The New Principal

Its about time i wrote something about him. As you all probably know, St Thomas's has gone and gotten itself a new Head, after the last one decided to fly to Aussie and get permanently damaged. (PhD lah, what were you thinking?)

So, Mr Wong Hiong Foo. He wears trousers, a huge tie, a flapping Thomian coat (don't they all?) and looks like a cross between Temenggung Jugah and William Hung.


He didn't really make a strong first impression at his debut in the school two assemblies ago. He went on stage, told us about how he missed his old school, that our academics and sports were 'nothing to shout about', and then read out some sentimental, mushy thing he probably got from a chain email. I was half expecting him to blurt out, "Pass this on to at least fifty friends, or i'll do a pole dance and sing She Bangs!"

Okay, okay, that was inappropriate. But the assembly wasn't a big hit, with most of the teachers looking oddly stiff and the students making remarks everywhere about his haircut.

Off the stage, however, he seems nice and friendly enough, if a little out-of-place. Paul says he's in culture shock, and the second assembly (with him) seemed to prove that. He told us (and the students were chattering louder than ever, to my dismay. I had to threaten a student that i would break his arm if he didn't shut up. He didn't. I did a small wrist turn - one that wasn't maiming, just painful. He shut up.) that was perpexed as to why we still enter the staffroom even when there was a sign there forbidding students. He commented that we were very polite and that he had to keep replying good morning good morning good morning ...

Duh. Captain obvious.

It is slightly disconcerting to see an ugly haircut bobbing around on top of the black coat that once signified Mr Peter Foo. A usual scene would be him walking around, looking at flowerpots, prefect checking stations and classes, all the while making notes in a notebook. It was as if St Thom was this huge foreign organism, and he was figuring out how we ate, pooped and reproduced.

Well, most of us still regard him as a specimen. I cannot say whether he is a good or bad principal - the true test of character, one that will make us all respect him, would be adversity. I can only say - and this with convition - that Mr Foo will be sorely missed, for many reasons besides his nicer haircut.

Update: Mr Wong recently walked into our class to inspect our tidyness. He talks well off the stage (with a little lilt), and commended an aura akin to Peter Foo. I don't know about the others, but i think St Thom is in good hands with a disciplinarian like him around. ;-)