Do You Know Egypt? - The Sequel


We like to say that those mischiefs the boys of Sec 3B Science did to our teachers are now looked back with fondness.  Upon deep reflections about why we did what we did to our poor teachers, we rationalise, having now grown much older, that  playing practical jokes, including verbal jokes, on the teacher was a way expressing our affection for that teacher. If it was, it is 1966 Reverse Psychology!

Since we were so used to playing verbal jokes on him, Mr. Egypt treated every remark by students who had a habit of arguing with him with suspicion, even when remarks were meant to be serious. There was a amusing interaction between Chan Yau Seng and Mr. Egypt. During one lesson, Egypt said bridges were typically made of wood or metal.  Yau Seng added a very innocent comment "they can also be made of ropes" - second nature for some of us to pass comment either out of convoluted friendliness or out of love of giving him a jab every now and then. 

Mr. Egypt thought he was trying to be funny or trying to argue that bridges should not be of wood or iron and responded with agitation "I did not say they cannot be made of ropes!".Yau Seng could not understand why Mr. Egypt appeared to be mad.  So he repeated "I only said bridges can also be made of ropes"  implying no intention to ridicule or argue. Mr. Egypt still could  not get it and angrily repeated with increasing loudness "I did not say they cannot be made of ropes!!" Still shocked Yau Seng said "I did not say you said they cannot be made of ropes.  I was only trying to say they could also be made of ropes." At this point Mr. Egypt's blood pressure reached its boiling point and Yau Seng was  invited in no uncertain terms to "take off his specs". We all knew what happened after Yau Seng took off his specs and it was certainly not a happily ever after.


Another convoluted way of expressing our affection for Mr. Egypt was by the way we responded to him greeting the class in Chinese "Dar Jia Wǔ Ān"  meaning "good afternoon everyone" at the start of each period.  We would respond very musically with "Xiān Shēng Wǔ Ān........................." with "Ān" dragged for as long as the last student who can keep it going.  In English it was equivalent to chanting "good afternoon sir.....ir........ir.......ir..........."  Mr. Egypt did not express like or dislike for our way of expression of affection but it did become the unspoken standard way of exchanging greetings between us before the start of each class.   
    
Classes in those days got to enjoy about 2 weeks of total freedom at the end of each term and after term exams.  Teachers could do whatever they wished to with their classes or to do nothing. Mr. Egypt also happened to not hold believers  in god or gods or religions with much credibility or respect.  He was roped into pontificating and arguing passionately against religion during one of those full freedom days of Sec. 3B Sc to a small section of the students.  Other students were free to do whatever they wished. 

While arguing strongly against believing in god(s), he spotted Swee Chuang who happened to just join the group discussion innocuously.  He was immediately asked  "What do you believe in?  Which god do you believe in?  Swee Chuang gave a highly humourous answer with a straight face "Egyptian Gods".  Mr. Egypt did not yet know at that time he was already well known as "Mr. Egypt" among his circle of students and he thought Swee Chuang was just another petty rascal trying to tease him.  He looked at Swee Chuang and said "so you are trying to be funny?" without asking anything further and without any invitation "to remove his glasses".  Swee Chuang must be highly relieved at his narrow escape – might even have thanked the real god he believed in but the reason was he escaped being slapped because he was not wearing any spectacles!

Although Mr. Egypt did not believe in religion nor religious leaders, he did exhibit his deep appreciation for and understanding of famous philosophical sayings on how humans should conduct themselves in life.  He was asked for his preference among two seemingly identical profound sayings but expressed in different ways. The first saying was by Confucius "Do not do to others what you do not want others to do to you." The second was by Jesus Christ "Do unto others what you would like to be done unto yourself." To the students the two sayings are two sides of the same coin.  But Mr. Egypt he chose Confucius over Jesus.  Could it be because Confucius was considered a philosopher teacher while Jesus was considered a religion founder? 

We must confess the Mr. Egypt’s rationale of choice remained a mystery to this day much like the mystery behind how the pyramids were built . Mr. Egypt might have explained his rationale before but it was probably too profound and abstract for young rascal minds to understand.    

 Contributed by Chen Wen, Swee Chuang and Yau Seng         


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