We will leave you in Penang

When I was teaching in Jerantut, my colleague, Simon Ching liked to bring our pupils to Cameron Highlands and Penang for sightseeing. I would be one of the teachers accompanying the students.

One year, we took the students to Penang, my home town and I was the tourist guide. At that time the Chingay Procession was on. In the procession various teams representing government departments and private companies were bearing colourful flags along the main roads in town, including Penang Road and Macalister Road. They usually showed their skills by balancing the long and heavy bamboo poles on their shoulders, backs, heads and even on the teeth of their lower jaws.

We parked our bus at Brickiln Road and led the students to stand along Macalister Road to watch the flag-bearing performance. The students were asked to go in a group of four and they had to stick together so as to avoid getting lost in the crowd.

In the midst of enjoying the show, one pupil was found missing. We had to look for her along the road. I walked the whole length of Macalister but failed to spot her. The other teachers' effort to locate her was in vain too. Then it dawned on us that she might have gone back to the bus waiting for us.

Sure enough, she was in the bus, all alone. We went up the bus and gave her a harsh telling-off. Then we said, "We will leave you in Penang.". Her face turned pale and we had a good laugh. Of course, she went back with us to Jerantut.

We would be in trouble if she were to be kidnapped or lost in Penang as her parents would go after us for negligence.