickens. Its about a man called Zu Ti in olden China, who woke up early in the morning upon hearing the rooster crow to practice his sword, day after day without fail. With self-discipline and hard work, he became a famous Military General who led his army to protect his country and defeated the enemies.

GESSians, every one of us has our personal goals. Question is – do we have the self-discipline to work hard and overcome all the problems we encounter in order to achieve our goals?

Lesson #2: Resilience Conquer Challenges

The rooster also symbolizes strength and resilience. He has a strong fighting spirit. In my early childhood, I had the privilege to watch how the roosters fight. Let me share one unforgettable incident.

One day I saw a fight, not between roosters, but a rooster versus a dog! The situation was in a messy chaos, as the Chinese proverb says, 鸡飞狗跳, like chickens flying and dogs jumping around. The dog was aggressive, but the rooster was even more aggressive! In front of his enemy, the rooster showed no fear at all. He opened up all his feathers and the size had “expanded” so much that the dog did not dare to go too near him.

Whenever the dog attacked, the rooster would use his sharp claws and beak to defend and fight back. At the end of the fight, I was astonished that the rooster had won the battle! Even though the rooster lost some feathers and one leg, and became a “One Legged Rooster”, just like 金鸡独立，his bravery, courage and fighting spirit were highly remarkable!

GESSians, we will definitely encounter challenges in life like the rooster. Question is, do we have the resilience and fighting spirit to face the challenges? Are we able to stand firm, evaluate the challenges and fight back?

Lesson #3: Believe In Yourself and Dare to Dream

The rooster also symbolizes confidence and courage. He has faith in his abilities and never quit. The “One Legged Rooster” is a good example. Losing one leg doesn’t end his life. Life goes on as he continued to brave the challenges ahead.

Last year there was this girl from graduating class. Though her Silver Target for Chinese was a B4, she aspired to achieve a Distinction. She worked hard, and in the first sitting at the GCE O level Mid-year Mother Tongue exam, she obtained a B3. Though higher than her Silver Target, she did not stop there. Her dream was to get a Distinction. With her passion for the subject, she wanted to do her best so that she could achieve her best results. With perseverance and consistent hard work, she fulfilled her dream and obtained an A1 in the end.

There are many similar success stories among our students. Learning Mother Tongue is never easy, but never lose heart. Believe in yourself that you can do it. We have a team of dedicated Mother Tongue teachers to guide you to achieve the best you can achieve. But to believe and to dream is not enough. More importantly, you have to put in your best effort and persevere.

Gessians, though the journey to our dreams may be filled with challenges, let us Believe in What We Believe, and with Self-Discipline and Resilience, we conquer our challenges and fulfil our dreams!

Like the Rooster, we shall rise and shine!

Onward Gessians!

Thank You!