Saturday.There was tpjc's teacher-parent meeting. And as always, I succeeded again in psychology work. Dad went there just for the NUS talk, and he had a short talk with Mrs Biology. He was convinced that it was going to be a drag if he intended to speak with Miss Civics Tutor. I didn't follow him. I didn't need to.
I didn't want to.
So I just stayed home while he went and returned and all the while I did my Maths, pulling each minute off the clock.
Sunday. I woke up to a frenzied father and brother searching all over the newspapers for an alphabet. It was the final day of The Straits Times 160th anniversary game which has a luxurious yellow Mazda as a prize. The letters my dad collected and arranged read "Where the sun rises by t_e sea Ronald eyes a perfect game". They were rummaging for the 'h' which eventually appeared in the Life! section which was misplaced. It was 1125. The deadline was 1130. 5 minutes to glue the letters onto the puzzle, decide on the answer, drive to Marine Cove, and put it in the draw box. Obviously time didn't permit, but he just tried anyway. And I was the expat.
Now you must try to picture the things that happened. Dad parked by the ECP on the road shoulder just beside Marine Cove, I climbed over the railing which was shrouded by thorny bougainvilleas, crossed the deep drain, climbed over the other thorn-infested railing, squeeze through a fluid mosaic model of Singaporeans, managed to get within 5-10 m of the stage (and the car which I couldn't see), realized that it was impossible to submit the entry, squeezed back out, climbed back across the drain of thorns, back to the car. So realizing the truth, we headed back home.
But at least I got to relish Marine Parade Road again, with the Library and all. My second home.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince arrived. With Marcus eagerly greeting the postman.
Monday.Back to the school. I scaled the rockwall during PE, and realized that it wasn't so easy as it appeared to someone looking from below. Because of the harness, the rock wall would pull away as I climbed, so I had to work to move up as well as forward. 5 squares was all I could achieve. But at least I tried.
Tuesday. Class PE was fun- soccer. It brought me back to VS. If only I could take off my shoes and play, as I always did. But... this was tpjc. No shoes off. Damn asshole.
Wednesday. At the 210 dismissal, I went out of class and headed straight for Choa Chu Kang MRT. National Track and Field Championship. Shen Yean showed me where the VS contingent was. As usual- beside VJ. There was less yellow-and-black, for many of them came in uniform. But most importantly, the spirit was there. Not so much due to the instructors, who seem to be getting lousier with time, but to the old boys. VJ, MJ, ACJC- a lot came back. It's weird but somehow if it rains, we go wild. The harder it rains, the wilder we get. Last year's National T A F was the best. We were shouting and cheering and frolicking in the rain, swinging our headbands and ties, while all the others retreated into the shelter or sprouted umbrellas.
After the prizes were given, we densed somewhere in the middle of the field, holding the flags up high. VJ, knowing full well what we were going to do, joined in. Then we sang the Victorian Anthem. As it reached the last word, the VJ people slowly backed while all VS plunged into our Spelling.
Then we old boys followed the instructors bus back to VS. Home.
Even the name makes me proud.
Thurs was Physics SPA. Thank God I could manage it.
I didn't want to.
So I just stayed home while he went and returned and all the while I did my Maths, pulling each minute off the clock.
Sunday. I woke up to a frenzied father and brother searching all over the newspapers for an alphabet. It was the final day of The Straits Times 160th anniversary game which has a luxurious yellow Mazda as a prize. The letters my dad collected and arranged read "Where the sun rises by t_e sea Ronald eyes a perfect game". They were rummaging for the 'h' which eventually appeared in the Life! section which was misplaced. It was 1125. The deadline was 1130. 5 minutes to glue the letters onto the puzzle, decide on the answer, drive to Marine Cove, and put it in the draw box. Obviously time didn't permit, but he just tried anyway. And I was the expat.
Now you must try to picture the things that happened. Dad parked by the ECP on the road shoulder just beside Marine Cove, I climbed over the railing which was shrouded by thorny bougainvilleas, crossed the deep drain, climbed over the other thorn-infested railing, squeeze through a fluid mosaic model of Singaporeans, managed to get within 5-10 m of the stage (and the car which I couldn't see), realized that it was impossible to submit the entry, squeezed back out, climbed back across the drain of thorns, back to the car. So realizing the truth, we headed back home.
But at least I got to relish Marine Parade Road again, with the Library and all. My second home.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince arrived. With Marcus eagerly greeting the postman.
Monday.Back to the school. I scaled the rockwall during PE, and realized that it wasn't so easy as it appeared to someone looking from below. Because of the harness, the rock wall would pull away as I climbed, so I had to work to move up as well as forward. 5 squares was all I could achieve. But at least I tried.
Tuesday. Class PE was fun- soccer. It brought me back to VS. If only I could take off my shoes and play, as I always did. But... this was tpjc. No shoes off. Damn asshole.
Wednesday. At the 210 dismissal, I went out of class and headed straight for Choa Chu Kang MRT. National Track and Field Championship. Shen Yean showed me where the VS contingent was. As usual- beside VJ. There was less yellow-and-black, for many of them came in uniform. But most importantly, the spirit was there. Not so much due to the instructors, who seem to be getting lousier with time, but to the old boys. VJ, MJ, ACJC- a lot came back. It's weird but somehow if it rains, we go wild. The harder it rains, the wilder we get. Last year's National T A F was the best. We were shouting and cheering and frolicking in the rain, swinging our headbands and ties, while all the others retreated into the shelter or sprouted umbrellas.
After the prizes were given, we densed somewhere in the middle of the field, holding the flags up high. VJ, knowing full well what we were going to do, joined in. Then we sang the Victorian Anthem. As it reached the last word, the VJ people slowly backed while all VS plunged into our Spelling.
Then we old boys followed the instructors bus back to VS. Home.
Even the name makes me proud.
Thurs was Physics SPA. Thank God I could manage it.
carved from shit by bryan at
2:06 AM
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