After graduating from NTU in Communications Studies, Louann Wong did not apply for a full-time job or go on a graduation trip. Instead, the spunky 24-year-old chose to volunteer in India as a teacher. We investigate with 10 questions. No more, no less.

By Colin Lim

Q1 Career Central: What were some options that you had in mind after graduating?

Louann Wong: I’ve always wanted to work out of Singapore and immerse myself in a totally different culture, so I was looking for jobs which would allow me to relocate. However, without any working experience, it was tough to do so. I then started planning a graduation trip with my friends, which didn’t happen due to clashing schedules and priorities. So I decided to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and at the same time, would give me a break from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Q2 Career Central: How did the idea of teaching in India occur to you?

LW: I’ve always wanted to visit India; to be charmed by the rich culture and to beat the misconceptions. I strongly believe that experiences can only be gained and not be told. Reading books and watching documentaries will never come anywhere close to experiencing it personally. I have to admit that I’m not very good with children, and I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me to challenge myself.

Q3 Career Central: How did you secure the teaching job in India?

LW: I applied through this organisation called AIESEC. I had to first become a member before I could tap into their database of international exchanges. They had stringent requirements and I had to go through several interviews and prep talks. This whole process took about two months. A week after becoming a member, I found a teaching job at Mary’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School, which is located in Tindivanam, a little town outside of Chennai, India.

Q4 Career Central: How was the first day of school like?

LW: During assembly on the first day of school, I was on the brink of tears. I was overwhelmed with emotions just looking at those kids singing their national anthem with such zest and passion. It’s hard to see such vigor in the city, where people scurry to climb the corporate ladder, and have no time to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

Q5 Career Central: Who and what did you teach in India?

LW: I taught students who were in standard 5, 6 and 7, which is equivalent to Primary 5, 6 and Secondary 1 in Singapore. I handled five different classes with a total of about 150 students.

The students’ ability to comprehend English varied widely; some students were able to understand, speak, read and write pretty well, while there were others who were unable to even spell out their own names. It was really tough in the beginning, but after a month or so, the students slowly got used to my accent.

Q6 Career Central: Where did you stay?

LW: I stayed with the Principal and a correspondent. The correspondent’s family started the school with the main objective of providing education for poor children in the village.

As the school is situated in rural India, the family has to provide accommodation for volunteers. They are a really kind and hospitable family and surprisingly open to foreigners. Something they said that really tugged at my heart strings was: “these kids will probably never be able to see the world, so I thought, why not bring the world to them then?”

Q7 Career Central: How was it like to interact with the people there?

LW: Indians there did not seem very used to having a foreigner around. Everywhere I went, people stared and pointed at me in my face. At first, I was pretty annoyed but after a few weeks, I felt that there was no point getting frustrated over something beyond my control. Instead, I became really amused and even smiled and waved back at them.

Q8 Career Central: Any memorable experiences to share? We hear you almost got kidnapped once.

LW: Yes, I was. It was a really traumatic experience. I was waiting for my friends to join me when a group of guys plotted to kidnap me. All of us were supposed to meet in Pondicherry (about 1 hour away from where I live) at about 11pm on a Friday night. I was standing at a crowded junction while waiting, when I saw a group of Indian guys loitering around and staring at me.

Another Indian guy then came up to me and dragged me lightly by the elbow, telling me it wasn’t safe for me to be there alone. Apparently he overheard the conversation between the guys and they were hatching a plot to kidnap me. He advised me to head to the nearby traffic police post, which I did, but there was no one in there. So I stood at the busy bus terminal and waited while my body shook with fear. I was so scared.

Q9 Career Central: What have you learnt from your experiences in India?

LW: I am definitely more patient and open to cultural differences now. I have learnt that there’s a reason behind every absurdity, it’s only whether you make the effort to find out the underlying reasons. I have learnt not to pass judgment too quickly and have definitely cleared up some misconceptions I had about Indians and their culture. I have also learnt never to take things for granted.

Q10 Career Central: What advice would you give to other fresh graduates who are thinking of making an unusual decision like yours?

LW: To me, the vastness of the world is beyond anyone’s comprehension. Experience as much as you can while time is still on your side. Youth is not everything but it certainly allows you to do many things. Be very open to cultural differences, if you expect everything to be the same as it is at home, you might as well stay at home. I guess the point of international exchange is to allow one to immerse in a totally different culture. Embrace the differences. Be inquisitive, find out why certain things happen in certain way, and you might be in for some surprises.

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