Self-motivation

Nowadays in schools there are maths camp, maths exhibition, maths treasure hunt (where you have to do some calculations, deduction or induction with the clues you get) and innovative maths teaching. These games and innovation could arouse pupils’ interest in maths, but to sustain their interest is not so easy. After the fun part the major part is still practice and solving problems.

When I was in school there were none of these things. Yet I was very interested in Mathematics. This interest was self-motivated; nothing to do with the teaching methods or whether the maths teachers were good or not good, handsome or not handsome.

You see a chinese opera actress gliding in small quick steps across the stage and flipping her sleeves effortlessly. Just some simple moves and just a few lines. But the movements are all very graceful and the singing beautiful.

As the chinese saying goes “on stage 3 minutes, off stage 10 years hard effort”. It takes passion, perseverance and discipline; otherwise she would not have succeeded. Others would have given up after a few months.

For local chinese opera artistes, I think it is also self-motivated interest. Besides all the qualities I mentioned above, they also need determination and a lot positive thinking because there will be frustrations, setbacks and disappointments along the way.

Here is a rousing music by the 6 Roses to cheer you up:

賽馬 Horse racing