About Lee Xuan Zhi
Everyone Has a Story
Everyone has a story.
You have one. I have one. The random auntie down the street has one.
And if we each have our way, we will offload our stories on the next hapless audience we can locate, and hold captive for the entire duration of our story to run its course.
Such is the sad state of the human condition, that I sometimes hesitate to inflict on you what I hate to be inflicted on me.
In the ideal world – which doesn’t exist – my story would only be told upon the days of my retirement.
Where I will spend my days gallivanting at the coffee shop, sipping on my Tiger, and engaging in flirty banter with the beer ladies.
But those days will have to wait. Since you are on my site.
Let’s Start with the Name: Lee Xuan Zhi
Legally, Lee Xuan Zhi didn’t exist till February 2021. Through the use of a deed poll, I changed the name on my NRIC from Lee Lin Cher to Rajamanickam Lee Xuan Zhi, before simplifying it to just Lee Xuan Zhi .
Why the interim move to Rajamanickam, we’ll leave that story to another day.
For those who have been stalking my websites – yes, I know you exist, though in insignificant numbers but huge enough to cause me some distress – the reason is clear: I hated it.
There can be a myriad of reasons for this hatred, but topping the list is the fact that it sounds a tad too effeminate. You really can’t imagine the number of times I have been thought to be a ‘Ms’, and you definitely can’t imagine the disappointment in some of these men’s voices when they eventually discover that the hot babe they had painted in their minds turned out to be a ~~~man.
Oh, you poor thing. Didn’t your mama tell you not to be so lascivious? LOL. We are supposed to think with our heads right? And not with the extra muscle between our legs.
The next reason why I view my name with much disdain, is that it is not Chinese enough.
I mean, what kind of a name is Lee Lin Cher? It actually sounds like “lyncher”, wherein to lynch is to put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.
And it just didn’t help when an ex-colleague of mine used to call me “Linch” for short. I mean, what’s wrong with you dude? You have a problem with anything more than 1 syllable?
And to further add to the confusion, “Lee”, “Lin” and “Cher” are all Chinese surnames, so I had a name comprising multiple Chinese surnames, yet the end product sounds like something else. Jeez. How did I even live with that?
The last and final reason why Lee Lin Cher has to go, has got to do with the the ‘Cher’ in the name. For some reason, I have been a teaCher of some sort all my life, first starting as a private tutor in 1993, then as a classroom teacher at a tuition centre, before going to MOE as an English and Literature teacher at Westwood Secondary School (2003 to 2007), and then as a flexi-adjunct English and Literature teacher at Cedar Girls’ Secondary (2008 to 2009). My most recent stop as a teacher has been Stalford Learning Centre (2014 to 2021), and as at this moment of writing, I am still going to be with Stalford, at least for the weekends.
Concurrently, within the same period, I was running RedWordTree (2008 to 2016), a copywriting agency which would go on to publish books for the Who’s Who of the real estate industry, while I would go on to author 16 books on the subject of English from the primary to secondary school levels under the EPH banner.
As you can see, I have always been some kind of teaCHER and wriTER, and I somehow attribute it to the CHER in my name. And no matter how absurd this rationale might sound, it was very real to me, and therefore the need to metamorphosise from Lee Lin Cher to Lee Xuan Zhi.
And to prove that I am not a fraudster, since everyone can become anyone on the internet, do see evidence of this metamorphosis.
Of course, sensitive information has been redacted. The last I checked, it is still illegal to bare all in public. LOL.
And There's Chapter 18 Verse 47 of the Bhagavad Gita
“It is better to do one’s own dharma, even though imperfectly, than to do another’s dharma, even though perfectly.”
You may then ask, if I have done so much to escape this damnation of teaching and writing, then why this website in the first place?
Well asked, my friend, even if we’ve never met, and I – in all honesty – would die to give this favourite answer from a little friend of mine:
“我不知道” meaning “I don’t know” in English.
Because as cruel as it sounds, in many situations in life, ignorance is bliss, and it’s a bliss that I can ill-afford.
So what does this mean?
Well, it just means I have to say “hello” to my two friends again: Teaching and Writing
Like the scared and frightened people in Final Destination, I can run, but not hide.
I have often said that teaching is a trade that once you enter, you never really leave.
Even if I have destroyed all my physical resources.
Even if I have said my goodbyes.
Even if I vowed never to look back.
Well…taaadaaa! I’m back… with a vengeance I hope.
The exact terms of my surrender are still unknown. But at the point of writing (September 2021), I intend this website to be a showcase of my works, as a well as a launchpad for my video courses.
And best of all, I don’t have a plan. Or at least it’s too simple to be called a plan.
It’s often been said that failing to plan is planning to fail.
What BS…
Yet, I have seen, first-hand, how the best-laid plans go to waste, and how some of the best things that come to pass happen with hardly any planning.
Which means that I am not going to think too much about this site. I will write as I feel, create as I feel, and delete as I feel.
And if the end product turns out to be a mish-mash of random posts, so be it.
Because it will be a lot better, for me to do my own dharma imperfectly, than to do another’s dharma perfectly.
So simple, yet profound, and so eloquently expressed.
Is it any wonder, that I simply love Lord Krishna?
For Stalkers, "Secret Admirers" and Concerned Students
Congratulations! You have made it thus far, despite my seriously long intro page.
And I have intentionally kept it long, so that you will have to plough through this, especially if you are scrolling on a phone.
Because only the most determined will make it, and if you’ve made it through this, you are either a concerned parent, student or stalker.
If you happen to belong to the last group – the stalking team – let me just say that I am honoured.
For many long years, I have had the liberty of crashing and destroying my websites, since I believed that nobody was following me. Imagine my surprise when I realised that I have followers, albeit the secret ones.
Well, you can hide, but you can’t run.
If you are a concerned student, I must say that you are such a rare breed. You are as extinct as the dodo bird, since most students would rather sit around, do nothing, and let their English grades fade away, and thereafter engage in a blame game, where everyone is at fault except themselves.
Well, you don’t belong to this breed, and because of that, you are going to find something useful here.
For Worried Mums Tossing in Bed Over Their Kids' O Level English Grades
Dads out there who are reading this: Believe me, I am not sexist.
A kid’s education is the joint responsibility between both dad and mum, but over the years – based on what I see and encounter – it does seem that it is the mums that take a more active and proactive role in their children’s education.
So it is the mums that I will address here.
Mums out there, hear ye.
The fact that English is the most important subject for the O Levels is a fact that I should not repeat.
Enough has been said about how if your child fails in the subject, he or she will have no place to go after the O Levels.
No, I will not be a nuisance and repeat what each and every one of us already know. LOL.
But what we also do know is that it is easily the most neglected subject, and that students will prep every subject in their list, except English.
That they will spend hours practising their A and E Math; crack their heads to memorise and regurgitate facts and dates from Geography, History and Social Studies; and religiously put themselves through the rigour of the Ten-Year Series drill for Physics and Chemistry; but for English…
There is nothing to study…
Is it any wonder, that they are simply pathetic at the subject, or flunk it altogether?
What I Offer
As we can all clearly see, it’s an uphill battle for all of us.
To get your kids to love and form a relationship with the English subject, and in the process, excel in it; it’s an arduous, complex yet simple-enough undertaking that will baffle even the smartest of brains.
You have probably applied the most tried-and-tested method on your child — tuition. Whether in a group, one-to-one, brand name centres, neighbourhood establishments, star tutors, next-door auntie’s recommendations…whatnots.
All these choices, no matter how promising, have had limited effects eh? Yet, some of these choices have had the unlimited effect of breaking your wallet, your bank and the piggy bank at home.
So what is the premise of The Rogue English Tutor?
That while I can’t promise you the sky (please run very far away if someone dares to do that) about your son or daughter’s English grades, I will at least not break your bank in the process, at least not on this website.
How’s that for a value proposition?
The Next Step
I don’t know if it’s clear to you, but I am weird, unorthodox and somewhat unbecoming of a teacher.
If you don’t mind working with a mad man to improve on your child’s O Level English grades, click on the button below to start a communication channel with me.
By doing so, you will be taken to my newsletter subscription form, where you will get tips and tricks on how your kiddo can boost his or her O Level English grade.
Feedback & Reviews
Here are some things my ex-students have to say about me. Not all of them are comfy with their photos appearing, so apologies if I can’t prove if these people are real, or fictional.
“”I find Mr Lee’s tutelage in the English Language engaging and it has guided me to push myself with the rest of my GCE O level subjects. His passion for helping his students beyond the English Language is the reason he is more than just a tutor. He has seen me through my teenage years as a mentor and I am grateful even till date of the positive influence he has had on me during and beyond my secondary school years. If you keep an open mind, you will find his guidance nothing short of fulfilling and stimulating.””
Audrey Yeo
GCE O Levels 2007, A2
“I am typing this email to share with you my N Level results. Thanks to you, my English improved tremendously within a short period of time. Though I guess I didn’t meet your expectation of aceing my English (which turned out to be a B3), I’m more than grateful for your tutoring (regardless at class or even after-tuition help every Sunday). {I am eligible for PFP!!} 
“
Jerlynn Chew
GCE N Levels 2016, B3
“Mr Lee is gifted with the ability to inject fun into English, arguably the driest O level topic, in a way that grabs our attention while simultaneously relating back to the lesson.”
Joshua Chia
GCE O Levels 2017, A2
“Your lessons are useful as I got to learn quite a lot of vocabulary over the past 3 years and it also built up my confidence in situational writing. Your lessons are also quite entertaining because of all the jokes you make:) My L1R5 for the O Levels is 8… I do hope to see you again!! (most probably by coincidence) “
Tan Shern Kai
GCE O Levels 2017, A2
“With my three years of tuition with Mr Lee, my essays and answering techniques have improved a lot. Funnily enough, throughout these three years, I have never felt bored or uninterested in his class. He somehow manages to teach the class without it being boring by often cracking jokes and telling stories.
He is a good teacher but may be considered unorthodox for some. If you have a low tolerance for humour, fun, or jokes, I would suggest you find someone else. If not, I believe Mr Lee would be a good teacher for you.”
Liu Hongkun
GCE O Levels 2017, A2
“Hi Mr Lee, I am Jade and I used to attend your English classes at
Stalford (Hillion). Thank you for your guidance for the past one year.
I think I am able to achieve an A1 in English in the O levels because
of your teaching. Thank you so much and I hope that you will continue
to make miracles happen. :)”
Jade Ong
GCE O Level 2018, A1
