Hazy Day, Lazy Day

Noel Teng

On October 4, 2015, what seemed like any other Sunday before school, students and parents of Dalat received a surprise e-mail by the headmaster of Dalat International School.

The haze from the fires of Indonesia’s forest had engulfed the island of Penang in a thick cloud of toxic smoke. Along with decreased visibility, it had brought sickness to many students and adults alike. This haze was feared by many students and parents who care for their children’s health. All across Penang, schools were said to close for two days. It was the first time Dalat has closed due to haze.

“Well, it was the first time in my 10 years at Dalat to have a day off for safety reasons,” said Gloria Kim.

Students with plans for Monday were left disappointed and awaiting Tuesday. Many homework assignments due on Monday were postponed to Tuesday. Teachers who expected to also get a day off were very wrong, for they had to come to school and work as usual. The hot and sweltering heat trapped in by the haze only served to remind the students of how nice the headmaster is for allowing them a day off.

Students and their lungs thank the school for an opportunity to rest and recover from previous days of exposure to the toxins in the air. Similarly, the students had an extra day to get caught up on assignments and deadlines.                                                              

As Sam Tan said, “It was such a lovely day off to have, since the haze was terribly bad due to the forest fires in Indonesia. I had a lot of free time to finish and go ahead on some school work.”

Students and parents both had a day to rest and sleep in. Many of them who wake up groggy in the morning had an extra day in their weekend to slumber an extra hour or two. It truly was a hazy and lazy day for most.