We celebrate a day that women may find uncomfortable..World Menopause Day.

Both literally and figuratively.

But in that discomfort, we can find joy, humour and a little camaraderie.

So join Elena, Mavis, and Theodora as they combat those hot flashes–with a little ingenuity and pizazz.

When the going gets hot, the tough cool it down.

Redglow Secondary–where a teacher needed street smarts and strategy to stay cool–in more ways than one. 

And Elena Chan, Mavis Fang and Theodora Fong found this out the sweaty way. 

The ladies taught–and learned–and important lesson–When life brought on the heat, fix your own thermostat.The middle-aged female teachers knew everything there was to know about teenage mayhem and—

The M-word. 

That hit ladies over 50. 

The three often bantered the issue of recalcitrant students and growing older over coffee. 

Theodora often gloated about how much her students taught her. 

“If enlightenment is a hot flash, I must have transcended.”

The experience with M worsened when Redglow’s new principal, Mr. Ding, installed energy saving air conditioning in the classroom in an attempt to cut costs–and boost credit. 

His, that is. 

The three needed a strategy revamp to survive classroom and student heat–

And, as the ever-dramatic English teacher Mavis would insist–

Those darned hot flashes. 

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As luck had it, the AC decided that it wanted the day off. 

The women and their hot flashes had proven too overwhelming–so it ‘stormed off.’

During Mavis’s English double period.

She announced the fiasco with her usual dramatic flair –and others’ equally dramatic angst. 

The solution? Mr. Ding’s energy-saving cooler. 

Elena wondered aloud if it had  been introduced-JUST AT THE RIGHT TIME. 

It DID NOT COOL.

It BAKED.

The teachers–the three heroines in particular–‘glowed’ profusely, to the great amusement of their charges. 

Theodora, in particular, kept her male students’ attention. 

Seeing the older, yet attractive teacher glow was gossip fodder. 

But if her complaints were anything to go by, she didn’t enjoy it. 

“It’s like standing in a Tandoori oven–only less hot.” She groused, flailing her arms in complaint. 

Elena, ever the scientific pragmatist, came up with one of her innovations. 

“Why don’t we form a Cool Club? If no one’s going to help us keep the sweat off, we will.”

Oh, she was determined. 

Theodora rolled skeptic eyes–but the pressure of the heat reinforced her membership. 

The resilient ladies stashed anything ‘cool’ they could think of–fans, ice packs, and frozen water bottles. 

“What are these for?” Mr. Ding raised a quizzical eyebrow. 

“Oh, just lesson props,” Mavis brushed him off without as much as batting an eyelid. 

But the students were sharp. 

Too sharp for whining and water splashes to escape their notice.

And the Letter M stunned the school. 

The staff room earned a moniker of Alaskan proportions–The North Pole.

Mavis grinned. “We’re legends now. Let’s not spoil the moment by telling them it’s about survival.”

And survival it was. 

A frozen water bottle decided to “take a leak” the next day. 

Over Elena’s chemistry practicals. 

“At least it was only a mock paper.” She sighed.

But the three couldn’t help giggling over their Cool Club Thermoregulation Genius. 

They needed strategy. 

Stealth. 

And lots of coffee. 

To keep M at bay. 

Operation chill had just begun.

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The Cool Club’s success at maintaining it’s cool didn’t stay a secret for long. 

Not with teenage busybodies and the heat—

That ate at angsty teaching staff. 

So it wasn’t long before Mr. Ding learned of Operation Chill.

During assembly, when Mavis’ trusty fan whirred a little too loudly during his announcements. 

“Energy waste!” He roared. 

Theodora tried to defuse the situation with a flirtatious smile. 

“It’s self-preservation, Sir.”

The bomb still went off. 

“Unauthorised cooling devices are disallowed in the staffroom.”

That didn’t deter our friends in the Cool Club. No, no, no. 

It went underground. 

Literally. 

In the basement prep room. 

Mr. Ding hadn’t counted on Elena–and Chemistry. 

The savvy science teacher rigged a cooling contraption using smuggled lab supplies. 

“Technically–for O level Chemistry Classes.”

“Technically nuts!” Mavis’ throat emitted a hacking sound through the fog. 

Even more whispers. Students spoke of the Misty Menopause Lab. 

Even Ah Xiong the janitor had something to say. “Aiyo, the fog ladies are at it again.”

The rebellion couldn’t ‘cool’ off.

A wrong ice-pack placement one day sent out too much fog, triggering a silent alarm leading to–

Mr. Ding’s room. 

Screaming, wet students. 

Soaked teachers with hot flashes cooled, albeit unintended. 

And Mr. Ding’s own hot flash–hotter than any other in history.  

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The trio paid the mandatory visit to Mr. Ding’s office the next morning. His glare cooked faster than any heated stove. 

“What’s this Operation Chill?” He demanded, waving a red, soaked towel like a declaration of war. 

Elena adjusted her glasses and flashed her most comely smile. “An experiment, sir. On….er…thermostats and how they work. For O Level  students sitting for this year’s Chemistry exams.”

“Er…yes.” Theodora quickly chimed in. “My class sits for the paper. It’s trying to show how we adapt to climate change.”

Mavis added. “Mine’s trying to show how internal weather patterns affect the human psyche.”

A long pause. Too long. 

Then, a resounding chortle–almost as loud as a ding dong. 

“You ladies,” He sighed. “Are living PR nightmares.How do we convince the kids to align with energy saving after–“

He gestured to the makeshift thermo cooler next to him.

But he couldn’t deny that it worked–discipline and restlessness were down, and morale was up. 

The trio had earned a well-deserved moniker–The Chill Queens.

“Ok, ok. I admit it. Cutting down on energy only increased the heat. Keep your experiment. But remember…cool it.”

So the Cool Club later celebrated the success of Operation Chill–with ice kachang. 

“Here’s to beating Redglow. One hot flash at a time.”

The ladies taught–and learned–an important lesson–

When life brings on the heat, fix your own thermostat.

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