The Burning Questionnaire: Chiew Pang

Way back, when Take a photo and…. was but a fledgling blog, we invited a prolific photographer / eltpics contributor to write a post for us. Time has passed and, as we tend to do, we are now revisiting both the blog post and the blogger, so it is with great pleasure that we hand you over to………. Chiew Pang.

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What is your full name, and where did it all start?
Chiew Pang is full enough. Where did what start? The name? It was almost certainly an afterthought because my parents were bent on having a daughter. But I guess you mean the teaching bit; well, that was also an afterthought, born out of necessity… 😉

Balancing. Image by @Purple_Steph at eltpics

What music do you listen to while driving/cooking/contemplating your navel?
I don’t contemplate my navel; actually, come to think of it, I must look down there – it might be dirty! Yucks!
These days, I hardly drive, but yes, I do listen to music a lot. At home, I put my Media Monkey on shuffle so I get a mix of what is on the drives: blues, rock, jazz, classical, reggae, etc. In class, music tends to be mellow jazz, classical, even some gamelan. If I had to put two genres above the rest, they’d have to be the blues and classical rock; it’s like I’m stuck in the groove of the late 60s and the 70s. ;-P

What’s the most satisfying – or frustrating – aspect of your job?
The most satisfying is watching the previously silent ones creeping out of their shells and blossoming…
The most frustrating? The gaps between employment.

Writing or teaching? Why?
If I am to be honest, I’d say writing. I’m more of the slow thinker type, and I get the chance to mull over words before I write them. I haven’t written much these past few months and I must say I miss it. That said, I’ve been enjoying my classes this year, more so than at any other time…

Image by Carla Arena at eltpics

A teacher from your schooldays:
Speaks volumes, I guess, but no name comes to mind, certainly not from schooldays.

What was the first thing you learnt as a ELT teacher?
The shy and quiet ones need to be coaxed and encouraged; they may need more thinking time, too. Everyone has a voice and must be given a chance. Silence, on the part of the teacher, can indeed be golden.

What motivates/inspires you most?
People who want to learn and are willing to dedicate time to achieving their goal motivate me. I find inspiration in passion and in people who beat the odds with hard work and perseverance.

Do you ever cry in the cinema?
I’m a sentimental old fool, so yes, I do cry, but it’s been donkey’s years since I was in a cinema.

Your favourite meal? Where? And perhaps with whom?

Image by Vicky Loras at eltpics

You know, years ago, I might have said dinner in a cosy French restaurant with a little vintage Bordeaux, but now, I’ll probably settle for something Asian – perhaps Thai or Japanese, and the company, well, someone who’s on the same wavelength as me… Also, I’ve got a sweet tooth, so I do enjoy the occasional teatime in a quiet café, followed by a walk along the river, except the river and the company is missing…

A dream?
To be mentally and physically healthy and to have a quick, painless death, which comes when I have accomplished everything I want to.

Favourite film? Impossible to select one. Some that springs to mind: Casablanca, Rear Window, Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Diva… In Godfather & Apocalypse, the casting was just perfect, not a single bad actor/actress. Duvall was incredible. I bet you many readers would go Duvall who?

Favourite poet? I’m a hopeless romantic, so Shelley would be my choice.

Digital device or pen & notebook? Tablet/digital device. Do I get one for doing this interview? I may be a romantic, but I’m also practical. Digital information is that much easier to manage. One of the biggest time-waster is searching for information and it’s more efficient looking for it when it’s been stored digitally.

Day or night? Used to be night, but now I’m more of a day person. There’s more light in the daytime; beauty is more visible. That said, nights can be very alluring still…

Image by Leo Selivan at eltpics