Fear gripped me as I clambered onto the stage. Nevertheless, I took tiny steps onto the center of the dais. I was Paddington Bear in the talent show I had signed up for, and I instantly regretted dressing as a bear. But I never anticipated what I thought was embarrassment until after the show when I was appreciated for my performance. You might wonder what led me to present myself as Paddington, especially in front of my friends.

I was 7 when my parents took me to the store. At the book section, something caught my gaze: a bear, and not just any bear, but Paddington Bear. Almost immediately, I scurried across to the congested side of the store. I gently picked up the book and read the blurb, which captivated me the moment I saw it. I read through the pages and devoured the initial pages of the book. But little did I know that my parents were searching for me as they saw my distinct white t-shirt among the tall adults’ feet. My parents told me off for running about but were surprised at what had occupied me. They understood that I was quite engrossed in the book and offered to buy it for me on the condition that I read it daily. It took a lot more time than I expected to read it. My reading almost spanned three weeks. My mother instructed me to highlight the new words and Google them to enrich my vocabulary. Due to the number of new words, I found myself busy searching up the new words so much that I had almost completely highlighted a page!