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Message sent by: "Kongkeo Saycocie" <saycocie@sonic.net>
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Sabaydii,
Just realize that I posted the same story.  Here is the new one:

My school, which was the catholic school  ( I don't remember its name now),
was on the small hill of DongDamDouane (almost the same name as my mom if
taken out the first word). My mom told me that I started school at the age
of four.  No wonder I had to repeat the first grade for 3 years.  Besides, I
didn't like the school at all (at least at the beginning). My driver and my
mom really had a terrible time getting me out of the car for I tightly held
on to whatever I could lay my hands on.  Yes, as usual, I cried all the way
to the classroom.  So, when my sister was about to start school (at much
later age than me), the teacher wouldn't like to take her into her class
easily. I guess she had to be my 1st grade teacher! After the first grade, I
began to like school. Why not? There were lots of candies selling at the
school. What's more, the KokMakTaKop always challenged me to climb on and
tasted its red fruit. Still, the best was that the school liked to show the
cartoon movie "TinTin" every week.  I guess it was not a surprise at all
because they charged our parents heavily for the tuition. Of all my friends
at the post office, I was the only one who had the priviledge to go to that
school. There, we studied French as a first language. So, whenever we wanted
to go to the toilet, we had to beg the teacher with these recited words (at
least to me, because I didn't like to speak French): "Pardonez moi aller au
cabinet, s'il vous plait?"

What's interesting about this school was the Christmas time which they
called "Noel".  Every class, in fact every student, had to participate in
the play in front of the whole school plus the public too.  I guess if they
didn't make it a rule, we, kids, still would be more than happy to get
involved. Why? Because we would have a chance to dress funny clothes and, of
course, to show off. This Boun Noel was such a hit that there was no place
for anyone even in this big hall if they didn't get there hours earlier.  I
guess every parent whose kid attended the school must have been there, at
least my parent did.  In general, I was very shy but still I managed to sing
and act with the class to the great satisfaction of my parent. There was one
more thing that got imprinted in my mind about my childhood years in that
school. When I entered the 3rd grade, I did very well in school that I got a
big bag of candies and toys from school.  I don't know why they did that but
it sure made me want to study hard in order that I would get more candies
and toys.  What's funny was that it was no one else but my mom who got the
honor of giving the toys to me. In our class, only the top five students got
the prize.  Being so, it gave my mom a big smile that she could boast about
her dear son for the whole year.  I guess I would do very well in school if
only my parent didn't move to Thakek, my dad's hometown _ the stronghold of
the Saycocie family.

(to be continued)


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