High School!

NOT! Well, secondary school as we would call it. My previous post I mentioned that I wanted to write something about secondary school (SS), so here it is!

I don't think you grow up during your childhood. Of course, you do grow up physically, but the real growing up, I find, is during your teenage years. When you suddenly experience so many new things and when you do the real growing up, discovering who you are and who you could possibly be.

The following are recounts of the more memorable moments in my SS life...

I started out SS as a rather quiet girl. Had a serious crush on this guy for almost a year, which I now find was rather pathetic. Hee... Joined the band almost immediately and met the people that I would be with for the entire 4 years that I was there. Johan... Big person in my SS life. We sat together in band, teased each other and did so until we graduated. I had a tough time learning music in the beginning but slowly picked up and I thought I was a mighty fine player by the time I left! Haha... Band was the most fun I had in school! :)

2nd year was fantastic! I had wonderful teachers and did very well in my grades, which ultimately led me to be promoted to sec 3 express. I also got closer to my friends and lost quite a lot of weight! 14 was the smallest size I've been in my life so far. I'll get smaller! Haha...

3rd year was rocking as well. Me, May Ann and Jeremy had to start out in an entirely new class. New syllabus as well. May Ann and I quickly got close to Sharilyn whom I knew from Chin Yan from band. It was weird to see our friends during sec 1 and 2 from a distance and not go through lessons together... Sec 3 was also SYF year. So much training and practicing of Gustav Holst's Jupiter until we could memorize our parts! We didn't get anything but we learned so much. That night after the results I remembered a bunch of us sat at Burger King at the old Marina Square not really eating much and looking entirely glum. But hey, we bonded so much through that experience and I wouldn't change a thing! I think it was this year that we had the band chalet as well. Lots of nice memories from there!

Sec 3 was also the year of SARS! Remember? School was closed for a few weeks and Singapore was like deserted outside! I actually missed school and, for sure, my friends.

Sec 4... O LEVEL!!! I started out alright, then I got tired and decided not to pay attention in class. Grades were not fantastic and prelims were terrible! Haha... I remember the groans of my classmates and I when Mrs Tai came in with HUGE stacks of accounts paper and constant reminders to study and practice! All that extra classes, night study and training courses made us all look so tired. Then during O level I saw after each day a small sigh of relief from everyone. And on the last day... HURRAY! I think there was some clapping and cheering after they said we could leave the hall!

I think that my group of friends bonded quite a fair bit during that last year. I will always remember how the 7+ of us would squeeze into the round table at the canteen and we would somehow manage to get the same seat!

Graduation was pretty fun as well. Us was the last batch that could wear our own clothes to the ceremony (the next batch had to wear uniforms and it was in the day) and it was nice to see everyone looking different. There was a candle ceremony (catholic school thing I guess) and a nice speech by Marcel Lee (you rock!). After all was said and done, it was time to party! Beingshy, pubescent, singaporean kids, of course we didn't lososen up as much. But I remember there were disco lights and a net that held up a big bunch of balloons that the guys were quick to let down themselves! After that, my group of friends went to Beautyworld (I think) to play pool. Pleasant night, but I think it'd be more fun if it was held after our O level!

I also moved out of the house that I grew up in for 16 years! Bye-bye sweet 3-room flat and hello much bigger 5-room flat! I've been sharing a room with my sis since forever and I was so excited that I was finally getting my own room! No more random switching on and off of lights and sudden scream attacks in the middle of the night... Finally, a space that was all mine! Unfortunately I couldn't get to enjoy it thoroughly cos we moved in October, right before O levels. I actually only decorated my room after O levels!

After O levels, I pretty much slacked all the way. I decorated my room to the masterpiece (I find) that it is now and that period waiting for results was the time that I explored my artistic side a lot! More than half the sketches I have now were done during that period. I LOVE slacking... :)

So that's it. A very summarized version of my SS life. Nothing dramatic and very safe... :) Back to real life...

I'm on MC again. Went to see the Doc on my off day and it turns out that I don't just have a sprained ankle... I have a torn ligament! So that's why I can't rotate my ankle all that well, I have a crescent shaped bruise and I can feel a strain on my calf! And that weird bump that I have could have been that when I ''fell'', the ligament pulled the bone out a little. Urgh... I need that MC anyway. Its literally painful to walk the whole day now. Esp with the heavy boots, after the day is done, it really hurts. Doc said that all I can do now is not walk too much and let it heal...