Cleaning House

I realised today that all the elaborate titles I've crafted for my blog entries simply don't show. So anyhow, this blog entry is called 'Cleaning House'. Poetic no? It's largely inspired by the fact that seeing how I now have exactly 40 days remaining until I leave for school, I've begun the lengthy process of clearing out my old computers, and concentrating the stuff I want to keep into this laptop (as well as deleting the things i don't want the parents to see...hurhur).

So now let me proceed to wax eloquent about the nostalgia triggered by a few precious photo's stored in a musty memory bank. These photo's encapsulate the sum of my experiences over the past 5 years; JC, and then NS (although I have no pictures of NS, I do have pictures of myself during that period =P). As most of my close friends will know, my JC and NS life were pretty much defined by Choir, and thus virtually (almost) all my friends come from there.

Not so good with the words, so I'll head on to the pictures. I'm putting them here because I do think they deserve to see the light of day, and also because...just because!

Pictures taken on my last official day in school (ie. after prelims, before A levels). The feeling I have after finding these pictures is...incredible. Rush of memories really. I had no idea I had so many memories of JC. The best thing is: I can name everyone in the pictures! (except...maybe just one =P). But thats not saying much, because there's about maybe 4 non-choir people there at most. JC days were...really a blur for me. And I realise I haven't changed very much in terms of the way I look. Still the same old guai-kia look. Sigh.

This was A level results day...got off from BMT to come and get my unsatisfying results. At least Quentin and Tiffany brought me out for lunch though =) Pictures here are with the classmates I was close to, along with my form teacher. 6 non-choir people in this collage! Terence, Candice, Grace, Ernestine, Melissa and Ms Too (and I can name them too).

Its strange how much we've changed, but not really huh? (intentionally cryptic comment). Special mention at the bottom: Mr Sum with Ruth and I. I'll be joining Ruth in 40 days time in St Georges, though she'll be a good 2 years ahead of me. Bah. And of course! One of the few pictures, and almost certainly the last picture I have with Felicia Anita Halim, my dearest tata. I hope she comes back soon.

Few remaining photos I can't quite categorise. Two photos from Seniors Night (such fashion mistakes), two from the first time Charissa went to NZ, one from my first vocal solo concert (just one of many la), and the final one at the bottom is the batch of 03 doing our first carolling gig as new alumni! This picture is for us to see how much we've changed. Not really, except maybe David (skinny now) and Karen Kirk (now really auntie).

I suppose memories of Seniors Night for me were pretty...funny =P Got kicked out of the 'class room' by hotel management, left Ritz in a group of 4 to try and find alternative accomodation, and ended up just walking the entire night with Tze Pang along the Bay Area, just talking rubbish and plotting the future. That was...great. I wouldn't give it up for all the post-prom-parties in the world (which I refused to go for! hah!).

Then the vocal solo thing...haha. That was...a really scary experience for me. First year army, singing German. Fun, but hopefully never again. Many thanks to David for pushing me headfirst into it though. If you didn't already know, and for those who were are that performance, I invented my own German words during the song =P

And lastly, my only two brushes with alcohol and 'youth culture'! Haha...I'm like the hip replacement =P So anyhow on the left and right are pictures from when Charissa, David, Joel and Peter brought me to Zouk for the first (and last) time. I know it looks like I'm high on alcohol, but I'm actually just really sleepy. And ok, slight alcohol buzz.

Up and down is when an almost similar gang, except replace Joel with Kokphai and add Shumin, brought me to the Loof to get me drunk. They, to all purposes, succeeded by enticing me with the ohsogood Malibu Pineapple, and this Bailey's thing. So all was going well, and I was losing my mobility when Peter decided to ask for this house specialty which was...a shot of gin and tabasco. I spent the rest of the night a hair's breadth away from puking =P

So that's it for this installment! The 40-day countdown! I've decided my choir pictures deserve a whole new post on their own to allow me to wallow more in this sentimental warmth.

Ahh.

Zhiliang's Birthday

Well...so the last of our little quartet has finally hit his majority (actually on Monday, I know, but party is party mah!). Sigh...being there tonight was actually, for me, the most carefree I've felt in a long time. Almost a flashback to more uncomplicated times. It always shocks me how much the lives of others move when I'm no longer a part of them (conceited I know!), but you know what I mean. Such gatherings are seem so fleeting in this period of my life: it's as though 4 years have flashed right by me, and suddenly I'm at the beginning, slightly changed, older, wiser, but intrinsically not all that different.

So one might wonder why I'm being so maudlin and sentimental? Haha...Zhiliang invited a mass of people to his 21st party so well, the bunch of us JC-choir people (Charissa, Peter, Huien, David & Myself) snuck off to the exercise corner where...we just enjoyed each other's company. And I also proved that I can still do a pull-up! Hah!

Hah! Proof! I actually tasked Huien to take a picture of me doing this, but she took a video instead (in which I realise my gestures can be quite aguah), so some of these are courtesy of David Charles! Lastly, a photo which I will keep for a long, long time.

A fitting tribute to our JC quartet. Huien, Charissa, Zhiliang and Myself. Study group from JC, Choir mates and best of all, friends. Also, for the first time, its not MY eyes that are closed! Nyar! Well...ZL marks the last of us to hit 21, and this is of course the year that we both enter uni. Just thinking of the times in JC when I bitched on and on about NS...and suddenly its over and I'm entering a new phase of life and...I don't really want to go. But anyway, this little photo is a tribute to the friendship that the four of us share, and a little thank you for bringing me thru my adolescence (if thats over), and for being there...almost all the time! =D

Oh well...I figure since I'm being sooooooo emo right now, I'd just like to throw an unrelated shot.

Thank you too peeps. You know who you are. Especially you, little boy. Thanks for the sweets =D

And right before I go! *drumroll*

I guess I always knew...haha! Mike! When you come here, I DARE you to take this! Yan's done it too, so you can compare with her =P In fact anyone! Take it and tag your results! *buff*

National day night

A post to prove this blog is not yet dead!

So anyhow the story is, on the night of National Day Charissa invited me over to Shumin's house for a small party cum fireworks observation thing. So the story was, quiet gathering of junior batch (who I apparently know well!), with me there to keep Charissa company. She bluffed! (proving that she is indeed the conniving vixen I purported she was since JC!)

It turned out to be a small gathering of Shumin's friends. Three exchange students in NUS (one ABC and two french girls), two of Shumin's coursemates, and my 'junior batch', consisting of Jingjie, Aloysius and Peter only! (and of course Shumin herself).

I must say though, that despite my misgivings, I really enjoyed myself. Shumin's just such a warm and unassuming person, and I found that after initial awkwardness I really just began to stop being so self-conscious (I was wearing crap, although Peter beat me =P). I will add for the record that I enjoyed myself WITHOUT alcohol after fobbing them off with some excuse about wanting to save myself for ZL's 21st birthday party. Yeah right suckers!

A close friend (ok, David Charles) recently asked me why I never posted any of my personal thoughts on this blog. Well I figured, once I hit overseas the emo would start pouring out anyway, so might as well try and establish a readership before throwing in all the touchy-feely =P But oh well, this occured to me last night: I don't really identify with the youth culture of today (ie. drinking, clubbing). Meaning, I'm a fuddy-duddy. Or as David would put it, simply nehneh.

In fact, I was discussing with Mark that this fact is perhaps why we get along so well. We're conservatives! For instance, tonight I had dinner with my tour group to finish up our tour allowance (brought camera, forgot to take pictures -_-), and Michael was recounting this incident where this guy pierced his own tongue in the school toilet for fun. He was going on about how that guy really had guts and balls! To me though, I thought that guy was just plain dumb. I mean, it takes guts to admit your faults, to overcome fears, to just suck it up and move on sometimes. Does it take guts to mutilate yourself? Nah...I think it requires some absence of thought. Besides, the thought of all the germs in a school toilet...ew.

Since I'm talking about the dinner though, this is a special note for my tour group. Thanks heaps for the card and gift (esp Jane!), and it really was a honour and privilege to be part of your tour experience. Keep singing!

Ok...the buzz of Carls Jr has dimmed somewhat, and I feel ready for slumber. Not to mention that I have to be at my GP's clinic at 8am tomorrow for a meningitis and MMR immunisation. On another note, I wonder why it is that Jo's book-covers are always in such crummy condition, while the spines remain pristine? Nerd moment!

And yes all you naysayers, I've finally succumbed and used emoticons in text. So sue me.

Revenge for David

This post is in honour of my dear friend David Charles, and is in actual fact sweet revenge for all the times Karno has posted unflattering pictures of him on his blog (check them out! haha).

Tada! Compromising picture of Karno in Colleen's headgear, courtesy of Mr Jackie Tan. Personally, I love it.