I had a walk down memory lane today with four of my ex-schoolmates. One of them initiated the visit to our alma mater in conjunction with the school's Family Day. i haven't been back for close to 10 years now. really, that long.
Since the school is located on the top of a hill, two of us decided to take public transport and do the remaining journey by foot. parking would be scandalous since it would be crowded so walking is a good option. besides, it would bring back memories of us in our school pinafores walking to school.
It was a nice journey. took us the usual 15 mins but we saw the changes that have taken place to the street in the last decade. the St. John Cathedral stood tall as it beckoned us. the three schools were in new paints. one or two of the commercial buildings were under renovation. the grounds of the building of insurance company, AIA were expanded. the only thing that perhaps saw little change was the forest reserve next to our school. it was pleasant to have the view of the trees amidst all the concrete.
I still remembered my days walking up the hill. in my first month, i was chased by monkeys who lived at the forest. that was a scary experience; i almost cried because i was so scared. i was 13 then.
I remembered how my classmates would get all tidy and prepped up when school was about to finish. they would take turns to go to the toilet and they would come back smelling really good. i found out later on that it was because of the boys from the school opposite us. when the girls walk down the hill to take the bus, they would sneak an eye across and check out the boys. like them, i've spent numerous evenings doing that and after discussing with my friends which cute looking guy was around.
Today's Family Day was like the ones that i used to have except perhaps we didn't have activities like Bukit Nanas Idol or slamp dunk lined-up. but there were similarities. the students in their t-shirt and track bottoms selling food and drinks, screaming above their heads to attract customers. those that are off-duty would got all dressed-up because since it's a Family Day, outsiders are allowed into the school. this means boys, boys, boys ... :)
After some catching up with the girls, some of whom i haven't seen in years, my friend and i decided to find some of the teachers that we were close to. after several rounds of search, we found some of them sitting in the teachers' room having a break. well since we weren't students anymore, we were allowed to enter the room. talk about change.
It was a nice 45 mins of catching up. some we had a shorter chat, one or two had a bit more time with us. we were laughing at how i was scolded once by Ms C who taught us Maths in Form Six. i was head girl in school and usually entered classes late because i had to finish some duties. that day, as usual, i was late and gave a hurried knock on the door before entering the classroom. unfortunately Ms C didn't hear the knock hence i got a good 5 mins shelling for not having my manners and being corky because i was head girl. it was an embarrassed moment and one that i would always remember with a smile. but it was also a lesson about respecting others.
I have a soft heart for my school. it's because it was a place that taught me a lot of things about life and it helped shaped the person i am today. Ms C up until now is still single. when we were in school, we used to say a lot of not-so-nice things about her singlehood. since she taught us when we were 18, she treated us like almost adults and took in the comments as gracefully as she could. there were days that she counter them but most of the time, she would just smile. she never justified why she was single but her demeanour said she was happy being who she was. and today, she is still who she was ten years ago :O)
Mrs L was my Physics teacher in Form Four who gave me and three other friends extra classes on weekends. we would take several buses just to get to her place but we never complained because those additional lessons were really helpful. i, for one, was not an Einstein so needed a lot of help in understanding the concepts and formulas.
Mrs ST was one of the most fashionable teachers in those days. she is still as beautiful as ever. she is also the school's music teacher, training choirs that win competitions for the school.
My favourite is still Mr H. he taught me Physics in Form Five and gave me some of the fondest memories in my senior year. he has a habit of pulling his belt before starting to teach. he was funny without trying to. he was also the same teacher who told us that when the time came to love, we should love to our heart's content and to stand up again if we were broken-hearted.
As i chatted with the teachers, the memories with each of them flashed through my mind and at one point, i got teary-eyed. i'm a sentimentalist at heart although i preach about moving on and letting go of the past. a lot of times, i still keep a lot of memories in me, as if they happened yesterday. days like today, i relived them and felt like a teenager again ...
But like i said, the school helped formed me - being discipline, organised and meticulous. it taught me to stand by my principles and to be brave to be who i am. my teachers have always shown dedication in their work and demonstrated what it meant to have integrity, and from them, i learnt these values. i hope i have shown enough appreciation to them to let them know that their work had not gone in vain and that they did make a difference in somebody else's life. i will always have them in my memory ...
