Today, my Montessori school teacher asked me to bring my school fee payment schedule to my dad. That’s an easy task to do. Just bring it and pass it on to my dad. When I passed the payment schedule to my dad, only did I know it can bring so much excitement in him. His eyes opened so wide and he probably re-looked at the slip umpteen times.

“What!! It cost you $1,800 for one trimester. Montessori education is so expensive” he said. He went on to tell me how little he paid when he was in university compared to my Montessori school fee. He only paid $450 per semester for university fee inclusive of examination fee and health care plus accommodation. A semester was 18 weeks. His accommodation cost him only $1.80 per day in the university hostel.

My Montessori school fee covers my normal class and additional class for Mandarin. Normal class is from 9AM – 12noon from Monday to Friday. Mandarin class is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the school provides simple lunch before the class starts. No health care, no swimming pool, no gymnasium and no huge libraries. So, according to my dad, this is incredibly expensive.

Well, he is the one who decided that I should be learning Mandarin and master this language because of China. He often showed me the world map pointing to Malaysia, China, England and United States. He told me that he will bring me to visit these countries when I grow up.

If I don’t attend the Mandarin class, I can watch my Barney, Disney’s Princesses and Barbie’s Twelve Dancing Princesses and Swan Lake movies after school.

But, my dad decides everything :)